On June 3, 2017, Norbert Link will present the sermonette, titled, “Strangers in the Night,” and Michael Link will present the sermon, titled, “Longsuffering for Righteousness Sake.”

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.

Pentecost will be observed on Sunday, June 4, 2017. We will conduct live services in both the morning (10:00 AM Pacific Time) and afternoon (3:00 PM Pacific Time).

Morning Service: Robb Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “An Aberration,” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “The Promise of Pentecost.”

Afternoon Service: Kalon Mitchell will present the Offertory, titled, “Vessels of God,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “How is God’s Holy Spirit ONE Spirit?”

When Cain rose up and killed his brother, it was a premeditated act of rage finally surfacing. The choices he made in life preceding his brother’s murder could have only led to one outcome—sin.  Whatever Cain’s impulse that led him to commit that great sin, he let it fester and eventually gave in to it.  God saw this tendency and warned Cain of it, “So the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it’ ” (Genesis 4:6-7). Cain chose to allow himself to be ruled by Satan and it led to his downfall.

But Cain wasn’t born a killer.  That desire was begotten by years of rejecting God.  Jude warns God’s chosen to “…contend earnestly for the faith…” (Jude 3) because it can easily be lost if we reject any part of God’s Truth.  Jude continues listing character traits with this sinful mindset, “Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries… But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain…” (Jude 8,10-11).  Cain rejected God and followed after his own base desires, desires influenced by Satan.

The same faith that Jude warns us to hold fast was part of Abel’s character.  “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain…” (Hebrews 11:4).  God didn’t reject Cain’s sacrifice because He disliked fruit.  God disapproved of Cain’s attitude and the influence that was leading his actions.

John clearly states who Cain showed love for, “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous” (1 John 3:10-12).

Is it any wonder why this world is enamored with violence and murder—especially in these end times? The father of murder is raging against all godliness. Our sacrifice and our separation from this world delight God while causing Satan to seethe with anger.  And like a hungry lion, Satan is ready to tear us apart from the promise of eternal life.  Godly faith requires vigilance and an understanding when Satan’s influence is creeping into our life. Satan’s has readied himself to deter us from our Godly path.  Are we prepared to prove our faith to God?

by Norbert Link

We begin with the unsatisfactory outcome of the G-7 summit in Sicily, due to major disagreements between America and the other participating nations. Europeans place the blame totally on President Trump’s behavior. He is being portrayed as the “ugly American, trampling America’s friends and trashing the trans-Atlantic alliance,” and it is suggested that his conduct in Europe was due to personal vindictiveness. Subsequently, Angela Merkel uttered harsh words, implying that the USA is “no longer a reliable partner” of Europe, and declaring that Europe has to “take its fate into its own hands.” While most agreed with Mrs. Merkel’s comments (excepting Trump supporters, accepting Mr. Trump’s statement that his trip was highly successful), Mr. Trump responded on Twitter, blasting Germany again over trade and defense.

The consensus is that the gap between the USA and especially Europe has become immense. While America is described as “dropping out as an important nation,” Angela Merkel is seen as the “leader of the free world” and the “most influential leader” in Europe; and Germany as becoming “an increasingly dominant power in a partnership with France.” The most recent events are described as ushering in a “new era” and beginning a “new chapter,” and it is also perceived that Russia is the beneficiary of the frosty relationship between the USA and Europe. Not unaware of this threat, Europe is anxious to build a powerful unified army.

We also address President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Accord on “Climate Change.”

In other news, we report on a terrible attack in Kabul, Afghanistan; Turkey’s attempts to get control over the Temple Mount; President Trump’s decision to sign a waiver regarding the move of the US embassy to Jerusalem; and British Airline’s ongoing debacle, due to the company’s unreliable new IT system. We also report on serious illogical considerations of the Trump administration to ban all laptops from aircraft cabins on all flights into and out of the country; and on an equally absurd and dangerous new law in Germany forcing Kindergartens to report parents for refusing to obtain vaccine advice.

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

Merkel Furious With Trump After “Unprecedented” G-7 Failure

Zerohedge reported on May 27:

“In the end it was not meant to be…  Needless to say, Merkel who had hoped to leave the Saturday summit with the G-7 agenda endorsed by everyone, including Trump, was furious at the US president… She concluded by noting the unprecedented breach of agreement within the ranks, perhaps a first in G-7 history… To be sure, it wasn’t just Merkel who was displeased with Trump… Trump’s lack of rapport with European leaders raises serious questions about his ability to effectively team up with critical U.S. allies…”

The Ugly American at G-7 Summit

The New York Times wrote on May 26:

“‘Trump shoves his allies,’ read the front page of Belgium’s Le Soir. ‘Boor in chief’ declared Germany’s financial newspaper Handelsblatt. An editorial in Le Monde called him ‘brutal and heavy-handed.’

“President Trump is… being portrayed as the ugly American, trampling America’s friends and trashing the trans-Atlantic alliance… Mr. Trump has switched from diplomat to disrupter… his behavior overlooks the fact that America’s most durable alliances are in Europe, not the Middle East, and that Europeans are not likely to buy Mr. Trump’s bluster… His harsh statements in Europe suggested that he could be [the] most divisive American leader to join this… club since it was first organized in 1975…

“To some extent, the difference in Mr. Trump’s tone may reflect the different reception he got in the Middle East… In Europe, Mr. Trump encountered a chillier audience that viewed him less as a conquering hero than as a wayward figure who needed to be put back on the right path. ‘The Europeans didn’t give him that royal welcome; they didn’t treat him like the king of the world,’ said Volker Perthes, the director of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs…”

Mr. Trump’s harsh words and his attacks on NATO, Germany and the other participating members at the G-7 summit might very well have been caused by his less than royal reception in Europe.

Gap Immense

Der Spiegel wrote on May 27 about the G-7 Summit:

“The gap between the USA and the other six nations is immense. The Trump Administration is on their way to international isolation…”

The magazine continued that the shattered relationship, as manifested during the G-7 summit, has been described by French President Emmanuel Macron as the last step before a divorce.

Merkel’s Remarks about USA and UK

Reuters/HuffPost wrote on May 29:

“Merkel sent shockwaves through Washington and London by saying on Sunday that Europe must take its fate into its own hands, implying that the United States under President Donald Trump and Britain after its Brexit vote were no longer reliable partners… After the meetings of NATO and the G7 group of wealthy nations, Merkel told a packed beer tent in Munich that the days when Europe could completely rely on others were ‘over to a certain extent.’ ‘I have experienced this in the last few days,’ Merkel said. ‘And that is why I can only say that we Europeans must really take our fate into our own hands – of course in friendship with the United States of America, in friendship with Great Britain and as good neighbors wherever that is possible also with other countries, even with Russia.’

“Her chief rival in Germany’s upcoming national elections, opposition leader Martin Schulz, denounced Trump on Monday for the way he ‘humiliated’ Merkel. ‘No freely elected head of government in our country  should allow him- or herself to be humiliated in this way, the way [Trump], like an autocratic leader, believed he could inflict humiliation in Brussels,’ Schulz said… ‘I reject with outrage the way this man takes it upon himself to treat the head of our country’s government. That is unacceptable.’ It’s not clear what incident Schulz is referring to, but he echoed Merkel’s controversial call for greater European independence on Twitter, asserting ‘the best answer to Donald Trump is a stronger Europe.’”

Leading German politicians are anxious to agree with Angela Merkel on her criticism of President Trump, also in light of the upcoming national elections in September and the huge unpopularity of Mr. Trump in Germany. Note the next article as well.

Germany Reacts to Trump

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 30:

“Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel… spoke of the US ‘dropping out as an important nation.’ ‘That’s unfortunately a signal for a change in the world’s balance of power,’ he said. Gabriel also criticized the Trump administration for selling weapons to Saudi Arabia, its refugee policy, and its lack of commitment to fight climate change.

“Gabriel, who also serves as Germany’s vice chancellor, said that ‘anyone who accelerates climate change by weakening environmental protection, who sells more weapons in conflict zones and who does not want to politically resolve religious conflicts is putting peace in Europe at risk.’ ‘The short-sighted policies of the American government stand against the interests of the European Union,’ adding that the West ‘became weaker.’…

“In response to the crisis, Europe should be ‘sticking together and growing stronger’ and defend the ideas of democracy, liberalism, and openness, he said…”

A Fury of International Reactions—Russia the Beneficiary

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 29:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday prompted a fury of reactions…  In the US, the reaction was mixed, with Trump’s supporters dismissing Merkel’s comments while his opponents appeared to mourn the loss of the US’ special relationship with Germany…

“In analysis published by Israeli daily Haaretz, Daniella Peled of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting said the fallout of Trump’s visit to Europe has effectively undermined trust across the Atlantic. ‘It’s hard to think of a clearer sign of the massive and rapid damage Trump has done to decades-old partnerships than Merkel’s devastating speech,’ Peled said. ‘Angela Merkel has once again cemented her status as the new leader of the free world…’

“However, some highlighted that Trump’s ability to undermine the historic relationship between Berlin and Washington has served the interests of other actors. David Frum, senior editor of the US news magazine The Atlantic, said that Trump’s behavior has caused a rift between Germany and the US [and] has effectively served Russian interests. ‘Since 1945, the supreme strategic goal in Europe of the USSR and then Russia was the severing of the US-German alliance. Trump delivered,’ Frum said.

“Agreeing with Frum’s comments on its benefits for Moscow, Ian Bremmer, founder and director of the consultancy Eurasia Group, said that the ‘most important postwar relationship,’ the transatlantic alliance, is ‘now unraveling.’ ‘There’s not been a statement like this from Germany in generations,’ Bremmer said.”

Macron Meets with Putin

The EUObserver wrote on May 29:

“Macron hosted Putin in Versailles to celebrate the 300th anniversary of Russian tsar Peter the Great’s visit to France… ‘Peter the Great is a symbol of Russia that wants to [be] open to… Europe,’ Macron noted… The celebration and the prestigious setting of the Versailles palace were considered to be a good opportunity to mend relations between France and Russia, as well as between Macron and Putin… During his presidential campaign, Hollande’s successor Macron was the target of Russian-sponsored media attacks and hacks. Putin also received Macron’s main opponent, far right leader Marine Le Pen, at the Kremlin…

“Asked by a journalist from RT [Russia Today], a Russian state media, why RT journalists were barred to access events at the end of his campaign, Macron explained that the media, as well as Sputnik, another Russian state outlet, had ‘spread slanderous falsehoods’ about him. ‘Russia Today and Sputnik did not behave as media outlets and journalists, they behaved as organs of influence and of lying propaganda,’ he said next to a stony-faced Putin.”

Emmanuel Macron’s meeting with Vladimir Putin received mixed coverage. While the will was emphasized to “work together”, it was also clear that mistrust and skepticism remained.

Europe’s Destiny

The Times of Israel/AFP wrote on May 30:

“Germany’s harsh words for Washington, traditionally a close ally, were highly unusual and came as relations have grown increasingly frosty… France’s Defense Minister Sylvie Goulard said that Trump’s broadside at NATO allies could boost efforts toward a common European defense policy… the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said on Twitter he ‘agreed’ with Merkel that ‘Europe’s destiny is in our own hands.’”

One of the consequences of the frosty relationship between Europe and the USA is indeed Europe’s desire to create a common defense policy; i.e., a unified European army. Due to perceived threats from Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin, military cooperation already exists in some parts of Europe. Note the next article.

Nordic Military Cooperation

Bloomberg wrote on May 29:

“With Vladimir Putin in the east and Donald Trump to the west, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is now telling Europe it has to stand up for itself. It’s a call that’s already being answered by the continent’s richest region. Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway have over the past two years been deepening their military cooperation to counter a deteriorating security situation in the Baltic and the Arctic… ‘There’s no doubt that Europe needs to take bigger responsibility, we have to spend more on defense and security,’ Erna Solberg, Norway’s prime minister, said…

“The broadest shifts in policy in the region have been seen in Finland and Sweden, which unlike Denmark and Norway aren’t members of NATO. The two neighbors have intensified military cooperation and also forged closer ties with the military alliance without outright joining NATO…”

The End of an Era

The New York Times wrote on May 28:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany [is] Europe’s most influential leader… Ms. Merkel’s strong comments were a potentially seismic shift in trans-Atlantic relations. With the United States less willing to intervene overseas, Germany is becoming an increasingly dominant power in a partnership with France…

“‘This seems to be the end of an era, one in which the United States led and Europe followed,’ said Ivo H. Daalder, a former United States envoy to NATO who is now the director of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. ‘Today, the United States is heading into a direction on key issues that seems diametrically opposite of where Europe is heading. Merkel’s comments are an acknowledgment of that new reality.’”

Europe and the USA are drifting more and more apart.

A New Chapter

The Washington Post wrote on May 28:

“Merkel on Sunday declared a new chapter in U.S.-European relations after contentious meetings with President Trump last week… This is an enormous change in political rhetoric. While the public is more familiar with the ‘special relationship’ between Britain and the United States, the German-U.S. relationship has arguably been more important… Merkel is suggesting that… Germany and Europe are likely to take on a much more substantial and independent role than they have in the past 70 years…

“Merkel’s rhetoric is clearly intended to imply that as the transatlantic relationship grows weaker, the European Union will grow stronger…  Merkel’s temperament is the polar opposite of Trump’s. She is highly cautious. This speech is not an impulsive move. Instead, Merkel is starting to make the case for a different E.U., one that is stronger, more self-reliant and disinclined to look to the United States for leadership. If she wins the upcoming German election decisively and is able to secure enough agreement from other European states to isolate the naysayers, she may set in motion a substantial long-term shift in the E.U.-U.S. relationship…”

“End of an era” and “a new chapter” are strong words. Mr. Trump must realize this too, and his reaction is predictable, but not helpful. Note the next article.

Trump Blasts Germany Again as Merkel-Modi Cite Mutual Values

Newsmax wrote on May 30:

“U.S. President Donald Trump ratcheted up a dispute with Germany over trade and defense as Chancellor Angela Merkel met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a demonstration of her ability to pivot from the U.S. to strengthen alternative global alliances. ‘We have a MASSIVE trade deficit with Germany, plus they pay FAR LESS than they should on NATO & military,’ the U.S. president posted on Twitter Tuesday. ‘This will change.’

“The message came minutes after Merkel and Modi held a joint press conference in Berlin, at which the German leader called India a ‘reliable partner with respect to big projects.’ That contrasted with her comments in Munich on Sunday that reliable trans-Atlantic ties that formed the basis of German foreign policy since World War II ‘are to some extent over.’”

Mr. Trump was obviously not happy to hear that Angela Merkel viewed India as a reliable partner, while she did not think so regarding the USA.

Germany Reaches Out to China

Deutsche Welle reported on May 31:

“In a week during which a Europe-US rift seems to be deepening, the Chinese premier became the second major Asian leader to arrive in Berlin. Talks will focus on closer cooperation on trade and climate issues… This has been a week of Germany reaching out to Asia… ‘The EU and China consider the Paris Agreement as an historic achievement…,’ [a] nine-page draft joint statement said. ‘The EU and China underline their highest political commitment to the effective implementation of the Paris Agreement in all its aspects.’…

“The EU has also been increasingly looking to China for support of free trade, after a shift towards protectionism from the US…  As Li arrived in Germany, the country’s biggest lender Deutsche Bank announced US$3 billion (2.7 billion euros) worth of investments in cooperation with the China Development Bank.”

As the relationship between Europe and the USA is getting worse, Europe is looking for “allies” in others parts of the world.

German Trade

The New York Times wrote on May 30:

“Germany runs a chronic, yawning trade surplus with the United States, which Trump administration officials say Germany has widened by exploiting a weak euro to put American exports at a disadvantage. That, more than differences over NATO, Russia or climate change, is driving a wedge between the two countries…

“Mr. Trump was continuing a drumbeat he began during his visit to Europe, when he told European Union officials that Germany was ‘very bad’ on trade. But the president’s campaign against Germany, while accurate on the statistics, overlooks the benefits in the German-American trade relationship, and overstates Berlin’s ability to do much about it.

“German companies employ roughly 700,000 people in the United States. Carmakers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz have huge American assembly plants, which export vehicles to China and Latin America. BMW’s factory in Spartanburg, S.C., is the largest single exporter, by dollar value, in the American automotive industry…”

It is interesting that one never hears President Trump speaking about these figures.

Donald Trump Isolated and Unreachable?

CNN wrote on May 31:

“At 12:06 a.m. ET, the President of the United States tweeted this: ‘Despite the constant negative press covfefe.’ By 6 a.m., that tweet had been deleted. Shortly after, Trump tweeted this: ‘Who can figure out the true meaning of “covfefe” ??? Enjoy!’… Trump seemed to be trying to type ‘coverage’ and misspelled it. As he often does. Then he fell asleep and didn’t correct the mistake until he got up in the morning. We’ve all been there!…

“What we have today — and, really, what we have had since the day Trump came into the White House — is a deeply isolated President who spends lots of time, particularly at night and in the early morning, watching TV and tweeting. That lack of discipline reveals that there is simply no one who can tell Trump ‘no.‘ Or at least no one whom he will listen to.  That’s important. Especially now as speculation runs rampant that Trump is on the brink of a major staff overhaul and in the wake of communications director Mike Dubke resigning on Tuesday… Trump doesn’t think he needs advice… Trump’s ongoing Twitter presence is a perfect example of all of this.

