On June 3, 2006, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “The Life of Samson.”

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

We will be celebrating the Day of Pentecost on June 4, 2006.

Dave Harris will be giving the sermon in the morning, titled, “The Gift.”

Edwin Pope will give the sermon in the afternoon, titled, “Adherence to Truth Equals Conversion.”

The
Pentecost services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 9:00 pm
Pacific Time (which is 11:00 pm Central Time), and at 1:30 pm Pacific
Time (which is 3:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Paul writes to the Corinthians of his day and he cautions God’s
people down through the ages: “… for you are still carnal. For where
there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and
behaving like mere men” (1 Corinthians 3:3)?

God has called His
people to become firstfruits of the Spirit, which is pictured by the
Feast of Pentecost. As we approach Pentecost for the year 2006, let us
never forget the overall purpose of our calling, which is to become as
God is!

Yet, Satan continues his pursuit to cause havoc in the
Church of God; creating an atmosphere leading to divisions and strife
amongst the people of God. He does this by spreading a spirit
throughout the church, causing many to continue to be influenced by the
principles which govern the people of this world. Thus it becomes more
difficult for one to consistently apply the principles which God has
proclaimed to us whereby we ought to live our lives! Satan’s approach
results in a spirit of strife, emulation, and contention, even for the
people of God!

Envy is a fruitful cause of strife and divisions.
It is alive in the church of God. Thus Paul warns us to not allow such
contentions, disputes, dissentions, and quarrels to continue to affect
us as they do people of the world. We are to be coming out of the ways
of this world!

Paul tells us in this verse that when we allow
such within our lives we are walking as mere men, being filled with the
unruly approach of this world rather than being filled with love; being
united and harmonious as members of God’s family are to become and as
God the Father and Jesus Christ are today!

Christ prayed to the
Father (in John 17:17-23) for those who comprise His Church. In this
wonderful prayer for you and for me Christ prayed that the Father
sanctify us by His truth. As we are living by the principles of God’s
truth, Christ prayed that we become “one” as He and the Father are
“one.” One mind, one body, one Spirit – in truth! Christ gave us His
Spirit such that this is a true possibility!

We read (in 1
Corinthians 15:20): “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has
become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” James wrote
the sobering words found in James 1:18 for our edification, which say:
“Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we
might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”

Is your life reflective to all that you are one of God’s “Firstfruits?”

Interview with Iran’s President

On May 30, 2006, Der Spiegel Online published a revealing interview with Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. We are publishing the following excerpts from his highly controversial comments. We want to make it clear that we do not quote his comments because we agree with them, but to show how an intelligent charismatic figure can advance arguments which may sound reasonable to some, or he might exploit ideas for his purposes. Adolph Hitler and propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels were masters in this at their time:

Ahmadinejad’s comments about the Holocaust:

“We are saying that if the Holocaust occurred, then Europe must draw the consequences and that it is not Palestine that should pay the price for it. If it did not occur, then the Jews have to go back to where they came from. I believe that the German people today are also prisoners of the Holocaust. Sixty million people died in the Second World War. World War II was a gigantic crime. We condemn it all. We are against bloodshed, regardless of whether a crime was committed against a Muslim or against a Christian or a Jew. But the question is: Why among these 60 million victims are only the Jews the center of attention?… Why must the German people be humiliated today because a group of people committed crimes in the name of the Germans during the course of history?… How can a person who wasn’t even alive at the time be held legally responsible?… Why is such a burden heaped on the German people? The German people of today bear no guilt. Why are the German people not permitted the right to defend themselves? Why are the crimes of one group emphasized so greatly, instead of highlighting the great German cultural heritage? Why should the Germans not have the right to express their opinion freely?… How much longer do you think the German people have to accept being taken hostage by the Zionists?…”

Ahmadinejad’s comments about nuclear weapons:

“… a number of countries… possess both nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. They use their atomic weapons to threaten other peoples. And it is these powers who say that they are worried about Iran deviating from the path of peaceful use of atomic energy. We say that these powers are free to monitor us if they are worried. But what these powers say is that the Iranians must not complete the nuclear fuel cycle because deviation from peaceful use might then be possible. What we say is that these countries themselves have long deviated from peaceful usage. These powers have no right to talk to us in this manner. This order is unjust and unsustainable… I stress once again, we don’t need any nuclear weapons…”

Ahmadinejad’s comments about Iraq and Europe:

“For eight years, the Western countries provided arms to Saddam in the war against us, including chemical weapons, and gave him political support. We were against Saddam and suffered severely because of him, so we’re happy that he has been toppled. But we don’t accept a whole country being swallowed under the pretext of wanting to topple Saddam. More than 100,000 Iraqis have lost their lives under the rule of the occupying forces. Fortunately, the Germans haven’t been involved in this. We want security in Iraq… We have very close ties to the Iraqi people. Many people on both sides of the border are related. We have lived side by side for thousands of years. Our holy pilgrimage sites are located in Iraq. Just like Iran, Iraq used to be a center of civilization… We have always cultivated good relations with Europe, especially with Germany. Our two peoples like each other. We’re eager to deepen this relationship.

“Europe has made three mistakes with respect to our people. The first mistake was to support the shah’s government. This has left our people disappointed and discontent. However, by offering asylum to Imam Khomeini, France earned a special position that it lost again later. The second mistake was to support Saddam in his war against us. The truth is that our people expected Europe to be on our side, not against us. The third mistake was Europe’s stance on the nuclear issue. Europe will be the big loser and will achieve nothing. We don’t want to see that happen… we’re puzzled why some European countries are opposed to us. I sent out a message on the nuclear issue, asking why the Europeans were translating the Americans’ words for us. After all, they know that our actions are aimed toward peace. By siding with Iran, the Europeans would serve their own and our interests. But they will suffer only damage if they oppose us. For our people is strong and determined… The Europeans risk losing their position in the Middle East entirely, and they are ruining their reputation in other parts of the world. The others will think that the Europeans aren’t capable of solving problems.”

Earthquake in Indonesia

The Associated Press reported on May 31, 2006:

“U.S. Marines joined an international effort to deliver aid and medical care to nearly 650,000 Indonesians displaced by a devastating earthquake, as hopes faded of finding more survivors… The United Nations said at least 21 other countries have joined the effort to help those left homeless by Saturday’s magnitude-6.3 quake, which killed more than 5,800 people. An estimated 647,000 people were displaced by the quake, nearly a third of them homeless and the rest staying with relatives.”

Smooth Entry Into the United States?

MSNBC reported on May 30:

“The European Union and the United States today vowed to strike a new deal allowing European airliners to transfer passenger data to US authorities, after the European Court of Justice today ruled the existing deal illegal. Today’s court decision means more queues and long hold-ups for Europeans at American airports once the current system is scrapped, unless a new arrangement can be reached. The agreement between Brussels and Washington, which was blasted by civil liberties groups, was insisted on by America after the September 11, 2001 attacks. It required European airlines to provide the US authorities with 34 pieces of information on each passenger including names, addresses and credit card information, within 15 minutes of a plane taking off. It was opposed by many European MPs as a breach of privacy laws.

“But the 2004 deal was annulled not on the issue of privacy, but on the purely technical grounds that existing EU data protection law only covers commercial data, and was not wide enough in scope to cover data used for security purposes. The EU and Washington now have until September 30 to negotiate a new agreement before the present arrangement expires… There is already a vexed history between Washington and Europe on the level of information necessary for European passengers to enjoy smooth entry to the United States.”

Just About Everything Wrong in Iraq?

On May 29, 2006, Der Spiegel Online published an outspoken essay by former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer about the Iraq war:

“What went wrong?… Today, three years after the beginning of the war in Iraq, that question needs to be directed not just at the Arab world, but also at Western policy, and above all at United States policy. After all, since the administration of George W. Bush decided to remove Saddam Hussein from power by war, just about everything went wrong that possibly could have. What is more, the reality in Iraq and the surrounding region far surpassed all negative expectations and fears, and it continues to do so today…  The question is whether the majority of US citizens were ever really prepared to pay the very high military, political, economic, and moral cost for such an imperial enterprise, and to pay for it over a long period of time. We know today that the answer is ‘No.’ But such a negative answer was already to be expected in 2002 and 2003, and would have been the starting point if the actual reason for the war had been placed at the center of the domestic debate in the US. That’s why other reasons for going to war were invoked–weapons of mass destruction and international terror–reasons that have quite obviously not held up to reality…

“US policy in Iraq today has stalled entirely. Instead of bringing about regional realignment, the US is using its strength to create a power vacuum, and thus prevent a civil war. Such a civil war is, however, becoming more likely every day. If, in 2003, everything suggested that this US war was a mistake, then today, the arguments against a US retreat in Iraq are at least as strong. But the situation is even worse, since every day that US troops remain in Iraq will only aggravate rather than solve this crisis — a crisis that is headed for civil war. It’s depressing to see that nothing is left of the US strategy of regional realignment. Instead, an unnecessary defeat — and one with far-reaching consequences — will have to be responded to by a strategy of containment, deterrence and long-term transformation from within the societies concerned. These prospects are anything but encouraging, but when one looks back on the years since the US invaded Baghdad, one finds that all gloomy predictions have been surpassed by reality.”

Italy Jumps Off the Sinking Ship

On May 26, 2006, The Associated Press reported:

“Italy will pull 1,100 of its troops from Iraq in June, the new government said Friday, giving its first specific numbers about the planned withdrawal… [New Italian Prime Minister] Prodi had opposed the U.S.-led war in Iraq and pledged during his campaign for the elections in April which brought him and his center-left allies to power to bring Italian troops home and replace the contingent with a civilian force… In contrast, [former Italian Prime Minister] Berlusconi defied widespread opposition at home and sent about 3,000 soldiers to Iraq to help with reconstruction after the ouster of Saddam Hussein in 2003… U.S. allies in Iraq have slowly but steadily drawn down or pulled out as Iraqi forces take more responsibility for securing the country. By year’s end, officials say, the coalition may shrink noticeably.”

Bush and Blair Meet, Admit Mistakes

AFP reported on May 26 about the meeting between President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Bair in Washington:

“British Prime Minister Tony Blair came here to show solidarity with US President George W. Bush on Iraq, but his 24-hour visit highlighted their problems in extricating themselves from a war that has hurt them both… the two leaders, acknowledging a series of major mistakes in Iraq, had little new to offer in the way of strategy and appeared as far as ever from setting a timetable to withdraw their troops… [Tony Blair said:] ‘This should be a moment of reconciliation not only in Iraq but in the international community. The war split the world. The struggle of Iraqis for democracy should unite it.’… [The] predominant impression left behind by Bush and his British comrade in arms… was a growing awareness of how much had gone wrong in Iraq. Blair virtually conceded they had misread the battlefield they were entering and criticized the decision to launch a wholesale purge of members of Saddam’s old Baath party from the army and government. Bush spoke of ‘setbacks and missteps’ such as delays in rebuilding Iraq’s security forces and economy, and above all the widely publicized abuses of Iraqi inmates at Abu Ghraib prison.

“The Texas Republican went so far as to regret some of his rhetoric in the war on terror, such as his ‘Bring ’em on’ taunt to Iraqi insurgents. He called it the ‘kind of tough talk that sent the wrong signal to people.’ But as he and Blair did their mea culpas, a new, potentially devastating scandal loomed with allegations that US Marines went on a rampage last November and killed up to two dozen men, women and children in a western Iraq town.  At the same time, Blair seemed to admit that the ongoing bloodshed in Iraq and resurgent violence in Afghanistan could crimp the allies’ ability to deal with other crises, such as Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons program. ‘We don’t want a conflict with Iran. We have got enough on our plate doing other things,’ he told the Arab television station Al-Jazeera in an interview released Thursday by his office.”

Are Iran and Iraq Getting Closer?

Reuters reported on May 27:

“Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki met leading Iraqi cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani on Saturday in one of Iraq’s holiest cities and thanked him for promoting unity between Iraq’s groups. The meeting with Sistani, who has emerged as perhaps the most powerful man in Iraq after Saddam Hussein’s downfall, in the Shi’ite holy city of Najaf was likely to fuel Sunni Arab fears that Shi’ite Iran was trying to gain influence in Iraq… [T]he Sunni minority are suspicious of non-Arab Iran, against which Iraq fought a war in the 1980s.”

