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Web Exclusive: Japan Wants Military--U.S. Yawns, Ignores History

Gerald Flurry — 2013-05-20T17:59:13+01:00

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Will the Taiwan-Philippines Dispute Unite Taiwan With China?

Jeremiah Jacques — 2013-05-20T17:58:36+01:00

The Philippine Coast Guard shot and killed a Taiwanese fisherman on May 9 in waters claimed by both nations, setting off a chain of events that could mend the breech between Beijing and Taipei.

Both Taiwan and the Philippines are allies of the United States, but Washington’s ties with Manila run deeper than those it has with Taipei. However, there’s one factor of much greater importance than which side the war-weary U.S. may choose.

Enter China

Beijing is actively courting Taiwan in the dispute. In the days after the fatal shooting, China’s Global Times published articles urging the Philippines to apologize, and Taiwan recalled its envoy to the Philippines and froze all hiring of Philippine workers. Philippine President Benigno Aquino responded by sending a personal representative to Taiwan to convey “his and the Filipino people’s deep regret” to the fisherman’s family and the people of Taiwan.

Taiwan and China stood together in rejecting Manila’s apology as “insincere.”

With the rejection came several more sanctions from Taiwan against the Philippines, including a travel alert and an announcement of plans to hold military exercises in the waters where the incident went down.

China’s Global Times applauded Taiwan’s punitive measures as a “second front” for China to stand up to neighbors in territorial disputes. The paper reminded readers that, in China’s eyes, Taiwan remains a province-in-waiting, and deserves China’s protection. “China has reiterated over time that Taiwan is an integral part of China. Now is a good opportunity to show that China will not tolerate the shooting of our fishermen, whether they are from the mainland or Taiwan, and that our government is determined to protect the life of its people,” one article said.

Since Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou took office in May 2008, Taipei and Beijing have taken many steps toward greater cooperation. And now the two governments are banding together in common aggression toward the Philippines, and by proxy, toward the United States. The two sides have some opposing interests in the dispute, but by the time Taiwan realizes this—and sees that China views the ordeal primarily as a chance to pry the Island nation out of Washington’s sphere of influence and into Beijing’s—it may be too late.

For several decades the close relationship between Taiwan and the U.S. has deterred China from using military force to accomplish its goal of bringing Taiwan officially under Beijing’s rule. But the current skirmish could persuade Taiwan to sacrifice its relationship with the Manila-friendly U.S., and to instead rely on China.

“Taiwan finds itself potentially crosswise with a U.S. treaty ally at the same time that it is being actively courted by Beijing,” said Scott Harold of the rand Corp. think tank. “This is in fact a far greater threat to Taipei than any dispute with Manila over fishing rights could ever possibly be.”

The China-Taiwan relationship has been moving closer for several years. This territorial dispute offers these Asian neighbors common ground that could be exploited for the unification project.

“How could anyone fail to see that Taiwan is destined to become a part of mainland China?” wrote Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry back in 1998. Herbert W. Armstrong, editor in chief of the Trumpet’s predecessor, the Plain Truth, predicted Taiwan’s fate over 50 years ago. In a letter dated Sept. 19, 1958, he wrote, “Will Red China invade and capture [Taiwan]? In all probability, yes .… The Red Chinese ‘save face,’ and the United States, with many American troops now on Taiwan, will again lose face!”

The simmering Taiwan-Philippine territorial dispute may become a key step toward fulfillment of those geopolitical predictions. Such an outcome would bolster China’s ability to push in the Pacific, and persuade other Asian states to rally behind Beijing. To understand the significance of China’s rise, read “The Collapsing ‘China Fantasy.’”

What Did Jesus Say About 'Natural' Disasters?

Stephen Flurry — 2013-05-20T17:00:00+01:00

Mark 2011 down as yet another record-breaking year for “natural” disasters. Over those 12 months, the United States was smashed by the deadliest tornado season in decades, an unprecedented wave of triple-digit heat, devastating droughts and billion-dollar blizzards, hurricanes and floods.

All totaled, 12 billion-dollar disasters pounded the United States in 2011—three more than the previous record set in 2008. These catastrophic events were responsible for killing 1,000 Americans and causing $52 billion in damages.

As the Associated Press reported on December 7, “With an almost biblical onslaught of twisters, floods, snow, drought, heat and wildfire, the U.S. in 2011 has seen more weather catastrophes that caused at least $1 billion in damage than it did in all of the 1980s, even after the dollar figures from back then are adjusted for inflation.”

Breaking it down further, ap revealed this alarming trend: During the 1980s, the United States averaged just one billion-dollar disaster per year. In the 1990s, it jumped to 3.8 per year—then 4.6 during the first decade of the new millennium.

So far in this decade, we have averaged seven billion-dollar disasters per year.

Something is frighteningly wrong with the weather.

What Is the Cause?

Some experts say we’ve just had a run of bad luck—that it’s purely a matter of happenstance. Others attribute the cause to “global warming.”

God, however, says it is a sign that we are living in the very last days. Weather disasters, as they increase in frequency and intensity, are actually fulfilling Bible prophecy. They are among the signs that Christ gave pointing to the end of this present evil age.

In His Olivet prophecy in Matthew 24, Jesus Christ gave His disciples a chronological overview of events to occur in the lead-up to His return. In verses 21-22, Christ said there is a time coming when no flesh would be saved alive if He didn’t return and prevent it. This is speaking of World War iii—a 3½-year bloodbath that will culminate in the “battle of that great day of God Almighty.”

But before the battle of mankind against Christ—before the European beast power and the Asiatic kings of the east square off—before Europe lashes out at the modern-day descendants of Israel—before it surrounds Jerusalem with armies—before the European king of the north comes against the Islamic king of the south like a whirlwind—before radical Islam captures East Jerusalem—just before all of this happens, Jesus said weather patterns and other natural phenomena would take a violent turn for the worse!

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in [different] places” (verse 7). The return of Jesus Christ, in other words, will be preceded by a sharp upsurge in “natural” disasters.

Jesus also said that famine—a shortage of food and water—and then pestilences (or disease epidemics) would accompany these weather-related disasters.

In May of last year, in a television program, the Trumpet’s editor in chief told Key of David viewers that the word famines needs to be seen not only in the context of war—which certainly causes famine—but also in the context of extreme weather. These epic disasters, in other words, are prophesied to have a profoundly negative impact on food production—a reality that is now making headlines nearly every day.

In like manner, Christ’s reference to pestilences can also refer to the diseases that often follow in the wake of such disasters. And if you examine how the Greek word is used in Acts 24:5, another dimension is added to Christ’s prophecy—the social breakdown that comes as a result of famine and pestilence.

The Beginning of Sorrows

These are the days we are living in right now! Weather disasters, as they increase in frequency and intensity, are actually fulfilling Bible prophecy. We are experiencing the outer edge of a storm that is about to inflict the worst suffering mankind has ever known.

Jesus Himself said it: “All these are the beginning of sorrows” (verse 8). This is where we are right now in Bible prophecy! Sad to say, the ever intensifying disasters we are seeing right now are only the beginning. It is prophesied to get much worse.

But Jesus did not leave us without hope! The Anchor Bible compares the “beginning of sorrows” to the beginning of birth pangs: “It’s almost a technical term for the sufferings which would immediately precede a new age, the age of the Messiah’s reign.”

What a beautiful picture! Right now, this world is being violently shaken by a rapid succession of agonizing birth pangs. But Jesus tells us that these catastrophic events will soon “give birth” to a new age of world peace and prosperity—a utopian paradise that will be totally free of weather extremities and other unnatural phenomena!

Iran Chairs the UN Conference on Disarmament

theTrumpet.com — 2013-05-20T05:00:00+01:00

Beginning on May 27 and lasting until June 23, Iran will chair the UN conference on disarmament. Yes, the UN’s most important disarming forum will be led by one of the world’s greatest threats to nuclear warfare. The ridiculous situation shows the ineffectiveness of the United Nations in preventing the spread of nuclear armaments.

While the position that Iran will occupy is largely ceremonial, it is also a very prominent position that some of Iran’s opponents, such as the United States, would rather see filled by a less confrontational nation. The U.S. plans to boycott any talks that are led by Iran in the meetings to be held in Geneva.

It isn’t the first time a belligerent nation such as Iran has filled the position. In the summer of 2011, North Korea chaired the conference. The reason for these appointments is that there is an automatic rotation system.

Iran will take the seat at a time when the U.S. is accusing the Persian nation of stalling talks designed to halt its aggressive nuclear program. While Iran says it is willing to talk, there has been little evidence of a breakthrough that would lead to Iran giving up its nuclear ambitions.

Now Iran has been provided with another opportunity to flaunt itself as pro-disarmament by chairing the UN conference on disarmament.

“When the United Nations imposes four rounds of sanctions on Iran for illicit nuclear activities, condemns it for illegally arming the murderous Syrian regime, and denounces Tehran’s massive abuse of human rights, this kind of appointment just defies common sense and harms the UN’s credibility,” said Hillel Neuer, the executive director of UN Watch.

The UN was established as man’s attempt to bring peace and stability to the Earth. When a violent nation such as Iran is allowed to lead a conference on disarmament, it is a clear indication that the UN is failing in its objectives.

Herbert W. Armstrong was in attendance when the UN was established, and at that time he prophesied of the ultimate demise of the organization. Mr. Armstrong said, “I see the clouds of World War iii gathering at this conference. … I do not see peace being germinated here, but the seeds of the next war! … The United Nations conference is producing nothing but strife and bickering, and is destined from its inception to end in total failure. Yet world leaders are pronouncing it the world’s last hope—with the only alternative annihilation of humanity!”

The danger of Iran’s nuclear ambitions cannot be overstated, nor the UN’s inability to change the situation. Read “The Return of the Mahdi Is Nigh” to more deeply understand why the UN is unable to stop Iran in its quest for the nuclear bomb.

Flee Glee

Brad Macdonald — 2013-05-20T05:00:00+01:00

It is a pop-culture phenomenon. It’s one of the most popular shows on television, and the top entertainment series among teens. It’s a spellbinding musical comedy, set on a bright, beautiful campus, that follows the day-to-day antics of a high school glee club. Sounds sweet and innocent, right?

Well, last November, an episode of Glee—which airs in prime time and is adored by millions of children and teens—depicted two male homosexual teenagers losing their virginity.

Unpleasant as this subject is, it is important to discuss. For sure, it would be easier to remain silent, to ignore this sordid show, to join the majority in being “open minded” and “tolerant,” or in the very least, quiet. But that is exactly why this toxic show is so popular.

More significantly, that’s how the creators of Glee—activists of the radical homosexual juggernaut conquering America—want you and me to react.

Tragically, that’s how most people are reacting.

Whimpers and Gripes

Take the Parents Television Council, the leading television watchdog in the United States. The ptc slammed the Nov. 8, 2011, Glee episode as “reprehensible.” Not because of the flagrant teenage homosexuality—it said “the gender of the high school characters involved is irrelevant”—but because it celebrated “children having sex.”

The ptc is right, of course. Celebrating teens engaging in sexual activity on tv only promotes it in real life. But where was the similarly stinging rebuke of teenage homosexuality, a theme that pervades Glee, and especially that episode?

Liz Perle, the editor in chief of Common Sense Media, was even more blasé. “Homosexuality is a part of life in our kids’ world—no matter what your family’s beliefs are,” she stated. Instead of criticizing Glee, Perle encouraged parents to watch the episode with their children and educate them on homosexuality. How’s that for advice from the head honcho of “Common Sense Media”?

Although a handful of mostly Christian organizations and bloggers had stronger criticisms, the reaction of “conservatives” to the episode was feeble. Meanwhile, the liberal activists responded with effusive praise for Fox. “The actual sex aspect of the story lines [was] treated quite delicately,” wrote Kevin Fallon at the Atlantic. Entertainment Weekly described the episode as “incredibly moving.” The prevailing opinion was that Fox nailed it, that this milestone in television history was handled beautifully, with dignity and sophistication.

To be sure, the “conservative” reaction was pathetic. What was more astonishing (and telling), however, was that most “conservatives” didn’t even recognize their defeat! Homosexual activists, on the other hand, loudly celebrated what they knew was a milestone victory for homosexuality on network television. “The remarkable, if not revolutionary other element here,” wrote Fallon, “is that the decision by gay teen characters to lose their virginities is given equal weight to that of a straight couple. … From the nerves to the passion to the actual footage of the act, Blaine and Kurt’s first time was given the same consideration, weight and respect as their straight counterparts—a milestone for network tv” (emphasis added).

The success of that Glee episode, and the feeble reaction it elicited from “conservatives,” was certainly a measure of how widely accepted homosexuality has become. Be assured too, the activists in Hollywood noted the silence of the “conservatives” and are already planning their next “milestone.” Right now they’re thinking to themselves, If we can get away with showing teenagers engaging in homosexual sex on prime-time television, what can’t we do?

A Whole New Meaning to the Term

This was a victory for the radical homosexual juggernaut too—one more step in a comprehensive strategy for making perversity mainstream.

Much like the forefathers of the movement did with the word gay, the activist creators of Glee chose a title that invokes joy and conjures a mesmerizing world of teenage fun. From there, the show’s creators associated homosexuality with glee. Each episode overflows with well-dressed, perfectly complexioned, vibrant teens—mostly waif-like, hairless, pink-shirt, tight-jean-wearing metrosexuals—living a carefree life. Each episode is peppered with catchy, delightfully sung show tunes, smartly choreographed (albeit effeminate) dancing and, of course, plenty of teenage sex. Glee is a teenager’s paradise, a world without shadows or blemishes, without law and authority, without financial or moral constraints—and without consequences.

There’s no recognition of the fact that homosexual relations are far more dangerous to physical health than heterosexual relations. There is nothing said about how homosexual teens are more than twice as likely to experience depression. There’s no mention that between 30 and 40 percent of homosexual teens have attempted suicide, that the suicide rate among homosexual teens is three to four times higher than among their heterosexual peers. Are we not concerned about such effects? Do we really want our teens involved in such self-destructive behavior?

In fact, Glee puts homosexuality on a pedestal. Like so many of the homosexuals on tv, Glee’s homosexual characters are usually the happiest, the trendiest, the most popular, the best dressed, and the most sophisticated and cultured.

The message is subtle but strong: The homosexual lifestyle is something to aspire to!

In many ways, Glee is the perfect example of how the broader homosexual movement operates. The goal of this movement is to remove the historic stigma attached to homosexuality, to change the core values about marriage and family, to cultivate the cultural acceptance of homosexuality. To make homosexuality as natural and normal as eating, or driving, or heterosexuality (sidebar, page 11).

There is a direct connection between entertainment like Glee and the homosexual movement’s ruthless and mostly unimpeded invasion of Western society and culture, of our politics and legal system, and of our educational system. The homosexual juggernaut has followed a simple but effective formula. First, get people to accept homosexuality on the screen. Once that happens, most people will accept it in other parts of their lives, in their textbooks and courthouses, and in their tax codes and cafes.

Consider homosexuality’s advance in Western society. Since Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex “marriage” in 2004, six states have jumped on the bandwagon. Last July, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill requiring public schools to teach students about the contributions of “lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender [lgbt] Americans” to U.S. history. In New York, a curriculum is being developed that will educate middle and high schoolers in homosexual practices and other unmentionable fetishes. Meanwhile, across America, legal and other actions are being carried out against ministers, students, parents and virtually anyone who opposes homosexuality.

Britain is under assault too. In Liverpool, homosexual hangouts are now identified by rainbow emblems on public signs. The British government is throwing the book at hotel owners who refuse homosexual couples, registrars who refuse to marry homosexuals, foster parents who oppose homosexuality, and adoption agencies that won’t assign children to homosexual couples. The government is also rewriting school curricula to condone and promote the lgbt lifestyle.

In Australia, the state of Queensland last November voted to legalize same-sex civil unions. Five of the nation’s eight states and territories now recognize homosexual unions. It is now just a matter of time before same-sex “marriage” legislation, which would require a change to the Marriage Act on the federal level, is introduced.

Meanwhile in all these nations, the large majority of the populace—having already been brainwashed by the media into accepting homosexuality—does nothing!

Why Is Glee Victorious?

One of the main reasons for the homosexual movement’s success is the weakness, manifested in silence and inactivity, of its victims. Despite the way it appears on television, most people today are not homosexual. And although the number of people supporting homosexuality is rising, a large number still oppose it. Why then, are the vast majority of people, even “conservatives” and supposed Christians, silent? Why do so many oppose homosexuality inwardly, but very, very few have the moral fortitude and willpower to stand up to it?

Author and columnist David Kupelian addressed these questions in the November 2010 issue of Whistleblower. “Very simply,” he wrote, “most people in today’s America, including conservatives, are afraid of ‘the gay issue.’ Although most know deep down there’s something wrong with homosexuality, they don’t want to be called ‘intolerant,’ ‘bigoted,’ ‘hateful,’ or ‘homophobic.’”

There’s no doubt that fear is part of it. But fear doesn’t always mean capitulation. Fear can be conquered. The soldier on the battlefield has plenty to fear, but his devotion to the cause enables him to overcome his fear. “There is no fear in love,” wrote the Apostle John, “but perfect love casteth out fear” (1 John 4:18).

If you look back over the past few decades, you’ll notice that the emergence of homosexuality into the mainstream has occurred simultaneously with a cultural devaluing of traditional marriage and family. This is not a coincidence.

Both the birth of the homosexual movement and the current cultural disregard of traditional marriage and family can be traced back to the 1960s. This was an era marked by the pursuit of freedom from sexual repression, gender inequality and traditional roles. For many, this meant attacking the institution considered most responsible for infringing on sexual freedom and women’s rights: traditional marriage and family.

So, beginning in the ’60s, traditional marriage fell under near-constant attack from feminists and intellectuals, from politicians and the media, and eventually, even religious leaders. The assault on marriage has been wildly successful. While the number of people marrying remained high, the role of marriage in society and the value people placed on it waned. Soon, the results of the war on marriage were evident: skyrocketing rates of divorce, single motherhood, abortions and promiscuous sex.

But there was another effect: The homosexual movement blossomed.

