Update 1084

Comments on News and Prophecy, September 9, 2023 / Isaiah 58 – A Chapter for Modern Times

On September 9, 2023, Norbert Link will present “Comments on News and Prophecy, September 9, 2023,” and Kalon Mitchell will present the sermon, titled, “Isaiah 58 – A Chapter for Modern Times.”

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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Other People’s Problems

by Dave Harris

Within families, there aren’t a lot of secrets. Family members know one another pretty well—both each other’s good points and bad; each one’s strengths and each one’s weaknesses.

Invariably, problems arise. Regardless, families most often stand by and offer great support in times of trial. It is rare to hear of a parent renouncing their child even when he or she commits terrible crimes.

Within our spiritual family, the Church of God, we also get to know one  another quite well—the good, the bad, and, yes, even the ugly.

How do we operate within that spectrum? Regardless of the relationship, the goal should be one emphasizing this foundational approach:

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

We probably have all heard someone say about another that they were there for them when they needed them the most. Paul wrote:

“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2).

But it isn’t just the big problems other people have for which they need our help. Life is made up of many, many little things and that includes problems—challenges which might go easier with another person’s help.

Let’s make it a point to do what we can when the opportunity and the need arises to serve, remembering that we, too, can fall into that category of being the other person—with a problem!

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By Norbert Link

We begin with the coming totalitarian EU state; fairy tales told by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz; Boris Pistorius, the most popular politician in Germany; France being at the brink of civil war; American nuclear bombs in Europe; the possible collapse of NATO by 2025 over the Russia-Ukraine war; and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s firing of his defense minister.

We continue with renewed COVID hysteria; the new “We Will Not Comply” movement; and the incompetence of Anthony Fauci.

We address Tucker Carlson’s fear that Trump might be assassinated; and speak on the possibility of Trump ending up in prison and the movement to bar him from office; as well as the ridiculous prison sentences for some of the Proud Boys. We report on Biden’s fabricated stories of his life and the lie of successful “Bidenomics.”

We speak on some Republicans being unwilling to fund the government by the end of September, unless certain conditions are met; the pressing issue of impeaching Joe Biden; some of the consequences of his disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan; and we show how the US government is “flagging” us. We also address the fall of Canada which has become the laughing stock of the world. In this context, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled,  “The Decline and Fall of Canada.”

We report on the strange events of the Burning Man festival and publish an article on the Church of England regarding premarital sex and gay marriage, and we conclude with despicable gender change operations of innocent deceived children. 

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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The Totalitarian EU State

Express wrote on September 1:

“Arch-Europhile MEP Guy Verhofstadt has been accused of trying to turn the EU into a ‘totalitarian supra-national authority’ with a package of proposals including one which would see member states stripped of their vetoes. Mr Verhofstadt’s ideas are set out in a 116-page draft document which… would introduce qualified majority voting in dozens of areas including defence, taxation and foreign policy. 

“The proposals contained in the dossier… would dramatically enlarge the powers of the European Parliament, and – crucially – prevent members of the EU27 from blocking legislation.”

Even if this proposal were not to be adopted for now, the underlying thinking is alarming.

Scholz Tells Economic Fairy Tales

Bild Online wrote on September 3:

“Chancellor Olaf Scholz… predicted in March… new mega growth. Scholz at the time: ‘Due to the high investments in climate protection, Germany will be able to achieve growth rates for some time, as last happened in the 1950s and 1960s.’ In plain language: the Chancellor promised the Germans a new ‘economic miracle’, expected growth rates as in the post-war period (In 1950 to 1960 an average of 8.2 percent per year). For comparison: Between 2010 and 2020, growth was only 1.2 percent.

HOW does Scholz arrive at this positive forecast, while economists even warn of a shrinking economy? In response to a question from the Union faction [opposition] in the Bundestag, the traffic light [coalition] has to admit: there are no expectations of an economic miracle… MEANING: The chancellor CANNOT justify his economic promises!

“Union parliamentary group leader and economic politician Jens Spahn (43, CDU) accuses Scholz of [lying to] the citizens with his promise. Spahn to BILD: ‘The chancellor tells economic fairy tales. The traffic light cannot provide any evidence for his claim that there will be growth rates last seen in the 1950s and 1960s. In truth, we are further away than ever from a new economic miracle.'”

In another article regarding power supply, Bild Online wrote on September 3:

Jens Spahn… to BILD: ‘No one believes in the Chancellor’s perseverance slogans anymore, not even his own party. The losers are millions of industrial workers. They don’t know if their jobs will still be there tomorrow.’”

The days of incompetent Scholz and his pitiful “traffic light” coalition are numbered.

Does Pistorius Have the Courage to Act?

Focus wrote on September 4:

“Boris Pistorius [Germany’s Federal Minister of Defense] achieves fantastic poll numbers reminiscent of those of Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. The big question now is: Will he use this position to act? He has a historic opportunity – but also a lot of resistance.

“Is Boris Pistorius a brave man? There is much to be said for it… Above all, the decision to station a heavy brigade permanently in Lithuania was courageous. The army strongly advised against it – the organizational problems and disruptions to the restructuring of the land forces were too great. Pistorius made the decision anyway. And he was right… especially since it also makes operational sense to have powerful brigades on NATO’s eastern border.

“Organizationally, the implementation of this decision is an enormous challenge for the overly bureaucratic and cumbersome apparatus… Can you even find enough soldiers who are willing to go there for maybe three years? What do you do with the families? In addition: A powerful brigade normally includes well over 4,000 men and women, especially if they are to operate independently.

“Of course, these problems are also an opportunity, a kind of lever to advance the Bundeswehr’s focus on national and alliance defense. Everyone knows that the armed forces are dysfunctional and it is high time to do something about it. Boris Pistorius’ predecessors didn’t have the courage to reform… 

“Now it’s Pistorius’ turn. The conditions for reforms were never better in the days of the Berlin Republic: After the disaster with the weak Christine Lambrecht in times of war, the chancellor cannot afford any further downtime, there are comprehensive commitments to NATO that require quick action and according to public opinion, the Bundeswehr is very well-liked…

“Certainly no defense minister can implement the reforms that are actually necessary on his own… The staff shortage can probably only be solved by introducing a militia system, a mandatory year or the massive expansion of the reservists, which also requires a cabinet decision…

“But the minister can also do a lot of things on his own… many regulations could easily be changed with good will.

“He is by far the most popular politician in Germany—an ace in Olaf Scholz’s hands during these months when the cabinet is struggling. Politically, however, this will only sting if the defense minister follows up his positively received speeches with deeds… The soldiers appreciate their minister beyond measure. However, if he does not use the historic opportunity to advance fundamental issues, the euphoria will be followed by bitter disappointment….”

And so, the concept of mandatory military service is being thrown into the mix.

France at Brink of Civil War?

Modern Diplomacy wrote on September 3:

“A couple of months ago, France was engulfed by an explosive wave of civil unrest… The significance of the situation cannot be overstated: the entire world witnessed the outbreak of anarchy in a major European nation. Street violence took place not just in Paris, but also in various other French cities and the contagion even reached the neighbouring Swiss city of Lausanne. People were beaten, businesses were looted, vehicles were burned and countless acts of vandalism were committed. As law enforcement was overwhelmed by the proportions and intensity of this popular revolt, the French government —unable to respond effectively— was badly shaken by the seismicity of the ensuing political shockwaves…

“In turn, the reaction of everyday citizens showed a combination of disbelief, concern, dismay, outrage and uncertainty. The perception of danger made people think that there is no reliable guarantee that their lives, integrity and property will be respected. Moreover, the fact these events took place shortly before the anniversary of the French Revolution makes things look even more ominous. From a long-range perspective, they could be interpreted as a powerful confirmation that history has fatefully returned to Western Europe… illusions of everlasting peace and harmony are being shattered by reality… 

“Yet, perhaps the most problematic implication of recent events in France is that similar dynamics could gain traction in societies with similar conditions, most notably Britain, Germany and Sweden. Signs of violent interethnic animosities are becoming ‘part and parcel’ of everyday life in such European nations…

“France may already be in a state of low-intensity civil war. So far, it remains to be seen if the clashes remain intermittent or if they will spiral out of control. The undecisive reaction of the French government reflects an unwillingness to confront a difficult situation. Blaming videogames and expect trouble to go away on its own is the equivalent of burying one’s head in the sand…

“Although the latest wave of urban riots in France seems to have subsided, their underlying structural roots remain unchanged. Accordingly, this episode foreshadows the escalation of violence sooner or later. The magnitude of the next crisis will likely be higher both quantitatively and qualitatively… The sinister spectre of civil war is haunting France…”

Macron is not the man who would be able to stop this development. But a charismatic powerful person, called the beast in the Bible, will rise up, and European countries, including Germany and France, will transfer their authority to the beast. He will rule with an iron fist. 

American Nuclear Bombs on British Soil?

Bloomberg wrote on September 5:

“Russia warned Tuesday it will treat any US move to station nuclear weapons in the UK for the first time in 15 years as an ‘escalation’ after media reports indicated plans to deploy the bombs on British soil. ‘If this happens, it will be treated by us as an escalation, which will lead to the exact opposite of achieving the pressing task of removing all US nuclear weapons from Europe,’ Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Tuesday…

“The US Air Force has earmarked $50 million in funding for military housing at a UK air base. The language used to describe the purpose for the increased personnel usually refers to the handling of nuclear weapons, The Guardian reported last week…

“Around 150 US B-61 nuclear gravity bombs are currently stationed in four European countries — Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy — as well as Turkey…”

Ultimately, these weapons will be used AGAINST the USA.

Will NATO Collapse by 2025 Over Ukraine?

Atlantic wrote on September 2:

“Europe and the United States are on the verge of the most momentous conscious uncoupling in international relations in decades. Since 1949, NATO has been the one constant in world security. Initially an alliance among the United States, Canada, and 10 countries in Western Europe, NATO won the Cold War and has since expanded to include almost all of Europe… It… might collapse by 2025.

“The cause of this collapse would be the profound difference in outlook between the Republican Party’s populist wing—which is led by Donald Trump but now clearly makes up the majority of the GOP—and the existential security concerns of much of Europe. The immediate catalyst for the collapse would be the war in Ukraine

“The past few weeks have revealed that Trump’s pro-Russian, anti-NATO outlook isn’t just a brief interlude in Republican politics; suspicion of American involvement in supporting Ukraine is now the consensus of the party’s populist heart. During last week’s GOP presidential debate, Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy… both argued against more aid for Ukraine…

“… the growing sentiment on the American right against supporting Ukraine represents an extraordinary challenge to the future of NATO. European states have been moving in the opposite direction… [This] would split the Atlantic alliance

“If the United States simply abandons Ukraine a year and a half from now, there is no way whatsoever that Europe could make up for the loss of aid…”

Ultimately, NATO will fall apart, and the animosity between the USA and Europe will continue. 

Zelenskyy to Replace Defense Minister

Thomson/Reuters reported on September 3:

“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday he had decided to replace his defense minister, setting the stage for the biggest shake-up of Ukraine’s defense establishment since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

“In his nightly video address to the nation, Zelenskyy said he would dismiss Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov and would ask parliament this week to replace him with Rustem Umerov, head of the country’s main privatization fund…

“The decision comes amid a crackdown on corruption in Ukraine that Zelenskyy has been keen to emphasize. Kyiv has applied to join the European Union and the public has become highly sensitive to corruption as the war rages with no end in sight…

“During the war, Reznikov’s defense ministry lobbied the West to overcome various taboos on supplying powerful military kit to Ukraine, including everything from German-made main battle tanks to HIMARS multiple-launch rockets. Kyiv now looks poised to receive U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets soon…

“His apparent exit appears to bring an end to months of domestic media pressure that began in January when Reznikov’s ministry was accused of buying food at inflated prices. Though he was not personally involved in the food contract, some Ukrainian commentators said he should take political responsibility for what happened.

“Last month, a Ukrainian media outlet accused his ministry of corruption during the procurement of winter coats for the army. Reznikov denied any wrongdoing and repeatedly said he was being targeted by a smear campaign.”

Whether this was a wise decision to fire Reznikov will have to be seen.

COVID Hysteria, Vaccines and Mandates Starting Again!

Daily Express US wrote on September 1:

“With summer coming to an end and a new Covid variant on the loose, some health experts are recommending people begin taking precautions again – starting with mask-wearing… CDC spokesperson Scott Pauley told Daily Express US the CDC recommends that all people are up to date on their vaccines before they travel… 

“An updated vaccine for new strains is expected to be available by the end of September – the CDC recommends everyone receive a booster shot.”

Will we experience a repeat of Biden’s horrible war of the vaccinated against the unvaccinated?

Corona in Spite of Vaccination and Booster Shots

Fox News wrote on September 4:

“First lady Jill Biden has tested positive for COVID-19… President Biden tested negative for the virus… The first lady is double-vaccinated, twice boosted, according to a statement from her communications director last year.”

So, vaccinations and booster shots don’t seem to be “miracle cures” after all.

Biden’s Insane Fearmongering

Fox News wrote on September 5:

“Social media users mocked the news that President Biden will return to masking indoors Tuesday…

“White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre… said: ‘President Biden… will be masking while indoors and around people in alignment with CDC guidance…  the president will remove his mask when sufficiently distant from others indoors and while outside as well.’

“The return to indoor masking ignited backlash online from X users, who complained about the possibility of mask mandates returning. ‘The conspiracy theorists were right again. These loony psychopaths are going to try to bring masks back. Nope. We aren’t playing this time,’ cryptocurrency entrepreneur Bruce Fenton wrote.

“Fox News contributor Katie Pavlich commented, ‘Your regular reminder that masks are garbage against COVID/Wuhan coronavirus and do not work. In fact, they cause harm with lung damage and cancerous materials. Not to mention the massive environmental pollution.’ ‘Biden masking again because he’s been around Jill is such nonsense fearmongering,’ investigative reporter Emily Miller wrote… ‘They never stop. They never quit,’ RealClearInvestigations editor-at-large Benjamin Weingarten posted.”

Biden’s fearmongering is indeed ridiculous, but it is dangerous!

School in Maryland Reinstates Masks

Fox News wrote on September 5:

“An elementary school in a Washington D.C. suburb in Maryland is reinstating school masks for third-graders, after a handful of kids recently tested positive for COVID-19. In a now-viral X post, OutKick founder Clay Travis posted a letter that was allegedly sent to all parents at Rosemary Hills Elementary School in Montgomery County, updating them on updated mask requirements for all students.

“‘A DC area elementary school — Montgomery County, Maryland — is reinstating a mask mandate — N95’s — for third-graders over a few kids testing positive for COVID,’ Travis wrote on X. ‘Here’s the letter. They’re coming with masks for your kids again. Get ready. Read this insanity.’”

Insanity indeed. 

We Will Not Comply Movement

Newsweek wrote on August 31:

“A ‘we will not comply’ movement is slowly formulating across social media, spurred by Donald Trump’s renewed focus on mask mandates and COVID-affiliated lockdowns that he initiated at the pandemic’s inception. Trump, in a video posted Wednesday on X, formerly Twitter, vowed to reject any ‘fearmongering’ of new coronavirus variants and if elected president pledged to cut federal funding for entities like schools and airlines that follow such protocols.

“Trump was the individual who set the original mandates and lockdowns in motion, however, when coronavirus cases escalated exponentially starting in March 2020. At the time, he urged individuals to avoid bars, restaurants and other areas where 10 or more people were gathered in the hope that the virus would dissipate by that summer.

“‘Do not comply’ means your [sic] not going to go to work if your employer requires a mask as part of the “mandate” not law; your [sic] not going to wear one at the Dr, Dentist, restaurant or stores,’ wrote one Facebook user. ‘Imagine if everyone did not comply how that would hurt our government or economy. If every American did not go to work or buy anything at all for one or two days things would get real. We are all slaves to our Government until we stop conforming to the demands and dollar.’

“One X user posted that she would ignore mandates instituted by Trump, President Joe Biden or anyone else. ‘I won’t mask again,’ the user wrote. ‘I don’t care what Trump or Fauci or Birx or Biden or any other governmental agency try and push again. I won’t deal with the anxiety mask wearing brings me again. Not going to cover my daughter’s beautiful face or force her to deal with the frequent painful breakouts again. Nope. For my child, I say, never again.’”

Sadly, Trump was responsible for many of the ridiculous governmental measures or recommendations pertaining to the fight against COVID. Instead of firing incompetent Fauci, he followed his nonsensical advice in far too many instances. Biden, of course, made matters much worse.

Fauci’s Incompetence Exposed

The New York Post wrote on September 3:

“Social media erupted after Dr. Anthony Fauci was confronted by a CNN host with a study showing face masks made little to no difference in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic… ‘Fauci admits that masks don’t work for the public at large but still absurdly claims masks work on an individual basis. More subterfuge,’ Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)… wrote on X, formerly Twitter… 

“‘It’s really hard to assume Fauci’s disastrous “mistakes” were in good faith when he refuses to acknowledge obvious facts that don’t require a PhD to decipher. It looks a lot more like “TRUST THE SCIENCE!” only applies when it suits Fauci’s personal or political narrative,’ former senior White House and US Intelligence Community official Cliff Sims said…

“During the initial onset of the pandemic, he suggested that masks were not providing the type of protection ‘people think it is’ and underscored the severe shortage of masks afflicting health care providers. As mask production ramp up and supply snarls abated, Fauci reversed course and endorsed masking to tamp down the spread… ‘I don’t regret anything I said then because in the context of the time in which I said it, it was correct…’”

Fauci has been preaching this kind of nonsense all along. 

Assassinating Trump?

Business Insider wrote on September 2:

“Tucker Carlson… claimed that the political establishment is plotting to assassinate former President Donald Trump… ‘They have decided — permanent Washington, both parties have decided — that there’s something about Trump that’s so threatening to them, they just can’t have him,’ he said.

“Carlson had, in fact, asked Trump if he feared being killed in an interview last week, to which the former president responded: ‘They’re savage animals. They’re people that are sick.’… While Trump has never made such an assertion, he often describes himself as the victim of a ‘witch-hunt’…”

John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy were assassinated; and Ronald Reagan barely survived an assassination attempt. In fact, four sitting presidents have been killed: Abraham Lincoln (1865, by John Wilkes Booth), James A. Garfield (1881, by Charles J. Guiteau), William McKinley (1901, by Leon Czolgosz), and John F. Kennedy (1963, by Lee Harvey Oswald). As far as we can see, only one person was assassinated while running for the office of the Presidency, and that was Robert Kennedy. In addition to the assignation attempt on Ronald Reagan, another assassination attempt was made on former president Theodore Roosevelt (1912, by John Flammang Schrank). 

Will Trump Go to Prison?

The Independent wrote on August 31:

“Trump faces four criminal indictments in three separate jurisdictions. Nearly 100 felony criminal charges are leveled against the former president who remains the… favourite to win the 2024 Republican primary… Between his 91 felony counts, Mr Trump faces a total of roughly seven centuries in total jail time, spread between dozens of various charges of differing seriousness…

“The first indictment to drop against the former president… deals with conduct committed the furthest in the past. Donald Trump is accused of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, a felony under New York state law… Mr Trump’s accusation is largely victimless, and as such a judge is not likely to sentence him to anything more than fines or, at the most, probation and community service were he to be convicted by a jury…

“After exploding into the public eye last year with an FBI raid of Mar-a-Lago, the allegations spelled out in this [second] indictment… [accuse him] of mishandling classified information in an egregious manner… Convictions of willful and/or reckless retention of classified information frequently result in prison sentences of several years or more…

“The Department of Justice’s most recent [third] indictment charging Mr Trump with crimes was related to the 2020 election… There are two basic parts of this case which should concern the ex-president; the possibility that he will be convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiring against Americans’ right to vote in free elections, and the possibility that he will be convicted of directly attempting to block the certification of the election via summoning a mob to attack the Capitol.

“The real battle in [regard to the first allegation] will be for prosecutors to prove that the Trump team’s efforts went beyond legal challenges to the election results… [Regarding the second allegation,] Mr Trump and his allies have fiercely denied since the attack itself that the mob of Trump supporters… was directed by the president himself…

“Should he be convicted of either, however, he faces steep maximum prison sentences for each count… 

“The most recent [fourth] indictment to drop, Fulton County’s case against Mr Trump in Georgia is unique in that it also involves the only charges to carry minimum prison terms… A RICO charge will undoubtedly be the hardest for prosecutor Fani Willis and her team to prove… Should that fail, however, Mr Trump also faces 12 other felony counts, all of which carry the potential for incarceration…

“In the end, it’s quite possible that the answer to the question of whether Mr Trump will ever see the inside of a cell comes down to not whether he will be convicted, but whether jailing a former president is even feasible. Should he win the general election next year, an entirely new layer of complexity is added to the mix…”

Apart from the perception of many Americans that these are all trumped-up charges, the idea that an elected President could be officiating, while imprisoned, is preposterous. 

Trump Barred From Office?

Raw Story wrote on September 4:

“Trump on Monday claimed that ‘almost all legal scholars’ have agreed that the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution ‘has no legal basis or standing relative to the upcoming 2024 Presidential Election.’

“The former president’s comments come the same day as former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner joined the ranks of several other legal experts,  including retired Harvard Law professor Laurence Tribe and former conservative federal judge Michael Luttig, in arguing that former President Donald Trump is automatically disqualified from running for office again under the plain text of the 14th Amendment’s prohibition on aiding insurrection. 

“‘Like Election Interference, it is just another “trick” being used by the Radical Left Communists, Marxists, and Fascists, to again steal an Election that their candidate, the WORST, MOST INCOMPETENT, & MOST CORRUPT President in U.S. history, is incapable of winning in a Free and Fair Election,’ Trump wrote.”

