On August 5, 2017, Norbert Link will present the sermonette, titled, “Christ’s Praise and Rebuke,” and Michael Link will present the sermon, titled, “True Freedom.”

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.

When filling a jar with ping pong balls, it can be considered to be full when no more balls can fit into the jar. However, all of the space between the balls inside the jar can also be filled. By adding plastic beads to the jar, even more stuff will fit into the open space. Likewise, adding sand will fill the space remaining in the jar that the beads do not take up. Finally, adding water to the jar will fill in all of the last remaining air space, until no more stuff can fit. This illustrates how available capacity can be filled, even when it might appear to be full.

By adding things to the jar in order from largest to smallest, we can see that the space is consumed very efficiently. However, when adding the same quantity of the items in reverse order, the result is much different. If water, sand, and plastic beads are added to the jar in that order, there will not be enough room to add all of the larger ping pong balls. The way that we choose to fill available space has a significant impact on the result.

This phenomenon has a parallel in the way that we choose to use our time. The sand and the plastic beads are analogous to activities in our lives that don’t contribute very much to our well-being, but consume our time – such as watching a show on TV, surfing the web, mowing the lawn, or doing the dishes. There’s nothing inherently wrong with these activities, and some of them are even necessary, but they probably don’t provide meaning in our lives or help us to grow. The ping pong balls are analogous to the large, important goals in our lives, such as our spiritual conversion, expressing love for our brethren and neighbors, and other virtuous life-goals. If we choose to fill our day with little things that are less significant and relatively unimportant in our lives, we will not have enough time to do the things that matter the most. The big, important, worthy goals in our lives need to receive the greatest priority to make sure that we have enough capacity in our lives to accomplish them. If we prioritize our activities in the right order, we will have enough space to be fulfilled, and have enough space remaining for the little trivial activities too.

The challenge, of course, is that the little things are generally much easier to do than the big, important things. If we want to use our time in the best possible way, the best place to start is with making a distinction between the big things and the little things in our lives. In his letter to Timothy, Paul provides some guidance to help him in making such a distinction, “For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come” (1 Timothy 4:8). Timothy is reminded that seeking godliness is one of the big things, and that it is worthy of a commensurate amount of attention. Bodily exercise is still a good thing, but compared to the activity of practicing godliness, it is less important. If we want to accomplish things that are meaningful and spiritually fulfilling, we are responsible to become conscious of where activities reside on the spectrum of importance.

Once we are aware of activities that are truly important, we can begin to shift our attention to doing those activities first. Following his instruction to Timothy to focus on seeking godly growth, Paul continues to guide him in prioritizing his time, “… be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all” (1 Timothy 4:12-15). Timothy is encouraged to grow and make progress! The prescription involves dedicating time, attention, and focused thought in the study of Scripture and conduct in godly love. The corollary to this instruction is to prioritize other activities to follow the more important ones that lead to spiritual growth. These are instructions that we need to take to heart as well. To do anything less is to risk neglect of the development of righteous conduct and spiritual understanding that is expected of us.

It is helpful to consider that time is one of our most valuable assets. By thinking this way, every activity that we give our attention to becomes an opportunity to invest in the fulfillment of the ultimate goal that all Christians share – to overcome sin, and live eternally in the Family of God. If we expect to overcome the sin that threatens us, and to grow in righteousness through the help of Jesus Christ, we need to consciously dedicate our time to activities that contribute to these results. The formula for fulfillment involves putting a stop to “majoring in the minors,” and dedicating the best portions of our time to nurturing the growth of the fruit of the Spirit (compare Galatians 5:22-25

We are reporting on terror attacks and violence in Germany, committed by foreigners, which may have some influence on the outcome of German elections in September; incredible incompetency of American agencies regarding illegal aliens; turmoil in the White House and the potentially disastrous consequences for many Americans of the inability of the Senate to repeal and replace Obamacare; threatening and dangerous actions by North Korea and the intimate collaboration between North Korea and Iran; troublesome comments regarding the willingness of the US military to launch a nuclear attack (note in this regard our new StandingWatch program, “Obeying Trump to Launch Nuclear Strike?”; Russia’s and Europe’s willingness to retaliate against the USA which assures a most serious conflict between these countries; and the alignment of the USA and Jordan against Israel in the Temple Mount conflict and other matters.

We continue with interesting information about the Canaanites and modern Lebanese; report on chaotic conditions directed against British air travelers and appalling state-and court-sponsored violations of parents’ rights in Britain; and conclude with interesting developments regarding the Russian Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Church pertaining to the “relic” of a legendary figure, referred to as “Saint Nicholas,” who is idolized and worshipped by followers of both churches and who is erroneously viewed today as Santa Claus.

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

Terror Attack in Hamburg, Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 29:

“Police have searched a refugee shelter where a man who stabbed Hamburg shoppers, killing one of them, had stayed. Authorities said the suspect, from the United Arab Emirates, is mentally unstable and a known Islamist. City-state Interior Minister Any Grote on Saturday thanked bystanders who caught the fleeing knife assailant near the supermarket in Hamburg’s Barmbek district in scant minutes before police arrived. The attacker, a rejected asylum seeker, who earlier on Friday had inquired at a city office for foreigners on whether expulsion papers had arrived, had become radicalized… The suspect had no criminal record in Germany, with the exception of an alleged shoplifting incident in April that was dropped as a ‘slight’ matter… the assailant had first purchased bread at a branch of the German supermarket chain Edeka. He briefly boarded a bus, but got off, and returned to the supermarket’s entrance, according to Henning.

“He ripped the brand new knife, with a 20 centimeter (8 inch) blade, from its wrapping and ‘brutally’ attacked two men, including a 50-year-old man who died… Among those injured was a 19-year-old and two persons on bicycles, she added. A 50-year-old woman and four men aged between 19 and 64 were also all injured, as well as a 35-year-old man who chased and overpowered the suspect. The attacker, who was arrested by police, was said to have shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ (God is the Greatest) during the rampage… Hamburg Mayor Olaf Scholz said the attack had been motivated by ‘hate.’ It appeared that the suspect was facing deportation but this had not proceeded because necessary papers were lacking, Scholz said… Scholz added that the case showed ‘all the more urgently that these legal and practical barriers to deportation must be removed.’

“… The website of the Spiegel news magazine said the individual was named Ahmad A., who had arrived in Germany seeking asylum and had contact with the Islamist scene, as well as a history of drug use and mental health problems. Germany has been on high alert over the possibility of another Islamist attack since Anis Amri drove a truck into a crowd at a Berlin Christmas market in December last year, killing 12 people and injuring 48 others. Like the alleged Hamburg attacker, Amri was a failed asylum seeker who could not be deported for lack of documents. The similarity between the cases risks reopening wounds over Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision to allow more than a million migrants into Germany since 2015.”

Violence in Constance, Germany

Regarding a separate incident in Germany, Deutsche Welle reported on July 30:

“A discotheque shooting in Constance in southwestern Germany has left two people dead, including a patron, say police. The attacker died after a subsequent shootout. Police have ruled out terrorism.  A terrorist motive was ruled out by a police spokesman, who said the incident appeared to have been a crime of passion by a sole perpetrator.

“Three other persons inside the venue had been injured as well as a police officer hurt during the later shootout. [The police] declined to confirm multiple reports that the dead suspect was an Iraqi who had long lived in Constance and was not an asylum seeker.”

The fact that attacks in Germany by foreigners hit the news could have some influence on the parliamentary elections in September; especially if Angela Merkel does not take a strong stance regarding the migrant crisis.

Incredible Neglect and Incompetency

The website of kgw.com in Portland, Oregon, reported on July 29:

“A man accused of breaking into a 65-year-old woman’s home, sexually assaulting her and stealing her car was arrested after allegedly assaulting another woman and running from police… According to court documents filed in March 2017, Martinez has a history of illegal entry into the United States. He has been a transient in the Portland area for more than a year and has been deported 20 times. Martinez has at least five probation violations for re-entering the United States. His most recent removal was in November 2016, according to the March court documents.

“Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged an immigration detainer against Martinez, asking authorities to notify them before releasing Martinez to allow ICE to take him into custody. The Department of Homeland Security said… the authorities did not notify ICE…

“Prior to the July 24 arrest, Martinez’s criminal record shows a felony conviction for burglary and three misdemeanor convictions for battery, theft, and obstructing a public officer… The new charges Martinez is facing include first-degree kidnapping, first-degree robbery (two counts), second-degree assault, first-degree sex abuse, first-degree sodomy and first-degree burglary. Martinez threatened to kill the woman while he sexually assaulted her, according to the probable cause affidavit. Before he left, he punched her in the head several times and slammed her head onto a wood floor… Police said the suspect, Martinez, was armed with a knife and he assaulted the woman.”

This whole immigration system is indeed broken. THESE are the individuals the ICE should be most concerned about.

Trump’s Distorted View of Loyalty

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 29:

“One week after the resignation of Donald Trump’s spokesman Sean Spicer and the appointment of Anthony Scaramucci as the president’s chief communicator, White House chief of staff Reince Priebus is also out the door… Two other embattled officials, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Chief Strategist Steve Bannon have survived the week, but it is unclear for how long. Both Sessions… and Bannon… are portrayed as not loyal enough to the president by Trump himself and by the new key player in the White House, Scaramucci.

“…To appoint [John] Kelly, the former Homeland Security secretary, as his chief of staff, is a huge gamble… The president’s much bigger gamble, however, is severing the already frayed ties with the Republican Party. Spicer and Priebus, both creatures of the GOP, played a key role in trying to align Trump’s agenda with Congressional Republicans. That this did not work well was evident…

“Firing Sessions or special counsel Robert Mueller – a move that has reportedly been considered by Trump and that would effectively end the Russia probe that has been vexing him – could be one step too far even for this president… Trump’s distorted view of loyalty essentially means fealty and can come only from family and people who are close to him personally…”

Subsequently, President Trump fired Anthony Scaramucci after only ten days in office. The White House is in turmoil, as the next article shows as well.

“Anthony Scaramucci Not the Problem—Trump Is”

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 31:

“Even for the Trump administration the reign of chaos that has engulfed the White House in the past few days is unprecedented… the removal of President Trump’s press secretary Sean Spicer, his chief of staff Reince Priebus and his newly minted communications director within days of each other is in reality too serious to poke fun at…

“The incessant intrigue that has been the one constant in Trump’s White House has left it completely rudderless and chaotic in a time of numerous domestic and international challenges…  And while the political and professional inexperience of many key Trump aides certainly has helped to create it, it is not the main reason for the inability of this White House to get the Trump presidency on track. The main reason, make no mistake, why this White House has been largely dysfunctional until now, is the president himself. That’s because President Trump not only handpicked most of the staff himself, often against the advice of experienced observers, but also that he appears to think that a cut-throat culture that mercilessly pits individuals and factions inside the White House against each other, will produce a good outcome. It doesn’t…

“Coupled with Trump’s penchant to stir up trouble via Twitter and his – let’s call it...unusual – way of looking at current events – it amounts to making the White House and by extension his administration ungovernable… The latest case in point came this morning when Trump ended a tweet pronouncing ‘No chaos in the White House’ only hours before Scaramucci’s exit…”

President Trump would be well advised to read our Current Events sections for a better understanding as to what is really happening in the USA and around the world.

Bible Studies in the White House

Israel National News reported on August 2:

“… senior cabinet members are holding weekly sessions dedicated solely to Bible (both Old and New Testament) study. Ralph Drollinger, a retired NBA player, who has taught weekly Bible lessons in the Senate and the House of Representatives and initiated religious studies in the US House of Representatives of about 40 American states, recently began a weekly class of about 12 members of the Cabinet.

“The lessons include Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, and is chaired by Vice President Mike Pence. The meetings are headed by Vice President Mike Pence, whose passion for Bible study is well known…”

“US President Donald Trump is not known to be particularity devout, having once called the Bible only his second favorite book, after the bestseller which he penned, ‘The Art of the Deal.’ He did win large amounts of evangelical support however, carrying 80% of the vote, the most since George W. Bush took 78% in 2004.”

The big question is: Will their Bible studies conducted by a retired NBA player influence and help them to make right and godly decisions?

Trump’s Disasterous Threats re Health Care

Newsmax wrote on July 29:

“President Donald Trump threatened on Saturday to end government payments to health insurers if Congress does not pass a new healthcare bill… ‘If a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon!’ The tweet came a day after Senate Republicans failed to muster enough votes to repeal parts of the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare bill commonly known as Obamacare.

“The first part of Trump’s tweet appeared to be referring to the approximately $8 billion in cost-sharing reduction subsidies the federal government pays to insurers to lower the price of health coverage for low-income Americans…

“Many insurers have been waiting for an answer from Trump or lawmakers on whether they will continue to fund the annual government subsidies. Without assurances, many insurers plan to raise rates an additional 20 percent by an Aug. 16 deadline for premium prices.

“With Republican efforts to dismantle Obamacare in disarray, hundreds of U.S. counties are at risk of losing access to private health coverage in 2018 as insurers consider pulling out of those markets…

“Regardless of the stance of congressional lawmakers, the healthcare law has frayed edges as some Americans are forced to pay exorbitant rates in order to have health insurance, while the burden of funding has not diminished to subsidize those who qualify. Some are left without a choice or only one choice at all and CNBC predicts health insurers will likely pull out completely from 49 counties in the nation in 2018…”

The disastrous Obamacare, coupled with the incompetence of the Trump Administration and the bickering and disunited House and Senate will lead to the suffering of millions of Americans. Far from making America great again, America is facing an abyss of disastrous proportions.

