On April 30, 2022, Brian Gale will present the sermonette, titled, “Impossible Without a Miracle?” and the sermon will be presented by Norbert Link, titled, “Equality With God in His Kingdom?”

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 this era of fake and filtered news, little that we hear is genuine. Previously established facts such as the existence of only two genders now seem to be challenged. Evil is considered an attribute in the twisted manner of thinking, common with many political and business leaders. Few things we’ve known to be true or authentic are considered as such by this world–sincerity is in short supply.

Most of us have written the word “sincerely” at the end of a letter. Yet we may not have a good understanding of the meaning of the word and the sentiment that should underlie it. The dictionary states: “From the bottom of one’s heart, truthfully, genuinely.” This is straightforward, but like many things in our human existence, what we say may not always match our actions. I write about such matters not from a position of superiority, but of regret. I know, I have not always lived up to this word and God’s requirements for me. Fortunately, God has provided a way to correct and improve.

The word “sincerely” has an interesting foundation. The Latin root is “sine,” which means, “without,” and “cera,” which means, “wax”— so sincerely means, “without wax.”

Disreputable sculptors in the ancient world would cover flaws in their work by using wax. If the sculpture was chipped, cracked or damaged, these sculptors would melt wax into marble dust, using it to conceal the flaw or imperfection.

Conversely, when an honest sculptor presented their work to the patron, they would make the statement that their sculpture was “sine cera,” or “without wax.” Imagine how a collector would feel on that first hot day as the sculpture in their garden began to lose sections as they melted away.

When we sin, we should be disappointed in ourselves.  A bit of wax covering our flaws has exposed something ugly—our sinful nature. In 1 John 3:8, we read: “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

We know that self-righteousness and legalism will not cover our sin and it is not what God asks of us. Only Jesus Christ was able to cover our sins through His Sacrifice. Paul instructs the church at Rome in this regard, and it applies to all of us.

He states in Romans 3:10-18:

“As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit; The poison of asps is under their lips; Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways;  And the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Paul is describing those who live not by following God, but by the ways of this world. We dishonor God with our disobedience; yet, He still loves us without condoning our sins. We just witnessed many around the world celebrating yet another pagan observance. The world waxed over its ongoing sin by closing a few stores and attending services on Sunday. This is not a sincere expression of obedience to God’s Law. It is about deceiving people to believe that they are drawing close to God through man’s rituals.

What does the Bible teach about sincerity? We read in Paul’s message to Timothy and the church, in 1 Timothy 1:5: “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith…”

Paul is very clear: God expects a pure heart and a sincerity that is unshakable. Paul was commenting on the problem of false teachers who glorify themselves in their study of the law and belief that they abide in it. Paul reminds us that a life we live to honor and obey God is based on love. We are commanded to love unconditionally as God loves each of us. God forgives us when we sincerely repent, but we must alter our course. Paul adds in his message to Titus in chapter 2:7: “… in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility.”

If we conduct our lives in this manner, we are on the path that God requires of us. We are human, and therefore imperfect. We are, however, children of God, created in His image, and capable of good works and good choices. Like children, we can and should learn from our mistakes, and strive to do better each day. We also know that we should never glory in ourselves. Paul offers advice on this through his messages to Timothy at the Church at Ephesus, in 1 Timothy 6:17-19:

“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,  storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

We have spoken before of the need to live as servant leaders. That means to lead sincerely by example, as described in the Scriptures.

We must not cover over our faults and weaknesses—and we all have them! We must repair our imperfections with God’s love, mercy, and the help of His Holy Spirit. The opposite to doing this involves embracing sin, this world, and its limitations. This is not for God’s people—it is not for us!

by Norbert Link

We begin with Emanuel Macron’s victory over Marine Le Pen, continuing his role as French president, causing a sigh of relief in Europe but the joy might be short-lived.

We continue with several articles about Germany’s duplicity and troublesome relationship with Russia; the perceived downfall of Germany’s new weak chancellor, Olaf Scholz; and the allegation that Germany is complicit in Russia’s war crimes. In this regard, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Weak German Government under Attack” 

We also report on fears of a coming nuclear war and Moscow’s alleged goal to conquer all of southern and eastern Ukraine.  We also speak on Austria’s surprising position on Ukraine’s desired EU membership.

We report on tensions in Jerusalem between Israel and Christians, and the claim that the recent violence on the Temple Mount was carefully staged by Abbas’ ruling party. Please view in this regard our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “Time to Build the Third Temple in the Face of Violence?”

We speak on the continuing fight between the left-liberal Disney organization and the conservative government in Florida; Dr. Fauci’s ignorant comments; Google’s new “inclusive language function design”; and Obama’s hypocritical statements.   

Macron Remains President

The Sun wrote on April 24:

“[Macron] will become the first French President to be re-elected in 20 years, thumping his far-right rival by 16 percentage points in Sunday’s count… Le Pen quickly conceded defeat…

“Turnout was… the lowest… in more than 40 years, with voter abstention at its highest level since 1969 at 28 per cent…

“Brussels can breathe a sigh of relief after fears a shock victory for Le Pen in today’s presidential election failed to materialise. Experts claim the far-right Eurosceptic’s election win would cement ‘the end of the EU as we know it’. They said Le Pen’s win would have put France ‘on a direct collision course’ with EU rules and bring the whole institution crashing down.

“James Shields, Professor of French Politics at the University of Warwick, says a Le Pen victory would ‘herald drastic changes in terms of France’s place within the EU.’ He told The Sun Online: ‘… her programme, if implemented, would pose critical challenges to France’s continued membership of the EU.’”

The EU is delighted in Macron’s victory. Scholz was the first to congratulate him via phone. Bild Online wrote that Scholz’s joy might be short-lived, as Macron will demand from him to take a stronger position against Russia.   

Macron Europe’s De Facto Leader?

Express wrote on April 25:

“EMMANUEL MACRON’s election victory will see an escalation of his ambitions for the EU, beginning from the final formation of a united army for the bloc… France, a founding member of the EU, has been at the centre of efforts to integrate Europe since the end of World War Two… The French leader is now expected to push even further with his pro-EU agenda.”

The Irish Times wrote on April 15:

“With a renewed mandate, Macron now has the power to make his presidency truly transformational. But that will require him to change. His arrogance and impatience have alienated many voters… Now, with Angela Merkel off the stage and her successor Olaf Scholz still finding his feet [a polite way of saying, Scholz is weak and indecisive], Macron, his stature enhanced by re-election, has emerged as the EU’s de facto leader. That means the whole of Europe, not just France, has a stake in his success.”

The question is, how is “success” defined? It could very well end up in disaster.

Germany Is Beholden to Putin

The Los Angeles Times wrote on April 21, 2022

“As the savage war in Ukraine continues, the world expects Germany, Europe’s largest economy and a political heavyweight, to play a central role in the fight to isolate and stop Russia. But how serious is Germany about supporting Ukraine?

“On Feb. 27, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced ‘a historic change.’… Yet almost two months after Scholz’s historic announcement, not much has happened on any of these fronts. Despite criticism from international observers and its own ministers, the German government has slow-walked its support for Ukraine.

“Military aid has yet to be delivered. Estonia and the Czech Republic, far smaller countries than Germany, have donated more weaponry and arms to Ukraine than Germany has since the war began. No heavy weapons such as tanks, artillery or advanced air defense systems have been delivered at all. Ukraine has offered to buy 100 German tanks, but Germany has balked, arguing that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has to reach a joint decision among its members on the deal first…

“Last week, Scholz announced Germany would provide $1 billion to Ukraine. That is likely to get parliamentary approval, but a decision has been delayed until June. Meanwhile, Russia receives $1 billion a day from Germany and other European countries from sales of its oil and gas. Germany is more dependent on Russian gas and oil than the rest of Europe, so cutting off its dependence would be a powerful signal of credible commitment to Ukraine…

“So what’s stopping Germany? The inertia on economic and military aid cannot be explained by lack of popular support, potential damage to the German economy or even government coalition politics. Nor is it a question of German guilt over its Nazi legacy. Instead, the failure to act exemplifies a persistent attitude among the German political establishment that there could be ‘no peace in Europe without Russia.’ In practice, this has meant prioritizing Russian interests. For decades, German elites dismissed the security interests of smaller countries around them, much as Russian President Vladimir Putin has…

“The ties between the German and Russian political elites reinforce this deference to Russia. Perhaps most notoriously, Gerhard Schröder, the former German chancellor, quickly gained a seat on the board of the Russian energy company Rosneft after leaving office and then energetically lobbied for Russian interests… Other politicians have defended what they see as joint German and Russian interests. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany’s president, defended Nord Stream 2 last year as ‘one of the last bridges between Russia and Europe’ and, despite Russian aggression, argued that ‘we must not lose sight of the bigger picture.’ Sigmar Gabriel, the former Social Democratic leader and energy minister, called for the ‘federalization of Ukraine’ after the 2014 Russian invasion of Crimea, widely understood to mean a permanent Russian role in Ukraine… Scholz, the current chancellor, previously sought friendly ties with Russia, while ignoring Putin’s invasion of Georgia in 2008 and the aggression against Ukraine in 2014. For many German elites, appeasing Russia neatly dovetails with what they see as Germany’s economic interests: not just energy, but the billions sunk by Russian oligarchs into German real estate and industries.

“In this mindset, addressing Ukraine’s survival without first considering Russian interests is nearly impossible. After all, Scholz’s predecessor, chancellor Angela Merkel, also ‘kept in mind what was tolerable for Russia,’ as one of her top foreign policy advisors put it. Germany is the political and economic leader of the European Union. Yet, time and again, it has deferred and submitted to Russia’s autocratic government. If the horrific invasion of a sovereign European country cannot change the minds of the politicians in Berlin, Germany is not only failing its moral obligations but also cementing its government’s reputation as being beholden to Putin.”

Things will change. Soon.

Germany and Russia… a Unique Relationship

The New York Times wrote on April 23:

“Gerhard Schröder, who is paid almost $1 million a year by Russian-controlled energy companies, has become a pariah. But he is also a symbol of Germany’s Russia policy…  ‘They all went along with it for the last 30 years,’ he said. ‘But suddenly everyone knows better..’ Mr. Schröder scoffed at the notion of now distancing himself personally from Mr. Putin, 69, whom he considers a friend and sees regularly…

“Mr. Schröder refuses to resign from his board seats on Russian energy companies, despite calls to do so from across the political spectrum… Distancing himself now, Mr. Schröder said, would lose him the trust of the one man who can end the war: Mr. Putin. Even so, after all of his years of close relations with Mr. Putin, he walked away with nothing during his one brief interlude trying to mediate in the Ukraine conflict…

“Mr. Schröder distanced himself from the war, though not from Mr. Putin. I asked about the by-now notorious atrocities in Bucha, a Kyiv suburb. ‘That has to be investigated,’ Mr. Schröder said, but added that he did not think those orders would have come from Mr. Putin, but from a lower authority…

“Mr. Schröder’s entanglement with the Russian president and Kremlin-controlled energy companies overshadows all he achieved in seven years as chancellor, from 1998 to 2005, a pivotal period of leadership when he was lauded for refusing to join the United States in the Iraq war; giving immigrants a regular path to citizenship; and putting in place far-reaching labor market overhauls that would pave the way for a decade of growth under his successor, Angela Merkel….

“But even his fiercest critics acknowledge that Mr. Schröder’s close and lucrative dealings with Russia are also emblematic of his country’s decades-old approach of engagement with Russia. Lobbied aggressively by Germany’s export industry and cheered on by labor unions, successive chancellors, including Ms. Merkel, collectively engineered Germany’s dependency on Russian energy. ‘Schröder is the tip of the iceberg,’ said Wolfgang Ischinger, a former ambassador to the United States and veteran diplomat. ‘But there is a whole iceberg below him.’…

“When it came to pipelines, Mr. Schröder was not the first. They were being built between Germany and Russia even during the Cold War. Under Brandt, Germany signed a major pipeline project with Moscow, in 1970. His successor Helmut Schmidt … oversaw an expansion of the pipelines, including another big project known as the West Siberia Pipeline… During his own time in office, from 1998 to 2005, Mr. Schröder shepherded through Germany’s next pipeline project, Nord Stream 1. ‘You can’t blame Schröder for Nord Stream 1,’ Mr. Ischinger said. ‘Most German politicians, whether in government or in opposition, did not critically question this. No one asked whether we were laying the foundation for getting ourselves into an unhealthy dependence.’…

“Once Nord Stream 1 was operational, Mr. Schröder set about lobbying for a second pipeline: Nord Stream 2… was approved in June 2015, the same year that Gazprom was also allowed under the Merkel government to buy Germany’s biggest strategic gas-storage facility, where it has kept levels of gas conspicuously low for the past year in what may have been preparation for providing leverage for Mr. Putin in his war…

“What if Russia turns off the tap? ‘It won’t happen,’ Mr. Schröder said. But if it did, ‘then I would resign.’… Mr. Schröder holds to his unwavering belief that peace and prosperity in Germany and Europe will always depend on dialogue with Russia… ‘You can’t isolate a country like Russia in the long run, neither politically nor economically,’ he said. ‘German industry needs the raw materials that Russia has. It’s not just oil and gas, it’s also rare earths. And these are raw materials that cannot simply be substituted… When this war is over… we will have to go back to dealing with Russia. We always do.’”

Maybe so. For a while… But notice the next article.

Moscow Expels German Diplomats

Insider wrote on April 25:

“Moscow said Monday it was expelling 40 German diplomats in response to the ‘unfriendly decision’ by Berlin to kick out Russian diplomats over the conflict in Ukraine…

“‘The 40 Russian diplomats in Germany whom we expelled three weeks ago did not serve diplomacy for a single day during their stay in Germany,’ Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in a statement. ‘Rather, these people worked systematically for years against our freedom and against cohesion in our society,’ she said… The German diplomats in Russia, meanwhile, ‘have not done anything wrong’, Baerbock said… ‘They went to Russia with openness, curiosity and great commitment to serve our bilateral relations there.’

“Baerbock had said earlier that Germany was expelling the Russians in response to the ‘unbelievable brutality’ of Russian forces in its pro-Western neighbour Ukraine. The Russian foreign ministry on Monday called Baerbock’s words ‘unacceptable’…”

Baerbock’s words are quite contradictory. In spite of Germany’s soft approach towards Russia, it does not help the German-Russian relationship.

Russia Cuts Natural Gas to Poland and Bulgaria

The Associated Press wrote on April 27:

“Russia cut off natural gas to NATO members Poland and Bulgaria on Wednesday and threatened to do the same to other countries, dramatically escalating its standoff with the West…  A day after the U.S. and other Western allies vowed to speed more and heavier weapons to Ukraine, the Kremlin used its most essential export as leverage against two of Kyiv’s staunch backers. Gas prices in Europe shot up on the news…

“The gas cuts do not immediately put the two countries in dire trouble. Poland has been working for several years to line up other sources of energy, and the continent is heading into summer, making gas less essential for households. Yet the cutoff and the Kremlin warning that other countries could be next sent shivers of worry through the 27-nation European Union…”

Gazprom stated it was shutting off the two countries as they refused to pay in Russian rubles.

Biden Pushed Germany to Delay Russian Oil Ban?

Newsmax reported on April 25:

“Germany’s decision to not immediately end Russian oil imports… came at the urgent request of the Biden administration, a senior European official involved in Russian sanctions tells Newsmax… ‘until later this year and after the U.S. midterm elections.’

“The White House appears to believe it has a chance to keep the Senate in Democrat hands – but that opportunity could be endangered from a serious spike in oil prices if Germany had to start buying oil from global markets. Earlier this month, President Biden signed a law that bans all Russian imports of oil, gas, and coal to the U.S. But Biden had been reluctant to approve such a ban fearing the already high cost of gasoline would grow, even though the U.S. only imports 3% of crude oil from Russia.

“House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other Congressional Democrats, led the charge on banning Russian oil imports.

“German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced last Wednesday that Germany will stop importing half of its oil from Russia by summer with the remainder closed down at year’s end. But those comments were quickly qualified by Germany’s Finance Minister Christian Lindner, who suggested that a quick cut-off of Russian oil won’t happen anytime soon.”

Germany Bending to International Pressure

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 26:

“After weeks of mounting pressure, the German government will now supply heavy military equipment to Ukraine… The German government on Tuesday confirmed reports that it will approve a delivery of ‘Gepard’ anti-aircraft tanks…  German Defense Minister Christina Lambrecht… also said that Berlin was working to train Ukrainian soldiers on German soil. ‘We are working together with our American friends in training Ukrainian troops on artillery systems on German soil,’ the minister said….”

But as we point out in our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Weak German Government under Attack” , huge problems are associated with the delivery of those tanks.

German Lawmakers Approve Heavy Weapons for Ukraine

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 28:

 “In a historic move, lawmakers in Germany have given the official green light to send ‘heavy weapons and complex systems’ to Ukraine…  with 586 votes in favor, 100 against, and seven abstentions… after the government held off for weeks on sending heavy equipment…

 “The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) opposed the initiative, saying that it felt close to a declaration of war… and ‘could make us party to a nuclear war…’  The socialist Left Party was also against the move… [and] said that delivering more weapons would simply make the war last longer. In response, Nils Schmid, from the ruling SPD party, said weapons’ deliveries would help end the war faster by putting Ukraine in a position of strength…

“But the move is not likely to help Scholz shake the accusations of being indecisive on Ukraine. A new dpa/YouGov poll suggests some 45% of Germans are unhappy with his course in the crisis, compared to 37% who approve of his response to the war.”

Germany’s Duplicity

The Daily Mail wrote on April 23:

“France and Germany sold £230million worth of military hardware to Moscow which was likely used in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to an EU analysis. It should have been impossible to do so owing to an EU embargo that banned selling arms to Russia following the 2014 annexation of Crimea.  Last month, it was discovered that France, Germany and Italy used a loophole in the ban. They were just three of at least 10 EU member states to export almost €350million (£293million) in equipment that included missiles, rockets, guns and bombs… 78 per cent of this total was supplied by French and German firms.

“The EU banned ‘the direct or indirect sale, supply, transfer or export of arms and related material of all types, including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment, and spare parts therefore, to Russia’ eight years ago.

However, countries were able to sell hundreds of millions of pounds worth of kit to Russia despite the ban using a backdoor technicality that permitted contracts signed before August 1, 2014, or additional contracts that would help conclude those deals… Earlier this month, it was revealed that the European Union had sent almost €1billion to Russia each day for energy since the war in Ukraine began.

“German Chancelor Olaf Scholz has faced sharp criticism for failing to deliver heavy weapons to the besieged country, such as tanks and howitzers, to fend off savage Russian attacks. The leader said he feared that providing Ukraine with tanks could spark a nuclear war. Other Western allies have stepped up their military shipments to Volodymyr Zelensky’s forces but Scholz has held firm in his bid not to upset Vladimir Putin. Instead, on Tuesday, he said Germany would provide Ukraine with £830million to buy their own weapons.

“Asked in an extensive interview published on Friday why he thought delivering tanks could lead to nuclear war, he said there was no rule book that stated when Germany could be considered a party to the war in Ukraine.”

The Downfall of Olaf Scholz

The Local wrote on April 22:

“Contrary to what many commentators are saying, what’s most surprising about Olaf Scholz’ precipitous fall in popularity is not how quickly it has happened – but rather how slowly…

“In what seems like an eternity ago, back in early February when the Ukraine war was still a ‘Ukraine crisis’, Joe Biden welcomed Olaf Scholz on his first official visit to the White House and, despite the fact our Chancellor refused to make clear that Nord Stream 2 would be cancelled if Russia invaded Ukraine, called Germany a ‘reliable partner’ and did his best to keep his frustration in check…

“Yet it’s been downhill from there on in…  he shrank back from any immediate measures which might prove too radical: no heavy weapons for the Ukraine; no embargo on Russian gas…  The result is widespread dissatisfaction with Scholz’ government and, naturally, with Scholz himself.

“… Scholz is still applying the methods of the Merkel years – delaying, delegating down to committees, and hoping problems solve themselves – in circumstances which he himself has publicly identified as radically different… No one is expecting miracles, but having come to power implicitly promising to explain and justify his policies more than his predecessor Angela Merkel… Scholz has now… retreated back into the Chancellery. His silence, both on the Ukraine and on other pressing issues.. is leaving too much room for interpretation – and dissatisfaction.”

Germany Complicit in Russia’s War Crimes

The Local wrote on April 22:

“Many of those murdered during Germany’s singular historic crime, the Holocaust, were deported from what is today Ukraine; many others never even made it that far, summarily shot like the tens of thousands at Babyn Jar near Kyiv in 1941. Now, eighty years on, civilians have once again been executed in the Kyiv suburbs and there may have been attacks with chemical weapons further east. While Germany is not the perpetrator this time, it is complicit.

“The problem is gas. For despite all the tough talk and sanctions, Germany is still, like several other European nations, transferring eight-figure sums to Moscow in return for gas deliveries on a daily basis. We are doing this because half of the gas in our network is piped in straight from Russia…

“Germany’s dependency on Russian gas is an abject national failure several decades in the making and so cannot be fixed overnight. But, to be blunt, we… have made our bed and must now lie in it. We need to stop importing Putin’s gas now. Not tomorrow, not next week, and not at the end of the year…

“How many more massacres have to be uncovered before we take our historical responsibility seriously when history actually comes calling? How many Buchas does it take before we feel ready to embargo Russian gas: two, three, four? And are we really going to wait to find out whether Putin’s army has used chemical weapons on innocent Ukrainians before we act?”

The Fear of Nuclear War

The Daily Mail wrote on April 23:

“Putin’s deranged regime has announced it will deploy the fearsome nuclear-capable ‘Satan II’ missile it recently tested in a show of strength by autumn, in a further ratcheting of tensions between Russia and the West as Moscow redoubles its brutal war on Ukraine.

“The Sarmat missile is said to be the world’s longest-range intercontinental ballistic missile, capable of striking a target 11,200 miles away – meaning it could easily strike targets in the US and Europe. Western military experts said the Sarmat is capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads and decoys – easily enough to wipe out Britain or France in a single strike…”

The Sun added on April 22:

“Russia successfully test-launched the missile on Wednesday with video showing the enormous 115-foot missile being launched from an underground silo, triggering an enormous fireball. It travelled almost the entire length of Russia – almost 3,600 miles – in around 15 minutes.

“The deadly projectile, nicknamed Satan 2, can fly 11,000 miles, carry more than 12 warheads… The separate warheads in the Satan 2 missile are capable of detaching from the main 100-tonne missile before travelling towards their target at hypersonic speeds. The bombs are 1,000 more powerful than those dropped by the US on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan during World War Two. This means they are capable of pulverising an area the size of England and Wales or Texas in the USA.”

