On January 24, 2015, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “The Time of Salvation.”

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.

December 11th 2014 will be another date that will go down in the annals of British history as another shameful piece of legislation came into force.   Most seemed to think that it was yet another great day in gaining equality for all, but for those who know God’s Word, the exact opposite was the case.

It was a day when homosexual couples were given the right to convert their civil partnerships into marriages.

UK Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, who is also equalities minister, and skills minister Nick Boles, who is responsible for policy over same sex marriage, hailed it as a ‘proud’ moment for equal rights!

The Daily Mail reported that “Overall, almost seven in 10 Britons – 69 per cent – believe that homosexual couples should be able to marry while just over a quarter – 28 per cent – disagree.   When the same question was asked in 1975, support for gay marriage stood at just 16 per cent, with 53 per cent against.”

We had a Q&A in our Update 626, dated February 14, 2014, entitled “The frog in boiling water principle.”   In this, we stated the following: ”They say that if you put a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will leap out right away to escape the danger. But, if you put a frog in a kettle that is filled with water that is cool and pleasant, and then you gradually heat the kettle until it starts boiling, the frog will not become aware of the threat until it is too late.   The frog’s survival instincts are geared towards detecting sudden changes.”

There is no question that continual lobbying and the manipulation of public opinion over many decades ensured that the initial repugnance that most of the population once felt towards homosexuality, softened significantly over time towards mass acceptance of this ungodly practice.

During this campaign over the years, political leaders such as Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Nick Clegg, Ed Milliband and Prime Minister David Cameron have all played their part.  Whilst Nick Clegg and Ed Milliband are self-confessed atheists, Messrs Blair, Brown and Cameron have all acknowledged their Christian faith; however their knowledge of the Bible on this subject is either deficient or conveniently ignored.   They put what they call “equality” before the Word of God.

This was not only another day of ignominy for the UK but was compounded by the many hundreds of comments to the article, most of which not only approved of this new practice but also showed a good deal of hostility and antipathy towards God and the Bible.  Those few who disapproved of what was happening were subjected to such comments as “small minded bigots; the fairy tale book named ‘the bible’; dull and old fashioned” and many others proliferated, showing that the secular, Godless society, is very much in the majority today.

This latest day of ignominy following after many others will be part of our demise and the downfall of this once great nation.

And it seems that the writing is now truly on the wall!

We begin with reports about some pitiful and highly embarrassing statements by the pope; continue with a made-up story about a child who allegedly died and went to heaven; brief you on a sickening case of “legal” “child kidnapping” through law enforcement; report on President Obama’s sixth State of the Union Address; discuss developments in Germany and the government’s mishandling of the situation pertaining to PEGIDA and the “darker” side of the movement; report about the alleged existence of 20 sleeper cells in Europe; and speak of the desire of the EU to forge an alliance with Muslim countries against Islamists.

We continue with the situation in war-torn Ukraine and Russia’s threats, which deeply unsettle the EU; speak of the growing alienation between the EU and the UK; and address the highly controversial killing of Argentina’s prosecutor Alberto Nisman as well as developments in Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

We conclude with a piece on Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg who saved the lives of more than a hundred thousand Jews, only to disappear in a Russian gulag at the end of World War II.  A hero in his own right, we are drawing some remarkable parallels between his legacy and today’s commission of the Church of God.

Pope at Loss for Words—Unable to Give an Answer!

The website of interaksyon.com reported on January 18, 2015:

“Pope Francis on Sunday morning warmly embraced a former street child, comforting the little one after emotions overcame her as she asked: ‘Why does God allow so many children to suffer?’… Pope Francis later responded in his homily that it took [the young girl] ‘to ask a question to which there is no answer … Why do children suffer?’ The Pope was so moved by the question that he abandoned a prepared Homily…”

The Independent added on January 18:

“Pope Francis was moved to embrace a tearful abandoned girl at a university in Manila after she asked why God allows children to become prostitutes. Glyzelle Palomar wept as she asked the Pope: ‘Many children get involved in drugs and prostitution. Why does God allow these things to happen to us? The children are not guilty of anything’…  Visibly moved, the Pope said: ‘She is the only one who has put forward a question for which there is no answer and she was not even able to express it in words but rather in tears.’”

This is SO pitiful. The leader of the biggest Christian organization is unable to answer one of the most fundamental questions, claiming that there is no answer. But there sure is, if one believes the words of the Bible. Please read the answer in our free booklet, “Human Suffering… Why… and How Much Longer?”

The Pope and His Rabbits

The Local wrote on January 20:

“The Association of German Rabbit Breeders… said on Tuesday that Pope Francis’ injunction to Catholics not to breed ‘like rabbits’ was inaccurate. ‘He should really think harder about giving up expressions like that and allow people to use contraception instead,’ ZDRK president Erwin Leowsky said. ‘I think it would be much more appropriate than saying such stupid things’.

“Leowsky added that not all rabbits had a high level of sexual activity, and that the stereotype mostly applied to rabbits living in the wild. Most rabbits bred in captivity have a well-regulated reproductive rate, he said. [In fact, it was also pointed out in other articles that even rabbits in the wild have some in-built reproductive regulation system to prevent overpopulation.]

“Pope Francis made his remarks on the way home from a visit to the Philippines, a stronghold of the Catholic Church in Asia which last year passed a family planning law in defiance of the Vatican’s 1968-vintage ban on contraception. ‘God gave us the means to be responsible’, he told journalists on the flight home. ‘Some think, and excuse the term, that to be good Catholics, they must breed like rabbits’.

“Following the Church’s teachings did not mean ‘Christians should have children one after the other’, he said.”

As Bild Online explained, the Pope defended the official Catholic teaching, according to which any form of artificial contraception, such the pill or condoms, is prohibited. Only “natural” planning is allowed, such as no sexual intercourse during ovulation. This was decreed by Pope Paul VI in the Encyclical “Humane Vitae” in 1968. Pope Francis referred to Pope Paul VI as a “prophet.” He also said that he is sad when he hears that three children are too many, adding that three children is the minimum to keep the population stabile. He did not elaborate on how many more children than three could or would become “irresponsible parenthood”.

The article also stated that some of his ad-hoc comments in interviews create quite a problem for the Vatican.

These comments by the pope are SO ridiculous.

Pope: “Every Religion Has its Dignity”

NBC News reported on January 15:

“Pope Francis suggested there are limits to freedom of expression, saying in response to the Charlie Hebdo terror attack that ‘one cannot make fun of faith’ and that anyone who throws insults can expect a ‘punch.’ The pontiff said that both freedom of faith and freedom of speech were fundamental human rights and that ‘every religion has its dignity. One cannot provoke, one cannot insult other people’s faith, one cannot make fun of faith,’ he said. ‘There is a limit. Every religion has its dignity … in freedom of expression there are limits.’

“The right to liberty of expression comes with the ‘obligation’ to speak for ‘the common good,’ Pope Francis said, cautioning against provocation. To illustrate his point, he joked about Vatican aide Alberto Gasparri who was standing nearby on the plane. ‘It’s true that we can’t react violently, but, for example if Dr. Gasbarri here, a great friend of mine, says a curse word against my mother, then a punch awaits him,’ the pontiff said.”

Again, the pope is grossly exaggerating. Not every religion has its dignity. Would ANYONE say that a religion requiring the sacrifice of babies has any sense of dignity? The same would apply to demon worship, witchcraft and hundreds upon hundreds of false religions. The pope’s use of inaccurate hyperbole could become a major problem for him in the future—while millions become lulled into a false sense of loyalty to the pope’s wrong assertions. Please view our new StandingWatch program, “The Pope Has No Answer!”

Also note the next article.

Two Male Witches “Tie the Knot” in UK’s First Pagan Same-Sex Marriage

The Telegraph wrote on January 19:

“Two male witches have tied the knot in the UK’s first pagan same-sex marriage… The ceremony encompassed a number of pagan traditions, including… jumping the broom. After their wedding, the couple said: ‘Getting married in a legal pagan ceremony means so much to both of us…’

“Scotland is the only part of the UK that allows pagans, and other minority and religious belief bodies, to solemnise legal weddings… Louise Park, the presiding officer for the Pagan Federation (Scotland), conducted the ceremony. She said: ‘… We feel that, if any couple wish to, they should be able to make their marriage vows before their own personal Gods, friends and family, in a religious ceremony tailored to suit their own beliefs.’”

So, does this “religion” have “dignity” too?

He Has NOT Been to Heaven!

The Washington Post reported on January 16:

“Tyndale House, a major Christian publisher, has announced that it will stop selling ‘The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven,’ by Alex Malarkey and his father, Kevin Malarkey.

“The best-selling book, first published in 2010, purports to describe what Alex experienced while he lay in a coma after a car accident when he was 6 years old. The coma lasted two months, and his injuries left him paralyzed, but the subsequent spiritual memoir – with its assuring description of ‘miracles, angels, and life beyond This World’ – became part of a popular genre of ‘heavenly tourism.’

“Earlier this week, Alex recanted his testimony about the afterlife. In an open letter to Christian bookstores posted on the Pulpit and Pen Web site, Alex states flatly: ‘I did not die. I did not go to Heaven… I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention. When I made the claims that I did, I had never read the Bible. People have profited from lies, and continue to. They should read the Bible, which is enough. The Bible is the only source of truth. Anything written by man cannot be infallible.’”

Alex came clean, which is to be applauded. But the fact that so many people believed his ridiculous story that he would have gone to heaven after his death shows the incredible ignorance of the masses and religious leaders and the gullibility of those who want to believe such nonsense. The Bible is dogmatically clear that no human being (except for Jesus Christ AFTER His resurrection) ever went to heaven after his death, nor will any human being ever go to heaven after his death. Everyone who dies IS dead, WITHOUT consciousness, awaiting the RESURRECTION from the dead.

For more information, please read our free booklet, “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?”

“Do We Live in a Police State?”

The website of MedicalKidnap.com reported on January 21:

“Relatives of the Stanley family in Garland County, Arkansas have reached out to MedicalKidnap.com to notify the public that the 7 homeschool children of Hal and Michelle Stanley were removed during the night by DHS and fully armed sheriffs this past week, simply because they reportedly found a supplement in the home that was not approved by the FDA… A ‘miracle’ mineral treatment alleged to be a remedy for cancer and AIDS is at the center of an law enforcement search warrant. The investigation ended in the removal of seven children from their home in Garland County.

