On January 20, 2007, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “Those Who Believe.”

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.

On May 6, 1954, something happened that had not happened before in recorded history: Roger Bannister ran a mile in under four minutes. Regarding this accomplishment Bannister said there was, “…a belief that it couldn’t be done, but I think it was more of a psychological barrier than a physical barrier.”

While it took all of recorded history for the first sub-four minute mile to be run, just 46 days later another runner, John Landy, beat Bannister’s time. Within three years 16 people had run sub-four minute miles. The psychological barrier was broken. The limits of possibility had been forever expanded.

To many people, keeping God’s commandments seems impossible. The characteristics Jesus described in the sermon on the mount—being poor in spirit, meek, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers (Matthew 5:3-9)—are viewed as nice ideas that don’t work in the real world. Many times people don’t believe it is possible to implement those characteristics because they’ve never seen anyone live that way. To paraphrase Roger Bannister, many people have a belief it cannot be done.

We’ve been sent into the world to prove them wrong.

In Matthew 5:14 Jesus says we are “the light of the world.” To remind us that we have a responsibility beyond ourselves, Jesus continued, “A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).

When Roger Bannister ran a mile in less than four minutes he changed the world’s perception of what was possible. When we let our light shine—when we do good to those who hate us (Matthew 5:44), rejoice when suffering for Jesus’ sake (1 Peter 4:12-13), and really love God with all our strength (Mark 12:30)—we create new possibilities for those around us. Benjamin Franklin once said, “the best sermon is a good example.” By setting a godly example—at work, at home, in the world and even in the church—we set a pace for others to follow. Like those who followed Roger Bannister, we expand the limits of what they think is possible.

German Reactions to Bush Speech

Der Spiegel Online reported on January 12:

“It was US President George W. Bush’s last shot at keeping the US public behind him and turning the tide in an Iraq sliding ever faster toward chaos… Center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung was scathing in its commentary, beginning with the claim: ‘This war was wrong from the very beginning.’… The left-leaning Berliner Zeitung rips Bush on Friday: ‘For the Europeans, it is extremely disconcerting that the president and commander-in-chief of the West’s leading power shows himself to be so confident but at the same time so disconnected to reality and immune to advice… this fight can never be won militarily…’… The conservative Die Welt sees Bush’s strategy as one of escalation: ‘Bush’s strategy is reminiscent of Nixon’s invasion of Cambodia in 1970… No one should be under any illusion about where the situation is beginning to head — towards a massive FINAL STRUGGLE  for the Middle East…'”

Stoiber’s Way Out

Bavaria’s Edmund Stoiber announced on Thursday, January 18, that he will resign in September from all his political offices, including as Prime Minister of Bavaria, and as chairman of his party, the CSU. Reports about Stoiber’s demise and an internal power struggle had been published in the German press for several weeks. But until now, there were still speculations that Stoiber might avoid his resignation and “retirement.” With his public statements to the contrary, it appears that Stoiber’s political career is over.

Prior to Stoiber’s announcement of his resignation, Der Spiegel Online had reported, on January 15:

“He’s a former candidate for German chancellor and has ruled Bavaria for almost 14 years. But that’s not enough for Edmund Stoiber to enjoy job security. His support is disappearing fast — and early retirement looms… Stoiber himself, who inherited the party soon after his larger-than-life mentor Franz Josef Strauss died in 1988, has done little to dampen the flames of dissent. Considered indispensable for so long, it seems he is having difficulty believing that his flock is turning on him.

“The only person surprised by Stoiber’s rapid descent may be Stoiber himself. He lost a lot of steam with his unexpected, last-minute federal-election loss to Schröder in 2002 and his image was further tarnished during the long power struggle with Angela Merkel which followed. Finally, just after Merkel’s victory in the 2005 election, Stoiber unexpectedly declined the position of economy minister and chose to stay in Munich — after having told the country he was moving up to Berlin. After that, the Bavarian’s eventual demise seemed just a matter of time… Even as Stoiber looks around for friends to support him, those who have been at his side the longest are beginning to position themselves for the coming power struggle…”

EU Outstrips US Dollar

The Financial Times wrote on January 14:

“The euro has displaced the US dollar as the world’s pre-eminent currency in international bond markets, having outstripped the dollar-denominated market for the second year in a row… That represents a startling turnabout from the pattern seen in recent decades, when the US bond market dwarfed its European rival: as recently as 2002, outstanding euro-denominated issuance represented just 27 per cent of the global pie, compared with 51 per cent for the dollar… the trend among some Asian and Middle Eastern countries to diversify their assets away from the dollar has further boosted this trend… The euro has also risen to trade around $1.30 against the dollar, from around parity three years ago.”

Germany’s Democracy Threatened by EU

 The EUObserver reported on January 15:

“Germany’s state of parliamentary democracy is under threat from the European Union which is slowly taking away all the national parliament’s powers, the country’s ex-president has said. In an article for newspaper Welt am Sonntag, Roman Herzog pointed out that between 1999 and 2004, 84 percent of the legal acts in Germany stemmed from Brussels. ‘EU policies suffer to an alarming degree from a lack of democracy and a de facto suspension of the separation of powers. By far the biggest part of the current laws in Germany are agreed by the council of ministers [member states representation in Brussels] and not the German parliament,’ Mr Herzog wrote in a paper with Lüder Gerken, director of the Freiburg-based Centre for European Policy. ‘And each regulation that the German government adopts in the council of ministers, has to be transplanted by the Bundestag [parliament] into German law.'”

“The article continues by noting that Germany’s own constitution foresees the parliament as the ‘central actor in the shaping of the political community. Therefore the question has to be raised of whether Germany can still unreservedly be called a parliamentary democracy.’ The authors also complain that the EU constitution, over which there are currently renewed talks about its revival, will not solve this problem, nor that of the democratic deficit within the EU itself.”

The article in the EUObserver continued:

“… the comment from the former constitutional judge and president of the bloc’s biggest member state between 1994 and 1999 is not an isolated event. German parliamentarians themselves have also started to complain about not being consulted enough on what their government agrees in Brussels. In addition, the final technical step for Germany’s ratification of the EU constitution is being held up due to a similar complaint. Although both houses of parliament have overwhelmingly approved the document, Germany’s president Horst Köhler has refused to sign it off until the country’s constitutional court rules on whether the charter is taking too much power from the national parliament, after a centre-right MP filed a legal complaint in 2005.”

German Hans-Gert Pöttering New European President

The EUObserver reported on January 16:

“German Christian democrat Hans-Gert [Pöttering], elected as the new European Parliament president today, has pledged to stand up to pressure by big member states… MEPs picked their new president on Tuesday (16 January), with Mr [Pöttering] winning the plenary vote in the first round by an absolute majority of 450 votes… As a Christian democrat ally of German chancellor Angela Merkel, the current EU president, he hopes to boost influence of the European Parliament by working through his contacts in Berlin… Politically speaking, there are two key issues – both expected during the German presidency in the first half of the year – in which Mr [Pöttering] hopes the parliament can be actively involved in.

“The first is the more formal – the EU’s 50th birthday declaration… while the second initiative concerns the forthcoming talks on how to revive the EU constitution – put on ice after it was rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005. ‘We need reforms but also values and I’ll fight for both,’ Mr [Pöttering] pointed out, adding that the core of the EU constitution – including the chapter on its values – should survive the editing process of the treaty.”

The German Axis

The EUObserver pointed out on January 15:

“MEPs’ resolve will be tested during the coming weeks as they fight to get more of a say on the EU constitution and a planned European declaration in March. Current EU presidency Germany has so far indicated it will sideline the European Parliament focussing instead only on canvassing government opinion on the two key issues over the coming months. As part of the streamlined approach, chancellor Angela Merkel has sent a letter to member states asking that only heads of state and government and certain nominated officials should handle the thorny constitutional question, which sees 18 member states having largely ratified the document, two having rejected it and several likely tricky ratifications to come… The close knit approach is also set to be applied to the EU’s 50 year anniversary declaration in March, a statement that Germany believes is closely bound to talks on the EU constitution…”

The article continued:

“With the [new] president of the parliament… the German Hans-Gert Pöttering, and head of the socialists also a German – Martin Schultz – there may be some room for political leverage on the two issues… ‘If anybody is going to make sure we have an influence on this [anniversary] declaration, it’s Pöttering, or a combination of Pöttering and Schulz’ lobbying,’ said Liberal leader Graham Watson last week. The MEPs’ struggle on this issue is especially interesting because it comes as the Brussels assembly finds itself with less and less to do.”

New Extreme-Right Party Becomes Member of European Parliament

AFP reported on January 15:

“A new extreme-right group, including veteran French firebrand Jean-Marie Le Pen and Mussolini’s granddaughter, was formally created in the European parliament… The ‘Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty,’ group… has fulfilled the conditions for its formal recognition… Those rules notably include the requirement that at least 20 MEPs from five EU member states to sign up for the new political group. The formal setting up of the bloc allows it various rights including receiving official funding of around one million euros (770,000 dollars) and certain speaking rights…

“[The] founding principles include recognising ‘national interests, sovereignties, identities and differences’, and opposing a ‘unitary, bureaucratic, European superstate’. Its platform also includes commitments to Christian and traditional family values… Its formation was made possible by the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the EU on January 1 this month, as five Romanian MEPs have signed up as well as a Bulgarian.”

Europe and the USA Completely Disagree…Again!

On January 15, 2007, Der Spiegel Online wrote:

“Condoleezza Rice is on a tour of the Middle East in an attempt to win over Arab leaders to President Bush’s new Iraq strategy. But she is finding it difficult to avoid awkward questions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the failure of the US to get the Roadmap for Peace off the ground…

“The business daily Handelsblatt comments on the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians in the context of an editorial on Bush’s new Iraq strategy and its implications for the region… ‘The Europeans and the US government have completely different interpretations of reasons for the conflicts in the Middle East. For the Europeans the ongoing struggle between Israel and the Palestinians is central. This can quickly lead to war like the Lebanon conflict in summer 2006, and offers dictatorial politicians an emotionally charged platform from which to present themselves as champions of Arabs and Muslim. Bush sees things completely differently: For him the decisive ideological struggle of our time is being fought in the Middle East. The forces of freedom stand on one side and the extremists stand on the other. There is little room for political solutions and compromises.'”

Iraq Wants American Weapons–Not Troops

The Times On Line reported on January 18:

“America’s refusal to give Baghdad’s security forces sufficient guns and equipment has cost a great number of lives, the Iraqi Prime Minister said yesterday. Nouri al-Maliki said the insurgency had been bloodier and prolonged because Washington had refused to part with equipment. If it released the necessary arms, US forces could ‘dramatically’ cut their numbers in three to six months, he told The Times. In a sign of the tense relations with Washington, he chided the US for suggesting his Government was living on ‘borrowed time’. Such criticism boosted Iraq’s extremists, he said, and was more a reflection of ‘some kind of crisis situation’ in Washington after the Republicans’ midterm election losses… “Asked how long Iraq would require US troops, Mr al-Maliki said: ‘If we succeed in implementing the agreement between us to speed up the equipping and providing weapons to our military forces, I think that within three to six months our need for American troops will dramatically go down. That is on condition that there are real, strong efforts to support our military forces and equipping and arming them.’

“The US Government is wary of handing over large amounts of military hardware to the Iraqis because it has sometimes ended up in the hands of militias and insurgents.”

Iran’s Coalition Against the USA

The following comments were published by ynet-news.com, on January 14:

“Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said they were ready to spend billions of dollars (euros) financing projects in other countries to help thwart US domination… Iran… is allegedly bankrolling militant groups in the Middle East like Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, as well as insurgents in Iraq, in a bid to extend its influence… After Venezuela, Ahmadinejad will visit newly elected leftist governments in Nicaragua [to meet on Sunday with Ortega, a former Marxist guerrilla] and Ecuador [for the inauguration of President-elect Rafael Correa] that are also seeking to reduce Washington’s influence in the region. Bolivian President Evo Morales, another critic of US policy, said he plans to meet with Ahmadinejad while both are in Ecuador Monday…”

Iran vs. USA

The China View reported on January 17:

“Iranian troops have shot down a U.S. pilotless spy plane recently, an Iranian lawmaker announced on Tuesday as the Islamic Republic was facing increasing military pressure from its arch rival — the United States. The aircraft was brought down when it was trying to cross the borders ‘during the last few days,’ … a member of the [Iranian] parliament… was quoted by the local Fars News Agency as saying. The lawmaker gave no exact date of the shooting-down or any other details about the incident, but he said that ‘the United States sent such spy drones to the region every now and then.’… The United States accuses Iran of using its influence to meddle in the region, especially in Lebanon and Shiite-majority Iraq, besides seeking a nuclear weapon, which has been rejected by Iran…  In a show of defiance, an Iranian government spokesman said on Monday that the country was pushing ahead with its plan to install at least 3,000 centrifuges for nuclear fuel production.”

USA vs. Iran

The Associated Press reported on January 17:

“Provocative words by President Bush and a fresh American military buildup in the Persian Gulf seem to mark a new focus on Iran that could signal another Cold War or even a deadly confrontation… Sending a second carrier to the Gulf for the first time since 2003 and positioning a Patriot missile battalion in the region, mark a broader U.S. stand in the Middle East at a time when diplomatic efforts with countries such as Iran and Syria have stalled. It also puts U.S. policy at odds with the bipartisan Iraq Study Group’s recommendation that the administration should reach out to Iran and Syria to bring more regional support to Iraq.

“Trita Parsi, an Iranian-born author and Middle East scholar, said the strategy will lead to an endless balance-of-power game that will drain American resources and undermine the U.S. position in the region… Members of Congress have also expressed concern and pressed the administration to say whether the U.S. military has plans to move into Iran or Syria, and if that could be done without congressional authorization… The escalation against Iran comes as polls show Americans are overwhelmingly unhappy with Bush’s Iraq policy. Seventy percent oppose sending more troops to Iraq, as he intends to do, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll last week.”

Iran Buys Missiles from Russia and the USA

Reuters reported on January 16:

“Russia has delivered new anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran and will consider further requests by Tehran for defensive weapons, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Tuesday… Moscow says the sanctions [previously imposed on Iran] do not apply to the missiles. The Russian military insists that the missile systems will protect Iran from air attacks, but do not pose a threat to neighboring countries.”

The Associated Press added on January 16:

“The U.S. military has sold forbidden equipment at least a half-dozen times to middlemen for countries–including Iran and China–who exploited security flaws in the Defense Department’s surplus auctions. The sales include fighter jet parts and missile components.”

