This Week in the News

Trump a “Target in the January 6 Investigation”

The New York Post wrote on July 18:

“Former President Donald Trump revealed Tuesday that his attorneys had informed him he is a target of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into events surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot — and that he is prepared for ‘an Arrest and Indictment’ in the case. Trump… decried what he called a ‘WITCH HUNT’ and ‘ELECTION INTERFERENCE’ on his Truth Social platform.

“‘WOW! On Sunday night, while I was with my family, having just arrived from the Turning Point event in Florida, where I won the Straw Poll against all other Republican candidates with 85.7%, with all polls showing me leading in the Republican Primary by very substantial numbers, almost everyone predicting that I will be the Republican Nominee for President, and as I am leading Democrat Joe Biden in the polls by a lot, HORRIFYING NEWS for our Country was given to me by my attorneys,’ Trump wrote.

“‘Deranged Jack Smith, the prosecutor with Joe Biden’s DOJ, sent a letter (again, it was Sunday night!) stating that I am a TARGET of the January 6th Grand Jury investigation, and giving me a very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and Indictment.’

“Trump added: ‘So now, Joe Biden’s Attorney General, Merrick Garland, who I turned down for the United States Supreme Court (in retrospect, based on his corrupt and unethical actions, a very wise decision!), together with Joe Biden’s Department of Injustice, have effectively issued a third Indictment and Arrest of Joe Biden’s NUMBER ONE POLITICAL OPPONENT, who is largely dominating him in the race for the Presidency. Nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before, or even close.’”

This looks more and more like the methods of a Banana Republic, especially in light of the fact that nothing seems to happen in the Joe Biden/Hunter Biden numerous scandals. View our new program “America, Where ARE You Going?”

Biden’s Involvement in Trump’s Political Prosecution

The New York Post published the following opinion piece by Michael Goodwin on July 19:

Most Americans are not fooled and see… the dirty hand of partisan politics, and conclude the whole thing is corrupt… There is no way to be more politically obvious than the way [AG Merrick Garland] slow-walked and settled the Hunter Biden case [with a “sweetheart deal”] and the vengeance with which he repeatedly goes after Donald Trump…

“There was never any doubt  [that Trump would become a “target” in the January 6 events]—that was the whole point when Garland took Nancy Pelosi’s tainted House select committee file and made a federal case out of it. Even when Garland, in a phony bid to appear fair, named headhunter Jack Smith as special counsel to go after Trump…, the smell of a fix was unmistakable… all the prosecutors gunning for him are Democrats, but we are told to believe politics has nothing to do with it…

“We’re also supposed to believe that… Biden… is playing zero role in Garland’s decisions to go after Trump. Some extremely naive people might have swallowed that once upon a time… But there is no excuse for cluelessness now that the truth of how the Justice Department behaves under Garland stands so nakedly obvious.

“Indeed, the results unfolding before us were predictable, thanks to a New York Times article back on April 2, 2022. Here’s a key section:

“‘The attorney general’s deliberative approach has come to frustrate Democratic allies of the White House and, at times, President Biden himself. As recently as late last year, Mr. Biden confided to his inner circle that he believed former President Donald J. Trump was a threat to democracy and should be prosecuted, according to two people familiar with his comments.

“‘And while the president has never communicated his frustrations directly to Mr. Garland, he has said privately that he wanted Mr. Garland to act less like a ponderous judge and more like a prosecutor who is willing to take decisive action over the events of Jan. 6.

“Assuming the article is accurate, it would mean Biden has been telling people he wanted Trump prosecuted since late 2021. And how precious of the Times to say Biden never spoke ‘directly’ with Garland about the matter, as if that makes it all kosher. In reality, anonymous White House sources tell the Times what Biden wants, and the Times delivers the message to Garland and the world with its story. The two men don’t have to speak ‘directly’ when the Gray Lady plays messenger.

“… that the zealousness for prosecuting the former president compared to the soft, favored treatment given the current president and his son smells to high heaven. That, too, [ought to] be a crime.”

The Storm on the Capitol Infiltrated by Federal Agents?

On July 17, Life Site News republished the following article by WND News Center:

Tucker Carlson has dropped a bombshell during an interview, one of few he’s given since his abrupt departure from the [Fox] cable network. It’s that the Jan. 6, 2021, events at the U.S. Capitol, where a few hundred people rioted and vandalized parts of the building, were ‘filled’ with federal agents.

“How does he know? He got it from then-Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund… Carlson pointed out Sund would know, as ‘he was in charge of security at the site.’

“Carlson was canceled by the Fox News Channel before that interview could be aired.

“There long has been discussion of the idea that multiple federal agents acted as provocateurs at the events that day, encouraging those who may have been no more than interested participants in the Trump rally earlier in the day to become violent. Their goal would have been to trigger violence, which they then could blame on Trump, as Democrats have done in recent months. In fact, one person who was ranting around that day, telling people to go into the Capitol, and is on video doing so, but never has been charged.

“Carlson indicated he hopes to interview Sund again, this time without the restrictions imposed by Fox on the first interview.

“The PJNewsletter said, ‘We all suspected that the “conservative” network fired Tucker for speaking his mind. Some noted the timing of his cancellation – just days after he aired real footage from J6. And he revealed that Fox dumped him before he could report on this… The timing of this interview and Tucker’s ousting seems highly suspicious to some. Was it possible that Fox News was trying to censor this interview? Do they not want Americans to know that the U.S. Capitol Police chief believed that the crowd of “Trump supporters” had been infiltrated by federal agents?’”

Suspicious timing indeed.

The Cocaine Scandal Cover-Up

On July 16, The New York Post published the following editorial by Miranda Devine:

“Of all the excuses offered by the Secret Service to explain why it shut down the White House cocaine investigation last week after just 11 days, one jumped out as particularly ridiculous. 

“It couldn’t conduct interviews of potential cokeheads known to be in the vicinity of where the bag of drugs was found because it didn’t want to infringe on their civil rights, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told NBC… Tell that to the hundreds of people rounded up by the FBI for just being in the vicinity of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. 

“Sorry, nobody believes that the Biden administration cares about safeguarding civil liberties unless it’s part of a cover-up... Shifting stories about where the cocaine was located add to the public skepticism, and then a flat-out lie about when the president and his son left the White House for Camp David that weekend compounded the problem. 

“Despite enlisting the help of the FBI, the Secret Service found no fingerprints or DNA evidence on the bag of cocaine [So the culprit wore gloves?] Even more astonishing is that, in a complex bristling with security cameras, the Secret Service said no surveillance video footage exists because the baggie was located in a ‘blind spot.’…

“Donald Trump, who is more familiar with the White House than most people, told Fox News on Sunday: ‘You know how many cameras they have opposite the front door of the Situation Room? [It’s] where you decide on war, where you decide on nuclear.’…

“Biden has a history of cozy relationships with the agency. Hunter once told a friend, in a message left on his laptop, how his father leveraged favors through his Secret Service agents: ‘guys that he got their daughter into the naval academy that he had to the VP residence and let them use his apartment to stay and cost the White House, guys he paid their health insurance premiums for anonymously.’’ 

Nobody believes that the culprit could not be found if there was a real interest in doing so.

More on Joe and Hunter Biden

 The New York Post wrote on July 20:

“A bombshell FBI informant file describing a $10 million bribery allegation against President Biden and his son Hunter was released Thursday by Sen. Chuck Grassley, showing that a Ukrainian oligarch claimed that he was ‘coerced’ into making the payoff.

“Mykola Zlochevsky, the owner of natural gas company Burisma Holdings, told the FBI informant in 2016 while meeting at a coffee shop in Vienna, Austria, that ‘it cost 5 [million] to pay one Biden, and 5 [million] to another Biden,’ according to the redacted FD-1023 form. ‘Zlochevsky made some comment that although Hunter Biden “was stupid, and his (Zlochevsky’s) dog was smarter,” Zlochevsky needed to keep Hunter Biden (on Burisma’s board) “so everything will be okay,”’ the June 2020 document says. 

“The source asked whether Hunter Biden or Joe Biden told Zlochevsky he should ‘retain’ the younger Biden; Zlochevsky allegedly replied, ‘They both did.’”

The New York Post also reported that Zlochevsky allegedly said: “Don’t worry Hunter will take care of all of those issues through his dad.”

How FBI Director Christopher Wray Lied to the American People

Professor Jonathan Turley wrote the following on July 13 (the article was republished by the Ron Paul Institute):

“Yesterday’s hearing with FBI Director Christopher Wray was another maddening experience of faux contrition and the open evasion. Wray apologized for violations that have already been established by courts or Congress (often over the best efforts of the FBI). However, on ample public evidence of new violations, Wray continued to use his favorite testimonial trilogy to block any questions: expressing (1) lack of knowledge, (2) ongoing investigation, and (3) promises of later answers or briefings…

‘Despite the near total lack of substance, Wray did make one surprising denial. He insisted that the FBI does not engage in censorship efforts, focuses only on ‘foreign disinformation,’ and does not pressure companies to censor others. Those denials are not only directly contradicted by the recent opinion of a federal court and the Twitter Files, but a new release from the Twitter Files and journalist Matt Taibbi…

“[Wray’s] statement is obviously false. The FBI maintained a large operation of agents actively seeking the censorship of thousands…  Taibbi, however, has released another example of how aggressive the FBI was with social media companies. In the latest Twitter Files release, there is one email exchange where Twitter ‘immediately’ suspended accounts flagged by the FBI without investigation.

“Taibbi explained: ‘In one shot, you can see the FBI asks to remove three accounts, that gets forwarded to Twitter, Twitter immediately suspends them, the accounts. But more importantly, when there’s a glitch, and the accounts remain up, the FBI immediately writes back and says, what’s the deal? We just wrote to you, why is it still up? So, that shows the nature of the relationship basically that it’s not really a collaboration. It’s much more like somebody reporting to an authority…’

“We also have hundreds of emails that show the FBI and other agencies targeting individuals for a wide array of disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation. The latter category is truly Orwellian…

“The latest email does not suggest that the FBI was the passive, helpful agency portrayed by the Director…”

The FBI, as well as many other American governmental agencies, have fallen into utter disgrace—so much so that many are advocating their complete overhaul, from the top down, or their total abolition.

NATO Members Furious With Zelensky

Breitbart wrote on July 14:

“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s exasperated complaint about the slow pace of an invitation for his country to join NATO, delivered as the annual NATO summit began in Vilnius, Lithuania, may have actually moved the process backward by alienating the United States and allied leaders, the Washington Post claimed…

“Zelensky on Tuesday called it ‘unprecedented and absurd’ for NATO to speak vaguely about inviting Ukraine to join without setting a time frame and to add ‘conditions’ by demanding political reforms not demanded of the two newest alliance members, Finland and Sweden. ‘Ukraine also deserves respect,’ Zelensky fumed, blaming NATO’s hesitancy for giving Russia ‘motivation to continue its terror.’ ‘Uncertainty is weakness,’ he concluded.

“Some NATO leaders were publicly annoyed by Zelensky’s outburst. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace on Wednesday said a ‘slight word of caution’ was in order for the Ukrainian president, and suggested he try showing a little ‘gratitude’ if he expected allied countries to ‘give up their stocks’ of weapons to defend his nation

“… according to the Washington Post on Thursday, the Biden White House was so miffed by Zelensky’s complaints that it ‘considered scaling back the “invitation” for Kyiv to join’ NATO. What NATO actually did at the conclusion of the Vilnius summit was declare that ‘Ukraine’s future is in NATO’ and promise that Kyiv will be invited at some undetermined point in the future, which is precisely the approach that made Zelensky angry…

“The Ukrainians believe full membership, with its commitment to collective defense, could have prevented Russia from invading, and full membership now might make the Kremlin back down instead of risking a world war… At one point, Zelensky threatened to boycott the Vilnius summit unless a firm timetable for Ukrainian membership was put forward. The Washington Post’s inside sources said the NATO leaders gathered in Lithuania were ‘stunned’ by Zelensky’s public rebuke, and the United States delegation was downright ‘furious.’…

“Zelensky fired off a string of Twitter posts after departing Vilnius that each contained the words ‘grateful’ or ‘thanks,’ suggesting a desire to put the controversy behind him…”

Still, ultimately, the rift between Europe and Ukraine will widen. Note the next two articles.

Zelensky Blocked From Attending EU Summit

Express wrote on July 15:

“Ukraine’s President Zelensky was left stunned after Latin American countries blocked his attendance at an upcoming EU summit with its leaders… on July 17-18.

“The Spanish Prime Minister extended an invitation to President Zelensky to attend the summit… However, several Latin American leaders objected strongly to Zelensky’s presence at the summit, forcing the Ukrainian president to pull out…

Many Latin American countries enjoy good political and economic relations with Russia and are keen not to upset the Kremlin. Brazil, in particular, has seen its commercial ties with Moscow grow strongly… Other countries suspected of being within the Russian orbit include Mexico, Colombia and Argentina, as well as Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela.

“Latin American leaders were also reported to have ‘thrown cold water’ on the EU’s efforts to unite the continent in its support of Ukraine… Brussels had intended to issue a summit declaration text, that would have included several paragraphs of support for Ukraine…”

The monetary and economic interests of Europe pertaining to Latin America are perceived to be much more important than the “support” of Ukraine, which is, in any event, judged as being merely of self-serving importance, as the next article suggests.

The NATO 2023 Summit

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on July 15:

“On the one hand the US and its NATO allies came face to face with the reality that endless promises of ‘unlimited’ military aid to Ukraine to defeat Russia would not achieve that goal. Five weeks of the much-anticipated Ukrainian counter-offensive have produced zero results. They have only snuffed out another estimated 20,000 Ukrainian soldiers, this time mostly drawn from the shrinking pool of forced – and barely trained – conscripts… when President Biden was asked right after agreeing to send Ukraine a tranche of ghastly cluster bombs why he did so, he replied, ‘we’ve run out of ammunition.’ It was an incredible admission, particularly considering the massive increase in already astronomical US military spending…

“Americans might want to know how their government can spend a trillion dollars per year on ‘defense’ and in addition add another hundred billion or so for Ukraine and end up with…no ammo…

“While many – especially in Kiev – expected some kind of concrete signal from NATO that Ukraine had a clear path to join the club… the path to membership was made more vague than ever. To add insult to injury, Stoltenberg remarked that a perhaps mortally-wounded Ukraine must win the war with Russia before NATO membership could even be considered. Biden himself painfully drove that death sentence for Ukraine home, remarking that, ‘no one can join NATO while a war is going on.’…

“One can certainly feel for Zelensky… NATO… never had any intention to go to war with Russia over Ukraine

“So at the end of the day, the seemingly unremarkable Vilnius summit was in fact quite illuminating. Regimes fall slowly and then suddenly and we are seeing that process clearly in place with NATO. Ukraine has been hung out to dry, even as the dark lords of war will continue to spend billions shipping weapons to [Kiev]. After all, there is money to be made from this and everyone’s in on it.”

Others feel likewise that NATO has become obsolete. The most prominent proponent of that idea has been Donald Trump. But others agree. According to the New York Post, dated July 15, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “suggested this week that NATO should be disbanded. ‘It is insane to even keep NATO going…’ He was non-committal when asked by The Post whether, as president, he would pull the United States out of the longstanding alliance… ‘I don’t know how to handle it right now. There are many many options,’ he said.”

Russia Seizes Foreign Companies

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 17:

“Russia has unexpectedly seized the local operations of Carlsberg CABGY [a Danish brewing company] and Danone DANOY [a French company–the largest dairy company in Russia], two of the world’s largest consumer-goods companies, in a move that escalates economic hostilities with the West… Russia placed Danone and Carlsberg’s local operations under temporary management, putting them under the control of the federal state property management agency

“The move is the second time Russia has seized Western assets in the country since the Kremlin unveiled a decree in April that allows the state to take temporary control of assets of companies or individuals from what Moscow calls ‘unfriendly’ states. Russian officials have said that the seizures are in retaliation for similar moves by Western countries. In April, Russia took control of utilities owned by Germany’s Uniper and Finland’s Fortum…

“Among the Western companies to remain are several makers of food, drink and household products… Other major companies looking to exit Russia include brewing giant Heineken, which said in March it was doing everything it could to find a new owner for its business…

“Last year, Germany took control of the German business of Russian oil giant Rosneft and put Gazprom’s German natural-gas business, formerly known as Gazprom Germania, under trusteeship. Russia at the time warned that it could seize more Western assets.”

This development will not end any time soon.

Russia Stops Grain Deal With Ukraine

The Associated Press wrote on July 17:

“Russia halted an unprecedented wartime deal on Monday that allows grain to flow from Ukraine to countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia where hunger is a growing threat and high food prices have pushed more people into poverty.

“Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced Russia would suspend the Black Sea Grain Initiative until its demands to get its own agricultural shipments to the world are met — even though the country has been shipping record amounts of wheat and its fertilizers also have been flowing…

“It’s the end of a breakthrough accord that the United Nations and Turkey brokered last summer to allow food to leave the Black Sea region… The deal provided assurances that ships won’t be attacked entering and leaving Ukrainian ports… [Ukraine announced they would continue with their shipments. Russia responded that they would consider those ships as hostile and subject to attack.]

“The warring nations are both major global suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other affordable food products that developing nations rely on…

“Asked Monday whether an [Ukrainian] attack on a bridge connecting the Crimean Peninsula to Russia was a factor behind the decision on the grain deal, the Kremlin spokesman said it was not…”

This is hard to believe, given the fact that Russia called the attack on the bridge a terrorist attack, allegedly killing children.

Kennedy: I Never Suggested That Corona Was Engineered to Target Jews

Breitbart wrote on July 15:

“Democratic presidential challenger Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is defending himself from claims of antisemitism after a New York Post reporter falsely claimed the candidate said COVID-19 was engineered to protect Jews… video of Kennedy’s remarks… show that Kennedy never actually said that coronavirus had been ‘ethnically targeted’ to spare Jews.

“What Kennedy does say is he believes that several governments have developed the ability to target bioweapons at particular ethnicities. As evidence that this might be possible, he cites research that suggested some groups were more susceptible to COVID-19 than others — but he adds that he does not know if that was intentional… He also said he ‘never, ever suggested that the COVID-19 virus was targeted to spare Jews’…

“Rabbi Shmuley Boteach… defended Kennedy Saturday evening… ‘Bobby’s father was murdered by Palestinian terrorist Sirhan Sirhan because of his strong support for Israel and Bobby recently marched with me against the demonization of the Jewish state at the giant ‘Israel Day’ parade in New York City carrying an enormous Israeli flag. He has publicly called upon the Biden Administration not to give Iran billions of dollars in a second Iran deal that would ultimately result in an Iranian nuclear weapon. In our recent interview together Bobby called upon the Democratic Party to return to the strong, unconditional support of Israel that was the hallmark of the party under the leadership of his uncle…’

“Kennedy is experiencing the same treatment doled out to Donald Trump, who — as a candidate and as president — was constantly smeared by the media as an antisemite despite defending Jews and supporting Israel strongly.”

As the Editorial by Brian Gale in this Update admonishes, one must separate fact from fiction or fake news. Note the next two articles.

Kennedy’s Support for Israel

Breitbart wrote on July 16:

“Kennedy explained why he supports the Jewish state… ‘I believe, in my heart, it is core to the values I was raised with,’ noting the pro-Israel views of his father, the late Sen. Robert Kennedy (D-NY), and his uncle, Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA)…

“Kennedy’s father, notably, was assassinated in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968, by a crazed Palestinian, Sirhan Sirhan, who targeted Kennedy on the first anniversary of the Six-Day War over his public support for Israel. Kennedy had been on track to win the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination on an anti-war platform.

“Kennedy expressed his concern for growing antisemitism within the Democratic Party and a younger generation of Americans…”

Sadly, antisemitism is rising again throughout the world. In reality, it never was dead.

No Stronger Champion for Israel Than Kennedy

Israel 365 News wrote on July 18:

“The lawyer… has come under fire for recent remarks about COVID-19. Many have said that Kennedy’s comments on a study, which suggested that Ashkenazi Jews were less affected than others by the virus, are antisemitic. Many others, including prominent Jewish leaders, have defended him. ‘It’s clear to me now that I need to be much more careful,’ Kennedy told JNS. ‘I have to learn a lesson from this, and the lesson I learn is that I have to understand that the words that I use have impact, and they can be misused and misinterpreted,’ he said. ‘I regret talking about that study, and I am going to be careful to make sure that I don’t do anything like that in the future.’…

“His father, Robert “Bobby” Kennedy, a former U.S. attorney general and senator, and his uncle, the former president, were strong supporters of Israel. Bobby was in Israel in 1946 and 1947, and both he and his brother supported “the sacred alliance between Israel and the United States,” said the current presidential candidate, who is known as RFK Jr.

“Kennedy added that his uncle, the late Edward ‘Ted’ Kennedy, a longtime U.S. senator from Massachusetts, ‘was the architect of the exodus of oppressed Soviet Jewry to safe havens’ in the 1980s and early 1990s. ‘There is nobody in the presidential race who is going to be a stronger champion for Israel than me,’ Kennedy told JNS…

“What was once ‘an oasis for justice and rights in the Middle East’ is instead seen as an ‘imperial nation’ that oppresses the ‘indigenous population of Palestinians,’ Kennedy said. ‘There’s very little understanding of the evolution of the Jewish state, of what was happening in Palestine prior to the Ottoman Empire, the British Mandate after the empire. The entire history going back thousands of years.’ 

“Kennedy told JNS that he is aware of no other country that has Israel’s military discipline, or what he calls, its ‘unique moral approach’ to warfare…

“Kennedy, who is Catholic, sees Christianity as an extension of Jewish scripture. ‘Jesus never stopped being a Jew, by the way,’ he said. ‘His disciples basically opened up his ideological and religious philosophy to non-Jews. We were raised with the idea that we were kind of little brothers of the Chosen People.’…

“‘[Israel is] the historical homeland of the Jewish people, from which they were driven and to which they returned as well.’ It is a ‘prevailing yet erroneous’ view that ‘Israel settled in a place where they didn’t belong,’ Kennedy said. ‘The idea that is just a distortion, a perversion of history.’”

In fact, the Promised Land is the historical homeland of the House of Israel and the House of Judah. For more information, please read our free booklet, Biblical Prophecy—From Now Until Forever.”

AGAIN! Democrats Try to Censor JFK Jr. At Hearing on Censorship

Fox News wrote on July 20:

“House Democrats on Thursday tried unsuccessfully to remove Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. from a hearing on federal government censorship… That effort and others by Democrats to silence him at the hearing prompted Kennedy to say, ‘This is an attempt to censor a censorship hearing.’ Kennedy… was  invited by Republicans to testify at a hearing at the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. But after Kennedy’s opening remarks, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., moved to take the hearing into executive session to discuss  Kennedy’s alleged violation of a House rule aimed at banning testimony that defames or degrades others. Wasserman Schultz said the witness made ‘despicable’ antisemitic and anti-Asian comments in the last few days, referring to his comment [about] COVID.

“Kennedy used his opening remarks to lament the Democrats’ efforts to censor his speech, and broader efforts to censor his run for the White House. He said his speech announcing his candidacy was censored five minutes into his speech by YouTube. ‘Censorship… was appalling to my father, to my uncle, to FDR, to Harry Truman, to Thomas Jefferson…’ Kennedy noted recent emails that show the Biden administration tried to censor his comments about vaccines, just three days into the start of that administration. ‘They had to invent a new word called “malinformation” to censor people like me,’ he said. ‘Malinformation is information that is true, but it is inconvenient to the government, that they don’t want people to hear.’”

According to Breitbart, dated July 20, “Democrats notably tried to censor Kennedy after his opening statement during the hearing, in which he defended his record on racism and antisemitism, and disputed claims by 102 Democrats in a letter that he had allegedly ‘spread vile and dangerous antisemitic and anti-Asian conspiracy theories.’”

None of the House Democrats came to Kennedy’s defense, but Kennedy commented that not all of the House Democrats signed the letter. In fact, the majority did not.

War Propaganda: They Are Coming For Your Children!

On July 17, the Ron Paul Institute published the following article by Ron Paul:

“As a rule, US war reporting since Vietnam has been mostly mainstream media cheerleading the mission rather than digging beyond government war propaganda. After all, it was images of American boys coming home in body bags shown on the six o’clock news across America that finally galvanized mainstream opposition to that war.

“The Pentagon learned its lesson by the first Gulf War, and it severely restricted up-close media coverage. Only ‘trusted’ journalists were able to report from the front lines. Most of the press corps wrote up stories based on US military press releases from luxury hotels in Baghdad.

“By the time of Gulf War II the Pentagon came up with the concept of ‘embedding’ select journalists with the troops. This allowed the story to be framed by the Pentagon with the false impression that actual journalism was taking place. It felt authentic, because the journalist was with the troops and close to the action, but the story presented what the Pentagon wanted to be presented.

“This is perhaps a long way of pointing out that US mainstream media coverage of the war in Ukraine leaves a lot to be desired… Russia is losing, they report. Russia has already lost, as Biden said recently. Most Americans don’t go out of their way to listen to actual experts like Col. Doug Macgregor, who from the beginning has been telling a very different story. Thus Americans continue to be fed propaganda…

“We are on a very slippery slope, with Biden’s neocons continuing to escalate in the face of massive Ukrainian losses and an apparent shortage of US troops. Make no mistake, if the US/NATO proxy war with Russia is not halted the next step will be to look at the US Selective Service. That means they are coming for your kids. How long before America wakes up and says ‘NO’?”

This development will also be repeated in Germany and other European nations. Will the Germans say “NO”? Would the government even care? Note the next articles.

Germany Is Ukraine’s Second Largest Arms Supplier

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on July 15:

Germany is actually Ukraine’s second largest arms supplier, after the United States. Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged a new arms package worth 700 million euros, including additional tanks, munitions and Patriot air defence systems at the Nato summit in Vilnius, putting Berlin, as he said, at the very forefront of military support for Ukraine…

“The Ukraine crisis has provided the context for accelerating Germany’s militarization… Germany is the Biden Administration’s closest ally in the war against Russia…

“Rheinmetal, the great 135-year old German arms manufacturing company, has disclosed that it is opening an armoured vehicle plant in western Ukraine at an undisclosed location in the next twelve weeks…”

Running Out of Ammunition

CNN wrote on July 18:

“The US and Europe are struggling to provide Ukraine with the large amount of ammunition it will need for a prolonged counteroffensive against Russia, and Western officials are racing to ramp up production to avoid shortages on the battlefield…

“The dwindling support of artillery ammunition has served as a wake-up call to NATO… since the alliance did not adequately prepare for the possibility of a protracted land war in Europe following decades of relative peace… the ammunition will still take ‘years’ to mass produce to acceptable levels, National Security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN Sunday…

“A German government source told CNN that Berlin has taken steps to try to close existing gaps in ammunition stocks and to increase ammunition reserves, noting that the munitions for the Swiss-made Gepard tank, which has been provided to Ukraine, is now being produced in Germany…”

It was clear from the outset that, unless Russia were to win very quickly, the war would rage for a long time.

Army Technology wrote on July 18:

“The German Bundeswehr has just issued a large-volume order for service and practice artillery ammunition worth around 1.3 billion Euros ($1.46bn)… The framework contracts will help to assure a secure supply of ammunition to the armed forces of Germany and other Nato nations…”

Germany to Have the Best Equipped Army Division?

The Economic Times wrote on July 17:

“Germany is confident it will have the best equipped army division amongst European NATO allies in 2025, Army Chief Alfons Mais told Reuters, as countries are scrambling to gear up their troops in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine… Berlin… aims to have the first of three divisions operational by 2025, with the second to follow in 2027…

“‘This will be good enough,’ the lieutenant general said. ‘It will be sufficient, in any case, to contribute the best equipped division of all European NATO partners in 2025. At least, this is our joint goal with our Dutch partners.’”

The war machine is in full gear. And it will get worse. Note the next article.

Europe to Become a Nuclear Deterrent?

Express wrote on July 17:

“Alarm bells rang when German general Klaus Naumann, French admiral Jacques Lanxade, former Labour UK Europe minister Denis MacShane and German former senior foreign policy adviser Margarita Mathiopoulos jointly authorized an article for the Atlantic Council calling for a European nuclear deterrent. The article suggested that the UK, France and Germany should get together to provide a Europe-wide nuclear deterrent in the face of threats from Russia…

“There are also worries over reports that President Joe Biden wants European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to be the next NATO General Secretary. Ms von der Leyen is a former German defence minister who has pushed strongly for an EU army.

“The article said: ‘… Europe will need a convincing conventional and nuclear deterrent of its own, and Germany will be key…’ The four said that the war in Ukraine made it clear Germany needs to play a more significant role in NATO which means it needs a nuclear deterrent… ‘This, then, is the moment to start a debate in Berlin, Paris, and London about a trilateral French, British, and German nuclear European Defense Initiative, and the responsibility of those three powers to protect Europe if Article 5 is invoked in a worst-case-scenario.’ [Article 5 says that an attack on one NATO ally is to be considered as an attack against all NATO member states].”

The Bible says that Europe, under German leadership, will become a nuclear power… and that it WILL use nuclear weapons against their enemies!

German Chancellor Wants to Stay in Power

The Associated Press wrote on July 14:

“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed optimism Friday that support for a far-right party which has been surging in the polls lately will shrink to previous levels again by the time of the next national election in 2025… Recent polls have shown support for the party, known by its German acronym AfD, at around 20% and ahead of Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats…

“Aside from fears about growing migration, AfD has benefitted from skepticism in parts of the electorate about the government’s plans to tackle climate change and Germany’s military aid to Ukraine. The German domestic intelligence agency recently warned that anti-war views and climate disinformation are partly spread by Russia-backed channels and pro-Moscow influencers [NOTE: These are alarming developments. Suddenly, everyone who is opposed to war—any war—is being treated by Germany’s “domestic intelligence agency” as a “Russian agent”?].

“Scholz insisted that the gradual increase in support Germany is providing Ukraine — which includes 17 billion euros ($19 billion) worth of arms such as high-end Leopard 2 tanks and advanced air-defense systems — enjoys mainstream backing…

“On climate change, he played down the recent dilution of a bill on replacing fossil fuel heating in millions of German homes following strong pushback from the opposition, tabloid media and even members of his own three-party coalition. Scholz admitted he wasn’t happy with months of bickering over the bill between his junior governing partners, the libertarian Free Democratic Party and the environmentalist Greens, but made clear he could live with the compromise, which still needs to be passed by parliament…

“The 65-year-old, who took office in late 2021, also made clear that he expects to hold the reins in Berlin for some time. ‘I’m at the beginning of my work as chancellor,’ he said.”

Scholz appears to be totally oblivious as to what is really going on in Germany. His coalition government is being perceived by most Germans as an utter failure.

A European Move to the Right!

The Daily Mail wrote on July 14:

“Across the continent, millions of citizens are shifting their allegiance towards populist Right-wing parties. The dramatic development will transform the EU if the swelling wave of populist sentiment translates into political power at the bloc’s parliamentary elections next year.

“… the EU’s traditional social democrats, green ideologues and Left-wingers are losing their appeal at the ballot box. The rebellion has been growing — and the dominos continue to fall. Right-wingers have gained power in Sweden, then in Italy, Finland and Greece. The Spanish could be next, with national elections in a week, then Holland and… Germany could soon follow.

“… more than a third of the EU’s 27 member nations are now run, or highly influenced, by populist-style governments or factions. All favour halting uncontrolled migration, tackling crime, promoting traditional families and pausing hated EU laws aimed at forcing people to alter their lifestyles to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

“The change in political outlook means the EU, a bloc rooted in technocratic social democracy, may soon become too liberal for the ordinary people living within its borders…

“Vienna University’s Anthony J. Constantini, who specialises in studying populism [says:] Voter anger on migration is a ‘clear driver’ of Right-wing victories… adding that supporters of populism have been ‘lambasted as racist’ and ‘most of the Right-wing victories have been chalked up to disinformation’. He continues: ‘The EU is either ignoring the facts, or wilfully misunderstanding them. There remains a persistent reluctance (within the EU) to understand exactly why populists and the far-Right are succeeding.’

“Eight years ago, when then German Chancellor Angela Merkel unilaterally invited 1.3 million Syrian migrants into Germany, some who arrived were opportunists from Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, sub-Saharan Africa and the Balkans… pretending to be escaping war and persecution…. Europeans are telling their politicians to look after their own people first, amid soaring inflation and energy and food price rises.

“Millions of voters also blame high immigration — the EU received almost 900,000 asylum seekers last year alone, nearly double the number in 2021 — for rising crime, a crippling housing shortage, terror attacks, social problems and what they may see as an erosion of European culture.

“Migrant youths stand accused of fuelling a gun-and-gang crime wave in Sweden unseen in that liberal nation until the influx of new arrivals from 2015… on those arrested, prosecuted and sentenced for firearms offences over five years to 2021… 85 per cent were born abroad or had a parent who hailed from overseas… The majority had roots in Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Turkey and Lebanon as well as Balkan countries, Kosovo, Bosnia and Serbia…

“Last September, 12 of Germany’s 16 states blocked further arrivals, insisting they could not ‘absorb’ any more. A national shortage of 700,000 homes is expected by 2025, with surveys showing that half of Germans blame immigration for the crisis. Anger rose further when 110 elderly nursing-home residents in Berlin were evicted earlier this year to give their rooms to migrants.

“Uglier still, according to the Right-wing Alternative for Germany MPs, half of the gang-rape convictions in Germany last year were committed by recently arrived foreigners without citizenship. A record high of 789 gang rapes, exceeding two a week, was logged by the Berlin government. This has fuelled an anti-migrant revolt by German women and families.

“There is also a growing sense of unease across Europe that a new wave of Islamist terrorism will soon break out. According to Dutch intelligence, the terror group Islamic State has started reintroducing active ‘commando units’ through the EU’s borders.

“Thibault de Montbrial, president of France’s Centre for Reflection on Homeland Security, said in a recent interview that the easy infiltration by Islamic State was down to the ‘tragic’ decision by Angela Merkel to open borders to all-comers. In the past eight years alone, hundreds in France have been killed by Islamist terrorist attacks and nearly 1,200 wounded.”

Like Olaf Scholz, many governmental leaders in Europe seem to be unwilling to consider the fact that to a large extent, THEY and their unrealistic policies are to be blamed for the dissatisfaction and “rebellion” of their citizens.

Canada Is Fallen—Trudeau “a Modern-Day Caligula”

Fox News wrote on July 16:

“The son of a Canadian pastor drew raucous applause from the European Parliament earlier this month when he pleaded for international pressure in the case of his father…

“‘I am here today in desperation, a cry for help,’ Nathaniel Pawlowski, 23, told members of the EU Parliament on July 4. ‘I would like to stand here and tell you all the things about freedom and democracy that I like, but I no longer know those things. They have been taken away from us Canadians. Canada has fallen.’… his father, Pastor Artur Pawlowski… [was arrested] five times after he continued to conduct services in defiance of a court order, including once in the middle of a busy highway on his way home from church…

“Pawlowski was found guilty in May of mischief and breaching a release order when he delivered a 19-minute speech to truckers who were protesting federal vaccine mandates by blocking Alberta’s border with Montana in February 2022. In the speech, Pawlowski advised truckers against their plan to go to the provincial capital of Edmonton, urging them instead to remain peaceful but not to ‘break the line’ against the government at the border. He was arrested days later and spent 50 nights in two separate prisons…

“Pawlowski remains under house arrest as he awaits another court date on Aug. 9, and also faces a charge pending a constitutional challenge under the provincial Critical Infrastructure Defense Act for allegedly participating in blocking the border crossing, which could carry a sentence of up to 10 years.

“‘We no longer have freedom of religion, or freedom of speech, or the right to protest or assemble or associate or express ourselves or have free media or disagree with the government,’ Nathaniel Pawlowski told the EU Parliament. ‘Anyone who does so is arrested, charged and jailed as political dissidents.’ His speech was followed by a recorded video in which his father likened his situation in Canada to growing up behind the Iron Curtain in communist Poland.