Whatever happened to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty?

22 Years Prison Sentence for Proud Boy

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 5:

“Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the far-right Proud Boys militia, was sentenced to 22 years in prison on Tuesday in Washington… it is… the stiffest penalty handed out so far for the 2021 attack on the US Capitol… Despite agreeing that Tarrio’s actions did not fall under the most traditional definitions of ‘terrorism,’ US District Judge Timothy Kelly said the adjustment should apply, as prosecutors had wanted.

Tarrio was not in Washington on January 6 but was accused and convicted of directing the assault on the Capitol by members of the Proud Boys.

“Tarrio and three others were convicted of seditious conspiracy in May for their roles in the failed attempt to stop the congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory over Republican Donald Trump… The other three men received jail terms of between 10 and 18 years last week. Tarrio’s sentencing was delayed as the judge was ill.”

The defense has announced that it will appeal “on both the merits of the case and the sentence imposed.” These are indeed ridiculous sentences, which are clearly politically motivated, while violent criminals are either not prosecuted at all or receiving a light sentence. 

Biden Keeps Telling “Stories”

The Washington Post wrote on August 31:

“Biden’s propensity to exaggerate or embellish tales about his life led to doubts about his truthfulness… Biden has continued a tradition of embellishing his personal tales in ways that cannot be verified or are directly refuted by contemporary accounts…

“At least six times as president, mostly recently in comments to Hurricane Idalia victims Wednesday, Biden has exaggerated the extent of a fire that occurred at his house in 2004…

“At least 10 times as president…, Biden has told a heartwarming but implausible story about an Amtrak conductor named Angelo Negri who congratulated him for traveling more on Amtrak than he had on Air Force planes as vice president…

“Three times this year — and at least seven times since 2014 — Biden has told a version… of a story about words his father supposedly spoke after a teenage Biden saw two well-dressed men in suits kiss each other in downtown Wilmington in the early 1960s… Biden depicts a scene that would have been unusual six decades ago. He describes this exchange with his father usually as taking place in 1961. But back then, gay men generally did not kiss in public…

“Four times… Biden has suggested he was arrested for standing on the porch with a Black couple who were subject to demonstrations… the story did not add up. There was a protest of a Black couple who had purchased a house in an all-White area, but it was a neighborhood many miles from the Biden home…

“Campaigning for president in 2020, Biden three times claimed he was arrested in South Africa for trying to see Nelson Mandela, who at the time was imprisoned on Robben Island, near Cape Town. When we determined that was false, he amended his statement to say he was ‘stopped’ at the airport while traveling with a congressional delegation — though others on the delegation said that did not happen…

“Biden recalled how his Uncle Frank fought in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II and was awarded the Purple Heart but never received it. He said that after he became vice president in 2009, he arranged to present the medal to his uncle with the rest of the family in attendance. But his uncle, Frank H. Biden, died in 1999, a decade before Biden became vice president…

“Twice this year, most recently in the Milwaukee speech, Biden has claimed his grandfather, an oil company executive, ‘died in the same hospital’ just before Biden himself was born there… But Biden’s paternal grandfather, Joseph H. Biden, died at Johns Hopkins Hospital on Sept. 26, 1941…  Biden was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in Scranton, Pa., on Nov. 20, 1942, 14 months later. His maternal grandfather, Ambrose Finnegan, did die at St. Mary’s — but in 1957, nearly 15 years later.”

If one keeps repeating a fabricated story long enough, he might even begin to believe it himself.

The Lie of Bidenomics 

Fox News wrote on August 29:

“In the midst of President Biden’s campaign to sell ‘Bidenomics’ to American voters [the false claim that his economic measures are working], Vice President Kamala Harris made a curious admission. Speaking about the costs of getting an abortion…, she stated that ‘[m]ost Americans are a $400 unexpected expense away from bankruptcy.’ Of course…, it wasn’t exactly true. But you have to give her credit for raising a counter-narrative the Biden administration is otherwise choosing to ignore. The fact is that American families are in trouble, deep trouble, and it’s far more significant than any Bidenomics spin can conceal.

“Harris’s point comes from a recent Morning Consult survey which found that in the third quarter of this year only 46% of Americans could cover a $400 unexpected expense without going into debt. That’s not the same as being $400 away from bankruptcy, but it’s still really bad. It shows how expenses as commonplace as a surprise car repair or a medical bill are forcing many American families into debt – at a time when interest rates are disturbingly high…

“The Lending Club’s Paycheck-to-Paycheck Report for June confirms the Morning Consult survey. It found that a majority of Americans (54%) were living paycheck to paycheck. That includes 53% of consumers who earn $50,000 to $100,000 per year. So, this problem extends well beyond lower-income families, although it certainly hits you harder the less you have. But what about personal savings? Americans received a lot of cash from the government during the pandemic. In fact, when Biden took office, Americans had $2.3 trillion in personal savings. That number shot up to $5.7 trillion following Biden’s March 2021 ironically named ‘American Rescue Plan.’ But by June of this year, a mere 27 months later, personal saving had dropped by nearly $5 trillion to a much diminished $862 billion. 

“Again, it isn’t just lower-income Americans who have watched their savings diminish. According to a Bloomberg analysis, the average middle-class household has lost over $33,000 in real wealth in just the past year. The situation is so bad that Americans are even draining their 401(k) plans to cover expenses… 36% more people drained their retirement accounts to make ends [meet] in the second quarter of 2023 as compared to the same period last year.

“So, where did all that money go?…

“The Bureau of Labor Statistic publishes the Consumer Price Index (CPI) each month, a common measure of inflation. CPI takes a basket of commonly purchased goods and services and prices them on a monthly basis. In January 2021, when Biden took office, that basket cost about $261.50. In July of this year, the same basket cost $305.70. That’s a huge 16,9% increase in only two and a half years…  Exacerbating the problem, wage growth has failed to keep pace with inflation – increasing only 13% since Biden took office (versus nearly 17% for inflation). When you’re living paycheck to paycheck, as most Americans are, that kind of disparity hurts. 

“So, with savings increasingly depleted and wages failing to keep up with increased living expenses, many Americans are resorting to their credit cards in an effort to make ends meet. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, in the second quarter of this year,  credit card debt rose to $1 trillion–the highest number ever. And that amount of credit card debt is a huge problem with 51% of Americans unable to pay off their entire balance each month – so they let it revolve to the next month at an average budget killing interest rate of nearly 15% [or 22%, depending on the source]…”

Bidenomics” is clearly not working. The utter incompetence of Biden and his administration is obvious in this regard as well.

Americans Aren’t Sold on Joe Biden’s Handling of the Economy 

1945 wrote on September 5:

“A Wall Street Journal poll, taken between August 24 and 30, found that just 37 percent of registered voters ‘somewhat’ or ‘strongly’ approved of Biden’s handling of the economy. By contrast, a majority of the same group, 59 percent, said they disapproved of how the [president] has tackled the economy…

“The Wall Street Journal post also found that nearly three in four voters believe that inflation ‘is headed in the wrong direction,’ while 63 percent said they ‘somewhat’ or ‘strongly’ disapproved of the president’s record on inflation and climbing prices.”

Who are those people who “strongly” approve of Biden’s failed handling of the economy????

Funding the Government Being Threatened

The New York Post wrote on September 1:

“Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.)… told constituents: ‘I’ve already decided I will not vote to fund the government unless we have passed an impeachment inquiry on Joe Biden.’ She also conditioned her vote on withdrawing US defense funding for Ukrainecutting out federal spending for new COVID-19 vaccines and ending ‘Biden’s weaponization of government.’ That includes moving to ‘rein in the FBI,’ defunding special counsel Jack Smith, who has twice indicted former President Donald Trump, and firing Delaware US Attorney David Weiss, Greene added…

“Congress has until Sept. 30 to avoid a partial shutdown by passing legislation to fully fund the government. The Senate is scheduled to return from its August recess Tuesday, while the House is due back the following week…

“NBC News reported Friday that the White House is preparing a legal war room for the president’s expected impeachment inquiry, helmed by dozens of lawyers, aides and communications staff…”

The Daily Mail added on September 1:

“[Greene] is not the only Republican to have threatened to block funding.  Earlier in the week Rep. James Comer… [said] an impeachment inquiry [was] ‘imminent’… 

“In the meantime, the federal government is hurtling towards its funding deadline. The White House is looking for a stopgap measure to keep things ticking over. A spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget said: ‘It is clear that a short-term continuing resolution will be needed next month.’”

Dire prospects indeed.

Will the GOP Impeach Joe Biden? 

1945 wrote on September 5:

Elected Republicans are the most skittish group of powerful people imaginable. Here they have one half of one of the three branches of the federal government, and they are afraid to use whatever power they have against their political foes. 

“In this case, despite all their perpetual talk about the corruption of President Joe Biden and his wayward son, Hunter; irrespective of the… evidence they’ve compiled after years of investigations into the Biden Family, the leadership of the House Republicans acts as though they don’t have enough to impeach President Joe Biden. 

“Hilariously, when the political shoe was on the other foot, with the Democrats not having the relevant power that they needed to successfully impeach—and remove then-President Donald J. Trump— that never stopped the Democrats. That’s because the Democrats have gumption, whereas the Republicans are perennially afraid of making mistakes…

“Under House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)… it has now become unbearable… [He insists] that it’s still premature to impeach Joe Biden. He makes such statements, even after the Republican-led House Oversight Committee recently received the sworn testimony of two senior IRS whistleblowers alleging that the Department of Justice (DOJ) purposefully slow-walked their investigation into Hunter Biden’s finances out of fear that they’d be forced to also investigate Joe Biden’s finances. 

“McCarthy pretends like his investigators in the House have not received sworn testimony from one of Hunter Biden’s closest business associates, Devon Archer, who admitted under oath that then-Vice-President Joe Biden was intimately involved with Hunter Biden’s allegedly illicit international influence-peddling scheme from the outset of Hunter Biden’s efforts…

“The House investigators have already proven that every member of the Biden Family received huge payouts from Hunter Biden’s firm

“Furthermore, a series of text messages between Hunter Biden and a Chinese businessman… was uncovered… showing Hunter threatening the Chinese businessman with political reprisals unless the businessman paid Hunter Biden an exorbitant amount of money. 

“The specific threat entailed Hunter texting the Chinese businessman that he was sitting next to his father, Joe Biden, and relaying the threats from his father to the Chinese businessman by text…

“An impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden is still undesirable, as that should have happened earlier in the Spring. We should be onto a full-blown impeachment by now… Impeaching Biden, much as the Democrats showed by impeaching Trump on inflated charges in 2019, may not lead to Biden’s removal from office (that requires a majority in the Senate that the Republicans simply lack). But, as the Democrats proved in 2019, an impeachment will galvanize their base going into a contentious presidential election…”

Not to forget Joe Biden’s admission of successfully coercing or blackmailing Ukraine to fire the prosecutor investigating the corrupt company Hunter Biden was working for. 

The Hill wrote on September 5:

“Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is tiptoeing through a political minefield as he weighs whether to open an official impeachment inquiry into President Biden… Trump… is exerting public pressure to pursue impeachment without a long inquiry. So are voters in the GOP base, Republicans say…  Some GOP members, such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) and Ralph Norman (S.C.), have also pushed to quickly open an impeachment inquiry. Republicans have told The Hill that they are getting many phone calls and town hall questions asking when they will take the step toward impeachment…

“While McCarthy argues that taking a step to open an inquiry is distinct from the House actually impeaching Biden, it would be politically unthinkable to not follow through on an inquiry with a vote on impeachment articles…”

Pressure on McCarthy

Newsmax wrote on September 5:

“In a statement issued on Tuesday, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., predicted forthcoming efforts to compel House votes on impeachment [of Biden], while delivering a warning to Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif… ‘if Speaker McCarthy stands in our way, he may not have the job long,’ Gaetz said.

“Amid the electoral complexities that unfolded during McCarthy’s election saga in January, he strategically decided to decrease the threshold required to initiate a ‘motion to vacate the chair’ [which] is a parliamentary maneuver available to ordinary lawmakers to remove the speaker of the House of Representatives. 

“Under former GOP rules, this process could have been initiated only by a majority of House Republicans. McCarthy, intent on locking down his speakership, ultimately agreed to permit a single member to initiate such a vote.”

Apart from the fact that many Republicans don’t seem to have much backbone, one reason for not wanting to impeach Biden could be that in the unlikely event of Biden’s removal from office, Kamala Harris, viewed by many as totally incompetent, would take his place.  

Biden’s Disastrous Withdrawal from Afghanistan

Fox News and The Associated Press wrote on September 5: 

“U.S. military equipment abandoned in Afghanistan has made its way to militant groups in other countries through the Taliban, Pakistan alleged Monday, [saying] terror groups in the country are now using American equipment, including night vision goggles and firearms, in their operations…

“The U.S. abandoned approximately $7 billion worth of military equipment in Afghanistan following President Biden’s withdrawal from the country in 2021… The equipment included guns, ammunition and helicopters, among other things.

“More than 40,000 of the 96,000 military vehicles given to Afghan authorities were abandoned, including 12,000 Humvees. Just under three-quarters of the 427,300 weapons provided to the Afghan forces were left behind along with less than 1,537,000 ‘specialty munitions’ and small arms ammo…

“Pakistan’s claims come just days after the second anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Biden hailed the operation as ‘one of the largest airlifts in history’

“The chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan left hundreds of Americans and tens of thousands of Afghan allies in the country under the rule of the Taliban, which swiftly retook control of Afghanistan as American forces prepared their exit.”

Attempting to defend Biden’s incompetent withdrawal is just beyond belief. 

How the Government “Flags” Us

The Rutherford Institute wrote on August 29:

“Consider just a small sampling of the ways in which the government is weaponizing its 360 degree surveillance technologies to flag you as a threat to national security, whether or not you’ve done anything wrong.

“Flagging you as a danger based on your feelings…  Flagging you as a danger based on your phone and movements… Flagging you as a danger based on your DNA…  Flagging you as a danger based on your face… Flagging you as a danger based on your behavior… Flagging you as a danger based on your spending and consumer activities… Flagging you as a danger based on your public activities…   Flagging you as a danger based on your social media activities… Flagging you as a danger based on your social network…  Flagging you as a danger based on your car…  Flagging you as a danger based on your political views… 

“Now the government wants us to believe that we have nothing to fear from these mass spying programs as long as we’ve done nothing wrong. Don’t believe it. The government’s definition of a ‘bad’ guy is extraordinarily broad, and it results in the warrantless surveillance of innocent, law-abiding Americans on a staggering scale… the police state wants us silent, servile and compliant.”

Nothing in regard to man’s mis-rule and leaders’ oppression of “subjects” will substantially change until Christ comes back and makes an end with ALL human governments. 

Canada—a Laughing Stock

The Telegraph wrote on August 31:

“Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been a mediocre, ineffective leader since coming to power in 2015. Every time you believe he’s reached the lowest depths of political incompetence, he finds a new way to sink even further into the muck. As fate would have it, the most unserious government in Canadian history has reached another new low. 

“Global Affairs Canada adjusted its international travel advisory this week to warn the LGBTQ+ community against supposed discrimination they may face in the United States…

“This impetuous decision likely came as a result of U.S. states passing limits or bans with respect to medical treatment for underaged children identifying as transgender, or on the teaching of sexual orientation in schools…

“Does anyone seriously believe most LGBTQ+ Canadians will now be scared to visit the happiest place on earth, Walt Disney World, because Florida decided its schools can’t teach about gender identity and support parental rights in education?…

“The U.S. and [the] rest of the world have taken notice of Canada’s rapid decline as a serious, relevant international player during Trudeau’s unserious, irrelevant leadership. They hope it will change when the next Canadian election is held. Many Canadians feel the exact same way.”

Trudeau continues to ruin his country. His authoritarian and dictatorial style, coupled with extreme left-wing Woke nonsense and a persecution of religious minorities who opposed his COVID lockdown, have been noted. Also view the next article.

“The Decline and Fall of Canada”

The Telegraph published on September 5 the following article by Dr. Jordan Peterson:

“In my case, a court has upheld an order from the College of Psychologists of Ontario that I undergo social media training or lose my licence to practice a profession I have served for most of my adult life. My transgressions? Two tweets criticizing Justin Trudeau; one criticising his former chief of staff, who resigned in the aftermath of scandal some years ago; one ironically commenting on the identity of a city councillor in Ottawa, who in my view acted in a particularly unforgivable manner during the famous trucker convoy protest; and one objecting to the actions of the physicians performing mastectomies on perfectly healthy women – often minors –  alongside a criticism of a famous actress who received such ‘treatment’ and then advertised its benefits to her unwitting fans. 

“In conjunction… I expressed doubts… about the validity of the idiotic models that economists stack carelessly upon the doom-mongering climate predictions… which will harm millions…

“[There] are many ‘regulated professions’ in Western countries, including Canada; professions whose conduct is held to be crucial to the public interest, and whose practitioners must therefore uphold certain standards to protect the public… In Canada, as elsewhere, these professional colleges, with authority delegated from the government, limited their actions to situations of obvious professional misconduct.

“In the last few years, however, such bodies… have been weaponised by the same ideological radicals of the Left that have infiltrated and undermined higher education, media, judiciary, law, science and government. Any radical anywhere can submit the kind of complaint that can bring a professional’s life to a halt, and can increasingly rely on these captured colleges and other professional regulatory bodies to uphold and pursue their vexatious, vengeful, petty, spiteful and ideological motivated ‘complaints.’…

“I appealed the decision of my professional college. But the court has rejected my appeal, ruling that although I had my Charter rights – my constitutional right to freedom of speech – the professional regulatory body essentially has indefinite sway over the determination of what limits they felt fit to impose in their professional context, in whatever retroactive manner they felt fit to impose them…

“Canadians now need to wake up to the fact that the right to freedom of speech in Canada is subject to limitations placed by any level of government, for any reason. I know perfectly well that many professionals in Canada are cowed to the point where they are forced to lie; they tell me so repeatedly in private. And when professionals have to lie, they can no longer do their job properly, and the public suffers. I know, too, that this is increasingly true across the West. Hence the increasing international interest in the dangerous social experiment taking place in Canada, as we ride the forefront of the wave of woke lunacy threatening to swamp the entire Western world…

“I will fight this idiocy all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary. I have instructed my lawyers, in the aftermath of the rejection of my appeal, to inform the College that I will not comply with their forced re-education mandate, and to proceed with the disciplinary hearing they have promised will occur…

“But I know few people are in a position to conduct such a fight: I have the resources necessary to wage a multi-year court battle, ruinously expensive (tens of thousands of dollars a month) though it is. I also have the means of communication at hand to publicise exactly what is going on. I do so on the behalf of those who are unable to do so…”

Deluge on Burning Man Festival Divine Retribution?

Benzinga wrote on September 4: 

“… a severe deluge at the annual Burning Man festival has been described as an act of divine retribution by leading Republicans… The Burning Man festival, traditionally held in Black Rock City, Nevada, faced an unprecedented level of rainfall this year, leading to muddy conditions and stranding thousands of festival-goers.

“The extreme weather conditions resulted in the tragic loss of one life and caused the event’s closing ceremony to be postponed. However, the situation took a political turn when key figures suggested a religious angle to the calamity. 

“Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.)… suggested that the unfortunate incident at the festival was a divine sign, stating, ‘God has a way of making sure everyone knows who God is.’ She also insinuated that festival attendees were misguided into blaming climate change for the disaster.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) expressed a similar sentiment… attributing the floods to ‘God’s judgment’ and challenging the moral correctness of the festival’s unconventional activities. Andrew Torba, founder of Gab, a far-right social platform, and Jeff Clark, a former assistant attorney general, joined the chorus with similar views, with Clark labeling the festival a ‘neopagan ritual.’”

Daily Mail added on September 5:

“Burning Man has descended into chaos as fed-up revelers snapped and fought during the mass exodus from the washout festival… It came as the grand finale – the burning of ‘the man’ – finally got underway a day late on Monday night, with the wooden statue lit for the dwindling crowd who’d stayed…

“A half-inch of rain fell on Friday, turning the site into a quagmire, and attendees were ordered not to leave because the exit roads were impassable… People were being urged to delay their departure until Tuesday if possible.

“Disruptions are part of the event’s recent history: Dust storms forced organizers to temporarily close entrances to the festival in 2018, and the event was twice canceled altogether during the pandemic…”

According to Wikipedia, “Burning Man began as a bonfire ritual on the summer solstice. Sculptor Mary Grauberger, a friend of Larry Harvey’s girlfriend, Janet Lohr, held solstice bonfire gatherings on Baker Beach for several years prior to 1986, some of which Harvey attended. When Grauberger stopped organizing it, Harvey ‘picked up the torch’, with Grauberger’s permission, and ran with it. He and Jerry James built the first wooden effigy on the afternoon of June 21, 1986, cobbled together using scrap wood, to be torched later that evening. 

“On June 22, 1986, Larry Harvey, Jerry James, and a few friends met on Baker Beach in San Francisco and burned an 8 feet (2.4 m) tall wooden man as well as a smaller wooden dog. Harvey later described his inspiration for burning these effigies as a spontaneous act of ‘radical self-expression’. In 1987, the Man grew to 15 feet (4.6 m) tall, and by 1988, it had grown to 30 feet (9.1 m). 

“By 1988, Larry Harvey formally named the summer solstice ritual ‘Burning Man’ by titling flyers for the happening as such. This was apparently done to ward off references to ‘wicker man,’ the reputed Celtic pagan practice of burning live sacrifices in human-shaped wicker cages…”

Still, the parallels are undeniable. Why would anyone want to participate in such obscure pagan and ungodly customs?