Mueller Impanels Grand Jury in Russia Probe

The Wall Street Journal reported on August 3:

“Special Counsel Robert Mueller has impaneled a grand jury in Washington to investigate Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections…

“Grand juries are powerful investigative tools that allow prosecutors to subpoena documents, put witnesses under oath and seek indictments, if there is evidence of a crime…

Thomas Zeno, a federal prosecutor for 29 years before becoming a lawyer at the Squire Patton Boggs law firm, said the grand jury is ‘confirmation that this is a very vigorous investigation going on.’…

“According to a January report from the U.S. intelligence community, the highest levels of the Russian government were involved in directing the electoral interference. Its tactics included hacking state election systems; infiltrating and leaking information from party committees and political strategists; and disseminating through social media and other outlets negative stories about Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and positive ones about Mr. Trump, the report said…”

North Korea’s New Missile Launch Threatening American and European Cities

Reuters wrote on July 29:

“North Korea fired a missile on Friday that experts said was capable of striking Los Angeles and other American cities, and the United States and South Korea responded by staging a joint missile exercise…

“The unusual late-night launch added to exasperation in Washington, Seoul and Tokyo over Pyongyang’s continuing development of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) to deliver them. North Korean President Kim Jong Un’s military had already raised alarms early this month with its first ICBM launch.”

“Had it been fired at a standard trajectory, the rocket could have reached Los Angeles, Denver and Chicago and would have even had New York and Boston within its sights, according to analysts… Although Kim Jong-un hasn’t expressed a strong desire to attack mainland Europe, the new analysis would suggest London, Paris, Berlin and Rome are all within range although the missiles would have to soar above land as opposed to the Pacific… The French Foreign Ministry condemned the launch and called for ‘strong and additional sanctions’ by the United Nations and European Union.”

“The United States was considering ‘military response options’ on Friday night after North Korea carried out its second test of an intercontinental ballistic missile in a month… Washington,  which has branded North Korea the ‘most urgent and dangerous threat to peace,’ condemned the launch as reckless. ‘By threatening the world, these weapons and tests further isolate North Korea, weaken its economy, and deprive its people,’ Donald Trump said in a statement. ‘The United States will take all necessary steps to ensure the security of the American homeland and protect our allies in the region.’

“South Korea said it was ready to take its own steps to deal with the threat… US and South Korean military officials were discussing military options last night. Donald Trump’s administration has said that the period of ‘strategic patience’ towards North Korea is over. US officials have also expressed growing frustration with Beijing for not doing more to pressure its neighbour to rein in its military ambitions. Britain and Australia this week joined the US in calling for China to exert more pressure on Pyongyang. However, China says it has little leverage over leaders in Pyongyang…”

Newsmax wrote on July 29:

“President Donald Trump slammed China Saturday for doing ‘nothing for us with North Korea’ in light of Pyongyang’s latest missile test, vowing that ‘we will no longer allow this to continue.’”

The New York Times wrote on July 29:

“The United States agreed to start negotiations to allow South Korea to build more powerful ballistic missiles in order to counter North Korea’s fast-advancing missile technologies, the office of the South’s president said on Saturday… Earlier on Saturday, Mr. Moon also ordered his government to cooperate with the United States to install an advanced American missile defense battery… But China has adamantly opposed installing the Thaad missile defense system in South Korea…”

The situation with North Korea has indeed reached a stage of unprecedented dangers.

The Week wrote on August 2:

“The State Department announced Wednesday that starting Sept. 1, U.S. passport holders will be banned from traveling to North Korea, and urged Americans already in the country to leave before then… The ban makes passports invalid for travel to, in, or through North Korea, and will be in place for one year, unless the secretary of state extends or revokes it. Humanitarian workers and journalists will be able to apply for exceptions to the ban.”

Iran’s and North Korea’s Friendship Leading to Nuclear War?

Breitbart wrote on July 28:

“The only thing more difficult than attempting to stop one rogue nation from acquiring nuclear weapons is attempting to stop two rogue nations collaborating to do so.

“As we explore our options in shutting down North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programs, we must recognize we are also dealing with Iran’s programs, which have piggybacked upon Pyongyang’s. Ever since Iran’s war with Iraq (1980-1988), during which North Korea began providing Tehran with SCUD missiles, both countries nurtured a relationship that would allow them eventually to gain membership into the nuclear arms club. In recent years, the evolution of this relationship has allowed Iran to step into the shoes of North Korea’s former and longtime best friend, China. It is also why China has been unresponsive to U.S. calls to reel Pyongyang in…

“Tehran’s mullahs have not hesitated to use Pyongyang over the past several years as a test case for American resolve. As such resolve has been non-existent, Iran came to recognize it could move forward simultaneously and in coordination with Pyongyang. Having developed this close working relationship, Iranian observers began showing up at North Korean military tests. It was also this relationship that led to North Korean technicians working secretly to build a nuclear facility in Syria. Its development was closely monitored by Israel which, after the U.S. refused to take action to stop construction, destroyed it in an air attack in September 2007… a North Korea capable of striking the US with nuclear weapons will result in nuclear conflict…”

These are frightening thoughts. Is there anything that America can do to avoid a nuclear conflict with North Korea and Iran?

Ready to Obey a Trump Nuclear Strike Order

ABC News reported on July 27:

“The U.S. Pacific Fleet commander said Thursday he would launch a nuclear strike against China next week if President Donald Trump ordered it, and warned against the military ever shifting its allegiance from its commander in chief. Adm. Scott Swift was responding to a hypothetical question at an Australian National University security conference following a major joint U.S.- Australian military exercise off the Australian coast…

“Asked by an academic in the audience whether he would make a nuclear attack on China next week if Trump ordered it, Swift replied: ‘The answer would be: Yes… Every member of the U.S. military has sworn an oath to defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic and to obey the officers and the president of the United States as commander and chief appointed over us…’”

This is the same flawed reasoning which was employed by German officers for obeying Hitler’s orders. Note our new StandingWatch program, “Obeying Trump to Launch Nuclear Strike?”.

Russia’s Retaliation Against the USA

The Guardian wrote on July 31:

“When it comes to diplomatic expulsions… the Russian move is so severe that… it is likely to paralyse the work of US diplomats in Russia… [Russia demands] that the Americans reduce their presence in Russia —the Moscow embassy, as well as consulates in St Petersburg, Ekaterinburg and Vladivostok – to a total of 455 people… Putin said on Sunday evening that the Russian order meant that 755 employees would have to ‘cease their work’…

“The cuts will be a huge challenge for the incoming US ambassador Jon Huntsman, who – if he is confirmed by the Senate – is expected to arrive in the Russian capital at the end of the summer…”

President Trump Signs Russia Sanctions Law

The EUObserver wrote on August 2:

“US leader Donald Trump has signed into life new Russia sanctions that put EU firms… at risk of fines. The president said in a note published the same day (2 August) that the sanctions bill was ‘significantly flawed’ because it undermined his ‘exclusive constitutional authority’ on foreign relations… The law… stops Trump, who is under suspicion of colluding with Russia to sway last year’s US election, from undoing Russia sanctions without a Congressional review… The bill was earlier backed by a huge majority in Congress meaning that Trump’s veto would likely have been overturned had he chosen to wield it…

“The EU has… threatened to react, with the European Commission having said last week that it would act within ‘days’ of the sanctions becoming law. Its options, as set out in a leaked internal memo, included trying to circumscribe US jurisdiction or imposing counter-sanctions on US firms.  Germany and Austria have also threatened retaliation because the fines could hit Austrian firm OMV and German firms Uniper and Wintershal, as well as French firm Engie and Anglo-Dutch firm Shell, for their role in Nord Stream II, Russia’s planned gas pipeline to Germany…”

Reuters added on August 2:

“New sanctions on Russia which U.S. President Donald Trump has signed into law are tantamount to a ‘full-scale trade war,’ Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday. Medvedev also said in a Facebook post that the sanctions showed the Trump administration was utterly powerless. ‘The hope that our relations with the new American administration would improve is finished,’ he wrote.”

The Washington Post wrote on July 29:

“Russia is now Washington’s greatest political foe… The Russian establishment has been angry with the West before but rarely so filled with contempt.

“Predictions for autumn are frank: economic war… One idea voiced by the Kremlin is to expand cooperation with Europe, and possibly with China, to counterbalance U.S. power. European leaders have expressed anger over the planned U.S. sanctions, saying they could backfire, dealing a blow to transatlantic efforts to curb Russian aggression against Ukraine and sparking a trade war between Europe and the United States…

“Meanwhile, dialogue between the countries is minimal… The impasse is total. Conflict is assured.”

Wherever America turns, it is facing conflict. God has clearly withdrawn His blessings from the USA.

Trump Helps King of Jordan in Opposition to Israel

The Jerusalem Post wrote on July 30:

“US President Donald Trump and Jordan’s King Abdullah II spoke by phone on Friday to discuss the Temple Mount crisis, with the king expressing his appreciation of Trump’s support and ‘the important role that the US administration played to help contain the Aksa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif crisis.’ ‘His Majesty also stressed the importance of intensifying coordination to avoid the recurrence of such crises and preserve the historical and legal status quo at al-Aksa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif,’ Amman said in a statement.

“The president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, spoke on the phone with Abdullah last weekend as the crisis was at its peak – when Israel was standing its ground on the implementation of new security measures on the holy plateau, as riots were raging in the streets and spreading to Arab capitals. Those measures have since been rescinded… President Trump also emphasized Jordan’s important role in regional security… Abdullah said, had a historical, political and legal role to play in stopping the ‘Judaization of holy sites.’ It was important, he said, for all parties to work together to ensure that the status quo on the Temple Mount was respected.

“Aside from the Temple Mount, Abdullah has had harsh words with regard to the July 23 incident in which an Israeli security guard at the embassy in Amman, killed a Jordanian teenager who attacked him with a screwdriver… Abdullah said Saturday that his government would work to ensure that justice was served. Two days earlier, he demanded that Israel put the security guard on trial. He was particularly upset that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had embraced the guard as a hero after his return to Israel… Protesters gathered near the Israeli Embassy in Amman on Friday to protest the incident, with scores chanting ‘Death to Israel‘ and calling for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador and scrapping of an unpopular peace treaty with Israel.”

The Trump administration’s “involvement” in the Middle East leads to a more and more adversarial position against Israel.

Lebanese Descendants of Canaanites?

Israel National News reported on July 29:

“A new genetic study proves the modern-day Lebanese are descendants of the ancient Canaanites (Phoenicians)… The Canaanites’ genetic material was found to be 93% similar to that of 99 modern Lebanese… In addition, the Bronze Age inhabitants of Sidon, a major Canaanite city-state in modern-day Lebanon, have the same genetic profile as people living 300 to 800 years earlier in present-day Jordan…

“Researcher Dr. Marc Haber of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute said, “The present-day Lebanese are likely to be direct descendants of the Canaanites, but they have in addition a small proportion of Eurasian ancestry that may have arrived via conquests by distant populations such as the Assyrians, Persians, or Macedonians.’ … When Lebanon was founded in 1929, the Christians said, ‘We are Phoenician.’ The Muslims didn’t accept that and they said, ‘No, we are Arab.’… Ancient Canaan occupied all of modern-day Lebanon.”

We are presenting this article for the reader’s information, without taking a definitive position on it. It is also believed that some Canaanites migrated to America and became known as belonging to some of the American Indians tribes.

Europe Retaliates Against UK

The Daily Mail wrote on August 1:

“British holidaymakers faced further travel misery today as security staff at Barcelona airport took industrial action causing long queues [with up to four hours waiting time] and missed flights. Staff at the El Prat airport were working to rule and deliberately taking the maximum of ten minutes to pass each passenger through security. The industrial action during peak holiday season has caused around 1,000 people to miss flights at the airport in the past few days, airline bosses said….

“Airports popular with British tourists, including Paris, Madrid and Lisbon, have seen queues stretching hundreds of yards as the stricter checks are imposed on entry and exit… British and Irish passengers have already faced long delays at other airports in Spain and around Europe because of tough new border controls.

“Last month the new EU controls – coupled with a lack of staff – caused Brits to miss flights out of Palma airport in Majorca. Passengers have been warned to expect queues of ‘hundreds of meters’ at airports including Madrid, Palma, Lisbon, Lyons, Paris Orly and Milan. The new rules, requiring checks on passengers from non-Schengen countries including the UK and Ireland, were introduced following terror attacks in Paris and Brussels.”

The Telegraph added on August 2:

“Ministers have been accused of ignoring warning over the passport chaos causing misery to British airline passengers as the busiest week of the holiday season approaches… The delays continued on Wednesday with some flights half-empty as a result, and there were separate problems for British Airways passengers flying out of the UK because of fresh problems with its check-in computers. Airlines UK, the industry body for British-registered carriers, said it had written to the Department of Transport in May warning ministers of trouble ahead. But it was only on Wednesday that Lord Callanan, the aviation minister, called his counterparts in the worst-affected countries to demand action.”