“The pastor’s son has himself has been slapped with charges for a sermon he delivered in April outside a drag queen story hour with children at the Calgary Public Library, during which he allegedly violated a municipal bylaw passed in March that prohibits protests within 100 meters of a recreation facility or library entrance.

“The law was passed after Pastor Derek Reimer was thrown out of a public library in Calgary after interrupting a drag queen story time for children. Reimer was subsequently arrested and jailed for continuing to protest such events. Artur Pawlowski told Fox News Digital at the time that the arrest of Reimer, whom he knows, indicates that the way authorities enforced COVID-19 protocols in Canada is now being used to enforce ideology.I myself have been charged for preaching and reading the Bible publicly because the government claims the Bible isn’t inclusive and is hateful,’ Nathaniel Pawlowski told the parliament…

Likening Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to ‘a modern-day Caligula,’ Pawlowski continued, ‘We cannot allow these mad emperors to run mad. And remember, all of this is being done under the guise of health, safety and protecting us by stripping our rights and ushering in tyranny.’

“Among the European MEPs who invited Pawlowski to address parliament was Christine Anderson, a German who rebuked Trudeau to his face in March 2022, accusing him of trampling ‘fundamental rights by persecuting and criminalizing his own citizens as terrorists just because they dare to stand up to his perverted concept of democracy,’ and calling him a ‘disgrace for any democracy.’..

“Nathaniel Pawlowski told Fox News Digital that when he returned to Canada, customs officials in Montreal, Quebec, told him that there was a warrant out for his arrest…

“Artur Pawlowski told Fox News Digital that he is ‘enraged’ at how he and his family are being treated by Canadian authorities… ‘Now they want to hurt my children, my family, my wife. They are coming after our children, and those are the tactics of every totalitarian regime. The Gestapo did it. The KGB did it. Every totalitarian regime, every dictatorship has this playbook… if I could deliver a message to them, I would simply say that one day they will stand before the Judge of judges who does not take bribes, and they will give an account for every word that they said and everything they have done. One day justice will be served.’”

AMEN to that! As we reported many times before, Canada has become a dangerous totalitarian dictatorship under Justin Trudeau, but very few governmental leaders in the West seem to care.

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 1077

Love for God / The Mystery of Biblical Numbers

On July 22, 2023, Rene Messier will present the sermonette, titled, “Love for God,” and Michael Link will present the sermon, titled, “The Mystery of Biblical Numbers.”

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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Fake News – and the Truth!

by Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

In an article in “Money Marketing” a little while ago, entitled “Why everyone is over-reacting to the mini-Budget,” the writer, Max King, made this observation:

“In the rush to publish and pontificate, media analyses of Budgets are, inevitably, simplistic, shallow and populist. They are often governed by consensus group-think and politically influenced. The interviews with ‘ordinary people’ are designed to support the narrative.” 

A short while before the above comment, I was talking to a near neighbour that I speak to occasionally, whilst walking my dog, about the state of the nation in general.   He seemed to be convinced that the media, and our national broadcaster in particular, were able to produce actors who supported the regular accusation of left wing bias.   In a BBC article in January of this year, we read: “The idea of ‘crisis actors’ – people who pretend or are hired to act out some particular tragedy or disaster – is part of many contemporary conspiracy theories.”

In this editorial, I don’t want to get into conspiracy theories or politics, but suffice to say that fake news is currently alive and kicking, and it seems to permeate the very fabric of western society.

In a Daily Mail article in 2019, it was stated that “The consequences of fabricated news stories may have lingering effects on your perception.  According to a new study, voters may develop false memories after reading a fake news report. And, they’re more likely to do so if the narrative lines up with their own beliefs. Researchers presented over 3,000 eligible voters in Ireland with legitimate and made-up stories ahead of the 2018 referendum on legalizing abortion. In subsequent questioning – and after being told that some of the reports were fake – nearly half of participants reported a memory for at least one of the fabricated events, and many tended to be steadfast in these beliefs.”

Trying to work out what is right and what is wrong, what is factual news and what is fake, can take quite a bit of research and discernment, and is necessary to ensure that we have the right narrative—and, never more so than in the realm of our calling.

Now, here’s a thought.   When Jesus was addressing the stubborn Jews, He said:

 “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44).

Matthew 24 gives us information from Jesus about the times to come:  “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many” (verse 11).   In verses 23-24, we further read: “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”   And in verse 25, we have this admonition: See, I have told you beforehand,” and so we have been warned!   A lot of fake news has been prophesied!

We must recognise that Satan is the father of fake news.   He has sold the world on his lies, which are manifold.  

When we keep the Feast of Tabernacles each year, we are showered daily with Truth from God’s Word, showing us the marvellous future that awaits those of us who remain faithful to our calling until the end.  

The Truth is far more interesting than fake news and will be the norm in the coming Kingdom of God.

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by Norbert Link

We begin with the announcement that Donald Trump has been made a target in the  “investigation” of the January 6 riot and point out the obvious political motives and serious questions regarding the integrity of those involved in “prosecuting” Trump and the lack of action against Joe Biden and his son Hunter; address the recent cover-up of the White House cocaine scandal; and continue with controversial testimony of FBI Director Christopher Wray before Congress which was contradicted by the available evidence; continue with the public annoyance of several NATO members with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s outbursts and criticism; and Zelensky’s prevention from addressing the EU summit on July 17-18.

We publish a critical article about NATO’s need for existence and the devastating state of affairs of the American military; Russia’s seizure of foreign companies and its decision to end its “grain deal” with Ukraine.

We report on Robert F Kennedy Jr.’s denials of alleged critical statements pertaining to Jews and his pro-Israel stance.

We continue with American and German war propaganda. In this regard, please view our recent program, “Cluster Bombs and Our Endless Wars—Comments on News and Prophecy, July 15, 2023.”

We point out German Canceller Olaf Scholz’s oblivious “analysis” of current affairs in Germany; Germany’s military ambitions and involvement; frightening prospects of Germany becoming a nuclear power; and the undeniable fact that Europe is moving to the right—to a large extent because of soaring inflation and energy and food price rises; housing concerns; uncontrolled migration and, connected therewith, rise in crime; attacks on traditional families; and the enaction of hated EU laws aimed at forcing people to alter their lifestyles to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Please view our new StandingWatch program, ”Watch Germany!”

We conclude with a report on Canada which is perceived as having fallen into the hands of a modern-day Roman Emperor where there is no longer “freedom of religion, or freedom of speech, or the right to protest or assemble or associate or express ourselves or have free media or disagree with the government.”

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 a “Target in the January 6 Investigation”

The New York Post wrote on July 18:

“Former President Donald Trump revealed Tuesday that his attorneys had informed him he is a target of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into events surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot — and that he is prepared for ‘an Arrest and Indictment’ in the case. Trump… decried what he called a ‘WITCH HUNT’ and ‘ELECTION INTERFERENCE’ on his Truth Social platform.

“‘WOW! On Sunday night, while I was with my family, having just arrived from the Turning Point event in Florida, where I won the Straw Poll against all other Republican candidates with 85.7%, with all polls showing me leading in the Republican Primary by very substantial numbers, almost everyone predicting that I will be the Republican Nominee for President, and as I am leading Democrat Joe Biden in the polls by a lot, HORRIFYING NEWS for our Country was given to me by my attorneys,’ Trump wrote.

“‘Deranged Jack Smith, the prosecutor with Joe Biden’s DOJ, sent a letter (again, it was Sunday night!) stating that I am a TARGET of the January 6th Grand Jury investigation, and giving me a very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and Indictment.’

“Trump added: ‘So now, Joe Biden’s Attorney General, Merrick Garland, who I turned down for the United States Supreme Court (in retrospect, based on his corrupt and unethical actions, a very wise decision!), together with Joe Biden’s Department of Injustice, have effectively issued a third Indictment and Arrest of Joe Biden’s NUMBER ONE POLITICAL OPPONENT, who is largely dominating him in the race for the Presidency. Nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before, or even close.’”

This looks more and more like the methods of a Banana Republic, especially in light of the fact that nothing seems to happen in the Joe Biden/Hunter Biden numerous scandals. View our new program “America, Where ARE You Going?”

Biden’s Involvement in Trump’s Political Prosecution

The New York Post published the following opinion piece by Michael Goodwin on July 19:

Most Americans are not fooled and see… the dirty hand of partisan politics, and conclude the whole thing is corrupt… There is no way to be more politically obvious than the way [AG Merrick Garland] slow-walked and settled the Hunter Biden case [with a “sweetheart deal”] and the vengeance with which he repeatedly goes after Donald Trump…

“There was never any doubt  [that Trump would become a “target” in the January 6 events]—that was the whole point when Garland took Nancy Pelosi’s tainted House select committee file and made a federal case out of it. Even when Garland, in a phony bid to appear fair, named headhunter Jack Smith as special counsel to go after Trump…, the smell of a fix was unmistakable… all the prosecutors gunning for him are Democrats, but we are told to believe politics has nothing to do with it…

“We’re also supposed to believe that… Biden… is playing zero role in Garland’s decisions to go after Trump. Some extremely naive people might have swallowed that once upon a time… But there is no excuse for cluelessness now that the truth of how the Justice Department behaves under Garland stands so nakedly obvious.

“Indeed, the results unfolding before us were predictable, thanks to a New York Times article back on April 2, 2022. Here’s a key section:

“‘The attorney general’s deliberative approach has come to frustrate Democratic allies of the White House and, at times, President Biden himself. As recently as late last year, Mr. Biden confided to his inner circle that he believed former President Donald J. Trump was a threat to democracy and should be prosecuted, according to two people familiar with his comments.

“‘And while the president has never communicated his frustrations directly to Mr. Garland, he has said privately that he wanted Mr. Garland to act less like a ponderous judge and more like a prosecutor who is willing to take decisive action over the events of Jan. 6.

“Assuming the article is accurate, it would mean Biden has been telling people he wanted Trump prosecuted since late 2021. And how precious of the Times to say Biden never spoke ‘directly’ with Garland about the matter, as if that makes it all kosher. In reality, anonymous White House sources tell the Times what Biden wants, and the Times delivers the message to Garland and the world with its story. The two men don’t have to speak ‘directly’ when the Gray Lady plays messenger.

“… that the zealousness for prosecuting the former president compared to the soft, favored treatment given the current president and his son smells to high heaven. That, too, [ought to] be a crime.”

The Storm on the Capitol Infiltrated by Federal Agents?

On July 17, Life Site News republished the following article by WND News Center:

Tucker Carlson has dropped a bombshell during an interview, one of few he’s given since his abrupt departure from the [Fox] cable network. It’s that the Jan. 6, 2021, events at the U.S. Capitol, where a few hundred people rioted and vandalized parts of the building, were ‘filled’ with federal agents.

“How does he know? He got it from then-Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund… Carlson pointed out Sund would know, as ‘he was in charge of security at the site.’

“Carlson was canceled by the Fox News Channel before that interview could be aired.

“There long has been discussion of the idea that multiple federal agents acted as provocateurs at the events that day, encouraging those who may have been no more than interested participants in the Trump rally earlier in the day to become violent. Their goal would have been to trigger violence, which they then could blame on Trump, as Democrats have done in recent months. In fact, one person who was ranting around that day, telling people to go into the Capitol, and is on video doing so, but never has been charged.

“Carlson indicated he hopes to interview Sund again, this time without the restrictions imposed by Fox on the first interview.

“The PJNewsletter said, ‘We all suspected that the “conservative” network fired Tucker for speaking his mind. Some noted the timing of his cancellation – just days after he aired real footage from J6. And he revealed that Fox dumped him before he could report on this… The timing of this interview and Tucker’s ousting seems highly suspicious to some. Was it possible that Fox News was trying to censor this interview? Do they not want Americans to know that the U.S. Capitol Police chief believed that the crowd of “Trump supporters” had been infiltrated by federal agents?’”

Suspicious timing indeed.

The Cocaine Scandal Cover-Up

On July 16, The New York Post published the following editorial by Miranda Devine:

“Of all the excuses offered by the Secret Service to explain why it shut down the White House cocaine investigation last week after just 11 days, one jumped out as particularly ridiculous. 

“It couldn’t conduct interviews of potential cokeheads known to be in the vicinity of where the bag of drugs was found because it didn’t want to infringe on their civil rights, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told NBC… Tell that to the hundreds of people rounded up by the FBI for just being in the vicinity of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. 

“Sorry, nobody believes that the Biden administration cares about safeguarding civil liberties unless it’s part of a cover-up... Shifting stories about where the cocaine was located add to the public skepticism, and then a flat-out lie about when the president and his son left the White House for Camp David that weekend compounded the problem. 

“Despite enlisting the help of the FBI, the Secret Service found no fingerprints or DNA evidence on the bag of cocaine [So the culprit wore gloves?] Even more astonishing is that, in a complex bristling with security cameras, the Secret Service said no surveillance video footage exists because the baggie was located in a ‘blind spot.’…

“Donald Trump, who is more familiar with the White House than most people, told Fox News on Sunday: ‘You know how many cameras they have opposite the front door of the Situation Room? [It’s] where you decide on war, where you decide on nuclear.’…

“Biden has a history of cozy relationships with the agency. Hunter once told a friend, in a message left on his laptop, how his father leveraged favors through his Secret Service agents: ‘guys that he got their daughter into the naval academy that he had to the VP residence and let them use his apartment to stay and cost the White House, guys he paid their health insurance premiums for anonymously.’’ 

Nobody believes that the culprit could not be found if there was a real interest in doing so.

More on Joe and Hunter Biden

 The New York Post wrote on July 20:

“A bombshell FBI informant file describing a $10 million bribery allegation against President Biden and his son Hunter was released Thursday by Sen. Chuck Grassley, showing that a Ukrainian oligarch claimed that he was ‘coerced’ into making the payoff.

“Mykola Zlochevsky, the owner of natural gas company Burisma Holdings, told the FBI informant in 2016 while meeting at a coffee shop in Vienna, Austria, that ‘it cost 5 [million] to pay one Biden, and 5 [million] to another Biden,’ according to the redacted FD-1023 form. ‘Zlochevsky made some comment that although Hunter Biden “was stupid, and his (Zlochevsky’s) dog was smarter,” Zlochevsky needed to keep Hunter Biden (on Burisma’s board) “so everything will be okay,”’ the June 2020 document says. 

“The source asked whether Hunter Biden or Joe Biden told Zlochevsky he should ‘retain’ the younger Biden; Zlochevsky allegedly replied, ‘They both did.’”

The New York Post also reported that Zlochevsky allegedly said: “Don’t worry Hunter will take care of all of those issues through his dad.”

How FBI Director Christopher Wray Lied to the American People

Professor Jonathan Turley wrote the following on July 13 (the article was republished by the Ron Paul Institute):

“Yesterday’s hearing with FBI Director Christopher Wray was another maddening experience of faux contrition and the open evasion. Wray apologized for violations that have already been established by courts or Congress (often over the best efforts of the FBI). However, on ample public evidence of new violations, Wray continued to use his favorite testimonial trilogy to block any questions: expressing (1) lack of knowledge, (2) ongoing investigation, and (3) promises of later answers or briefings…

‘Despite the near total lack of substance, Wray did make one surprising denial. He insisted that the FBI does not engage in censorship efforts, focuses only on ‘foreign disinformation,’ and does not pressure companies to censor others. Those denials are not only directly contradicted by the recent opinion of a federal court and the Twitter Files, but a new release from the Twitter Files and journalist Matt Taibbi…

“[Wray’s] statement is obviously false. The FBI maintained a large operation of agents actively seeking the censorship of thousands…  Taibbi, however, has released another example of how aggressive the FBI was with social media companies. In the latest Twitter Files release, there is one email exchange where Twitter ‘immediately’ suspended accounts flagged by the FBI without investigation.

“Taibbi explained: ‘In one shot, you can see the FBI asks to remove three accounts, that gets forwarded to Twitter, Twitter immediately suspends them, the accounts. But more importantly, when there’s a glitch, and the accounts remain up, the FBI immediately writes back and says, what’s the deal? We just wrote to you, why is it still up? So, that shows the nature of the relationship basically that it’s not really a collaboration. It’s much more like somebody reporting to an authority…’

“We also have hundreds of emails that show the FBI and other agencies targeting individuals for a wide array of disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation. The latter category is truly Orwellian…

“The latest email does not suggest that the FBI was the passive, helpful agency portrayed by the Director…”

The FBI, as well as many other American governmental agencies, have fallen into utter disgrace—so much so that many are advocating their complete overhaul, from the top down, or their total abolition.

NATO Members Furious With Zelensky

Breitbart wrote on July 14:

“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s exasperated complaint about the slow pace of an invitation for his country to join NATO, delivered as the annual NATO summit began in Vilnius, Lithuania, may have actually moved the process backward by alienating the United States and allied leaders, the Washington Post claimed…

“Zelensky on Tuesday called it ‘unprecedented and absurd’ for NATO to speak vaguely about inviting Ukraine to join without setting a time frame and to add ‘conditions’ by demanding political reforms not demanded of the two newest alliance members, Finland and Sweden. ‘Ukraine also deserves respect,’ Zelensky fumed, blaming NATO’s hesitancy for giving Russia ‘motivation to continue its terror.’ ‘Uncertainty is weakness,’ he concluded.

“Some NATO leaders were publicly annoyed by Zelensky’s outburst. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace on Wednesday said a ‘slight word of caution’ was in order for the Ukrainian president, and suggested he try showing a little ‘gratitude’ if he expected allied countries to ‘give up their stocks’ of weapons to defend his nation

“… according to the Washington Post on Thursday, the Biden White House was so miffed by Zelensky’s complaints that it ‘considered scaling back the “invitation” for Kyiv to join’ NATO. What NATO actually did at the conclusion of the Vilnius summit was declare that ‘Ukraine’s future is in NATO’ and promise that Kyiv will be invited at some undetermined point in the future, which is precisely the approach that made Zelensky angry…

“The Ukrainians believe full membership, with its commitment to collective defense, could have prevented Russia from invading, and full membership now might make the Kremlin back down instead of risking a world war… At one point, Zelensky threatened to boycott the Vilnius summit unless a firm timetable for Ukrainian membership was put forward. The Washington Post’s inside sources said the NATO leaders gathered in Lithuania were ‘stunned’ by Zelensky’s public rebuke, and the United States delegation was downright ‘furious.’…

“Zelensky fired off a string of Twitter posts after departing Vilnius that each contained the words ‘grateful’ or ‘thanks,’ suggesting a desire to put the controversy behind him…”

Still, ultimately, the rift between Europe and Ukraine will widen. Note the next two articles.

Zelensky Blocked From Attending EU Summit

Express wrote on July 15:

“Ukraine’s President Zelensky was left stunned after Latin American countries blocked his attendance at an upcoming EU summit with its leaders… on July 17-18.

“The Spanish Prime Minister extended an invitation to President Zelensky to attend the summit… However, several Latin American leaders objected strongly to Zelensky’s presence at the summit, forcing the Ukrainian president to pull out…

Many Latin American countries enjoy good political and economic relations with Russia and are keen not to upset the Kremlin. Brazil, in particular, has seen its commercial ties with Moscow grow strongly… Other countries suspected of being within the Russian orbit include Mexico, Colombia and Argentina, as well as Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela.

“Latin American leaders were also reported to have ‘thrown cold water’ on the EU’s efforts to unite the continent in its support of Ukraine… Brussels had intended to issue a summit declaration text, that would have included several paragraphs of support for Ukraine…”

The monetary and economic interests of Europe pertaining to Latin America are perceived to be much more important than the “support” of Ukraine, which is, in any event, judged as being merely of self-serving importance, as the next article suggests.

The NATO 2023 Summit

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on July 15:

“On the one hand the US and its NATO allies came face to face with the reality that endless promises of ‘unlimited’ military aid to Ukraine to defeat Russia would not achieve that goal. Five weeks of the much-anticipated Ukrainian counter-offensive have produced zero results. They have only snuffed out another estimated 20,000 Ukrainian soldiers, this time mostly drawn from the shrinking pool of forced – and barely trained – conscripts… when President Biden was asked right after agreeing to send Ukraine a tranche of ghastly cluster bombs why he did so, he replied, ‘we’ve run out of ammunition.’ It was an incredible admission, particularly considering the massive increase in already astronomical US military spending…

“Americans might want to know how their government can spend a trillion dollars per year on ‘defense’ and in addition add another hundred billion or so for Ukraine and end up with…no ammo…

“While many – especially in Kiev – expected some kind of concrete signal from NATO that Ukraine had a clear path to join the club… the path to membership was made more vague than ever. To add insult to injury, Stoltenberg remarked that a perhaps mortally-wounded Ukraine must win the war with Russia before NATO membership could even be considered. Biden himself painfully drove that death sentence for Ukraine home, remarking that, ‘no one can join NATO while a war is going on.’…

“One can certainly feel for Zelensky… NATO… never had any intention to go to war with Russia over Ukraine

“So at the end of the day, the seemingly unremarkable Vilnius summit was in fact quite illuminating. Regimes fall slowly and then suddenly and we are seeing that process clearly in place with NATO. Ukraine has been hung out to dry, even as the dark lords of war will continue to spend billions shipping weapons to [Kiev]. After all, there is money to be made from this and everyone’s in on it.”

Others feel likewise that NATO has become obsolete. The most prominent proponent of that idea has been Donald Trump. But others agree. According to the New York Post, dated July 15, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “suggested this week that NATO should be disbanded. ‘It is insane to even keep NATO going…’ He was non-committal when asked by The Post whether, as president, he would pull the United States out of the longstanding alliance… ‘I don’t know how to handle it right now. There are many many options,’ he said.”

Russia Seizes Foreign Companies

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 17:

“Russia has unexpectedly seized the local operations of Carlsberg CABGY [a Danish brewing company] and Danone DANOY [a French company–the largest dairy company in Russia], two of the world’s largest consumer-goods companies, in a move that escalates economic hostilities with the West… Russia placed Danone and Carlsberg’s local operations under temporary management, putting them under the control of the federal state property management agency

“The move is the second time Russia has seized Western assets in the country since the Kremlin unveiled a decree in April that allows the state to take temporary control of assets of companies or individuals from what Moscow calls ‘unfriendly’ states. Russian officials have said that the seizures are in retaliation for similar moves by Western countries. In April, Russia took control of utilities owned by Germany’s Uniper and Finland’s Fortum…

“Among the Western companies to remain are several makers of food, drink and household products… Other major companies looking to exit Russia include brewing giant Heineken, which said in March it was doing everything it could to find a new owner for its business…

“Last year, Germany took control of the German business of Russian oil giant Rosneft and put Gazprom’s German natural-gas business, formerly known as Gazprom Germania, under trusteeship. Russia at the time warned that it could seize more Western assets.”

This development will not end any time soon.

Russia Stops Grain Deal With Ukraine

The Associated Press wrote on July 17:

“Russia halted an unprecedented wartime deal on Monday that allows grain to flow from Ukraine to countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia where hunger is a growing threat and high food prices have pushed more people into poverty.

“Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced Russia would suspend the Black Sea Grain Initiative until its demands to get its own agricultural shipments to the world are met — even though the country has been shipping record amounts of wheat and its fertilizers also have been flowing…

“It’s the end of a breakthrough accord that the United Nations and Turkey brokered last summer to allow food to leave the Black Sea region… The deal provided assurances that ships won’t be attacked entering and leaving Ukrainian ports… [Ukraine announced they would continue with their shipments. Russia responded that they would consider those ships as hostile and subject to attack.]

“The warring nations are both major global suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other affordable food products that developing nations rely on…

“Asked Monday whether an [Ukrainian] attack on a bridge connecting the Crimean Peninsula to Russia was a factor behind the decision on the grain deal, the Kremlin spokesman said it was not…”

This is hard to believe, given the fact that Russia called the attack on the bridge a terrorist attack, allegedly killing children.

Kennedy: I Never Suggested That Corona Was Engineered to Target Jews

Breitbart wrote on July 15:

“Democratic presidential challenger Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is defending himself from claims of antisemitism after a New York Post reporter falsely claimed the candidate said COVID-19 was engineered to protect Jews… video of Kennedy’s remarks… show that Kennedy never actually said that coronavirus had been ‘ethnically targeted’ to spare Jews.

“What Kennedy does say is he believes that several governments have developed the ability to target bioweapons at particular ethnicities. As evidence that this might be possible, he cites research that suggested some groups were more susceptible to COVID-19 than others — but he adds that he does not know if that was intentional… He also said he ‘never, ever suggested that the COVID-19 virus was targeted to spare Jews’…

“Rabbi Shmuley Boteach… defended Kennedy Saturday evening… ‘Bobby’s father was murdered by Palestinian terrorist Sirhan Sirhan because of his strong support for Israel and Bobby recently marched with me against the demonization of the Jewish state at the giant ‘Israel Day’ parade in New York City carrying an enormous Israeli flag. He has publicly called upon the Biden Administration not to give Iran billions of dollars in a second Iran deal that would ultimately result in an Iranian nuclear weapon. In our recent interview together Bobby called upon the Democratic Party to return to the strong, unconditional support of Israel that was the hallmark of the party under the leadership of his uncle…’

“Kennedy is experiencing the same treatment doled out to Donald Trump, who — as a candidate and as president — was constantly smeared by the media as an antisemite despite defending Jews and supporting Israel strongly.”

As the Editorial by Brian Gale in this Update admonishes, one must separate fact from fiction or fake news. Note the next two articles.

Kennedy’s Support for Israel

Breitbart wrote on July 16:

“Kennedy explained why he supports the Jewish state… ‘I believe, in my heart, it is core to the values I was raised with,’ noting the pro-Israel views of his father, the late Sen. Robert Kennedy (D-NY), and his uncle, Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA)…

“Kennedy’s father, notably, was assassinated in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968, by a crazed Palestinian, Sirhan Sirhan, who targeted Kennedy on the first anniversary of the Six-Day War over his public support for Israel. Kennedy had been on track to win the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination on an anti-war platform.

“Kennedy expressed his concern for growing antisemitism within the Democratic Party and a younger generation of Americans…”

Sadly, antisemitism is rising again throughout the world. In reality, it never was dead.

No Stronger Champion for Israel Than Kennedy

Israel 365 News wrote on July 18:

“The lawyer… has come under fire for recent remarks about COVID-19. Many have said that Kennedy’s comments on a study, which suggested that Ashkenazi Jews were less affected than others by the virus, are antisemitic. Many others, including prominent Jewish leaders, have defended him. ‘It’s clear to me now that I need to be much more careful,’ Kennedy told JNS. ‘I have to learn a lesson from this, and the lesson I learn is that I have to understand that the words that I use have impact, and they can be misused and misinterpreted,’ he said. ‘I regret talking about that study, and I am going to be careful to make sure that I don’t do anything like that in the future.’…

“His father, Robert “Bobby” Kennedy, a former U.S. attorney general and senator, and his uncle, the former president, were strong supporters of Israel. Bobby was in Israel in 1946 and 1947, and both he and his brother supported “the sacred alliance between Israel and the United States,” said the current presidential candidate, who is known as RFK Jr.

“Kennedy added that his uncle, the late Edward ‘Ted’ Kennedy, a longtime U.S. senator from Massachusetts, ‘was the architect of the exodus of oppressed Soviet Jewry to safe havens’ in the 1980s and early 1990s. ‘There is nobody in the presidential race who is going to be a stronger champion for Israel than me,’ Kennedy told JNS…

“What was once ‘an oasis for justice and rights in the Middle East’ is instead seen as an ‘imperial nation’ that oppresses the ‘indigenous population of Palestinians,’ Kennedy said. ‘There’s very little understanding of the evolution of the Jewish state, of what was happening in Palestine prior to the Ottoman Empire, the British Mandate after the empire. The entire history going back thousands of years.’ 

“Kennedy told JNS that he is aware of no other country that has Israel’s military discipline, or what he calls, its ‘unique moral approach’ to warfare…

“Kennedy, who is Catholic, sees Christianity as an extension of Jewish scripture. ‘Jesus never stopped being a Jew, by the way,’ he said. ‘His disciples basically opened up his ideological and religious philosophy to non-Jews. We were raised with the idea that we were kind of little brothers of the Chosen People.’…

“‘[Israel is] the historical homeland of the Jewish people, from which they were driven and to which they returned as well.’ It is a ‘prevailing yet erroneous’ view that ‘Israel settled in a place where they didn’t belong,’ Kennedy said. ‘The idea that is just a distortion, a perversion of history.’”

In fact, the Promised Land is the historical homeland of the House of Israel and the House of Judah. For more information, please read our free booklet, Biblical Prophecy—From Now Until Forever.”

AGAIN! Democrats Try to Censor JFK Jr. At Hearing on Censorship

Fox News wrote on July 20:

“House Democrats on Thursday tried unsuccessfully to remove Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. from a hearing on federal government censorship… That effort and others by Democrats to silence him at the hearing prompted Kennedy to say, ‘This is an attempt to censor a censorship hearing.’ Kennedy… was  invited by Republicans to testify at a hearing at the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. But after Kennedy’s opening remarks, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., moved to take the hearing into executive session to discuss  Kennedy’s alleged violation of a House rule aimed at banning testimony that defames or degrades others. Wasserman Schultz said the witness made ‘despicable’ antisemitic and anti-Asian comments in the last few days, referring to his comment [about] COVID.

“Kennedy used his opening remarks to lament the Democrats’ efforts to censor his speech, and broader efforts to censor his run for the White House. He said his speech announcing his candidacy was censored five minutes into his speech by YouTube. ‘Censorship… was appalling to my father, to my uncle, to FDR, to Harry Truman, to Thomas Jefferson…’ Kennedy noted recent emails that show the Biden administration tried to censor his comments about vaccines, just three days into the start of that administration. ‘They had to invent a new word called “malinformation” to censor people like me,’ he said. ‘Malinformation is information that is true, but it is inconvenient to the government, that they don’t want people to hear.’”

According to Breitbart, dated July 20, “Democrats notably tried to censor Kennedy after his opening statement during the hearing, in which he defended his record on racism and antisemitism, and disputed claims by 102 Democrats in a letter that he had allegedly ‘spread vile and dangerous antisemitic and anti-Asian conspiracy theories.’”

None of the House Democrats came to Kennedy’s defense, but Kennedy commented that not all of the House Democrats signed the letter. In fact, the majority did not.

War Propaganda: They Are Coming For Your Children!

On July 17, the Ron Paul Institute published the following article by Ron Paul:

“As a rule, US war reporting since Vietnam has been mostly mainstream media cheerleading the mission rather than digging beyond government war propaganda. After all, it was images of American boys coming home in body bags shown on the six o’clock news across America that finally galvanized mainstream opposition to that war.

“The Pentagon learned its lesson by the first Gulf War, and it severely restricted up-close media coverage. Only ‘trusted’ journalists were able to report from the front lines. Most of the press corps wrote up stories based on US military press releases from luxury hotels in Baghdad.

“By the time of Gulf War II the Pentagon came up with the concept of ‘embedding’ select journalists with the troops. This allowed the story to be framed by the Pentagon with the false impression that actual journalism was taking place. It felt authentic, because the journalist was with the troops and close to the action, but the story presented what the Pentagon wanted to be presented.

“This is perhaps a long way of pointing out that US mainstream media coverage of the war in Ukraine leaves a lot to be desired… Russia is losing, they report. Russia has already lost, as Biden said recently. Most Americans don’t go out of their way to listen to actual experts like Col. Doug Macgregor, who from the beginning has been telling a very different story. Thus Americans continue to be fed propaganda…

“We are on a very slippery slope, with Biden’s neocons continuing to escalate in the face of massive Ukrainian losses and an apparent shortage of US troops. Make no mistake, if the US/NATO proxy war with Russia is not halted the next step will be to look at the US Selective Service. That means they are coming for your kids. How long before America wakes up and says ‘NO’?”

This development will also be repeated in Germany and other European nations. Will the Germans say “NO”? Would the government even care? Note the next articles.

Germany Is Ukraine’s Second Largest Arms Supplier

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on July 15:

Germany is actually Ukraine’s second largest arms supplier, after the United States. Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged a new arms package worth 700 million euros, including additional tanks, munitions and Patriot air defence systems at the Nato summit in Vilnius, putting Berlin, as he said, at the very forefront of military support for Ukraine…

“The Ukraine crisis has provided the context for accelerating Germany’s militarization… Germany is the Biden Administration’s closest ally in the war against Russia…

“Rheinmetal, the great 135-year old German arms manufacturing company, has disclosed that it is opening an armoured vehicle plant in western Ukraine at an undisclosed location in the next twelve weeks…”

Running Out of Ammunition

CNN wrote on July 18:

“The US and Europe are struggling to provide Ukraine with the large amount of ammunition it will need for a prolonged counteroffensive against Russia, and Western officials are racing to ramp up production to avoid shortages on the battlefield…

“The dwindling support of artillery ammunition has served as a wake-up call to NATO… since the alliance did not adequately prepare for the possibility of a protracted land war in Europe following decades of relative peace… the ammunition will still take ‘years’ to mass produce to acceptable levels, National Security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN Sunday…

“A German government source told CNN that Berlin has taken steps to try to close existing gaps in ammunition stocks and to increase ammunition reserves, noting that the munitions for the Swiss-made Gepard tank, which has been provided to Ukraine, is now being produced in Germany…”

It was clear from the outset that, unless Russia were to win very quickly, the war would rage for a long time.

Army Technology wrote on July 18:

“The German Bundeswehr has just issued a large-volume order for service and practice artillery ammunition worth around 1.3 billion Euros ($1.46bn)… The framework contracts will help to assure a secure supply of ammunition to the armed forces of Germany and other Nato nations…”

Germany to Have the Best Equipped Army Division?

The Economic Times wrote on July 17:

“Germany is confident it will have the best equipped army division amongst European NATO allies in 2025, Army Chief Alfons Mais told Reuters, as countries are scrambling to gear up their troops in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine… Berlin… aims to have the first of three divisions operational by 2025, with the second to follow in 2027…

“‘This will be good enough,’ the lieutenant general said. ‘It will be sufficient, in any case, to contribute the best equipped division of all European NATO partners in 2025. At least, this is our joint goal with our Dutch partners.’”

The war machine is in full gear. And it will get worse. Note the next article.

Europe to Become a Nuclear Deterrent?

Express wrote on July 17:

“Alarm bells rang when German general Klaus Naumann, French admiral Jacques Lanxade, former Labour UK Europe minister Denis MacShane and German former senior foreign policy adviser Margarita Mathiopoulos jointly authorized an article for the Atlantic Council calling for a European nuclear deterrent. The article suggested that the UK, France and Germany should get together to provide a Europe-wide nuclear deterrent in the face of threats from Russia…

“There are also worries over reports that President Joe Biden wants European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to be the next NATO General Secretary. Ms von der Leyen is a former German defence minister who has pushed strongly for an EU army.

“The article said: ‘… Europe will need a convincing conventional and nuclear deterrent of its own, and Germany will be key…’ The four said that the war in Ukraine made it clear Germany needs to play a more significant role in NATO which means it needs a nuclear deterrent… ‘This, then, is the moment to start a debate in Berlin, Paris, and London about a trilateral French, British, and German nuclear European Defense Initiative, and the responsibility of those three powers to protect Europe if Article 5 is invoked in a worst-case-scenario.’ [Article 5 says that an attack on one NATO ally is to be considered as an attack against all NATO member states].”

The Bible says that Europe, under German leadership, will become a nuclear power… and that it WILL use nuclear weapons against their enemies!

German Chancellor Wants to Stay in Power

The Associated Press wrote on July 14:

“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed optimism Friday that support for a far-right party which has been surging in the polls lately will shrink to previous levels again by the time of the next national election in 2025… Recent polls have shown support for the party, known by its German acronym AfD, at around 20% and ahead of Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats…

“Aside from fears about growing migration, AfD has benefitted from skepticism in parts of the electorate about the government’s plans to tackle climate change and Germany’s military aid to Ukraine. The German domestic intelligence agency recently warned that anti-war views and climate disinformation are partly spread by Russia-backed channels and pro-Moscow influencers [NOTE: These are alarming developments. Suddenly, everyone who is opposed to war—any war—is being treated by Germany’s “domestic intelligence agency” as a “Russian agent”?].

