On Saturday, September 4, 2004, Norbert Link will be giving the sermon, titled, “Hallowed Be Thy 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.

Mankind, from the beginning of his existence on the earth, has had the responsibility that comes with the opportunity to choose the way he would live his life. It seems that, for the most part, mankind has made the wrong choice!

Eve, when confronted by the serpent, Satan the devil (who originally was the cherub Lucifer), to take of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or to continue to remain obedient to God and His way of life, made the wrong choice. Adam followed the example of his wife (Genesis 3). Until this wrong decision was made, no sin existed in the earth on the part of mankind. But with their decision, a whole new approach to life on the earth came into existence for man.

That wrong decision made by Adam and Eve led to a world of violence. In Genesis, chapter 6, verse 5, God reveals that “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually.” God came to regret that He had created mankind, and actually made the decision to destroy man from the earth (verses 6-7).

But, we are told that one man had made the choice not to follow the direction of those around him, and thus, found grace in the eyes of the LORD (verse 8). This man, Noah, “…was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God” (verse 9). Because of the choice made by this one man, God decided that He would allow life to continue on the earth for mankind, starting over with this one righteous man and his family (plus, of course, the animals brought onto the ark).

Because of the right choices of Abraham, God chose Israel as the nation He would work through to continue to carry His Way on the earth, insofar as the literal obedience to His Law was concerned. In Deuteronomy 30, after the LORD had delivered Israel from the hands of the Egyptians and had revealed to them once again His righteous and perfect Law, He said to them, in verse 15: “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply….”

He told them in verse 19, “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 descendents may live….”

God tells us He does not change (Malachi 3:6). His directive to mankind is the same, today, as it was then! All people of the world make choices, every day, whether they will live righteously or not. But there is one critical difference. While the world continues to go its evil way, God has called a group of people to Himself; a people called by His name; to come out from the evil ways of the world, and to live their lives based upon His laws, His statutes, and His judgments!

Each of us being called to this way of life, make choices every day. Will we obey God or not? Will we walk in His Way or not? Will we attempt to worship Him in a false way, by following ideologies or doctrines He did not give us, thus effectively worshipping false gods? Will we bow down to gods made with human hands, wooden or stone images? Will we dishonor God by being irreverent to His name? Will we faithfully keep and properly observe His Sabbath and His Holy Days?

Will we kill another human being, for instance in war, or even murder him in our thoughts through the sin of hatred? Will we allow lust and the evil of adultery to consume us? Will we steal that which belongs to others, including our brethren, or steal that which is rightfully belonging to God in our failure to give to Him the tithes and offerings He requires? Will we lie or bear false witness against our neighbor or God? Will we covet that which does not belong to us, thus sinning against our God?

The world finds itself today once again in the throes of evil, continually. But God has His eyes on those in the earth called by His Name! Judgment is now on the house of God! And with every decision we come to; with every choice we make; God is taking notice! He is ready and able to help in times of need (Psalm 34: 15, 16-20, 22). Will we do what is right in reference to Him, in reference to our mates and our children, and in reference to our neighbor? Each time we break a law of God, it is the result of a wrong choice we have made!

Noah was righteous before God, as were Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. David was a man after God’s own heart. Jesus Christ walked upon the earth in the flesh and lived a perfect life. Each of these men had to make choices every day. God was pleased overall with the choices they made, and of course, in the case of Christ, He was always pleased.

God has called you and me at this time; He has given us His Spirit and His Law; and He has said to us: “Choose life!” What choices will you make, today? Will God be pleased? Judgment is now — on the house of God!

Iran’s Atomic Bomb?

On August 28, 2004, WorldNetDaily.com published an article on Iran’s preparations to accelerate uranium enrichment in violation of Tehran’s pledge to the European Union, according to Israeli sources. The article claimed that Iran plans to acquire enough enriched uranium to assemble its first nuclear weapons in 2007. It quoted the U.S. government as follows: “If we permit Iran’s deception to go on much longer, it will be too late… Iran will have nuclear weapons.”

It was also alleged that “Tehran has told Britain, France and Germany that Iran could enrich enough uranium for a nuclear weapon within a year… The Israeli intelligence assessment asserted that Iran would acquire indigenous nuclear weapons capability in 2007 and produce its first atomic bombs in 2008.”

At the same time, a U.N. report claimed that there is no evidence that Iran is accelerating uranium enrichment.

This World Still Turns…

While the American public has been fixated on the upcoming governmental election for the U.S. Presidency, watching every speech of both the Democratic and the Republican conventions, the world’s problems, unaffected by America’s political campaigns, have not decreased, by any standard.

We do not endorse any candidate or party. Instead, we are observing events in the U.S., as well as in all the world, which might very likely affect your future, based on Biblical prophecy. And so, let us give you, first, a very brief overview of this week’s events, taken from articles from Wednesday, September 1, 2004, followed by a selection of more in-depth quotes and analysis:

RUSSIA:

“More than a dozen militants wearing suicide-bomb belts seized a southern Russian school in a region bordering Chechnya on Wednesday, taking hostage about 400 people — half of them children — and threatening to blow up the building if police storm it. At least eight people have been killed, one of them a school parent” (AP).

“Russia deployed extra troops to guard dozens of nuclear facilities across the country on Wednesday after militants seized a school in the south and a suicide bomb attack in Moscow, the nuclear authority said” (Reuters).

“Distraught Moscow residents laid flowers Wednesday outside a subway station where a suicide bomber killed 10 people, while a militant Muslim group that claimed responsibility for the crash of two Russian airliners last week said it was also behind the latest attack” (AP).

ISRAEL:

“Israeli troops closed off a West Bank city and Palestinian militants celebrated after Hamas blew up two buses, seconds apart, in the desert town of Beersheba, killing 16 Israelis and ending a months-long lull in suicide attacks” (AP).

“Israel threatened Syria on Wednesday after Palestinian suicide bombers killed 16 people in the first such attacks in the Jewish state in nearly six months” (Reuters).

“Israel vowed a global pursuit of Hamas leaders and to accelerate construction of its West Bank barrier after the deadliest Palestinian attack in nearly a year” (AFP).

SUDAN:

“A U.N. report called Wednesday for a quick increase in the international monitoring force in Sudan, saying the government has not stopped attacks against civilians or disarmed marauding militias” (AP).

FRANCE:

“France frantically called on Arab leaders and Muslim religious leaders Wednesday to help save two journalists kidnapped in Iraq, setting in motion a swell of solidarity unseen in previous hostage dramas” (AP).

“Pope John Paul, echoing appeals by Muslim leaders, called Wednesday for the release of two French journalists held hostage in Iraq as France’s foreign minister pressed on with a Middle East rescue mission… A report by the Dubai-based Al Arabiya television that Iraqi militants had released seven hostages from Kenya, India and Egypt could also give France some cause for hope. But the killing of 12 Nepali hostages by a separate group of militants highlighted the gravity of the situation. Pictures of those killings appeared on an Islamist Web site Tuesday… The kidnappings have stunned France, which led opposition to the U.S.- led war and objected to pre-war sanctions against Iraq. It was also a shock to a country which prides itself on its relations with the Arab world” (Reuters).

NEPAL:

“Thousands of people rampaged through Kathmandu, setting fire to a mosque and Arab targets and ransacking employment agencies after 12 Nepalese hostages were murdered in Iraq” (AFP).

IRAQ:

“Saboteurs attacked an oil pipeline in southern Iraq over the weekend, sending up pillars of smoke and bringing a slowdown in supply. It was by no means an isolated incident” (OneWorld.net).

INDIA:

“After a devastating deluge that left over 700 dead, rendered millions homeless and washed away the harvest, over 20 million people in the eastern Indian state of Bihar are faced [with] starvation and disease, with food riots and three starvation deaths reported so far” (OneWorld.net).

Muslims Go to Heaven?

If the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, were to be believed, Muslims will go to heaven after death, according to an article published by news.telegraph.co.uk, on August 30, 2004. The article quoted Williams as saying that he “reminded Christians that they did not have a monopoly on the afterlife.” The article continued: “He surprised some… by declaring that Muslims can go to heaven. Dr Williams said that neither he nor any Christian could control access to heaven. ‘It is possible for God’s spirit to cross boundaries,’ he said. ‘I say this as someone who is quite happy to say that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father except by Jesus. But how God leads people through Jesus to heaven, that can be quite varied, I think.'”

However, Dr. Williams is wrong on both counts. The Bible is clear that there is no “salvation in any other” but Christ (Acts 4:12). As long as we are not TRUE Christians, we will NOT be saved. At the same time, even true Christians don’t go to heaven, when they die. No human being does, or did, except for Jesus Christ Himself (compare John 3:13). For a full discussion of this important subject, please read our free booklet, “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?”

Britain kidnapped by EU?

AFP reported about an attack of Anti-EU papers against Brussels for an alleged “‘hijack’ of Olympics.” In its article of August 31, 2004, it stated: “The European Commission spokesman might only have been joking when he hailed the collective success of the European Union at the Olympics, but for the vehemently anti-Brussels press it was no laughing matter. Two of the most strongly anti-EU newspaper[s] reacted with horror on Tuesday to Reijo Kemppinen’s light-hearted comment that the 25-member bloc had ‘swept the floor’ at the Athens Games with a collective tally of 82 gold medals. They were equally aghast at a suggestion by outgoing European Commission president Romano Prodi that EU member teams could fly the European Union flag alongside their own national emblem at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.”

Especially The Sun, the country’s best-selling daily paper, attacked Romano Prodi with these strong words: “Mr Prodi, a failed Italian politician, is about to step down after a dismal term as EU president. He has infuriated critics by spelling out his vision for an EU superstate, dubbed the ‘Holy Romano Empire.’ The article disapproved of other statements as well, continuing: “German Ingo Friedrich, vice-president of the Euro Parliament, insisted medals must be listed under the EU to ‘foster a European identity.'”

The anti-European movement is strong in Britain. Bible prophecies strongly indicate that Britain will not be a member of the future EU.

Schwarzenegger Speaks Out

In his first nationwide televised address, since he became California’s new governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered a passionate speech on Tuesday at the Republican National Convention. The following excerpts from his speech show that Schwarzenegger, a “liberal” Republican, who is in disagreement with numerous issues of his own party leadership, might very well play an important role in the future of the United States:

“I was born in Europe …and I’ve traveled all over the world. I can tell you that there is no place, no country, more compassionate, more generous, more accepting and more welcoming than the United States of America… When I was a boy, the Soviets occupied part of Austria. I saw their tanks in the streets. I saw communism with my own eyes. I remember the fear we had when we had to cross into the Soviet sector. Growing up, we were told, ‘Don’t look the soldiers in the eye. Look straight ahead.’ It was a common belief that Soviet soldiers could take a man out of his own car and ship him off to the Soviet Union as slave labor.

