Update 246

On June 3, 2006, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “The Life of Samson.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

We will be celebrating the Day of Pentecost on June 4, 2006.

Dave Harris will be giving the sermon in the morning, titled, “The Gift.”

Edwin Pope will give the sermon in the afternoon, titled, “Adherence to Truth Equals Conversion.”

The
Pentecost services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 9:00 pm
Pacific Time (which is 11:00 pm Central Time), and at 1:30 pm Pacific
Time (which is 3:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Paul writes to the Corinthians of his day and he cautions God’s
people down through the ages: “… for you are still carnal. For where
there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and
behaving like mere men” (1 Corinthians 3:3)?

God has called His
people to become firstfruits of the Spirit, which is pictured by the
Feast of Pentecost. As we approach Pentecost for the year 2006, let us
never forget the overall purpose of our calling, which is to become as
God is!

Yet, Satan continues his pursuit to cause havoc in the
Church of God; creating an atmosphere leading to divisions and strife
amongst the people of God. He does this by spreading a spirit
throughout the church, causing many to continue to be influenced by the
principles which govern the people of this world. Thus it becomes more
difficult for one to consistently apply the principles which God has
proclaimed to us whereby we ought to live our lives! Satan’s approach
results in a spirit of strife, emulation, and contention, even for the
people of God!

Envy is a fruitful cause of strife and divisions.
It is alive in the church of God. Thus Paul warns us to not allow such
contentions, disputes, dissentions, and quarrels to continue to affect
us as they do people of the world. We are to be coming out of the ways
of this world!

Paul tells us in this verse that when we allow
such within our lives we are walking as mere men, being filled with the
unruly approach of this world rather than being filled with love; being
united and harmonious as members of God’s family are to become and as
God the Father and Jesus Christ are today!

Christ prayed to the
Father (in John 17:17-23) for those who comprise His Church. In this
wonderful prayer for you and for me Christ prayed that the Father
sanctify us by His truth. As we are living by the principles of God’s
truth, Christ prayed that we become “one” as He and the Father are
“one.” One mind, one body, one Spirit – in truth! Christ gave us His
Spirit such that this is a true possibility!

We read (in 1
Corinthians 15:20): “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has
become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” James wrote
the sobering words found in James 1:18 for our edification, which say:
“Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we
might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”

Is your life reflective to all that you are one of God’s “Firstfruits?”

Interview with Iran’s President

On May 30, 2006, Der Spiegel Online published a revealing interview with Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. We are publishing the following excerpts from his highly controversial comments. We want to make it clear that we do not quote his comments because we agree with them, but to show how an intelligent charismatic figure can advance arguments which may sound reasonable to some, or he might exploit ideas for his purposes. Adolph Hitler and propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels were masters in this at their time:

Ahmadinejad’s comments about the Holocaust:

“We are saying that if the Holocaust occurred, then Europe must draw the consequences and that it is not Palestine that should pay the price for it. If it did not occur, then the Jews have to go back to where they came from. I believe that the German people today are also prisoners of the Holocaust. Sixty million people died in the Second World War. World War II was a gigantic crime. We condemn it all. We are against bloodshed, regardless of whether a crime was committed against a Muslim or against a Christian or a Jew. But the question is: Why among these 60 million victims are only the Jews the center of attention?… Why must the German people be humiliated today because a group of people committed crimes in the name of the Germans during the course of history?… How can a person who wasn’t even alive at the time be held legally responsible?… Why is such a burden heaped on the German people? The German people of today bear no guilt. Why are the German people not permitted the right to defend themselves? Why are the crimes of one group emphasized so greatly, instead of highlighting the great German cultural heritage? Why should the Germans not have the right to express their opinion freely?… How much longer do you think the German people have to accept being taken hostage by the Zionists?…”

Ahmadinejad’s comments about nuclear weapons:

“… a number of countries… possess both nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. They use their atomic weapons to threaten other peoples. And it is these powers who say that they are worried about Iran deviating from the path of peaceful use of atomic energy. We say that these powers are free to monitor us if they are worried. But what these powers say is that the Iranians must not complete the nuclear fuel cycle because deviation from peaceful use might then be possible. What we say is that these countries themselves have long deviated from peaceful usage. These powers have no right to talk to us in this manner. This order is unjust and unsustainable… I stress once again, we don’t need any nuclear weapons…”

Ahmadinejad’s comments about Iraq and Europe:

“For eight years, the Western countries provided arms to Saddam in the war against us, including chemical weapons, and gave him political support. We were against Saddam and suffered severely because of him, so we’re happy that he has been toppled. But we don’t accept a whole country being swallowed under the pretext of wanting to topple Saddam. More than 100,000 Iraqis have lost their lives under the rule of the occupying forces. Fortunately, the Germans haven’t been involved in this. We want security in Iraq… We have very close ties to the Iraqi people. Many people on both sides of the border are related. We have lived side by side for thousands of years. Our holy pilgrimage sites are located in Iraq. Just like Iran, Iraq used to be a center of civilization… We have always cultivated good relations with Europe, especially with Germany. Our two peoples like each other. We’re eager to deepen this relationship.

“Europe has made three mistakes with respect to our people. The first mistake was to support the shah’s government. This has left our people disappointed and discontent. However, by offering asylum to Imam Khomeini, France earned a special position that it lost again later. The second mistake was to support Saddam in his war against us. The truth is that our people expected Europe to be on our side, not against us. The third mistake was Europe’s stance on the nuclear issue. Europe will be the big loser and will achieve nothing. We don’t want to see that happen… we’re puzzled why some European countries are opposed to us. I sent out a message on the nuclear issue, asking why the Europeans were translating the Americans’ words for us. After all, they know that our actions are aimed toward peace. By siding with Iran, the Europeans would serve their own and our interests. But they will suffer only damage if they oppose us. For our people is strong and determined… The Europeans risk losing their position in the Middle East entirely, and they are ruining their reputation in other parts of the world. The others will think that the Europeans aren’t capable of solving problems.”

Earthquake in Indonesia

The Associated Press reported on May 31, 2006:

“U.S. Marines joined an international effort to deliver aid and medical care to nearly 650,000 Indonesians displaced by a devastating earthquake, as hopes faded of finding more survivors… The United Nations said at least 21 other countries have joined the effort to help those left homeless by Saturday’s magnitude-6.3 quake, which killed more than 5,800 people. An estimated 647,000 people were displaced by the quake, nearly a third of them homeless and the rest staying with relatives.”

Smooth Entry Into the United States?

MSNBC reported on May 30:

“The European Union and the United States today vowed to strike a new deal allowing European airliners to transfer passenger data to US authorities, after the European Court of Justice today ruled the existing deal illegal. Today’s court decision means more queues and long hold-ups for Europeans at American airports once the current system is scrapped, unless a new arrangement can be reached. The agreement between Brussels and Washington, which was blasted by civil liberties groups, was insisted on by America after the September 11, 2001 attacks. It required European airlines to provide the US authorities with 34 pieces of information on each passenger including names, addresses and credit card information, within 15 minutes of a plane taking off. It was opposed by many European MPs as a breach of privacy laws.

“But the 2004 deal was annulled not on the issue of privacy, but on the purely technical grounds that existing EU data protection law only covers commercial data, and was not wide enough in scope to cover data used for security purposes. The EU and Washington now have until September 30 to negotiate a new agreement before the present arrangement expires… There is already a vexed history between Washington and Europe on the level of information necessary for European passengers to enjoy smooth entry to the United States.”

Just About Everything Wrong in Iraq?

