On July 15, 2017, Eric Rank will present the sermonette, titled, “Edify,” and Robb Harris will present the sermon, titled, “A Pattern that Binds.”

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

We find in the book of Revelation a statement in regard to perseverance. In Revelation 3:10, Christ is quoted as telling the Church in Philadelphia: “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”

Other translations word it in this way:

“Because thou didst keep the word of my endurance, I also will keep thee from the hour of the trial that is about to come upon all the world, to try those dwelling upon the earth” (Young’s Literal Translation).

“Because you have obeyed my command to endure, I will keep you from the hour of testing that is coming to the whole world to test those living on the earth” (International Standard Version).

Notice, this is not just a suggestion, but rather a command.

The definition of “persevere” is to “continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with little or no prospect of success.” For example, we may read that “his family persevered with his treatment.”

Synonyms for “persevere” are “persist, continue, carry on, go on, keep on, keep going, struggle on, hammer away, be persistent, be determined, see/follow something through, keep at it, press on/ahead, not take no for an answer, be tenacious, stand one’s ground, stand fast/firm, hold on, go the distance, stay the course, plod on, stop at nothing, leave no stone unturned.”

This important character trait must be active at the current time. We must be tenacious so that we can obtain what God has destined for us—eternal life in His Kingdom as His sons and daughters.

It is also emphasized that we need to persevere so that we can be protected from the great tribulation which shall come upon the whole earth.

It is not just a matter of hanging on to our dear physical life in a state of fear, but rather being engaged in the process of preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God to this world, even as we face more and more pressure from misguided governments, increased persecution and even martyrdom for some of God’s children.

The end of this present evil age will not come until our commission has been accomplished, according to God’s evaluation. Matthew 24:14 tells us: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

In the meantime, we are strongly admonished to put our shoulders to the plow with perseverance, to bring us to that point in time when the Kingdom can be established under a just and equitable rulership.

Let us ensure to persevere to that end.

by Norbert Link

In the section, we begin with extensive reports on the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, and the appalling violence committed by anarchists. We show the unparalleled disagreements and disharmony between the USA and the rest of the world. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled “G 20—Weak America Replaced by Strong Europe.” 

We report on a very recent odd prayer meeting for and with President Trump and the ongoing scandal involving his son’s controversial contact with a dubious Russian attorney during last year’s presidential campaign.

We continue with reports on the recapture of Iraq’s Mosul and the premature declaration that the days of ISIS are numbered; the transfer of German troops and supply airlines from Turkey to Jordan; and the fight over Hebron. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “The Man of Sin in the Temple of God.” We also address corruption and bribery scandals in Israel and Brazil in high places.

We report on a crazy decision in Canada; the Pope’s evaluation of America’s and Russia’s world views; “eradicated” diseases which can easily be brought back; and scientific temperature “adjustments” to support man-made global warming.

We conclude with a revealing article about the consumption of coffee, debunking some unsubstantiated myths.

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

The G-20 Summit—What Is It?

The Telegraph wrote on July 8:

“The G20 is made up of the world’s leading industrialised and emerging economies. The Group of 20 accounts for 85 per cent of world GDP and two-thirds of its population. Much of the summit’s most important business takes place on the sidelines and in informal meetings… UK, US, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, Italy, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Australia, South Africa, South Korea, Japan, China, India, Brazil, Argentina and Russia are… part of the club. A representative from the EU is also involved…

“The first G20 summit of world leaders was held in Washington in 2008, hosted by President George W. Bush, as countries coordinated a response to the global financial meltdown… Many believe the G20’s failure to deliver on many past pledges raises questions about the credibility of future promises.”

During the latest summit, not too many unanimous promises were made in the first place, due to the resistance of the USA, as the next articles will show.

G-20 Summit—Disagreements between USA and the Rest of the World

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 8:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel didn’t mince words on Saturday when talking about the results of the G-20 summit in Hamburg… She said that the disagreement with the U.S. was clearly stated in the [summit’s closing] declaration. She also said she doesn’t share the belief of some that the U.S. will ultimately return to the Paris climate agreement… adding that the closing declaration clearly enunciates the dissent between the U.S. and the other 19 members of the G-20…”

Remarkable Scale of Disharmony

The Mercury News wrote on July 8:

“President Donald Trump and other world leaders on Saturday emerged from two days of talks unable to resolve key differences on core issues such as climate change and globalization, slapping an exclamation point on a divisive summit that left other nations fearing for the future of global alliances in the Trump era. The scale of disharmony was remarkable… European leaders said that a chasm has opened between the United States and the rest of the world…

“The divisions were most bitter on climate change, where 19 leaders formed a unified front against Trump. But even in areas of nominal compromise, such as trade, top European leaders said they have little faith that an agreement forged today could hold tomorrow.”

The Distance Has Widened

AFP wrote on July 8:

“… the distance between the US leader and America’s long-standing partners has widened with his climate-sceptic opinions and ‘America First’ policy. The growing rift has turned this year’s G20 summit… into one of the stormiest in the forum’s history.”

The relationship between the USA under President Trump and Europe is deteriorating. Very soon, a strong leader will arise in Europe to stand up to American nationalism and protectionism, while introducing European nationalism in response. The results will be catastrophic for the entire world.

Europe—We Could Respond to Trump with Arms within Days

The Washington Post wrote on July 7:

“The growing international isolation of the United States under President Trump was starkly apparent Friday as the leaders of major world economies mounted a nearly united opposition front against Washington on issues ranging from climate to free trade… there were tough clashes with the United States and even talk of a possible transatlantic trade war…

“In one of the most consequential decisions of his young administration, Trump could… impose the restrictions on steel, a move that could affect trade with more than a dozen major countries. ‘We will respond with countermeasures if need be, hoping that this is not actually necessary,” European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told reporters, adding figuratively: ‘We are prepared to take up arms if need be.’ Juncker warned that Europe would respond in days, not months, if Trump announces the restrictions.

“The comments made for a remarkable display of disharmony as the gathering got underway. They also were a reflection of how European officials not only do not fear Trump but also see much to gain from opposing him. Trump is deeply unpopular in Europe, and politicians here can get a boost when they emphasize their differences…”

Even though Juncker’s comments might have been figurative now, they will become brutal reality in the near future.

Trump Mocked over Cyber Unit With Russia Plan

The Week wrote on July 9:

“President Trump sent out a string of tweets Sunday morning reflecting on the G-20 summit and specifically his first face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He recounted ‘strongly press[ing] President Putin twice about Russian meddling in our election’ before arguing ‘it is time to move forward in working constructively with Russia’ by ‘forming an impenetrable Cyber Security unit’ with Moscow to prevent election hacking…

“Following his morning tweet, Trump was mocked by Democrats and Republicans alike, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who said on Meet the Press it was ‘not the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard – but it’s pretty close,’ and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who told CNN’s State of the Union he thought the U.S. ‘might as well mail our ballot boxes to Moscow.’ [Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) tweeted that working ‘with Putin on a “Cyber Security Unit” is akin to partnering with Assad on a “Chemical Weapons Unit”‘.] After dealing with jokes at his expense all day, Trump broached the topic again on Sunday night, this time backtracking from what he said 13 hours earlier [stating that it might not happen or may not work].”

President Trump had to realize very quickly that his cozying up to Vladimir Putin is deeply unpopular in the USA, including among many of his supporters.

Trump Loses Badly Against Putin

The EUObserver wrote on July 11:

“The meeting between US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit, which took place on 7-8 July in Hamburg, confirmed the expected naivete of the American president… The fact that Trump and Putin discussed the Russian meddling into the US presidential election, and that Trump accepted Putin’s claims at face value that Russia was not involved is sad and naive.

“This is doubly so as all US security and intelligence agencies repeatedly confirm the exact opposite of what their Denier-in-Chief publicly tweets, while his inner circle is being investigated because of their Russian connections.

“I did not know whether to laugh or cry when Trump and Putin announced they wanted to set up a cyber security unit, so that election-tampering cybercrimes were ‘under control’. The image this idea brought to my mind was of creating an anti-burglary working group with a burglar who had just cleared out your house.

“But at least this farce will not create any real damage – except turning the US administration into a laughing stock and damaging the US’ global image – as the message from Trump is clear: Feel free to attack us, nothing will happen to you if you deny it nicely and with a smile.

“The real damage was done a bit later in the meeting, when Trump agreed to Putin’s ‘demand’ that the two countries will not interfere in each other’s affairs. Donald Trump has thus equated Russian election manipulations and repeated attacks on the US democratic system with a long-standing cornerstone of US policy, to support democracy and the rule of law around the world – especially in places where there is little of both.

“The Kremlin is undoubtedly excited about this result, as it allows it to claim that the growing civil unrest in Russia was caused by American meddling in Russian domestic affairs and not by the ever worsening economic and political situation in Russia. But many authoritarian politicians in Central Europe will be excited too, as they have built their career on fear-mongering and fighting an imaginary enemy labelled interchangeably as Washington, Brussels or Berlin.

“After Trump shot down free trade from the agenda, limited US involvement around the world, and refused to fight climate change he chose to kill the US support for democracy-building in countries where simply asking for a free election may land you in jail. And he did not even get anything in return for this enormous concession to Putin…

“There are far too many red flags raised by the Trump administration.

“To name only a few: making deals with Russia on Syria while cutting Europe out of the discussion; dithering about the validity of Nato’s mutual defence clause (Article 5) and transatlantic defence cooperation; closing the US to international trade and trying to dismantle the Paris agreement on climate change.

“All this means we need to work together, not only as the European Union, but also by engaging with other European countries to make sure they are not left behind… A few years ago I would not have expected myself to say that the EU is the leader of the West… [Trump] has done what Vladimir Putin’s threats have failed to do – unite us and make us focus on the future as we push forward in closer integration, defence and security cooperation, as well as forging trade deals that strengthen our economies.”

Again, we find that Europeans want to take their fate in their own hands, while deeply distrusting America’s reliability and Donald Trump’s competency.

Violence in Germany— Debacle for Merkel?

AFP wrote on July 8:

“The violent clashes in Hamburg meant that US First Lady Melania Trump was unable to join fellow leaders’ spouses on a tour of Hamburg harbour, while the car tyres of the Canadian delegation were slashed. Militants torched cars, smashed windows and broke up paving slabs to throw stones at riot police who resorted to water cannon and tear gas as helicopters buzzed overhead…

“… the influential Bild daily slammed Merkel in a stinging editorial, calling the summit a ‘debacle’ for the chancellor ahead of elections in September. ‘Of course the police did all it could. But the street belonged to the mob. The feeling of general security that the state must guarantee has ceased to exist in Hamburg over the last 48 hours,’ Bild thundered.”

AFP wrote on July 10:

“Nearly 500 police officers were injured in clashes with protesters during the G20 summit… after fresh riots broke out overnight. Violence continued to rage after G20 leaders returned home Saturday, with far-left protesters setting fire to a number of vehicles into the early morning hours, police said. Demonstrators gathered after the close of the summit in the Schanzen district, a stronghold for radicals which was the site of multiple confrontations since Thursday. Armed with glass bottles and targeting vehicles, many of which they set on fire, the rioters were pushed back by officers, using water cannon and tear gas…

“Earlier President Frank-Walter Steinmeier surveyed the damage and visited wounded officers in hospital with Hamburg Mayor Olaf Scholz, saying he was ‘shocked and dismayed’ by the ‘will to destroy shown by demonstrators against police and private citizens’ property’.

“… The explosion of violence at the meeting had sparked pointed questions over how Hamburg could descend into ‘mob rule’ and why Chancellor Angela Merkel chose a hotbed of leftist militancy as the venue. Hamburg, a vibrant port city, is a citadel of anti-capitalist radicals and authorities had long been bracing for possible violence on the sidelines of the summit.

“… The German police officers’ union GdP on Friday hit out at so-called black bloc anarchists, accusing them of ‘hijacking peaceful demonstrations by tens of thousands of people to deliberately attack’ police.”

The debate will continue, and it might have some influence on the September election.

Praying for the President

The Daily Mail wrote on July 12:

“Evangelical pastor Rodney Howard-Browne led a prayer circle alongside his wife Adonica in the White House [laying their hands on Donald Trump’s back] and then shared the image on Facebook…

“Mr Howard-Browne… wrote: ‘Yesterday I was asked by Pastor [and Trump’s “spiritual advisor”] Paula White-Cain to pray over our 45th President – what a humbling moment standing in the Oval Office – laying hands and praying for our President – Supernatural Wisdom, Guidance and Protection – who could ever even imagine – wow – we are going to see another great spiritual awakening.’

“Mr Howard-Browne’s teachings on the concept of ‘holy laughter‘ – an outpouring of joy caused by the Holy Spirit – helped to inspire the Toronto Blessing, which many believe to be an instance of mass blessing which took place in 1994.

“President Trump put his Christian faith at the front and center of his campaign for the presidency, and made a particular point of appealing to evangelicals… It was Trump’s positioning of himself as a defender of the faith – at one point vowing ‘to protect Christianity’ – that saw him ultimately defeat Ted Cruz to become the Republican nominee.

“And this latest image attracted a lot of support on social media.

“Writing on the Facebook post, Melinda S. Wiley wrote: ‘Thank you Jesus! Cover Your President Lord! Anoint him and fill him with the Holy Spirit for Your will to be done! Hallelujah! Thank you Abba!’

“Tammie Rogers added: ‘Praise God fill him Jesus with your spirit keep your hands on him. It’s time we have a president that puts America first and belief in the almighty God the one that can change everything…’

“But not everyone was convinced by the show of faith.

“Kenneth Averell said: ‘Lord help us all. How anyone sees Trump as the savior of the evangelicals is beyond me. Doesn’t have a Christian bone in his body. Doesn’t attend church. Multiple divorces. Adultery. Literally about every single commandment he’s broken. We’re all sinners, but c’mon, the evangelical right is choosing this guy to lead their ‘spiritual awakening’?”

IF there is a “spiritual awakening” in America, it most certainly will not be an awakening to the God of the Bible and His commandments. What we are observing is a belief in a totally false version of true Christianity with all its wrong doctrines and practices—taught by the fallen woman, Babylon the Great.

Category 5 Hurricane… White House in Chaos

The Washington Post wrote on July 11:

“The White House has been thrust into chaos after days of ever-worsening revelations about a meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and a lawyer characterized as representing the Russian government, as the president fumes against his enemies and senior aides circle each other with suspicion…  President Trump — who has been hidden from public view since returning last weekend from a divisive international summit — is enraged that the Russia cloud still hangs over his presidency and is exasperated that his eldest son and namesake has become engulfed by it…

“The disclosure that Trump Jr. met with a Russian attorney, believing he would receive incriminating information about Hillary Clinton as part of the Kremlin’s effort to boost his father’s candidacy, has set back the administration’s faltering agenda and rattled the senior leadership team. Even supporters of Trump Jr. who believe he faces no legal repercussions privately acknowledged Tuesday that the story is a public relations disaster — for him as well as for the White House. One outside ally called it a ‘Category 5 hurricane’… Even Vice President Pence sought to distance himself from the controversy, with his spokesman noting that Trump Jr.’s meeting occurred before Pence joined the ticket…”

Deutsche Welle added on July 11:

“In a televised interview on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump’s eldest son denied a meeting with a Russian lawyer during the 2016 election campaign had yielded potentially explosive information about Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton… Hours earlier, Trump Jr. released an email thread [but only after he had been informed that the New York Times had the full story and was about to publish it] that showed him discussing an offer to receive damaging material on Clinton…

“… The emails are the first documentary evidence disclosed showing that a Trump family member was willing to accept a meeting with a Russian government source in order to help Trump score favorably in the 2016 election. The private meeting, first reported by the New York Times, is just one of the many threads in a deepening scandal surrounding Trump’s road to the White House. Several Congressional and FBI investigations are looking into whether Trump’s entourage colluded with Moscow to influence the outcome of last November’s presidential vote…”

Then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also attended the meeting. 

The Week added on July 13:

“Last month, President Trump’s attorneys were told about the email chain from June 2016 between Donald Trump Jr. and Rob Goldstone setting up a meeting for Trump Jr. with a Kremlin-connected attorney…

“… on Wednesday, Trump told Reuters he first heard about it ‘two or three days ago.’… Yahoo News reports Trump’s chief lawyer in the Russia investigation, Marc Kasowitz, and Alan Garten, executive vice president and chief legal officer of the Trump Organization, found out about the emails in the third week of June, after they were discovered by Kushner’s lawyers.”

No Connection with the Kremlin?

The gatewaypundit wrote on July 11:

“More information leaked out today on Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya. [She] told NBC News on Monday she was not with the Kremlin as was reported by The New York Times… The law firm where Veselnitskaya is listed as managing partner, Kamerton Consulting, is based in a Moscow suburb… Her office in Moscow may be a shell. There is no working phone, email or website…

“Natalia Veselnitskaya was sitting with Obama’s Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul during a Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, 8 days after cold-contacting Trump Jr. in Trump Tower.”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 12 that her strong ties and close connections with Russian governmental agencies pose questions.

“Criminally Stupid”

The New York Post Editorial Board wrote on July 11:

“Democrats and the media are frothing to find something criminal in it all, with the most unhinged talking treason. What it clearly was, was criminally stupid.”

The Huffington Post wrote on July 12:

“Donald Trump Jr. has defended his meeting with a Kremlin-linked lawyer by saying he didn’t get anything out of it, but Fox News commentator Charles Krauthammer isn’t buying it… ‘If you get a call to go to a certain place in the middle of the night to pick up stolen goods and it turns out the stolen goods don’t show up but the cops show up,’ he added, ‘I think you’re going to have a very weak story saying, “Well, I got swindled here.”… ‘This is a foreign power, and not just any foreign power, an adversary foreign power.’”

Whether legally relevant or not, the mistakes and misjudgments by some within the Trump clan are truly amazing.

How Donald Trump Jr. Changed His Story

The Associated Press wrote on July 12:

“President Donald Trump… dismissed the ongoing Russia investigation as the ‘greatest Witch Hunt in political history.’…

“Trump Jr.’s account of the meeting, its nature and purpose has evolved over the past several days… On Saturday, in his initial description of the encounter, Trump Jr. said it was a ‘short introductory meeting’ focused on the disbanded program that had allowed American adoptions of Russian children.

“A day later, Trump Jr. changed his account, acknowledging that he was told beforehand that Veselnitskaya might have information ‘helpful’ to the Trump campaign, and was told by her during the meeting that she had something about Clinton. In his most recent description of what occurred, on Tuesday, Trump Jr. said he had believed the information he would hear about Clinton would be political opposition research.”

FBI Nominee Wray Disputes ‘Witch Hunt’ Label for Russia Probe

Bloomberg News reported on July 12:

“Christopher Wray pledged ‘strict independence’ if confirmed to head the FBI, as senators focused on his ability to pursue investigations independently amid revelations about a meeting the president’s son held with a Russian lawyer during last year’s campaign… Pushing back on President Donald Trump’s repeated dismissals of the federal Russia probe now led by special counsel Robert Mueller, Wray said, ‘I do not consider Director Mueller to be on a witch hunt.’”

Revised GOP Health Bill Immediately in Danger of Failing

The Week wrote on July 13:

“Senate Republicans on Thursday released a revised draft of their plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare, and its chances of passage already look slim. The new bill puts an additional $70 billion toward covering out-of-pocket costs and $45 billion toward battling the opioid epidemic; adds a provision that would allow people to use health savings accounts to pay their premiums; and enables insurers to provide lower-premium plans that provide less coverage as long as they offer at least one plan that follows ObamaCare standards.

“Cuts to Medicaid remain largely intact. Republican leadership is eyeing a vote next week, but Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Rob Portman (Ohio), and Rand Paul (Ky.) have already indicated their opposition, enough to defeat the bill.”

Recapture of Iraq’s Mosul from “Islamic State”

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 10:

“Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Monday formally announced victory over the ‘Islamic State’ (IS) militants who have held the city of Mosul for three years… US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called the liberation of Mosul after a nearly nine-month offensive a ‘critical milestone’ in the fight against the extremist group… The US president later also issued a statement saying that ‘the victory in Mosul’ signaled that IS’ ‘days in Iraq and Syria are numbered.’

“But Iraq’s prime minister warned that the work of creating stability in Mosul and clearing smaller IS cells still remained…

“Many of those who have fled the city are unlikely to be able to return any time soon, the UN says, as the city has been extensively damaged in fighting. The Iraqi government has said that in the Old City, some 65 percent of buildings have been severely damaged, while destruction in western neighborhoods such as Zanjili is even greater. IS still controls areas south and west of Mosul, and is expected to wage an insurgency from its nearby strongholds…”

ISIS is by no means defeated, and it is feared that radical and demon-inspired ISIS terrorists and sympathizers will continue to murder innocent people in cowardly attacks around the world.

Germany Starts to Withdraw Troops from Turkey

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 9:

“Germany has started to withdraw troops from a Turkish air base where they have been supporting international operations against the so-called ‘Islamic State.’… A German defense ministry spokesman said on Sunday that the withdrawal… was the next step in one of several bilateral disputes between Germany and Turkey…

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday that a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Erdogan had revealed ‘deep differences’ between the two NATO allies… According to German news magazine Der Spiegel, two supply airplanes will be transferred to an air base near al Azraq in Jordan…”

The relationship between Germany and Turkey will not be getting any better, as long as dictator Erdogan is in power, and Turkey has no chance of obtaining membership in the EU. A transfer of German troops and equipment to Jordan is quite remarkable, as al Azraq is much closer to Jerusalem than the current base in Turkey.

Hebron Belongs to Israel

The Times of Israel wrote on July 9, 2017:

“Raging over a decision by a UN body to declare Hebron’s Tomb of the Patriarchs a part of endangered Palestinian heritage, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday recited Biblical verses [Genesis 23:16-19] meant to prove the millennia-old Jewish connection to the West Bank site.

“… the United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization (UNESCO) voted to list Hebron’s Old City, home to the shrine holy as the burial place of Abraham and other biblical patriarchs and matriarchs, as an endangered Palestinian world heritage site…”

The Associated Press added on July 7:

“Hebron is part of the West Bank, a territory captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. The international community considers it to be occupied. Palestinians claim the West Bank is an integral part of a future independent state, a position that is widely backed internationally… In the meantime, Israel has built dozens of settlements in the West Bank housing about 400,000 Israelis. The Palestinians – and most of the world – consider these to be illegal obstacles to peace…

“Hebron is especially contentious. Several hundred ultranationalist settlers live in heavily guarded enclaves in the city, amid about 170,000 Palestinians. There is frequent friction between the two populations… Many of the Palestinians involved in the current wave of attacks that began in 2005 came from Hebron…”

There will be no peace between Israel and its neighbors until Christ returns. Current and future negotiations and talks will fail and Europe will try to impose “peace” in the Middle East with military means, but this will fail too.

