On September 17, 2022, Dave Harris will present the first split-sermon, titled, “Tempted—Yet Without Sin,” and Eric Rank will present the second-split sermon, titled, “Without Hypocrisy.”

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.

About two months ago, we had the hottest day ever recorded in the UK.   On the 19^th July this year, 41.3 degrees centigrade (106.34 Fahrenheit) was recorded in Lincolnshire.  The following day was pretty much on a par with that until the weather started to normalise.

There are, of course, places across the world that have higher temperatures than that.   We read on Wikipedia that “the current official highest registered air temperature on Earth is 56.7 °C (134.1 °F), recorded on 10 July 1913 at Furnace Creek Ranch, in Death Valley in the United States.”

Just as a flavour of the damage caused in the UK by this intense heat, Yahoo News wrote:

“Firefighters are unaware of the full extent of the damage caused by blazes which affected houses, schools and churches across London, with crews describing scenes as ‘absolute hell’.

“Residents were being evacuated from their homes and people were taken to hospital amid fires in the capital as temperatures soared to more than 40C on Tuesday afternoon.”

It just shows how just a few extra degrees can cause havoc in different parts of the world.

An ex-atheist – but one who came to understand that there is a great Creator God wrote these interesting observations:

“The Earth is located the right distance from the sun. Consider the temperature swings we encounter, roughly -30 degrees to +120 degrees. If the Earth were any further away from the sun, we would all freeze.  Any closer and we would burn up.  Even a fractional variance in the Earth’s position to the sun would make life on Earth impossible.  The Earth remains this perfect distance from the sun while it rotates around the sun at a speed of nearly 67,000 mph.   It is also rotating on its axis, allowing the entire surface of the Earth to be properly warmed and cooled every day.

“And our moon is the perfect size and distance from the Earth for its gravitational pull.  The moon creates important ocean tides and movement so ocean waters do not stagnate, and yet our massive oceans are restrained from spilling over across the continents.”

Atheists would have you believe that the universe came about through a Big Bang or some primordial soup.  But how could such a beginning with nothing guiding, directing or developing events finish up with what we have today?   How could the precision of God just happen without Him being involved which has resulted in the earth being exactly the right distance away from the sun and moon?  Creation demands that there be a Creator but man thinks otherwise and they turn logic on its head.   Godly revelation in the Bible means nothing to so many as they wallow in their own “greatness”.

In Isaiah 40:21-26, we read a comparison between God’s great majesty and mankind which shows how small and insignificant we all are: “Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?  It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.  He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless.  Scarcely shall they be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown, Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, When He will also blow on them, And they will wither, And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.

“To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.  Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.”

God’s precision is seen in everything He has created and does.  Man, in general, won’t even acknowledge that there is a God.   Romans 1:18-22 sums it up perfectly: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools.”

And fools they are, who fit into this category now, but they will have their opportunity, as will all people, and when they see the might, glory and the precision of all that God does, perhaps they may repent and be in the Family of God forever!

Let us hope and pray that that is the case!

by Norbert Link

We begin with an analysis about how safe we are today—more than 20 years after September 11, 2001; and continue with the challenges for the UK; the death of Queen Elizabeth and the complicated future of King Charles III.

We address the goal of Europe to become more “autonomous” and the fact that the once-unfavored German Bundeswehr is receiving more and more momentum and approval, while Germany is desirous of becoming a leading military power.

We discuss Putin’s threats and Russia’s temporary alleged “retreat” from certain key regions in Eastern Ukraine which might backfire for Europe. We address Germany’s grim future for this winter and the fear of nuclear war.

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

Are We Safer Today Than on September 11, 2001?

Fox News wrote on September 11:

“More than 20 years into the War on Terror and a year after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, terrorism still remains a threat to American security and interests around the globe…

“According to a Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted last year, 49% of Americans believe the country is safer today than it was before 9/11, while 41% believe the U.S. is less safe than it was 21 years ago. The numbers mark a dramatic departure from the same survey two years after the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan. In 2003, 67% of Americans believed the country was safer compared to 27% who said it was less safe. An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll conducted last year had worse results, with 30% of respondents believing the country is safer than it was before 9/11 compared to 44% who said it is less safe…

“The foothold al Qeada has in Afghanistan provides the organization with two important strategic advantages, safe haven and state sponsorship. Like before September 11, 2001, the terrorist organization can use Afghanistan as a base of operations with little fear, providing safe haven for it to recruit, train, and possibly carry out attacks. However, unlike in 2001, the Taliban completely controlling the country means the organization will have a powerful ally and plenty of protection. Making the threat potentially more deadly is that terrorist organizations have both multiplied their numbers and spread to more far-flung regions of the world, making it difficult for the U.S. to track and fight the organizations on multiple fronts…”

The article also mentions the lack of U.S. commitment to fight… which is in line with Ezekiel 7:14.

More Challenges for the UK

Yahoo! News wrote on September 9:

“It could hardly be a more dramatic start to Liz Truss’ tenure as Britain’s latest prime minister. Barely 48 hours after being formally invited by Queen Elizabeth II to become premier, she found herself faced with the unsettling news Thursday that the beloved 96-year-old monarch had died — an event that instantly plunged the country into grief. Truss and her fledgling Conservative government must now manage the mourning, as well as a complicated, security-laden, emotional state funeral expected to draw heads of state from around the world.

“At the same time, the new prime minister is faced with urgent problems that could quickly boil over into full-blown crises, including runaway energy prices, soaring inflation and Brexit-induced questions over the future of Northern Ireland and Scotland within the United Kingdom…

“Britain has been effectively leaderless in the two months since Truss’ predecessor, Boris Johnson, was forced to resign over a series of ethics scandals and to serve as a lame-duck prime minister until a successor was chosen. Parliament has been mostly paralyzed while the cost-of-living crisis ballooned, gas prices skyrocketed and Britons grew fearful over how to get through the coming winter. The queen’s death now means a further slowdown of some of the workings of government, with parliamentary business suspended during a 10-day mourning period….”

In the end, the irreversible downfall of Great Britain is prophesied.

Queen Elizabeth and King Charles III

The Algemeiner wrote on September 9:

“That Queen Elizabeth II was both Britain’s longest-serving and oldest monarch is a testament to the period of history in which she lived, and upon which she left an indelible mark… Memorable actions, such as staying in London for much of the devastating Blitz wrought by the fighter planes of the German Luftwaffe in 1940 and 1941, fed into a broader narrative of service to her country before anything else…

“Many of the obituaries published since her death noted with amazement that no less than 15 prime ministers were in office during her reign, including Sir Winston Churchill, who was born in 1874, and the newly installed Liz Truss, born in 1975. Each of these prime ministers would dutifully attend a private weekly meeting with the queen to debrief her on current events…

“No one should pretend that Charles will easily fit his mother’s outsized shoes, and he now faces the formidable task of winning the affections of the British people alongside their respect. The knowledge that his mother held onto the throne despite frequent suggestions that she should abdicate in Charles’s favor—so as to avoid the present situation, where he becomes king at the age of 73—will not help in that regard either…

“Nevertheless, the coming days will see an outpouring of prayers for the new monarch’s success, not least from the British Jewish community, which this Shabbat will recite its weekly prayer for the Royal Family with King Charles named as ‘our sovereign lord’ for the very first time. That will be accompanied by a profound sense of sadness that a woman who was integral to British life for nearly a century is suddenly no longer there, together with a modicum of anxiety about what the future might hold. It seems fair, then, to wish King Charles the best of British luck.

“Given what his mother represented, and the high regard in which she was held around the world, he is going to need it.”

Breitbart wrote on September 10:

“King Charles III has been formally proclaimed as monarch following a meeting of the ancient Accession Council  in St James’s Palace…. King Charles also gave a formal oath concerning his constitutional duty relating to the security of the Church of Scotland — a tradition dating back to a time when the Scottish royal family had ascended to the English throne but not yet united the Scottish and English states….”

An upcoming series of Q&As will address this succession of the throne. Neither British “luck” nor prayers for Britain’s “sovereign lord” will prevent Britain’s demise.

Canada’s New Monarch

The Associated Press wrote on September 10:

“King Charles III was officially proclaimed Canada’s monarch Saturday in a ceremony in Ottawa. Charles automatically became king when Queen Elizabeth II died Thursday. But like the ceremony in the United Kingdom hours earlier, the accession ceremony in Canada is a key constitutional and ceremonial step in introducing the new monarch to the country. Charles is now is the head of state in Canada, which is a member of the British Commonwealth of former colonies.

“Overall, the antiroyal movement in Canada is minuscule, meaning that Charles will almost certainly remain king of Canada. One reason is that abolishing the monarchy would mean changing the constitution. That’s an inherently risky undertaking, given how delicately it is engineered to unite a nation of 37 million people that embraces English-speakers, French-speakers, Indigenous tribes and a constant flow of new immigrants…

“Trudeau attended the ceremony where the Chief Herald of Canada read the proclamation on the accession of the new sovereign. Also taking part was Governor General Mary Simon, who is the representative of the British monarch as head of state, a mostly ceremonial and symbolic position. She is an Inuk and is the first Indigenous person to hold the position….”

The glory and power of the “British Commonwealth”—as it had been prophesied in the Bible—is long gone. However, some ceremonial loyalties without any practical consequences are being maintained. Note the next article.

Australia’s New Monarch

The Guardian wrote on September 13:

“Victorian MPs have sworn allegiance to King Charles III in a special sitting of parliament unique to the state following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.  The speaker, Maree Edwards, opened the sitting on Tuesday with a message from the Victorian governor, Linda Dessau, formally announcing the death of the Queen and the ascension of King Charles III to the throne. All 88 lower house MPs were then asked to take an oath or affirmation in which they pledged to be ‘faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty and His Majesty’s heirs and successors according to law’… Victoria is the only state or territory which requires members of both houses to swear allegiance to the new monarch after their predecessor’s death under section 23 of its constitution.

“The last time this occurred was on 14 February 1952, eight days after the death of Queen Elizabeth II’s father, King George VI…

“Condolences will continue in both houses for much of Tuesday before parliament adjourns for one week as a mark of respect. It will return for two final sitting days next week ahead of the November state election.

“In NSW, a brief sitting of parliament was held on Tuesday morning, with the premier, Dominic Perrottet, moving a motion to profess ‘profound sorrow’ at the death of the ‘beloved sovereign’. He then moved a separate motion congratulating King Charles III on his ascension to the throne, swearing ‘unswerving loyalty’ and wishing a ‘long and happy’ reign ‘marked by peace and prosperity throughout NSW and Australia.’”

There is discussion in Australia about the future of the monarchy, but it was felt that now was not the time to pursue that matter.

Europe to Become Autonomous?

FP [Foreign Policy] wrote on September 8:

“Russia’s war in Ukraine, Europe’s military weakness, and the United States’ outsized role in the Western response have led many officials and observers to conclude that now is finally the time to ensure Europe can defend itself—and become an autonomous strategic actor. Last week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz joined the chorus calling for a ‘stronger, more sovereign, geopolitical European Union.’ Claiming that Washington’s focus has shifted to competition with China in the Indo-Pacific, he concluded that ‘Europe is our future.’

“…the European Union has almost 450 million people, a GDP of $18 trillion, and more $200 billion in defense spending by its member countries…

“Europe could do more but remains unwilling… Germany, France, and Italy combined have pledged less to Ukraine than Poland on its own, even though their collective GDP is almost 14 times larger…

“Who would control an EU army? Would Germany—let alone France—agree to be blocked by Hungary (if war needs a unanimous decision among EU members) or be outvoted (if a majority suffices)? Which country’s electorates would tolerate their government passing decisions literally over the life and death of thousands of citizens to EU institutions?…”

The author argues against European autonomy and pleads for staying under the US umbrella. But biblical prophecy shows that the opposite will happen. In times of ongoing crises, ten European core nations or groups of nations will transfer their power and authority to a future charismatic military leader of German or Austrian descent; and this new power bloc will be antagonistic towards the USA.

Germany’s Army (Bundeswehr) Gains Momentum

The Los Angeles Times wrote on September 8:

“In the not-so-distant past, the reputation of the Bundeswehr — the successor force to the infamous Nazi-era Wehrmacht — was less than stellar. Some members, especially conscripts, did their best to keep a low public profile. Few young people aspired to join. Starved of funds, shrunken in size, the military was almost invisible to the public… After the depredations of World War II, framers of the country’s postwar order initially envisioned Germany having no military at all. But a divided Germany was the Cold War’s ground zero for a tense standoff between the West and the members of the Warsaw Pact, led by the Soviet Union. At its height, the Bundeswehr belonged to the former West Germany and fielded almost half a million troops…

“The military draft remained in effect until 2011, but many young Germans sought to avoid conscription by applying to do some form of civilian service instead, such as working in a hospital…

“To a German public deeply shocked by events in Ukraine, the Bundeswehr — which has concerned itself mainly with foreign peacekeeping and natural disasters at home — is now seen as an indispensable guarantor of security... Recruiters are seeking to capitalize on that more dynamic image. A new Bundeswehr video titled ‘We Protect Germany’ features action-heavy scenes of fast-moving tanks and helicopter-borne troops swooping in to land.

“Germany’s Green Party has been an intriguing barometer of changing sentiment. A heavyweight in the current coalition government and deeply rooted in the antiwar movements of the 1970s and 1980s, the left-leaning, environmental-minded party has probably made the most stunning U-turn in Germany’s recent political history, backing continued weapons shipments and a tough stance toward autocratic governments like those in Beijing and Moscow.”

How times have changed. The once—more or less— pacifistic approach of many Germans has turned to a more military outlook and is returning to and embracing Germany’s problematic and frightening original roots. All of this has been prophesied to happen for these end times. The last and final European revival of the ancient Roman Empire, leading to the return of Jesus Christ, is in full swing. Note the next short article as well.

Germany to Play a Leading Military Role

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 12:

“German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said on Monday she believed Germany was obliged to play a leading global role, including in the military sphere, and that the country should not be afraid of the responsibility.

“‘Germany’s size, its geographical situation, its economic power — in short, its clout — makes us a leading power whether or not we want to be one. Militarily as well,’ she said in a keynote security address in Berlin.”

The signs of the time…

Putin Threatens to Cut Off Europe’s Energy Supplies

The Sun wrote on September 7:

“Vladimir Putin has threatened to cut off Europe’s energy supplies completely.He vowed to axe all ‘gas, coal and heating oil’ if the EU imposes a price cap this winter… He fumed: ‘We will not supply anything.’… [He] blasted EU plans as ‘stupid’ and vowed Russia would renege on deals to supply gas through the Nord Stream pipeline.

“Addressing a forum in Vladivostok, he said: ‘Will there be any political decisions that contradict the contracts? Yes, we just won’t fulfil them. We will not supply anything at all if it contradicts our interests.’… Putin switched off Nord Stream One gas supplies last week for unspecified repairs and threatened not to restore them until sanctions are lifted.”

Predictably, EU ministers seem to be caving in to Russia.

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 10:

“European energy ministers have disagreed on a price cap on Russian gas, and want the EU Commission to rework proposals to shield Europeans from increasing energy prices… The biggest sticking point appeared to be whether and how to impose a price cap on the amount the bloc pays for Russian gas… Member states in central and eastern Europe who still get gas from Russia feared retaliation by Moscow.”

Reports were published about Ukraine’s surprise advances in certain key regions in Eastern Ukraine and Russia’s retreat there to “regroup.” But it has also been stated that the war will drag on for months. Ultimately, Russia and Ukraine will unite, and as Ukraine is temporarily victorious in certain regions, Putin’s wrath is kindled… especially against Europe which is sanctioning Russia and supporting Ukraine with weapons and money.

When the Lights Go Out…

The Guardian wrote on September 11:

“That Robert Habeck, Germany’s economy minister in his recent, pre-ministerial life, wrote a children’s book in which a girl called Emily experiences ‘how exciting a night-time power cut can be’ may yet come back to haunt him. These days, Habeck is charged with the daunting task of ensuring that the lights do not go out… in Europe’s largest economy. And even if Germans have been hoarding candles and camping stoves, just as not so long ago they were doing with toilet paper and pasta, they consider the prospect of a blackout and cold homes to be scary rather than exciting. Reports of people illegally felling trees for fuel have brought back memories of postwar squalor, when Berlin’s Tiergarten park was stripped bare as Germans tried to keep warm.

“But a blackout is not so unrealistic since Moscow closed down the Nord Stream 1 pipeline more than a week ago… Bakers in northern Germany on Thursday turned off their lights in protest at the way they had been excluded from the government’s unwieldy sounding Energiekostendämpfungsprogramm, to provide help towards the bills of energy intensive industries, from glass to wallpaper manufacturers. ‘Lights today, ovens tomorrow?’ was the slogan posted on the door of a bakery in the well-to-do Hamburg district of Blankenese. ‘Bread could yet become a luxury good that only rich people can afford,’ the owner said, desperate for recognition that her gas provider had cancelled her contract and she was facing a monthly gas bill that had gone from €3,800 (£3,300) to €8,000…

“Energy specialists say that despite Scholz’s insistence that Germany would have enough energy to get through the winter, it is too early to be optimistic. Already in a colder than usual September, consumption has been higher than expected… Germany now faces nothing less than weighing up which is greater – its angst over atomic power or a blackout.”

Putin Counts on a Strong Winter

The Hill wrote on September 11:

“As the summer war in Ukraine transitions into autumn and the harvesting of sunflowers begins, repeated Russian military setbacks in the Donbas region and Kherson Oblast are forcing Vladimir Putin to show his hand. Impatient to reverse course on the battlefield, the Russian president is signaling that Moscow fully intends to weaponize Europe’s winter energy needs — for not just Ukraine but the entire European Union.

“Putin is gambling on a brutally cold and snowy winter like that of 1941, which helped derail the German army’s attack on Moscow during Operation Barbarossa. Theoretically, the Kremlin’s strategic aim is to produce an energy crisis in the dead of a European winter to break the will of NATO from continuing to militarily and economically support Kyiv. The underlying assumption is that Europeans would choose warmth and comfort over Ukraine’s independence.”

