Attack In Cologne by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2016, all rights reserved. Chapter 1 It has been in the news very recently about outrage among the German people concerning the incidents in Cologne, Germany on this most recent New Year's Eve, when 2015 changed to 2016. There were dozens of assaults by men against women in that city on New Year's Eve. And the perpetrators appeared to be from among the recent migrants to Germany, and mostly of Arab or North African appearance. Some of the Germans are quite displeased with the German head of state, Angela Merkel, who was in favor of Germany opening its borders to the migrants, many of whom were fleeing from Syria, where the head of state there is at war with some of his own citizens. It was estimated that 40% of the assaults were of a sexual nature, but some of the victims only had their phones or wallets stolen. It was reported that the attacks appeared to be organized rather than spontaneous. And this, after Germany opened its borders to these migrants with German hospitality. "Whoever repays evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house." (Prov 17:13) There has also been some retaliation by German groups in recent days against some of the migrants. As many as a million migrants have been on the move into Europe in recent months, and the majority of them are apparently Muslims. When a nation opens its borders to migrants, that seems like a friendly thing to do, and the Bible says something about being hospitable. But the book of Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a right time, and a wrong time. ___Ecclesiastes chapter 3 1 To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven, 2 A time to be born, and a time to die, a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what has been planted, 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal, a time to break down, and a time to build up, 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance, 5 A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing, 6 A time to get, and a time to lose, a time to keep, and a time to throw away, 7 A time to tear, and a time to sew, a time to keep silence, and a time to speak, 8 A time to love, and a time to hate, a time of war, and a time of peace. So then, there is a right time to be hospitable, and a wrong time to show hospitality. The wisest king that Ancient Israel had was King Solomon, who tells us, "In a multitude of counselors there is safety." (Prov 11:14) Another counselor on this subject is Jesus, who said, "Don't give that which is holy to the dogs, and don't throw your pearls before pigs, so that they don't trample them under their feet, and turn again and wound you." (Matt 7:6) So then, the opening of Germany's borders to the migrants, while it may have seemed to be the friendly thing to do, may have been ill-advised. The Muslims, whose religion is Islam, have a very different set of values than typical Europeans or Americans. And further, many Muslims despise you if you are not a Muslim, as though they know a lot more than we do. In fact, some Muslims believe that you should be killed if you won't convert to their religion, Islam. When I lived in Houston, Texas, I had a Muslim neighbor who lived in the same building I lived in. Like me, he was a chess player, so we played some games of chess. One time, I said to that man, "You people don't have Jesus." He answered, "We have Jesus, he's one of our prophets." I answered, "You don't have Jesus as Savior." On another occasion, I said to that Muslim man, "You people contradict yourselves, you say that Jesus was a good man, and a Prophet, but not the Son of God. But Jesus said he's the Son of God. So then, if you're right, and Jesus is not the Son of God, then Jesus is not a good man, but a liar; not a Prophet, but a false prophet." The Muslim man surprised me with his answer. He said, "Jesus never said that." (Meaning that Jesus never said he's the Son of God.) His statement is very much incorrect. From Matthew chapter 16-- 13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am?" 14 And they said, "Some say you're John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But whom do you say that I am?" 16 And Simon Peter answered, "You're the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood haven't revealed it to you, but my Father who is in heaven. So Jesus told Peter that he was right to call Jesus the Son of God. And then, also, from Mark chapter 14-- 60 And the high priest stood up among them, and asked Jesus, "Don't you answer? What is it that these witness against you?" 61 But he remained silent, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" 62 And Jesus said, "I am, and you'll see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." So Jesus told the High Priest that he's the Son of God. So there we have two passages of scripture where Jesus said he's the Son of God. But why didn't the Muslim man know that? Because he reads the wrong book. He reads the Koran (or, Quran) and not the Bible. What you don't know can hurt you. What you don't know can send you to hell. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." (Hos 4:6) It is quite interesting that the Muslims claim that Jesus is one of their prophets, and yet, they don't know what the Prophet Jesus has said. The Muslims say that Allah is God. But although God has several names in the Bible, Allah is not one of them. Furthermore, the teachings of Islam are very much against the teachings of God in the Bible, so their Allah can't be my God, who is revealed in the Bible. For example, in the Bible we read, "Dearly beloved, don't avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord." (Rom 12:19) But the Muslims take vengeance, contrary to the teachings of God in the Bible. Another difference between God and Allah is that God has killed people, such as everyone in the world, at the time of Noah's flood, except for Noah and family, eight souls. But Allah doesn't seem to be able to kill anyone without a human to go and do the execution. So then, my God is stronger than Allah, who needs people to do his dirty work. But beside casting pearls before swine, the nations of Europe have another serious problem, and I believe Germany is no exception. The nations of Europe, generally, won't execute murderers. But God says, in Numbers chapter 35-- 29 So these things shall be for a statute of judgment to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 30 Whoever kills any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses, but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. 