On Saturday, June 12, 2004, Dave Harris will be giving the sermon, titled, “How Do You Know?” 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.

A very profound truth is revealed in Psalm 119:165. We are told: “Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing shall offend them.”

How often are we offended at what is said or done by another human being, even to the point of loss of a lifelong friendship? Do we have very “thin skin” as the saying goes, when such a situation occurs? Is this becoming less or more of a problem in our lives?

Perhaps this could be a good barometer of our true understanding of God’s Word! Christ said in Matthew 24:12 that the love of God’s Truth is going to grow cold in the lives even of many who have been striving in His Way for many years. Thus, Christ tells us in verse 13 of Matthew 24 that one must endure in God’s Love if he will achieve the ultimate goal of eternal life, which we all seek.

Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 that “the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but will according to their own desires… heap up for themselves teachers… and… will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” Isaiah is clear that they will say to their prophets (teachers), “Do not prophesy to us right things; Speak to us smooth things, prophecy (teach) deceits” (Isaiah 30:10). In other words: Teach us easy things contrary to God’s righteous Way of Life.

As we approach the time of the end, this problem in the Churches of God is not going to get better — but will get worse! We need to understand that when people have lost (or are losing) the love of the Truth, they are no longer desiring to live God’s Way. The Truth is no longer important to them. They are looking for an easier way. And if we are not on our toes, they can pull us along with them!

We have been called to a better Way. We have been called out of the ways of this world. The Truth brings us out! Therefore, our actions should reflect that Truth at work in our lives. If we are easily offended, how much of the love of Christ is working in us?

The ways of this world are carnal. Notice Paul’s comment to the Corinthians in this regard in 1 Corinthians 3:3. He says, “For you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” Only Truth will set us free from this carnal approach to life.

Christ tells us in John 8:31-32: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” That is, free from the pulls of this carnal nature we are born with, free from the ways of this world.

We must see and understand what we are, where our ways are contrary to God’s Ways. And we must replace that deviant way with God’s Truth! If we are diligent in our responsibility to the things we understand, God the Father and “Christ in you, the hope of glory” will complete the process through the Power of His Spirit (Colossians 1:27).

Ronald Reagan (1911-2004)

Ronald Reagan, the 40th U.S. president, died last Saturday at 93 of pneumonia, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Mr. Reagan’s daughter, Patti Davis, reported that “at the last moment, when his breathing told us this was it, he opened his eyes and looked straight at my mother. Eyes that haven’t opened for days did, and they weren’t chalky or vague. They were clear and blue and full of love” (Reuters, June 8, 2004).

When the late human leader of the Church of God, Herbert W. Armstrong, died on January 16,1986, President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, sent the following telegram: “To the congregation, Worldwide Church of God: Nancy and I join all those mourning the loss of Herbert W. Armstrong. As founder and leader of the Worldwide Church of God, Mr. Armstrong contributed to sharing the word of the Lord with his community and with people throughout the nation. You can take pride in his legacy. Our prayers are with you. God bless you.”

As a small tribute to former President Ronald Reagan, we are quoting excerpts from his remarks at a breakfast in Dallas, Texas, on August 23, 1984, as published by the Drudge Report, dated June 7, 2004:

“I don’t speak as a theologian or a scholar, only as one who’s lived a little more than his threescore ten — which has been a source of annoyance to some… and as one who has been active in the political life of the Nation for roughly four decades and now who’s served the past 3 1/2 years in our highest office. I speak, I think I can say, as one who has seen much, who has loved his country, and who’s seen it change in many ways.

“I believe that faith and religion play a critical role in the political life of our nation — and always has — and that the church — and by that I mean all churches, all denominations — has had a strong influence on the state. And this has worked to our benefit as a nation.

“Those who created our country — the Founding Fathers and Mothers — understood that there is a divine order which transcends the human order. They saw the state, in fact, as a form of moral order and felt that the bedrock of moral order is religion. The Mayflower Compact began with the words, ‘In the name of God, amen.’ The Declaration of Independence appeals to ‘Nature’s God’ and the ‘Creator’ and ‘the Supreme Judge of the world.’ Congress was given a chaplain, and the oaths of office are oaths before God. James Madison in the Federalist Papers admitted that in the creation of our Republic he perceived the hand of the Almighty. John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, warned that we must never forget the God from whom our blessings flowed. George Washington referred to religion’s profound and unsurpassed place in the heart of our nation quite directly in his Farewell Address in 1796. Seven years earlier, France had erected a government that was intended to be purely secular. This new government would be grounded on reason rather than the law of God. By 1796 the French Revolution had known the Reign of Terror.

“And Washington voiced reservations about the idea that there could be a wise policy without a firm moral and religious foundation. He said, ‘Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man (call himself a patriot) who (would) labour to subvert these . . . finest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere Politician . . . (and) the pious man ought to respect and to cherish (religion and morality).’ And he added, ‘… let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion.’ I believe that George Washington knew the City of Man cannot survive without the City of God, that the Visible City will perish without the Invisible City.

“Religion played not only a strong role in our national life; it played a positive role. The abolitionist movement was at heart a moral and religious movement; so was the modern civil rights struggle. And throughout this time, the state was tolerant of religious belief, expression, and practice. Society, too, was tolerant. But in the 1960’s this began to change. We began to make great steps toward secularizing our nation and removing religion from its honored place. In 1962 the Supreme Court in the New York prayer case banned the compulsory saying of prayers. In 1963 the Court banned the reading of the Bible in our public schools. From that point on, the courts pushed the meaning of the ruling ever outward, so that now our children are not allowed voluntary prayer. We even had to pass a law — we passed a special law in the Congress just a few weeks ago to allow student prayer groups the same access to schoolrooms after classes that a young Marxist society, for example, would already enjoy with no opposition.

“The 1962 decision opened the way to a flood of similar suits. Once religion had been made vulnerable, a series of assaults were made in one court after another, on one issue after another. Cases were started to argue against tax-exempt status for churches. Suits were brought to abolish the words ‘under God’ from the Pledge of Allegiance and to remove ‘In God We Trust’ from public documents and from our currency… The truth is, politics and morality are inseparable. And as morality’s foundation is religion, religion and politics are necessarily related. We need religion as a guide. We need it because we are imperfect, and our government needs the church, because only those humble enough to admit they’re sinners can bring to democracy the tolerance it requires in order to survive.

“A state is nothing more than a reflection of its citizens; the more decent the citizens, the more decent the state. If you practice a religion, whether you’re Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, or guided by some other faith, then your private life will be influenced by a sense of moral obligation, and so, too, will your public life. One affects the other. The churches of America do not exist by the grace of the state; the churches of America are not mere citizens of the state. The churches of America exist apart; they have their own vantage point, their own authority. Religion is its own realm; it makes its own claims…

“Without God, there is no virtue, because there’s no prompting of the conscience. Without God, we’re mired in the material, that flat world that tells us only what the senses perceive. Without God, there is a coarsening of the society. And without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure. If we ever forget that we’re one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.

