The Obama Administration Vs. the American Constitution April 2012 Vol

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COVER 2 | society | The Obama Administration vs. the American Constitution 5 | society | How the Constitutional Crisis Will End less law, less order The American government is founded on law, 6 | ‘Die by Suicide’ but its people and its politicians are rejecting it in the belief that it leads to more freedom.

America’s National Debt Who or What Is It? istockphoto FROM THE EDITOR GERALD FLURRY What Is True Freedom? People everywhere fight and strive for greater freedom. At the same time, they fight against law. That shows a dangerous misunderstanding of the nature of true freedom and the need for righteous law.

reedom is one of the most sought-after ideals in with deadly drugs. That is not freedom! Instead they have be- human history. Man’s search for freedom has taken him into come totally enslaved to drugs! the fiercest of protests, struggles, revolutions, civil wars— For many years we have declared a war on drugs in America. even world wars. Today, in the midst of free societies, many What has been the result? Look at the facts and we must concede continueF to fight for what they perceive as ever greater freedoms. that we have lost that war! Did you know that what most people call freedom today is America is overcome by its drug problem. And “whatever really slavery? overcomes a man [or a nation], to that he is enslaved.” The great majority of people today are deceived about what We don’t talk much about the war on drugs today. People freedom truly is! And yet, we can’t be free until we know what don’t like to talk about losing a war. Many people began to see freedom is. Neither can we avoid slavery unless we know what their own families and children caught up in drugs and felt they slavery is. Are you sure you know? needed to tone down their approach. They didn’t want to be involved in a war so close to home. False Promise of Freedom Notice what the Apostle Peter said about many people who pro- The War on Pornography mote freedom: “They promise them freedom, but they themselves Another terrible addiction is gripping America today: sex addic- are slaves of corruption; for whatever overcomes a man, to that he tion. It is more and more taking center stage in our culture and is enslaved” (2 Peter 2:19; Revised Standard Version). If you are entertainment. It too is becoming more common, more main- overcome by something, you are enslaved to it. What does that stream, more widely accepted. Our television and movies portray mean, exactly? increasing levels of filth. And the problem is made all the worse Take alcoholism, for example. People may consider it freedom by the widespread availability of pornography on the Internet. It to be able to drink to excess, but many people do that so often, is big business—people by the millions are lapping it up. they become alcoholics; they then crave alcohol and feel miser- What does that say about us? It is Britain and the United able without it. States that primarily fuel that endeavor. Are we free? Most people Alcohol abuse comes with a staggering price tag, socially and would call that freedom. Is it really? Or is it enslaving us in ways economically. It costs billions of dollars each year to cover health that will destroy our marriages and families? Are we enslaved to and welfare services provided to alcoholics and their families in pornography? the U.S. Include their decreased productivity at work, and the Deep down we know that pornography is evil! In the past, cost is far greater. Alcoholics have higher rates of marriage sepa- even the thought of it caused us shame. At one time, some even ration and divorce, crime, automobile accidents, property dam- declared a war on pornography, but we don’t hear about that war age and injuries to persons, depression and suicide. They, their anymore. Why? Because we don’t like admitting defeat. We lost family and their friends all end up being the losers. that war as well. It is easy to see—as they struggle with their addiction, ruining What does it mean to lose the war on pornography? It means their family, their career, their life—that alcoholics are not free. losing the values that build strong marriages and strong fami- At one time they may have thought alcohol gave them freedom, lies. Strong families are the backbone of any strong nation. Yet but in truth it has enslaved them! we have been overcome by something we were too weak to resist. The same is true of drugs. We have developed a drug culture “Whatever overcomes a man [or a nation], to that he is enslaved”! in America and Britain. Mind-damaging, escapist drugs are in- Just look at the facts and you can plainly see that America is en- creasingly mainstream and popular, moving well past the pock- slaved to pornography. ets within the big cities. They are taking over the lives of people Social workers and ministers often discuss a rapidly growing of all income levels, all walks of life. Even 1 in 10 of our youth ages problem. Many people (especially the young) tell these profes- 12 to 17 are regular drug users! Our entertainment is more and sionals that they are hooked on Internet sex and can’t break the more obsessed with the drug world. Often we see high-profile habit. They have become addicted and have lost control. entertainers grappling with severe addiction, and even dying In the name of “free speech,” our leaders are allowing the evil prematurely from overdoses. god of this world to enslave our young people before they even learn Is that freedom? How many of these people have gotten how to live! (2 Corinthians 4:4). The most vile pornography is chan- hooked on drugs and cannot stop? Even low levels of drug use neled right into their own homes, which increases the temptation. can do irreparable damage to their minds. On top of that disas- The Bible commands us to flee temptation and fornication. istockphoto / trous effect, how many of these people are injecting or sniffing We are going to pay a deadly price for our rebellion against God. away increasing portions of their incomes at their families’ ex- The fact is, the more pornography we have, the less freedom we pense? How many are having to resort to ever more unsavory have. The negative impact of all smartstock : activities to fund their drug habits? that obscenity is incalculable. April 2012 cover Many people would consider it freedom to destroy their lives See FREEDOM page 8 ➤ THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 1 The Obama the American administrationVS.Constitution The government’s new health-care mandate is a stunning assault against the Constitution, against freedom of religion, against conscience, against life. by joel hilliker

he Obama administration conscience is violated, or whose beliefs are Predictably, people were outraged that is taking an ax to America’s trampled. The president has settled the Americans are going to be forced to pay freedom of religion. It has issue: Abortion-inducing drugs are ev- for things they morally oppose. The ad- deliberately picked a fight ery woman’s right—even if God Himself ministration knew this would happen, with religious Americans disagrees. and President Obama “retreated” to what and the Catholic Church in was surely his pre-planned position. Sup- particular in a move that Attacking Freedom of Religion posedly to appease those with religious should alarm Americans of all faiths. When the Department of Health and Hu- objections, he announced in mid-Febru- TThe president has mandated that em- man Services first published this proposal ary “a solution that works for everyone.” ployers provide health-care coverage for last August, Catholic leaders were among What “works for everyone” is not to all employees. He is now also demanding those who objected the most strenuously, back off the demand for free abortifacients, that this coverage include birth control: calling it “an unprecedented attack on sterilizations and contraceptives in all fed- free sterilizations and access to all fda- religious freedom.” Efforts to stop the erally mandated health-insurance plans. approved contraceptives, including those law failed, and in January, dhh Secre- “Under the rule, women will still have ac- that induce abortions. Of course, Catholic tary Kathleen Sebelius announced that it cess to free preventive care that includes doctrine forbids all of these practices, and will go into effect in August. She offered contraceptive services—no matter where even many non-Catholics likewise oppose one bizarre, meaningless concession: they work. So that core principle remains,” abortion, including the “morning-after Religiously affiliated organizations like the president explained. “But if a woman’s pill,” on religious grounds. hospitals and universities are allowed an employer is a charity or a hospital that has The government doesn’t additional year to “adapt” to the change. a religious objection to providing contra- care. It doesn’t matter how up- They won’t have to betray their convic- ceptive services as part of their health plan, 2 set religious leaders get, whose tions until August 2013. the insurance company—not the hospital, not the charity—will be required to reach tyrant—that firm limits on power are which protect the nation from human na- out and offer the woman contraceptive needed in order to check the evils of hu- ture, are obstacles preventing them from care free of charge, without co-pays and man nature within the government. remaking the nation according to their without hassles” (emphasis added). As James Madison wrote in Federalist own perverse ideals (article, page 5). So the “free” pharmacological abortions 51, “If men were angels, no government This thinking is not unique to the 21st are still ordered by law, but the insurance would be necessary. If angels were to gov- century. Hillsdale College President Larry company must pay for them and can’t ex- ern men, neither external nor internal con- Arnn points out that the seeds of this anti- plicitly bill the employer. Most likely it will trols on government would be necessary.” law thinking were sown a century ago by recoup the cost simply by charging the em- In the Constitution, the American Woodrow Wilson, who viewed the Consti- ployer higher premiums. And the employ- Founders established a system that suc- tution’s doctrines of limited government er is still required to provide free access to cessfully governs the government. as obsolete. “Wilson argued that progress services it views as sin. The president did The fundamental means by which the and evolution had brought human beings not try to “accommodate” religious free- Constitution accomplishes this are repre- to a place and time where we didn’t have to dom; rather, he demonstrated himself to sentation, separation of powers, and lim- worry about limited government,” Arnn be completely intolerant of dissent. ited government. The first of these puts said. “He rejected what the Founders iden- There are no exceptions for religious the ultimate power in the hands of voters. tified as a fixed or unchanging human na- insurance companies, self-insured reli- The second lies in the checks and balances ture, and thought we should be governed gious employers, non-profit employers the Founders created through interaction by an elite class of people who are not who are religious, or non-religious em- among three branches of government. The subject to political forces or constitutional ployers (such as small business owners third comes in the form of enumerated checks and balances—a class of people with personal convictions). Any Ameri- powers. For example, Article i, Section 8 of such as we find in our modern bureaucra- can who simply does not want his or her the Constitution outlines the duties of Con- cy. This form of government would oper- money paying for someone else to get ster- gress. If it’s not listed here, Congress can’t ate above politics, acting impartially in ac- ilized or to fatally poison a human embryo do it. And the head of government—very cordance with reason” (emphasis added). will pay stiff fines for obeying his or her unlike a monarch—is voted in, carries out Here is the crux of it. This thinking conscience rather than the law. his constitutional duties for four years, and trusts in human nature and human rea- This is not just morally wrong, it is soning. It sees nothing that needs constitutionally wrong. restraining. It is so confident in In the president’s view, a woman’s its own correctness that it seeks to Governing the Government right to have recreational sex operate above the law. Today, with This president is hostile toward the origi- a government that is fiercely fol- nal intent of the United States Constitu- and enjoy cost-free access to lowing this philosophy, it is plain tion, and this is just the latest example. pregnancy prevention/termination to see the problems that can result. The First Amendment guarantees that no law will prohibit an American from free trumps the constitutional right to act Casting Off Restraint exercise of religion. But in the president’s Right after Mr. Obama was elect- view, a woman’s right to have recreational according to one’s religious beliefs. ed, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald sex and enjoy cost-free access to preg- Flurry wrote on this subject in the nancy prevention/termination trumps the can be dismissed at that point, if not before. January 2009 issue: “The Founding Fathers constitutional right to act according to Remember, these fundamental restric- created the Constitution to limit the gov- one’s religious beliefs. tions were borne of a realistic understand- ernment’s power because they had lived The Founding Fathers had such an ing of human nature. But right now, these under a tyrant who decided, according to abuse of power in mind when they wrote restraints are under the knife. his own whims, what was fair for the peo- the Constitution—a document that is ple and what wasn’t. The Constitution gave now getting almost the same dismissive, Attacking the Constitution them a certain protection from evil human infinitely subjective treatment as the Bible Upon entering office, the president must nature. The Founders based this char- itself. solemnly promise that, to the best of his ter on certain biblical principles, The liberal view is that human nature ability, he will “preserve, protect and not just human reasoning.” is fundamentally good and should be defend the Constitution of the United What began with Wilson and blos- given room to flourish. The realist—and States.” That is required by the Constitu- somed under Franklin Roosevelt is now biblical—view is that human nature is tion, which also says that “senators and reaching its apex: transcending the limits fundamentally evil and must be conscien- representatives, and all executive and ju- imposed by the Founders, and perpetu- tiously governed. Thankfully, the Framers dicial officers … shall be bound by oath or ally increasing the government’s power as took the latter view. That is a big part of affirmation to support this Constitution.” a guarantor of “positive rights.” the reason that the system of government Far too many of these leaders have tak- Today the federal government acts, istockphoto / they created, while imperfect, has stood en that oath—and then done the opposite! for example, as though citizens have the for over two centuries and done much to The current president has, to the best of “right” to material goods and services— images guarantee the success of the United States his ability, smeared, ignored and under- housing, education, health-care, abortifa- getty / of America and its people. mined that founding document! cients—giving the government the obliga- afp / The Founders realized that govern- America’s most powerful leaders to- tion to take resources from other citizens to loeb ment is necessary in order to check the day fundamentally disagree with the pay for them. This represents an enormous saul

/ evils of human nature in society. They charter they are meant to uphold! In the also recognized—having fought and eyes of the president and his top leaders, April 2012 trumpet bled in order to free themselves from a the Founders’ limits on the government, THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 3 expansion in federal power at the expense everybody. That’s because it’s a lot cheaper some truly ignoble thinking. of the rights and freedoms of individuals. to prevent an illness than to treat one.” How else can you explain the govern- The president is bypassing the demo- There is something chilling about this ment so pitilessly steamrolling over deeply cratic process with growing impunity. The reasoning when applied to human life itself. held religious objections as though they legislature is blowing past its constitution- Many people believe—correctly—that are utterly baseless, undermining consti- ally enumerated powers and continually human life starts at conception and stoutly tutional protections and even alienating enlarging its mandate. And the judiciary oppose drugs that induce early-term abor- voters in the process? is torturing the Constitution’s language tions. With this law, the administration In pushing his radical social agenda, to force ever more bizarre meanings into isn’t just making it possible for a woman the president is so convinced of his own it, thus bringing it into conformity with to take such drugs—it is forcing all taxpay- righteousness, none of that matters. From its own liberal plans. These efforts are just ing citizens to indirectly provide her with his perspective, the centuries-old doctrine getting started—and are quickly gaining these drugs for free. And the president of a church with a billion believers is a momentum. praises the termination of the pregnan- fringe view, and freedom of religion is just These leaders are shucking off the con- cy—what could be a fertilized ovum or a bump in the road. stitutional system by which the govern- human embryo—for its cost savings. Like ment itself is properly governed. Why? catching a cancer in its early stages. Where This Is Leading Because of their basic, fatal misunder- He’s right in one sense: Terminating a This is just a single example of the dangers standing of human nature. Because they pregnancy is certainly cheaper than rais- posed by throwing out the rule of law. reject the crucial need for human beings to ing a child. Death is cheaper than life. “A president who slights the Constitu- live subject to God’s law and, in this case, This president is solidly in favor of tion is like a rider who hates his horse: He even the law of the land! abortions (what he calls “reproductive will be thrown, and the nation along with Essentially, this thrusts the door open rights”). As an Illinois state senator, he him,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Pence in Sep- to the very abuses of power the American voted against a ban on what is called par- tember 2010. Founders had fled and worked so dili- tial-birth abortion—and then went a step This exploding development calls to gently to prevent. It destroys the rule of law further: He opposed a bill to protect the mind the darkest period in the history of and replaces it with the rule of men. In life of a newborn that managed to survive ancient Israel—the period of the judges. the end, human reasoning reigns supreme. that grisly procedure. Take a moment, if As the nation turned its back on God and The whim of the tyrant becomes law. you can stomach it, to imagine what that His law, it suffered curse upon nightmar- would actually mean within the walls of ish curse. Scripture uses a simple descrip- The Tyranny of Human Reasoning an abortion clinic! tion of the moral and intellectual climate Lest you think there is no cause for con- Now this man holds the highest office at that time—one that rings sickeningly cern that circumstances could descend to in the land and is dictating the nation’s true today: “Every man did that which was that state, consider again the administra- health-care law. His administration is right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). tion’s latest ruling—not only mandating deftly couching this latest mandate in no- Quoting that verse in 2001, Mr. Flurry that all Americans receive health-care cov- ble language like “women’s health,” “pre- wrote, “This was the condition of our bib- erage, but also that in it, insurance com- ventive care” and “reproductive services” lical forefathers—just before their nation panies must provide free sterilization, con- (as if anyone who opposes it is against collapsed and they went into slavery!” traception and pharmacological abortion. women’s health). But it is the product of Watch for history to repeat itself. n This ruling imposes breathtaking constraints on private companies, plac- ing them at the mercy of governmental whims. It forces individual citizens to enter into contracts whether or not they want to. And it undercuts the Bill of Rights’ protection of free exercise of religion, compelling anyone who disapproves of these practices on religious grounds to compromise their beliefs. Why is the president making such sweeping moves, sacrificing such pillar ARE WE FREE? American freedoms? Simply because he believes it is the right thing to do. More and more Americans are Insurance companies that reduce the worried about their government. number of pregnancies will help their bot- After decades of trusting human tom line, the president contends. This new reasoning instead of restraining it, regulation labels birth control—including sterilizations and abortion-causing we find ourselves more and more drugs—as “preventive care.” “That means lawless. But are we more free? free check-ups, free mammograms, im- munizations and other basic services,” No Freedom Without Law Mr. Obama explained. “We fought for this because it saves lives and it shows exactly why law and liberty saves money—for families, for are linked. Request your FREE copy today. 4 businesses, for government, for How the Constitution Crisis Will End What happens when leaders put themselves above the law. By Stephen Flurry upreme Court Justice Ruth document she is sworn to support as one on the other hand, “denied rights and op- Bader Ginsburg must have missed of just nine sitting justices on the United portunities to many Muslims.” the memo about Egypt’s radical States Supreme Court. If only those old documents, like the Islamist transformation over the “I would not look to the U.S. Constitu- Constitution and the Magna Carta, would Spast year. Since Hosni Mubarak’s govern- tion, if I were drafting a constitution in the have guaranteed more rights for Muslims. ment crumbled under heavy pressure from year 2012,” Ginsburg told her foreign audi- Think of the peaceful and cooperative the United States, Islamic extremists have ence. Egypt needs a more recent document spirit there would be between Anglo-Sax- been assaulting Coptic Christians, raping to work from, she believes, like South Afri- on nations and the world of Islam! their wives and daughters, and burning ca’s constitution. South African law guar- During a February interview, President their homes and churches to the ground. antees citizens the rights to housing, edu- Obama was asked to respond to critics on In September, terrorists ambushed Israel’s cation and health care—all high-ranking the left who say he hasn’t been the trans- embassy, prompting a late-night emergen- items on the liberal agenda. South Africa’s formational political figure he promised cy evacuation in September. In January, free speech clause, on the other hand, is to be. “What’s frustrated people,” the pres- Islamist hard-liners, led by the Muslim much more restrictive than the U.S. Con- ident said, “is that I have not been able to Brotherhood, won 72 percent of the seats in stitution and could be used by oppressors force Congress to implement every aspect Egypt’s parliament. They refuse to recog- as an easy excuse to squelch any expres- of what I said in 2008. Well, you know, it nize the State of Israel and have threatened sion deemed to be “controversial.” turns out that our Founders designed a to dissolve the Egypt-Israel peace treaty. “It really is a great piece of work,” Gins- system that makes it more difficult to bring Yet, despite the transparent nature of burg said, referring to the South African about change than I would like sometimes” Egypt’s Islamic revolution, liberal elites document. As for America’s Constitu- (emphasis added throughout). in the West continue marching along in tion, it’s just too old, she told her Egyptian If it weren’t for that old document, in total darkness, fantasizing about what interviewers. other words, we’d be much further along rights the new Egyptian constitution might Of course, Ruth Bader Ginsburg is in our radical transformation of America! guarantee for homosexuals and women. hardly the first progressive to call for a The president has long desired to cast These blind guides act as if a piece of pa- more flexible constitution that can be pe- off the restraints of the U.S. Constitution. per will prevent the Muslim Brotherhood riodically adjusted to accommodate a rad- During a 2001 interview, many years be- from implementing tyranny and enforcing ical leftist agenda. But it’s still shocking to fore he became president, Mr. Obama crit- sharia law, and will usher in a new era of hear a Supreme Court justice, of all people, icized the document as being a charter of Western-style freedom and peace in Egypt. insult the supreme law of the United States negative liberties. He said, “It says what the “It is a very inspiring time—that you in front of a foreign audience. states can’t do to you, says what the federal have overthrown a dictator, and that you On the other hand, in today’s upside- government can’t do to you, but it doesn’t are striving to achieve a genuine democra- down world, if you’re a Supreme Court say what the federal government or the cy,” Ginsburg said while visiting Cairo in justice with a hankering to bash the U.S. state government must do on your behalf.” February. She lavished praise on Egypt’s Constitution, what better place to receive This administration isn’t even trying recent parliamentary elections, saying a warm reception than in Cairo? Cairo, re- to conceal its contempt for the Founding they were free and fair. member, is where President Obama spoke istockphoto After that, she proceeded to trash the in 2009 about Islam’s “proud tradition of April 2012 09/ er United States Constitution—the very tolerance.” British-American “colonialism,” THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 5 Fathers and the rule of law. But then again, case of liberal progressives. The Supreme Rule of Law why should it? Most Americans are far too “There are lots of possible reasons,” the When the American Framers wrote the busy watching reality shows and sports Times explained. “The United States Con- U.S. Constitution, they intended to pre- events to take note of what’s happening. And stitution is terse and old, and it guarantees vent abuse of power by carefully defining then there’s the liberal media—an establish- relatively few rights. The commitment of the specific responsibilities and narrowly ment chock full of “progressive” thinkers. some members of the Supreme Court to restricting the administrative powers of all The New York Times, for example, interpreting the Constitution according three government branches. The highest rushed to defend Justice Ginsburg’s sub- to its original meaning in the 18th century authority of the land wasn’t any particular versive remarks in Egypt. It referred to may send the signal that it is of little cur- branch of government or elected official. how popular America’s constitution used rent use to, say, a new African nation. And It was the United States Constitution. to be around the world. In 1987, for ex- the Constitution’s waning influence may This supreme law concept, of course, ample, Time magazine estimated that out be part of a general decline in American is firmly rooted in the pages of your Bible. of 170 countries in the world at the time, power and prestige” (February 6). There is just one lawgiver, Scripture more than 160 nations had “written char- The ignorance here is stunning. Amer- says, who can save and destroy (James ters modeled directly or indirectly on the ica is besieged by all kinds of problems and 4:12). It is the Eternal God, the Prophet U.S. version.” evils. Its stature and influence among na- Isaiah wrote. God is our righteous judge But oh how times have changed in just tions has been massively diminished. And and king (Isaiah 33:22). one generation. Today, the supreme law yet, rather than view the Constitution as When ancient Israel rejected God as of the land is losing its international ap- a way to solve our problems, many of our king and insisted on having a human king peal—and even here in America, in the leaders now see it as part of the problem! like the nations around it, God outlined

