On January 28, 2017, Michael Link will present the sermonette, titled, “Inauguration 2017 – The Hidden Meaning,” and Kalon Mitchell will present the sermon, titled, “The Weightier Matters.”

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.

One of the great temptations in the life of a Christian is the desire to determine the exact date of Christ’s return. The early apostles wanted to know the exact time, and even though Christ told them that it was not for them to know (Acts 1:6-7); that God’s Kingdom would not appear immediately (Luke 19:11); and that He would return at an unexpected time (Matthew 24:44); it seems that even the apostle Paul thought for a while that he would still be alive at the time of Christ’s return (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Over the centuries, Christians expected to experience firsthand the Second Coming of Christ, and they were confident that this would occur at a certain time. When it did not happen, many became frustrated and disappointed. The Church of God in the 20^th and 21^st centuries is no exception. Various dates would be proposed, which seemingly were convincing and compelling, as they were supposedly based on biblical “indications,” such as 19-year time cycles or calculations adopted from the book of Daniel. When the dates came and went, and Christ had still not returned, it was argued that God had simply delayed Christ’s Coming, and new dates were proposed, which likewise failed.

These erroneous and futile calculations, which were from the outset destined to failure, led to disillusionment, and many members lost confidence in their leadership and left their church organization. Others stayed, willing to “overlook” the miscalculations of well-meaning, but misguided ministers, but their willingness to follow the ministry had diminished, and, quite often, an underlying spirit of rebellion and self-will developed. In addition, some of those who pointed out past mistakes brought in damnable heresies, and while they found support from many gullible and undiscerning members, they set in motion the beginning of the prophesied end-time departure or “falling away” from the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2). The blind were now leading the blind, so that both fell into the ditch (Matthew 15:14).

When focusing on the status of the Church of God today, due to the experiences of the past, some true and loyal members might be inclined to believe that Christ will not come back any time soon (2 Peter 3:1-4; Isaiah 5:19), and some may become complacent or distracted by getting involved with other pursuits (Matthew 24:37-39, 45-51).

The problem with this attitude and its bad consequences is clearly described in Scripture (2 Peter 3:5-10). Whatever the apparently convincing “justification” for such thinking may be, the fact remains that Christ promised that He will return, and He gave us signs to focus on, indicating when His return would be near (Matthew 24:32-34). Sadly, in the past, many in the Church did not correctly evaluate these signs, while looking at events which were not really signs for Christ’s Second Coming. Since the knowledge and the understanding of the truth would increase in the last days, we are today in a unique position to evaluate world events in the light of biblical prophecy (2 Peter 3:18; Daniel 12:9; Jeremiah 23:20).

In this week’s Q&A, we write much about end-time prophecy, and it behooves all of us to take careful note of what we report regularly in our weekly Current Events section. Although we won’t make the mistake of setting dates, we are aware that prophesied end-time events are finding their fulfillment all over the world. The next major event in world affairs is the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Even though we do not know when this will occur, we do observe developments on the world scene which are setting the stage for this unparalleled and unique time in the history of mankind. Christ warned us that those days must be shortened to ensure the very survival of physical life on this planet. He reassures us that He will return before it is too late, to make an end to man’s incompetent rule leading to utter destruction, mayhem, and nuclear war (Matthew 24:21-22).

It is our belief that His return is not THAT far away, and that we are entering the final days of human suffering and misrule (Ezekiel 12:25-28). God is true and faithful, and His words stand forever and will by no means pass away (Matthew 24:35). What He has promised, He will do (Isaiah 46:10), and He did promise that pursuant to His plan and timing, He will send back His Son Jesus Christ to usher in a wonderful new world. It has been said that Christ will not come one second too early, but He will not come one second too late, either. We must get ready for His return, and we are told to begin “today” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-6; Hebrews 2:1; 3:12-13; 4:11).

We report on President Donald Trump’s inauguration and his subsequent actions; continue with special emphasis on the world’s fear of global nuclear war with a frightening report of an alleged “disastrous failure in a nuclear missile test” by the UK; and the determined desire of Europe to create a powerful army, while perceiving President Donald J. Trump as the EU’s enemy, and vice versa. In this context, we point out the historically “unprecedented deterioration in post-war relations between the US and Europe, above all between the US and Germany.”  

In addition, we report on numerous highly controversial anticipated or signed executive orders by President Trump, including on immigration and the border wall with Mexico, the Keystone Pipeline and TTP, as well as potential developments regarding Obamacare and the fear of a coming worldwide financial crisis.

We also speak on interesting events pertaining to Germany and the Vatican.

Key Statements from President Trump’s Inauguration Speech

“What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people. January 20th 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again…

“For many decades, we’ve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry; Subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military; We’ve defended other nation’s borders while refusing to defend our own; And spent trillions of dollars overseas while America’s infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay. We’ve made other countries rich while the wealth, strength, and confidence of our country has disappeared over the horizon…

“But that is the past… From this moment on, it’s going to be America First… We will follow two simple rules: Buy American and Hire American…

“We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to follow…

“The Bible tells us, ‘how good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity’… When America is united, America is totally unstoppable. There should be no fear – we are protected, and we will always be protected. We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we are protected by God…

“No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America. We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again… A new national pride will stir our souls, lift our sights, and heal our divisions.

“It is time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget: that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots, we all enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great American Flag. And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty Creator…”

These statements speak for themselves. We will leave it to the reader to evaluate them; but this should be done in the light of biblical values, teachings, and prophecy.

The Trump Administration and Obamacare

Reuters reported on January 22:

“The Trump administration may no longer enforce a rule requiring individual Americans to carry health insurance or pay a penalty if they do not, a senior White House official said on Sunday. Speaking on ABC’s ‘This Week’ program, Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president, said President Donald Trump ‘may stop enforcing the individual mandate.’ Separately, on CBS’ ‘Face the Nation’ show, she reiterated Republican promises that no one would lose their health insurance under Obamacare while a replacement is being developed. ‘For the 20 million who rely upon the Affordable Care Act in some form, they will not be without coverage during this transition time,’ she said.

“On Friday Trump signed an executive order concerning the 2010 healthcare law, urging U.S. agencies to ‘waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation’ of provisions deemed to impose fiscal burdens on states, companies or individuals… Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, speaking on ‘Fox News Sunday,’ reiterated Republican promises to replace Obamacare and allow patients to buy health insurance across state lines using health savings accounts. ‘We’re going to move carefully in conjunction with the administration to repeal and replace it with things like health savings accounts and interstate health insurance sales and high-risk pools at the state level to take care of people who have pre-existing conditions,’ he said.”

The Huffington Post wrote on January 22:

“Just last week, a report from the Congressional Budget Office predicted that removing the individual mandate but keeping other Obamacare provisions, such as the pre-existing condition guarantee, would lead to premiums jumping by 20 to 25 percent within a year, above and beyond current projections.”

Mr. Trump Won’t Release His Tax Returns

Newsmax wrote on January 22:

“President Donald Trump will not release his tax returns after winning the election and being sworn in, senior adviser Kellyanne Conway said Sunday… The position of not releasing the returns counters a campaign statement the returns [would] be released after an audit was completed.”

In a related article, Newsmax wrote on January 22:

“WikiLeaks is calling for someone to send it President Donald Trump’s tax returns so it can release them to the world… WikiLeaks had been derided for being partisan and supporting President Trump’s campaign against Democrat Hillary Clinton,  but Sunday’s tweet seemed to combat its political lean… WikiLeaks even tweeted another shot Sunday at President Trump’s seemingly broken campaign promise of releasing his tax returns after an audit was completed: ‘Trump’s breach of promise over the release of his tax returns is even more gratuitous than Clinton concealing her Goldman Sachs transcripts.’

“Speaking of broken promises, Julian Assange said he would agree to U.S. extradition if Chelsea Manning was granted clemency by President Barack Obama. But once Manning’s sentence was commuted by President Obama on Tuesday, Assange reneged on his promise. [Assange’s lawyer told The Hill that the extradition offer was only on the table if Manning were to be released immediately. Manning, who stole 750,000 pages of documents and videos and released them to WikiLeaks in 2010, is set to be discharged on May 17.]

Our word should be as good as gold, without ignoring to fulfill a given promise or trying to find loopholes in what one has clearly promised.

Confusing Stance on NATO in Trump Administration

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 23:

“US Defense Secretary James Mattis has reassured his British counterpart of the ‘unshakeable commitment’ the US has toward the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a Pentagon spokesman said Monday… Less than a week on the job, Mattis also spoke with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to affirm the importance of the alliance…

“Mattis’ calls to European defense officials comes less than two weeks after US President Donald Trump told the German daily ‘Bild’ and British newspaper ‘The Times’ that the alliance was ‘obsolete.’”

President Trump Signs Executive Order to Proceed with Keystone Pipeline

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 24:

“In a move that will enrage climate change and environment activists, Trump has signed an executive order to proceed with the construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines… President Donald Trump has resurrected the controversial construction of [the] two oil pipelines that his predecessor Barack Obama had blocked on environmental grounds in 2015.

“On Tuesday, the new Republican president authorized both projects on the condition that American steel is used… The Obama administration stopped Keystone, which will carry crude oil from Canada to Texas along a 1,897km (1,178 miles) route, just over a year ago due to concerns over the damage such quantities of fossil fuels would do to the environment.

“Meanwhile Dakota Access, an almost identical length pipeline which is planned to transport 470,000 barrels of crude oil a day across four states from North Dakota to Illinois, has attracted controversy not only because of the potential environmental impact but because it disturbs the land of the Sioux Native American people and will potentially contaminate their drinking water…”

President Trump Signs Executive Order to Withdraw from TPP

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 23:

“The new US president has signed an executive order to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership with 12 Asian countries… The TPP was negotiated under former President Barack Obama, but never ratified by Congress…  Donald Trump also reiterated threats to impose a significant ‘border tax’ on companies that move production of products outside of the US to other countries.

“During a meeting in Washington, he told the chief executives of Ford, Dow Chemical, Dell Technologies, and Tesla that companies were welcome to negotiate with governors to move production between US states. But those businesses that choose to move factories abroad would pay a price. ‘We are going to be imposing a very major border tax on the product when it comes in,’ the US president warned, adding: ‘A company that wants to fire all of its people in the United States, and build some factory someplace else, and then thinks that that product is going to just flow across the border into the United States – that’s not going to happen.’

“At the same meeting… Trump said he would seek to cut corporate taxes to the 15 to 20 percent range – down from current statutory levels of 35 percent. In addition, the new US president promised to cut regulations, saying business leaders had told him that reducing those was ‘even more important’… He also said he planned to hold meetings with American CEOs on a quarterly basis or whenever they wanted to in order to address their concerns.”

President Trump Signs Executive Order to Build the US-Mexican Border Wall

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 25:

“President Trump has signed an executive order to start building his promised US-Mexican border wall. It could be one of the most costly US state projects ever. The executive order sets out to fulfill one of Trump’s key campaign promises, to build a wall along the 3,110-kilometer (1,933-mile) border between the US and its southern neighbor, Mexico… Ahead of the signing on Wednesday, Trump said in a television interview: ‘There will be a payment; it will be in a form, perhaps a complicated form.’

“In February last year, Trump told MSNBC he could finish the wall for $8 billion (7.4 billion euros) as a barrier already existed along parts of the border… However, others have put the cost far higher [saying that building] the rest of it would cost between $15 billion and $25 billion, with an annual maintenance cost of $700 million.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 26:

“After Donald Trump told President Pena Nieto not to visit the US unless Mexico intended to pay for Trump’s border wall, the Mexican president has taken the advice, calling off next Tuesday’swork meeting… Pena Nieto’s tweet followed about three hours after Trump threw down the gauntlet, challenging his Mexican counterpart to cancel their meeting if Mexico isn’t prepared to pay for the wall…

“Late Thursday afternoon Trump called for a 20 percent tax on Mexican imports as a means for Mexico to effectively pay for the wall. His spokesman Sean Spicer said the tax would be more than enough to pay for the wall. ‘By doing that, we can do $10 billion a year and easily pay for the wall just through that mechanism alone,’ he said.

“Trump initially dismissed the canceled meeting, saying it would have been ‘fruitless.’ But then he claimed that the cancellation was a decision he made jointly with his Mexican counterpart…

“In canceling the trip the Mexican president [declared]: ‘I’ve said it time and time again: Mexico will not pay for the wall’…”

Newsmax added on January 26:

“President Donald Trump wants to pay for his proposed southern border wall by slapping a 20 percent tax on imports from Mexico. White House spokesman Sean Spicer says Trump has discussed the idea with congressional leaders and wants to include the measure in a comprehensive tax reform package.

“But then later, at the White House, Spicer tried to take back his earlier comments by saying the 20 percent tax is one of several options under consideration and Trump hasn’t settled on it as the way to recoup construction costs for building the wall.”

President Trump to Sign Executive Order to Reduce Funding of UN

The Independent wrote on January 26:

“Donald Trump [is] to sign [an] executive order to dramatically reduce funding of United Nations. The upcoming order would dramatically reduce the US’ role in the UN and other international organisations…

“He also signed an executive order on Monday, re-instating the Ronald Reagan-era law which prohibits federal funding for any international organisation that carries out abortions or even mentions abortions, or tells its patients or clients where to go to get an abortion.”

Religious Leaders and Churches Opposed to Trump’s Immigration Orders

The Huffington Post wrote on January 25:

“President Donald Trump’s first week in office has signaled major changes are on the way for immigrants and refugees seeking new lives in the United States. On Wednesday, Trump signed executive orders to move forward on the construction of a wall on the southwest border and crackdown on so-called sanctuary cities, a broad term that refers to jurisdictions that do not fully cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement efforts.

“Congressional sources also confirmed to The Huffington Post that the president is expected to issue an executive order later this week that will dramatically restrict refugee admissions to the U.S. and deny visas to individuals from countries his administration deems high-risk.

