On June 18, 2016, Norbert Link will present the sermonette, titled, “Which Cross?” and Kalon Mitchell will present the sermon, titled, “Gold, Cloth & Eye Salve.”

The live services are available, over video and audio, at http://eternalgod.org/live-services/ (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time; 8:30 pm Greenwich Mean Time; 9:30 pm Central European Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

In late July of 2013, a hiker by the name of Geraldine Largay disappeared off the Appalachian Trail. She had completed over 1000 miles of the 2168 mile Appalachian route. While searching commenced within days of her not reaching a waypoint, the emergency responders never located Geraldine. In October of 2015, a forester located a body which was later identified as Geraldine. According to a journal and unsent text messages, Geraldine survived 22 days after becoming lost. Before succumbing to hypothermia, she wrote in her journal, “When you find my body, please call my husband George and my daughter Kerry.”

Each of us is traversing a similar trail both physically and spiritually. It is fraught with dangers that can ultimately leave us in ruin. Satan, as Peter warns, “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). The allure propagated by Satan to draw us away from light and into the darkness has left its toll on God’s Church. But our small numbers and outward weakness is by no means indicative of God’s failure. Paul quite succinctly defined the cause of man becoming spiritually lost, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

Being aware of our proclivities for failure is important in building strength to overcome. It is in the small spiritual victories that God is testing and ultimately rewarding us. Christ showed just how important these small triumphs are in building the basis for an eternal life in the Family of God, “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord’” (Matthew 25:21).

Geraldine, according to one of her texts, left the well-trodden path to relieve herself, became disoriented, and never found her way back. That innocuous act, maybe when she was tired or not fully paying attention to her surroundings, caused her tragic death. Paul warns us of falling into an attitude of complacency, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9).

We know that trials will befall us. But the path before us will never grow unclear or hard to follow unless we make it so. God is testing each of us, not to cause our failure but to lead us to salvation. We follow a path to freedom, to an eternal reward promised by God.

We begin with a frightening article about the absolute and unlimited power of the US President in connection with ordering a nuclear strike on other countries; and continue with the horrible mass murders of at least 49 party-goers in an Orlando gay bar. In particular, we are focusing on the motives of the radicalized and apparently demon-inspired perpetrator; along with reactions from Donald Trump, reiterating “his plan to temporarily ban Muslims and others from countries with terrorist ties from entering the U.S.,” while strongly accusing President Obama and Hillary Clinton of “failed policies,” allegedly “insinuating that the president may sympathize with radical jihadism,” and claiming at the same time that he–and not Hillary Clinton—was a true friend of the gay community.

The horrible violent act in Orlando must be strongly condemned by every true Christian. At the same time, we are publishing comments by a former French Chief Rabbi, calling Tel Aviv’s gay parade an abomination. These comments were made before the mass murder in Florida. Jewish gay organizations promptly responded to those comments by suggesting that the former Chief Rabbi was inciting violence against gays, even though he just quoted Holy Scriptures. We also report on a controversial interview by CNN’s openly gay Anderson Cooper; and Prince William’s posing for the cover of a gay magazine.

Satan is extremely clever and cunning. By inspiring an insane terrorist to murder and injure in excess of hundred members of the gay community, he is causing sympathy for homosexuality in Western societies, inducing them to accept, embrace and support the gay lifestyle, and to accuse all those of hate speech and even culpability for senseless murders who dare to maintain biblical standards, even though these standards also include the strong condemnation of violence against ANY human being. In this regard, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Satan’s Attack in Orlando.”

We continue with developments in Italy and Germany pertaining to Hitler’s “Mein Kampf”; an article about the violent consequences of false Christianity; Pope Francis’ refusal to accept a donation from the Argentinian Presidency, due to the number 666; the deteriorating relationship between NATO and Russia; a new Ukrainian hero who is described as “Ukraine’s Joan of Arc”; and the increasing possibility of a Brexit, following the referendum on June 23.

We speak on the desire of many Germans for a Führer and other interesting positions; and we conclude with an article about the yearning of many Jews for the rebuilding of the Third Temple on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount.

Frightening… Incredible Authority of the US President to Launch Nuclear Attacks

Politico wrote on June 11:

“In the atomic age, when decisions must be made very quickly, the presidency has evolved into something akin to a nuclear monarchy. With a single phone call, the commander in chief has virtually unlimited power to rain down nuclear weapons on any adversarial regime and country at any time. You might imagine this awesome executive power would be hamstrung with checks and balances, but by law, custom and congressional deference there may be no responsibility where the president has more absolute control. There is no advice and consent by the Senate. There is no second-guessing by the Supreme Court…

“Let us say the president is awakened in the middle of the night… by his or her top nuclear adviser and told of an incoming nuclear strike. Since the flight time of missiles fired from launch stations in Russia or China to the White House is 30 minutes, and 12 minutes or less for missiles fired from submarines lurking in the Western Atlantic Ocean… the steadiness and brainpower of the commander in chief in such circumstances are serious questions indeed…

“The closest we came to such a call occurred in 1979, when the consoles at our early warning hub in Colorado lit up with indications of a large-scale Soviet missile attack. President Jimmy Carter’s national security adviser, Zbigniew Brzezinski, received back-to-back calls in the middle of the night informing him of the imminent nuclear destruction of the United States. The second call reported an all-out attack. Brzezinski was seconds away from waking Carter to pass on the dreadful news and convince him of the need to order retaliation without delay (within a six-minute deadline). Brzezinski was sure the end was near.

“Just before he picked up the phone to call Carter, Brzezinski received a third call, this time canceling the alarm. It was a mistake caused by human and technical error. A training tape simulating an all-out Soviet attack had inadvertently slipped into the actual real-time attack early warning network…

“Most presidents during the Cold War lived in dread of this moment knowing all too well the attendant risks. Ronald Reagan expressed incredulity that he would be allowed only six minutes to decide whether to trigger Armageddon based on blips on a radar screen…

“Today, the nuclear deluge… would consist of thousands of weapons, each 10 or 20 times more deadly than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Nearly 2,000 U.S. strategic nuclear weapons aimed primarily at Russia and China (at a ratio of roughly 2 to 1), with additional dozens aimed at each of several other nations—North Korea, Iran and Syria [are at the President’s disposal]. The city of Moscow alone lies in the bore sights of more than 100 U.S. nuclear warheads…

“As long as the president can establish his or her true identity… a presidential nuclear decision… must be obeyed as long as it is constitutional—i.e., the president as commander in chief believes he or she is acting to protect and defend the nation against an actual or imminent attack… there is no wiggle room for evasion or defiance of the president’s orders. That’s true even if the national security adviser, the secretary of defense… and other top appointees and advisers disagree with the president’s decision… Under the president’s open-ended mandate to decide when the national interest is threatened, ordering up a nuclear strike is his or her prerogative, and obeying the order is incumbent upon the military servants of civilian authority…”

ISIS’ War on the USA—Worst Mass Shooting in US History

The Daily Mail wrote on June 13:

“ISIS has claimed responsibility for the deadliest mass shooting in US history and says the gunman who slaughtered at least 50 innocent party-goers in an Orlando gay club was one of its fighters… This is the first time ISIS has claimed responsibility for an attack on US soil.

“Shortly before the attack, Mateen, who was born in New York to Afghan parents, called 911 and pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi… And the terror group’s Amaq news agency said on Sunday the Islamist militant group was responsible for the shooting… U.S. officials cautioned, however, that they had no immediate evidence of any direct connection with ISIS or any other foreign extremist group, nor had they uncovered any contacts between the gunman and any such group…

“Mateen had purchased at least two firearms legally within the last week or so… [He] exchanged gunfire with an officer working at the club around 2am local time, then went back inside and took hostages. There were about 350 people inside the club at the time of the shootings and about 100 people were taken hostage… At around 5am authorities sent in a SWAT team to rescue the hostages. Hero officers used a ‘controlled explosion’ to distract the shooter before fatally shooting him and rescuing about 30 hostages who were hiding in the bathroom of the club…

“Mateen, a Muslim and father to a three-year-old son, was born in 1986 in New York and married Sitora Alisherzoda Yusufiy, who was born in Uzbekistan, in 2009. They later divorced…

“’The FBI first became aware of Mateen in 2013 as he made inflammatory comments to coworkers, alleging possible terrorist ties’… In 2014, Mateen came to the FBI’s attention again and agents interviewed him about a potential connection he may have had with American suicide bomber Moner Abu Salha, who lived about 30 minutes away in Vero Beach, Florida…

“The ex-wife of Orlando gunman Omar Mateen claims he beat her… ‘He was not a stable person,’ she told the Post. ‘He beat me. He would just come home and start beating me up because the laundry wasn’t finished or something like that.’ When her parents found out about the beatings just months after the wedding, they staged an intervention and rescued her from the home. ‘They literally saved my life,’ she said…

“President Obama… was challenged by presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump to connect ‘radical Islamic terrorism’ to the case. Obama didn’t once bring up the Islamic religion, instead using the more blanket term of terrorism to describe the incident. ‘Is President Obama going to finally mention the words radical Islamic terrorism? If he doesn’t he should immediately resign in disgrace!’ Trump wrote.

“Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton wrote in both English and Spanish: ‘Woke up to hear the devastating news from FL. As we wait for more information, my thoughts are with those affected by this horrific act. -H.’ Pope Francis, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth and the leaders of Canada and Afghanistan condemned the attack.

“If confirmed as an act of terrorism, it would be the deadliest such attack on U.S. soil since September 11, 2001, when al Qaeda-trained hijackers crashed jetliners into New York’s World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania, killing some 3,000 people…

“The father of mass shooter Omar Mateen… is a strong supporter of the Afghan Taliban… [He] hosts the Durand Jirga Show on a channel called Payam-e-Afghan, which broadcasts from California… He is also filmed expressing gratitude toward the Afghan Taliban, while denouncing the Pakistani government.”

Terrorist of Florida a Homosexual?

Breitbart wrote on June 14:

“Evidence is building from a variety of sources that Orlando jihadi Omar Mateen, who murdered 49 people at gay nightclub Pulse, was himself gay, or had ‘gay tendencies,’ as his ex-wife put it. Strangely, the ex-wife claims FBI agents asked her not to share this detail with the media.

“That report comes from the New York Post, which in turn reports on an interview Sitora Yusufiy gave a Brazilian TV station, with her current fiancé translating her remarks into Portuguese. According to Yusufiy, who was married to Mateen for three months in 2009, the Orlando murderer had ‘gay tendencies,’ and was once called ‘gay’ by his father in her presence. Most remarkably, Yusufiy said ‘the FBI asked her not to tell this to the American media.’

“The New York Post also cites a Palm Beach Post report that a male former classmate of Mateen’s from Indian River Community College claims they used to hit gay bars together in 2006, and Mateen once ‘asked him out romantically.’ The classmate in question, Chris Callen… who performs as a drag queen… said Mateen was escorted out of Pulse after drinking too much on several occasions, and once pulled a knife on a friend…

“Several other Pulse patrons told the Orlando Sentinel similar stories about Mateen drinking heavily at the club, sometimes becoming ‘loud and belligerent.’ A Pulse regular named Kevin West said that Mateen sent him messages using a gay dating app called Jack’d… During a MSNBC interview, Pulse patron Cord Cedeno said he recognized Mateen from another gay dating app…

“Cedeno said one of his friends… recalled seeing Mateen posts on yet another gay dating service called Adam for Adam. Two of his other friends have turned in their phones to the FBI to document Mateen’s activity on gay dating sites…

“Seddique Mateen has previously claimed that his son was driven over the edge by the sight of ‘two men kissing,’ a narrative that would dissolve completely if the reports of his frequent attendance at gay bars are true. The effort to position the story as an violent expression of generic ‘homophobia,’ more than sharia ideology and international terrorism, would also be complicated by revelations that Mateen himself was gay.

“A more complicated narrative might portray Mateen as embracing violent Islamic fundamentalism to absolve or erase his ‘gay tendencies.’ That would be much harder to politicize, while simultaneously keeping radical Islam out of the discussion.”

