On May 13, 2006, Edwin Pope will give the sermon, titled, “Inherit the Promises Through Faith and Patience.”

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

“American Hiroshima”… “Nuclear Nightmare for America”… “Nuclear
Attack against Iran”… “Preparations for Nuclear Holocaust within the
USA.” These are frightening news reports, which should wake us up to
the dangerous and terrible times in which we are living. Man’s
civilization, as we know it, is drawing closer to its end. Devastating
and disastrous events– unparalleled in the history of man– are fast
approaching.

Is there no hope for any of us? Is there no protection even for those who are obedient to God and who are pleasing Him?

Theologians
have felt the need to explain God’s mercy and justice by developing the
concept of the “secret rapture.” The assumption is that Jesus will
first come secretly for His disciples or saints by “rapturing” them to
heaven where they will be protected during the time of the “Great
Tribulation” which will ravage the earth. According to that theory,
Christ will return with His disciples or saints from heaven to this
earth after that terrible time of devastation has past. Books and
movies have popularized this idea in recent years–known as the “Left
Behind” series.

However, as “The Plain Truth” magazine explains
in an article, which was published in February of 1963, “The idea of a
secret rapture of the saints was unknown to any Christian body before
the sixteenth century. Joseph Ribera, Cardinal Bellarmine and Alcasar,
Jesuit Priests of the sixteenth century, were the first Christian
authorities to promulgate this idea. Even in their day the idea was
unclear, but the basic roots of the doctrine began at this time
(Sources omitted). Later, around 1825, Samuel R. Maitland, Librarian to
the Archbishop of Canterbury, embraced the belief, although its basic
tenets were still unclear in his day. It wasn’t until 1830 that this
belief began to take its modern definition. ‘The Catholic Apostolic
Church had its beginning in 1830. It was founded in Britain… by men
who claimed divine inspiration. They said the Holy Spirit revealed to
them that the last days had come, that the Lord was about to return,
that first He would “rapture” the believers who were ready, at a secret
coming… after which [the great tribulation] Christ would come in
manifest power’ (Sources omitted).”

The Bible does not teach a
secret rapture. Rather, God’s Word reveals that Christ will return
ONCE, NOT TWICE (Hebrews 9:28). He will come openly, not in secret
(Matthew 24:21-31; Revelation 1:7; Acts 1:10-11), and He will END the
Great Tribulation at the time of His Coming by establishing the Kingdom
of God here on earth (Revelation 11:15-18). Mark 13:24-27 specifically
states: “But in those days, AFTER that tribulation, the sun will be
darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven
will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. THEN they will
SEE the Son of Man COMING in the clouds with great power and glory. And
THEN [not before then] He will send His angels, and gather together His
elect…”

Christ will come at the time of the LAST TRUMPET when
His elect will be resurrected from the dead or changed to immortality
(1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 1 Corinthians 15:50-52). There can only be
ONE last trumpet, which means, there can only be ONE return of Christ.

However,
the Bible reveals that there can be protection from the terrible times
to come–but that protection will not be provided in heaven, but on
earth. As we explain in our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and
the Day of the Lord,” beginning on page 58, Christ promises His people,
who are worthy, a way to “escape all these things that will come to
pass” (Luke 21:34-36; compare Revelation 3:10; Zephaniah 2:3; Psalm
31:19-20). That “place of refuge” (Proverbs 14:26) will be on this
earth–not in heaven (Revelation 12:14; Isaiah 33:16; Isaiah 26:20-21).
Yes, God will have prepared “a place for us” to protect us from the
Great Tribulation. Even though God CAN protect us anywhere He wants, He
has decreed that His people will be protected at a certain place here
on earth–the place of safety and “shelter” (Joel 3:14-16). Christ
compares the time preceding His coming with the time of Noah (Matthew
24:37-39), and as God protected Noah and his family in the ark, here on
earth, so He will protect His people on this earth in the way that HE
has chosen. And He will NOT protect them by “rapturing” them to heaven!

The
idea of a rapture to heaven–secret or otherwise–is nowhere taught in
Scripture. It is an invention by man which can give us no real hope, as
it is not based on God’s Word. But God does offer us His protection, if
we prove ourselves worthy to receive it.

Android Or Human?

The Korea Times reported on May 5:

“Standing 1.6 meters tall and weighing about 50 kilograms, she can understand others, speak, blink with her eyes and makes several facial expressions. But she is not human, rather an android developed by a team of South Korean scientists. It is only the second time in the world that an android has been developed–Japan made the first one… [The android, named EveR-1] looks just like a Korean female in her early 20s including her shape that is benchmarked against the nation’s model. The human-sized robot can understand 400 words and make eye contact while talking via her lips that are synchronized with the pronunciation of words. Fifteen tiny motors embedded into her silicon face enable her to make a total of four expressions in tune with as many sentiments–joy, anger, sorrow and happiness. From a distance, the android could be confused with a real, flesh and blood human being, according to [inventor] Baeg [Moonhong]. ‘EveR-1 amply demonstrates our robotic technologies are at the forefront in the world. We will continue to make efforts to advance,” Baeg said.

“Only Japan was faster than Baeg’s team in making an android as the country developed a life-size female robot in 2003, dubbed ACTROID. It cannot move because it is glued to the floor. Neither does EveR-1. The Korean robot can move the upper half of her body such as arms and hands but she cannot travel because her lower half is immobile. Baeg, who spent just 3 billion won in creating EveR-1 in a year, is looking to exceed his Japanese rivals by making the model move four limbs by late this year. ‘For now, EveR-1 can be employed as a guide robot at museums and department stores or as an educational model to read books to children,” Baeg said. ‘But we are looking further ahead–we are working on upgrading the android with the aim of making it move its legs by the end of this year. It will be able to sit down and stand up by then,’ he expects.”

In a somewhat related article, AFP wrote on May 9:

“It may sound like science fiction, but the prospect that suicide bombers and hijackers could be made redundant by flying robots is a real one, according to experts. The technology for remote-controlled light aircraft is now highly advanced, widely available — and, experts say, virtually unstoppable… Japanese company Yamaha has produced [a] 95-kilogram (209-pound) robot helicopter that is 3.6 metres (11.8 feet) long and has a 256 cc engine. It flies close to the ground at about 20 kilometres per hour (12 miles per hour), nothing but an incredible stroke of luck could stop it if it suddenly appeared in the sky above the White House — and it is already on the market. Bruce Simpson, an engineer from New Zealand, managed to produce an even more dangerous contraption in his own garage: a mini-cruise missile. He made it out of readily available materials at a cost of less than 5,000 dollars (4,000 euros). According to Simpson’s website… the New Zealand authorities forced him to shut down the project… under pressure from the United States.”

Is the next World War going to be fought with the help of androids and robots? The Bible might indicate that much. Although clearly using figurative language, the book of Revelation describes modern warfare in these interesting terms: “Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power… Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man… The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running to battle. They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months” (Revelation 9:3-10).

The Vatican Clashes With China

On May 4, 2006, The Associated Press reported the following:

“The Vatican lashed out Thursday at Beijing, announcing the excommunication of two bishops who were ordained by China’s state-controlled church without Pope Benedict XVI’s consent. Benedict’s first major political clash since his election as pontiff a year ago dimmed hopes for any re-establishment soon of official ties between the Holy See and Beijing that ended after communists took control of China in 1949. Also automatically excommunicated for defying the pope were the bishops who performed the ordinations in separate ceremonies since Sunday, according to a provision of church law cited by Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls. Benedict learned about the defiant ordinations ‘with great sadness,’ said Navarro-Valls. ‘It is a great wound to the unity of the church.’ The Vatican said that according to its information, ‘bishops and priests have been subjected–by institutions outside the church–to strong pressures and threats, in order for them to take part in the ordinations that, because they were not approved by the Vatican, are illegitimate and go against their conscience… We are therefore faced with a grave violation of religious freedom,’… adding that the Vatican ‘had thought and had hoped that such deplorable episodes belonged to the past.'”

The Associated Press added the following in an article, dated May 7:

“China’s official Roman Catholic church named a new bishop Sunday — reportedly with papal approval — as Beijing rejected Vatican criticism of the unauthorized ordination of two other bishops… China’s Catholics were forced to cut ties to the Vatican after the 1949 communist revolution. But the Holy See and China’s church communicate informally… Chinese church leaders recognize the pope as their spiritual leader and have sent priests to Rome to learn new religious doctrine. But Beijing says it will not allow official contact until the Vatican breaks diplomatic ties with Taiwan, the self-ruled island that China claims as its own territory… The Vatican rejects most government involvement in the selection of church figures. But in Vietnam, another Asian communist nation, bishops are appointed after consultation with the government… A State Department report last week ranked China among eight ‘countries of particular concern’ that deny religious openness. Beijing on Saturday criticized the report as irresponsible and said it could harm U.S.-Chinese ties.”

USA vs. Russia

The Financial Times reported on May 4:

“Dick Cheney, the US vice-president, delivered a stinging criticism of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s rule, warning the Kremlin against using gas and oil supplies as ‘tools of intimidation and blackmail’ and accusing the Russian authorities of ‘unfairly’ restricting the rights of their citizens. It was the strongest public rebuke made by a senior American official of Russia’s growing authoritarianism and its increasing willingness to employ energy policy for political ends.”

According to an article by Reuters of May 4, “The Kremlin on Thursday rejected as ‘completely incomprehensible’ remarks by Vice President Dick Cheney that Russia was backsliding on democracy and using its vast energy supplies to bully its neighbors.”

The Associated Press filed this report:

“[Cheney’s criticism] was a hard slap at Vladimir Putin as the United States seeks Russia’s cooperation in punishing Iran… [It] came just two months before President Bush joins Putin in St. Petersburg for a summit of major industrial powers. Cheney warned that Russia’s backsliding could harm Moscow’s relations with the United States and Europe…  Russian officials reacted angrily. ‘Cheney’s speech looks like a provocation and interference in Russia’s internal affairs in terms of its content, form and place,’ former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.”

The Associated Press reported on May 5:

“A Russian newspaper said Friday that Vice President Dick Cheney’s harsh criticism of Moscow’s human rights record signaled the start of a new Cold War. The Kommersant business daily compared Cheney’s speech Thursday in neighboring Lithuania to Winston Churchill’s famous ‘Iron Curtain’ speech in Fulton, Mo., saying in that it ‘marked the beginning of a second Cold War.’ Churchill coined the ‘Iron Curtain’ expression in his 1946 speech that warned of Soviet expansion.”

To Pray Or Not To Pray…

The Associated Press reported on May 4:

“President Bush said Thursday that America’s history is inexorably tied to prayer. ‘America is a nation of prayer. It’s impossible to tell the story of our nation without telling the story of people who pray,’ Bush said during a White House celebration of the National Day of Prayer. ‘At decisive moments in our history and in quiet times around family tables, we are a people humbled and strengthened and blessed by prayer.’ Bowing his head many times as Christian and Jewish leaders offered prayers, the president thanked those who pray for him, calling it the greatest gift a citizen can offer him…

“Bush was careful to also honor those who choose not to pray, or join any religion. ‘We are a people united by our love for freedom, even when we differ in our personal beliefs,’ the president said. ‘In America, we are free to profess any faith we choose, or no faith at all.'”

Merkel A Key Player

Der Spiegel Online reported the following on May 4 regarding Angela Merkel’s second visit in Washington this week, since becoming German Chancellor:

“Both US President George W. Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel emphasized their growing friendship on Wednesday. Merkel even invited Bush to visit her constituency. But Iran dominated their talks.  Merkel’s stay in Washington was overshadowed by tough decisions approaching on Iran… Speaking to the White House press corps, Merkel said: ‘We are in total agreement saying that under no circumstances can Iran be allowed to come into possession of nuclear weapons.’

“While Germany is not a permanent member of the Security Council, Merkel has evolved into a key player in trying to keep the council members on the same page and working toward the same goal. She has often taken on the role of slowing down Bush’s headlong rush to penalize Iran. On Wednesday, while agreeing that something had to be done, she once again went to her trusted playbook, saying: ‘It is crucial, if one wants to see this conclude with a diplomatic success, to actually do this on a step-by-step basis. Quite often, attempts have been made to rush matters.’… In the evening, she will address the 100[th] anniversary celebration of the American Jewish Committee — and she will become the first German chancellor ever to address the group.”

Father’s Day–So Innocent?

 Der Spiegel Online filed this interesting report on May 4 about upcoming Father’s Day celebrations:

“It sounds so innocent: Father’s Day. But in Germany, it can often turn into drunken mayhem… On a certain Thursday towards the end of May, don’t be surprised to walk outside your door and find grown men slumped against lampposts, or lolling dazed and confused in wooden carts, clutching barrels of beer. This is Father’s Day, German style. While in many countries the Father’s Day ritual involves little more than writing a card and giving the gift of a new pair of socks — with breakfast in bed thrown in if the pater familias is especially lucky — the Germans have turned it into a true holiday for the country’s men. They are granted carte blanche to get riotously rip-roaring drunk. The day always coincides with Ascension Thursday, a public holiday in Germany which falls 40 days after Easter… The Father’s Day tradition, which is also called Herrentag, originated in the 18th century, and since then has always fallen on Ascension Thursday — the original idea being to celebrate Jesus returning to the holy Father. Traditionally men would be placed in a cart or carriage and brought to the town or village square, and the proud father who had sired the most children received a prize from the mayor, often a big piece of ham. By the 19th century, colorful parades became common, featuring horse-drawn carriages and traditional walks by men and women commemorating the walking of the apostles. By the late 19th century, as religion lost its hold on many, particularly in urban areas, the day evolved into men going on little walking trips, and bringing picnics of ham and beer in handkerchiefs tied to their walking sticks. By the 20th century it had reached its current incarnation: The Day of Drink…

“The bad name that the day now has for ‘boozing and beating’ has led some left-wing and feminist groups calling for it to be banned. Another unpleasant aspect is that neo-Nazi groups have been known to take advantage of the occasion to go looking for trouble… The best advice for Father’s Day in Germany might be to approach with caution, or better yet, to stay indoors. Why not sit back on your balcony, sipping a beer safe from harm? From there, you can observe the beast in his natural habitat: merrily staggering down the street in search of the next drink or slumped unconscious in a wooden cart.”

Tony Blair In Deep Trouble

Der Spiegel Online published an article on May 3, 2006, with the headline: “Nightmare on Downing Street.” It listed the following scandals which plague the current government:

“A parliamentary committee has launched an inquiry after it emerged that some people who had been nominated for peerages by Blair had given Labour large loans before the 2005 election. The affair has been widened to include loans to the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats… Home Secretary Charles Clarke has faced calls to quit after he acknowledged 1,023 foreign prisoners had been released when they should have been considered for deportation after they served their term. Unfortunately for Clarke, several of the released prisoners re-offended. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, a bullish man who once punched a heckler for throwing eggs in the 2001 election campaign, has been humiliated by revelations of a two-year affair with his diary secretary Tracey Temple, 43. She has alleged that sexual encounters took place in Prescott’s office with the door ajar while a team of civil servants worked outside. Government departments are now to conduct an enquiry into whether Prescott abused his position… A newspaper reported that the Labour Party spent $13,700 on hair-styling bills for Blair’s wife Cherie during last year’s month-long general election campaign… Culture Minister Tessa Jowell overcame weeks of negative press coverage in March over prosecutors’ claims that former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi paid her husband David Mills for helpful testimony in two court cases. Mills denies wrong-doing. Taken together, the headlines have created the impression of a government in crisis. Infighting over education reform hasn’t helped, nor has continuing criticism of the performance of the National Health Service, one of the key areas of Labour policy. The situation has reached the point where MPs and cabinet ministers have been embarrassed to face voters and local councillors campaigning ahead of Thursday’s local election…”

The local elections last Thursday resulted in a stunning defeat for Tony Blair’s Labour party. Der Spiegel Online reported on May 5:

“English voters gave British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Labour Party a drubbing in this week’s local elections, prompting Blair to reshuffle his cabinet on Friday… Like rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic, was how Labour politician and former minister Frank Dobson described Thursday’s cabinet reshuffle… [Tony Blair’s] party suffered its worse defeat to the Conservative Party since 1992… On Thursday, all eyes were on Downing Street to see who emerged looking downfallen. Unsurprisingly Home Secretary Charles Clarke was sacked in the wake of a scandal involving over 1,000 foreign serious criminals including murderers and sex offenders, who were released from prison but not deported as government policy dictates… More surprisingly was Jack Straw’s apparent demotion from foreign secretary to leader of the House of Commons. This move, however, according to the British daily The Guardian, was at the request of Straw himself. He will be replaced by Margaret Beckett, a faithful Blairite and Britain’s first female foreign secretary… After the Prescott sex scandal, the foreign offender row and threatened health service strikes, not to mention continued dissatisfaction with Blair’s position on Iraq, it would be hard to imagine how things could get worse for the Labour government.”