On May 29, 2006, Der Spiegel Online published an outspoken essay by former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer about the Iraq war:

“What went wrong?… Today, three years after the beginning of the war in Iraq, that question needs to be directed not just at the Arab world, but also at Western policy, and above all at United States policy. After all, since the administration of George W. Bush decided to remove Saddam Hussein from power by war, just about everything went wrong that possibly could have. What is more, the reality in Iraq and the surrounding region far surpassed all negative expectations and fears, and it continues to do so today…  The question is whether the majority of US citizens were ever really prepared to pay the very high military, political, economic, and moral cost for such an imperial enterprise, and to pay for it over a long period of time. We know today that the answer is ‘No.’ But such a negative answer was already to be expected in 2002 and 2003, and would have been the starting point if the actual reason for the war had been placed at the center of the domestic debate in the US. That’s why other reasons for going to war were invoked–weapons of mass destruction and international terror–reasons that have quite obviously not held up to reality…

“US policy in Iraq today has stalled entirely. Instead of bringing about regional realignment, the US is using its strength to create a power vacuum, and thus prevent a civil war. Such a civil war is, however, becoming more likely every day. If, in 2003, everything suggested that this US war was a mistake, then today, the arguments against a US retreat in Iraq are at least as strong. But the situation is even worse, since every day that US troops remain in Iraq will only aggravate rather than solve this crisis — a crisis that is headed for civil war. It’s depressing to see that nothing is left of the US strategy of regional realignment. Instead, an unnecessary defeat — and one with far-reaching consequences — will have to be responded to by a strategy of containment, deterrence and long-term transformation from within the societies concerned. These prospects are anything but encouraging, but when one looks back on the years since the US invaded Baghdad, one finds that all gloomy predictions have been surpassed by reality.”

Italy Jumps Off the Sinking Ship

On May 26, 2006, The Associated Press reported:

“Italy will pull 1,100 of its troops from Iraq in June, the new government said Friday, giving its first specific numbers about the planned withdrawal… [New Italian Prime Minister] Prodi had opposed the U.S.-led war in Iraq and pledged during his campaign for the elections in April which brought him and his center-left allies to power to bring Italian troops home and replace the contingent with a civilian force… In contrast, [former Italian Prime Minister] Berlusconi defied widespread opposition at home and sent about 3,000 soldiers to Iraq to help with reconstruction after the ouster of Saddam Hussein in 2003… U.S. allies in Iraq have slowly but steadily drawn down or pulled out as Iraqi forces take more responsibility for securing the country. By year’s end, officials say, the coalition may shrink noticeably.”

Bush and Blair Meet, Admit Mistakes

AFP reported on May 26 about the meeting between President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Bair in Washington:

“British Prime Minister Tony Blair came here to show solidarity with US President George W. Bush on Iraq, but his 24-hour visit highlighted their problems in extricating themselves from a war that has hurt them both… the two leaders, acknowledging a series of major mistakes in Iraq, had little new to offer in the way of strategy and appeared as far as ever from setting a timetable to withdraw their troops… [Tony Blair said:] ‘This should be a moment of reconciliation not only in Iraq but in the international community. The war split the world. The struggle of Iraqis for democracy should unite it.’… [The] predominant impression left behind by Bush and his British comrade in arms… was a growing awareness of how much had gone wrong in Iraq. Blair virtually conceded they had misread the battlefield they were entering and criticized the decision to launch a wholesale purge of members of Saddam’s old Baath party from the army and government. Bush spoke of ‘setbacks and missteps’ such as delays in rebuilding Iraq’s security forces and economy, and above all the widely publicized abuses of Iraqi inmates at Abu Ghraib prison.

“The Texas Republican went so far as to regret some of his rhetoric in the war on terror, such as his ‘Bring ’em on’ taunt to Iraqi insurgents. He called it the ‘kind of tough talk that sent the wrong signal to people.’ But as he and Blair did their mea culpas, a new, potentially devastating scandal loomed with allegations that US Marines went on a rampage last November and killed up to two dozen men, women and children in a western Iraq town.  At the same time, Blair seemed to admit that the ongoing bloodshed in Iraq and resurgent violence in Afghanistan could crimp the allies’ ability to deal with other crises, such as Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons program. ‘We don’t want a conflict with Iran. We have got enough on our plate doing other things,’ he told the Arab television station Al-Jazeera in an interview released Thursday by his office.”