“The family has cried foul, saying only the father has taken it and it’s mostly used for purifying water for their garden. Hal and his wife Michelle were kept outside for hours while officers searched the home with their seven children inside. They avoid most contact with the government. The parents have home schooled their nine children, two of whom have graduated and gone on to college. The Stanleys keep to themselves, are generally self-sustained and consider themselves ‘preppers’…

“Hal added, ‘There’s never been any beer, liquor.’ They say they’ve never had a run-in with the law before.  ‘I’ve never had a speeding ticket.’ The Stanleys say since the night they had their children taken, friends and relatives have called and shown support. As the children were removed from the home Hal and his wife Michelle say they emotionally asked who made the decision. Hal said, ‘And finally a young man from the Sheriff’s department raised his hand, “I did it and I’m proud of the decision”’…

“Health Impact News has also reported on how the FDA has targeted the main distributor of MMS, who is facing 37 years in prison. This is in spite of the fact that the product has been used in Africa by the Red Cross to treat Malaria, and reportedly has helped tens of thousands of people worldwide. The product is made from sodium chlorite, which is a perfectly legal product and can be purchased online in such places as Amazon.com and eBay. Daniel Smith has been embroiled in a legal battle with the FDA for almost 5 years, and has been confined to his home under house arrest wearing a government monitoring device around his ankle for over two years…

“While the FDA and other authorities are attacking both distributors and users of this ‘unapproved’ product, several pharmaceutical companies have existing drug trials in place for similar products, according to the MMS Defense Fund site…Nobody has died from the many years of this product being used all around the world, but every year over 100,000 people die from FDA approved pharmaceutical products.”

Let us remind our readers that we are supposedly living in the land of the brave and the FREE—not in a dictatorial autocratic police state!

The Sixth State of the Union Address—More Divided Than Ever

Breitbart wrote on January 21:

“As President Obama cruised through his sixth State of the Union address, Democratic lawmakers, who frequently rose to cheer on their party leader, began to notice how poorly the speech was being received by their GOP colleagues. The response surprised them, even in an age of deep partisanship… With GOP lawmakers grudgingly sitting through what they considered… another lecture by a petulant, professorial Obama, the president was trying to channel some of the magic of his famous 2004 Democratic National Convention speech. He quoted himself saying that there wasn’t a liberal America or a conservative America, or a black America or white America, but a United States of America.

“‘Over the past six years, the pundits have pointed out more than once that my presidency hasn’t delivered on this vision. How ironic, they say, that our politics seems more divided than ever’… Six years in to his presidency, Obama is on track to be the most polarizing president, according to public polls. He has lost more Democratic congressional seats in midterm elections than any president since Harry Truman, and he won reelection himself primarily by demonizing Mitt Romney as a heartless plutocrat, similar to how George W. Bush tarnished John Kerry en route to a victory that carried no governing mandate.”

Wars and More Wars

The Times of Israel reported on January 21 on President Obama’s State of the Union Address:

“President Barack Obama vowed to veto any bill that would place additional sanctions on Iran… Obama warned that ‘there are no guarantees that negotiations will succeed, and I keep all options on the table to prevent a nuclear Iran,’ but added that ‘new sanctions passed by this Congress, at this moment in time, will all but guarantee that diplomacy fails – alienating America from its allies; and ensuring that Iran starts up its nuclear program again. It doesn’t make sense. That is why I will veto any new sanctions bill that threatens to undo this progress,’ he continued. Obama left a military option on the table, noting that ‘the American people expect us to only go to war as a last resort, and I intend to stay true to that wisdom.’…

“Republican Jewish Coalition Executive Director Matt Brooks quickly responded to Obama’s comments in a statement following the speech…  ‘Despite pleas from Congress and the international community, the president, after exhaustive negotiations to halt their program, is rewarding Iran with yet more time,’ Brooks complained. ‘The Obama administration’s Iran policy is failing. Congress needs to place enhanced sanctions on Iran to demonstrate that we are serious about halting their nuclear weapons program. The president’s veto threat will only empower and embolden Iran to continue as a threat to the entire region and world.’…

“Obama argued that US military leadership in Iraq and Syria was stopping the Islamic State’s advance, but asked lawmakers ‘to show the world that we are united in this mission’ with a war authorization vote. Republican lawmakers have said they are prepared to work with him to pass such a measure if he sends a proposal up to Capitol Hill… Obama said he believes in moving forward with ‘a smarter kind of American leadership’ that combines military power with strong diplomacy… ‘We reserve the right to act unilaterally, as we’ve done relentlessly since I took office to take out terrorists who pose a direct threat to us and our allies,’ he said.

“Obama also spoke out against both ‘deplorable anti-Semitism that has resurfaced in certain parts of the world’ as well as against ‘offensive stereotypes of Muslims,’ although the first statement was greeted by applause, while the latter — made seconds later — was not.

“Unlike last year, when Obama mentioned in passing the US-brokered attempts to achieve a deal between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, there was no mention of the Palestinians whatsoever, and a reference to Israel only in the context of Iran…”

“In Two Years We Will Get Rid of Obama!”

Bild Online wrote on January 20:

“Two years from today will be a good day. Two years from today Barack Obama will retire from the Presidency…. During the last six years of his Presidency, he has proven to have a unique talent to miss historical opportunities…  It has been very rare that a president ruled so much without a compass, without noticeable love, and so unpredictably… [Six years ago] the world saw him as a Messiah. And today? The history books will judge how weak Barack Obama was as a president. But in every case, he was the biggest disappointment in the White House…”

Obama vs. Netanyahu

The Associated Press reported on January 22:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned trip to Washington in March is kicking up a diplomatic dust storm in the nation’s capital. On Thursday, the White House said President Barack Obama [and Secretary of State John Kerry] would not meet the prime minister when he comes to the U.S. to address a joint session of Congress. The official White House explanation was that Netanyahu’s visit fell too close to the Israeli election and the Obama administration wanted to avoid the appearance of taking sides…

“But the timing of Netanyahu’s visit also gave the White House a convenient means of retaliating against the prime minister for his decision to accept an invitation from Republican leaders to address Congress. GOP lawmakers and Netanyahu worked out the arrangement without consulting with the White House or State Department, only alerting the Obama administration a few hours before the Israeli leader’s trip was made public. The White House appeared stunned by what it saw as a breach of diplomatic decorum by Netanyahu, a leader with whom Obama has a history of tension.”

German Pegida’s “Darker” Side

The Local wrote on January 16:

“They’ve grown from a small Facebook community to a worldwide phenomenon… The average Pegida marcher is surprisingly average… Germany has Europe’s largest Muslim population, though they only make up five percent of the population. In respose to Pegida, Chancellor Angela Merkel has said ‘Islam is a part of Germany’. However, broadcaster ZDF published a poll on Friday showing that only 48 percent of respondents agreed with her statement…

“Many people at Monday’s rally shared concerns about Germany’s vulnerability. Many felt the attack on Charlie Hebdo’s editorial staff was an attack on freedom of expression and the press. They worry people will feel that their freedoms are diminished by Islamic extremists who cannot adhere to those western values. It also explains why some carry signs saying ‘I like pork’. They worry that with more Muslims entering schools and work forces, pork will get taken off canteen menus…

“The group was launched following a growth of feeling against the Kurdistan’s Worker’s Party (PKK), which is classified as a terrorist group by NATO states.

“[One of its two co-founders, Lutz] Bachmann has avoided the press since his criminal history, which includes drug charges that he fled to South Africa to escape, came to light. Pegida has a 19-point manifesto that was released in December 2014. Besides calling for stricter immigration and asylum laws as well as making integration part of the constitution, it also calls for the outright rejection of any immigrant, refugee or asylum seeker with a criminal background.

“The movement is also deeply pro-Russian… [T]o former East Germans, the current Russian regime has nothing in common with the Soviet Union… Many of those who participate in the walk carry Russian flags. The idea is that if Russia has power again, it can create a balance of power with the United States of America, thus causing fewer bombing campaigns by the global military power.

“With fewer military actions, there would be fewer wars, less demand for arms, and fewer refugees fleeing their homelands and coming to Germany… There is still a deeply-rooted anti-Americanism in East Germany and Dresden…

“While Pegida movements outside of Dresden have been out-shouted by no-Pegida demonstrators, others keep appearing. Oslo has already hosted a Pegida march. Danes will hold one this coming Monday.”

Apart from the fact that Christians should not participate in political demonstrations (they are ambassadors of the Kingdom of God and a better world to come, when Jesus Christ returns), the article points out some of the questionable positions which Pegida propagates. At the same time, the next article shows how the German government is trying to suppress the movement—apparently with Pegida’s acquiescence, while at the same time portraying itself as persecuted victims to capitalize on Islamic threats.

The Local reported on January 21 that “Lutz Bachmann, the founder of Pegida, has resigned his leadership of the anti-Islam group following widespread outrage over Facebook photos of him in an Adolf Hitler costume.”

PEGIDA Demonstration Cancelled Due to Islamic Threats

APP wrote on January 19:

“German police banned a planned rally by the anti-Islamic PEGIDA movement and other public open-air gatherings in the eastern city of Dresden Monday, citing a terrorist threat. Dresden police said Sunday they had received information from federal and state counterparts indicating a ‘concrete threat’ against the right-wing populist group ‘Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident’.

“There had been calls for would-be ‘assassins to mingle among the protesters… and to murder an individual member of the organising team of the PEGIDA demonstrations’, police said in a notice on the 24-hour ban. This was consistent with ‘an Arabic-language tweet that called the PEGIDA demonstrations an enemy of Islam’, it said. Top-circulation daily Bild said online that the threat targeted PEGIDA’s most prominent leader Lutz Bachmann.

“Because there were no individual suspects, Dresden police said it saw no alternative to the temporary suspension of the constitutional right to free assembly within city limits. PEGIDA earlier told its followers on Facebook that its 13th planned rally had been scrapped, citing a threat from the Islamic State jihadist group, and portraying the cancellation as its own decision… It had decided to call off the Dresden event as it could not guarantee the security of marchers…”

And so, one bows to terrorist threats, even though Pegida announced that their demonstrations will continue in the future. Many German papers reacted negatively, stating the German government should not have prohibited the demonstration and PEGIDA should not have given their prior consent.