The author continues that Putin’s approach will not work, but time will tell…

The Fear of Nuclear War

Yahoo! Sports wrote on September 12:

“…comments from Ukraine’s top general last week point to a significant threat… ‘There is a direct threat of the use, under certain circumstances, of tactical nuclear weapons by the Russian armed forces,’ General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, writes in an article published by state news agency Ukrinform. ‘It is also impossible to completely rule out the possibility of the direct involvement of the world’s leading countries in a “limited” nuclear conflict, in which the prospect of World War III is already directly visible.’

“That’s a scary picture. The possibility of nuclear war makes all other problems seem trivial in comparison. Legendary investor Warren Buffett once called it ‘the ultimate problem of mankind.’ Warren Buffett is not a doom-and-gloom type of investor. He’s not shy about expressing his seemingly endless optimism over the U.S. economy. But if there’s one threat that keeps the investing legend up at night, it’s most certainly the threat of nuclear war. ‘It is the ultimate problem of mankind,’ Buffett said at his company Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholders meeting back in 2006. ‘And it will happen someday.’… Buffett expressed similar concerns in 2017. ‘I’ve been concerned since 1945 when the first atomic bomb was used,’ he said during a CNBC interview. ‘We have developed over these 72 years, since August of 1945, the ability around the world to almost destroy civilization…”

Sadly, there will be worldwide nuclear war in the future—not just a limited one—which WOULD destroy ALL life on earth if Jesus Christ were not to return to shorten those days and prevent human extinction.  

Project Syndicate wrote on September 5:

“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and nuclear saber rattling against the West have revived a debate about nuclear weapons. Last year, when a United Nations treaty to ban such weapons outright entered into force, none of the world’s nine nuclear-weapons states was among the 86 signatories…

“In 1960, the British scientist and novelist C.P. Snow concluded that nuclear war within a decade was ‘a mathematical certainty.’ That may have been an exaggeration, but many believed Snow’s prediction would be justified if a war occurred within a century. In the 1980s, Nuclear Freeze campaigners like Helen Caldicott echoed Snow in warning that the buildup of nuclear weapons ‘will make nuclear war a mathematical certainty.’… There was a lower probability of nuclear war in 1963, just after the Cuban Missile Crisis, precisely because there had been a higher probability in 1962… During the Cuban Missile Crisis, US President John F. Kennedy reportedly estimated the probability of nuclear war to be between 33% and 50%.”

Many feel that nuclear war is not really possible as there have been so many warnings in the past—and nothing happened. They could not be more wrong.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

In part 1, we looked very briefly at how much the Bible has been influential in the world and how its influence can be noticed today for those with eyes to see.   Let us review some more interesting information that will help us realise how influential the Word of God has been over a long period of time.

On the website: “What Christians Want to Know,” we find more interesting information:

“The Bible is quoted more often than any other piece of literature in history and has had more influence on our language, culture, and laws than any other book or idea ever published. A recent book by the linguist David Crystal, appropriately called Begat: The King James Bible and the English language, counts 257 phrases from the King James Bible in contemporary English idiom. Some of the phrases from the Bible that has become part of our everyday language include [the following quotes are taken or adapted from the Authorized Version]:

“Gave up the ghost ~ Genesis 35:29

“Out of the mouth of babes ~ Psalms 8:2

“Put words in thy mouth ~ Jeremiah 1:9

“Feet of clay ~ Daniel 2:33

“Salt of the earth ~ Matthew 5:13

“Fought the good fight ~ 2 Timothy 4:7

“Turned the world upside down ~ Acts 17:6

“God forbid ~ Romans 3:4

“Take root ~ 2 Kings 19:30

“The powers that be ~ Romans 13:1

“Filthy lucre ~ 1 Timothy 3:3

“No peace for the wicked ~ Isaiah 57:21

“A fly in the ointment ~ Ecclesiastes 10:1

“Wheels within wheels ~ Ezekiel 10:10

“The blind leading the blind ~ Matthew 15:14

“Famous men have praised the Bible’s influence on society. Tennyson considered Bible reading ‘an education in itself’, while Dickens called the New Testament ‘the very best book that ever was or ever will be known in the world.’

“The US statesman Daniel Webster said: ‘If there is anything in my thoughts or style to commend, the credit is due to my parents for instilling in me an early love of the Scriptures.’

“Equally celebrated as a British orator, TB Macaulay said that the Bible demonstrated ‘the whole extent of the beauty and power’ of the English language.

“The novels that have had the most impact on American literature have strong biblical influences. These classics include: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, The Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, Moby Dick by Herman Melville and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In the much-read Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, the book contains almost 100 quotations or direct references from the Bible.

“Film is a highly popular medium in society all over the world and the Bible has influenced society through films that have biblical references. Some of the great films with biblical themes include: The Ten Commandments, The Passion of the Christ, The Prince of Egypt, Chariots of Fire and many others.”

As we pointed out in part 1, we are in no way endorsing depictions of Jesus Christ, including in movies. We just quote these excerpts to show the influence the Bible has had, however inappropriate their depictions might have been. Continuing:

“The Bible has also influenced society by its presence in the great art throughout history.  If you visit the great museums in Europe and America, like the Louvre or the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, you’ll find many paintings whose subjects are inspired by the Bible.  Famous biblical art include Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper and his statue of David. The Sistine Chapel in Italy is famous for its ceiling painted by Michelangelo which is bursting with beauty from biblical scenes. In the Tate Museum in London, you’ll find engravings by William Blake on the Book of Job. Botticelli delights with his painting on the Adoration of the Magi at the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence. The painting of David with the Head of Goliath by Caravaggio is also well known.

Again, the same comments as stated above would apply here as well. Continuing:

“The Bible: laws and morality.

“In societies like America where the Bible is widely read, this sacred book is highly influential, becoming the foundation of morality in society. For example, in America, the Constitution and the rules and laws that govern society have their roots in the Bible, through moral codes like the Ten Commandments.

“Great American leaders have also spoken about the importance of the Bible in establishing morality in society.

“‘I have always said, I always will say, that the studious perusal of the sacred volume will make better citizens, better fathers, and better husbands.’ Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), 3rd President of the United States.

“And Jefferson wasn’t the only early U.S. president who felt this way.

“‘So great is my veneration for the Bible, that the earlier my children begin to read it the more confident will be my hopes that they will prove useful citizens to their country and respectable members of society.’ John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), 6th President of the United States.

“In conclusion, we can see that the Bible has an enormous influence on society through its presence in culture. Biblical allusions can be found in the major works of art, fiction and poetry, music and films. Through the prevalence in both high culture and pop culture, the Bible influences society with its teachings. The Bible is indeed a highly influential book, impacting society on many levels.”

Some of the others who have attested to the value of the Bible are as follows:

Isaac Newton, English mathematician and scientist, 1642-1727: “We account the scriptures of God to be the most sublime philosophy. I find more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history whatsoever” (Libquotes.com).

Napoleon, Emperor of the French (1804-1814), 1769-1821: “The gospel is not a book; it is a living being, with an action, a power, which invades every thing that opposes its extension, behold! It is upon this table: This book, surpassing all others. I never omit to read it, and every day with some pleasure” (quotefancy.com).

Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States, 1809-1865: “In regards to this great Book [the Bible], I have but to say it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this Book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man’s welfare, here and hereafter, are found portrayed in it” (AZquotes.com).

Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States, 1856-1924: “When you have read the Bible, you know it is the word of God, because it is the key to your heart, your own happiness, and your own duty” (AZquotes.com).

Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States, 1858-1919: “A thorough understanding of the Bible is better than a college education” (brainyquote.com).

President George Washington, First President of the United States: “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and Bible” (creationist.org).

Robert E. Lee, Civil War General who fought for the Southern Confederacy: “In all my perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength” (goodreads.com).

President Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States: “Of the many influences that have shaped the United States into a distinctive nation and people, none may be said to be more fundamental and enduring than the Bible” (libquotes.com).

We can see above that many leaders of the past have been very enthusiastic and positive about the Word of God.

According to Wikipedia, Gideons International “is an evangelical Christian association founded in 1899 in Wisconsin. The Gideons’ primary activity is distributing copies of the Bible free of charge. This Bible distribution is a worldwide enterprise taking place in around 200 countries, territories and possessions. The association’s members focus on distributing complete Bibles, New Testaments, or portions thereof. These copies are printed in over 100 languages. The association is most widely known for its Bibles placed in lodging rooms. The Gideons also distribute to hospitals and other medical offices, schools and colleges, military bases, as well as jails and prisons. The association takes its name from the Biblical figure Gideon depicted in Judges 6.

“Members of The Gideons International currently distribute over 80 million Bibles annually. On average, more than two copies of the Bible are distributed per second through Gideons International.   As of April 2015, Gideons International has distributed over two billion Bibles.”

What we have quoted is but a fraction of the evidence of the positive influence the Bible has had on so many people over such a long period of time.

As the teachings of the Bible are pretty much rejected by so many today, we can see a similar graph showing the nations’ descent into chaos and confusion. Perhaps reading and acting upon the blessings and cursings of Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 might for some shine light on the principle of sowing and reaping. Also, Galatians 6:7 states: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man sows, that he will also reap.”  Sowing and reaping would be just one lesson from so many that can be found in the world’s bestselling book, but would also be an enormous benefit to everyone involved in implementing such wise advice.

The rejection of such knowledge and the antipathy and antagonism shown to the Word of God brings about, not only inferior results, but also a society that will, sooner or later, be punished for their attitude and blasphemy towards the information and knowledge unsurpassed from any other source.

Amongst so many issues that are addressed by the Bible, it gives an explanation about the creation of the universe; issues guidance on which Holy Days to keep; how to live a life pleasing to God; an object lesson on problem solving whenever this is necessary; and what the future holds for mankind.   (For an in-depth review and study of these and many other issues, please see our list of available booklets on our website www.eternalgod.org).

There are so many other lessons to be learned from the teachings of the Bible, and those who take note and apply them to their own lives are the real winners today.

And that is the effect that the Bible can have on us all, individually, today.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

Live Services for the Fall Holy Days will be available for viewing. Please consult our website, www.eternalgod.org, to see our schedule.

“So You Wanna Fight?” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

As Christians we have to be ready to fight. We know we will have to face battles in our lives and we must face them head on with confidence that we can win because God is by our side and He wants us to win. But we must be willing and zealous in our approach!

“Fight Like Christians,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The world relies on war to bring about peace, but that is not the way to achieve it.  God never intended wars to be fought in the first place, as the Bible explains, but we are to be peacemakers.  We do however fight against the god of this world.  What do we need to do so we can be victorious?

2022 FALL HOLY DAYS

Feast of Trumpets… September 26

Day of Atonement… October 5

Feast of Tabernacles… October 10-16, with Opening Night on October 9

Last Great Day… October 17

On September 10, 2022, Kalon Mitchell will present the sermonette, titled, “So You Wanna Fight?” and Michael Link will present the sermon, titled, “Fight Like Christians.”

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

The other night, my wife and I were discussing the topic of having purpose. We talked about how achievement and success in life come oftentimes as a result of purpose, especially for true Christians, rather than by accident or luck. In reading popular literature about how to achieve success, a common theme involves having a very clear, definitive purpose that directs decisions and motivates action. That purpose, whatever it might be for an individual, helps to focus attention and overcome obstacles that stand in between him or her and the desired results.

On the face of it, this sounds well and good. I’m sure that having a clearly defined purpose actually works to help people achieve their goals. But sometimes, defining a personal purpose can be elusive. Such a simple question as “what is your purpose?” can stop many people, including me, dead in their tracks. The question is easy to ask, but the answer demands completeness that is not so simple to provide.

Without intending to diminish the achievements of anyone who has found meaning in their own life through a clearly defined, singular purpose, I have personally found goals measured in worldly achievements to be hollow. I believe that Solomon probably felt the same. In Ecclesiastes, he wrote about all of the amazing feats that he managed to accomplish in his life. He built great houses, vineyards, gardens, orchards, and water pools. He accumulated many servants, herds of animals, silver, gold, and treasures from many lands. By all measures, he achieved great success (compare Ecclesiastes 2:1-10). Yet, he knew that those achievements lacked meaning when considering his life in worldly terms, observing, “Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun.   For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil” (Ecclesiastes 2:20-21). Even with a purpose that led him to great worldly success, Solomon found a lack of meaning.

For me, purpose in life is multi-dimensional. This is why it is incomplete to proclaim that one single thing defines my purpose with detailed clarity and enough precision to make it deeply personal. In a contrasting example, some athletes may find their purpose in being the best possible ball player they can be. That one thing is enough to drive them to their success. But for me, and I dare say, for all true Christians, we want much more than what the world can offer us.

Solomon concludes at the end of his meditation on life’s meaning, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). In this simple statement, he gives us the standard Christian purpose in life. To obey God is the one thing that we all need as our guide to direct our actions so that we can successfully seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (compare Matthew 6:33). This purpose applies to all Christians. But all by itself, it is not highly personalized. The fact is, God made us as individuals, with skills, ideas, personalities, and unique proclivities that layer on top of the standard Christian purpose. To be complete, our purpose starts with God and continues with an expression of ourselves, consistent with our commitment to Him.

We all have unique qualities that make us who we are. These are gifts from God, which we are supposed to use! We do not want to be the kind of wicked servant who chooses to not use what God gives us (compare Matthew 25:24-30). The ultimate purpose in our life comes from God, “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began” (compare 2 Timothy 1:9). To truly define our purpose then, we must begin by understanding God’s purpose for us. We can clearly see that it consists of bringing us, as unique individuals, into His Family. Knowing this, we can be confident in having a multitudinous purpose that begins with God, fulfills our individuality, and leads to glorious results.

by Norbert Link

We begin with the death of Queen Elizabeth and Charles becoming the new King!

We report the weakness of Germany’s opposition leader, Friedrich Merz, and with an alarming report on many Germans’ feelings towards the Jewish people; and continue with further nightmares for especially Germans because of the shutdown of the Nord Stream 1 Pipeline.

We continue with outrageous remarks of President Biden which disunite and divide the country even further; and address, what has been described as his “supreme hypocrisy,” as well as his and his son’s alleged corruption in Ukraine; and questionable polls related to the popular lead of either Biden or Trump.

We speak on the UK’s new Prime Minister and California’s abominable new law pertaining to abortion and the killing of babies AFTER birth; the ongoing and troublesome rift between the Royal family and Harry and Meghan; and the assassination attempt on Argentina’s deeply divisive Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, worsening tensions in a deeply divided nation.

We address the accusation of Israel’s massive cover-up regarding COVID-vaccinations and speak about horrible medical experiments on Beagles; and conclude with Pope Francis’s decision to dissolve the leadership of the Knights of Malta, apparently for strictly political reasons.

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

Charles Is the New King!

BBC wrote on September 8: 

“At the moment the Queen died, the throne passed immediately and without ceremony to the heir, Charles, the former Prince of Wales… He will be known as King Charles III… Although he is heir to the throne, Prince William will not automatically become Prince of Wales. However, he immediately inherits his father’s other title, Duke of Cornwall. His wife Catherine will be known as the Duchess of Cornwall. There will also be a new title for Charles’ wife, whose full title will be Queen Consort – consort is the term used for the spouse of the monarch.  

“In the first 24 hours or so after his mother’s death, Charles will be officially proclaimed King. This happens at St James’s Palace in London, in front of a ceremonial body known as the Accession Council. This is made up of members of the Privy Council – a group of senior MPs, past and present, and peers – as well as some senior civil servants, Commonwealth high commissioners, and the Lord Mayor of London…The King does not traditionally attend….

“At the meeting, the death of Queen Elizabeth will be announced by the Lord President of the Privy Council (currently Penny Mordaunt MP), and a proclamation will be read aloud… This proclamation is then signed by a number of senior figures including the prime minister, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Lord Chancellor… The Accession Council meets again – usually a day later – and this time, the King will attend, along with the Privy Council. There is no ‘swearing in’ at the start of a British monarch’s reign, in the style of some other heads of state, such as the President of the US. But there is a declaration made by the new King and – in line with a tradition dating from the early 18th Century – he will make an oath to preserve the Church of Scotland… 

“He will call: ‘God save the King’, and for the first time since 1952, when the national anthem is played the words will be ‘God Save the King’…  The symbolic high point of the accession will be the coronation, when Charles is formally crowned. Because of the preparation needed, the coronation is not likely to happen very soon after Charles’s accession – Queen Elizabeth succeeded to the throne in February 1952, but was not crowned until June 1953. For the past 900 years the coronation has been held in Westminster Abbey – William the Conqueror was the first monarch to be crowned there, and Charles will be the 40th.

“It is an Anglican religious service, carried out by the Archbishop of Canterbury. At the climax of the ceremony, he will place St Edward’s Crown on Charles’s head – a solid gold crown, dating from 1661. This is the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London, and is only worn by the monarch at the moment of coronation itself (not least because it weighs a hefty 2.23kg). 

“The new King will take the coronation oath in front of the watching world. During this elaborate ceremony he will receive the orb and sceptre as symbols of his new role and the Archbishop of Canterbury will place the solid gold crown on his head… Charles has become head of the Commonwealth, an association of 56 independent countries and 2.4 billion people. For 14 of these countries, as well as the UK, the King is head of state. These countries, known as the Commonwealth realms, are: Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, St Christopher and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu.”

German Opposition Leader Friedrich Merz Giving in to Woke Insanity and Cancel Culture

Bild International wrote on August 3:

“For weeks, the head of the conservative CDU party, Friedrich Merz (66), had been looking forward to his meeting with top Republican senator and Trump supporter Lindsey Graham (67). But Graham called the meeting off – and accused Merz of cancel culture!

“The background: on 31 August, Merz and Graham were scheduled to appear on a stage together at an event run by the conservative thinktank ‘The Republic’. On Tuesday, Merz called off his participation in the event. He said he still wants to meet Graham, but elsewhere. BILD has learned from Merz’s circles that the head of the CDU was unhappy about the presence of lawyer Joachim Steinhöfel (60), who was due to be on stage a few hours before Merz. In the past, Steinhöfel has represented, among others, AfD politicians – as well as right-wing populist Max Otte (57) in the trial to exclude him from the conservative party….

“Immediately after Merz called off his participation at the event, strong criticism came from the US. Former US ambassador Richard Grenell (55) wrote on Twitter that the head of the CDU ‘bows to the woke mob’. The ‘intolerant left’ does not accept diverging views, Grenell claims. ‘They cancel anyone who they don’t agree with.’ His conclusion: ‘Shame on wimpy Merz’…

“For weeks, the head of the CDU had been criticized because of his meeting with Graham. When Steinhöfel’s participation became known, Konstantin von Notz (51), MP of the Greens, scolded: ‘Someone who participates in events like this makes himself politically unacceptable’.