Euro At All-Time High

The Associated Press reported on May 6, 2006:

“Gold prices rose Friday, drawing support from a U.S. jobs report that sent the euro soaring to a one-year high. June gold rose to $686.50 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange moments after the monthly report on U.S. non-farm payrolls, stopping just shy of the fresh 25-year high of $687 hit in overnight trading… Worries about how Iran will react if the United Nations sanctions the country for continuing its nuclear program have been boosting commodities as a whole.

“The euro surged from $1.2691 about two minutes prior to the jobs report to a high for the day of $1.2763 that is its strongest level since last May… ‘The dollar fell out of bed,’ said John Person, president of National Futures Advisory Service. ‘We’re back to that scenario where when we see a stronger euro, we see gold prices accelerate as well.'”

Jerusalem To Be “Divided” Or “Shared”?

WorldNetDaily reported on May 5, 2006:

“Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s Kadima Party is drafting a plan to divide Jerusalem by unilaterally withdrawing from some of the city’s neighborhoods and making special arrangements for key holy sites, a top party official announced in an interview yesterday. ‘We will not divide Jerusalem, we will share it,’ Kadima lawmaker Otniel Schneller told the Associated Press. Most Jerusalem neighborhoods with large Arab populations would be given to the Palestinians, he said… Jerusalem’s Old City, its holy sites and adjacent neighborhoods would become a ‘special region with special understandings’ but remain under Israeli sovereignty. He did not specify whether that meant placing key holy sites under third-party custodianship.”

The article continued:

“Jerusalem first was divided into eastern and western sections when Jordan invaded and occupied Jerusalem and the Old City in 1947, expelling all Jewish inhabitants. Israel built its capital in the western part of the city, while the eastern quarters remained under Jordanian control until Israel captured it, along with the Old City, in 1967 after Jordan’s King Hussein ignored Israeli pleas for his country to stay out of the Six Day War. During the 19 years of Arab sovereignty, the ancient Jewish Quarter of the Old City was ravaged, 58 synagogues – some centuries old – were destroyed and slum dwellings were built abutting the Western Wall. Jews were not allowed to visit their holy places and Israeli Christians were subjected to many restrictions, with only limited numbers allowed to visit the Old City and Bethlehem at Christmas and Easter.”

Schwarzenegger Speaks Out On Immigration Issues

 The Los Angeles Times reported on May 6:

“In some of the harshest terms he has used to date, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday said the federal government has left the nation’s borders dangerously vulnerable while failing to come up with a sensible approach to immigration. Schwarzenegger, taking questions at a news conference on a multibillion-dollar public works package passed by the Legislature early Friday, blamed the Bush administration and Congress for the massive street protests and widespread public unhappiness over federal immigration policy. Marches in Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities, he said, ‘are an expression of frustration. People want to send a message to Washington that they’re not happy with certain bills… I think that all of this comes down to one thing: The federal government has failed the people of America in a terrible way, in a disastrous way, when it comes to this immigration situation.’… He chided federal policy-makers for letting the border problem ‘hang out there for 20 years and not do anything about it, when they knew this is a problem.’… He scolded Congress for leaving Washington last month for spring recess, after a proposed deal to revamp the nation’s immigration laws collapsed. ‘For them to go home for spring break and not really take care of it when they know this was boiling here in this country is also irresponsible,’ he said.”

America’s Other Prisoners

On May 5, 2006, Der Spiegel Online reprinted an article from the International Herald Tribune, titled, “America’s Other Prisoners.” We are publishing excerpts from the article to show that America is being viewed by some–rightly or wrongly–as a democratic nation which is fighting terrorism in ways that compromise human rights and even America’s own cherished freedoms.

In the article, it was pointed out:

“The jury in the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui has determined that he should spend his life in jail rather than be executed for his role in the Sept. 11 terror attacks. This seems like the best possible outcome. For all his bombast, Moussaoui had no direct role in the Sept. 11 attacks. And it is good to know that he will not achieve a fanatic’s martyrdom. The most important thing about the Moussaoui trial, however, was that it happened. The proceedings – including the jury deliberations – were long and difficult, but they were also fair and in accordance with the rules of American justice. That is not the story for hundreds of other people, many far less complicit than Moussaoui, who are languishing in the prison at Guantánamo Bay because the United States rounded them up haphazardly during the Afghan war and plunked them down in Cuba without any clear plan on what to do with them over the long run. So far only 10 of the 490 people still stashed away in Guantánamo have ever been charged with anything. The rest were hauled up before military proceedings that were a joke, if the available transcripts are any indication, to determine whether they should continue to be held without any rights or process under the phony label of ‘unlawful enemy combatant’ that the Bush administration concocted after Sept. 11 for just this purpose. This is not even a half-hearted stab at a day in court, and it leaves hundreds of people under indefinite, illegal detention.

“Among them are about 150 prisoners who the government says it would like to send home because they pose no threat to the United States, but feels it can’t. Some, like the Uighurs – Chinese Muslims – would face possible prison or torture if sent back to countries without basic regard for human rights. The Bush administration has put itself in a bizarre situation when it is forced to worry about the humane treatment of people it whisked off to Guantánamo without any serious attempt to determine who they were, much less what crime they may have committed. They were then held without charges, many under abusive conditions that sometimes amounted to torture, for more than three years.

“The Moussaoui trial was a messy process, marked by embarrassing lapses on the part of the prosecution, court fights about what information the defense could have access to and the weird demeanor of the defendant himself, which threatened at times to make the whole exercise seem ridiculous. It summarized, in the end, almost all the things about playing by the rules that the hard men who surround the president dislike. But it worked. The whole world was able to watch the U.S. judicial system struggling gamely and fairly toward a proper conclusion, upholding the principle that even semideranged outsiders who claim to rejoice in the deaths of more than 2,000 innocent civilians deserve their day in court. Meanwhile, the bitter fruits of the fast, easy, tough route are hidden away on a military base. It seems apparent now that many of them are simply luckless men who were in the most utterly wrong place in the world at the worst possible time. Those who may be something more sinister cannot be tried because their rights have been so compromised during their imprisonment. They are damaged goods, their very presence staining the honor of the country that imprisoned them, willy-nilly, because it seemed the easiest thing to do at the time.”

Legal Action Against Da Vinci Code?

On May 7, Reuters filed the following report:

‘In the latest Vatican broadside against ‘The Da Vinci Code’, a leading cardinal says Christians should respond to the book and film with legal action because both offend Christ and the Church he founded. Cardinal Francis Arinze, a Nigerian who was considered a candidate for pope last year, made his strong comments in a documentary called ‘The Da Vinci Code-A Masterful Deception.’ Arinze’s appeal came some 10 days after another Vatican cardinal called for a boycott of the film. Both cardinals asserted that other religions would never stand for offences against their beliefs and that Christians should get tough. ‘Christians must not just sit back and say it is enough for us to forgive and to forget,’ Arinze said in the documentary… ‘Sometimes it is our duty to do something practical. So it is not I who will tell all Christians what to do but some know legal means which can be taken in order to get the other person to respect the rights of others,’ Arinze said… The book, written by Dan Brown, has sold more than 40 million copies… The central tenet of the book is that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had children… ‘Those who blaspheme Christ and get away with it are exploiting the Christian readiness to forgive and to love even those who insult us. There are some other religions which if you insult their founder they will not be just talking. They will make it painfully clear to you,’ Arinze said. This appeared to be a reference to protests by Muslims around the world over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.”

In his latest StandingWatch video, “American Hiroshima,” Norbert Link raises the question how long the Catholic Church will sit idly by before responding to blasphemous comments and actions by others. The video was taped and released before the above-quoted article was published.

Iran Can Also Be Wiped Off Of The Map

The Jerusalem Post reported on May 8:

“Vice Premier Shimon Peres said Monday in an interview to Reuters that ‘the president of Iran should remember that Iran can also be wiped off the map’… ‘Iran presents a danger to the entire world, not just to us,’ Peres added.”

On May 9, The Jerusalem Post added:

“‘Wiping Israel off the map is just one step in Iran’s attempt to create a new world order,’ said Brig.-Gen Yosef Kuperwasser, head of the IDF Military Intelligence’s research division… ‘Iran is at the forefront of global terrorism, and aids Hizbullah in Lebanon, al Qaida, and Palestinian terror organizations, and is behind attacks on US armed forces in Iraq,’ the general asserted… ‘Nuclear capabilities would ensure that regime returns to its former glory and revives the Islamic revolution there,” he explained.”

Reuters reported on May 9 about the expected failed attempt by the Security Council to agree on measures against Iran:

“More work is needed to unite world powers behind a U.N. resolution to rein in Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Germany said on Tuesday after foreign ministers failed to agree [on] a joint strategy… Russia and China oppose [measures against Iran, as proposed by the United States, Britain and France, as well as Germany]… China, which like Russia has big energy interests in Iran, repeated its call for negotiations to end the dispute… The United States has refused to rule out military action but… reiterated that it wanted a diplomatic resolution… Britain’s new foreign minister, Margaret Beckett, said no one intended to take military action but refused to describe such a prospect as ‘inconceivable.'”

On May 9, The Associated Press reported:

“Political directors from the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France as well as Germany made the decision to present Tehran with the possible carrots and sticks at a meeting after their foreign ministers failed Monday night to reach agreement on the resolution. As a result of Tuesday’s decision, political directors from the three European countries that had been spearheading negotiations with Iran will spend the next few days preparing a package of benefits and sanctions… The package will be presented to European Union foreign ministers on the sidelines of an EU meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on Monday, and when approved will be presented to the Iranian government.”

We do. It is important to understand what the Bible has to say about the subject of interracial marriages.

Let
us first of all explain that no ethnic group, race or color is superior
or better than another. The concept, as taught by Hitler and others,
that there exists a master race is simply demonic. This Satanic concept
was derived from the equally demonic concept of the Evolution Theory,
which holds that only the fittest animals survive and that those less
fit die out. Hitler, adopting racial theories taught by quite a few at
his time inside and outside Germany, applied the Evolution Theory to
man (after all, according to that abominable concept, man is just the
highest developed form of an animal). Hitler postulated that the
Germanic race was a superior master race to all other races. As
mentioned, this idea, which caused mass murders of millions of innocent
people, is clearly inspired by Satan and nowhere taught in the Bible.

God’s
Word teaches, however, that God created different races or colors for a
purpose. Biblically speaking, and as explained below, God created
basically three different races or colors–the yellow, the white and
the black. God made of one blood all the nations of men (Acts 17:26).
Eve is identified as the mother of all humans (Genesis 3:20). All
humans are children of God through Adam, and God intends for all to
repent in order to attain to the potential of man–the reason for man’s
creation: to become a born-again spiritual member of the God Family
(Galatians 3:28-29; 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9; Revelation 21:3-7).

In
a letter from the Personal Correspondence Department of the Worldwide
Church of God, dated January 1988, the long-standing teaching of the
Church was set forth as follows: “God created Eve with the capability
of producing children having the varied characteristics that are now
manifested in the different races… The children and grandchildren of
Adam and Eve would have naturally separated into families of racially
similar people, and as they continued to marry within their own groups,
distinct racial traits would have become established. God tells us that
He separated the families of man and decreed the boundaries of their
dwelling places (Deuteronomy 32:8; Acts 17:26). Natural barriers, such
as mountain ranges and oceans, would have served to keep the racial
families apart and prevent amalgamation. Thus, God intended that there
be different races and He caused them to develop.”

In a related
letter from the Personal Correspondence Department of the Worldwide
Church of God, dated January 1988, these additional statements were
made:

“Anciently, God separated the different races by giving
each its own area of the world to develop (Genesis 10:5, 32…). He
placed them where geographic features… formed great natural barriers
and boundaries between them. He obviously did not want different people
to intermingle. Notice also that Abraham… was deeply concerned that
his son Isaac should find a wife among his own people rather than from
among the Canaanites, who were a different people (Genesis 24). In
turn, Isaac instructed his son Jacob to go back to their ancestral home
to find a wife (Genesis 28:1-2)… It is in keeping with these biblical
principles, then, for a person to marry someone of the same race and
who is compatible in personality, culture, temperament, and outlook on
life. Disregarding these principles is likely to result in problems and
hardships for the couple and for the children.”

Some claim that
Abraham and Isaac only asked their sons not to marry a Canaanite woman
because the Canaanites were pagan idol worshippers. They say that the
request had nothing to do with race–even though Isaac and Jacob were
white, while the Canaanites were black (Canaan was the son of Ham. The
word Ham means “dark.” On the other hand, Genesis 22:11 describes
Sarai, Abram’s wife, as “fair” or of “beautiful countenance.” The word
in Hebrew means, “bright.” A scroll from the Dead Sea states about
Sarai that “her brightness was lovely.”)

The concept that
Abraham’s and Isaac’s son were not to marry a Canaanite woman just
because of her religion cannot be correct. We read in Genesis 11:28
that Abraham (then called Abram) lived in Ur of the Chaldeans. Ur means
“fire”–it was a place of worship of the pagan fire god. Joshua 24:2,
14 tells us that Abram’s relatives were idol worshippers. The Broadman
Bible Commentary states: “Both Ur and Haran [where Abram went, when he
left Ur] were important centers of moon worship, and his living there
indicates that Terah [Abram’s father] probably was involved in that
cult. The fact, however, that Terah practiced idolatry (Josh. 24:2)
does not mean that he was not also acquainted with the true God. Laban
asserts that the God of Nahor and Terah was the God of Abraham
(31:53).”

The Bible strongly indicates that Abraham’s
relatives, Laban, Rebekkah and Rachel, were still involved in idolatry
at the time when Abraham’s servant appeared to seek a wife for Isaac,
and when Jacob came to live with that family. We read that upon Jacob’s
departure, his wife Rachel stole the housegod idols of her father Laban
(Genesis 31:34, 30). From this it follows that Abraham’s and Isaac’s
request of their sons not to marry a Canaanite woman (the Canaanites
were idol worshippers) was not ONLY based on religion (as Laban and his
household were still engaged in idol worship, too). It HAD to also be
based on race. The following explanations will make this fact clearer.

To
introduce the next section, let us just state that the Church of the
Eternal God and its corporate affiliates, the Church of God, a
Christian Fellowship in Canada, and the Global Church of God in the
United Kingdom, reconfirmed our position during our last conference in
March of 2006 that we teach what was taught under Mr. Herbert W.
Armstrong (1892-1986), who was the late human leader of the Church of
God. Unless we can prove from Scripture that doctrines or practices,
which were taught by Mr. Armstrong, were wrong, we will abide by those
doctrines and practices.

With this background, let us focus on
Mr. Armstrong’s book “Mystery of the Ages.” In that book, Mr. Armstrong
had much to say about the origin of the races and the concept of
interracial marriage. When discussing the reasons for the worldwide
flood at the time of Noah, Mr. Armstrong pointed out the following, on
page 147 (hard copy):

“Noah was ‘perfect’ in his generations
[Genesis 6:9 reads: “Noah was a just man, perfect in his
generations.”]. That is, his heredity, ancestry (Genesis 6:9). Proof of
this lies in the meaning of the Hebrew word translated ‘perfect.’ It
may refer either to spiritual character (Genesis 17:1) or to physical
characteristics (Leviticus 22:21). Therefore Genesis 6:9 allows the
translation that Noah was either ‘blameless’ or ‘unblemished.’ The
context (Genesis 6:2) clearly indicates the latter is the intended
meaning of ‘perfect.’ So a good rendering of Genesis 6:9 is that Noah
was the only ‘just’ man (in spiritual character), and also
‘unblemished’ (in his genetic heritage) among his contemporaries.”

Appendix
26 of The Companion Bible seems to confirm this understanding. Note its
comments about this Hebrew word, translated “perfect” or “unblemished”
in verse 9 of Genesis 6:

“The Heb. word tamiym means without
blemish, and is the technical word for bodily and physical perfection,
and, not moral. Hence it is used of animals of sacrificial
purity. It is rendered without blemish in Ex. 12.5; 29.1;
Lev. 1.3, 10; 3.1, 6; 4.3, 23, 28, 32; 5.12, 18; 6.6; 9.2, 3; 14.10;
22.19; 23.12, 18; Num. 6.14; 28.19, 31; 29.2, 8, 13, 20, 23, 29, 32,
36; Ezek. 43.22, 23, 25; 45.18, 23; 46.4, 6, 13. Without spot: Num.
19.2; 28.3, 9, 11; 29.17, 26.”

