Dave Harris will give the sermon this coming Sabbath. The sermon is titled, Kings and Priests.

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

From time to time, we may think that all is hopeless. When ancient Judah was in captivity, they could not see that there might still be in store for them any hope for a better life. God, however, inspired the prophet Jeremiah to write, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

God offers all of us hope. In fact, the entire physical creation, presently subject to decay, is awaiting “in hope” our transformation to glory (Romans 8:20-21). Do we have the same hope that even — in a figurative sense — God’s creation has? Are our actions motivated by that hope — even and especially in times of trials and perceived “hopelessness”?

Paul was inspired by that hope — the “hope of the promise” that “God raises the dead.” (Acts 26:6-8). Even in times of suffering and persecution, Paul “rejoiced” in the hope of the glory of God — the hope to obtain God’s glory (Romans 5:2). Paul even gloried in his trials, knowing that they would ultimately produce even more “hope” (Romans 5:3-4). He was, of course, talking about the right kind of hope — a hope that does not disappoint, because God’s love is abiding in us (Romans 5:5). It is because of the love that God has for us, that we can have hope for a better future.

Paul knew that God only wants the best for us. If God allows us to go through trials, He does so because He loves us, knowing that we have need of correction (Hebrews 12:5-6) and perseverance (Romans 8:24-25). God loved us so much that He was willing to give His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us so that we could obtain the hope of eternal life (John 3:16). With that kind of love, we know that God only wants the best for us, and we also know that God would never allow us to be tested beyond what we are able to endure (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Paul also understood that today’s light and brief sufferings and afflictions are not worthy to be compared with the future weight of eternal glory to be revealed in us (2 Corinthians 4:17; Romans 8:18). So, he wrote Titus these encouraging words: “Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ…, in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, but has in due time manifested His word [of the hope of eternal life] through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior…” (Titus 1:1-3).

Let us continue to develop in our lives that unshakable and sure hope of a brilliant and unimaginable future. At the same time, let us try, as much as we can, to share this message of hope with others. Let us follow Jesus Christ, the “hope of [our] glory” (Colossians 1:27) to go on in order to reach our final destination. Christ is waiting for us — let us continue to eagerly wait and hope for Him. When He returns, He will give us “the hope of the promise of eternal glory” — an unspeakable hope that far transcends our present life (compare 1 Corinthians 15:19).
 

JUST THE BEGINNING

In a timely news report written far ahead of its time, the Bible in Matthew 24, verses 6-8, records the following:
“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

“CNN EFFECT”

As war with Iraq begins, people gather around radios, televisions and, now, computer screens to monitor events as they unfold in real time. This event of spectacle received the name, “the CNN Effect”, after the Gulf War when reporters were able to give a running commentary of that event.

Virtually all regular programing is giving way to the war. It should not be overlooked that only in the most recent times has technology made it possible for all to “hear of wars and rumors of wars” to the extent we now do. In this same context, Revelation 11 speaks of “two witnesses” who prophesy in Jerusalem in an approaching future time. At the end of one thousand two hundred and sixty days, they are murdered. In verse 9 of this chapter, it states that, “Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will SEE their dead bodies three-and-a-half days…” Although this is a prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled, we have now arrived at a time in human history in which it is possible for this to happen!

WAR

The news of this week–in the light of prophetic events forecast so long ago–finds its chilling fulfillment in almost breath-taking circumstances! Words like deadline; imminent; impending; ultimatums, on the brink; and, time running out, all point to our most current war which pits America and its allies against Iraq and Saddam Hussein’s dictatorial reign. However, far beyond a “good versus evil” scenario of former days and earlier international conflicts, this war has effectively reshaped political alliances.

From the online edition of BBC News for March 19, 2003: “Germany’s Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, said his country ’emphatically rejects the impending war’ and added that ‘there is no basis in the UN Charter for a regime change with military means.’ ” Continuing, “His French counterpart Dominique de Billepin echoed the sentiment, saying those who believed terrorism would be eradicated through war on Iraq ‘run the risk of failing in their objectives.’ “
In addition, this article quotes UN Secretary General Kofi Annan as warning the US and UK that “under international law, the responsibility for protecting civilians in conflict falls on the belligerents”.

In another report, this from www.msnbc.com, March 19, 2003, “Russian foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said there was no proof Iraq threatened the United States and that the Security Council had been brushed aside.”

In a somewhat unexpected move, Robin Cook, Leader of the House of Commons, resigned from Tony Blair’s cabinet because of his unwillingness to support his country’s participation in the Iraq conflict. BBC News (3/17/03), reports this interesting perspective from Mr. Cook: “As President of the Party of European Socialists, of which the Labour Party is a member, it troubles me that I know of no sister party within the European Union that shares our position.”

Meanwhile, the cost of this war and its follow-up is estimated in amounts ranging into the hundreds of billions. This will come atop an economy in the US fraught with precarious issues that in themselves lack any immediate resolve.

At its core the run up to this war along with the war itself and its aftermath, will have vastly greater consequences for the United States and its closest allies. The world that emerges after this war will see nations banding together in order to withstand America with more than words.

