On June 11, 2022, Norbert Link will present, “Comments on News and Prophecy—June 11, 2022,” and the sermon, titled, “God’s Spirit of Mercy.”

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.

In the introduction in our booklet, entitled, “God’s Teaching on Sexual Relationships,” we state the following: “We live in a world of ever-changing relationships, be it among nations, peoples, or individuals, and along with these changes, there is no end to personal opinions as to what constitutes right or wrong actions.  Yet out of the abundance of opinions, there is little regard for what God calls sin or what His standards are for happiness and health. Mankind, as a whole, is determined to live in ways that ‘seem right in his own eyes’ (Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25).”

There can be no argument that there have been monumental changes in every phase of society around the world in the last few decades, with the pace of change accelerating at a frightening pace.   A “Pandora’s box” has been opened.

Collins English Dictionary has this definition: “If someone or something opens a Pandora’s box, they do something that causes a lot of problems to appear that did not exist or were not known about before.”

In our booklet, we reference the ridiculous idea about there being 72 different gender designations.   We wondered what would be next.

In the UK, the Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act 2013 was passed in 2013. It legalised same-sex marriage in England and Wales, and former Conservative Prime Minister, David Cameron, was instrumental in this endeavour.   In many nations around the world, same-sex marriages have become totally acceptable. But it has gotten worse.

We now have the revelation that last year, three men made history in Colombia by becoming the first trio to wed in a same-sex ceremony in Colombia – called a polyamorous family. A newspaper report revealed that “Three people are legally allowed to marry each other in Colombia, where it is known as a ‘trieja’ – a word derived from two others: trio and pareja: trio and couple.”

Another type of relationship revealed was where three women were married to each other and, at the time, were the world’s only wedded female threesome – and one of them was expecting a baby.   This relationship, apparently, is called a throuple!   No doubt, since then, more people have jumped on the same bandwagon.

I came across an article about a divorced British woman who finally found the partner of her dreams – her dog – and married her in a “romantic ceremony in Croatia, and the ceremony was attended by 200 people!”   There have been quite a number of other such “arrangements”.

In this world, once Pandora’s Box is open, there is no going back.

To slightly misquote Rudyard Kipling: “We must keep our heads when all around us are losing theirs!”

Whatever next?

Well, hopefully, there won’t be many more ridiculous revelations about even more absurd relationships, before Jesus Christ returns to put a stop, once and for all, to this nonsense.  We can all be sure that in the soon-coming Government of God, which God will establish here on earth during the Millennium, marriage between humans will be between one man and one woman, and mankind will be all the happier that the godly and correct institution of marriage (see Genesis 2:24) will be the only marriage allowed.

by Norbert Link

We begin with concerns regarding a coming war between Iran and Israel; speak on the fear of civil war in the USA [please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Civil War, Violence and Misery in the USA”] and address the expectation of an energy crisis; the collapse of the financial system;  the incredible waste of vaccine doses; and California’s worst drought in 1,200 years.

We speak on the military’s control of Hollywood and the Navarro scandal. In this regard, please view our new message, titled, “Our Corrupt Political and Legal System—Comments on News and Prophecy, June 4, 2022.” We also report on the attempted murder of US Supreme Court Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh.

We address Elon Musk’s fight with the DOJ and Dr. Oz’s victory in Pennsylvania; point out questions regarding the future of the Commonwealth of Nations (formerly known as the British Commonwealth); Boris Johnson’s survival; and Russia’s opinion that the four horsemen of the Apocalypse are already on their way. We also point out former German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s refusal to apologize for her ill-conceived politics towards Russia.

We continue with Joe Biden’s terrible legacy in Afghanistan; the disunified summit of the Americas; rumors that Pope Francis might retire;  and the creation of aggressive hamsters by ignorant scientists.

We conclude with a funny and at the same time silly article about Turkey’s name change.

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

War Between Israel and Iran Coming?

The Daily Beast wrote on June 2:

“The ongoing war between Israel and Iran across the Middle East came out of the shadows and into the open long ago. But now, on the back of several suspected Israeli attacks inside Iran itself, the deadly contest threatens to escalate—possibly beyond the region.

“Last week, several quadcopter drones smashed into a suspected Iranian nuclear research and drone facility at Parchin, killing one engineer. Mere days before, two assassins on motorbikes shot dead an Iranian military colonel in the heart of Tehran…

“This is all part of what the Israeli government, just under a year in power, has come to describe as its ‘Octopus Doctrine,’ a new and risky expansion of its campaign against Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities.

“If in years past Israel did hit inside Iran, it was done covertly—usually through spies and cyber-attacks—and almost always targeted Iranian nuclear scientists and facilities… But now, Israeli officials openly describe a ‘new defense strategy,’ as one termed it to The Daily Beast, aimed at the ‘head’ of the octopus in Iran, and not just its ‘tentacles’ across the region in places like Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and Iraq…

“The dangers of this new Israeli approach are… obvious.”

US Civil War Coming?

The Daily Mail wrote on June 2:

“A new poll shows 44 percent of Americans believe the nation is headed toward another civil war…  That includes 53 per cent of Republicans and 39 per cent of Democrats.

“In another concerning statistic, about one in five said they at least somewhat approved of assassinating a politician whom they believed was ‘harming the country or our democracy.’… The figure included 44 per cent of young Democratic men and 40 per cent of young Republican women…  A majority of both Republicans and Democrats believe their political opponents pose a threat to the country and want to harm their political opponents.”

These are frightening statistics.

Heading Towards an Energy Crisis…

CNN Business wrote on June 2:

“‘Now we have an oil crisis, a gas crisis and an electricity crisis at the same time,’ Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency watchdog group, told Der Spiegel in an interview published this week. ‘This energy crisis is much bigger than the oil crises of the 1970s and 1980s. And it will probably last longer.’

“The extent of that perfect storm — underinvestment, strong demand and supply disruptions from the war — will have wide-reaching consequences, potentially threatening the economic recovery from Covid-19,  exacerbating inflation, fueling social unrest…

“Already, US gasoline prices have surged by 52% over the past year to record highs, angering the public and contributing to the nation’s inflation crisis. Prices for natural gas, a vital fuel for heating homes and powering the electric grid, have nearly tripled over the past year in the United States. Natural gas prices have skyrocketed even further in Europe…

“The 1973 oil crisis was marked by hours-long lines at gas stations, fuel shortages and panic. Experts said they worry about fuel shortages again today…”

… While Oil Executives Profit Big Time

The Daily Beast wrote on June 3:

“Gas prices have skyrocketed to record highs, forcing some families to choose between filling their tank and putting food on the table. But for the oil execs whose stock holdings have soared, these are happy days—and some of them are cashing in their shares at unusually high rates…

“Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, [said:] ‘I don’t know that they’re doing anything illegal, but it’s clearly pretty unethical to be making this type of money off people’s pain…’… in the first quarter, oil industry execs collectively sold over $1 billion worth of stock….”

Greatest Credit Bubble to Burst?

Bloomberg wrote on June 3:

“Mark Spitznagel is paid to be prepared for when the market’s weakest links are exposed in a big way. Right now, the Universa Investments founder, whose fund aims to protect clients during black swan events, says the financial system is most vulnerable to ‘the greatest credit bubble of human history.’ ‘If this credit bubble ever pops, it’s going to be the most catastrophic market failure that anyone has ever read about — but let’s hope that doesn’t happen,’ Spitznagel… said… He’s long been critical of central banks keeping interest rates near-zero or even negative, which he says has propped up asset values and encouraged excessive borrowing. Officials around the world are now tightening monetary policy to combat elevated inflation.

“His warning follows other cautious remarks this week from JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon, who told investors to prepare for an economic ‘hurricane,’ and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. President John Waldron, who said he’s seen an unprecedented number of shocks and expects ‘tougher economic times ahead.’ Traditional flight-to-quality assets like US Treasuries and gold are failing investors this year, adding to the pain, Spitznagel said…”

Many expect that this bubble will burst…

Millions of Wasted Vaccine Doses

The Huffington Post wrote on June 6:

“More than 82 million COVID vaccine doses went to waste in the U.S. from December 2020 until the middle of May…

“Some waste is attributed to doses reaching their expiration date before they could be administered to patients, while others were ruined due to power outages that took freezers out of use. Unused doses from opened vials that had to be discarded at the end of the day also accounted for some of the waste…

“The news about wasted doses comes as the Biden administration warns the country is short on funds to pay for vaccines, treatments and tests… The White House said children under five years old could be able to get their first vaccine as early as June 21.”

California’s Worst Drought in 1,200 Years

CBS wrote on June 2:

“Southern California is imposing mandatory water cutbacks as the state tries to cope with the driest conditions it has faced in recorded history… Nearly all of California is experiencing severe, extreme or exceptional drought. Very little rain fell in January, February and March, when the state typically receives half its annual precipitation. As a result, the state is facing its driest ever start to the year, with one recent study calling the current drought the worst in 1,200 years…

“Areas of California that depend on the Colorado River for water have so far been spared conservation measures, although water levels in the river are also unusually low…

“This summer is also expected to be hotter than normal, which would create higher demand for air conditioning and strain the power grid further…”

How the Military Controls Hollywood

The Los Angeles Times wrote on May 30:

“[Top Gun: Maverick’s] F-18s and other military gear are courtesy of the Pentagon… which allows use of such assets in exchange for control of the script…

“Until recently, the scholarly consensus had been that this phenomenon was isolated to perhaps a couple of hundred films. In the past five years, however, my small group of researchers has acquired 30,000 pages of internal Defense Department documents… which show that the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency have exercised direct editorial control over more than 2,500 films and television shows. These discoveries raise questions about the government’s reach at a time when deciphering propaganda from fact has become increasingly difficult.

“This includes a history of excising unsavory or controversial topics… including depictions of war crimes, torture, security of the nuclear arsenal, veteran suicide, sexual assault and racism in the ranks. At the same time, these institutions have used their clout to promote weapons, gin up recruiting and normalize U.S. military action around the world.

“We have also discovered dozens of instances where films, denied U.S. government assistance because of objectionable content, were ultimately never made. Jerry Bruckheimer, a top producer, said that ‘Top Gun’ and 2001’s ‘Pearl Harbor’ simply wouldn’t exist without military approval. Mace Neufeld, who produced virtually the entire Jack Ryan film franchise, also needed Pentagon and CIA support. Neufeld has acknowledged that Paramount Pictures would greenlight the first film in the series, 1990’s ‘The Hunt for Red October,’ only if it secured Defense Department approval first…

“[The Pentagon] found ‘no major problems with the storyline’ [in Top Gun: Maverick] but asked for ‘some revision to characterization and actions of Naval aviators’…  The ‘Production Assistance Agreement’ formally stipulated the Pentagon’s right to ‘weave in key talking points’ in exchange for all that expensive equipment.

“What exact changes did the Pentagon make to the new ‘Top Gun: Maverick’? We don’t know, and that’s part of the problem. While we have script change details for hundreds of other productions, such as ‘Godzilla’ and ‘Fast and Furious 8,’ the military has repeatedly invoked a ‘trade secrets’ exception to block our Freedom of Information Act requests when it comes to its most high-value assets.

“Americans should have a right to know the extent of the military’s influence on the shows and films they consume… producers and directors… should fight for creative integrity and refuse to give up control of their scripts…”

This is quite a shocking revelation.

Attempted Murder of US Supreme Court Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh

Breitbart wrote on June 8:

“‘A California man carrying at least one weapon near Brett M. Kavanaugh’s Maryland home has been taken into custody by police after telling officers he wanted to kill the Supreme Court justice,’ the far-left Washington Post [reported]. From the looks of it, the Democrat party and corporate media’s jihad against Kavanaugh, the one that started with all those lies about him being a serial rapist in college and continues over the possibility that the atrocity known as Roe v. Wade might be overturned, has finally borne some wicked fruit. ‘Two people familiar with the investigation,’ continues the Post, ‘said the initial evidence indicates the man was angry about the leaked draft of an opinion by the Supreme Court signaling that the court is preparing to overturn Roe. v. Wade[.]’

“He was also angry about the ‘recent spate [of] mass shootings,’—so, according to police, he grabbed a gun to go out and shoot a Supreme Court justice… Looks like we should also thank the corporate media for broadcasting the front of Kavanaugh’s home, which makes it so much easier for his enemies to find.

“And let us never forget that, contrary to written law,… Joe Biden and his corrupt administration championed these mass and unruly protests outside the justices’ homes. This is all on the media and Democrats who have demonized and scapegoated conservative justices as ‘threats to democracy’ and worse…”

First of all, it is a crime to protest “in or near a building or residence occupied or used by such judge” with “the intent of influencing any judge.” The refusal by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to enforce the law and the approval and instigation of  illegal protests by Joe Biden and his administration is deeply troublesome. Secondly, in March 2020, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stated to Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, “you have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you, if you go forward with these awful decisions.”

At the time, Chief Justice Roberts responded to Schumer by saying: “… threatening statements of this sort from the highest levels of government are not only inappropriate, they are dangerous.”

It has been suggested by Fox News moderators that Schumer should be impeached for inciting violence, as there is allegedly no other explanation for his verbal outbursts.

The Navarro Scandal

Breitbart wrote on June 3:

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested former White House economic adviser Peter Navarro on Friday, acting on a referral from the Democrat-run House that held him in contempt for refusing to testify at the partisan January 6 Committee. The arrest came one day after Navarro appeared on left-wing MSNBC to promise that he would lead efforts to promote the impeachment of President Joe Biden if Republicans take Congress in the midterm elections, which they are expected to do…

“Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) took the unprecedented step of refusing to seat some Republican members of the committee. When House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) withdrew all of his nominees in response, Pelosi hand-picked the committee of seven Democrats and two Republicans [RINOs], contrary to the eight Democrats and five Republicans that the resolution requires. The committee has no official ranking member, which critics say means its subpoenas are invalid…

“… The Department of Justice ignored referrals for contempt of Congress when a Republican-led Congress found then-Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt for refusing to hand over documents relating to Operation Fast and Furious, which led indirectly to the murder of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry, and when Congress found former Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner in contempt for refusing to testify about her agency’s effort to target conservative groups…”

Breitbart also wrote:

“An August poll reveales 58 percent of voters believe the January 6 Committee is biased toward Democrats.”

Of such blatant bias, there can be no doubt. The troublesome hypocrisy in all of this is shameful, clear and convincing.

Fox News added on June 3:

“Navarro alleged that the prosecution was acting in ‘bad faith’… ‘This is something that needs to get to the Supreme Court,’ he added. ‘Department of Justice appears to have colluded with the White House and Congress.’… Navarro has called the Jan. 6 committee illegitimate and is suing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over the committee’s activity. In an interview with Fox News, he called any possible prosecution of him ‘domestic terrorism.’ Navarro continues to assert executive privilege since he worked at the Trump White House and said he was exempt from appearing before the committee.”

Democracy in Danger

Newsmax wrote on June 4:

“The arrest of Peter Navarro on an indictment charging him with contempt after refusing to comply with the House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 incidents at the U.S. Capitol sets a precedent that is ‘dangerous to democracy,’ Harvard Law Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz said on Newsmax Saturday. ‘It’s as if somebody was called to testify about what he told his priest or his doctor or his lawyer… He invokes the privilege and immediately gets indicted, instead of the government going before a court and the judge rules whether or not the privilege applies.’

“If the judge ruled that executive privilege did not apply in the case and ordered Navarro to testify, then he could be held in contempt for refusing, argued Dershowitz. ‘But you cannot constitutionally be held in contempt of Congress without a judicial order,’ said Dershowitz…

“This, he continued, makes Navarro’s arrest ‘dangerous to democracy, dangerous through the rule of law and dangerous to the concept of privilege, whether it be a priest privilege or a doctor, privileged lawyer privilege or executive privilege. I’m shocked that the justice department brought it without there being a judicial determination that he was compelled to testify.’ This means Navarro’s indictment is ‘unconstitutional,’ and that’s a ‘real scandal’… ‘That’s for a court to decide, not for a partisan congressional committee that has almost all Democrats and a few anti-trump Republicans on it, to be able unilaterally to ask the Justice Department to enforce a subpoena without first going to the court,’ he said… ‘ I don’t think it will be allowed by the courts… But of course, in this these days of partisan, even judicial decisions, one can’t be absolutely certain…’”

Our legal and political system is corrupt. True Christians are told to come out of it, rather than be an active part of it. Please listen to our new message, titled, “Our Corrupt Political and Legal System—Comments on News and Prophecy, June 4, 2022.” 

Pure Ugly Politics

The Editorial Board of the New York Post wrote on June 3:

“Former Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro was cuffed and dragged in to custody Friday. For no reason: the 72-year-old said he would have voluntarily surrendered over his contempt of Congress charges relating to his refusal to work with the Jan. 6 Committee and noted he was given no warning that he was going to be arrested.