“Many religious organizations that support refugee and immigrant populations responded to Wednesday’s news with dismay. ‘Catholic teaching is very clear: we are called to welcome the stranger,’ Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice said in a statement. ‘President Trump’s actions today are antithetical to our faith.’

“A draft of the order on refugee resettlement obtained by HuffPost indicates that the Trump administration is planning [to] block refugee admissions from the war-torn country of Syria indefinitely. It also plans to suspend refugee admissions from all countries for 120 days and ban all ‘immigrant and nonimmigrant’ entry of individuals from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen for 30 days. ‘This decision will mean that many of those who are the most vulnerable, the most at risk of further violence, the least likely to be able to fend for themselves, are now to be left without hope. Such a position does not reflect who we are as a nation, or as a people of faith,’… Canon E. Mark Stevenson, director of Episcopal Migration Ministries said.

“Refugees undergo a stringent, two-year long vetting process once they are recommended by the U.N. refugee agency for resettlement in the U.S. It includes various security and medical clearances as well as cultural orientation. If the U.S. government stops processing or admitting people even for a week, ‘their exit visa expires or their medical expires, they have to go back and start all over,’ Nina Zelic, director for refugee services for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, told HuffPost.

“Robert Bank, president and CEO of American Jewish World Service, noted that there was a time when the U.S. ‘acted with indifference to Jewish and other refugees from Europe during World War II.’ He urged the Trump administration not to let history repeat itself. ‘We object in the strongest terms to the demonization of Muslims by the new American administration,’ Bank said in a statement. ‘We understand what it means for a community to be demonized by authoritarian powers, and we regret that President Trump does not understand this lesson from the darkest chapters in world history.’

“Leaders from the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, Unitarian Universalist Association, Church World Service, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the United Church of Christ and a host of other faith-based organizations also criticized Trump’s actions. ‘If the president does go through with an executive order to suspend refugee resettlement and to close access to asylum seekers, we know that many lives will be put at risk and hopes for a future will be destroyed,’ said Susan Krehbiel, of the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. Faith organizations and local congregations may need to pick up the slack, she added, ‘to mitigate the abandonment of the federal government to this cause’…

“John C. Dorhauer, who serves as the general minister and president of the United Church of Christ, said: ‘As a religious leader, I am gravely concerned. I ask myself: when do we stop being America?…’

“Despite the outcry from many faith leaders, some of Trump’s own religious advisors argued that although the Christian faith commands believers to welcome the stranger, this imperative does not apply to the government. ‘It’s not a biblical command for the country to let everyone in who wants to come, that’s not a Bible issue,’… Franklin Graham, a prominent evangelical pastor and the president of the international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse, told HuffPost.

“But Sister Campbell urged senators and representatives to ‘remember what Pope Francis said when he addressed Congress, “We, the people of this continent, are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners.”’”

The Huffington Post also stated that according to Section 9 of the draft executive order, it is planned to “suspend the visa interview waiver program indefinitely” and to instead require everyone seeking entry into the USA, including visitors, to undergo “an in-person interview” at the American consulate or embassy. If enacted, this short-sighted and ill-conceived procedure would be extremely burdensome for tourists or business personnel from any country, including all European nations, and it would have serious consequences and repercussions for the USA, as foreign countries would surely enact similar burdensome laws for Americans wishing to enter their countries. This could result in a serious decline of the American economy and would certainly contribute to further anti-Americanism around the world. In addition, it would definitely hurt the Church of God tremendously, which gives us an indication as to who is truly behind these contemplated measures.

Jewish Organizations Oppose Trump’s Proposed Executive Order on Immigration

JTA wrote on January 25:

“Several liberal Jewish groups have decried a leaked draft of an executive order from President Donald Trump that would temporarily bar refugees and immigrants from some Muslim countries from entering the United States. The draft, which was leaked to the media Wednesday, bars the entrance of noncitizens from certain Muslim-majority countries, including Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia, for 30 days. It also suspends the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for 120 days, and bans refugees from Syria from entering the U.S. until further notice. When the refugee program resumes, the government may prioritize asylum claims from members of persecuted religious minorities.

“The executive order would begin to make good on Trump’s pledge during the campaign to bar Muslims, later amended to citizens of countries compromised by terrorism, from entering the United States. A chorus of Jewish groups criticized the proposal when Trump first announced it in 2015, and several liberal Jewish groups slammed it again Wednesday. ‘History will look back on this order as a sad moment in American History – the time when the president turned his back on people fleeing for their lives,’ read a statement from Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League. ‘This will effectively shut America’s doors to the most vulnerable people in the world who seek refuge from unspeakable pain and suffering.’

“Other groups also recalled past Jewish suffering in opposing the executive order. Ahead of the Holocaust, the United States denied entry to Jewish refugees, most notably turning back the M.S. St. Louis, a ship carrying nearly 1,000 German Jews. ‘As Jews, we recognize the danger in any action that singles out people based on their religious beliefs,’ read a statement by Rabbi Jonah Pesner, director of the Religious Action Center, the Reform movement’s legislative advocacy arm. ‘If the order is issued as anticipated, it is deeply troubling, rooted in exclusion and discrimination, and echoes the most shameful parts of our history. ’

“Bend The Arc Jewish Action, a liberal advocacy group, endorsed a rally opposing the executive order to be held Wednesday in front of the White House. Other groups that oppose the draft order include the American Jewish World Service, which provides aid to poor countries, and Jewish Voice for Peace, which endorses the movement to boycott Israel. ‘Making decisions on who is welcome in our country based solely on their religion or national origin is fundamentally un-American,’ said a statement by Stosh Cotler, CEO of Bend the Arc. ‘As Jews, we know what it’s like to be scapegoated and we will not be silent now.'” 

Donald Trump Rebuked for Condoning Torture

Reuters reported on January 26:

“The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) have joined global human rights groups in their rebuke of U.S. President Donald Trump for condoning torture.

“Trump told ABC television in an interview on Wednesday that he thought waterboarding ‘worked’ as an intelligence-gathering tool but would defer to his cabinet on whether to use it in interrogations.

“‘These practices of torturing detainees and “disappearing” them in black sites are serious crimes which must never be repeated,’ Ian Seiderman, Legal and Policy Director of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) said in a statement.”

The State Department’s Entire Senior Administrative Team Resigned

The Washington Post wrote on January 26:

“Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s job running the State Department just got considerably more difficult. The entire senior level of management officials resigned Wednesday, part of an ongoing mass exodus of senior Foreign Service officers who don’t want to stick around for the Trump era… [It] amounts to a near-complete housecleaning of all the senior officials that deal with managing the State Department, its overseas posts and its people…

“Several senior Foreign Service officers in the State Department’s regional bureaus have also left their posts or resigned since the election. But the emptying of leadership in the management bureaus is more disruptive because those offices need to be led by people who know the department and have experience running its complicated bureaucracies…

“By itself, the sudden departure of the State Department’s entire senior management team is disruptive enough. But in the context of a president who railed against the U.S. foreign policy establishment during his campaign and secretary of state with no government experience, the vacancies are much more concerning…”

UK and USA to Be Global Leaders?

The Guardian wrote on January 26:

“In a foreign policy speech that marks a clear break with the liberal interventionism of the Tony Blair and David Cameron eras, the UK’s prime minister said there must be ‘no return to the failed policies of the past’ that saw Britain bogged down in conflicts in the Middle East.

“As she prepared to meet Donald Trump in Washington, amid profound anxiety in Europe about how he will choose to exercise American power, May insisted that the ‘days of Britain and America intervening in sovereign countries in an attempt to remake the world in our own image are over’.

“But she stressed that the two countries should still meet their ‘obligations of leadership’ to tackle ‘new global challenges’, including the conflict in Syria and the fight against Islamic State.

“… Downing Street is keen to demonstrate that Britain intends to play a key role in world affairs after leaving the European Union…

“May suggested global leadership by the US and the UK had become all the more necessary, because of the rise of ‘new enemies of the west and our values’ and fears that fast-growing economies such as China and India could ‘eclipse’ the west…”

 “UK Government Covered Up ‘Disastrous Failure’ in Nuclear Missile Test”

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 22:

“A British newspaper [the Sunday Times] has alleged that an unarmed nuclear missile veered off course and headed toward the US in a 2016 test…

“The newspaper cited an anonymous senior naval source who claimed that the unarmed Trident II D5 missile failed after being launched from a British submarine off the coast of the US state of Florida in June. The cause of the failure was top secret, but the source said the missile may have accidentally veered towards the mainland. ‘There was a major panic at the highest level of government and the military after the first test of our nuclear deterrent in four years ended in disastrous failure,’ the source told the paper. ‘Ultimately, Downing Street decided to cover up the failed test. If the information was made public, they knew how damaging it would be to the credibility of our nuclear deterrent.’…

“According to ‘The Times,’ Britain has conducted only five tests of Trident missiles from submarines since 2000, partly due to the 17 million pound cost of each launch. Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, a strident critic of nuclear weapons, said it was a ‘pretty catastrophic error’ for a missile to go in the wrong direction…”

If these allegations are true, then we can easily see how nuclear war could occur due to inadvertent mistakes.

Doomsday Clock Moving Closer to Midnight

The Telegraph wrote on January 25:

“The Doomsday Clock, which symbolises the current threat of global annihilation, is expected to be moved closer to midnight by scientists. The countdown was established in 1947 by a group of experts who were working on the Manhattan Project to design and build the first atomic bomb. They wanted a simple way of demonstrating the danger to Earth and humanity posed by nuclear war. The clock is currently running at three minutes to midnight, where 00.00 represents the end of humanity. But the Bulletin of the Atomic Science is expected to move it forward by one minute on Thursday, the closest it has ever been to the apocalypse since 1953 when the US took the decision to upgrade its nuclear arsenal with the hydrogen bomb…

“In a statement the scientists said: ‘Tensions between the United States and Russia that remain at levels reminiscent of the Cold War, the danger posed by climate change, and nuclear proliferation concerns – including the recent North Korean nuclear test – are the main factors influencing the decision about any adjustment that may be made to the Doomsday Clock.’ On Sunday it posted an article on its website warning that ‘terrorism involving nuclear or radiological materials remains one of the gravest threats to humanity and to global stability’. The scientists also warned of ‘accidental, unauthorised, or inadvertent nuclear exchange between the United States and Russia’, saying that the two countries had 800 warheads on high alert, ready to launch.

“… The clock was last moved in 2015, when the scientists took it two minutes forward, so that it currently reads three minutes to midnight. That sent a message that the Earth was closer to oblivion than any time since the early days of hydrogen bomb testing and 1984…”

Deutsche Welle reported on January 26:

“The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists unveiled its updated Doomsday Clock on Thursday – and it doesn’t look good. The symbolic countdown to man-made global destruction now stands at two and a half minutes to midnight – the closest it has been since 1953.

“The clock – which serves as a visual metaphor for how close humans are to destroying the world with technology – has moved up for the first time by 30 seconds due, in large part, to the comments by the new US President Donald Trump…  about expanding the US nuclear arsenal…”

Russia Warns of World War III

The Russian government-sponsored Pravda wrote on January 20:

“… a war between Russia and the Western bloc would drag the whole world into it. Only 100 years ago the world was dragged into a serious war that went on for four years. The ambitions of European politicians thrust the world into an irreversible conflict in three weeks. This conflict was the First World War and led to deaths of 20 million people. Twenty years later, even before the ink on the peace treaties dried, another much deadlier world war broke out. By the time the warring parties sat round the peace table, 50 million people had lost their lives. A century after all these events, there is no doubt that the conditions have changed dramatically. A potential world war in the 21^st century would likely claim several hundred millions of lives…

“In various places of the world, hundreds of thousands of people are arming themselves with weapons to fight every morning. At any moment, some kind of provocation can ignite the fuse of a great war as the Sarajevo assassination did in 1914… In the civil wars of Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen, there are tens of thousands of mercenaries. As for [the] Mediterranean, five aircraft carriers, over a hundred warships, warplanes, helicopters, amphibious transport docks and tens of thousands of soldiers are advancing. An environment where deadly weaponry is stocked with such intensity is no doubt a very risky one…

“War with Russia is a disastrous scenario that shouldn’t even be considered. Tensions with Russia mean putting the entire world into danger…”

The article is filled with ridiculous Russian propaganda, trying to show Russia’s peacefulness vs. European warmongers. We have chosen not to quote those sections. But the sections quoted above are worthy of contemplation.

Will the Trump Administration Attempt to Stop an EU Army?  

Express wrote on January 22:

“The controversial 1000-strong Euro Corps was formed in 1993 and is spearheaded by a German-Franco brigade of troops. It provided HQ staff for operations in Afghanistan in 2004 and currently supports an EU maritime operation against pirates off Somalia. Directed by Brussels it is manned by 10 EU member states and Turkey. While in the EU, Britain used its influence to block its expansion.

“Brexit was met with the immediate publication of plans to build a military new headquarters, as the EU scrambled to reinforce the project’s identity. Separately, Germany’s defence white paper revealed its own ambitions to lead a pan-European force. The moves have caused concern in the Trump camp. ‘… there is big concern about the EU moving towards an EU army, a military of Western Europe,’ said Ted Malloch, President Trump’s new ambassador to the EU, recently.”

It has been our experience that one must be careful with articles published by the Express, dealing with continental European developments. But if it is indeed President Trump’s goal to prevent a powerful European army from developing, he is predestined to fail in this endeavor.