31 Also you shall take no fine for the life of a murderer, that is guilty of death, but he shall be surely put to death. 32 And you shall take no fine for him that has fled to the city of his refuge, so that he should come again to live in the land, until the death of the priest. 33 So you shall not pollute the land in which you are, for blood defiles the land, and the land can't be cleansed from the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of him that shed it. 34 Therefore don't defile the land that you'll inhabit, in which I live, for I the Lord live among the children of Israel." Notice in vs 33 "blood defiles (or pollutes, or makes dirty) the land..." and the only way to cleanse the land from the blood shed in it is to execute the murderer. So then God doesn't just favor capital punishment, he requires that murderers be executed. Pope Francis visited the U.S. recently. While here, he addressed a joint session of Congress. In that speech, the Pope asked Congress to repeal the death penalty. Isn't that interesting? God requires the death penalty for murderers, but the Pope thinks he has a better idea than God. So now we have a choice. We can follow God, or we can follow the Pope. An easy choice for me. I'll follow God, so that I can go to heaven. No one is smarter than God. Another mistake by the Pope was when 400 young women were kidnapped by Boko Haram. The Pope said he'd pray to Mary about it. There is no scripture authorizing anyone to pray to Mary. We are to pray to God, not Mary. Chapter 2 Because Europe won't execute murderers, their land becomes more and more defiled. Because they go against the teachings of God in the Bible, of course they're going to make bad decisions. What a pity. And though Germany has been one of the pillars of Europe, the future doesn't look very bright for Germany because of disobedience to God. Look in the Bible at all the nasty things that happened to Ancient Israel because of disobedience to God. There are numerous examples in recent years of Muslim suicide bombers, massacres by Muslims, and what about the attack that brought down the two skyscrapers of the World Trade Center in 2001, that killed about 3,000 people? A question that should be asked when considering admitting Muslim migrants into your nation is, "What percentage of these Muslims will turn out to be suicide bombers, or those who shoot many innocent people like the Muslim, Major Hasan of the Fort Hood Massacre?" There's really no good answer to that question. Who can predict such a thing accurately except God? Look at San Bernardino. Look at Paris. A brand of frankfurters that advertizes on TV is Hebrew National. In their ads, they say, "We answer to a higher power." The Muslims also like to think that they answer to a higher power. Jesus said, "...Yes, the time will come, that whoever kills you will think that he's doing God a service." (John 16:2) That time is now. Though Muslims have been shown hospitality by European nations, that doesn't change their loyalty to a religion that blows people up. And Muslims are taught that if they die as a Muslim martyr, they'll go straight to heaven. But God says in his book, "...no murderer has eternal life living in him." (1 John 3:15) Eternal life and going to heaven are the same thing. Suicide bombers are murderers, so, you see, they don't go to heaven. In his book, "Silent no More," Rod Parsley has a chapter on Islam that I think is rather good. I believe the book was published in 2005. The Muslims say that Muhammad is a Prophet. But the teachings of Islam are very much contrary to the Bible. The Bible offers salvation by accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. Jesus said, "You MUST be born again." (John chapt 3) You get born again when you obey Romans 10:9,10-- "That if you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you're saved. For with the heart man believes for righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made for salvation." So then Muhammad couldn't be one of God's prophets. In Amos, chapter 7, Amaziah tried to discourage the Prophet Amos. 12 Also, Amaziah said to Amos, "O you seer, go, flee away into the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, 13 But don't prophesy again anymore at Bethel, for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court." 14 Then Amos answered Amaziah, "I was no prophet, nor was I a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit, 15 And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said to me, go, prophesy to my people Israel." So we see that it was God who called Amos, and Amos was just doing the work that God wanted him to do. It is unfortunate that the Muslims don't believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Did Jesus take it upon himself to be the Son of God? Of course not. Did I take it upon my self to be my parents' son? No. My mother and father got married and had a child, me. I was never consulted on the subject. In John 3:16 we read-- For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him won't be destroyed, but have everlasting life. Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. Now when did that begetting take place, about two thousand years ago, when the virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus? Certainly not. Jesus was present at the creation of the world. From the book of Hebrews-- ___Hebrews chapter 1 1 God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in the past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 Has in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds, 3 Who, being the brightness of his glory, and the specific image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5 For to which of the angels did he ever say, "You're my Son, this day I've begotten you?" And again, "I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?" 6 And again, when he brings in the first person that was fathered into the world, he says, "And let all the angels of God worship him." 7 And about the angels he says, "Who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire." 8 But to the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and always, a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You've loved righteousness, and hated sin, therefore God, even your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your fellows." 