Mr. Armstrong, when describing the worldwide conditions at the time of Noah, continued on pages 148-149:

“…
men ‘took them wives of all which THEY chose [Genesis 6:2].’ There was
rampant and universal interracial marriage–so exceedingly universal
that Noah, only, was unblemished or perfect in his generations–his
ancestry. He was of the original white strain. It is amply evident that
by the time of Noah there were at least the three primary or major
racial strains on earth, the white, yellow and black, although
interracial marriage produced many racial mixtures. God does not reveal
in the Bible the precise origin of the different races. It is evident
that Adam and Eve were created white. God’s chosen nation Israel was
white. Jesus was white. But it is a fair conjecture that in mother Eve
were created ovaries containing the yellow and black genes, as well as
white, so that some of the children of Adam and Eve gave rise to black,
yellow, as well as white. The one man God chose to PRESERVE the human
race alive after the Flood was perfect in his generations–all his
ancestry back to Adam was of the one strain, and undoubtedly that
happened to be white–NOT that white is in any sense superior…
[Noah’s] wife and three sons were of that same white strain. But
Japheth evidently had married an Oriental woman, and Ham a
black.”

Another way of explaining the existence of
different races would be that the three sons of Noah–Shem, Ham and
Japheth–were white, black and yellow. As mentioned before, the meaning
of the word “Ham” is black. This would mean that God created Eve with
the capacity of producing black, white and yellow offspring.

After
the Flood, Noah’s descendants tried to build a great tower at Babel, so
that they would not be “scattered abroad.” Mr. Armstrong comments on
these events on pages 151 and 152 of his book:

“These people were
not only of one language, they were of three races or families–white,
yellow and black. Just as God created varieties in many species of
flowers and of animals–for example, many varieties and colors of
roses–for greater beauty, so God created the three races and colors of
human skin. God intended to prevent racial intermarriages. But man has
always wanted to violate God’s laws, intentions and ways. They wanted
to become one race or family through intermarriage of races… God had
set the bounds of the races, providing for geographical segregation, in
peace and harmony but without discrimination. But the people wanted to
be of one amalgamated people. One purpose of the tower of Babel was to
unite them, and to prevent them from being scattered…”

But we read that God confounded their languages and scattered them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

Some
claim that Judah, one of Jacob’s sons, married Shua, purportedly a
woman from a different race. This would not prove, however, that God
favored interracial marriages. The Bible contains many examples when
Judah did not live up to God’s standards. He even violated his own
daughter-in-law, and he was instrumental in selling his own brother
Joseph into slavery.

Some say that interracial marriage is
perfectly acceptable to God, as Joseph married an Egyptian and Moses an
Ethiopian. We discuss these episodes in the Q&A’s of Updates #138
and #136. IF Joseph married a pagan idol worshipper from a different
race, he would have been wrong (In any event, this argument does not
assist those who advocate interracial marriages, as they still have to
admit that Joseph would have acted wrongly by marrying an idol
worshipper.). But Joseph might not have done any of this. And Moses’
conduct might have occurred long before his conversion–before he
actually knew God and His laws, which would explain why God was angry
with Miriam and Aaron to bring up something which might have occurred
more than 40 years earlier. In any event, both episodes cannot be used
to prove that interracial marriages are in accordance with God’s will,
as both Updates explain in detail.

When God chose the nation of
Israel to offer them physical blessings, He never called them for
salvation. God fulfilled an unconditional promise that He had made to
Abraham, because of his unquestioned obedience and loyalty to God. On
pages 166-173, Mr. Armstrong explains the reason for the nation’s call
to PHYSICAL greatness:

“WHY did God raise up this special Hebrew
nation as the ‘chosen people’? WHY, when God never made accessible to
them his Holy Spirit? One point to notice here. The probability is that
these people were all–or nearly all– of the white racial strain,
unchanged since creation. After Jacob and his sons and families had
come into Egypt at Joseph’s behest, they were kept in the locale of
Goshen–geographically separated from the Egyptians, marrying among
themselves. In this connection, go back momentarily to Abraham. He
prevented his son Isaac from intermarrying among the dark Canaanites
then in the land… Jacob had six sons by Leah, two from Rachel–all of
the same original racial stock, and two each from the maids of Rachel
and Leah… Even the maids of Leah and Rachel undoubtedly were of pure
Hebrew stock… [Israel] became God’s chosen nation. BUT WHY?…

“Undoubtedly,
one reason was to preserve the original physical racial strain… Here
was a people of almost clear racial strain, and the God believing
heredity of Abraham, Isaac and Israel… They, despite their favorable
heredity, FAILED UTTERLY TO QUALIFY… The Promised Land was then
called Canaan. Canaanites, racially dark, had settled in the land. But
God had given this land to the racial descendants of Abraham BY
PROMISE! It did not belong to the Canaanites or other races settled
there… GOD INTENDED TO KEEP THEM [the nation of Israel] PHYSICALLY
SEPARATE from other nations–both nationally (racially) and
religiously. For them to intermarry with other races would result in
two things: It would interbreed them into other races, and mix them
into other idolatrous religions!… Much later, after the captivities
of both Israel and Judah, God sent a colony of Jews… to Jerusalem…
Against God’s command, the people of the colony began to intermarry
with Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites and other races, ‘so
that the holy seed [racially pure, for they had not the Holy Spirit] had mingled themselves with the people of those lands…’ (Ezra 9:2).”

As
Mr. Armstrong goes on to explain, God proved, by choosing a physical
nation with everything going for them, that they were still unable to
obey Him without His Holy Spirit within them. Their heredity and
environment, and even the fact that God Himself was among them, did NOT
prevent them from sinning and rebelling against Him. What a lesson of
history–and what a warning for us today, not to neglect the gift of
God’s Holy Spirit within us.

Some have claimed that Paul teaches
in Galatians 3:28 that interracial marriages are now in accordance with
God’s will. This is not true. Galatians 3:28 addresses the spiritual
potential of all men, from all races, ethnic groups or cultures. It
says: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free,
there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ
Jesus.” This Scripture cannot be used to justify interracial
marriages; because with the same argument, we might as well justify
homosexual or lesbian relationships (as it says, “there is neither male
nor female.”). As stated, this Scripture strictly addresses the
equality of our calling. “But in every nation whoever fears Him and
works righteousness is accepted by Him” (Acts 10:35).

From all
the Biblical evidence at our disposal, and considering the
long-standing teaching of the Church on this subject, we must conclude
that it is not in accordance with God’s will to marry interracially.
However, couples who are married interracially are not to despair–and
they are most certainly not to separate for that reason. The Church has
NEVER asked interracially married couples to separate. This article is
written to caution those who might be thinking of marrying
interracially. Administratively, ministers of the Church of the Eternal
God and its corporate affiliates have carefully considered this issue
and concluded, barring extraordinary circumstances, that they could
not, in good conscience, officiate over a marriage, which is clearly,
obviously and visibly interracial. However, this would not include
marriage candidates who are of “mixed” blood. The Church has always
taught, for instance, that a child of a black and a white parent is
free to marry a black or a white person. We are only addressing clear
cases, in concern for the well-being and happiness of the persons
involved.

God designed all ethnic groups and races from one human
ancestor and all members of every ethnic group and race are made in the
image and likeness of God. All Spirit-begotten members in
the Church are spiritual brethren, irrespective of any other
consideration. It is God’s purpose and command that we preach the true
gospel to every ethnic group and race in the world, without fear or
favor. The Bible forbids a marriage between a believer and an
unbeliever, and the Scriptural evidence shows us that marrying someone
of another color, as explained in this Q&A, is also not in
accordance with God’s Will.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new member letter has been written by Dave Harris and will be sent out shortly. In the letter, Mr. Harris discusses the importance of our calling and election. The mailing of the letter will include a hard copy of our newest booklet, “Mysteries of the Bible,” as well as a new Holy Day calendar.

A new StandingWatch program, with a new introduction and ending, was posted on the Web, titled, “American Hiroshima.” In the program, Norbert Link discusses the fear of nuclear war, the rise of Islam and the increase of attacks on Christian values.

The most successful StandingWatch programs within the last seven days prior to May 8, which were posted on Google Video, were as follows:

Is Nuclear War Coming?
Germany in Prophecy
Da Vinci, Judas and a Fish
Afghanistan’s Radical Islam
Ghosts of Departed Ones
What Concerns Americans the Most?

On May 6, 2006, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “The Watchers.”

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 local government elections have been taking place in the UK this week with the national government in some disarray. The Health Secretary was barracked to an alarming extent at the national nurses’ conference last week after making a statement that the National Health Service had just had its best ever year; the nurses felt otherwise and registered their disgust. The Home Secretary’s department had let out around 1,000 criminals who had been recommended for deportation after servicing their sentences, and yet the system had allowed them back into the community, some being murderers and rapists. The Deputy Prime Minister had been found having a two year affair with his diary secretary, with lurid details being printed in many newspapers. And this from a government that had promised to do much better than the previous administration, which itself had many difficulties with sleaze!

Of course, the UK is not the only nation to have such problems; it is a fact of life in all nations around the world. Democracy is much trumpeted as the way forward, and it was to bring peace and stability in Iraq. We are all too well aware what has happened in that nation. But in spite of the Bible clearly showing that being involved in the world is ungodly, a leading figure in the Anglican Church urged people to vote. As it is stated in our Update #76, of 17th Jan 2003: “Participating in voting for governmental elections shows a lack of appreciation for the Will of God. It also shows a misunderstanding of the fact that Satan rules this world, and that Christians are ambassadors of Christ, called to come out of this world to be separate.” Such understanding is lost on the world’s religions, including most of Christianity.

In November 1947, Sir Winston Churchill observed that “Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”

Democracy–in fact, man’s rule in general– is not the answer to the world’s problems. The only sure answer is the return of Jesus Christ to rule as the beneficent King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His return must surely be a part of our daily prayers. Do we regularly pray “Thy Kingdom Come”? If we do, then this surely shows where our focus is; if not, perhaps we ought to urgently review our prayer content.

When that wonderful time of Christ’s setting up the Kingdom of God on earth arrives, democracy will be a thing of the past; flawed leadership by flawed individuals will no longer be even considered and, with Christ ruling with fairness and equity, the perfect theocracy then in place will be appreciated by all the earth’s inhabitants.

God speed that day!

America’s Ongoing Battle With Illegal Immigration

AFP reported on May 2:

“The US Senate will make a new attempt this month to agree on immigration reforms, a top Republican said after more than one million people demonstrated for immigrant rights. Senator Bill Frist said the upper chamber could consider the issue again in two weeks, after having failed in April to bridge broad differences over proposals to give 11.5 million illegal immigrants legal status. But Frist, leader of the Republican majority in the chamber, said he wanted the new legislation to concentrate on tightening border security against illegal entrants and not offer an amnesty to them.

“Huge protests in recent weeks by mainly Hispanic groups hit a new peak Monday with a one-day economic boycott and street protests across the United States, to back legislation offering illegal immigrants legal status. At least 600,000 people took part in two major rallies in Los Angeles–organizers claimed there were 1.5 million–and more than 400,000 others in Chicago. Hispanic groups also called a one day strike, for children to be withdrawn from school and a boycott of stores to show the economic weight of the immigrant community. ‘Today we march, tomorrow we vote and if they deport us we will jump over the border fence,’ chanted marchers in Los Angeles waving US and Mexican flags…”

The Associated Press added in its article of May 2 that “The impact on some school systems was significant. In the sprawling Los Angeles Unified School District, which is 73 percent Hispanic, about 72,000 middle and high school students were absent–roughly one in every four.”

AFP continued:

“Last week Bush met with senators seeking to squeeze out a compromise, but he met with strong resistance from members of his own Republican party who are facing elections in November and voters angered by the large number of illegal immigrants and the demonstrations on their behalf. Republican congressman Tom Tancredo told Fox television that the average American does not accept it when they see on the streets ‘people demanding that they have rights, that they should be entitled to things that other people [have] who have done it the right way … even though they snuck into the country.’ Even if the Senate comes to a compromise over the immigration issue, it will still have to square any measure with a hardline draft law already passed by the House of Representatives that would make illegal entry, and helping illegal immigrants, a crime.”

Whether the recent mass demonstrations by immigrants, “demanding” rights, actually helped or hurt their cause in the eye of the public, will have to be seen. That illegal immigrants play an important factor in America’s economy, cannot be denied. One is reminded of the biblical prophecy that in the end time, the foreigner and “the alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall become lower and lower” (Deuteronomy 28:43). He will become more and more the “head” of the country (compare verse 44).

Showdown Over Iran?

The Associated Press reported on May 3:

“Britain and France introduced a U.N. Security Council resolution Wednesday that would be legally binding and set the stage for sanctions against Iran if it does not abandon uranium enrichment. Diplomats said they hoped the resolution, backed by the United States but opposed by China and Russia, will be adopted before a meeting of foreign ministers in New York next Monday. The resolution mandates that Iran ‘shall suspend all enrichment related and reprocessing activities’… The resolution also calls on Iran to stop construction of a heavy-water reactor…

“The resolution was written under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which makes any demands mandatory and allows for the use of sanctions–and possibly force–if they are not obeyed. Any sanctions would require another resolution. That could set up a showdown with Russia and China, which are adamantly opposed to such a tough resolution and can veto any resolution because they are permanent members of the council… President Bush has refused to rule out military action in response to the Iranian nuclear standoff. When asked last month whether U.S. options regarding Iran ‘include the possibility of a nuclear strike’ if Tehran refuses to halt uranium enrichment, Bush replied, ‘All options are on the table.’ He stressed, however, the United States will continue to focus on diplomacy. The resolution was drafted by Britain, France and Germany, the three European Union nations that have led negotiations with Iran.”

The AFP reported on May 2 about Iran’s reaction to the anticipated resolution of the U.N. Security Council:

“Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said earlier Tuesday there was no question–‘absolutely not’–of Iran suspending its uranium enrichment work, and he predicted China and Russia would block the threat of UN sanctions. ‘There is a very wrong assumption held by some that the West can do anything it wants through the Security Council,’ he told the hardline Tehran daily Kayhan.”

Events and developments like these will force Europe to unite in order to be able to speak with one voice and–when perceived necessary–to use pressure and force on others. for more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Europe Soon Islamic, Says Gadhafi

WorldNetDaily reported on May 3:

“Islam will take over Europe without violent force within a few decades, said Libyan Leader Moammar Gadhafi in a speech aired on the Arab satellite network Al Jazeera. ‘We have 50 million Muslims in Europe,’ Gadhafi said. ‘There are signs that Allah will grant Islam victory in Europe–without swords, without guns, without conquests. The 50 million Muslims of Europe will turn it into a Muslim continent within a few decades.’ If Turkey is added to the European Union, the Libyan leader said, Europe will have another 50 million Muslims. He pointed out Albania, a Muslim-majority country, and Bosnia, which is half Muslim, already have entered the EU. ‘Europe is in a predicament, and so is America,’ Gadhafi said. ‘They should agree to become Islamic in the course of time, or else declare war on the Muslims.’…

“Gadhafi emphasized Muslims view Muhammad the prophet not only of the Arabs or Muslims but ‘of all people.’ ‘He superseded all previous religions,’ Gadhafi said. ‘If Jesus were alive when Muhammad was sent, he would have followed him. All people must be Muslims.’ He said Christians believe Muhammad is not their prophet because their holy texts ‘are forged and call for hatred… In the Bible there are things that are inappropriate for both Jesus and Moses. If we want to mend the state of humanity, and live in a global village, because of the globalization, we must search for the true Bible, because the Bible that exists today is a forgery. Today’s Bible does not mention Muhammad, whereas our Lord’s Bible mentions Muhammad repeatedly.'”

These telling blasphemous remarks should wake up everybody as to the Islamic understanding pertaining to God’s Holy Word, the Bible. It is that very Word of God–the Holy Scriptures–which predict that Muslims will not take over Europe “with peaceful means.” There are however indications that certain Muslim countries will try to do so with violent means.

It CAN Be Done!

The Associated Press reported on May 2:

“With gasoline prices at historic highs in the United States and some other Western countries, Saudi King Abdullah issued a decree Sunday lowering domestic gasoline prices by about 25 percent immediately. According to a government statement, the decrease was to reach 30 percent by year’s end. The drop in prices means Saudis now will be paying 60 halalahs per liter of regular gasoline, or about 60 U.S. cents a gallon. The price of super drops to about 76 U.S. cents a gallon… The statement said the king issued the decree to ease the ‘cost of living burden on Saudi citizens.’ The big reduction in gasoline prices in the world’s largest oil producing nation was announced as prices in oil importing nations reached record levels and oil company profits soared to all-time highs. The price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the United States now is above U.S. $3 in some regions.”