Euro Drops

Deutsche Welle reported on January 22:

“The euro dropped to $1.13 on Thursday, its cheapest rate against the greenback in 11 years. The value of the euro has been falling over the past year. Last April, it was trading at $1.38. News of the two-percent drop in value came on the heels of an announcement of the European Central Bank’s stimulus plan [which Germany opposes], which foresees printing 60 billion euros ($69.7 billion) a month beginning in March. The 19-month quantitative easing program – which will cost over 1 trillion euros – aims to spur inflation and encourage lending in the real economy.”

Up To 20 European Sleeper Cells

Newsmax reported on January 17:

“Up to 20 sleeper cells comprising 120 to 180 people may be ready to strike targets in several European countries, intelligence source say in the wake of the discovery of an ‘imminent threat’ of an attack in Belgium this week. More than two dozen people with suspected ties to Islamic extremists were arrested in a sweep Friday,  and an unnamed Western intelligence source told CNN that as many as 20 sleeper cells are ready to strike targets in France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

“‘There is a tremendous amount of concern over sleeper cells in Europe,’ said the official… Intelligence officers have been monitoring men who have returned to Europe after fighting in Syria, as it is believed the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, has directed attacks to retaliate against airstrikes against its forces in Syria and Iraq…”

Europe Calls for Alliance with Muslim Nations…

The Washington Post wrote on January 19:

“European foreign ministers… called… for an alliance against Islamic extremism with the countries of North Africa and other Muslim nations like Yemen, where at least one of the gunmen responsible for attacks this month in Paris received training. ‘We need an alliance, a dialogue, because we are all facing the same threat,’ Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s foreign affairs chief, said…

“In an effort to increase counterterrorism cooperation both inside Europe and with countries outside the bloc, particularly those in the Muslim world, the 28-nation European alliance will assign security attachés at its diplomatic missions overseas, Ms. Mogherini said. Didier Reynders, the foreign minister of Belgium… said the European Union needed to increase intelligence sharing and other cooperation with countries like Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia to help curb radicalization and violent extremism.

“Many Muslims living in Belgium and France… trace their origins to North Africa. Proposals for such a program in Europe were put forward years ago but were stalled because of opposition from the European Parliament, where many lawmakers worried about violating citizens’ privacy.

“Under the program, information about seat numbers, flight reservation dates, payment methods and travel itineraries would be exchanged…”

Irreversible Consequences for Ukrainian Statehood?

The Guardian wrote on January 19:

“Pro-Russia separatists renewed attacks on Ukrainian forces at Donetsk airport complex in the east of the country on Monday after Kiev launched a mass operation to reclaim lost ground in the region… Russia expressed concern at what it called escalation by Kiev… ‘It’s the biggest, even strategic mistake of the Ukrainian authorities to bank on a military solution to the crisis,’ Interfax quoted Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Grigory Karasin, as saying. ‘This may lead to irreversible consequences for Ukrainian statehood.’”

The Washington Post wrote on January 19:

“The foreign ministers [of the EU]… discussed policy toward Russia and whether to keep in place sanctions imposed last year on Russian banks, other companies and individuals over the conflict in Ukraine. Some countries had in the past urged a softening of the sanctions, while others, particularly the Baltic countries, had demanded that they remain. But a recent uptick in fighting in eastern Ukraine — notably a push by Russian-backed separatists to seize the Donetsk airport from Ukrainian forces — strengthened the arguments of those opposed to any change in policy.

“Ms. Mogherini said that ‘the latest developments on the ground are not encouraging, rather the contrary,’ adding that the foreign ministers were united in their desire to stick with the current sanctions. ‘There is no normalization, there is no back to business as usual in any way.’”

Again, Russia put the world on notice by referring to grave consequences for Ukrainian statehood, if the battles were to continue. With this warning, Russia is clearly issuing a threat of military intervention. 

Deutsche Welle reported on January 22: “The battle for Donetsk airport is raging on between government troops and pro-Russian separatists. The ceasefire agreed for eastern Ukraine in September seems to be finished for good.”

More Bad Rumors from the East

The EUObserver wrote on January 15:

“Russia has said it will stop EU gas transit via Ukraine and do it via Turkey instead in the second shock announcement on energy in as many months. It said on Wednesday (14 January) that the EU should build new infrastructure to link up with a future Russia-Turkey pipeline or lose access to supplies. Gazprom head Alexei Miller issued the ultimatum during a visit to Russia by EU energy commissioner Maros Sefcovic, who said he was ‘very surprised’ by the statement.

“The latest announcement comes after Russia said in December it won’t build the so-called South Stream pipeline via Bulgaria and Hungary to Italy in favour of a new project with Turkey. The European Commission blocked South Stream construction on grounds of non-compliance with EU energy law.  But both South Stream and ‘Turkish Stream’ have strategic implications because they bypass Ukraine, which earns billions from transit fees and which is on the edge of bankruptcy…

“About 80 percent of the EU’s gas imports from Russia come via Ukraine. But political disputes between Kiev and Moscow have seen EU supplies interrupted on two occasions in recent years, with Moscow justifying the Turkey decision by saying Ukraine is ‘unreliable’.”

“EU-UK Romance Gone Wrong”

The EUObserver wrote on January 19:

“European Commission boss Jean-Claude Juncker has given the clearest hint yet that he would be prepared to see the UK leave the EU, comparing the UK’s 42-year membership of the bloc to a romance gone wrong… The UK joined the then European Economic Community (EEC) in 1973, a decision confirmed by a referendum in 1975, but has long been regarded by many as an ‘awkward partner’…

“Meanwhile, [Juncker] ruled out the prospect of UK-pushed treaty changes to reform EU rules on free movement saying that there would be ‘no debate, dialogue or compromise’ on an issue which he described as ‘red lines which could not be crossed… the EU won’t change the treaties to satisfy the whim of certain politicians,’ added Juncker. The commission president’s stance is a political blow to prime minister David Cameron ahead of the UK’s general election in May. The UK prime minister’s rhetoric on EU migration is likely to intensify in the coming weeks, with surveys suggesting that immigration, rather than the economy or public services, is the most important issue to voters…

“Cameron wants to [require] all EU migrants to have a job within six months of arriving in the UK. He also wants them to pay into the UK’s tax and social security programmes for four years before they can receive certain benefits and plans to end the payment of child benefit to dependents of EU migrants in their home country. However, last autumn Cameron dropped a plan to cap the number [of] EU nationals able to come to the UK amid opposition from Berlin and other capitals, and following warnings that this would breach the EU treaties.”

The UK’s exit from the EU becomes more and more apparent.

Argentinian-Jewish prosecutor Alberto Nisman Killed

The Times of Israel reported in January 19:

“Argentinian-Jewish prosecutor Alberto Nisman was killed by a gunshot below his ear, the preliminary results of an autopsy showed Monday, as thousands of Argentinians headed to the streets to protest his death. Nisman was found dead of a gunshot wound just hours before he was due to testify at a congressional hearing on the deadly 1994 AMIA bombing.

“Nisman had fingered Iran and Hezbollah in the attack, which killed 85 people at a Jewish community building, and was scheduled to release information tying Argentinean President Christina  [Fernandez de] Kirchner [and her foreign minister Hector Timerman] to a coverup of Tehran’s involvement…

“Police [and several] officials maintained Monday that Nisman’s death appeared to be a suicide… [But] Anibal Fernandez, secretary general for the presidency, said he was ‘dumbfounded,’ adding there was ‘absolutely nothing normal’ about it. Congresswoman Cornelia Schmidt-Liermann said she had planned to pick Nisman up Monday at his residence and accompany him for his testimony. ‘Everybody who had contact with him the last 24 hours says he was confident’ about his testimony,’ she told The Associated Press. ‘There is no indication, under any circumstances, that he killed himself.’…”

Will the world be sold another cover-up, as there have been so many examples historically around the world?

Reuters wrote on January 22:

“The death of a prosecutor investigating the bombing of a Jewish community center was not a suicide, as was initially reported, Argentine President Cristina Fernandez said on Thursday… She did not say who killed him and no one has been arrested in the case, which has shocked Argentines. Social media networks are seething with conspiracy theories, some pointing at Fernandez and her government…”

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Has Died

The Huffington Post reported on January 22:

“Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has died, Saudi state television announced early on Friday local time. Abdullah’s designated successor is Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, his 79-year-old half-brother.

“Reuters reports that King Abdullah had been admitted to a Riyadh hospital in December for medical tests. The royal court announced in January that Abdullah was suffering from pneumonia. Abdullah came into power in August 2005 after the death of his brother, King Fahd.”

The Associated Press added on January 22:

“Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, the powerful U.S. ally who joined Washington’s fight against al-Qaida and sought to modernize the ultraconservative Muslim kingdom with incremental but significant reforms, including nudging open greater opportunities for women, has died, according to Saudi state TV. He was 90.

“More than his guarded and hidebound predecessors, Abdullah assertively threw his oil-rich nation’s weight behind trying to shape the Middle East. His priority was to counter the influence of rival, mainly Shiite Iran wherever it tried to make advances. He and fellow Sunni Arab monarchs also staunchly opposed the Middle East’s wave of pro-democracy uprisings, seeing them as a threat to stability and their own rule.”

Reuters wrote on January 22:

“At stake with the appointment of Salman as [new] king is the future direction of the United States’ most important Arab ally and self-appointed champion of Sunni Islam at a moment of unprecedented turmoil across the Middle East… Saudi Arabia, which holds more than a fifth of the world’s crude oil, also exerts some influence over the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims through its guardianship of Mecca and Medina, Islam’s holiest sites.”

For information on the future of Saudi Arabia, please read our free booklet, “Middle Eastern and African Nations in Bible Prophecy.”

