On December 24, 2016, Thilo Hanstein will present the sermonette titled, “Don’t Look Back,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “The True Christmas Story.”

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

We are beginning to see the results of America’s recent presidential election. For the short term, the impact is already one of global concern, and, undoubtedly, the future consequences will prove far, far greater than we now envision.

There are occurrences which at first seem of little importance but end up being world-changing—that is the perspective we can gain from history. However, we don’t have to live our lives in uncertainty as events both small and large come to pass.

On an individual basis, one of the most fundamental truths of the Bible is that each person’s actions will impact them—we will reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7). That puts the emphasis on the here and now—the present moment of our lives.

Jesus taught that we must, “‘seek FIRST the Kingdom of God and His righteousness…’” (Matthew 6:33). He adds focus to how we are to do this, stating, “‘Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble’” (Matthew 6:34).

Does this then mean that we should ignore future events? Quite the contrary! The focus of our lives is the coming Kingdom of God, but we must first attain godly character (Matthew 5:48). That involves conversion, overcoming and enduring—day-by-day throughout weeks, months and years.

No person in all of human history has had more impact than Jesus Christ! He did so through obedience to the Father (Hebrews 10:7)—seeking always to please Him (John 8:29). He lived each day of His life WITHOUT SIN (1 John 3:5). Jesus met His responsibilities by confronting whatever He faced and overcoming it (Revelation 3:21).

We can impact the future results of our calling from God by diligently fulfilling the job at hand, and that is to follow the example and lead of Jesus Christ—each and every day of our lives!

We begin citing news of the horrible terrorist attack in Germany and the assassination of Russia’s ambassador to Turkey; report new scientific evidence showing that Barack Obama’s long-form birth certificate was a forgery. The question is whether this will have any consequence whatsoever for those responsible; and whether they will be held accountable in any way. We continue with an interesting article showing that the American President is subject to conflict of interest laws; proving again how the mass media consistently misinforms the American people.

We address the position of the CIA and the new-found altered position of the FBI regarding the email hacking scandal, claiming (now) that Russia was behind it to help Donald Trump win the White House.

We speak on the rising tensions between China and the USA; Europe’s concerns and “responsibilities” in light of a Trump administration; developments in Germany and Italy; and the frosty relationship between the UK and continental Europe.

We also address interesting developments pertaining to Russia and Japan.

We conclude with new comments by Pope Francis regarding the Bible and Evolution, which must be strongly rejected.

Terror Strikes Germany!

nydailynews.com reported on December 21:

“Monday’s devastating terrorist attack at a Berlin Christmas Market was bleakly inevitable…

“Until last summer, Germany had been immune to the Islamist violence that has afflicted Madrid, London, Paris, Brussels and other European cities. But the rise of the Islamic State, the continued existence of which provides an alluring recruitment tool to disillusioned European Muslims, has sharply increased the threat of jihadist terrorism across the continent. Now, even Germany is under assault.

“The Christmas market attack — which killed 12 people and wounded dozens — bookends a tumultuous year in Germany. Last New Year’s Eve, as many as 2,000 migrant men sexually assaulted over 1,000 women just outside Cologne’s main train station. Police initially attempted to cover up the incident. Their motives — shielding Muslim immigrants from a xenophobic backlash — may have been benign, but the long-term effect has only redounded to the benefit of the far right.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 22:

“Klaus Bouillon of the state of Saarland who is currently spokesman for Germany’s 16 regional interior ministers said security was being tightened. ‘We will have more patrols, Officers will have machine guns,’ said Bouillon, referring to the more than 1,400 Christmas markets across Germany.

“Federal authorities searching for 24-year-old Anis Amri offered a reward for information leading to his capture and issued multilingual notices, including one in French.

“The public was warned that Amri could be armed. Police said ID papers identifying him as a Tunisian national were found in the cab of the truck used in Monday’s attack.”

Merkel and Police Under Fire

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 22:

“Both the Berlin police and Chancellor Merkel’s government faced heavy criticism on Thursday. The former for spending the first crucial hours after the attack focusing on a Pakistani suspect who turned out not to be involved in the attack, and the latter for its open-door refugee policy. The ire on behalf of the press and the public intensified as it became clear how much the intelligence services knew about Amri prior to the incident.

“According to Der Spiegel magazine, Amri had been under surveillance for associating with hate preachers online. He had offered to act as a suicide bomber on an Islamist website, and asked where he could obtain weapons. ‘He was even in deportation detention, but had to be released after a day,’ Stephan Mayer, the interior affairs spokesman for Germany’s conservative union in parliament, told RBB-Inforadio.

“Amri’s asylum application had been rejected in the summer and he was scheduled for deportation, but the procedure was postponed due to problems proving his Tunisian citizenship. Incidentally, his new Tunisian passport arrived in Germany on Wednesday. It was some of these asylum documents left behind in the truck used in the attack that turned the police onto Amri in the first place.”

The Telegraph added on December 21:

“Amri… had multiple identity documents with six different aliases under three nationalities, and a criminal record in Italy and Tunisia. He spent four years in an Italian prison before travelling to Germany after an expulsion order expired… It also emerged that the killer might have received hospital treatment for his injuries before slipping away.

“ The Polish lorry driver whose vehicle was hijacked sand used in the attack—claimed by the Islamic state of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) was being hailed a hero…  Mr Urban’s injuries suggested he may have been alive as the lorry ploughed into Christmas shoppers, having perhaps been assumed dead by the hijacker who had stabbed and beaten him.

“It gave rise to the theory that he grabbed the steering wheel, forcing the lorry off its intended course through the middle of the crowd and potentially saving countless lives. His life came to an end when he was shot in the head by the hijacker…

“British experts said the bungled police investigation highlighted fundamental flaws in Germany’s counter-terrorism strategy…

“The German investigation has also been hampered by the lack of available CCTV footage. State surveillance is a sensitive issue in Germany because of extensive snooping by the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany and by the Gestapo in the Nazi era. The result is that there are far less cameras in public places than in the UK. However, on Wednesday a bill was passed to allow more video surveillance in German society with greater weight given to ‘the protection of life, health and freedom’…”

These horrible mass murders by an insane fanatic pose a further threat to Angela Merkel’s political survival.

Russia’s Ambassador to Turkey Assassinated

Newsweek.com reported on December 21:

“Tragedy struck once again in Turkey on Monday, this time targeting the Russian ambassador Andrey Karlov at an art exhibit. His assassin was a Turkish police officer, who shot the ambassador multiple times as he was delivering a speech.

“Video footage suggests that the assassin had drawn no suspicion as he was waiting calmly behind the ambassador before the attack—this is supported by the revelation that he used his police badge to get past the security checkpoint at the entrance of the exhibit.

“The footage also shows the assassin saying a religious verse in Arabic: a pledge for jihad for Muhammed moments after the attack. He also said in Turkish: ‘Don’t forget Aleppo, don’t forget Syria. Until our towns are safe, you will not taste safety. Only death will take me away from here. Everyone who played a role in this cruelty will pay.’”

Barack Obama’s Long-Form Birth Certificate Determined to Be a Fake

WND wrote on December 15:

“A years-long forensics investigation into the computer image of the long-form Hawaiian birth certificate image that Barack Obama released during a White House news conference during his first term and presented to the American people as an official government document concluded it is ‘fake.’ The probe also confirms that those who were subjected to the derogatory ‘birther’ label from many media outlets and Democrats were right – at least regarding the document used to establish Obama’s eligibility to be president.

“The issue is that the U.S. Constitution requires the president to be a ‘natural-born citizen’ but does not define the term. Scholarly works cited by the Founders defined it as a citizen at birth, born in the country to two citizens of the country, or merely the offspring of two citizens of the country. The birth certificate Obama displayed on the White House website as ‘proof positive’ of his eligibility states he was born in Hawaii to an American mother and a Kenyan father… Now, what has been described as the only official law enforcement investigation ever done into the Obama birth certificate, ordered by Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona, has concluded it is ‘not authentic.’

“Jerome Corsi, Ph.D., WND senior staff writer and author of ‘Where’s the Birth Certificate?’ was credited by sheriff’s officials with contributing to the investigation. Corsi said Mike Zullo, head of the Cold Case Posse, and Sheriff Joe Arpaio ‘have done the United States a heroic service demonstrating by forensic analysis that the long form birth certificate produced in a White House news conference on April 27, 2011, as Barack Obama’s authentic birth certificate is a forgery… That President Obama’s birth certificate is fake, as proven now by a legitimate law enforcement examination raises serious questions that high crimes and misdemeanors have been committed at the highest level of government. The clear conclusion is that the Obama presidency may have been illegitimate, having violated Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution. Impeachment procedures may be required, even if those procedures are conducted after Obama leaves office.’

“The sheriff’s video said there were nine images on the Obama birth certificate that appear to be identical to, and copied from, another birth certificate issued in Hawaii just days after his birth. That certificate belongs to Johanna Ah’nee… Forlabs, an Italian company that specializes in extracting information from multimedia files, also produced the results [showing the birth certificate to be a forgery]. ‘We had two experts from two countries in separate disciplines of forensics that came to one conclusion: Barack Obama’s long form birth certificate it not authentic,’ the report said…

“The investigators also said they had developed credible evidence that Obama’s Selective Service card was a forgery, based on an examination of the postal date stamp on the document. Also, records of Immigration and Naturalization Service cards filled out by passengers arriving on international flights originating outside the United States in the month of August 1961, examined at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., were missing… for the week of President Obama’s birth…

“Zullo has noted that Reed Hayes, a document examiner who has served as expert witness for Seattle law firm Perkins Coie – the firm that flew an attorney to Honolulu to personally deliver two paper copies of the birth certificate to the White House – has concluded in a signed affidavit that the document posted on the White House website is ‘entirely fabricated.’

“… at the time Obama was born, only a short time after Hawaii was admitted as a state, there were a number of ways a Hawaiian birth certificate could have been obtained without the person having been born in Hawaii…

“Among the many records the Obama camp has refused to release are the marriage license of his father (Barack Sr.) and mother (Stanley Ann Dunham), name-change records (Barry Soetero to Barack Hussein Obama), adoption records, records of his and his mother’s repatriation as U.S. citizens from Indonesia, baptism records, Noelani Elementary School (Hawaii) records, Punahou School financial aid or school records, Occidental College financial aid records, Harvard Law School records, Columbia senior thesis, Columbia College records, record with Illinois State Bar Association, files from his terms as an Illinois state senator, his law client list, medical records and passport records.”

Newsmax added on December 15:

“Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio held a press conference on Thursday to release information he says proves that President Barack Obama’s long form birth certificate is a forgery. Arpaio said he received information in 2011 that indicated the certificate could have been forged, and he consulted forensic experts from around the world who agree it is not authentic. Arpaio and his team are not claiming that Obama was not born in Hawaii, but only that the long form birth certificate is not authentic. So-called ‘birthers’ have questioned Obama’s place-of-birth, saying he was born in Kenya, which they say disqualifies him to serve as president of the United States. Obama says he was born in Hawaii.

“… lead investigator Mike Zullo… showed video of Obama’s birth certificate alongside one of a person named Johanna Ah’Nee. Zullo said that the forensic experts found ‘nine points of forgery’ from which parts of Zullo’s birth certificate was copied to the one purporting to be Obama’s. Among them was a stamped date that had the exact same angle. By comparison, a set of twins born five minutes apart had birth certificates where the stamp did not align exactly… Zullo said the ‘safety paper’ used by Hawaii is easily obtained on eBay, but even at that, no original piece of paper has been seen by very many members of the press. Instead, the White House provided a .jpg image to the Associated Press, which distributed it to members. As for the stamp, one was obtained at Kinko’s for $25, ‘no questions asked.’ Arpaio… called on Congress to look into the matter.”

Mr. Trump did himself and the country a great disservice when he stated, without any explanation whatsoever for his 180-degree “turn-a-around” and “change” of mind, that Mr. Obama was born in Hawaii. Whether Congress would be willing to even look into this matter is a highly dubious question. It seems more likely that they would want to let sleeping dogs lie—being afraid of potentially horrible consequences for the country (and for an indifferent Congress which could be viewed as allegedly complicit in a potential cover-up), if Mr. Obama were to be found of not having been a legitimate president. We can be certain that America’s mainstream media—liberal AND conservative—will continue to speak of the horrible “LIE” of ignorant or malicious people (indiscriminately calling all of them “birthers”) to the effect that Mr. Obama was allegedly not born in Hawaii. But what IF it were to turn out one day that the mass media have perpetrated a propagandistic “LIE” in claiming, without evidence, that he WAS born in Hawaii? Many democratic and conservative politicians and the mass media are in panic about such an undesirable outcome.

Mass Media Wrong Again—President NOT Exempt from Conflict of Interest Laws

The Huffington Post wrote on December 15:

“When President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20, he will be banned from using nonpublic information for private profit under the 2012 STOCK Act, the Office of Government Ethics said in a letter clarifying the law’s interpretation.

“The letter from OGE Director Walter Shaub released Thursday night expanded on an earlier letter to Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) to make it clear Shaub’s official guidance is that the STOCK Act does apply to the president. ‘The STOCK Act bars the President, the Vice President, and all executive branch employees from: using nonpublic information for private profit; engaging in insider trading; or intentionally influencing an employment decision or practice of a private entity solely on the basis of partisan political affiliation,’ Shaub’s letter reads.

“The guidance further states the STOCK Act prohibits the president and vice president from participating in an initial public offering and participating in any action that could benefit or influence any person with whom they may be negotiating future employment or compensation after leaving office. This official guidance was necessary because OGE had not issued the guidance formally declaring how the law applied to the president and vice president…

“This law could cause significant problems for Trump, who appears ready to continue to hold a stake in his multibillion-dollar business enterprise. He has hinted that he will hand off control of the company to his two oldest sons, Donald Jr. and Eric Trump. If at any time he gives them profitable information that he has learned through his presidential duties and that has not been disclosed to the public, he would be committing a felony…”

It has been uniformly misrepresented by the uninformed mass media—both liberal and conservative—that there are NO laws prohibiting the President from engaging in actions, constituting a conflict of interest. As we have reported before in our Update, these interpretations are manifestly erroneous.