PESTILENCE

SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome, has the world community mobilizing against this latest deadly foe. In an article from msnbc online edition (3/19/03), Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson “…said authorities are working to prevent the spread of the illness within the United States. He told senators Wednesday morning the Bush administration wants to spend $100 million to prepare for a possible outbreak of the disease in the United States.”

This disease is receiving a worldwide travel alert and is classified as highly contagious. There is no known treatment or cure at the present time, and the death rate is especially alarming.

SNOW

Keeping pace with the unusual weather patterns of extremes, the Rocky Mountain states of Colorado and Wyoming received record snowfalls this week. Airports, schools, businesses and major highways were all closed because of the heavy snowfall. Even with the inconveniece, most people were expressing gratitude for this mixed blessing. The entire area has suffered from several years of drought. The needed moisture will at least replenish severely low reservoirs that threatened to place most of the area into very strict water conservation policies.

A: The Bible specifically mentions two birthday celebrations of kings, ending with the deaths of certain individuals (John the Baptist and Pharaoh’s chief baker, compare Mark 6:21-27 and Genesis 40:20-22). There is another possible reference to birthday celebrations in Job 1:4: “And his [Job’s] sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.” The German Menge Bible explains that this is a reference to the “birthdays” of the sons (A similar expression is used in Job 3:1, referring to Job’s day of birth). The children’s conduct prompted righteous Job to “sanctify them,” for he said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” (Job 1:5).

Job’s reaction is interesting. He did not feel that the children HAD sinned by celebrating their birthdays, but that they MIGHT have sinned. On the other hand, we do not find any Biblical record that righteous people celebrated their own birthdays — nor do we find that Jesus Christ celebrated His birthday and that He told His disciples to celebrate it.

A birthday celebration with its accompanying elaborate parties and the giving of expensive gifts tends to emphasize the attitude of get and vanity — rather than the way of give which Christians are to follow. God’s Word condemns the glorifying of oneself. Compare Galatians 5:26: “Let us not be desirous of vainglory.” (AU). It appears that Job was concerned that his children might have engaged in selfish and vainglorious conduct during their birthday celebrations.

On the other hand, there is a difference between elaborate birthday celebrations and the acknowledgment that someone has become a year older. Obviously, the date of one’s birth is not pagan (regardless of whether one recognizes and counts by the Hebrew or the Roman calendar). It is not wrong and does in fact obey the command to honor our parents, to call, visit or send a modest gift to our parents on the day of their birth. Likewise, there are certain milestone years in the lives of young persons that can be acknowledged, such as reaching the age of 14, 16, 18 or 21. (For instance, the Jews have traditionally acknowledged the fact when a boy turns 14.) Also, in ancient Israel, young men being twenty or older were considered old enough to go to war, and a census was held to record the ages of the people (compare Numbers 1:2-3).

The distinction between simple acknowledgements and elaborate celebrations of birthdays may not always be that clear. God has given us a spirit of a sound mind (compare 2 Timothy 1:7), and if we are honest with God and ourselves, we will learn how to better please Him in everything we do (compare Ephesians 4:13). As long as the principles stated herein are adhered to and problems such as the danger of supporting vainglory and vanity are avoided,
acknowledgments of certain birthdays of special people close to us are individual decisions.
However, we must keep in mind that we must not violate our own conscience in this regard, as everything “not from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23).

Norbert Link will give the sermon this Sabbath. The title is: “Working for a Better World.”

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

In chapter 13 of the Book of Ezekiel, verses 1-3, we find that the Lord had a concern with the prophets of Israel. He states that some of them were prophesying out of their own hearts. He called them foolish, those who would follow their own spirit and yet had seen nothing.

This word “foolish” is translated from the Hebrew word “nabal,” indicating an act of stupidity of a wicked or vile person – one who is insensitive to what God desires. In verse 5, He states to these foolish men, “You have not gone up into the gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the Lord.” God is saying here that what these men were doing was futile!

God goes on in the 22nd chapter of Ezekiel, verse 23-30, and shows that these prophets were committing a conspiracy which was devouring the people. In verse 26 He states, “Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so I am profaned among them.”

In verse 30 God says, “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.”

Down through the generations, God has sought such men and women, but has found only a few, compared to the multitudes, who have been willing to stand for His Way. Moses is an outstanding example of one who did stand firmly for God’s Truth without compromise. He taught the people through his word and by his example. Moses loved God’s Way and God’s people and prayed for them often.

What is the cost for one to stand in the gap for God and His Way? Peter, in speaking with Christ concerning this, stated in Matthew 19:27: “See, we have left all and followed you.” Brethren, you and I have been called to a Way that requires such a commitment, yet we do it willingly, without reservation.

Christ says to you, in verse 29 of Matthew 19, “And everyone who has left homes or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit everlasting life.”

We certainly have much to be thankful for; especially that God has called us at this time to stand in the gap for His Way! This age desperately needs those who serve God–just as Moses did in his day–to likewise be a light of the Way of God as well as to intervene with God so that even in this time of darkness, some should be saved. Let each of us put our whole heart and being into serving God and to accomplishing what God has so rarely found–faithful men and women who are “standing in the gap!”
 

UNRAVELED ECONOMY

We have all read or at least heard the story of how David killed Goliath with a well placed stone flung from a sling. He turned the mighty Philistine army into a quivering, fleeing and defeated mass who were then plundered by the victorious Israelites.

