Update 454

On August 7, 2010, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “To the Ephesians, Part 7.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Is eternal life alone a sufficient guarantee to God that we will never sin again or turn and rebel against Him? If you think it is, then perhaps you should re-evaluate that line of thought.

Bear in mind that when Lucifer was created as an eternal spirit being, his creation was “perfect.” Ezekiel  28:15 says this about Lucifer: “You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you.” Notice, he was perfect in all his ways. He was THE perfect created spirit being at that time–till iniquity was found in him, that is sin.  In the course of time his mind became corrupted by sinful thoughts and desires, and he became Satan, the adversary and enemy of God.

Consider this–a perfectly created being turned in rebellion against his Maker and became God’s enemy, as it were. He attempted, unsuccessfully, to overthrow His Creator, and in the future, he will attempt to overthrow Him again, as Revelation 12:7-8 tells us: “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon [Satan the devil]; and the dragon and his angels [demons] fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.”

So the question is, how can God guarantee absolutely that this will not happen with us when we, as His born-again children, are changed to spirit and become God beings–“gods” (compare John 10:34-35)–in His divine Family?

Right now, we are flesh-and-blood human beings. Our physical existence is temporary and would remain so if there was no resurrection or change to immortal life. We are today begotten children of God who received God’s Spirit at baptism. We do not read that Satan was ever begotten by God’s Spirit when he was created. Rather, we read that God is reproducing Himself through man–not through angels. He begets us through His Holy Spirit and creates in us His divine nature. This potential to become true members in God’s Family–GOD beings–was never offered to angels (compare Hebrews 1:14; 2:5, 16; 2 Peter 1:2-4; Revelation 19:10; see also 1 Corinthians 6:3).

The guarantee that God wants to find in us is referred to in Philippians 2:5: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” In addition, we must consider Ephesians 3:14-19 in this context, stating:

“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

The mind that was in Christ Jesus was the mind of God the Father; and to become filled with the fullness of God–by growing in God’s grace and knowledge–is God’s absolute guarantee that we will never rebel against Him, because we will develop the same mindset that God and Christ have. This mindset says, in effect: “I will not sin; therefore, I cannot sin.”

God cannot rebel or sin against Himself. By creating in us His way of thinking through His Holy Spirit–His divine nature–He guarantees that we will NEVER sin or rebel against Him in the future.

We will become God beings; therefore, God the Father and Jesus Christ will not have to keep watching their backs in fear of their children and brothers and sisters rebelling in some manner. We will have developed and grown into the mindset of God. This necessitates, however, that we prove to God now that we are willing to develop His mindset. If God sees that we are unwilling to submit to Him and obey Him, then He will NOT grant us eternal life in His very Family.

But as long as we are willing to worship and please God, then our glorious future is guaranteed, and this will also be a guarantee to God that we will remain faithful to Him for all eternity.

We begin reporting on Chelsea Clinton’s wedding with Marc Mezvinsky and the underlying problematic phenomenon of increasing interfaith marriages. We are also addressing the ongoing problem of “gay games” and “gay parades,” for instance in Germany and Jerusalem, as well as the most recent decision by a federal “gay” judge on same-sex marriages.

Several articles claim that President Obama is out of touch with reality, including on issues such as the Afghan war, the health care reform or the Gulf oil spill, while it was revealed that the USA has a plan to attack Iran and while the killing of US troops in Afghanistan is getting worse.

Newly elected British Prime Minister David Cameron, who “has not been afraid to say what he thinks during a string of recent foreign trips,” has been causing furor in Pakistan, which is at the same time being plagued by the worst floods in the country’s history; and while Vladimir Putin is preparing his comeback as President and Russia enacts a dangerous law, and while the Netherlands are heading towards “the most conservative Dutch government in history,” German military experts and politicians are pleading for the retention of compulsory military service and a powerful and influential German army.

We conclude with a frightening development of diminishing plant plankton worldwide, which could lead to the death of sea birds and marine mammals “in huge numbers.” 

Chelsea Clinton’s Interfaith Wedding

USA Today wrote on August 2:

“Chelsea Clinton, a Methodist, and Marc Mezvinsky, a Conservative Jew, had their very private wedding on Saturday… Like it or not, the famous bride and groom will continue to be the focus of scrutiny for their religiously mixed marriage — a category that’s growing rapidly among U.S. couples.

“Two decades ago, 25% of U.S. couples didn’t share the same faith. That was up to 31% by 2006-08, according to the General Social Survey by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. The number was even higher, 37%, in the 2008 U.S. Religious Landscape Survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Both surveys included people who crossed major traditions, such as Jewish-Protestant, believers married to the unaffiliated, and Protestants of different denominations, such as former president Bill Clinton, a Baptist, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, a Methodist.

“For those of nominal faith, this is no big deal… But for those who hold deep but different faiths, life-cycle decisions will loom, from baptism… to burial… Every rite of passage, sacred ritual and major holy day will require negotiation: First Communion? Bar or bat mitzvah? Passover Seder, Easter vigil or Eid Al-Fitr feast to break Islam’s Ramadan fast?…

“Gerald Harris, a retired Southern Baptist pastor… objects most strongly when teachings or traditions are blended like a margarita or simply forsaken. Harris, editor of a century-old magazine, The Christian Index, defines ‘interfaith’ unions very sharply: Believers who have accepted Jesus as their personal savior and anyone — Christian or any other religion — who has not. As a pastor he declined to wed Christians to unbelievers…

“The intermarriage trend is probably here to stay… 20% of Protestants have married outside their tradition… the intermarriage rate was 39% for Muslims, 27% for Jews, 23% for Catholics and 12% for Mormons. A growing number of Catholics are skipping church weddings no matter whom they marry… The [Catholic] church requires that a Catholic promise to rear any children as Catholics, ‘to the best of his or her ability’…”

The Bible is very clear that a Christian is not to marry someone who is not a Christian. 1 Corinthians 7:39 states that a Christian woman is “at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.” The Living Bible gives the following rendering, thereby setting forth correctly the intended meaning: “she may marry… only… a Christian.” At the same time, if an interfaith marriage exists, then the Christian must not divorce himself or herself from his or her spouse, as long as the spouse is willing to live with the Christian (compare 1 Corinthians 7:12-15).