“For Steinhöfel, the alleged reason for Merz’s cancellation, it is clear that Merz got cold feet because of the criticism by the Greens. Merz’s reasons for the cancellation are ‘unconvincing and opportunistic’, Steinhöfel told BILD. He denies that he is close to the AfD…

“Now the US Republicans have made Merz pay the price for possibly giving in to the criticism from the left and the Greens …”

With such a weak opposition leader, Germany’s current political landscape is doomed.

Over One Third of Germans Believe Israel Treats Palestinians as Nazis

Times of Israel wrote on September 2:

“A new survey by an independent German foundation [the Bertelsmann Stiftung] has found that over a third of Germans believe Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians is essentially the same as the Nazi genocide of the Jews during the Holocaust….

“In response to another question, 24% of German respondents said Jews have too much influence in the world… When asked about the lasting role of the Holocaust in relations, 58% of Israelis agreed or strongly agreed with the sentiment that Germany ‘has a special responsibility for the Jewish people,’ compared to only 35% of Germans.”

Anti-Semitism in Germany is much higher than commonly reported.

Gazprom Shuts Down Nord Stream 1 Pipeline

The Week wrote on September 2:

“Russia on Friday indefinitely halted natural gas imports to Europe through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, adding to fears of a looming European energy crisis. Energy company Gazprom, which… is controlled by the Kremlin, said it would not restart the pipeline on Saturday (as planned) due to an oil leak; the company also did not give an estimate as to when service might resume. The pipeline had been closed since Wednesday for maintenance… Notably, the announcement from Gazprom arrived not long after G-7 countries said they’d be imposing a cap on the price of Russian oil so as to ding Moscow (and its war in Ukraine) financially…

“Europe is decently dependent on Russian gas … and a blow to its supply just before winter is the last thing the continent needs… Plus, Moscow has already retaliated against certain European countries who refused to pay for supplies in rubles, while Gazprom has kept flows through Nord Stream 1 ‘to just 20 percent of its capacity’ since June, ‘citing maintenance issues and a dispute over a missing turbine caught up in Western export sanctions.’”

The New York Post wrote on September 3:

“The planned reopening of Russia’s main gas pipeline to Germany was halted… deepening fears of a winter energy crisis throughout Europe… The announcement fueled accusations that Russia is seeking to weaponize its sway over the world energy market. ‘This was predictable, and it was predicted,” former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote Saturday… ‘I warned Germany not to rely on Russian energy,’ he continued. ‘Energy security is national security, which is why we must regain our energy independence.’

“President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine also took to social media to condemn the development. ‘When a state turns energy poverty or hunger into a weapon, it harms everyone in the world,’ Zelensky wrote…  A Kremlin spokesman responded that Russia would halt all sales of its oil to countries that follow through on the price-cap threat.

“Meanwhile, the fourth and last external power line at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant — Europe’s largest – went down Saturday after heavy shelling in the area, leaving only a reserve line to supply Ukrainian-held territories with electricity, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog said.”

German energy giant Siemens is questioning the accuracy of Gazprom’s representation, stating that maintenance and equipment issues are in no way responsible for the shutdown… which should be obvious anyhow. The question is, how will that rift be resolved? In the meantime, Europeans and especially Germans are hurting tremendously from ever-increasing ASTRONOMICAL gas prices, due to unwise and incompetent German politicians who were responsible for an unhealthy reliance on Russia. Now, they do not know what to do… and the European people are HURTING and are becoming more and more frustrated with their helpless governments and “leaders.”

Biden’s Supreme Hypocrisy

The New York Post wrote on September 2:

“President Biden made history Thursday night with the first prime-time presidential speech with a backdrop inspired by the movie ‘V for Vendetta’ and Nazi filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl. The harsh red atmospherics perfectly complemented Biden’s attempt to portray ex-President Donald Trump and Republicans as the Antichrist waiting to crucify American democracy. But the most important takeaway from the speech is the supreme hypocrisy of Biden’s Supreme Leader Democracy.

“Biden, speaking from Philadelphia, invoked the Declaration of Independence to sanctify his spiel. But he omitted quoting the line most relevant today from the author of that declaration. ‘An elective despotism was not the government we fought for,’ Thomas Jefferson warned in 1784.’s

“Biden invoked the ‘rule of law’ five times, notwithstanding his 20 months of dictatorial decrees. Law professor Jonathan Turley observed, ‘President Biden has arguably the worst record of losses in [federal court] the first two years of any recent presidential administration.’ One year ago, Biden went prime-time for his COVID-mandate speech — an illegal decree to inject more than 80 million private employees that got smashed by the Supreme Court. Biden dictated the moratorium on evicting renters would continue, but the Supreme Court overruled him, scoffing at the administration’s attempt to justify the edict by an old law dealing with ‘fumigation and pest extermination.’

“In his litany of Republican sins Thursday, Biden huffed, ‘Can you believe it? — FBI agents just doing their job as directed, facing threats to their own lives from their own fellow citizens.’ But there’s a reason most Americans view the FBI as Joe Biden’s personal Gestapo. Are FBI agents ‘doing their jobs as directed’ when they hound and vilify parents who protested at school-board meetings? Biden personally thanked the head of the National School Boards Association for sending the inflammatory letter to the White House that provided a pretext for the FBI vendetta. The FBI ‘has labeled at least dozens of investigations into parents’ with a terrorist-threat tag, according to House Republicans. And we are still learning about the FBI’s role in suppressing damning evidence from Hunter Biden’s laptop prior to the 2020 election…

“Biden’s entire presidency is a mockery of this nation’s founding principles. In 1798, Thomas Jefferson warned, ‘In questions of power then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the constitution.’ If a president refuses to be bound by the Constitution, he is behaving like a dictator.”

Biden IS behaving like a dictator.

Biden–the Divider in Chief

The Daily Mail wrote on September 3:

“Biden’s speech to the nation at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall… was horrifying…

“Biden is turning Americans against one another – and it’s nightmarish. And it wasn’t just his toxic words. Look at the bizarre and apocalyptic optics of the speech. He stood at his podium in front of murky red lighting: this was the backdrop of a dictator from a science fiction movie, not the democratically elected President of America…

“Everything about his rhetoric last night was upsetting and confusing. Most importantly, it was not inspirational or uniting… [Biden could turn out to be] one of the most infamous failures of a one-term presidents.”

In a related article, Daily Mail wrote on September 3:

“Less than 24-hours after delivering the darkest, most toxic presidential speech of the modern era, the Commander in Chief is trying to gaslight America to believe he didn’t say what it just heard him say…. The stage’s backdrop looked more like the demonic spawn pool of Satan rather than the patriotic birthplace of our republic….

“As an address to the nation as a whole, intended to start bridging divides and save democracy, it was a Kabul-sized catastrophe. And there’s no walking back from that.”

A terrible testimony of America’s alleged freedom. And as usual, Biden tries to “clarify” or deny what he clearly said in front of millions of Americans who cared to listen to him… and who do not buy his “clarification.” That is, they had better not.

Biden Condemned for His Divisive Speech

Breitbart wrote on September 4:

“Conservatives on social media reacted to President Joe Biden’s recent divisive political speech, in which he referred to ‘MAGA Republicans’ as a ‘threat’ to ‘the very soul of this nation,’ by sarcastically explaining how they are threats to the nation as well.

“‘I go to work. I work hard. I go to the gym. I hunt. I fish. I spend time with friends and family. I pay my taxes and don’t break the law. I play disc golf. I am a threat to the very soul of this nation,’ one Twitter user wrote. ‘I’m a registered nurse nearing retirement,’ another explained. ‘I like taking walks and reading mystery novels. I adopted a baby and she’s now an engineering student with a scholarship. I pay my taxes. I don’t break the law. I am a threat to the very soul of this nation.’ ‘I work hard, garden, cook, bake, spin, knit weave and throw pots. I’ve been married 33 years and have two grown kids. I’ve owned businesses and pay taxes. I am a threat to the very soul of this nation,’ a third said…

“‘I’m retired LE. I own my home. I believe in God. I believe life begins at conception. I enjoy the outdoors, going to the gym and riding my road bicycle. I also teach people to use firearms safely and responsibly. I am a threat to the very soul of the nation,’ another proclaimed. ‘I’m a mom, I take care of my sick mother, who can’t live on her own. I love my dogs and I cook “real food” for them twice a day, everyday. I just bought my first house, and I love to decorate and bake goodies for my neighbors. I am a threat to the very soul of this nation,’ another echoed. ‘I work 40 hrs per week. Watch my grandsons after work while my daughter goes to trade school. Pay taxes. Work part time for a charity. Cook and clean for my grandkids and love my dogs! I am a threat to the very soul of this nation,’ another Twitter user wrote…

“‘I go to work. I work two jobs in the school system. I have two dogs and rescue cats. I spend my time with my two granddaughters. I pay my taxes and don’t break the law. I am a threat to the very soul of this nation,’ another Twitter user chimed in. ‘I’m a 63 yr old single grandmother. I take care of disabled seniors, my 21 yr old blind deaf and dying cat, I don’t drink or do drugs. I spend quality time with my kids/grandkids. I’m a threat to the soul of this very nation,’ another tweeted.”

The dangerous stupidity of Biden’s comments can hardly be over-emphasized.

Biden’s Corruption in Ukraine

LifeSiteNews published on September 2 a lengthy article with detailed facts allegedly showing the corruption involving Hunter Biden’s scheme in Ukraine and Joe Biden’s participation. The article summarizes the findings as follows:

 “The emails on Hunter Biden’s laptop, combined with Joe Biden’s own words and actions, prove beyond all doubt that:

“The ‘ultimate purpose’ of Hunter Biden’s multi-million deal with Burisma was to ‘close down’ all criminal ‘cases/pursuits against’ the firm’s owner.

“In November 2015, Hunter agreed to get ‘high-ranking US officials’ to visit Ukraine and persuade the nation’s leaders to end all investigations into the owner. Two ‘key targets’ of this mission were the ‘President of Ukraine’ and the ‘Prosecutor General.’

“In December 2015, Joe Biden visited Ukraine and told its president and prime minister that he would withhold U.S. aid to their nation unless they fired the prosecutor general.

“Those actions, which are complemented by a wealth of incriminating facts, align with textbook definitions of nepotism, bribery, extortion and obstruction of justice.  Yet, major media outlets, big tech companies, fact checkers, former U.S. intelligence officials, and active government officials within the FBI and Department of Justice played major roles in keeping this information from the American people.”

Corruption and censorship galore.

Biden Is Leading Trump?

Breitbart wrote on September 3:

“President Joe Biden leads former President Donald Trump by 6 points in a 2024 hypothetical matchup, a Wall Street Journal poll found Friday. The poll asked respondents, ‘Hypothetically, if the 2024 election for President were held today and the candidates were Joe Biden, the Democrat, and Donald Trump, the Republican, for whom would you vote?’

“Fifty percent chose Biden, while only 44 percent selected Trump. Six percent were undecided. In March, the poll had both Biden and Trump tied at 45 percent with nine percent undecided. In November, the poll had Biden leading by one point (46-45 percent) with 10 percent undecided…

“The poll was critisized on Twitter for being a ‘push poll,’ which means the poll was conducted with a predetermined outcome to impact how Americans feel about the hypothetical matchup between Trump and Biden… The WSJ poll comes as nine other polls have shown Trump leading Biden by one to seven points. In a poll last weekend by McLaughlin and Associates, Trump led Biden by 4 points in a potential 2024 presidential matchup.”

This shows how manipulative and unreliable polls are. But that the conservative Wall Street Journal would conduct and publish such a questionable poll is interesting.

Special Master to Be Appointed in Trump Case

Breitbart wrote on September 5:

“A federal judge on Monday granted former President Donald Trump’s request that a special master review items the FBI seized from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence and also halted the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) use of the items for ‘investigative purposes.’…

“[The Judge] added that there was a risk of the DOJ leaking materials that would cause harm to the former president.”

California’s Proposed Radical Abortion Bill

LifeSiteNews wrote on September 1:

“California legislators this week sent a raft of pro-abortion bills to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for a signature. Among the measures was… a deeply controversial bill that would prohibit investigation into the death of an unborn child and provide legal protections for anyone who obtains or helps someone obtain an abortion.

“The bill also contains language that pro-life attorneys have warned could be interpreted as decriminalizing infanticide… Gov. Newsom is expected to approve the measure.”

How can ANYONE justify these ungodly concepts???

The UK’s New Prime Minister

The Associated Press wrote on September 7:

“Liz Truss became U.K. prime minister on Tuesday and immediately faced up to the enormous tasks ahead of her: curbing soaring prices, boosting the economy, easing labor unrest and fixing a national health care system burdened by long waiting lists and staff shortages. Truss quickly began appointing senior members of her Cabinet as she tackles an inbox dominated by the energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which threatens to push energy prices to unaffordable levels, shuttering businesses and leaving the nation’s poorest people shivering at home this winter…

“Truss became prime minister a day after the ruling Conservative Party chose her as its leader in an election where the party’s 172,000 dues-paying members were the only voters. As party leader, Truss automatically became prime minister without the need for a general election because the Conservatives still have a majority of lawmakers in the House of Commons. But as a national leader selected by less than 0.5% of British adults, Truss is under pressure to show quick results…”

Breitbart added on September 5:

“The public is never told of what happens in confidence between Prime Minister and Monarch, but some may wonder whether Truss’s history of calling for the abolition of the monarchy at a Liberal Democrat party conference in 1994 will be brought up between the two. Judging by her past performance — from campaigning in favour of staying in the EU and high-profile gaffes when in power, to the green agenda and open borders policy proposals she has laid out during the leadership campaign — Britons can expect to see more globalist governance…  as the culture and country are slowly destroyed…

“The migrant crisis, alongside the soaring cost of living, inflation, and fears over potential energy blackouts during the Winter all spells for a difficult future for Truss, who faces becoming the first incumbent Tory prime minister to lose to the opposition Labour party since John Major’s defeat to Tony Blair in 1997. With the next general election quickly approaching, Truss will have to act quickly, decisively, and most importantly conservatively.”

Rift Between the Royal Family and Harry and Meghan Continues

MailOnline published on September 4 an extremely lengthy and seemingly never-ending article (which is not untypical for MailOnline or the Daily Mail). We just quote the following highlights:

“As Meghan and Harry land in UK, royal insiders hit back at [the] ‘tragic and delusional’ couple’s sniping and reveal the ‘toll’ it is taking on the Queen, 96, who resents ‘waiting for the next nuclear bomb’… The Duke and Duchess of Sussex opened up a new rift in their feud with the Royal Times this week when former Suits actress Meghan let off another round of ‘truth bombs’ in her new Spotify podcast and an astonishing US interview where she said she had been compared to South African hero Nelson Mandela and claimed Harry had ‘lost’ his father Charles during Megxit…

“Sources also rubbished Meghan’s claim South Africa celebrated her wedding like they had Mandela’s release in her interview with the ‘woke’ magazine The Cut, raging: ‘The whole thing is just staggering. Nelson Mandela? Who’s next, Gandhi? There are simply no words for the delusion and tragedy of it all.‘

“They also claimed that the Queen, who is now 96 and has pulled out of a string of public events in recent months amid ongoing fears for her health, does not ‘want to be on tenterhooks’ and constantly waiting for the ‘next nuclear bomb’. And Charles’s friends told the paper that the jibes continue to be ‘painful’ for him.”

One wonders what will happen when the Queen dies…

Assassination Attempt on Argentina’s Vice President

The Associated Press wrote on September 3:

“As Argentina’s powerful Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner stepped from her car outside her apartment building and began shaking hands with a throng of well-wishers, a man pushed forward with a gun, pointed it just inches from her face and pulled the trigger with a distinct click. The loaded weapon evidently jammed… the apparent assassination attempt against the deeply divisive figure Thursday night shook Argentina — a country with a history of political violence — and worsened tensions in the sharply divided nation…

“The country’s political leaders quickly condemned the attempted shooting as an assault on democracy and the rule of law, with President Alberto Fernández holding a late-night national broadcast to tell Argentines just how close the vice president came to being killed… Some condemned the political opposition, saying its verbal attacks against the vice president motivated the gunman. Several political leaders similarly accused opposition politicians and media outlets of fomenting violence…

“No politician awakens more passion in Argentina than Fernández, revered by some for her left-leaning social welfare policies and reviled by others as corrupt and power-hungry. The left-of-center leader is on trial on corruption charges involving public works while she was president from 2007 to 2015… She has vehemently denied all charges and cast herself as a victim of political persecution…

“Fernández has been at the center stage of Argentine political life for almost two decades. She was the country’s charismatic first lady during President Néstor Kirchner’s 2003-07 administration, then succeeded her husband…

“Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who has frequently criticized the left-leaning Argentine government, weighed in Friday on the apparent assassination attempt. ‘I lament it, and there are people already trying to blame me for that problem,’ Bolsonaro said. ‘It is good that the attacker didn’t know how to use a gun, otherwise he would have been successful.’”

This world is a powder keg, ready to explode.

Israel Accused of Cover-Up!

Israel 365 wrote on September 7:

“In a scathing letter published on Friday, the executive director of the Vaccine Safety Research Foundation (vacsafety.org), Steve Kirsch, accused Israel’s Health Ministry of deliberately covering up ‘serious safety problems’ in the covid vaccine…

“According to their findings, the COVID vaccines were far more dangerous than international health authorities claimed. The panel discovered ‘serious adverse events,’ Pfizer or any world government never disclosed those side effects. Contrary to what the public was told, the events were long-term. ‘They also determined causality… Causality was both obvious and easy to prove using the re-challenge data that was collected…’, Kirsch wrote.

“The panel concluded that the Israeli government misled the People of Israel… He adds that the Ministry of Health released a fake report to give the impression that the vaccines were safer than the data showed. The only reason the coverup has been exposed is thanks to the whistleblower who leaked the secret meeting between the Ministry of Health and Berkowitz’s panel. Kirsch concluded his piece by calling for an investigation into the Health Ministry’s corruption and lies.”