“The man has no history of violence and zero flight risk. And the judge in his case released him on his own recognizance — an admission that no one really thinks Navarro is going anywhere. Defendants in similar situations are nearly always given the opportunity to surrender.

“Instead the feds pulled Navarro off a plane at a Nashville airport as he was off to a TV appearance.

“This is pure, ugly politics. The Justice Department and the Jan. 6 committee are coming down hard on Navarro for being a Donald Trump ally, nothing else…”

What a despicable mockery of justice.

Elon Musk vs. DOJ

Fox News wrote on June 5:

“Elon Musk took to Twitter Saturday to ask if anyone was bothered by how quiet the ‘leaking’ Justice Department is when it comes to… Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, said the DOJ, which grew notoriety for leaking under former President Donald Trump, was remarkably silent about the deceased convicted pedophile… Maxwell, Epstein’s former assistant and lover, was convicted on December 29, 2021, of recruiting and grooming teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 28. While Maxwell disputed the impartiality of a juror who failed to disclose he was a victim of sexual abuse, a federal judge denied her a retrial.

“Epstein died after an alleged suicide in Manhattan — though the official story is widely disputed — in 2019 while awaiting a federal sex trafficking trial… Last month, Musk also garnered tremendous attention on social media when he suggested that he might die ‘under mysterious circumstances.’”

Famously, Musk is attempting to acquire Twitter to make it less partisan, but he is running into some “difficulties.”

Dr. Oz Wins in Pennsylvania

The New York Post wrote on June 3:

“Celebrity surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz has secured the Republican nomination for the US Senate in Pennsylvania after his opponent, former hedge fund manager David McCormick, conceded the race Friday amid an ongoing statewide recount… Following a bitterly fought campaign, Oz — boosted by an endorsement from former President Donald Trump — led McCormick by a mere 974 votes out of 1.34 million votes cast in the May 17 primary — a margin of just 0.07 percentage points. With McCormick’s concession, Oz’s nomination was confirmed.

“Oz will now face off against progressive Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in November in what is expected to be a hotly contested election as both parties look to take control of the closely divided Senate… Oz, who is best known as the host of “The Dr. Oz Show,’ faced several attacks throughout his campaign from his opponents’ and from die-hard Trump supporters who were wary of Oz’s position on Republican issues likes guns, abortion, transgender rights… His opponents attacked his dual citizenship with Turkey. If elected, he would become the country’s first Muslim senator.

“Although born in the United States, Oz served in the Turkish military and voted in its 2018 election. He said he would renounce his Turkish citizenship if he won the election in November…”

It appears that Trump only endorsed Dr. Oz because of his celebrity status, hoping that thereby Dr. Oz will defeat Fetterman, as philosophically, McCormick is much closer to Trump than Dr. Oz.

The Future of the Commonwealth

France 24 wrote on June 4:

“As the United Kingdom celebrates Queen Elizabeth’s 70th year on the throne, many in Britain and abroad are questioning the future of the Commonwealth of Nations, a group of 54 nation-states largely comprised of former British colonies which the Queen has championed throughout her reign…

“Although some of the wealthier nations in the Commonwealth, such as Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, still retain the Queen as their head of state, members in the Caribbean seem keen on breaking with the royal hierarchy. Officials in at least six countries in the Caribbean have indicated they plan on removing the monarch as their sovereign following Barbados, which became the region’s newest republic at the end of 2021… Yet, even as smaller states move to reject the monarchy as a symbol of a colonial past to which they no longer wish to be tethered, staying in the Commonwealth could be seen as a way to continue to reap certain benefits under the British crown…

“As the monarch celebrates her platinum jubilee, many are asking what the future of the Commonwealth will look like when its strongest champion is succeeded by Prince Charles, who is presently heir to the British throne. The Commonwealth has been criticised as being ineffective, with a poor track record of bringing about major policy changes, and many have suggested that it has perhaps run its course historically…

“In recent days, speculation has arisen that Australia may be the next Commonwealth nation to become a republic after the new prime minister, Anthony Albanese, appointed an Assistant Minister for the Republic…  For British conservatives, further engagement with the Commonwealth could help the UK achieve Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ‘Global Britain’ strategy, which consists of reconnecting with ‘old friends and new allies’ in a post-Brexit world. Yet the success of this aspect of the country’s foreign policy remains to be seen.”

The Bible prophesied thousands of years ago the existence of the British Commonwealth—now referred to as the Commonwealth of Nations. However, due to Britain’s sins, the Bible also foretold the downfall of Britain and its Commonwealth.

Boris Johnson’s Survival… For Now

CNBC wrote on June 6:

“U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has survived a vote of confidence triggered by his own lawmakers amid increasing dissatisfaction in his leadership. Some 211 Conservative Party lawmakers voted in favor of the prime minister on Monday, while 148 voted against him. Johnson needed the support of a simple majority of 180 MPs to win the vote, but the figure of 148 was worse than many expected. It is also worse than the result of a similar vote faced by former leader Theresa May in 2018. She resigned as prime minister just six months later.

“The secret ballot of Tory lawmakers comes at a time of deep dissatisfaction with Johnson’s leadership and behavior in office less than three years after he secured a whopping parliamentary majority. Given the narrow margin of Johnson’s win, there is now a possibility that he might face another confidence vote in the near future.

“Usually, if a British leader wins a confidence vote, they are protected from another vote for 12 months. However, there have been reports that these rules may be changed — and the close nature of Monday’s result could make this more likely.”

Horsemen of the Apocalypse on Their Way

Metro wrote on June 4:

“President Joe Biden announced this week that his administration was sending long-range missiles to Ukraine, backtracking on an earlier statement that the US would not be giving the war-torn country advanced weaponry.

“Dmitry Medvedev, a former prime minister under Putin and current chairman of the national security council, warned there would be consequences if these were used on Russian soil. He told Al Jazeera: ‘If, God forbid, these weapons are used against Russian territory then our armed forces will have no other choice but to strike decision-making centres. Of course, it needs to be understood that the final decision-making centres in this case, unfortunately, are not located on the territory of Kyiv.’

“He also warned that fighting in Ukraine was pushing the world dangerously close to nuclear Armageddon ‘The Horsemen of the Apocalypse are already on their way and all hope now is with Lord God the Almighty,’ he said.

“Kremlin-controlled state TV has said on a number of occasions that the war in Ukraine could turn nuclear, with attacks on the UK and the rest of Europe…

“The White House said it had agreed to provide Ukraine with the new missiles after receiving assurances from President Zelensky that they would not be used to hit targets inside Russia. However, the Kremlin said it did not believe Zelensky.”

‘The United States is directly and intentionally adding fuel to the fire,’ Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesman, said.”

Merkel Shows No Regrets

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 8:

“In her first interview since leaving office, the former German chancellor has defended her policy toward Russia and said she doesn’t blame herself for the current situation in Ukraine… She refused to apologize for her policies towards Moscow, but stressed there was no justification for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine…

“Putin told her that the collapse of the Soviet Union had been ‘the worst event of the 20th century.’ Merkel replied that for her, as someone who grew up in communist East Germany, the fall of the Berlin Wall meant she could live her life in freedom… Putin, she said, ‘hated’ the Western model of democracy and wanted to ‘destroy’ the European Union…

“Merkel defended her opposition to Ukraine and Georgia joining NATO in 2008… In Tuesday’s interview, Merkel said that if NATO had granted them membership, Russian President Vladimir Putin could have caused ‘enormous damage in Ukraine.’ As it was, Russia invaded Georgia less than six months after this declaration in Bucharest, instigating Europe’s first war in the 21st century. Merkel also cited systemic corruption issues in Ukraine as reasons to block their membership…. Merkel conceded that there could have been a harsher response to Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea…

“The former chancellor also touched briefly on the controversial, now-mothballed Nord Stream 2 pipeline, largely to criticize the US decision to sanction entities over their participation in the gas project… Merkel’s government has been criticized for steering Germany into its considerable dependency on Russian oil and gas…  Germany’s appeasement of Russia runs through decades of German foreign policy.”

There’s none so blind as those who will not see.

Biden’s Legacy in Afghanistan

The Week wrote on June 5:

“Afghanistan has deteriorated dramatically since President Biden ordered the U.S. military to complete its withdrawal in August. When the Taliban returned to power, women’s rights advocates took to the streets demanding to keep advances made during the U.S. occupation, such as education for girls. Many of those protesters were beaten and detained, while activists fled or went into hiding. In March, the Taliban announced that girls could only attend school up to the sixth grade. Last month, the hard-line government announced that Muslim women must be covered from head to toe while in public, with only their eyes exposed, and ordered woman TV broadcasters to cover their faces. Now women have started vanishing from the workforce…

“[The economy] has virtually collapsed. [It] was heavily dependent on foreign aid, which made up nearly 80 percent of the government’s budget before the Taliban took over. Foreign aid has been reduced to a trickle, as countries reduce or even suspend assistance to the Taliban-led government because of its human rights abuses… Nearly 1 million Afghans have lost their jobs since the Taliban takeover. Restrictions on women’s employment have led to up to $1 billion of economic loss… There is almost universal poverty in the country… In extreme situations, people desperate for money are selling their daughters into marriage or selling their own organs, which is illegal yet commonplace… a laborer… received $4,500 for his 15-year-old son’s kidney to pay off his debts…

“Many Afghans have little or no income to buy food for their families; meanwhile, prices keep rising due to inflation, supply chain woes, and higher customs fees… The United Nations estimates that 95 percent of Afghans do not have enough food, and half the population of 39 million is suffering from acute hunger…

“Afghanistan’s Islamic State affiliate, known as Islamic State Khorasan or ISIS-K, has carried out a string of deadly attacks targeting minorities…

“Taliban’s hard-line leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada,… and ultraconservative Taliban hard-liners… have instituted other retrograde policies targeting women, including warning them not to leave their homes without men accompanying them. The hard-liners include bands of young Islamist radicals and leaders of the Haqqani network, an internationally designated terrorist group, who jointly seek to intimidate the population into complying with sharia law…”

This was all predictable. The incredible fiasco caused by the USA in Afghanistan was so unnecessary.

Disunified Summit of the Americas

Axios wrote on June 6:

“Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador confirmed Monday that he will not attend the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles this week, citing concerns over the exclusion of leaders from Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela… It’s a blow to President Biden, who is seeking to reassert U.S. influence in Latin America and the Caribbean, which have become more closely tied to China in recent years..

“Some other leaders, including Bolivian President Luis Arce and Honduran President Xiomara Castro, had previously threatened to reject Biden’s invitation to the summit, citing the possibility of leaders from Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela being excluded…

“López Obrador said he hopes to visit the White House in July to talk to Biden about the ‘integration’ of all American countries, with the goal of forming something similar to the European Union.”

Pope Francis to Retire?

The Associated Press wrote on June 5:

“Pope Francis added fuel to rumors about the future of his pontificate by announcing he would visit the central Italian city of L’Aquila in August for a feast initiated by Pope Celestine V, one of the few pontiffs who resigned before Pope Benedict XVI stepped down in 2013. Italian and Catholic media have been rife with unsourced speculation that the 85-year-old Francis might be planning to follow in Benedict’s footsteps, given his increased mobility problems that have forced him to use a wheelchair for the last month.

“Those rumors gained steam last week when Francis announced a consistory to create 21 new cardinals scheduled for Aug. 27. Sixteen of those cardinals are under age 80 and eligible to vote in a conclave to elect Francis’ successor.

“Once they are added to the ranks of princes of the church, Francis will have stacked the College of Cardinals with 83 of the 132 voting-age cardinals…

“The basilica in L’Aquila hosts the tomb of Celestine V, a hermit pope who resigned after five months in 1294, overwhelmed by the job. In 2009, Benedict visited L’Aquila, which had been devastated by a recent earthquake and prayed at Celestine’s tomb, leaving his pallium stole on it. No one at the time appreciated the significance of the gesture. But four years later, the 85-year-old Benedict would follow in Celestine’s footsteps and resign, saying he no longer had the strength of body and mind to carry on the rigors of the papacy.

“The Vatican announced Saturday Francis would visit L’Aquila to celebrate Mass on Aug. 28 and open the ‘Holy Door’ at the basilica hosting Celestine’s tomb… Francis has praised Benedict’s decision to retire as ‘opening the door’ for future popes to do the same…

“Christopher Bellitto, a church historian at Kean University in Union, New Jersey, noted that most Vatican watchers expect Francis will eventually resign, but not before Benedict dies. The 95-year-old retired pope is physically frail but still alert and receiving occasional visitors in his home in the Vatican gardens. ‘He’s not going to have two former popes floating around,’ Bellitto said in an email…”

Stranger things have happened. In Catholic church history, there were indeed at one time three “popes” floating around, all claiming to be the legitimate office holder.

Scientists Create Super-Vicious Aggressive Hamsters

Daily Mail wrote on June 4:

“Scientists inadvertently bred a horde of unusually aggressive hamsters after a gene editing experiment to ‘reduce aggression’ went wrong.

“Researchers at Georgia State University produced new rodents without hormone vasopressin in an effort to raise ‘social communication’ between the rodents. Yet the chemical change turned the Syrian hamsters wild, prompting fights inside cages. The ultra-vicious hamsters were pictured pinning, biting and chasing each other.

“Lead researcher Professor Elliott Albers said: ‘We anticipated […] we would reduce both aggression and social communication — but the opposite happened…. We were really surprised at the results.’… The study’s striking conclusions challenge scientists’ understanding of the relationship between biology and behaviour. The professor added: ‘We don’t understand this system as well as we thought we did.’”

What lunacy. Man is trying again to play God… with disastrous consequences…

Turkey’s Name Change

Express wrote on June 3:

“Turkey will now be known as Türkiye, which will be adopted by the United Nations this week. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is understood to be embarrassed by their country’s association with the ground feeding festive bird and the Cambridge English Dictionary’s definition saying the meaning of the word is ‘something that fails’ or is ‘a stupid or silly person’…

“Exported products will now feature ‘Made in Türkiye’ instead of ‘Made in Turkey.’”

Silly!

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.

God does not forget His covenant with the children of Israel, but in order to receive the blessings of the covenant, the people had to return to the LORD. God gives a strong warning to those who break the laws and the covenant in Deuteronomy 17:2-5: “If there is found among you, within any of your gates which the LORD your God gives you, a man or a woman who has been wicked in the sight of the LORD your God, in transgressing His covenant, who has gone and served other gods and worshipped them, either the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded, and it is told you, and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination has been committed in Israel, then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has committed that wicked thing, and shall stone to death that man or woman with stones.”

Near the end of the book of Deuteronomy, just before the death of Moses and the children of Israel entering the Promised Land, God had Moses address all the people. We read in Deuteronomy 29:10-15. “All of you stand today before the LORD your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, your little ones and your wives—also the stranger who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water—that you may enter into covenant with the LORD your God, and into His oath, which the LORD your God makes with you today, that He may establish you today as a people for Himself, and that He may be God to you, just as He has spoken to you, and just as He has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I make this covenant and this oath, not with you alone, but with him who stands here with us today before the LORD our God, as well as with him who is not here with us today.”

This is very comprehensive, as it included all the children of Israel as well as others who were not of the children of Israel but were present. The expression “as well as with him who is not here with us today,” could include those who may have been sick or indisposed for some other reason at that time. However, the Jewish Soncino commentary suggests it means the posterity of those standing there. This is confirmed in Scriptures like Deuteronomy 5:10 where God shows “…mercy to thousands (of generations), to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” In other words, those who live by the laws on which the covenant was based.

To show God’s consistency, the statement concerning the stranger or foreigner is also mentioned in Isaiah 56:6-7: “Also the sons of the foreigner Who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, And to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants—Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And holds fast My covenant—Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” An interesting point about this passage in Isaiah is that here, the Sabbath and the covenant are treated as separate items. We noted previously that the Sabbath was a stand-alone covenant as well as being a part of the Ten Commandments.

A further point of interest in Deuteronomy 29:11 is the term “the stranger who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water.” A similar term is only used again concerning the Gibeonites in Joshua 9:27; so again, did the elders of that time remember what God had promised in Deuteronomy 29 as stated previously, or was it that the one who cuts your wood and the one who draws you water were the lower class of citizens?

In Deuteronomy 5:2-3, Moses states that God made a covenant with them at Horeb, even though most of them standing there were not even born at the time. Only a handful of those over twenty years old at the time God made the covenant with the children of Israel had not died in the wilderness. We read Deuteronomy 5:2-3: “The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive.” The literal translation of Deuteronomy 5:3 by Richard Elliot Friedman is enlightening: “YHWH did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us! We! These! Here! Today! All of us! Living!”

