On May 16, 2015, Robb Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “Vestiges,” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “Obedience to the Faith.”

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.

It was probably 1997, and Holy Day services were being held in Derbyshire in the UK. Our guests that day were Colin and Margaret Adair. It would have been a time shortly after I had been appointed as office manager for the Global Church of God in the UK. In the announcements, the late and much missed Mr Adair, then the International Director for Global, said four words that I have thought about many times since. He said “The indefatigable Mr Gale” and then went on to make some further comments. Indefatigable is defined as “persisting tirelessly, tireless, untiring, never-tiring, unwearied, unwearying, unflagging.”

It was a time of quite intense activity. The office was still taking up lots of space in our home until we acquired premises the following year. Much catching up had to be done administratively. Receipts for tithes and offerings for the past year had to be issued and a template for doing so had to be devised. An office structure was planned and implemented and administration for the various video groups and churches had to be put in place. Budgets had to be set, advertising through an agency had to be negotiated and a Feast site found, approved and organised with an expected 300 to be in attendance. Booklet requests were frequent and many questions had to be answered. It was, in short, perhaps a bit more than a full time job for just one person, but I coped with all the energy that I had to make it a thoroughly efficient office. Perhaps that is why Mr Adair called me indefatigable.

Why do I mention this? I was 57 at the time and the figures are now reversed. At 75, some 18 years later, in no way could I be called “indefatigable”! In fact, were Mr Adair to make comments today, he would be well within his rights to say that I was “fatigable” – yes, there is such a word and it means subject to fatigue. I no longer have the energy of even just 18 years ago, and this is a prime example of how we change over the course of a lifetime.

Many, who were extremely fit and mobile not that long ago, may now have mobility problems that they would never have expected at a younger age. We do have to accept our limitations, whatever they may be, but with the wisdom that God can give us as we get older, this is necessary in order to adjust to, what seems to be ever changing physical parts of our life.

What lessons can we draw from what I have written above? There will be a time when all of God’s faithful people will actually become indefatigable. At the resurrection, we will be given spirit bodies and life that will never wear out  – and for eternity. No more getting older with reduced capabilities and functionality. No more tiredness and fatigue; no more illness or disease and no more physical limitations of any sort whatsoever.  “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

It will, in short, be a time when we will all be able to say about each other in that wonderful spiritual realm that we are indefatigable in the service of God, and each other, and that it will be for all eternity!

We begin with a special report, an in-depth analysis from our Pastor in the United Kingdom, Brian Gale, on the election in the UK, followed by news articles on the topic.

We also focus on America’s relationship with Arab countries and the disputed report of the White House as to how Osama bin Laden was allegedly killed; as well as on Israel’s new government; the horror of female genital mutilation in Egypt; and developments in China and Russia; and we conclude with the ever-widening spy scandal in Germany.

Report from the UK by Brian Gale:

The British general election has just taken place and the outcome is surprising, to say the least.   Before the election, not one of the eleven polling companies predicted a Conservative victory but suggested that both of the two main parties would be very close in the number of seats won.   However, the final exit poll showed a different picture much to everyone’s surprise, and that has been borne out by the result.

Certainly the victory could turn out to be something of a poisoned chalice with the Prime Minister and the newly elected government facing nationalism in Scotland and anti-European sentiment in England plus many other things that need attention.   It will be very interesting to see how it all plays out.

Even though we are not to vote or take political sides, it is always interesting to see what happens as we have to live with the result and consequences.   Wikipedia writes about one of the most famous slogans in political history: ‘‘It’s the economy, stupid’ is a slight variation of the phrase ‘The economy, stupid,’ which James Carville had coined as a campaign strategist of Bill Clinton’s successful 1992 presidential campaign against sitting president George H. W. Bush.   Clinton’s campaign had advantageously used the then-prevailing recession situation in the US as one of the campaign means to successfully unseat George H. W. Bush.”

The existing coalition government in the UK focused their campaign on their financial management of the economy, having inherited a dire economy in 2010 and they were, in effect saying, “It’s the economy stupid”.  Of course the other parties told a different story.   They said, as you would expect, that they would do a better job if they were elected.

The leaders of two of the three main parties are both atheists (they have both subsequently resigned as leaders of their party after their defeat) and Mr Cameron is a believer in God and an Anglican churchgoer although he admits that he doesn’t attend church as much as he should.   Mr Blair, a former UK Prime Minister, was a believer in God but allowed those around him to say that “we don’t do God”.   Is it any wonder that we continually have problems when the ideas for running the economy and legislation enacted come from the recesses of men’s minds without any reference whatsoever to God’s Word?

There was a time when leaders did acknowledge the wisdom that can be found in the Word of God, and our nations were influenced in a positive way.   However, any such influence that there was has been eroded by the liberal permissive society in recent decades, and to our detriment.

Unfortunately, UK politicians no longer seem to have any deference towards the Bible and the wisdom that it can give to those who read it in belief and who ask God for understanding.   Problems are evident in every nook and cranny of society today, but the very obvious is ignored.  The problems are now far too big, not only because they are now out of hand, but there is also absolutely no willingness to acquire true knowledge from the pages of the Bible.   It is seen as archaic and completely out of touch, rather than having the answers to the woes currently being experienced.

Running the country, according to those in power or seeking power, is all about GDP (Gross Domestic Product), inflation, interest rates, unemployment levels, a minimum wage, taxes paid to government spending, stock market indices and a number of other issues.

We have surely passed the point of no return when mankind at large does not have the capacity to solve the manifold and often complex problems that engulf the world at this time.   We have seen that many countries around the world have economic problems on a scale hitherto not experienced, and at the same time, a breakdown in understanding right from wrong.   Are the two connected?

In effect, it is believed that it is all about material prosperity – “it’s the economy stupid.”   But consider carefully the following:

Our UK governments in recent years have striven to allow and encourage women to go out to work.   Children suffer with little parental instruction and absent parents (of course, in some cases, this may be very necessary because of an absent parent or the inability to earn sufficient income even from a two parent working family).

Our UK governments have approved and promote homosexuality and other perverted sexual activities.

Our UK governments have their own definition of the family which emerge from the ideas and thoughts of politicians according to their own reasonings.

Our UK governments have allowed abortion and, in the process, have killed millions of innocent unborn children.

Our UK governments have presided over education which is increasingly liberal with the false, ridiculous theory of evolution being taught as fact.

Our UK governments have allowed ill-discipline in schools to proliferate, so that teachers can’t do their jobs properly, and this ill-discipline is now endemic in society at large.  It all leads to more aggression and violence and affects the very fabric of our society.

Our UK governments have presided over the marginalisation of Christianity whilst allowing foreign religions to promote their own creed in this country.

You will note from the above examples that the economy is not mentioned except in passing.   And this is the fundamental problem today.  Yes, a vibrant and successful economy is necessary to sustain all that needs to be done but if the foundation is wrong then the whole house falls.

In Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 we read about the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.   If we had, as a nation, observed all of God’s Commandments (Deuteronomy 28:3), we wouldn’t have all the problems that are extant in society today.   Whilst these were blessings that would have been given to ancient Israel, the same principles apply to their descendants.    And we are those descendants today (see our booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America”).

In Deuteronomy 28, verses 2-6, many blessings are outlined which we don’t enjoy today.   In verse 7 we read that we would be protected against our enemies and many blessings are revealed in verses 8-14.   From verses 15 onwards, the curses for disobedience are described, which we are now reaping because God is seen, generally, as either non-existent or irrelevant.

Just think of the change that would happen if the leaders and nations turned to God.   The book of Jonah shows what can happen when a nation “from the greatest to the least of them” (Jonah 3:5) believe God and obey Him.

Our new government in the UK has no chance of resolving the issues that confront our nation because they are tackling them from a wrong perspective.   If they said that obedience to God was essential; if they promoted marriage between a man and a woman only and totally supported the Godly family-ordained unit; if they removed all the approval of perversion that engulfs our society; if they said that abortion would no longer be allowed; if the educational system taught the truth of God rather than the false evolutionary concept; and if our government only allowed the truth of God to be taught and not all of the false religions that have invaded our lands; then we would be truly headed in the right direction.

The problem is that leaders give no thought to proper moral values; in fact, it seems that they continue to ignore the source that would ensure success.  Is a change of attitude in the nation likely to happen?   It could, but there would have to be such a transformation throughout the country that it is unlikely to happen now.

We live in a society where someone can be convicted for calling someone else a name that offends them but anybody can blaspheme the Name of the great Creator God and Jesus Christ without any sanction or prosecution whatsoever.   The nation, at large, has no respect for God and He will only allow such behaviour to go on for so long.

One other simple example will show how far the nation has descended into the depths of depravity.   On May 1st (a minority party leader stated that she was “open to the idea of legalising three-way marriages.  Party members could get the chance to formulate policy to permit so-called polyamorous relationships, which would allow more than two people to enter into marriages or have civil partnerships.”   She said that she had already led the way in calling for the liberalisation of marriage laws and is “open” to going further. This answer was given to the question, “As someone living with his two boyfriends in a stable long-term relationship I would like to know what your stance is on polyamory rights. Is there room for your support on group civil partnerships or marriages?”

It should be quite clear that since the UK has turned its back on God in so many ways, curses are the inevitable consequence.  It is safe to say that if politicians campaigned on instituting Godly values in our society, they wouldn’t be voted into power anyway.

In the book of Jeremiah we read: “How can you say, ‘We are wise, And the law of the LORD is with us’?  Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood. The wise men are ashamed, They are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD; So what wisdom do they have?” (Jeremiah 8:8-9).

However, we do know from God’s Holy Days that it will happen.   The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the time when Christ will rule on earth and a right way of living will be taught and implemented at that time.   Whilst it won’t happen before the return of Jesus Christ, it will happen when He returns to this earth.   There will be no more elections, no more politics and no more Satan-inspired activities.   It will be well worth waiting for!

Cameron Wins with Simple Majority

JTA wrote on May 8:

“Ed Miliband, the first Jewish leader of Britain’s Labour Party, is resigning as British Prime Minister David Cameron definitively won reelection… The surprisingly strong showing scuttled Miliband’s ambitions of becoming his country’s first Jewish prime minister…

“According to polls, British Jews strongly favored Cameron, in part because of Miliband’s relative coolness on Israel and the Labour Party’s shift to the left since the departure of Tony Blair, who led Britain in the 1990s and the first part of the 2000s.

“Poor showings by the anti-immigrant U.K. Independence Party led its leader, Nigel Farage, to resign on Friday. Also resigning was David Clegg, the leader of the centrist Liberal Democrats…”

The UKIP executive refused to accept Nigel Farage’s resignation and so he is now back as their leader.   Although they only have one seat in Parliament (out of 650 available) they did poll 3.9 million votes and many had been drawn to the party by their immigration stance and their commitment to withdrawal from the EU.

