Update 681

On March 28, 2015, Kalon Mitchell will present the sermonette, titled, “How Much Is Enough?”; Brian Gale will give the sermon, titled, “My Candidate is Not Standing.”

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.

During the year at work, we go through review cycles, looking at the goals we have created for ourselves. We also review the progress that we have made towards those goals, or maybe the lack thereof.

Goals are easy to put down on paper to say that A, B & C will be executed. But it is another thing to actually do the work that is needed to accomplish those goals.  It is easy to have good intentions and to want to work towards something superior, but it is more difficult to carry out our intentions.

Why do people set goals? Maybe they do it for a job title or possibly a bonus. Maybe they want to broaden their skills. Maybe they love to receive praise or recognition. Whatever it is that one desires, there is one thing that is certain in setting and attaining a goal or multiple goals: Dedication of time, effort, will, common sense and tenacity.  Even though it is easy to set goals, people oftentimes may give up, walk away or forget the goals because of the tough work that is involved.

What about us as Christians? What are our individual goals? Do we even have goals? What is it that we are trying to accomplish day in and day out?  Or are we tired from the stress and the trials? Do we just wish for easiness?

Can we define for ourselves what we want to improve on in our Christian lives?  What goals can we set, based upon what the Bible says? Here are some examples:

(1) This Passover time reminds us to remove sin from our lives, as we are removing physical leaven which symbolizes spiritual sin during the Days of Unleavened Bread (1 Corinthians 5:6-8).

(2) We should set the goal of doing all things with rejoicing (1 Thessalonians 5:18: “In EVERYTHING give thanks; for this is the WILL of God in Christ Jesus for you.”). It is God’s Will for us to give Him thanks for the good and the bad things that may happen to us. Truly, this is a very hard goal to work towards and accomplish.

(3) We are to be careful to maintain good works (Titus 3:8).

(4) We are to focus on the applications of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Is it our goal to manifest these character traits in our daily lives? Galatians 5:22-23 tells us: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love (for God and fellow man), joy (in living God’s Way of Life with all our heart), peace (which is something God bestows on us when we are obeying Him), longsuffering (or patience; no longer being worried about little things that we have no control over), kindness (in what we say, think or do), goodness (wanting only what is good, forsaking lusts and harmful pleasures), faithfulness (or faith, without which is impossible to please God, as faith is our catalyst), gentleness (unlike the people of this world, which is constantly warring and looking to destroy others because they have the heart of their father, Satan the Devil), self-control (an amazing trait that is only strengthened through training). Against such things there is no law.”

Of course, the most important goal we should set is this: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). When we make this our main goal, all the other goals will fall into place. God wants to see us prosper. He wants to pour His blessings upon us. How eager are we to pass God’s examination with flying colors, because we have set the right goals and stuck with them until the very end?

In this edition, we focus on the increasing tension between the USA and Israel, as well as the terrible threat of worldwide nuclear war, and as we point out in the Q&A, such nuclear war IS coming… except not in the way that many might think.

Netanyahu Has His Work Cut out for Him

JTA wrote on March 20:

“When Netanyahu said on Monday that he wouldn’t allow a Palestinian state on his watch, supporters saw it as an honest and sensible assessment of the lessons Israel has drawn from the upheaval that radical Islam has brought to the Arab world… He clarified his position (or backtracked, depending on your view) in an MSNBC interview Thursday, saying he supports ‘a sustainable, peaceful, two-state solution — but for that, circumstances have to change.’

“This view holds currency across the Israeli political spectrum… After what happened with Gaza and Lebanon following Israel’s withdrawals, polls show few Israelis believe it’s possible right now to cede West Bank territory without it becoming a staging ground for attacks.

“… with the ascendance of radical Islamists in the Arab world, rising anti-Semitism in Europe, deep unease about the emerging nuclear deal with Iran and a growing sense of diplomatic isolation in Israel, the right-wing parties — and Likud in particular — were able to capitalize on Israeli fears. Whether Netanyahu’s premiership will be seen as having improved Israel’s security or imperiled it may ultimately depend on how history unfolds… What’s clear is that with Israel facing threats on multiple fronts, including myriad domestic challenges and a crisis in relations with the U.S. president, Netanyahu has his work cut out for him.”

