This Week in the News

Trump Indicted in Georgia by “Hypocritical Democrats”

Breitbart wrote on August 15:

“Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz said Monday that District Attorney Fani Willis had indicted former President Donald Trump and 18 others for a ‘conspiracy’ that was exactly what Democrats did in challenging the 2000 election. ‘The tactics of the Trump team, including claims of fraud, were neither more nor less than what Democrats had done in claiming that the election had been stolen from then-Vice President Al Gore by Republicans pushing for then-Governor George W. Bush… ‘You cannot start making crimes out of things that the Democrats did…’

“Dershowitz added that the indictments against Trump, both federal and state, were the ‘weakest’ he had ever seen against any candidate… The indictment against Trump and others claims that acts as mundane as tweeting to turn on the TV, reserving a meeting room, and asking for a phone number were part of the overall criminal conspiracy.

Such incompetent and concocted charges are truly mind boggling.

Breitbart added on August 15:

“… more than 150 examples show Democrats denying election results, including President Joe Biden; two-time failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton; House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY); Reps. Barbara Lee, Maxine Waters… and  failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. 

“In fact, every single Democrat president since 1977 has questioned the legitimacy of U.S. elections…”

What hypocrisy! But this is not about justice, it is about the political motive by Democrats to interfere in the upcoming election. In trying to silence the leading candidate, they use methods of a dictatorship, reminiscent of a Banana Republic. With the approval and collaboration of the Presidency, the Biden Administration and numerous governmental agencies, the USA has ceased to be a Democracy.

Indictment Excessive and Dangerous

Fox News wrote on August 15:

“[Law Professor] Jonathan Turley argued the indictment is ‘excessive’ and ‘dangerous’… ‘It essentially criminalizes challenges to elections… They are charging things like the president saying publicly, we need to have a recount. Democrats and Republicans challenge these elections routinely… What’s concerning, particularly about this is that [Fani] Willis didn’t really show any semblance of restraint. She indicted everyone for everything she could think of

“‘But having said that, I think that the Trump team has to realize that this is a serious threat, not because of the merits, but because, as a racketeering case, it’s very hard to take these cases up on appeal before trial… Also, this is not a case that can be dismissed with a federal pardon, whether by Trump himself or by an elected Republican.”

The claimed reason being, this is a state, not a federal case. Fox News explained that “The power to pardon in Georgia does not fall to the governor, but rather a five-member board… Felons who are seeking pardon by the board must serve their sentence for five years before doing so.”

This view is not uncontested. Famous attorney and litigator Mark Levin “argued that Trump can pardon himself from state charges if he wins the presidency, under existing Department of Justice policy and the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause” (Breitbart, dated August 16).  

Of course, Trump could and probably will try to remove the case to federal court because it involves presidential powers. Trump attorney Alina Habba stated that “as a deliberate ploy, the state of Georgia is bringing charges against former President Donald Trump that should be in federal court… ‘Anything having to do with … election issues at this level with a president should 100% be in federal court,’ Abba said, adding that this was all done ‘by design’” (Newsmax, dated August 15).

Of course it was. That should be obvious to any objective observer.

Trump: The Whole World Is Laughing At the USA

Fox News wrote on August 15:

“‘Nineteen people were indicted, and the whole world is laughing at the United States as they see how corrupt and horrible a place it has turned out to be under the leadership of Crooked Joe Biden,’ Trump told Fox News Digital during an exclusive interview late Monday night. Trump and more than a dozen others were charged, including his former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, his former attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro, Jeff Clark, John Eastman, among others.

“‘The racist and corrupt district attorney of Fulton County, which has turned out to be a murder capital of the world with among the highest violent crime levels anywhere in our country, just opened a fundraising site in order to benefit [she launched her reelection fundraising site days before the grand jury indicted Trump] off the things she most campaigned on, “I will get Donald Trump,”’ he said… [He] blasted Willis, saying that it is ‘not even conceivable that a person with such a record of failure could be allowed to interrupt perhaps the most important election in the history of our country… Trump said that Willis ‘should focus on the people that rigged the 2020 presidential election, not those who demand an answer as to what happened.’”

This Is Not Justice

Breitbart wrote on August 15:

“… conservative talker Mark Levin criticized the Fulton County, GA indictment against former President Donald Trump… ‘Well, Stalin would be proud. I’m sure Putin is proud. I’m sure enemies are celebrating, and our allies are appalled at what’s going on here… We’re going through the motions of justice here, like autocratic regimes… the Democrat Party has become so radicalized and such a tool of its radical base, they are tonight, most of them, celebrating. They don’t come out and say a… thing about Hunter Biden… they don’t even have a curiosity about anything related to Joe Biden despite the fact there are predicates all over the place for a special counsel and they are excited…

“‘Ladies and gentlemen, the people of America, you know what’s going on here… this is not justice. Just because you have a judge, just because you have grand juries, just because you have a fake media, that doesn’t mean things are going right… People vote for tyranny, and then it’s too late.

“‘You got people who are self-righteously saying how wonderful the system is, nobody’s above the law. Are you kidding me?… This is a grave time in American history…’”

According to Deutsche Welle, dated August 15, “former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who lost to Trump in the 2016 presidential election, told broadcaster MSNBC the indictment showed that justice in the US was working.”

Clinton is one to talk! IF justice in the USA was working, she would be in jail for illegally destroying over 30,000 emails, including sensitive and classified documents.

District Attorney Fani Willis a Disgrace for the Legal Profession

Newsmax wrote on August 15:

“Former federal prosecutor Joe diGenova told Newsmax on Tuesday that Democrat Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has brought disgrace to the legal profession

“Willis, 52, was raised by her single father, John Clifford Floyd III, a onetime Black Panther with a criminal record who became a defense lawyer in Washington, D.C… ‘Apparently that pedigree has worn well,’ diGenova said. ‘She has conducted herself unprofessionally. She has become basically a terrorist in a prosecutor’s uniform…’

“‘The truth is, Fani Willis, Bragg in New York, Jack Smith; there’s the cult because what they’ve decided to do is gather together like a bunch of witches and to bring their brew together to take down one man,’ diGenova said… ‘This is 250 years of jurisprudence being destroyed by a cult called the Democratic Party. This is disgraceful.’’

It surely is. The case against Trump should be dismissed for the reason alone that the prosecution posted on their website and thereby leaked a draft of the indictment to the press BEFORE the grand jury had even rendered a verdict, thereby violating Trump’s right to a fair trial. The methods which the prosecution in Georgia are using are truly unbelievable.  

Willful Ignorance or Intentional Lies?

Breitbart wrote on August 14:

“White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at a briefing Monday that there was ‘zero evidence’ that President Joe Biden had ‘discussed,’ or was ‘involved with,’ his son Hunter’s business dealings… That response is different from Jean-Pierre’s effort in recent weeks to claim that ‘[t]he president was never in business with his son,’ which she denied was a change from Biden’s own earlier response that he had ‘never discussed’ his family’s businesses.

“In claiming that there was ‘zero evidence,’ Jean-Pierre ignored a mounting collection of evidence, including the following:

“Travel logs showing that Hunter Biden traveled to China with his father on Air Force Two before a lucrative business deal; E-mails and messages on Hunter Biden’s laptop showing that Joe Biden had met with his son’s business associates; Evidence from Hunter Biden’s laptop showing that he and his father had intermingled their family’s finances and bills; Businessman Tony Bobulinski’s claim that he met with Joe Biden to discuss ‘family business plans with the Chinese’; A voicemail from Joe Biden to his son regarding New York Times coverage of Hunter Biden’s business interests; Bank records showing wire transfers from abroad to Hunter Biden via shell companies for distribution to family members; Testimony from Hunter Biden’s former business partner, Devon Archer, stating that Joe Biden had spoken by speakerphone at least 20 times with Hunter Biden’s business associates, and had attended a dinner meeting with many of them in 2014; Joe Biden’s infamous boast about using the threat of withdrawing $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees to remove a Ukrainian prosecutor, whom Devon Archer confirmed Hunter had been hired by the Ukrainian energy company Burisma to counteract.”

In light of these FACTS, events which took place the next day in Georgia are truly remarkable.

Articles of Impeachment Filed on Joe Biden

Newsmax wrote on August 13:

“Rep. Greg Steube has filed articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden, accusing him of ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’ and commenting that ‘it’s long past time’ to impeach him. ‘He has undermined the integrity of his office, brought disrepute on the presidency, betrayed his trust as president, and acted in a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice at the expense of America’s citizens,’ the Florida Republican said…”

Fox News wrote on August 12:

“While several congressional committees are building a multipronged case to remove Biden from office, Steube… filed [four] articles of impeachment against Biden charging that the president had been complicit in his son Hunter’s alleged crimes and had worked to shield him from justice

“The first accuses the president of abusing the power of his office by allegedly accepting bribes, committing Hobbs Act extortion and honest services fraud related to use of his official position. These charges arise from Biden’s alleged involvement with his family’s business dealings, including Hunter and James Biden’s (the president’s brother) alleged effort to sell access to then-Vice President Biden between 2009 and 2017 in exchange for ‘payments and business opportunities from foreign and domestic business partners.’ House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky, on Wednesday released a memo purporting to show that foreign payments to the Biden family totaled more than $20 million

“The second article charges that President Biden obstructed justice, citing IRS whistleblower testimony that ‘members of the Biden campaign improperly colluded with Justice Department (DOJ) officials to improperly interfere with investigations into tax crimes alleged to have been committed by Hunter Biden.’…

“The third and fourth articles accuse Biden of ‘fraud’ and paying for Hunter Biden’s illegal drugs and trysts with prostitutes, respectively

“On the same day, Steube introduced legislation to require the Secret Service chief to write a report on the illicit use of controlled substances in the White House. The move comes after the Secret Service closed its investigation into cocaine found at the White House last month without identifying a person of interest…”

Even though filing articles of impeachment on Joe Biden may have been long overdue, there is little chance that Biden will be removed from office, as Senate Democrats, for example, would not in any way support such a move. And even if Joe Biden would vacate the office, Kamala Harris would take his place, which would constitute the absolute nightmare in the eyes of many observers.

Appointment of “Special Counsel” in Hunter Biden Case Another Cover-Up?

Breitbart reported on August 11:

“Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed U.S. prosecutor David Weiss as a special counsel in the ongoing investigation of Hunter Biden… ‘David Weiss can’t be trusted and this is just a new way to whitewash the Biden family’s corruption,’ Russell Dye, a spokesperson for House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH), told Breitbart News in a statement. ‘Weiss has already signed off on a sweetheart plea deal that was so awful and unfair that a federal judge rejected it,’ he added…

“House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) also was skeptical of the appointment of a special counsel. ‘This move by AG Garland is part of the Justice Department’s efforts to attempt a Biden family coverup in light of GOPoversight‘s mounting evidence of President Biden’s role in his family’s schemes selling “the brand” for millions of dollars to foreign nationals,’ he said in a statement.

“The appointment of a special counsel comes on the same day that news broke that Weiss’ prosecutors acknowledged that the gun and tax charges against Hunter will likely have to be resolved at a trial in California or Washington, DC…  The DOJ’s probe into Hunter Biden could implicate Joe Biden. A witness who testified before the jury was reportedly asked to identify the ‘big guy.’…

“George Washington law professor Jonathan Turley said Friday… that Attorney General Merrick Garland appointing David Weiss as special counsel in the Hunter Biden criminal case would make it harder for Congress to ask questions in their probe of Hunter Biden… ‘This new status can slow that process down. Weiss was at the top of the list of Congress to be brought in to explain why did you allow statute of limitations to run? Why were Biden people tipped off about raids? Why was there interference with investigators trying to interview Hunter Biden?

“‘All of those questions are now likely to be delayed before they are answered… The initial concern is whether Weiss is damaged goods. You usually appoint special counsel who will satisfy all sides, that is someone who doesn’t bring baggage to the question and can resolve issues. These whistleblowers were critical of Weiss. Weiss suggested that he always had this authority. The whistleblowers said he said the opposite to staff, suggested he allowed statute of limitations to run…’”

Garland’s appointment of Weiss might indeed have been a “dirty trick” in his attempts to continue the cover-up and protection of Joe Biden, as the next article suggests.

Garland’s Last Dirty Trick

The New York Post wrote on August 11:

“Attorney General Merrick Garland may have just played his last trick card to save Joe Biden: appointing a special counsel to delay prosecution of his son Hunter. With any luck, the official Justice Department final report on Biden family shenanigans will be released in December 2024, one month after the presidential election… Federal agencies and the Justice Department dragged out for five years the investigation of Hunter’s gun, tax and foreign influence peddling. The statute of limitations already expired on several of his crimes, but that was OK because of the spelling of his last name.

“Despite a string of crimes that would have sent average Americans up the river for a decade, Biden’s Justice Department cut a deal in June that permitted Hunter to plead guilty to misdemeanors, not serve a day in jail and dodge any other federal charges. That deal collapsed when federal Judge Maryellen Noreika asked a few questions after she was blindsided by a last-minute sweeping exoneration paragraph added to the plea deal…

“For Joe Biden, Weiss is absolutely trustworthy: He’s the same lawyer who dragged out prosecuting Hunter for years. Former White House correspondent Emerald Robinson quipped, ‘Appointing David Weiss is like appointing a crack pipe to ‘investigate’ Hunter Biden.’

“According to The Federalist’s Sean Davis, “Weiss demonstrated his loyalty to the Biden family by shutting down investigations, tipping off suspects before searches . . . refusing to interview Hunter, hiding FBI documents, firing IRS investigators . . .’ Is there any reason to expect Weiss to be more honest in the future?

Coverups have been a key to Biden’s political power for more than three years… Team Biden is teaching Americans that ‘Justice Department’ is often an oxymoron…”

Even CNN is questioning the appointment of David Weiss as a special counsel. Note the next article:

Jake Tapper: Some Concerns Have Merit

Fox News wrote on August 11:

“Many Republicans are wary of U.S. attorney David Weiss overseeing the Hunter Biden probe, and CNN anchor Jake Tapper agreed Friday that some of their concerns ‘have merit.’… ‘I think there are some legitimate questions about this whole situation,’ Tapper said on ‘CNN News Central.’ ‘First of all, I do think it’s fair to question why would U.S. Attorney Weiss be appointed to special counsel. Usually, a special counsel is an outside attorney. Now, it has happened before. Durham came from inside, and the attorney general has the right to do that, but it is odd.’

“Tapper went on to ask why they would stick with the person who was responsible for the ‘colossal failure’ of the Hunter plea deal

“He also spoke about the mixed messages regarding Weiss’ jurisdiction and whether he already had the necessary power to charge outside of Delaware before he was made a special counsel, recalling that the U.S. attorney had made different claims about his power in private versus in public, according to whistleblowers.

“‘The Justice Department and Weiss denied what the whistleblowers were saying, but this move makes it seem as though, well, maybe the whistleblowers were right. Maybe what they were alleging is true, and he didn’t have the ability to charge whatever he wanted to charge, and now he does. So I do have a lot of questions about that, and I do think some of the political questions being raised by Republicans have merit,’ Tapper said…”

When left-wing CNN begins to ask questions regarding the affairs of Joe and Hunter Biden, as well as the conduct of the Justice Department and the FBI in those matters, then that should tell us something.

 USA Like Nazi Germany?

The Daily Mail wrote on August 11:

“A majority of Republican voters in Iowa believe the pursuit of former President Donald Trump by the FBI and the Department of Justice smacks of Nazi rule in 1930s Germany, according to a new poll  for DailyMail.com. Some 57 percent of respondents said they agreed with the statement: ‘The lawlessness of the persecutions of President Trump and his supporters is reminiscent of Nazi Germany in the 1930s.’ [73 % of Trump supporters agreed with the statement.]  It comes after months of attacks on the FBI and the Department of Justice by Trump and his allies, who say he is the victim of an attempt to end his presidential campaign…

“Republicans in Iowa… will have a crucial say in selecting the party’s 2024 nomination. It is the first state to pick its preferred candidate next year, and the currents of public opinion will be watched closely until then… The DailyMail.com poll shows Trump retains a tight grip on the race. He is in clear first place with 43 percent support in the state…  Ron DeSantis has lost nine points, putting him on 17 percent… Meanwhile Sen. Tim Scott has surged to 11 percent.”

When the majority of Republican voters feel that the Justice Department and the FBI act like the Gestapo in Nazi Germany, then any confidence by a vast portion of America’s population in those institutions is gone. And we do not even know how many Independents (and Democrats) have similar opinions. What will the consequence be? 

Many propose that the DOJ, the FBI and many other federal agencies must be freed from their internal corruption by reforming them and by getting rid of the bad guys, starting with the very top. Others feel, such as businessman and Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, that these agencies are beyond repair and must be totally shut down.

Really Dangerous US-Iran Deal

Newsmax and The Associated Press wrote on August 13:

“Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blasted the Biden administration for apparently buying the release of jailed Americans in Iran. Pompeo… was asked about the U.S. working to bring home the jailed Americans via a deal that involves billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets being transferred from banks in South Korea to Qatar. ‘It’s really dangerous… for the Gulf nations, it’s dangerous for … Israel.’

“Pompeo said paying for the Americans’ release ‘will build their [Iran’s] economy’ and encourage more hostage-taking. ‘You now have a situation where we have told the Iranians, For every American you take, the Biden administration will provide you with $1 billion,’ Pompeo [said]…

“The U.S.-Iran deal… was announced on Thursday, when Iran moved four of the five Americans from prison to house arrest. The fifth American had already been under house arrest. U.S. and Iranian officials say they believe the agreement could be finalized by mid- to late-September.

“The cash involved represents money South Korea owed Iran for oil purchased before the Trump administration imposed sanctions on such transactions in 2019.

“The U.S. maintains that, once in Qatar, the money will be held in restricted accounts and will only be able to be used for humanitarian goods, such as medicine and food. Those transactions are currently allowed under American sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic over its advancing nuclear program.

“Some people in Iran have disputed the U.S. claim, saying Tehran will have total control over the funds. Qatar has not commented publicly on how it will monitor the disbursement of the money.”

This deal is clearly an incentive for Iran to continue kidnapping and arresting American citizens.

 US Army in Trouble

The Hill wrote on August 11:

“… the military, and especially the Army, is now shrinking… A variety of factors have led to the recruiting crisis…  Disastrous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have dented confidence in military leadership…

“President Joe Biden’s recent executive order authorizing the mobilization of up to 3,000 reserve soldiers to augment U.S. forces deployed to Europe highlighted the unending demands of maintaining an expansive U.S. global military presence… Without significant changes to its force structure or missions, the U.S. Army may be stretched to the breaking point, even though America is not at war.

“The active-duty force will soon be at its smallest duty size since the attack on Pearl Harbor. But unlike the pre-World War II force, today’s Army carries out a host of concurrent missions in Europe, the Middle East and East Asia…

“Shrinkage in the force without commensurate cuts in overseas deployments have led to an exceedingly high peacetime operational tempo, with negative effects on the Army’s readiness for war…

“When Hurricane Katrina ravaged Louisiana in 2006, thousands of the state’s Guardsmen were deployed in Iraq — active-duty Marines had to be hastily dispatched to New Orleans to assist with relief efforts and maintain order. In 2020, Oregon could not use six of its Guard helicopters to fight raging wildfires because they were in Afghanistan

“America’s Army needs either more soldiers or fewer missions. Given the demographic and societal headwinds hitting military recruiting, a larger force is going to be difficult to recruit for the foreseeable future. The alternative is making difficult, overdue decisions about which deployments are truly necessary for American national security. The Pentagon and its political overseers are resistant to such retrenchment… But perpetuating the status quo threatens a descent into a hollow force…”

The Bible shows that America’s Army will not help the country when it is going to be attacked in the near future.

Germany’s Approach Towards Ukraine

Express wrote on August 14:

“Kyiv’s relentless push to secure the Taurus cruise missile, a high-stakes weapon boasting an impressive range of over 500 kilometres (300 miles), has triggered alarm bells in Berlin. These missiles, packed with firepower and launched from formidable fighter jets like the Tornado, F-15, and F-18, have ignited geopolitical tensions that can no longer be ignored.

“In a rare twist, Germany’s reluctance to heed Kyiv’s call stands in stark contrast to the UK and France, who’ve already dispatched Storm Shadow and Scalp cruise missiles… Across the Atlantic, even the United States has chosen to sit this one out, withholding its own Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) from Ukraine’s eager grasp…

“According to Der Spiegel, the German Defence Ministry is asking Taurus’ manufacturer to integrate programming safeguards to dictate potential targets for these long-range cruise missiles.

“Scholz, the mastermind behind the manoeuvre, said he envisions a future where Ukrainian offensives on Russian soil are nothing more than a fleeting mirage, as the publication revealed.”

Die Welt Online wondered on August 14 what Germany’s strategy and goal towards Ukraine are; and if there is even a strategy.

Ukraine’s Counteroffensive Unsuccessful

Business Insider wrote on August 11:

“The Ukrainian summer counteroffensive began in June and, despite Western allies supplying advanced tanks and weaponry, the country’s recent moves against Russian combatants have resulted in only modest gains — and heavy casualties.

“The New York Times reported morgues in the country are seeing vastly increased fatalities due to the heightened fighting… The total dead in the local morgues is ‘more or less double since the counteroffensive’ started, added. Though Ukraine doesn’t publicly share the total number of casualties it has sustained, Insider reported General Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, estimated in February that Ukraine had lost more than 100,000 soldiers since the war began last year… Ukrainian troops are taking heavy damage from old-fashioned wartime tactics, including mines and booby traps, high-tech drone attacks, and advanced weapons systems.

“While the US and other allies have provided formidable battle tanks, armored fighting vehicles, and massive amounts of ammunition… the modest gains won so far in the summer counteroffensive have prompted Ukrainian troops to abandon Western tactics and strategies in favor of wearing the enemy down with barrages of missiles…”

Ukraine in Trouble

ZeroHedge wrote on August 11:

“It’s long been clear that Ukraine’s armed forces have undergone some significant recruitment problems amid generally low morale as throughout the summer the counteroffensive has stalled and appears failing. There’s also a grim emerging consensus that Ukraine is suffering staggering losses… This week, even one of Kiev’s most ardent supporters and NATO backers – Poland, has said the counteroffensive is likely to fail. Polish President Andrzej Duda said in a fresh Washington Post interview, ‘Does Ukraine have enough weapons to change the balance of the war and get the upper hand?’ And he answered his rhetorical with – ‘Probably, no’…

“A new announcement by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday has further confirmed this pessimistic view of Kiev’s prospects, as the government has fired all heads of military recruitment on concerns of rampant corruption…  Recruiters have apparently been paid handsomely by those of means to look the other way as they avoid conscription…

“Aside from desperately needing more manpower, also at a time the phenomenon of Western mercenaries flocking to Ukraine is a thing of the past, Kiev is also likely concerned with the prior optics of the brutal mobilization by Ukrainian military recruitment officers. As the Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet recently reported, ‘Many conscripted men are taken straight off the street by uniformed men.’ The paper gave the following example of such: ‘Most recently in Subcarpathia, a surveillance camera recorded the overreach of the authorities as a man trying to go to a store was kidnapped from his bicycle in broad daylight.’”

The victory of Ukraine over Russia, as had been so dogmatically proclaimed in much of the Western press, is more than doubtful.

“Overwhelming Consensus” on Climate Change “Manufactured”

The New York Post wrote on August 9:

“We are told climate change is a crisis, and that there is an ‘overwhelming scientific consensus.’ ‘It’s a manufactured consensus,’ climate scientist Judith Curry tells me. She says scientists have an incentive to exaggerate risk to pursue ‘fame and fortune.’

“She knows about that because she once spread alarm about climate change. The media loved her when she published a study that seemed to show a dramatic increase in hurricane intensity. ‘We found that the percent of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes had doubled,’ says Curry. ‘This was picked up by the media’…  ‘I was adopted by the environmental advocacy groups and the alarmists and I was treated like a rock star,’ Curry recounts. ‘Flown all over the place to meet with politicians.’

“But then some researchers pointed out gaps in her research — years with low levels of hurricanes. ‘Like a good scientist, I investigated,’ says Curry. She realized that the critics were right. ‘Part of it was bad data. Part of it is natural climate variability.’

“Curry was the unusual researcher who looked at criticism of her work and actually concluded: ‘They had a point.’ Then the Climategate scandal taught her that other climate researchers weren’t so open-minded. Alarmist scientists’ aggressive attempts to hide data suggesting climate change is not a crisis were revealed in leaked emails… It made Curry realize that there is a ‘climate-change industry’ set up to reward alarmism. ‘The origins go back to the . . . UN environmental program,’ says Curry.

“Some United Nations officials were motivated by ‘anti-capitalism. They hated the oil companies and seized on the climate change issue to move their policies along.’… The researchers quickly figured out that the way to get funded was to make alarmist claims about ‘man-made climate change.’ This is how ‘manufactured consensus’ happens.”

It has been observed for a long time that scientists manufacture and manipulate statistics to prove their case for man-made global warming.

US Money Down the Drain?

Ron Paul wrote in his weekly column in the Ron Paul Institute on August 14:

“I am not a big fan of Federal Government disaster relief. Too much of the time the money never gets to those who need it most, and too often Washington’s armies of disaster ‘experts’ are more interested in pushing people around than helping them.

“Nevertheless, it’s hard to look at recent footage of the devastation in Maui and then hear President Biden tell Congress that he needs another $24 billion for Ukraine. How can this Administration continue to justify tens of billions of dollars for this losing war that is not in our interest while the rest of the United States disintegrates?

“Biden’s new $24 billion request comes on top of well over $120 billion already spent to fight the US proxy war on Russia in Ukraine. Heritage Foundation budget expert Richard Stern has done the math and determined that Biden’s spending on the Ukraine war thus far will cost each and every American household $900. How many Americans would rather have those $900 dollars back in their pocket rather than in the pockets of Lockheed-Martin, Raytheon, and Ukraine’s oligarchs?

“Recent surveys have shown that a majority of Americans could not afford to cover a sudden $1,000 emergency. Will Americans connect the dots and realize that the reason they can’t find that $1,000 for an emergency is because the neocons have already sent it to Ukraine?

“Ukraine has long been known as among the most corrupt countries on earth and not long ago investigative journalist Seymore Hersh wrote that Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky has embezzled at least $400 million in aid from the American people. Corruption scandals continue to break in Ukraine. Just last week Zelensky fired the heads of all local draft boards for corruption. Some press reports suggest that sales of luxury cars in Ukraine have broken all previous records. I wonder why.

“No wonder the tide of US public opinion is turning against further involvement in the war. Recently CNN found that among all Americans, more than 55 percent are opposed to continued aid to Ukraine. Among Republicans the number opposing more aid to Ukraine rises to three-out-of-four…

“Yet the Biden Administration persists in backing Ukraine even as the US mainstream media is increasingly pointing out the obvious: Ukraine is not winning and cannot win, and continuing to pour money into a losing cause will just result in bankruptcy at home and more dead Ukrainians overseas.

“Last week Newsweek published an article asking, ‘Does Ukraine Have Kompromat on Joe Biden?’ In the article, Northeastern University Professor Max Abrahms wonders out loud whether Biden’s continued support for Ukraine might be related to compromising information held in Kiev about the many Biden family shady business ventures in Ukraine and the region. It is certainly worth considering.

“Meanwhile, the residents of Maui that survived the recent horrific fire will take little comfort knowing that the Biden Administration is more interested in sending their money to Ukraine than in helping them recover.”

Donald Trump stated in a recent interview that Biden is a compromised President.

Maui Wildfires Deadliest in More Than 100 Years

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 13:

“The newly released [death] figure has exceeded that of the 2018 Camp Fire in northern California…  The new death toll Saturday came as search teams with cadaver dogs sifted through the ruins of Lahaina, four days after a fast-moving blaze leveled the historic resort town.

“It is projected to be the second-costliest disaster in Hawaii history, behind only Hurricane Iniki in 1992…

“The cause of the fire is still unknown, but residents are puzzled and angered over the lack of warnings. Sirens stationed around the island — intended to warn of impending natural disasters — never sounded. Alerts were sent via cell phones, TV and radio stations, but the reach was limited due to power and cellular outages…

“Experts say many factors must have contributed to the rapid spread of the inferno, such as a dry summer, unchecked growth of flammable non-native plants, the volcanic topography that creates drying down-slope winds, an unusually parched winter, and a hurricane to the southwest.”

There have been numerous incidents in the past where Hawaii’s warning system had failed miserably. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will not visit Maui because they “don’t want to distract” from the relief efforts, Harris said. Finally, Biden spoke out on the disaster in Maui, but apparently forgot the name of the island.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

Update 1081

Hugging the Cactus / Milestones

On August 19, 2023, Frank Bruno will present the sermonette, titled, “Hugging the Cactus,” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “Milestones.”

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

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Beauty Comes From Within…

by Thilo Hanstein (Germany)

Some time ago, I found myself in the middle of a debate on how to behave towards other people. I mentioned the need for respect towards other people and that one should express oneself well and carefully by choosing one’s words without being hurtful.

My counterpart responded: “I just am who I am.”

This statement was very disappointing to me at that moment, showing a lack of respect and making it clear that there was a complete unwillingness to make a necessary change.

Unwillingness to change also means that one is not prepared to look at one’s reflection in the mirror to examine oneself, and to alter existing faults.

Conducting one’s life in such a way shows an utter indifference to other fellow human beings and a lack of concern for the behavior towards them, and such a person has no place in the Kingdom of God, for he literally would stop at nothing, thus making himself hideous. His heart is cold, and he will not find true peace in this cruel world; something that Christ wants to give us.

In Romans 12:2, Paul wrote: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

This is precisely what we are to do as true Christians: We must critically examine ourselves to see if there is not some bad characteristic clinging to or in us that needs to be banned from our lives. It does not matter how long we have been part of the Body of Christ, regardless of whether we have been converted Christians for 10, 20, 40 or even more than 50 years.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians, chapter 13 and verse 5: “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you are disqualified.” There is simply no age limit for this since self-examination is a lifelong process.

Being respectful to our fellow human beings, and showing kindness and helpfulness, is a huge responsibility that God bestows upon us, especially among true Christians. If we develop such respect for others, God will be very pleased with us. And how to cultivate such respect is explained by David in his Psalms: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever” (Psalm 111:10).

Christ expects us to interact properly with our fellow human beings, and He is the supreme role model for us that ever walked the earth as a human being, for He set an example of what is good and had it written down for the end time, for He was the light of the world (compare John 8:12).  He also taught several times, that “[n]o one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light” (Luke 11:33). And He also tells us: “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14).

It is everyone’s own decision, how bright and beautiful this light is radiating from us; however, we must ensure that it glows powerfully both within and out of us. When it does shine brightly within us and people recognize this, then we will be beautiful to look at, for this beauty does indeed come from within us!

Initial Translation: Daniel Blasinger

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by Norbert Link

We begin with another appalling attempt in the ongoing witch-hunt against Trump to prevent him from successfully running for the US Presidency, in that the state of Georgia indicted Trump and 18 “co-conspirators” for criminal conduct regarding the 2020 election. This indictment has been described as hypocritical and ridiculous by “a cult of Democrats”; and prosecutor and Trump hater Fani Willis has been described as “basically a terrorist in a prosecutor’s uniform” who has “disgraced the legal profession.”

Please view our new StandingWatch program in this regard, titled, “WHY God Condemns Trump’s Indictments and Biden’s Protection!”

We continue with the willful ignorance or intentional lies of the White House regarding President Biden’s denial of knowledge and involvement in his son’s business dealings;  four articles of impeachment having been filed on President Joe Biden, accusing him of “high crimes and misdemeanors,” which, if successful, would remove him from office; and we report on the appointment of controversial prosecutor David Weiss as “special counsel” in the Hunter Biden scandal which has been described as another dirty trick by Attorney General Merrick Garland in his further attempts to protect Joe Biden. Even CNN finds this appointment rather “odd,” prompting some “significant questions about the whole situation.”

In light of these developments, it should not come as much of a surprise that the majority of Republican voters in Iowa believe “the pursuit of former President Donald Trump by the FBI and the Department of Justice smacks of Nazi rule in 1930s Germany.”

In other news, we report on the highly problematic deal between Iran and the USA, apparently “buying the release of jailed Americans in Iran for billions of US dollars”; quote articles pointing out that the US Army and Ukraine are in deep trouble; speak about a “manufactured” overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change; and conclude with the terrible disaster in Maui, Hawaii, and the US government’s pitiful reaction.

In this context, please view our new message, titled, Alarming Developments in the USA, Germany and the Ukraine—Comments on News and Prophecy – YouTube

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

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Trump Indicted in Georgia by “Hypocritical Democrats”

Breitbart wrote on August 15:

“Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz said Monday that District Attorney Fani Willis had indicted former President Donald Trump and 18 others for a ‘conspiracy’ that was exactly what Democrats did in challenging the 2000 election. ‘The tactics of the Trump team, including claims of fraud, were neither more nor less than what Democrats had done in claiming that the election had been stolen from then-Vice President Al Gore by Republicans pushing for then-Governor George W. Bush… ‘You cannot start making crimes out of things that the Democrats did…’

“Dershowitz added that the indictments against Trump, both federal and state, were the ‘weakest’ he had ever seen against any candidate… The indictment against Trump and others claims that acts as mundane as tweeting to turn on the TV, reserving a meeting room, and asking for a phone number were part of the overall criminal conspiracy.