Many Americans and Europeans wonder how their governments are going to deal–if at all–with the ever-growing crisis of high gas prices. “Wouldn’t it be nice” if they could just order the gas companies and gas stations to lower them? But this is perhaps wishful thinking in competitive and profit-driven societies and free markets such as ours. However, if a charismatic leader in Europe were to arise to promise and enforce solutions like Saudi King Abdullah has done, wouldn’t people follow him? The Bible says that such a man will arise, and that the people will support him. Sadly, the end of the matter will be worse than its beginning.

Germany and Russia–Friendship or Association By Necessity?

Der Spiegel Online reported on April 27:

“Are Germany and Russia still friends? After the Thursday meeting between Merkel and Putin, some aren’t so sure. And Russia continues to pine for superpower status.”

The magazine pointed out: 

“On Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Siberian town of Tomsk for what she has described as ‘open and intensive’ discussions — a diplomatic way of saying that the warm and fuzzy relationship the two countries enjoyed under ex-German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder [has] become slightly cooler and more prickly. Moscow has departed from the policies of Germany and other EU nations by speaking out in defense of Hamas — which it has recognized as the legitimate Palestinian government at a moment when the USA and the EU are deeply concerned over its anti-Israel policies — and by avoiding a firm stance on Iran’s nuclear development program. Most importantly for Germany, however, concern is growing over recent developments in natural gas trade, with Russian energy giant Gazprom stating that it wants to diversify its markets by trading with China and Canada. Gazprom has also mentioned it would like natural gas prices to rise for Germany and other EU nations, who are strongly dependent on Russian energy resources.”

In a related article of April 27, the magazine wrote:

“Germany’s buddy-buddy days with Russia are over. During her visit this week to Russia, long suppressed differences of opinion between Berlin and Moscow have been placed on the front burner.”

The magazine continued:

“With Merkel in office, German-Russian ties have become decidedly business-like, even cool. They have, however, remained reliable. This can be chalked up to reality. Annual trade worth €32 billion dampens the inclination to publicly read Moscow the riot act. And the question of whether E.On obtains a 50 percent share in a project to develop the massive Yuzhno-Russkoye gas field — which would have been unimaginable 15 years ago — is a more important question for Germany these days than whether or not one should appear publicly with Hamas ministers… Russia seems to be keen to avoid needless irritations as well. On Wednesday, Putin promised ‘dependable delivery’ of energy supplies to Germany and other countries. At the same time, he said Russian companies had an interest in taking part in further production of energy in other nations. And the chancellor made a point of noting that Russia had reliably exported oil and gas to Germany for the past 40 years. ‘I assume that will continue to be the case,’ she said.”

The Bible predicts that at the very end, Europe and Russia will become enemies, as they were in times past. But, in the meantime, a temporary truce between the two power blocs will most likely be maintained.

Even Iraq’s Oil Revenues A Disaster

Der Spiegel wrote on May 1:

“The British and the Americans are guarding Iraq’s Persian Gulf oil platforms — the troubled country’s only real sources of revenue — like crown jewels. But Iraqi oil is flowing sluggishly at best, while hoped-for investments haven’t materialized and the Iraqi oil industry is on the verge of collapse — both technical and political.”

The article continued:

“To this day, many Iraqis see the West’s interest in Iraqi oil as the real reason behind the 2003 US-led invasion. However, a look at the actual state of the oil sector three years after coalition forces marched into the country calls this view into question. It isn’t as though the occupying powers haven’t tried to secure control over Iraqi oil. Heavy new security nets hang down into the sea from the rusty frame of the Basra platform, which dates from the 1970s. Heavy gun emplacements have been set up, and about 100 American and Iraqi soldiers are permanently stationed on the platform… A US destroyer and several coast guard vessels patrol a two-kilometer perimeter around each of the terminals, while ships operated by the fledgling Iraqi navy are stationed farther out. Their mission is to escort the incoming supertankers operated by international shipping companies to their berths where, depending on their size, they spend up to two or three days being tanked. It’s a dangerous amount of time, but the platform crews take as many precautions as possible — the result of previous attacks.”

Under the headline, “A Disaster Waiting to Happen,” the article continued:

“Before the Iraq war, Mohammed Said, then manager of the Subeir pumping station 250 kilometers (155 miles) inland, warned against an environmental catastrophe in the Persian Gulf. He claimed that the pipelines, installed in the 1960s and 1970s, were full of holes and had defective valves, and that a reserve basin for emergencies was nonexistent. ‘Whenever a tanker docks at the offshore terminal and I start up the pump, I pray to God that nothing happens,’ he says… But to this day, three years after the invasion and the lifting of UN sanctions against Iraq, there has been no significant improvement in the condition of these facilities. The Southern Oil Company’s (SOC) ailing equipment continues to operate on the verge of collapse…

“Even today, there would hardly be any reserve tanks available in the event of a leak in the underwater pipelines or an accident on the platform. After the war, the US government awarded repair contracts worth more than $10 billion to companies like oil multinational Halliburton — and yet the central Subeir pumping station is still marked by deep craters once occupied by tanks with holding capacities of up to 33,000 cubic meters (about 1.2 million cubic feet). The Hamden Junction south of Basra, formerly the point of control for the flow of oil to the two terminals, is out of order… Experts describe the condition of the oil wells themselves in even more dramatic terms…

“The failure of the Southern Oil Company is politically explosive material in Iraq’s ethnically and religiously heated climate. In February, the company’s 15,000 workers and engineers sent an urgent letter to Baghdad, in which they accused the government of ‘deliberately’ neglecting their company. ‘Our company,’ the letter read, ‘has the world’s largest oil reserves — but we have yet to find someone who will listen to us.’ The regime in Baghdad, the oil company employees wrote, even spent months blocking the decision to lease a pair of new, more powerful tugboats so that large oil tankers could be safely guided into the terminals in rough weather.”

American Hiroshima Inevitable?

On April 28, WorldNetDaily filed the following report:

“Al-Qaida has already obtained nuclear suitcase weapons from the Russian black market, weapons tested in Afghanistan in 2000, and they may have already been forward-deployed inside the U.S., according to the only journalist to interview Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri in the wake of Sept. 11. Last week, Hamid Mir’s credibility skyrocketed when he accurately predicted… the imminent release of a new recorded communiqué from bin Laden through al-Jazeera, the Arabic TV network. Two days later, bin Laden’s tape was the focus of international news coverage. ‘If you think that my information and analysis about bin Laden’s location is correct,’ said Hamid Mir, ‘then please don’t underestimate my analysis about his nuclear threat also.’ Mir said that he met with an Egyptian engineer last week who lost an eye after one of bin Laden’s nuclear tests in the Kunar province of Pakistan. The Pakistani journalist said the encounter with the engineer greatly disturbed and depressed him since it provided further assurance that a nuclear nightmare for America is about to dawn. Mir believes that an ‘American Hiroshima’ will occur as soon as the U.S. launches an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. ‘Al-Qaida and Iran,’ he says, ‘have a long, secret relationship.’ ‘American Hiroshima’ is the name al-Qaida leaders chose for their long-planned nuclear attack on the U.S.”

The article continued:

“Mir’s position that al-Qaida’s nuclear weapons may have already been forward-deployed to the United States confirms the report of Sharif al-Masri, a key al-Qaida operative who was arrested in Pakistan in November 2000. Al Masri… said that al-Qaida had made arrangements to smuggle nuclear weapons and supplies to Mexico. From Mexico, he said, the weapons were to be transported across the border and into the United States with the help of a Latino street gang. Mir also maintains that numerous sleeper agents are in place in major cities throughout the United States to prepare for the nuclear holocaust. Many of these agents, he says, are Algerians and Chechens who obtained European passports and are posing as Christian and Jews. He further says that many of these agents have been in the United States since bin Laden’s issuance of his ‘Declaration of War on Americans Occupying the Country of the Two Holy Places.’ That fatwa was issued Aug. 23, 1996.”

Sadly, the Bible is very clear that ultimately a nuclear war will be fought against America and also Great Britain. For more information, please read our free booklets, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord” and “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

The New Pope

On April 27, 2006, CWNews.com stated the following:

“The interaction between the Successor of Peter and the people of his native country will be exciting, German journalist Peter Seewald has predicted… ‘He has far surpassed’ even the most optimistic expectations, Seewald said… Since the papal election Ratzinger’s image has changed radically. He is now ‘the most powerful German of all times. But he does not represent an imperialistic power or a misanthropic ideology; instead he stands exclusively for positive things like love, peace, and solidarity.’

“What sort of effect is the German Pope having on his native land? ‘Ratzinger will surely continue to be controversial,’ Seewald said. ‘But ever since we have had a better view of him, people from every possible school of thought have become interested in what this man has to communicate.’… Meanwhile in Germany one finds ‘not only a heightened interest in religion, but also phenomena such as the fading-away of the old, deeply-engrained “anti-Roman” bias, a decrease in the number of those who leave the Catholic Church [to avoid the church tax levied by the government on members], and an increase in re-registrations’, the journalist noted… ‘Many Protestants, too, are beginning to like the Pope,’ Seewald said.”

The influence of the pope will increase. Even non-Catholic religions will accept him more and more. And this will, in turn, make the Catholic religion the most powerful religion in the world. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

The Church’s teaching is based on numerous principles and implications, as revealed in Scripture.

The Old Testament demands that no one who is uncircumcised is to participate at the Passover (Exodus 12:48). Even though physical circumcision is no longer a requirement for New Testament Christians, they are to be circumcised spiritually (Colossians 2:11-12; Romans 2:26-29). This can only occur through the indwelling Holy Spirit, which God gives us after proper baptism. And so, we read that Christ’s disciples had been baptized (even though, in the extraordinary case of the eleven apostles, they had not yet received the Holy Spirit–they would receive it, however, on the Day of Pentecost).

We explain this often-overlooked fact that the Twelve Apostles HAD been baptized prior to the Passover, on pages 4 and 5 of our booklet, “Baptism–A Requirement for Salvation“, under the section, “Were the Twelve Apostles Baptized?”: “… it does appear that some, if not most, of the apostles had been disciples of John the Baptist and had already been baptized by John—a baptism of repentance (compare Mark 1:4). As we discussed earlier, repentance is one of the necessary requirements for receiving God’s Holy Spirit, but it is not the only one. As such, the baptism of John—a baptism of repentance—was not sufficient to receive the Holy Spirit. Later, however, Jesus also baptized—through His disciples—as we read in John 3:22: ‘After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.’ John 4:1–3 adds: ‘Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.'”

Note that while the explanation cited from John 4 specifically addresses the disciples baptized through the work of Jesus Christ’s ministry, we are not told the details surrounding the baptism of the twelve apostles and other leaders (for instance, the seventy who were sent out by Jesus to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God; compare Luke 10:1-24). We do know that John the Baptist testified that, “‘…I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire'” (Luke 3:16). The baptism of John was a different baptism than that of Jesus Christ!

We also see that Jesus Himself was baptized: “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him” (Matthew 3:13). In this action, Jesus set an example for all who would follow Him–we know that this was done by Jesus as a pattern for those who would believe in Him and that He committed no sin requiring repentance (1 Peter 2:22).

At the beginning of His ministry, we might think that Jesus may have accepted those baptized by John without them also being baptized by Him, but Scripture points to a different conclusion. It is not revealed
that all of the apostles were even baptized by John or his disciples – although some or even most undoubtedly were – because Jesus chose His apostles from different walks of life! Consider, too, that
Paul, when finding some disciples at Ephesus who were baptized through John the Baptist’s work, had them baptized again – that new baptism was specifically “in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:5). Following that baptism, these disciples received the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:6) – something that never occurred in John’s ministry with the exception of Jesus Christ – and that was symbolic (Matthew 3:16).
Jesus already had God’s Holy Spirit, because He was brought forth by the Holy Spirit of His Father! (Compare Luke 1:35. See also John 3:34, Authorized Version).

Therefore, continuing to quote from our booklet on baptism: “It is safe to assume, then, before Christ’s
disciples baptized others, Christ had already baptized them. This is not to say that baptized people received the Holy Spirit at that time. The Holy Spirit was only given to Christ’s disciples on the Day of
Pentecost (Acts 1:15; 2:1–4). However, Scripture indicates that those who received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost had been baptized. This assumption is supported by Christ’s statement to Peter in John 13. During the last Passover meal, prior to His death, Christ began to wash the feet of His disciples, showing them that He loved them and that He was willing to do everything for them, including washing their feet—a menial task that was usually assigned to the lowest servant. When He came to wash Peter’s feet, Peter said to Him: ‘You shall never wash my feet!’ (John 13:8). Christ explained to him that He had to wash Peter’s feet or else he would have no part with Christ. Peter then responded by saying: ‘Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!’ (John 13:8–9). At that moment, Christ replied, ‘He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you’ (John 13:10).

“This conversation is full of meaning and there is much to be gleaned from it. While proper baptism is to be done only once in a person’s life, the foot-washing ceremony at Passover time is to be repeated year by year. Thus we show that we are continuously willing to obtain forgiveness of the sins we commit after
baptism, and we show that we are willing to humble ourselves in our desire to help others go the same way toward perfection that we are going. We are not better than others. We are to serve others in whatever way we can.

“Christ told Peter that he and the other disciples (except Judas) were clean, since they had been bathed. We read in Titus 3:5 that God saves us ‘through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.’ We are also told that we are ‘cleansed’ or ‘made clean’ from our old sins (2 Peter 1:9). At baptism, our bodies are ‘washed with pure water’ (Hebrews 10:22), figuratively ‘washing away’ our sins (Acts 22:16). Christ’s statement to Peter and the other apostles that they had been bathed and were clean (except Judas who would betray Him) strongly implies that they had already been baptized in anticipation of receiving the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (John 20:22; Acts 1:8; Luke 24:49).”

As mentioned above, Christ told Peter and the other apostles, when He proceeded to wash their feet during the Passover evening, that they had been “bathed” – that is, they had been baptized (John 13:10). The commentary of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown points out that the term, “who is bathed” [or “washed” in the Authorized Version] means, in “this thorough sense, to express which the word is carefully changed to one meaning to wash ‘as in a bath.'” In regard to Christ’s subsequent statement that the one who is bathed only needs to wash his feet, the same commentary points out that “the former word [for washing, not bathing] is resumed, meaning just to wash hands or feet.”

It has been the long-standing teaching of the Church that Christ waited, until Judas Iscariot had left, before He changed the Old Testament symbol of a Passover lamb to the New Testament symbols of (unleavened) bread and (red) wine. The obvious reason for Judas’ exclusion from participation of the New Testament symbols of bread and wine was that Judas had not been PROPERLY baptized–his entire lifestyle and conduct showed that he did not have GODLY repentance. Judas was not qualified to participate in the new symbols–although he was present for the Passover meal and the footwashing.

The symbols of bread and wine did not apply to Judas:
“‘He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him'” (John 6:56). Note that after Jesus gave Judas the “dipped” piece of bread (which was not the same as the bread representative of Christ, but it was just a part of the Passover meal, compare Psalm 41:9), “Satan entered him” (John 13:27). Judas left following the traditional Passover meal and the footwashing but before the institution of the symbols of the bread and wine.

Robertson’s Harmony of the Gospels, page 193 ff, states, too, that Christ instituted the new symbols AFTER Judas had left. But Robertson indicates on p. 195 that “Luke seems to be departing from the order of Mark (and Matthew) and mentions the institution of the [symbols] earlier in the evening. It
seems best to follow the chronology of Mark, who places it after the departure of Judas.”

However, a careful analysis of the records of Matthew, Mark and Luke shows that there is no inconsistency. We read in Luke 22:21 that Christ said, at the time of the institution of the New Testament symbols of bread and wine, that “the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.” This gives the impression that Judas was still present at that time. Note, however, that the word “is” is not in the original. No verb is used here and must be supplied. Therefore, the phrase can also be properly translated, “The hand of My betrayer was with Me on the table,” or, “had been with Me on the table,” allowing for Judas’ departure BEFORE the New Testament symbols of bread and wine were introduced.

When comparing all four Gospel accounts, we find the following chronology of events:

(1) Christ institutes the footwashing, as described in John 13. Even though verse 2 reads, in the New King James Bible, that “supper being ended,” this is not the best translation. According to the commentary of
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, this must be translated as, “supper being prepared, being served or going on, for that it was not ‘ended’ is plain from verse 26.” Most translations concur, rendering this phrase,
“during supper” or “at supper.”

(2) Judas leaves after the footwashing (John 13:26-29), but before Jesus institutes the symbols of bread and wine (which are not mentioned in the Gospel of John).

