On September 1, 2007, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “The Tabernacle in the Wilderness, Part 3.”

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.

We make many decisions every day.  If we stop and think for a moment, we probably make hundreds or even more, on a daily basis.  Most of them quite banal, but nonetheless choices that have to be made.  The number of critical decisions that we make each day is considerably less, in comparison.  And what about life and death decisions–how many of these do we make a day?

Believe it or not, we probably make quite a few of these determinations each and every day, though we do not often couch them in these terms–decisions when and where to walk across a street; whether or not to run a yellow light; how high to climb a ladder; and the list goes on. 

Often, without taking stock of the potential consequences, we put ourselves in physical danger where mortal death is a real possibility.

The real question though is, how frequently are we in spiritual harm’s way?  The answer again is, probably more often than we think.  Are we tempted to “stretch the truth” in our conversations; do we put materialism or our own desires ahead of God; or do we steal time from our employer? We might think of any one of a myriad of other infractions.

Often, without taking stock of the potential consequences, we put ourselves in spiritual danger where eternal death is a real possibility.

As Christians, we know that the penalty for unrepented sin is everlasting death.  NOW is the time to be choosing wisely.  We need to let God know that we are willing to present ourselves as living sacrifices–to lay down our lives daily for His Way. 

God has set two ways before us: blessing and cursing; good and evil; life and death. Therefore, let us choose blessing, good… and LIFE!

US Attorney General Gonzales Resigns

AFP wrote on August 27:

“US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said he would resign Monday, after a scandal-tainted tenure marred by critics’ claims he was incompetent, hid the truth and may be guilty of perjury. Gonzales, an architect of contentious US ‘war on terror’ legal tactics, was also at the center of a row with Democrats over firings of federal prosecutors, and had lost the confidence of many top Republicans.

“He was the latest confidant to leave President George W. Bush’s inner circle, two weeks after political guru Karl Rove named his own departure date and 17 months before the US leader himself exits the White House. ‘Al Gonzales is a man of integrity, decency and principle, and I have reluctantly accepted his resignation,’ Bush said in Waco, Texas after Gonzales’s sudden announcement… Democrats vowed to press on with congressional probes into the conduct of the Justice Department and the White House… Critics say Gonzales, a former White House counsel, signed off on ‘torture’ methods to interrogate ‘war on terror’ prisoners and say programs he backed like a warrantless wiretapping scheme infringed the US constitution. He also argued that terror suspects held at the US base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba had no rights under the Geneva Convention.”

Extra 50 Billion Dollars for Iraq?

AFP wrote on August 29:

“US President George W. Bush plans to ask Congress for an extra 50 billion dollars for Iraq… The request would seek to pay for the current troop ‘surge’ strategy and is a sign that Bush anticipates prevailing in a showdown with the Democratic-controlled Congress which has been pushing for troop withdrawal, the Washington Post said. If approved, the bid would bring US spending on the Iraq war to MORE THAN THREE BILLION DOLLARS PER WEEK… The 50 billion dollars would be in addition to the 460 billion dollars in the fiscal 2008 defense budget and 147 billion dollars in a pending supplemental bill to fund the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.”

Britons Die in U.S. “Friendly Fire”

AFP wrote on August 24:

“Three British NATO troops were killed in an apparent ‘friendly fire’ incident in Afghanistan when US jets dropped a bomb on them during fighting with the Taliban… The deaths are likely to spark anger in Britain, where a coroner ruled earlier this year that a British soldier was unlawfully [“criminally”] killed by US pilots in Iraq and criticised the Pentagon for failing to provide information… Britain has more than 6,000 troops in Afghanistan, a figure which will increase to over 7,700 this year. They are mostly deployed in the south. A total of 73 British troops have been killed in Afghanistan since 2001.”

Afghanistan Almost Exclusive World’s Supplier of Opium

AFP reported on August 27:

“Afghanistan’s opium production [used to make heroin] has doubled in two years, reaching a new high in 2007, with the country almost the exclusive supplier of the world’s deadliest drug [accounting for 93 percent of the global opiates market]… Production [is] estimated to have jumped 34 percent this year over last with the number of heroin labs also increasing… The southern province of Helmand [has] meanwhile become the world’s biggest source of illicit drugs, surpassing the output of entire countries. This [is the case] despite a multi-million-dollar effort led by Britain and the United States to cut the opium trade which finances the growing Taliban insurgency that has killed thousands of people, including scores of Western soldiers… The amount of Afghan land used for growing opium [is] now larger than the combined total used to grow coca — the raw ingredient for cocaine — in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia…”

Bird Flu in Germany

The Associated Press reported on August 26:

“Tests have found that birds at a poultry farm in southern Germany died of the H5N1 strain of bird flu, and some 160,000 birds were being slaughtered as a precaution… The virus was detected in ducklings at the farm near Erlangen, in northern Bavaria… More than 400 birds had died over a short period of time at the farm… Several cases of the virus have surfaced among wild birds in Germany this year. Last month, it was detected in a domestic goose in the east of the country. The H5N1 virus has killed more than 190 people worldwide…”

China Angers Germany

Times On Line reported on August 27:

“China has hacked into the computers of Angela Merkel’s Chancellery and three other German ministries in an extraordinary economic espionage operation… The claims, made in a detailed investigation by Der Spiegel magazine, were denied strenuously by the Chinese authorities yesterday, but there was no mistaking German anger.”

Merkel Meets With China’s and Japan’s Leaders

Deutsche Welle reported on August 29:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel has met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the start of a visit to Japan. The two leaders discussed global warming and economic issues, which the Chancellor and a German delegation travelling with her will also take up with business leaders. Japan takes over the presidency of the Group of Eight industrialised countries from Germany next year. Earlier, Merkel spent three days in China where she highlighted human rights, freedom of the press and the protection of intellectual property rights.”

China’s and Japan’s Defense Ministers Meet

AFP wrote on August 29:

“China’s defence minister was due in Japan Wednesday in the first such visit in more than nine years as the Asian giants work to repair their rocky relations. Defence affairs have been a key impediment in relations between the two countries, with Japan repeatedly joining the United States in voicing concern about China’s rapidly growing military budget… The two defence ministers may also discuss launching a hotline between the two nations amid Japan’s concerns over China’s military build-up, Japanese media said. China had said it will boost military spending by 17.8 percent this year and in January became only the third nation to shoot down an object in space.”

Confused Christianity–Passport to Heaven?

Zenit reported on August 26:

“Heaven is an equal-opportunity destination, but to gain entry one needs a ‘passport’ stamped with virtues such as humility, mercy and truth, [said Pope] Benedict XVI… in a reflection he gave on the “narrow gate’…  [The pope] said that the message of Christ is that everybody has an equal chance of entering through the narrow gate, ‘but it is “narrow” because it is demanding, it requires commitment, self-denial and mortification of one’s own egoism.’ Christ invites all to heaven, he said, ‘but with one and the same condition: that of making the effort to follow him and imitate him, taking up one’s cross, as he did, and dedicating one’s life to the service of our brothers.’ Benedict XVI makes the point that ‘we will not be judged on the basis of presumed privileges, but by our works.’ ‘True friendship with Christ,’ he added, ‘is expressed by one’s way of life: it is expressed by goodness of heart, with humility, meekness and mercy, love of justice and truth, sincere and honest commitment to peace and reconciliation.'”

Nowhere in the Bible do we read that humans go to heaven when they die. Rather, the saints are to inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). Converted Christians will be resurrected from their sleep of death at the time of Christ’s return (1 Thessalonians 4:16)–to rule on the earth (Revelation 5:10). For more information, please read our free booklet, “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?”

More Confusion in Orthodox Christianity

The German magazine, Der Stern, wrote on August 28 about Sunday papers. The following comments exemplify the utter confusion of many Germans and Europeans, as well as Americans, for that matter, about the Biblical command to keep the weekly SABBATH holy–not SUNDAY.  The article stated:

“You shall read on the seventh day… Turmoil on holy Sunday… active competition is big on the seventh day…”

Sunday is neither holy–in the eyes of God–nor is it the seventh day. Sunday is the FIRST day of the week–a day that God never sanctified or declared holy. The Sabbath–the time from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset–is the seventh day, and God made IT holy (compare Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15).

It is remarkable, however, that in Germany and other European countries, the CALENDAR was changed, following the lead of the Catholic Church. Calendars in the USA clearly identify Sunday correctly as the FIRST day of the week–not as the seventh day! This is NOT the case in Germany and other European countries, where SUNDAY is falsely designated as the SEVENTH day of the week, and Monday as the first day. Can you see the subtle–and not so subtle–deception?

This development was prophesied thousands of years ago. In Daniel 7:25, a religious power is mentioned, which shall “intend to change times and law”–that is, the LAW regarding which TIMES God has set aside as HOLY. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

No More Mosques in Carinthia, Austria?

On August 27, Reuters reported that “Austrian right-wing firebrand Joerg Haider said on Monday he plans to change building laws to prevent mosques and minarets being erected in his home province of Carinthia. Haider, Carinthia’s governor, said he would ask its parliament to amend the building code to… require towns and villages to consider ‘religious and cultural tradition’ when dealing with construction requests.

“‘We don’t want a clash of cultures and we don’t want institutions which are alien to our culture being erected in Western Europe,’ Haider said in a statement. ‘Muslims have of course the right to practise their religion, but I oppose erecting mosques and minarets as centres to advertise the power of Islam,’ he said.”

The article continued:

“Muslims in Europe are meeting increasing resistance to plans for mosques that befit Islam’s status as the continent’s second religion after Christianity, with petitions in London, protests in Cologne, a court case in Marseille and violence in Berlin. However, while all those places have significant Muslim minorities, Haider’s Carinthia has the second lowest share of Muslim citizens of all Austrian provinces — 11,000 out of a population of around 400,000.”

Britain an Embarrassment for the Entire EU?

The Telegraph reported on August 27, about Britain’s pending approval of the EU Treaty:

“Gordon Brown’s chances of ending a Labour revolt over the new EU reform treaty have been snuffed out after leading Euro-MPs made clear they would give no further concessions to Britain…  The Prime Minister is facing a mounting rebellion by his own backbenchers who are demanding a referendum on the treaty unless Mr Brown can extract fresh amendments at the eleventh hour. But representatives of the European Parliament who are directly involved in the last stage of negotiations insisted that Britain had already caused the EU enough problems by winning a series of ‘unacceptable’ opt-outs…

“Enrique Baron Crespo, a Spanish socialist and former president of the parliament, made clear Britain had already exhausted its goodwill. He said Britain’s opt-outs had ‘led to a situation close to humiliation and embarrassment for the entire EU’. Criticism also came from German MEP Elmar Brok, a close ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said: ‘The European parliament is worried about the exact extent, definition and consequences of the opt-outs.'”

The paper also mentioned that “More than 60,000 people have signed a Daily Telegraph petition calling for the people to be given a say.”

