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?

On December 3, 2016, Norbert Link will present the sermonette, titled, “Were Jesus and His Parents Poor?”and Kalon Mitchell will present the sermon, titled, “A Life of Repetition.”

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

The “Eurozone crisis” is back in the news. After “Brexit,” a new expression was coined, namely “Itexit.” In fact, others refer to “Grexit” and “Spexit.” They mean thereby that countries such as Italy, Greece or Spain might exit the Eurozone or even the EU.

Now, economic “experts” seem to be convinced that “Itexit” (Italy’s exit from the Eurozone) is a strong possibility.

The Financial Times wrote on November 20:

“After Brexit and Donald Trump, prepare for the return of the Eurozone crisis. If Matteo Renzi, Italian prime minister, loses his constitutional referendum on December 4, I would expect a sequence of events that would raise questions of Italy’s participation in the Eurozone.”

The Telegraph wrote on November 27:

“Italy needs reform and a euro exit is inevitable.”

But how probable is it that Italy will leave the Eurozone and replace the euro with its former national currency, the lira? Der Spiegel wrote on November 27 that an exit from the Eurozone would lead to a dramatic crisis situation in Italy, as inflation would increase; nobody would come to Italy’s rescue (the European Central Bank would be prohibited from helping Italy); and Italy’s astronomical national debt (which is calculated in euros) would still have to be repaid.

There have been voices in the past prognosticating all kinds of fanciful results. They declared forcefully that the euro would fail; that the Eurozone would disintegrate; that the member states would return to their former national currencies; and that the European project was dead. On the other hand, many felt that there would be no Brexit.

As it turned out, they have all been wrong. While current and future political and economic developments might have been miscalculated or misunderstood, the reason why all these speculations have failed is that biblical prophecy had been ignored.

With the same bold certainty with which we proclaimed that the euro will NOT fail; that the Eurozone will NOT disintegrate; that the European project is NOT over; but that there WOULD BE a Brexit; we are stating with the same conviction that Italy will NOT exit the Eurozone, let alone the EU.

The Bible makes it VERY clear that Italy will remain as one of the LEADING nations in the European project—not necessarily from a political or economic standpoint, but surely from an historical and RELIGIOUS standpoint. In fact, the whole European unification project is founded on the Treaty of Rome. The Bible shows that ten nations or groups of nations will emerge in Europe (and to be more precise, from the Eurozone), and Germany and Italy will certainly be among those nations. They will give their power to a charismatic political and military leader who will work hand in hand with a religious leader. The Bible speaks of modern Babylon—a European political, economic and military union under Roman Catholic rule. It identifies Babylon as the city built on seven hills, which reigns over the kings of the earth.

At this point, the Eurozone consists of 19 members. This will change. Politico wrote on October 6: “Nobel-prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz believes Italy and several other countries could leave the Eurozone within years… ‘There will still be a Eurozone in 10 years, but the question is, what will it look like? It’s very unlikely that it will still have 19 members. It’s difficult to say who will still belong,’ Stiglitz said in an interview with German newspaper Die Welt.”

While Mr. Stiglitz—as so many other “experts”—is clearly wrong insofar as Italy is concerned, he IS correct that the Eurozone will decrease in numbers, and even though we do not know for sure “who will still belong,” we DO know that Italy “WILL still belong.”

Our free booklet, “The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire” tells you why.

We begin with reporting on the worldwide reactions to the death of hypocritical dictator and mass murderer Fidel Castro, and the incredible distorted world view of some leaders, calling him a hero. 

We continue with a renewed fight between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton and some positive German comments about Mr. Trump’s election; as well as further controversial statements by Mr. Trump and a few more nominations; and we speak on an apparent massive cyberattack, interrupting Internet services in Germany, as well as Angela Merkel’s announcement that 100,000 asylum seekers will be deported from Germany.

We are introducing Francois Fillon, who many believe will be the next French President; and address the upcoming presidential re-election in Austria, as well as the Italian referendum, which will both occur on Sunday, December 4. 

We quote from an extremely interesting article discussing the certainty of a future space war; point at developments pertaining to Turkey and Israel; report on the ongoing terrible situation in Syria; and address plans of ISIS to attack Europe and the UK.

We conclude with articles about the Catholic Church, including stunning comments by Pope Francis which include some truth and much error (please note our new StandingWatch program on this issue, titled, “Pope Francis–Hell Is No Torture Chamber”); and an apparent deal being worked on between the Catholic Church and China, which has been strongly condemned by China’s most outspoken Catholic Cardinal.

“Castro’s Legacy of Failure”

The Editorial Board of “USA Today” wrote on November 27:

“Fidel Castro was a survivor but not a success. He survived guerilla warfare in the 1950s and claimed the leadership of Cuba for nearly half a century. He survived a botched attempt to overthrow him, quickly defeating about 1,400 CIA-trained exiles who invaded Cuba at the Bay of Pigs in 1961. He, and the rest of humanity, survived the Cuban missile crisis, which brought the United States and Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear war the following year. He survived harebrained CIA schemes to kill him, including ones involving toxic cigars and exploding seashells, and dozens of later assassination plots by Cuban exiles. And even after a serious gastrointestinal illness forced him to turn over power to his brother Raul in 2006, Fidel survived for another decade before dying of natural causes… on Friday at age 90.

“By virtue of his charismatic personality, longevity in office and ability to torment a succession of U.S. presidents, Castro was a major 20th century figure. He was a spellbinding, if long-winded, speaker who became a hero to many on the American Left. But, ultimately, Castro left a legacy of failure. He stayed in power not by popular consent but through a brutal dictatorship that imprisoned or executed thousands of opponents. He tried unsuccessfully to export his Marxist revolution throughout Latin America and Africa. And he turned his beautiful island nation into an economic basket case rather than a socialist utopia…”

“Castro a Complete Fraud”

Daily Mail wrote on November 27:

“A prodigious womaniser and food connoisseur who kept some 20 luxurious properties throughout the Caribbean — including a private island he used to visit on his beautiful yacht — Castro was a complete fraud. The man who spent his life railing against the excesses of capitalism lived like a king — and a very debauched one at that.

“Western observers have long suspected that ‘El Comandante’ — The Commander — was siphoning off the proceeds from state-run enterprises, including a small gold mine. However, when Forbes magazine listed Castro in 2006 as one of the world’s richest ‘kings, queens and dictators’, he angrily insisted he lived on a salary of £20 a month.