U.S. Trial of the Year

Der Spiegel Online reported on January 15:

“It’s the trial of the year in the United States. Former Bush administration official I. Lewis Libby is… facing charges of perjury and obstruction of justice in the case of CIA agent Valerie Plame. The spotlight is on Bush’s pre-Iraq War propaganda… The United States of America v. I. Lewis Libby begins at 9:30 a.m. sharp on Tuesday morning. Libby, former chief of staff for Vice President Dick Cheney, is accused of having lied in order to cover up ‘concerted action’ by the White House to ‘discredit’ an enemy of US President George W. Bush… The Yale graduate is facing up to 30 years in prison. Libby is on trial for just one tiny segment of the propaganda battle the White House used to justify the invasion of Iraq…

“Before Christmas, rumors were still circulating in Washington that Bush would simply pardon Libby. But the risk associated with such a move must have seemed too great even to the most daring lawyers in the White House. Now the only hope left for the Bush administration is that the case has become so complicated that Americans are no longer able to make neither heads nor tails of it. Which is a distinct possibility. Even the quick and dirty version of the Valerie Plame affair is complicated enough. Joseph Wilson, a former US diplomat, travelled to Niger before the war in Iraq in order to verify secret service reports claiming that Saddam Hussein was buying uranium there for his presumed nuclear weapons program. He found out the story was a complete fiction — but Bush and Cheney continued to use the claim to beat the war drum. Wilson then humiliated the White House by going public with his findings. The mud slinging that followed was led by Libby … In the end, even the name of Wilson’s wife — Valerie Plame, an undercover CIA agent — was made public…

“But Libby, according to [special prosecutor] Fitzgerald, has lied repeatedly to the FBI and under oath to the grand jury. During his interrogation, Libby repeatedly stressed he had never known the name of Wilson’s wife and that he had learned it from journalists. But in fact Libby learned that name from his boss, Cheney. And Libby leaked it to the press… Libby… is… opting for a so-called ‘faulty memory defense,’ a method that is part of a notorious tradition in Washington. Richard Nixon is considered the tradition’s founder: He advised his co-conspirators in the Watergate affair to tell the jury they couldn’t remember the acts they were accused of. Large parts of the Reagan administration likewise suffered from collective faulty memory during the Iran-Contra affair. And now Libby also wants to swap out perjury for amnesia…

“Libby’s perjury look[s] like a third-rate crime, but the lies used to justify the war in Iraq weigh down the Bush administration to this day. Special prosecutor Fitzgerald will have to prove how important it was to the White House to maintain the illusion that the reasons for going to war were sound — and how vengefully Wilson was pursued because of this. That will be the only way to convince the jury that Libby couldn’t possibly just have forgotten the details of the campaign against Wilson.”

Severe Weather Conditions Destroy California Fruits

The Associated Press reported on January 16:

“Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger asked the federal government Tuesday for disaster aid because of an ongoing cold snap that has destroyed nearly $1 billion worth of California citrus, and industry officials said shoppers will feel the sting through higher prices for oranges, lemons and other produce… Nearly every winter crop is affected by the freeze, from avocados to strawberries to fresh-cut flowers, but it’s the state’s citrus crop that stands to take the biggest economic hit… California is the nation’s No. 1 producer of fresh citrus, growing about 86 percent of lemons and 21 percent of oranges sold in the U.S… Florida produces more oranges, but those are mostly processed for orange juice. “More than 70 percent of this season’s oranges, lemons and tangerines… were still on the trees as nighttime temperatures in California’s Central Valley dipped into the low 20s and tens on four straight nights beginning Friday. The freeze ruined as much as three-quarters of the California citrus crop, growers say; the fruit is threatened whenever the mercury falls below 28 degrees… Damages from the current freeze will likely surpass those from a three-day cold snap in December 1998 that destroyed 85 percent of California’s citrus crop, a loss valued at $700 million… The state also suffered a deep freeze in 1990 – one that completely wiped out the $1 billion crop. It took growers two years to recover…

“Adverse weather has also taken a toll on the Florida-dominated orange juice industry in recent years. After two nasty hurricane seasons compounded by drought and crop disease, PepsiCo Inc… which sells juice under the Tropicana and Dole labels, and Coca-Cola Co… which owns Minute Maid, each raised orange juice prices over the past several weeks…

“Strawberries growing along the coastal regions of Southern California were mostly ruined… The freeze also destroyed flowers that would produce the next berry crop on each plant… Growers in the Imperial Valley also were worried about tender vegetables such as lettuce that may not have held up to five days of temperatures in the mid-20s… Throughout the cold snap, growers have tried to save their crops by pumping fields with heated irrigation water and running wind machines to circulate warmer air and keep it from rising off the trees. David Pruitt of Ball Tagawa Growers in Arroyo Grande has struggled to keep 200,000 square feet of greenhouses between 60 and 74 degrees. The company produces a variety of seedlings, including pansies and marigolds. The greenhouses are heated with hot water fired by gas boilers. The cold ‘multiplies our gas use enormously,’ Pruitt said. The boilers ‘are just cranking full blast.'”

Doomsday Five Minutes Away

The Associated Press reported on January 17:

“The world is nudging closer to nuclear or environmental apocalypse, a group of prominent scientists warned Wednesday as it pushed the hand of its symbolic Doomsday Clock closer to midnight. The clock, which was set two minutes forward to 11:55, represents the likelihood of a global cataclysm. Its ticks have given the clock’s keepers a chance to speak out on the dangers they see threatening Earth. It was the fourth time since the Soviet collapse in 1991 that the clock ticked forward amid fears over what the scientists describe as ‘a second nuclear age’ prompted largely by standoffs with Iran and North Korea. But urgent warnings of climate change also played a role…”Stephen W. Hawking, the renowned cosmologist and mathematician, told The Associated Press that global warming has eclipsed other threats to the planet, such as terrorism. ‘Terror only kills hundreds or thousands of people,’ Hawking said. ‘Global warming could kill millions…’

“Since it was set to seven minutes to midnight in 1947, the Doomsday Clock has been moved 18 times, including Wednesday’s adjustment. It came closest to midnight — just two minutes away — in 1953 after the successful test of a hydrogen bomb by the United States. It has been as far away as 17 minutes, set there in 1991 following the demise of the Soviet Union.

“The decision to move the clock is made by the bulletin’s board, composed of scientists and policy experts, in coordination with the group’s sponsors, who include Hawking and science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke. Despite the organization’s new focus on global warming, the prospect of nuclear war remained its primary concern, the bulletin’s editor, Mark Strauss, told The AP. ‘It’s important to emphasize 50 of today’s nuclear weapons could kill 200 million people,’ he said.”

Petra–One of Seven New Wonders?

The Associated Press reported on January 16:

“Jordan’s ancient city Petra was officially declared a candidate Tuesday in the contest to name the new seven wonders of the world at a ceremony amid its rose-colored stone buildings. Contest founder Bernard Weber presented Jordan’s Queen Rania with Petra’s official candidacy at the event that included a presentation on the way the city’s first inhabitants lived. The New 7 Wonders of the World contest was launched in 2001 by Weber’s Geneva-based NewOpenWorld Foundation, which aims to promote cultural diversity by supporting, preserving and restoring monuments. It relies on private donations and revenue from selling broadcasting rights. Twenty-one sites around the globe are vying to be declared wonders of the world.

“Petra, located 162 miles south of the Jordanian capital Amman, is built on a terrace around the Wadi Musa or Valley of Moses. It was the capital of the Arab kingdom of the Nabateans, a center of caravan trade, and continued to flourish under Roman rule after the Nabateans’ defeat in A.D. 106. It is famous for water tunnels and stone structures carved in the rock, including Ad-Dayr, ‘the Monastery,’ an uncompleted tomb facade that served as a church during Byzantine times. Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burchhardt in 1812 discovered the city that is hidden behind an almost impenetrable barrier of rugged mountains… Egypt’s pyramids of Giza is the only other site in the Arab world that has reached the contest’s short-list. The New 7 Wonders of the World will be announced at a ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal on Saturday, July 7, 2007.”

It is important that we understand correctly the meaning and usage of the Hebrew word “Elohim,” as many teach that the word “Elohim” either ALWAYS conveys a singular meaning, or that it ALWAYS conveys a plural meaning. However, both of these teachings are WRONG!

It is correct that the Bible teaches that God is a Family, presently consisting of TWO immortal God Beings, called in Scripture God the Father and the Son of God, Jesus Christ. It is also correct that the Hebrew word, “Elohim,” translated as “God,” describes the God Family. However, the Bible does NOT teach that the Hebrew word, “Elohim,” ALWAYS refers to more than one God Being in the God Family. A thorough study of the Old Testament reveals that the word “Elohim” CAN refer to the entire God Family, but, depending on the context, it can ALSO refer to EITHER ONE of the God Beings within the God Family.

Jeremiah 31:1 is an example where one of the two God Beings, the LORD, speaks about Himself, calling Himself “God,” or “Elohim.” As many other Scriptures reveal, the word “LORD” refers mostly, but not necessarily always, to the Son, Jesus Christ. However, there are a few incidents where the Old Testament refers to God the Father as “LORD” as well (For proof, please read our free booklet, “God Is A Family.“)

In Jeremiah 31:1, we read:

“‘At the same time,’ says the LORD, ‘I will be the God [“Elohim”] of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.'”

In this passage, Jesus Christ, the “LORD,” states that HE will be called “Elohim” in the future by all the families of Israel, and that they will be HIS people. In this passage, the word “Elohim” clearly refers to just ONE Member of the God Family–Jesus Christ–serving as a REPRESENTATIVE of the God Family.

Please note the following excerpts from our booklet, “God Is A Family,” explaining in more detail how the Hebrew word “Elohim” can apply to the entirety of the God Family, as well as to EITHER ONE of the two Members of the God Family. For the purpose of this article, we have highlighted certain phrases in the following quote, to show our teaching of the meaning of the word “Elohim.” Our booklet includes many more examples in this regard, but the following excerpts should suffice:

“The very Hebrew word translated ‘God’ in Genesis 1:26 reveals that God consists of more than one person. That Hebrew word is ‘Elohim,’ which CAN be used as a plural word. It CAN be singular in grammar, but plural in meaning… Grammatically, it can be a singular word, but it CAN have a plural meaning… George Knight writes in his book… that the word ‘Elohim’ is clearly a plural word. He explains that the same is true for the word ‘Adam.’ Normally, ‘Adam’ is translated as ‘man.’ The word ‘Adam’ CAN refer to the individual; it CAN refer to both man and woman; and it CAN even refer to ‘man-kind.’…

“George Knight goes on to explain that there are several words in the Hebrew, all ending with ‘-im,’ which are derived from a grammatically singular word that conveys plural meaning… The concept of water, in particular, is very interesting, as it CAN refer to a single drop of water or to a vast ocean. We understand though that it is the same kind of water in either case, and it is always referred to as ‘water.’ In that sense, water is BOTH SINGULAR AND PLURAL. Knight goes on to point out that the SAME IS TRUE for the word ‘Elohim.’ When we read that ‘Elohim,’ or ‘God,’ said: ‘Let US make man in Our image,’ we should realize that the word for man, ‘Adam,’ as well as the word for God, ‘Elohim,’ CAN BE SINGULAR OR PLURAL in meaning, depending on the context…

“We also need to remember that the word ‘Elohim,’ or ‘God,’ CAN refer to EITHER ONE of the two beings in the Godhead. EACH ONE IS CALLED, AND REFERRED TO AS ‘Elohim,’ or ‘God.’ In Genesis 1:26, God, or ‘Elohim,’ says, ‘Let US make man in OUR image.’ One God being speaks to the other God being, referring to both of them as ‘Us.’ When we read in Genesis 1:27 that GOD, or ‘Elohim,’ created man in HIS image, we understand that it was the one God being who actually did the creating, and we already know from the New Testament that God the Father created everything through Jesus Christ… “

Please note, in addition, that the Hebrew word “Elohim,” when applied to the true God, CAN refer to the unity of the God Family, consisting of the Father and the Son. This is proven by the fact that the word “Elohim” CAN be followed by a plural verb, even though in most cases, it is followed by a singular verb. But the latter is strictly a question of grammar. Even in English, we cannot say,”the club agree,” but we need to say, “the club agrees,” even though it is understood that the word “club” consists of more than just one member.

However, notice the following examples, as quoted from our booklet, “God Is A Family,” proving that the word “Elohim” MUST include MORE than just ONE God being:

“In Genesis 20:13, Abraham states, ‘And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her [Abraham’s wife, Sarah], This is your kindness that you should do for me: in every place, wherever we go, say of me, He is my brother.’ The Hebrew word for ‘God’ here is ‘Elohim.’ The word for ’caused’ is in the plural in the original Hebrew, not in the singular.

“In Genesis 35:6–7, we read, ‘So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him. And he built an altar there and called the place El Bethel, because there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother.’ The Hebrew word for ‘God’ is ‘Elohim.’ The word for ‘appeared’ is in the plural in the original Hebrew, not in the singular.

“In 2 Samuel 7:23, we read this prayer of David: ‘And who is like Your people, like Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a name…’ The Hebrew word for ‘God,’ ‘Elohim,’ is followed by a plural Hebrew verb, translated as ‘went’ in the English.

“The fact that the word ‘Elohim,’ when referring to the God of Israel, can be accompanied in the Hebrew by a plural word is important, as it rejects the claim that the God of Israel (‘Elohim’) can only be one personage. The above-cited examples of plural Hebrew words (the Hebrew expressions for ’caused,’ ‘appeared’ and ‘went’) make this very clear. In the Hebrew, the words for ’caused,’ ‘appeared’ and ‘went’ are distinctively plural, and cannot be understood to be singular… The fact that the Hebrew word ‘Elohim’ is at times accompanied by a plural (not a singular) Hebrew verb proves that ‘Elohim’ consists of more than just one being.

“It is true, however, that in most cases, the Hebrew word ‘Elohim,’ when referring to the God of Israel, is accompanied by a singular verb. This fact—that the word ‘Elohim’ can be either singular or plural, and the verb that follows the noun ‘Elohim’ may be in the singular in either case—should not surprise us. For instance, in German, we can observe the same principle when looking at the word for ‘police,’ which is ‘Polizei.’ One can refer to ‘Polizei’ as conveying a singular or a plural meaning, but the verb in German is always in the singular. As an example, a single policeman could say: ‘Hier steht die Polizei,’ meaning, ‘Here are the police.’ Note that in German, the verb is in the singular. Or, the policeman could say, ‘Die Polizei befiehlt.’ (‘The police order you.’) Note again, that in German, the verb is in the singular, although now the single officer who gives the order speaks on behalf of the entire police force. At the same time, a group of police officers could all refer to themselves as ‘the police.’ When they do, the verb associated with ‘Polizei’ is still singular in German.”

In conclusion, the Hebrew word for God, “Elohim,” CAN REFER TO MORE than one God being, or it CAN REFER TO EITHER ONE of the two God Beings. It would be wrong to teach that the Hebrew word “Elohim” is always singular, or that it is always plural. It can be either, depending on the context. In Jeremiah 31:1, the word “Elohim” clearly refers to ONE of the two God Beings–the LORD or the Son of God, Jesus Christ. The fact that the word “Elohim” CAN refer to MORE than just one God Being proves that God IS a Family, consisting of more than just ONE God Being, and that BOTH Members of the God Family ARE–and always have been–GOD! The amazing truth is that Christ’s true disciples CAN also become full members of the God Family. For more information, please read our free booklet, “God Is A Family.”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Annual Conference:

As was announced in Update 275, the dates for the annual conference in San Diego have been finalized. They are:
First Day of Conference: Friday, February 9, 2007

Last Day of Conference: Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Please continue to pray for a successful preparation for these important events.