according to the guidelines set forth in the Constitution. But until changes could ‘Die by Suicide’ be lawfully enacted, the laws of the land— whether good or bad—had to be obeyed, A solemn warning from one of America’s Lincoln strongly maintained. The govern- greatest leaders. By Stephen Flurry ment was responsible for strictly enforcing these laws. And every American—citizens n 1838, when he was just 28 years old, Abraham and leaders alike—was duty-bound to Lincoln delivered a groundbreaking speech in Spring- obey the law of the land. Ifield, Illinois, titled “The Perpetuation of Our Political “Let every man remember that to Institutions.” Here was a young man, less than a decade violate the law is to trample on the blood removed from his teen years, delivering a powerful of his father, and to tear the character warning to America—boldly telling the fledgling nation what it of his own, and his children’s liberty,” Lincoln said. “Let rever- needed to do in order to survive. ence for the laws be breathed by every American mother to the He began the speech, also known as the Lyceum address, by lisping babe that prattles on her lap—let it be taught in schools, expressing praise and thanksgiving for the stupendous bless- in seminaries and in colleges; let it be written in primers, spell- ings God had bestowed on this land. “We find ourselves in the ing books and in almanacs—let it be preached from the pulpit, peaceful possession of the fairest portion of the Earth as regards proclaimed in legislative halls, and enforced in courts of justice. extent of territory, fertility of soil, and salubrity of climate,” said And, in short, let it become the political religion of the nation; Lincoln. He reminded Americans that they also owed a debt of and let the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the grave gratitude to their ancestors—the “patriots of seventy-six” who and the gay, of all sexes and tongues, and colors and conditions, helped establish and build such a powerful nation. sacrifice unceasingly upon its altars.” Given these unprecedented benefits and blessings, along Just before making those powerful remarks, Lincoln urged all with the fact that the United States was barricaded between two Americans to look to and follow the example of the Founders— massive bodies of water, Lincoln could hardly conceive of any those who pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred great danger ever coming from abroad to threaten the existence honor to uphold and to defend the rule of law. of the United States. Now look around. Where in America today do we find that The real danger facing America, Lincoln warned, was the kind of reverential respect for the rule of law? Where are the lawless spirit he believed to be spreading from within. In fact, it courageous leaders who faithfully uphold and defend the law of was several incidents of mob violence in America that angered the land? Where are the ones who would defend the integrity Lincoln into preparing his Lyceum remarks. and the humility of the Founders? The leaders of 2012 see the “I know the American people are much attached to their Founding Fathers as obstacles in the way of the progressive government,” he said. He firmly believed that most people in agenda. They barely even blink as they publicly denounce the his day were prepared to sacrifice and even suffer for the good very document they have sworn to promote and defend! of country. But if the rebellious element wasn’t stamped out, A nation at war against the rule of law cannot last. This is the this hostility toward the rule of law would spread and it would sobering warning young Lincoln wanted to pass on to the men eventually divide the nation and threaten its very existence! at Lyceum.

The law is the law, Lincoln insisted. There may be some “If destruction be our lot,” Lincoln said, “we must ourselves public

bad laws, he explained. And be its author and finisher.” In other words, if we end in ruin, domain April 2012 once they are discovered, they we have only ourselves to blame. “As a nation of freemen, we 6 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET should be immediately repealed, must live through all time, or die by suicide.” n specific instructions for the Israelite mon- the latter days, childish leaders and unjust Washington said during his famous fare- archy in Deuteronomy 17. These earthly judges would help to accelerate the stun- well address. kings, for example, were expressly prohib- ning downfall of our once mighty nations. Since those words were spoken, how- ited from multiplying livestock, silver and Strong’s Concordance defines the word ever, our sins have multiplied greatly. We gold for themselves (verses 16-17). judge in Isaiah 3:2 as one who pronounces are evolving all right, as my father wrote God’s law, in other words, put certain sentence, governs, defends, executes and in No Freedom Without Law—evolving limitations on the exercise of human pow- reasons. The prophecy says God has tak- into anarchy! er. Leaders were to be subject to a higher en away these kinds of leaders—the God- power—God’s royal law, as summed up fearing, law-abiding, wise and prudent Righteous Judgment Is Prophesied! by the Ten Commandments! ones. He’s taken away judges who render Study the rest of Isaiah 59. Compare it with Notice verses 18-19 in particular: “And it true justice—because of our many sins. Hosea 4:6, where God says, “My people are shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of Sin, or lawlessness, is the cause! destroyed for lack of knowledge: because his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not short- thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also of this law in a book out of that which is ened, that it cannot save; neither his ear reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to before the priests the Levites: And it shall heavy, that it cannot hear,” it says in Isa- me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of be with him, and he shall read therein all iah 59:1. God isn’t that far away from any thy God, I will also forget thy children.” the days of his life: that he may learn one of us—if we would just turn back to All of these “progressive” ideas and to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the Him and submit to His laws. “But your this modern knowledge, to paraphrase words of this law and these statutes, to do iniquities have separated between you and what Herbert W. Armstrong wrote in the them.” God actually commanded the lead- your God, and your sins have hid his face August-September 1970 Plain Truth, “yet ers to write out the law and to study it from you, that he will not hear” (verse 2). virtually no happiness—just accelerating every day! They were the ones, after all, Because of the sins of our people, God has troubles, problems, evils. It’s like being primarily responsible for administering hidden His face. What a terrifying reality! stranded on a raft in mid-ocean. Water God’s government—for making judg- Our hands are defiled with blood and everywhere, but not a drop to drink.” ments based on God’s holy law. our feet pursue after evil, the prophet con- Yet, despite this widespread political, When Israel’s leaders feared God and tinues. Our thoughts are on evil continual- social and economic turmoil man has obeyed His commandments, the entire na- ly. We speak lies and perverseness. No one brought upon himself—because of blatant tion prospered! On the other hand, Israel’s calls for justice or defends the truth. Our hostility toward God and the rule of law— history teems with tragic examples of what trust is in vanity—not God (verses 3-4, 7). there is good news ahead for America and happened when leaders acted like they We have become so steeped in sin that the rest of the world. Isaiah alludes to it were above the law. When lawless leaders we despise the rule of law—whether it is at the end of chapter 59, where it says the took the helm, the people of Israel turned God’s law or the law of the land. “Redeemer shall come to Zion”! to every imaginable evil and idolatrous act. And so we continue on, groping in the Jesus Christ will soon return to rule This always led to anarchy and division— dark like a blind man (verse 10). “The way this Earth! And it is “for judgment” that eventually captivity and slavery. of peace they know not; and there is no Jesus came into this world, it says in John judgment in their goings: they have made 9:39. Jesus Christ is coming back to this The Curse of Lawlessness them crooked paths: whosoever goeth Earth to administer righteous judgment In his 1999 essay “No Law Without Order,” therein shall not know peace. Therefore is based on the rule of God’s law. historian Paul Johnson wrote, “The es- judgment far from us, neither doth justice He is coming to establish the rule of God sence of the rule of law is its impersonality, overtake us: we wait for light, but behold on Earth! omnipotence and ubiquity. It is the same obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in Dozens upon dozens of Bible prophe- law for everyone, everywhere—kings, em- darkness” (verses 8-9). cies describe this soon-coming millennial perors, high priests, the state itself, are Truer words could not have been writ- reign. Revelation 11:15 says when the sev- subject to it. If exceptions are made, the ten about 21st-century America. enth trumpet sounds, the kingdoms of this rule of law begins to collapse—that was Colonial America, on the other hand, world will become the “kingdoms of our the grand lesson of antiquity.” was very different. As Johnson wrote in his Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign America today has utterly failed to essay, “[T]he colonists were determined, for ever and ever.” In the book of Daniel, learn this grand lesson. This is why those God-fearing men, often in search of a reli- Jesus Christ’s coronation—which takes who should be enforcing the Constitution gious toleration denied them at home, who place in heaven just before He returns—is are instead working, actively and openly, brought their families and were anxious to described in chapter 7, verses 13-14. In that to undermine the very law on which farm and establish permanent settlements. same chapter, the prophet adds that God America was established! … Thus took shape the economic dy- will give His Kingdom to the saints of the And yet, even though this spirit of law- namo that eventually became the United Most High and they will possess that King- lessness now permeates the highest levels States—an experiment designed to estab- dom forever and ever (verses 18, 22, 27). of government, most people today, even lish the rule of God on Earth.” Yes, the resurrected Jesus Christ is the those who know America is headed in the What a lofty proposition! What a noble only leader truly qualified to bring obedi- wrong direction, simply cannot conceive goal! The rule of God on Earth. No wonder ence, peace and prosperity to this rebel- of this republic ever ending in anarchy, George Washington said the foundations lious, sin-drenched planet. He’s the only captivity or slavery. of our national policy had to be laid in the ruler capable of firmly establishing and God says this is exactly what’s coming! pure and immutable principles of private permanently upholding the rule of God’s Isaiah 3, for example, perfectly describes morality. law over all the Earth. our lawless society. It’s a prophecy for our “Of all the dispositions and habits That just and righteous reign day—it applies to the people of America and which lead to political prosperity, religion is much nearer than you might Britain primarily. Isaiah prophesied that in and morality are indispensable supports,” think! n 7 ➤ FREEDOM from page 1 speech afforded our society. It is a great value that we should protect. I promote it in every way I possibly can. Destroying Family But let’s get our priorities right. Is free speech more important Peter paints an extraordinary picture. Imagine someone coming than family? No, it is not. People behave as if family doesn’t even to you enclosed in a cage, handcuffed, his legs bound by shack- matter! And yet, family is the foundation of every great nation! les—and offering you freedom! “They promise … freedom, but The stability of our nation is at stake. Why do nations die? they themselves are slaves of corruption ….” That’s exactly what is God asks, “Why will ye die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11). happening so often today! The drug pushers and pornographers Can we really calculate the damage of all these social evils? They do not have true freedom! add up to the destruction of our nations! Nations collapse by giv- God cares deeply about the family. God commands husbands ing in to these evils that are erroneously called freedoms! Not to treat their wives with a high degree of honor (1 Peter 3:7). He only does our will become hopelessly weak, but our sins cut us wants stable marriages that stay together and rear stable children off from God’s blessings and protection! in an environment of authoritative love and care. I don’t care who calls it freedom; it is not freedom to get into Do we really believe marriages are pornography and drugs! It is enslave- strengthened when men watch pornog- “Live as free men, ment! It enslaves individuals, and it leads raphy? Does being addicted to pornogra- to the enslavement of the whole nation! phy help you to honor your wife more— yet without using perhaps the wife that God Himself has your freedom as a What Is True Freedom? given you? We all know the answer to Many religious people like to talk about that; it’s just a matter of whether we are pretext for evil; but live freedom. But are they getting their defi- willing to face it. as servants of God.” nition of freedom from the Bible? “And We must realize what this way of ye shall know the truth, and the truth thinking is doing to us! It is tearing our 1 Peter 2:16 shall make you free” (John 8:32). If they families apart and leaving our children, have a different idea of freedom, they are in many cases, without the proper love and protection from their enslaved. They are not following true Christianity! And that is mother and father. Then they become very vulnerable to drug true of many who consider themselves very religious. and sex addictions themselves! Jesus said to the religious people of His day, “This people hon- True freedom means being free of dishonor in our marriages. oureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Mark That is the kind of freedom we need more of today. 7:6). Christ condemns a lot of people with this statement! Many We need to be free of fighting, divorce and perversion. Free people talk about God and Jesus Christ; they act religious. But in of anarchy and chaos in our families. We need to be stable! Par- truth, their hearts are far from God! They are actually enslaved ents must be stable, or what can we expect of the children? They to a false religion, and think they are obeying God. desperately need a mother and father to love them, guide them, We must be free from that kind of false Christianity! teach them—show them how to be strong, how to face life with- If you’re going to be a Christian, you must follow Christ (1 Pe- out drugs and other addictions. ter 2:21). Christ lived His life in perfect subjection to the law of Yet, under the guise of “ free speech,” we are destroying our mar- God. He resisted the pulls of His flesh rather than being overcome riages and families—the foundation of our nation! Spewing out tons by them! We need to be like Christ—free of human nature! Most of pornography is not free speech—it is a diabolical plot to destroy people don’t even know what human nature is. America and Britain! And the plan is working extremely well. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). That is God’s view of hu- A Nation Enslaved man nature, though most people don’t believe that. Do you rec- Strong marriages build strong children. We need strong children ognize the evil in your own heart—or are you, like most others, who are not vulnerable to drugs. deceived about human nature? Why do children want to take drugs and destroy their minds? We can see this truth illustrated all around us: If you let a des- The mind is the only thing that really sets us apart from animals. perately wicked heart run free, it will do great damage! What is lacking in their lives that would make them want to do It is very difficult to keep God’s law. But the problem isn’t with that to themselves? Why even take a chance on something so de- the law, it is with us. We need to change and conform ourselves structive? Because their wills are so weakened, they must have to that law. We need to replace the wickedness of our hearts with something to fill the void their parents have left—in most cases. the righteousness of God by writing God’s law in our hearts! Of course, drugs don’t truly fill that void at all—they only bring (Hebrews 8:8-10). We need to write God’s law on our hearts indel- people into slavery of the worst possible kind. ibly—to etch it on our hearts and minds so it will never go away! Drug addiction destroys the will! Sex addiction destroys the That will bring true freedom into our lives! will! The worse the addiction, the weaker the will to resist, to We have been deceived to believe just the reverse—that God’s fight evil. law somehow enslaves us. That is false! Beware of men—no man The courts are trying to protect free speech. Yet, what will can give you true freedom! Only God can do that. happen if families fall apart and there is no strong nation left? God’s law brings us the ultimate, most wonderful freedom of What good will “free” speech be then? If the family is in turmoil all. It protects our families. It protects our children. It protects us and confusion, if parents are divorcing and children are left to from all the evil in this world. themselves, how important is free speech at that point? We should have joyful freedom. I want to be free! “Live as free What good is free speech if you lose the very values that made men, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live you great? We are polluting and vitiating the public good, the as servants of God” (1 Peter 2:16; rsv). character, that we have possessed as a nation in the past. How beautiful and precious is freedom! True freedom is a Understand: I value free speech highly! I know that wonderful gift! The greatest gift God can give us is to make us 8 I could not be printing these words without the free truly free. n landscape around me again. But what I see is terrifying. The trees are stripped bare of their leaves. There is no grass. The water in the streams and watering holes is sand, fringed with the dry bones of animals. The lushness Why Food of the farmland has been completely denud- ed. There are people here—only a few. But there is a commotion among them. They Prices are fighting over what seems to be a small loaf of dry bread. I begin to feel hungry. “And when he had opened the third Keep seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in Climbing his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley Have you heard of the black for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil horse of the apocalypse? and the wine” (Revelation 6:5-6). By John Krueger Look to the Cause Although most of us don’t go hungry from day to day, the facts are changing, and y happiest times as a youth Meteorologists blame the La Niña weather more and more people are realizing that were when I was working on pattern and a cool Pacific Ocean. This year, our food chain is really in danger. my grandfather’s farm. He had La Niña has formed again, so the already We will soon live in the world of the M400 acres of wheat, corn, po- drought-stricken states of Texas, Okla- black horse. The truth is, our weather, the tatoes, soybeans and cattle in one of the homa and New Mexico might be in for yields of our crops and the prices—or exis- most fertile parts of Michigan. The prop- another dry year. In Texas, meteorologists tence—of our food is not ultimately decid- erty was dotted with gardens and apple, fear this trend could persist for a decade. ed by La Niña or the randomness of global pear and cherry trees. It yielded so much The American farmer is now caught weather. God is in control! And He actually produce that my grandfather opened a in a storm of damaging weather and eco- uses the weather to bless or punish us. Our stand and sold the excess to people who nomic chaos. Farmers in other countries worldwide weather and food problems are came out from the city. are also having trouble producing. Be- long-overdue curses for our worldwide sins. My wish as a youngster was to be a tween 1999 and 2006, world food stocks What can you do as the black horse be- farmer like him. But as time went on, shrank by half. In the past five years, gins pacing? In a world where having food Grandpa died and Grandma sold the farm. world food prices have risen 68 percent! to survive is in question? Where a modest Like thousands of other farms that have Michigan farm will seem like a food para- gone by the wayside, it faded from view. A Disturbing Picture dise fantasy? Now, instead of a farmer, I am a food I often think back on my times as a young You have to go to the cause. The root manager for a commercial kitchen. I receive lad on Grandpa’s farm. I can still visualize cause is not a cool Pacific Ocean. It is our periodic bulletins from the agriculture or- the abundance of the vegetables and fruits. transgression of God’s laws. In Leviticus ganizations informing me about cattle and But that vision is often overshadowed by 26, God promised to bless us abundantly food crop production in the United States. another scene that plays out in my mind. for obedience. (And He has blessed this In February, we received some alarm- I’m standing on a vast plain, looking nation—and others that are also descen- ing—but anticipated—news: Food prices to the horizon. It begins to blur; a bloom dants of Abraham, because Abraham are going way up. of dust rises up. Billowing with particles obeyed Him.) Last summer, ranchers in Texas, Okla- of dry earthen debris, a dust cloud sweeps But today, we are not obeying Him. Le- homa and other states experienced the across the land in great rolling waves. It is viticus 26 also tells us what that will pro- most severe drought in over half a cen- coming toward me. I begin to see some- duce. Our nations, our leaders, our fami- tury, leaving meager supplies of grass and thing inside it: a vague figure. Flecks of dust lies and our minds are suffering, and soon water for the cattle. Hay went from $80 to land on my eyelashes. Suddenly the figure our stomachs will be, too. $200 a ton. The cattle inventory shrank to explodes out of the cloud—a black horse There is a permanent solution to food its smallest size since 1952—the 14th an- carrying a skeletal rider holding a pair of security, though. Not willful ignorance, nual decline and the longest downward scales. I turn to flee, but I’m overrun. The not wishful thinking, not idle criticizing, cycle in the history of the business. cloud covers me in dry, choking blackness. not reducing pollution. The solution is to That means retail beef prices are rising. I see, and feel, only a dark tempest. admit that we are helpless to control the After climbing 10 percent last year, they are The cloud gradually becomes light- weather, and that we must expected to climb another 5 percent this er, and I can see light from the sun repent and obey the God year. Corn, wheat and soybeans are trend- again. I can gradually discern the who does! n

