Weekly Update-printer-friendly

This update is being written Thursday evening, as my Mom and I are due to depart early tomorrow morning to travel to Cincinnati for a special meeting this Sabbath.

If you think the pace is quickening here in the U.S., a look at the international news shows that a number of events are unfolding around the world that are worthy of our consideration. President Ahamadinejad of Iran is quoted in today’s Jerusalem Post as saying that the state of Israel is a “stinking corpse,” and the Zionist regime is “on it’s way to annihilation.” It is one more in a long line of his radical, threatening statements ringing alarm bells in Israel and around the world.

When you couple that with the fact that numerous official spokesmen for Israel have made public statements over the past week indicating that Iran may “master the enrichment process” from a military standpoint by late ’08 or early ’09, his radical rants convey urgency as never before. Another article in the Jerusalem Post this week noted that Iran is cloning a cruise missile capable of under-the radar flight and also of carrying a nuclear warhead.

News is just breaking that Prime Minister Olmert is under extreme pressure and may be on the brink of resignation, due to his implication in a financial scandal. If this eventuality should transpire, new elections would be called, and reportedly be required to be held within 90 days. Several articles and pundits have opined that former Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is the odds-on favorite if elections should be held in the near future. And Mr. Netanyahu has made no secret of his opinion that Iran’s nuclear program must not be allowed to progress to the point of military capability. Holocaust Remembrance Day was observed last week. This week Israel celebrated its Independence Day, and Iran’s nuclear program is very much in the forefront of Israeli concerns.

Israel will have extremely difficult logistical challenges if it should undertake to traverse the long distances involved in an operation designed to interrupt Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The U.S., on the other hand has two aircraft carriers stationed in the Persian Gulf presently. Some may expect an attack on Iran to be the start of World War III. But why engage in semantics? Radical Islam is already at war with the rest of the world, and Ahmadinejad believes he’s on a mission from Allah to plunge the world into chaos to bring about the return of 12th Imam. If Iran’s nuclear capability can be crippled, it might well significantly delay or avoid Ahmadinejad’s dream sequence altogether.

Regardless, the worldwide danger presented by the promoters of radical Islam will not be eradicated. Terrorists governments, terrorist operatives and their millions of supporters will continue to pursue their ultimate goal of bringing down the U.S., destroying Israel and converting the world to Islam.

You’ve undoubtedly seen the heart-rending reports of devastation brought about by the cyclone that hit Burma. Reports indicate that tens of thousands, perhaps as many as 100,000 have died already. And the conditions of the aftermath, including starvation and disease may well lead to the miserable demise of tens of thousands more. It is a disaster of such magnitude, it’s hard to imagine.

Not to make light of this catastrophe, but Al Gore rushed out to proclaim that the cyclone was the result of (man-made) global warming. Presumably, that means it’s our fault! A peer-reviewed group of scientists last week announced that global warming was taking a decade off. I guess he missed the memo.

Then there’s the large eruption of that volcano in a remote region of Chile earlier this week, thought to have been dormant for thousands of years. The ultimate fallout from that event remains to be seen, but it is certainly an all-encompassing concern for those in the region.

We live in an amazing time, and we ain’t seen nothin’ yet. God has blessed our nation, and the entirety of the Western world beyond the imagination of most of the rest of the world’s population. And yet, many of the recipients of those blessings refuse to acknowledge their source and have been taught to regard them with anger and disdain. In contrast, we should accept His goodness with heartfelt thanks, obedience, and not give up hope that others will do likewise.

GTA telecast results will come with next week’s update, as it is only Thursday. We hope you’ll all have a safe and wonderful Sabbath, and we’ll be in touch next week.

That was last week’s update. It failed to make the trip due to an oversight of my very own. The trip to Cincinnati was positive on all accounts. We had forty plus in attendance, which was a pleasant surprise, and everyone seemed most appreciative, and the messages they heard were applicable to the situations we face and the times we are living in. Mr. Mike Garrett did a particularly good job. Several (maybe 15 or more) were non-members of the ICG.

The national political machinations we see unfolding are enough to give us all heartburn or maybe chronic depression. Thank goodness we don’t look to our politicians for deliverance! It’s been particularly disheartening to see what’s transpired in California in recent days, with the ruling of the CA Supreme Court overturning the will of the people to legitimize “gay marriage.” Mr. Jim Josephsen was quick on the draw, and wrote a good commentary which should be posted yet this evening.

Response to the most recent letter is flowing back in with appreciation and positive feedback. Cracks are forming in the authoritarian “police state” organizations that have purported to carry on for HWA. There are more than several, and now it looks as though all of them are beginning to teeter under the weight of their top-heavy “governmental” structures. Our groups should do everything possible to conduct gatherings with appropriate dignity and welcome any and all bruised and battered refugees that approach us, with open arms.

The storms have boomed through our area every day and a half or so all week long, but calm has returned and we’re looking forward to a gorgeous weekend. We hope things are looking good for you as well. Have a great Sabbath, everyone.