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.

Surely, politics has always been a fertile ground for lies, libel and slander, misrepresentation and misinformation, but it seems it has recently reached such a level which appears to be unique and unparalleled. This is partly due to the huge influence of the powerful left-wing mass media which is anxious to disseminate falsities regarding those of a different and less “popular” persuasion, while censoring and suppressing their “politically-not-correct” viewpoints. But lies are also met with a growing lethargy of the population being so accustomed to and familiar with all the falsehoods bombarding them that they don’t even bother anymore to try to make some sense out of the nonsense.

The LGBTQ+ movement and the “Woke” movement, which propagate and are based on many lies, did not even exist several years ago, but they have reached such a status today, that most do not even dare to question their standards and persuasions, lest they are being called divisive and hateful extremists. The support of the left-wing mass media and of most liberal politicians for these movements has of course largely contributed to their uprising. There is little attention given, if at all, to what the great Creator God has to say about them.

Politicians lie—we know that. But the recent explosion of lies and misrepresentations from the very top down should alarm all of us. It would take pages to list all the lies and suspected lies being circulated, from the so-called “Big Lie” (which might not be a lie at all) to the lies of the “Big Guy” (which might very well turn out to be a series of unconscionable lies). Any objective observer, who is not totally asleep, must admit that lying has become THE way of life for many, if not most politicians, journalists, business enterprises and governmental agencies.

We read a prophecy for our time in the book of Hosea which states that people have broken all restraint with respect to lying and other sins (Hosea 4:2)—lying has become their way of life. We read another end-time prophecy in the book of Isaiah which describes our nations in this way: “No one calls for justice, Nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies” (Isaiah 59:4). Verses 14-15 add: “Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off. For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter. So truth fails, And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.”

God is Truth… He cannot lie (Titus 1:2). There has never been a lie which originates in and comes from the Truth (1 John 2:21). Satan, however, is the father of lies (John 8:44), because lies started with him. And Satan is today the god and ruler of this evil and rotten world (2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2). So, do we really wonder WHY there are so many lies in the world?

When God hates something to the very core of His being, it is lying. We read in Proverbs 6:16-19 that God hates lying and that a lying tongue and a false witness are an abomination to Him. Those who do not repent of their way of lying and cheating, slandering, libeling and inventing fake news and horrible falsehoods will meet a terrible fate. We read that “all liars” will be cast into the lake of fire to be burned up (Revelation 21:8), and those “who love and practice a lie” will not enter the heavenly Jerusalem (Revelation 22:15).

These words are empty warnings for most people today. And as bad as it is now when considering the lies and the liars in this world where “Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth” (Jeremiah 7:28), can you imagine that it will even get much worse? Yes, it is hard to imagine, but it is clearly prophesied.

In 2 Thessalonians 2, we read about the manifestation of the “man of sin,” who will sit in the temple of God and claim falsely that he is God (verse 4). He will come “according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs and lying wonders” (verse 9). Those will be deceived and believe the lie who did not receive the love of the Truth (verses 10-11)—and how precious few are those (who are described as truly converted called, chosen and faithful Christians) who DO love and obey and teach and stand up for the Truth, even speaking it in their hearts (Psalm 15:1-2)!

The time for embracing the Truth and exposing and reproving the evil and unfruitful works of lies and darkness is now (Ephesians 5:11). The more lies we allow to enter our thoughts and our lives, the more we will become gullible and receptive to Satan’s ongoing and ever-increasing deceptions which will culminate in the manifestation of the man of sin.

Here is what we must do and how we must feel, using David as an example: “I hate and abhor lying, But I love your law” (Psalm 119:163). And: “Remove from me the way of lying… I have chosen the way of truth” (Psalm 119:29-30).

by Norbert Link

We begin with the sudden “coup” of the Wagner mercenaries in Russia which ended as quickly as it began. In spite of unverified allegations, it does not appear that Putin’s rule is over, or that Ukraine gained militarily from the foiled event. But there are speculations that the “coup” was staged.

We also report about Donald Trump’s repeated claims that he would end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours, even before arriving at the Oval Office, and that he will be America’s blessed peacemaker. We continue reporting on the ever-increasing break between Russia and the West.

We speak on the “Biden bribery scandal” and demands for initiating impeachment procedures against Joe Biden, who, it is claimed, is destroying America.

In this context, please view our recent StandingWatch program, titled, ‘Voting for Your Political Candidate?”

While the evidence of improper conduct by Biden and his family is mounting, an audio recording was “leaked” to CNN, allegedly establishing that Trump did not declassify a secret document. But regardless of what the recording might show, numerous legal issues question the admissibility of the tape in court.

We also report on an immigration decision of the US Supreme Court, siding with Biden; as well as two decisions regarding affirmative action and university admissions; and religious accomadation.

We speak on the dangerous Woke nonsense in Britain and the USA; further censorship of Robert Kennedy Jr. by YouTube; and we conclude with an interesting article referring to anti-Semitic Europe as “Babylon” and the rise of the right-wing “AfD” party in Germany.

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

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.

After reviewing seven descriptions of Jesus in the previous two installments, we continue on our journey of looking at more of these.

• The Son of Man

We saw in the previous section above, that Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” (Matthew 16:13). This is a Name that He used to refer to Himself.

In our Q&A entitled: “Why did Jesus call Himself ‘The Son of Man?’” we quote Wikipedia as follows:

“The expression ‘the Son of man’ occurs 81 times in the Greek text of the four Canonical gospels, and is used only in the sayings of Jesus.  The singular Hebrew expression ‘son of man’ (ben-‘adam) also appears in the Hebrew Bible over a hundred times.”

We go on to say that one commentator on the internet made these observations: “In the gospels, there are more than 80 places where Jesus refers to himself in the third person as the ‘Son of Man’. In most of those places, he is associating it with one of two prophecies concerning himself; either that the Son of Man will suffer and be killed (Matthew 17:12, Mark 8:31, 9:12, Luke 9:22) or that the Son of Man will come again in glory and for final judgement (Matthew 16:27, 25:31; Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26, 21:27).  Often the two images are linked, and in only a very few places he doesn’t use ‘son of man’ that way.”

We also stated this: “It would appear that, with the use of the phrase “Son of Man”, Jesus wanted to show everyone that when He dwelled among us, He was entirely human and that He was fully man. In the book of Ezekiel, the phrase ‘son of man’ is used many times for the prophet Ezekiel, but he was just a man with no previous supernatural background. On the other hand, with Jesus, previously a supernatural Being from all of eternity, it was somewhat different.  By using this phrase, He showed that He, who had been God, became fully human, but He also showed that He, the Person who had lived in the flesh and who had died for us, would be resurrected and return as a glorified immortal and eternal God being–the King of kings and the Lord of lords–to rule over all mankind.”

• The Lamb of God

We read in John 1:29 that John the Baptist bore witness of Jesus: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”   And in verses 35-36 we read: “Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God!’”

Jesus was the perfect and ultimate Sacrifice for sin.   In Isaiah 53, we read about the prophetic sufferings of the Messiah and in verse 7 is a prophecy that Jesus fulfilled: “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.”

When Philip preached to the Ethiopian, he quoted Isaiah 53:7 and showed how this was fulfilled by Jesus, as we read in Acts 8:34-35: “So the eunuch answered Philip and said, ‘I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?’  Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.”

We understand that when the ancient Israelites were preparing to leave Egypt, they were to put the lamb’s blood on the two doorposts and lintel of their house for the protection of their firstborn (Exodus 12:7) so that the death angel would pass over them (verse13).  In Exodus 12:5, we read: “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.”   God had Israel act out, in a physical way, a type of Christ who was the Lamb of God.  Around 1,500 years later, Jesus would shed His blood, giving His perfect sinless life as a Sacrifice to pay the penalty for our transgressions of God’s Law.

The shed blood of lambs applied by the ancient Israelites to the doorposts of their houses protected their firstborn from the plague of death.   Today, we can be protected from eternal death through the blood of Christ – the Lamb of God who was sacrificed for us on the day of the Passover nearly 2,000 years ago.  This perfect Sacrifice was where Jesus gave His life for the world as we read in John 3:16: “ 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.”

For more information on the tremendous importance of Christ’s Sacrifice, please see our booklet, “The Meaning of God’s Spring Holy Days.”

• The Light of the World

We read in John 8:12: “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’”

Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise) observes: “Christ is the Light of the world. God is light, and Christ is the image of the invisible God. One sun enlightens the whole world; so does… Christ… What a dark dungeon would the world be without the sun! So would it be without Jesus, by whom light came into the world. Those who follow Christ shall not walk in darkness. They shall not be left without the truths which are necessary to keep them from destroying error, and the directions in the way of duty, necessary to keep them from condemning sin.”

In John 9:5, Jesus repeated that He was the light of the world and as we are to be like Him we, too, should be the light of the world as He remarked in Matthew 5:14: “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” Compare also Ephesians 5:8 and Philippians 2:15.

• The Bread of Life

In John 6, Jesus spoke about the necessity of spiritual food, that which lasts (compare verse 27), and in verses 33-35, He stated that: ‘”For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ Then they said to Him, ‘Lord, give us this bread always.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.’” 

In verse 48, Jesus again says: “I am the bread of life,” and in verse 51, we read: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”

Jesus taught that “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6), explaining that “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

• King of the Jews

Jesus is referred to as the King of the Jews in all four gospel accounts. For instance, in Matthew 2:1-2, we read that “wise men from the East came to Jerusalem saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.””   We see that even as a small child there was the acknowledgement that He was the King of the Jews.

In passing, the “star” went before them and showed them the way to the house where Jesus was staying. This was not an ordinary star, but an angel (compare for instance Revelation 1:20); the wise men did not visit Christ on His birthday, but much later, and by that time, Christ was no longer a baby in the manger, but a “young Child” (compare verses 9-11).

In Matthew 27, we see further evidence of Jesus being given this title of “King of the Jews.” In verse 11, we read:  ^“Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?’ Jesus said to him, ‘It is as you say.’”

Pilate was amazed that Jesus wouldn’t answer him further (verse 14).   When the soldiers mocked Jesus just before His crucifixion, they used this description as we see in verse 29: “When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’”  Verse 37 reads: “And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”  We know from John 19:19 that it was Pilate who wrote this title and so Jesus must have made quite an impression on Pilate who was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea. Pilate referred several times to Jesus as the King of the Jews when the crowd demanded His crucifixion (compare Mark 15:9, 12-13).

Zechariah 9:9 is prophetic: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.”  Matthew 21:4-5 shows that this was fulfilment of that prophecy. 

• King of kings

We read about ten European core nations of the beast power in Revelation 17 who make a move to wage war with the returning Jesus Christ.  “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14).

In Revelation 19:16 is a prophecy showing Christ’s authority will be worldwide: “And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

These titles imply complete authority and are well placed as Jesus was the One whom the Father used to create all things (compare Colossians 1:16) and, at the time when it will be necessary at the end of the rule of man, such a strong and fair ruler will be vital.   Gone will be the earthly rulers, royalty, prime ministers, presidents and all the other human leaders—leaders from the dawn of civilisation until the present day who have brought us to the brink of extinction.

The return of Jesus Christ as King of kings will accomplish a complete revolution about how things should be, and only He can bring that about and implement it by and through the direction of the Father. Those “who are with Him,” “the called, chosen and faithful” (compare again Revelation 17:14), will rule under Christ as born-again members of the God Family for a thousand years (Revelation 20:6). Christ will be their KING and LORD, but they themselves will be kings and lords as well.  

• Rabbi

Wikipedia states that “The title ‘Rabbi’ occurs… in the books of Matthew, Mark and John in the New Testament, where it is used in reference to ‘Scribes and Pharisees’ as well as to Jesus.” 

Jesus was referred to by His disciples as “rabbi” in John (1:38, 49, 3:2, 4:31, 6:25), and the term “rabbi” means “teacher” or “master” or “leader” in Arabic. “Rabbi” can also mean “my great one.”

We read in John 3:1-2 that “There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’”  This clearly indicates that Nicodemus, a member of the religious establishment at that time, acknowledged that the term, Rabbi, was an appropriate name for Jesus.

But what we read in the gospels also emphasise Jesus’ difference from normal Rabbis. “And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:28-29).

It is fair to say that by the end of His ministry, the disciples would have realised who Jesus really was, which was very much more than just a Rabbi. Rather, He was their Master, teaching them with authority, and Christ had warned them that they should not be called “Rabbi,” “for One is your Teacher (Margin in the New King James Bible: Leader), the Christ, and you are all brethren” (Matthew 23:8).

In our Q&A, ”Please explain Christ’s sayings in Matthew 23:8-10,” we state the following:

“… the word ‘Rabbi’ means, ‘my great one’ (‘The New Bible Commentary–Revised’). Christ emphasized the fact that even though He bestowed on His ministry certain functions and responsibilities toward ‘feeding’ the flock, the ministers are to understand that they are not in any way ‘better’ than others…

“Christ specifically said that ministers are not to exercise ‘lordship’ over the flock [Luke 22:24-26; compare 1 Peter 5:3]; and that they must not accept ‘superior’ religious designations and titles which are reserved for God–including titles such as ‘the Anointed One,’ ‘the Lawgiver,’ ‘the Prophet,’ ‘Doctor of Divinity,’ ‘His Holiness,’ ‘Father’ or even ‘Holy Father.’ The title ‘Reverend’ should not be used by God’s ministers, either, as the Bible uses this word ONLY in reference to God (compare Psalm 111:9, Authorized Version). The same is true for the term, ‘Holy Father,’ which is exclusively used for God (compare John 17:11).”

(To be continued)

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

compiled by Dave Harris

“Voting for Your Political Candidate?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

This program discusses concerns with several positions of the main candidates for Presidency, which are contrary to God’s Word, posing the question whether one could vote for any of them. But then, is there even a candidate God’s people could and should vote for? What does the Bible tell us, and what is our real responsibility today?

“Sieben Geheimnisse der Tierwelt,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Seven Mysteries of the Animal World.”

“Gute Angewohnheiten etablieren,” last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Robert Macher, is now posted. Title in English: “Establish Good Habits.”

“What Is It We Are Searching For?” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Without knowing where we are headed, we will lose our way in this world. If we are not fully focused on serving God, we are not following Christ’s command to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.” That is our guiding light, and all of our actions can and must fall under that way of thinking.

“Mysteries of the Animal World,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Why and how does the Bible contradict and reject the Evolution concept, and why are many occurrences in the animal word unexplainable mysteries for Evolution-believing scientists? How does God feel about cross breeding? What is parthenogenesis, and what might be the reason for its existence? Can animals choose not to reproduce? Are we still obliged to refrain from eating the meat of “unclean animals”? Are we to refrain from eating meat altogether? Is it true that God does not care about oxen? 

On June 24, 2023, Kalon Mitchell will present the sermonette, titled, “What Is It We are Searching For?” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Mysteries of the Animal World.”

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.

“You can’t handle the Truth,” is a line from a movie called, “A Few Good Men.” That quote has entered modern parlance by suggesting that some information is above or beyond the grasp of the unknowing.

What if people were actually told the Truth—that a powerful, unseen government rules the world with the goal of bringing death to humanity? What if wars, false religion, abortion, perverted sexual practices and lying (among so many other things) were all part of an attempt to destroy mankind?

What if God sent somebody to speak Truth to the world—to warn and to show the right Way to peace, abundant living and even eternal life? He did, and it was Jesus Christ, who also said, “‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life’” (John 8:12); adding, “‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free’” (John 8:31-32).

What Jesus spoke was Truth; however, many who heard Him could not handle it, and Jesus told them, “‘because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me’” (John 8:45). Even though Jesus came with great power from God as witness to the Truth He spoke, still, He was rejected.

“But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him” (John 12:37). However, rejecting Truth from God brings accountability, as Jesus states:

“‘If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father’” (John 15:24).

Christians believe Jesus! In fact, this is our great key for living by the Truth of God, but we must remain faithful. Just how crucial and challenging this is has been written about from the start. Many who were called into the Truth of God turned away—not able to handle the Truth, and that continues to be a constant and foreboding danger for us.

On the other hand, many whom God has called have fully embraced and continued in Truth’s freedom. That was true of King David, and he fervently sought God’s Truth:

“Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day” (Psalm 25:4-5).

To handle the Truth of God we must grow to understand it while being led by God’s Holy Spirit, and let’s always remember to ask God for His help! Our responsibility is great!

by Norbert Link

We begin with an insightful article about the attempts of the left-wing mass media to discredit Robert F Kennedy Jr.; publish an article by a former Assistant U.S. Attorney explaining why the indictment against Donald Trump is outrageous and legally flawed [please view our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “What’s Behind the Historical Indictment of Donald Trump?” ]; address the “utter failure” of Merrick Garland as attorney general; speak about Hunter Biden’s outrageous “sweetheart deal”; and report on what appears to be President Biden’s worsening dementia.

We also discuss Tucker Carlson’s conclusion that the USA is becoming a full-fledged dictatorship.

We continue with Israel’s opposition to ANY deal between the USA and Iran; speak on Pope Francis’ idle attempts to bring peace to Russia and Ukraine; and address the concept that Western sanctions against Russia have been a big mistake.

We conclude with Europe’s push for a military independent of the USA and an alarming article about the creation of synthetic human embryos.

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

Why and How the Mass Media Libels Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The New York Post wrote on June 17:

“When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his primary challenge to Joe Biden in April, the media shrugged him off as a meme candidate who would soon collide with political reality. Two months later, Kennedy is polling as high as 20% and his campaign is gaining momentum. And the media… have decided it’s time to step in.

“… Over the past weeks, major print and broadcast organizations have laid the foundations for a powerful narrative designed to hobble Kennedy’s campaign before a single vote is cast. The strategy is to disqualify Kennedy by labeling him a font of misinformation… In other words: a Republican in Kennedy clothes…

“The New York Times set the pace with a takedown brimming with accusations and innuendo. From word one, the article didn’t hesitate with its heavy-handedness — accusing Kennedy in its headline of ‘Pushing Right-Wing Ideas and Misinformation.’ The problem is that the article — which includes zero sources and little in terms of comment from the Kennedy campaign — provides no support for this claim.

“In lieu of actual facts, the Times presents ‘fact-checks,’ claiming, for instance, that Kennedy advanced a conspiracy theory by questioning the outcome of the 2004 Bush-Kerry election. Guess who else questioned the validity of that election? The New York Times in a lengthy November 2004 editorial.

“The same day as the Times hit piece, The Washington Post weighed in… In its first sentence, the article claims that Kennedy ‘campaigns on the idea that powerful people have been working in secret to deceive you.’ That’s partly true: One of Kennedy’s most scrutinized claims is that big pharma is pushing what he considers to be unsafe or unproven drugs, particularly vaccines…

“MSNBC picked up the WaPo piece and ran with it, bringing the article’s author on air for an interview. Probably not by coincidence, the interview was conducted by former Biden White House press secretary, MSNBC host Jen Psaki…

“Washington Monthly suggested journalists refrain from covering this ‘crackpot’ (also in the headline)…

“Outside of the media, however, serious people are beginning to take Kennedy seriously…

“Much of Kennedy’s appeal lies in his forthright approach to major issues, like his visit to the southern border this month, where he spoke directly with immigrants in Arizona. Unsurprisingly, most of the press stayed home.