Turmoil in Yemen

The Washington Post wrote on January 22:

“Yemen’s Western-backed president and his cabinet resigned Thursday amid deepened turmoil that left Shiite rebels in effective control and threw into question this nation’s continued participation in the U.S. fight against terrorism…

“The crisis threatens to weaken Washington’s campaign against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which is based in Yemen and has actively targeted the United States and Europe. The government’s collapse could also plunge Yemen into full-scale civil war. The Houthi rebels are widely considered to be backed by Shiite-majority Iran, although they deny it. Yemen’s population is majority Sunni, and there is a strong separatist movement in the Sunni-dominated south…

“For Saudi Arabia, in particular, the ascendance of a Shiite-dominated state on its doorstep represents a strategic threat. It sees Iranian proxies consolidating power on its southern border with Yemen and on the northern one with Iraq, which is led by a Shiite government that has growing political, military and economic ties with Tehran, said Mustafa Alani, director of security and terrorism at the Geneva-based Gulf Research Center. ‘This is becoming a strategic nightmare’ for Saudi Arabia, he said. Riyadh fears Iran is building a ‘mini-state in Yemen,’ he added, similar to what the Shiite movement Hezbollah has created in Lebanon.”

Remember Raoul Wallenberg

The Times of Israel wrote on January 17:

“Thus far, 2015 has brought tragic and infuriating terrorism, anti-semitism, and assaults on liberty in France; a car bomb in Yemen that killed and injured dozens; and the massacre of thousands in Nigeria by Boko Haram, as well as yet another of the group’s mass kidnappings. This is in addition to continuing mass atrocities and humanitarian crises in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Central Africa, Sudan and elsewhere, and it comes on the heels of the deadly hostage-taking in Sydney, and the barbarous terrorist attack on a school in Pakistan that left over a hundred dead, most of them children…

“[Raoul] Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat, was a beacon of light during the darkest days of the Holocaust, and his example remains so today. Prior to his arrival in Budapest in July 1944, some 430,000 Hungarian Jews had been deported to Auschwitz in the space of ten weeks – the fastest, cruelest, and most efficient mass murders of the Nazi genocide. Yet Wallenberg rescued more Hungarian Jews from the Nazis than any single government, notably saving 20,000 by issuing Schutzpasses, documents conferring diplomatic immunity. He even went to the trains as mass deportations were underway, distributing Schutzpasses to people otherwise consigned to death. Other diplomatic missions followed suit, saving thousands more.

“Wallenberg saved an additional 32,000 by establishing dozens of safe houses in a diplomatic zone protected by neutral legations. He organized hospitals, soup kitchens, and childcare centres, providing human dignity along with the essentials of life. Moreover, when thousands of Jews were sent on a 125-mile death march in November 1944, Wallenberg followed alongside, distributing improvised Schutzpasses, as well as food and medical supplies…

“Finally, with the Nazis preparing to liquidate the Budapest ghetto as the war neared its end, Wallenberg warned Nazi generals that they would be held accountable and brought to justice, if not executed, for their crimes. The Nazis desisted, and 70,000 more Jews were saved…

“70 years ago today, Wallenberg was arrested by the Soviets, who had entered Hungary as liberators. He disappeared into the Gulag, and his fate remains unknown… the person who saved so many was not saved by so many who could. Yet, while we pursue the moral obligation of discovering the truth of Wallenberg’s fate, his legacy endures, reminding us of the power of an individual with the compassion to care and the courage to act to confront evil, resist, and transform history.

“In recognition of his heroism, Canada has established January 17th as Raoul Wallenberg Commemorative Day, and we [the state of Israel] named Wallenberg our country’s first honorary citizen thirty years ago. He has been granted the same distinction in Hungary, Australia, Israel, and the United States, and there are monuments to him in cities around the world, as well as streets and schools that bear his name. In Paris, there has been a Rue Raoul-Wallenberg since 2007…

“At a time when it seems as though each day brings a new heart-wrenching catastrophe, let us be inspired by Raoul Wallenberg, who came face to face with the horrors of Nazism, and was moved not to despair, but to action.”

The Church of God has a very similar task to fulfill today. It has the commission to preach the good news of the coming Kingdom of God in all the world as a witness to make possible the establishment of God’s righteous and peaceful government on earth. In the meantime, God’s Church is to teach and help those spiritually who respond to the Gospel message, by nurturing them with God’s Word and showing them a way to become protected during the terrible times ahead.

Proverbs 27:14 reads: “He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, It will be counted a curse to him.”

This seems to be a rather straight-forward statement, easy to understand. But upon further and deeper scrutiny, some very remarkable and easily overlooked truisms may come to light. This is a good example for the fact that the Bible must be read with great care and diligence, and that just a superficial glancing at biblical passages will not suffice.

(1)  First, we should note that the person blesses, praises or thanks his friend “with a loud voice.”

The Broadman Bible Commentary states:

“Verse 14 is aimed at insincerity in greeting concealed by a loud but hypocritical voice.”

The Lamsa Bible renders the verse:

“He who blesses his friend with a flattering loud voice is not different from him who curses.”

The person who flatters his friend by blessing him with a loud voice, while he has ulterior motives and insincerity in his heart, can be compared with those who pray to God with a loud voice, but who are unwilling to submit to Him. In either case, such a “blessing” or prayer of “thanks” will not produce positive results, as Ezekiel 8:18 states: “.. though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.”

It is also interesting that the harlot is described as “loud and rebellious” (Proverbs 7:11).

The Soncino Commentary gives the following explanation of the person’s blessing with a loud voice, in Proverbs 27:14:

“… ‘with a loud voice.’ His heartiness conceals feelings of animosity…”

Psalm 5:9 states that “… there is no faithfulness in their mouth… their throat is an open tomb; They flatter with their tongue.”

Proverbs 26:28 tells us that a “flattering mouth works ruin”; and Proverbs 29:5 states that “A man who flatters his neighbor Spreads a net for his feet.”

Psalm 12:3 states: “May the LORD cut off all flattering lips…”  and Job 17:5 warns also against the bad consequences of flattery for the flatterer and his offspring.

Paul states in 1 Thessalonians 2:5-6 that he and his fellow workers did not act as the flatterer in Proverbs 27:14, pointing out: “For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.”

We might also remember the many instances when the Pharisees and Sadducees came to Christ with flattering and praising words, in order to trick Him. For instance, we read this remarkable episode in Matthew 22:15-18:

“Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, ‘Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?’ But Jesus perceived their wickedness [Mark 12:15 states: “But He, knowing their hypocrisy …”], and said, ‘Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?’”

The Benson Commentary gives an additional meaning to the use of a “loud voice” in Proverbs 27:14:

“‘He that blesseth his friend’… That saluteth, praiseth, or applaudeth him to his face, as the manner of flatterers is; ‘with a loud voice’… That both he and others may be sure to take notice of it…”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible elaborates as follows:

“‘He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice’… So as not only to be heard by him, but by others; who is extravagant in his praises and commendations of him; who exceeds all bounds of modesty, truth, and decency; who affects pompous words, and hyperbolical expressions; and shows himself to be a real sycophant [a person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain an advantage] and flatterer, having some sinister end to serve by it…”

The Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers agrees:

“‘He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice’… If gratitude is to be acceptable, the time, place, and manner of shewing it must all be well chosen. A man who is so eager to express his thanks that he begins early in the morning, and in so loud a voice as to draw upon his patron the attention of all the bystanders, is looked upon as a nuisance; any one would as soon be cursed as blessed by him. So God loves heartfelt gratitude offered in secret (Compare Matthew 6:5-6.).”

The point is made that we ought to be careful not to praise another person with a loud flattering voice in the presence of others, while being motivated by a desire to be heard and acknowledged by them.

(2)  Next, we should again take note of the fact that he blesses his friend “early in the morning.”

The Soncino Commentary states that “early in the morning” describes “an idiomatic phrase denoting zeal [compare Jeremiah 7:13], but in this instance it is only feigned…”

The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary states:

“‘He that blesseth his friend… rising early in the morning…’ it shall be counted to be a flatterer all the same as if he cursed his friend (cf. Proverbs 26:25). ‘Early in the morning’ implies the affected assiduity [constant or close attention to what one is doing] of the flatterer… The exaggerated praise and compliment engender suspicion and sinister motives.”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible states:

“‘rising early in the morning’… lest any should be before him, and get the benefit he seeks by his flattery; or as if he had not time enough in the day to finish his encomium, unless he began early in the morning, and continued it all the day; and so it denotes his being incessant at this work, always harping on this string, or expressing himself in this adulatory way; or, as some think, this is mentioned as an aggravation of his sin, that he should be acting this low, mean, and criminal part, when he should be employed in devotion and prayer to God…”

We find an interesting example in Judges 6:28 when men of the city arose “early in the morning” to worship before the altar of Baal. They had zeal to do something, but their zeal was totally wrong. Another example of a wrong kind of zeal by those who rise “early in the morning,” but who do not behave in accordance with God’s Will and who disregard His Plan, can be found in Isaiah 5:11-12: “Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may follow intoxicating drink… but they do not regard the work of the LORD, Nor consider the operation of His hands.”

(3)  Finally, we read that such early and loud blessings “will be counted a curse” to the flatterer.

The Soncino Commentary gives the following explanation:

“… ‘counted a curse to him.’ The clause… can mean that God will punish the insincere man for his greeting as though it had been a curse…”

The Benson Commentary states:

“…‘It shall be counted a curse to him’… His friend will value this kind of blessing no more than a curse: because it plainly discovers a base design, and is a high reflection upon him, as if he either did not understand such gross and palpable flattery, or were so ridiculously vain-glorious as to be pleased with it.”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible agrees and adds:

“… ‘it shall be counted a curse to him’… either to the flatterer, by his friend whom he blesses, and by all wise men that hear him, who will despise him all one as if he cursed him…  such an one differs [nothing], or nothing seems to differ, from one that curses: or else to the person blessed, whom others will curse or however detract from his character, because of the profuse praises bestowed upon him; nay, sometimes God himself curses such a man, who listens to, is fond of, and receives the fulsome flatteries of wicked men, as in the case of Herod, Acts 12:22.”

In regard to the above-quoted comment that a “blessed” person may be “cursed” by others, we might think of Jacob’s concern when his mother persuaded him to trick and deceive his father Isaac to receive a blessing from him. He said to his mother Rebekah: “Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be a deceiver to him; and I shall bring a curse on myself and not a blessing” (Genesis 27:12). His mother persuaded him to carry out his deception and stated that Jacob’s curse should be on her. Jacob acquiesced, but as a consequence, he had to flee from his twin brother Esau and stayed away for twenty years (Genesis 31:38, 41), while being deceived repeatedly by this uncle Laban (Genesis 29:24; 31:7). When he returned, his father Isaac was still alive, but it appears that his mother Rebekah had died in the meantime (she is not mentioned anymore after Genesis 27:46), which means that she never saw her son again.