Germany’s “Gay Games”

Deutsche Welle reported on July 31:

“The 8th quadrennial Gay Games kicks off in Cologne on Saturday with an opening ceremony attended by openly-gay German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle. The games are a week-long celebration with 35 different sporting events, ranging from track and field or swimming to chess and bridge. The event is expected to draw some 10,000 participants this year, from more than 70 different countries…

“A common question people associated with the Gay Games often have to answer is why gay and lesbian athletes need their own, separate event when they are not specifically excluded from the Olympics, or other sporting events. Matthew Mitcham, an openly gay Olympic-gold medalist in diving from Australia, said many young gays and lesbians might feel like there is no place for them in the sporting world… John Amaechi, a retired professional basketball player for the American NBA and official ambassador for this year’s games, added that the assumption that gays and lesbians are not excluded from sports is entirely false…

“While the Gay Games are primarily an event for the athletes, Kelly Stevens [officer of communications for the parent group Federation of Gay Games] said some of the people who are most changed by participating in the events are actually the officials. ‘For many of them, it will be the first time they officiate an all-gay, lesbian sport event,’ he said. ‘And they gain respect for all of the athletes and participants…'”

Gay Parade March in Jerusalem

Haaretz reported on July 29:

“Thousands of Israelis marched in Jerusalem’s longest gay pride parade despite opposition from anti-gay demonstrators. The subdued march from Jerusalem city center to the parliament building Thursday contrasted with flamboyant pride parades elsewhere in the world. Organizers said they were adjusting to the city’s religious character and using it to push their political agenda.

“Carrying rainbow banners, several thousand demonstrators walked along the 1.5 mile (2.5 kilometer) route. A few dozen protesters at the beginning and end of the route held signs denouncing homosexuals. Many ultra-Orthodox Jews consider homosexuality to be an abomination.”

The Bible does not teach that a homosexual lifestyle is pleasing in God’s eyes. We read in 1 Corinthians 6:9 that, among others, “homosexuals and sodomites” will not inherit the kingdom of God. The margin of the New King James Bible explains that the Greek word for “homosexuals,” means, “those submitting to homosexuals,” while the Greek word for “sodomites” describes “male homosexuals.” It is interesting that the Bible refers to end-time Jerusalem as “Sodom” (compare Revelation 11:8), and it also speaks of the modern houses of Israel and Judah as “Sodom and Gomorrah” (Isaiah 1:10). For more information on the identify of those nations, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Federal Judge Overturns California Ban on Gay Marriage

The Associated Press reported on August 4:

“A federal judge overturned California’s same-sex marriage ban Wednesday in a landmark case that could eventually land before the U.S. Supreme Court to decide if gays have a constitutional right to marry in America. Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker made his ruling in a lawsuit two gay couples filed, arguing that… the the voter-approved ban violated their civil rights. Supporters of the ban countered that it was necessary to safeguard the traditional understanding of marriage and to encourage responsible childbearing…

“The verdict was the second in a federal gay marriage case to come down in recent weeks. A federal judge in Massachusetts decided last month the state’s legally married gay couples had been wrongly denied the federal financial benefits of marriage because of a law preventing the U.S. government from recognizing same-sex unions…

“Former U.S. Justice Department lawyer Charles Cooper, who represented the religious and conservative groups that sponsored the ban, said cultures around the world, previous courts and Congress all accepted the ‘common sense belief that children do best when they are raised by their own mother and father.’

“In an unusual move, the original defendants, California Attorney General Jerry Brown and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, refused to support Proposition 8 in court. That left the work of defending the law to Protect Marriage, the group that successfully sponsored the ballot measure that passed with 52 percent of the vote after the most expensive political campaign on a social issue in U.S. history.

“At this time, same-sex couples can wed legally only in Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Washington, D.C.”

On August 4, The Los Angeles Times added the following revealing facts:

“The ruling was the first in the country to strike down a marriage ban on federal constitutional grounds. Previous cases have cited state constitutions… Walker said the ban violated the federal constitutional guarantees of equal protection and of due process… The jurist, a Republican appointee WHO IS GAY, cited extensive evidence from the trial to support his finding that there was not a rational basis for excluding gays and lesbians from marriage.”

“Obama Out of Touch with Reality”

The Financial Times wrote on July 28:

“Mr Obama’s administration, facing dismal marks even from friendly pollsters, is making a new push to talk to Middle America, trying to recapture some of his old campaign magic before November’s midterm Congressional elections… Certainly, the president needs all the positive exposure he can get.

“Polls regularly put his approval rating below 50 per cent, and a new Quinnipiac University survey found that US voters thought – by a margin of 48 to 40 per cent – that he did not deserve to be re-elected in 2012. This makes alarming reading in Mr Obama’s Washington, where Democrats could lose control of the House and even the Senate. If the president thinks it’s tough to get legislation passed now, just imagine how difficult life will be in a Republican-dominated Congress.

