Pastor’s Comments 11-9-04

Dear Brethren,

The election is finally over for the year of 2004. Already the projection by numerous ones is that Senator Hilary Clinton will be running for the office of president in 2007. And from what is said by some it is felt she will be elected.

It has also been indicated that former President Clinton would like to be the head of the United Nations. From what I understand he would be accepted by most of the nations.

We can only wonder, and speculate, what this would come to mean if both of these prominent people should be able to occupy those high offices.

A Divided Nation --

This completed election has left a nation very divided and with feeling of anger, bitterness, and hate by many people. Consider the comments from a couple of sources that reflect the feelings and thoughts of many following this election from the Stockton, California newspaper:.

Stockton Record, Friday, November 5, 2004, A3 Election Day leaves a long list of winners and losers – the Associated Press

“In addition to the 59.3 million happy voters happy Bush voters and 55.7 million grim Kerry voters, it’s a full roster of winners and losers.

Page B5 Opinion “If Passion becomes polarization, we all lose”

‘... Let’s start with the losers.  It might have been a very profitable business for them, but those who produced political ads took dirty politics to an all-time low. ... This year’s campaign – filled with attacks, distortions, half-truths and some downright lies – left voters ill-informed. ... That same passion that brought people out to the polls even before Election Day might keep the country polarized and bitterly divided for the foreseeable future.  If that happens, we all lose.’

Though unity will be sought by the president it is unlikely it will take place based on the attitudes that are now being reflected in this country. Sadly and tragically the bitterness and hostility now being expressed could very well be carried over and used during the next four years to divide even further this country than what we now see.

Admittedly, there has always been a certain amount of division after an election for the presidency, but from what is said it is far greater this time than ever before.

In view of this great and growing division, please remember the words of our Savior and soon-coming King, Jesus Christ, when He said: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house  divided against itself cannot stand" (Matthew 12:25).

Please do NOT relax thinking we will have at least four more years before these nations of Israel are brought to desolation.  The prophecies of God will be fulfilled precisely on the schedule of God's time-table regardless whoever might be in office when the time comes. 

The president or any leader cannot hold a country together by him or herself!  He or she has to have the majority of the citizens who are behind and supporting the one in office. Presently, it is not looking very favorable.

Listen to the news, read the editorials. By so doing it is easily seen we are now a nation that does not have a solid overwhelming majority in it to support the president. 

Even so, God will through circumstances keep this nation together until the time comes for the desolation, whenever that may be.

What Went Wrong —

While watching the news channels on television, off and on, the media and other notable people continually speak about the fall-out impact they are seeing while witnessing the Democratic party leaders asking of themselves what went wrong that kept them from winning the election? The consensus by high officials and commentators, questioned by the news media, is that they had NO VISION AND GOAL that they could hold forth and energize the people of America to vote them into office.

Our Vision and Goal —

There is a lesson here for all of us.  On the human level, unless we follow the example of Abraham, who continually was motivated all of his life by THE VISION of the City of New Jerusalem God gave him (Hebrews 11:8-10), and remained faithful to it, we could very well lose out as well.

God has also given us the VISION of His soon-coming WORLD through the Scriptures, along with His promise that we will become a part of it! This should CONTINUALLY MOTIVATE AND ENERGIZE us far more than any political party to not let anything stand in our way of inheriting those wonderful and awesome promises.

There is no great difference regarding the personal conversation God had with Abraham about the New Jerusalem and what He has revealed to us about it through His holy Scriptures.

An added blessing to help us is that we live a type of God’s New World each year at the Feast of Tabernacles with brethren of like minds and beliefs.  God has given us every reason to always be moving forward to becoming being an inheritor and partaker of His wonderful new coming world.

Foreboding Problems —

There are lots of problems that are now coming into focus that we do not at this time see where they are headed, and what problems will result from them; but we will come to know very soon.