“Time and time again, Republican elected officials have politely suggested that Trump use Twitter less and differently… Of late, as part of a much-promised reboot, there had been talk of a ‘team of lawyers’ vetting Trump’s tweets before he sent them out… Trump is neither willing nor able to change his stripes. He is a 70-year-old man (he will be 71 on June 14) who has had much success in his life. And he believes that the way in which he was elected president — against all odds and doing everything traditional politics says not to — is an affirmation that he is the only person who really understands his supporters and the mood of the country. That assumption is what leads him to ignore advice from advisers… Trump believes in Trump — first, last and always. Staff will come and go. But to expect anyone to change Trump in any way is to ignore, literally, his entire adult life.”

If all of this is true, that would make President Trump an extremely unpredictable person.

“No Feud Between Trump and Merkel”? Get Real!

The New York Times wrote on May 30:

“Sean Spicer, the press secretary… said Ms. Merkel’s call for Europe to go it alone actually vindicated Mr. Trump’s demand that Germany shoulder more responsibility for its defense…”

Mr. Spicer also added that President Trump was happy about Chancellor Merkel’s comments.

Newsmax wrote on May 31:

“President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel ‘have a good and productive relationship,’ and there is no feud going on between the two leaders over NATO, trade, or other issues, Germany’s ambassador to the United States, Peter Wittig, said Wednesday… ‘there are few leaders as committed to the transatlantic relationship as Merkel is to the friendship of the United States,’ Wettig continued. ‘That has not changed with President Trump.’…”

The comments by Sean Spicer and Peter Wittig are ridiculous and constitute an insult to the intelligence of Americans and Germans alike. The total opposite of their “assurances” has been clearly established, as can be seen by the articles quoted in this edition.

Trump Exits Paris Accord

The Daily Mail wrote on June 1:

“Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the Paris accord on climate change on [Thursday] afternoon – deriding it as bad for American jobs and bad for the environment…

“He complained in the White House’s Rose Garden that major polluters like China are allowed to increase their emissions under the agreement in a way that the US cannot. India is hinging its participation on billions of dollars of foreign aid. The deal is a ‘massive redistribution of United States wealth to other countries,’ he argued. ‘The Paris accord is very unfair at the highest level’ to the US. ‘This agreement is less about the climate and more about other countries gaining a financial advantage over the United States,’ Trump said.

“Trump said he would also end the United States’ participation in the United Nations’ Green Climate Fund, which he said lacks affirmative obligations… Trump said the Paris exit is ‘a reassertion of America’s sovereignty.’ ‘Foreign leaders in Europe, Asia and across the world should not have more to say with respect to the United States economy [than] our own citizens and their elected representatives,’ Trump proclaimed.

“Trump said he would be willing to get back in but only if he is allowed to renegotiate the terms of the United States’ participation…

“When White House sources said he was pulling out…, the reports set off worldwide condemnation led by the United Nations secretary general. Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka, had advised her father against an exit, as well as a series of world leaders…

“Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Google, Gap, Mars and Tiffany & Co. joined a group of large businesses in publishing an open letter to Trump asking him not to end the United States participation in the global warming agreement… Their ask ran as a full page ad in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal on Thursday… Emmanuel Macron, the newly elected French president, said at a weekend summit in Italy he was sure Trump would back the deal after listening to his G7 counterparts…

“Economic Council chair Gary Cohn joined Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster in a campaign to remain in the accord… EPA administrator Scott Pruitt and Vice President Mike Pence were strongly against staying in the pact… and three senior advisors to the president – Kellyanne Conway, Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller -– came in behind the Environmental Protection Agency head and the vice president.”

Diplomatic Repercussions

The Washington Post added on June 1:

“President Trump… is withdrawing the United States from the landmark Paris climate agreement… a move that honors a campaign promise but risks rupturing global alliances… More than 190 nations agreed to the accord in December 2015 in Paris, and 147 have since formally ratified or otherwise joined it, including the United States… It’s also heavily backed by U.S. and global corporations, including oil giants Royal Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil and BP…

“Withdrawing the United States from the agreement could take years due to the accord’s legal structure and language, but such a move would weaken its goals almost immediately…  But the diplomatic repercussions of a U.S. withdrawal could be vast…”

 Deutsche Welle added on June 1:

“The US will withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change despite international condemnation, US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday… Political leaders from the European Union, China, fellow G7 member states, as well as the heads of investment firms with trillions of dollars in assets, more than 1,000 US companies including coal and oil producers, and even the pope had all lobbied Trump to stick to the agreement…

“Syria and Nicaragua were the world’s only non-participants in the landmark accord, although Nicaragua did not participate as it thought it did not go far enough to address climate change…

“Trump’s protectionist policies and his reticence on climate change action have pushed Europe closer to China. ‘China has become a more important and strategic partner [than the USA],’ Merkel said at a joint news conference with Chinese Premier Li…”

The verdict on “man-made global warming” (now called “climate change”) is still out. Many arguments pro and con are advanced, and on June 1, Senator Rand Paul made an impassionate plea on CNN, questioning the accuracy of scientific data to prove man-made climate change. In addition, it is equally being debated back and forth whether the Paris accord would lead to less or more jobs and economic prosperity in the USA. What is important for us to note is the fact that President Trump kept his promise in regard to the Paris accord, and that his decision has led to international condemnation and the realignment of European allies with other countries than the USA.

Deadly Attack in Kabul, Afghanistan

Deutsche Welle reported on May 31:

“A massive truck bomb has hit Kabul’s highly secure diplomatic area, killing at least [90] people and wounding hundreds [at least 460, with the death-toll expected to rise considerably]. The German embassy was heavily damaged, although it’s unclear whether it was the target of the attack… Most of the Wednesday attack’s victims are well-to-do Afghans with jobs at foreign embassies and government offices. The attack site is in the downtown which is considered a safe place and people also go there for dining and shopping.

“The fact that such a place could be targeted has made the residents of Kabul very pessimistic about their security… the security situation in Afghanistan had deteriorated further… Afghan security forces control only about 57 percent of the country’s territory. Around 2.5 million people live in areas controlled by the Taliban and nine million more live in contested areas… The number of civilian victims, including many children, remains high…

“Kabul has in recent months sustained a series of terror attacks carried out by a resurgent Taliban, as well as the so-called “Islamic State” (IS) jihadi group. However, Wednesday’s blast is reported to have been particularly devastating, striking buildings and cars within a 1-kilometer radius. The US and British embassies [as well as the embassies of Iran, Turkey and France] are also located close to Kabul’s Zanbaq Square, where the explosion took place, as are the headquarters of NATO’s mission in Afghanistan…

“US Secretary of Defense James Mattis has warned that troops stationed in Afghanistan will face ‘another tough year’ in the fight against radical insurgent forces. The US currently deploys some 8,000 soldiers in the country, while there are a further 5,000 from NATO allies.  US President Donald Trump is soon expected to decide whether to bolster US troop numbers by a further 3-5,000, expanding the total US deployment to over 10,000 – a major operation but still a far cry from the 100,000 American troops posted in Afghanistan six years ago.”

The Washington Post added on May 31:

“The Afghan Taliban denied any role in the bombing… Security agencies had warned that both Taliban insurgents and regional affiliates of the Islamic State were planning to attack high-profile targets in the city in the early part of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month that began last week…”

It does not appear that the tragic Afghan war—the longest war in America’s history—will end any time soon.

Turkey Craves Control over Eastern Jerusalem and the Temple Mount

The Jewish Press reported on May 30:

“The Jerusalem municipality’s eastern Jerusalem experts have revealed in recent days that Turkey has been competing with Jordan over influence among Arab residents as well as over control of the Temple Mount… The city’s experts… also revealed that Turkey has begun pouring millions of dollars into NGO in eastern Jerusalem, in order to strengthen Ankara’s status among the Arab residents…

“‘The growing involvement of the Erdogan regime… shows that the Turkish actions in Jerusalem are part of a wider process of creating regional Turkish hegemony at the expense of other players,’ wrote the Jerusalem mayor’s advisers on the eastern part of the city…

“Earlier this month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed Israel for ‘massacring the Palestinians,’ calling on the Turks to visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque and dubbing Israel’s control of Jerusalem ‘an insult.’ He also… declared that ‘all Muslims must defend Jerusalem.’

“The experts added… ‘In recent years, the Turks have poured considerable sums of money into the Temple Mount for a number of activities: Koran reading groups, transporting worshipers to and from the mosque, Ramadan meals, renovations, and cleaning. As a rule, whether deliberately or not, Muslim groups on the Temple Mount are acting in favor of Turkey... Erdogan’s Turkey now enjoys unprecedented popularity among the residents of eastern Jerusalem… Turkish flags are often seen hanging from rooftops in the eastern part of the city and even on the Temple Mount, and Turkish culture is being revived, which is reflected in Turkish language courses, Turkish music and Turkish cuisine.’

“One hundred years after the last Turkish soldier was chased out of Jerusalem by the invading British Empire, ‘Turkey’s public support for the Palestinian cause and the Al-Aqsa conflict, and their channeling of millions of dollars into eastern Jerusalem, bear many fruits in the form of sympathy and support,’ the experts concluded, adding that the Turks’ ‘involvement is made possible by their cooperation with Muslim Brotherhood elements in the city, who are often being used as their allies and collaborators.'”

The Bible reveals that Turkey and Israel will end up in a fierce war.

Trump Signs Waiver

The Times of Israel wrote on June 1:

“US President Donald Trump on Thursday signed a waiver that delays for six months any plan to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, disappointing the Israeli government and backtracking on a key promise he made on the campaign trail throughout 2016. Announcing the move, the White House… said the president still stood by his promise to move the embassy…

“Trump was facing a Thursday deadline to renew the waiver… A 1995 law mandates the relocation of the embassy, but provides the president with the prerogative to postpone the move on national security grounds. Each of Trump’s three immediate predecessors — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama — repeatedly exercised that right. The most recent waiver, signed by Obama, expired on June 1. Without its renewal, the US government would have been legally obligated to proceed with moving the embassy.

“Israel captured East Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan during the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed it, a move never recognized by the international community. Israel declared the city its undivided capital, but the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Moving the US embassy to Jerusalem would be seen as endorsing Israel’s claim to the city and rejecting the Palestinians’…”

Major Disagreement between Israel and USA

In a follow-up article, The Times of Israel wrote on June 1:

“Trump once again publicly disagreed with the Israeli government. The first time was the administration’s request to rein in settlement construction; Netanyahu insists that the settlements are no obstacle to peace… [The waiver] emphasized the sharp difference in how the White House and the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem view the dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process…

“Netanyahu doubled down on his argument, going as far as saying that keeping the embassy in Tel Aviv ‘drives peace further away by helping keep alive the Palestinian fantasy that the Jewish people and the Jewish state have no connection to Jerusalem.’… the statement about peace being more difficult to achieve highlighted a fundamental policy disagreement between Jerusalem and Washington…”

It is prophesied in the Bible that the relationship between the USA and Israel will gradually deteriorate.

Empty Promises

The Washington Post wrote on June 1:

“The move postpones, if not outright reverses, a campaign pledge that Trump had used as a central example of how his approach to foreign policy would be different than either past presidents of both political parties…

“As a candidate, Trump promised to make the move, which he called a sign of unwavering U.S. support for Israel, on his first day in office…

“Trump’s advisers have been divided about the move, with strategist Stephen K. Bannon reportedly a main advocate for making the move. Trump’s newly installed ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, was also on record as supporting a relocated embassy ‘in Israel’s eternal capital, Jerusalem,’ before he was confirmed by the Senate…”

Whatever position one may want to take on the issue, it is clear that the Bible holds us responsible for what we promise. God demands of us that we keep our word, “even if it hurts” (compare Psalm 15:4).

Becoming a “True Politician”

The New York Times wrote on June 1:

“The decision is Mr. Trump’s latest shift away from campaign positions… He has reversed himself on declaring China a currency manipulator, backed off plans to lift sanctions against Russia, declared that NATO is not ‘obsolete’ after all, opted for now not to rip up President Barack Obama’s nuclear agreement with Iran and ordered a punitive strike against Syria that he previously opposed in similar circumstances…”

There are many more “reversals,” which could be listed, constituting a “deviation” from pledges and promises.

British Airline’s Debacle

The Telegraph wrote on May 28:

“The British Airways IT crash has caused unprecedented disruption for the airline… Thousands of holidaymakers were stranded…  A BA statement… said travellers affected would be rebooked or have their ticket price refunded, but a spokesman said compensation would be looked at on a ‘case by case’ basis.

“British Airways have started sending passengers’ luggage back to them by courier, opening up the possibility that holidaymakers still hoping to get away this weekend will be in London even as their bags are driven to their home addresses elsewhere. It comes as hotels surrounding the airports charged extortionate prices to stranded holiday makers with some charging between £1,000 to £2,500 a room for the night… Passengers who had flights cancelled had little choice but to stay at the airport or check in to local hotels charging high prices…

“The chaos happened just after 11am on Saturday when the company’s unreliable new IT system crashed worldwide for the sixth time in a year. After thousands of furious complaints from customers left in the dark about their flights, bags and compensation, the company released a video online of CEO Alex Cruz apologising to passengers…”

Apart from the chaos and the apparently less than competent handling of the situation at Britain’s airports, especially appalling is the greed of hotels to charge exorbitant prices for stranded travelers. Man’s lust for money knows no bounds, and harsh godly punishment awaits those who are responsible for such inhumane conduct.

CNBC wrote on May 30:

“BA’s decision to spend £124 million on severance packages for hundreds of staff last year seems not – at least in the short term – to have been money well spent. An ever increasing number of the firm’s IT systems have been subcontracted out to third party companies, many of them overseas. And that move has prompted the airline employees’ unions, the GMB, to blame this weekend’s computer outage and subsequent PR debacle on BA’s decision to ax and outsource British IT jobs over the past 12 months.

“… the self-proclaimed world’s favorite airline has lost a lot of fans and goodwill – in the UK and beyond – over the past few days. Airline passengers understandably want a commitment from their carrier that they will arrive at their destination on time, with all their belongings, and without major inconvenience. That’s why a premium brand like British Airways fears the fallout from major screw ups like Saturday’s computer outage not only for the short-term financial ramifications, but also for the long-term damage it can have on perceived reliability…”

Sadly, outsourcing jobs to foreign companies for lesser compensation has become quite customary, but the results are quite often far from satisfactory.

Trump May “Very Likely” Ban Laptops from Aircraft Cabins for all Flights into and out of USA

CNBC wrote on May 28:

“The United States might ban laptops from aircraft cabins on all flights into and out of the country as part of a ramped-up effort to protect against potential security threats, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said on Sunday… Airlines are concerned that a broad ban on laptops may erode customer demand…Asked whether the government would expand such measures nationwide, Kelly said: ‘We might, and likely will.’”

The Telegraph added on May 30:

“US plans to extend a ban on carrying laptops on to transatlantic aircraft have been mired in confusion last night with Washington denying reports from Brussels that the plans had been scrapped… The EU and aviation industry have long opposed proposals to extend the ban on laptops and other large items, including iPads and e-readers… With no ban being announced, EU officials said that the proposals were off the table, suggesting that Washington had backed down… But within hours this was flatly contradicted in a statement issued on Mr Kelly’s behalf, insisting that the proposed ban was ‘still on the table’.

“… Opposition to the proposed ban has been led by the main airline trade body, the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s director general, said extending the ban could cost passengers $1.1 billion. Major airlines fear that denying executives the opportunity to work while in the air would lead to a catastrophic fall in the lucrative business class traffic on which they depend. According to one estimate, extending the ban to Europe, which would represent the biggest shake-up in aviation security since September 11, would hit 3,000 flights a week.

“Some experts have also questioned the effectiveness of the proposals, warning that putting thousands of lithium ion batteries into the hold of an aircraft could pose an even greater threat…”

One has to marvel about the lack of logic. If laptops are banned from aircraft cabins, but still placed in the aircraft with the other luggage, where is the elimination of any supposed threat? Laptops are already being screened separately by security when checking in. It appears that this new contemplated ban is counterproductive and might very well lead to great economic losses as customers might decide not to fly at all. Who in his right mind would place his laptop in the main luggage, as it could get lost (far too many pieces of luggage don’t arrive on time or at all at the correct destination), or it could be damaged, considering how the luggage is being (mis-)treated?

German Kindergartens Must Report Parents for Refusing Vaccine Advice

Reuters reported on May 26, 2017:

“Germany will pass a law… obliging kindergartens to inform the authorities if parents fail to provide evidence that they have received advice from their doctor on vaccinating their children… Parents refusing the advice risk fines of up to 2,500 euros ($2,800) under the law expected to come into force on June 1.

“Lack of public trust in vaccines has become an important global health issue. Experts say negative attitudes may be due to fears over suspected side-effects and hesitancy among some doctors. That is leading to greater activism among parents and public health officials. Last week, a German court ruled that a father could insist that his child be vaccinated over the objections of the child’s mother because it was in the child’s interest.”

These are of course only first steps, leading to the complete compulsion of vaccinations for all children; and that in spite of REAL DANGERS, even though they are being consistently and willfully ignored by politicians and insurance-dependent doctors.

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.

Although many people identify themselves as Christian, and that amounts to almost one-third of the world’s population, the Bible indicates that in “the last times” false Christianity would arise. In response to His disciples’ questions about the end of the age and when He would return, we have this prophetic warning:

“And Jesus answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, “I am the Christ,” and will deceive many’” (Matthew 24:4-5).