Are Iran and Iraq Getting Closer?

Reuters reported on May 27:

“Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki met leading Iraqi cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani on Saturday in one of Iraq’s holiest cities and thanked him for promoting unity between Iraq’s groups. The meeting with Sistani, who has emerged as perhaps the most powerful man in Iraq after Saddam Hussein’s downfall, in the Shi’ite holy city of Najaf was likely to fuel Sunni Arab fears that Shi’ite Iran was trying to gain influence in Iraq… [T]he Sunni minority are suspicious of non-Arab Iran, against which Iraq fought a war in the 1980s.”

The German Pope in Poland

On May 29, 2006, Der Spiegel reported about the Pope’s visit in Poland, and especially in Auschwitz. For most Catholic believers, it does not matter where the Pope was born–they accept him as long as he is the Pope. And many Holocaust survivors liked what they heard from the Pope. But not all were happy:

“Most Polish believers don’t care where the Pope was born. They love him–because he has so thoroughly studied their difficult language; because he subjects himself to the tedium of protocol so uncomplainingly and mildly; because he has a message, even if it is a strict one; because he quotes their beloved Jan Pawel II in every address; but most of all–because he’s the Pope…The word ‘guilt’ is never used [by the Pope]. There is no ‘mea culpa,’ neither with regard to anti-Semitism in the Church, nor with regard to the role of his country. The Germans, he says–and the remark will probably be associated with him for a long time to come–the Germans are a people ‘that a gang of criminals managed to achieve power over with deceitful promises, with the promise of greatness, of the resurrection of the nation’s honor and significance, with the promise of well-being and also with terror and intimidation, such that our people could be used and abused as an instrument for their fury of destruction and domination.’… Many of [the] Holocaust survivors praised the Pope’s speech. ‘What else should he have said? The highest voice of the Catholics says that God was not at Auschwitz. That’s more than enough,’ the leader of the ghetto uprising Marek Edelmann told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. But for others Ratzinger’s silence is not enough. The head rabbi of Warsaw, Michael Schudrich… said he wished the Pope had clearly addressed growing anti-Semitism in Catholic Poland.”

Murder of Innocent Children

On May 28, Associated Newspapers LTD published the following article about new scandalous developments in Great Britain, involving the murder of innocent children:

“The ethical storm over abortions has been renewed as it emerged that terminations are being carried out for minor, treatable birth defects. Late terminations have been performed in recent years because the babies had club feet, official figures show… Other babies were destroyed because they had webbed fingers or extra digits. Such defects can often be corrected with a simple operation or physiotherapy. The revelation sparked fears that abortion is increasingly being used to satisfy couples’ desire for the ‘perfect’ baby. A leading doctor said people were right to be ‘totally shocked’ that abortions were being carried out for such conditions.”

Vatican Wants International Control Over Jerusalem

On May 29, ynetnews.com reported about the Vatican’s renewed interest in “international” control of Jerusalem. The article stated:

“The Vatican’s legal advisor in Israel, David Jaeger, harshly criticized Israel’s policy regarding safeguarding Christian holy sites. Speaking during an international conference at a Haifa University conference Tuesday, Jaeger said Jerusalem is an important city the fate of which should not be left in the hands of Israel and the Palestinians. Any solution to the status of Jerusalem needs the approval of the international community, said Jaeger, adding that the Palestinian Authority has also failed in keeping with international conventions on preserving holy sites. Jaeger said there is a contradiction between agreements signed between Israel and the Vatican on preserving Christian Holy sites and Israeli laws dating from the British mandate in Palestine. The Israeli government took away the courts’ authority to deal with issues related to lands and funds belonging to the Roman Catholic Church, causing legal disputes that have been dragging in courts for years, the Vatican envoy said.”