“… his recent attempts to connect with the public have simply served to underscore the extent to which the shine has come off Mr Obama’s halo. His first Oval Office address, made during the height of the BP oil spill, fell flat, offering no new plans to deal with the disaster. He urged Americans to holiday in Florida, then promptly took his family to leafy Maine…

“The public image of the president is now of someone who strikes long after the iron has cooled and who is out of touch with the grim reality on the ground. The president’s advisers are mistaken if they think that flattering media appearances designed to remind the public why they first fell for Mr Obama will lead to a bounce in the polls, with a knock-on effect in November. Ordinary Americans care most about the lethargic economy and the millions of people still out of work…”

USA Today added on August 3:

“Public support for President Obama’s Afghanistan war policy has plummeted amid a rising U.S. death toll and the unauthorized release of classified military documents, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll shows. Support for Obama’s management of the war fell to 36%, down from 48% in a February poll. Now, a record 43% also say it was a mistake to go to war there after the terrorist attacks in 2001.

“The decline in support contributed to the lowest approval ratings of Obama’s presidency. Amid a lengthy recession, more Americans support his handling of the economy (39%) than the war. Even Obama’s handling of the war in Iraq received record-low approval… Only 41% of those surveyed Tuesday through Sunday approved of the way Obama is handling his job, his lowest rating in the USA TODAY/Gallup Poll since he took office in January 2009. In Gallup’s separate daily tracking poll, his approval was at 45% Monday.”

New Health Care Law Under Scrutiny–Missouri Voters Reject Mandatory Health Care

The Associated Press wrote on August 4:

“Missouri voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected a key provision of President Barack Obama’s health care law, sending a clear message of discontent to Washington and Democrats less than 100 days before the midterm elections. About 71 percent of Missouri voters backed a ballot measure, Proposition C, that would prohibit the government from requiring people to have health insurance or from penalizing them for not having it. The Missouri law conflicts with a federal requirement that most people have health insurance or face penalties starting in 2014.
 
“Tuesday’s vote was seen as largely symbolic because federal law generally trumps state law. But it was also seen as a sign of growing voter disillusionment with federal policies and a show of strength by conservatives and the tea party movement.”

Bloomberg reported on August 1:

“One of the more illuminating remarks during the health-care debate in Congress came when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told an audience that Democrats would ‘pass the bill so you can find out what’s in it, away from the fog of controversy.’ That remark captured the truth that, while many Americans have a vague sense that something bad is happening to their health care, few if any understand exactly what the law does.

“To fill this vacuum, Representative Kevin Brady of Texas, the top House Republican on the Joint Economic Committee, asked his staff to prepare a study of the law, including a flow chart that illustrates how the major provisions will work. The result, made public July 28, provides citizens with a preview of the impact the health-care overhaul will have on their lives. It’s a terrifying road map that shows Democrats have launched America on the most reckless policy experiment in its history, the economic equivalent of the Bay of Pigs invasion…

“Based on the administration’s own numbers, as many as 117 million people might have to change their health plans by 2013 as their employer-provided coverage loses its grandfathered status and becomes subject to the new Obamacare mandates. Those mandates also might make your health care more expensive. The Congressional Budget Office predicts that premiums for a small number of families who buy their insurance privately will rise by as much as $2,100…

“For all this supposed reform, you, the American taxpayer, can expect a bill to the tune of $569 billion.”

Rise in U.S. Food Stamp Recipients

Bloomberg reported on August 5:

“The number of Americans who are receiving food stamps rose to a record 40.8 million in May as the jobless rate hovered near a 27-year high, the government reported yesterday… [This is] more than an eighth of the population… The figure is projected to rise to 43.3 million in 2011.”

Oil Spill Damage Not So Bad?

The Daily Mail wrote on August 5:

“After months of finger-wagging at BP, the White House has admitted the Gulf of Mexico oil spill isn’t causing the environmental devastation it first feared. In a humiliating climbdown, the Obama administration conceded the ‘vast majority’ of the oil that gushed into the ocean from the ruptured well has already gone. The rest, it says, is probably so diluted, it doesn’t appear to pose much of a threat…

“The extraordinary change of tune came after government scientists concluded, much to President Obama’s embarrassment, that three-quarters of the leaked oil has evaporated, dispersed, been burned off or been contained…

“The findings raise serious questions over the American government’s torrid attacks on BP in the aftermath of the April 20 rig explosion that killed 11 workers and spilled millions of gallons of crude into the ocean. Mr Obama has already been accused of targeting the British oil giant to avert fears the spill was becoming a political liability for his Democrat Party in the run-up to the November mid-term elections.”

However, the Obama administration’s report is highly disputed. USA Today reported on August 5:

“Scientists are questioning an Obama administration report that some three-quarters of the oil from the BP spill is gone from the Gulf of Mexico. ‘Independent scientists scoffed at the report’s findings,’ reported the St. Petersburg Times in Florida. One of its experts said pungently,’these are just what we call WAGs — wild-a-guesses.’

“The administration report says most of the oil has been captured, skimmed, or dispersed naturally or by chemicals, and that only about 26 percent of the oil spill is unaccounted for. Ian MacDonald, a professor of biological oceanography at Florida State University, told the Washington Post that there are a lot of ‘smoke and mirrors in this report … It seems very reassuring, but the data aren’t there to actually bear out the assurances that were made.’