The movement gained traction in the wake of the June 11, 1969, “Stonewall riot,” when a group of homosexuals patronizing the Stonewall Inn in New York revolted against a police demand to disperse. Then it made great strides during the 1970s and reached new heights when it bullied the American Psychiatric Association in 1973 into removing homosexuality from its list of official mental disorders. Although it suffered some setbacks during the ’80s, largely because of aids, it was gaining ground again by the early ’90s, thanks to the calculated efforts of homosexual activists.

Twenty years later, we’re at the point where homosexual teenagers lose their virginity to each other in prime time and no one bats an eye!

Without traditional marriage as the defining influence governing human relations, new ideas—and age-old perversions—crept into the mainstream. As the value society placed on heterosexual marriage and traditional family diminished, the more prone people became to condoning alternative relationships—most notably homosexuality.

The cultural embrace of homosexuality is a direct result of our rejection of traditional marriage!

Like the soldier on the battlefield, if Americans understood the importance of marriage, if they valued it as the institution critical to national success, they would be motivated to fight for it. Sure, they might fear the repercussions of taking on the homosexual juggernaut—but their love of traditional marriage would overpower that fear!

In 2 Peter 2, the Apostle Peter warned that in the time immediately prior to Christ’s return, all sorts of horrible sins, particularly homosexuality, would be prevalent. In verse 6, God even compares today’s world to ancient Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities overloaded with sexual perversions. In verse 7, Peter recalls that God “delivered just Lot, [who was] vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked.”

Notice the word vexed. It means exhausted with, or afflicted by, or grievously pained. Lot, as editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote in his booklet The Epistles of Peter—A Living Hope, was tormented “by the appalling homosexuality that saturated his surroundings.” Even when radical homosexuals threatened to beat down his door and kill him, he boldly refused their demands. Verse 8 explains why Lot was repulsed by the rampant homosexuality: “For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.”

Lot’s abhorrence of sexual perversion was a measure of his righteousness.

What a powerful condemnation of our society today. Our cultural embrace of sexual immorality is a measure of our wickedness.

What Is the Solution?

When you understand the reason for the homosexual movement’s unimpeded advance into Western culture, the strategy for confronting it is obvious. It’s not a solution most people will willingly embrace. But you can, and should!

The solution is coming to deeply value and understand the God- ordained institution of marriage and family!

This doesn’t mean simply getting back to marriage the way it was in the 1930s or the 1800s. Though marriages for the most part were healthier and more productive in the “olden days,” they were far from perfect.

The first and most important step you can take to avoid being crushed by the homosexual juggernaut is to learn to understand and value marriage the way God does.

The Bible clearly reveals that God created marriage, that He created specific roles for the man and woman, and that He created family. In Genesis 1:26 we learn that man was created in the image and likeness of God Himself. We are not part of the animal kingdom, and God did not create us to behave like animals. In Genesis 2, we learn the reason God created females. Verse 18 recalls that God looked at Adam, the first man, and said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”

In verse 22 it is recorded that God “made a woman [not another man], and brought her unto the man.”

Finally in verses 24-25 we see the first marriage, officiated by God in the Garden of Eden: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” How clear: God created marriage!

Why did God want men and women to marry? Perhaps the best explanation is found in Ephesians 5. Verses 20 through 31 of this chapter discuss the marriage relationship, specifically the roles of husband and wife. Notice how the Apostle Paul concludes this passage in verse 31: “This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”

That is an incredible statement—but there it is, canonized in the Word of God: Physical marriage is a type of a higher, spiritual marriage, the now-imminent marriage between Jesus Christ and His spiritual bride. This doctrine is the nucleus of Herbert W. Armstrong’s groundbreaking book The Missing Dimension in Sex.

“God blessed mankind with the holy God-plane institution of marriage—the very picture of the Christ-Church relationship,” Mr. Armstrong wrote in that book. “God endowed mankind with the God-plane institution of the family and the home—the very type of the Kingdom of God into which we may be born. Thus God ordained that even in this mortal life we may experience the blessing of family life, to prepare us for life in the Kingdom of God!”

That statement, rooted in Scripture, explains the vital importance of traditional marriage and family!

As you come to understand God’s view of marriage and family, it’s important that you start purging from your life and mind anything that undermines this perspective.

Why not start with your tv diet? Remember, shows like Glee are deadly. It’s so easy to get caught up in the emotion, in the visual, sensual appeal—and to forget that brightness is not evidence of purity; that smiles are not always signs of happiness; and that the perfect harmonies and slick dancing are not the result of a healthy, stable lifestyle. In 2 Corinthians 11, the Apostle Paul writes, “Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”

The devil is appealing; he can sing like Pavarotti and dance like Astaire—but he’s mean and miserable; he is the ultimate mastermind behind the radical homosexual movement!

Another tip: Make sure God, not the media or the fashion industry, is shaping your definition of what it means to be a man or woman. It’s no coincidence that Glee, and pretty much every other television show these days, is missing the barrel-chested outdoorsman, a man with hair on his chest, a deep voice, strong gestures, a love of sports, art and fine music, a likeable personality and quick intellect, and a respect for and willingness to serve women. In other words, anything resembling the traditional, masculine man!

If you really want to know what it means to be a man, study the lives of David, and Daniel, and Jesus Christ. If you want an idea of what it means to be a godly woman, study the biblical example of Hannah, and Ruth, and Proverbs 31.

Another way to stand fast and avoid being crushed by the homosexual juggernaut is to be like Lot. Strive to live righteously, to study and obey God’s laws, to pray daily, and to repent of sin. The more we think like God, the more repulsed by homosexuality we will be, and the more motivated we will be to keep it out of our lives!

Finally, here is something you can do right away. Request and then study deeply Mr. Armstrong’s free books The Missing Dimension in Sex and Why Marriage! Soon Obsolete? These books connect the many passages elucidating God’s laws about marriage and family. Once you’ve read these books, and come to understand God’s mind-stretching purpose for marriage, you’ll find yourself equipped, energized and motivated to defend yourself against the homosexual juggernaut.

In the meantime, start with something simple: Flee Glee!

Iran Sidesteps Sanctions With Smuggling and Drug Trafficking

theTrumpet.com — 2013-05-20T05:00:00+01:00

As the United States and Europe attempt to cripple Iran with more sanctions, Iran is shedding the burden through the booming drug trafficking and smuggling trades. Both industries have been thriving over the past year.

Iran borders Afghanistan and Pakistan, both of which export opium to Iran. With one of the highest opium addiction rates in the world, Iran takes in 700 tons of the crop per year. With its ideal geographical position on the drug route from Afghanistan to Europe, Iran facilitates the trafficking of a further 1,300 tons of opium through to the Caucasus and into Europe.

Iranian officials admit the country is in the midst of a serious drug problem, yet they appear powerless to slow its momentum. There is approximately one ton of narcotics confiscated every day in Iran. Thirty drug traffickers or addicts are arrested every hour. According to Gen. Ali Moayedi, the head of Iran’s anti-narcotics police, over 200,000 people have been detained in relation to trafficking or addiction in the past nine months. In 2012, at least 76 people were executed for drug-related felonies. Iran has the highest rate of opium seizures in the world, accounting for 89 percent of worldwide arrests and confiscations of the substance.

Opium isn’t the only drug that is coming in and out of Iran.

Over the last few years, Iran has experienced a surge in the number of seizures of high-purity crystalline methamphetamines. Iran seizes 41 percent of the world’s heroine and morphine. The seizures are not a result of the police forces and anti-narcotics units getting any better at their job. Rather, the drug trade is actually getting bigger, meaning there are just more drugs to be seized. Captured drug traffickers operating through the Caspian Sea to Iran’s north have been found with high-tech, military-grade equipment including U.S.-made night-vision goggles. Heavy weaponry has been used to blast through checkpoints, and hundreds of border police have died in clashes with drug-related gangs. As the police force increases its efforts to catch the perpetrators, it is frustrated by increasingly well-equipped traffickers.

The U.S. is becoming increasingly frustrated with Iran’s response to the rise in trafficking. It claims Iran is only monitoring what is coming in, not what is going out. As long as Iran contains the amount of illegal drugs flowing in from Afghanistan and Pakistan, it can keep an eye on their dispersion within the nation. When narcotics flow out of Iran, they don’t have the same detrimental effect. On the contrary, they provide the sanction-shackled Iranians with a lucrative income that the U.S. can’t regulate. “The region could be the poster child for the nexus of crime and corruption,” said deputy director of the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center, Richard Kauzlarich.

With the U.S. unable to influence the drug trade, and Iran’s neighbors getting frustrated by Iran’s lack of cooperation in tracking drug shipments out of the country, illegal cross-border trade has become a booming business.

Aside from drugs, the Iranian economy is being assisted by the smuggling of goods. Iranians import electronics and household items—anything from a toaster to a tv—and they often come in illegally from neighboring countries. To purchase goods that have come into the country legally means paying an extra 25 percent compared to buying the same goods brought in illegally. When stores restock with illegal goods, they avoid high fees from the government, and can sell their merchandise cheaper.

If the smuggling system wasn’t there, Iranians would be brought to their knees by the cost of daily needs. That would in turn serve to hinder the government in its push for nuclear weapons. That is what the U.S. and Europe are trying to achieve at the moment, but are hampered by factors such as the illegal trade that Iran engages in.

Smuggling isn’t the only way goods are passing over the border. In the past year, the rial (Iran’s currency) has plummeted 50 percent. With the value so low, people are taking goods, and even food, across the border where they can sell them for a greater profit.

This pales in comparison to the amount of smuggled gasoline and diesel that leaves the nation. Every day, 7-10 million liters (approximately 2.6 million gallons) of gasoline and diesel is smuggled out of Iran illegally. This provides an incredible cash flow for the Iranian economy. Diesel will fetch 3,500 rials per liter (.26 gallon) in Iran. It will fetch 35,000 rials in a neighboring country. Some experts are saying that the smuggling of diesel is actually more profitable to Iran than its booming drug trade.

As long as Iran has the means to sidestep sanctions, it will continue to do so. When the sanctions don’t bite as they should, Iran’s nuclear program progresses. The Trumpet has long forecast the West’s inability to stop Iran pursuing the nuclear bomb. Read the article by editor in chief Gerald Flurry titled “A Clash of Civilizations Is Imminent” to see why Iran is not going to give up its quest for nuclear arms.

The Plain Truth About 'Speaking in Tongues'

Eric Anderson — 2013-05-19T22:32:47+01:00

A little over 100 years ago, the modern Pentecostal Movement began in the American Midwest and gained popularity a short while later during the 1906 Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles, California. The new religious movement soon spread across the country and even overseas. Today, the Pentecostal Movement claims over 500 million adherents worldwide, nearly half as many as Roman Catholicism. Pentecostal churches comprise the second most powerful denomination among all professing Christians.

Many Pentecostal groups claim that their religion is of God, and that the “latter rain” of the Holy Spirit is now falling on the souls of men. Some believe that “speaking in tongues”—i.e. the intense shouts, babbling and utterances of members of certain of their congregations—are modern demonstrations of the New Testament “gift of tongues.”

But is the presence of “speaking in tongues”—or glossolalia, as it is termed technically—evidence of God’s Holy Spirit? Or are these outlandish manifestations of emotional shouts, dancing, speaking gibberish, and fainting spells a ridiculous and dangerous counterfeit?

This question is of no small importance. Many feel such “speaking in tongues” is proof that one has the Holy Spirit, or at least evidence that one has achieved some superior level of spiritualism. Is this true? You need to know.

The Basic Doctrine

The late Herbert W. Armstrong made it plain that “the gift of ‘tongues’ spoken of in the Bible is the ability to speak of God in other languages—languages that are foreign and previously unknown to the speaker” (Tomorrow’s World, February 1972).

In other words, the gift of tongues is the God-given, miraculous ability to speak in a human language that one has not learned in any normal manner. But it is certainly not those demonstrations of emotional and indecipherable gibberish that some religious groups today call “speaking in tongues.”

Usual Teachings of This World

The 15th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica states that the “gift of tongues, also called glossolalia (from [the] Greek glossa, ‘tongue,’ and lalia, ‘talking’), [includes] utterances approximating words and speech, usually produced during states of intense religious excitement. The vocal organs of the speaker are affected, the tongue moves without the conscious control of the speaker, and unintelligible speech pours forth. According to religious interpretations of the phenomenon, the speaker is considered to be possessed by a supernatural spirit, is in conversation with divine beings, or is the channel of a divine proclamation .…

“In addition to the religious interpretations of glossolalia as a supernatural occurrence, various psychological interpretations have attempted to explain it as a natural occurrence. It has been suggested that it is a charlatan’s technique, a neurotic or psychotic symptom, a form of epilepsy, or, most commonly, a hypnotic phenomenon resulting from religious excitement.”

Often, the so-called “tongues experience” occurs at an intense, emotionally charged religious revival called a “tarry meeting,” where the “spirit” is said to be “called down” or “worked up.” Generally such “working up” consists of frenetic repeating of certain phrases like “Glory, hallelujah!” or “Sweet Jesus!” With jazzy hymn-singing and the rhythmic, ecstatic chant of these repetitious utterances, the congregation is gradually whipped into an emotional frenzy.

Suddenly one or two or more in the group are “overcome with the spirit” and begin shouting gibberish. Usually this includes waving of the arms, jumping around, shouting or even writhing on the floor. One or another of the congregation may rise to “interpret” what a speaker is saying, usually attributing to the person great praises for God and other spiritual insights.

Some groups view this experience as absolute proof one has the Spirit of God. Others allow that Christians who do not speak in tongues in this manner may have the Spirit, but that those who do speak in tongues have obtained a higher degree of the Spirit with such “inspired” speaking. Glossolalia is a greatly prized spiritual goal in all tongues-speaking circles.

Some believe that such tongues-speaking is related to the episode of the “tongues of fire” in Acts 2:3. Others believe it to be the “baptism of the Spirit” predicted by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:11). Beliefs differ, too, as to whether the utterances mean anything in any language. Some believe the utterances to be the “tongues of angels” (1 Corinthians 13:1). Others say the languages are unknown and cannot be known. Still others believe such utterances to indeed be known foreign languages spoken today, or at least previously known languages such as ancient Hebrew.

Most all who do such speaking take the greatest pride in the fact that they “spoke in tongues”—not in what they babbled that might have been meaningful. Few, it seems, stop and ask themselves whether their “gift” agrees with the biblical definition of tongues.

Let us “prove all things” (1 Thessalonians 5:21) and see what the Holy Bible reveals about the tongues question.

The Bible Teaching

The place to begin is in Acts 2. The first 21 verses of this chapter form the crux of the Bible doctrine of tongues. Here, written nearly 2,000 years ago, is a record of the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon a multitude.

Prior to the day of Pentecost, a.d. 31, and shortly before His crucifixion, Jesus Christ promised the original 12 disciples—who later became apostles—that they would receive miraculous spiritual strength after the Holy Spirit had come into their minds following His resurrection (John 14:16-17, 26; Acts 1:8-9).

While Christ was with His disciples in the flesh, He was their actual, physical “Comforter.” For about three and a half years, the Holy Spirit had been dwelling with the disciples in the person of Christ. Jesus told them that after His death and ascension they would receive “another Comforter”—the gift of the Holy Spirit; and it would dwell within them even as it had been evident in Him.

Notice that the receipt of this Holy Spirit was conditional upon the disciples’ obedience. Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:4 show us that they were instructed to wait (or “tarry,” as it states in the King James Version) in Jerusalem until the appointed time. (The word tarry comes from the Middle English tarien, meaning “wait.” It does not imply a “tarry meeting” or modern “revival.”) The disciples would not have been given the gift of God’s Holy Spirit had they ignored or disregarded this specific command. After all, God gives His Spirit only to those who obey Him (Acts 5:32).

The day God established for this special bestowing of His Spirit was on His annual festival of Pentecost—also known as the feast of weeks or feast of firstfruits—which was observed 50 days after the day on which Christ was resurrected. The word pentekoste is a Greek word meaning “50th [day],” or “count fifty.” Leviticus 23:15-21 tells us that Pentecost is an annual holy day which true Christians are commanded to observe every year in the late spring. Strangely, and significantly, the modern Pentecostal groups of this world do not even keep this biblically commanded day!

After Christ’s ascension, Acts 2:1 shows that 120 of His own disciples were faithfully and harmoniously gathered “in one accord” at church services in Jerusalem, as they had been directed, on that day of Pentecost in a.d. 31. Also assembled in Jerusalem on that special holy day, besides the disciples, were other devout men—Jews from all over the Roman Empire. Some were Parthians, some Medes and Elamites; others were from Mesopotamia, Rome and Arabia. Though they were not yet disciples of Christ’s, all of them understood that if they had not obeyed Jesus’ specific command to meet there in Jerusalem on that particular day, they would not have been eligible to receive the Spirit of God.

Pentecost, A.D. 31

At last, when the day of Pentecost had “fully come,” something truly amazing happened. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit arrived with a great display of power! (Acts 2:2-4, 8, 11).

With a loud sound, as of a mighty windstorm, the Spirit of God entered the room wherein the disciples were seated! It also came with the appearance of divided tongues of fire!

Have you ever seen anything even remotely like this in your life? I certainly haven’t. Yet, in this instance, this supernatural event happened—so says your Bible!

Imagine the excitement that ensued. Word of this momentous experience must have spread over the city. A multitude of Jews, amazed, came hurrying to the place. They wondered, for something mind-dazzling began to happen: God’s Spirit filled all 120 of Jesus’ disciples and enabled every one of the Jews—though they hailed from many different regions and spoke diverse dialects—to understand what was said! (Acts 2:6).

Every man, woman and child who came near heard the disciples speak in his or her own language! Those of the Parthian dialect heard the disciples, all of them, speak the Parthian language. The Medes, on the other hand, heard the same disciples speak the language of the Medes. Of course, what the disciples were saying was actually “all Greek” to those who had traveled in from Greece!

Then Peter, the chief apostle, stood and delivered a sermon (Acts 2:14-21). Again, the tongues he spoke in were known languages of the day that were clearly understood by those listening. The listeners marveled because Peter, to their ears, seemed to be speaking in their native, local dialects, although he obviously hadn’t learned all these languages by going to school or through some other normal method of study.

Obviously, Peter was not speaking incomprehensible, meaningless clack. He did not work up the crowd with rhythmically chanted, vain repetitions (Matthew 6:7). Further, we see no descriptions of wildly gyrating bodies, waving hands or people rolling around on the ground.