US-Israel Tensions Deepen

The New York Times wrote on March 20:

“The White House is stepping up its antagonism toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu despite his victory in this week’s elections, signaling that it is in no rush to repair a historic rift between the United States and Israel… In a congratulatory call to Mr. Netanyahu on Thursday that Mr. Obama waited two days to place, the president chided the prime minister for his pre-election declaration that no Palestinian state would be established on his watch.

“Although Mr. Netanyahu has since tried to backtrack on those comments, Mr. Obama said that they had nonetheless forced his administration to reassess certain aspects of its policy toward Israel… The schism has exacerbated tension between the White House and the most powerful American pro-Israel group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, with which sitting presidents have traditionally been in lock step. Aipac, which like Mr. Netanyahu is vehemently opposed to the emerging nuclear agreement with Iran, on Friday said the onus was on the White House to repair the breach.”

The Huffington Post wrote on March 21:

“Obama declined to say whether the United States would continue to block Palestinian efforts to secure statehood through the United Nations…”

Israel United Against US Criticism of Netanyahu

The New York Times wrote on March 24:

“… many… Israelis have been astonished by the unrelenting White House criticism that has helped sink relations between Washington and Jerusalem to a nadir not seen for more than 25 years. Even some who mainly blame Mr. Netanyahu for antagonizing President Obama over the last six years now see the scales flipped… Mr. Obama showed no signs Tuesday of softening his stance on Mr. Netanyahu’s momentary disavowal of the two-state solution that has long been the cornerstone of American policy…

“Israeli analysts are now suggesting that Mr. Obama and his aides might be overplaying their hand, inviting a backlash of sympathy for Mr. Netanyahu, and that they may not have clearly defined what they expected to gain diplomatically by continuing to pressure the Israeli leader. The president’s harsh words have been deemed by some to be patronizing and disrespectful not only to Mr. Netanyahu but also to the voters who rewarded his uncompromising stances with a resounding mandate for a fourth term.

“Several Israeli analysts said the administration’s criticism of Mr. Netanyahu seemed like a pretext for a longstanding plan to change the United States’ policy of protecting Israel in international forums, which the administration has said it will reassess. Others suspect a ploy to undermine Israel’s lobbying efforts against the American negotiations for a nuclear accord with Iran.

“The rift widened further on Tuesday with a Wall Street Journal report in which administration officials accused Israeli officials of spying on the closed-door negotiations with Iran and sharing secret details about them with Congress and journalists. Three top Israeli ministers vehemently denied the report. Several congressional Republicans said they had received no such information, and those in Mr. Netanyahu’s close circle said it seemed like more poisoning of dirty waters…

“In contrast with the White House, leading Israeli voices seem to have accepted Mr. Netanyahu’s post-election clarification that current circumstances make it impossible to imagine meeting his longstanding conditions for supporting a Palestinian state…

“As for Washington, the Obama administration’s rethinking of its policy on protecting Israel in the United Nations and other international forums may not be as simple as it sounds. The White House is likely to want any United Nations Security Council resolution on the two-state solution to include Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, something the Palestinians have roundly refused. And Republicans have already threatened to cut off United Nations funding if President Obama supports such a resolution.

“‘The very tough thing for the administration to explain to itself is, “What is the actual strategy?”’ said Nathan Thrall of the International Crisis Group. ‘O.K., so you’ve passed a Security Council resolution, both sides say they reject it, so what do you do and what have you achieved? It’s going to be a big headache to get it done, you’re going to expend a bunch of diplomatic effort, and for what? The arguments that you hear in favor of doing it is that Obama would leave a legacy.’