Trump Responds

Newsmax wrote on June 13:

“Donald Trump, responding to the mass slaughter that targeted gays in Florida over the weekend, said on Monday the ‘anti-woman, anti-gay, anti-American’ Islamic State (ISIS) must be defeated — something that will be a top priority of his administration. ‘The horror is beyond description,’ Trump said in a national security speech in Manchester, N.H. ‘It is an attack on the right of every single American to live in peace and safety.’

“After asking for a moment of silence for the 49 people who died when a gunman opened fire at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Trump reiterated his plan to temporarily ban Muslims and others from countries with terrorist ties from entering the U.S. ‘until we figure out what the… is going on.’

“The presumptive GOP presidential nominee also attacked what he called the failed policies of the Obama administration as well as what would he believes would be a ruinous term for Hillary Clinton in the White House. He said ‘thousands and thousands of people, many of whom have the same thought process as this savage killer’ — whose name he insisted he will never say — are pouring into the U.S. The ban, he said, would be lifted only ‘when and as a nation we are in a position to properly and perfectly screen these people coming into our country.’…

“He accused the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee of wanting to abolish the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms, which would leave ‘only the bad guys, terrorists with guns’… Trump also claimed that ‘hundreds of thousands’ of Muslim immigrants… are coming into the United States without proper screening — something he said he would put an immediate stop to. ‘I refuse to allow America to become a place where gay people, Christian people, Jewish people are targets of persecution and intimidation by radical Islamic preachers of hate and violence. This is not just a national security issue. It’s a quality of life issue,’ Trump said.

“He said of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community that was targeted by gunman Omar Mateen: ‘It’s an assault on the ability of free people to live their lives, love who they want and express their identity.’… ‘Hillary Clinton can never claim to be a friend of the gay community as long as she continues to support immigration policies that bring Islamic extremists to our country and who suppress women, gays and anyone who doesn’t share our values,’ he said.”

NBC added on June 13:

“While some Republican leaders have encouraged Trump to abandon his proposed Muslim ban in an effort to broaden his support among voters before November’s general election, the Orlando attack appeared Sunday to harden the billionaire businessman’s position. ‘What has happened in Orlando is just the beginning,’ Trump tweeted Sunday. ‘Our leadership is weak and ineffective. I called it and asked for the ban. Must be tough.’”

The Huffington Post wrote on June 13:

“Donald Trump, a renowned conspiracy theorist, was at it again on Monday morning, implying that President Barack Obama harbored some sort of connection, perhaps even sympathies, to Muslims who had committed acts of terror in the United States. The presumptive GOP nominee made this allegation the morning after the deadliest shooting in modern American history — a slaying of 50 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando — during an interview on ‘Fox and Friends.’ ‘[Obama] doesn’t get it, or he gets it better than anybody understands,’ Trump said of the president’s response to the nightclub shooting. ‘It’s one or the other. And either one is unacceptable.’…”

The Washington Post added on June 13:

“He called Obama’s motivations into question Monday, insinuating that the president may sympathize with radical jihadism — a statement that carried echoes of the so-called ‘birther movement,’ which circulated conspiracy theories about whether the president was born in the United States. ‘Well, there are a lot of people that think maybe he doesn’t want to get it,’ Trump said Monday on NBC. ‘A lot of people think maybe he doesn’t want to know about it. I happen to think that he just doesn’t know what he’s doing, but there are many people that think maybe he doesn’t want to get it.’”

Former French Rabbi Calls Tel Aviv’s Gay Parade an Abomination… and More…

JTA wrote on June 10:

“Several French Jewish organizations condemned a former chief rabbi of France, who called Tel Aviv’s gay pride parade an ‘abomination’ and ‘attempt at moral extermination of the People of Israel.’ Joseph Sitruk, who had served as France’s chief rabbi from 1987 until 2008, made the statements last week… ‘The Torah determines that homosexuality is an abomination and considers it a human failure. The danger seems to me grave enough for everyone to shout their opposition in the face of such an offense,’ said Sitruk on June 3, as tens of thousands marched through Tel Aviv in its 23rd annual gay pride event. ‘I hope the listeners will react in a radical manner to this abomination,’ Sitruk said.

“Alain Beit, the president of the gay Jewish Beit Haverim group, condemned Sitruk’s remarks in a statement on June 5, demanding whether the radical reaction he sought extends to ‘stabbing an adolescent like what happened last year in Jerusalem’ or ‘throwing gays off a cliff.’…

“Radio J president Serge Hajdenberg and Guy Rozanowicz, the station’s secretary general, published [a] statement saying they were not responsible for Sitruk’s remarks on gays and distancing the station from them. French Chief Rabbi Haim Korsia defended Sitruk to Actualite Juive, saying he would never call for violence. But Korsia added that he can ‘understand how Sitruk’s remarks may be shocking,’ particularly in light of the stabbing last year.”

Don’t Dare to Say Anything Against Homosexual Lifestyle?

Daily Mail wrote on June 14:

“CNN host Anderson Cooper has slammed Florida’s Attorney General for her LGBT views in the wake of the Orlando massacre. The journalist accused Pam Bondi of hypocrisy during an interview outside the hospital where people caught up in Omar Mateen’s deadly rampage are being treated. He reminded her of when she said allowing same-sex marriage would bring ‘significant public harm’ to the state.

“A few days ago, shortly after [the] horrific terrorist attack that left 49 people dead, she said anyone who went against the LGBT community will be met by the full extent of the law. But Cooper, who is gay, began the heated segment by saying: ‘I talked to a lot of gay and lesbian people here yesterday, who are not fans of yours. They thought you were being a hypocrite… Do you really think you’re a champion of the gay community?’ ‘I’ve never said I don’t like gay people,’ she responded…

“NBC 6 has reported that Bondi’s failed fight against gay marriage would cost the taxpayer around $500,000. A judge ruled that every attorney who successfully sued the state was owed their money back…”

And so left-wing propaganda continues to gain support in opposition to what the Bible terms as perversion. This is truly a huge blot on the moral landscape. Note the next articles as well.

Prince William on Cover of Gay Magazine

Reuters wrote on June 15:

“Prince William will appear on the July cover of Attitude speaking out against homophobia, the first time a British royal has been photographed for the front of a gay publication, the magazine said on Wednesday. William is seen grinning next to the headline ‘Making History’, and his quote ‘No one should be bullied for their sexuality or any other reason’.

“The magazine… said the prince had posed for the shot after meeting its editor and a group of gay and transgender people at Kensington Palace. William, whose brother Harry won praise in 2013 for saving a soldier in his regiment from a gay hate attack, is quoted telling anyone being bullied for their sexuality to report it and get support… ‘You should be proud of the person you are and you have nothing to be ashamed of,’ he said.

“Attitude, which calls itself ‘the UK’s best-selling gay magazine’, said William had invited it last month ‘to bring members of the LGBT+ community to Kensington Palace to listen to their experience of bullying’… William, the queen’s grandson, said in April that he wanted to foster a more modern and relevant monarchy.”

Changing to “Non-Binary” – First Court Ruling of Its Kind

Oregonlive.com wrote on June 10:

“An Oregon Judge ruled on Friday that a transgender person can legally change their sex to ‘non-binary’ rather than male or female in what legal experts believe is a first in the United States…

“Shupe, an Army veteran who [was born as a female and who] retired in 2000 a sergeant first class, began transitioning in 2013 while living in Pittsburg. Shupe knew then that neither male nor female fit… Shupe chose female, but female never felt right. In April, Shupe and lawyer Lake Perriguey filed a petition with the Oregon court to legally change Shupe’s sex. Oregon law allows a court to change a person’s legal sex if a judge determines the person has undergone surgical, hormonal or other treatment related to a gender transition. The law does not require a note from a doctor…

“Officials at the national Transgender Law Center said they are unaware of any similar court victories in the United States. A high court in France last year allowed a resident to register as gender neutral… ‘A growing number of countries already recognize nonbinary genders, but as far as we know this is the first ruling of its kind in the U.S.,’ Legal Director Ilona Turner said in a written statement. ‘Other states and agencies should consider following suit to ensure that nonbinary members of our community have access to identity documents that reflect who they are, just like everyone else.’”

Italian Newspaper Criticized for Giving Away Annotated Versions of Hitler’s “Mein Kampf”

BBC News reported on June 11:

“[The] Italian newspaper Il Giornale has come under fire for offering free annotated copies of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf with one of its supplements… Hitler published the anti-Semitic manifesto in 1925, eight years before he came to power… The editor, Alessandro Sallusti, said (in Italian) that the move would let readers ‘study what is evil to avoid its return’… However, the move was described as ‘a vile act’ by Renzo Gattegna, president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities. The giveaway was ‘indecent’ and ‘light years away from any in-depth learning or study about the Holocaust’, Mr Gattegna added.

“The copyright of Mein Kampf expired earlier this year. Previously, copyright was held by the regional government in Germany’s Bavaria, which banned reprinting of the book. After the copyright expired, Germany’s authorities allowed an annotated, critical version of the book, with academic notes, to be published. The publication of other editions is restricted in Germany, under incitement laws.”

The Guardian added on June 11:

“An Italian newspaper owned by Silvio Berlusconi has been criticised for distributing free copies of an annotated version of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf with a paid supplement in its Saturday edition. Il Giornale started selling an eight-volume history of the Third Reich, with the annotated copy of Mein Kampf free for readers who bought the first volume.

“The Italian prime minister, Matteo Renzi, said on Twitter that Il Giornale’s decision to give away the copies of the Nazi leader’s political treatise was squalid, as he expressed solidarity with Italy’s Jewish community… Efraim Zuroff, director of the Israeli office of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, told Corriere della Sera it was unprecedented for a newspaper to use Mein Kampf to boost sales…”

The Comeback of “Mein Kampf”

The Christian Science Monitor wrote on May 12:

‘‘Mein Kampf’ is making a comeback. Adolf Hitler’s notorious autobiography is gaining popularity in Europe, having become a bestseller upon the expiration of the German state copyright that was initially used to prohibit reprinting it. Since January, only an annotated version of ‘Mein Kampf’ has been available in German bookstores, which each carried only a small number of copies. Nonetheless, massive interest among readers made ‘Mein Kampf’ a bestseller within weeks. With more than 3,000 annotations, the new version is meant to underscore lies and flaws in Hitler’s arguments. Under German law, publishing ‘Mein Kampf’ [without] annotations would be an act of sedition – which is exactly what Der Schelm, a right-wing publishing company, plans to do, and is now under investigation for it.

“‘This book is too dangerous for the general public,’ library historian Florian Sepp told the Washington Post, but Schelm argues that publishing the original version of ‘Mein Kampf’ serves as ‘historical documentation’…

“While authorities have made arrangements with online booksellers like Amazon to ban the sale of ‘Mein Kampf’ in German, new copies of the book have become available online throughout the world. Hindu nationalists use it as a self-help book in India, the Greek neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party has stocked copies of it in Athens, and a comic-book edition of ‘Mein Kampf’ is available in Japan.”

False Christianity Responsible for Mass Killings

On June 14, Foreignpolicy.com published the following article by a Jewish author, showing how false Christianity can be easily confused with the only true Christianity of the Bible:

“I am tired of hearing… that Christianity is inherently peaceful…

“The Crusades are still a sore subject in the Muslim world, but it’s easy to forget the havoc they wreaked on the Jews of Europe. Time after time, as Crusaders slogged southeast on their umpteenth trip to the Holy Land, they slaughtered the Jews in their path. They herded them into synagogues and set the buildings alight. The Crusaders killed so many Jews in the name of their Christian faith that it was the most stunning demographic blow to European Jewry until the Holocaust. Which… happened in Christian, civilized Europe only 70-some years ago…

“The Christian Church was ruthless with people whose faith was in any way a deviation from the canon, torturing and burning heretics at the stake. After Martin Luther pinned his theses to a church door, unintentionally spawning a new wing of Christianity, it led to hundreds of years of on-and-off religious warfare between Christians, spilling each other’s blood in the fervent belief that their vision of Christ was the truest. And it’s not ancient history: Violence between Protestants and Catholics continued in Christian Ireland until the very end of the 20th century…

“Jewish life in Muslim countries, though still saddled with all kinds of restrictions and orders to wear funny clothing and sporadic violence, was far less bloody than in the civilized Christian West…

“No religion is inherently violent. No religion is inherently peaceful…”

This is untrue. The Christianity of the Bible—not the false Christianity practiced by those claiming incorrectly to be “ Christian ”—is inherently peaceful. None of the atrocities mentioned in the article were “Christian.” They stand condemned in the eyes of Jesus Christ.