Time and Location of Memorial Service for Edwin Pope:

As previously announced, the Memorial Service for Edwin Pope will be held on Sunday, February 11, 2007. All family members and friends are invited to attend this special occasion. Please share this announcement with those who might be interested in attending, but who might not receive our weekly Updates.

The Memorial Service will begin at 11:30 am, followed by a potluck. The services will be held at the facilities of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, at 102 4th Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91910-2520. The facilities are located at the corner of 4th Avenue and D-Avenue.

If you are driving from the Los Angeles area, you might want to use the I-5 toward Santa Ana; take exit #9 onto CA-54 east; take the 4th Avenue exit and turn right. The facilities are on your right.

The editorial review of our new booklet on the Spring Holy Days has been completed, and the material will be sent to the printer shortly.

A new StandingWatch program was placed on Google Video and on our Website. It is titled, “Wars and Rumors of Wars.” In the program, Mr. Link discusses that Europe is upset with Russia for unilaterally shutting down its pipeline which is a major source of European oil imports; that Europe is worried about reports that Israel is preparing to attack Iran with nuclear weapons; and that Europe is appalled about President Bush’s decision to send more troops into Iraq. Mr. Link asks the question: What do all these developments mean?

Norbert Link’s video-recorded sermon, “How To Have a Successful Lasting Marriage,” has been posted on Google video. The audio version (“Successful Lasting Marriages”) has been posted, as usual, on our Website.

On January 13, 2007, Michael Link will give the sermon, titled, “Prepare Yourself.”

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.

When all human possibilities fail—when we face what may seem to be the “last straw”—what do we do?

Abraham
and Sarah reached that point in their desire for a child. Sarah was
past the age for childbearing. However, the Bible records that God
intervened to give them Isaac.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego
would not serve the gods of Nebuchadnezzar, nor worship his golden
image. Because of this, they were led to what was surely to be their
execution. Again, the Bible reveals God’s miraculous intervention.

Lazarus
died. His sisters and friends gave up all hope. In fact, Mary’s only
response was to say that her brother wouldn’t have died if Jesus had
been there earlier. But even death was overcome on that day!

Our
trials are no less insurmountable—at least in respect to our own
abilities or our own resources. There are times when we simply can’t do
it on our own. Like those men and women of the Bible who both faced and
then overcame the impossible, we will face ultimate trials.

When
we do, will we give up? Or, will we personalize the examples found in
God’s Word, and become strong through the certain hope of the immutable
promises of God—with whom ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE (compare Matthew
19:26)?

Angela Merkel in America

The Associated Press reported on January 4:

“President Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, two allies looking to boost their mutual interests, conferred Thursday on issues ranging from war and energy problems to the economy and global warming. In Washington for an Oval Office meeting with Bush, Merkel’s visit came just days after Germany assumed the presidencies of the 27-nation European Union and the G-8 industrialized nations. The U.S. has high expectations that, given its position, Germany will advance American interests, including boosting security in Afghanistan and advancing peace in the Middle East…

“Being seen to have friendly relations with Bush carries some risk for Merkel, given the president’s unpopularity in Europe. But she minimizes them by publicly raising points of difference such as her stance that the prison camp at Guantanamo should be shut down, as she did on her 2005 trip to Washington. German government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said in Berlin that Merkel will underline her support for putting the so-called quartet–the United States, the EU, Russia and the United Nations–at the center of a revived Middle East peace effort.

“Bush has stressed that resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a top priority although he has not conducted the kind of personal diplomacy engaged in by Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to travel to the Middle East soon.”

The German tabloid Bild reported on January 5 that Rice will “report” to Merkel after her trip to the Middle East.

With the stepping down of Britain’s Tony Blair this year, many view Merkel as emerging as the top ally of the United States. Such a development would undoubtedly tremendously increase Germany’s influence in the world. However, such “friendly” relationship will not last, as the Bible clearly reveals, but, in the meantime, it might foster Germany’s prophesied leading role in the world. The German tabloid, Bild Online, wrote on January 9, in light of Germany’s presidency of the European Union: “We are EU!”

The World Condemns US Actions in Somalia

Reuters reported on January 10:

“U.S. forces hunting al Qaeda suspects launched a new air strike on southern Somalia on Wednesday, a Somali government source said, as international criticism mounted over Washington’s military intervention… The U.S. actions were defended by Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf, but criticised by others including new U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, the European Union, and former colonial power Italy… Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D’Alema said Rome opposed ‘unilateral initiatives that could spark new tensions in an area that is already very destabilized.’… Monday’s attack on a southern village by an AC-130 plane firing automatic cannon was believed to have killed one of three al Qaeda suspects wanted for the 1998 embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, a U.S. intelligence official said.”

Austria’s News Networld added that France condemned the U.S. attacks, stating that they only complicate matters and make the area less secure. It added: “Only Tony Blair defended the U.S. air strikes.”

Chirac Condemns the USA

AFP reported on January 5:

“French President Jacques Chirac has unleashed a torrent of criticism against the US-led war in Iraq, saying the conflict, which he fiercely opposed, had boosted the spread of terrorism. In a wide-ranging New Year’s foreign policy speech Friday, Chirac fired a broadside at what he called Washington’s ‘adventure’ in the Middle Eastern country, torn by sectarian strife almost four years after the invasion. ‘As France had foreseen and feared, the war in Iraq has sparked upheavals that have yet to show their full effects,’ Chirac [said].

“He said the conflict, which the United States still describes as part of the ‘war on terror’ it launched in 2001 following the September 11 attacks, had ‘offered terrorism a new field for expansion.’ Chirac said it had ‘exacerbated the divisions between communities and threatened the very integrity of Iraq’. ‘It undermined the stability of the entire region, where every country now fears for its security and its independence.’… The French leader attacked the ‘pitfalls of unilateralism’ in foreign affairs — a scarcely veiled reference to Washington’s decision to launch the Iraq war without United Nations backing.”

U.S. Debacle In Iraq Continues

AFP reported on January 10:

“US President George W. Bush took the blame for strategic blunders in Iraq, ordered 21,500 more US troops into battle, and warned Baghdad’s leaders to do more to shore up ebbing US support. ‘If the Iraqi government does not follow through on its promises’ to fight sectarian violence, he cautioned, ‘it will lose the support of the American people, and it will lose the support of the Iraqi people.’ Bush, in a prime-time televised speech from the White House, said his new push aimed to crush terrorists, insurgents and rogue militias and help Iraq’s security forces take control of the entire country by November. ‘The situation in Iraq is unacceptable to the American people, and it is unacceptable to me,’ he told a war-weary US public nearly four years into the conflict. ‘Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me.’… ‘We must expect more Iraqi and American casualties,’ said the president, whose poll numbers have plummeted as the US toll has climbed to more than 3,000 dead and many thousands wounded… The new plan will cost 5.6 billion dollars for the new US troops and about 1.2 billion in new spending aimed at shoring up Iraq’s battered economy, civil society, infrastructure and judicial system, the White House said.”

Der Spiegel Online reported on January 11:

“130,000 US soldiers haven’t been able to bring peace to Iraq. Now George W. Bush has admitted his error — and is sending in a further 21,000 troops. The US President is thus almost completely ignoring the recommendations of the Baker Commission… More blood, more money — that was Bush’s message. An extra 21,000 soldiers are to be sent to bring the situation in Baghdad and in Anbar province, a Sunni stronghold, under control. Bush named his strategy ‘The New Way Forward’ — but it seems suspiciously similar to all the previous failed attempts to stabilize Iraq.” In a related article, AFP wrote on January 10:

“Democrats wasted no time in slamming President George W. Bush’s latest strategy for Iraq, although rifts emerged among them about how best to respond to his plan to send fresh US troops to the war-torn country. Minutes after Bush in a nationally-televised speech outlined a last-ditch effort to salvage Iraq, Senate’s number two Dick Durbin repudiated the plan, and said it was time to pull US troops and let Iraq save itself. ‘It is time for the Iraqis to stand and defend their own nation. The government of Iraq must now prove that it will make the hard political decisions, which will bring an end to this bloody civil war,’ Durbin said. ‘Tonight President Bush acknowledged what most Americans know: We are not winning in Iraq, despite the courage and immense sacrifice of our military. Indeed the situation is grave and deteriorating,’ Durbin said, delivering the Democrats’ official response to the Bush speech. ‘Escalation of this war is not the change the American people called for in the last election,’ he said.”

However, will the Democrats actually DO something to prevent President Bush’s plans from being carried out? This appears very unlikely. As Der Spiegel Online remarks correctly, “The Democrats are just as divided over how to proceed over Iraq as Bush’s own party. Only one interest unites them: Until the presidential elections in 2008, it has to remain Bush’s war.” The German tabloid, Bild Online, predicted on January 11 that the Democrats will not show enough backbone to vote against providing the monetary support which Bush requests.

And so, the U.S. debacle in Iraq will continue…

Europe Unhappy With Russia

The pipeline “fiasco,” caused by Russia, affecting large parts of Europe, has been temporarily solved. But serious doubts about Russia’s arrogance and Putin’s intentions remain. Here is what transpired this week:

Der Spiegel Online reported on January 8, 2007:

“The conflict between Moscow and Minsk [Poland] over energy prices worsened on Monday, with potentially serious consequences for Western Europe. Russian pipeline operator Transneft shut down its… pipeline, which is the source of 20 percent of Germany’s oil imports…”

Great Britain’s The Times wrote on January 9: “The move raised further questions over whether Western Europe can trust Mr Putin for its energy supply. Experts said that Russia had a deeply entrenched habit of manipulating oil and gas supplies as a substitute for diplomatic policy…

“Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, told The Times last night that Germany will use its six-month EU presidency to improve energy security on the Continent. In her first interview with a British newspaper she signalled that she would take a harsher line towards Russia than her predecessor, Gerhard Schröder.”

Der Spiegel Online added on January 9:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso have criticized Russia for shutting down a pipeline pumping oil to Europe. Russia’s move has dented its image as a reliable energy supplier, said Merkel… The latest energy spat between Russia and [Poland]… highlights how ruthless and arrogant Russia has become with its energy policy…

“Financial Times Deutschland writes… ‘the Russian move again shows how uncompromisingly hard the Kremlin is in enforcing its economic interests. Riding the wave of high world market prices for oil and gas, the Russian leadership has developed frightening arrogance. For the EU, which still regards Russia as a strategic partner, the warning signs are unmistakeable.’… Business daily Handelsblatt writes: ‘The case of Belarus harbors a lesson for western Europe: Russia is once again showing how irresponsibly it is handling its increased global role.’…

“The conservative Die Welt writes: ‘The Europeans must act together — not just because that makes them stronger. Also because Europe increasingly has to counter energy-hungry competitors such as China…'”

Der Spiegel Online reported on January 11:

“The… oil pipeline, connecting Russia with Germany and Central Europe, is open once again. Following a three-day suspension of supplies, the Russian operator of the pipeline said that oil began flowing again at about 8:30 a.m. on Thursday. The resumption of crude oil to Europe via Belarus comes a day after Moscow and Minsk reached an agreement in the tiff which had led to the pipeline’s closure…

“European concerns about the reliability of Russia as an energy supplier were heightened by the pipeline closure. One year ago, a dispute with Ukraine over natural gas prices led to an interruption of supplies to a number of European countries… European worry about Russia’s reliability as an energy supplier had already been high. Moscow has raised gas prices to a number of former Soviet states in recent years leaving the impression that it was using fuel prices as a foreign policy tool. In December, Russia more than doubled the price Belarus has to pay for natural gas to $100 per 1,000 cubic meters not long after Belarus began distancing itself from a proposal to reunite with Russia.”

Even though the problem seems to be solved temporarily, justified doubts about Russia’s reliability as an energy supplier remain.

These developments might be very interesting “forerunners” of a Biblical prophecy, stating that the end-time German or Austrian leader of a united Europe will respond with great fury to “news from the east and the north”–i.e., Russia, China and other Far Eastern countries (Daniel 11:44).

Mubarak Speaks Out on Saddam’s “Barbaric” and “Illegal” Execution

ABC News reported on January 5, 2007:

“Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has said pictures of the execution of Saddam Hussein were ‘revolting and barbaric’ and that experts considered his trial under occupation illegal. In his first comments on the execution, which took place on the first day of Eid al-Adha, the Muslim Feast of the Sacrifice, last Saturday, Mubarak told the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth the timing was ‘unreasonable.’

“In the interview, he said he had written to President Bush asking him to postpone the execution, arguing that it would not be helpful at that time. He did not say how Bush responded. ‘Then the pictures of the execution were revolting and barbaric, and I am not discussing here whether he deserved it or not.

“As for the trial, all experts in international law said it was an illegal trial because it was under occupation. ‘Also, there was a conspiracy to carry out the execution before the end of the year,’ he added. Mubarak and Saddam were friendly in the 1980s but fell out over the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Mubarak had advised the United States not to invade Iraq to overthrow Saddam, saying that it would lead to chaos.”

Will Israel Attack Iran With Nuclear Weapons?

Great Britain’s The Sunday Times reported on January 6, 2007:

“Israel has drawn up secret plans to destroy Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities with tactical nuclear weapons. Two Israeli air force squadrons are training to blow up an Iranian facility using low-yield nuclear ‘bunker-busters’, according to several Israeli military sources. The attack would be the first with nuclear weapons since 1945, when the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Israeli weapons would each have a force equivalent to one-fifteenth of the Hiroshima bomb. Under the plans, conventional laser-guided bombs would open ‘tunnels’ into the targets. ‘Mini-nukes’ would then immediately be fired into a plant at Natanz, exploding deep underground to reduce the risk of radioactive fallout…

“The plans, disclosed to The Sunday Times last week, have been prompted in part by the Israeli intelligence service Mossad’s assessment that Iran is on the verge of producing enough enriched uranium to make nuclear weapons within two years… The Israeli government has warned repeatedly that it will never allow nuclear weapons to be made in Iran, whose president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has declared that ‘Israel must be wiped off the map’. Robert Gates, the new US defence secretary, has described military action against Iran as a ‘last resort’, leading Israeli officials to conclude that it will be left to them to strike… Scientists have calculated that although contamination from the bunker-busters could be limited, tons of radioactive uranium compounds would be released… Some sources in Washington said they doubted if Israel would have the nerve to attack Iran…”

Israel Denies Report

AFP reported on January 7:

“Israel has drawn up plans to destroy Iranian uranium enrichment facilities with a tactical nuclear strike, a British newspaper said Sunday in a report rejected as ‘absurd’ by the Jewish state. The Sunday Times quoted several Israeli military sources as saying that two of the Jewish state’s air force squadrons are training to use ‘bunker-busting’ bombs for a single strike. ‘This is absurd information coming from a newspaper that has already in the past distinguished itself with sensationalist headlines that in the end amounted to nothing,’ retorted an Israeli official. ‘To think that we will launch an atomic attack against Iran, and on top of that that we would reveal it in advance to a foreign newspaper is doubly ridiculous,’ the official, who asked not to be named, told AFP. The Sunday Times — which in 1986 first revealed Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal — said the plans involved sending conventional, laser-guided missiles to open up ‘tunnels’ in the targets before ‘mini-nukes’ with a force the equivalent of one-fifteenth of the Hiroshima bomb are fired in.”

