Update 304

On July 28, 2007, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “The Old Testament.”

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

From time to time, we may hear politicians use the following expression, when they attempt to address their failures and mistakes: “My apologies to you that I have fallen short.” It appears that the public acknowledgements of shortcomings, errors and mistakes are often summed up as “falling short.” This reminds me of the Biblical admonition in Romans 3:23: “… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Similar sentiments, you might think, but God’s Word clearly outlines man’s capacity to break the law of God and to miss the mark in living a truly Godly life. However, a politician’s remark of “having fallen short” is a euphemism for admitting mistakes without actually saying so.   Pride enters the scene. For many years now in the UK and other Western societies, the political scene has been awash with “spin” and political double talk, much more than in previous times. Man’s way is much different from the way – and the Word – of God.

God says what He means, and His inspired Word pulls no punches. Even the sins, mistakes and shortcomings of Bible heroes are not glossed over. When God speaks, we can totally rely on His Word; when men speak, we cannot have that same assurance.

We are privileged to have been called by God on Whom we can utterly rely. We certainly sin and fall short of the glory of God, and when we do, we need never be frightened to acknowledge our wrongs and to petition God for forgiveness. Pride is something that we must eradicate in our lives, but those who have pride usually find it difficult to say that they have been wrong – “falling short” is often as far as they will go. Unlike politicians of all persuasions, we are not being judged by the electorate, but by the great God of the universe – and how thankful we should be for that!

Terrible Weather Conditions in Britain…

AFP wrote on July 23:

“Thousands of people in Britain were left stranded in villages and towns Monday during the worst flooding here in 60 years… Swathes of central and western England were submerged as rivers swelled and burst their banks during four days of heavy rain, leaving thousands without clean water or electricity and facing the prospect of more rain.

“The largely rural counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Oxfordshire were the worst hit, forcing Royal Air Force (RAF) helicopters to evacuate around 150 people in its biggest-ever peacetime rescue. Speaking after a helicopter visit to the area, Brown linked the floods to climate change and pledged 200 million pounds (298 million euros, 411 million dollars) extra funding, plus a review to address future issues…

“In Gloucestershire, the worst-hit area, at least 350,000 homes were without water after a treatment works flooded, while 40,000 were without power. It could take up to two weeks to restore water supplies to some households, according to some reports. Noting the irony of the situation, the Daily Mail’s headline Monday read: ‘Water, water everywhere but … not a drop to drink!’…”

We received the following memo from one of our members in Britain, on July 23:

“Terrible situation over here in the UK in the Midlands, Yorkshire, Worcestershire, even in Oxfordshire… Floods galore. 400,000 without power, half a million without drinking water, sewage problems; it will take up to a year in many cases before people can move back into their homes once the floods subside, helicopter rescues, food supplies running short…”

Der Spiegel Online reported on July 23:

“Flooding in England has spread to the university city of Oxford where hundreds of homes were evacuated after the River Thames burst its banks. Windsor could be next. Insurers put the damage at more than $7 billion.”

The magazine added on July 26 that more rain is expected, and that because of sewage, the fear of diseases has increased. It stated that meteorologists said the three months from May to July were the wettest in England and Wales since records began in 1766.

AFP added on July 25 that “More rains were forecast Thursday for flood-hit areas in Britain.”

… and in Europe…

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 23:

“In a weekend of extremes, torrential rainfall across Western Europe caused severe flooding and damage, killing one person, while a heatwave in Eastern Europe has already killed 22 people… Many parts of Germany were also badly hit by severe rainfall, with a number of motorways and railway lines closed due to the flooding… And between 300 and 500 homes were estimated to have suffered serious damage in Bavaria. The torrential rain also caused havoc at the European Formula One Grand Prix at the Nürburgring on Sunday. The race had to be stopped and then restarted after six cars skidded off the track.

“In Switzerland mudslides and floods caused havoc in Berne, while a motorway near Interlaken was shut after a rockfall. Firemen raced to build emergency barriers against the rising water and clear the roads.”

APF reported on July 25:

“Southeastern Europe was a tinderbox Wednesday in the grip of an unrelenting heatwave that has claimed hundreds of lives… Italy was sweltering under temperatures close to 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit)… and suffering devastating wildfires in central and southern regions… More than 5,000 hectares (12,500 acres) of farmland have been destroyed, worth some one billion euros (1.4 billion dollars)…

“In Romania authorities said the heatwave-related death toll rose to 33 with three more people succumbing on Tuesday… In Slovakia a lightning strike sparked a huge forest fire on Sunday… Meanwhile the mercury reached 46 degrees Celsius (115 F) in parts of Greece, where a dozen forest fires were burning and up to five people have died from heat-related causes since Monday… The heatwave caused a spike in smog pollution in Athens, with ozone levels above emergency limits in several districts, prompting the government to urge motorists to avoid the city centre. Ozone levels were not expected to improve on Thursday…

“Hungary, where up to 500 people may have died last week from heat-related causes, enjoyed a significant drop in temperatures overnight with the welcome arrival of a cool front… A third degree heat alert — the highest ever applied in the country before last week — ended on Tuesday.”