Pope vs. President over 666 Donation

The Guardian wrote on June 14:

“The frosty relationship between two of the world’s most prominent Argentinians appears to have taken a turn for the worse after it emerged that Pope Francis rejected a charitable donation from the government of President Mauricio Macri – at least partly – because the sum included the figure 666.

“Earlier this month, the centre-right president made a donation that totaled 16,666,000 pesos (slightly under $1.2m) from the Argentinian government to the Scholas Occurentes educational foundation, which is backed by the pope and is based on a similar organization founded by Francis when he was cardinal of Buenos Aires.

“Two weeks ago, the pope presided over an event in Rome at which medals were awarded to Hollywood celebrities George Clooney, Salma Hayek and Richard Gere, who have agreed to be ambassadors for the charity. Shortly afterwards, Macri made the donation.

“But according to the Vatican Insider – a publication specializing in papal affairs published by the Italian newspaper La Stampa – Francis wrote to the Argentinian branch of the foundation, asking them to return the money. In a postscript, he wrote: ‘I don’t like the 666.’ Francis, who has long supported progressive causes in Argentina, and the centre-right president Macri have often found themselves on opposite sides of political debate.”

NATO vs. Russia

The website of news.vice.com wrote on June 11:

“A column of Strykers, the US Army’s eight-wheeled, 20-ton fighting machines, trundled across the narrow pontoon bridge to meet the Russian intruders in central Poland. Less than an hour earlier, a mixed team of German and British engineers had taken to the Vistula River with 30 giant M3 amphibious rigs to build a bridge almost a quarter of a mile long. Now the Strykers from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment were rolling over it to link up with allied paratroopers. The river crossing was part of Anakonda-16, the largest military exercises hosted by Poland in more than a decade, involving 30,000 soldiers from more than 20 NATO and partner countries.

“The United States, which slashed its European-based forces after the collapse of the Soviet Union, is contributing almost half the troops. Since Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the United States has been scrambling not just to reassure new allies like Poland, but to deter the Kremlin from any more military adventures in Eastern Europe. Of course Russia isn’t the named adversary in the 10-day Anakonda exercises, yet it’s the only country in the neighborhood that poses a potential threat. The Kremlin was bitterly opposed to the enlargement of NATO, which has taken in nine former members of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact, including Poland. In an effort to thwart any more neighbors from joining the transatlantic alliance, Russia fought a five-day war with Georgia in 2008 and invaded Ukraine six years later…

“Eastern Europe is alien territory for the US military. For centuries, Germans, Austrians, and Russians divided the region up among themselves. Poland as a country disappeared from maps for 123 years, and smaller nations such as Estonia only briefly achieved statehood in 1918. In the aftermath of World War II, the Kremlin took control over the eastern half of Europe and didn’t let it go until the Soviet Union self-destructed. After 1991, Eastern Europeans were eager to get under the US defensive umbrella as fast as possible, even if that meant joining the ‘coalition of the willing’ in Iraq or sending combat troops to Afghanistan…

“As the Strykers rumbled over the Vistula, a German lieutenant observing the crossing muttered something about American ‘saber rattling.’ Although Germany is an indispensable NATO ally, a sizable portion of its population believes it’s the United States that antagonized Russia. A poll published a year ago found that only 38 percent of Germans said their country should use military force to protect another NATO member from a Russian attack…

“Before the relationship took a turn for the worse, the Western alliance and Russian military were on almost friendly terms. It may be hard to believe today, but five years ago, Poland hosted the first joint NATO-Russian counter-terrorism exercise, involving fighter planes from both sides. Now NATO and Russian jets intercept each other over international waters — just as they did when the Cold War held the world on edge.”

Who Is Ukraine’s Joan of Arc?

The Telegraph wrote on June 9:

“Vladimir Putin must be stopped now or Russian forces will advance to the ‘border with Poland or Germany’, according to the war heroine turned politician described as Ukraine’s ‘Joan of Arc’. Nadia Savchenko was released from a Russian prison only two weeks ago. The female pilot – who was the first woman to fly a Ukrainian helicopter gunship and the first to graduate from the Air Force Academy – was captured while fighting pro-Russian rebels in the east in June 2014.

“After being consigned to a Russian jail, Ms Savchenko was elected to Ukraine’s parliament from her cell. She used her trial to heap scorn on the judge, the prosecutor and Mr Putin in particular… Ms Savchenko made a triumphant return to Ukraine after being freed in a prisoner exchange on May 25. Hailed in the local press as her country’s Joan of Arc, she took her seat in parliament in the capital, Kiev, and is already regarded as a possible future president…

“Europe and America have declined to supply Ukraine with weapons, fearing this would only escalate the confrontation with Russia. Ms Savchenko said they should change this policy – but she was notably cautious about the risks. ‘You should be very careful with that because if you make some sharp steps it could lead to a big war,’ she said… Ms Savchenko said the West should only provide ‘defensive’ weapons, like anti-aircraft systems. ‘If we are talking about other ground equipment, then you might get involved in this war and nobody wants a Third World War,’ she added…

“While the Russian media vilifies her as a ‘killer in a skirt’, Ms Savchenko sees herself as a peacemaker. ‘I’ve been a soldier for 12 years: it’s my profession,’ she said. ‘But if a soldier doesn’t want peace in his soul then he’s not a soldier any more – he’s a killer. A soldier fights for peace.’”

A Brexit in the Making?

The Independent wrote on June 11:

“Exclusive: polling carried out for ‘The Independent’ shows that 55 per cent of UK voters intend to vote for Britain to leave the EU in the 23 June referendum. The campaign to take Britain out of the EU has opened up a remarkable 10-point lead over the Remain camp… The survey of 2,000 people by ORB found that 55 per cent believe the UK should leave the EU (up four points since our last poll in April), while 45 per cent want it to remain (down four points)… It is by far the biggest lead the Leave camp has enjoyed since ORB began polling the EU issue for The Independent a year ago, when it was Remain who enjoyed a 10-point lead. Now the tables have turned…

“Support for EU membership is highest in Scotland, with 60 per cent backing Remain. But a majority of people in every other region of Great Britain favour withdrawal when turnout is taken into account. In London, seen as a strong area for the Remain campaign, only 44 per cent back staying in the EU and 56 per cent favour voting to leave. This is due to the turnout factor. Only 66 per cent of people in London say they will definitely vote, the lowest of any region…

“Polling experts say the result is still too close to call, and that there has been a late swing to the ‘status quo’ option in previous referendums, including the one on Scottish independence in 2014. They also point out that telephone polls consistently give Remain a higher rating than online surveys.”

Sun For Brexit

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 14:

“In an editorial, Britain’s top-selling newspaper (“The Sun”) has come out in support of the country leaving the EU… ‘The Sun’ printed the editorial – calling on Britons to vote ‘Leave’ in an upcoming referendum… in its Tuesday edition. The newspaper, which is owned by conservative media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, also tweeted out a preview. ‘We are about to make the biggest political decision of our lives. The Sun today urges everyone to vote LEAVE,’ the editorial begins… ‘Our country has a glorious history,’ the newspaper goes on to say. ‘This is our chance to make Britain even greater, to recapture our democracy, to preserve the values and culture we are rightly proud of.’ The Sun also accused the ‘Remain’ camp of using scare tactics to convince voters to support the EU.

“The editorial comes just as a new poll, conducted by YouGov for The Times newspaper, found that 46 percent of the country supported the idea of leaving the EU, compared with 39 percent who were in support of remaining. A separate poll in the Daily Telegraph delivered a far closer set of results. Pollsters universally failed to predict the outcome of 2015’s general election in the UK…”

Bild Against Brexit

The German mass tabloid Bild wrote on June 14:

“What a Brex-s…. [The article spells out the word; we just give a hint as to what is being used…]

“These days, there could hardly be a bigger gap than that between the consequences of the British referendum on leaving the EU and the level of the corresponding discussion. History is being written on the island – but with mud. It is a toxic mix of a distortion of facts, half-truths, and madness. This applies to both sides.

“Brexit supporters say (in all seriousness) that prolonging the EU membership will increase the risk of cancer on the island. They say that at least one million Turks will have to be allowed to enter the island if the UK doesn’t leave. They say that British soldiers will be forced into an EU army, and that the public health system will immediately improve after leaving. The latter would, at least, be comparatively easy to achieve, since the health system is, in fact, pretty bad.

“Brexit opponents, in turn, predict the Third or Fourth World War should the Brits leave. They say that pensions will have to be cut, that the hole in the state budget will become even bigger and that hundreds of thousands of jobs will be lost immediately, although nobody can actually know if that will be the case. Both camps want fear to decide the referendum. Hence the fearmongering.

“This means that the British people are being muddled at a time when they have to make the decision of the century. The people are being misled, but they must not make a mistake. This cannot end well. It is a great shame, unworthy of all politicians, media, and proud Brits. It was they who once taught Europe how to lead intelligent political debates and what enlightened, pragmatic democracy is.

“Much is at stake. ‘Our enemies would drink champagne’, if the Brits were to leave, said President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, in an interview with BILD. He referred to autocrats like Russia’s Vladimir Putin, and he is right. The Brits are about to lethally weaken the West that they have shaped like no other nation. How can they do this to us – and to themselves?”

One in Ten Germans Wants a Führer

Daily Mail wrote on June 15:

“A new academic study has rocked the government in Berlin as people call for a ‘dictatorship in the national interest’ with one in ten wanting a new Führer to lead them to glory. The University of Leipzig’s research team found that… a total of 21.9 per cent agreed that Germany needs ‘a single strong party that embodies the national community as a whole’. One in every ten Germans wants their country to be led by a ‘Führer’ applying ‘a firm hand for the common good.’ And 71 years after Nazism was vanquished and the horror of the death camps revealed to a stunned world, 11 per cent of people questioned by the university researchers said Jews have too much influence in society. Overall 12 per cent think Germans are by nature ‘superior’ to other people – a central plank of the ideology of Adolf Hitler and the original Nazis.

“Other findings included four out of every ten people thinking Muslims should be prohibited from immigrating to the country and half of respondents in a survey of 2,240 people saying they feel like ‘foreigners in their own country.’ Thirty per cent claimed Germany had been ‘infiltrated by too many foreigners in a dangerous way.’ And three out of every five Germans believe migrants who have arrived in the country seeking sanctuary from war and terror are bogus… 40 percent of people said they found it ‘disgusting’ when homosexuals kissed in public – an increase of 15 per cent in a similar survey in 2011.”

We find this disgusting too.

Deutsche Welle added on June 15:

“A third thought same-sex marriages should be banned… Confidence in socio-political organizations, including the police and political parties has decreased significantly, with many people telling researchers they no longer feel represented by the political system…

“Also on Wednesday, a separate study by the polling company Allensbach revealed further skepticism towards Muslims. Only 13 percent of those interviewed agreed with the statement ‘Islam belongs in Germany.’’

No More Multiple Wives for German Migrants

Daily Mail wrote on June 15:

“Germany will no longer allow migrants to have multiple wives or child brides, the justice minister has said. Heiko Maas told German newspaper Bild that no one has the ‘right to place their cultural values or religious beliefs above our laws’. There has been increased concern over polygamous marriages in the wake of a rise in the number of migrants arriving in Germany, many from Muslim countries.

“While polygamy is already banned in Germany, many officials ‘turn a blind eye’ to migrants who arrive in the country with more than one wife, the newspaper reports. This is also true of forced and underage marriages…

“Referring to migrants arriving with underage brides, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees told local media: ‘If the wife is underage, the youth authorities are alerted and they decide if the family stays together or not.’”