(3) Jesus institutes the New Testament symbols of bread and wine, as described in Matthew 26:26-29. Verse 26 should be translated: “After they had eaten…” or, as Ronald Knox conveys the intended meaning in his rendition: “And while they were still at table…” Compare Luke 22:20, pointing out that Christ gave the wine to the disciples “AFTER supper.” John 13:18-30 discusses the events at the beginning of, or during the Passover meal. The events in Matthew 26:26-29 occur later – when the meal is drawing to its close or has already ended. At that time, Judas had already left.

Since no one was allowed, in Old Testament times, to partake of the Passover, unless he was circumcised, and since Christians are to be circumcised spiritually, in the heart, by and through the Holy Spirit dwelling in them after proper baptism, it has been the Church’s teaching that only properly baptized members of the spiritual body of Christ – the Church – are to partake of the annual symbols of unleavened bread and red wine, to reflect on the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. This teaching is supported by the fact that Jesus waited until Judas had left them, before He introduced the New Testament symbols of bread and wine.

Lead Writers: Norbert Link and Dave Harris

A new StandingWatch program, with a new introduction and ending, has been posted on the Web, titled, “What Concerns Americans Most?”

by John Amorelli

New Jersey – the Mecca
for extravaganza wedding parties and entertainment in the wedding arena
scene! I was part of that wedding scene. Playing bass
and singing in a top notch wedding band that played the tri-state
area. The income was good, very good. There were times when
I thought that I could do this as a full time job. “Just think”,
I said to myself, “I could do this full time and not have to do the
routine nine to five day job.” I was even contemplating not
working as a massage therapist any longer. During the week, I
would be taking it easy and on the weekends I would be playing
weddings. Then something happened. Something big happened! I was
introduced to the Truth. I would be playing weddings (now this
included Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights). I started to feel
that something wasn’t right regarding playing on the Sabbath. As
God opened my eyes to the Truth, I started to realize that He was
trying to tell me something. God was revealing to me that
the Sabbath was His Day.

It finally got to the point where I had
to tell my band leader I could not play on Friday nights because of the
Sabbath. I asked him if I could play only on Saturday and Sunday
evenings and have a replacement for me on Friday nights. He
responded with, “ALL OR NONE!” So, there was no deal. I
eventually left the band. I was scared because I would lose a
major part of my income. “How will I pay the rent, bills,
etc…?” My massage income was not enough to survive on.

God
worked it out!! With fervent prayer, God has rewarded me with
increased income in my massage therapy business. I had sacrificed
playing in a top-notch wedding band every weekend with great income,
and reaped God’s blessings. We must not compromise with
God’s laws. We must give Him our ALL. We must have an attitude of
ALL OR NONE in our spiritual lives, and He will give us ALL His
blessings!!!

On April 29, 2006, Norbert Link will give the sermon from Oregon, titled, “Keys For Successful Prayers.”

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

When I went for a walk just after moving to Colorado, I was prepared
for the elevation change and the cooler weather, but what caught me off
guard was the lack of humidity. After living in the Deep South
and the semi-sub-tropical climates of Australia, I was not prepared for
what awaited me: headaches, decreased strength and extreme
thirst. Of course, by the time I realized that I was becoming
dehydrated it was normally too late to avert the symptoms. In all
of this, I became painfully aware of my need for water.

In our
walk with God, we must constantly be aware of our need for living water
(John 4:10) or we may suffer from spiritual dehydration. Without
this living water we will get headaches that will keep us from being in
our right mind, that is the one that we are to be emulating, the mind
of Christ (Philippians 2:5). If we do not drink in of it
regularly we will lack the power and strength that we need to
accomplish our journey (Romans 15:13). When we become aware of
our thirst, we simply need to go to the source of living water and
drink from there (John 7:37-39).

Now is the time when we should
start drinking in of the living water, the Holy Spirit, before our need
is too great. With physical dehydration, we can drink in until
our stomach hurts and though our headache, weakness and thirst will
eventually dissipate, the symptoms that we had developed will not
vanish immediately. The same is true spiritually. We see in the
parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-12) that the ones without
enough of the Holy Spirit were not able to fill their insufficiency
right away. Because of this they missed out on the wedding to the
Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. As we march down this path towards the
Kingdom of God, this is the last thing that any one of us wants to
happen.

As we approach Pentecost, the time of the year when God
first poured out His Holy Spirit on the New Testament Church, we should
be mindful of this great and precious gift that God has bestowed upon
us and made readily available. God is telling us in Revelation 22:17:
“…let him who thirsts come. And whoever desires, let him take of the
water of life freely.” Let’s make sure that we are never
found wanting.

Iran–Is the World Repeating Its Mistakes in Iraq?

It may appear this way. Der Spiegel Online succinctly pointed out in its article of April 20:

“The international community failed to agree on Iraq before the 2003 US-led war and is making the same mistake over Iran amid deadlock over how to deal with its nuclear ambitions, say German commentators. Meeting in Moscow this week, the veto-holding members of the United Nations Security Council yet again couldn’t reach a common position on Iran. China and Russia repeated their rejection of any proposals to impose sanctions against Tehran, depriving Washington of the hard line approach it is seeking to stop Iran’s controversial nuclear program. German newspapers on Thursday believe history is repeating itself. Center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung says the world community hasn’t learned from its mistakes over the Iraq war and is giving Iran a free ride… The veto powers on the Security Council are ignoring the most obvious options because they conflict with their own individual interests, the paper adds… Mass circulation Bild Zeitung points out that Iran, the world’s fourth-largest oil producer, is benefiting from the surge in oil prices caused by its ‘devilish game with the world community’s fear [of] an Islamic atom bomb.’ ‘Tehran doesn’t have atom bombs yet but it’s had an oil bomb for a long time. Both together make the terror regime hard to attack. And they’ve got to be slapping their thighs with joy when they see how week after week, the Security Council is unable to agree on a common policy.'”

And so, we should not be that surprised about Russia’s position, as explained by AFP in its article on April 21. The report pointed out Russia’s “economic interests” in Iran as follows:

“Russia has ruled out talk of sanctions against Iran without proof that Tehran is seeking nuclear weapons as alleged by the United States, and vowed to continue military cooperation with the Islamic republic… Nikolai Spassky, deputy secretary of the national security council, said that… Russia’s proposal to enrich uranium on Russian territory for use as nuclear fuel in Iran remained on the table and described it as a means of ‘assisting’ Iran in developing nuclear power for as long as it took for international verification of its nuclear program… Russia… is helping Iran build its first nuclear power station.”

According to an article in Bild Online, which was published on April 21, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated that the United States could attack Iran militarily together with a “coalition of the willing,” irrespective of a resolution of the U.N. Security Council.

For more information, please watch our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “Is Nuclear War Coming?”

Afghanistan–the Lost Battle

Der Spiegel Online reported on April 20, 2006, that the war for Afghanistan is being lost–for all practical and objective purposes. The attempt of the Allies to bring peace to this war-torn country is FAILING. In fact, the situation has become WORSE, not better! Again, the lesson from man’s history has been reconfirmed: Man’s wars NEVER bring lasting peace. It also shows the accuracy of Biblical prophecy: That in these end times, America’s military endeavors are just not being blessed with success. The magazine pointed out:

“The Afghan capital Kabul is blossoming, but the rest of the country remains a war zone in which Western troops routinely encounter warlords, drug barons and the Taliban. And the situation isn’t improving… Instead of becoming safer in the past five years, Afghanistan has become more dangerous. Since the war in Afghanistan began in October 2001, 284 American soldiers have died, including 99 in the past year alone. And last year was the deadliest year since the arrival of the International Security Assistance Force…  in December 2001. A total of 1,600 Afghans were killed by terror attacks in 2005… The situation in the country’s south and southeast is already alarming. Despite the almost five-year-long, US-led campaign against the Taliban, the organization once again controls large portions of Pashtun provinces Nimruz, Oruzgan, Helmand, Kandahar and Paktika… The Taliban has forged an alliance with the drug mafia that could quickly jeopardize the West’s reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. To ensure that farmers are able to continue cultivating their poppy fields, the Taliban has hired warlords and drug dealers to serve as a sort of security service against foreign military personnel. The income generated from opium production helps the Taliban and al-Qaida pay for weapons and vehicles, and drug dollars are apparently even being used to compensate the families of suicide bombers.”

Bush and Merkel–How Close Are They Really?

After Angela Merkel became the new German Chancellor, replacing Gerhard Schröder in what many believe has become the most powerful office in Europe, expectations rose that the German-American friendship would be reestablished. But, as Der Spiegel Online correctly reported on April 20, not all is good between the two power blocs. In its article, “Merkel’s Double Approach With Bush,” the magazine pointed out:

“In public, Chancellor Merkel has spoken warmly about the Bush administration and stated her intention to improve trans-Atlantic relations that suffered under her predecessor Gerhard Schröder. But lately, the chancellor hasn’t shied away from giving Washington critical advice about how to manage its foreign policy… She has a lengthy wish list, and it’s getting longer by the day. Merkel is demanding changes in Washington’s policies towards Iran and Russia, and she’s not happy with the president’s lax treatment of nuclear power India, either… Merkel is half-openly distancing herself from her overseas friends. Speaking before a session of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, she expressed her sympathy for the Russians, who have been the subject of considerable criticism from the US in recent months… The Germans are no less critical of the US nuclear deal with what Bush has called the Indian ‘superpower.’ The deal would see Washington providing technical know-how for India’s civilian nuclear program. Before Bush’s visit to India, Merkel called the president and urged him to exercise more restraint towards Delhi. It would be hard to argue that one could deny Iran what was alright for India, she cautioned.”

Threats From Russia

Not only does Europe have to be concerned about threats from the Middle East regarding its needs for oil supply–now Russia has joined in and warned Europe to keep its nose out of Russia’s oil business. Here is why: Russia does not need Europe, but Europe needs Russia. Der Spiegel Online reported on April 20:

“The Russian gas giant Gazprom on Thursday warned Europe not to interfere with its expansion plans. Otherwise, Asia may suddenly become a higher priority than the EU… The chief executive of Italian energy supplier ENI, Paolo Scaroni, told the European Parliament that fierce competition over dwindling gas supplies would likely characterize relations between Europe and other parts of the world in the future. Scaroni warned that ‘gas can be a formidable weapon when it comes to foreign policy.’… Earlier this year, a dispute between Moscow and Kiev led to Gazprom interrupting the supply of gas to Ukraine for several days, plunging households across the country into icy coldness.The event highlighted the economic and political power that the Russian natural gas monopolist wields. Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder recently took a post on the supervisory board of a new company — made up of Gazprom and two German companies — which plans to build a natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea.”

In light of these developments, Schröder’s new post, even though sharply criticized in Germany, might turn out to be–at least for Germany–the saving anchor in a stormy ocean.

U.S. Dollar Too Unstable

On April 21, 2006, RIA Novosti [Russian News and Information Agency] published the following article: “Russia cannot consider the dollar as a reliable reserve currency because of its instability, the {Russian] finance minister said Friday. ‘This currency has devalued by 40% against the euro in recent years,’ Alexei Kudrin told a news conference in Washington on the occasion of the opening spring session of the International Monetary Fund. According to the Central Bank of Russia, the dollar accounted for 70% of Russia’s gold and currency reserves, euro for 25% and other assets for 5% in late 2005. As of April 14, 2006, the reserves were $212 billion.”

As we predicted at the inception of the Euro, the Bible strongly indicates that the Euro would become the most powerful currency in the world.

England Prepares To Invade Germany…

… but only on the soccer field. At least, that is the hope. As Der Spiegel Online reported in its article of April 20, “To make sure England’s long rivalry with Germany stays on the soccer pitch during this summer’s World Cup, the British government is offering fans extra consular help and advice [on] how not to offend their hosts… The English are… dissuaded from making references to World War II, which might upset German sensibilities. Chants such as ‘two world wars and one World Cup’ and a song titled ‘Ten German Bombers’ — celebrating the RAF’s victory over the Third Reich’s Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain — remain extremely popular with England supporters when facing soccer rival Germany even 60 years after the war. But the ‘Avoiding Penalties’ guide [by the British government] also lets English fans hoping to taunt ‘The Hun’ know that the Nazi salute is illegal in Germany and using it could get them arrested. Britain’s brash tabloid media — known for its fondness for using World War II to bait the Germans — predictably was stunned by the advice.”

The article continued: “Some 100,000 England fans are likely to head to the World Cup in Germany this summer… British authorities said they plan to spend nearly £500,000… to help fans with 20 consular officers to help with emergencies. They are also hoping to keep Britain’s notorious football hooligans [considered by many as the worst in the world] in check by negotiating special security arrangements with the Germans. Over 3,000 British citizens previously convicted of soccer-related offenses will be prohibited from traveling to Germany, Britain’s Home Office said. Britain will also send 44 uniformed police officers to Germany.”

The World Cup is the most attended and watched sports competition in the world. Its political influence must not be underestimated. Even wars have started over something much less “significant” than a series of lost soccer games.

Will The British Monarchy Survive?

Queen Elizabeth turned 80 last week. Analyzing the institution of the monarchy in Britain, USA Today came to interesting conclusions. In its recent article, the paper stated:

“Queen Elizabeth II, who has been on the throne longer than all but three British monarchs, turns 80 today… As the popular Elizabeth enters her twilight years, some Britons wonder whether the sun should set on the 1,000-year-old British monarchy when it sets on her–especially with the unpopular Charles, 57, next in line for the throne. Advocates of maintaining the monarchy say having Elizabeth as the symbolic head of a great nation, performing ceremonial duties, is worth the $65 million it costs British taxpayers every year… Foes, however, portray the monarchy and its birthright of privilege and wealth as anachronisms in the 21st century… Prince William, tall and blond like his late mother, Diana, stays out of trouble and is quiet and well-mannered…

“British monarchs are not, however, chosen by opinion polls or popular elections. There is a line of succession. And there is no way that William will take the throne before Charles unless Charles voluntarily bypasses the job that he has spent his life training for or dies before he gets there. Because the queen will not abdicate, age indeed could be a problem for Charles. Although the queen is 80, she appears robust. Her mother, the Queen Mother Elizabeth, lived to age 101 and died in 2002. Historian Lacey dismisses much of the conjecture. He says Charles will become king and argues that the British monarchy and the mystique that surrounds it are larger than the personalities involved, including the prince of Wales… the British and royalty seem to go hand in hand. As Shakespeare put it: ‘This royal throne of kings … this blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.’… Because the monarchy has been around for so long and survived so many personalities, Lacey doesn’t soon foresee a day when it will disappear.”

The Bible confirms that Britain’s monarchy will continue until the return of Jesus Christ. If you want to learn more about this remarkable and perhaps astonishing assertion, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

No Patriotism in Germany–So Far

U.S. Citizens may have difficulty understanding the following–as in America, waving and exhibiting the flag has almost become a routine and many times an obsession and an overdone expression of national pride–but in Germany, the waving of the German flag is still pretty much taboo. Der Spiegel Online explained in its article of April 21:

“Over six decades after the end of World War II, Germans still have a pathological fear of patriotism. Flying the flag is still a faux pas… National pride, especially when it comes to publicly displaying a love, or even a mild affinity, for Germany is still simply taboo. When Horst Köhler left a plum job as head of the International Monetary Fund to become Germany’s president — mostly a ceremonial position — in 2004, he said in his speech, ‘I love Germany.’ Reuters reported at the time that the sentence ‘sent a hush through the packed Reichstag chamber.’… Sixty-plus years after the end of World War II, German patriotism just ain’t in the cards. Even the memorials the country builds these days are more anti-monuments. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is just the most recent example.

“Things are changing, of course. Germany’s participation in the Balkan military operation in the 1990s and in Afghanistan starting in 2002 were major steps forward. German military power, the country learned, can be associated with things other than mass murder. But asking a German whether he loves his country will generally elicit a quick ‘no’ or an uncomfortable silence. Köhler’s ‘I love Germany,’ was almost visionary. But the flag thing is weird. After all, there’s nothing to be ashamed about. Black, red and gold were traditional colors long before Hitler arrived — indeed he ditched the tricolor in favor of the swastika. The colors date back to those used by emperors during the Middle Ages and were again used by army volunteers resisting the Napoleon invasion in the early 1800s. During the 1848 revolutions across Germany, leaders officially adopted the tricolor as the movement’s flag. Still, though, the thing is a symbol for Germany and Germany is a problematic country for Germans to get worked up about.”