“The full extent of his hypocrisy and personal excesses emerged only in 2014 when a former longtime bodyguard, Juan Reinaldo Sanchez, wrote a book about Castro’s secret life and estimated he was worth at least £100 million…

“Castro, who even kept secret the existence of his wives, was able to conceal a rapacious infidelity that produced at least nine children by four women. Reported lovers ranged from the Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida to an underage nightclub dancer who reported how he smoked continually during sex. His notorious affairs earned him the nickname ‘the Horse’. He had a taste for young Cuban women of every colour and background, and half-jokingly told a journalist that it was his colossal sexual drive that had led him away from the Roman Catholic Church…

“Castro’s craving for prostitutes made problems for his Communist allies. Markus Wolf, East Germany’s former spy chief, recalled a security scare when Castro disappeared on a visit to East Berlin. He climbed out of his hotel window one night and headed off to an illegal brothel…

“With his shadow gone from their lives, Cubans will soon discover all too painfully the extent of the terrible trick he played on them.”

Castro Was a Killer

The Huffington Post wrote on November 28:

“Cuban-American journalists with intimate knowledge of Fidel Castro’s cruelty encouraged Americans on Saturday not to whitewash the legacy of the deceased Cuban strongman. On ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ Saturday, Tom Llamas, whose parents fled Cuba as political exiles, urged those following the news of Castro’s death to view his brutal reign with clarity.

“‘There is this tendency when world leaders die to kind of misplace this romanticism around some world leaders,’ Llamas said. ‘But Fidel Castro is someone who was a tyrant. He was a killer.’”

The Pope Mourns for Fidel Castro

Breitbart wrote on November 27:

“Pope Francis sent a telegram to Cuban President Raúl Castro Saturday, expressing his ‘sentiments of sorrow’ over the death of Raúl’s brother, former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. ‘On receiving the sad news of the death of your dear brother, His Excellency Mister Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz, former president of the State Council and of the Government of the Republic of Cuba, I express my sentiments of sorrow to Your Excellency and other family members of the deceased dignitary, as well as to the people of this beloved nation,’ the Pope’s Spanish-language telegram reads. ‘At the same time, I offer prayers to the Lord for his repose and I entrust the whole Cuban people to the maternal intercession of our Lady of the Charity of El Cobre, patroness of this country,’ he said.

“Baptized a Catholic as a child, Castro was educated by the Jesuit order to which Pope Francis belongs. Despite his religious upbringing, Castro was an avowed atheist throughout his life. Fidel Castro took power in Cuba in January 1959 after an armed insurgency that toppled dictator Fulgencio Batista, and he subsequently ruled Cuba with an iron fist for nearly 50 years. Castro declared Cuba to be an atheist state when he rose to power and suppressed the Catholic Church during his reign, expropriating Church properties, exiling or jailing priests…, closing Catholic schools, and banning the celebration of Christian holidays.

“In 2006, Fidel ceded power temporarily to his brother Raúl Castro. Two years later, due to his worsening health problems, the succession became final. In September 2015, Pope Francis became the third pontiff to visit Castro’s Cuba after… John Paul II and Benedict XVI.”

World Leaders Praise Brutal Dictator and Mass Murderer Fidel Castro

In two related articles, Breitbart wrote on November 26:

“Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid tribute, calling Castro a ‘remarkable leader’ and ‘legendary revolutionary’ who made ‘significant improvements’ to his country. UK opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn also called Castro ‘an internationalist and a champion of social justice,’ while Russian President Vladimir Putin praised him as someone who ‘embodies the highest ideals of politics, citizen and patriot, sincerely convinced of the rightness of the case, which gave his whole life.’

“Their statements are in stark contrast to U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump, who called Castro a ‘brutal dictator’. ‘Fidel Castro’s legacy is one of firing squads, theft, unimaginable suffering, poverty and the denial of fundamental human rights,’ he said. ‘While Cuba remains a totalitarian island, it is my hope that today marks a move-away from the horrors endured for too long, and toward a future in which the wonderful Cuban people finally live in the freedom they so richly deserve.’…”

“‘At this time of Fidel Castro’s passing, we extend a hand of friendship to the Cuban people,’ Obama said, noting that many Cubans and Cuban Americans had ‘powerful emotions’ about the dictator’s death. Obama did not mention Castro’s evil dictatorship, his suppression of human rights, or the brutal oppression and murder of millions of Cuban citizens in his statement. Instead he noted that the relationship between Cuba and the United States was ‘marked by discord and profound disagreements.’”

New Fight Between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton?

The Associated Press wrote on November 27:

“President-elect Donald Trump claimed without evidence Sunday that ‘millions’ voted illegally in the national election, scoffing at Hillary Clinton’s nearly 2 million edge in the popular vote and returning to his campaign mantra of a rigged race even as he prepares to enter the White House in less than two months. Trump and his lieutenants assailed an effort — now joined by Clinton — to recount votes in up to three battleground states, calling the push fraudulent, the work of ‘crybabies’ and, in Trump’s estimation, ‘sad.’

“The president-elect himself launched a Twitter offensive that spanned more than 12 hours on Sunday, casting a shadow over the legitimacy of an election that he actually won. ‘I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally,’ he tweeted in the afternoon before alleging in an evening tweet ‘serious voter fraud in Virginia, New Hampshire and California’…

“Trump on Sunday tweeted part of Clinton’s concession speech, when she told supporters they must accept that ‘Donald Trump is going to be our president,’ and snippets from her debate remarks, when she denounced the Republican nominee for refusing to say in advance that he would accept the Election Day verdict… Clinton leads the national popular vote by close to 2 million votes, but Trump won 290 electoral votes to Clinton’s 232, not counting Michigan. She could conceivably tip the electoral balance in the remote event that all flipped to her in recounts…

“Clinton’s lawyer said her team has been combing through the results since the election in search of anomalies that would suggest hacking by Russians or others and found ‘no actionable evidence’ of an altered outcome. Moreover, Elias said, Trump has a vote lead even in the closest states that well exceeds the largest margin ever overcome in a recount. But ‘we feel it is important, on principle, to ensure our campaign is legally represented in any court proceedings and represented on the ground in order to monitor the recount process itself,’ he said.”