Turmoil over Germany’s Sale of Submarines to Israel

JTA wrote on July 12:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s personal attorney in a corruption investigation into the purchase of German submarines was placed under house arrest. Police questioned David Shimron, 65, who is also a cousin and friend of Netanyahu, on Monday and placed him under house arrest for three days…

“Police suspect a series of crimes was committed surrounding the purchase of three submarines from the German company ThyssenKrupp, including bribery, fraud, tax evasion and money laundering. Germany has authorized the sale of the submarines to Israel, though with a clause that allows the deal to be canceled over the results of the investigation…

“Former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon… said Netanyahu will be indicted in the affair. Yaalon, who served as defense minister in 2015 at the time of the deal, was opposed to the purchase. ‘Too many issues are under investigation,’ Yaalon said, also referring to investigations regarding gifts from businessmen overseas and an alleged deal with the editor of a major Israeli newspaper for favorable coverage…”

Are there any honest politicians out there? See the next article.

Corruption in Brazil

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 12:

“The presiding federal judge in Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s corruption trial told Brazilian media… that the ex-president will be facing a nine-and-a-half-year jail term for corruption and money laundering. He was accused of receiving a three-story beachfront  apartment in the Atlantic coast municipality of Guaruja in exchange for helping the OAS construction company obtain lucrative government contracts with the state oil company Petrobas… On multiple occassions, Lula has expressed his desire to run for president in 2018…

“Lula is one of the most prominent Brazilian politicians among the 179 individuals who faced charges in operation ‘Car Wash’ (Lava Jato), an extensive corruption probe that uncovered widespread bribery among Brazil’s elites. The investigation revealed that politicians received billions in kickbacks from construction firms… Former presidents Henrique Cardoso and Dilma Rousseff, who was impeached in relation to the Petrobas scandal, remain under investigation.”

Crazy Canadian Ruling

Israel National News wrote on July 10:

“John Alabi, 53, is a Christian and a landlord who lives in the Toronto area and is being ordered to pay a fine of $12,000 by the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal because he failed to remove his shoes when he entered the apartment he was renting to a Muslim couple… His crime, according to the tribunal, is religious discrimination.

“The tenants were planning to move out of his rental home, and he says he gave the couple the required 24-hour’s notice that he would be showing the apartment to another tenant. They told him not to come while they were praying, and to text first. He agreed. But when they stopped answering his text messages, he showed up at the apartment.

“The Muslim tenants waited eight months before filing their grievance with the human rights tribunal, where they receive free representation, the Toronto Sun reported… The tribunal agreed he harassed them and failed in his duty to accommodate their religious needs – and awarded them $6,000 each – plus interest…”

We agree that this is a case of religious discrimination… by the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal against a Christian.

Pope: Distorted World View by USA, Russia and Others

CNS wrote on July 8:

“Pope Francis told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica on Thursday that the United States of America and Russia, China, North Korea and Bashar al Assad’s Syria-have ‘a distorted vision of the world’…  ‘The danger concerns immigration,’ the pope continued… In the same interview, according to La Repubblica, Pope Francis said that Europe must take on a ‘federal structure.’”

If the Pope means by federal structure that Europe should become ONE entity under a federal head, then this is exactly what will happen.

Eradicated Diseases Can Easily Be Brought Back

Yahoo News reported on July 10:

“Only a few hundred years ago the world’s most feared disease was smallpox. Smallpox killed millions, and no one was safe. But thanks to a global campaign to eradicate the disease… smallpox no longer exists. No one has suffered from smallpox since 1978…

“But all that it would take to change that might be a bit of cash and some DNA. A group of researchers at the University of Alberta managed to recreate a relative of smallpox called horsepox,  another extinct virus. The team purchased DNA fragments from a commercial DNA company and combined them to create a fully-functioning horsepox genome, which they used to create more copies of the virus.

“The entire process took around half a year and cost the team about $100,000, meaning that it may be possible for another small lab to replicate the work. That team could recreate any pox virus-including the deadly smallpox-with minimal effort. There are even fears that terrorists or a rogue nation could resurrect smallpox for use as a biological weapon.

“If that does happen, it could be disastrous… it’s a bit worrying to realize that no matter how thoroughly we eradicate a disease, all it takes to bring it back again is a little money.”

This is indeed frightening, as the Bible predicts that diseases which were meant to have been eradicated, such as the Plague or the Black Death, will return.

Temperature Adjustments by Scientists to Support Global Warming

The Daily Caller wrote on July 5:

“A new study found adjustments made to global surface temperature readings by scientists in recent years ‘are totally inconsistent with published and credible U.S. and other temperature data.’ ‘Thus, it is impossible to conclude from the three published [global average surface temperature (GAST)] data sets that recent years have been the warmest ever – despite current claims of record setting warming,’ according to a study published June 27 by two scientists and a veteran statistician…

“Climate scientists often apply adjustments to surface temperature thermometers to account for ‘biases’ in the data. The new study doesn’t question the adjustments themselves but notes nearly all of them increase the warming trend…”

We find again that “scientific” research and results are highly overrated.

Coffee Drinkers Live Longer and Have Lower Risks of Disease

On July 10, the San Diego Union Tribune published the following article:

“Coffee drinkers live longer, according to two large-scale studies released Monday that add to extensive research indicating coffee consumption is associated with better health. The studies examined the health histories of hundreds of thousands of people who were tracked over many years. They found that coffee-drinking reduced the risk of various diseases among people from several ethnicities, and this effect was seen in drinkers of regular or decaffeinated coffee. And the more coffee consumed, the greater the benefit.

“These are observational studies, not controlled clinical trials. So while they demonstrate an association, they don’t prove cause and effect. But at the least, researchers said the latest evidence reinforces a large body of previous reports indicating there’s no harm from coffee — and that it might very well benefit people’s health…

“Funded by the National Cancer Institute, [one California study] examined coffee-drinking habits among more than 180,000 whites, African-Americans, Latinos, Japanese-Americans and native Hawaiians. They were followed for an average of 16 years. [Another European study, which was funded by the European Commission Directorate-General for Health and Consumers and International Agency for Research on Cancer] examined coffee-drinking among more than 520,000 adults from 10 European countries.

“The [California] study… found those drinking one cup of coffee daily had a 12 percent lower risk of death from heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, respiratory and kidney disease. For those drinking 3 cups a day, the risk reduction rose to 18 percent…

“The [European] study… likewise found a lower death risk from various ailments, including digestive, circulatory and liver disease…

“The coffee tree is believed to have originated in Ethiopia. The beans were originally eaten for energy before the art of brewing the beverage was discovered. About 1,000 years ago, its use was first described in writing by Avicenna, the medieval Persian physician/philosopher. Coffee’s use spread throughout the Moslem world in the next few centuries. The first coffee houses opened in Istanbul and other parts of the Ottoman Empire. It gradually became popular in Europe, and gained predominance in the nascent United States as a patriotic alternative to drinking tea…”

Coffee drinkers have known these results for a long time—in spite of those “experts” who have been claiming that coffee is hazardous to your health.

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.

Do we realize that the Bible actually commands us to be thankful? Shouldn’t this be a voluntary action? What does God think about this subject and what has He inspired to be written down in His Holy Word? 1 Thessalonians 5:18 states “… give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (New International Version).

Why would God have inspired Paul to write this? In this fifth chapter, Paul is exhorting the Thessalonian brethren to continue living in a Godly manner. He is spelling out for them the things that they should keep in mind and practice in their Christian walk. One of the most challenging things to do is to remain thankful in every situation we encounter.

But how can we get into this state of mind?

It comes down to our willingness to obey God and our desire to serve in whatever capacity that we can. Paul was confident that it was God who gave him strength and that he was given the opportunity to be appointed to the service of God. He was thankful that even though he suffered mightily, he was not afraid to continue on (1 Timothy 1:12).

The Scripture in 1 Thessalonians with which we started mentions that in every circumstance there is the opportunity (as well as God’s will) for us to give thanks. This doesn’t mean that our trials (numerous as they may be) will be easy. No, in fact, they will become even harder as we draw close to the end, and Satan wants to destroy us by any means possible. The words “hard” and “difficult” are often used to describe something negative. In many cases, that’s appropriate. It is hard to watch a loved one fall ill and suffer, or watch others struggle through their own trials. It is difficult when a family member or a pet dies. Some situations are all pain and seemingly insurmountable.

In Matthew 19:26 Christ exhorts the disciples that things with men are indeed impossible but that with God all things are possible. Learning a lesson in a trial is hard, but the process is to develop the ability within us and in our minds to become more like, and in tune with, God. It allows us to seek His Will more thoroughly.  The easy path is more tempting; the difficult path is more rewarding.

Psalm 34 paints a picture of a time when David was feigning madness (1 Samuel 21:13-15) to get out of a situation that he got himself into, but look at his attitude. It was one of thanks and blessing for God for what he was going through, after God had delivered him, even though he had lied by his conduct. And despite many setbacks and failures, he never gave up on God and was always thankful.  Ephesians 5:20 states that we should give thanks to God the Father for EVERYTHING.

It is easy to be thankful in good times.  Deuteronomy 8:17-19 speaks of a warning that we should heed. When we stop being thankful, our hearts start to wander from God.  Appreciating good things is really just being glad that we are benefiting from them. But being truly full of thanks requires looking beyond our blessings to the One who blesses us. It is about being full of gratitude for ALL situations that we find ourselves in, because God loves us and wants us to overcome ALL things so that we can make it into His Kingdom.

In Daniel 6:10, we read of Daniel who knew what the law of the land said, and yet he decided to obey God and give thanks, as was his custom. Just because some man-made law ordered something foolish and was not in accordance with God’s law, it did not stop him from doing what was his custom. This shows that Daniel was truly thankful to God from the very center of his being. He was willing to take that risk of praying and giving thanks because that is what centered him and gave him purpose.

We read about the children of Israel who were coming out of Egypt and how after an innumerable amount of miracles for them, they didn’t remember them nor were thankful. In fact, we find just the opposite. After Caleb and Joshua and the other ten spies came back, showing the good produce they had acquired, the ten men convinced the entire nation (literally a nation of people) not to go in as God had commanded. They were no longer thankful for the blessings but rather were ready to go back to Egypt. They were stuck in their way of thinking. Fear gripped them. They displayed no faith or resilience that God would give them the land as He had promised! This fear spread like wildfire until it consumed the entire assembly.

We must not act likewise, by forgetting everything and falling into the trap of being fearful. There really is no need for this. We will be faced with what we NEED to be faced with, so that we grow according to God’s Will.

God is willing to bless us. He wants to bless us. He wants to protect and lead us.

It is easy to be thankful when we are blessed… but how much more should we be thankful when we are in hard spots? We must come to the point where we are able to give God thanks for whatever we are going through, good or bad. For if we truly believe in God, we will believe that He has called us for a purpose; that He allows us to go through trials; and that He makes the ways of escape, as well as opportunities to do good. We must truly be thankful from our core. When we persevere, we will gradually come to see over time that both the trials and God’s answers and blessings will be for our good.

Lead Writer: Kalon Mitchell

compiled by Dave Harris

Norbert and Johanna Link, along with Margaret Adair, will begin traveling next week 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.

“The Man of Sin in the Temple of God,” is the newest StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Jews will build a Third Temple on the Temple Mount, and this will cause unparalleled turmoil in the Middle East. Already today, Muslims are asked to “save” parts of the Temple Mount by building on the site, and Israel is charged with plans to build a synagogue and to open the “Gate of Mercy” on the eastern side of the Temple Mount. Expectations for the arrival of a red heifer in 2018 are high, which orthodox Jews maintain is necessary to purify the area and permit animal sacrifices and the building of a Temple. The world is already condemning Israel for its occupation of the West Bank, including Hebron, and it cannot rely on any help from the USA. Soon, European armies will occupy Israel, and the man of sin will sit in the Third Temple in Jerusalem, claiming to be God.

“Alkoholmissbrauch in der Bibel,” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: ” Alcohol Abuse in the Bible”

“Stranded on a Limb,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Robb Harris, is now posted.

“Does Your Life Matter?” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

With the unspeakable atrocities of war, persecution, slavery and abuse by those who have power over others, human life doesn’t seem to matter very much. That, however, is not the case. The life of every man, woman and child matters to God! The truth and certainty of this fact is revealed in the Word of God, and it is something we must understand!

On July 8, 2017, Robb Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “Stranded on a Limb” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “Does Your Life Matter?”

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 1776 the United States obtained independence from England. As was prophesied in the Bible, Manasseh became an incredible nation that has flourished by the grace of God. While America just celebrated its “Independence Day” on the 4th of July, there is something that we should remember and bring to mind.

The American Revolution, as it was called, was a revolt from a system of government, but was traded for another form of government. The term “revolution” is defined by dictionary.com as follows:

“An overthrow or repudiation and the thorough replacement of an established government or political system by the people governed.”

This type of revolution that occurred many years ago was not the first time something like this had happened. In fact, the first “revolution” that ever occurred was when Satan decided to go his own way and attempt to fight with and throw God off His throne in heaven. Isaiah 14:12-17 vividly paints this picture. Not only did he decide to revolt, but he caused a third of the angels to follow in this revolution (Revelation 12:4). Satan has inspired and operated in this way by using man ever since (Ephesians 2:2).

An interesting episode of Satan’s handiwork in progress can be seen in 1 Samuel 8:4-22, where we find that Israel wished for a king to rule over them and lead them into battle, similar to the other nations around them. And even after Samuel’s great warning of what a king would do, they still desired to have a king. Interestingly, in verse 7, we find God’s answer to Samuel about the people’s desire: “..for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.”

The people no longer wanted God to rule over them. And is this not the same today? We find prophecies in the Bible that speak about the very days we find ourselves living in.

Let us review a few more Scriptures and ask ourselves, in looking at the world as a whole, if they do not describe what we see today. We are told that knowledge shall increase (Daniel 12:4), but this worldly knowledge cannot really help or save mankind. In Isaiah 59:7-9 we read a sad plight of these people who increase in knowledge but cannot and do not know the way to peace because their paths are darkened. 2 Timothy 4:3 describes people with itching ears, always looking for something new to help them. Isaiah 30:10 talks of those people who just want to hear smooth things and not the hard facts and the Truth. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 warns that acts of rebellion against God will lead to terrible times in the last days (those days that will occur before the return of Christ).

The day of a revolution is once again coming. The Church of the Eternal God and its international affiliates continue to exhort and warn that the downfall of America; Great Britain and certain countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, formerly known as the British Commonwealth, including Canada, Australia and others; and of the state of Israel is at hand. We see that God has removed His protection and His blessings from our nations because of the aforementioned Scriptures and the refusal to repent of sins. This has all been scripted out and prophesied about in the Bible because God knows man’s tendencies and He has designed His master plan in this way.

We will see the FINAL revolution with the return of Jesus Christ who will establish a government that is spiritual, righteous and pure. There will no longer be chaotic, maniacal human governments which are ruled by Satan, having caused serious pain, turmoil and agony for countless people. Instead, as we read in the 21st chapter of the Book of Revelation, a time will be ushered in which will be unprecedented in man’s history. That will be the true Independence Day for all of mankind.

by Norbert Link

We address worldwide Independence days in July and point out interesting developments in Israel pertaining to the Temple Mount and the anticipated appearance of a “red heifer”; and continue with disturbing news about the required teaching in British pre-schools and elementary schools of the LGBT agenda and same-sex marriages in continental Europe. In this context, please view our new sermon, “Lot in Sodom.”

We report on a controversial new German law on the undefined and ambiguous concept of “hate speech,” and the perception that Germany and France will lead Europe, while Britain continues to try to sever remaining economic relationships with the continent.

In view of America’s withdrawal from the world scene and the pursuit of protectionism, which could lead to global trade war and the total downfall of America, other powers, such as Europe and Japan, attempt to enter into trade deals. While concerns exist between a military confrontation between the USA and North Korea, the sudden decline of the dollar and the fiasco faced by GOP Republicans in the fall manifest the real danger of a “train wreck” and looming “disaster” for the USA.

We continue with deeply disturbing articles about America’s Child Protective Services and foster homes; and the debunked myths of the false transgender ideology.

This week has also been seeing more tumult, from upheaval in the Catholic Church to the sudden reappearance of the Black Death in the USA.

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

Independence Day in July Around the World

The newsletter of 123greetings wrote on July 2:

“While Canada celebrates its 150th anniversary of Confederation on 1st of July in the biggest Canada Day party in Ottawa over the entire long weekend, the United States of America is gearing up for Fourth of July jubilations. It is the day it attained its independence from Great Britain in 1776… Many other countries are celebrating Independence day in July which includes Venezuela, Somalia, Slovakia, Rwanda, Peru, Maldives, Liberia, Belgium, Bahamas [and] Argentina…”

It is interesting that all these “Independence days” are celebrated in July.

Israel’s Plot on the Temple Mount?

Israel National News wrote on June 27:

“Dr. Najah Bakirat, director of the Koran Academy at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, called on Muslims to save the northern and eastern parts of the Temple Mount from Jewish visitors and to prevent the ‘occupation’ from implementing its ‘destructive’ plans…

“According to Bakirat, there is an Israeli plan to build a synagogue and to open the ‘Gate of Mercy’ on the eastern side of the Temple Mount, which has been closed since the days of Saladin in 1187 CE…. He also said that Israel is interested in separating the northern part of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a name he used to describe the entire Temple Mount, and erect a synagogue there. In order to thwart the plan, he urged Muslims… to build on the site…

“The Palestinian Authority and radical Palestinian Arab Islamists… maintain that the two Holy Temples never existed. They claim the site as a solely Muslim and Palestinian Arab site.”

Whether or not Bakirat’s statements are nothing more than invented propaganda, ultimately, Israel WILL build a Third Temple on the Temple Mount. The claim that the first two Temples never existed is provocative ridiculous nonsense.

Israel No Sovereignty over Old Jerusalem?

Israel National News wrote on July 4:

“UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee passed a resolution condemning Israel for its policies in the Old City of Jerusalem Tuesday. Ten member states voted in favor of the resolution, three voted against it, and three states abstained. The resolution refers to Israel ‘the occupying power’ in its capital and denies Israel’s claims to the Old City and eastern Jerusalem.”

Since Israel considers Jerusalem as its undivided capital, tensions in the region are bound to continue.

A Red Heifer in 2018?

Israel National News wrote on June 28:

“Raise a Red Heifer in Israel Project Update: Good News: Expecting Potential Red Heifers in 2018.

“Yitzchak Reuven shares an update on the Temple Institute’s Raise a Red Heifer in Israel project with the exciting news that five red angus cows are currently carrying potential red heifer candidates. This good news of course coincides with this week’s Torah reading of Chukat, in which the laws of the Red Heifer are presented.”

Although the Bible nowhere prescribes the existence and use of a red heifer as a prerequisite for the building of the Third Temple, many orthodox Jews believe that a red heifer is to be used first to “clean” the area of the Temple Mount. While many Jews reject this idea, it is interesting to see whether such a red heifer will be born.

UK Threatens to Close Jewish School for Not Teaching LGBT Agenda

Israel National News wrote on June 28:

“A private [Jewish] school with 212 students in northern London is in danger of being ordered to close after it failed its third inspection since February 2016 last month. The school, which teaches… girls ages three to eight, was reported as not giving students ‘a full understanding of fundamental British values’ because they do not teach the LGBT agenda…

“According to [the government,] the girls ‘are not taught explicitly about issues such as sexual orientation. This restricts the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development and does not promote the equality of opportunity in ways that take account of differing lifestyles.’…”

This policy of “understanding of British values” is shameful and abominable in God’s eyes, as is the concept explained in our next article.

Same-Sex Marriages Legal in Germany

The Independent wrote on June 30:

“Germany’s parliament has voted to legalise same-sex marriage by 393 votes to 226, despite Angela Merkel opposing the move… ‘For me, marriage in German law is marriage between a man and a woman and that is why I did not vote in favour of this bill today,’ she told reporters moments after the historic vote…

“Hundreds of members of the Bundestag rose to their feet in a spontaneous standing ovation…

“Ms Merkel, herself married twice, has always been unequivocal with her personal opposition to marriage equality, citing German law, her values as an evangelical Christian and those of her party, which describes its foundations as the ‘Christian understanding between people and their accountability before God’…

“The Netherlands was the first European country to legalise same-sex marriage, back in 2001, followed by countries including Belgium, Spain, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland, Denmark, France and the UK…”

Please watch our new sermon, “Lot in Sodom.”

New German Law: “Delete Hate Speech or Pay Up”

The New York Times wrote on June 30:

“Social media companies operating in Germany face fines of as much as $57 million if they do not delete illegal, racist or slanderous comments and posts within 24 hours under a law passed on Friday…

“Technology companies and free speech advocates argue that there is a fine line between policy makers’ views on hate speech and what is considered legitimate freedom of expression…

“The law will take effect in October, less than a month after nationwide elections, and will apply to social media sites with more than two million users in Germany. It will require companies including Facebook, Twitter and Google, which owns YouTube, to remove any content that is illegal in Germany — such as Nazi symbols or Holocaust denial — within 24 hours of it being brought to their attention. The law allows for up to seven days for the companies to decide on content that has been flagged as offensive, but that may not be clearly defamatory or inciting violence. Companies that persistently fail to address complaints by taking too long to delete illegal content face fines that start at 5 million euros, or $5.7 million, and could rise to as much as €50 million…

“Germany… has some of the most stringent anti-hate speech laws in the Western world… The standoff between tech companies and politicians is most acute in Europe, where freedom of expression rights are less comprehensive than in the United States…”

These are VERY dangerous developments. Who is to decide as to what constitutes hate speech? Is one engaging in hate speech when quoting biblical passages condemning homosexuality? Some hateful proponents of “anti-hate” speech laws would think so.

Germany and France to Lead Europe

The EUReporter wrote on June 27:

“France and Germany will take the lead on post-Brexit reforms starting this year, the European Union’s second-in-command [Dutchman Frans Timmermans] said… Timmermans said Russia’s resurgence has… played a role in galvanising Europe, as did U.S. President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from a global deal on fighting climate change, and his vague stance on European security guarantees under NATO…

“The unity of the remaining 27 EU states is widely seen as crucial for the unprecedented Brexit talks…”

The evolving European power bloc will indeed be led by Germany, with the help of France and other core nations. Euro News added on July 3: “Fears the US will withdraw its security umbrella from Europe could push countries to develop their own nuclear weapons, according to a group that monitors global arsenals.”