In a not dissimilar fashion, a small determined group of Spanish invaders overthrew and murdered the indigenous populations of Mexico and Central and South America in centuries gone by.

Now it seems that the multifaceted repercussions of the cowardly attack on September 11, 2001, by an ill-determined group of nineteen terrorists, have turned all of the United States on its head–at least financially. Nowhere is that more obvious than in America’s struggling airline industry.

The web page of MSNBC News for March 12, 2003, pointed out that U.S. airlines have cut some 100,000 jobs since Sept. 11 and they lost nearly $10 billion last year. They attribute over $4 billion of that loss to security and fees mandated by the government. Nor have the effects been limited to these shores. British airways announced last month it was trimming back its service to the Persian Gulf region and requiring its crews to stop overnight in Cyprus rather than Saudi Arabia and other destinations. It already warned that a war with Iraq might rub out its profits and it has cut 13,000 jobs since the Sept. 11 attacks.

Now the U.S. is precipitously close to unleashing a war–all in the name of security for America and the world against further terrorist attacks. This action has the potential of realigning the world into a U.S.–British and Israeli camp with the rest of the world at serious odds with all three. This new international structure will dramatically change the economic fortunes of entire nations as trade wars and reprisals on a global scale begin to take effect.

Tourism, exports and imports, control of oil resources and, most importantly, world opinion, all now hang on a precarious balance. The news for now and for the immediate future is not optimistic. The Bible speaks of these days as “…the time of Jacob’s (modern America’s and Britain’s) trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7). For more detailed information about this world’s imminent future, write for our free booklets, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” and “Europe in Prophecy”. These are also available on our web site.

ASSASSINATION ATTEMP IN SERBIA

How fragile and temporary man’s attempts are to create permanent peace could be seen this week by the tragic assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic. USA TODAY stated that this brutal murder will “make it more difficult for one of Europe’s most restless regions to enjoy peace and stability.” Mr. Djindjic had brought democracy to former Yugoslavia. This assassination, which took place in Belgrade, was the first of a sitting European head of government since Swedish Prime Minister Olaf Palme was killed in Stockholm in 1986, according to the article.

The region of the Balkans is certainly worth watching. We all may recall that World War I was triggered when Archduke Francis Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was gunned down by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo, which is now the Bosnian capital, on June 28, 1914.

“MOAB” — THE MOTHER OF ALL BOMBS

“Moab” — a Biblical name — was tested this week by the U.S. in Florida — in the form of the biggest existing non-nuclear bomb of 21,000 pounds. Newscasters analyzed the explosion as an attempt to intimidate Iraq and other potential enemies. MSNBC News wrote on its Webpage that the “Air Force expected to have the bomb available for use in an Iraq war.” CNN, when broadcasting about the blast, compared the bomb with Biblical prophecies about the destruction of “Moab,” as can be found, for instance, in Isaiah 16 and 25:10-12. God is indeed angry with Moab because of Moab’s pride. Tragically, the Bible also foretells the destruction of the modern nations of Israel and Judah for the very same reason — pride against God and His will. Is it mere coincidence that the biggest non-nuclear bomb available today is called “Moab” — perhaps indicating the coming downfall of the very nation which developed it?

ONGOING CONFLICT IN NORTH KOREA

In response to the U.S. Air Force’s announcement on Wednesday that stealth warplanes will arrive in South Korea this week for annual military drills, North Korea has accused the United States of “sinister” plans for nuclear war, according to MSNBC News, adding that “nuclear war may break out any moment” on the Korean peninsula. Earlier this week, North Korea had launched a second surface-to-ship missile toward the Sea of Japan (A first missile had been fired to the same area on February 25).
 

A: We believe that the Bible is very clear and explicit in condemning Christian participation in war. You may want to reread our Editorial, titled, “War or Peace — Which?” (Update #81, February 21, 2003), and our Q&A, titled, “Christian Participation in War” (Update #67, November 15, 2002). How do we explain Israel’s fighting in the Old Testament? Did God, who does not change, condemn war in the New Testament, but approved of it in the Old?

You may want to listen to our three-part sermon series on Military Service and War for a thorough explanation. It is posted on the Audio page of our Website. In short, ancient Israel sinned when they went to war. For Biblical proof, we are quoting pertinent excerpts from Herbert W. Armstrong’s booklet, “Military Service and War,” Copyright 1967, beginning with page 23. The headline of that section reads, “WHY Israel Did Fight.” The booklet continues:

“Few, indeed, have ever understood WHY Israel went to war. They should never have done so — as we shall clearly demonstrate. So now understand WHY Israel did go to war! Understand how they SINNED in so doing! God did not intend that these people should ever need to go to war…”

Continuing on pages 24-26:

“Right here, before they reached Mt. Sinai — before they heard God’s own great voice thundering His Ten Commandments — God demonstrated the pattern He would follow in preserving His people from having to undergo military service, or fighting in war, or taking human life!… ‘And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Eternal, which HE WILL SHOW YOU today… The Eternal shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace’ [Exodus 14:13-14]. The Israelites were not to fight — but STAND STILL! They were to see God save them from Pharaoh’s ARMY. God was going to SHOW THEM that He would fight their wars for them! They were to remain at PEACE!”