Such incompetent and concocted charges are truly mind boggling.

Breitbart added on August 15:

“… more than 150 examples show Democrats denying election results, including President Joe Biden; two-time failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton; House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY); Reps. Barbara Lee, Maxine Waters… and  failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. 

“In fact, every single Democrat president since 1977 has questioned the legitimacy of U.S. elections…”

What hypocrisy! But this is not about justice, it is about the political motive by Democrats to interfere in the upcoming election. In trying to silence the leading candidate, they use methods of a dictatorship, reminiscent of a Banana Republic. With the approval and collaboration of the Presidency, the Biden Administration and numerous governmental agencies, the USA has ceased to be a Democracy.

Indictment Excessive and Dangerous

Fox News wrote on August 15:

“[Law Professor] Jonathan Turley argued the indictment is ‘excessive’ and ‘dangerous’… ‘It essentially criminalizes challenges to elections… They are charging things like the president saying publicly, we need to have a recount. Democrats and Republicans challenge these elections routinely… What’s concerning, particularly about this is that [Fani] Willis didn’t really show any semblance of restraint. She indicted everyone for everything she could think of

“‘But having said that, I think that the Trump team has to realize that this is a serious threat, not because of the merits, but because, as a racketeering case, it’s very hard to take these cases up on appeal before trial… Also, this is not a case that can be dismissed with a federal pardon, whether by Trump himself or by an elected Republican.”

The claimed reason being, this is a state, not a federal case. Fox News explained that “The power to pardon in Georgia does not fall to the governor, but rather a five-member board… Felons who are seeking pardon by the board must serve their sentence for five years before doing so.”

This view is not uncontested. Famous attorney and litigator Mark Levin “argued that Trump can pardon himself from state charges if he wins the presidency, under existing Department of Justice policy and the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause” (Breitbart, dated August 16).  

Of course, Trump could and probably will try to remove the case to federal court because it involves presidential powers. Trump attorney Alina Habba stated that “as a deliberate ploy, the state of Georgia is bringing charges against former President Donald Trump that should be in federal court… ‘Anything having to do with … election issues at this level with a president should 100% be in federal court,’ Abba said, adding that this was all done ‘by design’” (Newsmax, dated August 15).

Of course it was. That should be obvious to any objective observer.

Trump: The Whole World Is Laughing At the USA

Fox News wrote on August 15:

“‘Nineteen people were indicted, and the whole world is laughing at the United States as they see how corrupt and horrible a place it has turned out to be under the leadership of Crooked Joe Biden,’ Trump told Fox News Digital during an exclusive interview late Monday night. Trump and more than a dozen others were charged, including his former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, his former attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro, Jeff Clark, John Eastman, among others.

“‘The racist and corrupt district attorney of Fulton County, which has turned out to be a murder capital of the world with among the highest violent crime levels anywhere in our country, just opened a fundraising site in order to benefit [she launched her reelection fundraising site days before the grand jury indicted Trump] off the things she most campaigned on, “I will get Donald Trump,”’ he said… [He] blasted Willis, saying that it is ‘not even conceivable that a person with such a record of failure could be allowed to interrupt perhaps the most important election in the history of our country… Trump said that Willis ‘should focus on the people that rigged the 2020 presidential election, not those who demand an answer as to what happened.’”

This Is Not Justice

Breitbart wrote on August 15:

“… conservative talker Mark Levin criticized the Fulton County, GA indictment against former President Donald Trump… ‘Well, Stalin would be proud. I’m sure Putin is proud. I’m sure enemies are celebrating, and our allies are appalled at what’s going on here… We’re going through the motions of justice here, like autocratic regimes… the Democrat Party has become so radicalized and such a tool of its radical base, they are tonight, most of them, celebrating. They don’t come out and say a… thing about Hunter Biden… they don’t even have a curiosity about anything related to Joe Biden despite the fact there are predicates all over the place for a special counsel and they are excited…

“‘Ladies and gentlemen, the people of America, you know what’s going on here… this is not justice. Just because you have a judge, just because you have grand juries, just because you have a fake media, that doesn’t mean things are going right… People vote for tyranny, and then it’s too late.

“‘You got people who are self-righteously saying how wonderful the system is, nobody’s above the law. Are you kidding me?… This is a grave time in American history…’”

According to Deutsche Welle, dated August 15, “former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who lost to Trump in the 2016 presidential election, told broadcaster MSNBC the indictment showed that justice in the US was working.”

Clinton is one to talk! IF justice in the USA was working, she would be in jail for illegally destroying over 30,000 emails, including sensitive and classified documents.

District Attorney Fani Willis a Disgrace for the Legal Profession

Newsmax wrote on August 15:

“Former federal prosecutor Joe diGenova told Newsmax on Tuesday that Democrat Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has brought disgrace to the legal profession

“Willis, 52, was raised by her single father, John Clifford Floyd III, a onetime Black Panther with a criminal record who became a defense lawyer in Washington, D.C… ‘Apparently that pedigree has worn well,’ diGenova said. ‘She has conducted herself unprofessionally. She has become basically a terrorist in a prosecutor’s uniform…’

“‘The truth is, Fani Willis, Bragg in New York, Jack Smith; there’s the cult because what they’ve decided to do is gather together like a bunch of witches and to bring their brew together to take down one man,’ diGenova said… ‘This is 250 years of jurisprudence being destroyed by a cult called the Democratic Party. This is disgraceful.’’

It surely is. The case against Trump should be dismissed for the reason alone that the prosecution posted on their website and thereby leaked a draft of the indictment to the press BEFORE the grand jury had even rendered a verdict, thereby violating Trump’s right to a fair trial. The methods which the prosecution in Georgia are using are truly unbelievable.  

Willful Ignorance or Intentional Lies?

Breitbart wrote on August 14:

“White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at a briefing Monday that there was ‘zero evidence’ that President Joe Biden had ‘discussed,’ or was ‘involved with,’ his son Hunter’s business dealings… That response is different from Jean-Pierre’s effort in recent weeks to claim that ‘[t]he president was never in business with his son,’ which she denied was a change from Biden’s own earlier response that he had ‘never discussed’ his family’s businesses.

“In claiming that there was ‘zero evidence,’ Jean-Pierre ignored a mounting collection of evidence, including the following:

“Travel logs showing that Hunter Biden traveled to China with his father on Air Force Two before a lucrative business deal; E-mails and messages on Hunter Biden’s laptop showing that Joe Biden had met with his son’s business associates; Evidence from Hunter Biden’s laptop showing that he and his father had intermingled their family’s finances and bills; Businessman Tony Bobulinski’s claim that he met with Joe Biden to discuss ‘family business plans with the Chinese’; A voicemail from Joe Biden to his son regarding New York Times coverage of Hunter Biden’s business interests; Bank records showing wire transfers from abroad to Hunter Biden via shell companies for distribution to family members; Testimony from Hunter Biden’s former business partner, Devon Archer, stating that Joe Biden had spoken by speakerphone at least 20 times with Hunter Biden’s business associates, and had attended a dinner meeting with many of them in 2014; Joe Biden’s infamous boast about using the threat of withdrawing $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees to remove a Ukrainian prosecutor, whom Devon Archer confirmed Hunter had been hired by the Ukrainian energy company Burisma to counteract.”

In light of these FACTS, events which took place the next day in Georgia are truly remarkable.

Articles of Impeachment Filed on Joe Biden

Newsmax wrote on August 13:

“Rep. Greg Steube has filed articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden, accusing him of ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’ and commenting that ‘it’s long past time’ to impeach him. ‘He has undermined the integrity of his office, brought disrepute on the presidency, betrayed his trust as president, and acted in a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice at the expense of America’s citizens,’ the Florida Republican said…”

Fox News wrote on August 12:

“While several congressional committees are building a multipronged case to remove Biden from office, Steube… filed [four] articles of impeachment against Biden charging that the president had been complicit in his son Hunter’s alleged crimes and had worked to shield him from justice

“The first accuses the president of abusing the power of his office by allegedly accepting bribes, committing Hobbs Act extortion and honest services fraud related to use of his official position. These charges arise from Biden’s alleged involvement with his family’s business dealings, including Hunter and James Biden’s (the president’s brother) alleged effort to sell access to then-Vice President Biden between 2009 and 2017 in exchange for ‘payments and business opportunities from foreign and domestic business partners.’ House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky, on Wednesday released a memo purporting to show that foreign payments to the Biden family totaled more than $20 million

“The second article charges that President Biden obstructed justice, citing IRS whistleblower testimony that ‘members of the Biden campaign improperly colluded with Justice Department (DOJ) officials to improperly interfere with investigations into tax crimes alleged to have been committed by Hunter Biden.’…

“The third and fourth articles accuse Biden of ‘fraud’ and paying for Hunter Biden’s illegal drugs and trysts with prostitutes, respectively

“On the same day, Steube introduced legislation to require the Secret Service chief to write a report on the illicit use of controlled substances in the White House. The move comes after the Secret Service closed its investigation into cocaine found at the White House last month without identifying a person of interest…”

Even though filing articles of impeachment on Joe Biden may have been long overdue, there is little chance that Biden will be removed from office, as Senate Democrats, for example, would not in any way support such a move. And even if Joe Biden would vacate the office, Kamala Harris would take his place, which would constitute the absolute nightmare in the eyes of many observers.

Appointment of “Special Counsel” in Hunter Biden Case Another Cover-Up?

Breitbart reported on August 11:

“Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed U.S. prosecutor David Weiss as a special counsel in the ongoing investigation of Hunter Biden… ‘David Weiss can’t be trusted and this is just a new way to whitewash the Biden family’s corruption,’ Russell Dye, a spokesperson for House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH), told Breitbart News in a statement. ‘Weiss has already signed off on a sweetheart plea deal that was so awful and unfair that a federal judge rejected it,’ he added…

“House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) also was skeptical of the appointment of a special counsel. ‘This move by AG Garland is part of the Justice Department’s efforts to attempt a Biden family coverup in light of GOPoversight‘s mounting evidence of President Biden’s role in his family’s schemes selling “the brand” for millions of dollars to foreign nationals,’ he said in a statement.

“The appointment of a special counsel comes on the same day that news broke that Weiss’ prosecutors acknowledged that the gun and tax charges against Hunter will likely have to be resolved at a trial in California or Washington, DC…  The DOJ’s probe into Hunter Biden could implicate Joe Biden. A witness who testified before the jury was reportedly asked to identify the ‘big guy.’…

“George Washington law professor Jonathan Turley said Friday… that Attorney General Merrick Garland appointing David Weiss as special counsel in the Hunter Biden criminal case would make it harder for Congress to ask questions in their probe of Hunter Biden… ‘This new status can slow that process down. Weiss was at the top of the list of Congress to be brought in to explain why did you allow statute of limitations to run? Why were Biden people tipped off about raids? Why was there interference with investigators trying to interview Hunter Biden?

“‘All of those questions are now likely to be delayed before they are answered… The initial concern is whether Weiss is damaged goods. You usually appoint special counsel who will satisfy all sides, that is someone who doesn’t bring baggage to the question and can resolve issues. These whistleblowers were critical of Weiss. Weiss suggested that he always had this authority. The whistleblowers said he said the opposite to staff, suggested he allowed statute of limitations to run…’”

Garland’s appointment of Weiss might indeed have been a “dirty trick” in his attempts to continue the cover-up and protection of Joe Biden, as the next article suggests.

Garland’s Last Dirty Trick

The New York Post wrote on August 11:

“Attorney General Merrick Garland may have just played his last trick card to save Joe Biden: appointing a special counsel to delay prosecution of his son Hunter. With any luck, the official Justice Department final report on Biden family shenanigans will be released in December 2024, one month after the presidential election… Federal agencies and the Justice Department dragged out for five years the investigation of Hunter’s gun, tax and foreign influence peddling. The statute of limitations already expired on several of his crimes, but that was OK because of the spelling of his last name.

“Despite a string of crimes that would have sent average Americans up the river for a decade, Biden’s Justice Department cut a deal in June that permitted Hunter to plead guilty to misdemeanors, not serve a day in jail and dodge any other federal charges. That deal collapsed when federal Judge Maryellen Noreika asked a few questions after she was blindsided by a last-minute sweeping exoneration paragraph added to the plea deal…

“For Joe Biden, Weiss is absolutely trustworthy: He’s the same lawyer who dragged out prosecuting Hunter for years. Former White House correspondent Emerald Robinson quipped, ‘Appointing David Weiss is like appointing a crack pipe to ‘investigate’ Hunter Biden.’

“According to The Federalist’s Sean Davis, “Weiss demonstrated his loyalty to the Biden family by shutting down investigations, tipping off suspects before searches . . . refusing to interview Hunter, hiding FBI documents, firing IRS investigators . . .’ Is there any reason to expect Weiss to be more honest in the future?

Coverups have been a key to Biden’s political power for more than three years… Team Biden is teaching Americans that ‘Justice Department’ is often an oxymoron…”

Even CNN is questioning the appointment of David Weiss as a special counsel. Note the next article:

Jake Tapper: Some Concerns Have Merit

Fox News wrote on August 11:

“Many Republicans are wary of U.S. attorney David Weiss overseeing the Hunter Biden probe, and CNN anchor Jake Tapper agreed Friday that some of their concerns ‘have merit.’… ‘I think there are some legitimate questions about this whole situation,’ Tapper said on ‘CNN News Central.’ ‘First of all, I do think it’s fair to question why would U.S. Attorney Weiss be appointed to special counsel. Usually, a special counsel is an outside attorney. Now, it has happened before. Durham came from inside, and the attorney general has the right to do that, but it is odd.’

“Tapper went on to ask why they would stick with the person who was responsible for the ‘colossal failure’ of the Hunter plea deal

“He also spoke about the mixed messages regarding Weiss’ jurisdiction and whether he already had the necessary power to charge outside of Delaware before he was made a special counsel, recalling that the U.S. attorney had made different claims about his power in private versus in public, according to whistleblowers.

“‘The Justice Department and Weiss denied what the whistleblowers were saying, but this move makes it seem as though, well, maybe the whistleblowers were right. Maybe what they were alleging is true, and he didn’t have the ability to charge whatever he wanted to charge, and now he does. So I do have a lot of questions about that, and I do think some of the political questions being raised by Republicans have merit,’ Tapper said…”

When left-wing CNN begins to ask questions regarding the affairs of Joe and Hunter Biden, as well as the conduct of the Justice Department and the FBI in those matters, then that should tell us something.

 USA Like Nazi Germany?

The Daily Mail wrote on August 11:

“A majority of Republican voters in Iowa believe the pursuit of former President Donald Trump by the FBI and the Department of Justice smacks of Nazi rule in 1930s Germany, according to a new poll  for DailyMail.com. Some 57 percent of respondents said they agreed with the statement: ‘The lawlessness of the persecutions of President Trump and his supporters is reminiscent of Nazi Germany in the 1930s.’ [73 % of Trump supporters agreed with the statement.]  It comes after months of attacks on the FBI and the Department of Justice by Trump and his allies, who say he is the victim of an attempt to end his presidential campaign…

“Republicans in Iowa… will have a crucial say in selecting the party’s 2024 nomination. It is the first state to pick its preferred candidate next year, and the currents of public opinion will be watched closely until then… The DailyMail.com poll shows Trump retains a tight grip on the race. He is in clear first place with 43 percent support in the state…  Ron DeSantis has lost nine points, putting him on 17 percent… Meanwhile Sen. Tim Scott has surged to 11 percent.”

When the majority of Republican voters feel that the Justice Department and the FBI act like the Gestapo in Nazi Germany, then any confidence by a vast portion of America’s population in those institutions is gone. And we do not even know how many Independents (and Democrats) have similar opinions. What will the consequence be? 

Many propose that the DOJ, the FBI and many other federal agencies must be freed from their internal corruption by reforming them and by getting rid of the bad guys, starting with the very top. Others feel, such as businessman and Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, that these agencies are beyond repair and must be totally shut down.

Really Dangerous US-Iran Deal

Newsmax and The Associated Press wrote on August 13:

“Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blasted the Biden administration for apparently buying the release of jailed Americans in Iran. Pompeo… was asked about the U.S. working to bring home the jailed Americans via a deal that involves billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets being transferred from banks in South Korea to Qatar. ‘It’s really dangerous… for the Gulf nations, it’s dangerous for … Israel.’

“Pompeo said paying for the Americans’ release ‘will build their [Iran’s] economy’ and encourage more hostage-taking. ‘You now have a situation where we have told the Iranians, For every American you take, the Biden administration will provide you with $1 billion,’ Pompeo [said]…

“The U.S.-Iran deal… was announced on Thursday, when Iran moved four of the five Americans from prison to house arrest. The fifth American had already been under house arrest. U.S. and Iranian officials say they believe the agreement could be finalized by mid- to late-September.

“The cash involved represents money South Korea owed Iran for oil purchased before the Trump administration imposed sanctions on such transactions in 2019.

“The U.S. maintains that, once in Qatar, the money will be held in restricted accounts and will only be able to be used for humanitarian goods, such as medicine and food. Those transactions are currently allowed under American sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic over its advancing nuclear program.

“Some people in Iran have disputed the U.S. claim, saying Tehran will have total control over the funds. Qatar has not commented publicly on how it will monitor the disbursement of the money.”

This deal is clearly an incentive for Iran to continue kidnapping and arresting American citizens.

 US Army in Trouble

The Hill wrote on August 11:

“… the military, and especially the Army, is now shrinking… A variety of factors have led to the recruiting crisis…  Disastrous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have dented confidence in military leadership…

“President Joe Biden’s recent executive order authorizing the mobilization of up to 3,000 reserve soldiers to augment U.S. forces deployed to Europe highlighted the unending demands of maintaining an expansive U.S. global military presence… Without significant changes to its force structure or missions, the U.S. Army may be stretched to the breaking point, even though America is not at war.

“The active-duty force will soon be at its smallest duty size since the attack on Pearl Harbor. But unlike the pre-World War II force, today’s Army carries out a host of concurrent missions in Europe, the Middle East and East Asia…

“Shrinkage in the force without commensurate cuts in overseas deployments have led to an exceedingly high peacetime operational tempo, with negative effects on the Army’s readiness for war…

“When Hurricane Katrina ravaged Louisiana in 2006, thousands of the state’s Guardsmen were deployed in Iraq — active-duty Marines had to be hastily dispatched to New Orleans to assist with relief efforts and maintain order. In 2020, Oregon could not use six of its Guard helicopters to fight raging wildfires because they were in Afghanistan

“America’s Army needs either more soldiers or fewer missions. Given the demographic and societal headwinds hitting military recruiting, a larger force is going to be difficult to recruit for the foreseeable future. The alternative is making difficult, overdue decisions about which deployments are truly necessary for American national security. The Pentagon and its political overseers are resistant to such retrenchment… But perpetuating the status quo threatens a descent into a hollow force…”

The Bible shows that America’s Army will not help the country when it is going to be attacked in the near future.

Germany’s Approach Towards Ukraine

Express wrote on August 14:

“Kyiv’s relentless push to secure the Taurus cruise missile, a high-stakes weapon boasting an impressive range of over 500 kilometres (300 miles), has triggered alarm bells in Berlin. These missiles, packed with firepower and launched from formidable fighter jets like the Tornado, F-15, and F-18, have ignited geopolitical tensions that can no longer be ignored.

“In a rare twist, Germany’s reluctance to heed Kyiv’s call stands in stark contrast to the UK and France, who’ve already dispatched Storm Shadow and Scalp cruise missiles… Across the Atlantic, even the United States has chosen to sit this one out, withholding its own Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) from Ukraine’s eager grasp…

“According to Der Spiegel, the German Defence Ministry is asking Taurus’ manufacturer to integrate programming safeguards to dictate potential targets for these long-range cruise missiles.

“Scholz, the mastermind behind the manoeuvre, said he envisions a future where Ukrainian offensives on Russian soil are nothing more than a fleeting mirage, as the publication revealed.”

Die Welt Online wondered on August 14 what Germany’s strategy and goal towards Ukraine are; and if there is even a strategy.

Ukraine’s Counteroffensive Unsuccessful

Business Insider wrote on August 11:

“The Ukrainian summer counteroffensive began in June and, despite Western allies supplying advanced tanks and weaponry, the country’s recent moves against Russian combatants have resulted in only modest gains — and heavy casualties.

“The New York Times reported morgues in the country are seeing vastly increased fatalities due to the heightened fighting… The total dead in the local morgues is ‘more or less double since the counteroffensive’ started, added. Though Ukraine doesn’t publicly share the total number of casualties it has sustained, Insider reported General Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, estimated in February that Ukraine had lost more than 100,000 soldiers since the war began last year… Ukrainian troops are taking heavy damage from old-fashioned wartime tactics, including mines and booby traps, high-tech drone attacks, and advanced weapons systems.

“While the US and other allies have provided formidable battle tanks, armored fighting vehicles, and massive amounts of ammunition… the modest gains won so far in the summer counteroffensive have prompted Ukrainian troops to abandon Western tactics and strategies in favor of wearing the enemy down with barrages of missiles…”

Ukraine in Trouble

ZeroHedge wrote on August 11:

“It’s long been clear that Ukraine’s armed forces have undergone some significant recruitment problems amid generally low morale as throughout the summer the counteroffensive has stalled and appears failing. There’s also a grim emerging consensus that Ukraine is suffering staggering losses… This week, even one of Kiev’s most ardent supporters and NATO backers – Poland, has said the counteroffensive is likely to fail. Polish President Andrzej Duda said in a fresh Washington Post interview, ‘Does Ukraine have enough weapons to change the balance of the war and get the upper hand?’ And he answered his rhetorical with – ‘Probably, no’…

“A new announcement by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday has further confirmed this pessimistic view of Kiev’s prospects, as the government has fired all heads of military recruitment on concerns of rampant corruption…  Recruiters have apparently been paid handsomely by those of means to look the other way as they avoid conscription…

“Aside from desperately needing more manpower, also at a time the phenomenon of Western mercenaries flocking to Ukraine is a thing of the past, Kiev is also likely concerned with the prior optics of the brutal mobilization by Ukrainian military recruitment officers. As the Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet recently reported, ‘Many conscripted men are taken straight off the street by uniformed men.’ The paper gave the following example of such: ‘Most recently in Subcarpathia, a surveillance camera recorded the overreach of the authorities as a man trying to go to a store was kidnapped from his bicycle in broad daylight.’”

The victory of Ukraine over Russia, as had been so dogmatically proclaimed in much of the Western press, is more than doubtful.

“Overwhelming Consensus” on Climate Change “Manufactured”

The New York Post wrote on August 9:

“We are told climate change is a crisis, and that there is an ‘overwhelming scientific consensus.’ ‘It’s a manufactured consensus,’ climate scientist Judith Curry tells me. She says scientists have an incentive to exaggerate risk to pursue ‘fame and fortune.’

“She knows about that because she once spread alarm about climate change. The media loved her when she published a study that seemed to show a dramatic increase in hurricane intensity. ‘We found that the percent of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes had doubled,’ says Curry. ‘This was picked up by the media’…  ‘I was adopted by the environmental advocacy groups and the alarmists and I was treated like a rock star,’ Curry recounts. ‘Flown all over the place to meet with politicians.’

“But then some researchers pointed out gaps in her research — years with low levels of hurricanes. ‘Like a good scientist, I investigated,’ says Curry. She realized that the critics were right. ‘Part of it was bad data. Part of it is natural climate variability.’

“Curry was the unusual researcher who looked at criticism of her work and actually concluded: ‘They had a point.’ Then the Climategate scandal taught her that other climate researchers weren’t so open-minded. Alarmist scientists’ aggressive attempts to hide data suggesting climate change is not a crisis were revealed in leaked emails… It made Curry realize that there is a ‘climate-change industry’ set up to reward alarmism. ‘The origins go back to the . . . UN environmental program,’ says Curry.

“Some United Nations officials were motivated by ‘anti-capitalism. They hated the oil companies and seized on the climate change issue to move their policies along.’… The researchers quickly figured out that the way to get funded was to make alarmist claims about ‘man-made climate change.’ This is how ‘manufactured consensus’ happens.”

It has been observed for a long time that scientists manufacture and manipulate statistics to prove their case for man-made global warming.

US Money Down the Drain?

Ron Paul wrote in his weekly column in the Ron Paul Institute on August 14:

“I am not a big fan of Federal Government disaster relief. Too much of the time the money never gets to those who need it most, and too often Washington’s armies of disaster ‘experts’ are more interested in pushing people around than helping them.

“Nevertheless, it’s hard to look at recent footage of the devastation in Maui and then hear President Biden tell Congress that he needs another $24 billion for Ukraine. How can this Administration continue to justify tens of billions of dollars for this losing war that is not in our interest while the rest of the United States disintegrates?

“Biden’s new $24 billion request comes on top of well over $120 billion already spent to fight the US proxy war on Russia in Ukraine. Heritage Foundation budget expert Richard Stern has done the math and determined that Biden’s spending on the Ukraine war thus far will cost each and every American household $900. How many Americans would rather have those $900 dollars back in their pocket rather than in the pockets of Lockheed-Martin, Raytheon, and Ukraine’s oligarchs?

“Recent surveys have shown that a majority of Americans could not afford to cover a sudden $1,000 emergency. Will Americans connect the dots and realize that the reason they can’t find that $1,000 for an emergency is because the neocons have already sent it to Ukraine?

“Ukraine has long been known as among the most corrupt countries on earth and not long ago investigative journalist Seymore Hersh wrote that Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky has embezzled at least $400 million in aid from the American people. Corruption scandals continue to break in Ukraine. Just last week Zelensky fired the heads of all local draft boards for corruption. Some press reports suggest that sales of luxury cars in Ukraine have broken all previous records. I wonder why.

“No wonder the tide of US public opinion is turning against further involvement in the war. Recently CNN found that among all Americans, more than 55 percent are opposed to continued aid to Ukraine. Among Republicans the number opposing more aid to Ukraine rises to three-out-of-four…

“Yet the Biden Administration persists in backing Ukraine even as the US mainstream media is increasingly pointing out the obvious: Ukraine is not winning and cannot win, and continuing to pour money into a losing cause will just result in bankruptcy at home and more dead Ukrainians overseas.

“Last week Newsweek published an article asking, ‘Does Ukraine Have Kompromat on Joe Biden?’ In the article, Northeastern University Professor Max Abrahms wonders out loud whether Biden’s continued support for Ukraine might be related to compromising information held in Kiev about the many Biden family shady business ventures in Ukraine and the region. It is certainly worth considering.

“Meanwhile, the residents of Maui that survived the recent horrific fire will take little comfort knowing that the Biden Administration is more interested in sending their money to Ukraine than in helping them recover.”

Donald Trump stated in a recent interview that Biden is a compromised President.

Maui Wildfires Deadliest in More Than 100 Years

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 13:

“The newly released [death] figure has exceeded that of the 2018 Camp Fire in northern California…  The new death toll Saturday came as search teams with cadaver dogs sifted through the ruins of Lahaina, four days after a fast-moving blaze leveled the historic resort town.

“It is projected to be the second-costliest disaster in Hawaii history, behind only Hurricane Iniki in 1992…

“The cause of the fire is still unknown, but residents are puzzled and angered over the lack of warnings. Sirens stationed around the island — intended to warn of impending natural disasters — never sounded. Alerts were sent via cell phones, TV and radio stations, but the reach was limited due to power and cellular outages…

“Experts say many factors must have contributed to the rapid spread of the inferno, such as a dry summer, unchecked growth of flammable non-native plants, the volcanic topography that creates drying down-slope winds, an unusually parched winter, and a hurricane to the southwest.”

There have been numerous incidents in the past where Hawaii’s warning system had failed miserably. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will not visit Maui because they “don’t want to distract” from the relief efforts, Harris said. Finally, Biden spoke out on the disaster in Maui, but apparently forgot the name of the island.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

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How to Survive in This Day and Age!

Surviving in the present age involves many challenges on several levels and God does not want us to get a hunting rifle or a fishing rod and go live in the wilderness, or to live in a monastery, waiting for the return of Christ. Notice the admonition of Christ in John 17:15: “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.”

We have to live in this world and since one of our responsibilities is to support the Work of preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to the world, which includes warning the world of impending doom because of sin, we need to do our best to survive ourselves under these conditions now and in the near future.

We all face different challenges, based on age, marital status, raising a family or being retired or widowed. The physical challenges come with aging and we have to learn to do our best in whatever circumstance we find ourselves.

In this Q&A, we will look at our relationship with God, our family, our employers and our neighbors, always with the view to our survival.

  1. Our relationship with God

We need to have and maintain a close relationship with God by using the tools He has provided for us, including prayer, bible study, meditation, and occasional fasting.

In regard to prayer, we read that Christ often got up early, went to a remote area where there would be no distractions, and prayed there. During the day, He was surrounded by crowds seeking healing and wanting to hear what He was saying, even to the point that at one time it was challenging to eat, as we read in Mark 3:20: “Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.” Mark 6:31 records another episode: “And He said to them, ‘Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.’ For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.’” 

There were other times when Christ prayed all night, alone, or when He prayed not too far away from His disciples. So following His example, we need to find a private place to pray without distractions, and depending on our situation, we may have to adjust our schedule to accomplish this. The same is true for your Bible study, and there may be several times during a day when one is able to meditate. David said in Psalm 119:15: “I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways.”

Fasting should be planned in such a manner that it gives us a chance to combine it with prayer, Bible study and meditation.

With this introduction, we want to concentrate on building our relationship with God by keeping God’s commandments which we must do if we want to survive the evil time to come.

We prove our love for God by keeping His commandments. In John 14:15, Christ tells us: “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” To some in the world, obeying God is foreign to them and not on their agenda.

The commandments are not complicated rules to follow, and the first four of the Ten Commandments tell us how to love God.

(a) Exodus 20:1-3 states:

“And God spoke all these words, saying: ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.’”

This is not complicated. We are not to place anything between us and God; be it another person, job, position, or even our intellectual capacity (which comes from God)—in other words, anything that could become a stumbling block before us. We are to put God first in our lives and utilize the fact that He and His Son dwell in us (when we are converted baptized members of the Church of God) and look to Christ’s perfect example of always giving glory to God the Father. We must give God the credit for what He is able to do through us. We are to put the spotlight on God, not on ourselves.

(b) Exodus 20: 4-6 continues:

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

Several religions blatantly break this commandment by praying to statues or human figures, and they number in the billions. Such worship is all in vain, as described by these words:

“But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish; A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine” (Jeremiah 10:8).

“You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led” (1 Corinthians 12:2) . 

Today people idolize movie stars and rock stars. One popular competition show is called “American Idol.” But idol worship became a stumbling block for Israel and was one of the reasons why they had to go into captivity.

Idolizing anyone–any man or woman—and any object breaks the second commandment.

(c)   Exodus 20:7 continues:

 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.”

On any job site in the Western world, God’s name is continuously used in vain. This is also the case in many songs and in movies. It’s hard to find a song or a movie where God’s name is not used in vain.

The third commandment prohibits using God’s name in vain, such as “My God,” but it also includes vain repetitions, as is the custom in some churches and in prayers, or cursing (“God da…”), or using euphemisms which appear harmless like “my goodness”, “gee,” “gosh” or “geez.”

All these are an affront to God and should be avoided by true Christians.

(d) Exodus 20:8-11 reads:

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”

God says, remember the Sabbath, and man quickly forgets or substitutes other days like Wednesday, Friday or Sunday, and some say, the Sabbath could be every day of the week. But God makes clear that the weekly Sabbath is from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. We are to refrain from working and doing business, and we are instead to spend time at services or listening in to services if one lives too remote to be able to attend in person. We do not do our own things like attending sports events or watching them on TV. The Sabbath should be dedicated to God. It was a day of rest for God after six days of recreating the surface of the earth, and it should be a day of rest for us. God was of course not tired after His creation, but He kept the Sabbath for us, showing us that we must follow His example. It sets us apart as God’s people, and it is a sign for us that we worship the true God.

Exodus 31:13 tells us: “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.’”

It points to the God of creation. It sets us apart as His children who worship the God of creation. No other day does that, be it Sunday, Friday or any other day. This also includes the annual Sabbaths and Festival seasons which outline God’s plan for mankind from repentance and baptism to becoming full members of the God Family as God beings which is our ultimate potential.

The tools of prayer, bible study, fasting and meditation are useful for having and maintaining a good relationship with God, and keeping the first four commandments demonstrates our love for God.

  2. Our relationship with our family

Husband and wife ought to be on the same page when it comes to following the dictates of the Bible in the relationship between them. Our booklet “The Keys To Happy Marriages and Families” goes into detail about how to achieve this.

One key issue in the raising of children is not to allow a child to create a division between the parents. They must agree on how to deal with requests from their children. Children have to see parents as united for the purpose of keeping harmony in the family.

Parents must be aware of what their children are exposed to at school or by their peers. Schools may propagate the critical race theory which teaches children to hate their country, or promote sex-changing drugs and abortions without the parents’ knowledge and consent. Parents need to stay informed as to what their children learn and must counteract at home any evil teachings their children may be exposed to.

Children need to be taught about God and His ways and to get used to the habit of praying and studying the Bible.

