A very interesting post from www.jihadwatch.org about Islam in Germany. This follows this post about Islamic decrees issued this year. This follows this post about the NYPD cop killer. This follows this article about American energy independence and preventing money from going to hostile countries. For more, you can read two very interesting books HERE.
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Robert Spencer in PJ Media: 5 Reasons Why Angela Merkel Is Wrong to Oppose Germany’s Anti-Islamization Rallies

 By Robert Spencer 34 Comments

In PJ Media I discuss yet another potentially disastrous misstep by another Western leader:

After tens of thousands of Germans participated in rallies organized by Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West (PEGIDA), German Chancellor Angela Merkel denounced them, claiming that when they chanted “We are the people,” they really meant, “You don’t belong — because of your religion or your skin color.” With one-third of Germans supporting the rallies, that’s either an awful lot of racists or Merkel is making a disastrous mistake in demonizing this movement. And she is, of course: Islamization is not a race, and it is not racist or xenophobic to oppose it.
Merkel herself should know better, for these reasons:
5. The German government has already shown its understanding of this problem to be faulty.
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble also denounced PEGIDA, saying last Saturday: “People are right to fear Islamist terrorism. But not Islam.”
But “Islamist terrorism” arises from Islam. Or does Schaeuble think it is just as likely to emerge from the Lutheran churches as from the mosques? How does Schaeuble propose to separate the Islam that he considers benign from the Islamist terrorism he regards as malignant? He doesn’t say, and probably doesn’t have any idea how to do so — if he has ever seriously considered the question at all.

Schaeuble’s distinction is obviously based more on wishful thinking than reality. Merkel is foolish to perpetuate this willful ignorance – particularly since she has shown more sense in the past:

4. Merkel herself acknowledged that multiculturalism was a failure.

Back in October 2010, Merkel declared: “This multicultural approach, saying that we simply live side by side and live happily with each other has failed. Utterly failed.”
She was right, of course: multiculturalism has indeed failed, as it was always destined to do, for from the start it was based on false assumptions: the idea that all cultures are equivalent and teach essentially the same values; that words such as “freedom” and “justice” mean the same things to all people worldwide; and above all, that the Qur’an and Sunnah contain nothing that isn’t fully compatible with Western constitutional freedoms and principles of human rights.
No amount of money that Western leaders commit to this idea will change the fact that these assumptions are not true, and that a society built upon them is bound to falter in one way or another.

3. PEGIDA is not a neo-Nazi movement.

As PEGIDA demonstrators marched in Dresden and sang Christmas carols on the day before Christmas Eve, counter-demonstrators marched under the slogan “Dresden Nazi-free,” and some German lawmakers derided PEGIDA members as “pin-striped Nazis.”
Yet “PEGIDA organizers,” according to the Associated Press, “insist they are protesting only against extremism and not against immigrants or Islam itself,” and maintain that they are not Nazis. However, adds AP, “the demonstrations have received support from far-right groups, prompting concerns that anti-foreigner sentiment might be rising.”
The Left’s search for crypto-Nazis has been relentless since even before William F. Buckley threatened to sock Gore Vidal for calling him one on national television. Most of those they have accused, with zeal far surpassing any Joe McCarthy ever mustered for ferreting out Communists, have been entirely innocent of the charge, as is PEGIDA: in standing against Islamization, PEGIDA is standing for the equality of rights of women with men, and of non-Muslims with Muslims, and for the freedom of speech and the freedom of conscience. Those opposing their defense of these basic Western principles are far closer to the Nazis than they are….

Read the rest here.

