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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Bush’s European Disaster”

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

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

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

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

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

U.S. Missile Defense System in Poland?

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 15:

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

Can Evolution and Creation Coexist?

USA Today wrote on June 12:

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

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

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

Kurt Waldheim Died

The Washington Post wrote on June 15:

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

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

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

The European Summit–Success or Flop?

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

It was pointed out:

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

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

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

The article continued:

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

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

The Media Campaign Against or For the EU Summit

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

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

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

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

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

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

Britain and Perhaps Poland Oppose EU Treaty

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 20:

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

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

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

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

Will Merkel Pull It Off?

The Times wrote on June 16:

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

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

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

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

European Arms Sales Contracts

The Associated Press reported on June 19:

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

Strong Support of European Citizens for EU Constitution

The International Herald Tribune wrote on June 20:

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

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

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

G4 Talks Collapse

Reuters reported on June 21:

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

Egypt Invites Leaders to Monday’s Peace Summit

The Associated Press reported on June 21:

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

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

Horrible Conditions in Ethiopia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some Never Seem To Learn

AFP reported on June 18:

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

Britain Under Attack

AFP reported on June 19:

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

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

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

Full Unity Among All “Christians”

On June 16, VIS published the following article:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Authorized Version renders Verse 20 as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Booklets

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

StandingWatch programs

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

Unsuccessful G-8 Summit

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

View it now on Google.

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

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

Video Sermons

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

Internet Ad Campaign

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

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

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

by Michael Link

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

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

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

On June 16, 2007, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “Our Change.”

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.

A few weeks ago in the UK we had council elections where all the candidates were putting themselves forward for political office.   A week later, the Prime Minister announced that he would be leaving office on June 27th.   He was elected almost 10 years ago with high expectations, as usually happens with any change of leader, but now his place will be taken by another who will last only so long.   The same is true for all those councilors elected in the May local elections.   They have a short shelf life in their political office.  

Likewise, football managers rarely last more than a few short years and managers in industry move around.   Wherever you look, the shelf life in these highly paid jobs is but for a moment.   And yet, so many strive for them.   The perceived glamour of celebrity and position allied to wealth is a heady mix for so many who never give their Creator a passing thought.   It’s all for now, and the future will take care of itself.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, much is written that we should take note of.   “… Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.   What profit has a man from his labor In which he toils under the sun?   One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever” (Ecclesiastes 1:2-4).  

We have been called to have a full time career in Christianity that will last until our dying breath.  There must be no shelf life for true Christians in this mortal life as we grow and overcome and press towards the Kingdom of God. As Christians called by God, our shelf life is to be eternity, not just a fleeting few years.

Ecclesiastes has this admonition right at the end of the book, in chapter 12:13: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is the whole duty of man.”

Chaos in the Middle East — Will the UN or the EU Intervene?

Der Spiegel Online reported on June 14:

“As the violence in the Gaza Strip escalates, with Hamas tightening its grip on the territory, President Mahmoud Abbas has called on the United Nations for help… The Israeli Prime Minster Ehud Olmert said for the first time on Tuesday that an international force along the Gaza-Egypt border should be seriously considered to help counter the growing strength of Hamas. Israel in the past has resisted Palestinian calls for peacekeepers in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, saying any UN deployment would interfere with Israeli security operations. But there is speculation that Olmert’s calls for international engagement is merely laying the groundwork for Israeli action against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, from which Israeli troops withdrew in 2005… The European Union has also said it would consider participation in an international force in the Gaza Strip. ‘If we are asked, of course we will consider the possibility,’ EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana told reporters.”

AFP added on June 14:

“Hamas was poised to seize full control of the Gaza Strip on Thursday, overrunning key security strongholds of the rival Fatah movement after days of ferocious gunbattles in the chaotic territory. The Palestine Liberation Organisation called on president Mahmud Abbas to sack the teetering coalition government and declare a state of emergency after the deaths of almost 100 people in less than a week. Hamas gunmen stormed the compound of the preventive security forces in Gaza City and hoisted the green flag of the Islamist movement on the roof after an hours-long battle that left at least 14 dead and 70 wounded, witnesses said.

“Dozens of Fatah fighters loyal to Abbas, some of them stripped to their underwear, were dragged out of the building with their hands in the air as black-clad masked Hamas gunmen stood watch, they said. Some Islamist fighters prayed on the sidewalk while on the rooftop others fired automatic weapons into the air to celebrate their latest victory in what one Hamas leader described as ‘a battle between Islam and heresy.’ It is [the] largest stronghold of pro-Fatah security services to fall to Hamas — considered a terror outfit by the EU, Israel and the United States — whose disciplined fighters had already overran positions in the south and the north.

“Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement, demanded the surrender of the overall Fatah-controlled Palestinian security headquarters as its militiamen besieged the complex in Gaza City. Hamas’s armed wing also declared it had grabbed a security compound in the southern city of Rafah on the border with Egypt and the Fatah intelligence headquarters for the entire Gaza in the northern town of Beit Lahiya.”

The Financial Times reported on Thursday evening, June 14:

“Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, dismissed his Hamas-led government on Thursday night and declared a state of emergency, although with little prospect of imposing it in the Gaza Strip after Hamas routed his Fatah loyalists there in the space of a week. His decrees marked the end of a unity government that the two parties formed in March after agreeing in Mecca on a programme to end their factional strife. In the latest round of violence, Hamas gunmen seized almost all the main Gaza bases of security forces that answer to Mr Abbas.”

A Drought For the Ages

USA Today reported on June 10:

“Drought, a fixture in much of the West for nearly a decade, now covers more than one-third of the continental USA. And it’s spreading. As summer starts, half the nation is either abnormally dry or in outright drought from prolonged lack of rain that could lead to water shortages… Welcome rainfall last weekend from Tropical Storm Barry brought short-term relief to parts of the fire-scorched Southeast. But up to 50 inches of rain is needed to end the drought there, and this is the driest spring in the Southeast since record-keeping began in 1895… In central California, ranchers are selling cattle or trucking them out of state as grazing grass dries up. In Southern California’s Antelope Valley, rainfall at just 15% of normal erased the spring bloom of California poppies…

“Dry episodes have become so persistent in the West that some scientists and water managers say drought is the ‘new normal’ there. Reinforcing that notion are global-warming projections warning of more and deeper dry spells in the Southwest, although a report in last week’s Science magazine challenges the climate models and suggests there will be more rainfall worldwide later this century… This drought has been particularly harsh in three regions: the Southwest, the Southeast and northern Minnesota.

“Severe dryness across California and Arizona has spread into 11 other Western states. On the Colorado River, the water supply for 30 million people in seven states and Mexico, the Lake Powell and Lake Mead reservoirs are only half full and unlikely to recover for years. In Los Angeles County, on track for a record dry year with 21% of normal rain downtown since last summer, fire officials are threatening to cancel Fourth of July fireworks if conditions worsen… In Minnesota, which is in its worst drought since 1976, the situation is improving slowly…

“The Southeast, unaccustomed to prolonged dry spells, may be suffering the most. In eight states from Mississippi to the Carolinas and down through Florida, lakes are shrinking, crops are withering, well levels are falling and there are new limits on water use. ‘We need 40-50 inches of rainfall to get out of the drought,’ says Carol Ann Wehle of the South Florida Water Management District… Texas and Oklahoma, charred by wildfires in the dry winter of 2005-06, are drought-free. Even in California… shortages are unlikely this year. But another dry winter would tax supplies.”

Possibility of Nuclear Chain Reaction in Russia?

The Associated Press reported on June 4:

“The Russian government claimed on Monday that a nuclear waste dump in the Russian Arctic is safe, responding to a Norwegian environmental group’s warning that the site may be in danger of exploding because of corrosion from salt water… [The study group] cited a report from Rosatom, the Russian nuclear authority, in its warning. ‘Ongoing degradation is causing fuel to split into small granules. Calculations show that the creation of a homogenous mixture of these particles with water can cause an uncontrolled chain reaction,’ its translation of the report said.”

No Climate Change Breakthrough at G-8 Summit

The EUObserver wrote on June 7:

“World leaders yesterday (7 June) managed to stave off accusations of calamity at their G8 summit in Heiligendamm, but their climate change ‘breakthrough’ has been condemned as insufficient. At the summit, six of the eight countries agreed to ‘at least halve global carbon dioxide emissions by 2050’ and to achieve the goal together ‘as part of a United Nations process.’  Russia and the US did not sign up to the non-binding pledge by Germany, France, Italy, the UK, Canada and Japan. As a compromise, however, all eight nations agreed to make substantial – but undefined – emissions cuts. The eight countries also agreed to launch negotiations on climate change under the United Nations umbrella starting in December 2007 to be wrapped up by 2009… Acknowledging that the statement is not legally-binding, German chancellor and current G8 host Angela Merkel said she was sure that ‘no one can escape this declaration.'”

Der Spiegel Online reported on June 8 about the “success” of the G-8 summit on gashouse emissions:

“Nevertheless, the compromise still leaves plenty of room for criticism. Before the summit, Merkel had promised not to accept any ‘lazy compromises.’ Her words are now coming back to haunt her, as organizations like Greenpeace, Oxfam and other environmentalist groups take her to task for not living up to them. If there is one thing the final document does not contain, it is mandatory reduction targets for the United States and Russia. This is where Bush has prevailed.”

No Improvement in British-Russian Relationship

The Times wrote on June 9:

“Tony Blair told Vladimir Putin yesterday that the world was becoming more and more afraid of Russia’s behaviour at home and abroad. And as he left his last G8 summit in Germany Mr Blair predicted a lengthy period of deep freeze in relations between Russia and the West. The two men… had a tense, hour-long encounter… Mr Blair raised the murder of the former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, Mr Putin’s threats to train missiles on Europe and the treatment of international companies in Russia, particularly BP… [Blair said:] ‘It matters that we start trying to resolve some of these outstanding matters but in the end this is a question of actions rather than words.’ Mr Blair said that Mr Putin had put his case that Russia was not being treated properly by the West, particularly America… Mr Blair added: ‘It was a very frank discussion but what will come out of it is another matter.’

“Mr Blair… has grown increasingly sceptical about [Mr Putin] and believes that Russia’s democratic reforms have gone into reverse. Relations with Russia will be one of Gordon Brown’s main foreign policy headaches. Mr Blair told Mr Putin that Russia’s behaviour would decide how much political and commercial business it would be able to do with the rest of the world.”

Growing Tensions Between Russia and the West

The Financial Times wrote on June 8:

“Growing tensions between Russia and the west overshadowed the close of the Group of Eight summit of industrialised nations in Germany on Friday, as Vladimir Putin hardened his stance on the future of Kosovo and offered further controversial proposals to challenge US plans for Europe-based missile defences… Having already surprised the US with an offer to use a Russian radar base in Azerbaijan for its missile defence shield, Mr Putin on Friday suggested that, instead of Poland, the Pentagon place its missile interceptors in Turkey, Iraq or on ships.

“He also toughened his stance on the future of Kosovo, rejecting French proposals to resolve the future of the troubled territory, under which Kosovo and Serbia would be given six months to negotiate an alternative status for the region or see it become independent.

“The tensions eclipsed the proclaimed achievements of the summit, which was marked by progress [which, according to other articles quotes herein, was not really progress at all] on climate change but disappointment for African countries as G8 countries refused to act on promises to boost aid to their continent significantly.”

US Does Not Abandon Missile Defense Shields in Eastern Europe

The Associated Press reported on June 8:

“President Bush signaled Friday the United States will press ahead with a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe despite Russia’s heated objections… The administration made clear it was not abandoning plans for a missile-defense program in Poland and the Czech Republic despite a surprise counterproposal Thursday by Russian President Vladimir Putin to instead use a Soviet-era radar tracking station in Azerbaijan [or, as Bild Online reported on June 8, in Turkey, or even Iraq. He said: “What else did they fight the war in Iraq for?”].”

Is G-8 Announcement to Fight Aids a Misleading Betrayal?

The Telegraph wrote on June 9:

“The G8 summit ended yesterday with world leaders pledging to spend £30 billion on fighting Aids, malaria and tuberculosis and stressing their determination to help Africa. But anti-poverty campaigners denounced this as a ‘betrayal’ and said the headline figure was ‘misleading’. Earlier announcements from President George W Bush account for half of the £30 billion and there is no sign that any new money arose from the summit in Germany. The G8 has also ‘watered down’ a pledge brokered by Tony Blair at the Gleneagles summit in 2005 to fund ‘universal access’ to anti-Aids drugs, critics said.

“As the G8 leaders left the Baltic town of Heiligendamm, Bob Geldof, the anti-poverty campaigner and rock star,…  denounced their work as a ‘total farce’. ‘The richest countries in the world, trillions of dollars swirling around that table, smiling in that stupid tent chair with the candy stripes. Do me a favour: get serious. This wasn’t serious, this was a farce, a total farce,’ he said. Bono, Geldof’s fellow rock star and campaigner, accused the leaders of deliberate ‘obfuscation’ and said the summit’s final declaration masked their failure to reach a consensus on helping Africa. The pair singled out the Canadian and Italian prime ministers, Stephen Harper and Romano Prodi, for blocking pledges for more aid.”

Chancellor Merkel–“Miss World”

In an article, dated June 8, Bild Online summarized the results of the G-8 Summit as follows: “Germany hosts the world… we are one world… Merkel can do it!… Problems remain.”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 8:

“Angela Merkel is basking in widespread praise for steering the G-8 summit to a compromise on combating climate change. The deal may not be the ‘huge success’ she’s calling it, say German commentators, but it’s a start — and that’s all that could realistically be expected…

“Mass circulation Bild newspaper crowned Merkel ‘Miss World’ in a banner headline…’The controversial summit meeting behind the high fence on the Baltic sea was a success for Angela Merkel!… Step-by-step, she pulled the US President over to her side for a new UN treaty to reduce greenhouse gases… And she even built a bridge of reconciliation between Bush and Vladimir Putin in the missile row.’…  [But, as other articles in this Update show, Angela Merkel was NOT really successful.]