Concerning this utterly unique and amazing account of the gift of tongues, Mr. Armstrong concluded that “the miracle was in the hearing as well as the speaking” (ibid., emphasis mine).

Other Biblical Accounts

Besides the account in Acts 2, other instances of speaking in tongues are recorded in the Bible. One such time was on the occasion of the first outpouring of God’s Spirit to the Gentiles at the house of Cornelius (Acts 10:44-48). The account is brief, but verse 46 clearly states that those listening heard those speaking in tongues “magnify God.” In telling the apostles of it, Peter said, “The Holy Spirit fell on them, as on us at the beginning,” and, “God gave them the like gift as He did unto us” (Acts 11:15, 17).

On this occasion, the Gentiles received the power of the Holy Spirit by the ceremony of baptism and the laying on of hands by an ordained minister—in the same manner God gives the Holy Spirit to His begotten saints today. Peter did not say that the Holy Spirit came unto them with the same manifestations as it did on Pentecost in a.d. 31.

The gift of God’s Spirit to the Gentiles did not come suddenly from heaven, as the sound of a mighty wind, appearing as cloven tongues of fire. Aside from being filled with the Spirit and speaking in tongues, the nature of which is not here described, there is no similarity between these two experiences. The only reasonable conclusion is that these tongues again were known languages of the day.

In one other recorded case, men spoke with tongues upon being filled with the Holy Spirit. That was after Paul had baptized the Ephesian believers and laid his hands on them (Acts 19:1-6). Again, these tongues were known languages of the day; there is nothing to indicate the other accompanying manifestations as upon the original day of Pentecost.

Some modern tongues-speakers quote Matthew 3:11, contending that glossolalia is evidence of the “baptism of the Spirit.” John the Baptist’s reference to the baptism of the Holy Spirit however, does not refer to tongues as some separate baptism in addition to one’s initial receipt of the Holy Spirit. It is, instead, a reference to that very act of receiving God’s Spirit after repentance, which baptizes us into the true Church of God (1 Corinthians 12:13).

The Gift of Tongues

The book of 1 Corinthians has much to say about the subject of tongues. The gift is mentioned in verses 1 and 10 of 1 Corinthians 12, but verses 27-31 are the most critical.

In verse 28, Paul lists the governmental offices of the church, including the ranks of apostle and prophet. Then, beginning in verse 29, through a series of rhetorical questions, Paul decidedly proves that not all have the gift of tongues (or any of a number of other gifts for that matter). Clearly, having the gift of tongues cannot be the only proof one has God’s Spirit. Nor is it proof of superior righteousness, for verse 31, along with 1 Corinthians 13, declares absolutely that love is a greater gift of the Spirit than speaking in tongues! 1 Corinthians 13:1 says that even if one has the power to speak in the “tongues of … angels,” he is spiritually worthless unless he has love.

It is important to note that these verses do not imply that the Corinthians spoke in angelic language. In 1 Corinthians 13:1-2, Paul lists a number of incredible feats, all of them beyond human capability (i.e., moving mountains with faith, and understanding every single mystery of life). He wanted the Corinthians to see that even if they could do certain things far beyond their normal abilities, it still wouldn’t make them righteous unless they were filled with and expressing godly love—which is an unselfish, outgoing concern for others (agape in the Greek). It is clear that Paul spoke of the tongues of angels also as something beyond the Corinthians’ natural abilities, just like moving mountains.

Chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians is devoted entirely to the tongues topic. Numerous verses defeat the arguments of modern tongues-speakers, proving that Paul wrote these words to downplay and control the gift of tongues, not to exalt it.

Verse 1 encourages normal, inspired preaching over the gift of tongues. The following verses stress that the purpose of speaking in tongues is to edify and benefit the audience, not the speaker. This, of course, is vastly different from modern tarry meetings and revivals, where the one who speaks in tongues is in the limelight while the rest of the congregation just sits back and watches the strange goings-on. These modern acts of glossolalia are generally more like freakish circus sideshows than a proper church service. No real educating takes place.

Verses 10-17 stress the need for the audience to understand the words, and thus make plain that the words should be capable of being understood. Paul is clearly writing of common human languages of the day.

Verse 23 makes the same point a different way. Paul warns against speaking in a language the audience doesn’t understand, saying that to do so would make one who is an unbeliever or unlearned think the believers were crazy. It wouldn’t make sense for a minister of God to speak Spanish to an audience if they didn’t understand the Spanish language!

The remaining verses clear up any modern misunderstandings on this question.

Verse 27 limits the number who may speak in tongues at any one time to two or three who must take turns. (This is what must have occurred on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-11.) It demands calm order in the service—all things being done “decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40), in a godly manner and with proper decorum—which is the very opposite of the emotionally charged atmosphere of a tarry meeting.

Verse 31 says that tongues should be used one by one in turn—not at the same time in devilish confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). God is not the author of confusion and disorder.

Verse 32 states that the one who speaks in tongues is in control of his faculties at all times. This is the very opposite of certain Pentecostals, who give themselves over to tongues-speaking and are for a while controlled by the phenomenon, so much so that they may not remember or even know what they said “while under the influence”!

Finally, verse 34 states that women are forbidden to preach in the church at all. Such is not the case today as many “tongues-speakers” are women.

In summary, we’ve looked at the commonly accepted beliefs about modern “speaking in tongues,” examined the pertinent Bible verses and extracted the key points. Obviously, modern tongues and biblical tongues are not only different, they are in fact opposite.

The biblical gift of tongues is given for instruction; the modern display of “tongues” is enacted for display and vainglory. One is at a preaching service where people are to be edified by the content of the speech; the other at an emotional tarry meeting. One is vocal only; the other is linked with wild physical movement and uncontrolled shouts. One is considered a lesser gift; the other a badge of “righteousness” to brag about. The Bible tongues are real languages; modern tongues are not. One is always under control; the other is worked up to uncontrolled frenzy. One is done in turn by two or three men at the most; the other usually degenerates to disorderly confusion.

What About Today?

Have you ever wondered why God ever gave the gift of tongues, and whether the genuine gift still exists today?

Evidently the gift of tongues was given for the same reasons as other miraculous manifestations in early Church history. It was to call attention to the initial outpouring of God’s power, to attract attention to the gospel message—not to the speaker—and to aid in the spreading of the gospel in a part of the world peppered with people who spoke many different languages (Acts 2:5).

Despite claims to the contrary, people today are not seen to speak miraculously in languages they did not learn through formal instruction. However, the prophecy of Joel 2:28-32, cited by Peter in Acts 2:16-21, may indicate God’s servants will again exercise that gift at a future time of God’s own choosing.

Key Verses

The main Bible verses about this subject of tongues are contained in a few easily remembered sections of Scripture. Acts 2:1-21 shows the first outpouring of tongues occurred on the day of Pentecost. Acts 10:44-48 describes the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Gentile Christians.

1 Corinthians 12 contains various scattered statements about tongues, while chapter 14 records the Apostle Paul’s instructions about and limitations regarding tongues.

Undoubtedly people can be led astray from the truth if they allow their own thoughts and emotions and evil spiritual influences to dictate their beliefs, rather than God’s precious word. Though these modern “tongues-speakers” may be sincere, they are sincerely deceived.

As Mr. Armstrong wrote, “We have no word of condemnation for these ‘Pentecostal’ people, as they call themselves, because they are unable to repeat the same accompanying manifestations as described for the day of Pentecost in a.d. 31″ (ibid.). Modern tongues-speakers are utterly incapable of reproducing the incredible miracles which occurred that day. At best, all they can do is pretend to imitate, or counterfeit, the gift of tongues.

From the beginning, Satan, the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4), has blinded most of mankind to God’s truth. The devil has led many astray through counterfeit spiritual experiences. In fact, Satan has deceived the entire world (Revelation 12:9). But true Christians are told to “believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

The Bible, and the Bible alone, is the true litmus test. God’s word is the standard by which we should judge all things (John 17:17). “And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:19-20). The “law” and “the testimony” are the Old and New Testaments—the Bible!

Those who search for deeper spiritual experiences by trying to “call down another Pentecost” or “work up the spirit” in their tarry meetings today are simply deceived by Satan.

God’s “very elect” Philadelphian Christians are not naive or gullible, nor can they be deceived (Matthew 24:24). They understand that Satan the devil has been cast down to this Earth (Revelation 12:10). They are fully aware that Christ has thrust them, as sheep among wolves, into society’s wilderness of religious confusion (Luke 10:3). They are not ignorant of Satan’s devices (2 Corinthians 2:11; Ephesians 6:10-18), and are wise enough to discern that the “tongues” experience witnessed on the day of Pentecost, a.d. 31, is not being repeated today.

How about you?

For more information on this subject, request a free copy of our book Mystery of the Ages.

What Guttenberg Started, de Mazier Finishes

Ron Fraser — 2013-05-19T22:31:24+01:00

During his term as Germany’s defense minister, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg introduced the concept of radical change of Germany’s military force. Most controversial of all was his doing away with conscription—the traditional way of providing Germany with a defensive army since rearmament under the Western Allies’ approval following World War ii—and its replacement by an entirely professional outfit of volunteer soldiery.

The idea met with a lot of criticism during Guttenberg’s term in office. Yet now it is being embraced, along with other Guttenberg initiatives, as binding federal government policy.

Recently a rash of reports commissioned by the German government and the European Union have been publicized, all geared toward recommendations of leaner, meaner, better coordinated and consolidated European military forces and defense industries.

The emphasis is on a “high tech” approach to defense. Cyberwarfare, death rays capable of massive destruction, and cutting-edge developments in munitions have all been on the table for discussion by both German and EU defense experts in the process of producing these reports, published over the past few weeks.

Today, the combined military forces of EU nations make the European Union as an entity the second-greatest military power on Earth. It goes without saying that the strongest military power today within the EU is Germany. Thus it is axiomatic that any strength of leadership in a consolidated EU military will be Germanic.

Germany has come a long way since playing second fiddle to the U.S. in European defense both preceding and following unification, up to now.

But now, with U.S. defense focusing away from Europe and its periphery to concentrate on the Far East, Germany, followed by the EU, is picking up the ball for defense outside the European continental perimeter and increasingly focusing on the nations to its south and east.

“The time of planning, guidelines and draft projects is over,” declares the most recent report on the Bundeswehr. “The time has come to change the German military, the report said” (Deutsche Welle, May 16).

DW further states that “The reform of the German military is the most radical overhaul of the Bundeswehr in its history. … A new field will be a division for strategic intelligence (ksa) to launch attacks via the Internet. The Bundeswehr would thus be able to join the cyberwar with computer worms and viruses.”

The recommended new force structure for the Bundeswehr is for “troops ready for rapid intervention missions led by nato or the EU” and for highly professional units able to be launched at short notice as part of EU expeditionary forces (ibid).

These recommendations dovetail neatly with similar recommendations made in the recently released report for overhaul of all EU military forces put forward by the European Institute for Security Studies, commissioned by the chairman of the EU Military Committee.

Those opposing the mooted radical changes in Germany’s defense posture claim that “the overhaul of the troops as they see it [is] a move away from a defensive to an intervention army” (ibid).

They are right.

We have waited for the past 20 years, since German reunification, for the wolf to bare its teeth. Now the wraps are off, and the true nature of German militarism is speedily arising for a third time in a century.

The report indicates that “Barring changes to the national security situation, the Bundeswehr restructuring is to be completed by 2017″ (ibid).

The risk is that, amid the continuing euro crisis, “changes to the national security situation” could result in this timetable being rapidly speeded up, rather than slowed down.

The overall emphasis in both the EU report and the report on the Bundeswehr is that officially the deployment of their forces beyond the European sphere is to be billed as “peace keeping” initiatives.

The grave danger in describing overt military missions as such is bound up in one singular prophecy for our times: “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”

Read our booklets Germany and the Holy Roman Empire and Germany’s Conquest of the Balkans for more insight on this subject.

Herbert W. Armstrong Visited King Leopold Expedition in New Guinea

Gareth Fraser — 2013-05-19T05:00:00+01:00

On March 11, 1973, the internationally recognized ambassador for world peace touched down in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, for two days of meetings with state officials and the king of Belgium, at the site of one of the Belgian king’s historic expeditions.

Mr. Armstrong and his delegation were greeted by Indonesia’s protocol staff and Dr. Sarwono, chief of the Indonesian Educational and Scientific Institute, who had helped coordinate King Leopold’s expedition in New Guinea. In addition, awaiting them upon landing were Belgian Ambassador George Elliott, accompanied by the Belgian economic adviser.

Since his initial meeting with the king of Belgium in 1968, Mr. Armstrong ensured that Ambassador College supported cultural and humanitarian endeavors of the monarch. These were later formalized under the auspices of the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation in cooperation with the Leopold iii Foundation for the Exploration and Conservation of Nature. This collaboration was primarily centered in the fields of anthropology and exploration.

On March 12, 1973, Ambassador International Cultural Foundation officials met with longtime friend of Mr. Armstrong Indonesian Foreign Minister Adam Malik. At the time he was second in charge under President Suharto. Prior, he had served as the president of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

President Suharto was unable to join the meeting as he was addressing the National Assembly at the time. “But he sent greetings and his personal best wishes for the success of the expedition and an invitation to visit him on our next return to Indonesia” (Plain Truth, June 1973).

In the summer of 1972, the president and the unofficial ambassador met in Jakarta. So vital was the meeting that it was only a few months later that Mr. Armstrong devoted his “Personal” for the November edition of the mass-circulation Plain Truth magazine to his meeting with the leader of the world’s fifth-largest nation at the time.

Later that night, the delegation attended a banquet conducted for the king. The next day Mr. Armstrong recalled, “We flew to Biak in West Irian (New Guinea). It was a five-hour flight, at nearly 600 miles per hour. We must have flown over hundreds of islands, all part of Indonesia, many of the islands as yet uncharted” (ibid).

Upon arrival they were met by the local administrator, a general, who was accompanied by military staff assigned to guide and protect the king’s scientific expeditionary entourage. This armed escort was a necessity as the group was headed into some of the globe’s densest jungle, known to be inhabited by noted headhunters, many of whom had never interacted with foreigners.

Mr. Armstrong spent about an hour with the explorers discussing the project and posing for photographs before farewelling the king and Dr. André Capart, head of Belgium’s Royal Museum of Natural Science. The pair were to spend the night in Biak, then meet various scientists the next day at Djajapura (Jayapura), capital of Irian Jaya. From there, the expedition was to get under way.

Mr. Armstrong, whether contributing financially or with personnel via the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation, supported the anthropological study of societies and cultures. King Leopold iii’s exploration foundation was one of the first of various such humanitarian alliances contributing to the historic declaration of the message of good news as a witness to the world (Matthew 24:14).

Today, the legacy of this commitment and contribution continues through the Armstrong International Cultural Foundation. “We are an international humanitarian organization dedicated to serving the cultural and educational needs of people everywhere,” writes Chairman Gerald Flurry.

As its founder, Mr. Flurry goes on to describe its goals and activities, which first recognize “man is a unique being, possessing vast mental, physical and spiritual potentials—the development of which should be aided and encouraged.” Secondly, “that it is the responsibility of all men to attend to and care for the needs of their fellow men.”

These objectives are aptly summed up by the Apostle James, whose canonized words exhort, “If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well” (James 2:8).

For more information and to find out how you can support this philanthropic quest, download our foundation prospectus.

Will Your Children Be Better Off Than You?

Joel Hilliker — 2013-05-19T05:00:00+01:00

It’s a long-cherished American dream: seeing our children enjoy a better life than we had. And from the nation’s beginning, when the founders declared the “self-evident” truth that all people have the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” the United States’ remarkably steady growth in prosperity has made that dream come true for untold multitudes.

In today’s dismal economic climate, though, most Americans think the run is over—that we are the generation to witness the withering of that perennial promise. Not even one in five Americans believes today’s children will be better off than their parents. Two in three say the kids will have it worse.

It looks like—as President Obama said back in January 2009, after news of especially nasty economic contraction—we are starting to experience “the American Dream in reverse.”

Such pessimism is not without justification. The nation’s economic woes are hitting young men harder than just about anyone; more and more are moving back in with Dad and Mom. Gloomy near-term factors like job losses are coupled with longer-range realities like the growing ranks of retirees and the unsustainability of Social Security. The dream of homeownership—of building equity over the lifetime of a 30-year mortgage—has become a castle in the air: Home equity has collapsed from $13 trillion at the height of the housing boom to $6.5 trillion. The wealth gap between the old and young has grown eye-poppingly wide. And evidence abounds that the nation’s economic decline is irreversible.

But hold on a moment. Before anybody leaps off a bridge, let’s step back from the brink and assess the big picture.

Two important truths will give us some much-needed perspective on the threat to the American Dream.

Just What Is the American Dream?

First, we need to challenge our assumptions about the need for endlessly rising prosperity of the sort we enjoy today.

At one time, the focus of what is more or less an “official national dream” was different. It wasn’t about any particular possessions or income level, but about opportunity being available to anyone who went after it. Even the scrappy immigrant of low station, if he worked hard, had a better chance of giving his children a leg up in America than anywhere else in the world.

But that focus began to shift in the 1930s with the shared-sacrifice principle introduced by fdr’s New Deal. If all workers pitched in, the government could establish Social Security to ensure that retirees could enjoy their sunset years free of want. It was perhaps the first time that the model American lifestyle was attached to a particular material promise.

This trend quickly took aggressive hold in people’s minds. At the end of World War ii, the G.I. Bill offered returning veterans low-interest home loans, and enterprising developers began using mass production to erect inexpensive houses for the everyman. After decades of around 45 percent of American families living in homes they personally owned, that number ballooned to 55 percent by 1950, and 62 percent by 1960. Just like that, homeownership became a new facet of the American Dream. Riding a wave of postwar prosperity, Americans also began to enjoy higher levels of car and television ownership. The aim of sending the kids to college became mainstream.

In the middle of this unprecedented upsurge in standards of living—and helping to fuel it—was a mushrooming of consumer credit. At a comparatively small $2.6 billion in 1945, the nation’s personal-debt monster grew to $45 billion by 1960—and $105 billion just a decade after that. Meanwhile, Americans’ expectations of what life should offer floated up into the troposphere: a bigger house, a second car, a fancy annual vacation. The free spending transformed what was once the world’s biggest creditor nation into, in 1986, its biggest debtor nation.