Germany Alarmed Over Israel’s Alleged Intentions

Der Spiegel Online reported on January 8, 2007:

“The British Sunday Times has reported that Israel is preparing for a nuclear strike on Iran’s atomic weapons facilities. Planted or not, the story should serve as a wake-up call for the West… Germany’s papers Monday expressed alarm at the report and called on the West to stand firm on Iran so that Israel would not feel pressured into taking matters into its own hands. “The business daily Handelsblatt writes: ‘It’s not easy to believe Israel’s denials (that it is planning an attack), because top Israeli politicians and military officers regularly threaten Iran with violence. Deputy defense minister Ephraim Sneh said in November he did not want to rule out a military option against Iran as ‘a last resort.’ In October Prime Minister Ehud Olmert sent a similar warning to Tehran… The Israeli public is being systematically prepared for a possible military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities… there is a reckless consensus: that the Iranian regime can not be dissuaded from developing the bomb using diplomatic means alone.”

“The left-of-center daily Berliner Zeitung writes: ‘Israeli politicians have not ruled out a pre-emptive strike against Iran in theory, and the fact that Israel has already bombed a foreign nuclear installation, in Iraq in 1981 — albeit with conventional means — speaks for the validity of the Sunday Times’ report. On the other hand, the obvious question is whether the article was deliberately planted in the media. Officially Israel is following a policy of ambiguity as to the existence of Israeli nuclear weapons. Recently, however, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert included the country in the ranks of the nuclear powers. Before that, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates had classified Israel as a nuclear power. Is the new report a new attempt to threaten Tehran with the bomb, without doing so directly — and also to test the reaction of the West?’

“The conservative daily Die Welt writes: ‘The headlines about Israel’s alleged attack plans against Iran can be clearly seen as a weapon of psychological warfare. Israel profits from such news: It makes the Iranians aware of the consequences of their policies and puts the world under pressure to not simply accept Iran’s nuclear program… It is irrelevant if the story is true or not. The only important thing is whether one believes Israel is ready to use force. The Israeli government has been making it clear to the world for months that it will not accept an Iranian nuclear bomb and will stop at nothing to prevent it. It is obvious that a military strike could be a last resort after other efforts have been exhausted. No state will simply look on as a regime which wishes its destruction arms itself. And Iran wants to wipe Israel from the map. Israel will act if the major powers fail to keep Tehran from developing the bomb. However, it is doubtful that the conflict could be solved with a single military strike… A protracted and bloody conflict is much more likely. This in turn can not be in the interests of the Americans and the Europeans. For this reason, they should deter the Israeli government from acting by itself. This however means resolutely confronting Iran and, if necessary, acting against Tehran even without a United Nations mandate. In short: (The West) cannot allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons under any circumstances.'”

Virtually all English Bibles, which we have today, do NOT accurately
set forth the order or divisions of the Biblical books, as originally
maintained and inspired by God.

THE OLD TESTAMENT

The Hebrew Bible of the Old Testament consisted originally of 24 books. It is to be divided into three sections:

(1) The Law (5 books of Moses)

(2) The Prophets (8 books)

— The former prophets—Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings (4 books)

— The latter prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, 12 Minor Prophets (4 books)

(3) The Writings (11 books)

— Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs (4 books)

— Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther (4 books)

— Daniel, Ezra/Nehemiah, and Chronicles (3 books)

It
is fairly established today that the Hebrew Bible originally consisted
of 24 books (Compare, The Bible as Literature, The Barnes & Noble
Outline Series, p. 19; The Jerusalem Bible, p. xii: “The Jewish Bible
thus consists of ‘twenty-four books’”; Prof. Felix Just, of Loyola
Marymount University: “Jews count 24″; Encyclopedia Britannica,
copyright 1959, under “Bible”: “The 24 books of the Hebrew Canon have
become 39… in the English Bible, by treating each of the Minor
Prophets as a separate book, by separating Ezra from Nehemiah and
subdividing Samuel, Kings and Chronicles.”)

Some erroneously
claim that the Old Testament consisted originally of only 22 books.
They say that Joshua and Judges were originally only one book, and that
Samuel and Kings were originally only one book.

However, no
evidence has been found confirming that Joshua and Judges were ever
treated as one book. When considering the books of Samuel and Kings,
let us us take note of this quote from the Nelson Study Bible, on page
449: “First and Second Samuel were originally one book, ‘The book of
Samuel’ in the Hebrew Scriptures. When these Scriptures were translated
into Greek, around 150 B.C., Samuel and Kings were brought together
into a complete history of the Hebrew monarchy. This unit of Scripture
was divided into four sections: First, Second, Third, and Fourth
Kingdoms. Samuel and Kings were later separated again, but the
divisions of the Greek translation persisted. The result was a First
and Second Samuel and a First and Second Kings.”

We see then that originally, Samuel and Kings were TWO books, not just one.

Others refer to Josephus for their claim that the Old Testament consisted originally of only 22 books.

In
his work, “Flavius Josephus against Apion,” Josephus states, under
Section 8 (page 609): “For we have not an innumerable multitude of
books among us, disagreeing from and contradicting one another, but
only twenty-two books, which contain the records of all the past times…
and of them, five belong to Moses…, the prophets, who were after Moses,
wrote down what was done in their times in thirteen books. The
remaining four books contain hymns to God, and precepts for the conduct
of human life.”

We can see from this quote that Josephus’
numbering of 22 books, by speaking of 13 prophetic books [as
distinguished from 8] and 4 writings [as distinguished from 11], is
clearly different from the Hebrew Bible, as maintained by the Jews.

Eerdmans’ Handbook to the Bible, p. 71, points out:

“There
is a strong Jewish tradition that it was Ezra the scribe who arranged
the canon, although collections of the Pentateuch and some of the
prophets existed long before his time. The books of the Hebrew canon
were arranged in three groups – the Law, the Prophets and the Writings
(which included the wisdom literature, some historical works such as
Ezra, Nehemiah and Chronicles, and one prophetic work, Daniel). The
prologue to the apocryphal Book of Sirach or Ecclesiasticus (about
130BC) contains evidence of this threefold grouping, but no indication
of the contents of each section… Josephus, the first-century AD
historian, acknowledged 22 books; the Apocalypse of Ezra (about AD 100)
acknowledged 24. If Josephus included Ruth with Judges and Lamentations
with Jeremiah the two agree.”

This suggests that Josephus was also referring to a different order of the books, not just a different number.

Halley’s
Bible Handbook confirms this conclusion, when stating: “The Hebrew Old
Testament contains exactly the same books as our English Old Testament,
but in different arrangement… these 24 books are the same as our 39.
Josephus further reduces the number to 22, to make it correspond to the
Hebrew alphabet by combining Ruth with Judges, and Lamentations with
Jeremiah.”

Conclusion as to the Hebrew writings of the Old Testament:

Inasmuch
as the numbering of 22 books corresponds with a change of the
established order of the Hebrew Scriptures, its evidentiary value
must be rejected. The available evidence strongly supports the
conclusion that the Hebrew Bible was arranged by Ezra and delivered to
us in the order as listed in the beginning of this Q&A, consisting
of 24 books.

THE NEW TESTAMENT

The Greek
New Testament consisted originally of 27 books. They are to be divided
into five sections, i.e. the four gospel accounts, the book of Acts,
the general [a/k/a Catholic] epistles (James; 1 and 2 Peter; 1, 2 and 3
John; Jude), the epistles of Paul, and the book of Revelation.

Note how the oldest manuscripts of the New Testament have maintained the order of the books.

(1)
The Codex Sinaiticus was copied about 330 AD. It is one of the oldest
copies of the New Testament. It was written in Greek and is now being
maintained in the British museum. It contains, in this order, the four
gospels, the Catholic [or general] epistles, the Pauline epistles (with
Hebrews following 2 Thessalonians and preceding 1 Timothy), Acts, and
Revelation. (It also includes the uninspired works of the epistle of
Barnabas and the shepherd of Hermas).

(2) The Codex Vaticanus
was copied in the middle of the fourth century. It is now being
maintained in Rome. It contains, in this order, the four gospels, Acts,
the Catholic [or general] epistles, and most of the Pauline epistles.
The last book is Hebrews, following 2 Thessalonians.

(3) The
Codex Alexandrinus was copied around 400 AD. It was written in
Byzantine and Alexandrian. It contains, in this order, the four
gospels, Acts, the Catholic [or general] epistles, the Pauline epistles
(Hebrews following 2 Thessalonians) and Revelation (It also includes
the uninspired works of 1 and 2 Clement).

(4) The Codex Ephraemi
was copied in the 400’s AD. It contains, in this order, the four
gospels, Acts, the Catholic [or general] epistles, the Pauline epistles
(Hebrews following 2 Thessalonians) and Revelation.

(5) The
Council of Laodicea (about AD 363) lists, in Canon 60, all of the New
Testament books (with the exception of the book of Revelation), in this
order:

The four Gospels, according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and
John; the Acts of the Apostles; seven catholic epistles, namely, 1 of
James, 2 of Peter, 3 of John, 1 of Jude; and the fourteen epistles of
Paul, namely 1 to the Romans, 2 to the Corinthians, 1 to the Galatians,
1 to the Ephesians, 1 to the Philippians, 1 to the Colossians, 2 to the
Thessalonians, 1 to the Hebrews, 2 to Timothy, 1 to Titus, and 1 to
Philemon.

(6) E.W. Bullinger writes in “The Church Epistles,” under “Importance of their Order”:

“In
all the hundreds of Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the order
of these seven epistles addressed to churches is exactly the same
[i.e., Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians,
Colossians, and Thessalonians. We might add here that these are
actually nine epistles, not seven, but Bullinger counts 1 and 2
Corinthians as one epistle, as he does 1 and 2 Thessalonians, in order
to reach the number “seven.”]. We have examined the five most ancient
in existence, viz., the Codex Vaticanus (Cent. IV.), the Codex
Sinaiticus (Cent. IV.), the Codex Alexandrinus (Cent. V.), the Codex
Ephraemi (Cent. V.) and the Codex Bezae (Cent. V. or VI.) [We want to
note here that the Codex Bezae contains only a portion of the New
Testament Scriptures, i.e., the four gospels, the ending of 3 John, and
Acts]. The general order of the books of the New Testament takes the
form of groups, viz., (1) the Four Gospels, (2) the Acts, (3) the
General Epistles, (4) the Pauline Epistles, and (5) the Apocalypse…

“…
while the Pauline Epistles themselves vary in their order (e.g.,
Hebrews in some cases following Thessalonians [Let us also note that in
one ancient manuscript, Hebrews follows Galatians. In another
manuscript from 200 AD, P 46, Hebrews follows Romans, preceding 1 and 2
Corinthians, but omitting Galatians]), yet the order of these seven
[correctly, nine; see our comment above] addressed to the churches
never varies…”

Conclusion as to the Greek writings of the New Testament:

It appears that the most likely order of the New Testament Scriptures, as originally inspired, is as follows:

(1) The four gospel accounts, according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

(2) Book of Acts

(3) General or Catholic Epistles:

James; 1 and 2 Peter; 1, 2 and 3 John; Jude

(4) Pauline Epistles:

Romans; 1 and 2 Corinthians; Galatians; Ephesians;
Philippians; Colossians; 1 and 2 Thessalonians; Hebrews; 1 and
2 Timothy; Titus; Philemon

(5) Book of Revelation

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Kalon Mitchell and Manuela Link were united in marriage on Sunday,
January 7, 2007. The marriage ceremony was performed by Evangelist
Norbert Link in the beautiful Rancho Bernardo Courtyard, where the
Church’s former offices were located. Michael Link was best man, and
Johanna Link was matron-of-honor. The weather was gorgeous, and about
80 guests enjoyed the occasion. Kalon and Manuela would like to thank
all for their tremendous help, as well as the many cards, wishes and
presents received from family members and friends around the world. The
couple resides in Escondido, California.

A new StandingWatch
program was posted on Google Video, as well as on our Website (standingwatch.org). It is titled, “True
Christianity–Don’t Be Deceived! In the program, Norbert Link discusses
the fact that recently, a popular television broadcast asked the
questions, Who is a Christian?, and, What is true Christianity? The
opinions of those interviewed were astonishing. In addition, a TV
evangelist announced that God spoke to him, telling him that a major
attack on the USA will happen shortly after September 2007. Mr. Link is
posing the question whether such a claim can be believed.

The text for our new booklet on the meaning of the Spring Holy Days has entered its final review cycle.

by Michael Link (26)

For the past several months, I’ve been in
more and more situations where I had to make the right decision. I can
certainly say that I have had my fair share of trials–some that I
could overcome easier, as well as those that were a bit tougher.

I
have been put on the spot several times, especially because of the
recent holidays and my refusal to celebrate them. Even though this
happens every single year, I have to explain to people why I don’t
observe Christmas. Since I’ve had to do this so many times, I know
better and better what I have to say, making the situation easier each
time. Sometimes, when it came to work or friends, I had to make a
decision whether I was going to compromise with the Sabbath, the
celebration of pagan holidays, or eating unclean foods. I can
undoubtedly say that I was being tested.

Just recently I had a
seemingly great job opportunity–one that would require a lot of time
and effort for it to become successful. My immediate response to the
job was required. It had its advantages and disadvantages. At the
beginning, all I could focus on was its advantages. I did not really
consider the negative aspects. There were many things to evaluate, but
the biggest challenge was the Sabbath, since a lot of the business
would be generated on the Sabbath.  Even though I would not work
on the Sabbath, I began to realize that due to the nature of the
business, the Sabbath could still be an issue for me in the future. If
called upon to choose, would I be able to pass the test?  I
counseled and prayed about the whole job situation. God knew that the
answer would be “no” for the time being.  For now, this job
opportunity is on hold, and I have God to thank since He knows best. As
long as I remain faithful and obedient on any challenge that is thrown
at me, I know that something even better will be the result.

On January 6, 2007, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Successful Lasting Marriages.”

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.