Is Israel Going to Abandon Control Over the Temple Mount?

WorldNetDaily wrote on August 28:

“Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told the Egyptian government the Jewish state is willing to forfeit control over the Temple Mount – Judaism’s holiest site – to the management of Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, according to an Arab media report… Israeli and Palestinian diplomatic sources said U.S.-brokered biweekly meetings between Olmert and Abbas are being utilized to draft the outline of a permanent status deal, ultimately yielding a Palestinian state, scheduled to be aired in public at the November summit…”

The article also said that “Currently under Israeli control, Jews and Christians are barred from praying on the Mount.”

“Middle East Turmoil Could Cause World War”

Reuters reported on August 27:

“Upheaval in the Middle East and Islamic civilization could cause another world war, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations was quoted as saying in an Austrian newspaper… Zalmay Khalilzad told the daily Die Presse the Middle East was now so disordered that it had the potential to inflame the world as Europe did during the first half of the 20th century…

“Khalilzad was also quoted as saying Iraq would need foreign forces for security for a long time to come… Asked whether that could be 10-20 years, he said: ‘Yes, indeed, it could last that long. What form the help takes will depend a lot on the Iraqis. Up to now there is no accord between Iraq and the United States about a longer military presence.’ Khalilzad said the chaos in Iraq since U.S.-led forces overthrew Saddam Hussein in 2003 was not unavoidable but arose from mistakes in the initial period of occupation.”

Outspoken Sarkozy

ynetnews.com reported on August 27:

“In his first major foreign policy speech, [the] French president says [a] diplomatic push by [the] world’s powers to rein in Tehran’s nuclear program is [the] only alternative to [the] ‘Iranian bomb or bombing of Iran’…

“Sarkozy said a nuclear-armed Iran would be unacceptable and that major powers should continue their policy of incrementally increasing sanctions against Tehran while being open to talks if Iran suspended nuclear activities. ‘This initiative is the only one that can enable us to escape an alternative that I say is catastrophic: the Iranian bomb or the bombing of Iran,’ he said, adding that it was the worst crisis currently facing the world… Sarkozy criticized Russia for its dealings on the international stage. ‘Russia is imposing its return on the world scene by using its assets, notably oil and gas, with a certain brutality,’ he said…

“Sarkozy had warm words for the United States, saying friendship between the two countries was important. But he said he felt free to disagree with American policies, highlighting what he called a lack of leadership on the environment… Breaking with the policy of his predecessor Jacques Chirac, Sarkozy said he was prepared to hold high-level talks with Syria… But he stuck to his predecessor’s stance in demanding that a timeline be drawn up for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.”

The Times added on August 28:

“President Sarkozy called Iran’s nuclear ambition the world’s most dangerous problem yesterday and raised the possibility that the country could be bombed if it persisted in building an atomic weapon… He did not say who would carry out such an attack, which has been suggested by policy experts in Israel and the US… President Sarkozy, the most pro-American French leader for decades, condemned the US invasion of Iraq…”

EU Greater World Rule–Under France?

The EUObserver wrote on August 28:

“As France prepares to assume the EU’s driving seat in July next year, president Nicolas Sarkozy has indicated he wants to turn the 27-nation bloc into a decisive player in the global arena – something he says would result in a fairer and more harmonious world order… ‘The European Union alone has accumulated, during the long process of building the community, the practical experience of a shared sovereignty that corresponds well to the demands of our times’, Mr Sarkozy told his audience of 180 diplomats, stressing the EU bloc has at its disposal a broad palette of instruments, ranging from military force to humanitarian and financial means. While outlining new ideas, Mr Sarkozy urged the 27-nation club to boost its common security strategy – namely to improve its conduct of joint military operations, to rationalize its arms procurement as well as boost countries’ contributions to Europe’s defence budget…”

German Reactions to Sarkozy’s Remarks–“Rambo in the Elysée”

Der Spiegel Online reported on August 28 on German reactions to Sarkozy’s first major policy speech. The magazine stated:

“In an editorial entitled ‘Rambo in the Elysée,’ the business daily Handelsblatt writes: ‘The more poorly he speaks about certain things, the more seriously he takes himself. The speech that the head of state formulated yesterday was simply a manifold claim for French leadership, both in Europe and across the globe. The EU should formulate a security strategy under French leadership and one that will also reform NATO. Under Sarkozy’s personal leadership, the UN Security Council should find solutions in September for the crisis areas of Africa… The troublesome reality of France’s mid-sized power when it comes to foreign policy will catch up with this president, too.’

“The conservative daily Die Welt writes: ‘The aim is clear: With the help of a strong EU, which will be led decisively by France, Paris wants to assert itself as a player on the global stage. One can interpret his attempt to extend the European Union toward Africa as an answer to Germany’s increased influence following its reunification and EU expansion. The desire to secure a place for Germany on the Security Council belongs to the realm of rhetoric. It will stir the Germans up, but in the end it won’t lead to anything…’

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes:

“The only thing that is clear is that France will embroil itself in many international conflicts under his leadership. To what end is unclear, unless of course it is just about gratifying Sarkozy’s craving for recognition. With refreshing clarity, the president has distanced himself from Russia and China. At the same time, he is trying to dispel the impression, which he brought about himself, that France’s foreign policy will be closer to that of the United States.”

Wildfires in Greece

AFP reported on August 25 about “the worst wildfires to hit Greece in a decade… More than 800 firefighters, along with about 400 soldiers, were supported by 11 planes and seven helicopters,” including in an area near Corinth. The article explained that “Greece has been battling multiple forest fires since June, fanned by three heatwaves, the latest this week, and months of drought.”

Der Spiegel wrote on August 27:

“Fires burn for the fourth day across Greece in the worst blazes the country has ever seen. At least 60 have died and help has arrived from across Europe. The authorities suspect that many of the fires have been set on purpose… Hundreds of villages have been completely destroyed all across the country and thousands of people are now homeless… ‘The destruction is of Biblical proportions,’ firefighter Nicholas Orphanos… told reporters according to Reuters. ‘There are villages we want to go to and we cannot because the roads are blocked. In 30 years, I have never seen such destruction.'”

The magazine continued:

“Karamanlis’ government has been accused of being unprepared for the intensity of this year’s fire season… judging by Monday’s headlines, his career at the head of Greece’s government may be over. Headlines were scathing, reading ‘Incompetent! Grief for the Dead, Rage for the Absence of the State,’ and ‘Shame for the Collapse of the State!'”

EU Standing Intervention Force?

The EUObserver reported about additional potential consequences from Greece’s wild fires. On August 28, the following was stated:

“The European Commission is considering new ways of how to boost EU emergency assistance to member states in crisis, prompted by the raging fires in Greece… The EU executive’s spokeswoman said several commission directorates are currently seeking ways to boost the bloc’s ability to react in similar situations as it seems the existing system ‘may not be enough to react as quickly as one wishes to.’

“Brussels is contemplating setting up some sort of ‘standing intervention force’ for different types of crises. The idea is to speed up joint actions so disasters can be tackled within hours of breaking out. She added that the new concept could be unveiled as early as this autumn and it would be worked out according to several scenarios on how to best coordinate the emergency teams from different countries.”

Turkey’s New President

Der Spiegel Online wrote on August 29 about German reactions to the Turkish parliamentary election of their new president:

“Abdullah Gül’s election to the Turkish presidency is controversial in Turkey, mostly due to his roots in political Islam… The country’s military, which sees itself as the guardian of the Turkish secularism…, has repeatedly warned that it would not tolerate any moves away from secularism. Even the fact that [Gül’s] wife wears a headscarf — a symbol of Islam banned in public buildings in Turkey — is seen as a strike against him. But Gül, who until Tuesday was Turkey’s foreign minister, has also helped Turkey make major strides toward the European Union and the West. He is well respected in EU capitals and the government of [Prime Minister] Erdogan has ushered through a number of reforms aimed at preparing the country to become a member of the EU. So what, exactly, is to be made of his election? German commentators on Wednesday take a closer look.

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung is enthusiastic about Gül’s victory: ‘There is no separation of church and state in Turkey. On the contrary: The country has reinvented the concept of secularism — the state has total control over religion. All mosques and imams are beholden to the Office of Religious Affairs — an office that even dictates the Friday sermon…’

“The financial daily Handelsblatt likewise sees Gül’s election in a positive light: ‘Gül’s election is an important step on the path towards emancipation from the military’s grasp. And that is an important step towards Europe…’

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘The fact that the military is armed and ready to defend the foundations of secularism may be comforting for people who fear that their freedom to have the lifestyle they choose is under threat. But it is ominous for anyone who sees a greater evil in an authoritarian, military republic.'”

Concerns Over Turkey’s New Government

Not everyone shares the optimism expressed in the previous article. Deutsche Welle had this to say, on August 29:

“Abdullah Gül was elected Turkey’s next president on Tuesday. But calls by Prime Minister Erdogan for Gül’s critics to give up their citizenship have the media wondering what direction Turkey will take… Erdogan was commenting on an article by the prominent columnist Bekir Coskun from Turkey’s largest daily Hürriyet. Coskun had written that Gül’s presidency would mean the end of the secular state in Turkey — a fear shared by the country’s secular elite.”

The press report continued to point out:

“… according to Yüksel Isik from the Progressive Journalists Association, the prime minister’s statement showed that press freedom was still a major challenge in Turkey. ‘The prime minister is taking an exclusionary stance against a prominent journalist, Bekir Coskun, as if he is “the other”,’ Isik said. ‘If local governors follow the prime minister’s behavior and try to pressure journalists in local regions, this would mean the total terrorization of Turkey by this government.’

“In a separate move, the mass circulation Hürriyet fired columnist Emin Cölasan last week, who is known for his highly critical articles on the AKP-led government. According to Isik, these events showed that the problem of press freedom was more serious than it appeared. ‘Many of our journalist colleagues have been fired without any just cause, only for their criticism of governmental policies,’ Isik said… For Turkey’s journalists, the big question now is whether the Islamist-rooted AKP will use its majority power to continue criticizing the press or to open itself up to different views.”

Matthew 7:6 reads as follows:

“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.”

We need to state, first of all, that the Bible compares the truth about the Kingdom of God with a precious pearl (Matthew 13:45-46). At the same time, “dogs” or “swine” describe debased and quarrelsome people, filled with anger and hostility toward God and His Law (Philippians 3:2; 2 Peter 2:22; Revelation 22:15).