Unprecedented Deterioration between USA and Europe under President Trump

Global Research published the following article on January 19, which was originally published by the World Socialist Web Site:

“Donald Trump’s inauguration as president of the United States heralds an unprecedented deterioration in post-war relations between the US and Europe, above all between the US and Germany… Trump praised Britain’s exit from the European Union, describing the EU as a vehicle for German domination… Trump threatened Germany’s auto industry with sanctions and attacked Chancellor Angela Merkel, blaming her refugee policy for destabilising Europe…

“Never before has a US president set as his explicit goal the breakup of the EU. Trump made clear in his interview [with Bild and Times of London] that he was seeking to pit the UK against Germany…

“The response from Europe’s political elite was uniformly hostile. In Germany, Merkel replied, ‘I think we Europeans hold our fate in our own hands.’ Sigmar Gabriel of Merkel’s coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party, insisted, ‘We must not adopt a servile attitude now… In dealing with Trump, we need German self-confidence and a clear stance.’ French President Francois Hollande said that ‘transatlantic cooperation’ will from now on be based on Europe’s own ‘interests and values.’

“Europe’s think tanks and media predicted escalating militarism and an eruption of nationalist tensions. ‘EU member states will have to consider increasing strategic autonomy by reinforcing collective defence inside the EU,’ said Felix Arteaga of the Elcano Royal Institute in Madrid…

“The last time tensions emerged sharply between the US and Europe was in 2003, during the run-up to the Iraq War, when US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld denounced France and Germany for failing to support the US in Iraq. Rumsfeld called the two countries ‘old Europe’ and counterposed to them the states of Eastern Europe…”

The article was written from a socialist viewpoint, and we have chosen not to cite most of it. However, the excerpts quoted above are noteworthy.

Donald Trump’s New World Order… Biggest Enemies: Germany and Japan

Der Spiegel wrote on January 20:

“For more than 60 years, the U.S. has promoted European unity. The country introduced the Marshall Plan, it supported the single European market and backed Europe’s eastward expansion following the collapse of the Iron Curtain. But now, a man is entering the White House who is counting on the disintegration of the EU. He would rather negotiate with each country individually, believing that will be more beneficial for America… His only goal is America’s profitability, particularly in global trade, which he sees as a brutal fight for survival…

“The situation could hardly be worse for German Chancellor Angela Merkel… Can Merkel’s Europe now hold together? Can she become a worthy adversary to Trump in the approaching conflicts…?

“That which had seemed inconceivable just a short time ago now appears to be a foregone conclusion: A new era is beginning… For the most part, that is because the 45th president of the United States of America is simply not interested in the world order that has developed since 1945. He is just as disinterested in the trans-Atlantic partnership and the long-cultivated alliances with Western allies…

“Europe finds itself on the eve of an epochal shift of the kind it hasn’t seen since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Eastern Bloc. Is this the end of the West as we know it, as former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer warned a month ago?…

“Russia’s annexation of Crimea was the first indication that the global order that we had enjoyed for 25 years was under threat — and the world simply stood by and watched. Apart from a couple of sanctions, U.S. President Barack Obama left the problem to the Europeans… The new president will likely continue the process that began under his predecessor: America’s withdrawal from global politics. Just that the incoming president is expected to formulate that withdrawal more clearly than Obama did…

“For the last 70 years, Europe could depend on having America at its side. Now, this is no longer a certainty…

“Merkel’s staff has become certain that conflicts with the new U.S. administration will primarily be focused on two policy areas: foreign trade and relations with Russia. The decisive question is: Can Merkel rely on European backing? After the in-coming president made clear this week that he believes the EU has outlived its usefulness, it wasn’t long before European leaders closed ranks…

“The incoming U.S. president has always viewed the EU as an alliance aimed at weakening America’s economy… If Trump sticks with his positions, it is the chancellor’s view that Europe could be facing a great threat…

“America’s Greatest Adversaries [are] Japan and West Germany. That is particularly true when it comes to trade policy, which Trump has for decades seen as a conspiracy against America. For the past several weeks, a March 1990 issue of Playboy magazine has been making the rounds in Merkel’s Chancellery… Inside is a long interview with Trump, in which he talks about what he sees as America’s most dangerous adversaries. He doesn’t mention Russia or Red China, but Japan and West Germany, countries that he said had robbed the U.S. of its self-esteem. ‘Their products are better because they have so much subsidy,’ he said, while America is ensuring that those countries aren’t ‘wiped off the face of the earth in about 15 minutes.’ He concludes his point by saying: ‘Our “allies” are making billions screwing us.’…

“Trump is the end of the world as we know it — that much is clear. Or, as the Economist recently wrote: ‘Things could get much worse.’”

Another Financial Crisis Coming Soon?

The Telegraph wrote on January 21:

“‘If the Trump administration does just half of what it says it’s going to do in economic policy and financial regulation, another financial crash is almost certain and sooner rather than later,’ is the informed verdict of Dennis Kelleher, the head of the Better Markets think tank…

“During the last crash central banks cut interest rates from around 5 per cent to zero and bought up trillions of dollars of bonds and loans to stabilise the system. Governments spent vast amounts of public money to stop banks going bust and devastating the wider economy.

“But today interest rates across the developed world are still close to zero and government debt is much higher than it was in 2008, giving policymakers considerably less room for manoeuvre if the system fails again. The bottom line is that we can’t afford another financial crisis. Yet, thanks to Trump, one may well be coming.”

Wall Street Boom Despite or Because of Trump?

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 26:

“What a historic moment on Wall Street! The Dow Jones industrial index cleared the 20,000-point threshold for the first time ever…

“For most observers, it’s pretty obvious what the current bullish mood on Wall Street is based on. They claim the latest boom is all about hopes the new US president may provide fresh momentum to the domestic economy. There’s a feeling that Donald Trump’s first moves in office have met investors’ expectations…

“One should assume that investors have enough economic wisdom to know where to put their money. They should know tax reductions, investment programs and measures to reduce the debt burden do not really go hand in hand. In principle, financial market players have an inkling that Trump’s plans may not be realistic at all.

“What if the bubble bursts?… After withdrawing from TPP and numerous warnings to carmakers to produce their vehicles in the US, the president is now also getting serious about erecting a Mexican border wall.

“Donald Trump doesn’t seem to realize that the US economy stands to suffer long-term from such measures, which will disrupt well-attuned cross-border supply chains. Some investors are beginning to nurture doubts already. The ‘Global Fund Manager Survey’ says almost 30 percent of big US investors polled fear trade wars might break out as soon as this year.

“Right now, stocks on Wall Street keep rising because of Trump, but soon people will realize they’ve been rising despite Trump… investors are well-advised to be cautious despite the current euphoria around them… shares are a crucial part of people’s old-age pension schemes in the US. Their provisions could be severely hit, should the Trump bubble burst one fine day. And it would be the middle class that would be affected the most – the very people the president has promised to support…”

How Europe Views Donald Trump

The Guardian wrote on January 20:

“Most newspapers across Europe predict that Donald Trump will be a reckless world leader, viewing him as a buffoon and fearing that he will undermine transatlantic relations and weaken the European Union. They are also worried that he might make deals with Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, at the expense of smaller countries in central and eastern Europe.

“Newspaper articles published over a seven-day period prior to Trump’s inauguration are said to reveal a level of trepidation about the incoming American president that is probably unparalleled in recent history…

“These findings emerge from an analysis by the European Journalism Observatory of the content of three daily newspapers in each of 10 European countries from 12 to 18 January. The countries studied were Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Ukraine and the UK…

“Among the reactions: ‘Europe’s nightmare’ (Germany’s Süddeutsche Zeitung); ‘Trump ruins the European Union’ (Poland’s Gazeta Wyborcza); and ‘Europe could be the first victim of Trump’ (commentator in Italy’s Corriere della Sera)…”

Reaction to Donald Trump’s Inauguration Speech

Most world leaders congratulated Mr. Trump on his inauguration. But reaction from Germany, the United States’ biggest trading partner, and China took a different tone.

Bild wrote on January 21:

“Trump’s Speech was a Declaration of War on the World… Trump will become a big radical experiment of perhaps historical proportions…”

The Guardian wrote on January 21:

“‘What we heard today were high nationalistic tones,’ [Germany’s vice chancellor Sigmar] Gabriel said… ‘I think we have to prepare for a rough ride.’… Europe and Germany must stand together ‘to defend our interests.’…”

“China’s Global Times, a Communist party tabloid, said the ‘impressive’ address signalled that the start of the Trump era would herald ‘dramatic changes’… ‘Frictions between the US and its allies, and trade tensions between the US and China seem inevitable within the four years ahead,’ the state-run newspaper said in an editorial. ‘Undoubtedly the Trump administration will be igniting many “fires” on its front door and around the world. Let’s wait and see when it will be China’s turn’…”

The Pope’s Reaction

AFP wrote on January 21:

“Pope Francis on Saturday warned against populism, saying it could lead to the election of ‘saviours’ like Hitler. In an hour-long interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais conducted as Donald Trump was being sworn in as US president, the pontiff also condemned the idea of using walls and barbed wire to keep out foreigners. ‘Of course crises provoke fears and worries,’ he said but added that for him ‘the example of populism in the European sense of the word is Germany in 1933. Germany… was looking for a leader, someone who would give her back her identity and there was a little man named Adolf Hitler who said ‘I can do it’. Hitler did not steal power,’ the pope said. ‘He was elected by his people and then he destroyed his people.’

“The Germans at that time also wanted to protect themselves with ‘walls and barbed wire so that others cannot take away their identity,’ he said. ‘The case of Germany is classic,’ he said, adding that Hitler gave them a ‘deformed identity and we know what it produced.’

“Pope Francis however underscored that it was too early to pass judgement on Trump. ‘Let’s see. Let’s see what he does and then we will evaluate,’ he said.”

The Pope’s comments about Hitler’s Germany are only partially true. There is no evidence that Germany, under Hitler, was trying to “protect” itself with walls and barbed wires. Rather, this was the official “justification” of Russian-controlled East Germany for building the Berlin Wall. 

Vatican Takes Over Knights of Malta Catholic Order

Newsmax wrote on January 25:

“The Vatican said Wednesday it was taking over the embattled Knights of Malta lay Catholic order in an extraordinary display of papal power after the Knights’ grand master publicly defied Pope Francis in a bitter dispute over condoms. The move marks the intervention of one sovereign state – the Holy See – into the governance of another, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, an ancient aristocratic order that runs a vast charity operation around the globe… The Knights of Malta is a sovereign entity under international law, making the Vatican intervention all the more remarkable.

“… The Order of Malta has many trappings of a sovereign state, issuing its own stamps, passports and license plates and holding diplomatic relations with 106 states, the Holy See included. The Holy See, however, has a unique relationship with the order since it is a Catholic entity…  The knights trace their history to the 11th-century Crusades with the establishment of an infirmary in Jerusalem that cared for people of all faiths.”

Leading European Right-Wing Populists Attend Meeting in Germany

Deutsche Welle reported on January 21:

“The political group Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF), which consists of representatives of several populist and anti-immigration parties including Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the French National Front, is holding a convention in the western German city of Koblenz on Saturday. The ENF is the smallest group in the European Parliament… Prominent European populist politicians, including AfD co-leader Frauke Petry, the National Front’s leader and French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen and the Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders, are attending, along with Matteo Salvini, who head Italy’s Northern League (LN).

“Wilders… hailed the advent of Donald Trump onto the world stage as newly inaugurated US president, saying: ‘Yesterday a free America, today Koblenz, tomorrow a new Europe.’ Trump, who took office on Friday, has advocated a vehement ‘America first’ nationalist stance.”

These parties will not prevail in trying to destroy European unification; rather, their existence will lead to the opposite result: To counter anti-European “nationalism,” European leaders will make an extra effort to facilitate stronger European unity.

Schulz, not Gabriel, Will Run Against Merkel

The Local wrote on January 24:

“Vice Chancellor and the leader of Germany’s Social Democrats, Sigmar Gabriel, made the surprise announcement on Tuesday that he would not run against Chancellor Angela Merkel in September’s general election. Gabriel told Die Zeit newspaper that he would recommend that former European Parliament president Martin Schulz take his place as SPD party chairman and candidate for chancellor.

“… Gabriel told Stern and Die Zeit that he now aimed to become foreign minister, replacing Frank-Walter Steinmeier who is expected to be elected German president next month… The news… came as a shock to political observers in Berlin…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 24:

“Until now, Schulz has been a European politician: He was a European parliamentarian… and served as the president of the European Parliament from 2012 to 2017. But now, Schulz has come into the fold as a national politician in Germany…

“His… character… makes him a popular guest on talk shows. Schulz rarely avoids a confrontation, but that may also be what makes the 62-year-old seem so surprisingly fresh when it comes to debating political issues at home in Germany…

“Schulz has proven time and again, in Brussels and Strasbourg, that he can pack a punch on the issues that will confront him in German domestic politics… Schulz’s clear words are perhaps also why he is so surprisingly popular.

“According to the latest opinion polls, he is as popular among Germans as Chancellor Angela Merkel of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU). He is also far more popular than SPD leader and current Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 25:

“By naming former EU Parliament President Martin Schulz to run against Angela Merkel for chancellorship, the Social Democrats are back in the game… [They] have started the election year with a bang…

“Martin Schulz, the new chancellor candidate, is someone who is able to match Merkel in terms of popularity, and comes closer to her as a rival for the chancellorship than any other Social Democrat in the last decade. He is a proven supporter of Europe and a great communicator who is able to attack fiercely as well as defend himself with confidence…

“For the voters, the Social Democrats have suddenly become visible again… It is all about showing the Germans that it truly makes a difference who they vote for, that the main parties are not all the same. But one thing is unchanged: a firm commitment to Europe. Amongst the parties represented in the federal parliament in Berlin, there is no room for the nationalism that is growing in parts of Europe and the world – not even in an election year… After years of weakness, the Social Democrats now have a chance to show themselves as a real alternative for Germany.”