“Business daily Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘Measured in terms of the high-flying expectations she herself whipped up in recent weeks, Angela Merkel failed on climate change at the G-8 summit. Measured in terms of what was realistically possible, she achieved a success at the meeting of leaders in Heiligendamm. Not the ‘huge success’ she is calling it, but a good start… US President George W. Bush for his part doesn’t need to feel committed to any concrete measures on the basis of this communiqué. The other governments too can be as rigorous or relaxed about climate protection as they see fit… The success of the German presidency is that it has set a process in motion, or rather back in motion — the attempt to regard the fight against climate change as an international and common problem which all relevant polluters have to tackle.'”

Chancellor Merkel emerges as the new World Leader–in spite of little accomplishments at the G-8 Summit. Why? Our new StandingWatch program, “The Unsuccessful G-8 summit,” provides the answers.

Poland vs. EU ? — Not Really

On June 13, Der Spiegel Online reported:

“Next week European leaders will gather in Brussels for the final event of Angela Merkel’s EU presidency. According to German commentators, though, the summit is shaping up to be a showdown between Merkel and her neighbors east of the Oder River: Poland’s Kaczynski twins…

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel faces what is arguably the most important summit of a season that has seen her serve simultaneously as the rotating president of the European Union and the G-8. European leaders will meet in Brussels next week for final negotiations on Merkel’s plan to resurrect the failed EU constitution… Among EU leaders, Poland is isolated. No one but these twins is demanding a new weighting of votes in the EU council. With the exception of the Kaczynskis, everyone seems to be aware that revisiting the wishes and demands (for the constitution) of each member state is like opening a can of worms.”

But Poland KNOWS that it NEEDS the EU and that it CANNOT SURVIVE without it. And so, it should come as no surprise that Poland IS RELENTING.

Der Spiegel Online reported on June 14:

“Warsaw indicated on Thursday that it may be willing to compromise. Perhaps the European Union will be able to agree on a new treaty after all. With time growing short before leaders from the EU member-states gather in Brussels next week to agree on a blue-print for future decision-making, Poland on Thursday signalled its hope that a compromise can be reached in its continued opposition to some elements of the draft treaty.

“With newly crowned French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Warsaw to convince Poland not to veto the draft treaty, President Lech Kaczynski indicated that he is not interested in standing in the way of a solution. ‘We don’t want to be isolated. We want to achieve a solution,’ Kaczynski said on Thursday. ‘We want a compromise under which all countries will be happy.’

“The tone was a far cry from previous statements out of Warsaw… Poland’s apparent softening comes after weeks of growing pressure and pleas from around Europe. Indeed, prior to Sarkozy’s Thursday visit, which commentators had seen as the last, best chance to lobby Poland to give ground on its position, both Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer and European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering had blasted Warsaw in the German press for its obstinacy.”

It seems certain that Poland–a thoroughly Catholic country–will be part of the EU’s final configuration. Whatever compromise Merkel and the other EU leaders might agree to on paper next week, the EU IS uniting–and no temporary set-back will stop this Biblically prophesied development. It is also interesting that, according to Der Stern Online of June 14, a poll in Germany found that a majority of 65 percent WANT a EU constitution–a dramatic change to former polls suggesting that most Germans were against a EU treaty. Only 27 percent felt the EU does not need a constitution, while 8 percent did not state an opinion.

For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

New Financial World Order?

The Financial Times wrote on June 10:

“Russian president Vladimir Putin called on Sunday for a radical overhaul of the world’s financial and trade institutions to reflect the growing economic power of emerging market countries – including Russia. Mr Putin said the world needed to create a new international financial architecture to replace an existing model that had become ‘archaic, undemocratic and unwieldy’. His apparent challenge to western dominance of the world economic order came at a forum in St Petersburg designed to showcase the country’s economic recovery.

“Business deals worth more than $4bn were signed at the conference – including an order by Aeroflot for Boeing jets… His speech on financial institutions suggested that, along with an aggressive recent campaign against US ‘unilateralism’ in foreign policy, he was also seeking to challenge western dominance of the world economic order.”

Worldwide Unlawful Kidnappings of the CIA?

On June 11, Der Spiegel Online reported about alleged inappropriate conduct of the CIA outside the USA–this time in Ethiopia. These reportedly wrong activities are only adding to the increasing mistrust of the world towards American international activities. The article explained:

“The CIA’s system of unlawful kidnappings of terrorist suspects known as ‘extraordinary renditions’ appears to have been extended to the Horn of Africa. New cases have emerged of the transfer of terror suspects to prisons in third countries, where they have been questioned and allegedly mistreated — this time in East Africa. In total more than 100 terror suspects are thought to have been arrested in Somalia and Kenya and transferred to Ethiopia to face interrogation by US officials.

“In the chaos of the Ethiopian operation in Somalia that began in December 2006, a number of men and women were arrested, including at least four Britons, two Swedish citizens and one Canadian… the Sunday Times of London reported on Sunday that… flight records show that 85 other prisoners were transferred to Ethiopia for interrogation, and that these included 11 women and 11 children…

“Meanwhile last Friday, Council of Europe special investigator Dick Marty released his second report, saying he had ‘enough evidence to state’ that the CIA had operated secret prisons in Poland and Romania. The illegal deportation of suspects by CIA kidnapping teams in Europe amounts to a ‘massive and systematic violation of human rights,’ the report says.”

“Extremely Controversial” U.S. Proposal

On June 11, 2007, Der Spiegel Online reported about a U.S. proposal which would require Europeans to register online two days before traveling to America. And, Americans would be required to do the same when traveling to Europe. Of course, it appears unlikely that a prior notice of only two days would really enable the authorities to identify potential terrorists. In addition, not taking into account that some, especially older air travelers don’t even have computers or that they are not connected to the Internet, the “extremely controversial proposal,” as Der Spiegel put it mildly, brings again into focus the increasingly sharp “dispute between US terror investigators and EU privacy regulators.”

In an interview with Michael Chertoff, America’s Secretary of Homeland Security, the magazine asked some tough questions and received some rather astonishing answers, again evidencing the increasingly deteriorating relationship between the USA and Europe. After the magazine questioned the effectiveness of the present U.S. travel and data collection program, which ends July 31, the new “proposal” was discussed, as follows:

“SPIEGEL: The fear in the US administration seems so widespread that you don’t even want to rely solely on the passenger data. In addition you endorse a sort of online registration every European would have to fill out 48 hours before traveling.

“Chertoff: We proposed to Congress a way that would loosen the visa waiver process and make it more flexible in some respects — so that countries in Eastern Europe could participate. But at the same time we want to elevate the security level generally by having what we call an ‘electronic travel authorization.’…

“SPIEGEL: So it will mean that every European citizen has to fill out such a form two days before traveling?

“Chertoff: Right. The registration would have a shelf life of some years. It wouldn’t be something you do every trip, you would do it periodically.

“SPIEGEL: To make this point clear — you would only be allowed to travel with this kind of pre-clearance?

“Chertoff: Yes…

“SPIEGEL: So if you screen ‘every guest in your house’ as you phrased it, will American citizens who travel to Europe undergo similar treatment?

“Chertoff: Absolutely. It ought to be reciprocal…

“SPIEGEL: Are you not concerned that you will be accused of turning the United States into a kind of fortress?

“Chertoff: No. What we are trying to do is avoid a fortress. We are not suggesting to bring back the visa system for Europe, although frankly you will find some people in the US who argue we should do that…”

US Democratic Lawmaker “INSULTS” Germany

The Associated Press reported on June 13:

“A leading Democratic lawmaker lashed out at the former leaders of Germany and France, calling former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder a `political prostitute.’  Germany denounced the remarks by Rep. Tom Lantos, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, as an insult to its people. Lantos’ comments about Schroeder and former French President Jacques Chirac, both opponents of the Iraq war, came in a speech Tuesday at the dedication of a monument to victims of communism. President Bush spoke at the same event, but did not arrive until after Lantos spoke.

“‘I am so glad that the era of Jacques Chirac and Chancellor Schroeder in Germany is now gone,’ Lantos said to applause. He said when the United States asked Schroeder to support its decision to go to war in Iraq ‘he told us where to go. I referred to him as a political prostitute, now that he’s taking big checks from (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. But the sex workers in my district objected, so I will no longer use that phrase,’ Lantos said. After leaving office in 2005 Schroeder became chairman of the North Europe Gas Pipeline, which is 51 percent owned by the Russian state natural gas company Gazprom…

“German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, once Schroeder’s chief of staff, said Lantos’ comments overstepped ‘the limits of political decency.’ He said Lantos’ comment ‘insults not only the former chancellor but also the great majority of German people.'”

Powell: “Guantanamo Bay Should Be Closed Immediately.”

On June 11, 2007, Reuters reported that “former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Sunday the U.S. military prison at Guantánamo Bay for foreign terrorism suspects should be immediately closed and its inmates moved to the United States… [He] said the controversial prison in Cuba had become a ‘major problem’ for the United States’ image abroad and done more harm than good… ‘Essentially, we have shaken the belief the world had in America’s justice system by keeping a place like Guantánamo open and creating things like the military commission…’, he said.”

Serbia Outraged Over President Bush’s Remarks

CNN reported on June 11:

“U.S. President George W. Bush was returning home Monday after an eight-day European tour dominated by concerns over American plans for a Europe-based missile defense system and the future status of the Serbian province of Kosovo. Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said Monday that his country was ‘rightfully embittered’ by Bush’s remarks in support of Kosovan independence made during a brief stopover Sunday in Albania, adding that the United States ‘has no right to give away Serbia’s territory to Albanians,’ according to a government news release.

“‘America must find another way to show its affection and love for the [Kosovan] Albanians, without offering them Serb territories,’ Kostunica told Serbian national television. ‘Serbia is rightfully outraged at the American policies on the issue of Kosovo.’ Kostunica’s comments came after Bush said: ‘At some point in time — sooner rather than later — you’ve got to say “Enough is enough. Kosovo is independent” and that’s the position we’ve taken.'”

Ethiopia Demands Queen Return Prince

On June 11, The Telegraph reported the following:

“He was born a prince with a bloodline stretching back to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, the son of an Ethiopian emperor and heir to the treasures of one of Africa’s richest royal dynasties. But, taken as a boy to Victorian England by British soldiers who ransacked his father’s mountain-top palace, Prince Alemayehu died alone aged 18 in Leeds, 128 years ago. Now the Ethiopians want his body returned to mark their millennium which, according to the Ethiopian calendar, falls on Sept 12 this year. President Girma Wolde-Giorgis has written to the Queen, requesting that the prince’s remains be exhumed from where they were buried in a crypt beside St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle…

“Britain sent a military force to the palace of Emperor Tewodros II at Maqdala, in the mountains of northern Ethiopia, to bargain for the release of diplomatic hostages. Denied an audience, the troops routed the emperor’s army in a three-day battle over Easter 1868. The emperor committed suicide as his fortress fell to the British. The seven-year-old prince’s mother succumbed to illness days later. In the care of the British, he was first handed to the Raj in India, which administered Abyssinia [now known as Ethiopia], and then sent to Britain. In London he was befriended by Queen Victoria, who enrolled him at Rugby School and later sent him to Sandhurst for officer training. But having grown up in a royal household he never settled into British public school life. After nine unhappy years at Rugby, and less than a term at Sandhurst, he died of pleurisy at the home of his private tutor, in Leeds, in November 1879… His remains have been visited by Ethiopia’s last emperor Haile Selassie and by its current prime minister, Meles Zenawi.

“Officials at Windsor Castle yesterday refused to discuss ‘private correspondence’ received by the Queen, but a spokesman for Ethiopia’s embassy in London said she understood that the request was ‘being considered’. ‘The prince was a prisoner of war,’ said Mulugeta Aserate, Haile Selassie’s second cousin. ‘His return would ease the minds of lots of Ethiopians who believe his rightful resting place should be here with his father.’ There have also been requests for the return of Ethiopian artefacts, including illuminated manuscripts and altar slabs, which are now held at the British Museum and in private collections at Windsor Castle.”

You Must Belong to the Catholic Church, Pope Says

The Catholic news agency, VIS, wrote on June 6:

“… Cyprian, ‘the first African bishop to achieve the crown of martyrdom,’ was the subject of Benedict XVI’s catechesis during his general audience, held this morning in St. Peter’s Square in the presence of 40,000 people. Cyprian, said the Pope, ‘was born in Carthage to a rich pagan family’ and ‘converted to Christianity at the age of 35. … He became a priest and later a bishop. In the brief period of his episcopate, he had to face the first two persecutions authorized by imperial edict, that of Decius (250) and that of Valerian (257-258),’… In [Cyprian’s] works, the [Pope] explained, ‘the Church is by far the topic most dear to him. He distinguishes between the visible hierarchical Church and the invisible mystical Church, at the same time forcefully affirming that the Church is one, founded upon Peter. He never tires of repeating that ‘whoever abandons the chair of Peter, upon which the Church is founded, deludes himself if he believes he remains in the Church’…

“Hence, ‘the indispensable characteristic of the Church is unity, as symbolized by the seamless robe of Christ; a unity that finds its foundation in Peter and its perfect realization in the Eucharist,’ said the [Pope]. He then referred to Cyprian’s teaching on prayer ‘which highlights how in the Our Father Christians are shown the correct way to pray.’ That prayer refers to ‘us’ and ‘our’ rather than to ‘me’ and ‘mine,’ said the Pope, ‘so that he who prays does not pray only for himself. Ours is a public and community prayer. … The Christian does not say “my Father,” but “our Father,” even when praying in the privacy of a closed room, because he knows that everywhere and in all circumstances, he is a member of the one Body.'”

