Update 307

Would you say that God is happy with the progress we have made over the years since we were called and baptized?  This is as good a time as any for us to examine ourselves even more diligently as we approach Christ’s return and the dawn of His and our rule over this earth in the “Millennium.” We must do this to be certain that our spiritual progress is not falling behind, because, most importantly, it is on the basis of that progress we shall be judged and rewarded accordingly.

When we first took up a job in the early years of our working career, the manager would occasionally check up on us to see if we were making any progress. A word of encouragement, and some extra help now and then in getting over any problems we may have encountered would eventually secure our position. Conversely, if we neglected our responsibilities or settled back into a lackadaisical mood we would most likely have found ourselves without that job. And so it is with our spiritual endeavors. We cannot afford to become lethargic.

There are, of course, a number of areas where we are expected to make progress. What about “redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16)? And we can say that again! “Redeeming the time” might include, perhaps, restoring lost effort as a result of our inaction or neglect in serving the Work of God and in our relationship with the brethren.

What about daily prayer? Have we been remiss in this most vital area?  And are we keeping the Ten Commandments—all of them? We  understand, of course, that it is impossible for any one of us to keep consistently all of the Ten Commandments, even though we eagerly desire to do so, without the help of the Holy Spirit. And certainly I speak from experience. You won’t see a halo over my head! Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, was well aware of this enigma when he told us that what he should not do, he did, and what he should have done, he didn’t. We all have that sort of problem from time to time, for none of us is perfect. But being less than perfect is no excuse for being less than enthusiastic in following through with our baptismal commitment, and that entails consistent spiritual progress in keeping God’s Law more and more perfectly.

This term “progress” in our case can be directly related to “bearing fruit,” and Christ warns us that those who do not bear fruit, He takes away; and that those who do bear fruit, He prunes (compare John 15:2). Sometimes that pruning takes the form of Godly chastisement or correction. Most of us have experienced that over the years.

Another facet of making progress in our spiritual life is to examine ourselves whether we are [still] in the faith unless we become disqualified (compare 2 Corinthians 13:5). That faith, of course, comes through Jesus Christ. In fact, it is the faith OF Christ that must dwell in us. To be “in the faith” is to give ourselves over completely to the way God wants us to be.

There is no other acceptable alternative for us than to “stick with it”—to progress spiritually, if we hope to make it into the Kingdom. And we cannot—must not—afford to be sanctimonious in the sense that “we’ve made it and we can just sit back and wait for Christ’s return.” Some have fallen into that trap and they are no longer members of God’s Church–the Body of Christ.

We are all expected by God, and rightfully so, to make the effort to grow spiritually in the process of acquiring holy righteous character—the supreme purpose of God calling us. Otherwise, why are we here in the Body of Christ? God has tremendous blessings in mind for each one of us who “endure to the end” through the trials which confront us from time to time–trials that test our spiritual progress as well as the genuineness of our faith.

As Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:58: “…be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour [your spiritual progress] is not in vain in the Lord.”  The Millennium waits for us, and we owe it to God and to ourselves to manifest that progress while we look forward to an everlasting future as Kings, Priests and Judges in God’s soon-coming Kingdom.

Strong European Reactions to Rove’s Impending Resignation

Der Spiegel Online wrote on August 14:

“Karl Rove, Bush’s most important advisor and often called ‘Bush’s Brain,’ has announced his resignation. He leaves behind over a decade of success as a Republican strategist — and a number of enemies…

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes:

“‘Karl Rove is often described as the most important presidential adviser of all time, as a sinister Machiavelli, as a brutal political strategist, as the brain of George W. Bush…. Now, at the end of Bush’s presidency, the chief architect of the last seven years will have to answer many unpleasant questions. Little has remained of Rove’s grand predictions of decades-long Republican dominance, of the decline of the Democrats, of an eternal alliance between the rich, the right wing and the religious.

“‘Rove did what politicians have done since the days of Cicero — he constructed majorities by polarizing, by emotionalizing, awakening national pathos and creating dependency. But Rove was no Cicero, he wasn’t even a Clinton because he shunned the public and only felt comfortable among like-minded people. That’s cowardly but common among people who only see things in black and white and divide people into friend or foe.