Recently, CNN broadcast a television program in the USA, exploring
the essence of true Christianity. “Experts,” TV evangelists and pastors
were interviewed, giving their version and understanding of what is a
Christian–and what is the true gospel message. Even though I did not
watch the entirety of the broadcast, what I did see was more than
enough! Depending on the speaker, concepts were introduced that we need
or must not preach a “prosperity gospel,” as God does or does not bless
His people physically. Some ministers open their church doors to just
about anyone, holding the most outlandish or God-rejecting
beliefs–without teaching the need for change. One preacher stated that
God’s people could be “raptured” at any time to go to heaven, while
others just gave a “positive” gospel message–a “social” gospel, so
that people can feel “good” and have a jolly good time in church.

When
listening to this hotchpotch of spiritual confusion, I was reminded of
God’s powerful words in Isaiah 8:20: “To the law and to the testimony!
If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no
light in them.”

The New Testament clearly tells us who is a
Christian, and who is not. Romans 8:9 says: “… now if anyone does not
have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” A true Christian,
then,  is one in whom Christ’s Spirit dwells. He lives and thinks
as Christ does. He believes in the gospel that Christ taught–the
gospel of the Kingdom of God. He grows in the knowledge of Christ (2
Peter 3:18). He is able to discern between the spirit of truth and the
spirit of error (1 John 4:6).

With the Spirit of Christ within
him, a true Christian is subject to God’s Law (Romans 8:7). God’s Law
is in his heart (Isaiah 51:7). According to the unequivocal testimony
of Scripture, the one who claims that He knows Christ–that he is a
true Christian–“and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the
truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4). Christ came to keep His Father’s
commandments–the Ten Commandments, statutes and judgments–and He
expects of His disciples to do likewise (John 15:10; 14:15). Rather
than doing away with God’s Law, He came to reveal its spiritual intents
and purposes. He came to “exalt” it and “make it honorable” (Isaiah
42:21; compare Matthew 5:17-19). Obedience, therefore, is essential, as
Acts 5:32 shows.

What we are experiencing today was prophesied
long ago to happen. Christ warned His true disciples in Matthew 24:4-5:
“Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name,
saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” Religious preachers
DO confess that Jesus was the Christ, the Savior of mankind, but they
deceive many through their wrong teaching. They claim that Christians
don’t have to keep God’s Law anymore–or that they are “free” to
worship God and Christ in any way THEY want. However, a true Christian
AGREES with Christ who said: “…’And in vain they worship Me, Teaching
as doctrines the commandments of men.’ For laying aside the commandment
of God, you hold the tradition of men…” (Mark 7:7-8).

Some have
pointed out that we are observing a “religious revival,” especially in
the United States. If so, this renewed interest in “Christianity” does
not appear to include a willingness to seek God’s truth and to keep His
Law. People who are becoming “religious” seem to flock to “teachers” of
their choice–who are teaching anything BUT the truth, it seems
(compare Jeremiah 5:31; 6:19; 2 Timothy 4:3-4). God’s people must not
be swept away by this dangerous mud slide and treacherous river of
Babylonian confusion. Rather, they must KNOW and hold fast to the true
God, and they must keep His Word of truth–nothing less will do!

Reactions to Saddam Hussein’s Death

Germany and Europe, as well as the Catholic Church stand united against the United States’ support of Saddam Hussein’s execution. And even many Arabs are upset about the timing and a perception that the trial against Saddam was unfair. All seem to agree that Saddam’s death will increase the violence in Iraq.

European and American Reactions

Der Spiegel Online reported on December 30:

“Saddam Hussein has been executed by hanging in Baghdad. Shiites danced in the street to celebrate while Sunnis mourned the dictator’s death…

“US President George W. Bush issued a statement from his Texan ranch welcoming the execution. Bringing Saddam to justice was ‘an important milestone on Iraq’s course to becoming a democracy that can govern, sustain and defend itself,’ the statement read. Bush added that the execution marks the ‘end of a difficult year for the Iraqi people and for our troops’. However he cautioned that Saddam’s death will not halt the violence in Iraq. “German politicians criticized the death penalty after hearing the news. ‘The federal government, like the European Union, rejects the death penalty on principle, irrespective of the circumstances,’ the Foreign Ministry said in a statement..'”

Austria’s Networld reported on December 30 that the European Union condemned Saddam’s execution as “barbaric.”

How the Vatican Sees It

The Associated Press reported on December 30:

“The Vatican spokesman on Saturday denounced Saddam Hussein’s execution as ‘tragic’ and expressed worry it might fuel revenge and new violence… In separate comments to the station’s English program, Lombardi said that capital punishment cannot be justified ‘even when the person put to death is one guilty of grave crimes,’ and he reiterated the Catholic Church’s overall opposition to the death penalty. Executing Saddam ‘is not a way to reconstruct justice’ in Iraqi society, the spokesman said. ‘It might fuel the spirit of revenge and sow seeds of new violence.’… In an interview published in an Italian daily earlier in the week, the Vatican’s top prelate for justice issues, Cardinal Renato Martino, said executing Saddam would mean punishing ‘a crime with another crime.'”

The Associated Press added on January 3:

“The Vatican’s official newspaper on Tuesday decried media images of Saddam Hussein’s hanging as a ‘spectacle’ violating human rights and harming efforts to promote reconciliation in Iraq… The paper added that: ‘in a country ever more disfigured by every kind of violence, you don’t need arrogant gestures…'”

Arab Reactions

Reuters reported on December 30:

“Saddam Hussein’s execution on Saturday angered many Arabs, but even some who felt the former Iraqi leader deserved to die voiced a sense of justice denied. Many said his hanging for crimes against humanity, on the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha, would worsen violence in Iraq…Abdel-Bari Atwan, editor of the London-based Al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper, told Al Jazeera television: ‘Arab public opinion wonders who deserves to be tried and executed: Saddam Hussein who preserved the unity of Iraq, its Arab and Islamic identity and the coexistence of its different communities such as Shi’ites and Sunnis … or those who engulfed the country in this bloody civil war?’…

“In Afghanistan, which preceded Iraq as the first target in the U.S.-declared ‘war on terror,’ a top commander of the resurgent Islamist Taliban movement said Saddam’s death would galvanize Muslim opposition to the United States… In Mecca, Sunni Arab pilgrims voiced outrage that Iraqi authorities had executed Saddam on a major religious holiday… Beyond the Arab world, few Muslims seemed ready to defend Saddam, but many doubted that full justice had been done.  In Pakistan, Liaqat Baluch, a leader of a six-party opposition alliance of conservative religious parties, said Saddam was a ‘bad guy’ but his trial had been unfair.”

America’s Destroyed Dictator

On December 30, the British daily, The Independent, published the following editorial by Robert Fisk, titled: “A dictator created then destroyed by America”:

“Saddam to the gallows. It was an easy equation. Who could be more deserving of that last walk to the scaffold – that crack of the neck at the end of a rope – than the Beast of Baghdad, the Hitler of the Tigris, the man who murdered untold hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis while spraying chemical weapons over his enemies? Our masters will tell us in a few hours that it is a ‘great day’ for Iraqis and will hope that the Muslim world will forget that his death sentence was signed – by the Iraqi ‘government’, but on behalf of the Americans – on the very eve of the Eid al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice, the moment of greatest forgiveness in the Arab world. “But history will record that the Arabs and other Muslims and, indeed, many millions in the West, will ask another question this weekend, a question that will not be posed in other Western newspapers because it is not the narrative laid down for us by our presidents and prime ministers – what about the other guilty men?

“No, Tony Blair is not Saddam. We don’t gas our enemies. George W Bush is not Saddam. He didn’t invade Iran or Kuwait. He only invaded Iraq. But hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians are dead – and thousands of Western troops are dead – because Messrs Bush and Blair and the Spanish Prime Minister and the Italian Prime Minister and the Australian Prime Minister went to war in 2003 on a potage of lies and mendacity and, given the weapons we used, with great brutality.

“In the aftermath of the international crimes against humanity of 2001 we have tortured, we have murdered, we have brutalised and killed the innocent – we have even added our shame at Abu Ghraib to Saddam’s shame at Abu Ghraib – and yet we are supposed to forget these terrible crimes as we applaud the swinging corpse of the dictator we created.

“Who encouraged Saddam to invade Iran in 1980, which was the greatest war crime he has committed for it led to the deaths of a million and a half souls? And who sold him the components for the chemical weapons with which he drenched Iran and the Kurds? We did. No wonder the Americans, who controlled Saddam’s weird trial, forbad any mention of this, his most obscene atrocity, in the charges against him. Could he not have been handed over to the Iranians for sentencing for this massive war crime? Of course not. Because that would also expose our culpability.

“And the mass killings we perpetrated in 2003 with our depleted uranium shells and our ‘bunker buster’ bombs and our phosphorous, the murderous post-invasion sieges of Fallujah and Najaf, the hell-disaster of anarchy we unleashed on the Iraqi population in the aftermath of our ‘victory’ – our ‘mission accomplished’ – who will be found guilty of this? Such expiation as we might expect will come, no doubt, in the self-serving memoirs of Blair and Bush, written in comfortable and wealthy retirement…

“… But [Saddam’s] execution will go down – correctly – as an American affair and time will add its false but lasting gloss to all this – that the West destroyed an Arab leader who no longer obeyed his orders from Washington, that, for all his wrongdoing (and this will be the terrible get-out for Arab historians, this shaving away of his crimes) Saddam died a ‘martyr’ to the will of the new ‘Crusaders’.

“When he was captured in November of 2003, the insurgency against American troops increased in ferocity. After his death, it will redouble in intensity again. Freed from the remotest possibility of Saddam’s return by his execution, the West’s enemies in Iraq have no reason to fear the return of his Baathist regime…”

Sadam’s Execution “Merely an Act of Shiite Revenge”?

ABC News reported on December 30 about an uncut video of Saddam Hussein’s execution, which is being placed on the Internet and which has been broadcast on several TV stations around the world. The video, which had apparently been shot on a cell phone by one of the two dozen witnesses, shows numerous provocations of Saddam by Shiites before, during and after the hanging. ABC News stated:

“There are five men in black face masks who are visible on the gallows platform around Saddam, acting as guards. As they guide him towards the trap door and put the noose over his head, they start chanting religious slogans with the names of Moqtada al Sadr (the head of the Mahdi army, accused of organizing death squads against Sunnis) and Baqr al Sadr (the father-in-law of Moqtada). Saddam, a Sunni, is outraged at this last-minute provocation, and tells them to ‘go to hell.’…

“… the impact of this video could be quite significant. First, it will reinforce Sunni suspicions that the execution of Saddam was merely an act of Shiite revenge for decades of repression under Saddam. The building where the execution took place was expressly chosen because it was once used as a detention center by a division of Saddam’s secret police that was focused on the Shiite Dawa party. Some of the witnesses whom the government invited to the execution had themselves once been tortured in that same building. Indeed, Prime Minister Maliki, who signed the execution order the day before the hanging, is a long-term member of the Dawa party and had himself been sentenced to death by Saddam back in 1980 before fleeing the country. “Worse, it will also reinforce the fears of Sunnis that Maliki’s government is beholden to the Mahdi army, Moqtada’s militia. Executions are generally expected to be solemn affairs–certainly not opportunities for thugs to score some final sectarian points before the ‘enemy’ is disposed of. The video itself seems quite distasteful–but it is informative to the extent that it reveals the political baggage that the current government carries on its shoulders. It does not add up to a pretty picture.”

Der Spiegel Online added on January 3:

“The international community has been outraged — especially at Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose government not only let a (banned) mobile phone slip into the execution chamber, but also hurried up the hanging… German newspapers see the whole affair as a gruesome circus that either threatens western values or drives another wedge between Iraqi Sunnis and Shiites. Some even suspect Maliki of using Saddam’s execution as a sop to his Shiite supporters…

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes:

‘It would have been a miracle if Saddam’s execution had not raised new problems for the Baghdad government, the overstrained US army, or for the violence-plagued Iraqi people. But now a mobile-phone video has turned up, and the pictures and sound both show, first, just how degraded Saddam’s death was, and second how depraved a society has to be to turn the execution of a condemned thug into a cheap and coarse spectacle… The video also shows that neither the Baghdad government nor the American occupiers are in a position to control an execution… Saddam Hussein’s death won’t heal old wounds any more than it will satisfy a lust for revenge — the pictures are more likely to achieve the opposite effect. And a government that can’t even prohibit recordings of an execution will never be able to control its country.'”

Divisions Between Iraqi Shiites and Sunnites Continue

The Financial Times reported on December 30:

“Street celebrations and a handful of angry protests erupted in Iraq’s streets early this morning, as the country awoke to the news that former president Saddam Hussein, who had overshadowed Iraqi public life for over three decades, had been put to death. However, a series of blasts in mostly Shia areas left at least 68 Iraqis dead, while six US troops were reported killed, pushing the death toll for December to 109 and making it the worst month for US forces in two years…

“The different reactions and the continued sectarian violence reflect the legacy of Saddam’s regime, which was dominated by Sunni Arabs and brutally repressed Shia religious and political movements. The execution is unlikely to bridge this divide, as perceptions of Saddam’s hanging differ radically between Sunni Arab and Shia. Even the timing of his hanging seemed to reinforce the sectarian gap–although Iraqi law bans executions during religious holidays, it took place just as the Sunni’s Eid al-Adha feast was beginning. Shia begin celebrations a day later.”

Saddam’s Death Personal Vindication?

The New York Times wrote on December 30:

“The capture of Saddam Hussein three years ago was a jubilant moment for the White House, hailed by President Bush in a televised address from the Cabinet Room. The execution of Mr. Hussein, though, seemed hardly to inspire the same sentiment… After Mr. Hussein was arrested Dec. 13, 2003, he gradually faded from view, save for his courtroom outbursts and writings from prison. The growing chaos and violence in Iraq has steadily overshadowed the torturous rule of Mr. Hussein, who for more than two decades held a unique place in the politics and psyche of the United States, a symbol of the manifestation of evil in the Middle East.

“Now, what could have been a triumphal bookend to the American invasion of Iraq has instead been dampened by the grim reality of conditions on the ground there. Mr. Hussein’s hanging means that the ousted leader has been held accountable for his misdeeds, fulfilling the American war aim most cited by the White House after Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction proved nonexistent.

“But that war is now edging toward its fifth year, and the sectarian violence that has surged independent of any old Sunni or Baathist allegiances to Mr. Hussein has raised questions about what change, if any, his death might bring.

“’Saddam’s face has been on this process from the beginning and here goes that face,’ said Bruce Buchanan, a professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin… the specter of Mr. Hussein remained intimately entwined with Mr. Bush and his father, George H. W. Bush. Two years after the Persian Gulf war, Mr. Hussein ordered an assassination attempt on the elder Bush, an act of spite that the 43rd president would never forget… Mr. Buchanan, a longtime observer of the Bush political family in Texas, said that these were no ordinary archenemies and that setting aside personal views entirely seemed impossible. ‘I think the president will see this as justice done and may well feel some sense of vindication, in part because of the attempt on his father’s life,’ he said. ‘It’s definitely part of the drama.'”

