On December 25, 2021, Frank Bruno will present the first split-sermon, titled “Fear & Control,” and Eric Rank will present the second split-sermon, titled, “Stories of Friendship.”

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.

I think we all have at one time or another sat down and pondered some of the choices we have made. Some were good and turned out well; others were not so good and brought us close to a disaster.

When opportunities arise, we have to use wisdom in our decision-making process; especially in regard to those opportunities where we can supposedly make a lot of money quickly. If something is too good to be true, it usually is. If we are being pressured to purchase something—for instance a vehicle which has been only driven allegedly by a little old lady from Pasadena— then we ought to be on guard. This is also true when buying shares in a company when we are told that it is guaranteed that we will double our investment in a short period of time. The higher the financial commitment, the more we should take time to decide on what to do, including perhaps walking away from a supposed deal. We would not buy a house, no matter how good the deal sounds, without seeing it, having it checked out by a professional inspector and ascertaining whether there were any liens against the title. God assures us that there is wisdom in seeking proper counsel.

God gave the nation of Israel a choice—receiving blessings through obedience or curses from not obeying. His laws were given to express their love for God, as summarized in the first four of the Ten Commandments, and their love for man, as explained in the last six commandments. They had to follow these rules, which are further expounded in many statutes and judgments, in order to obtain physical blessings and protection from God.

The motivation for keeping the commandments should be the demonstration of our love for God and man; knowing of course that our disobedience would bring about punishment and retribution for sinning. But fear of punishment should not be our primary motivation for obeying God; rather, it should be our love for God and man and for the Truth that convicts us to obey.The nation of Israel frustrated God by their disobedience, and how quickly they turned away from God! One of their problems was that they did not totally cleanse the territory they occupied of the existing inhabitants who in time corrupted their worship of God, and they turned to Baal worship and even went as far as sacrificing their children on the altar of pagan gods which surprised God who stated that such evil conduct had not even entered His mind.

In Jeremiah 32:35, He says: “And they built the high places of Baal which are in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech, which I did not command them, nor did it come into My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.”

That’s a pretty astonishing statement that it did not even enter God’s mind that His people would engage in such abominable and detestable conduct.

God’s relationship with the nation of Israel was, figuratively speaking, one of husband and wife, but they broke their “marriage” covenant on a continual basis, and thus, God had to divorce them.

Jeremiah 31:32 explains that God made a covenant “‘with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them,’ says the LORD.”

Consequently, we read in Jeremiah 3:8: “Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also.”

Jesus Christ, the God of the Old Testament, will marry converted Israelites at the time of His return. He betrothed the New Testament church to Him which was established in 31 AD. It is described as the bride of Christ, consisting of all converted Church members who are obligated to follow the same rules of obedience, but they have been promised a much greater reward than physical Israel and Judah in Old Testament times had been offered.

Revelation 21:9 says: “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, ‘Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.’”

Ephesians 5:24-27, 32 adds: “Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish… This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”

The great mystery is that Christ is betrothed to His Church, figuratively speaking, whom He will marry as His bride at His return.

So, we are faced with a choice. Will we be obedient to God by keeping His laws and statutes, which are still in force today, and receive a much greater reward than what the nation of Israel was offered? Theirs was a physical reward while ours is eternal rulership in the Kingdom of God. While eternal life as God beings is a gift, our reward is based on our works and includes ruling with and under Christ in the Millennium and down through eternity. Or, will we fall short by rebelling and refusing to repent of our sins and thus disqualify ourselves from the great gift of eternal life as God beings and from the reward of eternal rulership Christ is anxious to give us?

Life is full of choices, but the most important one we face is either one of glory or one of shame.

Let’s bring joy to our Husband (Jesus Christ) by making the right choice. Either way, it’s for eternity.

by Norbert Link

We begin with an article showing why many Christians refuse to keep Christmas [please view our new StandingWatch program in this regard, titled,“Why Won’t Some Christians Keep Christmas this Year?” ] ; and continue with the vulnerability of the Biden Administration vis-à-vis Russia, China and Iran; continue with Germany’s “Russia problem”; the new chief of Merkel’s opposition party; and Germany’s persecution of Christians and of the unvaccinated.

We address the worldwide decline of democracy; enduring divisions in the Catholic Church; abortions by mail; the fate of Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better Act”; Donald Trump’s strong words regarding American Jews; and unfounded charges of antisemitism.

We point out big problems facing Boris Johnson; and speak on renewed draconian and authoritarian coronavirus restrictions and reactions, while focusing in particular on Britain; France; Germany; the Netherlands; Israel; and Canada.

We publish several articles, from the left and the right, strongly accusing Dr. Fauci and other “health experts” of misrepresentations and incompetence; and we address the utter confusion and intolerable situation regarding Joe Biden’s vaccine mandates; as well as Californians’ refusal to abide by and enforce Governor Newsom’s new mask regulations.

We conclude with an interesting article about the Ark of the Covenant.

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

Christians Refuse to Celebrate Christmas

Israel 365 wrote on December 20:

“It’s time to explain why many of Jesus’ followers stop celebrating Christmas. It’s done out of a deep desire to respect Jesus and God’s Word. No longer celebrating Christmas can be easily misunderstood and challenging for one’s family, relatives, and congregation. It is usually perceived as if one is no longer celebrating the birth of Jesus, his life and God’s great gift to the world. With this in mind, why are more and more of Jesus’ followers giving up Christmas celebrations?

“The reason that many stop celebrating Christmas, is not that they try to minimize the Son of God. Rather, they do it out of respect for him. To understand this question, some background history is needed… A clear and concise source for the history of Christmas is bibelfragan.com (The Bible Question):..