“‘That’s why Rove is leaving behind only a weak legacy: There’s no trace of a coherent ideology, of an enduring dogma worth preserving. The Republicans face a heap of rubble. No domestic policy agenda, an unpopular war in Iraq, a president lacking approval, a defeat in mid-term elections and not very promising presidential candidates for the 2008 election year.’

“Vienna’s Der Standard writes:

“‘It’s not just his enemies, who see him as diabolical, who are convinced that his fingers were in every mess that took place in Washington in the last six and a half years…. George W. Bush always forgave Rove, because he has his fellow Texan to thank for everything. Rove has managed Bush’s election campaigns since 1978. He helped him with the Texas gubernatorial election in 1994. He also brought Bush presidential success in the 2000 and 2004 elections…. For a long time people have been saying that this administration is a lame duck. With the departure of ‘Bush’s Brain’ it is clear that this presidency has reached its end, well before its time.'”

Democrats On the War Path

Der Spiegel Online wrote on August 14:

“The American people may want to get rid of Bush, but they in no way want to risk losing the war on terror. The consequences: America’s Democrats are seeking to position themselves as being more hawkish than the Republicans and Congress has just approved the biggest military budget ever…

“The wind has shifted in Washington. America, not just its president, is at war. The Democrats are still critical of the failed Iraq campaign, but they are no longer opposed to the ‘War on Terror’ in general. It has been accepted, and not just as a metaphor… The president is not faulted for his declaration of war against the terrorists, but he is blamed for having botched the war in Iraq. Ninety-two percent of Americans are opposed to an immediate withdrawal from Iraq, and a majority doesn’t want to see the US’s special detention camp at Guantanamo Bay closed… The candidate Americans elect to be their next president in November 2008 will serve a parallel role as commander-in-chief of the US military, a position that affords the president virtually totalitarian powers to shape policy…

“Anyone who hopes to win the support of middle America — geographically, sociologically and politically — has to perform a balancing act of appearing capable of leading the country in war while at the same time not coming across as too eager to fight. Americans want a strong leader, a tough decision maker, not an adventurer. The worst charge one could hurl at a presidential candidate these days is that he or she is soft on terrorism.

“In this atmosphere, even the Democratic presidential candidates are lining up to show their support for the troops… Many Americans now despise Bush, who not only fabricated the reasons for going to war in the first place (‘weapons of mass destruction’) but also falsely claimed, with his now-famous ‘Mission Accomplished’ speech, that the war had ended when in fact it had not. Nevertheless, Americans are still loath to admit defeat.

“This is precisely what distinguishes Europeans from Americans. After experiencing the horrors of two world wars, the nations on the Old Continent prefer the power of diplomacy. The Americans favor the power of force, even in its crudest form, which explains why US military might is so superior to that of all other nations. The country spends 10 times as much on its military budget as Great Britain… Even the American left, which refers to itself as ‘liberal,’ has no fundamental objection to the men and women in uniform. Indeed, US liberals are especially fond of a strategy Germans consider obscene: preventive war.”

The U.S. Draft–When They Say, “No! No!”…

AFP wrote on August 13:

“The Pentagon sharply rejected Monday a key general’s assertion that a return to the military draft has always been ‘an option on the table’ and should be considered.

“‘I can tell you emphatically that there is absolutely no consideration being given to reinstituting the draft,’ said Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman. ‘The all-volunteer force has surpassed all expectations of its founders.’

“Lieutenant General Douglas Lute, a White House deputy national security adviser, discussed the draft in a radio interview Friday in which he said military leaders were right to be concerned about the impact of repeated deployments on military morale and readiness. Lute, who is in charge of coordinating the US war effort in Iraq, said the all-volunteer military is serving ‘exceedingly well’ and the administration has not decided it needs to be replaced with a draft. But he said, ‘I think it makes sense to certainly consider it, and I can tell you, this has always been an option on the table.’…

“Reinstating the draft has become a virtual taboo since it was ended in 1973 near the end of the Vietnam War, and replaced with a smaller, better paid all-volunteer force. The US military found that it preferred voluntary service to universal conscription because it drew better educated, more highly motivated recruits looking to make a career of the military.”