Sale of Weapons Big Business

Pravda reported on May 29 about the questionable reputation of the five leading countries that are engaged in arms exports:

“Experts of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute have prepared another report about the export of arms in the world. The specialists calculated that Russia has become [the] world’s largest exporter of weapons during 2000-2004… According to SIPRI,  the first five positions of the list of [the] world’s largest exporters of arms (with up to 81 percent of deliveries) are distributed between: Russia ($26.9 billion), the USA ($25.9 billion), France ($6.3 billion), Germany ($4.8 billion) and Great Britain ($4.4 billion).”

AFP reported on May 26 that “The United States urged Russia to reconsider its decision to honor a contract to sell TOR-M1 surface-to-air missiles to Iran… At the end of last year, the Russian press announced that Iran had signed a contract with Moscow to buy 29 TOR-M1 air defense systems in a deal valued at 700 million dollars.” As the article continued to point out, Russia is determined to honor the contract and to deliver the missiles to Iran.

Illegal Immigration Big Politics

On May 28, 2006, The Washington Post published an article about America’s fight with illegal Immigration. The article came close to pointing out that politicians from all parties are heavily engaged in this fight for, apparently, mainly political reasons. The article does not even address the issue of right and wrong–just what position might result in the most votes:

“Republican House members facing the toughest races this fall are overwhelmingly opposed to any deal that provides illegal immigrants a path to citizenship — an election-year dynamic that significantly dims the prospects that President Bush will win the immigration compromise he is seeking, according to Republican lawmakers and leadership aides… The nearly united front of Republicans from the most competitive districts against Bush’s approach to immigration underscores the difficulties the president is facing… Most said 80 to 90 percent of feedback coming from constituents last week was in opposition to Bush and the Senate on the citizenship question.

“Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) will not allow a vote on a House-Senate compromise that does not have the support of most GOP lawmakers or one that would undermine the reelection chances of his at-risk members, aides said… John McCain (Ariz.), in an interview, cautioned his House colleagues to more closely examine ‘voting patterns’ and understand the ‘detrimental’ consequences of alienating Hispanics, who make up about 12.5 percent of the U.S. population.

“Rep. Ric Keller… said, about 90 percent of voters are opposed to a guest-worker program and in favor of the House approach… Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R-Minn.) [said:] ‘We keep our finger on the public pulse all the time, not just every six years.’… Rep. John N. Hostettler (R-Ind.), a top Democratic target who represents a district so competitive it is known as the ‘bloody 8th,’ warned that if House Republicans do not oppose guest workers, temporary workers and anything ‘that looks like amnesty,’ they could very well lose the House. ‘There are [a] lot of people on Capitol Hill that have no clue what November is going to bring them on immigration,’ he said. ‘It could be something like a tidal wave that could benefit the Democrats simply because Republicans don’t do the right thing. To survive through November, the folks up here [on Capitol Hill] are really going to have to understand the passion behind this.'”

Children in US Detention Camp?

Great Britain’s The Independent published the following article on May 28:

“The notorious US detention camp in Guantanamo Bay has been hit by fresh allegations of human rights abuses, with claims that dozens of children were sent there–some as young as 14 years old. Lawyers in London estimate that more than 60 detainees held at the terrorists’ prison camp were boys under 18 when they were captured. They include at least 10 detainees still held at the US base in Cuba who were 14 or 15 when they were seized–including child soldiers who were held in solitary confinement, repeatedly interrogated and allegedly tortured. The disclosures threaten to plunge the Bush administration into a fresh row with Britain, its closest ally in the war on terror, only days after the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, repeated his demands for the closure of the detention facility. It was, he said, a ‘symbol of injustice’. Whitehall sources said the new allegations, from the London-based legal rights group Reprieve, directly contradicted the Bush administration’s assurances to the UK that no juveniles had been held there. ‘We would take a very, very dim view if it transpires that there were actually minors there,’ said an official.”