“Right now, that legacy includes the lowest point in the alliance that diplomatic sages can recall… ‘Obama and his team had assembled this rage over several months or maybe a few years, and now it’s all coming out,’ added Mr. Rabinovich, no fan of Mr. Netanyahu. ‘I think they are overdoing it. I think they are ignoring the complexity of Israeli politics. I think Netanyahu would like to make amends, but if Obama doesn’t want to make amends, the fight will continue.’”

It seems, whatever the Obama Administration is trying to do is predestined to failure.

Turmoil in Yemen

The Associated Press reported on March 26:

“Saudi Arabia began airstrikes Wednesday against Houthi rebel positions in Yemen, vowing that the Sunni kingdom will do ‘anything necessary’ to restore a deposed government that has been routed by the Iranian-backed group…

“The White House said Wednesday night that President Barack Obama has authorized logistical and intelligence support to the military operations…

“The Saudi strikes were the latest in a series of fast moving developments in Yemen… Driven weeks ago from the capital by the Houthis, U.S.- and Saudi-backed Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi abandoned the country Wednesday.

“… the reality is that the capital and some of the country’s main cities already have fallen to the [rebel] group, and ground troops will be required to take them back.”

Majority of Germans Trust in the Euro

The Local wrote on March 24:

“A survey published on Tuesday shows that German public trust in the single currency has risen sharply over the last two years to hit 57 percent… In Germany, the sharp rise in trust in the Euro made it the fifth most respected public institution… It has now been established in the public mind that the worst fantasies of the media will not come true and the Eurozone will indeed stay together.”

Insane Mass Murder 

Deutsche Welle reported on March 26:

“German authorities have searched two residences of Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz (28). Investigators believe Lubitz deliberately crashed flight 4U9525 into a mountain, killing all 150 people on board… locking himself in the cockpit and adjusting the altitude setting on the plane. This is a conclusion reached through audio recordings from one of the downed plane’s black boxes… The audio appears to show the captain, who left the cabin briefly, presumably to use the restroom, trying to force his way back in.”

The Local added on March 26:

“If this theory is officially confirmed in the days to come it will realise one of the greatest fears of both airlines and passengers alike and raise serious questions about security on board airplanes…

“If Lubitz did deliberately fly the passengers to their deaths, it would not be the first time a pilot has acted in such a devastating way.

“In 2013 a Mozambican airlines flight is believed to have crashed for a similar reason, as did a SilkAir flight in 1997 in Indonesia and an Egyptair plane in 1999, that had 217 people on board, although in this case the pilot suicide theory is disputed…”

Russia Warns Denmark of Nuclear Attack… Baltic States Worried

The Telegraph wrote on March 21:

“Russia has gone on the offensive in the Baltic… ‘I don’t think that Danes fully understand the consequence if Denmark joins the American-led missile defence shield. If they do, then Danish warships will be targets for Russian nuclear missiles,’ said Mikhail Vanin, the Russian ambassador to Denmark, to the Jyllands-Posten newspaper. ‘Denmark would be part of the threat against Russia. It would be less peaceful and relations with Russia will suffer…’

“Denmark’s Foreign minister, Martin Lidegaard, reacted strongly to the comments…  ‘If that is what he has said, then it is unacceptable. Russia knows full well that Nato’s missile defence is defensive and not targeted at (Russia)…

“In follow up statements that will worry the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in particular, Mr Vanin went on to say that from being one of the most peaceful parts of the world a year ago, the Baltic is now ‘one of the most unpredictable in the world’.

“Germany, Poland, Lithuania, the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden and Denmark all border the Baltic Sea. Six of them are Nato states. The three formerly Soviet Baltic states, now all members of Nato and the European Union, have repeatedly expressed their concern at their own situation, not least because as with Ukraine, both Estonia and Latvia in particular have large Russian populations and fear Russian encroachments…”

Doomsday Closer Than We Think?

The Jerusalem Post wrote on March 22:

“With most of the world’s focus on the Iran nuclear negotiations, little attention has been paid to a complete breakdown in the push to limit nuclear weapons proliferation on a scale not seen in years.