“Kennedy’s positions on many other issues also cut against the media grain. His most controversial stance is on the war in Ukraine, where he strongly opposes American involvement (though his son volunteered to serve alongside Ukrainians). Back home, he believes transgender athletes should not participate in female sports; and… he’s harshly critical of America’s intelligence community, and particularly the CIA, which he believes is responsible for the assassination of his uncle, John F. Kennedy…

“The media onslaught is not only an attempt to derail Kennedy, but an easy way to deflect attention from the Dems’ real campaign crises: Biden’s age, unfavorability and chaos-plagued son. Faced with a weakened president, the media is trying to make Robert Kennedy into Joe Biden’s whipping boy and send him packing long before Iowa. But with Biden’s scandals bubbling, and Kennedy bottling early electoral lightning, the next claims of ‘misinformation’ might just refer to Kennedy outpolling the president.”

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on June 15:

“A new poll from The Economist and YouGov released yesterday brings more bad news for Biden, as Democratic rival RFK, Jr. surges in favorability with voters while Biden slumps. No wonder Biden refuses to debate RFK, Jr. and is desperately trying to move the first primary to a more favorable state.”

The attempts of the left-wing mass media to interfere in the upcoming election are truly appalling.

Democrats Want Biden and Kennedy to Debate

Breitbart wrote the following on June 19:

“A majority of Democrats want President Biden to debate Democrat challenger Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a Convention of States Action/Trafalgar Group survey found…

“Across the board, over one-third, 77.5 percent, said yes, the two should engage in debates. Just 15.6 percent said they should not, and another 6.9 percent remain unsure.

“Predictably, most Republicans — 92.8 percent — believe the two should debate, as do 80.1 percent of independents. However, this consensus is actually bipartisan, as 57.5 percent of Democrats believe Biden should debate RFK Jr. another 31.7 percent believe they should not debate, and 10.8 percent of Democrats remain unsure…

“Notably, RFK Jr. has expressed an eagerness to see Biden on the debate stage, challenging the president to a debate throughout the primary process.”

YouTube Censors RFK Jr

Newsmax wrote on June 19:

“YouTube’s removal of a Robert F. Kennedy Jr. interview with conservative podcaster Jordan Peterson is being called out as election interference… After the blackout on YouTube, RFK Jr. hailed Twitter for keeping the interview up on its social media platform…

“The flap comes after famous video podcaster Joe Rogan offered a vaccine doctor $100,000 to debate Democrat presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., on his show… Dr. Peter Hotez fired salvos at Rogan and RFK Jr. for spreading vaccine skepticism after Rogan’s podcast interview with the noted COVID-19 vaccine critic RFK Jr., but Hotez declined Rogan’s offer for the charity of his choice.

“Notably, RFK Jr.’s unpopular positions with Democrats and their allies in the mainstream media had The Boston Globe predicting YouTube censorship for weeks…”

What does Hotez want to hide?

Needed… Another John F Kennedy?

On June 19, Ron Paul wrote the following in his weekly column:

“Most people agree that we are closer to nuclear war than at any time since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Some would even argue that we are closer now than we were in those fateful days, when Soviet missiles in Cuba almost triggered a nuclear war between the US and the USSR… That crisis was very real to me, as I was drafted into the military in the middle of the US/USSR standoff over Cuba and we could all feel how close we were to annihilation.

“Fortunately, we had a president in the White House at the time who understood the dangers of nuclear brinkmanship. Even though he was surrounded by hawks who could never forgive him for aborting the idiotic Bay of Pigs Cuba invasion, President John F. Kennedy picked up the telephone for a discussion with his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, which eventually saved the world. Historians now tell us that President Kennedy agreed to remove US missiles from Turkey in exchange for the Soviets removing missiles from Cuba…

“It is all too clear that we do not have a John F. Kennedy in the White House today… the Biden Administration is still dragging the US toward a nuclear conflict… This all started with Biden promising to only send uniforms and medical supplies to Ukraine for fear of sparking a Russian retaliation. From there we went to anti-tank missiles, multiple-rocket launchers, Patriot missiles, Bradley fighting vehicles, and millions of rounds of ammunition. The Biden Administration announced last week that it would send depleted uranium ammunition to Ukraine, which poisons the earth for millennia to come. Rumors are that long-range ATACMs missiles are to be delivered soon, which could strike deep into Russia. Apparently, F-16 fighter jets are also on the way…

“Congress is silent – or compliant – as we lurch forward toward disaster for no discernable US strategic goal. Biden – or whoever is actually running the show – is forging straight ahead.”

What is REALLY needed is the soon-coming return of Jesus Christ, as man does not know the way to lasting peace.  

“The Utter Failure of Merrick Garland”

On June 17, the Hill published the following opinion piece by Professor Jonathan Turley:

“Merrick Garland began his tenure as attorney general with the stated intention of restoring faith in the Justice Department and the rule of law. By that standard, Garland has been a failure. In fact, if anything, the crisis of faith surrounding his department has only deepened on his watch…

“Polls show that half the country distrusts the FBI. A recent poll by Harvard CAPS-Harris found that 70 percent are either very or somewhat concerned about election interference by the FBI and other intelligence agencies… Another poll showed 64 percent view the FBI as ‘politically compromised.’…

“Various officials were removed from the Department by career officials for their express bias and misconduct during the Russia-collusion investigation… The Justice Department and the media kept the investigation going for years despite the lack of credible evidence…

“Garland’s reputation is more like that of a supervising judge who defers to the views and decisions of his agency. The result has been disastrous for the department… Garland remained largely silent as the FBI cracked down on conservative groups across the country in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot… the Justice Department was criticized for its draconian treatment of people charged with relatively minor offenses such as trespass and unlawful entry into the Capitol.

“The controversies continue to pile up…  Garland could have taken steps to assure the public that there is not a two-tiered system of justice but repeatedly refused to do so. For example, Garland has continued to refuse to appoint a special counsel in the investigation of Hunter Biden. By doing so, Garland has removed the president’s greatest threat in the form of a report that would detail the scope of the Biden family’s alleged influence peddling and foreign contacts.

“Garland is now looking at a new inflammatory situation after Special Counsel Jack Smith has leveled 37 charges against Trump while Robert Hur, ‘the other special counsel’ investigating Biden, has largely disappeared from sight…

“Garland is not solely at fault. Biden took office promising to be a unifier and a moderate. He immediately adopted far left policies and fueled divisions by denouncing millions of ‘MAGA Republicans’ and his political opponents as ‘semi-fascist’ extremists…

“The failure of Merrick Garland is becoming more and more evident by the day. The public continues to distrust the Department, and his assurances of fair dealing have been overwhelmingly rejected by Republicans and independents…  as an attorney general, there is little to like about his last two years.”

The Justice Department, the FBI and the CIA, among many other governmental agencies, as well as Joe Biden and his Administration, have to be distrusted for obvious reasons.  

“Why the Trump Indictment Is Outrageous And Shocking”

On or about June 16, Zero Hedge published the following article by Will Scharf:

“I am a former Assistant U.S. Attorney, worked on two Supreme Court confirmations, and clerked for two federal appellate judges. The indictment and case against President Trump is outrageous and shocking…

“A lot of my friends have spoken insightfully about the scope of the Presidential Records Act… Basically, their argument distills down to the idea that the President’s authority to retain Personal Records, as well as his rights to access his Presidential Records, make it impossible to prosecute him under the Espionage Act section at issue here, § 793(e), because the government cannot prove ‘unauthorized possession,’ as required under the statute.

“I want to make a different point relating to the intent elements in § 793(e) of the Espionage Act, the statute Trump is being charged under. Section 793(e) requires the government to prove that the Defendant KNEW he had National Defense Information (NDI) in his possession, and also that the Defendant KNEW that there was a government official entitled to receive the Information, and also that the Defendant then WILLFULLY failed to deliver it to that official…

“More than anything, this case hinges on the ability of the Special Counsel to prove beyond a reasonable doubt aspects of Trump’s state of mind that will be extremely difficult to prove in this case because of his obligations and rights under the Presidential Records Act…

“Just because something is classified… does not mean that it is National Defense Information (NDI) within the meaning of the Espionage Act. NDI, for the purposes of an Espionage Act § 793(e) prosecution, is defined as one of a long list of items ‘relating to the national defense which information the possessor had reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation.’

“A lot of the documents listed in the indictment are older, or seemingly random… Anyone who has worked around government knows that over-classification is a huge problem. A ton of documents end up being classified because of arcane technical rules that may not reflect the real world…

“Far and away the most troubling side story to emerge from this saga so far are the allegations made by Trump aide and co-defendant Walt Nauta’s lawyer last week… Nauta’s lawyer, Stanley Woodward, alleged in a court filing that during a meeting with prosecutors about his client’s case, the head of the Counterintelligence Section of DOJ’s National Security Division Jay Bratt ‘suggested Woodward’s judicial application [for a DC Superior Court judgeship] might be considered more favorably if he and his client cooperated against Trump.’

“If true… this is wild misconduct… It could undermine the entire case against both Trump and Nauta. It could end careers at DOJ if fairly investigated…

“The indictment relies on a significant amount of information received, in one form or another, from one of Trump’s lawyers, Evan Corcoran, who was compelled to testify in front of the grand jury. According to news reports, the argument for breaching the privilege was the crime fraud exception…

“The attorney client privilege protects from disclosure to the government confidential communications made between clients and their attorneys. It has been around for centuries, and is considered a core protection in our system of justice.

“The crime fraud exception, though, allows the attorney client privilege to be broken in rare circumstances when two requirements are met:

“First, there needs to be a prima facie showing that the client was engaged in criminal conduct.

“Second, the client has to have obtained or sought the attorney’s assistance in furthering that crime…

“First of all, what was the crime they used as a predicate? Was it unlawful retention of the documents? If so, there’s nothing in the indictment that I can see indicating that Corcoran’s communications with Trump would have furthered that in a way that would justify breaching privilege…

“In any case, the Special Counsel is going to have to show why the communications in question were a solicitation by Trump to Corcoran to join him in criminal acts, as opposed to Trump asking a lawyer he hired to advise him on his legal defense, to tell him what his options were, or to outline what defensive steps might be possible, and what was done by others in previous cases like Hillary’s emails…”

A very insightful legal analysis.

More Censorship Against Trump

The New York Post wrote on June 19:

“A federal judge has blocked former President Donald Trump from disclosing evidence and sensitive information discussed in his classified documents case.

“US Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, who signed off last August on the search warrant for the 77-year-old’s Mar-a-Lago resort, sided with the Justice Department on Monday after special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecutors filed a motion to keep the evidence in the case secured during the discovery process.

“The judge said Trump and co-defendant Walt Nauta cannot ‘disclose the Discovery Materials or their contents directly or indirectly to any person or entity other than persons employed to assist in the defense, persons who are interviewed as potential witnesses, counsel for potential witnesses, and other persons to whom the Court may authorize disclosure….’”

Sadly, the agenda behind all of this is SO obvious.

Trial Already in August?

Newsmax wrote on June 20:

“A federal judge in Florida has scheduled the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump on charges of illegal retention of classified government documents to start Aug. 14, ‘or as soon thereafter as the case may be called.’

“The order was signed Tuesday morning by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee. Cannon’s order said both sides must file pretrial motions by July 24.

“The Justice Department’s special counsel in the case, Jack Smith, promised a speedy trial after a 37-count indictment charging Trump with willfully retaining classified government records and obstructing justice.

“But the complexities of handling highly classified evidence, the degree to which Trump’s legal team challenges the government’s pretrial motions, and the way the judge manages the schedule could all lead to a trial that is anything but swift, legal experts say.

“And there is no guarantee the trial will start on the scheduled date, experts say.”

Fox News added on June 20:

“Federal Judge Aileen Cannon announced the preliminary court date Tuesday, but the final date for Trump’s trial is likely to change as the former president’s legal team is expected to request a delay….”

Schiff Censored in a House Divided

Fox News wrote on June 21:

“The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to censure Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., for pushing claims that former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign colluded with Russia — a vote that made Schiff just the third member of the House to be censured since the turn of the century. The resolution passed 213-209 in a vote — every Republican voted for it except for six who voted “present,” and every Democrat voted against it.

“Immediately following the vote, Democrats gathered on the floor and chanted ‘Shame!’ and ‘Disgrace!’ as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., tried to gavel the House in order for several minutes…

“McCarthy then asked Schiff to present himself in the well of the House, and Democrats clapped and cheered as he approached. After being interrupted several times by Democrats, McCarthy said, ‘I have all night.’ Schiff then stood in well of the House as required by the resolution, and was hugged and cheered by dozens of Democrats who surrounded him. The measure also requires the House Committee on Ethics to investigate Schiff’s ‘falsehoods, misrepresentations, and abuses of sensitive information.’…

“‘To my Republican colleagues who introduced this resolution, I thank you. You honor me with your enmity, you flatter me with this falsehood,’ Schiff said. ‘You, who are the authors of a big lie about the last election, must condemn the truth tellers,’ he said. ‘And I stand proudly before you. Your words tell me that I have been effective in the defense of our democracy, and I am grateful.’

“Schiff was a leader of Trump’s first impeachment proceeding…”

Schiff has repeatedly and quite dogmatically stated that there is evidence—more than just “circumstantial”— that Trump colluded with Russia. This was and is a BIG LIE for which Schiff must be held accountable. And shame on those Democrats who want to suppress the truth and uphold the lies, by supporting and cheering for Schiff, all just for the purpose to “get Trump.”

Joe Biden’s Worsening Dementia

Fox News wrote on June 16:

“President Biden caused an uproar of confusion Friday after closing his remarks at a Connecticut summit on gun control reform… [stating] ‘All right. God Save the Queen, man,’ before looking around to figure out where to walk offstage.

“The current monarch of the United Kingdom is King Charles III — as his mother, the long-serving Queen Elizabeth II, died in September. Connecticut, where Biden was speaking, was one of the 13 colonies to declare its independence from Britain in 1776…

“… the reaction to Biden’s closing utterance was… proffering questions about his widely-discussed cognitive acuity… Some observers wondered aloud Friday if the process to invoke the amendment to remove the president should be started, given his latest gaffe…

“Response from some United Kingdom natives was equally critical, as a former aide to the late Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher appeared to question Biden’s cognitive abilities… ‘The dementia is so bad that he now thinks he’s British,’ quipped Greg Price of the State Freedom Caucus Network…”

Biden’s lack of memory of recent events does give credence to the assumption of his worsening dementia. For instance, he could not remember that he had been in Ireland for several days shortly after his return to the USA, even though he had publicly and with great fanfare declared his love for Ireland and his Irish ancestry, while visiting Ireland.

Impeaching Joe Biden

Breitbart wrote on June 22:

“Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) in the coming days will introduce articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden under a privileged resolution“By superseding House Republican leadership’s ability to control what comes to the House floor, Greene will launch articles of impeachment against Joe Biden, bypassing the usual process for bringing legislation to a full House vote. Greene’s resolution will force House Republicans to vote on the measure. ‘I don’t know what it’s going to take to get them to realize what fools Republicans look like in Congress for not moving forward on impeachment,’ Greene exclusively told Breitbart News.

“‘Joe Biden is a criminal,’ she said. ‘And as vice president of the United States, he committed crimes. He committed crimes, high crimes, and misdemeanors.’ ‘We now know on the Oversight Committee through our investigation that he took a $5 million bribe from a Ukrainian oligarch in order to get Victor Shokin fired — the prosecutor that was investigating Burisma,’ she said. ‘We have bank records after bank records after bank records showing that money was transferred, wire transferred in, from all kinds of countries all over the world, from all kinds of foreign nationals and businesses and state governments into the fake LLC, paying the Biden family members,’ Greene continued. ‘Everyone knows this,’ she said. ‘But for some reason, Republicans in Congress can’t even start the process of impeachment…’ Greene told Breitbart News her privileged resolution posted on Congress.gov was the most viewed bill on the site all Wednesday.

“But despite the grassroots interest in the bill, Greene said Republican members on the House Judiciary Committee do not support the impeachment effort… Greene’s resolution could be ready for a vote as soon as Friday. If the legislative language is not ready by then, she told Breitbart News it will be voted upon when members of Congress return to Washington, DC, in two weeks.”

CNN wrote on June 21 about a similar motion by GOP Republican Lauren Boebert:

“Speaker Kevin McCarthy urged House Republicans to vote against the resolution brought forward by GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado forcing a vote to impeach President Joe Biden this week, arguing now is not the right time…

“McCarthy argued that Republicans should let committee investigations play out and warning that jumping to impeachment now could threaten their slim majority… The speaker noted that House Republicans have taken back the House five times in the last 100 years, and two of those times lost the majority the next cycle…”

To gain votes seems to be much more important than to establish righteousness in the land. 

Hunter Biden’s “Sweetheart Deal”

The New York Post wrote on June 20:

“As part of the deal, the 53-year-old will plead guilty to misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax for 2017 and 2018 and enter a pre-trial diversion on a felony gun possession charge, meaning that charge could be dropped if he meets certain requirements… ‘Wow! The corrupt Biden DOJ just cleared up hundreds of years of criminal liability by giving Hunter Biden a mere “traffic ticket.” Our system is BROKEN!’ Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform…

“‘As President Trump predicted, Biden’s Justice Department is cutting a sweetheart deal with Hunter Biden in order to make their bogus case to “get Trump” appear fair. Meanwhile, Biden’s DOJ continues to turn a blind eye to the Biden family’s extensive corruption and bribery scheme,’ Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for Make America Great Again Inc., said in a statement. Earlier this month, Trump predicted, ‘They’ll hit Hunter with something small to make their strike on me look “fair.”’…

“‘It continues to show the two-tiered system in America. If you are the president’s leading political opponent, the DOJ literally tries to literally put you in jail, give you prison time. If you are the president’s son, you get a sweetheart deal,’ contended Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). ‘Now this does nothing to our investigation. It actually should enhance our investigation because the DOJ should not be able to withhold any information now,’ added McCarthy, referring to an ongoing probe of the first son by the House Oversight Committee. ‘They should be able to provide Chairman [James] Comer with any information he requires.’

“Comer (R-Ky.) himself decried the development as a ‘slap on the wrist… when growing evidence uncovered by the House Oversight Committee reveals the Bidens engaged in a pattern of corruption, influence peddling, and possibly bribery.’ ‘These charges against Hunter Biden and sweetheart plea deal have no impact on the Oversight Committee’s investigation,’ Comer added. ‘We will not rest until the full extent of President Biden’s involvement in the family’s schemes are revealed.’…”

Time will tell…

The Investigation Is Ongoing…?