“Scholz insisted that the gradual increase in support Germany is providing Ukraine — which includes 17 billion euros ($19 billion) worth of arms such as high-end Leopard 2 tanks and advanced air-defense systems — enjoys mainstream backing…

“On climate change, he played down the recent dilution of a bill on replacing fossil fuel heating in millions of German homes following strong pushback from the opposition, tabloid media and even members of his own three-party coalition. Scholz admitted he wasn’t happy with months of bickering over the bill between his junior governing partners, the libertarian Free Democratic Party and the environmentalist Greens, but made clear he could live with the compromise, which still needs to be passed by parliament…

“The 65-year-old, who took office in late 2021, also made clear that he expects to hold the reins in Berlin for some time. ‘I’m at the beginning of my work as chancellor,’ he said.”

Scholz appears to be totally oblivious as to what is really going on in Germany. His coalition government is being perceived by most Germans as an utter failure.

A European Move to the Right!

The Daily Mail wrote on July 14:

“Across the continent, millions of citizens are shifting their allegiance towards populist Right-wing parties. The dramatic development will transform the EU if the swelling wave of populist sentiment translates into political power at the bloc’s parliamentary elections next year.

“… the EU’s traditional social democrats, green ideologues and Left-wingers are losing their appeal at the ballot box. The rebellion has been growing — and the dominos continue to fall. Right-wingers have gained power in Sweden, then in Italy, Finland and Greece. The Spanish could be next, with national elections in a week, then Holland and… Germany could soon follow.

“… more than a third of the EU’s 27 member nations are now run, or highly influenced, by populist-style governments or factions. All favour halting uncontrolled migration, tackling crime, promoting traditional families and pausing hated EU laws aimed at forcing people to alter their lifestyles to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

“The change in political outlook means the EU, a bloc rooted in technocratic social democracy, may soon become too liberal for the ordinary people living within its borders…

“Vienna University’s Anthony J. Constantini, who specialises in studying populism [says:] Voter anger on migration is a ‘clear driver’ of Right-wing victories… adding that supporters of populism have been ‘lambasted as racist’ and ‘most of the Right-wing victories have been chalked up to disinformation’. He continues: ‘The EU is either ignoring the facts, or wilfully misunderstanding them. There remains a persistent reluctance (within the EU) to understand exactly why populists and the far-Right are succeeding.’

“Eight years ago, when then German Chancellor Angela Merkel unilaterally invited 1.3 million Syrian migrants into Germany, some who arrived were opportunists from Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, sub-Saharan Africa and the Balkans… pretending to be escaping war and persecution…. Europeans are telling their politicians to look after their own people first, amid soaring inflation and energy and food price rises.

“Millions of voters also blame high immigration — the EU received almost 900,000 asylum seekers last year alone, nearly double the number in 2021 — for rising crime, a crippling housing shortage, terror attacks, social problems and what they may see as an erosion of European culture.

“Migrant youths stand accused of fuelling a gun-and-gang crime wave in Sweden unseen in that liberal nation until the influx of new arrivals from 2015… on those arrested, prosecuted and sentenced for firearms offences over five years to 2021… 85 per cent were born abroad or had a parent who hailed from overseas… The majority had roots in Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Turkey and Lebanon as well as Balkan countries, Kosovo, Bosnia and Serbia…

“Last September, 12 of Germany’s 16 states blocked further arrivals, insisting they could not ‘absorb’ any more. A national shortage of 700,000 homes is expected by 2025, with surveys showing that half of Germans blame immigration for the crisis. Anger rose further when 110 elderly nursing-home residents in Berlin were evicted earlier this year to give their rooms to migrants.

“Uglier still, according to the Right-wing Alternative for Germany MPs, half of the gang-rape convictions in Germany last year were committed by recently arrived foreigners without citizenship. A record high of 789 gang rapes, exceeding two a week, was logged by the Berlin government. This has fuelled an anti-migrant revolt by German women and families.

“There is also a growing sense of unease across Europe that a new wave of Islamist terrorism will soon break out. According to Dutch intelligence, the terror group Islamic State has started reintroducing active ‘commando units’ through the EU’s borders.

“Thibault de Montbrial, president of France’s Centre for Reflection on Homeland Security, said in a recent interview that the easy infiltration by Islamic State was down to the ‘tragic’ decision by Angela Merkel to open borders to all-comers. In the past eight years alone, hundreds in France have been killed by Islamist terrorist attacks and nearly 1,200 wounded.”

Like Olaf Scholz, many governmental leaders in Europe seem to be unwilling to consider the fact that to a large extent, THEY and their unrealistic policies are to be blamed for the dissatisfaction and “rebellion” of their citizens.

Canada Is Fallen—Trudeau “a Modern-Day Caligula”

Fox News wrote on July 16:

“The son of a Canadian pastor drew raucous applause from the European Parliament earlier this month when he pleaded for international pressure in the case of his father…

“‘I am here today in desperation, a cry for help,’ Nathaniel Pawlowski, 23, told members of the EU Parliament on July 4. ‘I would like to stand here and tell you all the things about freedom and democracy that I like, but I no longer know those things. They have been taken away from us Canadians. Canada has fallen.’… his father, Pastor Artur Pawlowski… [was arrested] five times after he continued to conduct services in defiance of a court order, including once in the middle of a busy highway on his way home from church…

“Pawlowski was found guilty in May of mischief and breaching a release order when he delivered a 19-minute speech to truckers who were protesting federal vaccine mandates by blocking Alberta’s border with Montana in February 2022. In the speech, Pawlowski advised truckers against their plan to go to the provincial capital of Edmonton, urging them instead to remain peaceful but not to ‘break the line’ against the government at the border. He was arrested days later and spent 50 nights in two separate prisons…

“Pawlowski remains under house arrest as he awaits another court date on Aug. 9, and also faces a charge pending a constitutional challenge under the provincial Critical Infrastructure Defense Act for allegedly participating in blocking the border crossing, which could carry a sentence of up to 10 years.

“‘We no longer have freedom of religion, or freedom of speech, or the right to protest or assemble or associate or express ourselves or have free media or disagree with the government,’ Nathaniel Pawlowski told the EU Parliament. ‘Anyone who does so is arrested, charged and jailed as political dissidents.’ His speech was followed by a recorded video in which his father likened his situation in Canada to growing up behind the Iron Curtain in communist Poland.

“The pastor’s son has himself has been slapped with charges for a sermon he delivered in April outside a drag queen story hour with children at the Calgary Public Library, during which he allegedly violated a municipal bylaw passed in March that prohibits protests within 100 meters of a recreation facility or library entrance.

“The law was passed after Pastor Derek Reimer was thrown out of a public library in Calgary after interrupting a drag queen story time for children. Reimer was subsequently arrested and jailed for continuing to protest such events. Artur Pawlowski told Fox News Digital at the time that the arrest of Reimer, whom he knows, indicates that the way authorities enforced COVID-19 protocols in Canada is now being used to enforce ideology.I myself have been charged for preaching and reading the Bible publicly because the government claims the Bible isn’t inclusive and is hateful,’ Nathaniel Pawlowski told the parliament…

Likening Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to ‘a modern-day Caligula,’ Pawlowski continued, ‘We cannot allow these mad emperors to run mad. And remember, all of this is being done under the guise of health, safety and protecting us by stripping our rights and ushering in tyranny.’

“Among the European MEPs who invited Pawlowski to address parliament was Christine Anderson, a German who rebuked Trudeau to his face in March 2022, accusing him of trampling ‘fundamental rights by persecuting and criminalizing his own citizens as terrorists just because they dare to stand up to his perverted concept of democracy,’ and calling him a ‘disgrace for any democracy.’..

“Nathaniel Pawlowski told Fox News Digital that when he returned to Canada, customs officials in Montreal, Quebec, told him that there was a warrant out for his arrest…

“Artur Pawlowski told Fox News Digital that he is ‘enraged’ at how he and his family are being treated by Canadian authorities… ‘Now they want to hurt my children, my family, my wife. They are coming after our children, and those are the tactics of every totalitarian regime. The Gestapo did it. The KGB did it. Every totalitarian regime, every dictatorship has this playbook… if I could deliver a message to them, I would simply say that one day they will stand before the Judge of judges who does not take bribes, and they will give an account for every word that they said and everything they have done. One day justice will be served.’”

AMEN to that! As we reported many times before, Canada has become a dangerous totalitarian dictatorship under Justin Trudeau, but very few governmental leaders in the West seem to care.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

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How do you understand Paul’s statement that our children are holy? And what are the practical consequences? (Part 1)

1 Corinthians 7:14 reads, “For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.”

The Ryrie Study Bible gives the following correct explanations of this passage:

“The presence of a believer in the home sets the home apart and gives it a Christian influence it would not otherwise have. A believing partner,
therefore, should stay with the unbeliever. However, this does not mean that children born into such a home are automatically Christians. They
are holy in the sense of being set apart by the presence of one believing parent.”

Even though they are not automatically Christians (as rightly understood, we are only Christians when the Spirit of Christ dwells in us (Romans 8:9)—the Holy Spirit which is given to us upon proper baptism (Acts 2:38)—that does not mean that our children are cut off from access to God. Even during the time of the Old Testament, Christ DID deal and work with humans, including the nations of Israel and Judah. Christ did not deal with them by offering them access to the Holy Spirit and an opportunity for salvation (this will occur later, in the Great White Throne judgment period), but He DID speak to them and showed Himself to them. It was Christ who spoke the Ten Commandments to the ancient Israelites—not the Father. He was the Rock who led Israel out of Egypt and dealt with them in the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:4, 9). 

Christ makes it very clear that one must be called by God the Father to have access to Him. Generally, when Adam and Eve sinned against God and were driven out of the Garden of Eden, God the Father cut Himself off from mankind. Christ says in John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” In this day and age, God the Father calls or draws only very few. Most people today simply cannot understand the Truth of God, because God has not chosen to reveal it to them yet (compare 1 Corinthians 1:26-28; 2:6-14). He will do so later, in His due time (compare Romans 11:26; Ezekiel 37:11-14, 23-28).

God has decreed that the children of those whom He calls in this day and age do have access to Him. They are already called—like the rest of us—“in holiness.” They are not spiritually “unclean.” Even if only one parent is a Christian, his or her children are “holy”—that is, they CAN be blessed by having a relationship with God (compare Proverbs 20:7). They still must respond to their calling and choose to take advantage of the privilege that God has bestowed on them—nevertheless, God considers them “holy”—they have been set apart for the holy purpose of walking in God’s Way of Life.

When we read that the unbelieving husband is sanctified by his believing wife, and that the unbelieving wife is sanctified by her believing husband, the Greek word for “sanctified” is “hagiazo,” which conveys the thought of being separated or set apart for a holy purpose. For instance, we read in John 10:36 that God the Father “sanctified” Jesus Christ and sent Him into the world to fulfill the holy purpose of His Coming. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Christ asked the Father to “sanctify” His disciples by the Truth of God, which is God’s Word (John 17:17). They were to be separated from error and false human wisdom for the holy purpose of living truthful and godly lives. Paul says in Romans 15:16 that the Gentiles should become an acceptable offering to God, “sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” It would be through the gift of the Holy Spirit that they would be acceptable to God by becoming holy, acceptable and living sacrifices (Romans 12:1).

The Greek noun for “sanctification,” “hagiasmos,” conveys the same thought as the verb “hagiazo.” In 1 Thessalonians 4:3 we read that our sanctification, according to God’s Will, means to abstain from sexual immorality. We are set aside for the holy purpose of living pure lives which includes possessing or dealing with our own vessel (our mate) in sanctification and honor (verse 4). In 2 Thessalonians 2:13, Paul repeats the thought that “God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” And 1 Peter 1:2 states that we are the “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.”

As we can see, sanctification describes a process. God chose us “from the beginning” and “according to His foreknowledge” to sanctify or set us apart for the holy purpose of following Him and ultimately inheriting eternal life as immortal and glorified God beings in His Kingdom. This process is also described in detail in Romans 8:28-30.

Returning to 1 Corinthians 7:14, Paul is also saying that the children of at least one converted parent are holy. The Greek word for “holy” is “hagios,” and it too describes the fact that those children are sanctified, separated or set aside for a holy purpose of God. Luke 1:70 speaks of God’s “holy prophets”—they were set aside by God to proclaim His Word. In 1 Corinthians 3:17, Paul says that we are the temple of God which must not be defiled, as it is “holy”—being separated from the world and set aside for the purpose of living holy lives.

Those who are called today for salvation have been set aside or “sanctified” “from the beginning,”—before they were born; before the” foundation of the world” and even “before time began” (compare Jeremiah 1:5; Ephesians 1:3-4; 2 Timothy 1:9). This is not to say that those who are called in this day and age are automatically saved, but they have been given the opportunity to have access to God the Father and to respond to Him. 

The same is true for the children of converted parents. They have also been sanctified or set aside for the purpose of having a relationship with God—they CAN speak to God, expecting to be heard, and they can experience and obtain an answer from God. They are not cut off from God the Father, but they must make a choice. They must not forsake the Way of God and neglect that precious and priceless opportunity of having communication with their Creator. And if they stay loyal to that Way of Life, then, in due time, when they are old enough, they can also become baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit which is a guarantee, a security and a downpayment for their eternal salvation in God’s Kingdom.

Our children are very important to God. Jesus Christ, while here on the earth as a Man, specifically and ceremonially blessed little children: “And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them” (Mark 10:16; compare Matthew 19:13-15 and Luke 18:15-17). The Church of God now follows this example by blessing little children, and especially, to ask God to grant them His protection and guidance. 

The laying on of hands is meaningful and critical. The symbolic act of laying on of hands at baptism sets the baptized person aside or sanctifies him or her for the divine purpose of receiving from God His Holy Spirit. The prayer for the blessing of healing is accompanied with the laying on of hands by the elders, setting the sick person aside for the divine purpose of physical healing. During the marriage ceremony, the minister places his hands on the couple, while asking God in prayer to sanctify the marriage and to set aside the couple for the holy purpose of the marriage relationship—so that the marriage will be blessed by God. And finally, ordinations are always accompanied by the laying on of hands–setting the ordained person aside for the godly office of a deacon or deaconess or a minister.

Likewise, Christ blessed little children by setting them apart for God’s special protection, guidance and a special relationship with Him. In addition, when the ministry blesses a little child, they are asking God the Father to assign an angel to the child, as the Bible clearly teaches the existence of guardian angels.

In Genesis 48:15–16, Jacob acknowledged the presence of his guardian angel throughout his life. We read in the Revised English Bible, “The [G]od in whose presence my forefathers lived, my forefathers Abraham and Isaac, the [G]od who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the angel who rescued me from all misfortune, may he bless these boys.” Jacob was convinced that God had been with him all of his life, and He was specifically present through a particular angel whom He had assigned to watch over Jacob.

Acts 12:15 shows that the disciples thought that Peter’s angel had appeared, as they believed Peter to be in prison. They specifically said, “It is his angel.” In other words, they thought it was the particular angel whom God had assigned to watch over Peter.

Notice, too, the following remarkable statement of Jesus Christ in Matthew 18:10, in talking about little children that believe in Him, as well as true Christians who must become “as” little children: “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.”

We read that a star appeared to the wise men from the East, leading them to the place where Jesus Christ dwelt, after He had been born. We read in Matthew 2:1–2 that they had “seen His star in the East.”

This was not an ordinary star, but a bright, shining angel. The Bible identifies and compares stars with angels on numerous occasions (compare Revelation 1:20; 9:1–2; 12:4). Note that the wise men from the East refer to this star as “His” star—that is, the star, or angel, of the Christ Child.

If they understood that the star was an angel, then they also knew that this angel was assigned to the Christ Child. This is not to say, of course, that only one angel watched over Christ. On one occasion, He mentioned to Peter that He could ask His Father for “more than twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53)—more than 72,000 angels.

God may assign one angel to guard or protect numerous people, or an entire nation. For instance, the archangel Michael is described to Daniel as “The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people” (Daniel 12:1).

The fact remains that God assigns guardian angels to our children for their protection, and God’s ministers will ask God during the blessing of the little children ceremony to do so. We do not mean to say that God will only do so when a little child is blessed; we saw that in many cases, God had assigned guardian angels to people for their protection even though their blessing as a little child is not mentioned. We do not know when God, exactly, assigns guardian angels to people in general; but we do know that the children of converted parents are being protected by angels so that they can reach their potential of becoming baptized and ultimately born-again members in the God Family.

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

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Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

compiled by Dave Harris

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

This program presents many unknown or unrealized facts showing what is really going on in Europe and especially in Germany, from increased skyrocketing militarism to dissatisfaction of Europeans and Germans with their governments; frightening statements by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency; and terrifying discussions about new German laws reminiscent of Germany’s dark past. You need to watch these events carefully, if you want to understand biblical prophecy. 

“Achten Sie auf Deutschland!” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German language program covers the same topic as described in StandingWatch.

“Preiset den Herrn alle Völker,” last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Marc Voeller, is now posted. Title in English: “Praise the Lord All Nations.”

“Cluster Bombs and Our Endless Wars—Comments on News and Prophecy, July 15, 2023,” the first message presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Many years ago, Bob Dylan wrote the song, “Masters of War.” This song is as relevant today as it has ever been. We are now “perilously close to all-out, life-destroying nuclear war,” while the war industry is flourishing. We are being led “into World War III, which would be a nightmare beyond imagination—obliteration.” The horrific use of cluster bombs—now being given to Ukraine by Washington—is another step of killing mostly civilians and children and of rendering “affected areas uninhabitable” for decades to come. Will we ever learn?

“Regeneration – To Create Again,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The God family is a family of creators. They created everything and sustain everything. Sadly, due to Satan’s rebellion and man’s failures as well, there has been nothing but destruction ever since. 

Yet the God family is not done creating. There is more to their plan. How will their plans for regeneration affect us and all of mankind in the future? 

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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–July 15, 2023 / Regeneration – To Create Again

On July 15, 2023, Norbert Link will present “Comments on News and Prophecy—July 15, 2023,” and Kalon Mitchell will present the sermon, titled, “Regeneration – To Create Again.”

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

How the White House Is Twisting the Facts

The New York Post wrote on July 7:

“White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called The Post ‘irresponsible’ Friday for asking point-blank whether cocaine found in the West Wing last weekend belonged to any member of the first family… ‘the Biden family was not here,’ Jean-Pierre added… ‘They were at Camp David. They were not here Friday, they were not here Saturday or Sunday, they were not even here Monday. They came back on Tuesday. So to ask that question is actually incredibly irresponsible, and I’ll just leave it there.’…

“In fact, the first family — including first son Hunter Biden, an admitted past crack cocaine addict — did not leave the White House for Camp David until around 6:30 p.m. on Friday, June 30, almost exactly 48 hours before the dime-sized bag of illicit white powder was found by a Secret Service agent on a routine patrol

“Five days after the drugs were discovered in a cubby near the West Wing’s basement entrance and steps from the Situation Room, the White House has yet to flat-out deny that the cocaine belonged to any member of the president’s family or staff…

“Elsewhere in the briefing, national security adviser Jake Sullivan appeared to suggest that outside workers may have been responsible for the cocaine getting inside one of the most secure buildings in the world…”

Also, the location where the substance was found is NOT open to the general public.

Report 24 wrote on July 6:

“Just hours after Hunter Biden visited the White House, the Secret Service found cocaine there. Joe Biden’s son is known for his drug use, thanks in particular to his ‘Laptop from Hell’.

“…While it is likely that there would be fingerprints and DNA evidence on the package, it is highly unlikely that these would be… publicly assigned to Hunter Biden. And this despite the fact that he has a long drug history and was also in the White House at the time. In addition, according to ex-US President Donald Trump, the surveillance recordings should show the culprit.

“Hunter Biden, who has not only admitted a past addiction to crack but has repeatedly recorded himself smoking, snuffing and otherwise ingesting the substance on dozens of occasions, was also on the White House grounds Friday before he went to Camp David with his father for the second weekend in a row.

“And as expected, there will probably be no further investigations. Silence is the motto. Because the Biden administration has absolutely no need for another drug scandal involving Hunter Biden – and that even in the White House.”

Caught in a Lie

Breitbart added on July 7:

“… that claim [that the Biden family was not present when cocaine was deposited and found in the White House] is contradicted by contemporaneous reporting by the White House pool, which said that the Biden family had, in fact, been in the White House, including Hunter, on Friday until leaving for Camp David that evening.

“The pool report supplied by Eugene Daniels of POLITICO on Friday, June 30, stated: ‘Poolers saw Jill Biden, Baby Beau and Hunter Biden climb into presidential SUV. President Biden followed a few minutes later. Motorcade rolling to Fort McNair as of 6:34p.’

“Moreover, there is photographic evidence to back up the pool report. The Associated Press published [a] photo on Friday, June 30, showing both Joe and Hunter Biden leaving Fort McNair for Camp David.”

Fox News added on July 7:

“According to the Friday, June 30 pool report, Biden gave remarks in the Roosevelt Room that afternoon, and didn’t depart the White House for Camp David until 6:34 p.m., along with First Lady Jill Biden, Hunter Biden, and Hunter’s son Beau Biden.”

How long can the White House continue their lies to protect Hunter Biden and, more importantly, Joe Biden? On July 13, the Secret Service announced that the investigation had ended and that no culprit had been found!

US Cluster Bombs for Ukraine

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 7:

“Washington will supply Ukraine with cluster munitions as part of a military aid package worth $800 million to help fight off the Russian invasion…

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock rejected supplying such weapons to Ukraine on Friday. Speaking in Vienna, Baerbock said the government stood by the Oslo Convention, which is considered a milestone in the fight against the controversial explosives. An international ban on them came into force in 2010. [On the other hand, according to Die Welt, dated July 7, Steffen Hebestreit, spokesman for the German government, expressed “understanding” for the American position.]

“To date, 110 countries have joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions, and a further 13 nations have signed but not ratified the Convention — so they are not yet obliged to implement it. Signatories commit to neither produce, stockpile nor use the weapons.

“However, the world’s largest countries ―including Russia, the US, China, India and Pakistan ― and also Ukraine have not signed…

“Despite the Convention’s adoption, the proportion of cluster munitions victims has increased significantly, especially in recent years, due to escalated use of the bombs…

“According to Human Rights Watch, Russian troops have ‘extensively used cluster munitions in Ukraine, killing many civilians and causing other serious civilian harm.’ Ukrainian forces had also used them, causing ‘numerous deaths and serious injuries to civilians,’ the international non-governmental organization said.

“Handing such munitions over to Kyiv would ‘inevitably cause long-term suffering for civilians and undermine the international opprobrium of their use,’ the group continued…

“Cluster munitions are dropped as bombs from airplanes or fired as rockets from howitzers, artillery guns and rocket launchers. They contain hundreds of smaller submunitions, known as ‘bomblets’, that then fall indiscriminately over wide areas that range in size from a few soccer fields to several hectares of land. Cluster bombs not only kill soldiers, but civilians, including many children.

“Such munitions have been in use since World War Two and were deployed extensively in the Vietnam War, for example. During that conflict, the US dropped some 260 million of them on neighboring Laos, making it the country with the world’s highest level of cluster munition contamination.

“According to Humanity & Inclusion, a France-based charity organization also known as Handicap International, only about 40% of the smaller bomblets contained in a cluster bomb detonate upon impact. The undetonated ones can still pose a deadly threat decades after they are deployed: The munitions remain ready to explode and can maim or kill a person at any time. They work in a similarly disastrous way to landmines, sometimes rendering affected areas uninhabitable. Some areas of Laos, for example, remain completely contaminated decades after the end of the war.

“Civilian populations are especially affected by the use of cluster munitions… [According to a report from 2022,] 97% of victims were civilians and 66% of those injured or killed are children

“Ahead of the announcement on the US aid package, the executive director of the US Arms Control Association spoke out against the transfer of such weapons. Sending them ‘would be escalatory, counterproductive, and only further increase the dangers to civilians caught in combat zones and those who will, someday, return to their cities, towns, and farms,’ Daryl Kimball said.”

This is just such a crazy world of war-hungry irresponsible governmental officials, without any consideration for the life, well-being and welfare of civilians and children.

Biden’s Complicated History on Cluster Bombs

Breitbart wrote on July 7:

“The Washington Post recalled Biden’s ‘complicated history’ — i.e. flip-flopping — on the issue of cluster bombs… The Post noted that Biden offered stern criticism of then-Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin

“The Post recalled: ‘Amid reports that Israel had used cluster bombs in its invasion of Lebanon, some Democrats went so far as to push for cutting off aid to Israel. According to a contemporary UPI report, Biden said that if those reports were accurate, then Israel was clearly in violation. He said the United States should respond by “cutting off the ability to get access to that kind of weaponry in the future.”… Democrats also expressed such concerns during what the New York Times labeled “a highly emotional confrontation” on Capitol Hill with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in June 1982…’

“During the Second Lebanon War in 2006, when Israel was again accused of using cluster bombs (this time against Hezbollah guerillas), then-Sen. Biden (D-DE) opposed a bill that would ban the use of cluster munitions in populated areas. His position would appear to have changed, but he continued to express skepticism of cluster bombs. In 2022, the Post noted, Biden’s ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, delivered a speech in which she declared that cluster bombs have ‘no place on the battlefield.’ The administration had to walk that back.”

A Difficult Decision

The Huffington Post wrote on July 7:

“[Biden said he] ultimately took the Defense Department’s recommendation to provide the munitions and discussed the matter with allies and with lawmakers on the Hill. He said ‘the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition’ and the cluster bombs will provide a temporary fix to help stop Russian tanks. The move was met with divided reactions from Congress, as some Democrats criticized the plan while some Republicans backed it…

“Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., called the decision ‘unnecessary and a terrible mistake.’…  Meanwhile, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, backed the move, saying Ukraine needs access to weapons Russia already is using

“Providing the cluster bombs will also ease the pressure on limited U.S. ammunition stockpiles. The U.S. has been taking massive amounts of 155 mm rounds from Pentagon stocks and sending them to Ukraine, creating concerns about eating into American stores

“The last large-scale American use of cluster bombs was during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, according to the Pentagon. But U.S. forces considered them a key weapon during the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, according to Human Rights Watch. In the first three years of that conflict, it is estimated the U.S.-led coalition dropped more than 1,500 cluster bombs in Afghanistan.”

Democrats Oppose Biden’s Decision

Breitbart wrote on July 7:

“Democrats across the spectrum oppose President Joe Biden’s decision to provide Ukraine cluster bombs…

“Democrat presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said, ‘Cluster bombs are munitions so horrific for civilians that more than a hundred nations have signed an international treaty banning them. Now the Biden administration is preparing to send them to Ukraine.’

“House Democrats swiftly came out against Biden’s [decision] to provide cluster bombs. Nineteen House progressives said in a joint statement:

“‘… The White House’s announcement runs counter to Congress’s restrictions on the transfer of these weapons and severely undermines our moral leadership. It underscores the work still ahead to press the U.S. to join the international community in banning the use of cluster munitions.’…

“Then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki said last year that alleged Russian use of cluster bombs would ‘potentially be a war crime.’”

So, would this make Joe Biden a potential war criminal as well?

The New York Post wrote on July 8:

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Saturday slammed President Biden for his plan to send indiscriminately lethal cluster bombs to Ukraine— suggesting that the choice ran afoul of Biden’s own ethics… ‘Stop the ceaseless escalation! It is time for peaceWhat happened to his conscience?’…”

Trump: Don’t Send Cluster Bombs, End the War

Breitbart wrote on July 11:

“‘Joe Biden should not be dragging us further toward World War III,’ former President Donald Trump said in a statement released Tuesday, calling to ‘immediately end the bloodshed in Ukraine’ and for a return ‘to a focus on America’s vital interest.’

“Trump warned: ‘He should be trying to END the war and stop the horrific death and destruction being caused by an incompetent administration. These unexploded cluster munitions will be killing and maiming innocent Ukrainian men, women, and children for decades to come, long after the war—we pray—has ended… If, as Biden inadvertently admitted, the reason for sending cluster bombs now is that the United States is ‘running out of ammunition’ (a great breach of classified information), that only further emphasizes the urgency of immediately deescalating this bloody, dangerous, and out of control conflict. It certainly means we should not be sending Ukraine our last stockpiles at a time when our own arsenals, according… Joe Biden, are so perilously diminished.

“There could be no more vivid proof that Joe Biden’s policy of endless war in Ukraine has tremendously weakened the United States than the humiliating admission that the USA is now out of ammo, something our enemies are undoubtedly salivating over. This ‘admitted’ weakness is an invitation to enemies all over the world. Joe Biden is needlessly and dangerously leading us into World War III, which would be a nightmare beyond imagination—obliteration’…

“These statements come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admits fear of Trump returning to the White House. ‘President Biden is the president during a full-scale war and he has been more helpful to us than President Trump,’ Zelensky stated in part, telling the Wall Street Journal, ‘In a situation like this, when there is support, you are afraid of changes.’”

NATO in Disunity

The Associated Press wrote on July 9:

“As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues with no end in sight, NATO’s much-celebrated unity faces fresh strains when leaders gather for their annual summit this week in Vilnius, Lithuania. The world’s biggest security alliance is struggling to reach an agreement on admitting Sweden as its 32nd member. Military spending by member nations still lags behind longstanding goals. And an inability to compromise over who should serve as NATO’s next leader forced an extension of the current secretary general’s term for an extra year.

“Perhaps most thorny are questions over how Ukraine should be eased into the alliance. Some maintain admitting Ukraine to NATO would be the fulfillment of a promise made years ago and a necessary step to deter Russian aggression in Eastern Europe. Others are fearful it would be seen as a provocation that could spiral into an even wider conflict… the challenges come at a moment when President Joe Biden and his counterparts are heavily invested in demonstrating harmony among members…

“Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni — one of Western Europe’s staunchest backers of Ukraine in the war — reiterated her country’s condemnation of the Russian aggression but called for the ‘universal application of the principles’ of the international convention banning the production, transfer, and stockpiling of cluster munitions…

“Also in the spotlight in Vilnius will be Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the main obstacle blocking Sweden’s attempts to join NATO alongside its neighbor Finland…

“Turkey and the U.S. are also at an impasse over the sale of F-16 fighter jets. Erdogan wants the upgraded planes, but Biden says that Sweden’s NATO membership has to be dealt with first… Hungarian Prime Minister Vitkor Orban is also delaying his country’s approval of Sweden’s membership. In response, Sen. Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is blocking a $735 million U.S. arms sale to Hungary

More disagreements loom over NATO’s updated plans for countering any invasion that Russia might launch on allied territory. It’s the biggest revision since the Cold War…”

Regarding NATO’s updated plans, as mentioned above, note the next article.

How NATO Wants to Defend

The New York Times wrote on July 9:

“Supporting Ukraine and clarifying its relationship with the alliance will be a dominant theme at an upcoming summit. But NATO’s efforts to strengthen its own defenses along its eastern flank will also be key… NATO’s main task is to defend its 31 members… NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, insisted that NATO was a purely defensive alliance, but with a sharper sense of the threat it faced

“At the moment, the total number of troops for the eight battle groups along the eastern flank is only 10,232…  The leaders at Vilnius are expected to approve plans on how to scale up to 4,000 to 5,000 troops — a brigade — in each of those eight countries, with clearly defined tasks and pre-positioned equipment.

“Separately, since the Russian invasion began, around 40,000 troops drawn from member nations were put on standby under NATO command, but officials admit that the forces it can quickly send to battle are currently nowhere near that level. Under its new plans, NATO aims, at least, to have up to 300,000 troops ready to move to its eastern flank within 30 days, though officials call that number ‘aspirational.

“The main point, Mr. Stoltenberg said, is that the new regional plans detail what each country must do to help defend its assigned territory, and with what equipment. Those troops will exercise regularly with allies on the territory they are assigned to defend…

“NATO is coming to understand the sophistication and the vulnerability of its modern equipment. A modern Leopard 2A6 tank, the best of those provided to Ukraine, has excellent speed and armor and runs on most any fuel. But it needs two hours of complicated maintenance for every hour on the battlefield

“It will also take convincing the leaders and voters of larger allies farther away from Russia that their own security is at risk, and that they are going to have to pay the considerable price of a more militarized Europe for decades to come. And that means being truly prepared to come to the aid of smaller countries bordering Russia, like Lithuania, while rebuilding their weak militaries and learning to rely less on the United States.

“For Lithuania, a country of 2.7 million people that borders Russia and Belarus, getting Germany to commit to permanently stationing a brigade inside its borders became a domestic political issue… Germany’s defense minister, Boris Pistorius, promised to station a brigade of 4,000 troops in the country — once Lithuania constructed the necessary infrastructure, including housing, schools and warehouses for ammunition and vehicles… Mr. Pistorius said, ‘Germany, of course, is willing and will be able to take responsibility now for the new eastern flank.’…

“NATO supports Germany’s decision for a brigade in Lithuania… But… most allies would continue to plan for rapid deployment of more forces in a crisis rather than stationing them permanently at the front, partly because of expense and partly out of caution — a war could start with troops in the wrong place, and massed troops could be exposed to a first attack.

“Despite all of the reassurances, the Balts feel vulnerable, given their size and their neighbor. And they feel that their past warnings about the imperial intentions of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia were played down by larger, more distant allies, like Germany…”

Germany’s dubious role and its declared goals in all of this should not be overlooked.

Erdogan Gives Green Light for Sweden…

The Associated Press wrote on July 10:

“Sweden’s membership of NATO took a big step forward on Monday after Turkey agreed to remove one of the last major roadblocks in return for help in reviving Turkey’s own chances of joining the European Union… President Recep Tayyip Erdogan committed to put the Nordic country’s accession protocol before Parliament ‘as soon as possible,’ the head of NATO said…

“There was no comment from Erdogan on the move, which many saw as linked in part to Turkey’s demands on other issues, particularly Erdogan’s desire for support for European Union membership from European leaders and for F-16 fighter jets from the United States

“Biden welcomed the agreement and said he will work with Turkey ‘on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area. I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Kristersson and Sweden as our 32nd NATO Ally.’ Biden’s reference to enhancing Turkey’s defense capability was a nod to Biden’s commitment to help Turkey acquire new F-16s…

“The Biden administration has backed Turkey’s desire to buy 40 new F-16s as well as modernization kits from the U.S…

“In exchange for Turkey’s help with NATO, Sweden has agreed to help unblock Turkey’s progress towards joining the European Union, which has been on hold since 2018… Earlier Monday, Erdogan had warned that he would block Sweden’s attempt to become the 32nd NATO ally unless European members of the military organization ‘pave the way’ for Turkey to join the world’s biggest trading bloc.

“Turkey first applied to join what is now the EU in 1987, but its membership talks have been at a standstill since 2018 due to democratic backsliding during Erdogan’s presidency, concerns about the rule of law and rights abuses, as well as disputes with EU-member Cyprus.

“Of the 31 NATO member countries, 22 are also members of the EU, like Sweden.”

“Erdogan Is Not a Good Person”

Bild Online published on July 11 the following editorial by Franz Josef Wagner:

“The people in his prisons know better. He is a terrible ruler. In Vilnius everyone shook hands with him. They shook hands with a prison guard. Suddenly people are talking benevolently about him… Erdogan is a friend of Putin. Turkey still gets cheap gas from Russia. What kind of two-faced man is Erdogan?…

“Sweden should become a NATO member, Erdogan agreed. He gets his F-16 fighter jets from the USA. The Swedes pass new terror laws. What a great statesman. What a double face. In the Turkish prisons, journalists, lawyers and members of the opposition think every minute about the oppressor Erdogan… Erdogan is not a good person.”

Zelenskiy Failed to Secure NATO Membership

The Guardian wrote on July 11:

“Volodymyr Zelenskiy has failed in a last-ditch effort to secure an invitation for Ukraine to join Nato after leaders of the 31 countries signed off on a declaration that did not give a firm timetable or clear conditions for its eventual membership.