Deception began to work very quickly following the establishment of the Church of God. After only a few decades, JUDE wrote about the “faith”—that is, true Christianity—being under assault. His letter to the Church addresses the encroachment of men and doctrines opposing the truth:

“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:3-4)

How were these “ungodly men” denying God and Jesus Christ? It was through heretical teachings. PETER wrote of those who deny Jesus through false doctrines:

“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber” (2 Peter 2:1-3).

JOHN noted those who reject Jesus as being the Christ—the Messiah, meaning “anointed one”:

“Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that … [a]ntichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour” (1 John 2:18). (NOTE: The New King James Version rendering in this verse is: “that the Antichrist,” but “the” is not in the original and antichrist should not be capitalized—compare the King James Authorized Version. For a full discussion of this topic and the comments which follow, please refer to our Q&A: Who is the Antichrist Prophesied to Come?)

Continuing…

“Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also” (1 John 2:22-23).

Belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is an absolute requirement for salvation! (Compare 1 John 5:6, 10; John 3:16, 36; 6:40, 47; 11:25). This was the central fact which dominated the preaching of the gospel, and PETER, specifically identifying “Jesus Christ of Nazareth” (Acts 4:10), boldly proclaimed:

“‘Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved’” (Acts 4:12).

Even among those who seemingly acknowledge Jesus Christ, there is great confusion about Him—specifically, regarding His life as a human being. JOHN warned of those who were already denying that Jesus had come as a physical, mortal man:

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist [better: “the spirit of antichrist,” compare Authorized Version], which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world” (1 John 4:1-3).

This denial has tragic implications! JOHN further addresses deception which was arising in his day—and which still misleads concerning the doctrines of Christ:

“For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist” (2 John 1:7).

Quoting from our Q&A: Who is the Antichrist Prophesied to Come?:

“The spirit of antichrist DENIES the entire saving work of Jesus Christ–who He was before He became a man; who He was when in the flesh; who He is today; what He DOES today; and that He lives His life in the flesh of His disciples who OBEY Him.”

PAUL—and the ministry of his day—were confronted by those “who had a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:5). What these people claimed was not backed up in how they lived their lives:

“For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision…  They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work” (Titus 1:10, 16).

JESUS CHRIST had much to say about those who would deny Him:

“‘Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven’” (Matthew 10:32-33).

Note Revelation 3:8, quoting Christ as saying to the church in Philadelphia: “‘… I know your works… you… have kept My word and have not denied My name.”

Why would someone deny Christ? A major reason is because of persecution as a Christian, but JESUS warned that this would come:

“‘Remember the word that I said to you, “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me’” (John 15:20-21).

When a person is called into the Truth, standing firm and not denying Christ will oftentimes be a great test. Again, this is something JESUS said would come—it is part of “counting the cost” (Luke 14:28):

“‘Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to “set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law”; and “a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.” He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it’” (Matthew 10:34-39).

JESUS explicitly taught that, “‘whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple’” (Luke 14:33). Otherwise, we are denying Christ.

In a similar manner, once a person is called, is baptized and has received God’s Holy Spirit, he or she must continue. To deny Christ’s Sacrifice and to turn back to sin as a way of life and to deny the faith (1 Timothy 5:8) is to reject eternal life (compare Hebrews 10:26-39; 6:4-6; Luke 9:62).

To deny Christ means to practice lawlessness (Matthew 7:23); to turn to and believe false doctrines (2 Timothy 4:3-4); to not grow in the grace and knowledge of Him (2 Peter 3:18); and, to not live as He lived (1 Peter 2:21). When we realize that we have become guilty in any of these areas, we must repent immediately.

Finally, consider this ominous warning from JESUS:

“‘For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels’” (Mark 8:38).

Lead Writer: Dave Harris

compiled by Dave Harris

A NEW Video Trailer presenting our booklet, “Heavens and Earth…Before and After the First Man!” has been produced by Michael Link.

A new Russian booklet (a translation of, “The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families”) has been posted on the German website. In addition, several new German articles have been posted on the German website.

“Trump’s New Attacks on NATO and Germany… What’s Next?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

President Trump’s behavior and statements in Brussels towards EU leaders and NATO members have continued a pattern which will lead to terrible consequences for America and the rest of the world. We should not gloss over these events as meaningless, because NATO members, Europeans and especially Germans are getting tired of Trump’s continuing accusations and demands and are determined to respond forcefully.

“Absalom–Missverständnisse über König David (Teil 5),” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon. Title in English: “Absalom–Misunderstandings about King David, Part 5.”

“Wieso ist der Heilige Geist EIN Geist?” is the title of the German sermon for Pentecost. Title in English: “How is God’s Holy Spirit ONE Spirit?”

“Under Satan’s Rule,” the introductory message presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Terrorist attacks by crazy suicide bombers; the utter deterioration of the relationship between USA and Europe; Europe’s preparation to create a powerful army; violence in the Middle East; ongoing threats from North Korea; apparitions of the “Virgin Mary”; ridiculous laws; complete misrepresentations of the biblical truth; and many other developments show us Satan’s handiwork. The White House is viewed as one the most haunted homes in America, with leading politicians having been involved in séances or communications with ghosts. This is Satan’s world, and he is anxious to bring about the Great Tribulation.

“Tiny Changes,” the sermon presented last week by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Life is a series of course corrections and changes. It is the tiniest changes that make the most impact. But the problem is that often times these small changes are the hard ones to see.  How can we make sure that the small choices we make daily are making up the large picture that we are striving for?

On May 27, 2017, Norbert Link will use the sermonette and announcement time for his message, titled, “Prophecy Is Being Fulfilled,” and Kalon Mitchell will present the sermon, titled, “Tiny Changes”.

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.

Many come to America because they look upon it as the land of opportunities. You may have perhaps heard the saying, “Only in America,” when someone makes a fortune in a business venture or earns money selling a patent.

Americans have liberties which many in other countries do not enjoy. Women can vote, drive cars, start their own business and go about freely—something they cannot do in some countries. There is no violent religious persecution at this time, although that could change rather rapidly. Right now, a person can pursue life, liberty and happiness as long as it is within the confines of the law.

There is relative safety and peace of mind in smaller rural areas. This is not true, of course, in larger cities where there is crime and violence. Americans enjoy freedom of speech which is protected by the First Amendment, without fear of imprisonment or death, which is a possibility in some countries.

But American freedoms cannot remotely compare with what God is promising true Christians. They have been offered a land of opportunity where there is true prosperity and peace. That land is the world tomorrow, the Millennium, when Christ returns to establish world rule under Himself with the resurrected saints as co-rulers. It will be a time of joy and true peace, with wars having been abolished.

Zechariah describes it this way in Zechariah 8:4-5:

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit In the streets of Jerusalem, Each one with his staff in his hand Because of great age. The streets of the city Shall be full of boys and girls Playing in its streets.’”

This scenario is hard to imagine, when we think of the violence and ghettos of our major cities today.

Notice, the citizens of Jerusalem will be of great age and the children will be safe to play in the streets of the city where there will be no more bombings or stabbings like we see today. We will rule as kings and priests, as Revelation 5:10 says: “And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”  Kings will rule in accordance with God’s laws, and priests will teach God’s laws which describes part of our future responsibilities to spread the law of God over all the earth.

Isaiah 2:3-4 casts additional light on what lies ahead in the future: “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”

What is pictured here is the true land of opportunity where there will be peace and harmony with one world religion, which is something we ought to be looking forward to. We are admonished in Revelation 3:11 to hold fast to the end: “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”

It is imperative to hold fast to the truth without compromise if we want to enjoy the benefits of becoming co-rulers with Christ. God is anxious to bestow on us the gift of eternal life and to grant us our reward of rulership, as well as the potential to be involved in this future land of opportunity.

by Norbert Link

In this issue, we focus on the new terror attack in Manchester, Great Britain, as well as President Trump’s trip to Saudi Arabia, Israel and Rome, and his highly controversial performance in Brussels.

We also address growing concerns regarding North Korea and Syria and report on the European push for an historically unprecedented army.

We conclude with new developments and research regarding the dangers of vaccinations which are ignored by most scientists; and with an article on evolutionary nonsense.

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

Terror Attack in Manchester… ISIS Claims Responsibility… Fear of Further Imminent Attacks

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 24:

“British police confirmed on Wednesday that the suicide bomber who killed 22 people [and wounded more than 60] at a Manchester concert was not acting alone… Police have identified 22-year-old Salman Abedi as the attacker who blew himself up at the Manchester Arena on Monday night at the end of a concert by pop singer Ariana Grande…

“Later on Wednesday, Libyan police confirmed they had arrested Abedi’s younger brother [20] in Tripoli on suspicion of links to the ‘Islamic State’ (IS) armed group… A third brother, Ismail, was arrested in Britain on Tuesday… On Wednesday morning, Manchester police arrested three men in the south of the city in connection with the bombing, taking the total number of suspects in custody in the UK to four. A fifth man was arrested in Manchester on Wednesday afternoon…

“With Abedi suspected of having had accomplices, the government late on Tuesday raised the official terror threat level to ‘critical,’ meaning that an attack was expected imminently. It marked the highest threat level in the UK in more than a decade. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told local broadcaster BFM that the 22-year-old is thought to have also travelled to Syria, adding that he had proven links to the so-called ‘Islamic State’ jihadist group. UK Interior Minister Amber Rudd said that Abedi had recently returned to the UK from Libya…

“Rudd also expressed her displeasure at US officials for leaking information on the perpetrator to the media as the investigation was still unfolding… The minister said that as many as 3,800 troops could be deployed to patrol streets across the UK and guard vital locations, such as Buckingham Palace and the prime minister’s residence at Downing Street. Just under 1,000 soldiers have already been deployed, initially in London, then elsewhere… The Houses of Parliament have been closed for visits…”

As more and more facts come to light, we have no question that such horrendous acts are demonically inspired, and that the perpetrators ARE demonically influenced, if not possessed. As it was stated in the press: Looking at the face of the 22-year-old murderer means looking at pure evil.

What Could Be Done?

Deutsche Welle wrote in a related article on May 23:

“Once again, terrorism targets the center of a European city. Another attack on people – people just trying to have fun, people out for a good time. It was another suicide attack. And once again, the so-called ‘Islamic State’ (IS) has claimed responsibility, even before the police made anything public.

“The choice of venue to attack – the Manchester Arena – seems particularly horrible this time: a pop concert. This means that among the victims are many children and young people… [They] fall into the hands of such [a] brutal murderer… How sick must the person be who consciously targets such victims?

“Dealing with terrorist attacks has become like a deja vu experience. All the news outlets carry the same headlines… Then there [are] the meaningless and merely voyeuristic eye-witness reports… There are numerous reactions from the music world and politicians: They want to show their anguish… Everyone’s thoughts are with the victims. And all civilized nations are showing their solidarity with Britain. Whatever that actually means…

“Europe, which has become a regular target for Islamic terrorists, has by now a well-established routine for dealing with such shock. These are rituals that serve to hide the fact that there is no easy or quick, effective answer in dealing with the struggle against terrorism. And that no such answer will be found either.

“… People will still attend concerts, go to shopping centers, soccer games or, in Germany, go to the Protestant Church Assembly… they have accepted the possibility of terrorism as normal. Right-wing extremists… continue to rant about banning all Muslims from Europe…

“But still, there is more action that could be taken by politicians, there are other options: For example, by exercising tight controls over, and if necessary banning, all places of worship in which terrorists have been radicalized. These are actually all over Europe. Or, as pragmatically demonstrated on Sunday in Saudi Arabia by Donald Trump: He had a contract signed by over 50 heads of state – above all the King of Saudi Arabia – to prevent the direct, as well as indirect, financing of IS in their countries.

“It may be that this does little to prevent terrorist attacks in European cities – that remains to be seen. But it is definitely smarter than doing nothing, or stupidly bombing cities in [the] Middle East in which, of course, civilians also live.”

Sadly, in this world ruled by Satan the Devil and his evil and deranged demons, terrible murderous acts by insane individuals like the ones in Manchester will continue. The ONLY hope for this world and for true and lasting peace is the return of Jesus Christ.

Britain Stops Sharing Intelligence Information with the USA

The Huffington Post wrote on May 25:

“Angered that U.S. intelligence officials appeared to be leaking information about the Manchester terror attack, British authorities have stopped sharing details about the case, the BBC reports. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham later confirmed the report, telling CNN that, ‘we quite frankly can’t risk it anymore.’…

“President Donald Trump called the leaks ‘deeply troubling.’ ‘The leaks of sensitive information pose a grave threat to our national security,’ he said. ‘I am asking the Department of Justice and other relevant agencies to launch a complete review of this matter, and if appropriate, the culprit should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.’”

Subsequently, The Week reported on May 25:

“British police are once again sharing intelligence information with the United States, following a suspension announced Thursday morning in the wake of several leaks about the Manchester bombing by U.S. officials to the media… Prime Minister Theresa May said Thursday she would ‘make clear to President Trump that intelligence shared between our security agencies must remain secure,’ and on Thursday night, Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations in the Metropolitan Police Service Mark Rowley said that after receiving ‘fresh assurances’ from the U.S., the two countries were once against sharing material.”

 America’s intentional, inadvertent or leaked sharing of sensitive and classified intelligence information has caused worldwide consternation, concern and outright anger.

Trump’s Deals with Saudi Arabia

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 20:

“The US has announced military deals worth $110 billion with Saudi Arabia… The $110 billion… deal for Saudi purchases of US defense equipment and services was one of several deals announced during Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia. The military sales deal is effective immediately, with another $350 billion set of deals to kick in over the next 10 years… US conglomerate General Electric also announced it had signed agreements and memorandums of understanding worth $15 billion with the oil-rich kingdom…

“Russia and Iran – allies with Syria against the US-Saudi Arabia axis in the region – this year signed a large arms deal. The US-Saudi deal comes amid talk of a possible reconfiguration of Middle East alliances, and possibly global, ties. For Riyadh, the visit is an opportunity to rebuild ties with a key ally, strained under Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama who Sunni Arab Gulf states suspected of a tilt towards their Shiite regional rival Iran…

“After a welcoming coffee ceremony, Trump and his entourage were brought to the royal court where the president was awarded the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabia’s highest civilian honor. The streets of Riyadh were lined with US and Saudi flags and billboards featuring Trump and King Salman.

“US first lady Melania Trump did not cover her head when she arrived on Saturday along with her husband. Two years ago, then-citizen Trump criticized former first lady Michelle Obama’s decision to go bare-headed on a January 2015 visit with her husband. Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, a senior White House adviser who is accompanying her father, also left her head uncovered…”

The different arms deals between competing parties only show that peace in the Middle East is a fanciful illusion. The incredible large arms deal with Saudi Arabia totally ignores the fact that Saudi Arabia is being sued in American courts by relatives and survivors of the September 11 terrorist attack, for having allegedly permitted or even actively pursued the attack.

President Trump’s wife and daughter did the right thing in not covering their heads. After all, they cannot be held responsible for Donald Trump’s prior condemnation of Michelle Obama.

Jared and Ivanka Kushner Received Rabbinic Dispensation to fly on the Sabbath…

JTA wrote on May 19:

“President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, have received rabbinic approval to fly with him on Shabbat to the Middle East and Europe… A White House official said the couple, who are Orthodox Jews, have received a rabbinical dispensation to join the president aboard Air Force One… Orthodox Jews observe a Sabbath prohibition on work, motorized travel and the switching on or off of any appliance that uses heat, electricity or fire.

“As a matter of consensus, the prohibitions do not apply to life-or-death situations or when violating the Shabbat has the potential of saving human lives (and according to some decisors, the lives of certain animals under specific circumstances).

“Trump has tasked Kushner with brokering a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. The New York Times reported Thursday that as part of his effort to secure an arms deal worth about $110 billion with Saudi Arabia, Kushner called the CEO of defense contractor Lockheed Martin directly and asked her to reduce the cost of a missile defense system so that Saudi Arabia could buy it…”

… Or Did They?

 JTA wrote on May 21:

“Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, the prominent modern Orthodox rabbi who oversaw Ivanka Trump’s conversion to Judaism, said he did not give the first daughter and her husband, Jared Kushner, a dispensation to fly on Air Force One on Shabbat.

“Lookstein told Isaac Herzog, leader of the opposition Zionist Union party, that it was ‘fake news’… Lookstein also told Herzog… that he had not been in contact with Ivanka Trump for several weeks…

“The couple also was seen traveling to meetings by car in Saudi Arabia Saturday…”

JTA added on May 24:

“Which Orthodox rabbi gave Jared and Ivanka permission to fly on Shabbat? We don’t know who it was, but we know who it wasn’t.

“It wasn’t Haskel Lookstein, who oversaw the First Daughter’s conversion to Judaism. It wasn’t Marvin Hier, who gave the invocation at President Donald Trump’s inauguration. It wasn’t Levi Shemtov, the spiritual leader at the synagogue in Washington, D.C., that Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump have attended. And it wasn’t Shmuley Boteach, the celebrity rabbi who has lavished praise on the president and taken a series of selfies with his advisers.

“Those rabbis, on the record, denied giving their stamp of approval to the Friday night flight to Saudi Arabia — though none of them criticized the decision, and all refrained from commenting on it.”

