On July 22, 2006, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “In The Beginning, Part 3.”

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

In a recent article about an Associated Press-Ipsos poll, just over
half of those who took the survey said lying was never justified, YET
in the same exact poll nearly two-thirds said it was OK to lie in
particular situations.  One “noted ethicist” even proclaimed that
he was a proponent of lying and we have a moral obligation to lie.

The
most dumbfounding aspect of this was that most would say that lying was
necessary at the most ludicrous of times:  when asked about their
age; whether they were very sick; how someone looked in a dress;
etc. 

Hopefully we can see how ridiculous this is, and
these things would not be an issue for us.  But, what about the
tougher predicaments? What if we were faced with something of a more
dire nature?  Is it OK for us to lie to save someone’s life or in
order to spare our own?

This is where some are more likely to go
off the rail.  The short answer is no.  We do not have the
prerogative to decide when we can lie.  The Bible does not say
that it is OK to lie if a situation warrants it in our mind.  To
believe that the Great God did not conceive of the dilemmas that we
would face when He asked us not to lie is to discount God and to lack
faith in Him.

It is a necessity to worship God in truth (John
4:24), and if we lie, it should go without saying that this is not of
the truth (1 John 2:21). If we consider ourselves to be followers of
what God instructs us in His Word, the Bible, we cannot lie to anyone,
at any time, about anything (Colossians 3:9).

If we are of God,
then we will keep His Word, the Truth.  If we believe that we have
to lie, then we follow the originator of lying, the devil (John 8:44,
47). If we love and believe God and His Word, then we can rest assured
that all will work out for good (Romans 8:28).

ONGOING WAR in the Middle East

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 17:

“A spiral of violence has stymied peace in the Middle East for decades. Now, as bombs are being dropped on Beirut, rockets fired at Haifa and tanks sent into Gaza, Israel and Muslim extremists have brought the region to the brink of all out war…  Israeli fighter jets destroyed the runway at Beirut’s international airport. Then the city’s fuel storage tanks went up in flames. Israeli warships moved into Lebanese waters, blockading the country’s ports. Lebanon, which had just halfway recovered from 15 years of civil war, was bombed back into the last century during hundreds of air strikes in the last week. The simple headline ‘War’ in newspapers on both sides of the border said it all… the Israelis found themselves being bombed back into the days of the wars of 1948-49, 1956, 1967 and 1973, as tens of thousands fled from Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on Israeli territory. Nahariya, a popular Israeli seaside resort, turned into a ghost town in the wake of a barrage of Katyusha rockets. More than a third of the city’s 50,000 inhabitants left after Hezbollah’s attacks caused dozens of injuries and one death.

“For the first time, the apparently upgraded Soviet-era Katyusha rockets hit the port city of Haifa, which had been considered out of range and safe. Eight Israeli railway employees were killed in an attack on Sunday on Israel’s third-largest city, triggering panic among Haifa’s 270,000 inhabitants…

“The most recent escalation of violence in the Middle East is the outcome of a cooperative effort as surprising as it is threatening. It appears that the Shiite Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Sunni Hamas in the Palestinian Gaza Strip have for the first time managed to coordinate an operation on two fronts. Despite their bloody clashes in Iraq, the two factions within Islam have apparently set aside their differences in their struggle against common enemy Israel…

“[H]atred for Israel grows with each day, as Israeli fighter jets launch ever more ferocious bombing attacks on targets in Beirut and southern Lebanon, destroying bridges and roads, and as television stations broadcast close-up images of bloody corpses disfigured by shrapnel. Many Lebanese already sympathize with the Shiite militia for having liberated southern Lebanon in its struggle against Israeli occupation.”

In a related article, Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 17:

“The militant Islamist group Hezbollah fire[d] Iranian-built missiles even deeper into northern Israel after Israeli Defense Forces bombarded Hezbollah strongholds and even Lebanese army targets over the weekend. World leaders have called for diplomacy and ‘international forces’ to keep the peace… Attending the G-8 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Israel had ‘a right to defend itself,’ but she and other G-8 leaders also called on Israel to stop attacking Lebanon. ‘We don’t want to let the forces of terrorism and those who support them get the chance to create chaos in the Middle East,’ Merkel said in an interview with the German television station ZDF. But German sources told SPIEGEL that, internally, Merkel’s government considered the Israeli bombardments ‘an excessive reaction.’…

“At their meeting in St. Petersburg over the weekend, G-8 leaders had trouble reaching a consensus over how to respond to the Mideast crisis. In a joint statement on Sunday, the G-8 leaders called for ‘an immediate end to the current violence.’ But throughout the weekend, differences of opinion emerged over where criticism should be directed. Bush held Hezbollah responsible for the violence and offered ‘tacit approval’ (New York Times) for Israel’s attack against Hezbollah. ‘Our message to Israel is, look, defend yourself, but as you do so, be mindful of the consequences,’ Bush said on Sunday, ‘And so we’ve urged restraint.’ But Russia’s Putin accused Israel of going further than just defending itself. ‘We do get the impression that the aims of Israel go beyond just recovering their kidnapped soldiers,’ he told reporters…

“Missiles fired from Lebanon late Sunday landed in the Israeli city of Afula — about 50 kilometers from the Israeli-Lebanese border and further south than ever before. At least one missile landed near Nazareth, while others fell in western Galilee, near the coastal city of Akko, and in Haifa. Eight people were killed in the first rocket attack on Haifa on Sunday… Egyptian ministers separately confirmed on Saturday that an Egyptian civilian ship off the coast of Lebanon had been hit during a barrage of rocket fire between Hezbollah militants and Israeli gunships. Hezbollah had launched an attack on a fleet of Israeli military vessels laying siege to Lebanon from the water; Israel said a stray Lebanese missile hit the Egyptian boat. Egypt’s state news agency MENA, however, reported that the ship had been hit by Israeli fire. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said it was too early to say which side had fired the shot…

“Thousands of foreign civilians are currently being evacuated from Lebanon. An estimated 20,000 French, 2,000 Germans and 5,000 Swedes reside in the country. Hundreds were being evacuated on Monday by air and by sea. The American, Israeli, and EU governments have coordinated the evacuations. Tens of thousands of Syrian guest workers, meanwhile, lined up at a Lebanese border crossing to escape the hail of bombs.”

The British paper, The Times, wrote on July 15:

“Regardless of the outcome of the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, the clear losers will be the Lebanese who had hoped that their country was shedding its image as a synonym for violence. “

The British paper, The Independent, added on July 15:

“The beautiful viaduct that soars over the mountainside here has become a ‘terrorist’ target. The Israelis attacked the international highway from Beirut to Damascus just after dawn yesterday and dropped a bomb clean through the central span of the Italian-built bridge–a symbol of Lebanon’s co-operation with the European Union–sending concrete crashing hundreds of feet down into the valley beneath. It was the pride of the murdered ex-prime minister Rafik Hariri, the face of a new, emergent Lebanon. And now it is a ‘terrorist’ target.”

The AFP reported on July 19:

“At least 55 civilians were killed as Israeli jets and gunboats pummelled towns and villages across Lebanon and tens of thousands of people fled a conflict that both sides defiantly warned would have no limit. In the bloodiest day since the fighting erupted eight days ago, two Israeli soldiers were also reported killed in clashes with guerrillas from the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah movement as another volley of rockets fell on northern Israel. Streams of Lebanese were fleeing their homes to find safe havens and thousands of foreigners, mainly Westerners, were being evacuated by sea from Beirut to the neighbouring Mediterranean island of Cyprus.

“The United Nations has warned of a humanitarian catastrophe, with 500,000 people displaced by the Israeli onslaught and the air and sea blockade and at least 310 people killed in Lebanon alone since last Wednesday. With the international community unable to agree even on a ceasefire call, Israel vowed its ‘intensive war’ against militants would go on as long it deemed necessary. ‘The security cabinet met this morning and decided on the continuation of the offensives in Lebanon and Gaza with no time limit,’ an Israeli official said. Hezbollah, whose leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed open war against Israel after his Beirut headquarters was bombed, retorted that its guerrillas can continue to strike with ‘an arsenal of rockets for long months, and not just days or weeks.’…

“Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, who took office about a year ago after the first elections since former powerbroker Syria ended its three-decade military presence, accused Israel of ‘committing massacres’ against his people… For many ordinary Lebanese there is little chance of… a rescue and many were fleeing their homes in southern Leb
anon, which has borne the brunt of the Israeli operation, to try to find safe havens.”

The Associated Press reported on July 20 that “Israeli troops met fierce resistance from Hezbollah guerrillas Thursday as they crossed into Lebanon to seek tunnels and weapons for a second straight day, and Israel hinted at a full-scale invasion.”

The Jerusalem Post reported on July 20 that “The Lebanese Minister of Defense warned Israel Thursday that if IDF ground forces are sent into southern Lebanon, Lebanese troops will fight along with the Hizbullah against Israel.”

US Already Bankrupt?

On July 14, the British newspaper, “The Telegraph,” published an article about the financial situation of the United States, titled, “US ‘could be going bankrupt.'” In the article, it was pointed out:

“The United States is heading for bankruptcy, according to an extraordinary paper published by one of the key members of the country’s central bank… Prof Kotlikoff said that, by some measures, the US is already bankrupt. ‘To paraphrase the Oxford English Dictionary, is the United States at the end of its resources, exhausted, stripped bare, destitute, bereft, wanting in property, or wrecked in consequence of failure to pay its creditors?’, he asked. According to his central analysis, ‘the US government is, indeed, bankrupt, insofar as it will be unable to pay its creditors, who, in this context, are current and future generations to whom it has explicitly or implicitly promised future net payments of various kinds.'”

Worldwide Donors to the Catholic Church

On July 13, Zenit published an article, explaining that Mexico belongs to the list of the ten highest donors to the Vatican. According to the article, “the Mexican contribution is ninth in the world, after that of the United States, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Ireland, Canada and Korea, and before that of Austria. Mexico is in ninth place both in contributions to ‘Peter’s Pence’ as well as in the contributions of bishops in the collection carried out in their dioceses to support the universal mission of the Church… In previous years, the country of some 90 million Catholics had no significant place in aid to the work of the Church.”

Has the Iraq War Produced A Better Iraq?

On July 19, 2006, The Associated Press reported:

“Nearly 6,000 civilians were slain across Iraq in May and June, a spike in deaths that coincided with rising sectarian attacks across the country… The report from the U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq describes a wave of lawlessness and crime, including assassinations, bombings, kidnappings, torture and intimidation. Hundreds of teachers, judges, religious leaders and doctors have been targeted for death, and thousands of people have fled, the report said…

“In the last two days alone, more than 120 people were killed in violence in Iraq. In the worst attacks, fifty-three perished in a suicide bombing Tuesday in Kufa, and 50 were slain Monday in a market in Mahmoudiya… In the first six months of the year, it said 14,338 people had been killed… Women report that their rights have been rolled back by extremist Muslim groups–both Shiite and Sunni. While under Saddam Hussein’s largely secular regime, women faced few social restrictions, they say they are now barred from going to market alone, wearing pants or driving cars. And children are frequently victims, perishing in large crowds or sometimes even targeted themselves, the report said. ‘Violence, corruption, inefficiency of state organs to exert control over security, establish the rule of law and protect individual and collective rights all lead to inability of both the state and the family to meet the needs of children,’ it said. The government still has not pursued many allegations of torture and other inhumane treatment in prisons and detention centers, the U.N. said.”

America In World War III?

On July 15, The Seattle Times quoted former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich as saying that “America is in World War III.” In the article, it was pointed out: “Gingrich said in the coming days he plans to speak out publicly, and to the Administration, about the need to recognize that America is in World War III. He lists wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, this week’s bomb attacks in India, North Korean nuclear threats, terrorist arrests and investigations in Florida, Canada and Britain, and violence in Israel and Lebanon as evidence of World War III… He said people, including some in the Bush Administration, who urge a restrained response from Israel are wrong ‘because they haven’t crossed the bridge of realizing this is a war.’ ‘This is World War III,’ Gingrich said. And once that’s accepted, he said calls for restraint would fall away… Gingrich said that public opinion can change ‘the minute you use the language’ of World War III. The message then, he said, is ‘OK, if we’re in the third world war, which side do you think should win?’ An historian, Gingrich said he has been studying recently how Abraham Lincoln talked to Americans about the Civil War, and what turned out to be a much longer and deadlier war than Lincoln expected.”

Earthquake and Tsunami Hit Java Island

The Associated Press reported on July 17 that “A powerful earthquake sent a two-meter high tsunami crashing into beach resorts along Indonesia’s Java island Monday, killing around 20 people and causing extensive damage to hotels, restaurants and homes, witnesses and officials said [It was subsequently reported that the tsunami killed over 530 people and left more than 50,000 people without home or shelter]… The tsunami followed a quake that struck deep beneath the Indian Ocean 150 miles southwest of Java’s western coast… The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.2, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was followed by a [series of aftershocks, including a] 6.1-magnitude aftershock two hours later.”

According to subsequent reports on July 19, another 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck the region on Wednesday.

The article continued:

“Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because of its location on the so-called Pacific ‘Ring of Fire,’ an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami killed at least 216,000 people, nearly half of them in Indonesia’s Aceh province. On May 27, a magnitude-5.9 earthquake devastated a large swath of Java Island, killing more than 5,800 people.”