European Ministers Meet–Where and When?

The Associated Press reported on May 27:

“Meeting at a 900-year-old Roman Catholic monastery, the [EU foreign] ministers… discussed a proposal for a declaration restating the principles and values of an increasingly united Europe–ideally in 2007 when the EU marks its 50th anniversary. ‘Europe is a model all over the world and we should draw some self-confidence from that,’ German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said… One task is to convince ordinary Europeans–skittish about their jobs, crime rates and cultural identities in an age of globalization–that closer integration and bringing in half a dozen or more states into the EU is a good thing. Opinion surveys say Europeans generally support the EU and even the idea of a constitution but want the bloc to focus more on their day-to-day concerns such as unemployment, immigration and globalization.”

In a related article, The Associated Press wrote:

“European Union foreign ministers were cloistering themselves inside a 12th century abbey Saturday to consider the bloc’s future, almost exactly a year after French voters threw the continent into turmoil by rejecting what would have been the first Europe-wide constitution. The envoys were gathering informally at the Roman Catholic monastery in Klosterneuburg on the outskirts of Vienna for a two-day ‘future of Europe’ meeting… Several EU nations, notably the Netherlands and Germany–sensing public resistance to further expansion–want the EU to commit soon to final borders… The charter has been ratified by the parliaments of 13 nations: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia and Slovenia. Finland is expected to ratify it in the second half of 2006.” It is interesting that this meeting should take place on the Sabbath (Saturday, May 27), as well as on Sunday, May 28, in a Roman Catholic monastery close to Vienna, Austria. In addition, some of the 13 independent “countries” listed in the article which have “ratified” the EU Constitution would be clearly looked upon as “one” nation in Biblical terms. The Bible predicts that ultimately, 10 European nations or groups of nations will rule a united Europe. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Europe Marches On

The EUobserver wrote on May 26:

“German chancellor Angela Merkel has spoken out in favour of a reference to God in the EU constitution… Merkel said ‘We live in a world in which we want to understand and communicate with other religions and cultures’. This includes knowing your own roots and being aware of them which is why God and the Christian belief should be included into the EU constitution, she indicated… It is the first time Berlin has spoken out in favour of a Christian reference in the EU constitution, and could potentially reopen one of the most bitter debates surrounding the drawing up of the document four years ago. Spain, Italy and Poland were among the most active countries in pushing for a strong Christian reference in the constitution–Germany’s Christian Democrats were also very vocal but they were then in opposition.”

The Incredible Debt of the U.S.

On May 23, The Pravda published a highly revealing article about the devastating economic situation in the United States. We feel that this should be considered as a “must-read” article:

“When Bush became president in 2001, the United States’ public debt was 5.8 trillion dollars. Today the public debt stands at 8.3 trillion dollars. Of this over $2.2 trillion dollars are held by foreigners… In 2005 the U.S. government paid $325 billion dollars only in interest payments alone. Then there are the future obligations such as Medicare, Social Security and government pensions. These obligations amount to $54 trillion dollars. This huge problem worried the former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. He told congress: ‘As a nation, we may have already made promises to coming generations of retirees that we will be unable to fulfill.’

“One would think that this amount of debt would worry the president and the congress. But apparently it does not. United States’ Congress recently (March 2006) voted to increase the Federal debt limit to 9 trillion dollars. Any other nation in similar circumstances would have had to approach IMF for help. IMF would then have forced that nation to cut spending and devalue its currency. But the U.S. does not need to do this. The U.S. can just print some more dollars. But how long can this continue before the world loose faith in the greenback, sending it crashing to unimaginable levels?… Asian countries such as Japan, China and others that hold most of the U.S. debts have been happy to indulge the American deficit spending… The value of U.S. dollar so far has been kept artificially high by Japan, China and oil-exporting countries. These countries, by buying US debts, have kept interests rates relatively low in the United States and allowed Americans to keep spending even as their debts mount. But there is only so much risk these lenders (Asian and oil-exporting countries) are willing to take…

