On November 26, 2005, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Who Is Your Lord?”

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.

Prioritizing things in our lives is a vital key to meaningful accomplishment. We organize our actions with the goal of putting first things first!

God shows us that we must place Him first in our lives: “‘ You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength'” (Deuteronomy 6:5). In quoting this part of God’s Word, Jesus taught that, “‘This is the first and great commandment'” (Matthew 22:38). Also, in Deuteronomy 5, verse 7, God states: “‘You shall have no other gods before Me.'”

For mankind, the first priority is, and should be, to yield to and obey their Creator. Obviously, this is not being done–nor has it been the precedence for most people since the time God first placed humans on the earth.

For those who believe God, a starting point–a first step–is to make the right choice. Here is God’s ringing declaration to each one of us: “‘I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live'” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

Having been called, we who have repented, who have been baptized and who have remained faithful, have shown our willingness to put God first. We have chosen life. We are following what Jesus taught us to do: “‘But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you'” (Matthew 6:33).

This statement from Jesus was the culmination of a point He was making concerning the other things that might tend to overwhelm us and crowd out our first priority. Furthermore, Jesus draws this comparison: “‘For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?'” (Luke 9:25).

Putting God first in our own lives is a choice we have made. Now, we must stay true to our decision, and if we do, God has promised to grant us eternal life with Him and His Son in their everlasting Kingdom. For us, that goal must take priority! It is a matter of putting first things first–in fact, finishing what we have begun is truly an issue of life and death.

Peter addressed this: “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble” (2 Peter 1:10).

Make this goal that God has established for us a priority–indeed, in our continued obedience to God, make it the most important thing!

Merkel New German Chancellor

On Tuesday, November 22, 2005, East German Angela Merkel was elected and sworn in as the first German female chancellor. The national and international reactions were mixed:

AFP (“Agence France Presse”) reported: “Angela Merkel made history when she was elected German chancellor, becoming the first woman, the first from the former communist east and the youngest person to lead Europe’s biggest economy. She received an overwhelming majority — 397 of the 611 valid ballots — in a vote in the Bundestag lower house of parliament.” The paper described Merkel, a trained physician, as the “self-effacing pastor’s daughter who lacks the charisma and occasional flamboyance of her predecessor Schroeder… She has undergone an astounding transformation since serving in the cabinet of her mentor Helmut Kohl, who gave her the affectionate but condescending nickname ‘the girl’ [‘das Maedchen’]. Merkel rocketed to the top of the party in 2000 after publicly calling for Kohl’s ouster — a brazen move that made her several powerful enemies.”

The Associated Press added:

“Angela Merkel was elected Tuesday as Germany’s first female chancellor, taking power at the helm of an unwieldy alliance of the right and left that now officially has the job of turning around Europe’s biggest economy… Merkel will need all the help she can get as her government, made up of politicians who until a few weeks ago were partisan opponents, tackles chronically high unemployment, currently at 11 percent, and lagging economic growth.”

Der Spiegel Online published the following insightful comments:

“Angela Merkel made history on Tuesday, as the German parliament elected her as the country’s first-ever female chancellor. But she will need plenty of determination and a healthy dose of passion if she is to make her government a success… On paper, Germany’s two largest political camps will have a commanding majority in the lower house, the Bundestag. But Tuesday’s vote tells another story. Merkel received 397 votes — 51 fewer than what CDU/CSU and SPD have in total. Granted, that far surpasses the parliamentary working majority of 308, but it could augur ill for Merkel’s efforts to pursue tough yet necessary reforms in the future… Unlike her congenial predecessor Gerhard Schröder, she finds it difficult to connect to people… The response to her proposed program of tax hikes and spending cuts has been muted, to say the least. And unless she can convince her fellow Germans that such sacrifices will lead the country to better days, there is the real danger the steps the government is considering could do as much harm as good.

“Anyone who has spent time in Germany recently is aware the country is deeply mired in a CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE. Germans are almost pathologically PESSIMISTIC about their future prospects and they frequently UNDERESTIMATE THE GROWTH POTENTIAL of the world’s third-largest economy.”

AFP reported on November 23, 2005, about Merkel’s first official visit with a foreign government since her appointment as German chancellor:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel took her bow on the international stage in Paris where she and President Jacques Chirac underscored the Franco-German alliance at the heart of the European Union. Merkel, who took office Tuesday, made France her first foreign destination as leader of Europe’s biggest economy in a gesture seen as affirmation of the strength of their partnership. ‘This is not about ritual, it is about a deep conviction that a strong relationship between Germany and France is both necessary and beneficial for Europe,’ Merkel [said]… Chirac said the two nations were united in their wish for ‘a political and social Europe’ and that ‘a truly strong Franco-German axis’ was necessary for the 25-member European Union. Calling their countries’ reconciliation following World War II a ‘miracle’ of history, Merkel said the ‘relationship must be nurtured, must continue to develop, must remain full of life.’… ‘I believe the challenges of globalisation force us to act together in Europe: Germany and France, with their notions about the social market economy, about globalisation, should be driving forces, ‘she said… In Paris, she stressed that France and Germany had a ‘shared duty’ to help development of the new EU states of central and eastern Europe… Merkel said she wished to keep up the rhythm of Franco-German meetings developed under her Social Democrat predecessor, Gerhard Schroeder, and invited Chirac to visit Berlin in early December.”

Farewell to Schroeder

On November 13, 2005, The LA Times published a piece on Gerhard Schroeder, former German chancellor, who left office after seven years of leadership. The article pointed out:

“Schroeder… restored Germans’ confidence in their country’s handling of world affairs, most notably through his vigorous opposition to the Iraq war… In 2002, down in the polls by almost 20 percentage points, he led the Social Democrats to a startling reelection victory against the Christian Democrats. The turnaround was credited to Schroeder’s shrewd exploitation of German opposition to the Iraq war, and his everyman ability to connect with and provide assistance for families who lost homes in a spate of summer floods… The son of a cleaning woman widowed by the war, Schroeder grew up a poor outsider in Lower Saxony… many Germans empathized with him when he visited Romania in 2004 and paused at the grave of a German soldier he never met: his father… In one of its most passionate debates in decades, Parliament in 1999 voted to send peacekeeping troops to Kosovo. The decision broke the post-World War II psychological barrier against dispatching German troops to other countries. Schroeder argued that Germany had to accept its responsibility in a new Europe. The chancellor agreed to send soldiers to help U.S. forces in Afghanistan, but Schroeder’s refusal to deploy German troops to Iraq revealed Berlin’s evolving independent streak. ‘During my leadership, Germany won’t take part in any attack on Iraq,’ Schroeder said. The policy damaged relations with the Bush administration and reminded both countries that Cold War alliances were being recalibrated…

“Germany under Schroeder became a ‘counterpoint to U.S. politics in the last three or four years,’ said Lothar Probst, a political analyst at Bremen University. ‘People in Europe said he was courageous.’… Schroeder also irritated Washington with his friendship with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, who helped him and his fourth wife, Doris Schroeder-Koepf, adopt a Russian child in 2004. Schroeder was often criticized in the German media for not condemning Moscow’s harsh military action in Chechnya. His warm relationship with Putin and strained one with Bush ‘was one of the weaker points of his chancellorship,’ Probst said.”

Baptist Father Jailed in Germany

Bild Online reported on November 18, 2005, that in Paderborn, West Germany, a 42-year-old father was sentenced to 10 days in jail, for refusing to send his child to school. The father is a Baptist and opposed to some of the teachings in German public schools, including courses on sex and evolution. In Germany, school attendance is mandatory, and home schooling is not considered a viable alternative.

Dangerous Chemicals

On November 17, 2005, Der Spiegel published a remarkable article, asking the question: “Are Your Cosmetics Killing You?” The article explained:

“The European chemical industry uses about 100,000 substances to produce such beneficial consumer products as rubber ducks, insulation material, emulsion paints and night creams. But the astonishing thing is that most of these everyday chemicals, though in use for decades, have never been or have only been insufficiently tested for their potential toxicity… In truth, Europe has been criminally negligent in addressing the problem of existing chemicals. Meanwhile, consumers are rubbing chemicals into their armpits and washing their underwear with substances whose long-term effects are often unknown.

“For example, many cosmetics contain the preservative imidurea, which is suspected of causing genetic damage. Under current law, dyes used in clothing are not required to be tested for adverse effects on the skin, even though some are said to cause allergies… Last year, 40 members of the EU Parliament were able to experience first-hand just how urgent the problem of existing chemicals is. In a study commissioned by the World Wide Fund for Nature, researchers found a cocktail of 76 different synthetic substances when they analyzed the politicians’ blood samples. Their arteries, it turned out, were conduits for the residues of brominated flame retardants, softening agents, fluorine chemicals and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)… [which is] considered carcinogenic…”

European Nationalist Parties Unite

On November 18, 2005, canadafreepress.com reported that “Nationalist parties from seven European countries convened in Vienna last weekend to join forces. The ‘patriotic and nationalist parties and movements’ signed a so-called ‘Vienna Declaration’ calling for a stop to immigration in the entire European Union and the defence of Europe against ‘terrorism, aggressive islamism, superpower imperialism and economic aggression by low-wage countries.’ The parties also reject the European Constitution and demand that ‘geographically, culturally, religiously and ethnically non-European territories in Asia and Africa’ will be excluded from joining the European Union… The participants were invited by the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) and included Jean-Marie Le Pen’s Front National from France, Alessandra Mussolini’s Azione Sociale from Italy, the Spanish Alternativa Española, the anti-Hungarian Great Romania Party, the openly anti-Semite Bulgarian party Ataka, and Belgium’s largest party, the Vlaams Belang. The Italian Lega Nord, the Danish People’s Party and Poland’s governing Law and Justice were not present but are said to have sent their greetings… Up till now the animosity between Jean-Marie Le Pen and FPÖ leader Jörg Haider had made international cooperation impossible. Le Pen and Haider each regarded themselves as the leading figure of the European nationalist right. Last April, however, the FPÖ split and Haider founded a new party, the BZÖ. With Le Pen growing older, Filip Dewinter, the charismatic strongman of the Vlaams Belang (VB), is generally seen as the new man to lead the European nationalist right.”

However, one should not rule out Joerg Haider too quickly. Recently, he made some headlines in the press, demanding that the religious affiliation of religious schoolteachers, as well as their teaching, are to be approved by the Austrian government, as the government is employing and paying them; and he has made new overtures for running in the next 2006 government election.

Sharon’s New Party

On November 21, 2205, der Spiegel Online published an article about “Sharon’s New Party.” The magazine wrote:

“Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s decision to leave the Likud Party in order to set up his own party [for new elections expected in March] has shattered Israel’s political landscape. The divisions in his old party are mirrored in Israel’s deeply conflicted society… Israeli commentators weren’t shy about how they described Sharon’s move: Army Radio said ‘Sharon dropped a bomb’ that would cause a ‘political earthquake.’ The newspaper Maariv went even further, labeling it a ‘political big bang.’… The divided nation–those who oppose making concessions to the Palestinians against those willing to sacrifice land for peace–has helped to reshape the country’s politics… Without Sharon at the helm, Likud is widely expected to lurch to the right. Former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu–a fierce opponent of the Gaza withdrawal–is expected to have the best shot at taking over the remaining rump of the party… Following Sharon’s announcement, Israel’s parliament decided in a preliminary vote on Monday to dissolve itself.” Subsequently, Israel’s president dissolved the parliament and determined March 28 as the day for new elections

President Bush Under Attack

On November 22, 2005, the British “Daily Mirror” published a highly controversial article about an alleged personal conversation, in April of 2004, between President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair about an alleged contemplated bombing of an Arab TV station. The tabloid stated: “President Bush planned to bomb Arab TV station al-Jazeera in friendly Qatar, a ‘Top Secret’ No 10 memo reveals. But he was talked out of it at a White House summit by Tony Blair, who said it would provoke a worldwide backlash… The attack would have led to a massacre of innocents on the territory of a key ally, enraged the Middle East and almost certainly have sparked bloody retaliation… Yesterday former Labour Defence Minister Peter Kilfoyle challenged Downing Street to publish the five-page transcript of the two leaders’ conversation. He said: ‘It’s frightening to think that such a powerful man as Bush can propose such cavalier actions.'”