Yearning for the Third Temple

JTA wrote on June 10:

“Israel’s Ashkenazi chief rabbi, David Lau, said the Jewish temple can be rebuilt on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount without moving any of the Muslim shrines there. Speaking on the Knesset Channel Tuesday, Lau appeared to approve the idea of rebuilding the temple at the hotly contested site and said that there is enough room there for ‘Jews, Christians, Muslims, everyone’…

“Since 1967, when the Temple Mount came under Israeli sovereignty, the chief rabbis have consistently ruled that Jews should not go there for fear they might inadvertently step over the place where the Ark of the Covenant was said to be stored in the first temple. The mount, which is adjacent to the Western Wall and was the location of Judaism’s first and second temples, is run by the Islamic Waqf, a Jordanian body, under a deal worked out in 1967. Muslims generally have full access to the site, from where Mohammed is believed to have ascended to heaven, and the exclusive right to pray there. Jews can only ascend the mount during limited visiting hours and are forbidden from doing anything resembling worship such as kneeling, singing, dancing or rending their clothes… Rumors that Israel planned to change the status quo helped trigger the wave of Palestinian stabbing attacks and other violence that began in October.

“Speaking on Tuesday, Lau said, according to The Times of Israel: ‘I can’t tell you exactly what was in the temple, but the truth is that when you see the prophets, the writings, the sayings of the sages, you understand that whoever went there came back full of inspiration, emotion, joy and satisfaction, so I yearn for those days.’ Orthodox authorities are divided over whether Jews should rebuild the temple themselves, or should wait for divine intervention.”

In the last Q&A, we pointed out that the cross is of pagan origin and that its worship did not start with Christianity, but that it was used by many non-Christian cultures long before the birth of Christ. We pointed out that in all probability, Christ did not even die on a Tau-cross, but that in its long history, the Tau-cross was the symbol of the Roman god Mithras and the Greek god Attis and that in Norse mythology, the hammer of Thor was seen as a Tau-cross.

In this Q&A, we will continue showing the remarkable similarity between the “Christian” Tau-cross and Thor’s hammer, and we will discuss the origin of making the sign of the cross. Is it also of pagan origin, or was it “invented” by early Christians after they had incorporated the pagan symbol of the cross into their worship?

Previously, we saw that the Roman Catholic Church connects the making of the sign of the cross with the unbiblical belief in the Trinity.

While it can be easily established that the worship of the cross is of pagan origin, the history of making the sign of the cross is more sketchy.

We are given the following general information by sabbathcovenant.com:

“The cross is a tradition of the Church which our fathers have inherited… The evidence for its pagan origin is so convincing that the Catholic Encyclopedia admits that ‘the sign of the cross, represented in its simplest form by a crossing of two lines at right angles, greatly antedates, in both East and the West, the introduction of Christianity. It goes back to a very remote period of human civilization…In later times the Egyptian Christians (Copts), attracted by its form, and perhaps by its symbolism, adopted it as the emblem of the cross.’…

“Further proof of its pagan origin is the recorded evidence of the Vestal Virgins of pagan Rome having the cross hanging on a necklace, and the Egyptians doing it too, as early as the 15th century B.C.E. The Buddhists, and numerous other sects of India, also used the sign of the cross as a mark on their followers’ heads. The cross thus widely worshipped, or regarded as a ‘sacred emblem’, was the unequivocal symbol of Bacchus (Tammuz), the Babylonian Messiah, for he was represented with a head-band covered with crosses. It was also the symbol of Jupiter… in Rome. Furthermore, we read of the cross on top of the temple of Serapis, the Sun-deity of Alexandria.  This is Tammuz, whom the Greeks called Bacchus, with the crosses on his head-band.”

In this context, the worship of the Nordic god Thor is very important (who was worshipped by the Romans as Jupiter and by the Greeks as Zeus). We will show in this article that making the sign of the cross, in some way, was practiced by the followers of Thor. This is not to say that it originated with the belief in and worship of Thor; but it is to be understood that those pagan rituals and practices existed PRIOR to the advance of Christianity.

The mystical figure of the pagan god Thor is still quite dominant in today’s Western world. We have a weekday, called Thursday, which is derived from the words, “Thor’s day.” Thor was the god of thunder. In Germany, the day is known as Donnerstag (the day of thunder); in Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway and Sweden), it is called “Torsdag” and in The Netherlands, “Donderdag.”

Thor seems to have been part of a Trinity. He was worshipped together with the pagan god Odin and Frey or Freyja (the pagan goddess of love and fertility).

The similarity between Thor’s hammer and the crucifix is pointed out in the following article in the ThorNews, dated March 17, 2014:

“The attack in 793 AD at the English monastery at Lindisfarne did not only signal the beginning of the Viking Age, but also the beginning of a nearly 300-year period of widespread trade and assimilation between Norse pagans and Christian Europeans. The Vikings were pragmatists, and let themselves be marked with the sign of the cross to be able to form alliances and trade agreements in a Catholic Europe. The silver pendant found in Iceland can be interpreted as either a Thor’s hammer, also known as ’Mjölnir’, or a crucifix. The similarity was convenient for the Vikings who had to deal with a Europe that was under the powerful influence of the Catholic Church…

“Some Vikings let themselves be prime-signed (Latin: prima signatio; to receive ‘the first marking with a cross’ – implied the sign of the cross), to be accepted among Christians… A Viking who worked for a Christian king and was prime-signed, had a big advantage: He was accepted as a Christian among Christians and at the same time could keep his pagan beliefs. He switched religion if the situation demanded it, and could continue to follow the custom of sacrificing to Odin when he came back home.”

The website of norse-mythology.org states the following about Thor’s hammer:

“Of all of the symbols in Norse mythology, Thor’s Hammer… is one of the most historically important, and is probably the best known today… The hammer was [Thor’s] primary weapon. Thor (whose name goes back to a Proto-Germanic root that means ‘Thunder’) was the animating spirit of the storm, and thunder was experienced as being the sound of his hammer crashing down on his foes. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that the Old Norse name for his hammer, Mjöllnir, probably meant ‘Lightning.’ …

‘Thor’s hammer was certainly a weapon… but it was more than just a weapon. It also occupied a central role in rituals of consecration and hallowing.  The hammer was used in formal ceremonies to bless marriages, births, and probably funerals as well. In one episode from medieval Icelandic historian Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda, Thor once killed and ate his goats, then brought them back to life by hallowing their bones with his hammer…

“The medieval Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus records that huge hammers were kept in one of Thor’s temples in Sweden, and that periodically the people would hold a ritual there that involved beating the hammers against some kind of drum that would resound like thunder. This could have been a ceremony to bless and protect the community and ward off hostile spirits.

“Historian Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson provides an excellent summary of the uses of the hammer:

“‘It would seem indeed as though the power of the thunder god, symbolized by his hammer, extended over all that had to do with the well-being of the community. It covered birth, marriage, and death, burial, and cremation ceremonies, weapons and feasting, travelling, land-taking, and the making of oaths between men. The famous weapon of Thor was not only the symbol of the destructive power of the storm, and of fire from heaven, but also a protection against the forces of evil and violence…’

“Of all of these consecration ceremonies, the use of the hammer to bless a marriage is especially well-established… A Bronze Age rock carving from Scandinavia apparently depicts a couple being blessed by a larger figure holding a hammer, which indicates the considerable antiquity of this notion. Historian E.O.G. Turville-Petre suggests that part of this blessing consisted of imparting fertility to the couple, which would make sense in light of Thor’s connections with agriculture and the fertilization of the fields…

“Christian missionaries were arriving in the northern lands who attempted to convert the Norse to their own monotheistic religion and worldview… The Christians often wore necklaces with cross-shaped amulets, and they raised crosses over their dead when they buried them… So close was the relationship between the cross and the hammer that some enterprising blacksmiths took to forging both types of pendants at the same time to cater to both religious sensibilities…”

We read the following on the website of people.uncw.edu:

“Thor was… worshipped extensively and proved to be a great challenge to Christianity. Children were baptized in his name and the sign of Thor was placed on them (this sign is similar to the sign of the cross). He also wore a halo of fire, his element. Replicas of his hammer were used to bless funeral pyres, associating him with death and cremation. The Yule-tide was Thor’s biggest festival and our modern Christmas now takes its place… Thor was Christ’s biggest adversary…”

In addition to many interesting observations, likening Thor’s hammer with the swastika, the direct linkage between making the sign of the “Christian” cross and making the sign of Thor’s hammer (the “pagan” cross) is explained in “Myths and Legends–Thor, Viking God of Thunder,” by Graeme Davis:

“The swastika… was … originally associated with Thor. It has been variously interpreted as a stylized thunderbolt or a symbol of Thor’s hammer…  Adolf Hitler chose the swastika as the symbol for his new party because of its alleged Germanic heritage. Although the design was used by many ancient cultures, most significantly for Hitler it represented Thor and his thunderbolts in Norse tradition…

“Pendants in the form of Thor’s magical hammer Mjolnor have been found across the Viking world. It seems to have been as popular among pagan Vikings as the cross was among Christians…. Pagan Vikings sometimes made a gesture indicating Thor’s hammer as a sign of blessing or purification, in much the same way that Christians made, and still make, the sign of the cross.

“The Heimskringla tells us that Hakon the Good, an early Christian king of Norway, was bowed by pressure from his people into making winter sacrifices during a pagan festival at Hlader. When the drinking-horn was passed to him, he made the sign of the cross over it to protect himself from the heathen nature of the proceedings. When eyebrows were raised one of his friends defended him, saying that he was actually making the sign of the hammer, as they were all accustomed to doing.

“In the legends, too, Thor’s hammer is shown to have the power to deliver blessings. In the Thrymskvida, Thor is forced to disguise himself as a bride to recover his stolen hammer, which he does when it is laid upon the ‘bride’s’ lap to sanctify the wedding. This suggests a similar practice to the Christian one of using crosses to confer blessings upon rituals and individuals.”

The similarities between making the “pagan” sign and the “Christian” sign of the cross are too many than to ignore their common origin. God prohibits us to worship Him in the way in which pagans worshiped their gods (Deuteronomy 12:29-32). As true Christians, we are to abstain from using crosses in our worship and from making “the sign of the cross” in any way.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

In light of decisions made at the recent Church Conference, we have posted our first video promo of its kind, prepared by Michael Link—with audio, visual, music, etc. This offers the free booklet, “Punishment For Our Sins.” You may view this posting at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HshH0BBOjIA.

We anticipate creating more of these enhanced productions in both English and German. This campaign will build on other booklet promotions already produced by Rene Messier (Canada), and Brian Gale (United Kingdom).

“Satan’s Attack in Orlando,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The demonical terrorist attack in Orlando, Florida, must be strongly condemned by every true Christian. At the same time, we must be careful that we do not fall into Satan’s trap who may induce us, due to our justified sympathy for the many victims, to support the entire homosexual lifestyle. In addition, evidence is building that the jihadist was himself gay or had “gay tendencies”– a development which the left-liberal press would like to suppress. Our free booklet, “Punishment for Our Sins,” makes clear that God will punish severely the senseless acts of terrorists and mass murderers.

“Satan’s Angriff in Florida,” is the German version of the program mentioned above. It is presented by Evangelist Norbert Link.

“Ursprung des Kreuzes und der Bekreuzigung,” is the title of this week’s German sermon. This is based, in part, on the last two Q&A’s in the Update. Title in English: “Origin of the Cross and Making the Sign of the Cross”

“One of a Kind,” the sermonette presented last Pentecost during the afternoon services by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

What makes us one of a kind and what sets us apart from the rest of the world?  How do we produce fruits of righteousness? Just as a tree needs special ingredients to produce good fruit, how does this compare with us and our spiritual lives?

“Pentecost 2016–God’s Feast of the Firstfruits,” the sermon presented on Pentecost during the afternoon services by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Why do we celebrate Pentecost this year on June 12? What is the meaning of “Pentecost”? Why is it also called “Feast of Weeks” and “Feast of Firstfruits”? In light of Leviticus 23, when did the priest wave the sheaf of the firstfruits, and when did he wave the two loaves of leavened bread, which were also called firstfruits? What was the symbolic meaning of the sheaf and the two breads? Is Jesus the first who was resurrected from death to eternal life? Are there only few people today who are being called into the truth? Are they called firstfruits? Do they have to be predestined by God to be called in this day and age? In light of God’s Spirit of power, is there a guarantee that called Christians will inherit salvation?