“‘During the first 300 years of the history of the Christian Church, no one celebrated the birth of Jesus whatsoever. The reason was primarily threefold: Firstly, the date for the birth of Jesus is not given anywhere in the Bible. Secondly, in the Bible, only wicked people celebrated their birthdays. Thirdly, in the pagan Roman Empire (which was occupying Israel at the time of the beginning of the Church) there was a common tradition to celebrate the birthdays of the pagan gods.

“‘… In Rome, the great god was called Saturn. In the middle of the winter, there was a long celebration held in his honor. This feast was called ‘Saturnalia’ and lasted from December 17–24. It was a feast when one ate and drank, gathered friends together, and gave gifts to one another. December 25th was the last and greatest day of Saturnalia.

“‘During the first 300 years of the Roman Empire, sun worship had begun to spread from the East—from Syria and Persia—and reached large parts of the Empire. Already in ancient Babylon, people had worshiped the sun. One of the highest deities among the Babylonians was the sun god Shamash. The most important day in the solar religion was the day when the sun was ‘born’ again and rose in the heavens, after it had been sinking closer to the horizon and the days had become shorter and shorter in the fall and early winter. When the winter solstice occurred on December 25, it was celebrated with a great feast.

“‘Eastern philosophers and mystics preached about the divine nature of the sun and immigrants from the East brought their faith to the West. This resulted in the solar religion getting ever more followers in the Roman Empire. Then it happened that a Roman emperor won a great military victory after praying to the sun god for victory. As a thank you, he elevated the ‘Invincible Sun’ (Sol Invictus) above all the other gods of Rome. In the year 273 CE, he had a magnificent temple built for the sun. This temple was dedicated on the birthday of the sun—December 25.

“‘Barely 50 years later, the Roman emperor Constantine became an adherent of the Christian doctrine. He was a former sun worshipper and the new religion presented a problem. What should he do with the annual festival for the sun? To begin with, the Church tried to have him ban the sun religion and its December festival, but he refused. If he banned the popular feast, conflicts could arise between the followers of the different religions. Finally, a compromise was made. December 25 was the winter solstice, the day when the sun was born again. Why not transfer the worship of the masses from the sun god to the “sun of righteousness,” “the light of the world”—Christ?… If one “Christianized” the festival of the sun god, by instead celebrating the birth of Jesus on that day, perhaps conflict could be avoided. In addition, many people would automatically join the new religion.

“‘Consequently, the Romans were allowed to continue celebrating the large feast on December 25, but the sun god was removed and Christ was put there instead. And, once Rome had accepted December 25 as the “birthday” of Jesus, there was no difficulty for the feast to spread to the rest of the Roman Empire.

“‘In Constantinople, they started to celebrate Christmas year 380 CE; in Asia Minor, year 382; in Egypt, around year 430; and in Jerusalem, around year 440. This spread up through Europe, where the “sun-turning feast” had been celebrated since ancient times in most of the countries. Also, in the far North, something called “Jul” [still the Swedish name for Christmas today], a midwinter feast was celebrated. The word jul some claim comes from the Anglo-Saxon hweol which means “wheel,” symbolic of the divine sun and its path around the earth… When Christianity arrived, the ancient northern “Jul” was Christianized and ever since then we have continued to celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25…’

“There is another aspect to the story as well. The church adopted the holiday within a larger paradigm shift, a process of intentionally cutting itself off from its Jewish roots and God’s own calendar, in order to establish a separate identity and gain cultural influence in Rome. The majority of today’s Christians are probably unaware of this history. Some, who do know it, feel that the pagan origin of Christmas is something in the past and of no current significance. They feel that the history might be unfortunate, or that the Church did right in Christianizing the feast, but maintain that Christians who celebrate Christmas do not worship idols, but simply celebrate Jesus and spend quality time with family.

“… many… see the nature of Christmas as ultimately irreconcilable with Biblical faith for several serious reasons. It is primarily because Scripture teaches strongly against such syncretism, i.e. to ‘Christianize,’ or appropriate, pagan rites (see for instance Deut. 12:1–5, 30–31)… It is a question, not about how we feel about the subject, but about how God feels about it, and what He has said in His Word… The pagan elements of Christmas are far from absent… nearly every Christmas custom has pagan roots… the dark principalities that once were worshipped through the holiday are still a reality in our world…”

But those who do not WANT to know will not care… Please read our free booklet “Don’t Keep Christmas,” and note our two-part series on Christmas celebrations in this and the previous Q&A. Also view our new StandingWatch program in this regard, titled,“Why Won’t Some Christians Keep Christmas this Year?”.

Biden tested on China, Russia and Iran

Newsmax wrote on December 17:

“There is ‘every indication’ that Russian President Putin and China’s leader Xi Jinping are coordinating their strategies ‘more closely than ever before,’ and that puts the United States in a ‘crisis situation,’ former ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton said… Bolton said he believes Putin is sensing weakness in President Joe Biden, and that leaves the United States ‘vulnerable.’

“Meanwhile, Russia is laying demands for a sweeping new security deal with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), including a written agreement that the alliance won’t expand east to Russia, and Bolton said he thinks that the move is another way Putin and Moscow are testing Biden’s administration. ‘I think this is a real test for NATO. This is something that the Biden administration will be judged for. If it gives up on this point it will be a terrible signal not just to Russia but China and our other adversaries around the world.’…

“The former ambassador has also recently written that he believes Biden is losing the contest of wills with Iran over nuclear weapons… Bolton said he’s worried that Biden is so determined to revive the [Iran] deal, which was struck while he was vice president under President Barack Obama, that he will make ‘very dangerous concessions’ that will cause problems for the United States, Israel, and other allies in the Middle East.”

So far, Biden has failed just about every test.

Russian-Chinese Financial Collaboration

The Russian government’s controlled RT wrote on September 15:

“Both Russia and China are said to be increasingly looking to move away from using the US dollar as the main currency of international trade, instead using their own denominations to underpin the booming volume of Moscow-Beijing trade.