Part of the orthodox teaching of modern Judaism is in complete opposition to the Bible. These burdensome pharisaical restrictions were strongly condemned by Jesus Christ. However, it is interesting that the White House’s announcement of a rabbinic dispensation (without giving the name of the rabbi or the timing) becomes a mystery in light of the prominent Orthodox rabbi’s denial that he gave any permission to travel on the Sabbath.

The Sabbath Controversy

JTA wrote on May 25:

“Based on conversations with a few Orthodox rabbis… flying on Shabbat is prohibited because flying the plane involves igniting a combustion engine, thereby lighting a fire. Lighting a fire is one of the few actions expressly prohibited on Shabbat by the Torah. But while that might be true for the pilot, it isn’t, really, for the passenger. After all, if I’m sitting in coach, I’m not literally flying the plane, much less turning it on or off. (Although some make the case that the additional weight of each passenger causes the engine to consume more fuel.) The reason observant Jews abstain from flying on Friday night and Saturday is because Jewish law prohibits traveling too far outside a city… on Shabbat. Unlike lighting a fire, that prohibition is mandated by rabbinic sources, not the text of the Torah itself — and therefore is less severe…

“Jared and Ivanka’s national security duties might fall under the umbrella of pikuach nefesh — dealing with matters of life and death. But a few essays suggest that they might be exempt on different grounds: simply because they’re senior advisers of the president. That concept is called ‘karov l’malchut’ — roughly, ‘confidant of the king.’ It allows observant Jewish advisers of a ruler (or president) to violate rabbinic prohibitions in order to do their jobs. Because the advisers’ actions can safeguard (or endanger) Jewish welfare, they’re given more flexibility…

“Jared and Ivanka are two of the most powerful people in the country. As public officials, their actions affect hundreds of millions of people across the country and world. Nor is their Judaism private…”

The biblical command against lighting a fire on the Sabbath was given in the context of lighting a huge fire for the purpose of working for the construction of the tabernacle in the wilderness. It had and has absolutely nothing to do with igniting a combustion engine, switching on a light or an oven for cooking a meal. These are just pharisaical rules, making the Sabbath a burden, rather than a delight.

At the same time, exempting governmental officials from keeping the Sabbath is equally wrong. In this world ruled by Satan, it shows that Sabbath-keeping Christians could not be working in positions which would require them to disregard God’s Sabbath command.

Trump Speaks to the Muslim World

JTA wrote on May 21:

“US President Donald Trump called on Middle Eastern leaders to combat a ‘crisis of Islamic extremism’ emanating from the region, casting the fight against terrorism as a ‘battle between good and evil,’ not a clash between the West and Islam.  Trump’s address Sunday was the centerpiece of his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, his first stop overseas as president. During a meeting of more than 50 Arab and Muslim leaders, he sought to chart a new course for America’s role in the region, one aimed squarely on rooting out terrorism, with less focus on promoting human rights and democratic reforms….

“Trump made almost no mention of Israel, his next stop on the tour Monday, leaving it off a list of countries fighting terror…

“The president has been enthusiastically embraced in Riyadh, where the ruling royal family has welcomed his tougher stance on Iran, its regional foe… Trump also devoted much of his speech to railing against Iran, accusing it of trying to destabilize the region…

“He notably refrained from using the phrase ‘radical Islamic terror,‘ which had been a staple of campaign speeches and which he had chided predecessor Barack Obama for refusing to utter… He once mused that he thought ‘Islam hates us’… But on Sunday, Trump was full of praise for Muslim world’s history and culture. He declared Islam ‘one of the world’s great faiths.’…”

News commentators have wondered whether we are observing a modern version of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Trump”…

What Happened to Saudi Arabia’s Abysmal Violation of Human Rights?

On May 22, The Times of Israel re-published the following article by the Associated Press:

“As President Donald Trump opened his keynote address in Saudi Arabia, he lavished praise on the ‘magnificent’ kingdom and ‘the grandeur of this remarkable place.’ Then he made clear there would be no public lecture from America on Saudi Arabia’s abysmal human rights record… Trump’s willingness to set aside human rights as a principal foreign policy has been one constant in his chaotic administration. Yet the absence of any public reference to the kingdom’s treatment of women and political opponents during his two-day visit was still jarring, particularly when contrasted with his affectionate embrace of the royal family…

“To be sure, Trump’s predecessors have also forged close ties with Saudi Arabia, an important US partner in the Middle East, and other nations with questionable human rights records. But in their own ways, former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush each vouched for American values in their dealings with those nations, including the kingdom…

“Saudi Arabia adheres to an ultraconservative interpretation of Islamic Shariah law where unrelated men and women are segregated in most public places. Women are banned from driving… Guardianship laws also require a male relative’s consent before a woman can obtain a passport, travel or marry. Often that relative is a father or husband, but in the absence of both can be the woman’s own son…

“Human rights didn’t go completely unnoticed on Trump’s trip. During a press briefing Saturday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson hammered Iran’s newly re-elected president [Hassan Rouhani] for his government’s oppressive policies. However, when reporters shouted out questions regarding Saudi Arabia’s human rights record — namely, one question about when the kingdom intends to allow women to drive — Tillerson ignored it.”

The Bible strongly condemns the ancient and modern House of Israel for entering into alliances with nations opposed to God’s Way of Life. In many cases, those allies subsequently turned against each other. The restrictions on women in Saudi Arabia are indeed appalling and totally contrary to biblical injunctions.

“Iran President Hassan Rouhani Blasts Trump’s Saudi Summit”

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 22:

“Iran’s newly re-elected president has dismissed US President Donald Trump’s calls for the region to isolate Tehran. Peace in the Middle East could only be possible with Iran at the table, Rouhani said. At a press conference on Monday, Iran’s newly re-elected president, Hassan Rouhani, dismissed US President Donald Trump’s weekend summit with Arab leaders, describing it as ‘just a show with no practical or political value of any kind.’

“In his speech on Islamic extremism on Sunday, Trump also singled out Tehran as an agent of terrorism… Despite Trump’s confrontational rhetoric, Iran had nothing to do with the terror attacks on the US in September 2001, or subsequent attacks in Europe – including Germany, France and England… Rouhani also dismissed the US and Saudi government’s $110 billion dollar arms deal…

“However, while Rouhani’s greatest political achievement to date has perhaps been the 2015 agreement with six major powers, including the US, to curbing Iran’s nuclear program, the Iranian president insisted that ballistic missile tests would continue ‘if technically necessary’… adding that he would not need permission from the US to conduct such tests.

“Rouhani won this week’s Iranian presidential election with a resounding majority, a sign that most Iranians wish to keep on the president’s course of reform and modernization…”

It is not to be expected that the relationship between the USA and Iran will improve, which means that in the long run, the relationship between Russia (Iran’s ally) and the USA will not remain peaceful, either.

In the past, some uninformed religious “experts” claimed that Iran was to fulfill the role of the “king of the South,” mentioned in Daniel 11. Of course, at other times, they proclaimed that Saddam Hussein of Iraq or Osama bin Laden were to fulfill that role. These false predictions only show the limited biblical understanding of those “experts.”

60 US Evangelical Leaders Remind Trump of His Promise to Move Embassy to Jerusalem

The Jewish Press wrote on May 18:

“A group of about 60 US Evangelical leaders last week sent President Trump a letter calling on him to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move his embassy there from Tel Aviv, The Daily Caller reported. The letter, issued by American Christian Leaders for Israel (ACLI), cites the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and ordering the US President to move the Embassy there by May 31, 1999.

“Every American president before Trump has opted to sign a waiver twice a year explaining why it has been politically unfeasible to obey this law. Should President Trump choose to avoid the move, he, too, will have to sign such a waiver soon. The Christian leaders wrote Trump:

“‘Sadly, every US President since then has taken advantage of a provision in the law allowing its requirements to be waived for six months if “necessary to protect the national security interests of the United States.” Such suspensions have been repeated semi-annually for two decades, and it is time to end America’s doublespeak.’ The Republican National Convention’s official 2016 Platform rightly stated, “We recognize Jerusalem as the eternal and indivisible capital of the Jewish state and call for the American embassy to be moved there in fulfillment of US law.” Moreover, we were honored and grateful that you pledged to specifically uphold this policy in response to a request from the American Christian Leaders for Israel (ACLI) coalition during your campaign. Many of our constituents cast their vote for you due to this commitment,’ the leaders reminded Trump…

“The letter was signed by, among others, Dr. Jerry Johnson, Dr. John Hagee, Gordon Robertson, and Dr. James Dobson.”

President Trump’s and the White House’s double-talk and flip-flops on the promise to move the embassy to Jerusalem is causing great concern among many evangelicals and Republicans, as well as conservative Israelis.

Trump Visits Western Wall as First Sitting American President

JTA reported on May 22:

“President Donald Trump visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to go to the holy site. Trump arrived there under heavy security Monday afternoon with his wife, Melania, daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner. No Israeli politicians or officials accompanied the family. U.S. officials reportedly had rejected a request by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit the site with Trump…

“Trump went to the men’s side, with his daughter and wife heading to the women’s section… The Trump family walked to the wall from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the holiest sites in Christianity, which they visited first…”

President Trump’s refusal to allow Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accompany him on his visit to the Western Wall has caused some misgivings in Israel.

Peace, Peace… and There Is No Peace

The Times of Israel reported on May 22:

“The first day of US President Donald Trump’s first-ever visit to Israel was full of grand gestures, but it yielded very few clues as to how the leader of the free world intends to go ahead and turn his vision of Israeli-Palestinian peace into reality…

“Trump repeatedly denounced Iran and the nuclear deal that the previous administration negotiated with the regime, but did not say whether he will try to unravel the agreement…

“‘No injustice has spread more bitter fruit than the absence of a Palestinian state,’ Jordan’s King Abdullah told Trump on Sunday at the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh. … The only way forward is a ‘just and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian cause, based on the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative,’ he stressed…

“Trump and Netanyahu both avoided endorsing Palestinian statehood or the idea of ‘two states for two peoples’…”

The Times of Israel added on May 24:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [said] Palestinian refusal to recognize the Jewish state and its capital in any borders is the root of the conflict, and pledging that the city, including the Temple Mount and Western Wall, will forever remain under Israeli sovereignty… the prime minister vowed the city would not be divided again…”

The Bible prophecies an unparalleled time of turmoil for the state of Israel and the Jewish people. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of the Jewish People.” 

Trump Meets the Pope

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 24:

“The US president and the head of the Catholic Church have clashed on a number of key issues. But both men emerged smiling from their private audience, with the president saying he ‘wouldn’t forget’ Pope Francis’ words… Pope Francis was a vocal critic of Trump’s plan to bar refugees from coming to the US and to build a wall on the border with Mexico. The pontiff called these policies ‘not Christian,’ and said the job of leaders was to build bridges, not walls. The then-presidential candidate fired back that it was ‘disgraceful’ for Francis to question his faith…

“Melania Trump, who is reportedly herself a Catholic, appeared delighted to meet the pope and presented him with a small item to bless for her…

“The president later met with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni… During his meeting…, Trump affirmed how happy he was to have met Pope Francis, reiterating what an ‘honor’ it was and saying ‘he is something.’”

The Associated Press wrote on May 24:

“Though both Trump and Francis are known for their unpredictability, papal visits with heads of state are carefully arranged bits of political and religious theater that follow a specific program, with little room for deviation or unwanted surprises. Trump, the 13th president to visit the Vatican, was also given a tour of the Sistine Chapel…

“The president’s prior anti-Muslim rhetoric… is the antithesis of what the pope has been preaching about a need for dialogue with Muslims. Francis also differs sharply with Trump on the need to combat climate change and economic inequality. And he could react to events this week, including the release of Trump’s budget, which would dramatically cut funding to programs that help the poor, and the president’s agreement to sell military equipment to Saudi Arabia…”

Melania Trump’s Faith

The Daily Mail reported on May 25:

“Melania Trump reveals she will be the first Catholic to live in the White House since the Kennedys. Melania Trump’s spokeswoman confirms that she’s a Catholic. The first lady met with Pope Francis on Wednesday at the Vatican, where he blessed a rosary for her. Then she went to a Vatican-affiliated pediatric hospital where she met with children, prayed in a chapel and laid flowers at the feet of a statue of Mary…

“It’s unclear when Melania became a Catholic or when she was baptized. She and her sister weren’t baptized as infants and didn’t make their First Holy Communion along with other kids their age. Her father was a member of the Communist Party in Slovenia in order to work, and the party was official atheist. Melania opened a February presidential rally in Florida by surprising the president with a recitation of the Lord’s Prayer… The president is a life-long Presbyterian, and they were married in a Florida Episcopal church.”

Strange Catholic Customs

The Telegraph wrote on May 24:

“Both the First Lady, Melania Trump, and the First Daughter, Ivanka Trump… chose to honour the traditional Vatican dress codes by wearing black, long sleeved dresses and veils – the former even choosing to honour her host nation by wearing Italian label Dolce and Gabbana…

“Traditionally, under Pope Benedict XVI and all those before him, the rule was that women should wear black to meet [the Pope], covering up with full sleeves and a mantilla, the lace veil traditionally worn in the Roman Catholic Church.  Only a handful of Queens and Princesses from Catholic regions are permitted to wear white… Michelle Obama wore a black dress with a mantilla when she met Pope Benedict XVI in 2009…”

It is not clear how the Catholic tradition originated that women AND MEN are to wear black when meeting the Pope in private. Could it be that the Pope who is wearing white and who is to be addressed in those meetings as “Holy Father,” is to be distinguished in that way from his guests, wearing black, to show the difference between the alleged “representative of God” and his guests living in and being part of the “darkness” of this world?

Obama vs. Trump

The Huffington Post wrote on May 25:

“Former President Barack Obama subtly knocked his successor, President Donald Trump on Thursday, while explaining the importance of taking in refugees and immigrants in need. ‘In the eyes of God, a child on the other side of the border is no less worthy of love and compassion than my own child,’ he said in Berlin during a conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel… Trump has taken on a decidedly more isolationist stance on immigration, banning Syrian refugees and visitors from other predominately Muslim countries and vowing to build a wall on the Mexican border…

“Other topics that… came up at Thursday’s event were defense spending, religion, and education―all issues that Trump and Obama tend to disagree on. Contending that poor education policies breed inequality, Obama said that, ‘no county will be successful if it leaves half of its children… uneducated and on the sidelines. We have to think of them as all of our children… The good news is that we know what to do, the bad news is that we haven’t convinced everybody of the necessity of doing it’…

“Obama is extremely popular in Germany, and his appearance was greeted with a massive crowd and repeated applause. Trump, on the [other] hand, has clashed with Merkel on many key issues and has a negative approval rating among Germans…”

Merkel’s meeting with Obama in Germany was much more friendly and much less controversial than her subsequent meeting with Trump in Brussels.

Trump at EU Headquarters in Brussels

The EUObserver wrote on May 25:

“The EU and the US should defend common Western values rather than their own interests, European Council president Donald Tusk said on Thursday (25 May) after meeting US president Donald Trump in Brussels… The meeting [with Tusk and Juncker]… did not appear to bridge the gap between the EU and a US president who has expressed support for anti-EU political forces as well as sympathy for Russia…”

According to Deutsche Welle, dated May 25, Tusk also said that differences remained “over several key issues.”

Der Spiegel wrote on May 25 that Trump’s meeting with Tusk and Juncker was not that “amazing.”

Trump at NATO Headquarters

The Washington Post wrote on May 25:

“President Trump, speaking at a ceremony here Thursday to dedicate a memorial to NATO’s resolve in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, publicly chastised his fellow alliance leaders for not being ‘fair to taxpayers of the United States.’

“Trump used the occasion of his maiden summit with NATO leaders, where he was invited to dedicate the September 2001 memorial, to remind its members that ‘23 of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying and what they are supposed to be paying,’ and that they owe ‘massive amounts’ from past years. European leaders who gathered from across the alliance gazed at Trump without expression and offered modest applause at the end of a speech…”

Der Spiegel commented on May 25 that Trump’s demand for payment of “owed” money would have caused consternation of NATO members, as there is “no provision to pay missing funds into a NATO money pot.”   

Express wrote on May 25:

“Only the UK, Poland, Greece and Estonia and the US are currently meeting the NATO spending requirement [of 2 percent of GDP]… with Canada, Spain, Belgium, Italy and Hungary among the nations barely reaching the one per cent mark. Last year America spent 3.6 per of its GDP on defence, the highest ratio of any NATO member. The US currently funds around three-quarters of the alliance’s operations.”

“Trump Lukewarm on Nato Joint Defence”

The EUObserver wrote on May 25:

“US leader Donald Trump voiced half-hearted support for Nato… His words fell short of an explicit commitment to Article 5 of the Nato treaty, which says that allies, including the US, would defend each other if one of them was attacked… His speech had been meant to allay concern after he described Nato as ‘obsolete’ and said the US might not defend allies who did not pay their share. It was also meant to reassure Europe that he would protect it from Russia…

“Trump later belittled Montenegro’s prime minister, Dusko Markovic, by physically pushing him aside as the leaders took their places for photos…”

Trump Attacks Germany

The Huffington Post wrote on May 25:

“During a meeting with top leaders of the European Union (Juncker and Tusk), President Donald Trump said ‘the Germans are bad, very bad,’ according to participants in the room who spoke to German newspaper Der Spiegel. Trump’s specific criticism was that Germany’s auto industry exported cars. ‘See the millions of cars they are selling in the U.S. Terrible,’ Der Spiegel reports he said. ‘We will stop this.’…

“Another German newspaper, Süddeutsche Zeitung, reported that E.U. representatives felt their U.S. counterparts did not understand that the E.U. negotiates trade agreements as a single entity, rather than on a country-to-country basis. That is, the U.S. can negotiate trade deals with the E.U. as a whole, but not individually with the separate members of the E.U. Der Spiegel reported that Gary Cohn, the director of Trump’s National Economic Council, appeared to believe that the U.S. could negotiate different trade deals with Germany and Belgium.