“My family didn’t have a car — but one day we were in my uncle’s car. It was near dark as we came to a Soviet checkpoint. I was a little boy, I wasn’t an action hero back then, and I remember how scared I was that the soldiers would pull my father or my uncle out of the car and I’d never see him again. My family and so many others lived in fear of the Soviet boot. Today, the world no longer fears the Soviet Union and it is because of the United States of America!…

“I finally arrived here in 1968. I had empty pockets, but I was full of dreams. The presidential campaign was in full swing. I remember watching the Nixon and Humphrey presidential race on TV. A friend who spoke German and English, translated for me. I heard Humphrey saying things that sounded like socialism, which is what I had just left. But then I heard Nixon speak. He was talking about free enterprise, getting government off your back, lowering taxes and strengthening the military. Listening to Nixon speak sounded more like a breath of fresh air.”

Later on in his speech, Schwarzenegger addressed principles of leadership and the role of America in the world. He stated:

“My fellow Americans, make no mistake about it, terrorism is more insidious than communism, because it yearns to destroy not just the individual, but the entire international order. The President didn’t go into Iraq because the polls told him it was popular. As a matter of fact, the polls said just the opposite. But leadership isn’t about polls. It’s about making decisions you think are right and then standing behind those decisions…

“We’re the America that sends out Peace Corps volunteers to teach village children. We’re the America that sends out missionaries and doctors to raise up the poor and the sick. We’re the America that gives more than any other country, to fight [AIDS] in Africa and the developing world. And we’re the America that fights not for imperialism but for human rights and democracy. You know, when the Germans brought down the Berlin Wall, America’s determination helped wield the sledgehammers. When that lone, young Chinese man stood in front of those tanks in Tiananmen Square, America’s hopes stood with him. And when Nelson Mandela smiled in election victory after all those years in prison, America celebrated, too.

“We are still the lamp lighting the world especially for those who struggle. No matter in what labor camp they slave, no matter in what injustice they’re trapped — they hear our call … they see our light … and they feel the pull of our freedom. They come here as I did because they believe. They believe in us. They come because their hearts say to them, as mine did, ‘If only I can get to America.’ Someone once wrote — ‘There are those who say that freedom is nothing but a dream.’ They are right. It’s the American dream.”

Putin’s Problems

Reuters reported on August 31, 2004, that evidence may exist that the recent Russian airline crashes were caused by al Qaeda. The article stated: “Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday investigators were probing a possible link between al Qaeda and Chechen rebels widely believed to have downed two passenger planes a week ago.” Putin also defended the most recent election in Chechnya. The article pointed out: “At a meeting with the leaders of France and Germany, Putin also defended Sunday’s election in the turbulent Chechnya region, which was denounced by rights groups as stage-managed, and by Washington and the European Union as seriously flawed.”

Putin had also been criticized for his uncompromising and sometimes brutal dealings with the “Chechnya problem.” The article continued: “Putin, who sent Russian troops back to Chechnya in 1999 to cement his image as a strong leader ahead of his own election, has repeatedly said ‘foreign terrorists’ were driving a rebel insurgence in the region on Russia’s southern rim. He told Chirac and Schroeder he would never allow Russia to splinter and its territorial integrity was beyond question.”

Putin’s claims are not unchallenged. As Reuters reported: “Last week an Islamist group calling itself Islambouli made an Internet claim that its followers had brought down the two planes on August 24, killing 90 people, to avenge the killing of Muslims by Russia in Chechnya. Moderate Chechen separatists accused Russia’s special forces of spreading misinformation and denied any link to the group.”

Sanctions Against the U.S.

Associated Press reported on August 31, 2004, that “The World Trade Organization decided Tuesday to authorize the imposition of sanctions against the United States by the European Union and other leading U.S. trade partners in response to illegal antidumping rules, officials said.” It is, however, uncertain, whether the EU will impose sanctions, or whether they will use the decision of the WTO to compel the U.S. to repeal their antidumping rules.

As the article explained:

“The EU may prefer to use the threat of sanctions to force the United States to repeal the legislation more quickly or to obtain concessions in other trade negotiations. Named for its sponsor Senator Robert Byrd, a West Virginia Democrat, the three-year-old amendment allows the United States [to] give U.S. companies money collected in fines against foreign exporters judged to be selling products in the United States at artificially low prices. The WTO ruled the measure illegal in 2002, backing claims that it punishes exporters to the United States twice because first they are fined and then those fines are passed on to their competitors.”

Milosevic Defends Himself

As Reuters reported on August 31, 2004, “Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic launched his long-delayed defense on Tuesday, branding his war crimes trial a ‘distortion of history’ and blaming the West for fueling Yugoslavia’s collapse… Milosevic, a Belgrade law school graduate, tackled the Austro-Hungarian Empire, World War One, Nazi Germany’s occupation of countries in the Balkans, U.S. foreign policy and the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 in his opening statement.”

Associated Press pointed out in its article of August 31, 2004:

“Milosevic, 63, faces 66 counts of war crimes for allegedly instigating three wars during the violent breakup of the Yugoslav federation in the 1990’s when more than 200,000 people were killed. Prosecutors say he was responsible for ethnic cleansing in the former republics to create a ‘greater Serbia’ that united Serbs across Yugoslavia. Milosevic said tens of thousands of Serbs were killed or driven from their homes in Croatia before the Yugoslav army responded. ‘This is a classical example of an armed rebellion against a state,’ he said. ‘A state has the right to use all means necessary to control the rebellion.’ Later, Milosevic, said mujahadeen fighters flooded into Muslim-dominated Bosnia from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Morocco ‘to support the first Islamic state in Europe.’ The Afghans came with arms supplied by the U.S. intelligence agency, the CIA, Milosevic said. ‘”

AFP pointed out in its article of August 31, 2004:

“Milosevic, who is acting as his own lawyer, angrily attacked the UN court for the former Yugoslavia as ‘an illegal institution.’ … In his opening statement Milosevic focussed on the historical backdrop of the Bosnian and Croatian wars. He blamed Western powers in general and Germany in particular for recognising what he called ‘the illegal secession’ of the former Yugoslav republics. … ‘He says he fought a just war and that he defended himself from outside interference. These might be valid arguments but he is not on trial for the wars as such but for… violating the internationally enshrined humanitarian laws and laws for the rules and customs of war,’ legal expert Heikelina Verrijn Stuart said.”

Hurricane Frances

Associated Press reported on September 2, 2004:

“Hurricane Frances churned its way toward the Bahamas on Thursday after forcing hundreds of people from their homes in the nearby British territory of Turks and Caicos as the Caribbean faced one of its strongest storms in years. The Category 4 [downgraded to Category 3] storm’s lashing winds of more than 145 mph tore tin roofs off houses and plucked trees from the ground as it hit the Turks and Caicos on Wednesday. No injuries were reported but hundreds fled their homes and many telephone lines were still down… More than a dozen houses were damaged, and one woman was rescued after her house’s roof blew off.”

The article continued:

“Forecasters warned U.S. residents from Florida to the Carolinas to monitor Frances — the third major hurricane of the Atlantic season, following Alex and Charley. Three-quarters of a million people in Florida were told to leave their homes by Thursday afternoon as Hurricane Frances inched toward the U.S. mainland. States of emergency were declared in Georgia and Florida. Forecasters said the still-strengthening Category 4 [downgraded to Category 3] storm could hit on Labor Day weekend as early as Friday night, less than three weeks after Charley raked Florida’s western coast with 145 mph wind, killing 27 people and causing billions of dollars in damage. Florida Gov. Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency, activating the National Guard.”

Please also note our prayer request regarding this situation in Florida.

Germany and Italy Booed at Republican Convention

Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani prompted the audience to boo at Germany and Italy, when he delivered his speech Monday at the Republican National Convention. In his support for President Bush’s war against worldwide terrorism, he compared Mr. Bush’s decisiveness with Germany’s and Italy’s indecisiveness about 25 – 30 years ago.

Giuliani said: “Terrorism did not start on September 11, 2001. It had been festering for many years. And the world had created a response to it that allowed it to succeed. The attack on the Israeli team at the Munich Olympics was in 1972. And the pattern had already begun. The three surviving terrorists were arrested and within two months released by the German government.”

At that moment, the audience booed. Giuliani continued:

“Action like this became the rule, not the exception. Terrorists came to learn they could attack and often not face consequences. In 1985, terrorists attacked the Achille Lauro and murdered an American citizen who was in a wheelchair, Leon Klinghoffer. They marked him for murder solely because he was Jewish. Some of those terrorists were released and some of the remaining terrorists allowed to escape by the Italian government because of fear of reprisals.”

At that moment, the audience booed again. Guiliani continued:

“So terrorists learned they could intimidate the world community and too often the response, particularly in Europe, was ‘accommodation, appeasement and compromise.’ And worse the terrorists also learned that their cause would be taken more seriously, almost in direct proportion to the barbarity of the attack. Terrorist acts became a ticket to the international bargaining table. How else to explain Yasser Arafat winning the Nobel Peace Prize when he was supporting a terrorist plague in the Middle East that undermined any chance of peace? Before September 11, we were living with an unrealistic view of the world much like our observing Europe appease Hitler or trying to accommodate ourselves to peaceful coexistence with the Soviet Union through mutually assured destruction. President Bush decided that we could no longer be just on defense against global terrorism but we must also be on offense.”

Especially the response of the German press to Guiliani’s attacks on Germany, and the reaction of his audience, was mixed. Bild Online, a daily tabloid normally supportive of the Bush Administration, expressed irritation that Guiliani and the Republicans would resurrect an event that happened more than 30 years ago. On the other hand, Der Spiegel Online, normally extremely critical of the Bush Administration, had this to say, when commenting on the tragic events during the Olympics in 1972:

“Three of the captured terrorists were allegedly released by the Germans within a few months, according to Giuliani. And he was right. His statements were even much more tame, than reality had been. The German conduct belongs to Germany’s darkest hours of its post war history. On October 29, 1972, only a few weeks after the terrorist attack, a Lufthansa airplane was kidnapped on its flight from Beirut to Frankfurt. The kidnapper demanded the release of the three captured terrorists. Very quickly, without any consultation with Israel, the German government complied with the demand.”