The German Pope in Poland

On May 29, 2006, Der Spiegel reported about the Pope’s visit in Poland, and especially in Auschwitz. For most Catholic believers, it does not matter where the Pope was born–they accept him as long as he is the Pope. And many Holocaust survivors liked what they heard from the Pope. But not all were happy:

“Most Polish believers don’t care where the Pope was born. They love him–because he has so thoroughly studied their difficult language; because he subjects himself to the tedium of protocol so uncomplainingly and mildly; because he has a message, even if it is a strict one; because he quotes their beloved Jan Pawel II in every address; but most of all–because he’s the Pope…The word ‘guilt’ is never used [by the Pope]. There is no ‘mea culpa,’ neither with regard to anti-Semitism in the Church, nor with regard to the role of his country. The Germans, he says–and the remark will probably be associated with him for a long time to come–the Germans are a people ‘that a gang of criminals managed to achieve power over with deceitful promises, with the promise of greatness, of the resurrection of the nation’s honor and significance, with the promise of well-being and also with terror and intimidation, such that our people could be used and abused as an instrument for their fury of destruction and domination.’… Many of [the] Holocaust survivors praised the Pope’s speech. ‘What else should he have said? The highest voice of the Catholics says that God was not at Auschwitz. That’s more than enough,’ the leader of the ghetto uprising Marek Edelmann told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. But for others Ratzinger’s silence is not enough. The head rabbi of Warsaw, Michael Schudrich… said he wished the Pope had clearly addressed growing anti-Semitism in Catholic Poland.”

Murder of Innocent Children

On May 28, Associated Newspapers LTD published the following article about new scandalous developments in Great Britain, involving the murder of innocent children:

“The ethical storm over abortions has been renewed as it emerged that terminations are being carried out for minor, treatable birth defects. Late terminations have been performed in recent years because the babies had club feet, official figures show… Other babies were destroyed because they had webbed fingers or extra digits. Such defects can often be corrected with a simple operation or physiotherapy. The revelation sparked fears that abortion is increasingly being used to satisfy couples’ desire for the ‘perfect’ baby. A leading doctor said people were right to be ‘totally shocked’ that abortions were being carried out for such conditions.”

Vatican Wants International Control Over Jerusalem

On May 29, ynetnews.com reported about the Vatican’s renewed interest in “international” control of Jerusalem. The article stated:

“The Vatican’s legal advisor in Israel, David Jaeger, harshly criticized Israel’s policy regarding safeguarding Christian holy sites. Speaking during an international conference at a Haifa University conference Tuesday, Jaeger said Jerusalem is an important city the fate of which should not be left in the hands of Israel and the Palestinians. Any solution to the status of Jerusalem needs the approval of the international community, said Jaeger, adding that the Palestinian Authority has also failed in keeping with international conventions on preserving holy sites. Jaeger said there is a contradiction between agreements signed between Israel and the Vatican on preserving Christian Holy sites and Israeli laws dating from the British mandate in Palestine. The Israeli government took away the courts’ authority to deal with issues related to lands and funds belonging to the Roman Catholic Church, causing legal disputes that have been dragging in courts for years, the Vatican envoy said.”

Sale of Weapons Big Business

Pravda reported on May 29 about the questionable reputation of the five leading countries that are engaged in arms exports:

“Experts of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute have prepared another report about the export of arms in the world. The specialists calculated that Russia has become [the] world’s largest exporter of weapons during 2000-2004… According to SIPRI,  the first five positions of the list of [the] world’s largest exporters of arms (with up to 81 percent of deliveries) are distributed between: Russia ($26.9 billion), the USA ($25.9 billion), France ($6.3 billion), Germany ($4.8 billion) and Great Britain ($4.4 billion).”

AFP reported on May 26 that “The United States urged Russia to reconsider its decision to honor a contract to sell TOR-M1 surface-to-air missiles to Iran… At the end of last year, the Russian press announced that Iran had signed a contract with Moscow to buy 29 TOR-M1 air defense systems in a deal valued at 700 million dollars.” As the article continued to point out, Russia is determined to honor the contract and to deliver the missiles to Iran.

Illegal Immigration Big Politics

On May 28, 2006, The Washington Post published an article about America’s fight with illegal Immigration. The article came close to pointing out that politicians from all parties are heavily engaged in this fight for, apparently, mainly political reasons. The article does not even address the issue of right and wrong–just what position might result in the most votes:

“Republican House members facing the toughest races this fall are overwhelmingly opposed to any deal that provides illegal immigrants a path to citizenship — an election-year dynamic that significantly dims the prospects that President Bush will win the immigration compromise he is seeking, according to Republican lawmakers and leadership aides… The nearly united front of Republicans from the most competitive districts against Bush’s approach to immigration underscores the difficulties the president is facing… Most said 80 to 90 percent of feedback coming from constituents last week was in opposition to Bush and the Senate on the citizenship question.

“Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) will not allow a vote on a House-Senate compromise that does not have the support of most GOP lawmakers or one that would undermine the reelection chances of his at-risk members, aides said… John McCain (Ariz.), in an interview, cautioned his House colleagues to more closely examine ‘voting patterns’ and understand the ‘detrimental’ consequences of alienating Hispanics, who make up about 12.5 percent of the U.S. population.

“Rep. Ric Keller… said, about 90 percent of voters are opposed to a guest-worker program and in favor of the House approach… Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R-Minn.) [said:] ‘We keep our finger on the public pulse all the time, not just every six years.’… Rep. John N. Hostettler (R-Ind.), a top Democratic target who represents a district so competitive it is known as the ‘bloody 8th,’ warned that if House Republicans do not oppose guest workers, temporary workers and anything ‘that looks like amnesty,’ they could very well lose the House. ‘There are [a] lot of people on Capitol Hill that have no clue what November is going to bring them on immigration,’ he said. ‘It could be something like a tidal wave that could benefit the Democrats simply because Republicans don’t do the right thing. To survive through November, the folks up here [on Capitol Hill] are really going to have to understand the passion behind this.'”

Children in US Detention Camp?

Great Britain’s The Independent published the following article on May 28:

“The notorious US detention camp in Guantanamo Bay has been hit by fresh allegations of human rights abuses, with claims that dozens of children were sent there–some as young as 14 years old. Lawyers in London estimate that more than 60 detainees held at the terrorists’ prison camp were boys under 18 when they were captured. They include at least 10 detainees still held at the US base in Cuba who were 14 or 15 when they were seized–including child soldiers who were held in solitary confinement, repeatedly interrogated and allegedly tortured. The disclosures threaten to plunge the Bush administration into a fresh row with Britain, its closest ally in the war on terror, only days after the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, repeated his demands for the closure of the detention facility. It was, he said, a ‘symbol of injustice’. Whitehall sources said the new allegations, from the London-based legal rights group Reprieve, directly contradicted the Bush administration’s assurances to the UK that no juveniles had been held there. ‘We would take a very, very dim view if it transpires that there were actually minors there,’ said an official.”

European Ministers Meet–Where and When?

The Associated Press reported on May 27:

“Meeting at a 900-year-old Roman Catholic monastery, the [EU foreign] ministers… discussed a proposal for a declaration restating the principles and values of an increasingly united Europe–ideally in 2007 when the EU marks its 50th anniversary. ‘Europe is a model all over the world and we should draw some self-confidence from that,’ German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said… One task is to convince ordinary Europeans–skittish about their jobs, crime rates and cultural identities in an age of globalization–that closer integration and bringing in half a dozen or more states into the EU is a good thing. Opinion surveys say Europeans generally support the EU and even the idea of a constitution but want the bloc to focus more on their day-to-day concerns such as unemployment, immigration and globalization.”

In a related article, The Associated Press wrote:

“European Union foreign ministers were cloistering themselves inside a 12th century abbey Saturday to consider the bloc’s future, almost exactly a year after French voters threw the continent into turmoil by rejecting what would have been the first Europe-wide constitution. The envoys were gathering informally at the Roman Catholic monastery in Klosterneuburg on the outskirts of Vienna for a two-day ‘future of Europe’ meeting… Several EU nations, notably the Netherlands and Germany–sensing public resistance to further expansion–want the EU to commit soon to final borders… The charter has been ratified by the parliaments of 13 nations: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia and Slovenia. Finland is expected to ratify it in the second half of 2006.” It is interesting that this meeting should take place on the Sabbath (Saturday, May 27), as well as on Sunday, May 28, in a Roman Catholic monastery close to Vienna, Austria. In addition, some of the 13 independent “countries” listed in the article which have “ratified” the EU Constitution would be clearly looked upon as “one” nation in Biblical terms. The Bible predicts that ultimately, 10 European nations or groups of nations will rule a united Europe. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Europe Marches On

The EUobserver wrote on May 26:

“German chancellor Angela Merkel has spoken out in favour of a reference to God in the EU constitution… Merkel said ‘We live in a world in which we want to understand and communicate with other religions and cultures’. This includes knowing your own roots and being aware of them which is why God and the Christian belief should be included into the EU constitution, she indicated… It is the first time Berlin has spoken out in favour of a Christian reference in the EU constitution, and could potentially reopen one of the most bitter debates surrounding the drawing up of the document four years ago. Spain, Italy and Poland were among the most active countries in pushing for a strong Christian reference in the constitution–Germany’s Christian Democrats were also very vocal but they were then in opposition.”

The Incredible Debt of the U.S.

On May 23, The Pravda published a highly revealing article about the devastating economic situation in the United States. We feel that this should be considered as a “must-read” article:

“When Bush became president in 2001, the United States’ public debt was 5.8 trillion dollars. Today the public debt stands at 8.3 trillion dollars. Of this over $2.2 trillion dollars are held by foreigners… In 2005 the U.S. government paid $325 billion dollars only in interest payments alone. Then there are the future obligations such as Medicare, Social Security and government pensions. These obligations amount to $54 trillion dollars. This huge problem worried the former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. He told congress: ‘As a nation, we may have already made promises to coming generations of retirees that we will be unable to fulfill.’

“One would think that this amount of debt would worry the president and the congress. But apparently it does not. United States’ Congress recently (March 2006) voted to increase the Federal debt limit to 9 trillion dollars. Any other nation in similar circumstances would have had to approach IMF for help. IMF would then have forced that nation to cut spending and devalue its currency. But the U.S. does not need to do this. The U.S. can just print some more dollars. But how long can this continue before the world loose faith in the greenback, sending it crashing to unimaginable levels?… Asian countries such as Japan, China and others that hold most of the U.S. debts have been happy to indulge the American deficit spending… The value of U.S. dollar so far has been kept artificially high by Japan, China and oil-exporting countries. These countries, by buying US debts, have kept interests rates relatively low in the United States and allowed Americans to keep spending even as their debts mount. But there is only so much risk these lenders (Asian and oil-exporting countries) are willing to take…

“China with the reserves of over $800 billion dollars has already begun to slowly reduce its dependency on dollars by converting part of its reserves to other currencies. If other Asian countries–with their vast dollar holdings–follow suit, then it will be disastrous for the value of the dollar. No-one is interested in holding a weakening currency… Another threat against the dollar comes from countries such as Iran and Venezuela… Iranians are going to make the Euro the standard currency for oil transactions. Some sympathetic countries such as Venezuela and others may join in. If the Iranians succeed in this, the pressure on the dollar will be catastrophic…

“[The] U.S. government keeps spending money in an un-winnable war in Iraq and is considering starting another one in Iran. The total cost of Iraq war, including the future payment to the disabled soldiers, replacement of equipment, etc., is estimated be between [sic] 1 to 2 trillion dollars. Any attack on Iran will substantially increase this cost. Even if there is no attack, the tense situation in the region will keep the oil prices at uncomfortable levels, contributing to both a reduction in U.S. growth and an increase in its deficit… Sooner or later, both the United States and the rest of the world have to address the existing problems. This problem is not the United States alone. We cannot ignore the largest economy on earth. It is said that if the United States sneezes, the world catches cold. We have to either make sure that the United States doesn’t catch cold or vaccinate ourselves against it.”

Sadly, Biblical Prophecy predicts that the entire world will “vaccinate” itself against the United States and Great Britain. For more information, read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

This Is How Much You Owe!

According to brillig.com, “The Outstanding Public Debt as of 01 Jun 2006 at 01:31:10 AM GMT is: $8,359,544,791,446.22. The estimated population of the United States is 298,820,299, so each citizen’s share of this debt is $27,975.16. The National Debt has continued to increase an average of $1.75 billion per day since September 30, 2005!”

As we point out in our free new booklet, “The Mysteries of the Bible,”
Christ’s “message pertained to the Church of God for all times,
including seven historic Church eras… [and] also… seven local
Church congregations at the time of John” (p. 23). In this Q&A, we
will strictly address Christ’s timeless message to individual
Christians.

Christ’s message INCLUDES a warning and admonition to
all Christians throughout the existence of the Church. This can be seen
by Christ’s repeated admonition to ALL seven churches, to “hear what
the Spirit says to the churches” (compare Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29;
3:6, 13 and 22).

We should, first of all, take note of the fact
that Christ addresses true Christians in the Church of God, who have
received God’s Holy Spirit! He is not talking to people who are not a
part of the Church! Still, we find that Christ is warning ALL OF US not
to lose God’s Spirit. He is admonishing ALL OF US to make every effort
to succeed–to “make it into the Kingdom of God.” His warning is real
and stern. He utters His warning to awaken Christians out of sleep and
lethargy, and to encourage them to continue–and to NEVER give up!