“If I could just make a personal statement of my own — in these 3 1/2 years I have understood and known better than ever before the words of Lincoln, when he said that he would be the greatest fool on this footstool called Earth if he ever thought that for one moment he could perform the duties of that office without help from One who is stronger than all. I thank you, thank you for inviting us here today. Thank you for your kindness and your patience. May God keep you, and may we, all of us, keep God.”

Kohl Praises Reagan

As Associated Press reported on June 6, 2004, “former Chancellor Helmut Kohl praised Ronald Reagan on Sunday as ‘a great friend of the Germans’ for his role in bringing down communism and ending Europe’s Cold War division. Kohl said he would never forget standing next to the U.S. president in 1987 when Reagan challenged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to ‘tear down this wall,’ the last high point of Cold War rhetoric in West Berlin. ‘Ronald Reagan was a man who achieved great things for his country,’ Kohl said in a statement. ‘He was a stroke of luck for the world, especially for Europe.’

“Reagan stood before the wall’s concrete and barbed wire on June 12, 1987, and delivered a speech at the Brandenburg Gate that dared the reform-minded Gorbachev to pressure East Germany’s Stalinist regime. By the summer of 1989, communism was
crumbling in eastern Europe and East Germans started fleeing to the West via other Soviet bloc countries. On Nov. 9, East Germany threw open the wall under pressure from massive pro-democracy protests, allowing people to go west once again without fear of being shot at the border. On Oct. 3, 1990, Germany — and with it, Berlin — reunited, the communist east merging with the capitalist west. ‘His determined support for freedom contributed decisively to overcoming the division of Europe and of Germany,’ Kohl said. ‘We Germans have a lot to thank Ronald Reagan for.’

“The two leaders’ 1985 visit to a German war cemetery in Bitburg — highly controversial at the time because SS soldiers are buried there — was a ‘great gesture of friendship’ and reconciliation 40 years after the end of World War II, Kohl said. In 1987, the wall erected by East Germany to keep its citizens from fleeing to the West had been in place for 26 years, stretching 160 kilometers (100 miles) around West Berlin, its barriers reinforced by electric fences, dog runs and watchtowers. West Berlin was a capitalist island encircled by Soviet-backed East Germany and its capital, East Berlin. Reagan, like John F. Kennedy more than two decades before, made his critical point in German in his 1987 speech, expressing “this unalterable belief: ‘Es gibt nur ein Berlin’ — There is only one Berlin.”

“‘General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate,’ Reagan said. ‘Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.'”

President Bush Visits the Pope

On June 4, 2004, President Bush visited the Pope in Italy. We are setting forth excerpts from their addresses, as published by Zenit and Associated Press on June 4:

Excerpts from George Bush’s Address to John Paul II:

“Your Holiness, …we are honored to be here; perhaps the best way I can express my country’s gratitude to you and our respect to you is to present to you the Medal of Freedom from America and, if you might, allow, I’d like to read the citation attached to that honor. ‘A devoted servant of God, His Holiness Pope John Paul II has championed the cause of the poor, the weak, the hungry, and the outcast. He has defended the unique dignity of every life, and the goodness of all life. Through his faith and moral conviction, he has given courage to others to “be not afraid” in overcoming injustice and oppression. His principled stand for peace and freedom has inspired millions and helped to topple Communism and tyranny. The United States honors this son of Poland who became the Bishop of Rome, and a hero of our time.'”

Excerpts from the Pope’s Address to U.S. President Bush:

“… Mr. President, your visit to Rome takes place at a moment of great concern for the continuing situation of grave unrest in the Middle East, both in Iraq and in the Holy Land. You are very familiar with the unequivocal position of the Holy See in this regard… In the past few weeks other deplorable events have come to light which have troubled the civic and religious conscience of all, and made more difficult a serene and resolute commitment to shared human values: in the absence of such a commitment neither war nor terrorism will ever be overcome. May God grant strength and success to all those who do not cease to hope and work for understanding between peoples, in respect for the security and rights of all nations and of every man and woman… A fuller and deeper understanding between the United States of America and Europe will surely play a decisive role in resolving the great problems which I have mentioned, as well as so many others confronted by humanity today… God bless America!”

Germany and France

As Bild Online reported on June 7, 2004, “60 years after D-Day, World War II has ended.” The article continued: “It was the most important gesture during the D-Day celebrations: A heartfelt, trusting embrace between France’s Premier Jacques Chirac and Germany’s Head of State, Gerhard Schroeder…. Newspapers all over Europe celebrated this gesture…. France’s President Chirac said to Chancellor Schroeder, the first German Chancellor having been able to participate in D-Day celebrations: ‘The French are accepting you on this day of memory and hope more than just a friend. They accept you as a brother.’… The Paris paper ‘Liberation,’ wrote: ‘The key word during these days was reconciliation…. This Sunday, Germany’s change was celebrated and sealed by all….’ The British ‘Guardian’ commented that the time had arrived for all British to leave the war behind.”

Sadly, as the Bible prophesies, the times of the past will return to haunt us in the future. Although the world hopes for peace, there will be no peace. Only when Christ returns will things change — but sadly, not before then.

Support the Gay Community?

In the UK, the Daily Mail reported on Tuesday the 8th of June that a museum to extol gay campaigners and acclaim homosexual lifestyles is to be set up and funded with public money. The future of the scheme was guaranteed after all the major candidates in the London mayoral election backed the idea. Tory hopeful Steve Norris said yesterday: “I’m afraid whoever you elect, you are going to get it.” But critics said the decision to give public cash to a project devoted to the interests of a highly-politicized minority group is deeply questionable. The museum supporters want it in the former Bow Street police station in the prime tourist district of Covent Garden. This is likely to cost £20 million to establish. Its appearance would be seen as setting the seal on the respectability of the gay lobby, which has moved into the political mainstream under the Labour government. Supporters say it should detail the history of gay life, including recent political campaigns for the repeal of Section 28, the law that until last year banned gay propaganda from schools. It should also house records of campaign groups and provide a meeting place for them, they say. Supporters of the museum want taxpayer funding to go into it alongside lottery money and business donations.

In order to properly understand the passage in Matthew 18:17, we need to review all the Scriptures to see whom God has entrusted with the administration of the Church of God.

The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church (Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18; 2:18-19). It is He who leads and directs the Church, the building of God the Father (1 Corinthians 3:9). He adds those to the Church whom He wants (Acts 2:47). He is composing the body — the Church (1 Corinthians 12:18, 24). He is the One who places members in certain positions and appoints the ministry (1 Corinthians 12:28). He uses appointed ministers to appoint others to the ministry (Titus 1:5; compare Acts 14:23) by, among other things, the laying on of hands (1 Timothy 5:22).