As the magazine said, however, things are changing. In this context, the EUobserver published an interesting piece on April 21, stating:

“The German government is stepping up its efforts to make German more prominent in the EU, demanding that EU documentation be translated into the language of Goethe- or else it will not attend meetings. ‘Germany has a right to have these documents in German,’ the deputy foreign minister, Gunter Gloser, told German news agency DPA on Thursday (20 April)… Bundestag president Norbert Lammert wrote in a letter to European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso that the German parliament would refuse to debate EU documents that were not printed in German. Berlin on Thursday said it wanted a reply from Brussels on the matter before the next EU summit in June. The Berlin move is the second promotion for German in recent weeks, as the EU Ombudsman in late March asked that German be considered for a language choice on EU presidency websites [At present, presidency websites are only available in English and French]. With the union’s enlargement towards the east in 2004, the second EU language is German, spoken by 12 percent of citizens. French is spoken by close to 11 percent, while Russian shares the fourth slot with Spanish… Currently, 62 percent of EU institution texts are drafted in English, and large parts of EU-information on-line is never translated into the mother tongue of readers–particularly those speaking smaller languages.”

The Bible predicts that Germany will become the most powerful country in continental Europe, economically, politically and militarily. To an extent, it already is! And when a very charismatic German leader arrives on the world scene who will not only make promises, but also deliver, then the Germans will follow him–as will the rest of Europe. But we have not reached that period just quite yet. In the meantime, we are called upon to wait, watch and observe.

Italy, Europe and the U.S.

The International Herald Tribune published an article on April 22 about the anticipated future rocky relationship between the USA and Italy, as well as Italy’s increased involvement to bring about a United Europe. It stated:

“The wafer-thin victory of Romano Prodi’s center-left coalition over Silvio Berlusconi’s center-right alliance is another setback for the Bush administration’s foreign policy, and ushers in what is likely to be a complicated period in U.S.-Italian relations. Berlusconi gave uncritical support to the Iraq war in the face of overwhelming opposition from his own electorate. This hurt him politically, even though Italy’s stagnant economy and his own erratic and undignified performance in the election campaign were probably more important factors in his election defeat.

“For most of the postwar years, a close association with an American president was a major plus for a European political leader, particularly an Italian one. Alas, those days are now past. President George W. Bush made a major miscalculation when he arranged for Berlusconi to address a joint session of Congress on the eve of the Italian election, and endorsed his re-election in a joint press conference. The Italians, and particularly the leaders of Prodi’s victorious center-left coalition, will not soon forget this blatant interference in Italy’s domestic affairs, television reports of which were run over and over on Berlusconi’s three private television networks as well as on the three state television networks under his control.

“Prodi and the leaders of the coalition of reformed Communists and moderate democrats that will form the main element in his government are not anti-American, even though most of them are anti-Bush. During the election campaign, they denounced the decision to invade Iraq as both a strategic mistake and a violation of international law, and made clear that they would withdraw Italy’s 3,000 troops in Iraq as soon as possible… Unlike the Euroskeptic Berlusconi government, Prodi will try to promote a common European foreign policy and a credible European military capability. He will also seek more active European involvement in the Israel-Palestinian conflict.”

Iraq Is In The Midst Of Civil War…

… but very few want to admit it. At least, that is the assessment of many thousands of Iraqis who are fleeing the country. The Associated Press reported on April 21:

“Within Iraq, thousands are on the move as death threats drive them to neighborhoods where their sect has more strength, international and Iraqi officials say. Reprisal killings between Shiite and Sunni extremists have sharply increased… In addition, neighboring countries have seen greater numbers of Iraqis arriving, according to international officials… Most of those leaving have gone to Jordan and Syria, and some to Egypt… officials in Jordan say there are 250,000 Iraqis legally residing in the kingdom. Unofficial estimates put the number at 600,000, at least…

“Ban Istefan is one of them. Her Christian family was threatened in Iraq about a month ago and fled to Jordan. The 34-year-old biology lecturer… said both her Christian family and a next-door Sunni neighbor received letter threats saying, ‘The time has come for the infidels to be punished.’ Asked if Iraq was in the midst of civil war, Istefan said, ‘Of course … but no one wants to admit it.'”

Israel Preparing To Retake Gaza Strip?

The Associated Press reported on April 21 about some frightening prospects in Israel and the Middle East, which could set the whole world on fire. The report explained:

“In a growing barrage of Israeli pressure against Hamas, a senior military commander said Israel is actively preparing to reoccupy the Gaza Strip and a powerful lawmaker said the entire Palestinian Cabinet could be targeted for assassination after the appointment of a wanted militant to head a new security force. Officials said there were no immediate plans to strike at the Hamas-led government. But the comments reflected rising Israeli impatience with the Islamic militant group, which has refused to renounce violence, defended a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv this week and failed to halt militant rocket fire from the Gaza Strip… Israel withdrew from Gaza last summer, ending 38 years of military occupation. Since the pullout, militants have fired rockets into southern Israel on a nearly daily basis.”
The Telegraph reported on April 24, 2006: “Iran’s nuclear programme is the most serious threat faced by Jews since the Nazi holocaust, Israel’s defence minister [Shaul Mofaz] has said… [Calls] by Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, for Israel to be ‘wiped from the map’ have increased tensions between the two countries.”

Keep your eyes on the Middle East. It is there, as well as in Europe, where history will be made!

America’s Battle With Illegal Immigration

The Associated Press reported on April 25, 2006, that “President Bush had a blunt message Monday for fellow Republicans focusing only on get-tough immigration policies: He said sending all the nation’s estimated 11 million illegal immigrants back to their home countries is not the answer… With Congress coming back from a two-week spring recess to a long election-year to-do list and tensions flaring nationwide over immigration, Bush urged lawmakers to adopt a middle-ground policy. He called a Senate bill, which creates a way for illegal immigrants to work legally in the United States and for many to eventually become citizens, an ‘important approach.’… As for Bush’s comment on deportation, a Time magazine poll in January found 50 percent of the country favored deporting all illegal immigrants…

“Well aware that November elections could end GOP control of Congress, Bush is walking a fine line on the emotional immigration issue, between his party’s conservative base which wants a clampdown on illegal immigration and business leaders who believe the economy needs immigrants to fill jobs. All sides are exerting pressure. With armed citizen patrols popping up in border states, leaders in Arizona and New Mexico have pleaded for better policing of U.S. borders while other communities complain about the pressure that burgeoning immigrant populations are placing on local services. At the same time, tens of thousands of Hispanic and others – a potentially important voting bloc – have taken to streets across the country in the past few weeks to demand more immigration-friendly policies… The House has passed a law-and-order immigration bill that would erect fences along the Mexican border and treat people who sneak across as felons to be deported. An alternative Senate measure would set up a temporary guest worker program… but require all illegal immigrants to leave the United States before they could apply for the visas.”

Deadly Terror Attack in Egypt

The Associated Press reported on April 25 about the most recent deadly terror attack in Egypt, and the reaction of the international community. It was stated:

“Egyptian authorities, already struggling with elusive terror cells in the rugged Sinai Peninsula, moved quickly Tuesday–arresting 30 men in the triple bombings that ripped apart a resort town on a tranquil holiday evening. Radical Muslim groups moved just as rapidly to distance themselves from the Dahab attacks, which killed 24 people. The leader of Egypt’s banned Muslim brotherhood condemned them as ‘aggression on human souls created by God.’ The militant Palestinian Hamas organization called them a ‘criminal attack which is against all human values.’ Many frightened tourists fled Sinai coastal resorts where two previous bomb attacks–like the Dahab blasts–bore the hallmarks of al-Qaida-linked groups that appear to have a free hand to continue operations in the barren, backward and extremely rugged Sinai Peninsula.

“Egyptian authorities–despite massive sweeps by thousands of troops and hundreds of arrests after each previous Sinai attack–appeared increasingly frustrated by the ease with which terrorists continue to hit the country’s vital tourism industry. It brought in $6.4 billion in 2005 and is the top source of foreign exchange. ‘This incident is addressed to the whole of Egypt, there is no reason for it other than an attempt to destroy the economy of Egypt by attacking tourism,’ said Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif as he visited blast victims in a Sharm el-Sheik hospital. President Hosni Mubarak, who oversees an already-stagnant economy with unemployment rising in lockstep with the population explosion, called the attack a ‘sinful terrorist action.’… Arabs throughout the Middle East voiced outrage, signaling a growing backlash as fellow Muslims increasingly bear the brunt of terrorist attacks. Of the 24 dead in Dahab, 21 were Egyptians… All three Sinai bombings were timed to Egyptian national holidays when resorts were especially crowded with local tourists as well as foreigners who flock to the seaside towns, the world-renowned beaches and extraordinary reefs… The German Foreign Ministry said a 10-year-old German boy was among the dead.”

Exxon’s All-Time High Profit

Reuters stated the following on April 27, 2006: “Exxon Mobil Corp., the world’s largest publicly traded oil company, on Thursday reported quarterly profit surged, driven by rising oil prices. Net income in the first quarter was $8.4 billion, or $1.37 a share, up from $7.86 billion, or $1.22 a share, a year earlier. Revenue jumped to $88.98 billion from $82.05 billion. Crude oil prices have risen steadily from about $20 a barrel in 2002 to over $75 last week, handing oil and gas companies a long-running profit bonanza. But the fat profits have also angered U.S. drivers grappling with rising gasoline prices and provoked sharp criticism of Big Oil from lawmakers and consumer advocates.”

Our newest Standing Watch program, titled, “What Concerns Americans The Most?” addresses these and other problems which plague the United States.

It depends what is meant by that term. Also, we need to understand
that the Bible teaches a resurrection to immortal life and a
resurrection to a physical existence.

Regarding the resurrection
of those who died “in Christ,” that is, in whom God’s Holy Spirit
dwelled when they died, we read that they are resurrected with an
immortal SPIRITUAL body. God will raise them up to spiritual, immortal
and eternal life. God will not first resurrect their dead “physical
bodies” and then “change” them into spiritual bodies. Rather, God will
resurrect or raise the Christians with spiritual bodies, as the Bible
clearly indicates. We read the following, in 1 Corinthians 15:35-49,
about the “first” or “better” (Hebrews 11:35) resurrection to eternal
life:

“But someone will say, ‘How are the dead raised up? And
with what body do they come?’ Foolish one, what you sow is not made
alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do NOT SOW THAT BODY THAT
SHALL BE, but mere grain–perhaps wheat or some other grain. But God
GIVES IT A BODY as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. All flesh
is not the same flesh… there are also celestial bodies and
terrestrial bodies… There is one glory of the sun, another glory of
the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from
another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The
body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in
dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised
in power. It is sown a natural body, IT IS RAISED A SPIRITUAL BODY.
There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body… And as we
have borne the image of the man of dust (Adam), we shall also bear the
image of the heavenly Man (Jesus Christ).”

Paul tells us in the
above passage that the physical body which dies is NOT the same body
“that shall be.” Rather, God GIVES us a spiritual body “as He pleases.”
He does not resurrect our physical body and then change it into spirit.
In fact, Paul says that in the resurrection to eternal life, we will be
“absent from the [physical] body” (2 Corinthians 5:8). 2 Corinthians
5 further explains that God will give Christians a new kind of
body (verses 1-4). Only the bodies of those in Christ who are alive
when Christ returns will be changed into spirit, while the dead in
Christ will be RAISED INCORRUPTIBLE (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

When
we die in Christ, our bodies decay. The bodies of those who died in
Christ thousands of years ago have completely decayed. They became dust
and ashes, as God said that they would (Genesis 3:19). The only
exception was the resurrection to eternal life of Jesus Christ, who was
merely dead for three days and three nights, and whose physical body
did not decay, before He was resurrected to immortality (Acts 2:25-27).
When God the Father resurrected Jesus Christ, He changed His physical
body (which was still in the grave) into a spiritual body. That is why
Christ could later walk through closed doors, and why He could make
Himself visible and invisible, as He pleased. We should also note that
Christ, when He again became a Spirit being, which is invisible to the
human eye, could manifest Himself as a human being, even so much so
that He appeared to have flesh and bones (Luke 24:39-40). Of course, as
a Spirit being, He did not really have flesh and bone, but He was able
to manifest Himself in such a way. Jesus did speak of “a spirit” not
having flesh and bones as He did (verse 39). However, He was speaking
of demonic spirits not being able to manifest themselves in the flesh.
(Compare our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World,” pages
42-43). We have the example of Christ and two angels appearing as men
and eating a meal in the time of Abraham (Genesis 18:1-8). This example
shows that God (Christ in the Old Testament account) and faithful
angels could manifest themselves in the physical domain as men.

HOW
exactly, will God resurrect those who died in Christ? We know that God
gives every man a spirit which separates him from the animals (1
Corinthians 2:11). (For more information on the spirit in man, please
read our free booklet, “The Theory of Evolution–a Fairy Tale for
Adults?”, pages 19 -24). The spirit in man records all our thoughts and
retains all of our memories, as well as our general outward appearance.
We read that the spirit in man goes back to God when man dies. In
addition, a Christian receives in his life God’s Holy Spirit, which
will also return to God, together with the spirit in man, when the
Christian dies.

In his book, “The Incredible Human Potential,”
Herbert W. Armstrong explained the resurrection to eternal life in this
way (pages 91-92, hard cover):

“If one has received the Holy
Spirit, then in the Resurrection, God will provide a Spirit body,
formed and shaped by the Spirit mold. The resurrected being will be
composed of Spirit, not matter as the human model was… The body that
comes in the resurrection is not the same body that was flesh and blood
in the human lifetime… The flesh and blood physical body, after
death, decomposes and decays, but the spirit that was in that body,
like the sculptor’s mold, preserves all the form and shape, the memory,
and the character intact… After death, whether buried in the earth,
cremated, or what, the physical body returns to the earth. But the
spirit that was in the man, now having recorded everything–the body’s
form and shape, the facial identity, the memory and the
character–returns to God. It will be preserved unchanged. Such saints
as Abraham, Moses, David and Daniel died thousands of years ago… they
were composed of corruptible flesh and blood. All that was them (man is
composed wholly of matter) long since decomposed. ”

It is
through the spirit in man (combined with the Holy Spirit) that God will
raise Christians with immortal spiritual bodies. The Bible reveals that
the physical bodies of Christians will cease to exist in the first
resurrection. They will be given new bodies composed of spirit–no
longer susceptible to pain and suffering and no longer subject to death
and destruction!

The Bible also teaches that all those who did
NOT die “in Christ” will be resurrected AFTER the Millennium to be
given their chance to choose God’s Way of Life. This is commonly
referred to in the Bible as the “second resurrection.” But they will be
resurrected as physical beings, not as Spirit beings. When they are
raised from the dead, they will receive a new physical body–not a
spiritual body. But this does not mean that God will resurrect their
identical physical bodies, which they had when they died, and which
subsequently decayed in their graves–or which were obliterated in
atomic and nuclear blasts in Hiroshima, Nagasaki and in a nuclear war
still prophesied to come, or which became ashes during the Holocaust,
or which were cremated.

HOW, exactly, will God resurrect them?
God will not raise their physical bodies which had been decayed and
decomposed. Rather, He will resurrect them in the same way (albeit to
physical life) as He will raise those who died in Christ.

Herbert
W. Armstrong wrote the following in Mystery of the Ages, p. 127 (hard
cover), regarding the second resurrection to a physical, mortal
existence:

“At death, ‘then shall the dust return to the earth as
it was: and the spirit shall return to God who gave it’ (Eccl. 12:7).
The spirit is the depository of memory and character. The spirit is
like a mold. It retains even the human form and shape of the deceased,
so that in the resurrection TO JUDGMENT [that is, in the second
resurrection] those who have died shall look as they did in life,
retain whatever character they established in life, remember everything
that was stored in their memory. But in the meantime, in death, there
is no consciousness–they ‘know not any thing’ (Eccl. 9:5).”

When
those in the second resurrection are being given physical life, God is
not resurrecting their physical bodies, per se. (There are a few
Biblical examples of resurrections of physical bodies, for instance of
Lazarus, but in these cases, the physical bodies had not yet completely
decayed so that God could resurrect the bodies, by putting the spirit
of life back into them. Compare, too, Matthew 27:52. The resurrection
to a physical existence in Ezekiel 37, describing the “valley of dry
bones,” is of course a vision, and uses figurative terms, to describe a
resurrection to physical life. It cannot be used literally to teach a
resurrection of the same dead physical bodies. After all, in the
vision, the very dry bones speak, verse 11).

Insofar as the
second resurrection is concerned of those who died more than 1,000
years or even 7,000 years earlier, and whose bodies decayed or were
obliterated, God will be using their spirit in man (which returned to
God upon death) to create through it a new physical body for them. God
will give them a new flesh and blood physical body, as He pleases,
using the spirit in man as a “mold” which has retained even the outward
appearance of the person.

This is not to say that the persons
will be raised exactly to the same physical existence that they had
when they died. For instance, we don’t believe that a person who,
through an accident or a birth defect, had only one arm or one leg,
will be resurrected to exactly that identical state, but, in all
likelihood, with two arms and two legs. We find it reasonable to
conclude that blind persons will be raised with eyesight. An aborted
fetus will obviously not be resurrected as a fetus, but as a human
being who will be capable of living on his own. When Adam and Eve were
created, God did not create them as little children, but as grown
adults, perhaps in their early or mid-twenties, and He placed in them
the spirit in man, even though they were without any prior experience.