Ireland consists of two separate countries — the South, also known as Eire, and the North. The North (or Northern Ireland) has been historically linked with Great Britain. The British people, and the people in Northern Ireland, are descendants from Ephraim, one of the two sons of Joseph (a son of Jacob or Israel). The people in the South (or Southern Ireland) are descendants from ancient Dan, one of the 12 sons of Jacob. (Please note that the descendants of Dan can also be found today in Denmark. This Q&A only discusses Dan’s descendants in Southern Ireland).

History shows that the original settlers of the Emerald Isle were the “Thuatha De Danaan” – – descendants from ancient Dan.

We read the following prophecies about Dan: “Dan shall judge his people As one of the tribes of Israel” (Genesis 49:16). This did happen, to an extent, in the ancient past, and it will happen again in the future, AFTER Christ’s return. We also read, in Deuteronomy 33:22: “Dan is a lion’s whelp; He shall leap from Bashan.” Genesis 49:17 states: “Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, That bites the horse’s heels So that its rider shall fall backward.” We find an example of such cunning cruelty in war, which could also be compared, at times, with modern-day Guerilla warfare, in Judges 18:27: “So they… went to Laish, to a people quiet and secure; and they struck them with the edge of the sword and burnt the city with fire.” We also find described, in verse 29, their custom to name cities after the name of their forefather Dan; and we note their ancient and modern involvement with idolatry, as described in verses 30-31, and in Amos 8:14.

Southern Ireland or modern Dan has, in its past, been linked with Germany– especially during World War II, when they supported Germany against Britain and Northern Ireland in different ways. For instance, German submarines docked at Southern Ireland’s ports. During the blackout, people in Southern Ireland lit up windows to show the German airplanes where to go to bomb the shipyards in Northern Ireland. This friendly relationship between Southern Ireland and continental Europe, especially Germany, has continued after the war. Several years ago, continental Europe pumped 1 million pounds a day into Southern Ireland to save it from bankruptcy.

During the time of World War II, Winston Churchill recognized that Great Britain owed a great amount of gratitude for its survival to Northern Ireland. He wrote in 1943: “But for the loyalty of Northern Ireland…, we should have been confronted with slavery and death.” Presently, both the United Kingdom and Ireland are members of the EU, but the days of Great Britain’s membership in the EU are most likely numbered. At the same time, it appears that Southern Ireland or Eire will be strongly linked with the United States of Europe, apart from Great Britain. Southern Ireland rejects the British throne.

The Bible clearly predicts that a future European power bloc (perhaps by utilizing help from Southern Ireland) will conquer and enslave the United Kingdom.

When Great Britain is severely punished for their sins, many will come to repentance. We find this astonishing prophecy about Britain’s future in Deuteronomy 30:1-3: “Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives you, and you return to the LORD your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you.”

However, this prophecy about Britain’s repentance might not apply, in the same way, to Southern Ireland. All the factors listed in this article may very well contribute to the reason why modern Dan (Southern Ireland) will have to wait for God’s salvation (compare Genesis 49:18, Authorized Version). We note that Revelation 7:4-8 describes a time following the “Great Tribulation” — when God will “seal” 144,000 modern descendants from the houses of Israel and Judah. God will do this to protect them during the Day of the Lord from His wrath to come over this earth. We find that 12,000 from each tribe will be sealed — except for the tribe of Dan. It appears that only very few from the tribe of Dan will come to repentance, prior to Christ’s return.

For more information on the future of Great Britain, including Northern Ireland, please read our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

Our new book, “Jesus Christ, A Great Mystery!,” was sent to the printer this week. You may access this publication by going to the Church’s web site: http://www.eternalgod.org/lit/letters/.

A new StandingWatch program, titled, “Why Not Evolution,” has been posted on the Web.

On Saturday, August 28, 2004, J. Edwin Pope will be giving the sermon, titled, “With All Boldness.”

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.

Jesus Christ had performed an awesome miracle — He had opened the eyes of a beggar who was born blind (John 9:1-11). The healed person testified to the doubting and envious Pharisees about the extraordinary power of God, when he said: “Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could no nothing” (John 9:32-33). The Pharisees did not agree. They resisted Christ, partially because He did not live and act according to their customs, traditions and religious concepts and interpretations. After all, Christ healed the blind man on the Sabbath! (verse 14). That was forbidden by human tradition! On one occasion, Christ healed a woman from her infirmity, and He did so, again, on the Sabbath. The ruler of the synagogue, held captive by his human interpretation of God’s Law, remarked, quite hypocritically, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day” (Luke 13:14).

Christ deliberately broke with such human tradition, as it was in contradiction with God’s Will and purpose. He told His accuser: “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound — think of it — for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” (Luke 13:15-16).

Christ was never afraid to break with human traditions, in order to uphold the Will of God. He chided the Pharisees for accusing His disciples of eating bread with ritually or ceremonially unwashed hands (Mark 7:2-6). Christ did not teach His disciples to follow those ceremonies, derived from human traditions, as they did not constitute TRUE worship of God. On another occasion, He spoke publicly with a woman, although this was not accepted by human tradition (compare John 4:27). Christ also defended His disciples for not fasting while He was with them (Matthew 9:14-15), although religious Jews fasted twice a week (compare Luke 18:12). He lived a healthy life in accordance with God’s Law, eating and drinking, while many thought that He should live like an ascetic (Matthew 11:19). He did not reject or refuse to accept, as worshippers, prostitutes who approached Him (Luke 7:36-50), and He ate with tax collectors and “sinners” (Matthew 9:10-13). He thereby clearly and purposefully violated human traditions and customs, which were AGAINST God’s perfect Will. He defended His disciples who plucked grain on the Sabbath (Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5). And, of course, Christ made it a point to heal people on the Sabbath, showing thereby that the Sabbath is to be kept as a day of rest and freedom from suffering and pain.

Returning to the healing of the man who was born blind, the Pharisees tried to discredit Christ. Some implied that He was not of God, but of Satan, since He did not keep the Sabbath in accordance with human tradition, while others suggested that the man had never been blind, to begin with. So they questioned the parents about the beggar. They confirmed their son’s blindness from birth, but were afraid to associate any further with Christ, “because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue” (John 9:22). There were others who also refused to openly confess Christ, for fear that they might be put out of the synagogue (John 12:42), “for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:43).

How are we doing? Are we sometimes afraid to stand up for Christ, so that we can keep our own traditions and customs — the traditions of the society in which we live — so that we don’t have to “offend” people? Is it more important to us to be accepted by people, rather than by God? Do WE sometimes love the praise of men more than the praise of God? Paul testified: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ” (Romans 1:16). He encouraged Timothy not to “be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord” (2 Timothy 1:8). Did not Christ warn all of us that He will be ashamed of us, if we are ashamed of Him and His words (Mark 8:38)?

Granted, we are to render “customs to whom customs” are due (Romans 13:7), but only, if this does not contradict the letter AND the Spirit of God’s Law. We must obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29), and we must do everything “to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

In many cases, it may be obvious what to do, and what not to do. But it may not be always that clear, at first sight. It is important, however, that we learn to make right decisions in every circumstance (compare Hebrews 5:14). Christ told us that we worship Him in vain, if we keep as doctrines the commandments of men — human traditions — while doing away with the commandments of God (compare Matthew 15:3, 6, 9; Mark 7:6-13).

Christ lived a perfect life, and we are to follow His example (1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6). When we are confronted with situations, as to whether or not to follow human traditions and customs, let us ask the question, “What would Christ have done?” If we let Christ live His life in us today, and if we follow His lead, we won’t go wrong.

Reports on Iraqi Prisoner Abuse

Associated Press reported on August 25, 2004, that, according to an independent report, “Inattention to prisoner issues by senior U.S. military leaders in Iraq and at the Pentagon was a key factor in the abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib prison, but there is no evidence they ordered any mistreatment.” The article continued to point out:

“The independent panel’s report directly blamed the events at Abu Ghraib on the soldiers there and their immediate commanders. It also said senior commanders and top-level Pentagon officials, including Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, can be faulted for failed leadership and oversight…. The report contradicts the Bush administration’s assertion that the problem was limited to a few soldiers acting on their own. So far, seven military police soldiers have faced criminal charges; two dozen or more military intelligence soldiers may also be charged, but it appears increasingly unlikely that top-level commanders will be disciplined.”

On August 26, the New York Times published an article about a second report that was released on Wednesday. It stated: “A high-level Army investigation has found that military intelligence soldiers played a major role in directing and carrying out the abuses of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison. The report undercut earlier contentions by military officials and the Bush administration that a handful of renegade military police guards were largely to blame… The report blamed the abuses on a combination of factors, including a small group of ‘morally corrupt’ soldiers and civilian contractors, poor leadership by commanding officers and a failure by military headquarters in Baghdad to recognize the looming disaster. Coupled with the findings released on Tuesday by a four-member independent panel headed by James R. Schlesinger, a former defense secretary, the Army report reaffirms the suspicion of many critics that culpability extended far beyond a handful of low-level military police personnel, to include military intelligence soldiers in Iraq and up the chain of command in the Persian Gulf to the highest levels in Washington.”

France and Germany Europe’s New Leaders

The Associated Press reported on August 25, that 60 years after France’s liberation from Nazi occupation, “the people who suffered most are among the staunchest supporters of a new Europe in which France and Germany are, essentially, just two members of a 25-nation super-state. ‘”The article continued: ”’A united Europe is a lesson for the rest of the world,’ according to an observer.”

U.S. Troop Withdrawal from Germany

The Washington Times reported on August 25, 2004, that “U.S. troop plans alarm Germany.” The article pointed out: “The planned worldwide redeployment of U.S. troops has created an acute problem for Germany, which has benefited for decades from the largest concentration of American bases in Europe. At stake are about 80,000 jobs in a country unable to halt the tide of unemployment, now at 10 percent of the labor force, and the loss of considerable revenue to regional administrations. Mayors of towns near U.S. bases have appealed to Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to persuade Washington to change its mind. The German Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the protesting mayors and regional chiefs that it was in contact with Washington and that ‘no definitive action has been taken,’ according to German sources. Diplomats point out that the German demands have nothing to do with defense and everything to do with local economic considerations.”

The article continued to explain: “The Pentagon has announced a major reduction in U.S. military presence abroad, affecting an estimated 60,000 to 70,000 troops stationed mainly in Europe and Asia. The gradual withdrawal is to begin in 2006 and will last four years as part of the changing strategy in the post-cold War era. The collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the subsequent disintegration of the Soviet bloc has already resulted in the reduction of U.S. military strength in Germany from 250,000 to 73,000 personnel. The new cuts are expected to reduce that number by half… “

This new development could not have come at a worst time for Germany’s Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder. The article explained:

“This and other such protests have added to the problems besetting Mr. Schroeder as Germany struggles to emerge from recession. For the past few weeks, hundreds of thousands have demonstrated in about 150 towns across the former communist east German region in protest against the government’s latest reform plans. The demonstrations were mainly triggered by the law that cuts jobless benefits to those who decline job offers, even if the offers don’t correspond to the applicant’s qualifications and his previous salary. Unemployment in former East Germany has reached 20 percent in some areas. So far, Mr. Schroeder has refused to change his mind. ‘I see no other alternative for Germany,’ he said, despite a considerable loss of popularity by his ruling Social Democratic Party.”