Strong Earthquake Hits Peru

AFP reported on August 16:

“A powerful earthquake has devastated several Peruvian cities, killing at least 337 people and forcing the government to declare a state of emergency on Thursday. The quake was the deadliest to hit the country in nearly 40 years. As many as 1,000 people were injured and tens of thousands of panicked residents flocked onto the streets fearing more tremors, after the 7.9-magnitude quake rattled the country for two terrifying minutes late Wednesday. The towns of Pisco, Chincha, and other areas in Peru’s southern coastal region were reported to be in ruins.”

Overdue Earthquake in California– What If… ?

DailyBulletin.com wrote on August 11:

“Scientists for the first time are figuring out in great detail just how bad it will be when the southern section of the San Andreas Fault, roughly between Palmdale and the Salton Sea, cuts loose…

“While 300 miles of the northern fault ripped in 1906, killing an estimated 3,000 people in San Francisco, and the middle part shook during the powerful 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake, the southern section of the fault hasn’t popped since the late 1600s.

“There were six earthquakes in the 900 years before that, and none in the past 300… meaning the most devastating disaster in 100 years is long overdue.

“That’s why scientists got funding last year to study a potential magnitude 7.8 quake that would originate near the Salton Sea and race 200 miles up the fault to Lake Hughes, just west of Lancaster.

“That’s about the same distance San Francisco was from the epicenter of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. That magnitude 6.9 quake knocked down a freeway, severely damaged the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and killed 63 people.

“A 7.8 quake would shake nearly 10 times harder. And it would shake for minutes. The magnitude 6.7 1994 Northridge quake lasted only seven seconds but killed 60 people…  What has surprised scientists is the level of destruction the earthquake would cause in Los Angeles, even though the fault is 60 miles away…

“Among the consequences:

“Thousands die, depending on what time of day the quake hits. Hundreds or thousands of older buildings collapse. Skyscrapers in downtown Los Angeles could be badly damaged and some may fall. The 15 Freeway through the Cajon Pass will be severed, stranding tens of thousands of High Desert commuters. The 10 Freeway between Banning and Desert Hot Springs will be cut, possibly in several locations. The 14 Freeway north of Palmdale will be cut. Some communities could go months without water.

“Small businesses may fail if water and other utilities aren’t quickly restored. Pipelines will be severed, triggering fires and interrupting supplies. Older hospitals may suffer damage, causing remaining hospitals to be swamped with casualties.”

No “Church” Besides the Roman Catholic Church?

The Vatican’s official website published the following clarification, on June 29, 2007, regarding the Catholic Church’s position that it is the only and true Church of God. It was pointed out:

“Christ ‘established here on earth’ only one Church and instituted it as a ‘visible and spiritual community’ that from its beginning and throughout the centuries has always existed and will always exist, and in which alone are found all the elements that Christ himself instituted… This one Church of Christ, which we confess in the Creed as one, holy, catholic and apostolic… subsists in the Catholic Church, governed by the successor of Peter and the Bishops in communion with him…

“It is possible, according to Catholic doctrine, to affirm correctly that the Church of Christ is present and operative in the churches and ecclesial Communities not yet fully in communion with the Catholic Church, on account of the elements of sanctification and truth that are present in them… Nevertheless, the word ‘subsists’ can only be attributed to the Catholic Church alone precisely because it refers to the mark of unity that we profess in the symbols of the faith…

“It is through the celebration of the Eucharist of the Lord in each of these Churches that the Church of God is built up and grows in stature… However, since communion with the Catholic Church, the visible head of which is the Bishop of Rome and the Successor of Peter, is not some external complement to a particular Church but rather one of its internal constitutive principles, these venerable Christian communities lack something in their condition as particular churches…

“According to Catholic doctrine, these Communities do not enjoy apostolic succession in the sacrament of Orders, and are, therefore, deprived of a constitutive element of the Church. 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…”

For an evaluation of the claims and nature of the Roman Catholic Church, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.” Also, make sure to watch our recent StandingWatch program, “Why Do You Keep Sunday?”

U.S. Financial Mortgage Quake Reaches Europe and the Entire World

Der Spiegel Online wrote on August 10:

“Germany had been hit by a version of the crisis that surprised French investors on Thursday, sending stock markets from New York to Tokyo into unexpected dives. Debts arising from America’s so-called subprime mortgage sector had just caused IKB to falter…

“The epicenter of this financial quake is the United States. Hardly a day passes now when an American mortgage lender or hedge fund doesn’t go belly-up. The world’s equity markets first plunged in response to the crisis in mid-July. Germany’s leading stock index, the Dax, lost over ten percent in a matter of days, and America’s Dow Jones dropped six percent.