The State’s Dictatorial Oppression of Parents’ Rights

The website of undergroundjournalist.com wrote on July 29:

“It’s a case where a family in the U.K. was told their son was terminally ill and there was nothing that could be done to save his life; that was, until doctors in the U.S. thought they could save him with experimental treatment. Charlie’s parents wanted to do everything to save their baby so they raised the money to be able to bring him to the U.S. for that treatment. And that’s when things got ugly. The government told Charlie’s parents that they couldn’t take their own child from the U.K. to seek experimental treatment elsewhere.

“The case was brought to court and the courts refused to order the child be released into his parents’ custody, thus preventing him from receiving any of the care which was offered… What’s most disturbing about this case is that the State believes they know better than parents on what’s best for their own child. What’s even more disturbing is those on the left believe the same thing…

“In a piece for The Guardian entitled ‘Despite Charlie Gard’s Tragic Story, We Must Respect The Process Of Our Courts,’ UCL health professor, Ian Kennedy, expressed sympathy for the plight of Charlie, but ultimately justified it on the basis that ‘children do not belong to their parents.’… In other words, parents have no actual rights to make decisions for their children if the State doesn’t agree with those decisions…”

This is a horrible position for the British state and the courts to take, which is usually employed by hostile dictatorships.

“Saint Nicholas Back in Italy”

Zenit wrote on July 28:

“Today, Friday, July 28, 2017, a mixed Italian-Vatican delegation will bring back from St. Petersburg to Bari the relic of Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Mira, which has been exhibited for the veneration of Russian faithful since last May 21… Saint Nicholas is invoked by the faithful of different Christian Churches and denominations as Defender of the weakest and persecuted, and as Protector of girls, of sailors and of children. The universality of his devotion transforms the Paleo-Christian Saint into a true and proper ‘bridge between East and West,’ said Dominican Hyacinthe Destivelle, official of the Vatican Dicastery…

“Saint Nicholas is very popular in Russia… a good… third of churches are under his patronage and in all rooms there is his icon before which protection of the family is requested…

“For his part, the Archbishop of Bari-Bitonto, Monsignor Francesco Cacucci, who is also part of the delegation, welcomed an ‘ecumenism of the people‘ as being particularly significant. In his address on the arrival of the relic, the Russian Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow and All Russians, Cyril I spoke, in fact, about ‘an intervention open to Christian unity.’

“Saint Nicholas of Mira was born to a Christian family at Patara in Lycia around the year 270. Remaining an orphan after the plague, the future Saint, heir of a large patrimony, dedicated his fortune to good works. He was one of the 318 Bishops that condemned Arianism during the First Council of Nicea (325). After his death, perfumed oil or essence gushed from his tomb… After the fall of Mira to the Seljuk Turks, in 1087 an expedition of Bari businessmen took the Saint’s relics from his tomb and brought them to Puglia.”

The entire concept of Saint Nicholas, being the modern Santa Claus, is a hoax and an invention. It is doubtful whether a Saint Nicholas ever existed. We say the following in our free booklet, “Don’t Keep Christmas”:

“According to legend, there was a Catholic priest who allegedly gave gifts to children in December. This priest was supposedly the Bishop of Myra, and he was called ‘Nicholas.’ He reportedly died on December 6, 326 AD.  This is the ‘official’ explanation, as to why the ‘day of St. Nicholas’ is celebrated today on December 6. Many historians doubt, however, that there is any legitimacy to this legend. They even question whether such a priest ever existed.

“One record that was published under Pope Paul VI in 1969 raises doubts whether Nicholas was a saint or whether he was only a ‘legendary’ hero, if he even lived at all. Since 1969, the Catholic Church has left it to its followers to decide for themselves whether or not to worship Nicholas as a saint.

“On the other hand, it is a historical fact that pagans did worship a pagan god that shows great similarities with the modern Santa Claus. This pagan deity was the old Germanic god ‘Wodan.’ He was called ‘Odin’ in Scandinavia.  Wodan or Odin was a sun god. According to pagan belief, he gave his life for the world by ‘hanging on a tree’ or a cross for nine nights, after which he was ‘pierced by a spear.’

“… Earl W. Count, B.D., Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology, states in ‘4000 Years of Christmas,’ on pp. 11 and 54: ‘We do not really know when the Christ Child… was born; or the time and place when Christmas was first celebrated; or exactly how it was that, over the centuries, a bishop-saint of Asia Minor and a pagan god of the Germans merged to become Santa Claus… Of most interest to us, however, is the fact that Wodan [or Odin] has become – Santa Claus, or, as he is better called, St. Nicholas.’…

“In pagan legends… Santa Claus or St. Nicholas is accompanied by a servant, called ‘Knecht Ruprecht.’ In ‘The Pageantry of Christmas,’ published by the editors of Life magazine, we are told on page 62: ‘Knecht Ruprecht, the assistant to St. Nicholas, … was as capable of punishing as he was of rewarding, and the horns on his head reveal his demonic origin… He was also known as Black Peter.’”

Legends seldom die, and so the “Christian” world celebrates and idolizes Santa Claus, erroneously thinking that they are thereby honoring and worshipping a mysterious “saint.” Whatever the “relics” are which have been transferred from Russia to Italy, the collaboration between the two big “Christian” churches should remind us of the description of Babylon the Great in Revelation 17.

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.

Here are the verses in question:

“(Ephesians 4:11) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

“(Verse 12) for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

“(Verse 13) till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

“(Verse 14)  that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,

“(Verse 15)  but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—

“(Verse 16)  from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”

In analyzing these verses carefully, we find that verse 11 points out that it is Christ who gave or placed these ranks in the ministry—into His Body, the Church. These titles were not invented, decided or instituted by men, but by Christ, and we should have the faith and confidence that Christ knows what He is doing since He is the Head of the Body.

Also, men are not self-ordained into the ministry or to one of these offices, but they are ordained by other ministers. The process for ordination of ministers is outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-13, including the ordination of non-ministerial offices of deacon and deaconess.

Verse 12 explains the reason for these offices or ranks: It is for the equipping of the saints, to help the saints to be equipped with the whole armor of God, mentioned in Galatians 6:11-17, in order to overcome Satan’s attacks, and also for the edifying of the Body of Christ (the Church) to build it up and to encourage it; including the edification and sharpening of the ability to test the spirits.

Verse 13 shows us the purpose of this process: We all are to come to the unity (the same doctrinal beliefs), so that we are all on the same page. Notice that it says that we ALL come to that unity of faith–ALL, not just a few.

We are also to grow in the knowledge of the Son of God; that is, to know who and what God the Father and the Son of God are, and not to be confused by false doctrines about the Godhead like the doctrine of the Trinity or by the erroneous teaching that Christ was somehow fully God and fully man when on the earth. Rather, we are to understand the truth that He was fully man and gave up His divinity to become a man (Philippians 2:6-7). (Our booklet, Jesus Christ–a Great Mystery, goes into details about this fact.)

Verse 13 explains that we are to become more and more perfect, striving to attain the measure and the stature of Christ; that is, to have His mind in us (Philippians 2:5), as well as God the Father’s mind, as promised by Christ in John 14:23. We are to walk as He walked, according to His perfect example.

Verse 14 continues to show that we should be adults, mature in the knowledge of God and not be swayed by every wind of doctrine, distraction, conspiracy theory or so-called better understanding of certain aspects of the Bible, which may be twiggy—but  rather, we should stick to the trunk of the tree.  Hanging from a twig will offer little help when the winds of persecution and trials come, but hugging the trunk will preserve us.

Also notice, the winds of doctrine come from men and Satan, not from God. Trickery, cunning craftiness and deceitful plotting are characteristic of the adversary. They do not originate with God or Christ or His faithful and dedicated ministers.

Verse 15 shows that we are to speak the truth in love.  The truth is the Word of God, not some fanciful idea which does not square with Scripture. We must do it in love, with outgoing concern for those hearing the message, which makes it easier for them to assimilate and absorb it. The purpose is so that we may grow up, be adults, requiring meat and not just milk for our spiritual diet.

Verse 15 states that Christ is the Head of the Church. He is responsible for it, which does not mean we have no part in the process, but we are to follow Him as our Leader and we must not try to take over that responsibility.

Verse 16 explains that we are the members of that Body. The joints of a body supply movement; likewise, as God’s Church we must be moving forward in grace and knowledge, in truth and understanding.

Every part of the Body must do its share. If one is a little toe in the Body, then he or she must be the best little toe possible. We don’t all have the same functions in the Body but that does not mean that we cannot effectively do our part, regardless of how insignificant it seems.

The human body is a fully functional entity with all its systems working together. We have eleven systems in the body, including the circulatory, productive and nervous systems. Each system is working in harmony for the general well-being of the body as a whole.

We have five vital organs in the body, the heart and the liver being two of them. If we remove one or seriously damage it beyond repair, the body cannot survive. Each vital organ does its part and they are not in competition with one another. This is a good lesson for us to work in harmony.

We have a job to do as the Church or Body, and that is to preach the gospel to the world as a witness. We don’t all have the same function or responsibility, but we should work in harmony to that end (compare 1 Corinthians 12:12-31).

As Paul states, we are all part of the Body of Christ, but we are not all the same part, and each part is important and works in harmony with the other parts to achieve the goal set before us.

Regardless of how insignificant we may think we are, we all are important and we are all working towards the same goal, which includes the hope of achieving eternal life. In the process, we must be faithful servants.

White blood cells in the body may seem insignificant and we may not be able to see them, but they are vital for fighting infections and diseases. They are like a small army of soldiers fighting germs. If they all were to lay down their arms, as it were, the body would be subject to infections and diseases and would die in short order. White blood cells are small and out of sight, but are necessary for a person’s health.

Christ as the Head of the Church can also eradicate infections from His Body, the Church, through various means to keep the Church in a healthy condition.

Each member of the Body is a potential son or daughter of God, regardless of his or her responsibility within the Body, so let us never forget that fact. Each one of us is precious in God’s eyes.

Verse 16 states that the proper functioning of every part of the Body causes growth (spiritual growth). Growth can only occur while living and being actively engaged. It will edify the Body, which includes building it up in truth and knowledge, as we grow in those spiritual areas.

Verse 16 concludes that the edification of the Body must occur in love. This refers to the love of God. He gave up His Son to save the world, and part of our job as the Church, the Body of Christ, is to bring the message of salvation to this world.

Furthermore, we should be growing in grace and knowledge and true love, always remembering that no matter how small or seemingly insignificant we are, it is important that all the parts work smoothly and in harmony.

Christ is the living Head of the Church. As members and parts of the Body, we need to be healthy in order to accomplish our task given to us by God.

Lead Writer: Rene Messier (Canada)

compiled by Dave Harris

Norbert and Johanna Link, along with Margaret Adair, have safely returned home after traveling to visit brethren in Oregon, British Columbia and Colorado. We are very grateful for this time together—especially, since they will travel to Germany for the Feast of Tabernacles.

Here are the dates for the 2017 Fall Holy Days:

Feast of Trumpets—September 21
Day of Atonement—September 30
Feast of Tabernacles—October 5-11
Last Great Day—October 12

“Obeying Trump to Launch Nuclear Strike?” is the newest StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Adm. Scott Swift, the U.S. Pacific Fleet commander, said he would launch a nuclear attack against  a foreign country, if ordered by President Trump, stating that every member of the US military has sworn an oath to obey the Commander in Chief. This is the same reasoning which was employed by German officers for obeying Adolf Hitler. What is wrong with this rationale in the eyes of God and the Bible? Can a true Christian be a nationalist, defending his country, “whether right or wrong,” and fighting in his country’s wars?

“Der Baum der Erkenntnis des Guten und Bösen” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.”

“Are You an Overcomer?” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We must continue to overcome and to advance as we make progress in Christian living. This is a life-long battle—nothing short of a personal “world war”!

“What Does the Bible Say About Smoking?” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Why do people smoke? Do they do it because they love God, their neighbor or themselves? Or do people smoke to satisfy their selfish passions and desires? Is smoking sin? Is a Christian free to smoke? Does the Bible condemn smoking in no uncertain terms? How can one overcome their addiction to tobacco, mind-altering drugs and pot?

On July 29, 2017, Dave Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “Are You an Overcomer?” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “What Does the Bible Say About Smoking?”

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.

In my formative years I spent many summers in Orr, Minnesota. Some of my earliest memories during that time included fishing.  My biggest fishing concern as a child was keeping hold of the rod when something was on it and making sure worms were secured to my hook.

It is not always enough to simply throw a lure out and assume you will get a bite on retrieval.  Are you fishing in muddy or clear water, in cloudy or sunny conditions?  Are you in shallow weed banks or deep rocky ledges?

The environmental conditions in our physical or spiritual life must be considered with care.  Christ lived a balanced life and expects us to do the same.  He understood when to speak and when to remain silent, when to preach of the Father’s love and when to sternly correct.  Christ noted an extremely important aspect of this calling, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up the cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23).  We must act upon this command on a daily basis, continually professing godliness. But this should not lead us into an attitude that by merely spouting off Christian platitudes, we fulfill our commitment to God.