Barnes has the following insightful comments regarding the meaning of this passage:

“Pearls… are used to denote the doctrines of the gospel. ‘Dogs’ signify people who spurn, oppose, and abuse that doctrine; people of special sourness and malignity of temper, who meet it like growling and quarrelsome curs… ‘Swine’ denote those who would trample the precepts underfoot; people of impurity of life; those who are corrupt, polluted, profane, obscene, and sensual; those who would not know the value of the gospel, and who would tread it down as swine would pearls… The meaning of this proverb, then, is, do not offer your doctrine to those violent and abusive people who would growl and curse you; nor to those especially debased and profligate who would not perceive its value, would trample it down, and would abuse you…”

We are asked to let our light shine, by doing good works (Matthew 5:16). A light makes no noise–if it does, then something is wrong with it. We cannot convert a person–only God can do this (Romans 2:4). It is true that we are told to be prepared to give a defense or an answer to those who ask us about the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15)–but this addresses people who are genuinely interested. This is not to say that we could not try to sow a seed by making a point in a conversation–but we must be extremely careful not to do this with people who are hostile toward “our religion.” Even insofar as non-hostile people are concerned, we generally are to wait for them to express their interest, by asking, rather than “volunteering” to forcefully try to persuade them of our beliefs. It takes discernment to determine whether people are genuinely interested, or whether they just raise an issue for the purpose of strife and contention. Proverbs 17:14 says: “The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.”

However, the Commentary of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown gives us the following appropriate caution:

“Religion is brought into contempt, and its professors insulted, when it is forced upon those who cannot value it and will not have it. But while the indiscriminately zealous have need of this caution, let us be on our guard against too readily setting our neighbors down as dogs and swine, and excusing ourselves from endeavoring to do them good on this poor plea.”

Christ’s point is: Don’t be too quick to judge and condemn (see the context of Matthew 7:6 with verses 1-5, cautioning against quick judgment of others, while at the same time ignoring our own shortcomings)–but don’t be naive and overlook blatant malicious attitudes and conduct, expressing hostility toward the Word and the LAW of God.

Gill has this to say in regard to the passage:

“Here the phrase is used in a metaphorical sense; and is generally understood of not delivering or communicating the holy word of God, and the truths of the Gospel, comparable to pearls, or the ordinances of it, to persons notoriously vile and sinful: to men, who being violent and furious persecutors, and impudent blasphemers, [who] are compared to ‘dogs’; or to such, who are scandalously vile, impure in their lives and conversations, and are therefore compared to swine… men should be cautious, and prudent, in rebuking and admonishing such persons for their sins, in whom there is no appearance or hope of success; yea, where there is danger of sustaining loss.”

The Bible warns us in Proverbs 9:7-8: “He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself, And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself. Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you…”

Compare, too, the following statements in the Nelson Study Bible:

“Dogs and swine refer to people who are enemies of the gospel, as opposed to those who are merely unbelievers. Such enemies are to be left alone (see [Matthew] 15:14; 2 [Corinthians] 6:14-18). One example of such a person was Herod Antipas, who heard John gladly (see Mark 6:20), but then he beheaded him (see [Matthew] 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-28; Luke 9:7-9). Later when Christ stood before Herod, He said nothing (see Luke 23:8, 9). In the context of this verse, Herod had become a ‘dog’ or a ‘pig.'”

Note these additional comments in the Life Application Bible:

“It is futile to try to teach holy concepts to people who don’t want to listen and will only tear apart what we say. We should not stop giving God’s Word to unbelievers, but we should be wise and discerning in what we teach to whom, so that we will not be wasting our time.”

The Broadman Bible Commentary agrees, pointing out:

“Jesus is… alluding… to any person who is… unwilling to distinguish between what is holy and what is not, or between pearls and what is valueless. This saying sounds harsh, but it must be heard. Jesus… recognized that there were times when there was no opening for the gospel or for his ministry… there are times when [a Christian] can only remain silent or try to bring about a better climate for a later sharing… Three dangers threaten the Christian witness or minister who does not discern when to speak and when to keep silence: he may further damage the one he tries to help; he may try to force himself or his values upon another; and he may unnecessarily imperil himself and others.”

Clarke adds another dimension to this verse, when he states:

“As a general meaning of this passage, we may just say: ‘The sacrament of the Lord’s supper [better: Passover], and other holy ordinances which are only instituted for the genuine followers of Christ, are not to be dispensed to those who are continually returning like the snarling ill-natured dog to their easily predominant sins of rash judgment, barking at and tearing the characters of others by evil speaking, back biting and slandering; nor to him who, like the swine, is frequently returning to wallow in the mud of sensual gratifications and impurities.'”

Even though John Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount, disagrees with the idea that Christ, in Matthew 7:6, had the Passover in mind, he nevertheless concurs that the PRINCIPLE is well founded, stating:

“Some of the early fathers thought the reference was to the Lord’s Supper [better: Passover]… and argued from it that unbelieving, unbaptized people should not be admitted to Communion [partaking of the symbols of bread and wine during Passover]. [Footnote: For example, chapter IX of the Didache, probably an early second-century document, includes this instruction: ‘Let no one eat or drink of your Eucharist, but they who have been baptized into the name of the Lord; for concerning this also the Lord has said, “Give not that which is holy to the dogs.”‘] While they were no doubt right in this teaching, it is extremely doubtful whether Jesus had this question in mind at all…”

The Church of God has consistently taught that only properly baptized members are to partake of the Passover symbols (see our free booklet, “The Meaning of God’s Spring Holy Days.”)

To an extent, Christ’s statement in Matthew 7:6 can even refer to the public preaching of the gospel by His Church. It cannot be applied, of course, in the sense that His Church is NO longer obligated to preach the gospel in all the world as a witness–just the opposite is true (Matthew 24:14)–but as the following commentaries point out, the passage has relevance insofar as the REACTION of those is concerned who hear the proclamation of the gospel message.

Stott explains:

“We cannot possibly deduce… that Jesus was forbidding us to preach the gospel to unbelievers. To suppose this would stand the whole New Testament on its head and contradict the Great Commission (with which Matthew’s Gospel ends) to ‘go and make disciples of all nations.’ [compare Matthew 28:19-20]… so then the ‘dogs’ and ‘pigs’ with whom we are forbidden to share the gospel pearl are not just unbelievers. They must rather be those who have had ample opportunity to hear and receive the good news, but have decisively–even defiantly–rejected it… the fact is that to persist beyond a certain point in offering the gospel to such people is to invite its rejection with contempt and even blasphemy… If people have had plenty of opportunity to hear the truth but do not respond to it… we are not to go on and on with them, for then we cheapen God’s gospel of letting them trample it under foot.”

Therefore, Christ’s warning not to give what is holy to the dogs and swine, has a certain relevance in relationship to the REACTION of those to whom the gospel has been preached. In Matthew 10:14, Christ told His disciples whom He had sent out to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God (see verse 7), to leave the house of unworthy people who would not receive nor hear the message. We also find that Paul, AFTER he had preached the gospel to the Jews, turned away from them and turned to the Gentiles, when the Jews rejected the message (compare Acts 13:44-46; 18:5-6).

A good summary of the meaning of Matthew 7:6 can be found in Henry’s commentary, where we read:

“This [passage] may be considered, either, (1.) As a rule to the disciples in preaching the gospel; not that they must not preach it to any one who were wicked and profane (Christ himself preached to publicans and sinners), but the reference is to such as they found obstinate after the gospel was preached to them, such as blasphemed it, and persecuted the preachers of it; let them not spend much time among such, for it would be lost labour, but let them turn to others… Or, (2.) As a rule to all in giving reproof. Our zeal against sin must be guided by discretion, and we must not go about to give instructions, counsels, and rebukes, much less comforts, to hardened scorners, to whom it will certainly do no good, but who will be exasperated and enraged at us. Throw a pearl to a swine, and he will resent it… Good counsel and reproof are a holy thing… Yet we must be very cautious whom we condemn as dogs and swine, and not do it till after trial, and upon full evidence.”

It requires insight, discernment and prayer to be able to determine when to speak and when to be silent. However, people’s hostility to the words of God and especially the LAW of God is normally revealed very quickly. Somebody who HATES God’s commandments will express his malice in due course. In that case, it is best to cease discussing God’s truth with such a person, knowing that it will only lead to strife and contention (1 Timothy 6:3-5; Titus 3:9-10). A servant of God is told not to be engaged in such destructive conversation (1 Corinthians 11:16; 2 Timothy 2:23-24), lest he become affected by it too, giving in to the devouring hatred of his opponents and reacting in such a way as to allow his mouth to sin (Psalm 39:1).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program (#135) has been posted on Google Video. It is titled, “Are You Ignorant of World Conditions?” In the program, Norbert Link discusses the fact that two-thirds of US adults admit to being in the dark about political issues outside the US. Only 3% of women and 14% of men say that they are extremely knowledgeable on world politics. Why is this a frightening and shocking testimony? Or, does it make any difference whether or not one knows what is going on in the world? View this now on Google Video.

A new member letter has been written and will be sent out early next week. This will be the last member letter prior to the Feast of Tabernacles. In the member letter, Rene Messier discusses the meaning of God’s Fall Holy Days, and encourages all of us to look forward to these days with zeal, anticipation and enthusiasm.

We will be posting shortly, in the USA, a new advertisement on the Internet for our booklet, “Human Suffering–Why and How Much Longer?” The ad will include a short video presentation, introducing the booklet.

by Eric Rank

In the days when I attended college, I loved the beginning of the school year. I was tremendously stimulated by the introduction to all sorts of new ideas, research and knowledge. After the intellectually stagnant summer, the exercise of thinking was refreshing.

I believe that most of us would agree that it’s exciting to learn new things. However, what do we do when the new and exciting knowledge we gain becomes old and obvious? From personal experience, I’ve found that it’s a natural phenomenon to lose momentum once we figure out the basics. This tends to occur simply because as we progress in a field of knowledge, the questions become more difficult to assemble and the answers more difficult to find. The danger comes when we stop trying to think of questions that would push us forward. When that happens, our learning stops, and in some cases, we might forget entirely what we learned before.

God requires that we continually push forward in the study of His Word. If we stop working towards this goal, it’s analogous to quitting our study at mid term. We all know that such a choice makes a failure inevitable. If we have any desire to graduate into God’s kingdom, we need to work at our study–using the background we have, and the vast resources at our disposal — so that our knowledge of the truth may accumulate. The alternative leaves us worse off than when we began.

On August 25, 2007, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “The Tabernacle in the Wilderness, Part 2.”

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.

Most of us have appreciated during our travels beautiful natural lakes in various parts of the world, which are a product of the Creator God. We have marveled at the splendor of the color of the water, especially of those glacier lakes, and we have been awed by their beauty and their natural surroundings. Most of us have also seen man-made lakes, which are not so awesome, because they came into existence, perhaps, as a result of the building of dams or other man-made projects. The beaches of those lakes are not as nice, and the bottoms are usually filled with stumps from trees that have been cut off. The fish have been added. All of this shows that we cannot improve on perfection.

The same could be said about the seventh-day Sabbath. The Sabbath was a part of God’s perfect creation, established at the re-creation of the surface of the earth, as well as the creation of man, close to six thousand years ago. Christ said  in Mark 2:27: “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”  The Sabbath is an opportunity to rest from our labors, to worship our Creator,  and to appreciate His creation.