The article also stated: “Karsten Voigt, coordinator for U.S.-German cooperation, claims that Germany will remain the main area of U.S. military deployment in Europe. According to some reports, the United States has put out feelers about moving several bases eastward, to Poland, Hungary and Romania. Bavaria’s governor, Edmund Stoiber, said he would spare no effort to make sure that a maximum of U.S. troops remain in Germany. Some conservative politicians have accused Mr. Schroeder of causing the withdrawals by his opposition to the U.S.- led war in Iraq. But according to the authoritative German daily Suddeutsche Zeitung, the plan to further reduce U.S. forces in Germany existed long before the invasion of Iraq.”

Europe’s Need for Additional Defense?

www.eubusiness.com published an article, dated August 17, 2004, titled, “US pullout puts pressure on Europe’s defense plans.” It continued:

“The US decision to withdraw tens of thousands of troops from Europe and Asia will add pressure on European governments to boost long-flagging military cooperation plans, analysts said Tuesday. Monday’s announcement by US President George W. Bush is also not good news for NATO, the transatlantic alliance still battling to heal deep divisions triggered by last year’s Iraq war, they said. European Union heavyweight Germany will bear the brunt of the biggest US reorganisation in 50 years, with about 30,000 troops due to go home by the end of the decade, while Britain and Italy are also likely to be affected… ‘If there were any future Kosovos in and around Europe, the Europeans would have to look after themselves,’ said Daniel Keohane of the Centre for European Reform. ‘Certainly the Europeans will have to think in more autonomous terms about looking after their own security.’… The German government sought to play down the significance of the US move. But an opposition spokesman said Washington was ‘withdrawing from part of its responsibilities in NATO,’ and thereby ‘endangering security in Europe.'”

A Needed Miracle for Europe?

An article was published by news.telegraph.co.uk, dated August 19, 2004, about an apparently failed attempt to beatify Robert Schuman, founder of the European Union, due to the Vatican’s inability to confirm that Schuman had visions or miraculously healed others. The article pointed out:

“Schuman supporters lobbied hard for a favourable interpretation of the rules, arguing that Franco-German reconciliation in the bitter aftermath of the Second World War was itself miraculous. So far, the Pope has responded coolly.While embracing Schuman as an ‘authentic Catholic’ and an ‘eternal example’ who highlights the value of piety in public life, he sternly instructed the bishop of Metz ‘to proceed with the greatest rigour in demanding a miracle in the case of political figures.’ Jean Moes, a former professor of German history and the leader of the inquiry, said the Vatican was unlikely to be swayed by his team’s findings. ‘We need a miracle and we haven’t been able to find one,’ he said. ‘All we have is the construction of Europe after the war and Rome does not accept that as a real miracle.'”

The article concluded: “The Schuman Plan, the basis of the European Coal and Steel Community, was the precursor to the European Community seven years later. It was intended to lead to full economic union and ultimately a European federation. Fifty years later, the EU appears to have turned its back on the deeply Catholic inspiration of its founding statesmen, dropping all reference to God in the draft constitution.”

However, as Biblical prophecy clearly reveals, Europe will remember soon its “deeply Catholic inspiration” and return to its “Christian roots.” For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Radio-Carbon Dating Results Questioned

On August 22, 2004, an article was published on www.topix.net, claiming that “Neanderthal Man ‘never walked in northern Europe.'” This dramatic and spectacular article continued: “Historians of the Stone Age fear that they will have to rip up their theories about Neanderthal Man after doubt has been cast on the carbon dating of skeletons by a leading German anthropologist. Work by the flamboyant Professor Reiner Protsch von Zieten showed that Neanderthal Man existed in northern Europe. Calculations on skeletal remains found at Hahnofersand, near Hamburg, stated they were 36,000 years old. Yet recent research at Oxford University’s carbon-dating laboratory has suggested that they date back a mere 7,500 years. By that time [according to the postulates of “established science,”], Homo sapiens was already well-established and the Neanderthals were extinct. Chris Stringer, a Stone Age specialist and head of human origins at London’s Natural History Museum, said: ‘What was considered a major piece of evidence showing that the Neanderthals once lived in northern Europe has fallen by the wayside. We are having to rewrite prehistory.’

But Prof von Zieten, 65, the descendant of a famous 18th-century Prussian general, rejected the evidence from Oxford University last week. ‘The new data from Oxford is all wrong,’ he told Germany’s Der Spiegel. He said that the university’s scientists had failed to remove shellac preservative from the specimens. As a result, the remains appeared to be much younger. ‘Unfortunately, archaeologists and most anthropologists do not study physics or chemistry and therefore they cannot make judgments on carbon dating,’ he said. ‘Wrong measurements are made in all laboratories.’… Now, however, important remains that Oxford scientists no longer believe are prehistoric include the female ‘Bischof-Speyer’ skeleton, found near the south-west German town of Speyer with unusually good teeth. Their evidence suggests that she is 3,300 years old, not 21,300. Another apparent misdating involved an allegedly prehistoric skull discovered near Paderborn in 1976 and considered the oldest human remain ever found in the region. Prof von Zieten dated the skull at 27,400 years old. The latest research, however, indicates that it belonged to an elderly man who died around 1750… Concern about Prof von Zieten’s carbon-dating estimates arose last year following a routine investigation of German prehistoric remains by the German and British anthropologists Thomas Terberger and Martin Street. ‘We had decided to subject many of these finds to modern techniques to check their authenticity so we sent them to Oxford for testing,’ Mr Street told The Sunday Telegraph. ‘It was a routine examination and in no way an attempt to discredit Prof von Zieten.’ In their report, though, both anthropologists described this as a ‘dating disaster.'”

The article inadvertently points out a serious problem for the entire concept of the Evolution theory. If the radio carbon dating of fossils is not reliable (which it clearly is not), then the whole structural building of the evolutionary concept crumbles. Our free booklet, “Evolution — a Fairy Tale for Adults,” proves from the Bible and scientific admissions that Darwin’s Evolution theory could not — and did not — happen.

Worldwide Water Problems

On August 24, 2004, the Associated Press reported about growing power and water problems in California and worldwide. The article stated: “With state lawmakers again concerned about keeping the lights on three years after California’s energy crisis, two new studies Tuesday warned that the real battle of the future may be over another increasingly scarce resource: water. The studies by an Oakland-based independent research institute focus separately on problems facing California, and on growing worldwide challenges for businesses. California’s electricity and water shortages are related, says the first report by the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security, in cooperation with the Natural Resources Defense Council. ‘They’re both particularly scarce resources here in California. A lot of people don’t realize if they save or conserve water, they’re saving electricity,’ said NRDC spokesman Craig Noble. Plus, both are at a premium during the hot summer months. The report comes with Southern California in the midst of a multiyear drought. The state is setting new records for electricity use.”

The article continued: “The second report, called ‘Freshwater Resources: Managing the Risks Facing the Private Sector,’ warns that companies face increasing difficulty finding enough water to run their plants in the United States and around the world, and aren’t doing enough about it. Problems include water cutoffs, scarcity, contamination and rising costs.”

US and Britain Split over Israel

An article was published by www.smh.com.au on August 25, 2004, titled, “Britain Splits with US over West Bank.” It pointed out: “A significant gap has opened up between the British and US governments on Middle East policy, with Downing Street expressing its continued opposition to any expansion of Jewish settlements in the Palestinian West Bank. Fuelling the controversy, the Israeli Government has announced plans to build another 533 homes in settlements in the West Bank, in addition to the 1000 construction tenders approved by the Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, last week. The British Government, in a rare departure from Washington, positioned itself alongside its European Union partners on the settlements. The EU, unlike Washington, is critical of Israeli behaviour in the West Bank and Gaza. Washington signalled at the weekend that it was abandoning its long-term call for a freeze on all settlement activity and would back limited expansion. But a Downing Street spokesman said on Monday: ‘Our position is consistent with the statement put out by the European Union last week, and our view is that the Israelis should freeze all settlements.’ The EU had earlier expressed its dismay over new construction in the occupied territories.”

Abortion and “Morning-After” Pill

Zenit reported on August 18, 2004, about a scientific report, that had been issued by the Peruvian bishops’ conference, dealing with the abortifacient effect of the “morning-after” pill. Zenit pointed out: “The documentation includes 33 scientific works presented in July — together with 190 pages of appended information — to Health Minister Pilar Mazzetti, who has promoted the introduction of the drug in Peru. The report quotes several studies that corroborate the drug’s anti-implantation effect, which has been omitted in texts prepared by the Health Ministry. According to the research, the morning-after pill causes modifications in the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus, which impedes the implantation or nesting of the human embryo. The information presented has been confirmed by institutions such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Princeton University; Gedeon Ritcher, the laboratory that manufactures and commercializes the drug in various countries; and the 2004 edition of the Physicians’ Desk Reference, a book that lists all the drugs in current use.”

Human Cloning

On August 22, 2004, Reuters reported: “Pope John Paul on Sunday condemned human cloning as an arrogant attempt to improve on God’s creation… The comments come less than two weeks after British scientists were given permission to clone human embryos for medical research — believed to be the first such license granted in Europe. The pope said medical research should not try to ‘manipulate’ human beings ‘according to a project considered with arrogance better than that of the Creator himself… The way taught by Christ is another: it is that of respect for human beings,’ he said, urging ethically responsible science. The Vatican has repeatedly condemned all attempts at human cloning, comparing it to the experiments carried out by Nazis in World War II.”

Evolution’s Dictatorship

On August 17, 2004, www.crosswalk.com published a telling article about the unscientific “faith” of evolutionists in the so-called “scientific” Evolution theory, and the methods with which some try to quench any opposition to the “holy cow” of Darwinism. The article, titled, “Student Struggles Against Evolution’s Dictatorship,” pointed out:

“Samuel Chen was a high school sophomore who believed in freedom of speech and the unfettered pursuit of knowledge. He thought his public high school did, too, but when it came to the subject of evolution — well, now he’s not so sure. In October 2002, Chen began working to get Dr. Michael Behe, professor of biological sciences at Lehigh University, to give a lecture at Emmaus High School in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. Chen, who was co-chair of a student group that tries to stress the importance of objectivity on controversial issues, knew that Behe would be perfect, since the group was examining evolution as a topic. The author of Darwin’s Black Box, a critique of the foundational underpinnings of evolution, Behe had presented his work and debated the subject in universities in the U.S. and England.”