Abused Beagles Freed

Fox News wrote on September 2:

“The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) on Thursday announced that it has completed its mission to rescue 4,000 beagles from what it termed an inhumane breeding facility in Virginia. The dogs were recovered from a Cumberland-based medical contract breeding facility called Envigo, which has been accused of housing the dogs under poor conditions and then selling them to laboratories for scientific testing purposes, including the… National institute of Health… on average, 60,000 dogs are still used in laboratories each year…

“The complaint [by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other law enforcement agencies] alleged the dogs received inadequate medical care and were subject to painful medical science experiments. Court records stated that more than 300 puppies died at the facility between January and July of last year.”

“Beagles are preferred for animal testing because they are ‘docile, sweet, trusting, and they don’t fight back,’ according to the Beagle Freedom Project.”

These medical “experiments” with Beagles and other animals are sickening.

Pope Dissolves Leadership of Knights of Malta

Reuters wrote on September 3:

“Pope Francis on Saturday dissolved the leadership of the Knights of Malta, the global Catholic religious order and humanitarian group, and installed a provisional government ahead of the election of a new Grand Master. The change, which the pope issued in a decree, came after five years of often acrimonious debate within the order and between some top members of the old guard and the Vatican over a new constitution that some feared would weaken its sovereignty.

“The group, whose formal name is Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, was founded in Jerusalem nearly 1,000 years ago to provide medical aid for pilgrims in the Holy Land. It now has a multi-million dollar budget, 13,500 members, 95,000 volunteers and 52,000 medical staff running refugee camps, drug treatment centres, disaster relief programs and clinics around the world.

“The order has been very active in helping Ukrainian refugees and war victims. It has no real territory apart from a palace and offices in Rome and a fort in Malta, but is recognised as a sovereign entity with its own passports and licence plates. It has diplomatic relations with 110 states and permanent observer status at the United Nations, allowing to act as a neutral party in relief efforts in war zones…

“But as a religious order, it had to remain under the auspices of the Vatican, said Cardinal Gianfranco Ghirlanda, a member of the working group that prepared the new constitution approved by the pope on Saturday… Francis convoked an extraordinary general chapter for Jan. 25 to begin the process of electing a new Grand Master.

“Under the previous constitution, the top Knights and the Grand Master were required to have noble lineage, something reformers said excluded nearly everyone except Europeans from serving in top roles.”

It has been the goal of Pope Francis to include more and more non-Europeans in the Catholic hierarchy. This could backfire.

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.

It is virtually impossible to fully reflect the influence that the Bible has had on so many nations around the world.   Many books could be written on this subject and still not exhaust the many ways that God’s Word has influenced so many people and nations over a long and sustained period of time.   However, in an increasingly secular and disbelieving world, its contents are ridiculed by many as being irrelevant and out-of-date, but how wrong are they who believe such things.   The Word of God has much to say to those who would mock and ridicule its relevance and veracity. We read in Proverbs 1:7: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Because of the enormity of the subject and to help us achieve this in a relatively brief way, we will quote selectively from different sources to make the point that the Bible has impacted society enormously; much more than we may at first realise.

The Guinness Book of Records states as of June 2020, the following:

“Although it is impossible to obtain exact figures, there is little doubt that the Bible is the world’s best-selling and most widely distributed book. A survey by the Bible Society concluded that around 2.5 billion copies were printed between 1815 and 1975, but more recent estimates put the number at more than 5 billion.

“By the end of 1995, combined global sales of Today’s English Version (Good News) New Testament and Bible (copyright for which is held by the Bible Societies) exceeded 17.75 million copies, and the whole Bible had been translated into 349 languages; 2,123 languages have at least one book of the Bible in that language.”

The influence of the Bible on society has been important throughout history. As the 18^th century philosopher Immanuel Kant wrote, “The existence of the Bible, as a book for people, is the greatest benefit that the human race has ever experienced.  Every attempt to belittle it is a crime against humanity.”

On the website crossfire-it.info, we read the following:

“The Bible in English Culture”:

“A unifying factor

“The Bible has been a significant component of English life for many centuries, particularly since the publication of the Authorized Version of the Bible in 1611, with which every citizen was expected to be familiar. It has contributed to developments in civil life, the arts and science.

“Influence on the law

“The Bible features heavily in the architecture and decoration of the Houses of Parliament paying silent tribute to its significance in English jurisprudence. Many old parish churches still have copies of the Ten Commandments on the walls, underlining the importance of the Bible for providing the moral cohesion of society. Most British law is ultimately derived from the codes of law within the Bible, of which the Ten Commandments is pre-eminent. The equality of all people before the law is another of its legacies.

“Cultural influence

“The Bible has for centuries fired and filled the imaginations of artists of all genres. The great masters – the painters of the European Renaissance and those who followed them- frequently re-presented the great stories of the Bible, including the annunciation, birth, baptism, and temptations of Jesus at the beginning of his ministry, the Last Supper and the crucifixion, followed by scenes of his resurrection. Sculptors have portrayed its characters such as Michael Angelo’s David or Epstein’s Jacob.”

To clarify at this point, we are in no way endorsing depictions of Jesus Christ, as they violate God’s Second Commandment. We just quote these excerpts to show the influence the Bible has had even on artists, however inappropriate their depictions might have been. Continuing:

“Words and music

“The Bible is the main source of inspiration for some of Britain’s greatest works of literature such as Milton’s Paradise Lost or John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. The foundations of English theatre were laid by medieval plays based on biblical events. Frequently biblical teachings are the sub text of Shakespeare’s plays, which often refer to them. Even when authors may have been hardly conscious of the connections, the Bible’s phrases have enriched their language and its themes provided them with avenues of exploration.

“Many composers have produced major works exploring biblical accounts, such as Handel’s Elijah and The Messiah, or more recently Jesus Christ Superstar, GodSpell and Joseph and the Technicolour Dream Coat.”

Again, this is just quoted to show the impact the Bible has had on composers, without endorsing some of those pieces. Continuing:

“The Bible and science

 “Most people imagine that there is an inevitable conflict between Genesis and Darwin’s theory of evolution, but right from the start there have been ministers and biblical scholars who have supported his essential insights, and scientists who have challenged them, as continues today.

“More fundamentally, there is a strong case for claiming that it is the consistency and coherence of the biblical understanding of God, and the reliability of the universe which follows from this, which provided a substantial contribution to the development of the Enlightenment and the sciences which have flowed from it. From a philosophical standpoint these fundamental assumptions are a necessary foundation for science.”

There can be no doubt, however, that Darwinism and the teaching of the Bible are incompatible. Any attempt to reconcile the two is doomed to failure. Continuing:

“Wider social impact

 “The Bible has also contributed to the wider cultural and social context in the United Kingdom.  In short the social institutions and safeguards, as well as many of the benefits people take for granted, were supported by the understanding of human life which was found within the Bible. In this sense, the foundations of Britain’s culture and society can truly be said to be biblical.

“The Bible and the environment

 “Today, as people are facing ever more clearly the perceived threats of global warming (there are protagonists on both sides of this argument), the Bible, with its vision of man’s position within creation and responsibility under God to care properly for it, still has a major contribution to make to the future of all humankind.”

However, society in the 21^st century has strayed so far from the ways of God that even the very basic understanding of biblical knowledge seems far beyond the man in the street.   We read the ideal in Joshua 8:35: “There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the strangers who were living among them.”

It is worth mentioning that a programme on BBC radio called “Desert Island Discs,” which was first broadcast on 29 January 1942, is still running today. The format is that each week a guest, called ‘a castaway’ during the programme, is invited to choose eight pieces of music, a book (in addition to the Bible – or a religious text appropriate to that person’s beliefs – and the Complete Works of Shakespeare) and a luxury item that they would take to an imaginary desert island, where they will be marooned indefinitely. In 1942, a copy of the Bible was considered a necessity, and even in 2020 where our society is much more secular now, the Bible is actually still on the list to be given out!

The following was taken from an article in the Washington Times on Thursday, December 11^th 2014:

“Every year two million visitors file past the famed Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. As they look at the cracked bell, they read these words: “Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof.” The inscription comes from the Bible (Leviticus 25:10).

“When presidents of the United States raise their right hand to take the oath of office at their inauguration, they place their left hand on a copy of the Bible.

“When Martin Luther King stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D. C., and delivered his famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, he said, ‘We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.’ Those words come directly from the Bible (Amos 5:24).

“Why does the Bible appear in these places? Because it is the central and foundational book of Western culture, including American culture. Everywhere we turn in the cultural past, we find the Bible. We cannot avoid it if we tried, and we will not understand our past without a knowledge of the Bible.

“George Lindbeck, former professor of theology at Yale University, once described the cultural position of the Bible in American culture this way: ‘Its stories, images, conceptual patterns, and turns of phrase permeated the culture from top to bottom. This was true even for illiterates and those who did not go to church, for knowledge of the Bible was transmitted not only directly by its reading, hearing, and ritual enactment, but also indirectly by an interwoven net of intellectual, literary, artistic, folkloric, and proverbial traditions. There was a time when every educated person, no matter how professedly unbelieving or secular, knew the actual text from Genesis to Revelation.’

“The evidences of this cultural influence permeated every sphere of life. Theodore Roosevelt correctly observed of the English Bible that ‘no other book of any kind ever written in English has ever so affected the whole life of a people.’

“When American pioneers rode westward with two books in their covered wagons, they signaled the foundational importance of those two books for the civilization that they hoped to preserve amid circumstances that threatened it. The two books were the King James Bible and the complete works of William Shakespeare. Part of what was being preserved was a standard of excellence for the English language.

“Among the cultural influences of the Bible, none is more obvious than literature. English and American literature scarcely exist apart from the Bible. Titles of literary works can be regarded as the tip of the iceberg: The Power and the Glory. Measure for Measure. The Sun Also Rises. East of Eden. Absalom, Absalom. Evil under the Sun. Literary scholar T. R. Henn has written that the Bible ‘becomes one with the Western tradition, because it is its single greatest source.’

“An obvious conclusion to be drawn from the centrality of the Bible in literature is that the Bible should be part of every literature curriculum. In fact, Northrop Frye, the most influential literary scholar of the second half of the twentieth century, believed that the Bible should form the basis of literary education. He famously wrote that ‘the Bible should be taught so early and so thoroughly that it sinks straight to the bottom of the mind, where everything that comes along later can settle on it.’ Frye’s vision was never fully realized, but it remains a beacon toward which we can aspire.”

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Why Germany’s Government Will Fall,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

It should be clear to every objective observer that Germany’s government will fall in the near future, but out of its defeat will come what many might call victory… except, it will mean devastation and destruction for the entire world.

“Warum Deutschlands Regierung fallen wird,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German language program covers the same topic as described above.

A new Member Letter (September 2022) has been posted and mailed to our subscribers. Dave Harris writes reminding us of our coming to understand the meaning of the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days, highlighting the Fall Holy Days we are about to observe.

“Probleme anpacken und nicht ignorieren!” the sermon presented last Sabbath in Germany by Norbert Link, is now posted. Title in English: “Deal With Problems and Don’t Ignore Them.”

“Für immer jung,” last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Robert Muhr, is now posted. Title in English: “Forever Young.”

“Time to Act,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Why is there an urgency to act right away by not delaying what God expects of us, and what is it that we need to be ready for?

“Why Are We Not to Complain?” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The words that we speak matter more than we know. When we speak in complaining, negative, grumbling ways – there is scientific and Biblical reasons why we should not be allowing ourselves to do this! We must realize what we are doing and decide what we are going to allow!

2022 FALL HOLY DAYS

Feast of Trumpets… September 26

Day of Atonement… October 5

Feast of Tabernacles… October 10-16, with Opening Night on October 9

Last Great Day… October 17

On September 3, 2022, Michael Link will present the sermonette, titled, “Time to Act,” and Kalon Mitchell will present the sermon, titled, “Why Are We Not to Complain?”

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

This slogan, as described in the title of this Editorial, can be seen often in advertising for the purpose of purchasing a product where one receives a special discount or an incentive for acting on the offer right away.  Most would be willing to purchase something, especially a marked-down item from the original price with incentives such as: “half off”, “almost sold out”,  “lowest price of the year”,  or “don’t wait until it’s too late!”  This is advertising “at its finest” because you don’t want to miss out on such a deal like that, right? However, this could also be stressful as this adds pressure to the buyer since time is of the essence.

According to an article from inc.com, a new study is showing that deals and promotions affect every part of a shopping experience. They state that “the recent record-breaking sales and profits numbers from Amazon illustrate how competitive the global online marketplace has become. A recent report highlights some of the ways businesses can use deals and promotions to attract new customers and keep them loyal to a particular store or online retailer.

“A new survey from RetailMeNot shows deals have substantial influence on customer acquisition, brand loyalty and brand perception among consumers, especially among millennials. The survey found that two-thirds of consumers have ‘made a purchase they weren’t originally planning to make solely based on finding a coupon or discount’. Similarly, four out of five (80 percent) said they feel encouraged to make a first-time purchase with a brand that is new to them if they found an offer or discount. Seeing a good special can encourage people to buy when they otherwise wouldn’t have.

“The RetailMeNot survey found that nearly three-fourths (74 percent) of Americans say offers are a top factor when deciding where and what to buy online. And four out of five (81 percent) Americans say finding a great offer or discount is on their mind throughout the entire purchase journey… Nearly all of the consumers (94 percent) in the RetailMeNot survey said they search for a deal or offer when shopping online. Three out of five (62 percent) consumers agreed with the statement ‘they cannot complete a purchase before searching for an offer.’  These discounts and promotional levers continue to be critical for retailers who want to reach new shoppers to drive incremental sales.”

Oftentimes, these “special” deals don’t always last and these types of incentives and discounts will drive the purchaser to act right away or they will miss out.  With this analogy, we can see a similarity when it comes to our spiritual lives which is considered more critical. Sometimes, we may be inclined to act right away, but God cautions us: “Whoever believes will not act hastily” (Isaiah 28:16; see our Q&A) On the other hand, we DO have to act RIGHT AWAY by doing what is right, obeying God, and making sure that we don’t miss out on the chance of receiving eternal life.  Why would we want to delay that?   David understood this by saying, “I made haste, and did not delay To keep Your commandments” (Psalm 119:60).

Preparation is key. Using the knowledge that God has gifted us with is to our benefit.  We shouldn’t neglect it by putting it off, but need to use it now, at all times (compare Proverbs 6:4).  If we become too negligent, this can lead to laziness, which makes it more difficult to get back on track and that is why diligence is also vital (Proverbs 13:4).

Wisdom is also fundamental for we need to “walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17).

With this special understanding, we need to be careful that we don’t fall into the category of many who will proclaim to Christ that they “knew” Him, “knew” about God’s Way of Life, yet they deceived themselves or they weren’t dedicated enough to LIVE that Way and DO what He commanded on a CONTINUOUS basis.  And Christ will respond, “I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matthew 7:23).

We can easily get sidetracked through the distractions that surround us, and because we are aware of that, we need to have God in our thoughts and our actions continuously.  This Godly Way we live and have chosen is for LIFE, and if we fall behind at times, which does happen, we need to get back on track, because if we don’t, we could very well miss our opportunity to be in God’s Kingdom.  Act NOW and don’t wait… before it’s too late!

by Norbert Link

We begin with the death of Mikhail Gorbachev; note the terrible economic situation in France and Germany in regard to their electricity prices even as calls for a larger EU are discussed and Germany sends warships and troops to the Far East; quote from a remarkable article asking the question as to whether God is punishing the USA [Please see our new StandingWatch program: “Is God Punishing the USA?”]  and note the staggering flooding in Pakistan; address the proposed Iran deal and Germany’s support of anti-Israeli groups; and speak on new developments regarding the FBI raid on Trump’s personal property, as well as Zuckerberg’s admission of FBI interference regarding the suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story just prior to the 2020 Presidential election.

We address California’s decision to ban sales of all new gas-powered cars; report on the pending authorization of new booster shots for Corona even though they have not been tested; and conclude with a report about the woke nonsense and cancel culture stupidity in Germany.

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

Gorbachev Dies

Breitbart wrote on August 30:

“Mikhail Gorbachev, the leader who oversaw the end of the Soviet Union, died Tuesday at the age of 91, according to Russian news agencies…

“Born to a peasant family in Stavropol in 1931, Gorbachev watched the famines and purges of the 1930s, and the struggles of the Second World War, before embarking on a career in the Communist Party in the postwar era. He rose quickly through the ranks, recognized for his intellect and his skill and an administrator. He was viewed as a young leader who could rejuvenate the country and the party, as older leaders faded and as his predecessors, Yuri Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko, died after short terms in office.

“Gorbachev assumed power in 1985 during a period of growing confrontation with the U.S., when President Ronald Reagan had strengthened America’s anticommunist posture… When Reagan launched an ambitious program of defense spending, including research into space-borne missile defense systems, Gorbachev realized that the Soviet Union would struggle to match the U.S. He indicated an openness to talks with Reagan, and began a process of internal reform, known as perestroika. Gorbachev encouraged greater openness, or glasnost, within Soviet institutions, although the country remained deeply repressive, imprisoning political dissidents and those who wanted to leave.

“After a series of talks with Reagan, Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with the U.S. in 1987. It was the most significant arms reduction agreement between the two countries, and reduced tensions with the West. But Gorbachev could not contain the growing unrest at home… the Soviet bloc began to unravel.

“The trigger was the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, after an East German bureaucrat accidentally told the public that the border to the West would be opening immediately. When thousands of overjoyed Germans swarmed the hated barrier and tore it down, the world waited to see what Gorbachev would do… Rather than send in the tanks, as previous Soviet leaders had done, Gorbachev allowed the Berlin Wall to fall…

“Soon the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia — never comfortable under Soviet domination — broke free. And in 1991, a group of disgruntled Soviet officials and military leaders attempted to oust Gorbachev from power while he was away at his summer home. The coup failed, and Gorbachev returned to Moscow — though his influence began to fade. By the end of the year, the Soviet Union had fallen, to be replaced by the Russian Federation and a series of former Soviet republics in Europe and Central Asia…

“He is most fondly remembered in the United States as the man Reagan challenged — ‘Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!’ — but later came to respect, and who left a legacy of freedom…

“Gorbachev’s death comes at a time of renewed tensions between Russia and the West — in the wake of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, seen by many as an attempt to reverse Gorbachev’s reforms and restore some of the old Soviet territory and military glory. Putin, who has described the collapse of the Soviet Union as a ‘genuine tragedy,’ represents a nostalgia for the era before Gorbachev — a sentiment that overlooks the poverty and repression of communism, and might yet end up restoring both.”

