Edwin Pope will give the sermon this Sabbath, July 12, 2003. The title of the sermon is, “Will You Be Counted Worthy?”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at the appropriate time, just click on “Connect to Live Stream.”
 

Afghanistan, Vietnam, Iraq…The only thing that most people know about these places is war. Stop for a moment and think of how many wars that you know of at the present. As we look around the world there are approximately 50 wars going on at any given time…which is 50 too many.

If a region is not at war or involved in any conflict… is it then at peace?

Before 9/11 the US couldn’t even claim peace. It was being besieged from within by gang fights, riots, racism, school shootings, church shootings and etc. Drive-bys have been so common place in some areas that they have not made the front page in the local newspaper. Even with the ABSENCE OF WAR there was no peace even before the terrorist attacks.

Peace has a very active component. Peace doesn’t just happen, we must “make” peace. Matthew 5:9 states, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” We have a greater responsibility than just sitting back and being quiet – especially when problems exist that involve us directly. If we are to be children of God then we must be peacemakers

All through history, nations and their governments have been striving for world peace! Their striving has led only to war because “The way of peace they know not” (Isaiah 59:8; Romans 3:17). The lack of peace is evident everywhere.

We must Think Globally and Act Locally!

Some things that we can do are:

Pray – we are exhorted in 1 Timothy 2:1 to pray for all men and for leaders and “for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” We should also pray that God’s Holy Spirit leads us.

Follow Christ’s example – “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps….Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously” (1 Peter 2:21, 23).

Study – We must ask ourselves what it takes to have quiet, tranquillity, and contentment and all the attributes that we look forward to in the world of tomorrow. What does it take to have this between me and another… AND THEN SEEK IT, PURSUE IT AND KEEP IT (Ps 34:14).

We need to make peace dynamic, real, and working by implementing it ourselves.

The peacemaker talked about in Matthew 5:9 isn’t likely to be a third person, but rather someone involved in a conflict. We are more likely to be involved in a dispute rather than be asked to arbitrate. This is the time to let our light shine.

We have been setting a real life example of peace and must continue to do so. YOU could be making the greatest contribution toward world peace in our time!

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. (Romans 14:19) As we look forward to the upcoming fall festival season, to the coming of Jesus Christ and to the Millennium – “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18).
 

TOMB OF ZECHARIAH FOUND?

The Associated Press reported on July 6, 2003, that the tomb of Zachariah, father of John the Baptist, might have been found. On the tomb, an inscription of 47 Greek letters was found. “This is the tomb of Zachariah, martyr, very pious priest, father of John,” the inscription reads.
Some scholars say the words were probably written several hundred years after Zachariah’s death – and after the tomb’s construction – by Byzantine Christians.

The article points out that “The inscription is carved into the facade of what is known as Absalom’s Tomb, one of three large funerary monuments in the Kidron Valley, between Jerusalem’s Old City and the Mount of Olives. The monuments were apparently built for Jerusalem’s aristocracy around the time of Jesus. It’s unlikely Absalom, son of King David, lies buried in the tomb, which was built hundreds of years after his death. Medieval Jewish tradition, however, held that the monument was his tomb, and – based on that tradition – Jews, Christians and Muslims stoned the monument for centuries to curse Absalom for his deeds: murdering his half brother Amnon for raping their sister Tamar, and later inciting a rebellion against his father.”

The article continues: “The Gospel of Luke describes [Zachariah] as an elderly man from the priestly caste of Abijah who, while burning incense in the Temple one day, was told by an angel that his wife Elizabeth, also advanced in years, would bear a son, who was later to become John the Baptist. Jewish historian Josephus writes that a priest named Zachariah was slain by Zealots in the Temple and thrown into the Kidron Valley below – which would explain the “martyr” reference in the Greek text.”

It concludes, “The inscription suggests that local Christians believed Zachariah was buried at the site of the tomb.”

JUDICIAL SYSTEMS IN NEED OF REFORM…

California’s current jury instructions may serve as an example as to how much our legal system needs drastic revision and improvement. As the “California Bar Journal” for July 2003 reported, eight hundred brand new jury instructions for use by California lawyers and judges in civil trials are reviewed by the Judicial Council. However, even if approved, the “new instructions” are not “the final word; the Judicial Council likely will appoint an advisory committee to monitor and maintain them in the future,” according to the California Bar Journal. It is anticipated that the instructions will be constantly changed.

Jury instructions are meant to be understood by a tenth grade audience. Current jury instructions, however, can be understood, perhaps, if at all, and at the most, by people in legal business. They were written in the language of appellate opinions. No wonder, then, that we have been faced with so many ridiculous and blatantly false jury decisions.

Just to give a few examples:

A current jury instruction reads, “Failure of recollection is common. Innocent misrecollection is not common.” The proposed new instruction says, instead, “People often forget things or make mistakes in what they remember.”

Another current jury instruction reads, “‘Preponderance of the evidence’ means evidence that has more convincing force than that opposed to it. If the evidence is so evenly balanced that you are unable to say that the evidence on either side of an issue preponderates, your finding on that issue must be against the party who had the burden of proving it.” The proposed new jury instruction reads, instead, “When I tell you that a party must prove something, I mean that the party must persuade you, by the evidence presented in court, that what he or she is trying to prove is more likely to be true than not true. This is sometimes referred to as ‘burden of proof.'”

To quote one more example, a current jury instruction reads, “Circumstantial evidence is evidence that, if found to be true, proves a fact from which an inference of the existence of another fact may be drawn. A factual inference is a deduction that may logically and reasonably be drawn from one or more facts established by the evidence.”

How this convoluted instruction could have survived so long in our legal system is beyond comprehension. The proposed new instruction, although still not as clear as one would wish, reads as follows, “Some evidence proves a fact directly, such as testimony of a witness who saw a jet plane flying across the sky. Some evidence proves a fact indirectly, such as testimony of a witness who saw only the white trail that jet planes often leave. This indirect evidence is sometimes referred to as ‘circumstantial evidence.’ In either instance, the witness’ testimony is evidence that a jet plane flew across the sky.”

Of course, in a trial involving “circumstantial evidence” based on fiber, DNA, blood, and convoluted and contradictory expert testimony regarding the same, this simple “explanation” of “circumstantial evidence” will not be of too much help to a tenth grader, who is supposed to understand and apply those instructions.

The proposed changes of the current jury instructions are a step in the right direction. One must wonder, however, why it took so long to make such necessary changes. At the same time, serious problems remain with the current jury system in California and elsewhere, for those who want to follow Biblical injunctions. For an in-depth discussion, please read the Q&A in our Update #66.

WHERE IS GOD IN TIMES OF TROUBLE?

At this time in human history, God is NOT intervening in this society held under the governance of Satan except for the very few who are called to be Christians, and when it is necessary to bring about prophesied events. The good news is that God has promised a time in which He will send His Son back to the earth to set up the Kingdom of God. At that time, the world will experience peace, and people will have access to God to find healing as well as fulfillment of the ultimate purpose of human life–a purpose that can only be fulfilled through obedience to the true God.

Yet, God does know what is happening on this earth. In a time setting that is yet future, this promise is made: ” ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away’ ” (Revelation 21:4).

God is working out a great master plan for His children. Along the way, mankind has made choices that have cut themselves off from God, but even then, God has so loved the world, that He sent His Son as its Savior. As we consider the horrible plight of millions in today’s world, let’s stay focused on the truth of God’s Word with hope even in the face of the temporary suffering of this age.

ATTACK ON IRAQ

Was It the Truth – and Nothing But the Truth?

As Associated Press reported on July 7, “a parliamentary committee on Monday sharply criticized the [British] government’s handling of intelligence on Iraqi weapons but narrowly cleared Prime Minister Tony Blair’s communications chief of ‘improper influence’ on drafting a controversial intelligence dossier. The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee said the dossier, published in September, gave undue prominence to a claim that Iraq could deploy chemical or biological weapons within 45 minutes of Saddam Hussein’s giving the order… The cross-party committee also said Blair misrepresented to lawmakers the status of the second dossier, published in January, which included material copied from a graduate thesis posted on the Internet… By telling lawmakers that the document represented ‘further intelligence,’ Blair ‘misrepresented its status.'”