His comment on this passage is both interesting and informative: “…Moses mixes past, present, and future. He speaks to the people in front of him as if they had all been at Sinai forty years earlier. Now he says it explicitly, powerfully, unmistakably, with seven different words: Each generation must see themselves as personally standing at Sinai, not just as inheriting their parents’ covenant, but as making the covenant themselves. It is a present, living commitment” (Friedman, Richard Elliott. Commentary on the Torah (p. 2579). HarperOne. Kindle Edition.)

So even when God made the covenant with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, just before they entered the land of Canaan (compare Deuteronomy 29:1, 12), they could consider that they, in effect, partook of the original covenant at Sinai.

The final chapters of the book of Deuteronomy contain many warnings of what would happen if they broke their covenant with God. In fact, God warned Moses that they would break the covenant and follow after other gods and God would punish them as He had promised. In one place, Deuteronomy 5:29, God lamented that the people did not have a heart to obey the commandments: “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” Two translations, the Douay-Rheims and the Richard Elliot Friedman translations, render the passage as a question, as follows: “Who would make it so, that they would have such a heart (or, “Who shall give them to have such a mind”, Douay-Rheims) to fear Me and observe all My commandments every day, so it would be good for them and for their children forever?”(Friedman). The implication is that only God could make it so but He needs to give the people a new heart and a new mind, so that they are going to obey Him voluntarily.

Actually, the question is answered which we will learn, when we read about the New Covenant.

In Old Testament times, however, very few were able and willing to obey God. Moses told the people again in Deuteronomy 29:4: “Yet the LORD has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day… “

Also, Joshua tells the people in Joshua 24:19: “…You cannot serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.”

At the end of the book of Joshua, just before he died, he warned the people again not to serve foreign gods. Joshua 24:20 states: “If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good.” Then the people answered in Joshua 24:24-27: “And the people said to Joshua, ‘The LORD our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!’ So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. Then Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Behold, this stone shall be a witness to us, for it has heard all the words of the LORD which He spoke to us. It shall therefore be a witness to you, lest you deny your God.’”

As mentioned previously, the covenants often had a sign, or witness, for them to be remembered by. In this case, the stone that was set up under the oak tree was to be a witness.

When we come to the book of Judges, there is a continual description of the people breaking the covenants that God had made with their ancestors and, by extension, with them. The result was, of course, that God allowed them to be conquered, but when they cried out to God, He would send them judges to release them from this captivity. Judges 2:1-3 describes this: “Then the Angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: ‘I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said “I will never break My covenant with you. And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.” But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, “I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”’”

This is either an angel speaking God’s words or, more probably, Jesus Christ Himself—the Angel or Messenger of God the Father—as it was He who led the children of Israel to the land of Canaan.

In fact, in the book of Judges, the term “The people did evil in the sight of the LORD” occurs at least eight times. Actually, when we examine the history of the nation of Israel after the split with the nation of Judah, there were no good kings in the House of Israel who observed their covenant with God, and because of that, God sent them into captivity in Assyria.

Considering the nation of Judah, there were many kings who ignored their covenant with God, but there were some who observed it. The last of these was Josiah. 2 Chronicles 34:29-33 describes his actions and his humility when he heard the words of the law: “Then the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. The king went up to the house of the LORD, with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem—the priests and the Levites, and all the people, great and small. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of the LORD. And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. And he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin take a stand. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. Thus Josiah removed all the abominations from all the country that belonged to the children of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel diligently serve the LORD their God. All his days they did not depart from following the LORD God of their fathers.” So, while Josiah made a covenant before the LORD, it was to observe the covenant that God had made before with the “fathers.”

Unfortunately, after Josiah was killed at a young age in battle, the following kings and the people following them did evil in the sight of the LORD (compare Jehoiakim in 2 Chronicles 36:5; Jehoiachin in 2 Chronicles 36:9; and Zedekiah in 2 Chronicles 36:12). Therefore, God also sent the nation of Judah into captivity in Babylon.

And yet, even when a small number returned from Babylonian captivity after seventy years, some of the priests and Levites and others had taken pagan wives from the people of the land. So in Ezra 10:3, we read, “Now therefore, let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and those who have been born to them, according to the advice of my master and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.”

So many men had taken pagan wives that it took two months to examine each individual case and to determine the correct judgement.

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Paul Niehoff (Australia)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Civil War, Violence and Misery in the USA” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Is the United States going to experience another Civil War in our days? Alarming signs point at that possibility. This program explores the reasons for these frightening developments, and points at illuminating passages from the Bible.  

A new member letter for June has been written. It is being printed and has been posted on our Website. In the letter, Paul Niehoff describes God’s love, concern and compassion for His people. 

 The new German booklet (“Haben wir eine unsterbliche Seele?”) translated from our English booklet, “Do We Have an Immortal Soul,” has been sent to graphic artist Shelly Bruno in preparation for printing.

The draft of a new booklet about the nature of God and our destiny by Norbert Link has entered the first round of editorial reviews.

“Warum Gott die Abtreibung verbietet!” is the title for this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Why God Prohibits Abortion!”

“Der Heilige Geist IN uns!” the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Robert Muhr, is now posted. Title in English: “The Holy Spirit IN Us!”

“Our Corrupt Political and Legal System—Comments on News and Prophecy, June 4, 2022,” a message presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

To ban or not to ban assault rifles; victory for Dr. Oz in Pennsylvania; acquittal of Clinton lawyer Michael Sussmann; military control of Hollywood productions; and the controversial arrest of Peter Navarro—what do all these events have in common? Do they show by example the incredible corruption in our political and legal systems? If so, what is a true Christian supposed to do? Is it too far-fetched to say that our eternal salvation may be at stake?

“Mental Stability for the People of God,” the first split-sermon presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Mental stability for God’s people is paramount. It is not something that we often talk about but it is very important for us to realize that each of us have issues with staying in a mentally healthy place. When we need it most God is there to help us when we turn to Him and allow Him to help us. He is waiting for us to take the power and the strength that He offers. Even in the midst of fear, anxiety and hard stresses, which we ALL face, there is no place for shame.

“Honor To Be Honored,” the second split-sermon presented last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

By obeying God and keeping His commandments, we honor Him and in return, He will honor us.  At the same time, we are shown in the Bible how we are to honor others and how we will be honored in return.

“Offenbarung Jesu Christi,” the Offertory for Pentecost presented by Manuel  Mueller, is now posted. Title in English: “Revelation of Jesus Christ.”

“The Right Attitude,” the Offertory for Pentecost presented by Paul Niehoff, is now posted. Here is a summary:

What attitude does God have concerning His offering of His Son for us, and with that as an example, what attitude should we have when we bring an offering to God?

“The Gift of God Which Is in You,” the sermon for Pentecost presented by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Christians are given exceedingly great and precious promises to be partakers of the divine nature and to be among the firstfruits of salvation. To that end, God has given us the gift of His Holy Spirit. Are we faithful with what God has given to us?

On June 4, 2022, Kalon Mitchell will present a split sermon, titled, “Mental Stability for the People of God,”   Michael Link will present a split sermon, titled, “Honor To Be Honored.”

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.

PENTECOST: We will broadcast live Pentecost services on Sunday, June 5, 2022, at 12:30 pm Pacific Time. Paul Niehoff will present the Offertory, and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “The Gift of God Which is in You.”

I recently woke up during a weekday in a pretty grumpy mood. I knew that I had a grueling day at work that was about to begin, and I wasn’t looking forward to it. Even my morning cup of coffee didn’t do much to lift my mood! But I proceeded to face the day, as was my duty.

As I sat down at my desk to begin my workday, I took a moment of pause before getting started. This is a regular habit that I have built into my day. I normally take about a minute before I officially start work to simply write down something that I’m grateful for. Some days, it can be more difficult than others to find something to write, and this particular day was one of them. I began to write, “I am grateful that…”, and stopped there. It took a few moments to contemplate, considering the difficult day that I had ahead of me. But then I continued, “… this stuff in life doesn’t really matter.” Almost immediately, the weight of the day was lifted.

Of course, such a statement as “nothing in this world really matters anyway” is a nihilistic expression that needs to be qualified, rather than taken as an absolute truth. The fact is that there is a lot in this life that does matter. We need to be good stewards of the blessings that God provides us with. We take care of our health, maintain our relationships with others, and dedicate ourselves to the work that we put our hands to do, even when we might not look forward to it (compare Ecclesiastes 9:10). To say that “nothing matters” is not categorically true, but there is an element of truth when put into the right context.

To begin with, the stuff in this life does matter because this is where God presents opportunities for us to grow. We learn to overcome the world by putting our spiritual understanding into practice in the context of our current circumstances. We are training now to live a godly life, walking in the Spirit. And the only way we can do that is by taking advantage of the stuff in life that we have to deal with, both good and bad. The lives that we live are a physical means to a spiritual end.

Knowing that we seek a spiritual change to live an eternal life in the Family of God, we do not work towards an end goal that is physical in nature. In this way, truly, nothing that this physical life has to offer really matters. This is the perspective that God instructs us to have. “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17). Placing our value in worldly outcomes only leads us away from God.

Regardless, we are bound to live in these physical bodies, in this physical world. This is our place now where we have to learn how to overcome. We cannot yet leave it behind. When Jesus Christ was preparing for His Sacrifice to take place, He prayed to God about us and our circumstances in this life. “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth” (John 17:18-19). Even though we are not to love the world, we have to be here now so that we can put the Truth of God into practice, and overcome the world through Christ. We are set apart for a spiritual purpose, learning obedience and the love for God’s Way of Life.

The only possible way that we can overcome the world, living and walking in the Spirit, is through the Spirit of God that lives within us. Jesus Christ had to leave the world so that the Holy Spirit would become available to us (compare John 16:5-7). Because of this amazing gift from God, we understand what it means to say that nothing in this life matters. With the mind of Christ, we look forward to a life that is so much better than what we can possibly imagine.

With Pentecost upon us, we have an annual reminder that the Holy Spirit is ours to use. It lives within us, giving us the discernment that we need to overcome sin in this world. When we face our circumstances in life, we can find encouragement in knowing that the glory that God has in store for us is what matters, making everything else worthless by comparison.

by Norbert Link

We begin with an article describing our culture of violence and death and are raising the question as to what possible justification could there be for permitting any 18-year-old boy or girl to acquire an AR-15-style rifle, while Donald Trump seems to be shamelessly displaying a “change of heart” in the matter of assault weapons. We also point out the war propaganda of the mainstream media when reporting on events in Ukraine, how the world finances Putin’s war; and emphasize once again German Chancellor Scholz’s dubious conduct, wondering what game he and his government are playing.

We address Denmark’s potential change of mind regarding their “neutrality” towards the EU; and we point out the not-so-“hidden sins and secrets” of the Catholic Church, especially regarding Pope Pius XII; and Pope Francis’s most recent political move on the issue of abortion.

We speak on an abominable, but telling new antisemitic law in Iraq pertaining to Israel and Jews worldwide, and speculate about a possible comeback of Benjamin Netanyahu.

We report on the acquittal of Clinton Lawyer Michael Sussmann, showing again how corrupt our legal system is; the despicable modern Sodom and Gomorrah environment being created by the Biden Administration; WHO’s recommendations of support for the LGBTQ+ community; and conclude with some news on travel restrictions in Europe.

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Theocratic Abortion—a God-Given Right in Many Religions”

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

Our Culture of Violence and Death

The Federalist wrote on May 27:

“As the country reels over the Texas massacre, where 19 children and two adults were gunned down by a single shooter who was barely more than a child himself, the question on everyone’s mind is why? Why would any person march into an elementary school and open fire on innocents? And why can’t we overcome such evil?

“… it’s impossible to look honestly at mass shootings and ignore the culture of death that prompts them. This culture is much deeper than abortion… That barbaric ritual is in many ways just another piece of rotten fruit from the same Godless tree. It’s in rejecting the Creator’s authority and the truth that He made every human being in His own image and for His glory, not our own, that our society embraces death.

“After all, if there is no God who assigns value to human life, we really are nothing more than aimless clumps of cells without worth or eternal purpose…

“In addition to euphemizing the murder of the unborn, we’ve cultivated an antisocial culture of screen addiction then used it to dispense violence as entertainment… When children misbehave, we diagnose and medicate them rather than discipline them.

“When we don’t like something, we tear it down even if it doesn’t belong to us… We’ve created a culture of death, and now we have to live in it.”

.. and unless there is a change of heart, we will die in it…

Trump’s Change of Heart?

Mediaite reported on May 27:

“Former President Donald Trump was reportedly ‘shaken’ after a 2019 massacre at an El Paso Walmart, and asked a chief advisor, ‘What are we going to do about assault rifles?’

“The New York Times noted the country’s 45th president was also disturbed by the 2018 shooting in Parkland, Florida, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The massacre left 17 dead and another 17 injured. Trump made news at the time by saying he was open to imposing some restrictions on firearms. He dropped the issue following a meeting with the NRA.

“The Times reported: ‘Unbeknownst to the public, however, Mr. Trump again pushed inside the White House for significant new gun-control measures more than a year later, after a pair of gruesome shooting sprees that unfolded over 13 hours. Those discussions have not previously been reported. On Aug. 3, 2019, a far-right gunman killed 23 people at a Walmart store in El Paso. Early the next morning, a man shot and killed nine people outside a bar in Dayton, Ohio. Both assailants used semiautomatic rifles. At the White House the next day, Mr. Trump was so shaken by the weekend’s violence that he questioned aides about a specific potential solution and made clear he wanted to take action, according to three people present during the conversation.

“According to sources who were then close to Trump, he questioned if there was anything that could be done about the legality of popular AR-15 rifles. Trump asked former acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney: ‘What are we going to do about assault rifles?’ Mulvaney’s reported response: ‘Not a… thing.’ According to the Times, Trump asked Mulvaney, ‘Why,’ and was told, ‘Because… you would lose.’”

As the next article shows, Trump gave in, and today, as he is preparing for a come-back in 2024, he fully endorses the gun lobby.

The New York Post wrote on May 27:

“Former President Donald Trump on Friday said that the gunman who murdered 21 people at a Texas elementary school is ‘damned’ to ‘burn in the fires of hell’ as he read aloud each victim’s name to a tolling bell… ‘The monster who committed this crime is pure evil,’ Trump said. ‘While those he slaughtered are now with God in heaven, he will be eternally damned to burn in the fires of hell.’

“Trump offered an array of policy suggestions to prevent school shootings, including allowing teachers to concealed-carry firearms… Trump defiantly pressed for protecting the rights of gun owners. ‘The existence of evil is one of the very best reasons to arm, law abiding citizens,’ Trump said…

“He did not endorse any gun control measures — as he did during his presidency…  As president, Trump upset gun rights advocates in 2018 by expressing a willingness to enact reforms in response to the murder of 17 people at a Parkland, Fla., high school by 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, who used a legally purchased AR-15-style rifle. Trump endorsed a higher age limit for AR-15 rifles, background checks for private gun sales and reforms to let police ‘take the guns first, go through due process second’ to reduce the risk posed by mentally ill people.

“Later that year, the Trump administration banned ‘bump stocks’ that hasten the firing rate of semiautomatic rifles in response to that tool’s role in the murder of 60 people at a Las Vegas concert in 2017.”

Sadly, it appears that if a Republican wants to become elected, he cannot oppose the powerful NRA conglomerate.

How America can even allow an 18-year-old boy to purchase an AR-15-style rifle, with the only conceivable reason to shoot and kill, is beyond comprehension.  America’s fascination with and glorification of guns is something that the rest of the world cannot understand. Parents should and must do everything they can to fight against any fascination of their children with guns, rather than encouraging it in any way. Also, what we all must do is to pray for our children and grandchildren daily, that God would protect them from such unspeakable evil perpetrated by mad violent people under demonic influence and possession.

No Handgun Ban in the USA

Newsmax wrote on May 31:

“Law Professor Joseph Blocher of Duke University told Newsweek on Tuesday that there is ‘no chance either politically or constitutionally’ that a handgun ban similar to Canada’s could be implemented in the United States… ‘The Supreme Court has been clear that the Second Amendment protects the fundamental right to have a handgun in the home for self-defense,’ he added.

“The law professor’s statement comes after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced new legislation in his country’s parliament that seeks to prohibit the ability to ‘buy, sell, transfer or import handguns anywhere in Canada.’