Democratic Vote in German Catholic Church

Catholic World News (CWN) reported on June 8:

“Priests in Rottenburg, Germany have voted to reject the Vatican translation of the phrase pro multis in the Eucharistic liturgy… The priests’ council of the Rottenburg-Stuttgart diocese announced that the members had decided by a ‘democratic vote,’ to retain the current German translation of pro multis as ‘for all.’

“The council dismissed a directive from the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship. Cardinal Francis Arinze, the prefect of the Congregation, wrote to the world’s bishops last November, announcing that all translations of the liturgy should render pro multis as ‘for many’– a translation that is more faithful to the Latin text and to the theological reality that while Christ’s redemptive suffering makes salvation available to all, it does not follow that all men are saved.

“The Rottenburg priests argued that the use of ‘for many’ would be confusing to the faithful ‘in this day and age.’ They added that the original Scriptural text read ‘for all,’ citing as their authority a Protestant scholar of the 18th century whose analysis the Catholic Church has rejected.

“‘The promise of salvation is directed to all people,’ the German priests said. ‘This truth of the faith is put most clearly in the “for all.”‘”

Anti-Semitism Worldwide

The Washington Times wrote on June 7:

“Anti-Semitism, one of the world’s oldest hatreds, has resurged with a vengeance. Around the globe, Jews are being assaulted, some even murdered. Synagogues are being attacked. Jewish gravestones are being desecrated by the hundreds. Even the historical fact of the Holocaust is being questioned. The threat today is not existential. There is no room for complacency.  

“The increase in anti-Semitism is all the more disturbing because it is occurring not only in authoritarian societies where governments fan the flames of hatred to distract publics from their governments’ shortcomings. Anti-Semitism also is on the rise in fully democratic countries where governments and civil society have admirable records of promoting tolerance and actively combating anti-Semitism.

“According to the Community Security Trust in London, last year in the United Kingdom anti-Semitic incidents, defined as any malicious act aimed at Jewish people, organizations or property, rose 31 percent from 2005; the total number of incidents for 2006 was more than any other year since 1984, when statistics were first collected. In France, according to the European Jewish Congress, there were over 112 anti-Semitic attacks, a 45 percent increase from 2005. In all these cases, the governments are taking steps to combat the problem, yet more needs to be done. 

“Here in the United States, there was a reported 12 percent decline in anti-Semitic incidents in 2006. Even so, in just the last year there were attacks on synagogues in Chicago, Tarzana, Calif. and in North Miami Beach, Fla. In Seattle, Pamela Waechter was murdered and five others were shot in an attack at the Jewish Federation last July by a gunman incensed at Israel’s war with Hezbollah.

“Another category of concern, however, is the situation in Iran, where anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial are state policy. The Iranian government held a Holocaust-denial conference in December; an Iranian newspaper offered cash prizes for the best cartoon mocking the Holocaust and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly threatened to ‘wipe Israel off of the map.’…”

Disagreement Between EU and Turkey Over Troop Engagement

On June 8, Ankara’s “Today’s Zaman,” stated the following:

“Turkish officials on Thursday revealed a disagreement with the European Union regarding modalities of a cooperation process for enhancing defense capacities of the union within the European Security and Defense Policy…
 
“Yesterday’s Sabah daily reported ‘Turkey’s withdrawal of its troops under the command of the EU after the union did not allow Turkey’s special operation brigades to join in the command and decision making policies of the unit.’ The daily also said that according to the General Staff, Turkey’s Special Operation brigades, supported by warplanes and ships, will not be sent to any of the operations under the EU’s coordination. Nevertheless, both Defense Minister Vecdi Gönül and Foreign Ministry officials made it clear that the withdrawal was on the paper, since commitments made by Turkey have not yet been materialized… As well as EU member states, non-EU member states such as Turkey, Switzerland and Ukraine also contribute to these plans [to be an integral part of EU military operations].

“… The Sabah daily alleged that ‘the General Staff’s recent decision caused a shock in Brussels, leading the NATO secretary-general to come to Turkey to discuss the issue immediately.’”

More “Evolutionary” Fairy Tales

The Associated Press reported on June 13:

“The remains of a giant, birdlike dinosaur as tall as the formidable tyrannosaur have been found in China, a surprising discovery that indicates a more complicated evolutionary process for birds than originally thought, scientists said Wednesday.

“Fossilized bones uncovered in the Erlian Basin of northern China’s Inner Mongolia region show that the specimen was about 26 feet long, 16 feet tall and weighed 3,000 pounds, said Xu Xing, a paleontologist at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology & Paleoanthropology in Beijing.

“The height is comparable to the meat-eating tyrannosaurs. But the dinosaur, called Gigantoraptor elrianensis, also had a beak and slender legs and likely had feathers. It was 35 times larger than its likely close relation, the Caudiperyx, a small, feathered dinosaur species, Xu said.

“That puts the Gigantoraptor’s existence at odds with prevailing theories that dinosaurs became smaller as they evolved into birds and that bigger dinosaurs had less birdlike characteristics, he said.

“‘This is like having a mouse that is the size of a horse or cow,’ said Xu, who co-authored a paper on the finding published Thursday in the journal Nature. ‘It is very important information for us in our efforts to trace the evolution process of dinosaurs to birds. It’s more complicated than we imagined.'”

Of course, it is, if you want to believe those ridiculous notions of a God-defying world which receives its inspiration from none other than God’s “adversary” and “enemy.” The concept of evolution has been rightly rejected BY SCIENTISTS–but more importantly, by God’s Word, the Bible. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Theory of Evolution–A Fairy Tale for Adults.”

Even though our Western societies reckon days from midnight to midnight, and some even define a day as the period from morning to night, this is a purely human invention. The Bible is very clear that days are to be counted from sunset to sunset. For instance, the Sabbath, the last day of the week, is to be counted from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset.

Set forth are excerpts from our booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days“:

“God has revealed in His Word exactly when the Sabbath starts and when it ends. God reckons each day, including the Sabbath, beginning at sunset and continuing through until the following sunset. Today, we would say that the Seventh-Day Sabbath starts Friday evening, when the sun sets, and lasts until Saturday evening, at sunset.

“We know from the Jewish people when to keep the Sabbath. It is the Jews to whom God committed His revelations or His ‘oracles,’ as Paul clearly explains in Romans 3:1–2. These ‘oracles of God’ included the Old Testament Scriptures, as well as the knowledge of the week and of the Sacred Calendar. The Jews preserved the knowledge of which day the seventh day of the week is. Without an understanding of when a week begins and ends, we would not have been able to tell, from the Bible alone, which day the seventh day of the week actually is. Today, the Jews keep the Sabbath on Saturday, beginning Friday evening, at sunset. Nobody questions today that the Sabbath, as preserved by the Jews, is the seventh or last day of the week. All understand that Sunday is the first day of the week—although there have been some attempts in Europe to actually change the calendar in order to deceitfully pretend as if Sunday, and not Saturday, was the seventh day of the week.

“The Bible reveals that days start and end at sunset, in the evening. Notice Genesis 1:5: ‘God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.’ [Note the comment by the Ryrie Study Bible to this passage: “… Jewish reckoning began the day with eventide (Lev. 23:32). This may be the reason for the order here…”]

“Many Scriptures associate the meaning of the word ‘evening’ with ‘sunset.’ For instance, a period of one day regarding a ritualistic, temporary law is noted in Leviticus 22:6–7: ‘The person who has touched any such thing shall be unclean until evening… And when the sun goes down he shall be clean.’ (Note the same definition in 2 Samuel 3:35.) Further, we are told in Leviticus 23:32 to keep God’s Sabbath ‘from evening to evening.'”

In regard to the meaning of “evening,” also notice Deuteronomy 16:6: “… at the place where the LORD your God chooses to make His name abide, there you shall sacrifice the Passover, at twilight [lit., between the two evenings], at the going down of the sun…” The first evening–when days start and end–is sunset. The second evening is nightfall, when it is really dark. The Passover had to be sacrificed on the 14th day of the first month, at twilight–between the two evenings–“at the GOING DOWN OF THE SUN.”

Rienecker’s Lexikon zur Bibel [“Rienecker”] correctly explains, under “evening”:

“Until evening (Leviticus 15:5; Judges 20:26) means the entire day, as the new day begins with sunset.”

Rienecker explains, under “day”:

“The day as part of the week and the month… lasted for the Israelites from one sunset to the next sunset (Exodus 12:18; Leviticus 23:32); within this unity the hours of the night preceded the daylight hours (compare ‘evening-mornings’ [in] Daniel 8:14; compare the Greek word ‘nychthaemeron,’ literally ‘Night-Day,’ = the time of 24 hours, 2 Corinthians 11:25).”

The biblical passages of Exodus 12:18 and Leviticus 23:32, as quoted by Rienecker, establish that days start and end at SUNSET:

Exodus 12:18 reads: “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening.”

Verse 19 explains that the entire duration lasted for seven days; that is, from the evening (or sunset) of the fourteenth day (when the fifteenth day started) until the evening of the twenty-first day (when that day ended and the twenty-second day started). The seven days of unleavened bread FOLLOW the Passover, which is to observed on the 14th day–from the beginning of the fourteenth day, at sunset, until the end of the fourteenth day, at sunset (compare Exodus 12:6). Notice that the Passover falls on the fourteenth day (from sunset to sunset), but that the Days of Unleavened Bread begin on the fifteenth day–24 hours later (Numbers 28:16-17).

Leviticus 23:32 describes the annual Holy Day of Atonement, which the Jews today call Yom Kippur. It is stated: “It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest; and you shall afflict your souls [i.e., fast]; on the ninth day of the month at evening, FROM EVENING TO EVENING, you shall celebrate your sabbath.” The New International Version renders this verse: “… From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.”

But, this entire period, from the evening or sunset of the ninth day, until the evening or sunset of the tenth day, is defined as “the tenth day,” as Leviticus 23:27 clearly shows: “Also the TENTH day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement.” This proves that the Bible reckons days from evening or sunset to evening or sunset.

As further proof, note the following excerpts from our booklet, “Jesus Christ–A Great Mystery,” showing that Bible commentaries and translators clearly understand WHEN days start and end according to the biblical reckoning:

“We read in Matthew 28:1–6 (Authorized Version): ‘In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it… And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for HE IS RISEN, AS HE SAID.’

“We note from the passage that Christ was already resurrected by the time the women came to the grave. We are told that they appeared ‘in the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week.’ Many commentaries point out that this phrase discusses the END of the SABBATH, that is, Saturday evening or late afternoon, and NOT Sunday morning.

“The Interlinear Literal Translation of the Greek New Testament renders this verse in this way: ‘Now late on Sabbath, as it was getting dusk toward (the) first (day) of (the) week, came Mary the Magdalene…’

“A.T. Robertson’s Harmony of the Gospel comments: “This phrase once gave much trouble, but the usage of the vernacular Koine Greek amply justifies the translation. The visit of the women to inspect the tomb was thus made before the Sabbath was over (before 6 p.m. on Saturday).’

“Cockrell states: ‘When does the Bible say that Jesus rose from the dead? The two Marys came to the tomb “in the end of the sabbath” (Matth. 28:1). The Sabbath always ended at sunset: “From even unto even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath” (Lev. 23:32). Then they went to the tomb before sunset on Saturday. Jesus had risen from the dead before their arrival (Matth. 28:1–8)…’…

“The Elberfelder Bibel reads: ‘But late at the Sabbath, in the dawn of the first day.’ It comments: ‘Days started at sunset.’

“The Lamsa Bible states: ‘In the evening of the Sabbath, when the first day of the week began to dawn…’…

“The Menge Bible renders this verse as follows: ‘But after the Sabbath, when the first day after the Sabbath was about to begin.’

“Finally, the revised Zürcher Bible of 1942 states: ‘After the Sabbath, when it was shining (lightening up) towards the first day of the week…’ It adds the following comments: ‘For the Jews a day began with sunset. The expression [in] Luke 23:54, “The Sabbath lightened up…” [The King James Bible states: ‘The Sabbath drew on’ or ‘drew near’] does not mean that the morning began, but that lights were kindled for the evening…'”

It is therefore abundantly clear from the Biblical record that according to God, days are counted from sunset to sunset–and not from midnight to midnight, or by any other method.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new member letter has been posted on the Web and sent out this week. In the letter, Dave Harris encourages all of us to increase our efforts to do the Work of God and to overcome individually.

A new StandingWatch program has been posted on the Web and on Google Video. It is titled, “Unsuccessful G-8 Summit.” In the program, Norbert Link remarks that even though the press and politicians have described the G-8 Summit in Germany as a success, in fact, it was not. No binding agreements were reached–only the expression of a “desire” to perhaps do something together in the future. But German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has emerged as THE world leader. She is even called now “Miss World.” Why is this remarkable in view of end-time events?

On June 9, 2007, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Why the Sacrifices.”

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.

Dr. Jack Kevorkian was recently released from prison, where he served eight years for giving a fatal injection to a 52 year old man who had Lou Gehrig’s disease.  What he did was wrong in the eyes of God (see Q&A below), and the judicial system in the USA agrees, hence the jail time.

The interesting aspect of this whole ordeal is that Kevorkian went into the penal system a rebellious and defiant man of 71 years of age and came out as a 79 year old who was still just as brash, gruff and combative as ever.

While his time in the penitentiary did manage to keep him off the streets, it did little to make the man, known as Dr. Death, penitent.  Of course, this is nothing new. Most do not come out of correctional facilities “corrected.” If anything, some going in come out “better” criminals.

What does it take then to rehabilitate a person from his errant ways?

It takes a conviction that what we are doing is wrong, and then a conversion to become a “new” person.  The only way that this can truly be accomplished is by the power of God working in our lives and giving us the recognition of who and what we are, and then, who and what we can become.  The heart is naturally contrary to the way of God (Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 15:18-20), but with the power of the Holy Spirit, it can be transformed (Psalms 51:10; Ezekiel 11:19).

Some today have been given this insight to see themselves as God sees them.  The question now is, what does He see?  Is it the same attitudes and actions that were present at the beginning of their rehabilitation or is it a “new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24)?