Many “explanations” were given as to why all these polls were so terribly wrong and totally unreliable. But the real answer might be that God directed the outcome of these elections, to keep Mr. Cameron in office so that he could bring about God’s prophesied purpose of having Great Britain leave the EU (Mr. Cameron insisted after the election that the promised referendum will take place in 2017, when Britain will decide whether or not it would stay in Europe—a vast majority is expressing a wish to leave the EU). Even though Mr. Cameron has only pledged to hold it—not to support it—Mr. Milliband had vowed a much closer co-operation with the EU. Please view our new StandingWatch program, “WHY the Surprise Victory for David Cameron?”

Cameron’s Victory “Bad News for Europe?” — Germany Will Have to “Take an Even More Dominant Role in Europe”

 The Local wrote on May 8:

“German politicians and commentators confronted the reality that Germany would have to take an even more dominant role in Europe on Friday after David Cameron’s Conservative party achieved a surprise victory in the British general election.

“Cameron’s promise to put the UK’s membership of the European Union to a vote in 2017 and the massive surge of support for the Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) will likely see the country consumed with its internal politics. Meanwhile, elections the same year in France could see the eurosceptic National Front divide the country, leaving Germany the only one of Europe’s three largest nations with the stability to look to a long-term vision.

“… the trend of recent years which has seen Germany take a leading role in European foreign policy is set to continue…

“Spiegel interpreted the election result in the European context, leading with the blunt headline ‘Bad news for Europe.’ ‘Firstly this is a bad result for Europe. It means that Cameron, the weak leader, will become even more susceptible to pressure from within his own party. The eurosceptic loudmouths from the back-benches will become even more powerful,’ wrote Christoph Scheuermann…

“The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung spoke of having to ‘rub one’s eyes’ when the results were announced, expressing disbelief at how misleading opinion polls had been… the paper expressed anxiety at the repercussions for Europe…

“Süddeutsche Zeitung was sceptical of the surprise Conservative victory, and focused on the various problems the Prime Minister will face in his second term. ‘Struggling to triumph’ read the headline. ‘Cameron may have secured a slim overall majority, but this is far from a great victory,’ wrote Björn Finke…

“Business daily Handelsblatt went with the headline ‘Election winner in a torn land’… ‘This election accelerates dramatically historical changes that have been long in the making. For us in Europe this means the possibility of a “Brexit.”’”

The New York Times added on May 8:

 “Prime Minister David Cameron, having achieved a smashing and unexpected outright victory in Britain’s general election, heads into his second term facing severe — even existential — challenges to his nation’s identity and place in the world: how to keep the United Kingdom in the European Union and Scotland in the United Kingdom.”

AFP wrote on May 8:

“Prime Minister David Cameron’s expected new five-year term could prove less stable than the outgoing one and will put Britain on a rocky course to an EU membership referendum, analysts said Friday… Without his former junior coalition partner, the centrist Liberal Democrats, Cameron could find himself under pressure to be more right-wing and pursue a harder line on Europe, experts said.”

Things Have Changed in the UK

The Associated Press wrote on May 9:

“After years of sharing power, David Cameron pulled off an unexpected election triumph that gave the Conservative prime minister a second term with an outright majority Friday and dealt a stinging defeat to his three main rivals… But he faces a fractured Britain – divided by rich and poor, by separatist gains in Scotland and by doubts over its place in the European Union.

“The election ushers in a new era in British politics, with veteran lawmakers ousted by a public that made clear it had lost trust in its political leaders. The victors included a 20-year-old Scottish nationalist who beat out a senior Labour Party leader in Scotland.

“It was also unexpected. Polls had predicted a dead heat – a result that would have meant days of haggling to form a new government. Queen Elizabeth II was out of town at her castle in Windsor, and needed to rush back to London for the traditional meeting at Buckingham Palace in which the victor offers to form a government… The surprising outcome merely underscored how much things have changed – that there is now a new unpredictability in British politics…”

UK Referendum Earlier?

The EUObserver wrote on May 12:

“The UK could hold a referendum on EU membership as early as July 2016, The Guardian reported Monday evening (11 May). The paper quoted a government source as saying that the ‘mood now is definitely to accelerate the process and give us the option of holding the referendum in 2016’… The referendum will be preceded by negotiations to get a ‘better deal’ in Europe for UK. The idea is that British voters can then decide, based on the results of the talks, if they want their country to stay in the EU, of which it has been a member since 1973.

“… The Guardian noted that a bill, which is needed to hold a referendum, could be passed by June 2016, making a referendum possible the next month, or in September 2016, after the summer break.”

No Special Deal for Britain

The Local wrote on May 13:

“[German] Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble had a prickly response to British demands for reform of the EU in the margins of a European finance ministers’ meeting on Tuesday… Schäuble was in no hurry to meet Prime Minister David Cameron’s timetable – and was fed up with ‘silly’ and ‘unnecessary’ interventions in the eurozone crisis from across the Channel… He explicitly rejected attaching a package of British demands to any reforms made to shore up the currency union.

“Cameron hopes to press other member countries into treaty change ahead of a referendum on EU membership set for 2017, a key promise he made to bolster support on his right wing before last week’s parliamentary election… But Schäuble’s brusque dismissal of British officials’ plan to tack special terms for the UK onto a new push for political and fiscal integration among eurozone members sets the scene for a showdown between the two countries.

“… That was a stark difference from UK Chancellor (finance minister) George Osborne, who said in Brussels that he had ‘a very clear mandate to improve Britain’s relationship with the rest of the EU and to reform the EU so that it creates jobs and increases living standards for all its citizens.’”

The EUObserver added on May 13:

“French finance minister Michel Sapin dismissed the idea of a ‘so-called renegotiation’ leading to a EU treaty change. ‘If it’s about discussing the functioning of the EU, this sort of discussion is possible. If it’s about renegotiating treaties, you know the position of France. That’s a completely different matter. In the current context, no treaty change, no constitutional debate,’ he said.”

Jury Duty Decision in the UK

The Telegraph wrote on May 11:

“A devout Muslim man who objected to jury service by claiming his religion forbids it was forced to serve by an Old Bailey judge. The man wrote to the court asking to be excused because he felt unable to sit in judgement of others. ‘As a Muslim, I believe you shouldn’t judge anyone and can’t come to any decision regarding another person,’ he wrote. ‘I could not take the responsibility of judging a person innocent or guilty. ‘I believe we are judged after our death and I would hate to think an innocent person would suffer because of the evidence and my decision.’

“The juror was ordered to appear at the Old Bailey on Monday morning to argue his case on the first day of his jury service. He said: ‘I deeply believe I can’t take that responsibility. I would be really uncomfortable to come to any decision when a decision is to be made.’

“But Judge Timothy Pontius QC said his situation was no different to other Muslims asked to serve on a jury. ‘Many understandably will have religious beliefs and are members of one faith or another,’ said the judge. ‘Some have very deeply-held religious beliefs and yet they discharge their responsibilities consciously and consistent with their religious beliefs. ‘It is common for many members of the jury to be practising Muslims, some hold their religious faith very deeply indeed, and yet are content to sit in judgement of fellow citizens.’

“The juror conceded he would want a jury to decide if a crime was committed against his family and eventually agreed he would serve if ordered to do so. ‘I’ve made my excuse,’ he said. ‘I’ve written to you asking for my dismissal. I live in this country and have to go by the law, but if you order me to be of service that is my responsibility.’

“Judge Pontius told him: ‘I don’t for a moment doubt the strength of your religious beliefs, but for the reasons I have set out and applying the logic which I have expressed about the position, I regret I can’t excuse you from jury service.’’

The problem with this potential juror is that his conviction was not strong enough. This should serve as an example to everyone who refuses to become a juror due to his sincerely held religious conviction. He could not serve on a jury and render a decision, even IF ordered by a court to do so. The biblical injunction is very clear: We must obey God rather than man, if there is a conflict. For the same reason could a true Christian not serve as a combatant in the army and kill an enemy, even IF ordered to do so.

US Camp David Summit Skipped by Most Gulf Heads of State

The Associated Press reported on May 11:

“It is not just the Saudi king who will be skipping the Camp David summit of U.S. and allied Arab leaders. Most Gulf heads of state won’t be there. The absences will put a damper on talks that are designed to reassure key Arab allies, and almost certainly reflect dissatisfaction among leaders of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council with Washington’s handling of Iran and what they expect to get out of the meeting…

“At the summit, leaders of Gulf nations will be looking for assurances that they have Obama’s support at a time when the region feels under siege from Islamic extremists and by Iran’s rising influence. The Gulf states worry the nuclear pact taking shape with the U.S., Iran and other nations may embolden Tehran to act more aggressively in the region…

“Abdulkhaleq Abdullah, a professor of political science at Emirates University, said Gulf leaders were staying away from the Camp David gathering to signal their displeasure over the nuclear talks. ‘I don’t think they have a deep respect, a deep trust for Obama and his promises. There is a fundamental difference between his vision of post-nuclear-deal Iran and their vision,’ he said… Abdullah… said the Gulf ties with the United States remain strong, but they have been strained during Obama’s tenure.”

The Weekly Standard wrote on May 11:

“It was a long time ago and a galaxy far, far away: In July 2008, presidential candidate Barack Obama made big, bold news by travelling to Berlin to – as The New York Times triumphantly recorded – ‘restore the world’s faith in strong American leadership and idealism.’ With 200,000 Berliners waving campaign-provided American flags, Obama called for renewing America’s alliances and undoing the cowboy unilateralism of George W. Bush and Obama’s 2008 opponent Sen. John McCain.

“The events of recent months are an indication of how spectacularly Obama has failed to fulfill his 2008 promise. This week comes the news that Saudi Arabia’s newly installed King Salman and three of the other six Gulf monarchs are boycotting Obama’s Camp David summit – a meeting called by Obama to reassure the Arab states that the forthcoming nuclear deal with Iran was not a betrayal of their longstanding security relationship with the United States. Beyond their fears of Iran’s nukes, the Gulf states see the rise of an aspiring Persian hegemon – in Yemen, in Syria, in Iraq – taking advantage of, if not actively conspiring with, a retreating America.  In this case ‘no show’ means ‘no confidence.”

Did President Obama Lie?

Breitbart wrote on May 11:

“Seymour Hersh, the Pulitzer Prize winning left-wing investigative journalist, is accusing Pres. Obama of lying about the raid that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden… Hersh’s story describes a politically obsessed President Obama rushing to get word out about the raid over the objections of key officials like Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Hersh points out that the bin Laden raid ‘was the high point of Obama’s first term, and a major factor in his re-election.’

“Hersh’s other main claim involves the knowledge of Pakistani officials. Hersh says the Obama administration claimed that the senior generals of Pakistan’s army and Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) were not told of the raid in advance. ‘This is false, as are many other elements of the Obama administration’s account.’