“This is not the first time this basic misunderstanding has cropped up. When German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the White House in March, she had to explain how E.U. trade deals were negotiated almost a dozen times, a senior German official told the Times of London. ‘Ten times Trump asked [Merkel] if he could negotiate a trade deal with Germany. Every time she replied, “You can’t do a trade deal with Germany, only the EU,”’ the official said. ‘On the eleventh refusal, Trump finally got the message, “Oh, we’ll do a deal with Europe then.”’ …

“Top political figures and Europe analysts have already labeled his trip a major failure…”

German newspapers, including Der Spiegel, Der Stern, Bild, Die Welt, and many others, sharply attacked and condemned Donald Trump for his “Rambo-style” appearance, his ignorance on trade matters, his refusal to commit to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, his demand for back pay, his attacks on Germany, his praise for the King of Saudi Arabia as a very wise man, and his comments that NATO needs to focus on “terrorism and immigration.”  Questions were asked what Trump actually wants—does he want NATO to fight against immigrants? Subsequently, according to The Week, dated May 25, “Press Secretary Sean Spicer later confirmed America’s commitment to Article 5 and said Trump wasn’t ‘trying to be cute.’”

Germany’s Position

The Associated Press wrote on May 25:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel says she is confident that Germany is on the right path with its defense spending… Merkel said Thursday that NATO leaders, meeting in Brussels, will confirm a decision from 2011 to increasing spending toward 2 percent of GDP by 2024…

“Merkel also told reporters that she is pleased that NATO spending plans will also take into account what kinds of military equipment countries have and how much they are contributing to alliance operations. To meet the 2 percent guideline Germany would have to virtually double its military budget, spending more money on defense than Russia.”

Donald Trump will not accept Germany’s spending “toward” 2 percent of GDP “by 2024.” His demands of NATO members to pay immediately at least 2 percent of their GDP and “owed” money is bound to cause continued serious contention and controversy.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley on North Korea and Syria

Newsmax wrote on May 22:

“‘All options’ are on the table when it comes to North Korea and its growing aggression, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said in an interview airing Monday. ‘We have made it clear, we don’t want to start a fight, so don’t give us a reason to have one,’ Haley told NBC…

“On Sunday, North Korea test launched a solid-fuel Pukguksong-2 missile, which flew about 310 miles and went 350 miles high before it fell into the Pacific Ocean. North Korea says it is ready to start mass-producing a new medium-range missile that can reach Japan and hit the United States major military bases there…

“The ambassador, who has been traveling this week in the Middle East on a trip separate from the president’s, told [NBC] she has visited a refugee camp that is home to 80,000 Syrians, and while talking to families, she’s learned that they ‘just want to go home.’ ‘That’s what their prayer is every day, that one day Syria will be peaceful enough to go back,’ said Haley. But that won’t happen, she continued, unless Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is removed from office. ‘There’s no way there’s going to be a political solution and peace with Assad in charge,’ she said…

“When asked if the United States will lead the effort for regime change in Syria, Haley responded that ‘you’re going to hear me talk about how awful Assad is every chance I get.’”

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley minces no words. Her warnings regarding North Korea and Syria are very noteworthy. Note the following articles.

IS US Preparing for an Attack Against North Korea?

On May 24, Euraktiv published the following article by New York Times bestseller George Friedman:

“If it were to attack North Korea, the United States would try to destroy its nuclear facilities and eliminate the southern artillery batteries aimed at Seoul. And it would do so primarily through the air…

“It’s unclear whether the United States would deploy ground forces; doing so would almost certainly incur US causalities. If the air campaign against North Korea failed to destroy its intended targets, Washington would have to consider sending in special operations forces… Any attack would begin by striking North Korean command centres, including political command centres…

“In Washington, many will claim that if President Donald Trump orders an attack, he will have done so only for political reasons. But such accusations ignore US policy on North Korea, which has stood stalwart for more than a decade. (Barack Obama even warned Trump that North Korea would be his biggest challenge in foreign policy.) It was inevitable that Pyongyang’s strategy would bring it close to, or push it over, the red line…

“The United States is advertising its preparations for war – itself an act of deterrence – and the advertisement isn’t lost on North Korea. But it’s not a bluff; bluffing in such a way is expensive and pretty ineffective. From what we can tell, North Korea appears to assume that an attack is all but inevitable but a risk it is willing to take…”

The Huffington Post added on May 24:

“U.S. President Donald Trump told his Philippine counterpart that Washington has sent two nuclear submarines to waters off the Korean peninsula, the New York Times said, comments likely to raise questions about his handling of sensitive information. The transcript of the call was first reported by the Intercept.

“Trump has said ‘a major, major conflict’ with North Korea is possible because of its nuclear and missile programs and that all options are on the table but that he wants to resolve the crisis diplomatically. North Korea has vowed to develop a missile mounted with a nuclear warhead that can strike the mainland United States, saying the program is necessary to counter U.S. aggression.

“… In a show of force, the United States has sent the nuclear-powered USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier to waters off the Korean peninsula, where it joined the USS Michigan, a nuclear submarine that docked in South Korea in late April.”

Asian Trade Deal without the USA

Reuters wrote on May 20:

“Japan and other members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreed on Sunday to pursue their trade deal without the United States…

“China, putting itself forward as a global free trade champion in light of the U.S. shift, is pushing an agreement to encompass the vast majority of Asian economies. The Asia trade deal it favors is called the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.”

The influence of the USA even in economic matters is slowly waning.

Court of Appeals Rules Against Trump’s Revised Travel Ban

The Associated Press wrote on May 25:

“President Donald Trump’s revised travel ban ‘speaks with vague words of national security, but in context drips with religious intolerance, animus and discrimination,’ a federal appeals court said Thursday in ruling against the executive order targeting six Muslim-majority countries. Trump’s administration vowed to take the fight to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“In a 10-3 vote, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the ban likely violates the Constitution. And it upheld a lower court ruling that blocks the Republican administration from cutting off visas for people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

“The Richmond, Virginia-based 4th Circuit is the first appeals court to rule on the revised travel ban unveiled in March. Trump’s administration had hoped it would avoid the legal problems that the first version from January encountered. A second appeals court, the 9th U.S. Circuit based in San Francisco, is also weighing the revised travel ban after a federal judge in Hawaii blocked it.

“The Supreme Court almost certainly would step into the case if asked. The justices almost always have the final say when a lower court strikes down a federal law or presidential action.”

“EU Member States Will Pay for Joint Military ‘Projects’”

The Daily Mail wrote on May 18:

“EU member states will pay for joint military ‘projects’ in a move previously opposed by Britain… The cash would form part of Franco-German efforts to develop a more integrated European defence to respond to threats on Europe’s borders.

“Nineteen countries including France, Germany, Italy and Spain will start talks next month on the so-called Cooperative Financial Mechanism, or CFM, which could be running sometime next year…

“The steps, if agreed, would mark the biggest EU defence funding and research plan in more than a decade to reverse billions in cuts and send a message to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that Europe wants to pay for its own security…

“Separately, the European Commission will propose in early June up to 400 million euros (£340 million) from the bloc’s joint budget until 2020 to develop new European military equipment and weapons… ‘This is the first time in the 60 years of EU history we are allocating common funds to defence,’ [an] official said.”

The push for the creation of a European Army under German-French leadership is growing stronger. Please note the next article as well.

France to Push for European Army

Express wrote on May 20:

“The new [French] Armed Forces Minister Sylvie Goulard announced her intention to get closer to Germany over new President Emmanuel Macron’s fears countries will start to look after their own interests, and not those of the bloc… Ms Goulard said in her first message to military and civilian personnel: ‘… work with Germany will be decisive.’…

“An advocate of closer EU integration, Macron backs a ‘multi-speed’ Europe, an idea that has earned growing support in Germany and other EU countries since Britain voted to leave the bloc…”

Such a multi-speed Europe or a Europe of core member states, in addition to the rest of Europe, is prophesied to occur soon.

Europe—a Political and Military Union

The Guardian wrote on May 23:

“By pursuing true political integration based on a common army and security partnership for the EU, Macron can guarantee his place in the history books. To achieve this goal, however, he will have to break from his predecessors, who always categorically ruled out a political union.

“Combining Europe’s military forces under a joint command is the only way forward. Creating a fiscal union without a political union would for ever block the road to European unification… No one who wants to build a union for peace can afford to permit, much less encourage, such an outcome.”

These are strong words. “Combining Europe’s military forces under a joint command”—another way of speaking about an European Army—is the “ONLY way forward.”

NATO Will Formally Join Anti-‘Islamic State’ Coalition

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 24:

“Members of the military alliance [NATO] have agreed to formally join the coalition against the ‘Islamic State’ extremist group. France and Germany were said to have greenlighted the ‘purely symbolic’ plan…  Diplomats said the decision is mainly political because all 28 NATO members already contribute to the coalition fighting to retake areas of Iraq and Syria from the extremist group. Some, like Germany, only taking part in support roles such as reconaissance and logistics…

“The decision follows pressure from Trump, who has previously accused NATO of being ‘obsolete’ and called for European countries to step up their funding of the military group. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday that it would be an important step for the alliance to join the 68-nation anti-IS coalition. ‘I think they’re going to support NATO joining and becoming a formal member,’ he said, referring to Germany and France.

“… Although IS is on the verge of defeat in its Iraqi stronghold of Mosul and bracing for an assault against its de facto capital in Raqqa, Syria, there’s is rising concern that fleeing militants may move to other Middle East countries. US officials are also wary of leaving power vacuums in Iraq and Syria that could prompt Arab tribal fighters to turn on each other to gain control.”

This arrangement would obviously not only be “purely symbolic,” and the US would not be willing to treat it as such.

Italy Makes Vaccination Mandatory for Children

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 19:

“The Italian government has approved a law ordering parents to vaccinate children or face fines. The authorities have noted a rise in measles cases, which the cabinet blames on ‘the spread of anti-scientific theories.’

“The new legislation makes vaccines mandatory for 12 preventable diseases, including measles, chicken pox, polio, hepatitis B, and tetanus. Only children with immunizations would be eligible for nursery school, according to the Friday law. Parents would face large fines for sending non-vaccinated children to state childcare facilities or schools…

“Italy has noted a sudden spread of measles in recent years, with the number of infections rising from 250 in 2015 to 840 last year. Medical authorities have already detected over 2,395 cases since the beginning of 2017, and the US warned visitors to Italy to guard against the disease. Experts believe that the epidemic is due to people refusing to vaccinate their children. The world-wide anti-vaccination movement has been gaining traction in recent years, despite its theories being discredited by the scientific community. The public in Italy has been highly receptive to the debunked link about vaccines causing autism.”

This is, sadly, the policy adopted by many countries, which are following unproven “medical scientific” postulations that these vaccines are necessary to prevent the spread of epidemics. Thereby, they completely ignore the real danger of long-term complications which are dismissed as “fake news,” while it is claimed that those dangers have been “discredited” and “debunked” by scientists. THIS IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE! See the next article.

Unvaccinated Youth Have Much Lower Rates of Chronic Illnesses

The European Union Times wrote on May 19:

“The first peer-reviewed study comparing health outcomes of vaccinated children versus unvaccinated was recently published in the Journal of Translational Science by epidemiologists from the School of Public Health at Jackson State University. The study’s conclusions are likely to inflame the fierce debate over whether vaccines and a mercury-containing vaccine preservative may be culprits in the dramatic rise in certain neurodevelopmental disorders in our children, including autism.

“The ‘Pilot comparative study on the health of vaccinated and unvaccinated 6- to 12-year-old U.S. children’ implicates vaccines in a host of chronic illnesses now epidemic in our nation’s children. The team of scientists, led by the renowned epidemiologist Dr. Anthony Mawson, the author of more than fifty published studies, concluded that ‘In a final adjusted model designed to test for this possibility, controlling for the interaction of preterm birth and vaccination, the following factors remained significantly associated with NDD [neurodevelopmental disorders]: vaccination (OR 2.5, 95% CI: 1.1, 5.6), nonwhite race (OR 2.4, 95% CI: 1.1, 5.4), and male gender (OR 2.3, 95% CI: 1.2, 4.4). Preterm birth itself, however, was not significantly associated with NDD, whereas the combination (interaction) of preterm birth and vaccination was associated with 6.6-fold increased odds of NDD (95% CI: 2.8, 15.5) (Table 8).’ Jackson State is a leading university research center.

“The study suggests that fully vaccinated children may be trading the prevention of certain acute illnesses (chicken pox, pertussis) for more chronic illnesses and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) like ADHD and Autism. In order to find a large population of children who hadn’t received any vaccines, the Jackson State scientists utilized Homeschool organizations in four states and compared the incidence of a broad range of health outcomes in 666 children, 39% of whom were unvaccinated.

“Among the more concerning findings, vaccinated children had increased risks of autism (4.2 times), ADHD (4.2 times), learning disabilities (5.2 times) eczema (2.9 times), and an astounding 30 times the risk of allergic rhinitis compared to unvaccinated children.

“As would be expected, vaccinated children did have lower likelihood of two vaccine-preventable illnesses compared to unvaccinated children: chicken pox (7.9% vs. 25.3%), and pertussis (2.5% vs. 8.4%), but the scientists found no significant differences in rates of other vaccine-preventable illnesses like hepatitis A or B, measles, mumps, rubella, influenza, meningitis or rotavirus…”

The problem with the “scientific world” denying the real dangers of vaccinations is that they are paid by or dependent on the pharmaceutical industry. The negative reaction by the mass media was to be expected, including horrific allegations that a middle-aged woman died of measles because she had not been vaccinated. And of course, any connection between vaccinations and autism was again completely denied by scientific “experts.”

Evolutionary Silliness

Express wrote on May 25:

“[A] seven yearlong study, which examined all known trace fossils across a 200 million year period, found that sea creatures made their way from the ocean, the shallow waters and eventually to spread across the world. The research revealed that once the critters reached land, there was a rapid evolutionary process followed by long periods of calm.

“Lead author Dr Nicholas Minter, from the University of Portsmouth’s School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, said: ‘When the first animals emerged from the oceans they had a blank canvas, there were no other animals there and so they diversified rapidly both in how they behaved and in the ecological roles, or the part they played, in the theatre of life.’ The population of the critters which went land-bound is small, but spiders emerged from crabs while slugs and snails came from the same families as squid and cuttlefish…

“Dr Minter explained: ‘Not many from any one group, or Phylum, made the transition from sea to land or fresh water… Each [evolutionary] burst was an evolutionary experiment…’”

Have you ever read such incredible nonsense? What a waste of time and resources to come up with complete utter silliness! If you want to know the TRUTH, please read our free booklets, “The Theory of Evolution” and “Heavens and Earth… Before and After the First Man.”

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.

Before we answer this question, we need to set forth some basic understanding regarding the concept of physical circumcision.

As we will see, in the Old Testament, physical circumcision was a type or forerunner of spiritual circumcision (as the animal sacrifices were instituted temporarily, pointing to the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ). Compare Deuteronomy 10:16; 30:6; Jeremiah 9:25-26; Jeremiah 4:4.

In the New Testament, it is emphasized time and again that true Christians must be circumcised spiritually… not physically; compare Colossians 2:11. This is the reason why Paul tells us, in 1 Corinthians 7:18-19: “Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.”

Notice, too, Romans 2:28-29: “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly [i.e., by being circumcised, verse 27], nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.”

Finally, notice Galatians 5:6: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.” He adds in Galatians 6:15: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.”

It also became clear in the New Testament that physical circumcision is no longer required and it would be even wrong, if it is done with the mistaken belief of circumcision being a health-law, or, even worse, that it is necessary for spiritual salvation.

Based on this understanding, we can proclaim dogmatically that physical circumcision is NOT a health law. We address this question in a Q&A, where we stated the following:

“God gave man timeless physical and spiritual laws, including health laws, as well as temporary ritual laws, which had a passing and time-related purpose. For instance, God told man that certain animal food is good to eat, while other animals are not fit for consumption (Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14). These are health laws, given for the good of man, which are still in effect today. In fact, they will still be in effect at the time of Christ’s return (compare Isaiah 66:16-17).

“The law of circumcision was clearly not a timeless health law, but a temporary ritual law. We should, first of all, consider why God commanded circumcision. God commanded the practice of circumcision as a sign of the covenant (Romans 4:11; Genesis 17:11), which God made with Abraham and his descendants, along with any who would want to come under the same covenant of promise. At the same time, circumcision constituted itself a covenant (Acts 7:8). But circumcision was not to be understood as a timeless health law. The reason is that the law of physical circumcision only came into effect long after the creation of man, and that it is no longer required today. If it were a health law, then it should have been in effect from the time of man’s creation, and God would still require it today, as He would not deprive man of something that is good for him…

“It is clear to us that God would not have asked Abraham and ancient Israel to become circumcised, if this procedure had been harmful to them, and if it had produced medical side-effects. At the same time, we must emphasize that God did NOT give this law as a health law. It was strictly a temporary ritual law, such as the laws of sacrifices and washings…

“We also read that Paul taught the Gentiles, who wanted to become Christians, that they did not have to become circumcised. IF circumcision were a health law, Paul would have taught them to violate and break one of God’s timeless physical health laws. This very concept, that Paul would have taught this, is preposterous.”