10 And, "You, Lord, in the beginning, have laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands, 11 They shall be destroyed, but you remain, and they'll all grow old like a piece of clothing does, 12 And like a vesture you'll fold them up, and they'll be changed, but you're the same, and your years won't fail." From vs 2, we see that Jesus and God the Father did the creation. Mary was only the mother of Jesus' earthly body that he had for about thirty three years during Jesus' life on earth. On the sixth day of the creation, God made the first man, Adam. The first woman, Eve, came along later. So Jesus was begotten before there were any women. But God speaks things into existence, so a woman was not needed for the begetting of Jesus. I had a neighbor, when I lived in El Paso. He bought a Digital Video Disk player, but needed help hooking it up so he could watch DVD movies on his TV. I helped him with that. Later, a power failure in the building caused his equipment not to work right. I helped him again. I had some cards printed to help me introduce myself to people that I meet from time to time. I gave that man one of my cards. He took offense that on my card I said that I'm a Priest, though I don't have papers with some church. But like the Prophet Amos, I didn't make myself a Priest. I learned Electronics in the Navy, and had a career in technology before retiring. But about half a century ago, the Lord spoke to me and told me, "You're a Priest forever after the Order of Melchizedek." Well, O.K., since the Lord made me a Priest, then that's what I am, a Priest. I asked the lord about ordination. He told me, "You're ordained by the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." But the Lord didn't tell me to quit my career in technology and go be a Pastor somewhere. However, ever since I was a teenager, I felt the Lord wanted me to do a translation of the Bible. I finished the translation, and it was copyrighted 2011. It's called, "The Holy Bible, Hoehn Version," and is available as a ebook on the Internet at Barnesandnoble.com If you don't happen to have a Nook reader for their ebooks, I believe that Barnesandnoble.com has a free app that you can download that will work like a Nook reader. ___James chapter 1 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings. 2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations, 3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. 7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted, 10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away. 11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. 12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man, 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning. 18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. 19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, 20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God. 21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror, 24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. ___James chapter 2 1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also, 3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool," 4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have despised the poor. Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats? 7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called? 8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well, 9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners. 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill." Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law. 12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment. 14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food, 16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that? 17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works." 19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God." 24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. ___James chapter 3 1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation. 2 For in many things we offend all. If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. 3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies. 4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants. 5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. See how great a matter a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind, 8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be. 11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries? Or a vine, figs? So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh. 13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace. ___James chapter 4 1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members? 2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask. 3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts. 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God. 5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?" 6 But he gives more grace. So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up. 11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers. He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else? 13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit," 14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. 15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that." 16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin. ___James chapter 5 1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire. You've heaped treasure together for the last days. 4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath. 5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter. 6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you. 7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near. 9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door. 10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 See, we count them happy that endure. You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. 12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation. 13 Is anyone among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is anyone merry? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven. 16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good. 17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. 19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him, 20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.