In the first three installments of this series, we discussed our belief in the infallibility of the Holy Scriptures; our doctrinal foundation; and our Church government. We also emphasized that while the Church of God is a spiritual organism, this fact does not exclude the necessity of physical organizations. In that context, we showed the importance of the Church’s correct biblical name. We also began to explain Christ’s commission to His Church; that is, to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God to all nations as a witness. We showed what is meant with the terms, “gospel,” “the kingdom of God,” “to all nations”, and “as a witness.” In this installment, we will address another aspect of the Church’s commission; i.e., to warn the nations.

To reiterate, our Statement of Beliefs points out under “The Church’s Commission”:

“We believe that it is the Church’s commission to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God to all nations as a witness, to warn all nations, and especially the lost tribes of the house of Israel (mainly in the United States, Great Britain, certain Commonwealth nations and nations in Northwestern Europe) of impending danger, and to feed the flock of Christ—the Church—spiritually and physically.”

Part of the gospel message is a warning proclamation. It is the responsibility of the Church of God to warn all nations of impending danger (Isaiah 34:1-3), especially the lost tribes of the house of Israel (Ezekiel 3:17-21; 33:2-11). This emphasis on the house of Israel is placed as God had chosen them to be a good example to the rest of the world, but they have miserably failed in this regard (Exodus 19:5-6; Ezekiel 20:5-32). So, God will deal with them first, and they will require to hear a warning before He does. But a specific warning must also go out to all nations, because God will deal with them subsequently (Isaiah 24:5-6; 28:22). In addition, a warning message must even go out to members and prospective members of the Church of God (Colossians 1:28; Acts 20:31; 1 Corinthians 4:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:14).

In order to warn the nations of the house of Israel (and, by extension, the modern house of Judah), it is necessary to know who they are today. This knowledge is one of the distinguishing signs showing the difference between the Church of God and most other church groups, who do not know anything about the modern tribes of the house of Israel; who and where they are; and that a warning message must be given to them today, prior to Christ’s return. As we state in our Statement of Beliefs, the lost tribes of the house of Israel can be found today in the USA (where we find descendants of Manasseh, the first-born son of Joseph and grandson of Jacob or Israel); the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa (all descendants of Ephraim, the second son of Joseph); parts of France (descendants of Reuben, Jacob’s first-born son); Denmark and Ireland (descendants of Dan, one of Jacob’s twelve sons); Norway and Iceland (descendants of Benjamin, another one of Jacob’s twelve sons); The Netherlands (descendants of Zebulon, one of Jacob’s twelve sons); Finland (descendants of Issachar, one of Jacob’s twelve sons); Switzerland (descendants of Gad, one of Jacob’s twelve sons); Belgium and Luxembourg (descendants of Asher, one of Jacob’s twelve sons); and Sweden (descendants of Naphtali, one of Jacob’s twelve sons). In addition, modern descendants of Jacob’s son Levi might be found today in Wales; and descendants of Simeon and Levi might also be found in Scotland. Furthermore, a warning message must go out to the modern descendants of the house of Judah—the Jewish people.

But as we said, the warning message must also be given to non-Israelite peoples as well, which would include powerful nations such as Germany and Austria (modern Assyria); Italy (in part descendants of the ancient Chaldeans and Babylonians); and countries such as Russia, China, Japan, India, nations in the Middle East, Africa and South America. It will remain to be seen whether and to what extent such a warning will reach some of the non-Israelite or “Gentile” nations prior to the beginning of the Great Tribulation.

In addition, the message must be proclaimed about what is prophesied for the descendants of the house of Israel and the entire world if the warning is not heeded. God’s Church is able to announce this, as Christ leads and inspires it, and Christ’s Spirit is a spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10; compare Amos 3:7-8; John 16:13; Isaiah 44:26; 1 Corinthians 13:2).

To be clear, the warning message must precede the time of the beginning of the Great Tribulation (which will NOT last longer than 3 ½ years; there is NO reference in the Bible saying that it would last for seven years) and of the Day of the Lord (which may last for about 1 year, compare Isaiah 34:8; 61:2; 63:4, equating a day with a year, beginning no later than about 2 ½ years after the start of the Great Tribulation). It is true that the warning message will continue to be given during those times, especially through the testimony and prophecies of the “two witnesses” (Revelation 11:3-6). Finally, when the two witnesses have completed their testimony, they will be killed in Jerusalem (showing that they are human beings and not angels), and after 3 ½ days they will be resurrected to immortal life as God beings in the Kingdom of God (Revelation 11:7-13). This resurrection will be part of the first resurrection, when all true Christians will enter eternal life and meet the returning Christ in the air, on clouds (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), to descend together on that same day to the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4-5). The Bible does not teach, nor do we believe, that the returning Christ and His resurrected saints, who will be meeting Him in the air, will ascend to Heaven and then return to this earth at a later time.

Today’s warning message of the Church is directed especially at the tribes of the house of Israel, as well as the Jewish people, who will both be defeated in war and either killed or enslaved. This will occur at and constitute the very beginning of the Great Tribulation which can also be described as Satan’s wrath against Israel (Luke 21:20-24). And yes, it is prophesied that Satan’s wrath will also be directed at the same time against God’s Church—spiritual Israel—and a martyrdom will occur for many of God’s people (Revelation 6:9-11; 7:13-14; 12:12, 17). Other members of the true Church of God will be protected during that time at a physical location or “place of safety” here on earth (Revelation 12:13-16; 3:10). The Bible might give some indication as to how God’s people who are worthy of protection will reach this place of safety, but it is useless to prepare for it in a physical way or contemplate where it might be and how to get there, as God will “work out the specifics.”

As we stated, the warning message must also go out to all nations who will be involved, either directly or indirectly, with attacking Israel (Zechariah 14:2-3, 12-15), and even though God had decreed that Israel and Judah are to be punished, this does not make Israel’s enemies any more righteous (Habakkuk 1:13). While at the very end all nations (including Russia and China) will be involved in attacking Jerusalem, the original onslaught will occur through ten European nations or groups of nations (Daniel 2:40-44; Revelation 17:12-13) under the leadership of a charismatic political military leader, the “beast,” who will work together with a worldwide religious system, “Babylon the Great,” under their religious leader, the “false prophet.”

The Church of God understands and believes that the confederacy of ten European nations or groups of nations will occur under “Assyrian” leadership (Isaiah 10:5-7, 12, 24-25; 30:30-33; 31:8-9). The future “King of Assyria” is also identified as “King Jareb,” the “king of the North” and the “beast.” This coming European power bloc will fight a nuclear war against America and Great Britain, leading to the destruction of all major cities in those countries (Ezekiel 6:6). The Church of God has proclaimed for a long time that Germany (who was defeated in World War II and which became subsequently divided in East and West Germany) would unite and become the most powerful nation in Europe; that Great Britain would ultimately leave the EU, while Italy would not leave; that the euro would stay; that Europe would build a powerful army; and that the relationship between the USA and Europe, especially Germany, would deteriorate.

We understand that the European religious system has nothing to do with Islam, but that it is a false belief and practice of Christianity which is described as a fallen woman, as she and her daughters fell away from true and pure Christianity (Revelation 17:1-6, 15, 18; 18:23-24). We also understand that this religious system has been working together with the European political system for many centuries, known as “revivals of the ancient Holy Roman Empire,” under Justinian; Charles the Great; Otto the Great; Charles V; Napoleon; and Hitler and Mussolini. None of that can be said in any way about Islam, which played no role in the above-mentioned revivals and which did not depart from true Christianity. In fact, it never knew nor accepted true Christianity to begin with.

We also understand that just prior to Christ’s return, the false prophet or the man of sin will occupy the future temple of God in Jerusalem, claiming to be God, and that this will occur at the time of an end-time falling away from the biblical truth (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4). As the religious Babylonian system did not teach or preach the truth for almost two thousand years, it is clear that the falling away cannot and does not refer to the Babylonian system which grows and is getting “bigger,” but that it must refer to a falling away of true Christians from the biblical truth. This, in turn, sheds some light on the fact that God will allow a final martyrdom against some of His people (Daniel 7:25-27; Revelation 13:7), in order to wake them up and make them realize their lack of zeal for His Law and His Work, or even their temporary departure from God’s Way which they once understood and lived.

We also know from the Bible that the last revival of the ancient Roman Empire will at first temporarily collaborate, to an extent, with Arab nations and Turkey against Israel (Psalm 83:1-8). However, there is no biblical suggestion that a seven-year contract will be entered into between the “beast” and Arab nations, which would be broken after 3 ½ years. The passage which is sometimes quoted for this proposition—Daniel 9:27—does not refer to such an end-time physical covenant, but to the death of Jesus Christ in the middle of the week (Wednesday, when He was crucified) after His 3 ½ year-long public ministry, thereby doing away with or “bringing to an end” the sacrificial system and confirming the spiritual New Covenant with His people for one prophetic week or seven years (The remaining 3 ½ years of His seven year-long ministry Christ will fulfill when He returns). It is revealed however that the European invasion of the Holy Land will occur when animal sacrifices will be brought there by the Jews, apparently during or after the completed construction of the Third Temple on the Temple Mount (Daniel 8:11-14; 11:31; 12:11-12).

And so, God will proceed punishing the “Gentile” nations and especially the “beast power” during the Day of the Lord, and the two witnesses and those supporting them will continue the warning during that time, which will be directed to all the nations (Revelation 8:13; 14:6-11), as well as to those Israelites who have survived the nuclear attacks and are by then prisoners in concentration camps or slave laborers in areas occupied by the modern Roman Empire.

The warning message to be proclaimed has to do with the need to change; to repent of sin (Revelation 9:20-21; 16:9-11) and turn to righteousness. This world does not seem to know what sin is. Especially the so-called “Christian” world believes the lie that “grace” somehow supersedes the need to keep God’s Law.

In our Statement of Beliefs, we say under “Law, Sin and Love”:

“We believe that sin is the transgression of the Law, and hence we strive to keep the Law as summed up in the word, ‘love’ (Romans 13:10). Love involves two great principles of love towards God and love towards neighbor. The Ten Commandments compose the ten points of the Law (Matthew 22:37-39; James 2:8-11).”

We do not believe by any means that Jesus came to abolish the Law of God or fulfill it for us so that we do not have to keep it anymore. Sin is the transgression of the spiritual Law (1 John 3:4 in the Authorized Version; compare Romans 7:14); that is, the Ten Commandments and the statutes and judgments, explaining the Ten Commandments even further. It is true that Jesus did away with the sacrificial system of washings and rites, and therefore, the Church of God strongly rejects any attempts by “Christian” groups to uphold and teach superseded Old Testament temporary laws, including ritual washings, animal sacrifices or physical circumcision (compare Galatians 5:2). On the other hand, Christ made very clear that we must keep the commandments of the spiritual Law (1 John 2:4; 5:3; 2 John 6, 10), and James clarified that when we break one of the Ten Commandments, we are guilty of having broken them all (James 2:8-12). The concept of grace does not teach us something differently.

We state in our Statement of Beliefs under “Grace and Works”:

“We believe that true Christians are saved by God’s grace, not according to their works (Ephesians 2:8-9), but that their reward is dependent on the good works they perform (Matthew 16:27; Revelation 22:12).”

Christ died for us to forgive us our sins and pay the penalty for our sins, which is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Christ did this because of grace or unmerited pardon; we did not do anything which compelled Christ to die for us; we did not deserve His death for us. Nothing that we did made us worthy of Christ’s death. At the same time, accepting His Sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins does not mean that we can now trample Him underfoot and spit at Him by ignoring and violating God’s Law. Grace is not a license to sin (Jude 4). After we have received forgiveness of our past sins by grace, we are obligated to live righteously now; that is, we must avoid sin with all our might so that the righteousness demanded by the Law can be fulfilled in us (Romans 8:3-4). At the same time, we know that we cannot be victorious on our own, but that it must be Jesus Christ living in us through the Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:20); Christ empowers us to overcome our evil human carnal nature, this sin-stricken world and Satan the Devil. The idea that we can sin so that grace may abound is strongly condemned in the Bible (Romans 6:1-2).

As true Christians, we will show through our good works—how we live—that we are in God’s eyes “counted worthy” of protection and eternal life (Luke 21:36; 20:35). It is Christ in us who makes us worthy when we follow His lead and submit to Him. Christ gave His Church a work to do—the work of proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom in all the world as a witness. And the degree of our reward (not eternal life which will be granted us as a free gift) is indeed dependent upon how well we are doing with what we have been given (1 Corinthians 3:8; 2 John 8; Revelation 22:12).

Why then do so many professing Christians believe the lie that Christ came to abolish the Law and that we are “saved” once and for all, no matter how we live? The answer is that the whole world is deceived. And it is Satan and his demons who are responsible for this worldwide deception (Revelation 12:9; 16:14; compare also 1 John 4:1; 2 Corinthians 11:14-15; 1 Timothy 4:1).

We understand that this is not God’s world, but that Satan and his demons are the rulers of this world (Ephesians 6:12). We say in our Statement of Beliefs, under “Angels”:

“We believe in the existence of holy angels, who faithfully serve God. We also believe that there are ‘fallen’ angels who are in rebellion to God, and who are referred to in Scripture as Satan and his demons.”

The fact that this is not God’s world and that it is under Satan’s dominion does not mean that we are therefore permitted or obligated to rebel against the human rule of the country we might be living in. At the same time, we must not participate in any activity which is against God’s Law.

To explain this sometimes delicate balance, we state this in our Statement of Beliefs, under “Civic Government”:

“We believe that we are to be subject to the government of our country and its laws (Romans 13:1-5; 1 Peter 2:13-17); that we are to pay our taxes (Matthew 22:17-21; Mark 12:14-17; Romans 13:6-7); that we are to pray for leaders of government (1 Timothy 2:1-3); and that we are to honor those leaders (1 Peter 2:17; Romans 13:7).”