In conclusion, the Bible does not speak against truly thanking or blessing our friend at any time. What is addressed here is the motive and the manner of the ones who bestow and receive the “blessing”—the insincere flattery of a person who acts with a loud voice to be heard by others, while he might harbor feelings of animosity towards his “friend,” and who acts early in the morning to be the first in line and before others have the opportunity to bless his friend and may receive appreciation and benefits instead of the flatterer. Again, we might think of Jacob who was able to get to his father Isaac with the savory food that had been quickly prepared by his mother, before his brother Esau arrived with his savory food.

Proverbs 27:14 addresses the insincere person who does not act because of genuine love, but because of sinister motives. For his conduct, he will either be punished by God directly or his friend will see right through him and reject his flattery, treating it as the utterance of a curse. Proverbs 27:14 might also include the warning for his friend not to accept such a “blessing” which might have been encouraged to some extent by his own improper conduct (compare Jacob’s behavior), and which might turn out to become a curse for him—including the admonition not to embrace and enjoy the hypocritical loud and boisterous flattery bestowed upon him in the presence of others (compare Herod’s behavior), as this might lead to his downfall.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Our annual Church Conference will be conducted in San Diego, California, beginning March 20, and continuing through March 24, 2015.

A new Member Letter to our German brethren has been sent. In it, Mr. Link reminds everyone of the approaching Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread and includes information about the Feast of Tabernacles, which will be observed in Templin, Germany. In addition, two new German booklets dealing with the Sabbath and the Holy Days have been translated and are offered in this letter.

“The Pope Has No Answer!” is the title of a new StandingWatch Program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

During his travel to the Philippines, Pope Francis made some startling and unsettling comments. He warned Catholics not to breed like rabbits; admitted that he has no answer to the question of a little girl why children suffer; and said in response to the terrorist attack in France that one cannot make fun of faith without expecting a punch, and that every religion has its dignity. Why are all these comments deeply disturbing? We are offering our free booklet, “Human Suffering–Why… and How Much Longer?”

“Der Papst Hat Keine Antwort!” is the title of the German language AufPostenStehen program covering the same topic as above.

“Neu! Die Fehlenden Jahre im Wirken Christi,” is the new German sermon. It addresses the false concept of an end-time “7-year-contract” and discusses Christ’s public ministry for the remaining 3 1/2 years after His return. Title in English: “The Missing Years in Christ’s Ministry.”

“The Helper,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

In the days leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, He told His disciples that a Helper would be sent after He left them. What is the Helper that Jesus talked about? How can It work in your life?

On January 10, 2015, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “The Prophets Hang on Love, Part 2.”

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.

On January 1, 2015, I turned on the TV set and watched the 126th Rose Parade from the warm comfort of my home, while near record-breaking cold temperatures were felt in Pasadena, California, where the parade commenced at 8:00am. Pretty soon, I felt bored and even somewhat offended. While the announcers and local papers commented on the truly “inspirational” floats and the messages behind them, I found myself in disagreement. There was not much inspiration for me. The parade was overshadowed by honoring veterans and soldiers, with an U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber performing a flyover above the parade route, and by portraying many (unscriptural) different cultural and religious facets of American society, including floats representing far-Eastern religious ideas or portraying “biblical” figures in a most ridiculous and juvenile way.

When meditating about God’s point of view, it became abundantly clear that even something so (at times) beautiful-looking as the flower-decorated floats of the Rose Parade present an entirely wrong picture—apart from the fact that the annoying “New Year’s” sign, which was visibly portrayed throughout the TV program, gave the entire broadcast the resemblance of a New Year’s celebration. This brought into focus the dangerous traps which unsuspecting Church members might fall into, when approving, applauding or even engaging in worldly activities which are contrary to biblical injunctions.

“Honoring” veterans and soldiers and supporting their conduct has no place in the Christian mind set. God is against war in every shape or form. We do appreciate the zeal with which many are fighting for their country, but we must never forget that their zeal is misguided, futile and in opposition to God’s commandments. In war, human beings are killed—including innocent civilians and children, who are labeled as “inevitable casualties.” In addition, our wars will never bring lasting peace. Church members are conscientious objectors for a reason—their conscience objects to and prohibits them from fighting in war, because they are convinced that war does not reflect God’s way of life. Since this is so, they are not to give the impression to others that they approve somehow of war activities. They are not to stand up to applaud veterans; they are not to post pictures on Facebook which celebrate veterans—in short, they are not to engage in hypocritical conduct.

But this godly injunction of giving a clear and consistent picture of ourselves runs much deeper. True Christians who are opposed to war are not to vote in governmental elections to give their support to a presidential candidate of their preference who will become the Commander in Chief. Again, to do so would manifest hypocritical and inconsistent conduct and question the sincerity of a person who votes for a candidate to become President, while refusing to serve under that elected President.

Not voting in political elections and refusing to serve in the military are to be seen in conjunction with refusing to serve on the jury. These three activities are intertwined elements of the same package, as they all manifest our understanding that we are not to be part of this world, but rather, that we are Christ’s ambassadors for a better world to come—when the Kingdom of God will be established on earth to rule all nations. Then, people will not learn war anymore; then, there will be no more political campaigns and elections; and then, there will be no more jury trials.

Many seem to have doubts today about the long-held doctrine of the Church of God in this regard; and quite a few who once knew better have now begun to participate in jury trials and to vote in governmental elections. They may be sincere, but they are sincerely wrong. Our free booklet, “Should You Fight in War?” explains in detail the biblical teaching on the inseparable connection between military service, voting and jury duty.

Whether there will be something like “rose parades” in the world tomorrow, we do not know; but if that was the case, we suspect that they would not be held on January 1, and we know that they would not focus on foreign and unbiblical religions and philosophies or on soldiers and veterans. No U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber would fly over any parade route, and no one would rise to honor those who, in their misguided zeal, felt that they had to fight and kill in war in order to bring peace.

What a different world it will be!

We begin with the shaky relationship between Britain and Germany; discuss a potentially devastating fiasco regarding Greece and its relationship with the rest of the world; address the growing popularity of Germany’s PEGIDA movement against “Islamization” and the terror attack in France; and speak of the interesting developments pertaining to a Russian-European “cease-fire,” with France at the forefront of questionable conduct.

Turning to American politics and social issues, we point out unfavorable bad news for Democrats (arguably affecting Hillary Clinton) and Republicans (especially surrounding John Boehner), proving again why true Christians should have NOTHING to do with it; and we address the despicable “success” of Planned Parenthood regarding abortion and the confusion surrounding the law (which law?) and its application (which application?) regarding medical marijuana.

We conclude with articles about the debate within the Church of England on suicide and about utterly unbiblical remarks by Pope Francis on “the beautiful relationship and inseparability between Jesus, Mary, and the Church.”

German-British Alienation

The Times wrote on January 6:

“Behind the smiles at today’s summit, the German chancellor is cooling on David Cameron. David Cameron’s faltering tango de salon with Angela Merkel has become one of European diplomacy’s most embarrassing spectacles. The British government’s increasing desperation to be delivered from its European muddle is matched only by the increasing German irritation with Britain’s tunnel vision. No wonder the German chancellor looks as if someone has trodden heavily on her corns.”

Don’t Give Merkel the Red Carpet Treatment!

The Telegraph wrote on January 6:

“Both in her own country, and on the world stage, Ms Merkel is one of the very few European leaders who still commands genuine respect. Her successes and popularity within German borders are manifest. Yet it is her supposed ability to deliver favours within the wider European context, rather than her many admirable qualities, that explains much of the deference the British government displays to this de facto, if somewhat reluctant, European monarch. If there is anyone who can engineer the new relationship with the European Union that David Cameron demands, it is the German Chancellor.

“And it is for her own country’s sake, rather than as a favour to Britain, that she needs to deliver; for in truth, the benefit to Germany of British participation in the European Union is substantially greater than any economic positives the UK derives from it. Given this service, it ought indeed, to be Ms Merkel who is beholden to us, not the other way around…

“The UK has long been far and away Germany’s largest European export market. Since the onset of the eurozone crisis, German reliance on British export markets has become bigger still. Amid the general wreckage of the European economy, it sometimes seems that Britain is indeed the only decent source of demand left…

“As non-members of the euro, we have by default become Europe’s consumers of last resort, even though we will not ultimately be able to afford the bills. So please, Ms Merkel; Germany owes Britain a good deal more than a few negotiating scraps. There is no one else to cure Europe of its sickness but you…”

It is interesting that the Bible paints quite a different picture: It is Ephraim (the UK) which first does not even see ITS sickness, but when it finally does, it will go to Assyria (modern Germany) for help, but won’t find help there.

Greece and the Euro Zone

Reuters reported on January 3:

“The German government believes that the euro zone would now be able to cope with a Greece exit if that proved to be necessary… It is still unclear how a euro zone member country could leave the euro and still remain in the European Union, but Der Spiegel quoted a ‘high-ranking currency expert’ as saying that ‘resourceful lawyers’ would be able to clarify.

“According to the report, the German government considers a Greece exit almost unavoidable if the leftwing Syriza opposition party led by Alexis Tsipras wins an election set for Jan. 25.

“The Greek election was called after lawmakers failed to elect a president last month. It pits Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’ conservative New Democracy party, which imposed unpopular budget cuts under Greece’s bailout deal, against Tsipras’ Syriza, who want to cancel austerity measures and a chunk of Greek debt. Opinion polls show Syriza is holding a lead over New Democracy, although its margin has narrowed to about three percentage points in the run-up to the vote.”

“Stocks Tumble Again In Worst Start To Year Since 2008”

The Huffington Post wrote on January 6:

“Wall Street suffered more losses Tuesday as stocks fell for the fifth straight day, in the worst start to a year since 2008. Stocks fell with the price of oil, which has been plummeting for months to its lowest levels since the financial crisis and Great Recession.