Proverbs 22:6 tells us: “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proper teachings will carry them a long way, so when they become teens and adults, it will help them to stay on the narrow path of righteousness. However, such an outcome is not automatic, as we explain in our Q&A, “How do you understand Paul’s statement that our children are holy? And what are the practical consequences? (Part 2)” https://www.eternalgod.org/update-1078/#qa , where we said:

“Rightly understood, Proverbs 22:6 does not teach that a child who has been trained by a righteous parent will continue automatically in God’s Way of Life… In light of the fact that the Bible emphasizes individual responsibility, it must be concluded that Proverbs 22:6 does not intend to impress the idea that the righteous teaching of parents will automatically lead to the conversion of a child. It is true, of course, that parents are to teach their children about God and His Way of Life (Deuteronomy 11:18-19). But this does not mean that converted parents can bring about the conversion of their children. They have their own responsibility in the matter. Ultimately, a child who is ‘brought up’ in God’s Church CAN make it into God’s Kingdom. Those who are called today for salvation have been foreknown and predestined by God to be called before they were born.”

  3. Our relationship with our employers

If someone is self-employed, he or she can determine when to take time off to attend the Feast of Tabernacles and keep the other Holy Days. As an employee, it is sometimes more challenging. A good relationship with our employer is crucial in getting time off for God’s Holy Days. If we are  diligent and conscientious workers, employers may not want to fire us for keeping God’s Holy Days at an “inopportune” time, even though they do not like to grant us time off. In any event, it is critical that we pray to God first, before making our request, that God will give us favor in the eyes of our employer.  

  4. Our relationship with our neighbors

Being friendly to our neighbors without getting involved in their lives is good advice. They will soon find out that we are different in that we don’t swear or use bad language, we are polite and we go out every Saturday dressed up with the family. We don’t have Christmas lights on our property or no pumpkins on Halloween.  They will see we don’t do work projects on Saturday, we don’t cut the lawn on Saturday, but they may hear our lawnmower on Sunday (unless it is against the law to mow our lawn on Sunday). We go “on vacation” in the fall for over a week with your children. Our children are polite, non-destructive and help around the yard, and even though we have different practices, we are good neighbors who can be trusted.

At least, that is how it should be, even though we all lack in this to an extent. Still, even though our neighbors see and scoff at our strange behavior, they may respect us for our friendliness and willingness to help when there is a need.

For further study, please read our free booklet, “The Ten Commandments.”

We live in a perverse, corrupt and evil society that is under the influence of Satan the devil—an evil being beyond redemption for his evil deeds. Satan hated God in that he tried in the past to overthrow Him and take possession of ruling over God’s creation, but he was cast down to this earth in failure.  He will try again to fight against God in another rebellion, proving he is unwilling and unable to change because attempting the same effort twice, expecting a different result, defines insanity.

He hates God’s Church and people and would like to see us fail in our calling and lose out on our salvation, and he will try to get us to compromise or fall short so that we fail.

If this is unsuccessful, he will try to destroy us physically. That is why we need to seek God’s protection and pray we may be counted worthy to escape the trials and destruction coming on this world in a few years.

Being faithful to death does not take away our salvation. Unfortunately, some having fallen a little short in what is required to maintain a proper relationship with God, may have to go through the tribulation.

Troublesome times are ahead and this Q&A is written to help us to survive what’s coming and to stand before our beloved Saviour at His return. Then, we can truly help change this world to become a better place in the Millennium and beyond, ruling under Christ when Satan’s influence is removed.

We want to ensure we fulfill our destiny to become God beings in the glorious Kingdom of God, which is not too far away.

Lead Writer: Rene Messier (Canada)

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Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

compiled by Dave Harris

“WHY God Condemns Trump’s Indictments and Biden’s Protection!” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Georgia’s District Attorney Fani Willis filed preposterous criminal charges against Trump and 18 codefendants for an alleged conspiracy pertaining to the 2020 election, which, according to legal experts, Democrats have engaged in since at least 1977.  It was also pointed out that especially alarming is Willis’ “excessive” and “dangerous” conduct while showing not even a “resemblance of restraint.” Just prior to the indictments in Georgia, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was ridiculed for incorrectly stating that there was “zero evidence” that Joe Biden had “discussed” or was “involved with” his son’s business dealings, while ignoring a “mounting collection of evidence” proving the opposite. Attorney General Merrick Garland’s appointment of David Weiss as special counsel in the Hunter Biden case, after Weiss’s sweetheart plea deal with Hunter fell apart, may be his “last trick card to save Joe Biden,” according to an opinion piece in the New York Post. Even CNN questioned this “odd” appointment.  God has some strong and frightening words to say about the current state of affairs in the USA. Will His warning be heard?

“Unsere Versprechen— sind sie etwas wert?”, last Sabbath’s German sermon presented by Thilo Hanstein, is now posted. Title in English: “Our Promises—Are They Worth Anything?”

“Alarming Developments in the USA, Germany and the Ukraine—Comments on News and Prophecy, August 12, 2023,” last Sabbath’s first message presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Will an allegedly biased judge in the 2020 Election case against Trump recuse herself? Was the “odd” appointment of David Weiss as special counsel in the Hunter Biden case just a trick of Merrick Garland?  Why do most Republican voters in Iowa think that the conduct of the Justice Department and the FBI “is reminiscent of Nazi Germany in the 1930s”? Are we facing coming climate and pandemics lockdowns? Is the US Army descending into a “hollow force”? Why do we need to wake up when Germans are extremely unhappy with their entire political system; when the country is in deep financial trouble; and when fear of war is widespread among German soldiers? And while Germany is hesitant to supply more arms to Ukraine, brutal mobilization by Ukraine military recruitment officers; the suffering of staggering losses; and the apparent failure of Ukraine’s counteroffensive give pause for alarm.

“Europe’s War with America, Britain, Israel and Russia,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The soon-coming Great Tribulation includes the destruction and occupation of America, Great Britain and the State of Israel in a nuclear World War III. What is meant with the “abomination of desolation” which will be placed in the Third Temple? When will the prophesied war between Europe and Russia occur? And what IS the sign of Christ’s coming and the end of the world? 

We would like to announce the wedding of Church members Charpantidis Kiriakos and Manuela Young, which took place last Sunday in Germany. The marriage ceremony was performed by Christoph Sperzel.

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How This Work is Financed

This Update is an official publication by the ministry of the Church of the Eternal God in the United States of America; the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada; and the Global Church of God in the United Kingdom.

Editorial Team: Norbert Link, Dave Harris, Rene Messier, Brian Gale, Johanna Link, Eric Rank, Michael Link, Anna Link, Kalon Mitchell, Manuela Mitchell, Dawn Thompson

Technical Team: Eric Rank, Shana Rank

Our activities and literature, including booklets, weekly updates, sermons on CD are provided free of charge. They are made possible by the tithes, offerings and contributions of Church members and others who have elected to support this Work.

While we do not solicit the general public for funds, contributions are gratefully welcomed and are tax-deductible in the U.S. and Canada.

Donations can be sent to the following addresses:

United States: Church of the Eternal God, P.O. Box 270519, San Diego, CA 92198

Canada: Church of God, ACF, Box 1480, Summerland, B.C. V0H 1Z0

United Kingdom: Global Church of God, PO Box 44, MABLETHORPE, LN12 9AN, United Kingdom

Comments on News and Prophecy–August 12, 2023 / Europe’s War with America, Britain, Israel and Russia

On August 12, 2023, Norbert Link will present, “Comments on News and Prophecy—August 12, 2023,” and the sermon, titled, “Europe’s War with America, Britain, Israel and Russia.”

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.

This Week in the News

Biased Judge in Trump 2020 Election Case Must Recuse Herself

Breitbart wrote on August 4:

“Appointed to the bench by the Obama administration in 2014, U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan will oversee the 2020 election case against Trump. Chutkan previously worked in litigation and white-collar criminal defense at Boies, Schiller, & Flexner, where Hunter Biden and Chutkan were colleagues for five years. During her tenure as a judge, she also oversaw an important case regarding the Russia Hoax.

“‘I don’t believe for one second it’s a coincidence that in Washington, D.C., Donald Trump drew the most partisan, bias judge who is incapable of being fair and neutral,’ said Patel, who is a former House Intelligence Committee aide and principal deputy at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).

“Patel argues Chutkan is a partisan judge and has no credibility to oversee Trump’s case after she recused herself from overseeing an ongoing case concerning Trump and the Russia hoax in November 2017. ‘If you’re a judge, and you represented one of the parties or your firm represented one of the parties before you, it’s an automatic recusal, full stop,’ he said…

“‘The [Russia hoax] court case was assigned to Judge Chutkan,’ Patel said. ‘And we litigated the case for approximately one month… after about a month of all that heavy litigation, she just shuts down on her own, recuses herself,’ Patel said. ‘She didn’t file an order justifying it. She just does it…  Why would she recuse from Russiagate? Well, it’s because Boies, Schiller, under her tenureship, represented Fusion GPS, the very firm that was suing us before her [court]… She knew that when we filed the lawsuit because it was Fusion who brought the lawsuit, and she allowed it to be litigated in front of her already, violating the canons of ethics and the rule of law about maintaining neutrality

“‘She cannot be fair, based on her prior employment at a law firm that has literally been one of the most corrupt, legal con artists for the Democrat National Party [and] in the Hillary Clinton Campaign,’ Patel said, ‘All of which was to get Trump during Russiagate and the Steele Dossier, all of it ran through her.’”

Professor Dershowitz said that she must recuse herself, as she is obviously biased. That should be obvious, but we will see what she will do. Trump is also asking for a change of venue as he could not possibly receive a fair trial in Washington DC. That should be obvious too.

2020 Election on Trial?

Newsmax wrote on August 4:

Former President Donald Trump and his legal advisers see his latest indictment as another opportunity to argue that the 2020 election was stolen from him in favor of President Joe Biden… Trump’s defense team is signaling that it will rebut allegations in the indictment that Trump knew his claims of fraud in the election were false, but that he allegedly took steps to flip the results.

“According to sources close to Trump, he wants to subpoena people about the election while arguing that he won… Some Republican strategists see this plan as problematic, as they say there are more issues to focus on in the 2024 race…

“Meanwhile, Trump attorney Alina Habba said Thursday that Trump’s defense team will show that he believed there were issues with the 2020 election’s results… ‘When somebody wants to say that the 2020 election was perfect and that President Trump has no right to object to it, we’ve got to go show him all the facts, and there’s a lot of facts to show.”

Habba was also quoted as saying this on National Report:

“Trump has every right to question the integrity of the election… He had every right to do so at the time, I think millions and millions of Americans still to this day also share that sentiment that there may have been issues in the 2020 election

“We’ve seen a lot of facts that result in this continual belief that things were not done exactly appropriately, and the president did what he wanted to do and what he needed to do in the way that he was advised by some … But imagine any politician who feels that that somebody has lied or that there’s been a fraud, not being able to challenge that fraud and what that means for our country. That’s their job, and he was the sole person in the executive branch who had the power to do so…”

As we pointed out last time, special counsel Jack Smith might have opened a Pandora’s Box.

Did House Select Committee Destroy January 6 Documents?

Newsmax wrote on August 9:

“Former President Donald Trump accused the Democrat-led Jan. 6 House Select Committee of ‘illegally’ destroying records and documents… ‘So now that I have full Subpoena Power… it has just been reported that the Unselect January 6th Committee of Political Hacks and Thugs has illegally destroyed their Records and Documents,’ Trump wrote. ‘This is unthinkable… The system is Rigged & Corrupt, very much like the Presidential Election of 2020. We are a Nation in Decline!’

“Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight for the Committee on House Administration, told Fox News that former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s partisan Jan. panel, which was comprised of Democrats and two anti-Trump Republicans in the previous Congress, failed to adequately preserve documents, data, and video depositions.

“Loudermilk said that he was contacted by a defense attorney, who needed access to key information in one of the video depositions. The committee then realized it did not have the videos he was seeking.”

Nancy Pelosi’s conduct in the matter of the 2020 election deserves some investigation and scrutiny.

How All Criminal Charges Against Trump Could Be Wiped Out

Breitbart wrote on August 3:

“Harvard Law professor emeritus Laurence Tribe told CNN on Thursday that former President Donald Trump could ‘wipe out’ all criminal charges against him, including both state and federal cases if he gets elected to the White House in 2024… Tribe said a Republican president could ‘simply erase’ the charges against Trump if Trump does not win the presidency… ‘Simply appoint an attorney general who dismisses it all.’…

“The fact that Tribe recognized a Trump presidency would ‘wipe out’ all of Trump’s criminal cases is notable because House Democrats consulted with Tribe as they prepared their first articles of impeachment against Trump…”

That Attorney General Merrick Garland [and his special counsel Jack Smith] would be fired under Trump is a foregone conclusion. Tribe also said that Jack Smith’s indictment was brilliant. The truth is, this was a horrible piece of draftsmanship, and there was nothing brilliant about it. A first semester law student could rip (at least some of) it apart. It is an attack on constitutionally protected political free speech. If Trump is convicted (which is the likely outcome in a trial in antagonistic and hostile Washington DC) and the case should not be thrown out by a Court of Appeals and should ever reach the US Supreme Court, it surely would have to be overturned by them.

AG Garland May Face Charges of Obstruction of Justice

Fox News wrote on August 4:

“Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich… believes Attorney General Merrick Garland is in danger of facing charges of his own for ‘directing’ special counsel Jack Smith’s ‘disgustingly political’ assault on former President Donald Trump.

“[Gingrich said:] ‘Look, we have never seen a major political figure as routinely and methodically assaulted as Donald Trump. It’s a sign of how desperate the establishment is. They are terrified that if he’s still standing and in October of 2024, he is going to become the president. And, of course, if he does become the president, all of these people are in jeopardy. Remember, Watergate led to 46 people being convicted. The only Cabinet officer ever to go to jail was Attorney General John Mitchell for obstruction of justice.

‘‘And I am absolutely certain that the current attorney general, Merrick Garland, is in grave danger of being charged with obstruction of justice and with having destroyed the system. And I think the Congress, frankly, should be right now subpoenaing all the documents between Smith and Garland, because I think Garland’s been directing this. I think the timing is weird. As you know, the other night, ‘Jesse Watters Primetime’ put up a chart that showed something happens to Hunter, the next two or three days, something happens to Trump… I mean, this is so blatantly, disgustingly political. And it has no business being in the Department of Justice.’”

Please view our new lengthy and detailed StandingWatch program in this context, titled, “IS America Doomed? The Biden and Trump Scandals.”

Federal Judge Comes Out Swinging Against Jack Smith in Document Case

Fox News wrote on August 7:

“The federal judge overseeing the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump delivered multiple blows to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s efforts in a brief Monday. Judge Aileen Cannon of the Southern District of Florida – who is presiding over the case stemming from a Miami grand jury’s June indictment of Trump – denied the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) request for sealed filings, striking two from the record. Cannon also requested additional information from prosecutors regarding the continued use of an out-of-state grand jury to investigate the case.

“‘The Special Counsel states in conclusory terms that the supplement should be sealed from public view “to comport with grand jury secrecy,” but the motion for leave and the supplement plainly fail to satisfy the burden of establishing a sufficient legal or factual basis to warrant sealing the motion and supplement,’ Cannon wrote in the brief, denying the DOJ’s request. ‘Among other topics as raised in the Motion, the response shall address the legal propriety of using an out-of-district grand jury proceeding to continue to investigate and/or to seek post-indictment hearings on matters pertinent to the instant indicted matter in this district,’ she continued in the brief…”

Trump Not Guiltless

Breitbart wrote on August 7:

“During an interview with NBC News on Monday, 2024 Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stated that the 2020 election was poorly run, but we had mass mail-in balloting because ‘Trump turned the government over to Fauci, they embraced lockdowns, they did the CARES Act, which funded mail-in ballots across the country. Donald Trump signed that bill that funded the mail ballots that all the Republicans have been so concerned about.’ And that the censorship of the Hunter Biden laptop story ‘was Donald Trump’s FBI that was working with that’…

“‘…when they changed the rules for COVID, I think that was wrong. I think some of those changes were unconstitutional. When they do mass mail ballots, I think that’s wrong. I think ballot harvesting is wrong… I think the fact that the FBI was working with Facebook and these other tech companies to censor the Hunter Biden story was wrong. And so, I don’t think it was the perfect election. I remember after, a lot of the media was saying, this was the most secure election in history. How could it be the most secure with those millions of mail ballots going out?…’ [Trump] didn’t have control over his own government. … And so, I think all of those issues were very problematic, but, at the end of the day, Donald Trump helped facilitate that whole set of circumstances.’”

Even though clearly prompted by political motives, DeSantis has a point. Especially Trump’s failure to deal with Fauci and his crazy ideas caused great harm to the country.

Four Pinocchios for Lying Joe Biden

Breitbart wrote on August 3:

“The Washington Post‘s fact-checker, Glenn Kessler, gave President Joe Biden four Pinocchios for lying about his son Hunter Biden not making money in China.

“Kessler documented two instances where Biden denied his son had made money in China.

“In an October 22, 2020 presidential debate, Biden told moderator Kristen Welker: ‘My son has not made money in terms of this thing about, what are you talking about, China. I have not had … the only guy who made money from China is this guy [Donald Trump]. He’s the only one. Nobody else has made money from China.’

“In a September 29, 2020, debate, Trump told Biden, ‘Once you became vice president [Hunter Biden] made a fortune in Ukraine, in China, in Moscow and various other places,’ to which Biden responded, ‘That’s not true.’

“Kessler wrote: ‘But now, nearly three years later, Biden’s assertions have been directly rebutted by Hunter himself. In court testimony last week, the younger Biden acknowledged that he in fact had been paid substantial sums in China — the first official confirmation that this was the case…”

The Ron Paul Institute republished on August 1 the following article by Law Professor Jonathan Turley:

“President Joe Biden has been a regular recipient of ‘Pinocchios’ by the Washington Post for his false statements… Biden is undeterred and regularly repeats false stories from his life… Now, the President has a fresh set of ‘Four Pinocchios’…

“The Post is admitting that Biden has been lying about how his son Hunter never made money from China. It is the latest indication that the protective media wall surrounding Biden is beginning to crumble under the weight of new evidence in the corruption scandal…

“What is curious is that Kessler and the Post waited for Hunter to effectively confess rather than take notice of money transfers and records released by House committees investigating the corruption scandal. The Post and most of the media have taken little observable journalistic interest in independently confirming such payments or benefits. Instead, the media has adopted a largely passive stance and waited for confessions rather than find confirmation…

“Of course, the Post has not been known to be particularly active in independently trying to confirm such benefits [which Joe Biden allegedly received from Hunter’s business deals with foreign associates] absent another Biden admission or confession. As with the clearly false claims that he had no knowledge or involvement in these dealings, the question is now not whether Joe Biden has been lying but why he has been lying.” 

Joe Biden’s blatant denial of Hunter’s receipt of money from China does in fact raise serious questions regarding Joe Biden himself. His continuous lies do not help either.

Kennedy and Trump

American Thinker wrote on August 4:

“Trump’s Achilles heel was allowing himself to be bamboozled into supporting the COVID narrative of the pharmaceutical-medical-globalist complex. Because of his congenital reluctance to issue a mea culpa and admit that he was conned, Kennedy could potentially appeal to this large segment of the electorate… For solid realpolitik reasons Trump avoids attacking Kennedy and is modestly complimentary…

“There will be many disaffected Democrats regardless which candidate secures the nomination. Media and Democratic attacks on Kennedy only help him, similar to Trump… Capturing the Democratic nomination requires that Kennedy overcome the media and the Clinton/Obama machine…

“Kennedy… is a skilled debater, commanding facts, with his finger on the pulse of current existential concerns. No one in his imploding party comes close. No one owns the COVID vaccine debate as he does… Trump currently needs Kennedy more than Kennedy needs Trump…”

An interesting proposal to contemplate.

No Religious Exemption in Connecticut

The Associated Press wrote on August 4:

“A federal appeals court on Friday upheld a 2021 Connecticut law that eliminated the state’s longstanding religious exemption from childhood immunization requirements for schools, colleges and day care facilities. The decision comes about a year and a half after a lower court judge dismissed the lawsuit challenging the contentious law…

“‘This decision is a full and resounding affirmation of the constitutionality and legality of Connecticut’s vaccine requirements. Vaccines save lives — this is a fact beyond dispute,’ Democratic Attorney General William Tong said in a statement. ‘The legislature acted responsibly and well within its authority to protect the health of Connecticut families and stop the spread of preventable disease.’

“The plaintiffs, We the Patriots USA Inc. and others, had argued that Connecticut violated religious freedom protections by removing the exemption. The 2021 law, they said, demonstrates a hostility to religious believers and jeopardizes their rights to medical freedom and child rearing. ‘We fully intend to seek review of this decision in the United States Supreme Court, to obtain equal justice for all children — not only in Connecticut, but in every state in the nation,’ Brian Festa, co-founder and vice president of We the Patriots USA Inc., said in a statement.

“He said his group, which focuses on religious and medical freedom, parental rights and other matters, disagrees with the court’s conclusion that removing the exemption does not violate religious freedom under the First Amendment or the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection under the law…

“Connecticut law currently requires students to receive certain immunizations before enrolling in school, yet allows some medical exemptions. Students could seek religious exemptions as well prior to 2021, but lawmakers decided to end that after being concerned by an uptick in exemption requests coupled with a decline in vaccination rates in some schools. The Connecticut General Assembly ultimately passed legislation that eliminated the exemption but grandfathered students in K-12 that had already received one…”

There is nothing reasonable about this terrible decision which, sadly, reflects the policy of so many states in a country which claims religious freedom but is becoming more and more an autocratic dictatorship.

Poland’s Diminishing Support for Ukraine

The Conversation reported on August 4:

“There has been a fundamental shift when it comes to the stance that young Poles think their government should adopt in the war in Ukraine. In 2022, an overwhelming majority of 83 percent argued that the government should support Ukraine — but this number has changed drastically.

“Now, 65 percent of respondents back continuous support for Ukraine, whereas the remaining 34 percent wish for Poland to stay neutral. Clearly, more than one and a half years into the current phase of the conflict and amid fears of other countries being pulled into the war, young people have become more cautious…

“Asked about the type of support that people consider appropriate for Ukraine, our most recent (2023) data shows that only 2 percent of young Poles want the national army to be involved in the Ukraine war. And while 60 percent support offering humanitarian aid, only 28 percent want Poland to offer weapons.”

That even Poland—Ukraine’s strongest supporter in Europe—has begun to have second thoughts is rather telling.

Germans Unhappy With Political System

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 4:

“If federal elections were held this week, the populist party [AfD] would win 21% of the vote, putting it firmly in second place [after the CDU]. [In a new poll,] Germany’s center-left government [SPD, FDP and the Green] again failed to win a majority… Only one in five respondents said they were satisfied with the work of the federal government…Chancellor Scholz is also becoming increasingly unpopular: Only three out of 10 eligible voters (31%) say they are satisfied with his work, the lowest approval rating since he took office in December 2021…

“Voters are not only dissatisfied with the chancellor and his government, but also with the overall situation in the country. Some 58% say that burdens are not shared fairly in Germany. That feeling has to do with the distribution of wealth, but also with the fact that certain groups in the population feel that their views and interests are not being taken into account enough by the political mainstream… As many as 62% of respondents said politicians focus too much on the interests of those who are wealthy, while 48% think that politicians focus too much on the needs of refugees.

“Despite the fact that the opposition conservative parties are leading in the polls, only 19% said they believe that they would do a better job at solving the country’s problems — in fact, 21% said they would do an even worse job, and 53% said they’d expect a conservative-led government’s overall performance to be similar… The low expectations for a CDU-led federal government correspond to the poor rating of CDU leader Friedrich Merz. Only three out of 10 respondents said they think he is a good party leader, and only 16% said they thought he would make a good chancellor. Perhaps even worse for Merz, only one in three CDU supporters want him to become the next head of government after the general election in 2025…

“The CDU/CSU has been thrown into turmoil by the question of whether the decision to disassociate itself from the far-right AfD should apply at all political levels. This comes after Merz suggested in an interview with public broadcaster ZDF in July that cooperation with AfD representatives on a local level was sensible common practice. He walked his comments back the following day in response to an immediate backlash, including from figures within his own party.

“Overall, 64% of those surveyed for the Deutschlandtrend poll said they think it is right for the CDU to rule out cooperation with the AfD in principle, while 29% are open to considering it. However, there are considerable differences when the western and eastern German states are considered separately.

“While two-thirds of eligible voters in western Germany welcome the CDU’s official stance of rejecting cooperation with the AfD, in eastern Germany, the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), only half of the eligible voters agree. There, the AfD is the strongest party, polling at over 30%.

“Some 70% of all respondents called for more pragmatism: They say that support of individual AfD motions in the parliaments of cities, municipalities and districts should be decided on a case-by-case basis.

“In eastern Germany, as many as 81% of respondents said they were in favor of more pragmatism, compared with 67% in western Germany. Nationwide, it is only Green supporters (51%) where a majority say that all AfD motions should be rejected on principle.”

Germany is in chaos, due to a lack of true leadership. All seem to act as proverbial politicians… without any strong convictions and without any backbone. But this will end soon when the “right man” shows up.

Germany in Deep Financial Trouble

Express wrote on August 8:

“Germany, once regarded as the powerhouse of the European economy, is grappling with severe economic challenges that are leaving a profound impact on its social fabric. The nation’s economic struggles have manifested in a distressing rise in poverty rates, increased reliance on food banks, and a worrying decline in industrial output, particularly within the renowned car manufacturing sector.

“Recent data reveals that more than two million Germans are now dependent on foodbanks for their daily sustenance… Furthermore, approximately 14 million Germans, equivalent to one in six of the population of 88 million, are classified as living in poverty... Amid these challenges, official economic forecasts point toward a recession in Germany this year.”

All the while, enormous amounts of money are being spent on ridiculous “Green” projects and on assisting Ukraine militarily.

Fear of War in Germany

Bild Online wrote on August 4:

“Since Putin’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, the number of conscientious objectors in the Bundeswehr has increased fivefold! Background: In the case of a partial or general mobilization in the event of tension or defense, ALL men between the ages of 18 and 59 could be drafted. THAT apparently scares even soldiers.

“In the German Basic Law, Article 4, Paragraph 3, it says: ‘No one may be forced into military service against his conscience.’ A response from the Federal Government to a small question from the Left Group now shows: More and more are invoking this law – there is a trend towards objection…

“But when do German soldiers actually have to fear being mobilized for a defensive mission? The Bundestag must decide with a two-thirds majority that there is a ‘stress situation’ (“Spannungsfall”). Meaning: increased military alert and general compulsory military service for men up to the age of 60. This is a preliminary stage of the ‘defense case’ (“Verteidigungsfall”).

“The defense case can also occur if the Federal Republic is attacked with armed force [by the enemy; or when such an armed attack is “imminent”]. Then the authority to command the armed forces [of Germany] is transferred to the Federal Chancellor. So far this has remained a theoretical scenario: the stress situation or the defense case have never been announced.”

Sadly, this scenario will become all-too-real pretty soon.

Germany Hesitates to Supply Arms to Ukraine

Focus wrote on August 5:

“In May, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Berlin after a long time—a symbolic visit to show that Ukraine and Germany are now putting their tensions over arms shipments behind them. But little has happened since then. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) promised a comprehensive weapons package worth 2.4 billion euros at his meeting with Selenskyj in May of this year. But until today, this promise has hardly been fulfilled

“The list of delivered weapons… shows sobering numbers. So far, only a few of the promised weapons have arrived in Ukraine. Only ten of 110 Leopard 1 tanks, twelve of 18 Cheetahs, an air surveillance radar and 850 rounds of artillery ammunition were delivered. Non-lethal weapons such as reconnaissance drones, air surveillance radars and tankers have also not received so far…

“It is also particularly annoying for Kiev that commitments for weapons have apparently been withdrawn

“Germany also remains hesitant with regard to new types of weapon systems… Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) and his party colleague Ralf Stegner continue to reject a delivery [of German Taurus missiles] in order to avoid an escalation of the conflict with Russia. Taurus missiles have an enormous range and could theoretically hit targets on Russian territory. Ukraine had repeatedly pledged to only use the weapons to defend Ukrainian territories.”

Germany is repeating an all-too-familiar pattern of unreliability.

EU a Failed Project?

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 6:

“Germany’s far-right AfD on Sunday derided the EU as a ‘failed project’ during a party conference in the eastern German city of Magdeburg.

“A text adopted by hundreds of party delegates at the event said the bloc ‘completely failed’ on issues such as climate and immigration. The party also said it does not support the Euro as a currency.  

“However, the text did not urge Germany to leave the EU. The AfD also did not call for the bloc to be dissolved entirely, as suggested by an earlier party draft in June.

“The AfD rather wishes to establish ‘a federation of European nations, a new European economic and interest community that preserves the sovereignty of member states.’

“The party conference this weekend was tasked with preparing a program for next year’s European Parliament elections. Last month, the AfD selected EU Parliament member Maximilian Krah as its top EU election candidate. Krah, an incumbent lawmaker in the European Parliament, has called the AfD ‘the most exciting right-wing party’ in Europe.

“The AfD’s deliberations on its EU strategy come as the anti-immigration party rises in support among the German population. The party has capitalized on rising inflation in Germany as well as higher energy costs following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”

The AfD’s switch in policy towards the EU is interesting. Even though the call for an abandonment of the euro will not come to fruition, the call for greater independence of EU member states might be answered, at least to an extent and for a while, until power and authority is being transferred to “the beast.” Daniel 2:42-43 reads: “… the kingdom [of Europe] shall be partly strong and partly fragile… they [ten core nations of Europe] will not adhere to one another…”

American Anger at Europe

Die Welt wrote on August 9:

“If US citizens want to travel to Europe in the future, they have to register online beforehand – and pay eight dollars for it. Many Americans are angry, others are in a real Oktoberfest panic. The USA has had comparable – and more expensive – rules for travelers from the EU for 15 years…

“They are venting their anger on social networks. Some speak of a ‘deterrent‘ by the EU, while others speak of ‘expensive insolence’.

“The excitement seems so great that ETIAS has already arrived in the US election campaign. Ex-President Donald Trump has already announced that if he is re-elected, he will not allow his compatriots to pay to enter the EU… ‘We give them everything, including military support and trade, and now we are supposed to pay to go there.’ Europeans have no respect for the United States, Trump continues…

“To register, travelers have to pay a fee of seven euros (equivalent to around eight dollars) and provide some personal information. In the US, in addition to the costs, there are also concerns about the latter…

“Nile Gardiner, a former adviser to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, even described the new EU program as ‘Orwellian’ – in reference to George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 about a totalitarian surveillance state

“This week showed again that the United States is not squeamish when it comes to entry from EU countries. The US authorities have severely restricted the visa exemption for Hungary. Last week, the ESTA validity period for Hungarian passport holders was reduced from two years to one year, and an ESTA permit is only valid for single entry…

“Some Americans have already drawn their own conclusions from the new EU rules. They no longer want to travel to Europe as a protest, as Jeffery Lawnicki writes on Instagram: ‘Who wants to visit a garbage dump like Europe?‘”

The deterioration of the EU-USA relationship will continue drastically.

Right To Cash

The Associated Press wrote on August 4:

“Austria’s… Chancellor Karl Nehammer said in a statement on Friday that ‘more and more people are concerned that cash could be restricted as a means of payment in Austria.’…  ‘People in Austria have a right to cash,’ Nehammer said.

“While payments by card and electronic methods have become increasingly common in many European countries, Austria and neighboring Germany remain relatively attached to cash. The government says 47 billion euros ($51 billion) per year are withdrawn from ATMs in Austria, a country of about 9.1 million people.

“Protecting cash against supposed threats has been a demand of the far-right opposition Freedom Party, which has led polls in Austria in recent months. The country’s next election is due in 2024…

“The chancellor’s proposal, according to his office, involves a ‘constitutional protection of cash as a means of payment,’ ensuring that people can still pay with cash, and securing a ‘basic supply’ of cash in cooperation with Austria’s central bank. Austria is one of 20 countries that are part of the euro area. Nehammer said he has instructed Finance Minister Magnus Brunner to work on the proposal and plans to hold a round table with the ministries concerned, finance industry representatives and the central bank in September.”

The very thought that people might be prevented from paying in cash is abhorrent and disgusting—and worthy of a manipulating, controlling and suppressing dictatorship.

The Problems With Electric Cars

1945 wrote on August 4:

“In 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom dictated that by 2035, all new cars and trucks sold in the state must be fossil-fuel-free. Electric vehicles, or EVs, are to be the new king of the road…

“Almost every EV battery requires cobalt—a rare and expensive mineral found mostly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The African country is by far the world’s largest producer… The DRC is also rich in other natural resources such as copper, zinc, coltan, cassiterite, gold, bauxite, diamond, oil, and gas. Yet it is also one of the poorest countries in the world, with a gross national income of approximately $550 per person as measured in U.S. dollars.

“The Congolese people have seen little benefit from these immense natural resources, which have been exploited for many decades, particularly by… China, as well as its own government. Not only are miners, including children, essentially working as slaves, risking their lives. Mining for these natural resources is an extremely dangerous endeavor, one that kills up to 2,000 illegal miners a year… Yet, no one, particularly Governor Gavin Newsom, wants to talk about this. 