“Appearing on CNN Monday morning, Hersh strongly defended the story from attacks by host Chris Cuomo and CNN Security Analyst Peter Bergen, who wrote a lengthy rebuttal for CNN. Responding to the charge that his article was based primarily on just one single, anonymous source, veteran reporter Hersh told Cuomo he had ‘vet and verify[ied]’ his reporting with other sources.

“Bergen claims Hersh’s argument is essentially a massive conspiracy theory, calling it ‘farrago of nonsense that is contravened by a multitude of eyewitness accounts, inconvenient facts and simple common sense.’ In his criticism, however, Bergen notes that the Obama administration made false statements right after the raid.

“In his article, Hersh correctly points out that in the immediate aftermath of the bin Laden raid, White House officials initially made some false statements about the raid — for instance, that bin Laden was using his wives as human shields during the raid — but these were quickly corrected. Hersh says the reason for the inaccuracies is that President Obama wanted to take immediate credit for the raid. Hersh said that the initial plan was to announce the death of bin Laden about a week later, but Hersh writes:

“‘Obama’s speech was put together in a rush, the retired official said, and was viewed by his advisers as a political document, not a message that needed to be submitted for clearance to the national security bureaucracy. This series of self-serving and inaccurate statements would create chaos in the weeks following.’

“Hersh quotes from Robert Gate’s book Duty about how upset Gates was that President Obama decided to push narrative in order to take credit. ‘That we killed him, I said, is all we needed to say. Everybody in that room agreed to keep mum on details. That commitment lasted about five hours. The initial leaks came from the White House and CIA. They just couldn’t wait to brag and to claim credit. The facts were often wrong… Nonetheless the information just kept pouring out. I was outraged and at one point, told the national security adviser, Tom Donilon, “Why doesn’t everybody just shut… up?” To no avail.’

“Hersh reports others were also incensed by President Obama’s approach to organizing and delivering the speech: ‘Gates wasn’t the only official who was distressed by Obama’s decision to speak without clearing his remarks in advance, the retired official said, “but he was the only one protesting. Obama didn’t just double-cross Gates, he double-crossed everyone.’”

The Washington Post reported on May 11 that “the CIA and White House are both rejecting his account” and that a “CIA official told The Washington Post that Hersh’s story is ‘utter nonsense.’’’

Of course, what else would they say? Hersh’s story was also rejected by Robert O’Neill, the former Navy SEAL who says he fired the shots that killed Osama bin Laden. But Hersh is not a nobody, nor is he a conservative. He “earned a Pulitzer Prize in 1970 for exposing the mass killing of civilians in the My Lai Massacre in Vietnam in 1969, and later was credited with helping to expose the abuse of detainees by the U.S. military at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison in 2004.”  Hersh also claims that from the outset, the goal of the mission was to assassinate bin Laden, and that his dead body was not “buried” in the way as claimed by the White House, but disposed of in a most despicable way.

More Sources Confirm Hersh’s Account

 Newsmax reported on May 12:

“After Seymour Hersh claimed in a lengthy expose that the Obama administration inaccurately took full credit for the killing of Osama bin Laden, more sources have come forward to confirm his account. Two intelligence sources have told NBC News that the year before the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden, a ‘walk in’ asset from Pakistani intelligence told the CIA where bin Laden was hiding, while three sources say that the Pakistani government was aware of bin Laden’s location all along…

“John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, dismissed Hersh’s account…  For his part, Hersh has defended his account. He told CNN on Monday, ‘I’ve been around a long time … and I understand the consequences of what I’m saying.’”

Newsmax added on May 13:

“Another voice has joined the chorus of those who say that Seymour Hersh’s account of the demise of Osama bin Laden is more accurate than the claims of the Obama administration: New York Times foreign correspondent Carlotta Gall. Gall has said that she had gleaned from her sources that Pakistan’s intelligence service had kept bin Laden prisoner since 2006, and that the CIA learned about his location from a Pakistani informer who sold the information for $25 million.  ‘On this count, my own reporting tracks with Hersh’s,’ Gall wrote.”

Those who dismiss Hersh’s account outright—such as John McCain—had better beware what they are saying. The German magazine, Focus, reported this week that other journalists confirmed Mr. Hersh’s account as well, stating that most of the information had been known in Washington all along.

Netanyahu’s Shaky Government

The Washington Post wrote on May 7:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been a dominating political figure in the United States this year, seemingly invincible as he hurled thunderbolts at President Obama and other adversaries. But here in Israel, not so much. After winning a narrow election victory in March, Netanyahu formed a fragile government late Wednesday with a bare one-vote margin in parliament. Israeli analysts, left and right, are questioning whether the government can last long. Netanyahu said Thursday that he had been leaving the foreign-minister position vacant for Labor Party leader Isaac Herzog, in hopes of broadening his base, but Herzog rejected the offer…

“Netanyahu’s camp hopes for a new opening with Gulf Arab states that share mistrust of Iran… An Israeli-Arab alliance against Iran is intriguing. But like much else about Netanyahu’s fledgling government, it’s more an aspiration than a practical agenda. Netanyahu, so potent in the United States, has a shaky base at home.”

Vatican Recognizes State of Palestine

The Associated Press reported on May 13:

“The Vatican officially recognized the state of Palestine in a new treaty finalized Wednesday, immediately sparking Israeli ire and accusations that the move hurt peace prospects. The treaty, which concerns the activities of the Catholic Church in Palestinian territory, is both deeply symbolic and makes explicit that the Holy See has switched its diplomatic recognition from the Palestine Liberation Organization to the state of Palestine.

“The Vatican had welcomed the decision by the U.N. General Assembly in 2012 to recognize a Palestinian state and had referred to the Palestine state since. But the treaty is the first legal document negotiated between the Holy See and the Palestinian state, giving the Vatican’s former signs of recognition an unambiguous confirmation in a formal, bilateral treaty…

“The United States and Israel oppose recognition, arguing that it undermines U.S.-led efforts to negotiate an Israeli-Palestinian deal on the terms of Palestinian statehood. Most countries in Western Europe have held off on recognition, but some have hinted that their position could change if peace efforts remain deadlocked. The treaty was finalized days before Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visits Pope Francis at the Vatican. Abbas is heading to Rome to attend Francis’ canonization Sunday of two new saints from the Holy Land.”

Female Genital Mutilation Highest in Egypt

The website of egyptianstreets.com reported on May 10:

“Egypt’s Minister of Health Adel Adawy announced on Sunday that 92 percent of married Egyptian women [aged between 15 and 49] have experienced female genital mutilation… The majority of females undergo genital mutilation between the ages of nine and 12, with only 31 percent of the operations run by doctors, said the Minister of Health. The Minister of Health added that FGM in rural areas is as high as 95 percent, compared to up to 39.2 percent in urban cities… more than 50 percent of married women in Egypt favor female genital mutilation and is in accordance with religious teachings…

“Despite a large number of women surveyed believing that FGM is condoned by Islam, Egypt’s top Islamic authority has condemned the act as ‘un-Islamic’ and ‘barbaric’. Moreover, Egypt banned female genital mutilation in 2008. Article 242 of Egypt’s Penal Code criminalizes the circumcision of girls The punishment for performing FGM is a prison sentence ranging from three months to two years or a fine of 5,000 Egyptian pounds…

“According to the World Health Organization, Egypt, Somalia, Guinea, Djibouti and Sierra Leone have the highest rates of FGM. A 2013 UNICEF report found that Egypt has the world’s highest total number of FGM sufferers, with 27.2 million women having undergone FGM.”

China’s Military Ambitions

The website of freebeacon.com wrote on May 8:

“China’s military plans to produce nearly 42,000 land-based and sea-based unmanned weapons and sensor platforms as part of its continuing, large-scale military buildup, the Pentagon’s annual report on the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) disclosed Friday. China currently operates several armed and unarmed drone aircraft and is developing long-range… unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for both intelligence gathering and bombing attacks.

“The acquisition and development of longer-range UAVs will increase China’s ability to conduct long-range reconnaissance and strike operations,” the report said… The drone buildup is part of what the Pentagon identified as a decades-long military buildup that last year produced new multi-warhead missiles and a large number of submarines and ships… Additionally, the Pentagon for the first time confirmed China’s development of an ultra-high speed maneuvering strike vehicle as part of its growing strategic nuclear arsenal… a strike weapon that travels at the edge of space at nearly 10 times the speed of sound…

“The Chinese military, once a backward, ill-equipped force, is rapidly becoming a very sophisticated high-technology military organization that is focused on developing asymmetric warfare capabilities that will allow it to defeat the United States or other advanced militaries in a future conflict. The new capabilities include anti-satellite weapons, including a high-earth orbit missile capable of hitting strategic satellites as high as 22,000 miles in space, and cyber warfare capabilities… Chinese nationalism is also on the rise.”

It was also reported that on May 8, Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping signed an “economic” agreement between Russia’s Eurasian Union and China’s Silk Road.

 Russia’s Re-Invention of History

 The EUObserver wrote on May 8:“Russia’s EU ambassador, Vladimir Chizhov… [said] ‘Crimea was not an annexation by any means … it was an attempt by local people to decide their future for themselves’. He justified Russia’s deployment of special forces in Crimea by claiming Ukrainian nationalists were preparing a ‘massacre’ of Russian speakers.

“He added that Stalin, who, like Hitler, murdered millions of Russians…  is a ‘national hero’ for many Russians… He also defended Russia’s invasion of Poland in 1939, under the ‘Molotov-Ribbentrop’ pact with Germany, as an act of ‘necessity’ at the time. It’s a narrative espoused by many Russian people… The narrative causes horror in Russia’s neighbours… [It] has also caused alarm in EU chancelleries and in Washington…

“Opposition leaders, such as Boris Nemtsov, are being murdered, and NGOs are being harassed as ‘foreign agents’. ‘He [Putin] has nothing to brag about at home … so the only thing he can offer to Russian people is fear of an outside enemy and fantasies of imperial greatness’, Garry Kasparov, a former Soviet chess champion who lives in the US, told EUobserver in a recent interview… For Kasparov, they do it because ‘the collapse of the Soviet Union was painful. But, unlike Germany, there was no process of reconciliation or lustration, of cleansing society of former Communist apparatchiks, and, most importantly, of the KGB’, he said, referring to the Russian intelligence service, now called the FSB…”

Some gullible and uninformed Western authors and commentators have even bought into the Russian propaganda that Russia—and not the USA and its Western Allies— brought an end to World War II and that Russia defeated Nazi Germany. Nothing could be further from the truth. However, blame must be asserted against the USA and its Western allies that they collaborated with Stalin… who was an evil dictator and no better than Hitler.

 History would have turned out much differently if the USA and Great Britain would have cooperated with Count Stauffenberg and those German officers who were quite active in trying to defeat (assassinate) Hitler as early as 1943, asking for support from the Allies who tragically refused to lend any helping hand, insisting instead in Germany’s unconditional surrender, which, as they knew, German officers (opposed to Hitler) could never agree to.