Some
claim that they are in a Church organization which seemingly does “the
Work of God”–in whatever way THEY define such “Work.” They continue to
claim that no other organization does the Work–or at least, not as
effectively as their own group. They conclude that as long as they
belong to their group, they are safe and have already as good as made
it “into the Kingdom.” These self-righteous people are normally also
very quick to say that others, who don’t belong to “their”
organization, won’t make it–or if some few do, they will have to go
first through the “Great Tribulation.”

We may note, however,
that Christ’s message to the seven churches shows that most Christians
are involved with doing “works” (Revelation 2:2, 9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8,
15). While many of the works find Christ’s approval, some do not. For
instance, He says in Revelation 3:1: “I know your works, that you have
a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” He adds in verse 2 that
He did not find the works of those individuals “perfect before God.”
Likewise, Christ says in Revelation 3:15-16: “I know your works, that
you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So
then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit
you out of My mouth.”

We can clearly see from the foregoing that
Christ encourages a Christian to perform “perfect” works. The mere fact
that persons may belong to an organization which does “works” and which
has a “name” claiming to be “alive” (3:1), will not help them. Neither
will an attitude of self-righteousness and self-contentment–which
Christ describes as spiritual blindness. Although they may do works
(3:15), Christ warns them: “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become
wealthy, and have need of nothing’–and do not know that you are
wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked–I counsel you to buy from
Me gold refined in the fire… Therefore be zealous and repent”
(Revelation 3:17-19). Even though they work, they act in a
self-confident, half-hearted fashion, thinking that they have already
made it. They do not really understand the need to grow in God’s
knowledge and His way of life. Christ tells them that they must become
“zealous” about what they are doing–to seek God and His righteousness
first, while overcoming their own spiritual indifference (3:21).

But
even Christians who are doing “works” which are seemingly pleasing to
God are in need of improvement. Some have resisted false teachers (2:2,
6) and have been very diligent to do God’s works (2:3)–but they have
lost their “first love” (2:4). They might have begun to labor in God’s
Work for wrong reasons–perhaps for the purpose of getting or keeping a
job with a nice salary and the security of a future pension, or so that
they could obtain recognition and praise from man. Christ tells them to
repent of their wrong motives and conduct, and to do “the first works”
(2:5)–when they did them out of a genuine desire to please God, not
themselves or other men.

Christ also addresses those Christians
who actually increase in the works of God. He says to them that “the
last are more than the first” (2:19). Still, they may have become
indifferent to wrong teachings, allowing false doctrines to seduce them
(2:20). Christ tells such to overcome these problems (verse 26), while
continuing to do His works until the end (same verse). Others, who are
performing “works” and who are holding fast to God’s truth (2:13), have
surrounded themselves with wrong teachers and are listening to wrong
doctrines (2:14-15). They may think, perhaps, that they are strong
enough to resist false teaching, but Christ tells them to REPENT of
such self-deception, and to cleanse themselves from those wrong
teachers and teachings–because, if they don’t do that, Christ WILL do
it for them (2:16).

Then there are those who ARE doing the works
of God in the right way (3:8), being motivated by a true love for God
and the people of this world. But even they still need encouragement
and an admonition to endure until the very end. Christians who are
doing good works, who keep Christ’s word and who don’t deny His name
(3:8), are encouraged to persevere and to hold fast (3:10-11)–showing
that even they COULD fall away, by losing patience and giving up their
struggle for the crown of life. Christ tells all of us that only those
who endure until the end shall be saved (Matthew 24:13).

Christ
commands all Christians at all times to overcome and to be victorious
over Satan, their own selves and society (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12,
21). This shows that not one living Christian is already perfect–ALL
need to continue to press on toward the goal of the Kingdom of God. In
fact, some of those who think that they have already made it because
their organization may do “the Work” might find themselves described by
God as “lukewarm”–as their own personal lifestyle may not at all
reflect the high prize of God’s calling.

Christ’s warning to
His disciples rings loud and clear: We all must be diligent and zealous
in doing the “works of God”–including His Work of preaching the gospel
in all the world as a witness (Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20). But we must do
it because of genuine love for God and man (1 Corinthians 13:1-13). If
we do “the Work” with improper motives, it will profit us nothing.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program
was posted on the Web, titled, “USA–The Fading Superpower.” In the
program, Norbert Link discussed the following concepts:

Is
America’s status as a superpower fading? Many believe that it is. More
than 70 percent of interviewed people around the world believe that the
US needs a rival superpower. Anti-Americanism is at its highest level,
while President Bush’s approval rate in the US is at its lowest, with
most Americans being opposed to the war in Iraq. According to the
German press, even Iraq’s new government does not constitute a
strategic success for the US, given the fact that three crucial
ministers have not been named. In addition, America and Europe have
different perspectives relating to national and international defense.
Even though Iran launched successfully an intermediate-range ballistic
missile, which is capable of reaching Israel, Europe does not believe
that any threat from Iran is short-term. What is going on in the world,
and what does it all mean?

On May 27, 2006, Edwin Pope will give the sermon, titled, “Truth–A Way of Life.”

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.

The company I work for has invested large sums of money on in-house
training. It reimburses its employees for traveling to out-of-town
training locations. It does not mind spending money to train its
employees and upgrade their knowledge and skills. The company benefits
by this–and so does the employee who enjoys the perks of traveling
across Canada, the United States and even Europe.

The company
also used to have a manager training program. It interviewed everyone
who applied and selected a few for the program, which usually lasted
for about a year. Successful trainees were promoted to management
positions.

We might not always think of our calling as God’s
training program for us–but it truly is. We have been selected among
countless millions of potential candidates to be trained for a
wonderful future. Let us look at what Peter says about our
calling and future potential, in 1 Peter 2:9-10: “But you are a
chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special
people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of
darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are
now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained
mercy.”

What a wonderful and magnanimous opportunity we have in
this calling. Ironically, God did not call the intelligentsia of this
world, as stated by Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:26-27: “For you see your
calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many
mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish
things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the
weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are
mighty.” Notice, He chose the foolish and unwise of the world.

This
does not mean we are to stay weak and foolish, as it were. Rather, we
are to grow in grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:18). In this
context, we need to grasp the significance of the importance of Bible
study. After all, the Bible is our training manual to assist us in
fulfilling our future roles as rulers and priests, as outlined in
Revelation 5:10: “And [You, that is, the Lamb, Jesus Christ] have made
us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the
earth.”

We are in training now for the most challenging,
awesome career anyone on this earth could possibly aspire to. We need
to ensure we are growing in grace and knowledge, by our daily study of
the training manual God has given us–the Bible. And, we must never
forget that we are not training for management positions in this
present world, but to become God beings in the future, assisting Christ
to rule and reign on this earth.

US–The Fading Superpower

Last week, csmonitor.com published an interesting article, asking whether the United States was “fading as superpower.”

In the article, it was stated:

“For the past five years, since the 9/11 attacks, US President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair have helped shape key world events. But now, some influential media and political critics are saying that both men, and the US in particular, no longer can get the world to do as they wish. In a recent article entitled, ‘Axis of Feeble,’ the Economist argues that ‘the debacle in Iraq and problems at home have turned both leaders from soaring hawks into the lamest of ducks.’… an era is plainly drawing to an end… For those who would ‘rejoice’ at the end of this partnership [between Bush and Blair], because of the idea that ‘in a world of one superpower, some say, people are safer when its president is too weak for foreign adventures,’ the Economist says they are wrong…

“WBUR.org’s OnPoint recently looked at the question ‘Is America losing its luster?’ The conclusion reached by panelists on the show was that while the US continues to be militarily powerful, the ‘notion of irresistible power’ no longer is the case. David Kennedy, professor of history at Stanford University, argued that the US is learning ‘[t]he world is a recalcitant place and does not yield itself to us easily.’ He added that the notion the US could shape the world as it wished proved to be an illusion. The US is learning the lesson that all great powers have learned, Kennedy said, that no matter how much power a country has, the world will not just go along with its wishes…”United Press International reports that a new survey by the Pew Research Center, part of a new book ‘America against the World,’ also illustrates the problem for the US. More than 70 percent of the 91,000 people around the world interviewed for the survey believe that the US needs a rival superpower… The survey found anti-American sentiment is at its highest level ever…”

The Bible prophesies that America’s status as a superpower will gradually disappear. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

USA and Europe Just Different

AFP reported on May 24:

“The United States is trying to rally its [European] partners behind plans to build a missile shield… Washington hopes to set up around 10 ‘interceptor’ missiles in central Europe, possibly in Poland or the Czech Republic, to ward off potential attacks with ballistic missiles, perhaps from countries like Iran… ‘There is a growing threat of long-range missile attack on NATO territory and it is timely to examine ways and means of addressing that threat’ in Europe, said Marshall Billingslea, head of NATO’s Conference of National Armaments Directors…”

However, the European reaction is less than enthusiastic and shows again the different perspectives of the two power blocs–even when they relate to such important matters as national and international defense. The article pointed out:

“‘There is a difference in perception. America is looking at protection from strategic missile attacks from places like China, North Korea and Iran. Europe doesn’t believe that’s a threat,’ said Andrew Brookes, from the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.”… Europe is unlikely to act too hastily. ‘On the European side, there is an almost categorical refusal to take decisions on the run,’ said Rik Coolsaet, from the Royal Institute of International Relations in Brussels. ‘Politically, Europeans understand that there is a potential danger from the Iranians but it is not a danger they see likely in the short term,’ he said, adding: ‘the sense of urgency is far less present in Europe than in the United States.’ Another obstacle — and a big one — to accepting the US plan is that it remains to be seen whether such a missile shield can actually work. ‘We are being asked — us, the Europeans — to make a huge investment to… a programme which, even in the United States, is not believed to be ready,’ said Coolsaet. ‘It isn’t working,’ Brookes said of the missile shield plan… ‘German politicians, French politicians and British politicians do not regard Pyongyang as about to launch anything in the foreseeable future at a European capital, they just don’t,’ he said.”

However, future developments might surprise everybody.

Pope Benedict’s “Bold Moves”

The Associated Press reported on May 19:

“Even as he was dogged by claims of sexual abuse, the founder of the Legionaries of Christ religious order remained a favorite of Pope John Paul II. On Friday, Pope Benedict XVI showed a bold willingness to correct his beloved predecessor by disciplining the Mexican priest. It’s the latest move by Benedict away from John Paul’s legacy… The Vatican asked the prominent cleric to stop celebrating Mass publicly and live a life of ‘prayer and penance’–effectively making him a priest in name only. In a statement, the 86-year-old Maciel insisted he was innocent, but accepted the Vatican’s punishment.

“The pope has made other changes that highlight his differences with John Paul. Benedict recently insisted on strict adherence to rules for naming saints, which will inevitably slow the process of canonization. By contrast, John Paul named an unprecedented number of saints during his 26-year papacy. Benedict has also cracked down on another movement that John Paul admired–the Neocatechumenal Way. The pope said the group had to change its innovative practices to celebrate Mass and take Holy Communion the same way other Catholics do…

“There were early signs that Benedict would aggressively take on transgressors among the faithful. Just before he became pope, he decried ‘filth’ in the church–a statement largely taken as a reference to the clergy sex abuse crisis. Still, when the cardinals elected Benedict in April 2005, many observers interpreted the vote as a desire for continuity. Benedict, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, had served for more than two decades under the late pontiff as the Vatican’s orthodoxy watchdog and had enormous influence in the church. But [Thomas] Reese, [former editor of the Jesuit magazine America], said, ‘Benedict is not a clone of John Paul. When he was Cardinal Ratzinger, Benedict didn’t shy away from taking people on even if it meant bad press,’ said Reese, who resigned as America editor under pressure from Ratzinger. ‘He does what he thinks is right.'”

The Catholic Church will play a dominant role in the near future. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

FCC Declined To Investigate

USA Today reported on May 24:

“The Federal Communications Commission declined Tuesday to investigate whether a spy agency has access to millions of Americans’ telephone records. It cited the secrecy of the National Security Agency. The decision drew a call for congressional hearings from a Democratic congressman who had requested a probe. ‘The FCC has abdicated its responsibility to protect Americans’ privacy to the National Security Agency without even asking a single question about it,’ Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said. Markey had asked the regulatory panel to look into a report in USA TODAY that the NSA has been secretly collecting the phone call records with the help of telecommunications companies.

“FCC Chairman Kevin Martin wrote Markey that ‘the classified nature of the NSA’s activities make us unable to investigate the alleged violations’ of privacy. Martin cited written testimony by John Negroponte, the director of national intelligence, and Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander, the NSA’s director, that disclosure of any information could ’cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security of the United States.’ Their declarations were made in response to a lawsuit in federal court in California. AT&T was sued there in January by the privacy rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation for violating customer privacy by turning over telephone data to the government. The Justice Department has asked that the case be dismissed…”

The article continued:

“USA TODAY reported May 11 that the NSA secretly collected call records with the help of three companies: AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth. USA TODAY reported the records include information on calls made before and after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorism attacks. Verizon and BellSouth released statements last week denying they provided the NSA with call information. A Verizon spokesman said the company’s statement did not include MCI, the long-distance company that Verizon acquired in January. President Bush has not confirmed or denied the report but said that intelligence activities he authorized were legal and that the government was not looking into ordinary Americans’ personal lives.”