Bavaria’s Horst Seehofer Invites Donald Trump

The Business Standard wrote on November 25:

“The leader of the German state of Bavaria has invited Donald Trump to visit, reports said today, after he urged European politicians to keep an open mind about the controversial US President-elect. Premier Horst Seehofer, a maverick member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative bloc, wrote to Trump to congratulate him on his victory and said he would be welcome ‘any time’ in his state capital Munich, Bavarian government sources told German news agency DPA.

“Specifically, Seehofer suggested Trump could attend the city’s annual international security conference in February, just weeks after his inauguration as US president on January 20, the unnamed sources added. In contrast with many German and European officials, Seehofer warned soon after the November 8 US election against prejudging Trump too harshly. ‘I would urge us to see what he actually does,’ Seehofer said, calling for dialogue between Germany, European partners and the United States on ‘shared policy’.

“Seehofer has frequently clashed with Merkel over her liberal border policy, which permitted the arrival of around one million asylum-seekers over the last two years… Trump, whose paternal grandparents hailed from Germany, is expected to attend the G20 summit, which Merkel will host in Hamburg next July.”

Donald Trump Suggests Revoking Citizenship for Flag Burners

The Huffington Post wrote on November 29:

“President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday suggested that people who burn the American flag should lose their citizenship. This goes against current U.S. law, as well as a landmark Supreme Court case.

“Burning the flag is completely legal in the U.S. As the Supreme Court ruled in 1989’s Texas v. Johnson, it’s protected as free speech under the First Amendment. The late Justice Antonin Scalia, who Trump often praises, joined the majority opinion in that case.

“Lawmakers have in the past floated the idea of making the practice illegal, but none have gone as far as to suggest revoking citizenship. Citizenship is very difficult to take away; broadly speaking, an American would only lose his or her nationality by pledging allegiance to another country, committing treason, or voluntarily giving it up…

“Trump has contradicted the U.S. Constitution before. He’s promised to crack down on the press (a possible violation of the First Amendment), vowed to ban Muslims from entering the country (which could go against the Equal Protection Clause), and suggested we should torture people because they deserve it (cruel and unusual punishment).”

Here is what Mr. Trump twittered: “Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag – if they do, there must be consequences – perhaps loss of citizenship or year [sic] in jail!” It is obvious that he spoke without thinking too deeply about it. His proposal, if taken seriously, would of course be totally unconditional and illegal. But in the meantime, after listening to his advisors, it seems that he modified his public stance on the press, on banning Muslims and on waterboarding. The real issue is much more intriguing: what does Mr. Trump REALLY believe, and WHEN will the real President Trump stand up?

The Carrier Deal

Newsmax wrote on December 1:

“President-elect Donald Trump used an announcement Thursday that Carrier would keep its air-conditioning manufacturing plant in Indianapolis — saving 1,100 jobs — to declare that ‘companies are not going to leave the United States any more without consequences.’…

“Carrier said Tuesday that it would not close its air-conditioning plant in Indianapolis [to move to Mexico] after reaching a deal with Trump, initially sparing 1,000 jobs…

“Indiana offered the company $7 million in tax incentives after negotiations with Trump’s team to keep some jobs in the state…

“He also reiterated campaign pledges to reduce business taxes to as low as 15 percent — from the current 35 percent — and roll back regulations that he said have been crippling American companies… The president-elect also slammed NAFTA… and declared that ‘it will be changed… ‘We have to let other companies know that we’ll do great things for business. You don’t have to leave anymore. Your taxes will be at the very low end — and your unnecessary regulations will be gone.’…

“During the campaign, Trump threatened to impose sharp tariffs on companies that moved factories to Mexico… He repeated that pledge in Indianapolis, saying that companies will be ‘taxed heavily at the border if they want to fire their people, leave, make their products in different countries — and then think they’ll sell that product over the border.’”

Mr. Trump also reiterated his promise that he would build a wall at the US-Mexican border.

Mr. Trump Nominates Tim Price as Head of Department of Health; Picks Elaine Chao as Transportation Secretary

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 29:

“US President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he would nominate Georgia Congressman Tom Price as head of the Department of Health and Human Services. The orthopedic surgeon is a critic of the Affordable Care Act, more commonly referred to as ‘Obamacare.’…

“After announcing the pick, the president-elect called the congressman ‘exceptionally qualified to shepherd our commitment to repeal and replace Obamacare and bring affordable and accessible healthcare to every American.’…

“Price’s appointment will require Senate confirmation, after which both houses of Congress would have to agree on any move to dismantle Obamacare.

“New York Senator Chuck Schumer, who will become the Democrats’ minority leader in the upper chamber, slammed the choice, calling Representative Price’s ideas ‘far out of the mainstream of what Americans want when it comes to Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, and Planned Parenthood.’ Trump’s spokesman, Jason Miller, defended the nomination in a CNN interview, saying that the Affordable Care Act was already ‘imploding’ due to rising premiums.

“Later on Tuesday, Donald Trump also declared that his pick for Transportation Secretary would be Elaine Chao, who lead the Department of Labor under President George W. Bush and was the first Asian-American woman in the US cabinet. Chao is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who was largely silent on Trump’s candidacy until the very end of the election campaign, when he offered the president-elect his somewhat muted support.”

Will Medicare Survive?

Newsmax wrote on December 1:

“President-elect Donald Trump vowed during his campaign that he wouldn’t cut Medicare or other entitlement programs, but Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., who he tagged this week as his Health and Human Services secretary, backs a plan that would end guaranteed government coverage for seniors… Price, like House Speaker Paul Ryan, backs a plan to turn Medicare into a ‘premium support’ system, meaning seniors would receive a specific amount of money from the government that would help them buy health coverage from a private company, rather than participate in government-run Medicare coverage.

“Democrats say the plans ends guaranteed coverage, and that the financial assistance would not keep up with rising healthcare costs, meaning seniors could end up paying more of their own costs. Proponents, however, say changes are needed to make Medicare more efficient and will save the government money, and warn the program will become insolvent if left alone. While campaigning, Trump told The Daily Signal that he was ‘not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican, and I’m not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid.’…

“Price and Ryan say they are serious about the Medicare changes, with Price telling reporters this month that lawmakers can fast-track reconciliation to push a Medicare overhaul through the Senate with 50 votes.”