There is something magnanimous about parents wanting something better for the next generation. “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children,” the proverb says. But clearly, during these pie-in-the-sky years, the American Dream got unhinged from the virtues of hard work, responsibility and self-control. And the inherent falseness in expecting a never-ending ascent in material abundance was exposed. As Gregg Easterbrook wrote in his 2003 book The Progress Paradox, “For at least a century, Western life has been dominated by a revolution of rising expectations: Each generation expected more than its antecedent. Now most Americans and Europeans already have what they need, in addition to considerable piles of stuff they don’t need.”

Today, even as Americans consume more and enjoy more luxuries and a higher standard of living than ever, a majority of them say they consider the American Dream unachievable. Nothing is ever enough. Whatever they have, they feel entitled to so much more. Satisfaction and contentment are ever just over the horizon.

Don’t buy into this poisonous, delusional thinking. Square your values with reality. And make sure you’re passing on to your children a wealth of what really matters in life. (Our reprint article “How to Be Rich” might help. Request a free copy.)

Just What Is America’s Future?

The second truth we need to understand in order to gain perspective on the state of the American Dream involves the broader view of the nation’s economic future. Much evidence points to decline for the foreseeable future. But other even more sure proof shows that the long-term outlook is much, much dreamier.

Consider this seriously. A recent Gallup poll found 65 percent of Americans believe the Bible “answers all or most of the basic questions of life.” The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that 78 percent of Americans—nearly 8 in 10—say the Bible is the “Word of God”; and of those, almost half believe “it is to be taken literally, word for word.”

That means nearly 40 percent of Americans consider the Bible literally God’s Word, and every word of it true.

Are you one of them? If so, consider this.

A full third of the Bible is prophecy. And very prominent within that prophecy are rich, vivid descriptions of a future world very different from our own. It is a world of universal prosperity. Not one in which a single nation provides opportunities to succeed for a span of a handful of generations—but in which all peoples and all nations enjoy such benefits for centuries. That is what God wants! Think of the American Dream—and multiply it by billions!

In front of the United Nations building in New York City stands a statue of a man beating his sword into a plowshare. This inspiring image comes from a passage in Isaiah. The book of Micah quotes the same passage: “nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” Here, though, the prophecy continues: “But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it” (Micah 4:3-4).

This is a prophecy of God installing an economic system worldwide that revolves around universal land ownership, just as it did in ancient Israel (1 Kings 4:25). In God’s society, every family will own property, the very basis of producing abundance and wealth.

“… I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord …” (Ezekiel 34:26-27). “Showers of blessing”—what a wonderful expression. Rain is a blessing only God can give, and He blesses the obedient abundantly. Their fields, crops, orchards and vines will be so productive, and yields so great, that they cannot keep up! They will still be harvesting when it comes time to sow the fields with new crops (Amos 9:13).

God says He will bless us in the city, bless us in the field, bless our health and our children, our livestock and crops, our savings, our security and all the work of our hands. These are all promises He gave to ancient Israel (Deuteronomy 28). Those people disobeyed Him and were cursed, but all of mankind will soon obey God and receive all of these incredible blessings—especially a repentant modern Israel!

Imagine quality city life being affordable. Imagine a city providing enough stable, decent jobs that unemployment is next to nil, and everyone enjoys affluence. Imagine a city devoid of run-down, impoverished slums and ghettos. “… Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity …” (Zechariah 1:17; Revised Standard Version).

Sound too good to be true? God challenges you to believe it! “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:8-10).

Believe it or not, America is specifically described within those prophecies as rejoicing in those blessings!

The British nations and the United States—the modern-day descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh—became the wealthiest and most powerful nations on Earth in this end time (because of Abraham’s obedience to God). This status and power has faded from Britain, and is now fading from the United States. But their recent status among nations is only a foretaste of even greater wealth and power to come—in God’s service—once all of Israel is living in obedience to the government of God.

“Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all .… and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 31:12, 14).

An understanding of biblical prophecy reveals that, yes, we are in for some extremely difficult times in the short term. But these troubles are in fact signs that we are on the threshold of that far better world! They are signs that Jesus Christ is just about to return!

We are, in truth, the generation to witness the blossoming of that perennial promise! And that long-cherished dream of seeing our children enjoy a better life than we had will become a reality far more awesome than we ever imagined.

Pro-Israel Groups Targeted by IRS

Anthony Chibarirwe — 2013-05-18T05:00:00+01:00

Media fallout from the Internal Revenue Service (irs) scandal has revealed that the organization isolated tax-exemption applications of groups that seemed pro-Israel for extra scrutiny in ways similar to its treatment of Tea Party groups and other conservative political organizations.

One such group that is now suing the irs is Z Street, an educational, Zionist organization founded by Lori Lowenthal Marcus in 2009.

In December 2009, the organization applied for tax exemption from the irs. An irs agent later informed one of Z Street’s attorneys that its application was being delayed and scrutinized by “a special unit in the D.C. office to determine whether the organization’s activities contradict the administration’s public policies.” Specifically, the attorney was informed that Z Street’s application was receiving extra scrutiny because it was “connected to Israel.”

In August 2010, Z Street filed a lawsuit against the irs for what it perceived as viewpoint discrimination and violation of constitutionally protected freedom of speech. In response to that lawsuit, the manager of the irs’s Exempt Organizations Determinations Group, Jon Waddell, wrote, “Israel is one of many Middle Eastern countries that have a ‘higher risk of terrorism.’ A referral to [an irs screening department] is appropriate whenever an application mentions providing resources to organizations in a country with a higher risk of terrorism.”

Writing in November 2010 for the Jewish Policy Center, Matthew M. Hausman observed that this extra scrutiny of Z Street “occurred not long after the left-wing organization J Street announced its campaign to lobby the Treasury Department to revoke the tax-exempt status of Jewish charities that support religious and cultural institutions in Judea and Samaria.” Incidentally, J Street has never been subjected to an irs investigation.

With the irs now publicly apologizing for its “insensitive” and “inappropriate” discrimination of Tea Party groups, it appears it also owes an apology to some pro-Israel groups that it has discriminated against. For the first time since Z Street’s 2010 lawsuit, a hearing will now take place on July 2 in the U.S. District Court in Washington.

The irs’s anti-Israel actions come at a time when the Jewish state of Israel is in desperate need of strong allies such as the U.S. Unfortunately, America has not been friendly of late.

This state of affairs perfectly lines up with Bible prophecy, which states that the brotherhood between Israel and America, in particular, will be broken in the end time. For more about the prophecies on this subject, read our article “Band of Brothers” and our booklet America Under Attack.

Matthew 24 Unlocks the Seven Seals

Gerald Flurry — 2013-05-18T05:00:00+01:00

In Matthew 24, Christ unlocks the meaning of the seals of Revelation. The first four seals are also known as the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Do you understand the meaning of the seven seals of Revelation?

Ethiopia in the Crosshairs

Brad Macdonald — 2013-05-18T05:00:00+01:00

The Trumpet does more than simply analyze blockbuster headlines. We also write them—often months, years, decades even, in advance.

Here is a blockbuster headline soon to come out of Ethiopia: Islamists gain control of Ethiopia, Eritrea.

It’s easy to glance at Ethiopia, a pro-Western, comparatively stable, predominantly Christian country that rarely makes prime-time news, and think that’s absurd. But if you look closely, and consider the broader perspective, Ethiopia’s future is grim, very grim. In fact, Ethiopia is in jeopardy right now.

Surrounded by Islam

First, consider Islam’s control over the region. Start in Morocco, the western gateway into the Mediterranean, where in November the Islamist Justice and Development Party, which represents the Muslim Brotherhood, came out on top in parliamentary elections and now leads the nation’s coalition government. Islam’s victory in Morocco occurred less than a month after the Ennahda Party, another outgrowth of the Muslim Brotherhood, dominated national elections down the road in Tunisia. Next door in Libya, where Col. Muammar Qadhafi was recently ousted and killed, Islamist parties, some of which are associated with radical terrorists, are gaining the upper hand.

Head a little farther east and we come to Egypt, where the Muslim Brotherhood and hardline Islamist political parties trounced their competitors in parliamentary elections last November and December. In the first two rounds of voting, Egypt’s Islamist parties garnered nearly 70 percent of the vote! It’s now abundantly clear, lamented Caroline Glick last December, that “Egypt is on the fast track to becoming a totalitarian Islamic state” (emphasis added throughout).

Travel north from Cairo and we hit Gaza, the stronghold of Iranian proxy Hamas. Farther north still are Lebanon and Syria, where there are an assortment of Islamic terrorist organizations, one of which recently lobbed two missiles into Israel. Syria is led (still) by Bashar Assad, a stalwart ally of Iran, and is a key staging ground for radical Islam’s war on Israel. North of Syria is Turkey, a nation that has in recent years slid toward the radical Islamist camp.

Skip east of Turkey and you find Pakistan and Afghanistan, two bastions of radical Islamic terrorism. Retrace your steps west and there’s Iran: the command center of global Islamic terrorism, a nation on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons, led by mullahs determined to create a nuclear apocalypse. Across the border in Iraq, Iranian proxies are right now filling the power vacuum created by the departure of U.S. forces.

Farther south, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states are all alarmed by the rise of Iran-sponsored Islamic terrorism. Head south from Riyadh and we come to Yemen: a chaotic, headless state where Islah, the Islamist political party created by the Muslim Brotherhood, will likely get the victory when Yemenis finally get around to voting. From Yemen we hop the Gulf of Aden to get to Somalia, where Islamist pirates routinely hijack vessels in the Indian Ocean and the fragile Transitional Federal Government (tfg) routinely wards off attacks by al-Shabaab and its terrorist partners.

Finally, we come to Ethiopia, a nation standing in the path of this barreling, Iran-steered, radical Islamist freight train! Is it any surprise that the Ethiopian government recently discovered a plot by Wahhabi Muslims to turn the country into an Islamic country governed by sharia law?

And Next Door, in Eritrea

Meanwhile, radical Islamist forces have gotten a foothold in Eritrea, Ethiopia’s regional adversary and a nation strategically situated at the gateway of the Red Sea.

In 2006, the United Nations accused Iran, Syria, Libya, Egypt and Hezbollah of providing arms, training and financing to Islamic militants in Somalia via Eritrea. In December 2008, reports emerged that Iranian naval vessels had visited the Eritrean port of Assab and deposited an undisclosed number of Iranian troops and weapons there, including long-range and ballistic missiles. A few months later, an official in Somalia’s tfg government accused Iran of arming al-Shabaab via Eritrean middlemen.

Most recently, Kenyan media reported in November that a shipment of arms, the third of its kind, had been delivered via Eritrea to al-Shabaab in Somalia. Eritrea’s support of al-Shabaab, and of Islamic terrorism in general, is so serious that the UN Security Council last November imposed sanctions on the country. The sanctions, stated U.S. ambassador to the UN Susan Rice, will send the message to Eritrea “that it will pay an ever higher price” for its support of Iran and radical Islamist groups.

In fact, sanctions are more likely to drive Eritrea more firmly into the Iranian camp.

Still More Pressures

In addition to the radical Islamist problem festering inside its borders and the growing threat from Eritrea, Ethiopia is under increasing threat from the radical Islamist presence in Somalia. Mogadishu’s Transitional Federal Government is frail and politically immature, two issues made worse by the fact that it is under near-constant attack from al-Shabaab and its regional supporters, including Iran. Ethiopia’s border with Somalia is nearly 1,000 miles long, and the risk of the Islamist war spilling over into Ethiopia is real, which is why Ethiopia supports the tfg. By doing so, however, Ethiopia risks becoming a target of al-Shabaab and its radical Islamist partners.

That’s not all Ethiopia has to worry about. Last August, Iran’s foreign minister visited Somalia and met with President Sharif Ahmed and other leaders in the tfg. The official purpose of the visit was to discuss Iran providing humanitarian aid. According to Stratfor, relations between Ethiopia’s leaders and Ahmed are strained. It’s possible, explained Stratfor, that the meeting between the Iranian foreign minister and the president of Somalia “could have been used to explore other sources of political backing” (Aug. 26, 2011).

No doubt, the visit to Somalia by the foreign minister of the number one state sponsor of Islamic terrorism gave more than a few Ethiopian officials nightmares!

No matter what angle you view it from, the picture is the same: Ethiopia is under extreme pressure to come under the influence of radical Islam!

When you look at a map, it is not difficult to see why Iran wants to ramp up its presence in this region. It wants control of the southern entrance to the Red Sea! To get this, the regime in Tehran needs sympathetic Islamic governments in Eritrea, Djibouti and Ethiopia. This is what makes the Islamist encroachment on Ethiopia so significant!

Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, and via its Islamic allies in Egypt is fast gaining decisive influence over the Suez Canal. When it eventually gains influence over Ethiopia and Eritrea, Iran will control the Red Sea.

When that happens, Iran will have the power to lock down virtually the entire Middle East!

Ethiopia in Prophecy

Last year, as the West was merrily endorsing the “democratic” revolutions sweeping through North Africa and the Middle East, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry warned that something more sinister was afoot in the Arab Spring. In the end, he warned, Iran and radical Islam will emerge the victors.

In the April 2011 issue of the Trumpet, Mr. Flurry prophesied specifically that Libya and Ethiopia would be the victims of radical Islam. “Why would Iran be so interested in getting some measure of control over Libya and Ethiopia? To me, the answer is intriguing. All you need to do is get a good map of the Middle East, with the emphasis on the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Then you can see why the king of the south, or radical Islam, is so interested in an alliance with or control over these two countries (as well as Egypt and Tunisia). They are on the two seas that comprise the most important trade route in the world!”

When Mr. Flurry delivered that forecast, there was very little physical evidence to suggest Ethiopia could ever be threatened by Islam. What did he base his analysis on? In his April 2011 article, Mr. Flurry explained the prophecy in Daniel 11:40-43, which foretells an end-time clash between a German-led Holy Roman Empire and an Iranian-led Islamic coalition called the king of the south.

In verse 43, Daniel lists the “Libyans and the Ethiopians” as part of the king of the south alliance. “This verse states that Libya and Ethiopia are also going to be closely allied with Iran!” stated Mr. Flurry. Then, with confidence invoked by the “more sure word of prophecy,” Mr. Flurry stated even more emphatically: “Watch Libya and Ethiopia. They are about to fall under the heavy influence or control of Iran, the king of the south.”

It’s amazing, though not surprising, that since Mr. Flurry penned that article, radical Islam’s grip on North Africa and the Middle East has tightened immensely. From Morocco to Yemen, Istanbul to Cairo, Iran and radical Islam have grown, albeit to varying degrees, in power and influence.

Believe the facts, and believe biblical prophecy. It won’t be long now till you read this headline: Islamists gain control of Ethiopia, Eritrea. Not on the front page of the Trumpet, but on the front page of the New York Times.

And when you do, remember where you saw it first!

The End of the Free World

theTrumpet.com — 2013-05-17T20:58:59+01:00

Read This First—A Note From the Trumpet Staff 

Ten years ago, in our January 2002 edition, the Trumpet presented an overview of biblical prophecy. Called “The Coming World Crisis,” this special issue featured articles on each of the major global powers foretold in Scripture to play a significant role in end-time events. We are now in the process of converting it into a booklet to offer to Trumpet subscribers.

The following article, about Anglo-America, is reprinted in full and unaltered from that issue. It is our hope that you will benefit from reading its astounding preview of world events—now in many instances a post-view. We believe it powerfully demonstrates the inerrancy of the Bible. Its timeless nature is made all the more exciting as you consider the astounding events that have taken place just over this past year.

As you read, remember the shocking economic collapse experienced by the U.S. and Britain in 2008. Remember the hundreds of financial institutions—including giants Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Bear Sterns, Lehman Brothers, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—that either failed, or were bailed out or nationalized. Consider the 9 million jobs that have been lost, the millions of homes that are being foreclosed upon, the record high food stamp usage, and the growing divide between rich and poor. And remember that another, greater crash is guaranteed to hit soon.

As you read, don’t forget the heightened social unrest spilling onto the streets in America and Britain. For five days in August, animal-like mobs of rioters in London burned businesses and homes, hospitalized police officers, looted shops, assaulted citizens, and even killed people. That same month, in America there were the race riots in Milwaukee that more closely resembled something out of tribal Afghanistan. More recently, the Occupy Wall Street movement has made dramatic headlines. Every day it seems that people are getting angrier—and looking for someone to blame. Authorities reported record gun sales in November, up 35 percent over the previous year. Violence is taking over the streets in many of our cities, and people are getting desperate for protection.

As you read, consider that America’s military—the institution that perhaps the most Americans take pride in—is reaching a critical breakpoint. After more than a decade of war, troops and equipment are stretched like never before. The average age of fighter aircraft is 24 years and rising. For naval vessels it is even higher. Hundreds of aircraft and vessels are operating far past their expected operational lifetimes. With the broken economy, massive military spending cuts are guaranteed. America’s military is set to shrink rapidly. In Britain, a country once renowned for its navy, its armed forces are so shrunken that it no longer has even a single aircraft carrier.

And as you think about the prophecy in this article, know that America and Britain are now less able than at any time in their history to cope with these problems. Think of the moral decline that has taken place over the past decade, and what that has done to our leadership. Think of the in-your-face homosexual agenda being forced on the nation. Think of the breakdown in traditional families. The consequences are becoming more apparent each year. America’s jails are full. Depression and health issues plague society. One in four women take at least one drug for a mental health issue. These problems are beyond our ability to fix.

But there is a solution to our problems. God promises to protect and prosper those who commit to obey Him and keep His laws. He promises to give answers to even our biggest problems. We hope the following article will help you see the urgency in God’s work today and that it will motivate you to action. This world needs solutions—God’s solutions—more than ever. And we hope you will continue to be a part of that.

The End of the Free World

One of the most astounding secrets of the Bible—that the United States and Britain are two of the most prominent nations mentioned in prophecy—may initially appear startling, or even preposterous, to some of our readers.

Yet, while never mentioned by their modern-day names, the prophecies about these nations that have come to pass are so numerous, they provide one of the most convincing proofs of the validity of God’s written Word! A startling statement, but provable beyond the shadow of a doubt.

These nations are dramatic, living examples of prophecy being fulfilled.

Tragically, these nations have a history of being quick to forget. Even knowledge revealing their identity and their role in history might have been lost forever in the corridors of time, had God not restored this truth to His Church through the late Herbert W. Armstrong.