“Authentic or Counterfeit?” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Robb Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We are increasingly faced with actions and ideas masquerading as Christianity.  We are warned to be ever watchful and to guard the precious truth that has been given to us through the Holy Spirit.  Our eternal salvation depends on it!

“I Am Stubborn!” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Stubborn refusal to heed can truly be a matter of life or death! Stubbornness is a dangerous component of pride and self-righteousness; it is a springboard to rebellion; and, ultimately, it will result in an unwillingness to be led by God!

On June 11, 2016, Robb Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “Authentic or Counterfeit?” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “I Am Stubborn!”

The live services are available, over video and audio, at http://eternalgod.org/live-services/ (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time; 8:30 pm Greenwich Mean Time; 9:30 pm Central European Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

June 12, 2016, is the Feast of Pentecost. We will present live services beginning at 10:00 am, Pacific Time. Joe Bourque will present the sermonette, titled, “Fervent Love,” and Rene Messier will present the sermon, titled, “Fruit.” In the afternoon, services will begin at 3:30 pm, Pacific Time. Michael Link will present the offertory, titled, “One of a Kind,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Pentecost 2016–God’s Feast of the Firstfruits.”

Some people just think better than other people do!

However, this isn’t an evaluation based on the intellect associated with a high IQ. Rather, this kind of thinking has to do with thoughts that are good as opposed to those which are evil.

Primarily, society judges itself based on actions, but more and more there are attempts to influence and even govern what a person thinks. Proof of this is found in the staggering moral changes now taking place. Behavior once deemed as sinful is now thought of as acceptable.

Our thoughts are not private to us alone. While other people may not be able to know what we think, God does (compare 1 Chronicles 28:9)! Judgment against mankind before the flood went beyond their actions, it included how people thought:

“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5).

The great challenge for Christians is to bring “…every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). That is possible because we have the gift of God’s Holy Spirit. Furthermore, “…we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).

These spiritual resources must be developed as we grow in our calling. We must learn to think as God thinks (compare Matthew 5:48). The apostle Paul addressed this goal by showing us how we should think:

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

Given this standard, what do YOU think?

We begin with the surprising announcement by German President Gauck that he will not run for re-election, causing further potential problems for Chancellor Angela Merkel and her government.

We report on the planned ISIS attack in Düsseldorf, Germany, which would have been much bigger than originally thought; and focus on strong comments by Germany’s anti-immigration party, the AfD. We also report on the true scale of Germany’s migrant crisis.

We continue with the ongoing troubles between Germany and Turkey; the legal challenge of Austria’s recent presidential election results; news regarding Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, with a strongly worded article, asking whether the Obama Administration is guilty of war crimes; and Europe’s relationship with Britain in view of a possible Brexit. In this context, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “What if Britain Leaves Europe?”.

We speak on China’s suppression of Ramadan celebrations; Poland’s paramilitary force to counter Russia; Russia’s “effective, advanced” submarines; rewards from the Philippine government for intentionally killing criminals, rather than arresting them; and legally permitted assisted suicide in Canada and other countries.

We conclude with Jewish acceptance of transgender and homosexual rights; and the Catholic Church’s fascination with the Virgin Mary.

Headache for Merkel as Gauck Will Step Down as German President

The Guardian wrote on June 6:

“Germany’s president, Joachim Gauck, has announced he will not stand for a second term in office, prompting an instant race to find his successor and effectively kick-starting the campaign for a general election in autumn of next year. The 76-year-old former East German pastor and civil rights activist said he was stepping down despite appeals across the spectrum for him to stay in office, citing his advancing years.

“His decision is likely to create difficulties for the already embattled chancellor, Angela Merkel, triggering a cross-party race for possible successors to be chosen less than six months before a 2017 general election… He said it had been a huge honour to serve Germany since 2012 as its 11th postwar president, a largely ceremonial, apolitical role. His successor will not be decided by direct vote, but by the political parties, along with a congress consisting of sportspeople, celebrities and other public figures.

“While they might agree on a single candidate, it is more likely the parties will put up rival ones, particularly at a time when there is a lack of unity over Merkel’s refugee policy, most notably within her own grand coalition government of the Christian Democrats (CDU), their Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), and the Social Democrats (SPD)…”

Deutsche Welle added on June 6:

“The timing for picking a replacement president could arguably be better… Gauck’s announcement effectively starts the general election campaign 15 months early, with a conflict Chancellor Angela Merkel would have preferred to avoid.”

The Local added on June 4:

“‘It’s his partner Daniela Schadt who has advised him not to stand for a second term, particularly due to his age and his state of health,’ Bild said… Gauck was named president in 2012 when his conservative predecessor Christian Wulff was forced to quit over corruption allegations.

“His recognition of the 1915 mass killings of Armenians during the Ottoman Empire as genocide in a speech last year, sparked outrage in Turkey. This week, the German parliament adopted a resolution to the same effect. Last year, Gauck also lashed out at xenophobic attacks in Germany on migrants and refugees, describing them as the country’s ‘dark’ side.”

Joachim Gauck, a former Protestant pastor, is still married to his wife, but he has been openly living together with his girlfriend (“partner”) who has been accompanying him on his official foreign trips. This does not seem to bother most Germans.

Planned ISIS Attack on Düsseldorf Much Bigger than Originally Thought

The Local wrote on June 3:

“The Isis plot to [attack] the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia was bigger than previously assumed, with ten terrorists supposed to murder people with bombs and guns, local media report… According to this account [by Der Spiegel], two of the [groups] were supposed to blow themselves up in the Altstadt district, the other men were then to attack more civilians with guns and explosives…

“Meanwhile Focus reports that in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) 37 arrest warrants against people in the Islamist scene are outstanding because the culprits have gone missing… ‘The 37 people who are being looked for are accused of committed crimes including establishing a criminal or terrorist organization, [serious] bodily harm, deception, resistance against state officials and theft,’ said state representative Gregor Golland from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

“Also on Friday, the Justice Ministry said that German prosecutors have launched legal proceedings against 180 suspects linked to jihadist groups in Syria. ‘The chief prosecutor is currently carrying out 120 proceedings targeting 180 suspects in connection with the civil war in Syria, for their membership in, or backing of, a terrorist organisation,’ said Justice Ministry spokesman Philip Scholz.

“Separately, the NRW interior ministry said there were ‘499 potentially dangerous individuals in the field of Islamist terrorism’ in their jurisdiction.”

Germany’s AfD Party Takes Strong Stand Against Merkel, Muslims, Foreigners and Blacks

The Local wrote on June 5:

“The leader of a German anti-immigrant party has hit out at football star Mesut Ozil for not singing the national anthem and accused him of peddling a political Islamic agenda. The attack comes a week ahead of the start of Euro 2016 in France, and hard on the heels of racially disparaging remarks about another German footballer, Jerome Boateng, from [Alexander Gauland,] a member of the same Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

“In an interview published on Sunday in the newspaper Die Welt, AfD co-leader Frauke Petry accused Ozil, formerly of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid but now with Londoners Arsenal, of setting a poor example for children. ‘It’s a pity Mesut Ozil, someone so many children and adolescents identify with, does not sing the national anthem,’ she was quoted as saying. She also accused him of hypocrisy after a picture on social media last month showed Ozil, who hails from Germany’s Turkish community, posing at the Islamic holy site of Mecca. In a nod to Ozil’s lifestyle, Petry said: ‘He doesn’t live according to the rules of sharia.’… Petry also reiterated her party’s stance that Islam is unconstitutional and said it was difficult to draw a distinction between an Islamist and a Muslim.

“Last week AfD politician Alexander Gauland came under fire for saying most Germans would not want Boateng, whose father is Ghanaian, as their neighbor — a comment Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman condemned as ‘vile and sad.’ The AfD co-chief elaborated on his views in comments to news weekly Der Spiegel, claiming that professional football is ‘no longer a question of national identity’…”

AFP added on June 5:

“A German right-wing populist politician has attacked Chancellor Angela Merkel as a ‘dictator’ who is trying to ‘replace the German people’ with migrants, a Sunday newspaper reported. Alexander Gauland, of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, told a rally outside Berlin that Merkel’s liberal asylum policy was radically transforming the face of the country, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung said. He… said Germany’s mainstream parties were pursuing a policy of ‘human flooding’, an ‘attempt to gradually replace the German people with a population coming from all parts of the earth’…

“The three-year-old AfD has assumed an increasingly anti-immigrant and Islamophobic stance as Europe’s biggest economy let in nearly 1.1 million asylum seekers last year. It is currently polling at about 15 percent nationwide after capturing seats in three state elections in March. Analysts say it has tapped into angst over the migrant influx…”

“Germany’s Migrant Crisis Turns into a NIGHTMARE”

Express wrote on June 8:

“The true scale of the migrant crisis in Germany has been uncovered as it emerges 80 per cent of asylum seekers have arrived there WITHOUT a passport – and hundreds of thousands are now planning to bring over their FAMILIES… Between January and April, out of 114,255 of asylum seekers waiting to cross the border, around 91,000 did not have the required documents. And from January to March this year German border officers seized 1,306 fake documents from asylum seekers, of which 145 were Syrian refugees, according to German newspaper Bild.

“Meanwhile, in 2015, federal police seized 4,973 fake identification documents when searching travelling migrants in Germany – 834 of those were fake IDs of Syrian refugees. It seems criminals have managed to slip through the net as since the first four months of 2016, more than 4,000 people who have entered the country are now on the Germany’s most wanted list…

“Chancellor Angela Merkel’s grip on power is growing ever weaker, with rebellion across the country against her controversial immigration policies…

“Germany will now have to brace itself for hundreds and thousands of migrants landing in Germany to join their relatives, according to the federal agency for migration and refugees… During the next years up to 500,000 Syrians could encourage their families to join them in Germany, the study predicts…”

Germany’s Trouble with Turkey Continues

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 6:

“Amid the ongoing row over Germany’s decision to refer to the Armenian massacre as ‘genocide,’ Berlin has hit back at the Turkish president… Steffen Seibert, spokesman to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said on Monday that the Bundestag – Germany’s lower house of parliament – ‘had reached a sovereign decision.’ ‘That must be respected,’ he added…

“As the successor state to the Ottoman Empire, Turkey officially denies that the events that started in 1915 amounted to genocide. Ankara’s official line is that ethnic Armenians represented a fifth column backed by Russia during World War I, and that the mass deportation and accompanying Armenian deaths were not premeditated or intentional – a key requirement in the legal definition of genocide.

“Following the Bundestag’s ‘overwhelming’ vote in favor of the ‘genocide’ resolution, Ankara recalled its ambassador from Berlin, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowing to ‘never accept the accusations of genocide.’ ‘First you need to answer for the Holocaust, then for the murder of 100,000 people in Namibia,’ Erdogan said.

“The Turkish president also accused 11 German MPs with Turkish roots who backed the resolution of supporting ‘terrorism’ by the banned Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK), and demanded ‘blood tests’ to see ‘what kind of Turks they are.’ Ankara’s mayor, Ibrahim Melih Gökcek, later tweeted a collage of the 11 politicians, claiming that they had ‘stabbed us (Turkey) in the back.’

“In response to the allegations, Seibert said on Monday that while Berlin also considers the PKK a terrorist group, ‘to associate individual members of parliament with terrorism is utterly incomprehensible to us.’

“Among the 11 MPs was Green party co-leader, Cem Özedemir, who also instigated the vote on the resolution. The politician has since been placed under police protection after receiving anonymous death threats. The 50-year-old from Bad Urach in western Germany is the son of Turkish immigrants. Speaking on Monday, Özdemir said that he wouldn’t let himself be intimidated by Erdogan’s verbal attacks…

“Despite broadly opposing the ‘genocide’ vote, Germany’s Turkish community has nonetheless criticized Ankara’s and Erdogan’s supporters for the pressure which has been placed on German lawmakers of Turkish origin. ‘We find death threats and demands for blood tests abhorrent,’ said chairman of Germany’s Association for the Turkish Community, Gokay Sofuoglu. ‘I think the era when people were defined by their blood ended in 1945. This is absolutely out of place,’ he added.