Alarming Bird Flu Developments

Reuters reported on May 24 about the long-feared possibility that the bird flu virus might mutate–by transmitting the disease from human to human. The article stated:

“Limited human-to-human transmission of bird flu might have occurred in an Indonesian family… The WHO and Indonesian health officials are baffled over the source of the infection but genetic sequencing has shown the H5N1 bird flu virus has not mutated, the U.N. agency said… The WHO statement came after one of the family members, a 32-year-old father, died on Monday after caring for his ailing son, who had died earlier. The agency said such close contact was considered a possible source of infection… But another WHO spokesman said the agency was worried. ‘This is the most significant development so far in terms of public health,’ Peter Cordingley, spokesman for the West Pacific region of the WHO, told Reuters Television in the Philippine capital on Wednesday. ‘We have never had a cluster as large as this. We have not had in the past what we have here, which is no explanation as to how these people became infected. We can’t find sick animals in this community and that worries us,’ he added.”

Notwithstanding “reassuring” statements from some experts who may OR MAY NOT know the facts, these are alarming and frightening developments. It is understandable that some within the WHO want to calm down any “over-reaction”– but how truthful and helpful is this in light of comments from others within the WHO, who seem to be worried? Wouldn’t it be high time for this world to turn to GOD–the CREATOR of man–who ALONE can and does control and prevent the outbreak of diseases? Notice what God told ancient Israel in Exodus 15:26: “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.” Sadly, this world has moved so far away from God that any suggestion to RETURN to Him and obtain protection from disease epidemics is being met with indifference, ridicule or outright rejection.

More Hurricanes Are Coming

CBS News reported on May 22:

“This year’s North Atlantic hurricane season will be ‘very active,’ spawning eight to 10 hurricanes, the U.S.-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday… NOAA’s outlook, published on its website, predicts: There will likely be 13 to 16 named storms, including tropical storms and hurricanes, compared with the 11 named storms seen in an average season. Eight to 10 of this year’s named storms will become hurricanes, meaning they will have sustained winds of at least 119 km/h, compared with the annual average of six. Four to six of the hurricanes will reach an intensity of at least Category 3, with sustained winds of at least 178 km/h, though on average each season experiences only two. The 2006 North Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1.”

The article continued:

“Even now, repaired levees are not strong enough to protect New Orleans from a direct hit by a Category 3 storm, a new report released Monday warned… Predictions of more storms than usual in 2005 were dead-on. Forecasters ran out of names for the tropical storms and hurricanes, having to dip into the Greek alphabet when the standard alphabetic list of 21 names was exhausted. At the end of the day, the 2005 North Atlantic season included 28 storms, seven more than the previous record of 21 storms in 1933. Four of them – Emily, Katrina, Rita and Wilma – reached Category 5, the top level of intensity, with sustained winds of at least 250 km/h at some point in their existence.”

U.S. Senate Votes on Illegal Immigration Issues

The Washington Times reported on May 19:

“The Senate voted yesterday to allow illegal aliens to collect Social Security benefits based on past illegal employment — even if the job was obtained through forged or stolen documents… The Senate also yesterday approved an amendment to adopt English as the nation’s official language… In addition, senators voted last night to kill an amendment that would have specified that the guest-worker program will not provide visas that would provide a path to citizenship.”

Iran Is Preparing For War

The Jerusalem Post reported on May 23:

“Iran conducted a test launch Tuesday night of the Shihab-3 intermediate-range ballistic missile, which is capable of reaching Israel and US targets in the region, Israel Radio reported… ‘What deters the enemy from launching an aggression is the resistance’s continuous readiness to respond,’ [Hizbullah leader Hassan] Nasrallah told scores of supporters. ‘Northern Israel today is within the range of the resistance’s rockets. The ports, bases, factories and everything is within that range.'”

The article continued:

“[Israel’s] Maj. Elyakim, commander of the Arrow missile battery at Palmahim, told The Jerusalem Post last month that the missile crews were always on high alert, but that they were recently instructed to ‘raise their level of awareness’ because of developments on the Iranian front. The Arrow missile, he said, could intercept and destroy any Iranian missile fired at Israel, including ones carrying non-conventional warheads. Experts believe that if Iran is attacked by Israel or the US, Teheran would respond by firing long-range ballistic missiles at Israel.”

Iraq’s New Government–Good or Bad News?

Der Spiegel Online reported on May 22 about the reaction of the German press to Iraq’s new government.

The magazine commented: “Five bloody months after Iraqis turned out to vote for their first freely-elected parliament, Baghdad has a working government — minus a few important ministers. German papers are divided on whether this amounts to a triumph for democracy… the day was marked by suicide bombings around Iraq and a walkout by Sunnis in the parliament chamber (to protest slim Sunni representation). The cabinet also wasn’t complete — three crucial ministers hadn’t been named. Observers said it was a symptom of deep divisions in Iraq that defense, interior, and national security jobs were still vacant, since those ministries need strong leaders to control Iraq’s security forces and quell the Sunni uprising…

“German newspapers on Monday can’t decide if the news is good. The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung sounds optimistic… The Financial Times Deutschland agrees. The lack of key ministers ‘may sound like a joke, given the security situation in Iraq,’ and yes, it took a long time for the government to form, but the presence of Sunnis in the cabinet is already an important step forward, writes the paper…

“Center-right daily Die Welt, however, is a lot more pessimistic. Its editors think Prime Minister al-Maliki has gotten off to a weak start… ‘How far Maliki has succeeded is clear from his appointments to key ministries: Not at all.’ The paper doesn’t believe non-partisan or ‘neutral’ politicians exist in Iraq… So the US probably won’t pull troops anytime soon. ‘AN AMERICAN STRATEGIC SUCCESS IN IRAQ, in other words a functioning, democratic, pro-western government,’ writes the paper, ‘IS SIMPLY NOT SHAPING UP.'”

Who Is Safe in Germany?

Der Spiegel Online reported on May 22:

“The furor over Germany’s image in advance of the World Cup roiled straight through the weekend after an assault in Berlin on a Turkish-born politician seemed to confirm warnings last week that non-white tourists might want to avoid parts of the country. Giyasettin Sayan, a 56-year-old member of Berlin’s regional assembly, was hospitalized after two men attacked him with a bottle on Friday in his own ward of Lichtenberg. The incident seemed to confirm a controversial warning made only two days before by Uwe-Karsten Heye, a former spokesman for Gerhard Schröder, that World Cup tourists should be warned [to stay] away from ‘small and mid-sized towns in Brandenburg,’ where neo-Nazi thugs were active. This time, tellingly, the incident was no provincial freakshow: It happened in the tolerant, cosmopolitan capital.

“‘Police say this wasn’t a targeted attack on Giyasettin Sayan — and that’s not comforting at all,’ writes the center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung. Sayan represents the neo-Communist Left Party in Berlin, and Lichtenberg has a known skinhead problem: If he wasn’t a target, the paper implies, then anyone can get hurt. ‘In Berlin, in eastern Germany, and even in western Germany it’s dangerous to walk around at night in the wrong neighborhood with the wrong skin color, beard, or length of hair,’ write the editors. Uwe-Karsten Heye’s warnings last week — which upset some conservative German politicians and soccer authorities — ‘weren’t just yanked out of thin air.'”

“The left-wing Berliner Zeitung thinks World Cup visitors need to be warned, officially, about certain parts of Berlin. ‘Immigrants with a sense of Berlin avoid these places out of experience,’ the commentator writes, but ‘the city senate should warn foreign visitors to be careful in these risky neighborhoods. Berlin authorities openly worry about the city’s name. But considering that a neo-Nazi attack during the World Cup would be even worse — how many people have to get hurt before the concern for the physical integrity of our guests becomes more important than our image?'”

Russia vs. EU

On May 22, The EUobserver reported about Russia’s misgivings regarding the enlargement of the EU. The article stated:

“The EU’s new member states are spoiling Moscow’s relationship with the bloc due to ‘phantom pains of the past,’ a top Russian diplomat [Vladimir Chizhov, Moscow’s ambassador to the EU] has commented in the run up to the EU-Russia summit this week. ‘With enlargement, the EU has not become an easier partner for us,’ [he said]… The Kremlin has seen several problematic issues come up with some of the countries from central and eastern Europe that joined the bloc in May 2004.”

The article continued:

“Disputes with the ex-Soviet republics–Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania–involving political wording around border agreement texts and the treatment of Russian minorities in the Baltic countries have strained relations… Poland, the biggest of the ten 2004 entrants, also features on Moscow’s list of prickly newcomers. Apart from its support to opposition forces in Ukraine and Belarus, Warsaw has been one of the most outspoken critics of Russia’s energy policy, accusing the Kremlin of using its gas reserves as a means of blackmailing western neighbours. Poland is particularly vexed about a gas pipeline project to link Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea bypassing Poland, with the country’s defence minister Radek Sikorski comparing the deal to a pre-World War II Nazi-Soviet pact partitioning Poland. Russia’s months-long blockade of Polish food imports and Moscow’s refusal to grant the Stalinist massacre of Polish officers and intelligentsia in Katyn in 1940 ‘genocide’ status are also bones of contention.”

We will be glad to explain.

First Tithe is the first ten percent of one’s “increase,” referring to his or her job earnings and/or other income, such as proceeds from rental, interest or gains from stocks or other investment. It is to be sent to God’s Church in furtherance of the preaching of the gospel.

Are we to pay tithe from the gross (before taxes are deducted from our paychecks) or from the net (after deduction of taxes)? It has been the long-standing policy of the Church to advise that there is no duty to tithe on the gross, as this would be impossible in certain countries, where taxes are so high. At the same time, the Church has always emphasized that it is up to the individual whether he or she wants to tithe from the gross or the net. Many tithe from the gross, following the principle as expressed in Luke 17:10, but this is a personal decision, based on personal circumstances. God looks at the heart of a person. If one chooses to tithe from the net, he would then be obligated, of course, to pay tithe on any tax refunds he might receive in the next year.

Some teach today that tithing only relates to agricultural products and farm produce of livestock, while excluding all other forms of income; such as wages or income from a business or investments. This is wrong. Such a teaching can have the result of doing away with tithing in most cases.

We read that Abraham gave Melchizedek a tithe of “all” (Genesis 14:20). Jacob also said that he would give God a tithe of “all” (Genesis 28:22). They did not limit tithing to just agricultural products or farm produce of livestock.

Some claim that tithing was just a law under Moses, which is no longer in effect today. This is wrong, too. Abraham and Jacob tithed to God long before the time of Moses. Jesus confirmed in His day and age the duty to tithe (Matthew 23:23). Malachi 3:8 states that tithing is the duty of MAN–not just of the Jew, the Israelite or even only of a converted Church member. Note that the Sabbath was created for MAN, too–not just for the Israelite or the Jew (Mark 2:27). God says through Malachi that man is cursed if he refuses to tithe to God, and that he will be blessed if he does(Malachi 3:8-10). We should also note that the book of Malachi is a prophecy for us today–addressing the time just prior to the Day of the LORD–the time of Christ’s return to this earth. In that context, Malachi says (in Malachi 4:4-5), to remember the Law of Moses, with the statues and the judgments. Tithing is a statute, and nowhere in the New Testament has it been abolished.

In fact, we find in the 7th chapter of Hebrews that we are to tithe today to Jesus Christ–that is, His Church–and no longer to the Levites, as was done under Moses. Originally, people, such as Abraham, tithed to Christ (in the person of Melchizedek), long before Levi was born. The tithe has always belonged to God (Leviticus 27:30)! It is HOLY to Him! He did give the tithe, for a period of time, to the sons of Levi “…as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform[ed], the work of the tabernacle of meeting”
(Numbers 18:21). Yet, we see in Hebrews 7:9 that the law of tithing existed long before God made an agreement with the sons of Levi, which agreement gave them the right and responsibility to collect tithes for a certain time. We can see in verses 15–28 of Hebrews 7 that this right to receive tithes later reverted back to Jesus Christ, whose right it was from the beginning! Today, Christ collects tithes through His Body—the Church—to be used to carry out the end-time Work of God.

As we explain in our free booklet, “Tithing Today?”, the Bible teaches not only our duty to pay First Tithe, but also the concepts of Second Tithe and Third Tithe (compare pp. 22-24).

Second Tithe is to be set aside for our personal use during the annual Holy Days, and especially for the Feast of Tabernacles. It is not to be sent in to the Church, but to be kept by the person to spend during the annual Holy Days of God. Only “excess second tithe” has been designated to be sent to the Church.

“Excess second tithe” is the portion of the Second Tithe exceeding necessary individual use. The Church will distribute such amount to members who were unable to save sufficient second tithe
for the Holy Days, and it might use remaining funds for necessary Church-related Feast expenses (such as hall rentals).