Austria Uses Armored Vehicles to Prevent Migrants Stuck in Italy from Entering Austria

The Telegraph wrote on July 4:

“Austria has deployed armoured vehicles close to its border with Italy and will send up to 750 soldiers to block any migrants trying to head north… The move reflects deep concern in Vienna and elsewhere in Europe over the huge number of asylum seekers who continue to cross the Mediterranean from Libya – so far this year more than 85,000 have been rescued and brought to Italy…

“There are concerns that when Austria holds an election in October, the far-Right Freedom Party could do well unless the government can seize the initiative on migration and border security. With France and Switzerland closing their borders to migrants since last year, the tens of thousands in Italy have nowhere to go… Italy says it can no longer be expected to deal single-handedly with the vast number of asylum seekers… The Italian government has warned that after years of taking in hundreds of thousands of migrants, the country is now at breaking point…”

Sadly, because of perceived political “needs,” the individual lives of victims are being overlooked.

Britain Withdraws from London Fisheries Convention

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 2:

“Britain on Sunday said it would withdraw from the London Fisheries Convention, which allows some other European countries to fish within an area between 6 and 12 nautical miles (11 and 22 km) of its coastline… However, withdrawing from the convention will mean that UK vessels will also no longer be permitted to fish in the area 6 to 12 nautical miles off the coast of the other countries covered by the agreement: Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands…

“The signing of the London Fisheries Convention pre-dates Britain’s EU membership, and would thus still be in force after the country leaves the EU unless it starts the withdrawal period now…

“Fishing rights were the subject of heated debate in the run-up to the June 2016 Brexit referendum…”

It is highly debatable whether Britain’s withdrawal from the Fisheries Convention will be to Britain’s advantage or disadvantage. In the end, Britain is doomed to fall.

Trade Deal Between Europe and Japan?

Reuters reported on July 1:

“Japan and the European Union are on the cusp of a wide-ranging free trade agreement that could help blunt the forces of protectionism sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade policies… Clinching a deal would offer Japan and Europe an important political victory and could raise questions about the U.S. government’s influence on the agenda for the global economy…

“European officials have been pushing for a reduction in Japanese tariffs on cheese and agriculture imports that are as high as 30 percent in return for phasing out tariffs on Japanese autos and auto parts… Japan and the EU have been negotiating a trade deal since 2013. The talks have taken on a greater sense of urgency since Trump walked away [from] the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), leaving the other 11 members of the Pacific Rim trading bloc, including Japan, in limbo.”

As America withdraws from the world scene, the vacuum will be filled by other powers. Note the next article.

Deutsche Welle reported on July 6:

“EU and Japanese officials have reached [an] agreement ‘in principle’ on a free trade deal. Both the EU and Japan have stressed that the pact is a rejection of the kind of protectionism US President Donald Trump advocates.”

The Washington Post added on June 6:

“Leaders from Japan and the European Union on Thursday announced their agreement on the broad strokes of a trade deal that will cover nearly 30 percent of the global economy, 10 percent of the world’s population and 40 percent of global trade.”

Making America Weak Again and Again

The Guardian wrote on July 2:

“This is the Trump paradox, five months into his presidency: the more he tries to assert US leadership, the less of a leadership role he plays. For someone who campaigned on the promise to make America great again, the reality of government has been an exercise in looking weak again and again… The scandals and investigations engulfing him are more profound and numerous than anything since Watergate…

“The Trump effect in the Middle East represents the kind of unpredictability that threatens to destabilize further a region already in turmoil. By improving relations with some allies, Trump has worsened relations with others. Along the way, he has jeopardized American national security interests…

“Instead of promoting American leadership, Trump is leaving a vacuum in Europe that is being filled by the German-French alliance. With Britain busy with its own Brexit chaos, that leaves Trump and the US with fewer friends and less influence…

“But the pace and the depth of Trump’s decline is astonishing… The first six months do not bode well for Trump or America’s fortunes. If this is Trump’s idea of a stronger America, his foreign foes have less to worry about than his friends.”

Sadly, this analysis is very true. America’s allies feel compelled to look elsewhere for leadership, stability, national security, strength and economic growth.

US Import Restrictions May Lead to Global Trade War

The Guardian wrote on July 1:

“Chinese and European diplomats have warned Donald Trump against reported plans to restrict imports of steel and aluminum – a strategy that risks triggering a global trade war. By invoking a rarely used law from the cold war era, the US president could limit imports of goods deemed critical to national defence and satisfy the ‘America first’ elements of his support base…

“Trump… told a meeting of top officials at the White House on Monday that he wants to impose tariffs [on China and other countries] as high as 20% on the metal, as well as potentially on other imports such as aluminum, semiconductors, paper and washing machines…”

The World Looks Past the USA

CNN wrote on July 4:

“… increasingly, top foreign policymakers from Germany to Iraq and Canada to Asia are contemplating a period when US leadership that many took for granted may be less evident in global affairs…

“It’s not just uncertainty about American global strategy that is convincing some allied leaders to look past the United States. Trump’s unpopularity makes it much more difficult for them politically to support him…”

Bloomberg added on July 3:

“When world leaders meet in Hamburg on Friday [for the G-20 summit] , China and Germany will move in to usurp the U.S.’s role. The two industrial powerhouses of Asia and Europe are being nudged into an informal alliance to pick up the leadership baton that the U.S. is accused of having dropped since President Donald Trump’s inauguration earlier this year… Trump risks finding himself alone against a united front of European allies, neighbors such as Canada and Mexico, and America’s former Cold War foes…”

Very soon, America will find itself completely alone in the world.

War With North Korea?

Newsmax wrote on July 5:

“United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley on Wednesday said North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile launch was ‘quickly closing off the possibility of a diplomatic solution’ and vowed that the U.S. would use ‘our considerable military forces … if we must.’… Haley called Pyongyang’s missile launch on Tuesday ‘a clear and sharp military escalation…

“North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un said Tuesday that Pyongyang had successfully tested an ICBM that rose more than 1,741 miles and traveled 578 miles from the launch site… CNN reported Wednesday that U.S. intelligence officials believed that the two-stage missile had never been seen before and had the capacity to reach Alaska…

“President Donald Trump also ripped China for continuing to trade with Pyongyang…”

War with North Korea is not beyond the realm of possibilities. But it would not be an easy and speedy task for America.

Donald Trump in Europe

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 6:

“If Donald Trump chose Warsaw for his first major European visit because he presumed there wouldn’t be protesters in the streets, Warsaw didn’t disappoint him… Trump didn’t let Warsaw down, either… ‘In the Polish people, we see the soul of Europe,’ he told them… ‘A strong Europe is a blessing for the West and for the world,’ the US president said.”

That Poland should be the soul of Europe is difficult to comprehend, and a strong Europe will decisively NOT be a blessing for the USA and the UK. On the other hand, “President Trump reaffirmed Article 5 of NATO, the alliance’s principle that an attack on one NATO nation is an attack on all of them, while calling out NATO nations for not spending enough on defense” (CNN, July 6).

 In Hamburg, ahead of the G-20 summit, which begins Friday, about 8,000 protesters clashed with the police.

The Week stated on July 6, “More than 20,000 officers will work during the summit, as 100,000 protesters are expected to march in Hamburg throughout the event.”

“Dollar Posts Biggest Quarterly Drop in Nearly Seven Years”

Reuters reported on July 1:

“The U.S. dollar… posted its biggest quarterly decline against a basket of rival currencies in nearly seven years… [amidst] doubts that U.S. President Donald Trump could enact his pro-growth agenda…

“The euro accelerated more than 7 percent against the greenback for its biggest quarterly percentage gain since the third quarter of 2010…”

The American economy is by no means as strong as the Trump Administration wants us to believe.

Republicans Stuck… Facing a Train Wreck

The Associated Press wrote on July 1:

“Republicans are stuck on health care, can’t pass a budget, and hopes for a big, bipartisan infrastructure package are fizzling. Overhauling the tax code looks more and more like a distant dream. The GOP-led Congress has yet to salt away a single major legislative accomplishment for President Donald Trump — and a summer of drift may lead to a logistical nightmare this fall… [It] is looking more and more like it’ll be a train wreck.

“… 20 GOP moderates signaled a revolt on the budget… announcing their opposition to an emerging plan to force cuts to government agencies and benefit programs such as food stamps…

“So it’s not just the Senate effort to repeal and replace Democrat Barack Obama’s health care law that’s foundering. The annual congressional budget measure — a prerequisite to this fall’s hoped-for tax effort — is languishing as well, as are the 12 annual spending bills that typically consume weeks of House floor time each summer.

“…are several other problems that need to be taken care of, including increasing the nation’s borrowing authority, preventing a government shutdown, and lifting budget ‘caps’ that are hobbling efforts to beef up the military. Unlike health care, the debt limit and a deal to fix the spending caps… can only be resolved with Democratic help. However… there’s no political pay-off, other than forestalling disaster.

“First, Congress is off on vacation to return in July for a three-week session. Then comes the traditional month-long August recess. After Labor Day comes a four-week sprint to October and the deadline to avert a government shutdown with a temporary spending bill — and to forestall a disastrous default on U.S. obligations by lifting the debt limit, which is a politically toxic vote for many Republicans…”

A grim and unpleasant picture indeed. The Bible tells us that America is destined to experience a complete and utter downfall in these end times.

US Child Protective Services (CPS) and Foster Care Homes Accused of Outrageous Conduct on a Large Scale

The Huffington Post wrote on June 24:

“CPS agencies need children in their foster care to meet their federal mandates. The federal funding is distributed to local communities, meaning the more children in the foster care system, the higher the paychecks for those involved. These funds extend to foster parents, teachers, attorneys, doctors, judges, therapists, caseworkers and coaches, as well as to several sub-agencies…

“64 percent of children are abused in foster care; people close to this industry believe the true number is closer to 87 percent… 80 percent of all foster care children are given sedation drugs… which entitles foster parents and all involved to larger payments… it is [a] CPS caseworker that decides what foster children be prescribed medication, not a doctor or therapist… caseworkers… benefit from legal immunity, meaning they cannot be held accountable for poor judgment or bad decisions that may lead to a missing child, child abuse or even a child’s death while in foster care…

“It takes one anonymous caller with a false allegation to have a child removed from a home. A caseworker may claim that a ‘parent has a history of mental illness’ or ‘a history of substance abuse,’ without referring to an incident, naming a doctor, referring to specialized diagnoses, or supplying medical records… in CPS courts parents are guilty until proven innocent, meaning a false allegation can lead to one’s children immediately being taken away, without a Hearing or Session.

“The majority of these parents are accused of ‘Abandonment,’ which covers a broad spectrum of situations, from parents working long hours at a minimum wage job, to a single mother with a terminal illness and even soldiers called to duty. And often, once the caseworker has placed the children in foster care and it is discovered that said allegations were false, caseworkers will look for other reasons to keep the children in CPS custody because of economic interests. Again, these allegations can lead to any child being placed into CPS/State Custody permanently…”

Since many outrageous examples of CPS misconduct were reported in the past, CPS agencies have earned a terrible reputation of incompetency, and much worse. But these facts, as described in this article, are of such despicable proportions that one must wonder why nothing is being done to correct these atrocities and perhaps dissolve CPS.

Myths of Transgender Ideology Exposed

The Daily Signal wrote on July 3:

“Twin studies prove no one is born ‘trapped in the body of the wrong sex.’… the idea that ‘feminized’ or ‘masculinized’ brains can be trapped in the wrong body from before birth… is a myth that has no basis in science… 75 to 95 percent of pre-pubertal children who were distressed by their biological sex eventually outgrew that distress. The vast majority came to accept their biological sex by late adolescence after passing naturally through puberty…

“There is an obvious self-fulfilling effect in helping children impersonate the opposite sex both biologically and socially. This is far from benign, since taking puberty blockers at age 12 or younger, followed by cross-sex hormones, sterilizes a child… the risks of cross-sex hormones include, but are not limited to, cardiac disease, high blood pressure, blood clots, strokes, diabetes, and cancers…

“Advocates… allege that suicide is the direct and inevitable consequence of withholding social affirmation and biological alterations from a gender-dysphoric child… there is no evidence that harassment and discrimination, let alone lack of affirmation, are the primary cause of suicide among any minority group… Over 90 percent of people who commit suicide have a diagnosed mental disorder… Adults who undergo sex reassignment… have a suicide rate nearly 20 times greater than that of the general population…

“… professionals are using the myth that people are born transgender to justify engaging in massive, uncontrolled, and unconsented experimentation on children who have a psychological condition that would otherwise resolve after puberty in the vast majority of cases. Today’s institutions that promote transition affirmation are pushing children to impersonate the opposite sex, sending many of them down the path of puberty blockers, sterilization, the removal of healthy body parts, and untold psychological damage. These harms constitute nothing less than institutionalized child abuse.”

The false transgender ideology is extremely harmful to children and parents. Note the next article as well.

Becoming Transgender Through Pills and Drugs?

The Telegraph wrote on July 2:

“A fifth of male fish are now transgender because of chemicals… being flushed down household drains… Male river fish are displaying feminised traits and even producing eggs, the study found. Some have reduced sperm quality…

“The chemicals causing these effects include ingredients in the contraceptive pill, by-products of cleaning agents, plastics and cosmetics… More than 200 chemicals from sewage plants have been identified with oestrogen-like effects and drugs such as antidepressants are also altering fish’s natural behavior…”

If chemicals have these effects on fish, causing transgender, maybe they have similar effects on humans.

Pride Parade on Day of Atonement

JTA wrote on July 4:

“North Carolina’s Jewish community is expressing disappointment and anger over the scheduling of the state’s annual Pride parade and festival on Yom Kippur. The NC Pride event in Durham has been held on the last Saturday of September for the past 17 years, according to organizers. This year, Saturday Sept. 30 is Yom Kippur…

“Several Jewish groups have marched in the parade in recent years… The conflict comes on the heels of an incident at the Chicago Dyke march in which three Jewish women were asked to leave over their Jewish Pride flags, which include a Star of David in the center of a rainbow flag.”

Jewish groups don’t seem to have a problem with participating in Pride Parades, even on the weekly Sabbath… but they only object to the Pride Parade on Yom Kippur. It was also reported in the press that on July 3, Oregon became the first state in the US to allow residents to mark their gender as “not specified” on applications for driver’s licenses, learner’s permits and identity cards. Other states will surely follow Oregon’s “lead.” The Oregon Transportation Commissioner stated that “It’s fitting that this is before us during Pride Week in Oregon and Pride Month around the country.”

Turmoil in the Catholic Church

The Associated Press wrote on July 1:

“Pope Francis declined Saturday to renew the mandate of the Vatican’s conservative doctrine chief… Cardinal Gerhard Mueller’s five-year term ends this weekend and he turns 70 in December. The normal retirement age for bishops is 75.  Francis could have kept him on, but declined to do so. The two have clashed over the pope’s openness to allowing civilly remarried Catholics to receive Communion. Mueller has insisted they cannot, given church teaching on the indissolubility of marriage. [Church teaching holds that unless these Catholics receive an annulment, or a church decree that their first marriage was invalid, they are committing adultery and cannot receive Communion unless they abstain from sex.] The Jesuit pope tapped the No. 2 in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Jesuit Monsignor Luis Ladaria Ferrer, to succeed Mueller.

“It was the second major shakeup this week, after Francis granted another Vatican hardliner, Cardinal George Pell, a leave of absence to return to his native Australia to face trial on sexual assault charges. Mueller and Pell were two most powerful cardinals in the Vatican, after the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and their absences will likely create a power vacuum for the conservative wing in the Holy See hierarchy.

“Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI had tapped Mueller, his fellow German countryman, to lead the congregation in 2012. Benedict had taken a hard line against clerical sex abuse during his time as prefect of the congregation himself, and later as pope, defrocking hundreds of priests accused of raping and molesting children. It was also Benedict who insisted that bishops around the world send all cases of credibly accused priests to the congregation for processing, since bishops had for decades moved pedophiles around from parish to parish rather than sanction or report them to police…”

It will be interesting to see whether the conservative or the liberal wings will prevail in the Catholic Church.  What is happening in the Catholic Church mirrors to an extent what can be observed in some of the Sabbath-keeping Church of God organizations.

Gay Orgy in the Vatican

The Daily Mail wrote on July 5:

“Vatican police have broken up a gay orgy at the home of the secretary to one of Pope Francis’s key advisers… The flat belonged to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which is in charge of tackling clerical sexual abuse.”

The Black Death Is Alive

The website of npr wrote on June 29:

“Once known as the Black Death… the plague swept Europe 700 years ago, killing a third of the population — an estimated 25 million. It wiped out millions in China and Hong Kong in the late 1800s before people…

“Centuries later, the plague periodically pops up in countries across the globe — though at minor levels compared to its medieval heyday. In 2015, the World Health Organization recorded 320 cases across the globe, including 77 deaths. A flea-dwelling bacterium, Yersinia pestis, causes the scourge… the disease likely hitched a ride to the U.S. in 1900 on flea-infested rats, which had boarded steamships in Asia. Since then, infected fleas have taken up residence on [coyotes and] rodents including chipmunks, squirrels and prairie dogs across the southwest. New Mexico and neighboring states are nearly plague-perfect settings, with their buffet of possible rodent hosts…

“The plague can persist in rodent populations, especially wild ones, for a long time without affecting humans. But it can re-emerge… Once a rodent is infected, the illness can spread to wild carnivores that eat it, or to cats, dogs and people that come within flea-jump range… prairie dogs are particularly vulnerable to plague. If a whole colony gets the illness, the bacterium amplifies… As their rodent hosts die off, fleas will seek a new one… Sometimes, that new host can transport the fleas a few miles away and spread them to other animals. Cats and dogs can catch fleas while exploring outdoors, or they can drag infected rodents directly into the home. Sick cats, which are more susceptible to the disease than dogs, can also pass the infection to humans directly…

“In places with poor access to health care, the illness can be deadly on a larger scale…”

The Bible prophesies that in the future terrible disease epidemics, including the plague, will be responsible for the death of many people. Note our free booklet, “Biblical Prophecy—From Now Until Forever.”

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 the last two Q&As, we discussed the biblical metaphors of fierce lions, destructive locusts, blazing-fast flying eagles, swift horses and quick leopards, when describing the future European power bloc; its political leader called the beast, the king of the North or King Jareb of Assyria; Europe’s military might, referred to as the Chaldeans and as Babylon; and Europe’s evolving powerful army and weaponry.

In this third and final installment, we will show further biblical comparisons between a future core Europe under German leadership, and devouring bears, savage wolves, tormenting scorpions and poisonous serpents and snakes.

Revelation 13:2 pictures the ancient Roman Empire and its ten European revivals as a “beast” with seven heads and ten horns. It states that the beast was “like a leopard,” but with further animal characteristics of a lion and a bear. We will recall that the Roman Empire (the beast) had emerged from previous powers, such as Babylon (pictured as a lion), Medo-Persia (pictured as a bear), and Greece (pictured as a leopard). Daniel 7:5 describes the bear in this way:

“And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear… And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’”

The final European revival of the Roman Empire will also appear “suddenly” and “devour” many enemies. God will allow and even use the modern revival to punish Israel:

“So I will be to them like a lion; Like a leopard by the road I will lurk; I will meet them like a bear deprived of her cubs; I will tear open their rib cage; And there I will devour them like a lion. The wild beast shall tear them” (Hosea 13:7-8). The Revised Standard Version continues: “I will destroy you, O Israel; who can help you… I have given you kings in my anger, and I have taken them away in my wrath” (verses 9 and 11).

God uses an interesting comparison between a bear deprived of her cubs and a foolish godless person: “Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his folly” (Proverbs 17:12). This comparison is quite adequate in our context, as God describes the modern nations of Israel and Juda as foolish (Jeremiah 4:22). Another comparison is found in Proverbs 28:15: “Like a roaring lion and a charging bear Is a wicked ruler over poor people.”

These metaphors and analogies are not accidental. They can be applied to the modern resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire, which will fight against self-righteous and ungodly Israel and Judah like a roaring lion and a raging bear robbed of her cubs.  When describing the end time just prior to the return of Christ, God says in Amos 5:18-19:

“Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! For what good is the day of the LORD to you? It will be darkness, and not light. It will be as though a man fled from a lion [one characteristic of the revived Roman Empire], And a bear met him [another characteristic]! Or as though he went into the house, Leaned his hand on the wall, And a serpent bit him!” As we will discuss below in more detail, the serpent can refer to the modern Babylonian system, the “beast,” and also to Satan himself, who gives his power and authority to the beast (Revelation 13:4). God makes the point here that He does not prevent the terrible events and the brutal Gentile armies from proceeding during the Day of the Lord and that no one will escape if he is not protected by God.

We already quoted Jeremiah 5:6 in the first part of this series to the effect that no one will be safe from a lion and a leopard. But the passage adds the metaphor of another animal as well, beginning with verse 5: “… But these [the great men of Israel, same verse] have altogether broken the yoke And burst the bonds. Therefore a lion from the forest shall slay them, A wolf of the deserts shall destroy them; A leopard will watch over their cities. Everyone who goes out from there shall be torn in pieces, Because their transgressions are many. Their backslidings have increased. How shall I pardon you for this? Your children have forsaken Me And sworn by those who are not gods… Shall I not punish them for these things?… And shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?… For the house of Israel and the house of Judah Have dealt very treacherously with Me… They have lied about the LORD… And the prophets have become wind, For the word is not in them…” (Jeremiah 5:5-9, 11-13).

God announces in this passage that He will bring a mighty ancient nation against the people of Israel and Judah (verse 15)—the modern descendants of the ancient Assyrians and Chaldeans. He compares them with a lion from a forest, a wolf of the deserts, and a leopard, which will tear the people in pieces.

From the second part of our series, we are also familiar with the passage in Habakkuk 1:6-8, which describes the final rise of the modern Chaldeans—a bitter, hasty, terrible and dreadful nation. In verse 8, God says that they are “more fierce than evening wolves.”

So we see that God compares the final Babylonian/Chaldean system with fierce and destructive wolves which will tear the people in pieces… alluding to the kind of horrible nuclear and other modern weapons which will be used in the coming World War.

We also read that God will let this happen because modern Israel and Judah are described as devouring wolves (compare Zephaniah 3:3 and Ezekiel 22:27, referring to Jerusalem’s judges as wolves, leaving not a bone till morning, and also to Israel’s princes as wolves, tearing the prey, shedding blood, and destroying people). In Genesis 49:27, Benjamin (modern Norway and Iceland) is described as “a ravenous wolf,” who will devour the prey in the morning and who will divide the spoil at night. Benjamin’s fierceness is recorded in passages such as Judges 20:21, 25, when they fought against the other tribes of Israel, even though they were in the wrong.