“The proposed Canadian law is in reaction to a series of mass shootings that have hit the U.S. recently, including one that resulted in 10 deaths at a supermarket in Buffalo on May 14 and another at a Texas elementary school on May 24, where 19 children and two teachers died…

“‘So, even if handgun prohibition were politically feasible [in the USA], the courts will strike it down,’ [Blocher] added…”

When Christ rules this earth, no one will have a gun in his or her home for the purpose of self-defense. Trudeau’s announcement must be seen, however, in the light of his desire to remain as Canada’s unquestionable dictator.

War Propaganda

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on May 27:

“With Russia’s war in Ukraine now in its fourth month, mainstream media consumers have been treated to seemingly endless headlines and analysis of Russia’s extensive military losses. At the same time Ukrainian forces have tended to be lionized and their battlefield prowess romanticized, with essentially zero public information so far being given which details up-to-date Ukrainian force casualties, set-backs, and equipment losses.

“But for the first time The Washington Post is out with a surprisingly dire and negative assessment of how US-backed and equipped Ukrainian forces are actually fairing. Gone is the rosy idealizing lens through which each and every encounter with the Russians is typically portrayed. WaPo correspondent and author of the new report Sudarsan Raghavan underscores of the true situation that ‘Ukrainian leaders project an image of military invulnerability against Russia. But commanders offer a more realistic portrait of the war, where outgunned volunteers describe being abandoned by their military brass and facing certain death at the front.’

“As many careful and less idealistic observers suspected the whole time, a steady stream of both wartime propaganda and one-sided social media feeds where it seems the only tanks being blown up are Russian ones has served to present a very skewed portrayal of the battlefield to the Western public…

“The Washington Post report belatedly admits the avalanche of propaganda based in a pro-Kiev, pro-West narrative from the outset: ‘Videos of assaults on Russian tanks or positions are posted daily on social media. Artists are creating patriotic posters, billboards and T-shirts. The postal service even released stamps commemorating the sinking of a Russian warship in the Black Sea.’

“The report then pivots to the reality of an undertrained, poorly commanded and equipped, rag-tag force of mostly volunteers in the East who find themselves increasingly surrounded by the numerically superior Russian military which has penetrated almost the entire Donbas region. ‘Ukraine, like Russia, has provided scant information about deaths, injuries or losses of military equipment…”

In the end, Ukraine and Russia will be united against Europe. However this will come about, whether by Russian occupation or due to a “peace” agreement between Russia and Ukraine, remains to be seen.

How the World Finances Putin’s War

Money Control wrote on June 1:

“In early March, as the US and its allies unleashed a wave of sanctions on Russia, President Joe Biden stood in the White House and said they wanted to deal a ‘powerful blow to Putin’s war machine.’ But as the war in Ukraine approaches its 100th day, that machine is still very much operational. Russia is being propelled by a flood of cash that could average $800 million a day this year — and that’s just what the commodity superpower is raking in from oil and gas. For years, Russia has acted as a vast commodity supermarket selling what an insatiable world has needed: Not just energy, but wheat, nickel, aluminum and palladium too…

“Russia is far from unscathed by the sanctions, which have made it a pariah across the developed world. Corporate giants have fled, many walking away from billions of dollars of assets, and the economy is heading for a deep recession. But Putin can ignore this damage for now, because his coffers are overflowing with the revenue from commodities, which have become more lucrative than ever thanks to the surge in global prices driven in part by the war in Ukraine… Russia’s oil-and-gas revenue will be about $285 billion this year…  That would exceed the 2021 figure by more than one-fifth. Throw in other commodities, and it more than makes up for the $300 billion in foreign reserves frozen as part of the sanctions.

“Europe is only slowly weaning itself off this dependency. That’s giving Moscow time to find other markets — such as… China and India — to limit any damage to export revenue…  The ruble has become another symbol used by Putin to project strength… to become the world’s best-performing currency against the dollar this year. Putin… said he’ll allow exports of grain and fertilizer only if the sanctions on his country are lifted…

“One of the big holes in the sanctions against Russia is the willingness of other nations to continue oil purchases… Indian refiners purchased more than 40 million barrels of Russian oil between the start of the Ukraine invasion in late February and early May. That’s 20% more than Russia-India flows for the whole of 2021… China is also strengthening its energy links with the country, securing cheaper prices by buying oil that’s being shunned elsewhere. It’s boosted imports and is also in talks to replenish its strategic crude stockpiles with Russian oil.

“It’s a similar story for steelmakers and coking coal. Imports from Russia rose for a third month in April to more than double last year’s level… And some sellers of Russian oil and coal have tried to make things easier for Chinese buyers by allowing transactions in yuan… The vast majority of the world is not involved in imposing sanctions…. The trade will go on, the need for fuels will be there… and buyers in Asia or the Middle East will step up…

“About 40% of the EU’s gas needs are met by Russia… European deliveries even jumped in February and March as the invasion caused a price spike in European gas hubs, making purchases from Russia’s Gazprom PJSC cheaper for most customers with long-term contracts. Volumes have decreased since then, thanks to warmer weather and record inflows of liquefied natural gas from the US and other countries. There’s also been disruptions because of military activity, and Russia itself halted supplies to Poland, Bulgaria and Finland, which refused Putin’s demand to pay in rubles. [Also, exports to the Netherlands and Denmark are being stopped.]

“Even as the EU reduces its dependency — Germany says it’s down to 35% from 55% — there are complications at every step…”

“Solutions” fail.

Olaf Scholz Keeps on Wavering… Why?

Politico wrote on May 27:

“The German chancellor, who has steadfastly refused to visit Kyiv or even say he wants Ukraine to ‘win’ the war, has been under heavy fire since March for hesitating on delivery of tanks to Ukraine. When Scholz last month bowed to pressure and agreed to send some heavy weapons, he surprised the Ukrainians, allies and experts with his decision to provide anti-aircraft tanks, which Kyiv hadn’t asked for, while continuing to hold off on the delivery of the battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles Ukraine had been urging the West to send.

“Scholz’s latest scolding came this week from Polish President Andrzej Duda, who accused the German government of breaking its promises on military support for Ukraine, which just entered its fourth month of intense fighting. Poland has donated over 200 of its own Soviet-made tanks to Ukraine and was counting on Germany to replace them with modern German equivalents, Duda said, adding that Berlin had not honored a commitment to do so….

“Even before Russia’s latest invasion, Ukraine has urged Germany, the world’s fifth-largest arms exporter, to send tanks, most notably the Marder infantry fighting vehicle and the Leopard battle tank. However, ‘there is an absence of political will to really do something,’ Andrij Melnyk, the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, told POLITICO.

“The German government presented various arguments for why it wasn’t able to comply with Kyiv’s request, first saying that it could not deliver weapons to crisis zones, and then… arguing that German tanks required too much training for Ukrainian soldiers, before also backtracking on that claim. Berlin further argued that it could not spare any tanks from its own reserves. Yet German defense companies like Rheinmetall say that they could directly deliver decommissioned tanks from their stocks — if Scholz authorized them to do so. (Defense contractors require government permission before exporting arms.)… Ukrainian officials say they began discussing the Marder deal as far back as March with Rheinmetall, which told them it could deliver within weeks. But so far, Berlin has refused to greenlight the deal.

“This week, German Deputy Defense Minister Siemtje Möller came up with a new justification for holding back the Marders…  claiming that NATO countries had collectively agreed to not send any Western-type battle tanks or infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine. Möller’s comments triggered an immediate backlash from the German center-right opposition. ‘Such an agreement does not exist,’ said Roderich Kiesewetter, a lawmaker from the Christian Democratic Union, arguing that Möller had ‘promulgated false information. The absence of any agreement ‘is confirmed by different sources, among others, directly by NATO,’ he added.

“Möller has since backpedaled via a spokesperson, arguing that she had merely intended to point out that other allies like the U.S. were also not supplying Ukraine with modern Western-made armored combat vehicles, such as the American M1 Abrams, the U.S.’s main battle tank. Yet, given that the American tanks are located thousands of kilometers away in North America and would require much more intensive training than Germany’s Marders, which could be delivered to the Ukrainian border in less than 24 hours, Möller’s argument has struck many allies as fairly eccentric.

“What’s more, the U.S. has been Ukraine’s main arms supplier… and unlike Germany, it hasn’t made promises to Ukraine its hasn’t fulfilled….

“The chancellor has in recent weeks repeatedly argued in background discussions with journalists that he does not want to repeat the mistakes of Wilhelm II, the last German emperor, who played a key role in Europe’s fatal descent into World War I in 1914…. In other words, when it comes to actually winning the war, Ukraine shouldn’t look to Berlin.”

What game is the German government playing?

Germany’s €100 Billion Deal

Politico wrote on May 30:

“After weeks of negotiations, German politicians finally reached a deal on a massive €100B military modernization fund… [It] will raise Germany’s annual military spending from roughly €50 billion to an average of €70 billion over the course of five years. That would put Germany in line with the NATO goal to spend 2 percent of economic output on defense — a commitment Berlin has so far blatantly violated. However, the deal reached on Sunday night falls short of enshrining the 2 percent target in the German constitution. Instead, it says the benchmark should be reached ‘on a multi-year average,’ meaning Germany might spend more than 2 percent in some years due to major military investments, but less in others….

“Although Germany’s official list of military investments is secret, there is one huge project the government has made public: The purchase of U.S. F-35 stealth fighter jets… Notably, these high-tech jets should, if worst comes to worst, be able to carry U.S. nuclear weapons… Sunday’s deal specifies that the new money must be used for Bundeswehr investments, raising hopes among German defense companies like Rheinmetall that they will get fresh orders for new tanks and ammunition…

“Given that the €100 billion will be spent over five years, Germany is unlikely to soon have more tanks and artillery to donate to Ukraine…

“Scholz’s government has been hammered internationally in recent months for being too hesitant to provide Ukraine with military support. While Scholz’s pledges to make Germany a more prominent European military power are being welcomed in many EU capitals, especially in the east, many nations are waiting to see if those words are followed by deeds. On that front, Scholz’s track record so far is quite thin.”

Scholz Being Pushed Again…

Breitbart wrote on June 1:

“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday his country will rush modern anti-aircraft missiles and radar systems to Ukraine… His promise to Kyiv came just hours after U.S. President Joe Biden announced he was releasing advanced rocket systems to help Ukrainian forces repel their Russian invaders…”

Of course, a “promise” by Scholz, which he was pushed to make, does not mean that it will be carried out any time soon.

Weak Germany Loses Authority

Express wrote on June 1:

“Germany and Austria have ruled out any future European Union embargo on Russian gas imports after a Brussels summit agreed a partial oil ban last night… Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are already pushing to step up Russian energy sanctions to keep the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, but other EU countries said the bloc had hit the political limit. Setting the scene for a new clash over sanctions, Karl Nehammer, the Austrian chancellor, said that there could be no question of suspending gas imports because of the effect on major European economies, such as Germany’s. He said, in a reference to the German chancellor ruling out any moves towards a ban during talks last night: ‘The gas embargo will not be a topic, Olaf Scholz has made this clear as well.’…

“The crumbling of German authority was on vivid display this week as EU heads of state and government struggled to reach an agreement to embargo Russian oil and to overcome the stubborn opposition of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.”

Hungary was permitted to keep importing its needs for oil from Russia. Hungary gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia. Scholz is viewed by observers as the weakest and most inconsequential and irrelevant chancellor in the history of Germany. But Germany’s lack of influence will change under a new leadership.

Denmark Reconsidering its “Neutrality”

Courthouse News Service wrote on May 25:

“In 1992, Danes voted against the Maastricht Treaty, which established the European Union. Instead, the Danish Parliament suggested joining the treaty with several significant reservations as a compromise. Denmark joined the bloc but kept its own currency, maintained a line between Danish national citizenship and EU citizenship, and opted out of EU justice, police and defense policies. The latter means that Denmark does not contribute soldiers, financing and equipment for EU-led military operations abroad… The only EU-related defense efforts from the Danish government have involved sending police on civilian missions for peacekeeping purposes. Otherwise, the small Nordic country has abstained from 11 EU operations in global hotspots, mainly on the African continent.

“But now, in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the defense reservation has been put up for a new referendum. On June 1, Danish citizens will vote on whether to lift the 30-year-old military opt-out. In March, the Danish government announced an agreement on an updated national security policy. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen emphasized how she wishes to go all-in on the defense collaboration with the EU…

“The defense reservation is heavily debated in the Danish public and media. Political opponents of lifting it have warned of the prospect of an EU army and how Denmark can become an involuntary pawn in large military operations caused by strategic considerations of bigger EU member states, such as France. But supporters argue that [the] time has come for Denmark to take responsibility for security in Europe and abroad… The share of Danish voters who support joining the EU defense pact has grown to 42%… Twenty-eight percent of Danes are opposed to lifting the country’s defense reservation while 22% are undecided.”

It will be interesting to observe where the Nordic nations of Denmark, Sweden and Finland—all descendants of the ancient house of Israel—will end up in relationship with a united Europe, a core Europe, and a European Army.

Denmark Voted to Join the EU’s Defence Policy

 The Guardian wrote on June 1:

“Denmark has voted overwhelmingly to join the EU’s common defence policy, becoming the last of the bloc’s members to sign up… The referendum on Wednesday, in which voters backed the government’s proposal by 66.9% to 33.1%, followed historic applications by Denmark’s previously non-aligned Nordic neighbours, Finland and Sweden, to join Nato last month…

“Participation in the EU’s defence policy will allow Denmark, a founding Nato member, to take part in joint EU military operations, such as those in Bosnia, Mali and Somalia, and will allow Danish officials to stay in the room when EU colleagues discuss defence issues…

“‘The political significance will outweigh the military contribution,’ said Kristian Soby Kristensen, a senior researcher at Copenhagen University’s Centre for Military Studies. Those opposed to abandoning the opt-out argued that the EU’s defence cooperation is hampered by excessive bureaucracy and inefficient decision-making, and that a joint European defence would come at the expense of Nato.”

The Not-So-Hidden Truth About Pope Pius XII

DNYUZ wrote on May 27:

“David Kertzer… a 74-year-old historian… cut through a crowd lined up to see Pope Francis, showed his credentials to the Swiss Guards and entered the archives of the former headquarters for the Holy Roman Inquisition. Over the last few decades, Mr. Kertzer has turned the inquisitive tables on the church. Using the Vatican’s own archives, the soft-spoken Brown University professor and trustee at the American Academy in Rome has become arguably the most effective excavator of the Vatican’s hidden sins, especially those leading up to and during World War II.

“The son of a rabbi… participated in the liberation of Rome as an Army chaplain… [A new book] documents the private decision-making that led Pope Pius XII to stay essentially silent about Hitler’s genocide and argues that the pontiff’s impact on the war is underestimated. And not in a good way…

“The current pope, Francis, said ‘the church is not afraid of history,’ when in 2019 he ordered the archives of Pius XII opened. But as Francis wrestles with how forcefully to condemn a dictator, this time Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, Mr. Kertzer has unearthed some frightening evidence about the cost of keeping quiet about mass killings.

“Mr. Kertzer makes the case that Pius XII’s overriding dread of Communism, his belief that the Axis powers would win the war, and his desire to protect the church’s interests all motivated him to avoid offending Hitler and Mussolini, whose ambassadors had worked to put him on the throne. The pope was also worried, the book shows, that opposing the Führer would alienate millions of German Catholics. The book further reveals that a German prince and fervent Nazi acted as a secret back channel between Pius XII and Hitler, and that the pope’s top Vatican adviser on Jewish issues urged him in a letter not to protest a Fascist order to arrest and send to concentration camps most of Italy’s Jews…

“Defenders of Pius XII, whose case for sainthood is still being evaluated, have long argued that he worked behind the scenes to help Jews, and that anti-Catholic enemies have sought to stain the institution by sullying the pontiff… But the urge to protect Pius’s reputation, according to Mr. Kertzer, reflects a more general refusal by Italy — and apologists in the Vatican — to come to terms with their complicity in the Second World War, the Holocaust and the murder of Rome’s Jews…”

Actually, Pope Pius’ collaboration with the Italian and German Nazis has been known for a long time. One revealing book in this regard is David Kertzer’s work, “The Pope and Mussolini,” which was published in 2014.

Pope Francis’ Political Move and Pelosi’s “Defense”

Fox News reported on May 29:

“Pope Francis on Sunday named as cardinal San Diego Bishop Robert W. McElroy, a Roman Catholic leader who had spoken out against the calls for bishops to exclude pro-choice politicians like President Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from Holy Communion over their stances on abortion.