Israel’s Goals in Lebanon

On July 19, Der Spiegel Online discussed the reaction of the German press to Israel’s fight in the Middle East. The magazine quoted numerous German newspapers, as follows:

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung doubts a buffer zone will do much good… ‘The (rocket) attacks on Haifa prove that Hezbollah has weapons to reach Israel even from the hinterlands of Lebanon,’ writes the paper. The idea of disarming Hezbollah and forcing Lebanon to obey Resolution 1559 also seems to be an Israeli pipedream: ‘Until now the Lebanese army has been too weak, and whether they will want or be able to fulfil this task after the terrorists have been decimated in their own country remains an open question.’ Until Hezbollah surrenders, writes the FAZ, even sending UN troops to keep the peace will be ‘an illusion,’ and the risk of escalation remains high…

“The right-wing daily Die Welt runs a guest editorial filed from Tel Aviv, which argues that the international press has focused on Israel’s use of military force but missed the larger point: Israel hasn’t ‘opened’ a war on two fronts (in Lebanon as well as Gaza); Israel has ‘responded on two fronts’ after months of harassment and hundreds of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, the author, conservative US commentator Jeffrey Gedmin, writes…

“The left-wing daily Die Tageszeitung also runs a guest editorial, by the German-born Israeli peace activist and journalist Uri Avnery. It’s a ‘total illusion,’ Avnery writes, to think the Lebanese government would disarm a popular movement like Hezbollah, or that the Lebanese army–full of Shiites sympathetic to the Shiite militants– would fight them. ‘The only solution (for Israel) will be an agreement with the Shiites, and an indirect one with Syria and Iran,’ he argues, warning that Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has started to position himself in the Arab world ‘as a kind of liberator the Palestinians.’ Israel needs to negotiate, Avnery believes…

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung… wonders exactly where the violence will lead. Hezbollah’s rockets are hidden in civilian cellars, and ‘the longer this war of deterrence lasts and the more civilian victims are mourned in Lebanon, the more pictures of destruction will shove the true instigators of this war — Hezbollah — into the background.'”

Anti-Israeli Sentiments Grow

The EUObserver wrote on July 16 that “US foreign affairs chief Condoleezza Rice played down the split between Europe and America on reactions to Israel’s bombing of Lebanon… The US lays blame on Hamas and Hezbollah militants, arguing that Iran and Syria incited and supported the groups in kidnapping Israeli soldiers to halt Lebanon and Palestine’s recent moves toward democracy and peace with Tel Aviv… Mr Bush’s Iraq ally, UK leader Tony Blair, broadly aligned himself with the US after a bilateral meeting on Sunday morning, blaming Iran and Syria for disrupting regional ‘democratisation’ and saying ‘we have got to deal with those underlying conditions.’ But French president Jacques Chirac and Russian leader Vladimir Putin came out on Saturday night with strongly anti-Israeli statements in an international polarisation reminiscent of the divisions around the 2003 Iraq invasion itself.”

The Christian Science Monitor wrote on July 18:

“With Israel’s confrontation with Hizbullah and Lebanon lurching closer to all-out war, winds of anger are blowing through the Middle East that are likely to strengthen the political hand of radical Islamists from Egypt to Saudi Arabia. Since the fighting began, at least 24 Israelis, 12 of them civilians, have been killed and at least 175 Lebanese, nearly all civilians. In recent weeks, about 200 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in a separate showdown between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group who won power in elections earlier this year. The confrontation–coupled with the rising civilian toll–also poses a serious threat to US interests in the region… Anger at Saudi Arabia’s close relationship with the US, and by association Israel, has long generated support for Al Qaeda among many Saudis… The escalating confrontation between Israel and Lebanon is also helping Syria and Iran gain influence and prestige among Arab populations for their strong support of Hizbullah and Hamas.”

Rift Between EU and USA Over Israel?

On July 19, The Associated Press reported:

“A rift is emerging between the European Union and the United States over whether Israel should cease its offensive against Hezbollah guerrillas.

“The Europeans fear mounting civilian casualties will play into the hands of militants and weaken Lebanon’s democratically elected government. The Bush administration, while noting these concerns, is giving Israel a tacit green light to take the time it needs to neutralize the Shiite militant group.

“The mixed message could help Israel in its mission to destroy Hezbollah’s stronghold in southern Lebanon and stop the guerrillas’ deadly rocket fire on Israel. But Islamic hard-liners and terrorist groups could be long-term winners, using the vivid television imagery of the death and destruction in Lebanon to win popularity and promote their jihads.”

Iran’s Hezbollah Welcomes World War III

Newsmax.com reported on July 18:

“Iran’s Hezbollah, which claims links to the Lebanese group of the same name, said on Tuesday it stood ready to attack Israeli and U.S. interests worldwide. ‘We have 2,000 volunteers who have registered since last year,’ said Iranian Hezbollah’s spokesman Mojtaba Bigdeli… ‘They have been trained and they can become fully armed. We are ready to dispatch them to every corner of the world to jeopardize Israel and America’s interests. We are only waiting for the Supreme Leader’s green light to take action. If America wants to ignite World War Three . . . we welcome it,’ he said… While Iran did fund and support Lebanese Hezbollah during the 1980s, Tehran says it has not contributed troops or weapons in the latest violence. Israel says Iranian armaments have been fired against it.”

Is Lebanon’s Hezbollah Planning Attacks in the USA?

TCV News reported on July 16 that “While many US government officials are deeply concerned over Iran’s nuclear program, according to recent reports, investigations by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Justice Department revealed last May that the Lebanon-based terrorist group Hezbollah may be plotting attacks. These attacks may be launched by their sleeper cells in New York and several other US cities… Hezbollah, or God’s Party, grew out of the Lebanese civil war in the early 1980s and quickly became the region’s leading radical Islamic movement. Their primary goal was to drive Israeli and American troops out of Lebanon. For many years, Hezbollah was synonymous with terror, suicide bombings and kidnappings.

“In 1983, militants who went on to join Hezbollah’s ranks carried out a suicide bombing attack that killed 241 US marines in Beirut, which lead to President Ronald Reagan’s withdrawal order for all US military peacekeepers. In May 2000 — due to the success of the party’s military arm — one of its main aims was achieved. Israel’s military was forced to end almost 20 years of occupation in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah now serves as an inspiration to Palestinian factions fighting to liberate more territory. The party has embraced the Palestinian cause and has said publicly that it is ready to open a second front against Israel in support of the intifada.”

“Hezbollah’s political rhetoric’s central theme is the total annihilation of the state of Israel. Its definition of Israeli occupation has also encompassed the idea that the whole of Palestine is occupied Muslim land and it has argued that Israel has no right to exist. Hezbollah’s spiritual head Sheikh Fadlallah is close to Iranian government and is believed responsible for the vitriolic speeches of the Iranian president.

“Hezbollah is funded, armed and trained by the Iranians and given free reign by Syria’s ruling Ba’athist Party. Its international network, according to terrorism analysts, is believed to include at least 15,000 operatives in cells in the US, Canada, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, most of Western Europe, Indonesia, Malaysia, and throughout Africa. Western intelligence sources estimate Hezbollah’s annual budget to be approximately $400 million, including almost $100 million annually from Iran.

“Other sources of funding include Syria, charitable organizations, individual donations, legitimate business, and illegitimate businesses such as illegal arms trading, cigarette smuggling, currency counterfeiting, credit card fraud, theft, operating illegal telephone exchanges, and drug trafficking. Recently two men were convicted of running a criminal operation that helped to fund Hezbollah.”

Slow Evacuations of Americans

USA Today reported on July 18:

“Thousands of Americans remained stranded Monday in Lebanon as the State and Defense departments developed plans to evacuate them. By late Monday, 64 Americans had been flown by Marine helicopter to safety on the island of Cyprus. The pace of the evacuation angered some in the USA with relatives in the country… As Israel and the militant Islamic group Hezbollah trade rocket attacks and airstrikes, European nations with citizens in Lebanon have evacuated more of their citizens more quickly than the United States. For example, about 850 Swedes among about 5,000 in Lebanon have been evacuated, and Sweden also chartered three ships to bring Swedes from Beirut to Cyprus… The State Department rejected a land evacuation through Syria because of safety concerns for Americans in that country…

“The Defense and State departments are developing a plan to evacuate those of the 25,000 Americans in Lebanon who want to leave, said Thomas Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Cyprus. A U.S. Embassy statement issued Monday instructed American citizens to be ready to leave immediately. It may be a week or more before the evacuation is fully underway, Miller said. Israeli airstrikes have damaged the international airport, making the sea Americans’ main escape route. The Pentagon has mobilized some ships and troops to aid in the evacuation. The 750-passenger Orient Queen, a Greek cruise ship, has been chartered to ferry evacuees from Beirut to Cyprus.”

As CNN reported on July 18, many Americans begin to compare the slow response of the American government to the crisis in Lebanon with its slow response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.

On July 19, 2006, The Associated Press reported:

“An eight-deck cruise liner [the “Orient Queen”] carrying more than 1,000 Americans sailed out of Beirut’s port Wednesday, the first mass U.S. evacuation from Lebanon since Israeli airstrikes started more than a week ago. The U.S. Marine general coordinating the evacuation says 6,000 Americans will be out of Lebanon by the weekend… Many of those aboard were relieved to depart, after complaints of slow action by the United States compared to European countries that sent cruise ships, ferries and warships over the past three days to move out thousands… The Americans also stepped up evacuations Wednesday by military aircraft from their hilltop embassy, which was expected to stay open. Four Chinook transport helicopters ferried 800 Americans from Beirut to nearby Larnaca airport in Cyprus. The Chinooks can carry twice as many people as the Sea Stallion choppers that have carried evacuees for the past three days… The U.S. State Department said Tuesday it had dropped a plan to make Americans reimburse the government for the transport… An estimated 8,000 of the 25,000 U.S. citizens in Lebanon want to be evacuated. A total of 320 Americans–mostly children, students and the elderly–left Tuesday night by military helicopter and a Norwegian car ferry, which also carried hundreds of Swedes, Norwegians and others… Part of what delayed the Orient Queen was Israel’s blockade of Lebanon’s ports…”

…While Some Other Nations Act More Quickly

AFP reported on July 18:

“World powers have deployed helicopters, warships, chartered ferries and buses to pluck tens of thousands of trapped foreigners from war-torn Lebanon in one of the biggest mass evacuations since World War II. With Beirut’s airport in tatters, foreigners fled by bus to Syria to escape Israeli bombs, missiles and artillery fire, as others were taken away by ship or helicopter to Cyprus. Israel has imposed an air and sea blockade around Lebanon but has said it will co-ordinate with foreign governments to allow their terrified nationals to leave.

“In London, Prime Minister Tony Blair said Britain now had six ships in the region… The British press has put pressure on Blair, saying Britons in Beirut are impatient with preparations to evacuate up to 12,000 British nationals, 10,000 dual nationals, and Commonwealth citizens… By early Tuesday, a chartered French ferry with about 1,250 people aboard — 800 French nationals, including 300 children, 400 from other European Union member states and 50 Americans — had already docked in Larnaca, Cyprus. The French nationals were to return to France on chartered Air France flights… Larnaca will also be the first port of call for nearly 50,000 Canadian citizens trapped by the fighting; Ottawa has chartered three ships — each capable of carrying 900 people — to help in the evacuation. An Italian vessel — with 186 Italians, 58 Lebanese and 49 Swedes and a new-born baby on board — docked there late Monday…

“Russians fleeing southern Lebanon described a harrowing journey along deserted and bombed roads to Beirut as others returned safely to Moscow from the Palestinian territories… Sweden is chartering a 1,600-passenger Greek vessel. Stockholm’s ambassador to Cyprus Ingemar Lindhal said 750 of its 5,000 passport holders are believed to have already escaped overland through Syria… Some 181 Polish nationals escaped to Syria on six buses which also contained about 30 other people, including Americans, Slovaks and Czechs… Spain said Tuesday that 113 people, most of them Spanish, had been brought home on board an armed forces Boeing 707 from Damascus, where they had arrived by bus… At the same time, German, Swiss and Austrian nationals began arriving back in Europe on chartered planes, many again on flights out of Damascus.”

The Costs of the Iraq War

The Associated Press reported on July 14 about the incredible financial costs of the Iraq war. According to the report, “The war in Iraq has cost almost $300 billion and would total almost a half-trillion dollars even if all U.S. troops were withdrawn by the end of 2009, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis released Thursday. Congress has approved $432 billion for military operations and other costs related to combating terror since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks… A recent competing analysis by the Congressional Research Service puts the tally for Iraq at $319 billion with the war in Afghanistan costing another $88 billion.”

No Capable Leaders in this World–While the World Is in Chaos?

 Britain’s “Daily Mail” wrote on July 17 about the G8 summit meeting in Russia, entitling its article: “The eight most powerful people on the planet…but weak, indecisive and utterly incapable of true world leadership.” The paper continued:

“Rarely can the impotence of what is supposed to be the most powerful group of people in the world have been placed in sharper focus. President Bush is limping to the end of his presidency; President Chirac of France and Japan’s Prime Minister Koizumi are both nearing the end of their own terms; Germany’s Chancellor Merkel, the new girl on the block, is already dragged down by mounting criticism at home; and our own Prime Minister Blair–well, say no more. Yet the G8 could hardly be meeting at a more dangerous juncture in world history, with the conflagration in the Middle East escalating virtually by the hour and the crisis over Iran’s uranium enrichment programme reaching a critical point of decision. If ever the state of the world called for united and decisive leadership, it is now…”

The paper made the following additional comments regarding the present war in the Middle East:

“It is wrong to see what has happened in Lebanon as a local skirmish that somehow got out of control. It is rather an attempt by Iran to gain regional dominance, with untold consequences for all of us if it succeeds. Israel is under ferocious attack by Iran and Syria through their proxies, Hezbollah and Hamas. Hezbollah is a kind of unofficial Iranian army, which continues to receive extensive funding and weapons from Tehran–including the arsenal of more than 13,000 rockets which have been pointed at Israel from their launchers in southern Lebanon for years. It was these missiles which hit Haifa yesterday, killing at least eight Israelis. It has been reported that Iranian Revolutionary Guards worked with Hezbollah in Lebanon on these attacks. And it was almost certainly Iran which instigated them. Iran’s President Ahmadinejad has threatened to wipe Israel off the map, as well as posing a mortal threat to the west from his regime’s potential for nuclear terrorism and blackmail. Last Tuesday, Iran dismissed the EU’s attempt to rein in its nuclear programme by saying it was in no hurry to respond…

“True, Israel’s response has been a fierce bombing campaign across Lebanon. It has blown up bridges, roads, Beirut airport and Lebanon’s TV station and many targets which it says were Hezbollah bases. It has choked off Lebanon’s economy, including its growing tourism industry. Tragically, more than 120 Lebanese have been killed so far, including a convoy of fleeing families and a further 23 civilians who died in raids yesterday. This has led to some accusing Israel of a disproportionate response. But in my view this is no more ‘disproportionate’ than, for example, Nato’s bombing of civilian targets in Serbia to force it to withdraw from Kosovo. War is always hell. Innocents always get killed, and where terrorists have deliberately embedded themselves among civilians it is hard to avoid such tragedies.