“The growing tensions between Germany and Turkey have come at a critical time for both countries as they seek to fully implement the recently-agreed EU refugee deal which seeks to control the flow of migrants into Europe…”

FPÖ Challenges Presidential Election Results in Austria

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 8:

“The far-right Austrian party FPÖ has filed a legal challenge against the results of last month’s presidential election, the Constitutional Court has said. The party’s leader [Heinz-Christian Strache] said there were ‘terrifying’ irregularities… In the election in May, postal ballots pushed former leader of the Green Party, Alexander Van der Bellen – who ran as an independent – over the line to defeat FPÖ candidate Norbert Hofer. The margin of victory was under 1 percentage point, or roughly 31,000 votes.

“‘Without these glitches, irregularities and breaking of laws, Hofer could have become president,’ Strache said after filing an official challenge at the Constitutional Court. ‘I think a re-election is very realistic,’ Strache said.

“Lawyers for the anti-immigration Freedom Party said they had found evidence that over 573,000 absentee and postal ballots had been handled without the presence of local election commissions, creating the risk of tampering… The Constitutional Court will rule on the matter by July 8, when Van der Bellen is set [to] succeed Social Democratic incumbent Heinz Fischer, a court spokesman said.”

No Anti-Semitism in the Austria’s FPÖ?

JTA wrote on June 8:

“Jewish leaders in Austria denied a report in Israel that the community had prepared a program for normalizing ties with the far-right Freedom Party, which it now shuns… Oskar Deutsch, the community’s president, said no such plan exists and that he merely spoke hypothetically…

“Heinz-Christian Strache… apologized in 2012 for posting on Facebook a caricature depicting an obese, hook-nosed banker wearing star-shaped cufflinks. Strache’s predecessor, Joerg Haider, praised Nazi employment policies and the Waffen-SS.

“Freedom Party lawmakers often have attended and spoken at events commemorating Nazis, including a gathering in memory of an Austria-born Nazi fighter pilot who shot down 258 planes, almost all Russian. And Strache himself had been accused of using a little-known Nazi salute in 2009, which he denied.

“Strache visited Israel this year and met with officials there. He said he supports Israel’s fight against radical Islam and has argued he has purged his party of anti-Semitism.”

Germany vs. Donald Trump

FP wrote on June 6:

“In an implicit rebuttal to Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, Germany’s ambassador to NATO offered a full-throated defense of his country’s contributions to European security and pushed back at accusations that Berlin was relying on Washington for protection rather than taking responsibility for defending itself.

“Noting Germany’s deployment of troops to Afghanistan and Kosovo, its lead diplomatic role on the Ukraine crisis, and its contribution of 5,000 troops to a new NATO force charged with protecting the alliance’s eastern and southern flanks, Ambassador Hans Dieter Lucas said criticisms about Germany’s purported lack of engagement don’t reflect reality. ‘Germany is heavily engaged in all NATO missions,’ he said during an interview at the German embassy in Washington. ‘Engaged like probably not many others.’

“Trump has specifically and repeatedly lashed out against Germany for, in his view, not doing more to challenge Russian aggression in Ukraine and allowing migrants from the Middle East and North Africa to resettle within its borders… In his campaign, the real estate tycoon has also taken direct shots at Angela Merkel… for her decision to welcome hundreds of thousands of migrants from the Middle East and North Africa into her country…

“German officials haven’t always taken the hit lying down. In March, Merkel’s deputy, Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, said Trump poses ‘a threat to peace and social cohesion’ and associated him with far-right politicians in Europe. ‘Whether Donald Trump, Marine le Pen or Geert Wilders – all these right-wing populists are not only a threat to peace and social cohesion, but also to economic development,’ Gabriel said.”

Holocaust Denial Illegal in Italy

JTA wrote on June 9:

“Italy’s Parliament approved a bill making spreading Holocaust denial illegal. The bill, which adds to an existing anti-racism bill, was approved Wednesday evening by the lower assembly of the Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies, by a vote of 237-5, with 102 abstentions. The new law would go after those who deny genocide or crimes against humanity, using the definition by the International Court of Justice… Those convicted could face prison terms of two to six years.”

Does this mean that those who deny that Turkey committed genocide against Armenians would face prison terms as well?

A Dangerous Precedence… Is USA Guilty of War Crimes?

Salon wrote on June 7:

“Clinton blasted Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump for saying ‘he would order our military to carry out torture and the murder of civilians who are related to suspected terrorists — even though those are war crimes.’

“Yet, while she served as secretary of state, Clinton’s own U.S. government administration may have overseen the very atrocity that she accidentally acknowledged is a war crime. Hundreds of civilians, many of whom were innocent family members of suspected militants, have been killed in U.S. drone strikes in Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia and more. If any of these killings were intentional, they were war crimes…

“This brings up the most prominent example of family members killed in U.S. drone strikes: that of the al-Awlakis. On Oct. 14, 2011, a U.S. drone strike killed 16-year-old U.S. citizen Abdulrahman al-Awlaki, along with his teenage cousin and at least five more civilians, blowing them up as they ate dinner at an outdoor restaurant in Yemen. Why did the U.S. kill a teenage U.S. citizen in a country where it is not officially at war? Years of investigation by an award-winning journalist suggests that it may have been an intentional killing — not because Abdulrahman was involved in terrorist activity, but rather because his father, Anwar al-Awlaki, was a propagandist for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. That is to say, using Hillary Clinton’s own language, President Obama may have overseen ‘the murder of civilians who are related to suspected terrorists — even though that’s a war crime.’

“Anwar al-Awlaki was assassinated by another CIA airstrike on Sep. 30, 2011, just two weeks before his son was killed. He was never given a chance in court, despite the fact that he was a U.S. citizen. He was killed extrajudicially, without a sliver of due process. After Abdulrahman and his cousin were killed, U.S. officials leaked the story to the press, claiming he had been 21-years-old. Yet his family had his birth certificate, which proved he was 16 and had been born in Denver, Colorado.

“Then they claimed Abdulrahman was linked to Ibrahim al-Banna, an Egyptian member of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Award-winning journalist Jeremy Scahill, who spent years investigating the killing, interviewing U.S. officials, speaking to Abdulrahman’s family and friends and poring over government documents, concluded otherwise, noting, ‘There is not a shred of evidence to indicate that this boy had anything to do with terrorism whatsoever.’ The U.S. claimed that it did not intentionally target Abdulrahman, but a former senior official in the White House told Scahill that CIA Director John Brennan suspected that the teenager had been killed ‘intentionally.’…

“Clinton may fearmonger about a potential President Trump extrajudicially killing U.S. citizens, but the Obama administration, in which she proudly served as secretary of state, may have already established this precedent… the Obama administration set an incredibly dangerous standard with its expansion of secretive undeclared drone wars and extrajudicial assassinations. These policies will be continued in the future, and will be justified by pointing to the policies of the Obama administration. If a hypothetical President Trump insists the U.S. must extrajudicially assassinate dissidents, he has a drone program that can do so…”

With her huge wins on “Super Tuesday,” June 7, including in New Jersey, South Dakota, New Mexico and California, Hillary Clinton has now become the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party. As JTA wrote on June 8: “With President Barack Obama’s blessing, Hillary Clinton claimed the Democratic presidential nomination, casting it as a historic win for women and appealing to Bernie Sanders voters to support her.”

Major Step Towards US Police State?

Infowars wrote on June 8:

“The Obama administration is pushing Congress to amend existing surveillance laws to give the FBI unquestionable authority to access a person’s browser history without a warrant, a move Judge Andrew Napolitano slammed as ‘a major step towards a police state.’ Under existing law, the FBI and National Security Agency (NSA) are required to obtain a surveillance warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) before accessing an individual’s electronic records. However, the FBI is able to bypass the court system and access information relating to an individual’s phone records through the use of a ‘National Security Letter.’

“‘NSLs are shadowy administrative subpoenas for information issued by the FBI, whose authority to use them was bolstered by the Patriot Act in 2001,’ as reported by US News and World Report. ‘The requests often are accompanied by a gag order disallowing the company from which information is sought from discussing it.’…

“The new legislation, if passed, would allow the FBI to access an individual’s browser history by using a National Security Letter, rather than a warrant from the FISA Court. A National Security Letter only requires approval from the special agent in charge of a FBI Field Office…

“Appearing with Shepard Smith on Fox News, Judge Andrew Napolitano expressed anger over the amendment and warned the American people to wake up to the ongoing erosion of their civil liberties. ‘It gets worse, it never gets better no matter who is in the White House, no matter which party controls the Congress,’ he said. ‘The American people should wake up….This is a major step towards a police state.’ ‘It’s done in the name of, it’s always done in the name of keeping us safe. Who or what will keep our liberties safe?’”

Politics as Usual…Cameron Will Find a Way to Work with Trump

The Independent wrote on June 3:

“David Cameron has promised to work with Donald Trump if he becomes US president. The Prime Minister said he would ‘find a way’ to get on good terms with the presumptive Republican Party nominee because transatlantic ties are ‘bigger than the individuals involved’. Mr Trump is due to visit Britain the day after the European Union referendum to reopen a golf course he owns in Scotland.

“The PM claimed the billionaire had dropped a proposal to discriminate against Muslims at US border checkpoints – which Mr Cameron had previously described as ‘divisive, stupid and wrong’. Downing Street previously resisted calls to ban Mr Trump from the UK on account of allegations the policy was extremist in nature. Mr Cameron said he stood by his comments on Mr Trump’s proposal of banning Muslims from traveling to the US, and said he would be happy to meet whoever the president turned out to be.

“‘The good news is, my understanding is, he’s already dropped that proposal because there are millions of Muslims living in America and making a great contribution to that country as there are well over a million British Muslims here making a fantastic contribution to our country, so that proposal’s been dropped which I think is the right thing to do,’ Mr Cameron told ITV’s Good Morning Britain programme.

“‘But look, I will await the outcome of the US election, I won’t get involved in any way. Whoever wins that election, I’m sure the British Prime Minister will have a good relationship with them as we always have done…’”

That Trump dropped his proposal regarding the ban of visiting Muslims is news to us. The American press did not report this at all.

Bilderberg’s Fight Against Brexit

IBT wrote on June 6:

“As the EU referendum looms, a great counsel of war is gathering. Henri de Castries, the Chairman of the influential Bilderberg Group, has made his way to the highest hill above Dresden… Responding to his call, 140 or so of the most powerful pro-European business leaders and politicians will… discuss the future of [the] free trade zone.

“The annual three-day Bilderberg conference kicks off on Thursday, and you can be sure the mood in Dresden will be a grim one. The heads of Google, Shell, BP and Deutsche Bank will be there, and Brexit will be top of the agenda. The Bilderberg Group has been nurturing the EU to life since the 1950s…

“‘A disaster for everyone’ is how Henri de Castries, the boss of AXA and a director of HSBC, describes Brexit. But in particular, it is a disaster for his banking and big business colleagues at Bilderberg. Thomas Enders, the CEO of Airbus, who sits on Bilderberg’s steering committee – the group’s governing body – said, in a recent interview with CNBC, that his industry would be ‘lobbying’ against Brexit…”

Even though European leaders may be working behind the scenes, it has become obvious that officially, they are silencing themselves. Note the next article.

Europe Is Silencing Itself Over Brexit

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 5:

“EU leaders are trying to help the pro-European camp in the Brexit referendum by staying out of the debate. That could be a mistake. It also tells us a lot about the state of EU-UK relations…

“At the moment, trips to the dis-United Kingdom are being avoided like the plague. British EU Commissioner Jonathan Hill was the last EU dignitary that dared travel to London – 14 days ago. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has muzzled himself. He has said that he intends to be ‘as quiet as possible’ on the issue. The same goes for the rest of Brussels’ EU crew. The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, urgently warned of the negative consequences of a Brexit, but he did so in a safe haven – an experts’ conference in Brussels.