Another Turn-Around by FBI Director James Comey?

The Washington Post wrote on December 16:

“FBI Director James B. Comey and Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. are in agreement with a CIA assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election in part to help Donald Trump win the White House, officials disclosed Friday, as President Obama issued a public warning to Moscow that it could face retaliation. New revelations about Comey’s position could put to rest suggestions by some lawmakers that the CIA and the FBI weren’t on the same page on Russian President Vladi­mir Putin’s intentions. Russia has denied being behind the cyber-intrusions, which targeted the Democratic National Committee and the private emails of Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman, John Podesta. Trump, in turn, has repeatedly said he doubts the veracity of U.S. intelligence blaming Moscow for the hacks…

“The positions of Comey and Clapper were revealed in a message that CIA Director John Brennan sent to the agency’s workforce Friday. ‘Earlier this week, I met separately with FBI [Director] James Comey and DNI Jim Clapper, and there is strong consensus among us on the scope, nature, and intent of Russian interference in our presidential election,’ Brennan said, according to U.S. officials who have seen the message…”

As we reported previously (note Update #764), it had been James Comey’s position that there was no credible evidence that Russia influenced the outcome of the recent U.S. presidential election by hacking the Democratic National Committee and the emails of John Podesta, the chairman of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign; that James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence, agreed with this FBI assessment; and that it remained to be an open question whether the Russians did it and that it was just as likely that the hacking was done by people who had no direct connection to the Russian government.

Serious Test for U.S.-China Relations

Bloomberg and Newsmax wrote on December 17:

“U.S. President-elect Donald Trump slammed the Chinese navy’s capture of an American Navy underwater drone in international waters in the South China Sea, just hours after the country signaled it wants to resolve the issue smoothly. ‘China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters — rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented act,’ Trump wrote Saturday in a Twitter post. After much criticism, the Tweet has since been deleted and re-posted to reflect the correct spelling of the of the word ‘unprecedented.’ …

“A Chinese naval ship unlawfully seized the small unmanned vehicle Thursday while the USNS Bowditch, a U.S. Navy survey ship, was [to] pick up the drone in a routine operation 50 nautical miles northwest of Subic Bay in the Philippines, according to a Defense Department statement…

“While the motive remains unclear, the move threatened to exacerbate tensions between the U.S. and China at a time when policy in Washington is becoming uncertain. Trump has threatened higher tariffs on Chinese products and questioned the U.S.’s policy regarding Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory. The seizure was ‘one of the most brazen actions that the PLA Navy has taken against U.S. Navy for a very long time,’ said Ashley Townshend, research fellow at the U.S. studies center at the University of Sydney. ‘Against a background of rising tensions in the South China Sea and Trump’s increasingly hawkish comments on China policy, this incident will be a serious test for U.S.-China relations.’”

It will remain to be seen in what way these developments will result in a prophesied closer collaboration between Far Eastern nations, such as China and Russia. See our article below, titled, “Russia and Japan Getting Closer.”  

Europe’s Responsibilities in Light of the Trump Administration

The EUObserver wrote on December 16:

“In European capitals like Warsaw, Budapest, and Bratislava, Trump’s election is being openly welcomed. Others, including the heads of EU institutions, appreciate the possible risks but are unwilling to make any moves. ‘We need to wait until we know who his cabinet picks are and what he wants to do,’ a high-profile EU diplomat told me recently… acting on such an assumption is reckless, particularly given what we already know about the foreign policy outlook of the new administration.

“We know, for example, that Rex Tillerson, the new US secretary of state, is generally opposed to sanctions and is also a recipient of the Kremlin’s Order of Friendship. We know that the president-elect has a reserved attitude towards Nato and America’s duty to defend allies, should they come under attack. Neither is it a secret that Trump has peculiar ideas about trade and liberalisation and is unlikely to champion further trade liberalisation with the EU or other trading blocs around the world.

“… these snippets add up to a coherent view of the world in which America abandons much of its global responsibilities. It can no longer be expected to act as the world’s policeman, the leading voice in free-trade negotiations, nor a country that necessarily holds its friends and allies to high standards of democracy and rule of law… However, history shows that when global hegemons become derelict in their duties, turmoil ensues.

“After World War I… the United Kingdom was not in a position to be the world’s leading nation. It’s natural successor, the United States, was not willing to take on the responsibilities… When the economic crisis of 1929 hit, there was no government willing to step in and prevent the Western world from descending into protectionism and competitive devaluations. It was the near-collapse of international trade that made the Depression Great… democracies were unable to stop Mussolini and Hitler in Abyssinia, Spain, Austria, or the Sudetenland…

“Trump needs to understand that he will not be remembered fondly if he presides over the demise of Nato, another Great Depression, or a world war. European leaders need to reach out to him quickly… It should not be impossible to explain to the Trump family just how much the post-Cold War order depends on America’s leadership.

“More importantly, Europeans have to be prepared also to do things – to invest in their security, to step in where they know America will be absent, and to be prepared to lead by example.. After all, these are the right things to do even if Trump’s administration turns out to be perfectly benign. If it is not, however, being ready is what will stand between Europe and a geopolitical disaster of proportions unseen since 1945.”

Based on biblical prophecy and the signs of the time, it does not appear that there will be a “benign” relationship between Europe and “Trump’s administration”. Europe will undoubtedly realize this, and in order to prevent “a geopolitical disaster of proportions unseen since 1945,” they WILL work toward a strong unified European power bloc of ten nations or groups of nations—united economically by the euro and militarily by a common army. The Bible shows that ultimately, war will break out between this future European configuration and the USA.

Strong Dollar – Weak Euro

Deutsche Welle reported on December 16:

“After the Federal Reserve’s decision to raise rates, a lot of cash has made its way into the United States. That makes other currencies like the euro drop. Now even parity is on the horizon – meaning one euro buys one US-dollar.”

But this will only last so long, until the dollar drops and the euro rises again.  

CSU’s Seehofer: Cap on Migrants a Precondition for Next Government

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 15:

“Never before has Bavaria’s state premier spoken so bluntly about limiting the influx of migrants. Now, Merkel’s conservative ally has said a cap will be a prerequisite to forming a new government next year. ‘Without an annual threshold of 200,000 migrants allowed to enter Germany, the Christian Social Union (CSU) will refuse to be part of the next government,’ the Bavarian party’s head Horst Seehofer told news agency dpa on Wednesday.

“While German Chancellor Angela Merkel has so far refused to entertain the notion of such a cap, Seehofer sought Wednesday to enforce his position…”

The relationship between Angela Merkel’s CDU and Horst Seehofer’s CSU has been difficult for some time. If Mr. Seehofer carries out his threat, the CDU would not gain enough votes for Angela Merkel to become the next German Chancellor.

No Euro Crisis in Italy

AFP wrote on December 15:

“Italy’s banking problems can be solved and the EU will do everything to help, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said on Wednesday, dismissing fears of something akin to the euro crisis. New Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni has said his government was prepared to come to the aid of the country’s third largest bank, Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS), if private rescue efforts fail.

“The bank, seen as being in danger of failing if it is not recapitalized, needs to raise five billion euros ($5.29 billion) to avoid a state-subsidized rescue. ‘I do not think that we have to expect that the problems of the Italian banks have to be considered as unsolvable,’ Juncker said in an interview with the German public television ZDF.”

As we have been saying repeatedly, Italy will not exit the Eurozone or the EU.

Cold Shoulder for Theresa May

Daily Mail wrote on December 15:

“Theresa May’s Brexit challenge was laid bare for all to see today as European leaders gave her the cold shoulder at a key EU summit in Brussels. As the other 27 heads of state hugged and kissed ahead of the meeting, the British Prime Minister was left with no one to talk to… After 11 seconds of looking around…, she gave up and took her seat at the table. To many it symbolises the EU’s attitude towards Britain following the decision to leave the EU in June.  EU leaders even excluded Mrs May from their dinner tonight so they can discuss their Brexit plans in secret… Theresa May did find some friendly faces to talk to eventually, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel… and European Parliament President Martin Schulz…

“[Mrs. May said:] ‘As we are going to invoke Article 50 and trigger Brexit by the end of March next year, it is right the other leaders prepare for those negotiations as we have been preparing. We will be leaving the EU, we want that to be a smooth and orderly process as possible – it’s not just in our interests, it’s in the interests of Europe as well.’”

The Brexit will ultimately take place, and even though the German government (modern Assyria) is not too happy about this, they will not be able to “help” Britain (modern Ephraim) and to prevent the prophesied outcome. In fact, the relationship between the UK and continental Europe under German leadership will continue to deteriorate.

Russia and Japan Getting Closer

Deutsche Welle reported on December 16:

“Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Japan’s leader Shinzo Abe failed to reach a breakthrough on the Kuril Islands during Putin’s two-day visit. Officials from both sides, however, inked dozens of economic deals…

“The dispute started with the USSR claiming the four islands at the end of World War II, and has burdened bilateral ties ever since. Tokyo and Moscow have yet to sign a peace accord to formally end wartime hostilities…

“Speaking alongside Putin on Friday, Abe said overcoming the issue was a complex task, considering the deal ‘has not been concluded in more than 70 years.’ ‘I think we as the two leaders were able to show our sincere determination toward signing a peace treaty, although a difficult path lies ahead,’ he said. Putin concurred, but stressed that signing a peace deal should be a priority in the relations between the two neighboring countries….

“During the talks in Nagato and Tokyo, representatives of the two countries finalized nearly 70 deals on economic, cultural, science and sports cooperation. Among other initiatives, the Russian Direct Investment Fund and Japan Bank for International Cooperation agreed on creating a $1 billion… joint investment fund. Also, Novatek Chief Executive Leonid Mikhelson said his company had signed agreements with Japan’s Mitsui & Co, Mitsubishi Corp and Marubeni Corp for the liquefied natural gas plant in the Arctic.

“… Putin expressed concern about US missile defense systems in Japan, calling it an overreaction to the threat from North Korea…”

According to biblical prophecy, nations from the Far East will form an economic and military alliance which will be hostile towards Europe. This alliance will include China and Russia, and, in all likelihood, countries such as Japan and India.

The New False “Wisdom” of Pope Francis on Evolution

The Independent wrote on December 17:

“The theories of evolution and the Big Bang are real and God is not ‘a magician with a magic wand’, Pope Francis has declared… the Pope made comments which experts said put an end to the ‘pseudo theories’ of creationism and intelligent design that some argue were encouraged by his predecessor, Benedict XVI. Francis explained that both scientific theories were not incompatible with the existence of a creator – arguing instead that they ‘require it’.

“‘When we read about Creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is not so,’ Francis said… ‘Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve.’

“… Pope Francis’s comments were more in keeping with the progressive work of Pope Pius XII, who opened the door to the idea of evolution and actively welcomed the Big Bang theory. In 1996, John Paul II went further and suggested evolution was ‘more than a hypothesis’ and ‘effectively proven fact’.

“Yet more recently, Benedict XVI and his close advisors have apparently endorsed the idea that intelligent design underpins evolution – the idea that natural selection on its own is insufficient to explain the complexity of the world. In 2005, his close associate Cardinal Schoenborn wrote an article saying ‘evolution in the sense of common ancestry might be true, but evolution in the neo-Darwinian sense – an unguided, unplanned process – is not’”

These comments by controversial Pope Francis are the product of faulty human reasoning. Allegations that God cannot do everything are highly offensive. If you want to understand what the Bible says about the hypothesis of evolution, which has not been and cannot be proven, please read our free booklets, “The Theory of Evolution—a Fairy Tale for Adults?” and “Heavens and Earth… Before and After the First Man.”

The Bible talks about music quite a bit, showing its importance, as well as a couple of famous musicians who used music to praise God. Music can refer to lyrics, as well as instruments – the same types of instruments we use today, such as stringed instruments, harps, trumpets, horns, cymbals and percussion.  These instruments have been modified over time but the principle still applies.

Music goes all the way back to the Old Testament of the Bible. In Exodus 15:1-18, Moses and the children of Israel sang out to the Eternal, praising God during the crossing of the Red Sea and being led out of Egypt.  The prophetess Miriam, Aaron’s sister, “took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances” (verse 20).

David, a man after God’s own heart, was a musician.  When he was very young, his musical skill on the harp was admired by Saul who was at times troubled by a distressing spirit.  David played the harp, and the evil spirit left Saul.  We read in 1 Samuel 16:16, 23: “Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well… And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.”  This musical “performance” was very calm and soothing, as we can imagine.

David also played, sang and danced with joy to praise the Eternal.  One particular example is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 15:16, 28 when the Ark of God was brought to Jerusalem: “Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with resounding joy… Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the horn, with trumpets and with cymbals, making music with stringed instruments and harps.”  The music was loud and full of rejoicing and it pleased the Eternal.  Here, in 1 Samuel 16 and in 1 Chronicles 15, we see two different types of music – one of which was calm and soothing and the other as being loud and full of rejoicing, and in both cases, it pleased the Eternal.

David wrote many songs throughout his life and many of these psalms are attributed to his authorship, which we read about in the Book of Psalms.  These songs were accompanied by instruments, mostly stringed, that David himself played.   All these songs are praising the Eternal.  He was able to use his musical skills for himself and for others as many of the psalms he wrote we sing in hymns in worship services today, thereby also praising the Eternal and thanking Him.