At the same time, we also state this in our Statement of Beliefs, under “Relationship with God”:

“We believe that a Christian’s duty to God is of a superior and higher nature than our duty arising from any human relationship (Acts 4:18-20; 5:27-29). We therefore, following biblical commands and principles, do not participate in voting for national elections or jury duty, and we do not join the military. On the other hand, we do not object to participation in civil service. If compelled by governments to enlist, we refuse to serve in any capacity that would violate the spirit of the sixth commandment against murder (Exodus 20:13; Matthew 5:43-48; Romans 12:17-21).”

Taking these passages together, we do not believe that we ought to resort to any violence against any governmental regime or rulership. Nor should we participate in wars or in any violent activity against anyone, foreign and domestic. We ought to pray for the leaders of our human government and honor and submit to those leaders (unless their directives violate God’s supreme Law), so that we, the people of God, can live a “quiet and peaceable life” (1 Timothy 2:2) and fulfill our commission to preach God’s gospel—the gospel of the Kingdom of God—to all nations, which includes a warning message to this sinful world, placing it on notice that this present evil world (Galatians 1:4) will end soon and that it will be replaced by a better world; “the world to come” (Hebrews 2:5); the wonderful world tomorrow; a truly peaceful Paradise here on earth.

We trust that by now you have already seen many defining differences between us and most other Christian groups or organizations. But much more will be discussed and revealed.

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

“At the Brink of Armageddon?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Are we really that close to the annihilation of mankind, as many suppose? What are the reasons for the update of the Doomsday Clock which now stands at two and a half minutes to midnight, where midnight represents the end of humanity? Why is it felt that Donald Trump made this world a much more dangerous place, and whom is he viewing as America’s greatest adversaries? Could failed nuclear tests and computer glitches play a significant role in a nuclear exchange? The Bible predicts Armageddon; but how exactly will it happen?

A German AufPostenStehen program was also produced, covering the same subject. It is titled: “Steht der Weltuntergang bevor?”

“Europe in Prophecy”—a NEW video clip promoting the English booklet, “Europe in Prophecy”—has been produced by Michael Link. A version promoting the German translation of this booklet is also posted on www.aufpostenstehen.de.

We note that the German website, AufPostenStehen, and our posts on YouTube have proven very productive in our efforts to preach the gospel in Europe. A German SERMON from around a year ago about the USA and Europe has over 79,000 views.

“Prophezeiung–Warum die Kirche des Ewigen Gottes? (Teil 4),” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon. Title in English: “Prophecy–Why the Church of the Eternal God? (Part 4)”

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

What does the Bible say about the length of our lives on Earth as human beings? What can we do to make the most of the relatively short time we have been granted to live? By following the instructions we have been given, we can be fulfilled to the utmost!

“Jesus Christ Lives!,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Jesus Christ is the most well-known name in the world today, but very few people actually know Him for Who He really is! Even fewer grasp the reality that Jesus Christ lives!

The Church Conference for 2017 will be conducted in Escondido, California, with arrivals on March 23 and ending on March 28.

On January 21, 2017, Eric Rank will present the sermonette, titled, “Life is Short,” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “Jesus Christ Lives!”

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.

Ancient Israel had a proclivity to turn away from God and inculcate the beliefs and practices of the pagan nations around them. Many laws and warnings were set forth to shield God’s chosen nation from that ungodliness. But as we know from the examples left for us in the Bible, Israel often failed to heed those warnings, and dire consequences followed. Jeremiah records God’s thoughts directed towards the inhabitants of Jerusalem; a city besieged by Nebuchadnezzar:

“ ‘For this city has been to Me a provocation of My anger and My fury from the day that they built it, even to this day; so I will remove it from before My face because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke Me to anger—they, their kings, their princes, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem’ ” (Jeremiah 32:31-32).

What would cause this reaction from God?  Jeremiah continues, “ ‘But they set their abominations in the house which is called by My name, to defile it. And they built the high places of Baal which are in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech, which I did not command them, nor did it come into My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin’ ” (Jeremiah 32:34-35). This sacrifice of children was abhorrent to God and was beyond what He could have imagined Israel taking part in.  The modern-day descendants of those twelve tribes have lowered themselves into even more detestable behavior in this end-time age.  In 2013 the Centers for Disease Control states that “664,435 legal induced abortions” took place in the United States that year. The agency reports more than 43 million abortions since they started taking data in 1970.

This growing infant genocide is no longer a backroom-hidden activity as more and more of our political and religious leaders accept this act. In an article from lifenews.com, dated Jan 12, 2017, entitled, “Religious Leaders Bless Opening of New Planned Parenthood Abortion Clinic, Call It ‘Sacred Work,’ “a growing acceptance of abortions from religious leaders is highlighted by the attendance of more than 20 religious groups. One of the administrators of the new “mega-facility” stated, “ ‘In almost every message to our staff, I talk about our doing sacred work,’ Dr. Laura Meyers, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, told the news outlet. ‘This confirms the sacredness of the work we do.’ ” The article continues, “ ‘I’ve been a Christian longer than I’ve been an abortion provider,’ said Willie Parker, who is about as close as the reproductive choice movement gets to a rock star. ‘Women have been made to think that this [clinic] is so some evil place, where God is not,’ he continued, pointing out the people ‘cursing [women] for making sacred decisions. Our answer to the curse is to bless.’ ”

The very same influence that caused Israel to accept the demonic worship of Molech continues to drive modern man away from God. Satan’s influence is overwhelming and all-encompassing to the blind. Without God opening man’s mind, it is truly impossible to determine what is right or wrong.  Vigilance for that precious truth is the lifeline we must hold fast as this age ends.

We bring you extensive coverage on Mr. Trump’s lengthy interview with a German and a British paper, Bild and Times. In the interview, he reiterated much of what he said on the campaign trail regarding NATO, the EU and Brexit, even though some of his nominated cabinet members hold quite different opinions.

The reaction of German and continental European politicians was concerned and furious. A common theme developed that in light of Mr. Trump, Europe has to stick together, and the USA will have no say in what Europe decides to do. (In this regard, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Trump Declares War on Europe,” as well as our German AufPostenStehen program with the same subject, titled, “Trump Erklärt Europa den Krieg.” )

The German press was also unanimously defiant of Mr. Trump. Der Spiegel wrote: “Divide and conquer. In Trump’s world, there are no allies, only competitors who have to be weakened.”

Bild wrote about Mr. Trump that he is “disturbingly honest and disturbingly different,” and that “he plays with fire”. The paper added that Mr. Trump is “the biggest political experiment since the end of the cold war.”

Der Tagesspiegel wrote that Mr. Trump has “no clear concept. He reveals himself as a helpless individual. His capability and his unpredictability give opportunity and danger.”

Der Nordbayrische Kurier describes Mr. Trump as someone who disturbs the world. “His recklessness may prompt unforeseen conflicts. Hopefully, there will not be a rude awakening.”

Der Mannheimer Morgen wrote: “The answer to Trump and Putin is a united Europe.” Das Flensburger Tagblatt agreed, saying: “Europe must unify; otherwise, Trump will run all over us.” Der Tierische Volksfreund wrote: “Trump attacks the EU because it is very powerful economically.”

Additional articles on the controversies surrounding Mr. Trump are also included in this special edition, as well as revealing reports about Europe’s “compelled” move to unite militarily; news about Israel; the coming final departure of the UK from the EU; and perceived or real anti-Semitic tendencies in Germany.

Incredulity and Outrage in Germany over Donald Trump

The Financial Times wrote on January 16:

“Donald Trump’s latest verbal assault on Germany, Nato and the EU is forcing the continent’s politicians to consider a challenge they hoped never to confront: dealing with the first US president since the war to champion European disintegration.

“Weeks of wait-and-see thinking in Europe’s diplomatic capitals were blown away on Monday with a gust of plain-speaking rhetoric disparaging the pillars of the transatlantic relationship, and one of Washington’s closest traditional allies. While Angela Merkel’s government tried to turn down the political temperature after Mr Trump’s interviews with The Times and Bild, it was impossible to contain the anger in Berlin at their chancellor being mentioned in the same breath as Vladimir Putin of Russia, let alone being blamed for co-opting the EU and accelerating its destruction with her refugee policy.

“Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany’s foreign minister, said Mr Trump’s comments were met with ‘astonishment’, adding that he heard first-hand the ‘concern’ of Jens Stoltenberg, the Nato secretary-general. Norbert Röttgen, chairman of the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee, told the Financial Times that Mr Trump’s remarks showed ‘the west’s political unity doesn’t play any role for him’.

“The full ramifications of a real volte-face in Washington’s European outlook are difficult to imagine. The US has been integral to Europe’s postwar security and trade arrangements that have made the Atlantic one of the world’s most lucrative trade corridors.

“The question in Brussels is whether Mr Trump’s agitation for more ‘great’ Brexit moments will amplify the EU’s divisions and challenges, or galvanise the union against a perceived common threat. ‘Donald Trump is calling for Europe’s dislocation: that is not acceptable!’ said Manuel Valls, France’s former prime minister and a centre-left candidate in its presidential elections. ‘We Europeans must be united and say who we are.’

“Should member states rally round, it could have far-reaching implications, not just in rekindling a willingness to integrate in areas such as defence, but also in reinforcing the EU’s resolve to ensure Brexit is a warning to those who may consider leaving. ‘The more they will see the UK looking to the US the more they will want to stick together,’ said one senior EU diplomat closely involved in Brexit talks. ‘The premium on EU unity for the German chancellor is now greater than ever. She is aware of Germany’s special responsibility.’

“Like many in Berlin, Mr Röttgen said he had hoped Mr Trump would soften his approach as his inauguration neared. ‘But he hasn’t changed at all. He says what he said on the campaign trail . . . The fact that he regards Nato as obsolete and that it doesn’t bother him if the EU is split shows he doesn’t care about the west’s unity.’

“For the few European politicians who have been in contact with Mr Trump since the elections… the worrying signs were evident. In a post-election telephone call with Donald Tusk, the European Council president, Mr Trump’s first question was apparently which EU country was ‘leaving next’, according to diplomats familiar with the conversation. Should this view be reflected in Trump policy, it would mark a revolution in US relations with Europe’s main powers, overturning what had been a historically crucial role in bringing together a war-torn continent.

“… With his cheerleading for Brexit, Mr Trump is threatening to act as an agent of division.

“Anti-establishment parties in Italy seized on Mr Trump’s iconoclastic remarks. ‘Trump and Putin say “Nato is obsolete and ill-equipped to fight Islamist terrorism”. I completely agree,’ tweeted Matteo Salvini, the leader of the Northern League.

“Manlio di Stefano, a senior lawmaker from the Five Star Movement on foreign affairs, tweeted an image of Mr Trump’s Bild interview and wrote: ‘The world is changing from east to west, the status quo is being shaken in every way and we are part of that change.’…

“Jean-Marc Ayrault, the French foreign minister, said the EU must stand united in the face of Mr Trump’s comments. ‘The best response is European unity,’ he said. ‘As is the case with Brexit, the best way of defending Europe, which is rather what Mr Trump has invited us to do, is to remain united, to remain as a bloc, not to forget that the strength of the Europeans lies in their unity.’”

Mr. Trump’s stance on many political issues will force Europe to unite against the USA… which has long been prophesied in the Bible to occur.

German Leaders Dismayed and Bewildered by Trump Interview

Deutsche Welle reported on January 16:

“Across the board German politicians, including Angela Merkel, and policy experts have sharply criticized a pair of controversial Donald Trump interviews… There was an immediate political outcry against Trump’s characterization of NATO as ‘obsolete’ and ineffective against terrorism as well as his contention that most members failed to pay their fair share of the costs…

“Trump threatened to impose a 35 percent punitive import tax on BMW for any cars made outside the US but intended for the American market… German trade and industry representatives reacted strongly against the suggested tax…

“SPD defense spokesman Rainer Arnold says that there was no reason to hope for a more centrist President Trump. ‘Anyone who thought Trump would be more moderate after he was elected will find himself disappointed,’ Arnold told DW. ‘He is what he is: an irresponsible egomaniac. I see no cause to believe that he’ll become reasonable. I think it will be a terrible presidency.’”

German President Gauck Warns

The Local wrote on January 18:

“Outgoing President Joachim Gauck warned in a talk on Wednesday that his country’s democracy is at risk amid major international shifts, including Donald Trump becoming US President on Friday… Gauck will leave his office on March 18th, and his successor will be chosen on February 12^th… Gauck argued that Germany and Europe must strengthen their defence efforts so that they wouldn’t become a kind of toy to be tossed around according to others’ interests.”

EU Nations Show Defiance for Trump

The Associated Press wrote on January 16:

“European Union nations bracing for the looming Donald Trump presidency showed defiance Monday in the face of the president-elect’s stinging comments on everything from NATO and German cars to the crumbling of the EU itself… German Chancellor Angela Merkel insisted: ‘We Europeans have our fate in our own hands’…

“Although Trump had made similar statements about NATO during his election campaign, his recent comments still came as a bit of a surprise since his choice for defense secretary, retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, stressed his support for the NATO military alliance in his U.S. congressional confirmation hearing last week. Trump’s views, in an interview published Monday with German daily Bild and The Times of London, contradict Mattis…

“There have even been fears the U.S. military commitment to Europe would wane under Trump… Whatever his goal, Trump’s comments were strong enough to make him the talk of the town in European capitals…”

Reaction with Fury, Dismay and Concern

The Daily Mail wrote on January 17:

“German politicians have reacted with fury after Donald Trump lashed out at Angela Merkel’s ‘catastrophic’ open-door migration policy and threatened to slap tariffs on imported cars… Mr Trump added that he thought the entire EU had become a ‘vehicle’ for Germany… BMW said it would press ahead with plans for a factory in Mexico despite the Trump threat…”

BBC added on January 16:

“Donald Trump’s comments have caused dismay, concern – but perhaps not surprise – in Berlin. Few expected the new transatlantic relationship to echo the warm and trusting alliance nurtured by Angela Merkel and Barack Obama, who was a vocal supporter of Mrs Merkel’s refugee policy.