“Falling oil prices hurt major oil companies, and investors fear they are a sign of weak global economic demand that could weigh on U.S. growth and corporate profits. European shares also fell amid political tumult in debt-plagued Greece.”

Is the deterioration of the economy going to continue? See the next article.

What If Greece Were to Depart…?

The Independent wrote on January 7:

“… the Greek Syriza party may well triumph in the election later this month. It is threatening to renege on the deal Greece reached with the IMF, EU and European Central Bank because it is too austere, even though it’s almost completed. Such an outcome would not be good for Greece, which would gain an even worse reputation for its ability to hold to international obligations, and her exit from the eurozone would soon follow.  A re-introduced drachma would immediately devalue, and the real-terms value of her euro-denominated debt would rise even further beyond redemption. Default would then be the only option. No one would lend to them. The Greek people would suffer more grievously than now.

“Such a turn of events would also be disastrous for the eurozone as a whole, at least in the short term, because of ‘contagion’… Panic, often irrationally, spreads from bank to bank, from bank to country, and from country to country, and something of the same is happening now, with the euro falling to fresh lows…

“Deflation is looming, something not seen in Europe since before the Second World War… After Greece, the dominos would fall – Portugal, Spain and the rest. The rout may not end until it has overcome France, in which case the euro would simply be a proxy German currency, with only the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Finland as economic satellites along for the ride. Europe would slide back into recession.

“Despite the damage it would cause, many governments must be quietly wondering whether Greece’s exit from the eurozone is simply inevitable, as Greek resistance to reform proves insurmountable…

“A Grexit and its knock-on effects would be as dramatic as anything we have experienced since 2007. It would hit European growth, and with it the chances of a continuing British recovery. George Osborne said last year that a slowdown in the eurozone was the biggest threat to UK prospects, and so it remains. Greece is a global problem, no matter what Syriza might think…”

None of these prospects look too healthy for a striving worldwide economy. The idea of the euro becoming a proxy German currency may have some validity.

PEGIDA Movement Growing in Germany

Breitbart wrote on January 6:

“The Patriotic Europeans Against Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA) movement has now spread from its home city of Dresden, where up to 20,000 took to the streets for their first weekly ‘stroll’ of 2015, to other cities in Germany and Europe… Despite the record turnout, many mainstream news outlets have chosen to focus on the growing counter protests which have outnumbered PEGIDA in German cities like Stuttgart, Munster and Hamburg. A grand coalition of left-wing political parties and local associations of Muslim immigrants have formed in these areas and claimed 22,000 counter-protesters across the country, according to reports.

“The counter-PEGIDA movement now claims support from all sections of the German establishment, who have turned out in force to oppose the movement which threatens the pro-immigration status quo. German justice minister Heiko Maas, a member of coalition-government party the Social Democrats (SDP) was spotted marching against PEGIDA in Berlin, as churches, power companies, and factories turned off the power to their premises to deny PEGIDA supporters light during the winter night of Monday’s march.

“In Dresden the Volkswagen car factory turned off their lights, following the example of the local cathedral and state opera house. In Berlin the floodlights illuminating the Brandenburg gate and the television tower, the tallest structure in Germany, were turned off. In Cologne, the municipal power company turned out their lights and the city cathedral was also darkened. The strolling PEGIDA members appear to have responded to the blackout by marching with their mobile phone torches turned on and held in the air in a symbol of resistance.”

While the German “established” parties and their leaders, as well as most German liberal and conservative magazines and newspapers, foolishly and sometimes quite inaccurately try to find stronger and stronger words against PEGIDA, thereby ignoring the real dangers stemming from fanatical and radical Islamists and the less-than-peaceful religion of Islam, PEGIDA is finding more and more sympathy and support among “ordinary” Germans.

Mixed Reactions to Terrorist Attack in France

Reuters reported January 8:

“Anti-immigrant groups in Germany seized on Wednesday’s deadly attack in Paris, with leaders of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and PEGIDA saying it showed the threat of Islamist violence. Twelve people were killed when gunmen stormed the offices of a French satirical magazine known for lampooning radical Islam. ‘This bloodbath proves wrong those who laughed or ignored the fears of so many people about a looming danger of Islamism,’ said Alexander Gauland, a regional AfD leader. ‘This gives new clout to PEGIDA demands.’

“PEGIDA, or Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West, itself reacted strongly to the Paris attack. ‘The Islamists, against whom PEGIDA has been warning over the last 12 weeks, showed in France today that they are not capable of (practicing) democracy but instead see violence and death as the solution,’ PEGIDA wrote on its Facebook page…

“German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said on Wednesday the attack in Paris had nothing to do with Islam. ‘Islamic extremists and Islamic terror are something entirely different from Islam,’ he said. “It is immensely important to underscore that difference on a day like today.'”

The Huffington Post wrote on January 8:

“Muslims in France and around the world banded together on Wednesday to strongly condemn the deadliest terror attack the country has seen in the past two decades.

“Three masked gunmen stormed the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine that has become notorious for its caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. One of the men reportedly shouted ‘Allahu akbar’ as they unleashed a barrage of bullets that left at least twelve dead. Muslim leaders and activists immediately denounced the terrorists actions, reiterating the verse in the Quran that tells Muslims when one kills just one innocent person, it is as if he has killed all of humanity.”

CNS reported on January 8:

“In the wake of the terrorist attack on the offices of French satirist paper Charlie Hebdo, one Muslim cleric justified the murders under Islamic law. USA today published a column by avowed ‘radical Muslim cleric’ Anjem Choudary. The piece titled ‘People know the consequences’ asks why France would allow the paper to mock Islam, and further excused the systematic murders as justified under Islamic law:

“’Muslims consider the honor of the Prophet Muhammad to be dearer to them than that of their parents or even themselves. To defend it is considered to be an obligation upon them. The strict punishment if found guilty of this crime under sharia (Islamic law) is capital punishment implementable by an Islamic State. This is because the Messenger Muhammad said, “Whoever insults a Prophet kill him.” However, because the honor of the Prophet is something which all Muslims want to defend, many will take the law into their own hands, as we often see.’

“The contention that mass murder is in any way an appropriate response to being personally offended is a dangerous slope on which to tread. There is no doubt that some of these cartoons can be seen as offensive to certain people, but that same sentiment can be asserted on nearly any form of speech, especially in politics. Hence, the reasoning behind and the sanctity of the Constitution’s first amendment. Choudary then reversed the blame for the attack away from the three terrorists themselves and onto the French government.”

Does France Reap What It Has Sown?

Newsmax wrote on January 8:

“While France is reeling from the terrorist massacre of 12 people at the Paris offices of a satirical magazine, the country is also ‘one of the worst … when it comes to rewarding terrorism,’ lawyer and author Alan Dershowitz [said]… ‘They’ve never been part of the international campaign against terrorism. They are part of the problem, not part of the solution.’…

“France has endured a string of small-scale attacks since joining the military campaign against the Islamic State. But the violence level surged on Wednesday, when gunmen stormed the Paris headquarters of Charlie Hebdo shortly after it tweeted a cartoon of Islamic State (ISIS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The magazine, which was firebombed in 2011, has mocked radical Islamists in the past, but has also belittled some critics of Muslim religion and culture as Islamophobes and fearmongers.

“Dershowitz said that the attack should come as no surprise, given Europe’s history of tolerating Islamic terrorism. ‘We have tolerated extreme Islamic terrorism from the very beginning,’ he said, describing the Palestinian state as ‘born in terrorism,’ with the assent of governments including France and Germany. ‘When the Israeli athletes were murdered in Munich [in 1972], most European countries freed them when they came to their country,’ said Dershowitz. ‘Germany let them go, and most European countries have freed terrorists. It shouldn’t surprise anybody. In Europe, they’ve never fought terror.’…

“Dershowitz also said that radical Islam enjoys support from ‘millions of people’ in the Muslim world ‘who support terrorism, who will be applauding what happened today… The reason it has so many supporters is because it works. Terrorism works. It achieves the goals and results. Palestinians would not be getting a state today if it wasn’t for their terrorists.’”

EU to Become Partner with EAEU?

The EUObserver wrote on January 2, 2015:

“Russia’s EU ambassador has urged Brussels to launch talks with the newly born Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) despite the Ukraine crisis… He described the new Russia-led bloc as a better partner for the EU than the US, with a dig at health standards in the US food industry…

“The treaty establishing the Eurasian Union entered into life on Thursday (1 January). It includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia, with Kyrgyzstan to join in May… Ukraine was originally to join, but a popular revolt last year overthrew its Russia-friendly president and the new government signed a free trade treaty with the EU instead…”

The relationship between Russia and Europe may become even better for a short while—with the USA finding itself on the outside—but it will ultimately end up in outright hostility and war.

Ukraine Prepares for War… while France Is Unstable as Water

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 6:

“Germany and France cast doubt on next week’s planned peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan on Monday… Despite these talks, Ukraine has beefed up its heavy weaponry… Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko himself was on hand to deliver fighter jets, howitzers, and armored cars to the military in Zhytomyr in the north of the country. The delivery of heavy weapons is in direct violation of the Minsk agreement, which both sides accuse the other of violating on multiple occasions…

“The French leader took a less hard line on Russia and its president than other Western leaders have of late…

“Moscow has continuously denied that it backed the conflict in the eastern part of the former Soviet republic that has left 4,700 dead. The crisis has also proven disastrous to cash-strapped France, as it is prevented from completing the delivery of two high-tech

Mistral class warships to Russia. Breach of the 1.2-billion euro ($1.5-billion) contract could make France liable to hefty fines.”

The EUObserver added on January 6:

“French leader Francois Hollande has dangled the prospect of lifting EU sanctions on Russia ahead of the year’s first Ukraine summit… ‘[Russian president] Mr Putin doesn’t want to annex eastern Ukraine. He’s told me that … what he wants is to remain influential. What he wants is for Ukraine not to fall into the Nato camp’, he added, referring to his impromptu meeting with Putin at a Moscow airport in December…

“Russian media said his remarks mean Moscow is off the hook for annexing Crimea and that France is keen to resume delivery of two warships. Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, and the German centre-left SPD party have also said they want to re-engage with Russia…

“For his part, Latvian foreign minister Edgars Rinkevics – whose country took over the rotating EU presidency on 1 January – urged EU leaders not to break ranks.  Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania – former Soviet republics which host Russian-speaking minorities – fear that if Putin gets away with partitioning Ukraine he will cause trouble in the Baltic states in future.”

