On, June 6, 2024, Paul Niehoff will present the sermonette, titled, “Choose Life” and Kalon Mitchell will present the sermon, titled, “Before You and Behind You.”

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

Watching the recent presidential debate in the USA was a bit of an eye-opener, with two elderly men throwing insults at each other and accusing each other of lying.  A fact check of either one would show that they both lied many times during the debate, following the example of their leader— Satan, the current ruler of this age whom Christ called a liar and murderer from the beginning.

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

Satan lied to Eve and deceived her into taking the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which was in direct disobedience to what God had told her and which led to the death of both her and her husband Adam who followed her lead.

So, the devil not only lied to her but was also guilty of murder. He is a totally corrupt, evil and irredeemable being, awaiting judgement in the future. He is currently the god of this world who sinned and rebelled against his Creator—the one and true God.

That is the problem with many politicians and leaders in this age. Influenced by Satan in one way or another, they lie about everything, thinking there is no recourse or future punishment. Politicians lie and are backed up by a corrupt lying media to push their agenda on the people.

Thankfully, this situation will end when this evil system will be changed and be replaced by a just system of government. This will be accomplished when Christ returns to rule the earth with His saints– the glorified children of God who will not be, nor can be, corrupted by man or Satan.

It behoves us in this day and age to tell the Truth at all times and live with the consequences. Once a person starts lying and refuses to correct his lies and to change by telling the Truth, he cannot be trusted.

As God’s people, we must be looked upon as trustworthy and as those who tell the Truth–always.

by Norbert Link

We begin with dramatic events in France; a terror threat in Germany; and Hungary’s role in the EU.

We continue with Biden’s debacle during the debate, demands for him to pull out of the race;  and the problematic role his wife and her “Rasputin-like” “work-husband” are playing in this “story of lies.”

We report on some wide-ranging legal cases in the USA, pertaining to Donald Trump, and conclude with the pride-parade in London, but not in Istanbul.

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

Le Pen Wins and Macron Loses

Daily Mail wrote on June 30:

“Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) won the first round of legislative elections on Sunday, leaving incumbent president Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance lagging in third behind the left…

“Many French voters are frustrated about inflation and other economic concerns, as well as Macron’s leadership, seen as arrogant and out-of-touch with their lives. The National Rally party has tapped that discontent… Le Pen, the daughter of the party’s racist and anti-Semitic father Jean-Marie, said Macron’s alliance was ‘almost wiped out’ during the first round of voting.  

“The first round of this year’s election, called by Macron after a devastating loss in the European Parliament elections earlier this month, saw record levels of turnout. Polls suggested 67.5% of people voted in the national election, the highest participation in a regular format legislative election in France since 1981. The final turnout in 2022, the last time national elections were held in the nation, was just 47.5%.

“Despite the win, it is still not currently clear whether Le Pen’s party would win an absolute majority of seats in the new National Assembly lower house in the July 7 second round and claim the post of prime minister. The second round will see run-off votes take place in seats where there was no absolute majority, allowing the final shape of the National Assembly to form.  

“The vote could give 28-year-old RN party chief Jordan Bardella, a protege of its longtime leader Marine Le Pen, the chance to form a government, making it the first time the far-right takes the reins of power in France since the Nazi occupation during WWII. The last far-right leaders of France were Philippe Pétai and his prime minister, Pierre Laval, who headed the Vichy regime that collaborated with the Nazis during World War II. 

“Bardella has previously said he would only form a government if the RN wins an absolute majority in the elections, but the party has said that the far-right wunderkind would become the country’s prime minister, while Macron would stay president until his term expires in 2027 in an awkward power-sharing arrangement called ‘cohabitation’ in France.  Gabriel Attal, France’s current prime minister, said tonight that the ‘extreme right is on the verge of power’…

“Despite his humiliating third-place finish in the first round of voting, Macron called for a broad coalition to come together to stop the RN next weekend… Bardella hit back, telling voters that he would be the ‘protector’ of their rights and freedoms….”

The RN and its allies won Sunday’s round with 33% of the vote, followed by a left-wing bloc with 28% and well ahead of President Emmanuel Macron’s centrists, who scored just 20%.

How the French Voting System Works

The Sun wrote on July 1:

“THE French public choose their president and MPs in separate elections – unlike in the UK where the country’s leader, the PM, is determined by which party has a majority in parliament. There are 577 seats – and constituencies – in France’s National Assembly. For an absolute majority in government a party would need 289 seats.

“France’s parliamentary elections are made up of two rounds, with the first kicking out anyone who fails to win 12.5% of votes in their area. If any candidates get more than 50% of the vote in their area, and at least a quarter of the local voter pool turns out to cast their ballot, they win a seat automatically. This doesn’t happen very often, but RN thinks this time it could happen in dozens of seats.

“The second round, for any seats which candidates do not win outright, is then a series of knock-outs fought either by two, three or sometimes four candidates.

“Some candidates may drop out before the second round on July 7 to give their allies a better chance over another candidate in a three or four-way race. French leaders are urging candidates and voters to act tactically to stop the far-right surge.”

French Press Blasts Macron

Bild Online wrote on July 1:

“France’s establishment in shock! Will the right-wing populist party ‘Rassemblement National’ actually produce the prime minister? That’s what it looks like!…

“The press has identified a clear culprit: President Emmanuel Macron (46). And a very large part of the population is also angry and blames him for the rise of the right… Not only did he dissolve the National Assembly and thus initiate early elections, which only had 20 days to prepare – he also lost them by a huge margin!…

“’Le Figaro’ titles its commentary: ‘A French Tragedy’ and writes: ‘When historians look back on the dissolution of Parliament, only one word will come to mind: disaster!’ ‘What a field of rubble!’, says indignantly its Editor-in-chief and sarcastically writes ‘Thank Macron’ for the ‘regime crisis’…

“But between the right-wing populists (RN) and the left-wing extremists (‘New Popular Front’), it is clear to the ‘Figaro’ boss who is the lesser evil: ‘The RN’s program is certainly worrying in many ways, but on the other side [there is] anti-Semitism, Islamist leftism, hateful class struggle, tax hysteria… An ideology that would bring shame and ruin to the country.’… ‘End of an era’, writes the business newspaper ‘Les Échos’. However, the newspaper does not call for a blockade with the left. Reason: the left-wing extremists are simply not electable. Party leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon is ‘a scarecrow’, his candidates wearing Palestine scarves are ‘just there to shock’, but otherwise have no political concepts.

“Politico… headlines: ‘Macron is already over. Can someone stop Le Pen?’ It also takes a hard stance against Macron: ‘The first round of the parliamentary elections on Sunday was a personal humiliation, just like his breathtaking rise to the presidency seven years ago.’ Now Emmanuel Macron is ‘facing a bitter, painful one…. Should he do everything he can to stop the far right or try to save what’s left of his once-dominant movement before it dies?’

“Many media outlets agree that Macron completely lost his gamble by dissolving Parliament after the EU elections. Die Zeit wonders what Macron was doing: ‘Rarely has a single man in a Western democracy made such a solitary decision. Whether due to overconfidence, hurt pride or other motives – this question will concern historians.’”

There is an interesting parallel to the situation prior to and leading to Hitler’s election in 1933. At that time, it was basically a fight between right-wing and left-wing extremists in Germany.

Terror Threat in Germany

Newsmax wrote on July 1:

“CNN reported Sunday that several U.S. military bases in Europe had detected terror threats on the continent… The U.S. Army garrison in Stuttgart, Germany… raised its alert level to Force Protection Condition ‘Charlie’ on Sunday. In its report, CNN noted it is ‘not clear what intelligence triggered the heightened security.’

“Nonetheless, in light of the Paris Olympics in July and the European soccer championships in Germany, both countries are said to be putting in place active security measures. Germany is planning to roll out an additional wave of police officers, and France is also said to be taking precautionary measures. ‘French authorities actively monitor terrorist threats from organized groups and radicalized individuals,’ the U.S. Embassy in France said.  ’Attacks may happen with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, major sporting and cultural events, and other public areas that attract large numbers of civilians.’”

This is the second-highest alert. The highest alert pertains to a situation when a terror attack has occurred or when it is imminent to occur immediately.

Political Proceedings Against Höcke?

Bild Online wrote on July 1:

“The Thuringian AfD leader Björn Höcke (52) was sentenced to the next fine on Monday for using a Nazi slogan. The Halle regional court also found the AfD politician guilty in the second trial for using the symbols of unconstitutional organizations and imposed a fine totaling 16,900 euros. The 5th Criminal Chamber… saw it as proven that the AfD right-wing extremist had shouted ‘Everything for Germany’, a slogan of Adolf Hitler’s… Sturmabteilung (SA), with the help of his listeners, at his party’s regular meeting in Gera (Thuringia) in December 2023…

“Höcke first shouted the slogan in 2021 during an AfD election event in Merseburg (Saxony-Anhalt). At the first trial in May, Höcke was sentenced to a fine of 13,000 euros. In both cases he must also bear the costs of the procedure. The politician’s lawyers immediately filed an appeal against the May verdict. This judgment should be reviewed by the Federal Court of Justice.

“It is also expected that Höcke’s lawyers will appeal the second judgment handed down on Monday.

“In his final words, read from index cards, the politician asked the court – like his two lawyers before him – for an acquittal“.

In his closing statement, Höcke accused the court and, above all, the public prosecutor’s office of conducting a ‘political trial’ against him. He complained that the separation of powers in Germany was ‘broken in many places’ and that his proceedings ‘reeked of influencing the judiciary.’…”

As we have previously reported, it was largely unknown in Germany that the slogan “Everything for Germany” was allegedly a banned slogan from the Nazi era.

Hungary at the Helm

The Washington Post wrote on July 1:

“Hungary has spent the past few years railing against the European Union. For the next six months, Hungary will help lead it — and it’s set to be a wild and revealing ride. On July 1, Hungary, the E.U.’s disrupter-in-chief, takes up the rotating presidency of the Council of the E.U., a job that shapes the E.U. agenda but rarely makes headlines beyond sleepy Brussels.

“But the country’s slogan for its stint — ‘Make Europe Great Again’ — suggests Hungary plans to make the most of its turn at the E.U. microphone, likely by taunting E.U. allies and talking up a resurgent right. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban takes center stage at a moment when the success of hard- and far-right parties in recent elections has shaken Europe’s establishment and the world is mulling the possible return of a different populist firebrand, former president Donald Trump… Orban has strong ties to Trump’s political movement…

“Orban and the E.U. have been feuding for years, but he is particularly unpopular in Brussels right now because he’s held up financial support for Ukraine.

“… over the next six months, Hungary will need to find a balance between lambasting the E.U. and using it to promote its interests…”

In spite of Hungary’s ongoing quarrels with the EU, we do not foresee Hungary’s departure from the EU. Rather, it is conceivable that Hungary will play an important future role within the core nations of Europe.

Orban Visits Zelenskyy

The Associated Press wrote on July 2:

“Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was in Kyiv on Tuesday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his first visit to the country since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022… the main topic of the meeting will be the opportunity for building peace as Ukraine fights off Russia’s invasion…

“Orbán’s visit was a rare gesture in a relationship that has long been marred by tensions. Known as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest EU ally, Orbán has routinely blocked, delayed or watered down EU efforts to extend assistance to Ukraine and to sanction Moscow over its war, frustrating both Zelenskyy and other EU leaders.

“He has also accused Kyiv of mistreating an ethnic Hungarian minority in Ukraine’s western region of Zakarpattia, a community he has used to justify his refusal to provide weapons to Ukraine or allow their transfer across the two countries’ shared border…

“Orbán’s visit also comes as he seeks to recruit members into a new nationalist alliance that he hopes will soon become the largest right-wing group in the European Parliament. On Sunday, Orbán met in Vienna with the leaders of Austria’s far-right Freedom Party and the main Czech opposition party, announcing the formation of the new group, ‘Patriots for Europe.’ The trio would need to attract lawmakers from at least four more EU countries to successfully form a group in Europe’s new parliament…”

Biden Must Go…

The New York Post Editorial Board wrote on June 27:

“Millions just witnessed the end of a presidency live on television. Joe Biden’s performance during the debate was embarrassing… The administration can’t say it’s a ‘cheap fake’ — everyone saw it happen. Biden can’t survive this.

“It is political malpractice to let him continue to run for re-election. It is national malpractice to let him continue. Biden spent an entire week preparing for this debate, and this is the best he could do. That should terrify everyone.

“Let’s say that, shockingly, Democrats don’t intervene to replace President Biden as their candidate. Say, implausibly, 81-year-old Biden wins. He won’t be getting any sharper. During a second term, our president would continue to deteriorate, incapable of making proper decisions. That would be a disaster for the United States…

“Biden was so mumbling, so doddering, so lacking in command of the facts that it overshadowed everything… No wonder the White House keeps him hidden, away from the press and public events. The Democratic elite are pulling a con job on the American people, and it was exposed last night.”

Deutsche Welle added on June 29:

“‘There is nothing to sugarcoat here: This debate was a disaster for Joe Biden,’ said Ines Pohl, bureau chief of DW’s Washington D.C. studio. ‘The main objective for Biden tonight was to demonstrate that he is fit for office, but he failed miserably’… ‘The Democrats are in a state of panic.’’

What an Awful Choice!

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on June 29:

“This week’s presidential debate made me both horrified and dismayed. Here was the world’s most powerful nation trying to decide which elderly candidate to select as its presidential candidate. Joe Biden was left looking feeble and halting before the bombastic Trump. At least Trump made some sense in what he said whether true or false…

“Few should doubt that President Biden is much too old for a second term… Democrats badly need a new leader…

“What a dark time in US history. America seems to be going the way of the old Soviet Union, with a decrepit leadership sitting atop a sea of corruption… Those who do not love the United States must be very happy now. Things could only get worse.”

They will. And Biden’s claim during the debate that the USA is respected in the world today was laughable.

Piers Morgan’s Take

He wrote in The Sun, on June 29:

“This wasn’t a mere car crash or train-wreck, as some are saying… It was a political earthquake of Biblical-level proportions. Only this quake lasted just 16 seconds. That’s how long it took Joe Biden to show horrified Americans, and the watching world, he is no longer fit to serve as President of the United States… And from that moment, which came just a few minutes into the 90-minute debate, Biden was a dead man walking, both metaphorically and sadly, almost literally…

“Biden stumbled on like a guy with senile dementia who’s escaped from his carer – and got lost in a hospital corridor…

“Setting aside political partisanship, this was a desperately sad moment for America… Frankly, I wouldn’t trust Joe Biden to even sit in a rocking chair without tumbling out of it, let alone have his supposed Commander-in-Chief fingers anywhere near a nuclear trigger.

“And shame on the First Lady, Jill Biden, for not stepping in before to save her husband from himself and such hideous ignominy…”

Jill Biden Should Persuade Her Husband to Pull Out of the Race

The Telegraph wrote on June 29:

“Jill Biden is under fire from Democrat donors for refusing to advise the president to pull out of the 2024 presidential race… Mrs Biden is considered to be the most influential voice in the president’s tight inner circle… On Saturday, several Silicon Valley ‘megadonors’ were trying to reach the first lady in an attempt to persuade her to convince Mr Biden to end his campaign in favour of a younger candidate, the [New York Times]  said…

“Mr Biden could be replaced by his vice president, Kamala Harris, though there are concerns she would prove even less popular than he is. Other options include Gavin Newsom, the charismatic governor of California, though he remains vocally supportive of the president staying in the race. Experts say it would be virtually impossible for the Democrats to oust Mr Biden at this late stage of the campaign, and that in reality the decision lies solely with the president…

“On Saturday, one poll revealed that 60 per cent of US voters believe Mr Biden should drop out of the race.”

Another poll reported that 72% want him out.

Biden’s Tall Tales

Report 24 wrote on June 29:

“After the disastrous debate for Joe Biden…, the global system media spread the narrative almost word for word: ‘Biden was weak, Trump lied’. The left-wing broadcaster CNN, of all people, destroys this fairy tale – it meticulously lists how many statements the darling of the left, Joe Biden, lied about…

“The fact that politically left-wing, globalist politicians in particular lie completely shamelessly and have these lies spread by bought journalists is nothing new. The fact that even this media is abandoning him has a new quality and suggests that Biden may soon be abandoned…

“Biden claimed that he was the only president during whose term no soldiers had to die anywhere in the world. In fact, it was Donald Trump who was almost the only US president in recent decades not to start a new war and not to order a counterattack even after an attack by Iran…

“This was followed by a series of false statements about the US healthcare system, where he made serious errors – he mixed up $15 and $35 for insulin and $200 and $2,000 for medication. Even the statements that fewer illegal immigrants came to the USA under his administration than under Trump were not accepted by the left-wing CNN, which was a minor sensation. In fact, millions of illegal immigrants are streaming into the USA and are causing massive social tensions.