In a previous article, the Sun wrote on April 20:

“Military expert Dr Paul Craig Roberts sensationally claimed that the ‘five or six’ of the Russian missiles could wipe out the entire US east coast… it has been reported that the weapon could ‘wipe out an area of the size of England and Wales twice over.”

Ultimately, nuclear weapons will be used by Russia and its allies against Western Europe, including Germany—not against the USA or the UK, as they will have been destroyed by Western Europe in a nuclear war BEFORE nuclear war between Western Europe and Far Eastern nations, including Russia, breaks out.

“Moscow Aims to Capture Southern Ukraine”

The Algemeiner wrote on April 23:

“A Russian general said on Friday that Moscow wants to seize all of southern and eastern Ukraine, far wider war aims than it had acknowledged.

“Rustam Minnekayev, deputy commander of Russia’s central military district, was quoted by Russian state news agencies as saying Moscow aimed to seize the entire eastern Donbas region, link up with the Crimea peninsula, and capture Ukraine’s entire south as far as a breakaway, Russian-occupied region of Moldova…

“Minnekayev… said Russian speakers there were oppressed, the same justification Moscow has given for its interventions in Ukraine since 2014, which Western countries call a baseless pretext…

“Pope Francis dropped plans to meet in June with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, a Putin ally and backer of the war. Francis [said] the plan was suspended because Vatican diplomats advised that such a meeting ‘could lend itself to much confusion at this moment.’”

Austria: Ukraine Should Not Become Part of EU

Fox News wrote on April 24:

“Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg spoke at the 14th European media summit this week, saying that Ukraine should not receive candidate status in June. He reiterated Austria’s dedication to neutrality as a key element of the nation’s ‘self-definition.’ ‘We don’t belong to any military alliance and we don’t want to…’ [He] said Ukraine should not, in principle, become a member even in the future…

“Ukraine’s foreign ministry expressed disappointment with Austria’s stance, calling the Austrian official’s statement ‘short-sighted’ and ‘not in the interests of the united Europe’…, adding that postponing Ukraine’s membership means ‘indulging Putin’s aggressive plans.’

“But around 40% of Austrians consider the government’s position on Ukraine as ‘on the whole correct,’ while 23% believe the government is ‘too pro-Ukraine’ and 17% ‘too pro-Russia,’ according to Heute.”

Tensions Between Israel and Christians in Jerusalem

The Associated Press wrote on April 23:

“Christians celebrated their ‘Holy Fire’ ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Saturday against a backdrop of rising tensions with Israel, which imposed new restrictions on attendance this year that it said were needed for safety. Israel says it wants to prevent another disaster after a crowd stampede at a packed Jewish holy site last year left 45 people dead.

“Christian leaders say there’s no need to alter a ceremony that has been held for centuries… Eastern Orthodox Christians believe that on the Saturday before Easter a miraculous flame appears inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre… built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected…”

Violence Carefully Staged

Israel Today wrote on April 24:

“Hamas sees itself as the patron of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Haram al Sharif, the Temple Mount…

“The disinformation campaign portrayed Israel as an ‘aggressor,’ while it also was falsely claimed that Israel was making a new attempt to change the status quo on the Temple Mount… Third parties then also started to get involved in the conflict and issued condemnations over ‘Israeli violence’ and an alleged ‘change of the Israeli policy towards the Al-Aqsa Mosque.’ Turkey’s President… Erdogan… called PA leader… Abbas and condemned Israel’s ‘intervention and provocations’ on Haram al-Sharif… King Abdullah II of Jordan also got involved in the conflict and ordered his government to obtain regional and international support for more pressure on Israel…

“It has now also been established that the acts of violence that started last Friday on the eve of Passover were organized… Zreiyer, a member of Abbas’ ruling Fatah faction, organized the outbreak of violence. He brought hundreds of young Palestinian Arabs to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and ordered them to prepare for a confrontation with the Israeli police. The group of youths came from Arab Jerusalem and also included Hamas members. The gang received funding from the PA and Turkey to prepare for the battle over the Temple Mount…”

A Temple in Jerusalem

Israel Today wrote on April 25:

“After the 1967 Six Day War, during which the Temple Mount was captured, Israel did not take advantage of the situation. Moshe Dayan, who served as Minister of Defense at the time, returned rule over the site to the Jordanian[s]…

“Many believe that a decision by Israel to retake control of the Temple Mount will ignite a regional war that could lead to a third world war. Whether or not that would happen, it is clear from Scripture that the day is coming when, ‘“I will shake heaven and earth, and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this Temple with glory,’ says the Lord of Hosts.’ Haggai 2:6-7. And, ‘I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. Because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.’ Isaiah 56:7.”

And so it will be!

Disney Lost Special Tax Status in Florida

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 21:

“Walt Disney Co. lost its special tax status in Florida on Friday after Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill scrapping the company’s self-governing status in the area around its Orlando theme park complex. Florida’s Republican-dominated House of Representatives passed the bill on Thursday in a 68-38 vote, following a previous 23-16 vote in the state’s senate.

“Before urging Florida’s legislature to back the new measure, DeSantis had criticized Disney for its opposition to another bill banning discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity for students under age 9..

“Disney initially avoided taking a stand on the legislation, but later halted political donations in Florida following pressure from some of the company’s employees and LGBTQ rights groups…

“‘If Disney wants to pick a fight, they chose the wrong guy,’ DeSantis recently wrote… ‘Disney is a guest in Florida. Today we remind them,’ Republican lawmaker Randy Fine tweeted. ‘Disney doesn’t say a word about the dictatorship in China because it would cost them billions of dollars,’ Republican Senator Marco Rubio said in a tweet. ‘But they have no problem using their corporate power to lie about laws passed by democratically elected legislators in Florida.’

“The southeastern US state of Florida declared a special area, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, in 1967 to facilitate the construction of the Disney World theme park near the city of Orlando… The Disney district covers 100 square kilometers and includes the cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista as well as land in Orange and Osceola counties in central Florida. Disney runs the district and is responsible for collecting taxes and guaranteeing municipal services such as fire-fighting, energy, garbage collection, water treatment and road maintenance. In exchange, the company has been exempted from paying taxes in the territory. Under Florida law, if the district is dissolved its assets and debts could be transferred to local governments that surround the area.”

Breitbart added on April 23:

“The Reedy Creek district, along with several other similarly situated special tax districts, will be dissolved effective June 1, 2023. However, the law allows the districts to be reestablished in the future, which could happen after further negotiation.”

Biden and the Democrats are not happy about the developments in Florida.

Daily Mail wrote on April 22:

“President Joe Biden criticized ‘ugly’ Republicans for targeting Disney and said the GOP has been taken over by the ‘far right’ in his speeches at two Democratic fundraisers on the West Coast on Thursday.”

What this is really all about is the push by the left to indoctrinate young school children UNDER AGE 9 with their political agenda.

Fauci the “Expert”?

Newsmax wrote on April 22:

“The White House’s chief medical adviser apparently won’t let go of the recent mask mandate cancellation… Fauci ripped U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle for dropping the federal mask mandate for public transportation, telling CBS News the Florida-based judge has ‘no experience’ in the medical field… Fauci similarly dismissed Judge Mizelle’s ‘unfortunate ruling’…

“Current data suggests that COVID-19 infections in America have precipitously declined in recent weeks, but that’s not how Fauci views the trends. ‘It’s obvious to everyone we’re seeing that infections are on the rise…’ Fauci told CBS News.

“… the Justice Department filed a notice that it would appeal Judge Mizelle’s ruling, at the behest of the CDC and White House… Fauci did not acknowledge that Americans now have tremendous access to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, or how the Biden administration still wants to repeal the CDC’s Title 42 health order at the U.S.-Mexico border — which, on the surface, runs directly against the logic behind the mask mandate for public transit.”

Dr. Fauci, even though not a lawyer, should still realize that Judge Mizelle did not utter a scientific finding in the medical field, but a legal finding showing the unconstitutionality of the mask mandate.

White House Contradicts Fauci

Fox News wrote on April 24:

‘The White House has contradicted Dr. Anthony Fauci on mask mandate decisions, saying that the judiciary plays an ‘important role’ and simply made an ‘incorrect decision’…. Fauci told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto that it’s a ‘bad precedent when decisions about public health issues are made by people, be they judges or what have you, that don’t have experience or expertise in public health.’”

The problem is, Dr. Fauci uttered numerous false opinions and made many contradictory recommendations.

“Google Goes Woke!”

Daily Mail wrote on April 25:

“Google has launched an ‘inclusive language’ function designed to avoid the use of politically incorrect words. Users typing ‘landlord’ will see a warning that it ‘may not be inclusive to all readers’ with the suggestion they should try ‘property owner’ or ‘proprietor’ instead.

The word ‘humankind’ is a suggested alternative to what the online giant apparently sees as the controversial term ‘mankind’. Gender specific terms such as ‘policemen’ or ‘housewife’ should also be replaced by ‘police officers’ and ‘stay-at-home spouse’, according to the new Google Document style programme. It is now being rolled out to what the firm calls enterprise-level users. Many computer document systems use methods to correct spelling and grammar.

“But nudging users towards woke language is being seen by critics as a step too far. Tests on the system have also thrown up major flaws… it suggested President John F Kennedy’s inaugural address should say ‘for all humankind’ instead of ‘for all mankind’…”

Insane!

EU to Restrict Free Speech (again) on Musk’s Twitter?

Bloomberg wrote on April 26:

“Elon Musk vowed to prioritize free speech as Twitter Inc’s new owner, but a senior official from the European Union has warned the world’s richest person will still have to contend with the region’s strict content rules… The EU approved the Digital Service Act over the weekend, giving European governments new power to take down illegal content, and demand platforms do more to tackle harmful content.

“Possibly even more crucial is the DSA’s requirement that companies like Twitter submit annual reports to the EU detailing how they’re handling systemic risks posed by harmful content…

“[Twitter] famously banned former U.S. President Donald Trump from the site last year… The move provoked condemnation from conservatives in the U.S., who argued the ban hindered free speech….

“There’s also the prospect of major financial penalties if Musk and the EU disagree. If the company doesn’t comply with the DSA, the EU can issue fines of as much as 6% of a company’s annual revenue and even ban the platform from operating in the bloc.”

The Ron Paul Institute asked the pertinent question: “How far will authorities go to restrict freedom of expression?” The answer is obvious: Very far; indeed, without any limits. 

Obama—“Liar of the Year”?

The New York Post wrote on April 22:

“In a Stanford University speech Thursday, Obama called on Big Tech to ‘redesign’ itself to face the dangers disinformation allegedly poses to the nation. Hilariously, he cited his own ‘failure to fully appreciate . . . just how susceptible we had become to lies and conspiracy theories’ during his time in office…

“Obama, after all, won PolitiFact’s ‘Lie of the Year’ Award in 2013 for his endlessly repeated claim that under ObamaCare, ‘if you like your health plan, you can keep it.’  This lie was treated as fact and amplified by major media across the US for naked political purposes. I.e., a textbook example of actual disinformation… The New York Times invented a new, Orwellian term as camouflage for the lie: ‘incorrect promise.’

“Then there was Benghazi, where his administration blamed an attack by an al Qaeda affiliate against a US consular outpost on an inflammatory YouTube video — and again saw the lie propped up by big media properties…

“Don’t forget his lie about whether he ever set a red line around Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons in Syria. He did. On record. Then, insanely, he literally claimed he hadn’t. Again, although he’d been caught in an obvious, clumsy lie, our fearless fact-checking journalists got busy trying to somehow make it reality. [The] Washington Post… refused to award it any of [the] trademark ‘Pinocchios.’

“… Obama presided over the start of the Russiagate narrative, now revealed as another textbook disinfo operation — one of the most successful in recent US history, not only kneecapping the Trump administration but leaving tens of millions of Americans still convinced of the lie even today.

“The ex-president is utterly comfortable with the media spreading disinformation, as long as it benefits his team…”

Lest we forget another possible lie: The dubious claim that Obama was born in the United States. Overwhelming evidence suggests the opposite (we have reported extensively in our Current Events about the many nagging questions regarding Obama’s alleged birthplace), but the potential political fiasco resulting from exposing what might very well have been the truth was deemed too much to cope with for Democrats and Republicans alike. Even Trump gave in with some phony “explanations.”

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.

Since the beginning of the Bible, God has made it clear that we are to observe the Sabbath, for He re-created the surface of the earth in 6 days, after a catastrophe caused the earth to become void and empty, and He then rested on the seventh day – the Sabbath, which He created for mankind (Genesis 1:2-2:3; Mark 2:27-28).  The Bible reveals in Genesis 1:5 that the days start and end at sunset, in the evening: “God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening (sunset) and the morning were the first day.”

Many Scriptures associate the meaning of the word “evening” with “sunset” as for example in Leviticus 22:6-7: “The person who has touched any such thing shall be unclean until evening… And when the sun goes down he shall be clean.” We are also told in Leviticus 23:32 to keep God’s Sabbath “from evening to evening.”

The Bible is clear that days are to be counted from sunset to sunset, not midnight to midnight as society has it determined, and the Sabbath, which is the seventh and last day of the week, is to be counted from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, a 24-hour period.

We state in our booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days“:

“God has revealed in His Word exactly when the Sabbath starts and when it ends. God reckons each day, including the Sabbath, beginning at sunset and continuing through until the following sunset. Today, we would say that the Seventh-Day Sabbath starts Friday evening, when the sun sets, and lasts until Saturday evening, at sunset.

“We know from the Jewish people when to keep the Sabbath. It is the Jews to whom God committed His revelations or His ‘oracles,’ as Paul clearly explains in Romans 3:1–2. These ‘oracles of God’ included the Old Testament Scriptures, as well as the knowledge of the week and of the Sacred Calendar. The Jews preserved the knowledge of which day the seventh day of the week is. Without an understanding of when a week begins and ends, we would not have been able to tell, from the Bible alone, which day the seventh day of the week actually is. Today, the Jews keep the Sabbath on Saturday, beginning Friday evening, at sunset. Nobody questions today that the Sabbath, as preserved by the Jews, is the seventh or last day of the week. All understand that Sunday is the first day of the week—although there have been some attempts in Europe to actually change the calendar in order to deceitfully pretend as if Sunday, and not Saturday, was the seventh day of the week.”

This includes all Sabbath days, including God’s commanded Holy Days, which should be kept from sunset to sunset. Quoting from our Q&A “Can You Prove From Scripture That According to God’s Reckoning, Days Start and End With Sunset?”, we state the following:

“Leviticus 23:32 describes the annual Holy Day of Atonement, which the Jews today call Yom Kippur. It is stated: ‘It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest; and you shall afflict your souls [i.e., fast]; on the ninth day of the month at evening, FROM EVENING TO EVENING, you shall celebrate your sabbath.’ The New International Version renders this verse: ‘… From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.’

“But, this entire period, from the evening or sunset of the ninth day, until the evening or sunset of the tenth day, is defined as ‘the tenth day,’ as Leviticus 23:27 clearly shows: ‘Also the TENTH day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement.’ This proves that the Bible reckons days from evening or sunset to evening or sunset.”

With this background, how then would someone keep the Sabbath in areas of the world where there wouldn’t be a sunset-to-sunset time period during certain times of the year?  For example, certain places in Alaska, Norway, Sweden, and other far northern or even southern areas would fall into that category. How is the Sabbath to be kept there?

Bibleask.org has this to say:

“Modern living provides some unique situations where keeping the Sabbath might have some questions. For example, keeping the Sabbath in space and the polar regions of the Earth like Alaska presents unique issues for Sabbath keepers. In the north of the Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctic Circle, a single period of daylight can last for a month or more during the summer, and the night lasts for a similar length of time in the winter.

“The Bible says, ‘It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest… from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath (Lev. 23:32).’ This means that the Sabbath should be kept from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset.

“Therefore, in the further regions of the earth and in countries where the sun doesn’t go down like the Polar zone, the timing of the Sabbath should be adjusted to the International Date Line. Example: permitting local rest-day adjustment, And believers may determine the Sabbath by the longitude that are further south or further north depending on which Polar zone they are in. Therefore, for those who live in Alaska, they can follow the time zone of Portland, Oregon. Thus, Sabbath keepers living in those areas can rely on the cycle of day and night in 24-hour periods. These periods are commonplace in most of the world.”

Someone from Sabbathtruth.com had this to say: “For the vast majority of the planet, we experience sunrise and sunset and that’s when you would start and end your Sabbath. I have friends who live up in Alaska and what they do is from 6:00 to 6:00. Six o’clock one day to six o’clock the other, and they don’t go by the sun. They go by that 12-hour division of time that everyone else enjoys, or 24-hour division of time rather. So they just time it like that.”

A letter was written back in the Worldwide Church of God days asking the question about keeping the Sabbath in the arctic.  This is what was answered by the Personal Correspondence Department, Letter L163, which was included in a collection of the letters written under Herbert W. Armstrong, dated August 1, 1988:

“God has not made it impossible for His people to obey His laws.  God’s law is spiritual and is intended for all people, wherever they live on earth.  But His law is also practical and workable.

“In the far northern latitudes, the days are divided in the following manner:  About the beginning of summer, the sun almost touches the horizon once every 24 hours. When it reaches its lowest point, one day ends and another begins. About the beginning of winter, the sun comes up to, or almost up to, the horizon once every 24 hours. This also divides the days. The effect is that near the beginning of summer the seventh day is from midnight to midnight. Over the next six months, the beginning of the days drops back rapidly until near the beginning of winter the seventh day is from noon until noon.  The sun touching, or almost touching, the horizon corresponds to sunset in both cases.

“It should be noted, then, that God revealed the Sabbath commandment to people living in the temperate zone, where He defined the proper observance as being from evening to evening.  But in extreme latitudes where farming is not a factor and thus daylight is not associated with work, this rule is not practical or reasonable.  Jesus said, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath’ (Mark 2:27).  For this reason, the Church has made a judgment based on the spirit of the law.  Brethren living in areas crossed by or above the 60th parallel (parts of Alaska, Canada, and Sweden are examples) have been advised that it is proper to begin observance of the Sabbath at 6pm in cases where actual sunset time varies extremely.”

A helpful chart identifying the areas crossed by or above the 60^th parallel can be found in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/60th_parallel_north .

The Church of the Eternal God and its international affiliates agree with and follow the answer of the Worldwide Church of God, as quoted before, as to how to observe the Sabbath in the above-referenced parts of the world. In other areas, “nearly” but not quite crossed by the 60^th parallel, individual consultation with the ministry might be advisable.

Lead Writer: Michael Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“Weak German Government under Attack,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The world disapproves of Germany’s conduct towards Ukraine. Germany’s chancellor Olaf Scholz is considered as being weak and indecisive, and far too much beholden to Putin. What does this mean for Germany’s future?

“Schwache deutsche Regierung unter Beschuss,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German language program covers the same material as described above.

Our annual Church Conference begins on Friday, April 29^th and continues through Monday, May 2, 2022. Meetings will take place in Escondido, California, with several ministers joining via the Internet.

“Gleichheit mit Gott in Seinem Reich?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Equality with God in His Kingdom?”

“Wie groß ist unsere Liebe/Hingabe?” the Offertory presented on the Last Day of Unleavened Bread in Germany by Steven Hammond, is now posted. Title in English: “How Big is Our Love/Devotion?”

“Unser Sündenkatalog…alles nicht so wichtig?” the sermon presented on the Last Day of Unleavened Bread by Norbert Link, is now posted. Title in English: “A Catalog of Sins—Not that Important?”

“Three Good Reasons to Give,” the Offertory presented on the Last Day of Unleavened Bread by Brian Gale, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Giving to the One Who created us all is a reflection of the priorities that we have in our life.  It is a privilege to give and we know that a blessing is promised by God for those who follow His instructions as we can read in Malachi 3.   This message gives three good reasons to give.

“A Catalog of Sins—Not that Important?”  the sermon presented on the Last Day of Unleavened Bread by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Have you created a catalog of sins that distinguishes between important and not so important actions? Does the Bible teach the concept of the seven deadly sins? Or is every sin wrong and an abomination in God’s eyes? What does God call sin and an abomination anyway? And what does God say who will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Why does God designate certain character traits as “most important” in the law? And do you love God and neighbor when you break the spiritual law of the Ten Commandments?

“Unser geistlicher Kampf,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Robert Macher, is now posted. Title in English: “Our Spiritual Warfare.”

“Der Heilige Geist und Du!” the sermon presented last Sabbath in Germany by Thilo Hanstein, is now posted. Title in English: “The Holy Spirit and You.”

“Excuses,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

If we want God to work in our lives, we have to put in the effort that He requires. When we choose to make excuses instead of taking action, we become unprofitable. By putting our faith to work we give God an opportunity to bless our efforts.

“Praise the Lord!” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Should we praise and worship God, and are there actually conditions for praising Him? The Bible reveals how and why God accepts praise from those who obey Him.

On April 23, 2022, Eric Rank will present the sermonette, titled, “Excuses,” and the sermon will be presented by Dave Harris, titled, “Praise the LORD!”

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

Last Day of Unleavened Bread—Live Services, April 22, 2022

Brian Gale will present the Offertory, and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “A Catalog of Sins—Not that Important?”

This can be a challenging question at times for us. But it is one that we have to learn the answer to! From the youngest among us to the oldest, this is something that we have to learn and continue to believe—continuing to come back to the answer time and again in our lives.

There may be circumstances or moments in our lives where we feel that God is not there, or that He doesn’t care; that He is not answering our prayers, and, by extension, that He doesn’t love us. There are a lot of things that can cause us to feel this way. But are these feelings justified?

In the book of Job, Job came to ask a lot of these same questions. And it was revealed that God was there all along. God didn’t stop loving or caring for Job. In the book of Hebrews 12, we are told that often, when we may feel like we are going through hard times, it is because God loves us (vs. 3-11).

There is an order to the way God has things set up. When we obey God to the best of our ability, He rewards us. When we are failing, He provides corrections so that we can learn and turn. When we choose to do our own things—what we decide and what we think is right—God allows us to do them. But it is not without consequences.

Really, the Way of God is very simple. It revolves around love—love for God and love for other human beings. This is very basic! We teach it to our young children as the “Golden Rule.” When we break it all down, this is what it is about. But it is when we choose to follow our own ways–our own desires—that we stray from God and start to follow the current ruler of this world, Satan. His ways are ALWAYS trying to destroy God’s love and His simplicity. If we think about the wrong ways of life which are too numerous to list, it should be easy to see that the issue is NOT, ”Does God love me?”, but rather, “Do I love God?” Satan wants destruction in every way shape or form—from relationships with each other and with God to disobedience to God, disobedience to parents, and it goes on.