The tabloid which has been highly critical of Iraq’s invasion from the outset, added the following highly charged remarks: “The No 10 memo now raises fresh doubts over US claims that previous attacks against al-Jazeera staff were military errors. In 2001 the station’s Kabul office was knocked out by two ‘smart’ bombs. In 2003, al-Jazeera reporter Tareq Ayyoub was killed in a US missile strike on the station’s Baghdad centre.”

The European and American press, including Der Spiegel, The Associated Press, AFP, the Austrian Network, and The Washington Post, have quoted extensively from the Daily Mirror’s article. According to AP and AFP, the official governmental reaction to the article was indecisive. AFP stated on November 22: “A Downing Street spokesman said: ‘We have got nothing to say about this story. We don’t comment on leaked documents.’ And The Associated Press added, on November 22: “‘We are not interested in dignifying something so outlandish and inconceivable with a response,’ White House spokesman Scott McClellan told The Associated Press in an e-mail.”

On November 23, the British “The Times” reported about an unprecedented development in Britain: “Newspapers editors were threatened with prosecution under the Official Secrets Act last night if they published details of a conversation between Tony Blair and George Bush in which the President is alleged to have suggested bombing al-Jazeera, the Arab news network. Lord Goldsmith, the Attorney-General, informed newspapers editors including that of The Times that ‘publication of a document that has been unlawfully disclosed by a Crown servant could be in breach of Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act’… Charges under the Official Secrets Act have to be approved by the Attorney-General. His involvement suggests the prosecution intends to hold part, if not all, of the trial, behind closed doors.”

1 Corinthians 15:20 says that “…Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the FIRSTFRUITS of those who have fallen asleep.” James 1:18, however, refers to Christ’s true disciples, in this day and age, calling THEM firstfruits: “Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of FIRSTFRUITS of His creatures.”

We also read in additional passages that true Christians, who are called to the truth and to salvation in this day and age, are referred to as “firstfruits”:

Revelation 14:4 says: “These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being FIRSTFRUITS to God and to the Lamb.”

In Romans 16:5, Epaeneteus is called “the firstfruits of Achaia to Christ.” 1 Corinthians 16:15 refers to the household of Stephanus as the “firstfruits of Achaia.”

These Scriptures, and many others, point out a sequence or time order–they refer both to the time of calling, and, mainly, to the time of the resurrection. Although some were called to the truth in Old Testament times (compare Hebrews 11), most true disciples of Christ were called for salvation since the beginning of the New Testament church, in A.D. 31, when the Holy Spirit was given to Christ’s apostles and disciples. Romans 8:23 says that Paul and others had “the firstfruits of the Spirit.” In addition to the time sequence of calling, the risen Christ became the FIRST or the “firstfruits” of those being resurrected from the dead, as an immortal spirit being and a glorified member of the God Family. Christ’s true disciples in this day and age will be resurrected or changed to immortality at the time of Christ Second Coming. But they, too, are just the firstfruits of many others who will be resurrected from the dead AFTER Christ’s Return.

When God was dealing with Israel of old, He required of them the firstfruits of the land derived from their labors. This included the first ripe of fruits, grain, oil, wine, and first of fleece plus honey. These were required of the people as an offering. These offerings were to be free of blemish, presented at the tabernacle, and were given by God to the priests for their work at the altar.

But was there any other reason God required “firstfruits” at that time other than looking for obedience in His people? Several Scriptures in the Old Testament give a hint that there was much more to what God was doing.

In Leviticus 23:10-17, we read of the requirement of the wave-sheaf offering. In addition to its significance in the counting of days in arriving at Pentecost–also called the Feast of Firstfruits–the significance attached to the waving of the sheaf of the firstfruits and the waving of the two baked loaves are most important in revealing God’s intent. The sheaf of the firstfruits represented Christ as the first of the firstfruits; and the two loaves represented those God has called down through the ages who, if faithful to their calling, will make up the firstfruits of God whom He will use as He establishes His Kingdom on this earth! Although some have felt that the two loaves represent those called into the truth in Old and New Testament times, it is much more likely, based on the Biblical evidence, that these two loaves represent all of those called, from the creation of man until the time of Christ’s Return, both from the tribes of Israel and from non-Israelite nations–the “Gentiles.”

Christ, being the first of the firstfruits, was the first to be resurrected from the dead and has returned to the Father to carry on with His duties of our High Priest and Mediator or Advocate, intervening before God on our behalf, as was pictured by the waving of the sheaf of the firstfruits.

When Christ returns to the earth to establish His Kingdom, those who have died in Christ, will be resurrected first to immortality and glory to meet Him in the air. Then those who are living and faithful to their calling will also be changed into spirit and will rise to meet their King in the air! This was pictured by the waving of the two loaves, making no difference as to their national or racial origin or heritage. Christ, along with those who are with Him, will then descend to the earth and He will stand in that day on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4).

Yes, Christ is the first of the firstfruits, and those who are His at His coming are the firstfruits of God.

1 Corinthians 15:22-23 tells us: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the FIRSTFRUITS, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.” The two resurrections noted here–Christ, in His day, and those at His coming–are represented by the wave sheaf offering and the Day of Pentecost [the Feast of Firstfruits].

1 Corinthians 15:24, still speaking about the resurrection from the dead, continues: “Then comes the end…” The balance of mankind will have the opportunity to be brought into the Kingdom later. This is pictured in God’s festivals: the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day. All of mankind will eventually have the opportunity to enter into and to have a part in God’s Kingdom. When this aspect of God’s plan is completed, Christ will deliver “the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death… the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him [God the Father], that God may be all in all” (verses 24-26, 28).

Once God calls an individual, in the order and at the time God has established, he will be required to be faithful to that calling in order to have the wonderful opportunity to live for eternity in that great Kingdom! For further information, please read our free booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days.”

Lead Writer: Edwin Pope

Our new booklet, “Are YOU Predestined to Be Saved?”, was sent to the printer in Canada this week. The booklet was also posted on our Website.

Book Smarts

by Laura Harris (35)

If you’ve ever gone to the supermarket, you can’t overlook the numerous “self help” magazines at the check-out counter. These magazines entice readers with “how to” advice on an array of topics, including personal relationships, child rearing, money management, spirituality, health and career advancement. The same advice is doled out in highly touted books as well. According to BarnesandNoble.com, the following are several best-selling books year-to-date:

— “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren (Pastor)
— “Your Best Life Now” by Joel Osteen (Televangelist)
— “Natural Cures ‘They’ Don’t Want You to Know About” by Kevin Trudeau (Convicted Felon)
— “The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke” by Suze Orman (Talk Show Host)
— “He’s Just Not That Into You” by Greg Behrendt (Comedian/Singer)

Human reasoning pushes people to look toward others for “expert” advice and direction in their life choices. Sadly, most do not find what they are seeking. The Bible is the one book individuals need most in answering their questions, but it is often the least sought book in finding answers to many of life’s problems. While some self-help books can be beneficial, THE Book – given by the Creator – is the ultimate guide for life.

On November 19, 2005, Edwin Pope will give the sermon, titled, “Stir Up the Gift.”

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

Recently, the press reported about a disturbing trend–the investigation of U.S. churches by the Internal Revenue Service [IRS]. According to an article of the LA Times, dated November 8, 2005, the IRS has engaged in a “controversial federal investigation of political activity at churches and nonprofit groups.”

Under the federal tax code, tax-exempt organizations, including churches, are prohibited from endorsing a political candidate, and from intervening in political campaigns and elections. It has been long understood that, because of the separation between Church and State, churches should not be involved in politics. There is historical precedence which justifies such prohibition. When a church tries to engage in politics, as has happened and as is happening in other countries, bad results are often the consequence. In Austria, prior to the “Anschluss” or “unification” between Germany and Austria, Catholic priests enjoined their Austrian parishioners from the pulpit to vote for Adolph Hitler and to welcome the “Anschluss,” as–so it was said–“each true Catholic must support their Catholic Fuehrer.”

On the other hand, observers are concerned that certain IRS regulations might be in violation of the US Constitution, as they define or apply “politics” in very broad terms. Recently, a pastor in a Pasadena-based church gave an anti-war sermon just prior to the most recent presidential election, especially criticizing the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and the Iraq War. It is noteworthy that the pastor reportedly did not endorse a political candidate, stating that both candidates were people of profound faith who could be voted for. Still, the IRS apparently felt that giving an anti-war sermon two days prior to elections was engaging in politics.

Such a position appears to be in violation of the US Constitution. Unfortunately, the IRS has in times past engaged in similar “interpretations” of “political conduct.” As will be recalled, they threatened the Catholic Church or some of their archdioceses with revocation of their tax exemption because of their strong stance against abortion, labeling that stance as “political.” Again, such a position appears to be unconstitutional.

We in the Church of the Eternal God and in our affiliate organizations do not support any war fought by human beings; we don’t serve in a combatant capacity; we do not vote in presidential elections; and we do not judge as jurors. We also strongly oppose abortion. All of these issues are inseparable. And they are clearly not political, or politically motivated, but they are Biblical injunctions which we, as part of the Church of God, the spiritual Body of Christ, will have to apply and to preach. We are a tax-exempt organization in the USA and in Canada, and we abide by the tax code, as long as its injunctions are not contrary to the Word of God. If we were asked by the IRS to stop preaching God’s Word, whether in season or out of season, we could not and would not be able to comply–no matter what consequences this might entail (compare 2 Timothy 4:1-2).

We always have to follow Peter’s bold and courageous stand, when he was ordered by the highest Jewish court, the Sanhedrin, to discontinue preaching in the name of Jesus. He simply told them: “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge… We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 4:19; 5:29). And even though Peter and the other apostles were beaten and “commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus,” they rejoiced “that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ” (Acts 5:40-42). It is not different today. It still boils down to the fundamental question: Whom Do We Obey–God or Caesar?

Germany In Turmoil

It may seem to many Americans that everything in Germany is getting back to normal: The German party delegates of CDU/CSU and SPD overwhelmingly approved the grand coalition pact. Almost 95% of the SPD voted for pacifist East German Matthias Platzeck, a 51-year-old ally of outgoing chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, succeeding Franz Muentefering as SPD party chairman. The confirmation of East German Angela Merkel as new German chancellor–the first female leader in Germany’s history–is virtually assured.

Still, dark clouds can be seen on Germany’s horizon, when one observes carefully what is happening. Most of the U.S. press does not portray, however, an accurate picture of the real dangers. Their reporting is one of cautious optimism–especially in regard to a hoped-for friendlier relationship between the Bush and the Merkel administrations. The German press paints quite a different picture.