“Analysts may be correct that a deal which leaves Iran as a nuclear weapons ‘threshold state’ – or a state which has mastered the skills for making nuclear weapons and need only decide to produce one – may expand a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, involving Saudi Arabia, Egypt and others…

“The next most obvious problem is North Korea, which is estimated to have somewhere between six to 10 nuclear bombs. It is also continuing to produce new ones and is likely, based on its information exchanges and mutual visits with Iran in recent years, to be illegally sharing its technology with other dangerous new countries that may produce nuclear weapons.

“The increasing North Korean threat along with China’s fast-expanding conventional and nuclear forces may cause a new nuclear arms race, with Japan and South Korea finally joining in. Those countries may decide they can no longer rely on US protection alone…

“China’s potential new ability to launch a second or retaliatory nuclear strike against the US from its harder-to-attack mobile weapons sites and submarines mean the US would need to think much harder about intervening to protect its Asian allies from Chinese adventurism.

“Pakistan is another obvious problem, though with its already built nuclear weapons arsenal – estimated at 100 to 120 – it strangely receives far less attention than Iran…

‘But all of these threats may pale in comparison to the return of the Russian nuclear behemoth… As Russia more directly butts heads with the US and Europe, will its nuclear power status allow it to restore its old empire beyond parts of Ukraine? Will the US and Europe need to restore their Cold War military levels of preparedness to fend off a Russian attack? Could these broken-down relations lead Russia to be more aggressive in helping Tehran or even terror groups use smaller tactical nuclear weapons or gain nuclear technology in a new destabilizing fashion?…”

Interestingly, nobody seems to be focusing on a nuclear threat from Europe, even though the Bible clearly states that it will be Europe, under German leadership, which will end up fighting with the USA, the UK and Israel, and that Europe will destroy major American, British and Israeli cities, “laying them waste,” obviously through nuclear weapons (see our Q&A in this Update). From that standpoint, the following article is extremely important as it shows the utter lack of American willpower to defend against an enemy.

As the Bible has said, God will break the pride of America’s power (Leviticus 26:19), and even though America would get “ready” for  battle, God would not even allow them to fight. Ezekiel 7:7, 13-14, 17 speaks to the modern houses of Israel and Judah, warning:

“Doom has come to you, you who dwell in the land: The time has come, A day of trouble is near, And not of rejoicing in the mountains… the vision concerns the whole multitude, And it shall not turn back; No one will strengthen himself Who lives in iniquity. They have blown the trumpet and made everyone ready, But no one goes to battle; For My wrath is on all their multitude… Every hand will be feeble, And every knee will be as weak as water…”

America Defenseless Against Nuclear Attack

Forbes wrote on March 20:

“Russia has about 1,600 missile warheads capable of reaching U.S. territory, and if even a small fraction were launched, they could wipe out our electric grid, our financial networks, and quite possibly the whole U.S. economy…

“But this commentary isn’t about Russian military intentions. It is about the utter absence of U.S. active defenses for repulsing the sole man-made threat capable of wiping out American civilization for the foreseeable future.  Imagine every person you know dead, injured, or lacking shelter and sustenance.  Not at some dim point in the future, but by this time tomorrow.  Russia has that power, because America has no defenses against long-range ballistic missiles…

“Russia still has an assured capacity to obliterate America’s society and economy.  That isn’t going to change, because Moscow doesn’t trust Washington and nuclear weapons are its sole remaining claim to superpower status.

“… on the day deterrence fails, America’s highly capable strategic force will be little comfort because it can’t do anything to intercept incoming warheads.  All it can do is lay waste to Russia.

“The minimal defensive system the Obama Administration has sustained… can potentially intercept warheads attacking from any direction, but more than a dozen Russian warheads would overwhelm it.  So here we sit, able to detect a Russian launch almost immediately and retaliate with devastating force, but powerless to defend our homeland and loved ones from nuclear aggression.