Related to the concept of Second Tithe is the concept of “Tithe of the Tithe.” This is not to be confused with the “Third Tithe” (discussed below), which is an altogether different concept.

More than 30 years ago, God’s Church made the administrative decision to ask Church members and
co-workers to send one tenth of their second tithe to the Church to be used for necessary Feast of Tabernacles expenses, including rental for Church halls. Since then, the Church has usually referred to this amount as the “tithe of the tithe.” Church members and co-workers were asked to calculate the amount of second tithe that would be available to them at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, and to send ten percent of that (calculated) amount to the Church, in advance as directed by the Church. This practice has allowed the Church to avoid using general contributions for the payment of Feast expenses, instead of being used for expenses relating to preaching the gospel and feeding the flock.

At the time of the institution of the “tithe of the tithe,” and a few times since then, consideration has been given to the possibility of charging each individual Feast attendee with a flat amount for his or her Feast attendance, instead of sending in a tithe of the tithe. This possibility was rejected, however, as it was judged to be arbitrary and unfair. Some Church members do not have jobs or they live on small pensions, while others earn good salaries. Following Biblical principles (compare Acts 2:44–45; 4:32–35; 2 Corinthians 8:12–15), it was determined that the institution of the “tithe of the tithe” was the most equitable way for all concerned to provide for the payment of necessary Feast expenses incurred by the Church, and also to help those less fortunate, as much as possible, to attend the Feast.

The Church of the Eternal God and its corporate affiliates see no Biblical reason to change the Church’s decision, realizing the Biblical wisdom for the decision, and acknowledging that the Church has the administrative authority to bind and loose matters such as these (compare Matthew 16:19; 18:18).

In addition to the concepts discussed so far, God also instructs us concerning the concept of Third Tithe.

As more fully explained in our free booklet, “Tithing Today?,” the Third Tithe is to be sent to the Church primarily for the use of those in need of support. It should be mentioned that “Third Tithe” is FOR the
poor and needy, not BY the poor and needy. It is, therefore, not necessary for a “poor” person to pay third tithe. Someone who receives assistance from the government does not have to pay Third Tithe.
Additionally, it would also be following a wrong principle to take out a loan in order to be able to pay Third Tithe. However, each individual is responsible before God to determine whether he or she is “poor” or
“needy” and therefore excused from paying Third Tithe. The ministry is available to help with questions relating to such determination.

If you conclude that you ought to pay Third Tithe, when are you to do it?

At the time of Moses, Third Tithe was paid on the third and sixth year out of a cycle of seven years. On the seventh year, no Third Tithe was to be paid, as the land rested during the seventh year, Leviticus 25:4. The principle of paying Third Tithe on the third and sixth year out of a cycle of seven years still applies today. Many members begin counting their Third Tithe years from the annual festival nearest the date of their baptism. Others decide to begin from the date when they first began tithing. It is the responsibility of each member to decide when he or she should begin the cycle, and the observance of that cycle should be carefully maintained.

Let us assume that you were baptized close to the Feast of Tabernacles (“Feast”) in the year of 2000. Let us further assume that you designate the year 2000 as the first year with which to begin your seven year cycle.

Your first cycle would look like this:

1st year: 2000 (the time from the Feast in 2000 until the Feast in 2001): no third tithe
2nd year: 2001 (from Feast 2001 until Feast 2002): no third tithe
3rd year: 2002 (from Feast 2002 until Feast 2003): third tithe to be paid during that period
4th year: 2003 (from Feast 2003 until Feast 2004): no third tithe
5th year: 2004 (from Feast 2004 until Feast 2005): no third tithe
6th year: 2005 (from Feast 2005 until Feast 2006): third tithe to be paid during that period
7th year: 2006 (from Feast 2006 until Feast 2007): no third tithe.

This would conclude your first seven-year cycle. Your second seven-year cycle would look like this:

1st year: 2007 (from Feast 2007 until Feast 2008): no third tithe
2nd year: 2008 (from Feast 2008 until Feast 2009): no third tithe
3rd year: 2009 (from Feast 2009 until Feast 2010): third tithe
4th year: 2010 (from Feast 2010 until Feast 2011): no third tithe
5th year: 2011 (from Feast 2011 until Feast 2012): no third tithe
6th year; 2012 (from Feast 2012 until Feast 2013): third tithe
7th year: 2013 (from Feast 2013 until Feast 2014): no third tithe.

This would conclude your second seven-year cycle.

If we assume that you were baptized close to the Feast of 2000, but you decide to count “exclusively,” that is, you begin your seven year-cycle with the year of 2001 (the period from the Feast of 2001 until Feast of 2002). In that case, your first cycle would look like this:

1st year: 2001 (from Feast 2001 until Feast of 2002): no third tithe
2nd year: 2002 (from Feast 2002 until Feast of 2003): no third tithe
3rd year: 2003 (from Feast 2003 until Feast of 2004): third tithe to be paid during that period

etc.

Once you have designated your seven year cycles, it is important to maintain these, even though you might not be able to pay Third Tithe during some of your third and sixth years of tithing.

Many times, it will not work out on paper; that is, when you do your budget, you may conclude that you are too “poor” to pay Third Tithe. But God does require of us faith in His ability to help and bless us, if we are obedient to Him. As He promises us His blessing for paying His First Tithe diligently to Him (Malachi 3:10), so He promises us His blessing if we pay Him His Third Tithe during the appropriate times (compare Deuteronomy 26:12-15).

We might convince ourselves that we don’t have to tithe. This would be a terrible mistake.

As mentioned, all the concepts discussed in this article are fully explained in our free booklet, “Tithing Today?” To conclude, we are quoting from pages 39-41 of that booklet:

“In Luke 12:13–21, Christ gave us the famous parable of the rich fool who built greater barns for his harvest rather than sharing his fortune with others. He thought he had many more years to live in pleasure and ease, but that very night, God took his life. Christ concluded His parable, in verse
21: ‘So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’ Christ gave this parable because of the greedy attitude of those who were fighting over an inheritance (compare verse 13). He saw the covetousness in them—the intent to take, rather than to give. Conversely, when the servants of Abraham and Lot fought over the land, Abraham was willing to have Lot choose what land he wanted to have, rather than having the servants continue to fight over it (compare Genesis 13:7–11). The rich fool did not have genuine love or concern for others. He was only interested in figuring out how he could store his abundant riches for HIMSELF. He was not rich before God—he had not laid up treasures in heaven—when God took his life. Abraham, on the other hand, was very rich, but he did not have an attitude of greediness. We know that he tithed to God, in the person of Christ. He did not do it grudgingly, but rather, Abraham was developing a heart of love for God and others…

“God is watching us. He notices how we act in little things. If we are faithful in small matters, God knows
that we will also be faithful in big matters. If, on the other hand, we are not even willing to share small things with God and others, how would we ever develop the godly attitude to be willing to share the
rulership over the universe with others?… When we obey God’s commandments, including the command to faithfully tithe and give free-will offerings to God’s Church, we can KNOW that we are on our way toward the Kingdom of God, because we show in our lives that God’s love in us is producing a perfect work in us… We will gladly admit and agree with Christ that it is more blessed to give than to receive, or,
to ‘get.’ We will experience a deep feeling of gratitude that we are permitted to play a part in God’s awesome Work, proclaiming to the world a better way of life.”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Dave Harris sent us the following report about the Public Bible Lecture in Colorado:

On
Sunday evening, May 21, 2006, the members in Fort Collins, Colorado,
hosted a public Bible lecture. Newspaper ads, fliers, localized
computer ads and personal invitations were used in preparation for this
event.

Evangelist Norbert Link gave a compelling and powerful
presentation on the Mysteries of the Bible. Following his address, time
was taken to speak personally with the guests in attendance. In
addition, our newest booklet–also titled “The Mysteries of the
Bible”–was offered to attendees along with other publications.

This
is the second public lecture the Church of the Eternal God has
presented–with the first being conducted in Southern California.
Although in each case, our advertisements did not generate much
response, we find that personal contacts proved to be the most
effective.

Mr. Link’s visit and presentation has greatly
encouraged the brethren in Colorado. Guests who attended the lecture
commented on the strength of the message and delivery by Mr. Link.

During
the ministerial conference held earlier this year, plans were discussed
to include a public Bible lecture in England around the time of the
Feast of Tabernacles. Because we have distributed a substantial amount
of booklets and have a much larger mailing list in the area, we feel
that this additional presentation will prove very worthwhile.

Please continue to keep these efforts for preaching the gospel of God’s Kingdom in your prayers!

We received the following update from the Philippines:

Yesterday,
my wife brought some photo-copies of booklets, including of the new
arrival “The Mysteries of the Bible,” to replenish the magazine stand
in the National library at Taft Avenue, Manila. We replenish it every
three months. We noticed that the only booklet that was not taken from
the stand is “Don’t Keep Christmas.” Funny but true, they don’t
want to throw out that belief. Again thank you for the booklets. Our
regards to you all, and a happy Feast of Pentecost!

On May 20, 2006, Norbert Link will give the sermon from Colorado, titled, “Deliver Us From Evil.”

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.

Have you ever said or heard it said, “The same to you”? Was this stated with good intentions or as a spiteful retort?

The Bible presents this concept in a much more personal form. Here is what Jesus taught: “‘For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you’” (Matthew 7:2). He adds this emphasis: “‘Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets’” (Matthew 7:12).

You see, then, the responsibility we have for others begins with how we treat them—not with how they treat us!

This takes predetermined action on our part. It begins with how we think, and it transitions into our words and actions. Christians are to become like Jesus Christ—to learn to even think as He does (compare Philippians 2:5). In doing that, they grow toward godly perfection. There is no more forthright way of directing their thoughts than to do all that they do based on love, and they can establish their lives in love because they have the Holy Spirit of God—for God IS love! (1 John 4:8, 16).

Do you want to be loved? The Father shows us how through His own example: “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:10-11).

To be loved, we must love, and as Christians, we are to be the FIRST to love others. Love is the light we bring into this world of darkness: “‘But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil’” (Luke 6:35).

The next time a “the same to you” moment arises, be Christ-like! Whether you are responding or whether you initiate the first move, you do the unexpected—you act in love!

President Bush Speaks To Germany

In an unprecedented move, President Bush gave two interviews on German television and in the German press. On May 8, 2006, Der Spiegel Online published the English translations of the two interviews.

We are setting forth below excerpts from President Bush’s Interview on German TV (The “Sabine Christiansen” show, which is the German political talk show with the highest ratings):

“I had a good relationship with Chancellor Schröder. The problem was, of course, that there was a disagreement over a very difficult decision I had to make, and that was Iraq. I fully understand why a government or a people would be, you know, I guess disappointed in me in a way, and not understand why somebody would commit troops to achieve an objective. And I like to remind people that September the 11th for us was a change in our history, and it certainly changed the way I thought. And for others, it was just a moment in passing. So there was a disagreement. On the other hand, U.S.-German relations were always important, and now we have a chance to turn a new chapter in our relationship, strengthen that alliance, strengthen that relationship, and work on matters that will make this world a better place. So I’m thrilled with my relationship with Chancellor Merkel…

“… if I were an Israeli, I’d be concerned about the combination of a president [from Iran] that said, I want to wipe Israel off the map, and had a nuclear weapon. And so, obviously, Israel is a factor. It’s a little country that will defend herself… Saddam Hussein was a very dangerous person in the world. Saddam Hussein had used weapons of mass destruction. Obviously, we didn’t find them like everybody thought we would, but we did know he had the capacity to make them. He had harbored terrorists. He had invaded his neighborhood. And the removal of Saddam Hussein was the right thing to do… “

Set forth below are excerpts from President Bush’s Interview with Germany’s mass tabloid, Bild:

“… there needs to be more understanding between the Muslim world and the Western world. There needs to be a better understanding of the true beliefs of their respective religions… I take great comfort in knowing that the true Muslim — Islam, itself, is a peaceful religion, and those who adhere to Islam are people that respect the rights of others. And there’s common values in the great religions. And what we cannot allow [to] happen is for these totalitarians, these Islamic extremists to distort a great religion and define the nature of that religion…

“The partnership between the United States and Europe is a vital partnership that transcends the war on terror. Part of our relationship is working together in the war on terror. But there are many other areas where we can and will continue to work together… when the United States and Europe cooperate, we can achieve security for our people, and enhance the prosperity for our people, as well — as well as do our duty. See, I believe there’s a duty to help ease the suffering in the world. I believe in the admonition that to whom much is given, much is required. And the United States — the people of the United States have been given a lot. We’re a blessed nation. And same for the people of Europe. And we have a duty to work together to help relieve the suffering of those who are less fortunate…

“Germany plays a vital role in the war on terror. Germany is in the heart of Europe. Germany is — whether it’s this current administration or the previous administration, we have had a, amongst our intelligence services, as well as our law enforcement services, a close coordination and a close discussion. Germany’s will is important. When the German Chancellor stands up and says the war on terror must be won, or is a vital part of the security of our peoples, people around the world listen. Germany plays a very important role… I’ve come to realize that the nature of the German people [is] such that war is very abhorrent, that Germany is a country now that is — no matter where they sit on the political spectrum, Germans are — just don’t like war. And I can understand that. There’s a generation of people who had their lives torn about because of a terrible war… Germany is vital for the European Union’s vitality…

“… when al Qaeda speaks, I take their words seriously. When bin Laden says we’ll bring harm to the West, I take them seriously. When Zarqawi says it’s just a matter of time for the U.S. to get out of Iraq so we can have safe haven, I take him seriously. Zawahiri, the number two man in al Qaeda, he’s constantly speaking about their grand designs to spread their ideology. And when Ahmadinejad speaks, we need to take it seriously, and when he says he wants to destroy Israel, the world needs to take that very seriously. It’s a serious threat. It’s a threat to an ally of the United States and Germany. But what he’s also saying is, if he’s willing to destroy one country, he’d be willing to destroy other countries. And, therefore, this is a threat that has got to be dealt with…

“You know, it’s interesting that the last two Holy Fathers were from the same neighborhood. The Holy Father who just passed away, who was a great man, came from Poland and really helped rally the spirits of the people to challenge the tyranny of communism. And the current Holy Father came from a country torn asunder by war and is witness to a renewal of a united Germany. And I think it helps the world to have that perspective in a very important position of leadership. I admire the two Popes. These are strong, capable men who challenge the concept of moral relevancy.”