Mr. Trump Nominates Wall Street Insiders

The New York Times wrote on November 30:

“In a campaign commercial that ran just before the election, Donald J. Trump’s voice boomed over a series of Wall Street images. He described ‘a global power structure that is responsible for the economic decisions that have robbed our working class, stripped our country of its wealth, and put that money into the pockets of a handful of large corporations.’ Now Mr. Trump has named a former Goldman executive and co-investor with Mr. Soros to spearhead his economic policy.

“With Wednesday’s nomination of Steven Mnuchin, a Goldman trader turned hedge fund manager and Hollywood financier, to be Treasury secretary, a new economic leadership is taking shape in Washington. Mr. Mnuchin will join Wilbur L. Ross Jr., a billionaire investor in distressed assets, who has been chosen to run the Commerce Department, and Todd Ricketts, owner of the Chicago Cubs, who has been picked to be deputy commerce secretary. All are superwealthy and to be overseen by the first billionaire president in United States history… While that approach has been cheered by investors… it stands in stark contrast to the populist campaign that Mr. Trump ran and the support he received from working-class voters across the country…

“Mr. Mnuchin, 53, and Mr. Ross, 79, are both familiar with buying distressed properties and selling for a profit. But they are political neophytes with scant experience in managing large organizations. They will oversee two government agencies that together employ about 130,000 people around the world. In the case of Mr. Mnuchin at Treasury, his experience as a principal investor who made large sums of money through high-risk, high-return wagers suggests that he will look critically at the thicket of regulations that now constrain the risk-taking activities of investment banks.”

“Entire internet Will Be Saved in Canada to Keep it from Donald Trump”

The Independent wrote on December 1:

“The Internet Archive – which exists to keep a store of the internet and of human knowledge – has said that it will be moving its store of the web to another country in order to keep it safe. It said it made the decision in the wake of the election of President-elect Trump, who has in the past suggested ‘closing up’ the internet. The decision has been made because libraries tend to get lost, it said. But that had become extra clear recently because of changes in the US, where its archives are currently stored.

“Events including the election of Donald Trump have led [it] to realise that it needs to make another store of the huge amount of information it has stored up, it said. As such, it will put that information in the Internet Archive of Canada, in a project that will cost millions but will look to keep the data safe. ‘On November 9th in America, we woke up to a new administration promising radical change,’ the archive wrote in a blog post. ‘It was a firm reminder that institutions like ours, built for the long-term, need to design for change. For us, it means keeping our cultural materials safe, private and perpetually accessible. It means preparing for a Web that may face greater restrictions. It means serving patrons in a world in which government surveillance is not going away; indeed it looks like it will increase.’

“The archive is now asking supporters to help fund the decision by donating to it. Donald Trump has given varying statements of his policy on the internet. But many of them have suggested that he will interfere with the web more and that he may look to shut parts of it off.”

Massive Suspected Cyberattack Interrupts Internet Survices in Germany

Deutsche Welle reported on November 28:

“A suspected cyberattack has disrupted internet service for nearly a million households in Germany…  ‘We believe that influence was exerted on the routers from outside,’ an unnamed company spokesman told the AFP news agency, noting that malware had been installed on routers that prevented them from connecting to the company’s network… Customers have been advised to disconnect their routers if they suspect that they were targeted.”

The apparent cyberattack also prevented our Church in Germany from broadcasting over Internet most of our live Sabbath services. Viewers were advised to directly connect to the sermon posted on YouTube. Interestingly enough, the sermon dealt with the question as to how Satan attacks us.

German Leaders Angry at Cyberattack

Deutsche Welle wrote November 29:

“German politicians say action must follow a hack that paralyzed some 900,000 internet connections… Internet service has still not returned to normal for all of the hundreds of thousands of Germans affected by the hack, but a lively and agitated discussion is underway about what should be done to prevent future disturbances – and who might be responsible for the attack.

“German provider Deutsche Telekom believes the disruption was part of a failed attempt to turn a large number of routers into part of a so-called botnet and sees a connection with other recent hacks around the world. Germany’s political leadership is very unhappy about the possibility that Russia might have been involved, but isn’t quite ready to point the finger directly at Moscow.”

Germany to Return 100,000 Asylum Seekers to Afghanistan

Daily Mail reported on November 28:

“Germany is planning to return 100,000 rejected asylum seekers to their home countries after Angela Merkel admitted: ‘It cannot be that all young people from Afghanistan come here’. About 60,000 will be returned under voluntary repatriation programmes while the rest face compulsory deportations, the German chancellor revealed. They will be given money as ‘start-up’ aid to help them resettle in their homeland as well as a plane ticket, it has been reported in Germany…

“Merkel has previously come under fire in Germany for her ‘open-door’ policy, in the wake of Europe’s worst migration crisis since World War II.”

Meet Francois Fillon—the Next French President?

The Guardian wrote on November 27:

“François Fillon, the socially conservative former prime minister who plans to shrink the French state, has won the primary race to become the French right’s presidential candidate next spring. Fillon, 62, gained support in the final days of the primary race after writing a book on the dangers of ‘Islamic totalitarianism’ in the wake of recent terrorist attacks in France and defending a tough line on French national identity… France’s two-round presidential elections in April and May are being watched as the next possible shakeup of the political system, after Donald Trump won the US presidency this month.

“Polls in France have consistently shown that the far-right Front National leader, Marine Le Pen, will make it to the final round runoff but that it would be difficult for her to win. Fillon is now the favourite to face her and win the presidency next year. In his victory speech, Fillon said the Socialist François Hollande’s presidency had been ‘pathetic’ and France now had to be overhauled in a way that it ‘hasn’t been for 30 years’…

“Fillon is a Catholic traditionalist who deliberately appealed to the conservatism of the religious right and wants to increase state benefits for families. He complained about being attacked as a ‘medieval reactionary’ during the campaign because, having voted against France’s recent introduction of same-sex marriage, he promised to roll back certain parental rights for same-sex couples. He said it was his private belief that abortion was not a fundamental right but promised not to change French abortion law.

“Fillon, who is on first-name terms with Vladimir Putin after they served as prime ministers in the same period, has advocated a stridently pro-Putin policy towards Russia. He said Russia was no threat, should be a partner in Syria and that European sanctions against Russia should be lifted. He said the fight against Islamic State meant France should not rule out cooperating with Syria’s Bashar al-Assad.