“Another round of panic hit world markets this week after a French bank, BNP Paribas, had to freeze three investment funds worth €2.76 billion ($3.79 billion) because of American mortgage debts. The Dow Jones fell three percent on Thursday, and central banks in the US, Europe and Japan have injected money markets with billions of dollars to ease credit jitters…

“Rising house prices in America started a craze for ‘subprime’ mortgages, or housing loans offered to homebuyers below the prime lending rate. Typically these loans involve a low-rate grace period before a higher rate comes into effect. And as long as housing prices boomed, debts associated with these mortgages could be packaged as attractive investment vehicles for big institutions. But now the market has stalled and abundant credit for such risky investments has dried up — and anyone, apparently, can run into trouble.”

The EuObserver added on August 10:

“The European Central Bank (ECB) has poured around €95 billion into the eurozone banking system to calm market jitters following a credit crunch in the US market over high-risk mortgages… This is the first time the ECB has felt compelled to intervene in the markets since the days following the terrorist attacks in the US in September 2001. The move was prompted after investors panicked about the potential losses from the US subprime sector…”

AFP reported on August 16:

“World leaders on Thursday insisted that the US credit crunch would not cause an economic crisis but stock markets across the world plummeted yet again as investors remained unconvinced… stock markets… tumbled yet again, wiping tens of billions of dollars off share values in Asia and Europe. From London to Hong Kong, Tokyo and Sydney weary traders’ screens were awash with red again…

“Investors are worried about a global credit squeeze as more banks and investment funds around the world reveal their exposure to the slumping US subprime, or high-risk, home loan sector… Central banks across the world have since last week pumped tens of billions of dollars into the banking system, offering loans at lower rates to commercial banks to forestall a credit crunch that could damage economic growth. The Bank of Japan said Thursday it would inject a further 400 billion yen (3.4 billion dollars) into the system to calm frayed nerves…”

Anti-American Central Asian Summit

Bloomberg reported on August 16:

“Russia and China today host Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a summit of a Central Asian security club [Shanghai Cooperation Organization, or  SCO] designed to counter U.S. influence in the region… Afghan President Hamid Karzai, whose country is battling a resurgent Taliban, is a guest at the summit… The SCO in 2005 called for a timetable to end the U.S. military presence in Central Asia. Within six months, Uzbekistan ordered out U.S. forces stationed at its Khanabad airbase…

“In another unwelcome development for the Americans, Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov also accepted an invitation to attend the summit…

“Along with Iran, Pakistan, India and Mongolia have observer status in the six-member group [Its six members include Russia and China, as well as the four Central Asian states of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan].”

Georgia Asks EU For Help Against Russia

The EUObserver wrote on August 8:

“Accusing Russia of committing an ‘act of aggression’ against Georgia by firing a guided missile into its territory, Tbilisi said the EU should not appease Moscow, but send a ‘strong and clear-cut’ message of condemnation.

“‘This is not Georgia’s problem. This is a problem for European security and safety’, Georgia’s president Mikhail Saakashvili told Reuters news agency on Tuesday (7 August). Mr Saakashvili drew a parallel with the systematic cyber-attacks against Estonia’s government and private websites earlier this year – something Tallinn claimed had been orchestrated by Moscow…

“Georgian authorities claimed the missile had been fired by a Russian jet from a base in the North Caucasus – an accusation Moscow has strongly denied… The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the world’s largest regional security organization, said it was ‘deeply concerned about the incident’ and appealed to ‘all parties to address this serious issue with restraint’… The incident has further increased the existing tension in relations between Russia and Georgia, a part of the Soviet Union between 1922 and 1991.”

“Peace, Peace”–And There Is No Peace

Reuters reported on August 16:

“The United States sealed a deal on Thursday to provide Israel with $30 billion in defense grants over the next decade, a 25 percent boost that Washington describes as strengthening a regional bulwark against Iran. At a signing ceremony in Jerusalem, U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said the United States would help Israel maintain a military advantage over foes ranging from Iran and Syria to their proxies in Lebanon and Palestinian territories.