“Under Biden, unemployment in the US rose rapidly. To disguise this, Biden boldly claimed that unemployment was 15 percent when he took office – in fact, he took office from Trump with unemployment at just 6 percent. Relative to the population of the United States, this is a brutal attempt to defraud the public.

“Biden also claimed that Donald Trump would want to abolish people’s already very poor social security in the USA, which is a clear lie. He also lied about the income taxes of US billionaires. The Covid period was also part of the demented US President’s cheeky tall tales. He claimed that Trump had demanded that Americans be injected with bleach – another free invention.”

Also note the next article.

Biden and His Life of Lies

On July 1, The New York Post published the following article by Miranda Devine:

“Under the thrall of her Rasputin-like adviser Anthony Bernal, the first lady is acting as if she is the candidate — at the expense of her husband and the country. She is the keeper of Biden delusions. ‘Joe, you did such a great job,’ she shrieked after commandeering the microphone at the debate after-party in Atlanta, as her downcast husband stood on stage gaping at her uncomprehendingly. ‘You answered every question!’ she gushed in a gratingly patronizing tone, like a nursery schoolteacher who hates kids. The whole world knew he did a terrible job. Even Joe knew. 

“But that’s the problem with habitual lying. It swallows you in delusion eventually. 

“You could see the emergence of Jill’s rival court in recent months as Joe faded and she embarked on a frenetic round of solo campaigning, always with Bernal, whom she calls her ‘work husband.’ Bernal was by her side when she swanned into Hunter’s gun trial in Wilmington in her finest designer threads last month to project presidential power on the yokels in the jury. You can see how she depends on Bernal by the knowing glances they exchange when Joe is going off the rails, as he did at Waffle House where they dragged him after the debate when he should have been in bed. As Joe babbled to random customers, Bernal turned to look at Jill and raised both eyebrows in an expression of alarm…

“The problem is that the reality of Dr. Jill doesn’t measure up to her delusions of grandeur. She will never be the candidate, no matter how many upbeat polls Bernal shows her about her popularity with suburban women. She’s not helping her husband or the country…

“Joe and his boosters pretend that he is ‘decent’ while Trump is morally deranged. Yet Trump has five well-adjusted adult children who adore him, while Biden’s two adult children are drug addicts, and Hunter got his widowed sister-in-law hooked on crack when he had an affair with her… Joe has lied for so long that he has come to believe his own lies — his uncle was eaten by cannibals, he was top of his class, he grew up in the black church, his father was a coal miner. The problem is that lies are contagious. Clearly the Biden family is afflicted…

“Worse still, there is contagion for all of us when we have a commander in chief who is a habitual liar. It sickens a nation… Ultimately lies become self-delusion and the habitual liar loses the ability to discern fact from fiction. It gets worse as the brain ages. Lies eventually impair the memory because it is too hard to keep track. 

“A lifetime of lies came crashing down on Joe Biden Thursday night in a display that can never be unseen. Lies have consequences.”

It was also reported that on Sunday, the Biden family encouraged Joe Biden to stay in the race. According to Breitbart, dated June 30, “[Convicted felon] Hunter Biden was described as being ‘one of the strongest voices’ [within the Biden “crime family”, according to Breitbart] encouraging the president not to drop out of the presidential race.”  The Guardian added that “senior democrats and donors have expressed exasperation at how his staff prepared him for the event.”

In addition, Obama and Bill Clinton are supporting Biden’s ongoing race.

Please read our editorial in this issue, titled, “Stop Lying!”

Europeans Respond

The Guardian wrote on June 29:

“European politicians, already drowning in multiple crises of their own, were left shell-shocked and aghast at Joe Biden’s meandering performance…,  aware that a second Trump term had drawn that much nearer – with all that this implies for the rise of populism in the continent, the future of Nato, and for Ukraine and the Middle East.

“The voices of despair came from across the mainstream political spectrum, interspersed with the… call for Europe to prepare even more intensively for a Trump second coming… The German CDU foreign policy specialist Norbert Röttgen said: ‘This night will not be forgotten…’”

Biden Should Abdicate

Bild Online wrote on June 29:

“Doubts and concerns about Biden’s constitution and the outcome of the 2024 presidential election race are also growing in German politics. Finance Minister Christian Lindner (45, FDP) told BILD: ‘Concerns about the USA have not diminished after the TV debate, but now it’s really big.’… CDU party leader Friedrich Merz (68) said about the debate on the ARD talk show ‘3nach9’: ‘I was a bit afraid that it would go like this.’ Merz continued: ‘Biden is an old man, one asks oneself: Is he still up to the job?’”

Welt Online wrote on June 28:

“The TV duel was a disaster for the US President and a bad evening for many in the West. The media has too often been blind in glorifying Joe Biden – and blind with anger when it comes to Donald Trump. This is now taking its toll.”

ntv wrote on June 28:

“Biden’s popularity ratings were already in the basement before the debate. In many polls he is behind Trump. If Biden wants Trump not to become the next US president, if, as he said, he wants to save the soul of America, if he wants to preserve the democracy of the US, then this is the best way: he has to give up the candidacy… With that, Biden would be doing a great service not only to himself but also to his country.”

Supreme Court: Trump Immune from Criminal Prosecution

Breitbart wrote on July 1:

“The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of former President Donald Trump on Monday, holding in a 6-3 decision that presidents are covered by limited immunity from criminal prosecutions for actions taken while in office. The Court held, according to the summary of the decision: ‘Under our constitutional structure of separated powers, the nature of Presidential power entitles a former President to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority. And he is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts. There is no immunity for unofficial acts.’

“The Court also ruled that a president is entitled to a pretrial hearing on immunity that can be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court before a trial begins. This means that any trial of the former president will take place after the November 5, 2024, election...

“The case will now be remanded, and will likely result in the dismissal of some or all of the charges facing the former president in federal court in Washington, D.C., relating to the Capitol riot of January 6.”

Sentencing of Trump’s “hush money case” was delayed until September 18, if sentencing “is still necessary,” in light of the Supreme Court’s decision on presidential immunity.

Another Legal Victory for Trump

NBC News wrote on June 28:

“The Supreme Court on Friday ruled in favor of a former police officer who is seeking to throw out an obstruction charge for joining the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The justices in a 6-3 vote on nonideological lines handed a win to defendant Joseph Fisher who is among hundreds of Jan. 6 defendants — including former President Donald Trump — who have been charged with obstructing an official proceeding over the effort to prevent Congress’ certification of President Joe Biden’s election victory.

“The court concluded that the law… was only intended to apply to more limited circumstances involving forms of evidence tampering, not the much broader array of situations that prosecutors had claimed it covered. The court sent the case back to lower courts for further proceedings on whether the Justice Department could still prosecute Fischer under the new interpretation of the law.

“Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement that he was disappointed by the decision because of the impact it would have on the Justice Department’s Jan. 6 cases, although he stressed it would not affect the bulk of them…

“Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion that the government’s view of the law’s reach ‘defies the most plausible understanding’ of the statute in question, 18 U.S. Code 1512. The provision carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years…

“The ruling may not affect Trump’s case. Prosecutors said that even if Fischer wins, Trump’s conduct would still be covered by a narrower interpretation of the statute.”

Breitbart added on June 30:

“Constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley opined at the Hill saying that Friday’s Supreme Court decision holding that the most severe law cited in January 6 prosecutions does not apply to riots or protests effectively means that the oft-repeated accusations of ‘insurrection’ have been downgraded to mere trespassing.”

And so, the claims of the Justice Department and the left-wing mass media are going up in flames… again.

“Defiant Bannon Becomes Latest Biden Political Prisoner”

Breitbart wrote on July 1:

“Former President Donald Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon is scheduled to report to a federal prison in Connecticut on Monday to serve a four-month sentence on contempt charges for defying a subpoena from the [highly suspect] January 6 Select Committee created to investigate the riot at the Capitol on January 6, 2021… A judge had allowed Bannon to stay free for nearly two years while he appealed, but ordered him to report to prison after an appeals court panel upheld his contempt of Congress convictions. The Supreme Court rejected his last-minute effort to stave off his custodial sentence on Friday…

“Bannon’s appeal will continue to play out despite his incarceration… and Republican House leaders have put their support behind stepping in to assert the Jan. 6 committee was improperly created as the man himself continues to be fully engaged in the broader 2024 political agenda…

“A defiant Bannon publicly restated his own defense Saturday, asserting the Jan. 6 committee’s subpoenas ‘don’t mean anything’ and returned to arguments addressing executive privilege. When asked what his endgame is during an interview with NBC News, Bannon said it was ‘victory or death of this republic… they shred the Constitution…’

“It’s a claim the Goldman Sachs banker made earlier this month during his speech at the conservative Turning Point USA conference…”

While Garland goes free, Trump supporters like Bannon are sent to jail for the SAME “infraction.” A shameful situation showing America’s hypocrisy.

Biden to Pay a Big Price

ABC News wrote on July 1:

“On the same day his close ally and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon reported to prison for contempt of Congress, former President Donald Trump again blamed President Joe Biden for what he claims is a ‘weaponization’ of the justice system, suggesting that Biden is ‘going to pay a big price’ for it… Trump’s latest comment… is a continuation of his rhetoric on ‘retribution’…

“… the Trump campaign’s national press secretary Karoline Leavitt told ABC News that ‘President Trump was referring to the very big price Joe Biden will pay on November 5th when the American people overwhelmingly vote to evict him from the White House’… Just last week, during the first presidential debate in Atlanta, when Trump was asked about his idea of ‘retribution,’ he insisted, ‘My retribution is going to be success.’ But he went on to say that Biden ‘could be a convicted felon as soon as he gets out of office,’ claiming he has done ‘horrible things’ as president.

“Trump has in the past vowed to appoint a special prosecutor to ‘go after’ Biden should he be reelected to a second term. ‘I will appoint a real special “prosecutor” to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the USA, Joe Biden, the entire Biden crime family, & all others involved with the destruction of our elections, borders, & country itself,’ Trump posted on his social media platform in June… During an interview with Dr. Phil last month, he said he’d be OK with taking a ‘forgive and forget’ approach but that ‘sometimes, revenge can be justified.’

“Trump has also declined to say whether he’d try to prosecute Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the New York criminal case against him, insisting that the prosecutor ‘did some very bad things’ and that ‘we’re going to see what happens.’”

Prosecuting Opponents?

DNYUZ wrote on July 1:

“Former President Donald J. Trump over the weekend escalated his vows to prosecute his political opponents… Mr. Trump, using his account on Truth Social on Sunday, promoted two posts from other users of the site that called for the jailing of his perceived political enemies.

“One post that he circulated on Sunday singled out Liz Cheney… and called for her to be prosecuted by a type of military court reserved for enemy combatants and war criminals…  A separate post included photos of 15 former and current elected officials that said, in all-capital letters, ‘they should be going to jail on Monday not Steve Bannon.’ Those officials included Mr. Biden, Ms. Harris, Mr. Pence, Mr. Schumer and Mr. McConnell — the top leaders in the Senate — and Representative Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker.

“The list in the second post also had members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, including Ms. Cheney and… Adam Kinzinger… and… Adam Schiff, Jamie Raskin, Pete Aguilar, Zoe Lofgren and Bennie Thompson…

“In a statement, the Trump campaign did not address Mr. Trump’s posts, instead repeating allegations of misconduct by members of the committee, saying ‘Liz Cheney and the sham January 6th committee banned key witnesses, shielded important evidence, and destroyed documents’ related to their investigation. The posts, which were amplified by Mr. Trump’s Truth Social account on Sunday afternoon, were still listed on his profile on Monday afternoon.

“The Biden campaign denounced the posts in a statement, saying that Mr. Trump ‘is doubling down on threats to our democracy,’ adding that ‘the Supreme Court has now paved the way for him to do exactly what he is saying he will if he wins.’…

“Mr. Trump has repeatedly called for the imprisonment of his political opponents, often singling out members of the Jan. 6 committee. But the two posts that Mr. Trump amplified on Sunday particularly stand out…

“One… invoked the dictatorial imagery of a televised military tribunal, which would strip Ms. Cheney of her right to due process, similar to the military courts used to prosecute terror suspects of Guantanamo Bay.”

Canada Unable to Defend Itself?

National Post wrote on June 30:

“Canada has run out of ammo, with no plan to reload…

“A few years ago, the Trudeau government essentially shut down Canadian-based production of military ammunition, in particular, the 155-mm artillery shell… The federal government decided Canada’s military did not need a secure supply of ammunition… so we went from domestically producing a sizeable quantity of ammunition  (which we used to train our armed forces soldiers, and stockpiled for our friends and allies)… to producing a trickle… In 2023, the Ministry of National Defence allocated $4.8 million to IMT Defence to bolster production. And this March, the three ammo facilities were promised $4.4 million to conduct research…

“The demoralizing impact on recruitment is obvious. Our troops have limited ammunition for training and aging equipment… 72% of the army’s vehicles and trailers are offline… the men and women in uniform don’t see any demonstrable proof that the federal government is actually seized of the issue of trying to get them the capabilities they need to better defend Canadians…”

Insanity Galore

The Daily Mail wrote on July 2:

“A primary school headmistress who was sacked and accused of assault after tapping her own toddler’s hand while he played with a bottle of hand sanitiser has been awarded more than £100,000. Shelly-Ann Malabver-Goulbourne was trying to get her three-year-old to stop playing with the bottle in her office when she used two fingers to attract his attention, an employment tribunal heard. The incident was witnessed by the teacher in charge of child safety who accused her of hurting her son and filed an official complaint. Police officers were called in and the head was suspended.

“Despite the police ruling that her actions were ‘reasonable chastisement’ by a parent, Ms Malabver-Goulbourne, 46, was found guilty of gross misconduct and sacked. Yet an employment judge concluded there was no evidence that she had committed ‘physical chastisement or an assault’ and ruled her dismissal unfair.”

How far can today’s stupidity go?

Pride Parade in London

Daily Mail wrote on June 29:

“[London’s mayor] Sadiq Khan [led London’s Pride Parade. He] said: ‘I’m delighted that London’s diverse LGBTQI+ communities and allies are once again joining together in the heart of our capital for our world-renowned Pride celebrations and march of solidarity. Pride is one of the highlights of my year and it is an honour to have been on every march since I was first elected as mayor in 2016.

“’This incredible event is a shining light for LGBTQI+ rights and shows why our city is a beacon for openness and inclusion – a place where you are embraced and celebrated for who you are. Our capital’s LGBTQI+ communities make a huge contribution to life in London.

“’There is however still work to be done to achieve true equality, and as a proud ally, I’ll continue to stand side-by-side with our capital’s LGBTQI+ communities as we work to build a better London for all.’”

When viewing the accompanying photos in the article, picturing the attendees, one must ask where that “shining light” was supposed to be seen. They rather reflected utter darkness.

“… But Not in Istanbul, Turkey!”

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 30:

“Several hundred people briefly took part in a banned LGBTQ+ Pride Parade in Istanbul on Sunday, with Turkish police detaining some of the participants… The governor of Istanbul had earlier banned the  LGBTQ+ community from holding a Pride Parade, without giving any reasons for his move except to say that ‘illegal groups’ were wanting to hold a protest march without authorization.”

Istanbul shows London the way.

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 two parts of this three-part series, we looked at why it is vital to stay with “our calling” and the “Way of Life” to which we have been called.   Nothing less will do.  To repeat the key Scripture in this review, once again, it is in Matthew 24:13: “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

But what about those who have succumbed to the dreadful disease of dementia?     We will now address the dementia question for those Church members and their families who are affected.

We quote briefly below from the following sources to show what a traumatic time this can be for those families who have to deal with this problem.

The Biblical Counselling Coalition gives this description of dementia: “In brief, dementia is a cognitive disorder. The affected person’s thinking ability gradually deteriorates. It interferes with judgment and memory and also can create confusion, fear, and irritation. There are several types of dementia. The best known is Alzheimer’s, which was experienced by former president, Ronald Reagan.”

According to the website verywellmind.com, there are seven stages of dementia from “no cognitive decline” to “very severe cognitive decline.”

“Stages 1 to 3 are the pre-dementia stages; whereas Stages 4 to 7 are the dementia stages. Clinicians typically compare the person’s symptoms to the criteria listed for each stage and use their judgment to determine which stage the patient is at.  

“In the final stage, the brain appears to lose its connection to the body and becomes incapable of telling it what to do. The person is likely to progressively lose their motor skills as well as the ability to speak. They may only be able to utter unintelligible sounds or words, if at all. They will need assistance with all personal care tasks such as eating, walking, and using the bathroom.”

The Alzheimer’s Society has this to say on their website:

“The word ‘dementia’ describes a set of symptoms that over time can affect memory, problem-solving, language and behaviour. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia.