The New York Post wrote on June 21:

“Hunter Biden appears to have ducked other possible charges — including money laundering, bribery and human trafficking — as part of a plea agreement he entered into with federal prosecutors… Hunter likely violated the Foreign Registration Act (FARA) while negotiating lucrative business deals with entities in China, Mexico, Romania, Russia and Ukraine during and after Joe Biden’s tenure as vice president — with George Washington University Law Professor Jonathan Turley last year calling the evidence ‘unassailable and undeniable.’…

“The office of Delaware US Attorney David Weiss announced the charges but added that its ‘investigation is ongoing.’ However, Cornell law professor Robert Hockett told The Post Tuesday that statement amounted to a prosecutorial formality… ‘Certainly new charges could be brought, but they would have to be brought on the basis of new evidence,’ Hockett added. ‘Once a judge approves the deal and it’s finalized then no additional charges can be brought later on the basis of the evidentiary record that we currently have.’”

The New York Post published on June 21 the following related opinion piece by Michael Goodwin:

“To express disappointment in the results of the Hunter Biden probe is to admit you ever believed it was an actual and honest investigation… Santa Claus is more real than the integrity of the FBI and Justice Department under Joe Biden… That’s another way of saying there is no justice system… This is what happens in Third World countries, and now it’s happening in America…

“Although Weiss says in his filing that, ‘The investigation is ongoing,’ that’s more likely a fig leaf so he and the FBI can duck congressional scrutiny by saying they can’t comment on an ongoing case…”

The Post Editorial Board wrote on June 20:

‘Despite the obvious impropriety of the Justice Department investigating the president’s son (and as that president repeatedly, loudly and publicly declared his son innocent), Attorney General Merrick Garland refused to name an independent counsel to take this case.

“If a special prosecutor of clear integrity had offered this plea deal now, it’d still stink but might be something the public could swallow. But as things stand, the only possible conclusion is that Justice is corrupt.”

What Justice? As was pointed out above, America has no justice system. As we read in Isaiah 59:14:

“Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter.”

The Cover-Up of the Justice Department in the Hunter Biden Case

 The New York Post wrote on June 22:

“Two IRS whistleblowers told Congress in closed-door testimony released Thursday that the Justice Department waged a coverup in the tax fraud investigation of first son Hunter Biden — revealing stunning details of alleged interference and new evidence indicating President Biden was involved in his son’s foreign dealings…

“The revelation that Biden appointees blocked charges against his son is politically explosive because Attorney General Merrick Garland testified under oath to Congress earlier this year that Weiss was empowered to bring charges outside of Delaware. Intentionally misleading Congress is a crime. Weiss… sought to be appointed special counsel in the case at least twice… but was turned down by the Biden Justice Department, both whistleblowers alleged…”

Breitbart added on June 22:

“House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) told reporters Thursday that the Justice Department twice prevented United States Attorney David Weiss from bringing stronger charges against Hunter Biden… ‘The testimony we released today shows the IRS recommended charges against Hunter Biden that included attempt to evade or defeat tax, a felony; fraud or false statements, a felony; and willful failure to file returns, supply information, or pay tax,’ Smith said. ‘These tax crimes cover an estimated $2.2 million and unreported tax on global income streams to Mr. Biden and his associates from Ukraine, Romania, and China totaling $17.3 million from 2014 to 2019.’

“‘Mr. Biden personally received $8.3 million,’ Smith added. ‘Whistleblowers detail foreign payments to Mr. Biden, including $664,000 from the Chinese company, state energy HK, a large diamond worth $80,000, and a Porsche worth $142,000. These payments are just a fraction of the total, but they provide insight into a world of wealth and influence that no ordinary American would recognize.’…

“The whistleblowers revealed IRS investigators were told by U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf that because the evidence would be found in the guest house of former Vice President Biden, ‘There is no way’ a search warrant for evidence would ever get approved…”

Maybe that is true when it applies to Joe Biden. It most certainly is not true when it applies to Donald Trump. 

Tucker Carlson: USA Moving Towards Full-Fledged Dictatorship Under Biden

LifeSiteNews wrote on June 16:

“Mocking leftist protests to the contrary, Tucker Carlson laid out the case on Thursday evening for why the Joe Biden presidency represents the final stages of transforming the United States into a full-fledged dictatorship during the latest installment of his new show on Twitter.

‘With sharp satire, Carlson compared Joe Biden, his administration, and the legacy media with dictatorships from around the world. This included the common corruption in arresting the dictator’s principle political rivals, their enriching of their family selling political influence, the thwarting of large protests through murder (Ashli Babbitt) and intimidation (SWAT-type raids and draconian treatment of political dissenters), censorship, comprehensive surveillance and a focus on destroying parental rights over their children…

“‘The one thing that all dictators have in common is they enrich themselves and their families, their tribe, even as the countries they govern grow steadily poorer and more desperate,’ he said. ‘They take kickbacks from businesses and from other dictators [and] they use the official functions of their government to funnel cash to themselves.’

“Furthermore, ‘in a dictatorship, it’s no longer possible to fight injustice’, Carlson continued. ‘People can’t gather in large numbers to protest the rule of the dictator. If they try that, they’ll be arrested by the state security services… And by the way, it’s not just public protests that would be banned in a dictatorship. You wouldn’t be allowed to complain from your own home… Unauthorized opinions expressed on the internet would be censored...

“Furthermore, ‘the wannabe dictator’ exercises profound surveillance over the population… ‘The administration already knows what you buy, of course, because they have leaned on the big banks to turn over your confidential credit card information…’

“After a sarcastic demonstration on how the U.S. legacy media protects Biden like the state-run media of North Korea protected dictator Kim Il Sung, Carlson said, ‘And by the way, if Joe Biden was a wannabe dictator, he’d have the family to match… A dictator would… claim dominion over the most intimate parts of his citizens’ lives. He’d define what attitudes they were allowed to have about sex and religion and how to raise their families. He would, even in his final grandiose stage of dictatorship, claim ownership of their children,’ he said.”

“According to retired congressman and former presidential candidate Ron Paul, the neoconservatives are ideological heirs of early Bolshevik terrorist Leon Trotsky in believing in ‘permanent revolution, violent as well as intellectual,’ in advancing an American Empire, through ‘hard politics,’ and that ‘lying is necessary’ to achieve their objectives. They also support aggressive ‘imperialism’ to enforce a ‘progressive’ agenda on other nations and ‘using American might to force’ the implementation of these objectives.”

Has America, like Canada, already become a dictatorship? You be the judge!

Israel Opposed to ANY Deal Between the USA and Iran

The Associated Press wrote on June 18:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that he opposes any interim agreement reportedly being negotiated between the U.S. and Iran over its nuclear program…

“Netanyahu vehemently opposed the 2015 deal between Iran and world powers brokered by the Obama administration that sought to rein in Iran’s nuclear program…

“Israel considers a nuclear Iran as a major threat, citing its calls for Israel’s destruction and its support for anti-Israel militant groups across the region.

“Israel says it does not rule out military action to prevent Iran from making a nuclear weapon.”

Such military action might very well take place.

Can Pope Francis Bring Peace to Ukraine?

Herald Malaysia Online wrote on June 17:

“Pope Francis has launched a peace mission aimed at finding a settlement of the Russia-Ukraine war, upsetting Ukraine’s allies with his refusal to insist that Russia leave Ukraine as a starting point for negotiations.

“For their part, the Russians simply ignore the Pope.”

Even though the Pope’s role in this area seems to be rather irrelevant and futile, Ukraine and Russia WILL unite in the future.

Western Sanctions Against Russia Huge Mistake

Modern Diplomacy wrote on June 17:

“The West’s sweeping sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine are shaping up to be the West’s most monumental miscalculation in modern history. The sanctions have not brought the Russian economy to its knees, as was widely predicted. Instead, it’s the Western economies that are reeling, their economic growth all but stopped. Many of them are simultaneously suffering from both high inflation and energy shortages.

“Russia, meanwhile, is not only surviving but thriving, acquiring more potency and prestige throughout Asia, Africa and South America than at any time since the collapse of the Soviet Union… the Russian economy will grow faster than Germany’s or the UK’s this year. Next year, it will also grow faster than those of the U.S., Japan, Italy, and much of the rest of the West…

“Russia has been able to ramp up its own military production rate so effectively that its artillery can massively out-pound Ukraine’s, firing between 40,000 and 50,000 shells per day versus Ukraine’s 5,000-6,000. While Russia’s arms production is on a high-output war footing, the West’s has been unable to keep pace. America’s focus on supplying Ukraine has compromised its ability to meet other goals, such as deterring China’s expansion and maintaining readiness to respond elsewhere.

“Russia’s military robustness is all the more noteworthy given that it has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal and a now-close alliance with China’s military. The ascendancy of what is dubbed the ‘Russia-China axis’ and the widespread perception of the West’s decline has in turn convinced other militaries to associate with a winner. In September, India, Laos, Mongolia, Nicaragua and various former Soviet states joined Russia and China in war games in the Sea of Japan and Russia’s Far East, and in February, South Africa hosted Russia and China for 10 days of joint naval drills…

“In Asia, both China and India have dramatically deepened their ties to Russia. In South America, Russia is embraced by the new socialist government of its largest economy, Brazil, as it was by Brazil’s former conservative government. In the Middle East, where the U.S. is widely distrusted, Russia has good relations with Israel as well as with all the major Muslim nations, whether Sunni or Shia, Arab or Turkish…

“While Russia may be shunned by the West, it is welcomed by most of the rest, as seen in the regional alliances in which Russia plays a leading role: the Russia-China-led Shanghai Cooperation Council, which includes former Soviet countries as well as India and Pakistan, and the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), whose GDP now exceeds that of the G7. Some two dozen countries have expressed interest in joining Russia in these economic and security alliances, including major regional powers such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Indonesia, and Mexico.

“The West’s sanctions, the most severe ever imposed on a country, were meant to teach Russia the lesson that ‘aggression does not pay,’ in the words of NATO’s Stoltenberg. The ferocity of the sanctions, the subsequent cancellation of Russian artists and athletes in the West, and expectation of an end of the Russian Federation by political and military elites such as Former Commanding General of the US Army in Europe, General Ben Hodges, shocked Russia out of its complacency, and led it to [reach very different conclusions]: That the West was determined to destroy it, and that its existence required it to arm itself to the teeth and end its economic interdependence with the West.”

The Bible prophecies a strong Far Eastern power bloc under Russian and Chinese leadership, with the support and collaboration of many other nations.

Europe’s Military to Be Independent of America

The Associated Press wrote on June 20:

“French President Emmanuel Macron called on European nations Monday to seek more independence on airspace defense and advocated against relying too much on the U.S…

“Macron pushed for European defense equipment manufacturers to build independent military systems and relocate production on the continent. He also called for enhanced European standards…

“France has been openly critical of German-led plans for improved European air defense capabilities. The so-called European Sky Shield project, launched at the end of last year, is made up of 17 European nations including the U.K. – but not France. It’s meant to be integrated within NATO air and missile defense systems. The French government believes the project doesn’t adequately preserve European sovereignty, because it’s expected to be largely based on U.S. and Israeli industry…

“Defense has been a recurrent bone of contention between the two countries, with France complaining that Germany wasn´t doing enough in the area for years – until the war in Ukraine led Berlin to announce a major boost to military spending….”

Ultimately, the view point of Macron will prevail.

Synthetic Human Embryos Created

The Guardian wrote on June 14:

“Scientists have created synthetic human embryos using stem cells, in a groundbreaking advance that sidesteps the need for eggs or sperm…

“However, the work also raises serious ethical and legal issues as the lab-grown entities fall outside current legislation in the UK and most other countries.

“The structures do not have a beating heart or the beginnings of a brain, but include cells that would typically go on to form the placenta, yolk sac and the embryo itself…

“There is also a significant unanswered question on whether these structures, in theory, have the potential to grow into a living creature. The synthetic embryos grown from mouse cells were reported to appear almost identical to natural embryos. But when they were implanted into the wombs of female mice, they did not develop into live animals.

“In April, researchers in China created synthetic embryos from monkey cells and implanted them into the wombs of adult monkeys, a few of which showed the initial signs of pregnancy but none of which continued to develop beyond a few days. Scientists say it is not clear whether the barrier to more advanced development is merely technical or has a more fundamental biological cause…”

Whenever scientists try to play God, we are entering a very dangerous territory.

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.

In the first installment, we learned that it has been said that there are some 200 names and titles of Christ found in the Bible, and we started reviewing some of these. We now continue with some more descriptions of Jesus.

• The “I AM”

We understand that Jesus was the God of the Old Testament. In Exodus 3:13, we read: “Then Moses said to God, ‘Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you,” and they say to me, “What is His name?” what shall I say to them?’”   In verse 14 is a telling piece of information: “And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, “I AM has sent me to you.”’”

In the New Testament, in John 8:58-59, we read: “Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.’  Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.”

In our booklet, “Do You Know the Jesus of the Bible?,” we read the following on page 5:

“When Jesus said, ‘I AM,’ rather than, ‘I WAS,’ the Jews understood that He identified Himself as God—as ‘Yahweh,’ the ‘I AM’ or Eternal of the Old Testament. That is why they ‘took up stones to throw at Him’ (verse 59).

“The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown commentary adds the following thoughts:

“‘Before Abraham was, I am’ — The words rendered ‘was’ and ‘am’ are quite different. The one clause means, ‘Abraham was brought into being’; the other, ‘I exist.’ The statement therefore is not that Christ came into existence before Abraham did… but that He never came into being at all, but existed before Abraham had a being; in other words, existed before creation, or eternally… In that sense the Jews plainly understood Him, since ‘then took they up stones to cast at Him,’ just as they had before done when they saw that He made Himself equal with God [John 5:18].’”

For further information, reading this booklet would be helpful, and also please see our Q&A: https://www.globalchurchofgod.co.uk/was-jesus-christ-the-god-of-the-old-testament/.

• The Son of God

Jesus was and is the Son of God.  We read in John 3:16-17 some of the most famous words in the Bible: “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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

We read further, in John 10:36-38: “…do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?  If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.’”

There are many other Scriptures that confirm that Jesus was and is the Son of God.   Matthew 3:17 reads: “And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”   Luke 3:22 also confirms this fact: “… and a voice came from heaven which said:, ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.’”  Also, Romans 1:3-4: “…concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”

Jesus Christ was always the Son of God, but this passage explains to us that after His death as a human being, He was resurrected as the powerful Son of God—the Spirit being who He had been before He became the Son of Man.

Even a quick glance at a Bible Concordance will reveal many other references to Jesus being the Son of God.

• Immanuel

In Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible, they state the following under the heading “Immanuel”: ‘God (is) with us’. A symbolic name given to the child who was announced to Ahaz and the people of Judah as the sign that God would give them deliverance from their enemies.   Matthew applies it similarly to Jesus the Messiah.”

Wikipedia has this to say about Ahaz: “Ahaz was 20 when he became king of Judah and reigned for 16 years.  Ahaz is portrayed as an evil king in the Second Book of Kings (2 Kings 16:2). The Gospel of Matthew lists Ahaz of Judah in the genealogy of Jesus. He is also mentioned in Isaiah 7 and Isaiah 14:28.”

We further read at https://www.associationcovenantpeople.org/the-sign-given-to-king-ahaz/:

“But God nevertheless gave Ahaz this sign, so strangely different from anything that might have been expected, ‘Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel,’ That is ‘God with us’. The birth of Jesus was still 742 years away. How could this be a sign of victory for King Ahaz? Yet the name ‘Emmanuel’ ‘God with us’, was a prophecy for that day and for all time, so far as the peoples were concerned, and the prophecy came true both for the immediate deliverance of Jerusalem and later for the birth of Emmanuel the Redeemer of the nation and Saviour of His people.”

In Isaiah 7:14, we read:

“Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

We see in the book of Matthew that Jesus’ birth would be the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy. Matthew 1:23 states: “‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’”

A further Scripture in Isaiah 8:8 is instructive: “He will pass through Judah, He will overflow and pass over, He will reach up to the neck; And the stretching out of his wings Will fill the breadth of Your land, O Immanuel.”

The Matthew Poole’s Commentary observes:

“Of thy land, O Immanuel; of the land of Judah, so called because the Messiah, who is called by God himself Immanuel, Isaiah 7:14, should certainly be born, and live, and die there. And this is added emphatically for the consolation of God’s people, to assure them, that notwithstanding this dreadful scourge, yet God would make a difference between Israel and Judah; and whereas Israel should be so broken by the Assyrian, that they should not be a people, as was threatened, Isaiah 7:8, Judah should be restored and preserved, for the sake of the Messiah, to be the place of his birth and ministry, according to that famous prophecy, Genesis 49:10.”

While the House of Israel never returned to the Promised Land and became known as the “lost ten tribes” (even though they have been identified in our time), the House of Judah did return to the Promised Land.

• Redeemer

We read in Isaiah 44:24: “Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb: ‘I am the LORD, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself…’”

The Hebrew word for redeem is “gaal” which is to “free by avenging and repaying.”  Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible explains: “Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer… These are the words of the Son of God, of Christ, the Redeemer of his people; and the following show him to be the mighty God, and so able to redeem them, and therefore was appointed to this work, and undertook it.”

There are a number of references in the book of Isaiah about our Redeemer, one of which is chapter 54:5 which reads: “For your Maker is your husband, The Lord of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth.”

As an interesting observation, please note that in the Hebrew, the words for “your Maker” and “your husband” are in the plural, showing again that God the Father made everything through Jesus Christ.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers comments as follows: “‘The “Redeemer’ in this context suggests the idea of the next of kin (such, e.g., as Boaz was to Ruth), taking on himself the kinsman’s duty of protection (Ruth 4:4-6).”

We read in the heading to Job 19, in the New King James Bible, that “Job Trusts in His Redeemer.”   Verse 25 is a very well-known verse: “For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth…”   As Jesus Christ was the God of the Old Testament who dealt directly with the people, it would have been Him with whom Job was interacting.

• The Christ

Quoting from Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible, the comments under “Christ” reads as follows: “The official appellation of the long promised and long expected Saviour, denoting his kingly authority and mediatorial position as the ‘Servant of the Lord.’”  

“Jesus” [meaning, “the Lord Is Salvation” or “the Lord saves”] was His common name among men during His lifetime as a human being, and He is generally so called in the Gospels, while “the Christ” or “Jesus Christ” is generally used in the Epistles.  The meaning of “Christ” is the “anointed one” or “the chosen one.” There are hundreds of references in the New Testament to Christ and Christ Jesus, and we will review just a few of these.

In Wikipedia, under the heading “Christ – title,” is the following information:

“Christ, used by Christians as both a name and a title, unambiguously refers to Jesus. It is also used as a title in the reciprocal use ‘Christ Jesus’, meaning ‘the Messiah Jesus’, and independently as ‘the Christ’.  The Pauline epistles… often refer to Jesus as ‘Christ Jesus’ or ‘Christ’…”

The word “Messiah”—derived from the Hebrew Mashiach—means, the “anointed one “ or the “chosen one.” Therefore, the expression “Christ Jesus,” in using “Christ” first, teaches us that “Christ,” the “Messiah”—the chosen one or the anointed one by God the Father—is THE One—the ONLY One—through whom we can have salvation, reflected by the name “Jesus.” So, the Creator, the Word, the “I Am,” the Son of God and the Redeemer is the CHOSEN and ANOINTED One who saves us—through whom we can have salvation.