What and Why the G-8 Summit?

Der Spiegel Online described on June 6 the role and reason for the G-8 summit:

“The Group of Eight (G- 8) includes many of the world’s most powerful industrial democracies: the Unites States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and Russia. The European Union also participates, represented by the president of the European Commission and the President of the EU, but is not an official member…

“The G- 8 is an [annual] ‘informal forum of heads of state’ without an administrative structure or offices. The summit agenda is administered by the year’s president and host. As this year’s host country, Germany has announced an agenda which focuses on climate change prevention and the need for a replacement to the Kyoto Protocol, set to expire in 2012. Stabilizing the world economy with sustainable energy policy, development and HIV prevention aid in Africa, anti- product piracy strategy, and security policy are also among topics Germany plans to address…

“This year Germany is hosting the 33rd summit at Heiligendamm, the country’s oldest beach resort, which is in the state of Mecklenberg Vorpommern on the Baltic Sea. The entire resort has been blocked off by a 12- kilometer long, razor wire fence to prevent demonstrators from getting [too] close to the venue…

“The G- 8 originated in 1973, when the oil crisis and subsequent economic recession prompted the US to host informal meetings for world leaders to discuss relevant issues. In 1975, France invited the US, the UK, West Germany, Italy and Japan to a summit, called the Group of Six, where the countries agreed on an annual meeting and rotating presidency. Canada joined the next year, forming the G- 7. In 1997, Russia joined the group — a decision which is still contested by some — forming what is currently known as the G- 8.

“Together, the eight countries produce more than half of the world’s economic production, and represent a powerhouse of political influence. Summit topics have evolved from purely economic concerns to include political agendas such as poverty, terrorism, and climate change.”

Europe Angry With Bush

The Financial Times wrote on June 1:

“Germany and the European Commission reacted angrily to President George W. Bush’s apparent change of heart on climate change on Friday, setting the stage for a stormy G8 summit of rich industrialised countries next week.

“A spokesman for Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor and current G8 president, said Germany’s stance that climate talks should take place within the United Nations was ‘non-negotiable’. Stavros Dimas, the EU environment commissioner, dismissed the proposals for climate talks as vague and ‘the classic US line’…

“Attitudes within Europe hardened on Friday as some politicians and activists accused Mr Bush of trying to wreck next week’s summit, and UN negotiations on climate change, set to take place this December… Sigmar Gabriel, the German environment minister, said Mr Bush’s speech could mark a ‘change in the US position or a manoeuvre aimed at causing confusion.’ A comment by Mr Bush to German media that Ms Merkel ‘will be pleased’ with his proposals, which run counter to her own, was seen as provocative.

“There were signs on Friday night that Mr Bush’s proposals would split the G8, which some sceptics argue is his intention. Stephen Harper, Canada’s prime minister, welcomed the plans, as did Tony Blair, Britain’s outgoing prime minister, and Shinzo Abe, Japan’s prime minister.”

A commentary in Germany’s daily, Die Zeit, stated on June 1:

“Is the US President changing from Saul to Paul? Only Tony Blair seems to believe that… Nothing indicates that Bush had a change of heart… The G-8 countries and the entire world would be well advised not to even consider the tactical games of the Bush Administration… If one was to accept Bush’s proposal, then one would open the door to American delay strategies.”

Britain Isolated?

The Telegraph wrote on June 2:

“The Prime Minister [Tony Blair] will be told by Angela Merkel tomorrow that he faces isolation and a bruising battle over British opposition to new powers for the European Union. At a pre-G8 meeting in Berlin, the German chancellor will warn Mr Blair that he will be under siege if he tries to defend Britain’s sovereignty at a meeting on June 21 in Brussels – where details of a treaty will be thrashed out to replace the constitution that was rejected by French and Dutch voters two years ago.

“Support for the Prime Minister is melting away as key allies such as French president Nicolas Sarkozy rally behind proposals to beef up EU powers ahead of the summit, which is Mr Blair’s last top-level engagement before he hands over power to Gordon Brown on June 27… The German leader will use the summit to fix a basic outline for a new EU treaty and is hoping to commit Mr Blair to firm promises on which Mr Brown will find it difficult to backtrack later.”

Ahead of the G-8 Summit

On Saturday, June 2, The German and international press reported about staggering violent demonstrations in the East German city of Rostock, days ahead of the G-8 summit in Heiligendamm. Deutsche Welle reported:

“As tens of thousands of peaceful anti-globalization demonstrators marched in protest against the upcoming G8 summit in the German town of Rostock Saturday, some clashed violently with police…  The stone-throwing demonstrators were from a far-left anti-globalization group and wore black masks and hoods… Saturday’s clashes bear out fears expressed by the German police that left-wing militants would seek to cause unrest during protests against the summit…. As is now customary for G8 summits, the luxury beachfront hotel on the Baltic coast where US President George W. Bush and his counterparts will hold talks is surrounded by a heavily guarded fence topped with barbed wire. An underwater barrier has been erected to prevent ships approaching the hotel.”

The German press reported on Tuesday that one demonstrator, who had been arrested and charged with throwing stones at police officers, was sentenced to ten months in prison without the possibility of parole. The accelerated procedure and the decision against the 33-year old German citizen, who had not been previously convicted, was meant to have a deterrent effect on future demonstrators. During the clash on Saturday, over 433 police officers were injured, as well as more than 1,000 civilians.

Over the weekend, former German Chancellor, Helmut Schmidt (88), stated in an interview with the German tabloid, Bild, that the G-8 Summit has become nothing more than a spectacle for the media. He pointed out that the original concept was invented by former French President Giscard d’Estaing and himself, to get world leaders together to talk to each other [However, note the excerpt from Der Spiegel Online in this Update, describing the purpose of the G-8 meetings, which portrays a slightly different historical picture as to their origins.] He added that at first, the British and the Americans were opposed to the concept. He continued that in order to be productive, leaders from China and India [in addition to Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the USA] would have to be added now, and that all leaders should appear with a very small entourage–and not with “1,000 people,” as the Americans are doing.

… And During the Summit

Reuters reported on June 6:

“Around 10,000 anti-capitalist protesters clashed with police on Wednesday, injuring eight, as they tried to blockade routes to a summit of major powers in northern Germany. Police used water cannons to push back demonstrators. Delegates from several G8 countries said the protests were limiting their ability to move around at the summit venue, a seaside resort on Germany’s Baltic coast. Eight officers were injured during the clashes with protesters near the town of Bad Doberan, police spokesman Luedger Behrens said. Police ‘used water cannons twice after demonstrators bombarded police with stones,’ he said. Police said 15 protesters had been detained. Protesters were trying to block access to a luxury hotel on the coast in Heiligendamm…”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 7:

“The peaceful blockades by anti G-8 demonstrators at the summit in Heiligendamm have allayed fears of mass violence stoked by last Saturday’s riot in Rostock, and have won praise in the German media.”

Der Stern published a report on June 7 alleging that police officers in civilian clothes had mingled themselves among the demonstrators in Rostock, provoking violence by persuading them to throw stones at police officers.

How Merkel Wants to Lead

Der Spiegel Online reported on June 5:

“US President George W. Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are competing for control of the climate change agenda at the G-8 summit. The minutes of a secret meeting to plan the German government’s strategy… reveal the hard line Merkel plans to take… From the beginning, Merkel and the group had no illusions about the US president’s intentions. The chancellor’s senior economic advisor, Jens Weidmann, had done his own research, and he presented his conclusions to the group. The minutes read: ‘Dr. Weidmann reported that the US president’s advisor on climate issues is currently traveling through a number of emerging nations, the goal being to intervene against Germany’s ambitious G-8 agenda on the subject of climate protection.’… Cooperation with the Russians — against Bush — is another option, the document quotes Merkel as saying…”

“Bush made it clear that the United States would expect to assume the leadership in this process, a role the Chancellery had in fact already claimed for Merkel.

“Anxious as the powerful are to avoid giving this impression, a showdown seems inevitable in Heiligendamm. The smiling photo ops in beautiful, natural surroundings will likely stand in sharp contrast to what happens behind the scenes: America against Germany, a climate change deadbeat against a courageous contender for a better world — he against she… Merkel has no intention to be robbed of the opportunity to shine before the local and global public in Heiligendamm as an energetic champion of a better world…

“There is a lot at stake for the chancellor: her reputation as G-8 chair as well as Germany’s image in the world, but also Merkel’s image as a politician who gets things done. Merkel has promised that the summit will not be about empty words, but will instead examine solutions for the world’s biggest challenges… Merkel’s way of thinking is different from Bush’s, and is very German. She wants the summit to succeed in weakening two preconceptions: her supposed thralldom to the United States is a thorn in her side, as is the supposed lack of environmental commitment on the part of Germany’s conservatives.

“It’s with excitement and a certain amount of schadenfreude [malicious joy] that the Social Democratic members of Merkel’s cabinet watch as the chancellor suddenly finds herself in a new skirmish: Merkel has to defend herself against the Americans’ initiative… Publicly, the looming conflict with the Americans is in no way to be ratcheted up — softening is the order [of] the day… But internally, Merkel’s advisors have told her that reaching a concrete CO2 reduction goal is the decisive yardstick.”

First “Major Success” at G-8 Summit? — Not Really!

Der Spiegel Online reported on June 7:

“G-8 leaders meeting in Heiligendamm have agreed to ‘seriously consider’ a 50 percent cut in global CO2 emissions by 2050, said Chancellor Angela Merkel, hailing the deal as a major success. The summit had also agreed to negotiate a successor treaty to the Kyoto Protocol, which sets cuts in greenhouse gases running to 2012, within the framework of the United Nations, she said…”

Bild Online reported that the German Green Party (former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer is a member of the Green party) strongly criticized the “compromise,” calling it a “laughable fraud” and a “noncommittal triumph.” According to the criticism, rather than agreeing to a clear obligatory commitment, all they came up with was a “hotchpotch.”

Bild Online also quoted Greenpeace as saying that no success was achieved, but just a further delay of dealing with the problems.

Putin Threatens USA and NATO

The Globe and Mail wrote on June 4:

“In a threat not uttered since the Cold War, Vladimir Putin said that Russia intends to aim its missile systems – potentially nuclear weapons – at targets in Europe in retaliation for the U.S. decision to establish antimissile bases there.

“During a lengthy dinner, Russia’s President defended his semi-authoritarian style and insisted he is the world’s only true democrat. In an interview with The Globe and Mail and a small circle of other journalists, he stressed that his country is not moving away from a market economy, refused to consider extraditing a former KGB agent charged with poisoning a dissident in London, and lashed out repeatedly at the United States and NATO for operating in countries previously within Russia’s sphere of influence. Mr. Putin’s remarks, translated from Russian, virtually guarantee much of the G8 summit, due to begin in northern Germany on Wednesday, will be dominated by the growing confrontation between the West and Russia…

“‘It is obvious that if part of the strategic nuclear potential of the United States is located in Europe, and according to our military experts will be threatening us, we will have to respond,’ he said. ‘What kind of steps are we going to take in response? Of course, we are going to get new targets in Europe.’ He suggested that this could include powerful nuclear-capable weapons.”

In response, during a speech in the Czech Republic, President Bush “tried to defuse a worsening dispute with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the eve of the G-8 summit,” according to Der Spiegel Online, dated June 5. The magazine quoted Mr. Bush as saying: “Russia is not the enemy… The Cold War is over. It ended… My message will be: ‘Vladimir’ — I call him Vladimir — you shouldn’t fear a missile defense system. As a matter of fact, why don’t you cooperate with us on a missile defense system?”

It will have to be seen whether “Vladimir” will be impressed by these words.

Another “Success” at the G-8 Summit?

The Associated Press reported on June 7:

“Bush and Putin met privately after days of Cold War-style sparring over U.S. plans to base a missile defense shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, essentially in Russia’s back yard. Putin, bitterly opposed to placing such a system in Europe, told Bush that Russia would drop its objections and not seek to retrain its missiles on Europe if the shield were installed in Azerbaijan, a former Soviet satellite in central Asia. Bush’s national security adviser, Steve Hadley, called it an ‘interesting proposal.'”

The Collapse of the US as a Superpower

The ABC Online Network in Australia reported on June 1:

“A US military analyst who’s served in the armed forces and has written on international affairs for more than two decades, is issuing a warning today about the collapse of the United States as a superpower. In his latest book, ‘The Mess They Made: the Middle East After Iraq,’ Gwynne Dyer says there’s no doubt that the US will withdraw its troops from Iraq once President George W. Bush leaves office. But he predicts that already that war has set in motion events that will radically transform not only the Middle East but the role of the United States in the world.”

In an interview with Australia’s “World Today,” Dyer stated the following:

“The regimes of the Arab world, with zero exceptions, except for Iraq, where the Americans overthrew Saddam, have all been in power for at least forty years. They’re all dictatorships or absolute monarchies, most of them are corrupt beyond imagining. So this is a very unstable status quo, maintained by American subsidies, American troops, American guarantees, and when those are withdrawn, I think that there will be very large changes in the Middle East… Congress will be reluctant to vote new funds, Congress will be very suspicious about new commitments to support Arab regimes, and meanwhile the momentum in the streets in the Arab world will be moving very rapidly in the favour of the revolutionaries…

“A senior Japanese diplomat said to me, last year… ‘You know the United States is a twelve year old with a shotgun’. And what he meant was that as the United States begins to suspect that it’s past the apogee of its trajectory, [it is] on the way down, as a great power no longer on the way up or at the top securely, that it is becoming extremely erratic, that is lashing out in all sorts of ways to try and slow or stop what it perceives as insipient decline. So there is concern that we’re getting into rather deep water here, that we may be going into an era where the Americans become highly unpredictable and quite dangerous.”

Republicans Bash President Bush in New Hampshire

The Associated Press reported on June 5, 2007:

“President Bush drew sporadic, startling criticism Tuesday night from Republican White House hopefuls unhappy with his handling of the Iraq war, his diplomatic style and his approach to immigration.