Majority of Church of England Priests Support Premarital Sex and Gay Marriage

The Daily Caller wrote on August 30:

“The Church of England’s (CofE) liberal drift continues as a new survey shows that a [majority] of priests now support abandoning traditional Christian sexual ethics.

“A survey by the Times found that 62.6 percent of priests believe the church should relax its teaching that all premarital sex is sinful. A smaller majority (53.4 percent) voiced their support for same-sex marriage. The Church of England currently allows marriages only between men and women, though the General Synod — the CofE’s legislative body — voted in February to offer blessings to civilly married same-sex couples.”

The Bible condemns premarital sex and gay marriage. 

Children Change Their Gender

The Washington Examiner wrote on September 2:

“Thousands of children have undergone gender transition surgeries in recent years, following a trend that has ‘increased significantly,’ according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study identified 48,019 Americans of all ages who had undergone some form of gender dysphoria-related surgery in the United States between 2016 and 2019.

Nearly 4,000 of those were between the ages of 12 and 18. The reasoning for including 18-year-olds, the age of adulthood, in the younger cohort was not explained, so it is unclear by the study how many who are legally children were given the surgeries.

“However, a recent Vanderbilt University study found that 489 children between the ages of 12 and 17, with a median age of 16, had gotten their breasts removed in a double mastectomy in 2019 alone. ‘…it’s been happening to thousands of kids and it’s continuing to grow,’ Terry Schilling, president of American Principles Project, told the Washington Examiner. ‘The reality is that trans is not a civil rights movement. It’s an industry that’s mutilating and sterilizing the next generation of Americans for profits.’

“Surgeries in the JAMA article went beyond mastectomies and breast implants and included genital transition and facial reconstruction… ‘The fact that they are asking children to consent to something that they clearly can’t understand and will change lives irrevocably is extremely unfortunate…’, Stanley Goldfarb, chairman of the Do No Harm medical advocacy group, told the Washington Examiner

“People who have destransitioned… cite deep regret for their adolescent surgeries and drugs and point to heavy coercion on the part of doctors, who many critics say are trapping children in a lifetime of medical procedures and drugs at personal monetary gain….”

The horrible propaganda and unjustifiable encouragement of medical “experts,” with the brainless support of the mass media, leading to horrific decisions by uninformed children and teens, are appalling examples of a deceived world having gone terribly wrong.  

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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You report on political matters–is that really biblical?

Indeed, we do watch and report on world affairs, but unlike the myriad of other news sources available, our focus is to reveal how prophecies of the Bible are being fulfilled, today!

The word “political” can simply mean, “of or relating to government,” and it is this meaning which applies to the true gospel. Astounding as it may seem, the gospel of the Kingdom of God is a far-reaching political statement emphatically proclaimed by Jesus Christ:

“Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15; also, compare Matthew 4:23).

Gospel is the English word translated from the Greek, euaggelion, meaning, “good news.” Jesus spoke about a future government which would be established by God when He sends Him back to rule the earth. In this context, Jesus taught that we should anticipate this good news:

“‘In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven’” (Matthew 6:9-10).

Moreover, the Church of God has been commissioned to carry forward the very same message that Jesus brought. It includes an announcement about the end of this world’s governments under the invisible influence of Satan the Devil (compare John 14:30; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 5:19). Jesus came and qualified to be the future ruler of the world by overcoming Satan, and He announced this:

“‘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’” (John 16:33).

Adding: “‘Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out’” (John 12:31).

The change of government over the earth has not yet happened; however, it will, and the Church of God fulfills a unique role as representatives of the Kingdom of God:

“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Before Jesus ascended to Heaven, He gave these instructions to His disciples:

“‘…Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned’” (Mark 16:15-16).

Preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God has led and will continue to lead some few to God’s promise of SALVATION in this day and age; however, not all will believe! Most people will reject God’s message now, but in addition to announcing the coming government of God on earth, the Church of God must accomplish another aspect in its commission—to WARN:

“‘And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come’” (Matthew 24:14).

Jesus said that His servants would confront the political forces of this world:

“‘But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you’” (Matthew 10:17-20).

Facing shipwreck, the Apostle Paul was told by an angel of God that he and his companions would be saved. The angel further stated, “‘“Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar…”’” (Acts 27:24).

In Matthew 24, Jesus revealed the world conditions His disciples would face just before His return at the end of this age. He spoke of deception and false prophets, wars, famines, pestilences and earthquakes—along with persecution. Additionally, He said that we should “‘watch’” and “‘be ready’” (Matthew 24:42, 44).

We are doing just that by reporting on events as they develop in fulfillment of Christ’s warning! We are doing so in great detail through our booklets, weekly Updates, StandingWatch and AufPostenStehen programs presented by Evangelist Norbert Link, sermons and sermonettes—all available on our websites: www.eternalgod.org; www.churchofgodacf.ca; www.globalchurchofgod.co.uk; www.aufpostenstehen.de.

The Church of God also has an additional responsibility to serve as a “WATCHMAN” to proclaim the prophetic messages for our time (compare Ezekiel 33:7)!

Jesus referred to the prophecy of Daniel as an end-time event (Matthew 24:15), and Daniel himself quoted a prophecy being fulfilled which was made by Jeremiah (Daniel 9:2).

Many of the prophecies given to the prophets found in the Old Testament did not apply to their lifetime. In fact, those prophets, at times, did not even understand, as Daniel said:

Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, ‘My lord, what shall be the end of these things?’ And he said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand’” (Daniel 12:8-10).

The ”wise” who understand will be watching world events in the light of biblical prophecies. The Book of Revelation is addressed to servants of God, that is, the Church of God:

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Revelation 1:1-3).

Those things revealed in both the Book of Revelation and other biblical prophecies deal with people—including their political and religious leaders; the rise and fall of nations and empires is addressed; the evil influence of demonic, spiritual wickedness is identified; and even catastrophic occurrences on earth and the powers of heaven are foretold.

“Political” has another meaning. It can be defined as “relating to the ideas or strategies of a particular party or group in politics.” In other words, it can refer to involvement in politics and especially party politics where there is infighting and the picking of one side or person over another. A third meaning of “political” is, “interested in or active in politics.”

That is not the role of the Church of God, nor should it be the role of individual Christians! However, God does instruct His servants to, “‘Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins.’”

Doing all that this entails is BIBLICAL, indeed!

The Church of God is not commissioned to fix this world’s political structure; rather, the Church is announcing the NEW government which Jesus Christ will bring to the earth—the KINGDOM OF GOD!  

Lead Writer: Dave Harris

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Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

compiled by Dave Harris

“The Decline and Fall of Canada,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Many Canadians feel that under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada has become a laughing stock of the world, and that the right to free speech has been severely limited. They feel that the country is indeed in the process of declining and falling. Is there any hope for change?

2023 FALL HOLY DAYS: Feast of Trumpets—September 16th; Day of Atonement—September 25th; Feast of Tabernacles—September 30th until October 6th; Last Great Day—October 7th.

Note that opening services for the Feast of Tabernacles will be conducted Friday evening (after sundown, Mountain Time)—September 29th.

A Tech Team Meeting was held via Google Meets on Sunday, September 3. 2023. Hosted by Eric Rank, much time was spent on analyzing and planning our booklet ad campaigns, which are targeting both English and German speaking audiences. It was noted that subscriptions for our Update (sent out weekly via email to all who make requests) has experienced modest growth in recent months. Due to the number of requests for “The Fall and Rise of the Jewish People” booklet, a rushed reprint order has been made this week.

“Sind wir Opfer Satans geworden?”, this Sabbath’s new German sermonette presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Title in English: “Have We Become Satan’s Victims?”   

“Das Geheimnis der biblischen Zahlen—Teil 2,” this Sabbath’s new German sermon presented by Michael Link, is now posted. Title in English: “The Mystery of Biblical Numbers–Part 2.”

“Unsere Auferstehung zum Leben,” is the German Trumpet’s sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Our Resurrection to Life.”

“Gottes Bogen in den Wolken,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented in Germany by Jens Herrmann, is now posted. Title in English: “God’s Bow in the Clouds.”

“The First and Great Commandment,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Paul Niehoff, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Jesus Christ answered a lawyer about which is the great commandment of the law. He quoted a passage in Deuteronomy chapter six which described this commandment and the physical benefits from obeying it. It is also very beneficial spiritually for us to obey it, remembering that only the Eternal God can give us eternal life. No other so-called gods are able to.

“Know the Lord,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Rene Messier, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Many claim to “know the Lord,” but never study His life and how He dealt with life’s challenging situations; nor do they know what He was really like. This sermon looks at His attributes and characteristics.

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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

The First and Great Commandment / Know the Lord

On Sept 2, 2023, Paul Niehoff will present the sermonette, titled, “The First and Great Commandment,“ and Rene Messier will present the sermon, titled, “Know the Lord.”

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.

Update 1083

The First and Great Commandment / Know the Lord

On Sept 2, 2023, Paul Niehoff will present the sermonette, titled, “The First and Great Commandment,“ and Rene Messier will present the sermon, titled, “Know the Lord.”

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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Why You Cannot DIY!

by Frank Bruno

I enjoy watching Do It Yourself (“DIY) videos on YouTube. From an amateur watch maker who restores old mechanical watches, to a farmer in Ohio who is building his backyard pond, the ability to transform and create something of value is impressive. Many of us have experienced the sense of satisfaction that comes along with building something by hand. Perhaps the task is woodworking, metalsmithing, creating a piece of art, writing something with enduring quality, and even gardening. The feeling that we can derive from a job well done is hard to describe but one knows the feeling. People use the word “satisfying” to describe that sensation of accomplishment that comes from completing a task. It is good to use the skills we have been given by God, but not good to believe that we are independent of God’s grace in our lives.

I have a work-colleague who has mentioned a prior life near the beach in Costa Rica. He would fish for the family dinner, pick fruit from a tree for breakfast, and in general live a self-sufficient lifestyle. He makes it sound wonderful and free of the usual stress and hassle that everyday life typically includes. The positives of such a life seem to outweigh the possibility of negatives but they do exist. Perhaps you will wake up ill one day and be unable to fend for yourself. One would quickly come to understand they are not quite so self-sufficient.

In Proverbs 3, and in verses 5-8, we are directed to: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.”

This is antithetical to the DIY philosophy, but to us as true Christians, it is essential that our toolbox be grounded in our faith, obedience, and trust in the Father. It is also true that God wants those He calls to be productive and use the talents and abilities He gives them. This is not a DIY contradiction because we must remember that despite all that we do and may be proficient at, we must rely on God for blessings and deliverance from the challenges we face.

Isaiah 41 outlines the many things that God does and will do for His people. It is a catalogue of His power and majesty and encapsulated in verse 13: “For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’” Is this not what we all require—God to take our hand and guide us through the difficulties? As we apply our skills and energies to a problem, we must understand that we must rely on Him. The part that many of us struggle with is that if it is not God’s Will to grant a desire, or an outcome He favors, it will not happen, regardless of our skill. As He did with Moses in the Wilderness, God made the impossible occur. He brought forth living water from stone. Later in Isaiah 41,we see His powers clearly, as stated in verses 18 through 20:

“I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set junipers in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.”

As humans, we are not capable of miraculous achievement, regardless of our skill. Even musical and technical prodigies must develop and are flawed. Only God is defined by perfection. He has, however, given us a glimpse of His magnificence through His creation of all of us and the universe around us.In 1 Peter 5, and in verses 6 and 7, we are admonished as follows: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.”

True Christians must understand this and ensure that they do not fall back on the carnal expectation to rely on oneself, or one’s family, friends, or colleagues for salvation. All good things flow only from God. This includes all blessings, skills, sustenance, and even the challenges we face. In Philippians 4, and in verse 6, we understand that we are to “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

In our society today, we are accustomed to receiving immediate updates for packages we are expecting. We have similar expectations for resolutions in our lives. Problems we face, health issues, and challenges involving work, are just a handful of matters we deal with in which our expertise may have little impact on the outcome. Yet, our human existence has trained us to believe that we can fix the situation. We also see the reliance that so many people in the world place on governmental leaders to deliver peace, prosperity, and well-being. Political parties and activists promote their ability to provide the answer. As true Christians, we know that this is not accurate, nor is it possible.

As we conclude, let us consider Christ’s words in John 15:4-5: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” This is what it boils down to: We can do nothing without God’s intervention and influence in our lives. When He calls us, we have a choice to make, and as the builder counts the cost of the project, true Christians must understand the full benefit that comes with trusting and relying on God.

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By Norbert Link

We begin this edition with frightening developments pertaining to Germany’s legal system which may pose the question as to whether Germany, as a “Rechtsstaat” (“State founded on the Rule of Law”), is becoming more and more a “Unrechtsstaat” (“Unconstitutional State”).

Focusing on current events in the USA, concern is mounting that we are reaching the time of another civil war.

These concerns are, in part, based on events in Georgia and Trump’s declaration that he will be the country’s retribution; allegations by Ukraine’s former prosecutor that Joe Biden took bribes from Ukraine; Biden’s use of email aliases to pass on governmental information to Hunter and others; the declared intention of Biden and other Catholic Democrats to make abortion legal until the time of birth, claiming falsely that the Catholic Church supports their stance;  Biden’s announcement that everyone will be “required” to take a new COVID shot [note in this regard the illuminating article by Dr. Ron Paul and the despicable court decision against Robert F Kennedy Jr.] ; climate czar John Kerry’s attack on “climate change deniers”; and Biden’s intentions to prohibit many household appliances (ceiling fans being the latest example).

Please view our new StandingWatch program, “Civil War Is Going to Happen!”

In other international news, Russia has claimed that the leader of the Wagner troop and warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin has died in a suspicious plane crash, but this claim is disputed; Hungary has demanded that the war in Ukraine must end immediately; and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is threatening to prevent a religious pilgrimage of Jews to Ukraine on the Feast of Trumpets.

We conclude with an interesting and outspoken controversy between Argentinian Pope Francis and the most likely next Argentinian president, Javier Milei.

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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Travesty of Justice in Germany

Breitbart wrote on August 24:

“A judge who struck down government rules that children must wear masks at school in a German state in 2021 stands to lose his legal career and pension, and has been handed a two-year suspended prison sentence for ‘perverting the law’ (“Rechtsbeugung”).

“Judge Christian Dettmar struck down the order by German state Thuringia in 2021 that, as part of Coronavirus lockdown procedures, children must wear masks while at school, should keep a minimum distance from each other, and should be subjected to virus tests. Ruling that this was not compatible with the welfare of the children involved, Judge Dettmar ordered two schools in the city of Weimar, Thuringa, no longer to enforce the order, and the judge’s decision caused instant outrage in state government.

“His ruling was overturned by a higher court following a complaint by the state’s education department meaning masks returned to schools, and a prosecution against Judge Dettmar was launched, as he stood accused of ‘perverting the law’ and ruling on a matter he did not have authority over

“Now the Thuringian district court has found against the judge, giving him a two-year suspended sentence. His lawyers had argued for acquittal and the prosecution had asked for a three-year sentence, so now both will appeal the sentence

“The defence argued the trial was politically motivated and was intended to silence dissenters, while Judge Detmarr himself said he felt no regret and would make the same ruling again ‘out of deep inner conviction.’

“While a two-year suspended sentence may not seem like a serious outcome, it will have massive consequences for Judge Dettmar, as German law dictates any civil servant sentenced to a custodial sentence of more than 12 months is deprived of both their position and their pension… He has already been suspended on probation pending the outcome of the challenges, and police searched his home, offices, and digital devices.”

Legal experts have pointed out that, contrary to the prosecution’s and the courts’ allegations, Dettmar was fully authorized to make that decision as a family judge ruling in family matters, and there can be no doubt that the action by the government, in collaboration with politically motivated courts, is a travesty of judgment… especially, as rumors have it that the German government under Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (who has been called the German Anthony Fauci) wants to soon reinstate rigorous coronavirus restrictions.

LifeSiteNews added on August 24:

“Dettmar’s ruling striking down COVID mandates in schools had caused international headlines. A higher court subsequently overturned his decision on the grounds that a family court is not entitled to issue instructions to public institutions; only administrative courts are allowed to do so. The Thuringian Higher Regional Court and the Federal Court of Justice affirmed that family courts do not have jurisdiction to make such decisions. 

“However, according to Erik Rusch from Epoch Times Germany, this legal interpretation is debatable among experts. ‘If this interpretation of the law were to be followed consistently, sexual assaults against children in private schools, for example, could be attacked and stopped on the basis of Section 1666 of the German Civil Code (BGB) for endangering the welfare of children, but not in public schools,’ Rusch explains. ‘According to this case law, victims of sexual violence in state schools would have to engage in lengthy administrative proceedings.’”

Not only that, in order to be legally convicted, Dettmar must have intentionally issued his decision, knowing that he did not have the authority to do so, even though legal experts said that he had that authority. This defies credibility and is indeed a travesty of judgment. But it’s not the only legal travesty in Germany.

“American Author Convicted in Germany for Comparing COVID Regime to Nazi-Era”

LifeSiteNews reported on August 23:

“American satirist and playwright C.J. Hopkins has been convicted of a crime for content in social media posts that a judge considered to be critical of the German government for its Covid policies. Hopkins, who lives in Germany, was reportedly charged after posting a picture of his book that shows a face mask with a barely visible Swastika printed on it in response to a social media post featuring German health minister Karl Lauterbach

“A German judge sent Hopkins a ‘punishment order,’ sentencing the writer to a fine of €3,600 or 60 days in jail. The American author told [journalist] Taibbi that he was convicted for ‘disseminating propaganda, the contents of which are intended to further the aims of a former National Socialist organization.’

“Hopkins reportedly responded to a social media post on X, formerly Twitter, by the German newspaper Die Welt, featuring a picture of Lauterbach and a quote from the German health minister: ‘The mask always sends out a signal.’ The American writer responded to the post by quoting Lauterbach’s words back to him with a picture of the cover of his book called ‘The Rise of the New Normal Reich,’ which features a transparent swastika on a face mask.

“Hopkins’ book criticizes the draconian political response to the Covid crisis in Germany and around the world, comparing some aspects of it to the Nazi era. Hopkins stressed that neither his book nor any of his other works ever promoted National Socialism or anything related to it. ‘I’m laughing because it would take all of about 20 seconds of anyone looking at my actual work to determine how absolutely opposed I am to anything resembling totalitarianism, fascism, authoritarianism, anything,’ the author told Taibbi.

“To both Hopkins and Taibbi, the verdict appeared to be an act of censorship against a political dissident by the German state… When Taibbi asked Hopkins whether he thinks the case against him happened because the German government was upset at being compared to the Nazis, the author responded, ‘That’s exactly the way that I interpret it’…

“While it is illegal to spread symbols associated with National Socialism in Germany if the intent is to promote the ideology, many books and movies that depict swastikas are nevertheless allowed in Germany. ‘Yes, if you’re a Nazi, it’s illegal to spread swastikas around in Germany,” Hopkins said to Taibbi. “But if you’re doing art, if you’re commenting on history, if you’re selling a book, there are a whole slew of reasons for exceptions where people can and do use swastikas …’ according to Hopkins, he cannot appeal his conviction and can only go to court to ask for mitigation of the sentence….”

In Germany, judges are employed and appointed for life. It is very difficult to get rid of them. And so, we see more and more examples where German judges usher incredibly outrageous decisions in violation of the law. And as in this case, they cannot even be appealed. Also, in the last issue of our Current Events, we reported the incredible and blatantly false decision of a German judge against an AfD official, Florian Jäger, for alleged antisemitic statements, which “coincidentally” corresponds with the ridiculous decision against Hopkins.

Nothing Works Anymore in Germany

Bild Online wrote on August 29:

“Everywhere you look it crunches… Construction sites like malignant cancers that go on forever, which could be due to weeks of no workers in sight

“No one can ever be reached by phone if you want to complain to a governmental office or make an appointment. Registry office, passport, driver’s license, doctor – forget it…

“… economically, we are the sick man of Europe, the world economy is growing, we are shrinking, this year by 0.3 percent. On the other hand, we have the highest inflation at six percent, exports are weakening, China is no longer buying our cars…

“Where are all the people who used to work in gastronomy, in medical practices, in sales?… We don’t know. They are just missing.

“But we also have records. Regarding fearmongering or sickness. Every second person has already called in sick this year… We are never part of the solution, but always part of the problem.

“When it comes to absurdities, our state works. Self-determination from the age of 14; i.e., in the middle of puberty?…”

Such incredible nonsense!

Trump: I Am Your Retribution!

Report 24 wrote on August 25:

“His last tweets were from January 2021 – after the alleged ‘storming of the Capitol’ it was over; Donald Trump had been banned from Twitter. He did not respond to the activation after Elon Musk took over the network, but now the former President of the United States has reported back to X. He demonstratively posted his ‘mug shot’ taken of him today at Fulton Prison. The subtitle: ‘Never surrender!’

“X (formerly Twitter) rejoices: Donald Trump is back. While the German mainstream is trying very hard to convey the impression that he would have become unacceptable as the first US President with a so-called mug shot, the users in the social networks seem to see it quite differently: for his still enormous group of supporters the police photo that Trump provocatively posted on Twitter is likely to be a badge of honor.

“The actions of the judiciary against the former US President, who had always campaigned for the fight against the so-called Deep State, is seen as evidence of the machinations that Trump had vehemently denounced in the past. In particular, he saw the Justice Department as infiltrated and in the service of powerful, foreign masters who do not work for the well-being of American citizens but for their own interests – and who accordingly perceive ricochets like Trump as archenemies. Trump promised American citizens in May: ‘I am your warrior, I am your justice, and for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution. I will totally obliterate the Deep State.’