But still more important for your sake than the prophecies already fulfilled are the prophecies yet to be fulfilled. The future of these nations, as portrayed by God’s prophets, is a terrifying one. Yet scriptures like Isaiah 55:11 remind us that God’s prophecies are sure.

We now can see the seeds of these vital prophecies being fulfilled, in world events, and exposed on the pages of this magazine!

Now, more than ever, before it is too late, you must have a clear-eyed view of what to expect in the years ahead—to get a grasp of what God forecasts for the American and British peoples.

To say that the effect these prophecies will have on your life will be dramatic would be a grave understatement!

Here is why.

Identity of U.S. and Britain

First, before we can understand the prophecies pertaining to the United States and Britain, an understanding of the identity of these countries in the Bible is essential.

The abundant material blessings eventually bestowed on the U.S. and the British Commonwealth of nations were initially conveyed to the biblical patriarch Abraham because of his obedience (Genesis 22:16-18). He then passed them on to his son Isaac, who later did the same with his son Jacob. In due time, Jacob conferred this birthright promise to his son Joseph’s sons—Manasseh and Ephraim. Manasseh was to become one great nation, and his younger brother a company of nations. One day, materially, these nations would become stupendously rich and powerful, above any other nations.

For proof of why Britain (together with some of the British Commonwealth nations) and the United States of America can be identified in the Bible as Ephraim and Manasseh—part of the lost 10 tribes of Israel—request a free copy of The United States and Britain in Prophecy, written by Herbert Armstrong.

The Bible is a book essentially about Israel—its history and its future. Given that the modern descendants of the Israelites are known, the key to understanding biblical prophecy suddenly jumps into view.

That includes an understanding of those future events which are certain to soon hit this world!

Prophecies Already Fulfilled

One of the most amazing stories of history, that of the unparalleled growth and prosperity of the United States and Britain, and the unprecedented, startling speed of their appearance on the world scene, takes us straight back to those promises made to Ephraim and Manasseh. Following the unwinding of these prophecies from their earliest phases makes a fascinating study.

Think of it! At the height of their power, these two countries possessed nearly three quarters of all the world’s cultivated wealth and resources. For Britain, the sun never set on its empire. In fact, it became the greatest territorial expanse in history, and the United States the greatest single nation.

Just as your Bible prophesied would be the case, no people have enjoyed greater blessings of prosperity and freedom than the modern nations of Israel.

However, the conditions on which these Anglo-American promises were made—the active part of the equation—depended on obedience to God, the awarder of such spectacular and abundant blessings. God kept His part of the bargain. Israel did not. God’s agreement with ancient Israel specified that, in such a case, curses for disobedience would follow on the heels of the blessings.

What the world has witnessed in these nations, especially over the last few decades, is an unequalled moral decline—and consequently, the gradual removal of God’s blessings. How clearly reality in both the U.S. and Britain reflects this truth!

Isaiah prophesied of the decline of strong leadership—nationally and within families (Isaiah 1:4-6; 3:1-12). Family strife, abusive parents, delinquent children, adultery and divorce are commonplace in the Western world. God also prophesied that sexual perversions would abound—comparing American and British society to ancient Sodom (Isaiah 3:9).

God prophesied of a decline in military strength and will (Leviticus 26:17-20). The facts speak for themselves. Both Britain and the United States are currently withdrawing from their role as the world’s peace brokers and turning the job over to a willing German-led European Union, which has begun to take on U.S.-led peace challenges in the Middle East, Bosnia and Afghanistan. Right now, despite the far superior size and capacity of its military, the casualty-shy U.S. feels particularly wary about acting forcefully enough to win a decisive battle.

Also prophesied for America and Britain was the gain of strategic sea gates (Genesis 22:17) only to be lost as these nations reaped curses for disobedience. This too has already largely occurred. The 20th century saw Britain’s and America’s loss of sea gates such as the Suez Canal, Malta, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Cape of Good Hope and the Panama Canal. Gibraltar will undoubtedly be added to the list soon, as Britain is being bullied by the European Union to relinquish control of this strategic territory, under threat of horrendous fines.

To anyone with a truly open mind, who knows the identity of Israel in prophecy, the fact that God is allowing Britain and America to reap the corrective consequences of their actions should be increasingly obvious.

Given that people are largely ignoring the correction meted out thus far, what can we expect to occur in the future?

Prophecies to Be Fulfilled

Old Testament prophets like Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah and Hosea provided specific detail about what is to happen to the United States and Britain. Their prophecies were sometimes dual, with a lesser fulfillment to happen in their day. But they were mostly written for the end time, just prior to Jesus Christ’s Second Coming.

Ezekiel, for instance, wrote about Israel’s future destruction and captivity well after ancient Israel had already gone into captivity. Other prophecies could not have been fulfilled during the lives of the prophets. God even explicitly told certain prophets that their words are for the end time (see Jeremiah 30:2, 24; Isaiah 30:8; “the time to come” reads “the latter day” in the Hebrew).

In these prophecies, God refers to the end-time nations of Israel as the “house of Israel,” “Jacob” or “my people.” Some prophecies refer specifically to the house of Judah—the modern nation of Israel in the Middle East today—but often, the general prophecies can be applied to Israel and Judah, since Judah is a tribe of Israel.

Armed with this knowledge, we can get a clear picture of the future of America and Britain from Old Testament prophecy. Tragically, the story told there is very bleak.

In addition to prophesying the decline of the greatest superpowers ever to exist, the fruits of which are being seen now, the Bible says the decline will culminate in the tragic devastation of these two countries. The U.S., Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and others will see utter defeat in a coming world war—what the Bible calls the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21-22).

In comparing the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to modern-day Israel, Isaiah foretold that Israel would suffer the same fate as those two evil cities—with only a few righteous to be saved (Isaiah 1:7, 9).

Here is how these events will play out, as the Bible foretells, just before and throughout this future tribulation. The outline can be found in Ezekiel 5. Through Ezekiel—whose prophecy was for the “house of Israel” (Ezekiel 3:5)—God says that a third part of America and the British nations will die by pestilence and famine, a third by nuclear attack on the land, and the final third taken into captivity.

These are prophecies to sit up and take note of! This is the plain Word of God, printed in your Bible! Surely, it should merit your attention!

Pestilence and Famine

Ezekiel 5:12 states, “A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee .…”

Earlier in chapter 5, Ezekiel was told to go through a physical ritual that pictured this event: “And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife, take thee a barber’s razor, and cause it to pass upon thine head and upon thy beard: then take thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair. Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled …” (verses 1-2).

In his new booklet, Ezekiel: The End-Time Prophet, our editor in chief wrote, “The word pestilence just means destruction or death (see the Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon). One definition of the root word is ‘to lay snares, to plot against, to destroy.’ So this pestilence could be a plague of violence or burning—not necessarily a physical disease at all! It can be defined as a plague of violence and rioting—such as the Los Angeles riots in 1992 or as the violence of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks! Why would the first third be burned with fire (verse 2), if it refers to a disease epidemic?

“The pestilence, or plague of violence, will cause many health problems that lead to famine. Sewage disposal will be disrupted. Gas lines will be broken. Jobs will be lost. Society will unravel and the collective panic will bring a stock market disaster! It will get so bad that violence and famine will take millions of lives!” It will take a full third of lives, in fact! This is death on the scale of tens of millions of people! Write for a free copy of this booklet for more information.

The siege spoken of in Ezekiel portends an economic disaster, for God speaks of removing Israel’s financial blessings (Hosea 2:8-9). The Bible shows that this famine will get so bad, people will turn to what seems unthinkable in our current prosperity: cannibalism (Ezekiel 5:10).

Watch the American and British economies carefully. The U.S. economy, in particular, is an ever expanding bubble—ready to burst anytime. It has been kept afloat by superficial means, particularly heavy consumer spending. When the terrorist attacks struck on September 11, the fragile economy was revealed for what it was as consumer spending took a huge blow. Yet, it all began to pick up as the U.S. entered a retaliatory mode and the holiday shopping season struck.

America will not be so resilient when it suffers this kind of pestilence prophesied in Ezekiel 5. With one third of the population falling as casualties of domestic violence, the world’s largest economy will barely be a shell of what it used to be.

Of course, all this seems too unbelievable to be true! How could such a fate befall America? Well, before September 11, who would have believed that such terrorism could occur on U.S. soil? It was so unbelievably shocking. Yet, it happened. The terrorist attacks, the rioting and racial tensions already experienced in both Britain and the U.S. are signs that this plague of violence is imminent. We should watch these things, so this destruction does not catch us off guard (Luke 21:36).

As Mr. Flurry’s Ezekiel booklet points out, we should watch for increased racial tension in the nations of Israel. Increasingly over the last ten years, British and American newspapers have been spattered with stories about bloodshed over conflicts between racial groups.

The race riots in Cincinnati, Ohio, last April and Britain’s Bradford riots of six months ago were only a precursor of how major Western cities could fall to such violence in the near future—violence so great as to cause the death of one third of these countries’ citizens.

‘The Sword’

After the pestilence and famine, Ezekiel 5:12 says, “a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee .…” The next event will be a military attack against the end-time nations of Israel. Hosea 5:5 says that Britain, America and Israel will all fall together.

Yet, how could this prophecy come to pass, particularly against America, which is still by far the most militarily superior nation in the world?

We can expect to see something undercut the U.S. military might—perhaps more terrorist attacks or even cyberwarfare and cyberterrorism.

The U.S. has downsized its defense program to the point where it can no longer fight a war on two fronts. The current campaign in Afghanistan may look impressive, but prophecy indicates that what is left of America’s strength will be “spent in vain” (Leviticus 26:20). Perhaps this war on terrorism will have exhausted American forces by the time the real enemy attacks.

Britain is suffering from a similar military contraction. The Daily Telegraph reported on June 11, 2001, “The Royal Navy can barely meet its nato obligations, let alone think of mounting any campaign in Britain’s interests far away .…” As God prophesied in Isaiah 3, the “mighty man” and the “man of war” will continue to fade into non-existence.

The economic wounds previously discussed will most likely contribute to the lack of military strength and response at this point in time. Consider the implications of another of Ezekiel’s prophecies: “They have blown the trumpet, even to make all ready; but none goeth to the battle: for my wrath is upon all the multitude thereof” (Ezekiel 7:14). It appears certain that, at some future point, Israel’s military will be so crippled that an armed takeover by another country will occur.

But who will attack the United States and the British nations? When you understand Bible prophecy, you realize that these countries’ foreign policies have been off the mark when predicting which countries pose the real threat. It will not be the Russians. It will not be Iraq. It will not be North Korea.

The Bible actually shows it is those with whom Israel has formed a close alliance—its “lovers” (Lamentations 1:1-2; Hosea 2:13).

Ezekiel 23 reveals these “lovers” to be the Assyrians (verses 5, 7, 9, 12)—end-time Germany. Germany, by this time, will be leading a united Europe, a resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire—the prophetic beast power of Revelation 13 and 17.

God will use the German-led European Union to punish the U.S. and Britain: “O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets” (Isaiah 10:5-6).

At this point, we can pause and make another point about what to watch in the times ahead: These verses provide prophetic proof that Britain will not remain in the European Union! Britain’s sense of national identity is in tatters. It is increasingly dependent on Europe for its financial well-being, and yet it is doing the balancing act of maintaining its sterling markets in the face of a Europe that officially adopted the euro as its means of exchange this month. Still, Britain has failed to find a comfortable role for itself in Europe.

Britain will be left out. Europe is prophesied to conquer Britain. In Isaiah 28:3, God refers specifically to Britain (Ephraim) being trodden underfoot.

God says this military attack on Britain and the U.S. will not only destroy another one third of their inhabitants, but it will utterly level the cities not already destroyed by the “pestilence.” Ezekiel 6:6 mentions the cities being “laid waste” and “desolate” (see also Hosea 5:9). Even more graphic, the Bible shows that these cities will be left without one inhabitant! (Isaiah 6:11; Jeremiah 2:15; 33:10). The cities of ancient Israel were not destroyed in this manner. In fact, these prophecies could not have come to pass until the advent of nuclear technology.

How utterly astounding to imagine cities like New York, Washington, d.c., Los Angeles, London and Sydney being leveled and left empty by nuclear destruction! But it is coming!

Captivity

The third and final phase of God’s punishment toward Israel will then be carried out: “… and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them” (Ezekiel 5:12). The survivors of the pestilence, famine and nuclear attacks will be taken captive by the German-dominated Europe.

God says He will cast Britain out of His sight (Jeremiah 7:15). Hosea 9:3-6 show that they will be taken as captives into Assyria and Egypt—where the beast power will also dominate during this nuclear world war (Daniel 11:42).

The suffering of this bondage will far outweigh that of any previous time (Jeremiah 30:7; Matthew 24:21). The ghoulish concentration camps of Nazi Germany in World War ii were merely a small taste of what this captivity will be like. And it will affect one third of Anglo-America—millions of people forced to suffer under the iron fist of a revived German regime!

Jeremiah 30:3 states, “For, lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord .…” This clearly is referring to an end-time captivity.

But, thankfully, as the last half of Jeremiah 30:3 indicates, Israel will repent as a result of these heavy trials, and God will respond with mercy. Those Israelites who do not die in the Tribulation will turn to God in heartfelt, genuine repentance (Ezekiel 6:7-9). As World War iii comes to a close, as the beast power is totally defeated, God will bring His people out of captivity from the “north country” and Egypt and other parts of the Earth (Isaiah 11:11).

The Good News

This time of unparalleled suffering will bring Israel back to God. And that is the exact reason God allows something so utterly dreadful. Of course, if Israel were to repent and turn to God now, He promises that they could completely avoid such agonizing punishment.

Ezekiel 33:11 states, “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”

God does not want the nations of Israel to die. He wants them to repent and to be spared from the greatest time of suffering. If that does not occur, the prophecies will be played out in full (Ezekiel 3:7).

There is nothing to suggest that America, Britain and the other nations of Israel will turn to God in repentance. Even after a tragedy like the one suffered on September 11 of last year, there was more talk of pride in the “American spirit” than there was self-evaluation, humility and repentance. But you, on the other hand, can change the destiny of your life. You do not have to suffer the unparalleled misery of the Great Tribulation.

God promises protection to those who repent and surrender to Him (Psalm 91:5-7). If you will commit yourself to obey His laws, He will count you worthy to escape all these frightful things (Luke 21:35-36). The decision is yours.

It's Time You Read 'America Under Attack'

Brad Macdonald — 2013-05-17T15:28:46+01:00

America Under Attack. That’s the title of the latest book by Gerald Flurry, editor in chief of the Trumpet. The book was published last month. It’s free and you can read, or request a free hard copy, here.

There’s a lot to be impressed by in this book, but for me one of the most striking is the way events since its release have so powerfully vindicated its message.

America Under Attack is a smartly structured, well-researched, hard-hitting exposé of a terribly destructive war currently being waged on America, a war that is being waged, sadly, from the inside. The book has some pretty condemning observations which are delivered with some uncompromising, refreshingly straightforward language. Mr. Flurry explores and explains the sinister and destructive actions of America’s leadership, including the behavior of both political parties but especially the radical left, the mainstream media, the White House and President Obama. Unlike the many other books on this subject, criticizing the president and his men, or the media and radical left, is not the central purpose of the book.

What makes America Under Attack so profound—and so entirely unique—is the way Mr. Flurry gets to the central cause of America’s internal conflict. The book doesn’t merely criticize the decisions or behavior of America’s leaders: It gives the reason America’s leaders think the way they think and act the way they act.

But again, it’s the way this book has been so powerfully punctuated by events that I find especially remarkable, and that I want to write about here.

First, think back on that horrible week in April that began with a terrorist bombing in Boston—the first successful attack on U.S. soil since 9/11, followed by a massive explosion at a fertilizer factory in Texas two days later, and concluded with two failed bio-attacks on the government. Remember that week? That was also the week America Under Attack began landing in mailboxes.

I remember thinking to myself while reading about the Boston bombing, Wow, what a rough week for the States. America is really under attack. And I remember that same day opening an envelope that arrived in the mail and experiencing an adrenalin rush as I read the title of the book that fell out: America Under Attack.

Since then, the message of America Under Attack has been punctuated over and over and over.

We’ll review some of these events in a moment, but first let’s highlight just a few statements from this book. Here’s what Mr. Flurry wrote about U.S. foreign policy, which is essentially designed to shrink America’s global presence, ruin relations with friends and allies, and empower the enemies of the West (emphasis his throughout):

[I]n looking at the decisions this administration is making, I’m hard-pressed to think of any that don’t have the effect of weakening America, and strengthening the forces of evil in this world.

There’s a chapter in America Under Attack on the growing tendency among many of America’s politicians, journalists and intelligentsia to reject, circumvent and undermine the U.S. constitution. Why is this happening? Mr. Flurry answers:

It is because the Obama administration is taking actions just about every week that raise constitutional questions and that threaten to undermine America’s foundational document.

In another section, Mr. Flurry explains the level of deceit and deception coming from the Obama administration, and inflicting U.S. politics in general.

We are seeing bold, blatant lies become a bigger and bigger part of today’s political landscape.

The book quotes Mr. Obama assuring the American people, “You know where I stand. You know what I believe. You know I tell the truth.” To that, Mr. Flurry delivered a bold and frank response:

Does the president tell the truth? Is anyone paying attention?

Think on that last question, “Is anyone paying attention?” When Mr. Flurry wrote this book, and even when it was released last month, it’s safe to say most Americans were not “paying attention,” at least not nearly as seriously as they ought to have been. In fact, a good number of people, were they to read America Under Attack even as recently as April, might have felt Mr. Flurry’s evaluations were over the top and exaggerated.

Yet today, just a few weeks later, many Americans—some even on the left—find themselves coming to the same conclusions!

Since America Under Attack was released, we’ve seen one scandal on top of another engulf Washington and the White House. These aren’t minor scandals either. And they aren’t low level. Each scandal is taking place within the federal government. Each involves high-level figures, congressmen, senators, White House employees, cabinet leaders—most of whom were appointed by the president—committing despicable acts, acts of outright deception and lying—acts that directly impacted the well-being of America and its citizens.

And, perhaps most significantly, each scandal directly incriminates President Obama.