DISCONTENT REGARDING IRAQ AND GERMANY

USA Today reported on July 9 that only 23% of Americans feel that the military effort in Iraq is going well. In mid-April, 61% felt that way. On the other hand, two-thirds said that the United States made the right decision to use military force against Iraq, in spite of the fact that no weapons of mass destruction have been found so far, and that some statements made about Saddam by the US and British governments were incorrect. In addition, 72% feel that a strong enough effort is not being made to deal with the health care problems. At the same time, only 38% feel that the Democrats could do a better job than the Republicans.

U.S. STATES’ DEFICIT HIGHEST SINCE WORLD WAR II

As Der Stern Online reported on Wednesday, most of the U.S. states are facing the most serious financial crisis since World War II. California (the largest state with 35.3 million people) is on top of the list, with a deficit of 38 billion dollars. Combined with other U.S. states, the entire deficit is estimated at 53.5 billion dollars. As a consequence, Massachusetts has canceled health benefits for 50,000 poor people. Kentucky has released prematurely 1,000 prisoners. Oregon has prematurely closed schools to save on cleaning costs. The Community Colleges in Los Angeles have only enough money until August. The chancellor of the district said that after that, students might have to be told to just go home.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, the highest paid actor in history, told Stern that it is a nightmare to see how California is going down the drain. There have been quite a few speculations whether or not he will run for governor of California. “Now leadership is asked for, and I know the ABC,” he said. He continued, “I can lead and I will bring order.”

Many states ask for federal aid, but, as the article points out, “with a record federal deficit of 400 billion dollars this year and the massive expenses in Iraq and other placed worldwide set aside to fight terrorism, nothing can be expected from Washington.”

AMERICA’S SPENDING FRENZY

As Washingtonpost. com reported on July 9, “the House approved a $369.1 billion Pentagon spending bill for 2004” for defense. At the same time, Congress was asked for “1.9 billion dollars to help fight forest fires, provide emergency relief to areas hit by tropical storms, and investigate the space shuttle Columbia’s disintegration,” according to the article.

What a world we will have after Christ has returned. We read that people will not learn war anymore (Isaiah. 2:4). We will no longer hear about astronomical figures set aside for “national defense.” We will no longer hear that governments are willing to spend money that they don’t have. Governmental debts, inevitably leading to the suffering of the poor, as in Massachusetts (see, “US States Deficit Highest Since World War II”) will be a thing of the past. May God grant that this time will come soon.
 

A: In Matthew 12:40 Christ makes the statement, “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Authorized Version throughout). In John 2:19 He said, “Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” In John 2:21 it is noted: “But He spake of the Temple of His body.”
We will address in this section the following questions in relation to these verses:

1) Was Christ dead for exactly 72 hours?
2) Was Christ in the tomb for exactly 72 hours?
3) How can we reconcile these two Scriptures since they appear to be contradictory?
4) Was Christ not dead the whole time He was in the tomb?

In John 2:19, where Christ says, “Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” He is not speaking specifically of a time of exactly 72 hours counting from the time of His crucifixion. As we will review in this Q&A – by definition – the crucifixion occurred over several hours. It began about 9 am that Wednesday morning. Christ died about 3 pm that afternoon. He was placed into the tomb about 6 pm that evening. As Mr. Armstrong described this event in his booklet, “The Resurrection Was Not On Sunday” – Christ was “To be raised up in three days after being DESTROYED, or crucified AND buried…”

Christ, in making the statement in John 2:19 was addressing the very same issue He is discussing in Matthew 12:40, where He was specifically speaking of the only sign He would give these self-righteous Pharisees that He was the Messiah. In Matthew 12:40, Christ specifically states that He would be in the HEART OF THE EARTH for “three days and three nights” just as Jonah was in the BELLY OF THE BIG FISH, three days and three nights. That was the sign He gave to the Pharisees and the religious leaders – the only sign! (Please note that for His disciples — those who have ears to hear and eyes to see — Christ gave many signs that He was the Messiah, compare John 20:30-31).

In stating this in the manner He does, He is telling these doubters to observe what was about to happen. He would be in the ground, dead and buried, for the exact period of time of 72 hours. If He had not fulfilled that sign, He would have shown to the world He was NOT the Savior. Yet we are told by God’s angel, as recorded in Matthew 28:6, “He is not here; for He is risen AS HE SAID.”
Christ was placed on an upright stake on that Wednesday morning at the third hour (Mark 15:25), which was about 9 am. At about the sixth hour, 12 noon Wednesday, darkness covered the earth (Mark 15:33). At the ninth hour, 3 pm Wednesday, there was the expiring cry (Mark 15:34-37). At that point in time, Christ was dead. He would remain dead until the Father would call Him from the grave, just as Jonah was called from the belly of the great fish. The fish spewed Jonah from his grave of death in the fish’s belly – onto dry ground, i.e., back to life. Jonah was 72 hours in the fish’s belly, after he had been swallowed up. He did not stay in the fish’s belly for a longer period of time, before he was spewed onto dry land.

By analogy, a newly converted Christian, when he accepts Jesus Christ as his Savior, repents of his sins, is baptized into a watery grave, and being lifted straightway out of that grave, pictures this event of death, burial, and resurrection to a new life (Romans 6:5; Colossians 2:12). Compare these Scriptures with those relating to the resurrection of Lazarus (John 12:17), and to the resurrections to come (John 5:28-29, Revelation 20:13).

All these passages show that the dead are raised to life and leave the grave at the same time. They are not raised to life and still remain in the grave for a while, before they leave it.

We read (in Matthew 27:57-60) that Christ was buried in haste before sunset on Wednesday, the preparation day, about 6 pm (thus, before the high day, the first day of Unleavened Bread had begun). According to Jewish law in effect at that time, all dead bodies had to be buried before the beginning of a Sabbath or a high day. Therefore, Christ was laid in the tomb in time to meet that deadline.

Christ remained in the ground, dead, for a period of 72 hours from the time He was placed in the earth; and He arose from the dead on the third day, just prior to sunset. That would have been Saturday evening about 6 pm (Matthew 28:6). He was resurrected on the third day, “as He said,” — not 72 hours from the time He cried out from that stake and gave up the spirit; but 72 hours from the time He was placed in the tomb. He was literally dead 75 hours based on the Scriptural reckoning.

When the ladies came to the tomb “In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week…” (Matthew 28:1), they found the stone door to the tomb rolled away. Christ was not there! He had already risen and the first day of the week was just about to dawn (Remember that the days — according to the Hebrew calendar — begin and end with sunset.). It is well to note here that the stone was rolled away by God’s angel so that the ladies could see that He was not there. Since He was now Spirit, there was no need to roll the stone away for His benefit. He came forth when the Father called Him, just as Jonah came forth from the belly of the fish and just as, at the time of the first resurrection of the saints, the Lord will shout, and the dead in Christ will rise. No one will need to open their graves for these “firstfruits” to come forth.

We have established a permanent feature on our Web page, “StandingWatch.” A new program, titled, “Who Rules This World?” has been recorded and has been placed on our Web page.
 

Norbert Link will give the sermon this Sabbath, July 5, 2003. The title of the sermon is, “Don’t Forsake the Truth!”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at the appropriate time, just click on “Connect to Live Stream.”
 

Paul had a tremendous calling which he describes in the book to the Ephesians, chapter 3, wherein he stated, beginning in verse 8: “To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all people see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places…” (Ephesians 3:8-10).

In 1 Corinthians 2:11 we see the question being asked, “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?” And the reply is given in the same verse, “Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.”

Today, mankind does not know God’s Way. Our world today is filled with violence, yet man continually talks of peace. We are told in God’s Word that man does not know the way to peace! (Romans 3:17). Without God’s Spirit, peace is a dream which is impossible for mankind to achieve. However, brethren, we, with the understanding we have received in this Way, can go the way of peace and can look to a time when peace will exist throughout the earth.

We have just completed the observance of God’s spring festivals which reveal what is required of mankind and of God for world peace to be achieved. Yet we know that such a state is not possible in today’s world. The reason for this can be understood in one of God’s fall festivals which we will be observing in just over 13 weeks from now – “The Day of Atonement.” That day reflects a time in the future when mankind will be “at-one” with God. Today, this world is “at-one” with Satan, and as long as that condition exists, peace is impossible for mankind to achieve.