In addition, physical circumcision is clearly NOT required for spiritual salvation.

In our free booklet, “Paul’s Letter to the Galatians,” we said the following, quoting from the Authorized Version:

“[Paul] states in Galatians 5:2–4:

“(Verse 2) Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. (Verse 3) For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. (Verse 4) Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”

“In these verses, Paul addresses those who were teaching the Galatians, that they must be circumcised to obtain justification and salvation. But Paul says in verse 2 that if the Galatians feel that they must be circumcised for their salvation, then Christ will profit them nothing and they have rejected grace (verse 4)…”

We might ask why God even introduced the temporary concept of physical circumcision and animal sacrifices, since they were not in force prior to Abraham or Moses, and since they are not in force today. The reason could be seen in the tremendous gravity of sin and the consequences of sin, causing the Son of God, Jesus Christ, to become a man, live as a man and die as a man, in order to save man from death.

The sacrificial law with its animal sacrifices was added because of transgression or sin against God’s spiritual law (Galatians 3:19; Romans 5:20). The introduction of circumcision might have been for a similar reason. Abraham and his household had come out of a godless environment of paganism and idolatry, so physical circumcision became a physical sign of separation from ungodliness. Animal sacrifices as well as physical circumcision were introduced to point to Jesus Christ’s supreme Sacrifice. He HAD to be physically circumcised and He had to die for us, so that we could have forgiveness of sin. He became sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) and a curse for us (Galatians 3:13).

We know that in the Millennium, animal sacrifices will be given temporarily… mainly by and for physical Israelites, but notice too Isaiah 19:21, showing that Egyptians and other nations, if they want to become part of Israel, will also give sacrifices on a very temporary basis. The answer why animal sacrifices will be given for a short time is addressed in chapter 8 of our free booklet, “Biblical Prophecy… From Now until Forever”:

“It is important to understand that the millennial sacrifices will NOT be brought for the purpose of forgiveness of sin! Only Christ’s shed blood accomplished this—once and for all! But God introduced the sacrificial system to ancient Israel because Israel had sinned and the sacrifices served as a reminder of their sins. Apparently, for the same reason in the Millennium, sacrifices will be brought so that carnal, unconverted people can begin to appreciate the awesome purpose and meaning of Christ’s Sacrifice and how God looks at sin…

“Physical Israelites will bring animal sacrifices to a new temple in Jerusalem at the beginning of the Millennium. These sacrifices will not be given for the purpose of obtaining spiritual forgiveness, but just to remind the people that they had sinned, and help them to focus on the ultimate Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. As it was the case in Old Testament times, these sacrifices will be temporary and will be administered by physical Levites to physical unconverted people, so as to allow the transgressor to remain within the community of Israel.”

Since there will be, apparently on a very temporary basis, animal sacrifices after Christ’s return, will the practice of physical circumcision also be re-introduced? After all, Paul circumcised Timothy (Acts 16:3), even though he had made it clear that circumcision was no longer required. We state the following in a Q&A regarding this event:

“Timothy was circumcised because Paul wanted him to be used effectively for the preaching of the gospel. While it is not necessary for salvation, it is not wrong to perform… By circumcising Timothy, he became accepted as a Jew, and avoided unnecessary disputes… Paul did not want Timothy to become a stumbling block to the Jews… The circumcision of Timothy was an action performed to prevent unnecessary conflict…”

However, this particular incident cannot be used as a general injunction for circumcision; nor can it be used to state that, therefore, circumcision will be universally practiced in the Millennium. While we find passages in the Bible clearly saying that animal sacrifices will be given at the beginning of the Millennium, we would need to find passages which would express something similar for physical circumcision.

There seem to be only two biblical passages which address circumcision in the Millennium.

The first passage is in Isaiah 52:1, stating that “the uncircumcised and the unclean Shall no longer come to… Jerusalem, the holy city.”

However, it is overwhelmingly agreed that this passage does not address physical circumcision and the need to be physically circumcised in order to be allowed to enter the city of Jerusalem in the Millennium.

Barnes Notes on the Bible states:

“The uncircumcised and the unclean – The idea is, that those only should enter Jerusalem and dwell there who would be worshippers of the true God. The uncircumcised are emblems of the impure, the unconverted, and the idolatrous… the view of the prophet extended to the purer and happier times under the Messiah…”

The commentary of Jamison, Fausset and Brown agrees, stating:

“uncircumcised—spiritually… Christ’s kingdom shall be exalted…”

The Pulpit Commentary says:

“Henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised… When the influx of the Gentiles comes (Isaiah 42:6; Isaiah 49:6, 22, etc.), it will be one of Gentiles who are ‘circumcised in heart and lips,’ and no longer ‘unclean’ (Acts 10:15).”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges adds:

“… the uncircumcised and the unclean, i.e. not foreigners generally… but the ‘destroyers’ and ‘wasters’…”

The second passage can be found in Ezekiel 44:7-9, which states that “no one uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh” shall enter God’s sanctuary.

The explanation for this passage is similar to the one given for Isaiah 52:1.

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible states:

(7) In that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers,… Unregenerate men, who are in a state of alienation and estrangement to divine and spiritual things: strangers to God; to the true knowledge of him… strangers to the nature of sin, and the exceeding sinfulness of it; to the deceitfulness of sin, and the consequences of it; to true repentance for it, and to the right way of atonement of it, by the blood of Christ: strangers to the Gospel of Christ, and the truths of it; and to the saints and people of God:

“and uncircumcised in heart; who never were pricked in the heart for sin, or felt any pain there on account of it; never had the hardness of their heart removed, or the impurity of it discovered to them; never were filled with shame and loathing because of it; or ever put off the body of sins in a course of conversation…

“and uncircumcised in flesh; carnal, as they were born; men in the flesh… and do the works of it; having never been taught by the grace of God to deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts, and to abstain from fleshly ones: or, who put their trust in the flesh, in outward things, in carnal privileges, and external righteousness: these the Lord complains were brought “to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house: either to be members here, and partake of all the ordinances and privileges of the Lord’s house; or to officiate here as priests and ministers of the Lord…”

Elliott’s Commentary for English Readers states:

“(9) Shall enter into my sanctuary—To guard against the evils of the past, the command is now given that none of the strangers described shall even enter the sanctuary; but our version gives a wrong impression of this prohibition by rendering, “nor uncircumcised in flesh.” It should be, as in Ezekiel 44:7, “and.” The command is not that no uncircumcised person should be allowed to enter the sanctuary, for the residence of strangers among the Israelites is expressly provided for in Ezekiel 47:22-23; but the emphasis here, as before, is upon the ‘uncircumcised in heart.’ No godless heathen should be allowed to enter in to profane the Divine worship.”

From this it follows that there is no clear biblical passage suggesting that the practice of physical circumcision will be re-introduced in the Millennium as a requirement. Physical circumcision was never a health law or a law which was necessary for salvation. But as it is the case today, to circumcise one’s baby boy on the eighth day is a personal decision by the parents. It is not required, nor is it forbidden, as long as it is not done because of improper and unbiblical reasons or beliefs. We might therefore conclude that under certain circumstances, physical circumcision might be permitted in the Millennium, but that it would not be required.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

Pentecost will be observed on Sunday, June 4, 2017. We will conduct live services in both the morning (10:00 AM Pacific Time) and afternoon (3:00 PM Pacific Time).

“Ehebruch–Missverständnisse über König David (Teil 4),” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon. Title in English: “Adultery–Misunderstandings about King David, Part 4.”

“Success in Overcoming,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Robb Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Overcoming the sin so prevalent in this world isn’t achieved by simply desiring it. We must continually attune our efforts so they bring the most fruit. If we wish to be successful we must allow scripture to focus our direction–guided by God’s Holy Spirit.

“Zeal,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Zeal is about building and nurturing enthusiasm for living by God’s Truth. To become zealous and sustain this essential Christian quality is an important goal to work towards. But how can it be done? What are the benefits of being zealous, and what are the consequences if we are not?

On May 20, 2017, Robb Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “Success in Overcoming,” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “Zeal.”

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.

The current situation which our nations face looks grim and is headed towards self-destruction.  This is certain to happen – it is unavoidable.  Unfortunately, there really isn’t anything that we can do about it, in terms of the economy and other various laws that the government has put into place, and we in the Church feel the effects as well. Yes, our nations are in a big mess and solutions to fix the problems are becoming more and more extreme.  This should be no surprise to us as the Bible is clear not only about the future of our nations, but also the whole world.

The book of Isaiah is full of prophecies of what is to come in the future.  We read about how Assyria (modern German speaking nations) will fight against Egypt in due course; how Judah will fight against Jerusalem; how our nations will also be in war and will lose.  It is hard to imagine this right now and many people do not take it seriously because they also don’t believe it.  It will most certainly happen.  But why? What have the nations of this world done to make God so angry?

The first chapter of Isaiah talks about the wickedness of modern Israel (mainly the USA, Great Britain, Canada and Australia) and Judah.  “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: ‘I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me; The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master’s crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider.’ Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward. Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, There is no soundness in it, But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been closed or bound up, Or soothed with ointment… Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them.  When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood” (Isaiah 1:2-6, 13-15).

The modern nations of Israel and Judah have forsaken God and taken matters into their own hands, either keeping feast days not of God or keeping godly days in a wrong way, and, due to their sins, God has not listened to their prayers.  God is angry because of their pagan-related worship (Isaiah 2:6-9), and as God responded in the past to their sinful conduct, He will once again respond to their wickedness (Isaiah 5:24-25).  For us however, the true Church of God, He tells us to continue to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God until the end (Matthew 24:14).

God has instructed us to be vigilant and NOT to stumble as many have (compare Isaiah chapter 8),  for they go the way of the pagans and not of God.  The leaders of the people are to blame (Isaiah 9:13-17).  They do not look to God for answers, but they look to their own reasoning, what appears best in their own eyes and to the eyes of the public, to gain popularity.  For all those who don’t put their trust in God will have to face serious consequences (Isaiah 31:1-3).  This is inevitable!  This happened back then; it is happening now and it will continue to happen until Christ’s return.

What about us? The Bible is very specific on what we are NOT to do. In a prophecy in Deuteronomy 28:15, it also warns those who disobey, saying, “But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.”

Yes indeed, the terrible things to come, because of man’s selfish desires, are certain to happen. We have to be prepared for what is to occur.  There are certain things that are out of our control, but we have to recognize the fact that it is God who will take care of us.  We are often times faced with situations which might lead to doubt, and we may question why things are happening the way they are, especially during these times of uncertainty.  It is easy to lose focus, to get off track, to sometimes forget about God.  He tells us in Matthew 6:25-34 not to worry about our future. Christ’s death was inevitable. It had to happen for the sake of mankind, or we would all die the eternal death, and we could not experience everlasting life. There would be no purpose for us. We could never be in God’s Kingdom, which is why God created us in the first place!

The immediate future for the entire world is heading towards a destructive and terrible time, leading to the Great Tribulation, as the Bible predicts, and it is unavoidable, since mankind is unwilling to repent and change.  At the same time, we know what God has in store for us when Jesus Christ returns. We will experience the end to all the misery, so we can finally live a peaceful and eternal life in God’s Kingdom, and teach mankind God’s Way of happiness and tranquility, and that too is inevitable and unavoidable.

by Norbert Link

In this edition, we discuss, among other news, ongoing developments stemming from the controversial politics and confusing conduct of the Trump administration, and ask the frightening and unsettling question as to what would happen to the USA if it would be faced with a real crisis, such as a nuclear attack (as distinguished from some usual internal blunders). In this context, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Coming–Nuclear War With No Survivors?”, as well as our previous StandingWatch program, titled, “FBI Director Comey Fired–Another Trump Debacle.” 

We continue with the worldwide ransomware attack and point out growing discomfort between the Trump administration and the state of Israel.

We speak on election results in Germany and interesting developments in Austria and Europe; and we conclude with the alleged sightings of the “Virgin Mary” in Fatima and Lourdes.

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

Justice Department Appoints Special Prosecutor

The Associated Press wrote on May 17:

“The Justice Department appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller Wednesday as a special counsel to oversee the federal investigation into allegations that Russia and Donald Trump’s campaign collaborated to influence the 2016 presidential election, giving Mueller sweeping powers and the authority to prosecute any crimes uncovered in the probe… The White House counsel’s office was alerted only after the order appointing Mueller was signed…

“Mueller’s broad mandate gives him not only oversight of the Russia probe, but also ‘any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation.’ That could well include the firing last week of FBI Director James Comey… GOP lawmakers have grown increasingly anxious after… Comey associates said he had notes from a meeting in which Trump asked him to shut down the investigation into the Russia ties of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn…

“The latest political storm, coupled with the still-potent fallout from Trump’s recent disclosure of classified information to Russian diplomats, overshadowed all else in the capital and beyond. Stocks fell sharply on Wall Street as investors worried that the latest turmoil in Washington could hinder Trump’s pro-business agenda…

“Russia’s Vladimir Putin… offered to furnish a ‘record’ of the Trump-diplomats meeting in the Oval Office if the White House desired it. There was no word on what that record might entail, a question many were likely to raise in light of Trump’s recent warning to Comey that he had ‘better hope’ there were no tapes of a discussion they’d had…

“Trump is preparing to leave town Friday on his first foreign trip, and aides have been hopeful the journey will be a chance for the administration to get back on track after weeks of chaos and distractions. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speculated Trump was probably happy to get out of town — ‘and a lot of us are glad he’s leaving for a few days’…”

Questions abound. How can Putin have a record? Did the Russians bug the White House? Are there tapes of private conversations between Trump and Comey? How reliable are Comey’s alleged notes, and why did he not reveal their existence earlier? And the biggest question of all: Which disaster will President Trump cause next?

Repercussions of Trump’s Disclosure of Classified Information

 JTA wrote on May 17:

“An undercover Israeli agent inside the Islamic State has been put at risk by President Donald Trump’s disclosure of classified information to Russia… The spy had provided Israel with intelligence about a plan by Islamic State, or ISIS, to cause the crash of a passenger jet on the way to the United States… Israel had shared the intelligence with the United States on the condition that it not be identified as the source of the information…

“In January, an Israeli newspaper reported that American intelligence officials warned their Israeli counterparts not to share sensitive information with the Trump administration because of the threat that it could be leaked to Russia. On Wednesday, Yediot Acharonot cited an unnamed Israeli intelligence source as saying that Israel will have to reassess what information it shares with the United States and not hand over the most sensitive of it.”

Newsmax reported on May 16:

“The revelations could further damage Trump’s already fraught relationship with U.S. intelligence agencies… The disclosure also risks harming his credibility with U.S. partners around the world… A European security official said sharing sensitive information could dampen the trust between the United States and its intelligence sharing partners…”

Why Trumponomics Is Dangerous for America… and the Entire World

The Economist wrote on May 13:

“Contrary to the Trump team’s assertions, there is little evidence that either the global trading system or individual trade deals have been systematically biased against America… Instead, America’s trade deficit—Mr Trump’s main gauge of the unfairness of trade deals—is better understood as the gap between how much Americans save and how much they invest… Textbooks predict that Mr Trump’s plans to boost domestic investment will probably lead to larger trade deficits… If so, Mr Trump will either need to abandon his measure of fair trade or, more damagingly, try to curb deficits by using protectionist tariffs that will hurt growth and sow mistrust around the world…

“Trumponomics is a poor recipe for long-term prosperity. America will end up more indebted and more unequal…  when the contradictions become apparent, Mr Trump’s economic nationalism may become fiercer, leading to backlashes in other countries—further stoking anger in America. Even if it produces a short-lived burst of growth, Trumponomics offers no lasting remedy for America’s economic ills. It may yet pave the way for something worse.”

The economy of the USA is bound to collapse. The results will be devastating for many Americans.

Colossal Blunders, Mistakes and Unfulfilled Promises

The New York Times wrote on May 13:

“Pretty much every reason they [The White House] gave [for firing Comey] was utterly dismantled, if not by F.B.I. agents, who rejected the contention that they had turned on Comey, then by enterprising reporters or by the president himself in his interview with NBC’s Lester Holt. Seldom has an administration operated in such a transparently dishonest, determinedly self-destructive and spectacularly inept fashion. That ineptness may be the scariest takeaway of all.

“… no sugarcoating can survive the developments of the past few weeks. Congress approved a budget agreement at stark odds with Trump’s wish list, revealing that he’s no ace negotiator after all… The House passed health care legislation that blatantly contradicted his incessant promises of terrific, inexpensive coverage and betrayed the hard-luck Americans whose champion he purported to be. The Senate made clear that it was going nowhere anyway… He’s not draining the swamp…

“And to top it all off: the Comey fiasco, which will be remembered as a case study in misjudging a situation, mismanaging the easily foreseeable fallout and achieving the exact opposite of one’s aims… Trump reportedly thought that Democrats, so sour on Comey themselves, wouldn’t balk at his exile. No way. Trump’s aides tried to use a hastily composed memo by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein as cover…

“With no media plan in place, they tripped over their own inventions and exaggerations. And Trump bumbled into a horrendously timed photograph of an all-smiles meeting of him in the Oval Office with the Russian ambassador and foreign minister…

“Please show me the strategic wisdom in threatening to cancel White House press briefings because Sean Spicer and Sarah Huckabee Sanders can’t be expected to achieve ‘perfect accuracy’ at the rostrum… the farther away the media is kept, the more we’re convinced that something is being hidden from us, and the harder we dig.”