“There is anger, too. Germany’s outspoken Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel retorted that the migrant crisis was the result of ‘faulty, interventionist American policies in the Mediterranean and Middle East’. ‘That Mr Trump should take aim at Germany’s car manufacturers has also raised eyebrows… Germans were largely unimpressed by Mr Trump during his election campaign and now, despite his own German heritage, the president-elect is doing little to endear himself.”

“France Hits Back at Trump’s ‘Declaration of War’ on Europe”

The Local wrote on January 17:

“The president of France and his former prime minister have let their feelings be known about US President Elect Donald Trump’s criticism of the EU. Former French prime minister Manuel Valls said Trump’s remarks amounted to a ‘declaration of war on Europe’… French President Francois Hollande replied bluntly on Monday to Donald Trump’s criticism of the European Union, saying the EU ‘has no need for outside advice’ on its affairs.”

Europe Must Act Now

The EUObserver wrote on January 18:

“In a recent Atlantic interview, Henry Kissinger argued that above all, states and politicians around the world need to take the time to understand the implications of a Trump administration. He predicted that a ‘frenzy of studying’ will now take place in an effort to formulate a response to this year’s election. The European Union (EU), however, cannot afford the luxury of a period of reflection. Trump’s election has serious implications for European states and far too much is at stake for Europe to simply wish him well and hope for the best.

“European states must pay attention to what Donald Trump has been saying about European affairs and be prepared to take the necessary precautions. On the issue of European security, Trump is correct. Europe has developed a habit of relying on the US to make its tough foreign policy decisions… Now, European leaders must prepare for its worst-case scenario: a Russia-friendly, isolationist US willing to accept that Europe, to some extent, falls under the Kremlin’s sphere of influence…

“Overall, EU states have seen a trend of decreasing defence spending. Even with the rise of the Islamic State (IS) militant group and escalating Russian aggression, only the Baltic states, Poland, the Netherlands and Romania have increased their defence spending.  Five other states – the UK, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Germany – have decreased their defence budget…

“As Europeans, we should have long been ashamed for letting a valued and loyal partner, which the US has been for over half a century, pick up the cheque for our security. Now we simply have no other choice but to act.

“Secondly, EU defence cooperation must step up… We have already seen successful examples of multinational cooperation in defence in Europe, such as the Benesam programme, a naval cooperation agreement between the Netherlands and Belgium. Multinational EU battlegroups have existed since 2006, even though they have never been tested in combat. The EU also possesses its own military headquarters, the Eurocorps, although it is in effect a command post with no soldiers.  In short, the infrastructure is, to a large extent, already in place. It is time to connect these disjointed dots.

“… the mere election of Donald Trump, an anti-internationalist who has questioned the US commitment to Nato, undermines this basis of NATO’s credibility and our security. For this reason, we must come to terms with the fact that Nato, or at least Nato as an American-backed project, may not in the future form the cornerstone of European security…”

“The World at the Eve of Trump”

The New York Times wrote on January 16:

“The Germans are angry. The Chinese are downright furious. Leaders of NATO are nervous, while their counterparts at the European Union are alarmed.

“Just days before he is sworn into office, President-elect Donald J. Trump has again focused his penchant for unpredictable disruption on the rest of the world. His remarks in a string of discursive and sometimes contradictory interviews have escalated tensions with China while also infuriating allies and institutions critical to America’s traditional leadership of the West.

“No one knows where exactly he is headed — except that the one country he is not criticizing is Russia and its president, Vladimir V. Putin. For now. And that he is an enthusiastic cheerleader of Brexit and an unaffiliated Britain. For now.

“Mr. Trump’s unpredictability is perhaps his most predictable characteristic. The world is accustomed to his provocative Twitter messages, but is less clear about whether his remarks represent meaningful new policy guidelines, personal judgments or passing whims…

“The barrage of inflammatory comments in joint interviews published Sunday and Monday in Britain and Germany elicited alarm and outrage in Europe… nearly everyone agreed that Mr. Trump had made trouble…

“For good measure, Mr. Trump had also infuriated China by using an interview on Friday with The Wall Street Journal to again question China’s longstanding One China policy. It holds that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the mainland. On Monday, China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said that anyone trying to use the status of Taiwan for negotiations would be ‘smashing their feet by lifting a rock’ and would face broad and strong opposition from the Chinese government and people, as well as the international community. She added that ‘not everything in the world can be bargained or traded off’…

“Mr. Trump’s interviews in Europe have placed him right in the middle of the Continent’s most contentious issues. His critique of German dominance over the European Union is hardly a novel thought; many Europeans share the same complaints. But what is startling is how an incoming American president would make such a statement about a key ally and, in doing so, give succor to populist parties seeking to shatter the European political establishment…”

“Don’t You Dare! EU Warns Britain There Can Be No Trade Talks With US Until After Brexit”

Express wrote on January 16:

“In a series of blunt remarks, Brussels’ foreign minister Federica Mogherini said it was ‘absolutely clear’ that the UK cannot negotiate with Donald Trump’s administration on even an informal basis until it has fully left the bloc. And she got in a sly dig at Theresa May over how long it has taken the Government to trigger Article 50, questioning why Britain was ‘still here’ seven months after voters chose to quit the troubled bloc.

“The Italian eurocrat made the remarks as she gave a press conference on the outcomes of today’s meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels, where discussions were dominated by the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Gaza. She was quizzed about US President-elect Mr Trump’s remarks in a bombshell interview that he did not care if the entire EU collapsed and that he will prioritise relations with Britain over those with Brussels in stark contrast to the outgoing Obama administration.

“Ms Mogherini said she was sure that the European Union will ‘stick together’ even with a eurosceptic president in the White House…

“Unprompted, she then responded to Mr Tump’s promise to strike a trade deal with a newly independent Britain as soon as possible, insisting that Brussels would block any talks on an agreement for as long as the UK continues to be an EU member… And asked about the future of EU-US relations Ms Mogherini was notably lukewarm, suggesting that Brussels has come to terms with the fact that it is going to enjoy a much less fruitful transatlantic partnership as that it has enjoyed under Mr Obama… she added: ‘The EU has its own solid, autonomous, strong polices which are not determined elsewhere than in the places where the EU member states and institutions meet.  ‘We always like to be in good company but we determine our policies by ourselves…’”

Theresa May’s Brexit Plan Not Possible?

Express wrote on January 17:

“The Prime Minister has outlined her European divorce strategy, where she declared Britain will leave the single market as she looks to prioritise regaining control of national borders and slowing immigration. She promised to end the UK’s ‘vast contributions’ to the bloc, but said that she will push for the ‘greatest possible’ access to the single market after Brexit.

“But Michael Fuchs, Mrs Merkel’s senior economic adviser, has warned it will not be possible to strike such as arrangement, as he said Brussels will block Britain from cherry picking its desired access…

“Mr Fuchs insisted Brussels had to be ‘pretty tough’ on the UK, because if they made it too easy for a country to leave the Union it would allow other countries to do the same. ‘This we don’t want, we want to stay together, we want to be a very strong European Union together so it is necessary that we follow our common rules,’ Mr Fuch said.”

The Local wrote on January 18:

“After talks with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni in Berlin, the leader of Europe’s top economy said that the remaining EU member states would enter into the negotiations with London with a united front… Looking to Gentiloni, Merkel said that Germany and Italy would ‘closely coordinate’ with each other and with ‘our respective industrial sectors’ as the Brexit talks progressed. ‘I am not worried that we won’t stand together – the most important thing is that Europe won’t let itself be divided and we will ensure this with very close contact,’ she said.”

Italian Tajani Wins Run-Off Vote for Presidency of European Parliament

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 17:

“Long-time Italian commissioner to the EU Antonio Tajani has won the run-off vote to become the new president of the European Parliament. He beat Gianni Pittella in a final run-off vote… His victory followed a pact which was made between his center-right European People’s Party (EPP) group and the liberals, led by Brexit negotiator and former Belgian premier Guy Verhofstadt…

“Tajani’s EPP group is made up of Christian democratic and liberal-conservative politicians including European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, European Council President Donald Tusk and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Tajani’s victory gives the EPP control of all three presidencies of the major EU political institutions…

“The 63-year-old Tajani is a former spokesman for ‘Forza Italia’ political leader and ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi who went on to serve as Italy’s European commissioner for two successive mandates, first for transport and then for industry. His candidacy became stronger following an agreement between Manfred Weber, the German MEP who leads the EPP group and Verhofstadt, the ALDE leader, who withdrew his own candidacy for president in favor of the new alliance…

“The liberal support for Tajani was based on a commitment to set up a group to reflect on the future of the EU, as well as a new committee on EU police cooperation.”

It is rather amusing and at the same time embarrassing to reflect on the ill-informed and ignorant pro-Brexit media, especially in the UK and in the USA, predicting that Italy would leave the EU—considering that the next President of the European Parliament “happens” to be an Italian… and not only that, but also a former spokesman of controversial right-wing Italian ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi.

“‘Lunacy’: US Ambassador Warns of Trump Backing EU Breakup”

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 13:

“The outgoing US ambassador to the European Union on Friday warned President-elect Donald Trump’s administration of supporting the [European] bloc’s breakup, saying it would be ‘sheer folly.’ ‘To think that by supporting the fragmentation of Europe we would be advancing our interests would be sheer folly. It is lunacy,’ said US Ambassador Anthony Gardner at a final press conference.

“… Gardner called on German Chancellor Angela Merkel, along with other European leaders who have influence, to ensure Trump’s administration understands the EU stands together for the bloc’s cohesion and integrity.

“… German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday… called on EU member states to remain unified…”

The paradox is that a unified European bloc is not in the best interest of the United States, but neither the Obama nor the Trump administration understand the reason. Regardless, the European bloc will become unified in a much stronger way than ever before.

EU Opposed to US Move of Embassy to Jerusalem

The Associated Press reported on January 16:

“European Union foreign ministers on Monday opposed any plan by President-elect Donald Trump to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and warned that it could ratchet up tensions with the Arab world.

“‘It is very important for us all to refrain from unilateral actions, especially those that can have serious consequences in large sectors of public opinion in large parts of the world,’ EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told reporters after chairing their talks in Brussels… ‘We will for sure not move our delegation. That is in Tel Aviv,’ Mogherini said… Mogherini said that the EU would continue to respect the international consensus that embassies shouldn’t be based in Jerusalem…”

Nikki Haley, Nominated US Ambassador to the UN, Supports Move of US Embassy to Jerusalem

The Associated Press reported on January 18:

“South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley pledged her support for moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a shift firmly endorsed by Donald Trump but one that could trigger more violence in the Middle East. Haley, Trump’s pick to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday that she ‘absolutely’ backs the embassy move because that’s what Israel and congressional Republicans want…

“During the hearing, Haley assailed the Obama administration for failing to block a U.N. Security Council resolution that condemned Israel’s settlements in east Jerusalem and the West Bank. She pledged to reject future measures that she said unfairly targeted the Jewish state, if the Senate confirms her nomination. Haley said she won’t go to U.N. headquarters in New York and ‘abstain when the U.N. seeks to create an international environment that encourages boycotts of Israel.’ She told the committee the U.N. resolution was ‘a terrible mistake’ that makes a peace agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians harder to achieve.

“Haley also said the U.N. has a ‘long history of anti-Israel bias,’ and that during the most recent U.N. General Assembly session, the international body adopted 20 resolutions against Israel ‘and only six targeting the rest of the world’s countries combined.’”

Great Britain Breaks Ranks with Europe over Israel

JTA wrote on January 17:

“Two days after delegates from more than 70 nations attended the Paris summit on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it is clear that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was wrong to label the meeting ‘useless’… it was neither insignificant nor useless from Israel’s point of view. The summit saw Great Britain break ranks with the countries that did attend in a move that pleased Israel and perhaps the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.

“Instead of demonstrating international consensus as intended by France under President Francois Hollande, the summit turned into a showdown between France and the United Kingdom over Israel. In an unprecedented manner, the rift exposed disagreements within a brittle European Union that is bracing for potentially turbulent relations with the United States under Trump.

“The first sign of dissent happened before the summit even began, when the United Kingdom dispatched only junior diplomats. By contrast, Hollande attended, as did 36 foreign ministers, including the U.S. secretary of state, John Kerry. Then, the United Kingdom, along with Australia, declined to join 70 other nations in co-signing a relatively mild statement about preserving the two-state solution, even though it matched positions long supported by the British government – including in its rejection of ‘continued acts of violence and ongoing settlement activity’ and the call for ‘meaningful direct negotiations.’

“It was a stunning about-face that even caught longtime observers of Anglo-Israeli relations by surprise… The British ‘snub’ — as The Guardian termed it — of the Paris peace summit pleased Israeli diplomats…

“The British position was highly unexpected — especially in light of Britain’s leading role, as Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson described it, in drafting and passing on Dec. 23 a U.N. Security Council resolution critical of Israeli settlements. Using far harsher language than that of the summit declaration, the U.N. resolution condemned Israeli settlements as a ‘flagrant violation of international law.’

“Trump has called for the United Kingdom to veto any further action on Israel at the United Nations… Whereas Kerry avidly supported the summit, members of Trump’s transition team signaled their disapproval to French officials, according to The Guardian. The newspaper suggested that May ordered the Paris snub to align her policy with that of Trump…”

Neither Obama nor Trump Honorary Jewish Presidents

The Times of Israel wrote on January 17:

“Beginning with Barack Obama, and now Donald Trump, American presidents seem to so totally identify with aspects of Jewishness that their Jewish supporters regard them, only half ironically, as honorary Jews. That is precisely how Obama described himself in a 2015 speech to the Washington DC congregation, Adas Israel – ‘an honorary member of the tribe, not to mention somebody who’s hosted seven White House seders and been advised by two Jewish chiefs of staff.’ Obama reminded his appreciative audience that a member of their congregation, Jeffrey Goldberg, had once called him ‘the first Jewish president’ – an epithet, he said, that ‘flattered’ him.