Solomon followed in his father’s footsteps as a song-writer musician.  The Song of Solomon is one long song—a love song with metaphors and imagery.  This book is arranged like scenes in a drama with 3 main speakers.  According to some interpretations, we have the Shulamite, the bride who might also picture the Church; the king who would be Solomon; and the chorus, the daughters of Jerusalem.  There are other interpretations regarding the identity of the speakers and actors, but all agree that it is a love song. At the beginning, there is a summary that explains the meaning behind this song.

David loved music, and he expressed his appreciation to the Eternal with music, dance and instruments – all kinds of instruments, as it says in Psalms 150:1-6: “Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!” Also in Psalms 98:4-6: “Shout joyfully to the LORD , all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. Sing to the LORD with the harp, With the harp and the sound of a psalm, With trumpets and the sound of a horn; Shout joyfully before the LORD, the King.”

What about music today?  Since there are so many different genres of music, and since everyone has a particular taste, how can one determine between what is “good” and “bad” music?  Some like Rock music, some like classical music, some like operas, operettas and musicals, and there are others who like pop music, country, jazz, hip hop, techno, metal, and so on.  What about Christian music?  Are there any guidelines a Christian can follow or are there certain liberties that allow Christians to listen to what they like?  Is it wrong for a Christian to listen to different varieties of music?

First of all, we need to be mindful of what we are listening to, or what kind of music we might be performing.  Music with bad language and profanity or using God’s name in vain would not be acceptable; nor, when it comes to certain “worship” music with lyrics referring to things which are not correct from a biblical standpoint.  One should not attend a concert with religious music if the performance would be similar to, for example, a “Pentecostal worship service.”   We need to be careful. In the end, it is also about one’s personal conscience.  If we have doubts about the music we are listening to or which we might perform and feel it is inappropriate or offensive, then we should not listen to or perform it.  This also applies to parents who need to be aware of what their children are listening to or playing.  Again, we must be cautious that we don’t become too strict and pharisaical or liberal, but we must have a “balanced” approach.

When it comes to the type of music we might be listening to on the Sabbath, we need to focus on the godly principles when deciding what’s appropriate.  Ultimately, it is up to the individual to decide what kind of music helps him or her to keep the Sabbath in the right frame of mind, focusing on God, His beautiful creation and the restful nature of His holy Sabbath day. Some might disagree as to what type of music is appropriate for the Sabbath, but it is important that we don’t become too liberal or too strict, and we must not judge and condemn someone for the type of music which he or she may be listening to on the Sabbath, even though we would prefer listening to something else.

We need to be careful that we don’t become too judgmental on what others listen to or play, but at the same time, we need to be cognizant not to offend others with “our” music.  If someone prefers a certain type of music which is not necessarily “approved” by us, we should not try to impose our beliefs and our personal preference on them, and vice versa. As mentioned, the same principle applies to “Sabbath music” as well. Paul says, “But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.  So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way” (Romans 14:10, 12-13).

For example, if we are traveling in the car with someone whose taste in music is not necessarily our taste, we shouldn’t play “our” music as it would be considered offensive to him or her.  We would make it a stumbling block to them, which would be sin.  If they are disturbed over the music we listen to, we should not play it in their presence. If we perform music in a band, and we know that some don’t like the type of music we play, then we should not invite them to one of our concerts. “Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another” (Romans 14:19) and don’t “do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak”  (Romans 14:21).

When it comes to being too judgmental, if we look at the example where Paul had to deal with the Church at Corinth, we see that members were too quick to judge others, and they were not resolving things between themselves or bringing the matter to the Church ministry, but they were suing one another in court, getting into arguments over things which should have never been brought to a worldly judge. Paul was not happy about this and said in 1 Corinthians 6:1-6, “Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?  Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?  And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels?  How much more, things that pertain to this life?  If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge?  I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!”

At the same time, Paul was also very unhappy about the far too “liberal” approach in the Church at Corinth, and especially the local ministry, which allowed flagrant sins to go on without taking preventive action.

If a certain type of music causes someone to sin by violating one’s conscience, then it would be best not to listen to or perform it in that person’s presence.  And again, music with profanity or taking God’s name in vain should be avoided, and this also includes music with sexually explicit content or words inciting violence or glorifying war, which could even cause one to inflict spiritual or physical harm.

It is important to keep a right perspective and balance, and we must be careful not to offend others.  Everyone has particular tastes.  Music is fine with a balanced approach.

Lead writer: Michael Link

Our new German booklet, “Kennen Sie den Jesus der Bibel?” (German translation of, “Do You Know the Jesus of the Bible?”)  has been sent to our German printer.

“Die wahre Weihnachtsgeschichte ,” is the title of this coming Sabbath’s new German sermon. Title in English: “The True Christmas Story.”

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

In a world where conflict at every scale demands attention, it is a relief to find a source of enduring peace. How can we find peace in our lives to overcome our struggles?

“Your Eyes—Your Ears,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We have knowledge that separates us from other people. So much so that we are outcasts—aliens to the societies in which we live

On December 17, 2016, Eric Rank will present the sermonette, titled, “Find Peace,” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “Your Eyes—Your Ears.”

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.

An interesting phenomenon took place this year, that of democracy at work but not working for many of its adherents. The definition of democracy can be “a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.”

There have been times when a government didn’t get the result they wanted and so they brought out the propaganda machine and waited until they were confident of getting the desired result, or they did deals to make sure that their will prevailed.

In Denmark, a second referendum was held after voters rejected the Maastricht Treaty.  A deal was done giving the country an opt-out of the Euro and home and justice affairs, and the second referendum was successful.  In Ireland, a second referendum was held after the original referendum had rejected the Nice Treaty. Again, concessions were made and the second vote passed.  Ireland also had two votes on the Lisbon Treaty.

In a BBC article on June 28^th, it referred to the above examples and said: “In each case, the unanimous approval of EU members had been needed for treaty changes, so the whole process would have stalled if the referendums had not passed.”

The UK, as a whole, voted on being in or out of Europe in the vote on 23rd June 2016, and Brexit was the outcome with 48% voting to stay in and 52% to leave.   Some of the 48% didn’t like the verdict at all and there were street protests and marches.   Democracy hadn’t produced the verdict that they wanted – and expected!   Although it was a binding UK vote, some parts of the UK who voted to stay in the EU thought that they ought to be allowed to remain as before.  In a Daily Express article dated 28th November 2016, headed “This remorseless drive to overturn referendum result”, examples were given of famous British leaders who still hang on to some sort of hope that it was all a big mistake.  It’s amazing what the human mind will come up with in order to get democracy on their own terms.

Then we saw street protests across the USA after Donald Trump was elected as the new President in November 2016.   Democracy was again fine but only so long as the right result was reached and to many across the USA, this hadn’t happened.

Winston Churchill wryly observed: “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.”   So, what form of government is best – perhaps a benevolent dictator?   The definition is: “A benevolent dictatorship is a theoretical form of government in which an authoritarian leader exercises absolute political power over the state but does so for the benefit of the population as a whole.”   But who would be the dictator?   Human nature being what it is, no human being would, or could fit the bill, and so we get back to democracy as at present.

But there is a time coming when Jesus Christ will reign on earth as King of kings and Lord of lords, and He will rule with the best interests of everyone uppermost in his mind.   He will execute justice and usher in the Millennium (See Isaiah 11:1-5).   At that time, there will be some initial teething problems but as soon as earth’s inhabitants realise it is for the best for everyone alive, then resistance will cease and democracy will be forgotten, as the perfect form of government—true Theocracy—will be enjoyed for 1,000 years.

It shouldn’t be too long now!

We begin with Donald Trump’s fight with the CIA; his controversial nominations; his explosive plan to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem; his fight with China; and his comments on the Paris “climate change agreement”; and we continue with an alarming article about the possible economic downfall of the USA in the very near future.

We speak on the revival of Roman Catholicism in France; challenges of a new government in Italy; recent terror attacks in Turkey; and the conviction without punishment of Geert Wilders for “insulting” Moroccans.

We address the love of Italian school children for Hitler’s “Mein Kampf”; speak on outgoing European Parliament President Martin Schulz who could became a serious challenger to Chancellor Angela Merkel in the 2017 German election; and report on some interesting facts about Mr. Schulz.

We conclude with articles about the terrible situation in Aleppo, Syria; and the astonishing recognition of God as the Creator of the universe by a highly regarded scientist.

Donald Trump vs. the CIA

The Washington Post wrote on December 10:

“The simmering distrust between Donald Trump and U.S. intelligence agencies escalated into open antagonism Saturday after the president-elect mocked a CIA report that Russian operatives had intervened in the U.S. presidential election to help him win.  The growing tensions set up a potential showdown between Trump and the nation’s top intelligence officials during what some of those officials describe as the most complex threat environment in decades…

“Trump’s reaction will probably deepen an existing rift between Trump and the agencies and raised questions about how the government’s 16 spying agencies will function in his administration on matters such as counterterrorism and cyberwarfare… The tensions between Trump and spy agencies could escalate even further as dozens of analysts begin work on a project, ordered by President Obama, to deliver a comprehensive report on Russian intervention in the election before Trump’s inauguration in January…

“In a statement, Trump suggested that the CIA had discredited itself over faulty intelligence assessments about Iraq’s weapons stockpile more than a dozen years ago. ‘These are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction,’ he said.”

CIA and FBI Disagree

ABC wrote on December 12:

“In an unprecedented public display of acrimony, President-elect Donald Trump and the CIA are engaged in a war of words over the extent and details of Russian efforts to interfere with the American presidential election… Trump used his Twitter account this morning to continue his effort over the weekend to discredit the CIA and its reported conclusion that the Russians hacked into the Democratic Party computers in an effort to help elect Trump. Trump tweeted: ‘Can you imagine if the election results were the opposite and WE tried to play the Russia/CIA card. It would be called conspiracy theory!’…

“Responding to Trump’s comments over the weekend, an intelligence official said that ‘It is concerning that intelligence on Russian actions related to the U.S. election is being dismissed out of hand as false or politically partisan… The inclination to ignore such intelligence and impugn the integrity of U.S. intelligence officials is contrary to all that is sacred to national security professionals who work day and night to protect this country,’ the official said…

“Over the weekend, Reince Priebus, who is RNC chairman and has been selected to be White House chief of staff in the Trump administration, told ABC News’ This Week that the RNC’s systems were ‘absolutely not hacked.’ ‘We contacted the FBI months ago when the [hacking of the Democratic National Committee] issue came about. They reviewed all of our systems. We have hacking-detection systems in place, and the conclusion was then, as it was again two days ago when we went back to the FBI to ask them about this, that the RNC was not hacked,’ he said.”

Newsmax wrote on December 14:

“In telephone conversations with Donald Trump, FBI Director James Comey assured the president-elect there was no credible evidence that Russia influenced the outcome of the recent U.S. presidential election by hacking the Democratic National Committee and the emails of John Podesta, the chairman of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. What’s more, Comey told Trump that James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence, agreed with this FBI assessment…

“During their phone conversations, Comey informed Trump that the FBI had been alert for the past year to the danger that the Russians would try to cause mischief during the U.S. presidential election. However, whether the Russians did so remains an open question, Comey said, adding that it was just as likely that the hacking was done by people who had no direct connection to the Russian government…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 15:

“The government of the outgoing US President Barack Obama claimed on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was directly responsible for the hacker attacks during the US election  campaign.

“‘Nothing of such a bearing’ is done within the Russian government, without Putin knowing, said the Obama advisor Ben Rhodes on MSNBC television. Putin was ultimately responsible for the deeds of the Russian government.’

“The White House also said it was ‘fact’ that such actions helped Donald Trump’s campaign.”

This does not look like a “smooth transition” of the US Presidency, as previously claimed by President Obama.

Donald Trump’s Controversial Nomination of Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State

JTA wrote on December 13:

“President-elect Donald Trump nominated Rex Tillerson, the chairman and CEO of Exxon Mobil, who is close to the Russian leadership, as secretary of state. Trump in his statement Tuesday morning emphasized Tillerson’s executive skills…

“Tillerson faces a tough nomination fight [in the Senate] because of his associations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He led the expansion of Exxon’s joint drilling with Russia in recent years and has objected to sanctions imposed on Russia because of its invasion of Ukraine. Tillerson in 2012 was honored with the Russian Order of Friendship decoration.

“Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. told NPR on Tuesday that he was withholding judgment on Tillerson. Calling Putin a ‘thug’ [and a ‘murderer’] for his expansionism in Ukraine and his human rights abuses, McCain, who will be key to getting Tillerson confirmed, said in the interview, ‘Did he ever raise those issues with Mr. Putin? Is it strictly business?’

“Oil companies have in the past clashed with the pro-Israel lobby, in the 1970s over the Arab boycott of Israel and in the 1990s over the imposition of sanctions on Iran.”

BBC News added on December 13:

“Although he has no formal foreign policy experience, as Exxon chief Mr Tillerson oversees a company with 75,000 employees and business activities in more than 50 countries. He has warned of the ‘catastrophic’ impact of unchecked climate change, although his company has been accused of deliberately misleading the public about the role of fossil fuels in global warming.

“But it is his connections to Russia that have drawn most flak. He has forged multi-billion-dollar deals with Russia’s state oil company, Rosneft…

“As rumours of his nomination gathered pace in recent days… Marco Rubio… said being ‘a friend of Vladimir is not an attribute I am hoping for from’ the next secretary of state… Reacting to the nomination, Mr Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yury Ushakov, said all Russian officials and not just the president enjoyed ‘good, businesslike relations’ with Mr Tillerson…”

Tillerson’s Nomination “Deeply Disturbing” to Jews

JTA wrote on December 13:

“‘Exxon Mobil has not been a friend to Israel through the years,’ said Abraham Foxman, the national director emeritus of the Anti-Defamation League… ‘There was a time that being associated with oil made you automatically deemed hostile when it comes to Israel,’ said David Makovsky, the Ziegler distinguished fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy…

“Through his role at Exxon, Tillerson forged deep and friendly ties in the Arab world… ‘Tillerson’s nomination is deeply disturbing, as he is the leader of one of the world’s largest energy corporations — which has polluted the global environment, developed close relationships with dictators, and used its resources over 40 years to suppress climate science,’ said AJWS [American Jewish World Service] President Robert Bank.”