AFP somewhat accurately described German sentiments in its article of November 12, 2005:

“There is little optimism at the coalition pact, either from the press or industry leaders. ‘The coalition deal is a declaration of bankruptcy,’ the top-selling Bild newspaper said. An editorial said taxpayers were being made to pay for the mistakes of successive governments. ‘The two big parties which, in doing nothing to tackle the situation in recent decades, have brought the country to the point of bankruptcy, are making us, the people, pay for their mistakes.’ The centre-left Berliner Zeitung newspaper labelled the agreement ‘a big disappointment’ and said it offered few long-term solutions. ‘It is hoped that this coalition pact will only be temporary and that this government realises once it takes office that the agreement cannot last for long,’ it added.”

At present, there is not much hope for such reconsideration. Angela Merkel proclaimed that Germany will have to be governed according to the coalition pact. She said that raising taxes was an “honest” way to deal with Germany’s problems–even though she had promised the German people during her election campaign that she would not raise taxes.

Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 14, 2005:

“After some seven weeks of wrangling, Germany’s two biggest parties finally agreed on a governing coalition last Friday. Nobody seems terribly impressed with the outcome and criticism has come quickly–and loudly. And if the mass-circulation tabloid Bild is any indication, then there is nowhere to go but up in the popularity contest. Already on Saturday, the paper started what looks to be an all-out smear campaign against the new coalition. ‘This Is How Expensive it Will Be for You!’ screamed the weekend headline, referring to the tax hikes and tax-loophole closures agreed to by the SPD and CDU. On Monday, the paper continued with the headline, ‘Grand Coalition Is Telling Everyone to Pay Up: Only the Politicians Are Sacrificing Nothing!’… [The] Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung [wrote:] ‘No one can be satisfied with this coalition treaty…'”

Der Spiegel continued: “The conservative daily Die Welt… has no time for patience and slams the new government before it has even taken office. Calling the CDU-SPD coalition the ‘united social democrats,’ the paper calls the agreement ‘devastating.’ ‘More state, higher tax burden, strangling of the economy in the name of “courage and humanity”: that is the core of this government program. It will stimulate the black economy and tax flight and will drive even more companies out of Germany.'”In an accompanying article, Der Spiegel wrote:

“Cowards, liars, short-sighted opportunists, and — well — pimps. Those are the linguistic darts currently being thrown in the direction of Angela Merkel’s coalition government… Financial Times Deutschland says the government’s plans are causing outrage across the country. ‘A handful of politicians are sitting together in Berlin and devastating Germany,’ writes the paper in an editorial next to a cartoon showing an unhappy German left with nothing but his vest and underpants after his empty-pocketed trousers have been taken away from him. Not a single member of the negotiating teams has come up with any proposals that could be termed forward-looking or confidence inspiring, the paper says. ‘What’s happening in Berlin is an attack on democracy.’ Ordinary Germans are losing faith in the parliamentary system, it warns darkly. ‘The makers of the grand coalition are reducing the state to the function of a grand pimp that doesn’t give a hoot about rationality, promises or the future — and which appears to be primarily focused on looking after itself.’… Business daily Handelsblatt says the last few weeks have made clear that Merkel will fail to create the ‘coalition of new possibilities’ she had promised in the wake of the post-election chaos. ‘The state is restructuring its finances — but it’s doing so at the expense of its citizens,’ writes the paper.”

The Economist wrote on November 15: “Almost two months after Germany’s inconclusive election, the proposed ‘grand coalition’, with Angela Merkel as chancellor, has been approved by the country’s three main parties. But their agreed programme of government is an awkward compromise and may do little to revive Europe’s largest economy.”

The Independent added on November 14:

“Germany’s chancellor-designate, Angela Merkel, faced a barrage of criticism over her future government’s economic reforms yesterday, prompting speculation that her grand coalition with the Social Democrats would not last its four-year term.”

On November 15, 2005, Der Spiegel Online wrote the following about Merkel’s anticipated foreign politics:

“… hopes of a big shift in German foreign policy [between USA and Germany] are likely to go unfulfilled. Changes will likely be more in style rather than substance… at present, it’s hard to tell what her foreign policy will look like because she has been forced to share power with Schröder’s Social Democrats to form a government… Merkel’s desire to please Bush is far from limitless. She has already ruled out sending German troops to Iraq because it would cause a public outcry in Germany… Merkel in any case has far too much on her domestic plate to devote a lot of time to foreign policy…”

On November 11, 2005, the EUobserver added this thought: “The new German government plans to use its 2007 presidency of the EU to revive the ratification of the EU constitution… the CDU-SPD government will support the continuing ratification of the treaty by member states, and will strengthen the process more directly when it takes over the helm of the EU in January 2007, the parties proclaimed. ‘We pledge to continue the ratification of the European constitutional treaty after the first half of 2006 and to give new impulses to [the ratification] under the German presidency in the first half of 2007,’ the [grand coalition pact] reads.”

Keep your eyes on the developments in Germany, which is destined, according to Biblical prophecy, to become the most influential European country in the near future.

USA and Human Rights

Der Spiegel Online published the following article this week:

“Inside the Pentagon, officials are arguing with Vice President Dick Cheney about a new set of US Defense Department guidelines for interrogating suspected terrorists. The debate over an anti-torture bill [introduced by McCain] is a sad moment for a country that once stood for human rights…

“How did we get to this point? Because the United States is bound by the Geneva Convention governing prisoners of war, and by the 1987 Convention Against Torture with its prohibitions against torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, McCain’s legislation should not even be necessary. But after 9/11, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales (at that time White House counsel to the president) and others gave their legal opinion that prohibitions on ‘cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment’ didn’t apply to noncitizens being held by the United States outside the United States. Then, because torture, even outside the United States, remains a crime, they redefined ‘torture’ so narrowly that almost all violent and coercive methods of interrogation were excluded. Then, because of the U.S. criminal statute making violations of the Geneva Conventions a crime, they insisted that the conventions did not apply to anyone they termed a suspected al-Qaida member….

“Human rights activists around the world who live under repressive regimes have long looked to this country for leadership; [the U.S.] government, flawed as it is, has launched crusades against human rights abusers abroad and helped prevent terrible suffering by demanding that torture stop. Now we are facing a new world: one in which the most powerful country on the planet publicly declares itself above the laws that have protected individuals everywhere from disappearance, torture and murder. It is a sad and dark moment…”

Open Letter by ABA

On November 15, 2005, Michael Greco, President of the American Bar Association (ABA), published the following open letter:

“The U.S. Senate last week adopted with no hearings and with little debate Senator Lindsey Graham’s proposal to eliminate habeas corpus rights for Guantanamo detainees, denying them access to federal courts. The American Bar Association urges the senators to reconsider and defeat that enormous change to our fundamental legal system.
“Throughout our nation’s history, starting with the defense by lawyer, later president, John Adams of Massachusetts, of the British soldiers who fired on patriots in the Boston Massacre, it has been our commitment to basic principles of justice, even for the most unpopular among us, that has allowed us to maintain the high moral ground in the world, the most strategically important territory for us to occupy as we struggle with the enemies of freedom.

“Our influence in the world is directly affected by our actions with respect to those we detain. The prisoners in Guantanamo have been held there, largely incommunicado, for four years. That fact alone offends our heritage of due process and fairness. The writ of habeas corpus was developed precisely to prevent the prolonged detention of individuals without charge, by allowing those held to petition the federal courts. To eliminate the right of habeas corpus would be shocking to our nation.

“As Senator Graham himself has stated repeatedly, in the battle against terrorism we cannot allow ourselves to become like the enemy. Adoption of his amendment would undermine the very principles that distinguish us from our enemies.

“Michael S. Greco
ABA President”

Man’s Solutions–Laughable!!!

From time to time, we refer to articles reporting about futile human attempts to solve their problems. To give another example, NewScientist published a revealing article on November 9, 2005, about tackling the dangers from asteroids: “NASA scientists have come up with a surprisingly simple yet effective way to deflect an Earth-bound asteroid–park a large spacecraft close by and let gravity do the work.”

This proposal was hailed by scientists as the “best idea” that they have seen. Sounds great. Sounds easy. Sounds as good as done. If it were not for some “minor” problems…

The article pointed out:

“For a 200-metre-wide asteroid, the spacecraft would need to weigh about 20 tonnes and lurk 50 metres from its target for about a year to change its velocity enough to knock it off course… The strategy crucially relies on our ability to detect an asteroid threat about 20 years in advance. For larger asteroids this is realistic. But… many smaller asteroids–less than about 500 metres across–may go unnoticed until only a few years before impact.”

Man’s “best idea” is nothing but ridiculous. And if that is all man can come up with…

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town…Again!

Even though the truth about Christmas is easily available, Christmas-loving people just don’t seem to care. Wal-Mart tried to make a difference–and failed. And the fairy tale of Santa Claus and the “Christmas story” continues…

In its article, “What is the real Christmas story?” NBC News pointed out, on November 11, 2005, just a few of the MANY inconsistencies between the traditional “Christmas story” and the Biblical account:

“As to the day we celebrate, December 25th, that had been the birthday Sol Invictus–the sun God, Constantine’s favorite god before he became a Christian… after Jesus is born, three kings bearing gifts follow a star to Bethlehem to find the infant, the new Messiah. But that’s not exactly what it says in the Gospel of Matthew… Matthew’s Greek word is usually translated ‘wise men,’ or ‘maji,’ and he never says how many. But he certainly didn’t imply they were kings… Matthew tells about the strange guiding star, how it stopped over the house–not stable–where Jesus lay with his mother…

“In the years since all this happened, an estimated 30,000 different variants of Christianity have competed–sometimes violently–for people’s hearts. From wars and insurrections to inquisitions and great campaigns for moral rearmament, it all sprang from a rocky place that surrounds the sea of Galilee, where a young woman gave birth to a little boy. And from that one incontestable fact, sprang all manner of interpretations, opinions, beliefs, and faiths…”

And so, Wal-Mart began an experiment to dispense with Christmas decorations, songs and celebrations in their stores. But, their experiment failed miserably. As Bild Online reported on November 14: “Wal-Mart wanted to abolish Christmas.” But the tabloid added the words: “Not With Us.”

The mass-circulation tabloid continued to explain that a customer wrote to the management, complaining about Wal-Mart’s lack of decorations and the playing of Christmas songs in their stores. The management responded by explaining that Christmas was a hotchpotch from different cultures, stating that Santa Claus originated in Russia and the Christmas Tree in the Middle East, and that the Celts had invented the Mistletoe. The customer complained to the highly influential and powerful “Catholic League,” which threatened to call for a boycott of Wal-Mart because of their “discrimination of Christmas.” Wal-Mart quickly issued a public apology for their “inappropriate” and “unsettling” comments, filled their stores with Christmas decorations, and even started a special Christmas page on their Website.

It seems there is still a long way ahead for man to confront and face the facts and the truth–and not only when dealing with Christmas. What is man so afraid of–and why? For more information, please read our free booklet: “Don’t Keep Christmas.”

Thirty and Broke

Business Week Online published an interesting article, on November 11, 2005, on the higher costs of education. When reading this article, it becomes obvious that most students are broke when they are 30, because they are taking out student loans. This is obviously not the way to go, if it can be avoided. It is much better to live modestly now for a short while, than to live in despair for many years to come. The article, titled, “Thirty and Broke,” pointed out:

“[A female student] finished up at the University of Tulsa in 1997 with a business degree and $20,000 in student loans, which makes her, by official reckoning anyway, a typical graduate. She is now paying off her loans, $300 a month; at that rate it will take her until she’s about 50… Many of those 30-year-olds feeling unduly burdened by their financial obligations have had to make compromises on some of life’s vital decisions… A college degree is now the minimum required to find a place in the working world that affords some job satisfaction and material comfort… The cost of higher education, however, has increased so dramatically in the past decade and a half–up by 63 percent at public schools and 47 percent at private–that more students have to borrow tens of thousands of dollars to attend, ensuring that many of them are paying off those loans well into their 40s.