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about the continuing aftermath of the Ferguson incident. This follows this post about giving thanks and not getting caught up in "gift buying." For a free magazine subscription or to get the books recommended for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632.
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Grand jury rules in Michael Brown's death - Reaction Predictable

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by Victor Kubik

Source: DanielVilleneuve/iStock/Thinkstock

Violence, looting and burning erupted last night after a prosecutor announced that police officer Darren Wilson would not be indicted in the August 9th death of Michael Brown. Since that date tension has been high and sustained in what appeared to be a delayed ruling. Fear was that whether Wilson was indicted or not, violence would erupt. Supporters of both sides were ready to take action after the verdict would be announced.
I watched President Obama urge calm after the announcement of the verdict. He added that if there were to be protests, that they should be peaceful. However, while he was speaking on television, a live scene was displayed alongside the President showing a crowd rocking a police car, attempting to turn it over.
Burning and destruction ensued through the night. Streets were closed. It is unknown still at this writing how widespread this escalation will go. Voices of reason warned that this conduct was not going to solve anything. It was only hurting the people who felt most strongly about this, along with their communities. And it would set back any progress in correcting broader injustices.
There was hope briefly after the grand jury announcement by some commentators that this would "settle down" on its own. However, it did not. What happened is what is so predictable in our human experience: inability to peacefully solve conflict, and instead resort to irrational rage that only harms everyone.
"When will they ever learn?" are the words to a popular song "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" by Peter Paul and Mary from decades ago. The song is about cyclical conflict, war and death. Again and again.
I was sickened when I saw the anger and fires on the news. I become angry and have rage build within me when I see people hurting themselves and others to express their wrath. However, my comfort is that I understand that humanity is intrinsically incompetent in peace-making skills. God's intent is that we turn from this behavior and take on a new nature. It is in God's plan to build a new person who abhors what he is and adopts a new nature. Humans need outside help, outside the human realm to learn this.
In Romans:3:17And the way of peace have they not known:, Paul states in a commentary about human nature: "And the way of peace they have not known." He quotes what was already in Isaiah:59:8The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.—"The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their ways."
We preach the Gospel of Peace that Paul spoke of when describing the metaphoric spiritual armor that we wear in Ephesians:6:15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;: "And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace…"
Our world simply will not "get it" when it comes to solving problems peacefully. Witness what else is taking place on this earth. We are coming to the time when there will be intervention for humanity spoken of by Jesus in describing the events prior to His second coming: "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved" (Matthew:24:22And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.).
It is this knowledge that is giving me real hope. It is not an empty hope. It is a hope based on what is shown biblically to come pass and what will end this world's conflicts.

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about Kosovo. This follows this post about smuggling across borders. This follows this post about Germany's future designs. This follows this post about previous World Cup expenses. For a free magazine subscription or to get the books recommended for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632. You can follow me at blogspot here and at twitter here https://twitter.com/brianleesblog. Please consider following both in case one goes down!

Balkan Vortex of Violence Threatens Kosovo

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article by John Ross Schroeder

Some 10 years ago Serbian troops invaded the mostly Muslim province of Kosovo. After U.S. air strikes and NATO intervention, the United Nations began administering the province. But the UN mandate recently expired and Kosovo threatens to declare full independence from Serbia. The behavior of Balkan countries continues to perplex the Western world. Will many more innocent lives be lost in their seemingly futile quest for a stable and peaceful existence? What is the only lasting solution?