 So, the Western Allies chose instead to work with mass murderer Stalin against mass murderer Hitler—but as the old German proverb says, “The one who wants to eat with the devil must have a big spoon.” As it turned out, the spoon of the Allies was not big enough, and terrible consequences ensued, which, correctly understood, will be a major cause for a future World War, which will be fought by continental Europe, under German leadership, against the USA and the UK.

Germany’s Spy Scandal Intensifying

Thomson/Reuters reported on May 11:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel defended her present and past chiefs of staff on Monday against criticism that they lied to the public about the prospects of a ‘no-spy agreement’ with the United States. Media reports alleging lying by Merkel’s aides were the latest in a controversy over German intelligence… The latest report said Washington never offered Germany a no-spy agreement after those revelations, despite statements from Merkel and senior aides during the campaign for Germany’s general election held only a few months later…

“Raising the pressure on Merkel, SPD Secretary General Yasmin Fahimi said on Monday: ‘If it’s true the U.S. never held out the prospect of such a no-spy agreement between Germany and America, then the conservatives lied in the 2013 election campaign.’… Former Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger from the Free Democrats (FDP), who were in coalition with Merkel’s conservatives from 2009-2013, joined the attack, telling Der Spiegel magazine’s online edition: ‘In the end, the chancellery pulled the wool over people’s eyes.’”

The Local wrote on May 10:

“The US intelligence agency NSA asked its German partner service BND to spy on the European country’s engineering and technology giant Siemens, a German newspaper [Bild am Sonntag] reported Sunday. In the latest report on a widening spying scandal, the newspaper said the US National Security Agency (NSA) suspected that Siemens was supplying communications technology to a Russian secret service, said the newspaper…

“In response to the scandal, which is straining Merkel’s ruling left-right coalition, the BND last week reportedly scaled back its cooperation with the NSA on communications intercepted at its listening post in Bad Aibling in the southern state of Bavaria. The Merkel government has so far declined demands by a parliamentary oversight panel to release a list of the NSA’s requested search terms or ‘selectors’ for IP and email addresses and mobile phone numbers, citing its ongoing consultations with Washington.

“The Bild am Sonntag reported Sunday that the United States had already rejected the request, citing its ongoing operations, and that it had threatened to scale back cooperation if Berlin released them anyway. The US side had warned it would limit its help to terror warnings but would no longer share material such as high-resolution images of war zones or of areas where German citizens have been kidnapped, the report said.

“Fugitive US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, who is living in hiding in Russia, told Germany’s news weekly Spiegel that the latest reports show that ‘massive surveillance is a reality’. ‘Industrial espionage is practised and the intelligence services are working beyond the control of the representatives of the people and of justice,’ said Snowden.”

Does this passage negate the biblical teaching that man does not have an immortal soul?  The answer is that it does not contradict the rest of the Bible. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 reads: “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Before we discuss what this passage tells us, we need to focus on the basics. We explain in our free booklet, “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?” that man does not have a soul—mortal or immortal—but that man IS the soul. We point out the following:

“…  the word ‘soul,’ or the Hebrew word ‘nephesh,’ as well as the Greek word ‘psyche,’ applies to men and animals alike, and can refer to either a living or a dead person or animal. The soul is a ‘living being’ as long as the being is alive… man became a living soul when he was created, but… when he dies, he becomes a dead soul, and… a dead soul does not continue to live…”

When focusing on the Old Testament and the Hebrew word “nephesh” for “soul,” we explain, by quoting many Scriptures, that “one can eat the soul—the blood—but that one should not”; and that the “soul must eat something in order to stay alive.” We also show that “a soul can physically touch something unclean and be considered unclean as well. The soul can also… bathe”; and the “biblical teaching is that the soul can be put to death.”

We show that the word “soul” describes many times the entire person—his whole being.

On the other hand, the word “soul” can refer, at times, “to the psyche of the living creature; it can describe the heart—the feelings and motivations… the soul is the temporary, physical person, with all of his desires, wants and feelings.” We explain that “the emotional or psychological aspects of a person are sometimes identified with his ‘soul.’ The word ‘soul’ still describes the person—not something in the person—but it may emphasize from time to time what could otherwise be described with the ‘heart.’…

“A person has feelings. These feelings are sometimes described as originating in, and coming from, the heart or the soul. But this does not make the soul or the heart something separate from the person, something immortal that lives on when the person dies… when we become extremely frightened or fearful, it is sometimes presented in the Bible in such a way that ‘our soul’ becomes afraid…

“The Authorized Version translates the Hebrew word ‘nephesh’ 15 times as ‘heart.’ In several cases, the emotional side of anguish, fear, grief and anxiety is emphasized in those passages… Perhaps now, we can better understand why God commands us to seek Him with all of our heart [Hebrew, ‘lebab’] and soul [‘nephesh’] (Deuteronomy 4:29), and to love Him ‘with all thine heart [‘lebab’], and with all thy soul [‘nephesh’] and with all thy might [Hebrew, ‘meod’]” (Deuteronomy 6:5). This is just another way of saying that our entire being—everything we are, including our desires and emotions—must seek God and love Him beyond anyone or anything else…

“This word [“nephesh”] is also used to describe the emotional side of animals… God uses the Hebrew word ‘nephesh’ to describe even His own emotions and feelings… The word ‘soul’… describes the innermost feelings of the persons, both of God and of man, not something immortal within the person.”

When turning to the New Testament and the Greek word for “soul”—”psyche”—we explain that both words mean exactly the same; when an Old Testament passage with the word “nephesh” is quoted in the New Testament, the Greek word (“psyche”) is used as translation of the Hebrew word “nephesh.”

And so, we find that the New Testament “reveals that people are souls. Souls are not something within the people—rather, souls are people.”

At the same time, “the Greek word ‘psyche’ may describe… aspects of the person. It may emphasize the feelings, emotions and desires of the heart, while other aspects of the person might be described in different terms… the soul is equated… with special feelings. It is the person, of course, who has those desires and feelings, but special emphasis is given to the psychological aspect of a person…, describing it as the ‘soul.’ (Interestingly, the English word ‘psychological’ is, in fact, derived from the Greek word ‘psyche.’) When these psychological aspects are to be emphasized, the word ‘soul’ is sometimes used in combination with other human aspects—but this does not make the ‘soul’ an immortal element or entity within the man.”

New Testament Scriptures which are not quoted in the above-stated booklet, but which also prove that “soul” can refer to the feelings and emotions of a person, can be found in Matthew 11:29 (“you will find rest for your souls”); Matthew 26:38 (“My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death”); Luke 2:35 (“a sword will pierce through your own soul also”); John 12:27 (“Now My soul is troubled”); Acts 2:43 (“fear came upon every soul”); Romans 2:9 (“tribulation and anguish… on every soul of man who does evil”); and 2 Peter 2:8 (“that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds…”).

With this understanding, we are ready to review the meaning of the passage in 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

In our booklet, we are giving the following explanation:

“We read in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, ‘And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit [Greek ‘pneuma’] and soul [Greek ‘psyche’] and body [Greek ‘soma’] be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.’

“In dividing the person into three aspects or ‘components,’ Paul did not address the issue as to whether some of the aspects were mortal or immortal. Rather, the ‘spirit’ of the person describes his mind, the ‘body’ describes his physical flesh, and the ‘soul’ describes his ‘temporary physical life.’ The Christians were asked to preserve blameless their minds, bodies and lives. To say that this verse teaches the immortality of the soul would mean that the ‘flesh’ or the ‘body’ would also have to be ‘immortal,’ which it clearly is not…”

We might add here that the “spirit” also refers to the spirit in man which God gives to every human being at the time of his physical conception (Zechariah 12:1), and which returns to God when the person dies (Ecclesiastes 12:7). That spirit imparts intelligence and human reasoning to the person (Job 20:2-3; Psalm 77:6; Proverbs 20:27). But that spirit in man is not something immortal, but it is only “functioning” as long as the man is alive (James 2:26). It imparts to the man and can be equated with the human mind (compare Ephesians 4:23: “… be renewed in the spirit of your mind”), which separates man from the animals (1 Corinthians 2:11). In addition, a person called by God receives the Holy Spirit at the time of baptism (his spiritual conception), which imparts to the man the “mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 2:5), and which will also, together with the spirit in man, go back to God when man dies. But even the Holy Spirit in the man does not keep on “living,” as a conscious “entity,” apart from the man, when the person dies.

At the same time, the “soul” can refer to psychosomatic aspects of the man, including his emotions and feelings of joy or depression, hope or anxiety and “bitterness of soul” (1 Samuel 1:10; Job 10:1; Isaiah 38:15). But again, this does not make the soul immortal, because those feelings are only part of the man as long as the man is alive. Once the person dies, all his emotions and feelings have ceased (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6).

Some commentators—including those who falsely believe in the immortality of the soul—understand that 1 Thessalonians 5:23 cannot be used to prove the teaching of an “immortal soul.”

The New Unger’s Bible Handbook states the following:

“Sanctification for the whole man… involves the whole nature of man: ‘body,’ the material tent (2 Corinthians 5:1-8) in which man pilgrims in this world and with its five senses has communication with the natural world; ‘soul,’ the seat of affections, desires, will and emotions (Matthew 11:29; 26:38; John 12:27); ‘spirit,’ the higher part of man which knows (1 Corinthians 2:11) and has communication with God (Job 32:8; Psalm 18:28; Proverbs 20:27).”

In addition, some commentaries feel that the terminology is not primarily used to divide the person into three parts, but to emphasize that the whole man—every aspect of the Christian life—should be sanctified or set apart for God’s holy purpose (compare the Ryrie Study Bible and the Nelson Study Bible). The same thought would be expressed here, as it is in Deuteronomy 4:29; 6:25 (see above), regarding the necessity of loving God with our entire being (that is, with our whole heart, soul, and might). For instance, the Life Application Bible states:

“The spirit, soul and body refer not so much to the distinct parts of a person as to the entire being of a person. The expression is Paul’s way of saying that God must be involved in every aspect of our lives. It is wrong to think that we can separate our spiritual lives from everything else, obeying God only in some ethereal sense or living for him only one day of each week. Christ must control all of us, not just a ‘religious’ part.”

In conclusion, 1 Thessalonians 5:23 cannot be used to teach the concept of an immortal soul. Rather, Paul is praying that we (our entire being) would be “preserved” or “kept” (Gr. tereo) by God; that we would be “kept” in the love of God (Jude 21) and that we “keep” ourselves unspotted from the world (James 1:27), so that we will be counted worthy to enter the Kingdom of God when Christ returns.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Pentecost will be observed on Sunday, May 24, 2015. There will be two services with starting times as follows: 10:00 AM Pacific Time and 2:30 PM Pacific Time.

The May Member Letter has been written and will be mailed this week. In it, Dave Harris draws attention to the Feast of Pentecost and the responsibility Christians have since receiving God’s Holy Spirit.