“And so the mystery of the missing oil goes on. The St. Petersburg Times also reported: ‘Several (experts) pointed out that the report estimates that a quarter of the oil is still floating in the gulf or contaminating beaches and marshes, while another quarter was dispersed, either with chemicals or naturally. In other words, half of it, or about 2.5 million barrels, is still unrecovered. ‘I don’t think that’s real good news,’ said James ‘Rip’ Kirby, a University of South Florida coastal geologist who has been studying the spill’s effects on Panhandle beaches…”

USA Has a Plan To Attack Iran

The Associated Press reported on August 1:

“The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff says the U.S. military has a plan to attack Iran, although he thinks a strike is probably a bad idea.

“Adm. Mike Mullen, the nation’s highest-ranking military officer, has often warned that a military strike on Iran would have serious and unpredictable ripple effects around the Middle East. At the same time, he says the risk of Iran developing a nuclear weapon is unacceptable.”

USA vs. German Companies

Deutsche Welle reported on August 4:

“The United States has announced it will sanction 13 European firms it suspects of being controlled by the Iranian government. The US Treasury Department froze all assets the companies have under US jurisdiction and forbid American companies or individuals from doing business with them. Nine of the firms are registered in Germany, two in Belarus, and one each in Luxembourg and Italy.

“The companies include insurance, investment, mining and engineering firms. Seven of the German firms, including IFIC Holding and Ascotec Holding, are based in the western city of Dusseldorf. The others are located in Hamburg and Nettetal.”

The Unwinnable War in Afghanistan

The Associated Press reported on July 30:

“Three more U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan, bringing the U.S. death toll for July to at least 66 and making it the deadliest month for American forces in the nearly 9-year-war… [Before July,] June had been the deadliest month for the U.S. with 60 deaths.”

On August 4, USA Today published an editorial by Ronald Goldfarb, a Washington, D.C., attorney and author who served in the Kennedy Justice Department. He supported Barack Obama in 2008 and wrote the following:

“That the U.S. should have pursued 9/11 terrorists into Afghanistan in 2001 is not a reason to be there 10 years later…

“Newly elected presidents, especially Democrats, fear being portrayed as weak, and thus get rolled by the military into fighting unnecessary wars. John Kennedy learned the lesson fast, after our fiasco in Cuba. Lyndon Johnson lost his presidency over his capitulation to military advisers. LBJ knew we couldn’t ‘win’ in Vietnam, but he was afraid to end the war and be seen as a president who gave up. In worrying about losing his second term, he lost it.

“Obama has allowed himself to be talked into making the protracted Afghan war his… In doing so, he has repeated LBJ’s critical mistake… Last year, the perceptive critic Garry Wills urged Obama to be a one-term president rather than prolonging an unwinnable war…

“Woodrow Wilson once said: ‘If my re-election as president depends upon my getting into war, I don’t want to be president.’ He soon was dragged into World War I, despite his fearing a useless slaughter to control the actions of others, according to his recent biographer, John Milton Cooper Jr…

“Ironically, in turning over the war in Afghanistan to Gen. David Petraeus, President Obama may have anointed the one man who could beat him in the 2012 election. From George Washington to Ulysses Grant to Dwight Eisenhower, this country respects powerful generals and turns to them politically in times of national stress. If the Afghanistan war proves successful (by what standard, one might ask), Gen. Petraeus comes home a hero; if it fails, he can complain that the commander in chief didn’t let him do what he needed to do to win…

“Our financial bankruptcy after years of this Afghan indulgence will set the scene for an impatient and fractious country to look for new leadership… One term or two, the president needs to get us out of unnecessary wars…”

Cameron Causes Furor in Pakistan

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 29:

“British Prime Minister David Cameron has caused a furor in Pakistan by claiming it supports terrorists. Islamabad vehemently rejects the charge and accuses the West of blindly believing the WikiLeaks war logs.

“British Prime Minister David Cameron has not been afraid to say what he thinks during a string of recent foreign trips, including calling Gaza a ‘prison camp’ during a visit to Turkey. Now, his latest bit of plain speaking has sparked something of a diplomatic spat with Pakistan. He offended Islamabad with comments made on Wednesday in, of all places, Pakistan’s archenemy India. Speaking to an audience in the city of Bangalore, Cameron said: ‘We cannot tolerate in any sense the idea that this country is … able, in any way, to promote the export of terror whether to India, whether to Afghanistan or to anywhere else in the world’…

“His words have not gone down well in Pakistan, a country that is officially Britain’s ally in the war on terror. Cameron was speaking just days after the publication of leaked US military documents relating to the war in Afghanistan on the Internet platform WikiLeaks and in three media outlets, including SPIEGEL. According to the so-called war logs, the US suspects that Pakistan is providing terrorists with a haven and that the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI is training insurgents and supplying them with weapons. According to one memo, the ISI was even involved in a plot to assassinate the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai…

“Western diplomats, including ones from Britain, have often broached their concerns that Pakistan is playing a double game: on the one side backing the West, and on the other supporting the terrorists. But for a British prime minister to openly state such a concern is highly unusual. And his words will have delighted India, which has long accused Pakistan of exporting terror, including the attacks on Mumbai in November 2008…

“Pakistan’s ambassador to London, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, has accused Cameron of damaging the prospects of regional peace with his remarks… Afghanistan, meanwhile, has reached its own conclusions from the WikiLeaks documents. On Thursday, President Karzai asked at a press conference why the allies had done so little against the terrorists in Pakistan. This was, after all, the source of the financing and training of the Taliban, he said, adding that the Western troops should once and for all attack the extremists’ positions in Pakistan.”