“‘I would certainly not send him to the United Nations to represent the United States’, said Tommy Thompson, the former Wisconsin governor and one-time member of Bush’s Cabinet… Arizona Sen. John McCain… criticized the administration for its handling of the Iraq War, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said, ‘I think we were underprepared and underplanned for what came after we knocked down Saddam Hussein.’

“Rep. Duncan Hunter… of California said the current administration ‘has the slows’ when it comes to building a security fence along the border with Mexico. Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado recalled that White House aide Karl Rove had once told him ‘never darken the door of the White House.’ The congressman said he’d tell George W. Bush the same thing.

“The criticism of Bush was more in keeping of the type of rhetoric that could be expected when Democratic presidential contenders debate. Its prominence at the GOP event — while Bush was traveling overseas — was a reflection of his poor poll ratings and the need of even members of his own party to campaign on platforms of change…

“Much of the debate focused on Iraq… McCain drew loud applause from the partisan debate audience when he turned a question about the war in Iraq into criticism of the leading Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.

“‘When Senator Clinton says this is… President Bush’s war, she is wrong,’ he said. ‘When President Clinton was in power, I didn’t say Bosnia was President Clinton’s war… Presidents don’t lose wars. Political parties don’t lose wars. Nations lose wars’… Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee added his voice to those criticizing the war effort. He added that the Bush administration ‘lost credibility’ with its response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005…

“Bush’s support for the pending immigration legislation… figured prominently in the debate. McCain… supports the measure, and he sought to fend off criticism from some of his rivals.  ‘We cannot have 12 million people washing around America illegally, my friends,’ he said. But [Rudy] Giuliani [former New York Mayor] said the legislation was flawed, ‘a typical Washington mess.'”

California Is Preparing for a HOT Summer

Reuters reported the following on June 6:

“Los Angeles residents were urged on Wednesday to take shorter showers, reduce lawn sprinklers and stop throwing trash in toilets in a bid to cut water usage by 10 percent in the driest year on record. With downtown Los Angeles seeing a record low of 4 inches of rain since July 2006 — less than a quarter of normal — and with a hot, dry summer ahead, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said the city needed ‘to change course and conserve water to steer clear of this perfect storm.’

On June 6, 2007, CNN filed this report:

“… climatologist Bill Patzert of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory… got a rare glimpse into the future by studying the past. He found that in the last 100 years the average daily temperature in this state [of California]  jumped 5 degrees; average nightly temperature jumped 7 degrees; and the annual number of extreme heat days, those over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, multiplied by 12. Even heat waves are up, he said. They are three-to-five times more likely with each passing summer… ‘We’re no longer living in a normal world. We’re living in a warmer world,’ he said.

“So what does all that mean for Californians? It could mean a steamy, smoggy, hot, fiery summer is around the corner, with myriad consequences… with the ground so hot, brush fires no longer occur just a few months a year, but all year long.

“A heightened demand for electricity could tax power companies and their ability to deliver a consistent flow of energy. Last year, when temperatures soared well over 100 degrees, more than one million Californians lost power for more than a week… Before it got so hot in California, one megawatt could power 750 homes. Now it only powers 650 homes. And people are building bigger and bigger homes, megahomes if you will, in inland areas like San Bernardino Valley, which are hotter… It’s getting so bad that California Attorney General Jerry Brown has sued San Bernardino County, one of the fastest growing inland areas in the United States, for failing to account for greenhouse gases when updating its 25-year blueprint for growth.

“Infectious disease experts… suggest extreme heat this summer may even bring tropical diseases to southern California. The flu, which circulates year round in the tropics, could do the same here. And the mosquitoes — look out! They bite more often at night, so the warmer nights are sure to keep them busy.”

40th Anniversary of Israeli-Arab War

AFP reported on June 5:

“The Middle East marks the 40th anniversary on Tuesday of the war which saw Israel defeat three Arab armies in six days but began four decades of occupation — the key obstacle to peace to this day… The 1967 war planted the seeds of the many deep-rooted obstacles that generations of diplomats have found impossible to untangle in their search for peace — from the Jewish settler movement to sovereignty over Jerusalem.

“After weeks of belligerency and brinkmanship from regional and international players, on June 5, 1967 Israel launched what it called a preemptive strike, smashed the armies of Egypt, Jordan and Syria, and secured its status as a regional superpower. Its soldiers captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem from Jordan, the Golan Heights from Syria, and the Gaza Strip and Sinai peninsula from Egypt — an area three and a half times larger than the state of Israel.

“For Israelis, the conquest of east Jerusalem — and with it Judaism’s holiest site, the Western Wall which Jews had been prohibited from visiting since the creation of the state in 1948 — was a messianic victory. For Palestinians, the war brought new depths of despair after the initial ‘catastrophe’ of the creation of the Jewish state: they came under Israeli occupation and their dream of a state of their own seemed to slip out of reach.

“But it also galvanised their often bloody resistance movement and paved the way for most Israelis to accept a two-state solution and for the two sides to sign the 1993 Oslo interim peace accords. Israel eventually signed a peace treaty with Egypt in 1979, under which it returned the Sinai, and a second with Jordan in 1994. In 2005, Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip, but it retains control of its borders, air space and territorial waters and continues to mount incursions into the territory in response to militant attacks. All efforts to resolve the conflict have so far failed, with peace talks moribund since the failure of Camp David negotiations in 2000 and little progress discernible on the horizon from a recently revived Arab peace plan.”

Turkey Invades Iraq–Or Does It?

The Associated Press reported on June 6:

“Several thousand Turkish troops crossed into northern Iraq early Wednesday to chase Kurdish guerrillas who attack Turkey from bases there, two Turkish security officials said… speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media, [they] characterized the action as a ‘hot pursuit’ raid that was limited in scope. They told The Associated Press it did not constitute the kind of large incursion that Turkish leaders have been discussing in recent weeks as Turkish troops built up their force along the border.”

Deutsche Welle reported on June 7:

“Turkey has denied reports that its troops have launched a major incursion into northern Iraq, targeting Kurdish militants. This has also been confirmed by the White House and Baghdad officials. But news agencies quoting unnamed Turkish security officials say that there has been a ‘limited cross-border’ military operation. An estimated 4,000 rebels of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, the PKK, are said to be hiding in Iraq. Turkey’s foreign minister Abdullah Gul called reports of a 50,000-strong invasion force ‘disinformation.'”

Assyrian Region in Iraq?

AsiaNews.it reported on June 6:

“Politicized groups are pushing for the creation of an ‘Assyrian region’ in the country’s north, on the border with Kurdistan. To this end, they are exploiting the anti-Christian persecution to confirm the urgency of carrying out their plan. A project being called for by those who know little of the situation in Iraq, it may be on the agenda for meetings between Bush and the Vatican.”

The article continued:

“Closing the Christian community into a ghetto/buffer-zone between Arabs and Kurds in the north seems, for some, the only solution for salvation.  According to local AsiaNews sources, the utmost is being done to make this convincing: religious leaders are being duped, the press is being manipulated; even suffering and sorrow are being exploited.  The latest example is the murder of Fr Ragheed Ganni, Chaldean priest, whose death, along with that of three friends, is at the centre of a media circus in Iraq that even Iraqis themselves are saying is ‘excessive.’  An AsiaNews source says, ‘Ragheed, who lived and died in Mosul, sacrificed himself for the exact opposite: for peaceful coexistence, for the future of the Church in Iraq, not abroad, not caged within political or territorial borders.’

“Ever since the anti-Christian campaign has become violent enough to be in the spotlight of international media, more and more articles and television coverage speak of what would be the unavoidable necessity, at this point, of creating a safe haven for this minority. Yesterday, an article of the Eastern Star News Agency (a Sweden-based Assyrian agency) compared the situation of the ‘Assyrian people’ (a term that is meant to include Chaldeans and Syrians) to that of the Kurds under Saddam: they need protection.  And they go on to say that: ‘Assyrians are calling more and more for an autonomous Christian region in Iraq.’…

“The project for an ‘Assyrian ghetto’ is strongly supported by the Christian diaspora in the United States, which holds a lot of sway over the Baghdad Patriarchate, by Evangelicals and by Kurdistan’s Finance Minister, Sarkis Aghajan, who over the last year has donated large sums of money for the reconstruction of numerous villages and churches in the north.

“In October 2006, American Catholic bishops wrote to Condoleezza Rice to urge Washington to consider the possibility of creating a new ‘administrative region’ around Nineveh, connected directly to the central government in Baghdad, which ‘could provide Christians and other minorities with greater safety and offer more opportunity to control their own affairs.’  And given that numerous Christians are seeking refuge in the country’s north, the document also suggests collaboration between the U.S. government and Kurdish authorities to ensure the security of Christians in these areas.

“It is expected that the Vatican will express its position on this matter on the occasion of the forthcoming meeting – set for June 8 – between President George W. Bush and the Pope…

“Various prominent figures of the Church, as well as ordinary members of the faithful, have, for some time, been pointing out the risks of a ‘Nineveh Project’.   In comments to AsiaNews a few months ago, Monsignor Louis Sako, Chaldean Archbishop of Kirkuk, acknowledged the need for an ‘end to the violence’ but was nevertheless puzzled about the idea.  ‘The Plains of Nineveh,’ he explained, ‘are surrounded for the most part by Arabs: Christians would be a handy and vulnerable buffer between Arabs and Kurds.  In my opinion, it would be much better to work at the level of the constitution and the single states to guarantee religious freedom and equal rights to the members of all faiths over the entire territory, for Christians too who live throughout Iraq.’…”

It is important to understand that true Christians are called out of this present evil world–its governments, administrations, laws and philosophies–in order to be different. They are set aside for the holy purpose of living a righteous life in this world, and preparing for the soon-coming Kingdom of God, which will be established on this earth when Jesus Christ returns. True Christians are to live under the law of God and His government, to which they must have their first allegiance.

As a consequence, they do not vote in governmental elections or seek governmental offices, nor do they participate in jury duty. They are not fighting in the wars of this world, even if their country orders them to enlist, and they may be labeled as unpatriotic or “cowards,” when they refuse to fight. And, they do not hold a position or a job which would require them to take human life.

Even though God allows man to establish their own form of governments and enact their own rules of conduct–including those which are in direct opposition to His commands–this does not mean that He desires His true children–His very sons and daughters–to participate in activities which violate His perfect and timeless Law. And even though He allows the governments of this world to execute a convicted criminal or to fight in war (compare Romans 13:1-4), He makes it also very clear that His true children are not to engage in such conduct (compare Matthew 26:51-52; Revelation 13:10).

True Christians must not participate in any of the following activities, even though many of these activities are accepted by the standards of this world: Mercy killing or euthanasia; assisting someone to commit suicide; fighting and killing in war; having an abortion or helping someone to have an abortion; condemning someone to death in the legal systems of this world; or executing a convicted felon (who may or may not be guilty of the deed for which fallible men convicted him). The reason being–in one way or another, all these aforementioned activities terminate, or cause the termination of, the life of a human being. True Christians, however, who obey the Law of God, understand that it is not their right, prerogative or even responsibility to end the life of a human being, including their own. David fought and killed in war, but this was not right. God punished him for that, by not allowing him to build Him a temple (compare 1 Chronicles 28:3). Still, David refused to kill King Saul, leaving it to God to end his life. He stated in 1 Samuel 26:10: “As the LORD lives, the LORD shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish.”

Euthanasia, in particular, can be defined as an easy or painless death which brings to an end a lingering, hopeless, painful disease or condition. To engage in such conduct is not in obedience to God. The Bible clearly tells us that it is God’s prerogative–as the One who created human life–to let a person die, or to prolong his life, when He sees fit. It is GOD who gives us life (Ecclesiastes 5:18; 8:15); and it is GOD who takes it away from us (Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6). Of course, no one can kill a human being without God allowing this to happen; but the fact that He does allow it does not mean that He wants all this world’s killing to continue. This is NOT God’s world–but this world is ruled by Satan the devil (John 14:30)–the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2)– the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:3). God allows Satan to rule over this present evil age at this time–but only until Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, will return to this earth to displace and banish Satan and to begin to RULE this earth righteously.

There is no support in Scripture for humans ending prematurely the life of a sick person. The Church of God has taught this for a very long time. However, it has also taught correctly for a very long time that there IS a difference between cutting short a human life and artificially prolonging it. While euthanasia is not a practice in which a true Christian should engage, it is an altogether different matter to decide NOT to prolong the “life” of a clinically dead or comatose person through machines and other equipment, thereby keeping the comatose person “alive” artificially. The Worldwide Church of God explained in an old letter (L 185):

“… the idea that heroic measures must be taken to keep a terminally ill person alive as long as possible is not biblical either. There is no sense prolonging a person’s dying. Many righteous people in the Bible knew when they were dying, got their affairs in order… and simply died. It is not wrong to ask God in His mercy to allow a suffering person to peacefully die.”

The same would be true if a terminally ill person was facing the possibility of a serious and risky operation which might temporarily prolong his life–and its accompanying painful condition. In such a case, it would certainly not be wrong if the person decided against such an operation. It would also not be wrong for a person to set forth in writing, ahead of time, his or her wish as to how doctors or relatives should proceed in case he or she falls into a coma.

Of course, in all these different scenarios, we are to ask God for His mercy to HEAL us from pain and suffering. But if God should choose not to do so in a particular circumstance, we are still not to engage in “mercy killing” or other practices which would terminate human life.

For more information on this vitally important subject, please read our free booklets, “Should You Fight in War?” and “Sickness and Healing–What the Bible Tells Us.” You might also want to read chapter 2 of our free booklet, “Are You Predestined to Be Saved?”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

The final text for our new booklet, “The Meaning of God’s Fall Holy Days,” has been sent to our graphic designer, Shelly Bruno.