The Pope will play an important role in the future, and Germany is indeed the most important and influential country of Europe. Sadly, the relationship between Europe and the USA will deteriorate in time. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Putin vs. USA?

AFP reported on May 11:

“Russia faces a growing arms race against a ‘fortress’ United States which cares more about its own interests than democracy or human rights, President Vladimir Putin said in his annual state of the nation speech… his most biting comments targeted the United States, which has become increasingly critical of Russia’s human rights records, with Vice President Dick Cheney claiming last week that ‘opponents of democracy’ were seeking to roll back post-Soviet gains… [Putin] was adamant over Russia’s rights to look after its own interests, saying that Russia would join the World Trade Organisation only on its own terms… ‘We see negotiations on entering the World Trade Organization only on terms that support Russia’s economic interests.'”

America’s Illegal Immigration–Is There Any Solution?

USA Today published the following article in its edition of May 10:

“As an immigration attorney with 25 years of experience, I’m fascinated by all the misinformation regarding the immigration debate. For example, the question, ‘Why don’t illegal immigrants just come here legally?’… The modern system has quotas, backlogs, preferences, family-based visas, employment-based visas. If you don’t fit into the right peg, you can’t get in. Most of the undocumented lack a qualifying relative to petition them. Even if they do, they might have to wait years to come in. The brother of a U.S. citizen from the Philippines, for example, has to wait at least 23 to 30 years. (They are processing cases filed before Oct. 15, 1983.) The wait for Mexico is 15 to 20 years… You are penalized if you have lived illegally in the USA. The penalty is either three years or 10 years, depending on your time illegally in this country. Pardons are available but are hard to get. If, for example, you are the mother of a U.S. citizen and you lived illegally in the USA for more than a year – forget about it. You must wait a decade before you can come into the country legally. There is no pardon for the parents of a U.S. citizen… It is a lie to tell Americans that the massive numbers of undocumented immigrants could come here legally… Comprehensive immigration reform is needed that balances justice with compassion.”

We would like to clarify that the concept of “illegal aliens” in the USA includes those foreigners who came into this country legally, but overstayed.

The Chicago Tribune filed this report on May 10:

“Nearly half of the nation’s children under 5 are racial or ethnic minorities, and the percentage is increasing mainly because the Hispanic population is growing so rapidly… Hispanics accounted for 49 percent of the country’s growth from 2004 to 2005, the report shows, driving 70 percent of the growth in children younger than 5. Forty-five percent of U.S. children in that age range are minorities. The census figures show that the number of Hispanic and Asian children younger than 5 grew by double-digit percentages since 2000. The number of black children grew more slowly. The number of non-Hispanic white children younger than 5 declined for two years this decade before increasing again.”

In light of these statistics and predictions, the question is raised what to do with illegal aliens, and, more importantly, how to prevent additional illegal foreigners from entering this country.

AFP reported on May 16:

“A plan by President George W. Bush to deploy 6,000 troops along the US-Mexico border to prevent illegal immigrants brought a mixed response in the United States and concern from the Mexican government. Bush announced in a national speech late Monday that up to 6,000 National Guard soldiers could be deployed along the… southern border beginning next month for up to one year… Senator John Kerry, the beaten Democratic candidate in the 2004 presidential election, said tightening border security was needed, ‘but putting another burden on the backs of men and women who are serving their second tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan isn’t the right answer.’

“And some in Bush’s own Republican party said they feared the president was not being tough enough on illegal immigration, which has sparked a fierce political debate ahead of looming US congressional elections in November. ‘A few weeks ago, the administration announced a crackdown on illegal employers, arresting more than 1,100, nationwide. But by the next morning, more than half of those arrested were released,’ said Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo, one of the president’s harshest critics on the immigration… California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a moderate Republican, also voiced concern, suggesting the plan might provide a temporary fix, but not a remedy. ‘Border state governors were not consulted about this proposal in advance,’ Schwarzenegger said in a statement. ‘I am concerned asking National Guard troops to guard our nation’s border is a Band-Aid solution and not the permanent solution we need.’ Bush said any effort to tighten US borders must be coupled with a temporary guest-worker program for the estimated 11.5 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, more than half of whom are from Mexico.”

According to the Drudge Report of May 12, 2006, Schwarzenegger also stated:

“Going the direction of the National Guard, I think is maybe not the right way to go because I think that the Bush administration and the federal government should put up the money to create the kind of protection that the federal government is responsible to provide. Not to use our National Guard, soldiers that are coming back from Iraq, for instance, and that have spent a year and a half over there and now they are coming back. I think that we should let them go to work, back to work again.”

On May 18, 2006, The Associated Press reported the following: “The Senate agreed to give millions of illegal immigrants a shot at U.S. citizenship and backed construction of 370 miles of triple- layered fencing along the Mexican border Wednesday… The vote to build what supporters called a ‘real fence’–as distinct from the virtual fence already incorporated in the legislation–was 83-16. The fence would be built in areas ‘most often used by smugglers and illegal aliens,’ as determined by federal officials. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., estimated the cost at roughly $3.2 million per mile, more than $900 million for 300 miles. The provision includes a call for construction of 500 miles of vehicle barriers, adding to a system currently in place.”

The Bible prophesies that ultimately, foreigners, legal or illegal, will become the most powerful force in the USA. Deuteronomy 28:43-44 predicts:

“The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.” Why will this happen? Verse 47 explains: “Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything…”

A new StandingWatch program has been recorded, titled, “America’s Illegal Aliens,” which addresses the overlooked reason for America’s ongoing battle with illegal immigration.

Has Orwell’s “Big Brother” Arrived?

USA TODAY reported on May 11:

“The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the arrangement told USA TODAY. The NSA program reaches into homes and businesses across the nation by amassing information about the calls of ordinary Americans – most of whom aren’t suspected of any crime. This program does not involve the NSA listening to or recording conversations. But the spy agency is using the data to analyze calling patterns in an effort to detect terrorist activity… ‘It’s the largest database ever assembled in the world,’ said one person, who, like the others who agreed to talk about the NSA’s activities, declined to be identified by name or affiliation.

“The agency’s goal is ‘to create a database of every call ever made’ within the nation’s borders, this person added. For the customers of these companies, it means that the government has detailed records of calls they made – across town or across the country – to family members, co-workers, business contacts and others… The NSA’s domestic program, as described by sources, is far more expansive than what the White House has acknowledged. Last year, Bush said he had authorized the NSA to eavesdrop – without warrants – on international calls and international e-mails of people suspected of having links to terrorists when one party to the communication is in the USA. Warrants have also not been used in the NSA’s efforts to create a national call database.

“In defending the previously disclosed program, Bush insisted that the NSA was focused exclusively on international calls. ‘In other words,’ Bush explained, ‘one end of the communication must be outside the United States.’ As a result, domestic call records – those of calls that originate and terminate within U.S. borders – were believed to be private. Sources, however, say that is not the case. With access to records of billions of domestic calls, the NSA has gained a secret window into the communications habits of millions of Americans. Customers’ names, street addresses and other personal information are not being handed over as part of NSA’s domestic program, the sources said. But the phone numbers the NSA collects can easily be cross-checked with other databases to obtain that information.”

The Associated Press reported on May 13:

“Telecommunications giant Qwest refused to provide the government with access to telephone records of its 15 million customers after deciding the request violated privacy law… In a written statement, the attorney for former Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio said the government approached the company in the fall of 2001 seeking access to the phone records of Qwest customers, with neither a warrant nor approval from a special court established to handle surveillance matters. ‘Mr. Nacchio concluded that these requests violated the privacy requirements of the Telecommunications Act,’ attorney Herbert J. Stern said from his Newark, N.J., office… Two New Jersey public interest lawyers sued Verizon on Friday for $5 billion, claiming the phone carrier violated privacy laws by turning over customers’ records. The lawsuit asks the court to stop Verizon from supplying the information without a warrant or the subscriber’s consent.”

As will be pointed out below, other news agencies reported that all three named companies (Verizon, AT&T and BellSouth) were named in a lawsuit, seeking $220 billion in damages.

AFP elaborated on these lawsuits and the potentially devastating financial consequences in its article, dated May 13:

“The lawsuit in New York was filed under the 1986 Stored Communications Act, which expressly forbids the companies from turning over client records to the government without a warrant. The statute also gives consumers the right to sue for violations of the act and allows claims of at least 1,000 dollars for each violation. ‘If you’ve got 50 million people, that’s potentially 50 billion dollars,’ said Peter Swire, a law professor at Ohio State University and a former White House adviser on privacy issues.”

Der Stern Online reported on May 12 that in addition to Qwest, “T-Mobile” likewise refused to comply with a request from the NSA to share its records with the NSA. According to Der Stern, T-Mobile is a daughter company of the German firm, “Telekom.”

AFP reported on May 16:

“President George W. Bush appeared to acknowledge his government had collected millions of US telephone records in its war on terrorism but insisted the privacy of Americans was not threatened. At a news conference with visiting Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Bush again defended phone and e-mail monitoring as necessary to ‘connect dots to protect the American people’ against Al-Qaeda terrorists… A reporter asked: ‘You’ve said that the government is not trolling through the lives of innocent Americans, but why shouldn’t ordinary people feel that their privacy is invaded by the NSA compiling a list of their telephone calls?’ The president responded, ‘The program he’s asking about is one that has been fully briefed to members of the United States Congress in both political parties. They’re very aware of what is taking place.'”

Subsequently, both BellSouth and Verizon denied that they gave information to the NSA.

USA Today reported on May 17:

“Verizon said in a statement Tuesday that it is not providing customer calling information to the National Security Agency. ‘One of the most glaring and repeated falsehoods in the media reporting,’ the statement said, ‘is the assertion that, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, Verizon was approached by NSA and entered into an arrangement to provide the NSA with data from its customers’ domestic calls. This is false.’… On Monday, BellSouth denied providing records to the NSA. AT&T has refused to confirm or deny that it gave records to the NSA… For the initial story, Verizon issued a statement saying, ‘We do not comment on national security matters, we act in full compliance with the law and we are committed to safeguarding our customers’ privacy.’ Since then, the three companies named in the story have been named in a lawsuit seeking $200 billion in damages. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan claims the companies violated telecommunications law and the Constitution by allowing the government to have call information… In response to the Verizon statement, Steve Anderson, USA TODAY’s director of communications, said: ‘We will continue to investigate and pursue the story. We’re confident in our coverage of the phone database story. We will look closely into the issues raised by the BellSouth and Verizon statements.”

Why is this discussion so important? Isn’t it immaterial whether or not the government has access to your phone records? Maybe not. As MSNBC repeatedly pointed out on its television show, it is not inconceivable that a government with such knowledge could have prevented journalists from uncovering the Watergate scandal. USA Today voiced the following opinion in its editorial, dated May 13:

“… this database will be compiled, updated and expanded into the indeterminate future, through countless administrations with who-knows-what interests and motives. Only the most naive and unsuspicious soul could trust that it will remain safe, secured and for the eyes only of those hunting terrorists. One need look no further than past abuses of power to be uncomfortable about the future. Richard Nixon during Watergate. Lyndon Johnson during the Vietnam War. J. Edgar Hoover during his long reign as FBI director… Is it legal?… The 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act requires a court order to gather a person’s current phone records. A 1934 law requires phone companies to protect customers’ privacy. And the Fourth Amendment forbids ‘unreasonable searches and seizures.’