“The EU, and especially the European Commission, are extremely unpopular in the finicky kingdom. Therefore, Juncker’s communications strategists have decided that the best course of action is to remain as invisible as possible. It must be said that it is shameful that EU leaders lack the confidence to fight for their own interests. How desperate has the current political culture become when public appearances are now considered provocations? Even those fighting for the truculent Brits to remain in the Union are begging for Europe to refrain from supporting them.

“British Prime Minister David Cameron prefers to fight it out in televised debates on his own. He is playing the role of the lone superhero that tamed the European monster and wrestled the best possible deal for oppressed Brits out of Brussels’ claws. Appearances by the bad boys from Brussels would only confuse this… narrative.

“Meanwhile… clear messages from the EU would likely be counterproductive… Nevertheless, it is still rather perplexing that the European Union has decided to duck the debate in a referendum that is specifically about the Union itself…

“When the dust settles after the explosion that will be the June 23 referendum, people in Brussels will have to ask themselves if remaining silent was really the right strategy… To stand up loud and clear for more Europe is out – tiptoeing is the order of the day… One who is ashamed of doing the right thing can excite no one.”

What If?

The Local wrote on June 6:

“Media reports in recent months have suggested that the financial capital on the Main could steal London’s banking thunder if Britain votes to leave the EU…

“At first glance, Frankfurt am Main looks like the perfect candidate to become the financial centre of the EU if Britain really cuts ties with Brussels after the vote on June 23rd. The city can point to almost 200 foreign banks with a presence there and 62,500 people – almost a tenth of the population – employed in the banking sector. ‘Large numbers of specialist workers, good infrastructure and not least the strongest national economy in the EU’ – as well as the European Central Bank (ECB) planted firmly in its new headquarters just outside the city centre – are sure to provide ‘a certain magnet effect,’ said Stefan Winter of UBS, head of the Association of Foreign Banks in Germany…

“There is no question that banks need a presence in an EU member state to do business with customers inside the Union… As home not just to the ECB but the European insurance regulator EIOPA, Frankfurt may well be the EU’s capital of financial regulation. And Frankfurt-based stock market operator Deutsche Börse is in the process of merging with the London Stock Exchange company (LSE)…

“Many German eyes have turned towards Deutsche Bank with its 9,000 workers in London. ‘If [we’re going to move] at all, it would be Frankfurt,’ CEO John Cryan told the Financial Times (FT) in April. The veteran British bank executive had told the Deutsche Bank annual meeting earlier this year that ‘with its strong presence in Frankfurt and London, Deutsche Bank is well-positioned to manage the short- and long-term effects of a Brexit.’…”

Ramadan in China

AFP wrote on June 6:

“China has marked the start of Ramadan with its customary ban on civil servants, students and children in a mainly-Muslim region from taking part in fasting, government websites said, as the holy month started on Monday. China’s ruling Communist party is officially atheist and for years has banned government employees and minors from fasting in Xinjiang, home to the more than 10 million Muslim Uighur minority. It has also ordered restaurants to stay open.

“The region sees regular clashes between Uighurs and state security forces, and Beijing has blamed deadly attacks there and elsewhere in China on militants seeking independence for the resource-rich region. Rights groups blame tensions on religious and cultural restrictions placed on Uighurs and other Muslim minorities… Several local government departments in Xinjiang posted notices on their websites in the last week ordering restrictions on fasting during Ramadan…”

Poland Plans Paramilitary Force of 35,000 to Counter Russia

BBC News reported on June 3:

“The force will have civilian volunteers trained in military skills. It is aimed at countering ‘hybrid’ warfare of the kind that led parts of Ukraine to break away and pledge loyalty to Russia.

“Nato also plans to reinforce Poland. One Nato battalion will be deployed to Poland and three more to the neighbouring Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The total troop deployment is expected to be about 4,000, on a rotating basis… Several of Nato’s 28 member states will send troops to beef up the alliance’s presence in the east, near the Russian border…

“Russian Foreign Ministry department chief Andrei Kelin, quoted by Reuters news agency, said the deployment of four Nato battalions to the region ‘would be a very dangerous build-up of armed forces pretty close to our borders’. Russia has announced plans to send three new military divisions to areas close to its western and southern borders. Military sources quoted by Russian media say they are likely to be motorised rifle formations of about 10,000 soldiers each.”

“US Navy Alarmed by ‘Effective, Advanced’ Russian Subs”

RT is a Russian government-owned and -funded television network. It wrote on June 4:

“New, silent, and deadly Russian submarines are challenging NATO’s maritime dominance, says a senior US admiral who calls the current situation a ‘Battle of the Atlantic,’ comparing it to the Cold War and the two World Wars. ‘Once again, an effective, skilled, and technologically advanced Russian submarine force is challenging us,’ Vice Admiral James Foggo III, commander of the US 6th Fleet, wrote in the June issue of the US Naval Institute’s magazine, Proceedings.’… ‘Russia has the capability to hold nearly all NATO maritime forces at risk. No longer is the maritime space uncontested. For the first time in almost 30 years, Russia is a significant and aggressive maritime power.’…

“While Russian deployments of attack and ballistic missile submarines are at levels unseen since the Cold War, the US Navy has only 53 submarines in service, and that number will drop to 41 by the late 2020s due to budget constraints’…

“Money worries may be behind the US Navy’s sudden obsession with Russian naval power. At $3 billion apiece, the Seawolf was the most expensive US submarine ever built before the program was canceled in 2005. The proposed Pentagon budget for 2017 allocates $18.3 billion for shipbuilding.”

Governmental Rewards for Illegally Killing Criminals in the Philippines

AFP wrote on June 3:

“Mr Duterte [in the Philippines] won last month’s elections in a landslide after pledging to wipe out crime by killing tens of thousands of criminals, and this week said he would pay bounties to law enforcement officers for dead drug traffickers. Tomas Osmena, mayor-elect of Cebu, the nation’s second-biggest city, offered similar rewards and announced on his Facebook page on Thursday night he had paid out $4,480 to police who killed three men he said were drug traffickers…

“Mr Duterte this week urged security forces to begin the war on crime immediately, calling on them to kill criminals. Mr Duterte announced on Tuesday he would pay $28,509 to law enforcers for killing drug lords, with lesser amounts for lower-ranking people in drug syndicates…

“Mr Duterte’s law-and-order campaign pledges hypnotised millions of Filipinos hoping for quick solutions to the nation’s deep-rooted problems of crime and corruption. However, human rights groups and other critics voiced alarm that a Duterte presidency would lead to extrajudicial killings and a general breakdown in the rule of law…

“Earlier this week, Mr Duterte told reporters there was justification for killing journalists who took bribes or engaged in other corrupt activities.”

It seems that nations are moving toward a de facto state of Marshall Law. Especially ominous is the terrorist situation in Europe—how will nations like Germany react to hundreds and hundreds of extremists dedicated to creating mayhem in the country? Also, there is such a breakdown of civility in the US in the current presidential campaigns that outright rioting seems to be in store for America. To be fair, most of the “riots” at the Trump campaigns are instigated by left-wing radicals who are paid for their appearance and disturbing interruption. But we can easily see that their provocations will be met with retaliation in the longer run.

Assisted Suicide Now Legal in Canada, Some US States and Other Countries

The Associated Press reported on June 7:

“Doctor-assisted dying is about to become legal in Canada without clear legislation on how it would work.

“Canada’s Supreme Court last year struck down laws that bar doctors from helping someone critically ill die, but put the ruling on hold until midnight Monday to give the government time to come up with a new law. The House of Commons passed a law last week but it requires Senate approval and that could take days or weeks…

“Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland, Germany, Albania, Colombia, Japan and the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Vermont, New Mexico and Montana. California lawmakers also passed legislation, expected to take effect in June, where proof of state residency will be required.

“Canada’s Supreme Court ruling means a doctor can’t be prosecuted for assisting death for those with a ‘grievous and irremediable’ illness. The government’s proposed law applies to ‘adults who are suffering intolerably and for whom death is reasonably foreseeable.’ It says the person must be mentally competent, 18 or older, have a serious and incurable disease, illness or disability and be in an advanced state of irreversible decline of capability.

“The proposed Canadian law applies only to citizens and residents, meaning Americans won’t be able to travel to Canada to die. To get a doctor’s help under Canada’s proposed law, written request is required either from the patient or a designated person if the patient is incapable. The request would need to be signed by two independent witnesses. Two independent physicians or authorized nurse practitioners would have to evaluate it, and there would be a mandatory 15-day waiting period unless death or loss of capacity to consent was imminent.

“Some groups have said the law doesn’t go far enough and have noted [the] law excludes people who have received a diagnosis of dementia or Parkinson’s from making a request in advance for assisted suicide.

“Before the Supreme Court decision last year, it had been illegal in Canada to counsel, aid or abet a suicide, an offense carrying a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. But the top court said doctors are capable of assessing the competence of patients to consent, and found there is no evidence that the elderly or people with disabilities are vulnerable to being talked into ending their lives.”

23rd Gay Pride Parade in Tel Aviv

JTA wrote on June 3:

“Approximately 200,000 people, including many tourists, gathered in central Tel Aviv for the city’s 23rd gay pride event… Among the first-time foreign participants this year in the parade is Buck Angel, a transgender male adult film producer, actor and motivational speaker from California… ‘ It’s exciting to see the gay community being accepted in the Middle East, and it’s generating change.’

“… violence against homosexuals is relatively rare in Israel, which is rated by many LGBT publications as one of the world’s best and safest travel destinations.”

Tel Aviv has become the “capital” of LGBT activities in the Middle East… a very sad “honor.”

Jewish Groups Support Transgender “Rights”

JTA wrote on June 2:

“Jewish groups in Massachusetts are hailing the passage of a bill by the state’s House of Representatives that will extend the anti-discrimination protections for transgender people in public accommodations.

“The controversial measure, approved Wednesday by a vote of 116-32, allows people to use facilities such as restrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity. Public accommodations include places such as malls, restaurants and libraries. An amendment by opponents that would have specifically excluded religious institutions such as churches and synagogues was defeated.

“… the bill now heads to a joint legislative conference committee to iron out differences with the version approved earlier by the state Senate. The Senate is led by Stan Rosenberg, its first Jewish president and one who is openly gay. The final version will go to Gov. Charlie Baker, who on the eve of the House vote ended his months-long neutral stance, saying he would sign the bill being considered by the House.

“Seventeen other states and the District of Columbia have similar laws. ‘On the first day of Pride month, to kick off this month, it’s a moment that the Jewish community can be proud of to be on the right side of this issue,’ said Jeremy Burton, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston.

“… The state of North Carolina has come under fire for a law passed in March requiring that one use the bathroom according to the gender on a person’s birth certificate.”

Why are we surprised that God, in biblical prophecy, is saying harsh things about the modern state of Israel and the Jewish people in general, challenging them to repent of their abominations?

Two More Saints in the Catholic Church—Worship of “Virgin Mary” Strongly Propagated

The Associated Press wrote on June 5:

“Pope Francis has proclaimed two new saints: a Lutheran convert who hid Jews during World War II and the Polish founder of the first men’s religious order dedicated to the immaculate conception. Francis called Swedish-born Elizabeth Hesselblad and Stanislaus Papczynski ‘exemplary witnesses to this mystery of resurrection’ during the canonization Mass on Sunday in St. Peter’s Square.

“Hesselblad saved the lives of several Jewish families by hiding them in the Roman convent where she was superior. She is Sweden’s second saint in 625 years, following Saint Bridget, who was canonized in 1391.

“Stanislaus of Jesus and Mary, as he is known, supported hospitals and shelters for the poor in the 17th Century. His crowning achievement was founding the order of Marian Fathers, which preached the cult of Holy Mary.”

The unbiblical worship of the “Virgin Mary,” which can actually be traced to pre-Christian pagan rites and practices, will increase in the future. Even many Muslims and many Protestants don’t seem to be opposed to this wrong concept.