Even strong supporters of President Trump, such as conservative Columnist and Author Ann Coulter, have voiced their agreement with the critical comments in the above-quoted article, stating, as quoted in the Daily Caller, dated May 14:

“‘I hate to say it, but I agree with every line in my friend Frank Bruni’s op-ed in The New York Times today. Where is the great negotiation? Where is the bull in the china shop we wanted? That budget the Republicans pushed through was like a practical joke… Did we win anything? And this is the great negotiator?’”

White House Beset by Leaks

The Week wrote on May 15:

“… there may never in American history have been an administration that leaks as promiscuously as this one… The Comey firing is hardly the first time that the White House has been beset by leaks. They come from everywhere and on every subject, from the high and the low, and from staffers in the White House, in agencies, and among the president’s putative allies on Capitol Hill…

“That’s one reason why this administration leaks so much: Half the time it can’t figure out what it wants to say, or it changes its story from one moment to the next. The communication chaos is often a result of the fact that the president himself is so impulsive. His every tweet and bleat can send his aides scrambling…

“The fact that Trump came into office with no government experience, then proceeded to hire a senior staff who also lacked experience, exacerbates the problem. An inefficient White House without clear lines of authority — who’s in charge, anyway? Priebus? Bannon? Kushner? Nobody knows for sure — inevitably produces warring factions who will use the media as a way to push their preferred stories, make themselves look good, and undermine their competition.“And when things go wrong, as they have so often with this administration, everyone has an incentive to talk to reporters and point fingers somewhere other than themselves. Whoever comes out looking worse in the ensuing stories is then more likely to go to another reporter to get their side told — all anonymously, of course…

“Watching it all, of course, is the president himself, a man consumed with his image in the media and incensed by leaks… It’s probably driving Trump absolutely bonkers, which means he could start acting even more erratically. And if he does, we’ll hear all about it, from 30 or 40 anonymous officials.”

This sounds again like a self-inflicted wound, leading perhaps to more “injuries.”

Further Disarray in Trump Administration over Medical Marijuana?

Newsmax wrote on May 15:

“Accompanying the spending bill President Donald Trump signed last month was an objection to a 2014 provision that prevents Justice Department from interfering with state-run medical marijuana programs…  And given Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ opposition to medical marijuana, advocates are worried that the administration is planning a full frontal assault on the programs that have been authorized in 29 states and D.C…

“Trump ran on a platform of supporting medical marijuana, but Sessions is launching a new war on drugs, rolling back easement measures on drug offenders instituted during the Obama administration.

“If the Trump administration did try to move on the signing statement in question, he’d face opposition from within his own party, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., [said], a user of medical marijuana himself and co-author of the provision. ‘I think there are a lot of people running around trying to paint the president into a corner on this,’ Rohrabacher told the Post.

“The provision, which prevents the Justice Department from spending money in any attempt at inference with the state-run programs, expires in September.”

The Week added on May 15:

“Sessions’ well-documented and troubling attitudes about marijuana could have significant consequences in states that have liberalized their pot laws. While weed is permitted for medical purposes in more than half of the United States, and legalized recreationally in seven states plus the District of Columbia, it remains illegal federally and also absurdly classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a Schedule I narcotic — the classification reserved for substances with a high probability for abuse and no accepted medical use.

“Just last year, Sessions said he would like ‘to send that message with clarity, that good people don’t smoke marijuana,’ and now that he is endowed with the broad discretion of one of the most powerful Cabinet positions and best-resourced federal agencies, there’s little to stand in the way of Sessions’ throwback crusade.”

In a related article, the Local wrote on April 20 about the medical marijuana laws in Germany:

“The debate about legalizing cannabis continues in Germany – the Bundestag (German parliament) in January 2017 passed a law to officially legalize medical marijuana… As of the 2017 law, medical marijuana can be prescribed for seriously ill patients, such as those suffering from multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, serious appetite loss or nausea from chemotherapy. Still, the law didn’t give an exact definition of what ‘seriously ill’ means. It does state that doctors can write such prescriptions when they see a ‘not so remote chance’ of it resulting in a positive effect… Pharmacies can sell it in the dried bud form, as an extract, or as an oil from the plant…”

The incredibly false classification of the DEA pertaining to medical marijuana and the rather offensive viewpoints of the Attorney General are frightening prospects of completely unreasonable conduct of the Trump administration, unless the President sticks to his original promise.

What If There Was a REAL Crisis?

Politico wrote on May 14:

“After [a] chaotic, self-inflicted week many fear chaos Trump can’t control… what if there’s a real crisis? Something, and likely more than one thing, is inevitable, because he’s the leader of the country and the free world, and something always does… Trump’s behavior [and] chaotic management style… has people throughout politics and national security terrified.

“For all that’s happened in the 114 days of the Trump administration, nothing major has gone wrong, foreign or domestic. The president and his staff have scrapped through explosions of their own making, Twitter meltdowns included. But they don’t stack up to the BP oil spill, or the Sept. 11 attacks, or Katrina, or the Branch Davidians, or an Ebola outbreak, or an embassy bombing, or a hostage situation, or a combative nuclear test…

“Kori Schake, a fellow at the Hoover Institute who served on the National Security Council and State Department under Bush, said she worries what might happen if, for example, Trump declared the need for a pre-emptive strike on North Korea…

“Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House and occasional Trump whisperer, … admitted that the melee set off by Trump’s canning Comey, and repeatedly revising his account of why, without including the aides meant to defend him, has created needless problems… But, Gingrich added, try telling a man who built a billion-dollar empire and world-famous name, and who then won the White House on his own gut instincts, that he should change how he operates.”

These are very sobering questions indeed. The Bible prophesies that America will experience a nuclear attack in the very near future. Note the following articles.  

North Korea Continues Missile Tests

CNN wrote on May 15:

“North Korea tested a Hwasong-12 missile Sunday which reached an altitude of 2,111.5 kilometers (1,312 miles) and flew 787 kilometers (489 miles), according to state news agency KCNA. Analysts estimated its [range] as 4,500 kilometers which would put the US territory of Guam within its reach. A small island in the Pacific, Guam is home to Andersen Air Force Base, through which the US Air Force rotates heavy bombers including B-1s, B-2s and B-52s.

“KCNA said the test showed North Korea ‘has all powerful means for retaliatory strike’ should Washington take any military action to stop its nuclear weapons program…”

Nuclear War… Not a Question of “If,” but “When”

The Hill wrote on May 15:

“Since Sept. 11, 2001, analysts have been increasingly concerned terrorists might steal, buy, build, or be given a nuclear weapon—and the War on Terrorism would become a nuclear war. The Department of Homeland Security’s National Planning Scenario #1 is detonation of a 10-kiloton nuclear weapon, as powerful as the Hiroshima bomb, in a location such as New York City or Washington, D.C.  Many experts warn an act of nuclear terrorism is not a question of if, but when.

“Until the recent protracted nuclear crisis with North Korea, relatively less attention has been paid to the increasing possibility of nuclear war between nations. India and Pakistan are widely regarded as the most likely candidates for a nuclear conflict between states. Although North Korea, Russia, and China have all made nuclear threats against the United States recently, in the case of North Korea and Russia repeatedly, most analysts dismiss these as mere ‘bluster’ and ‘nuclear sabre rattling’ not to be taken seriously. One day, perhaps soon, this may well prove to be a fatal mistake for millions.

“In the West, generations of leaders and citizens have been educated that use of nuclear weapons is ‘unthinkable’ and the ultimate horror. Not so in Russia, China, and North Korea where their nuclear capabilities are publicly paraded, missile launches and exercises are televised as a show of strength, an important part of national pride… Russia and China run TV documentaries describing how they would win a nuclear war with the United States…

“An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack… would be the most militarily effective use of one or a few nuclear weapons…  High-altitude EMP attack entails detonating a nuclear weapon at 30-400 kilometers altitude—above the atmosphere, in outer space, so high that no nuclear effects, not even the sound of the explosion, would be experienced on the ground, except EMP. An EMP attack will kill far more people than nuclear blasting a city through indirect effects—by blacking out electric grids and destroying life-sustaining critical infrastructures like communications, transportation, food and water—in the long run. But the millions of fatalities likely to eventually result from EMP will take months to develop, as slow as starvation… an EMP attack or demonstration made to ‘de-escalate’ a crisis or conflict is very likely to raise a chorus of voices in the West against nuclear escalation and send Western leaders in a panicked search for the first ‘off ramp’…

“[There are] a dozen possible nuclear EMP attack scenarios that could plausibly happen in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and against North America—tomorrow.

“Some analysts think the world is on the threshold of a ‘new nuclear age’ where… the likelihood of nuclear use is greatly increasing…”

Please view our new StandingWatch program, “Coming—Nuclear War without Survivors?” 

Putin Blames USA for Global Ransomware Attack

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 15:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied Moscow was behind a global ‘ransomware’ attack that hit 150 countries… Putin’s comments backed up a blog post by Microsoft President Brad Smith over the weekend. Smith criticized US intelligence agencies, including the CIA and National Security Agency, for ‘stockpiling’ software code that can be used by hackers…

“The malicious software encrypted data stored on hundreds of thousands of computers, while on-screen messages ordered users to pay a ransom of $300 to $600 (273 to 546 euros) in the internet currency Bitcoin. As well as Britain’s National Health Service, Deutsche Bahn train information screens were infected, along with Renault and Nissan car factories in Europe. The Spanish phone company Telefonica and US courier FedEX were also affected.

“The virus used vulnerability in the Windows operating system. Microsoft said it had released a security update in March but that many computers ‘remained unpatched globally.’ The IT giant said the attack should be a ‘wake-up call’ for governments worldwide. But Germany’s interior ministry hit back, saying that software companies needed to do their own homework, rather than blame governments for security flaws.”

EU Alarmed by US Laptop Plans

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 12:

“The suggested US extension of bans on laptop and tablet usage during flights from the EU has prompted urgent talks. A French government source said Paris would resist such strictures.

“European governments and the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) hastily arranged a telephone conference Friday, with Washington saying no final decision had been made on expanding the restriction. An electronics ban went into effect on March 21 for passengers on direct flights to the US from 10 Middle East airports in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Morocco. According to those regulations, laptop and tablet computers, e-book readers and cameras must be placed in checked luggage. Approved medical devices are exempt, but must go through additional screening…

“The Associated Press quoted a French government source as saying there was no information to suggest that cabin usage of such devices posed a significant terror threat increase. European airlines likely to be affected include Lufthansa, British Airways and Air France-KLM.

“On Thursday, Olivier Jankovec, the director-general of the ACI Europe airport trade association said it was worrying that there appeared to be little coordination between the EU and the United States… European regulators have already warned that placing hundreds of devices in the holds of aircraft on long-haul flights could compromise safety by increasing the risk from poorly deactivated lithium-ion batteries.”

The EUObserver wrote on May 18:

“US authorities discussed an in-cabin laptop ban on transatlantic flights from the EU following a meeting with their European counterparts in Brussels. Officials from both sides of the Atlantic on Wednesday (17 May) agreed to meet again next week to work out the technical details, but said no definitive decision had been made…

“A Europe-wide ban could affect well over 3,000 direct flights made every week to the US, likely causing disruptions.  The five airports with the largest number of US weekly flights are: London-Heathrow (761 flights), Paris-Charles de Gaulle (353 flights), Frankfurt (291 flights), Amsterdam-Schiphol (242 flights) and Dublin (179 flights)… Together, these five airports accounted for nearly 50 percent of the weekly flights to the US… The four-hour meeting on Wednesday was held between US deputy secretary of homeland security Elaine Duke and her counterparts from France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and the UK.”

To request of tourists and business travelers to place their laptops, tablet computers, cameras and other electronic equipment into their main luggage is plain unconscionable. The luggage might get stolen or at least misplaced for days, as is happening many times, or the equipment might get damaged due to the handling of the luggage. It appears that none of these factors are being seriously considered.

Netanyahu vs. Trump Administration on Embassy Move

Haaretz wrote on May 15:

“The possibility of moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is becoming the first public disagreement between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration…   After U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson hinted that Israel might have objections to the embassy move, Netanyahu’s bureau quickly responded that Netanyahu had made clear to the new U.S. administration that he wanted the embassy to move to Jerusalem.

“Moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would not harm the peace process with the Palestinians but would help peace efforts, the Prime Minister’s Bureau said on Sunday…

“Shortly after Tillerson’s remarks aired, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, who is also the leader of the hard-line Habayit Hayehudi party, responded by calling on Netanyahu to tell Trump that Israel expects the embassy to be moved and the U.S. to recognize ‘united Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty.’… ‘Any agreement based on dividing Jerusalem is sentenced to failure,’ Bennett wrote on his Twitter account…

“A second response, which was directed at Bennett’s tweet, was issued by Netanyahu’s Likud party. The Likud party, it said, welcomes Bennett’s comments…

“Meanwhile, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, and the secretary general of the PLO Executive Committee, Saeb Erekat, met on Sunday in Amman to coordinate their positions ahead of Trump’s arrival in the region…  In a statement released after the meeting, Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority stressed that the only way to achieve peace and stability in the region is by establishing a Palestinian state based on the 1967 lines whose capital is East Jerusalem and living in peace alongside Israel. Erekat spoke of the need to freeze construction in the settlements as an essential condition to progress in any diplomatic process…”

Will President Trump buckle and refuse to move the US embassy to Jerusalem? Or will he keep his promise which might in turn cause upheaval in the Middle East? The White House announced on May 17 that “for now,” no move of the US embassy to Jerusalem is planned. Also, note the next article.

Senior Member of Trump Delegation Outrages Israel

Times of Israel wrote on May 15:

“In a bitter diplomatic incident, a senior member of the US delegation making preparations for Donald Trump’s visit to Israel next week angrily rejected a request that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accompany the president when he visits the Western Wall, and then sniped at his Israeli counterparts that the Western Wall is ‘not your territory. It’s part of the West Bank,’ Israeli television reported on Monday night.

“An official at the Prime Minister’s Office, apparently confirming the report, told Channel 2 that Israel has asked the Trump administration about the incident, and said that Netanyahu is certain that the comment does not reflect President Trump’s policy.

“The Western Wall, part of the retaining walls of the ancient Temple compound, is the closest point of prayer for Jews to the site of the Temple itself and thus the Jewish people’s holiest place of prayer. It was captured along with the rest of the Old City and East Jerusalem in the 1967 war, and annexed by Israel as part of its united capital — a move not recognized internationally…”

Tel Aviv’s Large-Scale “Bisexuality Visibility” Parade in June

JTA wrote on May 11:

“‘Bisexuality Visibility’ will be the theme of the 2017 LGBT Pride Parade in the city of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, the municipality announced. The march, scheduled for June 9, will be the first large-scale pride parade in the world to celebrate the theme of bisexuality, according to the municipality. It is expected to draw some 200,000 participants from inside and outside of Israel.

“Each year, members of Tel Aviv’s LGBTQ community choose a theme for the week of events in June. Past themes included last year’s ‘Women for a Change’ and ‘Transgender Visibility.’ ‘Both in Israel and around the world, many bisexual people feel that they are an invisible group within the LGBTQ community,’ Efrat Tolkowsky, the Tel Aviv-Jaffa City Council member in charge of LGBTQ affairs, said in a statement issued by the municipality. ‘Here in Tel Aviv, we are committed to celebrating each and every LGBTQ person and ally equally, so that we can all be out and proud together.’”

Nothing to be proud about, really, if one believes the Bible.

Eastern Nations Disagree on Russia’s Role and Orthodox Church

The EUObserver wrote on May 11:

“Orthodox Christian societies in Europe are more likely to endorse Vladimir Putin’s revanchist vision of Russia than Catholic ones, according to a new survey.

“Most people in the majority-Orthodox bloc, which includes EU and Nato states Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece, as well as EU-aspirant states such as Georgia, Moldova, and Serbia believe Russia should act as a ‘buffer’ against the West and should ‘protect’ them if need be.  Orthodox societies also voiced more nationalist, homophobic, and sexist views, the survey, which was published by US pollster Pew on Wednesday (10 May)…

“By contrast, people in majority Roman Catholic countries, such as Croatia, Poland, Lithuania, and Hungary, looked to the West for leadership. Orthodox affiliation was also rising sharply in central and eastern Europe…

“Seventy percent of Greeks and more than 50 percent of Bulgarians and Romanians agreed with the statement that: ‘A strong Russia is necessary to balance the influence of the West’. The figure was 80 percent in Serbia, which is an EU candidate. It was 61 percent in Moldova and 52 percent in Georgia, which also want to join the EU and which host Russia-occupied breakaway territories. The figure was just 22 percent in Ukraine, where pro-Russia feelings nosedived after the invasion.  Sixty nine percent of Greeks, 65 percent of Romanians, and 56 percent of Bulgarians also endorsed the idea that Russia was ‘obliged to protect’ Orthodox believers abroad.