Some have abandoned the Sabbath and replaced it with Sunday, or they have never understood that the Sabbath is the designated day by God Almighty. Sunday is a product of man–not God. It was adopted by the churches of this world as if they could somehow improve on perfection. But they cannot!

The question is, why would we reject perfection and settle for the imperfect? Why would we want to worship our Creator with a man-made product, rather than a God-made product?

Which, do you suppose, is inferior–that which is created by God, or that which was established by man, without the advice of or blessing from God? Which, do you suppose, is superior–that which was created by God or that which was substituted by man?

Here is the real issue: Are we going to follow the traditions of man or the explicit inductions of the Creator God? God made the Sabbath for man–not Sunday. While the Sabbath reflects God’s perfection, Sunday is nothing else but a man-made tradition–a cheap substitute inspired by none other than the god of this world–Satan the devil.

All of us need to answer consistently the following question: Is our worship based on man-made or God-made injunctions? Is it based on God’s perfect law, or on man’s imperfect standards? The choice to do right is ours!

Most Americans in the Dark

On August 22, AFP published the following shocking article:

“Two-thirds of US adults admit to being in the dark about political issues outside the United States, and only a third are well-versed in US politics, the results of a poll published Tuesday showed… Global political knowledge was miniscule, with just three percent of women and 14 percent of men saying they are extremely knowledgeable on world politics.

“One reason for the knowledge gap is lack of interest, according to the poll. Well over half (57 percent) say they do not like learning about political issues in other countries…”

No wonder that the Bible predicts that the development of earthshaking political events, involving and caused by foreign powers, will take the vast majority of Americans, as well as the entire world, by utter surprise. Almost 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ warned of the following, in Matthew 24:38-39, pertaining to our time:

“For as in the days before the flood [at the time of Noah, verse 37], they were eating and drinking, marrying and given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and DID NOT KNOW until the flood came and took them all away, so ALSO will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

Paul echoed Christ’s warning for us today, in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4:

“But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then SUDDEN DESTRUCTION comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they SHALL NOT ESCAPE. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.”

For more information, please view regularly our Internet-video programs, titled, “StandingWatch,” and please read our free booklets, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” and “Europe in Prophecy.”

Iraq in the News–Like Vietnam?

CNN reported on August 17:

“The number of coalition military deaths in the war in Iraq has reached 4,000… Most of the fatalities throughout the Iraq war have been U.S. military service members, with 3,705 deaths. That number also includes seven civilians working for the Pentagon.The nearly 300 others hail from countries, such as Italy, Poland and Ukraine, that have supported the U.S. effort, which began in March 2003.”

AFP reported on August 21:

“Iraqi political progress has been ‘extremely disappointing,’ the US ambassador in Baghdad said on Tuesday, two weeks before he and the top American military commander in Iraq are to report to Congress. Ryan Crocker warned that US support for the crumbling government of Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki was not ‘a blank cheque,’ delivering his most outspoken criticism to date. His comments came as Maliki held talks in Syria, one of Washington’s arch foes, in a bid to win support from Iraq’s neighbours to try to end the deadly violence engulfing the country.”

AFP added on August 22:

“US President George W. Bush in a speech on Wednesday will warn that a US withdrawal from Iraq could produce a catastrophe similar to what occurred in Southeast Asia after US forces left Vietnam… Bush’s speech ties anti-war forces in the Vietnam era to the hundreds of thousands of people killed in the aftermath of the US pull-out, and hints at a parallel disaster in Iraq if US forces leave too soon.

“‘Many argued that if we pulled out, there would be no consequences for the Vietnamese people,’ he said according to the advance transcript. ‘The world would learn just how costly these misimpressions would be. In Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge began a murderous rule in which hundreds of thousands of Cambodians died by starvation, torture, or execution. In Vietnam, former American allies, government workers, intellectuals, and businessmen were sent off to prison camps, where tens of thousands perished. Hundreds of thousands more fled the country on rickety boats, many of them going to their graves in the South China Sea,’ Bush said, pleading for patience with the US-led security crackdown in Iraq…

“‘There was another price to our withdrawal from Vietnam, and we can hear it in the words of the enemy we face in today’s struggle — Al-Qaeda,’ Bush said, pointing to speeches by Osama bin Laden and his number two Ayman al-Zawahiri in which they mention Vietnam in connection with US government weakness. ‘Whatever your position in that debate, one unmistakable legacy of Vietnam is that the price of America’s withdrawal was paid by millions of innocent citizens whose agonies would add to our vocabulary new terms like “boat people,” “re-education camps,” and “killing fields.”‘”

President Bush’s comparison prompted sharp criticism from politicians, newscasters and historians. In NBC’s Today Show, Tim Russert stated on August 23 that President Bush’s equation was very risky as in the public mind, Vietnam was wrong and a lost war. He continued that historians point out that it was the Vietnam war–and not the US withdrawal–which CREATED the problems.

USA Today wrote on August 23:

“The president is drawing ‘the wrong lesson from history,’ said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. The United States lost in Vietnam, he said, ‘because our troops were trapped in a distant country we did not understand, supporting a government that lacked sufficient legitimacy with its people.’

“Military gains in Iraq are being wasted because Iraq’s government ‘is failing miserably,’ said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Missouri Democrat. The U.S. military, he said, can only do so much, and if the Iraqis want democracy, ‘they must fight for it.'”

Military and/or political solutions will not end our problems in and with Iraq–simply because God has begun to withdraw His blessings from the USA. The reasons for this development are clearly described in our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

America’s Grim Economic Future

The International Herald Tribune wrote on August 17:

“The U.S. economy, once the envy of the world, is now viewed across the globe with suspicion. America has become shackled by an immovable mountain of debt that endangers its prosperity and threatens to bring the rest of the world economy crashing down with it.

“The ongoing sub-prime mortgage crisis, a result of irresponsible lending policies designed to generate commissions for unscrupulous brokers, presages far deeper problems in a U.S. economy…

“As a banker working in the heart of the Muslim world, I have been amazed by the depth and breadth of anti-Americanism, even among U.S. allies, manifested in reactions ranging from fierce anger to stoic fatalism. Muslims outside the United States interpret America’s policies in the Middle East not as an effort to spread democracy but as a blatant neocolonialist attempt to solve its economic problems by force. Arabs and Persians alike argue that America’s fiscal irresponsibility has forced the nation to seek solutions through military aggression. Many believe that America’s misguided adventure in Iraq was a desperate attempt to capture both a reliable source of cheap oil and a major export market for the United States…

“… the Chinese… have threatened to retaliate against proposed U.S. trade sanctions by reducing their $1.3 trillion in dollar holdings. The U.S. debt situation is so grave that the Chinese would not even need to ‘dump dollars’ to precipitate a meltdown but could simply refuse to extend further credit… China has the far stronger hand… American economic decadence has become a source of Russian strength.

“What have Americans gained from their nation’s mountain of debt? A crumbling infrastructure, a manufacturing base that has declined 60 percent since World War II, a rise in the wealth gap, the lowest consumer-savings rate since the depths of the Great Depression, 50 million Americans without health insurance, an educational system in decline and a shrinking dollar that makes foreign travel a luxury…

“Current tensions between the United States and the rest of the world will continue as long as America’s military bark is louder than its economic bite… LET US HOPE AMERICA HEEDS THE WARNINGS…”

Terrible Weather Conditions in Mexico and the USA

The New York Times wrote on August 22:

“After hammering Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula with blistering winds and heavy rain on Tuesday, a weakened Hurricane Dean was moving to strike again this afternoon as it rolled across the Bay of Campeche toward Mexico’s Gulf coast…

“On Tuesday, on its path across the Yucatán, it was rated as the ninth-strongest hurricane on record in the Atlantic. As a Category 5 storm, with winds in excess of 165 miles per hour, it ripped roofs off homes, flooded streets, downed power lines and snapped trees. It missed the prime tourist spots of the Mayan Riviera but caused damage in Chetumal, the state capital… [which] took the brunt of the storm. Streets were inundated and debris was everywhere. Hundreds of trees lay strewn along major thoroughfares, and thousands of people were without power and running water.”

The Associated Press reported on August 23:

“Dean hit the mainland as a Category 2 storm after regaining some of the force it unleashed on the Yucatan. Its first strike on the peninsula Tuesday as a Category 5 tempest with 165 mph winds was the THIRD MOST INTENSE Atlantic hurricane ever to make landfall.”

It added:

“Dean slammed into Mexico for the second time… Wednesday with top sustained winds of 100 mph. Its center hit the tourism and fishing town of Tecolutla. The wide storm’s hurricane-force winds lashed at a 60-mile stretch of the Mexican coast in Veracruz state.”

It also said that “The remnants of Hurricane Dean dumped heavy rain across central Mexico on Thursday, drenching mudslide-prone mountains as it pushed its way inland…”

In a related article, The New York Times reported on August 22:

“The death toll from two storm systems — one in the Upper Midwest and the remnants of Tropical Storm Erin in Texas and Oklahoma — reached 22 on Tuesday… In Wisconsin and Minnesota, thousands of homes were damaged… Flooding remained a problem Wednesday in parts of Ohio… In northern Iowa, widespread flooding continued as thunderstorms dumped more heavy rain across the already water-logged region Wednesday. Strong wind damaged buildings, and some roads and homes were underwater.”

The Associated Press added on August 23:

“More than 1,000 people were flooded out of their homes Thursday after heavy rain that swamped communities across the Midwest sent Ohio’s rivers spilling over their banks… A powerful thunderstorm hit Chicago with 50 mph wind late Wednesday, and another storm system was moving over Iowa and southern Minnesota on Thursday.”

Two Years and One Billion Dollars Later, New Orleans Still at Great Risk

Der Spiegel Online wrote on August 17:

“New Orleans remains a very risky place to live… The entire flood system still provides much less protection than New Orleans needs, and the pre-Katrina patchwork of levees, floodwalls and gates that a Corps of Engineers investigation called ‘a system in name only’ is still just that.

“… the city still lacks a system that can stand up to that 1-in-100 storm, let alone one like Hurricane Katrina, which the corps calls a 1-in-396 storm. The work that could build the more robust system – originally estimated at $7 billion, and now at least twice that – will not be completed until 2011 at the earliest, and experts agree that even that level of protection will be less than the city needs.”

“There Will Be an Attack on Iran!”