“China with the reserves of over $800 billion dollars has already begun to slowly reduce its dependency on dollars by converting part of its reserves to other currencies. If other Asian countries–with their vast dollar holdings–follow suit, then it will be disastrous for the value of the dollar. No-one is interested in holding a weakening currency… Another threat against the dollar comes from countries such as Iran and Venezuela… Iranians are going to make the Euro the standard currency for oil transactions. Some sympathetic countries such as Venezuela and others may join in. If the Iranians succeed in this, the pressure on the dollar will be catastrophic…

“[The] U.S. government keeps spending money in an un-winnable war in Iraq and is considering starting another one in Iran. The total cost of Iraq war, including the future payment to the disabled soldiers, replacement of equipment, etc., is estimated be between [sic] 1 to 2 trillion dollars. Any attack on Iran will substantially increase this cost. Even if there is no attack, the tense situation in the region will keep the oil prices at uncomfortable levels, contributing to both a reduction in U.S. growth and an increase in its deficit… Sooner or later, both the United States and the rest of the world have to address the existing problems. This problem is not the United States alone. We cannot ignore the largest economy on earth. It is said that if the United States sneezes, the world catches cold. We have to either make sure that the United States doesn’t catch cold or vaccinate ourselves against it.”

Sadly, Biblical Prophecy predicts that the entire world will “vaccinate” itself against the United States and Great Britain. For more information, read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

This Is How Much You Owe!

According to brillig.com, “The Outstanding Public Debt as of 01 Jun 2006 at 01:31:10 AM GMT is: $8,359,544,791,446.22. The estimated population of the United States is 298,820,299, so each citizen’s share of this debt is $27,975.16. The National Debt has continued to increase an average of $1.75 billion per day since September 30, 2005!”

As we point out in our free new booklet, “The Mysteries of the Bible,”
Christ’s “message pertained to the Church of God for all times,
including seven historic Church eras… [and] also… seven local
Church congregations at the time of John” (p. 23). In this Q&A, we
will strictly address Christ’s timeless message to individual
Christians.

Christ’s message INCLUDES a warning and admonition to
all Christians throughout the existence of the Church. This can be seen
by Christ’s repeated admonition to ALL seven churches, to “hear what
the Spirit says to the churches” (compare Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29;
3:6, 13 and 22).

We should, first of all, take note of the fact
that Christ addresses true Christians in the Church of God, who have
received God’s Holy Spirit! He is not talking to people who are not a
part of the Church! Still, we find that Christ is warning ALL OF US not
to lose God’s Spirit. He is admonishing ALL OF US to make every effort
to succeed–to “make it into the Kingdom of God.” His warning is real
and stern. He utters His warning to awaken Christians out of sleep and
lethargy, and to encourage them to continue–and to NEVER give up!

Some
claim that they are in a Church organization which seemingly does “the
Work of God”–in whatever way THEY define such “Work.” They continue to
claim that no other organization does the Work–or at least, not as
effectively as their own group. They conclude that as long as they
belong to their group, they are safe and have already as good as made
it “into the Kingdom.” These self-righteous people are normally also
very quick to say that others, who don’t belong to “their”
organization, won’t make it–or if some few do, they will have to go
first through the “Great Tribulation.”

We may note, however,
that Christ’s message to the seven churches shows that most Christians
are involved with doing “works” (Revelation 2:2, 9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8,
15). While many of the works find Christ’s approval, some do not. For
instance, He says in Revelation 3:1: “I know your works, that you have
a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” He adds in verse 2 that
He did not find the works of those individuals “perfect before God.”
Likewise, Christ says in Revelation 3:15-16: “I know your works, that
you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So
then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit
you out of My mouth.”