We
don’t know how, exactly, God will raise those in the second
resurrection. The Bible does not reveal whether a person who died at
age 90 will look like a 90-year old person in the second resurrection,
or whether he will look like the person that he was when he was in his
twenties. But it stands to reason that all will be resurrected to live
healthy lives for about one hundred years, which–as the Bible
indicates–is most likely the time allotted to them during the Great
White Throne Judgment period, prior to the creation of new heavens and
a new earth (compare Isaiah 65:17, 20, indicating that a “child”–that
is a Christian who is to become like a child–will live for one hundred
years, and that an unrepented “sinner,” being “one hundred years old,”
shall be “accursed”).

For more information on the second resurrection, please read our free booklets, “Do You Have an Immortal Soul?”, p.28, and “God’s Commanded Holy Days”, pp. 31-32, 53.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program
has been placed on the Web, titled, “Nuclear War Is Coming.” Another
program was recorded Thursday morning and will be on the Web soon. It
is titled, “What Concerns Americans the Most?”

Norbert Link left
for his trip to Oregon. He is scheduled to return Monday night, May 1,
with a stop-over of several hours in San Francisco. Please pray for Mr.
Link’s travel, as mass demonstrations at several U.S. ports have been
announced for May 1.

On April 22, 2006, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “All Knowledge.”

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.

By the time you read this editorial, the Spring Holy Days will have
past. During the Days of Unleavened Bread we will have portrayed, by
our actions, the need of putting sin out of our lives and of keeping
sin out. Yet, we find, even physically, that this is a very difficult
endeavor, indeed! It is not easy at all! And why is that? Because sin
is so deceitful that it often creeps into our lives when we least
expect it! And there it is!

Perhaps it was never in our thoughts
to commit a certain sin, which crept in as we committed an act which is
contrary to God’s Way of life. Yet, the sin appeared!

In the book
of Hebrews, we read the following, relative to this deceitful nature
which is found within man: “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of
you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but
exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you
be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12-13).

God
is showing to us here that with sin being deceitful, as it is, there is
a need for each of us even to exhort one another in this matter of our
overcoming in putting sin out of our lives. Never forget that we live
in a deceitful world, filled with deceitful people; and no wonder.
Satan is the great deceiver! His ministers come to deceive the very
elect! We must be ever alert to his devices!

We read in Psalm 5
that God abhors the deceitful man, one who speaks falsehood. We are
warned in the book of Ephesians to “…put off, concerning your former
conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful
lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on
the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and
true holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24).

This can only be achieved through the power of God the Father and Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, which is in us!

Paul
recognized this fact as he fought his own problems. We read of this
trial of Paul’s in the book of Romans, Chapter 7. He recognized the
power of sin in one’s life:

“For we know that the law is
spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do
not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what
I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with
the law that it is good” (Romans 7:14-16).

Yes, Paul saw that the
law, which defines sin, was good; but he also saw that at times he
continued to walk contrary to that good law. It just happened in his
life, because of his own weaknesses.

“But now, it is no longer I
who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is,
in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but
how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to
do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice”
(Romans 7:17-19).

This was a great dilemma for Paul, as we all can understand, having come through the same type experience.

“Now
if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin
that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the
one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to
the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against
the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin
which is in my members” (Romans 7:20-23).

In verse 24, Paul shows
that he has come to understand that it is only by the power of God the
Father and Jesus Christ (through the Holy Spirit, which emanates from
God the Father and the Son) that he would ever be able to truly serve
God and to live a life of righteousness, which was his desire!

That
is also our desire, brethren, who have been called to the Way of
Righteousness. And it is through that same power that we will be able
to achieve our desire! As Christ said on numerous occasions, all things
are possible with our God. Never give in to the deceitfulness of this
world, and always keep this hope before you, with continual faith in
our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Iran’s True Intentions?

In a highly revealing article by Amir Taheri, a former Executive Editor of Kayhan, Iran’s largest daily newspaper, who now lives in Europe, The Telegraph in Great Britain stated the following on April 16:

“Last Monday, just before he announced that Iran had gatecrashed ‘the nuclear club’, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad disappeared for several hours. He was having a khalvat (tête-à-tête) with the Hidden Imam, the 12th and last of the [Imams] of Shiism who went into ‘grand occultation’ in 941. According to Shia lore, the Imam is a messianic figure who, although in hiding, remains the true Sovereign of the World. In every generation, the Imam chooses 36 men, (and, for obvious reasons, no women) naming them the owtad or ‘nails’, whose presence, hammered into mankind’s existence, prevents the universe from ‘falling off’. Although the ‘nails’ are not known to common mortals, it is, at times, possible to identify one thanks to his deeds. It is on that basis that some of Ahmadinejad’s more passionate admirers insist that he is a ‘nail’, a claim he has not discouraged. For example, he has claimed that last September, as he addressed the United Nations’ General Assembly in New York, the ‘Hidden Imam drenched the place in a sweet light’. Last year, it was after another khalvat that Ahmadinejad announced his intention to stand for president. Now, he boasts that the Imam gave him the presidency for a single task: provoking a ‘clash of civilisations’ in which the Muslim world, led by Iran, takes on the ‘infidel’ West, led by the United States, and defeats it in a slow but prolonged contest that, in military jargon, sounds like a low intensity, asymmetrical war.

“In Ahmadinejad’s analysis, the rising Islamic ‘superpower’ has decisive advantages over the infidel. Islam has four times as many young men of fighting age as the West, with its ageing populations. Hundreds of millions of Muslim ‘ghazis’ (holy raiders) are keen to become martyrs while the infidel youths, loving life and fearing death, hate to fight. Islam also has four-fifths of the world’s oil reserves, and so controls the lifeblood of the infidel. More importantly, the US, the only infidel power still capable of fighting, is hated by most other nations. According to this analysis, spelled out in commentaries by Ahmadinejad’s strategic guru, Hassan Abassi, known as the ‘Dr Kissinger of Islam’, President George W Bush is an aberration, an exception to a rule under which all American presidents since Truman, when faced with serious setbacks abroad, have ‘run away’. Iran’s current strategy, therefore, is to wait Bush out. And that, by ‘divine coincidence’, corresponds to the time Iran needs to develop its nuclear arsenal, thus matching the only advantage that the infidel enjoys.”

The article continued:

“While Bush is determined to create a Middle East that is democratic and pro-Western, Ahmadinejad is equally determined that the region should remain Islamic but pro-Iranian. Iran is now the strongest presence in Afghanistan and Iraq, after the US. It has turned Syria and Lebanon into its outer defences, which means that, for the first time since the 7th century, Iran is militarily present on the coast of the Mediterranean. In a massive political jamboree in Teheran last week, Ahmadinejad also assumed control of the ‘Jerusalem Cause’, which includes annihilating Israel ‘in one storm’, while launching a take-over bid for the cash-starved Hamas government in the West Bank and Gaza. Ahmadinejad has also reactivated Iran’s network of Shia organisations in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Yemen, while resuming contact with Sunni fundamentalist groups in Turkey, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco. From childhood, Shia boys are told to cultivate two qualities. The first is entezar, the capacity patiently to wait for the Imam to return. The second is taajil, the actions needed to hasten the return. For the Imam’s return will coincide with an apocalyptic battle between the forces of evil and righteousness, with evil ultimately routed. If the infidel loses its nuclear advantage, it could be worn down in a long, low-intensity war at the end of which surrender to Islam would appear the least bad of options. And that could be a signal for the Imam to reappear. At the same time, not to forget the task of hastening the Mahdi’s second coming, Ahamdinejad will pursue his provocations.”

One Year of New Papacy

Der Spiegel Online reported on April 18, 2006, about the first year of Benedict XVI’s rule as Pope. The article was titled, “Ratzinger’s Quiet Non-Revolution.” It introduced the article as follows: “A year into his papacy and the radical shift many had expected when Pope Benedict XVI  [formerly known as Cardinal Ratzinger] became pope last spring has yet to arrive. Instead, he has chosen discretion.”

Still, the article portrays the Pope as an extremely intelligent and talented man with a vision and an agenda. It speculates that no liberal reforms can be expected under his rule; that he wants to increase the influence of the Catholic Church in Europe, the Middle East, Russia and China, by somewhat downplaying the Roman Catholic’s position that the Pope is understood to be the “father of princes and kings, ruler of the world and representative of Christ on earth”; and that his goal is to leave behind a “dogmatically and organizationally strengthened Vatican” for his successor.

The article pointed out:

“It’s difficult to love a German pope, but the Romans like him… Ever since April 19, 2005, the date of Pope Benedict’s election, Ratzinger has been treated in the curia — often something of a hotbed of intrigue — with distanced and amazed admiration, says [Notker] Wolf [an Abbot Primate of the Order of St. Benedict]. It’s a demeanor that Italians often reserve for Germans, but it shouldn’t be confused with affection… Since February, he says, things have begun speeding up. The reform of the curia has been decided. The encyclical has been published, and one and a half million copies have already been sold. The number of members of the papal council was reduced, a high-ranking member of the curia was sent to Egypt as Nuntius, and 15 new cardinals were appointed, including — to the horror of the papal bureaucracy — only three veterans from the curia. ‘Reform,’ says Ratzinger, ‘consists in the removal of the unnecessary.’…

“Benedict wanted the ‘tiara’ — the triple-layer papal crown in the coat of arms — replaced by a mitre, the headwear worn by bishops… It’s a heraldic shift that points to an agenda. The three rings of the tiara originally represented the pope’s universal claim to power, as ‘father of princes and kings, ruler of the world and representative of Christ on earth.’ Benedict wanted it one size smaller, as a sign of good will toward the Orthodox Church. Indeed, this pope seems to be seeking out dialogue with the East. As an icebreaker, he sent Cardinal Walter Kasper — who is not only head of the papal committee responsible for relations with Judaism, but who also helps look after the Church in the Orient — to Moscow as his personal representative…

The article continued that “omens and miracles are daily bread in the Catholic realm. March 24, the day that chief herald Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo was elevated to cardinal by Ratzinger, a former member of the Hitler Youth, was also the anniversary of a massacre in the Ardeatine Caves, in which the SS murdered Corderos’s father after days of horrific torture. A coincidence? Not likely… [The cardinals] believed that no one but a professor from the land of Martin Luther could be trusted to focus attention on the church once again in a Europe of transcendental illiteracy… Pope Benedict XVI writes and writes and writes. Letters, sermons, speeches, circulars and books. He is already the most-published pope in church history. This supreme shepherd is even capable of inserting a fundamental theological thought into the accreditation of the ambassador of Andorra… He writes all of his major sermons himself, and he completely rewrites prewritten speeches in his tiny academic handwriting, dubbed ‘picture books’ by his office staff… It’s no secret that Ratzinger regrets the disappearance of Latin from the mass, and that the mere thought of guitars being played in the church gives him hives… He wants to leave a dogmatically and organizationally strengthened Vatican for his successor, as long as he has enough time left to achieve his goals. In other words, anyone still hoping for a papal shift on issues such as contraception, ordination of women or granting Holy Communion to those who have been remarried will have to wait for Ratzinger’s successors.”

What does the future hold for the Catholic Church? And how will it effect the rest of the world? Please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

President Bush and the Catholic Church

Zenit reported on April 7, 2006, that “President George Bush spoke on the [Catholic] Church’s contribution to freedom, defending life, and immigration in his address to the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in the U.S. capital. The Catholic Church, the president said today, ‘offers a vision of human freedom and dignity rooted in the same self-evident truths of America’s founding. This morning we ask God to guide us as we work together to live up to these timeless truths,’ he added. ‘Freedom is a gift from the Almighty,’ continued Bush, ‘and the Catholic Church and its institutions play a vital role in helping our citizens acquire the character we need to live as free people.’ Bush also recalled the role of Pope John Paul II in fighting for freedom in Europe… ‘Like his predecessor,’ continued Bush, ‘Benedict XVI understands that the measure of a free society is how it treats the weakest and most vulnerable among us.’ The president also expressed gratitude for the ‘leading role that the Catholic faith-based organizations play in our nation’s armies of compassion,’ especially for their work to welcome newcomers to the country. Bush then commented on immigration: ‘An immigration system that forces people into the shadows of our society, or leaves them prey to criminals is a system that needs to be changed.'”

More Murder in Israel

On April 18, 2006, Der Spiegel Online reported about the most recent suicide attack in Israel; Hamas’ approval of the same; and the reaction of the German press. It was stated:

“One day after a Palestinian suicide bomber killed nine people in front of a Tel Aviv fast-food restaurant during the Jewish holiday of Passover on Monday, the prospects for peace in the Middle East look bleaker than ever. It was the deadliest bombing in over a year and the first since the radical Islamic group Hamas took over the Palestinian government after elections in January. But instead of condemning the attack, a representative of Hamas said it was a legitimate response to Israeli ‘aggression.’ The comment has sparked outrage in Israel and throughout the international community… The escalation comes as a number of major international donors have cut their financial aid for the Palestinian Authority. The refusal to condemn the latest suicide bombing will certainly make it unlikely that many will resume supporting the cash-strapped Palestinians. But there is a risk that Hamas will turn towards Iran — which backs Islamic Jihad and recently pledged $50 million in aid to the Palestinians…

“[Most German] commentators… consider the group [Hamas] to have now put itself beyond the pale, boding ill for the Middle East. The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung believes that the latest tragic events in the region make clear that the Palestinian Authority is being led by a terror group… The conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung [states that the] Palestinian territories appear more likely to descend into chaos — with all the side-effects for Israel… The centrist Berlin daily Der Tagesspiegel focuses on Iran’s dangerous influence in the region… [It suggests that] Europe should… keep its nerve and stick to its demand for the recognition of Israel. Anything else would be unthinkable to ask of Europe’s taxpayers.”

On April 14, Iran’s highly controversial leader had stated that “Israel was heading toward annihilation,” according to a press release of The Associated Press. He added that the “Zionist regime will be eliminated by one storm.” On April 16, according to CNN, “Former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres responded to threats made by Iran’s president against Israel, saying Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ‘will end up in the same way as [Saddam] Hussein… Ahmadinejad represents Satan, not God,’ said Peres, who shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize with the late Palestinian and Israeli leaders, Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin… Peres, a leading figure in Israel’s ruling Kadima Party, previously has called Iran ‘the greatest danger’ to the world and urged the international community to stop the Islamic republic from acquiring a nuclear weapon.”

Israel and the entire Middle East will be facing more and more violence in the years to come. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

Record Flooding in Southeast Europe

Der Spiegel Online reported on April 18 about yet another “unprecedented century flood” in Southeast Europe, stating: “Record flooding along the Danube River continued to wreak havoc with residents of southeastern Europe on Tuesday, disrupting ports, destroying farmlands and sending people fleeing from their homes across the Balkans. The flooding continued after a weekend which saw the Danube rise to its highest level in 111 years, forcing the emergency evacuation of thousands in Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria as the waters breached dams along the fabled river. Heavy rain and melting snow from Central Europe has contributed to record water levels along Europe’s second-longest river, where the water volume is double what it was at this time a year ago… For the people of Romania, the floods have evoked painful memories of deadly flash floods that hit the country last year. Those floods killed 74 people and caused €1.5 billion in damage.”

Another Blow to U.S. Reputation?

AFP reported on April 16 about another potentially devastating development regarding the reputation–or the lack thereof–of the United States in the rest of the world, especially in Europe and the Middle East. According to news reports, the USA had been planning to invade Iran before the invasion of Iraq–and before the election of Iran’s current radical leader.

The report stated:

“The United States began planning a full-scale military campaign against Iran that involves missile strikes, a land invasion and a naval operation to establish control over the Strait of Hormuz even before the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, a former US intelligence analyst disclosed. William Arkin, who served as the US Army’s top intelligence mind on West Berlin in the 1970s and accurately predicted US military operations against Iraq, said the plan is known in military circles as TIRANNT, an acronym for ‘Theater Iran Near Term.’ It includes a scenario for a land invasion led by the US Marine Corps, a detailed analysis of the Iranian missile force and a global strike plan against any Iranian weapons of mass destruction, Arkin wrote in The Washington Post. US and British planners have already conducted a Caspian Sea war game as part of these preparations, the scholar said… preparations under TIRANNT began in earnest in May 2003 and never stopped, he said. The plan has since been updated using information collected in Iraq…

“The US military has been involved in contingency planning against Iran since at least the presidency of Jimmy Carter, who undertook a failed commando operation to rescue US hostages in Tehran in 1980. Following the 1996 bombing of an apartment building used by the US Air Force in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, which was reportedly traced to Iranian agents, the administration of then-president Bill Clinton considered a bombing campaign, according to Richard Clarke and Steven Simon, who held at the time high-level counterterrorism positions at the National Security Council. ‘But after long debate, the highest levels of the military could not forecast a way in which things would end favorably for the United States,’ the two experts wrote in Sunday’s New York Times. They warned Iran could retaliate against the United States by using its terrorist networks ‘that are far superior to anything Al-Qaeda was ever able to field.'”