The Balkan countries of southeastern Europe have not had an easy history. Few regions of the world have suffered so much violence, murder, ethnic cleansing and reverse ethnic cleansing, as first one nation and then another gained the upper hand. The Balkan catalog of human suffering in the 20th century alone overwhelms the imagination.
Balkan history is long and complicated. The Ottoman Turks crossed the Dardanelles in the 1320s. Serbia, Bosnia, Albania and Macedonia were among the Balkan nations conquered by the Turks, and they became a part of the Ottoman Empire. Many chafed under 600 years of Islamic rule. However, this enormous Turkish empire began to fray at the edges in the 19th century, and "in 1912-1913 three regional wars were fought in the Balkans" (Norman Davies, Europe: A History, 1997, p. 874).
Indeed it was an incident in the Balkans that proved to be the catalyst for the beginning of World War I (1914-1918). Norman Davies wrote: "The Bosnian crisis indicated where Europe's most likely flash-point lay. Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia in 1908 without a shred of legal justification, having occupied and administered the country for the previous thirty years by international mandate" (ibid.).
So when in June 1914 Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia, it provided the spark that eventually led to the loss of many millions of human lives of many nations. Much of the flower of British manhood died in Belgian trenches. Yet World War I also virtually ended the long Ottoman reign. Historians have generally assigned 1920 as the formal year of the empire's final dissolution.
The Balkan countries were now "free" to begin expressing their ethnic, nationalistic, cultural and religious differences by warring among themselves in earnest. Enter Josip Broz Tito (1892-1980) of Croatia.
Tito's reign and its aftermath
This formidable personality did what no other individual of that region had done in historical memory. In January 1946 he united virtually all of the Balkan nations and imposed a multinational federation called Yugoslavia but dominated by Serbia. In reality, this group of countries (the new Yugoslavia) constituted a communist dictatorship.
However, Marshall Tito practiced his own partially pro-Western brand of communism—not liking the Russian model of collectivized agriculture and favoring self-management of workers. He proved to be a lingering thorn in the side of the Soviet Union, and so the Soviets formally expelled him from the party in June 1948. His federation had never been part of the Warsaw Pact, and he later became prominently involved in the so-called nonaligned nations movement.
The historic nationality problems, long endemic in the Balkans, were effectively suppressed during Tito's long and ruthless dictatorship (1946-1980). But the cohesive, residual effects of his rule lasted only for about 10 years, and those years were marked by outbreaks of nationalistic restlessness. The formal breakup of the federation followed in the 1990s. "War in Yugoslavia broke out in early June 1991 as soon as the parliaments of Slovenia and Croatia voted for independence" (Misha Glenny, The Balkans, 1998, p. 637).
The leaders who survived Tito simply did not possess his charismatic powers and presence among the Balkan peoples. They could not hold the federation together.
(Marshall Tito's accomplishments are in a minor way indicative of what another far more powerful charismatic personality will bring about in uniting Central Europe—militarily, economically and politically. Ten European rulers will give their powers over to him. His reign will astonish the world. The book of Revelation in the Bible calls him "the beast." To know much more, request or download our free booklets You Can Understand Bible Prophecy , The Book of Revelation Unveiled and Are We Living in the Time of the End? )
Back to Kosovo
This brings us to the Kosovo of just over 10 years ago. In April of 1996 a small number of ethnic Serbs were dining in a café in Kosovo. They were suddenly slaughtered by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) composed of ethnic Albanians. Three other attacks, all attributed to the KLA, occurred that same night. Muslim Albanians compose 90 percent of the population of Kosovo, with a 10 percent minority of Serbs. This is the nub of the problem since Kosovo is still legally and formally a province of Serbia.
In the words of author Misha Glenny, "In Kosovo the death toll mounted on both the Serbian and Albanian sides. The European Union and the United States were awakened to the possibility of war in the province" (ibid., p. 655). American and NATO military action followed in defense of Kosovo, and the UN was soon in virtual charge of the province.
But where are we now in Kosovo? This province wants to become the seventh independent nation to emerge out of the former Yugoslavian federation. The United States and some key European nations support this bid for independence. America is popular in Muslim Kosovo, a rarity in the Islamic world today.
But Serbia strongly opposes independence for Kosovo. Boris Tadic, president of Serbia, firmly stated: "As long as I am President of Serbia, I will never accept the independence of Kosovo" (quoted in Time, Dec. 31, 2007).
Serbia has a powerful backer in Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has clearly said in advance that he will vote against recognition of Kosovo in the United Nations Security Council. Besides sharing Slavic blood and ethnic ties with Serbia, Putin is trying to rebuild Russian clout and influence in the world. He is also leery of setting any precedents that might be interpreted as encouraging breakaway groups in Russian regions like Chechnya.
Would an independent Kosovo become another Taiwan? Would yet another vulnerable Balkan state be forever dependent on outside sources like NATO or the UN for its security? What would become of its Serbian minority?
Of course, Kosovo is far from the only problem in the Balkan mix. Bosnian Serbs would also like to form an independent country or possibly join forces with Serbia. Regional stability remains very far removed from reality and satisfaction among the citizenry is in very short supply. The abject suffering among the Balkan population is and has been immense. Some of these regional problems appear almost insurmountable.
What is the solution?
The apostle Paul sums up the New Testament solution to the kinds of difficulties that are endemic to the Balkans. "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians:3:27-28 [27] For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
[28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus., emphasis added throughout). Many of these national and cultural differences fade in relative importance when we repent, become baptized and receive God's Holy Spirit (see Acts:2:38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.). We begin to see things in a far different light.
According to the Bible, to become truly converted is to lay aside the deeds of the darker side of our human nature. Murdering members of other ethnic groups is not an option for Christians. It is an evil work of the flesh in the biblical sense and a stark violation of the Ten Commandments.
Later Paul repeats the point to the church at Colosse. "But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him [God] who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all" (Colossians:3:8-11 [8] But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
[9] Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
[10] And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
[11] Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.).
We know that the Balkan population at large is highly unlikely to adopt this biblical solution en masse. But individuals there clearly could. For further help we offer our free booklets The Road to Eternal Life and Transforming Your Life: The Process of Conversion .
The long-term solution is the second coming of Jesus Christ and the beginning of the rule of the Kingdom of God on this earth. Christ's millennial reign will solve all of these world problems. Our free booklet The Gospel of the Kingdom , lays out the overall plan and purpose of God for humankind. You may request a copy in print or download it on our Web site. WNP