“It’s important to remember that the reason Iran was able to launch this wave of attacks upon Israel was the world’s abject failure to implement the UN Security Council resolution demanding the disarmament of all militias in Lebanon. Despite all their fierce words, both President Bush and Tony Blair are paralysed over Iran and other rogue states because they have been so politically weakened–and militarily stretched–in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even those of us who supported the war in Iraq have been appalled by the way mistakes made since the fall of Baghdad have left the coalition so powerless. It is that perception of chronic U.S. weakness which has so emboldened Iran and Syria, from whom the U.S. has exacted no price for their role in helping foment the war in Iraq.”

You are referring to the following statements in our above-mentioned booklet:

“In addition, Matthew 28:1 also reveals–correctly translated–that there were actually two ‘Sabbaths’ during the crucifixion week, a weekly Sabbath and an annual Sabbath. Cockrell points out: ‘Matthew makes it plain that two Sabbaths had passed since Jesus was crucified. The KJV [Authorized Version] has this rendering: “In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher” (Matth. 28:1). On this verse nearly all translators have allowed tradition to control their translation. It is not “Sabbath” but “Sabbaths” in the Greek text (the genitive case and the plural number). The verse properly translated would read: “In the end of the Sabbaths…” This allows for an annual Sabbath on Thursday and a regular Sabbath on Saturday.

“The Fenton Bible renders this verse correctly as, ‘after the Sabbaths,’ and it includes the following footnote: ‘The Greek original is in the plural, “Sabbaths,” which is retained.’ Alfred Marshall’s Parallel New Testament in Greek and English likewise translate the clause as, ‘after the Sabbaths.’

“In the Greek, the word for ‘Sabbath’ in the clause, ‘after the Sabbath,’ is ‘sabbata.’ This is the plural form of ‘sabbaton,’ and it is translated elsewhere many times (but unfortunately, not always, and not consistently) in the plural. For instance, we read in Matthew 12:5 (Authorized Version): ‘… how that on the sabbath days [in Greek, ‘sabbata’] the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath [Greek, ‘sabbaton’]. Matthew 12:10 (AV) states: ‘”Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days?”‘ The Greek is, ‘sabbata.’ Luke 4:31 (AV) reads: ‘… and taught them on the sabbath days [Greek, ‘sabbata.’].’ The New King James Bible translates this word quite accurately here as, ‘Sabbaths.’ Further examples can be found in Luke 6:2, 9; Colossians 2:16; and Acts 17:2.”

A good help in regard to the correct original Greek in the above-quoted Scriptures, including Matthew 28:1, can be found in Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible. It lists, under “Sabbath,” the Scriptures which use the word in the singular (“sabbaton”) and in the plural (“sabbata”). Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible is not helpful in this case, as it does not differentiate between the singular and the plural forms. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words is not extremely helpful, either. It does admit that the Greek word “sabbata” is the plural form, but it continues to state rather doubtful artificial reasons for the differentiation between the singular and the plural in the Greek. Quite inconsistently, however, the commentary does admit that the plural is used, and should be translated as such, in passages such as Matthew 12:5 and Acts 16:13.

Further research on the question reveals that the Authorized Version translates many times–but unfortunately not always–the plural for “Sabbaths” as “Sabbath days” (for instance, in Matthew 12:5, 10; Luke 4:31; Luke 6:2, 9; Colossians 2:16; and Acts 17:2). In the original Greek, there is no word for “days”–the correct translation should be “Sabbaths.” The New King James Bible translates most of these passages as “Sabbaths.”

To add to the confusion, the Greek word in Matthew 28:1 (The New King James Bible translates, quite inaccurately: “Now after the Sabbath…”) is “sabbaton,” but it is still the PLURAL form–not the singular form. In the Greek, the genitive plural form is used–and the genitive plural form of “sabbata” is “sabbaton.” In the Original, it says that it was “late on” or “in the end OF” the Sabbaths–that is, it was in the end OF SABBATON. Since SABBATON is here the genitive plural of SABBATA, it is still a plural expression, and in English, it must be correctly translated: “Now in the end of the Sabbaths…”

This shows, as we explain in our booklet, that there were actually TWO Sabbaths during the crucifixion week–a weekly Sabbath (the period from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset), and an annual Holy Day–the First Day of Unleavened Bread, which fell in that week on a Thursday–beginning with sunset on Wednesday. The women came to the grave at the end of the WEEKLY Sabbath, when the annual Sabbath had already ended and the weekly Sabbath was about to end.

In addition, it is correct that the word “week” in Matthew 28:1 is also derived from the Greek plural word for Sabbath, i.e. “SABBATA.” (Even though the Greek in Matthew 28:1 is “sabbaton,” it is again the genitive plural of “sabbata,” since it says, in the original Greek, “… as it was getting dusk toward the first day OF the week…”). Young’s Analytical Concordance of the Bible explains that the phrase “week” in Matthew 28:1 is to be understood as “from Sabbath to Sabbath”–that is, a week is composed of the time from one weekly Sabbath to the next weekly Sabbath. It is mostly used in the plural (“sabbata”), meaning “one OF Sabbaths,” signifying the first day AFTER the weekly Sabbath. Examples where the word “week” is translated from the Greek plural word for Sabbath (i.e., “sabbata”), can be found, in addition to Matthew 28:1, in Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1, 19; Acts 20:7; and 1 Corinthians 16:2.

In a few cases, such as Luke 18:12 and Mark 16:9, the Greek word for “week” is in the singular form for Sabbath (i.e., “sabbaton”). In Luke 18:12, the Pharisee claims that he is fasting “twice a week.” It literally says: “twice of the Sabbath”; that is, “twice in the days after the weekly Sabbath.”

Rather than abolishing the weekly and annual Sabbaths, the above-quoted examples show that the New Testament clearly upholds the sanctity of God’s weekly and annual Holy Days. For more information, please read our free booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days.”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new member letter has been written and sent out. In the letter,
Edwin Pope discusses the terrible consequences of sin, which can be
seen in this world, and our collective and individual responsibilities.

A new StandingWatch program has been posted on the Web. It is titled, “War in the Middle East.” Set forth below is a brief summary:

We
are observing outright war in the Middle East, which was long in the
making. But its sudden outbreak surprised not only a few commentators.
It was caused by the ongoing provocations of the terrorist organization
Hezbollah, which is operating in Lebanon. Israel’s reaction, however,
has met the condemnation of the Vatican and many countries around the
world, with the notable exception of the USA and Canada. The real
causes for this present crisis are seldom mentioned, and one tragic
consequence of this war–as is the case with every war–is the
suffering of innocent civilians.

A new Study Guide for parents with children has been placed on the Web (under Literature/Study Tools). It is titled “Teaching the Bible to Children.”

On July 15, 2006, Edwin Pope will give the sermon, titled, “Satan’s Continual Attack on the Family of Man.”

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

Before sitting at my computer to write this editorial, I decided to
catch the mid-day national and international news on television. There
was a breaking story in Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay), India. Eight
(8) bombs had been set off on trains in Mumbai with the result that
hundreds of people were either killed or injured!

It seems no
matter where one looks today, turmoil is erupting somewhere in the
world. The United States and Britain, as well as other nations, are at
war in Iraq; and within the country of Iraq, factions have erupted into
civil war. The Gaza Strip has become a powder keg as emotions between
Israel and Palestine are about to burst. Iran continues to cause
concern for all peace-loving nations. And there seems to be no peace
anywhere within the Middle East. In fact, we are presently witnessing an outright war in that region.

And now, Korea has begun flexing
its muscles, causing anxiety throughout that part of the world, with
Japan, China, and South Korea all being put on alert by the actions of
the North Koreans.

What is happening within the family of man? Why does there seem to be no peace on the earth? Where did this all begin?

When
God created mankind some 6,000 years ago, He explained to the original
human parents of all mankind the Way that would lead to peace in the
world. But Adam and Eve chose at that time to reject God’s instruction,
choosing, rather, to walk in the way of “good and evil.” Thus, having
rejected the Way of peace, mankind has reaped the fruit of their
choice! The history of mankind reflects the result that was derived
from their choice!

As prophesied, mankind finds himself on the
brink of total annihilation. Many see no hope for the future of
mankind. Yet, the Eternal God has a totally different idea for the
future – a specific and glorious purpose for man’s destiny!

God
is in the process of building and enlarging His own Family through
which the creation will be preserved into the future. God the Father
will build His own Family on the foundation already laid by the first
of the firstfruits of God’s Family, Jesus Christ. Jesus became the
chief cornerstone of a foundation of strength, based upon the
principles God has established whereby all must live. It is the same
foundation which was rejected in the beginning by Adam and Eve!

We
have been called to become firstfruits within God’s Family. We must be
walking in the Way Christ walked while on the earth – He being the
First of the firstfruits! We are to learn of that Way as we prepare to
become future sons and daughters in that Family of God.

Will we
be diligent in following that Way? It is possible through the power of
God’s Holy Spirit of which we received an earnest payment following our
baptism and the laying on of hands of God’s ministry! We must never
reject that Spirit and, as David did, we should be praying that God
will not take His Holy Spirit from us! In fact, we should be asking Him
for more of His Spirit, which He says He will give us if we ask in
faith! It is through that power working within us that we will enter
the Kingdom as born-again members of the Family of God!

We must
not fail in this calling as we grow from being members of the family of
man to become members of the Family of God! If we are faithful, we will
be changed to become as Christ is – at the seventh trump!

More Turmoil in the Middle East

AFP reported on July 12, 2006:

“Israel has invaded southern Lebanon in a ground and air assault to retrieve two soldiers snatched by Hezbollah, the first such assault into the country since a 2000 pullout. The capture, in an attack on an army outpost on the volatile Lebanese border, opened a new front in the Middle East after the capture of another Israeli soldier by Palestinians two weeks ago plunged the region into chaos. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the abduction amounted to an act of war, held the government in Beirut fully responsible, and vowed no negotiations, as aircraft and artillery pounded Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.

“Hezbollah, whose Shiite militia was instrumental in forcing Israeli troops out of Lebanon six years ago and which is sponsored by Israel’s arch-foes Syria and Iran, demanded the release of Arab prisoners in exchange for the soldiers. The morning raid and abduction came amid intense cross-border exchanges in which at least four civilians were wounded in northern Israel and another four in south Lebanon, including a correspondent of Hezbollah television. Two Lebanese civilians were later killed and five others wounded as the Israelis mounted their incursion, Lebanese police said.”

The article continued:

“Defence Minister Amir Peretz confirmed the soldiers were captured in an operation along Israel’s northern border… As soon as news of the capture was announced, celebratory gunfire erupted across Beirut’s southern suburbs — a Hezbollah stronghold. Some residents were also seen distributing sweets to passing motorists… The return of Israeli troops to the Gaza Strip last week has already evoked painful memories of the army’s disastrous 1982 invasion of Lebanon where soldiers became bogged down in a deadly quagmire before finally leaving… In an interview, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said his mediation efforts for Shalit’s release had been sabotaged by an unnamed party. In the remarks published Wednesday, Mubarak said he had reached a deal with Israel for ‘a large number of prisoners’ to be released but added that Hamas came under fresh pressure and the mediation was scuppered… Israel has so far refused to negotiate and launched a large-scale operation against the Gaza Strip, killing more than 60 Palestinians in the past 10 days and pounding the territory’s infrastructure.”

Der Spiegel Online added the following on July 13:

“After the kidnapping of two of its soldiers, Israel is cutting Lebanon off from the outside world with an air, land and sea blockade, Israeli army radio announced Thursday. Bombing raids continue after both Beirut airport and a suburb of the Lebanese capital were targeted causing at least 27 civilian casualties. Conflict in the Middle East intensified Thursday as Israel announced it would completely blockade Lebanon and continue bombing raids until two kidnapped Israeli soldiers are released. At least 27 civilians died in a night of bombing, with scores more injured as Israel flew more than 40 bombing raids over Lebanon… The Israeli Navy has entered Lebanese waters while flights have been halted into and out of Beirut’s only international airport. It is the biggest show of Israeli force in Lebanon since the 1982 invasion…

“During the night and early morning Israel carried out an aerial bombardment of southern Lebanon. According to police, ten members of a family were killed when their house was hit by a bomb: the dead included eight children. According to AFP at least 27 civilians died during a night of attacks. The Israeli army confirmed it had flown around 40 raids. The army is targeting hidden caches of Hezbollah weapons and munitions and targeted Beirut airport because, according to the army, it ‘is a central hub for the transfer of weapons and supplies to the Hezbollah terrorist organization.’… Meanwhile, the Israeli army has also stepped up its operation in the Gaza Strip. The office of the Palestinian foreign minister there was bombed Wednesday night and ten children were injured, doctors at the El-Schifa hospital said. According to eyewitnesses the children lived in houses near to the office. Nearby apartments were badly damaged by the blast.”