France and Germany’s Energy Crisis

Breitbart wrote on August 27:

“The economic powerhouses of the European Union, France and Germany, both set records on Friday for electricity prices, as the West’s sanctions war with Russia continues to bite.

“This time last year the cost of electricity per megawatt-hour (MWh) in both France and Germany sat at around 85 euros. On Friday, both countries set record highs, with the cost climbing by at least 1,000 per cent from last year to €850 in Germany and over €1,000 in France…

“The Russian economy has seemingly weathered the sanctions far better than expected… The energy crisis is showing no sign of abating, with futures traders already trading French energy prices at a staggering 1,600 euros per megawatt-hour for December…

“In Germany, the Interior Minister for the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Herbert Reul, issued a stark warning to those who may protest the government’s failures in preventing the energy crisis, branding potential demonstrators as the new ‘enemies of the state.’”

This is incredible and has all the hallmarks of a dictatorship.

Scholz Wants to Enlarge the EU, But…

The Associated Press wrote on August 29:

“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Monday for a growing European Union to agree on a series of changes that would help it overcome internal divisions and stand up to external rivals such as Russia and China. In a wide-ranging speech at Charles University in Prague, Scholz said the EU must make itself ‘fit’ for future enlargement from 27 to 30 — or even 36 — nations by taking more decisions by majority vote, rather than requiring unanimity on all issues that has in the past allowed individual member states to veto key decisions… arguing that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a wake-up call for the EU to change the way it takes decisions.

“Scholz suggested allowing majority decisions on pressing issues… with those unwilling to explicitly back a vote having the option to abstain without blocking unanimity… The German leader also backed calls to reconsider the composition of the European Parliament, which currently has 751 deputies, to prevent it becoming ‘bloated’ through future expansion… Scholz said the EU could become a global leader in the transition to a greener economy that would also help it become less dependent on foreign energy suppliers.”

Germany Sends Warships and Troops to the Far East

Fox News reported on August 31:

“German General Eberhard Zorn said Wednesday the Bundeswehr will send warships to the Indo-Pacific and join allies in drills as China ramps up operations around Taiwan… Zorn told Reuters that the German military will also send troops to Australia for military exercises next year in an effort to ‘consolidate our presence in the region.’”

It is perhaps interesting that the meaning of “Zorn” is “wrath.”

Is God Punishing the United States of America?

The Jerusalem Post wrote on August 24:

“… it is a challenge for me to believe that the series of ‘plagues’ that have befallen the United States of America of late are not part of some heavenly master plan…

“The triumph of democracy and freedom over fascism and national land grabs energized the American body politic to take responsibility and rebuild the world after the devastating losses in the war. The world was put back in order, nations devastated by battle were rebuilt (much of that through US programs like the Marshall Plan), while people felt secure enough to plan for careers, family, education and retirement.

“America’s role as the world’s police officer, resentful as that made some nations feel (everyone remembers the term ‘ugly American’), kept the world in check…

“However, 77 years after the end of the war, it all seems to be falling apart… Politically, whether people want to admit it or not, the country is in the midst of a civil war, though for the moment, not one where both sides have taken up arms…

“30% of the people polled do not believe President Biden won the 2020 election, while among Republicans, that number jumps to 70%. There has never been a time in modern history where such numbers were this high 18 months after the election itself… the legislative branch of government finds itself in a position where any proposal put forth by one party is not something that the other party will support…

“There have been over 300 mass shootings in the US this year as of early July, the largest number by far of any country in the world…

“Then there is the weather… Through June, there have already been 940 reported tornadoes there, which means the country is on track to see 2,000 or more, a 33% increase year-on-year. The nightly news out of the US for the past few months shows tens of millions of people under extreme weather risk every day… In the west, a long period of drought has been drying up reservoirs and spawning massive forest fires…  as of July 5, 34,478 fires have already burned 4,582,301 acres. This is above the 10-year average of 27,346 fires, and twice the average of 2,026,917 acres burned… It all seems to be centered in the US…

“If one accepts the religious concept that whatever happens in the world is part of God’s plan for the world (and not everyone accepts that, to be sure), it is possible to postulate that God had a plan for the United States of America. After all, it was Abraham Lincoln who opined in 1865 that America was the ‘almost chosen people,’ placing the issue of faith and the existence of a heavenly plan for the US squarely in the culture of post-civil war America… However, there has never been a time in post-civil war history as now where the US has been so broken, where so many things seem to be going wrong simultaneously, and where the political leadership seems powerless to deal with all of it.

“It is almost as if God is now expressing displeasure with his servant, the US, in the course it has taken.

“The hope, of course, is that at some point the political leadership will get its act together and find a way to address the myriad of problems that the country is presently facing. However, if one accepts that this is perhaps a manifestation of God’s disappointment with the USA, perhaps the nation should turn to God and pray for a return to normalcy…

“It would not be the first time in history that prayer was invoked on behalf of a country… In December 1944, fog, clouds, rain and snow over Europe were hampering US war efforts. A frustrated Patton contacted Chaplain James O’Neill, a Catholic priest, and asked for a prayer for good weather that would improve the chances of victory… The results? The weather cleared for the next six days, and Patton’s allied forces were victorious, vanquishing the German army… When hope eluded him, Patton, the battle-hardened cynic, asked his troops to turn to a higher force. What he later said about people in such a quandary is noteworthy: ‘Watch what people are cynical about, and one can often discover what they lack.’

“Maybe the time has come for everyone to bury the cynicism and look up. There is certainly no downside in doing so, while there is every possibility that our prayers will be answered.”

This would require that the nation as a whole will repent of their many terrible sins. This is not to be expected. You might want to view our many StandingWatch programs on this topic, including our recent presentation, “America’s Downfall Is Prophesied!”; “Civil War, Violence and Misery in the USA”; and “Is Civil War Coming?” [Please see our NEW StandingWatch program: “Is God Punishing the USA?”]  

A Third of Pakistan is Underwater!

nbcnews.com reported on August 30:

“A third of the country [is] underwater. More than 1,000 people killed. And an estimated $10 billion of damage done.

“Pakistan’s “monster monsoon” has swept away lives, homes, crops and bridges as weeks of historic rains fuel deadly flash floods. Almost half a million people have been displaced, with vast areas cut off from supplies and power…

“The extreme floods have killed more than 1,136 people since June, including 386 children, and damaged a million homes, Pakistan’s government said.”

Biden Refuses to Talk to Lapid So Far About Iran Deal

Fox News wrote on August 28:

“Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid is hoping to talk to President Biden about the new Iran nuclear deal that appears to be nearing fruition, but lately, he has not had much luck… According to The Jerusalem Post, Lapid has been unable to get Biden on the phone, with the White House first blaming the president’s recent vacation — which ended on Wednesday. With both men set to speak at the United Nations General Assembly in September, Lapid is hoping for an in-person meeting…

“Lapid and Biden met during the president’s trip to Israel in July, and the two men held a joint press conference, but that was before the European Union offered its ‘final’ proposal for the Iran deal. Since then, the Israeli prime minister has had conversations with the leaders of Germany and France, who are part of the negotiations along with the U.S., United Kingdom, Russia, and China…. Macron has acknowledged that the present state of the deal does not address certain issues, including Iran’s ballistic missile program. Still, he claimed that the deal as it stands would be ‘useful and is better than no agreement,’ the Post reported….

“In recent days, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Ganz met with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. The Defense Ministry told the Post that Ganz pushed for increasing Israel’s capabilities of taking on Iran…”

Israel may find itself all alone in this battle.

Germany’s Support of Anti-Israeli Groups

Israel 365 News wrote on August 28:

“… nearly one billion shekels have been funneled to radical left-wing organizations operating within Israel over the last decade. The leading supporter of these radical organizations is Germany, a country that, despite a law passed in 2019 that equated the BDS movement [BDS stands for Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions, a Palestinian-led movement] with Anti-Semitism, has funneled more than 150 million shekels to radical left-wing organizations, many of which promote BDS. [This is even higher than the EU.]

“Much of the funds that are funneled into Israel are transferred to Israel through political entities linked with German political parties represented in the Bundestag. Despite the money being designated for political use within the German political system, it is instead used to uproot policies within Israel. Germany has not successfully determined how the money is being used, since the organizations are being classified as ‘independent organizations.’ In order to grant German government money, the recipient organization has to meet the criteria that the money is aligned with the political party’s agenda. This broad definition has essentially allowed German government money to be floated to whichever NGO a party desires.

“The Heinrich Böll Foundation has not submitted financial reports since 2014. The Rosa Luxemborg Foundation which is associated with the Die Linke (left) Party has skirted the laws for years and does not have a valid operating license. The Heinz Seidel Foundation sent over 900 thousand shekels to the Palestinian Authority, which contradicts the agenda of the Foundation, a public-benefit corporation, and provides legal grounds for having it shut down… former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party is linked to the Konrad Adenauer Organization, which has consistently broken Israeli Law by failing to submit financial reports, required for organizations whose source of funding is overseas.”

Affidavit Poses More Questions Than It Answers

Breitbart wrote on August 26:

“The Department of Justice (DOJ) affidavit seeking a search warrant for former President Donald Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago earlier this month was uncertain whether there were documents with ‘defense information,’ or merely ordinary presidential records.

“In the affidavit,  submitted by an FBI special agent, the DOJ argued that based on 15 boxes of materials voluntarily submitted by Trump, which were disorganized and allegedly included documents that had some classified markings, there was probable cause to believe that there were other such documents on the premises, and that they were not being properly, securely stored.

“In addition, the DOJ stated that ‘there is probable cause to believe that additional documents that contain classified NDI [National Defense Information] or that are Presidential records subject to record retention requirements currently remain at the PREMISES.’ The key word is ‘or’; the DOJ did not know exactly what it was looking for. (It added that it might find ‘evidence of obstruction’— that is, of deliberate refusal to comply with past requests for documents from the White House.)  Thus the DOJ could not state with certainty whether it was seeking to enforce the criminal law against mishandling defense information, or whether it was seeking to enforce the Presidential Records Act, which does not have criminal enforcement.

“Later in the affidavit, the FBI special agent admitted that he (or she) did not actually know whether documents with alleged classified markings actually had defense information; however, he (or she) merely asserted that ‘[b]ased on my training and experience, I know that documents classified at these levels typically contain NDI.’ Much of the affidavit was redacted.”

So, no one is immune from FBI interference when an agent asserts, based on his or her “training and experience,” that FBI actions are necessary? This is a FRIGHTENING scenario.

Special Master to Be Appointed?

Fox News wrote on August 27:

“A federal judge on Saturday announced her ‘preliminary intent to appoint a special master’ to review records seized by the FBI during its unprecedented raid of his Mar-a-Lago home earlier this month, at the request of former President Trump and his legal team, citing the ‘exceptional circumstances.’ …

“A hearing is set for Sept. 1 at 1:00 p.m. in West Palm Beach, Fla. Cannon also ordered the Justice Department to file a response by Aug. 30 and provide, ‘under seal,’ a ‘more detailed Receipt for Property specifying all property seized pursuant to the search warrant executed on August 8, 2022… Cannon also ordered the Justice Department to file under seal a ‘particularized notice indicating the status’ of its review of the seized property, ‘including any filter review conducted by the privilege review team and any dissemination of materials beyond the privilege review team.’…

“Sources familiar with the investigation told Fox News Saturday that the former president’s team was informed that boxes labeled A-14, A-26, A-43, A-13, A-33, and a set of documents — all seen on the final page of the FBI’s property receipt — contained information covered by attorney-client privilege.”

If true, that would be outrageous and illegal.

Trump Calls for New Elections

Newsmax wrote on August 29:

“Former President Donald Trump is taking his case against FBI ‘election interference’ to the American people — and to a new level — by demanding to be declared the ‘rightful winner’ or ‘have a new election.’ ‘So now it comes out, conclusively, that the FBI BURIED THE HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP STORY BEFORE THE ELECTION knowing that, if they didn’t, “Trump would have easily won the 2020 Presidential Election,”’ Trump wrote… ‘This is massive FRAUD & ELECTION INTERFERENCE at a level never seen before in our country.’

“Trump added the ‘remedy’ for the 2020 presidential election meddling should be to ‘declare the rightful winner’ or, a minimum, hold a ‘new election.’”

Neither will happen, of course, but Trump keeps himself in the news.

FBI and DOJ Condemned by Trump

Daily Mail wrote on August 31:

“Donald Trump has claimed the FBI agents were responsible for throwing classified documents on the floor of Mar-a-Lago – and said they were ‘perhaps pretending it was me who did it’.

‘Terrible the way the FBI, during the Raid of Mar-a-Lago, threw documents haphazardly all over the floor (perhaps pretending it was me that did it!), and then started taking pictures of them for the public to see,’ he said in a Truth Social post Wednesday morning.

‘Thought they wanted them kept Secret? Lucky I Declassified!’ he added during a flurry of posts condemning the FBI agent who retired amid backlash over the Hunter Biden probe. He was responding to the bombshell pictures showing papers – with many marked ‘top secret’ – on the carpet of the Florida mansion during the August 8 search. The photographs were released in a 36-page court filing where officials said they’d uncovered a plot to obstruct the probe into the discovery of government records. The DOJ accused the ex-president’s team of moving around and hiding classified documents they had previously searched for.”

Newsmax added on August 31:

“Former President Donald Trump’s attorneys filed a new motion Wednesday, renewing calls for a special master to review documents seized in a search of his residence, which they say they will eventually argue was unconstitutional. ‘Left unchecked, the DOJ will impugn, leak, and publicize selective aspects of their investigation with no recourse for Movant but to somehow trust the self-restraint of currently unchecked investigators,’ the lawyers’ latest filing Wednesday read.

“The motion used the ‘gratuitous’ release of photos of the Mar-a-Lago search as proof the Department of Justice cannot be trusted with the handling of the documents seized from Trump’s home.”

White House Accuses Trump Supporters of Posing Extremist Threat

Breitbart wrote on August 31:

“The White House denounced supporters of President Donald Trump on Wednesday, accusing them of posing an ‘extremist threat to our democracy.’ White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre began the daily briefing by condemning Republican leaders for their dangerous rhetoric but also said that President Joe Biden believed supporters of former President Donald Trump were also a threat…

“Jean Pierre asserted there was ‘more examples we can count’ of Trump supporters and Republican leaders  demonstrating their threats to democracy. She specifically complained about Gov. Ron DeSantis for calling for Dr. Anthony Fauci to be ‘physically assaulted’ when he said that ‘someone needs to grab that little elf and chuck him across the Potomac.’”

This makes a mockery of Biden’s initial claim to become a unifier.

Facebook’s Zuckerberg Admits FBI Interference

Fox News wrote on August 26 the following headline:

“FBI blasted after Zuckerberg revealed their warning ahead of the Hunter Biden laptop story: Collusion.”

The article continued:

“Twitter exploded after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg claimed in a Thursday podcast appearance the FBI warned Facebook about ‘Russian propaganda’ before the Hunter Biden laptop story dropped in 2020. Speaking on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Zuckerberg explained, ‘The FBI, I think, basically came to us – some folks on our team – and was like, “Hey, just so you know, like, you should be on high alert…  We thought that there was a lot of Russian propaganda in the 2016 election. We have it on notice that, basically, there’s about to be some kind of dump of that’s similar to that. So just be vigilant.’”…

“Zuckerberg acknowledged that ‘the distribution on Facebook was decreased’ of the New York Post’s story about Hunter Biden’s laptop, noting, ‘fewer people saw it than would’ve otherwise.’ When asked by Joe Rogan how many people had been deprived of the information, Zuckerberg responded, “I don’t know off the top of my head, but it’s – it’s meaningful.”

“Many commentators saw the incident as a damning example of Big Government and Big Tech working in unison…. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., tweeted, “The FBI colluded with Big Tech to silence news stories weeks before the 2020 election in an attempt to control your access to information. Democrats in Congress have been intentionally ignoring the facts. When Republicans are back in charge, we will hold all of them accountable.”…Byron York, Fox News contributor and chief political correspondent for the Washington Examiner, explained, “In the final weeks of the 2020 contest, the FBI was on the lookout for anything that might damage the Biden campaign. Warned Facebook. Facebook acted on warning and suppressed an accurate story about Hunter Biden.”

The New York Post added on August 26:

“[McCarthy] accused ‘legacy media’ and Big Tech of either ignoring — or actively suppressing — The Post’s exposé about Hunter Biden. ‘One of the nation’s largest newspapers was effectively shut out of the digital public square,’ McCarthy said.

“The lawmaker also took a swipe at the 51 former intelligence officers who circulated an open letter questioning the reporting’s veracity and arguing that it had all the hallmarks of a Russian disinformation campaign. ‘These signatories misused the imprimatur of their former titles to discredit evidence that raised serious questions about the access granted to Joe Biden during his last time in office,’ McCarthy argued.”

According to reports, the FBI knew at the time that there was NO Russian interference in regard to the 2026 election, but FBI agents allegedly claimed otherwise when  they “warned” Facebook in respect to the Hunter Biden story. While many Republican politicians demand a thorough investigation of the FBI, others claim that the FBI is beyond repair and must be dissolved. Note the next article.

Breitbart added on August 27:

“The FBI on Friday did not deny it warned Facebook of the imminent ‘dump’ of ‘Russian propaganda’ before the story of Hunter Biden’s laptop broke in the 2020 election cycle.

“The agency did, however, try and distance itself from the Facebook actions the bureau fueled. NBC News reported the FBI admitted the bureau did provide ‘companies with “foreign threat indicators” to help protect their platforms and customers, but that it ‘cannot ask, or direct, companies to take action on information received.’…

“While the FBI was communicating with Facebook, the FBI’s leadership forbade agents from investigating Hunter Biden’s laptop until after the 2020 election was decided, according to whistleblowers that came forward to Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI). The whistleblowers said the FBI did not want to investigate the laptop because it was afraid public disclosure would alter the outcome of the 2020 election…

“Polling shows the shenanigans surrounding Hunter’s ‘laptop from hell’ impacted the 2020 election. Seventy-four percent of Americans believe the FBI misled the public when it claimed Hunter Biden’s laptop was ‘disinformation.’ Seventy-nine percent of Americans say former President Donald Trump would have won reelection in 2020 if Hunter’s laptop had been known to voters.”