Savage wolves are also used as metaphors for people who are opposed to God and His Church. Christ speaks about false prophets, coming to God’s people, as “ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15), and Paul warns the church at Ephesus that after his departure, savage wolves would come in among them, not sparing the flock (Acts 20:29). Christ said that those wolves would catch the unprotected and forsaken sheep and scatter them (John 10:12), because they trusted in uncaring hirelings and not in God’s true shepherds. Christ told His disciples that He would send them as sheep in the midst of wolves (Matthew 10:16). Especially in the end time, when the beast (the final revival of the Roman Empire as well as the final leader) will be manifested on earth, it will behave as a ravenous savage wolf against God’s people. While the world will admire, adore and even worship the beast, it will blaspheme God and persecute the saints (Revelation 13:6-8).

We already discussed in parts 1 and 2 the weapons used by the Babylonian system in Revelation 9, where they are compared with locusts which had teeth like lions’ teeth, and which were shaped like horses prepared for battle. Let’s notice how else these locusts are being described. We read in verses 3, 5 and 10:

“… And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power… Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man … They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months…”

In Ezekiel 2:6-8, the rebellious people of the modern house of Israel are being compared with scorpions: “And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, though they are a rebellious house. You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like the rebellious house…”

We find the same thought conveyed here, as we saw earlier, when reviewing other metaphors of animal characteristics, that God will be using the Babylonian system to fight the modern house of Israel with weapons which are compared with scorpions, because the people of the house of Israel are compared with scorpions. (Technically, the events described in Revelation 9 occur AFTER the war between Europe and the houses of Israel and Judah, which had already ended in victory for Europe and in defeat for America, the United Kingdom and other English-speaking nations, but the European weapons remain the same.)

God tells His people—as He told Ezekiel—not to be afraid of scorpions and serpents, because He gives them the power to overcome them. He promises that nothing will by any means hurt them (Luke 10:19). Even though He speaks primarily about Satan and his demons in Luke 10:19 (note verses 17-18, 20), comparing them with scorpions and serpents, He also promises protection from the terrible Babylonian weapons, described as tails of scorpions which will hurt the people of this world for five months.

We have repeatedly alluded to the animal metaphor of serpents and poisonous snakes, when referring to the modern Babylonian system, and need to emphasize a few more details:

The end-time weapons of the Babylonian system are compared with serpents as well. (You may also notice that in Revelation 9:13-21, the modern weapons of the kings of the East are described, which are very similar to the weapons of the last European revival of the ancient Roman Empire: We read of horses with heads like the heads of lions; we are told that fire, smoke and brimstone come out of their mouths; and that the horses have tails like serpents with heads [military commanders], with which they do harm. As the Babylonian system uses these kinds of destructive weapons against the kings of the East, so the kings of the East retaliate with similar weapons—only, that their retaliation will be much more fierce and destructive than the initial European attack).

Jeremiah 8:17 reveals that God will send the European power bloc against modern Judah, describing Judah’s attackers in this way: “‘For behold, I will send serpents among you, Vipers which cannot be charmed, And they shall bite you,’ says the LORD.”

On occasion, God compares evil people, such as the Pharisees and scribes, with serpents and brood or offspring of vipers (Matthew 23:33). In addition, He speaks of their evil words in such way: “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit; The poison of asps is under their lips; Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:13-18). To an extent, Paul echoes here what is written in Psalm 140:3: “They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; The poison of asps is under their lips.”

In Psalm 58:4, David compares the poison of a serpent and a deaf cobra, which has stopped its ears, will not heed and cannot be charmed or tamed, with the words and actions of evil persons with which they hurt and destroy.

Babylon’s modern weapons and warfare are also described in other prophecies, such as Jeremiah 46:22-24, where we read about Babylon’s attack on modern Egypt:

“‘Her noise shall go like a serpent, For they shall march with an army And come against her with axes, Like those who chop wood. They shall cut down her forest,’ says the LORD, ‘Though it cannot be searched, Because they are innumerable, And more numerous than grasshoppers. The daughter of Egypt shall be ashamed; She shall be delivered into the hand Of the people of the north [the king of the North and his armies].’”

Another very similar metaphor is applied to Babylon’s ancient and future war with Philistia or the Philistines (According to the Pulpit commentary, the Greeks called Philistia “Syria of the Philistines.” Today the Philistines can also be found among Palestinians and other violent groups in the Middle East):

“Do not rejoice, all you of Philistia, Because the rod that struck you is broken; For out of the serpent’s roots will come forth a viper, And its offspring will be a fiery flying serpent… Wail, O gate! Cry, O city! All you of Philistia are dissolved; For smoke will come from the north [the king of the North and his armies], And no one will be alone in his appointed times” [or, “without a straggler in the ranks,” or, “there are no deserters in those battalions”; compare New American Bible and New Jerusalem Bible] (Isaiah 14:29, 31).

The reference to a fiery flying serpent describes the swiftness of the attack and also modern weapons used by flying destructive machines, such as war helicopters and military airplanes. The destruction of “Philistia” is also vividly portrayed in Ezekiel 25:15, 17, when God will use modern Babylon for this purpose: “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because the Philistines dealt vengefully and took vengeance with a spiteful heart, to destroy because of the old hatred,’ therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘…I will execute great vengeance on them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD…’”

Modern Dan (Ireland and part of Denmark) is also compared with a serpent by the way and a viper by the paths that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider shall fall backwards (Genesis 49:17), picturing Dan’s deceitful and mischievous actions. God adds that Dan must wait for His salvation (verse 18, Revised Standard Version), and it is remarkable that no one from the tribe of Dan will be among the 144,000 (compare Revelation 7:1-8), who are to be protected from the plagues during the Day of the Lord. In addition, a sober warning of the destructive effect of the consumption of too much alcohol can be found in Proverbs 23:32, comparing the consequences of excessive drinking with the bites of a serpent and the stings of a viper.

As mentioned before, the Bible pictures Satan the Devil as the serpent of old who deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9; 20:2). Ultimately, Satan is responsible for all violence and warfare. He is the destroyer of mankind. But God offers us protection and help in time of need, promising us this: “You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation” (Psalm 91:13-16).

God protects us from human enemies and powers which want to do us harm. And He protects us from Satan and his demons, as we also read in Luke 10:17-20.

After Christ has returned to set up the rule of God on this planet, a transformation will take place. We mentioned this previously, but in conclusion, let us again review a marvelous and beautiful prophecy: Satan will be bound, unable to destroy or deceive, and incapable of influencing humans to go to war. And as animals will become peaceful and tame, so will be human powers—including real and figurative, symbolic fierce lions; destructive locusts; blazing-fast flying eagles, swift horses and quick leopards storming into battle; devouring bears; savage wolves; tormenting scorpions; and poisonous serpents and snakes.

Isaiah 11:6-8 tells us: “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

Our new booklet, “How to Find the True Church of God,” has entered the second review cycle.

“Sacrificial System,” is the title of a new Global Trailer, presented by Pastor Brian Gale. Here is a summary:

Be prepared now, for an astonishing journey through the pages of history, as well as the prophecies that point to events that are yet to be fulfilled, and you will begin to see the bigger picture of how the sacrificial system and the tabernacle in the wilderness are very relevant in YOUR life today!

“Das Europa der gierigen Bären, bissigen Wölfe und giftigen Schlangen,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. This is based on this week’s Q&A. Title in English: “The Europe of Devouring Bears, Savage Wolves and Poisonous Snakes.”

“Be Like Minded,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

How can we all become like-minded? We all want our own way at times. We all seek what is best for ourselves. This is human nature. But is that what God intended? How can we make sure that we are each being like-minded with each other, as well as with God and Christ? Is such a thing even humanly possible?

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

Jesus warned us that the time of His Second Coming could be compared with the days of Lot and the conditions in Sodom. Was Lot a righteous man? Why did he live in Sodom? Why was Sodom destroyed?  Was it only because of homosexual conduct? Are there archeological proofs outside the Bible showing us that Sodom was indeed destroyed? Why did Lot’s daughters commit incest with their father? What can we learn from Lot’s life?

On July 1, 2017, Kalon Mitchell will present the sermonette, titled, “Be Like Minded,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Lot in Sodom.”

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

The stock market in the United States has performed very well so far this year. Record-high closing values have occurred several times already, boosting the confidence of investors throughout the country. When using these financial measures, it might be tempting for society at large to be optimistic about the future. Certainly, affluence abounds in this age, making it difficult to convince the world about the dire state that it is actually in and the devastating future ahead of us.

With the passing financial success of Wall Street in mind, it is worth considering a prognosis that David wrote thousands of years ago, which applies very well to those of us living now: “Let their table become a snare before them, And their well-being a trap.  Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see; And make their loins shake continually” (Psalm 69:22-23). The material wealth and abundance of this age will undoubtedly cause many to stumble. In fact, the apparent good things might become a curse, as pronounced here.

We must of course make sound financial decisions, and it is not wrong to become wealthy, as long as we have and maintain the right priorities (1 Timothy 6:17-18; Proverbs 10:22; Jeremiah 9:23-24). However, what is particularly daunting is that the very things that are accumulated to prevent destruction might become the cause! The comforts that offer security could make false promises. Material abundance, money, weapons, stockpiles, and political power are a trap and a snare because they might deceive people into believing that nothing is wrong. Even more, these worldly assets may lead the possessors to believe that life is good and things are going quite well. However, the Bible is clear that man will not be able to save himself with his own might (Psalm 33:16) and that riches are only temporary (Ezekiel 7:19). The comfort of life’s vanities will only divert attention from the Truth, making matters worse. Many in the world will be very late realizing the error of placing their trust in man, rather than God.

There is a warning provided in the Bible: “… let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).  While it might be easy to apply this to others, we must realize that it applies to each and every one of us as well. Unless we live in complete isolation, it is nearly impossible to escape the influence of our age.  We have comforts and abundance now, more than at any other time in the history of mankind. Because of this, we too are exposed to the trap of well-being, and the snare of a well-stocked table. However, it is our choice about how to react. Will we allow the cares of this world to choke the Word of God so that it does not take root (compare Matthew 13:22), or will we turn away from relying on the world’s offerings, and seek safety in the hands of God?

by Norbert Link

In this issue, we focus on frightening and disconcerting developments in the USA, including the real possibility of a violent civil war; the Obama Administration’s failure to react to Russia’s meddling in the US elections; the disastrous and “barbaric” proposed Senate health care bill; the controversial decision of the US Supreme Court to reinstate parts of President Trump’s Muslim travel ban [note our new StandingWatch program,“Limited Version of Trump’s Muslim Travel Ban Takes Effect”]; further intrusions into the lives of travelers by the TSA; ongoing popularizations of the transgender agenda in American schools; and America’s active support of same-sex marriages in other countries, such as Romania.

We continue with Turkey’s decision not to teach evolution in high schools; and an interesting new exhibit of Noah’s Ark.

We speak on ridiculous demands of Arab countries regarding Qatar; a suicide bombing near Mecca; the highly disputed concept of “liberal Islam” in Germany; further Russian persecution against the Jehovah’s Witnesses; President Netanyahu’s controversial decision to revoke his prior permission for mixed gender prayers at the Western Wall; and Australia’s departure from Christianity.

We report on SPD candidate Martin Schulz’s attempts to gain badly-needed support just ninety days before Germany’s parliamentary election; same-sex marriages in Germany; the growing East-West divide in the EU; the finalized deal between Theresa May and Northern Ireland’s controversial Democratic Unionist Party; and Europe’s financial punishment of Google.

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

Coming–Violent Civil War in the USA?

The Week wrote on June 23:

“The most telling aspect of a crazed partisan’s 50-round assault on Republican lawmakers last week was that it was not all that surprising. Horrifying, yes. Shocking, no. Mass shootings have become as commonplace in this country as wildfires; partisan hatred has reached a fever pitch unseen since the 1960s, and perhaps the 1850s. Millions of people despise the other political tribe with a visceral passion, and the other tribe loathes them right back.

“Two decades ago… just 21 percent of Republicans and 17 percent of Democrats gave the other party a ‘very unfavorable’ rating. By last year, that contempt rating had shot up to 58 percent and 55 percent, respectively. More troubling still: 45 percent of Republicans and 41 percent of Democrats view the other party as ‘a threat to the nation’s well-being.’ Combine apocalyptic panic with the most polarizing presidency in modern times, frequent and increasingly violent conflicts between far-left and far-right protesters, and 300 million or so firearms, and you’ve got a nation whose RPM needle is climbing into the red zone.

“… Democrats and Republicans are self-segregating into geographic, cultural, and media ghettos of like-minded souls, making it easier to demonize those who are outside the wall…”

Obama Administration’s Inaction on Russia’s Meddling in US Elections

The Week wrote on June 23:

“On Friday, The Washington Post published an extraordinary, comprehensive report of the Obama administration’s action and inaction in the face of mounting evidence that Russia had severely affected the U.S. presidential election last year. ‘It is the hardest thing about my entire time in government to defend,’ one senior Obama administration official confessed. ‘I feel like we sort of choked.’

“The administration’s response is depicted as frustratingly hesitant, even as the severity of Russia’s actions became impossible to ignore. ‘Obama’s approach often seemed reducible to a single imperative: Don’t make things worse,’ the Post writes. Additionally, ‘the assumption that [Hillary] Clinton would win contributed to the lack of urgency.’ While Obama eventually took steps to ready an attack against Russia’s cyber-infrastructure, it falls on ‘President Trump to decide whether to use the capability.'”

The Senate’s Proposed Health Care Bill

The Huffington Post wrote on June 22:

“Senate Republicans released their draft health care bill Thursday, unveiling a proposed rollback of Medicaid expansion and funding while ensuring hefty tax cuts for the wealthy and health care companies. Among other things, the bill reduces the number of middle-income people eligible to get tax credits for private health insurance, eliminates the individual and employer mandates, and bans Planned Parenthood from receiving any federal funding for one year.

“The Senate’s bill is similar to the one the House passed last month. The Senate bill would cut Medicaid more than the House measure, allow insurers to charge older people higher rates [up to five times what they charge younger people] and permit states to waive rules guaranteeing insurance covers a basic set of benefits [for health care products and services]. The Senate bill does not include some of the particularly harsh aspects of the House legislation, including a provision that would let states end protections for people with pre-existing conditions [Insurance companies cannot deny coverage or charge higher rates for people with preexisting conditions, based on patients’ health or medical histories].”

In a related article, The Huffington Post wrote:

“Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) slammed Senate Republicans’ bill to repeal Obamacare as a ‘barbaric’ plan that means thousands will die so the wealthy can get billions of dollars in tax breaks… ‘If you throw 23 million people off of health insurance, if you cut Medicaid by over $800 billion dollars, there is no question but that thousands of Americans will die… The purpose of this whole legislation… is to provide $500 billion in tax breaks for the top 2 percent, for the insurance companies, for the drug companies and other major corporations.’…

“Sanders acknowledged that premiums, deductibles and copays are currently ‘too high’ under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare… But he added that prices are rising because the Trump administration is ‘sabotaging’ Obamacare, and the system will not be improved by ejecting millions who rely on it, including children. ‘I don’t care what your political view is,’ Sanders said. ‘I don’t think there are many Americans who think that we [should] give unbelievably large tax breaks to billionaires, and then tell disabled kids or people who are in nursing homes today … that we’re going to punish them to give tax breaks to billionaires. Man, that is not what this country is supposed to be about.'”

More Opposition to Healthcare Bill

The Associated Press reported on June 24:

“Nevada Republican Dean Heller became the fifth GOP senator to declare his opposition to [the proposed 142-page Senate Health care bill]… more than enough to sink the measure and deliver a stinging rebuke to President Donald Trump unless some of them can be brought aboard… Facing unanimous Democratic opposition, [the Senate Republicans] can afford to lose just two of the 52 GOP senators and still prevail.

“Besides the five who’ve announced outright opposition, several other GOP senators — conservatives and moderates — have declined to commit to the new overhaul…

“Heller, facing a competitive re-election battle next year, said he was opposing the legislation because of the cuts it would make in Medicaid. The federal-state program provides health care to the poor, disabled and many nursing home patients… The Senate legislation would phase out extra federal money Nevada and 30 other states receive for expanding Medicaid to additional low earners. It would also slap annual spending caps on the overall Medicaid program, which since its inception in 1965 has provided states with unlimited money to cover eligible costs…

“Trump has spoken favorably about both the House-passed bill and the Senate version unveiled this week, though he declared several times as he ramped up his campaign for the presidency that he would not cut Medicaid…”

Vote on Senate Health Care Bill Delayed

Newsmax added on June 28:

“Tuesday’s decision to delay the vote… came amid deep GOP discontent with the proposed legislation… Five Republican senators indicated they would not proceed to a debate on the proposed legislation… Senate Majority Leader… McConnell’s decision to delay the vote took some of his Republican colleagues by surprise… McConnell told Republican senators his goal is to revise the bill and hold a vote soon after the July 4 recess…  But Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said: ‘Tinkering isn’t going to work, from my perspective. There would have to be a major overhaul of the bill … to win my support.’”

A new NPR/“PBS NewsHour”/Marist poll, which was released on June 28 suggests that the proposed Senate health care bill is extremely unfavorable with the vast majority of the American people. Only 17 percent supported the bill, while more than half of respondents said they disapprove of the legislation, and 24 percent said they hadn’t heard enough about it to have an opinion.

Four Million People Would Lose Health Insurance in 2018 under Proposed Senate Health Care Bill

Newsmax reported on June 26:

“Four million people will lose their employer-provided healthcare coverage next year under the Senate’s repeal-and-replace Obamacare proposal – twice as many predicted to lose their work coverage under a House plan [according to the Congressional Budget Office’s scoring of the Senate bill]… According to the report released Monday, 15 million more people would become uninsured next year. The CBO projected 22 million people will lose coverage over the course of 10 years…”

With a typical response, the White House rejected the CBO’s unfavorable predictions.

US Supreme Court Allows Limited Version of Trump’s Travel Ban to Take Effect

The Washington Post wrote on June 26:

“The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to allow a limited version of President Trump’s ban on travelers from six mostly Muslim countries to take effect, and will consider in the fall [in October] the president’s broad powers in immigration matters in a case that raised fundamental issues of national security and religious discrimination.

“The court made an important exception: it said the ban ‘may not be enforced against foreign nationals who have a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.’ The court also said in the ruling that it would consider whether the case will be moot by the time it hears it; the ban is supposed to be a temporary one while the government reviews its vetting procedures.

“The action means that the administration may impose a 90-day ban on travelers from Libya, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen and a 120-day ban on all refugees entering the United States, with the exceptions noted by the court. Trump said last week the ban would go into effect 72 hours after receiving an approval from the courts…”

In clarifying the requirement of a bona fide relationship, the Huffington Post added on June 26:

“The court’s order… said that a ‘close familial relationship is required’ for individuals who wish to live with or visit a family member. When the relationship is with an entity like a university, it must be ‘formal, documented, and formed in the ordinary course…

“As an example, they said, students and lecturers would have a formal relationship, as would someone who accepted employment with an American company. But it would not apply to someone who ‘enters into a relationship simply to avoid’ the executive order. For example, the order said, ‘a nonprofit group devoted to immigration issues may not contact foreign nationals from the designated countries, add them to client lists, and then secure their entry by claiming injury from their exclusion.’”

The New York Times provided further information on June 26:

“The court, in effect, said that foreigners with ties or relationships in the United States would not be prohibited from entering the country. But, those applying for visas who had never been here, or had no family, business or other ties could be prohibited… The court said the distinction should be easy to administer…

“Justice Clarence Thomas, joined by Justices Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Neil M. Gorsuch, dissented from part of the court’s opinion. They said they would have revived the travel ban in its entirety while the court considered the case. ‘I fear that the court’s remedy will prove unworkable,’ Justice Thomas wrote.”

JTA wrote on June 26:

“HIAS — formerly known as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society… called the announcement ‘mixed news’… the group’s CEO and president, Mark Hetfield… criticized the fact that those without such [bona fide] ties [including refugees] could now be barred from entering the United States… ‘Certainly in the case of refugees, this order will have a tragic toll on those who have fled for their lives and played by our rules to find refuge in the United States.’ HIAS was founded in the 1880s as a resource for newly arrived Jewish immigrants.”

The 16-page decision by the US Supreme Court states that generally, the President has the right to prohibit certain people from entering the USA, and it quoted a decision to the effect that an unadmitted and nonresident alien has no constitutional right of entry to this country. The Supreme Court also said that in the case of a refugee lacking a bona fide relationship with a particular person, “the balance tips in favor of the Government’s compelling need to provide for the Nation’s security.” With this highly questionable rationale, thousands upon thousands of Jews were barred from entering the United States prior to and during World War II and were murdered in Nazi Germany’s concentration camps.

The decision failed to address the legal argument that the travel ban could very well be construed as a Muslim travel ban, given the President’s and his advisors’ own words and descriptions of the ban, which could be unconstitutional for that reason alone.

The Supreme Court’s decision, and the US immigration law on which it is based, are bound to create strong dissent within the USA and all over the world, as the decision would allow the President to prevent anyone, lacking a “bona fide relationship,” from entering the USA, including tourists as well as refugees fleeing for their lives. This could include persons from France and Germany, as he once threatened. It is high time the USA wakes up and notices what is happening.

Who Can Come In

Bloomberg wrote on June‎ ‎28‎, ‎2017:

“The Trump administration issued guidelines to U.S. embassies and consulates on how to enforce new restrictions on travel to the U.S. by refugees and migrants from six countries [which went] into effect as of 8 p.m. eastern time Thursday…

“A diplomatic cable outlining the guidelines defines close family that would be allowed U.S. entry as a parent (including parent-in-law), spouse, child, adult son or daughter, son-in- law, daughter-in-law, sibling, whether whole or half and including step relationships…

“But it doesn’t include grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, brothers-in-laws and sisters-in-law, fiancés and any other extended family members, the person said…

“Existing visas will be respected, but new applicants from the countries must prove a relationship with a parent, spouse, child, sibling or close in-law already in the U.S…

“Implementing the ban requires providing clear guidance for thousands of customs and consular officials, as well as airlines and other travel companies around the world seeking to avoid the confusion and chaos generated by Trump’s initial attempt to enforce his policy in January.”

Please note our new StandingWatch program, “Limited Version of Trump’s Muslim Travel Ban Takes Effect”.