CNN.com added on Thursday, July 13, that “Israeli forces struck Beirut’s international airport for the second time Thursday, hitting fuel tanks that exploded into fireballs. The attack came soon after two rockets struck the northern Israeli port of Haifa on a day of spiraling violence and deepening crisis. Israel Defense Forces said the Haifa rockets came from Lebanon and blamed the strike on Hezbollah, whose guerrillas triggered the violence when they attacked inside Israel on Wednesday, killing eight Israeli soldiers and capturing two more.”

The EU Flexes Its Muscles

AFP reported on July 12:

“The European Commission has slapped Microsoft with a new fine of 280.5 million euros for failing to fully respect a 2004 antitrust ruling, but the software giant vowed to appeal. Raising the pressure on the US software giant, the European Union competition watchdog also threatened additional fines of three million euros (3.82 million dollars) a day from the end of the month if the company continued to defy the ruling. EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said that more than two years since the decision was handed down she now had ‘no alternative’ than to impose new fines, on top of a nearly half-billion-euro penalty in the original ruling… ‘No company is above the law, each and every company, large or small, operating in the European Union must obey EU law, including competition law for the benefit of all companies and consumers.’… After a five-year investigation, Kroes’ predecessor Mario Monti took the commission’s biggest competition decision ever in ruling that Microsoft had broken EU law by using a quasi-monopoly in personal computer operating systems to thwart rivals… In addition to fining Microsoft, the EU ordered the company to sell a version of its Windows operating system without Media Player software and to divulge information on Windows needed by makers of rival products.”

In a somewhat related matter, The Associated Press reported on July 12:

“The EU head office on Wednesday proposed to legislate price controls on the cost of using a mobile phone abroad, saying network operators make “excessive” profits on roaming calls and have systematically ignored appeals to moderate their prices… EU Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding said the roaming rates bill she has drafted tackles ‘one of the last borders within Europe’s internal market… For years, mobile roaming charges have remained at unjustifiably high levels, in spite of repeated warnings to the industry,’ she said. ‘I am convinced reducing roaming charges will not only be beneficial for citizens traveling within the EU, but will also enhance the competitiveness of Europe’s industry…. [A] local call in Poland costs euro 0.19, but on a non-Polish cellphone it costs from euro 0.34 to euro 2.56 per minute. While a local call in Italy costs an Italian customer euro 0.10, that same call will cost a French customer euro 0.50 to euro 1.18 per minute.”

Bush Administration in More Trouble?

AFP reported on July 10, 2006:

“The Bush administration concealed at least one ‘major’ intelligence operation from Congress in possible violation of the law and briefed lawmakers only after they had learned about it from independent sources, a ranking congressman said. The charge by Republican Representative Peter Hoekstra, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, calls into question repeated assurances by President George W. Bush and his top aides that they strictly comply with disclosure requirements. They also follow allegations the administration may have acted illegally by authorizing wiretaps on American citizens in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks without requisite court warrants… US law requires that the intelligence panels of both the Senate and the House of Representatives be informed of the government’s intelligence activities.”

Bush Defends Putin

Der Spiegel Online reported on July 7:

“Ahead of his trip to the G8 summit in St. Petersburg later this month, US President George Bush has warned against publicly criticizing his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on contentious issues.”

The article continued:

“Bush still considers Putin a friend despite ongoing US-Russian tensions, the US leader said in a recent television [interview] with news channel CNN. At the same time, he said admonishing the Russian president in public on matters of concern such as democracy and human rights would be counterproductive… Bush will meet with Putin on July 15-16 for a Group of Eight (G8) gathering of the world’s leading industrial nations in the Russian leader’s hometown St. Petersburg, Russia. The summit comes at a time of harsh exchanges between US and Russian officials, including US Vice President Dick Cheney’s comments in May that Putin was bullying Russia’s neighbors with energy sources and hurting the domestic development of democracy.

“More recently, Russia has opposed a UN Security Council resolution backed by the United States that would impose sanctions on North Korea for its missile tests. But Bush said he has a good relationship with Putin despite all of the disagreements. ‘I don’t understand some of the decisions he’s made, but my relationship is such that I’m able to express that concern and listen carefully as to why he does what he does,’ he said in the CNN interview… Bush likely has some sympathy for Putin, since the US president has been subjected to public criticism in recent years like few other leaders ever have.”

President Bush in Germany–His Lonely Arrival

On July 13, Der Spiegel Online wrote the following about President Bush’s short visit in Germany: “The airport of the Baltic Sea port town Rostock has probably never received as prominent a visitor as US President George W. Bush, who arrived in Germany Wednesday night. But amid heavy security hardly anyone was there to see Bush and his wife Laura land.”

The article continued:

“The airport had been closed off. The president’s audience consisted only of Secret Service agents and the journalists on the specially set up press podium… Meanwhile the town of Trinwillershagen is preparing for its great night in a relatively relaxed manner. True, there are vehicle controls at the entrance to the town — which has 770 inhabitants — but beyond the checkpoint everything is fully accessible, including the inn where Merkel and Bush will have their barbecue along with 50 hand-picked guests on Thursday evening.”

Has World War III Begun?

The New York Daily News reported on July 9:

“Last week’s headlines prove the point: North Korea fires missiles, Iran talks of nukes again, Iraq carnage continues, Israel invades Gaza, England observes one-year anniversary of subway bombing. And, oh, yes, the feds stop a plot to blow up tunnels under the Hudson River. World War III has begun. It’s not perfectly clear when it started. Perhaps it was after the Berlin Wall fell and the Cold War ended. Perhaps it was the first bombing of the World Trade Center, in 1993. What is clear is that this war has a long fuse and, while we are not in the full-scale combat phase that marked World Wars I and II, we seem to be heading there. The expanding hostilities mean it’s time to give this conflict a name, one that focuses the mind and clarifies the big picture. The war on terror, or the war of terror, has tentacles that reach much of the globe. It is a world war…

“I sound pessimistic because I am. Even worse than the problems is the fact that our political system is failing us. Democratic Party leaders want to pretend we can declare peace and everything will be fine, while President Bush is out of ideas. Witness Bush now counseling patience and diplomacy on North Korea. This from a man who scorned both for five years. But what choice does he have now that the pillars of his post-9/11 foreign policy are crumbling?… I believed Iraq was the key, that if we prevailed there, momentum would shift in our favor. Now I’m not sure. We still must prevail there, but Iraq could mean nothing if Iran or Bin Laden get the bomb or North Korea uses one.”

President Bush Defends Israel

The Associated Press reported on July 13:

“President Bush said Thursday that Israel has the right to defend itself as it launched fresh attacks on Lebanon after the capture of Israeli soldiers. Bush, visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel en route later in the week to a summit of world leaders in Russia, laid the blame for the escalation of violence along the border on Hezbollah, whose guerrillas mounted a cross-border raid earlier in the week and captured the two soldiers. He also said that Syria ‘needs to be held to account’ for supporting and harboring Hezbollah… Merkel appealed for restraint from both sides. But she suggested they do not share equal blame, repeatedly noting that the violence began with the soldiers’ capture… Bush was pressed on whether Israel’s military assaults, which have killed nearly three dozen civilians, could trigger a wider war. He tempered his strong support for Israel by saying his ‘biggest concern’ was that the attacks could weaken the Lebanese government led by Prime Minister Fuad Saniora and make it harder for the fledgling democracy movement there to continue to grow.”

The Jerusalem Post reported on July 13 that “Greece on Thursday expressed ‘serious concern’ over Israeli attacks in Lebanon, and urged neighboring countries to show restraint… Greece has traditionally close ties with Arab countries but has also recently improved relations with Israel.”

The article in The Associated Press continued:

“On Iran, both Bush and Merkel declined to take a hard line against Tehran, which has defied appeals from the United States, Germany and other nations to provide an answer by Wednesday on whether it would accept a package of incentives to halt uranium enrichment. The United States and other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, along with Germany and the European Union, have agreed to raise Iran’s behavior at the Security Council for possible punishment.”

Southern California Wildfire

The Associated Press reported on July 13 about a huge wildfire which was caused by lightning and finds fuel in many dead trees killed by beetle infestation:

“A huge wildfire was edging toward San Bernardino National Forest Thursday, worrying fire officials that it could grow rapidly and get close to the resort community of Big Bear Lake and add to the nearly 100 structures it had already devoured. The blistering heat and strong winds that have made firefighting efforts difficult were not letting up, as forecasters expected 100 degree plus temperatures Thursday. Temperatures hit 108 degrees Wednesday as 2,500 firefighters attacked flames burning greasewood, Joshua trees, pinon pines and brush in hills and canyons… A severe bark beetle infestation has killed many trees in the National Forest in recent years, and could provide the Sawtooth Complex fire with substantial fuel… The fire, ignited during the weekend by lightning, had destroyed 42 houses, 55 other buildings and 91 vehicles in and around this high desert community 100 miles east of Los Angeles, authorities said. As of late Wednesday, it had burned 37,000 acres (according to news reports on Thursday, more than 40,000 acres have been burned).”

Mass Murder in India

AFP reported on July 12:

“Indian police said the bombs which ripped through trains in the financial hub Mumbai [formerly known as Bombay], killing more than 200 people and wounding hundreds more, bore the hallmark of Islamic militants. Investigators picked through the debris of Tuesday’s rush-hour strikes seeking clues to the country’s worst attack in more than a decade… Seven blasts [according to subsequent reports, eight blasts] went off in the space of 15 minutes along the western railway line, tearing open first-class train carriages that were packed with people travelling home from work. The toll was 200 dead with more than 700 injured… Analysts said the bombers hoped to stoke Hindu-Muslim tensions and may have targeted first-class carriages to minimise casualties among Muslims, a minority in Mumbai and generally poorer than their Hindu counterparts.”

India Launches Its Missiles

The Jerusalem Post reported on July 9:

“India test-fired its nuclear-capable Agni III missile Sunday for the first time, the Defense Ministry said… India’s longest-range missile [was] able to fly 3,000 kilometers… The Agni III further boosts India’s homegrown missile arsenal, which includes… [a] short-range… ballistic missile, [a] medium-range [missile] and [a] supersonic… missile, developed jointly with Russia.”

Japan Considering Pre-Emptive Strike on North Korea

The Associated Press reported on July 10:

“Japan said Monday it was considering whether a pre-emptive strike on… [North Korea’s] missile bases would violate its constitution… Japan was badly rattled by North Korea’s missile tests last week and several government officials openly discussed whether the country ought to take steps to better defend itself, including setting up the legal framework to allow Tokyo to launch a pre-emptive strike…

“Japan’s constitution currently bars the use of military force in settling international disputes and prohibits Japan from maintaining a military for warfare. Tokyo has interpreted that to mean it can have armed troops to protect itself, allowing the existence of its 240,000-strong Self-Defense Forces. A Defense Agency spokeswoman, however, said Japan has no attacking weapons such as ballistic missiles that could reach North Korea. Its forces only have ground-to-air missiles and ground-to-vessel missiles…”

A Europe-Wide Missile “Defense”-System?

The EUObserver reported on July 7:

“NATO headquarters has been warming up to the idea of a Europe-wide missile defence system… The issue has come under a new spotlight following this week’s missile tests by North Korea… Hungarian press quoted the US lieutenant commander Joe Carpenter as saying that a deal on the location is far from ended. ‘The decision hasn’t even been made whether or not we will build in Europe. The first question is whether or not the system is viable,’ he added…

“Mrs Alliot-Marie also confirmed that French leaders discussed… a kind of Europeanised nuclear force or ‘eurobomb’ with the British prime minister Tony Blair during their summit in Paris on 9 June. Her confirmation sparked criticism by Geoffrey Van Orden, defence spokesman for the UK conservatives in the European Parliament. He argued ‘Given the importance of the independent nuclear deterrent to the national security of the United Kingdom, I am very surprised that the prime minister did not mention that such a vital issue is currently being discussed.’

“Mr Van Orden said that while the UK and France have been on different sides of the argument on several key foreign policy issues, ‘It would be the most extraordinary act of folly if we were to become in any way reliant on France for the ultimate strategic defence capability of our nation.'”

Germany’s Transformation

On July 5, 2006, Der Spiegel Online wrote:

“Germany’s World Cup dream might be over, but that doesn’t mean the tournament won’t have a lasting effect on the country. The soccer spectacle has already altered the way the world sees the Germans and even how the Germans see themselves… The soccer tournament has unleashed a torrent of feel-good vibes from Hamburg to Munich that has stunned the locals probably even more than all the foreign visitors from around the globe. Germans — long shy about expressing positive attitudes toward their country in light of their difficult history — have experienced three weeks of unabashed fun and pride decked out in the national colors black, red and gold.

“The Germans are positive. The Germans are friendly. The Germans have hosted an unforgettable World Cup. How can this be? For years, commentators both at home and abroad have derided the Germans for their pessimism and often glum or crabby manner. A sudden transformation brought on by the sunny, California-style optimism of German national soccer team coach Jürgen Klinsmann?… much of what has seemed so surprising over the last three weeks is less some dramatic transformation than simply a new perspective on things. Germany was always full of friendly and optimistic people like Klinsmann — it’s just that they were often drowned out by all the complainers and pessimists. The World Cup hasn’t changed the foundations of the country, but it has changed the balance within it…

“Just as Germany was never as bad a place as many foreigners thought, it was certainly much nicer than many Germans were willing to admit. Yes, there are problems, serious ones. The economy might be doing okay at the moment, but far too many people remain jobless. And Chancellor Angela Merkel’s so-called grand coalition appears more willing to simply milk taxpayers than undertake real reforms that would overhaul the country’s bloated welfare system or creaky healthcare.