Mr. Armstrong goes on to explain that Israel’s faith in God’s help was only of a short duration. They soon began to doubt, when they came to Marah and only found bitter water (Exodus 15:24). They also complained in the wilderness because of lack of food (Exodus 16:2-3). Also, when in Rephidim, they lost faith, tempting God (Exodus 17:1-2). Continuing with Mr. Armstrong’s booklet, on pages 29-32:

“Now we come to the CRUCIAL INCIDENT that explains WHY Israel went to war. Regularly they had been grumbling, complaining, accusing, disobeying, LOSING FAITH — in face of constant MIRACLES from God. Now, again, as God performed another miracle, causing water to gush forth out of a rock, the people DOUBTED that God was with them. ‘… they tempted the ETERNAL, saying, “Is the ETERNAL among us, or not?”‘ (Exodus 17:7).

“Now consider what had happened. Repeatedly, God had given these people awe-inspiring and miraculous demonstrations of His intention to fight the battles for them… After all of this OVERWHELMING PROOF, these people DOUBTED God’s faithfulness — DOUBTED His power — even DOUBTED His very existence. They disobeyed. They went the way of SIN! In effect, they had their own ‘God is dead’ movement!… At this juncture, Amalek, a Gentile king, came against the Israelites in great strength with an invading army. This time God ALLOWED the Israelites to write the lesson of experience. He ALLOWED them to SIN. God does not forcibly prevent humans from sinning.

“Moses, at the end of his patience trying to induce these stubborn, rebellious people to believe in and TRUST God, said to Joshua, ‘Choose us some men, and go out, FIGHT with Amalek’ (Exodus 17:9). Lacking the faith to trust God for their protection, Moses feared they would be slaughtered. Although Moses weakened and gave the order of WAR, it was THE PEOPLE themselves who actually MADE THE DECISION for war, by their utter lack of reliance on God. It was altogether unnecessary for these Israelites to arm themselves and wage WAR. It was WRONG! It was SIN. But God let the decision be theirs. This incident was the turning point… They had experienced a taste of war. They could have — should have — turned from it, afterward, and relied on God instead of their own power. But they didn’t… By their continuous disbelief, lack of reliance on GOD, and reliance only on PHYSICAL WARFARE, they made the DECISION to be, like all the nations of the earth, a WARRING NATION!”

On page 33, Mr. Armstrong begins to address the question why God ordered the Israelites at times to wage war:

“These descendants of Abraham had made their decision to be a fighting, war-waging nation. That decision was theirs to make. And since they had made it…, God gave orders for them to do what fighting — and killing — was necessary to accomplish God’s PURPOSE of putting them in the land of Promise! But that did not make war RIGHT. Whether to DO right or wrong — that is MAN’S decision! These Israelites did not need to fight! So it was BECAUSE of Israel’s faithlessness and disobedience that God ALLOWED them to SIN by taking up arms. And therefore God used them as His instruments in driving out the nations illegally in their land. Even at that later date the Israelites could have REPENTED, changed their decision, and trusted God to fight their battles for them… Having committed the sin of DOUBT, these Israelites proceeded to commit the SIN OF FIGHTING — of WAR!”

Continuing on page 36:

“But one may ask the question: If war is wrong — if it is SIN — if it is contrary to God’s WAY for man, then WHY did God, on occasion, actually order the Israelites to go to war and kill? Consider these TWO FACTS:

“1) Israel had sinned in a) not TRUSTING God to do the fighting for them; and b) in disobeying God’s Commandment against war. They had CHOSEN to be a war-waging nation. The decision was WRONG. Yet God compels man to decide WHETHER to sin. If he does, he brings on himself the penalty. THE FACT, therefore, must be realized that Israel REFUSED TO RELY ON GOD TO DO THE FIGHTING; and CHOSE to be a warring nation.

“2) God’s PURPOSE must stand, regardless of what men did. It was God’s PURPOSE to install Israel in, and to drive certain people out of God’s holy land, which He had PROMISED to the children of Abraham, Isaac and Israel… Since Israel was not going to rely on GOD to drive out these nations, but elected to be a WAR-making nation, God used them to accomplish His PURPOSE… He ordered them to do what was required to make HIS PURPOSE stand!”

In conclusion, let us quote Mr. Armstrong’s alarming and challenging words from page 38 of his booklet. There are some in the Church of God organizations today who justify going to and participating in war, or who claim that ancient Israel did NOT sin when they fought in war. They are wrong, as they do not understand the character of God, nor the intent and purpose of God’s Law, the Ten Commandments:

“The divine GIVER of human life has the right to take the lives He gave. They belong to HIM. But for any human, or nation, of his or its own volition, on his or its own initiative, to take human life is SIN. The life he takes is not his — but GOD’S! He not only commits murder — he also STEALS or takes what is GOD’S. Even his own life belongs to God. The suicide takes a human life that belongs to God!

“When God has made it one of the ten basic SINS for man to take human life — and made it unnecessary for man to go to war by promising to take care of the wars Himself supernaturally, then the nation which CHOOSES to be a WAR-waging nation has committed SIN. And every individual who enters its military organization is committing SIN.