If all of this is true, then the FBI would have engaged in illegal election interference.

California Bans Sale of Gas-Powered Cars

Newsmax wrote on August 25:

“California’s pollution regulation board voted Thursday to approve a ban on selling all gas-powered cars in the state by 2035… The new guidelines require 35% of all new cars sold in the state to be electric by 2026, 68% by 2030, and 100% by 2035…

“California Gov. Gavin Newsom applauded the proposal in an interview on Wednesday…”

Many of the necessary components of electric cars are at this point manufactured in and imported from China. Electric cars are currently much more expensive than gas-powered cars and virtually unaffordable for the average American.

New Covid Boosters Not Even Tested

The Wall Street Journal wrote on August 28:

“The Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize new Covid-19 booster shots this week without a staple of its normal decision-making process: data from a study showing whether the shots were safe and worked in humans.

“The shots, modified to target the latest versions of the Omicron variant, won’t have finished testing in humans when the FDA makes its decisions.”

Incredible!!!

Cancel Culture and Woke Nonsense in Germany

Deutsche Welle reported on August 24:

“Another day, another online outrage over ‘cancel culture.’ German Twitter lit up with instant indignation this week after a German publisher announced it was pulling two… books from its line-up amid accusations of racism and cultural appropriation. Both books were inspired by Wild West stories from the wildly popular… 19th-century German writer Karl May… May’s books have sold around 200 million copies worldwide — as well as in several movies and even an animated series.

“The publisher, Ravensburger Verlag, citing ‘lots of negative feedback’ around the ‘romanticized’ and ‘clichéd’ depiction of Native Americans in the books, dropped the titles from its program and apologized if it had hurt anyone’s feelings. The blowback was quick, and predictable. #Winnetou has been a trending topic online since with the majority of posters furious over what German tabloid Bild… termed the ‘woke hysteria’ that was ‘burning the hero of our childhood at the stake.’

“Behind the online fury lies a very real, and particularly German, love affair with the Wild West, an affection that can be traced directly back to Karl May and his idealized depiction of 19th-century America. May’s characters — the noble, heroic Winnetou and his white-skinned ‘blood brother’ Old Shatterhand, a German immigrant land surveyor — are as present in the German popular imagination as the figures in Grimm’s Fairy Tale.

“You’ll find Winnetou books and records in many German households. A series of Winnetou films made during the 1960s are still staples on German TV. There are Karl May-inspired Wild West festivals and theme parks across the county where families gather to dress up as cowboys and Indians on stage sets of saloons and hitching posts. The most popular, in Bad Segeberg, attracts about 250,000 people a year…

“The Winnetou films, including the most recent, all feature white actors in the Indigenous roles. The most famous Winnetou is Pierre Brice, a white Frenchman who played the Apache chef in nearly a dozen films from 1962-68 as well as in a TV series in the 1980s.

“… labeling May and his imaginary America as racist and imperialist ignores how radical, for its time, Winnetou was. A century before Kevin Costner’s 1990 epic Western film ‘Dances with Wolves,’ Karl May flipped the traditional depiction of ‘wild Indians’ and ‘civilized cowboys,’ portraying Indigenous Americans (at least Winnetou and his friends) as the heroes…

“German society does not lack for racism but, thanks in large part to Karl May, Native Americans are held in near-universal regard…”

This is a highly-publicized and strongly debated example of how left-wing lying radicals can influence people with little or no understanding who are following blindly the woke nonsense and the cancel culture idiocy. Our German APS program, “Wer Winnetou liest, ist ein Rassist?” addresses the issue at length.

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 previous three installments, we have shown that the text in Matthew 28:19 (“baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”) is NOT a formula to be uttered by the baptizing minister, and to insist on using these exact words as a formula would be erroneous and unbiblical. We have also investigated the question as to whether this passage is even genuine or whether it was added at a later time, and we left it to the reader to draw his or her own conclusions.

Some may respond that the Worldwide Church of God under the late Herbert W. Armstrong [who died in 1986] engaged in the practice of baptizing “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” and that we must therefore do so as well.

This argument is flawed for several reasons.

We say this in our Statement of Beliefs, under Doctrinal Foundation:

“The major doctrines of the Church are those, which were taught by Herbert W. Armstrong, derived from the Biblical teachings as followed by God’s faithful servants, and originally established by Jesus Christ through the founding of His Church in the time of His chosen early apostles. Since we are to increase in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, we are committed to review and alter any of our teachings, if and when proven to be wrong by the Bible.”

As we have explained in this series, the idea that Matthew 28:19 –whether genuine or not – is a formula, to be repeated verbatim by the baptizing minister, is wrong and not in accordance with the Bible.

Therefore, no minister in the Church of the Eternal God and its international affiliates would use such language when baptizing a person. Instead, he would have asked the person to be baptized, during prior counseling, to study first our free booklet, “Baptism—a Requirement for Salvation?”, and he would then review pertinent Scriptures with the person to be baptized at the time of baptism, such as Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12; 1 Peter 3:21; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:27; Matthew 3:11; Acts 19:5; Acts 8:16; Acts 10:48; Acts 2:28; as well as the concept alluded to in Matthew 28:19.

He would then tell the person before the act of baptism what is about to happen (placing the person fully under water) and what is going to happen after this symbolic burial (placing the minister’s hands on the person’s head and praying to God the Father, in Christ’s name, to grant the person the gift of the Holy Spirit).

The minister would then ask the person the following pertinent questions:

Have you repented of your sins?

Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?

Do you believe in the gospel of the Kingdom of God and do you accept the fact that the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ is necessary, but also sufficient payment for the penalty of your sins?

After these questions were answered with “Yes,” the minister would then baptize the person in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of his or her sins, to become a begotten child of God the Father and a begotten member of the Kingdom and Family of God.  The exact wording is not that important, as long as the concept as to what baptism symbolizes is being conveyed.

This process of baptism consists of three parts—placing the person under water to symbolize his or her death; the coming out of the water, symbolizing his or her resurrection from the dead to walk in newness of life; and the laying on of hands with prayer to the Father, asking for the gift of the Holy Spirit being poured out into the person.

For a full explanation, please see our free booklet, “Baptism—a Requirement for Salvation?”, page 42.

In the past, many may have been baptized in the “name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Does this mean that this baptism would have been invalid? Not necessarily, if the following rings true (compare pages 42 and 43 of our afore-mentioned booklet):

“Christians who have been baptized ‘in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,’ however, do not need to worry that their baptism is invalid, as long as they understood the proper meaning of baptism, including the facts that God is not a Trinity and that the Holy Spirit is not a separate divine being. After all, when one is baptized ‘in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,’ the baptism ‘in the name of Christ’ is included, and, as we have explained, the Father and the Holy Spirit have an important role during the baptismal ceremony. As long as a person understands, at the time of his or her baptism, the functions and the nature of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, his or her baptism is valid.”

Still, knowing and understanding now that the wording in Matthew 28:19 is not a formula, ministers of the Church of the Eternal God and of its international affiliates would not today use those words when baptizing a person.

Returning to the argument that we must baptize in the way the Worldwide Church of God practiced under Mr. Armstrong, and that Mr. Armstrong may have considered Matthew 28:19 as authentic and that it set forth a biblical formula to be adopted and spoken,  it appears that Mr. Armstrong never addressed the possibility that Matthew 28:19 might not be genuine. In an older booklet, “All about Water Baptism,” copyrighted 1948, 1954 and 1972, Mr. Armstrong addresses Matthew 28:19 on pages 7 and 8 from the perspective that one reference in the Bible is enough, and that the thought that each thing must be established “in the mouth of two or three witnesses” only applies to the words of humans, but not of God. Mr. Armstrong nowhere addresses the question as to why he felt that the passage was genuine. It appears, he never considered the possibility that it might not be.

Mr. Armstrong, in trying to explain the inconsistencies between Matthew 28:19 and the rest of the Scriptures, felt that the term “baptizing in the name of Jesus,” just means, “baptizing by His authority.” While this might explain some of the Scriptures, it does NOT explain why the apostles baptized people only into [“eis”] the name [“onoma”] of Christ, but NOT into [“eis”] the NAME [“onoma”] of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. We discussed this aspect in the first installment of this series.

In addition, as mentioned before, we must grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and we must correct any erroneous understanding when we discover the need to do so. Mr. Armstrong had to do this himself in regard to certain aspects pertaining to the understanding and procedure of baptism. At one time, the Church felt that non-ordained and even unconverted people could baptize, as long as they were associated with the true Church of God. That was the reason why in the “early days,” non-ordained Ambassador College students of the Church were sent out on “baptizing tours.”  It is unclear as to whether they “just” baptized, or whether they also laid hands on the head of the baptized person, but in any event, they would have had no biblical authority to do either, and in a sense, that kind of “baptism” would have been unbiblical.

The incorrect understanding of using unordained students for baptisms was apparently derived from the fact that Jesus Christ authorized and used His unconverted disciples to baptize others (John 4:1-2). But we must understand that His disciples and especially His apostles were in a completely unique situation and category. They partook of the New Testament symbols of bread and wine during Passover—something which is today only permitted for those who have been properly baptized and who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit—and they were empowered to cast out demons—something which today, no unordained person should attempt to do.

The Church under Mr. Armstrong seemed to have come to the understanding that unordained persons were not to baptize, and later abandoned this practice, so that only ordained ministers were called upon to baptize persons, with the laying on of hands and prayer to the Father.

But even that procedure was not fully understood, it seems, at the beginning. An initial baptismal Church outline for ministers only included the thought that the minister would say that he baptized the person in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Nothing was said in the initial outline that the minister would lay hands on the head of the person and pray to the Father to bestow the person with the gift of the Holy Spirit. These requirements were later clearly practiced by baptizing ministers, and rightly so. As we point out in our afore-mentioned booklet, the laying on of hands by the baptizing minister is a necessary requirement for a proper baptism.

Again, the question may be asked as to what happened to those who were baptized by non-ordained students and died before they were able to receive a proper baptism. Did they receive the Holy Spirit? God, in His mercy, might very well have honored this procedure, as the Church, at that time, did not understand it better. BUT, He would most certainly NOT honor such a procedure today, as He has now given His Church proper knowledge and discernment.

There is no doubt in our minds that Herbert W. Armstrong had the Holy Spirit; in fact, that he was an apostle who was used mightily in the Work of God.  He describes his baptism when he came to the faith; namely, that he was baptized by a Baptist minister. We would never recommend such a procedure today, but at the time, Mr. Armstrong did not understand it better and just acted upon what God had revealed to him.  We have also been informed that subsequently, Mr. Armstrong had doubts as to whether that baptism was proper, and so he had a minister of the Church of God Seventh Day baptize him. The author of this article has seen the small river in Oregon where Mr. Armstrong, according to eye witnesses who were allegedly present at that ceremony, was baptized again by the Church of God minister. Whether true or not, as we said, God had clearly given Mr. Armstrong His Holy Spirit, but again, we would most certainly not recommend today a baptism which would be conducted by unordained or even unconverted lay persons, or by ministers unassociated with the true Church of God who do not believe the Gospel.

We bring this up for the sole reason to explain that we must grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. In the context of our discussion, this means that irrespective of what the Church of God under Mr. Armstrong might have believed and practiced in regard to proper baptism, God has revealed to us today that Matthew 28:19, even IF genuine, does not set forth a trinitarian baptismal formula to be used, verbatim, by God’s ministers.

Lead Writer—Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

We are pleased to report that Norbert and Johanna Link arrived safely in Germany this week for an extended visit with the brethren. They will return to the United States following the Fall Holy Days.

“Is God Punishing the USA?”  is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

For years, we have announced that the USA will fall, and more recently, that this fall is imminent. Now, a remarkable new article in the Jerusalem Post is contemplating the same development, while raising the question about whether God may have something to do with it. In this program, we discuss this possibility in more detail.

“Begehre es Nicht! Denn Siehe…” last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Christian Mrosek, is now posted. Title in English: “Don’t Covet It! Because See…”

“The Error of Balaam,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Paul Niehoff, is now posted. Here is a summary:

When the children of Israel were fighting the Midianites, as described in the book of Numbers, they also killed Balaam. What did he do to deserve death? It is explained in the book of Revelation.

“What Is Prophesied for the State of Israel?” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The Bible shows us what did and will happen to the nation and the state of Israel, including before and during the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord, and after Christ’s Return. This sermon also addresses parallel developments pertaining to the USA and the UK, as well as their and Judah’s enemies. The fall of the state of Israel and its defeat in war are prophesied, but so are also its rise from destruction and freedom from captivity. Today’s anti-Semitism will become a thing of the past.

2022 FALL HOLY DAYS

Feast of Trumpets… September 26

Day of Atonement… October 5

Feast of Tabernacles… October 10-16, with Opening Night on October 9

Last Great Day… October 17

On August 27, 2022, Paul Niehoff will present the sermonette, titled, “The Error of Balaam,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “What Is Prophesied for the State of Israel?”

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.

Let us consider: If money, material possessions, prestige, sports, music, family, fun, conspiracy theories, or any combination of these things occupy our interest, time, talents and energy more than anything else, then those things will be the God we serve and worship.

For example, an extreme bodybuilder is really infatuated with his body, always exercising, gazing at his muscles in the mirror, taking many vitamins and other supplements, constantly weighing himself and worrying about how many grams of this or that product are included in his daily diet.

Now, what is the main interest in his life? Is it God? Is it Christ? Or God’s Work? Certainly not. His main interest, his God, is literally his own human flesh, which he serves and worships more than anything else.

All of us must be fervently passionate, that our time, talents, interests and zeal are devoted first and foremost to God the Father, to our personal Savior Jesus Christ, to God’s great Masterplan and to the Work of God.

When it comes to our own weak spots, they may not be so obvious, at least not to us. But Satan has many tricks, many methods to distract each and every one of us from our great goal, the Kingdom of God.

Some are literally obsessed with making money. Or with their work. Or maybe with their desire to be important.

Others are addicted to sports. Some are so busy with their families and friends, that God and the Work of God become second or even third place. And others just want pleasure or entertainment. But let’s keep in mind that if God the Father and Jesus Christ have to step back from time to time, so that another “God” can have dominion in our lives, then they are not first in our lives.

In God’s plan, there is no room for a second “God.” Matthew 6:33 tells us, to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” and in Romans 8:5-6, we read: “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

How do we spend our time?

We might think of the people who spend all day caring for their garden or their house, using most of their free time in doing so—or maybe of the teenagers who are glued to the screens of their cell phones hour after hour; maybe of the ones who are constantly busy posting pictures or videos – the so-called influencers; or those who are permanently working on their cars, polishing them, admiring them and proudly showing them off to their friends.

Our lives are made up of so much time. How we make use of our time is crucial to how we live our lives. A converted Christian has committed his life to God. Have we? Do we really seek God first, when it comes to our use of time and energy? Or does Proverbs 26:14 apply to us, where we read: “As a door turns on its hinges, So does the lazy man on his bed.”

Do we handle and organize our lives in a way, that we can regularly study and internalize the words of the Bible? Have we developed the habit of meditating on the Bible and on God’s Law? Do we seek God with all our heart, maybe with occasional fasting if necessary?

When we use these spiritual tools to draw closer to God, our lives get enriched and God becomes much more real to us. Then we also really desire what God desires; we think as He thinks, and Jesus Christ literally lives in us through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.

Galatians 2:20 says: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Authorized Version).

It is only in this way, that all of us who are truly called by God can observe and keep the full intent and spirit of the First Commandment.

Initial Translation by Daniel Blasinger

by Norbert Link

We begin with reports on the “horrific week” of Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz (please view our new StandingWatch program, “Germany’s Weak and Failing Government”; continue with the assassination of the daughter of Putin’s “brain”; speak on the decline of America and President Biden’s unpopularity; and address the potential Iran deal which would in the opinion of many lead to nuclear war.

We report on Dr. Fauci’s announcement that he is going to retire soon and recall his “disastrous” guidance. We point out the opinion of observers that the warrant to raid Donald Trump’s private property and seize documents was without any legal basis; that Biden knew more than he admits; and that meritocracy seems to be dead today.

We conclude with attempts to dehumanize unborn babies; to resurrect the Tasmanian Tiger and the woolly Mammoth; and address increasing attacks of Indian elephants on humans.

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

“Germany’s Stone-Faced Chancellor Faces Critics on Nearly Every Side”

On August 20, DNYUZ ran the following article which was originally published by the New York Times:

“‘Shame in the chancellery,’ screamed one headline in the tabloid Bild this week, while the newsmagazine Spiegel ran an exasperated column about the chancellor’s hesitant communication style: ‘Scholz is silent.’ Germany’s chancellor, the prominent podcast The Pioneer concluded, has had ‘a horrific week.’

“Mr. Scholz’s most recent travails come on top of a rocky start to his chancellorship… he has struggled to find his footing as the head of Europe’s biggest democracy and as the successor of Angela Merkel…

“Given Germany’s economic and political power in Europe, weak leadership in Berlin has implications for leadership in the European Union as well, at a time when no other country could easily step into a vacuum. In neighboring France, the second-richest member state, President Emmanuel Macron recently lost his majority in Parliament.

“Accused of being too aloof and passive in his communication, Mr. Scholz, a Social Democrat, has slumped in opinion polls since the election, falling far behind his popular vice chancellor and foreign minister, both from the Green party.