Italy Wants Worldwide Moratorium on Death Penalty

Der Spiegel Online reported on January 3:

“Rome is calling on European Union member states and the United Nations to push for an international moratorium on capital punishment. The move follows the controversial execution this weekend of Iraq’s former dictator Saddam Hussein, who was sentenced to death for committing crimes against humanity… Rome is hoping to gain the support of the 85 UN member states who recently joined a non-binding declaration against the death penalty…

“… the Italians are also seeking to get the European Union — which makes a ban on capital punishment a precondition for membership — to promote a global moratorium. Rome has also asked Germany to add the issue to the agenda at an upcoming meeting of justice ministers in Dresden.

“In Iraq, the government deflected the criticism, noting that the Italians themselves had executed former fascist leader Benito Mussolini during World War II. ‘They have no right interfering with the affairs of another country,’ Iraqi government official Yaseen Majeed told the Italian daily La Repubblica. ‘Mussolini’s trial only lasted one minute.” The dictator was executed by partisans and strung up in a square in Milan in April 1945. Mussolini’s granddaughter and European Parliament member Alessandra Mussolini said her ‘blood ran cold’ as she viewed the images of Saddam’s execution. ‘My mind immediately flicked to pictures of my grandfather, who also had his uncovered face exposed to the public for ridicule,’ she said.”

War Has Returned to Somalia

Der Spiegel Online reported on January 2, 2007:

“Ethiopia has driven the Islamists out of Mogadishu. Now the region is threatened with a new East African front in the clash of civilizations. The radical Somalis are looking for support from the Middle East, and Ethiopia has turned to the US government for support in its fight against the Taliban-like Islamists… War has returned to the Horn of Africa, and the outcome is unclear. With tanks and many thousands of soldiers, the Ethiopian Army moved into the Somali capital of Mogadishu last Thursday, taking control of airports and the presidential palace…

“‘Somalia is at risk of becoming the battlefield of a global war between an Islamist international force and Western anti-terrorism forces,’ warns Hamburg-based Somalia expert Volker Matthies. ‘While the Islamists receive sufficient support from fundamentalists from the Arab world, the weaker government of President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, recognized by the West, gets its support from Addis Ababa. So Ethiopia is turning into an east African bridgehead for the Americans in their war against terror.’…

“Still, the unsuccessful debate in the UN Security Council has made it clear that Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi is now officially an ally of America. No one fears a bridgehead of the Islamists in East Africa more than the US, whose embassies in Nairobi and Darussalam were blown up in 1998 by Osama Bin Laden’s terrorists…

“… there are now renewed threats of war with Eritrea, which is among Ethiopia’s enemies and will not hesitate to arm the Islamists or even to send its own soldiers off to the fight. Ethiopia and Eritrea are extremely poor states, but each country nevertheless maintains an army of more than 180,000 very well prepared soldiers.

“The government in Addis Ababa already views itself as being in a bind… Now Ethiopian soldiers have crossed into the neighboring country, and the Islamists are calling up their allies in the Middle East to a ‘holy war’ against the invaders. They could now face a similar debacle as did the Americans in 1992, when they came to Somalia to combat a famine — and withdrew in humiliation after the desecrated body of a GI was dragged through the streets of Mogadishu. There already is a similar photo on display today on the Internet. It shows an Ethiopian soldier, hands tied behind his back, his throat slit.”

Will Dollar’s Decline Prompt War with Iran?

WorldNetDaily wrote on January 2:

“Economists anticipate that the fall of the U.S dollar in world currency markets that began in 2006 will accelerate in 2007.

“‘The dollar could lose as much as 30 percent of its value in 2007,’ econometrician John Williams… told WND. ‘In 2007, we are likely to see the economic downturn of 2006 develop into a structural recession and yet we have international trade and federal budged deficits careening out of control.’… Bob Chapman… told WND, ‘Central bankers in 2007 will begin to move away from the dollar in their foreign reserve holdings.’…”Iran’s decision to hold only Euros may prompt a U.S. decision to launch a pre-emptive attack, Chapman speculated, with the public argument being Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons in defiance of the U.N. Security Council. ‘Saddam Hussein signed his death warrant,’ Chapman argued, ‘when he got the U.N. to agree that he could hold [his] oil-for-food reserves in euros. Ahmadinejad appears determined to go down the same path.'”

Dangerous Religious Deception in Iran…

ynetnew reported on December 31:

“A triumphal religious prophecy has appeared on an Iranian official state media website, heralding the return of the Shiite messiah. According to the website, ‘Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance) will appear all of a sudden on the world scene with a voice from the skies announcing his reappearance at the holy Ka’ba in Mecca.’…

“The Mahdi’s far sightedness and firmness in the face of mischievous elements will strike awe. After his uprising from Mecca all of Arabia will be submit to him and then other parts of the world as he marches upon Iraq and established his seat of global government in the city of Kufa.

‘Then the Imam will send 10 thousand of his forces to the east and west to uproot the oppressors. At this time God will facilitate things for him and lands will come under his control one after the other,’ the website declared. ‘After his appearance the Imam would remain in Mecca for some time, and then go to Medina… a descendant of the Prophet’s archenemy Abu Sofyan will seize Syria and attack Iraq and the Hejaz with the ferocity of a beast… finally Imam Mahdi sends troops who kill the Sofyani in Beit ol-Moqaddas (Jerusalem), the Islamic holy city in Palestine that is currently under occupation of the Zionists,’ the IRIB added…

“According to the Iranian series, the Mahdi will reappear on earth with Jesus: ‘We read in the book Tazkarat ol-Olia, ‘the Mahdi will come with Jesus son of Mary accompanying him.’ …Imam Mahdi will be the leader while Prophet Jesus will act as his lieutenant in the struggle against oppression and establishment of justice in the world. Jesus had himself given the tidings of the coming of God’s last messenger and will see Mohammad’s ideals materialize in the time of the Mahdi.'”

… And in the United States

The Associated Press reported on January 3:

“In what has become an annual tradition of prognostications, religious broadcaster Pat Robertson predicted Tuesday that a terrorist attack on the United States would result in ‘mass killing’ late in 2007. ‘I’m not necessarily saying it’s going to be nuclear,’ he said during his news-and-talk television show ‘The 700 Club’… The Lord didn’t say nuclear. But I do believe it will be something like that.’ “Robertson said God told him during a recent prayer retreat that major cities and possibly millions of people will be affected by the attack, which should take place sometime after September…

“In May, Robertson said God told him that storms and possibly a tsunami were to crash into America’s coastline in 2006. Even though the U.S. was not hit with a tsunami, Robertson on Tuesday cited last spring’s heavy rains and flooding in New England as partly fulfilling the prediction.”

The sad news is that the Bible predicts that the United States WILL BE experiencing man-made and natural disasters with increasing strength and frequency, as we are approaching the time of the return of Jesus Christ. But it is preposterous to claim that God “spoke” to someone to give him the precise date–especially, when that person does not teach that we must keep ALL of God’s Ten Commandments, INCLUDING the weekly Sabbath (Note our Editorial in this issue). We might also ask, HOW did God “speak” to that person?

Romania and Bulgaria Join the EU

Britain’s The Telegraph wrote the following on January 1:

“At midnight last night Romania and Bulgaria became the newest nations of the European Union, bringing with them some 30 million people from one of the poorest corners of the continent. Hundreds of thousands of people were expected to flock to street parties and concerts for the double celebration of New Year and EU entry, which they hope will… lead to greater prosperity and a final break with communism…. In both countries surveys have shown two thirds of respondents in favour of joining, despite misgivings about rises in prices and the cost of living…

“Britain [as well as most other European countries, including Ireland, Germany, Austria and The Netherlands] will not however be granting Romanians and Bulgarians the same unhindered access to its job market allowed to Poles and other eastern Europeans when they joined in 2004. In mid-December the Government launched a television, radio and poster campaign informing Bulgarians and Romanians that although they can visit Britain without a visa for three months they will need a work permit — in most cases — to gain employment.”

Reuters added on January 1:

“The accession of Romania and Bulgaria will raise the EU’s membership to 27, almost half of them former communist states cut off from the West by the Iron Curtain until 1989…”

“Angela Can Fix It…”

The BBC News published the following article on December 29:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel has chosen the motto ‘succeeding together’ for Germany’s six-month EU presidency starting on 1 January–at a time of weak morale in the EU. On the plus side, the EU is celebrating the entry of Romania and Bulgaria as new members, its economy is picking up and it claims global leadership on issues like climate change… there are widespread hopes among EU-watchers that ‘Angela can fix it’…

“Germany, as Europe’s largest nation and biggest economy, is being asked to revive the EU’s faltering sense of purpose. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier says the German presidency expects to spend a lot of energy responding to unforeseen crises on the EU’s behalf…

“Mrs Merkel wants to save as much as possible of the original draft treaty, which provided for an EU president and foreign minister at the head of new structures for common European internal and foreign policies. At a special leaders’ meeting on 25 March 2007, 50 years after the signing of the Treaty of Rome, she will issue a ‘Berlin Declaration’, in an attempt to re-inspire Europeans with the ideal of continent-wide integration and to map out Europe’s common challenges…

“The Germans are themselves involved in a damaging split: Poland and the Baltic states strongly oppose the strategic deal done by former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in 2005 to build a new North European gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea. It will supply customers in Western Europe, bypassing Poland, the Baltic states and Ukraine. Since then Russia’s robust use of its vast energy resources as a foreign policy tool has thrown prospects for a strategic EU-Russia partnership agreement into doubt. And the unsolved murders of several high-profile opponents of Mr Putin have led the Europeans to question whether this Russian leadership is committed to respecting civil rights and the rule of law, or even wants to be a constructive partner…

“Despite the mountain of problems much of Europe looks with hope to Mrs Merkel’s lead. Not only is Germany big enough to get things moving. But Angela Merkel, in her tactful way, has also chastised other European leaders for their lack of courage in [making] decisions. ”

Jerusalem Ex-Mayor Kollek Dies at 95

Deutsche Welle reported on January 2, 2007:

“Former Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek, who presided over the reunification of the city after the 1967 Middle East war, has died at the age of 95. Within days of the end of the war, Kollek ordered the stone wall which had divided Jerusalem to be torn down. He preached Israeli-Palestinian coexistence while attempting to balance the national aspirations of both people during nearly three decades as mayor. The Jerusalem Foundation, a charity founded by Kollek 40 years ago, said he died of natural causes. He is expected to be buried in a state funeral in Jerusalem on Thursday.”

Church of God members will recall the close friendship that existed between Teddy Kollek and the late Herbert W. Armstrong, founder of the Worldwide Church of God and the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation.

John 1:1 tells us that the “Word” was God. The “Word” is a reference
to Jesus Christ (compare Revelation 19:13; 1 John 1:1-3). John 1:14
tells us that Jesus Christ, the “Word,” “became flesh and dwelt among
us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father, full of grace and truth.”

Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
existed as a God being long before the events took place, which are
described in John 1:14–that is, long before He “became flesh.”
Philippians 2:5-11 tells us that Christ, who was “in the form of God,”
took “the form of a bond servant” and came “in the likeness of men.”
Hebrews 2:14 confirms that Jesus partook of flesh and blood, so that He
could die. As long as He was an immortal Spirit being, He could not die.

We
are told that God the Father made everything through Jesus Christ
(Hebrews 2:10; Colossians 1:15-17). We also read that no one has ever
seen God at any time (John 1:18). Christ elaborated to explain that no
one has ever seen the form of the FATHER at any time, nor has anyone
ever heard His voice (John 5:37; 6:46). And yet, we read that some of
the ancients in the Old Testament saw the very form of God, and they
heard His voice (Numbers 12:8; Deuteronomy 5:4). This means, they saw
and heard Jesus Christ, but not God the Father (compare 1 Corinthians
10:1-4, 8-9).

We read that God, in the Person of Jesus Christ,
together with two angels, appeared to Abraham, and they ate and spoke
with him (Genesis 18:1-15). Christ and His angels appeared as men
(verse 2). But this does not mean that they actually WERE men–that is,
flesh and blood human beings. They just manifested themselves AS human
beings. If the two angels had BECOME human beings at the time of
Abraham, they could have died–but God’s Word tells us that His angels
CANNOT die (Luke 20:34-36). If Christ had become a flesh and blood
human being at the time of Abraham, He could have died at that time,
too. But this would have been impossible. He had to become a human
being, at the time of the New Testament, to be able to die.

The
same is true when reviewing Christ’s manifestations AFTER His death and
resurrection. He was resurrected as a Spirit being–an immortal eternal
God being. As such, He cannot die anymore (Hebrews 9:27-28; 1 Timothy
1:17; Revelation 1:18). What, then, happened when He appeared to His
disciples after His resurrection, claiming that He had “flesh and
bone”? Had He BECOME a human being again? Hardly, as He was able to
appear and disappear at pleasure, and to go through closed doors (Luke
24:31; John 20:19-20). No human being, composed of flesh and blood,
could have done this.

Let us notice what exactly occurred when
Christ appeared to His disciples “in human form.” We explain this in
our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World”, when
discussing the powers of Satan and his demons. The context is the
inability of demons to manifest or materialize themselves–this power
is only reserved for God and His holy angels. To quote from our booklet:

“It
appears from Scripture that demons cannot materialize themselves the
way that angels can. Demons cannot appear as men. They can, however,
create an illusion, or an apparition that might look very real to
people. Examples of those illusions would include the appearance of
‘ghosts,’ or of a ‘lady,’ claiming to be ‘Mother Mary.'”We find the following interesting record in Mark 6:47–50: ‘Now when
evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone
on the land. Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was
against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them,
walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. And when they saw
Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost [Authorized
Version: a spirit], and cried out; for they all saw Him and were
troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “Be of
good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”‘ The disciples thought they saw
a ghost or a spirit, that is, a demon. The Greek word for ‘ghost’ is
‘phantasma,’ which has the meaning of ‘phantasm’ or ‘apparition.’

“In
Luke 24:36–42 we find another passage that sheds some light on the
inability of demons to materialize themselves. We read: ‘Now as they
said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said
to them, “Peace to you.” But they were terrified and frightened, and
supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you
troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and
My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not
have flesh and bones as you see I have.” When He had said this, He
showed them His hands and His feet. But while they still did not
believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food
here?” So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.
And He took it and ate in their presence.’

“Christ manifested
Himself to the disciples as a being with flesh and bones. He even ate
food in their presence to convince the disciples that it was He, not a
spirit or a demon. The Greek word for ‘spirit’ is ‘pneuma’ and can
refer to demons (compare Matthew 8:16; 10:1; 12:43, 45; Luke 4:33, 36;
6:18; 7:21, etc.). We understand, of course, that Christ is not a being
with flesh and bones. Rather, at His resurrection He received a
spiritual body and became a life-giving Spirit (1 Corinthians 15:44–45,
50). He was able to manifest Himself, however, as a person with flesh
and bones. We saw earlier that angels can manifest themselves as human
beings as well. Demons cannot. Christ used this opportunity to show His
disciples that He was not a spirit or a demon, because demons cannot
manifest themselves as human beings with flesh and bones.