“Israel had made that decision. Other nations, too — all had made it. Since the nations of this world do fight, God allows them to commit this SIN. Yet, to carry out HIS PURPOSE, God Himself determines the outcome of wars. And since Israel already had rejected HIM as its war-making Force, He even ordered them to fulfill HIS PURPOSE, which must be accomplished! But that did not whitewash Israel from having deliberately rebelled and chosen to fight in war in violation of GOD’S WAY.”

Ancient Israel sinned when they went to war. God, the Author of peace, does not want human beings to fight in war. When Christ returns, He will restore peace to this earth — a time will begin when “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4). Man will live a way of peace — as originally intended by God. We are Christ’s ambassadors of that future way. We are not to follow the sinful pattern of ancient Israelites who rebelled against God’s promises and clear commands. Man has chosen to disobey God and to sin, by going to war. God, who is the same yesterday, today and forever, condemns — and has always condemned — human warfare. We are to pray for and to do good to our enemies, rather than fighting against them and avenging ourselves. We are to leave “vengeance” to God (Romans 12:19-20). The Biblical teaching on this subject is clear and consistent.

Edwin Pope will give the sermon this Sabbath. The title is: “Understanding the Prophecies of Your Bible.”

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

Matthew records a series of profound questions from some of the disciples. Among other things, they asked Jesus about the “end of the age” (Matthew 24:3). The answers given by Jesus were even more startling. In fact, we now understand that much of what has been left for us to know of the message Jesus Christ proclaimed focused on the end of this age and the establishment of God’s Kingdom.

Many generations–even that early Church of God which heard the words we now read–have thought that theirs was the final generation. Yet, one generation will indeed be the one spoken of by Jesus. Furthermore, the Bible is full of prophecies that describe events and personalities that are destined to arise at the end. Paul speaks of this in 1 Corinthians 10:11: “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition [instruction], upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

Peter, one of the disciples who asked Jesus about the end of the age, in later years preached the same imminent truth: “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers…” (1 Peter 4:7). Peter explains that because of the times in which we live, we should live our lives accordingly–especially with “…fervent love for one another” (v. 8).

Speaking of the final generation which would witness His return to the earth, Jesus used the days before the flood of Noah’s time as a comparison. What He said of that former doomed generation was that they “…did not know until the flood came and took them all away” (Matthew 24:39). They did not watch–they were not ready for what was about to happen. The reason for this was that they simply went on with their daily lives in a world where the “…wickedness of man was great in the earth, and [ ] every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5).

Jesus contended with the Pharisees and Sadducees for their spiritual blindness: “…You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times” (Matthew 16:3).

Can we each discern that we are now living at the end of this age? Are we able to believe what our eyes see and our ears hear? The status quo of this age has shifted remarkably and shockingly at the beginning of this new century, and events are now sweeping us along in fulfillment of the momentous end time prophecies Jesus Christ warned about!

Our safety and preservation can only be found in God. Just as Noah fulfilled the work given to him by God, those of us called into the Church of God must fulfill the great work entrusted to us. Jesus also left a promise in this regard when He said that “…for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened [“cut short”–not allowed to run to full completion]” (Matthew 24:22).

We have seen movies, read books, heard sermons–we have all, in one way or another, pondered about the close of this age. What we all must now do is wake up and believe the fearsome truth–these are the end times!
 

IS “BIG BROTHER” AMONG US? — Growing Scrutiny, Control, and Restrictions of Personal Freedom

An article appearing on www.usatoday.com on Feb. 27 shows just how much our Western world is changing. It reports that the U.S. government is ready to test a new risk-detection system that would be based on an individual’s background and then have a threat level assigned to that particular person before they could board an airline.

Note how far reaching this new program will be: “Transportation officials say a contractor will be picked soon to build the nationwide computer system, which will check such things as credit reports and bank account activity and compare passenger names with those on government watch lists.”

Among the many changes in our new, post-September 11th world, the greatest change is that of people living in fear. Regardless of formerly “safe” areas of the world, the new reality is that no one feels safe anymore–anywhere! This is being reflected by governments as burgeoning new laws in the name of security are rushed into place. Many fear that the cost to personal freedoms has already suffered, will suffer increasingly and will be “the way things are” from here on out.

Those restrictions are not limited anymore to certain tyrannies, but they are now being introduced to Western democracies. Der Spiegel published an article on March 5, 2003, informing its readership of an attempt by the United States government to introduce a law that would strip Americans of their citizenship if they are felt to be supportive of terrorist activities. Those accused could be incarcerated secretly. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) speaks about a blatantly unconstitutional law, much worse than the “Patriot Act.” They ran an ad in the “New York Times,” titled, “Keep America safe and free,” comparing the current attempts of the U.S. government with the persecutions under the McCarthy era. One serious concern is the definition of terrorist groups in the proposed new law, which, according to law experts, could even include militant organizations for the protection of animals. “If during a demonstration a bystander should lose his life, the demonstrators could face the death penalty,” according to the article.