Christ gives the ministry certain responsibilities and the “authority” to carry out these functions and duties. Christ gives the Church the ministry for edification of the Church membership (Ephesians 4:11-16), and with that ministerial responsibility comes authority (2 Corinthians 13:10: “… lest being present I should use sharpness according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification.” Compare 2 Corinthians 10:7-8). Although this might not sound good in the ears of some who have developed an attitude not unlike that of ancient Korah (Numbers 16:1-3), God has given His ministers “rule” over the members (Hebrews 13:7; compare Titus 2:15). God expects the members to follow that “rule” and obey the faithful ministers, unless their instructions or commands violate God’s Word (1 Corinthians 16:1; 2 Corinthians 2:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:10-11; 5:12-13; 1 Timothy 6:17). God expects that the members submit to the administration of His faithful ministers (1 Corinthians 16:15-16; 1 Timothy 5:17). God’s ministers are to conduct themselves in such a way, of course, that the membership CAN follow their (good) example (1 Corinthians 11:1; 1 Corinthians 4:16-17; Philippians 3:17; 4:9).

The ministers are to teach the membership the Word of God (Romans 10:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 4:8; John 17:20; 1 Corinthians 15:1-2). The administration of the Church includes the proclamation and preservation of sound doctrine. When doctrinal decisions have to be made, they are to be made through the ministry. In Acts 15:6, the apostles and elders came together in Jerusalem to consider a doctrinal matter. After the apostles had spoken, James announced the decision (Acts 15:19) that had been “determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem” (Acts 16:4). The entire Headquarter church, including the membership, agreed with it (Acts 15:22-23), but the lay members did not participate in the decision-making process (compare again Acts 15:6). Christ gave Peter and subsequently all of the apostles, and by extension, His leading ministers the authority to bind and loose — that authority was not given to all of the members (compare Update Number 127, dated January 23, 2004, Q&A, “Power to Bind and Loose”). That authority includes the responsibility of the leading ministers to determine, with the help and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, whether or not somebody has repented of his or her sins (John 20:22-23).

Christ charged His ministry to protect the flock from false teachers or ravenous wolves (Acts 20:17-38). The purpose is for the edification of the body of Christ, that is, to prevent, that false teachings overthrow the faith of some and draw them away from the simplicity which is in Christ. Paul admonished Timothy to instruct the brethren in the right way of life, and to protect them from wrong teachings (1 Timothy 4:1-7). He admonished the members in the letter of Hebrews not to be carried about with various and strange doctrines (Hebrews 13:9). He told the Church membership to hold on to what Paul had taught them (compare 2 Timothy 1:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:15).

The Church was told to “note” a person that would be disobedient to the instructions contained in the letter (2 Thessalonians 3:14). At the same time, he instructed Timothy not to receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses (1 Timothy 5:19). So, it is Timothy who is to receive an accusation against an elder — not the entire church membership — to deal with the situation. We read in 1 Timothy 5:20 that Timothy is to rebuke a sinning and unrepentant elder in the presence of all — again, it is Timothy who is to administer this situation, after he has heard the charges. This example shows how Christ’s command in Matthew 18:17 was understood by the Church: The offended member and two witnesses were to bring an accusation against another person, including a minister, to the MINISTRY of the Church — NOT to all the Church members — as the MINISTRY was understood to deal with the situation and render a decision. If the decision was to disfellowship the unrepentant and stubbornly rebellious person, then this would be announced to all the Church — or at least to the local congregation. (We should also mention that Christ expects His ministry to administer situations involving sinning members or ministers with MERCY and LOVE. When Jesus saw the repentant attitude of the woman caught in adultery, He did not condemn her, compare John 8:11. Jude 20-23 encourages all of us to have a merciful and compassionate attitude toward others, as we ourselves are waiting for God’s mercy.)

Returning to the passage in Matthew 18:17, we are told that the offended brother is to bring the matter involving unrepentant sinful conduct of a Church member, along with two witnesses, to the Church, and if the offender does not hear the Church, he is to be looked at as a tax collector or heathen. The word for Church is ekklesia in the Greek, which is also used in Matthew 16:18-19. Although it most certainly can refer to the entire Church membership or the membership of a local congregation, it can also refer to the leadership of the universal or local Church. In Matthew 18:17, it clearly refers to the Church leadership or ministry, as the following verse, verse 18, addresses the LEADERSHIP or MINISTRY of the Church, giving THEM the binding and loosing authority, as discussed earlier. The meaning of Matthew 18:17 is that if the offender does not even hear the leadership of the Church, the entire congregation needs to be involved, by sharing in the ministry’s decision to treat the offender as a heathen or tax collector. Once the person comes to repentance, as determined by the ministry, he is to be invited and received back into the fold (compare 2 Timothy 2:24-26; 2 Corinthians 2:6-11).

We should also remember that the Bible uses, for instance, the words for “king” and “kingdom” interchangeably (Daniel 2:37, 39). The word “kingdom” refers at times to the king, the leader or representative of the kingdom. Likewise, the word “God” can refer to God the Father; to Jesus Christ the Son; or even to all of us — when considering our future as sons and daughters of God the Father and members of the God Family. Still, the Father will always be the highest in the Family of God, followed by Jesus Christ. The point is that also the word “Church” can refer to the entirety of the Church membership, as well as to the leadership or leading ministers, depending upon the context.

If one wants to teach that the entire Church, or at least the local Church congregation, needs to be involved in the decision-making process of excommunication, imagine the problems to be encountered if the congregation consists of 400 or 500 members. On what basis would a “decision” be reached — especially, if some of the brethren would not want to participate in the “voting” system?

The Bible does not teach that God’s Church be ruled by democracy. Rather, God’s government is that of a hierarchy — with God the Father above all. God’s Church is administered by His ministers, with love and mercy, but with the authority to rebuke and correct, if need be. Local “Church” groups which have disassociated themselves from the ministry to “rule” themselves and to independently administer their own affairs are in clear violation of God’s command that His Church be administered through His ministry. This is also true for those “Church” groups that are being “administered” by self-proclaimed or “elected” ministers, not approved by God (compare 2 Timothy 4:3-5; 3 John 9-10). In extreme cases, God’s ministry may even have to excommunicate someone from spiritual fellowship with His people, to protect the flock, and to, at the same time, motivate and encourage the offender to come to repentance, so that he or she can be restored to God’s fold.