At that time, “He shall judge between the nations, And shall rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isa 2:4). That is the time we look forward to, brethren! “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them” (Isa 11:6). This is part of the message, part of the “unsearchable riches of Christ” that we must proclaim as we continue in this work to which we have been called.

May God bless us as a body and each of us individually as we submit to Him and His Way and continue in this tremendous calling which we have been so blessed to receive.
 

THE 4TH OF JULY

We recently received an interesting article over the Internet, titled, “Our Founding Fathers,” pertaining to the U.S. Independence Day of July 4th. We would like to share the following excerpts from this article with you:
“Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

“Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

“They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

“What kind of men were they?

“Twenty-four were lawyers… Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.”

NUCLEAR ATTACKS ON THE USA

The WorldNetDaily published on Monday, June 30, 2003, a frightening article, titled, “Reigning death on U.S. Cities?” Author Jon Dougherty discussed the threats of nuclear attacks from other nations, and what the United States could do about them.

One possible scenario “involves destruction of American cities and perhaps tens of thousands of American lives lost. To prevent such devastation, the Bush administration has embarked on an ambitious plan to deploy a multifaceted, multi-layered missile-defense system that is intended to shield the continental United States, its armed forces and its overseas possessions from ballistic-missile attacks.”

The article pointed out that “more nations worldwide are opting to buy or develop intercontinental ballistic missiles and tip them with nuclear weapons, say intelligence experts, which has fueled calls in the U.S. for developing and deploying a shield against ICBM threats. Included in that list are ‘axis of evil’ members Iran and North Korea, the latter already reportedly possessing a limited number of nuclear warheads, U.S. intelligence officials warned Japan in March. Pyongyang [North Korea] is also developing intercontinental ballistic-missile technology – most likely with Chinese help – to deliver them. Iran, meanwhile, is also working hard to develop nuclear and ICBM capability, say U.S. intelligence officials.”

The article continued that “Bob Smith, a space and communications division spokesman for Boeing, told WorldNetDaily in 1999 that ‘at least 30 nations are known to have more than 10,000 theater ballistic missiles in their arsenals, and the threat is growing daily.’ Several of these countries are also known to be pursuing development or to have developed nuclear, chemical and biological capabilities for their missiles, he said… While most of the world’s great powers – Europe, Russia, India and China, along with Pakistan and Israel, both of which are also nuclear-armed – are allies of the U.S. and not hostile, these nations also produce their own modern short-, medium-, and long-range ballistic missiles. Ominously, many sell these weapons to other potentially threatening nations like Iran and North Korea.”

The article also stated, “Both China and Russia have sold missiles and missile technology to client states Pakistan, Iran and other nations in the Middle East, U.S. intelligence reports. And these client states are using the technology to advance their own domestic offensive ballistic missile capability… Brazil, meanwhile, is rapidly becoming one of the world’s largest exporters of weapons. It has a mature space-launch vehicle program begun in the 1960s.”

One can only imagine what might happen when some of the nations, which are presently allies of the United States, turn against the U.S. Although many observers cannot or refuse to imagine that the United States could ever be defeated by its enemies, they make the terrible mistake of only looking at the “here and now” — the “status quo.” They DENY the clear word of Biblical prophecy, and in doing so, they DECEIVE their unsuspecting listeners and followers, preaching to them a FALSE SECURITY, as well as peace and lasting prosperity, while the doomsday clock is ticking. You might want to read, in this context, prophetic warnings about false preaching in our time, as well as the terrible consequences for those who accept such preaching, as recorded in Jeremiah 8:11, 15. At the same time, you may also want to note the reaction by misled people, as prophesied in Jeremiah 6:17, when they hear the true warning message.

SAUDIS LOOKING TO GO NUCLEAR

In a related article, published by the WorldNetDaily on June 22, the question was asked what nuclear goals Saudi Arabia is pursuing. It was pointed out that “Saudi Arabia is already thinking nuclear… The Saudi royal family is alarmed by the prospect of its next-door neighbor having a nuclear bomb, U.S. intelligence analysts say. The Saudis were spooked enough by Iraq’s nuclear program. But Iran is a Shiite state and has long fomented the large Shia minority in the eastern part of the Saudi kingdom. In addition, most of Saudi Arabia’s oil and natural gas reserves are in its Shiite-populated Eastern Province. Saudi Arabia has been secretly obtaining help from Pakistan for its missile and nuclear program, the analysts report. Riyadh helped finance Pakistan’s nuclear program precisely to ensure that the royal family will have a bomb in case of an emergency.”

INSIDE THE USA — AS THE GERMAN PRESS SEES IT

On June 28, the German tabloid, Bild Online, ran an in-depth article on the current situation in the United States, analyzing the chances for President Bush to be re-elected in November of 2004. Bild Online is a conservative, pro-American paper. We bring you experts from the paper’s analysis:

“Re-election of President Bush (56) is largely dependent on the question whether he will be able to solve the economic problems in his country. If not, the same fate could await the victor of the gulf war in 2003, as happened to his father (79) who won the gulf war in 1991, and who lost a year later to democratic outsider Bill Clinton. Presently, 62 percent of the Americans are still pleased with the work of their president, according to a poll in CNN and USA Today…

“Questions in the U.S. are getting louder: Where are the weapons of mass destruction, which were the cause for the invasion [in Iraq]? 1400 U.S. inspectors have so far not found any such weapons. Why don’t we find Saddam? Where is Bin Laden? Why is it that our secret services, with their budget of 30 billion dollars, cannot find the two? Why do our soldiers still die in Iraq, although the war is over? More than 50 died since May 1…

“Critical, though, is the economy. The current results of the Bush Administration are not rosy. The unemployment rate climbed from 4.2 to 6.1 percent, which is not much for German standards, but which is much for American standards.

“Since Mr. Bush has ruled as the 43rd American President, the Dow Jones index has fallen by 1,100 points. This has had serious consequences for many retirees who invested in stocks and bonds.

“The USA is heavily in debt… In spite of recent tax cuts, only 10 percent of the U.S. citizens believe, according to a poll of the Washington Post, that they are doing better financially than under Bill Clinton; 48 percent believe that they are doing worse…

“Whoever will compete with President Bush needs to be hopeful that history repeats itself. Bill Clinton won the fight for the White House against Bush Senior with the slogan, ‘It’s the economy…'”

MORE ON EUROPE

As MSNBC News reported on July 2, “Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi sparked fury in the European Parliament on Wednesday when he appeared to compare a German lawmaker with a Nazi concentration camp commander. The incident caused uproar in the house and completely overshadowed Berlusconi’s presentation of Italy’s priorities for its six-month presidency of the European Union, which began on Tuesday. Berlusconi lost his cool in response to criticism of an alleged conflict of interest between his political office and his extensive Italian media interests by German Socialist MEP Martin Schulz. ‘Mr. Schulz, I know there is in Italy a man producing a film on the Nazi concentration camps. I would like to suggest you for the role of leader. You’d be perfect,’ Berlusconi exclaimed to jeers in the chamber. He refused to withdraw the remark when given the opportunity by European Parliament President Pat Cox, who expressed regret at the offense caused to Schulz…

“EU lawmakers were stunned by the vehemence of Berlusconi’s response to a debate in which numerous left-wing and Green members of parliament raised concerns about Berlusconi’s suitability to head the 15-nation bloc. The Italian leader, who had been on trial for allegedly bribing judges over a 1980’s business deal, has just rushed a law through parliament granting himself and other top state officials immunity from prosecution while in office.”

In spite of European attempts to bring about European unity, outbursts like the one described herein show the fragile nature of the relationships between certain European allies. The Bible predicts that the final unified ten core nations will still constitute a “divided kingdom” (Daniel 2:41), but that “the strength of the iron will be in it” (same verse). The final United Europe will be “partly strong and partly fragile” (Daniel 2:42). Still, in times of need and necessity, the ten leading nations of Europe will be “of one mind” to give their power and authority to a charismatic political leader (compare Revelation 17:12-13).