“This is the kind of strategic myopia that eventually leads to catastrophe…”

The Bible hints very strongly at the idea that the USA and the UK will be defeated in a nuclear war. However, the USA and the UK will not be attacked by Russia, but by a European power bloc under the leadership of a modern Assyrian ruler–the proverbial “beast” in the book of Revelation or the “king of the North” in the book of Daniel. Many of our booklets explain the biblical teaching in this regard, including, “Germany in Prophecy,” “Europe in Prophecy,” “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America,” “The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire,” “The Book of Zechariah–Prophecies for Today” and “Biblical Prophecy–From Now Until Forever.”

In these booklets, we are showing that the descendants of the ancient house of Israel can be found today in countries such as the USA and the UK, as well as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and we are also quoting many passages which indicate that the European attack will be launched with nuclear weapons.

We say in “Europe in Prophecy”:

“Another clear and sobering prophecy of Israel and Judah’s punishment can be found in Ezekiel 6:6: ‘In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate…. The slain shall fall in your midst, and you shall know that I am the Lord. Yet I will leave a remnant, so that you may have some who escape the sword among the nations, when you are scattered throughout the countries. Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations where they are carried captive, because I was crushed by their adulterous heart which has departed from Me.’

“In Ezekiel 39:23, God states, ‘The Gentiles will know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they were unfaithful to Me, therefore I hid My face from them.’ Even Gentile nations will know why God is allowing this captivity of the modern-day descendants of Israel and Judah. The Germans will be the dominant people of the coming united Europe, which will conquer both the United States of America and Great Britain as well as the Jews, transporting captives to Europe and Egypt. This will all happen just prior to the return of Jesus Christ—for, in the remainder of Ezekiel 39, the prophet reveals that Christ will come to free the captives and bring them back into their land.

“Hosea 11 confirms this. Jesus Christ says, ‘How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel…? [God] will roar like a lion. When He roars, then His sons shall come trembling… like a bird from Egypt, like a dove from the land of Assyria, and I will let them dwell in their houses, says the Lord’ (vv. 8-11). Jesus Christ is going to come back to end this captivity. Also, in Jeremiah 46:27, He says, ‘Do not be dismayed, O Israel. For behold, I will save you from afar, and your offspring [all your descendants] from the land of their captivity.’

“Christ will come back to make an end of the war and destruction going on. Conditions will be so terrible that if Jesus Christ were not to intervene, all of mankind would be annihilated. He states in Matthew 24:22, ‘And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved [alive], but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.’ That means no human being on the face of the earth would survive.”

The before-quoted passage should tell us several things: First, the modern descendants of the house of Israel will be taken away from the lands they are occupying and they will be transported, as captives of war, to other countries. Why? One reason is that they will be used as slaves and forced laborers in foreign lands. But an additional reason is that their lands will be in such a terrible state that they could not live there anymore. This strongly hints at nuclear war. This is supported by the fact that ultimately, the war will become all-encompassing, threatening the very survival of mankind. In addition, we read that in ALL of the dwelling places of the house of Israel, the cities will be laid waste, and the high places will be desolate. To lay waste or destroy major modern cities such as Los Angeles, New York, Washington, San Francisco, Boston, as well as London, could only be possible through the use of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

In our booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America,” we elaborate on this, as follows:

“About 60 million people live in the British Isles. How can one-third, as Ezekiel 5:12 said, that is, about 20 million die within a short period of time?… About 296,530,000 people live in the United States; about 32,508,000 live in Canada; about 19,913,000 live in Australia; almost 4,000,000 live in New Zealand; and almost 43,000,000 people live in South Africa. According to Biblical prophecy, one third of all of those will die within a short period of time…

“In addition to famine and disease, Psalm 91:3 refers to modern Israel’s eventual deliverance from ‘the noisome pestilence’ (Authorized Version). Strong’s Concordance (Hebrew #1942) defines the Hebrew word for ‘noisome’ as ‘rushing, falling, ruin, calamity and very wickedness.’ It seems to refer to a disaster from the sky, conceivably from rockets, missiles and bombs, and would most likely include chemical and biological substances. By this means around 20 million—one-third of the nation of Ephraim—will die, in addition to the proportionate deaths of those of the other tribes of the houses of Israel and Judah…