“People with dementia often experience memory loss. This is because dementia is caused by damage to the brain, and this damage can affect areas of the brain involved in creating and retrieving memories.

“For a person with dementia, memory problems will become more persistent and will begin to affect everyday life. This can be difficult to cope with, both for the person themselves and for the people around them.”

John Dunlop, a medical doctor, wrote the following about dementia: “Dementia can inflict its victims with memory loss and render them unable to care for themselves. It can cause them to wake up every morning not knowing where they are or who is feeding or bathing them. People with dementia often want to say something but are unable to organize their thoughts or even form the words.”

Many of us may have come into contact with those who are struggling with this alarming, distressing and grievous health problem.  It is a very fair question to ask what happens when a Church member develops these symptoms.   Does this affect their salvation in any way when they can no longer remember their calling and commitment to God’s Way of Life that will result in them being in the Family of God for eternity if they endure to the end?

An obvious but important point to make is that God is fair, unlike our adversary, Satan the devil. 2 Peter 3:9 is instructive: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

Also, in 1 Timothy 2:4, we read that God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

God does not want anyone to fail, but God would like to see that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth. However, He knows that some will be rebellious and turn down the opportunity.  Those refusing God’s offer will be thrown into the lake of fire, as Revelation 21:8 confirms: “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Further proof of God’s mercy that He will give everyone an opportunity for salvation is in the message of the Last Great Day, which directly follows the Feast of Tabernacles.   On our website is our Statement of Beliefs where we read under the “Observation of God’s Commanded Holy Days” the following information:

“The Last Great Day which immediately follows the Feast of Tabernacles, once a year. This day symbolizes a 100-year period called the “Great White Throne Judgment,” during which all persons who have ever lived and who were never called by God for salvation during this life, will have their first opportunity to accept Christ as their Savior (Leviticus 23:36; John 7:37; Revelation 20:11-12). At the end of that period, there will be a judgment during which all people who have ever lived and who have refused to accept Christ as their Savior, will be finally condemned to eternal death and destroyed in Gehenna fire (Revelation 20:13-15).”

This shows God’s great compassion for human beings – would He be any less compassionate for those who were faithful until the time of their reason and brain functionality was taken away?   Of course, the answer must be no as He is supremely fair to all.

In the first part of this Q&A, we mentioned 2 Timothy 4:7-8 where Paul said that he had finished the race – he had endured to the end of his life and his life’s work.  It is worth repeating here to make a further point.   The passage reads:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

It is very well worth noting that Paul was still alive when he said this!  Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers observes that “the tense of the Greek verb—the perfect—’I have fought,’ is remarkable. The struggle had been bravely sustained in the past, and was now being equally bravely sustained to the end. His claim to the crown (2 Timothy 4:8) was established.”

Those faithful Church members with dementia will have run their race until they were prevented from continuing to do so.   When is the end of the race?   For those with dementia, it may be at the stage where they no longer remember their “calling” and “Way of Life,” when their personal mental control and memory ceases to function.

God does not want anyone to fail.

In the final analysis, God determines the outcomes in such cases as He knows the hearts of all people.

There is the story of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4, when he lost his mind [compare Daniel 4:16, saying that his heart of man would be replaced with the heart of an animal] – but regained his mind after seven years through a miracle from God.   However, there is no indication that this was anything other than punishment from God for His arrogance. 

Today, dementia sufferers don’t recover and regain all the faculties that they lost. The website of bigthink.com states that “Dementia involves the loss of memory, cognition, and speech. It’s caused by changes in the brain due to injury or disease, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s and it’s progressive, meaning the symptoms get more severe over time.” 

In Philippians 1:6, Paul writes: “… being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Barnes Notes on the Bible explains: “Will perform it – Margin, ‘Or, finish.’ The Greek word – ἐπιτελέσει epitelesei – means that he would carry it forward to completion; he would perfect it. It is an intensive form of the word, meaning that it would be carried through to the end.”

God will have begun a good work in the lives of those called by Him who have faithfully lived the true Christian Way of Life, and not even such a crippling disease as dementia will change that reality.

Further encouraging words can be read in 1 Corinthians 1:6-9:

“… even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

We read on the website ncbi.nlm.nih.gov the following information about a sickness, which affects so many in the world and some few in the true Church of God:

“Dementia is a progressive condition which affects over 55 million people worldwide, with nearly 10 million new cases every year.  The term ‘dementia’ indicates not a single disease, but rather a spectrum of different conditions with different clinical phenotypes, which can be caused by a multitude of pathologies that cause changes in the structure and chemistry of the brain. While the most common cause of dementia-related symptoms is a neurodegenerative disease, other causes do exist (e.g., chronic inflammatory disease, alcoholism…). The exact pathological cascade of events which causes the development of symptoms is still unknown, but overall it is thought that a combination of genetic and environmental factors results in the abnormal accumulation of misfolded, toxic proteins in the brain, which then triggers both chemical imbalance and neuronal loss in the brain (a process called atrophy), ultimately leading to the hallmark clinical symptoms that eventually impair the daily functioning of affected individuals.” 

When someone has given themselves faithfully to the true Way of God from the time of their calling and a disease such as dementia removes understanding and recognition of previous learning later in life, Scripture reveals that God will honour that person.

And 1 Corinthians 9:25 reveals that it is “for an imperishable crown.”   It is great news for those who suffer from dementia and for all of God’s faithful people!

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Weil sie der Lüge mehr geglaubt haben,” last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Patrick Flueck is now posted. Title in English:  “Because They Believed the Lie More.”

“This Is the Work of God,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

The Work of God can be described in many different ways, but one definition which Christ gave is truly remarkable.  What is that definition, and how does it apply to us?

“As You Wish,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

In this day and age there is so much want and desire, wishing for things that others have.  This is dangerous as this could lead to sin.  However, we in God’s Church have something that others do not, something that anyone can only wish for. 

On June 29, 2024, Norbert Link will present the sermonette, titled, “This Is the Work of God…” and Michael Link will present the sermon, titled, “As You Wish.”

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.

On June 22, 2024, The Associated Press reported: “Former President Donald Trump on Saturday urged evangelicals to get out and vote in an election that has him neck and neck with President Joe Biden. ‘The evangelicals and the Christians, they don’t vote as much as they should,’ Trump told the audience at the Faith & Freedom Coalition meeting in Washington, D.C. ‘They go to church every Sunday, but they don’t vote. And we have to make sure they vote. Just this time….’”

Why is it that some Christians do NOT vote in governmental elections? Why is it that they will not vote in the upcoming election, either? The reasons might be many. As the article said, “Trump’s stated opposition to signing a nationwide ban on abortion and his reluctance to detail some of his views on the issue are at odds with many members of the evangelical movement… He [previously] stated… that he would not sign a nationwide ban on abortion if it was passed by Congress.”

So, abortion is a big issue, and some Christians will not vote for either Trump or Biden, as they do not agree with their respective stance on abortion. While Biden, a professing Catholic, is not opposed to any form of abortion—a position totally at odds with the viewpoint of many Christians—Trump’s stance against abortion, but allowing abortion in some instances, does not go far enough for some, as they are opposed to abortion under any circumstances.

Another issue of controversy is immigration. While many, if not most Christians, oppose Biden’s open-border policy, some are concerned with Trump’s rather stringent and somewhat radical approach, including his position against chain migration and his (somewhat ambiguous) concepts regarding DACA.

There are certainly many more issues which would clearly prevent many Christians from voting for Biden—from his stance on the LGBTQ+ movement and same-sex marriages to his war-driven policies, the weaponization of the legal system and his attacks on personal freedom and liberty. But rather than not voting at all, should they not then vote for Trump, with whom they might not agree on every issue, but who would be closer to their viewpoint? In other words, should they not vote for the “lesser evil”?

But in asking the question in this way, some Christians would argue that this would still be voting for “evil”—something they could not do, as they feel that according to Scripture, they have to “abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

However, the crux of the matter goes far beyond the issues raised so far.

In our free booklet, “Should You Fight in War?”, we are showing a connection between voting in governmental elections and joining the military and fighting in war (after all, the President is the Commander in Chief with the power to declare war).

In a chapter in this booklet, titled, “Why Christ Would Not Vote in this World’s Governmental Elections,” we quoted an article from the late Herbert W. Armstrong which was published in 1984, saying this:

“This is not a world of God’s making. This is SATAN’S world!… The Bible speaks of this world as ‘this present EVIL WORLD’ (Galatians 1:4, AV)… No, Jesus did not enter into THIS WORLD’S politics! He called His disciples out of this present evil world—out of all its customs and philosophies and ways—to live a life of SEPARATION from the world…

“Thus Jesus’ disciples live in this present evil world as though they were foreigners, here merely as the guests of the nation where they reside, as AMBASSADORS for Christ and His coming Kingdom, not of any of this world’s governments… [Foreign ambassadors do not involve themselves in] making their state [where they live] a better state, or voting, or entering their army or fighting for their cause… [T]he true Christian is one who follows Christ, and Christ did not vote! Jesus did not try to reform Caesar… He preached the doctrine of a radically different world to come… This is Satan’s world and Jesus Christ did not come to reform Satan or improve Satan’s handiwork, but to save His followers from Satan and his system. Since God’s Kingdom is not literally set up as yet, the true Christian’s citizenship is now reserved in heaven (I Peter 1:4, Ephesians 2:19)…

“What, then, would Jesus do in [a time of] presidential election?… HE WOULD BE TOO BUSY PROCLAIMING THE GOOD NEWS OF HIS COMING WORLD-RULING KINGDOM, and the way of salvation, to take any part whatsoever in the politics of this present evil world, or in any man-made form of government that is DOOMED very soon to be destroyed and replaced by the theocratic government of THE KINGDOM OF GOD! Our mission is, as ambassadors of Christ—as advance emissaries of HIS KINGDOM—to WARN the world of its plight and present danger, to proclaim to all nations the good news of the KINGDOM OF GOD!”

These words, written in 1984, are as relevant today as they have ever been.

We also stated this in another chapter in our booklet, titled, “Why do you teach that a Christian should not vote in governmental elections?”

“Another reason why a Christian is not to vote for a candidate in governmental or local council elections is because he understands the truth about this being Satan’s world at the present time. It is Satan who, with the general permission of God, places candidates into governmental offices. If we were to vote, we might involve ourselves quite directly in Satan’s system. Hosea 8:4 gives us God’s warning in this regard: ‘They set up kings, but not by Me; they made princes, but I did not acknowledge them.’’

“Sometimes, in order to ensure that certain aspects of His plan are fulfilled, God Himself might intervene to see to it that the person best (or perhaps worst) suited for the job at that time gets the job (compare Daniel 4:17). How would God look at us when He intervenes directly to place a specific person into office, while we did not vote for that person, but rather for someone whom God does not want to see in charge at that time? It is obvious that our vote would be found to be in opposition to God’s Will.

“To give a prophetic and an historical example, Biblical prophecy reveals that a final political leader of the resurrected Roman Empire – the ‘beast’ – will soon arise in Europe. According to God’s prophetic plan, this person will be placed in office in the very last days, wreaking total havoc on this planet. It is Satan, with God’s permission, who will give his power and authority to this person (Revelation 13:4-5). A Christian could not and should not vote for this person, of course, as he will persecute and kill many of the ‘saints’ (Revelation 13:7), and he will even attempt to fight the returning Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:19). Neither should a Christian have voted for Adolph Hitler, although it is clear now that Hitler came to power, as prophesied, to bring about the ninth resurrection of the Roman Empire. This is to say that God allowed Hitler to become ruler over Germany so that prophecy could be fulfilled…”

While many will tell you with seemingly logical arguments that Christians must vote in the upcoming presidential election, the Bible is quite clear that they must not do so. The question is, whom will you follow? Men or God?

by Norbert Link

We begin with interesting developments pertaining to the Catholic Church; and continue with reports about Argentina, Israel, and the UK.

We also speak on developments in and pertaining to Germany. Please view in this context our new StandingWatch program, titled, “What’s Your Vote for the Next President?”

Focusing on the USA, we address the challenging question as to what to do when you are right and the government is wrong; a potential draft for women; the “rationale” for war; the unparalleled national debt; and developments pertaining to Trump. We also speak on WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange’s plea deal and his road to freedom.

We close with articles about the future of marriage; a proposal to prosecute lying politicians; and the nonsense of the Evolution fairy tale.

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

Vatican Charges Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò With the “Crime of Schism” and “Denial of the Legitimacy of Pope Francis”

The Washington Post wrote on June 22:

“He has called Pope Francis a liberal ‘servant of Satan,’ demanded his resignation and suggested that the Vatican’s Swiss Guard arrest the 87-year-old pontiff. Now, after receiving years of withering verbal attacks, Francis appears to have struck back against Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, the former Vatican ambassador to the United States and the pope’s most ardent internal critic.

“The Vatican’s disciplinary body, the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith, issued a formal decree… assigning the senior cleric to a penal canon trial. The charges: the ‘crime of schism’ and ‘denial of the legitimacy of Pope Francis.’

“Such trials are exceedingly rare, and the move underscores a recent effort by the Vatican to take more-formal action against a gaggle of archconservatives who have sought to undermine Francis’s papacy from the inside. Conviction could lead to Viganò’s defrocking and excommunication, ending the career of the 83-year-old Italian who has been the leading symbol of resistance to a pope viewed by some traditionalists as wildly liberal…

“The crime of schism is defined as a rupture with the church’s ‘unity’ under the pope… The trial amounts to an answer to just how far the Holy See, where the pope rules as the supreme power, is willing to go in allowing dissent.”

Viganò has been outspoken against blessings of same-sex marriages and acceptance of homosexuals, and he pointed out the many sexual abuse cases within the Catholic Church, charging Francis with ignoring the same.

One Papacy For All Churches

kathpress wrote on June 17:

“The Vatican has made proposals for a new understanding and a different exercise of the papal office, according to which the Pope could in the future be accepted as honorary head by other Christian churches… 

“The orientations collected under the title ‘The Bishop of Rome’ are the result of decades of theological dialogues that various Christian churches have conducted separately with the Catholic Church. 

“A new understanding and a different exercise of the papal primacy should ‘contribute to the restoration of Christian unity…’

“After the presentation, the study document elicited predominantly positive reactions….”

The Path to Unity

Domradio wrote on June 13:

“The papal claim to rule the entire church like a monarch is the main obstacle to Christian unity. The Vatican has now put forward proposals for a new understanding and exercise of the papal office… The paper, approved by Pope Francis, proposes several far-reaching changes for the Catholic Church…

“The first change concerns a new reading of the teachings of the First Vatican Council. In 1870 this proclaimed the dogmatic infallibility of the head of the church. It had also declared the Pope to be the supreme legislator and judge of the entire Christian Church. According to the paper, the decisions made at that time should now be integrated into newer theology, which no longer sees the church as a monarchy, but as a community… 

“It must then be clarified to what extent he, as the ‘Patriarch of the West’, is equal with the churches of the East on certain issues, while on others he would be the ‘primacy of unity in the community of the Western and Eastern churches’… 

“It is unclear how the Vatican proposals will be implemented under canon law. The Pope could, through church laws, put into effect some of these that concern his own power or the synodal constitution of the Church…”

And so, we will soon see the biblically prophesied return of the “Christian” daughter churches to the fallen woman in Revelation 17.

A New Argentina 

The New York Post wrote on June 21:

“Just as South and North Korea and West and East Germany became perfect Cold War laboratory experiments contrasting the blessings of democracy and capitalism with the destructive drudgery of communism, the reformist government in Argentina and the Marxist-led ones in Colombia and Brazil are inviting us to compare and contrast… Argentina’s new free-market President Javier Milei is lapping Colombia’s Gustavo Petro and Brazil’s Inacio Lula da Silva in terms of economic achievement and the ability of people to live in freedom.

“Milei is also an ardent supporter of Israel’s right to exist and defend itself — while the Marxists have sided with the Hamas terrorists who massacred 1,200 Jews on Oct. 7 and now hide behind Gaza’s civilian population…

“Argentina — yes, the country that was until recently South America’s economic basket case — now has a primary fiscal surplus, the first in more than a decade and a half. March was the fourth straight month with more government revenues than non-interest spending: In other words Milei, who was inaugurated in December, has produced a government budget surplus every month since taking over.