Much has been speculated as to who this final leader will be. Given the times we are living in, it is highly likely that this leader already exists on the political scene. We also find it remarkable that the draft of a European constitution provides for the more permanent office of a European President and of a Foreign Minister. According to Spiegel Online of June 29, 2003, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has already determined who should become the next German foreign minister, after Joschka Fischer has gone to Brussels. Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission, was quoted as saying, “‘I admire very much Joschka Fischer’s European involvement and his political qualities, but I believe it is too early to speculate at this time about candidates for the position [of European Foreign Minister].'” He continued, “‘A European Foreign Minister is an important achievement. We need an effective voice in order to represent a European foreign policy to the world.'”

Of course, there is still Austria’s Joerg Haider. He has mentioned in the past that he would not mind going to Brussels. At the moment, he is busy trying to become the next elected Austrian Chancellor. Then, there are other possible candidates for both positions of European President and European Foreign Minister. Only time will tell as to who will fill those positions. The Bible is very explicit, however, that the final European leader will be of German descent, that is, he could be a German or an Austrian. At this time, we are called upon to carefully watch the developments in Europe.
 

A: The Bible is very explicit that we are to honor our parents at all times. For example, Exodus 20:12 and Ephesians 6:1-3 make this Christian duty very clear. In one of our recent Updates (Update #95), we explained that Jesus Christ honored His mother on a continuous basis.

To “honor” or “remember” our mother just on one particular day in the year, while forgetting to do so in day-to-day living, would, of course, be wrong. The world tries to make up for the forgetfulness to always honor one’s parents by dedicating a day to mothers. As Christians, we are to honor our parents at all times! This fact alone, would not preclude a Christian from participating in Mother’s Day celebrations.

However, the Bible makes it very clear that we are not to learn the religious ways or customs of the Gentiles, by embracing those customs in our own Christian lives. (Deuteronomy 12:29-32; Matthew 15:709, 2 Corinthians 6:14-17). The Church has long taught that we are not to keep holidays such as Christmas, Easter, New Year’s or Valentine’s Day because of their pagan origin and the embracing of those days by the Catholic Church in their religious worship.

When reviewing the history of Mother’s Day, we must note the many countries, including the United States, Canada, Germany and Australia, which celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May (on May 11 in 2003); while on the other hand, England celebrates their Mother’s Day on the fourth Sunday in Lent (on March 30 in 2003).

Pagans kept a “Mother’s Day” in ancient times for the purpose of honoring their goddesses. However, the mere fact that pagans did so would not preclude Christians from keeping Mother’s Day today, unless a clear connection can be shown between those pagan customs and our modern practices.

Perhaps unbeknownst to many, the Worldwide Church of God, under Herbert W. Armstrong, had for years cautioned against keeping “Mother’s Day” in Great Britain, as it was felt that such a clear connection between pagan worship and our “modern” customs had been established. We summarize for our readers the little-known history of the Church’s decision in this regard:

The Church had become aware of the history of the English “Mother’s Day,” when studying relevant sources. For instance, the Encyclopedia Britannica, edition 1959, points out:

“Mother’s Day, a festival derived from the custom of mother worship in ancient Greece. Formal mother worship, with ceremonies to Cybele, or Rhea, the great Mother of the Gods [sic], was performed in the Ides of March throughout Asia Minor. With the coming of Christianity this developed into worship of the ‘Mother church,’ the celebration occurring on mid-Lent Sunday, when children returned home with gifts for parents, especially the mother.”

Cheri Sicard writes in “The History of Mother’s Day”:

“The earliest Mother’s Day celebrations can be traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient Greece, honoring Rhea, the Mother of the Gods [Rhea is the mother of Zeus. She is also the sister of Cronus, who has been identified as the Baal of the Bible]. The Romans called their version of the event the Hilaria, and celebrated on the Ides of March by making offerings in the temple of Cybele, the mother of the gods. Early Christians celebrated the festival on the fourth… Sunday of Lent in honor of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Christ. In more recent times, relatively speaking – England in the 1600s – the celebration was expanded to include all mothers with ‘Mothering Sunday’ being celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to Easter). Besides attending church services in honor of the Virgin Mary, children returned home from the cities with gifts, flowers, and special Mothering Day cakes that were important parts of the celebration.”

When “Mothering Sunday” was originally kept in England, people brought gifts to the church where they were baptized. They would then also bring gifts, such as cakes, to their mothers. The “Mothering Day” cakes were normally so-called “Simnel Cakes,” which, in early times, were marked with a figure of Christ or Mary, to show their religious significance (Book of Days, Vol. 1, p. 337).

Many sources point out that the pagan worship of mother goddesses in Greece and Rome was later adopted by Christianity, foremost in England, to incorporate such paganism and to give it a “Christian” mantle. Especially the worship of the Roman Mother goddess Cybele is interesting in this context. The Encyclopedia Britannica points out, under “Great Mother of the Gods”:

“Though her cult sometimes existed by itself, in its fully developed state the worship of the Great Mother was accompanied by that of Attis. The cult of Attis never existed independently… The main public event in the worship of the great Mother was the annual festival, which took place originally April 4.” The article continues to explain that a special day was set aside, “March 24, dies sanguinis, a day of mourning, fasting and abstinence, especially sexual, commemorating the sorrow of the mother for Attis [who had been killed].” Our booklet, “Don’t Keep Christmas,” explains the Attis cult in more detail. The above-mentioned article continues that the “importance” of the Cybele cult “in the history of religion is very great, for her cult, like the other mystic worships, at once formed a rival to Christianity and acted as a steppingstone to it.”

As already mentioned, the day became known in England as “Mothering Day” or as “Mid-Lent Sunday.” It was first applied to the worship of “Mother Mary,” and then also to the “Mother Church,” “the spiritual power that gave life and protected them from harm,” as one source puts it. Custom began to dictate that a person visit the church of his/her baptism on “Mothering Day.” People attended the “mother church” of their parish, laden with offerings. Gradually, the custom was applied to honoring our real mothers as well. However, the religious concept of the day was emphasized throughout.

In England, King Henry III (1216-1239) established officially the first “mothering Sunday,” in March, to remember the Church as the religious mother.

Based on the foregoing, the Worldwide Church of God had cautioned its members in England, not to celebrate “Mothering Day” or “Mother’s Day.”

A similar decision was not made, to our knowledge, in regard to other countries. When studying the history of Mother’s Day in continental Europe, we find that a “mothering day” was also kept there, in Mid-Lent. Later, Mother’s Day was officially celebrated in Germany in 1923 on the second Sunday in May, apparently due to Mother’s Day celebrations in the United States (that had been introduced in continental Europe through the Salvation Army) and the influence of German florists. In 1933, it was made an official holiday in Germany by the Nazi regime, in honor of the “Arian” mother.

In her article, “Between Ideology and Commerce,” Isabella Marboe points out that in Austria, “Mother’s Day” celebrations in May were connected with the tradition of the worship of “Mother Mary.” It was especially the Catholic Church, according to Monroe, that strongly supported the establishment of “Mother’s Day” in Austria. In 1926, Ignaz Seipel stated in his “Mother’s Day speech;” “It looks like something new, to introduce a special day to honor our mother. For the believing Catholic this is nothing new at all, as he has always celebrated days in worship of Mary as days to honor his mother.”

The Worldwide Church of God felt in the past that the same determination, which had been made in regard to Mother’s Day celebrations in England, could not be made in regard to Mother’s Day celebrations in the United States, as it was deemed to be a “secular holiday of comparatively recent origin,” and not “fundamentally religious in character in the United States” (Letter L069, dated May 1987).

The official version of the recent history of the establishment of Mother’s Day in the U.S. is fairly well known to many. It is taught that Miss Anna Jarvis (1864-1948) originated Mother’s Day, to honor her mother who had died on May 9, 1905. She started a campaign, which led to a resolution, passed by Congress on May 10, 1913, to make the second Sunday in May a national holiday, “dedicated to the memory of the best mother in the world — your mother.” In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation, designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

However, there is more to the story. In fact, Anna Jarvis was not the first, nor the only one, who had voiced the idea of establishing a Mother’s Day in the United States.

For instance, Julia Ward Howe had talked about a special “Mother’s Day” as early as 1858. She had kept it in a private special celebration in 1872. Howe is the author of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” She grieved for the many young lives that had been killed during the Civil War. She proposed to celebrate a “Mother’s Day of Peace.” In addition, she had made at least two extended trips to Europe between 1843 and 1850. During her last trip, she spent almost one year in Rome. In Julia Ward Howe’s Mother’s Day Declaration, it is stated, “From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own. It says, ‘Disarm, Disarm!’… Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.”