Mr. Trump’s nomination of Mr. Tillerson as Secretary of State, as well as his nomination of Andy Puzder, who runs the Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. fast-food chains as CEO of CKE Restaurants, to lead the Department of Labor, are indeed controversial picks. Other somewhat controversial picks include so far Betsy De Vos for Education; Ben Carson for Housing and Urban Development; Jeff Sessions for Attorney General; retired General “Mad Dog” Jeff Mattis for Defense; Michael Flynn as Security Advisor; former Texas Governor Rick Perry as Energy Secretary (see article below); and former Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Stephen Bannon as Chief Strategist.

Ex-Texas Governor Rick Perry Nominated as US Energy Secretary

Deutsche Welle reported on December 14:

“US President-elect Donald Trump has formally chosen Rick Perry [who recently performed in “Dancing with the Stars”] as his future secretary of energy. If the oil industry ally is confirmed to the post, it could have profound consequences for US environmental policy…

“As energy secretary, Perry would be in charge of policy decisions on boosting the US domestic supply of oil and on investments in oil exploration and technology. The Energy Department also plays a major regulatory [role] in the areas of nuclear power and natural gas, as well as maintaining and securing the country’s nuclear arsenal… Perry is expected to try to push through the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline project, which has provoked major protests in North Dakota, along with similar enterprises by the oil industry.

“He is currently board director at Energy Transfer Partners LP and also at Sunoco Logistics Partners LP, which together developed the Dakota Access Pipeline. The US Army Corps of Engineers decided last month to delay the pipeline to allow talks with the Standing Rock Sioux and other project opponents.”

At one time, Mr. Perry announced that if he were to become President, he would eliminate the Energy Department.

Moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem?

The Washington Post wrote on December 13:

“Every four years, presidential candidates routinely signal their support for moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Then, after they’re sworn into office, they balk when faced with the potential ramifications. Comments from Trump aides and the mayor of Jerusalem, though, suggest that Trump could be poised to discard yet another diplomatic axiom and relocate the embassy ‘fairly quickly’ after he enters the White House.

“That move would be highly political, effectively meaning that the United States was recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, which it has refused to do for decades out of concern about provoking Palestinians who want part of the city to become their own capital. ‘They are serious about this,’ Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said Tuesday after returning from a trip to the United States, where he met with transition aides whom he declined to identify. ‘I am optimistic that this will happen sooner rather than later.’

“The question of Jerusalem’s status is the most sensitive and complicated issue in the long-running conflict between ­Israelis and Palestinians. It is fraught with political, religious and nationalist implications that potentially could create an uproar throughout the Middle East and the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims.

“Trump will have an opportunity to decide the fate of the U.S. diplomatic mission on June 1, at the expiration of another six-month waiver President Obama signed to the Jerusalem Embassy Act passed by Congress in 1995 mandating that the embassy be moved by 1999.

“Jerusalem sits in the middle of the contested land, figuratively and literally. To avoid the appearance of favorites, the United States and every other country place their embassies in and around the commercial city of Tel Aviv and drive to Jerusalem to meet government officials…

“During the campaign, Trump repeatedly promised that if elected he would ‘100 percent’ move the embassy. About a week after the election, Jason Greenblatt, a real estate lawyer and Trump adviser, told Israel’s Army radio that Trump was ‘going to do it.’ That confidence was reinforced Monday when Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway said moving the embassy was a ‘very big priority’ for Trump.

“Meir Turgeman, the head of the Jerusalem building and planning committee in the Jerusalem City Council, said on Israeli radio this week that the transition team contacted Barkat asking for help finding an appropriate property. ‘The decision was already approved by Congress, and it is the right thing to do to recognize Jerusalem. It’s been the capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years,’ said Barkat, who is a friend of Trump son-in-law Jarad Kushner…

“The move would be unpopular among Arabs across the Middle East and make it even more difficult for Arab governments to acknowledge publicly that they have been developing under-the-table relations with Israel, said Yousef Munayyer, executive director of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights. ‘It would fan the flames of a region already on fire,’ he said…”

JTA wrote on December 15:

“President-elect Donald Trump is nominating a top Jewish surrogate, David Friedman, to be ambassador to Israel, with a statement saying Friedman will serve from Jerusalem and describing the city as ‘Israel’s eternal capital’.”

Such a transfer would indeed be very interesting in the light of biblical prophecy.

China Responds to Trump Policy

The National World wrote on December 12:

“An official Chinese newspaper called Donald Trump ‘as ignorant as a child’ on Monday after the president-elect again suggested that he was reconsidering how the US deals with Taiwan – one of the most sensitive issues in the relationship between Washington and Beijing. The Global Times, a Communist Party-controlled newspaper, was responding to Mr Trump’s comments in a television interview on Sunday that he would not feel ‘bound by a one-China policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade’.

“Beijing was already angered by Mr Trump’s December 2 call with Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen, the first time an American president or president-elect has publicly spoken to a Taiwanese leader in nearly four decades. China considers the self-governing island to be its territory and any reference to a separate Taiwanese head of state to be a grave insult. Hours after Mr Trump’s interview with Fox News Channel aired, the Global Times published a Chinese-language editorial headlined: ‘Trump, please listen clearly: “One China” cannot be traded.’…

“The Global Times, which is published by the Communist Party’s mouthpiece, the People’s Daily, often runs commentaries that target nationalistic sentiment with provocative language…”

“China Warns Trump: Taiwan Is ‘Not for Bargaining’”

Newsmax added on December 12:

“China warned Donald Trump against using the One-China policy regarding Taiwan as a bargaining chip in trade talks, a swift response that indicates Beijing is losing patience with the U.S. president-elect as he breaks with decades of diplomatic protocol… the official Xinhua News Agency warned that world peace hinges on close and friendly ties between the U.S. and China…”

Germany Won’t Change China Policy

ABC wrote on December 12:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel says that her country, Europe’s biggest economic power, won’t be changing its policy on China and Taiwan after President-elect Donald Trump raised questions about the future U.S. stance. Merkel was asked Monday whether she, like Trump, would be prepared to speak to Taiwan’s president and what Trump’s recent comments on China mean for Europe. She replied: ‘We continue to stand by the one-China policy and we will not change our position.’

“The one-China policy means recognizing Beijing as China’s capital and maintaining only unofficial relations with Taiwan. Trump said over the weekend he wouldn’t feel ‘bound by a one-China policy.’ Merkel has visited China regularly over 11 years as chancellor and cultivated economic ties, though she irked Beijing by receiving the Dalai Lama in 2007.”

As this article indicates, even a “minor” incident such as taking a phone call from Taiwan could lead to deteriorating relationships between the USA and Europe under German leadership.

Donald Trump on Paris Global Warming Agreement

Newsmax wrote on December 11:

“Trump said Sunday he was ‘studying’ whether the U.S. should stick with the global warming agreement struck in Paris a year ago, signed by more than 100 countries to reduce carbon emissions… ‘I don’t want that agreement to put us at a competitive disadvantage with other countries,’ he said.  ‘As you know, there are different times and different time limits on that agreement.  I don’t want that to give China or other countries signing agreements and advantage over us.’”

USA Economic Downfall Coming

Express wrote on December 12:

“An Economist has warned American citizens to prepare for a ‘once in a generation’ economic collapse, similar to the Great Depression of the 1930s. Harry Dent, an economics forecaster and writer, said the rise in investment since Donald Trump’s presidential election win was setting America up for a fall.

“He said he expected the country’s economy to grow sharply over the next few months before crashing in scenes not witnessed since the inter-war period. Mr Dent predicted: ‘I think this is going to be a stock market peak of a lifetime followed by a crash very similar to the early 1930s. This happens once in a lifetime. I think this is the last rally in this bull market. You can’t have stocks keep going up at this rate when earnings are going nowhere.’

“He said Mr Trump’s many election pledges, primarily creating millions of jobs in the country and kick-starting dying industrial towns, would prove to be his downfall. Once his promises go unfulfilled, Mr Dent explained, investors would panic, withdrawing their funds and creating a devastating economic collapse.

“The top finance expert also said economic instability in Europe, particularly Italy, could have a knock-on effect in America. He said: ‘I think the trigger is people seeing sometime early next year that Donald will not be able to do everything that he said, and the economy may be slowing by then. ‘The biggest trigger, kind of like the subprime crisis in 2008, is going to be Italy.  Italy is bankrupt. Its bonds are trading at lower rates than ours which is ridiculous.’

“Mr Dent concluded his warning by conceding his prediction could be way off target – but claimed he felt he had to warn the public of what may lie ahead.”

Certain words in the article, such as “fall”; “downfall”; “economic collapse”; and “what may lie ahead” are quite interesting in light of our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

The Revival of Roman Catholicism in France

MSN wrote on December 8:

“For many French voters, François Fillon is more than a leading contender for president in next year’s elections: He is viewed as a crusader in the throes of a holy war… represent[ing] an astonishing prospect: the political reawakening of Catholic France after decades of slumber.

“As right-wing and populist leaders across Europe — such as Viktor Orban in Hungary and Marine Le Pen in France — increasingly turn toward Christian values, Fillon has ignited a wave of nostalgia for a nation of traditional families and quaint village churches. It is a nation that he and many of his supporters say is under siege from the dual threats of multiculturalism and Islamist terrorism. As evidence, conservatives cite the slaying of an 85-year-old village priest in July by Islamic State-inspired militants, explaining it as an assault on the essence of France…

“When the fervent Roman Catholic responds to terrorist violence, he often does so in the lofty language of religious rapture. The war against the Islamic State, he wrote in his recent book, is ‘a battle of the end times,’ sounded with ‘trumpets of the apocalypse.’ In short, what he promises is a return to his nation’s roots. And in his eyes, those roots are fundamentally Catholic.

“Although France is renowned for strict prohibitions on religious displays in public spaces — notably on certain types of veils worn by many Muslim women — it is also a country of some 45,000 Catholic churches and one whose public holidays are almost exclusively Christian in origin [We understand, of course, that they are not speaking of true biblical Christianity and biblical “Holy Days,” but of “orthodox” or “traditional “ Christianity which has adopted many pagan holidays, rites and traditions, and which has rejected most of the biblical doctrines]…  Some insist that France would not exist without the Catholic Church: The nation’s oft-invoked creation myth begins, after all, with the baptism of Clovis I, who united the kingdom of the Franks in the 6th century…

“In provincial towns like Chartres — and in Fillon’s native northwest region — that ancient relationship is apparent everywhere. Anchored by a majestic medieval cathedral, Chartres is home to a relic said to be the tunic that the Virgin Mary wore at the birth of Jesus…

“Members of the clergy explain this increasing embrace of religion in the context of recent terrorist attacks, which they say have drawn many secular French Catholics back into churches for the first time in years…”

Challenges of the 64^th Italian Government in Past 70 Years

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 11:

“Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella has asked Paolo Gentiloni to form a new government as prime minister. Mattarella has rejected calls for immediate elections… President Mattarella said on Saturday he would act quickly to give the country a fully functioning government after holding 23 separate meetings with leaders of all parties over the past three days following the resignation of the previous caretaker prime minister, Matteo Renzi, who was defeated in a referendum on constitutional reforms last Sunday…

“Gentiloni is a 62-year-old former journalist and member of the Democratic Party (PD) which Renzi still leads. The new prime minister was one of the most trusted ministers and his appointment should allow Renzi to retain some influence on public affairs ahead of a possible candidacy in the 2018 elections…

“Italy has had 63 governments in the past 70 years…

“The challenges for the new prime minister are not just political… The country’s heavily indebted banking sector is also in need of substantial funds to recapitalize. The third-largest lender and the oldest surviving bank in the world, Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS,) may need state intervention to avoid collapse. The bank has been in business since 1472, but it failed European stress tests in July and needs to raise 5 billion euros ($5.2 billion) to cover losses… The European Central Bank (ECB) refused on Friday to allow more time for a private bailout meaning a state-funded salvage operation was more likely. Under EU rules, state funds can be injected into troubled banks only if private creditors accept losses. In the case of BMPS this could hit many small investors who hold the bank’s junior bonds.”

Terror Attacks in Turkey

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 11:

“Ankara has declared a day of mourning after a terror strike outside a soccer stadium on Saturday night in Istanbul killed 38 people and wounded 155. The target was police officers, according to the Interior Ministry… Turkey came to terms with its latest large-scale attack, this one targeting police officers, killing 30 of them together with seven civilians and one unidentified person. On Sunday, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu told reporters that 13 people had been arrested in connection with the ‘terrorist attack.’… ‘Nobody should doubt that with God’s will, we as a country and a nation will overcome terror, terrorist organizations … and the forces behind them,’ [President] Erdogan said in a statement.

“The Kurdish militant group TAK claimed responsibility for the blast, Reuters news agency reported on Sunday, citing a TAK member who said Turkish civilians were not the direct target of the bombings. Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus had told the private news channel CNN Turk that ‘arrows point to the PKK,’ the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party… The ‘Islamic State’ (IS) group has also been blamed for previous strikes, including one in June, when militants killed 45 people in a gun attack on Istanbul’s airport. Last week, the group threatened to target Ankara’s ‘security, military, economic and media establishment.’”

Subsequently, Mr. Erdogan began another crackdown on those who are not sympathizers and supporters of his policies, even though they are not in any way aligned with TAK, PKK or IS.