istockphoto ing upward, and we should expect to pay / 10 percent more for eggs, butter and milk. Request a free copy of our booklet The April 2012 macida What caused the drought? Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 9 April 2012 10 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET acebook published a list of most-shared articles in 2011. The stories most often passed on to others dealt with parenting advice or other parenting-related parents! issues.F This means multiple thousands of people have high interest in nurturing their children. That is great news. It is obvious that many parents expend Take Charge of a lot of money and effort transporting children to dance lessons, music lessons and sporting events. However, a close look at article content on Facebook’s list reveals Your Child’s that there is little about the nuts and bolts of the life-altering parenting skills necessary to help guarantee a child’s success for a lifetime. Incredible All children possess amazing promise. No sum of gold can equal the value of what children can attain when put in the proper environment and provided with Potential ample challenging opportunities. Yet, no child is capable of mapping out a fantasti- cally successful future on his own. Every child needs the help of loving and in- They possess dazzling volved adults—in particular, the parents. promise. Be honest: But parenting is more than providing music, dance and sports lessons. Sadly, Will your parenting because of this lack of robust parenting, help them attain it? children, parents and society as a whole are suffering. by Dennis Leap How concerned are you about your child’s future? What steps are you taking to help him achieve his fullest potential? There is one critically important step you must take to ensure your child attains his incredible human potential. Do you know what that step is? The Latest on Parenting Just reading a couple of article titles from the Facebook list easily shows that there is something radically wrong with today’s parenting: “Parents, Don’t Dress Your Girls Like Tramps” and “Permissive Par- ents: Curb Your Brats.” Excerpts from several more articles are even more revealing. Lisa Bloom, in her article “How to Talk to Little Girls,” wrote, “15 to 18 percent of girls under 12 now wear mascara, eyeliner and lipstick regularly; eating disorders are up and self-esteem is down ….” Amy Chua tells us in “Why Chi- nese Mothers Are Superior,” “… 70 percent of the Western mothers said either that ‘stressing academic success is not good for children’ or that ‘parents need to foster the idea that learning is fun.’” Ron Clark, an award-winning teacher who started his own academy in Atlanta, Georgia, stated

photos in “What Teachers Really Want to Tell

go April 2012 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 11 Parents”: “For starters, we are educators, the top of their lungs.” Granderson ex- who hate us and are killing us. not nannies. We are educated profession- pressed deep frustration at having to be Robert Shaw, in his book The Epidem- als who work with kids every day and of- in a public place with families where the ic, shows that the fruit of faddish parent- ten see your child in a different light than parents have to tell their children “to ‘sit ing—which is permissive parenting—is you do. If we give you advice, don’t fight it. down’ a thousand times.” now plain. He writes, “Far too many chil- Take it, and digest it in the same way you We have all shared similar uncomfort- dren today are sullen, unfriendly, distant, would consider advice from a doctor or able experiences. Granderson concludes preoccupied and even unpleasant. They lawyer. I have become used to some par- that the poor fruits of permissive parent- whine, nag, throw tantrums and demand ents who just don’t want to hear anything ing are one of the reasons why many peo- constant attention from their parents, who negative about their child …. And if you ple do not like children. are spread too thin to spend enough time really want to help your children be suc- Amy Chua does not use the word per- with them. Feeling guilty and anxious, the cessful, stop making excuses for them.” missive, but heavily implies it in her article. parents in turn soothe their kids with un- Although these articles and others like Comparing Western parents with Eastern, healthy snacks, faddish clothing, toys and them discuss the problems and challenges she wrote, “[T]he vast majority of the Chi- media. Many kids, even very young ones, parents face, none digs deep and asks criti- nese mothers said that they believe their treat their parents with contempt, rolling cal questions like: Are our parenting meth- children can be ‘the best’ students, that their eyes and speaking rudely.” Naturally ods causing the problems parents face? Or: ‘academic achievement reflects success- many parents are upset at the negative How do we fix modern parenting? ful parenting,’ and that if children did not daily struggle with their children. Yet few You can waste a lot of time and energy excel at school then there was a ‘problem’ are willing to admit the real problems lie reading articles about parenting problems and parents ‘were not doing their job.’” By with them. similar to your own. You may get some the way, Amy Chua took a lot of flak for As a result, Shaw tells us, “A host of new encouragement, but unless you find a her views on parenting, which many peo- ‘clinical diagnoses’ have been invented to solution that works, your own parenting ple viewed as child abuse. Although some explain why children seem totally spoiled, problems won’t improve. of her views are extreme, much of what she untrained and unsocialized, and an incred- In order to help your child achieve his says is just like the old-school parenting ibly large number of children have been di- fullest potential, you must become a very my parents used with me. agnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity effective parent. This is your primary re- What is permissiveness in parenting? disorder (adhd) and bombarded with psy- sponsibility while your children live with choactive drugs.” Isn’t it time we wake up to you! Time is wasting. Permissiveness Explained the fact that permissive parenting cannot be Merriam-Webster Dictionary gives one fixed by stuffing our children full of pills? Time to Face Reality definition of permissiveness as: “deficient Shaw courageously says that the tragic Robert Fritz, in his book Creating, writes: in firmness or control: indulgent, lax.” slaughter of students and teachers at Col- “When I first began to teach people the That definition well describes permis- umbine High School (and so many other creative process, I assumed that people sive parenting. When parents do not use schools) should be attributed to the failure would have some difficulty in forming firmness in controlling their child in ei- in modern parenting. Wouldn’t you agree, the end result they wanted, but that they ther the home or public—when they are parents, that it is time to get control of our would have no difficulty in noting where indulgent, simply giving the child every- broken families? There is a way. they were since reality is always there to thing desired, and don’t require much in see …. [W]as I wrong … when it came to the way of obedience—that is permissive Regain Control accurately describing current reality, peo- parenting. A permissive parent has great The Prophet Isaiah, through the inspiration ple often did not do as well.” difficulty saying no—ever! of Almighty God, was able to see into our A lot of parents assume they are doing This method of parenting does not day and write down in his book a nearly a pretty good job of raising their children. work. You won’t find a book titled Permis- word-for-word description of what we read If you feel this way, it may be time to take a sive Parenting, or How to Be a Permissive in our newspaper and magazine headlines second look. Be honest with yourself. Are Parent. But the fact is, permissive ideas are concerning our frightening problems with you accurately describing current reality? spread throughout many books, promoted our youth: “And the people shall be op- Only one article on Facebook’s list on television and seen in movies. Permis- pressed, every one by another, and every actually identified the cause for today’s siveness has been encouraged throughout one by his neighbour: the child shall behave poor parenting—by candidly stating that Western society for decades. It began with himself proudly against the ancient, and the parents are too permissive! In his article the young adults of the 1960s who wanted base against the honourable” (Isaiah 3:5). “Permissive Parents: Curb Your Brats,” unrestrained personal freedoms for them- Isaiah prefaced this statement with a cnn contributor L.Z. Granderson color- selves and their children. Through the detailed description of the breakdown in fully listed the socially unacceptable in- revolt against “the oppressive establish- leadership—in society and in the home. fractions children of permissive parents ment,” massive social changes in morals, The mighty man, the judge, the prudent commit regularly: 5-year-olds running sexuality and traditional values engulfed and ancient are all gone. When strong rampant in public places like restaurants, and reshaped the way churches, schools, leadership is stripped from us, we get a grocery stores and airports—even on air- governments and families did things. mess like permissive parenting and a soci- planes. He reported seeing “a small child Freedom was in—control, law, order and ety full of crime, immorality and violence. slapping her mother in the face,” and rules were out. Just a little honesty tells us that our West- hearing other children telling their par- As society has freed itself from re- ern world is headed for a titanic crash. ents to “‘shut up’ and ‘leave me alone’ at straints, we have created a horrible mon- Yet notice that the prophet does more ster that is devouring us with alcohol and than simply warn us. He also diagnoses the April 2012 illicit drugs, epidemic crime, killer sexu- problem, and thus indirectly gives us the 12 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET ally transmitted diseases, and children solution: “As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over just saying it. Loving your child means that teenagers, detect parental hypocrisy imme- them. O my people, they which lead thee you give warm affection and undivided at- diately. Nothing will undermine your par- cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy tention. Undivided attention is not sitting enting more than a bad parental example. paths” (verse 12). Isaiah tells us our family in your living room watching television Is it really reasonable to expect your child life has been turned upside down. If we with your children. Playing indoor or out- to adopt a standard that you are unwilling truly desire to fix our parenting problems, door games together, assisting with home- to follow? Children turn a deaf ear to the we have to turn the family right side up! work, and talking together at a sit-down saying, “Do as I say—not as I do!” If you The Prophet Jeremiah encourages us: meal are examples of undivided attention. use illicit drugs, or are addicted to alco- “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, Many parents think love is simply a mat- hol, tobacco or prescription drugs, don’t and see, and ask for the old paths, where is ter of buying things for their children. This expect your children to be any different. the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall is far from the truth. A majority of children Many parents are permissive in parenting find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16). All today are showered with an abundance of because deep down they know they are set- parents need to quit experimenting and get unnecessary things. Children wallowing ting a poor example for their children. back to the old path of effective parenting. in material things are still unhappy. When Children naturally mimic their par- The old path of parenting requires that asked, many children say they would rather ents. Children will walk, talk and take on you first reestablish adult authority in spend a day doing something with Dad and the mannerisms of their parents. Learn- your home. In traditional marriages (the Mom than get some new thing. ing takes place through all five senses: only true marriage), this means that the Parents who love their children do not seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling, tast- father must be restored to his respected let them do whatever they want when they ing. All humans learn through repetition, position as chief. Permissive progressives want. This is not love—it is the epitome of perception and association. This places a detest such a thought, but this is the only permissiveness. Parents must understand huge responsibility on parents. Boys will way to set the family on a course for suc- that love includes firm discipline when generally grow up to be just like their fa- cess. A loving male in authority in the necessary. Discipline is more than spank- thers; girls just like their mothers. So what home cures many ills. ing. As a child grows older, withdrawal of kind of man or what kind of woman do Sadly, due to untimely death and a high a privilege can be a very effective form of you want your son or daughter to be? The divorce rate, not every child can have a two-parent family with a dad as the head. How- ever, firm and loving author- Develop a definite plan for ity must still be established in the home. Children need providing these necessities for well-defined rules and regu- lations to help them govern your child. Most important, their behavior. Parents today have trouble saying no to their children. Every human develop a plan to be a being must experience and accept being told no some- more effective parent. times. Establishing clear and firm boundaries for children gives them a sense of security that helps firm discipline. However, spanking should character you display to your child will them thrive. For example, children should not be ruled out for young children. Prop- largely determine what he or she becomes. be taught not to draw on walls, climb on er spanking should never be child abuse. Parents should provide the basic es- furniture, or throw food. Children should Recognize that there is a right time to sentials that children need to achieve their be taught how to maintain their bedrooms discipline. Direct disobedience is one of incredible potential. Children need bal- and other personal spaces neatly and to re- those times. Yet, a truly loving parent will anced, wholesome food; age-appropriate, spect the property of others. never discipline in anger. Never will a lov- quality clothing; clean and uplifting living Above all, apply the Golden Rule while ing parent go on a yelling, storming, hair- quarters; wholesome entertainment; pro- teaching your child: Be sure your children pulling rampage. That is not discipline. tection from moral, physical and spiritual learn to behave the way you wish other In fact, that kind of behavior in parents dangers; and a proper education. Develop children would. The public will love you teaches a child to be undisciplined. Any a definite plan for providing these neces- for doing this! such wild, out-of-control emotion will sities for your child. Most important, de- cause your child to disrespect you. velop a plan to be a more effective parent. Love Your Children Firm discipline is telling your child Proper parenting need not be a mys- Young children and teenagers require why you must discipline him, and then, tery for you. Time is a precious commodity ample amounts of love in order to achieve after administering the punishment, when working with children—they grow up their potential. When children do not remaking sure you tell him you love him so fast. Be courageous enough to evaluate ceive deep love, affection and attention, and only want what is best for him. your parenting skills now. Permissiveness they wither like plants in drought. Realize will never help your child. Make it your that children who are not loved struggle Set the Right Example primary responsibility to help your child to love others. A large part of loving your child is teaching achieve his or her fullest potential. Don’t Parents must be sure to show their love him. Children learn best by example. Pa- wait. Take charge of your child’s open daily. Parents should tell their children they rental example is a critical factor for effec- potential by being the most effec- index love them often. But true love is more than tive parenting. All children, but especially tive parent you can be. n 13 MEAN STREETS Gunmen continue to face off against each other as blood spills in Syria’s cities.

Lessons From the Bloodbath in Syria Bashar al-Assad is cracking down harder than ever. Who’s to stop him? By Joel Hilliker

f you want a good hard glimpse than 5,400. An average of 18 more corpses On February 21, Assad’s forces inten- at this crazy world, look at Syria. every day for 10 months. sified their attack on opposition strong- The tragedy there illustrates sev- In February, the government’s brutal- holds in Homs and Idlib, assailing them eral important truths. Among them: ity reached new heights. On February 6, with torrents of shells and mortars. Op- How brutal life can be in this suppos- in Homs, the epicenter of the country’s position activists said the death count for edlyI enlightened age. What a farce is the protests, President Bashar al-Assad’s forc- the day was at least 100, just in attacks on United Nations, and any concept of inter- es reportedly used rockets, tanks, mortar those two cities. nationally enforced justice. How broken rounds and machine guns to shell a make- In Syria, not only is it against the law to and feckless is America’s foreign policy. shift medical clinic and residential areas. demonstrate and protest against the gov- Keep your eyes on it, too, because it is The army also used tanks to shell the ernment—it is also illegal to give and re- also about to reveal a far more important Zabadani area near Damascus. ceive medical treatment. Since the earliest truth—one that could change your life. The UN has now stopped estimating days of the uprising, Assad has been waging Syria’s death toll; it says confirming the war against any individual or organization A Bloodied Nation data is just too difficult. By mid-February, able to bring medical aid to Syrians. “It’s

Among all the countries caught in the Human rights groups placed the total very dangerous to be a doctor or a phar- joseph

“Arab Spring” over the past year, Syria dead around 7,300, and Syrian opposition macist,” a pharmacist from Homs told the eid / has been the bloodiest. The government’s put the figure at just under 9,000. unicef Guardian. Medical personnel are routinely afp / crackdown on protesters has been bru- reported that the number of dead includes imprisoned, tortured or killed—like Ab- getty tal. In January, the UN said the at least 400 children, some of whom have dur Amir, the only doctor in the district of

death toll in the nation’s populist been “arbitrarily arrested, tortured and al-Qusayr, who was murdered by military images 14 uprising since last March is more sexually abused while in detention.” troops in November while he was treating civilians wounded during an army assault. revert to Taliban rule. Iraq is falling un- Homs, President Obama’s top military der Iran’s influence. Egypt and Libya are adviser, U.S. Gen. Martin Dempsey, said Something People Can Agree On ushering Islamists into power. Tehran has any intervention in Syria would be “very The humanitarian crisis in Syria has pro- grown far more dominant regionally. And difficult” and that it was “premature” vided an intriguing rallying point for sev- America’s relationship with virtually every to arm the opposition. Of course, a look eral nations that want to bring an end to country in the region has taken a beating. back through the annals of U.S. foreign the Assad regime. With Syria, though, you have an in- policy shows that most interventions have Within the region, many of Syria’s creasingly rare instance where U.S. inter- looked “very difficult”—but difficulty has neighbors see it as an opportunity to ests actually align with those of Turkey, not neutralized Washington’s vast power strike a blow at their primary concern— Saudi Arabia and most of the Arab world. in the past. Iran. Take note of this. If America wants to enjoy the support Syria is Iran’s top ally, and the only Arab of these nations, this is the way. If it wants Profound Lessons state at this point openly partnered with to undermine Iran, here’s how. If it really How broken and feckless is America’s for- Tehran. If the Sunni protesters were ever wants to reshape the Middle East, this eign policy. What a farce is the United Na- able to overthrow their Shiite rulers, this would be the place to start. And if it feels tions, and any concept of internationally would greatly strengthen Iran’s enemies. As the need to point to unselfish humani- enforced justice. How brutal life can be former Israeli negotiator Itamar Rabinov- tarianism as the only proper grounds for in this supposedly enlightened age. All of ich wrote last year, “Syria is the keystone taking action, then savage Syria provides these truths about this crazy world are on of the pro-Iran axis. Weakening the Assad ample moral justification. full display in this mess in Syria. regime, to say nothing of its collapse, would But Washington—after all the strength But keep your eyes on it. Though the be a blow to Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah.” it has spent in vain—has decided that now stalemate between the government and op- Syrian opposition chief Burhan Ghalioun is the time for a lighter approach. One of position forces looks set to drag on and get has already pledged to cut military ties with Syria’s rebel commanders lamented the ab- even bloodier, eventually, the Trumpet ex- Iran should he come to power. sence of foreign support in Syria, calling his pects the Assad regime to weaken, perhaps That is exactly why the Arab League— nation’s uprising an “orphan revolution.” fall. And that is when the other important including over 20 nations, most notably The U.S. certainly doesn’t want an- truth will be revealed in this country. Saudi Arabia—is putting on the pressure. other Mideast military venture. In early As the Trumpet has written several It has suspended Syria’s membership. In February, President Barack Obama said times, a divorce between Iran and Syria January it called on Assad to step down and transfer power to his deputy while a new government formed. Gulf states are A divorce between Iran expelling Syria’s ambassadors. They are also funding the Free Syrian Army, which and Syria is coming. We is defecting against the government; and know this because of Turkey is training it and hosting its head- quarters in a refugee camp just outside the biblical prophecy, which Syrian border. These Arab states are also increasingly speaks of two distinct looking in another direction for help. On staying power February 14, the Arab League’s secretary Assad has proven resilient, camps emerging within general, Nabil Al-Arabi, traveled to Berlin but how long will he last? to discuss with German Chancellor An- the Middle East in our day. gela Merkel what measures could be taken to stop the Syrian bloodbath. Chancellor he was sure the problem could be solved is coming. We know this because of bibli- Merkel commended the Arab League’s without arms. The secretary of state said cal prophecy, which speaks of two distinct firm stand against the Assad government. “military intervention has been absolute- camps emerging within the Middle East She said the “European Union supports ly ruled out.” The White House tried to in our day. One camp is prophesied to that stance and will stress it with further push a resolution through the UN Secu- be led by Iran, the other to include Syria. sanctions.” rity Council supporting the Arab League These two are destined to play very dif- Now, note this remarkable irony. plan to get Assad to step down. Yet even ferent roles in the sequence of end-time this measure—which lacked any real teeth events that lead up to Jesus Christ’s Sec- Squandering an Opportunity and probably would have been ignored in ond Coming. (Read about them in our America has sunk enormous resources Damascus—was slapped down, vetoed by free booklet The King of the South.) into trying to reshape the Middle East Russia and China. The fact that the Iran-Syria alliance— over the past decade. It overthrew the Tal- This is what American power, such as which has been so strong for so long, and iban, then Saddam Hussein. It expended it is, has been reduced to. Faced with a has shaped Middle East geopolitics so tremendous energies trying to secure Af- grave situation in which it could alleviate much in recent years—is under such ten- ghanistan and Iraq and empower West- suffering, garner international goodwill sion today is deeply significant. Soon it will images friendly governments in those nations. and help its own interests all at once, the fracture. And once again, the inerrancy of getty / Just in the last year it supported the ouster U.S. tries to use a blunt diplomatic tool biblical prophecy—and of the great God afp / of Egypt’s government and actively waged that has no chance of actually doing the who authored it—will be proven true! n war to topple Libya’s. job, and is blocked from doing even that. medina