The frustrated Ukrainian president had accused Joe Biden and other leaders present at a summit in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, of showing disrespect and complained that there was ‘no readiness’ to invite his country to join. But the dramatic lunchtime intervention on Tuesday had no impact on the final summit communique, issued a few hours later. It said that while ‘Ukraine’s future is in Nato’, the alliance would only ‘extend an invitation to Ukraine’ when Kyiv had completed certain ‘democratic and security sector reforms’.

“Zelenskiy said, in a statement issued after the communique: ‘Today I embarked on a trip here with faith in decisions, with faith in partners, with faith in a strong Nato. In a Nato that does not hesitate, does not waste time and does not look back at any aggressor … And I would like this faith to become confidence.’”

Many of the member states also said that Ukraine cannot become a member of NATO until after Ukraine has won the war against Russia.

Disagreements Between USA and United Kingdom

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 8:

“US President Joe Biden’s upcoming European trip, where he will be popping in to see UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, will no doubt reinforce the optics of the ‘special relationship’ between the two countries. At the same time, it will also conceal the underlying fact that London needs Washington far more than vice versa.

“Sunak was, of course, polite and diplomatic when signing the ‘Atlantic Declaration’ with Biden in June, a watered-down version of a full-fledged free trade deal with the United States. But the unilateral recalibration of UK-US ties wasn’t hard to miss. 

“Sunak said a free trade agreement was no longer ‘a priority’ for either side, and his officials said the declaration marked a ‘less sentimental and more pragmatic’ approach to the UK-US ‘special relationship.’ 

“For many, it was a watershed moment — the moment when Brexit’s dreams of unfettered UK global trade came crashing down to earth. For others, it was simply a reminder that the UK outside the European Union is weaker and less attractive to the US.  For Brexiteers in the UK, a free trade deal with the US was one of several promises made before and after the 2016 referendum that have failed to come to fruition. A potential deal with Washington was widely seen as partly compensating for the loss of free access to the EU, the UK’s largest trading partner.

“While the UK struggled to get former US President Donald Trump to walk the talk on his promise of a ‘massive’ trade deal during his time in the White House, it hasn’t been any easier with Biden at the helm. Protectionist pro-American trade policies remain the order of the day. Biden’s irritation with London’s inability to solve its ‘Irish question’ after Brexit has also played a role.

“US businesses are losing confidence in the UK as a place to invest in as a result of Brexit, rising corporate taxes and a year of political turmoil in London…”

The Government of The Netherlands Collapses

Euronews reported on July 9:

“Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte visited the king to turn in the resignation of his four-party coalition. The government collapsed Friday because of irreconcilable differences within the coalition about how to rein in migration, a divisive issue that has split nations across Europe.

“The resignation of Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the longest-serving premier of the nation, means the country will face a general election later this year. Rutte and his government will remain in office in a caretaker capacity until a new ruling coalition is chosen… The decision underscored ideological divisions that existed from the day the coalition was sworn in just over 18 months ago between parties that do not support a strict crackdown on migration

“Just over 21,500 people from outside Europe sought asylum in the Netherlands in 2022… The numbers have put a strain on housing that already was in short supply in the densely populated country.

“Rutte’s government worked for a law that could compel municipalities to provide accommodations for newly arrived asylum-seekers, but the legislation has yet to pass through both houses of parliament.

“The prime minister also promoted the European Union’s efforts to slow migration to the 27-nation bloc…”

Will the events in The Netherlands find a repetition in Germany? Note the next two articles.

Dissatisfaction With German Government

Die Welt wrote on July 9:

“The week-long dispute [within the German government] has caused approval ratings for the coalition’s policy to continue to fall… the Social Democrats [come] to 19 percent, as in the previous week. The Greens lose a point [and reach]13 percent.

“The FDP remains stable at seven percent. This brings the [governmental] traffic light parties together to 39 percent – less than ever before

“The Union [CDU] can gain a point and is at 27 percent. The AfD remains at 20 percent, the left at 5 percent. The other parties can unite nine percent of the votes. According to the survey, 70 percent of citizens are dissatisfied with the work of the traffic light government – a new negative record…”

Steinmeier Warns Against AfD

Die Welt wrote on July 9:

“Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has expressed concern about the high poll numbers of the AfD and at the same time warned against pure protest elections…

“The AfD is currently around 20 percent in the nationwide polls – and thus ahead of the Chancellor Party SPD. In Brandenburg, Thuringia and Saxony, where new state parliaments will be elected in just over a year, the AfD is currently the strongest party in the current polls… ‘Yes, the polls are worrying,’ said Steinmeier. ‘But they must not lead us to automatically classify every critical question as populism and right-wing extremism.’

“[He said that] when larger parts of the electorate turn away from the ruling parties and the main opposition party does not win, this raises questions

“According to Steinmeier, Germany should not block the US-announced delivery of cluster munitions to Ukraine. It is true that this type of ammunition is still banned by the federal government and that Germany is against deliveries, he said. However, ‘in the current situation, Germany cannot stab the USA in the back…’

“With regard to the discussions about arms deliveries to Kiev, the Federal President emphasized that if the country [Ukraine] stops defending itself ‘or if we ensure that they are no longer able to defend themselves, it will be the end of Ukraine.’”

“Our Father” Problematic, Archbishop Says

The Guardian wrote on July 7:

“The archbishop of York has suggested that opening words of the Lord’s Prayer, recited by Christians all over the world for 2,000 years, may be ‘problematic’ because of their patriarchal association. In his opening address to a meeting of the Church of England’s ruling body, the General Synod, Stephen Cottrell dwelt on the words ‘Our Father’, the start of the prayer based on Matthew 6:9–13 and Luke 11:2–4 in the New Testament. ‘I know the word “father” is problematic for those whose experience of earthly fathers has been destructive and abusive, and for all of us who have laboured rather too much from an oppressively patriarchal grip on life,’ he said.

“His comment… will divide members of the C of E, a body whose differences on issues of sexuality, identity and equality have been highly visible for years.

“After Cottrell’s speech, Canon Dr Chris Sugden, chair of the conservative Anglican Mainstream group, pointed out that in the Bible Jesus urged people to pray to ‘our father’. He said: ‘Is the archbishop of York saying Jesus was wrong, or that Jesus was not pastorally aware? It seems to be emblematic of the approach of some church leaders to take their cues from culture rather than scripture.’

“Rev Christina Rees, who campaigned for female bishops, said… ‘The big question is, do we really believe that God believes that male human beings bear his image more fully and accurately than women? The answer is absolutely not.’

“In February, the C o E said it would consider whether to stop referring to God as ‘he,’ after priests asked to be allowed to use gender-neutral terms instead…  saying ‘Christians have recognised since ancient times that God is neither male nor female, yet the variety of ways of addressing and describing God found in scripture has not always been reflected in our worship’…

“One of the most divisive issues within the C of E, same-sex marriage, led to a decision earlier this year to allow clergy to offer services of blessings to gay and lesbian couples who have undergone a civil wedding…”

Breitbart added on July 8:

“The woke Church of England’s latest assault on the tenets of the Christian religion is apparently the Lord’s Prayer… The comments from Cottrell, the second-highest ranking bishop in the Church, come amid a broader push to adopt progressive beliefs from the CoE leadership…

“The issue of the gender of God has also become an increasingly contested debate within the Church of England, with Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, previously declaring that God is ‘gender neutral.’ Welby has often used his position as the principal leader of the Church to push for left-wing issues, notably surrounding illegal immigration and climate change.

“Earlier this year, it was reported that the CoE was planning on establishing a project ‘on gendered language’ in reference to God later, with some suggesting  that phrases like ‘Our Father’ could be replaced by supposedly neutral terms or feminine alternatives in order to combat alleged sexism within the faith.”

The Bible clearly reveals that the God Family consists of God THE FATHER and Jesus Christ THE SON. If the Church of England wants to believe that the Highest in the Godhead is NOT our Father, would they also be teaching that Jesus was not a Male, when here on earth, or that He changed somehow into a “neuter” when He was resurrected? Please read our free booklet, “God the Father Is the Highest”

New Cardinals in the Catholic Church

Thomson/Reuters wrote on July 9:

“Pope Francis (86) on Sunday announced that he would elevate 21 churchmen to the high rank of cardinal, again putting his mark on the group that will one day choose his successor after his death or resignation. The ceremony to install them… will be held on Sept. 30…

“Eighteen of the churchmen are under 80 and will be able to enter an eventual conclave to choose the next pope. The other three, who are over 80 and too old to vote in a conclave, were named to thank them for their long service to the Church. All cardinals, regardless of their age, are allowed to take part in pre-conclave meetings known as General Congregations, giving them a say in the type of person they think their younger brother cardinals should choose.

“The new cardinals come from countries including the United States, Italy, Argentina, South Africa, Spain, Colombia, South Sudan, Hong Kong, Poland, Malaysia, Tanzania, and Portugal. Three of the new cardinals were recently named as heads of major Vatican departments, including Argentine Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez, head of the Vatican’s doctrinal department.

“Another significant appointment was that of Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-Yan of Hong Kong. Chow is one of the major links to the Catholic Church in communist China, where the Vatican is trying to improve conditions for Catholics.”

It will be extremely interesting to see who the next pope will be.

Jews Condemn Baker For Not Producing LGBTQ Symbols

JTA wrote on July 6:

“The request for rainbow-frosted cupcakes came from a repeat customer — a local [conservative] synagogue that had relied on the West Orange Bake Shop to make kosher desserts for its special events. But this year, bakery co-owner Yitzy Mittel decided to decline the order. He couldn’t bring himself to produce the Pride-themed goods.

“Mittel, an Orthodox Jew, had made a similar cake for an order the year before. But the experience unnerved him, he told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, because his understanding of Jewish law holds that LGBTQ symbols are ‘antithetical to what we stand for.’ The symbols are ‘a celebration of something which is against Torah,’ he said. ‘I didn’t want to be making that cake.’…

“In the weeks since that decision, Mittel has gotten validation from the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled last week that a Colorado web designer had the right to refuse to build a wedding site for a same-sex couple. The ruling expands on a 2018 decision, in which the court ruled a Colorado baker had the constructional right, on religious grounds, to refuse to create a wedding cake for a gay couple.

“But the local Jewish community is still reeling. Multiple rabbis have accused the baker of bigotry, and some local Jews are boycotting his shop. The area’s Jewish federation privately said it would stop buying from Mittel before publicly walking back its position. And Eshel, an advocacy group for LGBTQ Orthodox Jews and their families, announced an ‘ally training’ in West Orange this coming Sunday in response to the incident…

“The firestorm comes at a time of widespread advocacy by political conservatives against LGBTQ inclusion and rights. Pride events across the country have faced pushback this year.

“Some of that has taken place in Jewish communities. In another New Jersey town 30 miles away, Orthodox rabbis successfully petitioned their mayor to remove the Pride flags that were flying in front of a synagogue on a central street. The mayor later apologized and put the flags back up.

“But what happened in West Orange offers a particularly potent example of how culture wars can play out in — and divide — Jewish communities, in part because of the symbolism of a kosher bakery citing what it says are Jewish values to justify declining the order of a local synagogue. ‘While I know this has happened in other parts of the country I hadn’t expected it here,’ wrote Dan Cohen, senior rabbi of the Reform Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel in nearby South Orange… ‘Then I learned that the bakery in question is a kosher bakery, and as a result, the bias was coming from within our Jewish community.’”

The real scandal is that a Jewish conservative (!) synagogue orders “Pride” cupcakes, and parts of the Jewish community support such a move and condemn the Jewish baker to refuse to produce cupcakes with symbols which were clearly designed to honor the LGBTQ movement (which is condemned by God).

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 1076

Comments on News and Prophecy–July 15, 2023 / Regeneration – To Create Again

On July 15, 2023, Norbert Link will present “Comments on News and Prophecy—July 15, 2023,” and Kalon Mitchell will present the sermon, titled, “Regeneration – To Create Again.”

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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Get Mad!

by Norbert Link

In his autobiography, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong relates an impressive example of someone who was to give an attack speech in public. Beginning on page 249, Mr. Armstrong explains that he asked his friend, “What do you hate the most?,” continuing, “He didn’t seem to hate anything… There was nothing I could find that he was really MAD about.” But then, certain events occurred which his friend witnessed, and he “was now really outraged.” When he began to rehearse in front of Mr. Armstrong, his “words described in dynamic language exactly the way he now felt… THEY WERE TERRIFICALLY CONVINCING!…IT WAS POWERFUL and it was CONVINCING!”

When it was his turn to give his first attack speech in public, during a competition, Mr. Armstrong describes the events in this way: “He forgot his nervousness that had seized him at the beginning. He thought only of the outrageous injustices he had SEEN with his own eyes… He really MEANT what he was saying—and HE was SAYING SOMETHING!” And so, he won the competition. He later became “the first president of Ambassador College, and its first instructor in public speaking.”

I have thought about this episode quite often. When attending Spokesman and Graduate and Ambassador Clubs for many years, I observed participants who were like Mr. Armstrong’s friend at first; they did not seem to hate anything, were not angry about anything, and did therefore not deliver a meaningful and convincing attack speech.

We, in the Churches of God, must learn to hate what is wrong, and we must not be afraid or too timid to show and express that anger and that hatred at the opportune time. Some feel that it is unchristian to become angry. They totally misunderstand what the Bible teaches. Sure, we are admonished not to express unrighteous human anger (James 1:20), but we also know that Christ, in the flesh, became angry when He saw the hardness of the heart of merciless people (Mark 3:5). And Christ, as well as John the Baptist, did not mince any words when they addressed and spoke about certain hypocritical leaders (Matthew 12:34; 23:17, 23-29, 33; 3:7). Sometimes, Christ spoke about them with sarcasm to make His point even clearer (Luke 13:31-32).

Especially God’s true ministers have a God-given duty, when addressing a “sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters” (Isaiah 1:4); a nation whose “whole head is sick” and whose “whole heart faints” (verse 5); with “no soundness in it” from “the soles of the foot even to the head” (verse 6) to “Cry aloud, spare not [Margin in the New King James Bible: “do not hold back”]; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1). To be able to do that and to tell the people and the political and religious leaders about their miserable condition and their terrible fate, we must be “full of power by the spirit of the LORD” (Micah 3:8).

In order to fulfill our responsibility effectively and convincingly, we ourselves must feel anger and hatred for the injustice, wickedness, rebellion against God and the lies and misrepresentations we observe daily, from the very top down, starting with the “heads of the house of Jacob” and the “rulers of the house of Israel, Who abhor justice And pervert all equity” (Micah 3:9). This anger must be reflected in our speaking and writing in order to be convincing. When we speak about the horrible sinful conduct of our leaders and the people, and don’t show convincingly how mad and really outraged we are about it, we will not wake anybody up (Ephesians 5:14).

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by Norbert Link

We begin with the White House’s attempts to object to reporting and suppressing a meaningful investigation in regard to the latest scandal of the Biden Administration—finding cocaine in the West Wing—by resorting to blatant misrepresentations.

Please view in this regard our new StandingWatch program, titled, “America, Where ARE You Going???“. This program addresses the most recent outrageous scandals pertaining to the White House, Joe Biden and the Biden Administration, as well as certain governmental agencies.

We continue with the controversial decision of President Biden to deliver cluster bombs to Ukraine, after the Biden Administration had stated in the past that using such weapons might be tantamount to war crimes.  

We report on the difficult decisions NATO is facing, including its updated plans for countering any invasion that Russia might launch on allied territory; including the creation of a more militarized Europe for decades to come and Germany’s announcement that it is willing and will be able to take responsibility now for the new eastern flank.

We continue with obvious disagreements between the USA and the UK; the collapse of the Dutch government; and the growing dissatisfaction of most Germans with their government.

We speak on more blasphemous woke nonsense in the Church of England; the appointment of 21 new cardinals in the Catholic Church; and Jewish disunity regarding LGBTQ symbols.

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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How the White House Is Twisting the Facts

The New York Post wrote on July 7:

“White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called The Post ‘irresponsible’ Friday for asking point-blank whether cocaine found in the West Wing last weekend belonged to any member of the first family… ‘the Biden family was not here,’ Jean-Pierre added… ‘They were at Camp David. They were not here Friday, they were not here Saturday or Sunday, they were not even here Monday. They came back on Tuesday. So to ask that question is actually incredibly irresponsible, and I’ll just leave it there.’…

“In fact, the first family — including first son Hunter Biden, an admitted past crack cocaine addict — did not leave the White House for Camp David until around 6:30 p.m. on Friday, June 30, almost exactly 48 hours before the dime-sized bag of illicit white powder was found by a Secret Service agent on a routine patrol

“Five days after the drugs were discovered in a cubby near the West Wing’s basement entrance and steps from the Situation Room, the White House has yet to flat-out deny that the cocaine belonged to any member of the president’s family or staff…

“Elsewhere in the briefing, national security adviser Jake Sullivan appeared to suggest that outside workers may have been responsible for the cocaine getting inside one of the most secure buildings in the world…”

Also, the location where the substance was found is NOT open to the general public.

Report 24 wrote on July 6:

“Just hours after Hunter Biden visited the White House, the Secret Service found cocaine there. Joe Biden’s son is known for his drug use, thanks in particular to his ‘Laptop from Hell’.

“…While it is likely that there would be fingerprints and DNA evidence on the package, it is highly unlikely that these would be… publicly assigned to Hunter Biden. And this despite the fact that he has a long drug history and was also in the White House at the time. In addition, according to ex-US President Donald Trump, the surveillance recordings should show the culprit.

“Hunter Biden, who has not only admitted a past addiction to crack but has repeatedly recorded himself smoking, snuffing and otherwise ingesting the substance on dozens of occasions, was also on the White House grounds Friday before he went to Camp David with his father for the second weekend in a row.

“And as expected, there will probably be no further investigations. Silence is the motto. Because the Biden administration has absolutely no need for another drug scandal involving Hunter Biden – and that even in the White House.”

Caught in a Lie

Breitbart added on July 7:

“… that claim [that the Biden family was not present when cocaine was deposited and found in the White House] is contradicted by contemporaneous reporting by the White House pool, which said that the Biden family had, in fact, been in the White House, including Hunter, on Friday until leaving for Camp David that evening.

“The pool report supplied by Eugene Daniels of POLITICO on Friday, June 30, stated: ‘Poolers saw Jill Biden, Baby Beau and Hunter Biden climb into presidential SUV. President Biden followed a few minutes later. Motorcade rolling to Fort McNair as of 6:34p.’

“Moreover, there is photographic evidence to back up the pool report. The Associated Press published [a] photo on Friday, June 30, showing both Joe and Hunter Biden leaving Fort McNair for Camp David.”

Fox News added on July 7:

“According to the Friday, June 30 pool report, Biden gave remarks in the Roosevelt Room that afternoon, and didn’t depart the White House for Camp David until 6:34 p.m., along with First Lady Jill Biden, Hunter Biden, and Hunter’s son Beau Biden.”

How long can the White House continue their lies to protect Hunter Biden and, more importantly, Joe Biden? On July 13, the Secret Service announced that the investigation had ended and that no culprit had been found!

US Cluster Bombs for Ukraine

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 7:

“Washington will supply Ukraine with cluster munitions as part of a military aid package worth $800 million to help fight off the Russian invasion…

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock rejected supplying such weapons to Ukraine on Friday. Speaking in Vienna, Baerbock said the government stood by the Oslo Convention, which is considered a milestone in the fight against the controversial explosives. An international ban on them came into force in 2010. [On the other hand, according to Die Welt, dated July 7, Steffen Hebestreit, spokesman for the German government, expressed “understanding” for the American position.]

“To date, 110 countries have joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions, and a further 13 nations have signed but not ratified the Convention — so they are not yet obliged to implement it. Signatories commit to neither produce, stockpile nor use the weapons.

“However, the world’s largest countries ―including Russia, the US, China, India and Pakistan ― and also Ukraine have not signed…

“Despite the Convention’s adoption, the proportion of cluster munitions victims has increased significantly, especially in recent years, due to escalated use of the bombs…

“According to Human Rights Watch, Russian troops have ‘extensively used cluster munitions in Ukraine, killing many civilians and causing other serious civilian harm.’ Ukrainian forces had also used them, causing ‘numerous deaths and serious injuries to civilians,’ the international non-governmental organization said.

“Handing such munitions over to Kyiv would ‘inevitably cause long-term suffering for civilians and undermine the international opprobrium of their use,’ the group continued…

“Cluster munitions are dropped as bombs from airplanes or fired as rockets from howitzers, artillery guns and rocket launchers. They contain hundreds of smaller submunitions, known as ‘bomblets’, that then fall indiscriminately over wide areas that range in size from a few soccer fields to several hectares of land. Cluster bombs not only kill soldiers, but civilians, including many children.

“Such munitions have been in use since World War Two and were deployed extensively in the Vietnam War, for example. During that conflict, the US dropped some 260 million of them on neighboring Laos, making it the country with the world’s highest level of cluster munition contamination.

“According to Humanity & Inclusion, a France-based charity organization also known as Handicap International, only about 40% of the smaller bomblets contained in a cluster bomb detonate upon impact. The undetonated ones can still pose a deadly threat decades after they are deployed: The munitions remain ready to explode and can maim or kill a person at any time. They work in a similarly disastrous way to landmines, sometimes rendering affected areas uninhabitable. Some areas of Laos, for example, remain completely contaminated decades after the end of the war.

“Civilian populations are especially affected by the use of cluster munitions… [According to a report from 2022,] 97% of victims were civilians and 66% of those injured or killed are children

“Ahead of the announcement on the US aid package, the executive director of the US Arms Control Association spoke out against the transfer of such weapons. Sending them ‘would be escalatory, counterproductive, and only further increase the dangers to civilians caught in combat zones and those who will, someday, return to their cities, towns, and farms,’ Daryl Kimball said.”

This is just such a crazy world of war-hungry irresponsible governmental officials, without any consideration for the life, well-being and welfare of civilians and children.

Biden’s Complicated History on Cluster Bombs

Breitbart wrote on July 7:

“The Washington Post recalled Biden’s ‘complicated history’ — i.e. flip-flopping — on the issue of cluster bombs… The Post noted that Biden offered stern criticism of then-Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin

“The Post recalled: ‘Amid reports that Israel had used cluster bombs in its invasion of Lebanon, some Democrats went so far as to push for cutting off aid to Israel. According to a contemporary UPI report, Biden said that if those reports were accurate, then Israel was clearly in violation. He said the United States should respond by “cutting off the ability to get access to that kind of weaponry in the future.”… Democrats also expressed such concerns during what the New York Times labeled “a highly emotional confrontation” on Capitol Hill with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in June 1982…’

“During the Second Lebanon War in 2006, when Israel was again accused of using cluster bombs (this time against Hezbollah guerillas), then-Sen. Biden (D-DE) opposed a bill that would ban the use of cluster munitions in populated areas. His position would appear to have changed, but he continued to express skepticism of cluster bombs. In 2022, the Post noted, Biden’s ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, delivered a speech in which she declared that cluster bombs have ‘no place on the battlefield.’ The administration had to walk that back.”

A Difficult Decision

The Huffington Post wrote on July 7:

“[Biden said he] ultimately took the Defense Department’s recommendation to provide the munitions and discussed the matter with allies and with lawmakers on the Hill. He said ‘the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition’ and the cluster bombs will provide a temporary fix to help stop Russian tanks. The move was met with divided reactions from Congress, as some Democrats criticized the plan while some Republicans backed it…

“Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., called the decision ‘unnecessary and a terrible mistake.’…  Meanwhile, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, backed the move, saying Ukraine needs access to weapons Russia already is using

“Providing the cluster bombs will also ease the pressure on limited U.S. ammunition stockpiles. The U.S. has been taking massive amounts of 155 mm rounds from Pentagon stocks and sending them to Ukraine, creating concerns about eating into American stores

“The last large-scale American use of cluster bombs was during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, according to the Pentagon. But U.S. forces considered them a key weapon during the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, according to Human Rights Watch. In the first three years of that conflict, it is estimated the U.S.-led coalition dropped more than 1,500 cluster bombs in Afghanistan.”

Democrats Oppose Biden’s Decision

Breitbart wrote on July 7:

“Democrats across the spectrum oppose President Joe Biden’s decision to provide Ukraine cluster bombs…

“Democrat presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said, ‘Cluster bombs are munitions so horrific for civilians that more than a hundred nations have signed an international treaty banning them. Now the Biden administration is preparing to send them to Ukraine.’

“House Democrats swiftly came out against Biden’s [decision] to provide cluster bombs. Nineteen House progressives said in a joint statement:

“‘… The White House’s announcement runs counter to Congress’s restrictions on the transfer of these weapons and severely undermines our moral leadership. It underscores the work still ahead to press the U.S. to join the international community in banning the use of cluster munitions.’…

“Then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki said last year that alleged Russian use of cluster bombs would ‘potentially be a war crime.’”

So, would this make Joe Biden a potential war criminal as well?

The New York Post wrote on July 8:

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Saturday slammed President Biden for his plan to send indiscriminately lethal cluster bombs to Ukraine— suggesting that the choice ran afoul of Biden’s own ethics… ‘Stop the ceaseless escalation! It is time for peaceWhat happened to his conscience?’…”

Trump: Don’t Send Cluster Bombs, End the War

Breitbart wrote on July 11:

“‘Joe Biden should not be dragging us further toward World War III,’ former President Donald Trump said in a statement released Tuesday, calling to ‘immediately end the bloodshed in Ukraine’ and for a return ‘to a focus on America’s vital interest.’

“Trump warned: ‘He should be trying to END the war and stop the horrific death and destruction being caused by an incompetent administration. These unexploded cluster munitions will be killing and maiming innocent Ukrainian men, women, and children for decades to come, long after the war—we pray—has ended… If, as Biden inadvertently admitted, the reason for sending cluster bombs now is that the United States is ‘running out of ammunition’ (a great breach of classified information), that only further emphasizes the urgency of immediately deescalating this bloody, dangerous, and out of control conflict. It certainly means we should not be sending Ukraine our last stockpiles at a time when our own arsenals, according… Joe Biden, are so perilously diminished.

“There could be no more vivid proof that Joe Biden’s policy of endless war in Ukraine has tremendously weakened the United States than the humiliating admission that the USA is now out of ammo, something our enemies are undoubtedly salivating over. This ‘admitted’ weakness is an invitation to enemies all over the world. Joe Biden is needlessly and dangerously leading us into World War III, which would be a nightmare beyond imagination—obliteration’…

“These statements come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admits fear of Trump returning to the White House. ‘President Biden is the president during a full-scale war and he has been more helpful to us than President Trump,’ Zelensky stated in part, telling the Wall Street Journal, ‘In a situation like this, when there is support, you are afraid of changes.’”

NATO in Disunity

The Associated Press wrote on July 9:

“As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues with no end in sight, NATO’s much-celebrated unity faces fresh strains when leaders gather for their annual summit this week in Vilnius, Lithuania. The world’s biggest security alliance is struggling to reach an agreement on admitting Sweden as its 32nd member. Military spending by member nations still lags behind longstanding goals. And an inability to compromise over who should serve as NATO’s next leader forced an extension of the current secretary general’s term for an extra year.

“Perhaps most thorny are questions over how Ukraine should be eased into the alliance. Some maintain admitting Ukraine to NATO would be the fulfillment of a promise made years ago and a necessary step to deter Russian aggression in Eastern Europe. Others are fearful it would be seen as a provocation that could spiral into an even wider conflict… the challenges come at a moment when President Joe Biden and his counterparts are heavily invested in demonstrating harmony among members…

“Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni — one of Western Europe’s staunchest backers of Ukraine in the war — reiterated her country’s condemnation of the Russian aggression but called for the ‘universal application of the principles’ of the international convention banning the production, transfer, and stockpiling of cluster munitions…

“Also in the spotlight in Vilnius will be Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the main obstacle blocking Sweden’s attempts to join NATO alongside its neighbor Finland…

“Turkey and the U.S. are also at an impasse over the sale of F-16 fighter jets. Erdogan wants the upgraded planes, but Biden says that Sweden’s NATO membership has to be dealt with first… Hungarian Prime Minister Vitkor Orban is also delaying his country’s approval of Sweden’s membership. In response, Sen. Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is blocking a $735 million U.S. arms sale to Hungary

More disagreements loom over NATO’s updated plans for countering any invasion that Russia might launch on allied territory. It’s the biggest revision since the Cold War…”

Regarding NATO’s updated plans, as mentioned above, note the next article.

How NATO Wants to Defend

The New York Times wrote on July 9:

“Supporting Ukraine and clarifying its relationship with the alliance will be a dominant theme at an upcoming summit. But NATO’s efforts to strengthen its own defenses along its eastern flank will also be key… NATO’s main task is to defend its 31 members… NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, insisted that NATO was a purely defensive alliance, but with a sharper sense of the threat it faced

“At the moment, the total number of troops for the eight battle groups along the eastern flank is only 10,232…  The leaders at Vilnius are expected to approve plans on how to scale up to 4,000 to 5,000 troops — a brigade — in each of those eight countries, with clearly defined tasks and pre-positioned equipment.

“Separately, since the Russian invasion began, around 40,000 troops drawn from member nations were put on standby under NATO command, but officials admit that the forces it can quickly send to battle are currently nowhere near that level. Under its new plans, NATO aims, at least, to have up to 300,000 troops ready to move to its eastern flank within 30 days, though officials call that number ‘aspirational.

“The main point, Mr. Stoltenberg said, is that the new regional plans detail what each country must do to help defend its assigned territory, and with what equipment. Those troops will exercise regularly with allies on the territory they are assigned to defend…

“NATO is coming to understand the sophistication and the vulnerability of its modern equipment. A modern Leopard 2A6 tank, the best of those provided to Ukraine, has excellent speed and armor and runs on most any fuel. But it needs two hours of complicated maintenance for every hour on the battlefield

“It will also take convincing the leaders and voters of larger allies farther away from Russia that their own security is at risk, and that they are going to have to pay the considerable price of a more militarized Europe for decades to come. And that means being truly prepared to come to the aid of smaller countries bordering Russia, like Lithuania, while rebuilding their weak militaries and learning to rely less on the United States.

“For Lithuania, a country of 2.7 million people that borders Russia and Belarus, getting Germany to commit to permanently stationing a brigade inside its borders became a domestic political issue… Germany’s defense minister, Boris Pistorius, promised to station a brigade of 4,000 troops in the country — once Lithuania constructed the necessary infrastructure, including housing, schools and warehouses for ammunition and vehicles… Mr. Pistorius said, ‘Germany, of course, is willing and will be able to take responsibility now for the new eastern flank.’…

“NATO supports Germany’s decision for a brigade in Lithuania… But… most allies would continue to plan for rapid deployment of more forces in a crisis rather than stationing them permanently at the front, partly because of expense and partly out of caution — a war could start with troops in the wrong place, and massed troops could be exposed to a first attack.

“Despite all of the reassurances, the Balts feel vulnerable, given their size and their neighbor. And they feel that their past warnings about the imperial intentions of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia were played down by larger, more distant allies, like Germany…”

Germany’s dubious role and its declared goals in all of this should not be overlooked.

Erdogan Gives Green Light for Sweden…

The Associated Press wrote on July 10:

“Sweden’s membership of NATO took a big step forward on Monday after Turkey agreed to remove one of the last major roadblocks in return for help in reviving Turkey’s own chances of joining the European Union… President Recep Tayyip Erdogan committed to put the Nordic country’s accession protocol before Parliament ‘as soon as possible,’ the head of NATO said…

“There was no comment from Erdogan on the move, which many saw as linked in part to Turkey’s demands on other issues, particularly Erdogan’s desire for support for European Union membership from European leaders and for F-16 fighter jets from the United States

“Biden welcomed the agreement and said he will work with Turkey ‘on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area. I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Kristersson and Sweden as our 32nd NATO Ally.’ Biden’s reference to enhancing Turkey’s defense capability was a nod to Biden’s commitment to help Turkey acquire new F-16s…

“The Biden administration has backed Turkey’s desire to buy 40 new F-16s as well as modernization kits from the U.S…

“In exchange for Turkey’s help with NATO, Sweden has agreed to help unblock Turkey’s progress towards joining the European Union, which has been on hold since 2018… Earlier Monday, Erdogan had warned that he would block Sweden’s attempt to become the 32nd NATO ally unless European members of the military organization ‘pave the way’ for Turkey to join the world’s biggest trading bloc.

“Turkey first applied to join what is now the EU in 1987, but its membership talks have been at a standstill since 2018 due to democratic backsliding during Erdogan’s presidency, concerns about the rule of law and rights abuses, as well as disputes with EU-member Cyprus.

“Of the 31 NATO member countries, 22 are also members of the EU, like Sweden.”

“Erdogan Is Not a Good Person”

Bild Online published on July 11 the following editorial by Franz Josef Wagner:

“The people in his prisons know better. He is a terrible ruler. In Vilnius everyone shook hands with him. They shook hands with a prison guard. Suddenly people are talking benevolently about him… Erdogan is a friend of Putin. Turkey still gets cheap gas from Russia. What kind of two-faced man is Erdogan?…

“Sweden should become a NATO member, Erdogan agreed. He gets his F-16 fighter jets from the USA. The Swedes pass new terror laws. What a great statesman. What a double face. In the Turkish prisons, journalists, lawyers and members of the opposition think every minute about the oppressor Erdogan… Erdogan is not a good person.”

Zelenskiy Failed to Secure NATO Membership

The Guardian wrote on July 11:

“Volodymyr Zelenskiy has failed in a last-ditch effort to secure an invitation for Ukraine to join Nato after leaders of the 31 countries signed off on a declaration that did not give a firm timetable or clear conditions for its eventual membership.

The frustrated Ukrainian president had accused Joe Biden and other leaders present at a summit in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, of showing disrespect and complained that there was ‘no readiness’ to invite his country to join. But the dramatic lunchtime intervention on Tuesday had no impact on the final summit communique, issued a few hours later. It said that while ‘Ukraine’s future is in Nato’, the alliance would only ‘extend an invitation to Ukraine’ when Kyiv had completed certain ‘democratic and security sector reforms’.

“Zelenskiy said, in a statement issued after the communique: ‘Today I embarked on a trip here with faith in decisions, with faith in partners, with faith in a strong Nato. In a Nato that does not hesitate, does not waste time and does not look back at any aggressor … And I would like this faith to become confidence.’”

Many of the member states also said that Ukraine cannot become a member of NATO until after Ukraine has won the war against Russia.

Disagreements Between USA and United Kingdom

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 8:

“US President Joe Biden’s upcoming European trip, where he will be popping in to see UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, will no doubt reinforce the optics of the ‘special relationship’ between the two countries. At the same time, it will also conceal the underlying fact that London needs Washington far more than vice versa.

“Sunak was, of course, polite and diplomatic when signing the ‘Atlantic Declaration’ with Biden in June, a watered-down version of a full-fledged free trade deal with the United States. But the unilateral recalibration of UK-US ties wasn’t hard to miss. 

“Sunak said a free trade agreement was no longer ‘a priority’ for either side, and his officials said the declaration marked a ‘less sentimental and more pragmatic’ approach to the UK-US ‘special relationship.’ 

“For many, it was a watershed moment — the moment when Brexit’s dreams of unfettered UK global trade came crashing down to earth. For others, it was simply a reminder that the UK outside the European Union is weaker and less attractive to the US.  For Brexiteers in the UK, a free trade deal with the US was one of several promises made before and after the 2016 referendum that have failed to come to fruition. A potential deal with Washington was widely seen as partly compensating for the loss of free access to the EU, the UK’s largest trading partner.

“While the UK struggled to get former US President Donald Trump to walk the talk on his promise of a ‘massive’ trade deal during his time in the White House, it hasn’t been any easier with Biden at the helm. Protectionist pro-American trade policies remain the order of the day. Biden’s irritation with London’s inability to solve its ‘Irish question’ after Brexit has also played a role.