Worst Flood in Pakistani History

The Los Angeles Times wrote on August 2:

“As floodwaters recede in northwestern Pakistan and officials begin assessing the extent of destruction caused by last week’s record-breaking monsoon rains, which killed hundreds of people, frustration among the region’s survivors is growing over what they say is a plodding, disorganized relief effort.

“The International Committee of the Red Cross estimates that at least 2.5 million Pakistanis have been affected by the floods, the worst in the country’s history. Estimates of people killed in drownings, landslides and building collapses have varied from the government’s official tally of 773 to the Red Cross’ figure of 1,100… [According to other estimates, the death toll could exceed 3,000.]

“With the destruction caused by last week’s floods, dozens of bridges, roads and hospitals, as well as the region’s communication networks, will have to be rebuilt… The province’s chief minister, Amir Haider Khan Hoti, said the floods ‘pushed the province almost 50 years back’…

“The U.S. has pledged $10 million in aid and supplied rescue helicopters, inflatable boats, water filtration units and 12 prefabricated steel bridges as temporary replacements for destroyed highway spans. Pakistan’s army has assigned at least 30,000 troops to help rescue stranded villagers and assist in relief efforts.

“Since Thursday, when most of the destruction caused by the floods occurred, Pakistani military helicopters and rescue boats have evacuated more than 20,000 people, many of whom were stranded on rooftops for days. The government has also begun setting up relief camps where flood victims can get shelter, food and clean drinking water.

“Frustration over the government’s handling of the crisis, however, is growing. Political opponents of President Asif Ali Zardari criticized the Pakistani leader for going ahead with a planned visit to Europe this week while many families struggle to find food.”

Russia in the News

The Los Angeles Times wrote on August 3:

“From the smoke of the wildfires engulfing the Moscow region and the embarrassment of this summer’s spy scandal, Vladimir Putin is reemerging as Russia’s most powerful man and, experts say, a candidate to reclaim the presidency a little more than a year and a half from now.

“For more than two years since term limits forced him to give up office and take the prime minister’s job instead, Putin and his protege, President Dmitry Medvedev, have seemed to be in lockstep… many analysts long have predicted that one of the two eventually would elbow the other aside. And in the last month, the situation has changed.

“While Medvedev appears mostly confined to his Kremlin office, Putin is rushing around the country with the news media in tow. He comforts fire victims, upbraids local officials — and publicly dictates to the president what should be done about the fires that have killed 40 people and ravaged more than 1.2 million acres.”

Developments in Russia are of great importance, as a military confrontation between Russia and its allies and Europe is prophesied to occur in a very few years from now.

Deutsche Welle reported on August 5:

“[Russian President Dmitry] Medvedev signed the bill to expand the FSB’s powers last week after it passed unhindered through the lower and upper houses of Russia’s parliament, the Duma, with 354 votes in favor, mostly from the president’s ruling United Russia party. The new law will provide the FSB, the successor to the Soviet Union’s KGB security service, with the power to detain citizens it suspects of wrongdoing even if it has no evidence against them.”

Worldwide Wheat Shortages

The Wall Street Journal wrote on August 3:

“Wheat prices have staged the most drastic rise in more than 50 years, as a drought in Russia fuels growing worries that it could lead to a global shortage of the grain. Harsh heat and a lack of rain in Russia have killed half of the crop in some hard-hit areas. The slump in production in one of the world’s most fertile breadbaskets has pushed prices up 62% since early June, and last month saw the biggest and fastest increase since 1959. Wheat prices, which briefly rose above $7 a bushel on Monday, are at their highest level since September.”

The Wall Street Journal added on August 4:

“The scorching temperatures and dry skies threatening Russia’s wheat harvests have also been beating down on Western Europe, which is forecasting lower output of crops from French wheat to Italian tomatoes.”

CNBC wrote on August 3:

“The July rise in wheat prices, the fastest in 51 years, indicates that shortages in agriculture are coming… Wheat prices in Europe hit their highest level in two years, rising almost 50 percent since late June as Russia’s wheat crop was affected by drought.

“‘That’s the straw that broke the camel’s back,’ [Jim] Rogers, chairman of Rogers Holdings, who has been warning about shortages coming in the agriculture sector for a while, said in a telephone interview… Shortages in agriculture are likely to add to problems created by governments who printed money to spend their way out of the financial crisis, according to Rogers. ‘It’s all happening at a time when governments are printing more money… it’s a very dangerous situation,’ he said.”

The Euro on the Rise

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 30:

“The euro rose above $1.31 to the highest point in 11 weeks as improving euro-zone economic data helped the common currency extend a rally during which it has strengthened more than 10% since early June.

“The euro has been perhaps the most visible beneficiary of easing concerns about the European sovereign debt crisis. After hitting a four-year low of $1.1876 on June 7, the currency has steadily advanced amid confidence that policy makers have forestalled a European sovereign-debt default.”

The Netherlands Move to the Right

The EUObserver wrote on August 2:

“One of the most conservative Dutch governments ever was in the offing Sunday, with the conservative-liberal election winners of the VVD party agreeing on a minority coalition with the centre-right Christian Democrats and backed on a case-by-case basis by the far-right anti-Islam Freedom Party of Geert Wilders… In return for the support of the Geert Wilders on the key demand of the VVD, the other two parties agreed to support additional immigration controls and a law-and-order agenda.