Now, what has all that expenditure On February 20, after 17 consecutive April 2012 miguel gained? Afghanistan appears destined to days of Assad’s forces brutally shelling THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 15 Worldwatch Middle east Angeles Times that “if the Iranian nuclear project is not halted … there will be, by Want war? Keep ignoring Iran miscalculation, Iranian assault or Israeli preemption, a nuclear war in the ver a mere four days in Febru- butchered by Syrian forces with assis- Middle East” (February 14). ary, Iran helped orchestrate ter- tance from Iranian soldiers would use. To These men grasp the reality of what Ororist attacks on Israeli officials its victims, Iran’s conduct is consistently we’re witnessing. They’re not rejecting in three separate countries (Azerbai- combative, aggressive and violent, and in Iran’s actions as mere bluster. They’re jan, India and Thailand), dispatched many instances, barbaric. looking at Iran, at its uncompromising hundreds of soldiers to Syria to school Earlier in February, Iran’s spiritual drive for nuclear weapons, at its enthusi- Assad’s forces in butchering dissenters, leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a live astic sponsoring of Islamist terrorism, at cut off oil supplies its constant effort to undermine Western to France and the interests, at its promise to annihilate the Netherlands (and Jewish state, and simply believing what gave an ultima- their eyes and ears are telling them. tum to four other It’s worth considering the primary European states), motivation behind Iranian foreign policy. and inaugurated to Inside Iran, the belief of a returning much fanfare three Mahdi, or Twelfth Imam, is a defining developments in doctrine within the most populous group its nuclear weap- of Shiites (known as Ithna Ashari, or ons program. Just “Twelvers”), the Iranian president includ- another productive ed. And as staunch adherents to the mah- week of provoking, Iranian soldiers chant daviat, Ahmadinejad and his supporters antagonizing and slogans against Israel don’t simply believe the Mahdi is about to destroying for Iran. and the U.S. during return—they consider it their responsibility to bring about the apocalyptic condi- What was most celebrations at the tomb tions that will surround his return. remarkable, though, of Ayatollah Khomeini. was the West’s reac- As Joel Rosenburg, former aide to tion. A cnn poll Benjamin Netanyahu, put it: “[I]n order showed that 60 percent of Americans television broadcast, rallied his people to to bring about this Islamic messiah, believe using diplomacy against Iran is destroy Israel. He called Israel a “cancer- the Mahdi, the Twelfth Imam, Islamic the right response; more than 20 percent ous tumor that should be cut and will be leaders need to hasten his coming by de- believe no action is necessary. The con- cut,” and promised Iranian support of stroying little Satan, Israel, and the great sensus among Western elites is that Iran any regime or enterprise that attempts to Satan, the United States. … [T]he leaders is ready to sit down and negotiate. destroy the Jewish state. actually believe they need to create bloody Dennis Ross, who served for two years This is not mere semantics. The use of carnage, the death of millions of people on the National Security Council as Pres- “bluster” to describe aggressive, ruthless in order to create the conditions for the ident Obama’s special assistant on Iran, behavior reveals some deep-seated issues Mahdi to bring peace.” explained the need for engaging Iran in with the West’s perception of reality. Iran Prof. Bernard Lewis, an expert in peace talks: “Notwithstanding all their is consistently displaying by its actions Middle East history, discussed Iran’s in- bluster, there are signs that Tehran is that it’s not interested in serious diplo- fatuation with the Mahdi’s return in his now looking for a way out,” he wrote. macy and long-term peace. These events keynote address at the 2008 Jerusalem “With Iran reeling from sanctions, the provide a glimpse into Iran’s true char- Conference. “Iran’s leadership comprises proper environment now exists for diplo- acter and ambition, and portend greater, a group of extreme fanatical Muslims who macy to work” (New York Times, Febru- more deadly, confrontation. But the West believe that their messianic times have ary 14; emphasis added throughout). rejects this reality. arrived,” he warned. He then cautioned Bluster? That’s not the term Tal Ye- Not all have been so ignorant, however. the West against subscribing to the mad hoshua-Koren, the Israeli woman hurled “The single biggest danger in the Middle (mutually assured destruction) principle, from her car when it was exploded by East today is not the risk of a six-day Is- which says that Iran will avoid nuclear a terrorist’s bomb in New Delhi just a raeli war against Iran,” wrote Harvard war because it would only ensure its own week earlier, would use to describe Iran’s historian Niall Ferguson in The Daily destruction. In Iran’s case, Lewis ex- actions. It’s not how the residents of the Beast. “It is the risk that Western wishful plained, “mad is not a deterrent factor, but Israeli town of Sderot, who live under nonthinking allows the mullahs of Tehran rather an inducement. They feel that they constant threat of rocket attack from to get their hands on nuclear weapons. can hasten the final messianic process.” atta Iran-enabled Hamas, would describe Because I am in no doubt that they would Iran wants war. Yet despite these ter-

Iran’s behavior. “Bluster” certainly isn’t take full advantage of such a lethal lever” rifying ambitions, and Iran’s systematic kenare / the term the relatives of the thousands of (February 6). Historian Benny march toward acquiring the means to afp /

Syrians, including hundreds of children, Morris warned in the Los carry them out, the U.S. and much of the getty West still pursue negotiation and com-

images April 2012 To learn where a war with Iran will lead, promise—policies that only make war all 16 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET read our booklet The King of the South. the more inevitable. 1 | Afghanistan Getting out sooner than 3 planned 2 The United States announced Febru- 1 ary 1 it will end its combat role in Afghanistan a year earlier than expect- 3 | Iraq ed, apparently taking Kabul by sur- Any better than under Saddam? prise. U.S. Defense Iraq is becoming Secretary Leon Pa- Iranians place a flag a “police state,” an netta said the U.S. atop a submarine international hu- would at the end of their man rights group stop ‘Velayat-90’ war says, as the Shiite- com- games in January. led government bat cracks down harshly opera- on dissidents. In tions 2 | Iran Pushy as ever its “World Report Iraqi police before 2012,” Human the ensions between Europe and Iran keep ratcheting up. Rights Watch says Iraq is slipping back panetta end of In January Iran again threatened to close the Strait of Hor- into authoritarianism as security forces 2013. Washington Tmuz in response to a Western oil embargo. On January 23, abuse protesters, harass journalists, tor- had previously EU foreign ministers agreed to place a ban on Iranian oil im- ture prisoners and intimidate activists. said it would with- ports in an effort to stop Tehran’s nuclear program. European The January 22 report says Iraq’s human draw most combat nations were to immediately cease signing new oil contracts, rights situation is worse than it was a year troops by the end with states having the option of honoring current contracts ago, with the U.S. failing to leave behind of 2014. The an- through to July 1. This will affect some 18 percent of Iran’s oil a stable democracy. The group says it has nouncement will exports. The EU also froze the assets of Iran’s central bank and uncovered a secret prison where detainees assuredly provide a put sanctions on its state-owned Bank Tejarat, the country’s are tortured; those who control the facility lift to the Taliban, third-largest bank. Iran reacted defiantly, with Emad Hosseini, report to the military office of Prime Min- who are holding spokesman for parliament’s energy committee, saying that Iran ister Nuri al-Maliki. It also says at least 10 out for the day they retained its threat to shut the Persian Gulf to shipping. Mo- protesters and bystanders have been killed can take over. In hammad Ismail Kowsari, deputy head of Iran’s committee on and more than 250 injured in Kurdistan. a classified report national security, said the Hormuz Strait “would definitely be leaked to British closed if the sale of Iranian oil is violated in any way.” The Asso- media, nato said ciated Press wrote: “The escalating confrontation is fraught with the Taliban remain risks—of rising energy prices, global financial instability, and ‘Arab Spring’ feeds anti-Semitism images confident they can potential military activity to keep the strait open” (January 23). New democratic freedom has led to an ex- gain control of the Meanwhile, Iran’s nuclear program steamrolls ahead, achiev- plosion of anti-Semitic sentiment in Mid- getty /

afp country. “Taliban ing two major advancements on February 15. First, President dle Eastern nations whose dictatorships / commanders, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad personally supervised a team of sci- have been toppled in the past year. That rubaye

- along with rank entists as they installed the first Iranian-made fuel rod into a was the conclusion of a report released on al and file members, nuclear reactor in northern Tehran. Iran has said it was forced January 22 by Tel Aviv University’s Kantor

ahmad increasingly believe to manufacture its own nuclear fuel rods because international Center for the Study of Contemporary Eu- , their control of Af- sanctions banned it from buying them on foreign markets. The ropean Jewry. “[While] the popular upris- images ghanistan is inevi- irna state-run news agency boasted that this is the final step ings in the Arab world do not represent a table. Though the in Iran mastering the entire nuclear fuel cycle, from extracting general change in attitude towards Israel, getty /

afp Taliban suffered uranium to producing finished rods. Second, Iran’s semi-official Zionism and the Jews, it seems the anti- / severely in 2011, its Fars news agency reported that a new generation of Iranian cen- Semitic discourse and incitement have

noroozi strength, motiva- trifuges is now in operation, at the Islamic Republic’s main urani- become more extreme and violent,” the

tion, funding and um enrichment plant in Natanz. The announcement of these two report said. “Charges of an international

ebrahim tactical proficiency major technical advancements shows that Iran remains defiant Jewish conspiracy have been a central mo- , remains intact,” the toward increasingly tough Western sanctions—and that it has the tif in the anti-Semitic propaganda that has images report says. resources to keep progressing with its nuclear weapons program. accompanied the Arab Spring uprisings.” getty / afp / numbers Coalition personnel Percent of the world’s oil Regimes overthrown samad killed in Afghanistan that transits through the so far by the Arab jewel 2,903 since 2001 20 Strait of Hormuz 3 Spring uprisings 17 worldwatch Europe 1 | GERMANY 1 8 2 5 The ‘de facto supremo of Europe’ 3 7 4 avos is the scene for the annual gathering of 9 elites to reflect on the world’s current economic condition. D It is the outgrowth of an idea first given air by German- 6 born economist Klaus Schwab. Schwab launched the European A Croatian woman Management Forum in 1971, attracting European business casts her ballot. leaders to Davos in Switzerland each subsequent January for an interchange of ideas on a range of business management issues. 5 | Croatia Over time, the agenda was broad- 1 | Germany 2 | France ened to embrace economic, social We want EU and political issues, with world The EU taxman cometh! Croatia voted to leaders being invited to participate. Germany and France plan to give the join the EU in a The gathering then was renamed EU new powers to “coordinate” taxa- referendum held the World Economic Forum. tion, Agence France-Presse reported Jan- on January 22. Of One of these forums in particu- uary 18, citing a confidential Franco-Ger- the 48 percent of lar was destined to have powerful man paper seen by several media outlets. the population that effect on the world balance of pow- “European institutions and member states turned out to vote, er. In January 1989, East German Merkel speaks at the should accelerate the process of tax coor- 68 percent voted Prime Minister Hans Modrow met opening of the Davos dination,” the document says. “In particu- yes. Germany with German Chancellor Helmut World Economic Forum. lar, the negotiation of the European Com- deliberately broke Kohl at the World Economic Fo- mission proposals on energy tax directive, apart Yugoslavia rum in Davos to discuss German reunification. Ten months common consolidated corporate tax base to gain power over later, the Berlin Wall fell. That event completely altered the and common system of financial transac- the Balkans, and status quo—the prevailing balance of power between the United tion tax should be accelerated.” The EU’s now Croatia is States and the ussr—that had existed for over 40 years. push for a common corporate tax rate is joining Germany’s Track forward to this year’s Davos summit in January. What just the beginning. Already EU officials club. For more in- began in 1971 as a German idea, was used as a forum 18 years say this will empower Brussels to impose formation, request later for leaders to prepare to reunify Germany, 22 years further new energy taxes based on carbon emis- our free on featured as its keynote speaker Germany’s current chancel- sions. Britain is opposed to giving the EU booklet lor, Angela Merkel. The chancellor’s speech was a milestone in more power over taxation. The proposal is Germany’s the coming of age of her newly assertive nation, boldly declar- yet more evidence of Europe moving to- Conquest ing a German agenda for Europe. ward closer integration while Britain tries of the In one of Merkel’s key statements, she unequivocally en- to go in the other direction. Balkans. dorsed the transfer of European Union member nations’ sov- ereign powers to EU imperial control: “We will only be able to strengthen our common currency if we coordinate our policies more closely and are prepared to gradually give up more powers to the EU. If we make loads of promises about debt reduction 3 | SPAIN 4 | GIBRALTAR Pushing for the Rock and sound budgeting, those need to be things that can be en- Spain’s new government is pushing Britain to negotiate over Gi- forced or brought to court in the future. The point of the fiscal braltar without consideration for the wishes of the inhabitants of compact, after all, is to make it possible to check on those com- Gibraltar. Spanish Foreign Minister José García-Margallo wrote to mitments. That means giving our [European] institutions more his British counterpart to this effect after Britain’s prime minister monitoring rights—and more bite.” promised in January to respect Gibraltar’s right to self-determina- Further emphasizing the agenda for a Germanized Europe, tion. This “marks a hardening of Madrid’s position over its con- Merkel even indicated that Germany is “the representative troversial claim for the return of the Rock” (Times, January 31). of all European countries,” emphasizing that her solution to Just over a week before this push to exclude Gibraltar from today’s Europe in crisis is “more ‘integration,’ by transferring negotiations, former Europe Minister Peter Hain said that in more powers from a national level to EU institutions such as the 2002, then Prime Minister Tony Blair came close to giving up European Court of Justice, so that the continent is ‘turned into the Rock. Hain claims Britain made a deal with Spain on April a Europe that works’”—no doubt a Europe forced to work the 18, 2002, to share sovereignty vincenzo “It is really important to German way! (EUobserver.com, January 26). EUobserver.com over the area and allow pinto said it was clear that Chancellor Merkel now ranks as “the de get a better future for Britain to keep a naval base / afp

facto supremo of Europe.” there. The Spanish vetoed /

Gibraltar, to secure a getty Glaringly absent from the spotlight that blazed on Chancel- the deal. So Britain has al-

better relationship with lor Merkel was the leader of France, Germany’s former partner Spain and to remove it ready come close to giving images in promoting the European imperial dream. President Nicolas away the Rock. With the , afp

as an obstacle to our /

Sarkozy is but the poodle that trots behind the German shep- Spanish pushing for Gibral- getty herd. This fact even further served to highlight that relations within Europe.” tar again, will Britain have

Europe is today being led, dominated and domineered Tony Blair the will to hold on to it? images 18 by but one nation: Germany. former prime Minister of Britain Bible prophecy says no. Asia 7 | China Asia’s big military spender 6 | Philippines hina’s military spending will double by 2015, swelling Facing it to more than the combined defense budgets of the rest of Cthe Asia Pacific, according to a report published February 14. punishment Global research group ihs projects that by 2015, Beijing’s military Beijing must pun- budget will double to us$238.2 billion, more than the us$232.5 A coal-fired power plant in ish the Philippines billion spent by the suburbs of Beijing economically for Asia’s 12 chief Manila’s moves military powers, | toward closer including India 7 China A big appetite for coal military ties with and Japan. China surpassed Japan in 2011 to become the United States, From 2000 to the world’s top coal importer, according to China’s state-run 2009, Beijing has data published January 26. The switch was Global Times said reported defense driven by robust Chinese demand and by on January 29. The budget increases a drop in Japan’s imports after the March article was a re- averaging 12 2011 earthquake damaged many of its coal- sponse to an agree- percent annu- fired power plants. In 2009, China overtook ment the previous ally, but analysts the U.S. to become the world’s largest en- week between Phil- believe the ac- ergy consumer. Its economic rate of growth ippine and Ameri- tual increases is historically unprecedented, and its fre- can officials to are substantially netic drive for resources is intensifying the boost cooperation more than Chi- global scramble for the planet’s wealth. in several areas in- na reports. The release of the ihs report was timed to coincide cluding maritime with a mid-February visit to the U.S. by China’s president-in- defense and secu- waiting Xi Jinping. Xi and other Chinese leaders have expressed President-in-waiting warns U.S. rity. Manila also concern about Washington’s decision to realign its military China’s upcoming president traveled to said it is consider- strategy to focus on the Asia Pacific region, saying China’s mili- the United States in early February to is- ing hosting more tary expansion poses no threat to its neighbors. But the actions sue a message of wooing and warning. Xi U.S. troops and of China’s neighbors reveal that they do feel threatened. India, Jinping offered America deeper economic conducting more for example, has in recent weeks obtained a nuclear-powered cooperation as long as Washington heeds joint military drills submarine, moved to acquire Beijing’s demands on Tibet and Taiwan. with U.S. forces. its first aircraft carrier, and “Beijing has been able As America’s financial condition dete- The Philippines is announced plans to buy 126 to devote an increasingly riorates, the government is finding that it among several na- French fighter jets, all to help it large proportion of its has to give in to its creditors’ demands on tions with which counter China’s rise. overall budget towards more and more issues. As King Solomon China is engaged China’s rising power will defense and has been wrote in the ancient book of Proverbs, in territorial dis- prompt more and more Asian “Just as the rich rule the poor, so the bor- putes regarding the states to bolster their defenses, steadily building up its rower is servant to the lender.” South China Sea, but Bible prophecy says that military capabilities for and Beijing views all of Asia’s military might will more than two decades.” the U.S. as an soon be pooled together to form Rajiv Biswa 9 | India unwelcome par- a colossal Eastern military bloc. ihs Asia Pacific chief economist ticipant in those Bypassing dollar for Iran’s oil skirmishes. The India has agreed to buy Iran’s oil with gold Global Times, pub- rather than the U.S. dollar. India now joins lished by the Com- | China and Russia in ignoring Western munist Party, said 8 Russia Moving forward at jet speed sanctions on Tehran’s financial business China must apply At the end of January, Russian aircraft manufacturer and oil exports. China is expected to soon economic pressure Sukhoi tested its Serial Three Su-35S Flank- switch to gold for Iranian oil purchases. on the Philippines er-E fighter jet for the first time. The Su- Both India and China are superpowers images in order 35S can fly more than 2,200 miles in terms of gold holdings. Together, they getty

/ to make it without refueling, its maximum buy around 1 million barrels of Iranian oil afp / abandon its speed is around 1,400 mph, each day, 40 percent of Iran’s total exports. hin cooperation with and its ceiling is 59,000 feet. By using gold, India and China allow Teh- chai Washington. Al- The jets can also detect aircraft to a range of almost 250 miles, ran to bypass the freeze on its central goh , , though Manila farther than any other combat aircraft. The Su-35S has two cen- bank’s assets and work around the EU’s oil may cling to the tral digital computers, advanced avionics and a new radar system embargo. Analysts also expect the colossal company declining U.S. in with phased array antennas. Weaponry carried by the Su-35S in- amounts involved in these transactions to ukhoi