Phonetapping the Press

Last week, it was revealed that the U.S. Justice Department—headed by Eric Holder, an Obama appointee—secretly obtained telephone records of Associated Press reporters and editors. According to AP attorneys, the Justice Department seized records from about a year ago for more than 20 telephone lines used by the news organization. The Justice Department was interested in records of outgoing calls from the work and personal telephones of individual reporters, as well as calls from AP offices in New York, Washington and Hartford. More than 100 journalists work in the offices the Justice Department targeted. “They haven’t told us what they are looking for and nor have they explained why we got no prior notice, which our lawyers tell us is not only customary but required,” stated Kathleen Carroll, AP senior vice president and executive editor.

AP said it received a letter from the Justice Department last Friday that notified it of the seizure but offered no explanation. In a letter of protest sent to Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday, AP President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Pruitt said the government sought and obtained information far beyond anything that could be justified by any specific investigation.

The White House and Mr. Obama have tried to distance themselves from the Justice Department. The fact is, besides Eric Holder having been appointed by Mr. Obama, the Justice Department has for four years been a key appendage of the White House. As Alberto Gonzales, the former attorney general, stated: “It would surprise me that the White House would not have received some type of heads-up. [Something like] ‘Hey, we’re about to do this, there’s going to be some type of negative reaction.’”

Unleashing the IRS

Then there’s the Internal Revenue Service scandal, which grows with each passing day, and which Peggy Noonan, George Will, and others, have stated could be as significant as Watergate.

The irs recently admitted that it targeted conservative groups during the 2012 election season. Lois Lerner, irs director of Exempt Organizations, admitted to flagging groups that used the name “tea party” or “patriot” for review and had their tax returns examined. Groups that advocated education about the American Constitution were also flagged.

Lerner claimed that this was not “out of any political bias.” That’s poppycock. As the Wall Street Journal wrote: “If there was no political bias, why were only conservative groups targeted?” The Journal goes on to explain the significance of the irs’s actions: “It’s important to understand that the timing of these requests, in the middle of the 2012 campaign, had the effect of stifling political activity. The targeted groups had tax-exempt status that allowed them to participate in certain kinds of political messaging. But any such group receiving irs missives is immediately going to become cautious, lest it risk the arbitrary wrath of some tax official. The speech-squelching effects may have been especially important in Ohio, which was ground zero in the battle for the White House.” (emphasis added).

In other words, the actions of the irs may have assisted the re-election of Barack Obama!

At first, the irs claimed only a few individuals were responsible. Now even Lerner herself has been implicated, and it’s clear that this was the work of more than a couple of rogue employees. USA Today wrote: “In February 2010, the Champaign Tea Party in Illinois received approval of its tax-exempt status from the irs in 90 days, no questions asked. That was the month before the Internal Revenue Service started singling out Tea Party groups for special treatment. There wouldn’t be another Tea Party application approved for 27 months. In that time, the irs approved perhaps dozens of applications from similar liberal and progressive groups, a USA Today review of irs data shows.”

This week two U.S. congressmen claimed that nearly 500 groups were affected. The whole truth probably hasn’t emerged yet. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney called the irs’s actions “inappropriate.” My favorite commentary on this comes from veteran commentator George Will. “No, using the salad fork for the entrée is inappropriate,” he wrote. “Using the Internal Revenue Service for political purposes is a criminal offense.” His article was titled: “In irs scandal, echoes of Watergate.”

Benghazi

Benghazi is not a new story. What is new, however, is the level of attention finally being given to the actions of the White House that awful night. Details have now emerged showing that leaders at the very top of the U.S. government not only refused to dispatch the military to help rescue consulate employees during the terrorist attack, but that they knowingly, carefully orchestrated a cover-up.

Last Friday, abc News—not exactly a conservative source—revealed that the U.S. administration had tried to cover up the extent of their failure and had lied to the press.

Immediately after the September 11 attack last year, UN Ambassador Susan Rice described what happened using a set of talking points put together by the intelligence community. At the time, we were told that these talking points were barely edited. According to White House spokesman Jay Carney, “The White House and the State Department have made clear that the single adjustment that was made to those talking points by either of those two institutions was changing the word ‘consulate’ to ‘diplomatic facility’ because ‘consulate’ was inaccurate.”

We now know that Mr. Carney, the president’s spokesman, was telling a bald-faced lie. The State Department heavily edited and even censored the talking points—or at least heavily leaned on the intelligence community to do so. Statements about links to al Qaeda were cut out, as were references to the cia giving advanced warning of the attack. The attack on the embassy became a “demonstration.” America’s leaders said the attack was sparked by a demonstration about a YouTube video, even though there was no demonstration.

Last week, the deputy head of the mission, Gregory Hicks, said that the YouTube video was not a big deal in Libya, and no one saw the attack as a demonstration. Here’s how the Weekly Standard summarized the White House’s behavior: “After pushing the intelligence community to revise its talking points to fit the administration’s preferred narrative, administration officials would point fingers at the intelligence community when parts of that narrative were shown to be misleading or simply untrue. …

“[F]resh evidence emerged that senior Obama administration officials knowingly misled the country about what had happened in the days following the assaults” (emphasis added).

Together, these three scandals seem to be changing the perception of Mr. Obama and his administration, even in the mainstream media and among some of his liberal supporters. After four years of being blindly loved and embraced, and being given a free pass on its many indiscretions and flaws, the Obama administration appears to be under real pressure. More and more people are coming to see the lies and deceit.

Richard A. Epstein wrote in Foreign Policy:

The very president who has pledged himself to be the most open and transparent administration ever is now perceived on all sides of the political spectrum as a secretive soul who skulks about in the shadows, so sure of his own moral rectitude that he thinks that it is alright to ignore the procedural safeguards that the U.S. Constitution wisely puts in the path of less wise and omniscient presidents. Long ago, James Madison warned in Federalist No. 10 that the Constitution had to be rigged for bad times because it is in the nature of politics that ‘Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm.’ Madison’s time has come.

Again, it’s the timing of these scandals that is especially remarkable. Eight weeks ago, Gerald Flurry released a book explaining that America’s government is run by immoral, dishonest figures who are pursuing policies and actions designed to ruin America. Since then, not one, or two, but three enormous scandals have broken that vindicate every detail of his message. Pretty extraordinary, isn’t it?

It makes me want to read America Under Attack again.

Germany Is Betraying Britain--Again

Gerald Flurry — 2013-05-17T05:00:00+01:00

On Dec. 9, 2011, British Prime Minister David Cameron shocked the world when he vetoed a Franco-German plan to fix Europe’s debt crisis.

Standing before a room full of European leaders determined to amend EU treaties to cede more power to the EU, Mr. Cameron defended British interests. “What is on offer is not in Britain’s interest, so I didn’t agree to it,” he stated flatly. “We will not be presenting this new treaty, when it’s agreed, to our parliament. It will not involve Britain.”

It is hard to overstate the significance of this event.

Many say that Dec. 9, 2011, will go down as the day Britain left the European Union!

There’s something misleading about that statement. Most of the media will tell you that Britain abandoned the EU. In fact, just the opposite happened. For years, the EU, under German leadership, has been taking power away from its member states, including Britain. If Britain agreed to the plan outlined on December 9, it basically would have had to hand control of its finances over to European leaders. By refusing the plan, Britain was simply protecting its fiscal sovereignty.

In other words, Europe created this conflict!

Why would it do that? Because it wants to push Britain out of the European Union!

What does this mean to you? This event is going to plague Britain for years to come—as well as America! Yes, it will hurt the United States far more than you can imagine. America’s financial troubles are about to get far worse.

A Tipping Point

The Guardian’s European editor, Ian Traynor, wrote this: “When the dust settles, Friday December 9 may be seen as a watershed, the beginning of the end for Britain in Europe. But more than that—the emergence for the first time of a cold new Europe in which Germany is the undisputed, preeminent power imposing a decade of austerity on the eurozone as the price for its propping up the currency” (emphasis added throughout).

I will say that date absolutely will be seen as a watershed!

“For the first time in the history of the EU, the Germans are now in charge,” said Charles Grant, who directs a think tank called the Center for European Reform.

Germany is in charge, and everyone can see that now. This is the most authoritative step Germany has ever taken.

Did you know that we have been prophesying this very event for some 70 years? It is, in fact, prophesied in your Bible! And believe it or not, it is going to lead directly into the worst trouble this Earth has ever experienced!

The Bible prophesies that “ten kings” are going to unite themselves in Europe as the Holy Roman Empire (Revelation 17:12-13). Events today are moving quickly to fulfill that pivotal prophecy!

The EU is not a democratic union. Germany has gained so much strength today that it won’t have to worry about persuading people to join that 10-nation configuration: It can demand that they do! It is gaining that much financial and economic power—and also rapidly growing in military power. Germany has established real authority.

We have reached a tipping point that will begin to move events in Europe faster than ever. Britain was the real instrument in stopping Hitler in World War ii, at least in the beginning. It has been the biggest obstacle slowing Europe from moving forward with its plans. Getting Britain out of the way is like moving a boulder off the highway: Now Germany can move at lightning speed!

The idea that Britain decided to pull out of the EU is a big deceit. It was pushed into a situation where it was forced out. This has been plotted and planned for years.

What Herbert Armstrong Said

The prophecies in the Bible are sure. It was because of those prophecies that Herbert W. Armstrong foretold—decades in advance—exactly what we are seeing today!

Here is what he wrote in 1956—55 years ago. This is phenomenal! Speaking about the uniting of European nations, he wrote, “We Americans, with the British, gave them the idea. We’ve tried to organize the European nations together against Russia. They are going to unite against us! … The Germans are coming back from the destruction of World War ii in breathtaking manner. Germany is the economic and military heart of Europe. Probably Germany will lead and dominate the coming United States of Europe.

“But Britain will be no part of it!”

How did he know that? How do you explain that? Fifty-five years ago, he said not only that this European Union would come together and that Germany would dominate, but also that Britain would be ousted! Today it is being splashed across the headlines of news media around the world.

That ought to capture our attention. How could Mr. Armstrong possibly know? Because he understood Bible prophecy. This is what Scripture said would happen. It isn’t something you have to guess about: You can absolutely know.

The Bible is a coded book, and the only way we can decode it is to get help from God. One third of the Bible is prophecy, and 90 percent of it is for this end time. That prophecy is being fulfilled faster now than ever before!

In recent times, America and Britain have been friends to the Germans. But Mr. Armstrong said those European nations, led by Germany, would unite against our nations. That is about to happen!

The United States allied with Britain to provide the real power to conquer the Germans in World Wars i and ii. Today, both America and Britain are drowning in debt. America has the most debt of any nation in history, and it seems people have no clue how deadly dangerous that is. Meanwhile, Germany has never been stronger financially and economically! Its power is destined to grow, and that will seriously impair America and Britain.

Understand: I am not putting the Germans down. The German people are a great people, and Bible prophecies explain that they will achieve marvelous things in the World Tomorrow, when Jesus Christ rules as King of kings.

However, if you look at the Germans’ past, the reality is that they have been the deadliest warring people in history! Even in recent times, they started both world wars. And prophecy says the worst is yet to come.

Double Cross

After defeating Germany in World War ii, America and Britain helped to build it back into a power. They helped it to reach where it is today.

This makes what Germany just did to Britain all the more heinous. Pushing the British out of the EU was a blatant double cross. Germany has a history of double-crossing people. As Winston Churchill said, the Germans were very prone to betray their supposed friends and surprise and shock them by some sudden act. Prophecy reveals that they are going to double-cross America as well.

The Prophet Ezekiel foretold these events—and the good news he reveals is that all the suffering that is about to come from this, in the end, is going to help the whole world come to know God!

As I prove in my booklet Ezekiel—The End-Time Prophet (request a free copy), Ezekiel’s prophecy is only for this end time. Ezekiel wrote it when he was a prisoner; he couldn’t deliver the message. We must deliver it today, or he lived his life in vain.

Ezekiel 23 contains a prophecy about two women who committed immoral acts. Verse 4 reveals that these women, Aholah and Aholibah, represent Samaria and Jerusalem. This is an end-time prophecy, so who are Samaria (which represented the 10 tribes of Israel, anciently) and Jerusalem (which represented the ancient nation of Judah) today?

Prophetically, Aholah refers to the modern nations descended from Israel—primarily America and Britain—and Aholibah refers to the descendants of Judah, which today is the Jewish nation in the Middle East.

Verse 5 reads, “And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours.”

Who are the Assyrians in end-time prophecy?

The Assyrians

Consider this: Virtually every historian draws attention to the war-like nature of the Assyrian people. James McCabe, author of History of the World, says the Assyrians were a “fierce, treacherous race, delighting in the dangers of the chase and in war. The Assyrian troops were notably among the most formidable of ancient warriors .… They never kept faith when it was to their interest to break treaties, and were regarded with suspicion by their neighbors in consequence of this characteristic .… In organization and equipment of their troops, and in their system of attack and defense and their method of reducing fortified places, the Assyrians manifested a superiority to the nations by which they were surrounded.”

Dr. Herman Hoeh, historian and author of Compendium of World History, wrote, “Ancient Assyria was the greatest war-making power in all history” (Plain Truth, January 1963).

James Hastings wrote, “The Assyrians of historic times were more robust, warlike, ‘fierce,’ than the mild industrial Babylonians. … The whole organization of the state was essentially military” (“Assyria and Babylonia,” Dictionary of the Bible).

Leonard Cottrell, in The Anvil of Civilization, made this amazing statement: “In all the annals of human conquest, it is difficult to find any people more dedicated to bloodshed and slaughter than the Assyrians. Their ferocity and cruelty have few parallels save in modern times.” It’s interesting that Cottrell can only compare their ferocity with those “in modern times.”

Only one nation has stood out that way in modern times, and that is Germany. That is obviously what he is referring to here.

The Assyrians in prophecy are the modern-day Germans. As Herbert Armstrong wrote, “Today the descendants of those Assyrians are known to us as the German people” (The United States and Britain in Prophecy). You can see more proof of this truth in our October/November 2010 edition. It is extremely important for you to prove to yourself if you are to truly understand what is happening in Europe!

The warlike nature of the ancient Assyrians is clearly visible in that of the German people in modern times.

“Not a single neighbor of the Germans,” wrote Emil Ludwig in 1941, “could ever trust the Germans to remain peaceable. No matter how happy their condition, their restless passion would urge them on to ever more extreme demands” (The Germans: Double History of a Nation). You could certainly see that trait on display before World War ii, when nations made several concessions to the Germans to try to appease them, yet Hitler always wanted more.

After World War ii, many voices warned about the dangers in rebuilding war-ravaged Germany. The April 1952 edition of the Plain Truth contained this headline: “Does America Dare Arm Germany?” The article said, “Our leading generals in Europe have adamantly warned that Germany is a calculated risk.” Still, our nations went ahead and built it back up. Through the Marshall Plan, we poured millions and millions of dollars into Germany.

There were even voices of warning once a unified Europe began to build.

Notice this remarkable statement from Herbert W. Armstrong in March 1973, writing about when Britain joined the European Community: “Britain is going to look back on Monday, Jan. 1, 1973, in all probability, as a most tragically historic date—a date fraught with ominous potentialities! For that date marked the United Kingdom’s entry into the European Community.”

In 1995, as the European project was gaining steam, Margaret Thatcher said this: “You have not anchored Germany to Europe,” which was the plan behind European unification. “You have anchored Europe to a newly dominant, unified Germany. In the end, my friends, you’ll find it will not work.” Mrs. Thatcher was absolutely correct!

Remember

Return now to Ezekiel’s prophecy. Verses 6-8 of chapter 23 go into greater detail about what is happening today: an illicit love affair between America, Britain and Germany!

America and Britain have convinced themselves that they have a wonderful friendship with the Germans. But is it true? If you see what just happened to Britain, you know it is not true!

Verse 9 reveals the terrifying outcome of this immoral relationship: “Wherefore I have delivered her [Aholah, representing America and Britain] into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians [Germany], upon whom she doted.”

In a small way, this has already happened to Britain. But you watch as this prophecy is fulfilled completely: It is about to get far, far worse.

In 1953, Mr. Armstrong wrote about the unifying of this European power, and concluded with the statement, “Definitely Britain will not be in it.” The reason he knew that is because Britain is going to be a victim of it!

In his 1978 book The Incredible Human Potential, Mr. Armstrong said again, “Britain will not be in that empire soon to come.” When he wrote Mystery of the Ages in 1985, he repeated that statement.

In a co-worker letter dated June 10, 1980—nine years before the Berlin Wall fell—here is what he wrote, “It now looks entirely feasible that Yugoslavia may be included in this revived Roman empire. Also the pope’s native Poland and Romania, and possibly Hungary. Add Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and France. There will be a union of ten nations in the general area of the medieval Roman Empire in the new united Europe. Probably Holland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden will not be included. But Ireland may. Britain will not!”

An astounding statement! Mr. Armstrong could never have made such statements if he didn’t understand biblical prophecy.

The Bible is God’s Word. The living God prophesied all that, and He is bringing it to pass just like He said He would, in intricate detail! This is a warning from God to all of us—primarily America and Britain.

Verse 17 talks about the Babylonians. That is speaking of a modern-day Babylon, which is actually a resurrection of the old Holy Roman Empire!

Watch the news out of Europe. Notice that the European Central Bank is now being run by a Jesuit-trained Roman Catholic, Mario Draghi. He is authoritatively implementing very strict fiscal policies among eurozone states. Notice that at the very summit in Brussels at which Britain was muscled out of Europe, leaders received news that Pope Benedict xvi was “praying to the Virgin Mary for the sake of Italy and Europe” (Economist, Dec. 9, 2011). Keep an eye on the headlines, and you will see more and more evidence of the Vatican and Germany working together. The Bible foretold it, and we have been warning about it for years: the emergence yet again of that church-state combine called the Holy Roman Empire.

Read Deuteronomy 28:49-52, which warns of God bringing a destructive nation against modern Israel. It says of this power, “he shall besiege thee in all thy gates.” That is talking about a trading blockade. It’s about finances and the economy. Somebody is going to damage America and Britain financially! Britain would absolutely starve to death shortly if it didn’t get its exports out and its imports in. The U.S. is going to suffer deeply as well.

“Britain will not be in that empire now building in Europe,” we wrote in the July 2004 Trumpet. “And when those headlines flash across the pages of newspapers worldwide proclaiming Britain’s exit from an otherwise united Europe, remember that one man and where you read it first.”