“US businesses are losing confidence in the UK as a place to invest in as a result of Brexit, rising corporate taxes and a year of political turmoil in London…”

The Government of The Netherlands Collapses

Euronews reported on July 9:

“Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte visited the king to turn in the resignation of his four-party coalition. The government collapsed Friday because of irreconcilable differences within the coalition about how to rein in migration, a divisive issue that has split nations across Europe.

“The resignation of Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the longest-serving premier of the nation, means the country will face a general election later this year. Rutte and his government will remain in office in a caretaker capacity until a new ruling coalition is chosen… The decision underscored ideological divisions that existed from the day the coalition was sworn in just over 18 months ago between parties that do not support a strict crackdown on migration

“Just over 21,500 people from outside Europe sought asylum in the Netherlands in 2022… The numbers have put a strain on housing that already was in short supply in the densely populated country.

“Rutte’s government worked for a law that could compel municipalities to provide accommodations for newly arrived asylum-seekers, but the legislation has yet to pass through both houses of parliament.

“The prime minister also promoted the European Union’s efforts to slow migration to the 27-nation bloc…”

Will the events in The Netherlands find a repetition in Germany? Note the next two articles.

Dissatisfaction With German Government

Die Welt wrote on July 9:

“The week-long dispute [within the German government] has caused approval ratings for the coalition’s policy to continue to fall… the Social Democrats [come] to 19 percent, as in the previous week. The Greens lose a point [and reach]13 percent.

“The FDP remains stable at seven percent. This brings the [governmental] traffic light parties together to 39 percent – less than ever before

“The Union [CDU] can gain a point and is at 27 percent. The AfD remains at 20 percent, the left at 5 percent. The other parties can unite nine percent of the votes. According to the survey, 70 percent of citizens are dissatisfied with the work of the traffic light government – a new negative record…”

Steinmeier Warns Against AfD

Die Welt wrote on July 9:

“Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has expressed concern about the high poll numbers of the AfD and at the same time warned against pure protest elections…

“The AfD is currently around 20 percent in the nationwide polls – and thus ahead of the Chancellor Party SPD. In Brandenburg, Thuringia and Saxony, where new state parliaments will be elected in just over a year, the AfD is currently the strongest party in the current polls… ‘Yes, the polls are worrying,’ said Steinmeier. ‘But they must not lead us to automatically classify every critical question as populism and right-wing extremism.’

“[He said that] when larger parts of the electorate turn away from the ruling parties and the main opposition party does not win, this raises questions

“According to Steinmeier, Germany should not block the US-announced delivery of cluster munitions to Ukraine. It is true that this type of ammunition is still banned by the federal government and that Germany is against deliveries, he said. However, ‘in the current situation, Germany cannot stab the USA in the back…’

“With regard to the discussions about arms deliveries to Kiev, the Federal President emphasized that if the country [Ukraine] stops defending itself ‘or if we ensure that they are no longer able to defend themselves, it will be the end of Ukraine.’”

“Our Father” Problematic, Archbishop Says

The Guardian wrote on July 7:

“The archbishop of York has suggested that opening words of the Lord’s Prayer, recited by Christians all over the world for 2,000 years, may be ‘problematic’ because of their patriarchal association. In his opening address to a meeting of the Church of England’s ruling body, the General Synod, Stephen Cottrell dwelt on the words ‘Our Father’, the start of the prayer based on Matthew 6:9–13 and Luke 11:2–4 in the New Testament. ‘I know the word “father” is problematic for those whose experience of earthly fathers has been destructive and abusive, and for all of us who have laboured rather too much from an oppressively patriarchal grip on life,’ he said.

“His comment… will divide members of the C of E, a body whose differences on issues of sexuality, identity and equality have been highly visible for years.

“After Cottrell’s speech, Canon Dr Chris Sugden, chair of the conservative Anglican Mainstream group, pointed out that in the Bible Jesus urged people to pray to ‘our father’. He said: ‘Is the archbishop of York saying Jesus was wrong, or that Jesus was not pastorally aware? It seems to be emblematic of the approach of some church leaders to take their cues from culture rather than scripture.’

“Rev Christina Rees, who campaigned for female bishops, said… ‘The big question is, do we really believe that God believes that male human beings bear his image more fully and accurately than women? The answer is absolutely not.’

“In February, the C o E said it would consider whether to stop referring to God as ‘he,’ after priests asked to be allowed to use gender-neutral terms instead…  saying ‘Christians have recognised since ancient times that God is neither male nor female, yet the variety of ways of addressing and describing God found in scripture has not always been reflected in our worship’…

“One of the most divisive issues within the C of E, same-sex marriage, led to a decision earlier this year to allow clergy to offer services of blessings to gay and lesbian couples who have undergone a civil wedding…”

Breitbart added on July 8:

“The woke Church of England’s latest assault on the tenets of the Christian religion is apparently the Lord’s Prayer… The comments from Cottrell, the second-highest ranking bishop in the Church, come amid a broader push to adopt progressive beliefs from the CoE leadership…

“The issue of the gender of God has also become an increasingly contested debate within the Church of England, with Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, previously declaring that God is ‘gender neutral.’ Welby has often used his position as the principal leader of the Church to push for left-wing issues, notably surrounding illegal immigration and climate change.

“Earlier this year, it was reported that the CoE was planning on establishing a project ‘on gendered language’ in reference to God later, with some suggesting  that phrases like ‘Our Father’ could be replaced by supposedly neutral terms or feminine alternatives in order to combat alleged sexism within the faith.”

The Bible clearly reveals that the God Family consists of God THE FATHER and Jesus Christ THE SON. If the Church of England wants to believe that the Highest in the Godhead is NOT our Father, would they also be teaching that Jesus was not a Male, when here on earth, or that He changed somehow into a “neuter” when He was resurrected? Please read our free booklet, “God the Father Is the Highest”

New Cardinals in the Catholic Church

Thomson/Reuters wrote on July 9:

“Pope Francis (86) on Sunday announced that he would elevate 21 churchmen to the high rank of cardinal, again putting his mark on the group that will one day choose his successor after his death or resignation. The ceremony to install them… will be held on Sept. 30…

“Eighteen of the churchmen are under 80 and will be able to enter an eventual conclave to choose the next pope. The other three, who are over 80 and too old to vote in a conclave, were named to thank them for their long service to the Church. All cardinals, regardless of their age, are allowed to take part in pre-conclave meetings known as General Congregations, giving them a say in the type of person they think their younger brother cardinals should choose.

“The new cardinals come from countries including the United States, Italy, Argentina, South Africa, Spain, Colombia, South Sudan, Hong Kong, Poland, Malaysia, Tanzania, and Portugal. Three of the new cardinals were recently named as heads of major Vatican departments, including Argentine Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez, head of the Vatican’s doctrinal department.

“Another significant appointment was that of Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-Yan of Hong Kong. Chow is one of the major links to the Catholic Church in communist China, where the Vatican is trying to improve conditions for Catholics.”

It will be extremely interesting to see who the next pope will be.

Jews Condemn Baker For Not Producing LGBTQ Symbols

JTA wrote on July 6:

“The request for rainbow-frosted cupcakes came from a repeat customer — a local [conservative] synagogue that had relied on the West Orange Bake Shop to make kosher desserts for its special events. But this year, bakery co-owner Yitzy Mittel decided to decline the order. He couldn’t bring himself to produce the Pride-themed goods.

“Mittel, an Orthodox Jew, had made a similar cake for an order the year before. But the experience unnerved him, he told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, because his understanding of Jewish law holds that LGBTQ symbols are ‘antithetical to what we stand for.’ The symbols are ‘a celebration of something which is against Torah,’ he said. ‘I didn’t want to be making that cake.’…

“In the weeks since that decision, Mittel has gotten validation from the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled last week that a Colorado web designer had the right to refuse to build a wedding site for a same-sex couple. The ruling expands on a 2018 decision, in which the court ruled a Colorado baker had the constructional right, on religious grounds, to refuse to create a wedding cake for a gay couple.

“But the local Jewish community is still reeling. Multiple rabbis have accused the baker of bigotry, and some local Jews are boycotting his shop. The area’s Jewish federation privately said it would stop buying from Mittel before publicly walking back its position. And Eshel, an advocacy group for LGBTQ Orthodox Jews and their families, announced an ‘ally training’ in West Orange this coming Sunday in response to the incident…

“The firestorm comes at a time of widespread advocacy by political conservatives against LGBTQ inclusion and rights. Pride events across the country have faced pushback this year.

“Some of that has taken place in Jewish communities. In another New Jersey town 30 miles away, Orthodox rabbis successfully petitioned their mayor to remove the Pride flags that were flying in front of a synagogue on a central street. The mayor later apologized and put the flags back up.

“But what happened in West Orange offers a particularly potent example of how culture wars can play out in — and divide — Jewish communities, in part because of the symbolism of a kosher bakery citing what it says are Jewish values to justify declining the order of a local synagogue. ‘While I know this has happened in other parts of the country I hadn’t expected it here,’ wrote Dan Cohen, senior rabbi of the Reform Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel in nearby South Orange… ‘Then I learned that the bakery in question is a kosher bakery, and as a result, the bias was coming from within our Jewish community.’”

The real scandal is that a Jewish conservative (!) synagogue orders “Pride” cupcakes, and parts of the Jewish community support such a move and condemn the Jewish baker to refuse to produce cupcakes with symbols which were clearly designed to honor the LGBTQ movement (which is condemned by God).

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 many different descriptions of Jesus are there in the Bible? (Part 5)

In this final installment of this series, we look at four more descriptions of Jesus and conclude with some more general information which includes seven interesting descriptions in Revelation 2 and 3.

  • A Ransom For Many

Perhaps the most famous verse in the Bible gives testimony to the fact that Jesus gave His life as a ransom for many: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

This is reinforced in 1 Peter 1:18-19: “…knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

And we read in Ephesians 1:7 further confirmation of this: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

We read further in 1 Timothy 2:5-6: “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time…”

There are many other references to this in the Bible which are worth reviewing.

It is true that Christ gave Himself a “ransom for all,” potentially, but that is not to say that all would accept His Sacrifice. That is why we read in John 3:16 that only those who “believe” in Him would not perish. Also, Christ said in Matthew 20:28 that He gave His life a ransom for many. The ransom is for those who will repent and accept His Sacrifice. Christ did not give His life as a ransom for those who would reject His Sacrifice.

For a full explanation of this vital matter, please read our Q&A on “Unconditional Love (Part 3)”.

  • The Rock

We read in Matthew 16:18 one of the most famous verses in the Bible: “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

In our Q&A entitled: “Could you explain the extent of the power that Christ gave in Matthew 16:19, to ‘bind and loose’?” we stated the following:

“The word ‘Peter,’ i.e., ‘petros’ in Greek, means ‘a little stone.’ The ‘rock,’ on which Christ would build His church, is ‘petra’ in Greek, meaning a solid rock. Christ was not saying here that Christ would build the church on ‘Peter,’ but on THE ROCK — Christ Himself. It is CHRIST who is identified as ‘THE ROCK’ in passages such as 1 Corinthians 10:4. Peter, as well as the other apostles, in addition to the prophets, are part of the foundation, but Christ is the CHIEF cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). The Church is built on Christ, who is the LIVING Head of the Church (Ephesians 4:15). That is why the ‘gates of Hades’ or ‘Death’ cannot overcome or defeat it. Christ, as the LIVING Head of the Church — as the foundation of the Church — has overcome death, having the ‘key of Hades and of Death’ (Revelation 1:18). Paul explains that no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is laid, which is Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11).”

In 1 Corinthians 10:4, we read that The Rock, Christ, was the God of the Old Testament: “… and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”

Christ’s statement to Peter was never understood by the apostles to imply that Christ would build His church on “the rock” Peter. In our above-quoted Q&A, we continue to state:

Unger’s Bible Handbook agrees, as follows: ‘Thou art Peter [petros, a stone] and upon this rock [petra, great ledge of rock] I will build my church’ (cf. 1 Pet 2:4-6, where the apostle made it clear he was never to be thought of as ‘the rock.’”

“The Broadman Bible Commentary points out:

“In the Greek text, two forms appear in ‘you are Peter’ [Petros], and ‘on this rock’ [petra]… The masculine form, Petros [and]… the feminine form, petra… If [Peter] is the rock, it is strange that the impersonal ‘this rock’ follows the personal ‘you are.’… Although Peter and all the apostles (Eph. 2:20; Rev. 21:14) were in some sense the foundation upon which the church was built, the New Testament never allows this in an absolute sense. Jesus Himself is ‘the rock’ upon which the church is built… there could be a church without Peter, none without Christ. Peter is neither the head nor the foundation of the church. Jesus founded it; it stands or falls with him; and he is yet its living Lord and head.”

The Geneva Study Bible adds: “… in Greek… the different word endings distinguish between Peter, who is a piece of the building, and Christ the Petra, that is, the rock and foundation…”

When Jesus spoke to Peter, we can imagine the following exchange: Christ pointed at Peter, saying; “You are a little stone,” but then He pointed at Himself, continuing: “… and on this Rock (Jesus) I will build My church.”

  • Bridegroom

In John 3:28-30, we read what John the Baptist said about Christ: “You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’  He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.”

In Revelation 19:7-9, we see the fulfilment of John’s words: “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”  And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, ‘Write: “Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!”’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true sayings of God.’”

The Bible teaches about the second coming of Christ, and when He does return, He is to marry the Church.

Marriage today between a man and a woman (please review Ephesians 5:22-23) is an example of the marriage of Jesus Christ to the Church. Those of us in the true Church of God constitute the Bride of Christ, when we will, later, be joined in marriage to Him for all eternity.

We explain the bride’s marriage to the bridegroom, Jesus Christ, in our Q&A on “spiritual analogies,” as follows:

“The New Covenant is a marriage agreement. The consummation of our marriage with Jesus Christ—the bridegroom and the Lamb—is still in the future. This is where the biblical concept of betrothal becomes important. In biblical times, the parties went through a period of ‘betrothal’ before they actually consummated the marriage. Mary was already betrothed to Joseph when she was found to be with child (Matthew 1:18). Since they had not consummated the marriage, Joseph thought that Mary was guilty of fornication. But Mary and Joseph were already called, at the time of their betrothal, husband and wife (Matthew 1:19–20, 24; compare also Deuteronomy 28:30). Betrothal was a binding agreement or contract of marriage, and it could only be severed through a divorce. With this contract, the husband had promised his wife to consummate the marriage with her, after a certain period of time.

“In the same way, we, when we became baptized, entered into a covenant with God, and into a contract of betrothal with Jesus Christ. The consummation of our marriage will occur, once Jesus Christ returns to establish His Kingdom. At that time, we will be immortal Spirit beings—born-again members of the God Family…

“Jesus Christ is the bridegroom who will marry the bride upon His return… Jesus spoke of Himself as the ‘bridegroom’ (Luke 5:34–35). When Jesus was on this earth, He taught that He would be taken away and that no ‘marriage’ would be consummated at that time. Note, as well, that Jesus gave a parable indicating that He, as the bridegroom, would return (compare Matthew 25:1–13). In this story, Jesus began His teaching with these very important words: ‘The kingdom of heaven shall be LIKENED to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom’ (Matthew 25:1)…

“The spiritual consummation of the marriage between Christ and His Church, as well as the spiritual ‘marriage supper’ celebration [compare Revelation 19:9], will be ongoing… There will of course not be any physical consummation of the marriage agreement when Christ returns to marry His bride.”

We recommend that you review the entire Q&A, as it also discusses other analogies applying to our relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ.

  • Alpha and Omega

It is probably appropriate to conclude our review of the names of Jesus in this Q&A with Him being the Alpha and the Omega. There are several references in the Book of Revelation. Let us look at Revelation 22:12-13: “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.  I am the Alpha and the Omegathe Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”

There are also the same references in Revelation 1:8 and 21:6. Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet and mean the beginning and the end.  We know that Jesus as the Logos was before all things and He will be there at the end of this age setting up the eternal Kingdom of God.  With Him creation began, and in the context of Revelation 22:12-13, He will end this present evil world and will usher in the wonderful world tomorrow.  He always existed and He will also exist for all eternity. He is the FIRST in everything (under God the Father), having in all things the pre-eminence (Colossians 1:18),  and He will still exist when this physical world will have ceased to exist. It shows that He is ageless, immortal.

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible explains:

“It means that he is the beginning and the end of all things; that he was at the commencement, and will be at the close; and it is thus equivalent to saying that he has always existed, and that he will always exist… There can be no doubt that the language here would be naturally understood as implying divinity, and it could be properly applied to no one but the true God. The obvious interpretation here would be to apply this to the Lord Jesus.”

Having this information should be so helpful to us as we go through our tests and trials, knowing that we have a Savior who will be there for us at all times.

CONCLUSION:

Author Warren Wilcox wrote: “Have you ever realized the Bible had so much unity? Fifteen hundred years, forty different authors, three [or four] different languages, five or six different countries. And yet with all of these variations, there’s still just one theme and it all harmonizes together. The Bible is a library of sixty-six different books, long and short, written in different languages (Hebrew, Chaldean and Greek; we might add: “and to a small extent Aramaic”), written in various countries (Judea, Babylon, Asia Minor, Greece and Italy), written in various times during a period stretching over about fifteen hundred years and with an intermission of about 400 years, written by about forty different authors, people with Egyptian culture, people with Jewish culture, people with Greek and Roman culture, people with no culture.”

The unity of all of the Bible is amazing, considering how it was assembled.  Unity from the first word until the last word – a perfect piece of literature which shines through when you put all of the information together about Jesus Christ, the second member of the God Family which we have looked at in this series of Q&As.

The designations we have included in this series of Q&As are:

Creator, the Word, the I AM, Son of God, Immanuel, Redeemer, the Christ, Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus, son of Joseph, Jesus Christ (Jesus meaning “the Lord is salvation,” while Christ meaning “the anointed one”), the Son of Man, the Lamb of God, The Light of the World, The Bread of Life, King of the Jews, King of kings, Rabbi, Savior, Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Chief Cornerstone, Apostle and High Priest, The Way, the Truth and the Life, The Good Shepherd, The Lion of Judah, Head of the Church, A Ransom for Many, The Rock, the Bridegroom and Alpha and Omega.

We have looked at just 30 descriptions and attributes, as above, of the One who became Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. There are many others that we haven’t addressed in this series, including A Friend of Sinners, Judge, Firstborn Over All Creation, The Holy One, Lord of All, Deliverer, Mediator, the life, the Light, The Propitiation for our Sins, and many more.

In addition, there are other descriptions in Revelation 2 and 3. We will just list these which can be read at the beginning of each letter in these two chapters.  

You may wish to personally review these in greater detail which are discussed in our booklet: “Is That in the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation,” in Chapter 1 – “Christ’s Message to the Seven Churches,” on pages 5-13.

Some of the following descriptions may also be found in other parts of the Book of Revelation.

“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands’” (Revelation 2:1).

And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life’” (Revelation 2:8).

And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword’” (Revelation 2:12).

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass’” (Revelation 2:18).

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars’” (Revelation 3:1).

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens’” (Revelation 3:7).

“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God’” (Revelation 3:14).

As we mentioned in part 1, one author listed more than one hundred names, titles, and metaphors of the Lord Jesus Christ, together with references from the Old Testament; another author asserts that there are some 200 names and titles of Jesus found in the Bible. Therefore, we have only scratched the surface of this subject, and it shows the importance to the lives of everyone living today, and those who have ever lived, with almost all of them not realising how their future depends on the Plan of God which Jesus came to announce.  He has been, is and will continue to be of vital importance to all that lies ahead of us. We are blessed indeed to have a loving Father and His Son who will return to this earth to set up the eternal Kingdom of God which all of God’s faithful people will be a part of.

Lead writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

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Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

compiled by Dave Harris

“America, Where ARE You Going???” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Cocaine in the White House! Joe Biden’s meeting with King Charles and his conduct at NATO! His decision to provide Ukraine with terrible cluster bombs! His praise for Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan! The performance of FBI Director Chris Wray on Capitol Hill! All of this—and so much more—shows a divided country plagued by scandal after scandal! Let alone God’s strong condemnation for those who propagate beliefs which He determines to be abominable. Where IS America going? The answer should be obvious!

A new Member Letter (July 2023) has been written and posted. Rene Messier reminds us of the crucial need to not neglect fasting as we seek to draw closer to God.

“Unsere Selbstvernichtung steht bevor!” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Our Self-Destruction Is Imminent!”

“Die Kunst der Kommunikation,” the German sermonette from the Sabbath of July 1, by Christian Mrosek, is now posted. Title in English: “The Art of Communication.”

Nachhaltige Ehen in der Wegwerfgesellschaft,” the German sermonette from the Sabbath of July 8, by Andreas Ratz, is now posted. Title in English: “Sustainable Marriages in the Throwaway Society.”

“Selfish or Selfless?” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The Bible addresses the matter of selfishness with strong warnings. The Bible also teaches us how to be unselfish—to have the selfless character of Jesus Christ.

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

In modern parlance when people talk of “living the dream”, invariably they refer to the way life is going. Whether stated in sincerity or sarcastically, this evaluation declares that life is so good that it couldn’t be better, being in pursuit of one’s dreams.  To most, living the dream is an impossibility. What guidance can we find in the Bible that motivates us to truly be “living the dream”?

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How This Work is Financed

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

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

Technical Team: Eric Rank, Shana Rank

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

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

Donations can be sent to the following addresses:

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

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

Selfish or Selfless? / Living the Dream

On July 8, 2023, Dave Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “Selfish or Selfless?” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “Living the Dream.”

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

Rioting in France

Express wrote on June 30:

“France has boosted the number of police on its streets to 45,000 this evening as it braced for more rioting…

“French President Emmanuel Macron also urged parents Friday to keep teenagers at home and blamed social media for fuelling unrest which has spread dramatically across the country since the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old driver [from a French-Algerian family] earlier this week…

“With dramatic footage of widespread disorder circulating on Twitter, right-wing Dutch commentator Eva Vlaardingerbroek tweeted: ‘It seems like France might have actually entered into the first stages of a civil war as a result of mass migration.”

The U.S. Sun added on June 30:

“Emmanuel Macron was seen boogying at an Elton John gig while Paris descended into chaos amid protests over the ‘execution’ of a teenager. The French leader appeared footloose and fancy-free during Wednesday’s concert while his nation was torched and looted by rioters… as protestors pelted fireworks at police, Macron shamelessly danced to Elton John’s greatest hits at the Accor Arena…

“It is not the first time he has been accused of being tone-deaf to the anger among his people.”

How long will left-wing Macron be able to survive politically?

France to Cut Off Social Media in Times of Trouble?

The Guardian wrote on July 5:

“Emmanuel Macron has said the French government should consider controlling and cutting off social media networks ‘when things get out of hand’ in the country. The president’s comments came as ministers blamed young people using platforms such as Snapchat and TikTok for organising and encouraging rioting and violence after the shooting last week of a teenager during a police traffic stop in a Paris suburb…

“Critics said it would put France alongside authoritarian countries such as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea in considering such measures… Macron reportedly also suggested fining the parents of children involved…”

These are some dangerous proposals.

Muslims in France—a Ghettoized Community

Fox News wrote on July 1:

“‘What’s happening there is the consequence of a failure to integrate the country’s Muslim immigrant population,’ Alan Mendoza, co-founder and executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital. ‘The France of legend is far removed from the daily realities of life in a ghettoized community that does not have the same opportunities to progress and succeed as the native population,’ he said. ‘France’s forgotten communities are showing that they will stay forgotten no longer’…

“Secretary-General of Unite SGP Police FO union Gregory Joron said police ‘haven’t seen such urban violence in 18 years in so many cities around France.’

“Police pulled over the teenager, identified only as Nahel M., in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday morning. Nahel worked as a delivery driver, but he pulled over to speak with two police officers, who approached his vehicle to explain that he had broken traffic rules, a prosecutor said. The exact spark for the incident remains unclear, partially due to the contradiction of police reports and video that circulated on social media. Police said that Nahel drove his car at one of the officers, while the video shows one of the officers pointing a weapon at him and saying, ‘You are going to get a bullet in the head,’ according to France24.

“Nahel drove a yellow Mercedes. [He] had two passengers in the car and no license on him at the time. He reportedly had been placed in detention for refusing to comply with a previous traffic stop and was scheduled to appear in juvenile court in September. The officer then appears to shoot Nahel as the car suddenly pulls away, traveling only a short distance before crashing, with Nahel dying at the scene. Police took the offending officer into custody and opened an investigation into charges of voluntary manslaughter, with charges brought against him on Friday.

“Reuters reported that in an interview with French television the police officer’s lawyer Laurent-Franck Lienard, said his client had aimed at the driver’s leg but was bumped when the car took off, causing him to shoot towards his chest. ‘Obviously (the officer) didn’t want to kill the driver,’ he said according to the report…

“Macron has provided a mixed response to the crisis, initially describing the shooting as ‘inexplicable’ and ‘unforgivable’ but then decrying the protests and blaming everything from social media to video games for the increasing violence. Macron argued that social media platforms, including TikTok, Snapchat and others, helped fuel the riots… Macron also denied there was systemic racism within the country’s law enforcement services.

“Nahel’s mother accused the police of responding violently to ‘an Arab face,’ drawing attention to the underlying tension between what some observers say is a massive and underserved North African, mainly Muslim, immigrant population and the police.

“While he had no criminal record, Nahel had been subject to five police checks since 2021 and had refused to comply with an order to stop. Most of the stops involved either driving without a license or insurance and using false number plates…”

So, there may be more to the unfortunate killing of Nahel than meets the eye. The ensuing protests may have little to do with this occurrence.

Muslim Rage

Israel Today wrote on July 2:

“Let’s see how the French deal with their own nationwide unrest. Foreign media is quick to point out that the ‘riots came after police violence in France.’ So we are supposed to have some kind of understanding for the violence due to an act of police violence? To what end? To excuse this Muslim outburst of violence and pretend like France’s Muslim population is otherwise perfectly peaceful?

“A 17-year-old Muslim was killed by a French police bullet, sparking the current riots. Can France be set on fire because of this? Surely not…

“France is burning. In the numerous videos, the country looks like it is at war. Vehicles and houses burned in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Strasbourg and other cities. Numerous stores were looted, including Apple. More than 1,300 rioters were arrested and 79 police officers were injured. In addition, 31 police stations were attacked. Thousands of cars have been set on fire and 2,560 fires are believed to have broken out on public roads, the French Interior Ministry said yesterday. Over 45,000 police officers were mobilized nationwide. Due to the ongoing intifada in France, President Emmanuel Macron has canceled his two-day state visit to Germany…

“According to official figures, around five million Muslims live in France today, which makes up 8.2 percent of France’s total population (60.5 million). Unofficially, however, there is talk of more than 10 percent Muslims in France… Today it is even estimated that there are around 50 million Muslims in Europe.

“Anyone who knows me knows that I have many Muslim friends and acquaintances, both in Israel and in Sinai. But what is happening in France now and could break out across Europe at any moment is a real danger for the Christian Occident. I know not all of our readers see Europe as ‘Christian,’ for Europe has broken away from the Christian faith in general. But the point is that for the Muslims who are now plundering and burning France, Europe is a Christian continent. In the Arab press they even still refer to Europeans as ‘Crusaders.’

“Earlier last week, a 37-year-old Iraqi immigrant burned pages from the Koran in Stockholm, Sweden, and announced further actions of this kind. The Islamic world reacted with outrage. Demonstrators stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad. Morocco withdrew its ambassador. Erdogan condemned the burning with sharp words. When the Bible is blasphemed, the Christian world does not freak out, nor does the Jewish community worldwide….”

Antisemitism in France

Israel Today wrote on July 2:

“Israel is closely monitoring and deeply concerned about ‘waves of antisemitism sweeping over France,’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during Sunday’s weekly Cabinet meeting. ‘In recent days, we have witnessed criminal assaults against Jewish targets. We strongly condemn these attacks and support the French government in its fight against antisemitism,’ he added…

“Rioters in areas with large Muslim populations have torched cars and looted shops, clashing with police and causing hundreds of injuries… Antisemitic chants have been heard during riots and Jewish businesses were ransacked in the Paris suburb of Sarcelles, dubbed ‘little Jerusalem’ due to its large Jewish population… Jews have been targeted repeatedly in France… Outwardly identifiable Jews have routinely been attacked in cities across the country.”

France is a powder keg ready to explode at any moment. France would need a strong leader to avoid these occurrences from happening again and again. But Macron is not such a strong leader…

The Rise of the Right in Europe

BBC News wrote on June 29:

“… the EU’s third largest economy, Italy, is run by Giorgia Meloni, head of a party with neo-fascist roots. In Finland, after 3 months of debate, the far-right nationalists The Finns recently joined the coalition government. In Sweden the firmly anti-immigration, anti-multiculturalism Sweden Democrats are the second largest party in parliament, propping up the right-wing coalition government there.

“In Greece last Sunday three hard-right parties won enough seats to enter parliament, while in Spain, the controversial nationalist Vox Party – the first successful far-right party in Spain since the death of fascist dictator Francisco Franco in 1975 – outperformed all expectations in recent regional elections…

“Then there are the ultra-conservative, authoritarian-leaning governments in Poland and in Hungary... Including even Germany… Polls there now put the far right AfD just ahead of, or neck and neck with, Chancellor Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD)…

“So what’s happening? Are millions upon millions of European voters really swerving far-right? Or is this more of a protest vote?…

“On the one hand, many a mainstream politician has in recent years grabbed slogans or stances from the far-right, hoping to rob them of their supporters. But by doing so they help make the far right seem more mainstream. While at the same time, a number of far-right parties in Europe have intentionally moved more towards the political centre, hoping to entice more centrist voters…

“Polls suggest the EU is more popular amongst Europeans at the moment than it has been for years. And so far right parties now speak about reforming the EU, rather than leaving it. And they’re predicted to perform strongly in next year’s elections for the European parliament…”

Of course, many parties and governments in Europe, being referred to as “mainstream,” are in reality far-left socialists or even Marxists.

More Success For the AfD

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 3:

“German politicians and media are once again fretting about the rise of far-right populism in the country, after two local runoff votes in eastern Germany were won by the… AfD, the country’s most successful far-right party since World War II.

“On Sunday evening, the AfD’s Hannes Loth beat independent candidate Nils Naumann in the small town of Raguhn-Jessnitz, Saxony-Anhalt, to become the AfD’s first ever mayor in Germany. This came a week after the AfD’s Robert Sesselmann won a similar runoff in the district of Sonneberg, Thuringia.

“Though the two districts are relatively small, the results are considered significant because they confirm a trend in national polls: The far-right party can now claim the approval of 20% of German voters, the same as Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats…

“Chancellor Scholz insists the AfD’s rise has nothing to do with any troubles in his government, but the party that arguably faces the biggest dilemma is the center-right… CDU, which, despite leading in the polls, is struggling to profit from the wrangling of the coalition government. CDU leader Friedrich Merz has been forced to retreat from his promise, made in 2019, that he would halve the AfD’s voter base…

“… many German voters appear to be undeterred… by the fact that the party is under surveillance as a potential threat to the country’s constitutional order… a lot of Germans — especially but not only in eastern Germany — maintain a critical attitude toward the intelligence agency…  They say: Well, we’ve had enough experience with the Stasi [secret service of the communist East German regime 1949-1990], we won’t let anyone prescribe to us what is right and wrong…”

This should come as no surprise when considering the past and current activities of Germany’s past and present intelligence agencies.

US Supreme Court: No Student Loan Forgiveness

The Daily Mail wrote on June 30:

“The Supreme Court has struck down President Joe Biden’s $400 billion student loans forgiveness plan in another bombshell decision. The justices ruled 6-3 Biden’s controversial plan to wipe out debts for 26 million Americans at taxpayers’ expense was unconstitutional and an overreach of his executive power. The plan would have eradicated $10,000 in debt for borrowers earning less than $125,000 and up to $20,000 for those with Pell Grants. But it was challenged by six Republican states and two borrowers who argued Biden should have sought approval from Congress for a plan using substantial taxpayer funds. 

“Chief Justice John Roberts agreed and said in the majority opinion that a move ‘requires that Congress speak clearly before a Department (of Education) Secretary can unilaterally alter large sections of the American economy.’ 

“President Biden called the decision ‘disappointing’ and ‘wrong’ and vowed to fight back in a statement released hours after the ruling came down…

“Former President Trump’s Education Secretary Betsy DeVos told DailyMail.com in a statement following the decision that ‘everyone knew the debt scheme was illegal,’ including Biden himself… The former secretary said the ‘ploy’ by the Biden administration was also ‘deeply unfair to the majority of Americans who don’t have student loans, and equally concerning, would have only exacerbated the problem of ever-rising college tuition.’

“House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., added in a tweet that Biden ‘must follow the law.’ ‘President Biden’s student loan giveaway is ruled UNLAWFUL. The 87% of Americans without student loans are no longer forced to pay for the 13% who do.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Slams Joe Biden on the Student Debt Issue

Breitbart wrote on June 30:

“Democrat presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. slammed President Joe Biden for failing to ‘bring Congress together’ on the student debt issue after the Supreme Court struck down Biden’s attempted debt transfer… Kennedy said the Court’s decision was ‘the predictable result of Biden’s failure to bring Congress together on this issue of crucial importance to young Americans.’ ‘President Biden knew his plan wouldn’t survive a legal challenge. His plan gave the appearance of action, while accomplishing nothing,’ Kennedy added.

“Biden responded to a reporter’s question on Friday and insisted he ‘didn’t give borrowers false hope,’ [adding that] the Republicans snatched away the hope that they were given and it’s real hope.’ Biden then claimed the Court ‘misinterpreted the Constitution’ when a reporter asked if he overstepped his presidential authority…

“Kennedy also promised to work on reducing the cost of higher education… ‘If we devoted even a fraction of our military budget to higher education, it could be virtually free to all (as it is in many other countries)… Let’s invest in America’s young people instead of in the forever wars,’ the Democrat presidential nominee added.”

How true! But the investment in forever wars is not something which Biden and many Democrats [or Republicans] would want to give up.

Biden’s and the Democrats’ Contempt for the Constitution

Fox News wrote on June 30:

“Fox News contributor [and Law Professor] Jonathan Turley joined ‘America’s Newsroom’ Friday after the Supreme Court struck down President Biden’s student loan relief plan. Turley said the decision is the latest instance where the administration ‘overreached on their authority,’ calling it ‘absurd’ for Biden to enact the plan without Congress’ approval…

“‘This is a huge defeat for the Biden administration, politically and legally. It is only the latest such defeat where the president has overreached on his authority. Previously, the president argued that he could use the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] as the basis for the eviction moratorium during the pandemic, even though many of us said that he clearly lacked that authority, he went ahead and did it anyway. In fact, he admitted that by the time the courts might strike down his efforts, he could get a lot of money out the door. Well, that’s a level of contempt that does not sit well with courts.

“‘In this case, you have the Heroes Act, which is just a few pages long, and was clearly designed to help people who are serving abroad in military conflicts so that they didn’t have to worry about their college tuition payments. The use of the Heroes Act for this massive loan forgiveness program was absurd, and bordered on the obscene. I mean, it was clear that they could not get this through Congress and that they decided to come up with this novel theory to circumvent Congress. What was really unbelievable to watch is that the Democrats applauded him for that. He essentially made Congress a functional nonentity and half of Congress gave him a standing ovation.’”

As we pointed out on numerous occasions, the USA, under Joe Biden and his colleagues, is becoming more and more a dictatorship.

US Supreme Court Sides With Designer Against Same-Sex Couples

The Associated Press wrote on June 30:

“In a defeat for gay rights, the Supreme Courts’ conservative majority ruled on Friday that a Christian graphic artist who wants to design wedding websites can refuse to work with same-sex couples…

“The court ruled 6-3 for designer Lorie Smith, saying she can refuse to design websites for same-sex weddings despite a Colorado law that bars discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, gender and other characteristics. The court said forcing her to create the websites would violate her free speech rights under the Constitution’s First Amendment.