“Although far behind the Congo, Russia and China are also in the top ten list of producers, raising geopolitical concerns around this valuable mineral. While China is at the bottom of the list, producing only 2,200 MT, the country leads the world in refined cobalt production at 70 percent of the total global supply with most of the raw material coming from the Congo…

“China is also the top consumer of cobalt with most of it used to supply the rechargeable battery industry. The push for EVs drives the U.S. increasingly into the arms of the CCP. While some companies have created batteries without cobalt, these have not proven to provide the necessary energy to power a car for any significant distance…

“Currently, the Lucid Air is the car that can go the farthest on a single charge – 516 miles or approximately the distance from San Diego to San Francisco. The car costs $139,650. The Tesla S Model will take you 405 miles on a single charge, or about the distance from Los Angeles to San Francisco and the vehicle sells to the tune of almost $90,000

“The most reasonably priced EVs… like the Chevy Bolt (which is set to be discontinued to make room for other electric vehicle models from Chevy) or the Nissan Leaf, which run between $26,000 and $30,000 – have a maximum range closer to 230 miles which, if driving at 65mph is approximately 3.5 hours. Who drives at 65mph on an open freeway?… This is before, like any battery, the cells lose their maximum charging capacity, which will decrease maximum driving distances…

“Lithium-ion batteries are toxic and can cause destructive fires that spread quickly, particularly when they are stored together. Then there’s the issue of charging stations and availability… It typically takes anywhere between 6 to 12 hours to charge an EV using a Level 2 charger…”

The push for electric cars by the green Woke culture seems to be a rather ineffective, costly and perhaps even dangerous idea.

Biden Administration Concedes No Evidence Behind Recommendation for 6 COVID Booster Shots a Year

Southern Maryland Online wrote on August 8:

“President Joe Biden’s administration concedes that there is no scientific evidence to support an apparent recommendation to receive as many as six COVID-19 booster shots in a year. After Health Secretary Xavier Becerra [an attorney with no medical degrees], a Biden appointee, wrote in a social media post on Nov. 29, 2022, that people should get vaccinated ‘if it’s been over 2 months since your last dose,’ the Functional Government Initiative (FGI) filed a Freedom of Information Act request for documents supporting the statements.

“The watchdog organization then sued after the administration didn’t comply with timelines laid out in the law. FGI asked for, among other documents: ‘Any scientific support relied on by Secretary Becerra when approving or issuing the tweet recommending that all Americans receive a booster shot every two months’ and ‘any study, synopsis, or similar statement or document of scientific, academic, or government research on whether a bi-monthly booster shot will effectively prevent the transmission or susceptibility to COVID-19 and known active variants as of November 2022.’

“It also asked for internal communications regarding Mr. Becerra’s statements. In a new response, the government said it had no evidence to support Mr. Becerra’s recommendation. ‘The department reviewed 1,263 pages of potentially responsive records captured in the agency’s search for this FOIA request. After a careful review of these records, I determined the 1,263 pages were not relevant to your request,’ Alesia Williams, an official in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), told FGI.

“‘The lack of a single record supporting Secretary Becerra’s bold public health recommendation for six COVID boosters a year is a startling development,’ Pete McGinnis, a spokesman for FGI, said in a statement. ‘It is tremendously irresponsible for the government’s chief health official to fire off tweets recommending frequent injections of a new vaccine booster apparently based on no academic or scientific support,’ Mr. McGinnis added. ‘How can the public be assured that the agency is ‘following the science’ on other important public health matters when it demonstrates such clear disregard for basic scientific integrity standards on an issue as important as COVID vaccine shots?’”

This ongoing propaganda by the Biden Administration is truly alarming.

A World Deceived?

The Dossier wrote on August 1:

Anthony Fauci is a worldwide celebrity and has taken up a prestigious series of appointments at Georgetown University and elsewhere. Bill Gates and the gang are jet setting around the world preaching the gospel of the Climate Hoax Church… Most of the appointees to the Trump and Biden coronavirus task forces have long since cashed out and laundered their credentials through the revolving door and into the BioTech/Big Pharma space…

“So it shouldn’t come as much as a surprise that they’re trying to restart the party to attempt another series of grand slams. The Pharma-sponsored corporate media is once more spreading the fear hype. ‘Time to bring [masks] out again especially as the school season starts,’ read the MSNBC headline Tuesday morning. An entire segment on Tuesday from ABC’s Good Morning America was dedicated to tracking supposed increasing hospitalizations from coronavirus infections, warning that the numbers are ‘on the rise.’

“… the bad guys of the Covid hysteria era never faced any consequences for the human rights atrocities they committed since 2019. And in all likelihood, they probably never will…

“Coronavirus hysteria ended because enough human beings became educated to the reality that the ‘response’ to the ‘pandemic’ was wildly overblown… It’s the same reason why Pfizer and Moderna stock is crashing…

“The problem occurred because it took too many people way too long to realize that humanity had been bamboozled by power hungry tyrants… When the next big power grab arrives, we should hope for much more courage and bravery than last time around.”

Note the next article as well.

Climate Lockdowns?

Report 24 wrote on July 31:

“Klaus Schwab’s daughter Nicole Schwab obviously follows the example of her father. At an event, she indicated that the Covid crisis had shown that radical change is possible if there is enough panic. The best conditions for a Great Reset: Will climate lockdowns follow soon after the Covid lockdowns? The desire to establish a globalist dictatorship including the dystopian ‘Great Reset’ is obviously in the blood.

“The WEF [World Economic Forum] makes no secret that Covid-19 has been used as a test run for a potential climate dictatorship… Nicole Schwab [a ‘WEF Executive Committee member’] takes a similar stance… she sees Covid as a ‘tremendous opportunity’ that has shown that radical change is achievable when people are scared. This could be used to launch the WEF’s ‘Great Reset’ agenda…

“If you take the political measures of the Corona period as a model, the fear arises that globalists are actually flirting with dictatorial ‘climate lockdowns’. That would mean severe restrictions being imposed on individuals and businesses to reduce carbon emissions. These measures could include travel restrictions, strict regulations on energy use and consumption in general, and even temporary closures of industries considered to be harmful to the environment. Globalist advocates argue that strict action is needed to prevent catastrophic consequences of supposedly man-made climate change…”

Too far-fetched to be true? Perhaps not!

“Preparing” For the Next Pandemic

Life Stite News reported on August 7:

“U.K. scientists at a high-security government laboratory have begun developing vaccines for a potential future pandemic. 

“Two-hundred scientists are currently working on vaccines against an unknown ‘Disease X’ at the Porton Down laboratory in Wiltshire, England… Bird flu is considered the most likely candidate to cause the ‘next pandemic’ by the scientists working at the lab. They are furthermore developing vaccines against a potential outbreak of monkeypox and hantavirus, a disease that primarily occurs in rodents. 

“The laboratory reportedly successfully developed ‘the world’s first vaccine against Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, a disease that’s spread by ticks and has a fatality rate of 30%.’ The tropical disease is viewed as a potential global pandemic threat as it is allegedly becoming more common in Europe…

“Since the coronavirus outbreak in 2020 and the subsequent draconian lockdown policies, leading globalists like Bill Gates have been continuously warning about the ‘next pandemic.’

“During a 2023 World Economic Forum (WEF) panel discussion fittingly titled ‘100 Days to Outrace the Next Pandemic,’ former British prime minister Tony Blair predicted that vaccines for future pandemics will require ‘multiple shots.’ Blair called for digital infrastructure ‘to know who has been vaccinated and who hasn’t been.’ A few months later, the European Union (EU) and the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a partnership to create a ‘global system’ of vaccine passports built on the EU’s ‘system of digital COVID-19 certification.’ 

Moreover, the head of a ‘nudge unit’ employed by the U.K. government during the COVID crisis said in a recent interview that lockdowns would be accepted by the population in future pandemics because people already ‘know what the drill is.’ 

“Professor David Halpern from the Behavioural Insights Team (the ‘nudge unit’) admitted that his agency used psychological manipulation to prime the population and defended the use of fear-based messaging ‘in extreme circumstances.’ He said that visual prompts and catchy slogans can be used to prime people if they ‘are wrongly calibrated.’”

Satan is the ruler of this world, which is also shown in the next article.

Persecution and Prosecution of Christians in the West

The Christian Post wrote on August 6:

“Don’t be surprised if one day you are on trial for quoting the Bible on social media. If that seems unthinkable, you should know it’s already happening to some Christians in other parts of the world… Christians have become accustomed to getting banned (or shadowbanned) on social media for our beliefs, but it seems strange to think that one day we could be arrested for quoting the Bible. 

“But that’s what happened to Päivi Räsänen, a member of parliament in Finland. She has been an elected official since 1995. She was the chair of the Christian Democratic Party from 2004 to 2015, she was minister of the interior from 2011 to 2015, and she is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland with her husband, who serves as a pastor. 

“In June 2019, Päivi tweeted a picture of Bible verses and questioned her denomination’s partnership with an LGBT Pride event. The prosecutor general in Finland opened an investigation against her. In April 2021, the prosecutor announced three charges of hate speech against Päivi — one charge for the tweet, a second charge for a 2004 pamphlet on sexuality for her church, and a third charge for a 2019 radio debate on sexuality.

“Alliance Defending Freedom International supported her defense at a district court, and in a unanimous ruling in March 2022, the court dismissed all charges against her. However, the prosecutor appealed the ruling. So on August 22nd, Päivi will stand trial again.

“It is tempting to think this could never happen in America. Freedom of speech is protected by law in this country. But Päivi can say the same about her country. The constitution in Finland protects freedom of religion and freedom of speech.

“Therefore it is Päivi today, but it could be your pastor tomorrow. If a politician can be charged with hate speech for quoting the Bible, pastors can receive the same charge. If politicians can be charged for that, less powerful people like you can also be charged for quoting the Bible on social media.

“Last week, police officers in Wisconsin arrested several young Christians for preaching the gospel at a public drag queen event that targeted children. In June, the House of Representatives in Michigan passed House Bill 4474, a bill that would make speech that ‘causes the victims to feel terrorized, frightened, or threatened’ a hate crime. Speech against a person’s ‘sexual orientation’ or ‘gender identity or expression’ are listed as hate crimes.

“Western nations like America and Finland founded their legal system on Christian ethics, but now they are radically committed to LGBT ideology and opposed to their founding values. Just as Christian theology shaped the West’s legal system, LGBT ideology is reshaping it. LGBT ideology cannot co-exist with Christian theology… Therefore, it suppresses Christianity through persecution. It arrests Christians for preaching the Gospel. It criminalizes speech against homosexuality and transgenderism.”

The LGBT ideology is condemned in the Bible.

Building the Third Temple

Israel 365 News wrote on August 4:

“Channel 12, a Hebrew-language news site, published an article on Sunday accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of allocating resources to a project aimed at building a third temple on the Temple Mount. The article blames Christians for bringing red heifers to Israel.

“The Channel 12 article cites a project by Boneh Israel, an organization that brings together Jews and Christians. In cooperation with the Temple Institute, Boneh Israel successfully imported five red calves in September to Israel from Texas for the purpose of raising them for the Biblical commandment.  

“The red heifer was the main component in the Biblically mandated process of ritual purification for impurity that results from proximity or contact with a dead body. Because the elements needed for this ceremony have been lacking since the destruction of the Second Temple, all Jews today are considered ritually impure, thereby preventing the return of the Temple service… [Not all religious authorities in Israel agree with this conclusion, but many do. And even though a red heifer is not required in the Bible for the building of the third temple, many rabbis think that it is.]

“The article claimed that the Netanyahu government is complicit. ‘A few years ago, the Jerusalem Ministry submitted a design proposal for the construction of the Mount of Olives Promenade, and officials who were involved in the planning claim that its route is intended to serve, among other things, the future ceremony of burning the cow,’ the article wrote, also blaming the Ministry of Agriculture for complicity by issuing permits for importing the red calves…

“The article also noted that the Minister for Jerusalem and Heritage, Nathaniel Isaac attended the ceremony at Ben Gurion International Airport when the calves arrived, citing this as proof that Netanyahu’s government is paving the way for the Third Temple.

“The article quoted Dr. Tomer Persico, a Research Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, who claimed that Christians are involved in the project in order to help bring about the ‘Temple of the Antichrist’. ‘The Antichrist, the “Satan” one might say, needs to come here and defile the Temple,’ notes Persico…

“The Ministry of Heritage responded to Channel 12 by stating that the project did not receive funding from the government… ‘The Director General of the Ministry participated in the ceremony of their arrival privately and during the tenure of the previous government. The plan for the promenade on the Mount of Olives was intended for tourism purposes and not for the benefit of the Red Cow fire.’

“The Ministry of Agriculture stated in response:  “An import license for the source is granted as long as the country is approved for the type of import requested. The US has been approved for this for about a year. The calves mentioned in the article were imported for breeding purposes, and met all the import conditions required by the ministry.’

“The article raised an uproar among the Arab mediaAl Jazeera cited Dr. Saleh Lutfi, ‘a researcher in Jewish, Zionist, and political affairs,’ as saying that in light of the current Palestinian and regional circumstances, the Netanyahu government [thinks] the time is ripe to ‘realize the myth of building the alleged “Third Temple”All parties in the government coalition… agree among themselves on the need to continue preparations… for the construction of the Temple, the preparation of priests’ clothing, the raising of the red cow, and the strengthening of the position of the Chief Rabbi,’ Lufti wrote.

“He went on to claim that the idea of rebuilding the Temple ‘has become rooted even among large segments of the Israeli secular and liberal movement, as well as among the circles of the so-called Jewish Zionist left.’

“Despite the preparations and the allocation of budgets, Lufti reasoned that the Netanyahu government is not currently building the Temple in the courtyards of the Temple Mount, pointing out that this would be ‘a suicidal step for the Israeli entity, which would ignite a religious uprising in historic Palestine, taking into account that it will spread to the Arab and Islamic worlds, which will expose the region to a religious war… The temple includes a biblical council (Sanhedrin) as well, deciding and prosecuting according to Jewish religious provisions, and paves the way for the preparation of the king, or the so-called chief rabbi, who does not necessarily rule in a democratic manner.’

“Palestinian Shehab News reported that the deputy director of the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem, Najeh Bakirat, ‘confirmed that the occupation government adopted the project to build the Temple in the place of Al-Aqsa, to make Jerusalem a Jewish capital…through several steps and nonstop violations against the mosque.’”

Netanyahu’s position regarding the Third Temple has been quite ambiguous for a long time. We wonder what is really going on behind the scenes. You might want to listen to our StandingWatch program from 2018, titled, ‘Netanyahu’s Announcement of a Third Temple?”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

Update 1080

Comments on News and Prophecy–August 12, 2023 / Europe’s War with America, Britain, Israel and Russia

On August 12, 2023, Norbert Link will present, “Comments on News and Prophecy—August 12, 2023,” and the sermon, titled, “Europe’s War with America, Britain, Israel and Russia.”

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.

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A Song in Your Heart

by Eric Rank

There are moments in life that are utterly delightful if we are wise enough to take the time to appreciate them. A quiet, sunny summer morning conversing uninterrupted with my wife over a good cup of coffee is what does it for me. I’m sure you have moments that fit your own formula of delight.  Those kinds of moments are the easy ones to appreciate, of course. When there’s not a problem in the world that comes to mind and everything is wonderful, the experience of joy is readily available.

The thing about delightful moments is that they tend to pass by. If we don’t take the time to acknowledge the good things for which we have reason to be grateful, we can miss out on our opportunity to enjoy the gifts of momentary gladness that God gives us. I dare say that every single day is laden with delightful moments if we are attentive enough to capture them.  But we have to be adept enough to notice them, and deliberate enough to spend our time experiencing them.

For as many reasons that we can find to be delighted, we can find just as many reasons – or more – to be disgruntled. Being human, the disruptive elements in a moment can easily inundate our otherwise blissful state of being. The neighbor’s gas-powered leaf blower on a quiet, sunny summer morning is enough to ruin everything!

Acknowledging that life’s frustrations are abundant, how is it possible to find any meaningful, lasting joy in our life? Jesus Christ gives us a clue in John 16:33, “‘These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.’”

The Bible is very clear in letting us know that life is hard, especially living as a Christian! But Jesus doesn’t tell us that we just have to be tough and suffer through it without any hope of relief in this life. He encourages us to rise above the reasons that we have to complain, and focus instead on the reasons we have to be cheerful. This world in which we find struggle is the same world that Jesus Christ has overcome. And in doing that, He has given us a hope that is far greater than relief from the struggles in life. We have the kind of hope that makes all problems infinitesimally insignificant – if we take the time to acknowledge and meditate on the infinite wonder of eternal life.

We have to look in the right places to find joy. It is not too difficult to indulge in a temporary hedonistic experience, but those will inevitably lead us down the wrong path. We obtain lasting joy by being filled with the Holy Spirit, which helps us understand our life with the mind of Christ and overflow with positive emotion. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul shares his perspective that a delightful state of being is attainable to us all, inspiring us to have a song in our heart!

“Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.  And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:17-20).

Our state of mind and Way of Life is filled with inspiration of God’s Spirit. Having God live with or even within us through His Holy Spirit allows us to be thankful for ALL things. Even the hard things that attempt to disrupt our delight serve a meaningful purpose for us in our spiritual growth as we learn to overcome (compare Romans 8:28). By setting our outlook in this way, we understand that each moment is a gift from God that offers us an opportunity to be thankfully delighted, with a song in our heart, knowing that His Will is working in our lives.

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by Norbert Link

We begin with further developments regarding the politically motivated and constitutionally failing indictment against Donald Trump pertaining to the election results in 2020. The court case is supposed to be presided over by a biased judge in a hostile environment. We also point out how all charges against Trump could just disappear; and report on the possibility of impeachment by Merrick Garland and four Pinocchios given to Joe Biden for his continuous lies. We also speak on proposals for Trump and Kennedy running together as potential President and Vice-President; and the abominable abolishment of religious exemptions for childhood immunizations in Connecticut (and in many other US states).

We continue with Poland’s diminishing support for Ukraine; the unhappiness of most Germans with their government and the opposition; Germany’s economic hardship; the growing fear of war by German soldiers; Germany’s hesitancy to support Ukraine with more weapons; and the interesting switch in policy of Germany’s right-wing party, the AfD, regarding Europe.

We speak on American anger with Europe; idle attempts by German and Austrian politicians to abolish cash transactions; address the problems and dangers with electric cars; point out misleading and deceiving recommendations by Fauci and others, including Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, regarding the COVID hysteria; and warn of another dictatorial lockdown because of a “new epidemic” and “climate change.”

We conclude with an article about coming persecution and prosecution of Christians in America and the Western world, especially because of the LGBT ideology; and a remarkable article regarding developments in Israel pertaining to the building of the Third Temple.

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

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Biased Judge in Trump 2020 Election Case Must Recuse Herself

Breitbart wrote on August 4:

“Appointed to the bench by the Obama administration in 2014, U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan will oversee the 2020 election case against Trump. Chutkan previously worked in litigation and white-collar criminal defense at Boies, Schiller, & Flexner, where Hunter Biden and Chutkan were colleagues for five years. During her tenure as a judge, she also oversaw an important case regarding the Russia Hoax.

“‘I don’t believe for one second it’s a coincidence that in Washington, D.C., Donald Trump drew the most partisan, bias judge who is incapable of being fair and neutral,’ said Patel, who is a former House Intelligence Committee aide and principal deputy at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).

“Patel argues Chutkan is a partisan judge and has no credibility to oversee Trump’s case after she recused herself from overseeing an ongoing case concerning Trump and the Russia hoax in November 2017. ‘If you’re a judge, and you represented one of the parties or your firm represented one of the parties before you, it’s an automatic recusal, full stop,’ he said…

“‘The [Russia hoax] court case was assigned to Judge Chutkan,’ Patel said. ‘And we litigated the case for approximately one month… after about a month of all that heavy litigation, she just shuts down on her own, recuses herself,’ Patel said. ‘She didn’t file an order justifying it. She just does it…  Why would she recuse from Russiagate? Well, it’s because Boies, Schiller, under her tenureship, represented Fusion GPS, the very firm that was suing us before her [court]… She knew that when we filed the lawsuit because it was Fusion who brought the lawsuit, and she allowed it to be litigated in front of her already, violating the canons of ethics and the rule of law about maintaining neutrality

“‘She cannot be fair, based on her prior employment at a law firm that has literally been one of the most corrupt, legal con artists for the Democrat National Party [and] in the Hillary Clinton Campaign,’ Patel said, ‘All of which was to get Trump during Russiagate and the Steele Dossier, all of it ran through her.’”

Professor Dershowitz said that she must recuse herself, as she is obviously biased. That should be obvious, but we will see what she will do. Trump is also asking for a change of venue as he could not possibly receive a fair trial in Washington DC. That should be obvious too.

2020 Election on Trial?

Newsmax wrote on August 4:

Former President Donald Trump and his legal advisers see his latest indictment as another opportunity to argue that the 2020 election was stolen from him in favor of President Joe Biden… Trump’s defense team is signaling that it will rebut allegations in the indictment that Trump knew his claims of fraud in the election were false, but that he allegedly took steps to flip the results.

“According to sources close to Trump, he wants to subpoena people about the election while arguing that he won… Some Republican strategists see this plan as problematic, as they say there are more issues to focus on in the 2024 race…

“Meanwhile, Trump attorney Alina Habba said Thursday that Trump’s defense team will show that he believed there were issues with the 2020 election’s results… ‘When somebody wants to say that the 2020 election was perfect and that President Trump has no right to object to it, we’ve got to go show him all the facts, and there’s a lot of facts to show.”

Habba was also quoted as saying this on National Report:

“Trump has every right to question the integrity of the election… He had every right to do so at the time, I think millions and millions of Americans still to this day also share that sentiment that there may have been issues in the 2020 election

“We’ve seen a lot of facts that result in this continual belief that things were not done exactly appropriately, and the president did what he wanted to do and what he needed to do in the way that he was advised by some … But imagine any politician who feels that that somebody has lied or that there’s been a fraud, not being able to challenge that fraud and what that means for our country. That’s their job, and he was the sole person in the executive branch who had the power to do so…”

As we pointed out last time, special counsel Jack Smith might have opened a Pandora’s Box.

Did House Select Committee Destroy January 6 Documents?

Newsmax wrote on August 9:

“Former President Donald Trump accused the Democrat-led Jan. 6 House Select Committee of ‘illegally’ destroying records and documents… ‘So now that I have full Subpoena Power… it has just been reported that the Unselect January 6th Committee of Political Hacks and Thugs has illegally destroyed their Records and Documents,’ Trump wrote. ‘This is unthinkable… The system is Rigged & Corrupt, very much like the Presidential Election of 2020. We are a Nation in Decline!’

“Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight for the Committee on House Administration, told Fox News that former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s partisan Jan. panel, which was comprised of Democrats and two anti-Trump Republicans in the previous Congress, failed to adequately preserve documents, data, and video depositions.

“Loudermilk said that he was contacted by a defense attorney, who needed access to key information in one of the video depositions. The committee then realized it did not have the videos he was seeking.”

Nancy Pelosi’s conduct in the matter of the 2020 election deserves some investigation and scrutiny.

How All Criminal Charges Against Trump Could Be Wiped Out

Breitbart wrote on August 3:

“Harvard Law professor emeritus Laurence Tribe told CNN on Thursday that former President Donald Trump could ‘wipe out’ all criminal charges against him, including both state and federal cases if he gets elected to the White House in 2024… Tribe said a Republican president could ‘simply erase’ the charges against Trump if Trump does not win the presidency… ‘Simply appoint an attorney general who dismisses it all.’…

“The fact that Tribe recognized a Trump presidency would ‘wipe out’ all of Trump’s criminal cases is notable because House Democrats consulted with Tribe as they prepared their first articles of impeachment against Trump…”

That Attorney General Merrick Garland [and his special counsel Jack Smith] would be fired under Trump is a foregone conclusion. Tribe also said that Jack Smith’s indictment was brilliant. The truth is, this was a horrible piece of draftsmanship, and there was nothing brilliant about it. A first semester law student could rip (at least some of) it apart. It is an attack on constitutionally protected political free speech. If Trump is convicted (which is the likely outcome in a trial in antagonistic and hostile Washington DC) and the case should not be thrown out by a Court of Appeals and should ever reach the US Supreme Court, it surely would have to be overturned by them.

AG Garland May Face Charges of Obstruction of Justice

Fox News wrote on August 4:

“Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich… believes Attorney General Merrick Garland is in danger of facing charges of his own for ‘directing’ special counsel Jack Smith’s ‘disgustingly political’ assault on former President Donald Trump.

“[Gingrich said:] ‘Look, we have never seen a major political figure as routinely and methodically assaulted as Donald Trump. It’s a sign of how desperate the establishment is. They are terrified that if he’s still standing and in October of 2024, he is going to become the president. And, of course, if he does become the president, all of these people are in jeopardy. Remember, Watergate led to 46 people being convicted. The only Cabinet officer ever to go to jail was Attorney General John Mitchell for obstruction of justice.

‘‘And I am absolutely certain that the current attorney general, Merrick Garland, is in grave danger of being charged with obstruction of justice and with having destroyed the system. And I think the Congress, frankly, should be right now subpoenaing all the documents between Smith and Garland, because I think Garland’s been directing this. I think the timing is weird. As you know, the other night, ‘Jesse Watters Primetime’ put up a chart that showed something happens to Hunter, the next two or three days, something happens to Trump… I mean, this is so blatantly, disgustingly political. And it has no business being in the Department of Justice.’”

Please view our new lengthy and detailed StandingWatch program in this context, titled, “IS America Doomed? The Biden and Trump Scandals.”

Federal Judge Comes Out Swinging Against Jack Smith in Document Case

Fox News wrote on August 7:

“The federal judge overseeing the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump delivered multiple blows to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s efforts in a brief Monday. Judge Aileen Cannon of the Southern District of Florida – who is presiding over the case stemming from a Miami grand jury’s June indictment of Trump – denied the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) request for sealed filings, striking two from the record. Cannon also requested additional information from prosecutors regarding the continued use of an out-of-state grand jury to investigate the case.

“‘The Special Counsel states in conclusory terms that the supplement should be sealed from public view “to comport with grand jury secrecy,” but the motion for leave and the supplement plainly fail to satisfy the burden of establishing a sufficient legal or factual basis to warrant sealing the motion and supplement,’ Cannon wrote in the brief, denying the DOJ’s request. ‘Among other topics as raised in the Motion, the response shall address the legal propriety of using an out-of-district grand jury proceeding to continue to investigate and/or to seek post-indictment hearings on matters pertinent to the instant indicted matter in this district,’ she continued in the brief…”

Trump Not Guiltless

Breitbart wrote on August 7:

“During an interview with NBC News on Monday, 2024 Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stated that the 2020 election was poorly run, but we had mass mail-in balloting because ‘Trump turned the government over to Fauci, they embraced lockdowns, they did the CARES Act, which funded mail-in ballots across the country. Donald Trump signed that bill that funded the mail ballots that all the Republicans have been so concerned about.’ And that the censorship of the Hunter Biden laptop story ‘was Donald Trump’s FBI that was working with that’…

“‘…when they changed the rules for COVID, I think that was wrong. I think some of those changes were unconstitutional. When they do mass mail ballots, I think that’s wrong. I think ballot harvesting is wrong… I think the fact that the FBI was working with Facebook and these other tech companies to censor the Hunter Biden story was wrong. And so, I don’t think it was the perfect election. I remember after, a lot of the media was saying, this was the most secure election in history. How could it be the most secure with those millions of mail ballots going out?…’ [Trump] didn’t have control over his own government. … And so, I think all of those issues were very problematic, but, at the end of the day, Donald Trump helped facilitate that whole set of circumstances.’”

Even though clearly prompted by political motives, DeSantis has a point. Especially Trump’s failure to deal with Fauci and his crazy ideas caused great harm to the country.

Four Pinocchios for Lying Joe Biden

Breitbart wrote on August 3:

“The Washington Post‘s fact-checker, Glenn Kessler, gave President Joe Biden four Pinocchios for lying about his son Hunter Biden not making money in China.

“Kessler documented two instances where Biden denied his son had made money in China.

“In an October 22, 2020 presidential debate, Biden told moderator Kristen Welker: ‘My son has not made money in terms of this thing about, what are you talking about, China. I have not had … the only guy who made money from China is this guy [Donald Trump]. He’s the only one. Nobody else has made money from China.’

“In a September 29, 2020, debate, Trump told Biden, ‘Once you became vice president [Hunter Biden] made a fortune in Ukraine, in China, in Moscow and various other places,’ to which Biden responded, ‘That’s not true.’

“Kessler wrote: ‘But now, nearly three years later, Biden’s assertions have been directly rebutted by Hunter himself. In court testimony last week, the younger Biden acknowledged that he in fact had been paid substantial sums in China — the first official confirmation that this was the case…”

The Ron Paul Institute republished on August 1 the following article by Law Professor Jonathan Turley:

“President Joe Biden has been a regular recipient of ‘Pinocchios’ by the Washington Post for his false statements… Biden is undeterred and regularly repeats false stories from his life… Now, the President has a fresh set of ‘Four Pinocchios’…

“The Post is admitting that Biden has been lying about how his son Hunter never made money from China. It is the latest indication that the protective media wall surrounding Biden is beginning to crumble under the weight of new evidence in the corruption scandal…

“What is curious is that Kessler and the Post waited for Hunter to effectively confess rather than take notice of money transfers and records released by House committees investigating the corruption scandal. The Post and most of the media have taken little observable journalistic interest in independently confirming such payments or benefits. Instead, the media has adopted a largely passive stance and waited for confessions rather than find confirmation…

“Of course, the Post has not been known to be particularly active in independently trying to confirm such benefits [which Joe Biden allegedly received from Hunter’s business deals with foreign associates] absent another Biden admission or confession. As with the clearly false claims that he had no knowledge or involvement in these dealings, the question is now not whether Joe Biden has been lying but why he has been lying.” 

Joe Biden’s blatant denial of Hunter’s receipt of money from China does in fact raise serious questions regarding Joe Biden himself. His continuous lies do not help either.

Kennedy and Trump

American Thinker wrote on August 4:

“Trump’s Achilles heel was allowing himself to be bamboozled into supporting the COVID narrative of the pharmaceutical-medical-globalist complex. Because of his congenital reluctance to issue a mea culpa and admit that he was conned, Kennedy could potentially appeal to this large segment of the electorate… For solid realpolitik reasons Trump avoids attacking Kennedy and is modestly complimentary…

“There will be many disaffected Democrats regardless which candidate secures the nomination. Media and Democratic attacks on Kennedy only help him, similar to Trump… Capturing the Democratic nomination requires that Kennedy overcome the media and the Clinton/Obama machine…

“Kennedy… is a skilled debater, commanding facts, with his finger on the pulse of current existential concerns. No one in his imploding party comes close. No one owns the COVID vaccine debate as he does… Trump currently needs Kennedy more than Kennedy needs Trump…”

An interesting proposal to contemplate.

No Religious Exemption in Connecticut

The Associated Press wrote on August 4:

“A federal appeals court on Friday upheld a 2021 Connecticut law that eliminated the state’s longstanding religious exemption from childhood immunization requirements for schools, colleges and day care facilities. The decision comes about a year and a half after a lower court judge dismissed the lawsuit challenging the contentious law…

“‘This decision is a full and resounding affirmation of the constitutionality and legality of Connecticut’s vaccine requirements. Vaccines save lives — this is a fact beyond dispute,’ Democratic Attorney General William Tong said in a statement. ‘The legislature acted responsibly and well within its authority to protect the health of Connecticut families and stop the spread of preventable disease.’

“The plaintiffs, We the Patriots USA Inc. and others, had argued that Connecticut violated religious freedom protections by removing the exemption. The 2021 law, they said, demonstrates a hostility to religious believers and jeopardizes their rights to medical freedom and child rearing. ‘We fully intend to seek review of this decision in the United States Supreme Court, to obtain equal justice for all children — not only in Connecticut, but in every state in the nation,’ Brian Festa, co-founder and vice president of We the Patriots USA Inc., said in a statement.

“He said his group, which focuses on religious and medical freedom, parental rights and other matters, disagrees with the court’s conclusion that removing the exemption does not violate religious freedom under the First Amendment or the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection under the law…

“Connecticut law currently requires students to receive certain immunizations before enrolling in school, yet allows some medical exemptions. Students could seek religious exemptions as well prior to 2021, but lawmakers decided to end that after being concerned by an uptick in exemption requests coupled with a decline in vaccination rates in some schools. The Connecticut General Assembly ultimately passed legislation that eliminated the exemption but grandfathered students in K-12 that had already received one…”

There is nothing reasonable about this terrible decision which, sadly, reflects the policy of so many states in a country which claims religious freedom but is becoming more and more an autocratic dictatorship.

Poland’s Diminishing Support for Ukraine

The Conversation reported on August 4:

“There has been a fundamental shift when it comes to the stance that young Poles think their government should adopt in the war in Ukraine. In 2022, an overwhelming majority of 83 percent argued that the government should support Ukraine — but this number has changed drastically.

“Now, 65 percent of respondents back continuous support for Ukraine, whereas the remaining 34 percent wish for Poland to stay neutral. Clearly, more than one and a half years into the current phase of the conflict and amid fears of other countries being pulled into the war, young people have become more cautious…

“Asked about the type of support that people consider appropriate for Ukraine, our most recent (2023) data shows that only 2 percent of young Poles want the national army to be involved in the Ukraine war. And while 60 percent support offering humanitarian aid, only 28 percent want Poland to offer weapons.”

That even Poland—Ukraine’s strongest supporter in Europe—has begun to have second thoughts is rather telling.