Continuing with Wikipedia:

“Christians believe that Jesus is the messiah foretold in the Hebrew Bible… Jesus was usually referred to as ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ or ‘Jesus, son of [Jospeh.]’… Jesus came to be called ‘Jesus Christ’ (meaning ‘Jesus the Khristós’, i.e. ‘Jesus the Messiah’ or ‘Jesus the Anointed’ by Christians, who believe that his crucifixion and resurrection fulfill the messianic prophecies of the Old Testament.”

In Matthew 16, Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” (verse 13).   It was interesting to hear the answers: “So they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets’” (verse 14).  “He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’  Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’  Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven’” (verses 15-17).   The revelation was from the Father.

Jesus also forecasted that there would be imposters.   In Matthew 24:4-5, we read that He was answering questions about the sign of the times and the end of the age: “And Jesus answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, “I am the Christ,” and will deceive many.’”   This is specifically speaking about the time now but it is fair to say that there have been false christs down through the ages.  In verses 23-24, the same theme is reiterated by Jesus: “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.”

Many have come and will come saying that they believe in Jesus and that Jesus was the Christ—even though their belief is mostly in a false Jesus, not the Jesus of the Bible (compare 2 Corinthians 11:4)—but then there are those who claim that they themselves are Jesus. The Bible foretells of a coming apostasy or a falling away from the Truth and of the revelation or manifestation of a religious figure—the man of sin—who will sit in the Temple of God, claiming to be God (compare 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). It appears that he will claim that he is Christ who has returned.

We can’t say that we haven’t been warned.   There is only one person who has this Name and that is the Jesus Christ of the Bible.

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“What’s Behind the Historical Indictment of Donald Trump?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Our weekly Update informs you, among many other things, about relevant news in the light of biblical prophecy. In this week’s edition (Update #1072, dated June 16, 2023), we publish articles discussing the historical and unprecedented indictment and arraignment of a former US President and present contender for Presidency, which many have decried as reflecting political motives and a blatant double standard of a “weaponized” Justice Department. We also quote articles addressing the question as to who sabotaged the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline and the Kakhovka hydro-electric dam and whether this intelligence information has been withheld from Congress and the public. You can become a regular subscriber to our weekly Update.

“Anklage gegen Donald Trump in einem korrupten System,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This covers the same topic as described above in StandingWatch.

“Gottes Erschaffung der Tierwelt,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “God’s Creation of the Animal World.”

“Lehre uns bedenken, dass wir sterben müssen,” last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Dmitrij Niemann, is now posted. Title in English: “Teach Us to Remember that We Must Die.”

“Der Apostel Petrus in Rom? Wahrheit oder Lüge?,” last Sabbath’s German sermon presented by Thilo Hanstein, is now posted. Title in English: “The Apostle Peter in Rome? Truth or Lie?”

“Sandcastles and God’s Church,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Frank Bruno, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Building a sandcastle can be wonderfully peaceful and relaxing, but it can also be frustrating if your aim is designing a structure that is enduring and beautiful. The perfect sandcastle can never be achieved, and similarly, God’s true church is entirely dependent on the structure that He has created. In this Sermonette we will cover Scriptures that can aid in our understanding of the importance of clinging to God’s commandments and interweaving this with our relationships with one another as members of His Church. This is essential in order for the Church to thrive and the work to be done. 

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

Our identity forms the foundation upon which we build our character, experience our life, and guide our behavior. Most of the time, we will instinctively make judgments to be consistent with our identity. Our moral and spiritual compass points in the direction that leads us to become who we choose to be. By firmly establishing our identity as Christians, we have Jesus Christ as our guide, to learn righteousness and lead us to become glorified members of God’s Family.

On June 17, 2023, Frank Bruno will present the sermonette, titled, “Sandcastles and God’s Church,” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “Become Who You Are.”

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.

Most of us at some point in our lives have regretted something we’ve done, choices we’ve made, or perhaps things we did not do. The Greek word for regret is metamelomai, and interestingly, this also means to repent. We may also be familiar with the Hebrew meaning which is to sigh. It is truly a part of being a carnal being that we do not always consider the ramifications of our choices and actions in the moment. It is later as we reflect on the outcome that the path seems so clear and our decision so flawed. However, if we experience regret, we may be on the path of creating a positive outcome, that is to repent and alter our course.

This is what God wants from us: to follow His commandments, to love Him, and to rely solely on Him. In Psalm 51, verses 10-14, David speaks to God and implores Him as follows: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.”

David was ashamed and disgusted with himself for what he had chosen to do with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah. He knew he had done wrong and broken his bond with God. He regretted his actions and repented before God.

God also can feel and understand regret. In Genesis 6, and in verses 5 and 6, we read this account of God’s righteous anger, and His sadness: ^“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.”

The Creator felt the sadness and regret that we too experience when something we chose to do turned out badly, or not as we intended. This is significant in our relationship with God knowing that He understands us completely and stands by us despite our actions. This is not unconditional; however, we must recognize our sin and seek His forgiveness and His mercy. As with David, we must humble ourselves before God to receive that restoration.  We can ask God to help us turn our failure and our sin into something positive through our pain and repentance. Consider Paul’s letter to the Romans in Chapter 8, and verse 28:“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Through our repentance and the renewal of our relationship with God we can learn from our mistakes and strive for good.

Charles Dickens wrote these words in the 1800’s: “No space of regret can make amends for one life’s opportunities misused”. The writer reminds us that regret is a common human emotion, and it can alter the course of one’s life, in a positive or a negative manner. For those called by God, it is important that we not dwell in the past but change our course, right our ship and stay close to our Creator.

There are two obvious examples of deep regret in our Bible that are instructive and can help God’s people avoid falling away from the Truth: in Luke 22, and in verses 60 to 62, we are transported to that moment after Jesus has been arrested and a man confronts Peter, stating that Peter must have been a follower of Jesus. Beginning in verse 60 we read: ^“But Peter said, ‘Man, I do not know what you are saying!’ Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the words of the Lord, how He had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ So Peter went out and wept bitterly.”

Peter’s regret was overwhelming; he had rejected Jesus Christ, and he began to realize that he would never again walk with his Master or dine with Him as a human being. His regret for denying his Master was profound, and he wept. Peter would live with this regret, but he, with God’s help through the Holy Spirit, turned his human weakness into his zeal for the Church.

Similarly, Judas knew profound regret as well, but his story does not end well. We read this account in Matthew 27, and in verses 3-5: ^“Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’ And they said, ‘What is that to us? You see to it!’Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.”

Judas understood what he had done and regretted his actions and his betrayal of Jesus Christ. This was necessary in God’s plan for our salvation through Jesus Christ, but the action consumed and destroyed Judas. Judas had “worldly sorrow,” not “godly sorrow” or true repentance (compare 2 Corinthians 7:9-10). This is what regret can do to us; it can consume us and prevent us from moving forward as Peter was able to do. The only answer for true Christians is to acknowledge our mistakes and change.

Repentance is a gift and God will accept our sincere remorse if it is coupled with a change of heart and obedience in our thoughts and actions. Those we’ve wronged may not accept our remorse but there too we must turn to God.

by Norbert Link

A large portion of this week’s Current Events section addresses the historical and unprecedented indictment and arraignment of a former US President and present contender for Presidency by the administration of his rival. Many have decried the blatant double standard of a “weaponized” Justice Department under President Biden, pointing out the obvious political motives behind the indictment and even alleging that the wrong President was impeached in the past, while the current President should have been, and probably will be in the future. It was also claimed that while the USA is trying to lecture totalitarian governments about democracy, it itself is perceived as a dictatorial Banana Republic under a corrupt leadership.

We also report about the disappearance of “moral norms” which were at one time upheld in America; giving further examples showing how corrupt the FBI is; addressing the question as to who sabotaged the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline and the Kakhovka hydro-electric dam and whether this intelligence information is being withheld from Congress and the public; discuss the possibility of a return of compulsory military service in Germany and France; address the resignation of Boris Johnson and the death of Silvio Berlusconi; and point out plans by Israel to change the status quo on the Temple Mount, which are met with an outcry by Israel’s enemies.

We conclude with new reports pointing out the uselessness of masks and vaccine mandates against Corona.

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

Trump Indictment… Similar to Corrupt Third World Countries?

LifeSiteNews wrote on June 9:

‘The Biden administration’s Department of Justice has taken the unprecedented step of indicting former U.S. President Donald Trump with violating federal law, making him the first occupant of the Oval Office to face such charges… The shocking move comes as Congressional Republicans were starting to present mounting evidence that Joe Biden was bribed with $5 million from an executive at Ukrainian energy company Burisma while serving as Barack Obama’s vice president, prompting some to question if the announcement was retribution…

“Numerous political pundits have compared the move to something corrupt third world countries engage in. ‘These bandits in the White House … want one party rule and they have used the Department of Justice and the FBI to get what they want,’ Mark Levin has said. This is ‘the most severe election interference on the part of the federal government that we have EVER seen!’ Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz exclaimed. ‘They can’t beat Trump at the ballot box,’ former Trump adviser Steve Bannon remarked.

“At a press conference with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Thursday, Biden claimed he had no foreknowledge of the indictment… In recent months, Joe Biden’s FBI has taken a keen interest in targeting pro-lifers and Catholics…

“Many conservatives… maintain that the charges are part of a strategy hatched by the U.S. ‘Deep State’ to prevent Trump from being re-elected.”

Biden without foreknowledge? Who wants to believe that?

Trump Attacks Special Counsel Jack Smith

Fox News wrote on June 9:

“Former President Donald Trump attacked Special Counsel Jack Smith after his unsealed indictment shows the ex-commander-in-chief was charged with 37 counts of criminal wrongdoing over his handling of classified documents… Trump accused the prosecutor of being behind a 2013 controversy in which the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was revealed to be targeting political groups, mainly those on the right, for increased auditing… ‘He went after Evangelicals and Great Americans of Faith. The United States had to apologize, and pay major damages for what this deranged lunatic did,’ Trump wrote…

“In his attack on Smith, Trump also cited the corruption case of ex-Virginia GOP governor Robert McDonnell. Smith successfully secured his conviction, though it was later overturned by the Supreme Court… ‘His wife is a Trump Hater, just as he is a Trump Hater—a deranged “psycho” that shouldn’t be involved in any case having to do with ‘Justice,’ other than to look at Biden as a criminal, which he is!’ Trump wrote…”

Biden Broke the Seal

Newsmax wrote on June 12:

“Going after a presidential political opponent has consequences, says former President Donald Trump. And now, he says, the gloves will come off. The ‘seal’ for going after your political opposition as the U.S. president is broken, Trump vowed Monday…

“Trump wrote: ‘… I will appoint a real special “prosecutor” to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the USA, Joe Biden, the entire Biden crime family, & all others involved with the destruction of our elections, borders, & country itself!’”

Trump also said that as newly-elected President, he will “obliterate” the “deep state.” Of course, he said earlier that he would go after Hillary Clinton (“lock her up”), which he never did…

The Espionage Act vs. the Presidential Records Act

Fox News wrote on June 13:

“Former President Trump cast his ‘sham’ federal indictment as ‘election interference’ by the Biden administration, slamming it as a ‘the most heinous abuse of power in the history of our country.’

“Trump, the current 2024 frontrunner, pleaded not guilty in federal court in Miami, Florida Tuesday to 37 federal felony counts… Trump… slammed Smith as a ‘deranged lunatic,’ and slammed President Biden for having ‘his top political opponent arrested and charged.’ He said he had undergone ‘political persecution like something straight out of a fascist or communist nation.’

“Trump said President Biden will ‘forever be remembered as not only the most corrupt president in the history of our country, but perhaps more importantly, the president, together with the band of his closest thugs, misfits and Marxists trying to destroy American democracy, channeling real anger and charging the President of the United States under the Espionage Act of 1917 [which]… has nothing to do with a former president legally keeping his own documents.’

“Trump defended himself, saying it is, instead, the Presidential Records Act [of 1978] that applies to his case… ‘The Presidential Records Act does not confer any mandate, duty or even discretional authority on the archivist to classify records under the statute,’ Trump said. ‘This responsibility is left solely to the President of the United States…’ [The Presidential Records Act governs the official records of Presidents and Vice Presidents that were created or received after January 20, 1981 (i.e., beginning with the Reagan Administration).]

“Trump slammed Biden—who is under special counsel investigation for his alleged improper retention of classified records—and Hillary Clinton, pointing to her destruction of classified emails. ‘Hillary Clinton broke the law and she didn’t get indicted,’ Trump said. ‘Joe Biden broke the law, and in many other ways, we’re finding out, and so far has not gotten indicted.’…

“Trump went on to point to former President Bill Clinton, saying he ‘lost the nuclear codes and absolutely nothing was done… Trump pointed to former President George W Bush, saying his White House ‘lost 22 million emails’…”

Many legal experts agree with Trump that the Presidential Records Act, and NOT the Espionage Act, is applicable here [Note the next article.]. If so, the indictment, which never mentioned the Presidential Records Act, should fail for that reason alone, but there are many other legal issues involved (for instance, the highly dubious piercing of the attorney-client privilege and Jack Smith compelling Trump’s attorneys to testify). Scholars feel that if there is ever a trial, it might not occur before the end of 2024, after the election.

A Destructive Trump Indictment

The Editorial Board of the Wall Street Journal published the following opinion piece on June 9:

“Americans will inevitably see this as a Garland-Biden indictment, and they are right to think so.

“… the indictment never mentions the Presidential Records Act (PRA) that allows a President access to documents, both classified and unclassified, once he leaves office. It allows for good-faith negotiation with the National Archives. Yet the indictment assumes that Mr. Trump had no right to take any classified documents… If the Espionage Act means Presidents can’t retain any classified documents, then the PRA is all but meaningless.

“In the court of public opinion, the first question will be about two standards of justice… The charges are a destructive intervention into the 2024 election…  Republicans who are tired of Mr. Trump might rally to his side because they see the prosecution as another unfair Democratic plot to derail him.

“If Republicans win next year’s election, and especially if Mr. Trump does, his supporters will demand that the Biden family be next…

“It was once unthinkable in America that the government’s awesome power of prosecution would be turned on a political opponent… However cavalier he was with classified files, Mr. Trump did not accept a bribe or betray secrets to Russia…”

Nor did he destroy sensitive documents, unlike Hillary Clinton. America has changed drastically… for the worse.

The Clinton Socks Defense

Breitbart wrote on June 14:

“Former President Donald Trump deployed a novel strategy Tuesday against charges of mishandling classified documents: the ‘Clinton Socks’ defense… The ‘Clinton Socks’ case…[ was related to an] infamous episode in which Bill Clinton stuffed 79 audio tape recordings in his sock drawer after his presidency. Clinton later claimed the tapes were personal records not subject to the President Records Act of 1978 (PRA), despite allegations they contained classified information and conversations with foreign leaders.

“Judicial Watch’s Michael Bekesha opined in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal that a President can choose what records to keep or return to the National Archives. Bekesha said he understood this well because, as he put it, ‘I know because I’m the lawyer who lost the “Clinton sock drawer” case.’ He noted that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and a federal judge in 2012 defined presidential records as anything left at the White House after a sitting president leaves office. The ‘Clinton Socks’ precedent could therefore provide a path for Trump to argue that the records seized from Mar-A-Lago were personal in nature, even if they contained sensitive information.

“… there are parallels between the two cases in that both former Presidents Clinton and Trump allegedly disclosed classified information in private meetings… The court’s opinion in the ‘Clinton Socks’ case states that the sole authority to classify records pursuant to the (PRA) rests solely with the president, and that the National Archives does not have any authority regarding classification, nor can it seize presidential records.

“… conservative radio host Mark Levin has pointed out, that the Espionage Act of 1917, which Trump is accused of violating, was not intended to apply to presidents. If it had been, then every president who took documents with him before the passage of the PRA in 1978 could have been prosecuted for ‘espionage.’…”

Republicans Rally Behind Trump

ABC News wrote on June 9:

“Republicans are rallying behind Donald Trump in the face of his historic indictment on federal charges. ‘The weaponization of federal law enforcement represents a mortal threat to a free society,’ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump’s biggest adversary in the Republican primary, tweeted on Thursday. Sen. Tim Scott, another 2024 Trump challenger, decried ‘weaponization’ as he told Fox News: ‘What we see is a justice system where the scales are weighted.’

“House Speaker Kevin McCarthy pledged to ‘hold this brazen weaponization of power accountable.’ ‘Today is indeed a dark day for the United States of America. It is unconscionable for a President to indict the leading candidate opposing him,’ McCarthy said… ‘The indictment creates, at the minimum, a serious appearance of a double standard and a miscarriage of justice…’ [Jim] Jordan wrote, calling the indictment ‘politically motivated prosecution.’…

“President Joe Biden… said Americans should trust the Department of Justice in light of attacks on it from Trump and others…”

Trusting the Department of Justice?

“Today It Is Trump; Tomorrow It Is You and Me”

International Family News (IFN) wrote on June 9:

“It looks like the Nazis have found a new home in the U.S. Department of Justice and the offices of state and city district attorneys who have been bought by George Soros. After the Soros-backed district attorney in New York City recently got an indictment against former President Trump on bogus charges, it has been announced that now the U.S. Department of Justice has gotten an indictment against Trump regarding a statute relating to document retention that has never been used against any sitting or former President.

“If anyone needed any more proof of a deep state trying to silence anyone who does not march in lock-step with the left-wing agenda, this is it. This is clear and simple election interference more reminiscent of a third-world dictatorship than the America I grew up in. And the scary thing is, if the deep state and Soros-backed district attorneys have no problem going after a former President on his way to likely winning the next U.S. Presidential election, they will have no problem going after you and me.

“… let us never forget the words of German Pastor Martin Niemöller in regard to Nazi Germany: ‘First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.’”

In Nazi Germany, many kept quiet, but many were also in favor of Hitler’s policies. Today in the USA, it is not much different, but even those who are opposed to the corrupt actions of the current government are asking themselves: What can really be done in such a totalitarian system? The answer is obvious to us: America’s ONLY hope is the return of Jesus Christ who will make a swift end to man’s misrule in the USA—and worldwide.

America’s Two Standards of “Justice”

The New York Post wrote on June 10:

“Based on a grand jury search warrant, federal agents raised Mar-a-Lago and the evidence they gathered was bolstered with FBI interviews of Trump aides, employees and even his lawyers.

“… if federal prosecutors had empaneled a grand jury and obtained a search warrant for Joe Biden’s properties and if FBI agents had put his aides, employees and lawyers under oath, scoured their phones and emails and confronted them with evidence to get them to talk, agents would have found that Biden knowingly kept classified documents for many years in his homes and offices, including in the four years between his being vice president and president. 

“Honest agents unencumbered by any political bias of their own or their bosses’ might also have discovered that Hunter Biden and other family members and associates had access to the supposedly secret documents and possibly used them in drawing up their lucrative business schemes with foreign officials and businesses.