“We
read in Job 4:12–16 about Eliphaz’ encounter with a spirit: ‘Now a word
was secretly brought to me, And my ear received a whisper of it. In
disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep
falls on men. Fear came upon me, and trembling, Which made all my bones
shake. Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair on my body stood
up. It stood still, But I could not discern its appearance. A form was
before my eyes; There was silence; then I heard a voice…’ Eliphaz saw
some kind of a form before his eyes but he could not discern the
appearance of the spirit. This indicates that it was a demon, as the
Bible does not show that God’s angels appear to man in such a way. It
was something like an apparition—a phantasm. It was what the disciples
thought they saw, too, when Jesus was walking on the water.

“Another
encounter with a demon is recorded for us in 1 Samuel 28… King Saul
consulted a witch to find out his future. During a séance, the witch
‘saw’ a demon, who pretended to be the dead Samuel. Saul could not see
the demon. The demon spoke through the witch to Saul. We note again
that the demon did not materialize himself as a being with flesh and
bones. Rather, it was an illusion.”

To summarize, Jesus became
ONLY ONCE a flesh-and-blood human being, living on earth as a man for
33 1/2 years. To accomplish this unique purpose of BECOMING human, God
the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit, impregnated the
virgin Mary, so that she conceived and brought forth a child, whose
name was to be Jesus (Luke 1:26-35). Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
NEVER was a human being BEFORE this miraculous event, and He NEVER
again BECAME a human being AFTER His death and resurrection. However,
He did manifest Himself AS a human being in Old Testament times, as
well as after His resurrection. But these were just human
manifestations of the immortal and invisible God Being, Jesus Christ. He
decisively did not BECOME a human being during those manifestations.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

The dates for the annual conference in San Diego and the memorial service for Edwin Pope have been finalized. They are:

First Day of Conference: Friday, February 9, 2007

Memorial Service: Sunday, February 11, 2007

Last Day of Conference: Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Please pray for a successful preparation for these important events.

A new StandingWatch
program was posted on the Web. It is titled, “Germany’s Rise and
America’s Decline.” In the program, Norbert Link addresses the fact
that 2007 will be a big year for Germany. Chancellor Angela Merkel will
become president of the European Union and of the G8 organization. At
the same time, we are observing a steady decline of America’s influence
in the world. Are these developments merely “coincidental”?

On December 30, 2006, Dave Harris will give the sermon titled, respectively, “Who Is My Neighbor?”

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.

As we approach the end of the (Gregorian) year of 2006, many will
celebrate this event with “ringing out the old and ringing in the new”
– a time of anticipation and, for many, resolution.  In London,
there will be the usual huge media attention as Big Ben strikes 12
midnight on December 31st with dancing in the streets, people
congregating in Piccadilly Circus and all this being shown on
television, with similar behavior being copied around the UK.

Today,
New Year’s Eve has become a time for people to wallow in excesses of
alcohol and other unacceptable conduct! The modern attitude seems to be
to have a wild time on New Year’s Eve and turn over a new leaf on New
Year’s Day!   New Year’s resolutions are usually empty and
meaningless, with few people making a lasting change.   The
anticipation is of better things to come the following year and, for
many, a commitment to resolutions that may last a few hours, a few days
or even, in some cases, a few weeks, but rarely have permanence in
their lives.

The celebration of man’s New Year is never once
commanded in the Bible. It is not something that God’s people are
attracted to or involved with. However, we also have anticipation and
commitment, but different, wholly different, from the world around us.

We
anticipate better things in the Kingdom of God at Christ’s return,
which is an event that surely can’t come too quickly to the committed
Church of God member. Our commitment that we made at baptism to live a
changed life in Christ is a lifetime commitment.   It is not
temporary anticipation of and involvement in worldly festivals derived
from paganism,  but we are looking forward to eternal life with
the great Creator God of the universe.   Now that is
anticipation that just cannot be beaten and worth all the commitment
that it will take!

2007 — A Big Year for Germany

Der Spiegel Online reported on December 27:

“2007 will be a big year for Germany: As president of the European Union, Chancellor Angela Merkel will have to reenergize a flagging European project. And as chair of the G8, she will have to resolve some of the most burning issues facing the world’s industrialized nations… [It will be the] largest political event post-war Germany has ever staged… On Jan. 1, Germany will assume the presidency of the G8 organization of the largest industrial powers. In addition, Berlin will also chair the European Union Council, presiding over the EU’s 27 member states for six months.”The 2007 ‘Germany Show’ will be played out in rather mundane venues like Heiligendamm, but also at historic locations, like Cecilienhof palace, where the Potsdam Conference was held in 1945, and the baroque Zeughaus, the former Prussian armory, in the center of Berlin. Many German politicians will have a chance to step into the limelight, not least among them Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. But it is German Chancellor Angela Merkel who will play the starring role. For months the country’s first female chancellor will be shaking hands, holding meetings, appearing on TV screens and showing Europe, and the world, the modern Germany…

“Merkel already commands the respect of her male colleagues. Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, has referred to her as ‘the visionary of Europe.’ The new United Nations general secretary, Ban Ki Moon, hopes that Merkel’s ‘double role’ will be a great source of help for both of them. And the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, a close ally of the German chancellor among Europe’s conservatives, talks about his ‘faith in Germany’s ability to lead Europe.’

“Diplomats circling the globe today come across a frightening number of conflict zones that Berlin must now deal with: from the Balkans, Afghanistan and Russia, to Iran, Iraq and Lebanon, even as far afield as Sudan and Congo. Two hotspots of particular worry are the Middle East and the Serbian province of Kosovo. The chancellor’s advisor Christoph Heusgen has also identified events in Israel as ‘a focal point for European foreign policy.’ Heusgen says that, at the very latest, this focus became intensified by the ‘increased physical engagement on the ground’ that has come with the deployment of international peacekeeping troops to southern Lebanon, where German Navy ships patrol the coast to prevent weapons deliveries to Hezbollah. In an internal analysis the German Foreign Ministry has identified five “risks” for the coming six months, including new elections in Lebanon and the Palestinian areas and the threat of new terrorist and rocket attacks on Israel. Add to that what seasoned diplomats call the ‘biggest problem’ the German presidency will face: the challenge posed by the Balkans…

“But what will really decide the success of Merkel’s presidency, will be how well she deals with the question of the EU constitution. The Union’s heads of state and government have so been unable to solve the central questions of the distribution of power in a satisfactory manner. How many votes does each member state have? When is a veto possible? Should Europe speak with the voice of one president… The other powerful EU states France and Britain are now weaker because their long-term leaders, Jacques Chirac and Tony Blair, are at the twilight of their political careers. There is no point in Merkel undertaking any concrete initiative before the French presidential elections in May — and there will only be a few weeks after it, during which the chancellor will be able to come up with anything. Faith in the European idea is rapidly fading anyway, as a survey published last week by the European Commission revealed. Whereas over 70 percent of all Europeans supported the EU project at the end of the 1990s, today that figure is only 53 percent. And only 33 percent of Europeans believe that the EU is on the right track.

“So will Merkel turn things round? Even members of her own Christian Democrat Union (CDU) party view this as almost inconceivable. ‘That would be like achieving the impossible,’ says Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble.

“Nevertheless, the chancellor and her foreign minister are hanging on to a glimmer of hope. In early December, Merkel gathered her Berlin staff and the German EU ambassadors together to come up with a plan of attack. The most important result of the confidential meeting was that as much of the original substance of the existing contract as possible should be kept — after all, the agreement has already been ratified by 18 states… during the first three months of 2007 Merkel will conduct face-to-face meetings with her 26 fellow European leaders to find common ground in order to get the constitution back on track. Meetings will also be set up with potential French presidential candidates — discreetly, of course, as no one wants to insult Chirac. In this way, says one advisor, Merkel is trying to work out where the ‘absolute red line’ on the constitution is. To all intents and purposes this group of people would take the scissors to the draft constitution until it is acceptable to all.

“The first fruits of Merkel’s efforts will be on show on March 25, which the chancellor is describing as ‘the dramatic high-point of the German presidency.’ At a special summit in the Zeughaus building of the German Historical Museum in the center of Berlin, Europe will be celebrating the 50th birthday of the Treaty of Rome, the document that founded the European Economic Community that would later grow to become the European Community and, ultimately, today’s European Union. Merkel believes the event will provide a good opportunity to put new life into the European project, which has languished in the new millennium.”

The Bible clearly reveals that continental Europe WILL unite. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

German Fighter Jets Requested for Afghanistan

Der Spiegel Online reported on December 21, 2006:

“It happened faster than expected: NATO has requested in a confidential letter that the German military deploy German Tornado surveillance and fighter jets to Afghanistan. Berlin has agreed to comply — and the German parliament will not be given a chance to debate the matter…

“The situation in Kabul is more dangerous than it has been for a long time. Taliban fighters have gotten a foothold into the city’s suburbs and are gradually infiltrating the Afghan capital from there. The city’s southern districts have become a ‘gateway’ for suicide attackers and armed fighters…

“Until now, the German government has expanded its military commitments in Afghanistan in a series of small steps. But the pace is speeding up. First came occasional transport flights in the hard-fought south of the country. Then a few signals specialists were dispatched to Kandahar. Now it’s Tornado surveillance jets, equipped with cameras — and cannons. The Germans are allowing themselves to get deeper and deeper involved in the Afghanistan conflict, and there is no end in sight. Between Christmas and New Year, US C-17 transport planes will unload heavy German Marder tanks at the German military’s central headquarters in Mazar-e-Sharif.

“And the Germans will also have to agree to the request for the Tornados. There is no doubt about that in the German Chancellery, at the Defense Ministry or at the Foreign Ministry. The complaints from Germany’s NATO allies during the past weeks about the German armed forces, who are seen as having installed themselves in the relatively quiet north of Afghanistan, leaving the fighting to their allies, had grown too loud…

“Step by step, the government began venturing into dangerous territory. Shortly before the NATO summit in Riga, Berlin sent 23 signals specialists to Kandahar, a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan, to assist the British troops stationed there — and curb the ire of Germany’s NATO allies. ‘Without the Germans, the British would have been in a fix,’ one NATO general admitted…

“German Tornado jets were already deployed in combat situations about eight years ago — in order to ‘avert a humanitarian catastrophe in the Kosovo conflict,’ as the Bundestag resolution, passed by a large majority, stated then. It was the first time that German troops were deployed in combat since World War II. This time the Tornados are meant to fly as reconnaissance planes — but that can of course be changed at any time. The German military journal Soldat und Technik notes, not without a certain pride, that the planes can be converted into bombers again in no time. A few hours are all it takes to replace camera-equipped containers with bombs. The jets fly at an altitude of between 60 and 2,600 meters (197 and 8,530 feet). Their infrared sensors are capable of detecting even freshly dug graves at the edge of a forest — a technological capability sometimes utilized in police investigations within Germany.”

Germany is destined to play a major role in world affairs. Even though many Germans are opposed to their country’s military involvement in other parts of the world, the pressure from Germany’s allies to engage in such a way, will steadily grow in time. Our booklet, “Europe in Prophecy,” explains in much detail what is certain to happen soon in Germany, Europe and the rest of the World.

The War Has Begun

The Associated Press reported on December 24:

“Ethiopia sent fighter jets into Somalia and bombed several towns Sunday in a dramatic attack on Somalia’s powerful Islamic movement, and Ethiopia’s prime minister said his country had been ‘forced to enter a war.’ It was the first time Ethiopia acknowledged its troops were fighting in support of Somalia’s U.N.-backed interim government even though witnesses had been reporting their presence for weeks in an escalating battle that threatens to engulf the Horn of Africa region. Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi went on television to announce that his country was at war with the Islamic movement that wants to rule neighboring Somalia by the Quran.

“‘Our defense force has been forced to enter a war to defend (against) the attacks from extremists and anti-Ethiopian forces and to protect the sovereignty of the land,’ Meles said a few hours after his military attacked the Islamic militia with fighter jets and artillery… Eritrea, a bitter rival of Ethiopia, is backing the Islamic militia, and experts fear the conflict could draw in the volatile Horn of Africa region, which lies close to the Saudi Arabian peninsula and has seen a rise in Islamic extremism. A recent U.N. report said 10 nations have been illegally supplying arms and equipment to both sides in Somalia.”

Der Spiegel Online reported on December 24 that the EU reacted “alarmed.” They are demanding of Ethiopia an immediate cease fire and the cessation of any further attacks on Somalia. AFP reported on December 26 that “the United States defended Ethiopia’s assault… which has reportedly killed more than 1,000 people.”

Der Spiegel Online added on December 27:

“Ethiopa’s military offensive against the Union of Islamic Courts, which holds the Somali capital Mogadishu and much of central and southern Somalia, is a dangerous act of aggression that could lead to a protracted war and even strengthen the Islamists, according to German media commentators who see the conflict as opening up a new battlefield in the American-led global war against Islamic extremists.”

AFP reported on December 28:

“Islamist forces have abandoned Somalia’s capital Mogadishu as Ethiopian-backed government troops surrounded the coastal city, where residents reported looting, gunfire and preparations for guerrilla warfare. The government said the Islamists, who set up their stronghold in Mogadishu after routing warlords in June, had distributed weapons to civilians… Late Wednesday, the UN Security Council failed for a second day to reach consensus on a call for the immediate withdrawal of all foreign forces from Somalia and an end to military operations, then gave up. The African Union and the Arab League have urged Ethiopia to pull out… The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has meanwhile warned that as many as 50,000 refugees could pour into neighbouring countries.”

We read in Daniel 11:40 that in the end time, the king of the south will “push at” the king of the north. The translation in the King James Bible, “attack him,” is incorrect. In the past, Ethiopia was the king of the south, which was pushing at the revived Roman Empire in Europe. It is unclear whether the prophecy in Daniel 11:40, which has been fulfilled, is of dual application. If so, that is, IF a “king of the south” were still to arise again on the world scene, it would have to be Ethiopia. [The concept that a future king of the south would be some kind of a league of Arab nations has absolutely no support in Scripture or history.] It is therefore important to watch the events taking place in and near to Ethiopia, as well as European reactions to the dealings of Ethiopia.

America’s Decline

The New York Times wrote on December 24 about incredible events in Somalia:

“The rally was supposed to be against Ethiopia, Somalia’s neighbor and historic archenemy… But the cheers that shook the stadium… were about another country, far, far away. ‘Down, down U.S.A.!’ thousands of Somalis yelled… ‘Slit the throats of the Americans!’ Not exactly soothing words, especially when the passport in your pocket has one of those golden eagles on it.

“Somalia may be the place that best illustrates a trend sweeping across the African continent: After Sept. 11, 2001, the United States concluded that anarchy and misery aid terrorism, and so it tried to re-engage Africa. But anti-American sentiment on the continent has only grown, and become increasingly nasty. And the United States seems unable to do much about it.