“And now we have a new contender for the title. A recent op-ed on the Fox News website predicted that Donald Trump would so vigorously defend Jewish interests that he may well become ‘the first Jewish president.’ And while Obama can boast of two Jewish chiefs of staff, two of Trump’s closest political advisors are observant Jews who also happen to be his daughter and son-in-law.

“Trump’s Jewish opponents would of course be appalled by the notion that a man who for them embodies the antithesis of Jewish values could be regarded as an honorary member of the tribe. No less, Obama’s Jewish opponents have been galled by the honorary Jewishness bestowed on a man they regard as the greatest threat to Israel’s well-being to ever sit in the White House…

“Both Obama and Trump deeply identify with only one part of the Jewish community. And it is precisely that profound identification with ‘his’ Jews that leads each man to resent those Jews in the opposing camp for betraying authentic Jewish values and interests…

“Obama was in effect claiming the right to define Jewish values. Being pro-Palestinian, along with being pro-Israel, he insisted, was the most authentic expression of Judaism. For right-wing Jews, of course, other Jewish values – the historic Jewish claim to the land of Israel, the security needs of the Jewish state – supersede Palestinian claims…

“The intense identification of Obama and Trump with opposing Jewish camps is a dangerous blessing. Affection for the ‘good Jews’ can readily turn into contempt for the ‘bad Jews,’ who betray the particular aspect of Jewishness each man has embraced.

“That dynamic helps explain the depth of Obama’s antipathy toward Prime Minister Netanyahu… Obama, honorary member of the tribe, detests Netanyahu with the resentment of a liberal Jew…

“For many Jews, the primary threat comes from the far left, which seeks to isolate and demonize Israel. For other Jews, though, the threat comes from the far right, revitalized and legitimized by Trump’s rise. There is ample hypocrisy on both left and right… Like Obama, Trump will pursue his own agenda – sometimes overlapping with a Jewish agenda, and sometimes fatefully clashing.

“Obama’s legacy is a decimated Middle East, along with the unleashing of an imperial Iran that remains on the nuclear threshold. As for Trump, he has already created a legacy – a vulgarized politics, a society poisoned against itself. Candidate Trump declared war against precisely those pluralistic values that have allowed American Jewry to become the most successful Diaspora in Jewish history.

“Neither man is worthy of Jewish adulation…”

Even under the Trump presidency, the relationship between the USA and Israel WILL deteriorate.

Did the American CIA and the British MI6 Plan to Destroy Donald Trump?

The Daily Mail wrote on January 14:

“Over the years, many American presidents have found themselves at odds with their spy chiefs. John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton are three notorious examples. But there’s never been anything like the current open warfare between President-elect Donald Trump and the Central Intelligence Agency. Weeks of simmering hostility exploded into the open on Wednesday when he accused intelligence chiefs of licensing the publication of false claims about his allegedly depraved sexual practices. Trump is now engaged in a fight to the death with the CIA, the independent agency responsible for providing national security intelligence to the White House and senior U.S. policy-makers…

“Crucially, this isn’t just an issue that affects the United States — it is one of global importance whose outcome will affect all of us. Also, it is a high-stakes drama which directly involves Britain, and in particular our foreign intelligence service, MI6. We have learnt that Christopher Steele, a former MI6 officer who reportedly once headed the agency’s Russian desk at MI6 headquarters in Vauxhall Cross, South London, was the mastermind behind the dossier of lurid accusations about Trump’s activities in a Moscow hotel suite.

“Whether true or not, the material suggests that the Kremlin has other documentation which it could use to blackmail Trump. Meanwhile, the American tycoon-turned-politician is accused of being too friendly with Russian businessmen and Kremlin power-brokers. Either way, this is an unprecedented position for an American president to be in…

“British spy chiefs gave the green light to a scheme intended to destroy the man who would be President of the United States of America…

“MI6 is licensed by the British government to break the law and carry out illicit acts on the assumption that it always acts in the British national interest. This is allowed under the Intelligence Services Act 1994.  But why meddle mischievously with Washington? As always, it is overwhelmingly in Britain’s interest to develop and maintain excellent relations with the American government…

“MI6 has an exceptionally close and strong relationship with the CIA (an organisation which British intelligence officers helped to create in the immediate aftermath of World War II)… there is little question that the CIA has two massive concerns about Trump as president. First, it fears he is mentally unbalanced and therefore could pose a threat to American national security. Second, the CIA is appalled at his determination to seek a rapprochement with Vladimir Putin. For these two reasons, there are people inside the CIA who would love to see the unpredictable tycoon replaced by vice-president-elect Mike Pence, a man who they feel they can work with.

“Of course, it is well-known that the CIA has an infamous record of plotting coups d’etats against democratically elected governments in other countries — for example, in the early-Fifties when it helped the Iranian military overthrow premier Mohammad Mosaddeq and reinstate the Shah, and the ousting of Chile’s president Salvador Allende in 1973. The atmosphere is currently so feverish in Washington that there are well-informed people who now believe that the CIA is contemplating a version of the same thing in America itself. This would be a truly appalling — and stupid — course of action. It would be incredibly foolish for MI6 even to be seen to be part of it.

“… what if Donald Trump faces down the CIA? Then, he will never forgive or forget the fact that Britain played such a squalid role in trying to stop him getting to the White House. The damage to Britain’s standing in the world would be permanent, and Christopher Steele’s dossier of sexual depravity will go down as an MI6 catastrophe on the same scale as the agency’s fabricated dossier on Iraq’s supposed weapons of mass destruction…

“2016 was certainly a remarkable year. But the first days of 2017 have been yet more extraordinary… There is good reason today to feel more afraid than at any time since the Thirties.”

More Earthquakes in Italy

The Telegraph reported on January 18:

“Italy was hit by four earthquakes in four hours on Wednesday, bringing fear and foreboding to the same mountainous region that was struck by deadly tremors last year. The four quakes, which came in quick succession, caused buildings to collapse… They affected already badly-damaged towns and villages in the regions of Abruzzo, Lazio and Marche, where around 300 people lost their lives last August. The area is blanketed in heavy snow after unusually severe winter weather over the last week. Snowstorms made the job of emergency services even harder than usual, with vehicles struggling to reach remote areas to check on mountain villages and outlying farms.

“The quakes were so strong that they caused buildings in distant Rome to shake, with office workers rushing out onto the streets, schools ordered to close and the metro temporarily suspended. The first tremor happened at 10.25am local time, with the last felt shortly after 2.30pm. The magnitudes of the quakes varied between 5.3 and 5.7… The earthquakes compounded an already difficult situation.  The bad weather has left around 100,000 people without power, and there were warnings of possible avalanches.”

Deadly Avalanche Follows Four Earthquakes, Heavy Snowfall and Flooding in Italy

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 19:

“Italian rescue services fear many people have died after an avalanche plowed into a ski hotel in central Italy on Wednesday evening… The affected hotel Rigopiano is located in the mountain town of Farindola on the lower sections of the Gran Sasso mountain in Abruzzo, a region hit by several powerful earthquakes on Wednesday… on top of the avalanche, heavy snow and power outages across the region stretched human resources, making it difficult to respond to requests for assistance and isolating numerous towns and villages…

“This week, Abruzzo, which straddles the Apennine mountain range, witnessed snowfall of up to 4 meters (13.1 feet), four strong earthquakes and rains that have led to flooding in some areas. Local residents of impacted areas reported fuel and food shortages… The heavy snowfall in Abruzzo has blocked road access to the Rigopiano hotel, forcing ambulances to remain parked some 9 kilometers (5.5 miles) away… mountain rescue crews only reached the hotel around 4:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday morning after a 10-kilometer (6-mile) cross-country ski trek.

“The force of the avalanche moved the hotel some 10 meters (33 feet). Images from the Central Emergency and Rescue Department’s Twitter account showed the three-story hotel nearly entirely covered by snow. In police helicopter video footage, the hotel is also nearly impossible to distinguish from the snow-covered mountainside it sits on…

“It is not yet clear whether Wednesday’s earthquakes triggered the avalanche…”

Deutsche Welle wrote in a follow-up article:

“Hopes are dwindling over 24 hours after an avalanche struck a luxury mountain hotel in Italy, burying at least 30 people under tons of snow and debris. So far, rescue authorities say they have recovered just two bodies. Rescuers report no signs of life at [the hotel].”

Outrage in Germany About Speech by a Leading AfD Representative

AFP wrote on January 18:

“A leading member of German right-wing populist party AfD sparked an outcry Wednesday by criticising the Holocaust memorial in Berlin and calling for the country to stop atoning for its Nazi past. Bjoern Hoecke’s comments also exposed a damaging split in the anti-immigration party, just months before Germany heads to the polls.  ‘Up to now, our state of mind is still one of a totally defeated people… We Germans, our people, are the only people in the world who have planted a monument of shame in the heart of the capital,’ Hoecke told party faithful including youth members… ‘We need nothing less than a 180-degree shift in the politics of remembrance,’ he said in the remarks on Tuesday to chants of ‘Germany, Germany’.

“‘Instead of introducing younger generations to home-grown ‘internationally-acclaimed philosophers, musicians and ingenious inventors… German history has been made lousy and ridiculous,’ he complained, winning a standing ovation from the crowd. ‘There is no moral responsibility to make yourself disappear,’ said Hoecke, who was a high school sports and history teacher, adding that Germany should instead ‘build up a positive relationship with our history’.

“The comments were met with an instant uproar, with Social Democrat vice chief Ralf Stegner accusing Hoecke of making a ‘hate incitement speech’ — which is illegal in Germany — that called for history to be rewritten. Chairwoman of the Greens party Simone Peter said the comments were ‘unspeakable’ and demanded an apology from the AfD to Jews. Germany’s Central Council of Jews also lashed out, accusing the politician of trampling on six million Jewish Holocaust victims murdered by the Nazis. ‘The AfD has shown its real face with these anti-Semitic and extremely hostile words,’ said the council’s chairman Josef Schuster, adding that he ‘never thought that 70 years after the Holocaust, a politician in Germany could say such things’.

“… The case also exposed a rift within the party. AfD co-leader Frauke Petry told Young Freedom weekly that the episode showed that ‘Hoecke has become a burden on the party with his go-it-alone attitude and constant sniping’. But deputy chief Alexander Gauland defended the politician, telling national news agency DPA that Hoecke had ‘in no manner criticised the remembrance of the Holocaust’.

“In a post on Facebook on Wednesday, Hoecke also insisted that he had been misinterpreted and that he ‘described the Holocaust… as a shame for our people’.

“The AfD had started out as an anti-euro party, but has since morphed into an anti-immigration outfit railing against Chancellor Angela Merkel’s liberal refugee policy that brought some 890,000 refugees to Germany in 2015 alone. The party, which disputes the place of Islam in Germany, is polling nationwide at around 12 to 15 percent ahead of general elections. Hoecke, who is a regional deputy in the eastern state of Thuringia, is viewed as one of the most right-leaning leaders of the populist party. In December 2015, he sparked outrage when he said that the ‘reproductive behaviour of Africans’ could be a threat for Germany…”

Outrageous Anti-Semitic Decisions by German Courts in Wuppertal

The Washington Times wrote on January 13:

“A German regional court has ruled that three men who used Molotov cocktails in July 2014 to torch a synagogue were not influenced by anti-Semitism.

“A Wuppertal judge last Friday upheld a lower court’s 2015 ruling that German-Palestinians convicted of arson against the city’s synagogue did so merely to ‘criticize Israel’ and ‘bring attention to the Gaza conflict’… ‘What do Jews in Germany have to do with the Middle East conflict? Every bit as much as Christians, non-religious people or Muslims in Germany, namely, absolutely nothing,’ said Volker Beck, a leading Green Party MP, after the lower court’s initial ruling, JP reported. ‘The ignorance of the judiciary toward anti-Semitism is for many Jews in Germany especially alarming.’

“This [is] not the first time Wuppertal’s court system has made national news in a story linked to Islam. Its district court judges ruled last November that gangs of men who harangued citizens in 2014 while wearing ‘shariah police’ vests did not break any laws. A judge ruled that there was no ‘intimidating effect’ from the group’s behavior, which was headed by extremist preacher Sven Lau, Deutsche Welle reported Nov. 21, 2016.”

“Why Germany Just Legalized Medical Marijuana”

The Local wrote on January 19:

“The German parliament (Bundestag) passed a law on Thursday that officially makes marijuana legal for medicinal purposes. Patients suffering from serious illness, such as multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, serious appetite loss or nausea from chemotherapy, will now be able to receive prescriptions from their doctors for medical marijuana. ‘Seriously ill people must be treated in the best ways possible,’ said Health Minister Hermann Gröhe, who proposed the law.

“Up until now, only certain people with serious medical conditions could be granted permission to use the drug for self therapy, and the bar was set fairly high. Only around 1,000 people in the whole country currently have been given permission to use the drug. The new law will expand this and eventually allow cannabis products to be grown under state supervision. Private producers could also apply, but the requirements for approval would be very strict.

“When the law will be implemented in March, health insurance providers will have to cover the costs of cannabis used to treat, for example, pain or lack of appetite.

“But proponents of the law don’t all see it as opening up the way for recreational use. Federal Drug Commissioner Marlene Mortler of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU) said on Monday that in her view, increasing access by allowing for recreational use would also increase consumption of the drug – which she would not want. ‘Cannabis as a medicine is certainly not a miracle drug,’ Mortler said. ‘But everyone should have the right to have it paid for when it helps.’”