Notice how this Scripture in John 14:21 shows this point perfectly: “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” This is how God operates—on the basis of love.  Proverbs 8:17 speaks in this way of the wisdom of God: “I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.” It is wisdom to seek after God’s wisdom and to come to understand it, because therein is true knowledge of God’s love.

As we kept the week of Unleavened Bread, it is a good time to reflect on these simple truths and to let them soak in deeply. As a human being, I am extremely familiar with wanting to do and indeed doing my own things, seeking my own ways and my own desires. And I can safely say that those times do NOT produce and have NOT produced good things for me. In fact, the good things in my life have been and continue to be provided by God. My responsibility is to continue to draw close to God. So many times in life, if we would simply stop and allow God in more fully, we would truly find a better path forward. Matthew 6:33 tells us: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” This goes for children as well as adults. No one is exempt! No one!

God LOVES us because we are part of His plan. We have been called at this time to be the firstfruits–the first of MANY brethren. If you are a child whose parents [or at least one parent] are in the Church of God and are baptized, then God has ALSO set you apart and sanctified you. When our children are young (and sometimes a little bit older), we have them blessed by the ministry, asking for God to provide a guardian angel for protection throughout that young person’s life. If God didn’t love and care for even our young children, this wouldn’t be something that we would do. In fact, many Scriptures in the Bible point out how much God loves and cares for the young people in our congregations. Quite interestingly, one of the 10 Commandments is dedicated to children (young and old). Deuteronomy 5:16 says: “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.” Also, we are told that a child is known by his actions. Proverbs 20:11 reads: “Even a child is known by his deeds, Whether what he does is pure and right.”

We ALL must come to realize that God indeed loves all of us to an amount we are unable to really comprehend. In order to fully come to learn how much He loves us, we must continue to seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 says: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” If we truly want to know that God loves us then we must continue to seek Him and let Him lead until we can come to the point where we can say and believe what it says in Philippians 2:13: “… for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

When we take these things in and put our faith in them, even in the hardest of times, we will be able to see that God is there and that He will never leave or forsake us as long as we keep coming to Him and put Him front and center in our lives. When we do this, we can have full assurance that what He says in Isaiah 41:10 is directed at each and every one of us: “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

by Norbert Link

We begin with renewed violence at the Temple Mount and Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem (please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Time to build the Third Temple in the face of Violence?” ); discuss numerous failed attempts to end the war in Ukraine; report about the war’s ongoing and accelerating destruction; point out Ukraine’s disappointment with Germany and some German politicians; and focus on questions raised by Ukraine regarding American help.

We speak on events pertaining to Denmark, Finland, Sweden and France; and publish an article claiming that both the mass media and the CIA are lying to us.

We conclude with highly controversial mask mandates; a surprising but overdue decision by a federal court judge and reactions; and the planned release of engineered mosquitos in California.  

Clashes on the Temple Mount

Daily Mail wrote on April 15:

“Israeli security forces clashed with hundreds of stone-hurling Palestinians early this Easter Friday morning after they entered a Palestinian holy site during Ramadan prayers… According to Israeli authorities, ‘dozens of masked men’ marched into the Al-Aqsa mosque compound before dawn carrying Palestinian and Hamas flags, chanting and setting off fireworks.

“In response, Israeli forces entered the mosque compound where thousands of Muslims were gathered to perform prayers during the holy month of Ramadan. Palestinian protesters then threw stones and fireworks at Israeli security forces, who returned fire with rubber-coated bullets and tear gas on the sprawling esplanade surrounding the mosque…

“The violence took place at Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism, which is also home to the Al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in Islam. It also comes at a time of heightened tensions when the Islamic holy month of Ramadan overlaps with the Jewish holiday of Passover. …

“Hamas condemned what it said were ‘brutal attacks’ on worshippers at Al-Aqsa by Israeli forces, saying Israel would bear ‘all the consequences.’ It called on all Palestinians to ‘stand by our people in Jerusalem.’”

AFP added:

“More than 150 people were wounded Friday in clashes between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli police in Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound, the first face-off at the flashpoint holy site since the start of Ramadan… Around 400 people were arrested… The US, European Union and the Arab League have… voiced their concern. Washington on Friday said it was ‘deeply concerned’ by the events in Jerusalem.”

Further violence broke out on “Easter Sunday” at the Al-Aqsa mosque.

“When Blood Spills on Passover and Easter, it’s Time to Build the Temple”

The Jerusalem Post wrote on April 18:

“Hamas exposed their greatest fear: that Israel will start to build the Temple. For thousands of years, Jews have been praying for a return to the Land of Israel. Over the last century, we have miraculously been restored to our homeland from the four corners of the earth, but are still awaiting the proper time to build the Temple. Judaism is incomplete without the Temple, and Passover is a prime example, as Deuteronomy makes clear: ‘You are not permitted to slaughter the Passover sacrifice in any of the settlements that Hashem your God is giving you; but at the place where Hashem your God will choose to establish His name, there alone shall you slaughter the Pesach sacrifice, in the evening, at sundown, the time of day when you departed from Egypt’ (Deuteronomy 16:5, 6).

“Hamas is terrified that after close to 75 years of statehood, Israel will begin turning its attention to the place where God chose to establish His name. In fact, each year, more and more Israelis take the dangerous risk of ascending the holy mountain under the hostile guards of Jordanian officials. Palestinian terrorists are getting scared as Jews are getting serious about restoring our holy of holies, the site we pray towards every day, and the building we beseech God for repeatedly throughout our liturgy.

“On a national level, the rebuilding of the Temple would be a great humiliation to Palestinian terror groups, but on a religious level, the construction of Judaism’s Third Temple would in no way pose a threat to Islam, whose main religious holy sites are in Mecca and Medina. Responsible Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders should use this recent wave of Islamic violence to immediately begin discussing practical and peaceful steps for the rebuilding of the Temple on the Temple Mount. It could be done without damaging or disrespecting the Dome of the Rock or Al Aqsa, as part of a future peace plan between Israel and her Arab neighbors to end the plague of Islamic terror once and for all.

“During periods of history, Islam held great respect for Judaism’s Temple in Jerusalem, and one can imagine many potential scenarios in the ever-changing Mideast, where significant segments of Islam could do so once again. Similarly, for many centuries, Christianity looked at the Temple with hostility, but as relations between Jews and Evangelicals have improved in recent years, some Christians are rethinking their relationship with the Temple.

“I asked John Enarson, the Christian relations director of Cry for Zion, a Temple Mount advocacy group, what his thoughts were on the connection between Easter and the Temple, and the implications for Christians today. ‘We Christians have often thought that Resurrection Sunday spelled the end for the Holy Temple in God’s plan,’ Enarson explained. ‘But when we read the Gospels and Book of Acts carefully, the Apostles continued to be passionate for God’s House in Jerusalem, including Paul. As God is restoring Zion, we need to rediscover our own texts with Jewish glasses, and that includes God’s Temple.’

“With more Christians coming alongside the Jews and becoming passionate about the need to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, we have a unique opportunity today. Rather than lamenting the terrible violence that disrupted Passover, Easter and Ramadan, we must take steps to prevent religious violence from causing further blood to be spilled in the streets of Jerusalem. It’s time for peace-loving Jews, Christians and Muslims to come together and build the ‘house of prayer for all nations.’”

For a discussion of this and other related articles, see our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Time to build the Third Temple in the face of Violence?”

Austria and Russia “Talk”…

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 11:

“Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Monday became the first European leader to visit Moscow and meet Russian President Vladimir Putin since the invasion of Ukraine began on February 24. Nehammer called the talks ‘direct, open and tough’… The Austrian chancellor emphasized that the trip had not been a ‘friendly visit,’ adding that he had brought up the issue of war crimes in Bucha and other places and stressed that ‘all those who are responsible will be held to account,’ Austrian media reported him as saying. Nehammer said he had come away from the talks with ‘no optimistic impression.’…”

German Government Reserved and Cold

Bild Online wrote on April 11:

“In this interview with BILD, Volodymyr Zelenskyy (44) praises the German population’s solidarity with Ukraine. When it comes to the German government, however, he is critical… ‘The truth is that, from the beginning, Germany has been very cautious in its support for Ukraine – not the German people, I want to stress, but the German government. Germany, at first, didn’t support us with arms and openly said that we could not become a member of NATO and the EU. To be honest, Germany’s rhetoric has changed by now. Still, Germany plays no leading role in Europe so far. It remains reserved and cold towards us. But things are moving. I firmly believe that.’’

Steinmeier Not Welcome in Ukraine

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (66) stated to Bild Online that he was willing to visit Ukraine, but was rejected, due to his past close ties to Russia. More and more articles appear in the German press blaming Steinmeier and Merkel for the current disaster in Ukraine, due to their appeasing and friendly relationship with Putin over the decades. Also, while Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen visited Kyiv, Olaf Scholz has so far refused to do so. Maybe he feared that his visit would not be welcome either or rejected.

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 12:

“Ukraine has previously been highly critical of the German president over his connections with Russia and the leading role he played as former foreign minister in improving relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin…. Earlier this month, Ukrainian ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk and Polish Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski… told the Tagesspiegel newspaper that the German president had not been serious about his break with Russia. He added that people connected to Steinmeier like Jens Plötner, foreign policy advisor to Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Andreas Michaelis, as well as many important ambassadors, also share Steinmeier’s close relations with Moscow.

“Steinmeier was close to former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, whose ties to Russia after retirement have become increasingly notorious. He also had two stints as foreign minister before becoming president, including when Crimea was annexed. Kaczynski was also critical of Berlin’s foreign policy in Welt am Sonntag, where he said Poland ‘is not pleased with Germany’s role in Europe.’”

Deutsche Welle added on April 14:

“Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin suggested Steinmeier’s offer to visit Kyiv might have been rejected because of overall ‘disappointment’ and ‘frustration’ about Berlin’s role in the crisis… Klimkin said that there was a perception in Ukraine that Germany was complicit in enabling Moscow to build up its war machine by buying Russian oil and gas and accused Berlin of doing ‘nothing’ over many years to counter the Kremlin.”

The Guardian wrote on April 14:

“Kyiv has tried to patch up diplomatic relations with Germany…  saying it would welcome a visit instead by the chancellor, Olaf Scholz. The snub to Steinmeier, who has a history as an advocate of close Russian-German economic ties, led to a backlash in Germany, with Scholz describing it on Wednesday as ‘confusing…  to be polite about it’…

“Germany has been seen as the constant backmarker in its support for Ukraine, blocking an EU-wide ban on Russian oil and refusing to provide heavy weaponry from its stocks on the basis that the weaponry was needed by the German army, or would be of little use to Ukraine defence forces untrained in the weaponry.”

No Heavy Weapons from Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 19:

“Scholz said that, although the German army, the Bundeswehr, did not have much left to offer Ukraine, his government was supporting German arms manufacturers financially…. He listed anti-tank weapons, air defense equipment, ammunition ‘and also what can be used in an artillery engagement’ as possible weapons that could be supplied. The chancellor added that Germany was able to supply spare parts for certain weapons that other NATO allies were delivering to Ukraine.

“Scholz has faced mounting pressure — from Ukrainian officials, German opposition politicians and lawmakers within his own governing coalition — to provide Ukraine with more robust equipment in the face of a fresh Russian offensive… As a parting note, Scholz also made clear that, while allies may choose to supply heavy weapons to Ukraine’s war effort, ‘NATO can’t and won’t get directly involved in the war.’”

However, Fox News added on April 20:

“Germany said it has maxed out its ability to send arms to Ukraine on Wednesday and instead pledged to provide training to Ukrainian forces and maintain its military equipment. ‘While other partners supply artillery, we will help with training and maintenance,’ German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said during a press conference.”

So, this announcement by Baerbock seems to strongly contradict the declarations by Chancellor Scholz and does not only seem to refer to “offensive” weapons or heavy weapons which Germany was unwilling to supply anyhow. Rather, it seems to refer to all kinds of weapons. Bild had already written on Tuesday that Scholz’s initial “arrogant” statements were either “evasive” or “untrue,” and that Scholz is unwilling to provide Ukraine with what they need. Ukraine has reacted with strong disapproval and utter disappointment, stating that Scholz’s position is “absurd,” and as in times past, Ukraine will not forget Germany’s perceived failing. Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that “ the war against Russia would have already been won if Western allies including the US and NATO had sent more weapons to arm Ukraine” (New York Post, April 20).

Pro-Russia Demonstrations in Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 10:

“Pro-Russia protesters rallied for a second day in Germany on Sunday, demanding an end to discrimination against the country’s large Russian-speaking population since the conflict in Ukraine erupted… Organizers said that they wanted to put a spotlight on the growing intolerance toward Russians living in Germany.

“However, many observers have questioned whether the protests are not thinly disguised shows of support for the war, and both rallies were met by counter-demonstrations in support of Ukraine. A day earlier, pro-Russia convoys rolled through multiple German cities. One convoy with about 190 cars drove through the southwestern city of Stuttgart, with the motto ‘Against Discrimination Against Russian-speaking People.’ Participants waved banners reading ‘Stop Russophobia’ and urged an end to discrimination against Russian-speaking children in schools. City officials had warned participants beforehand that the event could not show support for the conflict…

“The pro-Russia demos have sparked a backlash, with many seeing them as a show of support for the Kremlin. A similar convoy in Berlin triggered sharp criticism last weekend. Germany’s Bild newspaper called it a ‘parade of shame.’… Germany is home to around 1.2 million Russians and 325,000 Ukrainians, plus more than 316,000 who have arrived as refugees since the start of the conflict.”

Sadly, in times of war, discrimination against innocent people becomes the norm. Deutsche Welle reported on April 18: “Police in several states across Germany have opened investigations into public displays of support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine… More than 140 investigations have been launched, most looking into the use of the ‘Z’ symbol that has been seen in several protests in Germany alongside Russian flags.”

This move seems to clearly violate the German constitution, guaranteeing the freedom of speech and assembly. Of course, the German government has been guilty of such violations on numerous occasions before in context with their illegal coronavirus restrictions.

Sympathy for Putin in Germany’s East

The Washington Post wrote on April 15:

 “… most residents [in Saxony] feel no affinity for Putin as he wages a bloody war in Ukraine. But they’re hardly lining up with the West against Russia, either… Sixty-eight percent of people in the state, whose capital is Dresden, say their opinion of the Russian population has not changed since the invasion… Nearly 4 in 10 say their perceptions of Putin are also unchanged. Across eastern Germany, people are 13 percentage points less likely than in the west to say Putin’s Russia is a threat to their country…

“The difference reflects the former communist east’s four-decade history as a Soviet satellite state in which Russian-language instruction was required. It also reveals the effects of economic and cultural ties cultivated with Russia in the three decades since German reunification in 1990… Many in Saxony… are reluctant to pick sides in a new version of the Cold War.”

Don’t Wait for Germany

The Sun wrote on April 8:

“… our failings are insignificant against those of Germany and others whose vast payments for Russian gas are still bankrolling the genocide. We accept that Chancellor Olaf Scholz is having to pick up the pieces of Angela Merkel’s catastrophic appeasement of Putin and deranged energy policies. But he is still choosing Germany’s economic comfort over innocent lives and the futures of Ukraine and Europe itself.

“He hopes to ditch Kremlin gas by mid-2024. That will be far, far too late… We must cripple Putin’s finances NOW, not just as soon as comfortable Germans consider it convenient. The horrors so far in Ukraine are only the start. We are in a race to prevent more.”

Fortress Europe’s Trade Restrictions

Express wrote on April 14:

“President Volodmry Zelensky has continuously asked the EU and European countries to provide weapons to Ukraine to fight against Russian forces. However, weapons support is low and many levies are still being enforced by the EU, whilst the UK agreed to abolish quotas and reduce trade restrictions.

“Facts4EU.org analysed the current trade deals, coming to the conclusion it is ‘just like’ the Northern Ireland Protocol. Researchers wrote: ‘UK responds with help, while EU dallies and maintains its Fortress Europe for trade. The EU delivers Ukraine its very own protocol just like Northern Ireland.’ It said there are 925 categories of EU quotas and tariffs remaining in place.”

 This is incredible and shows the EU’s utter hypocrisy.

Moskva Has Sunk… Biggest Navy Disaster Since World War II

The Guardian wrote on April 14:

“Russia’s flagship missile cruiser Moskva has sunk in ‘stormy seas’ while being towed to a port in the Black Sea following an explosion, the Russian defence ministry has announced… The Ukrainian southern military command claimed… to have struck the Moskva with Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles…

“The apparent attack and sinking of the Black Sea fleet’s flagship…  represents a symbolic blow to the Kremlin. The Moskva was the pride of Russia’s Black Sea naval fleet and the most prestigious vessel involved in the war against Ukraine… Commissioned in 1983, the ship was armed with 16 anti-ship Vulkan cruise missiles with a range of at least 440 miles (700km). According to reports, it was also carrying S-300 anti-air missiles, which are crucial to Russia’s air superiority over Crimea and Ukraine’s Kherson province, now occupied by Russian troops.

“It is the most significant naval vessel to be sunk since the Argentinean cruiser General Belgrano was torpedoed by a British submarine… in 1982 [during the Falkland crisis].  It is the first time Moscow has lost a cruiser since German planes sunk the Chervona Ukraina (Red Ukraine) in 1941 at Sevastopol – the same Crimean naval base where the Moskva was being towed towards when it sank…”

The Sun added on 4-15::

“… the [Neptune] missiles can hit speeds of more than 650mph as they streak towards the enemy ship. Russia’s defence ministry said earlier that over 500 crew aboard the Soviet-era missile cruiser were evacuated after ammunition exploded…  there are at least 300 feared dead after the strike on the Moskva… [Kyiv has claimed that all 510 crew on-board including its captain were killed.].

“Russia has suffered a disastrous war in Ukraine – losing nearly 20,000 troops, almost 3,000 tanks, and 300 aircraft… Russia’s flagship had been operated in the Black Sea since the start of the war and is believed to have taken part in strikes on the coast of Ukraine. And she famously… opened fire on defenders holding out on Snake Island… The ship… was originally called the Slava…  she became the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet [in 2000 and] played a role in the 2008 invasion of Georgia, sailed in the Med during Russia’s bombardment of Syria in 2013 and 2014, and blockaded Ukraine during the annexation of Crimea.

“Ukraine is continuing to call for aid as it receives weapons and vehicles from the West. But world leaders and Nato remain fearful to provide much more unless they risk open war with Russia and potentially World War 3.”

One has to wonder whether this is an example of justice.

Axios wrote on 4-15:

“A senior U.S. defense official told Axios on Friday that Ukraine sank Russia’s Moskva cruiser, the former flagship of its Black Sea fleet, with two cruise missiles, validating claims from Ukrainian officials… The account contradicts Russia’s defense ministry claims on Thursday that the  ship sunk during bad weather while being towed to a port to repair damages from a fire that detonated ammunition on board.”

Russian Warning: No More Weapons for Ukraine

The Guardian wrote on April 15:

“Russia reportedly sent a formal warning to the US to stop sending weapons to Ukraine, saying more shipments could result in ‘unpredictable consequences’. 

“According to the Washington Post, Moscow told the White House that its arms shipments were ‘adding fuel’ to the war in Ukraine. The state department would not confirm the communication, but officials made clear that the US would continue sending weapons to Ukraine.”

Putin must realize that the war does not go too well for him. Boxed in a corner, he would be capable of doing just about anything, including using nuclear weapons, if God were to allow it.

Not Too Sure About American Help

CBS News wrote on April 10::

“Despite Zelenskyy’s repeated pleas for a no-fly zone, the U.S. and its allies have declined, saying it could lead to a direct military confrontation between two nuclear-armed powers – the U.S. and Russia. ‘I remember, all of us remember, books about the second World War and about the devil in uniform – Adolf Hitler’ [in an interview with 60 Minutes,] Zelenskyy said. ‘Are those countries who did not participate in the war responsible? The countries who let German forces march throughout Europe? Does the world carry responsibility for the genocide? Yes. Yes, it does. When you [have the ability to] close the sky – yes it’s scary, that a world war could start. It’s scary. I understand [that]. And I cannot put pressure on these people because everyone is afraid of war. But whether the world [is responsible] for this, I believe so, yes. I believe so’…

“Zelenskyy warned that not doing more for Ukraine now means Russia could ‘move closer and closer to Europe’… Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, told Pelley that he asked the Biden administration for heavier weapons – tanks and jets – and for them to be delivered fast… A White House official told 60 Minutes that Yermak received a ‘yes’ to his requests, but filling those orders takes time…

“Meanwhile, Russia is escalating its attacks in the East and South. ‘We think this will be a new wave of this war… there will be many times more than there is now,’ Zelenskyy said. ‘[All] depends on [how fast] we will be helped by the United States. To be honest, whether we will be able to [survive] depends on this. I have 100% confidence in our people and in our armed forces. But unfortunately, I don’t have the confidence that we will be receiving everything we need’…

“When asked if Russian President Vladimir Putin should be prosecuted for war crimes, Zelenskyy said ‘everyone who made a decision, who issued an order, who fulfilled an order, everyone who is relevant to this, I believe they are all guilty.’ He added that he does believe Putin is ‘one’ of the people responsible.”

It is also telling that President Biden has refused so far to visit Ukraine.

Denmark Against European Army

The Local wrote on April 11:

“Denmark’s government said on Monday it will hold a fresh referendum on the country’s participation in EU defence and military areas should the union ever decide to establish a supranational army… And the government would recommend that the public vote no (to the treaty)…

“Denmark’s opt-out… is one of four EU special arrangements negotiated by the Scandinavian country, and has seen it abstain from participation in EU military operations and from providing support or supplies to EU-led defence efforts…

“A supranational EU army would represent a significantly larger commitment from member states than the present EU joint military activities. EU countries can currently choose not to send their soldiers on military missions with the EU, but that right would not exist in a theoretical EU army…”

Such a supranational Army WILL be formed.

Finland and Sweden to Join NATO?

The Times wrote on April 11:

“Russia has made a ‘massive strategic blunder’ as Finland and Sweden look poised to join Nato as early as the summer, according to officials. Washington is banking on the move that will stretch Russia’s military and enlarge the western alliance from 30 to 32 members as a direct consequence of President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

“US officials said Nato membership for both Nordic countries was ‘a topic of conversation and multiple sessions’ during talks between the alliance’s foreign ministers last week attended by Sweden and Finland…  Finland’s application is expected in June, with Sweden expected to follow.”