S the short term, it cludes laser-guided and unguided bombs, anti-radar missiles, a boost the price of gold and diminish the , , will eventually be 30mm cannon, and anti-aircraft missiles. Sukhoi expects to sell utility of the dollar on global markets. images won or forced over the new fighters not only to Russia, but also China, India, Ma-

getty to allegiance with laysia, Brazil and Indonesia, which would represent a significant

/ April 2012 afp China. boost to the military capability of these Eastern powers. THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 19 Worldwatch Latin America, Africa 3 | Somalia Famine worsens 2 3 The United Na- tions says that tens of thousands are 1 4 likely to starve in Somalia by the time the famine there ends. In addition to the grim effects of a Prince William (left) two-year drought, prepares for his first sortie ongoing violence in the Falklands in February. perpetrated by 1 | Argentina radical Islamic mi- President: Prince William get out litias is devastating On February 7, Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de the region. Islamist Shaken by violent attacks and Kirchner criticized Prince William’s deployment to the Falkland militants have cut reforms, South African farmers Islands. The British heir to the throne is accompanying one of off emergency food are emigrating around the world. the Royal Navy’s most modern warships and will serve for three delivery for an months as a military search and rescue pilot. Kirchner accused estimated 240,000 4 | South Africa Britain of “militarizing” the long-standing dispute over the South people in the cen- Atlantic islands. Argentina continues to demand that Britain re- tral and southern An exodus of whites turn the Falklands to its control after it lost dominion over them regions of Somalia, s crime and race relations wors- in 1833. Argentine troops invaded the Falklands in 1982, but were according to relief en in South Africa, the white popula- defeated by the British. Britain continues to say that as long as workers. Biblical Ation is steadily declining as those of the Falklands inhabitants desire to remain British, it will defend prophecy foretells European ancestry leave the country. The its possession. Continue to watch events in the South Atlantic. an increase in fam- South African government estimates that Based on Bible prophecy, the Trumpet has predicted that Britain ines as one of the as many as 1 million white South Africans will eventually lose control of these islands. signs of Christ’s have left their homeland since the end of return. Also watch apartheid in 1994, with many citing a lack for instability in of opportunity and crime as their reasons Somalia to poten- | for leaving. According to a recently re- 2 Brazil EU-Mercosur: Partners in the making tially spill over leased report by the South African Institute Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota met with his vis- into Ethiopia. of Race Relations, the white population will iting German counterpart, Guido Westerwelle, on February decline another 20 percent by 2040. 13, calling for the signing of the long-delayed free trade agree- The end of apartheid in 1994 was sup- ment between the European Union and the South American posed to have marked the dawn of a new Mercosur trade bloc. With Brazil emerging as a leading nation age in South Africa, an age of peace and G

in the Mercosur union, its developing alliance with Germany, stability, and of freedom and equality etty

the leading nation in the European Union, is likely to produce for all races. Eighteen years on, South images momentous economic results. Expect South America to become Africa remains a land of prejudice and , more aligned with Germany in the near future. inequality, the main difference being that vanderlei today it’s the Caucasian community be-

ing maligned and persecuted, often by almeida U.S. ‘reset’ backfires the politicians and parties who replaced / Ten months after U.S. President Barack Obama pledged to apartheid and promised to create a safer, afp /

A malnourished getty help develop its potentially massive offshore oil reserves, Brazil child suffers more stable and equitable social and po- spurned the U.S. and opted to sell its oil to China. China recently in Somalia. litical system. images bought a 40 percent stake in Post-apartheid South Africa is a lesson , A Petrobas afp

Repsol ypf’s Brazil unit, which in human nature. The Bible says the hu- / platform in has drilling rights to the San- “We know that man heart is selfish, vain, and constantly getty

port at Rio tos Offshore Basin, according self-serving. So many of South Africa’s images de Janeiro tens of thou- to the Washington Times. The problems, past and present, have been , sands of people vano Times also revealed that China caused by politicians, political parties

has bought a 30 percent stake will have died and even races seeking to serve their own shlamov in Galp Energia, a Portuguese over the last interests, and the interests of their own / afp

company with rights to the same party or race, above all else. The solution /

year.” getty basin. As rival powers snatch up to South Africa’s racial strife lies not in

Mark Bowden images April 2012 oil in its backyard, Washington UN aid chief in politics or policies, but rather the trans- 20 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET appears to be asleep. Somalia formation of the human heart. Anglo-America Budget deficit definitely not Should we stay or should we go? cut in half Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond is Shortly after tak- preparing Scotland to hold a referendum ing office in 2008, on independence, which is leading to President Obama clashes between the devolved government promised to cut in Scotland and the national government the budget deficit in Westminster. Sal- in half by the end mond wants to boost of his first term. his chances of winning Since the budget the referendum by Three former Anglican bishops deficit for 2009 holding it in 2014 while participate in a ceremony in was $1.2 trillion, nationalist emotions are Westminster Cathedral. the president’s tar- high as Scotland cel- get deficit for 2012 Scottish leader ebrates the 700th anni- should have been Alex Salmond versary of the Battle of Anglicans split over tough issues $600 billion. On Bannockburn. British he Church of England seems to be about to tear it- February 13, the Prime Minister David Cameron wants the self to pieces over the divisive issues of homosexual unions Obama adminis- referendum to be held within 18 months. Tand women bishops. Last year, the British government struck tration officially According to polls, the majority of Scot- down a church ban on holding civil partnership ceremonies for broke that prom- tish people don’t want independence. Even homosexual couples in churches, but the church has told priests ise by unveiling if Scotland ultimately votes to stay, how- they cannot conduct them until the General Synod approves. a budget with a ever, months, if not years, of campaigning Around 120 Church of England clergy in the diocese of London built-in deficit of and arguing isn’t going to help the unity of have signed a petition demanding that they be allowed to conduct $1.3 trillion. This the United Kingdom. All kinds of details these ceremonies for homosexual couples. The diocese of London will be the fourth will have to be decided, such as currency. is one of the more conservative districts, so support for homosex- consecutive budget Originally, Salmond said an independent ual unions is likely to grow as the petition spreads to other areas. deficit in excess of Scotland would join the euro. These days, A compromise that would have allowed Anglicans opposed a trillion dollars. joining the euro isn’t that popular, so to women bishops to be under an alternative male bishop was America’s bal- now he wants to keep the pound. But the rejected by the Church of England’s General Synod on Febru- looning debt euro crisis has just proven that a currency ary 8. This move could push traditionalist Anglicans toward the is a ticking union without political union can’t work. Roman Catholic Church. Legislation allowing female bishops time How much would an independent Scot- in Britain is expected to pass by 2014. As these divisions widen, bomb land’s share of the national debt be? What the Catholic Church is ready to absorb disaffected Anglicans that is about its share of North Sea oil? These through its personal ordinariate, a structure that allows con- about to kinds of questions could be expected to be verting Anglicans to keep many of their old practices. explode. accompanied by combative rhetoric, ac- cusation and even court cases from both sides. In other words, a “No” to independence could still leave the two sides bitter and divided. Just the act of holding a ref- Dickens would turn in his grave Most divisive president ever erendum will result in Britain becoming Many British children lack a sufficient During U.S. President Barack Obama’s even more split and inward focused over attention span to read Charles Dick- third year in office, an average 80 percent the next few years, when there are serious ens. Biographer Claire Tomali observed of Democrats approved of his job perfor- external challenges to confront. this state of affairs in the run-up to mance, compared to 12 percent of Repub- celebrations for the 200th anniversary licans, according to the Washington Post. istockphoto / of Charles Dickens’s birth on February That equates to a 68 percent partisan gap, Over 1 in 3 not in labor force 7. “Children have very short attention the highest in history for any president’s canakat , , The percentage of Americans participat- spans because they are being reared on third year in office. The previous high of

images ing in the labor force has dropped to a 30- dreadful television programs which are 59 percent) came during President George

year low, data released in early February flickering away in the corner,” she said. W. Bush’s third year in office. Seven of getty / by the U.S. government revealed. Only 63.5 “Children are not being educated to have the 10 most partisan years in terms of afp / percent of Americans are now employed prolonged attention spans ….” Mean- presidential job approval have come since souza or actively searching for employment. The while, in a speech on February 7, Schools 2004, according to Gallup tracking polls. de other 36.5 percent of Americans are count- Minister Nick Gibb warned that “there Political division is crippling America. carl , , ed as “not in the labor force.” The Chicago are still shadows of Dickens’s world in images Fed has attributed about half of the de- our own—with literacy problems remain- “Obama’s ratings have been cline to retiring baby boomers and half ing asymmetric and heavily orientated getty

/ consistently among the most

afp of the decline to those who have given up towards the poorest in our communities.” / looking for work. Despite what the main- He warned that “it is gravely concerning polarized for a president in the last 60 years.”

macnicol stream media are reporting, America’s to see this country’s young people falling

ian unemployment woes are far from over. out of love with reading.” Jeffrey Jones Gallup 21 why the fascination with superheroes? It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s … you? By Jeremiah Jacques n May 4, the ground- Cineplex = Our Modern Campfire work laid by half a doz- Turning these larger-than-life characters en previous movies will into hyperrealistic, special-effects-laden culminate when The blockbuster movies is a relatively recent Avengers hits the mul- trend. But mankind’s fascination with tiplexes, and Iron Man, superbeings is an ancient and ubiquitous Thor, The Hulk, Cap- idea that has left a herculean footprint on tain America, Loki and nearly every culture since Eden. others assemble for what’s being trum- After all, how is the Marvel Comics Opeted as the greatest superhero film of all universe different from the pantheon of time. For dyed-in-the-tights superhero fa- Greek gods and goddesses? What funda- natics, one movie with all those personali- mental disparities lie between DC’s heroes ties is no small cinematic event. and the beings of Roman, Mesopotamian Since the year 2000, a hulking 50 big- or Norse mythologies? It’s actually com- budget superhero movies have been re- mon for modern comic authors to lift leased at the box office. There were also 30 characters directly from the pantheons of major vampire movies, eight Harry Potter ancient cultures—Thor, Loki, Hercules, films, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, two etc. Sometimes the personalities they cre- Star Wars films, and two Matrix movies. ate are based heavily on famous ancient All together, that makes almost 100 big- deities: Wonder Woman on Athena, or budget movies featuring characters with The Flash on Hermes, for example. The various superhuman abilities, released archetypical sky-god, Superman, is an just since 2000—from an industry that re- amalgam of powerful warriors like Zeus, leases only 50 or fewer big-budget movies Hercules and Achilles. per year. And they are consistently among Though comic books have only been the highest grossing movies. around since The Adventures of Obadiah Superheroes have taken charge of the Oldbuck was printed in 1842, the type of theaters; vampires, like Star Trek’s Trib- superhuman characters they feature have ble creatures, are multiplying so quickly roamed the scene since time immemo- they threaten to overwhelm the whole rial. The second-oldest work of litera- enterprise. And a glance at bookstores, ture known to mankind is the Legend of tv shows, magazines and video games Etana (dating to 2,600 b.c.), which details reveals that the trend spills over the cin- the heroics of a Sumerian king who “as- ema’s banks to saturate the floodplains of cended to heaven and consolidated all the the entire entertainment industry. foreign countries,” and who ruled for 1,560 So, what is it about these creations that years. Sound like an ordinary man? One makes consumers want to put on a bright- of the next-earliest surviving documents ly colored leotard and yell “Flame on!”? is the Epic of Gilgamesh, still widely read Why are they so massively popular? today, which recounts the adventures of The common thread is that these the king of Urak, who met every mod- characters all possess superhuman abili- ern criterion of the superhero. Part god ties. Common powers include teleki- and part man? Check. Strong enough to nesis, super strength, invisibility, esp, move mountains? Sure was. Able to swim weather manipulation, mercurial speed, to the deepest part of the ocean and back teleportation, immortality, x-ray vision, to the surface with a single breath? No elasticity, telepathy, power to regener- problem. And Gilgamesh was also pitted ate or resurrect, kinetic energy manipu- against a superhuman arch nemesis, at lation and, of course, the ability to fly. least until the two reconciled their differ- Even the few superheroes that are tech- ences, became comrades, and teamed up nically just human (Batman, Iron Man, to carouse and slay demigods. The plot- Sherlock Holmes, etc.) are larger than line would hold up against any modern life and display superhuman traits—as- X-Men movie. tounding fortitude and martial skills, Other early “superhero” folklore ac- bewildering intelligence, apparently counts include ancient Egypt’s Tale of divine protection, and advanced tech- Sinuhe, the Babylonians’ Enûma Eliš, In- nology that differs from magic simply dia’s epics about Krishna, China’s What because the author says so. Despite the Confucius Didn’t Speak Of, the Japanese absence of radioactive spider venom or Nihon Shoki, the Anglo-Saxons’ epic super-soldier serum coursing through poem about superhuman Beowulf—and trumpet their veins, these “real world” characters the list goes “to infinity and beyond!”

/ consistently perform at a level far beyond As soon as a society would outgrow its istockphoto the ability of even the most testosterone- superheroes? fueled and brilliant real-life man, so they April 2012 are superheroes. THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 23 fascination with its pantheon of moun- At present, we are mere men and wom- “Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are taintop-dwelling sociopaths who toy with en—mortal, physical, earthbound, and gods?” (John 10:34). Trumpet editor in chief people for fun, it would reinvent those su- sustained for a few decades by food, water Gerald Flurry wrote about this landmark perbeings in new forms. In the West, King and the air we breathe. We can’t pick up scripture, saying, “Jesus Christ—the Word Arthur and the Knights of the Round objects with mindpower, though few are made flesh—said, Why are you so upset Table came to fill the superhero’s role, the Star Wars fans who have not tried. Yet when I tell you that I am the Son of God? before handing the baton off to explorer our hearts are “filled with eternity”—a Look—it’s right there in your own Bible that legends and Musketeers, who then passed longing to be exceptional, immortal and you are Gods! You all have the potential to it along to supercowboys and Tall Tale superhuman—but our bodies are bound by be God—with a capital ‘G’!” (John’s Gospel: heroes. During the interval between gods reality. Superhero tales, in a sense, attempt The Love of God; request your free copy). and superheroes, Eastern culture invented to peer into the great gulf between the two. The Apostle John got specific about this Samurai and Ninja myths in which heroes In Hebrews 2:7, Paul explains this transcendent human potential: “It doth not could control weather, walk on water, be- massive gulf between man’s current state yet appear what we shall be: but we know come invisible and so on. A set of gods and our incredible potential: God created that, when [Christ] shall appear [at His Sec- or heroes may be slain by the capricious man to be “for a little while lower than ond Coming to Earth], we shall be like kryptonite of pop cultural fads, but, like the angels” and “crowned him with glory Him …” (1 John 3:2). We will look like the a phoenix rising from the ashes of its old and honor, and appointed him over the glorified, eternal, spirit Being, Jesus Christ! self, the idea of superhuman characters is works of [God’s] hands” (New Ameri- What does the glorified Christ look reborn and recreated again and again. can Standard). In verse 8, Paul continues, like? His eyes blaze like flames of fire. His saying God has “put everything in sub- feet glow like brass in the refiner’s fire. His Why So Universal? jection under [mankind’s] feet. For this face shines like the sun in full strength— Why is the fascination with immortality subjecting of the universe to man implies so brilliant it would blind a man’s eyes and superhuman ability so universal? It the leaving nothing not subject to him” and kill him if he looked upon it (Revela- tion 1:14-16; 19:12-13; Matthew 17:2; Exodus 33:20). God is infinitely more powerful than any fantasy creation from the Our Creator planted imagination of men! And He has perfect godly character in- within us a longing stead of the deeply flawed, human character these fictional for something beyond personalities are governed by. If and when we are finally ourselves, something born into God’s eternal Fam- ily, we will have God’s glorious transcendent— appearance and power, and also His perfect character. something superhuman. Part of the reason cultures of the world continuously create superheroes springs from the seems that people through the ages and (Weymouth New Testament). longing for eternity God planted in man’s across the globe have wished to break Can you grasp that mind-boggling heart—a capacity to ponder the infinite free of the limits of our human existence. truth? God created men to start off as phys- and superhuman. But of course, fantasy Some of that reflects a simple desire to ical beings—less powerful than the angels. characters are missing the key dimension of escape from the challenges that ordinary But we are to be in this physical state only character. The adolescent fascination with mortal life brings. But in many cases there “for a little while.” Our long-term, eternal fantasy tends to focus on the power while may be more behind it. purpose is to be born into His Family, to overlooking the perfect, righteous and god- King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes become more powerful than angels—one ly character that God requires an individual 3:11 that God “has put eternity into man’s day to rule over the entire, infinite universe! to develop before He will give that power. heart” (English Standard Version). That breathtaking future, however, is Every man has the dazzling potential to be About this verse, Barnes’ Notes on the reserved for born sons of God. Man is born into the God Family—to become a Bible says, “God has placed in the inborn not yet born into God’s Family, as Paul God who rules the universe with ineffable constitution of man the capability of con- explains in the next sentence: “But we do power for eternity. But to do so, we must ceiving of eternity, the struggle to ap- not as yet [in our present physical, mortal strive to develop perfect, godly character. prehend the everlasting ….” Our Creator state] see the universe subject to [men].” Consider skipping the fantasy world of planted within us a longing for something This truth has vexed many who have The Avengers, and instead set your heart beyond ourselves, something transcen- heard it. The Jews of Christ’s day were irate on the reality of your true potential! dent—something superhuman. This yearn- when Jesus said He was the Son of God. That potential is infinitely beyond any- ing is actually a longing for God, and a de- Christ answered their wrath by quoting thing that can spring from a pink

sire to realize our potential with Him. And a passage from Psalm 82, which the Jews man’s imagination. Remem- n tag the human potential is truly incredible. would have been well acquainted with: ber that “Ye are Gods”! / istockphoto