“This surplus is partly because Milei has also delivered on another of his promises: paring back Argentina’s gargantuan state. He has halved the number of federal agencies, from 18 to nine, slashing public spending by up to 30%. Best of all, Milei is also making inroads against Argentina’s… inflation. Monthly inflation in May cooled for the fifth straight month… and now sits at 4.2%, compared to over 25% in December when Milei’s term began…

“Colombia this year expects to have its largest fiscal deficit since the Marxist Gustavo Petro took office in August 2022… In Brazil, meanwhile, the Lula government that took over in January 2023 produced the second-highest primary deficit in the country’s history last year, reversing the surplus produced in 2022 by conservative president Jair Bolsonaro… Polling shows that the new president remains popular with Argentines, especially among the young — in spite of a string of anti-Milei protests and riots, some organized with help from Brazilian sources…

“As the Venezuelan-born Manhattan Institute fellow Daniel Di Martino posted on X recently, Milei is the greatest threat to left-wing tyrants in the region. ‘Milei’s success will be the end [of] socialism in Latin America,’ wrote Di Martino.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 22:

“Argentine President Javier Milei is set to receive an award in Hamburg in northern Germany on Saturday… Milei is later expected to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, although a military honors reception has been canceled…

“It comes a day after Milei was snubbed by [extremely left-wing] Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the country’s royals…”

Russia Threatens Revenge

 Reuters wrote on June 24:

 “Russia said on Sunday that the United States was responsible for a Ukrainian attack on the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula with five U.S.-supplied missiles that killed four people, including two children, and injured 151 more. The Russian Defence Ministry said four of the U.S.-delivered Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles, equipped with cluster warheads, were shot down by air defence systems and the ammunition of a fifth had detonated in mid-air… Russian-installed authorities in Crimea said missile fragments had fallen just after noon near a beach on the north side of the city of Sevastopol where locals were on holiday.

“The incident generated a furious reaction among Russian public figures. The Defence ministry said U.S. specialists had set the missiles’ flight coordinates on the basis of information from U.S. spy satellites, meaning Washington was directly responsible…

“Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and now views the Black Sea peninsula… as an integral part of its territory, though most of the world considers it still part of Ukraine… Russia will respond to Sunday’s attack, the Defence Ministry said, without elaborating…”

Netanyahu: USA Withholds Weapons From Israel and Is Lying About It

Breitbart wrote on June 21:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu… posted a video to social media earlier this week in which he thanked the Biden administration for its support, but urged it to stop withholding arms and ammunition. The White House claimed that it did not know what he was talking about, but Republican senators filled in the details: the Biden administration had been using bureaucratic tricks to delay weapons shipments since as long ago as January…

“Netanyahu explained: ‘We began to see that we had some significant problems emerging a few months ago. And in fact, we tried, in many, many quiet conversations between our officials and American officials, and between me and the president to try to iron out this diminution of supply… I raised this issue with Secretary Blinken. And I said that we are being told by our Defense Department officials that barely a trickle is coming in….’I don’t know what’s causing it. But I’m aware that there has been a great slowdown in the provision of the important ammunition and weapons. I’m not talking about F-35s or F-16s that are years down the line. I’m talking about what is necessary now to both win the war in Gaza quickly and avoid a war in Lebanon that, in the absence of such a correction, the risks of it breaking out are increasing.’

“It is suspected that the slowdown in arms shipment came at the behest of anti-Israel Democrats, as President Joe Biden faces dissent from Arab- and Muslim-American voters in key swing states like Michigan in a tough re-election.

“The White House criticized Netanyahu for his public comments earlier this week, to which Netanyahu responded, ‘I am willing to absorb personal attacks if that is what it takes for Israel to get the arms and ammunition it needs in its war for survival.’”

Newsmax wrote on June 21:

“Netanyahu noted that he’s neither a Republican nor a Democrat. ‘I’m an Israeli patriot, and I speak on behalf of the Israeli people. I’m happy to see that in one poll after another when Americans are asked who do they support in this world, 80% percent say Israel and 20% say Hamas. Twenty percent supporting Hamas is still an incredible number,’ he said.

“If the Israelis get the weapons they need, Netanyahu is confident they can ‘finish the job.’  Once that happens, he said, a civilian government in Gaza is critical to a sustained peace in the region but will need to come ‘with assistance by Arab countries.’ ‘And then the third thing would be obviously some kind of deradicalization process that would begin in the schools and the mosques to teach these people a different future than the one of annihilating Israel and killing every Jew on the planet,’ he said.”

The relationship between Israel and the USA will deteriorate even more.

Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox Men Must Be Drafted

The Associated Press wrote on June 25:

“Israel’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled unanimously that the military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that could lead to the collapse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition as Israel continues to wage war in Gaza. The court ruled that in the absence of a law that distinguishes between Jewish seminary students and other draftees, Israel’s compulsory military service system applies to the ultra-Orthodox like any other citizens.

“Under longstanding arrangements, ultra-Orthodox men have been exempt from the draft, which is compulsory for most Jewish men and women. These exemptions have long been a source of anger among the secular public, a divide that has widened during the eight-month-old war, as the military has called up tens of thousands of soldiers and says it needs all the manpower it can get. Over 600 soldiers have been killed.

“Politically powerful ultra-Orthodox parties, key partners in Netanyahu’s governing coalition, oppose any change in the current system. If the exemptions are ended, they could bolt the coalition, causing the government to collapse and leading to new elections…

“In a post on the social media platform X, cabinet minister Yitzhak Goldknopf, who heads one of the ultra-Orthodox parties in the coalition, called the ruling ‘very unfortunate and disappointing… The state of Israel was established in order to be a home for the Jewish people whose Torah is the bedrock of its existence. The Holy Torah will prevail,’ he wrote.”

Britain’s Battle For Rulership

Express wrote on June 21:

“Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has surged ahead of Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives, a bombshell new poll for the Daily Express has revealed. Reform UK’s support has increased to 20 per cent, up three per cent, after the party’s manifesto launch this week. The poll, from Whitestone Insight, said just 19 per cent of voters would back the Prime Minister’s party amid ‘disillusion’ among Conservative voters. Labour’s lead has fallen by two per cent, to 39 per cent, with the Liberal Democrats on 12 per cent.

“But the pollsters said Sir Keir Starmer’s party [Labour] would have a 288 seat majority, winning 469 seats, with the Tories securing just 67. Nigel Farage’s party would win six seats, the Greens would claim two, while the Liberal Democrats will have 61 MPs…

“But the Whitestone poll offered a glimmer of hope for the Conservatives as three quarters of Reform voters said they were terrified by the prospect of a Labour Government. It said 75% would be unhappy with Labour being in office for 10 years… And Whitestone revealed almost half of people are unhappy with plans to give 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote. Only 31 per cent backed the proposals. Even fewer backed Sir Keir’s plan to view EU citizens the right to vote, with just one in four supporting it.”

The U.S. Sun wrote on June 21:

“In a painful blow to the Tories the survey says that three in four of Farage’s vote comes from disgruntled former Conservative voters… It has him a mammoth 27 points ahead of Tory incumbent Giles Watling, despite the ex-actor winning an endorsement from Boris Johnson.

“Farage leads in every age group apart from 18-34-year-olds with only one in five 2019 Tory voters sticking with Watling.”

British Outrage Over Farage’s Comments on Russia and Ukraine

CNN wrote on June 22:

“Nigel Farage, a figurehead of the UK’s populist right, has sparked outrage from political opponents after saying the West ‘provoked’ Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  Farage – who… was a pivotal figure in Brexit – is seeking to win a seat in parliament for the first time in next month’s general election [on July 4]…

“During an interview with the BBC Friday, Farage was asked if he stood by a tweet posted in February 2022 which called Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine a ‘consequence of EU and NATO expansion.’ ‘Why did I say that? It was obvious to me that the ever-eastward expansion of NATO and the European Union was giving this man [Putin] a reason to his Russian people to say they’re coming for us again, and to go to war,’ he told the BBC’s Nick Robinson. ‘We’ve provoked this war – of course it’s his fault – he’s used what we’ve done as an excuse,’ he said. 

“Farage – a former EU parliamentarian – claimed to be ‘the only person in British politics’ to predict the invasion of Ukraine. Following his BBC appearance, Farage took to X and clarified his comments. ‘I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war with Russia,’ he wrote. ‘Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.’”

Breitbart added on June 22:

“The British political establishment went into full meltdown on Friday as Reform UK leader Nigel Farage suggested that Western expansionist policies in Ukraine ‘provoked’ the Russian invasion… In an apparent re-run of attempts to tarnish the Brexit movement with debunked claims of Russian influence, top political and media figures in Britain have once again tried to use the issue of Russia to derail Nigel Farage as his Reform party soars in the polls ahead of the July 4th general election…

“Such sentiments have become taboo in Britain, with both establishment Westminster political parties largely rallying around the war in Ukraine, which the UK has been a top funder of. It is therefore unsurprising that both the Conservative and Labour parties immediately chastised Mr Farage’s comments…

“However, Mr Farage’s diagnosis that attempts to expand both the European Union and NATO to Russia’s doorstep played a role in provoking the 2022 invasion of Ukraine has previously been expressed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg himself, who appeared to boast that the invasion made NATO enlargement more likely, and therefore the invasion had backfired against Putin’s desire to halt the expansion of the American-led alliance…

“Even members of Ukrainian President Zelensky’s team appeared to realise before the invasion that joining the Western military alliance would likely spark a war with Russia, with former senior advisor Oleksiy Arestovych saying in 2019 that ‘with a 99.9 per cent probability, our price for joining NATO is a big war with Russia.’ Arestovych argued this was a price worth paying, however, claiming that otherwise, Russia would merely seek to ‘absorb’ Ukraine in the coming years, regardless.”

Orban: Germany No Longer the Same

AFP wrote on June 21:

“Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said during a visit to Berlin on Friday that Germany ‘no longer smelled and looked the same’, saying it had turned into a ‘colourful, multicultural world’ due to migration.

“The nationalist leader — who is staunchly anti-immigration — was set to meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz later on Friday, when Hungary takes over the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union on July 1… Orban said the face of Germany had changed beyond recognition compared to 10 years ago. ‘Hundreds of thousands’ of migrants have been ‘granted citizenship on a fast-track basis’, he claimed… Once an example for its ‘hard-working people’ and ‘order’, Orban said Germany ‘is no longer that’…

“Last year, Germany received 334,000 asylum applications, more than any other European Union country. Applications across the 27-nation bloc hit a seven-year high in 2023. Germany has taken in close to a million refugees in the past two years, many fleeing conflict, persecution or poverty.

“Orban, who returned to power in 2010 and is the EU’s longest serving leader, touted his own country’s tough line on migration, claiming he had ‘preserved…an island of peace’ in Hungary. Earlier this month, the EU’s top court fined Hungary 200 million euros ($213 million) and imposed a daily one-million-euro penalty for failing to follow the bloc’s asylum laws and illegally deporting migrants.”

Violent Crimes in Germany Through Male Immigrants

Breitbart wrote on June 23:

“Young foreign males are the driving force behind the violence ravaging Berlin, the chief of the German capital’s police force admitted… Berlin Police President Barbara Slowik tacitly conceded that the open borders agenda of the German government has led to more crime on the streets of its largest city. ‘To put it bluntly: according to our figures, the violence in Berlin is young, male and has a non-German background. This also applies to knife violence,’ Slowik said…

“The frank comments from the Berlin Police President come after a string of high-profile stabbings carried out in recent weeks by Afghan migrants. In one instance, a failed asylum seeker from Afghanistan went on a stabbing spree in Mannheim at a rally against the Islamification of Germany. The migrant knifeman stabbed multiple people, including a police officer, who ultimately died of his wounds. This was followed last week by another knife rampage by an Afghan migrant, who stabbed a fellow Afghani to death before wounding another three people.

“Last year saw a dramatic rise in violent crime among foreigners, making up 79,088 suspected violent criminals in 2023, a 14 per cent increase over 2022 when 69,086 non-Germans were suspected of violent crime. Commenting on the rise of violent crime among foreign populations within Germany, the Welt am Sontag newspaper wrote, ‘One thing is certain: many people’s sense of security has deteriorated. These are incidents that have shaken the country: knife attacks again, again committed by people who had fled war zones and found a new home in peace in Germany. And who then themselves became a threat to public safety. Violent crime continues to rise, and people without a German passport are significantly overrepresented in the statistics. Nobody is talking about isolated cases anymore.’”

The Propaganda of the Tagesschau

Report 24 wrote on June 21:

“With programs ‘in simple language’ you can potentially bring daily government propaganda closer to those who barely speak German. The Tagesschau [Germany’s first public broadcast company] is now attacking the AfD in very simple terms – and simply claims that it devalues ​​people and causes fear among homosexuals. While Correctiv’s Potsdam lie [note our previous articles in the Current Events] has just been finally collapsed, the ‘Tagesschau in simple language’ continues to agitate against the unpleasant opposition party and so-called right-wing extremists. It is blatantly claimed that they devalue people: right-wing extremists, such as those found in the AfD according to an ‘important authority’ (meaning the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which is bound to the instructions of the red Ministry of the Interior), would allegedly say that foreigners are worth less than a German. They would also allegedly say that people with disabilities are worth less. Therefore, ‘many’ believe that the AfD could become ‘dangerous’.

“This tells the target group of this program that their value as a human being is being denied by the AfD. That should justify a ban on the party. The program also claims that homosexuals (as well as migrants) are afraid of the AfD. A steep thesis when you consider survey results that show high levels of support for the party among this group. A number of people with a migrant background who reject the Islamization of Germany and the plundering of the welfare state at their own expense also give their vote to the AfD.

“Now, of course, calls for the control and limitation of mass migration and the deportation of delinquent migrants do not mean that anyone’s ‘worth’ is questioned. In return, one could otherwise accuse the old parties of viewing migrants as more valuable than Germans; after all, it is the latter who pay for foreigners from all over the world and have to live with all the other negative consequences of mass immigration without receiving anything in return. Also, any law that restricts anyone in the world in any way would be right-wing extremist and dehumanizing – especially, of course, those laws that define crimes and their punishment…”

This is how politics is made and this is how the masses are seduced.

When You Resist the Corona Measures

Nius wrote on June 22:

“Because she let her father, who is a pastor, visit a dying person during the Corona period, the Gera regional court sentenced a former probationary judge [for perverting the course of justice!] to a suspended sentence [of one year in prison]. It is one of the cruelest chapters from the Corona period: hundreds of thousands of people had to die alone in nursing homes, without the company of their relatives or another person they could trust. 

“Judge Anna K. (37) defied the cruel ban on visits in April 2020 – and permitted her father to visit a woman for pastoral care who was 89 years old and dying in a nursing home in Jena. The man had previously tried in vain to obtain permission from the home management to visit her… Anna K. announced that she would appeal.”

This is so terrible to hear!

“What If It’s Dangerous to Be Right when the Government Is Wrong?”

Judge Andrew Napolitano wrote on June 20, 2024 in the Ron Paul Institute:

“What if the National Security Agency (NSA) — the federal government’s 60,000-person strong domestic spying apparatus — has convinced Congress that it needs to cut constitutional corners in order to spy on every person in America?… 

“What if the Constitution requires warrants for searches and seizures and only permits warrants that are based on probable cause of crime? What if the Constitution requires that all warrants for searches and seizures specifically describe the place to be searched or the person or thing to be seized? What if the FISA Court issues warrants based on a lesser standard than probable cause of crime? What if that standard is probable cause of speaking with or knowing someone who has spoken with a foreign person? What if this is such an absurd and loose standard that it violates the Constitution, permits spying on anyone and ends up protecting no one except the spies who pretend to employ it?

“What if the NSA has convinced every president since George W. Bush that it needs to spy on everyone in America to keep us safe, no matter what the Constitution says? What if those presidents have bought that devil’s bargain? What if NSA spying is really done without any warrants? What if this spying captures in real time every keystroke on every computer and hand-held device — as well as the content of every email, text message, telephone call and fiber-optic cable transmission — in the United States 24/7? What if NSA computers have direct and unimpeded access to all mainframe computers of all telecoms and computer service providers in the U.S.?…

“What if Bush’s government was asleep at the switch on 9/11? What if 3,000 civilians died while the government slept? What if the government’s invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq were perpetrated to divert our attention from its sleeping on 9/11?…

“What if the Franklin D. Roosevelt government knew of the attacks on Pearl Harbor before they came? What if it looked the other way knowing that the American people would react with fury and thus America could enter World War II, which FDR desperately wanted? What if 3,000 sleeping sailors died because the government looked the other way?…

“What if the government hates being caught spying and lying? What if it humiliates and frustrates and falsely charges and seizes the passports of those it hates and fears? What if the government hates and fears our freedoms?…”

Challenging questions. 

Proposal to Draft Women

Newsmax wrote on June 21:

“A contentious provision in the annual defense bill requiring women to register for the military draft reportedly is worrisome for some vulnerable Senate Democrats seeking reelection in November. The provision in the National Defense Authorization Act was advanced by the Senate Armed Services Committee this month…

“There hasn’t been a draft since 1973 during the Vietnam War…  The issue is bipartisan, but it divides some Republicans as well, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who supports including women in the draft, while Sen. Roger Wicker R-Miss., opposes it…

“The draft proposal has become a flashpoint in the Nevada race between incumbent Sen. Jacky Rosen, a Democrat, and Republican nominee Sam Brown… Brown, an Army veteran whose face was severely burned from an improvised explosion device while serving in Afghanistan, highlighted his personal experience in a campaign video. ‘Look at my face. This is the high cost of war,’ Brown says in the video. Rosen’s campaign declined to comment.”