“…had the Department of Justice empaneled a grand jury and executed a search warrant on Hillary Clinton’s home and offices in 2013 or 2014 and seized her private computer server, phones and electronic devices, along with the devices of her aides and interviewed her lawyers under oath, FBI agents would have found many thousands of unsecured critical documents that were still in her possession long after she left the Department of State. As it was, more than 2,000 documents deemed to be classified, top secret or confidential were recovered from her devices in 2015 and 2016, despite the fact that Clinton deleted some 33,000 emails she claimed were not work-related.

“… it is indisputable that Trump is being treated far more harshly than either Biden or Clinton were under very similar circumstances. All three kept classified documents where and when they shouldn’t have. Only one is being prosecuted.  All three ran for president, but only one had his campaign spied on by the FBI, an action later found to be unwarranted. And only one was the victim of nonstop FBI leaks to the media alleging collusion with a foreign power that helped undermine his presidency, even though many of the leaks were found to be misinformation. 

“Does it matter that the one person subjected to these extreme measures by the government and media is a Republican, while the other two are Democrats? Only a fool or a liar would deny the obvious…

“The Justice Department, with the knowledge of the Democratic White House, meddled in a presidential election with the aim of electing the Democrat and defeating — and perhaps prosecuting — the Republican…

“Biden appointed Attorney General Merrick Garland, who appointed [special prosecutor Jack] Smith. Whether he likes it or not, the buck stops on Biden’s desk, especially because Biden let it be known more than a year ago he wanted Trump prosecuted…

“Biden has a lot of dirty laundry himself, but Garland is protecting him… The Hunter Biden probe, now in its fifth year, reeks of favoritism, a charge leveled against it by IRS and FBI whistleblowers. The evidence of various crimes has been public for years, and Joe’s connection is provable. Nearly three years ago, he was identified as the ‘big guy’ scheduled to get a secret 10% cut in a multimillion-dollar family deal with Chinese communists. Those charges… were censored by Big Tech at the direction of the FBI…

“Then there’s the newest dimension to Joe’s likely misconduct — the discovery that the FBI has been sitting on a charge since 2017, and renewed at least twice since by an informant, that he accepted a $5 million bribe from a Ukrainian businessman. Reports say Hunter also got $5 million in the same deal, and there are suggestions the money came from the head of Burisma, the corrupt energy company that hired Hunter for its board of directors and paid him millions while Joe was Obama’s point man for Ukraine. 

“Where’s the grand jury on that case? Where are the subpoenas for Biden’s bank records and a house raid searching for evidence? Where is the media firestorm?… The possibility of Joe Biden’s guilt has many implications, including the specter that Congress impeached the wrong man in 2019… Had that been discovered then, Trump would have been re-elected and Biden would be the one facing criminal charges.”

The hypocrisy of the FBI, the Justice Department, the mass media and the Biden administration is appalling. But the last chapter on Trump AND Biden has not yet been written.

“A Bad Horror Movie?”

Ron Paul wrote in his weekly column on June 17:

“The Democrats and Donald Trump reminds me of a bad horror movie, where the hapless protagonists only make the monster stronger with each attempt to eliminate it. So goes the Democrats’ endless attempts to finally rid America of the ‘scourge’ of Donald Trump.

“Thanks to the Durham Report we now know they started even before Trump was elected president. Hillary Clinton’s campaign – with the full knowledge of the candidate and the sitting president, Barack Obama – cooked up a ‘dirty trick’ to portray Trump as an agent of Russia in their effort to deny Trump the White House.

“When that didn’t work they weaponized the FBI, CIA and the rest of the ‘deep state’ to undermine and hobble his presidency. They spied on Trump and his campaign staff using false information manufactured by the FBI.

“When that didn’t work they impeached him under the false charge that he sought foreign assistance for his 2020 re-election bid. This time a spy, in the person of NSC staffer Alexander Vindman, was sent to listen in on Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian president Zelensky and then make all manner of false charges against Trump based on it.

“Democrats were furious that Trump was less than enthusiastic about their plans to use Ukraine as a proxy to go to war with Russia. Vindman, though an active-duty US military officer, was of Ukrainian background and was loyal to the country of his origin rather than the country of his citizenship… Trump’s lack of enthusiasm for their ‘Project Ukraine’ infuriated Vindman and he sought his revenge against the US President.

“When that didn’t work they impeached Trump again over the false charge that he led an ‘insurrection’ against the US government on January 6, 2021. The more surveillance video we see of this ‘insurrection,’ the more it looks like a false-flag operation cooked up perhaps by Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the Washington swamp to finally be rid of Trump. Hundreds of political prisoners have been held in solitary confinement on false accusations that they tried to overthrow the US government.

“When that didn’t work and Trump’s re-election numbers looked more and more favorable while Biden’s approval rating continued to linger in the political basement, the Democrats have now indicted him over some classified documents apparently discovered in his residence in Florida. The boxes and boxes of classified documents discovered at multiple Biden locations have disappeared into the memory hole with the help of the media. Nothing to see here.

“Suddenly Donald Trump, who polling suggests would obliterate Joe Biden in a fair US election, faces 100 years in prison! [Actually, about 400 years in prison!] Where else would you see the head of one political party arrest his main political opponent on cooked up charges? A banana republic!

“For those of us who love this country, it is truly shocking to see this abuse of power. But there’s one thing these dirty tricksters never seem to understand: the more false evidence and false charges they cook up against Trump, the stronger Trump becomes. With these outrageous and continuous attacks on Trump, the Democratic Party (and plenty of Republicans) has lost all credibility. When this plan fails, and it will, I am afraid to think what they might try next.”

Very insightful and factually accurate comments.

Tucker Carlson: They Are Lying to You!

Newsmax wrote on June 13:

“Tucker Carlson denounced the widespread anti-Trump effort to get former President Donald Trump… [in] his 13-minute monologue, his third episode of ‘Tucker on Twitter’… ‘The prosecution of Donald Trump is transparently political… Anyone that denies its happening is lying to you…

“Nobody with Trump’s views is allowed to have power in this country. Criticize our wars and you’re disqualified. If you keep it up, we’ll send you to prison. That’s the message Washington is sending.’

“Carlson denounced mainstream media bloviating… that U.S. defense is compromised ‘because Donald Trump took some classified documents home and didn’t immediately return them to the National Archives?… What a lie that is,’ Carlson said…”

Indeed!

Tucker Carlson: Moral Norms a Thing of the Past

LifeSiteNews wrote on June 9:

“Religious and ethical moral norms… are being rapidly undermined and replaced by ‘the people who run our country,’ argues Tucker Carlson in the second installment of his new show on Twitter…

“The former Fox News host… pointed out how formerly ‘it was taboo in this country to attack people on the basis of their race,’ but punishing them now ‘based on their skin color is not only permitted in modern America, it is mandatory for business and government and higher education, as long as the victims are white.’

“In addition, he provided the example of adultery having been considered a disqualifying factor for anyone seeking higher office as late as 1992, but Bill Clinton was the last presidential candidate who was required to face that standard, Carlson proposed.

“One by one, with increasing speed, our old taboos have been struck down… Stealing, flaunting your wealth, striking women, smoking marijuana on the street, shameless public hypocrisy, taking other people’s money for not working. All of these things used to be considered unacceptable in America. Not anymore.

‘So it probably shouldn’t surprise us that the greatest taboo of all is teetering on the edge of acceptability: child molestation,’ Carlson warned…

“This became more obvious due to an extensive Wall Street Journal ‘exposé about kiddy porn on Instagram’ earlier this week that Carlson observed. Despite the WSJ reporting how Instagram ‘helps connect and promote a vast network of accounts openly devoted to the commission and purchase of underage sex content,’ the most shocking aspect of this story was that nothing of any significance happened in response… ‘The Justice Department did not announce an investigation. Congress did not schedule hearings,’ he said.”

Rather than going after real criminals, the Justice Department is busy figuring out how to “get Trump.”

The CORRUPT FBI

Breitbart wrote on June 13:

“FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate admitted during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday that the FBI redacted any mention of audio recordings of Joe and Hunter Biden in a document shown last week to Republican lawmakers in which an FBI informant alleged the Bidens were involved in a bribery scheme around 2015 and 2016...

“Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) on Monday revealed that the document which was a transcript of an FBI interview with an informant, contained references to 17 alleged audio recordings — 15 with Hunter Biden and two with then-Vice President Joe Biden. However, Grassley said, when the document was made available to the House Oversight Committee last week under pressure from Republicans, the references to the audio recordings had been deleted…

“Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)… [told the FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate:] ‘There are two very clear standards of justice in this country. We see it every single day. The American people see this every single day. They look at you and see a politicized entity that is weaponizing an agency of the federal government against the American people…’”

Newsmax added on June 13:

“Texas Sen. Ted Cruz [stated to Abbate] that ‘people are mad at the FBI. Because you are stonewalling and covering up serious allegations of evidence of corruption from the president… You know who isn’t concerned? Not a single Senate Democrat. We’re going to go through this whole hearing, not one Democrat will ask a question about this. You know who else isn’t concerned? The corporate media who is joining with the Democrats in covering up the evidence.’…

“Blackburn said that ‘there is only one conclusion that any serious person could draw: There is a two-tiered system of justice under this administration. The American people know that, if they aren’t loyal to Washington’s liberal political elite or if their last name doesn’t happen to be Biden or Clinton, they are at risk of being targeted.’”

Who Sabotaged the Nord Stream Pipeline and the Kakhovka Dam?

On June 9, The Ron Paul Institute republished the following article by Professor Jonathan Turley:

“The Washington Post is reporting that material leaked by Jack Teixeira, a Massachusetts Air National Guardsman, revealed that the Biden Administration knew three months ago that it was Ukraine that was planning to sabotage the Nord Stream pipelines. Teixeira is now criminally charged under the Espionage Act. [This is one way of how to suppress important information and keep it hidden from the public.] If true, the Administration withheld the information for months as the media widely speculated that Russia blew up its own pipeline. Russia accused the United States of approving the attack by Ukrainian forces.

“President Joe Biden was presumably informed by the intelligence agencies. Yet, as speculation continued and Russia pointed fingers [at Ukrainian] and the US, Biden told the public ‘the Russians are pumping out disinformation and lies. We will work with our allies to get to the bottom (of) precisely what happened. Just don’t listen to what Putin’s saying. What he’s saying we know is not true.’

“As Biden ‘worked with our allies to get to the bottom of what happened,’ the Administration knew that months previously it was told by a Ukrainian whistleblower that the CIA was told that a six-person team of Ukrainian special forces were planning to rent a boat, dive to the seafloor and blow up the Nord Stream project. The operation was reportedly led by Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces.

“It is not clear what president Volodymyr Zelenskiy knew or when he knew it. However, we knew of this report long before the pipeline was destroyed in the very way described by the whistleblower…

“Now a new environmental disaster is building after sabotaging the Kakhovka hydro-electric dam in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine. Russia has accused Ukraine  and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused ‘Russian terrorists.’

“This follows new evidence that Ukraine appeared responsible for the drone attack on the Kremlin recently. Zelenskyy also denied any involvement in that attack…

“Western countries have stressed that their military aid to Ukraine was premised on the country not attacking Russia on Russian soil. However, the larger question is whether such intelligence should be kept from Congress and the public when we have already spent over $75 billion on Ukraine.  

“It also raises a continued question over the Biden Administration withholding evidence that contradicts its national security claims…

“If Ukraine is engaging in sabotage against our other allies (and the environment), we have a right to know. If committed by Ukraine, the drone attack on the Kremlin was remarkably stupid. It threatened an escalation of the conflict with little obvious military advantage. With tens of billions of dollars going to Ukraine and a world teetering on the brink of a large conflict, we (and particularly Congress) need to know if our allies are telling us the truth or whether they are reliable allies. Likewise, if Zelenskyy did not know of these major operations, it is a fair question to ask who is really in charge of the country or whether Zelenskyy is engaging in willful blindness…”

These questions, and many more, deserve answers. Under the present administration and its past Modus Operandi, it is doubtful that America will ever get those answers.

Is Compulsory Military Service Returning in Europe?

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 11:

“After the collapse of communism and the end of the Cold War in Europe, many countries abolished compulsory military service. But in the wake of the war in Ukraine, several are considering bringing it back… Germany suspended military service in 2011, but it can be reintroduced if the Bundestag determines there is a need for defense as stipulated by the country’s Basic Law…

“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has rejected a proposal by his defense minister, Boris Pistorius, to introduce compulsory military service. However, there are calls for a national debate on the issue from across the political spectrum.

“The Bundestag’s commissioner for the army, Eva Högl, who is also from the ruling Social Democrats like Scholz and Pistorius, recently suggested that a mandatory year of service in military or civilian institutions should be discussed. She also said that members of the military should talk about their work in schools.” 

The article also pointed out that “France is currently debating a ‘light’ form of compulsory military service. President Emmanuel Macron introduced the Universal National Service in 2019, which enables young people to volunteer for a month and serve their country. The government is now considering making this compulsory for all French nationals aged 15-17.”

These are frightening and alarming developments. Based on biblical prophecy, we can expect that compulsory military service will be introduced in Germany, France and other European countries.

Boris Johnson Steps Down

npr wrote on June 9:

“Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson shocked Britain on Friday by quitting as a lawmaker after being told he will be sanctioned for misleading Parliament… Johnson quit after receiving the results of an investigation by lawmakers over misleading statements he made to Parliament about ‘partygate,’ a series of rule-breaking government parties during the pandemic… that breached pandemic lockdown rules…

“By quitting, he avoids a suspension that could have seen him ousted from his Commons seat by his constituents, leaving him free to run for Parliament again.”

BBC News reported on June 9:

“Boris Johnson is stepping down immediately as a Tory MP after receiving an advance copy of the Partygate report… In the former prime minister’s fiery resignation statement, he said the process was ‘the very definition of a kangaroo court’. Mr Johnson received a copy on Thursday and claimed it was ‘riddled with inaccuracies and reeks of prejudice’… He continued that the committee’s ‘purpose from the beginning has been to find me guilty, regardless of the facts’.

“The statement went on to criticise the direction of the current conservative government. And Mr Johnson did not rule out a return to politics, saying ‘it is very sad to be leaving Parliament – at least for now’…”

Express added on June 9:

“Boris Johnson has resigned as an MP in dramatic fashion over what he and his supporters claim is a witch hunt against him. The former Prime Minister issued a shock statement just hours after his close ally Nadine Dorries announced she too was quitting Parliament in what now appears to be a coordinated move to force two damaging by-elections on Mr Sunak’s floundering government… forcing Mr Sunak to fight for his political life on a number of fronts…

“A close ally of Mr Johnson and former minister told the Daily Express: ‘… When this government falls apart – and it will – they will be begging Boris to come back… Sunak has no election mandate, no mandate from members, he is tearing up all the things we promised in the 2019 manifesto whether it is the Retained EU Law Bill, the Online Safety Bill, the Nationality and Borders Bill or the Northern Ireland Legacy Bill. Sunak has no moral authority and no policy platform.’”

Will Sunak fall and perhaps be replaced by Johnson?

Former Italian Leader Silvio Berlusconi Dies At 86

The Associated Press wrote on June 12:

“Adored, scorned, impossible to ignore in life, former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi in death drew tributes even from his critics, and ever more lavish praise from admirers, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as prayers from Pope Francis…

“Putin hailed Berlusconi as a ‘patriarch’ of Italian politics and a true patriot who had improved Italy’s standing on the world stage… ‘Undoubtedly, he was a politician of the European and the world scale,’ Putin said. ‘There are few such people in the international arena now. He was a great friend of our people and did a lot to develop business, friendly relations between Russia and European countries.’ Berlusconi had expressed reservations about sanctions against Russian interests over the invasion.

“Former U.S. President George W. Bush…recalled Berlusconi as a ‘vibrant leader with a personality to match… He strengthened the friendship between Italy and the United States...’

BBC News wrote on June 12:

“Four times he was prime minister, and each time it seemed his political career was over, he managed to confound his critics and bounce back. Nine years after he was banned from public office for tax fraud, he was back in parliament, elected to Italy’s Senate before he turned 86 in September 2022… Berlusconi, who has died at the age of 86, was a media mogul, football club owner and billionaire businessman who never gave up on politics – and helped shape Italy’s image for decades…

“He also became notorious for his questionable sense of humour after a number of high-profile gaffes. On one occasion, he suggested a German MEP would have made a good concentration camp guard – and on another, claimed Mussolini was actually a benign leader. He dismissed these statements as jokes. However, he was also a long-time friend of Vladimir Putin and blamed Ukraine for Russia’s invasion when his own government was strongly behind Kyiv…”

Declaration of War: Israel Considers Altering Temple Mount “Status Quo”

Israel Today wrote on June 9:

“Hamas last night issued an official response to Israeli lawmaker Amit Halevi’s (Likud) proposal to change current policy on the Temple Mount. According to Halevi’s plan, the Temple Mount would be divided into Muslim and Jewish sections and control of the holy site by the Jordanian Waqf would end.

“Halevi suggests that Muslims should continue to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque on the southern end of the complex. ‘If they pray there, it doesn’t make the entire Temple Mount a holy place for Muslims’…  Halevi made it clear that the entire plateau is sacred to the Jews and the Dome of the Rock is where the Temple once stood. In addition, regulations for Jews who want to enter the Temple Mount would be changed. Halevi demands that Jews, like Muslims, be allowed to enter the Temple Mount through any available gate, which has not been the case so far.

“Hamas describes the plan as ‘aggression in an attempt to exert sovereignty over al-Aqsa in the context of the fascist occupation government’s religious war.’ Palestinian terror groups also called the plan a ‘declaration of war’ and threatened a ‘thunderous explosion.’ Hamas called on the Palestinian people to tighten their grip on Al-Aqsa. An organization that identifies with the Palestinian cause even published a threat against Halevi’s life in connection with his plan.”

The Temple Mount and the Al Aqsa compound will continue to be in the news, as violence in that area will increase.

Masks and Vaccine Mandates Against COVID Now Deemed USELESS

Fox News wrote on June 10:

“… experts have been calling into question the efficacy of face masks.  A recent study published by the prestigious Cochrane Library, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health, dug into the findings of 78 randomized controlled trials to determine whether ‘physical interventions’ — including face masks and hand-washing — lessened the spread of respiratory viruses… ‘There is just no evidence that they [masks] make any difference. Full stop,’ Tom Jefferson, the study’s lead author, said in an interview.  When asked specifically about fitted N95 masks in health care settings, Jefferson said: ‘It makes no difference – none of it.’…

“A recent study from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University concluded that COVID vaccine mandates in nine major cities didn’t appear to make a difference in terms of curbing cases of deaths from the pandemic. The study came after last year, a director of the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer admitted at a hearing before the European Parliament that, at the time of its introduction, the COVID vaccine had never been tested for stopping transmission of the virus…”

Many have known this and stated it from the outset, but the mass media, in support of Big Pharma and certain governmental agencies, pursued and followed a different agenda.

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.