The Netherlands’ Geert Wilders Convicted for “Insulting” Moroccans

The EUObserver wrote on December 9:

“Dutch anti-EU politician Geert Wilders has been convicted by a Dutch court on Friday (9 December) for insulting a group and inciting discrimination, for remarks he made about Moroccans in 2014. The court said it was ‘legally and convincingly proven’ that Wilders had insulted Moroccans as a group when he rhetorically asked a crowd if there should be ‘fewer Moroccans’ in the country. However, the court did not impose a fine or jail sentence. Wilders was acquitted from the charge of inciting to hatred…

“Wilders’ defence lawyer announced he would appeal. Wilders was not present during the ruling. In a tweet, Wilders called the verdict ‘completely crazy’, said the judges ‘hated’ his political party and that ‘half the Netherlands’ had been convicted with him…

“Ahead of the verdict, Wilders had said the verdict ‘whether acquittal or conviction, will not change anything de facto’, and that he would continue to speak his mind. Several political analysts had pointed out, ahead of Friday’s ruling, that both outcomes would be a political win for Wilders.

“Having lost the case, he can now play the role of the victim who is being silenced by the establishment… Had he won the case, he would be able to prove he was right all along. In any case, Wilders is expected to do well in the upcoming national elections in the Netherlands, on 15 March 2017. His party has been leading in most polls for weeks and has consistently been doing well since the migration crisis broke out in September 2015…

“Earlier this year, he campaigned against an EU-Ukraine treaty, and correctly predicted… that ‘the chances are very big that a majority of the people will vote No in this referendum’… “

Following his “conviction,” Mr. Wilders’ popularity rose even more in the polls.

Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” One of the Favorite Books Among Italian Schoolchildren

Breitbart wrote on December 11:

“A survey by Italy’s Education Ministry showed that students at Italian high schools all over the country included Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s manifesto Mein Kampf in their list of their top ten favorite books. Alessandro Fusacchia from the Education Ministry said the choice was a ‘particularly nasty case,’ The Local reported. He added that the vote was not counted since students had been asked to pick from books by Italian authors that were published after 2000…

“Mein Kampf – translated as ‘My Struggle’ – details Hitler’s anti-Semitism and worldview that led him to perpetrate the murder of six million Jews in the Holocaust. In June, Italian rightwing newspaper Il Giornale faced an outcry after it distributed free copies of an annotated version of Mein Kampf. The paper, which is owned by Paolo Berlusconi, the brother of former premier Silvio Berlusconi, justified the move by saying, ‘know evil in order to reject it.’…

“A 70-year-old copyright on Mein Kampf held by the German state of Bavaria expired at the end of last year, prompting the publication of a 2,000-page, two-volume annotated version of Mein Kampf by Munich’s Institute for Contemporary History in order to ‘thoroughly deconstruct Hitler’s propaganda in a lasting manner.’”

Martin Schulz—New Threat to Angela Merkel?

The Local wrote on December 9:

“Outgoing European Parliament President Martin Schulz has gained tremendous ground in a new poll, emerging as a potential threat to Chancellor Angela Merkel in next year’s election. When Schulz announced last month that he would not seek a new term as EU Parliament President to return to German politics, he was immediately pegged by German media as being a potential candidate for Chancellor for the Social Democrats (SPD) to run against Merkel. And now a new poll shows that he may actually have a fighting chance, more so than the current SPD leader and Vice Chancellor, Sigmar Gabriel…

“When Merkel was pitted against Gabriel, she received 57 percent of the vote, while he received 19 percent… But when respondents had to choose between Merkel and Schulz, Merkel… received 43 percent of the hypothetical vote, while Schulz took in 36 percent… Whether Schulz will run rather than Gabriel is yet to be disclosed, and the party has said it will announce its decision in January. Schulz could also reportedly be a potential replacement for Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is expected to leave his post next year as he has been nominated as the country’s next president…

“After Merkel was officially selected by her party this week to be candidate for Chancellor once again… 59 percent of respondents said it was ‘good’ that she was running for a fourth term… And when asked how they felt about Merkel’s policies, 57 percent of respondents said they were happy or very happy… Schulz also received 57 percent approval…”

Meet Martin Schulz

We are told by Wikipedia that “Schulz (60) is married [he has been married for 30 years] and has two children… [After completing elementary school], Schulz attended the Heilig-Geist (Holy Spirit) grammar school, a private Roman Catholic school run by the Holy Ghost Fathers (or Spiritans) [without graduating; he did not advance twice to the next grade. At 24, he became an alcoholic and wanted to commit suicide, according to Der Stern, dated December 11. His brother, a doctor, helped him to overcome alcoholism… he stopped drinking immediately, from one day to the next. He also stopped smoking from one day to the next]…

“Schulz is widely considered an ardent EU supporter [Der Stern called him a “Super European”. He speaks fluently six languages: German, English, French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch.] … In 2016 Schulz stated that Donald Trump is a problem ‘for the whole world,’ and linked the Trump phenomenon to far-right populism in Europe. He called Trump an ‘irresponsible man’ who ‘boasts about not having a clue’… In 2015, amid the Ukrainian crisis, Schulz suspended a committee made up of Russian and EU lawmakers that meets several times a year to improve ties.

“When Russia barred entry to two European Union politicians who had planned to attend the funeral in 2015 of murdered opposition figure Boris Nemtsov, Schulz criticized the barring as ‘a high affront to EU–Russia relations and the work of democratic institutions’… On a visit in February 2014, Schulz gave a ‘generally pro-Israel’ speech to the Knesset, but he implied at one point, based on what he himself described as unverified data, that Israel was denying Palestinians a fair share of water resources in the occupied West Bank. This part of the speech sparked a walk-out by several lawmakers from the right-wing Jewish Home party, and drew a public rebuke from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu…

“On 24 November 2010 the British MEP Godfrey Bloom caused a row in the European Parliament when he interrupted a speech by Martin Schulz, heckling him with the Nazi propaganda slogan ‘Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer’ (‘one people, one empire, one leader’) and accusing him of being an ‘undemocratic fascist’… Schulz had criticised the role played by the United Kingdom, which was involved in the discussions despite not being a member of the eurozone, and said that some eurosceptics would take pleasure in the collapse of the European Union.”

Der Stern wrote that Schulz is driven by an “unrestrainable ambition.”

Pope on Syria: Accustomed to War and Destruction?

Zenit wrote on December 11:

“Pope Francis again reiterated his appeal for peace in Aleppo, turning once more to the plight of the Syrian city… The Pope has already made public appeals on behalf of Aleppo a handful of times. ‘Every day I am close, above all in prayer, to the people of Aleppo. We should not forget that Aleppo is a city. That there are people there: families, children, elderly, sick people,’ he said.

“The Pope lamented that ‘we have already grown accustomed to the war, to the destruction…’”

Gruesome Murders in Aleppo

The Telegraph wrote on December 14:

“The government’s operation to recapture the rebel-held eastern part of the city is in its final stages and reports of atrocities are coming in. The Syrian army is reportedly going from house to house and executing residents on the spot. At least 82 civilians, including women and children, were shot on Monday, according to a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Residents fear summary executions, forced disappearances, torture, and rape – a grim litany of war crimes. Meanwhile, the Syrian regime and the Russian government are ignoring calls for the safe passage of civilians from war-torn Aleppo, as more than 100,000 terrified people are still trapped inside the city.

“If this story sounds familiar, that is because we have heard it before. We have seen it on the killing fields of Cambodia, the ghost towns of Iraqi Kurdistan poisoned by chemical weapons, in the faces of machete-wielding Rwandans, the sieges of Sarajevo and Srebrenica, and the desert death camps of Darfur. ‘Never again,’ the world pledged in the wake of these atrocities. And yet the same horrors are now being inflicted on the people of Aleppo and we are reacting with much the same carelessness…

“Five years into the civil war, Syria has turned into the greatest humanitarian catastrophe of our time. All red lines have been crossed. One of the greatest failures of our political leadership has been to allow Syria and Russia to dominate the narrative around Aleppo. Everyone is now a terrorist. Every hospital bombed a secret weapons storage. Every use of chemical weapons a false flag operation by the rebels…

“Aleppo will become the ultimate symbol of anger and disillusion. It will drive more young men into the arms of Islamic State and other terrorist groups and it will bring more refugees to Europe’s shores…”

Highly Regarded Scientist Recognizes God as the Creator of the Universe

Express wrote on December 12:

“Michio Kaku, who is highly regarded in the scientific community thanks to his work in helping to popularise the String Theory, has developed a new theory which he says points to the existence of God or an intelligent designer for the universe. The American scientist, who is a professor in theoretical physics at the City College of New York, came to his conclusion by studying ‘primitive semi – radius tachyons’.

“These tachyons are theoretical particles that have the ability to ‘unstick’ matter in the universe or vacuum space between particles, essentially leaving everything free from the influence of the universe. This led Mr Kaku to the conclusion that the universe was created through design, and not random chaos…

“He said of his research: ‘I have concluded that we are in a world made by rules created by an intelligence. Believe me, everything that we call chance today won’t make sense anymore. To me it is clear that we exist in a plan which is governed by rules that were created, shaped by a universal intelligence and not by chance.’

“With all of the calculations that would need to go into creating a successful universe, Mr Kaku says… [that] ‘the mind of God, we believe, is cosmic music, the music of strings resonating through 11-dimensional hyperspace.’”

This is a refreshing position of light in a foolish world of evolutionary darkness. Most scientists do not believe in God and attempt to “explain” a creation without a Creator; even suggesting that the universe “created” itself. To give you much biblical information on the truth and to expose the lies of so-called “scientific knowledge,” please read our free booklets, “The Theory of Evolution—a Fairy Tale for Adults?” and “Heavens and Earth… Before and After the First Man!”

The Bible records a peculiar fact about the history of Christ’s ministry. In John 4:1-2 we read, “Therefore… the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples).” Knowing the importance of the doctrine of baptism in Christianity, it is interesting to see that Jesus did not baptize personally. What does the Bible say about this recorded fact? Is it a contradiction when the Bible says that Jesus “baptized more disciples than John” while also stating that “Jesus Himself did not baptize”?

To begin with, it is important to note that baptisms have taken different forms and serve different purposes. We find that when Israel “…passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea” (1 Corinthians 10:1-2). John the Baptist performed baptisms of repentance for the remission of sins that prepared the way for Jesus’ ministry (compare Luke 3:3-5). The baptism of Jesus serves yet an additional purpose, being a baptism with, and of, the Holy Spirit.

John the Baptist understood the distinction between the baptism by water for repentance and the baptism by water with the Holy Spirit, as recorded in Matthew 3:11. John the Baptist is quoted, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

At the same time, we must realize that John’s baptism for repentance was an integral part of the baptism with the Holy Spirit. One cannot receive the Holy Spirit without being properly baptized in water, and that baptism includes repentance. Jesus insisted to be baptized by John, even though He did not have anything to repent of, as He never sinned, but He wanted to give us an example, to fulfill all righteousness, showing that we must be baptized today in water for repentance. At the same time, John’s baptism for repentance was not enough. In Acts 19:1-5, Paul baptized disciples who had been baptized by John for repentance, but they had not known anything about the Holy Spirit. He explained that they had to believe in Jesus and that they had to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, to receive the Holy Spirit.

From this we see that the type of baptism by water that Jesus would fulfill is different than the baptism by water for repentance performed by John. This distinction is further elaborated in John 1:32-33 when John the Baptist describes his experience baptizing Jesus Christ, “And John bore witness, saying, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”’” We can clearly see that John’s work was to perform baptism by water for repentance, and Jesus’ primary responsibility involved performing baptisms by water, not just for repentance, but also, for granting the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Part of the answer to the question of why Jesus didn’t personally perform the physical act of baptism involves the fact that He made the decision to delegate the physical task to His apostles. This shows that the baptisms of His apostles WERE in fact done pursuant to Christ’s responsibility and instruction, and this is the reason why we read on several occasions that Christ baptized (John 3:22 and 3:26). Even though He did not baptize personally, baptisms through His apostles were viewed by God as baptisms through Christ. The same is true today. When God’s ministers baptize in the name of Jesus Christ, then God and Christ view this as if the baptism had been done by God the Father and Jesus Christ themselves. We also need to stress that today, ONLY ordained ministers should baptize. It is true that at the time of Christ, He used His apostles (who were not converted, as they had not received the gift of the Holy Spirit] to baptize in preparation for the gift of the Holy Spirit at the time of Pentecost. But the apostles were in quite a different category as we are today. For instance, God gave them also power to cast out demons (something which unordained members should NEVER attempt to do). But once the New Testament church was founded, the Bible is very clear that the Holy Spirit would only be given after water baptism and the laying on of hands by ordained ministers of God.

This is an example of a division of labor in the work of the ministry. The Bible makes it clear that the distribution of ministerial responsibilities is an important part of the composition of the Church of God. We read, “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function” (Romans 12:4). In addition, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers” (Ephesians 4:11). From these Scriptures, we can conclude that there are divisions of responsibilities, and that the primary focus of one’s ministry may not be the same as another’s. As evidence of this, we can see that Paul’s primary responsibility in Corinth was not to baptize, but to preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 1:17). At the same time, this did not preclude Paul from baptizing. We have already seen that he baptized disciples who had not known of the Holy Spirit, and Paul had just recounted in 1 Corinthians 1:14-16 whom he had baptized in the church at Corinth.

When we read about Paul’s experiences, we find another potential reason that Jesus chose not to perform physical baptism by water. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul expresses his frustration about the contention and the fissures in unity that occurred in the Church because of allegiance to the men in leadership positions. Paul writes, “Now I say this, that each of you says, ‘I am of Paul,’ or ‘I am of Apollos,’ or ‘I am of Cephas,’ or ‘I am of Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name” (1 Corinthians 1:12-15). Paul acknowledges that the sinful divisions within the Corinthian Church might have been worse if he had performed more baptisms. The divisive behavior of the Church at Corinth is an indicator to Paul that a baptism performed by him in Corinth would have become a problem. He conjectures that if more people in Corinth had been baptized by him, it could have caused people to falsely inflate its legitimacy. Paul thanks God that he didn’t baptize more people in Corinth because the divisions among men there could have been worse.