“‘There is no question that, from an American point of view, the Middle East is a more dangerous region now even than it was 10 or 20 years ago and that Israel is facing a growing threat. It’s immediate and it’s also long-term,’ Burns told reporters. ‘The United States faces many of the same threats from the same organizations and countries as Israel does, and so we felt this was the right level of assistance.’

“The Bush administration said last month that it would also offer weapons worth $20 billion to Saudi Arabia and other allied Gulf states. Egypt stands to get $13 billion in defense assistance over the next decade, similar to present levels.

“The package — which awaits approval in the U.S. Congress — is designed to reassure Israel and Sunni Muslim Gulf nations of Washington’s commitment to the Middle East despite its problems in Iraq, as well as to strengthen them in the face of the growing clout of Shi’ite Iran and its nuclear program…

“Burns said the new aid to Israel, which currently receives $2.4 billion in annual military grants, would not be conditioned on diplomatic progress or concessions though ‘one of the major priorities for our government … will be to help push forward a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.’…

“Assumed to have the Middle East’s only atomic arsenal, Israel has vowed to prevent Iran, its arch-enemy, from acquiring the bomb. Iran denies its nuclear program has military aims… Israel is the only recipient of U.S. defense grants allowed to spend some of them — 26.3 percent — on domestic arms firms.”

“Peace, Peace”–And There Is No Peace

Reuters reported on August 16:

“The United States sealed a deal on Thursday to provide Israel with $30 billion in defense grants over the next decade, a 25 percent boost that Washington describes as strengthening a regional bulwark against Iran. At a signing ceremony in Jerusalem, U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said the United States would help Israel maintain a military advantage over foes ranging from Iran and Syria to their proxies in Lebanon and Palestinian territories.

“‘There is no question that, from an American point of view, the Middle East is a more dangerous region now even than it was 10 or 20 years ago and that Israel is facing a growing threat. It’s immediate and it’s also long-term,’ Burns told reporters. ‘The United States faces many of the same threats from the same organizations and countries as Israel does, and so we felt this was the right level of assistance.’

“The Bush administration said last month that it would also offer weapons worth $20 billion to Saudi Arabia and other allied Gulf states. Egypt stands to get $13 billion in defense assistance over the next decade, similar to present levels.

“The package — which awaits approval in the U.S. Congress — is designed to reassure Israel and Sunni Muslim Gulf nations of Washington’s commitment to the Middle East despite its problems in Iraq, as well as to strengthen them in the face of the growing clout of Shi’ite Iran and its nuclear program…

“Burns said the new aid to Israel, which currently receives $2.4 billion in annual military grants, would not be conditioned on diplomatic progress or concessions though ‘one of the major priorities for our government … will be to help push forward a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.’…

“Assumed to have the Middle East’s only atomic arsenal, Israel has vowed to prevent Iran, its arch-enemy, from acquiring the bomb. Iran denies its nuclear program has military aims… Israel is the only recipient of U.S. defense grants allowed to spend some of them — 26.3 percent — on domestic arms firms.”

Einstein’s Theory of Relativity Disproved?

 The Telegraph reported on August 16:

“A pair of German physicists claim to have broken the speed of light – an achievement that would undermine our entire understanding of space and time. According to Einstein’s special theory of relativity, it would require an infinite amount of energy to propel an object at more than 186,000 miles per second. However, Dr Gunter Nimtz and Dr Alfons Stahlhofen, of the University of Koblenz, say they may have breached a key tenet of that theory.

“The pair say they have conducted an experiment in which microwave photons – energetic packets of light – travelled ‘instantaneously’ between a pair of prisms that had been moved up to 3ft apart. Being able to travel faster than the speed of light would lead to a wide variety of bizarre consequences. For instance, an astronaut moving faster than it would theoretically arrive at a destination before leaving. The scientists were investigating a phenomenon called quantum tunnelling, which allows sub-atomic particles to break apparently unbreakable laws.”

The question of God’s omnipresence has puzzled men for centuries and millennia, and diverse and sometimes incredible answers have been proposed.