Christ saw four men fishing and knew they would fulfill His plans to do even more.  “And Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.’ So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him” (Luke 5:9-11). They proved their love for Christ by walking away from everything.  We prove our own commitment to God by doing the same in our daily lives. But we must not walk in this light of Truth unprepared.  Christ later told His disciples, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16).

Paul tailored his “fishing” to the mindset of those around him.  When speaking to the Athenians at the Areopagus (see Acts 17), he used the conditions around him to prove God’s Truth. Because God inspired Paul in this manner, some were called out of that pagan society.

We are warned that this Truth is precious, and how we profess this understanding to others should display that carefulness.  Christ stated, “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces” (Matthew 7:6). We can become better fishermen by taking the time to understand those around us—people before whom we are representatives of Jesus Christ. In doing so, we can be part of this glorious work of building the Family of God.

by Norbert Link

We are reporting on ongoing violence and turmoil in the Middle East and especially the Temple Mount, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iran; continue with terrorist activities in the Philippines and threats from North Korea; US sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea; and the danger of biological and chemical weapons in the hands of terrorists.

We continue with focusing on the coming parliamentary elections in Germany and the fact that Angela Merkel’s re-election might not be as assured as many may think. We report on the US Senate’s vote to permit a debate on repealing and replacing Obamacare; and on President Trump’s announcement not to allow transgender people in the military.

We conclude with an insightful article on why Putin’s Russia is so frightened about the Jehovah’s Witnesses. 

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

Violence on the Temple Mount

The Guardian wrote on July 23:

“Israelis and Palestinians braced for further confrontations in Jerusalem as death toll rises in wake of new security crackdown. Amid a mounting toll of deaths and injuries in the crisis, Israelis and Palestinians are braced for weeks of confrontation, as both sides appeared to dig in to their position… Israel has also began installing sophisticated security cameras at one of the entrances to the compound housing the al-Aqsa mosque, known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif and revered by Jews as the Temple Mount…

“The issue exploded into more serious violence on Friday, after days of night-time clashes after the metal detectors installation, which followed the attack on 14 July that killed two Israeli policemen at the entrance to the site by three Israeli Arabs who Israel says smuggled weapons into the compound.

“In clashes that have grown in intensity since mass protests on Friday, four Palestinians have been killed in confrontations with Israeli security forces, while a family of three Israeli settlers was stabbed to death by a Palestinian who entered their home in the West Bank citing the issues around the al-Aqsa mosque as his motive.

“The sheer scale of the risks involved was made clear on Sunday morning when the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas – who has long threatened to end security cooperation with Israel – cancelled a planned security meeting after announcing he was cutting all contacts…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 24:

“The death toll stemming from the Temple Mount crisis is continuing to grow. As both sides look for a solution, the conflict is taking on an increasingly religious dimension that could be difficult to control.

“Israel’s security cabinet early on Tuesday decided to remove metal detectors at the entrance to a sensitive Jerusalem holy site, after the new security measures unleashed a deadly round of unrest. A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it would replace the metal detectors with ‘a security inspection based on advanced technologies and other means.’… ‘What is happening is the beginning of the judaization of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which has been planned since the founding of Israel in 1948,’ wrote the popular Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds. For this reason the newspaper sees a connection between the current incidents and the visit to the Temple Mount by former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon in September 2000 – a move viewed by many Palestinians as a religious provocation…

“The crisis has led to an uproar in other parts of the world…”

Israel National News wrote on July 23:

“‘The Temple Mount is in our hands,’ [an Israeli governmental official] said, quoting the soldiers who liberated Jerusalem’s Old City during the Six Day War. ‘We will not cede sovereignty. The State of Israel is responsible for preserving law and order on the Temple Mount.’… Cabinet members authorized Israel Police to make any decisions necessary ‘to ensure safe and free access to holy places, while ensuring public safety and order’ on the Temple Mount.”

Israel will not give up sovereignty over the Temple Mount. In fact, very soon, a Temple will be built on the Temple Mount and sacrifices will be given there, which will set the region on fire.

More Violence in the Middle East

On July 21, Euronews published an article by Joschka Fischer, former German Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor:

“With the retaking of Mosul in northern Iraq, the so called Islamic State (ISIL) could soon be a thing of the past. But the defeat of ISIL and the demise of its self-proclaimed Iraqi-Syrian caliphate won’t bring peace to the Middle East, or even an end to the Syrian tragedy. Rather, it is likely to open a new chapter in the region’s bloody and chaotic history – one no less dangerous than the previous chapters since the fall of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I…

“Western powers are hardly blameless for the Middle East’s woes. Any mention of the Sykes-Picot Agreement, by which Great Britain and France partitioned the post-Ottoman territories, still incites such rage in the Arab world that it seems as if the plan, devised in secret in 1916, had been conceived only yesterday. Nor should we forget Czarist Russia’s role in the region. Following World War II, its successor, the Soviet Union, and its Cold War rival, the United States, began their multiple interventions.

“Indeed, the US may be the most significant contributor to today’s regional turmoil… America’s involvement in Afghanistan, too, has had profound repercussions for the Middle East. The US-backed insurgency of the 1980s, launched under the banner of jihad against the occupying Soviet Union, transformed two close American allies – Pakistan and Saudi Arabia – into strategic threats. This became clear on September 11, 2001, when it emerged that 15 of the 19 attackers sent by al-Qaeda were Saudi citizens. And it was Pakistan that created the Taliban, which provided al-Qaeda a haven for hatching its plots against the US and the West.

“The success of the first Gulf War, launched in January 1991 by President George H.W. Bush, was fatally undermined 12 years later by his son, President George W. Bush, whose own Gulf War caused a regional catastrophe that continues to this day. Whereas the senior Bush had pursued the limited objectives of liberating Kuwait and didn’t seek regime change in Iraq, his son’s aims were far more ambitious.

“The idea was to topple Saddam Hussein and bring about a democratic Iraq, which would catalyze comprehensive change throughout the Middle East and transform it into a democratic and pro-Western region. Within the younger Bush’s administration, imperial idealism prevailed over hardheaded realism, resulting in sustained destabilization of the Middle East as a whole and helping to place Iran in a position to expand its influence.

“After the Islamic State’s demise, the next chapter in the history of the Middle East will be determined by open, direct confrontation between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran for regional predominance. So far, this long-smoldering conflict has been pursued under cover and mostly by proxies. The two global powers active in the region have already clearly positioned themselves in this conflict, with the US siding with Saudi Arabia and Russia with Iran… And with Saudi Arabia and four Sunni allies imposing isolation on Qatar, in part owing to the Qatari’s’ close relations with Iran, this conflict has reached its first potential tipping point at the very center of the region, the Persian Gulf.

“Any direct military confrontation with Iran would, of course, set the region ablaze, greatly surpassing all previous Middle East wars. Moreover, with the fires in Syria still smoldering, and Iraq weakened by the sectarian struggle for power there, ISIS or some successor incarnation is likely to remain active. Another destabilizing factor is the reopening of the ‘Kurdish question.’ The Kurds – a people without a state – … want to use their new political and military clout to make progress toward autonomy, or even an independent state… the next chapter in the region’s history promises to be anything but peaceful… the US… cannot win a land war in the Middle East, despite its vastly superior military power. President Barack Obama sought to withdraw US forces from the region, which proved difficult to achieve both politically and militarily. That’s why he ruled out military intervention – even from the air – in the Syrian civil war, leaving a vacuum that Russia quickly filled, with all of the known consequences.

“Obama’s successor, Donald Trump… clearly faces a steep learning curve when it comes to the Middle East – a region that won’t wait for him to master it. There is no reason to be optimistic.”

Indeed, the Middle East is entering a phase of unparalleled violence and war, which the Bible describes as the “great tribulation.”

ISIS in the Philippines

USA Today wrote on July 25:

“The Islamic State, also known as ISIS, views the drawn-out battle as a major win at a time when it is being driven out of its base in Iraq and Syria, bringing greater attention to the Philippines and Southeast Asia as a new beachhead for extremists… While residents [in Mindanao] blame the extremists for the violence and chaos, many are also growing impatient with the military and its heavy airstrikes…

“The Philippine congress voted Saturday to extend martial law on Mindanao until the end of the year. President Rodrigo Duterte had declared martial law for 60 days when the fighting began…

“As ISIS loses ground in the Middle East, militants from around this region are moving their operations to Southeast Asia — primarily the Philippines, said Sidney Jones, director of Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict. ‘The idea that the Philippines is now the destination of choice rather than Syria has sunk in,’ she said. ‘That’s definite now.’

“Jones warned that the Philippine military is treading a thin line by using excessive force, because of its long history of taking a harsh stance against extremist groups in Mindanao. ‘One theme that was used to bring people on board to the ISIS message is the brutality of the security services,’ she said. ‘This was before even the airstrikes. So I think there’s got to be a serious re-think of how the Duterte administration responds to extremism. Because if they’re not careful, they’re going to be building a new generation of extremists, not eradicating the generation that’s there now.’”

Hawaii to Roll Out Plan on how to Deal with North Korean Nuke

The Star Advertiser reported on July 20:

“The public education and information campaign will emphasize steps to be taken on short notice, according to state officials, because a North Korean ICBM would arrive in just 20 minutes, leaving just 12 to 15 minutes to warn the populace… The plan… will include school students drilling for evacuation…

“The tourism industry is not at all happy with the arrival of the campaign, which it fears could spook tourists… But state officials say they want to get out ahead of North Korea’s goose-stepping march toward greater nuclear capability — even if it would be suicide for leader Kim Jong Un to launch missiles at the United States…”

With North Korea’s mad leader, anything seems to be imaginable. Note the next article.

North Korea and Iran vs. USA

Fox News reported on July 26:

“Two enemies of America are poised for upcoming rocket launches… with another North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile launch expected… and Iran on the verge of sending its own vehicle into space. Iran’s Simorgh space-launch vehicle is believed to be carrying a satellite, marking the second time in more than a year that Tehran has attempted to put an operational satellite into orbit…

“North Korea and Iran have long been accused of sharing missile technology… U.S. officials are skeptical, however, that North Korea and Iran are coordinating their rocket and missile launches.

“While Iran insists its space program is for peaceful purposes, officials have long said any components used to put a satellite into orbit can also be used for building an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the United States…”

New US Sanctions Against Russia Are Raising Concerns

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 26:

“The US House of Representatives on Tuesday overwhelmingly endorsed  [a] bill that places restrictions on President Donald Trump from loosening sanctions on Russia, a measure that could tie his hands as he seeks a reset in relations with Moscow. Lawmakers voted 419-3 to pass the legislation, which also imposes a new round of sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea. The legislation must now go to the Senate, where it is likely to pass before being sent to the president’s desk, possibly as early as August.

“The bill is a rare case of Republicans allying with Democrats against their own president, whose administration has been plagued by investigations into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. A key feature of the bill is a requirement for the president to seek permission from Congress before removing sanctions on Russia – an attempt to block any unilateral move to lift sanctions. The Trump administration is against the bill… Trump has not said whether he would veto the bill…

“Russia has warned against the new sanctions and their impact on relations with the US, but has said it would wait until the final wording of the bill is clear… Russia could retaliate against the United States by escalating or playing a spoiler role in any number of areas, ranging from Ukraine and Syria to Afghanistan and North Korea…

“The Russian bill has also raised concern with the European Union because it could result in fines and other measures against companies involved in the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project… It would also limit the access of European energy firms to US banks… The sanctions have particularly unnerved Germany and Austria, home of large energy companies that could be negatively impacted by the new bill. On Wednesday, German Foreign Ministry warned that Berlin ‘could not accept’ the US using sanctions against Russia as a tool of industrial policy…

“EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker warned of far-reaching consequences for transatlantic ties. ‘If our concerns are not taken into account sufficiently, we stand ready to act appropriately within a matter of days,’ he said in a statement… ‘America first cannot mean that Europe’s interests come last.’ Juncker added that the EU was  ‘raising its concerns via all diplomatic channels with the US and its counterparts.’”

Even though sanctions against Russia’s activities are highly appropriate, economic interests in Europe seem to be more important.

Chemical and Biological Weapons in the Hands of Terrorists

The Sun wrote on July 23:

“Black Death could once again wipe out millions in Britain if terrorists sprayed an antibiotic resistant form above a city… The plague killed a third of Europe’s population in the Middle Ages – but scientists and governments fear it could return. It comes after research papers were found hidden at Mosul University after the fall of ISIS detailing experimentation using chemical weapons on human beings… with ISIS imploding in Iraq and Syria it is feared the death cult could step-up any clandestine development and wreak revenge on the West.

“World Health Organisation researchers estimated releasing a 50 kg aerosol cloud of plague bacteria over a city the size of London and its surrounding areas could cause at least 300,000 to become infected with 72,000 perishing from the nightmarish disease. Meanwhile the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US believe plague is a major concern along with anthrax, smallpox, and viral fevers like Ebola and Marburg… health writer Eric Boodman writes: ‘After all, the bacteria were being used as weapons long before anyone even knew to call them bacteria. Plague-infected corpses were catapulted over walls. Venetians plotted to distill deadly liquid from swollen lymph nodes. Japanese planes sprinkled a rainfall of infected fleas. If those with nefarious motives and technical expertise wanted to weaponize the bacteria today, they could.”

This is a frightening scenario. The Bible shows that biological and chemical weapons will be used in addition to nuclear weapons, threatening the very survival of mankind.