The New York Post wrote on April 14:

​“Russia vowed Thursday that if Finland and Sweden join NATO, Moscow would bolster its troop presence and deploy nuclear weapons around the Baltic region… Putin insisted this week that Russia was forced to invade Ukraine because the US and its allies were using the Kyiv government to threaten Moscow with NATO expansion.​”

Putin changed his justification again for his invasion in blaming NATO’s expansion. First, he had given many different “justifications,” including blaming Ukraine for the alleged persecution of Russians. But the problem with a liar is that he does not remember his lies and can’t get his story straight.

Macron vs. Le Pen

The Associated Press wrote on April 11:

“Emmanuel Macron will face far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen in a winner-takes-all runoff for the French presidency, after they both advanced Sunday in the first round of voting in the country’s election to set up another head-to-head clash of their sharply opposing visions for France… the runoff is essentially a new election and the next two weeks of campaigning to the April 24 second-round vote promise to be bruising and confrontational against his 53-year-old political nemesis… Le Pen wants to roll back some rights for Muslims, banning them from wearing headscarves in public, and to drastically reduce immigration from outside Europe…

“Macron had just over 27% and Le Pen had just under 24%… The election outcome will have wide international influence as Europe struggles to contain the havoc wreaked by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Macron has strongly backed European Union sanctions on Russia while Le Pen has worried about their impact on French living standards. Macron also is a firm supporter of NATO and of close collaboration among the European Union’s 27 members… Le Pen… tapped into the foremost issue on many French voters’ minds: soaring costs for food, gas and heating due to rising inflation and the repercussions of Western sanctions on Russia.”

Express wrote on April 16:

“French President Emmanuel Macron should pray next week is uneventful. If it is, he will be reelected. Marine Le Pen should pray for someone or something to disrupt the political week. If that happens, she probably wins the election… the contest remains close. The gap between the candidates is small and well within our poll’s margin of error. .. The number of voters still undecided between Macron and Le Pen is quite high…

“Two-thirds of those who abstained or left their ballots blank in the first round will do the same in the second round. We project turnout to be markedly lower than the 75 percent of registered voters that participated in 2017’s presidential second round, the lowest turnout since 1969.”

From a prophetic perceptive, it would be difficult to see how Macron could lose against Le Pen. But stranger things have happened.

Macron vs. Biden

Breitbart wrote on April 14:

“French President Emmanuel Macron has rebuked US President Joe Biden’s accusation that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is committing genocide in Ukraine, implying such claims are not ‘prudent’… ‘I would say that Russia unilaterally launched a brutal war, that it is now established that war crimes were committed by the Russian army and that we must now find those responsible,’ Le Figaro reports the French President as explaining. ‘…but at the same time I look at the facts and I want to try as much as possible to continue to be able to stop this war and to rebuild peace, so I’m not sure that the escalation of words serves the cause,’ he said, his claim in stark contrast with Biden’s recent verbal approach to the conflict…

“This is not the first time that Macron has reprimanded Biden over his Russian rhetoric. The French President has previously stepped in after the American labelled Putin ‘a butcher’ who ‘cannot remain in power’, publicly criticising the Democrat President over the fiery comments. ‘I would not use those words,’ Macron said in response to Biden’s apparent nod towards regime change in Moscow…

“However, while Macron has pushed back against the fiery anti-Putin rhetoric, officials in Ukraine have appeared only to fan the flames, with the country’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, voicing support for Biden’s genocide allegations online. ‘True words of a true leader,’ the Ukrainian President said in a post online regarding Biden’s accusation that Putin was involved in genocide in Ukraine. ‘Calling things by their names is essential to stand up to evil.’

“Zelensky followed up his praise with a request for more ‘heavy weapons’, the supplying of which one ex-advisor to former Chancellor Angela Merkel has said could help kick off World War III.”

Are the Mass Media and the CIA Lying to Us?

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on April 11:

“Late last year, a Gallup poll showed that… only seven percent of Americans… have a ‘great deal’ of trust in the media…  Citizens of the Soviet Union would read manipulated media like Pravda not because the regime reported facts, but because truth was hidden between the lines of what was reported and what was not reported. That seems to be where we are in the US today.

“Last week an extraordinary article appeared in, of all places, NBC News, reporting that the US intelligence community is knowingly feeding information it does not believe accurate to the US mainstream media for the American audience to consume… According to the NBC News article, ‘multiple US officials acknowledged that the US has used information as a weapon even when confidence in the accuracy of the information wasn’t high…’

“After the Bay of Pigs disaster, President Kennedy has been quoted as wanting ‘to splinter the CIA in a thousand pieces and scatter it to the winds.’ That didn’t work out too well for him. As Senate Majority Chuck Schumer famously told Rachel Maddow in 2020, responding to the-President Trump’s criticism of the CIA, ‘let me tell you: You take on the intelligence community — they have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you.’…

“It’s time to revisit President Kennedy’s post-Bay of Pigs wish…”

Alarming, disturbing and quite frightening. An American power more powerful than the American Presidency and his administration?? Interestingly, the reputation of the CIA has never been that good.

Germany’s Infamous Health Minister of Doom Karl Lauterbach

Breitbart wrote on April 19:

“Germany’s now-infamous Health Minister, Karl Lauterbach, has warned the country’s population that a new, extremely deadly variant of COVID could emerge in Autumn, which would, in turn, require a return of harsh lockdown measures. However, the forced-vaccination loving minister has been lambasted by both experts within the medical world, as well as members of his own government over the warning, with one virologist saying that his comments were ultimately unscientific.

“According to Bild, Lauterbach said that he believed that there was a probability that a so-called ‘killer variant’ could hit Germany in Autumn after a Summer out of lockdown, which would necessitate the return of harsh forced mask-wearing measures. What’s more, the Health Minister appears to believe that the unvaxxed are to blame in this hypothetical scenario, linking the rejection of his forced vaccination measures to the apparently forthcoming medical crisis.’

“While the health minister appears to believe a ‘killer’ virus may be right around the corner, other medical experts appear to strongly dispute this, reprimanding the leftist politician for his claim. ‘According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the appearance of a “killer variant” in autumn is a very unlikely scenario,’ Der Spiegel reports one expert, WHO-linked virologist Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit as saying, who also reportedly described the SPD member’s comments as unscientific….

“Some of Lauterbach’s colleagues within the German coalition government have also taken aim at the Federal Health Minister, with one lambasting the politician’s comments as unhelpful… [One] German Green party member [described] the comments as being a frontrunner for ‘nonsense of the year’.

“Meanwhile, Bild has reported that Lauterbach has declined to provide the name of the study from which he has drawn his doomsday predictions. This is not the first time the SPD politician has landed himself in hot water over his public Chinese Coronavirus predictions, with Bild also previously catching the forced jab advocate out for seemingly giving different outlooks on the COVID pandemic in public than he does in private. At a time when the minister was giving stark views on the pandemic in Germany publicly, the publication reported the minister as writing in a letter to a colleague that the situation was in fact ‘stable’.”

Germany’s mass tabloid Bild has accused Lauterbach of trying to blackmail the German people by announcing the likelihood of imposing further restrictions, after his attempt to impose vaccine mandates failed.  Now, a few fanatics have allegedly planned to kidnap Lauterbach. If that story is true, as the mass media claims it to be, but which is being questioned by some, then it plays right into the hands of Lauterbach and Scholz and their vocal supporters who emphasize the “need” to preserve and protect democracy, while they are in fact using these alleged events as an excuse for vigorously fighting covid- and vax mandate resisters. Satan’s handiwork can be clearly seen in all of this.

Masks Mandate for Airlines and Airports…

Breitbart wrote on April 13:

“Anthony Fauci said… that ‘you use lockdowns to get people vaccinated so that when you open up, you won’t have a surge of infections. Because you’re dealing with an immunologically naive population of the virus because they’ve not been exposed because of the lockdown’…

“The airline industry is continuing to call for the end of the federal mask mandate, making it clear ‘we need to remove these mandates’ as federal health officials extend it yet again [for another two weeks, until May 3.].”

Federal Judge Strikes Down Masks Mandate

Tampa Bay Times wrote on April 19:

“A federal judge in Florida struck down a national mask mandate on airplanes and mass transit Monday, and airlines and airports swiftly began repealing their requirements that passengers wear face coverings. The judge’s decision freed airlines, airports and mass transit systems to make their own decisions about mask requirements…

“The major airlines switched to a mask optional policy, with some eliciting cheers from passengers when the changes were announced over loudspeakers. The Transportation Safety Agency said Monday night that it will no longer enforce the mask requirement, and airports in Houston and Dallas almost immediately did away with their mandates after the TSA announcement…

“The decision by U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, also said the CDC improperly failed to justify its decision and did not follow proper rulemaking procedures that left it fatally flawed. In her 59-page ruling, Mizelle said the only remedy was to vacate the rule entirely across the country because it would be impossible to end it for the limited group of people who objected in the lawsuit….

“The White House said the court ruling means that for now the mask order ‘is not in effect at this time.’ ‘This is obviously a disappointing decision,’ White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.”

Disappointing for those who enjoy dictatorial practices. It took a Trump-appointed federal judge to end, for now, Biden’s ridiculous mask policy. Left-liberals are outraged. The White House announced on Wednesday that it would appeal the decision (compare The Ron Paul Institute, April 20). The Biden Administration can’t let go of its dictatorial restrictions. But it is hoped that the decision will NOT be overturned on appeal.

The Huffington Post wrote on April 19:

“Most major air carriers in the United States announced that, effective immediately, they will no longer enforce mask-wearing rules… Airlines making the change include Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Jet Blue, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines… Passenger rail service Amtrak also announced it was dropping the mask mandate.”

However, international flights may not be exempt from the requirements of wearing masks. Hopefully, this will change very soon, including the blatantly unconstitutional requirement to be vaccinated before boarding a flight.

Engineered Mosquitoes… Not So Fast…

The Los Angeles Times wrote on April 8:

“Soon, millions of… engineered mosquitoes could be set loose in California in an experiment recently approved by the federal government. Oxitec, a private company, says its genetically modified bugs could help save half the world’s population from the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can spread diseases such as yellow fever, chikungunya and dengue to humans. Female offspring produced by these modified insects will die, according to Oxitec’s plan, causing the population to collapse…

“Scientists independent from the company and critical of the proposal say not so fast. They say unleashing the experimental creatures into nature has risks that haven’t yet been fully studied, including possible harm to other species or unexpectedly making the local mosquito population harder to control… California has never had a case in which an Aedes aegypti was found to transmit disease…

“The company plans to start the release in northern Tulare County in the Central Valley, where it has partnered with the local mosquito control district based in the city of Visalia. The experiment must still be approved by the state Department of Pesticide Regulation… Oxitec has proposed releasing its mosquitoes at 48 different locations in the county. Under the plan, the company said it would release a maximum of 3.5 million mosquitoes a week…

“Among scientists’ concerns is that releasing the genetically modified mosquitoes into neighborhoods could create hybrids that are hardier and more dangerous to humans than the state’s current population… Oxitec uses the antibiotic tetracycline to raise its bugs and mass produce them. When larvae of its modified mosquitoes are exposed to tetracycline, the females — which bite humans — can survive….”

Every time man tries to play God, there are terrible “side-effects.”

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.

Following our two-part series, entitled: “Was Jesus Really Born in Jerusalem?”, we will in this Q&A answer the question as to whether Mary was a virgin.   We had touched upon this question in our last Q&A, under “(1) Mary was a virgin,’ but we will address this issue here in more detail.

For example, one writer penned the following:

“The virginity of Mary, as Matthew claims, depends on an incorrect reading of a prophetic text (Isaiah 7:14). The original Hebrew reads ‘a young woman shall conceive’, but Matthew has chosen an inexact Greek translation which renders it ‘a virgin shall conceive’. At this point, Matthew agrees with Luke; yet he is the only one amongst all the other biblical writers who knows anything of Mary’s alleged virginity.”

Wikipedia has this to say on the matter:

“Isaiah 7:14 is a verse in the seventh chapter of the Book of Isaiah in which the prophet Isaiah, addressing king Ahaz of Judah, promises that God will destroy the king’s enemies before a child born to an almah (young woman) is weaned.  Scholars agree that the word ‘almah’ has nothing to do with virginity, but the 2nd century BCE Greek Septuagint translated it as ‘parthenos’, meaning virgin, thereby allowing the author of the gospel of Matthew to use the verse as a prediction of the virgin birth of Jesus.”

They then claim that a literal translation would read as follows: “…therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign: the maiden is with child and she will bear a son, and will call his name Immanuel.”

They go on to say: “A sign, in this context, means a special event which confirms the prophet’s words. Ahaz’s sign is to be the birth of a son to an almah, who will name him Immanuel, ‘God is with us’; the significance of the sign is not the identity of the child or his mother (scholars agree that ‘almah’ refers to a woman of childbearing age and has nothing to do with virginity) but the meaning of his name (‘God is with us’) and the role it plays in identifying the length of time before God will destroy the Ephraimite-Syrian coalition (before the child learns right from wrong).”

As we will see, Wikipedia and others questioning the virgin birth are wrong for a multitude of reasons. At this point, we just want to point out that the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 was not even meant foremost for the time of Isaiah, but for a future time, and ultimately, for the very end time. The Child to be born would have the name “Immanuel”—clearly a description of Jesus Christ and not of an ordinary person. In addition, we read in verse 18 that the destruction of Israel through the Assyrians would come to pass “in that day”—a reference to the very end time and the very last days.

We also need to point out that when the Hebrew uses the word which some say means young woman, rather than virgin, this objection fails for the additional reason that the young woman of childbearing age was in fact assumed to be a virgin.  If it were otherwise and if the young woman was no longer a virgin, then Scriptures would clearly state this.

It is the case that most translations use the phrase “virgin.” The Bible Gateway list of different translations shows that there are 40 who do so.  However, there are a number of translations that use the phrase “young woman” , for example,  Amplified Bible Classic Edition (AMPC), Common English Bible (CEB), Complete Jewish Bible (CJB), Easy to Read Version (ERV), Good News Bible Translation (GNT), New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE), New English Translation (NET), New International Version (NSV), New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) and The Voice Translation.

Wikipedia further observes: “When the Revised Standard Version translators rendered ‘almah’ as ‘young woman’ in 1952 it immediately became a center of controversy for conservative Christians, who believed that this passage predicted the virgin birth of Jesus.  The RSV quickly replaced the KJV in many churches across America, but fundamentalist American Christians argued that nowhere in the Old Testament was an almah anything other than a young unmarried girl, and one pastor publicly burned a copy of the RSV.  Isaiah 7:14 became a litmus test of orthodoxy among conservatives, but most modern Bible translations use ‘young woman’.

“On his blog, New Testament scholar Bart D. Ehrman has argued that the original meaning of the word parthenos in the Septuagint (i.e., the Hebrew Bible translated by Hellenistic Jews in Koine Greek) is ‘young woman’, not ‘virgin’, but the word changed meaning over the centuries; thus the authors of Matthew and Luke believed instead that Isaiah had predicted a virgin birth for the coming Messiah, using the common understanding of the term in their time.”

It is interesting that many German translations use the word “virgin” or “young woman,” but remark in either case that the words are interchangeable, for the obvious reason as explained above; that a young woman was supposed to be a virgin. Compare revidierte Lutherbibel 2017; neue Lutherbibel 2009; Elberfelder Bibel; Hoffnung für Alle; Schlachterbibel; Menge Bibel; and many others.

The Schlachterbibel includes the following annotation:

“The Hebrew word describes an unmarried woman and means indeed ‘virgin.’… That is why the birth of Isaiah’s own son could not be the total fulfillment of this prophecy.”

Similarly the Ryrie Study Bible:

“The Hebrew word that is here translated ‘virgin’ is found elsewhere in the O.T. in Gen. 24:43; Exod. 2:8: Psalm 68:25; Prov. 30:19; Song of Sol. 1:3;6:8, and in these instances refers only to a chaste maiden who is unmarried.”

But surely it is quite simple when other Scriptures are read.  For example, let us review Matthew 1:20 which reads: “But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.”

Note that Joseph, when he discovered that Mary was pregnant, was willing to leave her (Matthew 1:19), because being her betrothed husband and knowing that they did not have any sexual relationship together, he assumed that Mary must have committed fornication or adultery with someone else.

Denying the virgin birth, as some theologians do, must lead to the inevitable conclusion that he had a human father i.e. Joseph or someone else.   If that was the case, Jesus could not possibly be the Son of God whom the Father sent to the earth, and Scripture would be unreliable.   Anyone who rejects the virgin birth must also by extension, reject the veracity of the Word of God.

It is interesting that many did not believe in the virgin birth at the time of Jesus, accusing Him of having been born in fornication (John 8:41).

Looking at different translations of Matthew 1:25, we read:

“… and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS”  (NKJV).

“… but he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus” (NIV).

“But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus” (New Living Translation).

“And he did not know her sexually until she delivered her firstborn son, and she called his name Yeshua” (Aramaic Bible in Plain English).

Therefore, if Joseph did not have sexual relations with Mary until after the birth of Jesus, Mary would have been a virgin.

Luke 1:26-35 is a revealing passage of Scripture where the subheading is “Christ’s Birth Announced to Mary”:

“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,  to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.  And having come in, the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!’ But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.’ Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’ And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.’”

In verse 34, Mary said “How can this be, since I do not know a man?,” clearly indicating that she was a virgin. In addition, Luke identifies her clearly as a virgin in verse 27: “…the virgin’s name was Mary.”

We know that the Catholic Church believes that Mary was a virgin all her life and denies that she had other children.  This is another error as we point out in our Q&A entitled “The international press recently reported that Catholics, Orthodox and many Protestants believe that Mary was a virgin throughout her life. It is claimed that those called ‘Jesus’ brothers’ in the Bible were in fact His cousins (Zenit, May 15, 2003).  Is this also your understanding? Please see https://www.eternalgod.org/q-a-3799/ In addition, please read our free booklets, “Jesus Christ—a Great Mystery” and “Do You Know the Jesus of the Bible?” 

We know that the meaning of words can change over a period of time; e.g. “wicked” used to mean “morally wrong,” but today has been used by many as meaning “great” or ‘wonderful.”   Whether the term used for Mary is virgin or young woman, we can certainly see that she was a virgin until after the birth of Jesus. Later on, she would have several other children with Joseph.

It is, once again, an example of the Bible interpreting the Bible, which is the divine Word of God and infallible in its original writing.

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

compiled by Dave Harris

“Time to build the Third Temple in the face of Violence?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Serious violence broke out at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem during Passover, coinciding with Easter and Ramadan, followed by an exchange of rockets between Hamas and Israel. The Jerusalem Post published an article with the headline: “When Blood Spills on Passover and Easter, it’s Time to Build the Temple.” But is this true? Has the time come to build the Third Temple? And what would the consequences be? This program raises many questions in the light of biblical prophecy.

“Unser Sündenkatalog… alles nicht so wichtig?” is the title of the sermon for the Last Day of Unleavened Bread in Germany, presented by Norbert Link.

“Spielt das Spiel ,” the sermonette presented on April 9^th in Germany by Johann Schell, is now posted. Title in English: “Play the Game.”

“Der Weg ist das Ziel ,” the sermon presented on April 9^th in Germany by Christoph Sperzel  is now posted. Title in English: “The Route is the Goal.”

“Relativism is Failing,” the sermonette presented by Frank Bruno on April 9^th is now posted. Here is a summary:

It is shocking how quickly the moral standards of an already corrupt world have fallen. This concept of relative morality has been embraced by so many leaders in government and the corporate world. A sliding scale of right and wrong can be convenient but will lead away from God. Those who obey God and His Son, Jesus Christ, understand that following such pronouncements will more often conflict with God’s Law. In this Sermonette we will explore several Scriptures and examples that can assist God’s people in navigating these confusing and compromised times we live in.

“The One,” the sermon presented by Dave Harris on April 9^th is now posted. Here is a summary:

The name, “Jesus Christ,” is spoken by a religious world deceived about Who He actually is, and the name of the Son of God is even blasphemed over and over as a curse word. Yet, “…there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Do you believe and really know that Jesus is the Messiah, and that He is the Son of God?

“Die Passion Christi,” the Offertory presented last Sabbath in Germany (First Day of Unleavened Bread) by Manuel Mueller, is now posted. Title in English: “The Passion of Christ.”

“Bei Herausforderungen NICHT aufgeben,” the sermon presented last Sabbath (First Day of Unleavened Bread) by Michael Link, is now posted. Title in English: “Don’t Give Up when Faced with a Challenge!”

“Don’t Add or Take Away,” the Offertory presented last Sabbath (First Day of Unleavened Bread) by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The Bible mentions several times that we are not to add to or take away from what is written.  What is God referring to?

“A Way of Life,” the sermon presented last Sabbath (First Day of Unleavened Bread) by Brian Gale, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a yearly festival that shows that we have to put sin out of our lives.   It is part of a Way of Life to which we have been called. This sermon reinforces the understanding that this Way of Life is a full-time commitment for the rest of our lives.

On April 9, 2022, Frank Bruno will present the sermonette, titled, “Relativism is Failing,” and the sermon will be presented by Dave Harris, titled, “The One!”

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.

NOTE: Due to Passover, there will not be an Update next week.

In Matthew 23, we read that Jesus was withering about the attitude and approach of the scribes and Pharisees.   Some of what they taught was correct, but they were hypocrites.

“Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.  Therefore whatever they tell you to observe [insofar as it was in accordance with God’s Law], that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.  For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.  But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.  They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,  greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, “Rabbi, Rabbi”’” (Matthew 23:1-7)

By having their phylacteries broad and the borders of their garments enlarged was a physical show that they considered themselves more spiritual than others.  They liked to be seen doing things.  They loved to be in the best seats at the top table, their religious titles, and being greeted by all and sundry.   It was showmanship, not religious care for the best interests of others.  They ensured that their works were seen by men.

However, Jesus condemned such an approach.   In Matthew 6:1-4, we read: “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.  Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”

The reward for the religious people at that time was the acclamation of the people.  Instead, Jesus said His followers should do their charitable deeds, whatever they were, quietly and in secret so that the Father would see and bless them, those who were not looking for praise from others.

One speaker put it this way: “If you allow your almsgiving, prayer and fasting to put you in the spotlight, you’ve missed the point.  You may get the praise of others, but that’s all you’ll get.  What you won’t get are the blessings God has in store for you when you go about doing good deeds surreptitiously.”

All of this went through my mind when, during the second half of last year, one anonymous donor gave very generously, and regularly, to the Global Church of God in the UK.  That giving has continued regularly into this year.