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Nation Rising Against Nation
Observers are struck by the obvious interconnectedness of the various Balkan nations. Troublesome events in one country often affect neighboring nations negatively. The Balkan mix is continuously potentially explosive.
In spite of 16,000 NATO soldiers stationed in Kosovo, the Slovenian foreign minister described the situation there as "a risk—it is very serious." Slovenia assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union on Jan. 1. He saw Kosovo as potentially the biggest challenge to the Slovenian presidency. The Financial Times headlined its article, "Slovenia Fears Kosovo Partition."
The general history of the Balkans is punctuated with either nations fighting one another or ethnic groups within nations warring with each other. The conflicts there bring to mind the Olivet Prophecy recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21.
It was first spoken and later recorded in writing to inform us about what would happen in the time of the end. In it Jesus Christ warned that "nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom" (Matthew:24:7For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.). You may want to request our free booklet Are We Living in the Time of the End? WNP

In Brief... "It's the Russians, Stupid"

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/  about the Russians from the war against Serbia until now. This follows this post about child sacrifice, such as what the Mayans and Canaanites did. For a free magazine subscription or to get the book shown  for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

In Brief... "It's the Russians, Stupid"



article by Cecil Maranville, Darris McNeely, David Palmer, John Ross Schroeder, Peter Eddington


President Bill Clinton had a sign taped to his desk at the beginning of his first term in office that read, "It's the Economy, Stupid."



President Bill Clinton had a sign taped to his desk at the beginning of his first term in office that read, "It's the Economy, Stupid." He should have taped one on his desk at the beginning of the Kosovo affair that said, "It's the Russians, Stupid." From the beginning to the end of this crisis, it has been the Russians, not the Serbs, who were the real issue facing NATO.



It's not about Kosovo. It is not about humanitarianism or making ourselves the kind of people we want to be. It's about the Russians, stupid! And about China and about the global balance of power (STRATFOR's Global Intelligence Update Weekly Analysis, June 14, 1999).

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The God Who Became a Human Being

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/  about the divinity of Jesus Christ. This follows this post about the Feast of Trumpets. For a free magazine subscription or to get this book for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

The God Who Became a Human Being


How could someone who is spirit, having lived for all eternity in the past, become human? Was Jesus a human being just like us? And when He was a human being, was He still God?



"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.



See All...).



How could someone who is spirit, having lived for all eternity in the past, become human? Was Jesus a human being just like us? And when He was a human being, was He still God?



Jesus was prophesied to be "God with us" (Matthew 1:23Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.



See All...). Jesus was a human being and He was also God. There was never a time when He ceased to be who He always was. His identity did not change. When He was in the womb of Mary, He was God. When He was a baby boy lying in the manger, He was God. When He was a youngster growing up in Nazareth, He was God. And when He was dying, He was God.