Merkel’s Re-Election Not Assured

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 23:

“Social Democratic (SPD) candidate Martin Schulz… took aim at what is perhaps Merkel’s Achilles heel: her policy toward migrants from Muslim countries. ‘In 2015 more than 1 million refugees came to Germany, mostly without government monitoring,’ Schulz told Bild. ‘The chancellor opened our border with Austria for humanitarian reasons but unfortunately without consulting our partners in Europe. If we don’t act now, that situation could repeat itself.’

“Merkel has promised German voters that there will be no repeat of what happened two years ago when hundreds of thousands of people, many fleeing war-torn Syria, arrived in Germany. Numbers of migrants lessened last year but could well be set to rise again as people try to escape political uncertainty and economic hardship of places like Nigeria and Eritrea…

“Well over 70,000 migrants made the extremely risky Mediterranean crossing to Italy in the first half of this year, representing an increase over 2016 of more than 25 percent. Italy has asked other EU states for help in dealing with the new arrivals, but it has so far been rebuffed…

“At the height of the refugee crisis in 2015 and early 2016, Merkel and her conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) fell to historic lows in public opinion polls, with more than 80 percent of those asked saying they believed her government didn’t have control over the situation. Merkel and her party have since recovered and currently lead Schulz and the SPD by around 15 percentage points in opinion surveys…

“The greater threat could come from the right, where Merkel is considerably more liberal than the vast majority of conservatives in Germany and the rest of Europe…

“CSU chairman Horst Seehofer couldn’t resist calling out the chancellor on the issue. In an interview with Welt newspaper, Seehofer said ‘everybody knows’ that the ‘waves of migration will continue.’ Seehofer predicted that Merkel’s decision to open Germany’s borders would cost the CDU-CSU an absolute majority in September’s election and claimed that conservatives throughout Germany were coming round to the CSU’s position…

“The connection between refugee policy and the AfD cannot be dismissed. Germany’s right-wing populists made a quantum leap in the polls… All of this suggests that the upturn in the number of migrants to Germany this summer would benefit the AfD at the polls and possibly have an effect on Angela Merkel’s attempt to win a fourth term as chancellor….”

It will be interesting to see what will happen in September. From a prophetic standpoint, both Angela Merkel’s re-election and Martin Schulz’ election could lead to meaningful developments.

Senate Votes to Begin Debate on Repealing Obamacare

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 25:

“The United States Senate has voted to begin the process of repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare… The vote to begin the repeal process was deadlocked at 50-50, with all senate Democrats voting against the measure. Vice President Mike Pence cast the tie-breaking vote to push the debate towards a bill forward. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska were the only two Republican senators who did not vote yes on the measure…

“Republican senator John McCain of Arizona returned to an ovation as he cast his ‘yes’ vote after being diagnosed with cancer  last week…  ‘I know many of you will have to see the bill changed substantially to support it,’ McCain said, adding that he would not vote for the Republican health care plan ‘as it is today.’”

No Democrat voted for the measure. The future debate on Obamacare vs. Trumpcare will be interesting. To just repeal Obamacare without replacing it, which has been advocated by some, seems to be a ridiculous proposition. 

The New York Times reported on July 25:

“The Senate voted narrowly on Tuesday to begin debate on a bill to repeal major provisions of the Affordable Care Act, but hours later, Republican leaders suffered a setback when their most comprehensive plan to replace President Barack Obama’s health law fell far short of the votes it needed. The Tuesday night tally needed to reach 60 votes to overcome a parliamentary objection. Instead, it fell 43-57. The fact that the comprehensive replacement plan came up well short of even 50 votes was an ominous sign for Republican leaders still seeking a formula to pass final health care legislation….”

It is hoped that ALL Americans will finally be given an affordable and meaningful health-care bill, without the corrupt political bickering and self-serving special interest groups we are all used to. But this would be a miracle.

No Transgender People in the Military

The New York Times reported on July 25:

“President Trump announced on Wednesday that the United States will not ‘accept or allow’ transgender people in the United States military, saying American forces ‘must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory’ and could not afford to accommodate them…’ After consultation with my generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military,’ Mr. Trump wrote. ‘Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.’

“The sweeping policy decision reverses the gradual transformation of the military under President Barack Obama, whose administration announced last year that transgender people could serve openly in the military. Mr. Obama’s defense secretary, Ashton B. Carter, also opened all combat roles to women and appointed the first openly gay Army secretary…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 25:

“The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a non-profit and non-partisan rights advocacy organization, immediately launched a counter-series of Tweets… The Democratic leader in the Senate Nancy Pelosi (California) described Trump’s ban as ‘vile and hateful’ and a policy that would ‘weaken our military and the nation it defends.’… she also highlighted that on this same date in 1948, then US-President Harry Truman signed an executive order desegregating the US military – a ground-breaking move that helped usher in a era of civil rights legislation. ‘President Trump has shown his conduct is driven…by raw prejudice,’ the senator wrote…

“Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the Republican’s most senior woman in the House, also spoke out against Trump’s ban announcement. The Florida representative has a transgender son and has been a long-term Republican supporter of same-sex marriage…”

How individuals claiming to obey God and His Word can support the practice of transgender, homosexuality and same-sex marriages is hard to understand. Based on the Bible, President Trump’s decision is correct.

Why Russia Is Afraid of the Jehovah’s Witnesses

Business Insider wrote on July 23:

“Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the Trinity. For most Christians, God is a union of three persons… Instead, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus is distinct from God – not united as one person with him. The ‘Holy Spirit’ then refers to God’s active power. Such doctrines distinguish Jehovah’s Witnesses from mainline Christian denominations, all of which hold that God is ‘triune’ in nature…

“Their biblical interpretations and missionary work certainly have critics. But it is the political neutrality of the group that has attracted the most suspicion. Jehovah’s Witnesses accept the legitimate authority of government in many matters. For example, they pay taxes… But they do not vote in elections, serve in the military or salute the flag. Such acts, they believe, compromise their primary loyalty to God… Jehovah’s Witnesses have no political affiliations, and they renounce violence. However, they make an easy target for governments looking for internal enemies, as they refuse to bow down to government symbols. Many nationalists call them ‘enemies of the state.’ As a result, they have often suffered persecution throughout history in many parts of the world.

“Jehovah’s Witnesses were jailed as draft evaders in the US during both world wars. In a Supreme Court ruling in 1940, school districts were allowed to expel Jehovah’s Witnesses who refused to salute the American flag…  In Nazi Germany, Jehovah’s Witnesses were killed in concentration camps; a purple triangle was used by the Nazis to mark them. In the 1960s and ‘70’s, scores of African Jehovah’s Witnesses were slaughtered… for refusing to support dictator Hastings Banda. Many Witnesses fled to neighboring Mozambique, where they were held in internment camps.

“Now it is Russia. The Russian Supreme Court maintains that the country needs to be protected from disloyal religious fanatics. But given their commitment to God above all things, Jehovah’s Witnesses see themselves as being persecuted by those who value loyalty to country over any other principle… Many Jehovah’s Witnesses [pointed out that] April 20, the day the Russian Supreme Court first ruled against them, is also the birthday of Adolf  Hitler.  Their memories of persecution have not faded with time.”

Many of the “peculiar” teachings of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, which are mentioned in this article, are also held by many Sabbath-keeping Churches of God, which denounce violence and refuse to serve in the military or to vote in governmental elections. To be clear, the Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the divinity of Christ, which the Churches of God uphold, but both do not believe in the Holy Spirit being a Person. It should be clearly seen that totalitarian governments such as Russia will direct their persecution against those Church of God groups as well.

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.

In a previous Q&A, the question about whether Satan can influence us when we are asleep was answered.  It was proved that God would not allow His people to be subjected to such a situation.

And so, the next question to ask may be: “Where do our dreams come from?”

On the website: https://www.realsimple.com/health/mind-mood/dreams/facts-about-dreams/what-are-dreams we read about the process of dreaming:

“What Is a Dream, Anyway?

“A dream is a collection of images and ideas that occur involuntarily during certain periods of repose. When you first drift off, your heart rate slows, your temperature drops, and your brain is busy processing the day’s events. During this initial sleep stage, dreams are made up of flashes of thoughts and images from your waking life: what you ate for lunch, a phone call you made during the day, the movie you watched before bed. You rarely remember these dreams unless you wake up during them.

“After about 90 minutes, you fall into the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep, where vivid, often surreal dreams occur. The amygdala, the area of the brain responsible for processing emotions, and the hippocampus, the seat of memory, are both active, which is why REM dreams have a story like quality and are the ones you tend to remember the next day and recount to friends. If you get six to eight hours of sleep, you experience four to five REM periods of various lengths, all of which are dream filled (though you probably won’t remember most of them).”

The article then goes on to say that “they help you understand new experiences, prepare you for change, help you cope with trauma or loss and can facilitate learning.”

Most, if not all of us, can attest to the fact that we do dream, and regularly.  We have learned that God will not allow His people to be tested and tempted when we are asleep – a time when they are not in a position to defend their minds.  But that should not put us in a position where we don’t pray for the protection of our minds whilst we are asleep!

As we read above, our dreams are a combination of what is in our mind following experiences of the day, and of our lives so far. Before we were converted, we may have developed bad habits that have subsequently been difficult to dislodge but we understand that all of these have been recorded by our brain and are part of who and what we are.   Our thoughts, pre-conversion and post conversion, can have a dramatic effect on what happens in our minds when we are in the subconscious state of sleep.

In “Understanding Your Subconscious Mind,” Brian Tracy states: “Your subconscious mind is like a huge memory bank. Its capacity is virtually unlimited. It permanently stores everything that ever happens to you.

“By the time you reach the age of 21, you’ve already permanently stored more than one hundred times the contents of the entire Encyclopedia Britannica.

“Your unconscious memory is virtually perfect. It is your conscious recall that is suspect.

“The function of your subconscious mind is to store and retrieve data. Its job is to ensure that you respond exactly the way you are programmed. Your subconscious mind makes everything you say and do fit a pattern consistent with your self-concept, your ‘master program.’

“Your subconscious mind is subjective. It does not think or reason independently; it merely obeys the commands it receives from your conscious mind. Just as your conscious mind can be thought of as the gardener, planting seeds, your subconscious mind can be thought of as the garden, or fertile soil, in which the seeds germinate and grow.  Your conscious mind commands and your subconscious mind obeys.”

One well-known speaker, Jim Rohn, said: “Our thoughts shape our reality.  Our thoughts shape our beliefs.  Our thoughts decide whether we feel happy or sad, calm or anxious, content or unfulfilled.  So we must exercise caution towards what we allow to enter the door of our minds because it affects our thoughts.  And our thoughts are the engine that starts everything – and we do have a choice.”

We mustn’t become complacent just because Satan can’t attack us when we are asleep.  Put simply, for the purpose of this Q&A, we have to be careful about our thoughts.   Whatever we think about and allow into our minds can surface in dreams at a later time.

We read in 1 Peter 1:13-14 in the NIV translation: “Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.  As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.”

We should regularly pray for the protection of our minds whilst we are asleep. Satan may not be able to affect us at this time but the way we live our lives, and what we say and do, can certainly impact on what we dream about. We are warned in Ephesians 4:26-27 that we should not let the sun go down on our wrath and not to go to bed with an angry attitude, nor give place to the devil. Satan cannot directly influence us when we sleep, but evil and bad thoughts, which were recorded by the brain, may lead to unpleasant dreams.

In Isaiah 26:3 we read that: “You (God) will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.”

In the first two verses of the chapter we read about safety which is the result of faith in God, and it reflects on the mindset of those who are focused on God through trust in Him. One writer, Oswald Chambers, penned these words when speaking about the subject of our minds being stayed on God:

“Your mind is the greatest gift God has given you and it ought to be devoted entirely to Him.  You should seek to be ‘bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…’ (2 Corinthians 10:5). This will be one of the greatest assets of your faith when a time of trial comes, because then your faith and the Spirit of God will work together.”

One good comparison would be with our computers   There are many versions of different anti-virus protection which can protect our computer and all of our information.   If we didn’t take steps to protect our information, we could be open to hackers who could do serious damage.   Satan and his demons work in a similar way.   They will do everything they can, particularly to members of the true Church of God, to influence and affect us in a way that will dent our chances of making it into the Kingdom of God.   As we need protection for our computers, we need protection for our minds from the evil forces that do anything they can to derail us.   And our protection can only come from God.   He will help us to be careful what we let into our minds which can adversely affect us and it is essential that we don’t just carelessly allow wrong thoughts and ideas into our minds which can then surface in any dreams that we may have.

We have to be fully aware at all times about our carnal mind and nature: “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be” (Romans 8:7).   Later, in the same letter, we read: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).   We must not be part of this society and its ways, and our minds are an integral part of our Godly Way of Life.

In 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 the apostle Paul discusses spiritual wisdom, showing that the “natural man does not receive the things of God.”   Verse 16 should apply to us: “‘For who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?’  But we have the mind of Christ.”   With the mind of Christ, we will only let good and wholesome thoughts into our minds and, if and when these are included in our dreams, we can be assured that our dreams will not distress us or cause us any spiritual concerns.   However, probably all of us are still working on our relationship with God and have yet to arrive at the place where we should be and, therefore, any wrong thoughts could easily become part of our dreams; in addition, our brain has stored memories and thoughts which might have happened a long time ago, but which might come to the surface now.  That is why we do need to ask for the protection of our minds when we are asleep.