Consider a few of these foreboding problems:

The Euro is beginning to affect the dollar in regard to our buying power with other nations. Please view the following website: 

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=71000001&refer=germany&sid=a3MzMtdGq7Us

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/257979a6-30f4-11d9-a595-00000e2511c8.html

This great country is in serious trouble financially! And it is getting much worse -- progressively! And if we do not realize this we have our heads in the sand. 

Please realize, our financial straits and possible crash, along with all of the other unsolvable problems, including the great divisions within this country, are going to undoubtedly spell big problems for this nation and the rest of the nations of Israel very soon.  What affects this nation affects the world – especially so the other nations of Israel.   

Mr. Yassar Arafat’s death could develop into a real problem for the Palestinian world. From what I read it is already creating a real power struggle for leadership of the Palestinians.  Please note the following article: 

DEBKAfile Special Report

“November 6, 2004, 1:21 AM (GMT+02:00)

From the moment on Thursday, November 4, when a French official stood outside Percy military hospital and solemnly declared “Mr. Arafat is not dead,” preparations rushed forward for his funeral. The immediate outcome was a split that rent the Palestinian leadership and Arafat’s associates into two camps.

Jihad Islami, Hamas, Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and the other Palestinian organizations with a vested interest in continuing their campaign of terror against Israel were quick to plant a concocted rumor in the Palestinian street and mosques that Israel had slowly poisoned Arafat. This stratagem was intended to fan the flames of anti-Israeli violence and discredit moderate Palestinian leaders with thoughts of dialogue or peace – or even the ceasefire which Mahmoud Abbas is trying to broker. It was meant to make the Palestinians angry enough to refuse any accommodation with the Jewish state and insist on stepping up its war. This would tilt the succession struggle against the moderates and for the champions of continuing confrontation.

The failure of the Percy hospital’s physicians to publicly diagnose the ailment that brought Arafat to their institution – contrary to custom for public figures - gave wings to all kinds of vicious rumors about his illness. It enabled the Palestinian extremist factions to blacken Israel to gain an edge in round one of their fight for the succession.

DEBKA-Net-Weekly’s sources in Ramallah and Paris describe the first camp as consisting of his wife, Suha Arafat, and personal aide Ramzi Khouri, who share a longstanding bond as members of the Christian faith, joined by Arafat’s nephew Nasser al-Kidwa, the Palestinian UN observer, and Dr. Amar Daka, his personal physician.

Only this foursome was allowed near his bed. They will decide when to disconnect the life support system and declare Yasser Arafat dead. By French law, the final word rests with his wife, Suha Arafat. She is buffeted by contrasting pressures from Palestinian leaders as well as considerations of her own financial future. The funeral will be arranged by Palestinian officials in consultation with the Israeli government.

After Arafat was hospitalized in Paris, members of the second camp, the confidential aides who accompanied him to Paris, were thrust aside and not permitted to visit him – among them, Mohammed Rashid, probably the only person privy to his personal financial secrets, his bureau chief, spokesman constant shadow Nabil Abu Rodeina, and Mohammed Dahlan, the protégé- turned-rival and former head of Palestinian “security” services in the Gaza Strip.

Once the funeral is out of the way, this second group will step into the leadership contest.

In Ramallah, Palestinian leaders sat in around-the clock conclave in a desperate attempt to make the transition orderly and agree on the funeral arrangements. To bridge the period of uncertainty, they assigned prime minister Ahmed Qureia with provisional responsibility for security and finances in the Palestinian Authority, and former prime minister Mahmoud Abbas the chair of the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s Executive Committee.

Israel has demanded that a burial with the trappings of a state funeral must take place in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians, with some support from their European friends, are insisting on his burial in Abu Dis, the Palestinian suburb of Jerusalem that has a view of Temple Mount. Arafat had a building constructed there to house a future Palestinian parliament. It stands empty and could serve as a tomb. In Gaza, the funeral procession would follow the route taken by Arafat a decade ago on his arrival there from Tunis in the wake of the Oslo peace accords. Qureia will be in Gaza Saturday to discuss funeral arrangements with the local heads of organizations.