Jesus Christ may have had the same perception that Paul had about how a baptism performed by Him would be used as a status symbol. One potential explanation for Jesus not generally performing the physical act of baptism by water is that He didn’t want the event to become a stumbling block for those being baptized. Knowing that a baptism by Jesus Himself would have been a very special event, it could have overshadowed the true meaning of a baptism of repentance with water for the remission of sins and the subsequent receipt of the Holy Spirit. Jesus knew that the act of repentance, and the commitment made during baptism, was critical, and He certainly would not want to do anything to shift the focus away from that.

We do not know exactly what the apostles said and did when they baptized before Christ’s death. We would conclude that they had knowledge of the Holy Spirit, and that they would have included this aspect, together with repentance, in their baptisms. We also know that the apostles had been baptized when Christ washed their feet in John 13. He said to Peter that the one who is “bathed” (literally, “baptized”) needs only to wash his feet to be clean (John 13:10). We would assume that they had been baptized by John the Baptist, as Christ was, but we cannot totally rule out that Christ had baptized them as well, even though He did not baptize the multitudes of disciples.

Jesus Christ’s role in baptism has always been a vitally important one. We learn from the Bible that He was involved in and ordered baptisms by water, but that He did not physically perform them. Personally performing baptisms (with the possible exception of His apostles and other selected disciples) was not a required job for Him during His life on earth. This responsibility was delegated to His apostles, and continues to be a responsibility of His ministry today. Because He chose not to perform physical baptisms, He prevented people from treating a baptism by Him as a status symbol. The most important role Jesus plays in water baptism involves the bestowal of the Holy Spirit, which continues to be His responsibility today.

Lead Writers: Eric Rank, Norbert Link and Dave Harris

A new German booklet, titled, “Kennen Sie den Jesus der Bibel?” (German translation of, “Do You Know the Jesus of the Bible?”), has been sent to Shelly Bruno for graphics finalization.

A new publication, “Fall and Rise of the Jewish People,” has been written and entered the review process. We anticipate printing this booklet very early next year.

“Coming—USA Without Internet?”, is the title of a new StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Is it possible that the USA will experience a total shutdown of the Internet and the destruction of its satellites in space? Before we dismiss this idea as farfetched, we should focus on most recent national and international developments and dangers from without and within our country.

“Was sagt uns Gott über die Arbeit?, Teil 2,” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon. Title in English:  “What does God tell us about Work?, Part 2.”

“Yes or No,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Life seems to come down to our ability to make choices.  There are a lot of grey areas or maybe’s in life.  But the fact is that our lives come down to being able to say yes or no.  What is that we will choose in our lives as we learn to use God’s wisdom and knowledge?

“The Fools and the Foolish,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

There are 3 aspects the Bible talks about when it comes to the words “fool”, “foolish”, or “foolishness”. How does the Bible describe a fool and what does the Bible say about foolishness? What does it mean when the Bible talks about the foolish things of the world?

On December 10, 2016, Kalon Mitchell will present the sermonette, titled, “Yes or No,” and Michael Link will present the sermon, titled, “The Fools and the Foolish.”

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.

Persistence tends to pay off. By continuing to work tirelessly on a goal, great or small, progress will be made towards its successful outcome. Even if the progress is incremental, it still counts. I like to say, “If you push hard enough in the same direction, you eventually move that way.” The Bible establishes the same principle, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5). Careers have been reinvented, addictions have been beaten, fortunes have been made, and most importantly, sins have been overcome by applying persistence. In the most challenging of circumstances, it is encouraging to know that when we continue to apply our efforts on a focused goal, we have some direct influence on obtaining the outcome we seek.

So then, if we set goals – great or small – and if we can influence progress towards the successful outcome with a persistent effort, it is clearly important to start by setting the right goals! We cannot be tricked into seeking goals that might seem virtuous and good, but are actually void of true value. These kinds of goals are fools’ gold. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6:21 that “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” This offers us a good starting point to test the goals that we have in our lives. Is the fulfillment of our goals measured by worldly means or spiritual? While there is nothing inherently wrong with seeking personal achievement in the world, these goals must not overshadow our spiritual achievements. As 1 John 2:15-17 proclaims, seeking worldly goals is temporary and if we have love for these accomplishments, we are misdirected. We need to love the goals that have an eternal and holy result. These are the kinds of goals that are worth our time.

We don’t have to look very far to find an example of a specific goal that fits this profile. Matthew 6:33 clearly and succinctly instructs us, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness….” It is an oft-cited Scripture because it is central to the life of a Christian. Yet, it can be challenging to comprehend the practical meaning. Certainly, the act of seeking the Kingdom of God involves more than paying lip service, and therefore requires that we put some real work behind it. Is the time and effort that we spend in our lives bringing us closer to inheriting the Kingdom of God? It is our job to find ways to respond to this question with an affirmative answer.

The best way to begin making progress towards seeking the Kingdom of God, and to continue once we have started, is to actively work on overcoming sin (compare Colossians 3:1-7). Doing this involves building our understanding of obedience, thereby continuing to learn and grow in righteousness. And, once we deepen our understanding of obedience, we are obliged to change our behavior accordingly. In addition, participating in the Work of God is important as well. Towards the end of Paul’s ministry when he was under house-arrest, he acknowledges and thanks several individuals by name, calling them “fellow workers for the kingdom of God” (Colossians 4:11). These individuals assisted Paul in his work, ministering to Christians in far-reaching corners of the world. In order to actively seek the Kingdom of God, we need to work on overcoming our sins, but also commit ourselves to the Work of the Church of God, whose commission is to preach the gospel to the world as a witness.

Our life’s work will find a successful outcome if we actively put a genuine effort behind targeted goals. However, we must choose our goals very carefully. If we choose a worldly goal, we may very well achieve it, but fail to find eternal life. By setting our sights on things above with a spiritual outcome and actively working at it, our success will be eternal.

In this issue, we are reporting on the presidential election in Austria and the referendum in Italy. Both outcomes have been deeply misunderstood and misinterpreted by the media. While the defeat of Norbert Hofer in Austria has been – wrongly – celebrated as a vote against “right-wing populism” and as a victory for the “establishment,” the defeat of Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has been – wrongly – portrayed as a victory of populist voices against the establishment and – even worse – a vote by the Italian people against the euro and the EU. Nothing could be further from the truth, as many articles in this issue will explain. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Why Italy Will NOT Leave the EU!” 

We continue to focus on developments in and pertaining to Germany and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. We speak on the West’s condemnation of Russia, China and Syria; and we address Time’s choice of Mr. Trump as the “person of the year”—which is by no means the magazine’s endorsement of Mr. Trump, but rather the opposite. We also speak on Mr. Trump’s “twitter fight” with China and his meeting with Al Gore regarding “climate matters.”

We conclude with an essay asking the pertinent question whether under the law, an American President could shut down the U.S. Internet.

Austria’s Norbert Hofer Lost… for Now

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 4:

“… independent candidate Alexander Van der Bellen has been elected as Austrian president after winning 53.6 percent of the vote. Right-wing candidate Norbert Hofer conceded defeat after garnering 46.6 percent of the electorate, confirming that he would not challenge the result… Hofer said he was ‘infinitely upset.’ ‘I would have liked to take care of our Austria,’ he wrote.

“Van der Bellen’s victory on Sunday will come as a huge blow to Europe’s right-wing populist movements which were anticipating a boost ahead of next year’s elections in France, Germany and the Netherlands. Austrian Chancellor and Social Democrat Christian Kern congratulated Van der Bellen shortly after the exit poll was announced… In neighboring Germany, Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel also congratulated Van der Bellen, saying that a ‘huge weight had been lifted off of Europe… the result of the Austrian election will be a clear victory of reason against right-wing populism,’ the Social Democrat (SPD) told German newspaper ‘Bild.’

“Van der Bellen had the backing of Austria’s Green Party, but ran as an independent in Sunday’s election. A pro-European liberal, the 72-year-old aspires to a fence-free ‘United States of Europe’…”

Norbert Hofer Will Fight Again

Breitbart wrote on December 4:

“While Freedom Party candidate Mr. Hofer has conceded defeat, he has vowed to run again… he said he didn’t anticipate the Austrian government surviving long and would stand for president again.

“While the failure to gain the largely ceremonial presidency is a setback for the Freedom party, things are looking good for the coming general election in 2018 [for Austria’s chancellorship]. Their poll ratings have been steadily climbing for years and they now stand ten points clear of their next nearest rivals the left-wing mainstream SPO, and 20 points clear of the Greens.”

Austria One of the Most Politically Influential States in the EU

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 5:

“Norbert Hofer may have lost the presidential election to Alexander van der Bellen, but his Freedom Party has its sights set firmly on the chancellorship. Norbert Hofer, the presidential candidate of the right-wing populist Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), only lost because he wasn’t able to mobilize all his supporters… Nonetheless, the FPÖ remains at 35 percent in the opinion polls, making it by far the strongest political force in Vienna. This is why even the Social Democrat (SPÖ) chancellor, Christian Kern, recently opened up to the shady right-wingers. He met the chief populist and FPÖ chairman Heinz-Christian Strache for a conversation that was broadcast live on radio.

“Politically, Vienna’s Grand Coalition of SPÖ and the conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) is deeply divided, and is pretty much on its last legs… Germany is its most important foreign trade partner by far, and numerous German companies manufacture in Austria… Despite its small size, Austria, with its 8.5 million inhabitants, is one of the most politically influential states in the EU…

“The FPÖ… is making its promises of salvation more confidently than it has done in a very long time…”

Meet the New Austrian President

The Local wrote on December 4:

“Van der Bellen vowed not to swear in FPO chairman Heinz-Christian Strache as chancellor if the poll-leading party wins the next general election scheduled for 2018. The remark, which Van der Bellen later rowed back on, prompted Hofer to call him a ‘green dictator’.
“Critics have also accused Van der Bellen of being a ‘turncoat’ because he was a member of the Social Democrats before joining the Greens in the early 1990s and eventually becoming their president…

“An outspoken supporter of gay marriage, the divorced and recently remarried father-of-two has received strong backing from celebrities, artists and the country’s top politicians… Van der Bellen will be Austria’s second-oldest head of state at the time of his election. His age, combined with a heavy smoking habit, have repeatedly raised questions about his health.

“In late August, Van der Bellen was forced to dispel cancer rumours by releasing his medical records proving he had ‘wonderful lungs’. He insisted he had no intention of giving up smoking. ‘I once quit for four months… but why should I torture myself at my age!’ he said.”

Italian Prime Minister Resigns

The Washington Post wrote on December 4:

“Europe’s embattled political establishment lost another round Sunday in its effort to thwart the anti-elite movement, as Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi resigned following a voter rejection of his constitutional reforms.  [Italy’s President delayed accepting his resignation until after the Parliament approved the new financial budget, which occurred on Wednesday.] The thorough rejection of Renzi’s efforts to streamline lawmaking was a significant boost for the country’s surging anti-establishment forces just weeks after Donald Trump prevailed in the United States. Renzi’s loss also risked unleashing financial upheaval in Europe’s third-largest economy, as Italy’s weak banks struggle to contain the fallout…

“A populist takeover of Italy is still an uncertain prospect, since Renzi’s center-left Democratic Party remains in control of the parliament and national elections do not have to be called until 2018… What comes next will depend partially on Italian President Sergio Mattarella, who is charged with picking a new person to try [to] form a government and whether to hold early elections…”

The Media’s Propaganda

CNN wrote on December 5:

“The stage is slowly being set for a possible Itexit.”

This gives a distorted picture. The current referendum had nothing to do with the survival of the euro in Italy, or an Itexit, and it cannot be compared with the British referendum for or against the Brexit—even though some British papers, such as the Daily Mail, liked to “explain” it that way. For instance, Express wrote the following on December 4:

“Opposition parties [in Italy] are determined to push forward a breakaway from Brussels, and with Brexit increasing anti-EU sentiment across the continent, they will prepare for a fight to topple the Union. If there is a snap election, the anti-establishment Five Star Movement could rise to power and call a referendum over Italy’s membership of the eurozone. This would pave the way for Italy quitting the euro, plunging the eurozone into chaos and leading to the disintegration of the EU.”

This is clearly not going to happen.

Italian Referendum Was Not Even About the Euro

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 4:

“At stake were a number of governmental changes pushed by Renzi and his center-left Democratic Party (PD), which was hoping to reign in an unwieldy parliament by cutting the number of representatives in the upper-house Senate, getting rid of unproductive constitutional bodies and centralizing more power with the executive. But Renzi had faced an uphill battle from the start. By vowing to step down in the case of a ‘No’ victory, he conflated constitutional change with support for himself and his party. In addition, his opposition came from all sides: former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s right-leaning Forza Italia Party, populists Lega Nord and the 5-Star Movement (M5S), and even some members of his own PD were against the move.

“Ahead of the polls, many analysts voiced their concern over the possible instability a ‘No’ vote could usher in, and what effect that might have on global markets. A further concern among those familiar with Italian domestic politics was the possible rise of M5S, a nebulous left-leaning anti-establishment party that has little governing experience and no clear politic agenda. Despite ostensibly being leftist, M5S spokesman Beppe Grillo welcomed last month’s election of Donald Trump, saying that the people were beginning to show their discontent with the status quo.”