Germans Unhappy With Political System

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 4:

“If federal elections were held this week, the populist party [AfD] would win 21% of the vote, putting it firmly in second place [after the CDU]. [In a new poll,] Germany’s center-left government [SPD, FDP and the Green] again failed to win a majority… Only one in five respondents said they were satisfied with the work of the federal government…Chancellor Scholz is also becoming increasingly unpopular: Only three out of 10 eligible voters (31%) say they are satisfied with his work, the lowest approval rating since he took office in December 2021…

“Voters are not only dissatisfied with the chancellor and his government, but also with the overall situation in the country. Some 58% say that burdens are not shared fairly in Germany. That feeling has to do with the distribution of wealth, but also with the fact that certain groups in the population feel that their views and interests are not being taken into account enough by the political mainstream… As many as 62% of respondents said politicians focus too much on the interests of those who are wealthy, while 48% think that politicians focus too much on the needs of refugees.

“Despite the fact that the opposition conservative parties are leading in the polls, only 19% said they believe that they would do a better job at solving the country’s problems — in fact, 21% said they would do an even worse job, and 53% said they’d expect a conservative-led government’s overall performance to be similar… The low expectations for a CDU-led federal government correspond to the poor rating of CDU leader Friedrich Merz. Only three out of 10 respondents said they think he is a good party leader, and only 16% said they thought he would make a good chancellor. Perhaps even worse for Merz, only one in three CDU supporters want him to become the next head of government after the general election in 2025…

“The CDU/CSU has been thrown into turmoil by the question of whether the decision to disassociate itself from the far-right AfD should apply at all political levels. This comes after Merz suggested in an interview with public broadcaster ZDF in July that cooperation with AfD representatives on a local level was sensible common practice. He walked his comments back the following day in response to an immediate backlash, including from figures within his own party.

“Overall, 64% of those surveyed for the Deutschlandtrend poll said they think it is right for the CDU to rule out cooperation with the AfD in principle, while 29% are open to considering it. However, there are considerable differences when the western and eastern German states are considered separately.

“While two-thirds of eligible voters in western Germany welcome the CDU’s official stance of rejecting cooperation with the AfD, in eastern Germany, the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), only half of the eligible voters agree. There, the AfD is the strongest party, polling at over 30%.

“Some 70% of all respondents called for more pragmatism: They say that support of individual AfD motions in the parliaments of cities, municipalities and districts should be decided on a case-by-case basis.

“In eastern Germany, as many as 81% of respondents said they were in favor of more pragmatism, compared with 67% in western Germany. Nationwide, it is only Green supporters (51%) where a majority say that all AfD motions should be rejected on principle.”

Germany is in chaos, due to a lack of true leadership. All seem to act as proverbial politicians… without any strong convictions and without any backbone. But this will end soon when the “right man” shows up.

Germany in Deep Financial Trouble

Express wrote on August 8:

“Germany, once regarded as the powerhouse of the European economy, is grappling with severe economic challenges that are leaving a profound impact on its social fabric. The nation’s economic struggles have manifested in a distressing rise in poverty rates, increased reliance on food banks, and a worrying decline in industrial output, particularly within the renowned car manufacturing sector.

“Recent data reveals that more than two million Germans are now dependent on foodbanks for their daily sustenance… Furthermore, approximately 14 million Germans, equivalent to one in six of the population of 88 million, are classified as living in poverty... Amid these challenges, official economic forecasts point toward a recession in Germany this year.”

All the while, enormous amounts of money are being spent on ridiculous “Green” projects and on assisting Ukraine militarily.

Fear of War in Germany

Bild Online wrote on August 4:

“Since Putin’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, the number of conscientious objectors in the Bundeswehr has increased fivefold! Background: In the case of a partial or general mobilization in the event of tension or defense, ALL men between the ages of 18 and 59 could be drafted. THAT apparently scares even soldiers.

“In the German Basic Law, Article 4, Paragraph 3, it says: ‘No one may be forced into military service against his conscience.’ A response from the Federal Government to a small question from the Left Group now shows: More and more are invoking this law – there is a trend towards objection…

“But when do German soldiers actually have to fear being mobilized for a defensive mission? The Bundestag must decide with a two-thirds majority that there is a ‘stress situation’ (“Spannungsfall”). Meaning: increased military alert and general compulsory military service for men up to the age of 60. This is a preliminary stage of the ‘defense case’ (“Verteidigungsfall”).

“The defense case can also occur if the Federal Republic is attacked with armed force [by the enemy; or when such an armed attack is “imminent”]. Then the authority to command the armed forces [of Germany] is transferred to the Federal Chancellor. So far this has remained a theoretical scenario: the stress situation or the defense case have never been announced.”

Sadly, this scenario will become all-too-real pretty soon.

Germany Hesitates to Supply Arms to Ukraine

Focus wrote on August 5:

“In May, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Berlin after a long time—a symbolic visit to show that Ukraine and Germany are now putting their tensions over arms shipments behind them. But little has happened since then. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) promised a comprehensive weapons package worth 2.4 billion euros at his meeting with Selenskyj in May of this year. But until today, this promise has hardly been fulfilled

“The list of delivered weapons… shows sobering numbers. So far, only a few of the promised weapons have arrived in Ukraine. Only ten of 110 Leopard 1 tanks, twelve of 18 Cheetahs, an air surveillance radar and 850 rounds of artillery ammunition were delivered. Non-lethal weapons such as reconnaissance drones, air surveillance radars and tankers have also not received so far…

“It is also particularly annoying for Kiev that commitments for weapons have apparently been withdrawn

“Germany also remains hesitant with regard to new types of weapon systems… Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) and his party colleague Ralf Stegner continue to reject a delivery [of German Taurus missiles] in order to avoid an escalation of the conflict with Russia. Taurus missiles have an enormous range and could theoretically hit targets on Russian territory. Ukraine had repeatedly pledged to only use the weapons to defend Ukrainian territories.”

Germany is repeating an all-too-familiar pattern of unreliability.

EU a Failed Project?

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 6:

“Germany’s far-right AfD on Sunday derided the EU as a ‘failed project’ during a party conference in the eastern German city of Magdeburg.

“A text adopted by hundreds of party delegates at the event said the bloc ‘completely failed’ on issues such as climate and immigration. The party also said it does not support the Euro as a currency.  

“However, the text did not urge Germany to leave the EU. The AfD also did not call for the bloc to be dissolved entirely, as suggested by an earlier party draft in June.

“The AfD rather wishes to establish ‘a federation of European nations, a new European economic and interest community that preserves the sovereignty of member states.’

“The party conference this weekend was tasked with preparing a program for next year’s European Parliament elections. Last month, the AfD selected EU Parliament member Maximilian Krah as its top EU election candidate. Krah, an incumbent lawmaker in the European Parliament, has called the AfD ‘the most exciting right-wing party’ in Europe.

“The AfD’s deliberations on its EU strategy come as the anti-immigration party rises in support among the German population. The party has capitalized on rising inflation in Germany as well as higher energy costs following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”

The AfD’s switch in policy towards the EU is interesting. Even though the call for an abandonment of the euro will not come to fruition, the call for greater independence of EU member states might be answered, at least to an extent and for a while, until power and authority is being transferred to “the beast.” Daniel 2:42-43 reads: “… the kingdom [of Europe] shall be partly strong and partly fragile… they [ten core nations of Europe] will not adhere to one another…”

American Anger at Europe

Die Welt wrote on August 9:

“If US citizens want to travel to Europe in the future, they have to register online beforehand – and pay eight dollars for it. Many Americans are angry, others are in a real Oktoberfest panic. The USA has had comparable – and more expensive – rules for travelers from the EU for 15 years…

“They are venting their anger on social networks. Some speak of a ‘deterrent‘ by the EU, while others speak of ‘expensive insolence’.

“The excitement seems so great that ETIAS has already arrived in the US election campaign. Ex-President Donald Trump has already announced that if he is re-elected, he will not allow his compatriots to pay to enter the EU… ‘We give them everything, including military support and trade, and now we are supposed to pay to go there.’ Europeans have no respect for the United States, Trump continues…

“To register, travelers have to pay a fee of seven euros (equivalent to around eight dollars) and provide some personal information. In the US, in addition to the costs, there are also concerns about the latter…

“Nile Gardiner, a former adviser to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, even described the new EU program as ‘Orwellian’ – in reference to George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 about a totalitarian surveillance state

“This week showed again that the United States is not squeamish when it comes to entry from EU countries. The US authorities have severely restricted the visa exemption for Hungary. Last week, the ESTA validity period for Hungarian passport holders was reduced from two years to one year, and an ESTA permit is only valid for single entry…

“Some Americans have already drawn their own conclusions from the new EU rules. They no longer want to travel to Europe as a protest, as Jeffery Lawnicki writes on Instagram: ‘Who wants to visit a garbage dump like Europe?‘”

The deterioration of the EU-USA relationship will continue drastically.

Right To Cash

The Associated Press wrote on August 4:

“Austria’s… Chancellor Karl Nehammer said in a statement on Friday that ‘more and more people are concerned that cash could be restricted as a means of payment in Austria.’…  ‘People in Austria have a right to cash,’ Nehammer said.

“While payments by card and electronic methods have become increasingly common in many European countries, Austria and neighboring Germany remain relatively attached to cash. The government says 47 billion euros ($51 billion) per year are withdrawn from ATMs in Austria, a country of about 9.1 million people.

“Protecting cash against supposed threats has been a demand of the far-right opposition Freedom Party, which has led polls in Austria in recent months. The country’s next election is due in 2024…

“The chancellor’s proposal, according to his office, involves a ‘constitutional protection of cash as a means of payment,’ ensuring that people can still pay with cash, and securing a ‘basic supply’ of cash in cooperation with Austria’s central bank. Austria is one of 20 countries that are part of the euro area. Nehammer said he has instructed Finance Minister Magnus Brunner to work on the proposal and plans to hold a round table with the ministries concerned, finance industry representatives and the central bank in September.”

The very thought that people might be prevented from paying in cash is abhorrent and disgusting—and worthy of a manipulating, controlling and suppressing dictatorship.

The Problems With Electric Cars

1945 wrote on August 4:

“In 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom dictated that by 2035, all new cars and trucks sold in the state must be fossil-fuel-free. Electric vehicles, or EVs, are to be the new king of the road…

“Almost every EV battery requires cobalt—a rare and expensive mineral found mostly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The African country is by far the world’s largest producer… The DRC is also rich in other natural resources such as copper, zinc, coltan, cassiterite, gold, bauxite, diamond, oil, and gas. Yet it is also one of the poorest countries in the world, with a gross national income of approximately $550 per person as measured in U.S. dollars.

“The Congolese people have seen little benefit from these immense natural resources, which have been exploited for many decades, particularly by… China, as well as its own government. Not only are miners, including children, essentially working as slaves, risking their lives. Mining for these natural resources is an extremely dangerous endeavor, one that kills up to 2,000 illegal miners a year… Yet, no one, particularly Governor Gavin Newsom, wants to talk about this. 

“Although far behind the Congo, Russia and China are also in the top ten list of producers, raising geopolitical concerns around this valuable mineral. While China is at the bottom of the list, producing only 2,200 MT, the country leads the world in refined cobalt production at 70 percent of the total global supply with most of the raw material coming from the Congo…

“China is also the top consumer of cobalt with most of it used to supply the rechargeable battery industry. The push for EVs drives the U.S. increasingly into the arms of the CCP. While some companies have created batteries without cobalt, these have not proven to provide the necessary energy to power a car for any significant distance…

“Currently, the Lucid Air is the car that can go the farthest on a single charge – 516 miles or approximately the distance from San Diego to San Francisco. The car costs $139,650. The Tesla S Model will take you 405 miles on a single charge, or about the distance from Los Angeles to San Francisco and the vehicle sells to the tune of almost $90,000

“The most reasonably priced EVs… like the Chevy Bolt (which is set to be discontinued to make room for other electric vehicle models from Chevy) or the Nissan Leaf, which run between $26,000 and $30,000 – have a maximum range closer to 230 miles which, if driving at 65mph is approximately 3.5 hours. Who drives at 65mph on an open freeway?… This is before, like any battery, the cells lose their maximum charging capacity, which will decrease maximum driving distances…

“Lithium-ion batteries are toxic and can cause destructive fires that spread quickly, particularly when they are stored together. Then there’s the issue of charging stations and availability… It typically takes anywhere between 6 to 12 hours to charge an EV using a Level 2 charger…”

The push for electric cars by the green Woke culture seems to be a rather ineffective, costly and perhaps even dangerous idea.

Biden Administration Concedes No Evidence Behind Recommendation for 6 COVID Booster Shots a Year

Southern Maryland Online wrote on August 8:

“President Joe Biden’s administration concedes that there is no scientific evidence to support an apparent recommendation to receive as many as six COVID-19 booster shots in a year. After Health Secretary Xavier Becerra [an attorney with no medical degrees], a Biden appointee, wrote in a social media post on Nov. 29, 2022, that people should get vaccinated ‘if it’s been over 2 months since your last dose,’ the Functional Government Initiative (FGI) filed a Freedom of Information Act request for documents supporting the statements.

“The watchdog organization then sued after the administration didn’t comply with timelines laid out in the law. FGI asked for, among other documents: ‘Any scientific support relied on by Secretary Becerra when approving or issuing the tweet recommending that all Americans receive a booster shot every two months’ and ‘any study, synopsis, or similar statement or document of scientific, academic, or government research on whether a bi-monthly booster shot will effectively prevent the transmission or susceptibility to COVID-19 and known active variants as of November 2022.’

“It also asked for internal communications regarding Mr. Becerra’s statements. In a new response, the government said it had no evidence to support Mr. Becerra’s recommendation. ‘The department reviewed 1,263 pages of potentially responsive records captured in the agency’s search for this FOIA request. After a careful review of these records, I determined the 1,263 pages were not relevant to your request,’ Alesia Williams, an official in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), told FGI.

“‘The lack of a single record supporting Secretary Becerra’s bold public health recommendation for six COVID boosters a year is a startling development,’ Pete McGinnis, a spokesman for FGI, said in a statement. ‘It is tremendously irresponsible for the government’s chief health official to fire off tweets recommending frequent injections of a new vaccine booster apparently based on no academic or scientific support,’ Mr. McGinnis added. ‘How can the public be assured that the agency is ‘following the science’ on other important public health matters when it demonstrates such clear disregard for basic scientific integrity standards on an issue as important as COVID vaccine shots?’”

This ongoing propaganda by the Biden Administration is truly alarming.

A World Deceived?

The Dossier wrote on August 1:

Anthony Fauci is a worldwide celebrity and has taken up a prestigious series of appointments at Georgetown University and elsewhere. Bill Gates and the gang are jet setting around the world preaching the gospel of the Climate Hoax Church… Most of the appointees to the Trump and Biden coronavirus task forces have long since cashed out and laundered their credentials through the revolving door and into the BioTech/Big Pharma space…

“So it shouldn’t come as much as a surprise that they’re trying to restart the party to attempt another series of grand slams. The Pharma-sponsored corporate media is once more spreading the fear hype. ‘Time to bring [masks] out again especially as the school season starts,’ read the MSNBC headline Tuesday morning. An entire segment on Tuesday from ABC’s Good Morning America was dedicated to tracking supposed increasing hospitalizations from coronavirus infections, warning that the numbers are ‘on the rise.’

“… the bad guys of the Covid hysteria era never faced any consequences for the human rights atrocities they committed since 2019. And in all likelihood, they probably never will…

“Coronavirus hysteria ended because enough human beings became educated to the reality that the ‘response’ to the ‘pandemic’ was wildly overblown… It’s the same reason why Pfizer and Moderna stock is crashing…

“The problem occurred because it took too many people way too long to realize that humanity had been bamboozled by power hungry tyrants… When the next big power grab arrives, we should hope for much more courage and bravery than last time around.”

Note the next article as well.

Climate Lockdowns?

Report 24 wrote on July 31:

“Klaus Schwab’s daughter Nicole Schwab obviously follows the example of her father. At an event, she indicated that the Covid crisis had shown that radical change is possible if there is enough panic. The best conditions for a Great Reset: Will climate lockdowns follow soon after the Covid lockdowns? The desire to establish a globalist dictatorship including the dystopian ‘Great Reset’ is obviously in the blood.

“The WEF [World Economic Forum] makes no secret that Covid-19 has been used as a test run for a potential climate dictatorship… Nicole Schwab [a ‘WEF Executive Committee member’] takes a similar stance… she sees Covid as a ‘tremendous opportunity’ that has shown that radical change is achievable when people are scared. This could be used to launch the WEF’s ‘Great Reset’ agenda…

“If you take the political measures of the Corona period as a model, the fear arises that globalists are actually flirting with dictatorial ‘climate lockdowns’. That would mean severe restrictions being imposed on individuals and businesses to reduce carbon emissions. These measures could include travel restrictions, strict regulations on energy use and consumption in general, and even temporary closures of industries considered to be harmful to the environment. Globalist advocates argue that strict action is needed to prevent catastrophic consequences of supposedly man-made climate change…”

Too far-fetched to be true? Perhaps not!

“Preparing” For the Next Pandemic

Life Stite News reported on August 7:

“U.K. scientists at a high-security government laboratory have begun developing vaccines for a potential future pandemic. 

“Two-hundred scientists are currently working on vaccines against an unknown ‘Disease X’ at the Porton Down laboratory in Wiltshire, England… Bird flu is considered the most likely candidate to cause the ‘next pandemic’ by the scientists working at the lab. They are furthermore developing vaccines against a potential outbreak of monkeypox and hantavirus, a disease that primarily occurs in rodents. 

“The laboratory reportedly successfully developed ‘the world’s first vaccine against Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, a disease that’s spread by ticks and has a fatality rate of 30%.’ The tropical disease is viewed as a potential global pandemic threat as it is allegedly becoming more common in Europe…

“Since the coronavirus outbreak in 2020 and the subsequent draconian lockdown policies, leading globalists like Bill Gates have been continuously warning about the ‘next pandemic.’

“During a 2023 World Economic Forum (WEF) panel discussion fittingly titled ‘100 Days to Outrace the Next Pandemic,’ former British prime minister Tony Blair predicted that vaccines for future pandemics will require ‘multiple shots.’ Blair called for digital infrastructure ‘to know who has been vaccinated and who hasn’t been.’ A few months later, the European Union (EU) and the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a partnership to create a ‘global system’ of vaccine passports built on the EU’s ‘system of digital COVID-19 certification.’ 

Moreover, the head of a ‘nudge unit’ employed by the U.K. government during the COVID crisis said in a recent interview that lockdowns would be accepted by the population in future pandemics because people already ‘know what the drill is.’ 

“Professor David Halpern from the Behavioural Insights Team (the ‘nudge unit’) admitted that his agency used psychological manipulation to prime the population and defended the use of fear-based messaging ‘in extreme circumstances.’ He said that visual prompts and catchy slogans can be used to prime people if they ‘are wrongly calibrated.’”

Satan is the ruler of this world, which is also shown in the next article.

Persecution and Prosecution of Christians in the West

The Christian Post wrote on August 6:

“Don’t be surprised if one day you are on trial for quoting the Bible on social media. If that seems unthinkable, you should know it’s already happening to some Christians in other parts of the world… Christians have become accustomed to getting banned (or shadowbanned) on social media for our beliefs, but it seems strange to think that one day we could be arrested for quoting the Bible. 

“But that’s what happened to Päivi Räsänen, a member of parliament in Finland. She has been an elected official since 1995. She was the chair of the Christian Democratic Party from 2004 to 2015, she was minister of the interior from 2011 to 2015, and she is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland with her husband, who serves as a pastor. 

“In June 2019, Päivi tweeted a picture of Bible verses and questioned her denomination’s partnership with an LGBT Pride event. The prosecutor general in Finland opened an investigation against her. In April 2021, the prosecutor announced three charges of hate speech against Päivi — one charge for the tweet, a second charge for a 2004 pamphlet on sexuality for her church, and a third charge for a 2019 radio debate on sexuality.

“Alliance Defending Freedom International supported her defense at a district court, and in a unanimous ruling in March 2022, the court dismissed all charges against her. However, the prosecutor appealed the ruling. So on August 22nd, Päivi will stand trial again.

“It is tempting to think this could never happen in America. Freedom of speech is protected by law in this country. But Päivi can say the same about her country. The constitution in Finland protects freedom of religion and freedom of speech.

“Therefore it is Päivi today, but it could be your pastor tomorrow. If a politician can be charged with hate speech for quoting the Bible, pastors can receive the same charge. If politicians can be charged for that, less powerful people like you can also be charged for quoting the Bible on social media.

“Last week, police officers in Wisconsin arrested several young Christians for preaching the gospel at a public drag queen event that targeted children. In June, the House of Representatives in Michigan passed House Bill 4474, a bill that would make speech that ‘causes the victims to feel terrorized, frightened, or threatened’ a hate crime. Speech against a person’s ‘sexual orientation’ or ‘gender identity or expression’ are listed as hate crimes.

“Western nations like America and Finland founded their legal system on Christian ethics, but now they are radically committed to LGBT ideology and opposed to their founding values. Just as Christian theology shaped the West’s legal system, LGBT ideology is reshaping it. LGBT ideology cannot co-exist with Christian theology… Therefore, it suppresses Christianity through persecution. It arrests Christians for preaching the Gospel. It criminalizes speech against homosexuality and transgenderism.”

The LGBT ideology is condemned in the Bible.

Building the Third Temple

Israel 365 News wrote on August 4:

“Channel 12, a Hebrew-language news site, published an article on Sunday accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of allocating resources to a project aimed at building a third temple on the Temple Mount. The article blames Christians for bringing red heifers to Israel.

“The Channel 12 article cites a project by Boneh Israel, an organization that brings together Jews and Christians. In cooperation with the Temple Institute, Boneh Israel successfully imported five red calves in September to Israel from Texas for the purpose of raising them for the Biblical commandment.  

“The red heifer was the main component in the Biblically mandated process of ritual purification for impurity that results from proximity or contact with a dead body. Because the elements needed for this ceremony have been lacking since the destruction of the Second Temple, all Jews today are considered ritually impure, thereby preventing the return of the Temple service… [Not all religious authorities in Israel agree with this conclusion, but many do. And even though a red heifer is not required in the Bible for the building of the third temple, many rabbis think that it is.]

“The article claimed that the Netanyahu government is complicit. ‘A few years ago, the Jerusalem Ministry submitted a design proposal for the construction of the Mount of Olives Promenade, and officials who were involved in the planning claim that its route is intended to serve, among other things, the future ceremony of burning the cow,’ the article wrote, also blaming the Ministry of Agriculture for complicity by issuing permits for importing the red calves…

“The article also noted that the Minister for Jerusalem and Heritage, Nathaniel Isaac attended the ceremony at Ben Gurion International Airport when the calves arrived, citing this as proof that Netanyahu’s government is paving the way for the Third Temple.

“The article quoted Dr. Tomer Persico, a Research Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, who claimed that Christians are involved in the project in order to help bring about the ‘Temple of the Antichrist’. ‘The Antichrist, the “Satan” one might say, needs to come here and defile the Temple,’ notes Persico…

“The Ministry of Heritage responded to Channel 12 by stating that the project did not receive funding from the government… ‘The Director General of the Ministry participated in the ceremony of their arrival privately and during the tenure of the previous government. The plan for the promenade on the Mount of Olives was intended for tourism purposes and not for the benefit of the Red Cow fire.’

“The Ministry of Agriculture stated in response:  “An import license for the source is granted as long as the country is approved for the type of import requested. The US has been approved for this for about a year. The calves mentioned in the article were imported for breeding purposes, and met all the import conditions required by the ministry.’

“The article raised an uproar among the Arab mediaAl Jazeera cited Dr. Saleh Lutfi, ‘a researcher in Jewish, Zionist, and political affairs,’ as saying that in light of the current Palestinian and regional circumstances, the Netanyahu government [thinks] the time is ripe to ‘realize the myth of building the alleged “Third Temple”All parties in the government coalition… agree among themselves on the need to continue preparations… for the construction of the Temple, the preparation of priests’ clothing, the raising of the red cow, and the strengthening of the position of the Chief Rabbi,’ Lufti wrote.

“He went on to claim that the idea of rebuilding the Temple ‘has become rooted even among large segments of the Israeli secular and liberal movement, as well as among the circles of the so-called Jewish Zionist left.’

“Despite the preparations and the allocation of budgets, Lufti reasoned that the Netanyahu government is not currently building the Temple in the courtyards of the Temple Mount, pointing out that this would be ‘a suicidal step for the Israeli entity, which would ignite a religious uprising in historic Palestine, taking into account that it will spread to the Arab and Islamic worlds, which will expose the region to a religious war… The temple includes a biblical council (Sanhedrin) as well, deciding and prosecuting according to Jewish religious provisions, and paves the way for the preparation of the king, or the so-called chief rabbi, who does not necessarily rule in a democratic manner.’

“Palestinian Shehab News reported that the deputy director of the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem, Najeh Bakirat, ‘confirmed that the occupation government adopted the project to build the Temple in the place of Al-Aqsa, to make Jerusalem a Jewish capital…through several steps and nonstop violations against the mosque.’”

Netanyahu’s position regarding the Third Temple has been quite ambiguous for a long time. We wonder what is really going on behind the scenes. You might want to listen to our StandingWatch program from 2018, titled, ‘Netanyahu’s Announcement of a Third Temple?”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

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How should especially young people handle bullying and teasing, and what does the Bible have to say about it?

We live in an age where bullying and teasing are rampant, and we hear all these stories about physical bullying, psychological online bullying, known as cyberbullying, and other intimidation and manipulative techniques.  This can happen anywhere, whether it be at school, at work, or through social media, and anyone can be a victim; but in this Q&A we want to concentrate specifically on young people as victims of bullying. How should they respond? We may have been a victim ourselves or we may have even participated in being the bully or involved with teasing, causing hurt to others, which we shouldn’t do, since we are to be good examples.  There are attempts in the workforce or at schools where recommendations are made about whom we need to talk to when trying to deal with these problems, as well as reporting the bully to proper authorities, such as administrators, counselors, human resource departments, psychiatrists, therapists, and so on, but they tend to dismiss the most important One who could truly help us.  What about God?  How can God actually help US in these situations?  And what does GOD say about how we should or should not react?

When it comes to God’s people specifically, we can be bullied or teased strictly on our beliefs and faced with situations where we are put to the test, as many examples in the Bible of God’s people show who had to go through this type of situation. How did they deal with it?  They were also confronted with peer pressure, just as we are on a continuous basis, but the important thing is how they handled it and how we should do likewise.

Quoting at length from our free booklet, “Should You Fight in War?“:

“Do we believe in God and rely on Him for our protection, having the faith that it is GOD who is our protecting shield…? Do we think that God is incapable of helping us in certain circumstances?  We should, of course, do everything that we can do to avoid getting into dangerous situations. We obviously should not go to places where gangs assemble, and we should not get involved with people who are known to be active in crimes, for instance. In addition, Proverbs 15:1 tells us that a soft answer turns away wrath but that grievous words stir up strife. So then, we need to be peacemakers, and we need to avoid everything that would create strife. Proverbs 18:6 reminds us that a fool’s lips enter into contention and that his mouth calls for violent reactions. We are also told in Proverbs 26:17 that he who passes by and meddles with strife belonging not to him, is like one who takes a dog by the ears. The point is, the battles of this world, which are fought by this world, are not our battles! This Scripture tells us not to be a fool, meddling with strife not belonging to us!…

“The most important of all the things you can do to avoid using violence is to pray to God, on a daily basis: ‘Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil’ (compare Matthew 6:13). We are to plead with God daily to NOT ALLOW a tempting situation that might be too difficult for us to bear, to overtake us.  However, we read in the Bible that righteous persons have sometimes found themselves being attacked by others. What did they do, and what should YOU do, if God allows it?

“First, realize that God would NOT allow it if you were not able to bear it, as 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us. And when God does allow it, He will also provide a way of escape for you. This is sometimes literally the case. Sometimes you need to actually flee, to run away! Christ did so on occasion. We read in John 10:39: ‘Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.’… When we find ourselves, or others, in a dangerous, challenging, life-threatening situation, we must PRAY to God, with faith, to HELP us out of that situation. To fight our fight for us! To give us the wisdom and the power NOT to do the WRONG thing, however tempting it may be.

“We must realize that no matter what harm we may WANT to do physically in a given situation, we must not seriously injure or kill the attacker… If we carry a gun with us or have one handy, say, next to our bed, we will certainly try to use it, but then may be killed in the process… In any case, to use a gun and shoot the attacker would be against the clear Biblical teaching of prohibiting killing. But what about just trying to injure him? In the heat of the moment, you may not be able to do just that, even if you wanted to. And if the attacker would only be injured, he would still have the chance to kill you or others who are with you. Christ told Peter, when he pulled his sword in defense of Christ and just injured the servant, to put his sword away. Christ’s protection did not depend on human weapons. It depended on God the Father and His angels. So, too, with us. Our real protection comes from the same source….”

The same applies to the use of a knife or other tools which a bullied person could use as weapons. The principle is clear not to use anything for the purpose of seriously injuring or even killing an attacker, including a bully. This could even include our own physical strength or skills which would enable us to seriously injure a bully.

Continuing with the above-mentioned booklet:

“The whole issue really comes down to where we place our trust and confidence for our protection, in EVERY situation… When man places his trust and confidence in God, God will protect man. Ultimately though, no matter the consequences, we must be living a life pleasing to God. We must never fear the ones who can take our physical life from us, but we must fear, or deeply respect, the One who can refuse to give us ETERNAL LIFE… 

“We must always have the attitude that Daniel’s three friends had when they were asked to violate God’s laws by worshipping an idol, and in case of refusal, were threatened with being thrown into a fiery furnace. We need to speak and act in the same way when we are being tempted to worship Satan – the god of war – by picking up a gun or a knife or another weapon to injure or even kill another person. We read their answer in Daniel 3:17-18: ‘ … our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.’ We must not serve the wisdom of this world, worshipping the power of the air and the god of destruction and war. Rather, we must always follow the PRINCE OF PEACE.

“Remember what the angels told the shepherds when Christ was born: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests’ (Luke 2, 14, NIV), or, as the NRSV renders it, ‘ … with whom He is pleased.’… When God is pleased with us, when His favor rests on us, THEN He will be our shield and protection in times of impending battles. We must trust in God (compare Psalm 56:3-4, 8-11), AND we must be willing to obey His commandments, no matter what the situation, circumstance or consequence.”

Bullying, even over the internet as cyberbullying, is a form of verbal physical attack, so our comments made herein regarding responding to violent attacks apply clearly to bullying.  In any situation that we may be in, we must firmly keep in mind God’s limitless power and His willingness to help His people, who place their trust and confidence in Him.  If we are a victim of bullying, we may think about ways of fighting back, including bullying the bully.  But that could also have its consequences that we just read about.  Again, resorting to violence with the intent to seriously injure or kill another person, including damaging his or her reputation, even for the purpose of self-defense or defending others, is not in conformity with Christ’s teaching. Let us also never forget that God has assigned angels for our protection. Christ also knew that His protection did not depend on man’s strength — including His own — but on God the Father’s.

A true Christian must allow God to fight his battles for him. The Bible contains numerous examples of when God did just that. In our Q&A: “If someone tries to confront us physically, what is an appropriate response for a Christian? Would it be okay to try to subdue him, or should we not give any resistance at all? What if someone physically assaulted a loved one?” we say the following: 

“When the ancient Israelites left the slavery of Egypt and were pursued by the Egyptians, God fought their battle for them, by drowning the enemy in the Red Sea. Moses told the Israelites at that time: ‘The LORD shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace’ (Exodus 14:14).”

This is proven throughout the Bible on many occasions, showing what God accomplished for His people–and what He is willing and capable of doing TODAY for you and me–if we trust in His protection.  

Continuing with the above-quoted Q&A:

“He protected Daniel in the lions’ den, and He protected Daniel’s three friends in the fiery furnace. All these things recorded in the Old Testament ‘were written for our admonition [or instruction], upon whom the ends of the ages have come’ (1 Corinthians 10:11). Christ told us that we must not take the sword or resort to violence. God and His mighty angels are always there to help us (compare Psalm 34:7; 91:11). But we must believe and be persuaded that no matter what the circumstances, we have to remain peaceful, while praying to God to fight our battles for us!”

We say this in our Q&A, “Do You Believe in and Teach Self-Defense?

“God who protected Daniel in the lions’ den is ready and able to protect us today, if we long for His protection. We don’t need to use violence against others for our own protection, when we trust that God is there to help us, whenever we are in need. As we read in Psalm 46:1-3: ‘God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling.’ And notice this comforting reassurance and promise of God’s presence in our lives, and His protection:

“‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you’ (Isaiah 43:2).

“At the same time, we must always look at God’s overall Will for us and our great potential and destiny for our lives, as Christ expressed in Matthew 10:28-31: ‘And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground APART FROM YOUR FATHER’S WILL. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.’”

We also need to consider our thoughts and attitudes toward bullies.  It may be easy to think of them as evil people but this is not a godly attitude.  Quoting from gotquestions.org on bullying: “At the very least, we should pray that the bully would have a change of heart… Many times, though, bullies act the way they do out of their own hurt. Perhaps they were bullied in the past. Perhaps they feel insecure, and the only way they can feel acceptable to themselves is by belittling others. We can empathize with their hurt and extend God’s compassion, love, and grace to them while also maintaining solid boundaries to address their wrong behavior. Whether bullying is driven by past hurt or simply the sin nature, God is the one who can bring healing, restoration, and change. It is always appropriate to pray for both bullies and their victims. Similarly, when we are the victim of bullying, we can go to God with our hurt and seek His reassurance and healing.”