Our new booklet on Sickness and Healing has been sent to the printer in England. It has been also posted on our Webpage at: http://www.eternalgod.org/lit/booklets/healing.htm

On Saturday, June 5, 2004, Norbert Link will be giving the sermon, titled, “You Shall Be Perfect!” The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Recently, in the United Kingdom, we have had an outcry on a particular matter that clearly shows the gross hypocrisy that engulfs this godless society. No doubt, what happened in the United Kingdom may be mirrored in much, if not most of the civilized world.

A well known football (soccer) commentator erroneously thought the microphones were switched off after the conclusion of a semi-final European cup match which had been televised. His comments were transmitted live to a number of countries, including some in the Middle East. There was an immediate uproar, as he had used unacceptable expletives and an emotional racialist term about a particular player. He immediately resigned his position with the television company, and he lost his column in a leading national newspaper. This event was reported far and wide and was the subject of phone-ins and all of the usual media hype.

Such behavior cannot be condoned in any way. However, very often those who protest the loudest can be those who take GOD’S name in vain with impunity. Blasphemy is seen as a non-event. In fact, blasphemy is of epidemic proportions. Many (but not all) may not even know or realize what they are doing. Youngsters who have no religious knowledge or upbringing can be serial offenders in this area. Older people seem, in general, to behave little better. There is no respect for God in every strata of society. The names of God and Jesus Christ are used as expletives, swear words and terms of abuse. One can do this at will with no come-back, while comments about another human being particularly if they refer to his race or his sexual orientation, are considered racially abusive, or discriminatory.

God clearly tells us not to take His name in vain (Exodus 20:7), but mankind in general totally disregards the third commandment. Perhaps in many cases this instruction is not even known, as the knowledge of God is systematically eliminated by those in positions who think that they know and do better.

Interestingly, I took up the fact that blasphemy seems to be part and parcel of the staple diet of so many films that are made today, with the British Board of Film Classification, in 1999. Their replies were cleverly phrased in such a way that they made no real sense at all. They took an intellectual, non-godly approach, which was wholly secular and which attempted to exonerate the unacceptable with clever phrasing, reference to legal cases and no understanding of the truth whatsoever. It reminded me of the phrase that “a man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still.” On careful reflection, such correspondence was, inevitably, an exercise in futility. In the last five years things will not have changed, except that they will have progressively deteriorated. Such disrespect for our Maker is endemic in society.

A world that takes such an approach is headed for disaster, and the great God will only let this go on for so long. It is a small part of a great malaise and disease. It is an approach based on the supposed dignity of man, while ignoring the supremacy of God. There is a time coming when the teachers in the wonderful world tomorrow will say, “This is the way, walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21). That way will not encompass blasphemy and disrespect for either man or, more importantly, for the great Creator God.

Let us pray, “Thy Kingdom Come”, and let us do so with ever greater intensity. In the Kingdom, we will experience a time of respect for everyone, especially God, and it will be a time that true Christians must surely yearn for. That time is coming — the sooner the better.

U.S. and Europe Differ on Fight Against Terrorism

Associated Press reported on May 28, 2004:

“Their countries are among the richest, most powerful on Earth. But politically, European leaders heading to the United States for a summit with President Bush are walking wounded. Taking part in the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq has hurt the British and Italian prime ministers, Tony Blair and Silvio Berlusconi, at home. The leaders of Germany and France are burdened by sluggish economies. Only Russian President Vladimir Putin, re-elected in a March landslide, looks strong… France and other opponents of the war have no desire to see Iraq plunge deeper into chaos. Germany is helping train a new Iraqi police force, and European and American security agencies work closely in investigating, tracking and shutting down terrorists. But European governments don’t necessarily agree with Washington that the war on terrorism must be global, encompassing not only Iraq and al-Qaida, but perhaps even Iran and North Korea, countries Bush once labeled ‘an axis of evil.’ On terrorism, ‘there are two completely different visions,’ said Pascal Boniface, director of the Institute of International and Strategic Relations in Paris. ‘We agree on the goal, but disagree totally on how to get there.'”

Europe Condemns U.S. Tortures

Russia’s Pravda ran this article on May 29, 2004: “Latin America and Europe condemn US tortures in Iraq.” It continued: “In a joint statement, leaders from all Latin American and European nations condemned US tortures of Iraqi prisoners… Leaders and top diplomatic officials from 33 Latin American countries and 25 European nations [met] in the Mexican city of Guadalajara to blast the US-led campaign in Iraq. The 58 nations signed a joint declaration which denounces ‘the abuse of prisoners in Iraq’, and delivered criticism of the United States for its refusal to cooperate with the United Nations. As it was expected, neither British Prime Minister Tony Blair, nor his Italian counterpart Silvio Berlusconi, attended the meeting. In a declaration… officials attending the Third Summit of Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union condemned unilateral actions contradicting international law and outlined ‘our horror at the recent evidence of mistreatment of the prisoners in Iraqi prisons… We energetically condemn all forms of abuse, torture and other cruelty, degrading and inhumanly treating people, including prisoners of war, in whatever location they occur,’ states the document. ‘We express our horror at the recent evidence of mistreating prisoners in Iraq. These abuses go against international law, such as the Geneva Convention.’…”

The article went on to say: “At a stopover in Mexico City on May 25, on the way to the Guadalajara summit, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder produced some important remarks on the U.S.-British draft UN Security Council resolution on Iraq. Mr. Schroeder said that the current draft version must be modified, and added that Germany wants a ‘real handover of sovereignty’ in Iraq. Germany — together with Russia, France and China — is proposing major changes to the resolution, which would give Iraq’s interim government control over the Iraqi army and police and require the U.S.-led multinational force to consult on military actions except for self-defense. [As Der Spiegel Online reported on June 1, 2004, President Bush called Chancellor Schroeder for support of the U.S. resolution. Details of the phone conversation were not made public]. French President Jacques Chirac, visiting Guatemala before the summit, said the U.S.-British resolution needed to be improved, adding that Iraq should have sovereignty over its armed forces and natural resources starting June 30. Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, in turn, when meeting with Mexico’s Vicente Fox, praised Mexico’s ‘bravery’ in refusing to back the Iraq war and lauded Mexico’s calls for multilateral foreign policy actions. Trade issues also dominated the summit’s agenda, with the EU and the four Mercosur nations — Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay — saying they intend to sign an ‘ambitious’ free trade accord in October. However, they did not agree in crucial points, as the total liberalization of the agricultural trading.”

Earthquakes Linked?

Associated Press reported last week that “a major earthquake that hit Alaska in 2002 set off a flurry of smaller quakes in far-off Yellowstone National Park and changed eruption intervals in several geysers… Scientists say that the Denali fault earthquake, which registered a magnitude of 7.9 and hit in November 2002, is believed to be the first in modern times in North America to trigger large-scale changes in geysers and hot springs so far away.”

U.S. Catholic Church Under Attack?