“Crucially, the agreement will let Mr Wilders speak his mind as far as Islam and immigration are concerned. Mr Wilders, who is the only member of his political party, wants to see a ban on the construction of mosques, a tax imposed on people who wear the veil and the expulsion of millions of muslims from Europe.”

Deutsche Welle added on August 2:

“Seven weeks after the Dutch parliamentary elections, Geert Wilders, the leader of the anti-Islam, anti-immigrant Freedom Party (PPV), is poised to become a key voice in what could be the most conservative Dutch government in history… Mark Rutte, the leader of the VVD party and likely to be the next prime minister, said he sees enough similarities for cooperation…

“Wilders has compared the Koran to ‘Mein Kampf’ and blamed Islamic texts for inciting the September 11 terrorist attacks. He calls Islam a ‘political ideology’…”

“Why the World Needs the Bundeswehr”

On July 27, Der Spiegel Online published an editorial by Volker Rühe, former German defense minister from 1992 to 1998, and retired Vice Admiral Ulrich Weisser, who was head of the policy and planning staff within the Defense Ministry from 1992 to 1998. We are bringing you the following excerpts:

“After Germany’s overwhelming military had terrified our neighbors in the last century, we then switched to being a freeloader within the framework of European security. A fundamental restructuring of the Bundeswehr is not something that Germany can pursue alone. We must remain capable of fulfilling our obligations as part of the NATO alliance and the European Union.

“Germany, the most populous and prosperous country in Europe, must play an appropriate role in guaranteeing European security within NATO and the EU. It cannot assume that the French, British, Poles and Italians will make up for what Germany no longer wants to do. Why should European countries with less economic power than Germany do more for Europe’s security in the long run than we do?…

“The Middle East remains a threat to world peace and, therefore, to us. It cannot be ruled out that NATO will be called upon to intervene there in a peacekeeping capacity on behalf of the United Nations. Besides, we must ensure that weapons of mass destruction do not fall into the wrong hands. Fundamentalist terrorism and ethnic and religious wars, as well as global crime and piracy that threatens our maritime trade routes, shape our security policy to a much greater extent than in the past…

“Germany, like its European allies, must have troops at its disposal that can be deployed quickly across great distances, prevail in battle against any enemy and at any level of intensity, and be superior within an alliance with others. The small, professionally equipped and trained intervention force being considered, which could be deployed in all parts of the world, is in keeping with neither the intent of the constitution nor the will of German citizens. Being capable of projecting power when the alliance as a whole faces challenges is a different matter altogether…

“In essence, German defense policy today faces, for the third time, a historic change of course and must therefore address several tasks… The restrictions placed on the German armed forces’ deployments in Afghanistan and in the Horn of Africa have had a devastating effect on our reputation within the alliance and in Europe… The Bundeswehr must rid itself of its fixation on Afghanistan… Germany’s Basic Law stipulates that the federal government ‘shall establish armed forces for purposes of defense.’ We cannot allow this constitutional imperative to be forgotten because of Afghanistan.”

On July 29, Der Spiegel Online added the following comments:

“CDU/CSU floor leader Volker Kauder has a book by the Berlin political scientist Herfried Münkler on his bookshelf. Its title is ‘Die Deutschen und ihre Mythen’ (‘The Germans and their Myths’). For Kauder, compulsory military service is one of those myths that shape German identity and also forms part of the CDU/CSU’s core identity. It is something he is unwilling to give up.

“Kauder still remembers clearly how Merkel praised conscription, exactly a year ago in July 2009, when she attended a public swearing-in ceremony for recruits in Berlin. ‘I support compulsory military service,’ she said at the time. ‘Conscription has become a trademark of our armed forces, for which we are envied internationally.’

“Kauder is determined to fight for compulsory military service. He will have his chance at the CDU convention in the southwestern city of Karlsruhe in mid-November, when the party intends to reach a definitive position on the issue. However, a preliminary decision will be made earlier. Because the subject is so contentious, Merkel and Seehofer plan to hold a joint meeting of the leaders of the CDU and CSU in the fall…

“Unlike Guttenberg, Kauder is no solo performer. In fact, an entire choir of conservative politicians on both the federal and state level has been singing the praises of conscription. ‘Compulsory military service should remain in place, also for reasons of social policy,’ said Wolfgang Bosbach, a member of parliament for the CDU. ‘As a result of conscription, many millions of young men have gotten to know and respect the Bundeswehr. It is the fundamental idea of the citizen in uniform.’

“‘Our Bundeswehr is an army of sons and daughters. The fact that it is firmly anchored within the population is a great blessing,’ commented Christine Lieberknecht, the governor of the eastern state of Thuringia. ‘That’s why I support retaining compulsory military service.’ ‘Conscription is part of the identity of the CDU/CSU,’ Governor Peter Müller of the western state of Saarland said. ‘Anyone who wants to call it into question needs a very good reason.’

“And Peter Hauk, the head of the CDU parliamentary group in the Baden-Württemberg state parliament, said: ‘We are fundamentally in favor of retaining compulsory military service…’ The Bavarian interior minister, Joachim Herrmann, added his voice to the debate when he said: ‘Despite the difficult budget situation and the need to restructure the Bundeswehr, we should keep compulsory military service.'”

Germany is destined to fulfill a most important leading role in economic, political, military and even religious affairs, which we will observe in the months and years ahead of us. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Plant Plankton in Decline

The Associated Press reported on July 28:

“Despite their tiny size, plant plankton found in the world’s oceans are crucial to much of life on Earth. They are the foundation of the bountiful marine food web, produce half the world’s oxygen and suck up harmful carbon dioxide. And they are declining sharply.