The answer is, probably more than most of us would have thought.   As we will see, when reviewed thoroughly, there are very many names, descriptions, attributes, functions and references that apply to Jesus Christ.

With this question, the first thing that may come to mind is the debate about what and how to call Jesus.   There are those who insist that it must be Yeshua.  Many others disagree:

On the website: https://biblescienceforum.com/ we read about the transliteration of Yeshua into the name Jesus.

Hebrew/Aramaic                   Yeshua                      

Greek                                    Ie-s-ous                     

Latin                                      Ie-s-us                        

English                                  Jesus                         

We might also add the following:

German                                  Jesus

French                                    Jésus

Spanish                                  Jesús

Italian                                      Gesù

In a Newsweek article from December 2018, we read the following: “Jesus Christ is celebrated as the reason for the season for many Christians–but is that his actual name? Due to the numerous translations the Bible has undergone, ‘Jesus’ is the modern term for the Son of God.

“His original Hebrew name is Yeshua, which is short for yehōshu’a. It can be translated to ‘Joshua,’ according to Dr. Michael L. Brown.” 

“Though his name may actually be Joshua, the name ‘Jesus’ wasn’t born out of creativity but also translation. When Yeshua is translated into Greek, which the New Testament is derived from, it becomes Iēsous, which in English spelling is ‘Jesus.’

“While some religious groups, like Messianic Jews, believe in worshipping Yeshua instead of Jesus, there doesn’t seem to be a complete right or wrong way to do it. It is said in the Bible that anyone who calls on the name of the Lord [will be] saved… (Romans 10:13). 

“Overall, the difference in names is due to translation. While a religious group may prefer one of the other, the Bible doesn’t explicitly deem one translation more respectful.”

To clarify, much more is involved for salvation than just calling on the name of the Lord, as a “magical formula.” We must understand that only in Jesus we can obtain salvation (Acts 4:12), but calling on and believing in Jesus is just the first step. It must be followed by repentance, believing in Jesus as our Savior for the remission of sins, believing in the gospel, proper baptism, the receipt of the Holy Spirit, and living a life of obedience to God until the day we die. 

We further read on the website oneforisrael.org: “It is true that his mother and friends called him Yeshua rather than Jesus, but if you know him as Jesus, does he mind that? Is it incorrect to call him Jesus? There are some who would argue till they’re blue in the face that it is critical to call him Yeshua and not Jesus, but Yeshua’s coming was also God’s time to take salvation to the gentiles. I believe that it was no accident that his name was disseminated in the international lingua-franca of the day: Greek. It was to go far and wide, to every nation on earth.”

On the website gotquestions.org, this matter is covered as follows (and we quote selectively for brevity):

“Yeshua is the Hebrew name, and its English spelling is ‘Joshua.’ Iesous is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name, and its English spelling is ‘Jesus.’ Thus, the names ‘Joshua’ and ‘Jesus’ are essentially the same; both are English pronunciations of the Hebrew and Greek names for our Lord. (For examples of how the two names are interchangeable, see Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8 in the KJV. In both cases, the word Jesus refers to the Old Testament character Joshua.)”

For clarification, the translation of the Authorized Version (KJV) of the word as “Jesus” is clearly wrong, as the Scriptures refer to “Joshua,” not “Jesus.” Still, the argument regarding the name as such is still valid. Continuing:

“Changing the language of a word does not affect the meaning of the word. We call a bound and covered set of pages a ‘book.’ In German, it becomes a buch. In Spanish, it is a libro; in French, a livre. The language changes, but the object itself does not. As Shakespeare said, ‘That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet’ (Romeo and Juliet, II:i). In the same way, we can refer to Jesus as ‘Jesus,’ ‘Yeshua,’ or ‘YehSou’ (Cantonese) without changing His nature. In any language, His name means ‘The Lord Is Salvation.’

“The Bible nowhere commands us to only speak or write His name in Hebrew or Greek. It never even hints at such an idea. Rather, when the message of the gospel was being proclaimed on the Day of Pentecost, the apostles spoke in the languages of the ‘Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene’ (Acts 2:9-10). In the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was made known to every language group in a way they could readily understand. Spelling did not matter.

“We refer to Him as ‘Jesus’ because, as English-speaking people, we know of Him through English translations of the Greek New Testament. Scripture does not value one language over another, and it gives no indication that we must resort to Hebrew when addressing the Lord. The command is to ‘call on the name of the Lord,’ with the promise that we ‘shall be saved’ (Acts 2:21; Joel 2:32). Whether we call on Him in English, Korean, Hindi, or Hebrew, the result is the same: the Lord is salvation.”

As mentioned above, we know that when we read the promise that “we shall be saved” when we call “on the name of the Lord,” it is very much more than that as we have covered in many sermons and our literature over many years.  It has to become a Way of Life not just by a once-in-a-lifetime acknowledgement of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

What we have covered so far is just one question about Jesus’ Name.   But there are so many more descriptions of Jesus.

In his book “Names, Titles, and Metaphors of the Lord Jesus Christ,” Donald W. Parry lists “more than one hundred names, titles, and metaphors of the Lord, together with references from the Old Testament. And remember that the Lord is none other than the premortal Jesus Christ. Each name or title serves to describe God’s perfections, attributes, divine qualities, sacred character, or His mission to humankind. For example, ‘Beloved, Glorious Lord,’ ‘Righteousness,’ and ‘Wonderful’ describe divine qualities. ‘Fountain,’ ‘Stone,’ ‘Star,’ and ‘Water’ are metaphors that describe one or more aspects of His nature or character. ‘Advocate,’ ‘Judge,’ ‘King,’… set forth [some] of His roles in the plan of salvation. ‘God of Heaven,’… and ‘King over all the earth’ portray His exalted position, majesty, and omnipotence. ‘Redeemer’ and ‘Savior’ describe aspects of the atoning sacrifice.  

“A number of these names and titles appear only once in the Old Testament, but others are attested multiple times. The names Holy One of Israel, God, Lord, Lord God, Lord of hosts, and Redeemer, for instance, each appear a dozen or more times in the book of Isaiah. No doubt there are other names and titles that can be added to the list.” 

Another author attests that there are some 200 names and titles of Christ found in the Bible.

We will review just some of these descriptions and will refer, where applicable, to previous Q&As or booklets that we have available. While we may make quite a few comments under some headings, generally we will be brief and limit comments because of the number we will cover in this series.  It might be worthwhile for readers to review each one in more depth at their own leisure.

We will underline the description or name that is attributed to Jesus. 

1. Creator

The Scriptures show us the might and majesty of the One whom the Father used to create all things as we see in Colossians 1:16-17 where Paul was writing about the pre-eminence of Christ: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.  And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”   Also, see 1 Corinthians 8:6.  At the instruction of the Father, He was Creator.

In our booklet: “Do You Know the Jesus of the Bible?” we quote two commentaries, as follows on pages 4 and 5:

“Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible points out, regarding Colossians 1:16: 

“‘Jesus Christ is the Creator of the universe; of all things visible and invisible; of all things that had a beginning, whether they exist in time or in eternity… he was prior to all creation, to all beings, whether in the visible or invisible world… Now, allowing… Paul to have understood the terms which he used, he must have considered Jesus Christ as being truly and properly God… Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things, therefore Jesus Christ must be, according to the plain construction of the apostle’s words, truly and properly God.’

“Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible comments on John 1:3:

“‘In this place it is affirmed that “creation” was effected by “the Word,” or the Son of God. In [Genesis 1:1], it is said that the Being who created the heavens and the earth was God. In [Psalm 102:25–28], this work is ascribed to Yahweh. The “Word,” or the Son of God, is therefore appropriately called “God”… he was the agent, or the efficient cause, by which the universe was made. There is no higher proof of omnipotence than the work of creation; and, hence, God often appeals to that work to prove that he is the true God, in opposition to idols… The Being, therefore, that “created” all things must be divine; and, since this work is ascribed to Jesus Christ, and as it is uniformly in the Scriptures declared to be the work of God, Jesus Christ is therefore equal with the Father.’”

In our recent booklet “God the Father is the Highest,” we read in our Introduction the following:

“There is a tendency in many churches to either under- or overemphasize the role and position of God the Father and of Jesus Christ. It is of tremendous importance that we understand the Truth in this regard, as it is revealed in the pages of the Bible. This booklet will show that God is a Family and a hierarchy, and this means, God the Father is the highest in the Godhead; He and Jesus Christ are NOT equal in authority. This understanding has tremendous importance for our daily Christian life.”

2. The Word

We read in John 1:1-3: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” And in verse 14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

In Genesis 1:1 we read about the creation: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Later in the chapter, after much creation, we see that the Father and the Word created man: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’  So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (verses 26-27).

God the Father created everything through Jesus Christ, the “Word” or the “Spokesman.” God the Father gave the command to Jesus; Jesus as the Spokesman or Executor uttered the word (Psalm 33:6; first phrase), and through the power of the Holy Spirit, creation occurred (Psalm 33:6, second phrase; the word “breath,” ruach in Hebrew, should be translated here as “spirit”; note also Psalm 104:30). 

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

A new Member Letter (June 2023) has been written and mailed to our subscribers. Brian Gale reflects on the pageantry of the recent crowning of King Charles the Third to remind us of the tremendous time ahead for Christians when Jesus Christ returns to establish the Kingdom of God when we, along with Him, will serve all of humanity.

“Spreng die Ketten dieser Welt,” last Sabbath’s sermonette given in Germany by Johann Schell, is now posted. Title in English: “Break the Chains of this World.”

“Death Grip on Life,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The term death grip refers to having a really tight hold on something and not letting go. Spiritually speaking, what is it that we need to hold on to firmly making sure that we don’t lose it?

“God’s Creation of the Animal World,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Why are certain animals at times very cruel? Why do ferocious predators exist? Did God create them that way? Why are we plagued today with mosquitoes, poisonous snakes or even killer bees? What do we learn from the Bible about God’s dealing with animals in this present day and age? How does God communicate with animals today? What role will animals play in the end time and beyond?

On June 10, 2023, Michael Link will present the sermonette, titled, “Death Grip On Life,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “God’s Creation of the Animal World.”

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.

Last year, I purchased an espresso machine that I use daily. I typically make three coffees a day, two for myself and one for my wife.

Before, I was using a hand grinder to grind my coffee fresh each morning. Each grind would take about 2 – 3 minutes to grind the beans fine enough to push hot water through it and make espresso. So, 2 – 3 minutes multiplied by 3 equals 6 to 9 minutes just in grinding the beans down.  (I have used the machine for nine months; 30×9=270 days) equals 2,430 minutes. If we divide that by 60 minutes, that is 40.5 hours.

So, I had spent almost the time of a full work-week (40 hours) grinding beans by hand! When I actually stopped to think about this fact, it shocked me! Even if it was only 2 minutes for each cup, it’s still about 27 hours. Now I have an electric grinder which automatically grinds the beans in about 30 seconds. This one device has shaved off minutes of making coffee each morning, essentially saving me days of time each year!

The right tool for the job saves time! I think this also iterates the fact that the little things that we do repeatedly over time build up. Good, bad, everything we do builds up and has effects.

What tools do we use in our Christian lives? Many of us have been in the Church of God for a very long time. But how much do we apply the tools of our trade? Are there areas where we are failing to apply the proper tools? Are we wandering aimlessly, using the wrong tools and getting bad results?

When God was giving instructions to Moses for the building of the traveling temple or tabernacle of God and the things to be placed therein and the garments needed to perform the service, all of it was intricate and it was to be built by craftsmen—people who knew what they were doing. These people didn’t just randomly have the ability. It says that they were skilled and then the Spirit of God led them. Exodus 28:3 states: “So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest.”

God hasn’t called us by random chance! God has called us and has given us the ability to accomplish what He needs us to do. Notice, Paul states in Ephesians 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”  It is easy to get caught up in our daily lives, with everything that is going on around us, and to miss the bigger picture. The Bible doesn’t leave us without knowledge of what to do. If we are involving God in our ways, then it’s clear that He will show us the ways and open the doors for us.

When it comes to our Christian lives, what is it that we are doing daily?

We know we should be praying always. We know we should be studying the Bible. We know what we should be doing. But how much are we actually really turning over to God?

What we need to keep in mind at all times is that we are not here fighting against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12). Rather, we are fighting daily against spiritual enemies that are trying to kill us—yes, physically, but more importantly, eternally. 

We can ONLY fight this fight by turning to our spiritual Helper and Guide. We need to realign ourselves with the proper tools to fight the battles and consider who our true enemy is. When we are not fully engaged and using the tools that God gives us, then Satan’s fog of confusion, deception and a whole host of other tools that he uses are active and are designed to cause us pain, grief and ultimately destruction. 2 Corinthians 2:11 tells us that Satan should not “take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

Our time here is limited. We are called now to do different tasks. Yet we ALL are in this struggle between life and death. We are each given the opportunity to take up and learn how to use the tools that God gives us. Ephesians 6:10-20 lays out for us the tools that are given to us. That then is our duty—to take them and to use them—to figure out how they find use and purpose in our lives. We should also realize that without these tools, it is impossible to win. Another area that comes to mind and that goes hand in hand with using these tools is learning how to utilize the fruit of the Spirit of God. The actions that come from this fruit is what is key. It is ONLY by studying—thinking about and really looking at our lives that we can come away with answers, with changes.

The tools that we have at our disposal are there for us to use at all times and in every situation that we find ourselves in—if we are in the mindset to do so. That really is what this life is about—being mindful of how we are living our lives. Time comes and goes; no matter, what we do. We should pay attention to how we are using the tools given to us because it will matter!

by Norbert Link

We begin with serious accusations against Joe Biden and the indictment of Donald Trump ON THE SAME DAY; articles and comments about the debt ceiling “deal”; continue with the fear that the US Government is becoming more and more totalitarian; and point out ridiculous and blasphemous attempts in Utah to prohibit the King James Bible [and other religious books] for elementary and middle school students. Please view in this regard our new StandingWatch program, titled, “The Bible Prohibited in Our School Libraries!”

We speak on medical concerns about the mental and physical fitness of President Biden; the differences between Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Donald Trump; open disagreement with Vladimir Putin on Russian state-approved television; and Putin’s “puppet,” Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko.

We address the decision of Switzerland, not to authorize the transfer of Swiss weapons to Ukraine; and Zelensky’s concerns about the return of Donald Trump.

We speak on the negative feelings of most Germans regarding their government; fears that Germany may be breaking down; Germany’s confrontation with left-wing extremism, and Germany’s problems with patriotism.

Please view in this regard our recent StandingWatch program, “The Ukraine War—Germany’s and Merkel’s Fault?” 

We also address Poland’s verbal attacks against France; the condemnation of Israel by ten European nations; and the swearing-in ceremony of Turkish President Erdogan.

We conclude with the Catholic’s view on the sign of the cross and concerns about electric cars.

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

Biden Accused; Trump Infected

 Newsmax wrote on June 8:

“An executive of the Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings paid then-Vice President Joe Biden $5 million as part of a bribery scheme, according to the FBI document that is part of the House Oversight Committee probe into the incident, Fox News reported Thursday.

“Biden’s son Hunter Biden was a member of the Burisma board.”

The New York Post wrote on June 8:

“Former President Trump says he has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that he mishandled classified material by keeping hundreds of sensitive documents from his time in the White House at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida… ‘The corrupt Biden Administration has informed my attorneys that I have been Indicted, seemingly over the Boxes Hoax,’ Trump wrote… that went on to criticize President Biden’s handling of classified material. 

“‘I have been summoned to appear at the Federal Courthouse in Miami on Tuesday, at 3 PM. I never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former President of the United States… I AM AN INNOCENT MAN!’ Trump wrote.  ‘This is indeed a DARK DAY for the United States of America. We are a Country in serious and rapid Decline…’”

On the same day President Biden is accused of obtaining illegal payments from Burisma, former President Trump gets indicted. The timing is far too obvious than to be ignored; especially since the prosecutor is a left-wing Democrat, and no criminal charges have been filed against Joe Biden, Hunter Biden and even Hillary Clinton, even though “investigations” involving them have been going on for many years. Many have reacted to the news by saying that America has indeed become a third world Banana Republic. 

Debt Ceiling Bill Enacted

ABC News wrote on June 1:

“The Senate on Thursday night passed legislation to lift the nation’s debt ceiling… The final vote was 63-36…

“Schumer painted the debt limit deal as a broad victory for Democrats late Thursday night during a press conference just after the legislation passed… Schumer’s comments come after an aggressive effort by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to cast the bill as a GOP victory. But Schumer pointed to the vote margins in the House and Senate, noting that the bill enjoyed more support from Democrats than it did from Republicans in both chambers…

“The Fiscal Responsibility Act, the product of weeks of contentious negotiation between Biden and McCarthy, will raise the $31.4 trillion debt limit through Jan. 1, 2025, while also implementing some caps on government spending and policy changes… The compromise legislation was met with opposition from wings of both parties — hardline Republicans and progressive Democrats…”

Biden signed the bill on Saturday, June 3.

What the suspension of the debt limit until January 1, 2025 means is that it “essentially gives the Treasury Department the latitude to borrow as much money as it needs to pay the nation’s bills during that time period, plus a few months after the limit is reached, as the department employs accounting maneuvers to keep up payments… the debt limit will be set at whatever level it has reached when the suspension ends… The suspension will kick the next potential fight over the nation’s debt load to 2025 — past the next presidential election” (The New York Times, dated June 2).

However, another fight is just around the corner, when federal funding is set to run out in October 2023. As the Huffington Post reported on June 3:

“Senate Republicans are demanding that Congress pass additional legislation to boost defense spending… such a bill could also prove convenient for sending additional money to Ukraine in its defense against Russia. Of course, any additional spending this year would need the approval of the GOP-led House, where skepticism of more aid to Ukraine runs rampant.

“Another part of the bill could cause chaos this year by automatically cutting defense and nondefense funding if lawmakers fail to wrap up the dozen bills to fund government agencies by the end of the year…

“Given the razor-thin margin Republicans have in the House, they’ll likely need Democratic help to pass the funding bills. And the Republican opponents of the debt limit deal meant to ease the annual budget process are unlikely to make things any easier.”

The US Government Becomes More and More Totalitarian

The Rutherford Institute wrote on or about May 31:

“To be convicted of seditious conspiracy, the charge levied against Stewart Rhodes who was sentenced to 18 years in prison for being the driving force behind the January 6 Capitol riots, one doesn’t have to engage in violence against the government, vandalize government property, or even trespass on property that the government has declared off-limits to the general public.

“… This is about the long-term ramifications of empowering the government to wage war on individuals whose political ideas and expression challenge the government’s power, reveal the government’s corruption, expose the government’s lies, and encourage the citizenry to push back against the government’s many injustices.

“This is about criminalizing political expression in thoughts, words and deeds. This is about how the government has used the events of Jan. 6 in order to justify further power grabs and acquire more authoritarian emergency powers. 

“This was never about so-called threats to democracy… Indeed, by the government’s own definition, America’s founders were seditious conspirators based on the heavily charged rhetoric they used to birth the nation.

“Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, Marquis De Lafayette, and John Adams would certainly have been charged for suggesting that Americans should not only take up arms but be prepared to protect their liberties and defend themselves against the government should it violate their rights. Had America’s founders feared revolutionary words and ideas, there would have been no First Amendment, which protects the right to political expression, even if that expression is anti-government.

“No matter what one’s political persuasion might be, every American has a First Amendment right to protest government programs or policies with which they might disagree... Unfortunately, the government is increasingly losing its tolerance for anyone whose political views could be perceived as critical or ‘anti-government.’…

“For years now, the government has used all of the weapons in its vast arsenal—surveillance, threat assessments, fusion centers, pre-crime programs, hate crime laws, militarized police, lockdowns, martial law, etc.—to target potential enemies of the state based on their ideologies, behaviors, affiliations and other characteristics that might be deemed suspicious or dangerous…”

“Republicans Fiscally Irresponsible Act”

In his weekly column, Ron Paul wrote the following on June 5:

“The political and financial class breathed a sigh of relief when Congress passed the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. The bill suspends the debt ceiling for two years, thus avoiding the establishment’s nightmare of a government default on its debt. Rather, it allows the government to continue adding trillions of dollars of debt that will be monetized by the Federal Reserve.

“Of course, this default will be felt by the people in the form of an inflation tax. This inflation tax may be the worst of all taxes, because it is both hidden and regressive. Politicians love to point the finger at greedy corporations, labor unions, and even consumers for increasing prices instead of taking responsibility for the legislation they pass that incentivizes the Federal Reserve to create more inflation.

“Republican supporters of the bill claim it begins to roll back the excessive spending of the Biden years. While the bill does rescind $28 billion of unspent COVID funds, it  just recycles that money into the Fiscal Year 2024 budget. Thus it does not save taxpayers a dime. The bill does cap domestic discretionary spending for Fiscal Year 2024 at $704  billion and spending for Fiscal Year 2025 at $711 billion. However, these caps come from a budget whose baseline includes the increased COVID spending. The bill only cuts spending by 0.1 to 0.2 percent of gross domestic product over the next two years  – assuming Congress does not reverse the cuts. Of course, it makes no attempt to actually cut spending, much less eradicate any illegitimate and unconstitutional government agencies, cabinet departments, or programs. 

“Even though ‘defense’ is the third largest item in the budget (behind social security, Medicare, and interest in the national debt), our annual military budget alone is more than the combined  budgets of the next ten biggest spending countries. The Fiscal Responsibility Act doesn’t take a penny away from the military budget; instead it matches President Biden’s request for a 3.2 percent increase.  This increase comes despite the fact that the Pentagon has never complied with the law requiring it to pass an audit.  

“Biden’s military budget is the largest in United States history and probably world history. Deep State Republicans like South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham never met a war he didn’t love.  Graham and his allies threatened to block passage of the bill unless the military spending was increased and more taxpayer money—and Ukraine and Russian lives — wasted in the Ukraine Russian conflict…

“The Fiscal Responsibility Act will result in increased government spending, debt, and deficits. It will also further erode the value of the United States Dollar, thus making it more likely that the US dollar will lose its world reserve currency status sooner rather than later…”

King James Bible Prohibited in US Schools

Newsmax wrote on June 2:

“The King James Bible is being removed from elementary and middle school libraries [for the 72,000-student Davis School District north of Salt Lake City, Utah] after a complaint that it contained passages describing sex and violence. High schools in the county will still be able to keep the scriptures on their library shelves.

“A three-person committee, appointed by the county school district to determine if the Bible is appropriate for students to see, found it contained vulgarity or violence…”

The Associated Press added on June 2:

“The committee published its decision in an online database of review requests and did not elaborate on its reasoning or which passages of the Bible it found overly violent or vulgar…

“The reviews are handled by a committee made up of teachers, parents and administrators in the predominantly conservative community where most people are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints…

“Most members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints read the Bible along with other scriptures, including the Book of Mormon…

“The Bible has long found itself on the American Library Association’s list of most challenged books and was temporarily pulled off shelves last year in school districts in Texas and Missouri…”

This is the epitome of nonsense and appalling abomination… but the Bible has been prohibited before, including for many decades by the Catholic Church. Obviously, Satan has always been behind those movements to suppress the Truth of God’s Word.

Now the Book of Mormon?

The Salt Lake Tribune wrote on June 2:

“The Utah school district… received a new request Friday targeting another religious text: the Book of Mormon… The request calls for the book to be reviewed for containing violence, which includes battles, beheadings and kidnappings among its stories. Members of the faith believe the text was translated from golden plates by church founder Joseph Smith.

“The complaint is the latest in a snowballing process for reviewing school literature in Utah. A law was passed in 2022 to allow parents to submit requests for removal of books containing any ‘pornographic’ or ‘indecent material.’…

“Now with the Book of Mormon challenge, the district will form another committee to review that book to determine if it violates the law… [Davis spokesperson Christopher Williams] said there have not been complaints filed on other religious texts, such as the Quran….”

Biden Not Fit Mentally and Physically

The New York Post wrote on June 4:

“Texas GOP Rep. Ronny Jackson, a former White House physician, is continuing to raise flags over President Biden’s health, concluding that he is ‘not fit mentally or physically’ after the president fell on stage Thursday during a commencement ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Academy… ‘I think his lack of physical ability and his physical decline is now starting to highlight the cognitive decline that we’ve been watching for so long now,’ Jackson said.

“‘It’s… becoming a national security issue for us… To think that this man thinks he can be president at the age of 86 when he’s 80 right now [and] could be in office for another six years is just malpractice on part of the White House in the West Wing to allow this to be happening, for him to even be talking about running for another term… Somebody needs to be held accountable. People like Jill Biden and people that surround him and are supposed to love him and care about him, they should be doing something about this, and they should be stopping this because it’s a shame.’…

“Jackson… said he does not ‘honestly think he can finish the time he’s got left, but should he finish that time, there’s no way this man can be our president for another four years.’

“Jackson previously served as the White House physician to former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, and has repeatedly questioned whether Biden is cognitively fit for office…”

In a related article, the New York Post wrote on June 3:

“It was alarming to watch Joe Biden take a tumble Thursday at the Air Force Academy commencement. But the really scary thought is that if he had landed head-first, Kamala Harris would be sitting in the Oval Office. Talk about terrifying!… the sensible Americans who make up a majority of the nation would be living in fear of the human word salad playing with the nuclear football and the possibility that her cackle could be the soundtrack of Armageddon…”

Scary indeed…

Kennedy vs. Trump

Fox News reported on May 31:

“Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. lashed out at former President Donald Trump Tuesday, blasting him over what appears to be his deep ties to Big Pharma. ‘Donald Trump owns stock in Pfizer and J&J, who bought fancy tickets to his inauguration and placed pharma shills high in his administration,’ Kennedy tweeted, linking to a separate tweet from a journalist detailing what he framed as a number of conflicts of interest between Trump and the pharmaceutical industry during his time in the White House. ‘That’s how Washington works. It is not the exception, but the rule. It is a form of legalized bribery,’ Kennedy added. ‘This kind of thing is so normalized that a lot of people take it for granted as normal. I promise you, corruption will no longer be normal when I am President.’

“The journalist Kennedy referenced, Pedro Gonzalez of Chronicles Magazine, noted in his tweet Pfizer’s donation of $1 million to Trump’s presidential inauguration committee following his election victory in 2016. Gonzalez also pointed to the subsequent nominations of former Trump administration officials Scott Gottlieb and Alex Azar, and their connections to the pharmaceutical industry as an executive and lobbyist respectively…

“Gonzalez claimed Trump ‘killed’ plans for a vaccine safety commission, which he said would have included Kennedy, because of his connections to Big Pharma.”

And let us not forget that Trump’s unwise policy – to say the least – was largely responsible for lockdowns, prohibition of tourism entering the US, and other unreasonable Corona restrictions, and the push for unsafe vaccines. And Trump has not changed his mind, as the next article shows.

LifeSiteNews wrote on June 2:

“Former President Donald Trump doubled down yet again on his support of the COVID-19 jabs this week, dismissing the concerns of an Iowa voter who suggested the controversial shots resulted in her community having ‘lost people.’… It is not clear if she was referring to lost lives due to vaccine-related deaths or lost jobs due to vaccine mandates. ‘Everybody wanted a vaccine at that time,’ Trump responded. ‘And I was able to do something that nobody else could have done, getting it done very, very rapidly. But I never was for mandates. I was, I thought the mandates were terrible…’

“Trump’s refusal to acknowledge evidence of the shots’ risk has long been one of the biggest points of contention with former supporters… In January of this year, he dismissed potential safety issues by suggesting that ‘problems’ were in ‘relatively small numbers,’ while stressing that ‘some people say that I saved 100 million lives worldwide.’ At the time, mRNA technology pioneer and prominent COVID establishment critic Dr. Robert Malone revealed that he once filmed a video meant to encourage Trump to change his mind on the subject, but it had ‘no impact.’

“DeSantis too was an early supporter of the COVID vaccines, although the governor’s position has changed as more data about their harms has come to light. For more than a year, DeSantis and his administration have spoken about the ineffectiveness of the shots, and his administration began conducting its own studies, which concluded that they should not be taken by younger men. In December, the Florida Supreme Court approved DeSantis’s request for a grand jury investigation into the claims of the vaccines’ manufacturers….”

Better late than never…

OK! added on June 1:

“[Gonzalez also wrote:] ‘That’s also why Trump killed the vaccine safety commission Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was supposed to lead. That and the fact Trump cared more about the counsel of people like Bill Gates on vaccines than his own supporters…’

“According to a 2018 report by The Guardian, the group Trump killed was made of vaccine skeptics and was going to investigate a potential link between childhood vaccinations and autism. Kennedy claims he was contacted by the Trump White House to join the group, but then they went radio silent.”

Kennedy stated in an interview with Newsmax on June 2 that he is not against vaccines which are proven to be safe, but that for most of them, such proof has been lacking.

Trump Refused to Fire Fauci. Why?

Newsmax wrote on June 5:

“The campaign for Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis is firing back at COVID-19 barbs hurled by Donald Trump, trolling the former president for refusing to fire Dr. Anthony Fauci... sharing a campaign video ad… The ad… cuts to then-President Trump talking about how he cannot fire Fauci during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns… ‘Today I walk in, I hear I’m going to fire him,’ Trump is shown during one of his 2020 pandemic daily press briefings. ‘I’m not firing him. I think he’s a wonderful guy.’

“The DeSantis War Room campaign ad then turns to multiple interviews where Trump admitted he did not fire Fauci because of ‘a firestorm on the left,’ saying he was not ‘allowed to,’ and even Trump admitting that Fauci was a problem. ‘Every time he goes on television there’s a bomb, but there’s even a bigger bomb if you fire him,’ Trump says in a TV interview in the ad…

“DeSantis has famously called Fauci ‘an elf’ who needed to be ‘chucked across the Potomac River.’…”

There can be no doubt that Trump’s refusal to fire Fauci was one of his biggest mistakes during his presidency.

Revocation of Johnson and Johnson COVID Vaccine

LifeSiteNews wrote on June 5:

“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revoked the emergency use authorization (EUA) of the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine. The revocation happened officially due to the manufacturer’s own request…  The Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID inoculation is produced by its subsidiary Janssen Biotech and was authorized for emergency use on February 27, 2021…

“While J&J’s EUA was officially withdrawn because all the available doses in the U.S. have expired and the pharma giant decided to discontinue the product, the FDA and others have raised concerns about the safety of the J&J injection in the past.

“In May 2022, the FDA limited the use of the J&J COVID vaccine for some adults due to increased risk of blood clots. A year earlier, in April 2021, the FDA and CDC had temporarily put a ‘pause’ on the J&J shot after cases of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) occurred within a week or two after receiving the inoculation. 

“Moreover, in July 2021, the FDA added the risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that can cause paralysis, as a potential side effect of the J&J COVID shot after preliminary reports of GBS following vaccination had been recorded.

“‘The FDA should have revoked the emergency approval long ago because, first, there is no emergency and, second, J&J has an evidently unfavorable risk-benefit ratio,’ German author and university professor Stefan Homburg opined on Twitter. ‘But then the agency would have admitted its mistake. This is an elegant way to get out of it.’”

Open Criticism of Putin on Russia’s State TV

The Daily Mail wrote on June 1:

“A Russian politician has launched an extraordinary attack on Vladimir Putin, calling for the despot to be ousted from office and replaced during an appearance on state TV. Opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin, who has criticised Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, said on Russia’s NTV channel that Russians must choose a different leader in the country’s 2024 elections…

“It marked the first time anyone had called for Putin to be replaced on Russian state-approved TV since the war began in February 2022, Britain’s Ministry of Defence said. Nadezhdin said that under Putin’s rule, ‘there is no way for us to come back to Europe’…

“While Putin’s propagandists have openly criticised the state of Russia’s military and the war efforts, they have steered clear of condemning Putin – but Nadezhdin has done just that…”

Putin’s Puppet Belarus

Politico wrote on June 2:

“‘The only mistake’ Russia and Belarus made was ‘that we didn’t resolve this issue in 2014-2015, when Ukraine had no army and wasn’t prepared,’ Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko said. In 2014, Russia illegally invaded Crimea and annexed it from Ukraine, and Kremlin-backed fighters seized territory in eastern Ukraine.

“Lukashenko’s comments… indicate that Lukashenko has fully embraced his transformation into Russian President Vladimir Putin’s puppet… helping Moscow launch its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and agreeing to host Russian nuclear weapons on his country’s soil…”

Belarus, or White Russia, is part of the biblical Medes, as are many Ukrainians. They will ultimately be united with Russia against Europe.

Switzerland Votes Against Arms Transfer to Ukraine

Bild Online wrote on June 1:

“The Swiss parliament has voted against a law that would have allowed third countries to transfer arms produced in Switzerland to Ukraine. On Thursday, the National Council in Bern voted 98 to 75 against the draft law known as ‘Lex Ukraine’.

“In view of the Russian invasion, a discussion has flared up about Switzerland’s traditional strict neutrality. Despite intense pressure from Kiev and its supporters, Switzerland refuses to allow countries in possession of Swiss-made weapons to export them to Ukraine.

“Applications from Germany, Spain and Denmark were rejected with reference to the Swiss War Physical Substance Act (Kriegsmaterialgesetz), which prohibits arms deliveries to war zones.”

EU Extends Import Restrictions on Ukrainian Grain

Bild Online wrote on June 5:

“The European Union (EU) extends restrictions on grain imports from Ukraine. The Brussels authorities announced that the trade restrictions will remain in place until September 15.

“The restrictions affect Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, where certain types of grain from Ukraine can no longer be traded freely. However, the transit of goods to other EU countries is permitted. Due to the Russian invasion, no tariffs are currently being levied on Ukrainian grain.”

Zelensky Concerned About Trump Re-Election

Breitbart wrote on June 4:

“In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted he has concerns about the possible re-election of Donald Trump next year, saying that he was unsure how exactly the Republican leader would have reacted had Russia invaded during his presidency. The Ukrainian head-of-state also praised the response of the Biden administration, which has regularly handed over billions of dollars worth of weapons aid to the Eastern European nation since Moscow’s invasion began last year.

“Asked how he felt about Donald Trump, Zelensky admitted that he was more comfortable with dealing with Biden and that the return of a Republican-led government could end up being difficult for his war effort… He also appeared uncomfortable with Donald Trump’s claim that he would be able to negotiate a peace settlement to the Ukraine War within 24 hours, adding that the 45th American leader did not seem to care that Ukrainian territory — namely Crimea — was being ‘occupied’ by Russia during his presidency after being illegally annexed under the Obama administration in 2014…”

Tucker Carlson’s First Independent Show

 Breitbart wrote on June 6:

“Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson released the first episode of his revamped talk show on Twitter Tuesday evening, criticizing the establishment’s unwavering support for the Ukraine war effort and its silencing of alternative narratives…

“Carlson opened his show by discussing reports that the Nova Kakhova dam in southern Ukraine blew up, and he criticized establishment media figures who quickly blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin… ‘the Kokovka dam was effectively Russian, it was built by the Russian government. It currently sits in Russian-controlled territory,” Carlson noted. ‘The dam’s reservoir supplies water to Crimea, which has been for the last 240 years home of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Blowing up the dam may be bad for Ukraine, but it hurts Russia more. And for precisely that reason the Ukrainian government has considered destroying it.’

“Carlson said a ‘fair person would conclude that the Ukrainians probably blew it up, just as you would assume they blew up the Nord Stream Russian natural gas pipeline last fall.’… Carlson also chided Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and presidential hopeful Nikki Haley (R) for their unwavering support of the Ukrainian war effort…”

Newsmax added that the show garnered about 80 million views, perhaps more.

 Most Germans Extremely Unhappy with their Government

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 2:

“Never before have voters in Germany been this unhappy with the current coalition government: Only one in five says they are doing a good job…

“The far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) is the main beneficiary. Its approval ratings have gone up by another 2% since May and, if elections were held now, would win 18% nationwide putting them on a par with Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s SPD. In several eastern states, the AfD has long been the strongest party…

“In the latest survey, the pollsters paid particular attention to the AfD sympathizers. They asked them what their main reason would be to vote for the far-right and found that it is mainly dissatisfaction with all the other parties, and especially the government. Only 32% claim to fully support the AfD’s policies.

“When asked about the issues that prompt them to vote for the AfD, an overwhelming majority of respondents named the far-right’s critical stance on immigration. 47% said they side with the AfD in its opposition to the government’s climate and environment energy policies, and 43% said they were concerned about the economy…

“Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) has drafted a law to come into effect in 2024, mandating that all new heating systems installed would have to use 65% renewable energy instead of oil or natural gas… 49% [of voters] oppose it. 67% say they are worried that they won’t be able to shoulder the financial burden of installing the new heating systems.

“… Only 28% of respondents in the latest survey support the delivery of German fighter jets to Ukraine… Overall, support for weapons deliveries to Ukraine is declining, only a minority believes that the arms deliveries should be stepped up.

“The call for diplomacy is mounting: 55% now say the German government’s attempts at reaching negotiations to end the fighting should be intensified…”

Germany—Europe’s Economic Engine—Is Breaking Down”

On May 27, 2023, Bloomberg published the following article:

“Germany has been Europe’s economic engine for decades, pulling the region through one crisis after another. But that resilience is breaking down, and it spells danger for the whole continent.