Bild Online wrote on July 25: “Weather Chaos in Europe–And It’s Our Fault.” It added: “Experts are sure–the catastrophes are man-made.”

… and in Indonesia…

The Associated Press reported on July 23:

“Flash floods and landslides in central Indonesia inundated villages, destroyed bridges and roads, and sent thousands fleeing their homes, officials said Monday. At least 39 people were killed. The toll was expected to rise following days of torrential rain, with dozens more missing and rescuers only starting to reach isolated areas in the disaster zone… Rescuers struggled to get rice, instant noodles, blankets, medicine and other emergency supplies to some 16,000 forced from their homes… roads have been cut off and bridges destroyed.”

… and in China…

Reuters reported on July 23:

“Storms are expected to batter large swathes of China again on Monday after floods, landslides and lightning killed more than 150 people last week alone, state media said… Since the start of the annual rainy season in May, floods have hit nearly half of China and killed at least 400 people… Flooding and typhoons killed 2,704 people last year, according to the China Meteorological Administration. That was the second-deadliest year on record after 1998, when summer floods killed 4,150.”

Turkey’s Election

Der Spiegel Online reported on July 23 on the outcome of the Turkish election. The magazine stated:

“Turkey’s ruling Islamist[s]… won Sunday’s election by a landslide with 47 percent of the vote. The country has voted for stability, economic growth and — if the campaign pledges of Prime Minister… Erdogan are to be believed — further democratic reforms…

“The army will now play a decisive role in determining whether or not Turkey succeeds, with this clear result, in overcoming the political crisis prompted by the failed presidential election. Will the military now accept [Erdogan] against whom they intervened with a memorandum in April?…

“Erdogan will soon have to decide whether or not to invade northern Iraq under pressure from the military… by doing so, Erdogan would be risking a further escalation of the conflict in war-torn Iraq. The West has been following these developments with great concern.

“How forcefully Turkey now continues on its path towards Europe… depends on Europe too. How long can Turkey be strung along when it is becoming increasingly clear that, at the end of the day, Europe doesn’t want it to join the European Union? After all, Turkey’s real dilemma has far more to do with its path to Europe than it does with the debate over headscarves and mini-skirts.”

Libya–A Reliable Partner?

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 26:

“Now that the Bulgarian nurses have been released, the rush to do business with Libya has begun. French President Nicolas Sarkozy was first off the mark, flying to Tripoli to meet with Moammar Gadhafi and sign a number of agreements — including a deal on building a French nuclear reactor in Libya… Sarkozy… promised to boost relations between the two countries.

“The trip came just 24 hours after Cecilia Sarkozy accompanied five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor out of Libya on a French presidential plane. The six medics had been imprisoned for eight years on charges of infecting over 400 Libyan children with HIV in the late 1990s.

“The Libyans have been scrambling to get out of international isolation since accepting responsibility for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie in Scotland and agreeing to dismantle its nuclear weapons program in 2003. The move prompted the United States and European Union to lift sanctions, and Washington reopened its embassy there in 2006. Since then international investment has been flowing into Libya’s oil sector, which provides the bulk of the country’s gross domestic product.

“But the continuing incarceration of the six foreign medics had been a stumbling block to further ties. Now, following their release, foreign investment in the North African country is likely to increase dramatically.”

Will Civil War Break Out in the Balkans?

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 26:

“As six nations [the “Contract group,” consisting of Germany, France, Great Britain, the United States, Italy and Russia] start a period of shuttle diplomacy over Kosovo’s fate, Serbian enclaves within the breakaway province threaten to plunge the region into civil war… Most of Kosovo’s ethnic Albanians want independence, something Serbia’s parliament voted to oppose Wednesday by a massive majority (217 to 2), ahead of revived talks by major powers in Vienna. Most of the six-nation ‘Contact group’ –except Russia–favors independence, too…

“About 20,000 Serbs live in the north of the province, an area that has long since slipped out of control of the UN’s administration and NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR). The fate of the roughly 1,500 to 2,000 Albanians living in the Serb-dominated north is hardly different from the fate of Serbs in the Albanian south: They live in ghettoes and are terrified of what the future could bring. And Serb officials have threatened that northern Kosovo would secede from the rest of the province if Kosovo wins independence… Last week Moscow rejected another proposal for a new UN resolution that would have brought an internationally monitored independence to the troubled province… Washington intends to be just as stubborn.”