“Russia and China will develop shared financial structures to enable them to deepen economic ties in a way that foreign states will be unable to influence, the Kremlin has announced following talks between the countries’ leaders.”

Russia’s Demands and Military Threats

The Moscow Times reported on December 20:

“Russia demands immediate talks with the United States on security guarantees from NATO… while President Vladimir Putin’s chief arms control negotiator warned of a ‘military response’ if the alliance continues to step on Moscow’s ‘sore spots.’…

“In its list of demands published Friday, Russia demanded that the U.S. not establish any new military bases in ex-Soviet countries and that NATO guarantee to block these states’ future memberships. Russia also wants NATO to abandon all military activities in Ukraine, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus region and Central Asia. Additionally, Russia wants NATO to pledge not to deploy troops in former-communist member states Poland, the Czech Republic and the Baltics without Moscow’s consent.”

The article also pointed out:

“The United States has responded to Russia’s demands… that it would not negotiate without input from Europe. The EU has rejected Russia’s bid to block Ukraine’s NATO ambitions. European officials have in recent days signaled a willingness to negotiate with Moscow, however. ‘We need to solve the current tensions on the diplomatic level,’ the Financial Times quoted Germany’s new defense minister Christine Lambrecht as saying.”

Will Germany Confront Russia?

The Week wrote on December 17:

“Germany has long had a Russia problem. Even before their unification under the Hohenzollerns in 1870, German principalities struggled to deal with their giant neighbor to the east. In 1863, at the beginning of his long stint in power, the legendary statesman Otto von Bismarck quipped, ‘The secret of politics? Make a good treaty with Russia.’ But despite interludes of stability, Germany hasn’t quite figured out how to make its agreements, both formal and informal, stick.

“Now, time may be running out…  Germany may hope to muddle through, neither conceding the former Soviet sphere of influence to Russia nor imposing painful economic and perhaps military consequences. But Putin’s ambitions won’t let them avoid the choice forever. As with his predecessor Angela Merkel, Scholz’s ambivalence about Russia follows domestic opinion…  Germans overwhelmingly want more co-operative relations between Berlin and Moscow. At the same time, Russian provocations have grown harder to ignore. Beyond the Ukraine situation, Germans were outraged by Russian agents’ 2019 murder of a former Chechen fighter in Berlin. Just this week, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced the expulsion of two Russian diplomats as punishment for that offense.

“Despite their hopes for a middle way, Scholz and the German public need to decide what they’re willing to tolerate from Russia — and what they can hope to prevent… Russia looms larger in the German mind than most Americans realize… the German and Russian economies are also closely linked… [Russia] is an important market for German exports and major supplier of energy. That’s why Scholz was silent about the planned Nordstream II pipeline in his speech on Monday… [In] 2014, Merkel sharply condemned the Russian annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. The problem is that nothing much has [followed.] Like Merkel, Scholz has expressed his opposition to Russian encroachment on Ukraine as a matter of principle. What he hasn’t done is spell out the consequences he’s willing to impose…

“To be fair, the coercive measures at Scholz’s disposal are limited… Germany and its partners can’t expect much military help from the United States, either as the Biden administration has made clear we won’t fight for Ukraine. Nor could we, realistically… With the American presence in Europe receding… Berlin enjoys more flexibility in choosing its Russia policy than at any time since the end of World War II. Doing so, however, requires a clarity about its goals, resources, and principles… In seeking inspiration for a new Ostpolitik, Scholz could do worse than asking what Bismarck would do. But Olaf Scholz is no Bismarck.”

He certainly is no “Bismarck,” who was also called the “Iron Chancellor.” Not much can be expected from Scholz and his new government when it comes to opposing Russia. It will require a strong leader of German or Austrian descent who will do just that… but with terrible and disastrous consequences. Scholz is not that leader.

Friedrich Merz new CDU Party-Chief

AFP and The Local wrote on December 17:

“Friedrich Merz, a die-hard opponent of Angela Merkel within Germany’s conservative CDU, was elected party chief on Friday, marking a new direction after its disastrous defeat in September’s election.

“Merz, a 66-year-old member of the Bundestag and former MEP… [walked] away with 62.1 percent of the vote share. Merz will replace Merkel ally Armin Laschet, who was forced to announce his resignation after leading the CDU-CSU bloc to its worst-ever result in the September general election.

“… the election of Merz marks a decisive shift away from the cautious, centre-leaning politics of the Merkel era. As a staunch right-winger, he was one of 130 conservative MPs to vote against repealing a law change to make rape in marriage a criminal offence in 1997. He has also been a vocal opponent of a proposed wealth tax to off-set the impact of the Covid crisis on the poorest in society…

“A millionaire and corporate lawyer by trade, Merz had previously been pushed out of politics altogether by a power struggle with Merkel in the 2000s before returning when she resigned as head of the CDU in 2018. He has since lost out twice in his quest to become party leader, beaten in both cases by candidates preferring a more centrist course and continuity with the Merkel era.”

Bild Online commented on December 17 that Merz’ victory is at the same time an expression of disapproval for Merkel, and that with Merz, Chancellor Olaf Scholz will face the strongest and persistent leader of the opposition. The paper also opinionated that the role of Chancellor may now be in reach for Merz. In his first interview with Bild Online after his election as CDU Party Chief, Merz stated that new Health Minister Lauterbach (SPD) is prone to very strong exaggerations (“sehr starke Übertreibungen”).  