In addition, Ann Marie Reeves Jarvis, wife of a Methodist pastor and mother of Anna Jarvis, had likewise been affected by the Civil War. She proposed a special Mother’s Day celebration, which she called a “Mother’s Friendship Day,” to heal the wounds and the bridges between the “Blue” and the “Gray.”

Anna Jarvis continued to advocate the idea of a special Mother’s Day. On May 10, 1907, she held a special memorial service for her mother (who, as mentioned, had died in 1905). In 1910, West Virginia became the first state to recognize Mother’s Day. At the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Minneapolis, Minn., in 1912, a delegate from a local church introduced a resolution recognizing Anna Jarvis as the founder of Mother’s Day. It was also suggested at that time that the second Sunday in May be observed as Mother’s Day.

The religious connection with and influence of the establishment of the American Mother’s Day cannot be denied. The modern U.S. Mother’s Day started in the Methodist-Episcopal Church, through the effort of Anne Jarvis. It had to be observed on a Sunday. Some had proposed any Sunday (for example, Frank H. Hering of Indiana, who is also called the “Father of Mother’s Day”), while others proposed the second Sunday in May. On the first official church memorial of Jarvis’ mother, on May 10, 1908, the church bells of the church which had been attended by her mother, and who had taught Sunday school there, rang 72 times – since Ann Marie Reeves Jarvis had been 72 years old when she died.

One year prior to this, her daughter had preached a sermon in the local church to honor her mother. She finished the sermon that the preacher had begun. “Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church” in Grafton, West Virginia, is therefore now recognized as the “mother church” of Mother’s Day in the United States.

In Calgary, Canada, George Kerby of the Central Methodist Church delivered a touching sermon on the very first Mother’s Day in that territory.

Sources also point out that the early way of keeping Mother’s Day in the United States was similar to the way with which it was kept during “Mothering Day” in England – including attending on that day the church of one’s baptism – and only gradually, “other sentiments were added.”

It might be worthwhile noting that Anna Jarvis spent the rest of her life trying to undo what she had done. Enraged by the commercialization, Jarvis filed a lawsuit in 1923 to stop a Mother’s Day festival. She was later arrested for disturbing the peace when she learned that a War Mother’s Day Convention was selling white carnations – Jarvis’ symbol for mothers – to raise money. She spent most of her fortune that she had inherited from her mother to fight a holiday she had helped establish to honor her mother. She told a reporter that she regretted ever having started Mother’s Day.

In this lengthy section, we have tried to state the facts, as they have become available to us. We feel that the knowledge of these facts is necessary to make an individual, conscientious and personal decision, whether or not to observe – or to continue celebrating – Mother’s Day. In light of the facts presented herein, as well as additional facts that may come to our, or your, attention, you will have to decide whether the evidence is sufficient or not to establish a direct and immediate connection between pagan origins, Catholic Church influence, and our modern custom of celebrating Mother’s Day – especially in the United States, Canada and continental Europe. We must emphasize that, in any event, the personal decisions which each Christian must make in his or her life, must be made based on personal faith and conviction, knowing that whatever is not from faith is sin (Romans 14:23).

CANADIAN AD CAMPAIGN

We are advertising this Friday and Saturday the booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” in the Vancouver Sun. The paper has a circulation of 1.2 million readers. Please pray for the success of this ad campaign, because the world needs the knowledge of what lies ahead.

MEMBER LETTER AND BOOKLETS

Our current member letter, which you can find at: http://www.eternalgod.org/lit/letters/brethren-20030630.pdf, was sent out this week, together with a hard copy of our booklet, “God Is A Family.”

Our new booklet on Baptism has completed the first review cycle and will enter the second review cycle early next week.

STANDING WATCH

A new program, titled, “What is the Beast?” has been recorded and has been placed on our web site at www.eternalgod.org/standingwatch.

GERMAN WEB PAGE

If you speak German, just visit our German web page by going to www.eternalgod.org/german. Several German articles have recently been added to the page. We are trying to add at least one article each week.
 

Dave Harris will give the sermon this Sabbath, June 28, 2003. The title of the sermon is, “The Second Time.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at the appropriate time, just click on “Connect to Live Stream.”
 

We have just celebrated the Spring Festivals of Passover, Days of Unleavened Bread and Pentecost. We have the long hot summer to contend with until the arrival of the next group of Annual Festivals – the Autumn Festivals. It is imperative during this period of time that we stay focused on the task and job we have been called to do. It is so easy to get sidetracked and/or distracted to the point where we become ineffective – by going around in circles and not accomplishing much or not working to our full potential.

Two Scriptures effectively summarize the reason for our calling in this day and age. The first Scripture, 2 Peter 3:18, commands us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Just how do we grow in Christ’s grace and knowledge? For a plant to grow it must be watered. God’s Spirit must water us on a continual basis. To be watered most effectively, we must continue to pray, study the Bible, meditate and – as unpleasant as it may seem – fast occasionally. These are the tools we can use to GROW. A tree stops growing when it is cut down or dead. This example from nature contains a lesson for us. In order to attain our goal (which is, to enter the kingdom of God), we have to keep growing throughout our Christian lives until the day of our death or change, at the return of Christ. We just cannot afford to let down, get discouraged and quit. Matthew 24:13 tells us, “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” That’s the standard we need to work towards achieving.

The second Scripture to focus on, when considering the reason for our present calling, is Matthew 24:14. It reads, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Notice it says, the gospel WILL be preached. It does NOT say, it might perhaps be preached. This job will get done. It has not been completed since the end has not yet come. The only question is, “Am I going to be involved in this process of preaching the gospel?”

As part and parcel of our calling, we have been invited to be involved in this work God is doing, in sending out a warning message and in preparing a people for Christ’s return. We should not get distracted in our task, during this period between the Spring and Fall Festivals, but remain focused and true to our calling. Remember the words of Christ, “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much” (Luke 16:10). Neither should we despise the day of small things (Zechariah 4:10; compare, too, Haggai 2:3-4). The parable of the mustard seed, in Matthew 13:31-32, explains to us that God, when He works through man, generally starts small, but huge results often follow.

Dear Brethren, as we go through the summer months and the early fall season, let us remain focused on the task ahead of us, not neglecting to do our part in the work, nor letting down in our responsibilities, including personal prayer, Bible study, meditation and occasional fasting. If we do these things, we will stay focused and we will be effective tools in God’s hands.
 

SUPREME COURT GOES ASTRAY

With this headline, USA Today announced on Thursday, June 26, 2003, the Supreme Court’s ruling that a Texas state law was an unconstitutional violation of privacy. The state law had prohibited “deviate sexual intercourse with another individual of the same sex.”

The article pointed out that in 1960, every state had such so-called “anti-sodomy laws.” In 37 states, the statutes had been repealed. “Of the 13 states with sodomy laws, four — Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri — prohibit oral and anal sex between same-sex couples. The other nine ban consensual sodomy for everyone [including between husband and wife]: Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah and Virginia. Thursday’s ruling apparently invalidates those laws as well.”

Prior to the Supreme Court’s ruling on Thursday, other news related to the issue of homosexual conduct had made the headlines. In a web posted article from The Boston Globe of 6/11/2003, it was stated: “The city of Toronto issued North America’s first full marriage licenses to homosexual couples yesterday, after an Ontario court knocked down Canada’s legal definition of marriage, the union of a man and a woman, as a violation of the country’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In the landmark ruling, the Ontario Appeal Court declared prohibitions against homosexual marriage unconstitutional. ‘The restriction against same-sex marriage is an offense to the dignity of lesbians and gays, because it limits the range of relationship options open to them,’ the court said.”

However, as the article continues, this decision is not without objection among some in Canada: ” ‘Our newfound tolerance of hom[o]sexuality shows how completely secularism has displaced religion as the source of popular morality,’ said Joseph Heath, professor of ethics and political economy at the University of Montreal. ‘The Bible says, “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.” It takes an awful lot of massaging to interpret that as anything other than a condemnation of homosexuality.’ “

Nations such as The Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark already have laws that condone legal status and rights for same-sex relationships. England is also dealing with this hot-button topic, with homosexuals pushing for legal recognition.