“The decision suggests that artists, photographers, videographers and writers are among those who can refuse to offer what the court called expressive services if doing so would run contrary to their beliefs. But that’s different from other businesses not engaged in speech and therefore not covered by the First Amendment, such as restaurants and hotels…

“The decision is a win for religious rights and one in a series of cases in recent years in which the justices have sided with religious plaintiffs. Last year, for example, the court ruled along ideological lines for a football coach who prayed on the field at his public high school after games. And on Thursday the court in a unanimous decision used the case of a Christian mail carrier who did not want to deliver Amazon packages on Sundays to solidify protections for workers who ask for religious accommodations… [See discussion below.]

“President Joe Biden said in a statement that the ruling was ‘disappointing’…”

So, President Biden, a confessing and practicing Catholic, finds it disappointing when a decision is rendered by the US Supreme Court which upholds Catholic doctrine? Biden also said that this court was not “normal.” So, is it normal, then, for a confessing and practicing Catholic to disagree with the doctrines of his church?

Are Orthodox Christians or Gays Disfavored?

The New York Post published on June 30 the following opinion by David Harsanyi:

“First, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson releases a blistering defense of racial discrimination in her dissent from the Supreme Court’s affirmative-action decision Thursday. Then, on Friday, Justice Sonia Sotomayor puts out a largely incoherent defense of state-compelled speech in commercial life… As soon as the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Christian web designer named Lorie Smith, who had refused to create a gay wedding site, CNN blasted out this headline: ‘Supreme Court limits LGBTQ protections’…

“Lorie Smith never turned away a customer because of their sexual preference or skin color or religious belief or anything else: She refused to create a message celebrating an event that conflicted with her sincerely held religious convictions. She was practicing her First Amendment rights.

“It’s an easy contention to prove. If a straight person had tried to commission a same-sex wedding site, Smith would have turned them away, as well…

“Think about it this way: A devout orthodox Christian — or Jew or Muslim — walks into a gay-owned bakery and demands the proprietor create a cake with the message, ‘Homosexuality is a sin in the eyes of God.’ Should that baker be forced to make it?

Christians, after all, are also a protected group under anti-discrimination laws. If the gay bakery refused, would it be discrimination or an issue of free expression?…

“The sitting president of the United States flies pride flags right next to American ones on the South Lawn of the White House while virtually every major corporation pays its respects on pride month. If any group is disfavored in American life right now, it’s the orthodox Christian…”

If a Catholic President can behave in the way he does, with support of other Catholic Democrats, then it is very true that orthodox Christians who accept the Bible as their guide, are a disfavored group in this country.

US Supreme Court Decision on Accommodation Gains Huge Support

JTA wrote on June 29:

“In a case that drew support from a broad array of Jewish groups, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that employers had to show a ‘substantial’ burden to deny workers religious accommodation.

“In a decision released Thursday, the court sided with Gerald Groff, an evangelical Christian mail carrier who asked not to work on Sundays, his Sabbath. Jewish groups that do not often line up on the same side of church-state issues before the court were of a single voice in this case.

“Justice Samuel Alito, writing the opinion, sought to substantially narrow a 1977 decision that faith groups have for years said is so broad in setting the standard for religious accommodation that it is meaningless. ‘We think it is enough to say that an employer must show that the burden of granting an accommodation would result in substantial increased costs in relation to the conduct of its particular business,’ Alito said.

“The previous decision had said that ‘to require TWA to bear more than a de minimis cost in order to give Hardison Saturdays off is an undue hardship.’ (The now defunct airline in that case was the employer and Larry Hardison was the employee seeking the Sabbath off.) With this ruling ‘substantial’ effectively replaces ‘de minimus,’ or ‘minimal,’ as the standard.

“The decision will have far-reaching consequences for Orthodox Jews, said Mitchel Aeder, the Orthodox Union’s president. ‘Members of our community require accommodations for Sabbath and holiday observance, times to pray, the ability to keep kosher, and the like,’ he said in a statement. ‘Such accommodations enable us to be not only faithful Jews but productive workers and members of American society. That is why the Orthodox Union advocated to the Court in support of Mr. Groff and why we welcome this landmark ruling.’…

“‘Not every belief or practice can be accommodated, but experience has shown that with some effort and goodwill, most can,’ Marc Stern, the AJC’s [American Jewish Committee’s] chief legal officer, said in an email. ‘The court’s insistence that hardship on employers means substantial hardship and not de minimis hardship, puts real teeth into the law.’”

It will remain to be seen whether employers will take to heart the decision of the Supreme Court, or whether they will try to circumvent the law, hoping that many employees will cave in or refuse to take legal action.

The Fury of the Left

CNN published the following opinion and analysis by Stephen Collinson:

“Conservatives – despite their limited federal elected power – racked up another huge win in the great political battle of the early 21st century. The Supreme Court’s gutting of affirmative action in college admissions on Thursday toppled another pillar of America’s liberal social infrastructure. Two more setbacks followed on Friday: the high court struck down the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness program and dealt a blow to LGBTQ rights when it sided with a Christian web designer in Colorado who refuses to create websites to celebrate same-sex weddings out of religious objections…

“The decision saying colleges can no longer take race into account as a specific basis for admissions… sent shockwaves across the country. It was a generational decision comparable to another precedent-busting move a year ago, when the court’s conservative majority took away the constitutional right to an abortion by throwing out the half-century-old, society-molding decision of Roe v. Wade… ‘This is not a normal court,’ Biden said…

“But not all of the court’s recent decisions have infuriated the White House and Democrats. Earlier this week, for instance, liberals were hugely relieved when the court rejected a long-dormant legal theory that held that state courts and other state entities have a limited role in reviewing election rules established by state legislatures when it comes to federal elections…”

For the record, there is no constitutional right to an abortion. Rather, there is a constitutional right to life—the life of the unborn child. And what the Supreme Court addressed was the [unconstitutional] use of affirmative action in college admissions in favor of (some) minorities (mainly black) for the purpose of discriminating against other equally or even more qualified applicants (mostly white).

Temporary Injunction Against Biden Administration Another Big Blow

Breitbart wrote on July 4:

“Federal Judge Terry A. Doughty issued a temporary injunction on Independence Day blocking members of the Biden administration from having further contact with social media companies during a censorship trial.

“The judge, an appointee of President Donald Trump, is presiding over a case brought by Missouri and Louisiana challenging federal efforts to block alleged misinformation about the coronavirus and elections on social media. Critics allege that the federal government censored free speech, using private companies to carry out actions that it cannot take under the First Amendment. In so doing, critics say, the government stifled scientific debate, and weaponized social media platforms to help Democrats and hurt Republicans in recent elections.

“The Washington Post reported Tuesday: ‘The injunction was a victory for the state attorneys general, who have accused the Biden administration of enabling a ‘sprawling federal “Censorship Enterprise’” to encourage tech giants to remove politically unfavorable viewpoints and speakers, and for conservatives who’ve accused the government of suppressing their speech…”

“In his order, the judge made some exceptions for communications between the government officials and the companies, including to warn them of national security threats or criminal activity.”

Fox News added on July 5:

“Former White House press secretary and current MSNBC host Jen Psaki was named several times by a federal judge who is temporarily preventing White House officials from meeting with tech companies about social media censorship. The injunction said that Psaki ‘publicly began pushing Facebook and other social-media platforms to censor COVID-19 misinformation’ on May 5, 2021. ‘At a White House Press Conference, Psaki publicly reminded Facebook and other social-media platforms of the threat of “legal consequences” if they do not censor misinformation more aggressively,’ it continued…

“Doughty is barring several federal officials and agencies – including some of Biden’s Cabinet members and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre – from contacting social media companies in efforts to suppress speech. The injunction also states that the government’s actions ‘likely violate the Free Speech Clause’… ‘If the allegations made by Plaintiffs are true, the present case arguably involves the most massive attack against free speech in United States’ history,’ the injunction said. ‘In their attempts to suppress alleged disinformation, the Federal Government, and particularly the Defendants named here, are alleged to have blatantly ignored the First Amendment’s right to free speech.’”

Is there finally the day of reckoning coming?

President Biden Keeps Denying…

Breitbart wrote on June 30:

“President Joe Biden has denied his involvement in the Biden family business nine times over four years. While at least 23 instances of evidence directly contradict his claims, including but not limited to photos, texts, an audio recording, and IRS and former business partner whistleblower testimonies, Joe Biden remains steadfast in insisting that many established facts do not mean he was somehow involved in the family’s overseas business. The list of denials begins in 2019 when he ran for president.”

Breitbart then listed Biden’s denials on May 13, 2019; August 28, 2019; September 19, 2019; October 4, 2019; October 22, 2020; June 8, 2023; June 14, 2023; June 26, 2023, and the latest (so far) on June 28, 2023. In regard to that latest denial, Breitbart stated:

“While speaking outside the White House, reporters swarmed the president with questions about his involvement with the family business in response to whistleblower testimony to Congress that his name was thrown around in his son’s deals. ‘How involved were you in your son’s Chinese shake-down text message? Were you sitting there? Were you involved?’ a reporter asked. ‘No, I wasn’t.’ ‘Were you?’ a second reporter asked. ‘No!’ Biden shouted back.”

It appears that Biden said he was not sitting next to Hunter when the WhatsApp message was sent, calling his son, in effect, a liar. But it is doubtful that Biden really intended to answer that question in that way. How long can Biden continue to try to keep the American people in the dark? Note the next article.

White House Evades Tough Questions About Hunter Biden

The Washington Times wrote on June 26:

“James Rosen, White House correspondent for Newsmax TV, asked National Security Council spokesman John Kirby in a recent presser about the curious WhatsApp message from Hunter Biden to his communist-tied Chinese buddy Henry Zhao that seems to implicate Joe Biden in his son’s scandalous business dealings — specifically, that Joe Biden has lied repeatedly by claiming zero knowledge of his son’s overseas’ dealings — and Kirby ran like a little girl from the podium. This must be the approved talking point by the Democrats’ war room: When asked about Hunter — gather your skirts and run! ‘Cause Kirby’s not the only one doing it.

[In the WhatsApp message, Hunter claimed to be sitting next to his father when writing the threatening message to Zhao, demanding payment.]

“He was replaced by a dismissive White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre who was then asked the same question Kirby avoided — and she booted, deflected, avoided and then got really ticked; no doubt, even more ticked when other reporters in the White House briefing room wouldn’t let the matter drop. ‘Was the president there or not?’ asked an off-camera female journalist, following on Rosen’s line of questioning that went unanswered. ‘I will refer you to my colleagues. They have addressed this and I will refer you to them,’ Jean-Pierre said.

“Only — they haven’t.

The White House hasn’t really explained the matter of the WhatsApp message that, if taken at face value, shows Joe Biden being used as a bulldog by his son to threaten communists into paying up, or paying — some unstated price… ‘White House STILL insists Joe was not involved in Hunter’s business dealings as Karine Jean-Pierre is hit with [a] barrage of questions on WhatsApp message to Chinese businessman and his state dinner invitation,’ the Daily Mail wrote in a recent headline…

“And that is why the White House is behaving like frightened little girls. They understand all too well where this could lead.”

In fact, the evidence suggests that Joe Biden was involved, that he lied about this to the American people on numerous occasions, and that America’s security interests have been compromised.

“Now the Gloves Are Off”

Newsmax wrote on July 2:

“The Biden Justice Department is reportedly preparing a superseding indictment of 30-45 more charges against former President Donald Trump, fearing a Trump-appointed judge might rule unfavorably against it. The scope of the charges could potentially bring the presidential documents case to another jurisdiction and include charges against Trump-tied associates, sources told The Independent.  

“According to the report, the DOJ fears Southern District of Florida Judge Aileen Cannon – randomly selected for the case – might give deference to the former president. Trump is already facing a 37-count federal indictment delivered by special counsel Jack Smith. Among the charges are 31 counts of willful retainment of military documents under the Espionage Act of 1917. Trump argues he was permitted to possess those documents under the civil statute of the Presidential Records Act, as determined by the precedent of the former President Bill ‘Clinton socks case’ which was ruled around a decade ago by Judge Amy Berman Jackson, appointed by President Barack Obama…

“The special counsel’s team is apparently also considering bringing charges against attorneys for Trump, including those defending him during the 2020 presidential election challenge, like former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani was the Trump-directed attorney who unearthed Ukraine/Burisma corruption allegations against Joe Biden when Trump was still in the White House. The Biden DOJ, facing allegations it has throttled back investigations into the Bidens, now might move forward with charges against the one who began looking into the Biden family’s connection to Ukraine

“Trump had, until recently, vowed not to prosecute his political opponent… ‘when they indicted me for nothing, I said, “Now the gloves are off,'” Trump told a Pickens, South Carolina, rally Saturday… ‘Now we have to say it like it is. He’s a crook… it’s crooked Joe, because it’s a much more appropriate name right now for this man who’s just destroying our country.’”

How is it that many cannot or do not want to see what is really behind these contemplated additional charges against Trump and his attorneys?

USA and UK… a Troubled Relationship

AFP wrote on July 2:

“US President Joe Biden…is set to depart on July 9 for Britain…

“The stop in London will offer the veteran Democrat a chance to meet with King Charles III for the first time since the monarch’s coronation, as well as hold more talks with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a month after his Washington visit.”

Nile Gardener wrote in The Telegraph, on July 1:

“Is there no end to Joe Biden’s sneering disdain towards this great country? The man who I see as far and away the most anti-British occupant of the White House in the modern era made his agenda clear on day one of his presidency, when he ordered the removal of Winston Churchill’s bust from the Oval Office…

“Joe Biden’s shameful mistreatment of Britain is a monumental folly. It is symbolic of his wider US foreign policy: weak, rudderless and lacking in any grand vision.”

Despite the idea that the relationship between the USA and the UK is “strong,” the opposite is the case… and that is a development which has been prophesied to occur in the end time.

King Charles Crowned King of Scotland

The Daily Mail wrote on July 5:

“King Charles was presented with the crown jewels of Scotland in a historic thanksgiving serving today before he and Queen Camilla stood side by side with the Prince and Princess of Wales to watch a Red Arrows flypast.  

“The monarch received the Crown of Scotland, the Sceptre and the Sword of State of the Honours of Scotland – the country’s crown jewels – at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh eight weeks after his crowning at Westminster Abbey…

“The Right Reverend Sally Foster-Fulton, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, delivered the sermon, in which she called for action to tackle global warming to stop the world ‘baking to a crisp’…

“During the processions activists loudly booed and shouted ‘Not My King’ from a protest spot yards from the Royal Mile – leading to criticism from royalists who believe they should have been given a less prominent location…”

“Consisting of the priceless crown, sceptre and Sword of State, the Honours of Scotland were first used together at a Coronation in 1543 for Mary, Queen of Scots when she was just nine months old. They were later used to crown her son, James VI – who went on to become James I of England – in 1567, Charles I in 1633 and Charles II in 1651. The Crown of Scotland… was placed on the coffin of the late Queen during a moving service at St Giles’ Cathedral after her death last year.

“… the sceptre was a gift from Pope Alexander VI to James IV in 1494. It was re-modelled and lengthened in 1536 and has small figures of the Virgin and Child, St James and St Andrew as well as a polished globe of rock crystal.

“The Sword of State was also a papal gift from Pope Julius II to James IV in 1507 and the blade features figures of St Peter and St Paul and Pope Julius’s inscription…

“Scotland’s crown jewels have not had a smooth or easy journey to their present-day display cabinet at Edinburgh Castle. In mid-17th century, the hoard had to be hidden from Oliver Cromwell – who had already melted down the English Crown Jewels – and they were taken to Dunnottar Castle in Aberdeenshire before being buried in a nearby church…”

America’s Forever Wars

The Future of Freedom Foundation wrote on June 29:

“There are multiple problems facing our nation…

“Consisting of the Pentagon, the vast military-industrial complex, the enormous empire of domestic and foreign military bases, the CIA, and the NSA, along with its foreign policy of interventionism, the national-security establishment is the root cause of the perpetual wars in which the United States has been embroiled since 1947…

“The Cold War. The Korean War. The Vietnam War. The Persian Gulf War. The war on terrorism. The war on Islam. The War on Afghanistan. The War on Iraq. The war on Syria. The war on Yemen. The war on China. The war on Iran. Multiple military incursions. Multiple coups and state-sponsored assassinations. And now the renewed Cold War on Russia, which has gotten us perilously close to all-out, life-destroying nuclear war, just like it did back in October 1962.

“Of course, there is lots of focus on ending America’s ‘endless wars.’… Ending one forever war accomplishes nothing from a long-term perspective because always around the corner is another forever war…

“A national-security state necessarily depends on forever wars or, at the very least, crises, dangers, and threats from official enemies, adversaries, opponents, and competitors in order to justify its existence and its ever-growing taxpayer-funded largess… There is, of course, the out-of-control federal spending, debt, and monetary debauchery that comes with all this to consider… It’s also the warfare state, which is costing American taxpayers close to a trillion dollars a year…”

Sadly, America will continue to conduct or be engaged in its “forever” wars until it is defeated in World War III.

Firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene Sparks Controversy… Again…

Newsweek wrote on June 30:

“Marjorie Taylor Greene has sparked controversy by accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish, of having a ‘Nazi army.’

“The House Republican made the comment via Twitter on Thursday, in response to Zelensky holding a meeting with Greta Thunberg and other environmental campaigners in Kyiv.

“Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to justify his invasion of Ukraine by claiming he is trying to ‘denazify’ the country… Russian state media has continued to spread the conspiracy theory that Ukraine is secretly colluding with Nazis…

“Greene commentated:

“‘Somehow this makes so much sense [meeting with Greta] from the actor wearing army green every day, fully funded by U.S. warmongers, and who just recently canceled elections, controls his state media, and has a Nazi army.’

“… former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson labeled the Ukrainian leader a demagogue, though others pointed out there is a track record of democracies not holding elections when they face an existential threat, such as Britain, which postponed parliamentary elections for most of World War II.

“Greene’s comments sparked a mostly negative response from other social media users… However, not everyone responded to Greene so negatively…”

The optics of Zelensky meeting with Greta Thunberg on the same day when He met with former Vice President Pence are clearly not good. It is interesting that elections have been placed on hold in times of war, such as was the case in Britain during World War II. Could the same happen in the USA?

Ron DeSantis Under Fire

Breitbart wrote on July 1:

“Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) presidential campaign is coming under fire across the political spectrum for its ‘pride month’ campaign video, released on the last day of what society has deemed ‘pride month.’

“The ad begins by featuring former President Donald Trump touting a commitment to ‘protect’ LGBTQ citizens. It also highlights Caitlyn Jenner’s meeting with Trump and a drag queen saying, ‘Make America Great Again.’ The ad then cuts to an image of DeSantis with lightning coming out of his eyes with the caption, ‘No.’ The infamous ‘Giga Chad’ meme appears on the screen before the ad highlights headlines of the actions taken by DeSantis opposing the LGBTQ agenda.

“DeSantis Signs ‘Most Extreme Slate of Anti-Trans Laws in Modern History,’” one headline reads… The ad features more headlines, including DeSantis’s efforts to shut down drag events geared toward children and signing what the HuffPost deemed a ‘draconian anti-Trans bathroom bill’ into law.

“It continued to showcase leftist outrage against DeSantis for taking such ‘draconian’ actions to push against the LGBTQ agenda.

Some on the right, however, were turned off by the campaign video. The Log Cabin Republicans, a Republican LGBTQ group, deemed the campaign’s video ‘divisive and desperate.’ ‘Republicans and other commonsense conservatives know Ron Desantis [sic] has alienated swing-state and younger voters,’ the organization wrote… ‘Ron DeSantis’ extreme rhetoric…has just ventured into homophobic territory,’ it continued, warning that DeSantis’ rhetoric ‘will lose hard-fought gains in critical races across the nation… Ron DeSantis and his team can’t tell the difference between commonsense gays and the radical Left gays... His naive policy positions are dangerous and politically stupid.’

“… former U.S. Ambassador Richard Grenell [who is openly gay, called] the DeSantis video ‘undeniably homophobic.’” [Homophobic means, showing fear, hatred or dislike of or prejudice against gay people.]

Is it all because of the votes?

Modern Sodom and Gomorrah

LifeSiteNews wrote on July 1:

In a less than five-minute Twitter monologue on Friday, Tucker Carlson… observed that the ‘Pride’ campaign being imposed by the powerful is ‘just another religious war’ between ‘the people who think they’re God versus everybody else,’ and the first category includes ‘virtually everybody… in a position of authority in the United States.’…

“‘People assumed there were consequences to pretending that you were God. They thought Sodom and Gomorrah were real places that were destroyed for disobedience,’ he said, referring to the account in Genesis 19 when God destroyed these cities with ‘brimstone and fire’ for the sins of unnatural sexual practices.

“Such peoples ‘imagined the same thing could happen to them’ if they violated God’s law, Carlson said.”

As Carlson implies, many do not believe today in the literal occurrence of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, thereby rejecting the clear testimony of the Bible and the fact that God has given us rules which we must obey.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s. Stance on Abortion

International Family News wrote on July 3:

“Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has reiterated his support for abortion rights, despite his belief that ‘every abortion is a tragedy.’… Kennedy argued that the government should not be involved in decisions that belong to women and advocated for medical freedom and bodily autonomy. He acknowledged that he finds third-term abortions appalling and expressed a desire to end them in other ways, although he did not specify his stance on government intervention at various stages of pregnancy.

“Kennedy’s stance on abortion has garnered support from some Democrats, with a recent poll showing that 52% of Democrats support his candidacy. This support could potentially pose a challenge to President Joe Biden’s 2024 run, given his current polling weakness and historical precedent of sitting presidents losing general elections after facing primary challengers…

“Kennedy’s focus on bodily autonomy ignores the fact that abortion ends the life of a genetically distinct human being. His organization… should extend its mission to include protection for preborn children from the moment of conception.”

Absolutely. Kennedy’s current position on abortion is clearly wrong.

The Dangerous Stupidity of the Woke Nonsense

The Daily Mail wrote on June 22:

“Britain’s strictest headteacher has said children allowed to self-identify as animals, moons and holograms should be moved to another school by their parents.  Katharine Birbalsingh, founder of the Michaela School in west London, said she was aware of a child at one school who identified as a gay male hologram – and at least one school where a group of students identified as cats. She claimed the ‘issue’ was widespread but that people are unaware because teachers are ‘not allowed to tell you’. 

“The headteacher, who said she has no pupils identifying as animals at her own school, said it is a ‘societal problem’ where teachers and parents have allowed children to lead the way. Her comments come after a recording revealed the moment a schoolteacher branded a [13 year old] pupil ‘despicable’ after they rejected a classmate’s claim that she identified as a cat…

“Ms Birbalsingh says parents should act quickly if schools tolerated children wanting to be recognised as animals… She also retweeted a tweet from a parent which said: ‘A girl at my daughters school identifies as a Wolf. It’s real. A fact. I doubt she is the only person in the UK.’”

This sounds like Grimm’s fairy tales. Where are the parents and the teachers who allow their young kids to adopt this kind of nonsense? Shame on them for abrogating their duty! Of course, governments and the left-wing mass media are also to be blamed for the encouragement of such dangerous nonsense.  

Isaiah 3:12 comes to mind: “Children are the masters of My people, and women rule over them” (Luther Bible 1984).

Note the next article.

Religious Persecution in Europe and Elsewhere

Catholic News Agency wrote on June 27:

“Although the most severe cases of religious persecution are currently taking place in certain African and Asian countries, the 2023 Religious Freedom in the World report highlighted dangerous trends within Europe and the Western world. The report… showed a rising trend in compelled speech, hate speech laws, censorship, the rise of cancel culture, and a growing intolerance toward some faith-based views in the West.

“The Catholic organization is also following threats in Ukraine to religious freedom from the Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Russian governments amid the ongoing war. In some African and Asian countries, the persecution is often more direct, such as China’s internment of Uyghur Muslims or Nigerian Islamists slaughtering Christians. In Western countries, policies that discriminate against religious groups are more subtle…

“ACN-USA Director of Outreach Edward Clancy… cited examples such as a U.K. doctor who lost his job for refusing to use preferred pronouns, French laws that have restricted religious symbols in certain public places, and COVID-19 restrictions that put harsher rules on religious gatherings than other functions, such as in New York.

“On the subject of cancel culture, the report notes that the rejection of new concepts about gender have subjected people to threats of ‘legal sanction’ in some Western countries and that ‘laws have been introduced, such as hate speech, to legally enforce and entrench these concepts as new [human] rights.’

“The report detailed a case in Finland in which Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola and Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen were charged with hate speech based on a Twitter post about the Lutheran teaching on homosexuality. The prosecutor general alleged that Räsänen’s post, which referenced a 2004 pamphlet published by Pohjola, was ‘likely to cause intolerance, contempt, and hatred towards homosexuals.’ Although the charges were dismissed, the prosecutors have appealed the verdict…

“According to Clancy, Ukraine has shut down Russian-speaking religious services and Russia has shut down Ukrainian religious activity in Russian-dominated areas...”

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 1075

Selfish or Selfless? / Living the Dream

On July 8, 2023, Dave Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “Selfish or Selfless?” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “Living the Dream.”

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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The Total Package

by Rene Messier (Canada)

In the 1990s, there was a sports figure who was really muscular, with the help of steroids. He thought of himself as a lady’s man and, not lacking any humility, referred to himself as the total package. Today, he is a shell of his former self and has had several health issues related to his steroid use. 

There is one individual who lived in the past as a Man who humbly walked the earth to bring us a message of peace to come in the future Kingdom of God. He healed the sick, cast out demons, walked on water and performed miracles; yet, this did not go to His head; rather, He gave credit to God Most High. In the truest sense, He was the total package, and that was and is Jesus Christ. 

We look to Him for healing and follow the admonition of James when we are sick, to seek anointing from true ministers of Jesus Christ.  James 5:14 tells us: “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”

We usually ask for anointing and healing when we are physically sick, but how often do we ask for anointing and healing when we are suffering from emotional distress? For instance, we might be living and reliving the grief and hurt of having to deal with divorced parents. We might be disturbed and grieved by the memory of sexual abuse which leaves scars for a long time, or by the emotional trauma of rejection and lack of love from someone close to us. 

These are sicknesses of the mind and heart, as it were, leaving psychological scars, not physical ones, and for which we can go to God and ask for the application of the stripes of Jesus Christ to these non-physical issues we may be going through. If Christ prayed for Peter, why can’t we ask Christ to pray for us in trials and stressful situations? He is not a respecter of persons and converted brethren are His brothers and sisters. We belong to a loving family and have a glorious future.

So, when facing physical or psychological trials and tests, let’s not forget that Christ, as the total package, can come to our aid in all of our sicknesses—whether they are physical, emotional, psychological or even mental or spiritual.

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by Norbert Link

We begin with reporting on the riots in France which have been described as the first stages of civil war and the most severe occurrance of urban violence for over 18 years. Ostensibly caused by the killing of a 17-year-old Muslim teenager by a police officer, the circumstances of which are under investigation, ensuing riots were blamed, among other reasons, on mass migration, the failure to integrate the country’s Muslim immigrant population; Muslim life in a ghettoized community; as well as a weak government.

We also speak on the rise of the political right in Europe.

We continue with numerous decisions of the US Supreme Court which have been applauded by the right and which have angered most of the left, even though they seem to be well-grounded in the Constitution, including the rejection of Biden’s student loan forgiveness program; the refusal of a web designer to design websites for same-sex weddings; and the prohibition of affirmative action because of race with respect to college admissions.

We also report on the unanimous decision of the US Supreme Court regarding accommodations of religious beliefs (including not working on the Sabbath unless it constitutes a substantial burden for the employer, causing him substantial hardship).

We continue with an explosive temporary injunction against the Biden Administration; and Joe Biden’s repeated (but highly questionable) denials of knowledge of or involvement with his son’s business deals and the White House’s refusal to even talk about the matter.

In this context, please view our new StandingWatch program, “Why Many Feel Joe Biden Should Not Run the USA.” This program discusses the question whether Joe Biden is habitually lying and/or whether he is suffering from worsening dementia.

We focus on reports about more attempts by the Biden Justice Department to charge Donald Trump and his attorneys with something; the troubled relationship between the UK and the USA; the coronation of King Charles of Scotland; and America’s endless wars. We address comments and actions by Marjorie Taylor Greene and Ron DeSantis; and focus on Tucker Carlson’s comments regarding Sodom and Gomorrah and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s stance on abortion.

We conclude with the dangerous nonsense of the Woke culture and increasing religious persecution in Europe.

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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Rioting in France

Express wrote on June 30:

“France has boosted the number of police on its streets to 45,000 this evening as it braced for more rioting…

“French President Emmanuel Macron also urged parents Friday to keep teenagers at home and blamed social media for fuelling unrest which has spread dramatically across the country since the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old driver [from a French-Algerian family] earlier this week…

“With dramatic footage of widespread disorder circulating on Twitter, right-wing Dutch commentator Eva Vlaardingerbroek tweeted: ‘It seems like France might have actually entered into the first stages of a civil war as a result of mass migration.”

The U.S. Sun added on June 30:

“Emmanuel Macron was seen boogying at an Elton John gig while Paris descended into chaos amid protests over the ‘execution’ of a teenager. The French leader appeared footloose and fancy-free during Wednesday’s concert while his nation was torched and looted by rioters… as protestors pelted fireworks at police, Macron shamelessly danced to Elton John’s greatest hits at the Accor Arena…

“It is not the first time he has been accused of being tone-deaf to the anger among his people.”

How long will left-wing Macron be able to survive politically?

France to Cut Off Social Media in Times of Trouble?

The Guardian wrote on July 5:

“Emmanuel Macron has said the French government should consider controlling and cutting off social media networks ‘when things get out of hand’ in the country. The president’s comments came as ministers blamed young people using platforms such as Snapchat and TikTok for organising and encouraging rioting and violence after the shooting last week of a teenager during a police traffic stop in a Paris suburb…

“Critics said it would put France alongside authoritarian countries such as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea in considering such measures… Macron reportedly also suggested fining the parents of children involved…”

These are some dangerous proposals.

Muslims in France—a Ghettoized Community

Fox News wrote on July 1:

“‘What’s happening there is the consequence of a failure to integrate the country’s Muslim immigrant population,’ Alan Mendoza, co-founder and executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital. ‘The France of legend is far removed from the daily realities of life in a ghettoized community that does not have the same opportunities to progress and succeed as the native population,’ he said. ‘France’s forgotten communities are showing that they will stay forgotten no longer’…

“Secretary-General of Unite SGP Police FO union Gregory Joron said police ‘haven’t seen such urban violence in 18 years in so many cities around France.’

“Police pulled over the teenager, identified only as Nahel M., in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday morning. Nahel worked as a delivery driver, but he pulled over to speak with two police officers, who approached his vehicle to explain that he had broken traffic rules, a prosecutor said. The exact spark for the incident remains unclear, partially due to the contradiction of police reports and video that circulated on social media. Police said that Nahel drove his car at one of the officers, while the video shows one of the officers pointing a weapon at him and saying, ‘You are going to get a bullet in the head,’ according to France24.

“Nahel drove a yellow Mercedes. [He] had two passengers in the car and no license on him at the time. He reportedly had been placed in detention for refusing to comply with a previous traffic stop and was scheduled to appear in juvenile court in September. The officer then appears to shoot Nahel as the car suddenly pulls away, traveling only a short distance before crashing, with Nahel dying at the scene. Police took the offending officer into custody and opened an investigation into charges of voluntary manslaughter, with charges brought against him on Friday.

“Reuters reported that in an interview with French television the police officer’s lawyer Laurent-Franck Lienard, said his client had aimed at the driver’s leg but was bumped when the car took off, causing him to shoot towards his chest. ‘Obviously (the officer) didn’t want to kill the driver,’ he said according to the report…

“Macron has provided a mixed response to the crisis, initially describing the shooting as ‘inexplicable’ and ‘unforgivable’ but then decrying the protests and blaming everything from social media to video games for the increasing violence. Macron argued that social media platforms, including TikTok, Snapchat and others, helped fuel the riots… Macron also denied there was systemic racism within the country’s law enforcement services.

“Nahel’s mother accused the police of responding violently to ‘an Arab face,’ drawing attention to the underlying tension between what some observers say is a massive and underserved North African, mainly Muslim, immigrant population and the police.

“While he had no criminal record, Nahel had been subject to five police checks since 2021 and had refused to comply with an order to stop. Most of the stops involved either driving without a license or insurance and using false number plates…”

So, there may be more to the unfortunate killing of Nahel than meets the eye. The ensuing protests may have little to do with this occurrence.

Muslim Rage

Israel Today wrote on July 2:

“Let’s see how the French deal with their own nationwide unrest. Foreign media is quick to point out that the ‘riots came after police violence in France.’ So we are supposed to have some kind of understanding for the violence due to an act of police violence? To what end? To excuse this Muslim outburst of violence and pretend like France’s Muslim population is otherwise perfectly peaceful?

“A 17-year-old Muslim was killed by a French police bullet, sparking the current riots. Can France be set on fire because of this? Surely not…

“France is burning. In the numerous videos, the country looks like it is at war. Vehicles and houses burned in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Strasbourg and other cities. Numerous stores were looted, including Apple. More than 1,300 rioters were arrested and 79 police officers were injured. In addition, 31 police stations were attacked. Thousands of cars have been set on fire and 2,560 fires are believed to have broken out on public roads, the French Interior Ministry said yesterday. Over 45,000 police officers were mobilized nationwide. Due to the ongoing intifada in France, President Emmanuel Macron has canceled his two-day state visit to Germany…

“According to official figures, around five million Muslims live in France today, which makes up 8.2 percent of France’s total population (60.5 million). Unofficially, however, there is talk of more than 10 percent Muslims in France… Today it is even estimated that there are around 50 million Muslims in Europe.

“Anyone who knows me knows that I have many Muslim friends and acquaintances, both in Israel and in Sinai. But what is happening in France now and could break out across Europe at any moment is a real danger for the Christian Occident. I know not all of our readers see Europe as ‘Christian,’ for Europe has broken away from the Christian faith in general. But the point is that for the Muslims who are now plundering and burning France, Europe is a Christian continent. In the Arab press they even still refer to Europeans as ‘Crusaders.’

“Earlier last week, a 37-year-old Iraqi immigrant burned pages from the Koran in Stockholm, Sweden, and announced further actions of this kind. The Islamic world reacted with outrage. Demonstrators stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad. Morocco withdrew its ambassador. Erdogan condemned the burning with sharp words. When the Bible is blasphemed, the Christian world does not freak out, nor does the Jewish community worldwide….”

Antisemitism in France

Israel Today wrote on July 2:

“Israel is closely monitoring and deeply concerned about ‘waves of antisemitism sweeping over France,’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during Sunday’s weekly Cabinet meeting. ‘In recent days, we have witnessed criminal assaults against Jewish targets. We strongly condemn these attacks and support the French government in its fight against antisemitism,’ he added…

“Rioters in areas with large Muslim populations have torched cars and looted shops, clashing with police and causing hundreds of injuries… Antisemitic chants have been heard during riots and Jewish businesses were ransacked in the Paris suburb of Sarcelles, dubbed ‘little Jerusalem’ due to its large Jewish population… Jews have been targeted repeatedly in France… Outwardly identifiable Jews have routinely been attacked in cities across the country.”

France is a powder keg ready to explode at any moment. France would need a strong leader to avoid these occurrences from happening again and again. But Macron is not such a strong leader…

The Rise of the Right in Europe

BBC News wrote on June 29:

“… the EU’s third largest economy, Italy, is run by Giorgia Meloni, head of a party with neo-fascist roots. In Finland, after 3 months of debate, the far-right nationalists The Finns recently joined the coalition government. In Sweden the firmly anti-immigration, anti-multiculturalism Sweden Democrats are the second largest party in parliament, propping up the right-wing coalition government there.