Breitbart wrote on June 24:

“Senate Democrats have added a provision to a yearly defense bill that would require women to sign up for the draft, prompting opposition from Republicans. The yearly bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act, authorizes the fiscal year budget for the Pentagon, but it also authorizes policies and programs at the Pentagon. The House and Senate each pass a version that gets meshed together into one. This year, Democrats — who control the Senate and the committee drafting the defense bill — included a provision in their version that would require women to register for the draft… 

“The top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Roger Wicker (MS), said he will try to strip it out of the bill. ‘I hope it will fall out, either on the floor or in conference,’ he told The Hill. Committee Chairman Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), an Army veteran, told CNN he could not understand why the issue is a ‘sore point… We have had amendments that would have required women to register and we can’t get any real traction on the other side. We are going to try to do it. It makes sense. The military now is a mixed force,’ he told CNN.

“… under the Biden administration, the U.S. military is currently engaged in conflict in Iraq and Syria, as well as on ships in the Red Sea against Houthi rebels. U.S. troops are also involved in supporting Israel in its war against Hamas and Ukrainian forces in their war with Russia.”

Why Do We Make Wars?

The Telegraph wrote on June 23:

“The development of nuclear weapons has substantially changed the terms of any future global conflict… the lessons of history are seldom learnt… the question of how a third world war might erupt haunts us today more than at any time since the end of the last world war. The very act of guessing is proof of our expectation that warfare of some kind remains a fact in a world of multiple insecurities… regular threats from Russia about using nuclear weapons suggest that our fantasies may not be so wide of the mark after all…

“Why do we make war at all? War has been a characteristic of almost the whole of recorded history… There have been very few cultures in which warfare has not played a part, usually a central part, in the life of the community. In the historic period of states, from about 5,000 years ago, there are no examples where warfare was not accepted practice… Wars are always waged for something, whether it is pleasing the gods by seizing captives to ­execute or sacrifice, or coveting resources, or wars for belief, or extending power over others, or in the search for heightened security, or simply a war of defence against a predator. This mix of motives has remained remarkably constant.

“The seizure of resources is an obvious motivation for war, an explanation that extends from the ancient Romans as they destroyed enemy cities and grabbed slaves and treasure and exacted tribute, to the Japanese forces in 1942 when they captured the oil and raw mat­erials of South-east Asia needed for waging further war. Wars for belief also span millennia, from the Muslim conquests of the Middle East and North Africa in the early Middle Ages, and the age of Christian cru­sades that followed, to the current jihad campaigns of militant Islam…

“Pursuit of power is perhaps the most common explanation for war… The two world wars began with a major power picking on a lesser one – ­Serbia in 1914, Poland in 1939 – and then dragging other powers into the maelstrom. That might indeed happen with Taiwan, as it is already happening with Ukraine.

“The wars of the future draw on a grim heritage… And that heritage is the chief reason it is possible to imagine a future war. After the end of the Cold War, there was once a fashion for saying that war was obsolete – if only that were so, we might now live in a world without weapons and fear. While few would actively seek the Third World War, few envisaged or wanted the other two. The sad reality is that our understanding of why wars occur has so far contributed little to setting warfare aside as an enduring element in human affairs.”

It must be through the spirit if we want to save the flesh. Wars will only cease when Jesus Christ returns to this earth and establishes a righteous government… and when men will finally realize the horror and futility of war and when they will not learn war anymore. 

An Iron Dome for America?

Newsmax wrote on June 23:

“Trump promised that if elected, he will ‘prevent World War III’ and under his presidency will ‘build the great “iron dome” over our country, a dome like has never been seen before.’ The dome would be a state-of-the-art missile defense shield that would be built entirely in the United States…

“He noted in the attempted missile attack on Israel earlier this year, ‘300 missiles were shot into Israel. Only one of them got through and that was limping through that got hit. To think of it, why don’t we have that?’

“He added that late President Ronald Reagan also wanted an ‘iron dome,’ ‘but that was a long time ago.’ ‘We didn’t have the technology,’ said Trump. ‘Today, you have incredible technology…’”

Still, nothing will prevent America’s defeat in a coming nuclear war, as prophesied in the Bible. 

“House Prices Hit Record High as Sales Stall” in the USA

CNBC wrote on June 21:

“Sales of previously owned homes are sitting at a 30-year low and didn’t move much in May as prices hit a new record and mortgage rates remain high… The average rate on the popular 30-year fixed loan… is now right around 7%.

“… mortgage payment for a typical home today is more than double what it was five years ago. Not only have rates climbed, but home prices are more than 50% higher than they were five years ago.”

Houses are way overpriced and when the bubble bursts, many who bought homes recently with high mortgages may lose their homes and may have to walk away from them, as happened before.

Swimming in Debt

MSN wrote on June 21:

“America is cruising into an uncharted sea of federal debt, with a public seemingly untroubled by the stark numbers and a government seemingly incapable of turning them around. In the presidential race, there’s not much partisan difference or advantage on this subject. Donald Trump and President Biden have overseen similar additions to the nation’s accumulated debt—in the range of $7 trillion in each case—during their terms. The national response to both has been, by and large, to look the other way. History, however, offers some cautionary notes about the consequences of swimming in debt. 

“Over the centuries and across the globe, nations and empires that blithely piled up debt have, sooner or later, met unhappy ends. Historian Niall Ferguson recently invoked what he calls his own personal law of history: ‘Any great power that spends more on debt service (interest payments on the national debt) than on defense will not stay great for very long. True of Habsburg Spain, true of ancient régime France, true of the Ottoman Empire, true of the British Empire, this law is about to be put to the test by the U.S. beginning this very year.’ 

“Indeed, the Congressional Budget Office projects that, in part because of rising interest rates, the federal government will spend $892 billion during the current fiscal year for interest payments on the accumulated national debt of $28 trillion—meaning that interest payments now surpass the amount spent on defense and nearly match spending on Medicare.

“Washington has been adding to the national debt at an alarming pace. Not so long ago—beginning in the late 1990s—the federal government’s budget was actually in surplus, at least for a time. This year, it will be some $1.9 trillion in the red, the Congressional Budget Office forecast just this week.

“Only a dozen years ago, the aggregate government debt amounted to about 70% of the nation’s gross domestic product. This year, it will be about equal to the entire gross domestic product. By 2028, it is forecast to reach a record 106% of GDP, matching the record hit during the heavy spending to finance World War II. By 2034, barring changes in tax and spending policy, it is projected to hit 122% of GDP, the highest level ever recorded…

“‘Even if a country issues the leading reserve currency [creating more money], even if a country is the dominant geopolitical power, that just doesn’t bail countries out,’ says J.H. Cullum Clark, director of the Bush Institute-Southern Methodist University Economic Growth Initiative. ‘They do lose that status.’ Clark… points to the Roman Empire as an early cautionary tale. After establishing their empire as the world’s most powerful, Rome’s leaders began spending lavishly on imperial administration and the army in the third century. Emperors financed the resulting debt by debasing the currency, which generated high inflation. That weakened the empire’s stability and defenses, leading to its demise in the fifth century.

“After establishing a foothold in the New World, Spain financed its military adventures and globe-spanning empire with extensive borrowing from abroad and high taxation, eventually losing its status as Europe’s greatest power… France traveled much the same path and defaulted frequently on its debt. Ultimately, profligate borrowing and spending by the court at Versailles caught up with the royals, producing deindustrialization and fiscal crises that led to the revolution of 1789.

“China’s Qing Dynasty went through a similar cycle and encountered a similar fate. It was a leading world economic power, but spending and foreign borrowing in the 19th century led to damaging underinvestment in the infrastructure needed to keep advancing.

“Great Britain may offer the most compelling parallels. It oversaw the world’s most far-flung empire through the 18th and 19th centuries before war spending, including the fight against the American Revolution, produced high debt. It recovered but by the 20th century found that it could no longer afford the spending required to both maintain an army and navy to police the empire and to finance rapidly growing social programs. Debt began crowding out other investments, and economic weakness sapped the strength of the British pound. The pound ceased being the world’s leading reserve currency, and the British Empire soon declined. Clark says that, in the current environment, the event triggering a debt crisis could be a downgrade of America’s credit rating or the refusal of international financiers to continue lending…”

What is sorely overlooked in the article is the fact that GOD has determined and preordained when and how a nation should come to power, and for how long, before its demise. This is especially true, in our time, for the United Kingdom and the USA. 

Trump’s Green Card Proposal for Foreign Students Under Attack

The New York Post wrote on June 21:

“Former President Donald Trump has floated green cards for all foreign students who graduate from US universities and junior colleges in a podcast interview — prompting hardline immigration advocacy groups to lash out at what they called a ‘cockamamie proposal.’… 

“Mark Krikorian, the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, told The Post that the green-card handout… would unleash a ‘firehose of foreign cash’ by effectively ‘stapling a green card to the diploma’ of any US college graduate. If someone earns a PhD. at a university in a hard science, I personally will drive to their house and give them a green card,’ Krikorian said. ‘The issue is any foreign college graduate, even from a bogus two-year master’s program or gender studies [major], would get a green card. If this proposal were adopted, you would see an explosion of quickie, one-year master’s programs around the country as a way of selling green cards to foreigners,’ he added, which lobbyists and others would ‘exploit’ to earn profits from potentially ‘billions of people around the world.’

“‘There’s no percentage limit for any particular institution,’ Krikorian concluded. ‘Foreign students are one of the drivers of immigration because if you come here to study from Yemen or Cameroon, why would you want to go back?’”

“The green-card extension would cut against some of Trump’s promised immigration restrictions if he is elected to a second term — including plans for ‘nearly 20 million’ illegal migrants to be removed through the “largest mass deportation effort” in US history.”

Trump Campaign Backtracks

Breitbart wrote on June 21:

“President Donald Trump’s campaign team is rewriting his Thursday night promise to grant green cards to any foreign graduates of four-year universities and two-year community colleges. President Trump believes ‘we ought to keep the most skilled graduates who can make  significant contributions to America … who would never undercut American wages or workers,’ said the statement from spokeswoman Katherine Leavitt…

“In the 2016 campaign and in the White House, Trump periodically veered from his American-first, low-migration campaign. Each time, he and his staffers backpedaled to the center amid protests by his base”. 

The Fate of Special Counsel Jack Smith

The Washington Examiner wrote on June 22:

“Judge Aileen Cannon [a Trump appointee] grilled attorneys in Florida on Friday about how much independence special counsel Jack Smith had over the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump. Cannon’s questions came as part of hearing on a request Trump made in February that the case be dismissed on the grounds that Attorney General Merrick Garland allegedly unlawfully appointed Smith as special counsel… The judge did not rule from the bench on Trump’s motion to dismiss his charges, and she has set aside three more days of hearings next week to continue the discussion, as well as address other pending legal disputes in the case…

“Toward the end of the hearing, Cannon also raised an issue Trump has been highly vocal about: what involvement, if any, Garland, and by extension President Joe Biden, had in the federal prosecutions against him. James Pearce, a prosecutor arguing on behalf of Smith, appeared caught off guard by Cannon’s question, according to Politico. Pearce eventually said he was ‘not authorized’ to discuss communications between Garland and Smith… The question came as part of Cannon’s quest to define how Smith acted independently of Garland while also acting as a subordinate to him…

“Cannon’s decision to hold a hearing on the special counsel question has drawn criticism from some who say that arguments surrounding special counsel appointments have been exhaustively entertained in courts… The scrutiny over Cannon’s pace comes after the judge had initially scheduled a trial to begin in May 2024 but then scrapped the date because of a logjam of legal motions and other incomplete pretrial steps. The judge has not yet set a new date…

“Cannon’s approach has been favorable to Trump, who pushed for a trial to occur after the presidential election. The buildup of unsettled disputes in the case and Cannon’s willingness to hold full hearings on matters that other judges might not normally hold has made the prospect of a post-election trial increasingly likely.”

Newsmax wrote on June 22:

“Alan Dershowitz, Harvard law professor emeritus, told Newsmax on Friday he is pleased with Judge Aileen Cannon, who has been criticized by liberals for her handling of former President Donald Trump’s classified documents case. Dershowitz said Cannon was right to appoint an independent investigator to determine if any of the material seized from Mar-a-Lago during the FBI raid was lawyer-client privilege.

“‘The government shouldn’t be looking at it,’ Dershowitz said. ‘They shouldn’t have its own investigations. There should be an independent investigator.’ Dershowitz said even though he’s a liberal Democrat, he supports the judge. ‘I think she’s doing a wonderful job so far,’ Dershowitz said. ‘She is going methodically, not being rushed, not backing down… I hope she sticks to her guns.’’

Country May Come to Regret

CNN wrote on June 26:

 “The Supreme Court on Wednesday said the White House and federal agencies such as the FBI may continue to urge social media platforms to take down content the government views as misinformation, handing the Biden administration a technical if important election-year victory.

“Of immediate significance, the decision means that the Department of Homeland Security may continue to flag posts to social media companies such as Facebook and X that it believes may be the work of foreign agents seeking to disrupt this year’s presidential race… the court ruled that the state and social media users who challenged the Biden administration did not have standing to sue…

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson were in the 6-3 majority. Justice Samel Alito, joined by Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Neil Gorsuch, wrote a dissent that dubbed the case ‘one of the most important free speech cases to reach this Court in years.’ He said the challengers had brought forward enough evidence to establish standing [and] that America ‘may come to regret’ the majority ruling’].”

WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Soon Free

The Associated Press wrote on June 24:

“Assange is expected to return to his home country of Australia after his plea and sentencing. The hearing is taking place in Saipan because of Assange’s opposition to traveling to the continental U.S. and the court’s proximity to Australia, prosecutors said. The guilty plea, which must be approved by a judge, brings an abrupt conclusion to a criminal case of international intrigue and to the U.S. government’s years-long pursuit of a publisher whose hugely popular secret-sharing website made him a cause célèbre among many press freedom advocates who said he acted as a journalist to expose U.S. military wrongdoing. Investigators, by contrast, have repeatedly asserted that his actions broke laws meant to protect sensitive information and put the country’s national security at risk.

“… In a statement posted on X, WikiLeaks… applauded the announcement of the deal, saying it was grateful for ‘all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom.’ ‘WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the people’s right to know,’ WikiLeaks said.

“Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has been lobbying for the United States to end its prosecution of Assange, told Parliament that an Australian envoy had flown with Assange from London. ‘Regardless of the views that people have about Mr. Assange’s activities, the case has dragged on for too long…’

“The deal ensures Assange will admit guilt while also sparing him from additional prison time…”

ntv wrote on June 25:

“Julian Assange offers good reasons to dislike him. He is radical and puts transparency above everything. That makes him controversial and also dangerous. But the hunt by Western powers for the activist was arbitrary and illegal. This had to come to an end…

“Assange, Wikileaks founder and political activist, who spent five years in a British high-security prison, having previously holed himself up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for seven years: Suddenly he is free. In a video shared around the world, he climbs the steps onto the plane with his arms swinging. This is what it looks like when an unworthy legal drama comes to an end after far too many years. 

“In brief, what sparked the drama: In 2010, Chelsea Manning, an IT specialist for the US Army, handed over almost 500,000 secret documents about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraqto Wikileaks. Julian Assange makes it public. This includes a video that shows soldiers from a US attack helicopter shooting two Iraqi civilians. The two men are rescuing an injured reporter, lifting him into their car and then collapsing dead under machine gun fire. Two children who are clearly visible sitting in the front of the car are seriously injured…

“Among the 500,000 secret documents, some reveal alleged human rights violations, corruption and torture. Assange was charged with 18 counts of espionage and was on the run from US justice for the next 14 years. He faces 175 years in prison…

“It’s good that the threatened US trial has now been averted. Not because Assange only carried out journalism protected by freedom of the press… He is an activist and often acted radically, even ruthlessly. The documents published in 2010 contained tons of real names of informants and those involved. Wikileaks published everything without redaction… In 2016, the platform made the US Democrats’ internal email traffic public, thereby massively damaging Hillary Clinton’s election campaign. ‘I love Wikileaks,’ declared Donald Trump at the time and shortly afterwards moved into the White House.

“Nevertheless, none of this justifies accusing someone who exposes suspected war crimes of espionage. State secrets of this kind do not deserve protection. Investigative journalism also thrives on examining hidden facts for relevance and – if necessary – publishing them.