Both venues pose colossal security problems. Who will control the hordes of Palestinians on the move between the West Bank and Gaza Strip to attend the funeral? Who will guarantee the safety of the VIPs coming to the funeral – Western and Arab?

It has been suggested in some capitals, including Washington, that the funeral and the presence of international figures will provide an opportunity for discreet diplomacy. Americans officials may come to show their respect for the Palestinian people and mark the end of the Arafat era. They will advise the Palestinians that, if they can consign their dead leader’s campaign of terror to the past, they will be granted a new beginning on the basis of the revived Middle East roadmap to peace. The clock may thenl be turned back to June 2003, when President George W. Bush endorsed the roadmap at the Sharm el Sheikh Arab summit and the Aqaba conference in the presence of Jordan’s King Abdullah, Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon and Mahmoud Abbas, then Palestinian prime minister.

But there is no sign that Palestinian terror assaults on Israel will be held in abeyance even for the interim. As long as they are in office, the two veteran Palestinian politicos may claim they are trying hard to stem the bloodshed and revive peace diplomacy - but neither commands the popular support, military strength or financial clout to make good on either intention.

In contrast, the forces dedicated to continuing Arafat’s path of terror – Fatah-Tanzim, al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, Hamas, Jihad Islami, the Popular Front-PFLP, the Popular Resistance Committees which rule the southern part of the Gaza Strip – command a flock of many thousands of terrorists and suicide bombers.

Arafat structured the Palestinian terrorist machine around an operational nucleus of personnel drawn from the Palestinian Authority’s security services. These officers wear two hats and draw two paychecks. It is a tightly woven fabric that has proven impossible to unravel. Qureia and Abbas may genuinely try to institute reforms by taking charge of the security services. But there is no longer any way to separate out the security officers from the terrorist networks. They will be thwarted by opponents commanding a well-oiled machine of terror and access to funding sources independent of the Palestinian Authority - Syria, Iran and the Lebanese Hizballah. None of them will hold back funds from radical Palestinian elements fighting to step into Arafat’s shoes.

It is therefore more than likely that Qureia and Abbas will decide not to risk their necks by standing up to Arafat’s terrorist protégés and their external backers - or attempt to reach meaningful negotiations. They will prefer to turn a blind eye and survive. This eventuality will bring the Israel-Palestinian conflict back to the post-Aqaba summit impasse when Abbas did not lift a finger to stem Palestinian terror and the roadmap was allowed to gather dust.

Israel is braced for a highly volatile post-Arafat period marked by accelerated terrorist assaults by the Palestinian factions struggling to fill his place and grab his fortune. They will vie for control by outdoing one another in attacks on Israel. The Israeli high command has prepared contingency plans for this period under the codename “New Page.” Clearly, no one can tell at this point where the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is going from here or whether the new page will be more or less blood-spattered than the ones written by Yasser Arafat.

Mr. Arafat's Place of Burial --

Even though the moderate leadership should take over the leadership role, it won't be enough to keep the terrorists and suicide bombers at bay! We can well know they will continue to kill and maim innocent people. 

How would his death, and the refusal by the Jews to permit them to bury him in his desired place of burial in and around Jerusalem affect that very shaky relationship with each other?  This could trigger real problems between them. Only time will tell. Sooner or later it would appear there will be an-all out war again between the Jewish Nation and the Arab nations.

One very volatile area is the city of Jerusalem: If there is going to be a new temple built by the Jewish people something has to take place to make it possible just as it did to make possible Judah, choosing the name of Israel, to become a nation again in Palestine.  As it is now for them to try and rebuild it now would bring all the Arab nations against them.

Prophecy makes known that God willed that the nation of Judah to once again come into existence. And God through circumstances made it happen! 

And it did on Friday, November 29, 1947.  Had not God intervened it would not have happened for there were too many nations against it including all of the Arab nations.  However God so affected the minds of the leaders of those nations who were members of the United Nations to give a majority vote for the consent of the partition resolution.