“The TSA Is Going to Look Through Your Books but Promises Not to Notice what You’re Reading”

On June 25, the Drudge Report linked to the following article by The Week, dated on June 1:

“The TSA began a new screening policy for paper products at airport checkpoints in Missouri last month, and now the agency’s branch in Sacramento, California, is testing out more invasive searches for books and food items.

“In the new system, passengers are required to take all reading material and food out of their carry-on luggage and place it in a separate bin. TSA screeners can ‘fan’ through travelers’ books to see if anything is hidden in the pages, but agency officials insist they will not pay attention to the content. Critics have long argued passengers selected for extra screening are not chosen as randomly as the TSA claims, and book content — particularly of a political or religious nature — could re-ignite that debate. ‘It’s always been a series of insults,’ said Julie Sze, University of California, Davis, professor who experienced the test procedure at Sacramento. ‘Books, magazines, food, those are like my three treasured things. It feels personal on a whole different level.’

“Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said Sunday he will likely expand the new searches nationwide and may also ban laptop carry-ons for all international flights in and out of the United States.”

The continuing intrusive conduct of TSA is very time-consuming, annoying and bothersome for travelers, to say the least. Why TSA would need to look at books or magazines to find hidden material, which would clearly show up through normal screening of the carry-on luggage, is beyond anybody’s imagination. The same goes for the ridiculous and unintelligent plan to ban laptop carry-ons.

The Associated Press reported on June 28:

“The Homeland Security Department is set to announce new security for international flights bound to the United States. Industry and U.S. officials briefed on the announcement said airports and airlines around the world will be required to implement the measures. If they don’t, their passengers may be barred from carrying laptops and other large electronics in passenger cabins…”

“Donald Trump’s Deputies Quietly Push Transgender Ideology Onto Schools”

Breitbart wrote on June 23:

“An internal memo in the Department of Education says officials will investigate schoolteachers who do not comply with children’s demands to be called by the opposite-sex pronoun, for example, ‘her’ instead of ‘him.’ The instruction was part of a jargon-filled memo dated June 6, and signed by Candice Jackson, the Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights in the U.S. Education Department, which provides instructions to staff concerning ‘complaints involving transgender students.’…

“In February, the Trump administration reversed former President Barack Obama’s guidance that allowed gender-confused students to use the bathrooms and showers of whichever gender they prefer – without restrictions – rather than those corresponding to their biological sex… However… Trump’s new policy… has not formally rejected the transgender ideology. The ideology claims that a person’s legal sex — and their pronouns — are determined by their flexible choice of ‘gender identity,’ not their actual biology… even if the parents oppose…

“The OCR memo also underscores the potential dangers inherent in school vouchers and other financial mechanisms that use taxpayer funding to facilitate school choice. Federal oversight, as seen in the OCR memo, could be extended to these schools as well…”

American Ambassador Meddling in Romanian Affairs on Same-Sex Marriage

Breitbart reported on June 24:

“The Obama-appointed ambassador to Romania, Hans Klemm, has stoked a national debate on the role of U.S. diplomacy abroad by openly advocating same-sex marriage… Last month, Klemm attended a widely publicized Gay Pride march in Bucharest on May 20 to show his support for the LGBT agenda in a country where same-sex marriage is still illegal…

“Last fall, Klemm explained in an interview with a Romanian news agency why he publicly pushes for gay marriage. While acknowledging that it is a ‘sensitive subject,’ Klemm claimed that the U.S. Supreme Court had ‘resolved the legal problem over gay marriage, stating that it is unconstitutional and illegal to deny civil marriage to same-sex couples… Therefore, the U.S. should support gay marriage everywhere in the world,’ Klemm stated.

“Klemm’s overt advocacy of gay marriage has met with backlash in the conservative country, and the ambassador has been criticized for abusing his position to meddle in the internal affairs of the nation…

“It remains to be seen whether President Trump will encourage officials from the State Department to continue to actively agitate for the LGBT agenda abroad, or whether he will instead encourage restraint and greater respect for national sovereignty, faith, and traditions.”

It is highly inappropriate for any ambassador to meddle in the internal affairs of the nation where he resides—and especially when advocating something which the Bible clearly condemns.

President Trump’s Awful Reputation Worldwide

Flipboard wrote on June 25:

“A new poll from the Pew Research Center has found that Donald Trump’s presidency is strongly and negatively impacting how the rest of the world views the United States. At the end of Barack Obama’s term, 64 percent of global respondents said they were confident in the U.S. president, compared to 22 percent now. Seventy-four percent of those surveyed said they have no confidence in Trump. Compared to the final years of Obama’s presidency, Trump received higher ratings in just two of the 37 countries surveyed – Russia and Israel… ‘The sharp decline in how much global public’s trust the U.S. president on the world stage is especially pronounced among some of America’s closest allies in Europe and Asia, as well as neighboring Mexico and Canada,’ the report states.

“The negative perceptions of the U.S. president appear to be impacting U.S. favorability ratings in general. Sixty-four percent of those surveyed had favorable views of the U.S. at the end of the Obama presidency, compared to 49 percent now…

“Arrogant, intolerant and dangerous — these are all traits that a sizeable majority of global respondents said describe the U.S. president. On the other hand, 55 percent see him as a strong leader, while 39 percent say that he is charismatic. Only about one in four people stated that they found Trump ‘well-qualified to be president’  and ‘caring about ordinary people.’

“The survey asked about five of the Trump administration’s signature policy proposals — withdrawing from the Iran deal, restricting travelers from some Muslim-majority countries, withdrawing from climate change and trade agreements, and building a wall along the border with Mexico. It found that all of these positions are unpopular globally…

“Poll results in Mexico show some of the most dramatic drops in confidence for the U.S. president — from 49 percent under Obama to 5 percent under Trump…”

Trump’s Deeply Offensive Tweet Condemned

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 29:

“US President Donald Trump has attracted criticism from within his own partyfor a Twitter tirade against female journalist Mika Brzezinski. Republicans said the comments were ‘beneath the office’ of president. Trump unleashed his attack on Thursday, apparently in response to comments by television host Mika Brzezinski on the left-leaning network MSNBC.

“Ironically, it came after Brzezinski had attacked Trump for his ‘bullying’ Twitter tirades. During the ‘Morning Joe’ show, Brzezinski said that if an executive at NBC, MSNBC’s parent company, ‘started tweeting wildly about people’s appearances, bullying people… that person would be thrown out. There would be concerns that the person who runs the company is out of his mind.’

“Trump’s response was aimed at both Mika Brzezinski and her co-host Joe Scarborough. Trump hurled a rapid-fire series of insults in just one Tweet, accusing Brzezinski of having a ‘low IQ,’ being ‘crazy’ and ‘bleeding badly from a face-lift’ while on a visit to his Mar-a-Lago golf resort. Trump called Scarborough a ‘psycho.’

“Many senior Republicans sought to distance themselves from the tweets. ‘Obviously I don’t see that as an appropriate comment,’ said Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. ‘The president’s tweets today don’t help our political or national discourse and do not provide a positive role model for our national dialogue,’ said Republican Senator James Lankford.

“One of Trump’s more frequent Republican critics, Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska, urged the president to restrain himself. ‘Please just stop. This isn’t normal and it’s beneath the dignity of your office.’ Longtime Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said the tweets were ‘beneath the office’ of president and that they represent ‘what is wrong with American politics.’

“There were also responses on Twitter, including one from Jeb Bush, Trump’s rival for the White House nomination last year. However, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended the president, saying he was ‘pushing back against people who have attacked him day after day after day. Where is the outrage on that?’…

“In addition to his attacks on the mainstream media, Trump has singled out individual journalists before, including a notorious invective against former Fox News and current NBC journalist Megyn Kelly. The president has also made numerous statements about women that have been widely criticized as inappropriate, misogynist, sexist, and offensive to women.”

“Merkel’s Husband’s Plans for Melania Trump”

Bild Online wrote on June 26:

“Prof. Joachim Sauer (68), husband of Chancellor Angela Merkel (62, CDU) [and a quantum chemist,] wants to raise awareness of the dangers of climate change for Donald Trump’s wife Melania (47) and daughter Ivanka (35) at the G20 summit (from July 7 to July 8, 2017).

“As is well-known, US President Donald Trump (71) is not yet too convinced that climate change exists at all. This might be the reason why Sauer has included a visit to the German Climate Computing Centre (DKRZ) in the so-called partner programme… The Centre features superfast high-end computers. Researchers investigate and simulate what climate change might mean for our future and that of the Earth.”

No More Teaching of Evolution in Turkey’s High Schools

The New York Times wrote on June 23:

“Turkey has removed the concept of evolution from its high school curriculum… Starting in September, a chapter on evolution will no longer appear in ninth graders’ textbooks because it is considered too ‘controversial’ an idea, an official announced this week. ‘Our students don’t have the necessary scientific background and information-based context needed to comprehend’ the debate about evolution, said the official…

“‘The last crumbs of secular scientific education have been removed,’ said Feray Aytekin Aydogan, the head of Egitim-Sen, a union of secular-minded teachers… Removing evolution from the curriculum, Ms. Aydogan said, puts Turkey in the same league as ultraconservative Saudi Arabia, where the concept is briefly mentioned in the curriculum but strongly criticized.”

Whatever the motives are behind Turkey’s decision not to teach evolution in high school, we applaud this decision as the evolution theory is clearly false and completely unscientific.

Newsweek added on June 23:

“[The] Evolutionary theory is contentious in some majority-Muslim countries, where creationism—a belief that a divine being created human beings as they exist in their current state—holds sway. A 2011 survey of 23 countries found that Saudi Arabia, a conservative Islamic kingdom, led the way in terms of creationism, with 75 percent of respondents saying they did not believe in evolution. Turkey was second, with 60 percent of respondents saying they were creationists.

“But creationism is also a widely-held belief in some Western or traditionally Christian countries, including the United States. A 2014 poll found that 42 percent of Americans believed that God created humans in their present form around 10,000 years ago.”

Actually, God created humans “in their present form” about 6,000 years ago.

A New Noah’s Ark Exhibit

The Times of Israel wrote on June 26:

“Noah’s seaborne menagerie [carried] enough animals, birds and insects to repopulate the earth after the great flood waters receded. And for those wondering what the floating fauna looked like, a new exhibit at the Morgan Library & Museum called ‘Noah’s Beasts: Sculpted Animals from Ancient Mesopotamia’ suggests that they were strikingly similar to the kinds of animals still found in the contemporary Middle East.

“The show explores the story of the great deluge through actual animal depictions dating back to 3300 BCE. But it also connects past to present: All of the sculptures on display… still roam the world today… On display through August 27, the exhibit offers a glimpse into the way people who lived thousands of years ago interpreted a story that is found in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions…

“An Assyriologist named George Smith earned worldwide fame when, in 1872, while an assistant at the British Museum, he translated a tablet from seventh century BCE inscribed with a story of a long ago flood. The story etched into that stone, now known as ‘The Epic of Gilgamesh,’ was quite similar to the story told in the Book of Genesis.

“But the inspiration for the show came from… an even older cuneiform tablet containing the story known as the ‘Epic of Atrahasis,’… the earliest Akkadian version of the iconic flood story… Discovered in 1898, the tablet dates from the reign of the Babylonian King Ammisaduqa, who ruled between 1646 and 1626 BCE… archaeologists have unearthed evidence for devastating floods, most notably at Ur, located in present-day Iraq…”

It is interesting that the exhibit portrays animals which are strikingly similar to “modern” animals, which is biblically correct. Many exhibits of Noah’s Ark (especially those sponsored by “Creationists” who believe that the earth is only 6,000 years old) include pre-Adamic extinct animals, even though this would not be in accordance with the Bible.

Ridiculous Ultimatum for Qatar

Express wrote on June 24:

“Qatar… was given [an] ultimatum amid fears the diplomatic crisis in the region could further deepen, having so far failed to respond to a list [of] 13 demands brought by four Arab nations… The escalating crisis has been exacerbated by the sudden promotion of Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to crown prince of Saudi Arabia by his ageing father King Salman. Some officials in Riyhadh believe the 31-year-old is too impulsive, temperamental and aggressive to one day rule the oil-rich nation.

“As defence minister, Prince Mohammed led the country into the war in Yemen, considered a disaster by many and resulting in the deaths of countless civilians.  With greater power and influence, observers are worried the headstrong prince will take an even more robust approach towards Qatar if it fails to heed the warnings.”

As The Times of Israel reported on June 23, some of the 13 demands include:

“Curb diplomatic ties with Iran and close its diplomatic missions there. Expel members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard from Qatar and cut off any joint military cooperation with Iran… Shut down Al-Jazeera and its affiliate stations. Shut down news outlets that Qatar funds, directly and indirectly, including Arabi21, Rassd, Al Araby Al-Jadeed and Middle East Eye. Immediately terminate the Turkish military presence currently in Qatar and end any joint military cooperation with Turkey inside of Qatar…

“Revoke Qatari citizenship for existing nationals where such citizenship violates those [foreign] countries’ laws. Stop all contacts with the political opposition in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain. Hand over all files detailing Qatar’s prior contacts with and support for those opposition groups. Pay reparations and compensation for loss of life and other, financial losses caused by Qatar’s policies in recent years. The sum will be determined in coordination with Qatar.

“Align itself with the other Gulf and Arab countries militarily, politically, socially and economically, as well as on economic matters… Agree to all the demands within 10 days of it being submitted to Qatar, or the list becomes invalid…”

As could be expected, Qatar has already rejected these outlandish and ridiculous demands, and Turkey slammed them as violating international law.

Top US Senator to Block Arms Sales to Gulf States over Qatar Crisis

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 26:

“The chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee [Republican Senator Bob Corker] said Monday he would block US arms sales to Saudi Arabia and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) until a diplomatic spat with Qatar is resolved… The senior senator’s threat adds pressure on GCC members to settle the crisis, triggered on June 6 when Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates imposed a blockade on Qatar and cut diplomatic ties.

“Under US law, the State Department must notify Congress 30 days before any major arms sale. Congress can then block the arms sale, or if it does nothing the sale goes through. Corker’s office said in a statement that major arms sales are also subject to ‘preliminary approval’ by the chairman and vice-chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee before the 30-stay congressional review process…”

Bombing Near Mecca

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 24:

“Regional rivals [Iran and Qatar] sent Saudi Arabia their support after police foiled a suicide bomber near Islam’s holiest site (Mecca) during Ramadan – an event that drew more than 1 million people this year… Police said they engaged in a shootout at the three-storey house with the suicide bomber, who blew himself up and caused the building to collapse. He died in the explosion and police arrested five other people…

“The Interior Ministry said the thwarted ‘terrorist plan’ would have violated ‘all sanctities by targeting the security of the Grand Mosque, the holiest place on Earth.’… Since late 2014, the kingdom has faced periodic bombings and shootings claimed by the ‘Islamic State.’ Saudi officials said three terror groups had planned Friday’s attack against the Grand Mosque: two based in Mecca and a third in the nearby city of Jeddah.”

One can only imagine what would have happened if that attack had been successful.

Liberal Islam?

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 24:

“It was described as a ‘world event in the heart of Berlin.’ And judging by the overwhelming response both at home and abroad to the opening of the determinately ‘liberal mosque’ in a Protestant church in Berlin’s Moabit district, this assessment is justified.

“… Seyran Ates, a German-Turkish lawyer and women’s rights activist, presented her reform project to the public: an integrative mosque for everyone. The Ibn Rushd-Goethe Mosque welcomes all Muslims, irrespective of denomination and sexual orientation.

“Furthermore, this house of worship – the only one of its kind in Germany – has explicitly abolished the segregation of the sexes during prayer. Men and women can pray alongside one another. A man and a woman led the first Friday prayers together. And – an important point, given the heated Islam debates in this country – the ‘female imam’ did not wear a headscarf!

‘The fact that reactions from predominantly Muslim countries to the opening of the Ibn Rushd Goethe Mosque have been both hostile and particularly forceful is not really any great surprise – not, at least, if one is aware of the repressive realities in these countries. This is true, too, of Egypt and Turkey, where protests against the Berlin mosque were particularly fierce…”

These forms of “liberal Islam” will not find any acceptance by the governments of Muslim countries. Shiite and Sunni countries even have a hard time cooperating with each other… a combined and unified “liberal” form of Islam, which to a large extent violates the clear dictates of the Koran, would be a total impossibility. Note the next article.

“Turkey Says Liberal German Mosque ‘Incompatible’ with Islam”

The Local wrote on June 22:

“Turkey’s religious affairs agency has expressed distaste over a new mosque in Berlin where men and women mingle freely, saying it was incompatible with the principles of Islam. Diyanet, which oversees religious activity in Turkey… said that the mosque ‘neglects’ the basic principles of Islam and was ‘incompatible with the worship, knowledge and methodology’ accumulated since the faith was founded by the Prophet Mohammed 14 centuries ago…

“Diyanet has influence over Muslim worship among the Turkish diaspora through the Ditib organisation controlled by Ankara that manages some 900 mosques or religious communities in Germany. Diyanet sends clerics to work in its mosques.

“Earlier this year, a furore erupted when German police raided the homes of four Turkish Muslim clerics working for Ditib suspected of spying for the government… Diyanet later said it had recalled six clerics from Germany for exceeding their authority but lashed out at German police for raiding the homes of the preachers.”

Further Persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia

Newsweek wrote on June 23:

“A Crimean member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses has been ordered to prove he has renounced his faith or else take up arms for the occupying Russian army. The move follows Russia’s banning of the Christian denomination in April and its annexation of the Ukrainian territory of Crimea in 2014.

“One of the central tenets of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ faith is an opposition to serving in the military. Previously in Russia, members have been allowed to undertake alternative civilian service. But that has changed since the country’s Supreme Court upheld a ruling from the justice ministry that they violated an anti-extremism law, liquidating all 395 of its local religious chapters and rendering the faith of 175,000 of its members illegal.

“There have since been multiple reports of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia being denied alternative civilian service… As well as violating the individual’s religious liberty, the order [to take up arms in Crimea] … flouts international humanitarian law. A United Nations resolution passed last December recognized Russia as an occupying force in Crimea.

“The Geneva Conventions states, ‘The Occupying Power may not compel protected persons to serve in its armed or auxiliary forces. No pressure or propaganda which aims at securing voluntary enlistment is permitted.’ Despite that, Russia has continued to conscript Crimeans into military service…

“The treatment of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia since the Supreme Court decision has already come under the microscope. As well as being denied alternative civilian service, there have been reports of meetings being disrupted by police and, in one instance, a Danish member being arrested. He now faces up to 10 years in prison.

“An appeal against the Supreme Court’s decision will be heard on July 17…”

Russia’s mean-spirited actions against political and religious minorities are appalling. The world stands idly by while Putin’s brutal dictatorship widens beyond restrictions.

“Netanyahu Under Fire after Reneging on Western Wall Deal”—No Mixed Gender Prayers at Western Wall

AFP wrote on June 26:

“Israel’s shelving of a deal to allow mixed-gender prayers at the Western Wall echoed far beyond religion Monday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused of abandoning reform efforts for political gain. Netanyahu’s cabinet voted Sunday to back out of the hard-won deal, provoking a flood of criticism and warnings it could damage Israel’s relationship with the United States’ influential Jewish community.

“That followed pressure from ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties who are part of Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition and follow a strict interpretation of religious rules. Such parties have often played a kingmaker role in Israeli politics and have opposed years of efforts by more liberal Jews to win equal rights for women at the Western Wall, one of the holiest sites in Judaism.

“Women and men currently pray in separate areas at the site in Jerusalem’s Old City, where religious affairs are overseen by Israel’s ultra-Orthodox establishment. A compromise reached more than a year ago would have created a third space near the wall, open to both women and men. Sunday’s cabinet vote froze the deal — effectively cancelling it — despite the government having earlier endorsed it.

“In a sign of the tensions the decision provoked, the Jewish Agency, a quasi-governmental organisation that helped mediate the deal, heavily criticised the move and cancelled an event with Netanyahu scheduled for Monday evening in response. Yair Lapid, an opposition figure and leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, said the decision meant Israel was ‘the only democracy in the world without equality for Jews.’…

“[Netanyahu’s] coalition, seen as the most right-wing in Israel’s history, holds 66 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, or parliament. Ultra-Orthodox parties control 13 of the coalition’s seats. Some 10 percent of Israel’s population are considered ultra-Orthodox.

“The Western Wall, located in Jerusalem’s Old City, is venerated by Jews as a remnant of a wall supporting the Second Temple complex, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD…

“Sunday’s move to back out of the deal prompted anger among Jewish movements in the United States, home to more than five million Jews, most of whom are not Orthodox… It is a sensitive issue for Israel, which relies on the United States as its most important ally, providing it with strong diplomatic support and more than $3 billion (2.7 billion euros) per year in defence aid. Many Israelis see support from Jewish communities in the United States and worldwide as essential… But for Israel’s ultra-Orthodox establishment, changes such as mixed prayer betray Jewish tradition…”

These developments are interesting in that we read in Zechariah 14:14 that ultimately, Jews will fight “against” Jerusalem, as the passage should read (Revised Standard Version; New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible; Luther Bible; compare our booklet, “The Book of Zechariah—Prophecies for Today!,” page 83-84.). Also, we find a reference to gender separation in Jerusalem for the end time (“in that day”) in Zechariah 12:10-14.

Australians Forsake Christianity

The website of abc.net.au reported on June 27:

“Australians are ditching religion in unprecedented numbers. About one third of Australians said they had no religion. That’s a huge shift from 50 years ago, when the vast majority of Australians were Christian. While Australians are turning away from the Christian religions, there’s been a massive growth in Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam…

“About one million Australians were born in China or India — and these two countries are the biggest sources of migration to Australia… England and New Zealand are still the most popular countries of birth, but there’s no real growth in migrants from these two countries. English is still the main language for three quarters of Australians, but there are 301 other different languages spoken in homes across the country…

“A record number of same-sex couples — nearly 47,000 — were counted in the census. The number of male and female same-sex couples is roughly equal…”

BuzzFeed wrote on June 26:

“For the first time ever, ‘no religion’ has overtaken any single religious denomination, toppling Catholicism as the number one religious affiliation for Australians… Christianity is still the most common religion (52% of Australians identified as any of the Christian denominations) but has been declining in popularity in Australia for the past 50 years – in 1966, 88% of Australians identified as Christian and by 1991 it was 74%. Catholicism is the largest Christian grouping, accounting for almost a quarter (22.6%) of the Australian population…”

Martin Schulz—an Unlikely Comeback?