Over the years, we have received anonymous contributions from time to time but, because of their anonymity, we have never been able to thank them for their help in the work that we are doing in God’s service.   And the same is the case with this person.   If they are reading this editorial, then our heartfelt thanks to them for their generosity.

We have no idea why this generosity was anonymous and there may have been good reason(s) for that but as God looks on the heart, He will know the motivation and that’s all that matters. There is of course nothing wrong with revealing your identity as a contributor to the Church, as this may even be necessary in some countries for numerous reasons, such as receiving from the Church a receipt for tax purposes or because the government might not look favourably at a Church which receives too many anonymous contributions.

We may all at times, have mentioned certain things that we may have done to help others as a matter of conversation.  This might be good and proper and can serve as a motivation for others to do likewise. However, we do have to make sure that this is not looking for the praise of others with the wrong motivation.   God sees everything that is going on (compare Matthew 10:29), and that should be enough motivation for any of us.

It’s what matters to God that should count, not the praise of fellow man.

by Norbert Link

We begin with reports about Disney’s hypocritical conduct and its fight for the “woke” culture, and the serious consequences it might have for Disney regarding its “special benefits” in Florida. When one observes the incredible change from the times Walt Disney lived, and the destruction of his legacy by the Disney Company, one must conclude that he would turn in his grave if he only knew. We also cite Joe Biden’s ever changing comments on gay and transgender people.

We report good news from Finland and bad news from Canada, when addressing religious persecution in both countries; and speak on the ongoing debacle regarding Europe’s “fight” with Russia over Ukraine. We also report on elections in Hungary and Serbia.

We address Europe’s rapid reaction force and the fear that America is losing the Middle East, as well as most recent developments in Israel.

Speaking about the ongoing insane concepts, rules and regulations by medical “experts” and governmental officials regarding the “fight” against the coronavirus, we report on former German health minister Jens Span and current German “lockdown” health minister Kurt Lauterbach, as well as on Dr. Anthony Fauci’s extremely controversial conduct in several respects.

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Germany Was Never a Pacifist Power.” 

Please also watch our new message, “Natural Immunity and Nuclear Bombs in Germany—Comments on News and Prophecy, April 2, 2022.”

We conclude with the ongoing abortion war with at least four American states allowing abortion for any and no reason; and the curse of the bird flu on American exports.   

How “Disney” Has Changed for the Worse

Fox News wrote on April 1:

“Disney has now transformed into a political propaganda machine that grooms children for abortions and sexual promiscuity… Disney clearly is no longer interested in being a guardian of the innocence of childhood. Instead, by their own admission, Disney leadership is actively pushing children out of Neverland and directly into an adult’s sexualized world, where they can be groomed for others enjoyment.

“Disney is also engaging in a campaign for politicized sex education in its home state [Florida]. Disney recently spoke out in opposition to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill, which would prohibit the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in grades Kindergarten to Third [Grade]… The LGBTQ+ community has already been featured multiple times in Disney productions…”

Breitbart wrote on April 1:

“House Republican Study Committee (RSC) Chairman Jim Banks (R-IN) wrote in a letter to Disney CEO Bob Chapek he will fight to rescind Mickey Mouse’s copyright renewal over the megacorporation’s LGBT campaign. Banks wrote to Chapek as the Mickey Mouse copyright will expire on January 1, 2024…

“‘At home, Disney has capitulated to far-left activists through hypocritical, woke corporate actions… A senior Disney employee was recently caught on camera saying she wants ‘many, many, many, LGBTQIA characters in our stories’…

“Banks explained that Congress had repeatedly extended Disney’s copyright due to intense lobbying from Disney. Now, Disney could lose its copyright renewal when Republicans are slated to hold the House majority after the 2022 midterm elections… ‘Given Disney’s continued work with a Communist Chinese regime that does not respect human rights or U.S. intellectual property and given your desire to influence young children with sexual material inappropriate for their age, I will not support further extensions applicable to your copyrights, which should become public domain,’ Banks said. ‘It’s unfortunate that Disney, once an American success story has allied with a hostile foreign regime and domestic ideologues who seek to tear our country apart,’ he concluded in the letter to Chapek.”

Disney’s Special Treatment

Newsmax wrote on April 1:

“Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday said… [he supported] stripping Disney’s special privileges. The entertainment company operates as an independent government around its Orlando-area theme park….

“‘Over many, many decades, [Disney has] gotten incredible treatment from the Florida Legislature, and they are treated on a pedestal,’ DeSantis said on ‘Fox & Friends.’… ‘I think the legislature is going to look at that…  and that’s going to represent a major shift for our state, but at the end of the day, you know, I don’t … believe in special treatment for any corporation.’”

Disney’s Hypocrisy

Breitbart wrote on April 2, 2022

“The Walt Disney Co. is getting blasted and called out over its opposition to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law, while reportedly expanding into several anti-gay countries… where homosexuality is still illegal, including Qatar and Yemen…

“‘Our goal as a company is for this  [new Florida] law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts,’ Disney said, while also falsely claiming that the law jeopardizes the ‘rights and safety’ of its LGBTQ employees. The Florida law forbids the teaching of sexual orientation and gender ideology, such as transgenderism, to children in kindergarten through third grade. It has nothing to do with Disney employees.

“Despite an aggressive mainstream media campaign against the legislation, a recent poll shows that Florida Democrat voters support the Republican-backed law, 52 percent to 36 percent.”

Disney’s political agenda inside the USA and its hypocritical conduct internationally cannot be justified in any way whatsoever.

Made in God’s Image?

The New York Post wrote on March 31:

“President Biden released a video message to mark International Transgender Day of Visibility on Thursday, saying that transgender people are ‘made in the image of God’ and that their parents should affirm their gender identity. Biden, who as a senator backed an array of anti-LGBT legislation, slammed what he called ‘hateful bills’ in several states that restrict transgender participation in girls’ sports and limit discussion of sexuality and gender identity…

“Biden has a mixed record on gay and transgender rights. As a senator in the 1990s, he was one of 32 Senate Democrats who voted to impose a federal ban on same-sex marriage. He also voted for the legislation that imposed the military’s since-repealed ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy and for a 1994 amendment to ban schools from using federal funds ‘for the promotion of homosexuality as a positive lifestyle alternative.’

“As vice president, Biden in 2012 said he was ‘absolutely comfortable’ with same-sex marriage… Biden last year also repealed former President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military.”

Man is made in God’s image, but God created man as male and female… not as male and male or as something in between, or as a  female after He had discovered His mistake of creating him/her as a male.  And God did not create or approve of same-sex marriages. Joe Biden as a proud practicing Catholic should know this.

Good News from Finland

International Family News wrote on April 1:

“Parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen and Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola were acquitted of all charges of ‘homophobia’ that hung over their heads. The Helsinki Prosecutor’s Office ruled that ‘it is not for the district court to interpret biblical concepts.’ The prosecution has therefore been ordered to pay more than 60 thousand euros in legal costs and has seven days to appeal the sentence.

“Päivi Räsänen had been charged with ‘inciting hatred’ after sharing her views on marriage and sexual ethics, in a tweet 2019, in a radio debate and in a 2004 essay… the prosecutor [had] argued that the case was not about beliefs or the Bible. In the closing statement, the prosecution stated that the use of the word ‘sin’ can be ‘harmful’ and suggested heavy fines in the event of a guilty verdict.

“For its part, the defense… [had argued] that finding Päivi Räsänen guilty would significantly harm free speech in Finland. What the former minister said in the three indictments, [the defense said] is an expression of Christian teaching.”

To even charge someone with hate speech for quoting the Bible is alarming and proves once more that it is Satan who rules this world.

Torture and Persecution in Canada

Life Site News wrote on April 2:

“Canadian Christian Pastor Artur Pawlowski broke his silence on what he described as deplorable jail conditions he faced while spending 51 days in prison, saying he was forced into solitary confinement on many occasions, strip-searched, and generally humiliated at times. Pawlowski claimed that at times prison staff tried to get inmates to ‘beat’ him up, and he was also placed in a part of a jail for a short time that is normally reserved for ‘murderers.’ He said that bizarrely he was placed in a ‘mental health unit’ for a time, as well: ‘What I went through, you got no idea.’

“Pawlowski said that some prison guards were nice to him and said they knew he was a political prisoner, and even offered to pray for him. Pawlowski was released from a Calgary jail on bail on Wednesday after his legal team agreed to terms that allowed him to go home with his family. He had been locked up for 51 days, starting February 8… Despite being out of jail, Pawlowski is under strict house arrest conditions that will severely limit his movement. He will be subject to a house curfew from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. except to attend his church services, and is barred from attending protests of any kind or meeting with the public…

“Pawlowski is facing at least three trials in the next coming months on multiple charges. Pawlowski had been arrested  for the fifth time on February 8 by an undercover SWAT team just before he was slated to speak at a peaceful Freedom Convoy protest at the Alberta-U.S. border near Coutts, Alberta. He had traveled to Coutts and gave a sermon to truckers blockading the highway, telling them peacefully to ‘hold the line.’”

Shame on Justin Trudeau’s dictatorship and shame on all those who support it in any way.

Not “Immediately” Cut Off

The Algemeiner wrote on April 1:

“Russia allowed gas to keep flowing to Europe on Friday despite a deadline for buyers to pay in roubles or be cut off…

“An order by President Vladimir Putin cutting off gas buyers unless they pay in roubles from Friday had caused alarm in Europe, where it was seen as Moscow’s strongest card to play to retaliate for Western financial sanctions. Germany, the biggest buyer, rejected the demand as ‘blackmail’.

“But pipelines were pumping as normal on Friday.  Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the decree would not affect shipments which were already paid for, only becoming an issue when new payments were due in the second half of the month.”

Did Ukraine Attack Oil Storage Facility on Russian Soil?

The Guardian wrote on April 1:

“Russia has claimed that Ukraine sent attack helicopters across the border to strike an oil storage facility in what, if confirmed, would be the first raid on Russian soil since it launched its invasion.

“Ukraine denied that it launched the attack, raising questions about whether Russian negligence may be to blame.”

It is not clear at all whether Ukraine denied the attack. In an interview with Fox News moderator Bret Baier, Zelenskyy refused to speak about this subject, due to the need for military secrecy.  

Nothing Less than Victory

Fox News wrote on April 1:

“Bret Baier asked the Ukrainian leader at the start of the interview how he believes the ‘war will end’ prompting an explanation from Zelenskyy that only ‘victory’ will be acceptable to his country… ‘The question of territorial integrity and sovereignty is out of discussion.’ Zelenskyy said that his country is looking for commitments from ‘leading nations’ that Ukraine’s security will be protected with a treaty if it is to agree to a deescalation with Russia and reiterated his belief that Ukraine would be a beneficial addition to NATO…

“The Ukrainian president added that he has spoken with President Biden and told him he would like to see the United States included in a security agreement that would provide long-term support for Ukraine to address the possibility Russia would… invade again in the future. Zelenskyy said that the United States is ‘considering this proposition.’

“When asked what Putin wants to gain in this conflict, Zelenskyy said that Putin wants whatever the West will give to him and that ‘appetites usually grow… adding that Putin will continue his aggression in Europe beyond Ukraine and will get what he wants ‘unless he is stopped’ now.”

Western nations gave Ukraine security promises before, only to break them subsequently.

Russian War Crimes in Ukraine?

 The Associated Press wrote on April 3:

“Ukraine’s troops found brutalized bodies with bound hands, gunshot wounds to the head and signs of torture after Russian soldiers withdrew from the outskirts of Kyiv, authorities said Sunday, sparking new calls for a war crimes investigation and sanctions against Russia. Associated Press journalists in Bucha, a small city northwest of the capital, saw the bodies of at least nine people in civilian clothes who appeared to have been killed at close range. At least two had their hands tied behind their backs. The AP also saw two bodies wrapped in plastic, bound with tape and thrown into a ditch…

“A day earlier, AP journalists witnessed Ukrainian soldiers gingerly removing at least six bodies from a street in Bucha with cables in case the Russians had booby-trapped corpses with explosives before their withdrawal. Local residents said the dead people were civilians killed without provocation, a claim that could not be independently verified. ‘What happened in Bucha and other suburbs of Kyiv can only be described as genocide,’ Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko told German newspaper Bild. Klitschko called on other nations to immediately end Russian gas imports, saying they were funding the killings…

“Charles Michel, president of the European Council, wrote on Twitter that he was shocked by the ‘haunting images of atrocities committed by [the] Russian army’ in the capital region. The EU and non-governmental organizations were assisting in the effort to preserve evidence of war crimes, according to Michel, who promised ‘further EU sanctions’ against Russia. The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy and the U.K. separately condemned what was being described and said Russia would be held accountable….”

Reuters added on April 3:

“Germany’s defence minister [Christine Lambrecht] said on Sunday that the European Union must discuss banning the import of Russian gas after Ukrainian and European officials accused Russian forces of committing atrocities near Kyiv… Berlin has so far resisted growing calls to impose an embargo on energy imports from Russia, saying its economy and that of other European countries are too dependent on them. Russia supplies 40% of Europe’s gas needs….

“Russia’s defence ministry denied the allegation, saying footage and photographs showing dead bodies in Bucha were ‘yet another provocation’ by Kyiv.”

The Russian denial is so egregious and appalling that it is difficult to contemplate that anyone would believe Russia on this. On April 6, in response to Russia’s actions and denials, “Pope Francis on Wednesday condemned ‘the massacre of Bucha’ and kissed a Ukrainian flag sent from the town where Russian troops withdrew and where dozens of bodies in civilian clothing have been found… decrying cruelty against civilians, defenseless women and children… He then asked a group of children war refugees who arrived on Tuesday from Ukraine to come up to him. ‘These children had to flee in order to arrive in a safe land. This is the fruit of war. Let’s not forget them and let’s not forget the Ukrainian people,’ he said… ‘In the war in Ukraine, we are witnessing the impotency of the United Nations’” (Newsmax, April 6).

Reuters reported on April 4:

“German Finance Minister Christian Lindner on Monday rejected a European Union embargo on Russian gas imports… ‘It is clear we must end as quickly as possible all economic ties to Russia. We must plan tough sanctions, but gas cannot be substituted in the short term. We would inflict more damage on ourselves than on them.’”

However, Germany seems to be on board with ending coal import from Russia.  

The PROOF Putin’s Soldiers and Wagner Mercenaries Carried out Bucha Atrocities

The Daily Mail wrote on April 7:

“Germany’s foreign intelligence service, the BND, has heard messages from Putin’s forces discussing the brutal murder of civilians in the city of horrors outside Kyiv, which was recaptured by Ukraine over the weekend. The transmissions have been linked to specific corpses seen in Bucha, with one soldier talking about how he and his colleagues shot dead someone on a bicycle, while another said: ‘First question soldiers, then shoot them.’ The audio messages have been relayed to German parliament by the BND to further debunk baseless Kremlin claims that the bodies were staged by Ukraine after Russia withdrew from the city in a ‘monstrous forgery’. 

“Messages show the troops regularly discussed the potential war crimes as if they were talking about their everyday lives. The wiretap recordings also show that the Wagner Group  was present in the city and played ‘a key role’ in the massacre, and that there are likely similar scenes of slaughter elsewhere in the country. The shadowy military company which has been linked to a string of killings, rapes and war crimes around the world is known as Putin’s private army which carries out his dirty work at an arm’s length from the state.”

War Crimes by Ukrainians too?

Politico wrote on April 7:

“A video posted to social media appears to show Ukrainian troops shooting a captured Russian soldier near a village west of Kyiv. In the video posted on Monday, which the New York Times said it had independently verified, a group of Ukrainian soldiers near the village of Dmytrivka walks among at least four stricken Russian combatants, who are tied up and lying on a rural road covered in blood. ‘Look — he’s still alive, he’s gasping,’ one member of the group says, pointing the camera in the direction of one of the captives, who is gasping for air, his head covered by his jacket and clothes soaked in blood. One of the Ukrainian soldiers fires multiple shots at the wounded man, who then falls silent.

“The person filming the scene then pans across the road, where at least three other Russian soldiers are tied up and lying in pools of blood, before approaching a Ukrainian fighter and saying, ‘Glory to Ukraine.’… In Brussels NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said didn’t ‘know anything about that specific incident’ but stressed that all war crimes are ‘unacceptable’ and that such allegations ‘should be thoroughly looked into.’”

The Horrors of War

The Sun wrote on April 3:

“TWO Russian soldiers have died after eating poisonous pies given to them by Ukrainian citizens, Ukrainian intelligence has claimed. The soldiers, from the third Motor Rifle Division, are said to have died instantly after being given the delicacies as ‘gifts’ by locals in Izium. Another 28 Russians were said to have been rushed to intensive care after the poisoning, with hundreds of others said to be suffering ‘severe illness’ from poisoned food and drink…

“It added: ‘About 500 more servicemen of the third Motorized Rifle Division of the Russian Federation are in hospitals due to severe alcohol poisoning of unknown origin.’”

Poisoning the enemy seems to become more common on both sides.

Czech Tanks Roll into Ukraine

Express wrote on April 6:

“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been calling for measures to bolster their army and the first NATO country has answered his call. In a brutal blow to Putin and his forces, more than a dozen T-72 tanks and some BVP-1 infantry fighting vehicles have been sent to Ukraine in a shipment as a gift agreed with NATO allies…

“Prague’s decision will likely increase pressure on NATO allies to follow their lead…”

According to a new poll, nearly 70% of Americans  fear that Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine will lead to nuclear war.

Europe’s Rapid Reaction Force Under German Leadership

Express wrote on April 1:

“Denmark will hold a vote on June 1 on whether to begin participating in a common European Union defence policy following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, almost 30 years after Danes chose to opt out… Denmark won exemptions from some EU policy areas, including the euro currency and defence and security policy, in a 1992 referendum on the Maastricht Treaty that laid the groundwork for the modern European Union… the… Democracy Movement wrote:  ‘… Using a crisis to push for more powers and diminish democracy is a classic pro-EU ploy….’

“Germany is ready to provide the core of the EU’s new rapid reaction force in 2025, the year it is meant to become fully operational… The force will replace the existing EU battlegroups that the bloc has had since 2007 but never used. Plans for an overhaul gained traction after European countries struggled to handle the chaotic withdrawal from Kabul in August.”

So it will be GERMANY which will provide the CORE of the EU’s new “defense” force. Whoever has eyes to see, let him see.

So it will be GERMANY which will provide the CORE of the EU’s new “defense” force. Whoever has eyes to see, let him see.

“Germany Has Never Been a Pacifist Power”

Foreign Policy wrote on April 4:

“Germany has not been a pacifist power at any moment since 1949… In the postwar era, Germany has indeed been more reluctant to use force than the United States, Britain, or France. But Bonn—and then Berlin—has always prepared for war, including nuclear war…

“The 1945 Potsdam Agreement that ended World War II called for the ‘complete disarmament and demilitarization of Germany.’ But this was a short-lived goal… The 1949 West German Constitution struck a very different chord: It forbade ‘wars of aggression,’ but it did not say anything about other forms of war… West Germany’s founding document ‘implicitly permitted wars of self-defense,’ enabled the introduction of conscription, and provided for the country’s participation in military alliances… In 1955, West Germany joined NATO and officially created the Bundeswehr… The Bundeswehr soon boasted 500,000 soldiers, making it NATO’s largest standing army in Western Europe.

“In 1957, the United States agreed to place its nuclear weapons stationed in Germany under the control of the Bonn government—with the Bundeswehr trained to deploy them in a potential conflict with the Soviet bloc. The prospect of Germany’s nuclearization triggered mass protest. Two-thirds of the German public rejected the move, yet Adenauer was able to push it through the parliament thanks to the CDU’s absolute majority…

“When the SPD finally came to power under Chancellor Willy Brandt in 1969, they had long abandoned their opposition to NATO, rearmament, and nuclear weapons. Adenauer’s defense policy was left unchanged. While reaching out to the Soviet bloc, Brandt still relied on NATO and Germany’s military muscle for defense and deterrence. In fact, the country’s defense budget increased by 50 percent over Brandt’s five years in office—record numbers. Brandt… wrote that his experience with the Nazi regime prevented him from becoming a pacifist and that the SPD under his chairmanship was ‘no pacifist party.’

“Helmut Schmidt, Brandt’s successor and party fellow, fully supported the deployment of a new generation of U.S. nuclear missiles on German soil as part of NATO’s response to a similar Soviet missile plan in Eastern Europe… Backing NATO’s confrontational policies put Schmidt not only against the peace movement but also most of his own party… his posture contributed to the SPD’s exit from government in 1982… the [new] governing conservative coalition led by Helmut Kohl stuck to Schmidt’s policy…

“Reunified Germany enjoyed the peace dividend that came with the Cold War’s end. But changing demands from allies, led by the United States, forced Berlin to take a stance on the new wars of the day. These were increasingly waged well beyond NATO territory—in the Persian Gulf,  Kuwait, Somalia, and, most importantly, the former Yugoslavia—making it difficult to interpret them as self-defense in the conventional sense. Eventually, Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court ruled in 1994 that even ‘out of area’ deployment of the Bundeswehr could be permitted under certain circumstances, especially if as part of a broader international effort.

“This opened the door for the Bundeswehr to engage in direct warfighting as part of NATO-led coalition forces: first, in the sky over Serbia during the 1999 Kosovo crisis, and then in Afghanistan with 150,000 soldiers—the second-highest number after the United States—making their tour until the final retreat in 2021…

“Despite fierce internal opposition, the Green leadership supported Germany’s new wars, arguing military violence was necessary to stop a genocide in Kosovo or to respond to the ‘totalitarian challenge’ in Afghanistan. This distinctly nonpacifist stance earned then-Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer a famous paint bomb attack at a party congress in 1999… The Greens then dropped pacifism from their 2002 long-term program, which explicitly—if not unconditionally—embraced both NATO and military deployments abroad.

“Germany’s military engagement appeared to become more conservative in the following years. While staying in Afghanistan and participating in multiple smaller missions in Mali, the Mediterranean, and off the coast of Somalia, the Bundeswehr avoided the U.S.-led war in Iraq in 2003 and the U.N.-sanctioned and NATO-led intervention in Libya in 2011. These decisions were occasionally wrapped in peace rhetoric… Yet… the German government supported those wars by other means: guarding U.S. military bases, helping with logistics, or sharing intelligence… Germany was pursuing, as the Berlin daily Die Tageszeitung wrote in 2002, ‘a little bit of war.’”