Germany’s Persecution of Christians

The Daily Mail wrote on December 17:

“Hate crimes targeting Christians in Germany have nearly trebled in a year amid a wave of religious discrimination across Europe… Overall, hate crime in Germany rose by 19 per cent last year. .. On Germany, the [Vienna-based Observatory on Intolerance against Christians in Europe] OIDAC report says: ‘Freedom of expression has been limited in Germany when it comes to discussions about gender, marriage, bioethics, and sexuality.’…

“A study by Matthias Revers and Richard Traunmüller at the Goethe University Frankfurt found that a third of German students are in favour of banning controversial books from the student library. Meanwhile between a third and a half of university students would not allow a controversial speaker on campus.

“Gynaecologist Michael Kiworr was blocked from speaking at Gottingen University about abortion after being invited by Christian student group Reformatio 21.The group Alternative Linke Liste Göttingen staged protests and forced the university to rescind the invitation. The move was criticised by The Professor’s Forum, an 800-member strong association of academics in Germany. They said: ‘There are frequent incidents in which aggressively appearing political groups sabotage the right to freedom of expression.’”’

For quite a while, Germany has severely restricted, if not outright prohibited, the pursuit of numerous liberties, including the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of expression, assembly, movement and the exercise of religion, just to name a few.

“The Year of the New Normal Fascists”

The Consent Factory wrote on December 18:

“Here in Europe, things are particularly fascist. One by one, New Normal countries are rolling out social-segregation systems, ordering ‘lockdowns’ of ‘the Unvaccinated,’ and otherwise persecuting those who refuse to conform to official New Normal ideology…

“In New Normal Germany, ‘the Unvaccinated’ are under de facto house arrest. We are banned from society. We are banned from traveling. We are banned from protesting. Our writings are censored. We’re demonized and dehumanized by the New Normal government, the state and corporate media, and the New Normal masses on a daily basis…”

 According to new left-wing German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, mandatory vaccinations should be enforced as soon as possible, but he does not believe they will be enforced as early as January!!!!

According to reports from Germany which we have received, more and more people get Corona, although [or because?] they had been “fully” vaccinated.

New Measures in Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 21:

“Germany’s federal and state leaders on Tuesday agreed to impose contact restrictions — including for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals – starting next week. The regulations — which come into effect ‘at the latest’ on December 28 — are aimed to dissuade people from holding and attending large New Year’s Eve celebrations.

“… a maximum of 10 people who have been vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 would be allowed to attend a private gathering. In cases when an unvaccinated person is present, only one other household would be able to attend. The new capacity limits apply to both indoor and outdoor celebrations. Access to restaurants remains limited to people who could provide proof of vaccination or recovery…

“Starting on December 28, spectators will be banned from sporting events, cultural shows, concerts and other large public events…  the German government is also preparing for the event that more drastic measures could be necessary next year… German lawmakers in the Bundestag will also debate whether to make COVID vaccines mandatory for the general public — and how they will implement it.”

These restrictions—which did not work under Merkel either—show Germany’s descent into full blown dictatorship, and it will only get worse. But most Germans are totally blind.

The Global Decline of Democracy

Axios wrote on December 16:

‘Democratic governance is sliding backward in the U.S. and much of the world, according to a series of recent reports…

“Democratic decline stems in part from the pandemic, as governments pursue policies to control the virus that involve restricting civil liberties like free movement and as citizens become frustrated that those policies haven’t yet brought an end to COVID-19… Authoritarian countries like China are taking advantage of democratic woes to tout their own systems…”

We have reported about this development for a long time.

Pope Francis’ Fight with Conservatives Continues

Breitbart wrote on December 18:

“Pope Francis doubled down Saturday on his efforts to quash the old Latin Mass, forbidding the celebration of some sacraments according to the ancient rite in his latest salvo against conservatives and traditionalists.

“The Vatican’s liturgy office issued a document that clarified some questions that arose after Francis in July took the extraordinary step of reimposing restrictions on celebrating the so-called Tridentine Rite. Francis’ July move outraged conservatives and traditionalists, given it amounted to a direct reversal of one of the singular policies of Pope Benedict XVI. Benedict in 2007 had relaxed the restrictions on celebrating the Latin Mass in a bid to reconcile with a breakaway group of traditionalists who were opposed to the modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council. Francis said in July he had to reverse course because Benedict’s 2007 decision had divided the church and been exploited by conservatives on ideological grounds.

“The Vatican repeated that rationale on Saturday in explaining the need for the new restrictions. The new decree outlaws using the ancient ritual for the sacraments of Confirmation and ordaining new priests, and will make it exceedingly difficult for traditionalists to access the sacraments of Baptism, Marriage and First Communion according to the old rite. Archbishop Arthur Roche, prefect of the Vatican’s liturgy office, said the restrictions were needed to promote unity in the church and unity in the celebration of its sacraments.”

Far from creating unity, the division within the Catholic Church is widened. Also note the next article.

Vatican Apologizes to LGBT Community

ABC News wrote on December 17:

“A Vatican official apologized to a leading Catholic LGBTQ advocacy group for having yanked a reference to it on the Vatican website, drawing immediate praise Monday from the group as an ‘historic’ move to repair the painful rift between the Catholic hierarchy and the gay community…

“The flip-flop on the reference to New Ways Ministry on the Synod website is indicative of the mixed messages the Holy See over the years, and Pope Francis himself, have sent about the Vatican’s position on gays and their place in the church.

“Francis made international headlines in 2013 when he quipped ‘Who am I to judge?’ about a purportedly gay priest. He followed up over the years with unprecedented gestures of papal outreach to the gay and transsexual communities… But he has also upheld official church teaching… asserting that the Catholic Church cannot and will not bless same-sex unions since God ‘cannot bless sin.’

“In the aftermath of the Synod’s original removal of the webinar video, New Ways Ministry revealed that Francis had written the group two letters this year commending its work. That was significant… “

Based on the clear Word of God, practicing homosexuality is sin, and we are to judge this accordingly. The Vatican’s flip-flop is for the sole purpose of embracing and keeping as many of the “faithful” in their fold, no matter what their background, preferences and persuasions. This stands in sharp contrast to Francis’s attack on traditionalists and conservatives [see previous article].