As a spirit being, prior to His human birth, He was infinite in knowledge, power and presence. As God He would know everything and have unlimited power to act on any object, anywhere. But if He was human, He could not do everything. He would be limited to the normal abilities any normal human being would have. He could not have been both infinite and finite simultaneously.



A physical body with physical limitations



When Jesus became flesh He was still God in terms of His identity, but He was nevertheless a human being in every sense of the word.



Jesus had a physical body. His closest disciple attests that He was a physical person: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness" (1 John 1:1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;



See All...). John is establishing the humanity of Jesus Christ when he says they heard, saw and touched Jesus.



He had a fully human body. He was born. He grew and developed just like any other child.



Jesus was subject to the same physical limitations as other human beings, because He had the same kind of body. He experienced hunger when He fasted (Matthew 4:2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.



See All...) and thirst (John 19:28After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.



See All...). He experienced fatigue from a long walk (John 4:6Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.



See All...).



Jesus suffered physically and died. Hebrews 2:10For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.



See All... tells us that He was made "perfect through sufferings." Physiologically, He was a human being just as we are human, subject to death. "Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil" (verse 14, NRSV). He was made flesh "that He ...might taste death for everyone" (verse 9).



Jesus suffered terribly when He died, as is evident in the crucifixion accounts. When the spear was thrust in His side, water and blood poured out. His body was the same as ours. There can be no doubt that He felt physical suffering as genuinely as we do when He was beaten and scourged, when the crown of thorns was shoved onto His head and when the nails were driven into His wrists and feet.



Jesus felt human emotions



Jesus also experienced many of the same emotional and intellectual qualities we do. He thought, reasoned and felt the full range of human emotions. He had strong affection for people (John 11:5Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.



See All...; 13:23; 19:26). He felt compassion and pity for those who were hungry or physically or spiritually afflicted (Matthew 9:36But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.



See All...; 14:14; 15:32; 20:34).



He could be distressed and troubled, as was evident to His disciples when He anticipated His impending suffering and death (Luke 12:50But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!



See All...; John 12:27Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.



See All...). He was deeply troubled when considering that one of His disciples would betray Him (John 13:21When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.



See All...). He grieved and wept over the mourning of Lazarus' family and friends when Lazarus died (John 11:33-35 [33] When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

[34] And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

[35] Jesus wept.





See All...).



Jesus was "deeply distressed" and "exceedingly sorrowful" and didn't want to be left alone when He was struggling with His thoughts and feelings just before His arrest (Matthew 26:37-40 [37] And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

[38] Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

[39] And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

[40] And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?





See All...). Obviously Jesus possessed the same human capacity to feel sorrow and anguish as deeply as we sometimes do.



He also experienced joy (John 15:11These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.



See All...; 17:13). He could be angry and grieved with people's attitudes (Mark 3:5And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.



See All...) and indignant toward His own disciples (Mark 10:14But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.



See All..., NRSV).



Jesus' intellectual abilities



Yet the Gospels clearly reveal that Jesus had knowledge of the past, present and future in a way that was far beyond what any ordinary man would have. However, these remarkable abilities were not something that He had inherently. They were given to Him by the Father. As Jesus clearly said, "I can of Myself do nothing" (John 5:30I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.



See All...)—that is, nothing supernatural on His own. We will explore this idea more when we discuss the works of Jesus.



What are some of the ways Jesus had knowledge beyond normal human abilities? We first see this when, at the age of 12, He showed understanding far beyond His age in His discussions with the teachers at the temple (Luke 2:46-47 [46] And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

[47] And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.





See All...).



He knew the thoughts of both His friends (Luke 9:47And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,



See All...) and His enemies (Matthew 9:4And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?



See All...). He knew the Samaritan woman had five husbands and at the time was living with a man to whom she was not married (John 4:18For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.



See All...). He knew that Lazarus had died from his illness even though He and the disciples were miles away (John 11:1Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.



See All..., 11-14).



He knew which disciple would betray Him long before Judas had made the decision to turn Jesus over to those who wanted to kill Him (John 6:70-71 [70] Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?

[71] He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.