A new German member letter was sent out this week via email, addressing the world situation in light of biblical prophecy and our responsibility as Christians. It also includes announcements for the upcoming weekly Sabbath and Pentecost services in Germany.

“WHY the Surprise Victory for David Cameron?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The polls indicated a completely different result, but David Cameron’s “smashing and unexpected outright victory in Britain’s general election” was no accident. Even though analysts try now to determine and “rationalize” the reasons for their wrong predictions, the most important factor for the decisive outcome has been overlooked. Could biblical prophecies have preordained it, and if so, what will be the consequences for the UK, the EU under German leadership, and the rest of the world?

“Trost und Ermutigung,” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon. Title in English: “Comfort and Encouragement.”

“Simplify,” the sermonette presented by Eric Rank last Sabbath is now posted. Here is a summary:

Choosing to simplify our lives can be a difficult thing. The world offers a pursuit of more, but a Christian life is one that aims to remove distractions and focus on one very important thing – committing our life to the glorification of God.

“Why Are There Races and Nations?” the sermon presented by Dave Harris last Sabbath is now posted.

Here is a summary:

Nations rise and fall—is that merely the result of blind fate? Or is there a great purpose being worked out by God for ALL of His creation? Is God actually guiding the eventual outcome of man’s activities among the many races and nations?

On May 9, 2015, Eric Rank will present the sermonette, titled, “Simplify,” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “Why Are There Races and Nations?”

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.

It comes as no surprise that the time we are living in is becoming increasingly difficult, especially when simple things that we need are beginning to take effect in our lives, like rising gasoline prices, water shortages and power outages. These necessities could affect the cost on other items such as groceries.  With a struggling economy, are we becoming more cautious and aware when it comes to either saving or spending our money?  Have these customary every-day items been taken for granted?  Do we realize that food and gas are depleting and that one day we could very well run out of supplies?

God knows what we need. He blesses us with physical necessities, and He has also granted us gifts that are not offered to the world, while some who could be reached have chosen not to accept His gifts.  Have we taken God’s gifts for granted, including the Sabbath day, His annual Holy Days and His commandments for us to keep?  Do we take His blessings for granted? Are we thankful for them?  Do we have faith that God will provide in our times of need, or do we become too discouraged to rely on God?  Remember, He puts us through trials to test our faith (James 1:2-6), and we must also be smart in our decisions that we make, because we don’t want to test God either, by questioning His ability or willingness to help us or by trying to force Him to do something for us, while we do nothing.  To think that we can just sit back and stay passive, thinking that God will have to take care of us, is not going to get us far, as we have a role to play as well.  That is all part of our learning process –  having a closer relationship with God.

When we do receive blessings from God, we have to remember to be thankful.  Sometimes we tend to dwell on the things that are troublesome to us, the things that we would most likely try to put into our own hands to figure out, forgetting to go to God and ask for help.  We may not do that intentionally but we give in to human nature.  When we are sick, do we ask God for healing, or do we rely on doctors and medicine instead, ignoring God in the process? And when we ask for God’s healing, and He does heal us, do we forget to thank Him?  Luke 17:11-19 proves that our faith will make us well and that God expects of us to thank Him when we are healed.

Ephesians 5:20 tells us that we are to give thanks “ALWAYS for ALL things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This also means during difficult times.  We should not take what has been given to us for granted.

God has also given us the gift of knowledge and love and the understanding of His Way of Life, including the meaning of the Sabbath and the Holy Days, and by living this way, we are to be great examples to the rest of the world, as it says in Matthew 5:16.  We are to be shining lights to this world even though the world will hate us for it, and yes, they will hate us for it!

But we are not here to please the world, but God, and we will be blessed for that.  Luke 8:4-15 talks about the parable of the sower who went out to sow his seed. Some seed fell by the wayside, on rock, among thorns, and good ground. Which seed are we?  If we consider ourselves to be part of the seed that fell on good ground, notice how we must have patience just as God has patience with us.  We must endure hardship and suffering if we want to live God’s Way of Life, to ultimately be like God. Isn’t that our ultimate goal?  Do we sometimes take what we know for granted?  Or do we remain faithful in Christ? Are we strong enough to keep going, and do we possess that patience until the end?  For this is God’s promise to us, if we do not give up: “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39).

We focus on the more or less unsuccessful fight by US and Arab forces against murderous ISIS militants in Syria, with tragic consequences for innocent people, as well as the senseless and incomprehensible bombing of hostile nations and allies in the entire Middle East; speak on the untrustworthiness of Iran; the deteriorating relationship between the USA and Israel, due to President Obama’s alleged philosophy of being “tied to Islam” and “Marxism”; Israel’s new shaky government; the lack of friendship between the USA and the UK; the UK’s “most unpredictable” election; and the questionable charges filed against six police officers in Baltimore, USA, which seem to be based “on politics and crowd control,” rather than on the evidence.

We continue with addressing the concept of legalizing “three-way marriages” proposed in the UK which should be a wake-up call for all those who embrace legalization of same-sex marriages; the problem with transgender identity and the back paddling of politicians in this context; and the impression that some politicians may think they are “gods,” rather than human beings, due to their goal to change Christian “values and beliefs.”

We conclude with articles pertaining to Germany, including the involvement of German Navy ships in the Mediterranean; the ongoing desire, as expressed by Germany’s Defense Minister, to create a European Army as a “long-term goal,” “while for now the most important thing is to gradually strengthen the European Defense Community”; and Germany’s past regarding the Holocaust. Memorializing the 70th anniversary of the “liberation of the former Nazi concentration camp at Dachau,” Angela Merkel optimistically stated that “Jewish life is part of” Germany’s “identity,” while a survivor commented that the Nazis running the concentration camps were “humans like you and me. And that is what is so terrible.” We end with a report on the trouble Angela Merkel finds herself in due to Germany’s most recent spying scandal; and with an alarming article about the death of many animals, due to the ongoing drought in lower Western states.

The Fight Against ISIS—While the Innocent Die

The Independent wrote on May 2:

“At least 52 civilians, including seven children, have been killed in air strikes by the US-led coalition in Syria, according to a monitoring group. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights branded the operation on Friday a ‘massacre’, claiming innocent people had become casualties of the hunt for Isis militants. Rami Abdulrahman, who founded the UK-based group, said Friday’s strike saw the highest civilian death toll in a single attack by US and Arab forces since they started operations in Iraq and Syria last year… So far 52 civilians, including seven children and nine women have been confirmed dead, from six families, the Observatory said… US-led strikes had reportedly killed at least 66 civilians in Syria from the start of the raids on 23 September until Friday, which brought the total to at least 118…

“Analysts have disagreed on the impact operations by the United States, Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have had against Isis and other extremists. Militants’ advances appear to have been slowed but Isis’ power in its strongholds has not been substantially weakened. Britain has not joined air strikes in Syria…

“A third of the population has been made homeless in the four-year civil war and more than 220,000 people have been killed. Almost 4,500 of those fatalities were in April alone, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which documented the deaths of at least 950 civilians, 760 rebel fighters, 1,200 foreign Islamist militants and 750 regime soldiers.”

ISIS Claims Responsibility for Texas Shooting at Anti-Islam Conference

Newsmax/AFP reported on May 4:

“Far-right Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders, who addressed participants at a [cartoon contest and art exhibit held for depictions of the Prophet Muhammad in Texas] before a shooting erupted outside the event, believes he is on a mission to stop the ‘Islamization’ of the West. Reviled and supported in equal measure for his anti-Islamic rhetoric, the 51-year-old firebrand has become a divisive figure in the Netherlands, which prides itself on its long but fading tradition of consensus politics and multi-cultural tolerance…

“In Texas on Sunday, he told the meeting organised by the right-wing American Freedom Defence Initiative that ‘we are here in defiance of Islam… Today, too many of our Western leaders want us to shut up,’ he told the gathering. Shortly after he left, two gunmen drove up to the conference centre and began shooting at a security guard. The two attackers were subsequently shot dead by police…

“Wilders… has no hesitation branding the Koran a ‘fascist’ book. He wants to ban the Koran, halt Muslim immigration, and tax headscarves…”

JTA wrote on May 5:

“The Islamic State jihadist group claimed responsibility for the shooting attack on a Texas building housing an exhibit of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad organized by an anti-Islamic organization… The statement threatened future attacks… The keynote speaker was the anti-Muslim Dutch politician Geert Wilders, who late last month spoke on Capitol Hill at the invitation of Reps. Steve King, R-Iowa, and Louis Gohmert, R-Texas.”

Deutsche Welle added on May 6:

“Geert Wilders… proposed posting caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad – considered blasphemous by many Muslims – in the Dutch parliament following a shooting in Texas… ‘I am going to request parliament to exhibit the same cartoons as those that were displayed in Garland,’ Wilders told news agency AFP Wednesday. ‘I want to send a message that if you use violence to suppress free speech, the only effect is that we’ll do it even more,’ Wilders said, adding, ‘We must show we’ll not be intimidated.’ He concluded: ‘I don’t want to provoke, but at the same time, we must show that we’re standing for freedom of speech.’”

Keep Bombing… Whom?

The Independent wrote on May 3:

“The Saudis are bombing Yemen because they fear the Shia Houthis are working for the Iranians. The Saudis are also bombing Isis in Iraq and… Isis in Syria. So are the United Arab Emirates. The Syrian government is bombing its enemies in Syria and the Iraqi government is also bombing its enemies in Iraq. America, France, Britain, Denmark, Holland, Australia and… Canada are bombing Isis in Syria and Isis in Iraq, partly on behalf of the Iraqi government (…Shia militias) but absolutely not on behalf of the Syrian government.

“The Jordanians and Saudis and Bahrainis are also bombing Isis in Syria and Iraq because they don’t like them, but the Jordanians are bombing Isis even more than the Saudis after their pilot-prisoner was burned to death in a cage. The Egyptians are bombing parts of Libya because a group of Christian Egyptians had their heads chopped off [by Isis]. The Iranians have acknowledged bombing Isis in Iraq – of which the Americans (but not the Iraqi government) take a rather dim view. And of course the Israelis have several times bombed Syrian government forces in Syria but not Isis…

“The Sunni Saudis are bombing the Shia Yemenis and the Shia Iranians are bombing the Sunni Iraqis. The Sunni Egyptians are bombing Sunni Libyans… and the Jordanian Sunnis are bombing Iraqi Sunnis. But the Shia-supported Syrian government forces are bombing their Sunni Syrian enemies and the Lebanese Hezbollah – Shia to a man – are fighting the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s Sunni enemies, along with Iranian Revolutionary Guards and an ever-larger number of Afghan Shia men in Syrian uniforms.