“Still, Germany remains a very comfortable place to live… Many Turks and Arabs flew the German colors at their shops or on their cars. A small gesture perhaps, but an important one to both those Germans concerned about integration and those immigrants acknowledging that this is their home too. This outpouring of good-natured patriotism is only logical: if the Germans are more willing to express their affection for the good aspects of their own country, then so too will others. Of course, there will be challenges both private and public that will make it difficult for some Germans to stick to their newfound positive ethos. But the naysayers no longer have the upper hand here. Many optimists will not cede the country back to the moaners so easily. And that, in many respects, is a greater gift from Klinsmann and his team than winning the World Cup ever could be.”

Germany’s Leadership Crisis

Der Spiegel Online reported on July 6 about the crisis in leadership of Germany’s Chancellor, Angela Merkel. With strong words, the magazine pointed out:

“The German government’s protracted health reform talks were worth the effort in at least one respect: a clearer picture of Angela Merkel has emerged. The chancellor who took office with a mission to modernize the country isn’t delivering… Angela Merkel is no German Maggie Thatcher. That’s not something one has to complain about, but it’s important to know. Surprisingly, Angela Merkel has so far not even reached the standing of a female version of Gerhard Schröder… Her small steps won’t modernize the country. Quite the contrary. They are even leading away from Angela Merkel. She is betraying herself by trying to swap conviction for popularity…

“The fact that the Social Democrat party without Schröder is following her willingly, and even encouraging her at times, doesn’t lessen Merkel’s responsibility for what’s happening, it increases it. It’s Merkel’s task to continue the reforms, to speed them up and deepen them. Konrad Adenauer, the first chancellor of postwar West Germany, embedded the country into the west, Willy Brandt, the first Social Democrat chancellor, opened Germany to the east. It’s Merkel’s historic mission to reform the welfare state and cut mass unemployment. There’s no point trying to evade the enormity of this task by negating it. In the end, Merkel will be chancellor of reform or she won’t be chancellor at all. Her ‘breakthrough in health policy’ announced at the weekend is a breakthrough in the wrong direction… It’s the job of the media to describe reality. The chancellor’s job is to effect change, improve opportunities for prosperity and minimize future risks. And to lead the country, sometimes into areas where no one has ventured before. Angela Merkel isn’t delivering this kind of leadership at the moment.”

On July 7, the magazine published a follow-up article about the current political situation in Germany, under Angela Merkel’s leadership:

“The shine has come off Germany’s so-called grand coalition. Recently proposed healthcare reforms have sparked a bitter row between Angela Merkel’s conservatives and their Social Democratic partners… Rather than working together to find a solution, the coalition currently seems to prefer criticizing each other… After a golden honeymoon in which Merkel seemed to be able to do no wrong, suddenly her popularity, and that of the coalition government, appears to be in freefall. A survey by public broadcaster ARD for July recorded just 24 percent of the German population is happy with the work of the grand coalition — the worst poll rating since the government was formed last year. Two-thirds of respondents said they felt the grand coalition was no better at solving Germany’s problems than the previous center-left government under Gerhard Schröder…

“[The] conservative newspaper Die Welt [writes:]… ‘The German drama is that both partners are too weak on their own to risk a new beginning. So they’ll stay together, and muddle through in small steps.’… ‘the grand coalition faces a summer of discontent,’ writes Financial Times Deutschland. ‘The combination of deadlock, chaos and anger is reminiscent of the crisis of Gerhard Schröder’s second administration… The grand coalition today suffers from a quite different predicament: the fundamental incompatibility of two political directions and mentalities.’…

“[The] Sueddeutsche Zeitung [writes:] ‘Nothing significant is to be expected from this government… Only a few months after it took office, the coalition is acting like it’s preparing for a separation and to apportion blame.’ The honeymoon is over for Angela Merkel too. In the cold light of day, ‘nobody knows what this woman really wants and for what policies she stands…'”

Germany is facing a leadership crisis of potentially dangerous proportions. Please make sure to listen to our new StandingWatch program, “Germany’s New Patriotism.”

Sabbath Keeper Wins in Court

The Adventist News Network reported on June 30, 2006, that “A United States federal district court in Fayetteville, Arkansas, has ruled for a Seventh-day Adventist who sought accommodation for his Sabbath-keeping beliefs. The worker was awarded U.S. $311,166.75 in lost wages and punitive damages. It is believed to be one of the few such cases in which punitive damages–designed to ‘reform or deter the defendant,’ as one definition puts it–have been awarded to a Sabbath-keeper.”

The article continued:

“Todd Sturgill, age 41 and a resident of Springdale, Arkansas, was a 19-year driver for United Parcel Service when he joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church in May of 2004. In July of that year, Sturgill asked his employer for accommodation on Friday evenings during the upcoming holiday delivery season. After three months, Sturgill was told he would receive no accommodation. Though Sturgill was happy to perform his job, his conviction about observing the Biblical Sabbath on the seventh day of the week–which begins at sunset on Friday and ends at sunset on the Sabbath, or Saturday–would not allow him to perform work during that time. Despite these roadblocks, Sturgill was able to make arrangements with his coworkers to adjust his schedule and keep the Sabbath until Friday, Dec. 17, 2004. On that day, despite repeated requests for assistance and accommodation, managers at the firm took no steps to enable Sturgill to complete his work before sundown, and he returned to the UPS center with roughly 35 undelivered parcels, and then went home. He was fired the following Monday for what UPS called ‘job abandonment.'”

The article pointed out:

“The June 30 ruling supports an earlier federal court case in which an auto salesman in Arkansas, who was not a Seventh-day Adventist, won the right to have his Sabbatarian beliefs accommodated. ‘While we are gratified over today’s outcome, one message is clear,’ said Todd McFarland, associate general counsel for the Seventh-day Adventist world church. ‘The United States needs to enact the Workplace Religious Freedom Act to safeguard the rights of working people.'”

For more information about the godly requirements for true Christians to keep the weekly Sabbath, as well as seven annual Holy Days, please read our free booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days.”

Russia’s Pravda Acknowledges Weakness of Evolution Theory

The Pravda published an interesting article on July 7, bringing into focus some of the problems with the Evolution Theory. The article pointed out:

“The theory of evolution teaches that matter has an innate tendency to evolve towards greater and greater complexity or order. We are so accustomed to seeing evolution of technology all about us (new cars, boats, ships, inventions, etc.) that we assume that Nature must work the same way also. Of course, we forget that all those new gadgets and technology had a human designer behind them. Nature, however, does not work the same way… For example, a few amino acids have been produced spontaneously, but there is already a natural tendency for molecules to form into amino acids if given the right conditions. There is, however, no natural tendency for amino acids to come together spontaneously into a sequence to form into proteins. They have to be directed to do so by the genetic code in the cells of our bodies. Even the simplest cell is made up of billions of protein molecules. An average protein molecule may comprise of several hundred sequentially arranged amino acids. Many are comprised of thousands of sequential units. If they are not in the precise sequence the protein will not function!

“The sequence of molecules in DNA (the genetic code) determines the sequence of molecules in proteins. Furthermore, without DNA there cannot be RNA, but without RNA there cannot be DNA. Without either DNA or RNA there cannot be proteins, but without proteins there cannot be either DNA or RNA. These complex molecules are all mutually dependent upon one another for existence! If the cell had evolved it would have had to be all at once. A partially evolved cell cannot wait millions of years to become complete because it would be highly unstable and quickly disintegrate in the open environment.

“The great British scientist Sir Frederick Hoyle has said that the mathematical probability of the sequence of molecules in the simplest cell occurring by chance is 10 to the 40,000th power or roughly equivalent to a tornado going through a junk yard and assembling a 747 Jumbo Jet. It is not rational to put faith in such odds for the origin of life. Considering the enormous complexity of life, it is much more logical to believe that the genetic and biological similarities between all species is due to a common Designer rather than common biological ancestry. It is only logical that the great Designer would design similar functions for similar purposes and different functions for different purposes in all of the various forms of life.

“Contrary to popular belief, scientists have never created life in the laboratory. What scientists have done is genetically alter or engineer already existing forms of life, and by doing this scientists have been able to produce new forms of life. However, they did not produce these new life forms from non-living matter… Furthermore, because of the law of entropy the universe does not have the ability to have sustained itself from all eternity since all the useful energy in the universe will some day become irreversibly and totally useless. The universe, therefore, cannot be eternal and requires a beginning. Since energy cannot come into existence from nothing by any natural process, the beginning of the universe must have required a Supernatural origin!

“Science cannot prove we’re here by creation, but neither can science prove we’re here by chance or macro-evolution. No one has observed either. They are both accepted on faith. The issue is which faith, Darwinian macro-evolutionary theory or creation, has better scientific support. Whatever evolution occurs in Nature is limited to within biological kinds (such as the varieties of dogs, cats, horses, cows, etc.) but, unless Nature can perform genetic engineering, evolution will never be possible across biological kinds, especially from simpler kinds to more complex ones (i.e. from fish to human)… What we believe about our origins does influence our philosophy and value of life as well as our view of ourselves and others. This is no small issue!”

For more information on this vital topic, please read our free booklet, “The Theory of Evolution–a Fairy Tale for Adults.”

In the passage in question, Jesus made the following comment:

“… if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”

He
elaborated on this statement in additional passages, such as John 8:52:
“… If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.” In referring
to our participation at the annual Passover service, He stated, in John
6:50, 58: “This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may
eat of it and not die… He who eats this bread will live forever.”

We
also read, in Hebrews 11:5, that ancient Enoch “was taken away so that
he did not see death.” But this does not mean that Enoch did not die.
We are told, in Hebrews 11:39, that all the spiritual giants of faith,
including Enoch, have not, so far, received the promises–including the
promise of eternal life. Hebrews 11:13 specifically says: “These all
DIED in faith, not having received the promises…” Hebrews 9:27 tells
us that “it is appointed for men to die once.” 1 Corinthians 15:22 adds
that “in Adam ALL die.”

The Bible confirms that all of Christ’s
disciples would die “in Adam.” Some of Christ’s disciples will still be
alive when He returns–they will be changed, instantly, from matter to
spirit. But even they will “die” physically–their physical cells will
cease to exist, and they will be “clothed” from above with a spiritual
“tent” (2 Corinthians 5:1-4; 2 Peter 1:13-14). Christ also said that
many would die the death of a martyr. Christ prophesied that many would
be killed by misguided people (John 16:2). He stated that Peter would
die for God (John 21:18-19). The Two Witnesses will die (Revelation
11:7-10). Of course, even Jesus Christ died and remained dead in the
grave for three days and three nights.

When Christ said that we
will not “see” or “taste” death when we keep His Word, He made
reference, not to this physical death which we all experience, but to
eternal death. The Bible refers to this eternal death as the “second
death.” When we sin, we bring upon ourselves the penalty of eternal
death (Romans 6:23), but upon repentance and belief in Jesus Christ as
our Savior, we receive forgiveness and are freed from the penalty of
eternal death–because Christ died FOR US.

We read in John
3:14-16: “… the Son of Man [must] be lifted up, that whoever believes
in Him [Jesus Christ] should not perish but have eternal life. For God
[the Father] so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Later, Christ confirmed that His disciples, as long as they are His
disciples, will never “perish”–that is, they will not die the “second”
or final death: “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never
perish” (John 10:28).

Note what the Bible tells us about the
“second death.” In Revelation 2:11 we read that “He who overcomes shall
not be hurt by the second death.” Revelation 20:6 says that those in
the “first resurrection”–which is a resurrection to eternal life–are
not affected by the second death. It says that “over such the second
death has no power.” On the other hand, those who refuse to repent and
to accept God’s forgiveness, WILL be destroyed in the gehenna
fire–they will die the second death: “Then Death and Hades were cast
into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found
written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire… But the
cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral,
sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake
which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death”
(Revelation 20:14-15; 21:8).

Jesus Christ died the first death so
that we don’t have to die the second death–He did “taste death for
everyone” (Hebrews 2:9). Christ did not die the second or final death
from which there is no resurrection–as we all know, Christ WAS
resurrected from the dead to ETERNAL life after three days and three
nights in the grave. Hebrews 5:7 tells us that He, “in the days of His
flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement
cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death,… was
heard because of His godly fear…” Christ was not saved from the first
death. But God the Father heard Him and saved Him from the second
death–that is, He gave Christ power not to sin and to stay obedient to
Him.

Christ came in the flesh to obey His Father’s command. He
said: “And I know that His command is everlasting life” (John 12:50).
Whatever Christ spoke and did, it was for the ultimate goal that man
could obtain everlasting life. John confirms God’s desire for man: “And
this is the promise that He has promised us–eternal life” (1 John
2:25). Titus 1:2 adds that we live “in hope of eternal life which God,
who cannot lie, promised before time began.”

But we are still
human beings–flesh and blood. We all will die “in Adam.” In order to
obtain God’s promise–eternal and everlasting life–we need to be
resurrected from this physical death, and changed into Spirit
beings–because once we are Spirit, we cannot die. Christ emphasized
this fact in Luke 20:35-37:

“… those who are counted worthy to
attain… the resurrection from the dead … [cannot] die anymore, for
they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the
resurrection. But even Moses showed … that the dead are raised…”

And so, we read about Christ’s promise of our future resurrection to eternal life:

“…
the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His
voice and come forth–those who have done good, to the resurrection of
life…” (John 5:28-29). He added in John 6:39-40: “This is the will of
the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose
nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will
of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him
may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” He
elaborated in John 6:54: “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood
[symbolic for the bread and the wine during the annual Passover
service] has eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

But
why, then, do we read that even though we must be resurrected from the
dead, we already HAVE, RIGHT NOW, eternal life? Because the Bible makes
it very clear that Christ’s true disciples HAVE already ETERNAL life,
while still existing in this physical flesh, BEFORE they are
resurrected in the first resurrection.

In addition to some of the passages which we quoted above to this effect, please note these Scriptures:

John 6:47 says: “… he who believes in Me HAS everlasting life.”

