Update 1101

On February 3, 2024, Brian Gale will present the sermonette, titled, “Language and Limitation,” and Michael Link will present the sermon, titled, “As for Me, I’ll Call on God.”

The live services are available, over video and audio, at http://eternalgod.org/live-services/ (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time; 8:30 pm Greenwich Mean Time; 9:30 pm Central European Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

We all find it way too easy to point the finger at another person and say, “Well, well, look what he or she is doing.”  But when we try to condemn another person, we thereby take away a privilege that belongs to God alone.

As human beings, we can only draw conclusions from what we see or hear.

We read in John 8:3-5: “Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?’”

Jesus Christ did not answer this question right away, as verse 6 shows us: “This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.”

We don’t know what He wrote, but there was little doubt as to her guilt; she had been caught sinning. However, they did not bring the guilty man before Christ either, which was required by the law. The whole incident was an attempt to accuse Christ because of His expected decision. But Jesus did not answer them.

Verse 7 tells us: “So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.’”  We then read in verse 8: “And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.”

After a few minutes, Jesus looked up and saw no one else but the woman. Verses 10-11 continue: “When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’”

Christ makes clear at this point that He did not come to condemn people, but to save them. We should follow His example. As human beings, we can only draw conclusions from what we see or hear. But Christ told us not to judge based on physical factors. John 7:24 quotes His words: “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.’”

God tells us that before we can judge someone, we first have to be righteous ourselves. This is the message Christ gave to those who accused the adulteress.

Righteous judgment requires us to look deep into a person’s heart in order to recognize his or her innermost motives. Obtaining such insight is beyond the power of man—no matter how righteous we think we are.

Jesus said that it is easy for us to see exactly those faults in others of which we ourselves are most likely guilty.  We read in Matthew 7:3-5: “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

When we are tempted to criticize a fellow human being, we are well advised to examine our own actions and see whether we might not be on the same path. Paul warns us in Romans 2:1-3: “Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?”

Let’s try pointing a finger at someone and then have a look at our hand: there will be three fingers pointing at us.

James 4:11-12 admonishes us: “Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?”

We know that God had decided not to heal Paul’s “thorn in the flesh.” People at the time of Paul may have judged him as weak in faith or as a sinful man. But today we know that it was for the glory of God (compare 2 Corinthians 12:7-9). Anyone who condemned Paul was wrong.

Let us apply the same principle today. When we are tempted to condemn other people, let us remember that we have no idea what God has in mind for that person.

Many times, we don’t even know all the circumstances that are involved, causing a person to act in a certain way. And we have no idea of the tremendous battle someone might be fighting.

Christ must have seen something in the adulterous woman who was standing before Him, that the accusers could not or did not want to recognize. Although she was guilty, Jesus could see that she detested the deed she had committed. He could see that she was repentant, and He forgave her.

In Isaiah 11:3-4, we read about Christ after His return: “…And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth…”

Then we will rule and reign under Christ, and then we will be able to judge with perfect righteousness.

(Initial translation: Daniel Blasinger)

by Norbert Link

We begin with alarming developments pertaining to Russia, NATO and Europe; as well as the controversial American politics in Europe and the UK; continue with America’s failures regarding its many wars and military actions; and speak on the first fatality of American soldiers in the Middle East since October 7.

We address at some length the Southern Border standoff and the showdown between the Biden Administration and the state of Texas; and we reveal the horrendous activities of a Covid Lab in America.

In this regard, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “America’s Self-Inflicted Downfall.”

We point out that most of the US money designated for Ukraine does not reach Ukraine; address Netanyahu’s intention to “do it alone” when it comes to the war in Gaza, if the USA and others were to withdraw their support; speak on a UN agency harboring terrorists; and report on Justin Trudeau’s evil schemes and his persecution of opponents.

We conclude with ridiculous nonsense of the EU regarding gendered language guidelines.

Throughout this section, we have underlined pertinent statements in the quoted articles, for the convenience and quick overview of the reader.

Russia Warns Europe and NATO

Newsweek wrote on January 27:

“Earlier this week, NATO launched a military exercise called ‘Steadfast Defender 2024.’ The operation will run through May and entail around 90,000 military personnel training in several European countries, including Poland, Russia’s neighbor. The goal of the exercise is to ‘test and refine NATO’s defense plans for reinforcing European defenses against a near-peer adversary,’ according to a statement from NATO.

“While Russia was not named in the announcement, NATO states in its 2022 Strategic Concept, a document that identifies security challenges facing the military bloc, ‘The Russian Federation poses the most significant and direct threat to Allies’ security.’…

“During a briefing, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the operation ‘provocative in nature,’ Russian state media Tass reported on Friday… ‘This step is deliberately aimed at escalating things. It increases the risk of military incidents and could ultimately lead to tragic consequences for Europe.’ Zakharova said that Russia ‘has no plans to attack NATO countries,’ despite fears of escalating global conflict if Russia was to win its invasion of Ukraine…

“During her recent briefing, Zakharova said that ‘the chairman of its [NATO] military committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, said that the alliance is preparing for a conflict with Russia. Similar comments have also been repeatedly heard from the leadership of NATO countries’…”

It was reported by Bild Online on January 29 that almost half of Germans are afraid of an attack by Russia, and almost 40% are building up supplies.