Romans 12:17–21 says, “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to [God’s] wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. Therefore ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

In our Q&A, “What does it mean to bless our enemies and those who curse us?” we say the following: 

“When we bless those who curse us, we do this with our mouth–but our words must be coming from the heart. This includes, praying for them. Our prayer could include, asking God to grant them repentance so that their sins may be forgiven. It could include asking God to prevent them from continuing their evil deeds, since their attitudes and conduct harm themselves and others.

“Our prayer might include the plea to God to let our enemies see that what they are doing is wrong. We are not to avenge ourselves because we know that God will avenge us–and if this means that God will allow or bring trials on our enemies to bring them to repentance or a recognition of the evil of their doing, then that, too, would be a blessing for them…

“Blessing would mean not to slander our enemies or to speak evil of them, by inventing facts or ‘adding to’ the truth. It does not mean hiding the facts if there is a need to speak out, but even then, we must be sure that we do not speak or act with hate and with a desire to avenge ourselves (2 Timothy 2:17-18, 20-21; 4:14-15; 1 Timothy 1:18-20).”

This does not mean that we have to be passive victims of bullying and must not do anything in response.

In our Q&A titled, “What Kinds of Sports, Games and Related Activities Are Appropriate and Inappropriate for Christians?” we say: 

“In Matthew 5:38-41 and in Luke 6:27-30, where Christ says that we must not resist an evil person; pointing out that when we are being hit, we are to turn the other cheek; when someone tries to take our cloak, we ought to leave him our tunic, and vice versa; and when someone compels us to go one mile, we must go with him two miles–the famous extra mile. Does all of this mean that we have to passively give in to violent conduct and that we can do nothing in our defense?”

We answer these questions in part 6 (pages 49-56) of our free booklet, “Old Testament Laws—Still Valid Today?:

“Jesus… addressed the principle of ‘an eye for an eye.’ He stated, in Matthew 5:38-39:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist [forcefully, by resorting to violence and thereby injuring or killing] an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” According to the Lamsa Bible, the concept of ‘turning the other cheek’ is another Aramaic idiom, meaning, ‘Do not start a quarrel or a fight…’

“The Old Testament ‘lex talionis’ of an eye for an eye principle was never meant to be applied literally by actually maiming an offender. It was meant to outlaw personal vindictive ‘self-help’ and to allow, instead, a magistrate or a judge to consider the case and render righteous judgment by ordering the offender to pay just compensation to the victim. Jesus Christ addressed a wrong understanding of His listeners who thought they could avenge themselves. He cautioned all of us to be forgiving and kind, and He encouraged us to avoid fights and especially violence, even, if need be, at the price of foregoing our legal rights.”

As we can see, Christ did not mean to imply that we are to be helpless and passive victims and bystanders when confronted with violence. Rather, He told us not to treat violence with violence and revenge.

It is also important when we are victims of bullies, not to pay attention to or get excited about every little comment made about us. Ecclesiastes 7:21-22 admonishes us: “Also do not take to heart everything people say, Lest you hear your servant cursing you. For many times, also, your own heart has known That even you have cursed others.” Proverbs 10:12 adds: “Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.” And Proverbs 19:11 tells us: “The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression.”

If you are a victim of a bully, it might be appropriate, depending on the circumstances, to confront the bully, if known to you, and talk to him or her. But it is important to pray first to God that He will give you a discerning and calm heart and a willingness to help the bully to stop hurting you and others, and to give the bully a discerning and receptive heart to see and appreciate his evil conduct. The principle is laid out in Matthew 18:15. Even though it speaks of spiritual brothers, it could also apply in other situations: “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.” You might also note the admonition in Proverbs 25:8-12:

“Do not go hastily to court; For what will you do in the end, When your neighbor has put you to shame? Debate your case with your neighbor, And do not disclose the secret to another; Lest he who hears it expose your shame, And your reputation be ruined. A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver. Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold Is a wise rebuker to an obedient ear.”

Rather than immediately reporting a bully to the teacher or school principal, or to the boss at work, or “discussing” the bully with other friends in an attempt to “get even,” it might be a better idea to speak first to the bully in a private setting, after having prayerfully sought God’s guidance and inspiration as to what to say, and how to say it.

There are ways we can cope with bullying and teasing as mentioned above, especially for God’s people.  There is NOTHING impossible for God who can help us in every possible way, as long as we do our part and continue being obedient to Him, obeying His Laws, and BELIEVE and have the FAITH that He will help us. Trust in God and we will have nothing to fear.

Lead Writer: Michael Link

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Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

compiled by Dave Harris

“Does Netanyahu Secretly Prepare for the Third Temple?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

It is claimed that projects are going on behind the scenes, apparently revealing that Netanyahu and his government are secretly planning to build the anticipated Third Temple. What are those projects, and how credible are the reports about Netanyahu’s and his coalition government’s real intentions, given the fact that he has been quite inconsistent, ambiguous and evasive on the issue when addressing the public.

“Arbeitet Netanyahu im Geheimen am Bau des Dritten Tempels?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German language program  discusses the same topic as the English program described above.

A Tech Team Meeting was held on August 6, 2023, via Google Meets. Hosted by Eric Rank, topics covered included: advertising results for both English and German booklets; purchase of domain names for French and Spanish sites; inclusion of a “Youth Forum” for the Update when submissions are available; technical difficulties in live broadcasting and Feast preparations.

“Die Schöpfung ist logisch,” last Sabbath’s sermonette in Germany by Manuel Giermann, is now posted. Title in English: “Creation is Logical. ”

“Beware the Company You Keep,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Brian Gale, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The importance of keeping good company cannot be over-emphasized, and good and true friends can help us in achieving our goal of making it into the Kingdom of God.   We must always keep in mind that “evil company corrupts good habits.”

“Our Self-Destruction Is Imminent!” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The Bible warns that the insane behavior of warring powers would lead to the total annihilation of mankind so that no one would survive the coming World War III, if Christ were not to intervene at the last moment to stop such insanity. How can this madness of seduced and seducing warmongers even happen? Christ describes in detail in the Mount of Olives prophecy how the phases of events will unfold and when the end of the world and Christ’s return will come. In the first part of this new series, we look at the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the Great Tribulation, with special emphasis on false Christianity and its unbiblical teachings, the persecution of true Christians, and how they will be protected from the terrible events to come.

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How This Work is Financed

This Update is an official publication by the ministry of the Church of the Eternal God in the United States of America; the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada; and the Global Church of God in the United Kingdom.

Editorial Team: Norbert Link, Dave Harris, Rene Messier, Brian Gale, Johanna Link, Eric Rank, Michael Link, Anna Link, Kalon Mitchell, Manuela Mitchell, Dawn Thompson

Technical Team: Eric Rank, Shana Rank

Our activities and literature, including booklets, weekly updates, sermons on CD are provided free of charge. They are made possible by the tithes, offerings and contributions of Church members and others who have elected to support this Work.

While we do not solicit the general public for funds, contributions are gratefully welcomed and are tax-deductible in the U.S. and Canada.

Donations can be sent to the following addresses:

United States: Church of the Eternal God, P.O. Box 270519, San Diego, CA 92198

Canada: Church of God, ACF, Box 1480, Summerland, B.C. V0H 1Z0

United Kingdom: Global Church of God, PO Box 44, MABLETHORPE, LN12 9AN, United Kingdom

Beware the Company You Keep / Our Self-Destruction Is Imminent!

On August 5, 2023, Brian Gale will present the sermonette, titled, “Beware the Company You Keep,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Our Self-Destruction Is Imminent!”

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.

A Big THANK YOU to God

By Delayla Sperzel (15) – Germany

My mom and I went to my orthodontist because I had to get fixed braces. We went to appointments on three consecutive days and I was trying to predict which pliers the orthodontist was going to use during the application and got it right each time, as I’m a very quick learner. When he heard that, he asked me if I wanted to do an internship at the clinic. Since I was still searching for something at this point, I brought an application with me the next day. He was very enthusiastic about this application and asked me if I had time for an internship and we made appointments together for this.

Therefore, at the beginning of July, I spent 3 days doing an internship in the orthodontics practice.

On the last day of my internship, the boss invited me to his office, where he praised me very much, and told me that he was very impressed that I had done such a wonderful job and that I had a great and positive charisma. After the great praise, he gave me the wonderful message that he would like me to be part of his team.

I give thanks to God and His leadership and how God intervened in my new phase of life and put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Now he has provided me with a wonderful education and a very nice and understanding boss.

Initial Translation: Anna Link

This Week in the News

More Evidence Against President Joe Biden?

The Daily Mail wrote on July 31:

“Hunter Biden’s business partner Devon Archer told Congress in bombshell testimony the ‘Biden brand’ helped Ukrainian firm Burisma from going bankrupt and revealed Joe was on the phone at least 20 times while his son was talking with foreign associates. Republicans claim Archer’s testimony added to mounting evidence that the then-Vice President was involved in Hunter’s overseas deals that raked in millions from nations including China and Romania.  Democrats claimed the phone calls were innocent and did not involve business. 

“Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., confirmed Archer told the House Oversight Committee that Joe had been on speakerphone multiple times while his son was talking with business partners – but insisted they were talking about ‘niceties’ such as the weather

“Oversight member Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene told DailyMail.com in an interview Archer testified that ‘the Bidens were in the actual business of influence peddling’… claiming that the 20 phone conversations Archer referred to were directly about business deals

“But Archer is facing legal troubles of his own and is expected to go to prison shortly. He was sentenced to one year and a day in prison in February 2022 for defrauding a Native American tribal entity and various investment advisory clients of tens of millions of dollars, in connection with the issuance of $60 million in bonds…

“Archer, 48, and Hunter both graduated from Yale and were friends for decades. Hunter has reportedly described Devon as his ‘best friend in business.’…

“Archer testified that Burisma executive Vadym Pozharskyi [and] owner Nikola Zlochevsky put ‘constant pressure’ on Hunter in 2015 to get his father to fire prosecutor Viktor Shokin, who was investigating Burisma… In March 2016, Joe Biden threatened to withhold $1 billion in aid to Ukraine if Shokin was not fired for corruption…”

Shortly thereafter, Shokin was fired. The pieces of the puzzle are falling into place.

More Criminal Charges Against Trump

Fox News wrote on August 1:

“Fox News correspondent David Spunt reported… that Trump had been indicted on four counts: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights.

“[Professor] Turley [explained] that special counsel Jack Smith might be ‘yielding to his weakness’ with the indictment. ‘[Smith] may be stretching the law a bit… Jack Smith has a reputation for stretching criminal statutes beyond the breaking point. He went after [former Virginia Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell] and secured a conviction there. He was unanimously overturned because he just stretched the law too far.’…

“Host Jesse Watters… expressed incredulity that it appears to relitigate claims of election fraud in 2020 in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada and Michigan. Watters quipped that Democrats might not want to go back down the road of defending the ‘integrity’ of the election system in Philadelphia…

“Trump has repeatedly claimed Pence had the authority to send the elector slates back to the state legislatures under the Electoral Count Act of 1887… [Former New York federal prosecutor Andy] McCarthy… suggested that no matter how ‘frivolous,’ such machinations, [they] are likely protected speech… ‘it was something that [Trump] was allowed to rely on’…”

Real Clear Politics wrote on August 1:

“[Professor] Jonathan Turley on Tuesday told FOX News host Sean Hannity that… ‘This is a free speech killing indictment. There’s no way around it. I write a great deal in academia in the free-speech area and I [have] rarely seen a more chilling filing by the Department of Justice…  And I have to tell you, this indictment is really [a] sad moment for me… It basically just says that we think Trump is lying that he actually didn’t believe this. I can’t tell you how faciously ridiculous this claim is…’”

Breitbart wrote on August 1:

“Turley said Special Counsel Jack Smith’s indictment of 2024 Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump ‘basically just accuses him of disinformation. This is a disinformation indictment’ and charges “many” things that are protected by the First Amendment…’”

CNBC wrote on August 1:

“An attorney who is representing former President Donald Trump in his latest federal criminal indictment vowed to use the charges to ‘re-litigate every single issue in the 2020 election in the context of this litigation.’ The case gives Trump ‘an opportunity that he has never had before, which is to have subpoena power since January 6 in a way that can be exercised in federal court,’ attorney John Lauro said in a Fox News interview.”

In the 45-page indictment, it was alleged about 50 times regarding election fraud that Trump made false statements which he knew were false. With these accusations, Jack Smith has opened up a Pandora’s box as Trump will undoubtedly try to litigate or relitigate the question on the merits whether his statements regarding a “rigged election” were false and whether he knew that they were false. The underlying question is also whether a person can even be criminally prosecuted for conduct while in the office of the Presidency, and whether his statements are constitutionally protected as free speech and therefore immune from criminal prosecution. In addition, note the next article.

npr wrote on August 1:

“… one count of conspiracy against rights refers to Trump and his co-conspirators alleged attempts to ‘oppress, threaten and intimidate’ people in their right to vote in an election. The charge of ‘conspiracy against rights’ goes back to the Civil War era. It was passed after the Civil War as a way to stop members of the Ku Klux Klan and other similar organizations from intimidating, harassing and outright terrorizing Black voters especially in the South. This law was part of the Enforcement Act, passed between 1868 and 1870…”

As can be clearly seen, this law does not remotely apply to Trump’s alleged conduct.

The article continued:

“The case [against Trump] has been assigned to Judge Tanya S. Chutkan [who] stood out for her tough punishment [and “the hardest line against Jan. 6 defendants of any judge serving on Washington’s federal trial court”] for Jan. 6 rioters. In at least seven cases… Chutkan imposed harsher penalties than what federal prosecutors sought for those rioters.”

Chutkan was nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama.

Reactions from Republicans

Breitbart wrote on August 1:

“Republican officials blasted the Justice Department’s January 6 probe and the fresh indictment of former President Donald Trump, expressing support for Trump in the face of ‘serial election interference.’… Republican members slammed Smith’s ‘political witch hunt’ targeting ‘every one of his supporters.’

“House Republican Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) released a statement on ‘the disgraceful non-stop witch hunt by Biden’s corrupt DOJ against President Trump,’ calling Tuesday ‘yet another dark day in America’ as Biden continues to ‘weaponize’ his ‘corrupt’ Justice Department against his leading political opponent:  ‘Less than 24 hours ago, Congress heard testimony from Hunter Biden’s longtime business partner that Joe Biden joined Hunter‘s business calls over 20 times. This directly contradicts Biden’s lie that he never discussed business with his son. Today’s sham indictment of Donald Trump is yet another desperate attempt to distract attention away from the mounting evidence of Joe Biden‘s direct involvement in his family’s illegal influence peddling scheme — one of the greatest political corruption scandals in history.’

“According to Stefanik, Trump ‘had every right under the First Amendment to correctly raise concerns about election integrity in 2020.’…

“House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) highlighted how people have recently been informed that Hunter Biden ‘received money from China (contradicting President Biden’s claim),’ that Biden ‘spoke with Hunter’s business associates over 20 times (contradicting what Biden previously claimed),’ and that Biden’s DOJ ‘tried to secretly give Hunter broad immunity and admitted the sweetheart deal was unprecedented.’… he charged that ‘Everyone in America could see what was going to come next: DOJ’s attempt to distract from the news and attack the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, President Trump.’…

“‘Let’s be clear about what’s happening: Biden’s DOJ is cutting sweetheart deals for Hunter to cover for the Biden Family’s influence peddling schemes while at the same time trying to persecute his leading political opponent,’ wrote House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) as he deemed it ‘an outrageous abuse of power.’…

“‘When you drain The Swamp, The Swamp fights back,’ wrote House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH). ‘President Trump did nothing wrong!’…

“‘It’s not shocking that every time the Biden crime family has evidence surface (FD-1023), or a congressional hearing that exposes further corruption and abuses of power, that the weaponized DoJ indicts his top political opponent (Pres. Trump),’ wrote Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL)…

“‘Democrats would rather destroy America than see Donald Trump in the White House again,’ wrote Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN)…”

And many more voiced their disgust with Smith’s indictment. Also, Fox News wrote on August 1:

“Reacting to the charges, a Trump campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital [that] ‘the lawlessness of these persecutions of President Trump and his supporters is reminiscent of Nazi Germany in the 1930s, the former Soviet Union, and other authoritarian, dictatorial regimes.’”

Where is America heading?

More Charges Against Trump in the Document Case

Breitbart wrote on July 27:

“Special Counsel Jack Smith on Thursday (one day after Hinter Biden’s “sweetheart plea deal” fell apart) brought new charges against former President Donald Trump in the Mar-a-Lago White House documents case. Smith charged Trump with one count of willful retention of national defense documents and two counts of obstruction. Trump’s valet, Walt Nauta, who was previously charged in the first indictment, also received two new obstruction-related charges.

“The superseding indictment also charged Carlos De Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s head of maintenance, with altering, destroying, mutilating, or concealing a document, making false statements, and conspiracy to obstruct justice…

“With the additional charges, Trump is now facing 40 counts in the criminal case.

“Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung blasted the U.S. Department of Justice for the new charges, calling it a ‘continued desperate and flailing attempt by the Biden Crime Family and their Department of Justice to harass President Trump and those around him… Deranged Jack Smith knows that they have no case and is casting about for any way to salvage their illegal witch hunt and to get someone other than Donald Trump to run against Crooked Joe Biden…’

“Judge Aileen Cannon set a trial in this case for next May, just months before the 2024 presidential election.”

In a related article, Breitbart wrote on July 27:

“‘This is harassment. This is election interference,’ Trump said when asked to respond to the superseding indictment and additional charges. ‘I’m protected by the Presidential Records Act totally. It shouldn’t even be a case. It’s not a criminal case. Where’s Biden with all the documents? He’s got 20 times, 30 times the documents I have, and he has not made it easy for them either. He has been hiding boxes. They’re sending boxes to Chinatown… and yet China is paying them millions of dollars. You explain that one. You don’t even hear about it. All you hear about is Trump. No, this is a two-tier system of injustice. That’s what we have. We have a sick country… We have a failing nation and it’s a very sad thing to watch.’…

“Trump also told Breitbart News that if elected president again—he is currently the leading GOP candidate for the White House—he would fire Smith. Trump also cited failed cases Smith’s office has brought against other politicians from both political parties… ‘He’s destroyed a lot of lives… He went after Christians… What he’s done is just horrible. The abuse of power—it is prosecutorial misconduct.’…

“Trump said he thinks history will remember this all as an ‘embarrassment’ for Democrats and for the nation… Trump said he believes the public sees it his way, which is why he says his poll numbers keep rising—in both the primary and the general…”

Trump denied all charges and said he will continue to run, even if he were convicted and sentenced. Questions were raised in the media whether he could pardon himself once he was elected President—a question not addressed in the Constitution. It was also pointed out that if he were to do so, it would be very difficult to challenge this, because, for one reason, who would even have standing to do so in a Court of Law?

GOP Members Outraged by Biden’s “Justice” Department

The New York Post wrote on July 28:

“The three new charges stacked against Donald Trump have left members of the GOP enraged over the timing a day after Hunter Biden’s probation-only plea deal fell apart. ‘It’s so brazen right now, what they’re doing,’ Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) told Fox News… ‘It is really a subversion of the rule of law…’

“Hawley said the Department of Justice has begun ‘charging random people’… hinting that the new charges were meant to take attention off the first son. ‘Is it any coincidence that the DOJ rushes to add these new indictments today, after the Hunter debacle…

“The president’s son pleaded not guilty to federal tax and gun charges following the bombshell ruling by the judge, opening the door for the possibility of additional charges in the future — such as for allegedly working as an unregistered foreign agent.

“Hunter Biden admitted during the hearing he had received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Chinese Communist Party-backed companycontradicting President Biden’s claims that his family never ‘made money from China.’

“Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called the charges brought forth by the Democrats ‘a disgrace’… ‘I think Merrick Garland should be impeached and removed from office for allowing the Department of Justice to be turned into a partisan hammer to attack the political enemies of the White House,’ Cruz said of the attorney general…

“Fellow Republican lawmakers have also begun ringing the bell that the indictment is being used as a distraction to benefit the Biden family. ‘The American people understand that Joe Biden and his administration are engulfed in one of the biggest political corruption scandals of all time,’ wrote House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) in a statement shared on Twitter. ‘It is no coincidence that the day after a federal judge throws out Hunter Biden’s corrupt, sweetheart plea bargain, Biden’s weaponized [Department of Justice] continues its witch hunt against President Trump,’ she added. ‘Our Republic is in peril, our justice system is broken.’…”

The Justice Department’s blatant witch hunt against Donald Trump and the appalling protection of Joe Biden are continuing…

What is particularly shocking about the Hunter Biden sweetheart plea deal is that the prosecution and the defense attorneys reportedly tried to hide the immunity clause in an attachment (dealing with the gun charge), which was allegedly given to the judge on the day of the hearing (not before) with the apparent hope that the judge would not even read it and sign off on the deal.

It will remain to be seen whether the judge who has given the parties leave to amend the documents, will ultimately sign off on them, as some scholars have already suggested that she would.  Some have even expressed their fear that the immunity clause will be removed from the written documentation, but a secret verbal understanding between the prosecution and Hunter Biden’s attorneys will be reached to the effect that no further charges against Hunter will be brought, while claiming that investigations are ongoing so that Congress would have no access to uncovered information pending investigation.

This is almost too bizarre to contemplate, but with the existing corrupt Justice Department, even the unbelievable becomes believable.

Great Britain Takes Note of the Biden Scandal

The Daily Mail wrote on July 28:

“This was the week Joe Biden’s ‘s rotten House Of Cards began teetering on the brink of collapse. While Netflix’s fictional U.S. President Kevin Spacey was found not guilty of sex charges by a jury in London, in another courtroom 3,500 miles away the web of lies and secrecy around alleged corruption in the Biden family was unravelling spectacularly…

“A judge in Delaware threw out a disgraceful sweetheart deal which would have seen Biden’s degenerate son Hunter walking free after pleading guilty to tax evasion, gun and drug charges, which would normally have led to serious jail time. Judge Maryellen Noreika refused to rubber-stamp an incredibly lenient plea bargain agreement stitched up between Hunter’s lawyers and the prosecution. It would have given Hunter not just a virtually free pass on past and present crimes but would have granted him immunity against any future charges he might face. After the judge ripped up the deal, Hunter was forced to enter not guilty pleas on two counts to which he had pleaded guilty to minutes earlier. He now faces further investigation into alleged crimes which may well implicate his father.

“On Monday, Hunter’s former best friend and business partner Devon Archer is due to tell a Congressional committee that both Hunter and Joe Biden accepted bribes of $5 million each from a Ukrainian businessman. He is also expected to testify that despite previous repeated denials, the President was involved in his son’s business dealings. Archer says he was present when Joe Biden took part in not one but 24 separate telephone conference calls with Hunter’s foreign clients.

“That’s if Archer actually turns up and isn’t found floating face down in Washington’s Potomac River. Last night he was reported to have gone into hiding, after friends said he had received unspecified ‘threats’ against both himself and his family.

“For once, America’s mainstream media hasn’t been able to swerve the mounting evidence against the Bidens. On Wednesday all three major national TV networks led their nightly news bulletins with reports on the sensational decision by the judge to throw out Hunter’s sweetheart deal. Until now, Joe Biden has enjoyed fawning coverage from NBC, ABC and CBS, along with backing from 95 per cent of America’s big city newspapers. Negative stories have been studiously ignored…

“Peter Baker, who covers the White House for the Democrat-supporting New York Times, admitted it would be difficult for Joe Biden to continue defending his son on the grounds of Hunter’s well-documented ‘battle’ against drug addiction… And tellingly, Baker added: ‘For President Biden, it’s not just about his wayward son but whether he himself had something to do with his wayward son’s business dealings.’ Joe Biden has always maintained he has never even discussed business with Hunter. That changed subtly this week when the White House said he had never been in business… with him…

“Yet if half of what is being alleged about Joe Biden is true, Clinton’s ‘I did not have sex with that woman, Miss Lewinsky’ is at worst a little white lie which pales into insignificance alongside allegations of multi-million-dollar influence peddling. The claim that both Bidens received $5 million each in bribes from a Ukrainian businessman is supported by a recently released document detailing sworn evidence from a source described as an FBI ‘trusted confidential informant’…

“[Hunter’s] laptop hard drive contained a mine of explosive and potentially incriminating material [including] an email from Hunter to his sister complaining that he had to give half his income to his father…

“[Press spokeswoman] Karine Jean-Pierre… refused to answer questions from the Washington Press Corps on the preposterous grounds that Hunter is a ‘private person’ who is trying to ‘rebuild his life’ following drug addiction… As for the notion that Hunter is a private person, how come he was driven to court in a six-vehicle secret service motorcade? If he’s a private person, what is he doing at official functions at the White House, where he appears to live half the time? Why is he flying to Camp David on Marine One… or swanning round the world on Air Force One, accompanying his dad on state visits?…

“Biden’s apologists say he is only trying to protect his son. But, as former Republican speaker Newt Gingrich said this week, President Biden is really trying to protect himself… Even the mainstream media, which has protected Biden for years, appear to be withdrawing their love right now…”

Calls for an impeachment inquiry and impeachment have been growing. Bribery is one of the two offenses specifically mentioned by the Constitution as grounds for impeachment, along with treason. But will it reach that point? Note the next articles.

A Doomed President?

1945 wrote on July 28:

“Those who are concerned that former President Donald J. Trump’s alleged crimes will dissuade independent voters from supporting Trump in the General Election will now have to contend with the fact that President Biden will be under the same—if not more—legal scrutiny than Trump if Biden remains the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee in 2024. 

“Already, President Biden is one of the most unpopular men to have ever run for reelection in modern political history. He’s got slightly less unpopularity than what Trump has. But the presence of this corruption scandal hanging over his head, as well as the likelihood that the Republicans impeach the forty-sixth president, means that his chances for reelection have just declined drastically—and Trump’s chances have increased. 

“This is a nightmare scenario for the Democrats, who now find themselves having to support Biden no matter what or replace him with a far less effective candidate, such as Vice-President Kamala Harris.  Or with a more effective candidate, like California’s Governor Gavin Newsom, who will have difficulty proving to independent voters that they should vote for the obviously unstable Democratic Party in 2024, should the DNC kick both its presidential and vice-presidential candidates to the curb.”

What are the Republicans waiting for in regard to an impeachment inquiry or impeachment? While the Democrats impeached Trump twice with much less “evidence,” Republicans don’t seem to be willing to impeach Biden, while the evidence of his misconduct is mounting. The next article might explain as to why the reluctance.

Impeaching Biden?

1945 wrote on July 28:

“Former Speaker Newt Gingrich has a warning for Republicans on a Joe Biden Impeachment: You will get President Kamala Harris if you impeach Joe Biden and remove him from office… ‘The only short-term consequence of a successful impeachment is Kamala Harris , and Kamala would be such a total disaster for the country that Biden’s corruption is probably preferable to her incompetence,’ Gingrich said…

“The chances of removing Biden in the event he is impeached is slim and none because it takes 67 senators to remove a president from office. Donald Trump’s second impeachment marked the first time a majority of senators voted to remove the then former president. Fifty-seven senators voted to remove and disqualify Trump, falling 10 votes short…

“The precedent set during the Trump impeachments has transformed impeachment into something akin to a vote of no confidence, as exists in parliamentary democracies. Impeaching Biden would expose politically damaging information during the 2024 political campaign and could take the political sting off of the Trump prosecutions. It would then be up to the voters to decide which candidate is the lesser of two evils.”

From that last standpoint, impeachment procedures against Biden would make a lot of sense.

Doomed Either Way–Neither Trump Nor Biden?

The Washington Examiner wrote on July 29:

“A new poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports confirmed what many voters say to each other: we’re doomed. The interesting twist on this survey is that the answer is more indicative of the country’s political tribalism than any particular candidate’s character or platform.

“82% of the country thinks we are doomed if President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump is reelected president in 2024. This breaks down to 40% of ‘likely U.S. voters’ agreeing that the country is doomed unless Biden is elected. Conversely, 42% of voters felt that Trump must win in 2024 or ‘the United States is doomed.’…

69% of liberals agreed in some form with the ‘Biden-or-doom’ attitude regarding the 2024 presidential election. Comparatively, 63% of conservative voters supported the ‘Trump-or-doom scenario.’… only 24% of voters ‘strongly disagree’ with both the Biden-or-doom and Trump-or-doom statements…

“The poll reveals what many people in the country already knew: we are a country divided…”

A division which will NOT be cured.

How Biden “Forced” Censorship of Free Speech

Fox News wrote on July 28:

“The Biden administration is facing intense scrutiny after Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, revealed a ‘smoking gun’ Thursday indicating alleged collusion between the White House and Facebook to censor Americans. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey argued the documents obtained by the House Judiciary Committee show the Biden administration pushed Big Tech beyond its own censorship bounds… ‘We knew that Joe Biden had coerced and colluded with Big Tech social media to silence American voices in violation of the First Amendment right to free speech,’ Bailey [said]. ‘And what this shows is that not only did he coerce and collude with Big Tech social media, but he actually pushed them further than their own internal censorship policies…’

“Earlier this month a judge blocked key Biden agencies and departments from communicating with social media companies to avoid potential First Amendment violations in the Missouri v. Biden ruling… ‘We can’t let Joe Biden destroy free speech in America,’ Bailey continued. 

“‘Never-before-released internal documents subpoenaed by the Judiciary Committee PROVE that Facebook and Instagram censored posts and changed their content moderation policies because of unconstitutional pressure from the Biden White House,’ Jordan wrote Thursday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. ‘During the first half of 2021, social media companies like Facebook faced tremendous pressure from the Biden White House—both publicly and privately—to crack down on alleged “misinformation”… In April 2021, a Facebook employee circulated an email for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg, writing: “We are facing continued pressure from external stakeholders, including the [Biden] White House’ to remove posts.”

“‘They didn’t actually care whether things was true or false to censor it. They just censored it. So, for instance, if you said that you had a pretty good immunity after COVID recovery, well, you could get censored. If you said that people could get vaccine injured [sic] you were censored,’ Dr. Jay Bhattacharya of Stanford Medical said Friday. Last year’s ‘Twitter Files’ revealed that Bhattacharya was allegedly on the platform’s ‘blacklist’ because he ‘argued that COVID lockdowns would harm children,’ according to information revealed by reporter Bari Weiss. ‘You could even get censored for saying true things,’ Bhattacharya continued. ‘For instance, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was paused by the CDC. When the White House posted that on its Facebook page, it got censored. It got censored by its own censorship regime that it created. It’s ironic and tragic that the White House violated the rights of American people for nothing.’

“But Jordan said Facebook knew what it was doing when it was succumbing to the administration’s demands in order to maintain a ‘cozy’ relationship… ‘One of those Facebook executives said “this is a significant incursion into the boundaries of free expression.” That is a fancy way of saying this violates the First Amendment…’

“Bhattacharya echoed Jordan’s sentiment, arguing the White House infringed on Americans’ free speech rights, but also ‘harmed public health’ in the process…”

So much more has been revealed in the meantime, including Biden’s pressure on Facebook [now called Meta] to delete footage from Tucker Carlson’s Fox News program (see The Wall Street Journal, dated July 28). In light of this evil development of governmental suppression of free speech— including true statements—, the next article is really shocking.

Most Democrats Support Suppression of Free Speech

The Ron Paul Institute republished the following article by Professor Turley on July 27:

“[A new] Pew found that ‘Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are much more likely than Republicans and Republican leaners to support the US government taking steps to restrict false information online (70% vs. 39%).’

“I was raised in a politically active Democratic family in Chicago. Free speech was viewed as one of the defining values of the party and championed across campuses in the country. That changed dramatically in the course of the last ten years as many liberal politicians and professors called for opposing voices to be banned or canceled. I no longer recognize the party as it pushes for censorship and speech regulation

“What is particularly chilling is that this poll is occurring after the disclosure of biased censorship efforts by the government and corporations, including the suppression of views that were later found to be legitimate. That includes the banning or cancelling of scientists who raised concerns over Covid-19 that are now considered valid from the lab theory to the efficacy of masks to natural immunities. It also includes the suppression of political stories like the Hunter Biden laptop.

“The growing support for censorship may reflect the echo chambered media environment… President Biden even charged that companies who refused to censor opposing views on social media were ‘killing people’… former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich has declared free speech is ‘tyranny.’  Many journalists have joined politicians and professors in decrying the dangers of free speech…

“The result left free speech values in free fall in our country… The European crackdown on free speech has now reached our shores and there are a growing number of citizens calling on the government to limit their right to free expression. It is a form of constitutional immolation by citizens who have never known true authoritarian government.

“The Pew poll shows how dire this struggle has become… This is a crisis of faith that we cannot ignore. Justice Louis Brandeis once warned that ‘The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.’”

Another proof that America is descending into authoritarian dictatorship, following Canada’s horrific example.

Robert F Kennedy Jr. Vice-President Under Trump?

Newsweek wrote on August 1:

“Steve Bannon has joined a growing number of conservatives who have suggested that a 2024 presidential ticket with Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could find success with voters.

“Bannon, a one-time senior adviser to Trump, discussed the possibility during Sunday’s episode of his War Room podcast. Though he noted the chances of Kennedy, a Democrat, running with the Republican former president would be a ‘long shot,’ Bannon said the pairing could win in a ‘massive landslide.’