“Is it useful? Taken as a whole, such a database is of dubious utility… Looking for suspicious patterns among billions
of phone numbers seems like the ultimate search for a needle in a haystack. Is it foolproof? These types of databases invariably have errors. The federal terrorist ‘watch list,’ which is used to screen airline passengers, has ensnared a number of innocent travelers – among them Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and a 23-month-old toddler – whose names are similar to, or the same as, suspects on the list [We might also remind the reader of the recent episode when famous British pop star Cat Stevens found himself on the watch list, preventing him from entering the United States.] Once you’re mistakenly targeted, the error can be nearly impossible to fix and your life can be turned upside down. Will it be abused? Maybe not at first. Over time, however, this vast quantity of data is a potentially irresistible tool for government officials who want to zero in on individual Americans… Creating a huge, secret database of Americans’ phone records does far more than threaten terrorists. It is a deeply troubling act that undermines U.S. freedoms and threatens us all.”

Our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “America’s Latest Phone Scandal,” which was recorded on May 12, discusses further questions relevant to the issues at hand.

Germany’s Sunday Laws

Der Spiegel Online published the following article on May 14, discussing Germany’s blue laws. It is interesting that the magazine makes the common mistake–which is not unheard of in the USA and Europe–to confuse the Biblical Sabbath with Sunday. Sunday is NOT–and never has been–the Biblical Sabbath. The Biblical Sabbath is the seventh day of the week–the time from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset–whereas Sunday is the first day of the week. However, many Germans. Europeans and Americans have been deceived in thinking that Sunday is the Biblical Sabbath.

The magazine, being a victim of that same deception, points out:

“Germans, of course, aren’t nearly as serious about observing the Sabbath as the Maccabees were — that ancient group of faithful Jews who allowed themselves to be slaughtered rather than fight on the day of rest. But just try picking up a frozen pizza or a carton of milk on a Sunday in most parts of Germany. Unless you live in a big city or next door to the train station, Sunday starvation is a serious risk… Sundays remain strictly off limits for shopaholics, chronic consumers and those who find it difficult to remember a pharmacy errand on Saturday before its doors slam shut at 1 p.m… After all, about the only thing you can do on Sunday here is relax, eat a lot, or head to a museum. With the streets empty of big trucks (by law) and building sites silent, a ride through the city or countryside also makes for a pleasant escape. If you get a flat though, don’t count on finding a bike shop open to help you fix it….

“Torturing consumers with anemic opening hours has a long tradition in Germany. The first such law came into existence in 1900, but was soon strengthened. By 1919, it was illegal to open up shop on Sunday and stores on workdays could only be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.”

An Era Is Coming to an End

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 15:

“Meanwhile the president, whose approval ratings have reached record lows, is being compared with former president Richard Nixon, a man who is still viewed as the epitome of a rogue occupying the country’s highest office… Only 31 percent of Americans now approve of Bush’s performance. An era is coming to an end. The man who once dictated the West’s response to the challenge from al-Qaida with unwavering self-confidence appears to be losing friends and allies daily… some Republican leaders in Congress continue to distance themselves from their president. When Bush implored his fellow conservatives not to approve a budget that would worsen the country’s already massive deficit, his pleas fell on deaf ears. The Republican legislators, concerned mainly with saving their own skins come November, instead took the opportunity last week to distribute plenty of pork to their constituents.”

Venezuela on the Attack

On May 14, 2006, The Observer reported:

“Venezuela’s president Hugo Chavez arrives in London today with an extraordinary promise to offer cut-rate heating oil for needy families in Europe, modelled on a similar campaign in the US which has been seen partly as a bid to embarrass President George Bush. Last night Chavez also issued a taunting obituary for the ‘American empire’ on the eve of a visit where he will be shunned by Downing Street but welcomed by London Mayor Ken Livingstone. Chavez said in Vienna yesterday that the ‘final hours of the North American empire have arrived … Now we have to say to the empire: “We’re not afraid of you. You’re a paper tiger.” Referring to his supply of heating to poor American families last winter, Chavez told a meeting of political supporters: ‘I’d like to do the same here in Europe.’… he said that Venezuela has two refineries in Germany and one in Britain…

“Livingstone said that one reason he was keen to welcome Chavez was because of the potential benefit for the capital from a strong financial and economic relationship with Venezuela… ‘They’re looking for allies in Europe and Asia and it’s very much in London’s interests that as Venezuela’s companies go, they should see London as a natural home every bit as much as Madrid.’… The Venezuelan leader… angered Downing Street by declaring that the Falkland Islands rightly belonged to Argentina.”

AFP reported on May 16 that “The United States imposed military sanctions on Venezuela, a main oil supplier, accusing President Hugo Chavez’s leftist government of failing to cooperate in the US-led ‘war on terror.'” The Associated Press added: “Venezuela is considering selling its fleet of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to another country, perhaps Iran, in response to a U.S. ban on arms sales to President Hugo Chavez’s government, a military official said Tuesday.”

On May 17, The Associated Press reported: “Venezuela’s anti-American president was given a warm welcome in the Libyan capital Wednesday by Col. Moammar Gadhafi, whose authoritarian regime was removed only this week from Washington’s list of countries that sponsor terrorism… Chavez said Washington ‘has a great capacity to do harm to the countries of the world.'”

Da Vinci Code Movie Fails

The Associated Press reported on May 17:

“‘The Da Vinci Code’ drew lukewarm praise, shrugs of indifference, some jeering laughter and a few derisive jabs Tuesday from arguably the world’s toughest movie crowd: critics at the Cannes Film Festival… The Cannes audience clearly grew restless as the movie dragged on to two and a half hours and spun a long sequence of anticlimactic revelations… One especially melodramatic line uttered by Hanks drew prolonged laughter and some catcalls, and the audience continued to titter for much of the film’s remainder.”

Newsbusters.org added the following remarks on May 17, about comments by one of the Da Vinci Code actors, during an interview with Matt Lauer of the “Today’s Show”:

“Lauer took the bull of controversy… by the horns when he interviewed the cast and director Howard today. Said Lauer: ‘There have been calls from some religious groups, they wanted a disclaimer at the beginning of this movie saying it is fiction because one of the themes in the book really knocks Christianity right on its ear, if Christ survived the crucifixion, he did not die for our sins and therefore was not resurrected. What I’m saying is, people wanted this to say “fiction, fiction, fiction”. How would you all have felt if there was a disclaimer at the beginning of the movie? Would it have been okay with you?’

“There was a pause, and then famed British actor Ian McKellen [Gandalf of Lord of the Rings], piped up: ‘Well, I’ve often thought the Bible should have a disclaimer in the front saying this is fiction. I mean, walking on water, it takes an act of faith…’ With the camera focused on McKellen, one could hear a distinctly nervous laugh in the background, seeming to come from either actor Tom Hanks or director Howard. McKellen’s stunning bit of blasphemy is likely to test the adage that all publicity is good publicity.”

Sadly, many people, including nominal or professing “Christians,” believe that the Bible is a book of fiction. However, if we reject the Bible as God’s revelation to man, we have NO HOPE for the future. The Bible is the ONLY book which has the answers to man’s timeless questions, and which can give us HOPE. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Mysteries of the Bible.”

Iran Won’t Concede

AFP reported on May 17 about the increasingly volatile situation involving Iran:

“Iran’s hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ridiculed a European Union plan to offer trade and technology incentives in exchange for his country agreeing to halt sensitive nuclear work. ‘They say they want to give us incentives. They think they can take away our gold and give us some nuts and chocolate in exchange,’ Ahmadinejad told a rally in the town of Arak. In a confident speech carried live on state-run television, he also vowed the Islamic regime would not bow to demands it freeze uranium enrichment work — at the centre of fears the country could acquire atomic weapons… In his speech, Ahmadinejad confidently asserted that the Western powers were doomed to fail. ‘As long as the nation is pious, it will overcome all problems and will humiliate the enemies,’ said Ahmadinejad, who managed to give a rousing speech despite an apparent [sore] throat. The firebrand president also repeated a warning that Iran could follow the path of North Korea.”

World Faces Nightmarish Prospect

Newsmax.com reported on May 16 about a strong warning from former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger:

“‘The world is faced with the nightmarish prospect that nuclear weapons will become a standard part of national armament and wind up in terrorist hands,’ warns former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger… Writing in Tuesday’s Washington Post, Kissinger insisted that the current standoff about nuclear weapons between the United States and Iran and the United States and North Korea ‘is a nuclear test for diplomacy.’ Observing that the negotiations on Korean and Iranian nuclear proliferation ‘mark a watershed,’ Kissinger wrote that a ‘failed diplomacy would leave us with a choice between the use of force or a world where restraint has been eroded by the inability or unwillingness of countries that have the most to lose to restrain defiant fanatics. One need only imagine what would have happened had any of the terrorist attacks on New York, Washington, London, Madrid, Istanbul or Bali involved even the crudest nuclear weapon…

“‘Failure to work out a diplomatic solution to the problem of Iran’s development of nuclear weapons would have ominous consequences… The issue before the nations involved is similar to what the world faced in 1938 and at the beginning of the Cold War: Whether to overcome fears and hesitancy about undertaking the difficult path demanded by necessity,’ he concluded, warning that ‘The failure of that test in 1938 produced a catastrophic war; the ability to master it in the immediate aftermath of World War II led to victory without war.'”

Baptism is not for children. But once a person is old enough to comprehend the meaning of baptism, when should his baptism occur? We have answered this question in our free booklet, “Baptism–A Requirement for Salvation,” beginning on page 24. We are quoting the relevant sections below. Following these quotes, we will also quote from the writings of the Worldwide Church of God, under its late human leader, Herbert W. Armstrong, to show that our position today is exactly identical with what had been taught under Mr. Armstrong.

In our free booklet, “Baptism–A Requirement for Salvation?“, the following is pointed out on pages 25-27, under, “When To Be Baptized”?

“Consideration for baptism requires an in-depth personal examination. It is not something to rush into. It is not a decision to be made based on emotions. We don’t simply “give our heart to the Lord.” We need to understand, repent and believe, as previously discussed. Why? Because baptism is a covenant—a contract—with God. Baptism represents an agreement that we make with God to obey Him—a promise to live by His requirements for the remainder of our lives. If we break that promise later, God certainly holds us accountable for doing so.

“God does require us to be baptized in order to receive His Holy Spirit. The question of whether or not to be baptized depends on whether or not a person is old enough to understand and believe in the gospel. This includes the following: an understanding of what sin is; the fact that the death penalty hangs over our heads because of our own sins; the fact that Christ died for us so that we can have forgiveness of our sins when we truly repent of them and accept His sacrifice as payment for our sins; the fact that we need to put our carnal nature into the watery grave, and leave it there; the fact that we can acquire God’s divine nature ONLY through the Holy Spirit dwelling in us; and the fact that we must be baptized in order to receive God’s power to be able to change the way we think, speak and act. If you can grasp the meaning of the aforementioned and genuinely believe these things, then we say, ‘yes, you ought to go ahead with baptism as soon as possible.’

“True, we must not rush into baptism. On the other hand, once we understand what sin is and have truly repented of our sins, and once we believe in the gospel message of Jesus Christ and all that it entails, we are to be baptized immediately. We must not make the mistake of lingering and avoiding our responsibility to be baptized. Thoughts and ideas can easily come into our mind to discourage us from doing so. You can be sure that these ideas DO NOT come from God.

“God WANTS us to be baptized. He COMMANDS us to be baptized. Satan, on the other hand, HATES nothing more than seeing one of “his children” leave him in order to place him- or herself under the government and rule of God. Satan will attempt to thwart our intentions by putting into our minds certain concepts, ideas and arguments in order to make us think that we should not get baptized—at least ‘not yet.’

“These diverting ideas come in different disguises. For instance, we may think that we don’t even need to be baptized because, after all, we are not such a bad person. Make no mistake, EVERYONE SINS, and EVERYONE MUST REPENT. Another argument might be that, if we are baptized now, then all the fun stops, so, let’s have our fun now and repent of it and get baptized later. A third line of reasoning may go this way: ‘I need to be perfect before I can get baptized. I am still trying to get rid of a particular bad habit or a sin and I don’t want to get baptized before I have got rid of it.’

“All of these arguments miss the entire point as to WHY we must get baptized. Perfection will not be achieved in this life based on our own strength. That is why we MUST HAVE GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT OF POWER to help us to overcome our problems. We must, of course, WANT to change. That means, we must not engage deliberately in wrong conduct, knowing that it is wrong. Our weakness and inability to overcome our bad habits only proves that we must get baptized and that we must receive God’s Holy Spirit to HELP us with our battle against our sins.