While Democrats and no-Trumpers are gloating, and while many Americans, being sound asleep, have no “opinion” on the matter, others came to his defense, and Trump’s approval rate skyrocketed after he had to present himself to Georgia’s “justice” system in connection with his fourth (!) criminal “indictment” to have his mug shot taken (which had never been taken before of a sitting or former President, but which he later placed himself on Twitter, now called “X,” attempting to show the travesty of the actions taken against him, and to reassure his supporters that he will fight to the bitter end).

Also, his “fundraising committee is selling now T-shirts, mugs, beverage coolers, bumper sticks, and other products featuring Trump’s mug shot and the words ‘never surrender’. The mug shot merchandise ranges in price from $12 for a bumper sticker to $36 for a long-sleeve T-shirt,” according to Newsmax, dated August 25.

Trump: I Will Jail My Opponents

Newsmax wrote on August 30:

“Former President Donald Trump, blaming President Joe Biden for the indictments he’s facing, [said in an interview with radio host Glenn Beck on Tuesday] he’ll have ‘no choice’ when it comes to jailing political opponents if he’s elected as president, as ‘they’re doing it to us.’…

“His comments came after Beck asked if he regrets not locking up his 2016 presidential election challenger Hillary Clinton, despite his calls during the campaign to ‘lock her up.’ ‘Then when you became president, you said, “We don’t do that in America.” That’s just not the right thing to do. That’s what they’re doing,’ Beck said. ‘If you’re president again, will you lock people up?’”

Beck asked a legitimate question as to why Trump broke his word when he did not at least retry to lock Hillary Clinton up.

Set Trial Date Blatant Election Interference

Breitbart wrote on August 28:

“Republicans blasted U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan’s scheduling the trial date for former President Donald Trump’s federal case a day before Super Tuesday, deeming it another ‘corrupt’ act by President Joe Biden’s DOJ as well as a ‘blatant’ form of election interference against the former president and Republican frontrunner.

“On Monday, the Associated Press reported on Chutkan’s decision in Washington, DC, after she denied Trump’s legal team’s request for a spring 2026 date. The trial date for the former president’s case — alleging he attempted to overturn the 2020 election results — is set for a day before more than a dozen states hold their caucuses or primaries, marking one of the most momentous days of the presidential primary process.”

It was pointed out that the Democrats are doing exactly what they are accusing Trump of doing, and that Chutkan should be disbarred. Also, as Breitbart reported, “Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against Trump alleging 34 counts of falsifying business records is also set to commence this spring on March 25. Smith’s other case relating to classified documents Trump allegedly took at the end of his presidency is set to begin on May 20.”

Could anything be more obvious?

Breitbart quoted former U.S. Ambassador Richard Grenell as saying:

“‘Election interference in broad daylight, right up in your face by a weaponized justice system. Defund the DOJ, impeach Biden & Garland. Power is all they understand, use what power we have or lose the republic… The U.S. State Department usually calls out this type of election interference. Instead, Blinken is participating in election interference. Dictators around the world are celebrating. I look forward to removing these shisters from government and helping restore America’s moral clarity.”

Civil War Is Going To Happen

Daily Express US wrote on August 25:

“Donald Trump’s fourth indictment prompted fury from the former Alaskan Governor, with Sarah Palin evoking violent language and warning that a second Civil War is ‘going to happen’.

“Sarah Palin said a second Civil War is ‘going to happen’ if Donald Trump continues to be persecuted. The former Alaska governor made the grim prediction in an interview with Newsmax after Trump handed himself over to the authorities in Georgia. ‘Those who are conducting this travesty and creating this two-tier system of justice, I want to ask them… do you want us to be in civil war?’ she said. ‘Because that’s what’s going to happen. We’re not going to keep putting up with this.’… Palin also told ex-Fox News anchor Eric Bolling: ‘You suggested that we need to get angry. We do need to rise up and take our country back.’”

There is much anger in this country about what is perceived to be a crooked, corrupt and weaponized injustice department. Only imagine if Trump is convicted and imprisoned, for instance in Georgia, as some conservative legal experts, such as former US Attorney for Washington D.C. Joe diGenova, have predicted will happen, as Trump could not get a fair trial or a fair and impartial judge and jury. You don’t need to be a brain surgeon to know that if or when that happens, it will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

In an interview with Tucker Carlson, the question was asked of Trump: “So what’s next, after trying to put you in prison for the rest of your life? That’s not working. Don’t they have to kill you now?” Trump responded indirectly, saying that violence could break out: “There’s a level of passion I’ve never seen, there’s a level of hatred I’ve never seen,” he said. “And that’s probably a bad combination.”

It won’t be just some violence. It will be a full-fledged civil war, the likes of which we have not seen since THE Civil War which started in 1861 and ended in 1865. We have been warning you of this possibility for quite some time.

Democrats sense that too, but they place all the blame on conservatives and Trump supporters. Disgraced former FBI chief Andrew McCabe said on CNN that Palin’s comments were irresponsible, outrageous and “validate and seem to permit political violence,” while “proposing essentially extortion.” Left-wing reactions on social media were telling, with users suggesting that Palin was inciting violence and should be arrested for her comments.

In an article by BU Today, dated March 27, 2019, the following was stated:

A recent Washington Post headline says: ‘In America, talk turns to something not spoken of for 150 years: Civil war.’ The story references, among others, Stanford University historian Victor Davis Hanson, who asked in a National Review essay last summer: ‘How, when, and why has the United States now arrived at the brink of a veritable civil war?’ Another Washington Post story reports how Iowa Republican Congressman Steve King recently posted a meme warning that red states have ‘8 trillion bullets’ in the event of a civil war. And a poll conducted last June by Rasmussen Reports found that 31 percent of probable US voters surveyed believe ‘it’s likely that the United States will experience a second civil war sometime in the next five years.’”

In an article by Marca, dated August 23, 2022, it was stated that half of Americans think there’s another civil war coming.”

That was then. Now it’s even much worse. This country is hopelessly divided. It is a powder keg ready to explode.

Former Ukraine Prosecutor Charges Biden With Receiving Bribes

The New York Post wrote on August 25:

“Former Ukraine prosecutor general Viktor Shokin says in a new interview… that he believes… that President Biden and his son Hunter received bribes in exchange for forcing him out of office in early 2016. ‘I do not want to deal in unproven facts, but my firm personal conviction is that, yes, this was the case. They were being bribed,’ Shokin [said]… ‘And the fact that Joe Biden gave away $1 billion in US money in exchange for my dismissal, my firing, isn’t that alone a case of corruption?’ added the former top law enforcement officer in Kyiv…

“Shokin was dismissed by a vote of Ukraine’s parliament in March 2016 following intense pressure from then-Vice President Joe Biden. His office had been investigating Mykola Zlochevsky, the owner of natural gas company Burisma Holdings, which paid then-second son Hunter Biden up to $1 million per year as a member of the company’s board beginning in April 2014. Biden publicly claimed credit for forcing out Shokin by threatening to withhold $1 billion in US loan guarantees…

“An FBI informant file released publicly last month said that Zlochevsky claimed in 2016 that he was ‘coerced’ into paying $5 million apiece in bribes to Joe and Hunter Biden in exchange for Shokin’s ouster…

“Shokin [also] claimed that Joe Biden was responsible for Russia’s annexation of Crimea, which occurred in early 2014, before Hunter Biden joined Burisma. ‘Everybody knows that it was because of Joe Biden’s actions that Russia was able to claim Crimea without firing a single shot, which of course eventually led to a full-scale war that is currently underway,’ Shokin said…

“This week, purported internal Obama-Biden administration emails… indicate officials were surprised that Biden was pushing for Shokin’s ouster as a condition of US aid… Shokin’s office won a court order to seize Zlochevsky’s property on Feb. 2, 2016… Shokin was fired on March 29. The elder Biden spoke on the phone four times  in February and March 2016 with then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and once with Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk as he pushed for Shokin’s ouster.”

Who can seriously question that Joe Biden’s conduct in this entire matter was utterly corrupt, to say the very least?

Joe Biden Secretly Revealed Government Information to Hunter and Others

Breitbart wrote on August 28:

“The National Archives (NARA) possesses about  5,400 emails and records linked to President Joe Biden’s email aliases, the House Oversight Committee revealed Monday evening. ‘The email aliases — ‘Robert Peters,’ ‘Robin Ware,’ and ‘JRB Ware’ — were used to share government information and discuss business with Hunter Biden and associates, according to the Southeastern Legal Foundation…”

When is Biden going to be held accountable for his actions?

Abortion Up to Birth Nationwide

Life News wrote on August 23:

“Joe Biden has a message for the American people. He wants voters to know that, if he’s re-elected, he will institute abortions up to birth nationwide.

“Biden wants Democrats to take over the House and pass a bill through Congress that would restore Roe v. Wade and legalize abortions up to birth without limits and at taxpayer expense across the country.”

International Family News wrote on August 26:

“In a move that contradicts the teachings of the Catholic Church, 30 U.S. House Democrats have claimed that their Catholic faith compels them to support abortion. Led by U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, these lawmakers condemned the Supreme Court’s life-saving decision in Dobbs v. Jackson, stating that their Catholic faith supports a woman’s right to access abortion. They described themselves as devout Catholics who believe in the dignity of every human being and protecting the most vulnerable. However, they reject pro-life laws that aim to protect the lives of unborn babies. They argue that such laws disproportionately harm marginalized communities and violate the principles of social justice and religious freedom.

“Contrary to their claims, pro-life laws have been proven to save lives. Researchers estimate that approximately 25,000 unborn babies have been spared from abortion since the Dobbs decision. Pro-life advocates also ensure that pregnant mothers are protected by the law.

“In contrast, Pelosi and most Democrats in Congress support legislation that would legalize abortion for any reason up to birth and force taxpayers to fund these procedures. They argue that allowing individuals to make their own decisions about their bodies, families, and futures aligns with their beliefs as Catholics. However, Catholic Church teachings are clear that abortion is considered evil, as it destroys human life.

“While Catholics worldwide are active in the pro-life movement, speaking out for the sanctity of life and advocating for policies that protect unborn babies, some Catholic politicians have tried to justify their pro-abortion views by distorting their faith’s teachings. Pelosi, in particular, has faced criticism from San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, who  recently denied her communion in an effort to make her understand the seriousness of her actions.

“The stance of U.S. Catholic bishops on denying communion to pro-abortion politicians remains divided, with some welcoming and offering communion to those who support abortion rights without requiring them to repent. This divisive issue continues to stir debate within the Catholic Church.”

Joe Biden claimed that Pope Francis called him a good Catholic during a recent visit in spite of Biden’s ungodly stance on abortion which also happens to violate the official teaching of the Catholic Church.

Biden: Anyone Will Have to Take New COVID Vaccine

Fox News reported on August 26:

“President Biden said Friday he plans to request additional funding from Congress for the development of a new COVID-19 vaccine, adding he may require everyone to take it, regardless of if they previously received a vaccine or not.”

“Require”? He can’t be serious!

Is Governmental COVID Tyranny Coming Back?

On August 28, Dr. Ron Paul wrote in his “Weekly Column”:

“Just four and a half months since President Biden declared an end to the Covid ‘emergency,’ the media is suddenly full of stories about the return of Covid. This time a new ‘variant’ is being rolled out and the media, in collusion with big Pharma and the fear-industrial complex, are churning out stories about how forced masking is making a comeback. Also, the ‘unvaccinated’ are again to be denied basic human rights in the name of fighting a virus that the vaccine demonstrably does not protect against.

“In short, they are desperately trying to revive the tyranny, insanity, and utter irrationality of the two-year Covid scare. And they are pretending none of us remembers how they destroyed society with their lockdowns, mask mandates, and vaccine mandates. They are hoping that none of us will remember the suicides, lost jobs, broken marriages, increased alcoholism and drug abuse, and the rest of what went along with the world’s experiment with global lockdown.

“Even Fauci himself is back – like a moth drawn to the light of publicity. Despite all the scientific evidence that the lockdowns were a disaster, that they did far more harm than good, Fauci has re-emerged with his trademark arrogance and claimed that they were the right thing to do and should be done again if that’s what it takes to force people to take the vaccine. A vaccine that does not work.

“They won’t even allow us to mention the spike in all-around mortality or the millions who may have been vaccine-injured the first time around. They want us to think that 20-year-old world-class athletes have always just dropped dead of heart attacks out of the blue…

“Yes, look for a renewal of all those old hollow phrases used to attack those of us who can see with our own eyes and hear with our own ears. Their slogans are meant to silence any debate…

“The big question is…why? Why are they doing this and how do they think they can get away with it a second time? One reason they believe they can get away with it again is that no one has ever been punished for what they did the first time. The Federal Government made sure that the pharmaceutical companies would not be liable for vaccine damages.

“The public figures who openly became monsters, demanding the unvaccinated be drummed out of society and maybe even off the face of the earth have not been shamed or shunned. Politicians who displayed cowardice and worse have not been voted out of office for their treachery.

“Why are they coming back around for another round of Covid tyranny? Fear is a weapon to gain control. Last time around they generated fear to radically change how America voted. Suddenly everyone was mailed ballots. How closely were they checked? No one knew and no one dared ask. The people who did ask about the election are now facing jail terms.

“They want us to shut up while they do it again. Will we?”

Even though it states the opposite, let us remind our readers that we are not talking here about communist China, dictatorial Russia or autocratic North Korea, but the USA. Who would have thought a few years ago that such tyranny is even possible in America? Who can doubt that America is experiencing a complete irreversible downfall which will end in TOTAL DESTRUCTION?

Sadly, it is feared that many—far too many—in the USA and elsewhere will be COWARDS again, too afraid to speak up. Others won’t object because they profit financially, or politically, from the fear tactics employed by unscrupulous governmental officials, financially supported medical “experts,” and the left-wing mass media. See our new member letter (August 23). https://www.eternalgod.org/letter-to-the-brethren-august-21-2023/ . And note the next article!

Travesty of “Justice”: Court Rules Against Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Breitbart wrote on August 28:

“The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has rejected a request by Democrat primary candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for a temporary restraining order preventing Google-owned YouTube from censoring his content.

“YouTube recently doubled down on its ‘medical misinformation’ policy, which it has used as a pretext to censor RFK Jr., who is Joe Biden’s closest competitor in the Democrat party primary…  ‘The Court finds that the First Amendment claim is unlikely to succeed on the merits because Google and YouTube are not state actors,’ wrote Judge Trina Thompson, who was nominated to serve on the Court by Joe Biden in 2021, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2022. ‘Second, Plaintiff was not, and will not, be irreparably harmed if a temporary restraining order is not issued because he does not demonstrate urgency or that he will not be able to share his videos through other sites and methods.’

“In the application for a restraining order, attorneys for Kennedy sought to prevent YouTube from using its ‘medical misinformation’ policy to censor videos of the candidate during his campaign in the 2024 election. In the ruling, Judge Thompson also argued that even if Kennedy could establish that YouTube is a state actor, the First Amendment does not necessarily protect ‘medical misinformation’… Thompson wrote ‘the coronavirus still poses a health risk to certain individuals, and it would not serve the public interest to let medical misinformation proliferate on YouTube.’”

Who says that Kennedy is disseminating “medical misinformation”? Has anyone ever heard such politically driven nonsense? Where are the “no-nonsense” judges in this country—or in Germany, for that matter?

Social Media Outrage Over John Kerry’s Accusations Against Climate Change Deniers

Fox News wrote on August 26:

“The Biden administration’s climate czar John Kerry sparked social media outrage this weekend with a video of him scolding humanity for threatening itself by not curbing its effect on the climate…. X (formerly Twitter) users ripped into it, calling Kerry a ‘con-artist’ and a ‘tyrant’ for his strong rebuke of those not on board with the climate agenda.

“During the address, Kerry likened climate-change deniers to ‘cult’ members, who ‘lash out at the truth tellers’ and refuse to accept ‘indisputable evidence’ of manmade climate change.”

Actually, much of the “indisputable evidence” of “man-made” climate change has been doctored and manipulated.

More Green Agenda Nonsense From the Biden Administration

The New York Post wrote on August 25:

Ceiling fans are now the latest target in the Biden administration’s green agenda, sparking pushback from Republicans and manufacturers. The Department of Energy is proposing a rule that would require ceiling fans to be more energy efficient, arguing the move would save U.S. households on energy costs. According to the Energy Department’s analysis, the new rules would save households about $39 over the lifespan of the new energy-efficient fan. However, the cost to manufacturers associated with the increased equipment will total $86.6 million per year, the department said.

Republicans on the House Committee on Small Business say if the rule goes into effect it could put small manufacturers out of business, given the costs the companies would incur in order to comply with the changes…

“The Energy Department has been on the warpath to impose more stringent regulations on household appliances for the past several months, proposing new standards for gas stoves, ovens, washing machines, refrigerators, air conditioners, dishwashers, and other essentials as part of its mission to advance energy efficiency and conservation.

“On his first day in office in January 2021, President Biden signed an executive order requiring the Energy Department to make ‘major revisions’ to current appliance regulation standards and standards set by the Trump administration. A month later, the agency listed more than a dozen energy-efficiency rules impacting appliances like water heaters, cooking products, and lamps, that it would review….”

The Woke nonsense is sweeping through the Western world, and the unified approach of leaders in different countries suggests coordinated efforts, as were the draconian measures against Corona.

Hurricane Idalia Causes Devastating Damage

The Associated Press wrote on August 30:

“Hurricane Idalia made landfall Wednesday in Florida as a Category 3 storm and unleashed devastation along a wide stretch of the Gulf Coast, submerging homes and vehicles, turning streets into rivers, unmooring small boats and downing power lines in an area that has never before received such a pummeling…

“The National Weather Service in Tallahassee called Idalia ‘an unprecedented event’ since no major hurricanes on record have ever passed through the bay abutting the Big Bend…

“Idalia had grown into a Category 2 system on Tuesday afternoon and became a Category 3 just hours earlier Wednesday before strengthening to a Category 4 and then weakening slightly to a high-end Category 3. Hurricanes are measured on a five category scale, with a Category 5 being the strongest. A Category 3 storm is the first on the scale considered a major hurricane and the National Hurricane Center says a Category 4 storm brings ‘catastrophic damage.’…

“The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently said the 2023 hurricane season would be far busier than initially forecast… The season runs through Nov. 30, with August and September typically the peak.”

Leader of Wagner Group Confirmed Dead

Fox News reported on August 27:

“Russian investigators say DNA testing confirms that Russian warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin was aboard the small jet that crashed outside Moscow under mysterious circumstances last week. [They] confirmed the identities of all 10 people aboard the craft, which also included Prigozhin’s second in command, Dmitry Utkin. Investigators have yet to offer an explanation for why the plane crashed…

“Prigozhin’s private jet plummeted out of the sky on Wednesday in the Tver region outside Moscow…

Prigozhin’s death comes just months after he led a stop-and-go insurrection against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime earlier this year. Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group, expressed anger at how his forces had been used and treated and ordered a march on Moscow. He soon aborted the march after deal making with Putin’s regime, under which he was supposed to remain in exile in Belarus.”

There are speculations that Russia struck the plane with a surface-to-air missile or that a bomb was brought on the plane which exploded during the flight. There have also been speculations that Prigozhin was not on the plane, but another person using his name. It was also reported that Putin has ordered Wagner fighters to sign an oath of allegiance to the Russian state. Note the next article.

Prigozhin Still Alive?

The Daily Mail wrote on August 29:

“A Russian political analyst has claimed warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin is alive after his body double was killed in last week’s plane crash – not the Wagner chief himself.

“Prigozhin is ‘alive, well, and free’ in an unnamed country, according to Dr Valery Solovey, even as Russa stages his funeral which Vladimir Putin is refusing to attend..

“Prigozhin is now plotting his revenge [against the people who tried to kill him, and for killing some of his closest associates], says the political analyst, a former professor at Moscow’s prestigious Institute of International Relations [MGIMO], a training school for spies and diplomats… ‘the plane in which Yevgeny Prigozhin was supposed to fly was downed by a Russian air defence system,’ he said, challenging US intelligence claims that the plane was destroyed by a blast on board…

“Dr Solovey said he would reveal Prigozhin’s supposed country of exile early next month but denied it was in Africa where the Wagner private army has multiple interests… Prigozhin has access to £1.6 billion in bitcoin, Solovey said – a fund he will use to strike back.”

There is also still the existence of an unsolved mystery regarding a second plane taking off at the same time the destroyed plane departed. It is alleged that this second plane carried Prigozhin while others say that it had no connection to the Wagner group.

Hungary: War Must End Immediately

MENAFN wrote on August 27:

“Europe is ‘destroying’ itself… due to its backing of Ukraine, and the European Union’s restrictions strategy is a laughing stock on the international phase, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has stated. He said again his administration’s  [position is] that the war in Ukraine ‘must end this minute.’

“It would be a ‘baroque and poetic exaggeration’ to say that restrictions towards Russia have effectively paralyzed the Russian economy, Szijjarto [said]…. ‘The policy of sanctions has failed,’ he stated, also noting that ‘everywhere in the world, the European sanctions policy is being laughed at.’”

Don’t Travel to Ukraine for Feast of Trumpets?

Israel 365 News reported on August 27:

“Every Rosh Hashana (a/k/a the Feast of Trumpets), tens of thousands of Jewish men travel to the city of Uman in the Ukraine to pray at the gravesite of a Hasidic rebbe. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy used this against the Israeli government, threatening to prevent this religious pilgrimage if his political demands were not met

“The tradition of the Rosh Hashana pilgrimage to his grave began after Rabbi Nachman’s death in 1810 at the age of 38.  For hundreds of years, the tradition was carried out by a small group of ardent followers. His influence continues today, and, after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the New Year’s gathering grew quickly, soon attracting tens of thousands of men. While the sudden influx of foreigners brings massive tourist dollars into the economically depressed country, Jewish tourists have been targeted by violence and anti-Jewish vandalism.

“Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy threatened to shut the borders to Jews for the holiday due to alleged mistreatment of Ukrainian tourists to Israel… In response, Interior and Health Minister Moshe Arbel rejected claims of mistreatment of Ukrainian tourists…

“Despite the ongoing war and travel restrictions, over 20,000 Israelis traveled to celebrate Rosh Hashana in Uman last year… A similar number of Jews are expected to arrive in Uman the week before the Jewish New Year is celebrated on September 15.”

The Department of State continues to advise that U.S. citizens, including Jews, do not travel to Ukraine due to the active armed conflict.

Pope Francis vs. Javier Milei

The Guardian wrote on August 27:

“In one corner of the ring stands Javier Milei, 52,… frontrunner in Argentina’s upcoming presidential elections; in the other, his compatriot Pope Francis, 86,… repeatedly derided by Argentina’s likely next president as… ‘the representative of the evil one on Earth’

“Milei, a political unknown until 2020, has pledged to wage a ‘cultural battle’ to transform Argentina… From Rome, Pope Francis has expressed grave concern about the rise of such ‘callous’ policies in his home country… In words that seemed to be referring to Milei, the only candidate in the 22 October vote with no political experience prior to 2021, the pope added: ‘I am terrified of saviours of the nation without a political party history.’…

“[Milei said] the pontiff is ‘preaching communism to the world’. Juan Grabois… with close links to the pontiff… calls Milei a ‘false prophet’ but attributes his rise to Argentina’s dire economic crisis…

“Milei is also treading fearlessly into anti-woke territory saying he will reinstate the ban on abortion, legalised in 2020, shut down the ministry of women, gender and diversity, as well as the ministries of science – ‘climate change is a socialist lie’ – health, education, labour and public works, and will legalise the sale of firearms…

“Milei is broadly considered the undisputed shoo-in president appealing particularly to young underprivileged men… Milei’s rise has been nothing short of mesmerizing… ‘What happens if an unstable country is ruled by an unstable leader?’, asks journalist Juan González… 

“In a country that will celebrate four decades of uninterrupted democracy after decades of military rule when the new president takes office on December 10, the prospect of the military reassuming a role in ‘internal conflicts’ is raising alarms…”

It will be interesting to see whether the fight between Pope Francis and Javier Milei will continue after the election on December 10.

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 can young people deal with peer pressure?

Peer pressure is an incredibly challenging thing that almost all young people will experience at one time or another in their lives—especially as young Christians or those who are on their way toward becoming true Christians. Even adults have to face peer pressure. The problem with peer pressure is that people want to fit in. They want others to like them and are at times willing to change their conviction in order to gain the approval of those around them. 

The Bible makes very good points about peer pressure and shows good examples of how to deal with these pressures.

It takes a solid understanding of what one believes, and to act toward that understanding to deal with and counter peer pressure. It should be noted that not all peer pressure is bad, and it can be useful to encounter peer pressure of both types to learn how to deal with each kind. 

Peer pressure really starts for early teens when they are trying to understand the world more and as they start to experience and gain more independence from their parents. And it continues through life to varying degrees. 

Peer pressure in and of itself is not a bad thing. Peer pressure can be positive or negative. There is a coach for teens whom I follow on Instagram and he is constantly posting that one of the most crucial things for teens is to choose their friend group – because it has a direct impact on the types of things each individual or the group are going to be influenced to do. 

Bad peer pressure can come about because of the type of people one associates with. 

Two quotes come to mind in this regard. 

  • “Associate yourself with people of good quality, for it is better to be alone than in bad company.”  Booker T. Washington
  • And a very famous one, with the origin unknown, is: “You become like the 5 people you spend the most time with. Choose carefully.”

When it comes to choosing with whom we make friends, it is essential to look at the qualities they bring to the table. Good people challenge one to also do and be good. A bad friendship causes one to veer off into areas that are not good. 

Here is a quick list of Scriptures that talk about good friendships and what they provide:

“The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray” (Proverbs 12:26).

“A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself; The simple pass on and are punished” (Proverbs 27:12)

“He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20).

“A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17).

“A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful… Ointment and perfume delight the heart, And the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel” (Proverbs 27:6, 9).

“Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

The Bible also gives us advice on the types of “friends” whom we should avoid so we don’t have to deal with bad peer pressure:

“Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits’” (1 Corinthians 15:33).

“A violent man entices his neighbor, And leads him in a way that is not good” (Proverbs 16:29).

“Make no friendship with an angry man, And with a furious man do not go, Lest you learn his ways And set a snare for your soul” (Proverbs 22:24-25).

“Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful” (Psalms 1:1).

“I have not sat with idolatrous mortals, Nor will I go in with hypocrites. I have hated the assembly of evildoers, And will not sit with the wicked” (Psalm 26:4-5).

When considering with whom to make friends, we should realize that there may be times when we will have to stand up to them in order to keep doing what is right. It may come to the point where we have to distance or disassociate from people whom we once called friends because we choose to walk a different path. It can be challenging and hard to walk away from a group of friends; we may be called names and made fun of or worse, people can try and defame us or cause problems for us. 

Daniel and his friends, when they were young, were asked to eat what appears to have included unclean food. They decided not to do this as they were following their conviction. They had to ask the people over them to give them a trial – they would not eat the unclean food while everyone else did. At the end of the trial, they were found to be healthier than everyone else. Daniel 1:8-16 tells this story. Daniel “set his heart” not to eat the food. Daniel understands the situation, and decides, in his heart, based upon his knowledge of what is right and what is wrong, and chooses to do the right thing. Once set, Daniel would not be moved. Not to give in to bad peer pressure shows the proper type of attitude.

Later on in the book of Daniel, we again see bad peer pressure at play. This time, Daniel’s friends were being “snitched” upon by people who should have been their peers. It involved the king of Babylon and the desire of the king to be worshiped by all people. Daniel’s three friends knew better and chose not to, because they knew they should only worship God, obeying the first commandment. The story shows that they had the faith to stand up for what they believed in, even if it would have resulted in their death. This type of faith was a result of consistent actions throughout their lives. 

Further on in the book of Daniel, in chapter 6, we find when Daniel is praying that people take notice and are jealous. They attempt to trap Daniel, again using the King’s power. Yet Daniel never strays from God, never stops doing what he knows to be right, and never gives in to bad peer pressure. And in return, God powerfully protects him from the lions in the den. 

These three stories iterate the power of bad peer pressure and how evil can be used against God’s people – including young people. More importantly, it shows that God is the One in control and knows the situations that we face. When we include Him in our ways and show Him that we are willing to stand up for what is right, instead of bowing to the pressures of doing what others think is right or cool, He will provide the way of escape. He will give us the power and the strength we need. 

Taking this one step further, we could even pray to God and ask Him to provide friendships for us that are good and helpful. Knowing that we can come to God and ask Him in faith for things such as this is powerful and should be reassuring for us. 

Good peer pressure is having an influence on people’s lives. As Christians, we are told that we are to be the “lights” of the world (Matthew 5:14-16)—meaning, we are to be the ones standing out. Even children, teens and young adults can be lights. This can be very hard for young (and old) people who want to fit in with their peers. Peers are oftentimes thought of as friend groups, but peers can actually be anyone with a similar status, such as age groups or some attribute that is shared. Good pressure is in finding groups where we are drawn to accomplish useful things such as doing well in school, encouraging others, work ethic, being kind to people, choosing not to follow other’s wrong examples, having good clean fun, enjoying other’s company, or finding and keeping up with interesting hobbies. People’s behavior is always influencing others. If one can act with integrity and confidence in good ways, others will take notice and follow. 

Philippians 4:8 tells us: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things.”

Bad peer pressure isn’t hard to find. It is easy to fall into the traps of bad peer pressure. It will always be harder to swim against the current of popular culture and maintain that which is good. 

Bad peer pressure can involve many things such as using bad language, taking God’s Name in vain, including expressions such as “My God,” “My Gosh,” “Gee,” “O my Lord,” “My goodness,” cursing and swearing, lying, cheating, calling people names, bullying, harassing, using social media in mean and cruel ways, engaging in inappropriate and wrong activities, smoking, taking drugs, sex or sexting, encouraging others to do wrong things. 

When we engage in bad types of peer pressure, we lose confidence and respect for ourselves, and others can come to lose respect for us as well. God especially will be definitely saddened. When such activities are happening, it is often the case that it can feel scary and intimidating to say no when a wrong action has taken place and continues. 

It is important to realize that one should not engage in them in the first place. If the courage to say no is there at the outset, it will make the future easier. If you find yourself in the place where you are compromising with what you know to be right, then there are a few things to immediately do. Pray – pray to God for forgiveness as He is the only One with the power to forgive fully. Then ask God for the courage to stop and for help to figure out how to get out of the situation. God is always there and wants to help when you include Him. Next, talking to parents or a minister about your situation will help you to see the broader picture. When sin takes hold of you, it can be hard to see a way out, and it can narrow your field of view. The Bible refers to sin as a passing pleasure (Hebrews 11:25). Yes, sin can feel good! But the end is always misery and death, which may perhaps be hard to picture in the moment! 

Peer pressure will be something all young people will deal with. We cannot state strongly enough that God really cares. He knows what we go through. He observes. When we choose to include Him in our lives, actions and challenges, then we can expect help and make better choices and decisions. God is always just a prayer away! Start practicing and see what happens. See how He will help you. The only way to really know is to try and see how it will work out. 

Peer pressure will be a part of almost everyone’s life at some point in time. Understanding what it is should help us to see that a lot of it is about people being insecure and a desire for acceptance from all involved. But we don’t have to fit in with this world, and we are actually told that we shouldn’t fit in with it. Romans 12:2 tells us:

“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.”

If people intimidate you, they are trying to manipulate you! It is very important that you make your own decisions and be the type of person to follow what God says, realizing that everything that He says is for our benefit and well-being. We must settle it in our hearts that we will not give in to peer pressure, no matter what we are facing. If we allow others to decide what we do and how we will behave, we lose our sovereignty. We have the right to our own thoughts. We have the right to choose not to follow what everyone else is doing. If we give that away, it plays right into Satan’s hands, with him seeking how we can fail. When we don’t stand up for what is right, we are in essence standing with those who are doing wrong, as it says in Romans 1:32 “…who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”  The previous verses also show in part what is going on in this world and how, with Satan’s influence growing stronger, people are given over to sin and will attempt to get us to follow suit. 

We will be able to overcome bad peer pressure when we realize it for what it is. Think carefully about the future and realize that many friends in early life will only be there for a brief time, while sometimes it can be a lifelong relationship. What really matters is good friendships and a strong relationship with those who truly love and care for your well-being—God, family and true and helpful friends. 

Lead Writer: Kalon Mitchell

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Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

compiled by Dave Harris

“Civil War Is Going to Happen!” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

More and more Americans are convinced that civil war in the USA is inevitable. The reasons for that belief are many, and this program lists quite a few. What does the Bible say about a coming civil war, and how can YOU prepare for it?

“Wird Deutschland zu einem Unrechtsstaat?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Is Germany Becoming an Unconstitutional State?”

“Unsere Kinder sind Gott heilig!,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Our Children Are Holy to God!”

“Babylon, Gestern und Heute – Nimrods Erbe,” last Sabbath’s first split sermon in Germany, presented by Robert Indlekofer, is now posted. Title in English: “Babylon, Yesterday and Today – Nimrod’s Legacy.”

“Die Kraft von oben, der heilige Geist,” last Sabbath’s second split sermon in Germany, presented by Christoph Sperzel, is now posted. Title in English: “The Power from Above, the Holy Spirit.”

“Learning to Follow Directions,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

What can we learn from teaching children? What lessons can we apply into our Christian lives?

“The Mystery of Biblical Numbers – Part 2,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary: In this second part of the series, we look at the meaning and symbolism of the biblical numbers 5, 6 and 7.

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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

Learning to Follow Directions / The Mystery of Biblical Numbers – Part 2

On August 26, 2023, Kalon Mitchell will present the sermonette, titled, “Learning to Follow Directions,” and Michael Link will present the sermon, titled, “The Mystery of Biblical Numbers – Part 2″.

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

Georgia’s Indictment Started with Fake News

Breitbart wrote on August 18:

“The fake news was reporting that Trump had told Georgia officials, by telephone, to fabricate votes.

“In early January 2020… Trump was reported to have told Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to ‘find’ the votes he needed to win. Actually, what Trump said was: ‘I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have because we won the state’ (emphasis added)… Trump was speaking in the context of believing he had already won the state

“As George Washington University Law School professor Jonathan Turley has noted: ‘… it seems more likely that Trump was swatting back claims that there was no value to a statewide recount by pointing out that he wouldn’t have to find a statistically high number of votes to change the outcome of the election. It is telling that many politicians and pundits refuse to even acknowledge that obvious alternate meaning.’

“The term ‘find’ is also used colloquially, and often, in the context of counting votes. Political analysts on television routinely say that a candidate needs to ‘find’ votes in one area or another, having already been cast, as results are reported by local precincts.”

It is just appalling to see how the left-wing mass media—also being described as fake news—influences the governments on federal and state levels… and vice versa. Of course, Georgia’s left-wing biased prosecutor Fani Willis jumped on just about anything she could think of in order to accomplish her declared goal of “getting Trump.”

Trump Cancels Press Conference on Indictment in Georgia

Breitbart wrote on August 18:

“Trump will no longer hold a media conference… to address his fourth indictment…

“‘Rather than releasing the Report on the Rigged & Stolen Georgia 2020 Presidential Election on Monday, my lawyers would prefer putting this, I believe, Irrefutable & Overwhelming evidence of Election Fraud & Irregularities in formal Legal Filings as we fight to dismiss this disgraceful Indictment,’ Trump wrote…”

As we predicted, these criminal indictments by Jack Smith and now by Fani Willis have opened a pandora’s box in that the carefully avoided discussions by the mass media of possible voter fraud and a rigged election in 2020 are now being attempted to be finally litigated in the courts, as this was for the most part NOT done before. The often-repeated claim by the mass media that many courts have decided on the merits that there was no voter fraud is absolutely false.

Schiff in Prison for a Millennium 

American Insider wrote on August 20:

“‘Remember the Russian hoax and the Mueller investigation?’ Senator Graham asked rhetorically. ‘Donald Trump is being charged with a criminal act for telling people to watch a network show about the election.’ ‘If that becomes a crime Adam Schiff will be in jail for 1,000 years!’ he continued. ‘How many times did Schiff go on MSNBC and CNN and tell us Donald Trump was a Russian agent?’…

“The blatant lies of Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff were recently exposed with the release of the bombshell ‘Durham Report.’ Schiff spread false information to Americans by repeatedly claiming President Trump’s 2016 campaign was coordinated with Russia to influence the election…”

A funny suggestion by Graham. Although satirical, it shows the blatant hypocrisy of Schiff and others regarding their condemnation of Trump.

CNN: Biden Was Wrong, Trump Was Right

Fox News wrote on August 19:

“CNN host and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper admitted that former President Donald Trump ‘was right’ when he accused then-presidential candidate Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden of accepting large amounts of foreign money during the 2020 presidential debates…

“Tapper also declared that Biden ‘was wrong’ during the match-ups between the two candidates three years ago, when the then-Democratic nominee denied Trump’s allegations that his son made ‘a fortune in Ukraine, in China, in Moscow and various other places.’ At the time Biden flatly rejected the claim, saying, ‘None of that is true.’…”

Even though Tapper seemed to suggest that Joe Biden might not have known better—a rather ridiculous assumption—CNN keeps shooting at Biden by finally admitting what has been known to be the truth for many years.  

Biden Lies and Lies…

The Editorial Board of the New York Post wrote on August 20:

“President Joe Biden is in the middle of a victory tour over his supposed economic successes — but the numbers keep showing his arguments for Bidenomics are pure disinformation. ‘It’s working,’ he crowed Tuesday to an audience in Milwaukee on a re-election campaign tour stop. Not, it’s not.

“…Average Americans are spending $709 more per month on everyday goods and services like food than they were two years ago. That’s an eye-watering $8,508 yearly bump. 

“Indeed, inflation since Biden took office totals 15%. Focus on daily essentials (like food, power bills, mortgages), and prices are up almost 25%…

“Biden’s lies on the economy are nothing new. Witness his February claim that ‘We created more new jobs in two years than any president did in their entire term.’ No: Those were jobs lost to COVID policy overreactions that came back during the long and tepid employment recovery he oversaw. 

“Seems the overall Biden strategy here just to lie and lie and lie as liberal [journalists] seal-clap, and figure everyday voters will buy it. Huge mistake: Every trip to buy milk or fill the tank proves what a disaster Bidenomics has been…”

The tragedy is, even though many Americans suffer economically and otherwise, they do not seem to be able or willing to connect the dots. Something else is happening in Germany; note the following articles.

Germans Dissatisfied

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 18:

“If you think Germany is efficient and decisive, you probably don’t live here. From unreliable passenger rail to long waits for public services, too few appointment slots to see doctors and not enough room in preschools, German institutions seem increasingly unable to meet the everyday needs of the population they serve. 

“That hasn’t gone unnoticed by the general public. Just 27% of people in Germany have the sense the state is able to fulfill its responsibilities…

“Germans are looking for leadership…”

It currently does not exist in Germany. But things will change…

Germany’s Decline

Daily Mail wrote on August 18:

“German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock, en route to Australasia on a week-long, high-profile mission to enhance her country’s status in the Indo-Pacific region, was left stranded in Abu Dhabi when her government A340 Airbus broke down during a refuelling stop in the Gulf. Attempts to continue her journey were aborted twice, minutes after take-off. She abandoned her diplomatic mission and returned to Berlin on a commercial flight…

“That broken-down official jet, opined Der Spiegel, the country’s leading news magazine, ‘fits with everything you’ve been hearing about the country lately’, capturing the pervasive sense of gloom that grips Germany these days — and with good reason.

“The economy, now in recession, has declined for three consecutive quarters. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) thinks Germany will be the only major economy to shrink this year… The country is gripped by a variety of woes signalling long-term decline, most of which can be traced to Angela Merkel’s 16 years as German Chancellor…

“Germany’s mighty car industry has its back to the wall, especially since it has no special advantages when it comes to building electric vehicles (EVs) and Berlin has inflicted such high costs on it. The combined market value of the country’s legendary carmakers — BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen and Porsche — is now barely 50 per cent of Elon Musk’s Tesla. Chinese-manufactured EVs are eating away Germany’s once huge share of the car market…

“Government bureaucracy is mired in the analogue age, which makes it inefficient, and even its fabled railways no longer run on time. Indeed, some run so late that Switzerland often stops German trains at the border so they don’t mess up the immaculate time-keeping of its own train services.

“There are a lot of ways to ruin a nation… Merkel and her successors seem to have discovered most of them….”

Sadly, this seems to be very true. And so, Germans are crying out for change and decisive leadership.

The Success Story of Germany’s AfD

The left-wing radical Washington Post wrote on August 18:

Maximilian Krah, the newly elected top candidate of the far-right Alternative for Germany for the European elections, doesn’t believe in watering down political messages to win centrist votes… he has described Pride Month as ‘disgusting,’ is a proponent of deporting immigrants and peppers his speech with allusions [to] white supremacist conspiracy theories [Not really, see his statements and explanations below.]. ‘We have become clearer in what we want and what we think,’ the 46-year-old rising star of the far right said of his party, known by its German acronym AfD. ‘We have more of the Trumpian style of communication.’

“Far-right experts say his recent election as lead candidate to represent the party in the 2024 European Parliament elections was just another sign of the AfD’s increasing radicalization [How his election to the European Parliament is a sign of his party’s increasing realization is difficult to fathom.]. But while the party is becoming unpalatable as a partner even to some of Europe’s most radical right-wing populists, it is attracting a record number of German voters. In recent months the AfD has surged to become the second strongest political force in the country after the opposition Christian Democrats, polling at around 21 percent, ahead of all members of the country’s liberal governing coalition…

“While other European far-right parties… have toned down and turned their focus to courting more centrist conservatives, the AfD stands apart. ‘The experts and pundits always tell us that if you want to have better election results, you have to give up your positions, you should become a more centrist style party,’ said Krah, who has eight children by three women… ‘We are not the kind of singer that asks what your audience wants and then sings a song,’ he said… ‘We have a clear ideology.’

“At the European Union level, even Hungarian populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban last year said he was ‘forced to sacrifice relations with the AfD on the altar of good international relations’ while far-right Italian politician Matteo Salvini has indicated he’s looking for more centrist allies… At the summit in Magdeburg over weekends in late July and early August, 600 candidates vied to represent the party and adopt an election program that branded the European Union a ‘failed project.’ Guest speakers included Bulgarian right-wing extremist Kostadin Kostadinov, who fondly referred to the alliance between Germany and Romania during both world wars and called for Germany to take ‘its rightful place as a great power, and not only in Europe.’..