It is important to frame these events against the powerful statements about such conduct as inspired in the Word of God:

“Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator… For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting” (Romans 1:24-28).

“SUPREME COURT OVERTURNS LAW REVIVING OLD SEX CRIME PROSECUTIONS”

This was another headline of an article run by USA Today on Thursday, June 26. The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the government cannot retroactively erase statutes of limitations, striking down a California law that allowed prosecutions for old sex crimes. “This case [Stogner v. California, 01-1757] was closely watched because of sex abuse problems in the Roman Catholic Church, but it also has implications for terrorism and other crimes,” the article pointed out. “The Bush administration had argued that a ruling against California would threaten the USA Patriot Act, which retroactively withdrew statutes of limitations in terrorism cases involving hijackings, kidnappings, bombings and biological weapons.”

“ICH BIN EIN BERLINER”

As Der Stern Online reported on June 26, 40 years ago, on Thursday, June 26, 1963, President John F. Kennedy gave his historical speech at the Schoeneberg town hall in Berlin, uttering the above-quoted words. More than 300,000 Germans — some say, 400,000 — responded with spontaneous applause. Kennedy was the first U.S. president who visited Berlin after Germany’s division. Russia’s leader, President Nikita Khrushchev, traveled to East Berlin and stated two days later, “I love the wall.” Following John F. Kennedy, five more U.S. presidents visited Berlin, including Richard Nixon in 1969 and Bill Clinton in 1994. Only one additional Berlin-speech was recorded in the pages of history, however: In 1987, Ronald Reagan exclaimed at the Brandenburg Gate, “Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear this wall down.” Two years later, Mr. Reagan’s wish had become reality.

As Bild Online reported, in light of the historical events 40 years ago, German President Johannes Rau wrote a letter to President Bush. He called President Kennedy’s speech “a milestone of German history,” “a stable anchor of German-American friendship,” and “one of the great symbols for Berlin’s freedom.” He continued, “In light of the 40th year of that speech, I would like to thank you, Mr. President, and the American people that you have given us the hand of friendship — a friendship for which Kennedy created a lasting symbol 40 years ago, and which has endured even in difficult times.”

Sadly, the friendship between the two nations will not endure in the challenging times ahead of us.

EUROPE AND CHRISTIANITY

The Foreign Minister of Italy, Franco Frattini, announced on Tuesday, June 24, that he will “insist that the preamble of the European Constitution make reference to Christianity,” according to Zenit of June 26. Italy will assume the European Union’s rotating presidency next semester, on July 1, 2003. The preamble presently makes no reference to God or to the role of Christianity, “despite the fact that this was requested by representatives of Italy, Poland, The Netherlands and Spain,” according to Zenit of June 22.

Zenit also ran an interesting article on June 20, titled, “De-Christianized Europe is Easy Prey for Peaceful Muslim Invasion.” The article featured Piero Gheddo, Italian Missionary of the Pontifical Institute of Foreign Missions. He stated, “‘The modern world — television, consumerism, feminism, etc. — disturbs faith and the Muslim communities. Muslims regard us as atheist and immoral peoples; we conquer them with technology, they conquer with faith… Hatred and terrorism are the reaction when feeling impotent before the modern world that has come from the West, which marginalizes religion in the life of these peoples.'”

He continued, “‘We must return to Jesus Christ if, as Europeans, we want to have the precise identity and religious-moral strength. A de-Christianized Europe is easy prey for a peaceful Muslim invasion; they have the strength of faith; we have a civilization devoid of content. If Christianity is taken from us, Europeans, what will we have left? Why do intellectuals and journalists, prepared to debate on any topic, ignore this tragedy of Europe?… Where a void is created, there is always someone ready to fill it.'”

The void WILL be filled — but in a different way than presently anticipated by most observers.

THE USA AND EUROPE vs IRAN?

“President Bush and European leaders demanded Wednesday [June 25] that Iran live up to its promises not to develop nuclear weapons. ‘And if they don’t, we’ll deal with that when they don’t,’ the president said,” according to USA Today of June 26. Romano Prodi, president of the European Commission, uttered the following words, which might turn out to have prophetic significance: “When Europe and United States are united, no problem and no enemy can stand against us. If we fail to unite, every problem may become a crisis and every enemy a gigantic monster.”

ONGOING ATTACKS IN IRAQ

This week brought to light evidence that Saddam Hussein was planning to reconstitute a program with hidden material to enrich uranium to make a nuclear weapon, once sanctions against Iraq ended. The Bush administration clarified, however, that this hidden material did not constitute proof that Iraq had an active program to develop a nuclear weapon (USA Today, June 26).

This week has also seen continued Iraqi attacks on American and British forces. “The Arab satellite station Al-Jazeera reported,” on Thursday, “that it received a statement and videotape from an alleged Iraqi resistance group claiming responsibility for the violence and threatening more,” according to USA Today of June 26. “The latest killings raised the American death toll to 196 since the start of the war on March 20. At least 20 U.S. soldiers have died as the result of hostile fire since the major combat was declared over in May.”

Six British soldiers were also killed on Tuesday, June 24. “The deaths represent the heaviest loss under fire for British troops in a single day since the 1991 Gulf War and take the British death toll during the latest Iraqi conflict to 42.”

The article continued, “British forces in Iraq have been reduced to 15,500 from 45,000 during the war; two-thirds of them are ground forces. The United States has brought home some 130,000 troops from the region; 146,000 American forces remain in Iraq.”
 

A: Matthew 12:38-40 reads as follows:

“Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, ‘Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.’ But He answered and said to them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.””

Note that Christ talked to the scribes and Pharisees, describing them as an “evil and adulterous generation.” He said that the only sign that would be given to IT was the sign of the prophet Jonah. As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so Christ would be three days and three nights — 72 hours — in the grave. Christ’s statement goes further, however. He made clear that He would not stay in the grave for less than three days and three nights, and, that He would not stay longer in the grave than 72 hours. As the sea monster vomited Jonah alive onto dry land, so Christ would be brought back to life and leave the grave after three days and three nights.

Scripture tells us that Christ did indeed fulfill this sign. The angel of the Lord told the women, “‘He is risen, as He said'” (Matthew 28:6). This means, Christ could not have been crucified on a Friday and resurrected on a Sunday, as this would not fulfill the sign of being in the grave for three days and three nights. Rather, Christ was killed on a Wednesday and placed in the grave on Wednesday afternoon, just before sunset. He was brought back to life three days and three nights later, leaving the grave on Saturday afternoon, just before sunset, as He said.

The Romans witnessed that the angel came down from heaven and rolled away the stone from Christ’s grave. They told the chief priests about it, but were bribed with money in order to conceal the truth (Matthew 28:11-15). The chief priests and elders willfully suppressed and denied the only sign for Christ’s Messiahship.

After His resurrection, Christ appeared to many, proving that He was the Messiah. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 the numerous occasions when Christ appeared to His apostles and disciples. In that passage, Paul did not even list all of Christ’s manifestations (compare, for example, Matthew 28:9-10; Luke 24:13-35).

Christ, when a human being, did many signs and wonders. John said that He performed so many miracles that they could not even all be written down (John 21:25). However, none of these signs proved His Messiahship to the people. They might have recognized Him as a prophet, who was able to perform miracles, but those signs did not prove to them that He was THE Christ. His true disciples recognized Him as the Son of God, but this knowledge had to be revealed to them by God the Father (compare Matthew 16:13-17).

On the other hand, Christ’s resurrection from the dead as a glorified God being proved His Messiahship. The proof lies in the fact that He was DEAD, and that He would come back to life. He could not raise Himself up or bring Himself back to life. He said that “I can of Myself do nothing” (John 5:30). Only God the Father could resurrect Him (compare Acts 2:24; 3:13-15). THAT FACT was the sign of His Messiahship. In other words, Christ said to the people, “If I die and if I am buried for three days and three nights, and afterward come back to life, THEN you will know that I am the Christ.”