Abortion by Mail

CNN wrote on December 16:

“The US Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday that it is lifting a requirement that patients seeking medication abortion had to pick up the medication in-person, instead allowing pills to be sent by mail. The move comes as the Supreme Court is poised to undo its abortion rights precedent.

“Relaxing the federal restrictions on medication abortion is one thing that the Biden administration could do to mitigate the fallout from a Roe v. Wade reversal… Medication abortion, in which a pregnancy is ended in a two-pill process, has become a prevalent approach to terminating a pregnancy.”

Whatever it takes to promote the left-wing liberal agenda of the Biden Administration.

BBC News added on December 17:

“The change is… allowing women to receive the pill by post from a certified medical worker or pharmacy and receive abortion consultations on the internet…

“…the move will be overridden by 19 states that already have rules banning mail-order abortion pills.”

Biden’s $4.91 Trillion “Build Back Better Act” Doomed?

Breitbart wrote on December 19:

“Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) said on Sunday he will oppose the $4.91 trillion Build Back Better Act, effectively killing the ‘mammoth’ legislation… Manchin, the West Virginia moderate Democrat, serves as the critical swing vote in the Senate for Democrats to pass the bill through the Senate…

“[Since] Democrats only have a one-member majority, it would require the approval of two swing votes, Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ). ‘This is a no on this legislation,’ Manchin said…”

Thanks to Manchin for standing up for what he believes and for saving America, at least for now, from another terrible increase of national debt. Of course, the backlash against Manchin was predictable, but the mean viciousness was surpassing.

Trump: American Jews Don’t Like Israel

i24News and the Algemeiner reported on December 17:

“… former US president Donald Trump [said] American Jews, especially those in positions of power in the media… ‘either don’t like Israel or don’t care about Israel.’

“Trump also had harsh and controversial words for the New York Times. ‘I mean you look at the New York Times, the New York Times hates Israel. Hates them,’ he said. ‘And they’re Jewish people that run the New York Times.’

“The statements garnered condemnation from multiple officials across the political spectrum.”

In fact, Trump was accused of making antisemitic statements, which is of course utter nonsense, given the fact that his son-in-law is Jewish and that his daughter converted to Judaism. According to the Guardian, dated December 18, Trump also said: “… the evangelical Christians love Israel more than the Jews in this country.” Trump also allegedly criticized Netanyahu for congratulating Biden right away after the “rigged” election.

Trump might very well be correct, which might be evidenced by the biblical prophecy in the Book of Zechariah that Judah will fight against Jerusalem. In addition, it is becoming common and convenient to label opposing views as being antisemitic. Note the next article.

Don’t Dare to Express Your Belief

JTA wrote on December 16:

“Following a court order, a Dutch lawmaker removed social media messages in which he drew parallels between COVID-19 measures and the treatment of Jews by the Nazis… The previous day, a judge in Amsterdam issued an injunction ordering the deletion of the content, prescribing a fine of 25,000 euros – or $28,000 – for each day that the content is still online.

“The judge said that [Thierry] Baudet’s tweets ‘contribute to a climate in which antisemitism is encouraged.’… Speech that equates to Holocaust denial is illegal in many European countries, though not in the Netherlands, where some forms of denial are prosecuted under laws against hate speech.

“In one of the deleted tweets, from Nov. 14, Baudet called the unvaccinated ‘the new Jews’… Two days later, Baudet posted a picture of a child unable to attend a seasonal holiday procession juxtaposed with a picture of a child wearing a yellow star during the Holocaust in Poland. Later last month he posted a sign requiring vaccination certificates at the entrance to the museum on the grounds of the Buchenwald former concentration camp…

“‘I am extremely sad that I am not allowed to express what I believe in, and I will not accept it. We will definitely be appealing,’ Baudet wrote…”

To even suggest that Baudet’s statements amount to antisemitism is beyond ridiculous. Neither can Baudet’s statements be remotely compared with a Holocaust denial. It should be obvious that just the opposite is the case!

Transgender Rights and Persecution in the UK

The Daily Mail wrote on December 20:

“The Scout Association has apologised to a campaigner after investigating her for two years for ‘misgendering’ someone on Twitter.

“Assistant cub scout leader Maya Forstater inadvertently called a bearded transgender scout leader ‘he’ rather than ‘they’ in 2019. This prompted an inquiry, which found Miss Forstater had brought the organisation into disrepute.”

Along the same lines, the Daily Mail published this article by Andrew Pierce on December 19:

“Hounded out of her job for her feminist views in the trans debate, academic Kathleen Stock is an archetypal victim of cancel culture. Stock, who is gay and opposes ‘self ID’ for trans people, which makes it easier for biological males to enter women-only spaces, was until recently Professor of Philosophy at Sussex University.

“Then balaclava-wearing trans-rights activists forced her out of her job by running a vindictive campaign, brandishing signs demanding for her to resign and, they hoped, ending her career.”

This scenario is a really peculiar one. The author of the article is homosexual, commenting on a lesbian who is being harassed by the transexual lobby. What a combination…

Big Trouble Ahead for Boris Johnson

The Sun wrote on December 17:

“The scale of the Tories’ by-election ­disaster dwarfs even Downing Street’s ­grimmest nightmares. A 23,000 majority [was] blown away in a super-safe Leave-backing North Shropshire seat the Conservatives had held for most of two centuries. The winners, by a mile, [are] the Lib-Dem ultra-Remainders…

“Governments often lose mid-term by-elections, but this calamity is of a different order. It is the dire consequence of Boris Johnson sneakily trying to bend rules… [It is the] predictable result of illicit parties and other scandals…

“Elected by a landslide, then boosted by his world-beating jabs programme, the PM has in a few bewildering weeks shredded a huge amount of the goodwill and authority he enjoyed. His poll leads have gone, handing ill-deserved hope to Labour’s rabble and their wooden, opportunist leader Keir Starmer…

“Boris must… develop a credible long-term plan to live with Covid — and not be plunged by overwrought scientists into lockdowns with every new variant. [He must deal with the] soaring cost of living — with prices rocketing and our vast tax burden going in precisely the wrong direction. Crime, too. The illegal migrants cheating the system by sailing across the Channel.