“[Another female student] graduated from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., seven years ago and now has $42,000 in student loans and $7,000 in credit-card debt… [A male student] knows he will have to live frugally for years so that he can pay off the $71,000 he owes in student loans and the $40,000 balance on his credit cards… Fourteen percent of graduates said in 2002 that they had delayed marriage because of their loan obligations, compared with 9 percent in 1987.

“So after [another female student] graduated in May, 1998, with a double major in Latin American studies and economics, it was a scandal that she returned home $21,000 in debt and unemployed. Her fiancé… had graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1997 with about $27,000 in student-loan debt and $3,000 in credit-card debt. When he finishes in May, 2006, they will have accumulated an additional $100,000 in debt.”

Iraq’s New Democracy

Iraq was invaded to bring democracy, freedom and justice to the people. And the former leaders of Iraq were to be brought to justice in a fair trial. But–it’s not that easy.

As The Associated Press reported on November 15, 2005, “In another setback to the Saddam Hussein case, a defense lawyer who was wounded in an ambush that killed one of his colleagues said Tuesday he had fled Iraq and was seeking asylum in the Gulf state of Qatar… Al-Khuzaie was injured in a Nov. 8 ambush in western Baghdad in which another defense lawyer, Adel al-Zubeidi, was killed. Al-Zubeidi was the second defense lawyer involved in the case to be assassinated since the trial opened Oct. 19. Saddam’s personal attorney, Khalil al-Dulaimi, broke off dealings with the Iraqi special court following the killing of lawyer Saadoun al-Janabi, whose body was found two days after the opening session. After the assassination of the second lawyer, al-Dulaimi indicated the defense team would not show up for the Nov. 28 session. About 1,100 Iraqi lawyers involved in the case behind the scenes also announced they were quitting the defense team because of security fears.”

This is not a good testimony for the victory of democracy and legal principles in a country which apparently cannot guarantee some of the most fundamental rights of a democracy–that of a fair trial and the independence of the legal system.

France’s Emergencies

AFP reported on November 15, 2005, that “The French parliament [approved] a bill extending for three months a state of emergency, aimed at quelling a wave of unrest which President Jacques Chirac said revealed a deep identity crisis.” In a televised speech, Chirac “vowed that all rioters would face justice and warned that parents who failed to keep their children under control should face punishment. Chirac also promised to crack down on illegal immigration and called for the rules on family reunification–which allow an estimated 100,000 people to enter the country each year–to be strictly upheld… He also announced plans to improve access to the workplace for black and Arab youths, the children and grandchildren of immigrants from France’s former African colonies, who complain of high unemployment and discrimination.”

Right-winged radical French politicians have called for the deportation of all immigrants and foreigners from France’s former African colonies–regardless of whether they are legally or illegally residing in France. The dark history of Nazi Germany comes to mind when hearing such frightening demands.

Russia’s Fear of the EU

The Russian paper Pravda launched an attack on the European Union in its article, dated November 14, 2005. The paper stated: “The idea to use the opportunity of EU membership as an impetus for democratic reforms in candidate-countries has proved to be wrong… What is the point of the EU’s existence? Even specialists may find themselves at a loss when answering this question. When the idea of European integration appeared, it became clear that European nations launched the unification process to overcome the destructive legacy of WWII. The current existence of the European Union is based on political mythology.”

Questioning whether democratic reforms are actually taking place in certain countries–they mention Bulgaria and Romania as examples–they continue: “In the meantime, Romania and Bulgaria continue to receive money from European tax payers. In 2006, Bulgaria is to receive 545 million euros, whereas Romania will enjoy 1.155 billion. These impressive numbers explain why so many countries have evinced great interest in becoming EU members: the process is much more pleasant than the result.”

Although financial interests are clearly THE main impetus of certain countries to join the EU, Pravda addresses a much more poignant issue: Russia’s fear of the EU. For Pravda to complain about a lack of democratic reforms in certain former East-bloc countries appears highly hypocritical when considering the ongoing human rights violations in Russia and other countries under Russia’s influence and power. BUT–Russia IS afraid of the EU. And even though their current “objections” are somewhat unwarranted and motivated by selfish desires, they might be right–in the long run.

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

The Queen of England’s Anglican Church

On November 16, 2005, The Telegraph reported about Queen Elizabeth’s recent controversial speech about the Christian faith in England. The paper pointed out:

“The Queen opened the Church of England’s General Synod yesterday with a ringing endorsement of the ‘uniqueness’ of the Christian faith. In a speech that reflected her personal beliefs as well as her role as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, she contrasted the enduring nature of Christianity with the rapid changes in society… The Queen has come under pressure from liberals to step down as Supreme Governor of the Church… Her position is thought by some to be offensive to people of other faiths such as Jews, Muslims and Hindus and to Christians who are not members of the Anglican Church.”

The article also pointed out that “The Prince of Wales caused controversy in a 1994 television interview when he said that when he became king he would like to be known as Defender of Faith rather than Defender of the Faith to reflect the spectrum of belief in Britain.” The paper concluded: “The Queen’s words will be welcomed by churchgoers who fear that the message of Christianity is in danger of being diluted amid efforts to embrace a multi-faith culture, particularly after the terrorist attacks on London.”

Internet War

The Independent wrote again about the ongoing war between the USA and most of the rest of the world, pertaining to the Internet.

We addressed this issue in our Update #201. Basically, the US is presently controlling the flow of information. In the likely event of an attack on the USA, the sustaining of the Internet would be an important factor. A perpetrator would have to get control of at least one of the root servers before attacking, or make plans to let the Internet go into a state of disarray for a period of time.

Another big issue is that certain alphabetic characters can be substituted for similar looking characters in English. While it is no problem for a computer to distinguish the differences, the human eye could very well miss it (i.e., “b” and one of the three Cyrillic characters that look like a “B”). This could quickly become a security issue as, for instance, criminals try to obtain eBay names and passwords.

The Independent stated:

“At present, the closest the internet has to a governing body is an obscure American, non-profit corporation called ICANN. This quasi-independent body has, for years, quietly regulated domain names and allocated addresses. But its lease is nearly up. And the world’s rich and powerful will join battle for control of what they see as a gold mine. The Bush administration wants ICANN turned into a private corporation, on US soil and subject to US controls. Much of the rest of the world objects to that but the loudest opponents are countries with a history of censorship and repression, such as China and Iran. The likely balance of power in that struggle rests with the European Union, whose position is not clear.”

The article then published a summary of some of the national laws governing the Internet:

“BURMA–The military junta permits only two service providers, both under direct state control. Of the approximately 25,000 internet users in 2003, virtually all were hand-picked members of the military or government.

“CHINA–China has the world’s most developed internet censorship technology, thanks, ironically, to companies such as Yahoo. The pro-democracy writer Wang Yi’s blog was closed two weeks ago, days after he was nominated for an international award.

“FRANCE–The Law on the Digital Economy (2004) states that service providers are legally responsible for the content their customers post online. Providers must also check the legality of any links they maintain.

“UNITED ARAB EMIRATES–Though one of the best-connected countries in the Gulf, the UAE’s only service provider is state-owned. Medical and scientific sites that show naked parts of the human body, as well as publications about Buddhism, Sufism, religious sects and the US anti-war film-maker Michael Moore, are all blocked. Marriage agencies are allowed, but dating sites are banned.

“GERMANY–Ogrish.com, a website displaying graphic images of violence and mutilation, has recently been blocked by its service provider after a complaint from a watchdog group called Jugendschutz (Youth Protection).

“IRAN–Iranian censorship officially aims to protect the public from immoral, “non-Islamic” sites, but in reality concern centres on the political possibilities of the internet: it is currently easier to access pornographic websites than reformist ones. The authorities recently ordered all privately owned service providers to put themselves under government control, or else shut down.

“TURKEY–The line between criticism in the public interest and insult in online publications is very blurred in the eyes of the courts. Cybercafé owners are obliged to monitor the activity of their users for pornography, gambling, political separatism or any challenge to the state.”

God cannot lie. It is against His very nature and being to lie (Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18). God has told us in His Word that it is a sin to lie (Exodus 20:16). God does not tempt us to sin (James 1:13), and He does not tempt us–let alone order us–to lie. On the other hand, God sometimes uses lying people or even lying spirits or demons to carry out His purpose (compare 1 Kings 22). This does not mean that God orders anyone to lie–but since men and demons are free moral agents and may decide to sin, God may use them to accomplish a certain goal–but the decision to sin, including to lie, is still man’s or the spirit’s decision (For a better understanding, please read our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World,” especially pages 46-51).

How, then, are we to understand 1 Samuel 16:1-5, where God told Samuel to anoint a son of Jesse as king, but to tell the people that he came to sacrifice to God? Let us read the entire passage in context:

“Now the LORD said to Samuel, ‘How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.’ And Samuel said, ‘How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me?’ But the LORD said, ‘Take a heifer with you, and say, “I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.” Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.’ So Samuel did what the LORD said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, ‘Do you come peaceably?’ and he said, ‘Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.’ Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.”

God showed Samuel that He wanted young David–the youngest of Jesse’s eight sons–to be anointed king. “Then Samuel took his horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward (verse 13).”

God did not order Samuel to lie, as Samuel did not say something which was untrue. But Samuel did not say everything he knew–he kept part of the reason for his coming to himself. It is a difference to say something which is partly true and partly false–with the intent to deceive someone. When Abram, later called Abraham, told Abimelech that his wife was his sister–for fear that the people might kill him if they knew the truth–he told a complete lie (compare Genesis 12:11-13; 20:1-2). Even though Sarai, who was later called Sarah, was his half-sister, she was clearly his wife (Genesis 20:11-13)–and the Bible always refers to Sarai (later Sarah) as his wife. The Bible never calls her his sister (Genesis 12:18-19; 18:9). Further, Abram’s bad example apparently prompted Isaac to repeat his father’s mistake (compare Genesis 26:6-10).

On the other hand, Samuel did not lie–even though his initial question to God (“How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me”) shows a character weakness of human infirmity in Samuel. He should have realized that God would protect him on his mission, since He had ordered him to go. Matthew Henry’s Commentary adds the following thought: “Samuel’s faith was not so strong as one would have expected, else he would not have thus feared the rage of Saul.”

Nevertheless, God told Samuel what to do, and he came and sacrificed to God. He did not tell the people the main reason for his coming; still, what he said was true. The Nelson Study Bible comments: “God did not instruct Samuel to lie, but instead He provided a legitimate opportunity for Samuel to visit with Jesse and his family. By performing the anointing in Bethlehem while officiating at a sacrifice, Samuel would avoid arousing the suspicions of Saul.”

Similar the Ryrie Study Bible: “The Lord did not suggest deception, but simply told Samuel to take care of the anointing while he was in Bethlehem on official business.”

Matthew Henry’s Commentary adds: “God orders him to cover his design with a sacrifice: ‘Say, I have come to sacrifice’; and it was true he did, and it was proper that he should, when he came to anoint a king, chapter 11, verse 15. ” [We should also note that Samuel anointed King Saul in connection with a sacrifice (1 Samuel 9:10-27; 10:1; especially chapter 9, verse 12).]