“Kennedy… has found favor with many conservatives. Federal Election Commission filings show he has received large contributions for his presidential campaign from donors who typically give to GOP candidates.

“But some prominent right-wing figures would prefer that Kennedy join forces with Trump rather than running his own campaign for the White House. Roger Stone, another former adviser to the ex-president, has suggested Kennedy should receive a top administration role if Trump wins the White House in 2024. Last week, Stone dedicated an episode of his show on the video platform Rumble to the possibility of Kennedy running as Trump’s VP.

“Numerous social media users have also endorsed a Trump/Kennedy ticket in recent days… Trump himself has also spoken well of Kennedy, saying… that he thinks the Democrat is a ‘very smart person.’”

Adverse Effects From Covid Vaccinations Seriously Underreported

Rebel News reported on July 25:

“The senior Health Canada official [Dr. Celia Lourenco] who approved which COVID vaccines Canadians could take is admitting their surveillance of ‘adverse events’ — caused by the jab — fell short…

“Parliament imposed a vaccine mandate on the public service and federally regulated sectors in October 2021 and abandoned it last June.

“Lourenco ascertains that underreporting adverse effects caused by COVID vaccines is a ‘well-known fact’ because healthcare providers and patients may not report or even be aware of the events.

“… litigator Bernard Desgagné… claimed this degree of underreporting could have caused millions of deaths south of the border… A health department spokesperson told the publication that ‘most pre-pandemic studies about this topic estimate adverse drug reactions under-reporting rates of 90% or higher.’…

“As of writing, the federal government has paid nearly $6.7 million in damages to Canadians caused by COVID vaccine injuries… As of November 2022, Canada administered 93 million COVID doses to residents.”

This is SO irresponsible!

Visiting the Temple Mount? Not Allowed!

The Times of Israel wrote on July 27:

“Far-right National Security Itamar Ben Gvir visited the flashpoint Temple Mount site Thursday for Tisha B’Av, a Jewish day of national mourning, prompting anger from Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and the Hamas terror group as well as a rebuke from Washington.

“It was Ben Gvir’s third visit to the site while serving as a cabinet minister. Each visit has prompted a furious reaction from the Arab world.

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry warned that alleged unilateral measures by Israel at the site and violations of the status quo ‘threaten to escalate the situation into more rounds of violence.’ ‘We warn against the dangerous consequences of allowing the extremists to reach the mount and allow them to carry out provocations,’ the ministry added.

“In a statement following Ben Gvir’s visit, the US Embassy in Israel said it ‘stands firmly’ for preserving the status quo and the site, adding that ‘any unilateral action or rhetoric that jeopardizes the status quo is unacceptable.’

“The Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Ministry charged Ben Gvir’s visit was part of ‘an official Israeli cover for the ongoing invasions and the plans to Judaize the Al-Aqsa Mosque and to impose forced changes on the existing historical and legal reality, as an inseparable part of the Judaization of Jerusalem.’

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qasem called the visit a ‘dangerous escalation’ and a ‘provocation’ to the Palestinian people, vowing that they would not allow Israel to carry out its alleged ‘plans’ at the site. ‘Our people will defend the identity of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and protect its Islamic and Arab character at all costs, because Al-Aqsa has always been the trigger for revolutions and rebellions,’ the statement read.

“The Saudi Foreign Ministry also condemned Ben Gvir’s visit to the site, calling it a ‘flagrant violation of all international norms and agreements’ as well as a ‘provocation to all Muslims around the world.’…

“Observant Jews fast the entirety of the day in mourning of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE, and then of its replacement in 70 CE. A major reason for the catastrophes cited in tradition is the division and hatred between different groups in Jewish society. The two temples were located at the flashpoint site…

“[Negev and the Galilee Development Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf, a member of Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit party] tweeted his hope for the ‘redemption’ of the Jewish people and ‘the building of the [Third] Temple soon in our days, amen.’…

“Last week, Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef accused Ben Gvir of ‘sinning and causing others to sin’ by visiting the Temple Mount. Yosef said Ben Gvir has defied multiple rabbinical rulings stating that Jewish Orthodox law forbids Jews to enter the Temple Mount, citing principles detailed in halacha, Jewish Orthodox law, about preserving the purity of the site, considered the holiest in Judaism.

“Ben Gvir defended the visits in response, saying that he was following the advice of his own rabbis, who said it was a ‘mitzvah’ — the Hebrew word for duty or commandment — to visit the site.”

A third temple will be built, but the contentions among Jews regarding this issue are quite telling.

Ukraine Moves Christmas to December 25

Evening Standard wrote on July 29:

“Ukraine has moved its official Christmas Day state holiday from January 7 to December 25 in a snub to Russia. President… Zelensky said the parliamentary bill would help Ukraine ‘abandon the Russian heritage of imposing Christmas celebrations’…

“Ukraine’s largest Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has long-standing historic ties to Moscow, has previously celebrated the holidays according to the Julian calendar used by Russia.”

Neither January 7 nor December 25 marks the birthday of Jesus. He was clearly not born at that time. But more importantly, nowhere does the Bible tell us that we ought to celebrate Christ’s birthday.

Russia and Africa

Tag24 News wrote on July 29:

“Russia has signed agreements for military cooperation with over 40 African countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Friday in St. Petersburg… Putin stated that African states received a wide range of weapons and technology, some for free ‘with the aim of enhancing the security and sovereignty of the countries’…

“Putin reiterated that Russia would continue to be a reliable supplier of grain to the continent’s countries. The pledge came after Russia ended a deal that allowed Ukrainian grain to be exported through the Black Sea. Ukraine is a major supplier of grain to Africa.

“The chairman of the African Union said in his closing address at the summit that Putin’s proposals to provide grain were insufficient. ‘Yes, this is important, but it may not be quite enough. We need to achieve a ceasefire,’ Azali Assoumani said. ‘President Putin has shown us that he is ready to engage in dialogue and find a solution,’ he added. ‘Now we need to convince the other side.’”

Russia Threatens Ukraine With Nuclear Weapons

The Daily Mail wrote on July 30:

“The Kremlin today bluntly threatened use of nuclear weapons in the wake of the Ukrainian drone strike on Moscow’s skyscraper zone. Three drones struck an elite office building and residential skyscraper in Moscow early Sunday morning in what Russia’s Defence Ministry has branded an ‘attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime’.

“Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and Putin ally, has warned there is ‘simply no other way out’ and said that Kyiv should ‘pray to our warriors’ that they do not ‘allow the global nuclear fire to flare up’.

“Moscow said it had brought down three Ukrainian drones early on Sunday that had been trying to attack the capital. (Moscow claimed it injured one person and prompted a temporary airport closure). It also claimed its forces had thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to attack Russia-annexed Crimea with 25 drones overnight.

“Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, has been targeted by Kyiv throughout Moscow’s Ukraine offensive but has come under more intense, increased attacks in recent weeks. Kyiv has repeatedly said it plans to take Crimea back.”

The US Cannot Establish Air Superiority

On July 29, the Ron Paul Institute republished the following article by William Schryver;

“I have long asserted, and I continue to be convinced, that the US could NOT establish air superiority against Russia, China, nor even Iran — not in a week; not in a year. Never. It simply could not be done. American air power would prove substantially inferior to the extremely potent and abundantly supplied air defenses arrayed against it in any of those three countries. American suppression of enemy air defenses would prove woefully inadequate to the task… US air power as a theater-wide undertaking could not be sustained in the context of a non-permissive regional and global battlefield.

“In a high-intensity combat scenario in either eastern Europe, the China seas, or the Persian Gulf, the maintenance requirements for US aircraft could not be met… The US would, quite literally after only a few days, see sub-10% mission-capable rates for the F-22 and F-35, and sub-25% rates for almost every other platform in the inventory…  US supply lines would be severely attrited on both a regional and a global scale.

“Russian and Chinese submarines and long-range anti-ship missile systems would wreak havoc on US seaborne logistics… The US could not fight an overseas war in a non-permissive environment against a peer adversary. It doesn’t have the means, let alone the experience and competence, to do so…”

Of course, the real and unappreciated danger is overlooked; and that is the coming prophesied war between Europe and the USA. But, applying the statements about the USA above to a war with Europe, they are frighteningly accurate.

More Women in the Germany Army!

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 30:

Germany wants you for the armed forces — especially if you’re a woman. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Cabinet adopted a series of measures this week to boost equal opportunity in the military… The Bundeswehr needs people to fill its ranks, as part of Germany’s efforts to bolster its military capabilities in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine…

“As the government sees it, putting more women in uniform ‘makes a contribution’ to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development…

“… the improved provisions… follow up efforts elsewhere in the bureaucracy and private sector. Some political parties, for example, require a 50-50 split of candidates running for office. The Bundestag, Germany’s parliament, has strengthened laws to get more women into leadership positions in companies…

“When West Germany’s military was founded in 1955, women were barred from service. That would not change until 1975 — and only then limited to the medical corps. Even after all military roles were open to women, in 2001, the medical corps remained the area with the highest female contingent.

“The story was different in [East Germany]. The country’s socialist character took pride in equal opportunity for men and women. Its armed forces were founded in 1956 and allowed full participation. The big difference: men were drafted, whereas women could volunteer. Those who did mainly fulfilled medical and administrative tasks…

“The Bundeswehr’s push for more women is not only a matter of equal opportunity. It dovetails with new demand for all-around improvements to Germany’s military capabilities.

“The military has the added burden of needing to attract young people [wanting a] high degree of flexible and individual freedom in working life… Those expectations are generally at odds with a military’s rigid hierarchy and command structure. This week’s adoption of stricter equal opportunity standards helps fulfill part of the Bundeswehr’s strategy to expand recruitment.

“Another challenge the military shares with the private sector: workplace safety, especially for women. Sexual harassment lingers in the ranks. The Bundeswehr saw nearly 850 cases between 2018-2020…”

When becoming a part of the military, you are becoming a slave of the military. Paul said we should not voluntarily become slaves of men (1 Corinthians 7:23).

Germany is willing to become the strongest military in Europe—no matter what the challenges and costs. In Revelation 9:8, the coming European army is described as having “hair like women’s hair.”

The Real Dangers With Electric Cars and Bikes

The Sun published the following article by Jeremy Clarkson on July 29:

“For years I’ve told people until I’m blue in the face that electric cars don’t have enough range, that they take far too long to charge up, that they will always be too expensive and that they aren’t even very ­environmental. Happily, people are now starting to listen, so it’s time to move the argument along a bit with this:  Electric cars are also… dangerous.

“As I write, a massive ship is on fire off the Dutch coast and one person has died. No one knows for sure what caused it, but it was carrying 25 electric cars, and experts say it’s likely that one of them had a faulty battery pack.

“Earlier this month, much the same thing happened on an Italian car transporter in the port of Newark, New Jersey.  Two firefighters were killed putting that out.

“And then there was the Felicity Ace, which was carrying cars powered by lithium-ion batteries when it caught fire in the Atlantic Ocean and sank.

“In total, there have been ten major fires on ships carrying electric cars in the past 20 years… in the last five years, the emergency services have been called out to 753 electric vehicle fires in the UK alone.

“Last weekend the World Rallycross Championship at Lydden Hill in Kent had to be abandoned when a faulty battery pack destroyed the pits and burned out two Lancia Delta Evo E racing cars.

“And it’s not just cars. A safety charity announced this week that e-bikes have caused hundreds of catastrophic house fires.

“People have died, and that’s not surprising when you learn that a fully charged e-bike contains the same explosive energy as six hand grenades. And to make matters worse, fires in electric bikes and cars are often very difficult to extinguish.

“The electrical car that Richard Hammond rolled down a hill while filming for the Grand Tour burned for days. And then, after the fire had died down, something in the battery pack called ‘thermal runaway’ caused it to rear back up again. And this went on for weeks.

“The fact is this. It’s only a matter of time before an electric car bursts into flames on a cross-Channel ferry or in the Chunnel. Or in an underground car park…”

Bild Online asked 10 carmakers about the danger of electric cars. Not surprisingly, some responded by denying any danger, limiting their response however strictly to THEIR products, while other companies refused to answer.

Massive “Ocean” Under the Earth’s Crust

On the website of Indy100, we read the following:

“… there’s a massive ocean hidden under the Earth’s crust… there’s a huge supply of water 400 miles underground stored in rock known as ‘ringwoodite’… Scientists made the findings at the time after studying earthquakes and discovering that seismometers were picking up shockwaves under the surface of the Earth.

“From that, they were able to establish that the water was being held in the rock known as ringwoodite… If the rock contained just 1 per cent water, it would mean that there is three times more water under the surface of the Earth than there is in the oceans on the surface.”

God tells us that He will water the dry land (Isaiah 35:6-7; 44:3-4)—not necessarily with salt water from the oceans on the surface. We also read that at Noah’s time, “the fountains of the great deep were broken up” (Genesis 7:11), and that at the end of the Flood, “the fountains of the deep… were… stopped” (Genesis 8:2).

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

Update 1079

Beware the Company You Keep / Our Self-Destruction Is Imminent!

On August 5, 2023, Brian Gale will present the sermonette, titled, “Beware the Company You Keep,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Our Self-Destruction Is Imminent!”

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.

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Serve God With a Willing Spirit

by Paul Niehoff (Australia)

What kind of attitude does God want us to have when we take a part in His Work? And, of course, His Work at times includes offerings as well as other actions. We know that God loves a cheerful giver which is something we are often reminded of before the Holy Day offerings (see 2 Corinthians 9:7).

In the Old Testament writings, when the tabernacle was being built, the term “willing” was used regarding the offering people gave for its construction. In Exodus 35, the term “willing” or “freewill” is used five times in the New King James Bible, showing how important this attribute is considered by God. The first mention is in Exodus 35:5 where we read, “Take from among you an offering to the LORD. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the LORD: gold, silver, and bronze…” The meaning of “willing” in this chapter is “generous, spontaneous, voluntary, abundant”—all being attitudes that God desires in us as we serve Him.

Much later, when King David was instructing his son to be the future king and to serve God, he used the terms “a loyal heart” and “a willing mind” in 1 Chronicles 28:9. In this case, willing is from a different Hebrew word meaning “delight in, desire, have pleasure.” In other words, delight in serving God and ruling His people correctly.

At the time just before Solomon began building the temple in Jerusalem, we also read in 1 Chronicles 29:6, “Then the leaders of the fathers’ houses, leaders of the tribes of Israel, the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the officers over the king’s work, offered willingly.” They gave abundantly materials for the building of the temple as had King David.

There is an interesting example in the New Testament of a man who was willingly serving God, and that man was Cornelius. He was “a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always” (Acts 10:2). Doing good to all, especially those who are of the household of faith as we have opportunity, which would include giving alms or charitable gifts generously or willingly, is mentioned in Galatians 6:10 as good works we are to perform. What is also interesting in the account of the angel visiting Cornelius is that the angel puts the prayers of Cornelius first before the alms as a memorial before God. (See Acts 10:4 and Acts 10:31). So both are a memorial but God puts prayers first here while He placed alms first in Acts 10:2. Both are part of an important memorial.

Of course, there are warnings if we do not serve God willingly. Jeremiah 48 tells us that God was using an army (possibly the Chaldeans, depending on which commentary is referred to) to destroy ancient Moab because of their attitudes and actions. (We understand, of course, that this entire passage is mainly a prophecy for the “latter days,” note Jeremiah 48:47). In Jeremiah 48:10 we read, “Cursed is he who does the work of the LORD deceitfully, And cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.”

The Pulpit Commentary shows the literal translation of “deceitfully” means “slackly, negligently.” And the New Testament mentions examples of people doing God’s Work deceitfully or negligently.

Early in the New Testament Church, a couple, Ananias and Saphira, tried to deceive the apostles and the Church by claiming their gift was the full amount of what they sold, whereas it was only a part. They were exaggerating their gift—possibly, to receive more praise. See Acts 5:1-2. God inspired Peter to see through the deception and the result was that God killed both the man and his wife because of them lying to the Holy Spirit.

In the letter to the Church of the Laodiceans in Revelation 3:14-22, God condemns the Laodiceans for not being zealous. They believed they were rich, had become wealthy, and had need of nothing, whereas God told them they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. By being self-satisfied and not being zealous in their lives, including their need to repent and to overcome, what little, if any, of God’s Work they were doing, they were doing negligently or with a slack hand. Because of this attitude, God intended to vomit them out of His mouth.

So, from these examples, we see that no matter whether we have a large or a small part in God’s Work, we must do our part willingly and zealously, and without any deception. When we do this, our efforts will be a memorial well pleasing to God.

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by Norbert Link

We begin with additional criminal charges filed against Donald Trump regarding the 2020 election, one day after Hunter Biden’s former business partner gave “bombshell testimony” strongly implicating Joe Biden; and we continue with charges made by the Justice Department against Donald Trump in the document case one day after their “sweetheart plea deal” with Hunter Biden fell through. After a long period of silence, the international press and also America’s mainstream media have begun to notice the real danger Joe Biden finds himself in. The possibility of and the problems with impeachment are being raised, and so is the perception that America is doomed—no matter who wins the next presidential election.

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Is America Doomed? The Biden and Trump Scandals!”

We speak on the attempts of the Biden government to censor free speech and the shocking revelation that most Democrats support such measures which will inadvertently lead to autocratic dictatorship; and we address new developments regarding the Temple Mount.

We report on Ukraine’s decision to move “Christmas” from January 7 to December 25; Putin’s meeting with African leaders regarding military cooperation and the Ukraine war; and Russia’s response to Ukraine’s drone attacks on Moscow.

We publish an opinion stating that and why America could not win an overseas war; and address Germany’s desire and incentives for women to join the military.

We conclude with real dangers of electric cars and e-bikes; and the discovery of a huge supply of water UNDER the earth’s crust.

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

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More Evidence Against President Joe Biden?

The Daily Mail wrote on July 31:

“Hunter Biden’s business partner Devon Archer told Congress in bombshell testimony the ‘Biden brand’ helped Ukrainian firm Burisma from going bankrupt and revealed Joe was on the phone at least 20 times while his son was talking with foreign associates. Republicans claim Archer’s testimony added to mounting evidence that the then-Vice President was involved in Hunter’s overseas deals that raked in millions from nations including China and Romania.  Democrats claimed the phone calls were innocent and did not involve business. 

“Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., confirmed Archer told the House Oversight Committee that Joe had been on speakerphone multiple times while his son was talking with business partners – but insisted they were talking about ‘niceties’ such as the weather

“Oversight member Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene told DailyMail.com in an interview Archer testified that ‘the Bidens were in the actual business of influence peddling’… claiming that the 20 phone conversations Archer referred to were directly about business deals

“But Archer is facing legal troubles of his own and is expected to go to prison shortly. He was sentenced to one year and a day in prison in February 2022 for defrauding a Native American tribal entity and various investment advisory clients of tens of millions of dollars, in connection with the issuance of $60 million in bonds…

“Archer, 48, and Hunter both graduated from Yale and were friends for decades. Hunter has reportedly described Devon as his ‘best friend in business.’…

“Archer testified that Burisma executive Vadym Pozharskyi [and] owner Nikola Zlochevsky put ‘constant pressure’ on Hunter in 2015 to get his father to fire prosecutor Viktor Shokin, who was investigating Burisma… In March 2016, Joe Biden threatened to withhold $1 billion in aid to Ukraine if Shokin was not fired for corruption…”

Shortly thereafter, Shokin was fired. The pieces of the puzzle are falling into place.

More Criminal Charges Against Trump

Fox News wrote on August 1:

“Fox News correspondent David Spunt reported… that Trump had been indicted on four counts: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights.

“[Professor] Turley [explained] that special counsel Jack Smith might be ‘yielding to his weakness’ with the indictment. ‘[Smith] may be stretching the law a bit… Jack Smith has a reputation for stretching criminal statutes beyond the breaking point. He went after [former Virginia Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell] and secured a conviction there. He was unanimously overturned because he just stretched the law too far.’…

“Host Jesse Watters… expressed incredulity that it appears to relitigate claims of election fraud in 2020 in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada and Michigan. Watters quipped that Democrats might not want to go back down the road of defending the ‘integrity’ of the election system in Philadelphia…

“Trump has repeatedly claimed Pence had the authority to send the elector slates back to the state legislatures under the Electoral Count Act of 1887… [Former New York federal prosecutor Andy] McCarthy… suggested that no matter how ‘frivolous,’ such machinations, [they] are likely protected speech… ‘it was something that [Trump] was allowed to rely on’…”

Real Clear Politics wrote on August 1:

“[Professor] Jonathan Turley on Tuesday told FOX News host Sean Hannity that… ‘This is a free speech killing indictment. There’s no way around it. I write a great deal in academia in the free-speech area and I [have] rarely seen a more chilling filing by the Department of Justice…  And I have to tell you, this indictment is really [a] sad moment for me… It basically just says that we think Trump is lying that he actually didn’t believe this. I can’t tell you how faciously ridiculous this claim is…’”

Breitbart wrote on August 1:

“Turley said Special Counsel Jack Smith’s indictment of 2024 Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump ‘basically just accuses him of disinformation. This is a disinformation indictment’ and charges “many” things that are protected by the First Amendment…’”

CNBC wrote on August 1:

“An attorney who is representing former President Donald Trump in his latest federal criminal indictment vowed to use the charges to ‘re-litigate every single issue in the 2020 election in the context of this litigation.’ The case gives Trump ‘an opportunity that he has never had before, which is to have subpoena power since January 6 in a way that can be exercised in federal court,’ attorney John Lauro said in a Fox News interview.”

In the 45-page indictment, it was alleged about 50 times regarding election fraud that Trump made false statements which he knew were false. With these accusations, Jack Smith has opened up a Pandora’s box as Trump will undoubtedly try to litigate or relitigate the question on the merits whether his statements regarding a “rigged election” were false and whether he knew that they were false. The underlying question is also whether a person can even be criminally prosecuted for conduct while in the office of the Presidency, and whether his statements are constitutionally protected as free speech and therefore immune from criminal prosecution. In addition, note the next article.

npr wrote on August 1:

“… one count of conspiracy against rights refers to Trump and his co-conspirators alleged attempts to ‘oppress, threaten and intimidate’ people in their right to vote in an election. The charge of ‘conspiracy against rights’ goes back to the Civil War era. It was passed after the Civil War as a way to stop members of the Ku Klux Klan and other similar organizations from intimidating, harassing and outright terrorizing Black voters especially in the South. This law was part of the Enforcement Act, passed between 1868 and 1870…”

As can be clearly seen, this law does not remotely apply to Trump’s alleged conduct.

The article continued:

“The case [against Trump] has been assigned to Judge Tanya S. Chutkan [who] stood out for her tough punishment [and “the hardest line against Jan. 6 defendants of any judge serving on Washington’s federal trial court”] for Jan. 6 rioters. In at least seven cases… Chutkan imposed harsher penalties than what federal prosecutors sought for those rioters.”

Chutkan was nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama.

Reactions from Republicans

Breitbart wrote on August 1:

“Republican officials blasted the Justice Department’s January 6 probe and the fresh indictment of former President Donald Trump, expressing support for Trump in the face of ‘serial election interference.’… Republican members slammed Smith’s ‘political witch hunt’ targeting ‘every one of his supporters.’

“House Republican Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) released a statement on ‘the disgraceful non-stop witch hunt by Biden’s corrupt DOJ against President Trump,’ calling Tuesday ‘yet another dark day in America’ as Biden continues to ‘weaponize’ his ‘corrupt’ Justice Department against his leading political opponent:  ‘Less than 24 hours ago, Congress heard testimony from Hunter Biden’s longtime business partner that Joe Biden joined Hunter‘s business calls over 20 times. This directly contradicts Biden’s lie that he never discussed business with his son. Today’s sham indictment of Donald Trump is yet another desperate attempt to distract attention away from the mounting evidence of Joe Biden‘s direct involvement in his family’s illegal influence peddling scheme — one of the greatest political corruption scandals in history.’

“According to Stefanik, Trump ‘had every right under the First Amendment to correctly raise concerns about election integrity in 2020.’…

“House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) highlighted how people have recently been informed that Hunter Biden ‘received money from China (contradicting President Biden’s claim),’ that Biden ‘spoke with Hunter’s business associates over 20 times (contradicting what Biden previously claimed),’ and that Biden’s DOJ ‘tried to secretly give Hunter broad immunity and admitted the sweetheart deal was unprecedented.’… he charged that ‘Everyone in America could see what was going to come next: DOJ’s attempt to distract from the news and attack the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, President Trump.’…

“‘Let’s be clear about what’s happening: Biden’s DOJ is cutting sweetheart deals for Hunter to cover for the Biden Family’s influence peddling schemes while at the same time trying to persecute his leading political opponent,’ wrote House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) as he deemed it ‘an outrageous abuse of power.’…

“‘When you drain The Swamp, The Swamp fights back,’ wrote House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH). ‘President Trump did nothing wrong!’…

“‘It’s not shocking that every time the Biden crime family has evidence surface (FD-1023), or a congressional hearing that exposes further corruption and abuses of power, that the weaponized DoJ indicts his top political opponent (Pres. Trump),’ wrote Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL)…

“‘Democrats would rather destroy America than see Donald Trump in the White House again,’ wrote Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN)…”

And many more voiced their disgust with Smith’s indictment. Also, Fox News wrote on August 1:

“Reacting to the charges, a Trump campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital [that] ‘the lawlessness of these persecutions of President Trump and his supporters is reminiscent of Nazi Germany in the 1930s, the former Soviet Union, and other authoritarian, dictatorial regimes.’”

Where is America heading?

More Charges Against Trump in the Document Case

Breitbart wrote on July 27:

“Special Counsel Jack Smith on Thursday (one day after Hinter Biden’s “sweetheart plea deal” fell apart) brought new charges against former President Donald Trump in the Mar-a-Lago White House documents case. Smith charged Trump with one count of willful retention of national defense documents and two counts of obstruction. Trump’s valet, Walt Nauta, who was previously charged in the first indictment, also received two new obstruction-related charges.

“The superseding indictment also charged Carlos De Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s head of maintenance, with altering, destroying, mutilating, or concealing a document, making false statements, and conspiracy to obstruct justice…

“With the additional charges, Trump is now facing 40 counts in the criminal case.

“Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung blasted the U.S. Department of Justice for the new charges, calling it a ‘continued desperate and flailing attempt by the Biden Crime Family and their Department of Justice to harass President Trump and those around him… Deranged Jack Smith knows that they have no case and is casting about for any way to salvage their illegal witch hunt and to get someone other than Donald Trump to run against Crooked Joe Biden…’

“Judge Aileen Cannon set a trial in this case for next May, just months before the 2024 presidential election.”

In a related article, Breitbart wrote on July 27:

“‘This is harassment. This is election interference,’ Trump said when asked to respond to the superseding indictment and additional charges. ‘I’m protected by the Presidential Records Act totally. It shouldn’t even be a case. It’s not a criminal case. Where’s Biden with all the documents? He’s got 20 times, 30 times the documents I have, and he has not made it easy for them either. He has been hiding boxes. They’re sending boxes to Chinatown… and yet China is paying them millions of dollars. You explain that one. You don’t even hear about it. All you hear about is Trump. No, this is a two-tier system of injustice. That’s what we have. We have a sick country… We have a failing nation and it’s a very sad thing to watch.’…

“Trump also told Breitbart News that if elected president again—he is currently the leading GOP candidate for the White House—he would fire Smith. Trump also cited failed cases Smith’s office has brought against other politicians from both political parties… ‘He’s destroyed a lot of lives… He went after Christians… What he’s done is just horrible. The abuse of power—it is prosecutorial misconduct.’…

“Trump said he thinks history will remember this all as an ‘embarrassment’ for Democrats and for the nation… Trump said he believes the public sees it his way, which is why he says his poll numbers keep rising—in both the primary and the general…”

Trump denied all charges and said he will continue to run, even if he were convicted and sentenced. Questions were raised in the media whether he could pardon himself once he was elected President—a question not addressed in the Constitution. It was also pointed out that if he were to do so, it would be very difficult to challenge this, because, for one reason, who would even have standing to do so in a Court of Law?

GOP Members Outraged by Biden’s “Justice” Department

The New York Post wrote on July 28:

“The three new charges stacked against Donald Trump have left members of the GOP enraged over the timing a day after Hunter Biden’s probation-only plea deal fell apart. ‘It’s so brazen right now, what they’re doing,’ Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) told Fox News… ‘It is really a subversion of the rule of law…’

“Hawley said the Department of Justice has begun ‘charging random people’… hinting that the new charges were meant to take attention off the first son. ‘Is it any coincidence that the DOJ rushes to add these new indictments today, after the Hunter debacle…

“The president’s son pleaded not guilty to federal tax and gun charges following the bombshell ruling by the judge, opening the door for the possibility of additional charges in the future — such as for allegedly working as an unregistered foreign agent.

“Hunter Biden admitted during the hearing he had received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Chinese Communist Party-backed companycontradicting President Biden’s claims that his family never ‘made money from China.’

“Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called the charges brought forth by the Democrats ‘a disgrace’… ‘I think Merrick Garland should be impeached and removed from office for allowing the Department of Justice to be turned into a partisan hammer to attack the political enemies of the White House,’ Cruz said of the attorney general…

“Fellow Republican lawmakers have also begun ringing the bell that the indictment is being used as a distraction to benefit the Biden family. ‘The American people understand that Joe Biden and his administration are engulfed in one of the biggest political corruption scandals of all time,’ wrote House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) in a statement shared on Twitter. ‘It is no coincidence that the day after a federal judge throws out Hunter Biden’s corrupt, sweetheart plea bargain, Biden’s weaponized [Department of Justice] continues its witch hunt against President Trump,’ she added. ‘Our Republic is in peril, our justice system is broken.’…”

The Justice Department’s blatant witch hunt against Donald Trump and the appalling protection of Joe Biden are continuing…

What is particularly shocking about the Hunter Biden sweetheart plea deal is that the prosecution and the defense attorneys reportedly tried to hide the immunity clause in an attachment (dealing with the gun charge), which was allegedly given to the judge on the day of the hearing (not before) with the apparent hope that the judge would not even read it and sign off on the deal.

It will remain to be seen whether the judge who has given the parties leave to amend the documents, will ultimately sign off on them, as some scholars have already suggested that she would.  Some have even expressed their fear that the immunity clause will be removed from the written documentation, but a secret verbal understanding between the prosecution and Hunter Biden’s attorneys will be reached to the effect that no further charges against Hunter will be brought, while claiming that investigations are ongoing so that Congress would have no access to uncovered information pending investigation.

This is almost too bizarre to contemplate, but with the existing corrupt Justice Department, even the unbelievable becomes believable.

Great Britain Takes Note of the Biden Scandal

The Daily Mail wrote on July 28:

“This was the week Joe Biden’s ‘s rotten House Of Cards began teetering on the brink of collapse. While Netflix’s fictional U.S. President Kevin Spacey was found not guilty of sex charges by a jury in London, in another courtroom 3,500 miles away the web of lies and secrecy around alleged corruption in the Biden family was unravelling spectacularly…

“A judge in Delaware threw out a disgraceful sweetheart deal which would have seen Biden’s degenerate son Hunter walking free after pleading guilty to tax evasion, gun and drug charges, which would normally have led to serious jail time. Judge Maryellen Noreika refused to rubber-stamp an incredibly lenient plea bargain agreement stitched up between Hunter’s lawyers and the prosecution. It would have given Hunter not just a virtually free pass on past and present crimes but would have granted him immunity against any future charges he might face. After the judge ripped up the deal, Hunter was forced to enter not guilty pleas on two counts to which he had pleaded guilty to minutes earlier. He now faces further investigation into alleged crimes which may well implicate his father.

“On Monday, Hunter’s former best friend and business partner Devon Archer is due to tell a Congressional committee that both Hunter and Joe Biden accepted bribes of $5 million each from a Ukrainian businessman. He is also expected to testify that despite previous repeated denials, the President was involved in his son’s business dealings. Archer says he was present when Joe Biden took part in not one but 24 separate telephone conference calls with Hunter’s foreign clients.

“That’s if Archer actually turns up and isn’t found floating face down in Washington’s Potomac River. Last night he was reported to have gone into hiding, after friends said he had received unspecified ‘threats’ against both himself and his family.