“The move comes in the wake of San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone’s announcement earlier this month that he would bar Pelosi from receiving Holy Communion due to her stance on abortion. In naming McElroy, Francis passed over Cordileone, who holds a higher rank…

“Despite Cordileone’s clear declaration, Pelosi received Holy Communion at the 9 a.m. Mass at Holy Trinity in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., last Sunday. Pelosi defended her position and condemned Cordileone’s move in remarks last Tuesday. She claimed the issue of abortion is not just about terminating a pregnancy because the people criticizing its legality and morality also oppose contraceptives, family planning and in-vitro fertilization… ‘This decision… [is] not consistent with the Gospel of Matthew,’ she argued.”

For Pope Francis to say that the issue of the eucharist should not be politicized and then heavily politicize it himself is stunning.. .and then maybe not. Pelosi’s “defense” conveniently muddles the issues of abortion and conception.. but the ban on conception (a wrong teaching by the Catholic Church) was not at issue here. The gospel message according to Matthew most certainly does NOT endorse or even allow for abortion.

Iraq to Become Arch-Enemy of Israel?

Israel Today wrote on May 27:

“Iraq on Thursday passed a new law criminalizing the normalization of relations with Israel, ostensibly ending any hope that it would eventually sign on to the Abraham Accords.  Those violating the law could face the death penalty or life in prison. It was passed by an overwhelming majority of 275 lawmakers out of Iraq’s 329-seat parliament…

“The US State Department on Thursday issued a statement decrying the new Iraqi law: ‘The United States is deeply disturbed by the Iraqi Parliament’s passage of legislation that criminalizes normalization of relations with Israel. In addition to jeopardizing freedom of expression and promoting an environment of antisemitism, this legislation stands in stark contrast to progress Iraq’s neighbors have made by building bridges and normalizing relations with Israel, creating new opportunities for people throughout the region.’”

The Algemeiner added:

“The provisions outlaw ‘contact and communication of any kind and means with the occupying Zionist entity, its nationals, and representatives, whether individuals or institutions or organizations, for any reason.’ Also prohibited are any ‘financial or moral assistance’ to the State of Israel or Israeli organizations, alongside the ‘promotion of any ideas, ideologies, principles, or Israeli or Zionist conduct, in any form.’”

The law also states this:

“This law aims to achieve the following: 1. Criminalizing normalization with the Zionist entity in any form. 2. Preventing the establishment of diplomatic, political, military, economic or cultural relations or any other form of relations with the occupying Zionist entity… It is forbidden to normalize and establish diplomatic, political, military, economic, cultural, or any other relationship with the Zionist entity.”

The law also forbids any Iraqi to travel to Israel and to visit any Israeli institution throughout the world.  

The Bible indicates in Psalm 83 that Iraq (possibly identified as parts of “Moab”) might belong to a confederacy of Israel’s enemies determined to destroy and obliterate the state.

Will Netanyahu Return?

The Jerusalem Post wrote on May 27:

“Since the current coalition came together, it has appeared impossible that Netanyahu could ever form a government again, overcoming both the political vetoes of key figures on the Right and his ongoing corruption trial. But over the past two weeks, the eulogies have been halted, and even the most anti-Netanyahu media have started speaking seriously – and objectively – about the possibility of a Netanyahu comeback…

“Over the past couple weeks, the top state’s witness, former Communications Ministry director-general Shlomo Filber, has repeatedly harmed the prosecution by denying key elements in its story about how Netanyahu tried to evade the law. The prosecution was scolded by the judges for seeking to change the indictment in Case 4000 following Filber’s apparently self-contradictory testimony. Even legal analysts who have repeatedly predicted that Netanyahu will end up in jail wrote that the prosecution has lost its momentum in the trial… Netanyahu’s associates said Wednesday that they have never been more relieved that he did not accept a plea bargain before the departure of former attorney-general Avichai Mandelblit.

“The second reason for renewed optimism about a potential Netanyahu comeback is the rapid disintegration of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s inner circle in the Prime Minister’s Office. Over the past two weeks, he lost his powerful diplomatic adviser, Shimrit Meir, and his loyal chief of staff, Tal Gan-Zvi…

“A successful comeback after he failed in four elections still remains far-fetched. But he has surprised both his strongest supporters and worst enemies before. Don’t rule out being surprised once again.”

It would be extremely premature to rule out a comeback of Netanyahu. It was predictable from the outset that the current coalition government would not hold.

Clinton Lawyer Michael Sussmann Acquitted—No Surprise

Techno Fog wrote on May 31:

“The acquittal is no surprise. This is a DC jury, after all. In the Roger Stone case, for example… a juror lied to get on the panel (That judge didn’t care.) Making matters worse, the Sussmann judge wrongly allowed for a woman to remain on the jury, despite the fact that her daughter and Sussmann’s are on the same high school crew team. One can’t help but think that juror had her own daughter’s interests in mind – the cohesion of the crew team, sparing her of teenage drama, etc. – when she reached a decision…

“On the facts, the evidence was more than sufficient to prove Sussmann’s guilt. Sussmann lied to then-FBI general counsel James Baker via text message in order to get a meeting to pass the Alfa Bank hoax materials to the FBI. Sussmann lied again during the meeting – stating he was not there on behalf of a client – in order to get the FBI to open an investigation into the Trump Organization’s purported ties with Alfa Bank….

“I won’t say the verdict doesn’t matter. Of course it matters. It would have proven that a DC jury can convict one of their own. It would have resulted in accountability for lying to the FBI. Not the gravest of crimes, but it is still a crime…”

The judge in the case was an Obama appointee. Several jurors were Clinton supporters. So how could this have been a fair trial? But it shows again how corrupt our legal system is.

The USA Under Biden… the New Sodom and Gomorrah

The Federalist wrote on May 25:

“K-12 schools must allow boys into girls’ private areas to obtain federal funds for lunches, breakfasts, and snacks, the Biden administration announced this month…

“Under this new demand, establishments that accept any federal food funding, including food stamps, must also allow males who claim to be female to access female private spaces, such as showers, bathrooms, and sleeping areas. Such organizations must also follow protocols such as requiring staff to use inaccurate pronouns to describe transgender people and allowing male staff to dress as women while on the job.

“Religious institutions, however, qualify for a waiver exempting them from these requirements… Organizations may request a religious exemption by submitting a written declaration to the Secretary of Agriculture identifying the provisions that conflict with a specific tenet of the religious organization…

“Government schools can receive no exemption…

“Parents have told The Federalist that their daughters no longer use the bathrooms or locker rooms at their public schools because they don’t feel safe there. Many parents are finding after the fact that school districts are helping their children live as the opposite sex and hide that from their families….”

This is awful. How a professing “Christian” government and nation can endorse such blatantly ungodly concepts is beyond belief.

“Important” to Support Family-Friendly Gay Parades

Insider Paper wrote on May 31:

“There is no reason to avoid LGBTQ+ parades, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), despite the recent outbreak of monkeypox virus, which has been confirmed in over 435 cases in nearly 24 countries… While the virus is not a sexually transmitted infection… the most recent outbreak appears to have been spread among men who have sex with other men.

“The WHO, on the other hand, emphasized that anyone can contract monkeypox and that it is critical to show support for the LGBTQ+ community. ‘It’s important that people who want to go out and celebrate gay pride, LGBTQ pride, to continue to go and plan to do so,’ Andy Seale, strategies adviser at WHO’s department of sexually transmitted infections programmes, said… ‘Most of these events – the official events – are outdoors, they’re family friendly…’

“… people expressed concern about upcoming pride marches in New York on June 26 and Berlin on July 23, among other cities.”

Travel Restrictions Lifted for Germany?

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 25:

“Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said that, as of next Wednesday, people entering Germany would no longer have to show proof of vaccination or negative test result or demonstrate a recent recovery from the coronavirus… ‘Until the end of August, we will suspend the 3G rule on entry,” Lauterbach [said].  It is not clear what will happen from September onward… Stricter rules will remain in force for people entering from ‘virus-variant’ areas…

“Earlier this month, Germany said it had no plans to lift the mask mandate for flights coming into the country despite new EU guidance.”

Lauterbach has lied many times before or walked back his “promises.” It will remain to be seen what is going to happen… especially beginning in September.

European Payback

Express wrote on May 28:

“Brexit has resulted in many changes for Britons since it came into force at the beginning of 2021. Holidays to EU countries have been impacted, with British citizens now having to pay extra to travel to Europe. From next year, UK passport holders travelling from Britain will have to pay to get a visa…. This means Britons will have to pay to enter 27 countries, all of which are in the EU.

“To acquire a visa, British holidaymakers will need to have it issued through the European Travel Information and Authorisation System if they’re travelling for less than 90 days during an 180 day period. This applies to anyone travelling to any EU country by plane, boat, or car.

“The visa must be applied for 96 hours before departing on a trip, and will cost €7, or £5. Travellers younger than 18 years old and older than 70 will be the only ones not required to get one. Applicants will be asked for information about their identity, passport, education, job, recent travel, and criminal convictions. The visa will last for three years, but expires when a person’s passport expires.

“… Under new requirements, Britons must have a specific length of time left on their passport in order for it to be classed as valid for travel… A passport issued by non-member states hoping to visit the Schengen Area must have been issued in the past 10 years. If your passport doesn’t meet these rules, you need to apply for a new passport before travelling to the countries affected…’

More paperwork… more money… more time wasting… more complicated procedures. But Europe’s payback because of the Brexit has only just begun.

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 Exodus 31:12-17, God made another covenant with the people.  This is a separate covenant from the one between God and the children of Israel and it is a sign that God is their LORD: “And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: “Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the God who sanctifies you. You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.”’” It is a perpetual covenant throughout all their generations forever. Again, as noted previously, perpetual and forever are translated from the same Hebrew word. This covenant would never be replaced. It was based on the law of the weekly and annual Sabbaths. As we explain in our free booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound”:

“By observing and being mindful of this sign, Israel would understand that it is God who sanctifies them, and Israel as a nation would become a sign to the other nations of this world, as the keeping of God’s Sabbaths does single one out.

“This separate Sabbath covenant between God and His people was never abolished—neither were the laws of God commanding us to keep His weekly and annual Sabbaths holy. And, since Christians are to be spiritual Jews (Romans 2:28–29; Galatians 6:16; Revelation 2:9; 3:9), they have a two-fold obligation to keep God’s Sabbaths—first, because God commands us to do so; and second, because they are under a specific covenant or agreement that God made with both physical and spiritual Israel, for all generations.”

Looking back to the statement of the laws of the covenant in Exodus 23:32-33, God told them that when they went into the land of Canaan, “You shall make no covenant with them”—the people currently living in the land—“nor with their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

This command is repeated in Exodus 34:10-13 when God made another covenant with Israel after they had sinned by building a golden calf: “And He said: ‘Behold, I make [better: “I am making”, so the New International Version; similar the Living Bible and the New American Bible] a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you. Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I am driving out from before you the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst. But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images.’”

This was again repeated in Deuteronomy 7:2-4. God here tells the people not to allow their sons to marry the daughters of the people of the land, nor their daughters to marry the sons of the people of the land: “…and when the LORD your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly.”

In Deuteronomy 7:9-10, God reminds the people of His faithfulness: “Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face.” This faithfulness for a thousand generations is basically everlasting.

There is a strong warning to those under the covenant in Deuteronomy 17:2-5: “If there is found among you, within any of your gates which the LORD your God gives you, a man or a woman who has been wicked in the sight of the LORD your God, in transgressing His covenant, who has gone and served other gods and worshipped them, either the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded, and it is told you, and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination has been committed in Israel, then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has committed that wicked thing, and shall stone to death that man or woman with stones.”

When the children of Israel entered the land under Joshua, they were deceived by the Gibeonites. These people had heard how the Israelites under Joshua had defeated fortified cities. They therefore sent ambassadors to Gilgal. Joshua 9:6-9 states: “And they went to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and the men of Israel, ‘We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us.’ Then the men of Israel said to the Hivites, ‘Perhaps you dwell among us; so how can we make a covenant with you?’ But they said to Joshua, ‘We are your servants.’ And Joshua said to them, ‘Who are you, and where do you come from?’ So they said to him: ‘From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt.’”

The reason Joshua and the men of Israel were deceived is mentioned in Joshua 9:14-15: “Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the LORD. So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them.” They did not ask counsel of the LORD but used their own human reason. However, when they found out that the Gibeonites were close neighbours, they did not attack them because of the covenant they had made, but instead made them slaves for service at the house of God. Joshua 9:27 says: “And that day Joshua made them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, in the place which He would choose, even to this day.”

Shortly after this, the kings of five neighbouring cities who had heard that the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel decided to attack Gibeon. Joshua 10:3-4 reads: “Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, ‘Come up to me and help me, that we may attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.’”

The response by the Gibeonites was to ask for help from Joshua, reminding him that they were the servants of Israel. Joshua 10:6 states: “And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, ‘Do not forsake your servants; come up to us quickly, save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains have gathered together against us.’” The result was that Joshua and the men of Israel attacked at the LORD’s direction, not using their own human reason as before, and the LORD assisted Joshua in destroying the Amorites. In fact, this was the time when, at Joshua’s request, God caused the “sun to stand still” for about a whole day so the men of Israel had time to defeat the enemy (compare Joshua 10:12-14). We see here that the children of Israel fought at the LORD’s direction. God was helping the children of Israel to keep the covenant they had made with the Gibeonites, even though they should not have made it in the first place. God even stopped the earth rotating (to the people looking at the sky, it appeared as if the sun stood still) which shows how important He considers it is to keep a covenant.

The next mention of the Gibeonites is in 2 Samuel 21:1. This shows again how seriously God considers the keeping of a covenant, and how God expects His people to be faithful, even when the covenant was made against His directions and without seeking His advice: “Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, ‘It is because of Saul and his bloodthirsty house, because he killed the Gibeonites.’” So because of Saul’s breaking the covenant with the Gibeonites, God sent a famine on the land of Israel.

It is of interest that the modern day Falashas in Ethiopia are considered by the state of Israel to be descended from the Gibeonites, and in 1975 were accepted by the Chief Rabbinate as Jews and were allowed to migrate to Israel. (See the Q&A “Who are the modern-day Gibeonites?”) 

The whole of Leviticus 26 presents a list of blessings for keeping God’s laws and the covenants which are based on God’s laws, and cursings for breaking God’s laws and covenants. And yet, even if they were to break God’s laws and covenants and would be taken into captivity, Leviticus 26:44-45 informs us that God will not break His covenant because He is a faithful God: “Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God. But for their sake I will remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.”

In this passage in Leviticus 26, the covenant God is referring to is the one He made at Sinai with the children of Israel. Back in Leviticus 26:42, God brings up the covenants He made with the patriarchs. If the people who have broken their covenant with God confess their iniquity, “Then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember; I will remember the land.” The land was specifically mentioned in the covenants God made with the patriarchs.

Another covenant that God made with Aaron and the children of Levi is mentioned in Numbers 18:19: “All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to the LORD, I have given to you and your sons and daughters with you as an ordinance forever; it is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD with you and your descendants with you.” Reference to the covenant of salt was already made in Leviticus 2:13: “And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.” Salt, as well as being a flavouring, is also a preservative. It is also extremely durable symbolizing that God’s covenant with Levi is also durable or everlasting.

Salt is mentioned because it pictures permanence. Because the Levites were given no inheritance in the land, God gave them all the tithes in Israel in return for the work of the tabernacle of meeting.

This particular covenant between God and the Levites is mentioned in Malachi 2:4-8 where God is condemning the priests who were not performing their duty: “‘Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, That My covenant with Levi may continue,’ Says the LORD of hosts. ‘My covenant was with him, one of life and peace, And I gave them to him that he might fear Me; So he feared Me And was reverent before My name. The law of truth was in his mouth, And injustice was not found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and equity, And turned many away from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But you have departed from the way; You have caused many to stumble at the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,’ Says the LORD of hosts.””

So the obvious question is, why did God make a perpetual covenant with the tribe of Levi, which is also referred to in Jeremiah 33:18–22? Exodus 32 begins to provide part of the answer. This passage describes the time when Moses had gone up to the mountain to receive instructions about the worship of God and the formation of the priesthood. The people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain and they said to Aaron to make them gods to go before them. Aaron fashioned a golden calf and the people worshipped in front of it. We read in Exodus 32:25-29, “Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies), then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, ‘Whoever is on the LORD’s side—come to me!’ And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. And he said to them, ‘Thus says the LORD God of Israel: “Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.”’ So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day. Then Moses said, ‘Consecrate yourselves today to the LORD, that He may bestow on you a blessing this day, for every man has opposed his son and his brother.’” They, as a tribe, were willing to stand up for God and His laws.

This was repeated in Deuteronomy 10:8-9 where this separating of the tribe of Levi is again described: “At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister to Him and to bless His name, to this day. Therefore Levi has no portion nor inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his inheritance, just as the LORD your God promised him…”

In Numbers 25, the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. They were also joined to Baal of Peor, so God sent a plague on the people. When one of the men “presented” a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, Phinehas took a javelin in his hand and thrust both the man of Israel and the woman through their bodies. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel (compare verses 6-8).