Female Shark Reproduces Without Males After Years Alone

New Scientist wrote on January 16:

“Leonie the zebra shark (Stegostoma fasciatum) met her male partner at an aquarium in Townsville, Australia, in 1999. They had more than two dozen offspring together before he was moved to another tank in 2012. From then on, Leonie did not have any male contact. But in early 2016, she had three baby sharks.

“Intrigued, Christine Dudgeon at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, and her colleagues began fishing for answers. One possibility was that Leonie had been storing sperm from her ex and using it to fertilise her eggs. But genetic testing showed that the babies only carried DNA from their mum, indicating they had been conceived via asexual reproduction.

“Some vertebrate species have the ability to reproduce asexually even though they normally reproduce sexually. These include certain sharks, turkeys, Komodo dragons, snakes and rays… There are very few reports of asexual reproduction occurring in females with previous sexual histories… An eagle ray and a boa constrictor, both in captivity, are the only other female animals that have been documented switching from sexual to asexual reproduction…

“In sharks, asexual reproduction can occur when a female’s egg is fertilised by an adjacent cell known as a polar body… This also contains the female’s genetic material, leading to ‘extreme inbreeding’…”

We won’t even dare trying to explain this.

In the first two installments of this series, we emphasized that the Church of God must remain to be the foundation and pillar of the Truth (1 Timothy 3:15); and that it has the responsibility to retain and preserve the Truth, in spite of tempting obstacles and the enticing spirit of compromise. We also discussed our belief in the infallibility of the Holy Scriptures; our doctrinal foundation; and our Church government; and we explained what the Bible means by stating that the Church is a spiritual organism. We emphasized that this fact does not exclude the necessity of physical organizations. In that context, we showed the importance of the Church’s correct biblical name.

Jesus Christ gave His Church an important commission, especially for these last days. When focusing on this commission and how it is being carried out, we find another identifying sign for God’s true Church. We describe this important task in our Statement of Beliefs, under “The Church’s Commission,” as follows:

“We believe that it is the Church’s commission to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God to all nations as a witness, to warn all nations, and especially the lost tribes of the house of Israel (mainly in the United States, Great Britain, certain Commonwealth nations and nations in Northwestern Europe) of impending danger, and to feed the flock of Christ – the Church – spiritually and physically.”

In this installment, we will focus on the Church’s commission to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God to all nations as a witness. In the next installment, we will address the remainder of the Church’s commission; i.e., to warn the nations and to feed the flock of Christ.

Rightly understood, very few can be identified as fulfilling the Church’s commission of preaching the gospel as a witness in the entire world. But we do read in the Bible about the responsibly of preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God in this end-time, and once God determines this commission as having been fulfilled, Christ will return. Matthew 24:14 tells us: “And THIS gospel OF THE KINGDOM will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.” Mark 13:10 confirms this: “And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.”

There is only one gospel (Galatians 1:6-9). It is identified in the Bible as the gospel OF THE KINGDOM OF God (Mark 1:14; Luke 4:43; 8:1; 9:2, 60; Acts 1:3; 8:12; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 30-31).

Christ spoke many parables about the Kingdom of God. He did this so that only those whose minds were opened to the truth—the few—could understand His message (Luke 8:9-10).

First, note that it is the gospel, which must be preached. The word gospel means “good news” or “glad tidings.” As Christ came to preach the gospel or good news of the Kingdom (Matthew 9:35), so did the early apostles (1 Corinthians 9:16), and so must His Church do today. The fact that the worldwide preaching of the gospel is a sign for the soon-coming return of Jesus Christ shows us that it was not preached to the world for almost 2,000 years, after the early apostles had died.

Second, note that the gospel includes, among other aspects, a message about Jesus Christ (Luke 24:44-46); about the grace of God (Acts 20:24); repentance and forgiveness of sins (Luke 24:47); the belief in and obedience to the gospel (Mark 1:15; Romans 10:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:8); our salvation (Ephesians 1:13), peace (Ephesians 6:15); the promise of eternal life (2 Timothy 1:10); rulership of Christ and the saints here on earth (Revelation 20:4, 6; Daniel 2:44; 7:21-22, 27); and a message about the Kingdom of God (Luke 9:11).

However, the gospel OF the Kingdom of God includes much more.

We read that it is the gospel OF Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 9:12) or Christ’s gospel (2 Corinthians 2:12). It is a message, which God the Father gave to Jesus Christ, the “Messenger” (Malachi 3:1), in order to proclaim it (compare also Revelation 1:1). But the gospel message was also Christ’s message, because it is called the gospel OF the Kingdom of God; and Christ is a member of the Kingdom of God.  God is a Kingdom or a ruling Family. The God Family is described in our Statement of Beliefs as follows, under “God is a Family”:

“We believe that God is a Kingdom or a Family, the Kingdom or Family of God (Ephesians 3:14-15); that God consists of the Father and the Son Jesus Christ, but with the potential of man to become part of God’s very Family (Ephesians 3:16-19); that God the Father created everything through Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:1-2).”

Both the Father and the Son have always existed as the God FAMILY. In addition, it is the potential of man to become part of the God Family; to enter the God Family as immortal God beings—born-again sons and daughters of God the Father and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, composed of spirit, as God and Christ are Spirit.

The gospel OF the Kingdom of God is a gospel originating with the Kingdom of God—the ruling God Family. It is the gospel OF God the Father (Romans 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:8-9); and OF Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Mark 1:1).

But it was also the gospel OF Paul (Romans 2:16; 16:25; 2 Timothy 2:8), and it is also “OUR” gospel (2 Corinthians 4:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:14). Here is why: If we have been baptized and received the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are spirit-begotten members of the Family and Kingdom of God. Then, we have received the great privilege and responsibility to preach the gospel or good news OF—emanating from—the Kingdom or Family of God; that is, of the Father, of the Son, and of us as begotten children of God. Once we have received the Holy Spirit, dwelling within us and leading us, then we have become part of the Kingdom of God, but only “in embryo.”

This gospel message includes our belief that Jesus Christ died for us as our personal Savior, and it includes the correct understanding as to who and what Christ was and is. We explain it in this way in our Statement of Beliefs, under “Belief in Jesus as the Messiah”:

“We believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the Christ, the divine Son of God the Father; that He was in the beginning with God the Father (John 1:1), that He became Man (John 1:14), born in the human flesh of the virgin Mary; that He lived a sinless life; that He was crucified and died for us, thereby paying the penalty for our sins; that He was buried and dead in the grave for three days and three nights; that He was resurrected and ascended into the Heavens, where He sits at the right hand of God the Father; that He is now the High Priest of true Christians, intervening for them before God the Father; that He will come back at the ‘end time’ to establish the Kingdom and Government of God here on earth, by sitting on the throne of David (presently in Great Britain), and to rule all nations (Luke 1:32-33; Daniel 7:14).”

A careful review of these statements should reveal remarkable differences to most of the other “Christian” denominations. We clearly believe that the Bible tells us:

God IS a Family of God beings, but the Holy Spirit is not God, a God being or a Person. This is another decisive difference between the Church of the Eternal God and its affiliated international organizations, and most other “Christian” denominations. We state the following in our Statement of Beliefs, under “The Holy Spirit of God”:

“We believe in the Holy Spirit which is the power of God, both of the Father and of the Son, given by God to a truly repentant person at the time of baptism; and that through this power, God the Father resurrected Christ from the dead and will likewise resurrect us from the dead (1 Corinthians 6:14; Romans 8:11). We believe that we are not true Christians, if the Holy Spirit of God does not dwell in us (Romans 8:9).”

This means that the Holy Spirit is NOT a person; and therefore, the wrong belief in God being a Trinity—“One Person in Three Persons”—must be rejected. Nor is it biblical to believe in only one God Being, consisting of three modes or “three hypostases” of this “one Being,” as God IS a Family, consisting of TWO God Beings, who are “one” or “unified” in purpose and mind; but with the goal of enlarging the God Family by adding many more members to it.

In this regard, we state in our Statement of Beliefs, under “Man’s Part in God’s Family”:

“We believe that it is the potential of man to become a born-again immortal and divine member of the God-Family; that God is in the process of reproducing Himself through man; and that those who have received God’s Holy Spirit are already the children of God, but they are not glorified yet (1 John 3:1-3; Romans 8:12-17). We believe that Jesus Christ, the ‘Logos’ or ‘the Word of God’ or ‘the Spokesman’ (John 1:1; 1 John 1:1-3; Revelation 19:13), the second divine member of the God Family, became Man, in order to overcome sin in the flesh and to die for us (Romans 8:3), so that man, accepting the sacrifice of Christ and letting Christ live His life in him, could become a divine member of the God Family as well.”

We are clearly told in God’s Word that we are to preach this gospel message of the Kingdom of God, and all that it entails, as a witness; this means, we are not to try to convert others to the truth, since we understand that God must call someone to the truth and that He must give the person the spiritual capability of understanding the truth. Accordingly, we say in our Statement of Beliefs, under “Proselytizing”:

“We do not believe in proselytizing. Therefore, we do not seek members by having people standing on street corners or going around neighborhoods knocking on doors. We carry out our various projects in an effort to freely give to all people regardless of their race, nationality, or religious affiliation. We believe in the godly way of helping others by providing the financial means by tithing and voluntary contributions.”

Rather than trying to proselytize or “convert” others, we are told to preach the gospel as a witness. The Greek word for “witness” is “marturion,” and means, literally, “witness” or “testimony.” This word is also used in Acts 4:33 where we read that “with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.”

This Greek word is also used in John 3:11 where Christ says to Nicodemus: “We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not believe Our witness.”

In addition, Christ says the following in John 5:36: “But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.”

A related Greek word is “martus,” which is also translated as “witness.” In Acts 1:8, Christ says to His apostles: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me [or: “My witnesses”] in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Peter confessed that he and the other apostles and disciples were witnesses of Christ’s murder and His resurrection (Acts 2:32; 5:32; 13:31); as well as Christ’s very life as a human being (Acts 10:39, 41).  In addition, Paul was commissioned to be Christ’s witness (Acts 22:14-15; 26:16).

Since the Church has the commission today to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God as a witness, it too must speak with power of the things, which it knows and has seen. Nobody has literally seen Jesus Christ today, but those who have God’s Spirit dwelling within them have “seen” and “experienced” and “tasted” the powers of the age to come and the “good word of God” (Hebrews 6:4-5), and they have “known and believed” God’s love for us (1 John 4:16). They are to testify of the entire gospel message of the Kingdom with conviction and zeal, fully believing everything what the Bible reveals about it (Acts 24:14; 2 Corinthians 4:13). Their message must be proclaimed with boldness and clarity so that others, whom God wants to call, may come to the faith and believe (2 Thessalonians 1:10).

We are also told that once the gospel has been preached as a witness in all the world, then the end of this present evil age will come and Christ will return. Today, the Church of God preaches the true gospel in all the world, mainly through the various means of the Internet and fulfilling requests for hard-copy material.

This does not mean that every single person on this planet must have heard the gospel message; we read in Isaiah 66:19 that some will not have heard about God’s fame prior to Christ’s return. Christ also tells His disciples that they will not have been able to reach all the cities of Israel prior to His return (Matthew 10:23). God will decide when the Church’s commission of preaching the gospel in all the world has been sufficiently accomplished so that He can send back His Son. The Greek word for “world” is “oikoumene” and can be described as the habitable earth or land.  Sometimes, the Bible uses this word and the term “all the world” or similar expressions in a generic sense; notice this in Luke 2:1; John 12:19; Acts 11:28; 17:6; 24:5 and Romans 10:18.

Some may think that Christ will not come back for a long time, because in accordance to their view, the gospel has not been preached yet in all the world. But their thoughts may not be God’s thoughts, and we are warned that Christ will return when we do not expect it (Matthew 24:42, 44).

The Church of God must be watchful and zealous in fulfilling its commission of preaching the gospel. It must be committed to doing the Work of God (James 1:25). It must not become complacent and detracted, losing the focus on the most important Work of preaching the gospel by perhaps replacing it with other pursuits; such as, trying to make this world a better place by voting in governmental elections; joining the military; or by performing  “missionary works” in Third World countries.

In the next installment, we will discuss the other aspects of God’s ongoing commission for His Church; namely, to announce and warn the Israelite nations and the entire world that the end is near; and that terrible times of punishment will come upon the Israelite nations and the entire world due to their sins and abominations, without a willingness to repent and change their evil ways. To be able to proclaim that part of the gospel message effectively, God’s Church MUST have the Spirit of prophecy. We will also address the responsibility and commission of God’s Church to feed Christ’s flock—spiritually and physically.

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A Tech Team meeting was conducted via SKYPE on Sunday morning, January 15, 2017. Eric Rank hosted a discussion focusing on our websites in both the English and German languages.

“Trump Declares War on Europe,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Through explosive interviews with European papers, Donald Trump caused furious, angry and concerned reactions from European politicians and the media. While his statements regarding NATO, Brexit, the migrant crisis, tariffs on foreign cars and other areas were not new, the realization that he meant what he said has prompted unprecedented European declarations of intent, which, when implemented, will lead to devastating results for the entire world.

“Trump Erklärt Europa den Krieg,” s the AufPostenStehen German language version of the program described above.

“Warum die Kirche des Ewigen Gottes? (Teil 3),” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon. Title in English: “Why the Church of the Eternal God? (Part 3).”

A new German member and co-worker letter was sent out last Friday via email. In addition, a special German letter was sent via email to our baptized German-speaking members in preparation for the Passover.

“A Fantasy Religion?,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Robb Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Godly religion isn’t a game! If we truly want to win that imperishable crown then we must be willing to sacrifice everything to obtain it.

“Why Keep the Law?,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

What are the reasons in the Bible for keeping the law of God today? When we choose the path of being obedient to God’s spiritual law and commandments, the difference that it makes in our lives is astounding!

The Church Conference for 2017 will be conducted in Escondido, California, with arrivals on March 23 and ending on March 28.