In addition to the fact that Samuel came to offer an actual animal sacrifice, his pronouncement, in following God’s injunction, could have also been a reference to David himself–as David would become a living sacrifice with the anointment as king and the receipt of the gift of God’s Holy Spirit (compare Romans 12:1; 1 Peter 2:5).

Some may still wonder whether it does not constitute a lie and is deceitful conduct to conceal or keep secret certain information. However, the Bible makes it clear that we are NOT to violate confidentiality. If we were always obligated to tell everything we know, when asked, then we could not uphold confidentiality–even though the Bible instructs us to do so.

For instance, we read in Proverbs 11:13: “A talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.” And Proverbs 25:9 tells us: “.. do not disclose the secret to another.”

We are instructed to “conceal knowledge” (Proverbs 12:23), and Proverbs 17:9 reveals: “He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends.”

We also read that Jesus Christ told parables to the public at large, so that they would not understand (Matthew 13:10-15). Christ did not lie or try to deceive–but He did not want to divulge information to the people which they could not properly handle. He warns us not to cast our pearls before swine, so that they don’t turn on us and tear us in pieces (Matthew 7:6; compare Proverbs 9:7).

In conclusion, Samuel did not lie, when he concealed the fact that he had come to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as the next king. What he said, however, was true–but he did not reveal, nor was he obligated to reveal, the entire purpose of his coming.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new member letter has been written and was sent out on Monday. Dave Harris discusses in the letter our ongoing need to watch, rather than falling asleep, and to zealously stay committed to the Work of God.

A new StandingWatch program has been recorded and will be on the Web shortly. In the program, titled, “What Is Happening in Germany?”, Norbert Link encourages the viewers to watch world events, in the light of Biblical prophecy, and explains why the current events in Germany are of deeply significant importance.

From Our Ad Campaign in England:

Our recent advertisement campaign of our booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America,” has prompted about 1,600 responses. We are quoting below some of the comments received:

“Thank you for the free booklet you sent me on ‘The Fall and Rise of Britain and America’. It was such good reading. I have passed it on to a friend. We noticed that there are more titles. Please could you send us ‘Don’t Keep Christmas’ and ‘Angels, Demons and the Spirit World’. It would be much appreciated. Thank you for your kindness. God bless you and your ministry.”

“Dear Global Church of God. Many thanks for the excellent book ‘The Fall and Rise of Britain and America’. Very interesting and informative. Can you send me a copy of ‘America and Britain in Prophecy’. I would also like information on your church. Where can I make a donation? I don’t believe in a free lunch.”

“Having already requested and received ‘The Fall and Rise of Britain and America’ I wonder if it would be possible to request, all at once, all of the titles listed at the back of that publication? I found that publication so compelling and easy to understand. I was recently given a new English version of the Bible thinking it would be easier to understand, unfortunately not. Your booklets give me a greater understanding of the impending doom of sinners worldwide. Things are indeed coming to a head and people continue to bury their heads in the sand. Having recently had my house blessed, on talking to the vicar, even he doesn’t think it is a matter of great urgency that we all repent! Just a bland acceptance of falling congregation numbers! Sad, eh? That much used cliché – ‘A Sign of the Times’. We need world peace, yesterday!!!”

“Thank you for your book ‘The Fall and Rise of Britain and America’. Reading your book I could understand the Bible better.”

On November 12, 2005, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “The Bible Family.”

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

In an editorial a while ago, I discussed briefly the fact that our only security is in God. I mentioned that the Bible is replete with information on our need to trust in God for safety and security. This becomes even more apparent when suicide bombers are close to home.

In a trial at London’s Old Bailey in October this year, details were given about a man from Derby, trying to blow up a busy bar in Tel Aviv, Israel, in April 2003, with the aim of carrying out a suicide bombing. His accomplice managed to detonate a bomb killing three people and injuring 65, while the Derby man failed in his attempt and fled the scene. Not only was he from Derby where I have lived for most of my life, but some of his family live only about 100 yards from where I used to live with my parents many years ago. Those family members were also in court, accused of failing to disclose information about a terrorist attack. Even now, they are only about four or five miles away from where I currently reside.

And just last month raids were made on addresses in Derby, Wolverhampton and Croydon where suspected terrorists were living. Neighbors told of their shock at finding out what was going on, unknown to them, right in their midst. One said: “You just don’t know what could be going on right on your doorstep.” It can be a shock to find out these people can be close to home.

We recently held the Feast of Tabernacles at Chatsworth House, just thirty miles away from the city of Derby. The Peak District area where Chatsworth House is located includes other counties, but it is mainly situated in Derbyshire, which is one of the most beautiful counties in the UK. It is the second most visited national park in the world (the most visited is one in Japan). The comparison between suicide bombers in Derby and a millennial Feast site in near-by rural Derbyshire is stark. It serves as a reminder that wherever we are, there may be those, not knowing or appreciating the true way of the great Creator God, who would try and wreak havoc and cause mischief in the guise of religion.

The Feast of Tabernacles pictures a still future time when suicide bombers and false religion, amongst many other things, will simply not be tolerated. In the meantime, we need to put our trust and faith in God for protection and guidance, irrespective of how close to home are those who perpetrate such evil acts of murder and terrorism.

The Catholic Church and You

Zenit reported on November 7, 2005, that Pope Benedict admonished the Catholic clergy in Austria to preach Roman Catholicism in its entirety. The article quoted the pope as follows: “A Catholic teaching that is given in an incomplete manner is a contradiction in itself and cannot be fruitful in the long term… In the uncertainty of this historical period and of this society, offer men the certainty of the complete faith of the Church.”

But what does the Catholic Church teach? For instance, the magazine published the speech of the pope on “All Saints Day,” which “coincides” with Halloween. The pope made some interesting statements: “He who believes in Christ the Son of God is reborn ‘from above,’ is again as though begotten by the work of the Holy Spirit (cf. John 3:1-8). This mystery is acted in the sacrament of baptism, through which Mother Church gives birth to ‘saints.'” When reading this, one should ask: Which is it? Is it “begotten” or born”? Apparently, the pope does not think that there is a distinction, but there is. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Baptism–A Requirement for Salvation?”

The article continued to quote the pope, as follows: “The new life, received in baptism, is not subjected to corruption nor to the power of death. For one who lives in Christ, death is the passage of the earthly pilgrimage to the heavenly homeland, where the Father welcomes all his children, ‘from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues,’ as we read today in the Book of Revelation (7:9).”

However, the Bible nowhere teaches that we go to heaven when we die, nor is death the “passage of the earthly pilgrimage to the heavenly homeland.” For more information, please read our free booklet, “Do We Have An Immortal Soul?”

The pope then addressed Mary, in this way: “May we be helped by the Virgin Mary, Queen of the Saints, whom we now address with filial confidence.” The idea, however, that Mary was a perpetual virgin, and that she lives today and resides in heaven as a “queen,” intervening for Christians, is blatantly unbiblical. For more information, please read our free book, “Jesus Christ–A Great Mystery,” in addition to our free booklet, “Don’t Keep Christmas.”

On November 3, 2005, WorldNetDaily reported that “The Vatican today warned Catholics that if they do not listen to the contentions of modern science–regarding the origin of life and other issues–they risk falling prey to ‘fundamentalism.’… When asked about the debate raging between evolution and intelligent design in the United States, a papal representative reaffirmed John Paul II’s 1996 assertion that evolution was ‘more than just a hypothesis.’ Said Monsignor Gianfranco Basti, director of the Vatican project STOQ, or Science, Theology and Ontological Quest: ‘A hypothesis asks whether something is true or false. (Evolution) is more than a hypothesis because there is proof.'”

However, the concept that man evolved from animals, and that one species (e.g., mammals) evolved from another species (e.g., birds or fish), is UNTRUE. There is NO PROOF for such an assertion, and it clearly contradicts the Holy Scriptures. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Theory of Evolution–a Fairy Tale for Adults.”

Evolution Under Attack

On November 8, 2005, MSNBC reported that “the Kansas Board of Education approved new public-school science standards Tuesday that cast doubt on the theory of evolution. The 6-4 vote was a victory for ‘intelligent design’ advocates who helped draft the standards. Intelligent design holds that the universe is so complex that it must have been created by a higher power.” The article continued to explain: “The new standards say high school students must understand major evolutionary concepts. But they also declare that the basic Darwinian theory that all life had a common origin and that natural chemical processes created the building blocks of life have been challenged in recent years by fossil evidence and molecular biology.”

Scientists predictably opposed the ruling, as the article explained: “‘This is a significant attack on science,’ said Jack Krebs, vice president of Kansas Citizens for Science. ‘They really are advancing a sectarian religious view. They’re treading on constitutional grounds.'”

However, scientists have not been all that anxious to support “free exercise” of experimentation and reasoning–a “hallmark” of scientific “objectivity.” On October 27, 2005, the New York Times published an interesting article about how scientists try to use copyright law to quench any criticism of the theory of evolution. Kansas’ school board wanted to quote from scientific papers, which promote evolution, to prove that evolution is a controversial theory. The authors objected to such use, quoting copyright law as a basis to prevent it, even though it appears that the use would be legally justified–with or without the authors’ permission–under the concept of the “genuine fair use” exception. The authors’ rebuke came less than two weeks before the state school board in Kansas approved the new science standards.

Flu Pandemic Just a Matter of Time

AFP reported on November 7, 2005, that “A three-day council of war on avian influenza [warned] that a flu pandemic was inevitable, could kill millions and inflict up to 800 billion dollars in economic damage… An influenza pandemic, potentially unleashed by a mutation of the H5N1 bird flu virus, ‘is only a matter of time,’ World Health Organisation (WHO) Director General Lee Jong-Wook said Monday. ‘We don’t know when this will happen, but we know it will happen,’ Lee said. ‘… If we are unprepared, the next pandemic will cause incalculable human misery… no society will be exempt and no economy will be unscathed.’… Lee said that 63 deaths, out of 124 known cases of human infection, had been reported to the WHO, 150 million fowl had been slaughtered and the economic cost of the virus was more than 10 billion dollars…

“At present, H5N1 is transmissible from bird to humans who are closely exposed to virus expelled by sickly fowl in their faces and nasal secretions. But it cannot be easily passed from humans to humans. The fear is that the more the virus spreads, the greater chance it has to mutate, picking up genes from ordinary flu that could make it highly contagious from humans to humans. This feared mutation could occur if H5N1 is transmitted to a human or a PIG that already has been infected by the conventional flu virus. No-one would have any immunity against the new pathogen, which means a pandemic could swiftly spread in the modern era of jet travel and the globalised economy.”

Germany Unhappy

Although not that surprising and, unfortunately, almost commonplace in our world of broken promises, especially in politics, Germany’s future “grand coalition” has been described by the German press as a grand coalition of liars and thieves. Bild Online showed a picture of Merkel (CDU), Stoiber (CSU) and Muentefering (SPD), portraying them as lying “Pinocchios” with long noses. Broken election promises are the cause for the outrage. Merkel had stated on July 7 that she would not agree to raising taxes (does this sound familiar?); Stoiber had proclaimed, on July 17, that he would decrease the amount of individual contributions to unemployment insurance; and Muentefering had promised on August 19 that he would not increase the added value tax.

Subsequently, the pro-CDU tabloid published a new picture, removing Merkel’s long “Pinocchio-nose,” claiming that Merkel had been placed “on probation,” as she is apparently willing to make good on some of the election promises.