The article continued: “Behe agreed to come in February 2004 and give an after-school lecture entitled, ‘Evolution: Truth or Myth?’ As the school year drew to a close in 2003, Chen had all the preliminaries nailed down: he had secured Behe’s commitment, received approval from school officials, and reserved the school auditorium. Then he found out just how entrenched Darwinist orthodoxy was in the science department at Emmaus. By the following August, Chen had entered into a six-month battle to preserve the Behe lecture. As the struggle unfolded, it became obvious that those who opposed Behe coming to Emmaus didn’t seem to care about his credentials. In addition to publishing over 35 articles in refereed biochemical journals, Darwin’s Black Box was internationally reviewed in over 100 publications and named by National Review and World magazine as one of the 100 most important books of the 20th century. Instead, it was Behe’s rejection of Darwinism — in favor of what is called ‘intelligent design’ — that drove opposition. According to the Discovery Institute, of which Behe is a fellow, this theory holds ‘that certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection.'”

The arrogance with which Emmaus’ science department tried to withhold important information from its students and continue to promote the myth of evolution is, unfortunately, no exception, but, sadly, only too well-known. The article explained:

“The head of the science department, John Hnatow, sent a statement to every faculty member in the school stressing that Emmaus held to the official policy of the National Science Teachers Association. That policy states: ‘There is no longer a debate among scientists about whether evolution has taken place.’ It appeared there would be no debate at Emmaus, either. Some of the science teachers would not even allow Chen to address their classes and explain to students what Behe’s lecture would be about. Chen said various tactics were apparently used to undercut the event, including an attempt to cancel the lecture and fold the student organization without the knowledge of Chen and other members; requiring that the necessary funds for the lecture be raised much faster than for other student events; and moving the lecture from the auditorium to the school cafeteria.”

The article concluded: “That tyranny can be intimidating to students. ‘Some of the students who support me are afraid to speak out, especially because they saw how the science department reacted,’ Chen said. ‘They have a fear of speaking out against it in their classes.’ On the other hand, he added that some students ‘are now questioning evolution, some for the first time.’ That may be the first step in the overthrow of Darwin’s dictatorship.”

It is not! Nowhere is this concept taught in Scripture. Those who have this understanding and preach it, do so against the clear teaching of the Bible. Actually, the Biblical proof that true Christians do NOT die because of time and chance is overwhelming. For a thorough discussion of this important question, please listen to our sermon on “Time and Chance,” which is posted on our Webpage.

Briefly, those who claim and teach this erroneous concept quote as proof a passage in Ecclesiastes 9:11, which states: “I returned and saw under the sun that — The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.”

According to the Jewish Tanakh Bible, the last phrase is an euphemism, simply pointing out that all will die. But the question still remains, HOW will they die?

Please note that Solomon said: “Time and chance happen to THEM all.” He did NOT say — “to all men,” or “to all of us.” In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon was mainly addressing and writing about people in this world — people who only live and work for material possessions (Eccl. 5:13-17); or who don’t understand God’s plan (Eccl.8:17). When he addressed true Christians, however, he referred to them as “you” (compare Eccl. 9:10: “Whatever YOUR hand finds to do, do it with YOUR might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where YOU are going.”).

The Hebrew word for “chance,” in Ecclesiastes 9:11, is “pega.” It is only used one additional time in the entire Old Testament, namely in 1 Kings 5:4. There, Solomon (the author of the book of Ecclesiastes!) said: “But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence (in Hebrew, “pega”).

Again, we see that Solomon is making a distinction between the people living in this world, being cut off from God, and those whom God has called to His way of life, including himself. Solomon said that “evil occurrence” or “chance” did not govern his own life, because God was controlling his life and had given him rest. Christ made the same distinction, in Luke 13:1-5:

“There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but UNLESS YOU repent, YOU will ALL LIKEWISE perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower of Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but UNLESS YOU repent, YOU will all LIKEWISE perish.'”

Christ’s teaching is unmistakable: If we don’t repent, we might very well die as those did, on whom the tower of Siloam fell; that is, through an accident, apart from, or being cut off from God — by time and chance. If we repent, however, according to Christ, we will NOT likewise perish or die in that way. Rather, even if we were to die in an “accident,” God would have specifically DECIDED not to intervene and to LET US die. God is always in control over our lives — nothing happens to us which God is not aware of (compare Job 1:21-22; 2:10).

True Christians are NOT in the “hand” of time and chance. Rather, Solomon tells US: “… the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God” (Eccl. 9:1). David understood, too, that he was in God’s hands. He wrote, in Psalm 31:15: “My times are in Your hand.” He knew that he, as well as all true Christians, are always, constantly and completely, under God’s observation, His protection and in His loving care (compare, Psalm 4:7-8; 9:9-10; 17:8; 23:1-6; 33:18-19; 34: 7, 15, 19-20, etc. etc.). God promises that nothing too difficult for us to bear, will happen to us (compare 1 Corinthians 10:13). This means, then, that God must be watching us every second to guarantee the fulfillment of His promise.

The concept that we might be “overtaken” by a trial, because God was not aware of it, or because it happened “too quickly,” so that He could not have prevented it, is ludicrous. Isaiah 40:27-31 and Isaiah 43:2 prove the opposite. Psalm 56:8; 139:1-6 and Matthew 6:8 show, too, how MUCH God is aware of everything pertaining to us. Romans 8:28 tells us that all things work together for good to those who love God. The only way that EVERYTHING can work for our good is that GOD will work it out for our good — and not “time and chance.”

The very idea that a true Christian could die because of time and chance limits God and weakens our faith. It is a diabolical and patently unbiblical concept. When a Christian dies, it is because GOD has DECIDED that it was time for His son or daughter to die. Notice God’s involvement, when it comes to the death of a true Christian, as clearly revealed in Scripture. There is simply NO ROOM for “time and chance”:

Isaiah 57:1-2 states: “The righteous perishes, And no man takes it to heart; Merciful men are taken away, While no one considers That the righteous is taken away from evil. He shall enter into peace; They shall rest in their beds, Each one walking in his uprightness.”

Psalm 116:15 teaches: “Precious in the SIGHT OF the LORD Is the death of His saints.” (Compare, too, Psalm 72:14).

Revelation 14:13 points out: “Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, ‘Write: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”‘ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.'”

Let us hear, then, the conclusion of the matter, as expressed by Paul in Romans 14:8. Did Paul teach that we are hopeless and helpless victims of time and chance? Quite the opposite is true: “For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, WE ARE THE LORD’S.”

Our new book, “Jesus Christ — A Great Mystery” is almost completed. We hope to be able to send it to the printer early next week.

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

A new StandingWatch program, titled, “What is the Church?” has been posted on the Web.

On Saturday, August 21, 2004, Dave Harris will be giving the sermon, titled, “The Greatest of These.”

As we read or watch the news, we cannot help being inundated with trials that have become a media circus — for example, those of Michael Jackson, Martha Stewart and Kobe Bryant. In the recent past we have had the O.J. Simpson trial where we became intimately involved with every graphic detail, if we were so inclined. Every one had their opinion and many of the more prominent interest groups forcefully foisted their ideas as if to send a message to the court system. In the end O.J. was found innocent and guilty. He was acquitted of the murders of his ex-wife and her boy friend in criminal court because of the criminal court’s inability to prove guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt.” Yet in a civil trial, the jury found him to be liable for the same deaths, due to a less stringent standard for civil liability.

How can this be? Some chalk it up to issues of race, others money and fame, while still others claim it was to keep the peace. This can hardly be viewed as just reasons by which to judge a case or even at the very least mitigate its outcome. But this is what we have come to expect here in America and elsewhere. According to the Washington AP, “Some 60% of people polled said celebrities get treated better by the judicial system because they have a lot of money….”

Of course this is just the tip of the judicial system iceberg. At the other end of the spectrum there are those that cannot afford the price of justice. They can be saddled with an inexperienced or overworked public defender that does not have a vested interest in the verdict. Is this fair and just?

So when the Pledge of Allegiance, that most in the U.S. have recited hundreds of times, ends in a commitment to “justice for all,” there is a preponderance of evidence that this is not the case. Is man and his legal system capable of real justice now or ever? No, a thousand times a resounding NO! Isaiah 59:4, 7-10 states, “No one calls for justice, Nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies; They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity… Their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; Wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they have not known, And there is no justice in their ways; They have made themselves crooked paths; Whoever takes that way shall not know peace. Therefore justice is far from us, Nor does righteousness overtake us; We look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness! We grope for the wall like the blind, And we grope as if we had no eyes; We stumble at noonday as at twilight; We are as dead men in desolate places.”

It is not within man to govern himself. The Good News Bible captures the essence of Romans 8:7 when it states, “And so people become enemies of God when they are controlled by their human nature; for they do not obey God’s law, and in fact they cannot obey it.” If men pull solely from their own understanding then the result is what we have today; a system that is biased and more concerned with procedure than impartiality and what is truly right and wrong.

“There is a way which seems right to a man, But in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12, World English Bible). It is not just those in the legal system but it is also those that we may come across on a day-to-day basis; their ways come up short. They may be sincere, but in the end they are sincerely wrong.

What is the answer then to this seemingly overwhelming problem? It is to replace the carnality of who and what we are with that which is of God. Through His Holy Spirit and the keeping of His Word and His Laws, this can be accomplished. If we truly do have God’s Holy Spirit working in us then we will be striving to be just in our every action… and we should be.

We know that God’s Spirit is not being given to everyone at this time, but the good news is that there is a time coming shortly when true and fair justice will abound. It will be when Christ returns and sets up the Kingdom and Government of God as it is prophesied in Isaiah 9:6-7: “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” The upcoming Feast of Tabernacles is the annual reminder of this impending Kingdom and Government. For more information on this please refer to our web site at http://eternalgod.org/feast/index.html and our booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days.”

During this millennial reign, God’s Holy Spirit will abound and be poured out like a river of living water. His laws and ways will be written in our minds and hearts replacing the carnality that currently exists. It is then and only then that we will have justice for all.