“The next one-third of the people will be struck with the sword [weapons of war], thus another 20 million of the people of the British nation, and also one-third of the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa will die, presumably by hydrogen or atomic bombs or other weapons exploding onto the modern cities of the United States, Great Britain and other English-speaking nations in the world. So now, we can envisage a very extreme scenario with a full two-thirds of the people DEAD!…

“The final third will be sold as slaves around the world. The Scriptures tell us that ‘…the LORD will scatter you [the modern houses of Israel and Judah] among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and…you shall find no rest…Your life shall hang in doubt before you; you shall fear day and night, and have no assurance of life’ (Deuteronomy 28:64–66).”

Later in the booklet, we state this:

“Note God’s anger against Jerusalem: ‘…In the day of the LORD’S anger There was no refugee or survivor,’ or as the Authorized Version reads, ‘… none escaped nor remained [in the land]’ (Lamentations 2:22). In light of Manasseh’s (America’s) current superpower status and their close relationship with Ephraim (UK), will there be any retaliation against the rising end-time European superpower by the United States and Great Britain? The answer is, No… God will thwart any attempts of the modern house of Israel to retaliate.”

We must also remember that when Europe attacks the state of Israel, it will also attack the USA and the UK at approximately the same time. This means, that all will be defeated together. Therefore, the USA and the UK will be in no position to “retaliate” against Europe—even if they wanted to. We read in Hosea 5:5 (Authorized Version): “And the pride of Israel [here a reference to Manasseh, the USA] doeth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim [here a reference to Ephraim, the UK and the British Commonwealth] fall in their iniquity; Judah [the state of Israel] also shall fall WITH them.”

In our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” we state this:

“Notice in Hosea 5:9: ‘Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke; Among the tribes of Israel I make known what is sure.'”

We must not forget that the USA and the UK, as well as other English-speaking nations, will be attacked and destroyed at the beginning of the most terrible time, called the Great Tribulation. We state in our booklet, “The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation”:

“At the same time of this religious persecution of God’s servants, the modern nations and peoples of Judah and of the house of Israel (the English-speaking nations of the USA, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and others) will be attacked and destroyed in war, mainly by a European power bloc, during the ‘Great Tribulation’ (Matthew 24:15–28; Mark 13:14–20; Luke 21:20–24; Daniel 12:1; Jeremiah 30:10; Hosea 9:3; 13:16; Amos 6:7; 7:17).”

As mentioned before, Jesus said that no human being would even survive the time of the Great Tribulation, if God had not shortened these terrible days. The total annihilation of mankind is only imaginable through the use of nuclear weapons. It therefore seems abundantly clear that nuclear weapons will be used during this terrible time, beginning with the European attack on the USA and the UK.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

The Church conference concluded this week, and we will report more in the upcoming April Member Letter. Additionally, Norbert Link and Mike Link are leaving for Germany on Sunday, March 29, 2015, to conduct Passover services and observe the Days of Unleavened Bread. They will follow up with the baptism and counseling requests we have received along with other administrative matters for the Church in Germany. Brian Gale will conduct Passover services in San Diego, and he and Jill will stay for the Days of Unleavened Bread. Rene Messier will be conducting Passover services in Oregon, while the Colorado ministry will conduct Passover services locally.

“Defenseless Against Nuclear Attacks?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

More and more commentators warn against an all-encompassing nuclear war, and Russia has claimed that it could turn America into radioactive ash. Vladimir Putin admitted that he was willing to use nuclear weapons against the West when he annexed Crimea. Forbes magazine points out that America is hopelessly defenseless against incoming long-range ballistic missiles and that all it can do is “lay waste.” Sadly, that is exactly what the Bible prophesies, and God thunders at all of us to wake up.

“Erfolgreiche Gebete–in Jesu Namen,” is the new German sermon for this Sabbath. It is the final installment of a series about prayer. Title in English: “Successful Prayers–In Jesus’ Name.”