In one of its biting commentaries, titled, “Dear Beloved Liars of Berlin,” Bild Online wrote this week:

“Apparently, we have accepted the fact that there is no more faithfulness of our words, and no more faith in our words… Today, lying has become our hobby. ‘You are Germany,” is a nice campaign. ‘You are the country of lies,’ is the truth.”

In another commentary, titled, “Lazy, Cowardly And Without Imagination,” Bild Online wrote: “Never before have election promises been broken that quickly. That is why there is a third category of victims [in addition to the taxpayers and the unemployed]–the trustworthiness of these politicians.”

Bild also published an interview with a lawyer, explaining that the public has no legal way to prevent politicians from lying during election campaigns. The German president has no jurisdiction, and a lawsuit would be immediately dismissed. Bild concluded: “The nation’s anger is brewing.”

Germany’s Fateful Day

On November 8, 2005, Der Spiegel Online published a remarkable and outstanding lengthy article about the events that took place on November 8 and 9, 1939. We are bringing the following excerpts:

“November 9 is often considered a fateful date in German history. The first German republic was proclaimed in Berlin on November 9, 1918. On November 9, 1923, Adolf Hitler attempted to overthrow the German government in Munich. On November 9, 1938, Jewish businesses and synagogues throughout Germany were set on fire during the nationwide pogrom known as the Night of the Broken Glass. And on November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall came down. A fateful date? Definitely one imbued with the weight of history.

“But it is the day before — Nov. 8 — which shows how tragic the mixture of coincidence, nature, and human activity can be. Indeed, had the world not lost 13 minutes on the evening of Nov. 8, 1939, an entire series of later, ominous dates in German history would never have taken place. Even the fall of the Berlin Wall would never have happened. Indeed, the Wall would never have been built. Those 13 minutes on November 8, 1939 were the most costly in the history of the 20th century. Within a period of less than six years, from 1939 to 1945, they cost humanity 50 million lives and virtually wiped European Jewry from the map. For the Germans, these 13 minutes resulted in post-war expulsions from Poland and Czechoslovakia — and a divided nation.”

What were these 13 fateful minutes? The article explained:

“The Munich airport was shut down on November 8, 1939, because of heavy fog. As a result, the city’s most prominent visitor on that day was forced to cancel his flight to Berlin and take the train instead. Adolf Hitler, who, on September 1, 1939, had ordered the German Wehrmacht to attack Poland, thereby triggering World War II, had come to Munich on that evening to give a speech at the Munich beer hall called the Bürgerbräukeller, just as he had done on November 8 in previous years. It was where the founding members of the Nazi party met every year to celebrate the attempted putsch of November 8, 1923 — a putsch that ended with Adolf Hitler in jail. Because of the fog in Munich, Hitler began his speech at the Hofbräuhaus at 8:00 p.m., 30 minutes earlier than planned, so as not to miss the night train to Berlin. The Führer left the Bürgerbräukeller at 9:07 p.m. As it turned out, the bad weather was what saved his life. A bomb that had been hidden [by Johann Georg Elser, a carpenter from southern Germany] in a column directly behind where Hitler had been speaking exploded at 9:20 p.m. The explosion was so powerful that part of the ceiling collapsed. Eight people were killed and 60 were wounded, some seriously. When the bomb went off, Hitler was already sitting in a heated limousine, on his way to the train station.”

We can safely say that it was not “mere coincidence” that Hitler escaped death in 1939. As the leader [together with Mussolini] of the ninth resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire, he was used by Satan to fulfill an important role in human history, as prophesied in the Bible. The beginning of the tenth and last resurrection is happening right now in Europe. It, too, will bring havoc over this planet–ushering in the return of Jesus Christ to end man’s incompetent attempts to rule this world. For more information, please read our free booklets, “Europe in Prophecy” and “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

Civil War in France

“President Jacques Chirac declared a state of emergency Tuesday, paving the way for curfews to be imposed on riot-hit cities and towns in an extraordinary measure to halt France’s worst civil unrest in decades after 12 nights of violence,” according to the Associated Press of November 8, 2005.

The article continued: “Nationwide, vandals burned 1,173 cars [on Monday-Tuesday], compared to 1,408 vehicles Sunday-Monday, police said… The violence erupted on Oct. 27 as a localized riot in a northeast Paris suburb angry over the accidental deaths of two teenagers, of Mauritanian and Tunisian descent, who were electrocuted while hiding from police in a power substation. It has grown into a nationwide insurrection by disillusioned suburban youths, many French-born children of immigrants from France’s former territories like Algeria. France’s suburbs have long been neglected and their youth complain of a lack of jobs and widespread discrimination, some of it racial… In terms of material destruction, the unrest is France’s worst since World War II. Never has rioting struck so many French cities simultaneously.”

The article also pointed out that “Apparent copycat attacks have spread to Belgium and Germany, where cars were burned.”

How Empires End

On November 7, 2005, Patrick J. Buchanan published an interesting editorial in “Human Events,” titled, “How Empires End.” He stated: “The Romans conquered the barbarians–and the barbarians conquered Rome. So it goes with empires. This is the larger meaning of the ritual murder of Theo Van Gogh in Holland, the subway bombings in London, the train bombings in Madrid, the Paris riots spreading across France. The perpetrators of these crimes in the capitals of Europe are the children of immigrants who were once the colonial subjects of the European empires… The rioters [in France] are of Arab and African descent, and Muslim. While almost all are French citizens, they are not part of the French people. For never have they been assimilated into French culture or society. And some wish to remain who and what they are.”

Buchanan continued: “…no European nation has ever assimilated a large body of immigrant peoples, let alone people of color. Moreover, the African and Islamic peoples pouring into Europe–there are 20 million there now–are… strangers in a new land, and millions wish to remain proud Algerians, Muslims, Moroccans. These newcomers worship a different God and practice a faith historically hostile to Christianity, a traditionalist faith that is rising again and recoils violently from a secular culture saturated in sex. Severed from the civilization and cultures of their parents, these Arab and Muslim youth may hold French citizenship and carry French passports, but they are no more French than Americans who live in Paris are French. Searching for a community to which they can truly belong, they gravitate to mosques where the imams, many themselves immigrants, teach and preach that the West is not their true home, but a civilization alien to their values and historically hostile to their nations and Islam.”

Buchanan concluded with this sober–almost prophetic–warning: “Yet, to keep Europe’s economy growing and taxes coming in to fund the health and pension programs of Europe’s rising numbers of retired and elderly, Europe needs scores of millions of new workers. And Europe can only find them in the Third World. Nor should Americans take comfort in France’s distress. By 2050, there will be 100 million Hispanics in the United States, half of them of Mexican ancestry, heavily concentrated in a Southwest most Mexicans still believe by right belongs to them. Colonization of the mother countries by subject peoples is the last chapter in the history of empires–and the next chapter in the history of the West–that is now coming to a close.”

Europe’s Historic Role in the Middle East

The Jerusalem Post reported on November 3, 2005, about an “historic” military involvement of Europe in the Middle East. The article stated: “The security cabinet approved the placement of an EU contingent at the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt on Tuesday, but the role envisioned for this force caught some EU officials by surprise. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon… said the force should have ‘real powers,’ not just supervisory ones… [Sharon] termed the security cabinet’s decision ‘historic’ and said it gave the EU–which has for years expressed an interest in taking a more active part in the diplomatic process–an unprecedented role. Sharon said the willingness to give the EU this role indicated a newfound trust and confidence in Europe.”

Saddam’s Attorneys Murdered

As Reuters reported on November 8, 2005, “Gunmen opened fire on a car carrying two lawyers defending some of Saddam Hussein’s co-defendants in a trial for crimes against humanity, killing one and wounding the other, police and defense team sources said.Tuesday’s attack followed the murder of another defense lawyer in the team… who was shot the day after the trial started in Baghdad last month.”

Jordan Bombings

As Reuters reported on November 10, 2005, “Iraq’s al Qaeda group claimed responsibility for the suspected suicide bombings, which left blood and destruction in Amman’s Grand Hyatt hotel and the nearby Radisson. A third blast targeted a Days Inn hotel.”

BBC News added: “On the face of it, Jordan is an obvious target for Islamic militants. It is a close ally of the United States and a strong supporter of the war in Iraq, and it has signed a peace treaty with Israel. Yet Jordanians were confident in pronouncing the monarchy one of the safest countries in the Middle East. This confidence sprang from trust in Jordan’s respected and feared security services–described by Western diplomats as the most professional and dedicated in the Arab world.”
The article concluded:

“[Jordan’s] choice will be between imposing even stricter controls on public life and carrying out promised democratic reforms. Having seen the ability of Islamic militants to evade one of the region’s most effective security services, the choice will not be easy.”

AntiWar Sermons and the IRS

On November 7, 2005, the Los Angeles Times reported: “The Internal Revenue Service [IRS] has warned one of Southern California’s largest and most liberal churches [All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena] that it is at risk of losing its tax-exempt status because of an antiwar sermon two days before the 2004 presidential election.”

The article explained what had actually happened in 2004:

“In his [guest] sermon [by the church’s former rector, George F. Regas, he] from the pulpit opposed both the Vietnam War and 1991’s Gulf War [and] imagined Jesus participating in a political debate with then-candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry. Regas said that ‘good people of profound faith’ could vote for either man, and did not tell parishioners whom to support. But he criticized the war in Iraq, saying that Jesus would have told Bush, ‘Mr. President, your doctrine of preemptive war is a failed doctrine. Forcibly changing the regime of an enemy that posed no imminent threat has led to disaster.'”

As the LA Times explained, the church received a letter from the IRS stating that “‘a reasonable belief exists that you may not be tax-exempt as a church…’ The federal tax code prohibits tax-exempt organizations, including churches, from intervening in political campaigns and elections.”

USA Today added on November 8, 2005: “Marcus Owens, the church’s tax attorney and a former head of the IRS tax-exempt section, said the agency offered to drop the proceedings if the church admitted wrongdoing. The church declined the offer, he said. The IRS has revoked a church’s charitable designation at least once. A church in Binghamton, N.Y., lost its status after running advertisements against Bill Clinton’s candidacy before the 1992 presidential election.”

In a subsequent article by the Los Angeles Times on November 8, 2005, the following was revealed:

“The IRS threat to revoke the tax-exempt status of All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena because of an antiwar sermon there during the 2004 presidential election is part of a larger, controversial federal investigation of political activity at churches and nonprofit groups.”

The article continued to report about outrage of numerous churches in the United States about the conduct of the IRS:

“… the IRS action has triggered an unusual coalition of critics who say they are concerned about the effect on freedom of speech and religion. When Ted Haggard, head of the 30-million-member National Assn. of Evangelicals, heard about the All Saints case Monday, he told his staff to contact the National Council of Churches, a more liberal group. Haggard said… he wants to work with the council of churches ‘in doing whatever it takes to get the IRS to stop’ such actions. ‘It is a violation of the Constitution for the IRS to threaten that church. It may not be a violation of IRS regulations, but IRS regulations have been wrong,’ said Haggard.”

The article continued:

“In 1976, Congress passed a law that required audits of churches to be done only if there was a ‘reasonable basis’ to believe a violation had occurred, and made such audits subject to a special approval process from senior IRS officials. [Tax attorney] Marcus Owens… said that the more recent IRS policy changes lowered the threshold for church audits, allowing front-line IRS agents to pursue probes with only cursory approval from above. ‘This is exactly the sort of 1st Amendment briar patch the Congress wanted to keep the IRS out of,’ said Owens. The IRS disputed Owens’ contention, saying audits still face a rigorous approval process by high-level agency officials.”