Germany’s Genocide in South West Africa

Associated Press reported last week that “a senior government official offered Germany’s first apology Saturday for a colonial-era crackdown that killed 65,000 ethnic Hereros -a slaughter she acknowledged amounted to genocide.” The article continued to report about this nearly forgotten incident, as follows:

“‘We Germans accept our historic and moral responsibility and the guilt incurred by Germans at that time,’ Germany’s development aid minister, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, said at a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the Hereros’ 1904-1907 uprising against their German rulers. ‘The atrocities committed at that time would have been termed genocide.’… During the ceremony, held in the Waterberg region about 250 kilometres north of the capital, Windhoek, Hereros re-enacted scenes of their ancestors being shackled and enslaved. Many of those in attendance were dressed in the khaki military uniforms worn by their former colonial rulers.

“German general Lothar von Trotha, who was sent to what was then South West Africa to put down the Herero uprising in 1904, instructed his troops to wipe out the entire tribe, historians say. When the extermination order was lifted at the end of the year, prisoners were herded into camps and allocated as slave labour to German businesses, where many died of overwork and malnutrition. Some two-thirds of the tribe was wiped out. The Herero people have for years sought reparations from Germany. In 2001, they filed a $4 billion US lawsuit against the government and two German firms in U.S. district court in Washington D.C. But German authorities have dismissed the claims, saying international rules on the protection of combatants and civilians were not in existence at the time… Germany took over the diamond-rich, semi-desert country in 1884. After Germany’s defeat in the First World War, South Africa occupied the territory for more than 70 years before Namibia became independent in 1990.”

US Troops Will Leave Germany

On August 14, 2004, Great Britain’s Financial Times reported:

“The US… is pulling 70,000 troops out of Europe and Asia in the largest restructuring of its global military presence since the second world war… Two-thirds of the reductions will come in Europe, most of them military personnel stationed in Germany who will be sent back to US bases… Germany will continue to be home to sophisticated training and command facilities and to a mobile infantry force which will be equipped with the new light-armoured Stryker vehicles and is expected to form the core of a restructured European presence. The Bush administration has been re-evaluating the US military’s global posture almost since its first days in office. Senior Pentagon officials emphasised that the move was not intended as a punishment for Germany’s lack of support in the Iraq war.”

Iran vs. Israel?

On August 16, 2004, WorldNetDaily reported that “a senior Iranian military official told reporters yesterday Israel and the United States would not dare attack Iran since it could strike back anywhere in Israel and against U.S. military installations in the Middle East with its latest missiles.”

The article continued:

“Iranian officials have made a point of highlighting the Islamic state’s military capabilities in recent weeks in response to some media reports that Israeli or U.S. warplanes could try to destroy Iranian nuclear facilities in air strikes. Iran last week said it carried out a successful test firing of an upgraded version of its Shahab-3 medium-range ballistic missile. Military experts said the unmodified Shahab-3 was already capable of striking Israel or U.S. bases in the Gulf.”

In discussing Israel’s position, the article pointed out: “Israel has recently conducted military exercises for a pre-emptive strike against several of Iran’s nuclear power facilities and is ready to attack if Russia supplies Iran with rods for enriching uranium. An Israeli defense source said ‘Israel will on no account permit Iranian reactors — especially the one being built in Bushehr with Russian help — to go critical.'”

Does the Vatican Meddle?

On August 16, 2004, the International Herald Tribune published the following article, titled, “Vatican meddling in the EU.” The article pointed out:

“Having failed to persuade Europe’s leaders to enshrine Christianity in the final draft of the constitution of the European Union, the Vatican has found a new way to try to conflate [merge] European and Christian identity. The Holy See would like to block Turkey’s candidacy to the European Union. In an interview last week with Le Figaro magazine, the Catholic Church’s top theologian, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, said that Turkey, a predominantly Muslim secular republic of 70 million people, is ‘in permanent contrast to Europe’ and that linking it to Europe would be a mistake. To drive home his point about Turkey’s disqualifying otherness, he cited the Ottoman Empire’s incursions into the heart of Europe in centuries past.”

The article continued: “Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has staked his future on EU membership, brushed off the cardinal’s comments. When the EU decides in December whether to begin formal accession talks with Turkey, it too should discount the cardinal’s views in favor of the political merits of Turkish membership.”

However, we might add that Cardinal Ratzinger’s reservations against European membership of Turkey are shared by many Europeans — especially those of the Catholic faith. As the Bible predicts, Europe is destined to become a mighty power under Roman Catholic leadership — which indeed would seem to have no membership to offer to a Muslim state.

Iraq — and No Peace in Sight…

Zenit reported on August 16, 2004 that “some 40,000 Christians have left Iraq in the wake of recent attacks on churches in the country, says a government official. In statements Sunday to the Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, the minister for displacement and migration, Pascale Icho Warda, said that the emigration ‘is due to the insecurity and the attacks on churches in Baghdad and Mosul two weeks ago.’ Four attacks on Christian places of worship in Baghdad and two in Mosul left at least 10 dead and 50 wounded at the beginning of August.”

The report continued:

“On August 2, John Paul II sent a message to Archbishop Emmanuel III Delly, patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans and president of the assembly of the Catholic bishops of Iraq, to express his sympathy. ‘At this time of trial I am spiritually close to the Iraqi Church and society, and I renew the expression of my heartfelt solidarity to the pastors and faithful,’ the papal telegram said. John Paul II assured Iraqi Christians of his prayer and ‘constant commitment’ so that ‘a climate of peace and reconciliation will be established in the beloved country as soon as possible.’ Christians comprise about 700,000 of Iraq’s 24 million inhabitants.”

The Pope at Lourdes

On August 16, Zenit reported about the Pope’s visit at Lourdes. The article pointed out: “Like the other 6 million people who come to Lourdes annually, John Paul II came to this Marian shrine on Saturday as a pilgrim. ‘In my apostolic ministry, I have always had great confidence in the offering, prayer and sacrifice of those who suffer,’ the Pope said in the text of a message delivered at the Grotto of Massabielle, scene of the Virgin Mary’s apparitions in 1858. ‘I ask you to accompany me in this pilgrimage to present to God, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, all the intentions of the Church and of the world,’ he said in the message.”

The article continued: “In the afternoon, John Paul II participated together with some 100,000 people in a meditation on the luminous mysteries of the rosary… The procession began at the pools, the most characteristic place of Lourdes. Last year, more than 380,000 pilgrims were submerged in the waters in response to a request of the Blessed Virgin to Bernadette Soubirous on Feb. 28, 1858: ‘Go drink at the spring and bathe there.’ In his introductory address, the Pope said: ‘When kneeling here, before the Grotto of Massabielle, I feel with emotion that I have arrived at the end of my pilgrimage. This grotto, in which Mary appeared, is the heart of Lourdes.’… The third mystery was prayed in front of St. Bernadette’s Church, located near where the saint witnessed the Blessed Virgin’s first apparition… The rosary ended with a prayer the Pope composed, calling on the Virgin Mary’s intercession… ‘Invoke the Virgin Mary with me, so that she will obtain for the world the longed-for gift of peace,’ he said. ‘May she inspire in us sentiments of forgiveness and fraternity!’ he implored. ‘May arms be put down and hatred and violence extinguished in our hearts.'”

The Bible teaches very clearly that Mary, the mother of Christ, is dead and in her grave, waiting, together with all true Christians, for the resurrection from the dead, at the time of Christ’s return. Prayers to Mary — or to other dead “saints” — are forbidden in Scripture; rather, we are to pray to God our Father, with Jesus Christ being the ONLY Mediator between men and God. Since Mary is still dead and in the grave, it is abundantly clear that Mary did not appear, in a vision or otherwise, to anyone at Lourdes. This is not to say that there was no apparition — but it was distinctively NOT that of Mary. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?”

The concept of “Church Eras” is derived from the book of Revelation, chapters 2 and 3, reporting messages of Jesus Christ to the “seven angels” of the “seven churches.” Although these churches were quite literal congregations, they have also been understood as representing seven Church eras, beginning at the time of the early apostles and leading to the time of the return of Jesus Christ.

Note, for example, the following comments from the Ryrie Study Bible: “The 7 churches addressed in chapters 2 and 3 were actual churches of John’s day. But they also represent types of churches in all generations. This idea is supported… by the statement at the close of each letter that the Spirit was speaking to the churches.” This means, that all seven letters are warnings to every church in every age.

In addition, the Nelson Study Bible states: “The seven churches were congregations in Asia Minor in John’s day. Sometimes they are interpreted as representing seven stages of church history.” This commentary continues to state that this interpretation is “unlikely, since there is disagreement among interpreters about what part of Revelation represents which period in history.” It should be obvious, however, that this uncertainty cannot negate the possibility, per se, that those seven churches represent seven stages of history, or “Church Eras.”

The Church, under the direction of Herbert W. Armstrong, has been consistent in its teaching on this subject. Mr. Armstrong wrote in the Pastor’s Report, volume 2, number 23, dated June 26, 1978: “Let me tell you what I have always said for fifty years. Fifty years ago I was writing that the message to the seven angels of the seven churches in the 2nd and 3rd chapters of Revelation has a dual interpretation and meaning. Number one, it is telling of the seven successive eras or stages of time in the 1900-2000 year existence of the church. And number two, it is telling of the spiritual condition in the church during those eras. The account starts out with the Church of Ephesus and the predominant situation in the first and second century during and right after the days of the original Apostles.

“Laodicea had what will be the prevailing condition in the final church era: drowsy or asleep and lukewarm. And Christ is going to spue most of them out of His mouth.”

Later in this article, Mr. Armstrong said: “…I have said that the spiritual condition of which Laodicea is a type will dominate at the tail end, but I have also said that all of these conditions — all the way from Ephesus up to Laodicea, all seven — are present at all times in the church. But now [at the time he is writing this article] we in the Philadelphia era have the Laodicean condition… but we’re not Laodicea…”

“We also have the condition of Ephesus — we have lost our first love, and it’s time to get back to it. Every one of these conditions are in this church…”

“You know that this church (Philadelphia) is the only one of the seven that God doesn’t attribute any fault to. And yet, we are full of faults.”

Five full lessons of the 58 lesson Bible Correspondence Course were devoted to this subject of church eras. And in 1985, Mr. Armstrong published the book entitled “Mystery of the Ages.” In chapter 6, covering the “Mystery of the Church,” beginning on page 282, he begins the discussion of Revelation 2 & 3 relative to the seven church eras, and after discussing, briefly, the seven churches that existed in Asia Minor toward the end of the first century A.D., he begins showing that these seven messages to the churches were intended for a much wider audience than just the people of that day.

Mr. Armstrong then takes the next ten pages, from page 283 to the end of the chapter, discussing church history relative to the first six of the seven church eras, describing their history in some detail. In this chapter, Mr. Armstrong gives the name of the man God had put over each of these eras of the Church, and describes the weaknesses, the strengths, the accomplishments, and the failures of each era, in light of the prophecies of Revelation 2 & 3, as revealed by Jesus Christ to John, one of Christ’s apostles.