1
John 5:11-13 adds: “… God HAS GIVEN US eternal life, and this life is
in His Son. He who has the Son HAS life… These things I have written
to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know
that you HAVE eternal life…”

The answer is, actually, quite
simple. Our inheritance of eternal life as immortal Spirit beings is a
future event, following our death and resurrection (Matthew 19:16;
25:46; Mark 10:30). Christ said in John 11:25-26: “I am the
resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, THOUGH HE MAY DIE, he
shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never
die.” That is, even though we may die the first or physical
death, we shall never die the second, eternal or final death–a death
with eternal consequences.

At the same time, we HAVE eternal
life in us by virtue of God’s Holy Spirit that God has given us. Christ
said that the Holy Spirit would abide in us FOREVER (John 14:16). (We
hasten to point out that the Holy Spirit is NOT a Person, but the power
and mind of God, emanating from the Father and the Son. For more
information, please read our free booklet, “Is God a Trinity?”).
We also read that if we refuse to follow God and His commandments, and
if we hate our brethren, His Holy Spirit–that is, His “eternal
life”–will not continue to abide in us (1 John 3:15). But if we keep
His commandments and love our brethren, then His Holy Spirit will
continue to abide in us (1 John 3:24). We HAVE eternal life in us, when
God’s Holy Spirit dwells in us, because the Holy Spirit is an “eternal
Spirit” (Hebrews 9:14). In that sense, we have already passed from
death to life (1 John 3:14), and we will not come into a future
judgment (John 5:24)–that is, we will be resurrected to eternal life,
not to physical life with the possibility of failing (For further
information on the different resurrections, as taught in the Bible,
please read our free booklet, “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?”).

As
long as we keep God’s Word and do good (John 8:51; John 5:28-29); as
long as we love Christ (John 14:23), as long as we abide in Christ’s
love (John 15:10); as long as we really know God and do what He tells
us (John 17:3; 1 John 5:20); as long as we believe in Christ as our
Savior, Lord and Master whom we must obey (John 3:14; John 15:14); we
HAVE eternal life–through God’s Holy Spirit dwelling in us. And God
will resurrect us through His Spirit, as long as His Holy Spirit dwells
in us at the time of our death (Romans 8:11).

This does not
mean, however, that God’s Holy Spirit remains in our dead bodies, while
we are sleeping the sleep of death. Rather, God’s Holy Spirit will
return to God, together with the spirit in man, when man dies. God has
given every human being a human spirit which separates and
distinguishes man from animals (Zechariah 12:1; 1 Corinthians 2:11-12).
When man dies, the spirit of man leaves the human body and returns to
God (Ecclesiastes 3:21; 12:7). Converted Christians receive a portion
of God’s Holy Spirit (Acts 2:17-18; 1 John 4:13), and both the spirit
in man and God’s Holy Spirit “witness” that we have become God’s
(begotten) children (Romans 8:16). When a converted Christian dies, the
spirit in man, now made perfect through the Holy Spirit, returns to God
(Hebrews 12:23). God, through the power of His Holy Spirit, will
resurrect the Christian to eternal life, by using the spirit in man
which has “recorded” or preserved everything about the Christian (See
Q&A in Update #241, “Do You Teach a Resurrection of the Physical Body?”).

Christ’s
words in John 8:51 must be understood quite literally. As long as we
keep His Word, we will never see or experience death–the final or
second death. Rather, with God’s Holy Spirit dwelling in us, we have
received a “down payment” of eternal life (compare Ephesians 1:14–the
word “guarantee” can also mean “down payment” or “earnest.”). If we
continue to live God’s way of life, by following the lead of the Holy
Spirit in us (Romans 8:9, 14; Galatians 5:25), we “will of the Spirit
reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:8)–by becoming born-again Spirit
beings in the Family of God.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program was posted on the Web. It is titled: “Germany’s New Patriotism.” Set forth below is a summary of the program:

During
the Worldcup, Germans have re-discovered a love for their country and
its accomplishments. They feel proud again to be German. Most
commentators think that this is a good development. But Germany is
presently run by a weak and controversial government–a Grand
Coalition of the two biggest parties. The German press is outraged
about broken campaign promises, describing the government’s current
attempts to accomplish anything as a “declaration of political
bankruptcy” and “the big chaos.” Will and can Germany’s new-found
patriotism bring about an early change in government which is perceived
by many German citizens as becoming increasingly incompetent to rule
the nation?

On July 8, 2006, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “Children of Promise.”

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 the light slowly dimmed in the arena, a hush grew over the crowd
when the ring announcer entered the ring, wearing a black tuxedo and a
white shirt, with his dark hair glistening under the lights. In a
booming voice he started to introduce the two contestants for the title
bout of the evening. After welcoming the two fighters, he raised the
tone of his bass voice and said: “For the thousands of fans in the
arena and the millions watching around the world, LET’S GET READY TO
RUUUMBLE.” After months of preparation, training and conditioning the
two fighters faced off for the title bout of the evening.

Some
time in the future, after the culmination of a lot of suffering and
endurance for God’s children and the world for that matter, we will be
dressed in white robes (Revelation 6:11 and 7:9). The white robes are
the righteousness of the saints. A crown will be placed on our heads
and we will be seated at the marriage supper of the Lamb when Christ
Himself will come and serve us. At some point during this glorious
ceremony, Christ, in a booming voice, could make an announcement
similar to this:

“For the millions who have suffered for the past
six thousand years, and especially for the last  three and a half
years, and for the whole creation which groans, waiting for the sons
and daughters of God to be born, LET’S GET READY TO RULE.”

This
event of taking over the rulership from Satan and the demons will occur
in the future. The question we have to ask ourselves is, how ready are
we now? Peter refers to us as “a chosen generation, a  royal
priesthood, His own special people” (1 Peter 2:9). We are also
described as kings and priests in Revelation 5:10.

Anciently, the
kings of  Israel and Judah were instructed to be familiar with the
law of God. They were to read it daily–“all the days of his life”
(Deuteronomy 17:19). As future kings and priests we must be familiar
with the Word of God–our preparation, training and conditioning must
be in the application of the law as it pertains to our lives now and to
those we will rule over in the future.

Let’s not let down in
this most important task, so that we will be ready to move forward with
joy and anticipation when we hear those words, perhaps spoken by Christ
in the future: “LET’S GET READY TO RULE.”

A New Germany?

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 5:

“On Tuesday night, one second after Germany lost 2-0 to Italy, it was as if someone had pulled the plug on Germany’s World Cup party. As the flag-waving subsides, politicians and media are urging Germans to stay confident and proud after a month-long display of patriotism which startled the world and the nation itself. The cheers, the cries of ‘Deutschland, Deutschland,’ the honking of horns, the whole wall of sound that has echoed around cities since June 9 ended within a second of the final whistle. In the country’s biggest public viewing area, the Fan Fest behind the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, 900,000 fans fell silent and drifted home with their flags stuffed in their pockets and tears smudging the national colors of black, red and gold painted onto their faces… On Wednesday morning, every other car still had a German flag on it. The big question now is whether the upbeat mood and outpouring of patriotism in recent weeks, the flag waving, the fervent singing of the national anthem, marked a genuine revival in national pride or was just a short-lived summer carnival…

“The World Cup hasn’t changed the fact that Germany remains weighed down by mass unemployment, slow economic growth, high public debt and a social welfare system struggling to cope with an ageing population and surging costs. Chancellor Angela Merkel went as far as to call the country an ‘economic basket case’ two weeks ago… President Horst Köhler said Germans should stay upbeat even after the World Cup. ‘We can achieve a lot if we have the courage to try new things,’ said Köhler. ‘We should remember that after the World Cup. The Germans are identifying themselves with their country and its national colors. I think that’s great. And I think it’s great that I’m not the only one with a flag on my car,’ added Köhler…”

On July 4, Der Spiegel Online reported:

“Like so many ageing Western societies, Germany has struggled with surging healthcare costs in recent years. But instead of coming up with a grand reform to the healthcare system, the government in Berlin has agreed to a sickly compromise… The ideological differences between the conservatives (CDU/CSU) and the SPD left the coalition unable to deal with the question of what to do with Germany’s private health insurers… In the end, Germany gets a half-baked compromise that is loathed by an insurance lobby… It also raises the important question of whether Merkel’s grand coalition really has the courage to initiate the tough reforms Germany requires.”

The mass tabloid Bild was less concerned with finding “diplomatic” words for its criticism. It wrote on July 4:

“They (the Grand Coalition) have once again broken their word. Only two weeks after the greatest tax increase of all times, the Grand Coalition grabs into our pockets once again… They broke another promise–and this is not the first time.”

In its accompanying commentary, Bild Online wrote: “The citizens ask: Why can’t the Grand Coalition accomplish anything?… The so-called health-care reform is… a political declaration of bankruptcy.” On July 3, Der Stern Online referred to the “health care reform” as “der grosse Murks” (loosely translated as, “the big chaos”), adding that the German government is losing its credibility.

Bild Online also reported on July 4 that SPD’s party-chief Peter Struck accused Coalition Partner and Chancellor Angela Merkel of breaking her word. He had publicly commented previously, on June 26, 2006, that Gerhard Schroeder would be a better chancellor than Angela Merkel.

As can be expected, not much, if anything, is reported in the American press about this ongoing controversy in the German Grand Coalition. This is perhaps due to a lack of foresight and appreciation regarding the significance of the events in Germany. However, the indications are that the current German government won’t survive for long. The ideological differences are too great, and the will to compromise too appalling. Coupled with a perception that the ruling parties are incompetent to govern, the German citizens are becoming increasingly frustrated with “their” leadership. The new-found wave of patriotism, in the wake of the World Cup, might contribute to a conviction that Germany deserves much better!

In order to understand what IS prophesied for Germany’s future, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Flag-Waving in the USA

The Associated Press reported on July 4:

“It’s a true epidemic: the red, white and blue, stars-and-stripes banners are everywhere in the United States–on house facades, front lawns, cars and clothes. Hitting an high point on the July 4 US Independence Day holiday, it is a genuine phenomenon of American national pride that, inevitably, gets a good but also sometimes unwanted boost from commercial exploitation. ‘It’s a little strange, this obsession of the flag,’ French author Bernard-Henri Levy wrote after traveling across the country… But the phenomenon hits its peak each year around the Fourth of July, when it becomes the focus of intense advertising and commercial promotions. At shopping malls, big and small national banners show up on jeans, baseball caps, dinner plates and swimsuits. The Stars and Stripes decorate everything — from tattoos and fingernails to huge cakes…

“An official federal government code sets very specific rules on how the US flag should be handled. The national banner cannot be thrown on the ground, hung upside down, torn or allowed to become dirty. It must be illuminated in nighttime and, the code says, cannot be used as a prop for advertising activities. However, there is no sanction for violating these rules. The Supreme Court ruled in 1989 that freedom of expression guaranteed by the US constitution includes the right to burn the flag, an act frequently observed during protests against the Vietnam War. Last week, the US Senate barely rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that could have led to criminal penalties for desecrating of the flag.”

South American Trade Bloc vs. USA

The Associated Press reported on July 5:

“President Hugo Chavez marked Venezuela’s entry into the South American trade bloc Mercosur with a six-nation summit Tuesday, an alliance that he says should be a common front against U.S. free trade deals. Chavez and the leaders of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay formalized the bloc’s expansion to include Venezuela, which Chavez claims as a victory against Washington’s ‘imperialistic’ economic plans for the hemisphere. Bolivian President Evo Morales, a close Chavez ally, was to attend the signing ceremony as an observer. ‘We are defeating the hegemonic pretensions’ of the United States ‘and today we have placed a new cornerstone for the freedom and unity of South America,’ Chavez said to a rousing applause in a packed Caracas auditorium following the signing ceremony.”

North Korea A Real Danger?

Der Spiegel Online reported on July 5:

“Despite repeated warnings from the international community, North Korea has test-fired at least six missiles. The missiles were launched on Wednesday morning at 3:30 a.m. local time and included a long-range Taepodong-2 missile, which is thought to be capable of reaching the United States. Due to the time difference — North Korea is located on the other side of the international dateline — the launch symbolically took place on July 4th, America’s independence day, a day generally associated with less nefarious fireworks. According to US officials, the Taepodong missile failed just 42 seconds after take-off, while the others fell into the Sea of Japan. Washington and Seoul have both criticized the tests, calling them ‘provocative,’ while Japan has demanded an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.”

The Associated Press added:

“North Korea test-fired a seventh missile Wednesday, intensifying the furor that began when the reclusive regime defied international protests by launching a long-range missile and at least five shorter-range rockets earlier in the day. The North’s state-run media said Wednesday that the country was prepared to cope with any provocation by the United States… China, North Korea’s neighbor and most important ally, urged all parties to remain calm.”

The Hostage War

On July 3, Der Spiegel Online wrote:

“The kidnapping of an Israeli soldier shows that radicals within Hamas want to harm the pragmatists around Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. Now Israel is trying to destroy the Islamists’ infrastructure — in the face of massive international criticism… The hostage affair has given Israel a welcome provocation to destroy the infrastructure for militants who have been firing Qassam rockets at the small Israeli town of Sderot ever since Jewish settlers left the Gaza Strip. This end justifies any means, in Prime Minister Olmert’s opinion. ‘The world is fed up with the Palestinians,’ he railed at a meeting of Israel’s Security Cabinet. According to Olmert, the entire Palestinian political leadership — including President Abbas — is responsible for the kidnapping… There’s one thing the Israeli action has accomplished: Factions within Hamas have put aside their differences, and for now moderates are working in solidarity with hardliners again.”

The Middle East Quartet a Failure–and Gaza a “Hell Hole”?