“Decades of flawed energy policy, the demise of combustion-engine cars and a sluggish transition to new technologies are converging to pose the most fundamental threat to the nation’s prosperity since reunification. But unlike in 1990, the political class lacks the leadership to tackle structural issues gnawing at the heart of the country’s competitiveness…

“Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s make-shift coalition has reverted to petty infighting over everything from debt and spending to heat pumps and speed limits as soon as the risks of energy shortfalls eased. But the warning signals are getting hard to ignore…

“With Scholz’s messy three-way coalition racked with bickering, Germany is poised for instability…”

Left-Wing Extremism in Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 3:

“Germany’s domestic intelligence agency says left-wing extremism is growing… left-wing violence was directed ‘primarily at the police and right-wing extremists, but also … at business enterprises, especially in the real estate sector.’…

“[The] domestic intelligence agency report saw a ‘high level of radicalization’ among violence-oriented left-wing extremists…”

Germany’s Problem with Patriotism

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 4:

“The problem of German patriotism is virtually as old as the Federal Republic itself, with scars from the wounded pride that came in the aftermath of World War II still felt today… Germany’s history obviously means that patriotism is always going to be deeply problematic…

“The German national colors — black, red and gold — have had a highly politicized history, and rarely served to unite all Germans in the same way that, say, the US Stars and Stripes or the British Union Jack always did.

“The black-red-gold colors were first waved by individual corps of the Prussian army fighting to liberate Europe from Napoleon. They established themselves as the German Confederation’s national colors in the early 19th century, and the flag itself was adopted by the national assembly following the 1848 revolutions, when national identity, liberty and individual rights became intertwined with an anti-monarchist surge.

“But the colors went out of fashion as Prussia’s power increased and the monarchy reasserted itself and in 1871, black, white and red became the colors of the new German Reich. The black-red-gold pattern was readopted by the Weimar Republic in 1919 after the fall of Kaiser Wilhelm II, only to be dropped yet again by the Nazis in 1934…

“Germans have become less squeamish about flying the national colors in the past two decades, especially when supporting the national sports teams…

“Yet in the past few years, the black-red-gold colors and the issue of patriotism have been increasingly co-opted by far-right political forces like the Islamophobic PEGIDA movement and the anti-immigration political party AfD, founded in 2013.

“[Germany’s biggest opposition party, the] CDU [is] trying to bring back ‘constitutional patriotism’. The CDU has now made it its business to win back national pride from the far right…”

Patriotism—or more accurately stated, nationalism—will see a comeback in Germany.

Poland Attacks France

Express wrote on June 3:

“Poland has slapped down French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent charm offensive to Eastern Europe amid suspicion in Warsaw that France is prepared to sell out Ukrainian territory in a peace deal with Russia. The fresh Polish criticism of Mr Macron comes just days after the French leader offered an olive branch to the countries of NATO’s Eastern flanks, openly admitting the region’s concerns over Russia had been ignored.

“Attacking both the French and German response to Putin’s barbaric war, Polish diplomat [and former Minister of Defense] Jacek Saryusz-Wolski [said:] ‘There is a huge appetite for freezing the conflict although not openly admitted. I think all the dreams of Macron and Scholz are to have peace at the prize of giving up part of the territory of Ukraine and to have the frozen conflict as you know which could last for decades. [Macron] says nice things, he is a master of lies…’”

Ten Nations Against Israel

The Times of Israel wrote on May 27:

“A consortium of diplomatic missions across Europe, led by the Office of the European Union Representative to the West Bank and Gaza, called on Israel to stop all demolitions of schools and other structures that were built with humanitarian help in the West Bank, and allow humanitarian organization workers to operate freely in the territory and in East Jerusalem.

“In a press statement Friday, the consulates general of Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, and the representative offices of Denmark, Finland, Germany and Ireland, as well as the EU office to the West Bank and Gaza, slammed Israel for the recent demolition earlier this month of an EU-funded school in the Palestinian village of Jubbet al-Dhib near Bethlehem, and the ‘threatened demolition of another 57 schools in the West Bank.’

“In early May, Israeli Civil Administration engineers razed the school in Jubbet al-Dhib, which Palestinians constructed in 2017 without a permit in the Herodium national park in the West Bank. The demolition followed a District Court ruling from March, in which the structure was defined as a safety hazard at risk of imminent collapse. The EU harshly criticized the move…”

Britain (Ephraim) is still mixing itself among the nations of the EU, as a burned unturned cake (Hosea 7:8), unaware or unwilling to admit that its prior power is gone (verse 9).

Erdogan Sworn In

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 3:

“Turkish President Recap Tayyip Erdogan was sworn in for his third consecutive term on Saturday after winning a runoff election last weekend… Erdogan’s new five-year mandate will allow him to continue pursuing an increasingly authoritarian program domestically while charting an independent path as a regional military power amid global crises…

“Afterwards, he will attend a ceremony at the Presidential Palace followed by a dinner attended by 21 heads of state and 13 prime ministers, as well as high-level officials from other countries like the United States and China… NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is due to attend the ceremony, and he will also hold bilateral talks with Erdogan on Sunday.

“Turkey has been in the spotlight after Finland and Sweden moved to join NATO in the wake of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Ankara was among the last NATO members to ratify Finland’s membership in March. But it has held out on allowing Sweden to join over Stockholm’s reluctance to extradite exiled members of Kurdish groups that Turkey claims to be ‘terrorists’ with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

“The NATO secretary general previously said his visit to Turkey aimed to ‘ensure the fastest possible accession of Sweden’ to the military alliance… ‘My message is that Sweden has delivered, and the time has come to ratify Sweden,’ Stoltenberg told reporters on Thursday.”

It is unclear in what way Sweden has “delivered.”

The Sign of the Cross

Aciafrica wrote on June 4:

“Each time that a Catholic makes the sign of the cross, it is a reminder that God is a communion of love, Pope Francis said Sunday… ‘God is love. God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and he [who exactly?] gave his life for us, so we make the sign of the cross,’ he said… Pope Francis pointed out that one way to picture the Holy Trinity is to think of ‘the image of a family gathered around the table, where life is shared.’…

“‘The invitation he [speaking of the Holy Spirit] extends to us, we might say, is to sit at the table with God to share in his love. This is what happens at every Mass, at the altar of the Eucharistic table, where Jesus offers himself to the Father and offers himself for us.’”

Such confusion and ignorance. The Holy Spirit is NOT God or a Person; God is NOT a Trinity; and Christ gave His life for us ONCE… He is not sacrificed every time when the “Eucharist” is taken.

The Problems With Electric Cars

Express wrote on June 4:

“Mr Bean star Rowan Atkinson has written a very considered piece about why he feels ‘duped’ by the electric car trend and the realities of their overall impact on the environment… Rowan Atkinson… got an electric hybrid 18 years ago and his first all-electric car nine years later… [He wrote in the Guardian:] ‘When you start to drill into the facts, electric motoring doesn’t seem to be quite the environmental panacea it is claimed to be. The problem with the initiative is that it seems to be based on conclusions drawn from only one part of a car’s operating life: what comes out of the exhaust pipe.’

“He was writing in response to the government’s proposal to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030. He cited figures released by Volvo in the lead-up to the Cop26 climate conference. They revealed that greenhouse gas emissions in the production of an electric car were 70 per cent higher than in the manufacturing of a petrol one due to the resource-sapping lithium ion batteries… He pointed out that ‘solid-state’ batteries, which will revolutionise the game are ‘years away’ from going on sale…

“Aside from a love of cars, Rowan is actually fully qualified to offer his opinions on this. He studied electrical and electronic engineering at university before gaining a subsequent master’s in control systems…”

The Sun added on June 4:

“‘Electric motoring isn’t the environmental solution it is claimed to be,’ he wrote in an essay for the Guardian. He accused car makers of following a ‘fast fashion’ model and urged motorists to keep their vehicles for longer… Mr Atkinson claims when friends ask if they should make the switch to electric he asks them to ‘hold off for now’.

“Meanwhile, it’s been revealed recharging electric cars at public points costs more to run than petrol motors.”

And it takes a lot longer than just putting gasoline in your car. It has also been claimed by mechanics that electric cars are dangerous and that most essential parts are only manufactured in China.

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.

In our recent series on God’s love, we discussed God’s relationship with men and the question of whether God has unconditional love for all people. In this Q&A, we will address the question of whether God requires unconditional love between human beings, and if not, what does He require of His people?

We read that we must love our neighbor as ourselves (compare Matthew 19:19; 22:39; Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8).

As we are to love our fellow man AS ourselves, do we have unconditional love for ourselves?

We read that we love and cherish our own flesh and that it would be highly unnatural to hate ourselves. Ephesians 5:29 states: “For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.”

But this does not mean that we have unconditional love for ourselves. Paul said in Romans 7:15-25 that he hated what he was doing, when he sinned: “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do… I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice… O wretched man that I am!…”

Christ said that if we do not hate others and ourselves, we cannot be His disciples (compare Luke 14:26). We explained in a previous Q&A, this means loving less by comparison (compare the parallel account in Matthew 10:37). But some have also suggested that it could refer to the evil in ourselves and in others which we must hate.

Christ looked at people with anger, hating what they were doing and what they were (compare Mark 3:5). Christ had righteous anger. Many times, we do not reflect that kind of anger, and we are warned to be careful to control our anger, even when it is justified. James 1:19-20 tells us: “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” Proverbs 16:32 adds: “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” And Ecclesiastes 7:9 elaborates: “Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, For anger rests in the bosom of fools.”

But there is time for righteous anger. Matthew 5:22 states the dangers we are in when we are angry with our brother “without a cause,” implying that there are justified occasions to be angry with our brother for a cause. But even then, we are admonished to control our anger. Ephesians 4:26-27 says:

“‘Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.”

Still, there are situations when we can and should be angry with our neighbor because of their conduct. Christ gives us this instructive parable in Luke 14:16-24: “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ But they all with one accord began to make excuses… Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’… For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.'”

Here, the master of the house [representative of God the Father] is described with righteous anger over the ingratitude of those who were invited to his supper. In Mark 12:1-9, the owner of the vineyard [again representing God the Father] destroys the evil vinedressers who had killed his son, and gave the vineyard to others. Even though these parables describe what God will do, they show that righteous anger is justified. David, a man after God’s own heart, expressed his anger over wicked evildoers in those dramatic terms, in Psalm 139:19-22:

“Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men. For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain. Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.”

David hated the evildoers with perfect hatred. Perfect hatred here means fully balanced, not unjustified or overblown hatred. As we explained in a previous Q&A, he did not hate the person as such, but he hated what the sinner was doing, as Paul hated it when he sinned, or one could say, he hated himself for sinning against God.

David explained in other passages that he hated the evil conduct of sinners. In Psalm 26:4-5, we read: “I have not sat with idolatrous mortals, Nor will I go in with hypocrites. I have hated the assembly of evildoers, And will not sit with the wicked.” He states in Psalm 101:3: “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall depart from me…”

All of these passages show that the concept of unconditional love does not apply when sin is involved. “Unconditional love” would mean loving a sinner unconditionally, no matter what the person is doing. That is the kind of tolerating, accepting, and approving wrong conduct. That is not the kind of love God speaks about. And that is not the kind of love God has for us. As we explained previously, when we live in sin, we do not stay in or keep ourselves in God’s love, either.

When Paul sinned, he had no unconditional love for himself. When others sinned in David’s presence, he did not have unconditional love for them, either.

Consider this:

Unconditional love would mean that a mother has to love the murderer and rapist of her child unconditionally; that a husband who is forced by kidnappers to observe the rape and torture and murder of his wife in front of his eyes must love those brutes and beasts unconditionally; that survivors of millions of innocent victims who were tortured and killed by the Nazis in concentration camps or who were slaughtered by Stalin have to love those loveless demonic murderers unconditionally; and the list could go on and on. Obviously, something would be very wrong with that concept.

There are of course times when we must love others unconditionally. We are to love and help others. The parable of the good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37 is a prime example. The Samaritan–despised by the Jews–was willing to help a Jewish victim of robbers without any reservations.

We are to love even our enemies by helping them when they are in need. Matthew 5:43-48 reads:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be [better: become] perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

In this context, we could speak of unconditional love, because we do not say: I will only help you if and when you change your evil behavior. Rather, Christ tells us: Do good to those who hate you.

But even then, the result of our loving conduct towards our enemies could be that they will become ashamed of their evil conduct and perhaps change for the better. We read in Proverbs 25:21-22: “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the LORD will reward you.”

Paul adds the following thoughts in Romans 12:17-21:

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

But this does not mean, we always love them unconditionally, no matter what they do.

We are to forgive once they repent. We always have to have an attitude of willingness to forgive upon repentance, but this does not describe unconditional love. Repentance is a condition for forgiveness. But sometimes it is good to overlook sinful conduct, even without repentance, realizing that we are not to condemn others. Proverbs 17:9 states: “He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends.”

We should try to make the best of a bad situation. This may apply to a not-so-harmonious relationship between husband and wife, or between parents and children or relatives. We are admonished, as quoted above from the book of Romans, to try to live peaceably with all men. Hebrews 12:14 says:

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.”

Proverbs 19:11 says:  “The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression.”

We also read in Acts 17:30: “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked…”, but notice how Paul continues: “… but now commands all men everywhere to repent.”

Overlooking sin does not mean forgiveness. Rather: God has overlooked the times of ignorance… not judging and condemning them yet… but now He demands repentance.

Neither does overlooking sins mean, unconditional love and unconditional willingness to work with someone, for instance in business, who has betrayed us in the past and has shown no signs of remorse, or who is a cheat and a liar and an embezzler. We are clearly told in 2 Corinthians 6:14-17:

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.’ Therefore ‘Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.’”

It is because of this incompatibility, that God gives us a physical example from the animal world in Deuteronomy 22:10: “You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.” One reason for this admonition is because the step and pull of the two beasts are unequal.

There are other times when we must not overlook sin, which totally negates the concept of unconditional love.

We said this in part 2 of our series about God’s love towards us:

“God shows ‘tough love’ for us if there is a need for correction. He is not showing ‘unconditional’ love at that moment by saying: ‘I will let them do what they want to do, because of my unconditional love for them.’ That idea is false and related to the wrong concept that no matter what we do, we are already saved. We CAN lose our salvation (compare Philippians 2:12; Hebrews 2:1-4), and in that sense, we can lose God’s love in us when we rebel and turn against Him, while hating and despising Him, without a desire to return to Him.”

When Christ and Stephen asked for forgiveness for their enemies, that was not an unconditional request. They did not ask God to forgive them at that moment while they were still continuing to live in their sin of murder and rebellion against God, without any sign of remorse and repentance. Rather, they asked God, in effect, not to “hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60, New International Version) and to forgive them (Luke 23:34), once they would come to understanding and repentance. Jesus and Stephen knew, of course, that God would not forgive them without repentance. Peter knew this too. He later said to Christ’s murderers, in Acts 2:38: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” He repeated the same message in Acts 3:19: “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord…” Peter knew that their sins had NOT been blotted out yet and forgiven, as they had not yet repented.

Paul ordered the excommunication of an unrepentant sinner, in 1 Corinthians 5:1, 5, 9-13:

“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles–that a man has his father’s wife!…deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus…

“I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner–not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore ‘put away from yourselves the evil person.’”

However, when the sinner repented, Paul asked the church members to welcome him back, as we read in 2 Corinthians 2:6-8: “This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him.”

We also read that parents are to educate and discipline their children. For instance, we read in Proverbs 13:24: “He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.”

Parents are not to ignore the bad conduct and actions of their children. This would show a lack of love for them. They are to discipline their children, when needed. They are not to show “unconditional” love in such situations, but “tough” love.

We are also told to rebuke our neighbor, when this becomes necessary and when it is within the sphere of our influence and responsibility…again showing that the love which we have for our neighbor is not “unconditional” in the sense that we do not care and grieve about his sin.

Luke 17:3-4 says: “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

Proverbs 19:25 reads: “Strike a scoffer, and the simple will become wary; Rebuke one who has understanding, and he will discern knowledge.”

Proverbs 27:5 reads: “Open rebuke is better Than love carefully concealed.”

Proverbs 28:23 states: “He who rebukes a man will find more favor afterward Than he who flatters with the tongue.”

Proverbs 9:8 says: “Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.”

Proverbs 17:10 states: “Rebuke is more effective for a wise man Than a hundred blows on a fool.”

Love manifests itself in openness, not in flattery.

To properly rebuke someone is not a sign of hate, but of love—but not of “unconditional” love.

Paul admonished the Evangelist Timothy to rebuke others, if necessary.

We read in 1 Timothy 5:20: “Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.”

We also read in 2 Timothy 4:2: “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”

Paul gave similar admonitions and instructions to Titus.

He wrote in Titus 1:10-14:

“For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.’ This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth.”

He added in Titus 2:15:

“Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.”

Rebuke may also be necessary so we do not become a partaker of another person’s sin. Leviticus 19:17 says: “You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.”

We must not be partakers of the sins of others, due to the incorrect belief that because of “unconditional love,” we ought to tolerate sin and just walk with the crowd, showing a friendly smiling face in plain sight of sin.

In 1 Timothy 5:22, Paul cautions Timothy: “Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure.”

We read in Jude 20-23:

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.”

Ephesians 5:3-7 adds:

“But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.”

Also, note this admonition in 2 John 10-11: “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.”

We said this about God’s love towards us in part 3:

“… when we are corrected by God, it is because He loves us and wants us to be in His Kingdom.

“Hebrews 12:4-6 states: ‘And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: ‘My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.’”

“Verse 10 explains the reason why God corrects us: “For they [that is, our human fathers, see verse 9]  indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.”

“Christ also tells those Church members in need of repentance in Revelation 3:19: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.”

When it is within our sphere of influence and responsibility, especially as parents or ministers, we ought to behave likewise, while considering ourselves (compare Galatians 6:1). If we do not do this and instead tolerate or seemingly “embrace” sin because of “unconditional love,” giving the impression that we are one of them and agree with their lifestyle, we do not show the kind of love which God requires of His people.

If our silence could be misconstrued, God gives this thundering warning in Psalm 50:16-23:

“But to the wicked God says: ‘What right have you to declare My statutes, Or take My covenant in your mouth, Seeing you hate instruction And cast My words behind you? When you saw a thief, you consented with him, And have been a partaker with adulterers. You give your mouth to evil, And your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; You slander your own mother’s son. These things you have done, and I kept silent; You thought that I was altogether like you; But I will rebuke you, And set them in order before your eyes. Now consider this, you who forget God, Lest I tear you in pieces, And there be none to deliver: Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.’’

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“The Bible Prohibited in Our School Libraries!” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The Bible has been prohibited temporarily in libraries of school districts in Texas and Missouri, and now, most recently, in some elementary and middle school libraries in Utah. Why is the Bible under attack? And who is really behind it?

“Der Krieg in der Ukraine—Merkels Schuld?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “The Ukraine War—Merkel’s Fault?”

“Norbert Link—Bestandsaufnahme meines Lebens!” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Norbert Link—An Account of My Life.”

“Könnten wir heute Jesus Christus verleugnen?” the sermonette presented in Germany last Sabbath by Mike Richter, is now posted. Title in English: “Could we Deny Jesus Christ Today?”

“Joy—The Second Attribute of the Holy Spirit,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Paul Niehoff, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Joy is a part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. But how can we be joyful in a time of great distress. The examples in the Bible show that people like Christ, Paul and David experienced joy, not because of their present circumstances but because they looked toward the Kingdom of God, when everything will be changed.

“Total Annihilation,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Rene Messier, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The world is heading towards total destruction and annihilation due to sin and unrighteousness. The effects of sin and not dealing with it are shown in this sermon.