The Times of Israel added on December 5:

“After the Brexit vote and Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, the No vote is likely to be interpreted as another victory for populist forces and a potential stepping stone to government for Grillo’s Five Star. But the campaign was not just about popular discontent with the state of Italy. Many Italians of a similar political bent to Renzi had deep reservations about the proposed changes to the constitution.

“Under the proposals, the second-chamber Senate, currently a body of 315 directly-elected and five lifetime lawmakers, would have been reduced to only 100 members, mostly nominated by the regions. The chamber would also have been stripped of most of its powers to block and revise legislation, and to unseat governments.”

Italian Referendum Different from Brexit and Donald Trump’s Election

The Local wrote on December 5:

“While there are some obvious similarities between the victory for No in the referendum and two other political upsets of the year – Britain’s vote to leave the EU and Donald Trump’s election as US president – there are also several crucial differences…

“[James Newall, a UK-based professor and expert in Italian politics] warned against interpreting the result as an ‘anti-establishment, populist revolt’… ‘Matteo Renzi wasn’t an establishment figure and had in fact been proposing reforms to sweep away vested interests.’ Indeed, it was difficult to say exactly who represented the ‘establishment’ in the referendum, and Renzi attempted to portray his reforms as ‘anti-establishment’, given that he argued they would cut bureaucracy and parliamentarians’ salaries…

“Several constitutional experts and politicians – including prominent figures from Renzi’s own Democratic Party – thought the changes would leave too much power in the hands of the premier, removing checks and balances. Others were unimpressed by the lack of scope in the reforms… If it’s uncertain exactly what the electorate were voting against – the establishment, Renzi himself, or the reforms on the table – there is even more confusion over what Italians were voting for.

“British Europhobic tabloid the Daily Mail erroneously referred to the referendum on constitutional change as an ‘EU referendum’, saying ‘now for Italexit!’. Members of British rightwing party Ukip, including its former leader Nigel Farage who campaigned for Brexit, celebrated the victory, with Farage saying Italy’s vote was ‘more about the Euro than constitutional change’. There’s no denying that the referendum and Renzi’s resignation will have consequences for the European Union, and Brussels had backed the PM’s reforms, but Italy is still a long way from fresh elections, let alone questioning its membership of the EU or the euro.

“It’s true that one of the main beneficiaries of Renzi’s defeat is likely to be Beppe Grillo and his anti-establishment Five Star Movement Party, which spearheaded the campaign for No and is openly critical of the EU. However, while the Movement has called for a referendum on Italy’s membership of the euro, Grillo stressed in a blog post after the UK’s Brexit vote that his party believed in the Union and wanted to reform it from within. Furthermore, the party would have to win a general election in order to be able to hold any referendum. Grillo has called for immediate elections following Renzi’s resignation, but it’s unlikely that these will be held until 2018; first, Italy needs to update is electoral law. ‘There’s no reason to be immediately alarmed about the future of the EU, though whether that remains the case will depend on developments over the coming days, weeks and months,’ Italian politics expert James Newall said.

“On the other side of the political spectrum, Italy’s far right were quick to claim the result as a victory all their own – despite the fact that it was a cross-party campaign, including prominent figures from Renzi’s own Democratic Party. Matteo Salvini, the leader of Italy’s far-right Northern League, sent out a series of tweets celebrating the result, including one which read: ‘Long live Trump, long live Putin, long live Le Pen and long live the Northern League!’…

“However, as Newall notes, one thing Italians certainly didn’t vote for was radical change. ‘The result sends a clear message of “business as usual”, because the reforms have been voted down. Paradoxically, the decisiveness of the result means we will likely see less uncertainty than might have been expected – as to what happens next, we will just have to wait and see,’ he said.”

No Euro Crisis after Italian Vote

The EUObserver wrote on December 5:

“EU officials are trying to defuse concerns that the Italian prime minister’s resignation after a failed referendum will spur a new eurozone crisis.  ‘I think there is no reason to speak of a euro crisis,’ German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Monday (5 December) before a meeting of eurozone ministers in Brussels… Schaeuble and other eurozone leaders insisted that Italian voters rejected only constitutional reform on Sunday, and that there was no political crisis in Italy after prime minister Matteo Renzi announced his resignation…

“Financial markets seemed to confirm Schaeuble’s… assessment, with the euro regaining during the morning the ground it had lost during the night against the dollar.  At midday, the main indexes in Frankfurt, London and Paris had increased by more than 1 percent, while the Milan stock exchange was losing 0.1 percent.
The Standard & Poor’s rating agency said that Sunday’s result ‘does not have an immediate impact on Italy’s creditworthiness’…

“EU finance commissioner Pierre Moscovici… dismissed the idea that the No vote in Italy was an anti-EU vote. ‘It’s not a Brexit vote, it makes no sense,’ he said, insisting that the referendum was on a domestic issue. ‘Populists in Europe are always trying to turn any vote into a pro-EU or anti-EU vote, but they are wrong,’ he said.”

Angela Merkel May Have to Fight for More than Just Germany

The Associated Press wrote on December 5:

“Unless EU juggernauts like France and Germany find ways to turn the tide, it could leave the defeat of the extremist right wing in Austria’s presidential election on Sunday as a mere blip on an increasingly muddled screen… When the Dutch go to the polls in March, [Geert Wilders and his Party for Freedom in the Netherlands] could well be next to ride the mood of discontent that has trampled the status quo since the June 23 referendum in Britain stunned all powers-that-be and forced Britain to seek an exit from the EU…

“By the time the German elections come around in late September, three-time Chancellor Angela Merkel could well be fighting for something more than just Germany…”

Angela Merkel Re-Elected as CDU Party Leader–Wants to Strengthen the EU and Ban Burka

Deutsche Welle, December 6, 2016

“Germany’s conservatives have re-elected Angela Merkel as their party leader but by a smaller margin than expected. The chancellor received 89.5 percent of delegate votes at the CDU’s party convention in Essen. The outcome may have been a foregone conclusion, but Angela Merkel’s margin of victory was not. After getting 96.7 percent support four years ago, the chancellor was re-elected by a shade less than 90 percent this time around – a minor embarrassment for the woman who has led the party for 16 years.

“The vote came after a keynote address by Merkel… Merkel began her speech by defending her most controversial policy, her welcoming stance toward refugees to Germany from crisis regions like Syria. ‘Not all of the 900,000 refugees who arrived last year will be able to stay,’ the chancellor said. ‘But every single case will be reviewed.’ Merkel stressed that her refugee policy was necessary to combat human traffickers and said it was a ‘scandal’ that the war in Syria had been allowed to rage on for so long. But she also said she supported increased efforts to deport migrants whose asylum applications were rejected.

“It was a nod to conservative forces within her own party as well as the CDU’s Bavarian sister party, the CSU. But that was the only major concession to hardliners…

“Merkel did prominently address the general feelings of insecurity that have encouraged right-wing populism in many Western countries. ‘2015 was a year uniquely full of events,’ Merkel said. ‘Many people feel as though the world is coming apart at the seams.’ She launched what was by her standards an emotional plea for international trade agreements like TTIP, which looks to be dead in the water since Donald Trump’s election to US president…

“Merkel said Germany would need to do more to strengthen the economy throughout the European Union. And on the Brexit, she said that she would demand that Britain respect free trade and other EU freedoms, if London wanted to remain in the European common market. She criticized other EU member states for refusing to take a fair share of refugees to the bloc. ‘2016 has made the world weaker, and we need to emerge stronger from crisis,’ Merkel said. ‘We need to do everything we can to strengthen Europe because the world does better if Europe does well. There’s no returning to the world before globalization.’ She said Germany needed to protect those things that made Germany and Europe stronger…

“The first time the crowd responded with extended applause was late in the chancellor’s speech, when she came out against Islamic Sharia law and the wearing of burqas. But she immediately moved on to condemn hate speech on the Internet…

“Looking ahead to next year’s national election, Merkel said she expected a bitter fight…

“The response of the roughly 1,000 convention delegates to her 1 hour, 17 minute speech was very enthusiastic, if not euphoric. But a surprising number of them decided to abstain in the vote for party chairwoman. Angela Merkel clearly still has some work to do to fire up the CDU grassroots ahead of next year’s national election.”

The Sun, December 6:

“ANGELA Merkel today completed an astonishing U-turn as she formally endorsed a full burka ban following a backlash over her open-door migration policies… ‘The full veil must be banned wherever it is legally possible,’ she said to a large round of applause. Merkel also stressed her determination to ensure that there’s no repeat of last year’s huge migrant influx… Numbers have since declined sharply, but Merkel’s approach to the migrant crisis has provoked discord within her Christian Democratic Union, which has seen a string of poor state election results this year…

“While Merkel has continued to insist that Germany will take in people in genuine need of protection, her government has moved to toughen asylum rules and declare several countries ‘safe’ meaning people from there can’t expect to get refuge in Germany… It comes as the country reacts with horror at the murder of 19-year-old Maria Ladenburger – the daughter of a senior EU official. An Afghan migrant has confessed to raping her and then drowning her in a river in the city of Freiburg, German police say.”

Angela Merkel’s CDU Moves to the Right of Its Leaders

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 7:

“Delegates at the CDU’s party conference in Essen have approved a 20-page position paper… It will serve as a preliminary party platform ahead of the national election next September. With it, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party has moved slightly to the right…

“The paper… opposed dual citizenship for those who hold a German passport. ‘Multiculturalism has failed,’  CDU General Secretary Peter Tauber told the delegates before Wednesday’s vote. ‘We need a guiding, native culture in Germany…’

“The moderate shift to the right is intended to mollify the conservative wing of the party that had grown increasingly worried about Merkel’s welcoming stance toward refugees from Syria and other crisis regions, which saw nearly 900,000 migrants arrive in Germany last year. But there was no mention of an annual upper limit on the number of refugees to Germany, something demanded by the CDU’s Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) in the paper or at the conference as a whole…

“In her keynote address on Tuesday, Merkel charted a centrist course, but in the speeches in the two following sessions, it was clear that the majority of the party is more conservative than the chancellor. The right-wing of the party was particularly pleased by Merkel’s promise that the biggest wave of refugees was over and by her support for a partial ban on wearing burqas in public in Germany… Merkel’s position on the partial burqa ban – experts agree a total ban would violate the German constitution – dominated the headlines, particularly outside Germany. But it was only a small part of the convention. Both Merkel and the position paper stressed the CDU’s support for cultural diversity and personal liberty.

“This conference was about giving all wings of the party something, while no faction got everything it wanted. That includes the more liberal segments of the conservative party. CDU members of the European Parliament were pleased that their party had stressed the importance of Germany’s leading role in the European Union…”

German’s Migrant Crisis in the News Again

AFP wrote on December 5:

“The German government pleaded for calm Monday after the arrest of a teenage Afghan asylum seeker for the alleged rape and murder of a German [female] student triggered fresh criticism of the country’s liberal refugee policy. The anti-migrant AfD party blamed the crime on the ‘uncontrolled’ influx of foreigners, while the head of a police union warned of the ‘dangers that always go along with massive immigration’. But Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said the murder of the 19-year-old medical student should not be used to whip up hatred against all refugees…

“The 17-year-old suspect, who arrived in Germany in 2015 as an unaccompanied minor, was arrested in the southwestern town of Freiburg on Friday after his DNA was found at the crime scene and he was identified on CCTV. The victim was found dead on a river bank on October 16. An autopsy found that she had drowned.

“News of the arrest triggered strong reaction on social media with some people saying an ironic ‘thank you’ to Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose open-door asylum policy brought a record number of migrants and refugees into Germany last year…”

The West Condemns Assad, Putin and China Over Aleppo

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 7:

“Leaders from several Western states pushed for an immediate ceasefire in the embattled city of Aleppo on Wednesday as Syrian government troops advanced against the rebels. ‘The most urgent goal remains an immediate ceasefire so that the United Nations can bring humanitarian aid to people in East Aleppo,’ said the leaders of Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Italy in a statement released in Berlin.

“The leaders also accused Russia of obstruction at the UN Security Council and urged the UN to investigate reports that war crimes are being committed in Syria…

“Assad’s renewed offensive has come under heavy international criticism for the humanitarian crisis it has exacerbated. Tens of thousands of city residents have become trapped between warring factions, with no way to receive much-needed food or medicine…

“The US… accused Moscow and Beijing of stalling the end of the conflict by refusing to back a UN Security Council measure on Monday that would have called for a seven-day ceasefire… German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the situation in Aleppo ‘a disgrace,’ particularly the failure to create safe corridors for residents to receive humanitarian aid or to flee. She also slammed Russia for the many civilian victims of its airstrike campaign in support of Assad.”

Donald Trump—Time’s Person of the Year

Time.com wrote on December 7:

“This is the 90th time we have named the person who had the greatest influence, for better or worse, on the events of the year. So which is it this year: Better or worse? The challenge for Donald Trump is how profoundly the country disagrees about the answer.

“It’s hard to measure the scale of his disruption. This real estate baron and casino owner turned reality-TV star and provocateur—never a day spent in public office, never a debt owed to any interest besides his own—now surveys the smoking ruin of a vast political edifice that once housed parties, pundits, donors, pollsters, all those who did not see him coming or take him seriously. Out of this reckoning, Trump is poised to preside, for better or worse.

“For those who believe this is all for the better, Trump’s victory represents a long-overdue rebuke to an entrenched and arrogant governing class; for those who see it as for the worse, the destruction extends to cherished norms of civility and discourse, a politics poisoned by vile streams of racism, sexism, nativism. To his believers, he delivers change—broad, deep, historic change…; to his detractors, he inspires fear both for what he may do and what may be done in his name.