Der Spiegel Online reported on July 4:

“The ultimatum issued by Palestinian militants to the Israelis for the release of prisoners in exchange for a captured Israeli soldier has not been met. Pessimism is growing about the prospects for a diplomatic resolution…

“The left-wing ‘Die Tageszeitung’ is pessimistic about the chances for an international resolution of the current crisis. The Middle East Quartet — the United States, EU, Russia and the United Nations — had described itself as the ‘guardians of the peace process,’ presenting the quartet members as ‘honest brokers between the Israelis and the Palestinians.’ However, the current crisis makes clear the extent to which the Quartet has failed. The paper points out a number of reasons for this failure: firstly, its ‘partiality.’ Over the past three weeks the Quartet ‘held its tongue as 20 civilians died as a result of constant Israeli pounding of the Gaza Strip. It was only with the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier that it suddenly lifted a finger.’ The Quartet should also have ‘been working over the past year and a half to transform the unilateral cease fire by Hamas into a bilateral one.’ The paper continues: ‘The decision to boycott the Hamas government now seems to be a failure too.’ As a result, Americans and Europeans have no access to the right people. According to the newspaper, ‘the Quartet now has to put pressure on Presidential president Mahmoud Abbas, who has to pass this on to the Hamas government, which then has to put the militant groups under pressure.’ It points out that ‘without diplomatic channels, there is no diplomacy and thus no diplomatic solution.’

“The conservative ‘Die Welt’ writes that since the Israelis withdrew from the Gaza Strip and gave up the settlements, the ability of the Palestinians to establish a stable state has been put to the test. ‘The results have been catastrophic. Gaza, instead of becoming a model of Palestinian autonomy has become a hell hole.’ The Israeli reaction of shelling is a ‘disproportionate retaliation without a clear and reachable political goal.’… The paper concludes that ‘the small war over Gaza shows signs of spinning out of control.’ The Quartet, as well as Egypt, the Saudis and Israel have to understand that ‘if the fire brigade hesitates the fire in Gaza, it will spread across the whole neighborhood.'”

If you want to learn more about what is prophesied for the Middle East, please read our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

…but it’s the Wrong Sabbath

On July 3, USA Today published an article by a Presbyterian pastor about the need to keep the weekly Sabbath holy. Unfortunately, the pastor confuses the weekly Sabbath–the seventh day of the week– with Sunday, the first day of the week. This error is not uncommon in the “Christian” world–but it shows the complete ignorance, if not willful defiance of the teachings of the Bible. In addition, the article contains other glaring errors. To judge for yourself, just read the following excerpts:

“For all the attention paid this past year to public displays of the Ten Commandments, you’d think people would spend as much energy trying to follow them. When it comes to the Fourth Commandment–‘Remember the Sabbath Day’–that’s not the case. And pastors like me, far from being role models, are among the worst offenders. After all, we work every Sunday.

“The problem with ignoring the Sabbath is that it hurts us as individuals, families and communities… Whether religious or not, people know that they need to take a day off in order to maintain their sanity and remain efficient and productive at work. But I’m convinced that downtime is not enough. We need a formal day of rest. A true Sabbath gives us time to refresh and renew ourselves, regain proper perspective and redirect our lives to what is good and true and worthwhile. There is something positive and even creative about allowing ourselves to take a break, as is noted in the Bible when it says God finishes the work of creation on the seventh day … by resting (Genesis 2:2). Resting is an act of creativity…

“Given this history, Sabbath-keeping is going to be a countercultural activity, one requiring commitment and creativity. A day of rest does not have to be a Saturday or a Sunday–impossible for pastors and many others–but it should be at least one day out of seven, and qualitatively different from the other six. The key is to break away from work patterns, whether that means hobbies, sports or artistic activities. (Sabbath is related to the Hebrew verb meaning ‘to cease, stop, interrupt.’)… So take a vacation this summer and a Sabbath day throughout the year–whether to honor God, your family or yourself.”

The Bible commands us to keep the seventh day of the week holy–which is the time from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. And it is to be kept in honor of God. To keep Sunday–or just one day out of seven–does not fulfill Godly requirements in the slightest And the suggestion to keep the Sabbath to honor yourself is just plain ridiculous. For more information, please read our free booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days.”

Further Erosion of Individual Liberties

The EUObserver reported on June 29 about the recent scandal regarding US access to international banking transfers–another piece of a puzzle showing more and more the restrictions and the erosion of privacy of US citizens and others. The article revealed the astonishing fact that, apparently, European countries secretly collaborated with the US:

“The European Central Bank and the Bank of England were aware that customers’ payment data were being transferred to US authorities, according to a document obtained by Belgium’s Le Soir newspaper. A consortium known as SWIFT, which manages the ‘Swift’ codes for international payments, tried in vain to get permission from the Frankfurt and London banks to hand payment data to Washington, but the banks did not subsequently tell the government of Belgium–where SWIFT is based–that data was being transferred to the US. SWIFT, which stands for the ‘Society for Worldwide Inter-bank Financial Telecommunications’ based just outside Brussels, was thrust into the limelight when the New York Times last week reported that officials from the CIA, the FBI and other US agencies had since 2001 been allowed to inspect the transfers. The Belgian senate announced on Wednesday (28 June) that it had opened a case on the affair. The office of Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said in a statement that the probe will determine whether Belgian law and the rights of Belgian nationals were respected when information on financial transactions worldwide was passed on to US authorities. The National Bank of Belgium (BNB) acknowledged that it knew of the transfers. But it claimed that it could do nothing about them as its primary task is to see to the soundness of financial transactions, not of data transfer.

“London-based human rights group Privacy International said it was alleging that SWIFT made the disclosures ‘without regard to legal process under data protection law’ and without any legal basis or authority. ‘This unlawful activity shows yet again how the US wilfully disregards the privacy rights not only of its own citizens, but also the rights of foreign nationals,’ said the head of the group Simon Davies in a statement. ‘The scale of the operation is breathtaking, and the extent of privacy violation is almost without parallel. We will work to bring the programme to a halt pending further investigation.’ A European diplomat said ironically however, that ‘in any case, the Americans have succeeded in doing what the Europeans cannot; creating a European judiciary… European judges spend years to obtain this kind of information,’ Liberation writes.”

Guantanamo Camp Illegal!

Der Spiegel Online reported on June 30:

“The United States Supreme Court has ruled that George W. Bush overstepped his authority when he set up military tribunals for Guantanamo Bay inmates. The ruling has widespread implications for Guantanamo, the war on terror and rule of law in the United States… In its ruling the Supreme Court, which ruled 5-3… against the government, said that the tribunals contravened the Geneva Convention, as well as the US code of military justice. It added that there was ‘no sweeping mandate for the president to invoke military commissions whenever he deems them necessary.’ The German press resoundingly welcomes the Supreme Court decision, and many papers comment on its implications for the democratic rule of law and separation of powers in the United States.’…

“The financial daily Handelsblatt writes that the existence of the camp ’causes serious concerns for every person who respects the law.’ Concerns that the US itself could embark on the path of lawlessness, ‘which the fight against terror is actually aimed at defeating.’ The paper argues that the decision by the Supreme Court against the Bush military tribunals is therefore good for the US: ‘It makes clear that in America it is not only the opinion of the president that counts.’ The paper then asks: ‘How long can the US government afford to sanction this kind of extrajudicial space, against the doubts of its own Supreme Court? How long can they keep going back to Sept 11 to justify operating on the edges of legality?'”

America’s reputation in the world is growing worse and worse. To understand the reasons for this startling development, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Haider in the News Again

On June 17, the Jerusalem Post reported the following: 

“Far-right Austrian leader Joerg Haider called US President George W. Bush a war criminal on Saturday. In an interview with the Austrian daily Die Presse, Haider claimed Bush ‘brought about the war against Iraq deliberately, with lies and falsehoods … The Iraqi population is suffering terribly. Bush took the risk of an enormous number of victims.’ Haider added in the interview that Bush’s actions have only served to strengthen international terrorism.”

According to Austrian reports, Haider might be contemplating running for office in non-Austrian territories within a few years from now–due to a proposed change of the European laws, purportedly allowing candidates from one European country to run for office in another European country. Even though Haider is considered by some as just an “agitator,” it might be advisable to take note of his words, conduct and plans.

The Gibeonites, who belonged to the Hivites (who were descendants from Canaan, the son of Ham, 1 Chronicles 1:8, 13-15), were one of the peoples which had occupied the Promised Land, prior to Israel’s arrival (Exodus 3:8). God had commanded the Israelites not to make a covenant with any of these people. Rather, He wanted them expelled from the land (Exodus 23:28, 32-33). However, under Joshua, the Gibeonites, pretending to be a people from far away, tricked the Israelites into acting hastily by making a covenant with them to let them live amongst them (Joshua 9). In fact, the capital of the Gibeonites or Hivites was “Gibeon,” a town situated on a rocky eminence, about six miles northwest from Jerusalem and four miles from Bethel, where the modern village of El-Jib now stands (Commentary on the Whole Bible, by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, page 174; Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible, under “Gibeon”).

Even though God had not desired of Israel to make a covenant with the Gibeonites, He held Israel responsible to be faithful to it. Under Joshua, the Gibeonites were made servants to the Levites, assisting them with work for the altar (Joshua 9:27). Four hundred years later, God was angry with King Saul and his sons for having killed Gibeonites, in violation of the promise that Israel had given to them at the time of Joshua (2 Samuel 21:1).

What happened subsequently to the descendants of the dark-skinned Gibeonites or Hivites? The Bible Story by Basil Wolverton, volume 4,1964, writes on page 62: “Today, the descendants of those ancient dark-skinned Hivites are called Falashas–meaning migrants–because they journeyed out of Palestine to Ethiopia to escape captivity when Israel was driven out of Palestine centuries later.”

It is interesting to learn more about this remarkable journey, and what is known today of the Gibeonites. We are told the Gibeonites or Falashas went to Ethiopia. There was also a small Jewish religious group known as Beta Israel or Falasha, in the northwest of Ethiopia.

The “Encyclopedia Britannica,” volume 9, 1959, adds, under “Falashas,” remarkable information, showing the mixture of error and truth of the traditions of the modern-day Gibeonites. It is obvious that many of their traditions, true or false, were adopted by their close contact with the Israelites:

“Falashas, or Jews of Abyssinia [Abyssinia is a former designation of Ethiopia], a tribe of Hamitic stock… who profess the Jewish religion and claim to be descended from the ten tribes banished from the Holy Land… the Falashas know nothing of… the Talmud, make no use of phylacteries… and observe neither the feast of Purim nor the dedication of the temple [the Jewish feast of Hanukkah]. They possess… books of the Old Testament [which are written in the Ethiopian language]; a volume of extracts from the Pentateuch, with comments given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai… [and] the laws of the Sabbath… A copy of the… Mosaic law is kept in the holy of holies in every synagogue… Priests are allowed to marry once only, and no one is admitted into the order who has eaten bread with a Christian… Fasts, obligatory on all above seven years of age, are held on every Monday and Thursday, on every new moon and at the passover… The annual festivals are the passover, the harvest feast, the… Feast of tabernacles… the day of covenant or assembly, and Abraham’s day… The Falashas live for the most part in villages of their own, or, if settled in a Christian or Mohammedan town, occupy a separate quarter. Their own kings, they [believe], were descended from David, but in 1800, the royal race became extinct… They do not mix with the Abyssinians, and never marry women from alien religions… Polygamy is not practiced; early marriages are rare and their morals are generally better than those of their Christian masters.”

The “Compton Encyclopedia” adds further details about the modern-day Gibeonites, even calling them, “Jewish.” We read, under “Falasha”:

“Falasha (or Beta Israel), a Jewish Hamitic people of Ethiopia… use [a] Bible and a prayer book written in… the ancient Ethiopian language; follow Jewish traditions including circumcision, observing the Sabbath, attending synagogue and following certain dietary and purity laws; in 1975 [they were] recognized by the chief Rabbinate as Jews, and [with Israeli military assistance,] allowed to [migrate to] Israel; in 1984-85 [during the Ethiopian civil war] thousands of Falashas resettled to Israel from refugee camps in Sudan as part of the Israeli government’s ‘Operation Moses’ and the US government’s ‘Operation Sheba.'”

Bartleby.com, in its article, “Falashas,” says: “A second airlift of more than 14,000 occurred in May, 1991, bringing [the] total in Israel to more than 70,000.”

We are also advised by the San Diego Union Tribune, in an article of February 1, 2005, that by the end of 2007, Israel intends to bring to the Promised Land the last known 20,000 Ethiopians claiming to be Falashas with strong ties to Judaism, dating back more than 2000 years.

This means that by then, some of the modern tribes of the houses of Israel and Judah–the United States of America and the Jewish people–will have assisted approximately 90,000 modern-day Gibeonites or Falashas resettling to the state of Israel. (For more information on the identity of the modern houses of Israel and Judah, read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”)

It is truly remarkable how God saw to it that Israel’s covenant with the Gibeonites, which was made at the time of Joshua, would be kept and fulfilled in these last days.

Lead Writers: Norbert Link and Bill Grams

Our new booklet on prayer has entered the second review cycle.

The German translation of our booklet, “Is God a Trinity?” has been posted on our different Websites.

A
new curriculum guide for parents as a help to use in teaching the Bible
to their children has been completed and will be posted soon on our
Websites.

On July 1, 2006, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “In the Beginning, Part 2.”

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

Recently, I listened for a few minutes to an interview between a
rather well known minister and an author who had written about the
support the nation of Israel is receiving from this preacher and
like-minded religious leaders in the United States.

The Jewish
author commented that both he and the minister believed the same
thing—that when the Bible speaks of Israel, it is referring to the
Jews! Indeed, that is what most people who profess Christianity believe!

The
fact that the modern nation that is called Israel is occupied
predominately by just one of the original twelve tribes (Judah) is
little understood. Most believe that the other tribes of Israel have
simply faded into history. In accepting this explanation, the
prophecies for the House of Israel and for the House of Judah lack any
real meaning and relevance. As a consequence, far too many Christians
read only the New Testament, because the Old Testament seems irrelevant
to them (For the amazing prophecies about the modern descendants of
Jacob, please refer to our booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and
America”).