We have completed the second printing for our booklet, “Jesus Christ–A Great Mystery!” as we had run out of stock for this booklet.

Our new format for our StandingWatch programs is steadily progressing. We bought additional equipment to improve the sound, and are still experimenting to achieve the best lighting for the program. Your continued prayers for the success of the programs are appreciated. The following announcement was sent out on June 3, 2007, pertaining to our new StandingWatch program #124:

No Success for the U.S. — Why?

Why is the relationship between the USA and Europe constantly deteriorating? Why have both power blocs hardened their respective positions? Why is the Iraq War so unsuccessful? Could our approach toward the worship of the true God have anything to do with it?

View it now on Google.

On June 2, 2007, Manuela Mitchell of Escondido, California, graduated from Mesa College with an AS degree in Animal Health Technology/Animal Science in Veterinary Medicine. Unfortunately, as June 2 fell on the Sabbath, Manuela was unable to participate in the graduation ceremonies. She will become a RVT upon passing the examination with the Veterinary Medical Board in San Diego. Our heartfelt congratulations to Manuela for her achievement.

On June 2, 2007, Kalon Mitchell and Michael Link will give split sermons, titled, “The Sabbath–A Physical and Spiritual Rest,” and, “In God We Trust.”

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 are admonished by Christ in Matthew 5:14-16, that we–as the light of the world–are to let our light shine. We are not to put our lamp under a basket or stool, as it were, but up on the table, where everyone can see and benefit from it. Light has interesting features. It illuminates, thereby driving out the darkness. It doesn’t make any noise and is therefore not intrusive. It allows us to do things which we could not do, once the sun has set. In order to continue a task, we merely turn on the lamps in the room in which we are working.   

As we have seen, we are supposed to let our light shine. Just exactly what did Christ have in mind when He said that? We have heard of the expression, actions speak louder than words, and–sadly–do as I say, but don’t do as I do. The power of a good example is a force to contend with, and it influences what people think about us. We let our light shine by the way we act. We are to walk in the light. Christ also said that men do their evil deeds under the cover of darkness, and Satan and the demons are associated with darkness. 2 Peter 2:4 tells us: “For… God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment…”  Men, following the lead of Satan and his demons, tend to do their dirty deeds under the cover of darkness.

Walking in the light means walking according to the commands and statutes of God, being in submissive obedience to His laws. We of course could never achieve this goal without the help of God’s Spirit in us, which is guiding us and assisting us to make right and correct choices in our lives. The closer we are to God in utilizing the tools He has described for us–prayer, Bible study, fasting and mediation–the more our light will shine as a powerful witness to this dying world.

Is our light shinning forth as a tribute to ourselves? Not at all! The reason why we must let our light shine is clearly spelled out in Matthew 5:16: “ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

The whole purpose is to give glory to God; it is not for the purpose of self aggrandizement. So let us walk in the light, and let us be children of light by our good example–all to the glory of our Great God.

Germany and the “War on Terror”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 30:

“For good historical reasons, Germans tend to get easily nervous about war, and recent violence in Afghanistan and Iraq has caused the nation to reconsider its role in the war on terror. Dozens of gunmen dressed as Iraqi police kidnapped five foreign workers in a brazen daylight raid on Baghdad’s Finance Ministry on Tuesday, and early reports from Iraq had suggested the victims were German. They were, in fact, British, but the raid highlighted ongoing chaos in Iraq and gave German newspapers a reason to mull the violence… The overall conclusion on Wednesday is that it may be too late to pretend that the war in Iraq has nothing to do with Germany.

“The left-leaning Berliner Zeitung writes:

“‘In February a German woman and her son were kidnapped; in mid-April there was a terror alert for Americans in Germany; one month later three German soldiers died in Afghanistan; and yesterday it seemed that three Germans had been taken hostage in Baghdad. Even if this last report is untrue, the reminders that Germany is caught in a steadily-more-hopeless “war on terror” are becoming more frequent. It seems our freedom and security are not being defended in Afghanistan (and wherever else German anti-terrorism forces are stationed) so much as put at risk.’

“‘Deliberating this in public has been made virtually taboo by the German government…. Anyone who, like (Left Party politician) Oskar Lafontaine, dares to characterize as “terrorism” the campaign waged by the United States and others — including Germany — against al-Qaida and the Taliban, finds himself labelled an enemy of the state. It’s time to retire the current culture of debate in Germany that follows President Bush’s maxim: “Who’s not for us is against us,” and make way for a realistic and objective political argument about the point and duration of foreign commitments, anti-terrorism alliances and new security laws.’…

“The conservative daily Die Welt writes: ‘Do critics like the former US Security Advisor Zbigneiew Brzezinski have it right? Months ago he suggested two alternatives to the Bush administration: Either suppress the insurgents quickly and brutally with 300,000 American soldiers, or pull out as fast as possible.'”

US Blamed for Possible Failure at Future Summit

The Financial Times wrote on May 25:

“Political tensions between the US and Germany over climate change have worsened sharply, with Washington threatening to no longer ‘tread lightly’ in negotiations on global warming ahead of the Group of Eight rich nations’ summit next month. The US has sent Germany a harshly worded statement in which it accuses Berlin of ignoring of Washington’s ‘serious, fundamental concerns’ with Germany’s draft climate change communiqué for the Baltic coast summit.

“The statement, written in red ink and obtained by the Financial Times, says: ‘We have tried to “tread lightly” but there is only so far we can go given our fundamental opposition to the German position.’

“Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, would like the summit to agree limits on carbon emissions but the US says climate change should be tackled with technology-based solutions rather than mandatory emissions targets and accuses Berlin of ignoring its stance.

“Washington says… ‘The majority of our comments on the previous draft have not been addressed and some new, problematic text has been added.’ Germany’s proposed text ‘crosses multiple “red lines” in terms of what we simply cannot agree to’, according to the statement… Diplomats said the US outburst confirms that a substantial deal on climate change is no longer possible at the summit, despite the months of diplomatic pressure from Berlin.

“The strains in German-US relations ahead of the June 6-8 summit, to be attended by US President George W. Bush, are also likely to make it tougher for Ms Merkel to achieve progress in other sensitive fields, such as the stalled world trade talks.”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 30

“One week ahead of the G-8 summit in Heiligendamm, the US is still refusing to agree on concrete emissions reductions goals. Now, the German environment minister [Sigmar Gabriel] has had enough… On German television on Wednesday, Gabriel finally shed his diplomatic veneer and lashed out.

“‘Now is not the time to merely write in the minutes how well we got along with each other,’ Gabriel said on the news channel N24. ‘Now is not the hour of diplomacy. Now is the hour for real action.’ The German environment minister then took on the US directly, saying ‘the challenge remains that of convincing the Americans that they have a responsibility — also for their own citizens who suffer from climate change. Look at the hurricane in New Orleans.’… Gabriel said on Wednesday that the US position makes it easier for developing nations to sit back and do nothing about reducing their own emissions. Countries such as India and China, said Gabriel, ‘have the attitude: “if the industrialized nations don’t take responsibility, then how should developing countries do so?” The only solution is to continue negotiations with the Americans and to put them under pressure.'”

Ministerial Meeting Ahead of G-8 Summit

AFP reported on May 30:

“Foreign ministers of the Group of Eight nations met Wednesday to lay the groundwork for next week’s summit in Germany as discord over climate change and Kosovo cast a shadow over the talks… Japan poured cold water on one of the issues Germany had placed at the top of its priority list for the summit — a binding agreement on reducing greenhouse gases, [saying that] German proposals to complete negotiations on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gases by 2009 were ‘premature.’

“Japan has been leading efforts among Asian nations to limit global warming. It said it believed major emitters of greenhouse gases such as the United States, China and India should agree to join the process before any timetable was put in place…

“However, faced with the bloodiest internal clashes in Lebanon for decades and the firing of Palestinian rockets into Israel and Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, expectations for the meeting were low… The ministers also addressed the situation in strife-torn Afghanistan.”

Zoellick Nominated as New World Bank President

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 30:

“Robert Zoellick has been designated the new president of the World Bank following Paul Wolfowitz’s departure. Many Germans remember him as the likeable mediator who helped bring about German reunification. But Zoellick’s maxim is still ‘America first.’… In Germany, Zoellick is considered a friend, an ‘Atlanticist’ and a bridge-builder…

“His nomination was quickly interpreted as a technical victory for the moderates, since he was considered the favored candidate of the Europeans, of developing countries and even of the World Bank’s critics. His nomination could therefore be seen as a gesture of reconciliation on the part of US President George W. Bush. But 53-year-old Zoellick knows what he wants — which is to say, he knows what his superior in Washington wants… He is, after all, an old friend of the Bush family — and he shares its conviction that the United States is the only qualified world power today. Zoellick… grew up as a descendant of German immigrants in Illinois…”

Proposed Immigration Bill Under Fire

The New York Times wrote on May 29:

“President Bush today accused opponents of his proposed immigration measure of fear-mongering to defeat it in Congress, and took on his own conservative political base as he did so… The bill, the product of a compromise struck by Republican and Democratic leaders two weeks ago, has encountered stiff resistance from the left and right. Liberal opposition taking aim at the proposal for shifting the system for awarding permanent residence status to give more weight to education and skills and less to family reunification, while conservatives have derided the plan for allowing illegal aliens to legalize their status.

“It was the conservative opponents whom Mr. Bush seemed to address most forcefully in his remarks here today — a rare example of the president crossing swords with key members of the political coalition that helped him attain the Oval Office and then keep it four years later…”

Deadly Strain of Tuberculosis Has Re-entered the USA

The New York Times wrote on May 29:

“Public health officials today urged the passengers and crew of two recent trans-Atlantic flights to get checked for tuberculosis, after learning that a man with an exceptionally deadly and drug-resistant form of the disease had flown on the planes. The man, an American…, flew on May 12 from Atlanta to Paris aboard Air France Flight 385, then traveled on May 24 from Prague to Montreal aboard Czech Air Flight 410 before driving back to the United States… He is currently hospitalized in an isolation ward… While tuberculosis is not highly transmissible, the deadliness of this strain — and the ease of modern transportation — underscored the need for rapid response, as with the SARS virus epidemic of a few years ago… the type of tuberculosis found in the infected American — known as extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, or XDR TB — resists treatment even by three of the six second-line drugs used when first-line drugs fail. Only two cases of the strain were found last year in the United States.

“Tuberculosis is typically spread by sneezing or coughing…  tuberculosis is still deadly, particularly in countries where medical care is lacking, killing about 1.6 million people each year worldwide. It is particularly deadly among those infected with HIV. At any given time, one person in three worldwide is infected with dormant tuberculosis germs… People become ill when the bacteria become active, usually when a person’s immunity declines, whether because of advancing age, HIV infection or some other medical problem.”

Russia Threatens EU and USA

The Associated Press reported on May 29:

“Russia tested new missiles Tuesday that a Kremlin official boasted could penetrate any defense system, and President Vladimir Putin warned that U.S. plans for an anti-missile shield in Europe would turn the region into a ‘powder keg.’ … Russia has bristled at the plans, dismissing U.S. assertions that the system would be aimed at blocking possible attacks by Iran and saying it would destroy the strategic balance of forces in Europe.

“‘We consider it harmful and dangerous to turn Europe into a powder keg and to fill it with new kinds of weapons,’ Putin said…

“Russia is also embroiled in a dispute with the West over another Soviet-era arms pact, the 1990 Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty. Putin has announced a moratorium on observance of the treaty and threatened to withdraw altogether if the United States and other NATO members do not ratify an 1999 amended version. ”

The Guardian wrote on May 30:

“Russia yesterday threatened a new cold war-style arms race with the United States by announcing that it had successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile capable of penetrating American defences.”

Grim Conditions in Sudan

AFP reported on May 29:

“US President George W. Bush on Tuesday tightened US sanctions on Sudan over ‘genocide’ in Darfur and pushed for a tough new UN Security Council resolution to punish the government in Khartoum.

“‘The people of Darfur are crying out for help, and they deserve it,’ he said. ‘I promise this to the people of Darfur: The United States will not avert our eyes from a crisis that challenges the conscience of the world.’

“China, a veto-wielding permanent council member and one of Sudan’s main allies, criticized the sanctions even before Bush unveiled them. But Britain welcomed the plan, while France proposed a humanitarian corridor through neighboring Chad to get aid to Darfur.

“The violence in Sudan’s western states has left at least 200,000 people dead and forced more than two million people from their homes, according to the United Nations…

“The goal of the sanctions is to force Sudan to allow the full deployment of a UN peacekeeping force; disarm the Janjaweed militias; and let humanitarian aid reach the region, which is roughly the size of France, US officials say…  China also faced pressure from European nations over Darfur.”

Even though the situation is very grim in Darfur, there is no Biblical evidence whatsoever for the concept that Sudan may be the “king of the south,” mentioned in Daniel 11, as some have recently suggested. Such fanciful ideas do not help in any way to gain a proper understanding of prophecy.

Eu vs. Turkey

The Turkish Daily News wrote on May 28:

“As they seemed to forget their comments about Turkey’s membership to the EU, European politicians with an imperialistic arrogance about our domestic politics have recently told Turkey to wait fifty more years; that is after having kept Turkey waiting at the EU door for more than forty-five years… It is time to say stop [to] European injustice and the arrogant European double standard with its old imperialistic traditions. With the mentality ‘I decide everything and everything belongs to me,’ the EU seems to not be satisfied with its economic benefits…

“By making Turkey obey harsh conditions of the Customs Union, Turkey became the fifth largest market of the EU ahead of Japan, Korea and India… Since 1999 when Turkey was granted candidate status, the EU has made visa application and customs laws more difficult instead of easier… Some EU countries like the Netherlands are only open for visa applications between 8:45 – 9:15 a.m. at their consulates…  It is time to say stop to the discriminatory visa application against Turkey…  It is time to… raise the stakes with arrogant Europeans.”