As the San Diego Union-Tribune reported on May 28, 2004, “Cardinal Bernard Law was appointed by the pope yesterday to a ceremonial but highly visible post in Rome, outraging many in the archdiocese Law left in disgrace at the height of the clergy sex scandal [Law and other church officials had shifted child-molesting priests from parish to parish for decades] … Bob Bowers of St. Catherine’s church in Charlestown said he was astonished the Vatican would ‘reward’ Law.”

The paper also reported that a watchdog group asked the IRS to revoke tax-exempt status of the Roman Catholic diocese in Colorado Springs over the bishop’s threat to withhold communion from those who vote for politicians who disagree with the church’s religious teachings on abortion rights and other topics. The watchdog group claims that “the church uses its resources for political purposes.” It is only hoped that the IRS will not fall for such ridiculous argumentation, lest a church is no longer permitted to teach and engage in its religious beliefs.

The Pope and the Beetle

Zenit reported on May 26, 2004, that “the last Volkswagen Beetle made in Mexico has been given to John Paul II. The car, one of a limited series of 30,000 was given to the Pope today… John Paul II blessed the car… The light blue Beetle, which will have a Vatican City license plate (its initials are SCV), is the last in this series of cars whose origins date back to the 1930s. [In fact, it was Adolph Hitler who was instrumental for and supportive of the mass manufacturing and production of the “bug” or “Volkswagen” — meaning, the “people’s car.”] Some 21 million ‘bugs’ have been produced over the years. Their production stopped in Europe in 1978, but continued in Mexico until last July 30.”

An Example of Futility

The San Diego Union Tribune reported on June 1, 2004, about an unbelievable situation in California and in the United States that punishes the innocent and rewards the evildoers. We speak of the concept of punitive damages in civil suits. As the paper pointed out, “The irony of current tax policy is that while the innocent victims who receive punitive damages must pay taxes on them, the payors — those who commit malice and oppression — can write off the payments as tax deduction… Exxon’s $1.1 billion settlement with the U.S. government over the Exxon Valdez oil spill litigation cost Exxon a maximum of $524 million after the oil company’s tax deductions. The Congressional Research Office found that more than half of the civil damages totaling $900 million could be written off on Exxon’s federal tax return.”

Truly, this world has it all backwards…

U.S. Lost in Afghanistan

On June 1, 2004, the San Diego Union Tribune reprinted an interesting article from the Chicago Sun-Times, titled, “Barely holding on in Afghanistan.” While the world’s attention is mainly focused on Iraq, the article pointed out how the situation in Afghanistan is equally troublesome for the U.S. The article explained:

“The handful of valiant American warriors fighting the ‘other’ war in Afghanistan is not a happy band of brothers. They are undermanned and feel neglected, lack confidence in their generals and are disgusted by Afghan political leadership. Most important, they are appalled by the immense but fruitless effort to find Osama bin Laden for purposes of U.S. politics… [The] overlooked war continues WITH NO END IN SIGHT. Narcotics trafficking is at an all-time high. If U.S. forces were to leave [Afghanistan], the Taliban — or something like it — would regain power. THE UNITED STATES IS LOST IN AFGHANISTAN, BOUND TO THIS WILD COUNTRY AND UNABLE TO LEAVE. The situation in Afghanistan… looks NOTHING like a country alleged to be PROGRESSING TOWARD representative DEMOCRACY under American tutelage. Harrid Karzai, the U.S. sponsored Afghan president, is regarded by U.S. troops as hopelessly corrupt and kept in power by U.S. force of arms… The basic U.S. strength in Afghanistan is 17,000 troops of ‘straight-legged’ infantry — conventional forces ill-prepared to handle irregulars…” The article’s conclusion: “Being lost in Afghanistan transcends politics and is a LONG-TERM AMERICAN BURDEN.”

Some have stumbled over this issue, and it does require a balanced understanding to properly apply ALL the Scriptures on this topic. Let’s begin with 2 John: “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds” (verses 10 and 11).

In the previous verses John speaks of “deceivers” and of “whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ” (verses 7 and 9). It is evident that the subject being dealt with in this letter is that some no longer walked in the truth. Some had embraced a false doctrine and were actually preaching that Christ was not coming in the flesh; that is, that Christ was not living in the lives of His disciples (verse 7). After several decades in the first generation of the Church of God, false teachers and false teachings were spreading and threatening to deceive some. John also stated in 1 John 4:1-6, that some taught that Christ never came in the flesh.

In 3 John, once again this faithful apostle of Jesus Christ is writing to Gaius about the issue of deception. Note what he says in verse 4: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in [the] truth.” He singles out Demetrius who “has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself” (verse 12). However, he also speaks of Diotrephes. The actions of this man give us insight as to what was then happening in the Church of God: “I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the pre-eminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church” (3 John 9-10).

Just how extreme the situation within the church had become was also attested to by Jude: “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (verse 3). We see in verse 4 of Jude that “certain men have crept in unnoticed.” Then in verses 16-19, Jude warns: “These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual [worldly] persons, who CAUSE DIVISIONS, not having the Spirit.”

Paul also had to contend with those — especially among the ministry — who would embrace Christianity for their own purposes: “‘Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also, from among YOURSELVES men will rise up, speaking perverse [misleading] things, to draw away the disciples after THEMSELVES. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears'” (Acts 20:28-31).

Indeed, this happened. We find this further record from Paul in Galatians 1, verses 6-9: “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.”

What was then happening to this Gentile congregation was that some were teaching that these Christians must be circumcised — in other words, they were being falsely taught the religious dogma of Judaism. Concerning this “other gospel,” Paul stated: “… he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is” (Galatians 5:10). In chapter 6, Paul shows that the reason for this false teaching was merely so that they would “… not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ” (verse 12).

In writing to Titus, a minister who later might have left his responsibility (Compare 2 Timothy 4:10), Paul admonishes: “But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. Reject a DIVISIVE man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned” (Titus 3:9-11).

Jesus taught His disciples how to handle problems within the Church of God.

In Matthew 18:17, we find this final step: “‘And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.'” We see how Paul later taught the Church according to Christ’s instructions. In 2 Thessalonians 3:6, he said: “But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.”

Paul applied this in the Church of God: “Now I urge you, brethren, NOTE those who cause DIVISIONS and OFFENSES, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:17-18).

Paul continues to explain the approach that faithful brethren are to use when situations arise where this kind of action must be taken: “And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, NOTE that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him AS A BROTHER” (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15).

We are told that we must deal compassionately with those who make mistakes. God instructed His people Israel to carefully reprove their neighbor with the idea of not condoning wrong behavior, but they were not to hate their neighbor in the process. We find this instruction in Leviticus 19:16-18: “‘You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD. You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.'”