“… just take a look at Saudi Arabia’s latest request to send more Pakistani troops to protect the kingdom (and possibly help to invade Yemen), which came from the new Saudi Crown Prince and Defence Minister Mohammed bin Salman (34)… But the Saudis added an outrageous second request: that the Pakistanis send only Sunni Muslim soldiers. Pakistani Shia Muslim officers and men (30 per cent of the Pakistani armed forces) would not be welcome…

“And then, of course, there are the really big winners in all this blood, the weapons manufacturers. Raytheon and Lockheed Martin supplied £1.3bn of missiles to the Saudis only last year. But three years ago, Der Spiegel claimed the European Union was Saudi Arabia’s most important arms supplier and last week France announced the sale of 24 Rafale fighter jets to Qatar at a cost of around £5.7bn. Egypt has just bought another 24 Rafales…”

Iran Can’t Be Trusted

Western Journalism reported on April 30:

“Iran deceiving the West on its nuclear program is nothing new… Today Reuters reported that Great Britain has informed a United Nations sanctions panel of the existence of an active Iranian nuclear procurement network linked to two blacklisted firms. ‘The existence of such a network could add to Western concerns over whether Tehran can be trusted to adhere to a nuclear deal due by June 30 in which it would agree to restrict sensitive nuclear work in exchange for sanctions relief,’ Reuters reported…

“The UK government informed the Panel on 20 April 2015 that it ‘is aware of an active Iranian nuclear procurement network that has been associated with Iran’s Centrifuge Technology Company (TESA) and Kalay Electric Company (KEC)’, the Panel of Experts said in its annual report… KEC is under U.N. Security Council sanctions while TESA is under U.S. and European Union sanctions due to their suspected links to banned Iranian nuclear activities…

“This is the second time in five months that the U.N. Panel has been informed about illicit nuclear activities by Iran during the current negotiations with the six world powers. In December of last year, Foreign Policy published a similar report about a U.S. delegation informing the U.N. Panel of experts about Iranian procurement agents who had been increasing their efforts to illicitly obtain equipment for the IR-40 research reactor at the Arak nuclear complex…

“[An] article by the Free Beacon detailed how the U.S. Administration kept information about shipments of missile components from North Korea to Iran secret from the U.N. Panel that monitors sanctions violations by Iran.”

Ongoing Hostility Between President Obama and Israel

On April 16, 2015, israpundit.org published a write-up by Rabbi Spero, stating the following:

“Just last month, Barack Obama published classified information showing the world photographs of Israel’s hidden nuclear site, and its inner workings. It was his gift to Iran, Hamas, and ISIS. This puts Israel and her citizens, not just Mr. Netanyahu, at great risk. But, Obama had his people darken out all the information on that page regarding the nuclear sites of other countries.

“At a meeting at the White House in 2009, Obama stated early-on that ‘it’s time to put daylight between Israel and America’… Last month, Obama again singled out Israel by crudely questioning Israel as a democracy… He wants to break the historic bonds between America and Israel.

“… he has taken Hizb’allah and Iran off our list of terror organizations…

“What Mr. Obama wants above all else is to strip Israel of David’s city, its eternal capital, Jerusalem, and hand the ancient, historic city to Islam. Obama knows that whoever controls and manages historic Jerusalem can lay claim to the Land’s entirety. Jerusalem is the heart and pride of Israel…

“Obama’s inner identity is tied to Islam… His father and stepfather were Islamic, as is his family back in Kenya and Indonesia. His brothers are active Islamists. He was raised on the Koran in Islamic countries, and attended Islamic madrassa and grew up with its attitudes, sights and sounds, aspirations and narrative, likes and dislikes. As I grew up to favor Israel, he grew up to dislike it…

“The Marxism Obama was fed, from very early on, made him viscerally dislike successful Western countries, such as America, Israel, and Britain. He was taught they were colonizers and imperialist… As with America, the next two years will be difficult, for Obama has set his antagonistic sights on America and Israel… as well as its citizens. Obama has spent the last 50 years waiting for these next two.”

Strong words… And the next two years will indeed show how antagonistic President Obama will prove to be towards American and Israeli values. Maybe he was placed here to fulfil biblical prophecy to accelerate America’s downfall.

Israel’s New Hard-Line Government

The Associated Press reported on May 6:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu completed the formation of a new coalition late Wednesday, putting him at the helm of a hard-line government that appears to be set on a collision course with the U.S. and other key allies. Netanyahu reached a deal with the nationalist Jewish Home party shortly before a midnight deadline, clinching a slim parliamentary majority and averting an embarrassing scenario that would have forced him from office. But with a government dominated by hard-liners that support increased West Bank settlement construction and oppose peace moves with the Palestinians, he could have a hard time rallying international support. Controlling just 61 of 120 parliamentary seats, the narrow coalition could also struggle to press forward with a domestic agenda.

“After Netanyahu’s Likud Party won March 17 elections with 30 seats, it seemed he would have a relatively easy time forming a coalition and serving a fourth term as prime minister. But the six-week negotiating process, which expired at midnight, turned out to be much more difficult than anticipated as rival coalition partners and members of the Likud jockeyed for influential Cabinet ministries…

“The coalition talks stalled this week when Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, a longtime partner of Netanyahu’s, unexpectedly stepped down and announced his secular nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party was joining the opposition. That left Netanyahu dependent on Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett, a former aide who has a rocky relationship with Netanyahu. With Bennett driving a hard bargain, the talks stretched throughout the day and well into the night before Netanyahu called President Reuven Rivlin, as required by law, to announce the deal…

“Analysts do not expect the new government to last long or accomplish much. Opposition leader Isaac Herzog, head of the centrist Zionist Union, called the coalition ‘a national failure government.’ He said it was ‘an embarrassing farce’ and ‘the narrowest in Israel’s history.’…

“Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox partners, Shas and United Torah Judaism, are bent on reversing reforms passed by the last government. Those reforms sought to end an unpopular system that granted the ultra-Orthodox exemptions from compulsory military service…”

No More Special Relationship Between USA and the UK

The Financial Times wrote on May 1:

“Britain’s nail-biting election, and the fragile coalition government it seems likely to produce, are confirming many of Washington’s worst fears about the country’s dwindling influence in the world. Once the US’ most reliable ally, the UK is now seen as a distant player in the crisis over the Ukraine and the euro, has introduced swingeing cuts to its military and recently rebuffed Washington by joining a China-led bank.

“On top of that, the Obama administration is waking up to the prospect that the next government in London could be even more inward-looking as it grapples with Britain’s membership of the European Union and strong support for Scottish independence. US officials say they still value close intelligence and military ties with the UK, but at times sound almost dismissive about the current British government’s reluctance to play a bigger role in the world…

“The fabled ‘special relationship’ between Washington and London has always contained an element of hype that played to Britain’s postcolonial quest for relevance. Successive US administrations have valued Britain’s role as a bridge between North America and the EU, as a mediator within Nato and as a reliable supporter in times of crisis. ‘Until recently, Britain was very much our most trusted, dependable and capable ally,’ says Nicholas Burns, a former US ambassador to Nato and third-ranking official at the state department, who worries that Britain might soon no longer play a ‘central role in global affairs… It is very striking the way that Angela Merkel has become the undisputed leader of Europe,’ he said…

“The frustrations in Washington with Mr Cameron’s government burst into the open last month when a senior US official accused the UK of ‘constant accommodation’ of China… Mr Obama himself has also been accused of looking to disengage from parts of America’s traditional role in the world and one former senior US official said that the president had not been helped by Mr Cameron’s international reticence. He pointed to Margaret Thatcher’s famous warning to George HW Bush after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990 that he should not ‘go wobbly’… The former US official continued: ‘Obama has at times looked lost and it would have helped him to have a stronger British prime minister who could have given him some direction.’”

Cameron On Course to Win

Thomson/Reuters reported on May 7:

“British Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservatives are on course to win the most seats in parliament but will be just shy of an outright majority, an exit poll showed on Thursday after voting closed in a national election. The poll put the Conservatives on 316 seats and the main opposition Labour Party on 239. The Scottish National Party (SNP) is set to win 58 seats, all but wiping Labour out in its former Scottish stronghold.

“The centrist Liberal Democrats, who have governed in coalition with the Conservatives for the past five years, will get just 10 seats in the 650-seat Westminster parliament, according to the poll released by national broadcasters. However, the combined total of 326 for the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats indicated that Cameron should be able to stay in office, maybe with the support of another small party… Cameron’s Conservatives campaigned on a promise to renegotiate Britain’s relationship with the EU before holding a referendum by 2017 on whether to stay in the bloc or leave.”

USA Today reported on May 7:

“If the exit poll from Britain’s election Thursday proves reasonably accurate, the expected frenetic political horse-trading to form a new government likely will be avoided… The projected Conservative seats still would not be quite enough for Cameron to secure an outright majority in the House of Commons, but it would be close. And it would be more than the 307 seats Cameron’s party secured in 2010, when the Conservatives were forced into a coalition with Nick Clegg of the centrist Liberal Democrats to form a governing majority in the 650-member House of Commons.

“Backroom deals and alliances with smaller parties further out of the political mainstream might probably still occur, but the Conservatives should find it easier to get over the 326 line — perhaps by partnering again with Clegg and the anti-immigrant, European Union-bashing United Kingdom Independence Party. Earlier projections of a stronger showing by left-center Labour suggested it would take days, possibly weeks to form the next government. Now it may all be wrapped by the weekend with a pretty red ribbon on top.”

Baltimore Charges Unsustainable… Based on Politics and Crowd Control

Newsmax reported on May 2:

“Criminal charges filed Friday against six Baltimore police officers in the death of Freddie Gray were based on ‘politics and crowd control,’ not justice, renowned civil rights lawyer Alan Dershowitz tells Newsmax TV. ‘This is a very sad day for justice . . . Today had nothing to do with justice. Today was crowd control. Everything was motivated by a threat of riots and a desire to prevent riots,’ Dershowitz said… ‘The mayor outrageously said we’re going to get justice for the victim, the family and people of Baltimore, never mentioning the defendants. Under our Constitution, … the defendants… are presumed innocent, they need due process of law, and the mayor and the state attorney have made it virtually impossible for these defendants to get a fair trial. They have been presumed guilty.’

“Dershowitz made the comments hours after Baltimore’s top prosecutor, State Attorney Marilyn Mosby, announced criminal charges against six cops who were suspended after Gray suffered a fatal spinal injury while in custody in a police van. The charges came nearly two weeks after Gray’s death, which sparked riots that caused millions of dollars in damage and left dozens injured. The stiffest, second-degree, ‘depraved heart’ murder charge was lodged against the [black] driver of the van. The others face charges of involuntary manslaughter, assault and illegal arrest.