We read in Numbers 25:10-13 that God made a covenant with Aaron’s grandson Phinehas: “Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal. Therefore say, “Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace; and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.”’”

In Deuteronomy 4:30-31, there is a prophecy that if the people sinned and worshipped false gods and were sent into captivity, God would not forget them if they repented: “When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the LORD your God and obey His voice (for the LORD your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.” (Compare Deuteronomy 5:2-3 and Leviticus 26:45.)

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Paul Niehoff (Australia)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Theocratic Abortion—a God-Given Right in Many Religions” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Why do many religions believe and teach that abortion is a religious right under some or even all circumstances? Why do many Jews believe this; why do many Muslims believe this… and why do many who claim to be Christians believe this as well? And even those who don’t believe this may sometimes take a very hypocritical approach in the matter. The Guardian published a telling article on June 2 about theocratic abortion rights, given or bestowed on us by immediate divine guidance. But is that the Truth? 

“Gerüchte, Fake News und die Wahrheit,” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Rumors, Fake News and the Truth.”

“Gottes Geist der Barmherzigkeit (Pfingsten 2022),” is the title of the German sermon for Pentecost, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “God’s Spirit of Mercy (Pentecost 2022)”

“In aller Liebe,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Robert Indlekofer, is now posted. Title in English: “With All Love.”

“You’re Better Than That!”, the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Sometimes we meet with disapproval by our actions when we make mistakes we shouldn’t have made. In fact, the Word of God challenges us to become better. Do we have eyes to see and ears to hear God’s correction?

“When Satan Messes with You,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

As unpopular as it is to say, Satan is the ruler in this current age. He never ceases to find our weaknesses and exploit them so that we turn away from God. How can we tell when Satan is attacking us and what can we do to overcome his influence, taunts, and temptations?

On May 28, 2022, Dave Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “You’re Better Than That,” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “When Satan Messes With You.”

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 apostles had a unique advantage in that for 3 ½ years, they were able to observe and learn from the interactions Christ had with those who were trying to trip Him up and how He always responded in a manner that left them no comeback. They also observed His love and mercy toward young children and how He picked them up and blessed them while His disciples wanted to shoo them away (compare Matthew 19:13-14).  They also experienced how He had compassion for the sick and was ready to heal people (compare Matthew 7:16-17), and even raised the dead as He did for His friend Lazarus (compare John 11:38-44).

Some of what they experienced is recorded for us even though we were not there to witness it at the time. But we can read about His life, His experiences and even His death for mankind.

We are admonished to walk in His footsteps as mentioned in Psalms 85:13: “Righteousness will go before Him, And shall make His footsteps our pathway. “

We are further admonished in Philippians 2:5 to be like minded: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…”

One of our goals is to develop the mind of Christ. This is something we cannot do unless we are willing to take the time to read and study our Bibles for admonition, learning, education and instruction. In that regard, we have an advantage over those in the distant past since we have the whole Bible to study, including how Christ, the God of the Old Testament, dealt with individuals and the nation of Israel.

We should not leave a stone unturned to accomplish our task given to us, and furthermore, to show gratitude for what has been written in the Word of God and the gems we can find there. The book of Proverbs and of the Psalms are full of wisdom on how to live a true Christian life. We have the history of the New Testament Church laid out for us in the book of Acts and also in the first chapters in the book of Revelation where historical and prophetic events are reported, pointing out the good things about each era and the admonition to repent and change when required.

We sometimes talk about the gold standard. We have our gold standard in the written Word of God, and it is our responsibility to dig out the words written for our continued growth in grace and knowledge which can only come from our study and thinking about the Holy Scriptures which have been preserved for us. How are we doing?

by Norbert Link

We begin with reports on the massacre in Texas; and continue with meetings of the World Health Organization (WHO) with the fear that autocratic powers will be transferred to the WHO—a concern which does not seem to be valid at this point, even though it is shocking to see that the Biden Administration was apparently willing to agree to such an outcome.

We speak on the decision of the Archbishop of San Francisco which has been supported by the Archbishop of Denver to bar Nancy Pelosi from partaking in “communion” over her “evil” stance on abortion (In this context, see our new StandingWatch program, titled, “No Communion for Pelosi and Catholic Confusion,” pointing out, among many other things, how divided and confused the Catholic church under Pope Francis has become.)

We continue with pointing out Hillary Clinton’s “legacy of lies,” including the strong implication of her immediate role in the “Russia Hoax” scandal.

We speak about Biden’s “sinking ship”  and the worldwide fall of house prices.

We address Germany’s ongoing dictatorship and concerns regarding gas shortages; Austria’s and Switzerland’s “neutrality” regarding NATO; Canada’s autocratic regime; and the political upheaval in Australia.

Another Massacre in Texas

 The Ron Paul Institute wrote on May 26:

“We are caught in a vicious cycle.

“With alarming regularity, the nation is being subjected to a heartbreaking spate of violence that terrorizes the populace, fractures communities, and gives the government greater justifications to crack down, lock down, and institute even more authoritarian policies for the so-called sake of national security without many objections from the citizenry.

“Mass shootings have taken place in schools, on college campuses, movie theaters, nightclubs, grocery stores, concert venues, bars, workplaces, churches, on military bases, and in government offices. In almost every instance, the shooters were dressed in military-style gear and armed with military-style weapons.

“Take the latest shooting that took place in Uvalde, Texas, when 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, wearing body armor and carrying a rifle, walked into Robb Elementary School and opened fire, leaving at least 19 children and two teachers dead. This Uvalde shooting took place ten days after another 18-year-old man heavily armed and wearing tactical gear (including a tactical helmet and plated armor), opened fire in a grocery store in Buffalo, N.Y, killing 10 people.

“In 2018, a 19-year-old former student armed with a gas mask, smoke grenades, magazines of ammunition, and an AR-215-style semi automatic rifle, opened fire on students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., leaving 17 people dead.

“Ten years ago, 20-year-old Adam Lanza—wearing body armor and black clothing, and armed with military-style weapons—opened fire on students and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., leaving 26 dead…

“According to an FBI report issued the day before the Uvalde shooting, these kinds of ‘active shooter attacks’ have doubled in recent years…

“… surely there’s more to these shootings than just easy access to weapons and mental illness.

“Ask yourself: Why do these mass shootings keep happening? Who are these shooters modelling themselves after? Where are they finding the inspiration for their weaponry and tactics? Whose stance and techniques are they mirroring?…

“The United States is the number one consumer, exporter and perpetrator of violence and violent weapons in the world…  We have been a nation at war for most of our existence… We are being fed a steady diet of violence through our entertainment, news, sports and politics…

“Then there are the growing number of violent video games, a number of which… have accustomed players to interactive war play through military simulations and first-person shooter scenarios. As Esther J. Cepeda writes for The Washington Post, ‘Violent video games alone do not cause people to go off the rails, arm themselves and open fire on innocent people in public places. But there’s also no question that there is something wrong with a multibillion-dollar video game industry that sells to young men the ability to virtually assassinate a foe as an escape from real life.’…

“You want to stop the gun violence? Stop the worship of violence that permeates our culture…”

 Satan is the god of this world, and he is the destroyer of mankind. Only after Christ has returned, man will begin to see how horrible violence and war are. Then they will receive a new heart and mind, and they will embrace a new and peaceful way of thinking. In the meantime, the glorification of weapons, especially in the USA, will continue.

WHO to Become an Autocratic Superpower?

On May 21, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano wrote the following in LifeSiteNews:

“In the coming days, the Nations that adhere to the World Health Organization (WHO) [may] vote on resolutions regarding the WHO’s management of pandemics [As we point out below, however, the vote on those resolutions is not on their agenda.]. These resolutions [would] transfer sovereignty regarding the health of citizens to a supranational body that is largely financed by the pharmaceutical industry and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. If these resolutions are approved by a majority, the WHO will have exclusive international authority in the case of a pandemic to impose all the rules, including quarantines, lockdowns, obligatory vaccinations, and vaccine passports. It should also be borne in mind that this organization enjoys immunity, and thus its members cannot be either tried or convicted if they commit crimes. Unelected technocrats will paradoxically have more power than that which citizens confer on their representatives by means of their democratic vote.

“It therefore sounds absurd, to say the least, that there is now a desire to give binding decision-making power to the WHO, when in its management of the recent pandemic emergency and the vaccine campaign the greatest damage was done in terms of the number of deaths and of patients who have suffered permanent damage to their health. In addition to the impunity it enjoyed for the crimes it has committed thanks to the silence of the mainstream media, the WHO also has total discretion over how to respond to the upcoming emergencies that are obviously being planned by the pharmaceutical lobby. The marginalization of health personnel who appeal to the Hippocratic Oath risks becoming the norm by which to eliminate every voice of dissent…

“The Holy See… is a Permanent Observer at the United Nations and also at the WHO for one year now… The present conspiratorial silence of the Vatican, after the hasty pronouncements it made at the beginning of the pandemic and its shameful endorsements of Big Pharma… has made itself an accomplice in a crime against God and man…”

However, whether the WHO will indeed acquire such global powers at this point is doubtful. Note the next articles.

The Proposed Pandemic Treaty

The Washington Post wrote on May 22:

“The World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the WHO’s 194 member states, is holding its first fully in-person event in two years… theories focus largely on the discussion of a ‘pandemic treaty’ — a potential agreement that could… regulate how countries prepare for and respond to future pandemics. Though such a treaty will not be agreed upon at the assembly, the backlash has spread fast and far beyond the world of global health…

“A pandemic treaty is not imminent. Though member states agreed in December that a new agreement is needed, it will take years of negotiations to reach a final draft; 2024 is the target. Nor will it grant WHO sweeping new powers, as the organization has no army nor power of sanction and will still need to rely on member states to comply and enforce its rules… Even if the text for a treaty on pandemic preparedness is reached, it would have to be signed, ratified and enforced by the member states themselves.”

Of course, all of that could happen rather quickly… but then, it might not.

The Pandemic Treaty

Politico wrote on May 20:

“Many of the consequential decisions, such as those on a pandemic treaty and changes to the International Health Regulations, will only happen years from now. Even the matters that will likely be agreed on at the assembly, such as the WHO’s future budget and the timelines to increase the budget, stretch years into the future… the most controversial proposal — for a pandemic treaty — isn’t even on the agenda at the assembly.

“What was meant to be considered were amendments proposed by the U.S. to the International Health Regulation, a legally binding law that governs how countries are meant to respond to health threats. The wide-ranging proposal from the U.S. suggested giving the WHO greater powers to share information from countries experiencing events that could put public health at risk. But decisions on this are now set to be delayed, with countries having agreed on a watered-down proposal related to procedural decisions on when changes to the regulations would come into effect.”

It has been reported that especially Russia and China have objected to a “pandemic treaty.”

Biden Misrepresents Again—Or Does He?

Breitbart wrote on May 23:

“President Joe Biden forced his own White House on Monday to again walk back a false claim of his that Washington has a military ‘commitment’ to defend Taiwan in the event of an invasion, most likely by China.

“Biden answered affirmatively to a question about defending Taiwan on Monday during a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio in Tokyo. Asked if he would be willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan, Biden replied, ‘Yes. That’s the commitment we made,’ citing the Taiwan Act.

“Taiwan is a sovereign state governed under a free and democratic system. China falsely claims it as a ‘province’ and regularly threatens violen[ce] to bring about ‘reunification’ (Taiwan has never been governed by a regime based in Beijing in its history). The United States does not recognize Taiwan as a state, a concession to China granted by former President Jimmy Carter.

“The Taiwan Act allows Washington to establish ‘relations’ with Taipei separately from Beijing and allows the United States ‘to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character,’ but does not make a military commitment to defend Taiwan’s independence. No military treaty exists between Taiwan and America.

“The White House soon issued a statement to the media reassuring the world once again that Biden’s remarks did not create a new military commitment for America…

“This is not the first time that Biden has seemingly fabricated a military commitment to defend Taiwan… In October, the White House also walked back his rhetoric on Taiwan after he said the United States would act to defend Taiwan if China invaded.”

No Communion for Nancy Pelosi Because of Her Grave Sin and Evil

AFP wrote on May 20:

“The archbishop of San Francisco told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., that she is barred from receiving communion over her support for abortion rights, the archdiocese said in a letter released Friday. Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said in the letter that he had previously asked Pelosi to ‘publicly repudiate your advocacy for abortion “rights” or else refrain from referring to your Catholic faith in public and receiving Holy Communion’ – or face the consequence of being denied access to the rite. ‘As you have not publicly repudiated your position on abortion, and continue to refer to your Catholic faith in justifying your position and to receive Holy Communion, that time has now come,’ the archbishop said…

“‘Unfortunately, Speaker Pelosi’s position on abortion has become only more extreme over the years, especially in the last few months,’ Cordileone wrote. ‘Just earlier this month she once again, as she has many times before, explicitly cited her Catholic faith while justifying abortion as a “choice,” this time setting herself in direct opposition to Pope Francis…

“The archbishop quoted Pelosi from a statement Pelosi gave to the Seattle Times following that leak: ‘The very idea that they would be telling women the size, timing or whatever of their family, the personal nature of this is so appalling, and I say that as a devout Catholic,’ Pelosi said in the statement. ‘They say to me, ‘Nancy Pelosi thinks she knows more about having babies than the Pope.’ Yes I do. Are you stupid?’

“The archbishop continued: ‘After numerous attempts to speak with her to help her understand the grave evil she is perpetrating, the scandal she is causing, and the danger to her own soul she is risking, I have determined that the point has come in which I must make a public declaration that she is not to be admitted to Holy Communion unless and until she publicly repudiate her support for abortion “rights” and confess and receive absolution for her cooperation in this evil in the sacrament of Penance… Cordileone referred to the church’s Cannon 915, which says: ‘Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.’ The Catechism of the Catholic Church opposes abortion.”

Breitbart wrote on May 21:

“Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila released a statement Friday in support of San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone for barring Nancy Pelosi from receiving Holy Communion because of her aggressive abortion advocacy… ‘Church teaching is clear that people endanger their souls if they are separated from God because of grave sin and then receive the most Holy Eucharist in an unworthy manner,’ he said… When that person is a public figure, he added, ‘love for the community means guarding against scandal and confusion and allowing others to be led into sin if they don’t see the issue addressed in an appropriate and compassionate manner.’

“Archbishop Aquila encouraged the faithful of his own archdiocese ‘to read the letters written by Archbishop Cordileone, and to ask the Holy Spirit with an open heart to clear away any doubt or confusion you have about this issue, and lead you into a more intimate and full relationship with Jesus…  let us pray for our state and country, that we may once again view every precious life as a true gift from our heavenly Father.’”

He “nicely” promoted the Trinity… Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Except, the Holy Spirit is not a person, and praying to the Holy Spirit is wrong.

A House Divided…

ABC News added on May 20:

“Cordileone over the past year has been among the most outspoken U.S. bishops advocating that Communion be denied to President Joe Biden and other politicians who support abortion rights. However, each bishop has authority in his own diocese on this matter, and the archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Wilton Gregory, has affirmed that Biden is welcome to receive the sacrament there. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops last November overwhelmingly approved a long-anticipated document on Communion that stopped short of calling for withholding the sacrament from politicians who support abortion rights but offered justifications for individual bishops to do so.”

The Huffington Post added on May 20:

“Pope Francis warned last September that Communion should never be politicized… Francis said he had ‘never denied the Eucharist’ to anyone. The pontiff was responding to calls then by conservative Catholics to deny Communion to President Joe Biden, also because of his stance supporting women’s reproductive rights. A month later, Biden met personally  with the pope at the Vatican. Francis told him he was a ‘good Catholic’ and that he should ‘keep receiving Communion,’ Biden said.”

Of course, one can’t know how true Biden’s statement is, as he is known for exaggerations and lies. But Francis did not dispute the statement… so a political Church states one should not become political.

The Left Responds…

Fox News wrote on May 22:

“The San Francisco Examiner’s editorial board wrote a scathing rebuke of the city’s archbishop, Salvatore Cordileone, after he announced he would deny… Pelosi  Holy Communion… In response, the liberal editorial board blasted the Catholic leader for ‘punishing’ Pelosi, instead of ‘right-wing politicians’…  They defended Pelosi as a leader who has ‘consistently fought on the morally right side of these issues,’ and praised her as a role model for women.