Jesus taught that rather than hating those who might be our enemy, we should follow His example: “‘But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who spitefully use you and persecute you'” (Matthew 5:44). The overarching teaching from Jesus Christ is summed up in Luke 6:31: “‘And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.'”

We see from the Biblical examples that the Church of God is administered through the ministry. There are times when people have to be told to stop attending services or to be put out of the church (Compare 1 Corinthians 5:1-5). There are also times when the ministry invites repentant people back into fellowship (2 Corinthians 2:6-11; compare John 20:23).

We have witnessed the fragmentation of God’s church in our own time. Many have left the faith, while a lesser number have continued as best they could. Some have come to hold very extreme views, and others have become less zealous, even to the point of compromising with the truth. This very circumstance has torn families apart — and that includes God’s family!

While we indeed must use discretion to avoid being deceived by false teachings, we must still not allow ourselves to assume a self-righteous approach when dealing with the people of God outside our own fellowship. We must let our light shine before all, and that includes speaking to even those who may now be cast in adversarial roles. However, that would not include listening to false teachings (including via literature or tapes) or spiritually fellowshipping with those who have chosen to follow and promote such wrong doctrines. Paul warned the Church at Corinth: “…that a little leaven leavens the whole lump” (1 Corinthians 5:6).

Let’s be careful in how we deal with people to make certain that we don’t participate in sins, but let us also strike a balance and interact with others just as Jesus did — with great mercy (compare Jude 22-23).

The command in 2 John 10, and similar commands, refers mainly to those who come to us for the purpose of sowing discord and creating division. It is not to be understood as a command to have no social relationship with anyone who is not in our fellowship. Christ did not refuse to accept invitations from Pharisees (!) to eat in their houses. He would have lodged with the Samaritans, if they had offered Him a place to stay. Sinners and tax collectors approached Him, and He did not reject them, when He saw their willingness to be taught by Him. We are to go after the lost sheep — how can we do so, if we refuse to speak or eat with everyone who does not belong to, or has left, our fellowship? We must understand, too, that the Church of God, the body of Christ, is a spiritual organism, and not a corporation. This means that there are people of God in other human organizations outside our particular fellowship. How can we reject those and refuse to have any social contact with them, when God has accepted them (compare Romans 14:4)?

We must be careful not to be influenced by wrong teachings and practices. At the same time, we must be careful not to develop an “exclusive” approach toward others in our minds and actions.

Two new StandingWatch programs, titled, “Who Was Jesus?” and “Life After Death,” have been posted on the Web.

On Saturday, May 29, 2004, Norbert Link will be giving the sermon, titled, “God’s Power!” 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.

On Sunday, May 30, 2004, is the Feast of Pentecost. Dave Harris will be giving the sermon in the morning, and Edwin Pope in the afternoon. Both will be discussing important principles related to that day.

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

When Mr. Armstrong was traveling around the world, visiting world leaders and dignitaries, he would on many occasions present to them a gift of Steuben crystal. This type of crystal was of a good quality with a world reputation for its clarity. It was a suitable gift for world leaders and royalty with whom Mr. Armstrong came in contact. God in His great mercy has given us an even more precious and valuable gift — His Holy Spirit.

Pentecost is fast approaching, and we should, at this time, reflect on this most valuable gift. Let us look at the events of the Feast of Pentecost mentioned in Acts 2:1-4: “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

We see here the powerful beginning of the New Testament Church of God. Notice: They were all of one accord. There were no divisions, other opinions or different interpretations among them. They were all in one place, not scattered here and there. There came suddenly a SOUND of a mighty wind — not a mighty wind, but only a sound, which they all heard, since it filled the whole house. Then, tongues of fire sat upon each one, symbolizing that they were individually receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. They began to speak in other languages and the miracle was also in the hearing, since each one heard them in their own language (compare verse 8). This was a powerful manifestation of the beginning of the New Testament Church of God on the Feast of Pentecost.

What does God’s Spirit do for us individually?

It opens our minds to the spiritual truth of the Bible, which we could not understand with our own natural mind and human reasoning. It also gives us an endearing relationship with our God and Jesus Christ. We read in Romans 8:16 (Authorized Version): “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” We also read in verse 15 (AV): “…but ye have received the Spirit of adoption [correctly rendered, “sonship”], whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” The Aramaic word “Abba” denotes a very close and personal relationship with God, as that of a child with his father (compare Mark 14:36; Galatians 4:6).

Through the receipt of the gift of the Holy Spirit, we enter into a personal close family relationship with God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

In addition, as long as the Holy Spirit dwells in us, it enables us to be resurrected at the last trumpet (compare 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) and to enter God’s Kingdom as His sons and daughters, ruling for all eternity.

Let us come to the conclusion of the matter. In this life we may have many gifts bestowed upon us, but there is no gift more precious or valuable than that of God’s Spirit. Our loving God wants to share His power, majesty and eternal life with His family. Let us ensure, brethren, that we develop and maintain a deep appreciation for the “Greatest Gift of All” — God’s Holy Spirit.

UN Condemns Israel

Associated Press reported on May 22, 2204: “A 3-year-old Palestinian girl was shot dead Saturday as a senior U.N. official toured a battle-scarred refugee camp where Israeli troops continue the hunt for weapons-smuggling tunnels and militants. The United Nations condemned the ‘completely unacceptable’ destruction of houses, which has left 1,650 Palestinians homeless in the last 10 days. In the West Bank, four people were wounded by a Palestinian suicide bomber near an Israeli army checkpoint. On Friday, Israeli troops pulled back from the Brazil and Tel Sultan neighborhoods of Rafah, leaving behind dozens of damaged or destroyed buildings, torn-up roads and flattened cars. The army said it was redeploying forces and that its offensive — aimed at capturing militants and uncovering tunnels that stretch across the nearby Egyptian border — would continue… Israel says its offensive has resulted in the arrest of dozens of militants and the killing of a local leader of the armed group Hamas. The army also said it had discovered one arms-smuggling tunnel during the operation.”

Anti-American Demonstrations

Associated Press reported on May 21, 2004: “Thousands of Shiite Muslims demonstrated in Beirut Friday to warn the United States against attacking holy sites in Iraq. Smaller groups rallied in three other Mideast nations, with protesters in Bahrain clashing with police. Wearing white shrouds symbolizing their readiness to die in defense of the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq, demonstrators marched through Beirut’s suburbs. Many chanted ‘death to America, death to Israel.’… In Manama, Bahrain, police fired tear gas to disperse about 5,000 demonstrators, but the angry crowd broke through the police blockade and continued its march to protest the fighting in Karbala and Najaf, shouting, ‘Death to America!’… The nearly two-mile march had been approved by security authorities, but police tried to stop the demonstrators halfway through, but protesters kept on moving and turned over an empty police car and set it on fire. Bahrain’s king Sheik Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa fired his interior minister, saying the march should have been allowed to go on… The U.S. military has said it is doing its best to avoid damage to the shrines in Iraq. In fighting last week, the Imam Ali mosque received four holes in its golden dome, and both sides blamed each other for the damage. The mosque is the burial place of the Prophet Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, who is revered by Shiites.”