“Fillon has taken a hard line on Islamic extremism as well as the place of Islam in France, warning that ‘radical islam is corrupting some of our Muslim fellow citizens’. Over the summer, he said he was in favour of banning burkinis, or full-body swimsuits, from French beaches. ‘No, France is not a multicultural nation,’ Fillon said during the final TV debate, adding that foreigners who came to France must assimilate. He said: ‘When you come to someone’s house, by courtesy, you don’t take over.’

“… Hollande is expected to announce within days whether he will stand for re-election. His party is in disarray and there are serious doubts among Socialists about Hollande’s chances of even making it past the first round. He is the least popular French president since the second world war, with his satisfaction rating in one recent poll as low as 4%.”

Subsequently, Mr. Hollande announced that he would not stand for re-election.

Austrian Presidential Re-Election this Sunday

The EUObserver wrote on November 28:

“Austria’s presidential candidates have clashed in a TV debate over US president-elect Donald Trump, immigration and the future of the EU before voters head to the polls on Sunday (4 December). Alexander Van der Bellen, backed by the Greens, and far-right contender Norbert Hofer for the Freedom Party (FPOe) echoed the faultlines where mainstream politics and populism have clashed in Western democracies recently. Van der Bellen accused Hofer of creating insecurity by threatening to pull Austria out of the EU. ‘The FPOe has always been an EU exit party,’ he said.

“Hofer had earlier pledged to call for a referendum on EU membership if Turkey joined the union or if Brussels tried to centralise power. ‘The most important thing is the solidarity between member states, otherwise we won’t be able to assert ourselves in the face of Russia or the United States,’ 72-year-old Van der Bellen said during the live debate broadcast on private channel ATV.

“Hofer, 45, dismissed such claims, saying: ‘There won’t be an Oexit.’ Hofer attacked Van der Bellen for criticising the US election victory of Donald Trump.

“Van der Bellen said many in Europe felt ‘anxious’ about the US president-elect who has been accused of sexism and racism. Van der Bellen also warned that the election of Donald Trump in the US showed there was justified anger, which made voters feel abandoned and forgotten. Hofer retorted by saying that in Austria a lot of people feel abandoned… Hofer blamed German chancellor Angela Merkel for the EU’s failed migration policy. He also doubted Turkey will hold itself to the migration deal with the EU for much longer.

“The two candidates have already made history, since it would be the first time Austria’s president does not come from the Social Democratic and Austrian People’s Party, which have dominated the political scene since World War II. Hofer could also become Europe’s first postwar far-right head of state after 4 December. Austrian voters need to head to the ballot boxes again after Hofer challenged the result of the May election which he narrowly lost to Van der Bellen. Hofer said however he would not contest the outcome this time.”

Fears Mount in Anticipation of Italian Referendum on December 4

The Financial Times wrote on November 28:

“Up to eight of Italy’s troubled banks risk failing if prime minister Matteo Renzi loses a constitutional referendum next weekend… Mr Renzi… says he will quit if he loses the referendum… The situation is being closely watched by financiers and policymakers across Europe and beyond, who worry that a mass failure of Italian banks could trigger panic across the eurozone banking system.

“… Italy’s banks have €360bn of problem loans versus €225bn of equity on their books…”

Please read our Editorial in this week’s Update, discussing the situation in Italy and Europe.

War in Space, which the US Could Lose

CNN wrote on November 28:

“Since man first explored space, it has been a largely peaceful environment. But now US adversaries are deploying weapons beyond Earth’s atmosphere, leading the US military to prepare for the frightening prospect of war in space. ‘As humans go out there, there has always been conflict. Conflict in the Wild West as we move in the West … conflict twice in Europe for its horrible world wars,’ Gen. John Hyten, head of US Strategic Command, told CNN. ‘So, every time humans actually physically move into that, there’s conflict, and in that case, we’ll have to be prepared for that.’

“Today, the US depends on space more than any other nation. Without satellites, televisions would go blank, mobile networks silent, and the Internet would slow and then stop. Dependent on time stamps from GPS satellites, everything from stock markets to bank transactions to traffic lights and railroad switches would freeze. Airline pilots would lose contact with the ground, unsure of their position and without weather data to steer around storms. World leaders couldn’t communicate across continents. In the US military, pilots would lose contact with armed drones over the Middle East. Smart bombs would become dumb. Missiles would sit immobile in their silos. The US could lose early warning of nuclear attacks for parts of the Earth. ‘There’s incentive to take that away from us,’ said Peter Singer, who advises the Defense Department on space threats…

“‘And that means if there was conflict on Planet Earth, it would almost inherently start with some kind of conflict in space.’ America’s chief adversaries in space are familiar ones: Russia and China are extending above the atmosphere the competition and conflict already boiling down here on Earth — from Syria to Ukraine to the South China Sea to cyberspace. China and Russia are taking aim at America in space with a dizzying array of weapons seemingly borrowed from science fiction. Russia has deployed what could be multiple kamikaze satellites such as ‘Kosmos 2499’ — designed to sidle up to American satellites and then, if ordered, disable or destroy them. China has launched the ‘Shiyan’ — equipped with a grappling arm that could snatch US satellites right out of orbit…

“In 2015, Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work expressed his grave concern that the military was not ‘ready to do space operations in a conflict that extends into space.’ He was proven right when, months later, US space forces were overwhelmed in a mock attack on US military satellites… as Russia and China make rapid advances, some of the most senior military commanders are sounding the alarm that this is a war — the next world war and the first to extend beyond the confines of Earth — that America could lose… Winning a space war means rethinking how the US wages war, and that rethinking is one our current military leaders and politicians are only just beginning to undertake. So is the US moving quickly enough to respond to the new threats in space? ‘I would say the answer was no,’ said Gen. William Shelton, former head of Space Command. ‘Could we provide active defense of our own satellites? The answer’s no.’ The stakes couldn’t be higher. How the US responds to this new threat could determine who wins the defining conflict of the 21st century.”

The sad truth is, there will soon be another world war, which will be fought with horrific nuclear weapons—and it could very well include space warfare.  The Bible prophecies that the USA WILL lose World War III.