Remember what Herbert W. Armstrong said 50, 60, even 70 years ago! When you see those headlines—and they are right there to see—remember who told you that! He thundered that message for all those years, telling us everything that was coming. And we have continued to proclaim the same message.

Will you heed these warnings?

Good News in the End

In Ezekiel 23:36, God says He wants His loyal, faithful people to go to the modern nations of Israel and declare their abominations! God is deeply upset and disgusted with the sins and immorality saturating America and Britain today!

Terrible suffering is coming. The prophecies are sure—we are watching them unfold!

And what makes that so wonderful is that, if you follow those prophecies out, they directly lead to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ!

Look how the good news, the positive outcome, begins to be revealed in verses 48-49: “Thus will I cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to do after your lewdness. And they shall recompense your lewdness upon you, and ye shall bear the sins of your idols: and ye shall know that I am the Lord God.” After all the punishment God is going to put them through, they will get to know God. In the end, all that suffering is going to bring people to get to know God! Nothing could be more important than that. It is a very difficult way to learn this lesson, but what wonderful news!

Still, how terrible that they won’t listen to God’s Word now, and turn from their sin. They have to suffer unimaginably before they will turn to God and get to know Him.

Why won’t we listen now to God’s Word, heed what He says, and let Him protect us from all of this? God will do so. He has promised it in the Bible, and He cannot lie! But we must do our part as well: We have to respond to God, and obey Him and live as He commands.

Take a good look at Europe, especially at Germany, in light of God’s prophecies. God put those warnings in Scripture for a reason: because He wants to save us from that suffering!

Go back into recent history. Realize how many millions of people in World Wars i and ii fought and bled and died in order to prevent Germany from ruling over them! Yet now, Germany rules Europe once again! What does that portend for this world? Both history and prophecy loudly cry out the answer! There is no excuse for us not knowing that!

But here is the good news. It is all a sign leading directly into the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The Messiah is about to return to rule this world, and bring it true prosperity and peace and joy!

Tornadoes Kill Six in Texas

theTrumpet.com — 2013-05-17T05:00:00+01:00

Multiple tornadoes swept through North Texas on Wednesday night. In Granbury, Texas, six people were killed and about 50 were injured. At least 250 were left homeless.

Approximately 50 people were taken to a local hospital. Fourteen were admitted for treatment of injuries, while two were transferred to a hospital in Fort Worth.

As of Thursday morning, Granbury officials were still trying to locate 14 people. They don’t yet know if the people are missing or just not in the area.

The tornado littered Granbury with debris and aluminum panels. About 20,000 homes and businesses lost electricity.

Police set up roadblocks on Thursday morning near the stricken areas. People affected by the devastation congregated in public areas.

Elizabeth Tovar: “We were all, like, hugging in the bathtub, and that’s when it started happening. I heard glass shattering and I knew my house was going. We looked up and then, like, on top of the bathtub, the whole ceiling was gone. And that was when we knew we were, we were probably gone—we were in trouble.”

Last May, an F5 tornado swept through Joplin, Missouri, demolishing the southern part of the city and killing over 150. Hurricane Sandy ravaged much of the eastern United States in October, killing nearly 300.

Why is so much violent weather striking America? Those personally affected by these storms need answers. You need answers. These answers can be found in our free booklet Why ‘Natural’ Disasters?

IRS: An Abuse of Power

Callum Wood — 2013-05-16T22:00:00+01:00

Investigations into the dealings of the Internal Revenue Service have begun after irs officials confirmed on May 10 that they had targeted groups with “tea party” or “patriot” in their names. From 2010 to 2012, at least three officials, one in Washington and two in California, directly targeted these groups, which were seeking tax-exemption status. The actions of the irs run diametrically opposite to what is expected of the agency. It is supposed to remain free of bias.

There were at least 75 such groups that were targeted merely because of their names. They make up almost one quarter of all groups that were singled out for further analysis by the irs in Washington in that time period. Some of the targeted organizations were burdened with questionnaires that were designed to determine, among other things, the extent of their voter outreach. Not only were these questionnaires time consuming, they forced the conservative groups to give up valuable, confidential information.

In a Jan. 9, 2012, letter to the Richmond Tea Party, for example, irs officials asked questions about “the names of donors, contributors and grantors,” as well as how much money they gave, and when they gave it. According to Richmond Tea Party officials, the harassment led to a drop in donors, because the donors were concerned about remaining anonymous.

Other groups were frustrated by the irs after being blocked and delayed for two years. The Wetumpka Tea Party of Alabama was delayed in its acquisition of tax-free exemption before being hounded with more questionnaires that asked for the names of all its volunteers and contributor amounts, as well as the names of legislators it had been in communication with. This questionnaire came in 2012, in the lead-up to the presidential elections. Political conservatives are calling it an intimidation tactic.

The organizations with “tea party” or “patriot” in their name were not the only ones singled out. There were groups that opposed the Affordable Care Act—Obamacare—that also came under heightened scrutiny. This raises concerns that the scandal goes beyond the irs, to the White House. Recent U.S. history proves that the irs isn’t immune to manipulation by the government.

Presidents have used the irs to harass political opponents in the past. In 1969, President Nixon agreed to use the irs to examine left-wing tax-exempt organizations. In the ’90s, conservative non-profit organizations accused the Clinton administration of targeting them through the irs.

The irs is not only selective with individuals and organizations, but also with states. A study published in the Economics and Politics journal in 2001 stated that “the percentage of tax returns audited by the irs is markedly lower in states that are important to the sitting president’s reelection aspirations. We also find that the irs is responsive to it oversight committees.” The pattern was noticed between 1992 and 1997. It shows that the irs is willing to be less troublesome to states that the president wants in his electoral camp.

As soon as the latest irs scandal started making headlines, Republicans across the board began calling for heads to roll. However, there are few in the irs that can take the blame. The commissioner at the time, Douglas Shulman, stepped down in November 2012. He could hold partial responsibility after receiving a briefing from the treasury inspector general for tax administration that gave a rundown of how the irs was targeting specific groups. He received the briefing in May 2012. His assistant, Steven Miller, was also made aware of the situation at that time. As the White House began to respond to the scandal, one of the first steps was for the Secretary of the Treasury, Jack Lew, to request and accept the resignation of Mr. Miller. Since Mr. Shulman stepped down, Mr. Miller fulfilled the role of acting-commissioner.

Both men were supposedly informed numerous times about the problem within the irs. “I wrote to the irs three times last year after hearing concerns that conservative groups were being targeted,” said Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, a Republican on the Senate Finance Committee.

Now it is time to ask, Did the White House know? With the White House condemning the irs scandal and distancing itself from it, it is not yet clear what role it had in the irs’s targeted investigations. The president claimed he first heard of the story on May 10. It was on the same day the irs acknowledged it was targeting specific groups.

Lois Lerner, the irs official overseeing tax-exempt groups, said the targeting was “a misguided effort to come up with an efficient means of dealing with a flood of applicants from organizations seeking tax-exempt status between 2010 and 2012.” Another way of saying that would be to give pro-liberal organizations a free pass, and burden the opposition with as many questionnaires and delays as possible.

Lerner may try to hide behind “misguided” efforts, but her actions speak louder than her words. When President Obama’s half-brother applied for tax-exempt status for his organization, Mrs. Lerner approved the application within a month. This is despite the fact that it operated illegally for years prior to that time. The application was submitted on May 23, 2011, and Lerner signed off on it on June 26. That is a stark contrast to the three years that other non-profit organizations had to wait. The situation has continued to stir controversy between Washington’s chief political parties.

Republican and Democratic political parties view each other as wrong, if not evil. When a political party holds such a mindset, then it is likely to do whatever it can to stop its opposition. Obviously such a mindset should be intolerable at the governing level, particularly for the president. Yet, as Peter Morici from Fox News said, “President Obama cultivates a culture of anything goes to defeat opponents and advance his liberal agenda.” This is evident in the way his subordinates within the irs have singled out certain groups for questioning.

At the outbreak of the scandal, President Obama responded by saying, “If you have the irs operating in anything less than a neutral and nonpartisan way, then that is outrageous, it is contrary to our traditions.”

The traditions that the president is referring to are the national laws which state that the federal government is not allowed to target specific people for tax purposes without a valid cause.

Here’s more on the response of the president and other policymakers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGAT336ECfc&feature=youtu.be

The irs is a bureau within the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The commissioner is elected by the president of the United States for a five-year term. He reports to the secretary of the treasury. When the highest official in the irs is directly involved in the cover-up of the scandal (the acting commissioner responded to concerns from Congress last year by assuring it no such groups were being targeted), it shows a level of corruption that has permeated the government of the nation.

This latest scandal—the latest of many—has come just after the Philadelphia Church of God released a booklet titled America Under Attack, which highlights the corruption within the U.S. government, the judicial system and the attack on the law of the land. If the administration used the irs to attack its political opponents, that is an outright violation of constitutional law. In the booklet America Under Attack, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry writes, “This type of anti-Constitution reasoning is suddenly becoming quite popular. Do you know why? It is because the Obama administration is taking actions just about every week that raise constitutional questions and that threaten to undermine America’s foundational document.”

If you haven’t already, order a free copy of the booklet. It will show you how the administration has been systematically undermining to the point where it is working to bring down the very nation that it governs! The booklet will show you the reason behind society’s deadly decline, as well as where the attack is coming from, and how it is undermining the Constitution.

The irs investigation is the latest in a slew of scandals that lead right up the steps of the White House. Watch as this pattern of corruption continues as the Obama administration disregards the laws that were set in place to provide safety, and instead chooses to continue down its destructive path.

Shocked. Indignant. Outraged.

Joel Hilliker — 2013-05-16T20:21:15+01:00

Why does it seem that the only time the American government expresses shock, dismay and horror, it is over the conduct of its soldiers on the battlefield?

Through the Prophet Isaiah, God calls America a “hypocritical nation.” It’s at times like these it becomes clear why.

Surely you heard of the crude homemade video that emerged in January apparently depicting a Marine sniper team in Afghanistan urinating on the corpses of some Taliban fighters. The press jumped on the incident like it was Abu Ghraib all over again, and the highest leaders in the land came out in fire-breathing condemnation.

“Deplorable … reprehensible,” President Obama said through his spokesman. “I condemn it in the strongest possible terms,” said Leon Panetta, the defense secretary. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed “total dismay.” Civilian and military leaders promised the guilty soldiers would be found out and punished to the full.

Why was everyone so upset? Let’s be honest: The biggest reason is that they are deathly afraid of offending Muslims. U.S. leaders continue to hope, against all evidence, that avoiding offense will solve problems.

Their man in Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai, called the soldiers’ act “simply inhuman.” Is Karzai an authority on moral and ethical conduct? He said he was “deeply disturbed” and that the incident was “condemnable in the strongest possible terms.” But where is his condemnation for Talibani atrocities far worse than this? That means he either sympathizes with the Taliban’s extremism or feels he must pander to it.

Clearly the ones in the driver’s seat—dictating to both Afghan and U.S. leaders about what is an appropriate response—are radical Muslims.

For their part, Taliban leaders in Pakistan called the marines’ conduct “barbaric” and claimed, “No religion that follows a holy text would accept such conduct. This inhuman act reveals their real face to the world.”

Behold: a sermon from the Taliban about what is barbaric and inhuman. They have never condemned the torture, beheading or murder of a single non-Muslim. They have murdered thousands of civilians with roadside bombs. They execute people without trial for crimes like laughing at soldiers. They hang the dead bodies of defectors from lampposts to serve as a public warning. And we are supposed to listen to them condemn these marines?

Are Hamid Karzai or American leaders “deeply disturbed” by the Taliban’s sanction of polygamous “marriage” that allows old men to rape young girls? What about the Taliban commander ordering that an 18-year-old girl who fled her abusive in-laws be punished by having her nose and ears cut off? Who is condemning these acts “in the strongest possible terms”?

The Taliban deliberately assassinate civilians by the hundreds. They exploit children not just as soldiers but as suicide bombers, strapping explosives to them and sending them to their deaths. They consider anyone who is actively trying to rebuild Afghanistan—doctors, teachers, construction workers—worthy of death. The New York Times has reported that insurgents in Afghanistan kill twice as many civilians as they do uniformed government or coalition forces. Where is the outrage against that? Why no indignation over those “deplorable” and “reprehensible” practices?

No one is defending what those soldiers did. But to single them out for such damnation is to strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.

America’s leaders have allowed their moral standard to be skewed out of all proportion by extremists whose goal is to use every ounce of leverage possible to cripple America.

It is political correctness run amok: dismissing Muslim evils as irrelevant—after all, who are we to judge them?—while viewing Western actions through a distorted but harshly exacting moral lens.

We need a reality check. And that can only come from looking at the one true absolute standard of morality, the one supplied by the Being who defines good and evil.

God sees plenty of acts in America that are deplorable and reprehensible, that He views with total dismay and condemns in the strongest possible terms, and that He promises to punish to the full. But guess what? The action of these soldiers hardly registers on His radar screen.

Does it matter to you what God finds abominable? Instead of concocting our own standards of righteousness and appointing ourselves as judge and jury, how about aligning our thoughts with those of the Author of righteousness?

Forget the Geneva Conventions: God is outraged over our breaking the Ten Commandments. Blacklisting Him and worshiping idols. Urinating on His holy Sabbaths. Enslaving ourselves in greed, materialism, covetousness and debt, such that it sabotages the nation’s future. Glorifying violence. Desecrating the family. Turning our children out to pasture. Mass promoting and celebrating rank sexual immorality. Embracing fornication, cohabitation, adultery, divorce, homosexuality and other perversions.

God is “deeply disturbed” by such things. The fact that 40 percent of pregnancies in New York are aborted. That is an “atrocity.” The existence of an abortion butcher like Dr. Kermit Gosnell. That is “barbaric.” The support he received from state abortion lobbyists and clinic inspectors—and the pass he got from an appallingly liberal national media. That “inhuman act reveals their real face to the world.”

Why aren’t monsters such as that “urgently investigated” and given “the most severe punishment”?

Yes, this is a “hypocritical nation”—smug and self-righteous, praising, pardoning and punishing according to whatever standards it chooses. “There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes,” Proverbs 30:12 says, “and yet is not washed from their filthiness.”

America wallows in rivers of moral sewage. It’s a little hard to stomach the sanctimonious moralizing about where a few soldiers chose to pee.

Is France Europe's Next Crisis?

Richard Palmer — 2013-05-16T05:00:00+01:00

“The trouble with socialism,” said Margaret Thatcher, “is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.” Although a bit of an oversimplification—it ignores the major role of the euro—it sums up France’s economy.

France’s citizens face the highest tax burden in the eurozone. Public spending makes up 57 percent of the overall economy—also the highest in the eurozone—yet the country can’t get its debt under control, and its economy is shrinking.

No wonder the French are currently the world’s biggest pessimists. But the consequences reach far beyond France. This is about a fundamental change in the most important relationship in Europe—the Franco-German axis.

The collapse of the French economy is part of a trend catapulting Germany to the forefront of Europe.

The bad news seems to come out of France on a daily basis. The latest was on May 15, when France’s statistics office revealed that the economy had shrunk 0.2 percent over the first three months of 2013, putting France in a “triple dip” recession. The International Monetary Fund said earlier this year it expected France’s economy to shrink over the course of 2013, putting it on a list of countries that includes Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain.

After publishing a poll of European nations on May 14, Pew Research concluded that “No European country is becoming more dispirited and disillusioned faster than France.” On the same day, the Financial Times wrote, “Whereas Spain and Italy are suffering from a severe credit crunch and drastic austerity, France’s biggest problem appears to be the generalized gloom infecting businesses and households.”

Unemployment is at 11 percent—double Germany’s. For youth, it’s 26.5 percent, compared to Germany’s 7.6 percent. At 3.2 million, the number of unemployed is setting new records. And it’s been rising every month for nearly two years. Many in France are cutting their spending, as they fear they could soon add to those statistics. “Scarcely a week goes by without another factory closure or a redundancy plan,” wrote the Economist last month.

Under eurozone rules, the French government cannot borrow more than 3 percent of gross domestic product each year. With borrowing at 4.8 percent, it was forced to ask permission from the European Commission to miss its target for the next two years.

French President François Hollande has painted himself into a corner. As a result, he is the most unpopular president in France’s history. He is a socialist, and was elected based on promises to reverse the austerity of the previous government. But now that he’s in office, he can’t get around the fact that the government has run out of other people’s money. With the tax burden already so high, he can’t raise taxes to increase revenue. Since he came to power opposing spending cuts, he’s stuck.

All of this could push France onto the list of problem countries. “France could get into a situation that is not too dissimilar to Spain if you see the economy contract a couple of percent from where we are now,” said the cio of Armstrong Investment Managers, Patrick Armstrong.

But the French aren’t just worried about the short-term economy. Only 9 percent think their children will be better off than they are, according to the Pew survey.

The unhappiness is so bad that Le Point magazine recently published an article titled, “How revolutions are born: Are we in 1789?”—referring to the year the French Revolution began.

Some argue that it’s not that bad. The French government can still borrow money cheaply. With Japan printing money, investors are desperate to put their cash anywhere they can avoid losing money. They assume France is “too big to fail,” and that Germany will always back it up.

They could be right. France may not ever request a bailout. But that doesn’t matter. Spain and Italy on their own could force a revolution in the eurozone.

The fact is, France is now a problem for Europe. Economists debate how big a problem it is, but almost no one disputes that it is a problem. It’s not one of the strong economies that will pull Europe out of this mess. It’s actually dragging the euro down.

In the long term, this gives more power to Germany. In the short term, it’s having the opposite effect as France sides with southern Europe against Germany. This shift in the balance of power makes it harder for Germany to gets its way.

However, in the long term, the golden rule applies: He who has the gold rules. France has run out. The borrower is servant to the lender. And France is a borrower.

The director of global economic attitudes at Pew Research Center, Bruce Stokes, says that its survey on economic attitudes in Europe suggests that France and Germany, “which have for decades been the driving force behind European integration, increasingly see the world through different lenses.”

“The Franco-German alliance was based on rough equality between these two continental powers,” he continues. “In the 1980s, West Germany’s economy and population were slightly larger than France’s, but not overwhelmingly so, and French economic growth actually exceeded its neighbor’s.”