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 25:

“Amidst more bad news in opinion polls, Social Democratic chancellor candidate Martin Schulz went on the attack at the party conference in Dortmund. But does he have the policies and charisma to make up a huge deficit?…

“Opinion polls released this weekend put the SPD at 23 to 24 percent… The election is only 90 days away, which means that Schulz and the SPD need to start mounting an unlikely comeback…

“The 61-year-old SPD candidate, a former EU parliament president who spent 13 years working in Brussels and only rejoined German national politics last year, began by attacking the conservatives and Merkel… Schulz drew some of his most enthusiastic applause when he criticized Merkel’s statement, largely interpreted to express the growing distance from the Donald Trump-led US, that the times when Germany could ‘rely on others’ were ‘to a degree over.’ Schulz called that statement non-specific and hedged… The implication was that the SPD would stand up to Trump in a way Merkel would not…

“There may be something to the Social Democrats’ criticism of Merkel, but German voters seem to like the chancellor the way she is. Moreover, her most controversial policy, the one on which she is most vulnerable, is her welcoming stance toward refugees, and that is not a position the SPD can or would want to attack.”

As AFP reported on June 25, Martin Schulz “also laid down gay marriage as a condition for any future coalition involving the SPD… The SPD’s call for gay marriage comes just a week after the Greens set a similar condition, while Merkel’s CDU has so far refused to allow same gender couples to wed.”

Humanly speaking, it does not appear that Martin Schulz has any chance of beating Angela Merkel. But ultimately, the person will be “elected” who will be most equipped of bringing about end-time prophetic events, especially involving Germany and Europe.

Coming: Same-Sex Marriages in Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on  June 27:

“Gay marriage could become a reality in Germany almost overnight after Chancellor Merkel made certain concessions. However, the issue is also being used as a political bargaining ahead of the September 24 elections. German Chancellor Angela Merkel removed the previous requirement of party whip control on the issue of voting on gay marriage in Germany’s lower house of parliament, the Bundestag. In other words, members of the Bundestag will be allowed to vote on the issue on the basis of their own conscience and not be required to toe the party line of their political affiliation.

“The chancellor herself worded the vote as a ‘question of conscience’ during a TV interview the previous evening. The vote… could likely see gay marriage become a reality in Germany before the September 24 elections…

“At present, gay and lesbian couples can opt to have a civil partnership, which afford many of the same benefits and protections as traditional marriage, but lacks equity between gay and straight couples in some key areas such as adoption rights…

“The CDU’s sister-party, the Bavaria-based CSU, meanwhile also agreed that its parliamentarians should vote according to the conscience, even this meant a departure from the party’s view that ‘marriage for all’ was not in line with the party’s views. The party said that marriage between a man and a woman should enjoy special protections while stressing that same-sex relationships made valuable contributions ‘to our society,’ which were recognized with the special provision of civil partnerships.

“Rather than genuine concern for gay and lesbian couples, the vote on gay marriage appears to be used as a bargaining chip between the two major parties, Merkel’s CDU and her current coalition partner, the SPD, headed by Martin Schulz. It appears that Schulz is hoping to gain votes by pushing the decision through the Bundestag less than three months ahead of the general elections…

“All of Merkel’s potential coalition allies favor same-sex marriage, with some saying that it’s a precondition for a coalition: Both the Free Democrats and the Greens are in support of the notion. Merkel is likely to need [the] to support of both parties if she wants to lead a coalition without the SPD.

“Same-sex marriage is already legal in 14 EU states, including France, Spain, Portugal, the UK and the Benelux countries…

“… homosexuality in politics has also become much more commonplace. Many homosexuals occupy important government posts and live openly in same-sex relationships. That is a far cry from 2004, when Guido Westerwelle became the first top-tier German politician to come out as gay. Then again, Westerwelle, who passed away last year, was not a member of either of the Union parties, but rather a member of the liberal FDP.”

A vote in the German Parliament on the issue of same-sex marriages has been set for Friday. It is expected that the vote will pass overwhelmingly in favor of same-sex marriages.

Merkel’s Vision of France-German Led Europe

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 29:

“Germany is reorienting itself away from the US and the UK and toward France. Chancellor Merkel made that abundantly clear in a major speech to parliament about the EU’s future and next week’s G20 summit in Hamburg.

“Germany and France will take a greater role in leading the European Union, and Europe must take a greater role in leading the world. That would be one way of summarizing Angela Merkel’s speech to the German parliament on Thursday.

“Merkel looked ahead to the G20 summit of the world’s leading nations that will take place in the northern German city of Hamburg on July 7 and 8. The chancellor stressed the need for Europe to present a common front against Donald Trump, particularly over the Paris Agreement on climate protection… The chancellor also took aim at Trump’s national chauvinism… Merkel acknowledged that it would be difficult to talk with Trump on issues like terrorism, protectionism and climate change in Hamburg…

“Merkel underscored the theme of European solidarity by meeting in Berlin after her speech with the leaders of the other EU countries taking part in the G20 summit as well as the presidents of the European Commission and the European Council. The Chancellor said that the EU wanted to send a ‘message of unity and determination.’…

“SPD parliamentary chairman Thomas Oppermann… questioned whether the chancellor would truly stand up to the US president at a G20 summit that promises to be far more confrontational than such past meetings… ‘Donald Trump divides the west,’ Oppermann said. ‘It is necessary for us to take an unambiguous stand. In Hamburg, we must show the American president that he stands alone on climate change…’”

“The East-West Divide in the EU Deepens”

Deutsche Welle reported on June 24:

“While the German and French leaders celebrated the close ties between their countries during this week’s EU summit, divisions between western and eastern European leaders grew…

“Merkel described the mood of the two-day summit, which ended on Friday, as ‘optimistic and dynamic.’ Such words are more easily uttered in the knowledge that economies in almost all member states… are starting to grow again. The eurozone has just completed its best quarter in almost six years…

“The EU also wants to take the lead in maintaining free trade around the world, which member states see threatened by the protectionist tendencies of US President Donald Trump. But, as French President Macron said, the EU is not ‘naïve’ either. Openness also necessitates fairness. European governments find it unfair that some countries seemingly flood the European market with dumping prices, or that companies from third states buy European firms while at the same time blocking European takeovers in theirs. The main culprit in both instances is China…

“But the generally positive mood that has come on the heels of the Brexit depression did not brighten every topic of discussion – such as that of immigration. Macron, who is seen by many as Europe’s new hope, began the conference by angering eastern European countries that have refused to accept refugees from the bloc’s main countries of arrival, Italy and Greece… Although he did not name names, those he was referring to, such as Hungary, felt attacked… Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern, on the other hand, stood by Macron…

“In an effort to smooth over differences, Macron also met separately with heads of government from the so-called Visegrad Group: Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Nothing, however, came of the meeting. After the summit, Merkel said that all members were ‘very, very much in agreement’ on the issue of fighting the root causes of migration and the control of Europe’s exterior borders. She resignedly added: ‘Unfortunately, we made no progress on the question of distribution’…

“In his joint press conference with Merkel, Macron added: ‘The current refugee crisis is not a temporary, but rather a long-term challenge, which can be resolved only through long-term stabilization in Africa and the Middle East and through ambitious European development policies.’…

“The summit made clear that Emmanuel Macron’s election has given a jolt of energy to the French-German duo that will perhaps be able to drive new European projects. But at the same time, it also highlighted the threat that the divide between new EU member states from the east and old ones from the west could grow ever deeper.”

We should take note of several issues addressed in the article. First, a possible “divide” between some EU members gives fuel to the concept of a Europe with two speeds, or a core Europe, consisting of ten nations or groups of nations, which will emerge from the current EU. In addition, the comment that long-term stabilization in the Middle East is needed reminds us of the biblical prophecy of Europe’s future military intervention in the Middle East.

Deal Reached between Theresa May and Northern Ireland’s DUP

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 26:

“Theresa May and leaders of Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party have reached a deal… May entered into talks with the DUP, a right-wing regional party that won 10 seats in June’s elections, to try to shore up her government after her Conservatives lost their majority in the House of Commons earlier in June. With the support of the 10 DUP lawmakers, May would have the numbers she needs to put down a likely series of legislative challenges from her Tories’ main rival, Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party and allied opposition factions.

“… Under the deal, the smaller party will support the Tories in all fiscal matters and confidence votes, as well as Brexit talks and national security. The faction’s backing will be case-by-case on other issues… The Tories and DUP also said that they would ‘consider options to support’ British reserve troops on Northern Ireland’s soil… On several issues, notably abortion rights and same-sex marriage, the two factions do not hold common ground.”

Google Fined Almost 3 Billion Dollars by the EU

Bloomberg wrote on June 27:

“Google was fined 2.42 billion euros ($2.7 billion) by the EU on Tuesday, wrapping up a seven-year probe into complaints that it abuses its power as the world’s biggest search engine to muscle out smaller shopping search rivals. It’s one of three investigations targeting Alphabet Inc.’s Google in Europe with final results of a probe into the company’s Android mobile-phone software and online advertising service yet to come. Publishers are also seeking a probe into claims that Google unfairly uses their content, causing them to lose lucrative advertising revenue…”

 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 the last Q&A, we discussed the biblical metaphors of lions and locusts when describing the future European power bloc; its political leader called the beast, the king of the North or King Jareb of Assyria; Europe’s military might, referred to as the Chaldeans and as Babylon; and Europe’s evolving powerful army and weaponry.

In this Q&A, we will show further biblical comparisons between a future core Europe, under German leadership, and flying eagles, swift horses and fast leopards.

Revelation 13:2 pictures the ancient Roman Empire and its ten European revivals as a “beast” with seven heads and ten horns. It states that the beast was “like a leopard,” but with further animal characteristics of a lion and a bear. We will recall that the Roman Empire (the beast) had emerged from previous powers, such as Babylon (pictured as a lion), Medo-Persia (pictured as a bear), and Greece (pictured as a leopard). Daniel 7 tells us that the lion “had eagle’s wings” (verse 4), and that the beast, symbolizing Greece, was “like a leopard, Which had on its back four wings of a bird” (verse 6).

Later in the eighth chapter of the book of Daniel, another vision describes Greece, under Alexander the Great, as a male goat (verse 21), attacking the Medo-Persian Empire (pictured as a ram, verse 20) with great speed (“without touching the ground,” associating the ram with a flying animal) and with furious power and rage (Daniel 8:5-7). As the beast in Revelation 13 combined the previous three world empires, it also included the animal metaphors for these empires, such as the wings of an eagle and of an unidentified bird, which show the great speed with which the last European revival of the Roman Empire will pursue its affairs.

Focusing on the eagle as a metaphor for the European power under German leadership, we note, first of all, that Germany (and ancient Assyria) had and has a black eagle [some call it a “scary black eagle”] as a symbol for their nation.

According to Wikipedia, “From the reign of Frederick Barbarossa in 1155 the single-headed eagle became a symbol of the Holy Roman Empire. The eagle was clearly derived from the Roman eagle and continues to be important in the heraldry of those areas once within the Holy Roman Empire. Within Germany the placement of one’s arms in front of an eagle was indicative of princely rank under the Holy Roman Empire… The German Reichsadler (‘Imperial Eagle’) was… used… in modern coats of arms of Germany, including those of the Second German Empire (1871–1918), the Weimar Republic (1919–1933) and the ‘Third Reich’ (Nazi Germany, 1933–1945). The same design [a black eagle with a red beak, feet and tongue] has remained in use by the Federal Republic of Germany since 1945, albeit under the name Bundesadler (‘Federal Eagle’).”

In addition, the symbol of the single-headed black eagle is also used for Austria’s “Bundesadler” (“Federal Eagle”). Black is a color which oftentimes describes spiritual darkness, and red refers many times to blood and war (Revelation 6:3-4). Both colors are sometimes associated with Satan and his demons (Revelation 12:3; Ephesians 6:12) and with sinful conduct (Isaiah 1:18; Jude 13).

We have all heard the word “blitzkrieg” or “blitz,” describing the speed with which Germany moved at times towards and attacked her enemies. Something similar is prophesied for the future, and the metaphor of an eagle is highly appropriate. Eagles are many times associated with swiftness, especially when attempting to catch their prey (Job 9:26).

In Deuteronomy 28:49-50, we read about the future European power bloc’s end-time attack on the USA, the UK, and the state of Israel: “The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand, a nation of fierce countenance…”

Hosea 8:1-3, 12, 14 sheds further light on the soon-coming nuclear attacks (Ezekiel 6:6) by the final revival of the ancient Roman Empire: “Set the trumpet to your mouth! He shall come like an eagle against the house of the LORD, Because they have transgressed My covenant And rebelled against My law. Israel [including the modern tribes of the house of Israel, as well as the house of Judah] will cry to Me, ‘My God, we know You!’ Israel has rejected the good; The enemy will pursue him…. I have written for him the great things of My law, But they were considered a strange thing… Israel has forgotten his Maker… But I will send fire upon his cities, And it shall devour his palaces.”

After the fall of Jerusalem, Jeremiah contemplated in the book of Lamentations about Judah’s enemies, but this book is also and especially a prophecy for our immediate future. We read in Lamentations 4:19 about the attack through ancient Babylon, and prophetically, the attacks through the modern Chaldean/Babylonian system: “Our pursuers were swifter Than the eagles of the heavens. They pursued us on the mountains And lay in wait for us in the wilderness.”

This prophetic invasion of Judah and the Promised Land through modern Babylon under German (Assyrian) leadership is also described in Isaiah 8:7-9:

“… The Lord brings up over them… The king of Assyria and all his glory; He will … pass through Judah, He will overflow and pass over, He will reach up to the neck; And the stretching out of his wings Will fill the breath of Your land, O Immanuel.”

Immanuel, meaning “God With Us,” is one of Jesus Christ’s names (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23), showing that even in these terrible times of trial for the USA, UK and the state of Israel, God will not forsake them forever. The reference to Assyria’s “stretching out of his wings” shows again the swiftness of the flying eagle.

The Bible tells us that the final European revival of the ancient Roman Empire, under Assyrian leadership, will also invade Moab (Jordan and Western Iraq) and Edom (Turkey). Even though these countries will at first escape from the hand of the “king of the North” (compare Daniel 11:41), they will later be conquered as well.

Jeremiah 48:40-44, 46-47 tells us regarding the future of Moab:

“‘Behold, one shall fly like an eagle, And spread his wings over Moab… the mighty men’s hearts in Moab on that day shall be Like the heart of a woman in birth pangs. And Moab shall be destroyed as a people, Because he exalted himself against the LORD. Fear and the pit and the snare shall be given upon you, O inhabitant of Moab… For upon Moab… I will bring the year of their punishment,’ says the LORD… ‘your sons have been taken captive, And your daughters captive. Yet I will bring back the captives of Moab In the latter days,’ says the LORD.”

Jeremiah 49:22 tells us about Edom’s future in our time:

“Behold, He shall come up and fly like the eagle, And spread His wings over Bozrah; The heart of the mighty men of Edom in that day shall be like the heart of a woman in birth pangs.”

This translation, quoted above, is taken from the New King James Bible, which capitalizes the words “he” and “his.” This interpretation is not compelling. If we want to accept it, then it would mean that it is God who flies like an eagle and spreads His wings over Bozrah, which might indicate that He will conquer Edom through the king of Assyria. Or, the reference in Jeremiah 49:22 is directly addressing the king of Assyria, so that the words “he” and “his” should not be capitalized.

For information showing that Assyria will ultimately turn against and conquer Edom after “modifying” the “confederacy” described in Psalm 83:2-8, see our free booklet, “Middle Eastern and African Nations in Bible Prophecy,” pages 37-42, discussing in detail the Scriptures in Obadiah 6-9 in conjunction with Psalm 60:8 and Psalm 108:9.

We know that God compares Himself and His loyal angels with eagles. He told Israel that He brought them out of Egypt on eagles’ wings (Exodus 19:4), signifying His supernatural protection (compare Deuteronomy 32:10-12; see also Psalm 91:4 and Psalm17:8). In the future, God will again supernaturally protect His people, pictured as a “woman,” by bringing her to a place of safety here on earth, giving her “two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place… from the presence of the serpent (Satan the Devil)” (Revelation 12:14).

God also shows the strength of an eagle in Scriptures such as Psalm 103:5 and Isaiah 40:29-31. In addition, God compares His angels with eagles (Matthew 24:28; Luke 17:37), and some of them even look like eagles or have facial features of an eagle (Revelation 4:7; Ezekiel 1:10; 10:14). The same is true for the appearance of angels as lions (same Scriptures).

As eagles reflect strength and swiftness in the spiritual realm, so they do in the physical realm, except that when God uses the metaphor for the surprising swift revival of the last resurrection of the Roman Empire, He shows the utmost cruelty associated with it (compare Ezekiel 7:24; Isaiah 19:4). We read in Habakkuk 1:5-10:

“Look among the nations and watch—Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you. For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, A bitter and hasty nation which marches through the breath of the earth, To possess dwelling places that are not theirs. They are terrible and dreadful… Their horses are swifter than leopards, and more fierce than evening wolves. Their chargers (lit., horsemen) charge ahead; Their cavalry comes from afar; they fly as the eagle that hastens to eat. They all come for violence… they gather captives like sand…”

God’s work of raising the modern Chaldeans will happen quickly and unsuspectedly. It will be a short work—a work which will be cut short (Romans 9:28; compare also Matthew 24:22), and it will be accompanied by a final announcement of the coming establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth, just prior to Christ’s return (compare Acts 13:40-41, quoting the passage from Habakkuk 1:5, but applying it to the preaching of the gospel message).

As we have seen, the passage in Habakkuk, chapter 1, includes another comparison with two animals to emphasize the swiftness of the attacks of the coming European superpower—leopards and horses, and the horses are described as even swifter than leopards. As the Greek Empire under Alexander the Great was compared with a swift leopard with wings on its back (being subsequently absorbed by the Roman Empire), the coming attacks of the modern Assyrians will be much swifter than the conquest of the ancient Greeks.

The symbolic horses of the future Babylonian army are mentioned, as we will recall, in Revelation 9:7, where terrible modern weapons are described as locusts which were shaped like horses prepared for battle. As you will also recall from the last Q&A, the book of Joel describes that powerful army as well. In Joel 2:4-5, the soldiers and their weapons are pictured in this way: “Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like swift steeds, so they run. With a noise like chariots Over mountaintops they leap, like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, Like a strong people set in battle array…”

The swiftness and the fierceness of these symbolic “horses” are also described in Jeremiah 8:16, where a warning of a future Assyrian attack is uttered from or concerning Dan (modern Ireland and/or parts of Denmark; note also Jeremiah 4:15-16):

“The snorting of His horses was heard from Dan. The whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of His [or: his] strong ones; for they have come and devoured the land and all that is in it, the city and those who dwell in it.”

We note that “his” does not have to be capitalized; in that case, it would refer directly to the modern king of Assyria. If one prefers the interpretation that the word “his” should be capitalized, then it would indicate that God, perhaps with the assistance of His angels, who are also described as horses (compare 2 Kings 2:11-12; 6:15-17; Zechariah 1:8-11; 6:1-8; Revelation 19:11, 14), will be using the modern “arrogant” and “haughty” king of Assyria to carry out His plan (note again Isaiah 10:5-6, 12; compare also Jeremiah 22:7).

The future nuclear attacks of the European army will be powerful, brutal and merciless (compare Jeremiah 6:23), with devastating results of utter destruction. The prophesied blitzkrieg will happen soon and very quickly and suddenly (compare Jeremiah 6:26). The modern Babylonian army will move swifter than an eagle flies; and much swifter than leopards and horses run. The time from the beginning of Babylon’s attacks, starting World War III, until Christ’s return will not be longer than 3 ½ years… and it could be even shorter, since those days have been shortened (Mark 13:20). But the devastating results of this relatively “short” World War will be unparalleled in the annals of man’s history.

1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 leaves us with this warning:

“For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.”

God has given His end-time Church a commission and a responsibility—to “stand watch” and announce these coming terrible events as a warning to all nations.

Habakkuk 2:1 says: “I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me…’”

Isaiah 21:8-9 adds: “Then he cried, ‘A lion, my Lord! I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime; I have sat at my post every night. And look, here comes a chariot of men with a pair of horsemen!’ Then he answered and said, ‘Babylon is fallen, is fallen!’…”

The warning of future Babylon’s terrible conduct in war and its subsequent destruction is going out, but most people will not listen!

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“Limited Version of Trump’s Muslim Travel Ban Takes Effect” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

With the controversial decision on the revised travel ban, the United States Supreme Court has set the stage for much more drastic and troublesome events to follow. What exactly is permitted and prohibited regarding tourists, business people, family members and refugees? Will citizens from European nations be affected in the future? The Bible shows us that TERRIBLE times of hostility are just around the corner.

“Europas blitzschneller Adler,” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. This is based on this week’s Q&A. Title in English: “Europe’s Blazing-Fast Eagle”.

“Miracles Do Happen,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Have we experienced or even witnessed some kind of miracle in our lives?  The Bible has several examples of miracles that have been performed.  What can we learn from these?

“Prove Everything… But How Exactly?” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The Bible tells us that we are to prove everything and hold fast what is good. What does this mean? Do we have to convince ourselves of the Truth and make it part of our being? What consequences does this have for our conduct towards others? Does one have to be appointed by God to be a teacher of the Truth? Are God’s ministers necessary so that one can even come to and understand the Truth? How do you know whether someone is a true or a false minister? Are we admonished not to argue with others about the Truth? Why can discussions about God’s Word be very dangerous?

On June 24, 2017, Michael Link will present the sermonette, titled, “Miracles Do Happen,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Prove Everything… But How Exactly?”

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.

It’s amazing how things can work out at times.

My diary told me that it was my turn to send in an editorial for the next week’s Update.   As I had recently completed this, there was no problem – but, unfortunately, there was!   I could not find the document on my computer – I searched high and low, and for quite some time, but it would not make an appearance!

However, something had happened in the last few days that might have made this editorial almost out of date!   It was entitled “Normal Hostilities on Hold” and reviewed the phenomena of those who might be at odds with others coming together in a time of crisis or national difficulties.   Take, for example, the comradeship and togetherness that the UK showed when being attacked in the Second World War.  All seemed to come together in a common cause and forgot their political, personal and other differences.

One for all, and all for one is a motto traditionally associated with the heroes of the novel “The Three Musketeers,” written by Alexandre Dumas, first published in 1844.   Dictionary.com explains this as saying “all the members of a group support each of the individual members, and the individual members pledge support to the group” – and that’s how it was in the UK during wartime.

I had written the original (now lost) editorial following the aftermath of the London and Manchester terrorist attacks.   One reporter made the observations that as things settled down, the cooperation could now get back to normal and we could go back to being rude to one another again.   It seemed that, in national tragedy, people did forget their differences and pulled together as one – hence the initial title of this editorial as “Normal Hostilities on Hold”.