Turkey’s Death Penalty Plans

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 29:

“Turkey’s government is pressing on with its plans to bring back the death penalty despite the risk of dashing EU accession hopes… When Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) abolished capital punishment in 2004, the move was widely praised as evidence of the pragmatism and political maturity of the country’s religious conservatives. Turkey had not carried out a death penalty since 1984 but its legal abolition was hailed…

“Just 12 years later, the… ruling party is in the final stages of preparing to reinstate capital punishment as part of a radical set of changes to Turkey’s constitution that supporters and critics alike say will be a blueprint for the country’s future…

“Getting people on the street to comment is far from easy these days, but those that are willing to talk don’t mince their words. ‘Capital punishment is part of Islam, it is religion. If someone kills another man then he deserves to be killed too – for me it is that simple,’ 59-year-old Huseyin Akturan told DW…”

Erdogan: We Must Defend the Temple Mount

The Times of Israel wrote on November 29:

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday urged Muslims to defend the Palestinian cause… ‘It is the common duty of all Muslims to embrace the Palestinian cause and protect Jerusalem,’ the president of the majority country told a parliamentary symposium on Jerusalem in Istanbul.

“Safeguarding the Al-Aqsa Mosque should not be left to children armed with nothing but stones, he said, in a likely reference to Palestinian youths who sometimes hurl stones at Israeli security forces on the Temple Mount. The Jerusalem hilltop is the third most sacred site to Muslims and the holiest to Jews, who traditionally believe it to be the location of the two biblical temples.”

Europe and the Jews

The Jerusalem Post wrote on November 28:

“European intervention in Israeli-Palestinian affairs is hard to rationalize if viewed through a foreign policy prism… The European-Israeli conflict is the world’s oldest, lasting for 2,300 years… The feud dates back to Greek and then Roman invasions of Judea. While other nations accepted the European invaders, the Israelites rebelled…

“In the 11th century, Europe’s conflict with Israel escalated as the crusaders coerced European Jews to ‘kiss the cross’ or die. They then proceeded to Jerusalem and slaughtered the city’s Jews alongside their Muslim brethren.

“… by the end of the 19th century, European Jew-hatred reinvented itself in the form of national and racial hatred, and a new term began to be used: antisemitism… European anti-Jewish sentiment found an outlet. This time, toward the collective of Jews – the State of Israel.

“… history shows that when a society in Europe felt humiliated, the Jews were often the ones who paid the price… it was France’s humiliating defeat by Prussia in 1870 which eventually led to the Dreyfus Affair. Fifty years later, it was Germany’s humiliating defeat in World War I which eventually led to the Holocaust…”

The Syrian Nightmare Continues

The Telegraph wrote on November 28:

“Syria’s rebels lost all of the northern neighbourhoods of their stronghold in east Aleppo on Monday, as the army gained significant ground in its offensive to recapture the entire city. The regime’s advance has prompted an exodus of desperate citizens, some fleeing to districts held by the government or Kurdish forces, others heading south into areas still under rebel control.

“The rebel losses suggested it was only a matter of time before all of east Aleppo – held by the opposition since 2012 – was back in government hands. The loss of the city’s east would be a potentially devastating blow for Syria’s rebels, who have seen their territory fall steadily to the government since Russia began an intervention to bolster President Bashar al-Assad in September 2015…

“Kurdish forces in Syria are officially aligned with neither the government nor the rebels, but the opposition views them as effectively allied with the regime in its bid to recapture Aleppo city…

“The assault has been waged with heavy air strikes, barrel bomb attacks and artillery fire that has killed at least 225 civilians, including 27 children, in east Aleppo, according to the Observatory. Rebels have also fired onto the government-held west of the city, killing at least 27 civilians, among them 11 children, since November 15, the monitor says…

“Assad’s forces already control the capital Damascus, the central cities of Homs and Hama and the coastal city of Latakia. More than 300,000 people have been killed since Syria’s conflict began with anti-government protests in March 2011. The war has also displaced over half the country’s population, with millions fleeing across Syria’s border to become refugees.”

ISIS’ Plans to Attack Europe

Daily Mail wrote on November 28:

“Secret documents revealing scores of Islamic State terror plots targeting the UK and Europe have been seized in Iraq and Syria… Major General Rupert Jones said tens of thousands of documents in Islamic State’s ‘external operations hubs’ had been uncovered as towns were liberated from the terror group.

“In a bid to process the mass of data, hundreds of analysts – including from Britain’s security services – are being flown to a top secret location to wade through papers, hard drives and mobile phones… US-led coalition jets and local ground forces are currently engaged in a double-pronged attack on IS in its Iraqi stronghold Mosul, and its de facto capital in Syria, Raqqa.

“Commanders predict the next big fight will be in Anbar province, where extremists retain key areas along the Euphrates river and where UK troops will be at the heart of the battle…

“The general [Rupert Jones]… rejected suggestions by Donald Trump that the terrorists are not being hit hard enough. The US President-elect sparked fury last year when he said he knew more about IS than the generals on the ground, saying: ‘I would bomb the… out of them.’ This month he suggested the US could end its training of moderate Syrian forces ‘because we have no idea who these people are’.

“But General Jones dismissed the claims, saying: ‘The plan is built on those moderates.’ He insisted there was a clear plan and mission that had pushed IS back significantly since Britain entered the fight in September 2014. The UK’s war effort includes more than 500 ground troops helping to train local forces… There are still an estimated 400 Britons who have gone to join IS in Iraq and Syria. But there are being picked off from the IS leadership ‘one by one’. General Jones said recruitment was down from about 1,000 a month to a ‘paltry amount’.”

Ethiopia vs. EU?

Express wrote on December 1:

“Merera Gudina, who leads the Oromo People’s Congress, was detained after returning to Addis Ababa from Brussels where he criticised the government in Addis Ababa for imposing a state of emergency. Mr Gudina has been at the forefront of protests against land grabs in the Oromiya region and what his supporters have described as a government clampdown on political freedoms. His deputy Gebru Gebremariam said: ‘Merera arrived in Addis Ababa on Wednesday morning from a trip to Brussels, where he met members of the European Parliament. Police arrested him in his house the same day in the evening. We haven’t been given reasons behind his arrest.’

“Ethiopian security officials said Mr Gudina had violated guidelines ‘by making contact with terrorist groups’ during his visit to Brussels… More than 500 people died in violent protests against the government until the six-month state of emergency was declared in October…”

If it is Ethiopia’s position that the EU, which is headquartered in Brussels, constitutes a “terror group,” then this will have dire consequences.

Does the Pope Change Catholic Church Doctrine?