We should be able to see clearly that this sign totally negates the false concept that Christ was killed on “Good Friday” and resurrected on “Easter Sunday” — as He would not have been in the grave for 72 hours. This sign also totally disproves the false teaching that Christ, when here on earth, was “fully God and fully man”; that only the “man part” died, but not the “God part”; and that the “God part” resurrected the “man part” — in other words, that Christ resurrected Himself. This false teaching of orthodox Christianity (commonly referred to as the “two natures of Christ”) denies the ONLY sign that Christ gave to “an evil and adulterous generation,” proving His Messiahship: He was dead and buried for 72 hours, and afterwards, God the Father brought Him back to life as a glorified God being.

Christ’s supernatural birth was not a sign to the “evil and adulterous generation” of His time, either, as they did not believe that He had been supernaturally conceived by Mary. They believed that Mary had committed fornication (compare John 8:41). The miraculous events at the time of Christ’s birth were, however, a sign to the shepherds in the field (Luke 2:12), as well as to Mary (Luke 2:19). Mary, of course, had already been prepared for Christ’s supernatural birth by the prior appearance and pronouncements of God’s angel (Luke 1:26-38).

For us who believe, Christ’s supernatural birth is a most important fundamental tenet — but to those who don’t believe, it can hardly be considered a sign. It is sad, however, that even many of those calling themselves Christians doubt that Christ was actually conceived in the way as described in Scripture. If they believe, however, that Christ was and is the Messiah, they MUST believe in Christ’s supernatural birth — AND in His existence as a God being, full of glory, PRIOR TO His birth as a human being (compare John 17:5) .

Our free booklet, GOD IS A FAMILY, explains these and other questions in much more detail.

Rene Messier and Edwin Pope will give split sermons this Sabbath, June 21, 2003. The messages are entitled “Trials” and “Ears to Hear” respectively.

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at the appropriate time, just click on “Connect to Live Stream.”
 

The prophet Daniel spoke of the time of the end when, among other things, knowledge would be increased (compare Daniel 12:4). Yet, with all this knowledge available in our day, does it really help mankind to seize the truly important information for an abundant, purposeful life?

Paul preached the gospel of the Kingdom of God, which includes Jesus and the resurrection. To at least one group of people this knowledge represented “strange things.” The audience he addressed was in Athens, Greece, and it is important to understand an attitude held by these individuals: “For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing” (Acts 17:21).

They were hobbyists in knowledge. They accumulated knowledge, but their endeavors fell short of the ultimate truth that Paul was inspired to reveal to them. Part of the reason seems to be that they did not apply in their own lives what they had learned.

Another such individual was King Solomon. Note what he recorded of his own quest for knowledge in Ecclesiastes 1:13: “And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven.” The record of his life testifies that he was granted great wisdom from God. However, his story doesn’t develop very well–even with such an abundance of knowledge about “all that is done under heaven.” Solomon did not keep contact with God as he grew old, and he ended up setting his heart on purely physical knowledge, while drifting away from spiritual knowledge revealed to him by God. Only at the very end of his life was he able to explain: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all (or: the whole duty of man)” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Those of us who are Christians have access to unique knowledge. God reveals to us parts of what the Bible calls “hidden knowledge” or a “mystery.” The rest of the world doesn’t know what Christians get to know–in fact, Romans 11 explains that “blindness in part has happened…” (verse 25). Implicit in this is an issue of responsibility for the knowledge we have been given.

Jesus further explains this in Matthew 7:24-27. The critical point, as He explains, is that after we hear His sayings we must DO them. If we don’t do what He says and act on the knowledge we are given, we will fail!

James also shows that we must be “DOERS of the word, and not hearers only…” (James 1:22). He later has this to say about the serious consequence of not doing what we know we should: “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).

Individually, we need to measure ourselves when it comes to the knowledge we have been given. Paul warned that in the last days perilous times will come. Of these times and those of us in them, he prophesied that some would be “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7).

Real spiritual growth in the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ comes about through obedience–that simply means we act on what we know. More knowledge without implementing what we already have been given will not cause one to grow in their Christianity. We can’t just become religious hobbyists seeking to either tell or to hear some new thing. Nor should we set ourselves, as Solomon did, to learn more and more without building upon spiritual knowledge through yielding to God’s will.

Without question, we are called upon to grow in knowledge of God’s Way, but as we do, it is important that we also be doers of all that is revealed and not hearers only. It is God Who opens up our understanding of His Word–this kind of increase is spoken of as spiritual knowledge.

As we increase in knowledge, consider this promise from Jesus: “‘If you ABIDE IN MY WORD, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall KNOW THE TRUTH, and the truth shall make you free'” (John 8:31-32).

WATCH!

Unquestionably, the Middle East with a particular focus on Iraq and Jerusalem, as well as the land of Israel, continues to boil over in one violent outbreak after another. World news is now geared to reporting events that occur there with dozens of reporters stationed in the area. It is something we can and should watch as a part of Biblical, end-time prophetic fulfillment.

Now, a startling new emergence is rapidly taking form in Europe. A long-ago “newscaster”–the prophet Daniel–spoke very precisely of events we now can see unfolding before us. In Daniel 2:41-43, note this somber announcement:

“‘Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. ‘And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. ‘As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.'”

These statements show the formation of a powerful European kingdom that will come about through alliances and confederacies–yet, there will be problems. Other prophecies show that continental Europe, led by ten core nations or goups of nations, will be at odds with the United States and Great Britain. They also show more details of an emerging political leader and a religious leader who will dominate events in this world! These are things we are to now watch! Our booklets can greatly help you understand these events. Europe in Prophecy and The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord, along with our new STANDING WATCH weekly webcast and our weekly Updates, deal with prophetic events for our day.

It is vital that we understand the times we are living in, and to do that, it is of the utmost importance to do as the Bible clearly warns–WATCH!

IRAQ — A THORN IN THE FLESH?

On May 1, 2003, official combat between the allied forces and Iraq ended. Since that time, more than 50 American soldiers have been killed — 16 of them through Iraqi attacks, and 36 through accidents. Der Spiegel Online reported on June 19 that “within the last 24 hours, four U.S. soldiers and one Iraqi were killed by three attacks.” At the same time, U.S. forces were able to capture Abid Hamud Mahmud al-Tikriti, the No. 4 on the U.S. most-wanted list of Iraqi leaders, behind only Saddam and sons Qusai and Odai, according to USA Today of June 19. However, an Arab newspaper, published in England, stated that they received a fourth letter from Saddam Hussein, at least two of which are considered to be genuine. This would prove that Saddam is still alive. In the last letter, the author announced a new round of attacks if the allied forces don’t leave Iraq by June 17. Some newspapers speculated that the date was meant to be July 17 — the official date when Saddam’s party came to power 35 years ago.

USA Today reported on June 10 that Ahmed Chalabi, head of the Iraqi National Congress, is convinced that Saddam is still alive. He “has been seen north of Baghdad and is paying a bounty for every American soldier killed,” he said. “Saddam has $1.3 billion in cash taken from the Central Bank on March 18, is bent on revenge and believes he can sit it out and get the Americans going,” he said.

In a poll conducted by the “Iraqi Center for Research and Strategic Studies,” 51% of Iraqis approved the American occupation in Iraq at this time, according to Der Spiegel Online of June 19. 85% uttered serious concerns about the present Iraqi political parties, stating that they could not fill the new political vacuum in the country. At the same time, a majority of Iraqis was dissatisfied with the allies’ accomplishment in Iraq regarding security, reconstruction, the economy and the healthcare system. Only 6 percent believed that the allies occupied the country because they had in mind the welfare of Iraq.

Joseph Collins, “Pentagon’s top policy advisor,” said on June 10 that “the task of stabilizing postwar Iraq has proven ‘tougher and more complex’ than the Bush administration originally foresaw,” according to USA Today of June 10. In addition, the Guardian, a paper in Great Britain, published on June 11 a damaging interview with Hans Blix, the UN chief weapons inspector, claiming that he was “smeared by the Pentagon.” Due to ongoing criticism as to the official reason given for the war with Iraq, both the Blair and the Bush administrations are being investigated by the British Parliament and the American Congress.