“We fear [we] are in for a tough few months. They need a PM focused on their lives, not distracted by crisis after crisis as his enemies drag him ever deeper into the quicksand.”

Will Boris Johnson accept the challenge and step up to the plate of true leadership?

Britain’s “Brexit Mastermind” Quits over Corona Restrictions—Boris Johnson in Big Trouble

The Sun wrote on December 19:

“BORIS Johnson was rocked by a fresh crisis last night as his Brexit mastermind quit the Cabinet. Lord Frost — one of his most loyal ministers — sensationally resigned in protest over the direction of the Government. Lord Frost’s walk-out will intensify the pressure on Mr Johnson’s faltering leadership…  Sources said the final straw for [Lord Frost] 56, was last week’s bid to impose Covid passports for pubs and big events as well as his growing ‘disillusionment’ with the ‘direction’ of Tory policy…

“The hammer blow came as Boris planned his fightback after his worst week in charge. Mr Johnson has agreed to fire [“Chief whip” Mark] Spencer… Ministers blame Spencer for last week’s rebellion when 100 Tory MP’s voted against Government Covid pass plans…”

“Lockdowns Do Immense Harm”

The Sun wrote on December 19:

“Lockdowns do immense harm to our livelihoods, mental health and children’s safety, as horrific recent cases prove.

“Our way of life, and our kids’ futures, cannot be endlessly restricted by the constant need to protect a health service supposedly always on the brink… The political price for Boris Johnson if he opts for a new lockdown vote, and the inevitable backbench mutiny, would be massive. That’s a side issue to the damage it would mean for the rest of us.”

It surely would mean that.

Archbishop of Canterbury’s Divisive Comments

The Daily Mail wrote on December 22:

“The Archbishop of Canterbury has implied that Jesus would get vaccinated against Covid. Justin Welby suggested that people who refuse to get jabbed are ‘immoral’ as he told people to ‘love one another, as Jesus said’…

“Last month, he was forced to apologise after saying that failure to strike a climate change deal at the Cop26 summit in Glasgow would lead to a ‘genocide’ worse than that committed by the Nazis. …

“And in April, the archbishop was accused of ‘jumping on a woke bandwagon’ after claiming that being a royal is like serving ‘life without parole’ – in words that appeared to signal his support for Harry and Meghan over Buckingham Palace.”

A more ridiculous comment than the one that Jesus would get vaccinated against Corona has rarely been uttered.

Fury Erupts in London over Johnson’s Lockdown Plans

Express wrote on December 18:

“A demonstration against mandatory vaccinations [occurred] at Parliament Square in Westminster. The iconic location was said to be ‘rammed’ with angry Britons on Saturday afternoon… The  protest today saw people travel to the capital from across the UK and there are also rallies in Bournemouth, Blackburn, Gloucestershire, Bristol, Glasgow, Cardiff, Belfast and the Isle of Wight. The protest is supported by an umbrella movement called the ‘Together Declaration’, with 170,000 signatures including business, religious and campaign leaders, as well as MPs, which is campaigning against mandatory vaccinations as well as an end to vaccine passports and mass testing…

“It is understood the Prime Minister is also considering further measures under a so-called Plan C, which includes another lockdown, the Financial Times reports.”

Resistance to autocratic governmental measures is rising all over the world, and the concern is that real violence will break out between protestors and governmental agents… perhaps even creating civil unrest and civil war. And it creates animosity between certain countries, as the next article shows.

France’s and Germany’s Attack on the UK

The Guardian wrote on December 16:

“France will dramatically tighten restrictions on travel from Britain… effectively banning all non-essential journeys. The government announced in a statement that incoming travellers would require ‘an essential reason to travel to, or come from, the UK, both for the unvaccinated and vaccinated’ from midnight on Saturday…

“‘People cannot travel for tourism or professional reasons,’ it said… In addition, all arrivals from the UK will need a negative PCR or antigen test taken within the previous 24, rather than 48 hours, and will have to quarantine in France for seven days – reduced to 48 hours if they can produce a new negative test…. The French government also… asked travellers from France who had planned to visit the UK to postpone their journey….”

The age-long animosity between France and Britain can again be seen in this example of willful discrimination… And Boris Johnson seems to be a far-too-willing “accomplice.”

The Sun wrote on December 19:

“GERMANY is the latest country to ban travel to and from the UK from this weekend over Omicron variant fears… From midnight on Sunday, or 11pm UK time, any travellers from the UK apart from German nationals, residents and transit passengers will be banned.

“Everyone entering Germany from Britain, whether vaccinated or not, will need a negative PCR test and is required to be quarantined for 14 days.”

Of course, Germany would join France against the UK. No surprise there.