Based on the facts reported in the press, it is indeed difficult to see how the “All Saints Episcopal Church” in Pasadena would have violated the Federal Tax Code, as they clearly did not endorse a particular candidate. It is inconceivable that the IRS would be allowed, under the Constitution, to deny or revoke tax exempt status of churches, which preach against war in general. As President Bush’s former press secretary so eloquently put it on one occasion, we have a clear and long-standing tradition in this country, which is being upheld by the Bush Administration, that churches can legitimately take the position that it is wrong to fight in war.

In John 20:22, we read that Christ, after His resurrection, but before His ascension to heaven and the subsequent Day of Pentecost, breathed upon the disciples and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Some erroneously teach that on that occasion, Christ gave His disciples the Holy Spirit (compare Nelson Study Bible and the Ryrie Study Bible, comments to John 20). Others understand correctly that Christ did not give the Holy Spirit to His disciples at that time. The New Bible Commentary: Revised explains:

“The breathing upon them of the Spirit is understandable since the Greek ‘pneuma’ means both breath and spirit. This would appear to be in anticipation of Pentecost, although some specific assurance of the conveyance of the gift is clearly given here.”

The Bible makes it very clear that Christ’s early apostles and disciples received the Holy Spirit AFTER Christ’s ascension–on the Day of Pentecost, in 31 AD, as recorded in Acts 2. We read in Acts 2:1-4 that they were in Jerusalem (Acts 1:12; 2:5) and that they were filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. In Acts 2:16-18, Peter, in quoting from the writings of the prophet Joel, emphasizes that the Holy Spirit was poured on them on the Day of Pentecost. He also explains in verse 33: “Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He [Jesus Christ] poured out this what you NOW see and hear.” They saw and heard a rushing wind, divided tongues as of fire, and the speaking with other tongues or languages.

After Christ’s resurrection, but before His ascension, Christ told His apostles and disciples: “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem UNTIL you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). In Acts 1:4-5, 8, the risen Christ reiterated His promise: “And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, ‘you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you SHALL BE baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now… you SHALL receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem…'”

We read in Acts 1:9: “Now when He had spoken these things [promising them the receipt of the Holy Spirit IN THE FUTURE], while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.” When Christ was taken up to heaven, His apostles and disciples had not yet received the Holy Spirit; but they were commanded to wait in Jerusalem (Acts 1:4) for the receipt of the Holy Spirit “not many days from now” (Acts 1:5). And as we saw, it was in Jerusalem, on the Day of Pentecost, when they received the Holy Spirit.

While still in the flesh, Christ had promised His disciples on several occasions that the Holy Spirit would be given to them in the future (compare John 14:17, 26; 16:13). That actual event, and the fulfillment of that promise, occurred when the New Testament Church came into existence–on the Day of Pentecost–not before then.

How, then, are we to understand John 20:22? We read, beginning in verse 21: “So Jesus [when He was resurrected, but before He had ascended to heaven, and before the Day of Pentecost] said to them again, ‘Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’ (Verse 22) And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.'” Verse 23 continues to quote Christ’s words: ”If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.'”

Since the Holy Spirit was not given before the Day of Pentecost, Christ’s statement and action in John 20 was a reassurance that they would receive the Holy Spirit not long from then. Christ breathed upon them, showing them that it would be HE who would pour out, directly, the Holy Spirit on them, after He would receive it from the Father. And since the Holy Spirit is a Spirit of power and of discernment, they would receive the strength and ability to witness for Christ and preach the gospel, as well as recognize whether someone has repented and therefore has received forgiveness from God, or whether God did not forgive the person, due to a lack of repentance. Christ told His apostles that they would be able, because of the Holy Spirit within them, to discern God’s Will in the matter of forgiveness, and to communicate and implement God’s Will accordingly.

John 20:22 does not teach that Christ gave the Holy Spirit to His disciples at the time when He breathed on them. Rather, it was a reassurance to them that they would receive the Holy Spirit later–on the Day of Pentecost, as described in Acts 2.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

We are pleased to announce that Margo Garrett in Colorado was baptized on November 5, 2005. We welcome Margo as a newly-begotten child in the Family of God.

A member letter has been written and will be sent out early next week. Dave Harris discusses in the letter our ongoing need to watch, rather than falling asleep, and to zealously stay committed to the Work of God.

Our new 80-page booklet on Predestination is being finalized. We are hopeful to be able to send the booklet to the printer next week.

During the Feast, we distributed questionnaires to those in attendance, asking for their input and comments. Many responded that they are reading all our booklets, member letters, and weekly updates in their entirety, and, if available, they also listen to our StandingWatch programs. We are setting forth below a few general excerpts for your enjoyment and inspiration. Some of the more specific comments will be discussed during our next Conference.

— Keep up the great work. Thank you all
— I think all of the sections in this broad-based publication [weekly update] are important and of great interest to me
— I think that we, as God’s people, are being properly nurtured spiritually through sermons, sermonettes, the weekly update, the StandingWatch programs, the member letters, personal counseling, and urgent email prayer requests. No matter our distance, we feel very much connected to the ministry and each other. This is a great group of God’s people, because God is with us and is guiding us.
— I can add nothing to a work well done
— Thanks to God for CEG
— I am very satisfied with the operations of the church

On November 5, 2005, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “In Christ’s Name.”

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.

Life happens. The sun goes up and it goes down; weeks turn into months; months years; years decades; decades turn into a life time and then what is left behind?

Some leave inheritances fit for kings; some have a large family that remains and another an architectural marvel. Many try to leave their mark on history; some to greater extents and some to lesser degrees than others.

Is there anything that we can build that will last?

There is coming a time when the Earth and Heaven, as we know them, will cease to exist (Revelation 21:1). There will be no more of today’s wonders, man-made or natural. What hope is there then that we can produce anything lasting?

Believe it or not, there is one thing that we can build that will last beyond the passing away of this first heaven and earth…CHARACTER! That is, Godly character.

The word character comes from the Greek word for engraving. It means to exactly represent another image. In Hebrews 1:3, Christ is said to have the express image (Greek: charakter) of God. In the same way, we are to become like God by living by His every word (Matthew 4:4) and following the example of Christ (1 Peter 2:21). We are to strive for the perfection that God is (Matthew 5:48; Hebrews 6:1) and if we do so we will indeed be building the Character of God.

If we work hard at building Godly character and use the tools available to do so, we won’t need to leave anything else behind, because God will see to it that we will live for eternity. In the very end, the only thing that will be around, that we can affect, is this Character and subsequently our place in the God family (see our booklet “God is a Family”).

Are You A Sincere CO?

We are publishing below several typical questions which were asked during the “London Tribunal,” during World War II, and which are being asked by Draft Boards today, trying to determine the sincerity of young men claiming to be Conscientious Objectors. In addition, answers from sincere CO’s are provided as well:

Q. What process of reasoning led you to the views you hold?
A. I do not hold them from a process of reasoning so much as from Bible teaching, which is God’s revelation and instruction to me, and which I believe to be RIGHT, and have dedicated my life to follow.

Q. Are you sure your objection is one of conscience and not of reasoning or repugnance?
A. Yes, from a determination to live according to God’s Word, which teaches me right and wrong, and from conscience, which springs from a conviction of right and wrong rather than from reason.

Q. Why is it inconsistent with your conscience to defend the right against evildoers?
A. As a Christian I have forsaken everything of the world. Politics and war, even though the other nation be in the wrong and the evildoer, are of the world. I am here now as an “Ambassador for Christ,” and my life is dedicated to HIS cause. He is my King. His Kingdom is not of this world and not a fighting kingdom. He taught His followers NOT to fight, but turn the other cheek.

Q. Is your objection to killing, or is it to warfare in general?
A. Both.

Q. Why do you object to killing?
A. It is sin, the penalty of which is death — and I should lose eternal life. I should rather lose this mortal life, and be resurrected by God to life eternal. Sin is the transgression of the law. The law says “Thou shalt not kill.”

Q. Is war wrong? Why?
A. It is wrong. Because God condemns it, and I believe He condemns it because it only results in human suffering and misery and death. I believe no one ever WINS a war — it is, at most, only a matter of which side is the heavier loser. I believe God’s ways are RIGHT.

Q. What method would you use to resist evil?
A. The Scripture tells me NOT to resist it at all, but rather overcome it with good.

Q. If you are not in a position to overcome evil with good, would it not be better to destroy a greater evil with a lesser evil rather than not at all?
A. According to human reasoning, based on human nature, perhaps. But I personally must go by the Bible which teaches differently. Worldly governments do not go by this Bible standard in such cases.

Q. Your country is in danger. What do you propose to do for it now?
A. As Abraham did, I seek a better country, that is, a heavenly country, the coming KINGDOM OF GOD. I live IN the world, but am not OF it. I am here rather as a guest, an Ambassador for Christ, whose kingdom is NOT of this world. While here I am told to be SUBJECT to the government, even to its penalties, willingly, to offer no resistance, but to OBEY GOD. I am willing to do all I can for this country, however, consistent with a Bible Christian life. I cannot bear arms or participate in war. I willingly will do any PEACEFUL work, not contributing to killing.

Asian Earthquake

As the Associated Press reported on November 2, 2005, “Pakistan’s official earthquake death toll jumped by 16,000, and officials warned Wednesday that it is likely to rise further as relief supplies fail to reach thousands of victims stranded in remote parts of the Himalayas. The announcement, which puts the official toll at 73,000, brings the central government figures closer to the number reported by local officials, who say the Oct. 8 quake killed at least 79,000 people in Pakistan.”

Schroeder Goes Out With a Bang

On October 28, 2005, Der Spiegel Online reported about German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s farewell speech to the European Parliament. The magazine wrote: “Schröder Goes Out with a Bang at his Last EU Summit.” It continued: “It also gave outgoing-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder a chance to get some things off his chest, particularly his feelings about the neo-liberal course of the summit’s host, British Prime Minister Tony Blair. It’s been long known that Schröder thinks little of the Anglo-Saxon economic model… At the summit, Schröder and Chirac made it clear that they were in no mood to compromise and have said the UK will have to give way on its [Euros] 4.5 billion rebate if any kind of deal is to be reached. Schröder even gave Blair a parting word of warning: ‘You should not expect the next government to be lenient on the financial perspectives.’ Since Schröder is leading the Social Democrat-side of negotiations with Merkel’s Christian Union bloc, he probably knows what he’s talking about.”

Germany’s Grand Coalition in Danger?

The Economist reported on November 2, 2005, that “One key figure in Germany’s nascent grand coalition has resigned as chairman of his party, and another says he will not serve as a minister. If the Christian Democrats’ Angela Merkel cannot hold things together, new elections may be called for next spring… On Monday October 31st, Franz Muntefering, the chairman of the SPD, unexpectedly announced that he would step down from this position after his party’s executive committee rejected his candidate for SPD number two. A day later, Edmund Stoiber, the head of the CDU’s Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), declared that he would prefer to remain Bavaria’s premier rather than join the new government as economics minister… These wobbles have raised the prospect of the entire edifice collapsing and having to be rebuilt from scratch. That could mean either the formation of another sort of alliance–such as a ‘Jamaica coalition’ of the CDU, Free Democrats (FDP) and Greens, so named because the parties’ colours are black, yellow and green, like the island’s flag–or even new elections early next year.”

New European Grammar Rules Blasphemous?