April 2012 To learn more about this inspiring truth, with thorough proof from your own Bible, 24 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET request a free copy of Herbert W. Armstrong’s book The Incredible Human Potential. lack is better than red. If you have never read the 28th You’d rather have some- chapter of Deuteronomy, you one owe you $100 than should. It is a pivotal chapter of owe someone $100. Better prophecy. You don’t even have Bto have $10,000 in the bank than to believe that America is a de- to be $10,000 in the hole. Financial scendant of the Israelite tribe of security brings peace—debt brings Manasseh (which we can prove grief. That’s just common sense. to you) to appreciate the wisdom Except, apparently, when ap- in this passage. It is simply a list plied nationally. of the blessings that God promises America’s preposterously el- to the nation that obeys Him, and ephantine national debt is in the curses that He will send on the na- news again, for good reason. In tion that disobeys Him. January, it reached an embarrass- Read verse 12 to see one of the ing milestone: It is now bigger blessings for obedience: “The Lord than the entire economy. shall open unto thee his good trea- Total federal debt now sur- sure, the heaven to give the rain passes $15 trillion, and that doesn’t unto thy land in his season, and count the more than $50 trillion to bless all the work of thine hand: the government owes in unfunded and thou shalt lend unto many na- retirement promises. The debt ex- tions, and thou shalt not borrow.” ceeds America’s gdp. And on Jan- That makes sense, doesn’t it? uary 26, the Senate agreed to allow It’s a blessing to be able to lend President Obama to raise the debt and not have to borrow. As much ceiling $1.2 trillion higher—the a blessing as favorable weather sixth such increase since the pres- and fruitful labor. ident took office three years ago. It so happens that for much of Just do the math: The federal An Awesome its history, America has been a government collected $2.2 trillion net lender. It has been a nation of last year—a huge heap of money savers and producers, dominating that is nowhere near the $3.7 tril- Secret About world trade and manufacturing. It lion it spent. has loaned other nations far more Imagine a household that makes money than it borrowed. $4,000 a month sitting down to America’s Now, though, look at verse 44. make a budget, and patting itself This is within the portion of the on the back for planning to spend chapter describing the curses for $6,500. We’re not talking about im- National Debt disobedience. It says of foreign- pulse buying. We’re talking about ers (“the stranger”): “He shall lend planning to go $2,500 deeper into By Joel Hilliker to thee, and thou shalt not lend debt every month—$30,000 a year. to him: he shall be the head, and Comparing income to spending, that Afghanistan; take everything pumped thou shalt be the tail.” reckless family would actually be doing into foreign aid; and then make every This is brutal reality for America today. somewhat better than America. American man, woman and child chip in In the last few decades, debt spending and Every year, the federal government another 40 bucks. Voila! borrowing have increased dramatically, takes an average of about $7,000 in taxes The bad news is, that would only pay and the U.S. has become a net debtor, bor- per American—and then spends nearly one year’s bills, and the financial where- rowing billions of dollars per year from the $12,000 per American. That is how it goes withal of the nation would be gutted. rest of the world. Nearly one third of the a heart-stopping $4 billion deeper into debt I’m guessing you have enough common money the government overspends, it bor- every single day. sense to recognize that to “budget” your- rows from foreign countries. Today Amer- What would it take to actually pay the self to go $1.5 trillion deeper into debt each ica is the most indebted nation on Earth. bills? Statistician David Burge, author of year simply isn’t sustainable. It is lunacy. Pundits can kid themselves with fancy the famed Iowahawk website, offers one But here is something you may not formulas and say this is no big deal; some suggestion. To finance one year of federal know—something extraordinary. even argue America should borrow more. spending, just take the combined global But borrowing is a curse, and America is profits of every one of the Fortune 500 National Debt in the Bible already starting to suffer for it. You don’t companies; take all the tv ad money spent Most Americans believe the Bible. A re- even have to believe the Bible to see it. Just on all 45 Super Bowls; take the combined cent Gallup poll found that 65 percent of open your eyes. salaries of all players in the nfl, mlb, nba Americans believe it “answers all or most and nhl along with all winnings from the of the basic questions of life.” So there’s a Those Are Curses, All Right pga tour and nascar; take every penny of good chance you are one of them. Take a good look at all the money being household income in excess of $250,000; Did you know that the Bible specifically sucked out of America’s coffers by interest istockphoto / take all the money from every billionaire foretold America’s national debt? In fact, it payments on that debt. In fiscal and near-billionaire; take every dime the prophesied that that debt would be a curse year 2011, the government paid adventtr nation is spending on the wars in Iraq and on this country! See DEBT page 36 ➤ 25 Is There a Dictator in Your Mind? You may not be aware of it, but it wants to run your life! What is it? You need to identify it so you can whip it into submission. Because once tamed, it actually makes a great 26 companion! By Joel Hilliker o you tend to buckle under personal development, and how we can us from animals. Webster’s Dictionary de- pressure? Get stressed out, over- grow beyond where we are. We must tame fines emotion as “physiologically involv- whelmed? These are important that mental dictator, and learn emotion- ing changes that prepare the body for im- questions, because it is when al maturity. mediate vigorous action.” problems arise in your life that So in what way could God have emo- aD mental coup is likeliest to occur—when Why Emotion? tions? It is true that He does not and could the dictator in your mind works hardest to Let’s get the right perspective on emo- not have the physiological changes we ex- conquer you. tions. They are widely misunderstood. perience when we have emotions. Yet He Sometimes, life can seem like a litany Why do we have emotions? has these profound states of mind ranging of problems. You get sick or injured. A In the last couple of decades, scientists from love to hate, joy to sorrow, that we family member mistreats you. You have have studied emotions intensively after associate with deep emotion. money troubles, job troubles. largely dismissing them for many years. God created the human race in His im- When those issues come up, how do But science builds its findings on the faulty age and likeness (Genesis 1:26), and wants you respond? Do you face them? Do you foundation of evolutionary biology, which us to grow to become like Him (Mat- maintain a positive approach to solving assumes that emotion is all a result of how thew 5:48). He expects us to grow toward them? Do you seek wise counsel? environmental factors impacted human being able to think as He does. Or—do you get moody and depressed? evolution. For example, we supposedly The implication in Scripture is that Does it seem fairly often that you need a have “fear” today, manifested in physiolog- God gave us these chemical, physiological good cry? ical changes that heighten our motivation changes to help us understand the depth Do you complain, whine and gossip? to act quickly, because our prehistoric an- of His thinking. Certainly our emotions Blame other people? cestors fled from danger; those who didn’t provide a physical type or counterpart to Do you deny the issue is even a problem? run were killed off and didn’t procreate. the depth of God’s mind; they supply a Try to ignore it or escape it? Do you just It is true that such emotional reactions profundity to our thoughts and experi- quit—roll over and see how bad it will get? can help us face physical threats. But that ences not otherwise possible. And they If you tend to take any of these latter is a product of design, not happenstance. stimulate us to act in ways we would not approaches, that is a sign that you are un- The truth is, God gave us the power of otherwise find the motivation to. der the power of this mental despot. feelings. He gave us emotions so we can The fact is, learning to manage our What is it? It is emotion! experience joy and love; we can have deep emotions is a significant means by which Emotion can be one of the most en- relationships; we also can experience an- we can learn to think like our Creator. joyable blessings we possess. Without it, ger and jealousy, fear and sadness—a vari- our lives would be bland, flat, colorless— ety of emotions. A Two-Edged Sword hardly worth living. Our relationships Why? Well, consider these states of But emotion is a two-edged sword. As would be boring, our jobs monotonous. mind, described in the Bible and attribut- great a blessing as it is, our emotions However, if you fail to assess and, to a ed to God Himself! God is said to experi- also can be capricious and subject to large degree, master your own emotions, ence love (John 3:16; Scripture says God is manipulation. that is a virtual guarantee that you will of- love—1 John 4:8, 16), joy (Matthew 25:21, 23; Evidence of this mental dictator is ev- ten mismanage your problems and create Galatians 5:22), hatred (Psalm 11:5; 45:7), erywhere. The daily news is full of trag- many new ones. anger (Judges 10:7; Psalm 7:11), indignation edies caused by people who simply lacked How skilled are you at handling this (Isaiah 34:2), jealousy (Exodus 20:5; 34:14), emotional control under difficult circum- critical part of life? Are you constantly concern (Deuteronomy 5:29), grief (Gen- stances and thus committed crimes of riding the extremes of the emotional esis 6:6; Psalm 78:40), sorrow (Isaiah 53:3) passion. Others allow grievances to qui- spectrum? Or, on the other hand, are you and compassion (Matthew 9:35-36). etly build and, rather than handling their casual or indifferent about things you But wait, some may say. Emotions are feelings maturely, end up exploding in should feel deeply about? Your personal physical—physiological—chemical. God is violent acts, perhaps even against them- fulfillment, happiness, peace and well- spirit. He couldn’t have emotions. selves. The same lack of control is evident being depend in large measure upon your Just what are emotions? in the common, petty arguments and in- answers to these questions. The word itself comes from the Latin terpersonal warfare between co-workers, Many people are mature physically and verb motere, “to move,” coupled with the neighbors and family members. intellectually, but have simply never grown prefix e, which connotes “move away.” The Negative, destructive moods and atti- up emotionally. And that reality is re- implication is that emotion is an impulse tudes can tyrannize your mind if you let flected in failed relationships, personal toward action. It is seated in the spirit them. Yes, there is a time for righteous dissatisfaction, depression and misery. in man (Job 32:8; 1 Corinthians 2:11), that We need to give serious thought to how spirit God gives uniquely to human beings April 2012 photodisc we measure up in this critical area of our to empower our intellect and distinguish THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 27 anger, for indignation, even the right your mind, direct your emotions—so that the heat of anger, and realizing that you are kind of jealousy (e.g. 2 Corinthians 11:2); rather than you serving them, they are angry. In the first case, your mental dicta- there is a time for sorrow (Ecclesiastes 3:1, serving you. tor is in complete control. In the latter case, 4). But whenever God experiences such It is only through emotional mastery you “step outside yourself,” and put yourself things, He keeps them under control, and that we can work out constructive solu- in a position to make reasoned decisions. is, on the whole, a joy-filled Being who tions to the problems we face. Gaining You may have a legitimate cause— walks in light, not in darkness (1 John 1:4- this vital skill may keep you from losing someone mistreating you, a genuine trial 5). Wouldn’t you prefer that kind of life? a job, or rescue your marriage—even save in your life. But again, the question is, At the other end of the emotional spec- a life by averting a deadly confrontation. how will you handle it? Will you allow trum, some who experience lust or sexual Think about this important proverb: your emotions to take over? Or will you arousal permit those feelings to become “He that is slow to anger is better than the approach the problem in a mature, con- more important than personal chastity or mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than structive way that will help you arrive at even marital fidelity. Substance abuse or he that taketh a city” (Proverbs 16:32)—a a solution? It will make all the difference! addiction also indicates a mental hijack- stark contrast to the emotional child we “He that is slow to wrath is of great un- ing. Enslaved to emotion, many people al- read about in Proverbs 25:28. derstanding: but he that is hasty of spirit low the rest of their lives to fall apart. Why would God praise the person who [or quick-tempered] exalteth folly” (Prov- Herbert W. Armstrong wrote, “[W]e can conquer his spirit over the one who erbs 14:29). poor humans act as though we believed can actually conquer a city? Well, imag- man to be merely the highest of the dumb ine what God can do in the life of the person The Power of Choice brutes—as if man were equipped with in- who develops emotional mastery. This is a In locating the source of your upset, it may stinct, and the purpose of life were merely person who will not be tempted by an emo- help to realize that emotions are based on to enjoy such feelings, sensations, emotions tional rush to do something he shouldn’t—a your perceptions, not necessarily on reality. and moods as impulse attracts us to, with- person who will not be swayed off course. Let me illustrate what I mean. out thinking or mental direction!” (Good Perhaps you begin to see more deeply One day my wife’s car broke down in News, February 1982). That truly is the most how important emotional mastery is. The town, and she didn’t have a cell phone common approach to emotion today. implications are profound. In fact, mason her. She called me at work from a pay You need to acknowledge this startling tering your emotions is really the essence of phone and asked if I would pick her up at fact: If you fail to master your emotions, you godly character. the gas station where she was stranded. are not really running your own life. You Mr. Armstrong defined emotional ma- Though I was only 10 to 15 minutes’ drive are susceptible to emotional manipulation turity, “The technical art of putting into away, she waited two hours and I never from all directions. “He that hath no rule practice the Ten Commandments. It is showed up. This gave her plenty of time over his own spirit is like a city that is bro- the real secret to human happiness” (ibid, to mull over my insensitivity to her plight. ken down, and without walls” (Proverbs March 1985). Another author defined it as She became more and more emotional— 25:28). This can lead to serious consequenc- development from the state of taking to lonely, frustrated and angry. By the time es in many aspects of life—not only in your the state of giving. she called a second time, she was in tears. relationships, but also your diet and health, Emotions tend toward action. Thus, if My version of the story is this: Imme- your productivity, your overall well-being. we give in to the wrong emotions, we end diately after hanging up after our first If you find yourself resenting fam- up carrying out the wrong actions. conversation, I got in my car and drove ily members, angry at people, frustrated However, if we reject wrong emotions, to where she told me she was. When I ar- and negative about yourself, depressed or and cultivate the right emotions, that will rived, she was not there. I drove to every moody—or, on the other hand, unable to help us to embrace the right actions. Right other gas station close by, to no avail. In manage your desires, however unpleasant emotions propel us toward right action. exasperation, I went back to work and be- or destructive the consequences—like it gan phoning every gas station in the book, or not, you are emotionally immature. The First Step to Emotional Mastery asking if they could spot her car in the Many places in Scripture speak of evil We need to take control in this important parking lot. After over an hour of search- spiritual powers—the origin of which is arena of life. But how? ing, I was truly frustrated that she had a very real and active spirit being called The first step to mastering our emo- never called back to correct the miscom- Satan the devil—that influence us toward tions is to become aware of them. munication and tell me where she was. such emotions! We must learn to become very at- All the emotions we each experienced tuned to what is going on in our mind—to were based on our perceptions—assuming Why Emotional Mastery Is Vital recognize when we are getting emotional in the worst about the other person. So much You simply must learn to master a destructive way, and think hard to iden- of the time, we exhaust ourselves with such your feelings and emotions. It tify what is causing the emotion. There is mental agitation. Faulty perspective can 28 is in your best interest to direct a big difference between being caught up in generate countless destructive emotions We must strive for a level of maturity where we never allow our emotions to drive us outside the bounds of God’s law.

that need to be forcibly checked with cold emotions are impulses to action. God in- love is not jealous or boastful; it is not ar- reason. We worry ourselves sick over mere tends us to be people of action—fueled by rogant or rude. Love does not insist on its possibilities. Molehills become mountains. constructive emotion. He gave us emotion own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it It is important to realize how much to control and use, to combine with our does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in control we really have over our reactions rational thinking to help us think and feel the right. Love bears all things, believes all to such circumstances. deeply, to propel us forward, to drive us to- things, hopes all things, endures all things. If someone says something derogatory, ward right and noble action. Emotions are Love never ends …” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, for example, do you take it personally? Do a wonderful gift. Revised Standard Version). you hold a grudge? The longer you cling to But emotions are temporary. Yes, we God’s love is not an emotion, the way such thoughts, the easier they are to jus- may tend to hold on to a grudge or of- we view emotions. It is a way of life—a tify. Alternatively, you can choose to alter fense for years. But the positive emotions perfect spiritual law. It is not temporary. It your perception of the offense. You can we should cultivate—the affection that never ends! It will go on and on—until one shrug it off—perhaps with a thought such binds a family together, the excitement day it fills the universe. as, He must be having a rough morning, or, that fuels fulfilling and productive work, This is the emotional mastery we Surely she is unaware of how hurtful that the remorse that prevents us from repeat- should work to develop. This is how we remark was. We can soften our hurt with ing a mistake, the empathy that helps us need to respond to problems, difficul- empathy or mercy. comfort the grieving—these can fade all ties and trials—bear all things, believe all If the offense you experienced is a gen- too quickly. things, hope all things, endure all things. uine problem that needs to be dealt with, God encourages us to stoke and stir up That is true emotional maturity! it would still be counterproductive to try those right emotions, those useful emo- to do so while under the sway of hurt feel- tions. He tells us to direct our minds to The Battle in Your Mind ings, anger and resentment. what will motivate us onward. “Finally, God wants us to have emotions—to culti- An airline flight I took was delayed by a brethren, whatsoever things are true, vate deep, godly emotion. He wants us to storm. The plane sat on the tarmac for some whatsoever things are honest, whatso- have a proper fear of God. He wants us to time while air traffic controllers worked ever things are just, whatsoever things are hate evil. He wants us to get angry at sin. with the pilots to chart an alternate route pure, whatsoever things are lovely, what- He wants us to grieve at appropriate times. to our destination. When a new course was soever things are of good report; if there He wants us to have full joy! He wants agreed upon, the pilots realized they need- be any virtue, and if there be any praise, us to earnestly yearn for His Kingdom. ed more fuel to make the trip. Topping off think on these things” (Philippians 4:8). When we develop these states of mind, we the fuel tanks necessitated further delay. The choice is ours. are learning to think like God. The passengers aboard this flight could The common thinking is that emotion Satan the devil also wants us to have have been thankful that we would 1) avoid is opposite and counter to reason. In actu- emotions—to cut loose emotionally. He the storm and 2) have enough fuel to land ality, these two motivational tools should wants us to fear other people. He wants us where we needed to go. Instead, they perfectly complement and enhance each to hate other people. He wants us to get an- chose to become incensed. You could hear other as we endeavor to live positive, mor- gry quickly and hang on to that anger for audible expressions of anger throughout ally upright lives. days or weeks. He wants us to grieve over the cabin. Their emotion made an incon- We must strive for a level of maturity ourselves. He wants us to rejoice over other venient situation into a tense one. where we never allow our emotions to people’s failures. He wants us to earnestly You are the captain of your mind. You drive us outside the bounds of God’s law. yearn to go back to sin, one more time! cannot control everything that happens to Again, emotional maturity is “the tech- This battle is going on in your mind! you—only what you do in return. You can- nical art of putting into practice the Ten Evaluate your own life. You are to be- not prevent every inappropriate thought Commandments.” Ideally, our emotions come an expert at handling problems in from entering your mind—but you can should impassion us to more perfectly a mature way. When troubles arise, you choose whether to reject them or act upon keep God’s law. have an awesome opportunity to respond them. Emotional immaturity makes you Godly “emotion” is actually a state with emotional control—to collect your- a victim of circumstance. Emotional ma- of mind produced by God’s mind in us, self and tackle the problem head on—to turity gives you the power to choose your through the power of the Holy Spirit (Phi- make the right decision and to grow in response. lippians 2:5). Consider, for example, what is godly character. commonly called love. What is God’s view? Tame that mental dictator. Learn, Cultivate the Right Emotions He says “love is the fulfilling of the law” practice and grow in emotional maturity, It is a mistake to dismiss emotion as be- (Romans 13:10) and that it is “shed abroad and improve your life! n ing unimportant. Emotion is vital. Not in our hearts by the Holy [Spirit] which is only does it make life more interesting, given unto us” (Romans 5:5). The Apostle April 2012 hotodisc P but we can hardly get by without it. Again, Paul explained, “Love is patient and kind; THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 29 The Prophetic who or BeasT what is it?