And Now… US Nuclear Weapons in the UK?

The Telegraph wrote on January 26:

“The United States is planning to station nuclear weapons in the UK for the first time in 15 years… the US intends to place nuclear warheads three times the strength of the Hiroshima bomb at the air base… The disclosure comes in the wake of warnings that Nato countries need to ready their citizens for war with Russia… Boris Johnson on Friday night backed Sir Patrick’s call for a citizen army, as he pledged to sign up if the UK went to war with Russia…

“Russia has stated that the placement of US weapons in Britain would be viewed by Moscow as an ‘escalation’ and would be met with ‘compensating counter-measures’…

“The US currently has warheads stationed in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey, under a Nato nuclear-sharing arrangement….”

It is as if America is creating its own Frankenstein monster.

Nuclear Deterrent for Europe?

Express wrote on January 28:

“Calls by top eurocrat Manfred Weber for the European Union to be equipped with its own nuclear deterrent are ‘shocking and worrying’, Reform UK deputy leader Ben Habib has said…

“[He claimed] that any such development would in itself represent ‘a threat to world peace’… ‘The EU is going rogue. Not only does it want its own European army, it now wants nuclear weapons directly under its control.’”

Europe will obtain both.

American Fighter Jets for Turkey

Newsmax wrote on January 27:

“The Biden administration has approved the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey following the Turkish government’s ratification this week of Sweden’s membership in NATO…

“The State Department notified Congress of its approval of the $23 billion F-16 sale to Turkey, along with a companion $8.6 billion sale of advanced F-35 fighter jets to Greece, late Friday…

“NATO ally Turkey has long sought to upgrade its F-16 fleet and had made its ratification of Sweden’s membership contingent on the approval of the sale of the new planes. The Biden administration had supported the sale, but several lawmakers had expressed objections due to human rights concerns…

“Sweden’s formal accession to NATO now depends on Hungary, which is the last remaining NATO ally not to have approved its membership…”

To send F-16s to Turkey, which is being run by a ruthless dictator, is another bone-headed decision of the Biden Administration.

America’s Failure

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on January 26:

“The breaking news that Ansar Allah (Houthi) fighters have fired on the USS Carney in the Red Sea today (Friday, 26 Jan.) underscores the shocking failure of the Biden Administration, which initiated airstrikes on the Houthis this month with no plan for ‘victory’ beyond hoping that the mere presence of US warships would intimidate them into surrendering… it was the kind of doomed operation that, had cooler (i.e. non-political) Pentagon heads prevailed, would never in a million years have been launched. There was simply no possibility of success and 100 percent probability of failure…

“Yesterday, the US Navy attempted to escort two Maersk tankers – the Maersk Detroit and the Maersk Chesapeake – through the Red Sea loaded with weapons for Israel. This after nine rounds of US airstrikes on the Houthis. The US show of force backfired into an unprecedented… moment… It was a massive defeat for the notion of US military superiority…  today the Houthis again fired on US military ships in the Red Sea and have again scored a massive success…

“Even the most comatose US Members and Senators are starting to wake up to the fact that Joe Biden… is taking the country to war without any authorization. Attacks against Biden’s forces in Iraq, Syria, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean will escalate. And he is backed into a corner. What’s next?”

America is entering into more and more wars… without any realistic hope of success.

US Soldiers Killed in Jordan Drone Attack

Reuters reported on January 28:

“Three U.S. service members were killed and dozens may be wounded after an unmanned aerial drone attack on U.S. forces stationed in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border, President Biden… said. Biden blamed Iran-backed groups for the attack, the first deadly strike against U.S. forces since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October and sent shock waves throughout the Middle East…

“The attack is a major escalation of the already tense situation in the Middle East…Since [October 7], U.S. forces have come under attack more than 150 times by Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria, causing at least 70 casualties prior to Sunday’s attack, most of them traumatic brain injuries…”

Axios wrote on January 28:

“President Biden is facing calls from congressional hawks to escalate attacks on Iran-linked targets, including within Iran itself… Heeding those calls would risk significantly expanding and drawing the U.S. further into an already growing regional conflict that has sprung up as a result of the Israel-Hamas war…

“Senate Minority Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called for ‘serious, crippling costs’ to Iran, ‘not only on front-line terrorist proxies, but on their Iranian sponsors who wear American blood as a badge of honor.’

“Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), said in a statement the attacks the U.S. has carried out on Iranian proxies outside Iran ‘will not deter Iranian aggression,’ calling to ‘strike targets of significance inside Iran.’ ‘The only answer to these attacks must be devastating military retaliation against Iran’s terrorist forces, both in Iran and across the Middle East,’ said Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). ‘Anything less will confirm Joe Biden as a coward unworthy of being commander-in-chief.’…

“Biden would likely face an outcry from many members of his own party if he retaliated to the degree some Republicans are advocating for.”

With all these meaningless talks, the momentum for action has already been lost. Now, Biden announced that some unspecified retaliation will occur in the future, but apparently not in Iran.

Southern Border Standoff

LifeSiteNews wrote on January 27:

“Former FBI executives have warned Congress that military-age men from ‘hostile’ nations and regions are invading the U.S. through the southern border, significantly elevating the risk of a terror attack [cautioning] that the threat ‘may be one of the most pernicious ever to menace the United States’…

“Until this ‘invasion’ is halted, the U.S. is ‘extraordinarily less safe and secure,’ the officials warned…

“A week after the letter was written, Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared that the ‘failure of the Biden Administration’ to protect the country against invasion from across the southern border triggered Article I, § 10, Clause 3, which he said gives Texas the ‘constitutional authority to defend and protect itself.’  Abbott then pressed in securing the Texas southern border with razor-wire fencing, which had been previously cut down by federal border patrol agents.

“President Joe Biden yesterday expressed support for a border deal being negotiated in the U.S. Senate. The legislation would mandate the expulsion of illegal immigrants across the border if ‘migrant encounters’ surpass 5,000 a day. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has slammed the deal as a ‘farce’…”

Politico added on January 27:

“While many Senate Republicans are on board with the deal, it is far less popular among Trump-aligned House Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson.”

Trump spoke out against the deal as well, saying “a bad border deal is far worse than no border deal.”

It’s a Mass Invasion

PBS wrote on January 25:

“Earlier this week, the Supreme Court said U.S. Border Patrol agents could remove razor wire that the state put in place along the Rio Grande River. The Homeland Security Department is demanding immediate access to a section of the border and being blocked with razor wire and fencing. But Texas Governor Greg Abbott is doubling down, blocking the agents from entering the area and saying Texas constitutional authority is… ‘the supreme law of the land and supersedes any federal statutes to the contrary.’”

Newsmax wrote on January 27:

“North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum told Newsmax on Saturday that the battle between the states and the federal government over whether to secure the southern border has turned into a ‘constitutional crisis.’ ‘As you know, this is a mass invasion,’ Burgum, a former candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, [said]. ‘This debate… is about national security, and it’s about public safety. And so, of course, we stand with [Texas] Gov. [Greg] Abbott, because the federal government is really abdicating its responsibility.’”

Newsmax wrote on January 28:

“Donald Trump… promised that he will support Texas in its battle to secure the border… ‘Instead of fighting border states, I will use every resource tool and authority of the U.S. president to defend the United States of America from this horrible invasion that is taking place right now,’ Trump said… Trump further thanked Abbott and Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, as well as the state of Texas, ‘for rightly invoking the invasion clause of the U.S. Constitution. It’s an invasion.’”

A People’s Republic of Texas?

Business Insider wrote on January 28:

“A former Russian president and ally of Vladimir Putin taunted the Biden administration over the Texas border crisis and suggested a ‘destructive civil confrontation’ in the US could be coming. Dmitry Medvedev criticized ‘senile old man Biden’ for the high numbers of migrants trying to cross into the US at the southern border…

“Medvedev said that the possibility of establishing a ‘People’s Republic of Texas’ is getting ‘more and more real,’ days after Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene suggested a ‘national divorce’ between blue and red states over the issue of migration…

“The dispute has inflamed loose talk of civil war and resistance from conservative media and US politicians… Former President Donald Trump has made stoking concerns over immigration a central plank of his campaign for his second Republican nomination for president…”

Biden Administration vs. Texas

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on January 29:

“Texas Governor Greg Abbott… issued a statement declaring that ‘an invasion under Article I, Section 10, Clause 3’ of the US Constitution is underway and invoking ‘Texas’s constitutional authority to defend and protect itself.’

“Here Governor Abbott answers an important question I brought up back in my 1988 US Presidential run: at what point do open borders and mass illegal immigration into the US become an ‘invasion,’ which would grant governors the authority – and obligation – to take action?