Huge Demonstrations against Corona Restrictions in Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 18:

“Thousands of people have demonstrated against coronavirus rules in several major German cities… Several thousand people took to the streets in the northern port city of Hamburg, then marched in several blocks through the city center, police said. About 8,000 attendees were registered [This means, many more participated.] ‘No to compulsory vaccination!’ was written on self-made placards, as well as ‘Hands off our children.’ In the western city of Düsseldorf, police said an estimated 4,000 protesters marched through the city center…

“Vaccinations for children are beginning in Germany, following recommendations made by the country’s top vaccine body. However, many parents are divided on the issue… Demonstrations also took place in the financial hub of Frankfurt am Main, as well as the southwestern cities of Karlsruhe and Freiburg.  Police said around 3,500 people marched through the center of Freiburg, adding that they sporadically split up groups because some attendees were not wearing obligatory face masks. Around 900 people took to the streets in Karlsruhe to protest mandatory vaccinations, particularly for health care workers such as nurses. In Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, nearly 2,000 people demonstrated under the slogan ‘Basic rights are not negotiable,’ according to police. Around 1,900 people attended a protest against restrictions in Schwerin, the capital of the northern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, police said…

“Meanwhile, officials in Berlin banned a demonstration that had 2,000 registered protesters, citing the expectation that demonstrators would violate coronavirus rules such as the obligation to wear a mask and maintain social distance. However, protesters have gathered on many occasions despite police bans.

“Police in the eastern German state of Saxony shut down gatherings organized by the Querdenker or ‘lateral thinkers’ group. People demonstrated in several parts of Dresden, which is one of the cities where the Querdenker movement is most popular. Meanwhile, in Rathenow in the state of Brandenburg, 360 police officers stopped a protest on Friday evening, citing a lack of people complying with mask requirements…”

The more people demonstrate, the more German state governments will respond harshly. Violence is to be expected.

The Netherlands Pushes the Panic Button

Reuters wrote on December 18:

“The Netherlands will go into a strict lockdown over the Christmas and New Year period to try to contain the highly- contagious Omicron coronavirus variant, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Saturday.

“All non-essential shops and services, including restaurants, hairdressers, museums and gyms will be closed from Sunday until Jan. 14. All schools will be shut until at least Jan. 9…. Other measures include a recommendation that households receive no more than two visitors and that gatherings outside are also limited to a maximum of two people…”

Israel again in the News

Israel Today wrote on December 19:

“Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett appeared to fail a critical Covid-combatting leadership test at the weekend, after opposition to his wish to impose a near-total travel ban on Israelis forced him to backtrack… The prime minister used coercive manipulation, including warnings that those who opposed the measures would be to [be blamed] for any Covid-19 disaster that might result…

“Following those reports, and as the premier huddled with his government leaders at the weekly Cabinet meeting Sunday morning, news emerged that he was no longer planning a sweeping travel ban, but would announce a more limited list of countries to which Israelis may no longer fly, including the United States, Canada, Germany and Turkey. These restrictions will reportedly go into effect a little later this week.”

Far from being a shining light of democracy in the Middle East, the governments of Israel have been at the forefront of imposing dictatorial coronavirus restrictions.

More and More Vaccinations Required

Deutsche Welle reported on December 21:

“The European Commission announced Tuesday that COVID vaccine certificates in the bloc would only be valid for nine months without a booster shot…. The new rule concerns traveling within the European Union, but the Commission said in a statement that it recommends EU countries also apply it on a national level… EU residents are recommended to receive a booster shot six months, at the latest, after they’re fully vaccinated. But the certificate will be valid for three additional months as a grace period to ensure access to booster doses…”

JTA wrote on December 22:

“Israel will likely begin administering a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine to seniors, immunocompromised people, and healthcare workers in an effort to stem the spread of the Omicron variant.

“The move was recommended Tuesday by the panel of experts advising Israel’s government on the coronavirus pandemic. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett had been hinting at the possibility of a fourth shot and embraced the recommendation in a statement Tuesday. ‘This is wonderful news that will assist us in getting through the Omicron wave that is engulfing the world,’ Bennett said…

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said on December 22 that a fourth dose might become necessary soon, as the vaccines might not be that “durable.” When will it end? And how about the lack of confidence of scientists and doctors in their own vaccines?

Canada’s Dictatorial Restrictions

Life Site News reported on December 17:

“A Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) MP sounded the alarm that the Liberal government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is planning to keep COVID jab mandates and rules for years to come… as [h]idden in [Trudeau’s] Fiscal and Economic Update”…

“Many Canadian doctors have spoken out against both jab mandates as well as their purported safety and effectiveness…

“The Liberal’s fiscal update also praises the draconian and discriminatory Trudeau travel ban by air, sea, or train for the vaccine-free, which has been in place since December 1… The Liberal’s fiscal update also highlights the federal government’s mandate of COVID shots for all federally regulated sectors.

“However, many consider jab mandates as a blatant assault on individual freedoms that’s unnecessary given COVID’s high survivability among most groups, its minimal risk of asymptomatic spread, and research indicating that post-infection natural immunity is equally protected against reinfection [in fact, as the evidence proves, and as it is pointed out in this section, it is MORE EFFECTIVE than vaccinations.]

“There is also a substantial amount of evidence that vaccine mandates are a failed strategy for tackling COVID… the government once again has mandated COVID testing for returning air travelers, along with mandatory quarantine, even for those who are considered ’fully vaccinated.’”

They must not have too much confidence in their vaccinations.

“Dr. Fauci, Please Stop Lying!”

The left-liberal outlet, The Week, wrote on December 17:

“American public health bureaucrats… have repeatedly lied to the public, playing politics with the pandemic, and in the process undermined both the fight against COVID-19 and confidence in their own credibility… Back in February and March 2020… Anthony Fauci was all over the media downplaying masks. ‘If you look at the masks that you buy in a drug store, the leakage around that doesn’t really do much to protect you,’ he told USA Today that spring. ‘Now, in the United States, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever to wear a mask.’ In an interview with 60 Minutes in March, he said, ‘Right now in the United States, people should not be walking around with masks.’

“It turns out Fauci almost certainly didn’t believe what he was saying. In an interview with InStyle several months later, he admitted that trying to preserve the mask supply for doctors and nurses was his first motivation…

“Fauci didn’t learn his lesson. Not only did he lie more, but he exposed his own deception once again. Last December, he told The New York Times he’d also been lying about how many people would have to get vaccinated to reach herd immunity (moving from 60 to 90 percent)…”

We do not endorse the gist of the article nor the premises expressed therein [such as the importance of wearing masks and the need for three vaccinations]. But what we found interesting is the recognition of Fauci’s repeated lies and the lack of trust people are having in his advice, competence and predictions. Also note the next incredible article.