United States’ Certain Future

The outcry regarding the prison scandal in Iraq does not cease, especially, as more and more gruesome and terrible details come to light. President Bush’s passing remarks regarding the scandal in his speech of May 24, 2004, will and did do little to calm the waves of condemnation of the United States. As Zenit reported on May 18, 2004, “The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ International Policy Committee says the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers is a challenge to reflect on larger moral issues. ‘The abuse and torture of Iraqi prisoners have brought shame upon our nation, is an affront to our most basic ideals, and will undermine legitimate efforts to confront the very real threats faced by our nation and the world,’ said Bishop John Ricard of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Florida, in a statement.”

Maybe, the American Catholic Church’s condemnation won’t contribute much, substantially, to the criticism, given their own sad history of scandals involving their clergy in this country. Furthermore, as we recently reported in our Updates, not all is bad in Iraq, and considerable improvements have been made. However, perception is important, even if it does not conform with reality. The overall worldwide perception is that the American adventure in Iraq was a devastating debacle. President Bush’s highly anticipated, but disappointing speech did little to provide a reasonable perspective of hope for the future of Iraq. Statements like, “If they need more troops, I will send them,” did not only diminish any hope of a military withdrawal any time soon, but raised and confirmed again the nightmarish fear of a potential draft, to be instituted, perhaps, after the next Presidential election.

Many European and American politicians and newscasters have reported in highly critical and condemnatory ways about the American war with Iraq, its gruesome aftermaths, and the terrible prison scandals. These are some of the recent headlines: “Tortured to Death?” (Focus, May 18, 2004); “Protocol of Horror” (Der Spiegel Online, May 21, 2004); “US Torture the biggest success of Terrorists” (Der Spiegel Online, May 21, 2004, quoting German Republican, Heiner Geissler); “Eye Witness describes death through U.S. Torture in Iraq” (Der Spiegel Online, May 21, 2004); “At least eight deaths through torture” (Spiegel Online, May 22, 2004); “Welcome in Hell” (Der Spiegel Online, May 23, 2004); “[Red Cross] concerned for Detainees in Secret U.S. Jails” (Reuters, May 21, 2004); “Deserting U.S. soldier receives same penalty as torturer” (Der Spiegel Online, May 22, 2004).

Why this condemnation of the United States — when considering all the atrocities and unspeakable crimes that Saddam Hussein and his supporters committed against their own people, including their own relatives? There are, of course, “human” explanations — the fact that the U.S. went ahead with the war, in spite of the opposition of the U.N. Security Council; as well as the reasons given for the war: the unsubstantiated claim that Iraq posed an immediate danger for the security of the United States through Saddam’s alleged possessions of weapons of mass destruction (which was recently admitted by Secretary of State Colin Powell as having been “in error”); and the stated high moral ground of bringing freedom and democracy to a violated Iraq (which cause was now all but shattered in light of the Iraq prison scandal). However, the REAL reason is identified in the Bible. We ARE living in the last days. And the Bible prophesies that, in the last days, the United States will be hated in all the world, and that it will NOT be successful in its military endeavors. God says that HE will break the pride of their power, and that HE will turn His back on the U.S. and give them over to their enemies, because THEY have forsaken their Maker.

Knowing the Bible and Biblical prophecies, we could and did publicly pronounce at the very beginning of the Iraq war that the United States of America will not win its war against terrorism. The late human leader of the Church of God, Herbert W. Armstrong, who died in 1986, pointed out that the United States HAS WON its last war. He UNDERSTOOD that the Bible would not ALLOW the United States in the very last days to be victorious in battle, because GOD will not be blessing their battles. The only exception would be if the United States of America would REPENT of their sins that cry to high heaven. However, there is little hope that this will be the case.

To learn more about the prophesied future of the United States of America, please read our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

Eastern Wall of Temple Mount to Collapse?

On May 19, 2004, the New Jerusalem Post reported that “the eastern wall of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount is in danger of immediate collapse, which could cause a ‘domino effect’ and bring down other sections of the ancient compound… The rare public warning, made at a meeting of the Knesset’s Interior Committee, came one month after a team of senior Egyptian and Jordanian engineers began to carry out tests to determine the stability of the eastern wall.[These] public comments on the issue Tuesday followed a classified report issued by the Israel Antiquities Authority earlier this year, which stated that the 2,000- year-old wall was in danger of immediate collapse as a result of a February earthquake that rattled the region. The report says that the February 11 earthquake damaged the eastern wall of the Temple Mount to such an extent that sections of the wall are liable to cave in on the underground architectural support of the mount, known as Solomon’s Stables.”

The Catholic Church and Europe

The Vatican Information Service reported on Wednesday, May 19, 2004, that on his 84th birthday, Pope John Paul received Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski, his wife and an entourage of fellow Poles. The Pope was quoted as follows: “I… remind everyone that, through the centuries, Europe’s spiritual and cultural patrimony was formed and defended even at the cost of the lives of those who believe in Christ and those who in their religious belief go back to Abraham. It seems necessary to remember this in the context of the formation of the constitutional basis of the European Union, of which Poland recently became a member… Poland cannot forget this and must remind those who, in the name of the secular nature of democratic societies, seem to forget the contribution of Christianity in building their own identity.”

As Die Welt Online and Zenit reported on May 21, 2004, “Seven countries of the European Union are asking that the Constitutional Treaty make reference to the continent’s Christian roots, a spokesman for the Polish Foreign Ministry said. The seven countries — Poland, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Slovakia — sent their request in a letter to the rotating EU presidency, now held by Ireland. The signatories state in the text that the list is not final and hope that ‘other countries will adhere to this initiative.'” France, Belgium, Slovenia, Denmark and the UK objected to the proposal, and Spain has abandoned its call for a reference to Christianity in the constitution (Associated Press and euobserver.com, May 25, 2004).

On May 20, 2004, Zenit published an article, reflecting on the reasons for “Marian apparitions.” It was pointed out by an “expert” that “In Mary’s case, there is also her particular presence next to Christ as Virgin assumed into heaven… Mary’s apparitions can be a means of the Church to confirm in the faith, to assure of her presence and maternal protection, particularly at certain times of history in which there is need to reinforce faith and hope… The list of supposed revelations and apparitions of the Virgin Mary is so large that it is not possible to give an account of them here… The message of Lourdes seems obvious to me. … Lourdes is a charismatic place where the Virgin Mary, through the Church’s ordinary pastoral care acts mysteriously also as source of grace and light for the physical, psychic and spiritual health of those who approach it with faith, hope and love.”