WorldNetDaily reported on November 1, 2005, that “A new grammar rule devised by the European Union in Brussels stipulates the word ‘Christ’ shall be spelled with a lowercase ‘c.’… the new guidelines also indicate the Dutch word for ‘Jews’ (Juden) is to be spelled with a capital ‘J’ when referring to nationality and with a lower-case ‘j’ when referring to the religion. The EU changes become mandatory next August.”

The article continued to explain that “Many Europeans have long discarded belief in God and in fact believe more deeply in ghosts than in a deity. A new poll finds two-thirds of Britons said they believe in the existence of ghosts and spirits, but only 55 percent said they believe in the existence of God. Meanwhile, 26 percent believe in UFOs [and] 19 percent in reincarnation…”

U.S. Propaganda War On Trial?

On October 30, 2005, Der Spiegel Online reported about the ongoing crisis of the Bush Administration. The magazine stated in its headline: “George W. Bush’s Propaganda War Goes on Trial.” It continued: “They are two of the Bush administration’s most trusted advisors: I. Lewis Libby and Karl Rove. Now, one has been indicted and the other may soon be. The affair promises to put the administration’s Iraq policy on trial and will ask uncomfortable questions about just how much the danger from Iraq was exaggerated. … Indeed, it was [Vice President Dick] Cheney himself who in spring 2002 — almost a year before the US military marched into Baghdad — made the completely unsupported assertion that Saddam Hussein had restarted his nuclear program. Condoleezza Rice, then Bush’s national security advisor, took up the war chant with her catchy warning against Saddam’s nuclear plans. ‘The problem here is that there will always be some uncertainty about how quickly he can acquire nuclear weapons,’ she said. ‘But we don’t want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud.’ The current trial will have to confront the fabrication of intelligence that lead to such overstatements and untruths.”

Illegitimate U.S. Babies

On October 28, 2005, USA Today reported that “A record number of babies–nearly 1.5 million–were born to unmarried women in the U.S. last year. And those moms were more likely to be 20-somethings than teenagers.” The article also explained that “Studies have shown cohabitating relationships are less stable and about half break up within five years.”

Iran vs. Israel

On October 29, 2005, scotsman.com reported about the ongoing controversy regarding Iran’s position toward Israel. The article stated: “Iran’s conservative president yesterday insisted he stands by his call for the destruction of Israel, amid a growing backlash against his comments both internationally and within his own country… Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s remarks have inflamed international tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme and its alleged interference in Iraq, prompting Tony Blair on Thursday to signal that military action against Iran can no longer be ruled out… ‘My words are the Iranian nation’s words,’ said Mr Ahmadinejad.”

At the same time, according to an article by the BBC, dated October 29, 2005, “Iran’s foreign ministry said Tehran respected the UN charter and had never used or threatened to use force. But it also rejected a UN Security Council statement condemning President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over his remarks.”

Halloween a Pagan U.S. Custom

The BBC reported on October 30, 2005, that “Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has urged families not to mark Halloween, calling it a US custom alien to the South American nation. ‘Families go and begin to disguise their children as witches. This is contrary to our way,’ Mr Chavez said during his weekly radio and TV show.” The article continued to point out correctly: “Halloween, a pagan festival characterized by mischiefmaking, is marked every year on 31 October.”

Pigs Cloned

The BBC reported on October 28, 2005, that “The Italian researchers who produced the first horse clone have announced the birth of 14 cloned piglets… Scientists have now cloned sheep, mice, cattle, goats, rabbits, cats, pigs, mules and dogs. The first horse clone–a Halflinger mare named Prometea–was born at the research laboratory in the summer of 2003. Cow clones have also been produced there. The latest experiment was carried out as part of a European Union project to study stem cells in cloned animals.”

Jordan River Soon Dry?

In an article by Al-Jazeera, which was published a while back, in June 24, 2005, it was speculated that the Jordan river might soon dry up. It was stated: “The Jordan river, where Christians believe Jesus was baptized, is heavily polluted with sewage and is in danger of drying up after decades of conflict and intense agricultural use, environmentalists say… The dramatic decline in the Jordan is the main reason why the Dead Sea is also vanishing. The level of the world’s saltiest large body of water is falling by a metre each year and the sea could disappear in 50 years, experts say.”

For some, 2 Corinthians 3:3-11, and especially verse 7, teaches that the Ten Commandments, which were written on tablets of stone, ceased to be in force and effect, when Jesus Christ died on the cross (compare Ryrie Study Bible, footnote to 2 Corinthians 3:7). However, a careful reading of the entire passage does not uphold such an erroneous teaching. In addition, you might want to study our booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound,” for a full explanation as to why the Ten Commandments are still to be obeyed today.

Let us review the entire passage of 2 Corinthians 3:3-11, in context:

“(3)… clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. (4) And we have such trust through Christ toward God. (5) Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, (6) who has also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (7) But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, (8) how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? (9) For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. (10) For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. (11) For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.”

It is important that we carefully analyze this passage, so that we do not reach wrong conclusions. Quoting from pages 14 and 15 of our booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound”:

“… God made a covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai. We read in Exodus 24 that the covenant was sealed with blood. When that happened, the covenant was final and could not be altered. The law of the covenant was written in a book, the ‘Book of the Covenant’ (verse 7; compare Hebrews 9:19-20). At that time, the sacrificial system was not a part of the law–those ritual provisions had not been given yet–and they were not written in the Book of the Covenant. The only sacrifice that is mentioned as a required sacrifice is the Passover (Exodus 23:18; Exodus 12). Yet, even this Passover sacrifice found its fulfillment in the death of Jesus Christ. Christians do not now offer lambs in sacrifice for Passover–rather, Paul shows: ‘For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us’ (1 Corinthians 5:7)… The covenant at Horeb originally did not include the sacrificial system. Neither did the Book of the Covenant contain such ritual regulations. But as time went on, ritual laws were added, including the laws regarding the Levitical priesthood and penalties or curses for violations of God’s spiritual law, and those did find their way into the Book of the Covenant, which is also called the Book of the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 28:58, 61; 29:20-21, 27, 29; 31:9).This Book of the Law was placed outside or beside the ark of the covenant (Deuteronomy 31:24-26). The tablets with the Ten Commandments, however, were placed inside the ark (Deuteronomy 10:4-5; Hebrews 9:4).

“Later, all the laws that had been written by Moses into the Book of the Law were engraved on massive stones (Deuteronomy 27:2-3, 8; Joshua 8:30-32, 34). The laws that were written on the stones included the Ten Commandments, along with the statutes and judgments, and also the rules and regulations regarding sacrifices and other rituals. We find a reference to those stones and the laws that had been engraved on them in 2 Corinthians 3:7-8, ‘But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious… how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?’

“The reference to the ministry of death includes the death penalty for violating God’s spiritual law. The penalties were first written in the Book of the Law of Moses and then engraved on massive stones. Since Christ died for us, we don’t have to pay the death penalty, if we repent of our sins and obtain forgiveness. In addition, the ritual sacrificial laws, which were among the laws written on stones, could not forgive sins–they only reminded the sinners of their sins. The Levitical priesthood was, in that sense, a ministry of death, as people would still not be able to obtain eternal life, even though they brought sacrifices.”

With this background, let us again carefully review verses 3 and 7 of 2 Corinthians 3. In verse 3, reference is made to the Ten Commandments, which were written “on tablets of stone.” Christians today are to keep the Ten Commandments in their hearts–that is, it is not sufficient to possess tablets of stone which include the Ten Commandments, but we have to internalize them and obey them “from the heart.”

Verse 7, however, does NOT refer to the Ten Commandments. As stated above, the “ministry of death, written and engraved on STONES,” refers to massive stones (compare again Deuteronomy 27:2-3, 8; Joshua 8:30-32, 34), on which ALL of God’s laws were written–not just the Ten Commandments, which are spiritual and eternal, but also temporary ritual laws regarding washing and sacrifices. While the two tablets with the Ten Commandments did not include any penalties, the subsequent massive stones did.

Let us compare the different Greek words which are used in verses 3 and 7, when describing the “tablets of stone” and the “ministry of death… engraved on stones.” The Greek word for “of stone” in verse 3 is, “lithinos” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, No. 3035), and means, literally, “made of stone” or formed out of stones. The word is used in Revelation 9:20, describing idols made out of stone. The Greek word for engraved “on stones,” in verse 7, is, “lithos” (Strong’s No. 3037), and it describes complete stones–not something made of stone. It is also rendered as “millstone” in Luke 17:2. The tablets with the Ten Commandments were taken from stones–the tablets did not constitute complete stones. But later, all of God’s laws–permanent as well as temporary rules–were engraved on complete, massive stones. To reiterate: The Ten Commandments were written on TABLETS OF STONE–the laws of the Book of Moses, including the penalties for sin, were engraved on COMPLETE, MASSIVE STONES.

The Ten Commandments, as well as other permanent and temporary laws, were WRITTEN in a book–the Book of the Law of Moses. Verse 7 makes reference to this fact, when it says, “…WRITTEN and engraved on stones.” Quite literally, the meaning is that all of the laws were first “reduced to writing” (“en grammasin” in Greek) and then “engraved” (“entupoo” in Greek) “on stones” (“en lithos” in Greek).

2 Corinthians 3:7-8 could be paraphrased as follows, to clarify the intended meaning:

“But if the ministry of death, which was first written in the Book of the Law of Moses and later engraved on massive stones, was glorious, even though it would cease one day–so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance (after he saw God’s form), which glory also passed away–how will the ministry of the Spirit, which will endure forever, not be more glorious?”

God’s true ministers today do not administer the death penalty for sin–they don’t fulfill the ancient Levitical priesthood’s role and function of a “ministry of condemnation” (2 Corinthians 3:9). Rather, God’s true ministry today teaches that sinning man can receive forgiveness of sin, through the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. God’s ministry today also teaches that man must keep the Ten Commandments. Man can only do this, however, through the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within him, which is received after repentance, belief and baptism. In other words, God’s ministry is a “ministry of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 3:9), teaching man how to obtain righteousness and how to live righteously. For further information on this critically important subject, please read our free booklet, “Baptism–A Requirement for Salvation?”

2 Corinthians 3:2-11 does not teach that the Ten Commandments are abolished. Quite to the contrary, the passage teaches that the Ten Commandments must be kept today. However, they must be kept in the Spirit, that is, they must be applied in our lives with their spiritual intent, as Christ clearly explained in Matthew 5-7. In doing so, we can escape death and inherit eternal life. If we refuse to do so, Christ’s warning in John 3:36 is still applicable for us today: “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him (Revised Standard Version).”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

The final text of our new booklet on Predestination has been sent to Shelly Bruno, our graphic designer, for finalization.

We received in excess of 1,400 responses to our advertising campaign in England, advertising our booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

We’ll Always Be OK
by Michael Link

We have all just returned from what was another enjoyable feast. During that time we experienced joy, fellowship, spiritual growth, peace and fun; a foretaste of what is to come in the Millennium. What about after the feast? We are faced with trials every year during this time. But no matter what is thrown at us, we have to remember that we have somebody watching and helping us through every situation. I wrote a song a while back which lets us know that we are always in good hands.

We drove down the coastline
expecting a safe ride.
Excitement was building,
we planned for a good time.

Our share of close calls
were unexpected.
Protection is vital
in case of a downfall.

We’ll Always Be Ok

A break is essential
from customary life.
Enjoy these few moments
Posing as crucial.

Trials we encounter
We seem to get through them.
This world is a landmine
but one thing is for sure

We’ll Always Be Ok

As we left this place here
back to our routine
Continue to live right
We have nothing to fear.

We’ll Always Be Ok