Is Mr. Hollande really that naïve, or do national interests play a major role for his unconscionable words? The answer should be rather obvious.

Bad News for Hillary Clinton?

On January 6, 2015, The Daily Mail published an article with the following headlines:

“Bill Clinton was also apparently friends with a woman who collected naked pictures of underage girls for Epstein to choose from. He hasn’t cut ties with that woman, however, and invited her to Chelsea’s wedding… friends now fear that if Hillary Clinton runs for president in 2016, all of their family’s old scandals will be brought to the forefront. Epstein has a host of famous friends including Prince Andrew who stayed at his New York mansion AFTER his arrest.”

The article continued:

“A new lawsuit has revealed the extent of former President Clinton’s friendship with a fundraiser who was later jailed for having sex with an underage prostitute. Bill Clinton’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, who served time in 2008 for his illegal sexual partners, included… multiple trips to the onetime billionaire’s private island in the Caribbean where underage girls were allegedly kept as sex slaves…

“Flight logs pinpoint Clinton’s trips on Epstein’s jet between the years 2002 and 2005, while he was working on his philanthropic post-presidential career and while his wife Hillary was a Senator for their adopted state of New York…

“At least one woman on the compound was there unwillingly, as the suit identifies a woman as Jane Doe 102. She ‘was forced to live as one of Epstein’s underage sex slaves for years and was forced to have sex with… politicians, businessmen, royalty, academicians, etc,’ the lawsuit says…

“Epstein’s sexual exploits have been documented since 2005…

“The claim prompted a nearly year-long investigation that led to the eventual charge of soliciting prostitution which came as part of a plea deal. He spent 13 months of a 18-month sentence in jail and remains a registered sex offender.”

But before Republicans begin to cheer too much, note the next set of articles.

John Boehner Survives—For Now—Despite Big Rebellion

On January 6, 2015, the Huffington Post published an article with the following headline: “Biggest Rebellion in 90 Years.”

The article continued:

“The House of Representatives voted Tuesday to once again make John Boehner its speaker, handing the Ohio Republican the gavel for the third time despite a late challenge by dissatisfied members of his own party. Tuesday’s vote saw the most votes against a sitting speaker since 1923. In the final tally, Boehner received the votes of 216 House members, while House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) got 164 votes. More than two dozen discontented Republicans, however, voted for other candidates… They argued that the current GOP leadership had turned its back on the principles of the voters who chose to seat a Republican House and Senate for the first time in eight years…

“While the insurrection gained little traction, it does signal that Boehner could be in for a rough couple of years. The members who opposed him comprise a larger bloc than the dozen who opposed him two years ago at the start of the 113th Congress. And during the four years that Boehner has led the House, he lost control of his caucus a number of times, finding himself forced to pull key bills from the floor when he failed to muster votes that he thought he could deliver.

“Indeed, the fact that so many were willing to publicly embarrass Boehner on the first day of his new term at least serves as notice that the more hard-line members of his base will not give him a free hand, and will insist on being consulted when key pieces of legislation are being passed.

“… the GOP insurgents will likely make their presence felt as soon as the end of this month, when the House will begin work on a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which is responsible for implementing most of Obama’s immigration policy. The conservative rebels will also be significant in the spring, when Congress must again raise the nation’s debt limit in order to be able to pay its bills…”

Breitbart added on January 6:

“Only 216 Republicans voted to re-elect a humbled Ohio Republican Rep. John Boehner as Speaker of the U.S. House on Tuesday, as many Republicans voted for alternative candidates in the second organized attempt to unseat Boehner in as many speakership elections. He wins re-election as Speaker with less than a majority of the House, something that has happened only four times since 1917.”

The Washington Post introduced its article: “John Boehner just endured the biggest revolt against a House speaker in more than 150 years.” It subsequently wrote in an update: “Boehner lost the votes of 25 House Republicans, marking the biggest defection in at least 100 years.”

And Now It’s Payback Time–Boehner’s Revenge

Politico wrote on January 6:

“He secured his third term as speaker Tuesday afternoon, losing 25 votes on the House floor to three relatively unknown members of the House Republican Conference. But he’s already punishing those who betrayed him.

“First up: Florida Reps. Daniel Webster and Richard Nugent. The pair will be booted from their spots on the House Rules Committee, according to sources familiar with the decision. Webster ran against Boehner (R-Ohio) for speaker Tuesday, and Nugent supported his fellow Floridian. The Rules Committee is a panel appointed by the speaker, and it controls the flow of legislation to the House floor. It’s a prestigious appointment for members who are loyal to leadership.

“More punishment is likely to come for others that crossed Boehner, sources say.”

Oh yes, politics is such a dirty business!!!! That is why God tells true Christians: “Get out of her, My people.” Please read carefully Norbert Link’s Editorial in this issue.

 Planned Parenthood… One Abortion Every 90 Seconds

On January 1, 2015, The Washington Times published an article with the following headline:

“Planned Parenthood’s fiscal 2014 report puts the number of abortions the organization performed at 327,653.”

The article continued:

“‘We’ve come a long way since Margaret Sanger was jailed in 1916 for opening America’s very first birth control clinic,’ the report states before thanking the organization’s advocates for their support. CNS News reported Wednesday that the tally, which ran from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014, was 487 abortions more than the previous year. The website reported that the number of abortions performed works out to be 37 per hour, or roughly one every 90 seconds…”

This is so appallingly despicable. “We have come a long way” in murdering more and more innocent children!

Medical Marijuana – Legal Confusion Continues…

The Pasadena Star News reported on January 1, 2015:

“A single paragraph on the 88th page of the 701-page spending bill passed by Congress last month contains language that may signal a de-escalation of the federal government’s war on medical marijuana. The provision, tucked within a phonebook-size piece of legislation that authorizes roughly $1.1 trillion in federal expenditures, is no small detail: It forbids the U.S. Department of Justice from spending taxpayer money on operations that run counter to more than 30 states’ own medical marijuana laws.

“If the law is enforced as one of its key proponents intends, a contradiction between state and federal marijuana laws would be resolved in the states’ favor, at least until Washington’s budget year comes to a close Sept. 30. ‘In half of the country, the federal government will no longer be able to legally raid marijuana dispensaries,’ U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, said in a telephone interview.

“Rohrabacher, along with Northern California Democrat Sam Farr, pushed for the amendment’s inclusion in the new spending bill, which President Barack Obama signed. The Justice Department has not determined how it will adapt to the new legislation, which does not repeal the federal prohibition of marijuana. So it remains to be seen whether it will lead to major changes in the coming year in the way federal authorities maintain the prohibition against marijuana in the face of growing acceptance of the drug inside individual states…

“The recent legislation is officially only on the books for the 2015 budget year and does nothing to alter Washington’s ban against marijuana. The law simply prevents the Department of Justice from spending taxpayer dollars in ways that interfere with individual states’ medical marijuana laws. A Justice Department spokesman said the legislation is still under review. Officials there have previously outlined its policy of being willing to ignore small-time marijuana providers while reserving the authority to prosecute large-scale, medical marijuana operations, which in Washington’s eyes may be fronts for illegal drug trafficking or other crimes…

“California’s tolerance of medical marijuana does not mean cannabis can be legally obtained in all parts of the state. The state Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that individual cities have the power to ban dispensaries. Different cities have since taken different paths. Los Angeles, for example, governs dispensaries under the terms of Measure D. The voter-approved measure passed in May 2013 and limits the state’s largest city to 135 dispensaries, but Angelenos’ limited support for medical marijuana did not prevent a federal crackdown shortly after the measure passed…

“Long Beach, by contrast, has banned medical marijuana collectives involving more than three people since February 2012. The City Council is set to consider a new city law to regulate up to 18 dispensaries within the near future. David Hendricks, deputy chief of the Long Beach Police Department, said city police have relentlessly enforced the local ban against dispensaries, but most cases against dispensary operators are prosecuted as misdemeanor violations of local law…”

This is just one of so many examples presenting the typical picture of political uncertainty and even hypocrisy… and showing the utter confusion of our federal, state and local governments.

Suicide and the Church of England

The Daily Mail wrote on January 5, 2015:

“The Church of England is embroiled in a row over proposals to sweep away laws that forbid a full Christian funeral to people who have taken their own lives. Most clergy now regard suicide with far more sympathy than when ‘self murder’ was still a crime, and the move will be seen as reflecting a growing acceptance as more Britons choose to end their lives… But some critics within the Church say the reforms will ‘legalise’ suicide, which should still be regarded a serious sin…

“Under centuries-old Church rules, it is technically illegal for clergy to use official funeral services to bury those who have ‘laid violent hands’ upon themselves, particularly while of ‘sound mind’, although in reality the law is almost universally ignored…

“But former Government Minister Lord Tebbit, a vocal opponent of assisted suicide, said that by changing its laws the Church might suggest it had diluted its principles.  He said: ‘The Church is in danger of getting into a muddle because we can take a merciful view of people who kill themselves while the balance of their mind is disturbed. ‘But we are now looking at cases in which people who appear to be quite sane want to take their own lives. The Church should think again.’”

Suicide is a sin. Taking somebody’s life—including our own—is violating God’s command not to kill. The same applies to abortion (see article above regarding Planned Parenthood) or killing in war. All of this is transgressing and breaking the Sixth Commandment.

Inseparable Relationship between Jesus, Mary and the Church?

Zenit wrote on January 2:

“Pope Francis made [a] strong statement during his homily given Jan. 1, the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God, in St. Peter’s Basilica, when warning faithful of what happens when one undermines the beautiful relationship and inseparability between Jesus, Mary, and the Church… He pointed out that Mary ‘is the one who opens the way to the Church’s motherhood and constantly sustains her maternal mission to all mankind.’ The Pope further reflected on Mary, as ‘the first and most perfect disciple of Jesus, the model of the pilgrim Church,’ and discussed what her acceptance of God’s will has accomplished… Francis stressed how closely united Mary is to Jesus and how Jesus cannot be understood without his Mother.