“For once, America’s mainstream media hasn’t been able to swerve the mounting evidence against the Bidens. On Wednesday all three major national TV networks led their nightly news bulletins with reports on the sensational decision by the judge to throw out Hunter’s sweetheart deal. Until now, Joe Biden has enjoyed fawning coverage from NBC, ABC and CBS, along with backing from 95 per cent of America’s big city newspapers. Negative stories have been studiously ignored…

“Peter Baker, who covers the White House for the Democrat-supporting New York Times, admitted it would be difficult for Joe Biden to continue defending his son on the grounds of Hunter’s well-documented ‘battle’ against drug addiction… And tellingly, Baker added: ‘For President Biden, it’s not just about his wayward son but whether he himself had something to do with his wayward son’s business dealings.’ Joe Biden has always maintained he has never even discussed business with Hunter. That changed subtly this week when the White House said he had never been in business… with him…

“Yet if half of what is being alleged about Joe Biden is true, Clinton’s ‘I did not have sex with that woman, Miss Lewinsky’ is at worst a little white lie which pales into insignificance alongside allegations of multi-million-dollar influence peddling. The claim that both Bidens received $5 million each in bribes from a Ukrainian businessman is supported by a recently released document detailing sworn evidence from a source described as an FBI ‘trusted confidential informant’…

“[Hunter’s] laptop hard drive contained a mine of explosive and potentially incriminating material [including] an email from Hunter to his sister complaining that he had to give half his income to his father…

“[Press spokeswoman] Karine Jean-Pierre… refused to answer questions from the Washington Press Corps on the preposterous grounds that Hunter is a ‘private person’ who is trying to ‘rebuild his life’ following drug addiction… As for the notion that Hunter is a private person, how come he was driven to court in a six-vehicle secret service motorcade? If he’s a private person, what is he doing at official functions at the White House, where he appears to live half the time? Why is he flying to Camp David on Marine One… or swanning round the world on Air Force One, accompanying his dad on state visits?…

“Biden’s apologists say he is only trying to protect his son. But, as former Republican speaker Newt Gingrich said this week, President Biden is really trying to protect himself… Even the mainstream media, which has protected Biden for years, appear to be withdrawing their love right now…”

Calls for an impeachment inquiry and impeachment have been growing. Bribery is one of the two offenses specifically mentioned by the Constitution as grounds for impeachment, along with treason. But will it reach that point? Note the next articles.

A Doomed President?

1945 wrote on July 28:

“Those who are concerned that former President Donald J. Trump’s alleged crimes will dissuade independent voters from supporting Trump in the General Election will now have to contend with the fact that President Biden will be under the same—if not more—legal scrutiny than Trump if Biden remains the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee in 2024. 

“Already, President Biden is one of the most unpopular men to have ever run for reelection in modern political history. He’s got slightly less unpopularity than what Trump has. But the presence of this corruption scandal hanging over his head, as well as the likelihood that the Republicans impeach the forty-sixth president, means that his chances for reelection have just declined drastically—and Trump’s chances have increased. 

“This is a nightmare scenario for the Democrats, who now find themselves having to support Biden no matter what or replace him with a far less effective candidate, such as Vice-President Kamala Harris.  Or with a more effective candidate, like California’s Governor Gavin Newsom, who will have difficulty proving to independent voters that they should vote for the obviously unstable Democratic Party in 2024, should the DNC kick both its presidential and vice-presidential candidates to the curb.”

What are the Republicans waiting for in regard to an impeachment inquiry or impeachment? While the Democrats impeached Trump twice with much less “evidence,” Republicans don’t seem to be willing to impeach Biden, while the evidence of his misconduct is mounting. The next article might explain as to why the reluctance.

Impeaching Biden?

1945 wrote on July 28:

“Former Speaker Newt Gingrich has a warning for Republicans on a Joe Biden Impeachment: You will get President Kamala Harris if you impeach Joe Biden and remove him from office… ‘The only short-term consequence of a successful impeachment is Kamala Harris , and Kamala would be such a total disaster for the country that Biden’s corruption is probably preferable to her incompetence,’ Gingrich said…

“The chances of removing Biden in the event he is impeached is slim and none because it takes 67 senators to remove a president from office. Donald Trump’s second impeachment marked the first time a majority of senators voted to remove the then former president. Fifty-seven senators voted to remove and disqualify Trump, falling 10 votes short…

“The precedent set during the Trump impeachments has transformed impeachment into something akin to a vote of no confidence, as exists in parliamentary democracies. Impeaching Biden would expose politically damaging information during the 2024 political campaign and could take the political sting off of the Trump prosecutions. It would then be up to the voters to decide which candidate is the lesser of two evils.”

From that last standpoint, impeachment procedures against Biden would make a lot of sense.

Doomed Either Way–Neither Trump Nor Biden?

The Washington Examiner wrote on July 29:

“A new poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports confirmed what many voters say to each other: we’re doomed. The interesting twist on this survey is that the answer is more indicative of the country’s political tribalism than any particular candidate’s character or platform.

“82% of the country thinks we are doomed if President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump is reelected president in 2024. This breaks down to 40% of ‘likely U.S. voters’ agreeing that the country is doomed unless Biden is elected. Conversely, 42% of voters felt that Trump must win in 2024 or ‘the United States is doomed.’…

69% of liberals agreed in some form with the ‘Biden-or-doom’ attitude regarding the 2024 presidential election. Comparatively, 63% of conservative voters supported the ‘Trump-or-doom scenario.’… only 24% of voters ‘strongly disagree’ with both the Biden-or-doom and Trump-or-doom statements…

“The poll reveals what many people in the country already knew: we are a country divided…”

A division which will NOT be cured.

How Biden “Forced” Censorship of Free Speech

Fox News wrote on July 28:

“The Biden administration is facing intense scrutiny after Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, revealed a ‘smoking gun’ Thursday indicating alleged collusion between the White House and Facebook to censor Americans. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey argued the documents obtained by the House Judiciary Committee show the Biden administration pushed Big Tech beyond its own censorship bounds… ‘We knew that Joe Biden had coerced and colluded with Big Tech social media to silence American voices in violation of the First Amendment right to free speech,’ Bailey [said]. ‘And what this shows is that not only did he coerce and collude with Big Tech social media, but he actually pushed them further than their own internal censorship policies…’

“Earlier this month a judge blocked key Biden agencies and departments from communicating with social media companies to avoid potential First Amendment violations in the Missouri v. Biden ruling… ‘We can’t let Joe Biden destroy free speech in America,’ Bailey continued. 

“‘Never-before-released internal documents subpoenaed by the Judiciary Committee PROVE that Facebook and Instagram censored posts and changed their content moderation policies because of unconstitutional pressure from the Biden White House,’ Jordan wrote Thursday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. ‘During the first half of 2021, social media companies like Facebook faced tremendous pressure from the Biden White House—both publicly and privately—to crack down on alleged “misinformation”… In April 2021, a Facebook employee circulated an email for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg, writing: “We are facing continued pressure from external stakeholders, including the [Biden] White House’ to remove posts.”

“‘They didn’t actually care whether things was true or false to censor it. They just censored it. So, for instance, if you said that you had a pretty good immunity after COVID recovery, well, you could get censored. If you said that people could get vaccine injured [sic] you were censored,’ Dr. Jay Bhattacharya of Stanford Medical said Friday. Last year’s ‘Twitter Files’ revealed that Bhattacharya was allegedly on the platform’s ‘blacklist’ because he ‘argued that COVID lockdowns would harm children,’ according to information revealed by reporter Bari Weiss. ‘You could even get censored for saying true things,’ Bhattacharya continued. ‘For instance, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was paused by the CDC. When the White House posted that on its Facebook page, it got censored. It got censored by its own censorship regime that it created. It’s ironic and tragic that the White House violated the rights of American people for nothing.’

“But Jordan said Facebook knew what it was doing when it was succumbing to the administration’s demands in order to maintain a ‘cozy’ relationship… ‘One of those Facebook executives said “this is a significant incursion into the boundaries of free expression.” That is a fancy way of saying this violates the First Amendment…’

“Bhattacharya echoed Jordan’s sentiment, arguing the White House infringed on Americans’ free speech rights, but also ‘harmed public health’ in the process…”

So much more has been revealed in the meantime, including Biden’s pressure on Facebook [now called Meta] to delete footage from Tucker Carlson’s Fox News program (see The Wall Street Journal, dated July 28). In light of this evil development of governmental suppression of free speech— including true statements—, the next article is really shocking.

Most Democrats Support Suppression of Free Speech

The Ron Paul Institute republished the following article by Professor Turley on July 27:

“[A new] Pew found that ‘Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are much more likely than Republicans and Republican leaners to support the US government taking steps to restrict false information online (70% vs. 39%).’

“I was raised in a politically active Democratic family in Chicago. Free speech was viewed as one of the defining values of the party and championed across campuses in the country. That changed dramatically in the course of the last ten years as many liberal politicians and professors called for opposing voices to be banned or canceled. I no longer recognize the party as it pushes for censorship and speech regulation

“What is particularly chilling is that this poll is occurring after the disclosure of biased censorship efforts by the government and corporations, including the suppression of views that were later found to be legitimate. That includes the banning or cancelling of scientists who raised concerns over Covid-19 that are now considered valid from the lab theory to the efficacy of masks to natural immunities. It also includes the suppression of political stories like the Hunter Biden laptop.

“The growing support for censorship may reflect the echo chambered media environment… President Biden even charged that companies who refused to censor opposing views on social media were ‘killing people’… former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich has declared free speech is ‘tyranny.’  Many journalists have joined politicians and professors in decrying the dangers of free speech…

“The result left free speech values in free fall in our country… The European crackdown on free speech has now reached our shores and there are a growing number of citizens calling on the government to limit their right to free expression. It is a form of constitutional immolation by citizens who have never known true authoritarian government.

“The Pew poll shows how dire this struggle has become… This is a crisis of faith that we cannot ignore. Justice Louis Brandeis once warned that ‘The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.’”

Another proof that America is descending into authoritarian dictatorship, following Canada’s horrific example.

Robert F Kennedy Jr. Vice-President Under Trump?

Newsweek wrote on August 1:

“Steve Bannon has joined a growing number of conservatives who have suggested that a 2024 presidential ticket with Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could find success with voters.

“Bannon, a one-time senior adviser to Trump, discussed the possibility during Sunday’s episode of his War Room podcast. Though he noted the chances of Kennedy, a Democrat, running with the Republican former president would be a ‘long shot,’ Bannon said the pairing could win in a ‘massive landslide.’

“Kennedy… has found favor with many conservatives. Federal Election Commission filings show he has received large contributions for his presidential campaign from donors who typically give to GOP candidates.

“But some prominent right-wing figures would prefer that Kennedy join forces with Trump rather than running his own campaign for the White House. Roger Stone, another former adviser to the ex-president, has suggested Kennedy should receive a top administration role if Trump wins the White House in 2024. Last week, Stone dedicated an episode of his show on the video platform Rumble to the possibility of Kennedy running as Trump’s VP.

“Numerous social media users have also endorsed a Trump/Kennedy ticket in recent days… Trump himself has also spoken well of Kennedy, saying… that he thinks the Democrat is a ‘very smart person.’”

Adverse Effects From Covid Vaccinations Seriously Underreported

Rebel News reported on July 25:

“The senior Health Canada official [Dr. Celia Lourenco] who approved which COVID vaccines Canadians could take is admitting their surveillance of ‘adverse events’ — caused by the jab — fell short…

“Parliament imposed a vaccine mandate on the public service and federally regulated sectors in October 2021 and abandoned it last June.

“Lourenco ascertains that underreporting adverse effects caused by COVID vaccines is a ‘well-known fact’ because healthcare providers and patients may not report or even be aware of the events.

“… litigator Bernard Desgagné… claimed this degree of underreporting could have caused millions of deaths south of the border… A health department spokesperson told the publication that ‘most pre-pandemic studies about this topic estimate adverse drug reactions under-reporting rates of 90% or higher.’…

“As of writing, the federal government has paid nearly $6.7 million in damages to Canadians caused by COVID vaccine injuries… As of November 2022, Canada administered 93 million COVID doses to residents.”

This is SO irresponsible!

Visiting the Temple Mount? Not Allowed!

The Times of Israel wrote on July 27:

“Far-right National Security Itamar Ben Gvir visited the flashpoint Temple Mount site Thursday for Tisha B’Av, a Jewish day of national mourning, prompting anger from Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and the Hamas terror group as well as a rebuke from Washington.

“It was Ben Gvir’s third visit to the site while serving as a cabinet minister. Each visit has prompted a furious reaction from the Arab world.

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry warned that alleged unilateral measures by Israel at the site and violations of the status quo ‘threaten to escalate the situation into more rounds of violence.’ ‘We warn against the dangerous consequences of allowing the extremists to reach the mount and allow them to carry out provocations,’ the ministry added.

“In a statement following Ben Gvir’s visit, the US Embassy in Israel said it ‘stands firmly’ for preserving the status quo and the site, adding that ‘any unilateral action or rhetoric that jeopardizes the status quo is unacceptable.’

“The Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Ministry charged Ben Gvir’s visit was part of ‘an official Israeli cover for the ongoing invasions and the plans to Judaize the Al-Aqsa Mosque and to impose forced changes on the existing historical and legal reality, as an inseparable part of the Judaization of Jerusalem.’

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qasem called the visit a ‘dangerous escalation’ and a ‘provocation’ to the Palestinian people, vowing that they would not allow Israel to carry out its alleged ‘plans’ at the site. ‘Our people will defend the identity of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and protect its Islamic and Arab character at all costs, because Al-Aqsa has always been the trigger for revolutions and rebellions,’ the statement read.

“The Saudi Foreign Ministry also condemned Ben Gvir’s visit to the site, calling it a ‘flagrant violation of all international norms and agreements’ as well as a ‘provocation to all Muslims around the world.’…

“Observant Jews fast the entirety of the day in mourning of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE, and then of its replacement in 70 CE. A major reason for the catastrophes cited in tradition is the division and hatred between different groups in Jewish society. The two temples were located at the flashpoint site…

“[Negev and the Galilee Development Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf, a member of Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit party] tweeted his hope for the ‘redemption’ of the Jewish people and ‘the building of the [Third] Temple soon in our days, amen.’…

“Last week, Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef accused Ben Gvir of ‘sinning and causing others to sin’ by visiting the Temple Mount. Yosef said Ben Gvir has defied multiple rabbinical rulings stating that Jewish Orthodox law forbids Jews to enter the Temple Mount, citing principles detailed in halacha, Jewish Orthodox law, about preserving the purity of the site, considered the holiest in Judaism.

“Ben Gvir defended the visits in response, saying that he was following the advice of his own rabbis, who said it was a ‘mitzvah’ — the Hebrew word for duty or commandment — to visit the site.”

A third temple will be built, but the contentions among Jews regarding this issue are quite telling.

Ukraine Moves Christmas to December 25

Evening Standard wrote on July 29:

“Ukraine has moved its official Christmas Day state holiday from January 7 to December 25 in a snub to Russia. President… Zelensky said the parliamentary bill would help Ukraine ‘abandon the Russian heritage of imposing Christmas celebrations’…

“Ukraine’s largest Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has long-standing historic ties to Moscow, has previously celebrated the holidays according to the Julian calendar used by Russia.”

Neither January 7 nor December 25 marks the birthday of Jesus. He was clearly not born at that time. But more importantly, nowhere does the Bible tell us that we ought to celebrate Christ’s birthday.

Russia and Africa

Tag24 News wrote on July 29:

“Russia has signed agreements for military cooperation with over 40 African countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Friday in St. Petersburg… Putin stated that African states received a wide range of weapons and technology, some for free ‘with the aim of enhancing the security and sovereignty of the countries’…

“Putin reiterated that Russia would continue to be a reliable supplier of grain to the continent’s countries. The pledge came after Russia ended a deal that allowed Ukrainian grain to be exported through the Black Sea. Ukraine is a major supplier of grain to Africa.

“The chairman of the African Union said in his closing address at the summit that Putin’s proposals to provide grain were insufficient. ‘Yes, this is important, but it may not be quite enough. We need to achieve a ceasefire,’ Azali Assoumani said. ‘President Putin has shown us that he is ready to engage in dialogue and find a solution,’ he added. ‘Now we need to convince the other side.’”

Russia Threatens Ukraine With Nuclear Weapons

The Daily Mail wrote on July 30:

“The Kremlin today bluntly threatened use of nuclear weapons in the wake of the Ukrainian drone strike on Moscow’s skyscraper zone. Three drones struck an elite office building and residential skyscraper in Moscow early Sunday morning in what Russia’s Defence Ministry has branded an ‘attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime’.

“Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and Putin ally, has warned there is ‘simply no other way out’ and said that Kyiv should ‘pray to our warriors’ that they do not ‘allow the global nuclear fire to flare up’.

“Moscow said it had brought down three Ukrainian drones early on Sunday that had been trying to attack the capital. (Moscow claimed it injured one person and prompted a temporary airport closure). It also claimed its forces had thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to attack Russia-annexed Crimea with 25 drones overnight.

“Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, has been targeted by Kyiv throughout Moscow’s Ukraine offensive but has come under more intense, increased attacks in recent weeks. Kyiv has repeatedly said it plans to take Crimea back.”

The US Cannot Establish Air Superiority

On July 29, the Ron Paul Institute republished the following article by William Schryver;

“I have long asserted, and I continue to be convinced, that the US could NOT establish air superiority against Russia, China, nor even Iran — not in a week; not in a year. Never. It simply could not be done. American air power would prove substantially inferior to the extremely potent and abundantly supplied air defenses arrayed against it in any of those three countries. American suppression of enemy air defenses would prove woefully inadequate to the task… US air power as a theater-wide undertaking could not be sustained in the context of a non-permissive regional and global battlefield.

“In a high-intensity combat scenario in either eastern Europe, the China seas, or the Persian Gulf, the maintenance requirements for US aircraft could not be met… The US would, quite literally after only a few days, see sub-10% mission-capable rates for the F-22 and F-35, and sub-25% rates for almost every other platform in the inventory…  US supply lines would be severely attrited on both a regional and a global scale.

“Russian and Chinese submarines and long-range anti-ship missile systems would wreak havoc on US seaborne logistics… The US could not fight an overseas war in a non-permissive environment against a peer adversary. It doesn’t have the means, let alone the experience and competence, to do so…”

Of course, the real and unappreciated danger is overlooked; and that is the coming prophesied war between Europe and the USA. But, applying the statements about the USA above to a war with Europe, they are frighteningly accurate.

More Women in the Germany Army!

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 30:

Germany wants you for the armed forces — especially if you’re a woman. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Cabinet adopted a series of measures this week to boost equal opportunity in the military… The Bundeswehr needs people to fill its ranks, as part of Germany’s efforts to bolster its military capabilities in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine…

“As the government sees it, putting more women in uniform ‘makes a contribution’ to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development…

“… the improved provisions… follow up efforts elsewhere in the bureaucracy and private sector. Some political parties, for example, require a 50-50 split of candidates running for office. The Bundestag, Germany’s parliament, has strengthened laws to get more women into leadership positions in companies…

“When West Germany’s military was founded in 1955, women were barred from service. That would not change until 1975 — and only then limited to the medical corps. Even after all military roles were open to women, in 2001, the medical corps remained the area with the highest female contingent.

“The story was different in [East Germany]. The country’s socialist character took pride in equal opportunity for men and women. Its armed forces were founded in 1956 and allowed full participation. The big difference: men were drafted, whereas women could volunteer. Those who did mainly fulfilled medical and administrative tasks…

“The Bundeswehr’s push for more women is not only a matter of equal opportunity. It dovetails with new demand for all-around improvements to Germany’s military capabilities.

“The military has the added burden of needing to attract young people [wanting a] high degree of flexible and individual freedom in working life… Those expectations are generally at odds with a military’s rigid hierarchy and command structure. This week’s adoption of stricter equal opportunity standards helps fulfill part of the Bundeswehr’s strategy to expand recruitment.

“Another challenge the military shares with the private sector: workplace safety, especially for women. Sexual harassment lingers in the ranks. The Bundeswehr saw nearly 850 cases between 2018-2020…”

When becoming a part of the military, you are becoming a slave of the military. Paul said we should not voluntarily become slaves of men (1 Corinthians 7:23).

Germany is willing to become the strongest military in Europe—no matter what the challenges and costs. In Revelation 9:8, the coming European army is described as having “hair like women’s hair.”

The Real Dangers With Electric Cars and Bikes

The Sun published the following article by Jeremy Clarkson on July 29:

“For years I’ve told people until I’m blue in the face that electric cars don’t have enough range, that they take far too long to charge up, that they will always be too expensive and that they aren’t even very ­environmental. Happily, people are now starting to listen, so it’s time to move the argument along a bit with this:  Electric cars are also… dangerous.

“As I write, a massive ship is on fire off the Dutch coast and one person has died. No one knows for sure what caused it, but it was carrying 25 electric cars, and experts say it’s likely that one of them had a faulty battery pack.

“Earlier this month, much the same thing happened on an Italian car transporter in the port of Newark, New Jersey.  Two firefighters were killed putting that out.

“And then there was the Felicity Ace, which was carrying cars powered by lithium-ion batteries when it caught fire in the Atlantic Ocean and sank.

“In total, there have been ten major fires on ships carrying electric cars in the past 20 years… in the last five years, the emergency services have been called out to 753 electric vehicle fires in the UK alone.

“Last weekend the World Rallycross Championship at Lydden Hill in Kent had to be abandoned when a faulty battery pack destroyed the pits and burned out two Lancia Delta Evo E racing cars.

“And it’s not just cars. A safety charity announced this week that e-bikes have caused hundreds of catastrophic house fires.

“People have died, and that’s not surprising when you learn that a fully charged e-bike contains the same explosive energy as six hand grenades. And to make matters worse, fires in electric bikes and cars are often very difficult to extinguish.

“The electrical car that Richard Hammond rolled down a hill while filming for the Grand Tour burned for days. And then, after the fire had died down, something in the battery pack called ‘thermal runaway’ caused it to rear back up again. And this went on for weeks.

“The fact is this. It’s only a matter of time before an electric car bursts into flames on a cross-Channel ferry or in the Chunnel. Or in an underground car park…”

Bild Online asked 10 carmakers about the danger of electric cars. Not surprisingly, some responded by denying any danger, limiting their response however strictly to THEIR products, while other companies refused to answer.

Massive “Ocean” Under the Earth’s Crust

On the website of Indy100, we read the following:

“… there’s a massive ocean hidden under the Earth’s crust… there’s a huge supply of water 400 miles underground stored in rock known as ‘ringwoodite’… Scientists made the findings at the time after studying earthquakes and discovering that seismometers were picking up shockwaves under the surface of the Earth.

“From that, they were able to establish that the water was being held in the rock known as ringwoodite… If the rock contained just 1 per cent water, it would mean that there is three times more water under the surface of the Earth than there is in the oceans on the surface.”

God tells us that He will water the dry land (Isaiah 35:6-7; 44:3-4)—not necessarily with salt water from the oceans on the surface. We also read that at Noah’s time, “the fountains of the great deep were broken up” (Genesis 7:11), and that at the end of the Flood, “the fountains of the deep… were… stopped” (Genesis 8:2).

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

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How do you understand Paul’s statement that our children are holy? And what are the practical consequences? (Part 3)

In the previous two Q&As, we discussed the fact that children of at least one converted parent are “sanctified” or “holy” in God’s eyes, which means that they can have a special and intimate relationship with God; that they CAN speak to God, expecting to be heard, and that they can experience and obtain an answer from God. We pointed out that they are not cut off from God the Father, but that they must make the decision of wanting to have continuing contact with God, by not neglecting or forsaking the Way of God.

We also discussed the blessing of little children and the fact that God assigns guardian angels to them for their protection, so that they can reach their potential of becoming baptized and ultimately born-again members in the God Family. We also showed that it is eventually the decision of the child or teenager or young adult as to how to conduct his or her Way of Life and whether or not to maintain a relationship with God.

Still, as we alluded to in the previous two Q&As, the teaching and conduct of parents can have great influence on the decision of the children to either become and stay loyal to God or to reject Him. In regard to Sabbath observance, we pointed out that “those children who are being taught and raised by their converted parents must come to the point where they prove for themselves that what they are being taught is true. They might have developed a ‘habit,’ due to the teaching and practice of their parents, to ‘keep’ the Sabbath by ‘going to church’ that day and sitting quietly in services for two hours, but that alone is never enough. Rather, they must prove for themselves in due time that God demands of them the keeping of the Sabbath and the annual Holy Days; the abstention from unclean meat; and the rejection of observing Sunday, Christmas, Easter or Halloween—again, no matter the costs and circumstances.”

This applies, as we explained, to all areas of life. In this regard, the example of parents is very important. For instance, when parents keep the Sabbath just as a matter of routine, but they are doing so grudgingly and with resentment and the attitude that it is a burden, and “we can hardly wait for when the Sabbath is over so we can do our own thing,” they give very mixed signals to the child as to the sanctity of the Sabbath and that it is supposed to be a day of joy.

We stated this in our free booklet, The Key to Happy Marriages and Families:

“In order to be able to teach God’s word effectively, it must first be settled in the hearts of the teachers themselves. Notice Deuteronomy 6:6–7, ‘And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.’

“If the words of God are NOT in our hearts, HOW CAN WE teach them diligently to our children? If we ourselves are not sure whether God’s instructions always apply in every situation without fail, how CAN we teach our children or teens that they do? If we doubt whether it is ALWAYS right NOT to lie, NOT to steal, NOT to kill, NOT to break the Sabbath, NOT to cheat on our wife or husband, how CAN we bring up our children or teens in the admonition of the Lord?”

It is true, as we pointed out in the previous Q&A, that the righteousness of parents does not automatically mean that their children become and stay righteous; but converted parents who behave unrighteously certainly have a bad influence on the upbringing of their children. At the same time, righteous parents who behave righteously most certainly have a good influence on the upbringing of their children, helping them to make the right decision of staying loyal to God and responding to His calling.

The Bible emphasizes time and again that children will follow the example of parents who behave badly. The child of an alcoholic or of a homosexual parent may easily adopt that lifestyle. A father who beats his wife may raise a son who may do the same later to his wife. Abraham lied when he said that his wife was his sister (Genesis 20:2,13); and his son Isaac committed the same sin (Genesis 26:6-7).

David lusted after Bathsheba, but he also took other women, including Maacah, a Geshurite or Canaanite princess (something which God had forbidden; compare Deuteronomy 7:3). Their son Absalom (2 Samuel 3:3) killed his half-brother Amnon who had raped Absolom’s sister Tamar (2 Samuel 13:1-14). David’s son Solomon committed terrible sins when he married pagan wives and followed their pagan religion.

We pointed out in the previous Q&A that God will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those children who hate God (Exodus 20:5). Friedman, Commentary on the Torah, points out that this “may refer to the way in which [bad] behavior recurs through generations in a family.”

Christ emphasized that wicked fathers may bring up wicked children. He explained in Matthew 23:29-35 that even though the children might pretend to have acted differently, they would have done the same thing as their fathers did, as they were engaged in the same kind of practice as their fathers:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.”

This terrible and vicious “circle of life” is, sadly, repeated time and time again. God prophesies that the last generation of Americans and Brits will go into captivity, and Leviticus 26:37-39 explains why: “… you shall have no power to stand before your enemies. You shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up. And those of you who are left shall waste away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; also in their fathers’ iniquities, which are with them, they shall waste away.”

We emphasize that this development does not have to be automatic. A son can see the wickedness of his father and decide NOT to live that way (Ezekiel 18:14-17). This is especially true, in our context of sanctification, when a child was brought up in the church but then experiences that his parents leave and go back into the world. That child does not need to follow his parents’ example. God had sanctified him or her, and that sanctification or holiness does not automatically cease to exist when the parents leave God’s Way of Life. But it goes without saying that their bad example might have a tremendously bad influence on the child; and the child or teen or young adult must turn to God with all his or her might to maintain his or her sanctified relationship with Him.

On the other hand, parents who live God’s Way of Life and don’t deviate from it have a very positive influence on the child’s development. God promises children tremendous blessings if they stay righteous (Psalm 103:17-18; Proverbs 20:7; Deuteronomy 4:40). God even offers physical protection in these terrible times to come, at a place of safety here on earth, for righteous parents and their children: “In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge” (Proverbs 14:26).

God speaks very clearly about the responsibility of the parents when He says: “Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 12:28). But God makes clear that when it comes to observing the law of God, more is necessary than just “keeping” it, so that parents can be great examples:

“Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” (Deuteronomy 5:29).

We all will, to an extent, adopt the bad behavior of our parents. And as they are called upon to repent of it, we, as their children, must do likewise, and the same is true for our children. This command to repent applies also to the “children” of the last generation of Americans and Brits in captivity:

“But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me, and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt—then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember; I will remember the land” (Leviticus 26:40-42).

As the new generation of Israel was called upon to enter into a covenant relationship with God at Moab, so each of us—grandparent, parent, children and grandchildren—is individually challenged to make that personal decision to follow God and not to walk away. It is interesting to read the words of Moses to that new generation of people who were ready to enter the Promised Land:

“The LORD our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain. Turn and take your journey, and go to the mountains of the Amorites, to all the neighboring places in the plain, in the mountains and in the lowland, in the South and on the seacoast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the River Euphrates. See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to your fathers–to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give to them and their descendants after them.’ And I spoke to you at that time, saying: ‘I alone am not able to bear you’” (Deuteronomy 1:6-9).

Moses reiterates events which had happened 40 years earlier. Most who were assembled now were not even alive when these events had taken place. Still, Moses addresses them directly in saying that he spoke to them. What had happened 40 years earlier had great consequences for the new generation. In Deuteronomy 1:21, Moses said to them: “Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.”

The word in Hebrew for “you” is in the singular; Moses addresses everyone individually, because everyone had to make the individual decision to follow God. And so, Moses states this in Deuteronomy 5:2-3:

“The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive.”

Technically, God did not make the covenant at Horeb with the new generation as most were not even alive at that time. But in a sense, God did.

In Hebrew, it says, literally:

“… but with us! We! These! Here! Today! All of us! Living!”

Friedman, Commentary on the Torah, explains:

“Moses speaks to the people in front of him as if they had all been at Sinai forty years earlier. Now he says explicitly, powerfully, unmistakably, with seven different words: Each generation must see themselves as personally standing at Sinai, not just inheriting their parents’ covenant, but as making the covenant themselves. It is a present, living commitment.”

Parents might have entered into the New Covenant relationship at the time of their baptism. But this will not bring their children automatically to the point where they also become baptized. It is up to them. But converted parents can and must help.

Let us conclude with these questions and remarks:

Are you a converted parent? Make sure that you do whatever you can to help your child to live God’s Way of Life.

Are you a sanctified child? Then God has preordained you before you were born to be called in this day and age to have a special relationship with Him and to come to Him. He has chosen YOU and given YOU the opportunity now to become a part His very Family. Value this precious and priceless gift very highly.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

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A Big THANK YOU to God

By Delayla Sperzel (15) – Germany

My mom and I went to my orthodontist because I had to get fixed braces. We went to appointments on three consecutive days and I was trying to predict which pliers the orthodontist was going to use during the application and got it right each time, as I’m a very quick learner. When he heard that, he asked me if I wanted to do an internship at the clinic. Since I was still searching for something at this point, I brought an application with me the next day. He was very enthusiastic about this application and asked me if I had time for an internship and we made appointments together for this.

Therefore, at the beginning of July, I spent 3 days doing an internship in the orthodontics practice.

On the last day of my internship, the boss invited me to his office, where he praised me very much, and told me that he was very impressed that I had done such a wonderful job and that I had a great and positive charisma. After the great praise, he gave me the wonderful message that he would like me to be part of his team.

I give thanks to God and His leadership and how God intervened in my new phase of life and put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Now he has provided me with a wonderful education and a very nice and understanding boss.

Initial Translation: Anna Link

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Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

compiled by Dave Harris

“Is America Doomed? The Biden and Trump Scandals!” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Hunter Biden’s sweetheart plea deal and its somewhat hidden immunity clause fall apart. More criminal charges against Trump in the Mar-o-Lago documents case are brought one day later. Hunter’s business partner Devon Archer testifies in Congress about Joe Biden’s conduct in regard to Hunter and Hunter’s foreign business associates. One day later, criminal charges are brought in an indictment pertaining to 2020 election events.  Did special counsel Jack Smith open a Pandora’s box, and if so, why and how? Could Smith be indicted himself? Legal experts and scholars such as George Washington University Professor Jonathan Turley and Harvard University Professor Alan Dershowitz rip the indictment apart on constitutional and other grounds. Are we doomed? Many feel that we are!

“Russlands Krieg mit Deutschland,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Russia’s War with Germany.”

Our new German booklet, “Aufstieg und Fall von Deutschland und Europa,”  which is a translation of our English booklet, “The Rise and Fall of Germany and Europe,” has been sent to our printer. It has also been posted on our Website. 

“Was ist Gottes Wort?” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented in Germany by Tahir Coban, is now posted. Title in English: “What is God’s Word?”

“In Despair,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Life can get pretty hard. We can learn from the examples in the Bible of those who groaned in despair because of their dire circumstances. By hanging on in faith that God will see us through even the most difficult situations, we will be able to overcome, even when things seem hopeless.

“The Power of Love,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Imagine, for a moment, a world in which love was the basis for all human interactions! God has planned for this, and He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to lay the foundation for just such a world!

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How This Work is Financed

This Update is an official publication by the ministry of the Church of the Eternal God in the United States of America; the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada; and the Global Church of God in the United Kingdom.

Editorial Team: Norbert Link, Dave Harris, Rene Messier, Brian Gale, Johanna Link, Eric Rank, Michael Link, Anna Link, Kalon Mitchell, Manuela Mitchell, Dawn Thompson

Technical Team: Eric Rank, Shana Rank

Our activities and literature, including booklets, weekly updates, sermons on CD are provided free of charge. They are made possible by the tithes, offerings and contributions of Church members and others who have elected to support this Work.

While we do not solicit the general public for funds, contributions are gratefully welcomed and are tax-deductible in the U.S. and Canada.

Donations can be sent to the following addresses:

United States: Church of the Eternal God, P.O. Box 270519, San Diego, CA 92198

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United Kingdom: Global Church of God, PO Box 44, MABLETHORPE, LN12 9AN, United Kingdom

In Despair / The Power of Love

On July 29, 2023, Eric Rank will present the sermonette, titled, “In Despair,” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “The Power of Love.”

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