“Meanwhile, large majorities of people in Orthodox societies, rising to 89 percent in Greece, said their ‘culture was superior to others’, compared to 55 percent in Poland – the most nationalist state in the Catholic bloc.  Homosexuality was seen as ‘morally wrong’ by more than 90 percent of Georgians and Moldovans and 82 percent of Romanians, compared to 48 percent of Poles… Seventy one percent of Russians said they were Orthodox Christians today, for instance, compared to 37 percent in 1991. But the number of Catholics fell from 96 percent to 87 percent in Poland and from 44 percent to just 21 percent in the Czech Republic in the same time period…

“In other findings, Pew noted that most Orthodox believers (except those in Greece) looked to the Russian patriarch, Kirill, who is a close Putin ally, as their spiritual leader. It found that just two countries in the region – Greece (77%) and Lithuania (64%) – voiced strong endorsement of the idea that democracy was ‘preferable to any other form of government’. The figures in Poland (47%) and Hungary (48%), which both have illiberal parties in power despite their EU membership, fell below the half-way mark.  It found that 58 percent of Russians had a positive view of Stalin…

“Amid a heated EU debate on migrant relocations, Pew… found there was ‘widespread scepticism’ that the US would honour its Nato obligation to defend allies in the event of a ‘serious conflict’ with Russia. Estonia and Romania were the only Nato states in the region where most people believed the US would come to their aid. But the figures were just 31 percent in Poland and 25 percent or less in Estonia and Latvia.”

These opinions are interesting in light of the fact that some of those Eastern nations might become part of a future core Europe, while others will become part of the Russian dominance, which will end up in opposition to core Europe. But it is also remarkable that many Eastern nations do not believe in US decisiveness.

Merkel’s Strong Win Against Schulz

The Local wrote on May 14:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel dealt a devastating blow to her main rival on Sunday, four months before national elections, when early results showed her party securing a strong win in a regional vote in Germany’s biggest state. Her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) clinched 33 percent of the vote in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), preliminary results showed, snatching control of the sprawling industrial region which has been a Social Democratic Party (SPD) stronghold for decades. The SPD only managed to garner a little over 31 percent, its worst score in history in the state and sharply down from its 2012 showing of 39.1 percent, in a serious hit to confidence ahead of general elections in September.

“SPD leader Martin Schulz admitted that the loss in his home state marked a ‘difficult day for the SPD’ and for him personally, but urged supporters to battle on. ‘We received a body blow, but we are still striving in the ring… now we’re going into the next round, the deciding round. At the end, when we look to the judge, it’s going to be the voters who raise the winner’s arms,’ he said.

“The former European Parliament president turned to France for courage. ‘My friend Emmanuel Macron was at the bottom five months ago, and now, he is president,’ said Schulz of the new French leader who took office on Sunday. But Germany’s best-selling daily Bild noted that ‘with the clear state election failures, it would be very difficult for the SPD to win the general elections in September.’ Likewise, Spiegel Online said: ‘Martin Schulz now needs a miracle.’

“… The SPD had already suffered two setbacks since Schulz took over, with the CDU scoring strong victories in the small states of Saarland and Schleswig-Holstein.”

Deutsche Welle added on May 15:

“Sunday’s outcome has paved the way for alternatives to the ‘grand coalition’ of the SPD and CDU, currently ruling the country from Berlin. With the revival of the Free Democrats (FDP), the CDU’s traditional coalition partner is making a comeback, meaning old and new combinations may become a real possibility for Germany’s future.”

The EUObserver added on May 15:

“CDU’s Armin Laschet, who will likely become the new state premier, said on Monday that he would have discussions not only with the FDP, but also with the SPD and the Greens. He noted that the citizens of Germany’s biggest state ‘wanted a government change’, but that coalition talks do not need to be finished ‘during this morning’. Laschet excluded working together with Alternative for Germany (AfD) – a far right, anti-immigration, anti-EU party – which received 7.4 percent of the vote, entering the parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia for the first time.”

The immediate future will show whether Angela Merkel’s time as the German and European leader is over, or whether she is still needed to bring about further unification of Europe and the creation of a core Europe under German leadership.

Hamburg, Germany, Begins to Confiscate Residential Property for Migrants

The European Union Times wrote on May 14:

“Authorities in Hamburg, the second-largest city in Germany, have begun confiscating private dwellings to ease a housing shortage…  City officials have been seizing commercial properties and converting them into migrant shelters since late 2015, when Merkel opened German borders to hundreds of thousands of migrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Now, however, the city is expropriating residential property units owned by private citizens.

“In an unprecedented move, Hamburg authorities recently confiscated six residential units in the Hamm district near the city center. The units, which are owned by a private landlord, are in need of repair and have been vacant since 2012. A trustee appointed by the city is now renovating the properties and will rent them — against the will of the owner — to tenants chosen by the city. District spokeswoman Sorina Weiland said that all renovation costs will be billed to the owner of the properties.

“The expropriation is authorized by the Hamburg Housing Protection Act (Hamburger Wohnraumschutzgesetz), a 1982 law that was updated by the city’s Socialist government in May 2013 to enable the city to seize any residential property unit that has been vacant for more than four months…”

Infowars added on May 15:

“Similar expropriation measures have been proposed in Berlin, the German capital, but abandoned because they were deemed unconstitutional.”

These are surely not good signs for many German property owners.

Interesting Developments in Austria

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 15:

“Austria moved closer to snap elections on Monday after Chancellor Christian Kern called for all-party talks to set an election date following a major political shake-up inside his conservative junior coalition partner party. Sebastian Kurz, the 30-year-old foreign minister called on Sunday for early elections to be held in the autumn after he was elected to head the center-right People’s Party (ÖVP).

“It capped a heady week in Austrian politics which saw the conservative party leader and Vice Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner resign amid internal squabbling and after months of deadlock in talks with Kern’s Social Democrats (SPÖ). Kern, who admitted on Sunday he could not stop an early election, held a meeting with President Alexander Van der Bellen and spoke to Kurz by phone on Monday. The SPÖ and ÖVP are three seats short of the majority needed to call snap elections.

“The Greens and the anti-immigration, populist Freedom Party (FPÖ) said they would support a parliamentary vote to call snap elections but demanded that a parliamentary investigation into a Eurofighter deal from a decade ago be finished. The investigation is expected to be completed in June.

“Kern has warned that dissolving the coalition would open the way for the FPÖ to win the election. The FPÖ is currently leading in opinion polls, followed by the SPÖ and ÖVP in second and third place, respectively.

“The 30-year-old Kurz is a rising star within Austria politics, boosted by his tough stance against immigration. Led by Kurz, who has some similar positions as the FPÖ without the xenophobic rhetoric, the conservatives appear to believe they can outmaneuver their right-wing rivals, who last year came close to taking over the presidency amid voter backlash over immigration. Some surveys suggest that with Kurz at the helm of the party it can jump ahead of the FPÖ.

“The ÖVP executive committee granted Kurz unprecedented powers, meeting seven of his demands to take over the party leadership. The Austrian press dubbed it a “coup” within the party. Among other things, Kurz will be able to name candidates for parliamentary elections even if they are from outside the party, appoint all ministers in a potential conservative-led government and change the party name for the next election… Forming a government in Austria usually requires two parties. A SPÖ- ÖVP coalition has ruled Austria for many years in the last decades.”

Developments in Austria should be watched carefully, as modern Germans and Austrians are descendants of ancient Assyria, and the Bible has much to say about the prophetic role of modern Assyria in these end times.  

New HQ to Take Charge of EU Military Missions

The EUObserver wrote on May 18:

“EU states have cleared the way for a new HQ to take charge of three military missions in a ‘couple of days’, as well as broader plans for joint defence. The HQ will, in the words of 28 defence ministers adopted on Thursday (18 May), ‘assume responsibilities at the strategic level for the operational planning and conduct of the EU’s non-executive military missions’ including ‘the three EU Training Missions deployed in Central African Republic, Mali and Somalia’.

“EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said ‘the political decision is finalised’ and that it would take ‘a couple of days’ to have the new HQ ‘officially in place’… The HQ will be located in a building that already houses Mogherini’s military staff in Brussels, and will take over command tasks previously handled out separate locations in member states. The EU defence ministers decided additionally on Thursday that deployment of EU ‘battlegroups’ in the field would in future be paid for out of the EU budget and not by participating member states.  They also decided on a new legal framework for core groups of member states to create and command their own military projects under the EU flag in a mechanism called ‘permanent structured cooperation [Pesco]’…

“Mogherini… expected member states to put forward the first Pesco projects by the end of the year, adding that if EU countries were to pool their military budgets they would be the second-biggest military spenders in the world after the US… The EU defence surge… comes amid warnings that the US wants to spend less on European defence and amid the departure of the UK, the EU’s top military power, from the bloc in 2019.

“With US president Donald Trump arriving in Brussels for a Nato summit next week, 19 EU countries led by France, Germany, Italy, and Spain agreed, prior to the defence ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Thursday, to create a joint defence procurement fund, or ‘Cooperative Financial Mechanism’. Mogherini added on Thursday that the UK would be welcome to contribute assets to EU military missions in future but would not take part in decision-making after it left…

“The new French administration of Emmanuel Macron also showed that it was serious about EU military integration on Thursday via two appointments. Macron picked Sylvie Goulard, an MEP and a europhile, to lead his ‘ministry of the armed forces’. He also picked Jean-Yves Le Drian, the former defence minister, to lead a new hybrid ministry that brought together EU and foreign affairs for the first time.”

Slowly but surely, a powerful European army will be formed.

100th Anniversary of Fatima Apparition –Lying Signs and Wonders

Newsmax wrote on May 12:

“Catholics and believers worldwide will celebrate Saturday’s 100th anniversary of the first Fatima apparition in which the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared before three shepherd children in the remote village north of Lisbon, Portugal…

“The Lady of Fatima delivered messages during the visions on the 13th day of each month from May to October 1917 to Lucia dos Santos and her two young cousins, Jacinta and Francisco Marto…

“An attempt on the life of Pope John Paul II mysteriously coincided with the anniversary of the first Fatima vision on May 13, 1981, in St. Peter’s Square in Rome…

“The world was in turmoil during the 1917 apparitions with the ending of World War I and the beginning of the Communist revolution in Russia. The most riveting sign occurred on Oct. 13 [1917] when some 60,000 people witnessed the sun appearing to spin and nearly crash toward the ground…

“A three-part secret from Our Lady was revealed to the children on July 13, 1917, during the apparitions. These included a vision of Hell and a prayer to recite, a warning that Russia would bring calamity to the world if people did not convert, and a vision of conflict between clergy and soldiers only disclosed in 2000 by Pope John Paul II. Lucia was 10 during the apparitions and died a nun at the age of 97 in 2005. Francisco, 9 at the time, and Jacinta, 7, died in 1919 and 1920, respectively, following the global influenza epidemic.

“The Fatima incidents are considered among the most spectacular Marian apparitions along with Lourdes, where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to a peasant girl, St. Bernadette, in 1858, and Guadalupe, where an appearance occurred several times northwest of Mexico City to St. Juan Diego in 1531.”

The New York Times added on May 13:

“The children’s apparitions were officially recognized as a miracle by the Roman Catholic Church in 1930…”

The Bible prophesies that many will be deceived by lying signs and wonders. The true Mary—mother of Jesus—died and is dead in her grave, without any consciousness. She will be resurrected, with all true Christians, at the time of Christ’s return. The alleged apparitions of the “Virgin Mary”—if they are not outright frauds—would have been of demonic origin. These would have been forerunners of a worldwide end-time religious deception, coupled with true and false signs from heaven, as prophesied throughout the Bible, including in the books of Matthew, Thessalonians and Revelation.

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.

Many denominations encourage their members to publicly “confess Jesus Christ.” Oftentimes, this proclamation is presented in the context of “finding the Lord” or of “being saved.” Along with this personal “witnessing” others are then encouraged to “accept Christ” in order that they, too, might be “saved.” A favorite Scripture for this approach is Romans 10:9:

“[T]hat if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Indeed, this statement and others, such as John 3:16; 6:40; and 6:47, all point to necessary actions for salvation. But is professing Jesus Christ and merely appropriating His name all that God requires? Jesus addressed those who would falsely believe they were serving Him by using His name:

“‘Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied IN YOUR NAME, cast out demons IN YOUR NAME, and done many wonders IN YOUR NAME?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

In the Book of Acts, we find an example of those who took it upon themselves to indiscriminately use the name of Jesus:

“Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ‘We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.’ Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?’ Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded” (Acts 19:13-16).

From this example we learn that the men who falsely invoked the name of Jesus did so with terrible consequences. In the statement of Jesus as quoted above and by this example in Acts, we should understand that the name of Jesus Christ is to be revered! It is the divine name of the Son of God! (Philippians 2:9-11).

Using the name of Jesus Christ bears great responsibility—and power. Through the ministry appointed by Jesus, salvation is preached, and Jesus has given His ministry power to heal. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Peter healed a man who had been lame from his birth (compare Acts 3:1-9). Note this powerful testimony from the apostle Peter regarding this healing:

“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the “stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.” Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved’”  (Acts 4:8-12).

On the Day of Pentecost—the beginning of the New Testament Church of God—Peter preached to those assembled, saying, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

A true minister of God will baptize “in the name of Jesus Christ”—pointing to His sinless Sacrifice as payment for one’s sins (1 John 3:5; Romans 5:6-11). But before a person is baptized, real repentance must take place (Matthew 3:8). Applying Romans 10:9-10, the minister will also ask if the individual believes that Jesus Christ is his or her Savior, and in that sense one “confesses”—that is—openly acknowledges the supreme role of Jesus Christ in their salvation.

How, then, do people continue to “confess” Christ—or should they even do so?

First of all, it falls to the ministry of the Church of God to PREACH! Jesus Christ has set the ministry in place with different roles (compare 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11-16). Furthermore, no one should presume to have this responsibility who has not been ordained by the laying on of hands by other ministers. Carefully note what is written in Hebrews:

“And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was” (Hebrews 5:4).

Jesus chose twelve apostles (Luke 6:12-16); Jesus chose seventy men to preach (Luke 10:1-12); and, Jesus chose Paul “‘to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel’” (Acts 9:15). Paul wrote to Titus that he “should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city…” (Titus 1:5).

Throughout the New Testament, the Church of God is reported as preaching the gospel in a very organized way. While the ministry was given specific roles, all the members participated in supportive ways. Romans 16:1-16 records the names of certain people and how they contributed to the Work of the Church. Several Books of the New Testament cite the positive actions of other Christians.

While preaching is not the role given to members of the Church of God, being an EXAMPLE of Christianity is! Jesus said, “‘You are the light of the world’” (Matthew 5:14). In this context, Paul writes:

“Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…” (Philippians 2:14-15).

When we live according to the Way of Jesus Christ—when our example “speaks” to others, we may be asked about our beliefs. Here is how Peter said we should RESPOND:

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear…” (1 Peter 3:15).

While some may think that they can push Christ onto others through their personal evangelism, THEY ARE UTTERLY WRONG! Christ said, “‘No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him…’” (John 6:44); and, “‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’” (John 14:6).

Ultimately, to really “confess Christ,” you must become perfect, “‘just as your Father in heaven is perfect’” (Matthew 5:48). That is accomplished by “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Lead Writer: Dave Harris

compiled by Dave Harris

A new Member Letter (May 2017) has been written and mailed to our subscribers. In this letter, Pastor Rene Messier reminds us of God’s promises of help as we face more and more trials. He draws special attention to our need to not become complacent as we anticipate the establishment of God’s Kingdom.

Michael Link has produced a new German video for the German booklet translated from, “Heavens and Earth…Before and After the First Man!” The booklet was just distributed to our German subscribers. He will also be producing an English version very soon.

“Coming—Nuclear War without Survivors?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Jesus Christ told us that an unparalleled time of disaster would strike this planet which could eradicate all life on earth. Many feel today that nuclear war is inevitable… that it is not a question of “if,” but of “when,” killing billions of people. The Hill wrote on May 15 that the world may be on the “threshold of a ‘new nuclear age'” where “the likelihood of nuclear use is greatly increasing.” The Bible prophesies worldwide nuclear war. But there IS hope for us!

“FBI Director Comey Fired–Another Trump Debacle,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Given the timing, manner and underlying circumstances, as well as the many glaring inconsistencies in the reports from the White House and President Trump, the US President’s controversial termination of FBI director James Comey has been described as a “massive cover-up” and a “perilous moment in American history,” with parallels to “Watergate” and the “Saturday Night Massacre.” The President’s actions opened wide the floodgates of speculation in the liberal and conservative national and international media, portraying the Trump Administration as a laughing stock and a government which cannot be trusted. What does this all mean in the light of biblical prophecy?

“Missverständnisse über König David, Teil 3,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon. Title in English: “Misunderstandings about King David, Part 3.”

A new German APS program was recorded and posted. It covers God’s 6,000 year-plan, and the new video of our booklet, “Heavens and Earth…Before and After the First Man!”, is embedded. Title in English: “God’s 6,000-Year-Plan.”

“Suppertime,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

A meal is a common and essential occurrence for everyone, everyday. What does the Bible say about the daily event of eating a meal?

“The Time of the End,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The consummation of the ages is prophesied as being an incomparable time of trouble—a period of great tribulation for all those who dwell on the earth! Do you believe the warnings from God which are written throughout the pages of the Bible? Are you preparing to face what is coming?

Pentecost will be observed on Sunday, June 4, 2017.