Time wrote on August 18:

“Reports that the Bush Administration will put Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the terrorism list can be read in one of two ways: it’s either more bluster or, ominously, a wind-up for a strike on Iran. Officials I talk to in Washington vote for a hit on the IRGC, maybe within the next six months. And they think that as long as we have bombers and missiles in the air, we will hit Iran’s nuclear facilities…

“As with Saddam and his imagined WMD, the Administration’s case against the IRGC is circumstantial. The U.S. military suspects but cannot prove that the IRGC is the main supplier of sophisticated improvised explosive devices to insurgents killing our forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. The most sophisticated version, explosive formed projectiles or shape charges, are capable of penetrating the armor of an Abrams tank, disabling the tank and killing the crew…

“A second part of the Administration’s case against the IRGC is that the IRGC has had a long, established history of killing Americans, starting with the attack on the Marines in Beirut in 1983. And that’s not to mention it was the IRGC that backed Hizballah in its thirty-four day war against Israel last year. The feeling in the Administration is that we should have taken care of the IRGC a long, long time ago…

“And what do we do if… a strike on Iran unifies Iranians behind the regime? An Administration official told me it’s not even a consideration. ‘… There will be an attack on Iran.'”

Russia Continues to Threaten the West

The Los Angeles Times wrote on August 18:

“Russian President Vladimir V. Putin on Friday announced reinstatement of the Soviet-era practice of having nuclear bombers routinely make long-distance flights that bring them within striking distance of the United States and its allies.

“‘Today just after midnight, 14 strategic missile aircraft, with support and fuel planes, took off from seven airfields across Russia,’ Putin said in televised remarks. ‘Combat duty began in which a total of 20 planes are taking part. From today, combat duty of this kind will be carried out on a regular basis.’… Putin’s announcement came at the end of a joint military exercise conducted by about 6,000 troops from Russia, China and four Central Asian states. Analysts said the exercise was meant to send a signal to the West that it should not try to interfere in the affairs of the participating countries.

“The resumption of regular strategic bomber flights… reflected Russia’s growing economic strength, with high oil prices boosting the country’s ability to spend money on its military. Routine bomber flights were discontinued in 1992… Russian strategic bombers can carry nuclear cruise missiles with ranges of at least 1,800 miles.”

The Daily Mail added on August 18, under its headline, “Return to the Cold War”:

“Vladimir Putin has sent a series of potent political signals to Gordon Brown and other Western leaders that he is determined to restore Russia’s global clout. The Kremlin leader ordered his troops to stage a massive show of force through unprecedented joint operations with the Chinese military. He also revived the Soviet-era practice of sending bomber aircraft on long-range flights far beyond his country’s own territory. And finally Mr Putin ordered that the BBC World Service be blocked from FM radio in Russia. All three steps are chilling echoes of the Cold War and come as relations between the Kremlin and the West are at their lowest since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

“The symbolic decision to remove the BBC World Service from FM radio… came as a shock… The BBC will still be available in Russia on other wavelengths, but most listeners prefer to tune in to the higher-quality FM transmission… Critics accuse the Putin government of stifling the media as part of a broader effort to increase the Kremlin’s control over Russian politics. The authorities last year dramatically curtailed the number of stations broadcasting Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America news programmes.”

AFP continued to report on August 21:

“President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday pushed Russia’s military aviation industry as a global leader, just days after announcing the resumption of Cold War-era strategic bomber flights. ‘Russia has the task of retaining its leadership in fighting, military technology,” Putin said at the opening of the Maks 2007 airshow… [Russia has] already signed contracts worth 2.5 billion dollars this year for military aircraft and… it [is] supplying the air forces of China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Venezuela.

“Russian arms exports have surged since the industrial slump that followed the Soviet collapse in 1991. Russia’s moves to regain Soviet-era markets in Asia, the Middle East and South America have raised hackles in Washington. But William Hobbins, commander of US air forces in Europe, who also attended the airshow on Tuesday, praised Russia’s military aircraft production and said air force cooperation between the two countries was strong.”

The Horrors of this World… Female Circumcision

Reuters reported on August 20:

“It was a routine procedure undertaken by thousands of Egyptian girls every year, but something went wrong and Budour Ahmed Shaker died while having her genitals cut in a rite known locally as ‘purification’. The death of the 11-year-old schoolgirl at a private clinic in the Egyptian village Mughagha in June prompted the government to outlaw the custom of female genital mutilation, which is so widespread in Egypt that 95 percent of the country’s women are estimated to have undergone the procedure. But the ban may be hard to enforce and activists fear the practice may go underground as the vast majority of Egyptian families still view circumcision as necessary to protect girls’ chastity. Most girls are cut by the time they reach puberty.

“Even in Mughagha, a village of low rise houses hemming the Nile, many women and girls say they want the procedure to be allowed but under more stringent medical supervision… The only girl who spoke against the practice was shouted down by her classmates until she conceded that genital cutting was a necessity. ‘No one can get married without it,’ said the girl…

“In Egypt, the cutting is done on both Muslim and Christian girls… Outside of Egypt and Sudan to the south, the practice is extremely rare elsewhere in most of the Arab world but is common in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia.”

WHO Warns the World

AFP wrote on August 23:

“The World Health Organisation on Thursday warned that a new deadly infectious disease like AIDS or Ebola is bound to appear in the 21st century… Since the 1970s, new diseases have been identified at the ‘unprecedented’ rate of one or more per year… Other centuries-old threats such as influenza, malaria and tuberculosis, were also thriving due to a combination of biological mutations, rising resistance to antibiotics and weak health systems…

“The report stressed that health threats were no longer easily confined within a country but could spread around the world swiftly, partly due to the expansion in passenger air travel over the past half century and to trade. It also underlined the threat from food-borne diseases, chemical, biological or nuclear accidents or attacks and industrial pollution…”

Jesus Christ clearly predicted that in these end times, there will be worldwide “pestilences” or disease epidemics (cp. Matthew 24:7; Luke 21:11; see also Revelation 6:7-8).

Seif al-Islam Qaddafi Warns Europe

Sofia News Agency wrote on August 22:

“Seif al-Islam Qaddafi, the Libyan leader’s son, has warned European countries with military engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan of the inevitable risk of more Islamic extremists terror attacks. ‘The only solution to contain radicalism is the rapid departure of Western troops from Iraq as well as Afghanistan, and a solution to the Palestinian question,’ Seif al-Islam said, as quoted by the Austria Press Agency.

“Talking in Austria, where he is paying a visit at the invitation of Joerg Haider, former leader of the rightist Freedom Party, he said that even offers of economic or humanitarian assistance could subject Western nations to strikes by extremists. According to him radical Islam is invading Europe by recruiting young Muslims who are open to the message of militancy.”

Austria Warns the USA

The Associated Press reported on August 23:

“Austria’s defense minister said a planned U.S. missile shield defense system in eastern Europe was a ‘provocation,’ and called on Washington to abandon the project… Norbert Darabos told Die Presse that U.S. officials should instead seek a compromise with those who oppose the system, including Russia and some in Europe… He reportedly accused Washington of ‘unnecessarily reviving old Cold War debates.’

“The United States argues that the system, which would include 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar based in the Czech Republic, would help guard against a potential threat from Iran. Russia has voiced outrage at the plans and warned it could spark a new arms race. Opposition also remains high in the two former Soviet satellites, both of which are now members of NATO and the European Union.”

EU vs. USA

The EUObserver reported on August 22:

“The European Union has strongly criticised death penalties carried out in Texas, calling on its authorities to halt the 400th execution in the US state. But Texas officials indicated that Europeans should mind their own business.”

The article continued:

“‘We believe that elimination of the death penalty is fundamental to the protection of human dignity, and to the progressive development of human rights. We further consider this punishment to be cruel and inhumane,’ Lisbon stated on behalf of the EU…

“Commenting on the EU’s appeal to call off [Ray Conner’s] death sentence [for killing a grocery store clerk in 1998], Governor Perry replied that it would be a ‘just and appropriate’ punishment for the murderer… ‘Two hundred and thirty years ago, our forefathers fought a war to throw off the yoke of a European monarch and gain the freedom of self-determination,’ he pointed out, adding ‘While we respect our friends in Europe, Texans are doing just fine governing Texas.’

“Texas has carried out about a third of around 1,100 executions that have taken place in the US since the country’s Supreme Court lifted a ban on death penalty in 1976… For its part, the EU has abolished capital punishment throughout its 27 member states. The same principle is also applied across the wider Council of Europe organisation which links together 47 countries across the European continent.

“In February, the EU’s legislature adopted a resolution calling for a global moratorium on the death penalty, with several member states – particularly Italy – lobbying for the same initiative through the United Nations General Assembly. The death penalty is currently legal in 68 countries, although 30 of them have not used it for at least ten years.”

In Matthew 18:20, Christ said: “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” It is important to note the context. Christ’s comments in verse 20 follow the description of the proper procedure for conflict resolution between brethren. At least two of our Updates address this issue, including the fact that Christ gave the final authority to the ministry, to disfellowship or excommunicate an unrepentant brother or sister –and not to the entire membership. Verse 20 must be read in this context–it does not address at all the question of Church attendance.

The Nelson Study Bible explains:

“The passage [in Matthew 18:19, 20] specifically refers to church DISCIPLINE. It is a promise for guidance for the two or three who confront, and a promise for the church to claim wisdom, and restoration for the erring brother.”

We explained the following in a Q&A on conflict resolution:

“We have always understood and taught, and the Church of the Eternal God and its corporate international affiliates uphold and teach this understanding, that the reference to ‘the church’ in Matthew 18:17 is the ‘ministry,’ not the entire Church congregation (Please see Q&A in Update #147). The Church congregation was, in a sense, already involved, in a representative capacity, in the persons of the witnesses. Matthew 18:17 continues: ‘… But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.’

“That is, the ministry will have to make the decision in such a case to temporarily suspend or even disfellowship the person until he shows real and sincere repentance. At that point, depending on the gravity of the situation and in a rare case, the local Church congregation or even the entire Church might have to be told.

“How can we be sure that the ministry will make the correct decision in such cases? By having seen to it, that the proper procedure has been followed, as discussed and set forth in Scripture, and by praying to God for wisdom to render the right decision.

“Matthew 18:18-20 tells us:

“‘Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you [the ministry, now called upon to render a decision] bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you [in the ministry] agree on earth concerning anything that they ask [including wisdom to make right decisions], it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three [ministers] are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.’

“God, through His Holy Spirit, will give His ministers the discernment, if they are close to God and diligent in following the Biblical procedure for conflict resolution, to see what needs to be done in a given case (compare John 20:21-23). And if God should reveal to His ministry that the accusations against a member were false, then the ministry will have to deal with the accuser (compare Deuteronomy 19:15-21). Many times, accusations and problems develop because of misunderstandings. That is why two members need first to talk about those problems ALONE, IN PRIVATE and ONLY between themselves.”

We also wrote, in Update #147:

“The Bible does not teach that God’s Church be ruled by democracy. Rather, God’s government is that of a hierarchy — with God the Father above all. God’s Church is administered by His ministers, with love and mercy, but with the authority to rebuke and correct, if need be. Local ‘Church’ groups which have disassociated themselves from the ministry to ‘rule’ themselves and to independently administer their own affairs are in clear violation of God’s command that His Church be administered through His ministry. This is also true for those ‘Church’ groups that are being ‘administered’ by self-proclaimed or ‘elected’ ministers, not approved by God (compare 2 Timothy 4:3-5; 3 John 9-10).”