Zenit wrote on November 25:

“[The pope] described… how the Lord will judge the great and the lowly ‘according to their deeds,’ with the damned being thrown into the pool of fire. Francis described this as the ‘second death.’ ‘Eternal damnation is not a torture chamber,’ he said. ‘That’s a description of this second death: it is a death. And those who will not be received in the Kingdom of God, it’s because they have not drawn close to the Lord. These are the people who journeyed along their own path, distancing themselves from the Lord and passing in front of the Lord but then choosing to walk away from Him.’

“What eternal damnation is, he explained, is ‘continually distancing oneself from God… It is the worst pain, an unsatisfied heart, a heart that was created to find God but which, out of arrogance and self-confidence, distances itself from God.’ Distancing oneself from God Who gives happiness and Who loves us so much, the Pontiff admonished, is the ‘fire,’ and the road to eternal damnation.”

You can read the true meaning of the second death and the lake of fire in our free booklet, “The Mystery of the Book of Revelation.” Our new StandingWatch and AufPostenStehen programs discuss this matter as well, titled, respectively, “Pope Francis–Hell Is No Torture Chamber,” and “Papst Franziskus–Die Hölle ist keine Folterkammer.”

A Catholic Deal with the Devil?

Breitbart wrote on November 28:

“China’s most outspoken Catholic Cardinal has sharply criticized a potential Vatican deal with China’s Communist Party that would cede some Church decision-making to the atheist government. ‘You cannot go into negotiations with the mentality “we want to sign an agreement at any cost”, then you are surrendering yourself, you are betraying yourself, you are betraying Jesus Christ,’ said Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, the former Bishop of Hong Kong and China’s highest ranking Catholic cleric.

“Early on in the Francis pontificate, the Vatican showed signs of openness to work toward a diplomatic rapprochement with the Chinese government, something Cardinal Zen has resolutely opposed. Last year, Zen told the Italian daily Corriere della Sera Vatican that the Vatican was being naïve in its dialogue with Beijing. ‘Italians in the Roman Curia don’t know the Chinese dictatorship,’ he said, ‘because they have never experienced a Communist regime.’

“Those in Rome who are anxious to succeed at all costs are moving toward a compromise that is really an ‘unconditional surrender,’ Zen lamented…

“The 84-year-old Zen is hero to Chinese Catholics for his outspoken support of the underground Church and his willingness to stand up to the Communist leadership. He was bishop of Hong Kong from 2002 to 2009, and was made a Cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006. Mao Zedong set up the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA) as a state-run replacement for the Catholic Church, driving the Catholic Church underground through its systematic persecution of all who remained faithful to Rome and would not collaborate with the government.

“Ever since 1958, the Catholic Church in China has been split into underground and open communities. A Vatican document of 1988 barred Roman Catholics from participating in the sacraments of the Patriotic Church, since the association ‘had broken all relationships with the pope’ and would be ‘under the direct control of the government.’…

“According to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), the Chinese government ‘continues to perpetrate particularly severe violations of religious freedom.’ When the commission released its 2016 Annual Report, it once again recommended that China be designated as a ‘country of particular concern,’ based on what it termed ‘systematic, egregious, ongoing abuses.’ ‘The Chinese Communist Party officially is atheist and took steps in 2015 to ensure that Party members reject religion or belief,’ the report stated.

“Throughout the year 2015, Chinese authorities used the pretext of building code violations to target houses of worship, particularly churches, as illegal structures, the report added… Chinese authorities ‘continued to summon, question, detain, and even arrest clergy and parishioners of unregistered house churches,’ the report stated.”

Many assume that mankind has to be saved “today”–in this day and age–and if they do not accept Christ “now,” they will be lost forever. But imagine what this would mean. Many have no understanding about Jesus Christ, and most do not even profess to be “Christians.” Are they all “condemned” and confined to “eternal hell fire”?

The Bible clearly rejects this view in its entirety. It teaches that only VERY FEW are called today for salvation, and that the overwhelming majority will be called at a much later time. Most will be given their opportunity to accept God’s way of life and Jesus Christ as their personal Savor in, what is called, the Second Resurrection or the Great White Throne Judgment. Then their eyes will be opened to the truth… not before then. You might want to read our free booklet, “The Mystery of the Book of Revelation,” which explains this misunderstood truth in great detail.

What then is meant in 2 Corinthians 6:2, where we read in the New King James Bible: “For He says, ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation'”?

Please note that Paul quotes from the Old Testament passage of Isaiah 49:8. In the New King James Bible, the passage in Isaiah reads exactly as quoted in 2 Corinthians 6:2, but when reviewing the rendition in the Authorized Version, we read the following regarding Isaiah 49:8: “Thus says the LORD: In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee…”

This distinction between “a” day of salvation and “the” day of salvation is significant, but why is there such disagreement as to how to translate Isaiah 49:8? In fact, as we will show now, there is also disagreement as to how to translate the entire passage in 2 Corinthians 6:2.

For instance, please note the following, mostly ancient, translations of 2 Corinthians 6:2:

The Wyclif’s Bible of 1395 reads:  “For he seith, In tyme wel plesinge Y haue herd thee, and in the dai of heelthe Y haue helpid thee. Lo! now a tyme acceptable, lo! now a dai of heelthe.”

The Calvin Bible of 1858 reads: “for he says, In an acceptable time I heard you, and in a day of salvation I helped you; behold, now is an acceptable time, behold, now is a day of salvation.”

A Bible with the name, “A Conservative Version,” states: “(for he says, At an acceptable time I heard thee, and in a day of salvation I helped thee. Behold, now is an acceptable time. Behold, now is a day of salvation).”

The Emphasized Bible reads: “For he saith – In an approved season, have I hearkened unto thee, and, in a day of salvation, have succoured thee; – Lo! now, a well-approved season, Lo! now, a day of salvation.”

The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary points out that the rendering of “the day of salvation” should be, “a day of salvation.”

The following was stated in an article from the Internet:

“Many people read into this verse more than is actually stated and also, many English translations add more than is actually in the original Greek. The first part of that verse is a quote from the first part of Isaiah 49:8 which reads in the KJV [Authorized Version]: ‘Thus saith the LORD, In AN acceptable time have I heard thee, and in A day of salvation have I helped thee’… the phrase in 2 Cor. 6:2 is:  ‘behold, now [is the] accepted time; behold, now [is the] day of salvation.’