“A number of experts on Africa trace those developments to a sense not of American power, but of its decline — a perception that the United States is no longer the only power that counts, that it is too bogged down in the Middle East to be a real threat here, and so it can be ignored or defied with impunity. American officials, for example, acknowledge that they are at a loss about what to do about the on-again, off-again Somali crisis…

“But the broader issue playing out here — the sense that the United States is not the kingmaker it once was — goes beyond Mogadishu. It is Africa-wide. And it is based on a changed reality: the emergence of other customers for Africa’s resources and the tying down of American military forces in Iraq have combined to reduce American clout in sub-Saharan Africa, even as the United States pumps in more financial aid than ever — about $4 billion per year — and can still claim to be the one superpower left standing.”

The steady decline of America’s influence in the world has clearly been prophesied. For more information, please read our free booklet: “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Former U.S. President Gerald Ford Dies

AFP reported on December 28:

“US flags have flown at half mast across the country in honor of the late former US president Gerald Ford… Ford, who in 1974 became the 38th US president when he replaced the disgraced Richard Nixon, died quietly late Tuesday at his home in Rancho Mirage, in southern California, his family said. He was 93. No cause of death was given. Ford’s 896-day presidency is best-remembered for pardoning Nixon for his role in the Watergate scandal within weeks of taking office. The pardon provoked howls of condemnation and likely cost him the 1976 presidential election to Democrat Jimmy Carter.

“The unassuming Republican politician was a decorated World War II veteran who saw action aboard a navy aircraft carrier in the Pacific. He was president in April 1975 when the last US troops, diplomats and Vietnamese supporters were flown out in helicopters from the roof of the US embassy in Saigon, marking the end of the US intervention in Vietnam. This experience may have shaped his disagreement with the US-led war in Iraq: in a Washington Post interview published Thursday, Ford made it clear he ‘very strongly’ disagreed with President George W. Bush’s justifications for invasion… Ford was also critical of two of the Iraq war’s strongest advocates: Vice President Dick Cheney — his former White House chief of staff — and former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who performed the same job during his presidency.”

Euro Overtakes US Dollar

The Financial Times reported on December 27:

“The US dollar bill’s standing as the world’s favourite form of cash is being usurped by the five-year-old euro. The value of euro notes in circulation is this month likely to exceed the value of circulating dollar notes, according to calculations by the Financial Times. Converted at Wednesday’s exchange rates, the euro took the lead in October.

“The figures highlight the remarkable growth in euro notes since their launch on January 1 2002, three years after the start of Europe’s monetary union, which in January welcomes its 13th member – Slovenia, the former Yugoslav republic.”

Is Japan Going to Develop Nuclear Weapons?

Haaretz.com reported on December 25:

“The Japanese government recently looked into the possibility of developing nuclear warhead[s]… experts affiliated with the government estimated that it will take at least three to five years for Japan to make a prototype nuclear warhead… As the only country ever attacked by atomic weapons, Japan has for decades espoused a strict policy of not possessing, developing or allowing the introduction of nuclear bombs on its territory.

“The non-nuclear stance, however, has come under increasing scrutiny since North Korea conducted its first nuclear test on October 9, which raised severe security concerns in Japan, and broader fears that a regional arms race could be triggered. Just months prior to the North’s nuclear test, it test-fired several ballistic missiles capable of hitting Japan…

“The government, under newly elected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has said the country’s pacifist Constitution does not ban it from possessing nuclear weapons for self-defense, but stressed that Japan would stick to its policy of forbidding nuclear weapons on Japanese soil. Japan’s huge plutonium stockpile from nuclear power stations is a major international concern, partly because it could be a target of terror attacks or could be turned into nuclear weapons.”

It cannot be ruled out that Japan will begin to develop nuclear weapons, or that it will align itself with Asian nuclear powers. Daniel 11:44 speaks in prophetic terms about the future military leader of a European super power, who will be troubled by “news from the east and the north”–i.e., the Far East. The Bible continues to predict in the same verse that the European power bloc will engage the Far East in a destructive war. The development of nuclear weapons, or the threat to use existing ones, might very well be one of the reasons for this future war.

The Cycle of Violence

Zenit wrote on December 19:

“Violence only leads to more violence, Benedict XVI warned as he expressed his hopes for peace and stability in the Middle East… [The Pope said:] ‘With a heavy heart, I note that a wide range of territorial and other disputes have led to armed conflicts in recent times that threaten the peace and stability of the entire Middle East… Repeatedly I have pleaded for a cessation of violence in Lebanon, in the Holy Land and in Iraq… The world looks on with great sadness at the cycle of death and destruction, as innocent people continue to suffer and targeted individuals are kidnapped and assassinated.’ The Pope said that the Church ’emphatically rejects war as a means of resolving international disputes, and has often pointed out that it only leads to new and still more complicated conflicts… Sadly, from the current situation in the Middle East, it is only too evident that this is the case…'”

Earthquakes Damage Telephone Lines and Internet Services

The Associated Press reported on December 27:

“Telephone lines and Internet service went dead across much of Asia on Wednesday after two powerful earthquakes damaged undersea cables used by several countries to route calls and online traffic. Repairing the cables could take weeks because crews have to pull them up and transfer them to a ship for repair…

“The quakes jolted Taiwan late Tuesday, setting off a tsunami alert on the second anniversary of the Dec. 26, 2004, waves and quake that killed 230,000 in nine countries from the Indonesian islands to east Africa. No large waves materialized this time… The company reported a 50 percent loss of overall telephone capacity, with connections to China, Japan and Southeast Asia most affected… almost all of Taiwan’s communications capacity with Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong was disrupted. Also hard hit was telephone service to the U.S., where 60 percent of capacity was lost, the company said…

“The quake, which hit offshore from the southern town of Hengchun, was felt throughout Taiwan… The U.S. Geological Survey estimated its magnitude at 7.1, while Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau measured it at 6.7. It was followed eight minutes later by 7.0 magnitude aftershock, the USGS said. A 5.9-magnitude aftershock struck early Wednesday, the Central Weather Bureau said… a 7.6-magnitude earthquake in central Taiwan in September 1999 killed more than 2,300 people.”

AFP reported on December 28:

“The chaos in Asia’s Internet service sparked by an undersea earthquake shows the region’s cable network is too fragile and overly reliant on connections to the United States, industry observers have said… ‘Instead of being so dependent on connections to North America, Asia might want to spend some money on connecting to Europe,’ said Ross Veitch, who set up Yahoo Southeast Asia…”

Malaysia’s Worst Floods

Reuters reported on December 23 that “Malaysia’s worst floods in 37 years have displaced nearly 100,000 people amid food shortages, looting and criticism on Saturday of the government’s handling of the crisis… In Indonesia, authorities said at least five people were killed and 70,000 others driven from their homes by surging flash floods triggered by two days of incessant rain in Aceh’s eastern coastal areas.”

Saddam To Die

The Daily Mail reported on December 27:

“Saddam Hussein said today he would go to the gallows as a ‘sacrifice’ and called on Iraqis to unite against US and British troops. Just hours after a court confirmed his death sentence, the former dictator released an open letter from his cell spelling out his wish to become a ‘martyr’… His statement came as his Ba’ath Party threatened to target US interests across the globe if the execution went ahead as expected in the next 30 days… Iraq’s highest court yesterday rejected Saddam’s appeal against a conviction and death sentence for the killing of 148 people who were detained after a 1982 attempt to assassinate him in Dujail, northern Iraq…

“[Saddam’s] British-based [defense] lawyer Dr Abdel Haq Alani told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: ‘It’s got nothing to do with crimes against humanity or war crimes. It’s about a political era that has to be tried and executed, and the head of it must pay for it, otherwise the invasion would have been completely baseless, meaningless and morally bankrupt. And it is – but they have to sell it to the people.’ Dr Haq Alani added: ‘What’s happened in the last three and a half years is a calamity, even in the bloody Middle East. Saddam Hussein is another incident in this mess created by George Bush and Tony Blair.’

“The lawyer said the legal process had been flawed, and added: ‘This case has finished without ever having a judgment. It’s unheard of in any legal process to have a sentence without a judgment.’ Saddam’s defence lawyers, based in Amman, called on Arab governments and the UN to intervene to stop the execution.”

According to Der Spiegel Online, dated December 27, “A White House spokesman in Washington called the ruling a milestone in Iraq’s efforts ‘to replace the rule of a tyrant with the rule of law.’… [However,] Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D’Alema told an Italian news agency on Tuesday, ‘As Italians and as Europeans we are against the death penalty,’ and said the execution could have a negative effect on the ‘difficult process of reconciliation’ in Iraq.”

This is apparently correct. The historical background of the design
of the European flag, and its biblical significance, is quite
interesting. The Catholic News Agency, Zenit, wrote the following on
December 7, 1999:

“December 8 is a very special day for Europe:
in 1955, on that day, the European Ministers’ delegates officially
adopted the European flag designed by Arsene Heitz… The decision was
taken following the 1950 European Council’s… convocation of a
competition to design the flag of the newborn European Community…: 12
stars on a blue background.

“Recently Heitz revealed to a French
magazine the reason for his inspiration. At that time he was reading
the history of the Blessed Virgin’s apparitions in Paris’ Rue du Bac,
known today as the Virgin of the Miraculous Medal. According to the
artist, he thought of the 12 stars in a circle on a blue background,
exactly the way it is represented in traditional iconography of this
image of the Immaculate Conception…

“According to Javier
Paredes, Professor of Contemporary History at the University of Alcala
in Spain, in statements sent to ZENIT, ‘Heitz listens to God in his
interior; in other words, he prays with his heart and his head. He says
he is profoundly religious and devoted to the Virgin, to whom he never
misses praying a daily Rosary, together with his wife. Because of this,
he believes the inspiration not only from his artistic talents, but
from the silent voices that Heaven always speaks to men of good will,
among whom Heitz can undoubtedly be numbered. He is an artist who,
virtually at the end of his life and at the zenith of his career, can
proclaim with the guarantee of authenticity that he recalls that
moment… that he regards himself as a man who loves the whole world,
but especially the Blessed Virgin, who is OUR MOTHER.’

“‘… And,
perhaps without realizing it, the delegates of the European Ministers
officially adopted the design proposed by Heitz on the FEAST OF OUR
LADY: December 8, 1955,’ explained Prof. Paredes. ‘That’s a lot of
coincidences, so henceforth it should not be difficult for us to
discover in the folds of the Europeans’ flag the smile and affection of
Our Mother, the QUEEN OF EUROPE, ready to lend a hand in that great
challenge that St. Peter’s successor has proposed to us: to
re-Christianize the Old Continent with the example of our lives and the
testimony of our words.”

According to further information
gathered from the Internet, Paul G.M. Levi, member of the European
Council who explained the meaning of the design of the European flag to
the members of the Economic Community, was a Jew but became a Roman
Catholic. He proposed to the Secretary General of the Board of Europe,
Earl Benvenuti, to choose the symbol of Mary. When the members of
parliament agreed, Levi said: “How on earth is it possible. We just
rediscovered the introit of the new Mass of Mary’s Assumption!” The EU
has allegedly expressed that the number of stars will always stay at
12, which would indicate that the stars do not represent countries. A
leaflet, “Building Europe Together,” which was given to visitors to the
EU headquarters in Brussels, stated: “The European flag [is] a shared
flag, blue with 12 gold stars symbolizing completeness. The number will
remain 12 no matter how many countries there are in the European Union.”

These
are startling and widely unknown revelations, which receive added
significance in light of history and Biblical prophecy. As we fully
explain in our booklet, “Europe in Prophecy,” the ancient Roman Empire
was destined to be revived ten times after the fall of Rome. It has
already experienced nine resurrections or revivals–the last six of
which occurred under the lead of or cooperation with the Roman Catholic
Church. These past six “religiously motivated” European revivals,
including those under Charles the Great and Otto the Great, have become
known in history as the “Holy Roman Empire,” or “the Holy Roman Empire
of the German Nation.” We are told in the book of Revelation that a
final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire is to occur very soon.

All
of the resurrections of the Holy Roman Empire are pictured in the 17th
chapter of the book of Revelation as a woman riding a beast with seven
heads and ten horns. The seven heads of the beast signify seven
resurrections of the Holy Roman Empire–six of which have already
occurred–and the ten horns point at a still future event: the rule of
ten end-time European nations or groups of nations. These united ten
European nations or groups of nations will give their authority to “the
beast”–a powerful end-time political leader (Revelation 17:13). The
woman which is sitting on the beast is also called Babylon the Great.
It is identified in the 17th chapter of the book of Revelation as a
religious entity–“that great city which REIGNS OVER the kings of the
earth” (Revelation 17:18). It is sitting on seven mountains or hills
(verse 9).

Most Biblical commentaries clearly identify the
“woman” as papal Rome. For instance, the Ryrie Study Bible states: “In
chapter 17 Babylon represents the … religious system that will center
in Rome…” The Nelson Study Bible writes: “Since the word ‘mountains’
also means, ‘hills,’ in Revelation…, most interpreters understand
this as referring to the seven hills along the Tiber River, a
well-known designation of the city of Rome.” Halley’s Bible Handbook
states: “The description of Babylon the Great… [s]eated on the
Seven-Headed Ten-Horned Beast… [e]xactly fits Papal Rome. Nothing
else in World History does fit.” The Broadman Bible Commentary adds:
“Any schoolboy would have identified Rome by the seven hills. Latin
literature abounds with references to the city on seven hills.”

Therefore,
the Bible does reveal that the final revival of the ancient Holy Roman
Empire in Europe will again be guided by the Church of Rome. In
addition, the Bible speaks in several places of a “heavenly queen,”
which is being worshipped (Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17-19, 25). However,
Scripture condemns such practice. In fact, modern Babylon identifies
herself as a “queen” (Revelation 18:7; compare Isaiah 47:1, 5, 7,
referring to the “daughter of Babylon” as the “Lady of Kingdoms,” verse
5). It is therefore no coincidence that the design of the European flag
was “inspired” by an image associated with the “Virgin Mary,” who is
described by Catholics, directly or indirectly, as “our Mother,” the
“queen of heaven,” our Lady” and “the queen of Europe.” We are also
told that when the final configuration of this last European revival
has manifested itself on the world scene, the time of Christ’s return
will be “very near.” The Bible speaks of “one hour” (Revelation
17:12)–that is, a VERY short time.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new member letter has been written for January. In the letter,
Norbert Link discusses our individual and collective responsibilities
as Christians. It also announces our tentative plans for the annual
conference and a memorial service for Mr. Pope. The letter will be sent
out in the USA early next week, together with a hard copy of our
booklet, “Human Suffering, Why…And How Much Longer?”

The text for our new booklet on the Spring Holy Days has entered the second review cycle.

A new StandingWatch
program was posted on the Web. It is titled, “The Holocaust Debate.” In
the program, Norbert Link discusses the fact that history clearly
proves and confirms the undeniable atrocities committed by the Nazis
during the Holocaust. But are there dangers involved with criminalizing
those who deny the Holocaust, as at least 11 countries have done?