“The party has so far failed to overturn a decision by the agency to put it under surveillance, with a Cologne court ruling in March last year that there were ‘sufficient indications of anti-constitutional endeavors within the party’ to justify its monitoring…

Krah rejects the notion that the party is becoming more extreme or that he’s to the right of it… The idea that immigrants are replacing ethnic Germans is ‘a description’ of the situation rather than a conspiracy theory, said Krah, who also doesn’t see an issue with saying that Germany should reclaim its rightful place in the world. ‘Germany is a country in a crisis, and it’s not just an economic crisis. It’s also an identity crisis,’ he said. ‘It’s a crisis where Germans forgot to be proud of their own fathers and grandfathers. Mothers and grandmothers.’…

“The AfD’s record-high position in the polls comes amid brimming dissatisfaction with Germany’s ruling three-party coalition, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats… [In addition to Germany’s mishandling of the Covid pandemic and Germany’s shaky economy,] Krah puts the party’s success down to the population’s distain for liberal policies on climate, gender and LGBT issues, immigration and the war in Ukraine, saying established political parties have no answer to real issues German face… the party’s increased success makes it difficult for others to make viable political coalitions without them…  ‘The right wing is on rise,’ [Krah] said. ‘And that’s Europe wide.’”

The left-wing narrative in the article cannot hide the fact that, reading between the lines, many of the positions of the AfD, as described herein, are not unreasonable. They also seem to indicate the beginning of the fulfillment of prophecy.

AfD Politician Convicted of “Incitement”!

Deutsche Welle reported on August 18:

“A court in the German city of Munich on Friday convicted a politician from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party over remarks comparing a coronavirus vaccination campaign with Nazi-era anti-Jewish pogroms.

“Florian Jäger, who served as a member of Germany’s national parliament, the Bundestag, posted a video on his Facebook page in 2021. In it, he claimed that the German government’s COVID measures were comparable with the November pogrom terror campaign against German Jews in 1938…

“The court ruled that the comments in question amounted to incitement and sentenced Jäger to pay a fine of €2,700 ($2,930)…

“If the Holocaust is degraded to an arbitrary object of comparison for measures that are perceived as unwelcome, then the protection of Jewish people from anti-Semitic attacks, would also be dragged down,’ [the prosecutor] said.

“Jäger is currently the chairman for the AfD in the district Fürstenfeldbruck. He has one week to appeal the decision.”

An absolutely ridiculous decision. By no stretch of the imagination was the Holocaust “degraded” and neither was the “protection of Jews from anti-Semitic attacks” endangered. The comparison between Germany’s unconstitutional measures of “fighting” the Corona pandemic and Germany’s terror campaign against Jews amounted to just the opposite. But the German legal system does not want to hear this. No wonder the AfD rises in popularity with such nonsensical and blatantly false allegations and “findings” against it.

F-16 Jets for Ukraine Without Immediate Benefit!

The Wall Street Journal wrote on August 18:

“Washington has cleared the way for the Netherlands [and Denmark] to deliver F-16 jets to Ukraine…

“The announcement comes amid growing concerns that Ukraine’s counteroffensive has stalled, with Kyiv’s forces having so far failed to punch through fortified Russian lines. One U.S. official said an intelligence assessment concluded it was unlikely that the Ukrainians would reach Melitopol, their presumed objective near the Sea of Azov, during their current counteroffensive…

“Western officials caution it will take time to train Ukrainian pilots and deliver the aircraft. Ukrainians won’t have the aircraft until well into 2024, and perhaps not until the middle or latter part of next year, they said. Only eight Ukrainian pilots are currently deemed to meet the language requirements to immediately begin training…

“Ukrainian officials have complained about the slow pace of the projected delivery schedule and argued that Washington has dragged its feet…  Gen. James Hecker, the top U.S. Air Force commander for forces in Africa and Europe,… warned it could be [four or five] years before Ukraine would make full use of the jets…”

Washington’s blessing for the plane donations to Ukraine and the training of Ukrainian pilots are needed because the aircrafts are made in the United States.

America’s Friends Alienated and America’s Enemies Emboldened

The Telegraph wrote on August 20:

“[In 2021], the Americans handed to the Taliban one of the most expensive and complete sets of military equipment in the world… the manner of the withdrawal [from Afghanistan] and the weakness it projected have had profound implications. Many experts believe that Vladimir Putin’s long-held desire to annex Ukraine was sparked into action by the ineffectual way in which the US withdrew. Worse is that the axis on which the global order moves has subtly shifted in the resulting period.

“For instance, if you are going to make one big mistake in a region, you had better make sure that every other alliance is in very good working order. The necessary isolation of Russia since its aggression in Ukraine has certainly pushed Russia closer into its own axis, of China and Iran… far from being without clout, and all the more reason to shore up your natural allies. The Biden administration has been exceptionally poor at doing that.

“Israel is generally thought of by outsiders as being almost de facto within the orbit of America. But the fraying of that relationship during the Obama administration (during which Biden was vice president) is undeniable. During that time, Israel inevitably had to keep other lines of friendship open, including with Russia. So Israel has, as a matter of realpolitik, kept itself out of the clear demarcations the rest of America’s allies have held to since the start of the Ukraine crisis.

“Such things happen once you take to hectoring allies, rather than working with them. Until recently, there were few similarities between the Israelis and the Saudis. But Biden has managed to create some… With energy prices soaring last summer due to the fallout of the Ukraine war, Biden personally went to Saudi Arabia and asked them to increase oil production. There was a time when an American leader just needed to pick up the phone. But with midterms looming, Riyadh actually cut production. It was an amazing… sign not only that the Saudis didn’t need to do what the US asked, but could do the opposite if they chose.

“In such a situation, dangerous new alliances form. What has been most striking in the past year has been the audacious efforts by the Chinese to step into the roles once expected of the US. If there was a peace deal to be brokered in the Middle East, it used to be assumed that it would be America that would broker it. No more. 

“When a deal was agreed in March to restore relations between the bitter enemies Iran and Saudi Arabia, it was Beijing that brokered it. Around the same time, it was the Chinese leadership that started touting a ‘peace deal’ to end the war in Ukraine… as the Ukrainian counteroffensive makes slow progress, many nonaligned countries see China at least providing some solution to the conflict. The Americans, meanwhile, just talk the language of taking ‘as long as it takes’. And whatever your views on the Ukraine conflict, it is hard to deny that the line from Washington has changed again and again.

“Munitions that are ruled out one month are passed another month. Tanks and planes are presented as unthinkable to provide one month and provided the next. None of this is helped by the sheer lack of confidence that anybody dealing with the US president himself must feel. 

“Last month, Biden held a meeting at the White House with the Israeli president Isaac Herzog. The hope was that it would reassure Israelis that the relationship was as solid as ever. This came at the same time as Biden was chiding prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his judicial reforms. That in itself is a classic Biden misstep. What business is it of the Americans if the Israeli government chooses to make long overdue changes to its supreme court system?… the belief that the Americans have the right to lecture everyone in the region is built into the system…

Tehran is once again extorting the US by demanding money for prisoners. Iran has been a rogue state since 1979, but there are few rogue states in the world that America is so constantly and successfully blackmailed by. Expect pallets of cash to be handed over once more, as during the Obama-Biden years, to a regime dancing on the edge of trying to become a nuclear power. 

“For many countries in the region, Saudi Arabia and Israel perhaps most of all, that is the nightmare scenario, an Iran that goes nuclear fast. But then, Iran is in a good position. It has some strong friends… and some weak enemies, including the US…”

An accurate description of America’s shameful and incompetent performance on the world scene.

Saudi Arabia to Take Over the Temple Mount?

Israel News wrote on or about August 20:

“The timing was not accidental when Saudi Arabia announced over the weekend that its ambassador to Jordan will also take on the roles of ambassador to the Palestinian Authority and consul general in eastern Jerusalem…

“Although Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Sunday quickly shot down the idea of a Saudi consulate for the Palestinians in eastern Jerusalem, Saudi and Palestinian officials said, ‘The Saudi move is an indication of the possibility of an agreement to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia soon and is a signal to the entire region.’

“But Saudi and Palestinian officials also said, ‘Saudi Arabia wishes to signal to Jordan that it considers itself entitled to set foot in the al-Aqsa mosque in east Jerusalem, which would make the crown prince and the Al Saud dynasty responsible for the three holy places of Islam: Mecca, Medina and al-Aqsa.’… For several years, Saudi Arabia has been signaling to Jordan that it intends to replace Amman as custodian of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount

“Dr. Mordechai Kedar… said… ‘When considering the negotiations to bring normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, it is important to remember that the Saudis do not consider the Palestinians to be Arabs… If the Saudis take over the Temple Mount, it will be a huge blow to the Palestinians. Without Al Aqsa, the Palestinians have nothing; no connection to the land, no political claim, no claim to status in Islam…’”

Interesting developments in the Middle East. The Temple Mount and the Al Aqsa mosque keep at the forefront of attention.

China and Russia Collaborate Militarily

Business Insider wrote on August 20:

“China claims it has remained neutral and has repeatedly denied sending military equipment to Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

“But The Telegraph’s investigation found that the country has delivered tens of thousands of shipments to Russian military equipment manufacturers… Trade between the two countries is set to exceed $200 billion this year, per the report — setting a new record.”

Russia and Iran Collaborate Militarily

The New York Post wrote on August 20:

“Russia is secretly working on building thousands of drones through a covert partnership with Iran… Engineers are quietly working to construct 6,000 drones by the summer of 2025 via a billion-dollar weapons deal between Moscow and Tehran. The work is being carried out at a facility in Tatarstan, about 500 miles from the Russian capital.

“Leaked documents… show that Russian drone production is heavily reliant on electronic parts from other countries and that Russian engineers have been trying to improve on the Iranian Shahed-136 attack drone, which is able to travel over 1,000 miles. Among the attempted improvements is making the drones able to carry out a swarm attack, in which they autonomously coordinate to strike a common target.”

Russia and India Collaborate Economically and Militarily

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 22:

“Russia, an enemy? Not in India, where Russia has long been viewed as a valued political and economic partner. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, the relationship has even picked up additional pace. India has declined to join the West’s sanctions on Moscow, and the country is now importing more crude oil from Russia than ever before…

“Russia has become India’s fourth-largest source of imports in the past year… The economic and political relationship between Russia and India, which are both nuclear powers, is not only based on their mutual interest regarding oil. It also goes back to their long-standing cooperation during the Cold War era.

“The Soviet Union supplied weapons to India for decades and trained Indian forces in how to use them. India obtained three-fifths of its arms from the USSR between 1955 and 1991military cooperation between India and Russia remains significant… By contrast, there was a cooler relationship with the United States, which delivered arms to India’s enemy Pakistan…

“‘The Russian-Indian partnership will continue,’ Rajan Menon and Eugene Rumer from the US think tank Carnegie Endowment for International Peace wrote in September last year. ‘For India, Russia remains an important supplier of weapons…’”

The Kings of the East are coming together, including China, Russia, India and North Korea (see article below).

The Russia-North Korea-Pact

Daily Express US wrote on August 23:

“Russia’s ‘probable secret’ nuclear agreement with North Korea signals a ‘very dangerous development’…

“According to Paul Bracken, professor of management and political science at the Yale School of Management, the alliance between Russia and North Korea is a major cause for concern. He told Daily Express US: ‘We’re seeing new coalitions taking shape right before our eyes…’

“North Korea currently holds a huge stockpile of ballistic missiles… [It] has conducted more than 100 weapons tests since 2022, some involving nuclear-capable missiles designed to strike the US mainland and its allies South Korea and Japan.

“Russia, meanwhile, has the world’s largest stockpile of nuclear weapons, with around 6,000 warheads in its arsenal.”

It is alleged that North Korea provides Russia with conventional weapons while Russia provides North Korea with information as to how to build nuclear weapons.

The BRICS Bloc to Enlarge?

Portland Press Herald wrote on August 21:

“The BRICS bloc – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – will use an annual leaders’ summit in Johannesburg this week to begin the process of enlisting more members to bolster its global heft, a push driven mainly by Chinese President Xi Jinping but also backed by Russia and South Africa. There will also be talks on how to accelerate a shift away from the dollar, in part by increasing the use of local currencies in trade between members, which is surging…

“The summit could see the bloc’s first expansion since South Africa was added in 2010. High on the list of potential candidates are Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, as well as the United Arab Emirates, Algeria and Egypt. But India wants the process to be gradual. An expanded group would represent about half of global output by 2040… double the share of the Group of Seven, a reversal from the turn of this century. A bigger BRICS would account for almost half of the global population, up from 42% currently…

“Russian President Vladimir Putin is staying away from this year’s summit because he faces a war-crimes arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, of which host South Africa is a member. He will participate remotely. The gathering will give him another opportunity to present his narrative of the Ukraine invasion directly to leaders from the Global South, many of whom have been sympathetic to his accounts in the past. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa have been cautious about openly taking Russia’s side in the war, but have also been unwilling to ally with the West in opposing it...”

The Guardian wrote on August 24:

“The Brics group of big emerging economies has announced the admission of six new members, in an attempt to reshape the global world order and provide a counterweight to the US and its allies. From the beginning of next year, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Argentina, the UAE and Ethiopia will join the current five members – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – it was announced…

“The decision to admit Iran, also looking for a way to sidestep sanctions, represented a win for Putin and Xi, helping give the group a more anti-western, non-democratic tinge. They prevailed over the more cautious approach of the other members, who prefer to portray the group as non-aligned…”

South Africa—a modern descendant of the House of Israel–appears to be out of place in this group.

Panama Canal Dried Out

On or about August 20, MSN wrote the following:

“In what is being called the ‘world’s worst traffic jam,’ some 200 cargo ships are waiting to pass at the Panama Canal… the area experiences its worst drought in 100 years... the huge backlog has been growing for some time and might not get any better for a few weeks yet. The human-made passageway is famous not only as one of the world’s most impressive feats of engineering but as one of the most important trade routes on Earth.

“The Panama Canal relies on massive amounts of water, the supply of which is shrinking in the current drought…

“Though the flow of ships at the Panama Canal started at about 1,000 vessels when it opened in 1914, that traffic has steadily increased. In the 2022 fiscal year, the passageway was crossed by over 14,200 ships, accounting for some 40% of U.S. container traffic and annually representing $270 billion in cargo…”

Not surprisingly, the current drought is being blamed on “man-made climate change.” Sounding like a parrot, the author mentions climate change eight times in this short article.

More and More Boosters

The Dossier wrote on August 17:

“Pfizer announced Thursday that their new shot, which targets the Eris variant (whatever that is) of… Covid-19, is showing great promise in mice.  And given that Big Pharma heavyweights like Pfizer pretty much control America’s Government Health institutions, we should expect to see FDA authorization for another ‘emergency use’ shot in the coming weeks.

“… this would make for an eighth dose of mRNA in under three years… some… now recommend a booster every two months for the immunocompromised. If you’re not yet immunocompromised, you can take a shot every four months…

“… most Americans have stopped getting mRNA injections, largely because many quietly realized that they have been bamboozled by Big Pharma into taking a shot that does not in fact stop [Corona].”

COVID Mandates Are Coming Back!

Breitbart wrote on August 21:

“COVID mask mandates are returning to Hollywood, with Lionsgate being the first major studio to reinstate masking and daily testing for its Los Angeles office workers… A growing number of colleges and medical institutions throughout the country are also reinstating mask mandates, with the mainstream news media running articles pushing for the return of face coverings

“The return of mask mandates comes as the Biden administration is ramping up another round of COVID hysteria ahead of 2024, pressuring all Americans to get the latest booster this fall. This had led to growing suspicion that Democrats will not only impose mask mandates but bring back mass lockdowns ahead of the next presidential election, in a repeat of 2020… the new push for Americans to line up for booster shots follows the revelation in January that health officials want to make coronavirus booster vaccinations an annual event.”

This is so appallingly incredible. Please take note of our new member letter, dated August 21, 2023, which addresses this issue in great detail.

A New Virus on the Horizon?

LifeSiteNews wrote on August 19:

“There are strong indications that another alleged ‘virus’ may be released early this Fall and that governments will once again, on the advice of the WHO, declare a health emergency mandating masking, lockdowns and much more and put heavy pressure on the populace to be ‘vaccinated.’ Should this happen and the public again complies, the results are certain to be catastrophic…

“We now know that all the mandates and policies for the last coronavirus alleged ‘pandemic’ were not only useless and medically and scientifically unjustified, they were also devastatingly harmful

“If another health emergency is declared… will be told another pile of seemingly convincing lies and for many it will be hard to resist the lies and the pressures to comply…

“Dr. Meryl Nass wrote: ‘We can produce vaccines in 100 days and manufacture them in 130 days–but there will be no guarantees that the products will be safe, effective, or adequately manufactured. And we can expect large profits but no consequences for the manufacturers… New biological weapons can be engineered. They can be shared. Maybe that will speed up the development of vaccines and therapeutics. But who really benefits from this scheme? Who pays the price of accidents or deliberate use? Wouldn’t it be better to end so-called gain-of-function research entirely through restrictions on funding and other regulations, rather than encouraging its proliferation?’”

Big Pharma would fight it. And so will be the mass media. Note the next article.

YouTube on the Warpath Again

Rebel News wrote on August 16:

“YouTube will censor content creators that disagree with, or perhaps only question, guidance from the World Health Organization or local health authorities, according to the company’s updated ‘medical misinformation’ policy.

“The change has broad, sweeping implications for content creators. The platform’s previous policy touched on vaccines, abortions and content promoting or glorifying eating disorders but severely ramped up during COVID-19.

“In the new, ambiguously worded update, YouTube says it ‘doesn’t allow content that poses a serious risk of egregious harm by spreading medical misinformation that contradicts local health authorities’ (LHAs) or the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidance about specific health conditions and substances.’…

“Part of the policy means that one cannot make ‘claims that an approved COVID-19 vaccine will cause death, infertility, miscarriage, autism, or contraction of other infectious diseases.’”

This is completely unjustified and constitutes censorship aimed at supporting Big Pharma and suppressing the Truth.

Maui Wildfire Was Preventable!

Breitbart wrote on August 23:

“Evidence suggests the heartbreaking Maui wildfire was preventable… Democrats have become the equivalent of pagan sun worshippers. Nature has become their god. Therefore, in their pagan minds, human beings are nothing more than viruses, a threat to their god. This means that on their list of priorities, we humans come way behind the air, water, plants, animals, and even insects.

Democrats believe every living thing on the planet is sacred, worthy of respect, requires protection, and is part of the natural world … except human beings, especially Western ones. You see, with our hamburgers and air conditioners and automobiles and plastic coolers, we’re an aberration, a mistake made by nature. We are in the way.

“Hawaii is one of the most left-wing states in the union… Hawaii votes for politicians who put nature above human safety and comfort

“Firefighters in Maui didn’t run out of water to fight this deadly fire because Maui doesn’t have enough water…  With wildfires ravaging West Maui on Aug. 8, a state water official delayed the release of water that landowners wanted to help protect their property from fires. The water standoff played out over much of the day and the water didn’t come until too late…

“Then there are the pagan nature worshippers who neglected fire control to worship Gaia…

“We see this doom spiral throughout the country in one catastrophic Democrat-run city after another. In Hawaii, it was a totally preventable wildfire. In Chicago, Baltimore, New York, Detroit, Oakland, and San Francisco, it’s totally preventable violent crime, filthy and dangerous streets, hate crimes, addiction, failing schools, and exorbitant home prices…

“It’s a cult so brainwashed its members believe trashed cities and dead children are preferable to mean tweets. The Chief Priests of this cult will, of course, blame Climate Change… To them, Maui’s dead children are a necessary sacrifice to a pagan god that keeps them wealthy and powerful.”

Also note the next article.

Demonic Possession Is Real!

LifeSiteNews wrote on August 21:

“The idea that people can be possessed by malevolent spirits has been the basis of countless books, movies, and TV shows, many of which were, and remain, enormously popular… Despite our fascination with the topic, many people are ambivalent in their feelings about the demonic realm. Some dismiss the whole idea as mythical, assuming that all human wickedness can be explained as symptoms of psychological illness (or maybe politics).

“Others assume that incidents such as the one described in… Matthew 15, where Jesus frees the daughter of a Canaanite woman from possession — are artifacts of the distant past. ‘That was Bible times,’ they’ll say. ‘Such things don’t happen anymore.’

“Yet, the [Catholic] Church insists demons are indeed real, and that they’re as active today as they were in Jesus’ time. They work at the behest of Satan, and their intention is to make bad things happen. Really bad things…

“The Canaanite people (of whom the woman in Matthew’s Gospel was one) worshiped a variety of gods, each of which personified some force of nature. The Bible talks about the shrines, altars, and high places of worship at which the rituals of Canaanite religion were carried out. Those sites dotted the countryside, constant reminders of pagan presence in the land of Israel. The rites practiced there could open the hearts of participants to demonic influence (which may explain the daughter’s problem).

Nature worship still exists… as Environmentalism… the Environmental Movement has elevated concern for ‘Mother Earth,’ a created thing, over devotion to God who created it… But environmentalism, in the extreme form to which it has mutated, is a false god. And the worshipping of that false god has opened many people’s hearts to demonic influence, prompting numerous evil acts…

“This preoccupation with ‘Mother Earth,’ often to the exclusion of human need and safety, is just the kind of opening after which demons prowl. Another is involvement in the occult.

“Ouija boards, tarot cards, fortune telling, seances, crystals and pyramids, astrology — such devices have long been of great popular interest… they’re specifically intended for contacting a world outside of conscious life. And when people become absorbed in them (which happens more frequently than may be apparent), such practices can come to dominate someone’s thoughts. People can begin to make important decisions on the basis of ‘signs,’ ‘influences,’ and ‘messages’ from the beyond… These too are false gods. And giving oneself over to them can provide an opening to malevolent spirits…

“… in this modern era, we’ve seen evil of such magnitude that psychological illness (or even politics) is not sufficient to explain it.”

Satan is the god and ruler of this world, and he and his demons give their powers to whomever they want. Possession is clearly a fact, and not a thing of the past. Those who want to get in contact with demons—in whatever way—will pay a heavy price.