We are instructed not to be involved with those with a wrong attitude and approach: “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself” (1 Timothy 6:3-5).

In 2 Timothy 1:13-14 (New RSV) we read: “Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.”  We have to guard the truth given to us with help from the Holy Spirit and have to have the mind of Christ as it states in Philippians 2:5: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”   That is the mind that we need, and must have.

In Ephesians 4:17 we read: “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind.”   We are not to have that approach and a few verses later in the New Living Translation of verses 22-23, we read: “… throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.  Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.”

That’s the key – to let the Holy Spirit of God help us in all things and in renewing our thoughts and attitudes. Then, our minds will be protected when we are sleeping. This is the only way to live!

We read in Romans 8:5-6:  “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”   This clearly shows the difference of mindset and the direction in which we must go.

How we live, what we think, say and do, and what we allow into our minds will reveal to God how seriously we take our calling.   Keeping our minds on the things of God and not of this world will enable us to live a life pleasing to our great God.

We know that Joel 2:28-29 gives us a view of times to come: “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.  And also on My menservants and, on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”   However, that time is yet to come when dreams will mean something.

But for now, as we haven’t yet achieved perfection, there will be some failings along the way, but asking God in prayer to protect our minds while we are asleep will continue to be necessary.   Satan and his demons are not allowed to influence us when we are sleeping. However, let us not cause problems for ourselves by giving way to wrong thoughts and actions that could be reflected in our dreams.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

Norbert and Johanna Link, along with Margaret Adair, are traveling to visit some of the brethren. This coming weekend, they will be in Fort Collins, Colorado.

“Was Sagt die Bibel über Rauchen und ‘Kiffen?‘ (Teil 2),” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link.  Title in English: “What Does the Bible Say about Smoking and Pot?” (Part 2).

“A Willing Attitude is a Winning Attitude,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Joe Bourque, is now posted.

“Alcoholism in the Bible,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

What does the Bible say about alcoholism and alcohol addiction? Do we understand the physical and spiritual dangers which could prevent us from entering the Kingdom of God? Are there any particular admonitions and prohibitions for those in religious and political authority, ministers and church members? Are you addicted to alcohol? How much may be too much?

On July 22, 2017, Joe Bourque will present the sermonette, titled, “A Willing Attitude is a Winning Attitude,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Alcoholism in the Bible.”

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.

Roads are important as they lead us from one place to another, and there are many types of roads with different purposes and conditions.  We depend on roads to travel on daily, to get us from here to there.  But with all the roads that we count to reach our destination, how are we doing on our spiritual road?  We chose to go down a specific road, a road that will hopefully lead us in the right direction.  This is no ordinary road but one that contains many hazardous conditions—perhaps some detours and delays—and it is not an easy road to travel. Only a SELECT FEW will travel on this road.

Matthew 7:13-14 starts off by giving us a choice – we can either select the narrow way or the wide way.  When we have reached a fork in the road, which one do we take?  To put it into perspective, one road looks more appealing than the other, at first glance. The “left” road looks very attractive, tempting, enticing, and the majority would choose to take it full speed ahead, but they fail to see the trap that is set before them as it will ultimately lead to a dead end.  The road on the “right” looks less appealing, not to mention incredibly narrow requiring a considerable uphill effort as far as the physical eye can see, which may fail to realize where the road ends – far from death.  What choice will we make?  Many will choose the “left” way, but we must choose the “right” way.  Remember how Lot chose wrongly when he saw how “appealing” Sodom and Gomorrah looked in Genesis 13?

Focusing on our own road and the challenges we must go through to travel on it, we can see that, on occasion, the road can be quite hazardous and we need to be cautious at all times, pay attention by not letting distractions get in the way, watch what we are doing, and watch out for what lies ahead so we are prepared.  To elaborate on this analogy, there may be times when we may come across a road block.  This happens quite often where we face a condition in our path and get stuck, but it is only a delay. As a result, we need to find an alternate route, such as a detour, which still leads in the right direction.  We have to be careful that we don’t drift off course, meaning we must obey the signs and not try to put matters into our own hands, like finding a short cut that could lead us right into a “lake” if we’re not careful. We must realize our mistakes, as we are still human, and get back on track and find the connector that leads us right back onto the main road we are traveling.

The road of the world is difficult to avoid, that road on the “left,” as it will from time to time travel parallel with our road, and we have to make sure that it does not intersect, giving us an easy pathway to enter the wrong way!  There will be many opportunities and temptations along the way—wrong signs that we must ignore and warning signs that we must heed—if we want to reach our final destination.  We must be aware of U-turns as we are traveling on a one-way street.  We need to avoid going back into the world as we have come out of it.

Isaiah 35:8 talks about this road in the future, the road that we are presently on, which will become a Highway of Holiness—a road to Jerusalem, to Christ—and the time will come when everyone will have that chance to travel that road. The New American Standard Bible translates it as: “A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it.”  The unclean shall not pass over it, referring to those who choose not to be clean, who do not want to go the Way of Christ, but it shall be for others – those who want to live righteously, those who were blind and now can see, who were deaf and now can hear.

This is why we have chosen this road. We are still traveling on it and we will eventually reach our final destination and enter the narrow gate IF we remain focused, fruitful and faithful (Luke 13:24).

by Norbert Link

We begin with North Korean threats and its ugly conduct in collaboration with its secret “allies,” including Russia and China; report on an apparent terrorist attack on German tourists in Egypt and a terrorist attack on the Temple Mount, while pointing out hostile reactions from Arabs and an abominable session of the Jordanian Parliament.

We continue with Israel’s objections to the “cease-fire” agreement between Russia and the USA pertaining to Syria amidst fears of Iranian ambitions in the area; and we report on Russia’s persecution of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, its desire to play a hostile and threatening role in the Mediterranean, much to the chagrin of Europe; and the creation of “Little Russia” in Ukraine (Please view our new StandingWatch program, “Is Russia a Threat to the West?”).

We speak on setbacks of President Trump’s new Muslim travel ban and of the revised proposed GOP healthcare law, and its effect on the dollar; and we address President Trump’s planned visit to Great Britain. We also speak on genetically engineered hyper-muscular super-dogs and the potential consequences for humans.

We conclude with reports on the Catholic Church, citing a condemnatory Vatican-approved article against America’s religious fundamentalism, including certain ones in the White House, Evangelicals and American Catholics, and some puzzling comments by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.

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

Threat from North Korea

Deutsche Welle reported on July 15:

“Thermal images of North Korea’s main nuclear plant suggest that Pyongyang has reprocessed more weapons-grade plutonium than previously thought. The information, which comes from 38 North, a Washington-based think tank connected to Johns Hopkins University, likely means that the North can expand its nuclear weapons stockpile more rapidly than has been estimated up to now…

“Experts at 38 North estimated in April that North Korea could have as many as 20 nuclear bombs and could produce one more each month.”

North Koreans Work as Slave Laborers in Russia, China and Elsewhere

Fox News wrote on July 14:

“Brutal North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is shipping tens of thousands of impoverished citizens to Russia for the hard currency his cash-strapped regime desperately needs… Alarmed human rights groups say the North Korea workers in Russia are little more than slaves, subjected to everything from cruel and violent acts to ruthless exploitation at the hands of corrupt officials, while being forced to turn over large chunks of their pay to the North Korean government… A report issued earlier this year… estimates that about 50,000 North Korean laborers are working low-paying jobs in Russia. They send at least $120 million every year to the regime in Pyongyang…

“The U.S. State Department issued a report on human trafficking last month that concluded that North Korean workers in Russia had been subjected to ‘exploitative labor conditions characteristic of trafficking cases such as withholding of identity documents, non-payment for services rendered, physical abuse, lack of safety measures, or extremely poor living conditions.’…

“North Korean laborers work in other countries besides Russia. China uses large numbers of them, and Qatar has North Korean laborers helping build its World Cup stadium…”

We have not yet heard the last word from North Korea and its collaboration with countries such as Russia and China.

Speeding Towards World War Three

Express wrote on July 17:

“A joint US and Australian operation has seen the launch of a multi-million pound hypersonic missile capable of travelling at almost 13,000 kmh. The successful launch from a remote rocket range near Woomera, in South Australia, helped staunch fears that China and Russia were racing ahead in a new hypersonic arms race, and concerns over increasingly hostile missile tests by North Korea.

“The incredible speed would theoretically take a hypersonic glider from London to Australia in a little over one hour…

“Just weeks ago, in May, members of US Congress raised concerns that the US was trailing behind Russia and China in the development of hypersonic weapons capabilities… Some experts fear once the technology is perfected, other nations will use them for nuclear warheads, and then the US will be forced to follow suit…

“There are fears [North Korea] could now even have the capability to fire a missile that could reach the US, potentially sparking World War 3…”

Attacks on German Tourists in Egypt

Deutsche Welle reported on July 15:

“A knife attack at the popular Red Sea resort of Hurghada in Egypt has left two German citizens dead and four other holidaymakers wounded… the alleged attacker, a 28-year-old university graduate from the Nile Delta province of Kafr el-Sheikh, shouted during the attack: ‘Stay away, I don’t want Egyptians.’ Although there has been no claim of responsibility yet, a source close to the investigation has told dpa news agency that the alleged attacker ‘communicated with [the self-proclaimed “Islamic State” (IS) group] via internet and was given the task of attacking foreign tourists on Hurghada beaches’ by the extremist militia.

“The attack is likely to affect Egypt’s tourism industry, which has already been suffering in the wake of the 2011 uprising against former President Hosni Mubarak and subsequent years of political turmoil. Terrorist attacks in the Sinai Peninsula have weakened the sector even more, such as the Russian airline blast in 2015 that killed 224 passengers or the recent ‘Islamic state’ (IS) attack which killed more than 20 Egyptian soldiers near the city of Rafah…

“Many countries, including Germany, have issued travel warnings to Egypt in general and the Sinai Peninsula in particular. According to Israel’s Counter-Terrorism Bureau, there is ‘a very concrete threat’ of a terrorist attack in Sinai – the highest among five threat levels. The German Foreign Ministry stresses the ‘risk of terrorist attacks’ as well as abduction in the country, adding that traveling to Egypt including the tourism hotspots of the Red Sea should be done ‘with caution.’”

Ultimately, Egypt will be invaded by a European army under German control.

Violence on the Temple Mount

The Times of Israel wrote on July 14:

“Two police officers were killed in the shooting, which took place just outside the Temple Mount. The terrorists, three Arab Israelis, fled back to the holy site where they were shot dead after an exchange of fire with police…”

In a related article, The Times of Israel wrote on July 14:

“The trio, aged 19, 20 and 30, managed to stay under the radar of Israeli intelligence. They were able to strike without warning, and once again to fatally jar the exposed nerves of Israelis as regards the country’s Arab citizens… As Israelis, they carried blue identity cards, and were able to gain free access to the Temple Mount… In the Arab sector… weapons are readily available — either stolen from the IDF, or home produced.

“They selected the most resonant site, on the most resonant day of the week: The Temple Mount complex, on the day of Friday prayers… They knew that a shooting attack at the most incendiary spot in the Middle East would be likely to prompt a major escalation. They anticipated that a shooting spree at the Temple Mount compound, which would end with their deaths too, would gain massive media coverage — and knew that previous such incidents had set in motion a still more bloody chain of events… Friday’s trio… intended to set the Middle East ablaze.”

Jerusalem’s Holy Site Reopened… but Concerns Persist

Fox News and The Associated Press reported on July 16:

“Hundreds of Muslim worshippers visited a Jerusalem holy site Sunday after Israel reopened the compound following a rare closure in response to a deadly shooting last week that raised concerns about wider unrest. For the first time in decades, Israel closed the site — known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount — on Friday…

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that following consultations with security officials the site would be reopened Sunday afternoon with increased security measures that included metal detectors at the entrance gates and additional security cameras… Israel did not coordinate the changes with Jordan, which serves as the custodian of the Muslim-administered site… Jordan’s stance is that anything installed at the site must be approved by the Waqf, or Muslim administration, and cannot change the status quo… The Palestinian Minister of Jerusalem Adnan Husseini called for the security arrangements to return to how they were before the deadly attack, saying it ‘shouldn’t be an excuse for making changes.’…

“Gaza’s Hamas rulers called the act a ‘religious war’ and urged Palestinians to carry out more attacks… In the past two years, Palestinians have killed 45 Israelis, two visiting Americans and a British tourist in stabbings, shootings and car-ramming attacks. During that period, Israeli forces have killed more than 255 Palestinians, most of them said by Israel to be attackers while others were killed in clashes with Israeli forces…”

With hate-filled Arabs as Israel’s enemies, there will never be any peace in the Middle East prior to Christ’s return.