Protestants Condemn Vatican

On July 23, The Adventist Press Service published an open letter from the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) to the Vatican, dated July 10, “questioning Rome’s clarification on the status of non-Catholic churches.”

In the letter, WARC pointed out:

“We have seen the statement made by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and ratified and confirmed by Pope Benedict XVI concerning certain aspects of the Doctrine of the Church on 10 July 2007. We are puzzled by the release of a statement of this kind at this time in the history of the church… The statement… unfortunately gives an interpretation… which takes us back to the kind of thinking and atmosphere that was prevalent prior to the Second Vatican Council. This is not good for the mutual trust that is being developed through our bilateral dialogues.

“We especially find problematic the statement that, ‘These ecclesial Communities which, specifically because of the absence of the sacramental priesthood, have not preserved the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic Mystery cannot, according to Catholic doctrine, be called “Churches” in the proper sense.’… An exclusive claim that identifies the Roman Catholic Church as the one church of Jesus Christ, as we read in the statement released today, goes against the spirit of our Christian calling towards oneness in Christ. It makes us question the seriousness with which the Roman Catholic Church takes its dialogues with the Reformed family and other families of the church. It makes us question whether we are indeed praying together for Christian unity.

“For now, we are thankful to God that our calling to be part of the church of Jesus Christ is not dependent on the interpretation of the Vatican. It is a gift of God. Receiving this gift, we appreciate the Roman Catholic Church as a part of this family… We pray for the day that the Roman Catholic Church moves beyond exclusivist claims so that we can further the cause of Christian unity for which our Lord Jesus Christ prayed…”

In spite of the Pope’s offensive statements, it is clear from the foregoing that the Reformed Lutheran Churches (also called the Protestant Church) is anxious to unify with the Roman Catholic Church. The Bible predicts that this will happen–with catastrophic consequences for the entire world. Please be sure to listen to our StandingWatch program, “The Pope Angers the World.”

Is the U.S. Draft Coming?

On July 21, Time published an article, discussing the possibility of a mandatory draft in the USA in light of the catastrophic conditions in Iraq and the present failure of the USA  to bring peace to the region. The article pointed out:

“So then what about the… most controversial option — is it time to reinstitute the draft? That option has a certain appeal as the Army fell short of its active-duty recruiting goal for June by about 15%. It is the second consecutive month the service’s enlistment effort has slipped as public discontent grows over the war in Iraq.

“Bringing back mandatory service has been the refrain of many who want to put the brakes on the Iraq war; if every young man is suddenly a potential grunt on his way to Baghdad, the thinking goes, the war would end rather quickly. It’s also an argument made by those who are uneasy that the burden of this war is being unfairly shouldered by the 1.4-million-strong U.S. military and no one else.”

This nonsensical reasoning–however ludicrous it may be–might very well induce Republicans and Democrats alike, albeit for different reasons and motives, to reinstate the draft. Let us pray to God Almighty–the God of PEACE–that that dreadful day never comes!

Environmentally Friendly Aviation Fuel

On July 18, www.stuff.co.nz published the following amazing article, showing that where there is a WILL, there IS a way:

“Air New Zealand and airliner manufacturer Boeing are secretly working with Blenheim-based biofuel developer Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation to create the world’s first environmentally friendly aviation fuel, made of wild algae. If the project pans out the small and relatively new New Zealand company could lead the world in environmentally sustainable aviation fuel. It’s understood Air NZ is undertaking risk analysis. If everything stacks up it will make an aircraft available on the Tasman to test the biofuel.”

A New Temple and the House of Levi

On July 15, Israel Today reported the following:

 “Jews belonging to the Tribe of Levi, and particularly the Kohen clan, came together for a mass gathering in Jerusalem on Sunday. It was the first large-scale gathering of biblically-mandated Israelite priests since the time of the Second Temple. The gathering included lectures and seminars on the history and future of the Temple, and culminated with all of the participants declaring the priestly blessing over Israel from the Western Wall.

“Genetic research over the past several decades has succeeded in isolating a particular DNA signature shared by all members of the Tribe of Levi, making the reinstitution of Israel’s priestly caste a relatively simple endeavor once the Temple is rebuilt.”