“Abroad, too, his dithering has not gone unnoticed… in the nearly six months since the invasion of Ukraine by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, Mr. Scholz has ruled out a gas embargo, saying it would be too costly. He is still dragging his feet on weapons deliveries to Ukraine. And according to a new report by the German Economic Institute, a Cologne-based think tank, Germany might fail — again — to meet the target of spending 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense agreed by N.A.T.O. members…

“… Mr. Scholz held a joint news conference with the Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. Asked whether he was ready to apologize for the Palestinian terrorist attack at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich that killed 11 Israeli athletes, Mr. Abbas launched into a tirade against Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. ‘Between 1947 and today Israel has committed 50 massacres in 50 Palestinian locations,’ he said, before adding, ‘50 massacres, 50 Holocausts.’ A stony-faced Mr. Scholz listened but did not verbally respond. He shook Mr. Abbas’ hand when his spokesman wrapped up the news conference immediately after… Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s conservative opposition, called Mr. Scholz’s failure to speak up ‘beyond belief.’… Mr. Scholz did eventually react, telling the tabloid Bild later that evening that ‘any relativization of the Holocaust is insufferable and unacceptable.’ But it was not until the next morning that he sent out a tweet from his own account…

“Mr. Scholz has come under increasing pressure over allegations that he helped a private bank evade a 47 million-euro tax payment to the city of Hamburg in 2016, when he was mayor. After initially denying that he met privately with one of the co-owners of the M.M. Warburg Bank, Mr. Scholz was forced to admit that they did meet after the banker’s personal calendar indicated as much. Summoned by Hamburg lawmakers for the second time on Friday, Mr. Scholz reiterated that he did not recall what he and a bank executive talked about but insisted that there had been ‘no political influencing’ of the tax procedure… ‘I don’t believe a word the chancellor says,’ Friedrich Merz… told a newspaper on Friday. ‘There is hardly anyone in Germany that buys his many memory lapses.’

“Along with the challenges of rising inflation, slowing economic growth and potential gas shortages — Russia’s state-owned gas company Gazprom announced Friday that gas flows to Germany would temporarily stop again at the end of the month — the accumulation of problems big and small haunting the German chancellor have weighed on his popularity… Several political observers warn of a winter of protests, as Germans feel the pain of higher heating costs.

“Less than one in five Germans would now vote for Mr. Scholz’s Social Democrats, according to a poll released Friday. Instead, if an election were held today, the conservatives would beat them….”

Deutsche Welle added on August 21:

“Around two thirds of Germans said they were dissatisfied with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his divided coalition, which has experienced one crisis after another since taking office in December… 62% of Germans [have] an unfavorable view of Scholz… If the Chancellor were elected directly, Scholz would now come only in third place [with] only 18% [of the votes]… 65% of Germans [have]  a negative assessment on the work of the federal government.”

JTA reported on August 18:

“Under fire for accusing Israel of ’50 Holocausts,’ Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas walked back his statement, calling the Holocaust ‘the most heinous crime in modern human history.’”

But he did not apologize for his comments regarding Israel’s “50 Holocausts.”

Focus wrote on August 19:

“Misfortunes never come alone. However, what is currently happening in the Federal Republic’s relationship with the Palestinians and thus also with Israel is not a disaster. The rule here is rather: one lack of instinct follows the other. The indignation about the blatant failure of Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz has not yet abated, rightly so, when he wordlessly accepted the downplaying of the Holocaust by the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. And that in the Chancellery, not far from the Holocaust memorial in the capital.

“This lack of instinct number one is immediately followed by lack of instinct number two. Now, of all times, the Federal Foreign Office is announcing that the German government has pledged a total of 340 million euros to the Palestinians for humanitarian aid and development projects for the years 2021 and 2022. Abbas will be happy about that: The Germans obviously don’t blame him for his anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic slurs.

“Germany has always been one of the biggest donors to the Palestinian Authority. Officially, of course, the funds always flowed into humanitarian projects or were intended to promote economic development. Admittedly, there were repeated indications that the Palestinians were not so particular about earmarking. Anyone who claims to be able to precisely control the use of these German payments is lying to their own pockets.

“In any case, the question arises as to how one wants to and can justify financial support – under whatever label – as long as the Palestinian Authority is paying out bonuses to anti-Israel terrorists. After Abbas’ ‘outrageous appearance’, it was not only Volker Beck, the President of the German-Israeli Society, who called for the payments to be checked. But the federal government did exactly the opposite: it keeps the money flowing.”

And although the public prosecution announced, as expected, that they are not going to take action against Scholz, Mr. Scholz’s days are numbered… and that is also true for his unruly and divided “ample” coalition. The failure of the present German government was to be expected from the outset.

Daughter of “Putin’s Brain” Assassinated

The Associated Press wrote on August 21:

“The daughter of an influential Russian political theorist often referred to as ‘Putin’s brain’ was killed in a car bombing on the outskirts of Moscow… the bloodshed gave rise to suspicions that the intended target was her father, Alexander Dugin, a nationalist philosopher and writer.

“Dugin is a prominent proponent of the ‘Russian world’ concept, a spiritual and political ideology that emphasizes traditional values, restoration of Russia’s power and the unity of all ethnic Russians throughout the world. He is also a vehement supporter of Russia’s sending of troops into Ukraine… Some Russian media reports cited witnesses as saying that the SUV belonged to Dugin and that he had decided at the last minute to travel in another vehicle…

“Denis Pushilin, president of the separatist Donetsk People’s Republic, the pro-Moscow region that is a focus of Russia’s fighting in Ukraine, blamed it on ‘terrorists of the Ukrainian regime, trying to kill Alexander Dugin.’ Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, denied Ukrainian involvement, saying, ‘We are not a criminal state, unlike Russia, and definitely not a terrorist state.’…

“While Dugin’s exact ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin are unclear, the Kremlin frequently echoes rhetoric from his writings and appearances on Russian state TV. He helped popularize the ‘Novorossiya,’ or New Russia, concept that Russia used to justify the 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea and its support of separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine. He promotes Russia as a country of piety, traditional values and authoritarian leadership, and disdains Western liberal values.

“His daughter expressed similar views and had appeared as a commentator on the nationalist TV channel Tsargrad… Dugina herself was sanctioned by the United States in March for her work as chief editor of United World International, a website that the U.S. described as a disinformation source…”

The USA has also sanctioned Alexander Dugan.

The Sun added on August 21:

“There is no direct evidence Ukraine or its agents were involved in the Moscow attack. Yet senior pro-Putin war supporters were quick to demand an all-out attack on Kyiv over the… assassination…. Margarita Simonyan, head of RT network, posted on Telegram: ‘Decision-making centres [in Ukraine to be blasted]!’ …

“Putin crony Yury Kot warned escalating conflict at Europe’s biggest atomic plant could lead to Armageddon… He claimed it was Kyiv and the West jeopardising nuclear safety – and urged Putin to be ready to fire nukes at London and Washington.”

This could make the Russian-Ukrainian war even more deadly.

While America Falls Apart…

Dr. Ron Paul wrote the following opinion piece in his weekly column in the Ron Paul Institute publication, dated August 22:

“There is a video clip making the rounds showing President Biden speaking at a recent NATO summit about the seven billion dollars the US government had – at that time – provided to Ukraine. Attached to that is another clip showing the horrific state of several US major cities, including in Pennsylvania, California, and Ohio. The video of American cities is shocking: endless landscapes of filth, trash, homelessness, open fires on the street, drug-addicted zombies…

“Watching Biden bragging about sending billions of dollars to… leaders overseas with American cities looking like bombed-out Iraq or Libya is US foreign policy in a nutshell…

“What is seldom asked, is what is in this deal for those Americans who suffer to pay for our… foreign policy. Do they really think a working American in Ohio or Pennsylvania is better off or safer because we are supposedly protecting Ukraine’s borders? I think most Americans would wonder why they aren’t bothering to protect our own borders. A reported 200,000 illegals crossed the border into the US in July alone. You can believe they are learning quickly about the free money provided by the US government to illegals. They’ll probably get a voting card as well.

“Last Friday the Pentagon announced that yet another $775 million would be sent to Ukraine. As Antiwar.com reported, it was the eighteenth weapons package to Ukraine in six months… the reality is that it is in no way aid to Ukraine… It is money created out of thin air by the Fed and appropriated by Congress to be spent propping up the politically-connected military-industrial complex. It is a big check written by middle America to rich people who run Raytheon and Lockheed Martin…

“Bloomberg reported earlier this summer that inflation is costing the average American household more than $5,200 this year. Inflation is a tax on middle class and poor Americans… [We] watch as the dollar buys less and less… America feels like we’re becoming Zimbabwe. How long until it takes a trillion dollars for a loaf of bread?…”

After World War I, Germany experienced something like this.

The Guardian wrote on August 24:

“Joe Biden has announced nearly $3bn in new military assistance to Ukraine, including anti-aircraft missiles, artillery, counter-drone defences and radar equipment.

“The huge tranche of military aid brings to nearly $13bn the US has supplied or pledged to Kyiv under the Biden administration.”

Most Americans Disapprove of Biden

Daily Mail wrote on August 22:

“A whopping 74% of Americans say the United States is on the wrong track in a new NBC News poll conducted earlier this month. It also found that more than half… feel ‘worried that America’s best years may already be behind us’.

“Among the respondents’ main concerns was the economy, with 68 percent saying they think the country is already in a recession despite Biden’s claims. In total, the poll found, 55 percent of Americans disapprove of the job the president is doing while just 42 percent approve.”

Still, how can 42 percent of Americans approve of the miserable job he is doing? This total blindness is just dumbfounding!

Why the Iran Deal Guarantees Nuclear War

Israel365 News wrote on August 21:

“The Biden administration is on the verge of closing its long-sought for nuclear agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran…  Back in 2015, news that the Obama-Biden administration was closing in on a final draft of what became its nuclear deal with Iran provoked a mass public outcry. The majority of Americans opposed the deal. Many key Democrats opposed it. The entire Republican Party opposed it. News of the deal was greeted by mass protests in Washington, New York and countrywide. Today, the opposite is the case. News of Biden’s deal is greeted with yawns and apathy.

“The difference is doubly striking because since 2015, the warnings the deal’s opponents sounded have all been borne out by events. Just as the opponents warned, Iran began cheating on the deal the moment it was concluded: Iran stockpiled uranium beyond what was permitted and refused to come clean to inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency on its previous nuclear work.

“Even worse, Iran exploited the deal’s loopholes—first and foremost its non-limitation of research and development work. While ostensibly abiding by the agreement, Iran developed advanced centrifuges capable of enriching uranium 10 times faster and to much higher levels of purity than the centrifuges it fielded in 2015…

“As the deal’s opponents had warned, Iran used the tens of billions of dollars it received from sanctions relief in 2015 and 2016 to massively expand its funding of terror proxies… The nuclear deal was supposed to keep Iran a year away from breakout, but last month Teheran announced it had already crossed the nuclear threshold and could develop bombs at will. The nuclear deal Biden is now negotiating won’t push Iran’s nuclear genie back in the bottle. Iran will enter the deal—if it agrees—as a threshold nuclear state. And it will exit the deal as a nuclear power.

“Yet, despite the manifest dangers Iran poses, and everything we have learned since 2015, no one is in the streets protesting today. No one is campaigning against Biden’s deal. The apathy afflicting everyone from moderate Democrats to conservative Republicans, from Jewish American groups to Christian Zionist groups to national security lobbies is particularly stunning because Biden’s nuclear deal is even worse than Obama’s was. Not only does it give nuclear license to Iran, Biden’s agreement ushers in an era of nuclear chaos…

“Biden’s policy is far worse in two ways. First, it is being undertaken after Iran announced it had crossed the nuclear threshold. In other words, Biden can’t plausibly claim that this is a non-proliferation deal…  Under Biden’s deal, by 2030, Iran will receive $1 trillion in sanctions relief—enough to transform Iran into a regional economic power as Tehran uses its nuclear arsenal to blackmail its neighbors.

“This leads us to the second reason that Biden’s deal is worse than Obama’s… According to media reports of the E.U. final draft, Biden has accepted Iran’s demand that the IAEA end its investigations of Iran’s undeclared nuclear installations…

“The implication is stunning… Once Biden and Iran conclude their deal, the prospect of nuclear war will no longer be a distant if ever-present concern. It will become a certainty, as nation after nation rushes to acquire nuclear weapons…”

The blindness of the Western powers is striking.

Fauci’s Retirement Can’t Come Soon Enough

The New York Post’s Editorial Board wrote on August 22:

“‘Whether you’ve met him personally or not, he has touched all Americans’ lives with his work,’ President Joe Biden said of news that his chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci, is finally retiring [As Breitbart wrote on August 22, “The [Democrat] leader’s remark follows Fauci’s retirement announcement, moving up his timeline to December 2022 — conveniently after the midterm elections, when Republicans hope to gain a majority in both the House and Senate].

“Biden’s only too right — tragically. Fauci’s COVID guidance was disastrous. Fauci, now 81, initially greeted COVID by insisting it wasn’t a ‘major threat,’ only to flip almost overnight into a strident hawk. He demanded contact tracing, a measure as costly as it was useless. He called for economic shutdowns and national school closures. He ridiculed efforts to focus protective efforts narrowly on the truly vulnerable — the elderly and the immunocompromised. He mocked the idea that people who recovered from COVID had some degree of natural immunity (after having once proposed it himself). And he did all this even as he doubted in private the efficacy of masks and the existence of asymptomatic spread.

“His overgrown ego, in short, led him to promote the most destructive federal and state policies in recent US memory. And as of late July he was still at it, saying we should’ve had ‘much more stringent restrictions’ to fight asymptomatic COVID spread in 2020. This, when his tactics accomplished nothing. The United States did worse on overall COVID outcomes than did Sweden, which never closed schools nor implemented other draconian policies.

“Yet Fauci’s chief sin likely came before COVID even reached these shores: As chief of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, he championed and oversaw funding for labs in China that performed gain-of-function research on viruses. Then, as the face of the nation’s coronavirus response, he joined the drive to render unmentionable the idea that the virus might have leaked from that Wuhan lab. And for all the lives his ideas cost and all the needless pain they inflicted, Fauci has not been — and looks likely never to be — held accountable.

“In his own words, the good doctor is leaving to ‘pursue his next chapter.’ For the sake of the world, we hope it’s focused on gardening. Fauci’s too dangerous to be anywhere near the levers of power.”

Will Fauci Be Held Accountable?

Breitbart wrote on August 22:

“A Republican-led House in Congress will hold Dr. Anthony Fauci accountable, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said Monday following Dr. Anthony Fauci’s announcement. ‘Dr. Fauci lost the trust of the American people when his guidance unnecessarily kept schools closed and businesses shut while obscuring questions about his knowledge on the origins of COVID,’ McCarthy said Monday, adding, ‘He owes the American people answers’…

“McCarthy is not the first Republican to warn that Fauci’s departure will not protect the NIAID director from answering tough questions on the origins of the Chinese coronavirus — a battle Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has continued to wage as Fauci continues to deny that NIAID funded gain-of-function research…. ‘Fauci’s resignation will not prevent a full-throated investigation into the origins of the pandemic. He will be asked to testify under oath regarding any discussions he participated in concerning the lab leak,’ Paul said.”

Of course, talk is cheap. We need to wait and see what will really happen to Fauci.

Republican Victory in November Not a Given?

Fox News wrote on  August 21:

“Former President Donald Trump went after Sen. Mitch McConnell… over social media for expressing skepticism around Republicans’ chances of retaking congressional majorities in the November midterms…. McConnell suggested Thursday that he did not think Republicans would retake the Senate as ‘candidate quality has a lot to do with the outcome.’ He said his party may fare better in reclaiming the U.S. House…. ‘Right now, we have a 50-50 Senate and a 50-50 country, but I think when all is said and done this fall, we’re likely to have an extremely close Senate. Either our side up slightly or their side up slightly,’ he added.

“The comment was widely criticized by conservatives… McConnell’s shaky optimism comes as Republican senatorial candidates Blake Masters of Arizona, Herschel Walker of Georgia, and Mehemt Oz of Pennsylvania are trailing in their respective races. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-WI, also trails in his re-election effort….”

The Associated Press wrote on August 20:

“Republicans have found success in Democratic strongholds like Maryland and Massachusetts when they have fielded moderate candidates who could appeal to voters in both parties. With Democrats facing headwinds this year, Republicans had hoped that strategy could pay off yet again. But Republican voters have nominated loyalists of former President Donald Trump in several Democratic states, including Maryland and Connecticut, making the GOP’s odds of winning those general election races even longer…”

One will have to wait and see. In regard to the prophesied downfall of the USA, neither a Republican nor a Democratic victory will change anything substantially, anyhow.

“The Trump Warrant Had No Legal Basis”

The Wall Street Journal wrote on August 22:

“A former president’s rights under the Presidential Records Act trump the statutes the FBI cited to justify the Mar-a-Lago raid.

“Was the Federal Bureau of Investigation justified in searching Donald Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago? The judge who issued the warrant for Mar-a-Lago has signaled that he is likely to release a redacted version of the affidavit supporting it. But the warrant itself suggests the answer is likely no—the FBI had no legally valid cause for the raid.

 “The warrant authorized the FBI to seize ‘all physical documents and records constituting evidence, contraband, fruits of crime, or other items illegally possessed in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§793, 2071, or 1519’ (emphasis added). These three criminal statutes all address the possession and handling of materials that contain national-security information, public records or material relevant to an investigation or other matters properly before a federal agency or the courts.”

Hannity said on Fox News on August 22: “Federal law gives Mr. Trump a right of access to them. His possession of them is entirely consistent with that right and therefore lawful, regardless of the statutes that the FBI is citing in their warrant…  there was no legal basis for this unprecedented warrant.”

What Did Biden Know?

The New York Post Editorial Board  wrote on August 23:

“The official line spun by the White House is that President Joe Biden and his staff had no clue Attorney General Merrick Garland had authorized the armed FBI raid on ex-Prez Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home until after it actually happened.  But it turns out they at least enabled and knew about the ongoing investigation.

“A now-public May 10 letter to Team Trump from acting National Archivist Debra Steidel Wall notes that the president’s counsel had told her: ‘President Biden defers to my determination’ on respecting Trump’s claims of executive privilege in retaining various documents — and that she had ‘decided not to honor’ those claims. She adds: ‘NARA will provide the FBI access to the records in question, as requested by the incumbent President.’

“That is, Biden told the National Archives and Records Administration, or NARA, it could go ahead and demand more documents. Is that really the last time the White House got involved? Wall’s letter led to a June meeting where Trump’s aides handed the FBI a bunch of documents, on top of the January handover of other docs. The many mysteries here include: Why exactly did Garland then go for the raid, when Trump had been turning over docs regularly?