“But Dershowitz… said the case will very likely be thrown out for lack of evidence… ‘There’s no plausible, hypothetical, conceivable case for murder under the facts that we now know them… Nobody wanted this guy to die, nobody set out to kill him, and nobody intentionally murdered him. ‘The worst-case scenario is a case for involuntary manslaughter or some kind of reckless disregard… This is a show trial…

“Dershowitz added that the charges did not meet the criteria for justice in the United States. ‘It may have been the criteria in Rome, for Fidel Castro, in Iran, and in other countries, but in our country you don’t base indictments on what impact it’s going to have on the crowd,’ he said. ‘You base it on a hard, neutral, objective view of the evidence, and it doesn’t look like that was done here . . . They have invited a mess… They’ve overplayed their hand, it’s unlikely they’ll get any convictions in this case as a result of this, and if they do, there’s a good possibility it’ll be reversed on appeal and will just postpone the riots for months ahead.’”

Legalizing Three-Way Marriages in the UK?

The Daily Mail wrote on May 1:

“Green party leader Natalie Bennett has revealed she is open to the idea of legalising three-way marriages. Party members could get the chance to formulate policy to permit so-called polyamorous relationships, which would allow more than two people to enter into marriages or have civil partnerships. Ms Bennett said the Greens had already led the way in calling for the liberalisation of marriage laws and is ‘open’ to going further…

“David Robertson, from the Free Church of Scotland, contended the idea. He said: ‘Natalie Bennett is of course just being consistent. Given her presuppositions and philosophy, why shouldn’t “marriage equality” extend to multiple people who “love each other”? We warned that the redefinition of marriage would not end with same-sex marriage and were ridiculed and abused as being ridiculous. It gives us no pleasure to know that we were right.’

“The Green Party… proposes ‘mandatory HIV, sex and relationship education – age appropriate and LGBTIQ inclusive – in all schools from primary level onwards… It also suggests considering a reduction in the 12-month blood donation deferral period for men who have sex with men, based on individual risk assessment where the donor is identified to be not at risk of passing infections into the blood supply.”

Let this be a warning for other countries, including the USA, where same-sex marriages are legal or where they are considered of becoming legal.

“If He Says He Is a Woman, Then He Is a Woman…”

The Hill reported on May 2:

“Bruce Jenner got support from a surprising quarter on Saturday: Rick Santorum. ‘If he says he’s a woman, then he’s a woman,’ Santorum, the former GOP senator from Pennsylvania, said… Jenner, the former Olympic gold medalist and reality television star, announced last week that he identified as and was transitioning to a woman. Santorum, who is considering a second straight bid for the Republican nomination, has long had a reputation as a staunch social conservative. ‘My responsibility as a human being is to love and accept everybody. Not to criticize people for who they are. I can criticize, and I do, for what people do, for their behavior. But as far as for who they are, you have to respect everybody,’ Santorum said.

“Santorum did add that ‘these are tough issues’ for both businesses and society, including the question of whether Jenner could use a women’s bathroom. Santorum has been one of the GOP’s most strident opponents of gay marriage over the years, at one point comparing the issue to the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Last month, Santorum said he wouldn’t attend a gay wedding – something other potential GOP candidates have said they would.”

“Hillary Clinton Believes She Is a God”

Breitbart reported on May 2:

“In a candid interview, Nigerian bishop Emmanuel Badejo has responded bluntly to Hillary Clinton’s recent assertion that religious beliefs ‘have to be changed’ in order to give women access to reproductive health care. ‘If these values are not precious to Hillary Clinton, I think she has no right at all to call for a change in religious values and religious beliefs,’ he said. ‘I believe there are three groups of people in this world: those who believe in God, those who do not believe in God, and those who think they are gods. Hillary Clinton I think is one of those who thinks she is a god,’ said Badejo, who is Director of Communications for the African Bishops.”

It is amazing that Catholic Bishop Badejo would equate those who believe they can change God’s spiritual law with those who believe they are “gods.” The Roman Catholic Church has changed consistently God’s spiritual law and His values, by replacing the Sabbath with Sunday, God’s annual Holy Days with holidays such as Christmas and Easter which have their origin in paganism, and God’s prohibition against killing with the concept of a “justified” war, just to list a few examples. The time will come when a Pope will sit in the future Temple of God in Jerusalem, claiming to be God (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4), and when he sets “his heart as the heart of a god” (Ezekiel 28:6), but then realizes that he is just a man, and not a god (verse 9).

The Russian Rehabilitation of Evil Stalin

AFP wrote on May 5:

“Since President Vladimir Putin took power in 2000, there has been a growing chorus of Russians who take a positive view of the Soviet tyrant’s role in history… The palpable change… has particularly come into stark focus in the run-up to Russia’s celebrations of Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in WWII… In February, Russia unveiled a monument to the watershed 1945 ‘Big Three’ Yalta summit that features Stalin along with US president Franklin D. Roosevelt and British prime minister Winston Churchill, despite objections from Crimean Tatars, an ethnic group persecuted under his rule…

“‘Stalin’s rehabilitation is being steadily implemented,’ Nikita Petrov, a historian at Memorial, Russia’s most prominent rights organisation, told AFP. ‘It’s a sign of unlearnt history lessons, a reluctance to look at yourself and honestly admit that we took the wrong path and that our country committed a host of crimes against its own people and the people of neighbouring states.’ He said officials, who are nostalgic for the superpower status of the USSR, have consciously been promoting Stalin as a tough leader who led the Soviet Union to victory in WWII and presided over the country’s industrialisation. Those sentiments are now shared by many everyday Russians…

“45 percent of respondents said in March that sacrifices sustained by people under Stalin were justified by the country’s ‘great goals’, up from 27 percent in October 2008. On top of that, the number of those who viewed Stalin negatively fell to 20 percent from 43 percent in April 2001… According to Petrov of the Memorial rights group, which is dedicated to honouring the memory of Stalin-era victims, about ten million people died of starvation, more than five million were displaced, and about six to seven million were arrested for political reasons. Many analysts warn that unless Russians get the Stalin cult out of their system history may repeat itself.”

Stalin was a brutal mass murderer… no better than Hitler. Russia’s positive view of him is alarming and frightening indeed.

The German Navy Gets Involved

Deutsche Welle reported on May 2:

“The German navy has sent two ships as part of efforts to prevent migrants from dying in the Mediterranean. The EU was spurred into action after a migrant ship capsized, killing around 800 people a few weeks ago… The frigate is equipped with a radar system that would allow it to locate migrant boats as far as 40 kilometers (25 miles) away. It would also be capable of picking up up to 100 people in distress. The combat support ship, on the other hand, is equipped with a military hospital and has the capacity to treat 250 people for two days… a German army source… said that the two German ships would not be tasked with trying to catch human traffickers who take money from would-be migrants…

“France and Britain are among EU countries that pledged during last month’s Brussels summit to send more ships to the Mediterranean [to] cope with the problem. The leaders also agreed to triple funding for the Triton border protection mission. The conflicts in Syria and Libya have contributed to a major increase in the number of migrants attempting the crossing…”

“European Army One of the Main Goals for EU”

SputnikNews.com reported on May 3:

“Creating a European army remains one of the main goals for [the] EU, but it is important to start strengthening the union’s security system now, Germany’s Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen told Bild am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday. A European army is a long-term goal, while for now the most important thing is to gradually strengthen the European Defense Community, she said.

“Answering a question on the goals of strengthening the European Defense Community, von der Leyen said that the Ebola outbreak and Islamic State organization’s attacks on Yazidis demonstrated that in case of crisis, Europe needs to be more flexible and quick in providing a response.”

Germany Remembers Dachau

AFP wrote on May 3:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Sunday that society must ‘never close its eyes’ to anti-Semitism as she joined Holocaust survivors to mark 70 years since the liberation of the former Nazi concentration camp at Dachau… American forces liberated the Dachau camp on April 29, 1945 and discovered on arrival the unspeakable horror that had led to the death of around 43,000 people from starvation or disease…

“US President Barack Obama paid tribute Wednesday to the more than 200,000 Jews, gays, Roma, political opponents, the disabled and prisoners of war who were imprisoned at Dachau from 1933…”

The Associated Press wrote on May 3:

“Merkel thanked survivors for sharing memories of suffering that is ‘beyond our imagination,’ which she said help young people today ‘connect naked numbers and data with faces, names and individual lives.’ And she stressed the importance of ensuring that today’s youth do not turn to extremism. All in Germany must ‘make unmistakably clear that Jewish life is part of our identity; that discrimination, marginalization and anti-Semitism can have no place here, that they must be fought with determination and the full force of legal means,’ she said.

“Abba Naor, a Lithuanian-born former Dachau prisoner who now lives in Israel… recalled an SS guard ordering the killing of a new-born Jewish boy in December 1944 and reports that some SS commanders were ‘loving fathers who played with their children after they had driven thousands into the gas chambers… If you think the Nazis were inhuman, then you’re wrong,’ he said. ‘They were humans like you and me. And that is what is so terrible.’”

The German NSA Scandal… Is Getting Worse

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 5:

“The Austrian government has filed suit due to suspicions that Germany’s BND spying agency, in collaboration with the NSA, may have spied on its authorities and companies… German Chancellor Angela Merkel defended her country’s intelligence agency on Monday against suggestions that it illegally assisted the US in spying on politicians and companies in Europe, including France’s Airbus, the main competitor of America’s Boeing aircraft manufacturer. [Subsequently, the French aviation giant Airbus has announced that it would file a criminal complaint.]

“But the BND affair does not promise to go away quietly and has shown how dangerous it could prove for the ‘untouchable’ Ms. Merkel and her Christian Democrats (CDU). Sigmar Gabriel, the vice-chancellor from coalition partners, the Social Democrats (SPD), broke a Berlin taboo on Monday by discussing a personal conversation he had with the chancellor over the matter… He hedged his comments, however, by adding that if [Merkel’s] allegations turn out [not] to be true, ‘it would be a big strain of the faith of the economy in governmental behavior.’

“Gabriel’s move was deemed a ‘clever’ one by analysts – a way to put responsibility on Chancellor Merkel and her CDU as his party continues to trail them in the polls – while stopping short of openly challenging her.”

On Tuesday, Gabriel added in parliament that the CDU has been in power for over 10 years and are therefore responsible. Der Spiegel Online said that the harmony between the two partners is over, and Bild Online spoke of an open rift between the two coalition parties. According to Deutsche Welle, dated May 6, “A poll released Wednesday found that 62 percent of respondents… believe the affair has damaged Merkel’s credibility.”

De Maiziere “Knew Nothing”!

The Local wrote on May 7:

“Merkel’s close ally, Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière… emerged from a closed-door grilling by a parliamentary oversight panel, denying any wrongdoing while he ran her office and oversaw intelligence matters. ‘As chancellery chief of staff in 2008 I knew nothing about search terms from the US side or … similar things for the purpose of industrial espionage in Germany,’ he told reporters…

“… de Maiziere was accused of misleading parliament over the ‘BND affair’… Opposition politicians harshly disagreed with the latest comments by de Maiziere, who was last week caricatured as a liar with a Pinocchio nose in Germany’s best-selling newspaper Bild…

“Domestically, the scandal presents a rare threat to the broadly popular Merkel… Now facing allegations of hypocrisy, Merkel has softened her statement to say friends ‘shouldn’t’ spy on each other, while stressing the importance of US intelligence cooperation in the face of terrorist threats… For now the affair shows no sign of abating…”

De Maiziere is famous for his proclaimed “innocence.” He has weathered several scandals in the past, when his integrity, honesty and competency were severely questioned.