Hungary’s Viktor Orban Reelected

 JTA wrote on April 4:

“Hungary’s nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orban, has won a fourth term in office, dashing the hopes of a broad opposition alliance of unseating him after 12 years in power. In his victory speech Sunday night, Orban said he had prevailed against a slew of perceived enemies: ‘the left at home, the international left all around, the Brussels bureaucrats, the Soros empire with all its money, the international mainstream media, and in the end, even the Ukrainian president.’…

“Orban has clashed publicly with the European Union, to which Hungary belongs, over key issues such as immigration — he has refused to let in asylum seekers from the Middle East — as well as the treatment of Hungary’s Roma minority. He has also been accused of inciting antisemitic sentiments… his share of the vote is seen as a solid barometer of public opinion, suggesting that many Hungarians are satisfied with Orban’s positions, including when it comes to Russia’s war on Ukraine. Orban has declined to attenuate or sever economic ties with Russia as other European countries have done.

“Zelensky… implied that Orban is doing Russia’s bidding in the European Union. ‘There can be no Russian branches in Europe that divide the EU from within, that are trying to help Russia make as much money as possible even now… Everyone knows very well who in the European Union opposes humanity and common sense, and who does nothing at all to help establish peace in Ukraine. This must stop, and Europe must stop listening to the excuses of Budapest.’”

The Associated Press added:

“Orban, a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has insisted that Hungary remain neutral and maintain its close economic ties with Moscow, including continuing to import Russian gas and oil on favorable terms. At his final campaign rally Friday, Orban claimed that supplying Ukraine with weapons — something that Hungary, alone among Ukraine’s EU neighbors, has refused to do — would make the country a military target, and that sanctioning Russian energy imports would cripple Hungary’s own economy…

“Orban — a fierce critic of immigration, LGBTQ rights and ‘EU bureaucrats’ — has garnered the admiration of right-wing nationalists across Europe and North America. He has taken many of Hungary’s democratic institutions under his control and depicted himself as a defender of European Christendom against Muslim migrants, progressives and the ‘LGBTQ lobby.’”

Serbia Too

CNN wrote on April 4:

“In both Hungary and Serbia, openly pro-Russian parties comfortably won legislative elections, providing Putin with a welcome reminder that despite the international community’s firm and largely united response to the invasion, he does have some friends to his west…. Serbia…  isn’t a member of the EU or NATO. It is currently going through the process of joining the EU, with negotiations expected to end in the next couple of years.

“Serbia’s president, Aleksandar Vučić, has been placed in a difficult position by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. For years, he has tried to balance maintaining strong diplomatic and economic ties to Russia (and a particular fondness for Putin) with the Western embrace that would come with full EU membership…

“Serbia is almost entirely dependent on Russian gas, while its army maintains ties with Russia’s military. Although Serbia backed two United Nations resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it refused to impose sanctions against Moscow…. The Kremlin also supports Belgrade’s opposition to the independence of Kosovo by blocking its membership to the United Nations.”

It has been reported to us that most of the Serbs are among the fiercest and most fanatic supporters of Russia.

America is Losing the Middle East

Israel Today wrote on April 3:

“It’s come as a shock to some that Israel has refrained quite resolutely from joining the United States in condemning and sanctioning Russia over its invasion of Ukraine… But it’s not only the Jewish state that is loosening ties to the US. A chorus of Arab voices are warning that America is losing its grip on the entire Middle East due to reckless, contradictory and even hypocritical policies…

“This breakup began with the previous Iran nuclear deal facilitated by former US President Barak Obama  Now, continued al-Yahya, President Joe Biden is doing the same with the nuclear deal emerging from ongoing talks in Vienna…

“The conclusion that the Arabs have arrived at is that the United States no longer has their back, at least not in the way that would protect them from Iranian aggression. Israel has reached much the same conclusion, even if it doesn’t say so in such explicit terms.”

The USA is losing its influence worldwide and will end up all alone and forsaken.

Israel in Disarray

The Guardian wrote on April 6:

“A key member of Naftali Bennett’s Yamina party has quit the Israeli coalition government after a row about unleavened bread during Passover, in a surprise move that leaves the prime minister without a parliamentary majority.

“Idit Silman’s announcement left Bennett’s coalition, an alliance of parties ranging from the Jewish right and Israeli doves to an Arab Muslim party, with 60 seats – the same as the opposition… On Monday, Silman lashed out at the health minister, Nitzan Horowitz, after he instructed hospitals to allow leavened bread products into their facilities during the upcoming Passover holiday, in line with a recent supreme court ruling reversing years of prohibition. Jewish tradition bars leavened bread from the public domain during Passover…

“If another member of the coalition defects… the Knesset could hold a vote of no confidence and potentially lead Israel back to the polls for a fifth parliamentary election in four years.”

Some are speculating that Netanyahu is planning his comeback.

Jens Spahn’s Secret and Quiet Return

Der Westen wrote on April 1:

“What does Jens Spahn actually do? Until the change of power in Berlin, the CDU politician was Minister of Health. During large parts of the Corona crisis, he was at the center of events. Now the 41-year-old has reinvented himself: Jens Spahn has said goodbye to health policy… Almost secretly, quietly, Jens Spahn looked for a new job in Berlin. That only became really clear to many when he gave an interview to the TV station Phoenix on Tuesday. There Jens Spahn was suddenly introduced as the ‘energy expert’ of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. In this capacity, he gave an assessment of the gas threat from Moscow, which he believes to be a bluff by Vladimir Putin.

“From health minister to energy expert? Not a few TV viewers rubbed their eyes in amazement. There is a plethora of irritated and scornful reactions on the internet… In fact, Jens Spahn is now one of the deputy leaders of the Union parliamentary group and in this capacity is responsible for the topics of economy, climate, energy, small and medium-sized enterprises and tourism. So energy is now also his area of ​​expertise…

“Jens Spahn, who has felt at home in health policy almost continuously since entering the Bundestag in 2002, now wants to make a name for himself in the areas of energy and business – as a counterpart to Green Minister Robert Habeck. Some people will have to get used to that.”

The funny thing is, Jens Spahn was no expert in health matters, nor is he an expert on energy. But lack of expertise does not stop a politician from gaining prestige and influence.

Riding a Dead Horse?

Bild Online wrote on April 1st:

“A Dakota Indian proverb says: if you find yourself riding a dead horse, dismount. It is good that the… coalition partners, who wanted to oblige all citizens over 18 to be vaccinated by law, now see that nothing will come of it. Because the Omicron variant spreads at breakneck speed, but is much milder, there is no need for vaccination.

“Unfortunately, the coalition now changes from one dead horse to another horse, which is already half-dead on the ground. From mandatory vaccinations from the age of 18 to mandatory vaccinations from the age of 50! It would be much more important to clarify soon how many citizens in Germany have already recovered from Corona. Studies indicate that those who have recovered are also well protected from serious illnesses.

“As many infections remain undetected, many more than the officially reported 16.5 million citizens are likely to have recovered.”

This all sounds like an April Fool’s joke by the government, but unfortunately it isn’t. It doesn’t look like the government is just riding dead or half-dead horses, it looks like the riders themselves are “dead”.

Germany’s Lockdown Health Minister Lauterbach

Breitbart wrote on April 3:

“Germany’s lockdown-loving health minister… Karl Lauterbach is reportedly still hoping to legally force everyone over the age of 18 in the European Union member-state to get vaccinated against the Chinese coronavirus… In an interview posted by public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk, Lauterbach made clear that his dream scenario of all over-18s being forced to get jabbed against COVID-19 is still something he is committed to, despite a reported lack of support from elected officials… noting that he was not going to stop pushing the legislation in parliament….

“Forced masking is another lockdown rule that remains prominent in Germany, and while the requirements to wear such face coverings are being dropped at a national level from Sunday, many parts of the country will still require their use…, with 69 per cent of Germans still supporting the mandate according to a report by Bild.”

Words fail…

No Vaccine Mandate in Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 7:

“Germany’s Bundestag rejected a proposal to impose a vaccine mandate on those older than 60, which was supported by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Health Minister Karl Lauterbach… Of 674 Bundestag MPs, 378 voted against the vaccine mandate, while 296 supported it…

“The measure’s rejection was a major blow to Scholz and his governing coalition, consisting of the chancellor’s Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP)… several senior FDP members came out against mandating vaccines, joining instead the conservative opposition CDU/CSU in rejecting the measure.”

Bild Online commented that this is a debacle for Scholz and Lauterbach. One wonders what Scholz and Lauterbach will try next—from failed efforts to impose a vaccine mandate for those over 18 to those over 50 to those over 60.

Once Upon a Time, Fauci Told the Truth

Breitbart wrote on April 1:

“Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) observed that Dr. Anthony Fauci was once able to ‘tell the truth’ about natural immunity — a reality the White House chief medical adviser has largely dismissed throughout the Chinese coronavirus pandemic. ‘Hmmm…Once upon a time Anthony Fauci could tell the truth…What happened?’ Paul asked, referring to an older clip of Fauci on CSPAN, where the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) chief firmly defended the concept of natural immunity against an illness. When asked if someone who had the flu for 14 days needed a flu shot, Fauci said, ‘Well, no. If she got the flu for 14 days, she’s as protected as anybody can be because the best vaccination is to get infected yourself... If she really has the flu she definitely doesn’t need a flu vaccine,’ he continued, adding that ‘she doesn’t need it’ because ‘the most potent vaccination is getting infected yourself.’

“… Fauci has been hesitant to overtly tout the reality of natural immunity throughout the pandemic, encouraging everyone eligible to get the jab. That also happened to be one of the main issues among critics of vaccine mandates, as they noted that the rules did not consider the reality of natural immunity…

“Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) has also blasted Fauci for refusing to overtly acknowledge natural immunity in the wake of the virus. ‘When asked to comment on the effectiveness of natural immunity against the virus based on recent studies from Israel, Dr. Anthony Fauci stated he did not ‘have a real firm answer’ on that,’ Johnson said in a September 2021 statement. ‘Almost 20 months into the pandemic, it is shocking that the chief medical advisor to the president does not have a firm grasp on the effectiveness of natural immunity, but still promotes freedom-robbing vaccine mandates. This administration clearly does not want the public to question whether natural immunity is more effective than vaccines… This administration’s decision to disregard the effectiveness of natural immunity and demand vaccination ignores current data and is an assault on all Americans’ civil liberties,’ he added.”

Natural immunity does not put money in the coffers of the pharma industry… vaccines do.

Dr. Fauci Acting Like a Mafia Don

Breitbart wrote on April 2:

“A recent Vanity Fair magazine report described heavy-handed tactics and what was claimed to be ‘a siege mentality’ at the National Institutes of Health when evolutionary biologist Jesse Bloom presented the draft of an unpublished scientific paper about the origins of the COVID-19 virus he had written to National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci and two of his colleagues, evolutionary biologist Kristian Andersen and virologist Robert Garry. Bloom’s paper suggested the virus came from a lab, contradicting Fauci’s stated belief. The article described a contentious exchange among a group of scientists over a Zoom call.

“Friday on FNC’s ‘The Ingraham Angle,’ Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) reacted to the Vanity Fair piece and described the behavior of the NIH-affiliated scientists as ‘more like [what] you see from a mafia don than from a government bureaucrat or scientist… Well, this expose in Vanity Fair shows Dr. Fauci and his acolytes once again, trying to suppress and trying to block any scientists who disagree with them,’ Paul said… ‘I mean, it’s really alarming… And this is what I tried to bring out in the last committee hearing is, is that they will do anything… If you disagree with him, they come down on you hard, and they try to suppress anybody with a different opinion. It happened to three famous epidemiologists from Stanford, Harvard and Oxford…’”

Is the suppression of opposing views the way in which “science” operates?

Abortion War Goes On

Life News wrote on April 1:

“While pro-life states have passed a record number of laws to protect unborn babies from abortion, already this year, pro-abortion states have been taking aggressive action to expand abortions… four states in particular… have thrown out the ‘safe, legal and rare’ mentality and replaced it with the notion that more abortions and fewer safety regulations are a good thing. They are California, Colorado, Oregon and Illinois.

“All four states force taxpayers to pay for elective abortions and allow late-term abortions on viable, healthy unborn babies with healthy mothers. They do not have informed consent laws for mothers or basic health and safety standards for abortion facilities, and they allow non-doctors to perform abortions – putting both mothers’ and unborn babies’ lives at risk. Hundreds of thousands of unborn babies are aborted in these four states alone every year, and the numbers are expected to rise with their aggressive efforts to expand abortions.

“However, many other states are taking bold action to protect unborn babies from abortion and support mothers in need. The Guttmacher Institute estimates 26 states ‘are certain or likely to ban abortions’ if the Supreme Court gets rid of Roe. Researchers estimate abortion numbers would drop by about 120,000 in the first year and potentially even more in subsequent years if the high court allows states to ban abortions again.

“Right now, Roe and later abortion rulings force states to legalize the killing of unborn babies without limits up to viability. As a result, more than 63 million unborn babies have been killed in abortions in the past 50 years. The Supreme Court likely will issue its ruling… in June.”

Bird Flu Affects American Exports

Bloomberg wrote on March 30:

“A deadly strain of bird flu that’s been raising egg prices ahead of Easter was discovered in five new U.S. states Wednesday, and the virus increasingly is threatening American poultry exports. Highly pathogenic avian influenza was discovered at a commercial poultry farm in Johnston County, North Carolina, and in backyard flocks in Massachusetts, North Dakota, Ohio and Wyoming, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a release. Since mid-January, it’s been found in 23 states in flocks totaling nearly 17 million birds.

“Countries have been temporarily banning imports from U.S. states where bird flu is present as a result, according to the USDA. Top buyers such as Mexico, China and Cuba could bring in less poultry following the discovery in North Carolina, a major producer of chicken and turkeys, said Jim Sumner, president of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council in Tucker, Georgia. Bird flu will also make eggs relatively scarce for the Easter holiday, with production still below levels seen prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a report from agriculture lender CoBank.”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

In the first part of this series, we looked at the proposition that some theologians believe that the four accounts about Christ’s birth contradict each other. We showed that the Bible does not contain errors, and that the gospel accounts complement, rather than contradict each other.

While different scholars may have their own, and varied views, on the matter about Jesus’ birth, the Church of God, historically, has explained that the Bible interprets the Bible in all matters!

And so, let us look at the two different writings in Matthew and Luke and see where they have the same information and are in complete agreement.

1. Mary was a virgin

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virgin, as we read in Matthew 1:18, 23 and 25:

 ^“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit… Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name “Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”’… [Joseph] did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.”

The word “virgin” is only mentioned in verse 23, but the other two verses, quoted above, contain the phrases: “Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together” and that Joseph “did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.”

In Luke 1:26-27, we read: “Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.”

We will discuss the biblical claim of the “Virgin Birth” in more detail in the next Q&A.

2. Nazareth was the city where Joseph and Mary lived

 As mentioned above in Luke 1:26-27, we read that Nazareth was where Mary and Joseph lived.

Also, in Luke 2:39, as referenced in subheading No. 4 below, we read that “they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.”  See also Matthew 2:23.

3. Jesus was born in Bethlehem

 In the book of Matthew 2:1, we read a clear statement of fact: “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem.”

We further read in Luke 2:4-7: “Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.  So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

Both accounts agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Also, the prophecy of Micah confirms this fact, where we read in Micah 5:2: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”

4. They returned to Nazareth after Jesus’ Birth

Matthew 2:23 says: “And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, ‘He shall be called a Nazarene.’”

Luke 2:39 says: “So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.”

In passing, much confusion exists about the statement in Matthew that Jesus was called a Nazarene. In our Q&A, titled “Is the Shroud of Turin Authentic?,” we wrote:

“… we are told that a man is not to wear ‘long hair,’ and that even nature teaches us that wearing long hair is a ‘dishonor’ to a man…

“…  the Old Testament permitted a man on special occasions to wear long hair. This exception is set forth in Numbers 6, known as ‘the Law of the Nazarite.’ Men were permitted to make a temporary ‘Nazarite vow’ to God. During the time of their vow, a Nazarite was not to cut his hair, but let ‘the locks of the hair of his head grow’ (verse 5). In addition, he was not to touch a dead person, eat any fresh grapes or raisins, or drink anything made from grapes, including wine. This law was inseparably connected with the ritual law of sacrifices: At the end of the separation, the Nazarite had to bring several offerings, and he had to go through additional rituals before the priest.

“Jesus, however, was not a Nazarite. He grew up in the city of Nazareth and was therefore called a ‘Nazarene’ (Matthew 2:23) — which is of course quite different from being a Nazarite.

“Since we have no record of a written Old Testament prophecy regarding to Christ being called a Nazarene, we conclude that Matthew is referring here to an oral prophecy (He specifically states that this had been ‘spoken’ of Jesus.) However, in Isaiah 11:1, Christ is called the ‘Branch,’ in Hebrew ‘nezer.’ This Hebrew word is very similar to the Hebrew word for Nazarene. It has therefore been suggested that Jews at the time of Jesus might have understood this verse to refer to someone from Nazareth.

“In any event, Christ was not a Nazarite, because He did many things which were prohibited for Nazarites.”

So, we see, that both Matthew and Luke confirm Jesus grew up in Nazareth.

However, there are events that are exclusively written in just one of the gospel accounts, as a study of the harmony of the gospels will show.

Only in the book of Matthew do we read about the visit of the magi (Matthew 2:1-12) and the flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15).

Only in the book of Luke do we read about the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-7); the visit of the shepherds (Luke 2:8-17); Christ’s presentation in the temple (Luke 2:22-24) and the words of Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:25-38).

Does this mean that there are errors in these accounts?   We must remember that none of these events are mentioned in either the book of Mark or John.  If we honestly and carefully put all of this information together, there are no contradictions, just accounts that focus on different things that happened.

There are two verses at the end of the book of John which are very telling: “This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.  And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen” (John 21:24-25).

This clearly reveals that only so much about Jesus was written and much more was not recorded in the Bible.   Therefore, we have a lot of information about the Savior of mankind, recorded in different biblical books, but it is only a small amount that could have been recorded.   But God decided, directed and inspired the writers of the gospel accounts what needed to be recorded for posterity. The information that we have is sufficient to reveal God’s Master Plan for Salvation which shows that God’s faithful and loyal people can enter the Kingdom of God at Christ’s return.

Other areas of dispute in the article originally referred to at the beginning of this Q&A was that of the alleged differences between the events of Matthew 2 where the wise men from the east visited the “young Child” (Matthew 2:1-12) and where Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus fled to Egypt on the instruction of the angel of the LORD (Matthew 2:13-15).

In Luke 2, we find recorded the visit of the shepherds who were told by an angel: “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:11-12), and the journey that Joseph and Mary made to Jerusalem “to present Him at the temple in Jerusalem to the Lord” (Luke 2:22 and 39).

In Matthew 2, we read that the wise men “came into the house and saw the young Child with Mary” (verse 11).  In Luke 2, the shepherds saw a “Babe” (not a young Child) lying in a manger.   These two events were obviously quite a time apart.

There are those who see that these events are contradictory when, in fact, they are complementary.  Just because one writer gives one account and another writer gives different information, pertaining to a different time, doesn’t mean that either is in error.

The shepherds saw Christ just after He was born; He was circumcised in Jerusalem, and Simeon (Luke 2:25-32) and Anna (Luke 2:36-38) saw Him in the Temple at Jerusalem.  Much later, the wise men saw the Child and after Herod realised that the wise men had not returned to give him any news, it was then that Joseph was told to flee into Egypt.   We then read about the massacre of all male children under the age of two years taking place.  The fact that it was all male children under the age of two gives us an understanding that Jesus could have been up to two years old when this happened. In fact, we read that Herod ordered the massacre and “put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men” (Matthew 2:16).

In our Q&A on the wise men in Matthew 2, we quote the Bible Encyclopaedia as follows:

“[Regarding the] Magi who worshipped Jesus [the word] translated ‘wise men’ is the Greek word magos. This is the same as magus, an old Persian word equivalent to the chakam of the Old Testament (above). Magi is the plural of magus… There is no indication that they practiced sorcery or claimed magical powers. Their recorded conduct is sincere and worshipful. They appear to have researched the Old Testament and believed its prophecies about the Messiah… The record does not specifically say that there were three, or that they were kings… but there was obvious wealth involved… These magi did not arrive until possibly almost two years after Christ’s birth, certainly sometime after his presentation in the Temple (Luke 2:22-39)… There is no mention of camels or any mode of transportation in the biblical record. There is also no mention of their names…”

After the massacre, Herod died and Joseph was told to go back to the land of Israel, and the family then dwelt in Nazareth (compare Matthew 2:19-23).

Regarding the reporting of events, one internet writer opined that “When one reads any of the gospels, one gets the impression that it was a normal narrative technique at that time to report incidents which were separated by a significant amount of time as if they were successive events.”

The events in Matthew 2 and Luke 2 are complementary, and must be true because if they are not, then the Bible has errors, but we know that this is not so.   If the Bible had errors, then it could not be trusted.   But that is not the case, and the Bible is the Word of God that we can truly rely on!

(To Be Continued)

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

compiled by Dave Harris

Germany Was Never a Pacifist Power” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

It has been recently alleged that due to the Afghanistan debacle and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Germany has given up its pacifist stance to become more engaged in military activities. But as this program shows, Germany was never a pacifist power, and Bible prophecy tells us what Germany will do very soon.  

“Papst Franziskus und der Krieg… richtig oder falsch?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Pope Francis and War… Right or Wrong?”

A new, pre-Passover Member Letter (April 2022) has been written by Norbert Link. This letter has been posted and mailed to our subscribers. Mr. Link strongly reminds members to be preparing for the Passover by truly examining ourselves to reaffirm that we are indeed walking in the Faith and that Jesus is living in us.

The first of this year’s Holy Days are approaching. Passover will be on April 15, 2022 (observed the previous evening), followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread: April 16^th (annual Holy Day) through April 22^nd (annual Holy Day). We will provide live services over the Internet for both Holy Days.

A Tech Team meeting was conducted via Google Meet on Sunday, April 3, 2022. Led by Eric Rank, emphasis was given to reporting on developments regarding our new ad campaigns. Michael Link presented a new compilation video featuring prophetic statements made by Norbert Link over several years—noting that prophecy is being fulfilled. You may view this presentation at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRRfXHfPoj0

“Verschwörungstheorien -ein Produkt Satans,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Manuel Giermann in Germany, is now posted. Title in English: “Conspiracy Theories – A Product of Satan.”