“If we reason that we don’t want to get baptized yet because we don’t want to miss the fun, then our concept of what ‘fun’ is must be corrected immediately. If baptism is a hurdle to us because we don’t want to give up ‘fun,’ then we are, indeed, missing the point. Perhaps we have a false concept of what it means to be a Christian. For instance, some teach that a Christian must not dance, watch television or movies, drink alcohol, or play cards. None of these prohibitions, however, are biblical. Rather, they are based on human traditions and simply constitute self-imposed religion. On the other hand, if baptism would be contrary to certain habitual actions of ‘fun,’ then our concept of ‘fun’ is contrary to God’s word—with or without baptism. Anyone, who KNOWS better, actually SINS by engaging in sinful ‘fun.’ When we know to do good and to avoid evil, and don’t live accordingly, we sin, whether baptized or not. As we explained before, SIN must be repented of BEFORE our baptism. To delay repentance is dangerous. God holds us accountable for what we know and what we do with the knowledge we have been given.

“When we examine the biblical record, we find that when people were ready for baptism, they were baptized immediately. They did not delay, nor did the ministers have the disciples go through time-consuming ‘courses’ of baptismal ‘requirements’ before they were willing to baptize the person.

“We find that on the day of Pentecost, 3,000 believers were baptized the same day when they heard Peter’s inspired sermon and were motivated to come to genuine repentance (Acts 2:41). We find that Philip immediately baptized the eunuch who had worshipped God in Jerusalem, and who was studying the Bible on his return to Ethiopia (Acts 8:35–38). Philip explained to him the Scriptures as they relate to Jesus and the eunuch was baptized within a few hours. Paul—formerly Saul—was baptized by Ananias within a few days of Paul’s encounter with Christ. Later, Paul described his experience with these words, ‘Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law…came to me; and he stood and said to me…“And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord”’ (Acts 22:12–16). Paul baptized the jailer and his household ‘the same hour of the night’ (Acts 16:33).

“When an adult person has genuinely repented and believes, he or she should be baptized without the necessity of prior laborious requirements. A person who has repented and believes and obeys the gospel, who believes in, and keeps the Sabbath and the Holy Days, who has shown fruits worthy of repentance in his or her life, who tithes and gives offerings according to God’s commandments, and who understands the future that God has in store for us, should get baptized. It is simply unconscionable to require of such a person—as some ministers have done—to first study a laborious Bible course or watch lengthy biblical videos that begin with a simple lesson as to whether or not ‘God’ exists!”

As will be seen from the following quotes, our position is exactly the same as the one that Mr. Armstrong taught.

In his Autobiography, Volume 1, Mr. Armstrong wrote about his own experience regarding his baptism in the hard cover edition on page 319, under “Begotten of God”:

“Finally the study of the subject of baptism was completed. There was no longer doubt. Peter had said: ‘REPENT, and BE BAPTIZED every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’ (Acts 2:38). To Cornelius and his house, who already had received the Holy Spirit, Peter said: ‘Can any man forbid WATER, that these should not be baptized, which have received the H
oly Spirit as well as we?’ And he COMMANDED them to be baptized in the name of the Lord’ (Acts 10:47-48).

“It was a command. There was no promise of receiving the Holy Spirit until after being baptized–although Cornelius, the exception to the rule, had been begotten by the Holy Spirit prior to baptism. Yet even he was commanded to be baptized IN WATER. What I had learned in this study on baptism is recounted in our free booklet, ‘All About Water Baptism.’

“And so I was baptized forthwith and without delay.

“Immediately upon coming up out of the water, I definitely experienced a change in attitude and in mind generally. I had already repented and surrendered to God’s rule over my life. The natural carnal hostility to God and His Law already had gone. Yet, now, for the first time, I felt CLEAN! I knew, now, that the terribly heavy load of sin had been taken off my shoulders. Christ had paid the penalty for me. All past sins were now blotted out by His blood. My conscience was clean and clear.

“For the first time in my life I experienced real inner PEACE of mind! I realized, as never before, how futile and useless and foolish are the ways of this world, on which most people set so much store. There was a quiet, wonderful happiness of mind in the sure knowledge that now I was actually a begotten son of GOD! I could really call God Father! …

“For six months I had struggled night and day, with a carnal mind, to learn the truth about one single doctrine in the Bible. Prior to that my wife and I had read the Bible clear through–but I had not understood a WORD of it!… I simply could not UNDERSTAND the BIBLE! But now, from this point of baptism on, a strange, wonderful, delightful new thing took place. I could read the Bible and UNDERSTAND what I read Of course I could not understand the WHOLE Bible in five or ten minutes. I still had to study it a doctrine at a time. But it was UNDERSTANDABLE! It MADE SENSE!”

In his Autobiography, Mr. Armstrong referred to his booklet, “All About Water Baptism.” In it, he addresses in more detail when a person should be baptized. We are quoting from pages13 and 14 of his booklet (copyright 1948, 1954, 1972). Under the heading, “How Long Should We wait,” Mr. Armstrong wrote:

“One or two denominations insist to be put off until the candidate has PROVED HIMSELF–has proved he has the Holy Spirit and is living a righteous life–or has come to certain spiritual KNOWLEDGE. One denomination will not baptize people until they come to ‘see’ and accept God’s Law, and many of this denomination’s doctrines, and usually there is a six-months’ probation period.

“Paul says God’s Law ‘is spiritual,’ and that the carnal (unconverted) mind is not subject to the LAW and CANNOT be (Rom. 7:14 and 8:7). The order of God is: 1st) preach the Gospel, leading to a conviction of sin in the hearts of those God calls, leading to REPENTANCE and FAITH in Christ; 2nd) BAPTISM; and 3rd) they shall receive the HOLY SPIRIT, which renews their minds, teaches them, reveals spiritual truth. Since one cannot spiritually understand God’s spiritual Law or spiritual things UNTIL he receives the Holy Spirit, and he must be baptized before he has a promise of the Holy Spirit, he should be baptized FIRST. EVERYONE knows he has sinned, and lived contrary to God’s will, though he may not have spiritual understanding of God’s will. God can grant repentance to a carnal mind BEFORE the conversion of that mind. One does not need a spiritual college education in Bible knowledge to repent and be baptized into Christ. Jesus’ order of events was, 1st) PREACH THE GOSPEL, 2nd) BAPTIZE repentant believers, 3rd) TEACH THEM THE COMMANDMENTS (Matt. 28:19-20).

“Therefore, how long should baptism be put off?

“The answer is, just as soon as one has been convicted in his heart of his past sins and sinful life–just as soon as one realizes his own way of life has been WRONG, and becomes sick and tired of it, and turns FROM his own ways and wants to find GOD’S WAYS and live them, truly REPENTS of his past life of sins, and BELIEVES in and ACCEPTS Jesus Christ as personal Savior, and the One whom he must obey henceforth, and WANTS TO TURN TO THE CHANGED, DIFFERENT, NEW AND HAPPY LIFE OF FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS, and to become a child of God. Then that person should be baptized IMMEDIATELY if possible–and if this is not possible, then AS SOON as a true servant of God is available to perform the baptism. In every case recounted in the New Testament, repentant believers were baptized IMMEDIATELY.

“On the day of Pentecost, 3,000 were baptized THAT SAME DAY. Philip baptized the eunuch AT ONCE. God sent Ananias to baptize Saul, whose name was changed to Paul, the apostle. Immediately on meeting him, Ananias said: ‘And now WHY TARRIEST THOU? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord’ (Acts 22:16). Paul baptized the Philippian jailer and those in his house ‘the same hour of the night’–and it was after midnight (Acts 16:33). They did not even wait until daylight!

“But this does not mean that God’s ministers should be hasty in baptizing one until there is evidence of a REAL CHANGE of mind and heart–a real surrender to God and the will of God. God’s ministers must be assured of a genuine repentance and belief in Jesus Christ as personal Savior. The minister must be assured that the individual is genuinely called of God (John 6:44), has fully repented and really wants to turn his life over into the hands of the living God. Many tragic circumstances have occurred because of failure to be sure of these points, interpreting temporary remorse for true repentance. But when the conditions Christ set are all met, one should be baptized immediately.”

This same understanding was taught–however, not always applied over the years–in Lesson 10 of the Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course (copyright 1977). We read on page 13, under “How Long Should You Wait?”:

“Many put off baptism. They feel they are too infirm, too old, too weak–or they feel they are ‘not ready’ yet spiritually. Some even think they must be perfect before being baptized. But how could a person be ‘perfect’ before he receives God’s Holy Spirit, which helps us to become perfect? Then there are those who hesitate to request baptism because they do not feel they ‘know enough.’ This fear is usually unfounded.

“Sincere, heartfelt repentance and belief are the only prior conditions for baptism given in the Bible! It is NOT necessary to know all the books of the Bible in their order, the acrostic psalms, the background of the minor prophets, and have a complete understanding of the political situation in the cities Paul traveled!

“It should be obvious that the 3,000 people who were baptized on that day of Pentecost in Acts 2 were not all Bible scholars. They undoubtedly, for the most part, knew only the basics–the ‘milk’ of the Word–and perhaps not even that much. But they readily accepted the word of God (Acts 2:41); they were not in doubt; they were sincerely and deeply repentant (verse 37).

“One simply cannot ‘know it all’ when he is baptized. It is a matter of a lifetime of growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ AFTER one is baptized… If a person knows that God commands baptism, knows he should be baptized, and his conscience convicts him–then he SHOULD BE BAPTIZED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

“Notice now several examples from the Bible:

“1. When the Ethiopian eunuch came to understand Christ was his Savior, did he hesitate about being baptized? Did he put it off? Acts 8:35-38

“2. When Paul was first converted, and learned that Christ was the Son of God whom he had been persecuting, did he procrastinate about being baptized? Acts 9:1-18, especially verse 18.

“COMMENT: Neither of these men put off water baptism. They saw their own personal need. They knew they needed Christ as their Savior and desperately wanted their sins blotted out by His shed blood. They felt dirty and despicable before God, as long as they stood before Him in their sins. They kn
ew they were the slaves of sin, and did not have God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within them.

“Therefore, as soon as was possible, they were baptized.

“Old age makes no difference with God. Circumstances make no difference. There simply is no acceptable excuse for not being baptized when a person UNDERSTANDS this vital, urgent spiritual truth and is physically able to obey it.”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Eric and Shana are pleased to announce the birth of Gideon Emerson
Rank. Gideon was born during the early morning of May 14th. He weighs 9
pounds 15 ounces. Everyone is doing very well.

Please don’t
forget to pray fervently for success of our Public Bible Lecture on
Sunday evening, May 21, at the Hilton Fort Collins in Colorado.

Our StandingWatch program, titled, “America’s Latest Phone Scandal,” was posted on the Web.

Set forth below is the summary of the program:

A
new scandal is plaguing America, which involves more than 200 million
American citizens. We are referring to records of domestic phone calls
which big phone companies have turned over to the National Security
Agency (NSA), according to an article in USA Today. The national and
international reaction to this latest revelation has been one of
outrage and furor. George Orwell’s famous novel, “1984” and the concept
of “Big Brother, ” which is described in his novel, are mentioned in
the press, and the question is asked how much a government should be
allowed to intrude into the private affairs of its citizens, whether
the action itself is legal or not. What, if anything, does the Bible
have to say about these most recent developments?

A new StandingWatch program was recorded on May 18 and will be posted soon. It is titled: “America’s Illegal Aliens.”

Here is the summary of the program:

America’s
battle with illegal immigration will go on. Whatever temporary
solutions are being proposed by some to prevent foreigners from
crossing the U.S.-Mexican border, they are immediately criticized and
condemned by others. This would include the concept to send 6000
National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexican border; to build a 300 miles
fence which would cost in excess of 1 billion dollars; or to construct
500 miles of vehicle barriers. In addition, no consensus exists as to
what to do with the more than 12 million illegal aliens already in the
country. Should they be allowed to obtain U.S. citizenship, under
certain conditions, or would this be tantamount to amnesty? Throughout
this hotly contested and emotional debate, the most important question
has been overlooked.

Michael Link (25)

Sometimes it may seem natural to worry when we find ourselves in certain situations that seem too tough for us to handle. Things could happen in our lives that we may not be used to, and we would not know how to cope with them. We may have problems with work or school, or with our friends and loved ones, and sometimes even with ourselves. Naturally, we start to worry, thinking it’s too tough, and we may even start to forget how to react to these situations and sometimes may react the wrong way.

I have been there before, many times. When something got too tough, I began to worry and develop a bad attitude, even though I knew it was wrong. I forgot about the bigger picture and where I had to put my faith and trust. For the past 3 months, work had become slow for me, and in past experiences I would have started to panic a little bit. I could honestly say that this time I didn’t worry at all. I knew that God would provide as He says He will do, and I prayed about it and before I knew it, I got another job. The things that I least expected finally started to happen.

This wasn’t the only good thing that started happening, but several things happened and I have God to thank. Not only did I have the faith and confidence that God would provide, but I also had to have patience. Of course I had to do my part as well, but God tells us He will fulfill our needs when we ask, and only He knows what is best for us.

With God being in our lives, we know that we are in good hands. He tells us that we will be blessed far more than we can ever imagine, if we trust in Him, and He knows everything that we go through. He knows when we are in need and when we need help. So why do we worry?