BND Cuts Spy Data Feed to NSA

The Local wrote on May 7:

“The foreign intelligence agency BND this week stopped sharing Internet surveillance data with the US National Security Agency (NSA), passing on only fax and phone intercepts… Berlin now demands that the NSA provide a justification for each online surveillance request, reported the Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily, public broadcasters NDR and WDR, and national news agency DPA…

“‘This is definitely a dramatic step,’ said Green party lawmaker Konstantin von Notz, who serves on a parliamentary panel investigating the NSA’s surveillance activities… , charging that the [German] government was unable ‘to protect German and European interests’… The ‘BND affair’ has rattled the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel and caused a rift in her ‘grand coalition’ government with the centre-left Social Democrats…”

“Animals Will Waste Away”

The Washington Post  wrote on May 6:

“… on California’s sprawling Carrizo Plain, about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles,… the drought is turning hundreds of thousands of acres of grassland into desert.

“Without grass, long-legged kangaroo rats cannot eat. And as they go, so go a variety of threatened animals that depend on the keystone species to live…

“Endangered kangaroo rats are just one falling tile in the drought’s domino effect on wildlife in the lower Western states. Large fish kills are happening in several states as waters heated by higher temperatures drain and lose oxygen. In Northern California, salmon eggs have virtually disappeared as water levels fall. Thousands of migrating birds are crowding into wetlands shrunk by drought, risking the spread of disease that can cause huge die-offs.

“As the baking Western landscape becomes hotter and drier, land animals are being forced to seek water and food far outside their normal range. Herbivores such as deer and rabbits searching for a meal in urban gardens in Reno are sometimes pursued by hawks, bobcats and mountain lions. In Arizona, rattlesnakes have come to Flagstaff, joining bears and other animals in search of food that no longer exists in their habitat…

“About 4,000 mule deer have vanished from a mountain range near Reno since late last year, probably because of drought…

“Chinook salmon are in great danger… For two years, only 5 percent of their eggs have survived winter and spring migrations because the cold water their eggs need to survive drains from rivers and reservoirs…

“Smelt are at the lowest number ever recorded in the state. They are a major forage fish, feeding other fish and birds in the marine ecosystem…”

The warning in Hosea 4:3 comes to mind: “… the beast of the field And the birds of the air; Even the fish of the sea will be taken away.”

What does Paul mean in his letter to the Philippians when he instructs them to “beware of dogs”?” In Philippians 3:2, Paul writes the following to the Philippians: “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!” When understanding this admonition, it should be clear that the reference to dogs is not to be taken literally. In this passage, Paul is not warning people about animals, but rather this is a warning to the Church in Philippi about individuals who are compared to dogs in a symbolic sense.

In order to correctly interpret the meaning of this passage, we need to begin by evaluating the context and learn about similar comparisons of people to dogs elsewhere in the Bible. By answering the following questions, we can learn more about the true and complete meaning of the warning to “beware of dogs.” What biblical evidence is there for describing people as dogs? What are the defining attributes and characteristics of people who are described as dogs? Finally, why does Paul pronounce a warning about these types of people? By investigating each of these facets, we can learn more about the instruction to the Philippians, but we will also learn enough to apply the warning in our own lives.

The behavior of people who are described as dogs appears throughout the Bible. In all examples, dogs are described in terms of lowliness. However, some lowliness is virtuous in the sense of humility (compare Matthew 15:26-27), while most examples describe dogs in the sense of being wild, vicious, untamed, and unclean in behavior (compare 1 Kings 14:11; 1 Kings 16:4). In this letter to the Philippians, the latter type of lowly behavior is attributed to people, and not the endearing type of lowliness. In the examples following, we will see that a person described as a dog takes on characteristics that are shameful, crude, despicable, and contrary to a godly Way of Life.

Peter describes false teachers as dogs in 2 Peter 2:22: “But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: ‘A dog returns to his own vomit,’ and, ‘a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.’” This example points to the disgusting behavior common to dogs, and attributes it to people who return to a sinful way of life after attempting to turn away from it. Not only do we see that people are described as dogs, but we also see that the qualities of such behavior are repulsive. Dogs are also mentioned in Deuteronomy 23:18, alluding to the behavior of homosexuality and male prostitution, which is abominable in the judgment of God. From these examples we can conclude that one aspect of the warning about “dogs” is to beware of people who live and promote a sinful lifestyle in doctrine and deed.

Jesus Christ also speaks in symbolic terms about dogs, instructing those in His attendance, “‘Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces’” (Matthew 7:6). The warning given by Jesus Christ is consistent with the warning by Paul to the Philippians. Those people who do not value the holiness of the Truth need to be handled carefully and avoided if possible. The practice of living righteously is not appreciated by individuals who care for sin more than the Truth. The instruction from Jesus is to disengage from such individuals. It is wasteful to present the holy Truth to those who do not care for it.

In Isaiah’s prophecy to the nation of Israel, the leaders are described in unfavorable terms as well: “His watchmen are blind, They are all ignorant; They are all dumb dogs, They cannot bark; Sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yes, they are greedy dogs Which never have enough. And they are shepherds Who cannot understand; They all look to their own way, Every one for his own gain, From his own territory” (Isaiah 56:10-11). Here too we see an example of people described as having characteristics of a dog. These individuals are lazy, greedy, self-centered, and look out only for their own interests. In the context of having responsibility and accountability for others, individuals who are described as dogs exhibit inconsiderate behavior, not taking care of others. Applied to the role of leadership for watchmen, this is condemned as failure.

In a prophecy about the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ in Psalm 22:16, another depiction of dogs describes Jesus’ abusers: “For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet…” Knowing about the events leading up to the murder of Jesus, we can ascribe the violent and vitriolic behavior of the individuals involved in the beating and murder of Jesus to “dogs.” This behavior may also be interpreted as a description of Satan and his demons (compare Psalm 22:12-13). Certainly, the characteristics revealed in the Bible about people described as dogs can be applied to the accusers and abusers of Jesus. However, this example brings out the additional characteristic of violent behavior. Gnashing teeth, biting, and growling are behaviors common to dogs and also associated with violence against people working to uphold the Truth (compare Acts 7:54; Galatians 5:15; Psalm 59:6, 14). When describing individuals as dogs, an additional characteristic of meanness and violence may be applicable.

Bible commentaries support the evaluation of what it means for a person to be a dog as well. Easton’s Bible Dictionary defines the word in part: “As the dog was an unclean animal, the terms ‘dog,’ ‘dog’s head,’ ‘dead dog,’ were used as terms of reproach or of humiliation.” From this correct interpretation, we can see that there is a connotation of lowliness and impropriety associated with people described as dogs. Nelson’s NKJV Study Bible has this to say about the reference to dogs in Philippians 3:2: “In New Testament times, dogs were hated scavengers. The term came to be used for all who had morally impure minds.” These commentaries support the interpretation that people who are described as dogs have behavior that is brazen in its disregard to God’s Way of Life.

In the context of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we see the individuals described as dogs mentioned alongside two other classes of people—evil workers and those promoting the doctrine of mutilation. One of the strongest messages in the letter to the Philippians is that of spiritual unity, harmony, and mutual strength (Philippians 2:1-4, 14-15; 3:16). The encouragement that Paul provides throughout the letter stands in contrast to the types of individuals of whom he warns. Evil workers are malicious; those promoting a return to physical circumcision as a requirement for salvation discount the Sacrifice of Christ; and the dogs are indiscreet, violent, and self-seeking. Each of these types of people is warned about because they cause damage to the Church. A dog represents the promotion of a sinful way of living that is shameless and done in a manner that is confrontational and violent.

Today we can apply this same warning in our lives. As we see the world turn further and further away from God, we observe people behaving like dogs in our age. Confrontationally refusing to accept God’s Truth, our modern society can do damage to the peace and unity of the Church. We can also see that those who willfully behave as dogs will be excluded from the Kingdom of God and destroyed in the lake of fire (Revelation 22:15). Seeing how contrary dog-like behavior is to a life dedicated to righteousness, it is clear that we must beware of dogs today so we can avoid having damage done to the Church, while protecting ourselves from being influenced by such sinful behavior, so that we do not conduct ourselves in the same manner.

Lead Writer: Eric Rank

Pentecost will be observed on Sunday, May 24, 2015. There will be two services with starting times as follows: 10:00 AM Pacific Time and 2:30 PM Pacific Time.

“America’s War in the Middle East,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The war of America and its allies in the Middle East presents a picture of utmost confusion. Arabs are bombing and fighting each other, while America is in the middle of it. At the same time, the relationship between President Obama and the state of Israel is deteriorating rapidly, which is due, according to some view points, to Obama’s love of Islam and his dislike of Israel. In addition, there is no more special relationship between the USA and the UK. America’s influence is dwindling, and the vacuum will be filled by a mighty European power bloc under German leadership. We are offering you our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

“Selbstmord–ein tödlicher Irrtum,” is this week’s new German sermon. Title in English: “Suicide–a Deadly Mistake.”

“What To Believe,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted.

“How Long Has God Been Working with You?” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

How does God work in your life, and when did He begin to do so? Was it when He called you and when you began to understand more and more of the truth? Or did God know you long before your calling, and did He influence some of your decisions prior to your calling, in order to fulfill His plan for you? And if so, what consequences might this have for you today?

By Louise Amorelli

As each day dawns, I realize with more certainty that life is uncertain.  Before I put my feet on the floor each morning, I ask God to take the reins, for Him to be in control. It is my human nature to want to fix all problems immediately and in my own approach, that my day might encounter. Family, health, job issues, world events, dealings with unconverted people, and even the weather can be so challenging, confusing and unsure.

I remember, each time I pray, to acknowledge to God that nothing can be done without Him in my life.  When I come before Him in prayer and humility and when I study His Word, I am reminded that I have to do my part to act and think in a Godly way in a certain situation, with His Spirit to give me discernment. I see the world around me, as it crumbles, while it does not rely on God’s Word or His power, but on man’s own strength and intelligence, even saying that there is no God and that we, the people, can do and accomplish all and decide for ourselves, how we chose to deal with situations.

It is my human nature to want to be in control and rely on my own ways.  But I have to pray always, keep on the whole armor of God, do my part as I study God’s Word, and leave the rest in God’s merciful, loving and mighty Hand. What a blessing to know that God is in TOTAL control and wants to freely give me His peace. I try and remember, when my human nature kicks in, to be still and know that He is my God.