But another, most unwelcome facet of national life took hold after the appalling events at the fire in Grenfell Tower in London on Wednesday, 14^th June 2017.  Apart from the enormous efforts of selfless volunteers to assist in such a tragedy, the blame game started very quickly, by political agitators and others.

The Daily Telegraph reported that “Grief over the Grenfell Tower disaster turned into angry protests on Friday as the official death toll rose to at least 30 and dozens more deaths were feared.  Demonstrators stormed the offices of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) over its handling of the crisis amid concerns that earlier renovation work was linked to the dramatic spread of the blaze.   Hundreds of protesters also marched on Whitehall, central London, to voice their frustration at the Government’s response to the fire, which ripped through the tower block in north Kensington on Wednesday morning.  The crowd later began marching towards Kensington High Street, chanting ‘no justice, no peace.’”

This happened just two days after the fire started.   In the past, discussions took place after the event concerned, but not this time.

The Daily Mail commented on Friday, 16^th June 2017:

“After the horrific blaze at Grenfell Tower, this should have been a week for the nation to unite in grief for the dead, the bereaved and the relatives of the missing. It should have been a week for politicians to join in demanding how such a catastrophe could happen in a first-world country, and seek immediate ways of averting another. But no. Barely had the body count begun… than [politicians] were spinning a narrative about the fire, blaming divisions of wealth, profiteering…

“Enough! Out of respect for the victims and concern for others at risk, it is imperative to take the politics out of this tragedy and for our leaders, calmly yet urgently, to learn its lessons… Truly, these are chilling times for Britain. Yes, there are devastating questions for officials, contractors, councillors and ministers to answer about Grenfell Tower. But to exploit this tragedy in order to foment division is not only an affront to British democracy but a betrayal of the victims themselves.”

The UK is a divided nation with polarisation in those wanting Brexit and those who don’t, with quite a number of the latter not really accepting the outcome of the referendum.   The recent general election seems to have further divided people and it seems that political capital is now being made from this latest tragedy.

No amount of “point scoring” will help but will, quite probably, harden the polarised factions.   Based on our understanding of prophecy, the UK is heading for really serious trouble like the USA and Israel, and recent events show us, if we have eyes to see, that that time cannot be too far away!

by Norbert Link

In this issue, we include several articles which all prove God’s involvement in national and international developments, to fulfill biblical prophecy and bring about end-time events, leading to the soon-coming return of Jesus Christ.

We address the beginning of Brexit negotiations between Europe and Great Britain; and we report at length about the death of an extremely remarkable figure in post-war Europe—former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl.

We report on French President Macron’s centrist party’s massive victory in this week’s parliamentary elections, enabling him to pursue, together with Germany, reforms in Europe to glue the EU closer together and to continue with the establishment of a Europe with two speeds (core Europe); and we address further developments cementing the disastrously deteriorating relationship between the USA and Europe under German leadership (being supported by Austria).

We also hear more and more of wars and rumors of wars, escalations and terrorist attacks (at least four or five separate attacks by crazy and deranged spiritually influenced, if not possessed, Islamist terrorists took place within the last few days in London, Jerusalem, Paris, Brussels and apparently also in Michigan). Now there is a real danger of an escalation of the Syrian war, due to America’s and Russia’s (as well as Iran’s) actions and words. We also report on the hopeless confusion within the Trump Administration on critically important foreign matters, such as Qatar.

We address another debacle of the Trump administration—the “broken promises” and subsequent “deceit” regarding healthcare, which have now been described as the “biggest scandal of all.”

We conclude with an article about another obscure Catholic holiday, “Fronleichnam,” showing how far the Catholic Church is removed from biblical truth.

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

German Minister Sees Hope of ‘Soft’ Brexit—But That Won’t Happen

The Associated Press wrote on June 18, 2017:

“German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told Sunday’s Welt am Sonntag newspaper that ‘maybe there is now a chance to achieve a so-called “soft Brexit.”’ But he said staying in the single market would require Britain to accept EU workers’ freedom of movement. It also would have to accept the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice…

“For many Brexit advocates, those conditions would be impossible to accept…

“[Gabriel] criticized May’s Conservatives, saying that they ‘played with the emotions of citizens in Britain, told fake news about Europe and left people unclear about what consequences this would all have.’ Referring to the ‘difficult, even impossible situation’ created by the indecisive election, he added: ‘Here, those who created such chaos would have long since gone.’ ‘We will negotiate fairly,’ Gabriel was quoted as saying. ‘And fair means that we want to keep the British as close as possible to the EU — but never at the price that we divide the remaining 27 EU states.’”

On June 12, BBC explained the distinction between “hard Brexit” and “soft Brexit,” as follows:

“… they generally refer to the closeness of the UK’s relationship with the EU, post-Brexit. So at one extreme, ‘hard’ (or ‘clean’) Brexit could involve quitting without a deal in place. This would mean no compromise on issues like the free movement of people, leaving the EU single market and trading with the EU as if it were any other country outside Europe… the UK and EU would probably apply tariffs and other trade restrictions on each other. At the other end of the scale, a ‘soft’ Brexit could involve keeping close ties with the EU, possibly through some form of membership of the European Union single market, in return for a degree of free movement.”

It appears that Mr. Gabriel was referring to “soft Brexit” in this way, suggesting that Britain might stay as a member of the EU single market (but not as a member of the EU). It is not foreseeable that such a soft Brexit will occur. The Brexit HAD to happen to fulfill biblical prophecy. And with the Brexit will come an ongoing deteriorating relationship between Europe and the UK.

In this light, the Telegraph wrote on June 18:

“The Chancellor has dismissed speculation the UK could pursue a soft Brexit and remain part of the EU’s customs union and the single market. There have been rumours that Philip Hammond, who backed the remain camp during last year’s EU referendum, will use Theresa May’s weakened authority… to water-down [May’s] Brexit stance. Last week in Luxembourg, he failed to confirm that Britain would depart the single market despite being asked twice by reporters whether the country would stay or go.

“However, the chancellor has now moved to quash speculation that he would push Mrs May to abandon her plan for a hard Brexit… ‘We’re leaving the EU, and because we’re leaving the EU we will be leaving the single market and by, the way, we’ll be leaving the customs union,’ Mr Hammond told the [BBC]…”

Brexit’s First Day of “Negotiation”

Express wrote on June 19:

“Michel Barnier tonight warned Britain he is in no mood to make concessions during the Brexit talks, saying the UK would have to pay the ‘substantial consequences’ of its decision to leave the EU. The usually cool-headed Frenchman showed flashes of anger as he was asked what concessions he had been prepared to make to his British counterpart David Davis during a frantic opening day of talks [on June 19].

“In response Mr Barnier, who is the EU’s chief negotiator, launched into a furious tirade against the Brexit decision… His outburst came at the end of an evening press conference… he warned the UK against expecting some kind of special status outside the EU, saying it would be in the same position as any other third country looking for ties with Brussels… His forceful defence of the EU’s unshakeable negotiating position provided an early demonstration of the monumental task facing Mr Davis…”

The Local added on June 22:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that the EU’s future took priority over Brexit talks, in a rebuke to British Prime Minister Theresa May’s plans to bring the negotiations up at a Brussels summit. ‘For me, the future of the (remaining) 27 member states comes before the exit negotiations with Great Britain’ said Merkel, Europe’s most influential leader, as she arrived for the two-day meeting.”

The Queen’s Speech

Breitbart wrote on June 21:

“Queen Elizabeth II has announced the Government’s two-year legislative programme, with Brexit at its heart. Many contentious policies… to have been dropped…  Instead, the speech put efforts to secure the ‘best possible deal as we leave the European Union’…

“Whilst the Government hopes to establish a ‘deep and special partnership with European allies’, it appears to have committed to leaving the EU’s Customs Union and Single Market, in order to pursue an ‘independent trade policy’…

“Potentially controversial plans to make Britain ‘the safest place to be online’ with a new ‘digital charter’ were also confirmed, with concerns that heavy regulation of the Internet will undermine personal freedom and expression…

“Curiously, whilst a state visit by the Spanish royal family was announced, there was no mention of one for U.S. President Donald Trump, previously thought to have been all but a done deal following the prime minister’s own visit to Washington, D.C…”

The Death of Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl

The Guardian wrote on June 17:

“Helmut Kohl, who died on Friday aged 87, was one of a trio of dominant western conservative politicians – along with Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher – whose determined ideological and practical opposition to the Soviet Union helped lead in the closing months of 1989 to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent end of the cold war that had gripped Europe since 1945.

“But despite his reputation as a hardliner and his achievement as Germany’s longest-serving chancellor since Bismarck, Kohl… freely admitted… that he did not foresee the sudden Soviet implosion and was as surprised as anyone when it happened.

“The days when Europe was divided between east and west are hard to picture now. But a visitor to West Berlin in December 1988 was confronted by a grim reality…  watchtowers manned by armed East German border guards, snow falling on barbed-wire coils suspended over the river Spree, the forbidding no-man’s land of Checkpoint Charlie, and the burned-out Reichstag building silhouetted against an icy black sky…

“Kohl rose to the occasion presented by East Germany’s collapse with a purposeful single-mindedness that shocked and alarmed many in the west, not least Margaret Thatcher. Kohl took literally the injunction in the West German constitution to restore the country’s unity… In a series of bold and rapid moves in 1990, he travelled to Moscow to seek President Mikhail Gorbachev’s acquiescence in German reunification, signed a fast-track economic and social union treaty with the East German leaders who had ousted Erich Honecker’s Communists, and with the help of his able foreign minister, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, won the backing of the US.

“Kohl had luck on his side, too…

“For her part, Thatcher remained opposed to reunification throughout, fearing that a resurgent, reviving Germany would once again dominate Europe. She was comprehensively out-manoeuvred by Kohl. But 25 years later, it could be said that Thatcher’s premonition has proved accurate… Reunification, ratified in September 1990, turned out to be an enormously costly business for both Germanys. The eastern states were poor, persecuted and polluted, while the taxes levied in western Germany to pay for the project, and accompanying westwards migration of jobless Ossis (East Germans), caused deep resentment in some sections of German society.

“The fact that Germany has ultimately proved able to afford this epic act of national reconstruction is attributable, in part at least, to Kohl’s other signal political achievement: the Maastricht Treaty of 1992 that brought the European Union into existence and paved the way for the creation of the euro currency. Whatever else they may have done, the EU and the euro (replacing the former, less politically integrated European Economic Community) gave Germany the markets and the means to produce a second German industrial and manufacturing miracle.

“In this ambitious vision for a united Europe, Kohl found a willing partner [in] François Mitterrand, France’s Socialist president. Both men remembered the bad old times. Both reasoned that Europe would only be safe and secure if its two leading powers and its most frequent antagonists, France and Germany, worked in tandem. For Kohl, such cooperation was at one with his instinct for peaceful reconciliation. Early in his second term as chancellor, in 1984, he shook hands with Mitterrand on the first world war battlefield at Verdun, as if to finally bring down the curtain on two world wars.

“In the same year he became the first German leader to address the Knesset in Israel. At the same time, he was not afraid to confront strength with strength, in facing down the totalitarianism of the Soviet Union. West Germany played a full part in the controversial 1980s US deployment of intermediate-range cruise and Pershing nuclear-tipped missiles in Europe, under the banner of Nato…

“And it was Kohl who was happy to play host to Reagan, the hawkish US leader, and sit with him on a platform near the Brandenburg Gate in divided Berlin in 1987 when Reagan issued his challenge: ‘Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!’

“Kohl served as chancellor continuously from 1982 to 1998. He retired from public life in 2002. His later years were marred by a scandal over CDU party financing and the suicide, in 2001, of his popular wife, Hannelore. Until he suffered the first of a series of serious illnesses, he continued to air his views, and was sharply critical of Merkel’s pro-austerity policies in response to the global financial crisis. Kohl’s verdict was terse: ‘Die macht mir mein Europa kaputt’ (‘She’s destroying the Europe I built.’).”

World Leaders Mourn Loss of Helmut Kohl

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 17:

“World leaders are paying tribute to former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl… The EU’s Jean-Claude Juncker said flags would fly at half-staff in Brussels to honor a ‘great European’ … as a tribute to the man who ‘filled the European house with life.’

“Former US President George H. W. Bush…  described Kohl as ‘a true friend of freedom,’ saying that he considered him ‘one of the greatest leaders in post-war Europe.’… Gorbachev, the last leader of the USSR, said Kohl was an ‘outstanding person’ whose impact on world history would stand the test of time…

“German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel… lauded [Kohl’s] legacy of helping Europe grow closer… German Chancellor Angela Merkel… described her mentor as a ‘stroke of luck’ for Germany… Russian President Vladimir Putin [described Kohl as] ‘one of the patriarchs of European and global politics.’

“French President Emmanuel Macron [praised] Kohl for paving the road to [a] ‘united Germany and German-French friendship’… [German] President Steinmeier said Kohl ‘was deeply convinced that Europe was our destiny’…

“Merkel’s Social Democratic challenger in this year’s German federal election, Martin Schulz, said that…’Helmut Kohl was the chancellor of German reunification… Kohl’s vision of a European Germany… is a legacy to the German nation and to all of Europe.’…

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Kohl as a ‘friend of Israel’ who was ‘fully committed’ to the security of the Jewish state. British Prime Minister Theresa May called the German politician ‘a giant of European history.’…

“US President Donald Trump hailed the former German chancellor as a ‘friend and ally of the United States’…”

Helmut Kohl was the man of the hour for his time, bringing about German and European unification with a new currency, the euro. There was no “luck” involved, but this HAD to happen, and we can clearly see God’s hand in this to bring about the fulfillment of prophecy—the final revival of the ancient Roman Empire in continental Europe, under German leadership.

Massive Victory of Macron’s Party

AFP wrote on June 18:

“French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party won a massive [absolute] majority in parliamentary elections on Sunday, dominating the country’s traditional forces in a dramatic re-drawing of the political map… [giving] Macron one of France’s biggest post-war majorities, strengthening his hand in implementing his program of business-friendly reforms.

“… Just months ago, Macron was given little chance of becoming president, never mind controlling parliament, but he and the movement he founded 16 months ago have tapped into widespread desire for wholesale change. His party dominated France’s traditional parties, the right-wing Republicans and Socialists, but also the far-right National Front (FN) of Marine Le Pen — whom he defeated in the presidential run-off — which fell far short of its target…

“Despite the zest for political renewal, the vote failed to generate much excitement. Official statistics showed turnout at a near 60-year low, revealing a high degree of election fatigue after four votes in under two months.”

Mr. Macron is another interesting “surprise” figure who became president with a big majority in parliament for a reason… to help bring about stronger military EU unification and a Europe with two speeds.

Make Europe Great Again

Newsweek wrote on June 16:

“French President Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump don’t have many obvious parallels… But… Macron’s… plans for European trade have a distinctly protectionist flavor. You might even say he wants to ‘make Europe great again’ and ‘put Europe first.’… Macron is seeking… a Europe that ‘concentrates on major challenges and dares to defend its interests and values in the world.’

“Macron’s proposals include a ‘buy European act’ that would make it harder for non-EU companies to get public contracts in Europe…”

“German Defense Commissioner Vows: ‘In the End There Will Be a European Army’”

Breitbart wrote on June 20:

“As negotiations between Britain and the EU over Brexit get underway, a senior German politician has declared that a ‘European Army’ is inevitable. Hans-Peter Bartels, the parliamentary commissioner for the Armed Forces, insisted: ‘In the end, there will be a European Army.’ Bartel alleged the age-old system of national armies accountable to national governments was ‘disorganised, technically fragmented and duplicate structures unnecessarily’.

“He added: ‘Every step in the right direction [towards an EU army] is important.’ Bartel’s comments follow European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announcing a European Defence Action Plan, amongst other measures to deepen EU military integration…”

Indeed, a mighty and powerful European army is inevitable, as it is clearly prophesied to occur in the near future.

Germany and Austria Blast New US Sanctions on Russia

AFP wrote on June 16:

“Germany on Friday lashed out at Washington over new sanctions against Russia… The new penalties, approved by the US Senate on Thursday, include a paragraph that threatens to penalise European companies that push ahead with energy export programmes with Russia. Those include the Nord Stream 2 pipeline which would pump Russian gas under the Baltic Sea directly to Germany.

“‘It is strange that in the sanctioning of Russia’s behaviour, with regards to the US elections for instance, that the European economy should become a target of American sanctions. That must not happen,’ said Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert. He added that Merkel shared the concerns raised by Germany’s Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel and Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern who charged in a joint statement Thursday that the measure brings a ‘completely new and entirely negative quality to European-US relations’.

“In a hard-hitting statement, the German and Austrian said they ‘cannot accept the threat of extra-territorial sanctions against European companies that participate in the expansion of European energy supplies’, adding that this would ‘violate international law.’”

“They accused Washington of using the sanctions to squeeze Russian gas supplies out of Europe in favour of US energy exports… ‘Political sanctions should not be mixed up with economic interests,’ they warned, stressing that ‘Europe’s energy supply is Europe’s business and not that of the United States’. ‘We decide who delivers energy to us and how, according to rules of openness and economic competitiveness,’ said Gabriel and Kern.

“The bill as originally introduced was exclusively about slapping new sanctions on Iran. But lawmakers attached a bipartisan amendment on Russia to it early this week. The addition came with the White House deeply embroiled in crisis over whether Trump’s campaign team colluded with a Russian effort to sway the 2016 election…”

Insofar as a criminal investigation against Mr. Trump regarding obstruction of justice is concerned, there have been conflicting reports. After the Washington Post reported that Mr. Trump was under investigation, Mr. Trump admitted the same on Twitter, but subsequently one of his personal attorneys denied the same in several rambling and quite hostile TV interviews. However, in the course of the interviews, he kept contradicting himself, by first admitting that an investigation had begun, and then subsequently denying it, while finally saying that he had not been “informed” that an investigation was being conducted. In addition, ABC claimed that special prosecutor Robert Mueller had not yet started a full-scale investigation, but that he had begun some preliminary planning. Both the Washington Post and ABC backed up their stories through “anonymous sources.”

Much more importantly, not a week or maybe even a day goes by when disagreements don’t surface between Europe, under Germany leadership, and the USA under Mr. Trump. As we have been pointing out, Mr. Trump came to power, not as an accident, but because of God’s hand… to contribute to the fulfillment of the biblical prophecy of destroying the USA from the outside and domestically.

Syrian War Could Escalate

The Hill wrote on June 20:

“The United States is inching closer to involvement in the Syrian civil war after U.S. forces shot down a Syrian fighter jet on Sunday… it carries the potential for further escalation — particularly with Russia threatening to target U.S. aircraft that fly into parts of Syria. It was the first time the United States has shot down a Syrian plane, and the first time a U.S. military jet has shot down any manned aircraft since 1999.

“On Monday, Russia responded by saying its surface-to-air missile systems in Syria would begin to track [and shoot down] manned and unmanned aircraft from the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition if they go west of the Euphrates River… Robert Ford, a former U.S. ambassador to Syria, said there is real danger to the U.S. as tensions flare.

“… experts worry about the U.S. military attacking pro-Assad forces without a larger Syria strategy from President Trump.”

Why is America Meddling in Syria?

The Week wrote on June 20:

“Open conflict between Russia and the United States is heating up in Syria…

“An all-out nuclear exchange between the United States and Russia is one of the few things that could threaten human extinction. Hundreds of millions, perhaps billions, would be killed in the immediate attack, blowing the world economic system apart, and beginning what would probably be several years of nuclear winter, devastating agriculture. People might survive in remote locations — perhaps Australia and New Zealand — but it’s not at all guaranteed in such an extreme scenario. It would be the worst disaster in history, by several orders of magnitude…

“Ultimately a nuclear conflict would be the worst imaginable strategic outcome for both nations…

“So what are we doing in Syria to justify ratcheting up tensions with Russia?… In Syria there is not only no strategic threat, there is not even a realistic American objective of any kind…

“Remarkably, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson does seem to grasp the need for diplomacy, with the construction of a new diplomatic framework for handling tensions with Russia… But there is little sign Trump is even capable of paying attention to such things…

“In any event, it’s worth emphasizing that not only is America pouring money and lives down the drain in Syria for virtually no reason, we are also increasing the chance of extremely risky confrontation with Russia — during the presidency of the most inept person ever to hold the office. (The mind reels at the idea of this president attempting to navigate a serious diplomatic crisis.)

“If Congress had any sense at all, they would be asserting their constitutional duty to oversee the use of military force — remember there has never been any congressional authorization of Syrian intervention— and liberals would be a bit more careful with anti-Russia diatribes.”

We know from biblical prophecy that no nuclear war will take place between Russia and the USA… but tragically, the USA and the UK WILL become targets of nuclear attacks, leading to their total destruction—and that from a power very few seem to be able to acknowledge and identify.

More American Confusion over Qatar

The Guardian wrote on June 20:

“The US state department has issued a stinging rebuke to Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies saying they had failed to come up with a justification for the embargo they imposed on Qatar earlier this month.

“The public and blunt criticism of Riyadh and the United Arab Emirates marked a sharp about-turn from Donald Trump’s wholehearted backing for the embargo, and his accusations of terrorist funding against Qatar. It follows an increasing pattern in which the state and defence departments have pursued policies abroad that are far removed from Trump’s rhetoric.

“‘Now that it has been more than two weeks since the embargo started, we are mystified that the Gulf states have not released to the Qataris, nor to the public, the details about the claims they are making toward Qatar,’ Heather Nauert, the state department spokeswoman said. ‘The more that time goes by, the more doubt is raised about the actions taken by Saudi Arabia and the UAE,’ she added. ‘At this point, we are left with one simple question: were the actions really about their concerns regarding Qatar’s alleged support for terrorism? Or were they about the long-simmering grievances between and among the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] countries?’

“Trump was feted by Saudi Arabia when he made Riyadh the destination of his first trip abroad as president, on 20 May. Riyadh declared its embargo on Qatar just over two weeks later and Trump made repeated statements in support of the move, appearing to take at face value Riyadh’s justification that it was to punish Doha for its backing of terrorist groups. In a tweet on June 6, Trump even appeared to claim credit for the blockade, suggesting it showed that his trip to Riyadh was ‘paying off.’ ‘The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level,’ Trump said in the Rose Garden three days later. ‘We have to stop the funding of terrorism.’