“Assange’s activism certainly doesn’t justify what happened to him… there was a lot of arbitrariness in his dealings with the Wikileaks boss. The Swedish judiciary issued an arrest warrant for rape allegations based on manipulated witness statements. A UN report made this public in 2020. No charges were ever filed and the arrest warrant remained in place for nine years. When the Ecuadorian embassy revoked Assange’s asylum in 2019, he was sent to the high-security Belmarsh prison, where he was held in solitary confinement. For five years, also without charges…”

He Is Free!

Judge Andrew P. Napolitano wrote in the Ron Paul Institute on June 27, 2024:

“I offer this brief legal lesson in order to examine just how twisted the government’s views on speech have become in the Trump and Biden years, as the Department of Justice in both administrations has persecuted mercilessly and sought to prosecute aggressively the Australian journalist Julian Assange for his exercise of the freedom of speech…

“The case against Assange is a sham and is motivated by the U.S. intelligence community… It is a sham because the First Amendment protects the freedom of speech of all persons, not just Americans. Even though the materials Assange and WikiLeaks received had been stolen by Manning, because they were and are of profound interest to the public — American drones targeting civilians, secret U.S. military actions in countries with which the U.S. was not at war, and government lying to the public on a grand scale — the media is free to reveal them.

“The Supreme Court announced this legal principle in the Pentagon Papers case in 1971. There, Daniel Ellsberg, a civilian employee of the Pentagon, stole classified materials that demonstrated that U.S. Army generals had been lying to President Lyndon B. Johnson and LBJ had been lying to the public about military progress during the war in Vietnam. When Ellsberg turned the materials over to The New York Times and to The Washington Post, the Nixon DoJ obtained a court order barring their publication. Within days, the Supreme Court lifted that order and issued an opinion further expanding First Amendment rights — to include the right to know what the government has done. The court ruled that publishers are immune from civil liability and criminal prosecution when they publish data of material interest to the public, even if the data was stolen. Ellsberg, like Manning, was indicted for espionage. Yet, when the trial judge in Ellsberg’s case learned that the FBI had vandalized the office of his psychiatrist looking for his medical records, the judge dismissed the case…

“The feds have perfected three things — lying, stealing and killing. In the Assange revelations, we learned that they have excelled at what they have perfected. They don’t care about the Constitution or the rule of law, both of which they have sworn to uphold. The deep state is animated by a warped belief that its personnel are superior to the Constitution and can use the powers of government however they want, so long as they can get away with it… Assange is a hero. He exposed government without limits — the archenemy of personal freedom.”

The Future of Marriage?

npr wrote on June 19:

“Over the past few decades, cohabitation rates have nearly doubled, more children are being born outside of marriage and in recent months — there’s been buzz around polyamory and open relationships. 

“With younger generations less set on following tradition, marriage could look very different in the future.”

Please read our free booklet, “God’s Teachings on Sexual Relationships.”

Criminal Sanctions for Lying Politicians

Study Finds wrote on June 20:

“If passed, Wales would become the first country in the world to introduce criminal sanctions for lying politicians. The proposals are being led by the former leader of Plaid Cymru, Adam Price, who has described a ‘credibility gap’ in UK politics as a ‘gaping chasm.’ Price has pushed for such changes since the mid-2000s when he campaigned for the impeachment of Tony Blair over the war in Iraq….

“The problem with the current regime is a lack of enforcement. Beyond accountability to the electorate during elections, there are very few repercussions when politicians mislead the public. This is helping to fuel a mistrust of politicians, and casting doubt over what can be believed…

“It’s a bleak indictment of democracy that a law reminding politicians not to lie is even being considered.”

If this idea would be applied throughout the world, we fear that many more prisons would have to be built for all the lying politicians who would have to be incarcerated. In fact, virtually no politician might remain free.

The Nonsense of the Fairy Tale of Evolution

Bild Online wrote about Dinosaurs on June 21:

“Dr. Daniela Schwarz, paleontologist and dinosaur expert at the Natural History Museum in Berlin, told BILD: ‘Their ancestors were small, slim, four-legged lizard-like reptiles that hunted for insects.’ These animals were no longer than half a meter. Only in the course of evolution did the dinosaurs become real giants… [The claimed idea is, they ate more and more food.]

“The prehistoric giants are extinct, but live on in our birds. They are considered descendants of dinosaurs. The birds evolved from the smaller predatory dinosaurs... At first it was downy feathers that kept the dinosaurs warm. Later, real feathers in different colors developed, which were also used for courtship, i.e. to woo reproductive partners. And much later, real flight feathers developed – like the ones we know from our birds today.”

This nonsense is also taught to our children in schools. Dinosaurs did not evolve into birds. The entire evolutionary hypothesis is nothing more than a fairy tale and the imagination of anti-God scientists. As Bild itself writes: “They became extinct as a result of a huge asteroid impact on the earth 65 million years ago, i.e. in the so-called Cretaceous period.” If they became extinct due to a catastrophe, how could they evolve into birds?

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 need to not give up on our calling, and we will continue to review further information, which applies to Matthew 24:13, and which is to the point: “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”   Perseverance is vital for true Christians.

As mentioned in our Q&A “Once Saved, Always Saved?”: 

“In Hebrews 2:1 we read: ‘Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.’ Proponents of the ‘once saved, always saved’ concept try to minimise what disqualified really means but in 2 Corinthians 13:5 we read: ‘Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Prove yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless indeed you are disqualified (adikomos).’  Therefore, if you are disqualified, Jesus Christ is not (any longer) in you which is something that must be, in order to be a true Christian.”

Anyone who becomes disqualified will not “endure to the end” (compare Matthew 24:13).

The Expositor’s Greek Testament comments that “The implied truth underlying this test is that there will be ample time for a full curriculum of trial testing character and sifting the true from the false or temporary Christian.”

A number of Commentaries mention that the end, referred to in Matthew 24:13, can mean the destruction of Jerusalem but some allow that this can be also for a Christian’s life-span.

The Pulpit Commentary states “the end” means primarily the destruction of Jerusalem, and the salvation promised is safety in that day of peril. It is believed that no Christians perished in the siege or after it (see ver. 16). But τέλος, being here used without the article (differently from verse 6 and 14), must not be restricted to one allusion, but must be taken more generally, as indeed a universal axiom, equivalent to ‘finally,’ as long as endurance is needed.”

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible has this to say: “He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved – The word ‘end,’ here, has by some been thought to mean the destruction of Jerusalem, or the end of the Jewish economy, and the meaning has been supposed to be ‘he that perseveres in bearing these persecutions to the end of the wars shall be safe. God will protect his people from harm, so that not a hair of the head shall perish.’ Others, with more probability, have referred this to final salvation, and refer the end to the close of life.”

From other warnings in God’s Word, it is clear that we have to stay firm to our calling until the end of our life and not just for a temporary period of time.

In Matthew 24:9-12, Jesus talks about the signs of the times and the end of the age, and in verse 13 we read about the trials true Christians will have to endure with the requirement of staying firm until the end:

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:9-13).

In Colossians 1:21-23, we read about the apostle Paul reminding the brethren, both then and now, that we have to continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and that we must not be a lukewarm “Christian” who has strayed far from the course that God intends that we pursue earnestly. It reads: 

^“And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”

The book of Hebrews has a number of references which we all ought to heed.

In Hebrews 3:6 is an admonition to our continuance to the end: “… but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.”

This continues in verses 12-14, where it talks about the possibility of Church members departing from the living God, but that they need to be steadfast to the end:

^“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,”

Later, in Hebrews 6:15, when talking about Abraham, we read: “And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.” Had Abraham not patiently endured, he would not have obtained the promise. Endurance is vital.

And in Hebrews 10:23: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”  Wavering is not an option, but endurance is, as we read in verse 36: “For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.”

We further read: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).

The challenges that the early Church and its members had to overcome were to remain faithful to Jesus Christ despite the persecution that would follow and has followed down through the ages until the present time where there will still be great challenges in the future before Christ returns to earth to set things right.

In 2 John 1:8 we read: “Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.”   That can only happen if we are faithful until the end of our life or until Christ returns, if we are still alive at that time.

There are several promises to the churches in the book of Revelation, which should be encouraging to us (our emphasis by underlining): 

“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).   Faithfulness to God is a requirement, and the only conclusion from this verse is that those who were being saved, but weren’t faithful unto death, would not receive the crown of life!

“And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations” (Revelation 2:26). The very obvious indication here is that those who don’t overcome and don’t keep His works until the end will not be in the Kingdom of God and will not have power over the nations.

“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I will also keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I come quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown” (Revelation 3:10-11).  It is a command of God to persevere as the Scripture here clearly reveals.

The real Christian life is a life of overcoming, of spiritual growing. The concept of “once saved, always saved” is clearly wrong and unscriptural as we have previously proved, and we need to persevere with the Way of Life to which we have been called and make sure that we are faithful to God to the end—that is death or to the return of Christ if we are still alive at that time.

We read in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first: Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

This verse states quite categorically that “the dead in Christ shall rise first”; that is, they will be part of the firstfruits. They will then together with those who are still alive at that time and who will be changed into immortality “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:50-52), meet Christ in the air.  No one is included in this list who has not remained faithful to his Christian calling as they would not “be in Christ,” thus totally negating any false notion that this would include those who had not been faithful to the end.

Anyone who has been called, baptised and received the gift of the Holy Spirit and who does not remain steadfast to the end will not make it into the Kingdom of God.   We may get discouraged and depressed at times, but this must be overcome, or we will be spiritually aborted, with no future to look forward to.   Any current discomfort is but for a time, and the future that we are aiming for is eternity with our great God.   There is no comparison between the two, and we should always remember this at any time when we might waver in our Christian commitment.

We can see so much evidence in the Word of God that we have to be persistent in our love for God and the Way of Life that He has set out for us to live.   Our continual emphasis on this matter is because the ministry has a responsibility to guide and direct God’s people in the direction towards making it into the soon coming Kingdom of God.  We have quoted Matthew 24:13 about enduring to the end, but in the previous verse (verse 12) we read “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”

In the final paragraph of our Q&A entitled “How can there be a “Great Falling Away in the Church of God prior to Christ’s return?”, we read: 

“We must continue to be zealous, steadfast and committed to God and His Word until the very end (Matthew 10:22; 24:13; Hebrews 3:14). If we do, then God will protect and save us from the deceptions around us, so that we will NOT drift away (Hebrews 2:1), turn away from God and depart from Him (Hebrews 12:25; 3:12), fall through disobedience (Hebrews 4:11) and lose our salvation (Hebrews 2:3; 10:26-31).”

For us who are Christians, enduring to the end is not an option but an absolute must.  Pain, problems, discouragement and depression are problems that are temporary, but quitting lasts forever.   Let us always keep that in mind!

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“What’s Your Vote for the Next President?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

Trump complained recently that many Evangelicals and Christians do not vote. Why is this the case? Why wouldn’t some Christians vote for Trump or Biden or another candidate? The reasons might be manifold, depending on numerous issues and controversial positions, but what does the Bible say on principle about presidential elections? Shouldn’t Christians at least vote for the “lesser evil”?

“Wem geben Sie Ihre Stimme bei den nächsten Wahlen?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers similar topics as described above.

“Dein Wunsch soll gewährt werden!” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Michael Link. Title in English: “Your Wish Shall Be Granted!”

A Tech Team meeting was conducted on Sunday, June 21, 2024. Hosted by Eric Rank, the agenda included ad campaigns for English and German booklets, reports on individual assignments and Feast planning.

“Identität,” last Sabbath’s German sermonette by Andreas Ratz, is now posted. Title in English: “Identity.”

“Who Made It?” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is the summary:

Time and again, in the Bible, God says that he made it—that He is Creator of the heavens and earth, of life and so much more!

“Hope and Faith Versus Fear and Doubt,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is the summary:

What inspires you? Does fear and doubt seize you from moving forward? We can overcome the grip of fear and doubt by putting the power of hope for God’s promises to work in our lives!

On June 22, 2024, Dave Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “Who Made It?” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “Hope and Faith Versus Fear and Doubt.”

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.

We might think of things being on the near horizon—that is, that something will almost certainly happen or be done quite soon. The word horizon is defined by most dictionaries as the place in the distance where the earth and sky seem to meet.

Metaphorically, new horizons may refer to fresh starts, greater understanding or different goals. Being drawn into the truth of God and having our minds opened to understand the Bible has given us vision from God’s perspective and certainly, vastly new horizons!

How are we handling the horizon of future events? Jesus revealed signs which would take place leading to His return and the end of this age, and He specifically said, “‘See I have told you beforehand’” (Matthew 24:25).

Jesus went on to say that we should “watch” and “be ready” as the prophetic horizon of end time events becomes the near horizon of our lives!

This world is on the edge of a precipice—the brink of a dangerous and disastrous situation, and it will fall! This is the time of the end of the age! Have we become comfortable and complacent with the way things are? Do we truly understand the gravity of our time. We are admonished:

“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Jesus forewarned:

“‘But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:34-36).

Our horizon must always be the Kingdom of God—both near and far. That was what Jesus Christ sought in His life, and He now sits at the right hand of the Father, so “…that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

by Norbert Link

We begin with alarming plans in the USA to automatically register young men (and perhaps women) for the draft and the fear that America and NATO are preparing for global war, perhaps even to be fought with nuclear weapons. In this context, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “America Prepares for the Draft and Global War.”

We speak on the transfer of NATO headquarters to Germany and report on further developments pertaining to the Russia-Ukraine war and a new war pact between Russia and North Korea, and we speak on events regarding Israel and Gibraltar. We also address ISIS threats against the UEFA soccer tournament (“the European Cup”) in Germany.

We discuss Joe Biden’s condition which seems to make him “unfit for office” and the desperate attempts of the White House and the media to downplay or flatly deny Biden’s embarrassing problems; and we address an appalling letter by the left-wing Connecticut Bar Association warning lawyers about criticizing proceedings against Trump; and conclude with the expected decision by the weaponized Justice Department not to prosecute indicted AG Garland.

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

Defense Bill Automatically Registering Young Men for the Draft

Fox News wrote on June 14:

“The House of Representatives passed a measure on Friday automatically registering men aged 18 to 26 for selective service… While it hasn’t been invoked in over half a century, it’s mandatory for all male U.S. citizens to register for the selective service, also known as the military draft, when they turn 18. Failure to register is classified as a felony and comes with a host of legal challenges.

“Supporters of the amendment argue that it would cut down on bureaucratic red tape and help U.S. citizens avoid unnecessary legal issues, as well as cutting down on the taxpayer dollars going toward prosecuting those cases… The NDAA passed the House in a 217 to 199 vote, but it’s unlikely to be taken up by the Senate.” 

The Democrats in the Senate are not against the bill regarding mandatory and automatic registration, but in the words of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer:

“Unsurprisingly, the legislation coming out of the House today is loaded with anti-LGBTQ, anti-choice, anti-environment, and other divisive amendments guaranteed not to pass the Senate… As we move forward with this year’s NDAA process, both sides will have to work together to pass bipartisan legislation that honors and respects all who serve in defense of our nation.”

These are frightening developments. As we have suggested for years, the draft will return, but it might even include many more people than previously anticipated.

America Prepares for Global War and the Draft

The Ron Paul Institute published on June 14 the following article by Dennis John Kucinich. Kucinich was a U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1997 to 2013. He was also a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States in 2004 and 2008. He is seeking re-election to the House of Representatives in November.

“Our government is planning a big draft, conscripting millions of young Americans for an even bigger war! I call to your attention a Democratic amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which was slipped into the almost trillion-dollar Pentagon war spending bill, by voice vote, in the House Armed Services committee. The Democratic Amendment to H.R. 8070, the National Defense Authorization (NDAA) reads:  ‘Section 531. Selective Service System:  Automatic Registration.  SEC. 3. (a)(1) “Except as otherwise provided in this title, every male citizen of the United States, and every other male person residing in the United States, between the ages of eighteen and twenty-six, shall be automatically registered under this Act by the Director of the Selective Service System.’

“… We know that America is fomenting wars around the world. We know that the military industrial complex controls our government. We know that we are on the precipice of a global war, provoking aggression rather than resolution with Russia, China and in the Middle East. The only winners in these wars are the war profiteers. They’re now going to take our children to fight in unnecessary, destabilizing, dangerous, debt-creating wars. Just today President Biden committed the U.S. to an additional decade of support for Ukraine’s war with Russia.

“There is no other conceivable reason to require more than 16 million American males to be automatically registered for the draft, other than to prepare for a large-scale war. The Selective Service System is the vehicle by which individuals are inducted into the armed forces.  This NDAA Automatic Registration amendment facilitates an efficient, large-scale draft. The new law will automatically register all males between the ages of 18 and 26.  Selective Service will notify in writing every young American male that they have been registered and will prescribe regulations which can require the registrant to provide ‘date of birth, address, social security account number, phone number and email address….’