A note in passing: All of the Tribes (Nations) of Israel voted for partition with the lone exception of the United Kingdom of Great Britain who abstained.

A paraphrase of what one writer wrote about it: "The Jews in Tel Aviv celebrated this miracle for the partition resolution only for a moment.  Ben Gurion and other top leaders of Israel knew even a greater miracle would have to take place to win independence for the state of Israel, as the cry, “Perish Judea' arose like thunder on Arab lips." 

History also tells us that the Arab nations did indeed come fiercely against this tiny nation but due to continued miracles from God they were not able to destroy and drive them into the sea, then, or since, though the effort continues yet today.

It has been said, and is a true statement, God will not let the Arabs destroy Israel, and neither will God let Israel destroy them. 

Only Jesus Christ will be able to remove the ancient hatred that began with Ishmael and Esau against Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 27:41-42), and has been perpetuated ever since. Jesus Christ will forcibly bring peace to that area and to this earth while ruling with a rod of iron! And all those who will not accept His rule of law will perish.

Keeping Our Eyes on Jerusalem --

Mr. Armstrong continually told us to keep our eyes on Jerusalem!  We would do well to keep that  very sound counsel in mind. 

Whatever be the growing and mounting problems in and around Jerusalem affects the whole world! It always has and will continue to be until the bad is replaced by Jesus Christ; when the Prince of peace returns to this earth and establishes His Headquarters in Mount Zion.

Jerusalem will continue to remain in the news!  Even before the partition for the Jewish people was given, which did not include Jerusalem, the Vatican wanted it to be internationalized and still wants it to take place.  Please note the following news item:

Catholic World News, November 2- Migliore has reiterated the Vatican's contention that the city of Jerusalem should be protected by a special international statute. The Vatican's UN representative said that Jerusalem is "the common patrimony of the world and all its believers." Therefore, he continued, the rulers of Jerusalem should be answerable to the international community, so that access to the city and its holy sites cannot become "the subject of discord among different authorities."

There is more to this statement that is left unsaid, but will come to light in the future.

Jerusalem is the crossroads of the world and the most important city on earth! This is realized by many important and influential people today. 

This is made known by the fact that both the False Prophet, and the man called the Beast in Bible prophecy, who will head the revitalized 10 nations of Europe, will make their headquarters there in the near future as numerous prophecies make known.

In the meantime it will continue to be source of real trouble and a stone of stumbling to all of the surrounding nations, as Scripture makes known to us: 

"Behold, I will make Jerusalem A CUP OF DRUNKENNESS (Margin: reeling) to ALL the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem.  An it shall happen that I WILL MAKE JERUSALEM A VERY HEAVY STONE for all peoples; all who would HEAVE IT AWAY WILL SURELY BE CUT TO PIECES, though all nations of the earth ARE GATHERED AGAINST IT" (Zechariah 12:2-3).

No President of the United States or any other leadership of any country has ever been able to resolve the problems there and bring about peace; NOR WILL THEY!  Regardless how hard they try, it will never happen, short of Christ Himself bringing it about when He returns to this earth.

According to prophecy, the Pope of Rome will establish his headquarters in Jerusalem in the fairly near future (II Thessalonians 2:3-4, 7-8).  He will be the one who will be given the power of miracles (Revelation 13:13-14).

Certainly all of us should be heeding the warning given us by God's late apostle, "KEEP OUR EYES ON JERUSALEM!"

At the same time, this nation, the world, and the Church of God are facing some monumental and horrendous problems even now and with greater ones yet some little time ahead of us. Hopefully we are preparing for whatever both mentally by knowing what is before us, and praying fervently at the same time for the spiritual strength need to survive them.

We should be praying, as Jesus Christ told us to pray:  “Thy Kingdom Come!”

Take care my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus our Lord, and please let us remember to pray for one another.

Our love and prayers from here to all of you wherever you are,

Don Billingsley