“The editorial board argued that by denying Pelosi Holy Communion, the archbishop wasn’t being loyal to Christ. ‘Cordileone’s chief loyalty is not to Christ, but to the cabal of far-right American bishops led by Raymond Leo Burke, a Catholic prelate who has led a continual campaign to undermine Pope Francis’ authority,’ they wrote, before demanding the Pope remove the ‘radical conservative’ from San Francisco.

 “We repeat the call for Pope Francis to remove him and replace him with a leader who can unify rather than divide. Cordileone’s radical conservative politics might attract more people to the faith in places like Oklahoma or Texas, but his partisan pomposity will win no converts in San Francisco,” the editorial board complained. ‘It is Nancy Pelosi, not Archbishop Cordileone, who reflects the true spirit of Christian care in the City of St. Francis,’ the board wrote.”

 Incredible! We repeat and say it again: Abortion is murder, and neither Pelosi nor the Editorial Board of the San Francisco Examiner reflect in any manner, shape or form the godly values of true Christianity when it comes to abortion. How Pelosi can be viewed as a role model for women when she defends the murder of innocent unborn children is absolutely beyond imagination.

The Lies of the Abortionists

Fox News wrote on May 20:

“The abortion industry…  has for decades told women and girls that a preborn baby is nothing but a clump of cells. That lie is what I, and millions of women and girls, remember being told.  That is the lie being told to millions of vulnerable women and girls who are lined up in abortion clinics like widgets on an assembly line, forced to fork over hundreds of dollars in advance, and have their babies dismembered and then sucked out by vacuum from their womb. But, from the moment a baby is conceived, it is much more than a clump of cells. At 4 weeks, a baby’s brain and heart tissue begin to develop, and the first heartbeat can be detected after 22 days. Limbs and major organs start forming shortly thereafter and then come the lips and nose. A preborn baby responds to touch by week 6 and scientists have discovered that preborn babies may be able to feel pain as early as 12 weeks gestational age. Ultrasounds show the beating heart and small fingers and toes.

“These are the facts the abortion industry doesn’t want you to hear. The argument in favor of abortion is encapsulated in the slogan, ‘My body, my choice.’ This argument, however, is fundamentally flawed. It deliberately ignores the fact that innocent infant lives are at the center of the abortion issue. What about the body of the preborn baby? What about their choice? There are two bodies involved in an abortion, the mother’s and the baby’s. The circumstances of the mother, however tragic and difficult, must not devalue the life of the child she carries and the long-term psychological impact on the mother who has an abortion cannot be thrown aside. Abortion providers make money off abortions and the sale of baby body parts for research.”

In fact, there are more than just “two bodies” involved. It also includes the “body” of the father and, most importantly, but always conveniently overlooked, is the “bodies” of the God Family—consisting of God the Father and Jesus Christ.

Preaching on Sin Outdated

The Washington Times wrote on May 22:

“… the Apostle Paul… told the first-century church that ‘everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God’ and ‘there is none righteous, no not one.’ From its inception, the church has consistently taught that ‘the human heart is desperately wicked’ and ‘beyond cure’ (Jeremiah)…

“Rather than warning of the consequences of sin, it appears that many of our contemporary evangelical preachers and teachers are celebrating it.  Karl Menninger once asked, ‘Whatever became of sin?’ Well, it appears that in today’s churches, it has gone… Preaching about sin is now viewed as outdated and too judgmental… Contemporary church attendees are now told they are born good and that anyone suggesting they are sinners is a sinner for doing so.

“… the new world of the American Christian [is] a religion whose congregants see themselves as sinless, and everyone who dares disagree with them is sinful…

“Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because they wanted to supplant God and become gods themselves. And as such, they declared that they would decide what was right and what was wrong, what was true and what was false, and what was just and what was unjust. In essence, they chose to define what sin was and wasn’t, and thus, they denied its existence while, at the same time, giving it birth. The story of the garden teaches us that when anyone but God declares themselves to be good, it never ends well…”

Clinton’s Legacy of Lies

The New York Post wrote on May 21:

“Proving that what’s old is new again, here is how the late William Safire began his New York Times column of Jan. 8, 1996: ‘Americans of all political persuasions are coming to the sad realization that our First Lady [Hillary Clinton] — a woman of undoubted talents who was a role model for many in her generation — is a congenital liar. Drip by drip, like Whitewater torture, the case is being made that she is compelled to mislead, and to ensnare her subordinates and friends in a web of deceit.’

“Safire detailed a series of situations where Hillary Clinton was caught in obvious lies, and there is a straight line to the Hillary Clinton whose shadow hangs over the [current] Michael Sussmann trial in Washington. Once again, Clinton is being exposed as ‘compelled to mislead’ and ensnaring ‘her subordinates and friends in a web of deceit.’

“And to think she almost got away with stealing the presidency. It is in keeping with her history that she is portrayed as the off-stage chief conniver at a trial that is, like her, something of a throwback. Coming six years after the 2016 presidential campaign, the Sussmann trial inevitably carries an air of anti-climax.

“After all, we have known since the Robert Mueller report in 2019 that the charge that Donald Trump colluded with Russia was fake news. And we have known for almost as long that Clinton’s campaign secretly funded the smear merchants at Fusion GPS who hired Christopher Steele who fabricated a ‘dossier’ that was long on lies and gossip and short on facts. Finally, we have known that Jim Comey’s FBI was punch drunk on power and some of its top officials were foaming at the mouth to help Clinton defeat Trump. They were so dirty they used the rancid dossier to get court approval to spy on Trump’s campaign.

“That sequence adds a strange dimension to the Sussmann case in the sense that the only charge against him — that he lied to the FBI in denying he was working for Clinton in trying to peddle Russia trash — makes the agency look innocent, when it was, in its own way, as guilty as Clinton.

“Still, there is value in special counsel John Durham’s tireless effort to reveal the secrets of the dirtiest dirty trick ever. His assignment was to probe how and why the FBI took the unprecedented step of spying on the campaign of the opposing party’s presidential candidate and while the going has been slow, he is adding important details to a major stain on our national history.

“The Biden administration would surely love to shut Durham down, but convicting Sussmann likely would give the prosecutor new impetus and save his probe from the Democrats’ ax. It is vital that he continue because, although it failed to elect Clinton, the hoax was sensationally successful in capturing the media’s attention and implanting a deep distrust of Trump, thanks in part to the Deep State’s anonymous sources who fed media hysterics.

“Democrats, especially Nancy Pelosi, insisted Trump was an illegitimate president for his entire term. One result was that the party refused to negotiate with him, robbing America of any meaningful bipartisanship even on issues like infrastructure. Another outcome was the 2018 midterms, where the hoax surely played a role in the public’s decision to hand control of the House to Dems, who instantly began their Russia, Russia, Russia investigation and soon turned to impeaching Trump.

“The Clinton lies, then, did enormous damage…

“Meanwhile, the related misconduct of the media, the FBI and other government agencies resulted in an incalculable loss of credibility that continues to grow as new facts emerge. In that sense, the most redeeming feature of the Sussmann case is the proof that the Steele dossier wasn’t Clinton’s only effort to fabricate so-called ‘evidence’ about Trump and Russia. Testimony is revealing that the pattern the two efforts followed was almost identical.

“First her campaign concocted a lie, then secretly peddled it to Trump-hating media and the Trump-hating FBI…

“It was… Sussmann’s job to get the New York Times to run a story on the claim, an effort Clinton herself approved, according to testimony from her former campaign manager, Robbie Mook. Although the Times didn’t bite on that one, other media outlets did, and Clinton herself tweeted about the stories to magnify their impact as she hoped for an October surprise. One of her aides then, Jake Sullivan, was also pushing the fake story as a national security threat, and he is now Joe Biden’s national security adviser…

“[Clinton] was a lousy, lazy presidential candidate who made up slanderous tales about her opponent to cover up her own unpopularity and failures. As proof, the trial resurrected declassified notes from September of 2016 written by John Brennan, then CIA director. It said intelligence officials learned Clinton planned to tar Trump with Russia ties ‘as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private email server.’

“The notes suggest Brennan briefed then-President Barack Obama on the finding, yet Obama still went along with the FBI probe of Trump and told Comey how to brief the president-elect in January of 2017 on the most salacious parts of the Steele dossier. Assuming Durham is able to continue, his real challenge will be finding someone in her circle who was not ensnared in Clinton’s web of deceit.”

Hillary Clinton Strongly Implicated in the “Russia” Hoax Scandal

On May 21, the Hill published the following article by Law Professor Jonathan Turley:

“The trial of former Clinton campaign attorney Michael Sussmann crossed a critical threshold Friday when a key witness uttered the name ‘Hillary Clinton’ in conjunction with a plan to spread the false Alfa Bank Russian collusion claim before the 2016 presidential election.

“For Democrats and many in the media, Hillary Clinton has long held a Voldemort-like status [something like “a holy cow” protection and immunity] as ‘She who must not be named’ in scandals. Yet, there was her former campaign manager, Robby Mook, telling a jury that Clinton personally approved a plan to spread the claim of covert communications between the Trump organization and the Russian bank. It was one of the most successful disinformation campaigns in American politics, and Mook implicated Clinton as green-lighting the gas-lighting of the electorate.

“The mere mention of Clinton’s name sent shockwaves through Washington. In past scandals, the Clintons have always evaded direct responsibility as aides were investigated or convicted, from the Whitewater land dealings to cattle futures. Even when long-sought documents in Whitewater were discovered outside of the family quarters and bearing Hillary Clinton’s fingerprints, Washington quickly moved on.

“Clinton was not supposed to be the object of the Sussmann trial, because Judge Christopher Cooper, an Obama appointee, issued a series of orders limiting the scope of the trial and its evidence. The orders were viewed as ‘spar[ing] the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee … potential embarrassment.’

“Yet, even after winning such limiting orders, it was the defense that called Mook to the stand… and he proceeded to confirm that Clinton herself approved of the tactic.

“It was Washington’s worst-kept but least-acknowledged secret… Clinton not only approved using the Alpha Bank claim but helped to portray it as an established fact, tweeting: ‘Computer scientists have apparently uncovered a covert server linking the Trump Organization to a Russian-based bank.’”

What a web of rotten lies and dirty deceit.

Biden and His Sinking Ship

The Associated Press wrote on May 20:

“President Joe Biden’s approval rating dipped to the lowest point of his presidency in May, a new poll shows, with deepening pessimism emerging among members of his own Democratic Party. Only 39% of U.S. adults approve of Biden’s performance as president, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Research, dipping from already negative ratings a month earlier. Overall, only about 2 in 10 adults say the U.S. is heading in the right direction or the economy is good, both down from about 3 in 10 a month earlier. Those drops were concentrated among Democrats, with just 33% within the president’s party saying the country is headed in the right direction, down from 49% in April. Of particular concern for Biden ahead of the midterm elections, his approval among Democrats stands at 73%, a substantial drop since earlier in his presidency. In AP-NORC polls conducted in 2021, Biden’s approval rating among Democrats never dropped below 82%.

“The findings reflect a widespread sense of exasperation in a country facing a cascade of challenges ranging from inflation, gun violence, and a sudden shortage of baby formula to a persistent pandemic… Republicans have not been warm to Biden for a while. Less than 1 in 10 approve of the president or his handling of the economy, but that’s no different from last month… Overall, two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Biden’s handling of the economy… Just 18% of Americans say Biden’s policies have done more to help than hurt the economy, down slightly from 24% in March. Fifty-one percent say they’ve done more to hurt than help, while 30% say they haven’t made much difference either way. The percentage of Democrats who say Biden’s policies have done more to help dipped from 45% to 37%, though just 18% say they’ve done more to hurt; 44% say they’ve made no difference… Only 38% back Biden on immigration…

“Overall, 45% of Americans approve of Biden’s handling of the U.S. relationship with Russia, while 54% disapprove. That’s held steady each month since the war in Ukraine began. Seventy-three percent of Democrats and 15% of Republicans approve… The new poll shows just 21% of Americans say they have ‘a great deal of confidence’ in Biden’s ability to handle the situation in Ukraine; 39% say they have some confidence and 39% say they have hardly any.”

In light of Joe Biden’s terrible job performance, the idea that over 70% of Democrats approve of what he does can only be explained, at best, by complete and total willful ignorance.

House Prices Begin to Fall

Money Week wrote on May 23:

“A recent article in The Economist contains a very nice table which shows that Britain only ranks 13th of 20 countries in its house-price risk table. Sweden, the Netherlands and New Zealand comprise the top three, with famously-overpriced Australia coming in at five, similarly expensive Canada in at seven, and the US joint eighth place (with Denmark). In the two pandemic years… house prices [in the UK] have ‘only’ risen by around 18%; prices in New Zealand by contrast, are up by 46%.  In Britain, the share of homeowners who own homes with mortgages outstanding is about one in three. Again, New Zealand stands out as being double that.

“Britain has a very low proportion of mortgage-holders on variable-rate loans. In Norway (fourth on the vulnerability list), 94% of loans are variable rate. In the UK, it’s below 10%. That said, apparently about half of those who have fixed mortgages are on two-year loans – so that’s not as reassuring as it may sound at first…

“Last month, house prices in Canada fell for the first time since April 2020… while sales volumes are down by more than 25% on the year. Sales have fallen across 80% of local markets…

“It’s a very similar story in New Zealand… Prices peaked in November and have been edging lower since, and are down by 5% since then. Transactions fell by 30% in a single month in April.  Again, economists are starting to talk about 20% falls. That’s a crash… “

Germany’s Dictatorship Continues

Breitbart wrote on May 20:

“Germany’s crusade for forced vax laws continues after a court in the country [in fact, it was the highest court in the country, German Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht, comparable to the US Supreme Court] ruled on Thursday that a mandate requiring caregivers to get jabbed or lose their job is constitutional. The ruling has seemingly emboldened politicians in the country once again to push for a wider forced vax regime covering all older people in the country, despite the fact that many other nation-states across the world have largely relaxed all lockdown measures aimed at tackling the disease… While the court did agree with the challenge’s claim that the law interfered with an individual’s fundamental human rights, it concluded that such interference was in keeping with the German constitution considering the circumstances…

“The court’s ruling, which will now see nursing and healthcare staff dismissed if they cannot provide proof of being jabbed or recently recovered from COVID-19, may have had an emboldening effect on lockdown loving politicians in Germany, with many once again pushing for a more widespread forced vax mandate to be introduced in the country. Officials from the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Hesse reportedly once again made an appeal for mandatory vaccination… saying that a forced vax regime for all aged 60 and up would reduce hospitalisation numbers in the coming autumn.

“The call comes after an identical mandate was flatly rejected by the German parliament back in April, being rejected by the country’s Bundestag by over 80 votes. While this loss was no doubt a setback for many within the country’s pro-lockdown government, it has not stopped those in power from keeping in place hardline lockdown rules… Those flying to and from Germany are still required to wear either FFP2 or medical masks throughout the journey, even if their destination or place of origin has totally relaxed rules regarding mask-wearing.”

Germany’s dictatorial habits and philosophical concepts have never been overcome… and they show again their ugly faces at this time.

Germany Preparing for Gas Shortage

Breitbart wrote on May 22:

“German industry is reportedly preparing to institute gas rationing in Europe’s largest economy as Vladimir Putin’s Russia cut off shipments to Finland, which has launched an application to join the NATO military alliance…

“Germany, even after government measures to lessen dependency on Russian oil and gas, still receives around 35 per cent of its gas imports from Russia, sparking concerns among business leaders that should the supplies be cut off, there could be massive implications for the German economy, which is already experiencing its highest level of inflation in over 40 years….

“Unlike neighbouring France, the German government has pursued a policy of denuclearisation, vowing to shut down all of its reactors in favour of so-called green alternatives like wind and solar. Yet the policy has left them beholden to Russia for natural gas — a fact that was a frequent criticism levied at the country by former U.S. President Donald Trump.

“The potential of gas rationing in Germany comes as Russia’s state-owned energy firm Gazprom shut off pipeline shipments of liquid natural gas to Finland on Saturday… the shutdown was [reportedly] related to Finland’s state-owned energy firm Gasum refusing to pay Russia in rubles for gas supplies. However, it also noted that the move was likely linked to the decision of the traditionally militarily neutral Finland to join the Western military alliance of NATO this week.

“Gasum has claimed that they have prepared for this eventuality…”

Austria’s and Switzerland’s Neutrality

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 21:

“By declaring their intention to join the NATO defense alliance, Finland and Sweden are respectively abandoning decades and centuries of neutrality. Yet Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer has said Austria has no intention of following suit… Polls regularly show that some 75% of Austrians wish to maintain neutrality. One would think this would signal the end of the discussion. Still, it begs the question of why Austria’s neutrality appears so non-negotiable, especially since the country pursues a far more active foreign policy path than Sweden, Finland or… Switzerland.