“There are members of Congress who advocate that young women also be included in any draft, which could bring to 32 million the number of Americans of draft-eligible age. The U.S. currently has over 1,300,000 men and women, career soldiers, as well as volunteers, serving in the all-volunteer armed forces. According to the new automatic draft law, undocumented immigrants, between the ages of 18 and 26, numbering at least 1.5 million, could also be conscripted, if it were to apply to women as well as men… The last time a draft was instituted in the United States was during the Vietnam War, when 1.9 million Americans were conscripted…

“As Ukraine turns to conscription, there is push back coming from those who are subject to service but who understand they could well be facing a death sentence. In Israel, the growing ultra-orthodox worshippers have been exempt from military service since the founding of Israel, but the government is being pressed to expand its military ranks creating a political squeeze on the Netanyahu ruling coalition.  Conscription is under discussion in Germany and Italy, while at least nine other European Union countries already use the practice to replenish their armed forces.

“Resistance does occur during a draft.  During the Vietnam war, an estimated 60% of all draft-eligible young men found a means to avoid getting conscripted (including a future President by the name of Bill Clinton).  Some, fearful for their lives, fled to Canada or Sweden. The Vietnam War ripped apart the country.  The protests over the war, fueled by compulsory service and rising casualty numbers of US troops, led President Lyndon Johnson to decide, on March 31, 1968,  not to run for reelection.  The draft was ended in 1973 and was reinstated by President Carter on January 23, 1980….”

The connection between reinstating the draft and preparing for a global war should not be overlooked.

NATO Prepares for Global War

The Ron Paul Institute published on June 18 an article by Caitlin Johnstone, an independent journalist from Melbourne, Australia:

“NATO powers are rapidly escalating toward hot war with Russia at the same time the US is expanding its draft policies to make it easier to force more Americans go and fight in a giant war… ‘Allies are offering forces to NATO’s command at a scale not seen in decades,’ [NATO Secretary General Jens] Stoltenberg said on Friday. ‘Today we have 500,000 troops at high readiness across all domains, significantly more than the goal [of 300,000 troops] that was set at the 2022 Madrid Summit.’…

“The US and several other nations also recently gave a green light for Ukraine to use their weapons to strike targets inside Russia. The Netherlands and Denmark plan to supply Kiev with F-16s in the coming months, and say the advanced aircraft could be used to bomb Russia… This comes shortly after we learned that NATO is developing multiple ‘land corridors’ to rush troops to the frontline of a future hot war with Russia in eastern Europe.

“It also comes as we learn from Stoltenberg that NATO is considering increasing the number of nuclear weapons it has on standby, meaning ready to use in a nuclear war…

“This [is happening] at the same time US lawmakers are working to expand draft registration to women and to automate registration for men… The draft is one of those things that gets more disgusting the more you think about it… ‘Go fight and kill and die for your country.’… This is evil, this is ugly, and it needs to stop.”

We couldn’t agree with it more. And it WILL stop when Christ returns to rule the world in righteousness, and when people will not learn war anymore.

NATO Headquarters in Germany

Die Welt wrote on June 14:

“The headquarters for the planned NATO operation to coordinate arms deliveries and training activities for the Ukrainian armed forces will be located in [Wiesbaden in] Germany… The base of the US armed forces in Europe, which have so far carried out the coordination tasks, is also there…

“The NATO project is also considered a precaution in the event of Donald Trump’s possible return to the US presidency from January 2025. Statements by the Republican in the past had raised doubts as to whether the USA would continue to treat Ukraine under his leadership as before by supporting Ukraine’s defensive war against Russia. The alliance fears that a political change in Washington could also affect the coordination of weapons deliveries and training activities for the Ukrainian armed forces.

“Hungary will not take part in the new NATO project. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government fears that the project could push the alliance into direct confrontation with Russia… In order to ensure that Hungary does not prevent the necessary consensus for the project, the country was assured that it does not have to contribute financially and by providing personnel.

“Ideally, [the project] should officially start in July, when Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the other 31 heads of state and government of the NATO states meet in Washington for a summit.”

Germany’s leading role even in military matters, in spite of Germany’s currently ineffective government, is truly remarkable.

Relying on Nukes

The Associated Press wrote on June 17:

“The world’s nine nuclear-armed states continue to modernize their nuclear weapons as the countries deepened their reliance on such deterrence in 2023, a Swedish think tank said Monday.

‘We have not seen nuclear weapons playing such a prominent role in international relations since the Cold War,’ said Wilfred Wan, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s weapons of mass destruction program… Earlier this month, Russia and its ally Belarus launched a second stage of drills intended to train their troops in tactical nuclear weapons…

“In a separate report, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, ICAN, said the nine nuclear-armed states spent a combined total of $91.4 billion on their arsenals in 2023 – equivalent to $2,898 per second… The group said that figures show a $10.7 billion increase in global spending on nuclear weapons in 2023 compared to 2022, with the United States accounting for 80% of that increase. The U.S. share of total spending, $51.5 billion, is more than all the other nuclear-armed countries put together… The next biggest spender was China at $11.8 billion, she said, with Russia spending the third largest amount at $8.3 billion…

“SIPRI estimated that some 2,100 of the deployed warheads were kept in a state of high operational alert on ballistic missiles, and nearly all belong to Russia or the U.S. However, it said that China is also believed to have some warheads on high operational alert for the first time… Russia and the United States have together almost 90% of all nuclear weapons, SIPRI said.”

To produce and rely on nuclear weapons which are capable of annihilating all life on earth many times over is simply the epitome of utter insanity.

News on Russia and Ukraine

The Daily Mail wrote on June 17:

“Vladimir Putin has announced he will call a ceasefire and immediately enter peace talks if Ukraine is willing to pull back its troops from four regions occupied by Russian forces and give up plans to make a NATO membership bid. 

‘We will (call a ceasefire) immediately,’ Putin said in a speech at the Russian Foreign Ministry this morning, adding his proposal is aimed at a ‘final resolution’ of the conflict and that the Kremlin is ‘ready to start negotiations without delay’… President Volodymyr Zelensky has routinely refused to consider a deal that would see Ukrainian land surrendered to Moscow… But Putin’s troops currently control a significant amount of Donetsk and Luhansk, and in September 2022 Moscow unilaterally declared it had annexed those two regions well as parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Putin’s forces are also making gains across the border in the north-eastern region of Kharkiv…  

“Broader demands for peace that the Russian leader listed included Ukraine’s non-nuclear status, restrictions on its military force and protecting the interests of the Russian-speaking population in the country… Russia does not fully control either of the four regions it illegally annexed in 2022, but Putin said Kyiv must withdraw from them entirely if it wants peace…

“Zelensky and US President Joe Biden also sent what they described as a message of unified opposition to the Russian President, inking a key security agreement that will see Washington provide ten years of military and financial support for Kyiv… The Ukraine-US security pact… does not offer Ukraine any new money but includes a commitment by the White House to work with Congress on a source of sustainable funding for the future… But either side can terminate the agreement in writing with six months’ notice, which means a future US president – including Donald Trump if elected in November – could cancel the arrangement. Trump has been sceptical of providing additional military aid to Ukraine, at one point criticising the ‘endless flow of American treasure’ to Kyiv. More recently, though, he has expressed openness to lending money instead…”

Russia and Ukraine will unite… somehow.

Russia and North Korea Sign War Pact

The Associated Press wrote on June 19:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday signed a new partnership that includes a vow of mutual aid if either country faces ‘aggression,’ in a pact that came as both face escalating standoffs with the West… The two met as Putin visited North Korea for the first time in 24 years…. Kim said the two countries had a ‘fiery friendship,’ and that the deal was the ‘strongest ever treaty’ between them, putting the relationship at the level of an alliance. He vowed full support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“Putin said that it was a ‘breakthrough document’ reflecting shared desire to move relations to a higher level. North Korea and the former Soviet Union signed a treaty in 1961, which experts say necessitated Moscow’s military intervention if the North came under an attack. The deal was discarded after the collapse of the USSR, replaced by a pact in 2000 that offered weaker security assurances. It wasn’t immediately clear if the new deal provides a similar level of protection as the 1961 treaty…

“Along with China, Russia has provided political cover for Kim’s efforts to advance his nuclear arsenal, repeatedly blocking U.S.-led efforts to impose fresh U.N. sanctions on the North over its weapons tests… China is North Korea’s biggest ally and economic lifeline, accounting for most of the country’s trade. .. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest point in years,”

Express added on June 19:

“North Korea is reportedly providing Moscow with crucial munitions for its ongoing conflict in Ukraine. In return, Russia is offering economic assistance and technology transfers, which could significantly bolster Kim’s nuclear weapons and missile programs.”

Die Welt wrote on June 19:

“According to Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, the nuclear powers Russia and North Korea have agreed to provide mutual assistance in the event of an attack by a third country. The treaty on all-encompassing strategic cooperation signed by Putin and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang also includes mutual assistance in the event of external aggression against Russia or North Korea. The agreement is intended to take the cooperation between the two states to a new level.”

The Bible prophesies a future alliance of nations in the Far East, called the “kings of the east.” They would include countries such as China, Russia, North Korea and others—all being hostile to the West.

Netanyahu Dissolves War Cabinet

The Associated Press wrote on June 17:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved the influential War Cabinet tasked with steering the war in Gaza, Israeli officials said Monday, a move that comes days after a key member of the body bolted the government over frustrations surrounding the Israeli leader’s handling of the war.

“The move was widely expected following the departure of Benny Gantz, a centrist former military chief, earlier this month. Gantz’s absence from the government makes Netanyahu more dependent on his ultranationalist allies to govern and the dissolution of the War Cabinet underlines that shift as the eight-month-long war in Gaza drags on…

“Netanyahu has played a balancing act throughout the war between pressures from Israel’s top ally, the U.S., and the growing global opposition to the war and from his government partners, chief among them Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Both have threatened to topple the government should Israel move ahead on a cease-fire deal…

“Gantz’s departure, while not posing a direct threat to Netanyahu’s rule, rocked Israeli politics at a sensitive time. The popular former military chief was seen as a statesman who boosted Israel’s credibility with its international partners at a time when Israel finds itself at its most isolated. Gantz is now an opposition party leader in parliament… and without the support of Gantz’s party, Netanyahu is expected to be more beholden to the far-right allies”

The Guardian added on June 17:

“Netanyahu’s moves suggest an increasing confidence as the prime minister’s poll numbers have improved since the departure of Gantz, which has caused the latter’s polling to decline markedly…”

And so, the war will go on, and Israel’s enemies will increase.

Outright War with Hezbollah and Lebanon?

The Guardian wrote on June 19:

“The Israeli foreign minister, Israel Katz, has said a decision on an all-out war with Hezbollah was coming soon, as Israel’s generals announced late on Tuesday that they had signed off planning for an offensive into Lebanon…

“After threats by the Hezbollah chief, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, to damage Haifa’s ports that are operated by Chinese and Indian companies, Katz said in a post on X: ‘We are getting very close to the moment of deciding on changing the rules of the game against Hezbollah and Lebanon.’ ‘In an all-out war, Hezbollah will be destroyed and Lebanon will be severely beaten,’ he added.

“Israel’s military later said ‘operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated, and decisions were taken on the continuation of increasing the readiness of troops in the field’… Last week Hezbollah launched hundreds of drones and rockets, including more than 200 on a single day, and the Israeli military struck Hezbollah targets in return.”

Further Tensions Between Israel and the USA

The New York Post wrote on June 19:

“The White House canceled a high-level meeting with Israel that was scheduled for Thursday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video claiming the US was withholding military aid… In his video, speaking in English, Netanyahu declared that it was ‘inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunition to Israel.’…

“Meanwhile, the White House publicly expressed confusion over Netanyahu’s comments, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying only one weapons shipment had been paused since the start of the war. ‘We genuinely do not know what he is talking about,’ she noted…

“This was the second time a meeting on the Iran strategic dialogue was canceled last minute. In March Netanyahu canceled a meeting after the US declined to veto a UN Security resolution that included a reference to a ceasefire in Gaza. Despite strained relations between Biden and Netanyahu, the Israeli leader is expected to address a joint meeting of Congress on July 24, setting the stage for what is expected to be a contentious speech at a crucial moment for the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.”

Given the many lies told by the White House and the Biden Administration, one is inclined to believe Netanyahu’s accusation rather than Jean-Pierre’s denial.

UK Ordered to Withdraw Military Base From Gibraltar

Express wrote on June 17:

“Spain has demanded the UK close its military base in Gibraltar, as political tensions between the two countries threaten to explode. Gibraltar enjoys a strategic location at the western entrance to the Mediterranean, where the straits between Europe and Africa are only 14 km wide. As such, the Oversees territory is routinely used by Royal Navy ships, RAF aircraft and other units that temporarily deploy to conduct training. The MoD also employs 952 personnel in Gibraltar, of which 528 are locally employed civilians. The remainder are military and UK-based civil servants. The presence of the base as well as Gibraltar’s status as a British colony have become sources of growing frustration and anger in Spain.

“Spain’s UN ambassador, Héctor Gómez Hernández, alleged that the UK was contravening an existing Resolution (3163) passed by the Assembly in December 1973. He called for the immediate demilitarization of Gibraltar at a session of the UN in New York. … In a written answer to a parliamentary question last year, the Minister of State for the Armed Forces, James Heappey, said 79 ships visited Gibraltar in 2022, as did 117 military aircraft. Additionally 2,000 to 3,000 personnel mostly from the British army were sent to the Rock for training exercises. These visits total approximately 12,000 to 14,000 personnel per year, based on 2022 data…”

We have suggested for many years that Gibraltar will ultimately fall into the hands of the Spanish.

UEFA Euro Championship Under Threat from ISIS?

The Sun wrote on June 14:

“The UEFA Euro 2024 championship presents a ‘wide spectrum of potential risks and issues’ amid a ‘very high level of risk’ from ISIS, [Security expert Will Geddes] has warned…  Working with analysts who have experience in military, intelligence and law enforcement, his team have seen ISIS make ‘very specific references to Germany.’…

“Over the course of the championship, Germany will play host to a whopping 2.7 million fans in 10 different stadiums – alongside 12 million more in fan zones. Will explained that the mammoth security op will range from snipers spread around the stadium to ‘super spotters’ hidden in amongst the public… ‘You have some 22,000 federal police that will be assigned particularly to the games… including hostile behaviour detection personnel…’ Further ‘foreign and neighbouring countries police forces’ brought in from across the globe will have had input from their own intelligence services and anti-terror units…”

Under Trump, ISIS was as good as gone. Now, ISIS is back.

Greece Introduces the Six-Day Week

Die Welt wrote on June 18:

“In view of an acute shortage of skilled workers, the Greek government is planning a far-reaching labor market reform from July 1. Employees should be given the option of a six-day week in the future. If the sixth working day falls on a Saturday, they receive a wage supplement of 40 percent, and on Sundays and public holidays, they even receive an additional salary of 115 percent… Civil servants are expressly excluded from the six-day week. In principle, however, this option is available in both the public and private sectors, particularly in areas such as banking, utilities and agriculture.

“Greece already has one of the highest average working hours in Europe at 2,036 hours per year, compared to 1,386 hours in Germany… Unions therefore reject the new regulation and are already complaining about ‘exploitative conditions’ due to the shortage of skilled workers…

“In addition, it remains unclear whether the introduction of the six-day week will actually lead to an increase in total working hours, as the EU Commission continues to stipulate a maximum weekly working time of 48 hours. Therefore, according to the new regulations, a maximum of eight additional hours should be possible…”

Attempts will increase in Europe and elsewhere to force or entice laborers to work on Saturday, the biblically-commanded Sabbath.

Biden’s Recent Embarrassing Moments

The Daily Mail wrote on June 16:

“President Joe Biden appeared to freeze on stage after giving remarks at a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles on Saturday night before his old boss [Obama] took him by the arm and pulled the president away. The incident captured on video is the latest in a series of episodes that have plagued 81-year-old Biden…

“It comes just after other videos appeared to show Biden freezing or having other cringe moments in recent days and his penchant for public gaffes has faced increasing scrutiny as he seeks another term in office despite his advanced years.

At a recent Juneteenth celebration at the White House, video of Biden staring off as other attendees danced around him to the music went viral. The president then went on to slur some words during his speech at the event which sparked some concerns online.

“Last week while attending the G7 in Italy, video showed Biden wandering away from other world leaders while viewing a skydiving demonstration and giving a thumbs up in the other direction. The video then shows Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni tap Biden on the shoulder and direct him back to the group where he throws on a pair of aviators.”

Biden’s incapability to run this country should be obvious to everyone. Note the next article as well.