Yahoo! News reported on March 5 that “Hollywood Actors Raise McCarthyism Specter.” The article stated, “The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) said a slew of hate-mail directed at actors who have taken a public personal stand against war, along with calls for boycotts of movies and albums on the nation’s talk radio airwaves and Internet message boards, ‘suggest that the lessons of history have, for some, fallen on deaf ears.’ SAG said suggestions that ‘well-known individuals who express ‘unacceptable’ views should be punished by losing their ‘right to work’ was a ‘shocking development’ which recalled the 1950s House Committee on Un-American Activities. More than 230 people, including Arthur Miller, Orson Welles, Dashiell Hammett, Paul Robeson and Charlie Chaplin were placed on a blacklist that stopped them working for the entertainment industry because of views considered left-wing or unpatriotic… [Martin] Sheen, along with actor Sean Penn…, singer Sheryl Crow…, and scores of other celebrities have been slammed for being unpatriotic… G.I. Jargon.com, a Web site representing U.S. military, police and firefighters, dubbed the celebrities ‘Taliban’ and called for a boycott of ‘anti-American entertainers,'” according to the article.

These limitations of personal freedoms and attempted restrictions of free expressions are just the beginning. The Bible speaks of a time when the entire world will fall under the control of a looming end-time religious/political power, currently rising in Europe. A time when personal freedoms will disappear, war will be glorified, and the world will be in subjection to the exacting controls and dominance of this final superpower. Revelation 13 speaks of religious and political/military leaders who hold power over people to enforce worship (at the cost of their lives) and control the commerce of the world: “He [the religious leader] causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast [the political/military leader], or the number of his name” (verses 16-17).

Something to watch–something for all of us to earnestly pray about!

THE POWERFUL EURO

From msn.com for March 5, 2003, the pressure on the dollar is noted: “The euro was trading around $1.0966 compared with $1.0956 in late U.S. trade on Wednesday, when it hit a four-year peak of $1.1005.” Der Spiegel commented that experts expect a further upward trend of the euro and a further downward trend of the U.S. dollar.

Aside from the immediate monetary repercussions, the growing strength of the euro against the dollar only reflects the rapidly changing roles of a more and more isolated U.S. and an emerging financial powerhouse in an increasingly influential Europe.

U.S. AND UK IN ISOLATION?

Yahoo! News reported on March 5 that “Chinese leader Jiang Zemin gave his support to European-led opposition to a war on Iraq… Jiang told Chirac that Beijing agrees with a statement made Wednesday by the foreign ministers of France, Russia and Germany, who said they would ‘not allow’ passage of the U.S.-backed resolution.” Der Spiegel commented on March 6 that “the United States and Great Britain become more and more isolated…. The American attempts to change the picture appear motivated by despair… Now there is also open disagreement between the United States and Hans Blix.”

In addition, the United States suffered a setback this week by the refusal of the Turkish parliament to allow the Pentagon to base a large ground force in Turkey. USA Today quoted a Senior Defense official as saying, “‘We are not going to wait for Turkey. We’ll go on our timetable.'”

The troubles for the U.S. mounted further this week, when tensions increased in the standoff over North Korea’s nuclear programs. Russia and China both urged the United States to try to “defuse the standoff peacefully,” according to Yahoo! News. Washington had ordered the deployment of 12 B-1 and 12 B-52 bombers last Friday in Guam, which is about 2000 miles from North Korea. President Bush has now stated, according to the article, “that the military option was on the table as a last resort.” North Korea has repeatedly threatened with nuclear war, if the United States does not relent in the present conflict.

THE CATHOLIC POSITION ON WAR

Cardinal Pio Laghi, former Vatican ambassador to the U.S. and a Bush family friend, met with President Bush on Wednesday. As an emissary from Pope John Paul II, he delivered the pope’s message, as quoted in Yahoo! News: “A war would be a ‘defeat for humanity’ and would be neither morally nor legally justified. In a letter to Bush, the pope stood by his view that a pre-emptive strike on Iraq is immoral ‘unless it gets backed’ by the United Nations.” The article continued, “Bush, a Methodist, has taken pains throughout his presidency to court Catholic voters, who made up a quarter of the electorate in 2000 and split their votes between Bush and Democrat Al Gore.”

The Catholic position on the issue of Iraq becomes more and more muddled. Zenit stated on March 4 that Archbishop Celestino Migliore explained the Vatican’s position in this way, “It is not of pacifism, but rather of working as an architect of peace. The problems exist and they must be resolved, but not by taking recourse to war.” One day later, as stated above, the pope’s position was communicated to President Bush that he would approve of war — even of a pre-emptive strike — if the U.N. were to support it. Clearly, the position of the Catholic Church on war is not one of conscientious objection.
 

A: The command in Exodus 12:18 is an essential part of the annual seven day celebration of the Days of Unleavened Bread. As we fully explain in our new booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days,” these annual Feast days are still to be kept today.