“By some estimates, more than six million illegal immigrants have crossed into the United States during the three years of the Biden Administration. These illegals likely mostly come from Mexico and Central America, but the fact is we have no idea how many of them may be arriving from, for example, the Middle East or other war-torn areas of the world. Last month even the New York Times wrote of the disaster on the US border that, ‘thousands of migrants are arriving at the border every day, trekking from the farthest reaches of the globe, from Africa to Asia to South America, driven by relentless violence, desperation and poverty.’…

“… if the Biden Administration intends to use the Supreme Court ruling to take action against the Texas border barrier there are… ways of defending the border. Rep. Thomas Massie took to Twitter last week to recount a meeting he and a group of US House Members had with the late Justice Antonin Scalia. At the breakfast, Massie wrote, Justice Scalia told the group to quit complaining about Supreme Court rulings and start defunding rulings they oppose. As Massie explained in another Tweet, ‘Congress can render the 5-4 Supreme Court decision against Texas IRRELEVANT by simply refusing to fund Biden’s removal of border security measures.’ Nullification through the ‘power of the purse’ is an important tool given to Congress in the US Constitution and it could be easily exercised in this case…”

Great idea. However, will a weak and divided Congress be willing to do this?

Biden Lies and Lies…

The New York Post wrote on January 29:

“For three years, Joe Biden and his repulsive Homeland Security chief, Alejandro Mayorkas, have encouraged the Third World to enter America illegally. At least 8 million have answered their siren song. Only now that the sheer numbers of illegal aliens causing mayhem and busting budgets in Democratic cities like New York have become an electoral liability has Biden had an epiphany.

“So he is doing what he does best: telling lies to weasel out of blame. Now he claims he needs Republicans in Congress to give him the ‘authority to shut down the border when it becomes overwhelmed…’

“But he already has the authority. He could shut down the border today. He has spent three years lying that the border is ‘secure’ and now he’s lying that he needs new laws to secure it… He signed 94 executive actions in his first 100 days to dismantle Donald Trump-era border protections. He could reinstate them with the stroke of a pen.

“But in the most astonishing act of political self-harm, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his merry band of never-Trumpers are giving Biden cover for his lies and setting their party up for Democrats to blame for the border disaster, as long as the billions keep flowing to Ukraine…

“Everyone knows what Biden has done. We see it in overwhelmed hospitals and schools, shattered budgets, crime and disorder and the sheer unfairness of illegal aliens living high on the hog in flashy Manhattan hotels while American veterans sleep on the street…”

Mitch McConnell has overstayed his position far too long.

Trump the “Sitting President”?

The New York Post wrote on January 29:

“President Biden is being ridiculed for his latest blunder, appearing to call his predecessor, Donald Trump, the ‘sitting president.’ The gaffe-prone commander in chief’s blunder came during a speech in South Carolina on Saturday as he repeatedly called former President Trump a ‘loser.’… But online commentators soon said Biden was the real loser as he slipped up while discussing how ‘American consumers are facing real confidence in the economy we’re building. ‘Let me tell you who else is noticing that: Donald Trump,’ Biden said before he stumbled on his words. ‘Did you see what he recently said about … he wants to, he wants to see the economy crash this year? A sitting president,’ he said without correcting himself…

“His comment about the ‘sitting president’ was met with widespread ridicule… Trump backers reveled in Biden’s slip-up, which appeared to corroborate the Republican frontrunner’s… claims to have won the 2020 presidential election amid alleged voter fraud.”

Maybe Biden spoke inadvertently the Truth… for a change.

How Leftists Try to Defeat Trump

Breitbart wrote on January 26:

“A well-coordinated, well-funded, and high-powered network of leftist organizations… is behind the push to remove former President Donald Trump, the 2024 frontrunner for president from any party, from the ballot…

“But it’s much broader than that: For years, this network of leftists grew from a powerful vast left-wing conspiracy unmasked a decade ago into now being the dominating force on the left determined to stop Trump at all costs. What’s more, these leftists clearly control what top Democrats are saying, forcing their leaders to adopt their narrative. They even regularly openly brag about controlling what the sitting President of the United States says, taking credit for Democrat President Joe Biden’s dark reelection campaign messaging, where Biden has warned of ‘MAGA extremists’ on the rise…

“The level of influence and control that this leftist network has over elected officials is essentially unprecedented in world history. Everyone from the sitting president of the United States to top law enforcement officials at the federal, state, and local level to leading Democrats in Congress and in states around the country are using these leftists’ playbook and talking points, following them close to verbatim. Nothing remotely like it exists on the right in U.S. politics, and never before has there been such a sophisticated leftist structure in control of at least half of American discourse in a presidential election year…

“Some of the talking points or suggested actions from these leftist groups have shown up later – not just in the legal push to kick Trump off the ballot in several states,, but also seem to have formed at least part of the groundwork for the various indictments he faces, like one from Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation. But beyond simply preceding and fueling the indictments against Trump, these leftist groups have cheered them and organized activists to further politically weaponize them in a manner designed to hurt Trump and any Republicans who associate with him…

“George Soros, the left-wing billionaire, among many other luminaries on the radical left, had come together during the George W. Bush administration as an effort to resist Bush’s policies and push the Democrat agenda in Washington…”

That Soros and other lefties are supporting Biden and the Democrats and fighting Trump has not been a secret. However, the extent to which they are able and willing to go might be somewhat shocking.