Although some commentaries and those who reject the concept of “organized religion” and who believe in “individual Christianity” claim that Matthew 18:20 declares fellowshipping with the Church of God and attending Church services as being obsolete, this is clearly not the Biblical teaching. Christ gave ministers to the Church to enable the membership to grow into the fullness of Christ (cp. Ephesians 4:11-16). Paul warns those who forsake assembling together, that they are risking to lose their very salvation (cp. Hebrews 10:24-31). Those who might be scattered still need to be a part of the true Church of God. Since Christ is the Head of the Church, His Body, and since His Body is organized (cp. 1 Corinthians 12:18, 24-25, 27-28), those who have cut themselves off from that Body will wither away (cp. John 15:1-6). Scattered brethren, for whom it is impossible to physically attend Church services, must still be a part of organized services, for instance, by listening to live Internet services–or, if this is not possible–by listening to sermons which are posted on the Internet, or which can be received on audio cassettes. They also must make every effort to study the written Church material provided to them, to strengthen them in the truth–avoiding dissident material from false “brethren” or self-proclaimed “ministers,” who are disseminating unbiblical concepts.

The Broadman Bible Commentary wrote this regarding Matthew 18:20:

“This paragraph provides the model for church DISCIPLINE, including motive, spirit, and basic procedure… this is to be understood as assurance of divine presence and help as Christ’s people undertake the difficult work of the care of one another, even to the extent of corrective and redemptive discipline for the erring… A rabbinical teaching… spoke of the Shekinah, the presence of God, as being with those occupied with the words of the Torah (Law)…”

The Forerunner Commentary explains the passage of Matthew 18:20 in a straight-forward way:

“Many stay-at-home members use this verse to justify not fellowshipping with a larger organization. On the surface, it seems to support their argument. However, we must look at it in context… The context of the entire chapter is interpersonal relations and offenses… If the offender will not listen…, the offense should be taken to… the church… The very context assumes the existence of a larger group… In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul shows how this works in practical application when a church member was unabashedly committing sexual sins. Notice that Paul had ministerial, hierarchical authority over the Gentile church in Corinth… Did he allow every group of two or three in the congregation to make a judgment? How would God have bound the conflicting judgments that surely would have arisen between the people of varying levels of understanding and maturity in Corinth? The church would have been divided… had Paul not exercised his authority… This misapplication and twisting of this one scripture automatically repudiates any authority God placed in an ordained ministry.”

One of our Q&A’s, explaining Acts 14:23, discusses the role of the ministry and includes many Biblical examples to prove that God has ordained the ministry for His Church–requiring both the existence of the Church of God–the Body of Christ–AND of the ministry. In addition, Q&A #213 addresses the question whether “independents” will be saved.

To use Matthew 18:20 as justification for staying at home, rather than attending Church services, if possible, and for cutting himself or herself off from the Church of God, is NOT in accordance with Biblical teaching. Sooner or later, scattered brethren and those whom God may call, if they are yielding to God’s lead, will be guided to spiritually connect with the Church of God.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program (#134) has been recorded and will be posted shortly. It is titled, “America–Wake Up!” In the program, Norbert Link discusses the fact that most cannot imagine that America could be defeated by a foreign enemy. But God says otherwise. And we had better listen to God’s warnings and make amends.

In the USA, we sent a special letter to, by now, 155 people who requested our booklet, “The Mysteries of the Bible,” which is being advertised on the Internet.

Would you say that God is happy with the progress we have made over the years since we were called and baptized?  This is as good a time as any for us to examine ourselves even more diligently as we approach Christ’s return and the dawn of His and our rule over this earth in the “Millennium.” We must do this to be certain that our spiritual progress is not falling behind, because, most importantly, it is on the basis of that progress we shall be judged and rewarded accordingly.

When we first took up a job in the early years of our working career, the manager would occasionally check up on us to see if we were making any progress. A word of encouragement, and some extra help now and then in getting over any problems we may have encountered would eventually secure our position. Conversely, if we neglected our responsibilities or settled back into a lackadaisical mood we would most likely have found ourselves without that job. And so it is with our spiritual endeavors. We cannot afford to become lethargic.

There are, of course, a number of areas where we are expected to make progress. What about “redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16)? And we can say that again! “Redeeming the time” might include, perhaps, restoring lost effort as a result of our inaction or neglect in serving the Work of God and in our relationship with the brethren.

What about daily prayer? Have we been remiss in this most vital area?  And are we keeping the Ten Commandments—all of them? We  understand, of course, that it is impossible for any one of us to keep consistently all of the Ten Commandments, even though we eagerly desire to do so, without the help of the Holy Spirit. And certainly I speak from experience. You won’t see a halo over my head! Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, was well aware of this enigma when he told us that what he should not do, he did, and what he should have done, he didn’t. We all have that sort of problem from time to time, for none of us is perfect. But being less than perfect is no excuse for being less than enthusiastic in following through with our baptismal commitment, and that entails consistent spiritual progress in keeping God’s Law more and more perfectly.

This term “progress” in our case can be directly related to “bearing fruit,” and Christ warns us that those who do not bear fruit, He takes away; and that those who do bear fruit, He prunes (compare John 15:2). Sometimes that pruning takes the form of Godly chastisement or correction. Most of us have experienced that over the years.

Another facet of making progress in our spiritual life is to examine ourselves whether we are [still] in the faith unless we become disqualified (compare 2 Corinthians 13:5). That faith, of course, comes through Jesus Christ. In fact, it is the faith OF Christ that must dwell in us. To be “in the faith” is to give ourselves over completely to the way God wants us to be.

There is no other acceptable alternative for us than to “stick with it”—to progress spiritually, if we hope to make it into the Kingdom. And we cannot—must not—afford to be sanctimonious in the sense that “we’ve made it and we can just sit back and wait for Christ’s return.” Some have fallen into that trap and they are no longer members of God’s Church–the Body of Christ.

We are all expected by God, and rightfully so, to make the effort to grow spiritually in the process of acquiring holy righteous character—the supreme purpose of God calling us. Otherwise, why are we here in the Body of Christ? God has tremendous blessings in mind for each one of us who “endure to the end” through the trials which confront us from time to time–trials that test our spiritual progress as well as the genuineness of our faith.

As Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:58: “…be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour [your spiritual progress] is not in vain in the Lord.”  The Millennium waits for us, and we owe it to God and to ourselves to manifest that progress while we look forward to an everlasting future as Kings, Priests and Judges in God’s soon-coming Kingdom.

Strong European Reactions to Rove’s Impending Resignation

Der Spiegel Online wrote on August 14:

“Karl Rove, Bush’s most important advisor and often called ‘Bush’s Brain,’ has announced his resignation. He leaves behind over a decade of success as a Republican strategist — and a number of enemies…

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes:

“‘Karl Rove is often described as the most important presidential adviser of all time, as a sinister Machiavelli, as a brutal political strategist, as the brain of George W. Bush…. Now, at the end of Bush’s presidency, the chief architect of the last seven years will have to answer many unpleasant questions. Little has remained of Rove’s grand predictions of decades-long Republican dominance, of the decline of the Democrats, of an eternal alliance between the rich, the right wing and the religious.

“‘Rove did what politicians have done since the days of Cicero — he constructed majorities by polarizing, by emotionalizing, awakening national pathos and creating dependency. But Rove was no Cicero, he wasn’t even a Clinton because he shunned the public and only felt comfortable among like-minded people. That’s cowardly but common among people who only see things in black and white and divide people into friend or foe.

“‘That’s why Rove is leaving behind only a weak legacy: There’s no trace of a coherent ideology, of an enduring dogma worth preserving. The Republicans face a heap of rubble. No domestic policy agenda, an unpopular war in Iraq, a president lacking approval, a defeat in mid-term elections and not very promising presidential candidates for the 2008 election year.’

“Vienna’s Der Standard writes:

“‘It’s not just his enemies, who see him as diabolical, who are convinced that his fingers were in every mess that took place in Washington in the last six and a half years…. George W. Bush always forgave Rove, because he has his fellow Texan to thank for everything. Rove has managed Bush’s election campaigns since 1978. He helped him with the Texas gubernatorial election in 1994. He also brought Bush presidential success in the 2000 and 2004 elections…. For a long time people have been saying that this administration is a lame duck. With the departure of ‘Bush’s Brain’ it is clear that this presidency has reached its end, well before its time.'”

Democrats On the War Path

Der Spiegel Online wrote on August 14:

“The American people may want to get rid of Bush, but they in no way want to risk losing the war on terror. The consequences: America’s Democrats are seeking to position themselves as being more hawkish than the Republicans and Congress has just approved the biggest military budget ever…

“The wind has shifted in Washington. America, not just its president, is at war. The Democrats are still critical of the failed Iraq campaign, but they are no longer opposed to the ‘War on Terror’ in general. It has been accepted, and not just as a metaphor… The president is not faulted for his declaration of war against the terrorists, but he is blamed for having botched the war in Iraq. Ninety-two percent of Americans are opposed to an immediate withdrawal from Iraq, and a majority doesn’t want to see the US’s special detention camp at Guantanamo Bay closed… The candidate Americans elect to be their next president in November 2008 will serve a parallel role as commander-in-chief of the US military, a position that affords the president virtually totalitarian powers to shape policy…

“Anyone who hopes to win the support of middle America — geographically, sociologically and politically — has to perform a balancing act of appearing capable of leading the country in war while at the same time not coming across as too eager to fight. Americans want a strong leader, a tough decision maker, not an adventurer. The worst charge one could hurl at a presidential candidate these days is that he or she is soft on terrorism.

“In this atmosphere, even the Democratic presidential candidates are lining up to show their support for the troops… Many Americans now despise Bush, who not only fabricated the reasons for going to war in the first place (‘weapons of mass destruction’) but also falsely claimed, with his now-famous ‘Mission Accomplished’ speech, that the war had ended when in fact it had not. Nevertheless, Americans are still loath to admit defeat.

“This is precisely what distinguishes Europeans from Americans. After experiencing the horrors of two world wars, the nations on the Old Continent prefer the power of diplomacy. The Americans favor the power of force, even in its crudest form, which explains why US military might is so superior to that of all other nations. The country spends 10 times as much on its military budget as Great Britain… Even the American left, which refers to itself as ‘liberal,’ has no fundamental objection to the men and women in uniform. Indeed, US liberals are especially fond of a strategy Germans consider obscene: preventive war.”

The U.S. Draft–When They Say, “No! No!”…

AFP wrote on August 13:

“The Pentagon sharply rejected Monday a key general’s assertion that a return to the military draft has always been ‘an option on the table’ and should be considered.

“‘I can tell you emphatically that there is absolutely no consideration being given to reinstituting the draft,’ said Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman. ‘The all-volunteer force has surpassed all expectations of its founders.’