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 1082

Learning to Follow Directions / The Mystery of Biblical Numbers – Part 2

On August 26, 2023, Kalon Mitchell will present the sermonette, titled, “Learning to Follow Directions,” and Michael Link will present the sermon, titled, “The Mystery of Biblical Numbers – Part 2″.

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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Be Prepared

by Kalon Mitchell

This past week, I was involved in a Jiu-Jitsu competition where I sparred with two other guys and came out in second place. 

The past few weeks though, leading up to this competition, have been tough in training and preparing for this moment. Almost 6 weeks ago, I pulled the ligament in my foot and had to take a week off, and I also had to be very careful now during training. All said and done, while it was fun to win second place, the most important thing I felt was not getting reinjured. 

While this has all been going on, even more importantly, I have been writing Q&As and messages for the upcoming Feast of Tabernacles. In all of our lives, we have moments that we prepare for. We must continue to prepare in our lives. Once we reach one milestone and one goal, more goals appear and the cycle continues.  

The Bible encourages us to be prepared in many areas of our lives. 

Specifically, we are told: 

  • To prepare by working to be able to provide for our family, and to be able to give tithes and offerings (compare Proverbs 21:20; 2 Thessalonians 3:10; 1 Timothy 5:8);
  • To be prepared to give an answer about our faith and what we believe (1 Peter 3:15-16). This means that we have to know what we believe which takes studying God’s Word. We have so much material on our website https://www.eternalgod.org/ that can be used. If we cannot give an answer to people, then we are not prepared and we should dig in a little more;
  • To prepare to be counted worthy to stand before Christ at His return (Luke 21:36; Matthew 24:42);
  • To prepare for the Feast of Tabernacles. Some will be giving messages, some will be translating, some will be giving special music, etc. All of this takes preparation and time. It should be something that we do with joy and great excitement. Whether or not we have been specifically assigned to serve at the Feast in some capacity, we should be prepared for this time and enjoy it with enthusiasm and great attitudes (Leviticus 23:33-44).

We are not the only ones preparing. Christ is preparing “a place” for us, as we read in John 14:3. 

The opportunities to prepare are given to us so that we can learn not to neglect the important things in life. The most important thing is living in a way that God is happy about. This challenge is laid out for us so that we may prove to Him that we want to be in His Family. This is an all-encompassing Way of Life that has to be studied and acted upon throughout our entire lives. 

What do you consider the most important thing in your life? How much do you prepare? 

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

Preparations are happening for all of us in various ways. Let’s make sure we are preparing properly and with the right intent and motivation. It is then that we can make progress in our life. 

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by Norbert Link

We begin with new developments, revelations and reactions regarding Georgia’s indictment of Donald Trump and the frightening but to a large extent ignored terrible economic situation in the USA.

In contrast, we point out dissatisfaction of most Germans with their country’s miserable conditions and address logical reactions which the German government is unwilling to accept. In fact, their attempts to “handle” the situation make matters even worse for them. In this context, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “America and Germany in Decline!”

We address the somewhat useless announcement by the USA of having given the green light for delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine in the distant future; and show how America’s misguided policies have managed to alienate its friends and to embolden its enemies.

We speak on Saudi Arabia’s willingness to become custodian of the Temple Mount and Al Aqsa; and the military collaboration between Russia, China, India, North Korea and Iran. We also report on developments regarding the BRICS bloc.

We continue with a historical drought affecting the Panama Canal; and further attempts to influence a gullible public to take more and more booster shots, and to be prepared for another “virus,” allegedly necessitating again drastic governmental measures to combat it. Please read in this regard our new member letter, dated August 21, 2023. brethren-20230821.pdf

We conclude with insightful articles on nature worship and demonic possession.

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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Georgia’s Indictment Started with Fake News

Breitbart wrote on August 18:

“The fake news was reporting that Trump had told Georgia officials, by telephone, to fabricate votes.

“In early January 2020… Trump was reported to have told Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to ‘find’ the votes he needed to win. Actually, what Trump said was: ‘I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have because we won the state’ (emphasis added)… Trump was speaking in the context of believing he had already won the state

“As George Washington University Law School professor Jonathan Turley has noted: ‘… it seems more likely that Trump was swatting back claims that there was no value to a statewide recount by pointing out that he wouldn’t have to find a statistically high number of votes to change the outcome of the election. It is telling that many politicians and pundits refuse to even acknowledge that obvious alternate meaning.’

“The term ‘find’ is also used colloquially, and often, in the context of counting votes. Political analysts on television routinely say that a candidate needs to ‘find’ votes in one area or another, having already been cast, as results are reported by local precincts.”

It is just appalling to see how the left-wing mass media—also being described as fake news—influences the governments on federal and state levels… and vice versa. Of course, Georgia’s left-wing biased prosecutor Fani Willis jumped on just about anything she could think of in order to accomplish her declared goal of “getting Trump.”

Trump Cancels Press Conference on Indictment in Georgia

Breitbart wrote on August 18:

“Trump will no longer hold a media conference… to address his fourth indictment…

“‘Rather than releasing the Report on the Rigged & Stolen Georgia 2020 Presidential Election on Monday, my lawyers would prefer putting this, I believe, Irrefutable & Overwhelming evidence of Election Fraud & Irregularities in formal Legal Filings as we fight to dismiss this disgraceful Indictment,’ Trump wrote…”

As we predicted, these criminal indictments by Jack Smith and now by Fani Willis have opened a pandora’s box in that the carefully avoided discussions by the mass media of possible voter fraud and a rigged election in 2020 are now being attempted to be finally litigated in the courts, as this was for the most part NOT done before. The often-repeated claim by the mass media that many courts have decided on the merits that there was no voter fraud is absolutely false.

Schiff in Prison for a Millennium 

American Insider wrote on August 20:

“‘Remember the Russian hoax and the Mueller investigation?’ Senator Graham asked rhetorically. ‘Donald Trump is being charged with a criminal act for telling people to watch a network show about the election.’ ‘If that becomes a crime Adam Schiff will be in jail for 1,000 years!’ he continued. ‘How many times did Schiff go on MSNBC and CNN and tell us Donald Trump was a Russian agent?’…

“The blatant lies of Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff were recently exposed with the release of the bombshell ‘Durham Report.’ Schiff spread false information to Americans by repeatedly claiming President Trump’s 2016 campaign was coordinated with Russia to influence the election…”

A funny suggestion by Graham. Although satirical, it shows the blatant hypocrisy of Schiff and others regarding their condemnation of Trump.

CNN: Biden Was Wrong, Trump Was Right

Fox News wrote on August 19:

“CNN host and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper admitted that former President Donald Trump ‘was right’ when he accused then-presidential candidate Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden of accepting large amounts of foreign money during the 2020 presidential debates…

“Tapper also declared that Biden ‘was wrong’ during the match-ups between the two candidates three years ago, when the then-Democratic nominee denied Trump’s allegations that his son made ‘a fortune in Ukraine, in China, in Moscow and various other places.’ At the time Biden flatly rejected the claim, saying, ‘None of that is true.’…”

Even though Tapper seemed to suggest that Joe Biden might not have known better—a rather ridiculous assumption—CNN keeps shooting at Biden by finally admitting what has been known to be the truth for many years.  

Biden Lies and Lies…

The Editorial Board of the New York Post wrote on August 20:

“President Joe Biden is in the middle of a victory tour over his supposed economic successes — but the numbers keep showing his arguments for Bidenomics are pure disinformation. ‘It’s working,’ he crowed Tuesday to an audience in Milwaukee on a re-election campaign tour stop. Not, it’s not.

“…Average Americans are spending $709 more per month on everyday goods and services like food than they were two years ago. That’s an eye-watering $8,508 yearly bump. 

“Indeed, inflation since Biden took office totals 15%. Focus on daily essentials (like food, power bills, mortgages), and prices are up almost 25%…

“Biden’s lies on the economy are nothing new. Witness his February claim that ‘We created more new jobs in two years than any president did in their entire term.’ No: Those were jobs lost to COVID policy overreactions that came back during the long and tepid employment recovery he oversaw. 

“Seems the overall Biden strategy here just to lie and lie and lie as liberal [journalists] seal-clap, and figure everyday voters will buy it. Huge mistake: Every trip to buy milk or fill the tank proves what a disaster Bidenomics has been…”

The tragedy is, even though many Americans suffer economically and otherwise, they do not seem to be able or willing to connect the dots. Something else is happening in Germany; note the following articles.

Germans Dissatisfied

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 18:

“If you think Germany is efficient and decisive, you probably don’t live here. From unreliable passenger rail to long waits for public services, too few appointment slots to see doctors and not enough room in preschools, German institutions seem increasingly unable to meet the everyday needs of the population they serve. 

“That hasn’t gone unnoticed by the general public. Just 27% of people in Germany have the sense the state is able to fulfill its responsibilities…

“Germans are looking for leadership…”

It currently does not exist in Germany. But things will change…

Germany’s Decline

Daily Mail wrote on August 18:

“German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock, en route to Australasia on a week-long, high-profile mission to enhance her country’s status in the Indo-Pacific region, was left stranded in Abu Dhabi when her government A340 Airbus broke down during a refuelling stop in the Gulf. Attempts to continue her journey were aborted twice, minutes after take-off. She abandoned her diplomatic mission and returned to Berlin on a commercial flight…

“That broken-down official jet, opined Der Spiegel, the country’s leading news magazine, ‘fits with everything you’ve been hearing about the country lately’, capturing the pervasive sense of gloom that grips Germany these days — and with good reason.

“The economy, now in recession, has declined for three consecutive quarters. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) thinks Germany will be the only major economy to shrink this year… The country is gripped by a variety of woes signalling long-term decline, most of which can be traced to Angela Merkel’s 16 years as German Chancellor…

“Germany’s mighty car industry has its back to the wall, especially since it has no special advantages when it comes to building electric vehicles (EVs) and Berlin has inflicted such high costs on it. The combined market value of the country’s legendary carmakers — BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen and Porsche — is now barely 50 per cent of Elon Musk’s Tesla. Chinese-manufactured EVs are eating away Germany’s once huge share of the car market…

“Government bureaucracy is mired in the analogue age, which makes it inefficient, and even its fabled railways no longer run on time. Indeed, some run so late that Switzerland often stops German trains at the border so they don’t mess up the immaculate time-keeping of its own train services.

“There are a lot of ways to ruin a nation… Merkel and her successors seem to have discovered most of them….”

Sadly, this seems to be very true. And so, Germans are crying out for change and decisive leadership.

The Success Story of Germany’s AfD

The left-wing radical Washington Post wrote on August 18:

Maximilian Krah, the newly elected top candidate of the far-right Alternative for Germany for the European elections, doesn’t believe in watering down political messages to win centrist votes… he has described Pride Month as ‘disgusting,’ is a proponent of deporting immigrants and peppers his speech with allusions [to] white supremacist conspiracy theories [Not really, see his statements and explanations below.]. ‘We have become clearer in what we want and what we think,’ the 46-year-old rising star of the far right said of his party, known by its German acronym AfD. ‘We have more of the Trumpian style of communication.’

“Far-right experts say his recent election as lead candidate to represent the party in the 2024 European Parliament elections was just another sign of the AfD’s increasing radicalization [How his election to the European Parliament is a sign of his party’s increasing realization is difficult to fathom.]. But while the party is becoming unpalatable as a partner even to some of Europe’s most radical right-wing populists, it is attracting a record number of German voters. In recent months the AfD has surged to become the second strongest political force in the country after the opposition Christian Democrats, polling at around 21 percent, ahead of all members of the country’s liberal governing coalition…

“While other European far-right parties… have toned down and turned their focus to courting more centrist conservatives, the AfD stands apart. ‘The experts and pundits always tell us that if you want to have better election results, you have to give up your positions, you should become a more centrist style party,’ said Krah, who has eight children by three women… ‘We are not the kind of singer that asks what your audience wants and then sings a song,’ he said… ‘We have a clear ideology.’

“At the European Union level, even Hungarian populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban last year said he was ‘forced to sacrifice relations with the AfD on the altar of good international relations’ while far-right Italian politician Matteo Salvini has indicated he’s looking for more centrist allies… At the summit in Magdeburg over weekends in late July and early August, 600 candidates vied to represent the party and adopt an election program that branded the European Union a ‘failed project.’ Guest speakers included Bulgarian right-wing extremist Kostadin Kostadinov, who fondly referred to the alliance between Germany and Romania during both world wars and called for Germany to take ‘its rightful place as a great power, and not only in Europe.’..

“The party has so far failed to overturn a decision by the agency to put it under surveillance, with a Cologne court ruling in March last year that there were ‘sufficient indications of anti-constitutional endeavors within the party’ to justify its monitoring…

Krah rejects the notion that the party is becoming more extreme or that he’s to the right of it… The idea that immigrants are replacing ethnic Germans is ‘a description’ of the situation rather than a conspiracy theory, said Krah, who also doesn’t see an issue with saying that Germany should reclaim its rightful place in the world. ‘Germany is a country in a crisis, and it’s not just an economic crisis. It’s also an identity crisis,’ he said. ‘It’s a crisis where Germans forgot to be proud of their own fathers and grandfathers. Mothers and grandmothers.’…

“The AfD’s record-high position in the polls comes amid brimming dissatisfaction with Germany’s ruling three-party coalition, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats… [In addition to Germany’s mishandling of the Covid pandemic and Germany’s shaky economy,] Krah puts the party’s success down to the population’s distain for liberal policies on climate, gender and LGBT issues, immigration and the war in Ukraine, saying established political parties have no answer to real issues German face… the party’s increased success makes it difficult for others to make viable political coalitions without them…  ‘The right wing is on rise,’ [Krah] said. ‘And that’s Europe wide.’”

The left-wing narrative in the article cannot hide the fact that, reading between the lines, many of the positions of the AfD, as described herein, are not unreasonable. They also seem to indicate the beginning of the fulfillment of prophecy.

AfD Politician Convicted of “Incitement”!

Deutsche Welle reported on August 18:

“A court in the German city of Munich on Friday convicted a politician from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party over remarks comparing a coronavirus vaccination campaign with Nazi-era anti-Jewish pogroms.

“Florian Jäger, who served as a member of Germany’s national parliament, the Bundestag, posted a video on his Facebook page in 2021. In it, he claimed that the German government’s COVID measures were comparable with the November pogrom terror campaign against German Jews in 1938…

“The court ruled that the comments in question amounted to incitement and sentenced Jäger to pay a fine of €2,700 ($2,930)…

“If the Holocaust is degraded to an arbitrary object of comparison for measures that are perceived as unwelcome, then the protection of Jewish people from anti-Semitic attacks, would also be dragged down,’ [the prosecutor] said.

“Jäger is currently the chairman for the AfD in the district Fürstenfeldbruck. He has one week to appeal the decision.”

An absolutely ridiculous decision. By no stretch of the imagination was the Holocaust “degraded” and neither was the “protection of Jews from anti-Semitic attacks” endangered. The comparison between Germany’s unconstitutional measures of “fighting” the Corona pandemic and Germany’s terror campaign against Jews amounted to just the opposite. But the German legal system does not want to hear this. No wonder the AfD rises in popularity with such nonsensical and blatantly false allegations and “findings” against it.

F-16 Jets for Ukraine Without Immediate Benefit!

The Wall Street Journal wrote on August 18:

“Washington has cleared the way for the Netherlands [and Denmark] to deliver F-16 jets to Ukraine…

“The announcement comes amid growing concerns that Ukraine’s counteroffensive has stalled, with Kyiv’s forces having so far failed to punch through fortified Russian lines. One U.S. official said an intelligence assessment concluded it was unlikely that the Ukrainians would reach Melitopol, their presumed objective near the Sea of Azov, during their current counteroffensive…

“Western officials caution it will take time to train Ukrainian pilots and deliver the aircraft. Ukrainians won’t have the aircraft until well into 2024, and perhaps not until the middle or latter part of next year, they said. Only eight Ukrainian pilots are currently deemed to meet the language requirements to immediately begin training…

“Ukrainian officials have complained about the slow pace of the projected delivery schedule and argued that Washington has dragged its feet…  Gen. James Hecker, the top U.S. Air Force commander for forces in Africa and Europe,… warned it could be [four or five] years before Ukraine would make full use of the jets…”

Washington’s blessing for the plane donations to Ukraine and the training of Ukrainian pilots are needed because the aircrafts are made in the United States.

America’s Friends Alienated and America’s Enemies Emboldened

The Telegraph wrote on August 20:

“[In 2021], the Americans handed to the Taliban one of the most expensive and complete sets of military equipment in the world… the manner of the withdrawal [from Afghanistan] and the weakness it projected have had profound implications. Many experts believe that Vladimir Putin’s long-held desire to annex Ukraine was sparked into action by the ineffectual way in which the US withdrew. Worse is that the axis on which the global order moves has subtly shifted in the resulting period.

“For instance, if you are going to make one big mistake in a region, you had better make sure that every other alliance is in very good working order. The necessary isolation of Russia since its aggression in Ukraine has certainly pushed Russia closer into its own axis, of China and Iran… far from being without clout, and all the more reason to shore up your natural allies. The Biden administration has been exceptionally poor at doing that.

“Israel is generally thought of by outsiders as being almost de facto within the orbit of America. But the fraying of that relationship during the Obama administration (during which Biden was vice president) is undeniable. During that time, Israel inevitably had to keep other lines of friendship open, including with Russia. So Israel has, as a matter of realpolitik, kept itself out of the clear demarcations the rest of America’s allies have held to since the start of the Ukraine crisis.

“Such things happen once you take to hectoring allies, rather than working with them. Until recently, there were few similarities between the Israelis and the Saudis. But Biden has managed to create some… With energy prices soaring last summer due to the fallout of the Ukraine war, Biden personally went to Saudi Arabia and asked them to increase oil production. There was a time when an American leader just needed to pick up the phone. But with midterms looming, Riyadh actually cut production. It was an amazing… sign not only that the Saudis didn’t need to do what the US asked, but could do the opposite if they chose.

“In such a situation, dangerous new alliances form. What has been most striking in the past year has been the audacious efforts by the Chinese to step into the roles once expected of the US. If there was a peace deal to be brokered in the Middle East, it used to be assumed that it would be America that would broker it. No more. 

“When a deal was agreed in March to restore relations between the bitter enemies Iran and Saudi Arabia, it was Beijing that brokered it. Around the same time, it was the Chinese leadership that started touting a ‘peace deal’ to end the war in Ukraine… as the Ukrainian counteroffensive makes slow progress, many nonaligned countries see China at least providing some solution to the conflict. The Americans, meanwhile, just talk the language of taking ‘as long as it takes’. And whatever your views on the Ukraine conflict, it is hard to deny that the line from Washington has changed again and again.

“Munitions that are ruled out one month are passed another month. Tanks and planes are presented as unthinkable to provide one month and provided the next. None of this is helped by the sheer lack of confidence that anybody dealing with the US president himself must feel. 

“Last month, Biden held a meeting at the White House with the Israeli president Isaac Herzog. The hope was that it would reassure Israelis that the relationship was as solid as ever. This came at the same time as Biden was chiding prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his judicial reforms. That in itself is a classic Biden misstep. What business is it of the Americans if the Israeli government chooses to make long overdue changes to its supreme court system?… the belief that the Americans have the right to lecture everyone in the region is built into the system…

Tehran is once again extorting the US by demanding money for prisoners. Iran has been a rogue state since 1979, but there are few rogue states in the world that America is so constantly and successfully blackmailed by. Expect pallets of cash to be handed over once more, as during the Obama-Biden years, to a regime dancing on the edge of trying to become a nuclear power. 

“For many countries in the region, Saudi Arabia and Israel perhaps most of all, that is the nightmare scenario, an Iran that goes nuclear fast. But then, Iran is in a good position. It has some strong friends… and some weak enemies, including the US…”

An accurate description of America’s shameful and incompetent performance on the world scene.

Saudi Arabia to Take Over the Temple Mount?

Israel News wrote on or about August 20:

“The timing was not accidental when Saudi Arabia announced over the weekend that its ambassador to Jordan will also take on the roles of ambassador to the Palestinian Authority and consul general in eastern Jerusalem…

“Although Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Sunday quickly shot down the idea of a Saudi consulate for the Palestinians in eastern Jerusalem, Saudi and Palestinian officials said, ‘The Saudi move is an indication of the possibility of an agreement to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia soon and is a signal to the entire region.’

“But Saudi and Palestinian officials also said, ‘Saudi Arabia wishes to signal to Jordan that it considers itself entitled to set foot in the al-Aqsa mosque in east Jerusalem, which would make the crown prince and the Al Saud dynasty responsible for the three holy places of Islam: Mecca, Medina and al-Aqsa.’… For several years, Saudi Arabia has been signaling to Jordan that it intends to replace Amman as custodian of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount

“Dr. Mordechai Kedar… said… ‘When considering the negotiations to bring normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, it is important to remember that the Saudis do not consider the Palestinians to be Arabs… If the Saudis take over the Temple Mount, it will be a huge blow to the Palestinians. Without Al Aqsa, the Palestinians have nothing; no connection to the land, no political claim, no claim to status in Islam…’”

Interesting developments in the Middle East. The Temple Mount and the Al Aqsa mosque keep at the forefront of attention.

China and Russia Collaborate Militarily

Business Insider wrote on August 20:

“China claims it has remained neutral and has repeatedly denied sending military equipment to Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

“But The Telegraph’s investigation found that the country has delivered tens of thousands of shipments to Russian military equipment manufacturers… Trade between the two countries is set to exceed $200 billion this year, per the report — setting a new record.”