“Notice that brackets have been put around two words ( [is the] ) above. These words are not in the original Greek. Some of our English translations such as the KJV and NASB, put some words in italics that are not in the original, but they also fail to do so in some instances. The KJV does put the ‘is’ in italics but fails to also put the ‘the’ in italics to show that it is not a word in the original Greek. This can be misleading… below is the way 2 Cor. 6:2 is translated in Young’s Literal Translation and by Darby’s translation…:  ‘for He saith, “In an acceptable time I did hear thee, and in a day of salvation I did help thee, lo, now [is] a well-accepted time; lo, now, a day of salvation”‘ — ‘(for he says, I have listened to thee in an accepted time, and I have helped thee in a day of salvation: behold, now [is the] well-accepted time; behold, now [the] day of salvation…”‘

“So, the thought given in this verse agrees with the Isaiah verse from which it is a quote that [it is] ‘an accepted time’ and ‘a day of salvation’, NOT ‘the accepted time’ and NOT ‘the day of salvation’. This means that now is an accepted time and now is a day of salvation but it IS NOT the ONLY accepted time and NOT the ONLY day of salvation…”

This has also been the explanation of the former Worldwide Church of God (a/k/a Radio Church of God) under its late human leader, Herbert W. Armstrong. The late Dr. C. Paul Meredith, evangelist in the Church and former director of the Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course (from 1953 to 1968), wrote the following article which appeared in The Plain Truth in 1958:

“… some have been confused by II Corinthians 6:2, which seems to say that now is the ONLY day of salvation. But the word ‘the’ in the King James Version is actually misleading, because it is absent in both the Hebrew and the Greek. Actually, II Corinthians 6:2 was quoted by Paul from the Old Testament. Paul is quoting Isaiah 49:8. But the Hebrew text of Isaiah 49:8 does not have a definite article. Neither does the Greek text of II Corinthians 6:2. The first part of the verse is more correctly tendered as follows: ‘I have answered thy prayer, he says, in a [not the only one] time of pardon, I have brought thee help in a [not the only one] day of salvation’ (Knox translation).”

To reiterate, in the Greek text of 2 Corinthians 6:2, the literal translation is as follows:

“… for he says, In a time accepted I listened to thee, and in a day of salvation I helped thee; lo, now [the] time well-accepted; behold, now [the] day of salvation…”

We ask again: Why is there so much confusion as to the correct translation, and why do many Bibles render 2 Corinthians 6:2 as “now is THE accepted time… Now is THE day of salvation.”?

The answer lies in a peculiar phenomenon in the Hebrew and Greek languages, and the existence and non-existence of “definite” and “indefinite” articles in both languages.

The term definite article refers to the word “the”. In English we also have an indefinite article, “a” (or “an” before words beginning with vowels). There is a definite article in the Hebrew (“the”), but no indefinite article.  We either say, THE day or Day.

The same is true in Greek, which knows a definite, but not an indefinite article. You will have to allow the context to tell you whether or not to supply an indefinite article in your English translation.

It is pretty much agreed among scholars that in both the Hebrew text of Isaiah 49:8 and in the Greek text of 2 Corinthians 6:2, NO DEFINITE articles are used in reference to “acceptable time” and “day of salvation.”

The complication arises that even when the definite article is not used in the Greek, that does not mean that therefore an indefinite article must be used in English. For instance, John 1:1 contains an example of a time without an article in Greek, which is needed in English. It says, “en arche ‘en o logos…”; that is (literally), “In beginning was the Word.” Notice that there is no definite article before “arche” (“beginning”). But to leave out the definite article would cause confusion in English. To translate, “In a beginning was the Word…” would imply that there were multiple beginnings to the universe, but that is not what the Bible teaches.

Another critical example, which requires that the English translation must not use an indefinite article, even though the Greek does not use a definite article, is found in John 1:1, in regard to Jesus Christ. Commonly, that particular clause in John 1:1 is (correctly) translated as “… and the Word [Jesus Christ, the Logos or Spokesman, compare John 1:14] was God.” In the Greek, no definite article is used for “God,” but it is clear from the context of the Bible and from many other biblical passages that the translation, “the Word was a god,” is wrong (even though that is how the Jehovah’s Witnesses translate this verse incorrectly, thereby trying to deny that Jesus Christ was and is God–the second member of the GOD FAMILY.)

In returning to the passage in 2 Corinthians 6:2, we can understand why some translations added the word “the” in “day of salvation,” while others did not and chose to use the indefinite article, “a.” It is a matter of interpretation. But even when using the definite article (“THE day of salvation”), this would not mean that today is the only day of salvation for everybody.

In the above-mentioned article by Dr. C. Paul Meredith, the following was added:

“Certainly, this is the day of salvation for those who have been called and whose minds have been opened to the truth by God. Now is their chance — their opportunity to qualify for His Kingdom. This is the day of salvation for them. But it is not the day of salvation for the vast majority. They will receive their chance — their first and only chance — at a later time. It is a day of salvation, but not the only day of salvation.”

For those who ARE called today to God’s truth, this is in fact THEIR only day of salvation; and we should note that in 2 Corinthians 6:2, Paul is addressing Church members in Corinth. Paul stresses this important truth in other passages as well. He says in Hebrews 3:7, 13, again addressing Church members: “… ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion… but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin…”

We should take the admonition in Isaiah 55:6 very seriously, which reads: “Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; and to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”

To conclude, while today is NOT the only day of salvation for the world—in fact, it is not even “a” day of salvation for the world, as their calling occurs later—it IS THE ONLY day of salvation for those who have been called by God in this day and age. Those who have received God’s Holy Spirit will not be given a second chance when they fall away (Hebrews 10:26-29; 6:4-8); their TIME to inherit salvation is now.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new Member Letter (December 2016) has been written and is now posted. It was also mailed out this week. In this letter, Pastor Brian Gale writes of dramatic world news events which are fulfilling biblical prophecy and cautions Christians to remain vigilant as circumstances even within the very Church of God test our endurance.

“Pope Francis–Hell Is No Torture Chamber,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Recently, Pope Francis declared that hell–or eternal damnation–is not a torture chamber, and he went on to say that the lake of fire in Revelation 20 describes the second death. However, he then gave an unbiblical explanation of the “second death” and of “the fire.” Do YOU know the truth of the Bible?

“Papst Franziskus–Die Hölle ist keine Folterkammer,” is the German language version of the program described above.

“Wie Ihr Wollt, dass Euch die Leute Tun…” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon. Title in English: “As You Want Men to Do to You…”