“Natural Immunity and Nuclear Bombs in Germany—Comments on News and Prophecy, April 2, 2022,” the first message presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We are discussing the war in Ukraine; a contemplated but ill-conceived deal between the USA and the EU to reduce the continent’s reliance on Russian energy; Putin’s demands to pay in rubles for Russian natural gas exports; American nuclear bombs being stored in Germany and in other European countries; the curse of abortion; and new developments regarding Covid mandates and Dr. Fauci’s surprising admissions in the past. We also speak on the hoax about Trump’s missing phone records and the return of Germany’s former health minister, Jens Spahn.

“Total Confusion! Spiritual Bodies in the Resurrection?” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Hard to believe, but there is incredible confusion about the concept of the “spiritual body” which a Christian will have when he is resurrected, and even Christ’s appearance after His resurrection has been totally misunderstood. As a consequence, many do not understand what is the potential of man, and how Christians will and will not look in the Kingdom of God.

On April 2, 2022, Norbert Link will present, “Comments on News and Prophecy, April 2, 2022,” and the sermon, titled, “Total Confusion! Spiritual Bodies in the Resurrection?”

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.

Having something to look forward to in life gives us the motivation that it takes to get up in the morning and make the most of the day. At times we might have more to look forward to than at other times. The things we enjoy can be as simple as having a good cup of coffee, a conversation with a friend, or the sense of accomplishment after completing a challenging task. They might be big things too, like a long-awaited vacation or the birth of a child. Big or small, appreciating the wholesome things can motivate us to find the joy in life that helps us to appreciate the short time with which God has blessed us.

I’m sure we can all think of something that we look forward to on a day-to-day basis. Though, the magnitude of problems that threaten to squelch our hope demand so much of our attention that it can be difficult to even bring those elements of hope to mind. It’s probably easier to think of things that fight to bring us down. Problems may begin with ourselves, affecting our health or otherwise. Outside ourselves, problems that affect us scale up at every level, ending with the pitiable state of the world at large. We, however, have a responsibility to fight against the dark forces of discouragement.

As helpful as it is to find a source of hopeful anticipation in the physical things in our lives, we know that these things are fleeting. God offers us blessings for obedience in our lives, intentionally giving us reason for joy while we live in these physical bodies. But the world that we live in is passing away. Placing our source of joy in what the world offers us will end in sore disappointment (compare 1 John 2:15-17). If we only place value in the things the world has to offer, we place our hope in a precarious place. The state of the world will only continue to worsen, eclipsing even the simplest sources of worldly joy.

The Bible tells us that there is a better way to live! Our job is to put the Word of God to work in our lives so that we are not found vulnerable to the world’s decay. We have to realize that the true source of joy that we have comes from God. When we have that state of mind, even the most difficult of circumstances give us something to hope for. Consider the perspective of the disciples when they were beaten and imprisoned (compare Acts 5:40-42, Acts 16:20-34). They knew that their worldly circumstances, as dire as they were, served a greater purpose in God’s plan for their lives. With the understanding that the worldly discouragement they experienced was temporary and meaningful, the disciples found something to appreciate – that they could serve God mightily.

We would do well to acknowledge how fortunate we are. The knowledge of the Truth about God’s plan can help us every single day to understand the circumstances of our lives. God is doing a work with us individually, to help us grow, to challenge us, and to do as much as possible with the resources He gives us. Knowing this adds much deeper meaning in the small things of our lives. Anticipating the weekend becomes even richer because we have the Sabbath that God gives us as a day of rest. The joy in seeing the smiles on the faces of our family and brethren becomes more precious because those moments demonstrate the effect of love that God commands. We can also find strength to get through the hard things we experience, knowing that in the big picture, those difficulties will pass and that they will help us to develop the character that pleases God. When we are able to see our life as God sees it, we have much to look forward to.

But even more, God promises us the greatest possible gift, which of course is eternal life as glorified members in His Family. That event lies beyond the boundary of our physical lives, so we cannot experience it until we become glorified (compare 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). However, it is going to be so awesome that nothing compares. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.   For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:18-21). This moment when we inherit the earth to share in righteous rulership under Jesus Christ and God the Father gives us a reason to enjoy the moments that lead up to that time. We know that every moment serves a virtuous purpose.

The world will try to convince us otherwise, but the FACT is that we have a tremendous amount of wonderful things to look forward to. When we have the right frame of mind, we can see God in our lives at every scale. From the micro-moments that put a smile on our face, to the culmination of God’s plan, when all pain and sorrow will be destroyed, we know that everything we experience serves His purpose for us. Now, that gives us something to look forward to!

by Norbert Link

We begin with incredible idolatry in the Catholic Church and remarkable comments by Pope Francis. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Pope Francis and War… Right or Wrong?”

We also speak on Justin Trudeau’s hypocrisy.

We continue with an alleged but inconsequential deal between the USA and the EU; American nuclear weapons in Germany and the rest of Europe; and Germany’s ongoing typical blunders.

We speak on Biden’s devastating gaffes; and America’s “most dangerous time in its history.”

We speak on Putin’s threat to “unfriendly” countries to have to pay Russian natural gas exports only in rubles; questions whether Russia will retreat from parts of Ukraine; and dangerous Chinese propaganda.

We also speak on the dangerous Iran deal and include a warning to watch the Middle East. We also focus on Afghanistan and North Korea.

We conclude with articles on Covid vaccines; fossil fuels; and abortion. In this context, please view our recent StandingWatch program, “Free Abortions in California…’Repent or Perish!’”

Idolatry, Superstition, Demonology and Blasphemy in the Catholic Church

The Associated Press wrote on March 25:

“Pope Francis prayed for peace in Ukraine in a ceremony Friday that harked back to a century-old apocalyptic prophecy about peace and Russia that was sparked by purported visions of the Virgin Mary to three peasant children in Fatima, Portugal, in 1917. Francis invited bishops, priests and ordinary faithful around the world to join him in the consecration prayer, which… concluded with Francis sitting alone before a statue of the Madonna. There, he solemnly asked forgiveness that humanity had ‘forgotten the lessons learned from the tragedies of the last century, the sacrifice of the millions who fell in two World Wars… Free us from war, protect our world from the menace of nuclear weapons,’ he prayed…

“The prayer ritual… deals with some of the more controversial aspects of the Catholic faith: purported visions of the Madonna, revelations of hell, Soviet communism and the death of a pope, and questions about whether the prophecies contained in the so-called ‘secrets of Fatima’ have already been fulfilled or not… Retired Pope Benedict XVI participated from his home in the Vatican gardens. A papal envoy celebrated a simultaneous service at the shrine in Fatima.

“The Fatima story dates to 1917 when according to tradition, Portuguese siblings Francisco and Jacinta Marto and their cousin Lucia said the Virgin Mary appeared to them six times and confided to them three secrets. The first two described an apocalyptic image of hell, foretold the end of World War I and the start of World War II, and portended the rise and fall of Soviet communism. The children were between 7 and 10 years old at the time. In 2000, the Vatican disclosed the long-awaited third secret, describing it as foretelling the May 13, 1981, assassination attempt against St. John Paul II in St. Peter’s Square. According to later writings by Lucia, who became a nun and died in 2005, Russia would be converted and peace would reign if the pope and all the bishops of the world consecrated Russia to the ‘Immaculate Heart of Mary.’ Lucia later claimed that John Paul fulfilled that prophecy during a Mass on March 25, 1984, exactly 38 years ago Friday, even though he never specified Russia in the prayer.

“The text of Francis’ prayer corrected that 1984 omission. It reads: ‘Therefore, Mother of God and our Mother, to your Immaculate Heart we solemnly entrust and consecrate ourselves, the Church and all humanity, especially Russia and Ukraine.’ It adds: ‘Grant that war may end and peace spread throughout the world.’…”

The extent of idolatry, superstition, demonology and blasphemy in the Catholic Church is astounding.

Pope Francis: Wars Must End

Breitbart wrote on March 27:

“Pope Francis renewed his appeal for an end to war Sunday, condemning the ‘bestiality’ of the Russian war on Ukraine… ‘There is a need to repudiate war, a place of death where fathers and mothers bury their children, where men kill their brothers without even having seen them, where the powerful decide and the poor die… War not only devastates the present but also the future of a society’…

“Francis went on to insist that war cannot be ‘something inevitable’ and humanity must never grow used to armed conflict… ‘Faced with the danger of self-destruction, humanity understands [according to Thompson/Reuters, he said: “humanity must understand”] that the time has come to abolish war, to erase it [Reuters: “to cancel it”] from human history before it is she who erases [“cancels”] man from history,’ he exhorted.”

Sadly, humanity by no means understands that the time has come to abolish war. In fact, the opposite is true, and a terrible nuclear war will be fought in the near future, threatening the very survival of mankind.

Trudeau’s Dictatorship and Hypocrisy

LifeSiteNews wrote on March 25:

“Organizers of the anti-COVID mandate ‘Freedom Convoy’ protest now face up to five years in prison after police came up with several additional charges. Despite the non-violent nature of the ‘Freedom Convoy’ demonstration that occurred in Ottawa for three weeks earlier this year in protest of COVID restrictions, two of the primary organizers… have now been hit with charges [of] mischief, counselling mischief, intimidation, counselling intimidation, counselling obstruction of police, and obstructing police…

“Ottawa’s chief of police reluctantly admitted that during the police crackdown of the protest following Trudeau’s invocation of the never-before-used Emergencies Act, not a single charge for weapons possession came down, despite the constant accusations that the Freedom Convoy protesters were ‘insurrectionists’ and posed a threat to national security…

“The significance of the government’s backtracking on the nature of the Freedom Convoy protest is monumental, as it was these arguments that the Trudeau government used to justify invoking the Emergencies Act, which allowed it to use the national police force to physically remove peaceful protesters while demanding financial institutions freeze the bank accounts of private citizens without a court order.  As a result of this backtracking, the state-funded CBC has since had to retract a story that falsely claimed most support for the Freedom Convoy came from foreigners. The CBC had also earlier retracted a story run in January that falsely claimed Russia was somehow behind the Freedom Convoy. “

To hear dictator Trudeau speak about the importance of democracy when accusing Putin and defending Ukraine is the epitome of hypocrisy.

National Post wrote on or about March 27:

“It is a brazen thing to go to other countries like some John the Baptist for the democracies, shortly after having trampled all over the rights of those involved in a largely peaceful democratic protest… The trucker protest was not an attempted coup. It was not a rebellion. It was not an assault on Canada’s democracy. It was none of those things.

“The convoy protest was strong and present, but it was unthreatening and largely non-violent. It was superbly Canadian. It should not be slandered. And it surely should not be used as some sort of example of anti-democratic forces by the leader of the country in which it took place. Most especially when he goes about the world delivering passionate defences of the idea of democracy itself.

“To defend democracy, you should adhere to its principles. Don’t go to Brussels to preach what you skip over in Ottawa. Some examples:… Don’t call protesters racist and homophobic and characterize them as a fringe minority and stoke public anger against them with your extravagant and mean rhetoric. Don’t rhetorically isolate one small portion of the Canadian population and paint them all as villains and seditionists and insurrectionists in a blatant attempt to whip up animosity towards them and their cause. Don’t, as the leader of a democracy, claim they were out to overthrow the government. This is so much an overstatement it is really difficult to understand how some in the press actually repeated it…

“A leader preaching democracy abroad… wouldn’t give himself the power to reach into personal bank accounts. He wouldn’t use the brute authority of the federal government to interfere with their fundraising. All this being the case, maybe Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should think twice before wandering into an international forum, during  a time of real war and death, and evoking the Canadian protest in the context of Ukraine’s savage hurt and danger….”

Rebel News wrote on March 24 about Trudeau’s trip to Belgium and the reaction he received from some:

“Croatian Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Mislav Kolakušić…  [categorized] the force Canada… used against Freedom Convoy protesters as methods of ‘a dictatorship of the worst kind.’… At least two more MEP’s criticized Trudeau’s leadership and his invitation to address the European legislature. A fourth MEP, Italy’s Francesca Donato, says she was denied the opportunity to speak after Trudeau did, despite being one of the scheduled speakers.

“German MEP Christine Anderson said ‘Mr. Trudeau, you are a disgrace for any democracy. Please spare us your presence.’ Anderson… did not hold back her fiery words for the increasingly authoritarian Trudeau… ‘a prime minister who openly admires the Chinese basic dictatorship, who tramples on fundamental rights by persecuting and criminalizing his own citizens as terrorists, just because they dare to stand up to his perverted concept of democracy should not be allowed to speak in this house at all.’

“MEP Bernhard Zimniok, another representative from Germany, went as far as trying to prevent Trudeau’s speech in the European Parliament meeting from happening at all…”

A Deal Between the USA and EU?

The Associated Press wrote on March 25:

“The United States and European Union on Friday announced a new partnership to reduce the continent’s reliance on Russian energy… Under the plan, the U.S. and other nations will increase liquified natural gas exports to Europe by 15 billion cubic meters this year, though U.S. officials were unable to say exactly which countries will provide the extra energy this year. Even larger shipments would be delivered in the future… the initiative will likely require new facilities for importing liquified natural gas…

“Getting more liquefied natural gas to Europe could be difficult… Many export facilities are already operating at capacity, and most new terminals are still only in the planning stages… Even if the U.S. can ship more gas to Europe, the continent may struggle to receive it. Import terminals are located in coastal areas, where there are fewer pipeline connections for distributing it.

“And if all Europe’s facilities were operating at capacity, the amount of gas would likely be only about two-thirds of what Russia delivers through pipelines.”

According to the New York Times, it would take years before new terminals are in operation to receive substantial amounts of gas from the USA. Also, if the USA has so much gas to spare, why is it that the gas prices at America’s gas stations are so astronomically high? And why is it that in Tijuana/Mexico, just across the US-Mexico border, “regular gas sells for an average of $3.96 a gallon — nearly $2 less than in California.” One of the reasons is that the Mexican government “provides subsidies to Mexican oil companies and refineries” (Los Angeles Times, March 24).

Nuclear Weapons in Germany and Europe… Ready to Be Used

The Washington Post wrote on March 25:

“Near steep vineyards of riesling grapes, in an underground vault at an air force base in western Germany, sits an American nuclear bomb. More than one of them, actually… Experts estimate that there are about 100 such bombs stored among five NATO countries, ready to be loaded on jets and dropped by the United States and its allies… toward an enemy target. One version of this bomb can carry the explosive equivalent of 11 Hiroshimas….

“The bomb’s family name is B61… As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggers another round of anxiety about World War III, the B61 remains the only U.S. nuclear weapons system based in Europe… In May, the United States is scheduled to begin full-scale production of a modernized version of the B61 that will have an adjustable yield – meaning that the military can dial up or down the force with which each bomb explodes – and a guided tail kit to improve accuracy (no parachute necessary). This modernization, which started more than a decade ago, is predicted to cost between $9.1 billion and $10.1 billion – making it probably the most expensive nuclear-bomb program in U.S. history…

“The mood in Germany – where for years the parliament has held debates on phasing out custody of those B61s by the vineyards – ‘has changed significantly since the Russian invasion of Ukraine,’ says Xanthe Hall, a nuclear-disarmament expert… ‘The reaction to this is very strong but in both directions. Many people are calling for abolition of nuclear weapons,’ she says, while ‘others are saying that nuclear deterrence is our only protection.’

“On March 14 Germany announced that it would replace its aging bomber jets with American F-35s that can also carry B61s…”

Nuclear weapons do not only exist for the purpose of deterrence. They are there to be used.

More Typical German Blunders

Express wrote on March 27:

“THE UKRAINIAN ambassador to Germany has hit out at a [German] ‘solidarity concert’… Ambassador Andriy Melnyk refused to attend the event, which he described as ‘an affront’. The concert, organised by German President Frank Walter Steinmeier, took place earlier today. It was organised to ‘condemn the attack on Ukraine and send a signal of solidarity and the shared belief in the value of freedom and self-determination’, a statement said. According to the Office of the Federal President, musicians from countries such as Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and Germany were set to perform… However, only Russian soloists could be seen on the schedule, alongside performances by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra… [Melnyk announced:] ‘Sorry I’m staying away!!!’

“Germany has previously faced criticism from Ukrainian politicians, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hitting out at the country for failing to secure peace in Europe, despite pledges to do so in the wake of the Holocaust. In a brutal speech to German politicians in Berlin in March, Mr Zelensky said: ‘I address all of you who heard politicians say every year ‘never again,’ but I can see these words are worth nothing. Now, our whole nation is being exterminated in Europe…’ Meanwhile, Ukrainian MP Dymtro Gurin has accused the German Government of ‘financing mass murder’, over Berlin’s reluctance to ditch Russian gas… Mr Gurin said: ‘Germany has to understand that buying Russian gas they’re financing the mass murder… they are afraid they will not get gas and because they fear, they’re financing mass-murdering.’”

Biden’s Devastating Gaffes

The Associated Press reported on March 26:

“President Joe Biden delivered a forceful and highly personal condemnation of Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Saturday, summoning a call for liberal democracy and a durable resolve among Western nations in the face of a brutal autocrat. As he capped a four-day trip to Europe, a blend of emotive scenes with refugees and standing among other world leaders in grand settings, Biden said of Putin: ‘… this man cannot remain in power.’ It was a dramatic escalation in rhetoric — Biden had earlier called Putin a ‘butcher’ — that the White House found itself quickly walking back. Before Biden could even board Air Force One to begin the flight back to Washington, aides were clarifying that he wasn’t calling for an immediate change in government in Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov quickly denounced Biden, saying ‘it’s not up to the president of the U.S. and not up to the Americans to decide who will remain in power in Russia’…”

Breitbart added on March 27:

“This is the third time the White House has had to clarify Biden’s remarks during his trip to Europe. On Friday, the White House reassured people that Biden would not send American troops into Ukraine, even after the president spoke with the troops about what they would see when they got to the country. On Thursday, the White House had to clarify that Biden did not mean the United States would use chemical weapons when he said that if Putin used them the United States and NATO would respond ‘in kind.’”

Some commentators felt that Biden’s call for regime change in Russia [or for a demand to “take him out”] were not a “gaffe,” but expressed accurately what Biden really believes. “A top official confirmed for Axios that the line wasn’t on Biden’s teleprompter or in his text” (Axios, March 27). The New York Post wrote on March 27:  “Shortly after the speech, a Biden aide told pool reporters that ‘the president… was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change.’ Unbelievable. So what Biden so clearly said is not at all what he meant.”

Breitbart added on March 29:

“On Monday, Biden struggled to clarify his remarks [on Putin], first claiming falsely that he had not walked back his Warsaw comment, then repeating it, claiming it was just a statement of ‘moral outrage.’… He indicated he believed everyone criticizing him for his comments about Putin was being dishonest.”

As Fox News and the New York Post reported and evidenced by photos, Biden had a carefully prepared “cheat sheet” with written-down answers in anticipation of questions regarding his Putin comments. Biden has used cheat sheets several times before.

Biden also suggested on his trip that there would be food shortages in the USA, which the White House denied. And, Biden once again stated that the sanctions imposed on Russia and Putin were never meant to deter him. This contradicts totally comments by Kamala Harris and the Biden Administration, including numerous times by Antony Blinken as well as Ned Price, Jake Sullivan and Daleep Singh.

Breitbart pointed out on March 29:

“However, as far back as January 19, Biden was explaining how the threat of sanctions would deter Putin. A reporter asked Biden at a press conference that day, ‘Given how ineffective sanctions have been in deterring Putin in the past, why should the threat of new sanctions give him pause?’ Biden responded, ‘Well, because he’s never seen sanctions like the ones I promised will be imposed if he moves.’”

Surely, the sanctions did not deter Putin, but If they were not imposed for the purpose of deterrence, why impose sanctions at all?

The Most Dangerous Time in American History

Newsmax wrote on March 27:

“Former President Donald Trump is warning President Joe Biden is risking provoking Vladimir Putin to use nuclear weapons to defend himself against Biden’s accidental call for a regime change in Russia. ‘When you put him into a corner and you talk the way they’re talking… they’re almost giving him an incentive…’  Trump noted that tends to make dictators use deadly force, if not nuclear weapons to defend themselves… Provoking Putin to escalate an invasion of Ukraine into a nuclear attack on a NATO ally, if not the United States, makes this the ‘most dangerous time’ in American history, according to Trump. ‘I don’t think our country has ever been in greater danger than it is right now, because of the power of certain weapons that I know very well.’…

“Biden has bungled the Trump-era deterrence on Russia and Putin, effectively opening the door for the invasion and needlessly leading to thousands of deaths, Trump continued… ‘All those people should be living now. They should not be dead…  You look at these cities; they’ve been bombed, and they’ve been blown up, but it’s going to take 50 to 100 years to rebuild them. And so many people have been killed and horribly wounded… It should have never happened.’”

Paying in Rubles?

The Associated Press wrote on March 25:

“President Vladimir Putin’s threat to have ‘unfriendly’ countries pay for Russian natural gas exports only in rubles from now on got the not-so-friendly treatment from European Union nations Thursday. ‘I don’t think anybody in Europe really know how rubles look like,’ said Slovene Prime Minister Janez Jansa. ‘Nobody will pay in rubles.’ If others put it less bluntly, it came down to the same – from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who as former chief of the European Central Bank, knows something about currencies…

“Making such demands [to pay in rubles instead of US dollars or euros] would fundamentally change contracts and render them null and void, several European leaders said… The Russian threat is potent since the EU imports 90 per cent of the natural gas used to generate electricity, heat homes and supply industry, with Russia supplying almost 40 per cent of the bloc’s gas….”

On the other hand, what if Russia insists? It is Europe which needs Russian oil, not vice versa. And since when have “contracts” prevented ANY country from breaking them? 

German Chancellor Scholz announced Thursday that he agreed with Putin in a phone conversation that Germany could still pay in Euros. However, the extent of that alleged “agreement” is very unclear. 

Will Russia Retreat?

The Daily Mail wrote on March 25:

“Ukraine has disabled 20 Russian battalions, Western officials said today, as a Kremlin army chief hinted that Moscow may scale back its attack on its neighbour and instead focus on ‘liberating’ the eastern Donbas region.

“Russia’s defence ministry also updated its losses in Ukraine to 1,351 soldiers, adding that 3,825 soldiers had been wounded – figures that are far lower than Western intelligence estimates that put Moscow’s losses in the tens of thousands. In a military update today, Moscow attempted to put a positive spin on its disastrous invasion saying that the first phase of its military campaign in Ukraine was over….

“In another embarrassing blow to Putin, it was revealed today that a Russian brigade commander had died after being run down with a tank by his own troops…. But despite the apparent change in tactics, smaller-scale strikes continued without pause as Russia, suffering heavy losses and meagre progress against key targets, pursues its relentless campaign of bombardment against Ukraine’s cities… A NATO official estimated on Wednesday that 7,000 to 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in four weeks of war in Ukraine, and added that between 30,000 to 40,000 Russian soldiers are estimated to have been killed or wounded in total. By comparison, Moscow lost about 15,000 soldiers in Afghanistan over 10 years….