The true meaning of a pivotal biblical prophecy that has confused people for millennia. By Gerald Flurry

ave you heard of the The Fourth Beast change our lives for the worse! prophetic “beast”? Do This fourth beast is described in Revela- This prophecy comes right from your you know what it is and tion 13:1-2: “And I stood upon the sand of own Bible! Why don’t we hear more about if it is real? the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the it? The Bible describes sea, having seven heads and ten horns, The Bible also talks about the “mark of this beast in detail, but and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon the beast.” Those who do not accept this most Christian evange- his heads the name of blasphemy. And the mark are going to be oppressed and killed lists ignore this subject beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, by this fearsome power. Yet Jesus Christ altogether—or admit that they just don’t and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and says that He will inflict His worst wrath on Hunderstand it. Yet the prophetic beast is all his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the those who receive this mark! It is crucial about prophecies that are focused on the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, that we understand what all this means! end time—right now! and great authority.” Who or what are these beasts? In the Bible, there are four beasts. They This beast embodies the strength of “These great beasts, which are four, are are recorded in Daniel 2 and 7 and Revela- the first three beasts—and it is so dread- four kings, which shall arise out of the tion 13 and 17. Daniel saw them in a vision: ful and destructive that you can’t compare earth” (Daniel 7:17). the first like a lion, the second like it to any other beast on Earth! God says these beasts symbolize four a bear and the third like a leopard. This fourth beast is rising right now! Gentile kings, or kingdoms. These beasts 30 But the fourth was different. It is going to take power and radically are not four churches, as some believe, but four world-ruling empires! That fourth empire was incomparable to A Religious Component Daniel lived in the time of the first of any other. How can you even describe the The prophecy in Revelation 13 continues: these empires. He said Nebuchadnezzar Roman Empire? It was a super-powerful “And they worshipped the dragon which was the first of these beasts, the great king fighting force with mighty political power gave power unto the beast: and they wor- of the Chaldean Empire. Then came the stretching over most of the known world. shipped the beast, saying, Who is like Medo-Persian Empire, then the Greco- The world had never seen anything like it! unto the beast? Who is able to make war who or Macedonian Empire. That’s all well docu- But there is something else you need to with him?” (Revelation 13:4). mented in history books, and exactly what understand about this beast: It is still alive! People worshiped this beast! This polit- Daniel prophesied, right down to the last, ical organization is tied to a religious orga- most fearsome beast. Resurrections nization, and this combination of church what is it? The Bible really draws our attention Revelation 13 reveals that after this fourth and state worship “the dragon”—which is most of all to this fourth beast. What beast was wounded unto death, out of that Satan the devil! world-ruling empire was more fearsome wound came 10 horns. These horns sym- You can see why this beast is so fero- and powerful than any of those others? Of bolize 10 resurrections of that same Roman cious and fierce, like no other animal on course, it is the Roman Empire! system that would rule this territory. These Earth. You can see why it is going to make With all this dramatic emphasis on this kingdoms exist between a.d. 476 and Jesus war—and how this monstrous machine is end-time beast, why don’t our religious Christ’s Second Coming. Isn’t that incred- so powerful that when people see it, they leaders discuss this more? God commis- ible? The Bible prophesied about these suc- will think that no nation or even alliance sions us to warn about this rising beast, cessive governments centuries in advance, of nations could dare make war with this and that is what we must do! and that is exactly what came to pass! beast power. This is not just ancient history. Daniel This is incredible biblical prophecy, but Notice what happens further on in this tells us that his book was sealed, not to be no one proclaims it! God is using the stron- prophecy: “And I beheld another beast understood until “the time of the end.” I gest possible symbolism here, and even our coming up out of the earth; and he had tell you, God promised He would reveal religious leaders completely ignore it! two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a every one of these prophecies to us and We must listen to this incredible mes- dragon” (verse 11). fulfill all of these promises—and He has sage—and the warning—and believe what This is speaking of another beast, an- done that throughout history without fail! God says. He prophesied that these em- other organization. On the surface, this Today, He has revealed who this fourth pires would all come to pass, and they all organization looks like it is innocent, even beast is. have. The Bible gets into even more detail righteous—following Christ. It looks like a about these 10 resurrections of the Roman lamb. But when you listen closely to what it Identity of the Fourth Beast Empire. And you can check the history says, you find that it speaks like a dragon. It “And the FOURTH KINGDOM, which, books to see that all of these details hap- actually proclaims the subtle message of the developing from Rome, spread out and pened just as God said they would. Just as dragon—because it worships the dragon! gradually absorbed one after another of the next world-ruling empire will. This means the world is monstrously these four divisions—‘dreadful and ter- The first three resurrections that ruled deceived about this beast that looks like rible, and strong exceedingly,’ was the RO- the ancient Roman territory were barbaric a lamb! People who are actually following MAN EMPIRE (31 b.c. to a.d. 476).” tribes. Then something momentous hap- the devil sincerely believe they are wor- That statement comes from Who or pened. A “little horn” plucked up these shiping Christ! What Is the Prophetic Beast? by Herbert first three and established its own rule, Verses 13 and 14 show just how powerful W. Armstrong. You need this powerful characterized by a “mouth speaking great this false church is: It will perform all kinds booklet, and I encourage you to order it; things” (Daniel 7:8). of miracles. Its religious leader will perform we will send you a copy completely free. After that point, there is something great wonders, and people all over the world Mr. Armstrong continued: “It had ab- different—something subtler and even will believe that this church is from God. sorbed all the others, occupied all their ter- more powerful—about the last seven res- Will you be able to recognize this ritory, was greater and stronger than all. It urrections of the Roman Empire. counterfeit? It looks righteous—but in included all the royal splendor of ancient In a.d. 554, Justinian restored the Ro- truth it is following the devil—and de- Babylon, thus having the head—the stron- man Empire, effectively healing the ceiving huge numbers of people! That is gest part—of the lion. It had all the massive- deadly wound, and turning the page on the quite a compelling counterfeit! ness and numerically powerful army of the rule of the three barbaric tribes. Justinian Persian Empire—symbolized by the legs, also did something else: He recognized the The Mark of the Beast the most powerful part of the bear. It was supremacy of the pope. Because the empire The prophecy of Revelation 13 continues the greatest war-making machine the world was now tied closely to this great church, it in verses 15-17: “And he [this religious had ever seen, and it also possessed the became known as the Holy Roman Empire. beast, this church] had power to give life swiftness, the cunning, the cruelty of Al- Counting Justinian’s empire, there unto the image of the beast [the political exander’s army, symbolized by the leopard. have been six major, historically power, the fourth beast], that the image “And thus, this fourth beast was unlike documented resurrections of the so- of the beast should both speak, and cause any wild beast of the Earth. It was stron- called Holy Roman Empire—all of which that as many as would not worship the im- ger, greater, more terrible, than any.” have been heavily influenced, and in some age of the beast should be killed. And he Yet in Revelation 13, the Bi- cases dominated, by the Vatican. causeth all, both small and great, rich and ble says this fourth beast was Do you think the Bible has anything to poor, free and bond, to receive a mark “wounded to death.” say about these powerful empires? It does! in their right hand, or in their foreheads: dorning For a more in-depth study of this critical subject, request a copy of Herbert W. Armstrong’s booklet April 2012

gary Who or What Is the Prophetic Beast? We will gladly send you a copy for free. THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 31 The Reign of Gentile Kingdoms Chaldean Empire 1st head of prophetic Babylon 625 – 538 b.c. Daniel 7:4 medo-persian empire 2nd head of prophetic Babylon 558 – 330 B.C. Daniel 7:5 daniel 8:3-4, 20 GREECE 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th heads of prophetic Babylon 333 B.C. dAniel 7:6 daniel 5:8 daniel 8:8 Roman empire 7th head of prophetic Babylon 31 B.C. – A.D. 478 (deadly wound A.D. 476) Daniel 7:7

1st horn A.d. 429 – 533 vandals 2nd horn A.D. 476 – 493 heruli 3rd horn A.D. 493 – 554 ostrogoths 4TH horn A.D. 544 imperiAL restoration revelation 13:1-2 5th horn A.d. 774 Frankish kingdom 6th horn A.d. 962 holy roman empire 7th horn A.d. 1520 habsburg dynasty 8th horn A.d. 1805 napoleon’s kingdom 9th horn A.d. 1870 – 1945 italy 10th horn Jan 1, 2011 united Europe revelation 17:3 (First three horns not ridden by woman and destroyed at behest of pope) (Little horn, Daniel 7:8, 20-22, 24-27).

And that no man might buy or sell, save The Seventh Resurrection Satan has labored for centuries to de- he that had the mark, or the name of the What about the seventh resurrection of ceive mankind and darken the meaning of beast, or the number of his name.” that Holy Roman Empire? Well, you won’t what God has revealed in the Bible. This church guides that fourth beast. find it in the history books. Does that Follow God’s Word, chapter by chap- In fact, this prophecy shows that it has mean it hasn’t been fulfilled? NO! The ter, verse by verse, and you can see that done so for the last six resurrections! seventh and final resurrection of the Holy what is happening in Europe today was This church-state combine will gain al- Roman Empire is taking place right now! prophesied thousands of years ago in your most total power over people. It enforces These verses are about to be fulfilled own Bible! its mark. Many people believe that this in a way that will make all the previous Who understands this today? A lot of “mark of the beast” is a physical mark of blood shed throughout history pale in religious people and even evangelists won’t some kind. But, as Who or What Is the comparison. The new Holy Roman Em- even discuss it. They almost ignore it. But Prophetic Beast? explains in detail, it is a pire will combine the modern, high-tech here is the truth: This prophecy is being sign—a sign that revolves around the day armies of several nations. Its people will fulfilled now—and now is the time we you worship God. It has to do with one be bound together by the incredible force must understand it! It’s time to stop ignor- of the Ten Commandments: “Remember of false Christianity. Its religious and po- ing this extremely dangerous part of God’s the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” But this litical leaders will be armed with conven- prophecies. It’s time to not just believe in religious-political power has enforced and tional, chemical and nuclear weapons— God, but also to believe what God says! will enforce its day of worship. and they will use them! Hosea 4:6 tells us that ignorance is no In the past, the Holy Roman Empire Revelation 13:7 says what the final res- excuse: God says His people are destroyed has wrought great destruction on Earth. urrection of that beast power is about to because of a lack of Bible knowledge. You Charlemagne, who led one of those res- do. All of God’s lukewarm people, in His need to prove God’s Word. urrections, “converted” people with his own Church—those who knew the truth You need to really understand this armies, and waded through their blood, about these prophecies—will be killed by beast in detail and really study and prove believing he was serving God. In the Mid- this monster. Every single one of them! this from your own Bible for yourself. dle Ages, this “holy” empire de- People who are worshiping the dragon These prophecies in your Bible are coming stroyed some 50 million people. will kill God’s people, thinking they are alive, and you cannot afford not to under- 32 It is a bloody, bloody empire. doing Christ a favor. stand them. n principles of living Stephen flurry Your Spiritual Due Date

Live life with a heightened sense of urgency.

he urgency and uncertainty surrounding the intent on making sure we finished those things which were most birth of my first child struck me. Leading up to it, I knew important that day. the baby would eventually come, but I had no way of Then it happened. knowing the precise moment it would occur. In the early hours of Tuesday morning, April 4, my wife final- TSimilarly, Jesus said we could discern the approximate time of ly awakened to birth pangs! It was the day we had been diligently His return, but not the actual day or the hour (Matthew 24:32-36). preparing for! We prayed together with the same earnestness and That’s because God wants us to be urgent at all times. What would detail we had been for the past eight days especially. God’s work have been like during the 1950s if Herbert W. Arm- Then it was time to act! No more reading, no more check-ups strong and the Church had known Christ’s return wouldn’t be for to mark progress, no more childbirth classes, no more cups of another 60 or 70 years? A lot less urgent, I’m sure. The Church ice cream sandwiches with pickles on top—this was the moment may have projected a “due date” from time to time, but Mr. Arm- of truth! strong never set the actual day or hour, because he didn’t know. Actually, it was more like a day and a half of truth. It’s hard Our midwife projected March 27, 2000, as the “big day,” even to describe that 28-hour period. Certainly, pictures or video do though she warned us the calculation was essentially based on a not do it justice, because they leave out the tidal waves of emo- bunch of hooey (backtrack 15 days from mother’s final menstrua- tion and exhaustion that hit during childbirth. God calls it labor tion, count 40 weeks forward, subtract father’s iq, multiply by 2, and travail for a reason. Though women shouldn’t fear labor, it and so on). is, nevertheless, the hardest physical work most mothers will ever Still, though, on my calendar “March 27” stood out like a know. And to see your wife labor so intensely is difficult for a flaming torch. I was scheduled to speak on March 25, which I man to endure as well. But, as Jesus said, both parents forget the figured to be ideal. Deliver a sermon on the Sabbath, rest up on anguish of travail the moment their child arrives (John 16:21). Sunday, have a kid on Monday. It was the perfect plan. Months That moment was at 9:32 a.m., Wednesday morning, April 5, earlier, I had even told our musical director that my wife and 2000—more than a week after the projected due date. After ex- I would have to miss the Philadelphia Singers practice Monday amining our little girl, our midwife said she was born at just the the 27th—that was baby day! Trumpet articles were due on the right time. “Today,” she said, “is her actual due date.” 29th—so I made plans to finish my assignment a week early. Looking back, I’m glad we had that extra week. On March Then nothing happened on March 27. 27, my wife and I never could have realized how much more we Something did, however, on March 28. I awakened with a needed to do before the birth. heightened sense of urgency! Could this be the day? I wondered. Spiritually speaking, we have all probably passed our project- What a boost this was for my spiritual life. I suddenly became more ed due date. Who among us would have thought 20 or 30 years earnest and detailed in my prayers. If this was, after all, the day, I ago that time would have gone on this long before Jesus Christ’s wanted to be thoroughly prepared—physically and spiritually. return? That’s one reason so many have fallen away from God’s At work, every project suddenly took on a new level of impor- truth. In their hearts they have said, “My lord delayeth his com- tance. I’d better wrap this up, I thought. What if my wife goes into ing” (Matthew 24:48). Many of them simply gave up on the birth. labor for two and a half weeks? I may not make it back to the of- But God says, “Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause fice for a while! I finished one article and began another in haste. delivery? Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” (Isa- Upon its completion, I launched into preparations for a message iah 66:9; New King James Version). God says our spiritual birth I was scheduled to give on April 1. is more real—its due date more certain—than any birth in the In the evenings, I waded through pages of Childbirth Without physical realm. It will surely come, though we have no way of Fear, highlighting sections for fathers about preparing for child- knowing its precise moment. birth. On my computer’s Bible software, I ran a search on “labor” But passing our spiritual due date is nothing to sulk about! and “travail.” (There are a lot of scriptures about childbirth, by What an opportunity—if it adds more urgency to our spiritual the way.) lives. Think about how much more needs to be done before the On Sunday, April 2, my wife and I planted our garden in the birth. Think about how much more we can do while there is still same way we had been doing everything else that week: quickly time. We haven’t a moment to lose. istockphoto / and efficiently. Don’t let up. Instead, let scherf It seemed a lot easier to prioritize after March 27. With the “Could this be the day?” moti- April 2012 matt baby due at any time, every morning my wife and I woke up vate your spiritual life! n THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 33 letters It will be wonderful when the reflection of God’s tremendous purpose politically correct standard and love for mankind—His Family. I Race bomb is shown for what it is, and truly look forward to that time so very African politics has reached God’s perfect standard put in close to us now. Rory Harper the U.S., and Americans its place. have not learned anything F.B.—Tasmania, Australia Creativity points to the Creator from what happened in Af- This article you created deeply reflects rica (“U.S. Attorney General What an impressive article. the mind of God and helps us to develop Ignites the Race Bomb,” Your article exposes what a a respect for human endeavors that pro- March). Instead they persist hypocritical nation not only pel us beyond mediocrity (“Unleash Your with their political correct- America is, but all the world! Inner Da Vinci,” March). Many thanks; ness and liberalism. As I Oh how we need God to fix very well done. It’s something to read and have always maintained … liberalism can these problems, for they are far too great reread to keep us focused more on the fu- be compared to the drug trade: It’s de- for any man to fix. Thank you for shed- ture and God, and ironically, less on self. structive and will never be resolved. Only ding God’s light on the situation—and for Tony Haddad—Wollongong, Australia good thing about Europe is that they are having the guts to write it. Liberals are far now moving to the right. At least they too mouthy these days, and the conserva- Great article. I’ve been an artist since I have woken up. Xtrato—South Africa tives … well … are too scared to disagree. learnt to hold a pencil, and I always get Julie—Ontario asked, “How do you do it?” or, “I wish Wow. what’s evening more “amazing” is I could draw too.” Your article is the the media’s glaring silence on this—they Smartphones perfect answer, better than I could ever only make the situation worse! Clearly now I really enjoyed this article (“What’s explain myself. What an amazing truth more than ever do we need God’s govern- More Important: Your Family—or Your you revealed about our God the supreme ment back here, and soon it will be here! Phone?”, March). I have felt the same sad- Creator. It motivates me to want to strive Carmen D. Rivera—New York ness and frustration for all these “fami- harder for greater creativity. Thanks for lies” that are just strangers living together. your hard work for making God’s truth Mr. Obama and Mr. Holder seem to be It is especially frustrating when you watch come alive. E.D.—Australia dead-set on igniting a true race war in it happen at dinner time when everyone this country. The consequences of such should be reconnecting. Keep up the ex- God created the week a thing are almost beyond belief …. cellent work! Jillian C.—New York I just wanted to comment on how excel- Tim—Arizona lent it was written (“Why the Week?”, Thank you for this article. I agree with January). I thought the comments about Caffeine over sleep you. I don’t like when I am in a conversa- the various theories of how the week Thank you for this wonderful article tion with an intelligent adult and they came about was exceptional. There cer- (“Exhausted Americans Opt for Caffeine ignore me to check their smartphone. tainly is a difference between man’s week Over Sleep,” March). Most mothers usu- You are right about the moment being and God’s week. A great reminder to the ally burn the candle at both ends. Stu- lost after that. world that the week was created by God. dents stay up late because of the Internet. C.A.—United States Toby Lynn Johnson—Colorado Working adults are pressured by the busy world. This is a good reminder for us all. Planets everywhere Be not afraid L.C.—Philippines Wow! Breathtakingly awesome! (“Our We are truly living in days of great Galaxy Hosts Far More Planets Than Sci- turmoil (“What Did Jesus Say About Mankind appears to be breaking every entists Thought,” March). They say truth ‘Natural’ Disasters?”, February). Weather, law and code that God has authorized for is stranger than fiction, and God’s truth world events, etc. It is so encouraging and mankind—deliberately! The end result is is far beyond what even the science fic- brings such joy and comfort to read God’s the extreme unhappiness that we witness tion writers can imagine! I’m reminded words in Joshua 1:9: “Have I not com- at this end time. of what the late astronomer Carl Sagan manded you? Be strong, very courageous. Peter Thomas—Malaysia used to quote, “billions and billions”! At Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the least he was right, if only in part. Thanks Lord your God is with you, wherever you Outraged! for a great article to remind us of why it’s go!” (Amplified). So thankful and grateful You really “nailed” it! (“The Moral Out- worth the struggle to carry on in this hu- for the promises of our great God. rage of Urinating Soldiers,” March). Our man life even when all seems hopeless! United States soldiers are not perfect (after all, they rep- Kurt J.—Louisiana resent our modern Israelite nations), but I love to share it what a contrast you made so powerfully Thank you for another inspiring article. Thank you for sending the Trumpet to between the actions of these American Just trying to imagine it all is mind- me every time. To me the magazine is soldiers and the Taliban terrorists. They staggering. If only the scientists could opening my eyes and mind day by day. terrorize and victimize and brutalize connect the creation with the Creator. I am a preacher by profession, but to me their own people, and we know what they If they could only see the true purpose the magazine is inspiring, challenging, do if they get their hands on our soldiers, behind it all: that every star is waiting to motivating and profitable. I always share or even a journalist like Daniel Pearl. be a hearth is simply worded but truly a it with my other local preachers. May God keep on giving you more wisdom. April 2012 Comments? Write to [email protected] or: We love you and always pray for you. 34 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET The Trumpet, P.O. Box 1099, Edmond, OK 73003 Partson Maambirwi—Zimbabwe commentary stephen flurry Why We Must Warn It’s what Christ’s followers are commanded to do.