“Worldwide phytoplankton levels are down 40% since the 1950s… When plant plankton plummet… sea birds and marine mammals starve and die in huge numbers…”

A passage in Hosea 4:1-3 may be of interest in this context.

In our last Q&A, we wrote:

“Paul, in bringing the gospel to the Thessalonians, worked: ‘…nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us’ (2 Thessalonians 3:8-9).”

Does this mean that God’s true ministers, in following the perceived example of Paul, must not seek employment with the Church of God and that they must not seek to be remunerated or otherwise recompensed by the Church for their services?

This is not what Paul is stating in 2 Thessalonians 3:8-9; nor is it what was implied in our Q&A.

Rather, the Jamieson, Fausset and Brown commentary gives the following explanation:

“They preached gratuitously though they might have claimed maintenance from their converts… The Philippians did not regard it as a ‘burden’ to contribute to his support [Philippians 4:15-16], sending to him while he was in this very Thessalonica… Many Thessalonians, doubtless, would have felt it a privilege to contribute, but as he saw some idlers among them who would have made a pretext of his example to justify themselves, he waived his right.”

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible adds, regarding 2 Thessalonians 3:8-9:

“We have the power… the right, to be maintained by those in whose behalf we labor. The laborer is worthy of his hire, is a maxim universally acknowledged and respected; and they who preach the Gospel should live by the Gospel: the apostle did not claim his privilege, but labored for his own support, that he might be an example to those whom he found otherwise disposed, and that he might spare the poor.”

The commentary makes also some interesting comments in regard to 1 Timothy 5:17, requiring that “double honor” be given to the elders “who rule well” and “especially those who labor in the word and doctrine”:

“Almost every critic of note allows that [the Greek word for “honor”] here signifies reward, stipend, wages. Let him have a double or a larger salary who rules well…”

Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible adds in this regard:

“‘Be counted worthy of double honour’ – Of double respect; that is, of a high degree of respect; of a degree of respect becoming their age and office… it would seem probable that the apostle had some reference also to their support, or to what was necessary for their maintenance… Those among them who ‘labored in the word and doctrine,’ and who gave up all their time to the business of their office, would be worthy of special respect, and of a higher compensation.”

Vincent’s Word Studies elaborates:

“Double honor… This at least includes pecuniary remuneration for services, if it is not limited to that. The use of [the Greek word for “honor”] as ‘pay’ or ‘price’ [or “proceeds”] appears [in Matthew 27:6, 9; Acts 4:34; 1 Corinthians 6:20].”

John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible states:

“… ‘counted worthy of double honour’… this is to be understood both of that outward respect that is to be shown them by words and actions; and of a sufficient maintenance that is to be provided for them; in which sense the word ‘honour’ is used in this chapter before; See [1 Timothy 5:3].”

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible writes to 1 Timothy 5:17-25:

“Concerning the supporting of ministers. Care must be taken that they be honourably maintained [1 Timothy 5:17]: ‘Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour’ (that is, of double maintenance, double to what they have had, or to what others have), ‘especially those who labour in the word and doctrine,’ those who are more laborious than others… The honour due to those who were not idle, but laborious in this work; they were worthy of double honour, esteem, and maintenance.

“He quotes a scripture to confirm this command concerning the maintenance of ministers that we might think foreign; but it intimates what a significancy there was in many of the laws of Moses, and particularly in this, ‘Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treads out the corn,’ [Deuteronomy 25:4]. The beasts that were employed in treading out the corn (for that way they took instead of threshing it) were allowed to feed while they did the work, so that the more work they did the more food they had; therefore let the elders that labour in the word and doctrine be well provided for; ‘for the labourer is worthy of his reward’ [Matthew 10:10; the New King James Bible says here, “food,” but in 1 Timothy 5:18, it translates as “wages”], and there is all the reason in the world that he should have it.

“We hence learn, (1.) God… has taken care that his ministers be well provided for. Does God take care for oxen, and will he not take care of his own servants? The ox only treads out the corn of which they make the bread that perishes; but ministers break the bread of life which endures for ever. (2.) The comfortable subsistence of ministers, as it is God’s appointment that those who preach the gospel should live of the gospel [1 Corinthians 9:14], so it is their just due, as much as the reward of the labourer; and those who would have ministers starved, or not comfortably provided for, God will require it of them another day.

“‘Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought,’ [2 Thessalonians 3:8]. Though he might justly have demanded a maintenance, because those who preach the gospel may of right expect to live by the gospel. This is a just debt that people owe to their ministers, and the apostle had power or authority to have demanded this [2 Thessalonians 3:9]; but he waived his right from affection to them, and for the sake of the gospel, and that he might be an example for them to follow [2 Timothy 3:9], that they might learn how to fill up time, and always be employed in something that would turn to good account.”

We see, therefore, that Paul teaches throughout his writings that God’s full-time ministers are to be remunerated by the Church. But how is this to be practiced, especially in our times? How does the Church pay them their “double honor”? Is it up to each individual “member” to pay or give monetary contribution to an individual minister of his or her choice? Or, did God ordain a different procedure? Indeed, He did.