Now… Temple Mount Closed to Jewish Visitors

JTA wrote on July 19:

“Police closed the Temple Mount to Jewish visitors after a group of Jews began praying at the site in violation of the rules there. Jerusalem District Commander Yoram Halevy ordered the closure on Wednesday over the Jewish group’s ‘violating the rules of conduct that apply to the holy site,’ according to Israel Police. The Jewish visitors brought prayer books to the site, Haaretz reported. One was warned not to use the book, and after a second took out one, the group was expelled…”

Jerusalem—Israel’s Undivided Capital

Israel National News reported on July 19:

“A law which would limit the government’s ability to divide the capital in any future final status agreement with the Palestinian Authority was approved in its first vote Wednesday afternoon. The Jerusalem Law… would require a supermajority of two-thirds of the entire Knesset, or 80 MKs, to approve any partition of the city…

“Jerusalem Affairs Minister Zeev Elkin praised Wednesday’s vote, saying the law would protect ‘Jerusalem’s status as the united capital of Israel, and make it very difficult for anyone in the future who would dare to divide it.’”

Jordanian Parliament Praises Terrorists

Times of Israel reported on July 16:

“The Jordanian parliament on Sunday praised the terrorists who carried out a shooting attack at the Temple Mount that killed two Israeli police officers, less than a day after King Abdullah II condemned the attack. The parliament also criticized Israel for closing the Temple Mount, known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary)…

“‘May the mercy of Allah be upon our martyrs who sowed and watered the pure land,’ said Parliament Speaker Atef Tarawneh. ‘We will raise our heads through the sacrifice of the young Palestinians who are still fighting in the name of the nation.’…

“Tarawneh blamed Israel for the attack, claiming that the ‘occupation’ of Jerusalem and the West Bank justified the killing. ‘The damage caused by the Israeli occupation to the holiest sites in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa are the reason for the continued resistance, we will not bow to oppression or tyranny,’ he said. ‘Israel’s continued and serious crimes that it commits are the reason for lighting the fire of revenge in the hearts of the generation who still receive hatred of the occupation as their inheritance.’

“The parliament… called on the international community to force Israel to end the ‘occupation and protect Palestinian rights.’ The parliament stood as a prayer was recited for the souls of the ‘martyrs’ who carried out the terror attack.”

This is such abominable conduct by the Jordanian Parliament.

Cease Fire in Syria–Netanyahu Opposes Trump

The Times of Israel wrote on July 16:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said he opposes the deal brokered by the United States and Russia that led to an open-ended ceasefire in southern Syria, saying it does not sufficiently address Iranian military ambitions in the area.

“Placing himself at odds with US President Donald Trump on the issue, Netanyahu told journalists in Paris that the agreement perpetuates Iranian plans to set up a disruptive long-term presence on Israel’s northern border, something he has repeatedly vowed that the Jewish state won’t tolerate… ‘Israel is aware of Iran’s expansionist goals in Syria,’ a statement from Netanyahu’s office said… The prime minister said that while the plan aims to keep Iran 20 kilometers (12 miles) away from the Israeli border, it did not address Iran’s plans to cement its presence in Syria, which, he said, included the establishment of a naval and air force bases…

“Also on Sunday, a senior Israeli official strongly condemned the deal, calling it ‘very bad’ and saying it did not take into account Israeli security concerns, the Haaretz daily reported…

“Ceasefires have repeatedly collapsed in Syria’s six-year-old civil war, and it’s not clear if this one will last… Israel has repeatedly said it will not allow Iran to set up a permanent presence in Syria. Israel has carried out a number of airstrikes in Syria against suspected shipments of ‘game-changing’ weapons bound for Hezbollah…”

Israel against most of the rest of the world?

“Russian Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses”

The Associated Press and Newsmax reported on July 17:

“Russia’s Supreme Court has rejected an appeal of its nationwide ban on the Jehovah’s Witnesses religious denomination. The court’s appeals chamber has upheld the April approval of the Russian Justice Ministry’s call to halt Jehovah’s Witnesses activities and to declare it an extremist organization.

“The rejection of the religious group’s appeal allows Russia to liquidate the 395 Jehovah’s Witnesses congregations and seize their property. The group claims about 170,000 adherents in Russia.

“Jehovah’s Witnesses spokesman David Semonian said in a statement that ‘it’s very concerning that despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, powerful elements within Russia continue to frame our organization as extremist.’ Viktor Zhenkov, a Russian attorney for the group, said Monday’s ruling would be appealed to the European Court of Human Rights…”

It is expected that the Russian government will ignore any verdict in favor of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Religious Freedom Ended in Russia

BBC News wrote on July 17:

 “The group’s Russia spokesman, Yaroslav Sivulsky, said that ‘religious freedom in Russia is over’. ‘There were no real facts of any extremism on part of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It’s all about bad literature and intolerance. Now anyone who studies the Bible can be jailed,’ he said, quoted by Newsweek magazine.

“One pamphlet distributed by the group quoted the novelist Leo Tolstoy as describing the doctrine of the Russian Orthodox Church as superstition and sorcery… Human rights group Sova has argued that an ‘official repressive campaign’ has been conducted against the movement for years and many of their members have been physically attacked.”

Newsmax wrote on July 18:

“Religious life in Russia is dominated by the Orthodox Church, which exerts considerable political influence and enjoys the support of President Vladimir Putin. Some Orthodox scholars view Jehovah’s Witnesses as a ‘totalitarian sect’.”

It seems rather obvious that the Russian Orthodox Church, in collaboration with Vladimir Putin, had their hands in this persecution. Russia’s abominable decision is met with little opposition from “Christian” countries all over the world, as traditional “Christian” churches do not consider the Jehovah’s Witnesses as a mainstream Christian denomination. Western leaders seem to be suspiciously silent on the matter. A shocking testimony of cowardice, if not worse. Please view our new StandingWatch program, “Is Russia a Threat to the West?”.

Russia—a Threat to the West

Newsweek wrote on July 15:

“Russia’s support for the Syrian government in its war against jihadists and other insurgents has given Moscow a newfound military foothold in the Mediterranean… For years, Russia and NATO have been engaged in an international arms race, the likes of which have not been seen since the Cold War, and each side accuses the other of pushing the limits of peace among the world’s leading military powers. By coming to the rescue of an old ally in the Middle East, Russia may have secured a new, strategic entrance to the heavily contested theater of Europe…

“Russia… is looking west. It’s contributed extensive naval resources, including 15 warships from its Black Sea Fleet, toward developing a Permanent Mediterranean Task Force as of July 5. The ships are based out of the coastal Syrian city of Tartous, where Moscow secured permission from Damascus to establish a naval base for nearly the next half a century. Russian warships and a submarine in the Mediterranean have already fired advanced, supersonic Kalibr cruise missiles against ISIS positions in Syria. The same nuclear-capable weapons could soon easily be in range of NATO targets as well, if they aren’t already.

“It may not end with Syria, either. Russia’s special forces have already reportedly been spotted in Egypt, potentially courting Libyan military leader Khalifa Hifter, who has become increasingly influential politically over his war-torn nation. Yemen… could also serve as a venue for Russian military ventures where the U.S. and its allies have significantly struggled to achieve their own objectives. As Russia and NATO’s rivalry plays out in the Baltics and other parts of Europe, the latter may find itself caught off guard by an expanding Russian sphere of influence reminiscent of Moscow’s Soviet legacy…”

Europe will not be caught off guard but is keenly aware of the situation. Finding itself in the middle between two competing military world powers, it sees no other alternative than to become a mighty military power itself.

“Little Russia: Ukraine Separatists Proclaim New State”

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 18:

“Rebel forces in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday announced that they plan to hold a referendum calling for the creation of a new state known as Malorossiya, which translates as ‘Little Russia.’… rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko said that the new state would aspire to include not only the areas under insurgent control, but also the rest of Ukraine… while the capital would be moved from Kiev to the insurgent bastion of Donetsk. Kiev would be reduced to a ‘historical and cultural center.’

“The self-proclaimed authorities in Donetsk have repeatedly expressed their intentions to join Russia. The Kremlin, however, has stopped short of annexing the area and denies to have propped up rebel groups with military support, despite overwhelming evidence suggesting otherwise…

“The German government decried the proposal for a new state as ‘completely unacceptable.’…

“The 2015 Minsk accord,  a ceasefire deal brokered by Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France, has hit a wall with clashes continuing along the frontlines. All sides have called for a restart in talks but progress continues to stall. Ukraine’s envoy for negotiations with the rebels, Yevgen Marchuk, told local media that Tuesday’s announcement ‘could block the negotiations entirely.'”

Euractiv and Reuters reported on July 18:

“Three former rebel leaders told Reuters in May that a top aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin decides how the pro-Moscow administration of eastern Ukraine is run and who gets what jobs there, challenging Kremlin denials that it calls the shots in the region.”

The big question is: Will Russia intervene militarily in Ukraine? Many observers believe so.

Finland Prepares for Russian Invasion

Express wrote on July 16:

“AN UNDERGROUND city is being prepared for habitation in case Russia invades Europe during a military exercise… Nato allies fear President Vladimir Putin’s true intentions leading to ‘serious doubts Moscow is revealing the true extent of its military exercises’. It has now been revealed Finnish soldiers are carrying out training to deal with a mass evacuation.

“A Helsinki City Planning document states the tunnels, which date back to the 60s will be ready when needed. It states: ‘The Underground Master Plan contains 40 new areas reserved as rock resources and 100 new space allocations for future rock construction… Approximately 9 million cubic metres, consisting of about 400 separate facilities or tunnels, have already been built under the city…’

“Much of the underground network is open to the public, and contains facilities such as swimming pools, ice hockey rinks and car parks. In June Finland agreed protocols which meant it would call on NATO to help defend it in the event of an invasion.”

A European Finance Minister and the German Engine

Euronews reported on July 13:

“Germany’s Angela Merkel has opened the door to having a Eurozone finance minister. She made the comment during a joint press conference on Thursday with French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris after a joint Franco-German cabinet meeting… The two leaders announced plans to build a joint fighter jet, with a roadmap planned for mid-2018, as part of a drive to cement their countries’ cooperation and strengthen the European Union… Singling out cyber-security the two leaders vowed to deepen European integration on defence, counter-terrorism and immigration…

“The German Chancellor was questioned about Macron’s ideas for greater integration in the Eurozone… On his proposal for a single finance minister, parliament and budget, Merkel said she agreed in principle… Both leaders showed they were keen to revive the traditional German ‘engine’ within the EU…”

Grandparents and Other Close Relatives Must Be Exempt from Trump’s Travel Ban

The Week wrote on July 14:

“The Supreme Court last month ruled that the Trump administration could start enforcing the [travel] ban [against certain Muslim countries]… but not against people with ‘a credible claim of a bona fide relationship’ with someone in the U.S. The administration said it would make exceptions for spouses, parents, parents-in-law, children, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, fiancés, and siblings of people already in the country.

“U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson [from Hawaii] said in his decision that the list was too narrow, and that grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, and other close relatives should be added. ‘Common sense, for instance, dictates that close family members be defined to include grandparents,’ he wrote. ‘Indeed, grandparents are the epitome of close family members. The government’s definition excludes them. That simply cannot be.'”

The judge is right, of course, but more importantly, the entire Muslim travel ban is deeply disturbing and morally wrong, as it includes refugees who are threatened with death in their radical home countries. Terrible memories of America’s objectionable indifference towards Jewish refugees in World War II come to mind, thereby having become culpable, to an extent, for the murder of millions of Jews by Nazi criminals. Is America repeating now its past mistakes?

Another Setback for Proposed GOP Healthcare Law

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 16:

“Republicans’ push to pass a sweeping new health-care law experienced another setback, as Senate leaders announced they would delay a long-promised vote after Sen. John McCain underwent an unexpected surgery Friday.

“President Donald Trump and GOP leaders in Congress were hoping the Senate would vote this week on a plan to overturn parts of the 2010 Affordable Care Act and make other changes to the health system, including deep cuts to the Medicaid program. But Saturday’s announcement that Mr. McCain was recovering from a surgery to remove a blood clot from above his left eye put those plans in doubt, leaving Republican leaders short of the votes they need to move ahead with the bill.

“Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) can’t afford more than two defections among the 52 GOP senators… Two senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky, have said they can’t support the bill, but for different reasons. Others have yet to commit—meaning just one more defection would derail the bill. Mr. McCain’s absence means GOP leaders are short of the votes this week for a procedural motion vote to begin consideration of the bill…

“Ms. Collins… said that eight to 10 Republicans had ‘deep concerns’ about the bill… Some GOP senators with a high profile in their states are weighing whether to be guided by the appeals for party unity if the health-care bill is unpopular among their constituents…

“Mr. Trump has at times advocated forcefully for the health-care legislation, even though he vowed repeatedly during the campaign that there would be no changes to the Medicaid program. He made an aggressive push when the House struggled with similar divisions and found itself initially unable to pass a bill earlier this year. He is now seeking to maintain a policy-oriented focus amid new allegations almost daily about Russian interference in the 2016 election… The difficulty for many Republicans is that supporting the bill or opposing it both carry political risk.”

Repeal Dead—Obamacare Remains Law of the Land

The Associated Press wrote on July 17:

“The latest GOP effort to repeal and replace ‘Obamacare’ was fatally wounded in the Senate Monday night when two more Republican senators announced their opposition to legislation strongly backed by President Donald Trump. The announcements from Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Jerry Moran of Kansas left the Republican Party’s long-promised efforts to get rid of President Barack Obama’s health care legislation reeling. Next steps, if any, were not immediately clear…

“McConnell is now at least two votes short in the closely divided Senate and may have to go back to the drawing board or even begin to negotiate with Democrats, a prospect he’s threatened but resisted so far… It was the second straight failure for McConnell, who had to cancel a vote on an earlier version of the bill last month when defeat became inevitable.