These excerpts show the kind of “Christianity” that we can expect to see in Europe, if the Catholic Church has it her way. Suffice to say that Mary is not in heaven, but she is still dead and buried, in her grave, awaiting the resurrection from the dead together with all the other converted Christians who died in the faith. Therefore, it is clearly not “Mary” who is appearing to people “in visions” or “apparitions.” To learn more about this important biblical truth, please read our free booklets, “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?” and, “Angels, Demons, and the Spirit World.”

United States’ Trade Deficit

Associated Press reported on May 12, 2004, that “The United States posted a record trade deficit in March, reflecting Americans’ voracious demand for foreign-made goods as well as the most expensive crude oil since 1983. The $46 billion deficit reported Wednesday by the Commerce Department represented a hefty 9.1 percent increase from February’s imbalance and came despite the fact that U.S. exports climbed to an all-time high in March… The United States’ $5.6 billion trade deficit with oil-producing countries, including Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, was the highest on record. The average price of imported crude oil rose to $30.64 a barrel in March, the highest since February 1983, another factor in the swollen trade gap… March’s big trade gap may mean that the economy’s 4.2 percent growth rate for the first quarter of this year could be lowered, economists said. The government’s second estimate of first-quarter GDP is released on May 27.”

There were, in fact, numerous “Old Testament” covenants. Our free booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound…“, explains the different Old Testament covenants in detail. Bible scholars sometimes refer to “the Old Covenant,” but when they do, they basically talk about the covenant that God made with Israel at Mount Sinai, as described in Exodus 19. When Israel broke that first “old” covenant, by worshipping a golden calf, God made a new “old” covenant with Israel (Exodus 34:10, NIV). Later, God made a third “old” covenant with the younger generation of Israel, in Moab, just prior to their entering the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 29). By that time, the sacrificial system, which was added due to Israel’s sins, had become part of that covenant made at Moab. When scholars use the term, “the Old Covenant,” they include the sacrificial system that was added and became part of the package, as Israel broke the laws on which the original first “old” covenant (in Exodus 19) was based. A covenant is an agreement between parties based on law. When one party breaks the agreement, the other party is no longer bound by that agreement, either. God says that because they did not keep the Old Covenants (mainly the ones described in Exodus 19, Exodus 34, and Deuteronomy 29), He “disregarded ” them (Hebrews 8:9). He did, in fact, divorce them and sent them away (Jeremiah 3:8).

Because Israel, being carnal, could not and did not keep the Old Covenant(s), God began to build a New Covenant relationship with His people whom He would call. Some Old Testament personalities already lived under New Covenant conditions, as we do today (such as Abraham, Moses, David, etc.). However, this does not mean that all of the Old Testament covenants are still in force and effect today, even for physical Israel (although certain LAWS, including the Ten Commandments, as well as certain statutes and judgments, that had been part of the Old Covenants, clearly are still in force and effect, as explained in our booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound…“).

Some say that the “Old Covenant” has not yet vanished away. However, Hebrews 8:13 states: “In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He HAS MADE the first OBSOLETE.” In the next part of the sentence Paul explains what the word “obsolete” means: “What is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” But he does not say here that the “old” is BECOMING obsolete — rather, he just said that God “HAS MADE IT” already obsolete. The Authorized Version translates this as “he hath made the first old.” W.E. Vine explains that the Greek word for “old,” i.e. palaioo, means, “shall be made old” or “worn out” and may have the meaning of “to abrogate.”

Most translations agree with the New King James Version, that the word should be translated here as “obsolete.” The NIV, RSV, NRSV, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, Rotherham, Goodspeed, Twentieth Century NT, and Amplified New Testament, all translate, “obsolete.” Berkeley says, “he puts the first out of date.” Knox writes: “he has superannuated the old.” Moffat states: “he antiquates the old.”

This understanding is correct, as God abolished the previous old covenants with the nation of Israel because Israel broke the covenants, and because certain laws on which the covenants were based were changed or abolished — i.e., the rituals and sacrificial laws, among others. Paul is mainly talking about rituals and sacrifices in Hebrews 8:13, as part of the “Old Covenant” system. But when Paul wrote his letter to the Hebrews, sacrifices were no longer required — not even for the nation of Judah. Paul was telling them that the temple would soon be destroyed, and that then they could not even give the sacrifices anymore (although they did not have to be given anyway, since Christ, the Supreme Sacrifice, died once and for all, proving that sacrifices cannot perfect the ones who offer them, Hebrews 10:1-9). Hebrews 10:9 says that God “TAKES AWAY THE FIRST THAT HE MAY ESTABLISH THE SECOND.”

The sacrifices, that were no longer required, but that were still given by the Jews at that time would be vanishing away. Paul explained to them that the whole sacrificial system had already become obsolete in any event — that it was no longer necessary, but “taken away.” The Nelson Study Bible explains: “At the time the author of Hebrews wrote these words, the ceremonies of the Mosaic covenant were still being conducted in the temple of Jerusalem. In A.D. 70, the Roman general Titus destroyed the temple, fulfilling these words.”

If it were true that the “Old Covenant(s)” were still valid today for the modern nations of Israel and Judah, then the Israelites and Jews — unconverted and converted — would have to abide by all the laws that are mentioned in those Old Testament covenants, including sacrifices, circumcision, ritual washings, etc. However, it is made clear in the New Testament that circumcision and the sacrificial system, as well as certain other rituals, are no longer binding. In the future, sacrifices will be reinstated, at least on a temporary basis, but GOD will NOT reinstate the Old Testament sacrificial SYSTEM. That is, the sacrifices before (Daniel 12:11) and in the Millennium (Ezekiel 40:38-43) are not those which were part of the old covenants with the nations of Israel and Judah. The New Testament tells us that the sacrifices, as a part of the Old Testament system, are no longer valid. The Levites will still officiate over sacrifices, but these sacrifices will not be given pursuant to the same system that existed in the Old Testament, under Moses. As our booklet “And Lawlessness Will Abound…” points out, there are other ritual laws which were part of the Old Testament covenants with the nations of Israel and Judah, which are no longer valid, either. This means, the Old Testament covenants with the nations of Israel and Judah are no longer valid, as Israel broke them, and as certain LAWS on which the Old Testament covenants were based, are NO LONGER VALID. However, there are SOME Old Testament covenants, which ARE still valid today. Our above-mentioned booklet explains which ones they are.

In conclusion, Hebrews 8:13 very clearly teaches that the “Old Covenant” or “Old Covenants” of Exodus 19, 34 and Deuteronomy 29, that were made with the unconverted nations of Israel and Judah, are no longer valid.

The final text of our new booklet on Healing was sent to Shelly Bruno, our graphic designer, for finalization.