“Lieutenant General Douglas Lute, a White House deputy national security adviser, discussed the draft in a radio interview Friday in which he said military leaders were right to be concerned about the impact of repeated deployments on military morale and readiness. Lute, who is in charge of coordinating the US war effort in Iraq, said the all-volunteer military is serving ‘exceedingly well’ and the administration has not decided it needs to be replaced with a draft. But he said, ‘I think it makes sense to certainly consider it, and I can tell you, this has always been an option on the table.’…

“Reinstating the draft has become a virtual taboo since it was ended in 1973 near the end of the Vietnam War, and replaced with a smaller, better paid all-volunteer force. The US military found that it preferred voluntary service to universal conscription because it drew better educated, more highly motivated recruits looking to make a career of the military.”

Strong Earthquake Hits Peru

AFP reported on August 16:

“A powerful earthquake has devastated several Peruvian cities, killing at least 337 people and forcing the government to declare a state of emergency on Thursday. The quake was the deadliest to hit the country in nearly 40 years. As many as 1,000 people were injured and tens of thousands of panicked residents flocked onto the streets fearing more tremors, after the 7.9-magnitude quake rattled the country for two terrifying minutes late Wednesday. The towns of Pisco, Chincha, and other areas in Peru’s southern coastal region were reported to be in ruins.”

Overdue Earthquake in California– What If… ?

DailyBulletin.com wrote on August 11:

“Scientists for the first time are figuring out in great detail just how bad it will be when the southern section of the San Andreas Fault, roughly between Palmdale and the Salton Sea, cuts loose…

“While 300 miles of the northern fault ripped in 1906, killing an estimated 3,000 people in San Francisco, and the middle part shook during the powerful 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake, the southern section of the fault hasn’t popped since the late 1600s.

“There were six earthquakes in the 900 years before that, and none in the past 300… meaning the most devastating disaster in 100 years is long overdue.

“That’s why scientists got funding last year to study a potential magnitude 7.8 quake that would originate near the Salton Sea and race 200 miles up the fault to Lake Hughes, just west of Lancaster.

“That’s about the same distance San Francisco was from the epicenter of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. That magnitude 6.9 quake knocked down a freeway, severely damaged the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and killed 63 people.

“A 7.8 quake would shake nearly 10 times harder. And it would shake for minutes. The magnitude 6.7 1994 Northridge quake lasted only seven seconds but killed 60 people…  What has surprised scientists is the level of destruction the earthquake would cause in Los Angeles, even though the fault is 60 miles away…

“Among the consequences:

“Thousands die, depending on what time of day the quake hits. Hundreds or thousands of older buildings collapse. Skyscrapers in downtown Los Angeles could be badly damaged and some may fall. The 15 Freeway through the Cajon Pass will be severed, stranding tens of thousands of High Desert commuters. The 10 Freeway between Banning and Desert Hot Springs will be cut, possibly in several locations. The 14 Freeway north of Palmdale will be cut. Some communities could go months without water.

“Small businesses may fail if water and other utilities aren’t quickly restored. Pipelines will be severed, triggering fires and interrupting supplies. Older hospitals may suffer damage, causing remaining hospitals to be swamped with casualties.”

No “Church” Besides the Roman Catholic Church?

The Vatican’s official website published the following clarification, on June 29, 2007, regarding the Catholic Church’s position that it is the only and true Church of God. It was pointed out:

“Christ ‘established here on earth’ only one Church and instituted it as a ‘visible and spiritual community’ that from its beginning and throughout the centuries has always existed and will always exist, and in which alone are found all the elements that Christ himself instituted… This one Church of Christ, which we confess in the Creed as one, holy, catholic and apostolic… subsists in the Catholic Church, governed by the successor of Peter and the Bishops in communion with him…

“It is possible, according to Catholic doctrine, to affirm correctly that the Church of Christ is present and operative in the churches and ecclesial Communities not yet fully in communion with the Catholic Church, on account of the elements of sanctification and truth that are present in them… Nevertheless, the word ‘subsists’ can only be attributed to the Catholic Church alone precisely because it refers to the mark of unity that we profess in the symbols of the faith…

“It is through the celebration of the Eucharist of the Lord in each of these Churches that the Church of God is built up and grows in stature… However, since communion with the Catholic Church, the visible head of which is the Bishop of Rome and the Successor of Peter, is not some external complement to a particular Church but rather one of its internal constitutive principles, these venerable Christian communities lack something in their condition as particular churches…

“According to Catholic doctrine, these Communities do not enjoy apostolic succession in the sacrament of Orders, and are, therefore, deprived of a constitutive element of the Church. These ecclesial Communities which, specifically because of the absence of the sacramental priesthood, have not preserved the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic Mystery… cannot, according to Catholic doctrine, be called ‘Churches’ in the proper sense…”

For an evaluation of the claims and nature of the Roman Catholic Church, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.” Also, make sure to watch our recent StandingWatch program, “Why Do You Keep Sunday?”

U.S. Financial Mortgage Quake Reaches Europe and the Entire World

Der Spiegel Online wrote on August 10:

“Germany had been hit by a version of the crisis that surprised French investors on Thursday, sending stock markets from New York to Tokyo into unexpected dives. Debts arising from America’s so-called subprime mortgage sector had just caused IKB to falter…

“The epicenter of this financial quake is the United States. Hardly a day passes now when an American mortgage lender or hedge fund doesn’t go belly-up. The world’s equity markets first plunged in response to the crisis in mid-July. Germany’s leading stock index, the Dax, lost over ten percent in a matter of days, and America’s Dow Jones dropped six percent.

“Another round of panic hit world markets this week after a French bank, BNP Paribas, had to freeze three investment funds worth €2.76 billion ($3.79 billion) because of American mortgage debts. The Dow Jones fell three percent on Thursday, and central banks in the US, Europe and Japan have injected money markets with billions of dollars to ease credit jitters…

“Rising house prices in America started a craze for ‘subprime’ mortgages, or housing loans offered to homebuyers below the prime lending rate. Typically these loans involve a low-rate grace period before a higher rate comes into effect. And as long as housing prices boomed, debts associated with these mortgages could be packaged as attractive investment vehicles for big institutions. But now the market has stalled and abundant credit for such risky investments has dried up — and anyone, apparently, can run into trouble.”

The EuObserver added on August 10:

“The European Central Bank (ECB) has poured around €95 billion into the eurozone banking system to calm market jitters following a credit crunch in the US market over high-risk mortgages… This is the first time the ECB has felt compelled to intervene in the markets since the days following the terrorist attacks in the US in September 2001. The move was prompted after investors panicked about the potential losses from the US subprime sector…”

AFP reported on August 16:

“World leaders on Thursday insisted that the US credit crunch would not cause an economic crisis but stock markets across the world plummeted yet again as investors remained unconvinced… stock markets… tumbled yet again, wiping tens of billions of dollars off share values in Asia and Europe. From London to Hong Kong, Tokyo and Sydney weary traders’ screens were awash with red again…

“Investors are worried about a global credit squeeze as more banks and investment funds around the world reveal their exposure to the slumping US subprime, or high-risk, home loan sector… Central banks across the world have since last week pumped tens of billions of dollars into the banking system, offering loans at lower rates to commercial banks to forestall a credit crunch that could damage economic growth. The Bank of Japan said Thursday it would inject a further 400 billion yen (3.4 billion dollars) into the system to calm frayed nerves…”

Anti-American Central Asian Summit

Bloomberg reported on August 16:

“Russia and China today host Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a summit of a Central Asian security club [Shanghai Cooperation Organization, or  SCO] designed to counter U.S. influence in the region… Afghan President Hamid Karzai, whose country is battling a resurgent Taliban, is a guest at the summit… The SCO in 2005 called for a timetable to end the U.S. military presence in Central Asia. Within six months, Uzbekistan ordered out U.S. forces stationed at its Khanabad airbase…

“In another unwelcome development for the Americans, Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov also accepted an invitation to attend the summit…

“Along with Iran, Pakistan, India and Mongolia have observer status in the six-member group [Its six members include Russia and China, as well as the four Central Asian states of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan].”

Georgia Asks EU For Help Against Russia

The EUObserver wrote on August 8:

“Accusing Russia of committing an ‘act of aggression’ against Georgia by firing a guided missile into its territory, Tbilisi said the EU should not appease Moscow, but send a ‘strong and clear-cut’ message of condemnation.

“‘This is not Georgia’s problem. This is a problem for European security and safety’, Georgia’s president Mikhail Saakashvili told Reuters news agency on Tuesday (7 August). Mr Saakashvili drew a parallel with the systematic cyber-attacks against Estonia’s government and private websites earlier this year – something Tallinn claimed had been orchestrated by Moscow…

“Georgian authorities claimed the missile had been fired by a Russian jet from a base in the North Caucasus – an accusation Moscow has strongly denied… The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the world’s largest regional security organization, said it was ‘deeply concerned about the incident’ and appealed to ‘all parties to address this serious issue with restraint’… The incident has further increased the existing tension in relations between Russia and Georgia, a part of the Soviet Union between 1922 and 1991.”

“Peace, Peace”–And There Is No Peace

Reuters reported on August 16:

“The United States sealed a deal on Thursday to provide Israel with $30 billion in defense grants over the next decade, a 25 percent boost that Washington describes as strengthening a regional bulwark against Iran. At a signing ceremony in Jerusalem, U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said the United States would help Israel maintain a military advantage over foes ranging from Iran and Syria to their proxies in Lebanon and Palestinian territories.

“‘There is no question that, from an American point of view, the Middle East is a more dangerous region now even than it was 10 or 20 years ago and that Israel is facing a growing threat. It’s immediate and it’s also long-term,’ Burns told reporters. ‘The United States faces many of the same threats from the same organizations and countries as Israel does, and so we felt this was the right level of assistance.’

“The Bush administration said last month that it would also offer weapons worth $20 billion to Saudi Arabia and other allied Gulf states. Egypt stands to get $13 billion in defense assistance over the next decade, similar to present levels.

“The package — which awaits approval in the U.S. Congress — is designed to reassure Israel and Sunni Muslim Gulf nations of Washington’s commitment to the Middle East despite its problems in Iraq, as well as to strengthen them in the face of the growing clout of Shi’ite Iran and its nuclear program…

“Burns said the new aid to Israel, which currently receives $2.4 billion in annual military grants, would not be conditioned on diplomatic progress or concessions though ‘one of the major priorities for our government … will be to help push forward a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.’…

“Assumed to have the Middle East’s only atomic arsenal, Israel has vowed to prevent Iran, its arch-enemy, from acquiring the bomb. Iran denies its nuclear program has military aims… Israel is the only recipient of U.S. defense grants allowed to spend some of them — 26.3 percent — on domestic arms firms.”