See All...). He told Peter that he would deny Him three times on the night He was arrested and that a rooster would crow after the third denial (Luke 22:34And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.



See All...).



At the same time, He did not know everything. There was knowledge that He did not have and therefore asked to find out. He inquired from the father of the child who had the mute spirit, "How long has this been happening to him?" (Mark 9:21And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.



See All...). When Jesus gave the amazing prophecies about the end of the age and His return, He acknowledged that He did not know the exact time of His coming. "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Mark 13:32But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.



See All...).



Jesus here is relying on the Father to present Him with the time of His return. This helps us to understand that the Father also gave Him the understanding of the hearts of men, prophetic events and other information that He wasn't told.



Jesus constantly depended on God the Father for guidance on what to do, what to say and how to answer, for insight into the hearts of men and for anything else the Father might see fit to give to Him. He relied on God the Father for help to obey, to have power over demonic spirits and to have strength to resist and overcome temptation.



Sometimes He prayed for long periods (Luke 5:16And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.



See All...; Mark 1:35And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.



See All...). Before choosing the 12 apostles He prayed all night (Luke 6:12-16 [12] And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

[13] And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;

[14] Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,

[15] Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,

[16] And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.





See All...). On the night before His crucifixion, He prayed repeatedly in the Garden of Gethsemane and the Father sent an angel to strengthen Him during this terrible ordeal (Luke 22:41-44 [41] And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,

[42] Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

[43] And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

[44] And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.





See All...).



Hebrews 5:7Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;



See All... tells us, "In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission" (NRSV). As a human being, Jesus trusted the Father completely for the strength He needed to prevail against the forces that worked so fervently against Him.



Could Jesus have sinned?



This brings us to another question about Jesus' humanity. Was it possible for Jesus to sin? The Bible is quite clear that Jesus did not sin. Paul says that Jesus "knew no sin" (2 Corinthians 5:21For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.



See All...). John confirms that "in Him there is no sin" (1 John 3:5And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.



See All...). None of His enemies could convict Him of sin (John 8:46Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?



See All...).



But could He have sinned? Hebrews 4:15For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.



See All... tells us that "we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." If it wasn't possible for Jesus to sin, then was His temptation genuine?



It's more fitting to say that while He could have sinned, it was certain that He would not. He faced genuine struggles and temptations, but refused to give in to the temptation to sin.



When He was tempted of the devil for 40 days and nights (Luke 4:1-2 [1] And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

[2] Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.





See All...), was this real temptation or merely a pointless exercise? One could hardly say that His "prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death" were not a result of experiencing strong temptation.



Such a time came when He prayed under such duress immediately before His arrest that, "being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Luke 22:44And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.



See All...). Jesus then urged His disciples to "rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation" (verse 46).



For Jesus to fully know how human beings have to deal with sin, "...he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested" (Hebrews 2:17-18 [17] Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

[18] For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.





See All..., NRSV).



How could He be our example if He wasn't human and therefore wasn't tempted exactly as we are? This is why He had to be tempted in every way as we are. Yet He went beyond. If a person yields to temptation, he has not felt its full power, but has given in while he has yet more to resist. Only the one who successfully prevails against a particular temptation and remains sinless knows the full extent of that temptation.



Was He really God?



We have explained that Jesus was God as the Bible explicitly says (John 1:1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.



See All...). What was the difference, then, between how He was God prior to His human birth and when He was a human being?



Paul addresses this very question in Philippians 2. Paul tells us what He left behind and what He took upon Himself. "He, who had always been God by nature, did not cling to his privileges as God's equal." Instead He "stripped himself of every advantage by consenting to be a slave by nature and being born a man" (verses 6-7, NTME).



Verse 8 tells us that "he humbled himself by living a life of utter obedience, to the point of death, and the death he died was the death of a common criminal" (NTME).



In taking on the form of a human being, Jesus gave up the independent exercise of His attributes that He had when He was with the Father. This doesn't mean that He lost them but that, to become truly human, it was necessary that He voluntarily give up the ability to exercise them on His own. And having given them up, He no longer had these attributes inherently while a man. Indeed, as quoted above, Jesus clearly said He did not have the ability to perform supernatural works on His own: "I can of Myself do nothing" (John 5:30I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.