The Bible predicts that in the near future, priests from the Tribe of Levi will officiate over sacrifices, and that apparently a new Temple will be built in Jerusalem, just prior to the return of Jesus Christ. For more information, please read our free booklets, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” and “And Lawlessness Will Abound…”

1984 In Prophecy–Has It Arrived?

The Associated Press reported on July 20:

“CityWatcher.com, a provider of surveillance equipment, attracted little notice itself — until a year ago, when two of its employees had glass-encapsulated microchips with miniature antennas embedded in their forearms.

“The ‘chipping’ of two workers with RFIDs — radio frequency identification tags as long as two grains of rice, as thick as a toothpick — was merely a way of restricting access to vaults that held sensitive data and images for police departments, a layer of security beyond key cards and clearance codes, the company said.

“… the news that Americans had, for the first time, been injected with electronic identifiers to perform their jobs fired up a debate over the proliferation of ever-more-precise tracking technologies and their ability to erode privacy in the digital age.

“To some, the microchip was a wondrous invention — a high-tech helper that could increase security at nuclear plants and military bases, help authorities identify wandering Alzheimer’s patients, allow consumers to buy their groceries, literally, with the wave of a chipped hand.

“To others, the notion of tagging people was Orwellian, a departure from centuries of history and tradition in which people had the right to go and do as they pleased, without being tracked, unless they were harming someone else. Chipping, these critics said, might start with Alzheimer’s patients or Army Rangers, but would eventually be suggested for convicts, then parolees, then sex offenders, then illegal aliens — until one day, a majority of Americans, falling into one category or another, would find themselves electronically tagged.

“The concept of making all things traceable isn’t alien to Americans. Thirty years ago, the first electronic tags were fixed to the ears of cattle, to permit ranchers to track a herd’s reproductive and eating habits. In the 1990s, millions of chips were implanted in livestock, fish, dogs, cats, even racehorses.

“Microchips are now fixed to car windshields as toll-paying devices, on ‘contactless’ payment cards (Chase’s ‘Blink,’ or MasterCard’s ‘PayPass’). They’re embedded in Michelin tires, library books, passports, work uniforms, luggage, and, unbeknownst to many consumers, on a host of individual items, from Hewlett Packard printers to Sanyo TVs, at Wal-Mart and Best Buy.”

It is true that the Old Testament contains references to God using the term “Father.” It is also true that, most generally, the One who dealt DIRECTLY with Israel was the same Personage who was the Son, Jesus Christ–not the One known today as “the Father.”

However, in Isaiah 9:6, we find a notable prophecy about Jesus Christ that includes several of His “names” or “designations”:

“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

On the other hand, there are several other instances in which the Old Testament uses the name or designation, “Father.” In those additional instances, the reference is NOT to Christ. Please note the following comments from our free booklet, “God Is A Family“:

“Did Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, David, Daniel, and the other prophets understand that God, or ‘Elohim,’ is more than one person? The Bible reveals that they did know. “Acts 3:13 states that the ‘God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His servant Jesus.’ Abraham, Isaac and Jacob understood that their God was the Father, who would later glorify Jesus Christ, the Son. They also understood… that the God being who directly dealt with and appeared to them, was Jesus Christ—not the Father…

“In addition, we find a few Scriptures in the Old Testament that refer to Christ—the second being in the God Family—as the Son (compare Psalm 2:1–2, 7, 11–12; Proverbs 30:4).

“Generally, however, this terminology is not used in the Old Testament, as God was not clearly revealed as Father and Son in ancient times.

“Christ, as the Son of God, had to come to reveal the Father. The Jews were under the misimpression that they were worshipping ‘the Father.’ They did not understand that the God being functioning as the Messenger or Spokesperson of the Father and the God Family, who had been dealing directly with the ancients, was actually Jesus Christ. (Compare Christ’s words in John 8:54, ‘It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.’)

“Still, there are Old Testament passages that speak about God as ‘the Father.’ References to ‘the Father’ in the Old Testament can be found in Isaiah 63:16; Malachi 1:6; 2:10; 2 Samuel 7:13–14; 1 Chronicles 22:10; and Deuteronomy 32:6. In those passages, Christ—the ‘Word’ or Spokesman for the Father—communicated to the people the words of the Father.”

We might also add the reference in Isaiah 64:8: “But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.”

Also, God specifically instructs Moses what he should say to the leader of Egypt regarding the captive Israelites: “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Israel is My son, My firstborn”‘” (Exodus 4:22).

Throughout His dealings with Israel, God has been a Father to them, fulfilling His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Compare Deuteronomy 1:31; Isaiah 46:3-4; Jeremiah 3:19).