esus Christ began His earthly ministry by announcing the good news of the soon-coming Kingdom of God on Earth (Mark 1:14-15). But before that Kingdom could be established, JJesus said the ways of man would lead this world to the brink of annihilation. God’s Kingdom will be set up, we read in Daniel and Revelation, after the kingdoms of this world are crushed into submission. Even as bad as we know it will get before Christ’s return, the Bible tells us the vast majority of mankind will still refuse to repent. Jesus, of course, knew this. Still, right before He ascended SEEING THE SWORD to heaven in the first century, He told His disciples to witness Unpleasant though it may be, proclaiming unto the uttermost parts of the Earth (Acts 1:8). He commanded that destruction is coming is much better His apostles to warn the nations about the wrath coming upon than seeing it coming and saying nothing. our disobedient and stubborn world. Why aren’t there more preachers and religious groups proclaiming this message? Why do they hold out hope for man to them from me. It’s God’s message—as delivered through His hu- solve the problems of this world—even as evil multiplies and the man instrument. Eight times in verses 3 through 9, God says warn! curses intensify? “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no plea- At the end of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus reminded His disciples that sure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his “all things” written in the law of Moses, the prophets and the way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will psalms would be fulfilled. Everything recorded in these books ye die, O house of Israel?” (verse 11). about the first and Second Coming of Christ—and the univer- Repentance and remission of sins—that’s what Ezekiel was sal destruction that would immediately precede His return— saying. That’s what Jesus commanded His faithful to preach be- will be fulfilled, Jesus said (Luke 24:44). He then commanded fore the Great Tribulation and the coming Day of the Lord. His disciples to preach a message of “repentance and remission “For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of of sins” to all nations (verse 47). her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be des- Why won’t the churches of this world cry out for our na- olate, that none shall pass through. Then shall they know that I am tions to turn to God in humility and to repent of their wicked the Lord, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all ways? Most religious people don’t even grasp what sin is because their abominations which they have committed” (verses 28-29). they’ve been led to believe, erroneously, that God’s spiritual law— This is what it takes for mankind to finally come to know its which regulates all human conduct—was nailed to the cross! Maker. To our great shame, we simply will not turn to God until The only thing nailed to that stake was Jesus Christ’s crucified after we have suffered devastation and death. body—along with our guilty past, assuming we turn to God in In verses 30 and 31, Ezekiel refers to God’s own lukewarm repentance! This is why, when Jesus came into Galilee preaching people—those who used to deliver God’s warning message of re- the good news of the coming Kingdom of God, He told people to pentance and remission of sins—and who still tune in to God’s repent and to believe (or accept in faith) the true gospel of the work today, but who won’t change their evil ways! Most of them Kingdom. In other words, we have to be willing to change our won’t repent until after it’s too late to save their physical lives. ways—to repent of sin—if we are to enter into God’s Kingdom. Yet God still thunders, Warn them anyway! Tell them what’s This has always been the message of God’s true servants: re- coming! pentance and remission of sins. It was repeatedly proclaimed by Verse 33 tells us why: “And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it all the prophets—those same men Jesus pointed us to in Luke 24. will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among One of them, Isaiah, wrote, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy them.” When all of these dire prophecies come to pass, then they voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, will know. They’ll immediately know where God was working and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1). Again, God knows and that the prophetic warning coming from that work was an most people will not repent. But He says, Witness against them expression of God’s love. It may be too late for them to be saved anyway! That way they will be left without excuse. If God’s true physically. But spiritually, they can still turn to God in repentance. servants do their job, then when the plagues descend, the unre- This is why we must warn. God’s true disciples today, as Jesus pentant won’t be able to say, You should have warned us! said in Luke 24, are witnesses of all these prophetic events! Ezekiel is another outstanding example of one who boldly It isn’t that difficult to find where God is working. Just look proclaimed a message of repentance and remission of sins. His for the organization faithfully fulfilling Christ’s commission to entire book is about the warning that must be delivered to the lat- watch and warn—the one work lifting up its voice like a trum- ter-day descendants of Jacob. Ancient Israel had gone into captiv- pet, showing the people their transgressions and preaching a ity long before Ezekiel wrote his book. His message is for us today. message of repentance and remission of sins.

istockphoto “So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the This is the message Christ has always commanded / house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, His servants to deliver. And this is the work that the true peeterv and warn them from me” (Ezekiel 33:7). Notice, God says, You warn followers of Christ have faithfully supported. n 35 ➤ DEBT from page 25 television log

$454 billion in interest. Last December alone, maintenance on the debt cost $98.6 billion. Look at how such enormous payouts hurt the nation. Last year, America’s top military officer, Adm. Michael Mullen, called America’s national debt “the biggest threat to our national security.” Why? He was just looking at the defense budget. All times are a.m. local time unless otherwise noted. U.S. military policy is being dictated less and less by strategic imperatives and more United States Chicago WCUU 7:00, Mon-Fri; WCIU 9:30, Sun; and more by budget constraints. Nationwide Satellite Galaxy 3 Trans. 21 11:30 ET, Tue/ WCPX 5:00, Fri Think about where all that money for Thu Peoria WHOI-DT 8:30, Sun interest payments is going. Trillions of Galaxy 5 Trans. 7 8:00 ET Rockford WREX-DT 8:30, Sun Direct TV DBS WGN Chan. 307 8:00 ET, Sun Indiana, Fort Wayne WPTA-DT 21.2 9:30, Sun dollars are flying out of the U.S. into other Direct TV DBS ION Ch. 305 6:00 ET, Fri Indianapolis WIPX 6:00, Fri countries. Though borrowing may pros- Dish Network ION Ch. 216 6:00 ET, Fri Terre Haute WBI 8:30, Sun per America for a moment, it prospers the Dish Network DBS WGN Chan. 239 8:00 ET, Sun Iowa, Austin KTTC-DT 8:30, Sun nation’s lenders in the long run—at Amer- Nationwide cable WGN 8:00 ET, Sun Cedar Rapids KPXR 5:00, Fri Alabama, Birmingham WPXH 5:00, Fri Des Moines KFPX 5:00, Fri ica’s expense, more and more over time. Dothan WTVY-DT 8:30, Sun Keokuk WEWB 8:30, Sun And think about how that foreign debt Montgomery WBMM/WBMM-DT 8:30, Sun Kirksville KWOT 8:30, Sun can influence policy—even change the Alaska, Anchorage KIMO-DT 8:30, Sun Mason City KTTC-DT 8:30, Sun balance of global power. America’s larg- Fairbanks KATN-DT 8:30, Sun Ottumwa KWOT 8:30, Sun est creditor is China. How much of Bei- Juneau KJUD-DT 8:30, Sun Mason City KTTC-DT 8:30, Sun Arizona, Phoenix KPPX 5:00, Fri Sioux City KTIV-DT 8:30, Sun jing’s growing confidence and militarism Yuma-El Centro KSWT-DT 9:30, Sun Kansas, Topeka KSNT 8:30, Sun within Asia, how much of its willingness Arkansas, Fayetteville KWFT 8:30, Sun Kentucky, Bowling Green WBKO 8:30, Sun to defy the U.S. in the international arena, Fort Smith KCWA 8:30, Sun Lexington WUPX 6:00, Fri owes to the fact that America owes it well Jonesboro KJOS 8:30, Sun Louisiana, Alexandria KBCA 8:30, Sun Rogers KWFT 8:30, Sun El Dorado-Monroe KNOE-DT 8:30, Sun over a trillion dollars? The fact is, large Springdale KWFT 8:30, Sun Lafayette KLWB 8:30, Sun foreign debt hangs over the value of a cur- California, Bakersfield KGET-DT 9:30, Sun Lake Charles WBLC 8:30, Sun rency like a sword of Damocles. America Chico KHSL-DT 9:30, Sun New Orleans WPXL 5:00, Fri lives under the growing threat of dollar or El Centro KWUB 9:30, Sun Maine, Bangor WABI-DT 9:30, Sun treasury dumping, something that could Eureka KUVU-DT 9:30, Sun Presque Isle WBPQ 9:30, Sun Los Angeles KPXN 6:00, Fri Maryland, Salisbury WBD 9:30, Sun wipe out its economy in a flash. Monterey KMWB 9:30, Sun Massachusetts, Holyoke WBQT 9:30, Sun Quite a curse, all that debt. Really, Palm Springs KESQ/KCWQ-DT 9:30, Sun Springfield WBQT 9:30, Sun that’s just common sense. Redding KHSL-DT 9:30, Sun Michigan, Alpena WBAE 9:30, Sun Fundamentally, though, this isn’t a Sacramento KSPX 6:00, Fri Cadillac WGTU/WGTQ 9:30, Sun Salinas KION 9:30, Sun Detroit WPXD 6:00, Fri; WADL 10:00, Sun case of bad economics. This is a curse— San Francisco KKPX 6:00, Fri Grand Rapids WZPX 5:00, Fri a curse imposed by God for the nation’s Santa Barbara KSBY-DT 9:30, Sun Lansing WLAJ-DT 9:30, Sun disobedience to Him. Colorado, Denver KPXC 5:00, Fri Marquette WBKP 9:30, Sun It’s not very fashionable to believe in Grand Junction KKCO-DT 10:30, Sun Traverse City-Cadillac WGTU-DT/WGTQ-DT 9:30, Sun curses in our modern world. But if you Montrose KKCO-DT 10:30, Sun Minnesota, Duluth-Superior WDLH 8:30, Sun Connecticut, Hartford WHPX 6:00, Fri Mankato KWYE 8:30, Sun believe the Bible, it’s not at all difficult to Delaware, Dover WBD 9:30, Sun Minneapolis KPXM 5:00, Fri see the contrast in Deuteronomy 28 be- Salisbury WMDT-DT 9:30, Sun Rochester-Austin KTTC-DC 8:30, Sun tween verses 12 and 44, and to recognize Florida, Gainesville WCJB-DT 9:30, Sun Sioux Fall (Mitchell) KWSD/KSWD-DT 8:30, Sun which of those prophecies—issued by the Jacksonville WPXC/WPXJ-LP 6:00, Fri Mississippi, Biloxi WBGP 8:30, Sun Miami WPXM 6:00, Fri Columbus WCBI-DT 8:30, Sun Almighty God—applies to America today. Orlando WOPX 6:00, Fri Greenville WBWD 8:30, Sun It’s already hurting the nation, but the sit- Panama City WJHG-DT 8:30, Sun Greenwood WBWD 8:30, Sun uation is precarious, and it’s about to get Tallahassee WTXL 7:30, Sun Gulfport WBGP 8:30, Sun far worse. Tallahassee-Thomasville WTLF-DT/WTLH-DT 9:30, Sun Hattiesburg WBH 8:30, Sun Of those foreign lending nations, the Tampa WXPX 6:00, Fri; WTTA 8:30 am, Sun Laurel WBH 8:30, Sun West Palm Beach WPXP 6:00, Fri Meridian WTOK-DT 8:30, Sun prophecy says, “he shall be the head, and Georgia, Albany WBSK 9:30, Sun Tupelo WCBI-DT 8:30, Sun thou shalt be the tail.” That’s where Amer- Augusta WAGT-DT 9:30, Sun West Point WCBI-DT 8:30, Sun ica is heading, and fast. n Brunswick WPXC 6:00, Fri Missouri, Columbia KOMU-DT 8:30, Sun Columbus WLGA 9:30, Sun Hannibal WGEM-DT 8:30, Sun To see far more biblical proof that Macon WBMN 9:30, Sun Jefferson City KOMU-DT 8:30, Sun Savannah WGSA/WGCW-LP 9:30, Sun Joplin-Pittsburg KSXF 8:30, Sun America is suffering the curses God Hawaii, Hawaii Na Leo Chan. 54 6:30, Sun; 8:30, Wed Kansas City KPXE 5:00, Fri warned the ancient nation of Israel Kaui Ho’ Ike Chan. 52 9:30, Tue Quincy-Keokuk WGEM-DT 8:30, Sun about, request The United States Maui/Lanaii/Molokai/Niihau/Akaku St. Joseph WBJO 8:30, Sun and Britain in Prophecy. Chan. 52 6:30 pm, Sun; 3:30, Mon Montana, Billings KTVQ-DT 8:30, Sun Idaho, Idaho Falls KPIF/KBEO 10:30, Sun Bozeman-Butte KBZK-DT/KXLF-DT 10:30, Sun Pocatello KPIF 10:30, Sun Glendive KWZB 10:30, Sun April 2012 Twin Falls KMVT-DT/KTWT-LP 10:30, Sun Great Falls KRTV-DT 10:30, Sun 36 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET Illinois, Bloomington WHOI-DT 8:30, Sun Helena KMTF-DT 10:30, Sun Philadelphia Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry appears each week on The Key of David explaining the meaning behind world events and teaching the inspiring truths of the Bible. The program is also available at keyofdavid.com. The Key of David is now available to 110 million homes throughout Europe and the Middle East via CNBC at 11 a.m. Central European Time.

The Key of David is now available on the Discovery channel, Sundays at 6:30 a.m. et/pt

Missoula KPAX-DT 10:30, Sun 9:30, Sun West Virginia, Beckley KVVA-DT 9:30, Sun am, Sun; Freestat channel 210 10:00 Nebraska, Lincoln-Hastings Florence WWMB/WWMB-DT 9:30, Sun Bluefield KVVA-DT 9:30, Sun am, Sun; Virgin Media channel 613 KCWL-TV 8:30, Sun Myrtle Beach WWMB/WWMB-DT 9:30, Charleston WLPX 6:00, Fri 10:00 am, Sun Kearney KCWL-TV 8:30, Sun Sun Clarksburg WVFX-DT 9:30, Sun North Platte KWPL 8:30, Sun South Dakota, Mitchell KWSD 8:30, Sun Oak Hill KVVA-DT 9:30, Sun Canada Scottsbluff KCHW 10:30, Sun Rapid City KWBH-LP 10:30, Sun Parkersburg WBPB 9:30, Sun Nationwide satellite Nevada, Reno KREN/KREN-DT 9:30, Sun Sioux Falls KWSD 8:30, Sun Weston WVFX-DT 9:30, Sun Galaxy 3 Trans. 21 11:30 ET, Tue/Thu New York, Albany WYPX 6:00, Fri Tennessee, Jackson WBJK 8:30, Sun Wheeling WBWO 9:30, Sun Galaxy 5 Trans. 7 8:00 ET, Sun Binghamton WBXI 9:30, Sun Knoxville WPXK 6:00, Fri Wisconsin, Eau Claire WQOW-DT/WXOW- Nationwide cable Buffalo WPXJ 6:00, Fri; WUTV 10:00, Sun Memphis WPXX 5:00, Fri DT 8:30, Sun WGN 8:00 ET, Sun; Vision TV 4:30 pm Elmira WBE 9:30, Sun Nashville WNPX 5:00, Fri La Crosse WQOW/WXOW 8:30, Sun ET, Sun New York City WPXN 6:00, Fri Texas, Abilene KTWS-DT 8:30, Sun Milwaukee WPXE 5:00, Fri Grace Television Network 11:00 ET, Sun. Syracuse WSPX 6:00, Fri Arillo KVII-DT/KVIH/KVIH-DT 8:30, Sun Rhinelander WAOW/WYOW 8:30, Sun British Columbia, Vancouver Utica WBU 9:30, Sun Beaumont KFDM-DT 8:30, Sun Wausau WAOW-DT/WYOW-DT 8:30, Sun KVOS 8:30, Sun; CHEK 9:00 Sun; CHNU Watertown WWTI-DT 9:30, Sun Brownsville KSFE-LP/KTIZ-LP 8:30, Sun Wyoming, Casper 10:30, Sun 5:30 pm, Sun North Carolina, Durham WRPX 6:00, Fri; Corpus Christi KRIS-DT 8:30, Sun Cheyenne KCHW 10:30, Sun Victoria CHNU 5:30 pm, Sun 9:00 am, Sun Harlingen KSFE-LP/KTIZ-LP 8:30, Sun Riverton 10:30, Sun Maritime Provinces CIHF 7:30, Sun Fayetteville WFPX 6:00, Fri Houston KPXB 5:00, Fri Manitoba, Winnipeg CIIT Joy TV 11:00, Sun Greensboro WGPX 6:00, Fri Laredo KTXW 8:30, Sun Ontario, Toronto Greenville WEPX 6:00, Fri; WNCT-DT Longview KCEB 8:30, Sun WADL 10:00 Sun; CHNU 8:30 pm, Sun; 9:30, Sun Lubbock KLCW 8:30, Sun Europe/Middle EAst WUTV 10:00, Sun Lumber Bridge WFPX 6:00, Fri Midland KWWT 8:30, Sun Pan-European satellite Astra 1L (free Quebec, Montreal WVNY 10:00, Sun New Bern WNCT-DT 9:30, Sun Odessa KWWT 8:30, Sun to air) 19.2ºE transponder 26 11.597V Raleigh WRPX 6:00, Fri; 9:00 am, Sun Port Arthur KFDM 8:30, Sun 220000 (DVB); Astra 1KR 19.2ºE tran- Washington WNCT-DT 9:30, Sun San Angelo KWSA 8:30, Sun sponder 50 10.729V (analogue) 11 am Wilmington WBW 9:30, Sun San Antonio KPXL 5:00, Fri Central European Time, Sun Latin America tV Vlaanderen channel 62 11:00 North Dakota, Bismarck KWMK 10:30, Sun Sherman-Ada KTEN-DT 8:30, Sun Belgium Regional satellite Galaxy 3 Trans. 21 11:30 Dickinson KWMK 10:30, Sun Sweetwater KTWS-DT 8:30, Sun am, Sun ET, Tue/Thu KDG channel 840 11:00 am, Fargo WDAY-DT 8:30, Sun Tyler KCEB 8:30, Sun Germany El Salvador WGN 6:00, Sun Sun; TalkTalk TV channel 510 11:00 Minot KWMK 10:30, Sun Victoria KWVB 8:30, Sun Guatemala WGN 6:00, Sun am, Sun Valley City WDAY-DT 8:30, Sun Weslaco KSFE-LP/KTIZ-LP 8:30, Sun Honduras WGN 6:00, Sun Sky channel 505 10:00 am, Sun; Ohio, Cleveland WVPX 6:00, Fri Wichita Falls KAUZ-DT 8:30, Sun Ireland Mexico WGN 7:00, Sun UPC channel 204; 10:00 am, Sun Cincinnati WSTR 8:30, Sun Utah, Salt Lake City KUPX 5:00, Fri Panama WGN 7:00, Sun Lima WLIO-DT 9:30, Sun Vermont, Burlington WVNY 10:00, Sun Italy Sky Italia channel 518 11:00 am, Sun; Steubenville WBWO 9:30, Sun Virginia, Charlottesville WVIR-DT 9:30, Sun Tiscali TV channel 518 11:00 am, Sun Zanesville WBZV 9:30, Sun Harrisonburg WVIR-DT 9:30, Sun Mediterranean Oklahoma, Ada KSHD 8:30, Sun Norfolk WPXV 6:00, Fri Eurobirdi 11261 H 232516 E-FTA Lawton KAUZ 8:30, Sun Roanoke WPXR 6:00, Fri 11:00 am Central European Time Caribbean Oklahoma City KOPX 5:00, Fri Washington D.C. WDCW 8:00, Sun; WPXW Middle East Eurobirdi 11261 H 232516 E-FTA Regional satellite Tulsa KTPX 5:00, Fri 6:00, Fri 11:00 am Central European Time, Sun Galaxy 3 Trans. 21 11:30 ET, Tue/Thu Oregon, Bend KTVZ-DT 9:30, Sun Washington, Kennewick KCWK 9:30, Sun; Netherlands Ziggio channel 505 11:00 Galaxy 5 Trans. 7 8:00 ET, Sun Klamath Falls KMFD 9:30, Sun KIMA-DT2 9:30, Sun am, Sun Aruba WGN 8:00, Sun Medford KMFD 9:30, Sun Pasco KEPR 6:30, Sun; KIMA-DT2 9:30, Sun Poland Cyfra+ channel 105 11:00 am, Sun Bahamas WGN 8:00, Sun Portland KPXG 6:00, Fri Richland KCWK 9:30, Sun; KIMA-DT2 Portugal ZonTVCabo channel 210 11:00 Belize WGN 7:00, Sun Pennsylvania, Erie WBEP 9:30, Sun 9:30, Sun am Central European Time, Sun Cuba WGN 8:00, Sun Philadelphia WPPX 6:00, Fri Seattle-Tacoma KWPX 6:00, Fri Romania UPC channel 146 12:00 am, Sun Dominican Republic WGN 8:00, Sun Wilkes Barre WQPX 6:00, Fri Seattle KCPQ 7:00, Sun Spain hispastat 1.092V 11:00 am, Sun Haiti WGN 7:00, Sun Rhode Island, Providence WPXQ 6:00, Fri Spokane KGPX 6:00, Fri Switzerland Nakoo channel 63; Cablecom Jamaica WGN 9:00, Sun South Carolina, Charleston WCBD-DT Yakima KIMA-DT2 9:30, Sun channel 151 11:00 am, Sun Puerto Rico WGN 8:00, Sun United Kingdom Sky: Channel 505 10:00 Trinidad and Tobago WGN 8:00, Sun

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