He explains that the Sabbath, the Holy Days, the name of the Church and the gospel of the Kingdom would be recognizable by those God is dealing with as these doctrines are handed down through the ages from one era to the next; beginning with the time of Christ right down to the time of the end.

He shows, in the time of the end, it is the Philadelphia era, primarily, and all who have the attitude of Philadelphia, that will be supernaturally protected during the time of the tribulation. And he shows that the Laodicean era, and all who have the attitude of Laodicea will have to suffer the wrath of Satan during that time period.

Mr. Armstrong pointed out in the Pastor’s Report noted above, on page 6, that “The Laodicean Church will be keeping the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus or they couldn’t be the Church of God. But they will be lukewarm and asleep.” It is for this reason that God will spew them out of His mouth, unless they repent!

This condition is also the condition we find in the world, today, relative to the Truth of God. That is one reason why God is going to intervene in the affairs of men. He is going to remove Satan as the ruler of this world and put Jesus Christ at the Head for one thousand years; and the Church at that time will be incorporated into and become a part of the very Government of God on the earth. It will literally become a part of the Family of God. And today, God is calling whom He will to be a part of the Family.

Interestingly, we know that those who have been called to this Way, who have been faithful, and who held fast to what was given to them until death, have been chosen by God to be in that Family. But the Scriptures in Revelation, chapters 2 & 3; particularly, Revelation 2:25 (“But hold fast what you have till I come”); Revelation 3:3 (“… you will not know what hour I will come upon you”); Revelation 3:10 (“I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world”); and Revelation 3:20 (“I stand at the door and knock.”) indicate that some members of these four eras will still be living on the earth at the time of Christ’s return. They must continue to “hold fast” till He comes. This too was taught in the Church under Mr. Armstrong’s leadership.

It is our understanding that the messages to the seven angels of the seven churches, in Revelation 2 and 3, address literal churches at the time of John; seven successive Church Eras, leading to the return of Christ; and spiritual attitudes and conditions in existence in the church at all times, and especially during those Church Eras.

A new member letter was written by Edwin Pope, discussing true and false knowledge. The letter will be sent out this Friday. A copy of the letter can be found at http://www.eternalgod.org/lit/letters/.

A new StandingWatch program, titled, “The King of the South,” has been posted on the Web.

The final text of our new book, titled, “Jesus Christ — A Great Mystery!” was sent to Shelly Bruno, our graphic designer, for finalization.

On Saturday, August 14, 2004, Norbert Link will be giving the sermon, titled, “… in Heaven.”

There was a man in the mid 30’s during the harsh depression that hit the US and Canada. He was very hungry, unemployed, impoverished and homeless. He was walking along a railway track on a bright day and he said out loud: “Lord I am hungry and broke, please take care of my needs at this time.” He looked down and spotted a 50 cent piece on the ground. Filled with joy and gratitude he picked it up and started to think about the fine meal he could have with this 50 cent piece.

As he walked towards town he came across a trestle which he had to cross. Half way across he accidentally dropped the 50 cent piece. He reached out for it in desperation but it slipped through the rail ties and started to drop to the river below. He watched as it turned and glistened in the sun and eventually slipped into the rushing waters of the river to disappear forever. He slowly got up on his feet and said: “Lord, I thank you that I still have my appetite.”

Although this is a story of fiction, it reflects an attitude we do not see a lot of today. Are we really grateful for all the things we have? Not the things we want but the things we have? Today we live in an ungrateful age. Yet, let’s look at the admonishment in Hebrews 13:5: “… be content with such things as you have.” At the beginning of the verse we are admonished to be without covetousness. Paul also admonishes us in Philippians 4:11, stating, he learned to be content with whatever state he was in. We have to learn to do the same. It is sometimes difficult to have such an attitude, when we go through trials, tests, sickness and the stress associated with living in this age. Remember, it is he who endures to the end who will be saved. So we must not only persevere but be content at the same time.

Someone who is content with what he has would by extension be grateful for what he has.

Look at Paul’s opening statements in Colossians 1:3, “We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you…” Paul’s statement expresses gratitude to God and Jesus Christ. In 1 Thessalonians 1:2, we read: “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers…” another expression of thanks and gratitude to God.

Are we really thankful? You might ask, for what?

For the precious knowledge we have. For the truth of God’s Word and the understanding He gives us through His Holy Spirit.

We have a lot to be thankful for as God’s children and family. We should not only learn to be content with the things that we have, but be grateful, giving thanks to God for all the things He gives us.

A man’s life doesn’t consist of the things he possesses. It is not the person who accumulates the most toys that wins, but he who does the will of the Father. We know His will and we should be content with the precious truths we have; and give thanks to God in a sincere spirit of gratitude for all He does for us now and for the opportunity in the future to serve mankind as His sons and daughters.

Real Threats for Planet Earth

On August 9, 2004, BBC News published a frightening article, titled, “Nature ‘mankind’s gravest threat’.” The article continued to point out that “Giant tsunamis, super volcanoes and earthquakes could pose a greater threat than terrorism, scientists claim.” The article mentioned the following scientific predictions which might, or might not, happen in our lifetime: “Giant walls of water that can devastate coastal cities, volcanoes so big that their ash crushes houses 1,500 km (932 miles) away, giant earthquakes and asteroid impacts.

The article explained: “The last ‘super volcanic eruption’ was back in April 1815, when Tambora in Indonesia exploded violently, in what was the largest eruption in historic time. The eruption column reached a height of about 44 km (28 miles), ash fell as far as 1,300 km (800 miles) from the volcano – and an estimated 92,000 people were killed. Rare though they are, events this catastrophic need to be taken very seriously. The potential threat that scientists currently have their eye on is an insecure rock – the size of the Isle of Man – in the Canary Island of La Palma. The rock is in the process of slipping into the sea and Professor McGuire fears that when it finally collapses, the resulting tsunami will cause massive destruction along the coasts of countries like the USA, UK and many on the African continent, within a matter of hours… The triggering factor could be the eruption of the volcano on La Palma, called Cumbre Vieja, which could feasibly blow ‘anytime,’ according to Professor McGuire.”

The article continued: “The greatest danger to humanity comes from asteroids, but work funded largely by the US government is swiftly tackling this threat… According to Benny Peiser, of Liverpool John Moores University, UK, the threat of cosmic mega disasters will be essentially ‘abolished within 30 years.'”

Of course, the question is, Do we have another 30 years — even if this time frame were remotely accurate?

In a related article, published by the European Space agency on July 21, it was stated: “Once dismissed as a nautical myth, freakish ocean waves that rise as tall as ten-storey apartment blocks have been accepted as a leading cause of large ship sinkings. Results from ESA’s ERS satellites helped establish the widespread existence of these ‘rogue’ waves and are now being used to study their origins. Severe weather has sunk more than 200 supertankers and container ships exceeding 200 metres in length during the last two decades. Rogue waves are believed to be the major cause in many such cases.”

Reuters published an article by the end of July, reporting about the fear of scientists that an “Alaska volcano that last erupted 12 years ago, raining ash on the state’s largest city, is now rumbling with earthquakes that may be a precursor to another eruption.”

The article continued: “In 1992, Mount Spurr’s eruption sent an ash plume up 65,000 feet, disrupting air traffic….Two other Alaska volcanoes are classified as subjects of elevated concern. Mount Veniaminof, a 7,073-foot volcano on the Alaska Peninsula and about 510 miles southwest of Anchorage, has been emitting small amounts of steam and ash since April. Shishaldin Volcano, a 9,372-foot peak in the eastern Aleutian Islands, has also been emitting ash. Alaska has about 60 volcanoes that have been active in the past.”

The Bible predicts gigantic volcanic eruptions and cosmic disturbances in the not-to-distant future. For a full analysis of this little-understood REAL THREAT to humanity, please read our free booklet, “Evolution — a Fairy Tale for Adults.”

Biblical Locust Plagues on the Rise

On August 6, 2004, Reuters reported about a tremendous locust plague in West Africa. The article was titled, “West Africans Urged to Fight Locusts.” It was pointed out: “Desperate West African farmers whose crops are being devoured by tens of millions of locusts have been urged to burn, drown and stamp on the insects that can decimate whole fields in minutes. The region’s worst locust crisis for 15 years has already seen Mauritania — twice the size of France — engulfed by the plague and neighbouring Mali said on Friday the swarms had spread across most of its vast arid territory… Desert locust swarms contain up to 80 million insects per square km and can travel more than 130 km (80 miles) a day. They can devastate entire crop fields in minutes, with adult locusts munching their own weight, about two grams, of food a day. The swarms are moving across the Sahara desert towards countries including Senegal, Niger, Chad and Gambia, many of whose inhabitants are subsistence farmers and whose governments lack the resources to fight the airborne invasion.”

The article continued: “The plague has also now spread to Senegal, according to a team of experts sent by France’s agronomical research centre CIRAD. President Abdoulaye Wade has cancelled his holiday and urged world leaders to declare war on the insects… Residents in Mauritania’s capital Nouakchott compared the latest plague — which ate their main football pitch as well as the president’s gardens — with the locust invasion of 1987-89. That plague was the worst in 30 years, sparking fears of famine and taking $300 million and 28 states to contain.”

When reading such accounts, one is reminded of the frightening prophecies for our time, as written down thousands of years ago in the book of Joel. Beginning in verse 2 of chapter one, the prophet predicted: “Hear this, you elders, And give ear, all you inhabitants of the land! Has anything like this happened in your days, Or even in the days of your fathers?” The prophet then described unprecedented locust plagues still to occur. There have always been locust plagues, of course, but, apparently, not with the same magnitude and dire consequences. We read in verses 4-7: “What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten; and what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten… For a nation [of locusts] has come up against My land, Strong, and without number; his teeth are the teeth of a lion, And he has the fangs of a fierce lion. He has laid waste My vine, And ruined My fig tree; He has stripped it bare and thrown it away; Its branches are made white.”

In addition, John, a prophet and apostle of Jesus Christ, predicted terrible and unprecedented wars to break out on this earth, in the near future, comparing helicopters and airplanes with locusts. We read in Revelation 9:3-10: “Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as scorpions of the earth have power… The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men… and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails.”

Real and figurative locusts will bring devastation over the entire earth in the not-too-distant future. God warned us of these events, so that we can spiritually prepare for them.