“In Greece last Sunday three hard-right parties won enough seats to enter parliament, while in Spain, the controversial nationalist Vox Party – the first successful far-right party in Spain since the death of fascist dictator Francisco Franco in 1975 – outperformed all expectations in recent regional elections…

“Then there are the ultra-conservative, authoritarian-leaning governments in Poland and in Hungary... Including even Germany… Polls there now put the far right AfD just ahead of, or neck and neck with, Chancellor Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD)…

“So what’s happening? Are millions upon millions of European voters really swerving far-right? Or is this more of a protest vote?…

“On the one hand, many a mainstream politician has in recent years grabbed slogans or stances from the far-right, hoping to rob them of their supporters. But by doing so they help make the far right seem more mainstream. While at the same time, a number of far-right parties in Europe have intentionally moved more towards the political centre, hoping to entice more centrist voters…

“Polls suggest the EU is more popular amongst Europeans at the moment than it has been for years. And so far right parties now speak about reforming the EU, rather than leaving it. And they’re predicted to perform strongly in next year’s elections for the European parliament…”

Of course, many parties and governments in Europe, being referred to as “mainstream,” are in reality far-left socialists or even Marxists.

More Success For the AfD

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 3:

“German politicians and media are once again fretting about the rise of far-right populism in the country, after two local runoff votes in eastern Germany were won by the… AfD, the country’s most successful far-right party since World War II.

“On Sunday evening, the AfD’s Hannes Loth beat independent candidate Nils Naumann in the small town of Raguhn-Jessnitz, Saxony-Anhalt, to become the AfD’s first ever mayor in Germany. This came a week after the AfD’s Robert Sesselmann won a similar runoff in the district of Sonneberg, Thuringia.

“Though the two districts are relatively small, the results are considered significant because they confirm a trend in national polls: The far-right party can now claim the approval of 20% of German voters, the same as Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats…

“Chancellor Scholz insists the AfD’s rise has nothing to do with any troubles in his government, but the party that arguably faces the biggest dilemma is the center-right… CDU, which, despite leading in the polls, is struggling to profit from the wrangling of the coalition government. CDU leader Friedrich Merz has been forced to retreat from his promise, made in 2019, that he would halve the AfD’s voter base…

“… many German voters appear to be undeterred… by the fact that the party is under surveillance as a potential threat to the country’s constitutional order… a lot of Germans — especially but not only in eastern Germany — maintain a critical attitude toward the intelligence agency…  They say: Well, we’ve had enough experience with the Stasi [secret service of the communist East German regime 1949-1990], we won’t let anyone prescribe to us what is right and wrong…”

This should come as no surprise when considering the past and current activities of Germany’s past and present intelligence agencies.

US Supreme Court: No Student Loan Forgiveness

The Daily Mail wrote on June 30:

“The Supreme Court has struck down President Joe Biden’s $400 billion student loans forgiveness plan in another bombshell decision. The justices ruled 6-3 Biden’s controversial plan to wipe out debts for 26 million Americans at taxpayers’ expense was unconstitutional and an overreach of his executive power. The plan would have eradicated $10,000 in debt for borrowers earning less than $125,000 and up to $20,000 for those with Pell Grants. But it was challenged by six Republican states and two borrowers who argued Biden should have sought approval from Congress for a plan using substantial taxpayer funds. 

“Chief Justice John Roberts agreed and said in the majority opinion that a move ‘requires that Congress speak clearly before a Department (of Education) Secretary can unilaterally alter large sections of the American economy.’ 

“President Biden called the decision ‘disappointing’ and ‘wrong’ and vowed to fight back in a statement released hours after the ruling came down…

“Former President Trump’s Education Secretary Betsy DeVos told DailyMail.com in a statement following the decision that ‘everyone knew the debt scheme was illegal,’ including Biden himself… The former secretary said the ‘ploy’ by the Biden administration was also ‘deeply unfair to the majority of Americans who don’t have student loans, and equally concerning, would have only exacerbated the problem of ever-rising college tuition.’

“House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., added in a tweet that Biden ‘must follow the law.’ ‘President Biden’s student loan giveaway is ruled UNLAWFUL. The 87% of Americans without student loans are no longer forced to pay for the 13% who do.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Slams Joe Biden on the Student Debt Issue

Breitbart wrote on June 30:

“Democrat presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. slammed President Joe Biden for failing to ‘bring Congress together’ on the student debt issue after the Supreme Court struck down Biden’s attempted debt transfer… Kennedy said the Court’s decision was ‘the predictable result of Biden’s failure to bring Congress together on this issue of crucial importance to young Americans.’ ‘President Biden knew his plan wouldn’t survive a legal challenge. His plan gave the appearance of action, while accomplishing nothing,’ Kennedy added.

“Biden responded to a reporter’s question on Friday and insisted he ‘didn’t give borrowers false hope,’ [adding that] the Republicans snatched away the hope that they were given and it’s real hope.’ Biden then claimed the Court ‘misinterpreted the Constitution’ when a reporter asked if he overstepped his presidential authority…

“Kennedy also promised to work on reducing the cost of higher education… ‘If we devoted even a fraction of our military budget to higher education, it could be virtually free to all (as it is in many other countries)… Let’s invest in America’s young people instead of in the forever wars,’ the Democrat presidential nominee added.”

How true! But the investment in forever wars is not something which Biden and many Democrats [or Republicans] would want to give up.

Biden’s and the Democrats’ Contempt for the Constitution

Fox News wrote on June 30:

“Fox News contributor [and Law Professor] Jonathan Turley joined ‘America’s Newsroom’ Friday after the Supreme Court struck down President Biden’s student loan relief plan. Turley said the decision is the latest instance where the administration ‘overreached on their authority,’ calling it ‘absurd’ for Biden to enact the plan without Congress’ approval…

“‘This is a huge defeat for the Biden administration, politically and legally. It is only the latest such defeat where the president has overreached on his authority. Previously, the president argued that he could use the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] as the basis for the eviction moratorium during the pandemic, even though many of us said that he clearly lacked that authority, he went ahead and did it anyway. In fact, he admitted that by the time the courts might strike down his efforts, he could get a lot of money out the door. Well, that’s a level of contempt that does not sit well with courts.

“‘In this case, you have the Heroes Act, which is just a few pages long, and was clearly designed to help people who are serving abroad in military conflicts so that they didn’t have to worry about their college tuition payments. The use of the Heroes Act for this massive loan forgiveness program was absurd, and bordered on the obscene. I mean, it was clear that they could not get this through Congress and that they decided to come up with this novel theory to circumvent Congress. What was really unbelievable to watch is that the Democrats applauded him for that. He essentially made Congress a functional nonentity and half of Congress gave him a standing ovation.’”

As we pointed out on numerous occasions, the USA, under Joe Biden and his colleagues, is becoming more and more a dictatorship.

US Supreme Court Sides With Designer Against Same-Sex Couples

The Associated Press wrote on June 30:

“In a defeat for gay rights, the Supreme Courts’ conservative majority ruled on Friday that a Christian graphic artist who wants to design wedding websites can refuse to work with same-sex couples…

“The court ruled 6-3 for designer Lorie Smith, saying she can refuse to design websites for same-sex weddings despite a Colorado law that bars discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, gender and other characteristics. The court said forcing her to create the websites would violate her free speech rights under the Constitution’s First Amendment.

“The decision suggests that artists, photographers, videographers and writers are among those who can refuse to offer what the court called expressive services if doing so would run contrary to their beliefs. But that’s different from other businesses not engaged in speech and therefore not covered by the First Amendment, such as restaurants and hotels…

“The decision is a win for religious rights and one in a series of cases in recent years in which the justices have sided with religious plaintiffs. Last year, for example, the court ruled along ideological lines for a football coach who prayed on the field at his public high school after games. And on Thursday the court in a unanimous decision used the case of a Christian mail carrier who did not want to deliver Amazon packages on Sundays to solidify protections for workers who ask for religious accommodations… [See discussion below.]

“President Joe Biden said in a statement that the ruling was ‘disappointing’…”

So, President Biden, a confessing and practicing Catholic, finds it disappointing when a decision is rendered by the US Supreme Court which upholds Catholic doctrine? Biden also said that this court was not “normal.” So, is it normal, then, for a confessing and practicing Catholic to disagree with the doctrines of his church?

Are Orthodox Christians or Gays Disfavored?

The New York Post published on June 30 the following opinion by David Harsanyi:

“First, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson releases a blistering defense of racial discrimination in her dissent from the Supreme Court’s affirmative-action decision Thursday. Then, on Friday, Justice Sonia Sotomayor puts out a largely incoherent defense of state-compelled speech in commercial life… As soon as the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Christian web designer named Lorie Smith, who had refused to create a gay wedding site, CNN blasted out this headline: ‘Supreme Court limits LGBTQ protections’…

“Lorie Smith never turned away a customer because of their sexual preference or skin color or religious belief or anything else: She refused to create a message celebrating an event that conflicted with her sincerely held religious convictions. She was practicing her First Amendment rights.

“It’s an easy contention to prove. If a straight person had tried to commission a same-sex wedding site, Smith would have turned them away, as well…

“Think about it this way: A devout orthodox Christian — or Jew or Muslim — walks into a gay-owned bakery and demands the proprietor create a cake with the message, ‘Homosexuality is a sin in the eyes of God.’ Should that baker be forced to make it?

Christians, after all, are also a protected group under anti-discrimination laws. If the gay bakery refused, would it be discrimination or an issue of free expression?…

“The sitting president of the United States flies pride flags right next to American ones on the South Lawn of the White House while virtually every major corporation pays its respects on pride month. If any group is disfavored in American life right now, it’s the orthodox Christian…”

If a Catholic President can behave in the way he does, with support of other Catholic Democrats, then it is very true that orthodox Christians who accept the Bible as their guide, are a disfavored group in this country.

US Supreme Court Decision on Accommodation Gains Huge Support

JTA wrote on June 29:

“In a case that drew support from a broad array of Jewish groups, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that employers had to show a ‘substantial’ burden to deny workers religious accommodation.

“In a decision released Thursday, the court sided with Gerald Groff, an evangelical Christian mail carrier who asked not to work on Sundays, his Sabbath. Jewish groups that do not often line up on the same side of church-state issues before the court were of a single voice in this case.

“Justice Samuel Alito, writing the opinion, sought to substantially narrow a 1977 decision that faith groups have for years said is so broad in setting the standard for religious accommodation that it is meaningless. ‘We think it is enough to say that an employer must show that the burden of granting an accommodation would result in substantial increased costs in relation to the conduct of its particular business,’ Alito said.

“The previous decision had said that ‘to require TWA to bear more than a de minimis cost in order to give Hardison Saturdays off is an undue hardship.’ (The now defunct airline in that case was the employer and Larry Hardison was the employee seeking the Sabbath off.) With this ruling ‘substantial’ effectively replaces ‘de minimus,’ or ‘minimal,’ as the standard.

“The decision will have far-reaching consequences for Orthodox Jews, said Mitchel Aeder, the Orthodox Union’s president. ‘Members of our community require accommodations for Sabbath and holiday observance, times to pray, the ability to keep kosher, and the like,’ he said in a statement. ‘Such accommodations enable us to be not only faithful Jews but productive workers and members of American society. That is why the Orthodox Union advocated to the Court in support of Mr. Groff and why we welcome this landmark ruling.’…

“‘Not every belief or practice can be accommodated, but experience has shown that with some effort and goodwill, most can,’ Marc Stern, the AJC’s [American Jewish Committee’s] chief legal officer, said in an email. ‘The court’s insistence that hardship on employers means substantial hardship and not de minimis hardship, puts real teeth into the law.’”

It will remain to be seen whether employers will take to heart the decision of the Supreme Court, or whether they will try to circumvent the law, hoping that many employees will cave in or refuse to take legal action.

The Fury of the Left

CNN published the following opinion and analysis by Stephen Collinson:

“Conservatives – despite their limited federal elected power – racked up another huge win in the great political battle of the early 21st century. The Supreme Court’s gutting of affirmative action in college admissions on Thursday toppled another pillar of America’s liberal social infrastructure. Two more setbacks followed on Friday: the high court struck down the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness program and dealt a blow to LGBTQ rights when it sided with a Christian web designer in Colorado who refuses to create websites to celebrate same-sex weddings out of religious objections…

“The decision saying colleges can no longer take race into account as a specific basis for admissions… sent shockwaves across the country. It was a generational decision comparable to another precedent-busting move a year ago, when the court’s conservative majority took away the constitutional right to an abortion by throwing out the half-century-old, society-molding decision of Roe v. Wade… ‘This is not a normal court,’ Biden said…

“But not all of the court’s recent decisions have infuriated the White House and Democrats. Earlier this week, for instance, liberals were hugely relieved when the court rejected a long-dormant legal theory that held that state courts and other state entities have a limited role in reviewing election rules established by state legislatures when it comes to federal elections…”

For the record, there is no constitutional right to an abortion. Rather, there is a constitutional right to life—the life of the unborn child. And what the Supreme Court addressed was the [unconstitutional] use of affirmative action in college admissions in favor of (some) minorities (mainly black) for the purpose of discriminating against other equally or even more qualified applicants (mostly white).

Temporary Injunction Against Biden Administration Another Big Blow

Breitbart wrote on July 4:

“Federal Judge Terry A. Doughty issued a temporary injunction on Independence Day blocking members of the Biden administration from having further contact with social media companies during a censorship trial.

“The judge, an appointee of President Donald Trump, is presiding over a case brought by Missouri and Louisiana challenging federal efforts to block alleged misinformation about the coronavirus and elections on social media. Critics allege that the federal government censored free speech, using private companies to carry out actions that it cannot take under the First Amendment. In so doing, critics say, the government stifled scientific debate, and weaponized social media platforms to help Democrats and hurt Republicans in recent elections.

“The Washington Post reported Tuesday: ‘The injunction was a victory for the state attorneys general, who have accused the Biden administration of enabling a ‘sprawling federal “Censorship Enterprise’” to encourage tech giants to remove politically unfavorable viewpoints and speakers, and for conservatives who’ve accused the government of suppressing their speech…”

“In his order, the judge made some exceptions for communications between the government officials and the companies, including to warn them of national security threats or criminal activity.”

Fox News added on July 5:

“Former White House press secretary and current MSNBC host Jen Psaki was named several times by a federal judge who is temporarily preventing White House officials from meeting with tech companies about social media censorship. The injunction said that Psaki ‘publicly began pushing Facebook and other social-media platforms to censor COVID-19 misinformation’ on May 5, 2021. ‘At a White House Press Conference, Psaki publicly reminded Facebook and other social-media platforms of the threat of “legal consequences” if they do not censor misinformation more aggressively,’ it continued…

“Doughty is barring several federal officials and agencies – including some of Biden’s Cabinet members and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre – from contacting social media companies in efforts to suppress speech. The injunction also states that the government’s actions ‘likely violate the Free Speech Clause’… ‘If the allegations made by Plaintiffs are true, the present case arguably involves the most massive attack against free speech in United States’ history,’ the injunction said. ‘In their attempts to suppress alleged disinformation, the Federal Government, and particularly the Defendants named here, are alleged to have blatantly ignored the First Amendment’s right to free speech.’”

Is there finally the day of reckoning coming?

President Biden Keeps Denying…

Breitbart wrote on June 30:

“President Joe Biden has denied his involvement in the Biden family business nine times over four years. While at least 23 instances of evidence directly contradict his claims, including but not limited to photos, texts, an audio recording, and IRS and former business partner whistleblower testimonies, Joe Biden remains steadfast in insisting that many established facts do not mean he was somehow involved in the family’s overseas business. The list of denials begins in 2019 when he ran for president.”

Breitbart then listed Biden’s denials on May 13, 2019; August 28, 2019; September 19, 2019; October 4, 2019; October 22, 2020; June 8, 2023; June 14, 2023; June 26, 2023, and the latest (so far) on June 28, 2023. In regard to that latest denial, Breitbart stated:

“While speaking outside the White House, reporters swarmed the president with questions about his involvement with the family business in response to whistleblower testimony to Congress that his name was thrown around in his son’s deals. ‘How involved were you in your son’s Chinese shake-down text message? Were you sitting there? Were you involved?’ a reporter asked. ‘No, I wasn’t.’ ‘Were you?’ a second reporter asked. ‘No!’ Biden shouted back.”

It appears that Biden said he was not sitting next to Hunter when the WhatsApp message was sent, calling his son, in effect, a liar. But it is doubtful that Biden really intended to answer that question in that way. How long can Biden continue to try to keep the American people in the dark? Note the next article.

White House Evades Tough Questions About Hunter Biden

The Washington Times wrote on June 26:

“James Rosen, White House correspondent for Newsmax TV, asked National Security Council spokesman John Kirby in a recent presser about the curious WhatsApp message from Hunter Biden to his communist-tied Chinese buddy Henry Zhao that seems to implicate Joe Biden in his son’s scandalous business dealings — specifically, that Joe Biden has lied repeatedly by claiming zero knowledge of his son’s overseas’ dealings — and Kirby ran like a little girl from the podium. This must be the approved talking point by the Democrats’ war room: When asked about Hunter — gather your skirts and run! ‘Cause Kirby’s not the only one doing it.

[In the WhatsApp message, Hunter claimed to be sitting next to his father when writing the threatening message to Zhao, demanding payment.]

“He was replaced by a dismissive White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre who was then asked the same question Kirby avoided — and she booted, deflected, avoided and then got really ticked; no doubt, even more ticked when other reporters in the White House briefing room wouldn’t let the matter drop. ‘Was the president there or not?’ asked an off-camera female journalist, following on Rosen’s line of questioning that went unanswered. ‘I will refer you to my colleagues. They have addressed this and I will refer you to them,’ Jean-Pierre said.

“Only — they haven’t.

The White House hasn’t really explained the matter of the WhatsApp message that, if taken at face value, shows Joe Biden being used as a bulldog by his son to threaten communists into paying up, or paying — some unstated price… ‘White House STILL insists Joe was not involved in Hunter’s business dealings as Karine Jean-Pierre is hit with [a] barrage of questions on WhatsApp message to Chinese businessman and his state dinner invitation,’ the Daily Mail wrote in a recent headline…

“And that is why the White House is behaving like frightened little girls. They understand all too well where this could lead.”

In fact, the evidence suggests that Joe Biden was involved, that he lied about this to the American people on numerous occasions, and that America’s security interests have been compromised.

“Now the Gloves Are Off”

Newsmax wrote on July 2:

“The Biden Justice Department is reportedly preparing a superseding indictment of 30-45 more charges against former President Donald Trump, fearing a Trump-appointed judge might rule unfavorably against it. The scope of the charges could potentially bring the presidential documents case to another jurisdiction and include charges against Trump-tied associates, sources told The Independent.  

“According to the report, the DOJ fears Southern District of Florida Judge Aileen Cannon – randomly selected for the case – might give deference to the former president. Trump is already facing a 37-count federal indictment delivered by special counsel Jack Smith. Among the charges are 31 counts of willful retainment of military documents under the Espionage Act of 1917. Trump argues he was permitted to possess those documents under the civil statute of the Presidential Records Act, as determined by the precedent of the former President Bill ‘Clinton socks case’ which was ruled around a decade ago by Judge Amy Berman Jackson, appointed by President Barack Obama…

“The special counsel’s team is apparently also considering bringing charges against attorneys for Trump, including those defending him during the 2020 presidential election challenge, like former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani was the Trump-directed attorney who unearthed Ukraine/Burisma corruption allegations against Joe Biden when Trump was still in the White House. The Biden DOJ, facing allegations it has throttled back investigations into the Bidens, now might move forward with charges against the one who began looking into the Biden family’s connection to Ukraine

“Trump had, until recently, vowed not to prosecute his political opponent… ‘when they indicted me for nothing, I said, “Now the gloves are off,'” Trump told a Pickens, South Carolina, rally Saturday… ‘Now we have to say it like it is. He’s a crook… it’s crooked Joe, because it’s a much more appropriate name right now for this man who’s just destroying our country.’”

How is it that many cannot or do not want to see what is really behind these contemplated additional charges against Trump and his attorneys?

USA and UK… a Troubled Relationship

AFP wrote on July 2:

“US President Joe Biden…is set to depart on July 9 for Britain…

“The stop in London will offer the veteran Democrat a chance to meet with King Charles III for the first time since the monarch’s coronation, as well as hold more talks with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a month after his Washington visit.”

Nile Gardener wrote in The Telegraph, on July 1:

“Is there no end to Joe Biden’s sneering disdain towards this great country? The man who I see as far and away the most anti-British occupant of the White House in the modern era made his agenda clear on day one of his presidency, when he ordered the removal of Winston Churchill’s bust from the Oval Office…

“Joe Biden’s shameful mistreatment of Britain is a monumental folly. It is symbolic of his wider US foreign policy: weak, rudderless and lacking in any grand vision.”

Despite the idea that the relationship between the USA and the UK is “strong,” the opposite is the case… and that is a development which has been prophesied to occur in the end time.

King Charles Crowned King of Scotland

The Daily Mail wrote on July 5:

“King Charles was presented with the crown jewels of Scotland in a historic thanksgiving serving today before he and Queen Camilla stood side by side with the Prince and Princess of Wales to watch a Red Arrows flypast.  

“The monarch received the Crown of Scotland, the Sceptre and the Sword of State of the Honours of Scotland – the country’s crown jewels – at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh eight weeks after his crowning at Westminster Abbey…

“The Right Reverend Sally Foster-Fulton, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, delivered the sermon, in which she called for action to tackle global warming to stop the world ‘baking to a crisp’…

“During the processions activists loudly booed and shouted ‘Not My King’ from a protest spot yards from the Royal Mile – leading to criticism from royalists who believe they should have been given a less prominent location…”

“Consisting of the priceless crown, sceptre and Sword of State, the Honours of Scotland were first used together at a Coronation in 1543 for Mary, Queen of Scots when she was just nine months old. They were later used to crown her son, James VI – who went on to become James I of England – in 1567, Charles I in 1633 and Charles II in 1651. The Crown of Scotland… was placed on the coffin of the late Queen during a moving service at St Giles’ Cathedral after her death last year.

“… the sceptre was a gift from Pope Alexander VI to James IV in 1494. It was re-modelled and lengthened in 1536 and has small figures of the Virgin and Child, St James and St Andrew as well as a polished globe of rock crystal.

“The Sword of State was also a papal gift from Pope Julius II to James IV in 1507 and the blade features figures of St Peter and St Paul and Pope Julius’s inscription…

“Scotland’s crown jewels have not had a smooth or easy journey to their present-day display cabinet at Edinburgh Castle. In mid-17th century, the hoard had to be hidden from Oliver Cromwell – who had already melted down the English Crown Jewels – and they were taken to Dunnottar Castle in Aberdeenshire before being buried in a nearby church…”

America’s Forever Wars

The Future of Freedom Foundation wrote on June 29:

“There are multiple problems facing our nation…

“Consisting of the Pentagon, the vast military-industrial complex, the enormous empire of domestic and foreign military bases, the CIA, and the NSA, along with its foreign policy of interventionism, the national-security establishment is the root cause of the perpetual wars in which the United States has been embroiled since 1947…

“The Cold War. The Korean War. The Vietnam War. The Persian Gulf War. The war on terrorism. The war on Islam. The War on Afghanistan. The War on Iraq. The war on Syria. The war on Yemen. The war on China. The war on Iran. Multiple military incursions. Multiple coups and state-sponsored assassinations. And now the renewed Cold War on Russia, which has gotten us perilously close to all-out, life-destroying nuclear war, just like it did back in October 1962.

“Of course, there is lots of focus on ending America’s ‘endless wars.’… Ending one forever war accomplishes nothing from a long-term perspective because always around the corner is another forever war…

“A national-security state necessarily depends on forever wars or, at the very least, crises, dangers, and threats from official enemies, adversaries, opponents, and competitors in order to justify its existence and its ever-growing taxpayer-funded largess… There is, of course, the out-of-control federal spending, debt, and monetary debauchery that comes with all this to consider… It’s also the warfare state, which is costing American taxpayers close to a trillion dollars a year…”

Sadly, America will continue to conduct or be engaged in its “forever” wars until it is defeated in World War III.

Firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene Sparks Controversy… Again…

Newsweek wrote on June 30:

“Marjorie Taylor Greene has sparked controversy by accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish, of having a ‘Nazi army.’

“The House Republican made the comment via Twitter on Thursday, in response to Zelensky holding a meeting with Greta Thunberg and other environmental campaigners in Kyiv.

“Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to justify his invasion of Ukraine by claiming he is trying to ‘denazify’ the country… Russian state media has continued to spread the conspiracy theory that Ukraine is secretly colluding with Nazis…

“Greene commentated:

“‘Somehow this makes so much sense [meeting with Greta] from the actor wearing army green every day, fully funded by U.S. warmongers, and who just recently canceled elections, controls his state media, and has a Nazi army.’

“… former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson labeled the Ukrainian leader a demagogue, though others pointed out there is a track record of democracies not holding elections when they face an existential threat, such as Britain, which postponed parliamentary elections for most of World War II.

“Greene’s comments sparked a mostly negative response from other social media users… However, not everyone responded to Greene so negatively…”

The optics of Zelensky meeting with Greta Thunberg on the same day when He met with former Vice President Pence are clearly not good. It is interesting that elections have been placed on hold in times of war, such as was the case in Britain during World War II. Could the same happen in the USA?

Ron DeSantis Under Fire

Breitbart wrote on July 1:

“Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) presidential campaign is coming under fire across the political spectrum for its ‘pride month’ campaign video, released on the last day of what society has deemed ‘pride month.’

“The ad begins by featuring former President Donald Trump touting a commitment to ‘protect’ LGBTQ citizens. It also highlights Caitlyn Jenner’s meeting with Trump and a drag queen saying, ‘Make America Great Again.’ The ad then cuts to an image of DeSantis with lightning coming out of his eyes with the caption, ‘No.’ The infamous ‘Giga Chad’ meme appears on the screen before the ad highlights headlines of the actions taken by DeSantis opposing the LGBTQ agenda.

“DeSantis Signs ‘Most Extreme Slate of Anti-Trans Laws in Modern History,’” one headline reads… The ad features more headlines, including DeSantis’s efforts to shut down drag events geared toward children and signing what the HuffPost deemed a ‘draconian anti-Trans bathroom bill’ into law.

“It continued to showcase leftist outrage against DeSantis for taking such ‘draconian’ actions to push against the LGBTQ agenda.

Some on the right, however, were turned off by the campaign video. The Log Cabin Republicans, a Republican LGBTQ group, deemed the campaign’s video ‘divisive and desperate.’ ‘Republicans and other commonsense conservatives know Ron Desantis [sic] has alienated swing-state and younger voters,’ the organization wrote… ‘Ron DeSantis’ extreme rhetoric…has just ventured into homophobic territory,’ it continued, warning that DeSantis’ rhetoric ‘will lose hard-fought gains in critical races across the nation… Ron DeSantis and his team can’t tell the difference between commonsense gays and the radical Left gays... His naive policy positions are dangerous and politically stupid.’

“… former U.S. Ambassador Richard Grenell [who is openly gay, called] the DeSantis video ‘undeniably homophobic.’” [Homophobic means, showing fear, hatred or dislike of or prejudice against gay people.]

Is it all because of the votes?

Modern Sodom and Gomorrah

LifeSiteNews wrote on July 1:

In a less than five-minute Twitter monologue on Friday, Tucker Carlson… observed that the ‘Pride’ campaign being imposed by the powerful is ‘just another religious war’ between ‘the people who think they’re God versus everybody else,’ and the first category includes ‘virtually everybody… in a position of authority in the United States.’…

“‘People assumed there were consequences to pretending that you were God. They thought Sodom and Gomorrah were real places that were destroyed for disobedience,’ he said, referring to the account in Genesis 19 when God destroyed these cities with ‘brimstone and fire’ for the sins of unnatural sexual practices.

“Such peoples ‘imagined the same thing could happen to them’ if they violated God’s law, Carlson said.”

As Carlson implies, many do not believe today in the literal occurrence of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, thereby rejecting the clear testimony of the Bible and the fact that God has given us rules which we must obey.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s. Stance on Abortion

International Family News wrote on July 3:

“Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has reiterated his support for abortion rights, despite his belief that ‘every abortion is a tragedy.’… Kennedy argued that the government should not be involved in decisions that belong to women and advocated for medical freedom and bodily autonomy. He acknowledged that he finds third-term abortions appalling and expressed a desire to end them in other ways, although he did not specify his stance on government intervention at various stages of pregnancy.

“Kennedy’s stance on abortion has garnered support from some Democrats, with a recent poll showing that 52% of Democrats support his candidacy. This support could potentially pose a challenge to President Joe Biden’s 2024 run, given his current polling weakness and historical precedent of sitting presidents losing general elections after facing primary challengers…

“Kennedy’s focus on bodily autonomy ignores the fact that abortion ends the life of a genetically distinct human being. His organization… should extend its mission to include protection for preborn children from the moment of conception.”

Absolutely. Kennedy’s current position on abortion is clearly wrong.

The Dangerous Stupidity of the Woke Nonsense

The Daily Mail wrote on June 22:

“Britain’s strictest headteacher has said children allowed to self-identify as animals, moons and holograms should be moved to another school by their parents.  Katharine Birbalsingh, founder of the Michaela School in west London, said she was aware of a child at one school who identified as a gay male hologram – and at least one school where a group of students identified as cats. She claimed the ‘issue’ was widespread but that people are unaware because teachers are ‘not allowed to tell you’. 

“The headteacher, who said she has no pupils identifying as animals at her own school, said it is a ‘societal problem’ where teachers and parents have allowed children to lead the way. Her comments come after a recording revealed the moment a schoolteacher branded a [13 year old] pupil ‘despicable’ after they rejected a classmate’s claim that she identified as a cat…

“Ms Birbalsingh says parents should act quickly if schools tolerated children wanting to be recognised as animals… She also retweeted a tweet from a parent which said: ‘A girl at my daughters school identifies as a Wolf. It’s real. A fact. I doubt she is the only person in the UK.’”

This sounds like Grimm’s fairy tales. Where are the parents and the teachers who allow their young kids to adopt this kind of nonsense? Shame on them for abrogating their duty! Of course, governments and the left-wing mass media are also to be blamed for the encouragement of such dangerous nonsense.  

Isaiah 3:12 comes to mind: “Children are the masters of My people, and women rule over them” (Luther Bible 1984).

Note the next article.

Religious Persecution in Europe and Elsewhere

Catholic News Agency wrote on June 27:

“Although the most severe cases of religious persecution are currently taking place in certain African and Asian countries, the 2023 Religious Freedom in the World report highlighted dangerous trends within Europe and the Western world. The report… showed a rising trend in compelled speech, hate speech laws, censorship, the rise of cancel culture, and a growing intolerance toward some faith-based views in the West.

“The Catholic organization is also following threats in Ukraine to religious freedom from the Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Russian governments amid the ongoing war. In some African and Asian countries, the persecution is often more direct, such as China’s internment of Uyghur Muslims or Nigerian Islamists slaughtering Christians. In Western countries, policies that discriminate against religious groups are more subtle…

“ACN-USA Director of Outreach Edward Clancy… cited examples such as a U.K. doctor who lost his job for refusing to use preferred pronouns, French laws that have restricted religious symbols in certain public places, and COVID-19 restrictions that put harsher rules on religious gatherings than other functions, such as in New York.

“On the subject of cancel culture, the report notes that the rejection of new concepts about gender have subjected people to threats of ‘legal sanction’ in some Western countries and that ‘laws have been introduced, such as hate speech, to legally enforce and entrench these concepts as new [human] rights.’

“The report detailed a case in Finland in which Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola and Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen were charged with hate speech based on a Twitter post about the Lutheran teaching on homosexuality. The prosecutor general alleged that Räsänen’s post, which referenced a 2004 pamphlet published by Pohjola, was ‘likely to cause intolerance, contempt, and hatred towards homosexuals.’ Although the charges were dismissed, the prosecutors have appealed the verdict…

“According to Clancy, Ukraine has shut down Russian-speaking religious services and Russia has shut down Ukrainian religious activity in Russian-dominated areas...”

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 many different descriptions of Jesus are there in the Bible? (Part 4)

We continue our journey to review more descriptions in the Bible about Jesus.

  • Savior

There are a number of Scriptures that reveal that Jesus Christ is the Savior of mankind. In Luke 2:11, we read: “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Right from the very beginning of His human life, it was revealed to a few people, His parents, the shepherds and later the wise men, that Jesus Christ was the Savior–the Lord. Remember that we explained in part 2 of this series that “Jesus” means “the Lord is salvation” or “the Lord saves,” while Christ means the “anointed one” or the “chosen one.”

The wording, “a Savior” instead of “the Savior” in Luke 2:11 is interesting. We know that there is no salvation in any other than Jesus Christ, and we read in Isaiah 45:21 that Jesus Christ, the God of the Old Testament, is the only Savior for mankind. Still, we need to understand that God the Father is also called our Savior (1 Timothy 1:1), in that it was He who gave His only begotten Son and the Savior for mankind, and God’s born-again children are also referred to as saviors (Obadiah 1:21), in that they will help Christ to bring about the salvation of all mankind.

Still, the emphasis in Luke 2:11 is on Jesus Christ, and in this regard, the Living Bible is correct when translating: “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born tonight in Bethlehem!”

In our booklet Do You Know the Jesus of the Bible?, we read the following on page 9:

“The Bible teaches very clearly that Jesus Christ is God. For undeniable proof, notice Titus 2:11–14: ‘For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.’

Christ—the Great God and Savior

“The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown commentary confirms that the entire phrase ‘Great God and Savior’ refers to Jesus Christ:

“There is but one Greek article to ‘God’ and ‘Savior,’ which shows that both are predicated of one and the same Being… Also… ‘appearing’ (epiphaneia) is never by Paul predicated of God the Father… it is invariably applied to Christ’s coming… Also… in the context… there is no reference to the Father, but to Christ alone… Also… the expression ‘great God,’ as applied to Christ, is in accordance with the context, which refers to the glory of His appearing.”

There is so much information on the fact that Jesus Christ is the Savior of mankind that, for true Christians, this matter is irrefutable.

  • Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace

All five of these attributes are seen in Isaiah 9:6: “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

There is so much to think about and digest about the above attributes of Jesus that it would take much more than a Q&A to explain these. We can only wonder, at this time, how great a difference the Kingdom of God will make after the return of Jesus to the appalling state of society worldwide today.  Man has simply no answer to the insurmountable problems that exist so much so that at the end of this age, it will take divine intervention to save the world from extinction: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved [alive]; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21-22).

Christ spoke here about human survival; not spiritual salvation. Therefore, the meaning is that no human being and no animal would be saved alive; no flesh would survive.

The attributes in Isaiah 9:6 will be clearly seen when Jesus returns to this earth—something that all true Christians should be eagerly looking forward to.

Christ will indeed be “Wonderful” or full of wonders and true miracles, and He will usher in the wonderful world tomorrow. He will be a true Counselor by giving sound counsel and advice; and He will be the Prince of Peace as of “the increase of His government and peace There will be no end” (Isaiah 9:7). As we have seen above, He is also called the “Great God” or, as Isaiah says, the “Mighty God,” “upholding all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). He will also live for all eternity (compare Revelation 1:18; 4:9), so the designation “everlasting” is quite appropriate. But why is He also called the “Everlasting Father,” given the fact that He is not our Father, but that He is the Son of God the Father?

We state the following in our Q&A on the question why Jesus is referred to as “Father”:

“Since God [the Father] created everything through Christ, it is also said in Isaiah 9:6 that Christ will be called in the future—after His Second Coming—the ‘Everlasting Father.’ This statement proves, too, that Christ existed for all eternity. He is referred to here as the ‘everlasting Father’ or ‘the everlasting Source’ of everything—the ‘beginning of the creation of God.’ However, when the Bible speaks of the ‘Father,’ it normally refers strictly and exclusively to the highest God being in the God Family… Jesus, who as the Son was also a ‘Father’ or better ‘Source’ in the creation of mankind–especially for the people of Israel–acknowledged the ultimate authority of God the Father: ‘…My Father is GREATER than I’ (John 14:28).”