America’s Covid Lab

The U.S. Sun wrote on January 29:

“Photos and footage obtained by watchdog White Coast Waste show scientists at the Rocky Mountain Lab sedating monkeys and pigs – and carrying out experiments with deadly viruses. White Coat Waste has described the lab as a ‘bioagent superlab’ that infects animals with highly contagious and deadly diseases – such as Ebola, Lassa fever, Nipah, and even the plague… Last year, White Coat Waste revealed that the lab was experimenting with SARS-like viruses just a year before the Covid outbreak as part of a collaboration with the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

“The Wuhan lab has been at the centre of a storm over the origins of Covid – with many claiming the virus leaked from the facility during experiments on bat coronaviruses. Experiments with SARS-like viruses at the Rocky Mountain Lab have reportedly stopped – but experiments on deadly pathogens are still being carried out, White Coat Waste said. And some of the deadly diseases have the potential to spark a new pandemic.

“Experiments include injecting pigs with Ebola and injecting monkeys with Covid, White Coat Waste said. Researchers also studied how monkeys react to hemorrhagic fever – which causes bleeding and organ failure…”

The stupidity of man and especially of scientists is breathtaking.

US Money Not Going to Ukraine

Breitbart wrote on January 29:

“The $130 billion sent to Ukraine so far for its war against Russia is apparently not actually going to Ukraine…

“… a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Embassy told Breitbart that ‘funds authorized by American lawmakers to support Ukraine’s armament are not directly allocated to Ukraine’… The spokesperson explained that, instead, a ‘significant portion’ of the billions of dollars to Ukraine is ‘utilized in the United States for the construction of new weapons or to replenish those dispatched to Kyiv from U.S. reserves,’ adding that ‘an analysis’ (not specifically cited) found that ‘nearly 90 percent’ of aid granted by Congress ‘is benefiting American interests.’… ‘American interests’ in this context presumably means weapons manufacturers.

“The Associated Press reported Sunday that employees from a Ukrainian arms firm ‘conspired with defense ministry officials to embezzle almost $40 million’ allocated for weapons purchases. The news comes months after the New York Times reported on the sacking of Ukraine’s minister of defense due to ‘graft’ and ‘financial mismanagement’ in the department, amid an avalanche of cash coming from the United States to fund the beleaguered war effort, and as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asks for more. The Times report said some prepayments for weapons had ‘vanished’ in the bank accounts of weapons dealers, among ‘about $980 million in weapons contracts’ that ‘missed their delivery dates,’ in 2023…”

Again, this has been suspected all along. It is the weapon industry and the military which are profiting greatly from the Ukraine war.

Netanyahu: We Will Do It Alone!

The New York Times wrote on January 28:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is ready to ‘do it alone’ when it comes to the war in Gaza, as President Biden is accused of sending mixed messages on the US stance over the conflict… ‘Too many countries and too many leaders have been asleep too long. We have to act to assure that Iran will not have nuclear weapons, and I certainly intend to do so.’

“The prime minister characterized the bloody war against the Palestinian terror group Hamas as just one fight in a much broader struggle for the future of global domination — with Iran on one side and the Western world on the other.’

“…Iran is the primary backer of Hamas, the extremist Muslim group which violently attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,200 civilians and sparking the war which has waged between Gaza and the Jewish state since. Besides Hamas, Iran backs numerous extremist and terror groups in the Middle East known as the Axis of Resistance, which effectively serve as proxy forces in a wider campaign to annihilate Israel, expel western influence from the region and reshape the geopolitical map with Iran at its center.

“Other prominent terror groups doing Iran’s bidding include the Houthis in Yemen — who have disrupted global trade and drawn strikes from US forces by raiding merchant ships in the Red Sea — and Hezbollah along the Israeli border in Lebanon, which has been on the brink of opening a second front in the Gaza war for months…

“Biden officials have reportedly considered slowing down or halting weapons deliveries to Israel to try to pressure the nation into scaling back its offensive in Gaza…”

UN Agency Harbored Terrorists

The New York Post wrote on January 29:

“The United Nations aid agency staffers accused of taking part in Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel included some who provided rocket-propelled grenades — as well as others who actively killed and kidnapped Israelis, according to a damning dossier of intel given to the US. At least 10 of the 12 fired last week by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) were active members of Hamas, while another was affiliated with the Islamic Jihad… In total, Israeli officials say a dozen employees from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency actively took part in the terrorist attack — prompting the aid agency to announce on Friday that it fired nine of the staffers who were still alive, as an investigation continues. Two others have since died, according to the agency.

“The US immediately cut funding to the agency in the wake of the allegations, the State Department said — marking a significant reversal from the Biden administration’s strong support for UNRWA… Other nations including Canada, Italy, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Finland have since announced they were pausing any additional aid to the agency… But Hamas has slammed Israeli ‘threats’ against UNRWA, urging the UN and other international groups not to ‘cave into the threats of blackmail.’ The Palestinian Authority is also urging countries to reverse their suspension of funds…”

Austria on Monday joined 14 other countries in suspending funding for UNRWA over the accusations. In addition to the countries mentioned above, they include Estonia, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, the Netherlands, Scotland and Switzerland.