“But last week, the defence secretary, James Mattis, signed an arms deal in which the US sold Qatar 36 F-15 fighter planes, worth $12bn…

“The Gulf dispute is just one of several issues on which the state and defence departments appear to follow a different tack from the president. The divergence is particularly evident in matters connected to Russia. Tillerson and Mattis, supported by most congressional Republicans, have insisted sanctions on Russia for its military intervention in Ukraine and annexation of Crimea, remain in place until the Kremlin withdraws its forces. Trump has quietly sought to have the sanctions lifted.”

The Trump Administration manifests a picture of total and utterly hopeless confusion, inconsistency and apparent in-fighting in high places. America’s allies must be bewildered, and America’s enemies must be cheering.

“Trump Betraying All His Health Care Promises BIGGEST SCANDAL of All”

Vox wrote on June 16:

“Candidate Trump… was going to protect Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security from cuts and replace the Affordable Care Act with a ‘terrific’ new system that would ‘cover everyone’ and offer the lower premiums and deductibles the American people wanted… The only problem is that it’s all lies. Trump’s health care plan doesn’t protect Medicaid, it loots it to finance hundreds of billions of dollars in tax cuts. The new ‘flexibility’ it gives to states will ensure that the most vulnerable are the most hurt. In addition to slashing the Medicaid rolls by millions, the Trump health care plan will see millions more lose coverage, and the remainder will face higher premiums for plans that cover less…

“The centerpiece of the Trump-endorsed American Health Care Act… is a $600 billion tax cut. Families with incomes below $208,500 per year will see their taxes fall by an average of $0 per year, receiving none of that money. But members of the top 0.1 percent of the income distribution — households with an annual income of more than $3.75 million — will see their taxes fall by an average of $165,090 per year…

“Specifically, under the House bill, about 14 million more people would be uninsured in 2018, according to the Congressional Budget Office, increasing to 23 million in 2026. On the regulatory side, one-sixth of Americans live in states that CBO expects to pursue broad waivers from Obamacare regulations prohibiting insurers from charging sick people more than healthy people and requiring certain services to be covered. The analysts predict that the individual insurance markets in those states would start to destabilize after 2020, as insurance becomes unaffordable for people with high medical costs…

“The savage cuts to Medicaid — reducing enrollment by a staggering 14 million — are particularly cruel in light of Trump’s explicit promise not to do this. But what’s truly shocking is that the Trump administration thinks this isn’t enough. His budget proposal for the next fiscal year includes even more Medicaid cuts that, paired with AHCA, would cut the program nearly in half.

“To make things even more disturbing and outrageous, not only is Trump breaking his promise on this score, his administration is simply in an ongoing process of lying about it….

“Voters ought to consider the credibility of Trump’s other promises in light of his willingness to promise not to cut Medicaid… Already his administration has piloted a thin edge of the wedge by proposing large cuts in Social Security Disability Insurance and claiming that’s consistent with his pledge to avoid Social Security cuts on the theory that Social Security Disability Insurance isn’t really part of Social Security (a theory that would come as news to the Social Security Administration)… Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) is already laying the groundwork for a big Medicare-cut-bill that he believes he can get Trump to sign. After all, if Trump sold out his promises on Medicaid and Social Security, why wouldn’t he sell out the Medicare promises too?

“… on health care [Trump] is mounting a… campaign of political deception. He knows that the American people are, rightly, dissatisfied with the fact that the Affordable Care Act left most of us with premiums and deductibles that are higher than we’d like and has fallen short of its promise of universal coverage. He would like us to believe that his health care initiatives would alleviate or solve these problems, when in reality they will do the opposite — sucking money out of the provision of health care and using it to finance a large tax cut for affluent families.

“And as far as political deception campaigns go, Trump’s health care lies are breathtaking in score… But at the same time, Trump has succeeded in persuading the media and the political system to process these highly public lies as a kind of banal non-story… Trump’s decision to build his approach to one-sixth of the economy on a foundation of enormous lies is a huge scandal.”

It makes your blood boil when you read about the horrendous corruption of America’s political system; the continuing bold and blatant lies of the leadership; and the indifferent and willfully ignorant media. God abhors lying, and those who are guilty of it will have to pay a costly price. Continued lying is one of many reasons why God will proceed soon to punish the USA in unparalleled ways.

Confusion over GOP Health-Care Draft and President Trump’s Mixed Signals

The Washington Post wrote on June 20:

“After weeks of secret deliberations, Senate Republicans are in the final stages of a sweeping rewrite of the nation’s health-care laws amid growing frustration among the rank and file over how to fulfill the party’s top campaign promise over the past seven years. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday that GOP leaders will produce a ‘discussion draft’ on Thursday and hinted that a final vote could come next week… McConnell’s strategy for achieving that goal — writing a bill with a handful of aides behind closed doors — has come at a cost that reached new heights on Tuesday: anger among Republicans who feel shut out of the process…

“Trump has sent mixed signals to Capitol Hill and has played a more hands-off role in Senate deliberations than he did in the House. While the president has pushed for swift action on health care and celebrated the passage of the House bill in May, he also ‘wants a bill that has heart in it,’ press secretary Sean Spicer said at the White House on Tuesday. And at a private meeting with senators recently, Trump called the version that passed the House ‘mean’…”

Incredible! The House bill which Mr. Trump publicly applauded and celebrated was criticized by him as being mean and without heart, which in fact it is. And it appears that the contemplated Senate bill will be even meaner…

Senate GOP Bill in Jeopardy Upon Arrival

Newsmax reported on June 22, after, as the Washington Post put it, “Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced draft text — crafted behind closed doors among a small circle of lawmakers and aides — of the Senate GOP bill in a private meeting with Republican senators on Thursday morning”:

“Four Republican senators [Ted Cruz, Ron Johnson, Mike Lee and Rand Paul] say they are not ready to vote for the GOP health care bill, putting the measure in jeopardy… The four say there are provisions that are an improvement to the current health care system. But they add that the measure fails to accomplish what they have promised to their constituents, ‘to repeal Obamacare and lower their health care costs.’

“GOP leaders hope to vote on the bill next week and can only afford two defections from the 52 Senate Republicans.”

However, it must be said that some of their “concerns” might make the Senate bill even much worse…

“California May Have Just Boosted Trump’s Chances of Winning in 2020”

CNBC wrote on June 19:

“The Golden State has decided to take its opposition to President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration beyond defending sanctuary city policies. The Democrat-dominated state legislature has just approved nearly $50 million for a program that will provide legal services and representation for illegal immigrants… this is how you get 8 years of President Trump instead of just 4… California isn’t likely to go from blue to red in the next election over this. But as the rest of the country learns about how far Democrats and liberals are willing to go in using other people’s money to support illegal immigration, there’s likely to be a significant push back.

“You wouldn’t know this just by listening to Democratic politicians and the mainstream media, but illegal immigration is unpopular with most American voters. A recent Gallup Poll showed that 59 percent of Americans (79 percent of Republicans and 48 percent of Democrats), ‘worry’ a great deal’ or a ‘fair amount’ about illegal immigration. This level of worry has remained steady over the last 17 years that Gallup has polled on the issue.

“… For all the talk about how President Trump takes major political gambles, it’s hard to call his move to deport more illegal immigrants a gamble in a country where a rare 59 percent majority continues to consider illegal immigration a real and serious problem… One of the great disconnects in 2016 was the fact that so many experts thought candidate Donald Trump’s focus on illegal immigration was political suicide. Instead, it’s clear it was a major boost on the way to his election.

“Now, California has given him and his supporters a new punching bag that should resonate in the red and swing states across the country. The tin ear of the left has struck again, and once again it’s a self-inflicted wound.”

Whether or not the California move on supporting illegal immigration would be a decisive factor in 2020, we strongly feel that Donald Trump will not be replaced during his term in office (whether for four or eight years).

Fronleichnam—“The Body of Christ”— Another Wrong and Damaging Catholic Festival

The Local wrote on June 15:

“Thursday (June 15)  is yet another public holiday in the Catholic states of southern and western Germany. The celebration of Fronleichnam (Corpus Christi) is one of the more obscure… Catholic celebrations…

“The word comes from the Middle High German vronlicham meaning ‘the body of God.’ In English the festival is known by the Latin name Corpus Christi, which also means body of Christ. On Fronleichnam, Catholics celebrate the belief that Jesus remains with us in the flesh through the bread and wine consumed during communion… Catholics believe that Jesus created the sacrament of the Eucharist when he told his disciples that the bread ‘is my flesh’ and the wine ‘is my blood.’ The first Fronleichnam procession was held in the year 1270…

“Fronleichnam is always celebrated on the second Thursday after Whitsun… In Fritzlar in north Hesse, the celebrations start on Wednesday night with the so-called Katzenkoppschießen. During this ceremony, the eight bells of the town cathedral are rung and a canon is fired, a ritual that is repeated three times. In Cologne, there is a procession involving over 100 ships, while in Bamberg 18 men carry a huge cross through the town.

“… the processions have often had a subversive element. The extrovert and bombastic character was meant to show Protestants how great it is to be a Catholic. Luther, for his part, described the holiday as ‘the most damaging of all festivals.’”

Luther had a point, even though celebrations of Christmas and Easter are equally damaging. The whole concept of “Fronleichnam” is wrong and totally unbiblical that “Jesus remains with us in the flesh through the bread and wine consumed during communion.” When Christ said that this IS my body and this IS My blood, He meant that the bread and the wine SYMBOLIZED His broken body and His shed blood. Only those who are properly baptized are to participate in the ceremony ONCE a year… during the annual Passover. Christ was offered only ONCE… to believe that the bread and the wine change into His body and blood would mean that Christ is being sacrificed continually. Also, we are clearly forbidden to eat blood. So, Fronleichnam is celebrated at a wrong time and for the wrong reasons. It is altogether unbiblical and contrary to biblical truth.

For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Meaning of God’s Spring Holy Days.”

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.

We know from prophecy that just prior to the return of Jesus Christ, the ancient Roman Empire will be revived one more time in continental Europe. It will attack and destroy the modern descendants of the ancient houses of Israel and Judah, and it will be subsequently involved in warfare with other Gentile nations.

The last European revival will consist of ten nations or groups of nations who will give their power and authority to a charismatic political and military leader. This leader is referred to as the beast, the king of the North, and the king of Assyria, named King Jareb. He will be of German or Austrian descent, and he will work in conjunction with the leader of a worldwide religious power. That leader is called the false prophet, the man of sin and the prince of Tyre. The political, economic and military power which the “beast” represents, is also referred to as the “beast,” as well as the “Chaldeans”; and the religious power which the false prophet leads, as the “image of the beast” and as the “harlot” or fallen woman riding the beast. That harlot is also described as “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots,” and the entire political and religious system of the last revival of the Roman Empire is also referred to as (modern) Babylon.

In addition, especially the last revival of the ancient Roman Empire and its political leader are quite often described with metaphors depicting animals. In most cases, those animals are depicted as blood-thirsty ferocious beasts; at other times, they would not be wild per se, but they can cause tremendous damage, or they are being used as a comparison for certain attributes and characteristics.

In this Q&A, we will mainly discuss the Bible’s metaphors of lions and locusts when describing the future European power bloc, its leader and their military might.

In Revelation 13:2, we are introduced to the ancient Roman Empire, which had emerged from previous powers such as ancient Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece; and which would be revived ten times after its fall.  That peculiar-looking beast had a mouth “like the mouth of a lion,” with which it would speak great things and blasphemies against God and His holy angels (verses 5-6). In Daniel 7:4, the ancient Babylonian Empire (which had been absorbed by the Roman Empire) was depicted as a lion as well, and we might recall how Nebuchadnezzar spoke proud words for which God punished him.

Additional passages compare the final revival of the Roman Empire and its end-time leader with a lion or lions. In Revelation 9:1-21, John sees in a vision the European power as fighting in war with the powers from the East. The weapons used are described as “teeth… like lions’ teeth” (verse 8). Prior to that event, the European power bloc under the beast will attack the modern houses of Israel and Judah—the USA, Great Britain and other nations of the British Commonwealth, as well as the state of Israel. Note how the Bible is picturing the end-time European power bloc:

“… ‘The lion has come from his thicket, And the destroyer of nations is on his way, He has gone forth from his place to make your land desolate. Your cities will be laid waste, Without inhabitant… Lament and wail, For the fierce anger of the LORD Has not turned back from us. And it shall come to pass in that day (“in that day” ALWAYS refers to end-time events),’ says the LORD, ‘that the heart of the king shall perish, And the heart of the princes; The priests shall be astonished, And the prophets shall wonder’” (Jeremiah 4:7-9).

With a similar metaphor, God continued to say in Jeremiah 5:6 that “‘a lion from the forest shall slay them… Because their transgressions are many… Your children have forsaken Me’” (Jeremiah 5:6-7).

In Jeremiah 50:17, references are made to ancient and modern Assyria (Germany) and Babylon (United Europe under Assyrian rule). We read: “Israel is like scattered sheep; The lions have driven him away. First the king of Assyria devoured him; Now at last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones.” Verse 20 makes clear that this is [also] a prophecy for the end–time, indicating that a modern king of Assyria and a modern “Nebuchadnezzar” will arise on the world scene.

Isaiah 5:29-30 adds that the “roaring” of the future Babylonian army attacking Israel (verse 25) will be “like a lion, they will roar like young lions; Yes, they will roar And lay hold of the prey… And no one will deliver. IN THAT DAY they will roar against them Like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks to the land, Behold, darkness and sorrow; And the light is darkened by the clouds.”

But after modern Babylon has brought havoc on this earth, God will deal with her as well. This is vividly told in the book of Nahum, describing the destruction of ancient Nineveh, but this prophecy is clearly meant for the future as well: “Where is the dwelling of the lions, And the feeding place of the young lions, Where the lion walked, the lioness and lion’s cub, And no one made them afraid? The lion tore in pieces enough for his cubs, Killed for his lionesses, Filled his caves with the prey, And his dens with flesh. ‘Behold, I am against you,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions; I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall be heard no more” (Nahum 2:11-13).

As an end-time prophecy about modern “Nineveh,” the following comments about the future king of Assyria are noteworthy: “Your shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria… Your injury has no healing, Your wound is severe… For upon whom has not your wickedness passed continually?” (Nahum 3:18-19). In Nahum 1:15, it says: “O Judah, keep your appointed feasts, Perform your vows, For the wicked one shall no longer pass through you…” This is clearly a prophecy for the future, as at first, the wicked one (the modern king of Assyria and his armies) will pass through Judah one more time (compare Daniel 11:40-41).

We also read in chapters 2 and 3 of the book of Nahum that modern Nineveh, the “bloody city,” will be utterly destroyed through “horsemen with bright sword and glittering spear” (Nahum 3:1,3) and through “chariots” “with flaming torches,” which “run like lightning” (Nahum 2:3-4). These are clearly descriptions of modern weapons. But God continues to tell us in Nahum 3:4 that the destruction will come “Because of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot, the mistress of sorceries, Who sells nations through her harlotries, And families through her sorceries”—a clear reference to modern Babylon’s harlot or fallen woman and her daughters in the book of Revelation, chapters 17 and 18. The harlot of modern Babylon and her sudden destruction are also described, for example, in the 47^th chapter of the book of Isaiah, and in chapters 50 and 51 of the book of Jeremiah.

In the book of Joel, destruction of modern Israel and Judah is likewise prophesied just prior to the end-time “day of the LORD” (compare Joel 2:1, 11; 2:31; 3:14). Many regard the description of this coming destruction in the first chapter of the book of Joel as a literal invasion of locusts which will devour the produce of the land. It is however very possible that that “great army” of locusts (Joel 2:25) refers to the weapons of modern Babylon. We read in Joel 1:6 about this army of locusts that “… a nation has come up against My land. Strong, and without number; His teeth are the teeth of a lion, And he has fangs of a fierce lion. He has laid waste My vine, And ruined My fig tree; He has stripped it bare and thrown it away; Its branches are made white” (Joel 1:6-7).

Deuteronomy 28:42 may include another reference to the modern European army overtaking Israel as an army of “locusts,” stating, “Locusts shall consume (Margin: possess) all your trees and the produce of your land.” Notice the context in verse 36: “The LORD will bring you and the king whom you set over you to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods—wood and stone.”

We also find that in Revelation 9, describing the beast power’s war with the kings of the East, its weapons are pictured as locusts associated with smoke, which were not to devour the grass or any green thing or any tree (clearly, these are not literal locusts), but they were to torment people for five months (Revelation 9:3-5). The “shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle” (verse 7), and they were very noisy and had tails like scorpions with stings in their tails to hurt people with them (verses 9-10). We see that modern weapons and military equipment, including helicopters, are described which will cause such torment. But as we have seen, God will deal with modern Babylon as well. Nahum 3:15-17 tells us that fire will “eat [them] up like a locust” so that they “flee away,” even though they had multiplied their army and the commanders and generals of their army ”like locusts.”

Returning to Joel 2:2-3, we also read that the modern Babylonian army at the time of or just before the day of the LORD is depicted as a “people… great and strong, The like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations. A fire devours before them, And behind them a fire burns… nothing shall escape them.”

Why would God compare the Babylonian system with ferocious lions? First of all, we read that Satan “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Even though God allows it, it is actually Satan who will give his power and authority to the beast (Revelation 13:4). Also, the “locusts” in Revelation 9 “had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon (Destruction), but in Greek he has the name Apollyon (Destroyer).” That angel is none other than the great Destroyer, Satan the Devil, who brings destruction wherever he goes. (Compare Luke 9:55-56.)

The lion is described as “mighty among beasts And does not turn away from any” (Proverbs 30:30; compare Judges 14:18 and Amos 3:8). Likewise, the final European revival of the ancient Roman Empire will become a mighty military power (compare again Joel 2:2-3) which will not turn away from fighting the USA and the UK, as well as the state of Israel and other countries in the Middle East, and also the kings of the East. Satan, the Destroyer, will give the Babylonian system and the final leader power to destroy—remember that the modern king of Assyria is referred to in Jeremiah 4:7 as the destroyer of nations.

We also read that God compares Himself with a powerful lion (Jesus is referred to as the Lion of Judah, Revelation 5:5), especially when dealing with and judging His enemies. We are told that God will become a lion to modern Israel and Judah. Hosea 5:14 quotes God’s words as follows: “I will be like a lion to Ephraim (Great Britain, by extension including the USA as well), And like a young lion to the house of Judah (the state of Israel and the modern Jews). I, even I, will tear them and go away; I will take them away and no one shall rescue…” He also says in Hosea 13:8 that He will “devour them like a lion…”

Even though Satan will give his power to the beast, it will nevertheless be God who will allow it and who will actually use the modern king of Assyria to punish Israel. God will behave as a lion by using the “lion king” of Assyria and his followers to defeat Israel in war. We read in Isaiah 10 that God will send this future king or European military leader “to an ungodly nation And against the people of My wrath” (Isaiah 10:6). He describes this ungodly nation (mainly the USA and UK, as well as Judah) as “a sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters” (Isaiah 1:4). He speaks of its leaders as “rulers of Sodom” (Isaiah 1:10) and of the people as “people of Gomorrah” (same verse). God also warns that those “who lead” the people of the USA, the UK and Judah “cause you [the people] to err, And destroy the way of your paths” (Isaiah 3:12; compare Isaiah 9:16). God also asks those in America’s, Britain’s and Israel’s legislative bodies “who decree unrighteous decrees” (Isaiah 10:1) what they will “do in the day of punishment” (verse 3).

It is also noteworthy that God will behave as a lion towards Israel because Israel’s princes “are roaring lions” (Zephaniah 3:3). God had compared Israel and some of its tribes with a lion, to show its potential strength (Numbers 24:9; compare Genesis 49:9; Deuteronomy 33:20, 22; Micah 5:8). But with false pride and self-reliance, Israel used its strength and abilities to turn against and forsake God, similar to Lucifer who became proud of his beauty and turned against his Maker. God wants Israel to repent, but most will refuse to do so, and great punishment will be the consequence. Destruction is decreed, and the modern Babylonian system under the “beast” will be used as a roaring, devouring lion to bring this punishment on the roaring lions of the nations of Israel and Judah.

However, true Christians need not be afraid. God promises them angelic protection so that they “shall tread upon the lion… the young lion… [they] shall trample underfoot” (Psalm 91:13). This can refer to protection from Satan and his demons (Romans 16:20), as well as protection from people and worldly powers (Psalm 22:20-21; 57:4).

Finally, a remarkable transformation will take place in the Millennium and during the Great White Throne Judgment. The wild nature of lions and people and nations behaving like ferocious lions will be changed. Isaiah 11:6 says that the “calf and the young lion” shall lie down together, and that “a little child shall lead them.” Isaiah 11:7 says that the “lion shall eat straw like the ox,” and Isaiah 65:25 tells us that formerly wild animal, including the lion, “‘shall not hurt NOR DESTROY in all My holy mountain,’ Says the LORD.” Isaiah 11:9 states the same, but adds an important component: “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, FOR the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” Men and worldly powers had become hateful and destructive under Satan’s influence. But once God’s Kingdom is ruling this earth, they will learn of God’s ways and embrace true knowledge. As a consequence, their mindset and nature will change so that “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4). For instance, Israel and Assyria will become a “blessing in the midst of the land” (Isaiah 19:24). Assyria will be called “the work of [God’s] hands” and Israel will be referred to as “[God’s] inheritance” (Isaiah 19:25).

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“HOW TO FIND THE TRUE CHURCH OF GOD,” is the title of our NEWEST BOOKLET. It has entered the first review stage.

A SKYPE meeting was conducted by the ministry on Sunday morning, June 17, 2017. Of special note was discussion for making our first Russian booklet—a translation of “The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families”—available on all of our websites.

“False End Time Predictions for 2017,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Some predict that the end of the world will occur on August 21 or September 23 of 2017, based on a solar eclipse and a heavenly image which supposedly mirrors a description of the woman in Revelation 12.  Is there any credibility to this idea? What does Christ tell us about the end of the world, and especially about the great tribulation and the heavenly signs? How do His statements correspond with current news events and developments?

“Kein Weltuntergang in 2017,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program which is presented by Norbert Link in German. This presentation parallels the StandingWatch program described above. The title in English: “No End of the World in 2017.”

“Europa… ein grausamer Löwe,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon by Norbert Link. The German sermon is based on the Q&A from this week on biblical metaphors of animals of Babylon. Title in English “Europe … a  fierce  Lion.”

“Something to Keep,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Despite tremendous material success in life, in the end, everything is left behind. Yet, there are those who are able to keep something from this life, and that is because of their relationship with God.

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

Christians are obligated to continually learn and grow in the knowledge of the Truth. What is the right way to develop that knowledge? What are the ways of learning that are ineffective and need to be avoided? Unless we learn how to build our knowledge of the Truth in the right way, we are doomed to be ignorant.