Joe Biden Unfit for Office

The New York Post published the following article by Piers Morgan on June 17:

“I watched the viral clip of Barack Obama taken a frozen Joe Biden by the arm and leading him off stage at their star-studded $30 million LA fundraiser, and posted on X what I suspect everyone who watched it was thinking: ‘So embarrassing. The Democrats can’t let this go on, surely?’ Within a few hours, a staggering 7.5 million people had viewed my post and many thousands of those had liked, reposted or commented on it.

“As I thought, the vast majority shared my honestly held opinion that President Biden is no longer fit for the highest office in America. I don’t mean that he’s too incompetent for the job, although many would say he is. No, I mean that he’s too physically and mentally unfit to function at the extremely high level required to be leader of not just the United States, but also the free world.

“When the last Democrat to occupy the White House has to literally grab the current one because he notices he’s had yet another ‘senior moment’ and appears to be paralyzed like a statue on stage, it has to be the wake-up call everyone in the party must urgently heed before it’s too late, doesn’t it? We’re only five months away from the 2024 general election, but what is now painfully obvious is that Joe Biden’s already cooked as a candidate. There is not a snowball’s chance in hell that he can possibly get through another four-year term of presidency — and everyone knows it.

“This is a once very eloquent, fast-talking, firebrand senator… who can now barely speak without talking gibberish, nor walk quicker than a snail on Mogadon, and who keeps falling over or forgetting what he’s supposed to be doing or saying…

“Biden is supposed to be America’s commander-in-chief but, at what is a very dangerous time for the world, I wouldn’t trust him now to order a restaurant meal let alone a military strike. So why is he still running? Why has nobody told him to stand aside for the good of the party and country, as incumbent Democrat presidents Lyndon Johnson did in 1968 and Harry Truman did in 1953? If they have, then why hasn’t he listened to them?

“We’re told he still believes he’s the only person who can beat Donald Trump because he beat him last time. But as I suspect the world will see when they have their first live TV debate on June 27, the controversial and now criminally convicted Republican candidate will eat Biden alive on stage and there will be no Obama there to rescue him. Just as bafflingly, why do so many high-profile Democrats persist in trying to convince us that Biden’s still got all his marbles intact?…”

Very well put. What are the Democrats up to, to have an incompetent leader run again for four more years? Politicians like Germany’s Olaf Scholz and California’s Gavin Newsom want to assure us that Biden is fit for the job. What utter ridiculous nonsense! Whom do they want to deceive? Of course, the White House and the mass media are again in denial… at least, so they pretend to be.

Note the next articles.

“Fact-checking” Biden’s Video

Breitbart, calling The Associated Press “Associated Pravda,” wrote on June 18:

“The Associated Press (AP) on Monday fact-checked a video of former President Barack Obama walking President Joe Biden off stage by citing one anonymous source who attended the event. The fact check comes after Biden’s aides became more quarrelsome with the media about coverage of Biden’s age, gaffes, and videos exposing moments of strange confusion… White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre argued Monday during a press conference that videos the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) research team clipped of Biden’s public glitches are ‘cheap fakes’ and published in ‘bad faith…

“The article [of the AP] admitted every detail seen on the viral clip, then printed a positive spin on Biden’s pause from a White House aide… Videos of Biden malfunctioning in public are real, the Trump campaign… said. ‘The truth hurts,’ Trump Campaign Communications Director Steven Cheung told Breitbart News. ‘When the Biden campaign is confronted with that cold, hard reality, they offer ridiculous claims that anyone who clearly sees Biden acting like a brain-dead dope is part of some media-wide conspiracy,’ he said. ‘That’s what happens when you have junior staffers and interns running Biden’s campaign strategy for a candidate who can barely walk and talk at the same time,’ Cheung added…

“Biden, whom Special Counsel Robert Hur described as ‘an elderly man with a poor memory,’ suffers from atrial fibrillation, peripheral neuropathy in his feet, and hyperlipidemia, according to his annual physical by physician Kevin O’Connor.

The health challenges might explain why he struggles to remain upright…”

Staring at a Ghost?

Breitbart wrote on June 18:

“On Monday’s episode of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, Jon Stewart played the viral clip of Biden randomly wandering off on his own at the G7 summit, only for Italy’s Giorgia Meloni to gently guide him back to the press fold. Stewart said it was like Biden was ‘staring at what can only be considered ghosts or out-of-frame paratroopers.’ ‘And then, when he’s pulled back into frame, somehow giving the impression someone has quantum-leaped into his body,’ Stewart said, referring to Biden’s subsequent blank stare…

“Democrats and their media allies are scrambling to downplay mounting evidence of Biden’s cognitive decline as his poll numbers continue to languish at record lows less than six months ahead of the election.”

The Connecticut Bar Association Warns Lawyers About Criticizing Proceedings Against Trump!

On June 15, 2024, Law Professor John Turley wrote the following article which was published by Fox News:

“This week, I have received emails from Connecticut bar members over a message posted by President Maggie Castinado, President-Elect James T. (Tim) Shearin, and Vice President Emily A. Gianquinto warning them about criticizing the prosecutions of former President Donald Trump. The message from the bar leadership is chilling for those lawyers who view cases like the one in Manhattan as a raw political prosecution. While the letter does not outright state that such criticism will be considered unethical conduct, it states that the criticism has ‘no place in the public discourse’ and calls on members to speak publicly in support of the integrity of these legal proceedings…

“According to the Connecticut Bar, it is now considered reckless and unprofessional to make analogies to show trials or to question the integrity of the legal system or the judges in such cases. For example, criticizing Judge Juan Merchan for refusing to recuse from the case is considered beyond the pale. Many lawyers believe that his political contributions to Biden and his daughter’s major role as a Democratic fundraiser and activist should have prompted Merchan to remove himself (and any appearance of a conflict). I have been more critical of his rulings, which I believe were both biased and wrong.

“Yet, the Bar is warning lawyers that such comments can cross the line. The letter assures members that they are free to criticize but warn that attacking the ethics of a judge or the motivations behind these cases is dangerous and could spark violence…

“Like many, I believe that the Manhattan case was a flagrant example of such weaponization of the legal system and should be denounced by all lawyers… For those lawyers who view such prosecutions as political, they are speaking out in defense of what they believe is the essence of blind justice in America. What is ‘reckless’ to the Connecticut Bar is righteous to others…

“The letter goes further and suggests that lawyers should speak publicly in support of trials like the one in Manhattan, a view that ignores the deep misgivings over the motivations and means used in New York to target an unpopular figure in this city. You have the top Bar officials calling on lawyers to take a public position that is opposed by many lawyers and citizens in defending the integrity of these prosecutions…”

This is an appalling and outrageous position by a bar association which has become the spokesperson for the Biden Administration, the weaponized Justice Department and corrupt judges. Let us be clear. Cases against Trump WERE and are show trials and the integrity of the legal system HAS BEEN compromised. Note the next article in this context as well.

Garland Won’t Be Prosecuted!

Newsmax wrote on June 14:

“Attorney General Merrick Garland will not be prosecuted for contempt of Congress because his refusal to turn over audio of President Joe Biden’s interview in his classified documents case ‘did not constitute a crime,’ the Justice Department said Friday. In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Justice Department official cited the department’s longstanding policy not to prosecute for contempt of Congress officials who don’t comply with subpoenas because of a president’s claim of executive privilege.

“The House voted Wednesday to hold Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over the audio recordings of Biden’s interview with a special counsel, which the White House has accused Republicans of wanting only so they can chop them up and use them for political purposes. On the last day to comply with the Republicans’ subpoena for the audio, the White House blocked the release by invoking executive privilege…

“Garland is the third attorney general to be held in contempt of Congress. He has defended the Justice Department, saying officials have gone to extraordinary lengths to provide information to the committees about special counsel Robert Hur’s classified documents investigation, including a transcript of Biden’s interview with him.”

A transcript, which might or might not be complete, is quite different from audio recordings. Regardless, Congress asked for audio tapes which Garland refused to provide. Others acting like Garland went to jail.

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.

This is a good question, and it is an important issue that needs attention as it can have eternal consequences when it is not rightly understood.   It can be misleading for those who believe the concept that “once saved, always saved” is biblical.

One commentator, promulgating this erroneous concept states that, “If salvation can be lost, this requires a reversal of regeneration. This means the born again must become unborn again. And if they subsequently repent, then they must become born again again. Can a man also be born again again again? Where does it end? Is regeneration really so transient?”

The simple basic flaw in this argument is that its supporters believe that they are born again now.   It is also often the case that such a belief goes hand in hand with going to heaven at death.

The true Church of God has consistently taught that we are begotten in this life and will be born again at the resurrection.

It is interesting to note that, many years ago, a well-known British entertainer said that when he became a Christian, he asked what this would entail.   He was told that he would not have to change anything in his life but to just believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Many have been fed that lie over the years, and it goes hand in hand with the “once saved always saved” approach.

We have consistently written about what becoming a true Christian really entails.   When someone “gives his heart to the Lord,” there is usually no reference to Acts 2:38 which states: “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’  Repentance, baptism by immersion and receipt of the Holy Spirit are the beginnings of conversion, plus living the rest of one’s life pleasing in the sight of God by keeping His Commandments.

Interestingly, Mr Michael Link wrote an editorial, “Once Saved, Always Saved” in 2014, and he made these very relevant comments about staying faithful to the end of our lives or Christ’s return:

“And in Revelation 2:10 Christ tells us to ‘be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.’

“What is given to us can also be taken away.  When we turn back, we will lose what had been offered to us. Only when we overcome until the end, will we be saved (Matthew 24:13; Revelation 2:26).  This is a lifelong process that God requires of us: to be faithful continuously, to pray continuously, to be vigilant and strong continuously, to give comfort and love to one another continuously, to put ALL trust and confidence in Him continuously, and to obey Him continuously.  When we continue to do all of that until the end, then we will be saved.” 

In addition, we published a two-part series a few years ago showing that the “Once Saved Always Saved” concept believed by many in mainstream Christianity is a false erroneous belief.  We will quote briefly as appropriate from these Q&A’s, and they can be retrieved and reviewed in full via the following links:

https://www.eternalgod.org/q-is-it-correct-to-say-once-saved-always-saved-or-can-true-christians-lose-their-salvation-part-1/   and 

https://www.eternalgod.org/q-is-it-correct-to-say-once-saved-always-saved-or-can-true-christians-lose-their-salvation-part-2/

We give this explanation: 

1.  We are saved now.   After we repent and are baptised, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).   At that point, we are saved from the penalty of death from our past sins.   However, it doesn’t mean that we are finally saved and that we could not lose the salvation which we did receive.

2.      We are being saved – it is a process of growing in grace and knowledge.

3.      To be finally saved, we must endure to the end.

For very good reason, we continue to stress the necessity to remain faithful to “The Way” to which we have been called to live to the end of our lives, or to the return of Jesus Christ to this earth.   Nothing less will do.  Matthew 24:13 is a very important verse that some may feel is not particularly relevant as they believe that once someone is “saved,” they are “always saved”.   Nevertheless, this is vital information that we ignore at our peril: “ But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

However, there is a consideration which we will also address in part three of this series about when dementia strikes and many can lose their memory and don’t recognize any longer their calling.

In Revelation 3:11, is further evidence that we must not give up on our calling: “Behold, I come quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.” This verse clearly shows that we can lose out and can lose our crown.

It has been said that pain is temporary but quitting lasts forever.   Never could this be more so than in the life of a true Christian.   Doesn’t that truly sum up what we have to avoid at all costs? 

Everyone reading this Q&A will, no doubt,  have had their fair share of trials in life; perhaps many are still struggling with difficulties, maybe some life-threatening problems, but we know that God will not test us more than we are able to bear as it states in 1 Corinthians 10:13 which reads in full: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

What does quitting mean, and why is it something that so many have done down through the ages?   Doesn’t that truly sum up what we have to avoid at all costs?   Quitting lasts forever, especially in the Christian life!  This has happened to those who have been baptised in the Church of God right down through the ages and we may all have seen this in more recent times.  But however low we may feel at any time, quitting this Way of Life is not the answer.

Discouragement at times happened to some of the great men in the Old Testament, for example, Moses, Job, Elijah, David, Jonah and Jeremiah.  Such discouragement was temporary, something that we can all feel at times, but they all picked themselves up, dusted themselves off and got on with it, as we must do if we ever find ourselves in such a situation.

In Matthew 26:55-56 we read that “In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, “’Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.’ Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.” Not just some of the disciples but ALL of them fled.   They must have been massively discouraged, but the Scriptures show that this was temporary and that they didn’t quit. Perhaps in their heart of hearts, they fully understood that quitting does indeed last forever.  It was not the disciples’ finest hour but they regrouped to do the Work that was laid out before them, and didn’t quit.

These examples were about temporary discouragement that we can all feel, but they realised that this was the way to go, and they spent the rest of their lives thoroughly involved with the Work that they were instructed to pursue.

We just cannot afford to quit, whatever our circumstances.   Let us review just some of the verses that show that if we do quit, we can lose our opportunity in the Kingdom of God.

In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, we read a passage of Scripture where Paul shows that he could miss out or be disqualified:

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

The sub-heading of this passage in some Bibles is “striving for a crown,” showing that the apostle Paul was still striving until the end of his life and did not intend to quit before the finish line.   This shows that he knew the reward was an eternal gift that was worth all of the effort needed now.

This clearly shows that we are in a race, but it is not a sprint or a short race. It is more like a marathon where we spend the rest of our lives, from genuine repentance and baptism at the outset, to passing the winning post at the end of our lives in order to receive an imperishable crown. 

Putting this in comparison with our calling, athletes give themselves completely to their physical race as we should do with our spiritual race.  The analogies, that is a comparison of two otherwise unlike things based on resemblance of a particular aspect, can be helpful and serve as an aid in understanding and comprehension of any given situation.  It is certainly an excellent comparison that is reliable to all of us.

We have to live the Way of Life to which we have been called, renouncing the world and its ways and not being diverted in any way from our chosen path.   As athletes untiringly pursued their course, so must we.   We must not grow weary over the years; particularly, when we have the winning line in our sights.

We read further about this giant, Paul, in the New Testament in 2 Timothy 4:6-8 with the sub-heading this time in some Bibles being “Paul’s Valedictory” which means “bidding farewell”:

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

Paul said that he had finished the race. He had been faithful to the end. He had made it, showing that it was necessary to do these things throughout his life – even to the very end.

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale

compiled by Dave Harris

“Many Are Called, But Few Are Chosen,” is the title of our newest booklet, and it has entered the first review stage.

“America Prepares for the Draft and Global War” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

Movements are in place in the USA automatically registering all men (and perhaps women) aged 18 to 26 for selective service—including American citizens and undocumented aliens. The connection between this development, reinstating the draft and preparing for global nuclear war should not be overlooked. What should a Christian’s position be in regard to military service and fighting in war? And how will you answer Jesus Christ when you stand in front of His judgment seat?

“Will There Be War Between Russia and Germany?” is the title of a recent StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

Many in Germany seem to believe that such a war will break out, while others are not convinced of it. In any event, Germany is preparing for war with Russia, and this program shows the incredible and shocking extent of such preparation with brand-new frightening developments involving Russia as well. What does the Bible have to say about all of this?

“Krieg zwischen Russland und Deutschland?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This program covers the same subject as described above.

“Wie Deutschland siegen und unterliegen wird!” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “How Germany Will Conquer and How It Will Be Conquered!”

“Niemand ist eine Insel,” last Sabbath’s first split sermon presented by Daniel Blasinger in Germany, is now posted. Title in English: “No One Is An Island.”

“Ein glückliches Leben mit Gott,” last Sabbath’s second split sermon presented by Robert Indlekofer in Germany, is now posted. Title in English:  “A Happy Life with God.”

“Herzlichen Glückwunsch,” the Pentecost Offertory presented in Germany by Manuel Müeller, is now posted. Title in English: “Congratulations.”

“Take Heed How You Build,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is the summary:

When building a structure, careful attention must be given as to how it is built. Christians are in the building-business as well, and careful attention must also be given to how we build upon Jesus Christ, our chief cornerstone.

“God’s Spirit of Love,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

The Holy Spirit within us is a Spirit of love; specifically, it is God’s love in us, given to us through the Holy Spirit. But how does this divine love express itself in our daily lives? Is it separate from keeping the commandments? Can you lose this divine love? And how does God’s love relate to the proclamation of the gospel and the feeding of the flock?

“Earnest,” the Pentecost Offertory presented by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is the summary:

God gives us His Holy Spirit as a down payment for our complete redemption. In this way, He invests in our salvation. When we give our offerings to God on the commanded Holy Days, we demonstrate our willingness to give back to God as an expression of our gratitude for His gifts.

“What Does God Want?” the Pentecost sermon presented by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is the summary:

What does the Feast of Pentecost reveal in God’s great masterplan for the salvation of mankind? What do “firstfruits” represent and who, exactly, will be included in this category?