Trudeau’s Evil Schemes

The New York Post wrote on January 29:

“Justin Trudeau… turned the federal government’s power on the COVID-mandate-protesting truckers… in 2022, jailing them, seizing their rigs and even shutting down their bank accounts (‘debanking,’ as it’s known) — though that last came to a swift end when enough Canadians withdrew their money to threaten a bank run.

“We were told the truckers were ‘right-wing extremists,’ probably racist and possibly agents for the dreaded MAGA cabal… This… mostly went to show just how afraid the West’s leadership has become of a populist revolt…

“Last week, Federal Court Judge Richard Mosley found that the Canadian government overstepped legal bounds in going after the truckers, writing, ‘I conclude that there was no national emergency justifying the invocation of the Emergencies Act and the decision to do so was therefore unreasonable.’.. Recent independent journalism has demonstrated this ‘unreasonable’ decision wasn’t simply an honest mistake. It was the product of a deliberate campaign of deception and denigration the government organized with help from its media allies…

“Here in the United States we’ve seen a similar phenomenon. And European governments have been rolling out a similar script to deal with those who complain about unrestricted immigration and farmers’ protests against ‘green’ policies designed to shut them down. Apparently anyone who challenges the insider crowd’s power is the next Hitler… 

“As journalist Elizabeth Nickson writes, ‘If Canada were a state, it would be poorer than West Virginia or Mississippi, despite being the second-largest country, with abundant natural resources, in the world, blessed with a highly educated populace…’”

These are the fruits of dictatorial rule; the “green” policy; and a spineless and corrupt mass media.  

The EU’s “Gendered Language” Guidelines… Utter Nonsense

The Daily Mail wrote on January 29:

“The EU has called for ‘gendered language’… A 61-page document advises policymakers, legislators and the media to revise the order of common phrases such as ‘King and Queen’ or ‘brother and sister‘ in which the male comes first. 

“It suggests to ‘try swapping the order of these phrases sometimes’. [Rather than saying King and Queen, we ought to say Queen and King. The same for brother and sister.]

“Tory MP Nick Fletcher has called the guidelines ‘nonsense‘ and argued that the EU had ‘far more serious issues’ that it should be concerned about. The famous Star Trek line, ‘To boldly go where no man has gone before’, is noted in the bundle as an example for which ‘women may be subject to invisibility or omission’. 

“Former Tory MP Ann Widdecombe [said]: ‘It’s ridiculous.’ Nigel Mills, Conservative MP for Amber Valley, [said]: ‘This is utter madness. It’s an attack on the English language.’

“Even though Britain officially left the EU in January 2020, English is still its official language. 

Other “gendered language” alternatives were:

“No man’s land” to be changed to “unclaimed territory.” “Best man for the job” should be changed to “best candidate for the job.” “Repairman” should be changed to “repairer” or “technician.”

It is only a matter of time until silly EU politicians will also fool around with the Bible and recommend a “gender-neutral language” in this regard as well; replacing God the Father and the Man Jesus Christ with some blasphemous alternatives.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

Having reviewed both the criticism and approval of the family model God gave at the dawn of civilisation in the previous five Q&A’s, let us now look at Scriptures that show how necessary the family is in a well-ordered society and how it will be in the soon-coming Kingdom of God on earth when Jesus Christ returns.

In our booklet “The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families”, we read the following on page 18 under the heading “The Christian Family”:

“As the Bible gives clear instructions as to the individual roles and functions of husbands and wives, it also explains the duties and responsibilities of fathers and mothers toward their children, and of the children toward their parents.

“As we have far too many marriage problems, we also have FAR too many family problems. Too often, parents know little about proper parenting, and rebellious children are the result. Children who are victims of divorce are expected to be resilient when someone they love suddenly disappears from their life. More often than not, they grow up with multiple mothers, fathers, and grandparents due to remarriage, and yet are left to fend for themselves too much of the time, because no one has time for them.

“We read, in fact, a startling and sobering prophecy in the Bible for the very last days—just prior to the return of Christ—that addresses the tragic reality of broken families. Sadly, this situation HAS also affected the attitudes of true Christians, and God says that unless these conditions change, something terrible will happen to this planet.”  

This booklet was written in 2002 and problems with family matters have worsened as we have seen with continued empowerment of minority interests who have little or no interest in promoting marriage and the family unit.

In Colossians 1:15-16 when talking about Jesus Christ, we read: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.”

We see here that God created all things through His Son, Jesus Christ.  In Genesis 1:26-28 we read:

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’”

This clearly shows that God the Father and Jesus Christ were both involved in the creation, and man was made in their image.