“Peace, Peace”–And There Is No Peace

Reuters reported on August 16:

“The United States sealed a deal on Thursday to provide Israel with $30 billion in defense grants over the next decade, a 25 percent boost that Washington describes as strengthening a regional bulwark against Iran. At a signing ceremony in Jerusalem, U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said the United States would help Israel maintain a military advantage over foes ranging from Iran and Syria to their proxies in Lebanon and Palestinian territories.

“‘There is no question that, from an American point of view, the Middle East is a more dangerous region now even than it was 10 or 20 years ago and that Israel is facing a growing threat. It’s immediate and it’s also long-term,’ Burns told reporters. ‘The United States faces many of the same threats from the same organizations and countries as Israel does, and so we felt this was the right level of assistance.’

“The Bush administration said last month that it would also offer weapons worth $20 billion to Saudi Arabia and other allied Gulf states. Egypt stands to get $13 billion in defense assistance over the next decade, similar to present levels.

“The package — which awaits approval in the U.S. Congress — is designed to reassure Israel and Sunni Muslim Gulf nations of Washington’s commitment to the Middle East despite its problems in Iraq, as well as to strengthen them in the face of the growing clout of Shi’ite Iran and its nuclear program…

“Burns said the new aid to Israel, which currently receives $2.4 billion in annual military grants, would not be conditioned on diplomatic progress or concessions though ‘one of the major priorities for our government … will be to help push forward a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.’…

“Assumed to have the Middle East’s only atomic arsenal, Israel has vowed to prevent Iran, its arch-enemy, from acquiring the bomb. Iran denies its nuclear program has military aims… Israel is the only recipient of U.S. defense grants allowed to spend some of them — 26.3 percent — on domestic arms firms.”

Einstein’s Theory of Relativity Disproved?

 The Telegraph reported on August 16:

“A pair of German physicists claim to have broken the speed of light – an achievement that would undermine our entire understanding of space and time. According to Einstein’s special theory of relativity, it would require an infinite amount of energy to propel an object at more than 186,000 miles per second. However, Dr Gunter Nimtz and Dr Alfons Stahlhofen, of the University of Koblenz, say they may have breached a key tenet of that theory.

“The pair say they have conducted an experiment in which microwave photons – energetic packets of light – travelled ‘instantaneously’ between a pair of prisms that had been moved up to 3ft apart. Being able to travel faster than the speed of light would lead to a wide variety of bizarre consequences. For instance, an astronaut moving faster than it would theoretically arrive at a destination before leaving. The scientists were investigating a phenomenon called quantum tunnelling, which allows sub-atomic particles to break apparently unbreakable laws.”

The question of God’s omnipresence has puzzled men for centuries and millennia, and diverse and sometimes incredible answers have been proposed.

One common idea in Orthodox Christianity is that God, as a Spirit being, is everywhere, as allegedly, Spirit has no form or shape–no limitations–no “parts.” God is understood to be–even though proponents of that idea would oppose such wording–a formless or shapeless “blob”–permeating everything.

This idea is clearly unbiblical. God HAS form and shape. God said that Moses saw the glorified “form” of the LORD (compare Numbers 12:8). God, when creating man, said that man was to be made in accordance with the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27; 9:6). God is described as having a head, arms, a body, feet, eyes and hair, among other aspects. Man is made in the physical form of God–he is a physical reflection, if you please, of the Spirit Beings, God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. Please also note that Christ is described as the [Spirit] image of God the Father (2 Corinthians 4:4). He looks like God the Father; that is why He could say, even when He was here on earth in human form; “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). In that same way–on a physical level–man is made in the image of God.

Given the fact that God has form and shape, He IS therefore at one given moment in only one place at one specific time. This means, when He is sitting on His throne in heaven, He is therefore not at that very same moment on earth, or on planet Mars, or in another galaxy billions of light-years away. This is why we read that God came down from heaven to walk on earth; that Jesus Christ, after His resurrection to a Spirit Being, ascended to heaven; that He was brought before God the Father in heaven to receive kingship and power; and that He will return to this earth, in power and glory, to rule all nations. Of course, we must also understand that God CAN “travel” from one place to another within a “split second.” But as we will see, when God is at a certain place, at that very same moment, He cannot be–as a Person–at a different place at the same time.

And still, it IS correct that God IS omnipresent–that is, that He is everywhere at all times, and NOTHING escapes His attention or is hidden from His eyes (Matthew 6:18).

Let us understand how this is possible.

David gives us the answer to this puzzle, which most professing Christians simply do NOT understand. He writes in Psalm 139:1-2:

“LORD, You have searched me and known me, You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought AFAR OFF.”

David knew that God could be “afar off,” and still understand all of his thoughts. How? Continuing in verses 3-6:

“You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before. And laid your hand upon me [i.e., He has given him protection and security]. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.”

But David did not conclude that God’s miraculous omnipresence was due to God being everywhere like a form- and shapeless blob; he knew better than that. And so, he continues to explain HOW God is omnipresent, beginning with verse 7:

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?”

Here is the answer! God the Father and Jesus Christ are both Spirit beings. They both have form and shape, composed of Spirit. But the Holy Spirit is NOT a being–rather, it is the power emanating from God (compare Micah 3:8; Luke 4:14). It is through the POWER of God’s Holy Spirit that things are created. And God’s Holy Spirit does not have form and shape–God’s Holy Spirit does not exist in a bodily form. When God gave His Holy Spirit to the disciples gathered in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost, there was a representative appearance in the form of “tongues as of fire” (compare Acts 2:3). However, the Holy Spirit was also here represented by a sound, “… as of a rushing mighty wind” (verse 2). These accompanying manifestations were given as signs to accompany this glorious event of the giving of God’s power and nature–His own Holy Spirit!

God’s Holy Spirit is everywhere. It is true that we read of another incidence when John the Baptist saw the Holy Spirit descending “like a dove” on Jesus Christ, Mark 1:10. This, however, was just a vision from God, showing John that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God, compare John 1:29-34.

God, a Spirit being, Who has form and shape, is everywhere through His Spirit. And so, David continues to meditate on this fact, as follows, in verses 8-12:

“If I ascend into heaven, You are there [through the Spirit of God]; If I make my bed in hell [Hebrew sheol, the grave], behold, you are there [through God’s Spirit]. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there your hand shall lead me [through God’s Holy Spirit], And your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall fall on me,’ Even the night shall be light upon me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.”

We read in Genesis 1:1-3: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was [better: became] without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the SPIRIT OF GOD was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”

God the Father gave the command, Jesus Christ, the Son, the Word of God, spoke the word, gave the order, and created light through the power of the Holy Spirit (compare Psalm 104:30: “You send forth your Spirit, they are created.”). We read that God the Father created everything through Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2), and Christ did so by using the power of His Holy Spirit to accomplish this. Job 26:13 says: “By His Spirit He [God] adorned the heavens.” In that sense, the “Spirit of God has made [Elihu], And the breath of the Almighty [gave him] life” (Job 33:4). God’s Spirit can be compared with breath or wind. Note that the New Jerusalem Bible translates Genesis 1:2 as, “…with a divine wind sweeping over the waters.” God’s Holy Spirit emanates from God. It is not a person, but the power of God–and through the Holy Spirit, God is and can be everywhere at all times.

An additional piece of this marvelous truth is that God lives in converted Christians through His Holy Spirit–the Spirit of God the Father AND of Jesus Christ the Son. This is HOW God–both the Father and the Son–can dwell in thousands of Christians all at the same time (John 14:23)–through His Spirit (compare Romans 8:9-11, 14-15; Galatians 4:6).

Turning now to Genesis 3:8-11, we find that God–actually in the Person of Jesus Christ, as no man has ever seen the Father (John 1:18; 6:46)–“walked” in the Garden of Eden. That must be understood quite literally. At that moment in time, Christ appeared to Adam and Eve in a physical manifestation, but through His Spirit, He was still everywhere. [Later, we find that Christ appeared to Abraham and Sarah, together with two angels, manifesting themselves “as” humans, to eat and to speak with them about their future son and to warn Abraham of the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (compare Genesis 18:1-2, 13, 16-33; 19:1).]

When God asked Adam in Genesis 3:11, whether he had eaten from the tree of knowledge, that is not to be misunderstood in the sense that God did not know this. He most certainly did–nothing is hidden from His eyes–but God engaged Adam in a dialogue to see how he would react. He gave Adam a chance to express his sorrow and grief–to express repentance for what he had done; instead, Adam chose to blame Eve and God for his sin (compare verse 12: “The WOMAN whom YOU GAVE to be with me, SHE gave me of the tree, and I ate.”).

To summarize, God the Father and Jesus Christ DO have form and shape. They exist as Spirit beings. Jesus revealed this key understanding that “God is Spirit…” (John 4:24). As the record of the Bible shows, Jesus–along with other Spirit composed beings, that is, God’s holy angels–manifested themselves at times in human form. While the Bible does not teach that God’s angels are omnipresent, it is clearly revealed that through the Holy Spirit of God, emanating from both the Father and the Son, God IS omnipresent.

For more information, please read our free booklets: “Is God a Trinity?”, “God Is A Family,” and “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World.”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

As of Thursday morning, we have received, in the USA, 156 requests for our booklet, “Mysteries of the Bible,” as advertised on the Internet. In addition, Canada received 39 requests (25 from Canada, 13 from Nigeria and 1 from Malaysia). A special letter has been sent by now to about 135 people in the USA, requesting the booklet, explaining briefly some of the projects of the Church.

We sent the following announcement to our entire Update list, pertaining to our recent StandingWatch program, No. 133:

God Warns America!

Many American Presidents realized that God gave us this land, as well as power and wealth, but that He can take all of it away from us, if we continue to disobey Him. All optimistic viewpoints aside, God warns us that terrorism and nuclear attacks on American soil will lay waste our cities, and will make our land desolate–unless we repent! View this now on Google Video.

The program has also been posted on our StandingWatch Website.

by Cali Harris (24)

Recently, I have been getting to know a woman my age who grew up going to several different mainstream “Christian” churches, and she now attends a non-denominational group on Sundays. As our friendship has developed, she has become comfortable asking questions about what I believe, including about the Sabbath, the Holy Days, and prayer. She has asked several keen and specific questions—the kinds of questions that challenge me to think carefully about how to answer. I was absolutely astonished in our last conversation when she told me that I was an inspiration and example to her. “Wow,” I thought, “What an immense responsibility!”

In each instance that she asked a thought-provoking question, I recognized that I had a couple of choices in how to respond. One choice would be to feel bogged down by the weight of this responsibility: What if I don’t give a complete answer? What if some of the things I say, when I hang out with her, are a poor reflection of Christian love? What if I’m too drained at times to ensure that all of my actions reflect a Christian attitude? Simply put, what if I turn out to be a poor example of a Christian?

I realized another possible choice would be to jump at the chance to shine as brightly as I am able. Even what may seem to be the smallest words and actions could have a significant impact on her and others. I have come to realize more and more that I am an example of Christianity, even when I’m not thinking about it—and maybe especially when I’m not thinking about it!