Numerous Scriptures tell us to remove, during these seven days, leavened bread from our houses, and not to eat leavened bread. At the same time, we are told to eat unleavened bread during these days. Biblical passages containing this command can be found in Exodus 12:15-20; 13:7; 23:15; 34:18; Leviticus 23:6; Numbers 28:17; and Deuteronomy 16:3, 8. We also read that the Days of Unleavened Bread will be kept in the Millennium (Ezekiel 45:21). Further, Paul upholds the ongoing validity of God’s command to keep these days, explaining at the same time the accompanying symbolism, in 1 Corinthians 5:8, “Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

Bible commentaries tell us that the Hebrew and Greek words for “unleavened bread,” that is, “matstah” and “azumos,” describe “anything unleavened.” At the same time, the Hebrew word “chamets,” translated, “leavened bread,” is defined by commentaries as “anything leavened.” Although this might be technically correct, we must not overlook that the Israelites, when obeying God’s command, ate unleavened CAKES (Exodus 12:39, Compare, too, Deuteronomy 16:3, which is to be translated as “unleavened cakes.”).

The Worldwide Church of God has taken a differentiated view point over the years as to whether it is a sin to not eat unleavened bread on each of the seven Days of Unleavened Bread.

In a Question and Answer section of the Good News in March of 1981, it is stated, “Instead of eating leavened bread, we have the positive command to eat unleavened bread (Ex. 13:56). We may also eat unleavened pies and cereals together with all the meats, drinks, fruits and vegetables we normally consume.”

In a Ministudy, published in the Good News in March of 1983, we read, “The Israelites were not merely to expunge all leavening and leavened foods from their property. That would have only symbolized putting away sin. They were commanded to eat unleavened bread during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This act of eating unleavened bread symbolizes the opposite of sin — obedience to God.”

In an article, titled, “How Leaven Pictures Sin,” published in the Good News of March 1984, a slightly modified position was taken: “Instead of eating these leavened foods, replace them with unleavened products (Ex 12:15, 19-20, Lev. 23:6). These include matzos, hardtrack and a number of flatbreads… Whenever you eat bread during these days, it should be unleavened.”

In the Ambassador Bible Correspondence Course, Lesson 26, copyright 1986, the above-stated position was even further modified, as follows:

“However, it is not required of every person to eat unleavened bread every day of this festival. Some people rarely eat any type of bread. There may be reasons why someone may not want or be able to eat bread every day of the Feast. Some few might even find it necessary to fast for a day or two during the Feast. But whatever bread and other flour products are eaten during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, they must be unleavened.”

After careful consideration, study and prayer, it is the position of the Church of the Eternal God, based on the clear Scriptural commands, that we are to eat unleavened bread every day of the Feast, barring emergencies or other extraordinary circumstances. It is not a sufficient excuse, however, not to eat unleavened bread because one just does not want to do so. However, if an emergency situation comes up during the Feast, prompting an individual to fast on one of the seven days, it would not be sinful to do so. Another exception would apply for people who have been advised by their physicians, because of an unusual medical condition, not to eat any kind of bread. Likewise, in areas where people have no or only very difficult access to unleavened bread, they should try to the best of their abilities to obtain unleavened bread for the Festival. God looks at the heart. Someone who has tried hard, but still could not obtain unleavened bread, will not be condemned by God for this lack of availability, as may be the case in some parts of the world.

As a general rule, however, we are to replace leavened bread with unleavened bread, since we are to replace sin with righteousness. Even those who normally don’t eat bread should still eat a little bit of unleavened bread every day during the Days of Unleavened Bread (in addition to their normal food which must not contain leavened products of any kind), to remind them of the symbolism conveyed during this Feast.

Norbert Link will be giving the sermon this Sabbath. He will be discussing David’s writings in the book of Psalms, as they relate to our Christian lives in these present evil times.

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

Radio had its Golden Age and then Television had its turn. Now the emerging media of the last 10 years has no doubt been the Internet. Never has there been a time when we can reach so many so easily.

As usual, one of the main topics that we covered at the annual church conference was how we would go about fulfilling the commission of Matthew 28:19-20 which as most, if not all, of you know is “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

In discussing the mediums available for preaching the Gospel to the world, we are moving forward in our effort to utilize the Internet to a greater extent. We will, of course, continue with our other efforts. We are very excited at the myriad of possibilities. As we quickly finish the projects that we are currently undertaking, we plan to delve into several other endeavors.

With a very sucessful conference behind us, a full report will be forthcoming in our next member letter. Also we plan to make some announcements regarding exactly what we will be doing in the near future on the Internet, so stay tuned…
 

EUROPE WATCH!

While the world focuses on Iraq and North Korea, other developments of prophetic significance are taking place elsewhere.

We need to note especially the increasing influence on world affairs of a unified European Union.

On February 21, 2003, Der Spiegel reported that the European Union wrote an “angry letter” to Israel, condemning Israel’s recent military operations against the Palestinians. The magazine commented, “The relationship between Europe and Israel is near the freezing point.”

The Australian reported on February 20 that the European Union “lashed out at Australia’s foreign policy priorities, accusing the Federal Government of being blind to the new political reality emerging in Europe.” The article quoted Europe’s position that “the EU was politically integrated… as a single trading bloc.”

The Washington Post published its opinion on February 21 that “France’s current dispute with the United States is not really about Iraq… The Iraq crisis has provided France an opportunity to create the first coherent challenge to [United States] dominance — and to give France a unique position as leader of that challenge. Last Friday at the Security Council was the high water mark. France stood at the head of an impressive opposition bloc — Germany, Russia, China, perhaps seven other members of the Council and dozens of other smaller countries — challenging American policy and, implicitly, American hegemony…. France is reaching to become not only the leading power in Europe…, but also the leader of a new pole of world power opposite the American ‘hyperpower.'”