“Trump had kept his distance from the Senate process, but Monday night’s development was a major blow for him, too, as the president failed to rally support for what has been the GOP’s trademark issue for seven years…”

Newsmax added on July 17:

“That dooms one of the GOP’s top priorities to a humiliating, self-inflicted defeat…”

The Washington Post wrote on July 18:

“Hours after GOP leaders abandoned a bill to overhaul the law known as Obamacare, their fallback plan — a proposal to repeal major parts of the law without replacing them — quickly collapsed. A trio of moderate Republicans quashed the idea, saying it would irresponsibly snatch insurance coverage from millions of Americans… Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)… said he would nonetheless schedule a vote ‘early next week’ on the repeal plan. But he appeared to acknowledge that it seemed doomed…

“Trump told reporters… that he now plans to ‘let Obamacare fail…’ That way, he said, his party would bear no political responsibility for the system’s collapse…”

What a mess. A “political” success seems to be much more important to far too many involved players than an uncompromising willingness to stand up for what is right and true and fair and godly.

“Setback for Trump Agenda Leaves Dollar Stranded”

Reuters wrote on July 17:

“The dollar fell to a 10-month low on Tuesday, bearing the brunt of a selloff triggered by another setback to U.S. President Donald Trump’s agenda and scaled-back expectations for another rate hike at Federal Reserve this year. The announcement overnight that two Republican senators would not support the latest version of the healthcare bill… fed into a belief that Trump’s tax cuts and spending plans will come to nought…

“‘The reform momentum of the Trump administration has received another blow,’ said strategists at Morgan Stanley led by Hans Redeker, in a note to clients… ‘Clearly anything that comes along at the moment just corroborates the market’s negative attitude on the dollar,’ said Neil Mellor, senior FX strategist with Bank of New York Mellon in London.”

“Trump Certifying Iran Deal for 2nd Time Despite Slamming It”

JTA wrote on July 18:

“The Trump administration again recertified the Iran nuclear deal and pledged to strengthen its enforcement. The decision to recertify the deal Monday followed delays caused by President Donald Trump, who said during campaigning for the presidency that the agreement reached in 2015 by the Obama administration was the worst he had ever seen. The deal must be recertified every 90 days.

“Trump advisers… persuaded him to recertify… administration officials said they would toughen enforcement of the deal. A similar pledge was made at the last recertification three months ago; what tougher enforcement means precisely is not clear….”

Newsmax wrote on July 17:

“Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton wrote in The Hill that Trump is making a mistake by certifying the deal, as the evidence is clear Iran is violating the agreement… Bolton also said, since there is no chance of changing the Iranian deal, because Teheran would never agree to that, the U.S. should withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.”

Candidate Trump declared it was a disastrous and dangerous agreement and promised time and again that he would annul the deal.

Most Americans Reject Donald Trump

The Daily Mail wrote on July 17:

“Seven out of 10 Americans believe Donald Trump’s behavior in office has been ‘unpresidential,’ and his Twitter binges aren’t swinging things in his favor. That stunning number is coupled with an astonishingly low 36 per cent overall approval rating, the worst recorded in 70 years. And more than half of Americans – 57 per cent – say the more they hear about Trump, the less they like him.”

Donald Trump Won’t Visit Britain Unless the People Like Him

The Sun wrote on July 16:

“[The] US President warns he will not visit until he can guarantee a good reception and pleas with Theresa May to help influence public… And he warned he won’t set foot here until the public start liking him.

“The US President made his shameless plea in a private conversation with Theresa May to plan his state visit — now postponed until next year. Two million people signed a petition calling for Mr Trump’s proposed trip to be axed. A transcript of the chat, seen by senior diplomats, reveals his touchiness.

“Mr Trump says: ‘I haven’t had great coverage out there lately, Theresa.’

“She replies awkwardly: ‘Well, you know what the British press are like.’

“He replies: ‘I still want to come, but I’m in no rush. So, if you can fix it for me, it would make things a lot easier. When I know I’m going to get a better reception, I’ll come and not before.’

“A source said: ‘He seemed to think the PM would be able to smooth the path for him to get a warm welcome. But she tried to explain she has no power to dictate how newspapers and media might decide to cover his visit. After all, we are not North Korea. He said he would not agree [to] a date until people support him coming.’”

“Downing Street would not comment.”

We have no comments, either.

Coming—Armies of Super-Humans?

Express wrote on July 15:

“ARMIES of SUPER-SOLDIERS were a step closer to reality today after China announced it was genetically engineering hyper-muscular SUPER-DOGS…

“Now the Chinese success has led to fears the same technology could be used to create weaponised super-humans – typifed in Marvel Comics by Captain America and his foes… An army of super-humans has been a staple of science fiction and superhero comics for decades – but the super-dog technology brings it closer to reality.”

This may not be as far-fetched as it may seem at first sight.

Vatican Accuses American Evangelicals and Roman Catholics of Being Close to Islamist Fundamentalism  

The Associated Press and NBC News reported on July 15:

“A close confidant of Pope Francis, writing Thursday in a Vatican-approved magazine, has condemned those within American presidential administrations who espouse the ideology of ‘Christian fundamentalism’ — naming White House chief strategist Steve Bannon as a proponent of such ‘apocalyptic geopolitics.’ In a damning article, the Rev. Antonio Spadaro, editor of the influential Jesuit journal La Civilità Cattolica, also took aim at conservative religious support for President Donald Trump, accusing activists of promoting a ‘xenophobic and Islamophobic vision that wants walls and purifying deportations.’…

“In a story entitled, ‘Evangelical Fundamentalism and Catholic Integralism: A Surprising Ecumenism,’ Spadaro criticized the way some American evangelicals and their Roman Catholic supporters mix religion and politics, saying they demonized opponents and promoted a ‘theocratic type of state.’ He added that their vision was ‘not too far apart’ from Islamic fundamentalism.

“The article — which was co-written by a Presbyterian pastor, the Rev. Marcelo Figueroa, who is editor of the Argentine edition of the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano — was published just days after evangelical leaders met Trump in the Oval Office and laid their hands on him in prayer… Last month the head of the Vatican’s Academy of Sciences said Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris accords would be a ‘slap in the face for the Vatican.’

“Articles in La Civilità Cattolica are read by the Vatican Secretariat of State before they are published. Under Francis, who is a Jesuit, the publication has become something of an ‘authoritative’ outlet for the Vatican, although it is not an official mouthpiece of the papacy… The political alliance between Catholics and American Protestants that is at the heart of Spadaro’s article emerged in the late 20th century… Spadaro said this relationship has ‘gradually radicalized,’ dividing the world into only good and evil and promoting division and hatred.

“The reverend specifically criticized the Catholic American media organization ChurchMilitant.com. Spadaro said the media outlet framed the presidential election as a ‘spiritual war’ and Trump’s ascent to the presidency as ‘a divine election.’…”

The Bible shows that a military and religious Europe will attack the USA. The condemnation of religious fundamentalism in the USA—including Evangelicals and American Catholics—must be seen in this light as well.

Catholic Church on the Verge of Capsizing?

Breitbart wrote on July 16:

“The Catholic Church is a boat ‘on the verge of capsizing,’ said Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in a personal message for the funeral Mass of his close friend, Cardinal Joachim Meisner on Saturday. Given his inability to travel, the usually silent retired Pope delivered the message in writing, and had it read aloud in the Cologne Cathedral…In the text, Benedict said that Cardinal Meisner… ‘learned to let go and to live out of a deep conviction that the Lord does not abandon His Church, even when the boat has taken on so much water as to be on the verge of capsizing.’

“Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI turned 90 years old on Easter Sunday, after which he gave a rare birthday speech inside the Vatican expressing his thanksgiving to God for the gift of life… Benedict… retired as pope on Feb. 28, 2013, the first pontiff to do so in 600 years…”

One wonders what role, if any, former Pope Benedict might still play or may be playing on the world scene.

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.

Here is the verse: “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”

This misunderstood verse has been repeatedly quoted to prove that people “go to heaven” when they die. But is that really what happens? Does the Bible state anywhere that heaven is the reward of the saved? Is anyone—especially the righteous who have died—in heaven with God and Jesus Christ right now?

Let’s consider some facts—unmistakable statements from the Word of God which prove that no person has ascended to heaven except Jesus Christ. That includes the apostle Paul, who died almost two millennia ago!

Following His resurrection (which was to spirit life), it is recorded that Jesus was taken to heaven—to be with God:

“Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven’” (Acts 1:9-11; also: verse 22).

(Note that Jesus will RETURN to the earth—He won’t stay in heaven, and that has tremendous bearing for understanding the fate of people after death!)

Not long after the establishment of the Church on the Day of Pentecost, persecution arose, and Stephen was martyred. As his life was about to end, he saw a vision, and it is testimony to the fact that Jesus Christ was at the right hand of God:

“But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’” (Acts 7:55-56; also: 2:33).

Consider what Peter preached with God’s inspiration about King David:

“‘Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day’” (Acts 2:29).

And to make it perfectly clear, Peter continues in his preaching, saying, “‘For David did not ascend into the heavens…’” (Acts 2:34).

But David knew that he would live again, writing:

“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness” (Psalm 17:15).

Hundreds of years after David had died, God inspired His prophets to write about that time when David would indeed awaken from death:

“‘But they shall serve the LORD their God, And David their king, Whom I will raise up for them’” (Jeremiah 30:9; also: Ezekiel 34:23-24; 37:24-25).

These references about David’s future resurrection to rule over Israel are about a time when he will have been given ETERNAL LIFE in the Kingdom of God. Other righteous individuals are also mentioned in the same future sense—as Jesus clearly revealed:

“‘And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew 8:11).

To His disciples, Jesus said:

“… ‘Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel’” (Matthew 19:28).

It is vital to understand the time frame when these and other righteous men and women (compare Hebrews 11) will be “present with the Lord.” Paul never taught that people would die and immediately “go to heaven.” In fact, he showed that not everyone would return to life at the same time:

“But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:20-26).

Here are more details about the resurrection of the “firstfruits”:

“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17).

Now understand—these teachings by Paul unequivocally show that the firstfruits will only be “present with the Lord” following their resurrection or, as Paul reveals in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, their change to immortality.

However, this only accounts for a tiny part of humanity—there are countless billions of people who have lived and died and most of whom never even knew about God the Father or Jesus Christ. Revelation 20, verse 5, reveals that “the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.” This explains in a little more detail about those who will be brought back from death to physical life at a time following the first resurrection (note that the first resurrection is a change to immortal life).

Do you grasp the unarguable proof contained in these Scriptures that no human being has yet “gone to be with the Lord”?

Paul clearly understood and taught that he would only be “present with the Lord” in the future Kingdom of God:

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” ( 2 Timothy 4:6-8).

The Bible reveals that God has given man a spirit component (Job 32:8). It is not self-aware and has no consciousness; it does not “live” on when a person dies, but it does retain a copy of all that constitutes each individual. Solomon wrote that “the dead know nothing” (Ecclesiastes 9:5). But he adds this remarkable statement:

“Then the dust (that is, the person) will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7).

While a person is dead, he or she has no consciousness. Death is compared with a dreamless sleep in the Bible. When a person is brought back to life, it appears to him or her that only a split second has passed since death. That is the reason why Paul said that he wanted to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. In the resurrection to eternal life, he will be “absent” from his physical temporary body, because he will receive a spiritual immortal body. In his mind, that “transformation” will occur in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52), and then he will indeed be always present with the Lord (compare again 1 Thessalonians 4:17).

It is God’s plan to give all people a chance to be with Him and with Jesus Christ in their Kingdom for eternity—in the new heaven and the new earth (compare Revelation 21 and 22).

That opportunity begins when He opens our minds to understand!

Lead Writer: Dave Harris

compiled by Dave Harris

Norbert and Johanna Link, along with Margaret Adair, are traveling to visit some of the brethren. During this time Mr. Link will present the sermon on July 22, 2017, in Woodburn, Oregon, and in Fort Collins, Colorado, on July 29, 2017.

A new Member Letter (July 2017) has been written and mailed to our subscribers. In this letter, Norbert Link writes about the distinction between patriotism and nationalism and the implications for Christians.

“Is Russia a Threat to the West?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The answer to this question is an unequivocal “Yes.” We address some of the many frightening Russian activities, both internationally and domestically. Russia, under Vladimir Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church, is a military and religious dictatorship. In this program, we are especially focusing on Syria, the Mediterranean, Ukraine, North Korea and Russia’s ongoing persecution of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and show how the world is speeding towards nuclear World War III.

“Was Sagt die Bibel über Rauchen und “Kiffen?” (Teil 1),” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “What Does the Bible Say about Smoking and Pot?” (Part 1).

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

Building enough strength to endure the trials in this world takes more work than any person can handle alone. The job of a Christian involves actively encouraging and building up one another so that we all can succeed.

“A Pattern That Binds,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Robb Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We are influenced by two opposing forces, good and evil. God has set forth His absolute truth and given us the choice to to either choose eternal life or total annihilation.