Russia and Iran Collaborate Militarily

The New York Post wrote on August 20:

“Russia is secretly working on building thousands of drones through a covert partnership with Iran… Engineers are quietly working to construct 6,000 drones by the summer of 2025 via a billion-dollar weapons deal between Moscow and Tehran. The work is being carried out at a facility in Tatarstan, about 500 miles from the Russian capital.

“Leaked documents… show that Russian drone production is heavily reliant on electronic parts from other countries and that Russian engineers have been trying to improve on the Iranian Shahed-136 attack drone, which is able to travel over 1,000 miles. Among the attempted improvements is making the drones able to carry out a swarm attack, in which they autonomously coordinate to strike a common target.”

Russia and India Collaborate Economically and Militarily

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 22:

“Russia, an enemy? Not in India, where Russia has long been viewed as a valued political and economic partner. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, the relationship has even picked up additional pace. India has declined to join the West’s sanctions on Moscow, and the country is now importing more crude oil from Russia than ever before…

“Russia has become India’s fourth-largest source of imports in the past year… The economic and political relationship between Russia and India, which are both nuclear powers, is not only based on their mutual interest regarding oil. It also goes back to their long-standing cooperation during the Cold War era.

“The Soviet Union supplied weapons to India for decades and trained Indian forces in how to use them. India obtained three-fifths of its arms from the USSR between 1955 and 1991military cooperation between India and Russia remains significant… By contrast, there was a cooler relationship with the United States, which delivered arms to India’s enemy Pakistan…

“‘The Russian-Indian partnership will continue,’ Rajan Menon and Eugene Rumer from the US think tank Carnegie Endowment for International Peace wrote in September last year. ‘For India, Russia remains an important supplier of weapons…’”

The Kings of the East are coming together, including China, Russia, India and North Korea (see article below).

The Russia-North Korea-Pact

Daily Express US wrote on August 23:

“Russia’s ‘probable secret’ nuclear agreement with North Korea signals a ‘very dangerous development’…

“According to Paul Bracken, professor of management and political science at the Yale School of Management, the alliance between Russia and North Korea is a major cause for concern. He told Daily Express US: ‘We’re seeing new coalitions taking shape right before our eyes…’

“North Korea currently holds a huge stockpile of ballistic missiles… [It] has conducted more than 100 weapons tests since 2022, some involving nuclear-capable missiles designed to strike the US mainland and its allies South Korea and Japan.

“Russia, meanwhile, has the world’s largest stockpile of nuclear weapons, with around 6,000 warheads in its arsenal.”

It is alleged that North Korea provides Russia with conventional weapons while Russia provides North Korea with information as to how to build nuclear weapons.

The BRICS Bloc to Enlarge?

Portland Press Herald wrote on August 21:

“The BRICS bloc – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – will use an annual leaders’ summit in Johannesburg this week to begin the process of enlisting more members to bolster its global heft, a push driven mainly by Chinese President Xi Jinping but also backed by Russia and South Africa. There will also be talks on how to accelerate a shift away from the dollar, in part by increasing the use of local currencies in trade between members, which is surging…

“The summit could see the bloc’s first expansion since South Africa was added in 2010. High on the list of potential candidates are Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, as well as the United Arab Emirates, Algeria and Egypt. But India wants the process to be gradual. An expanded group would represent about half of global output by 2040… double the share of the Group of Seven, a reversal from the turn of this century. A bigger BRICS would account for almost half of the global population, up from 42% currently…

“Russian President Vladimir Putin is staying away from this year’s summit because he faces a war-crimes arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, of which host South Africa is a member. He will participate remotely. The gathering will give him another opportunity to present his narrative of the Ukraine invasion directly to leaders from the Global South, many of whom have been sympathetic to his accounts in the past. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa have been cautious about openly taking Russia’s side in the war, but have also been unwilling to ally with the West in opposing it...”

The Guardian wrote on August 24:

“The Brics group of big emerging economies has announced the admission of six new members, in an attempt to reshape the global world order and provide a counterweight to the US and its allies. From the beginning of next year, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Argentina, the UAE and Ethiopia will join the current five members – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – it was announced…

“The decision to admit Iran, also looking for a way to sidestep sanctions, represented a win for Putin and Xi, helping give the group a more anti-western, non-democratic tinge. They prevailed over the more cautious approach of the other members, who prefer to portray the group as non-aligned…”

South Africa—a modern descendant of the House of Israel–appears to be out of place in this group.

Panama Canal Dried Out

On or about August 20, MSN wrote the following:

“In what is being called the ‘world’s worst traffic jam,’ some 200 cargo ships are waiting to pass at the Panama Canal… the area experiences its worst drought in 100 years... the huge backlog has been growing for some time and might not get any better for a few weeks yet. The human-made passageway is famous not only as one of the world’s most impressive feats of engineering but as one of the most important trade routes on Earth.

“The Panama Canal relies on massive amounts of water, the supply of which is shrinking in the current drought…

“Though the flow of ships at the Panama Canal started at about 1,000 vessels when it opened in 1914, that traffic has steadily increased. In the 2022 fiscal year, the passageway was crossed by over 14,200 ships, accounting for some 40% of U.S. container traffic and annually representing $270 billion in cargo…”

Not surprisingly, the current drought is being blamed on “man-made climate change.” Sounding like a parrot, the author mentions climate change eight times in this short article.

More and More Boosters

The Dossier wrote on August 17:

“Pfizer announced Thursday that their new shot, which targets the Eris variant (whatever that is) of… Covid-19, is showing great promise in mice.  And given that Big Pharma heavyweights like Pfizer pretty much control America’s Government Health institutions, we should expect to see FDA authorization for another ‘emergency use’ shot in the coming weeks.

“… this would make for an eighth dose of mRNA in under three years… some… now recommend a booster every two months for the immunocompromised. If you’re not yet immunocompromised, you can take a shot every four months…

“… most Americans have stopped getting mRNA injections, largely because many quietly realized that they have been bamboozled by Big Pharma into taking a shot that does not in fact stop [Corona].”

COVID Mandates Are Coming Back!

Breitbart wrote on August 21:

“COVID mask mandates are returning to Hollywood, with Lionsgate being the first major studio to reinstate masking and daily testing for its Los Angeles office workers… A growing number of colleges and medical institutions throughout the country are also reinstating mask mandates, with the mainstream news media running articles pushing for the return of face coverings

“The return of mask mandates comes as the Biden administration is ramping up another round of COVID hysteria ahead of 2024, pressuring all Americans to get the latest booster this fall. This had led to growing suspicion that Democrats will not only impose mask mandates but bring back mass lockdowns ahead of the next presidential election, in a repeat of 2020… the new push for Americans to line up for booster shots follows the revelation in January that health officials want to make coronavirus booster vaccinations an annual event.”

This is so appallingly incredible. Please take note of our new member letter, dated August 21, 2023, which addresses this issue in great detail.

A New Virus on the Horizon?

LifeSiteNews wrote on August 19:

“There are strong indications that another alleged ‘virus’ may be released early this Fall and that governments will once again, on the advice of the WHO, declare a health emergency mandating masking, lockdowns and much more and put heavy pressure on the populace to be ‘vaccinated.’ Should this happen and the public again complies, the results are certain to be catastrophic…

“We now know that all the mandates and policies for the last coronavirus alleged ‘pandemic’ were not only useless and medically and scientifically unjustified, they were also devastatingly harmful

“If another health emergency is declared… will be told another pile of seemingly convincing lies and for many it will be hard to resist the lies and the pressures to comply…

“Dr. Meryl Nass wrote: ‘We can produce vaccines in 100 days and manufacture them in 130 days–but there will be no guarantees that the products will be safe, effective, or adequately manufactured. And we can expect large profits but no consequences for the manufacturers… New biological weapons can be engineered. They can be shared. Maybe that will speed up the development of vaccines and therapeutics. But who really benefits from this scheme? Who pays the price of accidents or deliberate use? Wouldn’t it be better to end so-called gain-of-function research entirely through restrictions on funding and other regulations, rather than encouraging its proliferation?’”

Big Pharma would fight it. And so will be the mass media. Note the next article.

YouTube on the Warpath Again

Rebel News wrote on August 16:

“YouTube will censor content creators that disagree with, or perhaps only question, guidance from the World Health Organization or local health authorities, according to the company’s updated ‘medical misinformation’ policy.

“The change has broad, sweeping implications for content creators. The platform’s previous policy touched on vaccines, abortions and content promoting or glorifying eating disorders but severely ramped up during COVID-19.

“In the new, ambiguously worded update, YouTube says it ‘doesn’t allow content that poses a serious risk of egregious harm by spreading medical misinformation that contradicts local health authorities’ (LHAs) or the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidance about specific health conditions and substances.’…

“Part of the policy means that one cannot make ‘claims that an approved COVID-19 vaccine will cause death, infertility, miscarriage, autism, or contraction of other infectious diseases.’”

This is completely unjustified and constitutes censorship aimed at supporting Big Pharma and suppressing the Truth.

Maui Wildfire Was Preventable!

Breitbart wrote on August 23:

“Evidence suggests the heartbreaking Maui wildfire was preventable… Democrats have become the equivalent of pagan sun worshippers. Nature has become their god. Therefore, in their pagan minds, human beings are nothing more than viruses, a threat to their god. This means that on their list of priorities, we humans come way behind the air, water, plants, animals, and even insects.

Democrats believe every living thing on the planet is sacred, worthy of respect, requires protection, and is part of the natural world … except human beings, especially Western ones. You see, with our hamburgers and air conditioners and automobiles and plastic coolers, we’re an aberration, a mistake made by nature. We are in the way.

“Hawaii is one of the most left-wing states in the union… Hawaii votes for politicians who put nature above human safety and comfort

“Firefighters in Maui didn’t run out of water to fight this deadly fire because Maui doesn’t have enough water…  With wildfires ravaging West Maui on Aug. 8, a state water official delayed the release of water that landowners wanted to help protect their property from fires. The water standoff played out over much of the day and the water didn’t come until too late…

“Then there are the pagan nature worshippers who neglected fire control to worship Gaia…

“We see this doom spiral throughout the country in one catastrophic Democrat-run city after another. In Hawaii, it was a totally preventable wildfire. In Chicago, Baltimore, New York, Detroit, Oakland, and San Francisco, it’s totally preventable violent crime, filthy and dangerous streets, hate crimes, addiction, failing schools, and exorbitant home prices…

“It’s a cult so brainwashed its members believe trashed cities and dead children are preferable to mean tweets. The Chief Priests of this cult will, of course, blame Climate Change… To them, Maui’s dead children are a necessary sacrifice to a pagan god that keeps them wealthy and powerful.”

Also note the next article.

Demonic Possession Is Real!

LifeSiteNews wrote on August 21:

“The idea that people can be possessed by malevolent spirits has been the basis of countless books, movies, and TV shows, many of which were, and remain, enormously popular… Despite our fascination with the topic, many people are ambivalent in their feelings about the demonic realm. Some dismiss the whole idea as mythical, assuming that all human wickedness can be explained as symptoms of psychological illness (or maybe politics).

“Others assume that incidents such as the one described in… Matthew 15, where Jesus frees the daughter of a Canaanite woman from possession — are artifacts of the distant past. ‘That was Bible times,’ they’ll say. ‘Such things don’t happen anymore.’

“Yet, the [Catholic] Church insists demons are indeed real, and that they’re as active today as they were in Jesus’ time. They work at the behest of Satan, and their intention is to make bad things happen. Really bad things…

“The Canaanite people (of whom the woman in Matthew’s Gospel was one) worshiped a variety of gods, each of which personified some force of nature. The Bible talks about the shrines, altars, and high places of worship at which the rituals of Canaanite religion were carried out. Those sites dotted the countryside, constant reminders of pagan presence in the land of Israel. The rites practiced there could open the hearts of participants to demonic influence (which may explain the daughter’s problem).

Nature worship still exists… as Environmentalism… the Environmental Movement has elevated concern for ‘Mother Earth,’ a created thing, over devotion to God who created it… But environmentalism, in the extreme form to which it has mutated, is a false god. And the worshipping of that false god has opened many people’s hearts to demonic influence, prompting numerous evil acts…

“This preoccupation with ‘Mother Earth,’ often to the exclusion of human need and safety, is just the kind of opening after which demons prowl. Another is involvement in the occult.

“Ouija boards, tarot cards, fortune telling, seances, crystals and pyramids, astrology — such devices have long been of great popular interest… they’re specifically intended for contacting a world outside of conscious life. And when people become absorbed in them (which happens more frequently than may be apparent), such practices can come to dominate someone’s thoughts. People can begin to make important decisions on the basis of ‘signs,’ ‘influences,’ and ‘messages’ from the beyond… These too are false gods. And giving oneself over to them can provide an opening to malevolent spirits…

“… in this modern era, we’ve seen evil of such magnitude that psychological illness (or even politics) is not sufficient to explain it.”

Satan is the god and ruler of this world, and he and his demons give their powers to whomever they want. Possession is clearly a fact, and not a thing of the past. Those who want to get in contact with demons—in whatever way—will pay a heavy price.

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 can young people have hope for the future?

It can seem bleak when it comes to the immediate future. Especially, when looking at it through the eyes of a young person growing up to become a Christian. With everything that is happening in the world at this time, how can a young person have hope for their future? Is it worth growing up and trying to accomplish things in this life?  

The definition of hope is “to trust in, wait for, look for, or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future.” Viewing hope through the eyes of a young person is not something that comes easily. It is, however, something that is learned and which needs to grow. God will protect and help design the lives of the youth, giving them hope and encouragement throughout their lives. 

When we are young, it can be hard to see the future. Everything seems to be in the “here and now.” In an age of immediate gratification, it is challenging to sow seeds for the future. But these formative years as a young person are quite important. 

The book of Proverbs, being very informative, gives young people useful knowledge to live by. One of the best things one can do as a young person is to learn how to apply knowledge and understanding. Many young people in the world today are growing up without Godly knowledge, resulting in the breakdown and destruction of society. Notice, we are told in Proverbs 20:11: “Even a child is known by his deeds, Whether what he does is pure and right.” Today, most children are not worried about nor do they care about doing what is right; or we find most are doing whatever they feel is good. Society and social media continue to feed young children’s minds with thoughts of equality and gender neutralism with a picture of a “feel as you are” mentality.

While it is the parent’s duty to help educate children to understand the difference between right and wrong and to encourage them to do what is right, there is much more to say. 

One of the most important things to understand is that God has placed parents in young people’s lives for a reason. The 5th commandment, which is the first one mentioned after the first four which are directed towards God, is to honor our parents. Giving honor to parents is the first command that comes with a reward. By honoring our parents, God says we will receive a long life. 

How do you as a child honor your parents? Do you listen to what they have to say? Do you respect their wishes? Do you have good communication with them and do you not talk back? The list of questions could go on and on, but the idea is pretty simple—what do you do to show respect and honor? 

Going back to the promise of long life, this command is directed to children today! Long life will be theirs if they are willing to obey God. His commands come with built-in rewards. It is truly remarkable. 

God gives us hope for our futures—even for the future of young people! 

It is not wrong to think in terms of what one wants to do in the future. God gives everyone gifts in terms of talents (Romans 12:6)—what they are good at. Some people are good at math. Some people may be gifted at music or art. Not everyone is able to do the same things.

As you, as a young person,grow up, your talents and gifts will start to mature. This becomes important as you move on with your life. Including God in these matters and asking Him to show you the course of direction is extremely important. There are a few persons in the Bible who did this, and God led them through their lives (including Samuel, Daniel and his friends, Jeremiah, and Jesus Christ). Even Christ grew up learning how to be a carpenter. In our free booklet, “Do You Know the Jesus of the Bible?”, in chapter 9, it states that Christ was a carpenter or an architect. He didn’t just get this skill automatically and by chance. It took a lot of learning from His step-father Joseph, and He did work in this occupation until He started His public ministry. This is important to realize as you grow up. If there is a trade that interests you, you are going to have to spend time and effort in acquiring the skills to learn this trade. 

Recently, in a Youth Forum, Delayla Sperzel wrote about how a door was opened for her to have a part-time job. She rightly gave thanks to God for His hand in opening the door. Delayla had to take the initiative and do the work to get this job and to show up on time and to have a good attitude and strong work ethic, but God opened the door and gave favor to her in the eyes of her future boss. This is just one example of how God can operate in our lives. 

There is a large group of younger people today who feel lost and unsure. They are scared of all the uncertainty and are in desperate need of direction. It is easy to fall into this category. But this is not the type of attitude God wants young people (or anyone, for that matter) to have. In 2 Timothy 1:7, we find quite the opposite, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

When the lead writer of this Q&A was growing up, he remembers hearing messages from some ministers about the end of the world and how close it was, and he remembers overhearing adults around him being fearful. He remembers growing up and not having a purpose and wondering what he would do. Would Christ come back before he had a chance to grow up? Was the world going to end soon? What was the point of school, of education, finding something meaningful to do? 

Well, many years later, he looks back and realizes that this was the wrong attitude to take. Since then he has heard ministers in our Church say, and rightly so, that we need to live as if we have a lifetime ahead of us and yet be ready at all times for the return of Christ. As a young person, this means making plans for the future and spending time learning and being curious about how the world works, by asking questions. Having hope that you, as a young person, will accomplish the goals and the tasks you set your hand to. But at the same time, not to engage in foolish and ungodly conduct.

The early disciples tried to stop children from coming to Christ at times, and Christ rebuked them and had the little children come to Him. Mark 10:14-15 reads: “But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” The attitude of children is what Christ was observing—being humble and able to learn, being willing to listen to adults and showing respect. 

God clearly states that He knows us and our children, being called and sanctified in this lifetime, well before we are born (Psalm 139:15-16). God’s plan for each and every person has its time and place. Those whose parents are called as Christians now are in a special group of people. God will certainly work with those young people and encourage them, giving them the help they need and directing their lives as long as they depend on Him, respecting and building a proper relationship with Him. 

As a young person, the hope for your future begins now. It begins when you start to choose to learn about God’s ways—when you start including God in your thoughts and in your prayers. We are told that God is a rewarder of those who diligently—constantly—seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Building faith in God can begin at a young age. Converted parents have seen miracles that God has done for their children. God is constantly watching over them, as they also know that He has protected them multiple times so far.  

Psalm 108:13 tells us: “Through God we will do valiantly.” With God’s help, we will do mighty things. As children, it can feel challenging at times with situations they may go through, and it can feel like they don’t know what to do, say, think; especially, when it is a big trial, or challenge, or the test of their conviction. No matter what it is, God promises that if they take their request or challenge before Him and ask for help, for understanding or guidance, He will provide a solution or a door will open that they never considered.

The Bible is full of Scriptures showing us that when we are overwhelmed, we can turn to God and expect answers. 

The apostle Paul was encouraged to write the following in Romans 8:31: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Paul went through incredible challenges as he lived his life, and so for him to tell us this, we should feel encouraged. 

One of the very interesting things about God is His desire for us to try out His Way of Life. He tells us to tithe diligently, and then to watch and observe how He opens the doors and gives us blessings. The choice to do this, God leaves it up to everyone. 

The future of God’s Kingdom is ahead of us. God says He will protect and preserve our children. They will live in the Millennium and will continue to learn how to live righteously. We do not quite know in every little detail what the future will be like in the Millennium, but much has been revealed to us (compare our free booklet, “Biblical Prophecy—From Now Until Forever.”). We can be certain that there will be peace, no more wars [with two noteworthy exceptions at the beginning and the end of the Millennium] and plenty to do. The skills and experiences that are forming children now will be useful for their future. With all the previous destruction that happened before Christ’s return, there will be a lot of opportunities in the Millennium to help regenerate the earth and learn how to do things in a better way.

In all of this we should remember that God is the One Who is in control. He tells us in Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” A future and hope belong to our young people (and the old ones) who learn to rely and lean on God throughout their lives. 

Lead Writer: Kalon Mitchell

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Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

compiled by Dave Harris

“America and Germany in Decline!” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

As we will show in this program, both America and Germany are experiencing a decline in so many areas which is unprecedented in recent history, but which seems to have similar causes.  Many Americans seem to be unable or unwilling to connect the dots. This is not the case for most Germans. However, the fate and future for both countries is quite different. While America will be falling and rising, Germany will be rising and falling. 

“Amerikas und Deutschlands Niedergang,” is the title of  a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This program covers the same information as described above.

A new Member Letter (August 2023) has been sent to our subscribers and posted. Written by Norbert Link, this letter warns of more and more attempts by governments to control whole populations regarding such things as pandemics and climatic change. He asks what will true Christians do in the times ahead when confronted with rules that contradict what God commands.

Two new Spanish booklets were finalized and posted on our Spanish website:

“La clave para Matrimonios y familias felices” (“The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families”) and “Europa en la profecía—El desarrollo de acontecimientos del fin de los tiempos” (“Europe in Prophecy: The Unfolding of End-Time Events”) 

We received today, ready for distribution, the printed copies of our new German booklet, “Aufstieg und Fall von Deutschland und Europa” (“The Fall and Rise of Germany and Europe”).

“Wachstum nach Gottes Willen,” last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Robert Muhr, is now posted. Title in English: “Growth According to God’s Will.”

“Hugging the Cactus,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Frank Bruno, is now posted. Here is a summary:

There are a couple of uses of this phrase that can be meaningful to a true Christian in the world today. One such use refers to the love we have for our children that can often be disregarded and unreciprocated. The other use is the idea of confronting that within each of us that is sinful and dealing with it so we can leave it in the past. In this sermonette, we explore Scriptures and examples that can help us in taking the necessary action to move forward productively.  

“Milestones,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Milestones mark the progressive achievements along a path. Christian growth involves reaching these demarcation points, one after the other, on a continual journey of conversion.

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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

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

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.

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