We see it on television all the time—Catholic soccer players make the sign of the cross when they score or even when they enter the field. Other athletes may make the sign of the cross on various occasions as well. In many cases, it has become a matter of routine. For example, the sign of the cross is made before meals, in church services, and at other times by many people. But what do we know about its origin?The Roman Catholic Church and many other religious organizations claim that the sign of the cross has its origin in early Christianity. The website of catholicstraightanswers.com/what-is-the-origin-of-the-sign-of-the-cross/ states the following perspective of the Catholic Church:

“The sign of the cross is a beautiful gesture which reminds the faithful of both the cross of salvation while invoking the Holy Trinity… The early Church Fathers attested to the use of the sign of the cross.  Tertullian (d.c. 250) described the commonness of the sign of the cross:  ‘In all our travels and movements, in all our coming in and going out, in putting on our shoes, at the bath, at the table, in lighting our candles, in lying down, in sitting down, whatever employment occupies us, we mark our foreheads with the sign of the cross’ (De corona, 30). St. Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 386) in his Catechetical Lectures stated, ‘Let us then not be ashamed to confess the Crucified.  Be the cross our seal, made with boldness by our fingers on our brow and in everything; over the bread we eat and the cups we drink, in our comings and in our goings out; before our sleep, when we lie down and when we awake; when we are traveling, and when we are at rest’ (Catecheses, 13).

“Gradually, about the ninth century, the sign of the cross was incorporated in different acts of the Mass, such as the three-fold signing of the forehead, lips, and heart at the reading of the gospel or the blessing and signing of the bread and wine to be offered. The earliest formalized way of making the sign of the cross appeared about the 400s, during the Monophysite heresy which denied… the unity of the Holy Trinity.  The sign of the cross was made from forehead to chest, and then from right shoulder to left shoulder with the right hand.  The thumb, forefinger, and middle fingers were held together to symbolize the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

We see, then, that the “sign of the cross” is inseparably connected with the belief in the “Holy Trinity.”

The problems with this entire concept are many.

First, the Bible does not teach at all that God is a Trinity. It does teach that the Father and the Son (Jesus Christ) are God and that they are two Beings or Persons within the God Family, but it does NOT teach that the Holy Spirit is God or a Person. For proof, please read our free booklets, “Is God a Trinity?” and “God Is a Family.”

Secondly, to have or use a cross in any way in the connection with worship; to wear it as an amulet; or to have a crucifix in our home; is not biblical. It totally misunderstands the saving work of Jesus Christ. From this it follows that the making of the cross is equally unbiblical.

In this Q&A, we will explore the true history of the “Christian” cross. In the next installment, we will discuss the origin of “making the sign of the cross.”

It is well-known that the Tau Cross (commonly pictured as the type of cross on which Jesus was crucified) has been used as an object of worship long before Christ was born. The website of reginamgeither.com explains in its article, “Legends of the Tau Cross”:

“The cross is a familiar symbol to both religious and secular groups. But few people are familiar with the many myths and legends behind one of the earliest forms of this Christian symbol. The Cross of Tau or Tau Cross, named for the Greek letter T, is thought to have been the first cross used in Christianity, but its origins are believed to date back to the Egyptians. The Egyptian cross called an Ankh is a simple T-Cross mounted with an oval called the Ru.

“In its long history, the Tau cross was also the symbol of the Roman God Mithras and the Greek God Attis. In Norse mythology, the hammer of Thor is seen as a Tau Cross. The Bull as the Astrological sign of Taurus gets its name from the Tau and Ru. Even the Druids used the Tau when venerating trees by scrawling the symbol into the bark of their sacred oaks…

“As Christianity gained followers, the pagan symbols were converted into Christian ones. The Tau was used as the first cross of the followers of Christ and many believe that the cross of the Crucifixion was actually T-shaped, and many early Christians adopted the Tau as the symbol of their religious belief. St. Anthony Abbott (251-356), an Egyptian monk and one of the first Christian monastics used a crutch in the shape of a Tau. When he visited another monk, he would place the crutch outside of the cave, making it a symbol of communion with God. In 1095 the Antonines were founded by a French nobleman after his son was cured of a disease following a vision of St. Anthony instructing him to plant a Tau as an instrument of healing. As a result, Tau Crosses were used in amulets as a protection against disease in the Middle Ages. The most common reference of the Tau in Christianity is with the Franciscan Order of Saint Francis of Assisi who adopted it as his personal symbol of faith and used it as his signature.”

An article by the Examiner, titled “The Cross Was a Pagan Symbol Before It became a Christian Symbol,” explains even further:

“Most Christians don’t give the following a second thought: A crucifix on the wall of the church reminds Christians of God’s act of love and atonement in Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary, ‘the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’. The sacred crucifix also reminds Christians of Jesus’ victory over sin and death, since it is believed that through His death and resurrection He conquered death itself. Here’s more to consider: The cross was not a Christian symbol before Yeshua the Messiah was born! The cross was not a Christian symbol for hundreds of years after Yeshua. A crucifix is a cross with the Lord still nailed to it.

“Do you think He is honored if you have one of these hanging from your neck? With all the fancy talk about what the crucifix means on the walls of our churches; there is a total avoidance of the fact it is still a pagan idol!…

“If the cross is a Christian symbol, then why does the occult use it so much? If the cross is a Christian symbol, then why is it traceable way back to Babylon and Egypt, as far back as 2,000 B.C.? Many ancient cultures used crosses or the mystic Tau. Babylon seems to be the originator from ancient Chaldea, but you can find crosses in Egypt, India, China, Africa, Mexico, Greece, Italy, and South American histories. All before Yeshua was ever born! If pagans had never used crosses as idols, then developed them into instruments of torture and death; you never would have thought to wear a cross with diamonds on a necklace!

“The cross is a most sacred idol to the Roman Catholic Church. This point in itself should raise suspicion. The cross was incorporated into Roman worship after 430 A.D., but it was another 150 years until the cross made it all the way up to the steeples. In the 6th century, the Church of Rome sanctioned the cross. Believe it or not, at the council of Ephesus, it was decreed that a cross was a ‘requirement’ in every home!”

We discussed the history of the cross and the manner of Christ’s crucifixion in our Q&A in Update 347, titled, “Should we have and use crosses or pictures or statues, depicting Jesus Christ?” We are setting forth below some of the excerpts pertaining to the cross:

“When addressing the cross and its worship or use in religious services or at home, we should realize that the Bible does not even say that Christ was nailed to a cross, as it is pictured and portrayed today. In every case when the word ‘cross’ is used in the Authorized Version or the New King James Bible, the Greek word is ‘stauros.’

“According to Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible, the meaning of that word is simply, ‘stake’…  The Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words by Vine adds the following, when discussing the kind of death which Christ endured: ‘… stauros denotes, primarily, an upright pale or stake. On such malefactors were nailed for execution. Both the noun and the verb stauroo, to fasten to a stake or pale, are originally to be distinguished from the ecclesiastical form of a two beamed cross.’

“Since the Greek in the New Testament does not state that Christ died on a cross, as we know it today, how did this idea enter orthodox Christianity? Here is what happened:

“Alexander Hislop writes in his book, The Two Babylons, pp. 197, 199: ‘The same sign of the cross that Rome now worships was used in the Babylonian Mysteries, was applied by paganism to the same magic purposes, was honored with the same honors. That which is now called the Christian cross was originally no Christian emblem at all, but was the mystic Tau of the Chaldeans and Egyptians—the true original form of the letter T-the initial of the name of Tammuz. There is hardly a Pagan tribe where the cross has not been found. The cross was worshiped by the Pagan Celts long before the incarnation and death of Christ. It was worshiped in Mexico for ages before the Roman Catholic missionaries set foot there, large stone crosses being erected, probably to the “god of rain.” The cross was widely worshiped, or regarded as a sacred emblem, was the unequivocal symbol of Bacchus, the Babylonian Messiah.’

“We have found pictures, showing Assyrian, Egyptian, Hindu and Greek gods and goddesses associated with crosses. The ancient Greek goddess Diana is shown with a cross over her head-very similar to the portrayal of the ‘Virgin Mary’ by many medieval artists.

“Vine adds that the shape of a ‘two-beamed cross’ had ‘its origin in ancient Chaldea, and was used as the symbol of the god Tammuz (being in the shape of the mystic Tau, the initial of his name) in that country and in adjacent lands, including Egypt. By the middle of the 3rd century A.D. the churches had either departed from, or had travestied, certain doctrines of the Christian faith. In order to increase the prestige of the apostate ecclesiastical system pagans were received into the churches apart from regeneration by faith, and were permitted largely to retain their pagan signs and symbols. Hence the Tau or T, in its most frequent form, with the cross-piece lowered, was adopted to stand for the cross of Christ.’…

“As pagans already worshiped the cross as we know it today, before they entered the Catholic fold; as the Roman Church allowed them to continue to worship the cross—only now in association with Christ; and as the Romans used a two-beamed cross as one of their methods of crucifixion, it can be easily seen how the Roman Church was able to convince an unsuspecting world that THAT was the method of Christ’s crucifixion. However, as mentioned, it is highly unlikely that Christ was killed in that way…”

Since neither the Trinity nor the worship of the cross are biblical, what then is the real origin of making the sign of the cross? Did Catholics just adopt the cross from pagans and then invented the procedure of making the sign of the cross? Or is there more to that part of the story? We will give answers to this question in the next installment.

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new Member Letter (June 2016) has been written and sent out. In this letter, Elder Kalon Mitchell addresses the fact that God has called us at the end of the age and that we must stay close to Him in completing the Work given to us. Mr. Mitchell’s full letter is available for reading on our website: www.eternalgod.org

“What if Britain Leaves Europe?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program present by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

On June 23, the British people will decide in a referendum whether or not Britain will leave the EU. We know from Holy Scriptures that ultimately, a Brexit will occur. EU leaders have muzzled themselves, fearing that their involvement would hurt and not help those in Britain who want to stay. These fears are shared by David Cameron. This shows how unpopular the EU is in Britain, and how precarious the relationship has become between the EU and GB. IF and WHEN Britain leaves, who is destined to become the EU’s “financial center” and “capital of financial regulation”?

“Ein heiliges Volk” is the title of this coming Sabbath’s German sermon. Title in English: “A Holy People.”

“Pfingsten 2016–Gottes Fest der Erstlinge,” is the title of the German sermon for the Feast of Pentecost. Title in English: “Pentecost 2016–God’s Feast of the Firstfruits.”

“Desire to Win,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

How do we accomplish our day to day tasks? Do we do so with joy and happiness, or do we become resentful and angry? The desire to win is put within all of us. It’s what drives us forward. As Christians, we have to take this opportunity and use the potential that God has given to us. Whatever pain and struggle that we have, it will be worth it in the end.

“Is the Earth a Flat Disc?,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Is the earth really a globe, or spherical, as science tells us, or is it perhaps a flat disc, which rests on pillars, as some teach who claim that they base their conclusions on the Bible? How are we to understand Scriptures which tell us that the sun stood still or that it runs its race? Doesn’t this show that the sun revolves or orbits around the earth, rather than the earth revolving around the sun? And doesn’t the Bible say that the earth does not move or rotate? But how can there be day and night at the same time, when from sunrise to sunset, the sun shines during the entire time on the “flat earth”? What happens to the waters of the oceans, if the earth is a disc?

We received the following encouraging comments from brethren in the Philippines regarding our latest booklet, “Punishment for Our Sins”:

“On behalf of Makati church and our group we would like to thank your church for your labor of love in giving us [the] booklet. By the way, we are using your news reports every Sabbath service to update the brethren on what is happening around the world.”

by Joe Bourque

I recently read that I am instructed to be a light to the world and an ambassador of God. I am to stand up for the Word of God, be happy, polite, humble, thankful and above all, have fervent love for each other and God, as He was so gracious to give us this life.

Recent events though have proven that there is more to it!  I had the chance to defend what I believe in my Christian life.  I found myself stumped as what to say when God was blamed for a serious medical condition.  I didn’t have much success comforting and convincing this person that God wasn’t at fault, let alone trying to convince him that God would take care of him one way or another, because we were all praying for him.

This and the recent death of a family member made me realize that I need to be more prepared to give an answer. I know there is not much we can say to people that are of the world and don’t know God, but what if God was to call these people?  There’s more to it than knowing for myself as I may be the one who will be the light of direction for them.