This episode served to again remind me of just how
different true Christianity is from that which masquerades itself by
that name. It also once more strongly impressed me about the unique
understanding that we have been given.

Along with our calling,
God has given to us an understanding heart. What we can now comprehend
is God’s Word. Make no mistake; those who profess Christianity may be
well schooled in the intricacies of their doctrinal beliefs! They can
quote chapter and verse in support of their stand. However, their minds
have not been opened to understand the truth of God’s Word.

Consider,
that for all their vast familiarity with the Old Testament, the
religious Jews at the time of Christ did not comprehend who He was. Ask
someone, today, about the Sabbath or Holy Days, about the return of
Jesus Christ, about prophecy being fulfilled in our day or any number
of other topics, and you will quickly find yourself very alone in your
beliefs. Discuss death, and rather than the dead awaiting a
resurrection, most would confidently say that good people who die go to
heaven and the evil ones end up being tormented in hell for eternity!

When
we do have an opportunity to represent the truth of God to others, we
have this instruction: “…always be ready to give a defense to
everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with
meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15). Our newest booklet, “Mysteries of
the Bible,” is a tremendously eye-opening presentation covering many of
the doctrinal truths contained in the Word of God.

It is vitally
important for us to recognize the astounding gift of understanding we
have received from God. Don’t take it lightly. Don’t let it become
dormant and die within you. Sharpen your skills in the truth. Grow! Ask
God for help. Ask God for even more of an understanding heart!

More Tension in the Middle East!

Following the abduction of an Israeli soldier–the first since 1994, Israel has mounted a massive show of force to free this 19 year old combatant. BBC News reported on June 28:

“Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel would not hesitate to ‘carry out extreme action’ to free the captured soldier but said Israel did not want to re-take control of Gaza.”

In an article from the Chicago Tribune on June 28, by Joel Greenburg, the seriousness of this confrontation was highlighted:

“Israel readied forces to enter the northern Gaza Strip early Thursday and rounded up Hamas government officials in the West Bank, stepping up its response to the abduction of one of its soldiers by Palestinian militants.”

The article continued: “About 750,000 people in the Gaza Strip were left without electricity and many lacked running water, officials said, after an air strike on the territory’s only power station cut the electricity supply and crippled water pumps. Engineers said repairs of the station could take as long as six months.”

“…Mustafa Barghouti, a member of parliament and a physician, said that the cut off of electricity, which engineers said affected 65 percent of the Gaza Strip, would cause serious hardship.

” ‘What will we do for medications that need to be preserved, what will we do for hospitals that need electricity, what will we do for schools, for people who have no electricity now in their houses and probably will not have water supply?’ Barghouti said in an interview with British Broadcasting Corp. television. ‘This collective punishment will only aggravate people and enhance violence.’ “

The entire Middle East is now a cauldron of boiling problems! Iran continues to defy the world as it deftly ignores pleas and threats from Western nations to stop its nuclear program. Iraq is infested with an insurgency of implacable violence despite the best efforts of coalition forces led by the world’s current “Super Power”–the United States. However, Bible prophecy points to Jerusalem and the land of Israel as the contested focal point of world powers in the near future. Even now, developments are setting the stage for the dramatic culmination of these prophesied events. Be sure to view our insightful StandingWatch commentary that explains the news of our day in the light of Bible prophecy–available at www.standingwatch.org and presented by Evangelist Norbert Link.

Christianity Spreading in China

On June 27, the Rocky Mountain News published an article by Nicholas Kristof (The New York Times) that reported about a rapid change happening in China:

“Christianity is booming as never before in China, and some giddy followers say China could eventually have hundreds of millions of Christians–perhaps more than any other country in the world.”

The article continued: “This boom in religion, particularly Christianity but also including the Bahai faith and various cults like Falun Gong, reflects a spiritual yearning among many Chinese. While China has official Catholic and Protestant churches, the fastest-growing churches are the underground ones–usually evangelical without any specific denomination–that are independent of the government. The total number of Chinese Christians today probably exceeds 40 million, and some estimates go far higher.”

In the turbulent times ahead, Biblical prophecy reveals that the whole world will embrace a global religion. To understand how nations–great and small–will follow the lead of a powerful and charismatic religious leader, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Anglican Church Split in Two!

Following several years of highly publicized controversial differences within the Anglican Church over such issues as ordaining a gay bishop, ordaining women and performing same-sex marriages, some now recognize that the compromises are tearing the 77 million strong church apart. The following excerpts appeared in the “Daily Mail” on June 19, 2006:
“Efforts to prevent a schism in the Anglican Communion are now futile as it has become virtually ‘two religions’, a leading Church of England bishop claimed in an interview published today.”

Continuing from the article: “…Michael Nazir-Ali, Bishop of Rochester, said the division between liberals and conservatives in the worldwide Anglican Communion was now so profound that a compromise was impossible.

” ‘Nobody wants a split, but if you think you have virtually two religions in a single Church, something has got to give some time,’ he told the Daily Telegraph.”

Additionally, a related article, by Laurie Goodstein and Neela Banerjee, appeared in the New York Times on June 28:

“In a defining moment in the Anglican Communion’s civil war over homosexuality, the Archbishop of Canterbury proposed a plan yesterday that could force the Episcopal Church in the United States either to renounce gay bishops and same-sex unions or to give up full membership in the Communion.”

Continuing to quote from the article: “The archbishop wrote, ‘No member church can make significant decisions unilaterally and still expect this to make no difference to how it is regarded in the fellowship.’ “

The battle is between conservative and liberal members and what is permitted among those who call themselves “Christian.” The following comment from the article places the blame: “The conservatives have insisted all along that it is the American church that destabilized the Anglican ship and should be pushed overboard if it will not relent.”

Secondhand Smoking!

In an AP report by medical writer Lauran Neergaard on June 27, the dangers faced by nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke were cited from a surgeon general’s report:

“Breathing any amount of someone else’s tobacco smoke harms nonsmokers, the surgeon general declared Tuesday–a strong condemnation of secondhand smoke that is sure to fuel nationwide efforts to ban smoking in public.

” ‘The debate is over. The science is clear: Secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance, but a serious health hazard,’ said U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona.

“More than 126 million nonsmoking Americans are regularly exposed to smokers’ fumes–what Carmona termed ‘involuntary smoking’–and tens of thousands die each year as a result, concludes the 670-page study. It cites ‘overwhelming scientific evidence’ that secondhand smoke causes heart disease, lung cancer and a list of other illnesses.”

The issue of smoking and its addiction has certainly been a modern plague–both for those who do smoke and for those who have to live around smokers. A beginning point for those who struggle with this can be found in the Word of God. Jesus said the following: ” ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” For more information on what the Bible reveals and for help in overcoming problems of this nature, please read our free booklets, “Sickness and Healing, What the Bible Tells Us” and “Keys to Happy Marriages and Families.”

USA: Drought / Floods!

On June 27, USA Today published an article by Catherine Rampeli. In the article, the author states:

“A drought over a third of the nation has grown so severe that consumers could be facing higher prices for everything from beef to bread by the end of the year.

“Conditions have become so dire that ‘the middle of the United States and certainly the Southwest are well on their way to one of the worst droughts in history,’ says Carl Anderson, professor of agricultural economics at Texas A&M University.”

By contrast, the Eastern Seaboard of the United States is suffering from record-setting floods! In an article from the Associated Press on June 28, writer Mark Scolforo reports:

“Up to 200,000 people in the Wilkes-Barre area were ordered to evacuate their homes Wednesday because of rising water on the Susquehanna River, swelled by a record-breaking deluge that has killed at least 12 people across the Northeast.

“Thousands more were ordered to leave their homes in New Jersey, New York and Maryland. Rescue helicopters plucked residents from rooftops as rivers and streams surged over their banks, washed out roads and bridges, and cut off villages in some of the worst flooding in the region in decades, with more rain in the forecast for the rest of the week.”

Following the severe hurricanes that hit the U.S. last year, the economic losses for all Americans became clearly felt through higher gasoline prices–among other things. Now, with a severe drought growing across the nation, citizens will again experience higher costs as national food supplies dwindle. The ongoing floods of this week will also prove costly for the immediate areas in the Northeast as well as for other parts of the country. Just WHY these national disasters are increasing is revealed in the prophecies of the Bible. For ANSWERS, please read our free booklet, “The Rise and Fall of Britain and America.”

If there is one command by Christ which has been more often violated
in the Church than most others, it is perhaps the procedure for
conflict resolution between brethren, as set forth in Matthew 18. We
might think that in a given situation this procedure might not apply,
or that there are other ways to deal with a perceived or real problem.
However, experience has shown time and again that circumventing the
godly-inspired procedure for the purpose of resolving problems between
members has ALWAYS caused unnecessary harm.

Let us therefore
carefully and prayerfully review the procedure, and let us make every
effort to apply it, as instructed in God’s Word:

When a member
thinks that there is a real or perceived problem between him and
another person in the Church, which is either caused by the other
person or by the member himself, what should the member do?

Step #1:

Matthew
18:15 instructs the member: “Moreover if your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him ALONE.”

As we can
see, at this stage, there is no minister, close friend or even a mate
involved. If a member thinks that someone in the Church has sinned
against him, he is to go and talk to the person–with humility and
compassion and with the right attitude (Galatians 6:1)–and he is to do
so ALONE, in PRIVATE.

Matthew 18:15 continues: “If he hears you, you have gained your brother.”

This must be the motivation–not one of revenge for getting back at the person!

The
same principle applies if the member knows that his brother has
something against him. If a member knows that his brother has a real or
imagined problem with him, he–the member–is to go to his brother. He
is to go to him ALONE, in PRIVATE, without anyone else present, with
the goal of restoring the relationship between the two of them (compare
Matthew 5:21-26).

If the meeting has the desired result, but
subsequently, another similar or identical problem arises, what is the
member to do? Is this now the time to tell the ministry—because,
after all, the member might think, “I tried it once, and he just does
not listen?” The answer is: The member is NOT to tell the ministry at
that point in time. Luke 17:3-4 tells us: “Take heed to yourselves. If
your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive
him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times
in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

But
one might think: “That’s too difficult and unpleasant.” Or, “It’s not
practical. I went to him once–that is sufficient.” But God instructs
us to do EXACTLY as He tells us, as HE knows that this is the ONLY way
which MAY produce positive results. If we act differently than
instructed, we WILL have trouble.

(The forgoing does not apply,
however, when a brother is charged with illegal wrongdoing, including
sexual abuse. In that case, the ministry is to be told immediately, in
confidence! But even then, one has first to make sure that the facts
are true and correct, and not just mere speculation or suspicion
without evidence.)

If a meeting, in private, between the two
members has taken place, and the sinning brother refuses to repent or
to make amends, then what is the next Biblically-ordained step?

Step #2:

Matthew
18:16 continues: “But if he will not hear you, take with you one or two
more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be
established.”

The member who has a problem with a brother in the
church, and who has tried, unsuccessfully, to solve the problem with
the brother, is to return to the brother with one or two
witnesses–again in the effort to solve the problem and to reconcile
with the brother. The one or two witnesses must be carefully selected,
and they should not in any way already be involved in the situation.
Rather, they must be impartial and objective witnesses. After all, it
is now up to the impartial witnesses to see whether the brother accused
of sin is actually guilty of the same, and unwilling to repent and to
make amends.

What, if the brother refuses to hear the witnesses?

Step #3:

Matthew 18:17 continues: “And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.”

We
have always understood and taught, and the Church of the Eternal God
and its corporate international affiliates uphold and teach this
understanding, that the reference to “the church” in Matthew 18:17 is
the “ministry,” not the entire Church congregation (Please see Q&A
in Update #147). The Church congregation was, in a sense, already
involved, in a representative capacity, in the persons of the witnesses.

Step #4:

Matthew 18:17 continues: “… But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”

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

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

Matthew 18:18-20 tells us:

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

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

The Bible is very clear
as to how we are to attempt to solve problems amongst us. And if all of
us–the ministry and the members–have done all that they were required
to do, and if a problem just cannot be solved, then God WILL see to it
that a godly and correct decision will be rendered.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

“Mr. Kalon Mitchell and Miss Manuela Link are happy to announce
their engagement to be married early next year. Manuela is the daughter
of Norbert and Johanna Link and Kalon is the son of Brad and Kathleen
Mitchell. Let us all rejoice in wishing them every happiness for the
future.”

by Robb Harris

I recently needed some work done on my
sprinkler system, so I hired someone to come out and service it.
During the process of tuning up my system, the man reset my watering
cycle in order to use less water, but get the grass to grow
greener. According to him, too much water in too short of a time
allowed less water to reach the roots. Shorter waterings on the
other hand, didn’t satiate the ground, and required less water overall.

Our
part of the country has also been in watering restrictions for the past
few years, which dictate how many times per week you can
water. This year our city hasn’t put any restrictions into
place, and I asked him about this, wondering if his modifications to my
system would comply with any upcoming restrictions. He told me
that in the past, when restrictions were in place, people used much
more water then when there were no watering schedules. The reason
being, if you are given only a few hours per week to water, you would
most likely be watering during that entire time. And if people
think the water tables are full, they worry less about getting all the
water they can, when they are allowed.

Although a bad example to
live by in regards to our water supply, this is a good test to see how
full our “Spiritual” water supplies are. In this age, God’s Truth
is in very short supply. Do we take advantage of it, when it’s
made available to us? Or do we have the outlook that because it’s
on hand for us today, that the same will be true tomorrow?

Christ
was full of God’s Truth, thus He didn’t have to learn any more like
us. WRONG! He continued to persevere, continued to overcome
throughout His ENTIRE life. Let’s remember His example when we
start feeling too full, satisfied and self absorbed, because God’s
Truth SHOULD ALWAYS quench our thirst.