“Austria was once one of the world’s great powers and much of its history has been anything but neutral: Whether when ruling the Holy Roman Empire, or later, in the 19th century, as the Austrian Empire; and eventually, after 1867, as the Austro-Hungarian Empire — when it possessed great swaths of the Balkans and stretched into current-day Ukraine. Austria’s territorial possessions were trimmed back to its current borders as a result of its defeat in World War I and the terms of the 1919 Treaty of Saint Germain. Still, the country would not officially become neutral until October 26, 1955 — 10 years after suffering another military defeat in World War II — with the signing of the Austrian State Treaty, which re-established Austria as a sovereign state.

“Like Germany at the time, Austria was occupied by the Allied powers (the UK, US, USSR and France)… Neutrality was Austria’s only way to get occupying forces to leave… Back then there was even the threat that Austria would be partitioned like Germany. That threat was avoided when the Allies — especially the US and the Soviet Union — consented to Austria becoming neutral instead…

“Much as in Austria, Swiss neutrality is based on a compromise with great powers: At the 1814-1815 Congress of Vienna, France, Austria and Prussia all agreed to forfeit their interests in the territory in favor of a neutral confederation. Still, there are marked differences between the neighboring Alpine states: Switzerland, for instance, was never a great power. Until it became a nation in 1848, Switzerland was a loose amalgamation of small sovereign states… it traditionally avoids signing on to economic sanctions and is also not a member of the European Union, thus it does not participate in EU foreign or security policy.”

Canada Is Now an Authoritarian State Under Trudeau

The New York Post wrote on May 21:

“Two decades ago, when I was 4 years old, my parents immigrated to Canada from India in search of greater freedoms, autonomy and economic opportunities. They’re core Canadian values — enshrined in our national anthem, which gloriously heralds ‘The True North strong and free.’

“However, the past two years have seen a near complete erosion of the foundational liberal values that have attracted millions of immigrants like myself to this country… the Canadian government has taken its power to extreme levels once only imaginable — let alone permissible — in a dissent-stifling authoritarian state. The control has extended to nearly every element of Canadian society, but nowhere more so than in our everyday personal lives. Take my own case contending with Canada’s COVID bureaucracy a few months back.

“I was returning to Canada from the US when multiple Air Canada employees refused to let me on the plane. Although I had a negative COVID test, the government was suddenly requiring even returning citizens to be vaccinated (unvaccinated foreigners were already barred from entering)…

“COVID is just the beginning of the Canadian madness. The internationally recognized trucker protests earlier this year were the most flagrant display of political control ever witnessed within the ranks of the Canadian government… Trudeau manufactured a National Emergency in order to justify truly outrageous tactics…

“Trudeau… has plunged the country into over $1 trillion in national debt for the first time in history. Every day, that number surges by an additional $400 million. Canada is now at risk for stagflation: both economic stagnation and high inflation, as families are unable to meet their bills…

“As if current measures aren’t authoritarian enough, Trudeau’s government has proposed the ‘online harms’ bill C-36, designed to crack down on hate speech against ethnic and sexual minorities. If passed, the bill would allow citizens to report on others who they fear may post something hateful, leading to possible fines, online surveillance and electronic monitoring.  Once a vibrant, liberal democracy, Canada is now becoming an authoritarian state.”

Major Political Change in Australia

The LA Times wrote on May 23:

“Australia’s new prime minister was sworn in Monday and flew to Tokyo for a summit with President Biden while vote-counting continued to determine whether he will command a majority in a Parliament that is demanding tougher action on climate change. [In his Saturday election victory speech, he promised sharper reductions in greenhouse gas emissions]…Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor Party ousted predecessor Scott Morrison’s conservative coalition in Saturday’s election. The coalition had been in power under three different prime ministers for nine years

“Albanese, who describes himself as the first candidate for the office of prime minister with a ‘non-Anglo Celtic name,’ and Malaysian-born Penny Wong, Australia’s first foreign minister to be born overseas, were sworn into office by Governor-General David Hurley…  Morrison’s decision to resign as prime minister during early vote-counting enabled Hurley to appoint his replacement without evidence that Albanese can control a majority of seats in Parliament’s lower chamber…”

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.

Genesis 27 relates the events where Jacob, by deception, and at the urging of his mother, stole the blessings from Esau. While Jacob was afraid of his deception being discovered, he went along with the scheme of his mother.

During this episode, Isaac asks three times who Jacob is because of his uncertainty, but finally blesses him, assuming he is Esau. Genesis 27:27-29 states: “And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said: ‘Surely the smell of my son is like the smell of a field Which the LORD has blessed. Therefore may God give you Of the dew of heaven, Of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, and let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, And blessed be those who bless you.’” Notice that Isaac was calling on God to bless Jacob and that he would be a leading nation. This is all a part of the covenants and their blessings passed down through Isaac from Abraham.

After this Esau came in for his blessing, the one he assumed would be his because he was the one Isaac loved and to him would have belonged the birthright as the firstborn, even though he had sold it to Jacob for a stew of lentils (Genesis 25:34; Hebrews 12:16-17). But in Genesis 27:39-40 we read, “Then Isaac his father answered and said to him: ‘Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, And of the dew of heaven from above. By your sword you shall live, And you shall serve your brother; And it shall come to pass, when you become restless, That you shall break his yoke from off your neck.’”

There are several things to notice about verse 39. First of all, whatever he did receive was not going to be from God, unlike what Jacob received. Also, he would not receive plenty of grain and wine, signifying food and enjoyment. Quite a number of translations state that “of the fatness” should be translated “from the fatness”, i.e. far from the fatness, and indeed the land of Edom was not as fertile as the land of Canaan, not as suitable for growing grain and wine. In fact, the literal translation according to Richard Elliot Friedman’s Commentary on the Torah reads: “And Isaac, his father, answered, and he said to him, ‘Here, away from the fat of the earth will be your home, and from the dew of the skies from above.’” So, in reality, the only good thing about this “blessing” was that the descendants of Esau would break Jacob’s yoke from off their neck after being subservient to him for some time. Verse 40 is explained by the Jewish Soncino commentary in this way: “By your sword you shall live”; that is, by war and campaigns of plunder. The life of marauders dwelling in mountain fastnesses will be his. He will raid his brother’s borders, and cut off the merchants travelling with caravans. This was not a pleasant outlook for Esau. It was more like a curse than a blessing.

When Isaac and Rebekah learned that Esau was about to kill Jacob, they sent him to Jacob’s uncle Laban. Upon his departure, Isaac told Jacob the following, in Genesis 28:3-4, which is quite enlightening: “May God Almighty bless you, And make you fruitful and multiply you, That you may be an assembly of peoples; And give you the blessing of Abraham, To you and your descendants with you, That you may inherit the land In which you are a stranger, Which God gave to Abraham.”

Here Isaac knows it is Jacob he is blessing, so there is no longer any deception about who he is.

Here his blessing includes an assembly of peoples, more than one nation. Even though the term covenant is not used for Jacob until Exodus 2:24, it is inferred because of the blessings and also because the covenants were for Abraham and his descendants. In other words, God’s covenants with Abram or Abraham were also for the benefit of his descendants. But of most significance, the term God Almighty is used for the second time in the Bible. The first time it was used was when God was explaining His covenant with Abraham. As we saw previously, Shaddai (Almighty) includes the meaning of “Dispenser of Benefits,” the One who supplies all the needs of His people. Another thing to note in the blessing is that Isaac passed on the blessing of Abraham, something that was not done in the previous chapter where deception was employed by Jacob. Still, Jacob did not immediately accept the blessings and enter into a covenant relationship with God, as we saw in Part 1 of this series.

In Genesis 31, Jacob with his wives, children and flocks were departing from Laban back to Canaan. Laban accused someone in Jacob’s company of stealing his gods. After the gods were not found, Jacob and Laban made a covenant of peace between them and set up a stone pillar and a heap of rocks as a witness between them as a sign of this covenant, even though it was, in reality, based on a lie, as Jacob’s wife Rachel had in fact stolen her father’s idols.

In Genesis 32, after God has told Jacob to return to the land of Canaan, Jacob hears the news that Esau is approaching with four hundred men. Esau, the one who was prophesied to live by the sword and who had sold his birthright to Jacob who then deceived Isaac to obtain his blessing. Naturally, Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. In Genesis 32:9, he reminds God that He had told him to return home and that He would deal well with him.

That night, before Jacob crossed the ford of the brook Jabbok after his families and livestock had crossed over, he was left alone. Genesis 32:24-29 records the following: “Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, ‘Let Me go, for the day breaks.’ But he said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me!’ So He said to him, ‘What is your name?’ He said, ‘Jacob.’ And He said’ Your name shall no longer be called Jacob [that is, trickster or supplanter], but Israel [that is, Prince with God]; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.’ Then Jacob asked, saying, ‘Tell me Your name, I pray.’ And He said, ‘Why is it that you ask about My name?’ And He blessed him there.”

So, Jacob did not give up seeking a blessing from God. He certainly needed one with the distress he was in. It will be noticed that the Man wrestling with Jacob said that he had struggled with God and with men. In verse 30, we read that he said that he had “seen God face to face.” Since there is no other mention of Jacob struggling with God, and no one has seen God the Father, then this Man mentioned here had to have been Jesus Christ. This is confirmed in Hosea 12:2-4, where we read that Jacob struggled with God, who is then identified as the “Angel” or the “Messenger” of God the Father (compare Malachi 3:1, referring to Christ as the Messenger [of the Father] and of the [New] Covenant).

After this, Esau arrived with his four hundred men. Genesis 33:8-11 states: “Then Esau said, ‘What do you mean by all this company which I met?’ And he said, ‘These are to find favor in the sight of my Lord.’ But Esau said, ‘I have enough, my brother, keep what you have for yourself.’ And Jacob said, ‘No, please, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present from my hand, inasmuch as I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me. Please, take my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.’ So he urged him, and he took it.”

One commentary states, “In the East the acceptance by a superior is proof of friendship and by an enemy is proof of reconciliation. It was on both accounts that Jacob was so anxious that his brother should receive the cattle, and in Esau’s acceptance he had the strongest proofs of a good feeling being established that Eastern notions admit of.” Another commentary says of Jacob, “I have all things, both physical blessings and spiritual ones. God was his covenant God and Father.” When Jacob struggled with God, prevailed and received his new name, he also accepted the covenant with its blessings which God had offered him.

A further commentary states, “Jacob, in saying ‘I have enough’, is stating, ‘I am complete. The covenant God has made with me is all important.’ In the past Jacob had held onto Esau’s heel, he had striven to get what Esau had. Now he had held onto God and was complete with what God provided.” Again, the covenants and their blessings were passed on through the physically weaker Jacob rather than the obviously stronger Esau. God does not need physical strength but for us to hold onto Him.

In Genesis 35:9-12,  it is stated again that God changed Jacob’s name to Israel and that the blessings God gave to Abraham and Isaac as a part of the covenants were passed onto Israel. This is also the first time the term “a nation and a company of nations” is used. Genesis 35:11 says: “Also God said to him, ‘I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body.’” This is also the third time the term God Almighty (El Shaddai) has been used, showing that God would be the provider for Israel. God reminds us of this fact in Exodus 6:3: “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them.” As we explain in our Q&A on Exodus 6:3, the correct translation of Exodus 6:3 should be: ““I revealed Myself to the fathers as El Shaddai, and as to My name YHWH, was I not (also) known by that?” We point out that “Genesis 6:3 contains indeed a self-explanatory rhetorical question (‘Did I not make Myself known to them as YHWH?’), which does not need or deserve an answer: God had revealed His name YHWH to the fathers, as well as others, and now He is revealing it again to Moses.”

Genesis 48:15 describes the event where Israel blessed Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh: “And he blessed Joseph and said: ‘God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has fed me all my life long to this day…’”According to Richard Elliot Friedman’s Commentary on the Torah, the expression “before whom my fathers walked”, this is technical covenant terminology known from ancient Near Eastern documents to mean loyalty to one’s partner in a covenant.

When the descendants of Israel were in Egyptian slavery, they prayed to God for delivery. We read in Exodus 2:24-25: “So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.”

There are two things to consider about this passage. Firstly, in Genesis 15:13-14, we read, “Then He said unto Abram: ‘Know certainly that thy descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them and they will afflict them four hundred years. And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions.’” So, it was prophesied that they would go into slavery for many years. Secondly, the expression “God remembered His covenant” in English implies that for a time God had forgotten it. But in reality, He had seen their suffering and knew it was now time to fulfill His promise to Abram regarding His covenant. The Hebrew word for remember can mean “be mindful of”, “bring to remembrance”, and “think on”. So, God now thought on and knew it was time to end the suffering of His people. Where we read in cases like Jeremiah 31:34, “For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more,” Barnes’ Notes on the Bible informs us that God will not bring past sins up against us, when we have repented of them and obtained forgiveness. God can even choose to forget those sins completely. When He has forgiven us, He will, in His love, make no mention of, or will not bring to mind our past sins. Because of that, it can be said that God forgets our sins. This is even though some sins are recorded in the Bible for many of the ancients, so from that point of view, they are not forgotten, but God will not act upon them. For a further explanation, please note our Q&A, “What Will We Remember as God Beings?”

When God was about to pour out His plagues on Egypt, we read in Exodus 6:2-7. “And God spoke to Moses and said to him: ‘I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name יהוה (LORD, JHWH) I was not known to them [Note the correct translations above]. I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. [God has brought it to mind or thought on it]. Therefore say to the children of Israel: I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgements. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.’”

So now, God is going to bring the children of Israel out from bondage to inherit the land of Canaan. This is to fulfill His covenant promises that He made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Now after the ten plagues God brought upon Egypt and their travels through the Red Sea and arriving at Mount Sinai, God is preparing to make a covenant with the whole house of Israel.

Exodus 19:3-6 states: “And Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.’” God is now setting out the conditions of this covenant and what Israel should do and what God will do.

The next four chapters in Exodus are describing many laws and statutes and judgements that were stated and read to the people of Israel.

Exodus 24:3 states: “So Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the judgements. And all the people answered with one voice and said, ‘All the words which the LORD has said we will do.’” So, they have now agreed to accept and abide by the covenant between them and God. Exodus 24:7-8 says: “Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, ‘All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient.’ And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, ‘This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to all these words.’”

The covenant between God and the children of Israel has now been finalized and symbolized with the blood of a sacrificed animal as a token of the agreement between God and the people. After they all agreed to obey the conditions of the covenant, Moses went up to the mountain to receive the instructions for constructing the tabernacle and furnishing it(,) and making clothes for Aaron and his sons. While he was there for forty days and forty nights, the people assumed he would not return and pressured Aaron to make them idols that they could see and worship. So, in less than forty days, the people had broken the first and second laws that were a part of the covenant or on which the covenant was based, as the Ten Commandments existed long before this covenant was made: “You shall have no other gods before Me”, and “You shall not make for yourself a carved image…to bow down to them or serve them”. When God saw this, He was about to consume them for the breaking of their part of the covenant. Upon Moses pleading with God, He relented from the harm which He had intended to do to the Israelites. This is described in Exodus 32:10-14.

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Paul Niehoff (Australia)

compiled by Dave Harris

“No Communion for Pelosi and Catholic Confusion,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The Catholic Church is in a state of confusion and disunity… and so is this country… and a house divided cannot stand. The lack of morality and of spiritual understanding is exemplified by the events surrounding practicing Catholic Nancy Pelosi, presenting an ugly picture of hypocrisy. This program discusses why it is perceived to be “outdated” to believe in and preach about sin.

Our new booklet with the proposed title, “God Is…Our Destiny” has entered the first review cycle.

Pentecost will be observed on Sunday, June 5, 2022. We will broadcast a live service at 12:30 pm, PST.

 “Der Untergang Amerikas und Europas ist prophezeit!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ln9vCgasjqY is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Michael Link. Title in English: “The Downfall of America and Europe Is Prophesied.”

Our new German booklet, “Die Zehn Gebote”, has been sent to our printer in Germany.

“Wie reagieren wir auf Gottes Warnung?” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Marc Voeller, is now posted. Title in English: “How Do We Respond to God’s Warnings?”

“Die menschliche Natur und die Natur Gottes,” the sermon presented last Sabbath in Germany by Christoph Sperzel, is now posted. Title in English: Human Nature and the Nature of God.

“Much Will Be Required,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

It is a tremendous privilege to be called out of this world to understand the Truth of God. With such a privilege, it is our responsibility to use it!

“The Realm of God,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land! This is God’s powerful indictment against people and nations in our time. How does that condemnation apply to each of us individually, and do we realize that the realm of God, His mighty Kingdom, will soon establish dominion over all the earth?