  • Chief Cornerstone

When Peter addressed the Sanhedrin as outlined in Acts 4, he made these important statements: “… let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.  This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’  Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved’”(Acts 4:10-12).

Wikipedia gives this information about what a cornerstone is: “The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.” They go on to say: “cornerstone (Greek: Άκρογωνιεîς Latin: Primarii Lapidis) will sometimes be referred to as a ‘foundation-stone’, and is symbolic of Christ, whom the Apostle Paul referred to as the ‘head of the corner’ and is the ‘Chief Cornerstone of the Church’ (Ephesians 2:20).”

This is a vital description of Jesus Christ. As mentioned several times before, He is the only One through whom salvation is available.

Matthew Poole’s Commentary gives the additional explanation of the words “chief cornerstone”:

“The head of the corner; or the corner stone: Christ is frequently so called (Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10), and that,

“1. Because he sustains and upholds the whole building.

“2. He is a rock or stone of offense (Romans 9:33); as many run upon and are hurt by a corner stone.

“3. He is most precious (1 Peter 2:6), as the corner stones are usually the largest, firmest, and best.

“4. Christ is a light to lighten the Gentiles, as well as the glory of the people of Israel; and both Gentile and Jew are united in him, and saved by him, as the corner stone is equally necessary for both sides, which are united in it, and borne up by it.”

  • Apostle and High Priest

In Hebrews 3:1, we read: “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus…”

According to The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, an apostle is one sent with a special message or commission. We understand that Jesus came to preach the gospel of the soon-coming Kingdom of God (compare Mark 1:14-15).

Christ was sent by God the Father (John 6:57). Christ, as THE Apostle, sent His disciples or apostles into the world to proclaim the gospel message to all nations (John 17:18).

He is also referred to as our High Priest:

“Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17).

On biblehub.com, we read: “Christ is called the High Priest of our profession. High Priest, because He stands for mankind before God: High Priest, because He has made one all-sufficient sacrifice for the sins of men: High Priest, because He does for men what they could not and cannot do for themselves. Christ’s priesthood means that we have a way by which we may approach the eternal and all-holy Father.” 

He is the one who intercedes for us (Romans 8:34; compare also Hebrews 9:11-14, 24).

  • The Way, the Truth, and the Life

In John 14:1, when comforting His disciples, Jesus said: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me,” and then in verse 6: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”

Jesus is the way, the only way to salvation (Acts 4:12).

In John 17:17 we read: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”

It is only through Jesus that we can receive and understand the Truth and receive eternal life. There is no other way, and we read in 1 John 5:11-12: “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

Christ is THE Way, THE Truth and THE Life; and He shows us the way, reveals the Truth to us, and leads us to eternal life.

  • The Good Shepherd

Jesus told us: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.  But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.  I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own” (John 10:11-14).

A shepherd’s main responsibility is the safety and welfare of his flock. The Church is the flock which Jesus tends and looks after. In Psalm 23:1, we read what David said: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

The Jamieson Fausset and Brown Commentary states:

“‘I am the good shepherd’—emphatically, and, in the sense intended, exclusively so (Isa 40:11; Eze 34:23; 37:24; Zec 13:7).”

The Pulpit Commentary adds:

“There may be many shepherds worthy of the name, but he alone justifies the designation… The good Shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep; not only does his work with his life in his hand, but he deliberately lays down his life and consciously divests himself of his life, and is doing it now. The Shepherd dies that the sheep may live (cf. 1 John 3:16; John 15:13). Elsewhere Jesus says, ‘The Son of man gives his life a ransom for many’ (Matthew 20:28). The thought is very grand, and is a strange addition to the claim to be the Shepherd of Israel, and gives intense pathos to the language of our Lord to Simon Peter (John 21:16), ‘Shepherd my sheep.’”

As Christ, as THE Apostle, sends out human apostles and other ministers to preach the gospel, so Christ, as THE Shepherd, uses human “shepherds” to feed the flock in a selfless and concerned way.

See also our Q&A on “Feeding My Sheep.”

  • Lion of the Tribe of Judah

In the Book of Revelation, we read in chapter 5 about the Lamb taking the scroll.   We’ve already covered earlier in these Q&As that Jesus was the Lamb of God, and in Revelation 5:5 we read: “But one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.’”

In the following verses 6 and 7, we read that the Lamb (Jesus) took the scroll.  The rest of the chapter is praise about the Lamb.

Barnes Notes on the Bible writes:

“This appellation [“Lion of the Tribe of Judah”] is not elsewhere given to the Messiah, but it is not difficult to see its propriety as used in this place. The lion is the king of beasts, the monarch of the forest, and thus becomes an emblem of one of kingly authority and of power… and as such the appellation is used in this place. It is because Christ has power to open the seals – as if he ruled over the universe, and all events were under his control, as the lion rules in the forest – that the name is here given to him.”

Matthew Poole’s Commentary writes:

“The Lion of the tribe of Judah; he is so called, undoubtedly, with allusion to Jacob’s prophecy, Genesis 49:9, 10, wherein Judah was compared to a lion’s whelp, because he should be victorious. Christ was to be born of this tribe, and was to be a great Conqueror.”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible reads:

“Christ, who, according to the flesh, was to come of the tribe of Judah; and certain it is, that our Lord sprang from thence: and he is said to be the lion of that tribe, in allusion to the prophecy concerning Judah in Genesis 49:9, where he is said to be a lion, an old lion stooping down and couching, and on whose standard was the figure of a lion. Christ may be compared to one, because of his great strength, he being the mighty God, the able Saviour, and strong Redeemer, and protector of his church and people, and the avenger of their enemies; and because of his courage and intrepidity when he engaged with Satan, and his principalities and powers, when he bore the sins of his people, sustained his Father’s wrath, and the terrors of death set themselves in array against him; and because of the fierceness of his wrath, and fury against the wicked, and for his generosity and lenity towards those that stoop unto him, and obey him…”

  • Head of the Church

We know that there are different governmental structures in the churches of God today where human leadership exists. However, we read in the Word of God that Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, and human leaders themselves are to be subject to Jesus Christ as the spiritual Head of the true Church of God.

In our booklet, “Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians — How to Understand It,” we read the following on page 18:

“… Paul goes on to say that through God’s power, Christ was placed above all ‘power, and might, and dominion.’ As we explain in our free booklet, ‘Angels, Demons and the Spirit World,’ these expressions could refer to angelic ranks in the spirit world. Paul’s point is that Christ was placed over anything and everything created. He has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Hebrews 1:1–4). All things are placed under His feet, and He is the Head over all things, including the Church, the ‘body of Christ’ (Colossians 1:18).”

Ephesians 1:21-23 reveals more information about Christ being the Head of the Church: “… far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

Matthew 28:18 is revealing: “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.’”   Since He was given this authority over all things, these would include His Church. Ephesians 5:23 says specifically: “Christ is the head of the church” (Authorized Version).

Beware of any man who may wish to take all authority to himself and ignore the Head of the Church who is also the Word of God!

(To be continued)

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

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Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

compiled by Dave Harris

“Why Many Feel Joe Biden Should Not Run the USA,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Many claim that Joe Biden is unfit for office because they believe that he lied intentionally and repeatedly to the American people in regard to his alleged knowledge of Hunter’s business dealings with foreign entities. But is there another explanation? What IF Joe Biden were to suffer from worsening dementia, as many suspect? This program evaluates the signs which could lead to that conclusion.

“Das Geheimnis der biblischen Zahlen” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Michael Link. Title in English: “”The Mystery of the Biblical Numbers.”

A Tech Team meeting was conducted on Sunday, July 2, 2023. Hosted by Eric Rank, ongoing results from our ad campaign featuring our booklet, “The Fall and Rise of the Jewish People,” were discussed, and plans to expand our efforts in Spanish through further booklet translations were made. Please note a new recent Spanish translation of our booklet on the Trinity on our Spanish webpage, with more translations to come soon.  https://www.eternalgod.org/articulos-en-espanol/

“Waiting is Hard!”, last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Frank Bruno, is now posted. Here is a summary:

In this human lifetime, it seems that we wait for so many things to happen: an appointment with the dentist and a concert that we are looking forward to, and as followers of the Creator, we await the return of Jesus Christ and the institution of the Kingdom. There are times when waiting is especially difficult. Perhaps we are waiting to heal from a health issue, or a situation in our lives and our jobs in which we must rely solely on God for resolution. This can be trying for us, but we know that we can rely on God, and His Word to strengthen us. In this Sermonette we will cover Scriptures that are relevant to this very human challenge—learning to place the situation in God’s hands and not in our limited, carnal human potential.

“Christ and the Church,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Do you believe that Jesus Christ still guides the Church of God, today? If you do, are you keeping what He commands, and, most importantly, are you a member of the True Church of God that is revealed in the Bible?

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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

Waiting, Is Hard! / Christ and the Church

On July 1, 2023, Frank Bruno will present the sermonette, titled, “Waiting, Is Hard!” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “Christ and the Church.”

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

The Sudden End of the Russian “Rebellion”

The New York Post wrote on June 25:

“Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin posed for smiling selfies in Russia Saturday as he was forced into exile — just hours after the rebel mercenary boss brought the country to the brink of civil war.

“Prigozhin’s short-lived rebellion ended suddenly late Saturday with his retreat to Belarus…

“Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced Saturday Prigozhin would be exiled to Russian-aligned Belarus, with any charges against him for the foiled armed revolt being dropped in exchange

“Prigozhin’s mercenaries had been fighting in Ukraine alongside Russian soldiers. He ordered them back to their field camps after the rebellion’s abrupt end. Wagner Group’s mercenary troops would also not be prosecuted, the Kremlin said, while those who refused to partake in the coup attempt would be offered Defense Ministry contracts

“Prigozhin’s revolt began after what he said was a Russian military attack targeting his troops’ camps in Ukraine Friday with gun- and artillery fire and rockets. He accused Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff, of calling for the attacks on his troops after conspiring with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to eliminate the mercenary group.  Russia’s Defense Ministry denied doing so…

“Prigozhin demanded Shoigu be removed from his post as he and his forces advanced upon Moscow Saturday, making it just 120 miles from the city before announcing the retreat.”

This short-lived “coup” did NOT bring the country to the brink of civil war, as the article claims erroneously. Apparently, Prigozhin never tried to fight Putin, but he wanted Shoigu and perhaps Gerasimov to step down. The idea that this episode marks the end of Putin is doubtful, with wild and unconfirmed allegations during the events that Putin had left Moscow. After all, Putin, apparently with the help of Lukashenko, was able to successfully stop the “coup” without much bloodshed [even though it is claimed that the Wagner group killed 39 Russian pilots and crew]. If anything, that would undoubtedly have increased his popularity in Russia. Of course, some may be unhappy with Putin for not punishing the rebels (but note the next article). At the same time, many report that Ukraine’s counter-offensive has been a complete disaster so far. Ukraine’s hope that civil war in Russia would help in defeating Russia has not materialized. Occasional claims that Russia has lost the war in Ukraine are far-fetched. Hungary’s Prime Minister Victor Orban has reportedly said this week that Ukraine cannot win the war against Russia.

Some even feel that the whole event was staged.

All Staged?

The Daily Mail wrote on June 25:

“An ex-CIA analyst has claimed Vladimir Putin ‘orchestrated the coup’ with Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhi… Rebekah Koffler told Fox News’ Eric Shawn on Saturday the coup was staged as a way for the Russian leader to boost his political power and he will eventually ‘gain momentum, mobilize additional personnel, and re-energize his offensive on Ukraine.’…

“Prigozhin’s forces moved from their camps in Ukraine into Russia on Friday and took over a regional military command in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, before advancing toward Moscow. Just as suddenly, the advance was called off on Saturday, and Russian state media said the Wagner troops would return to Ukraine while Prigozhin would flee to neighboring Belarus…

“She continued: ‘So this is a pretext to declare martial law, which Putin has already done. He made an amendment today that anybody who is violating the martial law is going to be imprisoned for 30 days. Another very interesting and revealing point is that Putin just authorized that men with a criminal record can join the military…’”

Even though this theory of a staged coup, which is also propagated in Europe and Russia, is basically rejected by most observers, stranger things have happened…

Blessed Are the Peacemakers

Newsmax wrote on June 25:

“As war rages in Ukraine and Russia teased a potential mercenary mutiny Saturday, former President Donald Trump repeated his vow to end the conflict with negotiations as a ‘blessed peacemaker.’

“‘When I was president, the world was stable and calm because America was respected and strong. Now — as we see in Russia and all of these other places — this whole world is on fire,’ Trump said Saturday night in Washington, D.C… ‘Before I even arrived at the Oval Office, I will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine totally settled. I’d have it done in 24 hours. I say that, and I would do that…’

“Trump said his past relationships with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy can get the war ended quickly…

“Speaking to the religious conservative group, Trump hearkened back to the Bible’s scripture. ‘As the Bible says, “Blessed are the peacemakers,”’ Trump said. ‘I will be your peacemaker.’”

That will have to be seen…

Russia’s Break With the West

Modern Diplomacy wrote on June 26:

“The war that is currently raging between Russia and Ukraine began in 2014. It started with a clash between Russia and Ukraine…

“The tremor of conflict in 2014 turned into an earthquake as far as Russia and the West were concerned. The Kremlin now presents itself as at war with the ‘collective West,’ and in support of Ukraine, the West is eager to isolate Russia as much as it can.

“Russia’s internal transformation under Russian President Vladimir Putin long predates Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and its consequences will be felt long after the war is over. This transformation is Russia’s departure from the West — a shift even more all-encompassing than was the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. One half of this story is Russia’s separation from Europe and the United States and its loss of contact with people, governments, institutions, and companies in the West. The other half is the newly anti-Western tenor of Russian life, a trend that is both spontaneous and government-mandated. The speed with which these changes have taken place is unprecedented in Russian history.

“Nearly sixteen months into the war, ordinary Russians harbor substantial and most likely enduring anger and resentment toward the West…

“Although it can no longer trade with Europe and the United States or harness Western technology for its own modernization, there are many parts of the world with which Russia can increase trade, including China, India, and even Turkey, a member of the NATO alliance…

“The breakup between Russia and the West has acquired an aura of permanence… No matter how long the war continues, and regardless of how it ends, it will almost certainly leave in place a crucial new reality of twenty-first-century international relations…”

Ultimately, Russia and Western Europe will become mortal enemies, fighting each other in war.

Biden Bribery Scandal… More To Come

Newsmax wrote on June 24:

“Attorney General Merrick Garland defended the Department of Justice’s integrity during a Friday news conference, but U.S. Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., told Newsmax that Garland has destroyed the agency’s reputation. ‘He just stood up and lied to the American people,’ Comer, chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability [said]…

“The DOJ has come under heavy criticism for giving what many see as favorable treatment to President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden… on Thursday, members of the House Ways and Means Committee released redacted transcripts of whistleblower testimony from two IRS employees who, after working on Hunter Biden’s tax evasion case, reported misconduct and government abuse from the DOJ and FBI. Garland denied the whistleblowers’ claims.

“Comer’s committee has been investigating alleged influence peddling schemes by Joe Biden and his family. They have presented evidence from an FBI whistleblower that an unclassified FD-1023 form contained allegations the president and Hunter Biden each received $5 million from an executive at Ukrainian energy giant Burisma Holdings Limited in exchange for influencing U.S. policy decisions. The committee also uncovered documents tracing money allegedly paid to Joe Biden and his family to several shell companies.

“Comer said there is more to come… Remember, we just disclosed two countries thus far: China and Romania. There are still some more Chinese wires that we have yet to present to the American people. ‘And there are a lot of wires, mysterious wires from Ukraine and Russia, that we’re about to expose. So, this is just beginning for the Bidens. All the Department of Justice is doing is standing in our way.’

“Comer said that despite all the obstacles his committee has faced from the DOJ and all the negative media coverage surrounding the investigation, ‘we are still producing results every day that shows this family, the president of the United States’ family, has received millions and millions of dollars from our adversaries all over the world, and they can’t explain why. They can’t explain what they did to produce that money.’”

One has to wonder when the majority of the American people will wake up and demand some action against the corrupt Biden family.

Impeach Biden Now

The New York Post wrote on June 25:

“Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz… highlighted a claim from the stunning closed-door testimony released Thursday that investigators found a WhatsApp message in which Hunter, 53, invoked his father in an apparent attempt to coerce money from a Chinese business associate… Cruz insisted that ‘right now’ is the time for the investigation into the scandal-scarred first son to transform into an impeachment effort against the 80-year-old commander-in-chief.

“Both IRS whistleblowers alleged that key officials in the Biden Justice Department hamstrung their own probe into Hunter Biden — and prevented any meaningful investigation into Joe Biden. This includes allegations that Assistant US Attorney Lesley Wolf scuttled important lines of questioning related to Joe Biden, insisting there was ‘no specific criminality.’

“The elder Biden has repeatedly claimed that he never spoke with his son about his overseas business dealings — but the damning text message casts fresh doubt on the president’s claims. ‘I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled. Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight,’ Hunter Biden wrote to Harvest Fund Management director Henry Zhao. ‘And, Z, if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you, Zhang, or the chairman, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction.’…

“Cruz said the WhatsApp message ‘directly ties Joe Biden to the millions of dollars coming from communist China’ but the DOJ and Attorney General Merrick Garland prevented any probe into the threatening message…’Now, it is possible Hunter Biden was lying, it’s possible Joe Biden wasn’t next to him,’ Cruz added.”

The facts are that Hunter Biden received the demanded money shortly thereafter, and he was in Joe Biden’s house when he sent the message, giving somewhat credence to the claim that Hunter Biden wrote the message in his father’s presence. However, under the direction of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the Republican-controlled House seems to be unwilling to begin impeachment procedures against Joe Biden.

“Biden Lies About Everything”

On June 27, the Editorial Board of the New York Post published the following opinion:

Despite mountains of evidence to the contrary, Joe Biden just can’t stop lying about how tangled up he was in son Hunter’s business dealings… Asked point-blank if he’d lied to the American people about never-ever speaking to Hunter about business, he barked ‘No.’… the president lies about everything that could inconvenience him. 

“He called his disastrous Afghanistan bugout an ‘extraordinary success.’ On the raging inflation his policies caused, he scoffed ‘It was already there when I got here, man.’ [Under Trump, inflation was historically low.]… He claimed in 2022 the price of gas was ‘down from over $5 when I took office,’ when it was $2.46 as he came in and then hit highs of more than $5. 

“He claimed again and again to have created millions of ‘new’ jobs, when they were simply the recovered jobs lost to COVID coming back. He lies about having cut the deficit by $1.7 trillion, when his big-spending [policies] increased it. The border is ‘much better than you all expected,’ as he suggested recently to reporters…

“Whether it’s on public policy or personal scandal (‘there’s no there there,’ on his classified-docs woes, he insists, just as with his family corruption), he waves off bothersome facts in the same blustery, barking tone. 

“The tactic worked for most of his long career as a senator with a safe seat, and even as vice president… it still sort-of works for much of the press, who desperately want to believe his lies.

“But most Americans don’t keep falling for a salesman (of used cars or public policy) who never delivers what he promises: They eventually realize that the guy lies about everything. ‘C’mon man!’ is not gonna cut it.”

And still, many Americans state that they would vote for Biden in the next presidential election. Incredible!

Biden Is Destroying the USA

MSN published on June 25 the following opinion by Brandon Weichert, contributor at the Washington Times:

“Noted legal scholar and George Washington University law professor, Jonathan Turley, believes that ‘The Biden Family are beginning to make the Medicis look like small-time operators.’ 

“For the record, the Medici Family was an Italian banking family that used its vast wealth in 15th century Italy to become the most powerful family politically in all of Florence…  As per their station in 15th century Florence, the Medicis were the leaders of a caste of people and families who were, for all intents and purposes, untouchable

“Similarly, the Biden Family appears to be taking a role similar to that of the Medicis in America’s increasingly corrupt political and economic caste system…

“In my view, he’s clearly used his position and power to influence the ‘Justice’ system to better protect his wayward son, Hunter, and to insulate the rest of the Biden Family from true justice is another indicator of just how skilled at corrupt machinations the forty-sixth president is… Of course, the Bidens have been able to get away with their alleged crimes, just as the Clintons were able to do…

“As Turley explained to the New York Post, ‘The fact that it took over five years to even secure a plea on a couple of small misdemeanors is a testament to a family that has leveraged Joe Biden public positions into a fortune of influence peddling.’…

“… all reports indicate that the Department of Justice is slow-walking that investigation into Biden’s alleged mishandling of classified documents (in much the same way that IRS whistleblowers accuse the DOJ of slow-walking their investigations into Hunter Biden’s tax evasion scandal) whereas they are fast-tracking their case against Trump

“Unlike 15th century Florence, though, modern America is not a flourishing hub of Renaissance thinking. It is a kleptocratic, declining great state with a shockingly overt corrupt and craven political class leading us to our collapse. The way our so-called ‘justice’ system has been converted into a shield for the brazenly corrupt Biden Family and weaponized by that family and their political party to destroy the Biden enemies, such as the Trump Family, is more proof of this sad fact…”

Sadly, the USA IS a declining and collapsing great state with a shockingly corrupt political leadership.

Trump Audio “Leaked” to CNN

Newsmax wrote on June 27:

“Former President Donald Trump is speaking out against CNN’s release of audio it obtained of him speaking with associates at his Bedminster golf club in July 2021 about a military document concerning Iran, saying the report exonerates him in the federal charges he is facing in connection to classified documents kept at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

“‘The Deranged Special Prosecutor, Jack Smith, working in conjunction with the DOJ & FBI, illegally leaked and “spun” a tape and transcript of me which is actually an exoneration, rather than what they would have you believe,’ Trump said on his Truth Social page Monday night after the audio aired on CNN’s ‘Anderson Cooper 360.’…

“In the tape, Trump is also heard saying that he has a ‘big pile of papers, this thing just came up. Look. This was him [Army Gen. Mark Milley]. They presented me this – this is off the record but – they presented me this. This was him. This was the Defense Department and him… This was done by the military and given to me… See as president I could have declassified it… Now I can’t, you know, but this is still a secret’

“Last week, during an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Trump denied having classified documents with him during the meeting… ‘That was a massive amount of papers and everything else talking about Iran and other things. And it may have been held up or may not, but that was not a document. I didn’t have a document per se,’ he said. ‘There was nothing to declassify. These were newspaper stories, magazine stories, and articles.’”

The audio was “leaked” to CNN—supposedly by the Justice Department—at a time when the evidence of alleged bribery and improper financial dealings with foreign powers by Joe Biden, Hunter Biden and the entire Biden family is mounting, and when Attorney General Merrick Garland might face impeachment procedures if in fact he lied to Congress under oath, as it has been alleged by two IRS whistleblowers who have now claimed that they can produce six additional witnesses who will collaborate their narrative. Even the New York Times admitted now that Garland did not tell the truth.

In a related article, Newsmax wrote on June 27:

“Former Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., told Newsmax on Tuesday that there is nothing to the leaked audio obtained by CNN about former President Donald Trump… ‘My guess is this is a 30-minute to an hour interview, and this is what the left and the media and now, sadly, the Department of Justice and the FBI, love to do is to selectively leak. It is to take something possibly out of context,’ Nunes [said]… ‘It appears like he’s maybe referring to some article, some story maybe that had just come out…

“‘Like a lot of this, it’s a lot of smoke and mirrors. I just continue to go back and say, “Look, you’ve got the Presidential Records Act, everybody who did exactly the same thing.” … Vice President [Mike] Pence had them. [Joe] Biden had documents all over the place, including [from] when he was a senator. [Barack] Obama had them. [George] Bush had them. So, what are you doing with Trump?’”

Apart from the question as to what the audio actually does establish, it might be irrelevant from a legal standpoint, if, as we pointed out previously, the false set of laws was applied in the indictment; and if the attorney-client privilege was improperly pierced.

It has also been suggested that the audio has become inadmissible for the additional reason that it has been illegally leaked to CNN by, as it is claimed, the Justice Department in violation of a court order. Furthermore, as it was pointed out, before a tape can be admitted into evidence, context, possible editing and its authenticity will have to be established.

Finally, even if Trump did not declassify the alleged document in question (if he had in fact a secret document in his hand during the interview), it could still have become automatically declassified if the content of the document had become public, for instance in a newspaper or a magazine.

US Supreme Court Sides With Biden on Immigration Issue

npr wrote on June 23:

“The U.S. Supreme Court handed President Biden’s administration a victory in a long-running fight about how to enforce the nation’s immigration laws. The case concerned the Biden administration’s attempt to set guidelines for whom immigration authorities can target for arrest and deportation. Texas and Louisiana sued to block the guidelines, arguing that they were preventing immigration authorities from doing their jobs.

“The Supreme Court held by a vote of 8-1 that the states lacked standing to challenge the guidelines in the first place…

“During former President Trump’s administration, ICE agents and officers were empowered to arrest and deport anyone who was living in the U.S. without legal authorization. When the Biden administration took office, it put on the brakes… Under the new guidance, being present in the U.S. without legal authorization ‘should not alone be the basis’ for immigration authorities to arrest or deport someone…”

Trump’s policy was clearly overblown and wrong—it would even have included the arrest and deportation of “Dreamers.”

US Supreme Court Landmark Decision on College Admissions

The New York Post wrote on June 29:

“The Supreme Court struck down affirmative action programs at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina Thursday, ruling that both institutions were in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment and federal civil rights law. [Affirmative action policies were often used to increase the number of Black, Hispanic and other underrepresented minority groups on campuses.]

“The decision essentially ends the practice of overt racial consideration in higher education admissions and overturns for all intents and purposes the high court’s 2003 ruling in Grutter v. Bollinger, which found that colleges could consider race as one factor in the admissions process to achieve a diverse student body. ‘Eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it,’ Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion. ‘And the Equal Protection Clause, we have accordingly held, applies “without regard to any differences of race, of color, or of nationality”—it is “universal in [its] application… [T]he student must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual—not on the basis of race,’ Roberts went on…

“Roberts was joined in his opinion… by all five of his colleagues on the court’s conservative wing: Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Justice Neil Gorsuch… The court’s three liberals, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented in the UNC case, while Jackson… recused herself from the case involving the Ivy League school…

“Nine states already prohibit any consideration of race in admissions to their public colleges and universities: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Washington state…

“President Biden said he ‘strongly, strongly’ disagreed with the court… Former President Donald Trump hailed what he called a ‘great day for America’ in a post on his Truth Social network…”

US Supreme Court Decides On Religious Accommodation of Religious Worker

Fox News wrote on June 29:

“The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled unanimously for a postal worker in Pennsylvania in an important religious liberty dispute, over how far employers should go to accommodate faith-based requests in the workplace. Gerald Groff, a Chrisitan mail carrier from Pennsylvania, asked the court to decide whether the U.S. Postal Service could require him to deliver Amazon packages on Sundays, which he observes as the Sabbath. His attorney, Aaron Streett, argued in April that the court should revisit a 50-year-old precedent that established a test to determine when employers should make accommodations for their employees’ religious practices.

“In ruling for the government worker, the high court overturned its 1977 precedent that said employers had to ‘reasonably accommodate’ an employee’s religious beliefs and practices, so long as that would not create an ‘undue hardship’ on the business. The new decision tightens the ‘undue hardship’ standard, and could make it easier for some individual employees to secure a religious accommodation in the workplace… A Supreme Court case from 1977, Trans World Airlines v. Hardison, said employers could deny religious accommodations to employees when they impose ‘more than a de minimis cost’ on the business.

“Groff’s attorney argued that the court should scrap the ‘de minimus’ test, which he suggested has been abused by lower courts to deny religious accommodations, in favor of the plain language of Title VII, which would define ‘undue burden’ in the same way it is defined in other federal laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)…

“‘To be sure, as the Solicitor General notes, some lower courts have understood that the protection for religious adherents is greater than “more than … de minimus” might suggest when read in isolation,’ Justice Samuel Alito wrote. ‘But a bevy of diverse religious organizations has told this Court that the de minimus test has blessed the denial of even minor accommodation in many cases, making it harder for members of minority faiths to enter the job market… We hold that showing “more than a de minimus cost,” as that phrase is used in common parlance, does not suffice to establish “undue hardship” under Title VII. Hardison cannot be reduced to that one phrase.’

“Groff was a fill-in mail carrier who worked at the United States Post Office when other mail carriers were off… Initially, he was able to work out an arrangement with his supervisors to transfer to another branch that did not deliver on Sundays. When that branch also began Sunday deliveries, Groff was permitted to miss his shifts provided he could find someone to cover for him. However, Groff was frequently unable to do so and missed over two dozen assigned Sunday shifts. 

“Groff contends USPS could have accommodated his beliefs by scheduling shifts so that he didn’t have to work on Sundays. But the Third Circuit Court of Appeals held in May 2022 that USPS would suffer an undue hardship if it took further action to accommodate Groff. The Supreme Court vacated the Third Circuit’s judgment and remanded the case for further proceedings consistent with its opinion…”

An important case for all true Sabbath keepers as well.

YouTube Did It Again

Newsmax wrote on June 27:

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a 2024 Democratic presidential candidate, revealed on Tuesday that YouTube had taken down yet another interview he was featured in [This was subsequent to YouTube’s censorship of his interview with Joran Peterson last week.]

“Kennedy announced the development in a Twitter threat, suggesting that the removal of his talk with former New York Post reporter Al Guart was an act of political censorship… ‘When industry and government are so closely linked, there is little difference between “private” and “government” censorship,’ he continued. ‘Suppression of free speech is not suddenly OK when it is contracted out to the private corporations that control the public square.’

“The Democratic candidate then cited Elon Musk’s ‘Twitter Files,’ a series of internal company documents publicized through prominent journalists, as proof of Big Tech’s collusion with the federal government. ‘Twitter complied. Doubtless, Facebook, YouTube, and the rest received similar requests,’ he explained, adding that YouTube ‘probably acted on its own initiative’ because it has ‘internalized the political wishes of the establishment.’”

More on the “Woke” Nonsense in Britain

The Daily Mail wrote on June 25:

“Shocking audio footage last week from Rye College in East Sussex revealed that a teacher called a teenage pupil ‘despicable’ for disputing the idea that a classmate could identify as a cat. The clip includes a heated exchange in which the disgruntled teacher says the Year 8 youngster needed a ‘proper educational conversation about equality, diversity and inclusion’. 

“But now parents are criticising the teacher for bringing ‘gender politics’ into the classroom, which they allege is ‘stressing the children out’… The parents of a Year 7 pupil told The Sun that there has been too much focus on ‘woke’ issues and not enough of a priority on education

“The girl’s father added… ‘It’s highlighted how gender politics has taken over schools. It’s not good…’”

The wave of strange and unbiblical ideas regarding the woke nonsense is sweeping through the Western world… having seemingly risen very suddenly and coming out of nowhere. Truly, Satan IS the god and ruler of this world.

Pride Month in the USA… “We Are Coming for Your Children”

The New York Post wrote on June 24:

“LGBTQ activists participating in New York City’s annual Drag March on Friday sparked outrage for chanting ‘we’re here, we’re queer, we’re coming for your children’ in a Manhattan park… The controversial chant incensed conservatives, who condemned the marchers as the video spread on social media. ‘This movement grooms minors to have mastectomies and castration and fuels a multi billion dollar medical child abuse industry,’ Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) tweeted in response to the clip…

“New York City will cap off its Pride Month celebrations with its massive annual parade on Sunday to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Riots — a pivotal moment in the American LGBTQ community’s history.”

On June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York’s Greenwich Village, was raided by police. But instead of responding with the routine compliance the NYPD expected, patrons and a growing crowd decided to fight back. The five days of violent [but not deadly] rioting that ensued changed the face of gay and lesbian life forever.

Fox News added on June 28:

“NBC News cited LGBTQ activists who claim the ‘we’re coming for your children’ chant has been ‘used for years.’ [If that was true, it would make it even worse.] Twitter added a community note to NBC News’ tweet of the article that there is no proof to these claims. ‘The news articles provides no evidence of the “we’re coming for your children” chant being done for years at pride nor does it quote specific individuals that make this claim,’ the note reads. ‘This is very irresponsible reporting.’”

Europe—the New Babylon

Israel 365 News wrote on June 25:

“After the Jewish people were forced to wear yellow stars and were murdered on European soil during the Holocaust, they must never again be discriminated against with labelling of their goods and with Jew-hatred disguised as anti-Zionism.

“The European Court of Justice ruled that countries should implement label regulations against products originating from Judea, Samaria, the Golan Heights and Jerusalem as being produced in ‘occupied’ areas but the same is not being legislated against other nations that occupy disputed territories…

“The Hague Initiative for International Cooperation) Director Andrew Tucker commented that Europe has never gotten over the Holocaust but has moved on to create a Babylon atmosphere…”

Europe is called “Babylon” numerous times in the Bible. Please read, for instance, our free booklets, “Is That in the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation” and “The Rise and Fall of Germany and Europe.”

AfD’s Ongoing Success Story

Deutsche Welle reported on June 25:

For the first time in Germany, the AfD has won a district council election… Voters in the central German town of Sonneberg elected AfD candidate Robert Sesselmann at the expense of incumbent district administrator Jürgen Köpper of the CDU. In the runoff election in the Thuringian district of Sonneberg, Sesselmann won 52.8% of the vote, earning him the necessary absolute majority…

“The area of some 57,000 people is one of the smallest districts in Germany. Still, the AfD victory is a major breakthrough for the far-right party, which mainstream parties have refused to cooperate with in coalition agreements.

“The AfD’s leader in Thuringia, Björn Höcke, welcomed the win and said it demonstrates the party’s recent momentum. ‘And then we’ll prepare for the state elections in the east, where we can really create a political earthquake,’ he said, referring to state parliament elections in the eastern states of Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg…

“Earlier this month, the first round of elections in the runoff vote saw Sesselmann fall short of outright victory by only a few percentage points. Such a strong showing for an AfD candidate raised the alarm nationally, with all other main political parties — the SPD, the Greens, the neoliberal FDP, and the socialist Left Party — backing the incumbent.

“Though the highest political office in that small arena, the position itself is of only moderate consequence and carries rather limited power… However, critics fear the idea of the AfD wielding political power in any measure and say the party is xenophobic and anti-democratic.

“Germany’s domestic intelligence service classifies the party in Thuringia and its controversial hardline leader, Bjoern Hoecke, as known far-right extremists…

“The AfD win on Sunday shows a milestone for the far-right party, which is currently polling between 18% and 20% nationwide. It has gained a wave of support as the national governing coalition of left-leaning SPD with the Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) is showing signs of infighting…

“AfD first entered the national parliament in 2017 after campaigning strongly against migration. More recently, the party has been critcizing German support for Ukraine as Kyiv fights off the invasion from Russia.”

To classify the AfD and its leader as “known extremists” is of course a rather stupid and counterproductive measure which has already backfired. But many who are supporting the AfD have stated in the past that they do not necessarily agree with all of AfD’s positions, but that they reject the ineffective unpopular policies of the current coalition government under Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which many Germans view as being utterly incompetent—not just those voting for the AfD. So, the popularity of the AfD can and perhaps should be viewed as a protest vote against Berlin and the coalition government.

Jewish Leaders Alarmed

JTA wrote on June 26:

“Jewish leaders are reacting with alarm to a local election in the former East German state of Thuringia, where for the first time in Germany a far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) candidate has won the top political post in his district…

“Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, said the election ‘could open the floodgates’ for a party that espouses xenophobic and anti-democratic values. Some of its leaders also have belittled the Holocaust… ‘Not every AfD voter has extreme right-wing views,’ Schuster told the weekly Jewish newspaper Jüdische Allgemeine. ‘But they voted for a candidate whose party is extreme right-wing, according to the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution.’

“Those voters ‘are knocking out another pillar of support for stable democracy in Germany,’ said Charlotte Knobloch, head of the Jewish community of Munich and Upper Bavaria, in a statement.”

The more the AfD will be criticized and warned against, the more the party will rise in popularity, regardless as to whether the criticism is justified or not.

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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