“… Trump’s assault on truth and logic, far from hurting him, made him stronger… Yet his victory mirrors the ascent of nationalists across the world, from Britain to the Philippines, and taps forces far more powerful than one man’s message…

“The year 2016 was the year of his rise; 2017 will be the year of his rule, and like all newly elected leaders, he has a chance to fulfill promises and defy expectations. His supporters and his critics will discover together how much of what he said he actually believes. In the days after the election, everything was negotiable: the wall became a fence, ‘Crooked Hillary’ is ‘good people,’ and maybe climate change is worth thinking about. Far from draining the swamp, he fed plums to some of its biggest gators…

“For reminding America that demagoguery feeds on despair and that truth is only as powerful as the trust in those who speak it, for empowering a hidden electorate by mainstreaming its furies and live-streaming its fears, and for framing tomorrow’s political culture by demolishing yesterday’s, Donald Trump is TIME’s 2016 Person of the Year.”

Mr. Trump Takes on China

Newsmax wrote on December 4:

“Donald Trump took on the Chinese government via social media on Sunday, rejecting criticism of his decision to take a phone call from Taiwan’s president at the risk of triggering backlash from Beijing. The U.S. president-elect told his 16.6 million Twitter followers that he wouldn’t be told by China who he should or shouldn’t talk to, and reiterated some of the grievances about China used in his winning presidential campaign. ‘Did China ask us if it was OK to devalue their currency (making it hard for our companies to compete), heavily tax our products going into their country (the U.S. doesn’t tax them) or to build a massive military complex in the middle of the South China Sea? I don’t think so!’ Trump tweeted.

“Over the weekend China complained to the U.S. after Trump flouted almost four decades of diplomatic protocol by directly speaking with the leader of Taiwan, which Beijing considers a rogue province. Its measured response suggested China’s desire to keep the incident from escalating into a full-blown crisis before Trump entered the White House or even appointed a full foreign policy team — in particular, a secretary of state.

“Trump’s retort was consistent with what one of his allies, former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, signaled earlier on Sunday. ‘Beijing does not dictate who the president of the United States speaks to,’ Gingrich said on Fox News Channel’s ‘Sunday Morning Futures.’ ‘The United States is not always going to do what China wants them to do.’ Gingrich said the ‘old, timid State Department’ would have advised against taking the call from Taiwan’s president, adding, ‘We elected him not to listen to the current State Department.’”

Donald Trump and Al Gore Meet to Discuss Climate Issues

The Huffington Post wrote on December 5:

“President-elect Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump met with former Vice President Al Gore on Monday to discuss ‘climate issues,’ the Trump transition team said…  Gore disclosed he had also met with the president-elect, describing the conversation as ‘very productive’ and a ‘sincere search for areas of common ground.’ ‘I had a meeting beforehand with Ivanka Trump,’ Gore said… ‘The bulk of the time was with the president-elect, Donald Trump. I found it an extremely interesting conversation, and to be continued…’

“Ivanka Trump is angling to make climate change one of her ‘signature issues’ as a way to build a bridge to ‘moderates and liberals…’

“Gore, an outspoken voice on climate change, supported and campaigned for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. In October, the climate crusader warned that Trump would create a ‘climate catastrophe’ if elected president. Trump and his team have signaled that his administration will undo some of President Barack Obama’s policies aimed at fighting climate change. Trump has also made comments in the past that cast doubt on the link between human activity and climate change. For example, he previously called it a ‘hoax’ invented by China to make U.S. manufacturing less competitive.

“In an interview with The New York Times after his election, however, Trump appeared open to accepting that there’s ‘some connectivity’ between human activity and climate change. But he also warned that combating climate change would ‘cost our companies.’”

Could an American President Shut Down the U.S. Internet?

Forbes wrote on December 2:

“Timothy Edgar, the academic director of law and policy at Brown University‘s Executive Master in Cybersecurity program, has outlined the legal basis for how a President Donald Trump could potentially shut down the U.S. internet in response to a national security crisis… Edgar wrote, ‘The view that the internet should be open, interoperable, and free from state censorship has been a pillar of American policy since the 1990s. Mr. Trump sharply departs from this establishment consensus…

“If Trump decides to build a great firewall, he may not need Congress. Section 606 of the Communications Act of 1934 provides emergency powers to seize control of communications facilities if the president declares there is a ‘war or threat of war’ or ‘a state of public peril.’ In 2010, a Senate report concluded that section 606 ‘gives the President the authority to take over wire communications in the United States and, if the President so chooses, shut a network down.’ With a stroke of a pen, Trump could invoke it… Section 606 has never been applied to the internet, but there is nothing in the law that explicitly says it cannot be… If Trump wants to ‘close that internet up,’ all he will need is an opinion from his Attorney General that section 606 gives him authority to do so, and that the threat of terrorism is compelling enough to override any First Amendment concerns.

“… Other liberal, democratic governments, including the U.K., France, Germany, and Australia, have imposed increased surveillance or flirted with the idea of internet censorship. Desire for such moves are not unprecedented in the United States and are not limited to Trump and Republicans. Let’s not forget Independent Senator Joseph Lieberman‘s 2010 attempt to create an ‘Internet kill switch’ for the President. Sen. Lieberman pointed to China as his inspiration for giving the President such capability…”

Pope Francis: “Europe Needs a Leader”

Express wrote on December 8:

“Pope Francis condemned European leaders for their lack of leadership… In an angry outburst, the head of the Catholic Church, said calls for ‘no more war’ have been ignored.  He said: “‘No more war!’ was something that Europe said sincerely, I believe Schumann, De Gasperi, Adenauer, they said it sincerely. ‘But afterwards, nowadays there is a lack of leaders; Europe is in need of leaders, leaders who go ahead…

“‘I think that ‘No more war!’ has not been taken seriously, because after the First there was the Second, and after the Second there is this third war we are experiencing now, piecemeal. We are at war. The world is conducting a third world war: Ukraine, Middle East, Africa, Yemen. It is very grave. Therefore, we say the words ‘No more war!’, but at the same time we manufacture weapons and sell them, and we sell them to those who are fighting, as arms producers sell them to this and that, to those who are at war with each other…

“‘There is an economic theory that I have not tried to confirm, but which I have read in several books: that in the history of humanity, when a State saw that its accounts were not in good shape, waged war to balance its budget. That is, it is one of the easiest ways to produce wealth. Certainly, the price is very high: blood… One cannot wage war in the name of God or in the name of a religious position.’”

The 21^st Century Cures Act—Blessing or Curse?

The Washington Post wrote on December 7:

“Congress passed sweeping legislation Wednesday that boosts funding for medical research, eases the development and approval of experimental treatments and reforms federal policy on mental health care.

“The 94 to 5 Senate vote Wednesday followed a 392 to 26 House vote last week. The bill, known as the 21st Century Cures Act, now heads to the desk of President Obama, who praised the bill Wednesday and said he would sign it…

“The bill, however, had vocal progressive critics… who said the bill’s changes to drug approval processes gave too many concessions to pharmaceutical companies.

“Public Citizen, a progressive activist group that opposed the bill, called it ‘sorely disappointing that Congress gave Big Pharma and the medical device industry an early Christmas present’ that ‘comes at the expense of patient safety by undermining requirements for ensuring safe and effective medications and medical devices.’”

Good question!   Let us look at what Scripture has to say about this whole matter.

First of all, let us look at what that storehouse of wisdom, the book of Proverbs, has to say on this matter.  Proverbs 26:4 tells us: “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him.”    In the following verse we read: “Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.”

A dictionary definition of a fool is a person who acts unwisely or imprudently; a silly person.  In the past, many have seen this as a contradiction but those who have been members of the Church of God have had this explained on many occasions.   However, it is worth reiterating the value and meaning of these two verses.

First of all, there is no contradiction; otherwise, the Bible itself could not be trusted.   The Bible does not contain contradictions and there are always answers if one allows the Bible to interpret itself.

We should ask God in prayer to help us, should we ever be asked or confronted about our beliefs.  1 Peter 3:15 states: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.”  When anyone asks us about our beliefs, a quick prayer to God, asking for His help in discerning what and how much to say, will certainly help.

We should ask for this discernment as to whether the questioner is asking out of politeness, is generally interested or is looking for a chance to argue and debate.  Our assessment then determines what our approach should be.

Proverbs 26:4 warns us against engaging with a fool on his own terms, because we could be seen as foolish as he is, which would not be a good example of Christian behaviour.   A fool despises wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7); fools hate knowledge (Proverbs 1:22); fools die for lack of wisdom (Proverbs 10:21); the folly of fools is deceit (Proverbs 14:8); fools mock at sin (Proverbs 14:9); and, perhaps most revealingly of all, the way of a fool is right in his own eyes (Proverbs 12:15).   When we ascertain that someone is trying to draw us into a discussion that he wants on his terms, we could well be falling into the trap of answering him according to his folly.   We would do well to recall what Jesus said in Matthew 7:6 that we are not to cast our “pearls before swine”.

In Proverbs 26:5 we read that we should answer “a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.”   At times a fool has to be addressed when such a person may be thoroughly convinced of the correctness of his argument, even though he is completely wrong.   In such a case we should show him accurately where he is in error—not as a “put down”, but to make him think about his erroneous stance.

As one commentator put it: “In short, in negligible issues we should just ignore fools, but in issues that matter, they must be dealt with so that credence will not be given to what they say.”

Another area of consideration is to find out what a word, phrase or statement means, as this can vary from person to person.   For example, you could be asked if you were homophobic.   What you may understand by that phrase may be different to the next person.   A fairly standard definition of homophobia is “the hatred or fear of homosexuals – that is, lesbians and gay men – sometimes leading to acts of violence and expressions of hostility.”   However, as we know, if the biblical understanding of this behaviour is quoted, it can be regarded as hate speech.   Therefore, it is important to find out what the other person understands what “homophobia” means to them.   We can then know how to answer accordingly, showing that a true Christian must love the person but hate the immoral action.

We may be called a bigot but, again, what does that word mean to the other person?   Being bigoted means, according to the Oxford Dictionary of English, as “having or revealing an obstinate belief in the superiority of one’s own opinions and a prejudiced intolerance of the opinions of others.”   As our understanding is based on the Word of God, we must be firm in our convictions without being objectionable.   Finding out the other person’s understanding of the word will be helpful in forming a response.

Finding out where the other person is coming from may diffuse potentially difficult situations.  Alan Greenspan once commented humourously: “I know you think you understand what you thought I said but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”  We need to ensure that both parties have the same understanding of the word or phrase, so that any response cannot be misunderstood.

Another way of dealing with any enquiry is to find out why the question is asked.  Sometimes that can lead to finding out that the enquirer may just have been asking a question without really wanting an answer.

Let us remember that Jesus answered in the wisest way possible because he could ascertain the purpose and intent of the one who was to be answered – or otherwise.   In Luke 20:1-8, Jesus had His authority questioned and He refused to answer; in Mark 12:13-17, the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus about the paying of taxes to Caesar, and He answered indirectly in a very unexpected way.   In these two instances (and there are others) Jesus decided not to answer directly because of the attitude and intent of the questioners.

Wherever we can, we should use Scripture to answer any religious question that may come our way.   Let us look at how Jesus dealt with Satan in exactly this way, as recorded in Matthew 4:1-3:  “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.  Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’”

Jesus did not argue and debate with Satan but answered him from Scripture (verse 4): “But He answered and said, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”’” (quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3).

The adversary then tried another approach, as we read in verses 5-6: “Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: “He shall give His angels charge over you,” and, “In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.”’” Here, Satan quotes Scripture too (citing Psalm 91:11-12), but he totally twists the meaning of the passage.

Again, Jesus answered from Scripture (Matthew 4:7): “Jesus said to him, ‘It is written again, “You shall not tempt (better “test”) the Lord your God”’” (quoting from Deuteronomy 6:16 in the correct context and with the intended meaning).

In verses 8-9 we read: “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.’”

Then Jesus said to him (Matthew 4:10): “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve’” (quoting from Deuteronomy 6:13). Satan had been defeated three times by Jesus by the use of Scripture. “Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him” (verse 11).

We have seen in this brief Q&A that we should discern whether or not to answer and, in addition, it may be advisable to ask what is meant by the question or the definition of a word or phrase if this could be contentious.  Further, answering with Scripture as Jesus did, is always the best way to respond so long as it is appropriate, correctly used and in context.

We should use wisdom at all times and be gentle and friendly and not provocative or confrontational at all; Proverbs 15:1 tells us that “A soft answer turns away wrath.”   Taking that approach will enable us to do “all things decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40).

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

“Why Italy Will NOT Leave the EU!”, is the title of a new StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Even before Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi lost the constitutional referendum on December 4, 2016, many claimed that a euro exit (Itexit) was inevitable for Italy. Now, the voices of those uninformed “experts” have become louder, but they totally misinterpret and misrepresent the nature of the referendum, alleging that Mr. Renzi’s defeat was a victory of populists against the establishment and – even worse – a vote by the Italian people against the euro and the EU. It is high time that you learn the biblical truth of the matter.

“Warum Italien die EU NICHT verlassen wird!”, posted on AufPostenStehen, also covers the same subject as above. The German APS program also promotes our new video, which was produced by Michael Link, advertising and offering the German Europe in Prophecy booklet. In addition, we have begun an advertisement campaign with a press release and Facebook ads in German-speaking areas, offering our above-mentioned booklet on prophecy.

“Was sagt uns Gott über die Arbeit?”, is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon and is Part 1 with Part 2 to be presented the following Sabbath. Title in English: “What does God tell us about Work?”

“Were Jesus and His Parents Poor?”, the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Many assume that Jesus and His parents lived in poverty, and they point to a few Scriptures which allegedly back up their belief. But what does the Bible really say about this question? And does it matter?

“A Life of Repetition,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Do we ever feel like we do the same things over and over again? Do our lives sometimes resemble a game that constantly repeats? We see the use of repetition in nature, in life and even in the Bible. But why? Why is repetition so important for us? What can we learn by examining nature, our lives and the Bible, based on this thought of repetition? What is it that repetition will accomplish in our lives?