Similar sentiments were published in an article of Der Spiegel, dated February 24, titled, “The Kaiser of Europe.” In the article, French ambitions are described to become the leader of Europe, while acting independently from the United States. The magazine pointed out, “Jacques Chirac wants to place Europe under the leadership of France and Germany…. Chirac, the Kaiser of Europe? A triumph over the emperor of the U.S. empire would constitute his coronation.”

The Bible reveals, however, that ultimately Germany, and not France, will lead Europe, but France will, no doubt, play an important role to bring about a unified Europe.

At the same time, the United States is being forced more and more into isolation over the Iraq issue. Imagine the potential consequences for the U.S., if it finds itself in the position of having to pay for most of the costs of the war. The estimated costs are indeed staggering, ranging from 99 billion dollars to 1924 billion dollars (Der Spiegel Online, February 26). In addition, the pope has again reiterated his opposition to war — and with it, his opposition to current U.S. politics. According to Zenit of February 29, the Vatican stated in an address to the Security Council, “In the end, it is conscience that will have the last word, stronger than all strategies, all ideologies and also all religions… War is never just another means that one can choose to employ for settling differences between nations.”

Of course, an ardent student of history may recall that the same religious power that now utters words of peace was actively engaged in the past in war and military confrontations. One may wonder whether the leopard has indeed changed its spots. But — the Bible reveals that Europe will be guided, led and supported by a religious power, claiming to represent true Christianity. However, Scriptures describe this power as “a beast coming out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.” (Revelation 13:11). This power is also described as a woman “drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.” (Revelation 17:6). This description does not just apply to past conduct. Revelation 6:11 speaks about a future martyrdom of the saints. Revelation 17:18 identifies the future persecutor as the modern city of Babylon. It states in Revelation 18:24, “And in her [the modern city of Babylon] was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.”

As we see a political, military and religious power arising in Europe, we know that the end is near. We need to pray as never before to be counted worthy to escape all these things that will shortly come to pass.
 

A: There is no biblical evidence that God created animals at the beginning with vicious natures. We do find, however, that the nature of animals changed, when they gave in to Satan’s influence.

We read, for example, in Genesis 3:1 that “the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.” While Satan is described as a serpent and as a dragon (Revelation 20:2), it appears that Eve was confronted by and spoke to a real serpent in the Genesis account. Satan gave the serpent a voice — as later, God gave a donkey a man’s voice to speak to the false prophet Balaam (Numbers 22:28; 2 Peter 2:16).

We read that the serpent — that is, the animal — was more cunning or more subtle than every other beast of the field. Later, God punished the serpent, stating that it was more cursed than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field (Genesis 3:14). God pronounces punishment on a literal serpent, as well as, of course, on Satan the devil who used the serpent.

Did God create the serpent with a cunning and subtle nature? The Hebrew word for “was,” in Genesis 3:1, is “haya,” which can also mean, “became.” It appears that the serpent — under Satan’s influence and control — had become more subtle and cunning than the other animals. At that point, its nature had changed.

Under the influence of Satan, in due course, the nature of other animals changed, too. In fact, the nature of animals became so evil that God decided to kill them in a flood. We read in Genesis 6:7 that God was sorry that He had made man and beast. Genesis 6:11 tells us that the earth was corrupt and filled with violence. Genesis 6:12 adds that all flesh had corrupted their way. This includes the animal world. Genesis 6:13 states that the end of all flesh had come, and that the earth — due to Satan’s influence and control — had become filled with violence through them. Genesis 7:21 states specifically that the term “all flesh” includes at least all of the land animals and birds, as well as man: “And all flesh died that moved on the earth: birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man.”

God destroyed man and beast, just saving a few. Perhaps, God restored the nature of the surviving animals temporarily to its original peaceful ways, while they were in the ark — after God had miraculously directed them to enter the ark.

We see then, that God destroyed the animals in the flood, since they had corrupted their ways. This corruption might have included bestiality. Later, when men and animals engaged in this horrible perversion, they both had to be killed (Leviticus 20:15-16). Also, God demands that an animal be killed that kills a man (Genesis 9:5). In ancient Israel, when an ox killed a person, it had to be stoned, and its flesh was not to be eaten (Exodus 21:28-32). The reason is that the nature of those animals had changed for the worse — it has been proven that animals can become accustomed to, and begin to like, such terrible conduct.

In the Millennium, God will change the wild and cruel nature of animals, as Isaiah 11:6-9, and Isaiah 65:25 tell us. This does not mean, however, that all animals will be “domesticated,” and there will be no more “wild” animals. But those “wild” animals will not live anywhere near humans. We read, though, that “wild” beasts of the field will live where the city of Babylon or Nineveh once stood — while no human will live there (Jeremiah 50:39-40; Jeremiah 51:37; Revelation 18:2; Zephaniah 2:13-15). We also read that “wild” animals will live in the devastated and forsaken region of former Edom (Isaiah 34:5, 11-17; Malachi 1:3).

For more in-depth information on the world of animals, please read our free booklet, “Evolution — A Fairy Tale for Adults?” You might also want to listen to our sermon on “Animals — Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.”