Five Britons Kidnapped in Iraq

AFP reported on May 30:

“Iraqi and British officials scrambled Wednesday to get to the bottom of the brazen daylight kidnapping of five British contractors snatched from a finance ministry building in Baghdad. The Britons… were taken on Tuesday by a large group [of] gunmen in Iraqi police uniforms.

“‘We are pursuing this case very vigorously, I would say, because the nature of this kidnapping is very strange,’ Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told AFP. ‘The location of this finance ministry computer centre and the nature of the operation and the number of people involved, I think all indicate more a militia than a terrorist group, let’s say,’ he added…  the nature of the kidnapping clearly points towards the involvement of one of the Shiite militant groups that has infiltrated Iraqi forces, rather than a Sunni insurgent outfit such as Al-Qaeda, he said…

“Mass kidnappings by uniformed men were common last year and were believed to be the work of Shiite militias with close ties to the police.”

Iraq War With No End in Sight

AFP reported on May 26:

“US President George W. Bush scored a key victory against Democrats in Congress over funding US troops in Iraq, but with no end in sight, the four-year-old war continues to encumber his administration… After battling for weeks, the president’s Democratic foes in Congress had ceded to his demands to strip timelines for troop withdrawals out of the war funding bill… But the bill’s passage was unlikely to reassure a war-weary US public strongly critical of the Bush administration’s Iraq effort and dismayed at the mounting US toll there, with 3,445 US servicemen dead since the March 2003 start of the war.

“A new poll Friday showed a record number of people in the United States are pessimistic about the war’s outcome and now believe it was a mistake. Seventy-six percent of Americans think the Iraq war is going badly, up ten percentage points in one month, according to the CBS News/New York Times opinion poll. And 61 percent said the United States should have stayed out of Iraq…

“The top Republican in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, meanwhile gave the clearest signal yet that Republicans would also be looking for a change of tack by Bush later this year. ‘I think the handwriting is on the wall that we are going in a different direction in the fall, and I expect the president is going to lead it,’ McConnell told reporters.”

“War Is Hell”

USA Today wrote on May 25:

“He said it in 1879, a decade after he led Union forces to victory in our Civil War. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman: ‘War is at best barbarism. … Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is hell.’

“Those are words to heed as we honor the dead of all our wars on Monday’s Memorial Day. Those who died in the service of our country – and many who served and survived – have been through hell. We have about 147,000 servicemen and women in Iraq now. More than 3,400 have died there…

“On Memorial Day, my memories will be with my buddies who served with me in the 86th Infantry Division in both Europe and the Pacific in World War II. But my hopes and prayers will be for our military in Iraq. It’s already too late to bring them home sooner, as I suggested three years ago. But better late (now) than never.”

President Bush the Only Person Who Understands?

The Herald Tribune published on May 27 the following biting article:

“Never mind how badly the war is going in Iraq. President George W. Bush has been swaggering around like a victorious general because he cowed a wobbly coalition of Democrats into dropping their attempt to impose a time limit on his disastrous misadventure. By week’s end, Bush was acting as though that bit of parliamentary strong-arming had left him free to ignore not just the Democrats, but also the vast majority of Americans, who want him to stop chasing illusions of victory and concentrate on how to stop the sacrifice of young Americans’ lives. And, ever faithful to his illusions, Bush was insisting that he was the only person who understood the true enemy.

“Speaking to graduates of the Coast Guard Academy, Bush declared that Al Qaeda is ‘public enemy No. 1’ in Iraq and that ‘the terrorists’ goal in Iraq is to reignite sectarian violence and break support for the war here at home.’ The next day, in the Rose Garden, Bush turned on a reporter who had the temerity to ask about Bush’s declining credibility with the public, declaring that Al Qaeda is ‘a threat to your children’ and accusing him of naïvely ignoring the danger.

“It’s upsetting to think that Bush believes the raging sectarian violence in Iraq awaits reigniting, or that he does not recognize that Americans’ support for the war broke down many bloody months ago. But we have grown accustomed to this president’s disconnect from reality and his habit of tilting at straw men, like Americans who don’t care about terrorism because they question his mismanagement of the war or don’t worry about what will happen after the United States withdraws, as it inevitably must.

“The really disturbing thing about Bush’s comments is his painting of the war in Iraq as an obvious-to-everyone-but-the-wrongheaded fight between the United States and a young Iraqi democracy on one side, and Al Qaeda on the other. That fails to acknowledge that the Shiite-dominated government of Iraq is not a democracy and is at war with many of its own people. And it removes all pressure from the Iraqi leadership – and Bush – to halt the sectarian fighting and create a real democracy. There is no doubt that organized Islamist terrorism – call it Al Qaeda or by any other name – is a dire threat. There is also no doubt that terrorists entered Iraq – mostly after the war began.

“We, too, believe that Iraq has to be made as stable as possible so the United States can withdraw its troops without unleashing even more chaos and destruction. But Bush is not doing that, and his version of reality only makes it more unlikely. The only solution lies with the Iraqi leaders, who have to stop their sectarian blood feud and make a real attempt to form a united government. That is their best chance to stabilize the country, allow the United States to withdraw and, yes, battle Al Qaeda.

“The Democrats who called for imposing benchmarks for political progress on the Iraqis, combined with a withdrawal date for American soldiers, were trying to start that process. It’s a shame they could not summon the will and discipline to keep going, but we hope they have not given up. As disjointed as the Democrats have been, their approach makes far more sense than Bush’s denial of Iraq’s civil war and his war-without-end against terror.”

Kuwait Drops U.S. Dollar

The Wall Street Journal reported on May 21: “Kuwait dropped its currency’s four-year-old peg to the falling U.S. dollar and switched to a basket of currencies, raising new questions about plans for a currency union with other Gulf Arab oil producers. Kuwait’s central-bank governor said his country was still committed to the union and was acting in the ‘national interest’ to contain inflation. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and the other states of the Gulf Cooperation Council may now be pressed to relax fiscal policy. Saudi Arabia’s central bank said it has no plans to change the exchange rate of its dollar-pegged currency.”

Eurozone Takes Over From USA

The EUObserver wrote on May 25:

“The eurozone will in 2007 take over from the US as the driver of world economic growth, according to Paris-based think tank the OECD, with a strong performance by Germany giving Europe the edge.

“The 13-state strong European currency union will see 2.7 percent GDP growth this year compared to 2.1 percent in the US… ‘Europe [is] taking over the baton from the United States,’ OECD chief economist Jean-Philippe Cotis said. ‘A vibrant German-led recovery has remained on track…[and] the so-far lagging Italian economy has been sharing in the upswing.’…

“By contrast, US results are being held back by problems in the housing market… The European upswing could spell good news for political projects, such as Germany’s attempt to revive the EU constitution… But the European picture is not entirely rosy: unemployment still remains much higher than in the US; inflation risks are likely to see the European Central Bank hike rates again this year and an ageing population is increasing pressure on the public purse.”

Iran Defiant

Y-net-news.com reported on May 25:

“[One] Day after [the] end of [the] deadline to halt uranium enrichment and in light of possibility of additional sanctions, Ahmadinejad says ‘sanctions will hurt Western countries more than they will hurt us’… The Western powers are unable to act against Iran, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Friday morning… On Thursday, the Iranian president ruled out even a brief halt in his country’s nuclear program, saying it would hand a victory to the country’s enemies who seek to prevent Iran from becoming a world power…  the Iranian president referred to the Security Council’s resolutions as ‘having no influence.’…

“Ahmadinejad’s outburst followed Wednesday’s report by the UN nuclear watchdog that said Iran has expanded its controversial uranium enrichment program in defiance of UN demands for a suspension. The report could set the stage for a third round of UN Security Council sanctions against Iran.”

Queen Exasperated Over Blair’s Legacy?

AFP reported on May 26:

“Prime Minister Tony Blair, who steps down in a month after 10 years in power, is leaving a legacy for Britain that has ‘exasperated and frustrated’ Queen Elizabeth II… The queen is worried that London’s close ties with Washington have come at the Commonwealth’s expense and that British troops might have become ‘overstretched’ in Iraq and Afghanistan, The Sunday Telegraph said. The newspaper… said the 81-year-old monarch is especially concerned that the nation has become divided over some New Labour policies, such as the ban on fox hunting and hare coursing. ‘The queen has been left exasperated and frustrated by change for change’s sake,’ one of her friends was quoted as saying…

“Under the constitutional monarchy, the queen, who meets with the prime minister on a weekly basis at Buckingham Palace, has the right to be consulted, to encourage and to warn, the newspaper recalled. The queen, who has ruled for 55 years and worked with 10 prime ministers, is the head of state, head of the Commonwealth — which groups former British colonies — and head of the armed forces…

“John Daw, an influential farmer, recalled telling the queen in May 2002, following the nationwide crisis over foot and mouth disease, that he doubted whether Blair and his government understood the countryside. He told the newspaper that the queen surprised him with her reply: ‘I know. I tell him that every week when I see him.’

“The newspaper said Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the relationship between the queen and the prime minister.”

EU Constitution in the Making–Without Britain?

The Wall Street Journal wrote on May 24:

“Whatever happened to the idea of a European Union constitution? A new cast of characters leading the bloc’s biggest governments may be on the verge of providing an answer.

“Angela Merkel took over from Gerhard Schroeder as Germany’s chancellor last fall, Romano Prodi took back Italy’s premiership from Silvio Berlusconi a year ago, Nicolas Sarkozy succeeded Jacques Chirac as French president last week and Gordon Brown is set to assume Tony Blair’s post in Britain next month. They are all involved in negotiations taking place in several capitals over what to do with the pact scuttled two years ago by French and Dutch referendums — with an eye toward finding a solution in time for an EU summit June 21-22 in Germany. Yesterday, Mr. Sarkozy made his first presidential visit to the EU headquarters in Brussels, [and] expressed support for the new French leader’s idea of a ‘simplified, more compact’ treaty…

“During the French election campaign, Mr. Sarkozy said [he] wanted to keep language that would change the EU to streamline decision making; create an EU presidency that would replace the one currently rotating among nations every six months; and apply majority voting to immigration and some other policy areas where EU member states can’t reach consensus…

“Mr. Sarkozy has also said that this time he would leave ratification to parliament rather than a referendum, and yet with French parliamentary elections set for next month, he may be confident about popular support on the issue since he is giving it such prominence. Still, while the Netherlands also likes the idea of a slimmer constitution, Germany and other EU partners don’t want to abandon altogether the original, far more ambitious version that took so many years to forge. Mr. Prodi — a former commission president — was also in Brussels this week to offer vociferous backing for the constitution, and suggested countries that didn’t like it could be excluded from the faster, fuller pace of integration…

“Ms. Merkel’s team considers Britain one of the biggest obstacles to any agreement… Mr. Brown wants to avoid a referendum ‘at all costs,’ and to win him over, Ms. Merkel may find a way to let the U.K. ‘opt out’ of police, judicial and other legal areas of the treaty as a way to avoid one.”

Israel Arrests 33 Palestinian Officials… While EU Considers Peacekeeping Force in Gaza

The Herald Tribune wrote on May 24:

“The Israeli Army and internal security agency arrested 33 prominent West Bank Palestinians, including a minister, three lawmakers and three mayors, in raids early this morning, army officials said. In a statement, the army described those arrested as ‘senior members of the Hamas terror organization,’ which it said ‘exploits governmental institutions to encourage and support terrorist activity.’ Miri Eisin, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel, said, ‘We have information that connects all those arrested to terrorist activity.’ Another senior Israeli government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the arrests came ‘on the heels of concrete and genuine indications that these individuals – all of them – pose a clear and present danger to the lives of Israelis.’

“But the most senior Palestinian to have been arrested, the Palestinian Authority’s education minister, Nasser Eddin al-Shaer, had already been detained by the Israeli authorities in August… Shaer was released by a military court in late September, because of what the court said was a lack of evidence against him.

“Other Palestinians arrested ran educational and charitable establishments… Forty-one Palestinian legislators have remained in Israeli detention since the summer, including the parliament’s speaker, Aziz Dweik. All were elected in January 2006, having run on Hamas’s ‘Change and Reform’ list, which won a large majority of seats in the 132-member parliament…

“Israel, the Palestinians and the United Nations should consider stationing peacekeepers in the Gaza Strip, Michael Williams, the UN special envoy to the Middle East, said on Thursday… The European Union foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, after talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials, said a peacekeeping force was ‘one of many suggestions’ that the EU would be ‘open to consider’ if proposed by the parties. But he said Egyptian officials made clear during talks this week ‘they don’t see the need for that.'”

China’s Military Ambitions

The Financial Times wrote on May 24:

“The US is increasingly concerned about China’s deployment of mobile land and sea-based ballistic nuclear missiles that have the range to hit the US… The 2007 Pentagon China military power report will highlight the surprising pace of development of a new Jin-class submarine equipped to carry a nuclear ballistic missile with a range of more than 5,000 miles.

“Washington is also concerned about the strategic implications of China’s preparations later this year to start deploying a new mobile, land-based… intercontinental ballistic missile that could target the whole US.

“Robert Gates, US defence secretary, on Thursday said the report would not exaggerate the threat posed by China. ‘It paints a picture of a country that is devoting substantial resources to the military and developing…some very sophisticated capabilities.’

“The report also outlines concerns about the build-up of missiles across the Taiwan Strait, China’s recent anti-satellite missile test and its development of technologies to deny access in space. Beijing has strongly criticised previous Pentagon reports on the Chinese military, which it sees as portraying China as a cold war-style enemy, and points out that the Chinese military budget is a fraction of US defence spending…”

North Korea — the Plot Thickens

The Associated Press reported on May 25:

“North Korea fired several short-range guided missiles Friday into the sea that separates it from Japan in an apparent test launch… Analysts and media reports said the North’s test was in response to South Korea’s launch of its first destroyer equipped with high-tech Aegis radar technology on Friday. South Korea is now one of only five countries armed with the technology, which will make it easier to track and shoot down North Korean aircraft and missiles…

“Last month, North Korea displayed a newly developed ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. territory of Guam during a military parade… North Korea’s missile program has been a constant concern to the region, along with its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

“The hard-line regime test-fired a series of missiles in July last year… which experts believe could reach parts of the United States. The North rattled the world again in October by conducting its first-ever test of a nuclear device.”