“How did NARA get involved in the first place? The DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled back in 2012: ‘NARA does not have the authority to designate materials as presidential records, and NARA lacks any right, duty, or means to seize control of them.’…

“The New York Times reported back in April that Biden has been telling his aides that he wants Garland to indict Trump for something. That doesn’t help us believe the White House’s official ‘we know nothing’ stance… we… have zero concrete proof that the raid was actually justified.”

Meritocracy Is Dead

Daily Mail published the following article by Andrew Neil on August 19:

“Meritocracy is dead. Long live diversity. That’s the mantra that increasingly dominates this country’s most powerful public and private institutions, from the civil service to the military, the media to the NHS [National Health Service], the universities to major companies — and just about everything important in between. The age-old idea that jobs, position and promotion are best allocated solely on merit and ability, regardless of background, is withering on the vine, replaced by a new religion — almost a fanaticism — that elevates diversity and inclusion above all else…

“No company or public body is currently immune from it, even traditional, well-established, well-regarded, culturally conservative institutions, such as our illustrious Royal Air Force,  which now operates under a ‘Diversity and Inclusion Directive’. It’s worth quoting one of its key lines: ‘The RAF is intent on increasing diversity across all minority groups, including race, religion and beliefs, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, socio-economic representation and neuro-diversity.’ The prescient reader will have noticed that nowhere in this box-ticking list is there mention of ability or the best person for the job.  It is a bizarre omission, especially at a time when Britain faces greater military and security threats than it has for a generation… when it comes to appointing fighter pilots, drone operators and surveillance aircraft crews — people in whose hands we are placing the defence of the realm — surely ability and aptitude must trump all else…

“The head of RAF recruitment, a female group captain, has reportedly stepped down from her post in protest at what she regards as ‘impossible diversity targets’ (40 per cent women by 2030, 20 per cent from ethnic minority backgrounds). They can’t be met unless there is a de facto freeze on the recruitment of white males, no matter how well-qualified… without meritocracy, we are doomed to decline.”

Diversity, as propagated and applied these days, does in fact eradicate “meritocracy” to a large extent. Andrew Neil pointed out what many believe, without being willing to say it.

Fetus No Longer a Baby?

Life News wrote on August 18:

“This week, Students for Life of America noticed that the definition of ‘fetus’ changed on Google to exclude the word ‘baby.’ Just a few weeks ago, Google defined ‘fetus’ as ‘an unborn offspring of a mammal, in particular an unborn human baby more than eight weeks after conception,’ according to a screen shot captured by Students for Life. Now, when someone searches for the definition on Google, it reads ‘an offspring of a human or other mammal in the stages of prenatal development that follow the embryo stage (in humans taken as beginning eight weeks after conception.).’

“‘Google altered their definition of “fetus” to not include the word “baby.” They don’t want you to know the truth: a human fetus is a human baby,’ the pro-life organization wrote… Google cited Oxford Languages as the source of its definition for the word ‘fetus.’ However, the website Lexico, which also uses Oxford, still has the definition that includes the word ‘baby.’

“The new definition on Google better meshes with a pro-abortion agenda, not science… An unborn baby’s life begins at conception and, by the fetus stage (about eight weeks of pregnancy), already has almost all of his/her body parts… Even the current U.S. Department of Health and Human Services… despite being run by the pro-abortion Biden administration, uses the word ‘baby’ to describe the developing unborn child at the embryo and fetus stages…

“The definition change follows similar actions by the pro-abortion American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and Planned Parenthood… Google, one of the most powerful companies in the world, has a history of leftist pro-abortion politics…

The reason for the change in definition is abominably obvious.

Resurrecting the Tasmanian Tiger and the Mammoth?

npr wrote on August 20:

“… the Tasmanian tiger [is] not a feline but a dog-like marsupial, a predator that humans hunted to extinction. The last known specimen died in a zoo in 1936. Now the… company Colossal Biosciences wants to genetically resurrect the Tasmanian tiger, also known as the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) or the Tasmanian wolf… Colossal… has previously aired plans to resurrect the woolly mammoth…

“It’s not cloning. ‘Cloning is a very specific scientific process. That process requires a living cell,’ evolutionary biologist Beth Shapiro of University of California, Santa Cruz told NPR when talk of resurrecting the mammoth gained new currency in 2015. Instead, Colossal plans to essentially create a hybrid animal, with many of the characteristics of a Tasmanian tiger. Its scientists will use CRISPR gene editing technology to splice bits of recovered thylacine DNA into the genome of a Dasyurid — a family of carnivorous marsupials such as the numbat and Tasmanian devil that are the extinct animal’s closest relatives. The altered nucleus would then be inserted into a Dasyurid egg — and when it develops into an embryo, it would be implanted into a surrogate…

“It could arrive as early as the next few years. By comparison, Colossal hopes to bring its first woolly mammoth calves into the world within the next five or six years, using elephant surrogates. “

What will be next?

“India Sees More Deadly Elephant Attacks…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 19:

“Elephant-human conflicts have been on the rise in India as a result of habitat loss, and experts say such conflicts could get worse… More than 1,500 people have died in elephant attacks in the country in the past three years, with 300 of the animals killed in retaliation…  India accounts for 70-80% of all recorded human deaths caused by elephants across Asia… India is home to the world’s largest population of Asian elephants and about 29,000 elephants remain in the wild…  Elephants are expected to live for up to 50 years but their survival depends upon regular migration over large distances to search for food, water, and social and reproductive partners…

“Left alone, elephants do not usually attack people. When elephants enter agricultural fields, or go near human habitation, they are inevitably surrounded by mobs of people. They are intelligent, powerful animals and eventually they will retaliate, again and again…   Elephant herds are known to migrate across 350-500 kilometers (200-300 miles) annually but increasingly fragmented landscapes are driving the giant mammals more frequently into human-dominated areas…”

The Bible says that in these end times, men will be attacked by the wild beasts of the earth.

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 discussed the fact that Matthew 28:19 does not set forth a “formula,” which must be used when baptizing a person, and that the teaching that the baptizing minister must say the words, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit,” is erroneous and unbiblical.  At the same time, we pointed out that “the concept stated in Matthew 28:19, in referring during the entire baptism ceremony to the role and function of the Father and Jesus Christ, bestowing on the baptized person the gift of the Holy Spirit, is accurate and biblical.”

In the second installment, we began our discussion as to the genuineness of the passage in Matthew 28:19. We quoted from commentaries and other sources advocating the authenticity of Matthew 28:19, citing ancient authors referring to the threefold trinitarian baptism, saying that Jesus spoke these words. We pointed out that none of those authors actually quoted or directly referred to the book of Matthew as evidence for their claim; that nowhere do we read that an author by the end of the first or the beginning of the second century said: “Jesus said in the book of Matthew, at the end of the book, that we are to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” We raised the question as to whether they just referred to some “human tradition,” according to which Jesus allegedly stated these words, and that the suspicion, then, that these words were later added in order to confirm the “Christian” practice and belief, as did happen in the case of 1 John 5:7-8, ought to be addressed.

In this installment, we will discuss the concerns authors and commentaries have raised as to the genuineness of Matthew 28:19. First, though, let’s consider this:

We will recall from our previous discussion that only Matthew 28:19 mentions “baptizing” “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The parallel Scripture in Mark 16:15-16 does NOT include such a statement. We will also recall that according to the written Scriptural record, the apostles NEVER baptized in the name of the Father or of the Holy Spirit, but ONLY in the name of Christ. It appears inconceivable that they would have completely ignored and disobeyed a command of Christ, IF it had been a command given to them and known to them. It is for this reason alone that the words in Matthew 28:19, in any event, CANNOT be viewed as a formula which has to be uttered by the minister when baptizing a person.

There are no Scriptures that state that we are baptized in or into the Father.  There is one Scripture that might suggest that we are baptized in or into the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 reads: “For by [Greek, “ek,” meaning “out of”] one Spirit are we all baptized INTO [Greek, “eis”] one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles…; and have been all made to drink INTO [Greek, “eis”] one Spirit.” The first part of the passage says that the Spirit baptizes us INTO the spiritual body. In regard to the second part of the passage (“have been all made to drink INTO one Spirit”), Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible cautions us that this last word “eis” may not be genuine; the NU omits it altogether, and the RSV translates, “all were made to drink OF one Spirit.”

There are many Scriptures showing us that we have been baptized INTO Christ. Compare for example Galatians 3:27: “For as many of you as have been baptized INTO [Greek, “eis] Christ have put on Christ.”

Other Scriptures show that people were baptized “in the name” [Greek: “onoma”] of Christ, such as Acts 2:38 and Acts 10:48.

The Bible teaches of course that we must be baptized WITH the Holy Spirit. Many passages show that God the Father gives us the Holy Spirit upon baptism (Compare Acts 1:5, 8; 2:33; 11:16). In that sense, we are baptized INTO the Church, the spiritual body of Christ, THROUGH or “out of” the Spirit (compare 1 Corinthians 12:13). Compare also 1 Corinthians 6:11 (“but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified IN the NAME of the Lord Jesus and BY [Greek, “ek”, meaning “out of”] the Spirit of God,” AV). None of the Scriptures says, however, that we are baptized in or into the NAME of the Holy Spirit, and none of them even says that we are baptized in or into the Holy Spirit (with the possible exception of 1 Corinthians 12:13, see above).

With this introduction, let us review the many arguments advanced by biblical scholars concluding that Matthew 28:19 might not be genuine.

The Catholic Jerusalem Bible states:

“It may be that the formula, so far as the fullness of its expression is concerned, is a reflection of the liturgical use established later. It will be remembered that Acts speaks of baptizing ‘in the name of Jesus.’”

The New Revised Standard Version says:

“Modern critics claim this formula is falsely ascribed to Jesus and that it represents later church tradition, for nowhere in the book of Acts is baptism performed with the name of the Trinity.”

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. 4, pp. 26-37, states under “Baptism”:

“Matthew 28:19 in particular only canonizes a later ecclesiastical situation… Its Trinitarian formula is foreign to the mouth of Jesus.”

Hasting’s Encyclopedia of Religion, vol. 2, p. 377, points out:

“The Christian baptism was administered using the name of Jesus. The Trinitarian formula of any sort was not suggested in the early Church history.”

Donald Guthry writes in “New Testament Theology,” on page 719:

“The dispute over the authenticity of the triune formula revolves around the comparison with the simpler formula in Acts… The question arises whether the triune formula requires a later date.”

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary states in vol. 8, on page 598:

“Many deny the authenticity of this Trinitarian formula… on the basis of the fact that the only evidence we have of actual Christian baptism indicates a consistent monadic formula – baptism in Jesus’ name.”

The Interpreter’s Bible, vol. 7, points out on page 624:

“The formula of verse 19 was probably a later development.”

The Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge states on page 435:

“Jesus, however, cannot have given His disciples this Trinitarian order of baptism after His resurrection, for the New Testament knows only baptism in the name of Jesus… which still occurs in the second and third centuries, while the Trinitarian formula occurs only in Matthew 28:19, and then only in Didache 7:1 [as mentioned before, an apocryptic book] and Justin, Apology 1:61… the formal authenticity of Matthew 28:19 must be disputed.”

Peake’s Commentary of the Bible, 1962, states on page 798 under “Matthew”:

“… most commentaries doubt that the trinitarian formula was original at this point in Matthew’s Gospel, since the NT [New Testament] elsewhere does not know of such a formula and describes baptism as being performed in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

David Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary, states on page 86:

“This is the closest of the New Testament comes to stating the proposition that YHVH, Adonai, the one God of Abraham… consists of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit… Although nearly all ancient manuscripts have the trinitarian formula, Eusebius, the church historian [who died in 340 AD] … in his writings preceding the council of Nicea in 325 C.E., quotes the verse without it.”

As we will discuss this phenomenon more fully below, Eusebius, believing in the Trinity, failed to quote the words of Matthew 28:19, referring to baptism, before the Council of Nicea, while quoting the words before and after the omitted text.

David Flusser wrote in “The Conclusion of Matthew in the New Jewish Christian Source,” Annals of the Swedish Theological Institute, 1967, on pages 110-120:

“The trinitarian formula in the words of the resurrected Jesus is not attested before the Gnostic Theodotus, i.e., not before the second half of the second century… Thus it is difficult not to assume that the shorter form of the saying found so far only in quotations by Eusebius [omitting the clause, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”] is the original text of Matthew 28, 18b-20… Eusebius’ text of Matth 28, 19-20a before Nicaea was as follows: ‘Go and make all nations disciples in my name, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.’”

Fred C. Conybeare, “The Eusebian Form of the Text Mt. 28, 19,” in “Zeitschrift fuer die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde des Urchristentums,” (1901), pointed out that Eusebius had quoted Matthew 28 seventeen times [others say, eighteen times] BEFORE the Council of Nicea, OMITTING the disputed words, and three times AFTER the Council of Nicea, including the disputed words (at p. 282).

He also stated on pages 284-287:

“[Neither Clement of Alexandria nor Origen give any] hint of the important precept to baptize in the triune name which in our texts intervene… [The] German scholar Teller [in 1786] disputed the genuineness of the text [i.e., to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit]. So did Evanson, vicar of Tewkesbury [in 1792].”

He also wrote:

“Harnack remarks (Dogmengeschichte I, 68): ‘Mt. 28:19 ist kein Herrenwort.’ [‘Matthew 28:19 is not a word of the Lord’]. Martineau… writes thus: ‘The very account which tells us that at last, after his resurrection, he commissioned the apostles to go and baptize among all nations, betrayed itself by speaking in the Trinitarian language of the next century, and compels us to see in it the ecclesiastical editor, and not the evangelist, much less the founder itself… J.H. Schotten in his word, Die Taufformel, [the baptismal formula], wrote: ‘The comparisons of the texts of the three gospels and the critical analysis pertaining to their ages leads us to conclude that the records about the establishment of the baptism through Jesus in the gospel of Matthew must be of a relatively late date.’ H. Holtzmann in an article on baptism [in 1879] arrives at a similar conclusion.”

He also pointed out on pages 282 and 283 that Justin Martyr, as well as “Pastor Hermae,” did NOT quote the longer, but only the shorter form: “Two writers earlier than Eusebius show a knowledge of this shorter form of text; and neither of them formally cite the passage, but rather echo it. The first is Justinus Martyr in the Dialogue with Tryphon 39, p. 258… The second passage is in the Pastor Herrmae and is a less certain reference… the earliest writer who cites Mt 28,19 in a form approximating to the text established in the manuscripts of the Gospels, is the Gnostic Theodotus.”

On page 286, Conybeare explains that the Catholic Church, strongly teaching the Trinity as one of their most fundamental doctrines, “adopted the position that baptism in the name of Jesus Christ alone” is “quite valid. As the canon of the Synod of Nemors (1284) expressed it… baptize te in nominee Christi. It in some measure explains the decision of the popes that the text of Mat. 28,19 was not yet authoritatively fixed by the church and that the [Catholic version] of the fourth century retained the Eusebian reading [prior to Nicea].”

Conybeare then asks the following questions, on pages 287 and 288, without committing himself:

“Is the Eusebian and Justin’s reading of Mt. 28,19 [which omits the words, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”] original? If so, was not the [text including those words] created about 130-140? Was it not due to a reaction on the text of Matthew of liturgical, and, specifically, of baptismal usage? Did it not arise, like the text of the three witnesses [referring to the addition in 1 John 5:7-8, discussed earlier] in the African and old Latin texts first of all, thence creep in to the Greek texts at Rome, and finally establish itself in the East during the Nicene epoch, in time to figure in all surviving Greek codices?”

E.W. Bullinger writes in “Word Studies on the Holy Spirit,” on pages 47-49:

“It is difficult to suppose that there would have been this universal disregard of so clear a command (in Matthew 28:19), if it had ever been given; or if it ever really formed part of the primitive text. It is a question therefore whether we have here something beyond the reach of science, or the powers of ordinary Textual Criticism. As to the Greek MSS, there are none beyond the fourth century, and it seems clear that the Syrian part of the church knew nothing of these words. Eusebius quotes this verse no less than eighteen times, and always quotes it in this form, ‘Go ye into all the world and make disciples of all nations.’ He omits the reference to ‘baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.’ Now, Eusebius, the great Ecclesiastical historian, died in 340 AD, and his work belonged, therefore, in part to the third century. Moreover, he lived in one of the greatest Christian libraries of that day. If the Greek MS there contained these words, it seems impossible that he could have quoted this verse eighteen times without including them.

“Professor Lake… and Mr. Conybeare have called attention to this fact, and shown that neither Justin Martyr (who died in 165 AD), nor Aphraates of Nisibis (who flourished in Syria, 340 AD), knew nothing of these words. It looks, therefore, as though the words got into the text (perhaps from the margin) in the church of North Africa; and that the Syrian Churches did not have them in the MSS at their disposal. The point is interesting. The difficulty is there.”

This is indeed the case, and it is up to the reader to draw his or her own conclusions.

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“Germany’s Weak and Failing Government!” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Why is it important that you understand how weak Germany’s government under Chancellor Olaf Scholz is, and how the chancellor’s conduct has contributed to a strong dissatisfaction of the German people with him and his divided coalition? What did Herr Scholz do (or not do) which led to this reaction? And how can one explain, among many other things, his repeated “lack of instinct” in respect to the scandal with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Germany’s continued financial support of the Palestinian Authority; and Scholz’s “lack of memory,” when being accused of having collaborated, as local mayor, with a Bank in Germany to engage in tax evasion? Is Germany’s government on its way out?

“Wer Winnetou liest, ist ein Rassist?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “He is a Racist who reads Winnetou?” (Winnetou is a well-known fictitious Native American hero in the books of widely-read German author Karl May.)

“Der barmherzige Samariter—und wo die Samariter heute sind!” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “The Merciful Samaritan—and Where the Samaritans Are Today!”

“Jesus Christus – das Brot des Lebens,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Marc Voeller, is now posted. Title in English: “Jesus Christ – The Bread of Life.”

“The Power of Support,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Support is critical for Christians, for the Church, for the Work of God, and, even for God!

“Don’t Stop Living,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Believing that the return of Jesus Christ is near, we are naturally inclined to plan our lives accordingly. The big question is, how should we plan for our future?

2022 FALL HOLY DAYS

Feast of Trumpets… September 26

Day of Atonement… October 5

Feast of Tabernacles… October 10-16, with Opening Night on October 9

Last Great Day… October 17