“Three decades later, this rough balance between Germany and France no longer exists,” he writes. “Germany’s population is now a quarter larger than that of France, the German economy is 38 percent bigger” (emphasis added).

“Today the French and the Germans differ so greatly over the challenges facing their economies that they look as if they live on different continents, not within a single European market,” he writes.

“This new evidence of a dramatic divergence of public opinion across the Rhine on the problems now facing Europe and the merit of the European Union itself raises new questions about prospects for the European project,” Stokes concludes.

He’s right. Pew’s study shows that before the euro crisis, France and Germany were in broad agreement about the advantages of the EU and its future. Now there’s a huge difference. The French are now more Euroskeptic than the British—only 22 percent believe they’ve benefited from European integration.

This news comes just weeks after a public spat between the two countries. Last month a French government paper on European policy was leaked. It scolded Germany for “the selfish intransigence of Chancellor Merkel, who thinks of nothing but the deposits of German savers, the trade balance recorded by Berlin and her electoral future.” Merkel’s coalition partners, the Free Democratic Party, hit back, publishing an internal report titled “France—Europe’s biggest problem child”—which somehow made its way to the German press.

There is no more Franco-German axis. This means the end of an era and the end of the EU as we know it.

As both the Telegraph’s Ambrose Evans-Pritchard and think tank Open Europe’s director, Mats Persson, point out, this isn’t a temporary falling-out that will go away if a left-wing party wins the German elections. There’s a broad agreement between all of Germany’s major parties when it comes to Europe and the euro. Germany won’t become more like France after the election.

The direction of Europe will no longer be decided by meetings of French and German leaders, who used to get together ahead of EU summits. Instead it will be a clash of wills—the future of Europe will be dictated by whoever can get their own way.

Germany, with its healthy economy, holds most of the cards. It doesn’t hold all of the cards, so it will have to make some compromises. But with the French economy weakened, France can no longer compete with Germany for leadership of Europe.

“Germany has more economic weight and political will to determine Europe’s future than it has had since World War ii,” wrote Reuters’s Fred Kempe. “Now, though, it lacks a partner that can replace France’s pivotal importance.”

France and Germany used to share the driving seat, listening to the demands of the other EU passengers and choosing the overall direction. France is out of the driving seat—it is now occupied by Germany alone.

However, there’s still a limit on what Germany can do alone—the passengers can still get out of the bus. The Trumpet has pointed before to the growing role of the Catholic Church in speaking up for southern Europe’s unemployed masses. The Vatican will supply the glue Germany needs to keep the EU together. The Catholic Church will soon take France’s place as Europe’s second driver.

The decline of France is a major milestone on the road to a new Europe. The next one will be the rise of the Catholic Church.

For an overview of what to expect from this crisis, see our 2008 article “Did the Holy Roman Empire Plan the Greek Crisis?”

A Better Pick-Me-Up Than Coffee

Stephen Flurry — 2013-05-16T05:00:00+01:00

Two black liquids keep America going—oil and coffee. That’s how one university professor recently described our addiction to caffeine. You could argue that coffee runs the entire world. An estimated 400 billion cups of the world’s most popular beverage are consumed every year.

The amount of caffeine many people now consume, particularly in America, has health officials concerned. Gone are the moderate 1950s, when caffeine consumption meant occasionally enjoying a five-ounce coffee after lunch. People today put down three times that amount with just one “medium”-size coffee at Starbucks.

And these days, a double espresso is hardly the only way to get your caffeine fix. Prescription drugs like Ritalin, 5-Hour Energy shots, trendy beverages like Red Bull and Full Throttle, even weight-loss supplements, are all loaded with caffeine. And don’t forget those supersized buckets of soda at the convenience store. If a 64-ounce Mountain Dew won’t do it for you, you can now buy the extra-caffeinated version. Not to be outdone, other companies are introducing all sorts of caffeinated novelties—beer, soap, lip balm; even a caffeine inhaler.

Consumed in moderation, a hot cup of coffee or tea can provide a temporary energy boost and even lift our spirits. But Americans have gone overboard—and our health is suffering for it.

“While every individual has a different tolerance for the drug,” the Washington Times reports, “experts agree that ingesting more than 500 mg a day can result in anxiety, irritability, headaches, sleeplessness, diarrhea and other health problems” (January 17).

The Times links skyrocketing caffeine consumption with the rise of the Internet. “We’re surrounded by round-the-clock entertainment, stimulated at every turn,” it says. There’s just so much to do—so much opportunity for stimulation. So we end up sacrificing the healthiest, most important, longest-lasting energy boost there is: sleep.

“No single behavior … more fundamentally influences our effectiveness in waking life than sleep,” wrote the authors of The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working. In fact, a growing body of research indicates that sufficient sleep is even more important than diet and exercise in living healthy, energetic lives.

“Lack of sleep makes us more inefficient at work and more dangerous behind the wheel of a car. It undermines the quality of our lives and makes us more vulnerable to illness,” wrote Charles Leadbeater in Dream On: Sleep in the 24/7 Society.

Of course, the law of moderation applies here too. There is such a thing as too much sleep (Proverbs 6:9; 20:13). But the Bible also talks about the “sweet sleep” of one who labors hard during the day (Ecclesiastes 5:12).

God designed the human body to need seven or eight hours of sleep per night. Yet, on average, Americans get in about 6.5. We sacrifice sleep in order to squeeze more in, to have more fun, to “get more done.” But it’s actually making us less productive, and our health is suffering. We’re becoming increasingly dependent on caffeine and sugar to get us going. It’s a vicious cycle.

What can you do to break some of these unhealthy habits, to benefit from the recuperative effects of regular sleep and rest and to experience what it really feels like to be awake?

For one, if you’re like most Americans, you almost certainly need to go to bed earlier. Set a specific bedtime and then stick to it, even if it feels too early. It may take a while for your internal clock to adjust, but unless you set a specific time, you’ll end up going to bed when you feel like it—or after one more television show. This will rob you of the precious rest you need in order to be fully alive tomorrow!

Added to this, set a definite time for turning off all media devices—and make it a good while before bedtime. The earlier the better. If you want to watch a program with your family, plan for it, watch it, then turn it off. Leave the computer at the office if you can. Turn off mobile devices after dinner. Enjoy a family activity, squeeze in a quick workout, pour your heart into Bible study. And then when it’s time for bed, go to bed!

Lastly, cut back on caffeine, sugar and alcohol—particularly late in the day. This will help you sleep longer and deeper during the night. And there will be a big payoff in the morning! You’ll feel refreshed and ready to go. And you’ll be less inclined to go looking for that quick-fix jolt.

The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working refers to a successful investment banker who rearranged his daily schedule so he could squeeze in one more hour of sleep each day. He was amazed. “I was more rested, I felt better, I thought more clearly, I got less tired as the day wore on, and I had more energy when I got home. I never would have believed an hour more of sleep could make such a difference” (emphasis added throughout).

There is no substitute for refreshing sleep. “Adequate sleep, we’re convinced, sets the stage for taking more control of every other part of our lives” (ibid). Sufficient sleep is definitely not wasted time. It’s a foundational building block to a more productive, energetic life!

So if you’ve been living out of balance—overdosing on caffeine and sugar and lacking the energy and vitality to really drive yourself in service to God—then take control of your life! Give your mind and body the one, God-ordained energy boost that makes you really live at work, school or play, and results in a longer, more fulfilling life.

Detroit's Financial Woes Worsen

theTrumpet.com — 2013-05-16T05:00:00+01:00

Dave Bing announced Tuesday that he will not seek a second term as the mayor of Detroit. Bing has been unable to bring the city out of its financial free fall. The crisis has been so bad that Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has appointed a powerful emergency manager to try to fix what Bing could not.

Detroit was once the heart of a successful American auto industry. But the Motor City is now careening toward bankruptcy. Decades of corrupt leadership, poor management, high crime rates, selfish unions, high taxes and excessive spending have taken their toll.

Emergency manager Kevyn Orr reported on Monday that the city’s finances are even worse than expected. Its deficit is expected to rise to $386 million before July 1. Long-term liabilities are calculated to exceed $14 billion.

Officials are hoping that Orr can do for the city what others did for one of its biggest automakers.

Daniel Little, chancellor of University of Michigan, Dearborn: “When General Motors went into bankruptcy, it was able to eliminate its fixed costs and its future liabilities, and it had cars to sell. But the city of Detroit doesn’t have cars to sell. Really, what it has to sell are high-quality services, which people will then be willing basically to pay taxes for.”

However, about half of Detroit’s property owners don’t pay taxes.

East-side homeowner Fred Phillips asked, “Why pay taxes? Why should I send them taxes when they aren’t supplying services? It is sickening. … Every time I see the tax bill come, I think about the times we called and nobody came.” On Phillips’s block, only five people paid their taxes in 2011.

Bible prophecy shows that Detroit’s problems are coming to cities throughout the United States. For insight into this city’s slow-motion financial demise, read “Detroit Has a Spending Problem.”

Texas Groundwater Levels Plummeting

Anthony Chibarirwe — 2013-05-15T21:04:32+01:00

The levels of groundwater in Texas’s aquifers dropped sharply between 2010 and 2011, according to a report by the Texas Water Development Board.

The report, published in February 2013, shows a sharp decline in groundwater levels in the state’s nine major aquifers. This is a major consequence of the ongoing U.S. drought.

Manager of the water board’s groundwater monitoring program, Janie Hopkins, said the drought has “affected even the groundwater levels to a greater extent than I’ve ever seen.” Ms. Hopkins expects the results for the 2011-2012 period—due for publication in August—to show a “continuing downward [trend] in the majority of [Texas’s observation] wells.”

The state of Texas has experienced the worst drought in the continental United States. Nearly 99 percent of the state is in “abnormally dry” or worse conditions, and almost 13 percent of it is experiencing “exceptional” drought conditions.

According to the report, the Trinity Aquifer of Central Texas was hardest hit. The 33 monitors in this aquifer recorded a median decline of 16.7 feet and an average decline of 19.7 feet during the 2010-2011 period. The Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer of South Texas recorded a median water-level decline of 4.4 feet and an average decline of 17.1 feet in its eight monitors.

Water levels in the Ogallala Aquifer in the Panhandle region receded in 25 of its 26 observation wells, with a median drop of 1.8 feet and an average drop of 3.5 feet.

The Ogallala is Texas’s major source of underground water, and it stretches all the way from South Dakota, spanning eight states. It is a chief source of water for these states as well.

The conditions in Texas give a stark, microcosmic picture of 51 percent of the continental United States that is in moderate to exceptional drought. These conditions are not normal and are significantly worse than those in previous years, even as the Texas Water Development Board report concluded.

When water levels recede drastically, water needed for agricultural, industrial and domestic uses becomes a scarce and pricey commodity. Money and effort will have to be expended to lower pumps in wells or to drill deeper wells.

The situation in Texas, and much of the U.S., is a result of the now-rapid removal of the prophesied blessings that were once showered on this great nation.

To learn more about why the U.S. has to experience these weather trials, request your free copies of The United States and Britain in Prophecy and Why ‘Natural’ Disasters?

Will You Go to Heaven When You Die?

theTrumpet.com — 2013-05-15T20:42:01+01:00

The Philadelphia Trumpet, in conjunction with the Herbert W. Armstrong College Bible Correspondence Course, presents this brief excursion into the fascinating study of the Bible. Simply turn to and read in your Bible each verse given in answer to the questions. You will be amazed at the new understanding gained from this short study!Why, if the righteous go to heaven, did Jesus say: “No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man [Jesus Christ] which is in heaven”? (John 3:13).

If the saved go to heaven when they die, why did Peter say that King David, a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), “is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. … For David is not ascended into the heavens”? (Acts 2:29, 34).

Yes, why?

What a paradox! Millions today believe the saved go to heaven, yet righteous David didn’t go there!

And if the saved go to heaven when they die, what need is there for a resurrection from the dead? Why a resurrection if they have already “gone to their reward”?

Isn’t it about time these puzzling, yet vitally important, questions were answered?

To Inherit the ‘Kingdom of God’

1. What message did Jesus Christ proclaim during His ministry on Earth? Mark 1:14; Matthew 9:35.

Comment: Christ preached the gospel—the “good news”—of the coming Kingdom of God.

2. Will all the righteous men of old be “in” the Kingdom of God? Matthew 8:11; Luke 13:28.

Comment: The promises God made to the fathers included entrance into the Kingdom of God!

3. What did Jesus say Christians should strive to enter? Matthew 6:33; 7:21.

Comment: Notice in Matthew 7:21 that it is the Kingdom “of” heaven—not in heaven! It is the Kingdom of, or owned and ruled by, heaven, in the same sense that the Bank of Morgan was not in Mr. Morgan—but was owned and managed by him.

Matthew uses the term “kingdom of heaven” to express exactly the same idea that Mark, Luke and John express as “kingdom of God.” But the expression “kingdom of heaven” does not mean a kingdom in heaven, any more than it means a kingdom in God! But it does mean a kingdom owned and ruled by God, whose throne and dwelling place is in heaven.

4. What did Jesus say the “meek” shall inherit? Matthew 5:5. But what did He say of the “poor in spirit”? Verse 3.

Comment: Is this a contradiction? Of course not! The “meek” and the “poor in spirit”—in other words, humble Christians—shall inherit the Earth for an everlasting possession, and shall enter the “kingdom of heaven,” which will be on Earth! As is explained in our free booklet Just What Do You Mean Born Again?, the Kingdom of God, which Christ will establish on Earth at His return, is the divine Family of God, which will rule by the government of God!

To enter into—or “inherit”—the divine Kingdom of God is a destiny of such marvelous glory that the human mind cannot really grasp it! We mortals have no concept of what is really in store for those who obey God.

As we read in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” The full extent of the inheritance God has promised true Christians cannot be even remotely imagined by the natural mind of man—but God does reveal it to us “by his Spirit” (verse 10).

5. What does Matthew 6:10 also tell us about God’s Kingdom?

Comment: Christians today are to pray earnestly: “thy kingdom COME”! The word “come” implies it will come to Earth. Christ did not tell us to pray, “Let us go to heaven”! Obviously God’s Kingdom has not come to the Earth yet.

6. Where is the Christian’s inheritance being kept? 1 Peter 1:3-4; Matthew 5:12; Luke 6:23.

Comment: These verses do not say, “Great is your reward when you get to heaven.” They do not tell us when or where Christians will receive their inheritance and rewards—only that they are now being “reserved” for them in heaven!

7. When will the righteous inherit the Kingdom of God? Matthew 25:31-34. Is this also when the rewards reserved in heaven will be conferred? Revelation 22:12.

Comment: Clearly, it is when Christ returns that Abraham and his children through Christ will become inheritors of the promises and receive their reward! But notice what else will happen at Christ’s coming.

Importance of the Resurrection

1. Can anyone inherit the divine Kingdom of God while still a mortal flesh-and-blood human being?  1 Corinthians 15:50.

2. What did Paul say must happen to our mortal bodies in order to inherit—to actually become a part of—that spiritual Kingdom? Verses 51, 53. When will our bodies be changed—converted from flesh to spirit? Verse 52. Does that trumpet sound at the Second Coming of Christ? 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. Is this when Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David and others will inherit the promises? Same verses. What did Jesus tell Nicodemus about this change? John 3:6, 8. And if we are “born of the spirit,” can we finally “see”—enter—the divine, spiritual Kingdom of God? Verse 3.

Comment: At Jesus Christ’s Second Coming, all the dead in Christ will be raised with new spirit bodies. Those Christians still alive at His return will be instantly changed into the same kind of spirit bodies—bodies that will then be in the Kingdom or Family of God. Our present flesh is corruptible, subject to death and decay. Spirit beings, however, are eternally new—immortal, incorruptible, never subject to death or decay!

3. Did Jesus declare that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will—in the future—be resurrected? Matthew 22:31-32.

Comment: This text is often twisted and perverted in an attempt to prove that Abraham is not dead—that he went to heaven when he died—just the diametric opposite of what Jesus used this illustration to point out.

God is the God of the living, not the dead. God sometimes speaks of things that are to be as though they have already happened (Romans 4:17). Jesus was speaking of their future resurrection to immortal life! For He plainly said, in context, “As touching the resurrection of the dead .…”

We can now see why Abraham and his children through Christ have not, as yet, inherited the promises. They simply cannot come into their eternal inheritance until they receive eternal life! This, as Paul explained, will happen at the resurrection from the dead!

Without a resurrection, the dead would never live again (1 Corinthians 15:16, 18); therefore, the resurrection of the dead is central to God’s plan. And, unless Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all deceased Christians are resurrected from the dead at Christ’s coming, they cannot inherit the promises!

How different the plain truth of God’s Word is from the ancient religious fables and myths the world embraces today!

Heaven on Earth

After studying the Bible carefully, we see that the plain truth is that heaven is not the “reward of the saved.” Christians do not go to heaven when they die, or when resurrected.

The surprising truth is that heaven is coming to the Earth. The Earth will eventually become the very headquarters from which the Father will rule His vast creation!

Will you dwell on that new Earth? Will you be a part of that glorious world?

When Jesus Christ returns, He will say, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you …” (Matthew 25:34). May God help you to be among those who will inherit the Kingdom of God along with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!

Temperatures and Violence on the Rise

theTrumpet.com — 2013-05-15T15:39:26+01:00

Ten shootings occurred within 48 hours in Chicago over Mother’s Day weekend. The shootings left three people dead and 11 injured. Three of the injured remain in critical condition.

Recent figures suggest a correlation between Chicago’s crime rate and its temperatures. As the temperature has increased, so has violence. As summer approaches, Chicagoans are becoming more concerned about their safety.

Lucy, a senior at Columbia University, said:

“I’ve been a victim of violence in Chicago. I was shot by a stray bullet in 2007, like a month before I went off to college. So I definitely feel the weather does have an impact on whether [there’s] gonna be more violence or not. … [I]t’s sad. And something needs to be done about it.”

Lucy’s family lives in southern Chicago. The frequent crime there makes her worry about her brothers and sisters, who attend middle school in the area.

Statistics confirm her concerns. Last year, more than 500 people were murdered in Chicago. That’s more than in Afghanistan, where 310 U.S. soldiers died during the same period.

Tragically, Bible prophecy indicates that what is now happening in Chicago will soon spread to many more American cities. To stay informed about where these crime trends are leading, subscribe to our free newsletter, the Trumpet Weekly.