Nuclear Threat from Korea

On August 3, 2004, Reuters reported: “North Korea is deploying new land- and sea-based ballistic missiles that can carry nuclear warheads and may have sufficient range to hit the United States… Apart from targeting the United States, South Korea or Japan, cash-strapped North Korea might seek to sell the technology to countries that have bought its missiles in the past, with Iran a prime candidate… North Korea pulled out of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in January 2003 and is locked in long-running crisis talks with the United States, China, Russia, Japan and South Korea over terms for scrapping its atomic weapons program. The extent of that program remains unclear, although North Korea’s deputy foreign minister was quoted as telling a senior U.S. official last year that Pyongyang possessed nuclear weapons… The new land-based system had an estimated range of 2,500 to 4,000 km (1,560 to 2,500 miles), and the sea-based system, launchable from a submarine or a ship, had a range of at least 2,500 km.”

The article continued, quoting an expert, as follows: “‘If you can get a missile aboard a warship, in particular aboard a submarine…you can move your submarine to strike at targets such as Hawaii or the United States, just as examples. Whereas it would be much more difficult to actually develop a ground-launched missile to achieve that sort of a range.’… Until now only the United States, Russia, Britain, France and China have been known to possess submarine-launched nuclear weapons, although there has been speculation that Israel has a similar capability.”

Terrible Consequences of War

Der Stern Online published a shocking article, describing the terrible psychological consequences for soldiers returning from war. The article was published on July 15, and was titled, “The Trauma of War.” Doctors and scientists examined German soldiers returning from Kosovo and Afghanistan, and reported their frightening and disturbing findings: “Some say that they beat their children, when helping them with their school work — something that they had never done before… In other cases, they show no more emotions, neither joy nor sadness… Many try desperately to forget the past. They withdraw, drink or take drugs. Some become depressive and avoid their friends… In extreme cases, returning soldiers go berserk and kill others.” The article also pointed out that traumatic developments, following experiences in war, can be proven bio-chemically in the brain.”

Greece a Future European leader?

As euobserver reported on August 9, “Greece wants to be among the avant garde in the newly enlarged EU, the Greek prime minister has said. In an interview with the Le Monde, Costas Caramanlis said ‘we want to be among the avant-garde of the European Union through reinforced co-operation.’ He added: ‘Although I am in favour of enlargement, I cannot imagine that in a large Europe, everyone will advance at the same speed. The countries that believe in a strong Europe have to form an avant-garde.'” The article continued:

“Speaking about Turkey’s eventual membership of the EU, Mr Caramanlis said the Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government had made a ‘great effort’ to reform. He said that a ‘Europeanised Turkey’ is in the interests of Turks themselves, of countries neighbouring Turkey and the EU.”

Bible prophecy reveals that Greece will play a role in a powerful future Europe. Whether Turkey will become a full-fledged member of Europe appears doubtful, however.

European Passports and the USA

Euobserver reported on August 11 that “a year’s extra time has been granted to all EU member states with visa waiver agreements with the US to start issuing passports with biometric measures such as fingerprints.This year’s deadline has been extended to 26 October 2005 after it became apparent that so many countries were not going to be able to have the new passports ready on time.

“The issuing of biometric passports is part of a US law designed to tighten up border security after the 11 September (2001) terrorist attacks. However, one requirement is still in place for 26 October this year. By that time, ‘all passports used for travel in the Visa Waiver Programme must be machine-readable,’ says a State Department press release. If visitors – including those from countries whose citizens are not normally obliged to have a visa to get into the US – do not have machine-readable passports then they will have to obtain a visa.

“EU member states that have visa waiver agreements are 14 of the ‘old’ member states (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Spain and the UK) and one new member state, Slovenia.

The article continued to report about frictions among European nations, regarding this issue of US passports:

“Greece and the nine other new member states do not have visa waiver agreements with the US. For the new member states, this has been a source of friction recently where some of them, particularly Poland and the Czech Republic, had agitated about invoking a law requiring solidarity from other member states on the issue. This so-called solidarity clause, which is part of the Schengen (open borders) legislation, would mean that all EU member states would be required to act uniformly on the issue.

“The European Commission said earlier this year that EU investigations into whether the new member states are fit to join the open borders area would garner useful information for the US authorities. An official at the time said that the Brussels executive would rather negotiate to see whether all new member states as a bloc could join the visa waiver in 2006 or 2007 – the years they are expected to join Schengen.

“Other countries that have a visa waiver agreement with the US and are affected by the new deadline are Andorra, Australia, Brunei, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, San Marino, Singapore and Switzerland.”

This is important to understand, and the Bible reveals Who Jesus Christ is and by what name we should address Him. Peter, in speaking before the Sanhedrin in defense of healing a lame man, said: “‘let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole'” (Acts 4:10). Continuing in verse 12: “‘Nor is there salvation in any other, for there in no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.'”

At another time, Peter again taught the power and significance of Jesus Christ.

This time, he was addressing the Gentile household of Cornelius, and he explained about Jesus in this way: “‘To Him all the prophets witness that, THROUGH HIS NAME, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins'” (Acts 10:43).

Indeed, the Old Testament speaks of the coming of the Messiah (Compare Daniel 9:25-26), and it also tells something about Him through the name that was to be given to Him: “‘Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL'” (Isaiah 7:14). Immanuel literally means, “God with us!”

From the “Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible” (Herbert Lockyer, Senior Editor), we find this explanation: “The word MESSIAH comes from a Hebrew term that means ‘ANOINTED ONE.’ Its Greek counterpart is CHRISTOS, from which the word CHRIST comes. Messiah was one of the titles used by early Christians to describe who Jesus was (emphasis added).”

Just as in the Old Testament many names were applied to God, so in the New Testament various names, or titles, were used that pertained to the Messiah.

The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, and he told her that she would be the one to bear the Messiah: “Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall CALL HIS NAME JESUS. He will be great, and will be CALLED THE SON OF THE HIGHEST; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end'” (Luke 1:30-33). In answering Mary’s question as to how this birth would occur, “…the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, the Holy One who is to be born will be CALLED THE SON OF GOD'” (verse 35).

When this announcement was given to Mary, she was betrothed to Joseph — that is, she was engaged to him. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream to reassure him. He said of Mary: “‘And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall CALL HIS NAME JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins'” (Matthew 1:21). Continuing in verses 24 and 25: “Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he CALLED HIS NAME JESUS.”

We also find this testimony in Luke 2:21: “And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, HIS NAME WAS CALLED JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.”

To understand the meaning of the name Jesus, let’s again refer to what the angel said to Joseph: “‘…and you shall call His name Jesus [margin: “Lit. SAVIOR”], for He will save His people from their sins'” (Matthew 1:21). In this instance, the angel instructs Joseph as to what to name the Child, and he also defines what the name “Jesus” means. In the Old Testament, the name Joshua also similarly means “Jehovah-saved.” It is quite likely that the Greek transliterated word Jesus has arisen from the Hebrew form of Joshua — the name that most Hebrew speaking Jews would have used at the time of the Messiah’s earthly life.

During His ministry Jesus was called RABBI (TEACHER) by both those who were His disciples (compare John 1:38) and by those who did not truly accept Him for Who He was (compare Matthew 22:34-36).

Following His resurrection, we find that one of the disciples made this statement of Jesus: “And Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My LORD and my GOD!'” (John 20:28). Several times Jesus is referred to as “Lord,” and that conveys the sense of “MASTER” in relation to Christ being the sovereign Creator and Redeemer (compare John 1:1-4). Lord may also serve as a polite term of address meaning “Sir.”

Note how Peter concluded his powerful witness on the Day of Pentecost: “‘Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both LORD and CHRIST'” (Acts 2:36). Even at the very conclusion of the Book of Revelation, we find this statement: “The grace of our LORD Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” (Revelation 22:21).

The Roman ruler Pilate did something that gives us more understanding concerning how we are to address the Messiah: “Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS” (John 19:19). What Pilate did was to write this title in more than one language: “Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in HEBREW, GREEK, AND LATIN” (John 19:20). The significance of this deed is also reflected in the miraculous events surrounding the Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2. The crowd that was assembled there were from many countries, but they all heard the disciples of Jesus speaking in their own native tongues — not just Hebrew, or Aramaic, or Greek, or Latin. In verse 11 of Acts 2, this testimony is given: “‘…we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.'”

Those other languages would have also included appropriate names for Jesus Christ. These people understood what they heard.

When Saul, later to be named Paul, was called, Jesus revealed Himself to him. Saul asked: “‘Who are You, Lord?’ Then the Lord said, ‘I AM JESUS, whom you are persecuting…'” (Acts 9:5).

Even the demonic world knows about the Messiah. “Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, ‘Let us alone! What have we to do with You, JESUS OF NAZARETH? Did You come to destroy us? I KNOW WHO YOU ARE — THE HOLY ONE OF GOD!'” (Mark 1:23-24). Another incident involved the seven sons of Sceva who tried to exorcise an evil spirit. Here is the response: “And the evil spirit answered and said, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?'” (Acts 19:15).

There are also those who use the name of Jesus Christ in false ways even today. Jesus gave one of the major warnings for the end of this age: “‘For many will come in My name, saying, “I am the Christ,” and will deceive many”‘” (Matthew 24:5). Jesus also warned about those who think that they are doing things in Christ’s name — that is, in ways which He approves: “‘Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you: depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”‘” (Matthew 7:21-23).

As we can see from the foregoing, using the name of Jesus Christ must be with His approval.

We see that the Father of glory — God — has seated the Lord Jesus Christ at His own right hand “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come” (Ephesians 1:21). Note, also, this statement from Philippians 2:9-11: “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him THE NAME WHICH IS ABOVE EVERY NAME, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that EVERY TONGUE should confess that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, to the glory of God the Father.”

In the last days of this age, Jesus promised His help and protection to those who truly recognize Who He is. In Revelation 3, verse 8, we find this promise of hope from Jesus Christ: “‘I know your works, See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, AND HAVE NOT DENIED MY NAME.'” Continuing in verse 10: “‘Because you have kept MY COMMAND to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.'”

Then, in Revelation 3:12: “‘He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and I will write on him My new name.'”

How we address the Messiah must be based on our understanding of Who He is and what He represents. His name gives us access to the Father and to answered prayers! Whatever language we may speak, we must come to recognize the preeminence of Jesus Christ in our lives. Finally, whether we refer to Christ as the Messiah, Jesus, Christ, Jesus Christ, Lord, God, Son of God, Master, Teacher, King, Savior, or any number of other names and titles that the Word of God applies to Him, we must understand the deep meaning conveyed with these expressions, and we must back up all that we do by making certain that we are doing the will of our Father in heaven!

While we are still completing our review of our soon-to-be-released new book, “Jesus Christ–A Great Mystery,” a new booklet on Tithing has been written and entered the first review cycle this week.