Bild Online reported on June 19 that Donald Rumsfeld “downplayed the chaos in Iraq.” He spoke in Washington “of small elements” of only 10 or 20 percent that are responsible for the attacks on American soldiers. He compared the figures with the number of killings in American big cities and said, “We will always have violence in big cities.” Bild Online continued: “The allies are far from being able to control the situation. The British have begun to admit mistakes, which could lead to a separation between the allied forces.”

 

EUROPE’S ASCENT TO POWER

On Friday, June 13, a draft constitution covering 450 million inhabitants of the future European Union was unveiled. The audience gave a standing ovation to Valery Giscard d’Estaing, former French president, who chaired the convention. Giscard d’Estaing had recently received the “Karlspreis” (“Charlemagne prize”) for his “outstanding efforts to unite Europe.” As AFB reported, “some big battles remain, notably over demands for the EU to extend qualified majority voting into sensitive areas such as foreign and tax policy…” German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is hopeful that by the end of the year, the inter-governmental conference (IGC) of current and future EU countries will approve the text, and that Europe will ratify it in 2006, according to Der Spiegel Online of June 19. The text would create the establishment of a European Foreign Minister. The German press has been speculating for months, whether Joschka Fischer will occupy that post. Der Spiegel Online also stated, under the sub-heading, “Fortress Europe begins to emerge,” that a new European immigration and asylum policy is under discussion.

The Catholic Church uttered dissatisfaction with the proposed text, as it does not mention the Christian heritage of Europe. Joschka Fischer had promised the pope that he would see to it that the final European constitution would include a reference to Europe’s Christian heritage.

 

EUROPEAN / U.S RELATIONSHIP DETERIORATES

According to Der Spiegel Online of June 11, Donald Rumsfeld stirred up old wounds last week, when he spoke again, during a visit in Germany, of “old Europe” and “new Europe.” He also confirmed that the United States are contemplating the withdrawal of 75 % of their American troops from Germany. It was emphasized that these plans “have nothing to do with Germany’s stance regarding the Iraq question.”

MSNBC News reported on June 12 that the “U.N. Security Council on Thursday approved another one-year exemption for American peacemakers from prosecution by the new international war crimes tribunal, but it faced opposition from France, Germany and Syria.” The United States had made it very clear that the failure to grant immunity to the U.S. would have serious consequences, as the criticism “was putting more strains on trans-Atlantic relations.” Originally, the United States had sought to obtain permanent immunity. The Washington Post had run an article on June 10, titled, “U.S. Confronts EU On War Crimes Court.” The Independent in the U.K. wrote on June 11, “US clashes with Europe over war crimes.” The Guardian Unlimited in the U.K. titled its headline on June 11, “War crime vote fuels US anger at Europe.” France, Germany and Syria decided to abstain, rather than to vote against the exemption. The resolution was adopted by a vote of 12-0, with three abstentions.

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS FROM EUROPE

In other European news, Britain delayed adopting the European currency, the “euro,” at least for the time being. At this point, 12 European countries have adopted the euro as their only currency. The Washington Post of June 10 commented that, while Britain’s finance minister Gordon Brown emphasized the economic risks of adopting the euro, “many analyists said they believe the government’s principal concern is political.”

Telegraph News reported on June 19 that “a Paris court last night halted publication of a book by a former investigating magistrate that claims France is institutionally corrupt.” This is the first time that a French court blocked the publication of a book in recent times, according to the article. The official reason was that the publication might prejudice a pending trial, stating that the book could be published once the trial is over.

ISRAEL BEGINS TO DISMANTLE INHABITED OUTPOSTS

In an attempt to fulfill Israel’s agreement with President Bush, Israel began to take down unauthorized outposts set up by settlers in the West Bank over the last two years. There are 62 such outposts and a total of more than 100 set up since 1996. As USA Today reported on June 19, “about 200 people from nearby Jewish settlements converged on the hilltop Thursday morning, blocking the road leading to Mitzpeh Yitzhar (the first inhabited outpost being removed under the new U.S.-backed “road map” peace plan) with cars and burning tires to prevent the authorities from dismantling the outpost.” The peace plan envisions the creation of a Palestinian state by 2005.

HIV — TRANSMITTED THROUGH CHIMPANZEES

As Stern Online of June 13 reported, the HIV virus was apparently transmitted to chimpanzees which ate the flesh of other chimpanzees infected with the virus. It is still unclear how the chimpanzees were originally infected. It has been established that the HIV virus was transmitted from infected chimpanzees to humans. Three cases of such transmissions of the virus HIV1 which occurred prior to 1930, have been proven, according to the article. Another HIV virus, HIV2, was transmitted more recently to humans in West Africa. The article pointed out that humans were infected when they ate the infected chimpanzees.
 

A: The Bible is very clear that God heals sick people who try to obey God and who have faith that He will heal them. He tells us in Exodus 15:26, “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”

We are also told how healing from sickness has been made possible. We are healed by the stripes of Jesus Christ who gave His life for us, and who was tortured and beaten so that we can obtain forgiveness of our sins and healing from our sicknesses and diseases (Psalm 103:1-3; Matthew 8:16-17; 1 Peter 2:21-25; Isaiah 53:5).
Generally, God instructs us, when we are sick, to call for the elders of the Church of God — the body of Christ, a spiritual organism — to pray for us and to anoint us with oil (a symbol of the Holy Spirit) and to lay hands on us, so that we can be healed (James 5:14-15; Mark 16:18).

Many times, a ministerial visit may not be possible, as the sick person might live in a remote area. If this is the case, then elders are permitted to pray over a cloth, anointing it with a drop of oil as the symbol of the Holy Spirit, and asking God to heal the sick person who will receive this cloth. This is based on numerous passages in the Bible, showing us that people were healed when they touched the garments of Christ (Mark 6:56) or the aprons or handkerchiefs from Paul’s body (Acts 19:12).

We understand, of course, that there is no magical importance attached to an anointed cloth. It cannot and will not heal anyone. As mentioned, it is through the stripes of Christ that we are healed.

When a person who is sick receives the anointed cloth, he is to place it on his head and pray to God (as the minister would already have done when anointing the cloth) that God would heal the sick person from the sickness. Since our faith must be in God, and not in any man or in the anointed cloth, the cloth should be destroyed immediately after it has been used.

As the Bible shows, the sick person does not have to be a baptized member of the Church of the Eternal God, one of its corporate affiliates, or the spiritual body of Christ (of which the Church of the Eternal God and its corporate affiliates are a part). It is necessary, however, that the sick person has faith in the sacrifice of Christ, believing that he or she will be healed by God because of what Christ did for us.

We find that Christ healed many people who were not converted. In fact, when Christ was here on earth, prior to His death and resurrection, the Bible does not reveal that ANYBODY — other than Christ and John the Baptist — had the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. After the New Testament Church was born in 31 A.D., as Acts 2 reports, God continued to use the apostles and elders to heal people who were not members of the body of Christ — some of them were even demon-possessed (Acts 5:12-16; 8:5-8; 28:7-9). One incident is recorded showing that a person was healed, without asking for healing, so that the power of God the Father and Jesus Christ would be magnified (compare Acts 3:1-10, 12-16). It appears, however, that in that particular case, the sick person had the faith that God, through Christ, would heal him (compare verse 16). Paul later healed a man who had been a cripple from his mother’s womb, after Paul had observed him “intently,” seeing that “he had faith to be healed” (Acts 14:9).

Many times, healing may be one of the means for God to lead a person to total surrender to Him — or it might be a witness for others to “turn[ ] to the Lord” (compare Acts 9:32-35). In particular, children of parents in the church, as well as unconverted mates, may experience healing, sometimes in unusual ways, so that their faith in God the Father and Jesus Christ may be strengthened (compare 1 Corinthians 7:14 — both the children and the unconverted mates are “sanctified” or “holy,” that is, they have access to God and can respond to God’s call. Note, too, 1 Peter 3:1-2).

If a sick person asks one of our ministers for anointing or an anointed cloth, believing that God will heal them, they will receive from us what they request. God gave command to His servants to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God and to “heal the sick” (Matthew 10:8; Luke 9:2; 10:9).

A sick person, if he or she has the faith in God to be healed, should take advantage of the tremendous benefit that God bestows on us, to heal us from our sicknesses and diseases. Our sicknesses are important in God’s eyes. If we are suffering with a sickness, let us ask God for His intervention — after all, He is THE God who heals us.