Israel as a nation did not seem to understand that it was actually the Son, Jesus Christ, who dealt with them directly–erroneously thinking that it was the Father who was in direct communication with Moses and other leaders. They did not realize that it was the Son, the Word of God, who communicated the words of the Father to their leaders and to them.

You might find our booklet, titled “Jesus Christ, A Great Mystery,” helpful for a careful study in this regard. In addition, we have written extensively in numerous Q&A’s concerning Jesus Christ, and these are available by searching on our web site, www.eternalgod.org.

Please consider what John stated: “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him” (John 1:18; 1 John 4:12). It is further explained that Jesus Christ revealed the heavenly Father–the God that Israel of old did not directly deal with. Here is the testimony of Jesus Himself: “‘Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father'” (John 6:46; compare Matthew 11:27).

In the New Testament, when the Father is spoken of, it is the One called God the Father, God our Father, our Father, the Father, etc. Unmistakably, the New Testament reveals more information about both the Son and the Father! Yet, Jesus challenged the Pharisees concerning their lack of true understanding about the Messiah–the Deliverer and Savior that they awaited.

“While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying ‘What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?’ They said to Him, ‘The Son of David.’ He said to them, ‘How then does David in the Spirit call Him “Lord,” saying: “The LORD said to my Lord,” ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool'”? If David then calls Him “Lord,” how is He his Son?’ And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore” (Matthew 22:41-46).

This exchange serves to highlight the terrible misunderstanding that both the Jews of that time had, and the strange Trinitarian description of the Family of God that has so deceived modern followers of “Christianity”–so called!

With this background, let us review the above-quoted passage in Isaiah 9:6. To cite from our booklet, “God Is A Family“:

“Since God [the Father] created everything through Christ, it is also said in Isaiah 9:6 that Christ will be called in the future—after His Second Coming—the ‘Everlasting Father.’ This statement proves, too, that Christ existed for all eternity. He is referred to here as the ‘everlasting Father’ or ‘the everlasting Source’ of everything—the ‘beginning of the creation of God.’ However, when the Bible speaks of the ‘Father,’ it normally refers strictly and exclusively to the highest God being in the God Family.”

Understand that the Son is without beginning of days (Hebrews 7:3); He has eternal life (Compare Colossians 1:15-18; John 1:1-3, 10; Revelation 1:11, 18); His roles relative to mankind have involved many different aspects, and that includes coming as Savior of the world as well as being God and “Father” or “Source” to Israel and all mankind–a role both of the past as revealed in the Old Testament and the future when He will establish God’s government on this earth and restore the nation of Israel, bringing peace to all peoples!

The role of “father” is even applied by Paul to himself: “For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel” (1 Corinthians 4:15).

This metaphorical usage of “father” reveals an effective key of understanding when we consider what is mentioned in the Bible–especially regarding the role of the Son, Jesus Christ, in following God the Father’s directive to choose Abraham and then making the nation of Israel from his descendants.

The fatherhood of God the Father is not just an implicit comparison! He is indeed revealed as the Father of Jesus Christ (compare Matthew 3:17; 17:5). God the Father is also revealed as OUR FATHER: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:14; compare Revelation 21:7).

Jesus, who as the Son was also a “Father” or better “Source” in the creation of mankind–especially for the people of Israel–acknowledged the ultimate authority of God the Father: “…’My Father is GREATER than I'” (John 14:28). Paul makes this supporting statement:

“For ‘He has put all things under His feet.’ But when He says ‘all things are put under Him,’ it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:27-28).

Just as Jesus is subject to the Father, so must we be. Here is an admonition for us to consider from Hebrews 12:9:

“Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?”

Lead Writers: Dave Harris and Norbert Link

A new member letter has been written and posted on the Web. In the letter, Brian Gale discusses the signs of the times, indicating the imminent return of Jesus Christ. The letter will be sent out by mail early next week.

Our new booklet, “The Meaning of God’s Fall Holy Days,” has been posted on the Web. Hard copies will be sent out in the USA and Canada, together with the new member letter, early next week.

A new StandingWatch program (#130) was placed on Google Video by the end of last week. It is titled, “Are We Destroying Ourselves?”

In the program, Norbert Link made the following observations:

As we heard about this week’s terrible earthquakes in Japan and the radio-active damage which they caused, it became obvious how man, motivated by his greed, originally attempted to suppress and hide the full truth. However, such unspeakable nightmare scenarios can also happen in Europe and in America–and it stands to reason that they will soon occur. Are we facing the total extinction of mankind?

Our Internet ad campaign in the USA for our booklet, “Mysteries of the Bible,”  has received so far about 100 requests.