‘‘Likewise inseparable,’ the Pope continued, ‘are Christ and the Church.’ He noted the salvation accomplished by Jesus cannot be understood without appreciating the motherhood of the Church. ‘For the Church is herself God’s great family, which brings Christ to us’… the Pontiff said the Church resembles a mother ‘who tenderly holds Jesus and gives him to everyone with joy and generosity’… Without the Church,  he continued, ‘Jesus Christ ends up as an idea, a moral teaching, a feeling. Without the Church, our relationship with Christ would be at the mercy of our imagination, our interpretations, our moods.’”

These comments are either blatantly wrong or they present a backward picture. First of all, Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, is dead. She is in her grave, awaiting the resurrection from the dead together with all of those who died in Christ. This will occur when Jesus Christ returns at the blowing of the last trumpet… not before then. Also, there is no biblical evidence to support the view that Mary was “the first and most perfect disciple of Jesus.” In addition, it is not the Church (not even the true Church of God) which carries Christ, but it is Christ who carries the Church. It is true that the true Church of God is NECESSARY for Christians, but the Bible warns against false ministers who preach a false Jesus and a false gospel.

Proverbs 27:10 reads: “Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend, nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.”

This statement could be easily misunderstood if we do not read the passage carefully. First of all, we must understand that Proverb 27:10 does not address “spiritual” brothers and sisters, but physical “brothers.”

The Pulpit Commentary states the following:

“A father’s friend is one who is connected with a family by hereditary and ancestral bonds… Such a one is to be cherished and regarded with the utmost affection… The tried friend is more likely to help and sympathize with you than even your own brother, for a friend is born for adversity, and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother… The mere blood relationship, which is the result of circumstances over which one has had no control, is inferior to the affectionate connection which arises from moral considerations and is the effect of deliberate choice.

“We must remember, too, that the practice of polygamy, with the separate establishments of the various wives, greatly weakened the tie of brotherhood. There was little love between David’s sons; and Jonathan was far dearer to David himself than any of his numerous brothers were.

“Better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off. ‘Near’ and ‘far off’ may be taken as referring to feeling or to local position. In the former case the maxim says that a neighbor who is really attached to one by the bonds of affection is better than the closest [blood] relation who has no love or sympathy. In the latter view, the proverb enunciates the truth that a friend on the spot in time of calamity is more useful than a brother living at a distance… one is sure of help at once from the former, while application to the latter must occasion delay, and may not be successful…”

As we can see, the proverb has many facets and applications in a given circumstance.

The Soncino Commentary explains:

“‘thine … father’s friend.’ The text signifies ‘thy friend who is thy father’s friend,’ i.e. an old and tried friend of the family… ‘forsake not.’ … The teaching… is that in a grave emergency, look for assistance from a proved friend rather than from a kinsman, even a brother…”

We see, then, that the term “your father’s friend” does not only refer to the relationship between the father and his friend, but it also includes the tried and tested friendship between the father’s friend and the father’s son—he is a close friend of the entire family.

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible agrees that a father’s friend is a person who has been “long tried and proved, and found faithful,” adding: “Solomon valued his father’s friend Hiram, and kept up friendship with him; but Rehoboam his son forsook the counsel of the old men [who were] his father’s friends and counsellors, and followed the young men [who were] his new friends, and thereby lost ten tribes at once.”

Insofar as the “near” neighbor is concerned, Gill remarks that “a neighbor that is a fast and faithful friend, and who is not only near as to place but as to affections is more serviceable and useful to a man in time of distress than a brother though near in blood, yet as far off in place, so much more in affection, and from whom… little is to be expected…”

The understanding that the “near” neighbor and the “far away” brother include not only physical locality and distance, but also, and most importantly, spiritual and mental closeness or the lack thereof, is also expressed in the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary:

“Joseph found more kindness with strangers than with his brethren… A neighbor near in heart, as well as in loyalty, is better than a brother as far off in love as he is in distance.”

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible agrees:

“‘Better is a neighbor’ who is really ‘near’ in heart and spirit, than a brother who though closer by blood, is ‘far off’ in feeling.”

Similarly the Amplified Bible, which renders Proverbs 27:10 as follows:

“Better is a neighbor who is near [in spirit] than a brother who is far off [in heart].”

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary adds this further admonition regarding a “brother”—regardless of whether he is near or far in locality:

“Depend not for relief upon a kinsman, merely for kindred’s sake; apply to those who are at hand, and will help in need.”

One of the most obvious applications regarding true friendship and brotherhood by blood can be seen in the life of Jesus Christ. His brothers did not believe in Him (John 7:5), and they tried, at least once, to prevent Him from teaching God’s Word and to actually seize Him, because they thought that He was mad and “out of His mind” (Mark 3:21; 31-32). On the other hand, His disciples—the early Apostles—showed Him love and loyalty, generally speaking; especially Peter and John. But even they forsook Him in His time of need, prior to their conversion, showing that only the indwelling Holy Spirit can give us true godly love and establish lasting friendships.

A similar thought, as expressed in Proverbs 27:10, can be found in Proverbs 18:24: “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

True friendship is not to be judged (merely) by blood relationship, but by spiritual closeness and reliability of character.

At first glance, Proverbs 17:17 might appear to contradict the foregoing, but this is not really the case. The proverb states: “A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.”

In conjunction with the other statements discussed herein, the obvious reference is to a true friend and to a brother who is ALSO a true friend.

The Benson Commentary states:

“A sincere and hearty friend not only loves in prosperity, but also in adversity, when false friends forsake us… [The brother] is so, not only by name and blood, but by brotherly affection. [Such a brother] is born for adversity… that he might comfort and relieve his brother in his adversity.”

The Ryrie Study Bible writes:

“When you are in trouble, you see who your friends are and how helpful a brother can be.”

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible goes a step further and explains that “in adversity” the true friend is born (i.e., becomes) a brother.”

This seems to be the correct understanding, as supported by the Soncino Commentary, which writes:

“… ‘a bother.’ Synonym for a true friend. David called Jonathan ‘my brother’ (2 Samuel 1:26), and Solomon used the word in connection with his friend Hiram of Tyre (1 Kings 9:13).”

The German Menge Bible agrees and renders Proverbs 17:17 in this way: “The (true) friend shows love at all times, and he is born as brother for the time of need.”

In this world, not too many close family relationships exist. Throughout man’s existence, we read about strife and fight between brothers. In addition to the examples mentioned so far, we might think of Cain who slew his brother Abel and the animosity between the twin brothers Jacob and Esau. We might also remember the parable of the “lost son” and the hostile reaction of the elder son when his younger brother repented (Luke 15:11-32). The Bible warns that in these end times, there would be friction and animosity in human families, especially due to the fact that some will understand and live by the truth, while others will oppose it (compare Matthew 10:34-36).

Christ made very clear as to who His true brothers and sisters were. When His half-brothers were trying to “speak” with Him, “He answered and said to the one who told Him, ‘Who is My mother and who are My brothers?’ And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, ‘Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother’” (Matthew 12:48-50).

This would include blood brothers who do the will of God. And so, the Bible speaks of blood brothers who were or became true friends. We read for instance of the early apostles and blood-brothers James and John, as well as Peter and Andrew (Matthew 10:2). Also, Christ’s half-brothers would have become TRUE friends towards each other AND, most importantly, of Jesus Christ, after Christ’s resurrection, continuing “with one accord in prayer and supplication” (Acts 1:13-14). (For more information on Christ’s relatives and their conversion, please read our free booklet, “Jesus Christ—a Great Mystery.”)

If we want to be true Christians, then we must be true friends and true (spiritual) brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ (John 15:14) and towards each other. Then, we will be nearby “neighbors” in times of need; sticking closer to each other than (unconverted) physical blood-brothers would do. As true friends, we will love at all times and as true spiritual brethren, we are “born” to help each other in adversity.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Please note that we are requesting anyone who is interested in attending the 2015 Feast of Tabernacles with us in the USA or in Germany to contact us with your request.

“Better Off Now?” is the title of the sermon presented by Kalon Mitchell last Sabbath. Here is a summary:

When we become baptized and a member of the Church, how does our life change? Does it change for the better or worse? A lot depends on our attitude and how we look at life. Are we better off now that we have become members of the Body of Christ?

“No Escape from Death,” is the title of the sermonette presented by Norbert Link this past Sabbath. Here is a summary:

We do not know when we will die, but we do know that we will die. Death is inescapable, and so we need to be prepared. How will we die? Will our day of death be better than our day of birth? Will we die the death of a righteous person? Will we be blessed in death? Will death have lost its sting for us? Will the crown of life await us?

“Was ist das Malzeichen des Tieres?” is the title of this week’s German sermon. In English, the title is: “What is the Mark of the Beast?”

Global Trailer 24 – “Baptism – A Requirement for Salvation,” has been presented by Pastor Brian Gale. Here is a summary:

We have presented in this booklet the biblical proof that water baptism through immersion is a necessary requirement for salvation. Without it, there is no promise in the Bible of receiving God’s Holy Spirit, and without God’s Spirit dwelling in us, we are not true Christians, and God will not grant us His gift of everlasting life in His Kingdom.

by Delia Messier

When our eldest daughter was five years old, she suffered from severe tonsillitis to a point that the doctors believed she might have leukemia. She swelled up like mumps repeatedly and had a very high fever for many days.  Even with sponge baths and medication, it still took several days for the swelling to go down and the fever to leave.

While we were waiting for our daughter’s scheduled surgery, she became very ill. This time my husband informed me that the Bible tells us, when we are sick, we are to call the elders of the church to be anointed for healing. He had just begun to read the Bible. I had never heard of this or even attended one Sabbath service, having had only one ministerial visit. Willing to give it a try, I told my husband:  “We will see if it is true, but if it is hocus pocus, I will have nothing to do with it!”

My husband called the minister who came and anointed our daughter in the evening. That night, while my husband worked grave yard shift, I put our daughter in bed with me and without an aspirin or sponge bath I watched her during the night. She woke up at times, and as I gave her little sips of water throughout the night, I could see her face and neck slowly improving. By morning her swelling was gone and her fever was almost gone.

This had never happened before; each time it would take days before the swelling and the fever would go away! This was truly a miracle!  I had put God to the test, and He had shown me that His Word is true!

Our daughter never had surgery. She was healed immediately and completely.   She never had another tonsillitis attack for all the rest of her childhood!