See All...). He could exercise the attributes of divinity only in submission to the will of the Father.



Jesus performed many wondrous works, but He emphatically told His disciples that "I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works" (John 14:10Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.



See All...). Again and again, Jesus declared that the works He did were the Father's, not His own, and He pointed to the works as proof that He had been sent from the Father (John 10:32Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?



See All..., 37-38).



While in prior centuries Jesus had authority to speak as YHWH of the Old Testament, He now spoke and acted under authority to God and in full dependence on Him. "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner" (John 5:19Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.



See All...).



The One who existed with the Father from before the beginning of the universe, now as a human being, explained the relationship: "I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things" (John 8:28Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.



See All...).



Jesus' salvation



Jesus placed His entire future squarely in the hands of the Father. The self-existing One now would have no life unless it were through the Father (John 6:57As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.



See All...). If He were to again have eternal life, He would now have to obtain it as a human being, in the same way you and I would achieve salvation—through submission to the Father and the resurrection from the dead.



Hebrews 5:9And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;



See All... explains that Jesus became "the author of eternal salvation" by experiencing the process of salvation as a human being—with one exception. Jesus didn't have to repent of sin. But He did have to remain sinless. And "though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered" (verse 8).



He was always obedient. Yet His obedience and character were tested and strengthened through hardships and trials. "And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him" (verse 9). He was already perfect before His human birth. Now He was perfected as a human being. He is "declared to be the Son of God ...by the resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:4And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:



See All...). However, He already was the Son of God by virtue of who He was (verse 3).



It becomes clear that "in all things He had to be made like His brethren" (Hebrews 2:17Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.



See All...).



The enormity of the sacrifice Jesus made becomes difficult for us to comprehend when we realize the position He voluntarily put Himself in. His very existence was on the line. If Jesus had sinned, then who would be the sacrifice for Him? If He had made a choice to sin, just once, He would have incurred the penalty of death—death for all time. The very law that He spoke Himself as God from Mt. Sinai would require it.



Could God die?



When talking about God, some people don't like to consider the possibility that God could die. How could God cease to exist? As an infinite, immortal spirit Being, He couldn't. But if He volunteered to become a human being and to possess all the attributes of human nature and a physical existence, then He could die. And indeed He did die—and when He died, He was really dead. If He wasn't really dead, in the same way we would be dead if someone killed us, then it couldn't really be a genuine substitution—His life for ours.



It would have been only make-believe, an illusion. Not only did Jesus die, but He also could have died the death from which there was no resurrection—the death of a sinner without any redemption.



His salvation was through the Father in whom He had complete confidence. That relationship was one that could only be described as total, complete and utter trust in and reliance on His Father (John 8:29And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.



See All...). Jesus submitted His will to His Father (John 6:38For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.



See All...). He asked for no glory as a human being (John 17:5And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.



See All...). He was obedient all the way to His death (Philippians 2:8).



He put His salvation on the same basis as ours . We have a forerunner, an example, an author of salvation, a captain of salvation. Who He would forever be hung in the balance of a few short years on earth (Philippians 2:8-11).



Was there ever a doubt in the outcome? There was none—not because He couldn't fail, but because He and the Father knew what each could do and would do. The strength of God is the greatest strength there is, and the faith of Jesus was absolute. It is the same faith through which we are saved (Galatians 2:20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.



See All..., KJV).

Kosovo News

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about Kosovo and Serbia. This follows this post about the Abonination of Desolation.  For a free magazine subscription or to get this book for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

Kosovo News

 A blog post by Darris McNeely

Stratfor is reporting that Serbia has reclaimed control of a 30-mile span of railroad in northern Kosovo, in defiance of Kosovo’s new government, The Associated Press reported March 3, citing comments from a senior Serbian official. Earlier, several dozen Serbian railroad workers blocked a freight trains passage on the line, demanding to be transferred to Serbia’s state-owned rail line and saying they would not work for Kosovo’s railroad company.