One common idea in Orthodox Christianity is that God, as a Spirit being, is everywhere, as allegedly, Spirit has no form or shape–no limitations–no “parts.” God is understood to be–even though proponents of that idea would oppose such wording–a formless or shapeless “blob”–permeating everything.

This idea is clearly unbiblical. God HAS form and shape. God said that Moses saw the glorified “form” of the LORD (compare Numbers 12:8). God, when creating man, said that man was to be made in accordance with the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27; 9:6). God is described as having a head, arms, a body, feet, eyes and hair, among other aspects. Man is made in the physical form of God–he is a physical reflection, if you please, of the Spirit Beings, God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. Please also note that Christ is described as the [Spirit] image of God the Father (2 Corinthians 4:4). He looks like God the Father; that is why He could say, even when He was here on earth in human form; “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). In that same way–on a physical level–man is made in the image of God.

Given the fact that God has form and shape, He IS therefore at one given moment in only one place at one specific time. This means, when He is sitting on His throne in heaven, He is therefore not at that very same moment on earth, or on planet Mars, or in another galaxy billions of light-years away. This is why we read that God came down from heaven to walk on earth; that Jesus Christ, after His resurrection to a Spirit Being, ascended to heaven; that He was brought before God the Father in heaven to receive kingship and power; and that He will return to this earth, in power and glory, to rule all nations. Of course, we must also understand that God CAN “travel” from one place to another within a “split second.” But as we will see, when God is at a certain place, at that very same moment, He cannot be–as a Person–at a different place at the same time.

And still, it IS correct that God IS omnipresent–that is, that He is everywhere at all times, and NOTHING escapes His attention or is hidden from His eyes (Matthew 6:18).

Let us understand how this is possible.

David gives us the answer to this puzzle, which most professing Christians simply do NOT understand. He writes in Psalm 139:1-2:

“LORD, You have searched me and known me, You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought AFAR OFF.”

David knew that God could be “afar off,” and still understand all of his thoughts. How? Continuing in verses 3-6:

“You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before. And laid your hand upon me [i.e., He has given him protection and security]. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.”

But David did not conclude that God’s miraculous omnipresence was due to God being everywhere like a form- and shapeless blob; he knew better than that. And so, he continues to explain HOW God is omnipresent, beginning with verse 7:

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?”

Here is the answer! God the Father and Jesus Christ are both Spirit beings. They both have form and shape, composed of Spirit. But the Holy Spirit is NOT a being–rather, it is the power emanating from God (compare Micah 3:8; Luke 4:14). It is through the POWER of God’s Holy Spirit that things are created. And God’s Holy Spirit does not have form and shape–God’s Holy Spirit does not exist in a bodily form. When God gave His Holy Spirit to the disciples gathered in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost, there was a representative appearance in the form of “tongues as of fire” (compare Acts 2:3). However, the Holy Spirit was also here represented by a sound, “… as of a rushing mighty wind” (verse 2). These accompanying manifestations were given as signs to accompany this glorious event of the giving of God’s power and nature–His own Holy Spirit!

God’s Holy Spirit is everywhere. It is true that we read of another incidence when John the Baptist saw the Holy Spirit descending “like a dove” on Jesus Christ, Mark 1:10. This, however, was just a vision from God, showing John that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God, compare John 1:29-34.

God, a Spirit being, Who has form and shape, is everywhere through His Spirit. And so, David continues to meditate on this fact, as follows, in verses 8-12:

“If I ascend into heaven, You are there [through the Spirit of God]; If I make my bed in hell [Hebrew sheol, the grave], behold, you are there [through God’s Spirit]. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there your hand shall lead me [through God’s Holy Spirit], And your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall fall on me,’ Even the night shall be light upon me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.”

We read in Genesis 1:1-3: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was [better: became] without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the SPIRIT OF GOD was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”

God the Father gave the command, Jesus Christ, the Son, the Word of God, spoke the word, gave the order, and created light through the power of the Holy Spirit (compare Psalm 104:30: “You send forth your Spirit, they are created.”). We read that God the Father created everything through Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2), and Christ did so by using the power of His Holy Spirit to accomplish this. Job 26:13 says: “By His Spirit He [God] adorned the heavens.” In that sense, the “Spirit of God has made [Elihu], And the breath of the Almighty [gave him] life” (Job 33:4). God’s Spirit can be compared with breath or wind. Note that the New Jerusalem Bible translates Genesis 1:2 as, “…with a divine wind sweeping over the waters.” God’s Holy Spirit emanates from God. It is not a person, but the power of God–and through the Holy Spirit, God is and can be everywhere at all times.