Latin–The Language of Europe?

VIS reported on May 24:

“‘Latin Future: the language for building the identity of Europe’ is the theme of an international congress to be held in Rome and the Vatican from May 25 to 26… On the first day Friday, May 25, discussions will focus on the question of ‘the role of Latin in the formation of Europe’… to consider the question of ‘policies to follow in order to support the study of Latin.'”

Biblical or Worldly Pentecost…Which?

On May 27, Zenit published a translation of an address by Benedict XVI, pointing out, inadvertently, the fundamental differences between the Biblical Feast of Pentecost and its worldly counterfeit. His statements regarding the city of Rome are also very remarkable. For more information, please read our free booklets, “The Meaning of God’s Spring Holy Days,” and “Europe in Prophecy“:

“Today we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost. And through today’s liturgy we relive the birth of the Church as it is narrated by Luke in the book of the Acts of the Apostles (2:1-13). Fifty days after Easter, the Holy Spirit descended upon the community of disciples — ‘persevering with one mind in prayer’ — gathered together ‘with Mary, the mother of Jesus’ and with the twelve apostles (cf. Acts 1:14; 2,1)…

“Rome represents the pagan world and therefore all peoples who are outside the ancient people of God. In fact, the Acts conclude with the arrival of the Gospel in Rome. We can say, then, that Rome is the concrete name of the catholicity and missionary spirit of the Church… the first Pentecost happened when Mary Most Holy was present among the disciples in the cenacle in Jerusalem and prayed.”

Health Scare Over Soft Drinks

The Independent wrote on May 27:

“A new health scare erupted over soft drinks last night amid evidence they may cause serious cell damage. Research from a British university suggests a common preservative found in drinks such as Fanta and Pepsi Max has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA. The problem – more usually associated with ageing and alcohol abuse – can eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s…

“Concerns centre on the safety of E211, known as sodium benzoate, a preservative used for decades by the £74bn global carbonated drinks industry. Sodium benzoate derives from benzoic acid. It occurs naturally in berries, but is used in large quantities to prevent mould in soft drinks such as Sprite, Oasis and Dr Pepper. It is also added to pickles and sauces.

“Sodium benzoate has already been the subject of concern about cancer because when mixed with the additive vitamin C in soft drinks, it causes benzene, a carcinogenic substance…  Coca-Cola and Britvic’s Pepsi Max and Diet Pepsi all contain sodium benzoate.”

Nightmare Scenario Likely in the Near Future

The Daily Mail wrote on May 24:

“Thousands of government web pages suddenly vanish…  thousands of popular websites, from eBay to YouTube, start malfunctioning or are replaced by malicious parodies. Tens of millions of pounds are wiped off the share price of companies like Amazon as fears grow that the whole Internet credit card payment network is now vulnerable and insecure. Eventually, reports start to flood in that hundreds of thousands of personal bank accounts have been raided overnight.

“…thousands of anxious citizens take to the streets, many in tears, and pour angrily into the banks to demand their savings in cash. When the ATM system goes down, the government steps in. A task force is appointed. There is a rush on hard cash that leads to a shortage of notes and coins. Soon, it is clear that the United Kingdom (and much of Europe) has been subjected to a sustained and effective cyber-terrorist attack… Such a scenario, say some experts, is not only possible but likely in the near future…
 
“The Internet, developed as a rather ad hoc joint venture between the American military and academia as a way of sharing information quickly and reliably, has become – 30 years later – a vast worldwide infrastructure. It is now a huge, ungoverned electronic machine upon which we are all more and more dependent. We don’t only bank and shop online, our governments use the infrastructure of the Net to do their business too. Secure information is entrusted to cyberspace, information held by the likes of MI5 and the Pentagon, as well as various financial authorities, health services and treasuries…

“The genie is out of the bottle. Controlling – and policing – the Net, still less trying to shut the thing down, will probably prove to be as impossible as trying to stop the waves and the tides. If you bank online, best keep an eye on your account.”

Although this might be surprising to some at first sight, the answer is clearly, “Yes.” Here is why:

In John 1:1, we read that the “Word” (“Logos” in Greek, meaning Speaker or Spokesman) was with God (the Father), and that the Word was also God. That is, both God (the Father) and the Word were members of the Godhead–they were both God Beings. Verse 3 tells us that “all things were made” through the Word, and verse 14 explains that “the Word BECAME flesh and dwelt among us”–as the “only begotten of the Father.” So, clearly, the “WORD” was none other than the second Member of the Godhead, Who became a human being.

Hebrews 1:1-2 reveals that God spoke in these last days by His Son, “through whom also He made the worlds.” Colossians 1:13-16 explains, too, that God created “all things” through “the Son of His love.” The Son then is clearly identical with the Word, as God made everything through the “Son” and through the “Word.”

Notice, however, that Ephesians 3:9 explains that “God… created all things through Jesus Christ.” This shows that the Word is not only identical with the Son of God, but also with Jesus Christ; or, to put it differently, that the Word, the Son of God and Jesus Christ are all names or designations for the SAME IDENTICAL divine Personage in the Godhead.

The Greek expression, “Jesus”, which is identical with “Joshua” in the Hebrew, means “Savior.” The Greek expression, “Christ,” which is identical with the Hebrew expression, “Messiah,” means, “the Anointed One.”

But since when was the “Logos” or “Spokesman,” the “Son of God,” the second member of the God Family, known to God the Father as “Jesus Christ”? Of course, the proper name that we now use, “Jesus Christ,” is conveyed in the Greek language and has come down through approximately two-thousand years of history in its transliterated form. However, the Son was designated and called as the Anointed Savior long before He became a man.

We read that the “Lamb of God”–another expression for Jesus Christ–was slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). This means that it was clear at least from that moment in time that the Word would come to this earth–as a human being–to die for our sins–to become the Savior of the world. Further, we read that certain individuals have been predestined and chosen IN CHRIST “before the foundation of the world” to be called to salvation in this day and age (compare Ephesians 1:3-4), and that God promised eternal life “before time began” (Titus 1:1-2). It was made clear “before the foundation of the world”–and in a sense even before time began–that the vast majority of man would NOT be called to salvation in this day and age, but that they would have to wait until the time AFTER Christ’s return.

This means, then, that it was already determined a very long time ago that the Word or the Logos would become a man and die for our sins, thereby making it possible that some–those who were predestined–WOULD and COULD be called to salvation here and now, while most would be called later. The only way that anyone could be called to salvation would be for the Logos to die for our sins so that one could have forgiveness of our sins. And so, the Logos was slain “from the foundation of the world”–that is, it was CERTAIN by that time at least–if not earlier–that He, as the Savior of man, WOULD DIE for man.

The angel Gabriel instructed both Joseph and Mary to call the Word, Who was to become a human child, “Jesus,” the “Savior,” (Luke 1:31; Matthew 1:21), as He would “save His people from their sins” (compare again Matthew 1:21). As it was announced to ancient Israel more than 300 years earlier that an Old Testament king with the name of “Josiah” would be born to punish the priests of Baal (compare 1 Kings 13:2; 2 Kings 23:15-16), so it was already known LONG before the human birth of the Logos that His name would become known among men as “Jesus Christ.”

Romans 1:1-3 states: “Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised BEFORE through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, CONCERNING HIS SON JESUS CHRIST our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh…” This remarkable summary from Paul acknowledges that the Logos would come as Jesus Christ, as the anointed Savior, and that He was plainly spoken of in the centuries BEFORE His physical birth.

The Bible clearly reveals that Jesus Christ existed–as Jesus Christ–long before He became a man. As we have already seen–in Ephesians 1:3-4–we were chosen IN CHRIST before the foundation of the world. We have also read in Ephesians 3:9 that all things were created through JESUS CHRIST. In addition, please note the following Scriptures:

Philippians 2:5-7 states:

“Let this mind be in you which was also in JESUS CHRIST, who, BEING IN THE FORM OF GOD, did not consider it robbery to BE EQUAL WITH GOD, but made Himself of no reputation, TAKING THE FORM OF A BONDSERVANT, and COMING IN THE LIKENESS OF MEN.”

Please realize WHO was equal with God, and Who became a human being. It was JESUS CHRIST. That is, when He was equal with God, He was ALREADY AT THAT TIME known as Jesus Christ.–the Savior, the Anointed One. This designation applied regardless of the particular language used–whether Greek, Hebrew or even the unique language of the heavenly realm (compare 1 Corinthians 13:1).

Remember that Gabriel, the angel of God, told Mary to name the Child to be born to her “Jesus,” and this was done BEFORE the Child was conceived (compare Luke 2:21). The New Testament record was initially written primarily in Greek. However, the strong indication is that the name that the angel revealed was in the common language of the day–Aramaic, a language closely related to Hebrew and spoken among the Jews at that time. We don’t know the exact language by which Jesus was named, but the evidence strongly suggests that it was not Greek. It is vital that we understand, however, that in whatever “tongue” the name of the Son of God, “Jesus Christ,” was specifically called, that name conveyed His TITLE and ROLE! As we have seen, this stems from God’s plan and purpose–before time began–of “bringing many sons to glory” (compare Hebrews 2:10).

Notice further 1 Corinthians 10:1-4:

“Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and THAT ROCK WAS CHRIST.”

Realize again Who the Being was in the Godhead Who led ancient Israel in the cloud by day and in the pillar of fire by night, going at times in front of them and following them, giving them thereby total and complete protection. Realize, too, Who it was Who gave them both physical and spiritual food and water. It was none other than the ROCK JESUS CHRIST– the anointed Savior Who would become a man to die for our sins and to offer us salvation.

Also take note of 1 Corinthians 10:8-9:

“Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us TEMPT CHRIST, as SOME OF THEM ALSO TEMPTED, and were destroyed by serpents.”

The literal translation of verse 9 is rendered as: “Neither test Christ, as some of them tried Him…”

Realize again Whom the ancient Israelites tried or tested. It was none other than JESUS CHRIST.

Finally, please take note of 1 Peter 1:10-11:

“Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST WHO WAS IN THEM was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.”

Notice again WHOSE Spirit was in the ancient prophets in Old Testament times. It was the Spirit of CHRIST. That means, the Spirit of the second Member of the Godhead, WHO is identified as Jesus Christ, was already in the Old Testament prophets.

It is important to understand and to realize that none of the above-quoted Scriptures say that the Personage Who dealt directly with ancient Israel and Judah was the One Who would BECOME Jesus Christ. Rather, we read that it WAS the Personage whose NAME WAS Jesus Christ. That was ALREADY His name long before He became a human being.

For further information on the existence of Jesus Christ BEFORE He became a human being, and for additional proof that He was already known as the Son of God PRIOR TO HIS HUMAN BIRTH, please read our free booklet, “God is a Family,” as well as the Q&A in Update #294, titled, “Was Jesus Christ always the Son–even prior to His human birth?” You might also want to listen to Norbert Link’s recent sermon on this topic, titled, “The Son,” dated May 19, 2007, which is posted on our Websites, under Audio.

Based on this awesome truth–that the Word was also the SON of God and Jesus Christ LONG before He became a Man–we understand the undeniable FACT that God IS–and always HAS BEEN–a Family (consisting at this present time of the Father and the Son), and that it is His TIMELESS purpose to reproduce Himself through man, by bringing born-again spirit God beings as sons and daughters into His very Family. Without this priceless knowledge, we cannot really fully comprehend God’s GREAT Master Plan for man–WHY man was created, and WHAT his eternal potential is.

Lead Writers: Norbert Link and Dave Harris

Our new booklet, “The Meaning of God’s Fall Holy Days,” has entered the final review cycle.

The following announcement was sent out on May 30, 2007, pertaining to our new StandingWatch program #123:

Wars and Conflicts

This world is a dangerous place in which to live. And it is getting worse all the time. What does it all mean?

View it now on Google.

by Simon Akl (18)

Growing up, I have always had fun in participating in many sportive and physical activities.  However, for the past year, due to a recent diagnosis of a herniated disk, I have been limited in the amount of sports that I have been able to do, as well as many related everyday movements.  It has been very tough at times, with constant reminders throughout the days of my physical limitations, what it means to have a normal life.  Movements which I used to take for granted are now things which I look forward to doing again, under strenuous physical therapy and other natural treatments. 

It is so easy to just feel bad and depressed about not being able to do the things that I enjoyed so much.  It is much more difficult to remain positive and have faith in God to work with me, even during times when there seems to be no progress. I know that God’s ways are not my ways and that, in fact, His ways are higher than my ways, just as the heavens are higher than the earth.  In the end it is much more rewarding to know that through tests and times of troubles, I am able to hold fast to my faith and allow God to work with me and teach me whatever lessons I need to learn in my life. 

Instead of feeling down, helpless and depressed, it is important for me to look for the positive points which will not only allow me to feel better psychologically, but also eventually physically.  Even though I have not been able to do many sports this year, I believe that this situation is still a hidden blessing-in-disguise.  My understanding and learning about my current situation have been greatly increased, so that I became fascinated by the treatment related to my herniated disk, which helped me decide what kind of career I want to study, and what I want to do for the rest of my life. 

There are days when I wish I did not have to go through this, but in the end it is, in my opinion, God’s way of teaching me patience and perseverance, which allows me to develop godly character.  God will never give me more than what I can bear.  It is vital for me to remember that whenever I am burdened with any trial, I have always to look to Him for guidance and hope.  I know that when I endure through the obstacles of my temporary physical life, while keeping my faith and looking to God for help, I am becoming ready to be baptized, so that I can ultimately reach my potential of inheriting eternal life in God’s kingdom. In light of this, my present trials become all the more fruitful, gratifying and worthwhile.