Genesis 2:21-25 shows that Adam and Eve were man and wife and that a man was to leave the family home and be married:

“And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: ‘This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”

There is no suggestion anywhere in the Bible that there were to be more than two sexes – just male and female who were to become man and wife.   Today, there are those who would have you believe that there are over 100 different gender identities.  It was reported in January 2021 that a BBC programme aimed at 9-12-year-olds included the astonishing claim that there are ‘over 100 gender identities’. The film, “Identity – Understanding Sexual and Gender Identities”, is being offered on the corporation’s website as part of its relationships and sex education package.  It comes despite Government guidance published last year which advised schools to exercise caution when teaching children about gender issues.   This just shows how even a national broadcaster, of long-standing, can be biased when it takes a stance on the matter of gender identity which can then affect the traditional and godly family.   

The article about the BBC went on to say that “The programme, which features children asking adults about sexuality and gender on behalf of their peers, suggests the different identities include ‘bi-gender’, ‘gender-queer’ and ‘pansexual’.”  The film also tells children that becoming transgender is “a way to be ‘happy’ while making no mention of the growing legal and medical concerns about the rising number of children saying they want to change gender.”

The BBC said teachers were “strongly advised” to watch the film before viewing it with their pupils.

God says there are male and female only; the BBC and many others say that there are 100 different gender identities, depending on who is making the claim.   Who do we believe?  God who is the great Creator of heaven and earth or fallible man who makes up his own mind contrary to his Creator?

In Matthew 19:4-6 Jesus, the Creator along with His Father, had this to say about a question that the Pharisees put to Him: “And He answered and said to them, ‘Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning “made them male and female,” and said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh”? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together [or “bound”], let not man separate.’”

And so, Jesus confirmed that marriage was God-ordained.   A man and his wife and children from that union was a family.

In Ephesians 5:22-33, Paul teaches about marriage and the husband’s and wife’s responsibilities, and mentions the comparison with Christ and the Church which shows why marriage and the family are so important.   Satan knows this and that is why, as the prince of the power of the air (see Ephesians 2:2), he is broadcasting his opposition to those who are members of the Church who will marry Christ at His return (see Revelation 19:7-9).

There are many other Scriptures that further show how a family is to behave and function which is for their own good (see Exodus 20:12; Proverbs 1:8; 6:20; 15:20; 20:7; 22:6; Ephesians 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Timothy 3:4; and many others).

CONCLUSION:

The attack on the institution of the family is being brought about by a concerted effort by many in the education of the young, and not so young, including by many politicians and a growing number in all the many facets of the media and even some mainstream churches, who “go with the flow” rather than with biblical injunction.   That’s a heady mix of influencers and pressure groups who mold and shape society to their way of thinking.  It does seem in some cases, that once a group has achieved their goals, they are then emboldened and then try and stifle any further discussion on the matter.  

Schools, colleges and universities have access to the minds of their pupils from a young age where they can be molded and shaped according to society’s immoral and God-defying culture.

In her book “Aware, Not Woke” Noelle Mering makes these interesting comments on pages 73/74 in the chapter “Will Over Reason: “Rather than conforming ourselves to him, we have made ourselves into our own gods around whom God must adjust.   Instead of progress, this is the worst form of cultural regression.   It is as if the scientific community returned to the pre-Copernicum thinking of the sun revolving around the earth.

“In order to disobey God, we must first diminish him.   We will not adore a being who is our subordinate.  We don’t stand in awe of what is beneath us.   Once diminished, devotion to him becomes unnecessary but unreasonable.   This is why for so many today, the Christian faith seems to be a sign of weakness, or even stupidity.

“In ensuring God revolves around us, we conceive of him as being what he is not, and in that void, we make gods of ourselves.   This is at the heart of the will’s triumph over reason, over nature and over God.     What we desire becomes right by the sheer fact of desiring it.   It is now we, not he, who know all, love all, are all powerful.   If we keep God around at all, it is for the sake of sentimentalism or custom.   Either way, it will not last.”

Those are powerful words about the current woke culture where they seem to insist that God must bend according to the will of man.  It is stupidity on a massive scale that will ultimately fail.   And those who want to reduce God to having to bend to the will of puny man are those who also want to dismantle and dismiss the importance of the family as we have known it over the last 6,000 years.

There can be little doubt that there are many who are on a quest to try and eliminate the family as we know it—that which has been the hallmark and bedrock of a stable society down through the ages. God who created mankind in the first place, set out the right way of living which is clearly revealed in the pages of the Bible.   However, the world’s best-selling book is probably one of the least read or understood and many just ignore its profound wisdom. The reason is that Satan has blinded their minds so that in most cases they CANNOT see and understand. 

In Hosea 4:6 we read a prophecy where God levels charges against Israel which also applies today:

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

In the previous few verses are other charges laid against Israel both then, and now, for their lack of restraint and disobedience.   Surely, we can see how this applies in our lands today.