The United States of America will be facing more and more political isolation from the rest of the world. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Blair vs. Bush?

 According to an article in the Scotsman of April 16, 2006, “Tony Blair has told George Bush that Britain cannot offer military support to any strike on Iran, regardless of whether the move wins the backing of the international community… Amid increasing tension over Tehran’s attempts to develop a military nuclear capacity, the Prime Minister has laid bare the limits of his support for President Bush, who is believed to be considering an assault on Iran… While the sense of crisis over Iran has been escalated by the fiery rhetoric between Tehran and the West–particularly Washington–many within the British government are now convinced that the impasse can be resolved by repeating the same sort of painstaking diplomatic activity that returned Libya to the international fold. However… [U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza] Rice reiterated that President Bush has not taken any option off the table, including a military response, if Iran fails to comply with the demands of the international community.”

No More “Islamic Terrorism”?

The EUobserver reported on April 13, 2006, that “The EU is working on a public communication lexicon which blacklists the term ‘Islamic terrorism.’ The ‘non-emotive lexicon for discussing radicalisation’ should be submitted to EU leaders who will meet in June, according to press reports. EU officials drafting the guidelines hope that the European Commission and the European Parliament will also endorse the linguistic code of conduct, which will be non-binding. ‘Certainly “Islamic terrorism” is something we will not use … we talk about “terrorists who abusively invoke Islam”,’ an EU official told Reuters.The aim of the guidelines is to avoid the use of words that could unnecessarily offend Muslims and spark radicalisation. ‘Jihad’ is another term under review…'”

Persecution of Christians in Turkey

On April 12, 2006, Der Spiegel Online reported about ongoing persecutions of Christians in Turkey. The magazine stated:

“Christians are a vanishing minority in predominately Muslim Turkey. The murder of a [Catholic] priest in February shows that the situation has become precarious — both for Catholics and for Turkey’s EU bid… Christians are a tiny, tolerated minority in Turkey, a country which is 99 percent Muslim, and [a] Catholic priest even advises the members of his congregation not to wear any visible symbols of their faith, such as a cross dangling on the outside of a blouse or shirt… There are many churches and monasteries dating from centuries of Byzantine Christian rule, although most have since been converted into mosques. During the great population exchange between Turkey and Greece in 1923, almost 1.5 million Orthodox Christians were expelled from Asia Minor and replaced by 356,000 Muslims from Greece. As a result of the mass murder and expulsion of the Armenians in World War I, the country had already lost almost a million Christians. The result was an almost entirely Muslim state.

“Turkey is still home to about 100,000 Christians. Their status is one of the barometers being used to determine Turkey’s suitability for European Union membership, making the murder of Father Santoro especially inconvenient for the administration in Ankara, which is rooted in Islam but is doing its utmost to portray Turkey as tolerant and liberal-minded… Turkey’s Christian minorities had hoped that reforms introduced by the administration of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan — as part of its effort to gain EU membership — would not just lead to a few improvements, but to complete religious freedom. Although Christians are permitted to practice their faith freely, in many cases their churches have practically no rights and often have no claim to the property they stand on… ‘The basic level of anti-Christian sentiment has increased,’ says Felix Körner, a German Jesuit whom the Vatican sent to Ankara to encourage a Christian-Islamic dialogue. Turkey’s efforts to enter the EU have triggered nationalist counter-reactions, says Körner. ‘Even in educated circles, people are saying that Turkish unity and national sovereignty are in danger.'”

Even though the Bible foretells that Turkey–which is Biblical “Edom”– will cooperate with Europe, it appears unlikely, because of Turkey’s religion and heritage, that Turkey will become a full member of the EU.

Immigration Problems in the USA

Der Spiegel Online reported on April 12 about the growing problems which the US government is facing regarding its immigration policies. The magazine paints an interesting picture which is reminiscent of Germany’s past and present immigration situation, and which is sometimes overlooked in the USA:

   “The marches prove that immigrants are not alone. They have families — and they’re woven into America too deeply to tear out. The crowds parading up the streets of America on Monday, and for the last two weeks, have been telling us with their bodies, if not always in English, that illegal immigrants are not alone in the United States of America. Indeed, illegal immigrants, who were supposed to live a shadowy existence, belong to neighborhoods and to church congregations that were willing to stand alongside them. And most important: Many millions of illegal immigrants have U.S. relatives, sons and daughters, in-laws, cousins, grandchildren. That family tie is the lesson of these parades. In Houston and Boston, in Phoenix and in San Jose, Calif., what we saw were not exactly ‘protests,’ nor were they political demonstrations, primarily. We were seeing huge family gatherings, celebrations of the clan… In generations past, for example during the Depression,… there were mass deportations. Send the Mexicans back! But now, how do you deport so many millions who belong to even more millions?…

“The giant was sleeping in Phoenix and Chicago and throughout North Carolina. And the Democrats were just as happy to leave the snoring undisturbed, because of the unhappiness of trade unionists and of the complaints of African-Americans against illegal migrant workers who undercharge America for their labor, then work with third-world fury. Some Republicans, including the president, saw signs of the giant stirring. George Bush is the first American president to speak Spanish and to run a reelection ad in which he is pictured waving a Mexican flag… But then there is the Republican Party of Pat Buchanan and Tom Tancredo — a party that now mixes hysteria with patriotism and wars against any notion that America exists within the Americas… No other children in America hear what the children of illegal immigrants now regularly hear on angry-white-guy talk radio… From the Congress came daily calls for a vast new Wall of China, mass deportations. And a litany of complaints: Illegal immigrants take, take, take from America. They pose a burden, a drag on the country; they are welfare cheats, criminals, drug dealers, thieves. No one in public mentioned to their children what their parents and grandparents have done for America for over a century — and at what a cheap price.”

The Bible contains many warnings against mistreating our strangers, fatherless and widows. A country which engages in such unbiblical conduct cannot count on God’s blessings.

Global Warming–It’s Real!

The New York Daily News reported on April 17, 2006, about a surprisingly effective and scary movie, which was produced by Al Gore, about the real and devastating effect of Global Warming. The article explained:

“… you will be captivated, then riveted and then scared out of your wits. Our Earth is going to hell in a handbasket. You will see the Arctic and Antarctic icecaps melting. You will see Greenland oozing into the sea. You will see the atmosphere polluted with greenhouse gases that block heat from escaping. You will see photos from space of what the icecaps looked like once and what they look like now, and, in animation, you will see how high the oceans might rise. Shanghai and Calcutta swamped. Much of Florida, too. The water takes a hunk of New York. The fuss about what to do with Ground Zero will turn to naught. It will be under water. ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ is a cinematic version of the [free] lecture that Gore has given for years warning of the dangers of global warming. The case Gore makes is worthy of sleepless nights: Our Earth is in extremis. It’s not just that polar bears are drowning because they cannot reach receding ice floes or that ‘The Snows of Kilimanjaro’ will exist someday only as a Hemingway short story. It’s rather that Hurricane Katrina is not past, but prologue. Katrina produced several hundred thousand evacuees. The flooding of Calcutta would produce many millions [of evacuees]… the film leave(s) no doubt of the peril we face.”

Babylon Being Rebuilt?

The Belfast Telegraph reported on April 17 about Babylon’s recent destruction through the American and Polish troops and its possible restoration under German leadership: 

“For more than a millennium, Babylon was one of the great cities of antiquity. It reached its greatest glory in the early 6th century BC, as the capital of Nebuchadnezzar…, builder of the celebrated Hanging Gardens. Babylon declined and fell into ruin after it was conquered by the Persians under Cyrus the Great in around 538 BC. But no devastation seems to have matched that inflicted by US troops and their Polish allies after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein… after entering Babylon in April 2003, coalition forces turned the site into a base camp, flattening and compressing tracts of ruins as they built a helicopter pad and fuel stations. The soldiers filled sandbags with archeological fragments and dug trenches through unexcavated areas, while tanks crushed slabs of original 2,600-year-old paving… After US and Polish troops left in 2004, the first restoration plans for Babylon were drawn up. Last November Unesco, the United Nations’ cultural and scientific organisation, said it would be carrying out some initial repair work, and setting up a photographic registry of the site. The work, in which France, Britain, Poland, the US, Iraq, Japan, Italy and the Netherlands are also involved, is being co-ordinated by the German Archaeological Institute, under the direction of the Iraqi authorities and Unesco.”

To answer this question, we need to describe the historical background briefly.

As we pointed out in the Q&A of Update #137, dated April 2, 2004, the Bible distinguishes between the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread. Both are annual Feast days, to be kept once a year. The Passover is to be observed at the beginning of the 14th day of the first month (which month is called Abib or Nisan), according to the Hebrew calendar (Leviticus 23:5; Numbers 28:16). The First Day of Unleavened Bread is to be observed at the beginning of the 15th day of the first month, according to the Hebrew calendar (Leviticus 23:6; Numbers 28:17). It was during the Passover night–the night of the 14th day–that the death angel passed over the Israelites who were in their houses (hence the name, “Passover,”), while killing the firstborn of Egypt (Exodus 12:6-13). But it was on the 15th day–“on the day AFTER the Passover”; that is, one entire day LATER–that the Israelites went out of Egypt, and it is on THAT day (at the beginning of the 15th day of the first month) that we are to celebrate the Night To Be Much Observed (Exodus 12:42; Numbers 33:3). (Remember that according to the Hebrew calendar, days start and end with sunset.)

Today’s Jewish community is totally confused about this distinction. In fact, they keep the PASSOVER at the END of the 14th and in the beginning of the 15th day, TOGETHER WITH the Night to Be Much Observed, as if the two distinct events were one and the same. But this is not according to Scripture. As stated, Scripture commands that we partake of the Passover at the BEGINNING of the 14th day, while observing the Night to be Much Observed at the beginning of the 15th day–one entire day LATER! God said that at the END of the 14th day (or in the beginning of the 15th day), we are to eat unleavened bread until the END of the 21st day–that is, for seven days (Exodus 12:18).

As the Passover is to be kept one day before the Seven Days of Unleavened Bread, why do we teach that the New Testament Passover symbol of the bread has to be unleavened? For instance, many Christian organizations allow for leavened bread during their “communion”–which they also observe more than once a year, which is another clear violation of Scripture.

Some point out that in New Testament times, the Passover was sometimes included in the Feast of Unleavened Bread, but then the entire time was counted as lasting eight days, not just seven days. One of the reasons why the day of Passover was included as an “unleavened” day was that the Jews, when leaving their homes to go to Jerusalem, had to remove all leaven from their homes, before they left (Exodus 12:19). But this would not compel us to abstain from eating leavened bread, per se, during the day of Passover. Just based on Scripture, there is NO COMMAND for us today to remove all leaven from our houses before the first day of Unleavened Bread. Scripture only requires that all leaven must be removed, at the latest, DURING the Passover DAY, so that no leaven is to be seen in our houses for seven days, BEGINNING with the First Day of Unleavened Bread.

Still, the Church teaches that we must use unleavened bread, when partaking of the SYMBOLS of bread and wine during Passover. Why?

There is both a spiritual and a literal reason for this command:

From a spiritual standpoint, leaven, during the Passover season, is symbolic of sin (1 Corinthians 5:6-8; Matthew 16:12; Luke 12:1-2), and Christ was sinless (Hebrews 4:15). To use leavened bread as a New Testament symbol for His broken body would not convey the spiritual significance of His sinless life. The same would be true for the practice of some Christian churches, which, during their weekly “communions,” don’t partake of wine at all–maybe only the ministering priest does–or they partake of white wine. However, in order to stay with the symbolic meaning of the wine, as representing Christ’s blood, the wine needs to be red; it needs to be received by baptized Church members during the Passover night; and in that religious setting, it must only be partaken of ONCE a year, and NOT more often than that. After all, Christ did not change the Passover, which is an annual celebration–He only changed the SYMBOLS to partake of DURING the annual Passover celebration.

In addition, the Bible specifically prohibited the Israelites in the Old Testament to eat leavened bread together with the Passover meal. This proves that there was no leavened bread available during the Passover MEAL (as distinguished from the rest of the Passover day). As Christ and His disciples partook of the regular Passover meal that night (Luke 22:14-16), Christ would not have had available leavened bread, when He introduced the New Testament symbols during the Passover meal (Matthew 26:26-28). This can clearly be seen, when analyzing the Scriptures of Exodus 12:8 and Deuteronomy 16:1-3:

In Exodus 12:8, God told the Israelites that they had to eat the Passover lamb (verses 3, 6) with “unleavened bread.” In Deuteronomy 16:3, God commands that “no leavened bread” shall be eaten “with it”–that is, with the Passover lamb compare verse 2). The rendition of the New King James Bible is confusing here, as they insert a paragraph between verses 2 and 3, and translate the passage as follows: “(2) Therefore you shall sacrifice the Passover to the LORD your God, from the flock and the herd, in the place where the LORD chooses to put His name. (3) You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it, that is, the bread of affliction…”

However, the insertions of these paragraphs are arbitrary, as they cannot be found in the original. Notice how the Tanakh (The Jewish Bible) translates this passage, without placing a paragraph between verses 2 and 3: “(2)You shall slaughter the passover sacrifice for the LORD your God, from the flock and the herd, in the place where the LORD will choose to establish His name. (3) You shall not eat anything leavened with it; for seven days thereafter (Lit. “upon it”) you shall eat unleavened bread…” This rendition makes it very clear that nothing leavened was to be eaten with the Passover lamb; and that nothing leavened was to be eaten during the seven days of unleavened bread, following the day of Passover. This proves that the bread which Christ gave His disciples during the Passover meal was UNLEAVENED, based on the INSTRUCTIONS in God’s Word. In following Christ’s example and the godly commandment, we, too, must partake of unleavened bread and red wine during the annual Passover service.

Lead Writers: Norbert Link and Dave Harris

Robb and Laura Harris wish to announce the forthcoming birth of
their second child–due in December! Robb, Laura and their son, Caymus,
live in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Norbert Link will be visiting
the church in Oregon by the end of April. He is scheduled to leave
Thursday morning, April 27, and to return Monday night, May 1, with
stop-overs of several hours in San Francisco. Please pray for Mr.
Link’s travel, as mass demonstrations at several U.S. ports have been
announced for May 1.

Our new booklet, “The Mysteries of the
Bible,” has been completed and sent to our printer in England. The
booklet has been posted on the Web.

Please continue to pray for
our public Bible lecture in Fort Collins, Colorado, during the evening
of May 21, 2006. This presentation, by Norbert Link, will be held at
the Hilton Fort Collins Facility, and will be based on our new booklet,
“The Mysteries of the Bible.” Please pray that the printed booklets
will arrive in time for the lecture.

As recently announced, we have been placing most of our StandingWatch programs on “Video Google.”

The
most watched programs have been, so far: “Ghost of Departed Ones?”,
“What Is Happening in Germany?”, “The Pope Is Dead–What Is Next?”,
“Afghanistan’s Radical Islam,” “What Is the Church?” “Germany in
Prophecy” and “Europe and the Middle East.”

The most watched
programs during the week ending April 15 were: “Afghanistan’s Radical
Islam,” “The Pope Is Dead–What Is Next?”, “Evolution or the Bible?”,
“Da Vinci, Judas and a Fish,” and “Ghosts of Departed Ones?”

by Kalon Mitchell

How many times do we, as humans, limit God?
How many times do we think that, maybe, God would help us in a certain
situation, but yet still don’t ask Him about it? Throughout my short
time before becoming baptized, and even sometimes afterwards, I have
limited God and gone and done what I thought best, or just didn’t get
an answer. But yet each time I have put my full faith, confidence and
trust in God, He has answered me in amazing ways that I hadn’t thought
of or even imagined to be possible.

God tells us throughout the
Bible that He will take care of us in every way if we put our faith and
confidence in Him and ask Him for help. So the question I have for us
is simply this: Are we limiting God? The problem is: We are human. We
have sometimes an attitude of thinking that we know it all, and that we
don’t require any help. Some may feel that they know everything! But
yet God requires of us to become meek, humble and obedient.

So
let us all, in the following days, weeks, months and years, come before
our Creator with humility, and let us lay our problems, hopes and
dreams before Him, asking Him for His help and guidance.