An additional piece of this marvelous truth is that God lives in converted Christians through His Holy Spirit–the Spirit of God the Father AND of Jesus Christ the Son. This is HOW God–both the Father and the Son–can dwell in thousands of Christians all at the same time (John 14:23)–through His Spirit (compare Romans 8:9-11, 14-15; Galatians 4:6).

Turning now to Genesis 3:8-11, we find that God–actually in the Person of Jesus Christ, as no man has ever seen the Father (John 1:18; 6:46)–“walked” in the Garden of Eden. That must be understood quite literally. At that moment in time, Christ appeared to Adam and Eve in a physical manifestation, but through His Spirit, He was still everywhere. [Later, we find that Christ appeared to Abraham and Sarah, together with two angels, manifesting themselves “as” humans, to eat and to speak with them about their future son and to warn Abraham of the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (compare Genesis 18:1-2, 13, 16-33; 19:1).]

When God asked Adam in Genesis 3:11, whether he had eaten from the tree of knowledge, that is not to be misunderstood in the sense that God did not know this. He most certainly did–nothing is hidden from His eyes–but God engaged Adam in a dialogue to see how he would react. He gave Adam a chance to express his sorrow and grief–to express repentance for what he had done; instead, Adam chose to blame Eve and God for his sin (compare verse 12: “The WOMAN whom YOU GAVE to be with me, SHE gave me of the tree, and I ate.”).

To summarize, God the Father and Jesus Christ DO have form and shape. They exist as Spirit beings. Jesus revealed this key understanding that “God is Spirit…” (John 4:24). As the record of the Bible shows, Jesus–along with other Spirit composed beings, that is, God’s holy angels–manifested themselves at times in human form. While the Bible does not teach that God’s angels are omnipresent, it is clearly revealed that through the Holy Spirit of God, emanating from both the Father and the Son, God IS omnipresent.

For more information, please read our free booklets: “Is God a Trinity?”, “God Is A Family,” and “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World.”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

As of Thursday morning, we have received, in the USA, 156 requests for our booklet, “Mysteries of the Bible,” as advertised on the Internet. In addition, Canada received 39 requests (25 from Canada, 13 from Nigeria and 1 from Malaysia). A special letter has been sent by now to about 135 people in the USA, requesting the booklet, explaining briefly some of the projects of the Church.

We sent the following announcement to our entire Update list, pertaining to our recent StandingWatch program, No. 133:

God Warns America!

Many American Presidents realized that God gave us this land, as well as power and wealth, but that He can take all of it away from us, if we continue to disobey Him. All optimistic viewpoints aside, God warns us that terrorism and nuclear attacks on American soil will lay waste our cities, and will make our land desolate–unless we repent! View this now on Google Video.

The program has also been posted on our StandingWatch Website.

by Cali Harris (24)

Recently, I have been getting to know a woman my age who grew up going to several different mainstream “Christian” churches, and she now attends a non-denominational group on Sundays. As our friendship has developed, she has become comfortable asking questions about what I believe, including about the Sabbath, the Holy Days, and prayer. She has asked several keen and specific questions—the kinds of questions that challenge me to think carefully about how to answer. I was absolutely astonished in our last conversation when she told me that I was an inspiration and example to her. “Wow,” I thought, “What an immense responsibility!”

In each instance that she asked a thought-provoking question, I recognized that I had a couple of choices in how to respond. One choice would be to feel bogged down by the weight of this responsibility: What if I don’t give a complete answer? What if some of the things I say, when I hang out with her, are a poor reflection of Christian love? What if I’m too drained at times to ensure that all of my actions reflect a Christian attitude? Simply put, what if I turn out to be a poor example of a Christian?

I realized another possible choice would be to jump at the chance to shine as brightly as I am able. Even what may seem to be the smallest words and actions could have a significant impact on her and others. I have come to realize more and more that I am an example of Christianity, even when I’m not thinking about it—and maybe especially when I’m not thinking about it!