We can clearly see from the foregoing that
Christ encourages a Christian to perform “perfect” works. The mere fact
that persons may belong to an organization which does “works” and which
has a “name” claiming to be “alive” (3:1), will not help them. Neither
will an attitude of self-righteousness and self-contentment–which
Christ describes as spiritual blindness. Although they may do works
(3:15), Christ warns them: “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become
wealthy, and have need of nothing’–and do not know that you are
wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked–I counsel you to buy from
Me gold refined in the fire… Therefore be zealous and repent”
(Revelation 3:17-19). Even though they work, they act in a
self-confident, half-hearted fashion, thinking that they have already
made it. They do not really understand the need to grow in God’s
knowledge and His way of life. Christ tells them that they must become
“zealous” about what they are doing–to seek God and His righteousness
first, while overcoming their own spiritual indifference (3:21).

But
even Christians who are doing “works” which are seemingly pleasing to
God are in need of improvement. Some have resisted false teachers (2:2,
6) and have been very diligent to do God’s works (2:3)–but they have
lost their “first love” (2:4). They might have begun to labor in God’s
Work for wrong reasons–perhaps for the purpose of getting or keeping a
job with a nice salary and the security of a future pension, or so that
they could obtain recognition and praise from man. Christ tells them to
repent of their wrong motives and conduct, and to do “the first works”
(2:5)–when they did them out of a genuine desire to please God, not
themselves or other men.

Christ also addresses those Christians
who actually increase in the works of God. He says to them that “the
last are more than the first” (2:19). Still, they may have become
indifferent to wrong teachings, allowing false doctrines to seduce them
(2:20). Christ tells such to overcome these problems (verse 26), while
continuing to do His works until the end (same verse). Others, who are
performing “works” and who are holding fast to God’s truth (2:13), have
surrounded themselves with wrong teachers and are listening to wrong
doctrines (2:14-15). They may think, perhaps, that they are strong
enough to resist false teaching, but Christ tells them to REPENT of
such self-deception, and to cleanse themselves from those wrong
teachers and teachings–because, if they don’t do that, Christ WILL do
it for them (2:16).

Then there are those who ARE doing the works
of God in the right way (3:8), being motivated by a true love for God
and the people of this world. But even they still need encouragement
and an admonition to endure until the very end. Christians who are
doing good works, who keep Christ’s word and who don’t deny His name
(3:8), are encouraged to persevere and to hold fast (3:10-11)–showing
that even they COULD fall away, by losing patience and giving up their
struggle for the crown of life. Christ tells all of us that only those
who endure until the end shall be saved (Matthew 24:13).

Christ
commands all Christians at all times to overcome and to be victorious
over Satan, their own selves and society (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12,
21). This shows that not one living Christian is already perfect–ALL
need to continue to press on toward the goal of the Kingdom of God. In
fact, some of those who think that they have already made it because
their organization may do “the Work” might find themselves described by
God as “lukewarm”–as their own personal lifestyle may not at all
reflect the high prize of God’s calling.

Christ’s warning to
His disciples rings loud and clear: We all must be diligent and zealous
in doing the “works of God”–including His Work of preaching the gospel
in all the world as a witness (Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20). But we must do
it because of genuine love for God and man (1 Corinthians 13:1-13). If
we do “the Work” with improper motives, it will profit us nothing.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program
was posted on the Web, titled, “USA–The Fading Superpower.” In the
program, Norbert Link discussed the following concepts:

Is
America’s status as a superpower fading? Many believe that it is. More
than 70 percent of interviewed people around the world believe that the
US needs a rival superpower. Anti-Americanism is at its highest level,
while President Bush’s approval rate in the US is at its lowest, with
most Americans being opposed to the war in Iraq. According to the
German press, even Iraq’s new government does not constitute a
strategic success for the US, given the fact that three crucial
ministers have not been named. In addition, America and Europe have
different perspectives relating to national and international defense.
Even though Iran launched successfully an intermediate-range ballistic
missile, which is capable of reaching Israel, Europe does not believe
that any threat from Iran is short-term. What is going on in the world,
and what does it all mean?