“Russia has continued to deny it has been deliberately targeting civilian centres, despite swathes of evidence to suggest otherwise…. Ukrainian authorities said 300 people were killed in the Russian airstrike last week on a Mariupol theater that was being used as a shelter. The bloodshed at the theatre fueled allegations Moscow is committing war crimes by killing civilians, whether deliberately or by indiscriminate fire.”

Express wrote on March 26:

“Putin’s decision to focus his military operations on ‘liberating’ the Donbas could be a pivotal moment of maximum peril for Ukraine’s survival, according to a military expert…. Defence and security expert Dominic Nicholls said that President Zelensky faced a difficult military and political dilemma: to stand firm and defend the Donbas or to retreat. If Ukrainian forces were to stay put, then they could face the threat of being cut off and surrounded by Russian forces and defeated in the field.

“At the same time, to retreat and give up the Donbas to the Russians would be a significant blow to Ukrainian morale and would weaken Mr Zelensky’s negotiating position in any future peace talks with Moscow…. ‘Vladimir Putin cannot end this reckless, ridiculous and illegal adventure without the Donbas. He will not survive without it. Equally though, Mr Zelensky cannot allow the area to fall.’”

Subsequently, it became extremely doubtful that Russia will limit its activities to the eastern Donbas region. Whatever the further actions of all parties involved, the ultimate outcome has been pre-determined… which is that Russia and Ukraine will combine forces in their fight against Europe.

“Germany’s ‘Bild’ Newspaper Blocked in Russia”

 Deutsche Welle wrote on March 27:

“Russian authorities said they would block the website of German tabloid Bild, which is now one of the latest Western media outlets to be censored in Russia as the Kremlin seeks to control the domestic narrative on the war in Ukraine. Bild said it has been publishing Russian-language reports on its website on the war in Ukraine, and Russia’s slide toward ‘totalitarian dictatorship.’…

“Russian authorities also have blocked access to foreign media website including Germany’s Deutsche Welle, the BBC in the UK, Euronews, the US government-funded Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.”

Dangerous Chinese Propaganda

Breitbart wrote on March 25:

“China’s state-run Global Times on Friday slammed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg for criticizing China’s support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Global Times howled that Stoltenberg was a liar, China clearly wants the Ukraine war to end, and NATO is more of a threat to world peace than the Chinese Communist Party… Beijing also repeated Russian disinformation efforts tying the U.S. to biological weapons labs in Ukraine… ‘Is NATO, the biggest promoter of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, in any way qualified to point a finger at China, which has been facilitating dialogue for peace from the very beginning?’ the Global Times shrieked.

“After reciting some Chinese Communist boilerplate about how Beijing, which adamantly refuses to denounce the Russian invasion, wants nothing more than peace in Ukraine, the Global Times accused NATO of tricking Russia into attacking because it wants to recreate the Cold War to justify its continued existence… Those are some deeply offensive metaphors coming from the brutal regime that unleashed the Wuhan coronavirus upon the world and condemned millions of innocent people to suffer on very non-metaphorical ventilators…

“The Global Times hooted that NATO’s focus on the rising threat of China proves it is merely a ‘tool for the U.S. to maintain hegemony’ and a ‘machine for the implementation of the U.S.’ global will… As long as NATO exists, there will be no day of peace in Europe and in the world,’ the editorial concluded.”

Sadly, this kind of rhetoric can also be heard in places other than China.

The Dangerous Iran Deal

The Associated Press wrote on March 27:

“The Biden administration has been working to renew the 2015 nuclear deal, which placed curbs on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief. With support from Israel, the Trump administration withdrew from the deal in 2018, causing it to unravel.

“Although Iran has since raced ahead with its nuclear program, Israel and Gulf Arab countries are deeply concerned about restoring the original deal. Israel fears it does not include enough safeguards to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Both Israel and its Gulf allies also believe that relief from economic sanctions will allow Iran to step up its military activities across the region, including support for hostile militant groups…

“It remains unclear if or when the nuclear deal will be renewed, but there are indications it could be soon… Israel is deeply opposed to such a step… If a deal is reached, Israel has repeatedly noted that it is not a party to the agreement and reserves the right to take action, including a potential military strike, against Iran.”

Pay Attention to the Middle East

Times of Israel wrote on March 27:

“Saudi Arabia and Qatar expressed regret on Saturday at a lack of attention to Middle East conflicts, as the West pushes them to show more solidarity with Ukraine…

“Over a 100,000 people in Yemen have been killed, directly or indirectly, and millions have been displaced as a result of its years-long conflict, in what the UN calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The war in Syria is estimated to have killed nearly half a million people and displaced millions more since it began with a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests in 2011.”

What’s Going on in Afghanistan…

 The Huffington Post wrote on March 16:

“In recent weeks, the Taliban have launched a massive house-to-house search in Kabul and other Afghan cities, in what a Taliban spokesperson called a ‘cleaning operation’ to look for weapons and criminals. But thousands of Afghans fear they are about to be persecuted because of their links to the country’s former, Western-backed government, or to U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan over the past 20 years…

“The Taliban’s house searches started amid the heat of the Ukraine crisis. ‘The world’s attention is now on Ukraine,’ Shawn VanDiver, the founder and board chair of AfghanEvac [said]. ‘The Taliban took advantage of that. They started doing mass searches and beating people, and people are being abducted.’ People who worked with the U.S. in any fashion are particularly at risk, and the U.S. government has left many of them stranded and vulnerable….”

Reportedly, there are also quite a few American citizens and green card holders in Afghanistan, who are unable to leave.

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 26:

“The United States has announced that it has canceled planned talks with the Taliban [pertaining to key economic issues, including independence of the Afghan central bank and printing of Afghani currency bank notes] after the rulers of Afghanistan made a U-turn on the topic of girls’ education, shuttering girls out of middle and high schools hours after doors were opened…

“The Taliban had promised a softer rule when they returned to power last year, claiming they respect women’s rights in line with their interpretation of Islamic law, Shariah…  However, the Islamist group has imposed a range of restrictions on women, more or less banning them from government jobs, policing what they wear and keeping them from traveling out of their cities alone.”

Newsmax added that “The Taliban… have also been accused of suppressing free speech, violently breaking up protests and exacting deadly revenge on their former foes.”

How anyone in his right mind could trust the words of the Taliban, a terrorist organization, is hard to understand.

… and in North Korea?

The Guardian wrote on March 25:

“North Korea has confirmed that it tested a new, powerful type of intercontinental ballistic missile, marking an end to a self-imposed moratorium on long-range testing in place since 2017 and drawing international condemnation. State media said on Friday that leader Kim Jong-un had directly guided the test of the Hwasong-17 – a ‘new type’ of intercontinental ballistic missile that is North Korea’s biggest to date. He said the North would continue to develop a ‘nuclear war deterrent’ while preparing for a ‘long-standing confrontation’ with the US…

“The Hwasong-17 is the largest liquid-fuelled missile ever launched by any country from a road-mobile launcher, analysts said… It… represents a significant step in Pyongyang’s development of weapons that might be able to deliver nuclear warheads anywhere in the US…  North Korea’s launch missile was a jarring reminder that Kim will not be ignored even as the world’s attention is gripped by the Ukraine crisis.”

America is challenged by dangerous enemies. And even its allies and friends will switch sides in the end.

Covid Vaccines…

Rumble wrote on March 23:

“The Covid mandates are tools for desensitizing people to extensive gene editing and manipulation via the ‘vaccine’. Dr. David Martin [said], a speaker at the upcoming Let’s Go Brandon rally in Florida… to expose the dangers of the jab induced toxic spike protein, water contamination, and more.

“Dr. Martin detailed how Big Pharma acknowledges the illegality of their injections, yet they continue to test them on the masses, killing thousands.”

Axios wrote on March 29:

“The FDA authorized a second COVID-19 booster shot for Americans age 50 or older [It still needs to be approved by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention]…. The authorization comes as communities across the U.S. are shutting down COVID testing and vaccination sites…   Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said… that a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine ‘is necessary’…”

And so, President Biden was proud to show that he received his fourth dose already. And on and on and on it goes…

Cininatti.com wrote on March 25:

“Pope Francis recently removed Puerto Rican Bishop Fernandez Torres from his post for telling Catholics that, if it violated their conscience, they could refuse to be vaccinated… Fernandez sought, but was denied, a formal hearing on the subject, and while it’s certainly within the Pope’s discretion to dismiss a bishop, it shows how politically active he’s become.”

Fossil Fuels–a Seductive Idea and a Wrong Assumption

 The Portland Tribune wrote on March 22:

“Many… politicians have convinced themselves that we can have a high quality of life without the use of oil, coal or natural gas. If you ask them how we can do this, they have a two-word response: ‘electrify everything.’

“It’s a seductive idea… politicians implicitly assumed that fossil fuel infrastructure does not include electricity. That assumption is wrong… Most electricity is provided by coal and natural gas plants, with hydropower a dominant source in the Pacific Northwest. Once on the grid, electricity is an open-access resource; it is shared by everyone, regardless of fuel source.

“The state legislatures in California, Oregon and Washington have all adopted stringent policies mandating various levels of carbon-free electricity within the next few decades, but those policies can’t actually be implemented. There are many reasons for this, but the most obvious is that the power sources preferred by liberal politicians — wind and solar — don’t provide electricity most of the time. Since the physics of the grid require that electricity supply and demand be in equilibrium at all times, intermittent sources such as wind and solar are always backed up by fast-response generators that can be dispatched on command.

 “In most parts of the world, the back-up is natural gas. In the Pacific Northwest, it is more likely the Columbia River hydropower system. But since hydro has both physical and political limits, any policy of mass electrification powered by wind and solar will necessarily require more natural gas in the future. In fact, it’s already happening. The Oregon Department of Energy maintains a useful web page showing where Oregon’s electricity comes from. The dataset covers the years 2012-2019.

“Hydro remains the dominant power source but has dropped by 19%. Coal consumption has dropped by 16%, but natural gas use has more than doubled, going from 12% to 25%. The combined market share of gas and coal has also increased, from 45% to 52%, despite political mandates to the contrary. Wind was small to start with in 2012 and dropped by 10%. Solar is essentially irrelevant.

“When politicians want to fool the public, they enact policies that have implementation deadlines far in the future — such as 2035 or 2050. That way, when the policies fail — as they usually do — no one will be held accountable. This is what’s going on with the ‘electrify everything’ movement. Fossil fuels run the global economy and they will for a long time. When politicians claim otherwise, they reveal their own ignorance.”

Not to speak of the fact that electric cars are more expensive and less productive. But in order to follow the politically correct agenda of man-made climate change allegedly caused by fossil fuels, politicians are willing to destroy the USA from within…

Colorado to Become an “Abortion Beacon”?

Newsmax wrote on March 29:

“As one of the most permissive states in allowing abortions, Colorado is readying to become a magnet for women residing elsewhere in the U.S. if the Supreme Court overturns or severely weakens its landmark Roe v. Wade decision, as it is expected to do.

“… Colorado… is already one of the few places without any restrictions on when in pregnancy an abortion can occur and is one of the few states in the area without a mandatory waiting period of up to 72 hours after required abortion counseling…

“About 10,400 people received abortions in Colorado in 2020, with 13% of them coming from out of state.”

The Daily Mail wrote on March 28:

“The world’s most influential health organisation is calling on governments to scrap the legal time limit on abortion… New guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation  (WHO) claim laws preventing abortion at any point during pregnancy risk violating the rights of ‘women, girls or other pregnant persons’…

“The WHO’s ‘Abortion Care Guideline’ published this month… also recommends that governments: Allow abortion under all circumstances – ruling out laws banning terminations because the foetus is the ‘wrong’ sex; Stop women requiring approval from a doctor or nurse to have a termination; Roll out ‘pills by post’ schemes so that women can be sent abortion medication after a phone call; Curtail medical professionals’ rights to refuse to take part in abortions on conscience grounds…”

Murdering Babies AFTER Birth Without Penalty?

Life Site News wrote on March 26:

“A gruesome new pro-abortion bill proposed in California could legalize infanticide for weeks, months, or even years after a child is born… AB 2223 was introduced in February… On March 17, the bill’s authors submitted updated language to amend existing state laws.

“Under the new language, a ‘person shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability or penalty, or otherwise deprived of their rights, based on their actions or omissions with respect to their pregnancy or actual, potential, or alleged pregnancy outcome, including miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion, or perinatal death.’

“[According to] Thomas More Society Special Counsel Charles LiMandri… the proposal ‘exposes the false narrative that the abortion lobby has been peddling for over half a century:  That no one knows when life begins, and babies in their mothers’ wombs feel no pain. No sane person can deny that a newborn infant is a fully developed human being, one that is capable of feeling intense pain. Yet, by including “perinatal” in its provisions, [the bill] would authorize the brutal murder of these infants even after they are born.’

“LiMandri… noted that the definition of the term ‘perinatal’ varies, spanning weeks or even years after an infant is born.  He cited MedicineNet which puts the definition of ‘perinatal’ at ending ‘1 to 4 weeks after birth,’ as well as the government definition of the phrase via PubMed.gov, which states, ‘The perinatal period, broadly defined, encompasses the time frame from … 18 to 24 months after the birth of the child.’ ‘Hence, [AB 2223] leaves one to ask: “What kind of depraved monsters would justify the killing of innocent and helpless children between one week and two years after their birth?”’ LiMandri said…”

For a biblical explanation about the horrors and ungodly practice of abortion, please see our three Q&A’s: https://www.eternalgod.org/the-abortion-question-today-part-1/   https://www.eternalgod.org/the-abortion-question-today-part-2/  and  https://www.eternalgod.org/the-abortion-question-today-part-3/

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

It was brought to our attention by a reader in Africa that there had been a paper produced entitled, “Was Jesus really born in Bethlehem?  Why the Gospels disagree over the circumstances of Christ’s birth.” The paper was published in December of 2021 by Rodolfo Galvan Estrada III, Assistant Professor of the New Testament, Vanguard University.

He states that “Every Christmas, a relatively small town in the Palestinian West Bank comes center stage: Bethlehem. Jesus, according to some biblical sources, was born in this town some two millennia ago. Yet the New Testament Gospels do not agree about the details of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. Some do not mention Bethlehem or Jesus’ birth at all.

“The Gospels’ different views might be hard to reconcile. But as a scholar of the New Testament, what I argue is that the Gospels offer an important insight into the Greco-Roman views of ethnic identity, including genealogies. Today, genealogies may bring more awareness of one’s family medical history or help uncover lost family members. In the Greco-Roman era, birth stories and genealogical claims were used to establish rights to rule and link individuals with purported ancestral grandeur.”

With these comments, the author implies that the four Gospel accounts cannot be relied upon as being factual, but that they just relate a “narrative” based on manufactured genealogies to establish Christ’s “right to rule” and His “ancestral grandeur.”

Let us, first of all, answer the supposed contradictions in the genealogies in Matthew and Luke. We have addressed this issue in our free booklet, “Jesus Christ—A Great Mystery” and also in our Q&A entitled: “Would you please explain the difference in genealogy in the records in Matthew 1 and Luke 3? What was the nationality of Jesus?” To quote briefly from this Q&A, we say the following:

“Matthew 1 and Luke 3 describe different lines. Matthew 1 describes Christ’s legal genealogy through Joseph. Luke sets forth Mary’s line.

“Matthew 1:16 tells us that Matthew’s record covers Christ’s lineage through His stepfather Joseph. It says ‘Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.’

“A correct rendering of Luke 3:23 shows that Luke is setting forth Christ’s blood descent. However, the translation of the New King James Bible is misleading. It gives the impression that Joseph was the father of Heli, and that therefore, Luke is also setting forth Christ’s descent of Joseph. This is incorrect, as Joseph was not the SON of Heli, but of Jacob, as Matthew 1:16 points out.

“Luke sets forth Christ’s genealogy through His mother Mary, NOT through His stepfather Joseph. Accurately translated, Luke 3:23 should read: ‘Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age (being, as was supposed the son of Joseph), which was of Heli.’ The parenthesis should start with the words ‘being, as was supposed,’ and it should close after ‘the son of Joseph.’ The word ‘son’ in ‘son of Heli’ is not found in the original Greek. Jesus, who was supposed to be the son of Joseph, was, through Mary, a grandson of Heli. Heli was the father of Mary.”

It is interesting that this academic, Rodolfo Galvan Estrada III, tries to devalue the veracity of God’s Word and veers off on a tangent rather than trying to reconcile any differences that he might see. Surely, he must realise that if all the gospels were exactly the same, then one would be vitally important and the other three would be totally redundant.

From a human standpoint, we know, for example, that different witnesses of the same accident can often, seemingly, give different versions.   This may be due to a number of reasons; seeing an accident from a different angle; a good view of the incident rather than just a glance; one witness’ eyesight could be much better than another’s; problems with memory; maybe vested interests in the outcome, and more. This kind of argumentation has been used by some to criticize or question the accuracy of the four Gospel accounts, as the writers allegedly were suffering from faulty memory; vested interest in the outcome; a lack of thorough investigation or observation, etc.

As we will see, none of the following applies to the accuracy and reliability of the Gospel accounts, but strictly from a human standpoint, here is interesting information on the neurosciencenews.com website where we read the following:

“Researchers investigate why two people who experience the same event often have different memories of what occurred. Does it ever strike you as odd that you and a friend can experience the same event at the same time, but come away with different memories of what happened?  So why is it that people can recall the same thing so differently?? We all know memory isn’t perfect, and most memory differences are relatively trivial. But sometimes they can have serious consequences.

“Imagine if you both witnessed a crime. What factors lead to memory differences and whom should we trust? There are three important aspects to memory: encoding, storage, and retrieval. Encoding is how we get information into the brain. Storage is how we retain information over time. Retrieval is how we get information out of the brain.

“Differences in each or a combination of these aspects might help explain why memories differ from one person to another.”

This may sound pretty convincing for those who regard the four Gospel accounts, and for that matter, the entire Bible, only as uninspired writings by fallible human beings who tried to use their faulty memories, or even human traditions, to relate certain events.

However, interesting as it is when applied to human beings with faulty memories or observations, this is not the case with Scripture.

Jesus said: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, [it] will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26).

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible explains:

“… bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said to you; which through inattention, or want of understanding in them, had slipped their minds, and were forgotten by them. This accounts for it, how the evangelists some years after the death of Christ; at different times and places, and without consulting each other, could commit to writing the life, actions, sayings, and sermons of Christ, with all the minute circumstances attending them.”

Further, we read in 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness…”

Also, 2 Peter 1:20-21 tells us that “no prophecy [or inspired preaching] of Scripture is of any private interpretation [or origin; compare margin of the New King James Bible], for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

Ecclesiastes 12:11 states: “The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by ONE SHEPHERD.”

Barnes Notes on the Bible comments:

“One shepherd – i. e., God, who is the supreme Giver of wisdom, Proverbs 2:6, and the chief Shepherd, Jeremiah 23:1-4. Compare 1 Corinthians 2:12-13.”

Matthew Poole’s commentary says: “And this clause seems to be added partly as the reason of that admirable harmony and agreement which is amongst all the men of God in all ages and places, because they are all taught by one Master, and guided by the same hand; and partly to oblige us to the greater attention and reverence to all their doctrines and counsels, which we are to receive as the word of God, and not of men only, as it is said, 1 Thessalonians 2:13.”

In 1 Thessalonians 2:13, we find the following remarkable words by Paul:

“For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.”

We can, therefore, safely appreciate that all of Scripture, including the four Gospel accounts, was authored by God, and written by men as they were led, not by their own faulty memory, but by God’s Holy Spirit.

As we know that the Holy Spirit guided the four different writers of the four Gospel accounts, we know that they will need to be harmonised; otherwise, we would not be able to trust the Bible to be true.   What we find in the different reports about the birth of Jesus and subsequent events is that they are complementary, not in competition.

In the paper that was written by the above-mentioned scholar disputing this fact, the following was an approving answer from another misguided scholar on the historical Jesus, John Meier, who wrote that: “Jesus’ birth at Bethlehem is to be taken not as a historical fact but as a ‘theological affirmation put into the form of an apparently historical narrative.’” In other words, the belief that Jesus was a descendant of King David led to the development of an invented story about Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem.

In addition, Raymond Brown, a Roman Catholic and another scholar on the Gospels, also stated erroneously that “the two narratives are not only different – they are contrary to each other in a number of details.”

However, the Hebraic Jesus scholar Geza Vermes, speaking of the Nativity narratives, has described Brown’s coverage as “the primary example of the position of having your cake and eating it” (Wikipedia Encyclopaedia).

(To be continued)

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

compiled by Dave Harris

“Pope Francis and War… Right or Wrong?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Are there no just wars, as Pope Francis claims? Are we really facing self-destruction, if we do not abolish war now, as the Pope also said? But if this is so, what are the Pope’s solutions to our problems? How does he think that peace will spread throughout the world? 

The first of this year’s Holy Days are approaching. Passover will be on April 15, 2022 (observed the previous evening), followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread: April 16^th (annual Holy Day) through April 22nd (annual Holy Day). We will provide live services over the Internet for both Holy Days.

“Völlige Verwirrung! Geistliche Körper in der Auferstehung?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Total Confusion! Spiritual Bodies in the Resurrection?”

“Die Bibel auf dem Prüfstand,” the German sermonette presented last Sabbath by Andreas Raetz, is now posted. Title in English: “The Bible Under Scrutiny.”

“Was wird unsere Gedankenwelt beeinflussen?” the German sermon presented last Sabbath by Thilo Hanstein, is now posted. Title in English: “What Will Affect Our Thoughts?”

“Worldwide Persecution—Comments on News and Prophecy, March 26, 2022,” the first message presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

This program discusses Russian persecution of Protestants and other minorities; concepts of “just wars” and the “justified” killing of enemies;  the pope’s prayer to the “Virgin Mary” and the consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the “immaculate heart of Mary”; a bridge too far for Zelenskyy when speaking of the righteous Gentiles of Ukraine helping Jews in World War II; the Biden administration’s  hypocrisy in regard to Iran; Trudeau’s ongoing dictatorship which should ring alarm bells for America; the murder of abortion; and Germany’s “thought police” and march into totalitarianism.

“Choose Your Sacrifice,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Life requires sacrifices. There is no one who does not sacrifice something in this life.

The question really is what are we willing to sacrifice? What are we willing to change?