In our free booklet, “Tithing-Today?”, we wrote the following:

“Most Bible students know the tithing law, as codified in writing at the time of Moses. But, as we saw, this does not mean that it came into existence at that time; rather, at the time of Moses, it was reduced to the written word. We also find that God gave, at that time, the administration of the tithe to the Levites. Prior to Moses, the tithe was apparently given to the high priest Melchizedek. But God made it clear throughout that the tithe BELONGED to Him, not the Levites. To not tithe always meant—and still means—to WITHHOLD FROM GOD WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY HIS!…

“The Levites received the tithe as compensation for their work for God, but they themselves had to tithe from their reward. Numbers 18:21, 24, 26, 28, 30–31 explains: ‘Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting… For the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer up as a heave offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance… Speak thus to the Levites, and say to them: “When you take from the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them as your inheritance, then you shall offer up a heave offering of it to the LORD, a tenth of the tithe… for it is your reward [margin, wages] for your work in the tabernacle of meeting.”‘”…

“Today, God’s true ministers who are upholding and forcefully and boldly teaching God’s LAW, are in the same position that the Levites were, in Old Testament times, and these ministers, as spiritual Levites, are to be ‘rewarded’ (compare Numbers 18:31) through tithes and offerings. Notice 1 Corinthians 9:13–14: ‘Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.’

“Paul’s words are very clear: Financial support for the preaching of the gospel is an actual command of Christ Himself! Christ minced no words when He sent out His disciples to proclaim the gospel. He instructed them in Luke 10:3–9: ‘Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals… But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, FOR THE LABORER IS WORTHY OF HIS WAGES'”…

“Paul said very clearly in 1 Timothy 5:17–18 (Living Bible): ‘Pastors who do their work well should be paid well and should be highly appreciated, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. For the Scriptures say, “Never tie up the mouth of an ox when it is treading out the grain—let him eat as he goes along!” And in another place, “Those who work deserve their pay!”‘”…

“Today, it is no longer the Levites who are to collect the tithes. That part of the law was changed, but the tithing LAW was not abolished! It is now Christ—through His Church—who has the responsibility of collecting God’s tithes….”

These comments referred to, what is commonly described as, the “First Tithe.” But God also instituted a “Third Tithe” for those in need. We explain in our free booklet, “Tithing–Today?”:

“In addition, God instituted a THIRD tithe system for the purpose of assisting and helping ‘Levites, widows and orphans.’ The third tithe is an additional tithe of one’s ‘produce’ or ‘increase’ and is described in passages such as Deuteronomy 14:28–29 and Deuteronomy 26:12–15. (The third tithe was paid on the third and sixth year out of a cycle of seven years. On the seventh year, no third tithe was to be paid, as the land rested during the seventh year, Leviticus 25:4.)

“Soncino confirms this understanding. They comment on Deuteronomy 26:12: ‘[The term] in the third year [refers to] the tithe of the produce of the third year…the year of tithing, i.e. the third in the cycle of seven years in which a special tithe was to be given to the poor.’”

Today, as it is able, God’s Church distributes money received and designated as “Third Tithe” to those Church members who are in need, especially to “Levites, widows and orphans.” Without attempting to provide a list of all those Church members who might be eligible for discretionary Third Tithe assistance, such monetary help could be provided to spiritual “Levites” or ordained ministers, not employed by the Church, who are in need of discretionary assistance because of, among other circumstances, their voluntary “rule” in the Church and their “labor in the word and doctrine” and, consequently, their resulting decreased income from their secular labor, employment or business.

This reflects the long-time understanding of the Church of God that ordained ministers are spiritual “Levites,” and that they, as such, may be eligible, in the discretion of the Church, for Third Tithe assistance (compare Deuteronomy 14:28-29; 26:12-13). (It goes without saying, of course, that ministers, deacons or anyone else incurring approved expenses on behalf of the Church, such as travel expenses, could be reimbursed by the Church, upon request).

Third Tithe assistance could also be given to widows (compare 1 Timothy 5:3, 5, 8-9) as well as “orphans”–any member being in need of discretionary monetary assistance because of their INABILITY to provide for their own sustenance.

As the Churches of God in the USA did not in the past, and in most cases do not today provide any vested pension benefits for their ordained and unordained employees, and as many ordained ministers in the USA who were at one time employed by the Church do not receive Social Security payments for the duration of their Church employment (nor do their spouses), it has been the long-time understanding and practice of the Church of God that former ordained or unordained employees of the Church who have reached retirement age, might be helped through discretionary Third Tithe assistance. This might also apply generally and in similar circumstances to surviving needy spouses of deceased former Church employees.

In conclusion, Paul did not say in 2 Thessalonians 3:8 that ministers are not to be employed and remunerated by the Church for their services. In that case, he would have done away with God’s law of tithing, which he clearly upheld (For further proof, please read our free booklet, “Tithing–Today?” in its entirety.) Rather, in the case of the Thessalonians, he did not demand this right from them, due to very peculiar circumstances in that local church, but, as shown, he received support, at the same time, from the Philippian members.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program was posted on the Web, titled, Why America’s Loss of Worldwide Influence?:  Wars and rumors of wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, Lebanon… Arab nations don’t care whether America approves of their conduct… Does the Bible tell us why other nations disregard America’s lead, and why the American and British Empires are in decline? Who ARE the American and British peoples in biblical prophecy? And what IS prophesied for their immediate future?

A new German AufPostenStehen program was posted on the Web, titled, “Sodom’s Loveparade” [“Sodom’s Love Parade”].

A new German sermon was posted on the Web, titled, “Sex in der Bibel, Teil 4” [“Sex in the Bible, Part 4”].

We received the following note from the Philippines: “Today, Wednesday, exactly at 12 noon, we received the booklets [“The Authority of the Bible”]. We are going to distribute them this coming Sabbath, and will produce some for scattered believers.”