The divorce rate in most of the English-speaking nations continues to be high but because there are so many doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with the institutions of marriage and the family, but the problem is always with the people concerned, albeit sometimes when it may not be their fault.

The institution of family is perfect!   It is perfect because God created a man and a woman and instructed them to be a family and raise children.   Any problems with any family are because of the individuals involved, not the institution itself.

Always a good question to ask is “What are the fruits?” and in connection with all of the immorality and God-defying attitudes today, the answer will be obvious for those who have eyes to see.

All the information that we have looked at in these 6 Q&A’s are but a drop in the ocean, but they should give us a reasonable overview of the parlous state our nations are in.  Many people around the world may not always fully appreciate how far this assault on the God-ordained family has gone, along with many other ungodly practices.   Those of us in the Church of God need to make sure that we are not taken in by any of the practices which society allows, and in many cases encourages.   We are fighting an uphill battle as a sodomite-type culture continually approves of wrong behaviour, and we know what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah!

In the soon-coming Kingdom of God, true, right and good governance will be the order of the day under the righteous rule of Jesus Christ and His government here on earth.   That is the future that all of God’s people must be looking forward to, but in the meantime, all of those who have been called and chosen by God need to ensure that we are following His righteous ways and recognising the stupidity of man’s current governance.

We know that Satan and his demons want to cause doubt and distress to those who are being, and have been called and chosen.  By sowing seeds of doubt about the institution of the God-ordained family, these spiritual forces reduce the importance of it in so many people’s minds. In our Q&A, “Where will the marriage supper between Christ and His Church be held?” we read:

“Revelation 19:7-9 states the following about the marriage between Christ and His Church: ‘Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb [Jesus Christ, compare Revelation 5:1-14] has come, and His wife [the Church, compare Ephesians 5:31-32] has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’”” 

Here we read of the importance to God of the marriage supper and to the future Family of God.   Undermining marriage, as society now dictates, will in many people’s minds reduce and possibly eliminate the need for people to be married at all at this time, and this will inevitably impact their view of marriage.   Such people could have a hard time understanding the marriage supper of the Lamb! 

We mentioned our booklet “The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families” earlier and it seems appropriate to finish this Q&A with the final paragraphs on page 36 from this booklet under the heading “Use These Keys!”:

“We have seen from the Bible the vital keys to happy marriages and families. God wants mankind to apply His perfect laws for our own good. In fact, if we do, God will be in our marriages and in our families, guiding and protecting us as we seek to follow His lead. In Isaiah 66:2, God promises to help us, if we have an attitude pleasing to Him, ‘But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.’

“In the book of Malachi, God takes special note of those who fear or respect Him and who esteem His name. Consider what God says to those people, ‘‘“…And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him”’’ (Malachi 3:17). God is revealed in the Bible as our Father (cp. Matthew 6:9; 23:9). He wants His family to be happy, and the way for us to do that is to apply His keys revealed to us for this tremendous purpose.

“We have been given an awesome privilege of knowing HOW we can better our marriage and family relationships. But with knowledge comes responsibility! We need to ACT upon what we know! Rather than being forgetful hearers or readers, let’s become DOERS of the Word of God (James 1:22–25). And if we do that, the product will be happy and successful relationships, and our marriages and families will stabilize and will last.

“It’s up to us now to respond to God’s challenge—are we going to apply God’s Word in our lives, or not? Our very physical and spiritual survival—as well as the survival of our families—will depend on it!”

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“America’s Self-Inflicted Downfall,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

We are observing more and more America’s downfall which is, sadly, self-inflicted. It is as if we are watching a self-fulfilling prophecy about a country which is creating its own Frankenstein monster. From US nuclear weapons being stored in Europe to the sale of fighter jets to Turkey; from terrible experiments in America’s labs with the potential of spreading deadly pandemics to America’s failure in its “fight” with the Houthis; from the death of three US service members through an Iran-sponsored attack in Jordan to the “invasion” at the southern border—America, a once great country, is plagued with incredible problems beyond solution.

“How Can Young People… Cope With Life?” our newest booklet, is now posted.

“Seit wann kennt Gott SIE?” this Sabbath’s German sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Title in English:  “Since When Did God Know You?”

“Eine Welt im Stress,” last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Mario Danisch, is now posted. Title in English: “A World in Stress.”

“To Be Like God,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Paul Niehoff, is now posted. Here is a summary:

God has made a promise in many scriptures that we will see God as He is after our resurrection. This, of course, is not possible in our present state, as we must be changed for this to occur.

“Since When Did God Know You?” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Did God know YOU before you were born? And if so, when did God “start” to know you, by name? From the foundation of the world? Before the foundation of the world? Before time began? The Bible has much to say about God’s “foreknowledge” and the fact that some have been “predestined” to be ”called” for salvation in this day and age.  What exactly does this mean for YOU?