Fauci, the Spin Doctor

Fox News reported on December 17:

“Fauci said Friday that the possibility of changing the definition for fully vaccinated is ‘certainly on the table’… which currently states a person is fully vaccinated when they have received two doses of a Pfizer or Moderna regimen or a shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. In the face of omicron, some have suggested the definition should include a booster shot… Friday morning he finally planted his flag in the war of words around the pandemic when he suggested that some terms may – and in one case, should – change… [He said:] ‘… there’s no doubt that optimum vaccination is with a booster’…

“He also discussed the difficulty in pushing ‘mandates,’ instead suggesting that people should discuss ‘requirements’ as a more palatable term. ‘Mandates — that’s a radioactive word. Requirements people seem to respond better to that. They work,’ Fauci argued. ‘We are never going to get out of this outbreak if we still have 50 million people who for reasons that are very difficult to understand refuse to get vaccinated.’

“Fauci has walked this line in the past two weeks, making a distinction between ‘fully’ vaccinated versus ‘optimum’ vaccination [stressing] that ‘optimum’ vaccination would include a booster.

“Omicron has driven new cases up across the country…  The new variant appears to spread more than the delta variant while only creating mild symptoms so far. Hospitalizations and deaths have not increased to the same degree if at all… The United States has yet to record a death as a result of the omicron variant.”

Not only that, as WND reported on December 17, “Nearly 80% of the omicron variant cases in the United States were found in people who were fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention… In Israel, where most of the population has received a booster shot, 54 of 67 omicron cases, 80%, were people who had received three COVID-19 shots.”

Fauci’s spinning of the facts cannot hide the truth that we are dealing with a money-making political agenda.

The Fallacy of “Public Health” Experts

The Dossier wrote on December 18:

“There’s one thing that the ‘public health expert’ class is certain about these days. They claim to have ‘the tools’ to stop this coronavirus. But the thing about these ‘tools’ is that they require blind faith in order to work, since every observable metric shows that they’ve failed in catastrophic fashion…

“We are now almost two full years into our population-wide ‘public health expert’-managed COVID tyranny, and it has not exactly paid dividends for anyone other than the people in charge, who have catapulted to a life of fame and prestige.

“There is no evidence anywhere in the world that top-down authoritarianism, guided by these excessively praised ‘public health experts,’ has produced positive outcomes for the health and safety of any nation. In fact, the opposite is true. Throughout the world, sickness and unhealthy habits are increasing across the board, both indirectly and directly related to COVID-19… In fact, most of these ‘tools,’ when employed, are making everything worse.

“The mRNA shots were originally sold to the public with the claim that they prevent people from both infecting others and being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. This is why the FDA and CDC, among other ‘public health’ bureaucracies, decided to green light injecting unthreatened 5 year olds with experimental drugs. The promise was that they would be ‘doing their part’ to ‘save grandma’ and ‘stop the spread.’ Yet the prevention and transmission claim has been completely memory-holed. As evidenced most recently by the breakouts in universally compliant settings, after a period of time, the shots seem to do nothing at all to prevent infection or transmission.

“Universal masking, another agreed upon tool to stop a virus, doesn’t work, yet the ‘experts’ continue to [demand it]. Curfews and lockdowns… have done absolutely nothing to solve a virus problem…”

Still, gullible people are listening to their unfounded and oftentimes totally false opinions…

Masks Don’t Help on Flights

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on December 16:

“CEOs of Southwest Airlines and American Airlines testified before Congress this week that forcing people to wear masks on board their planes does little if anything to prevent spread of the virus.

“As predicted, Dem Members freaked out after hearing this blow to their deep faith.”

It has been known for a long time that masks on flights do not help at all. For many, they could be harmful. Still, airlines follow Biden’s mandate to demand wearing masks. Fauci responded that masks on planes will “always be necessary, no matter what” (Fox News, December 19). What an incredible situation.

Natural Immunity Overlooked

Newsmax wrote on December 20:

“Former FDA commissioner and Pfizer board member Dr. Scott Gottlieb on Sunday said… on CBS News: ‘A lot of people believe, including myself, that the reason why it’s [Omicron] manifesting as a less severe illness is probably because we have baseline immunity in the population… Probably around 80% of Americans and 90% of South Africans have some level of immunity, either from prior infection or through vaccination’… Gottlieb also believes omicron will ‘blow through fairly quickly.’”

In a related article, Newsmax wrote on December 20:

“Stumping for the overlooked science of natural immunity and denouncing the ‘inconsistent’ political science ‘tune’ of Dr. Anthony Fauci, former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said she has overcome COVID-19 and does not need a vaccination from it now. ‘It’ll be over my dead body that I’ll have to get a shot,” Palin [said] on Sunday. ‘I will not. I won’t do it and they better not touch my kids either.’…

“The remarks came as Republicans are denouncing Biden’s vaccine mandates, not only on choice, but also on the scientific belief natural immunity might be protection enough, if not better.”

Natural immunity is overlooked because it does not pay the Big Pharma industry.

And Now… First Death in USA Reported

Reuters reported on December 20:

“Texas’ Harris County on Monday reported its first death related to the Omicron COVID-19 variant, a man who was unvaccinated, the county health department said… Earlier in December, Britain reported the first publicly confirmed death globally from Omicron. Twelve people in Britain have now died with the variant, and 104 are currently in hospital with it…”

Of course, an unvaccinated person is blamed and the push for vaccinations ensues as a consequence, even though the virus affects many more vaccinated than unvaccinated people. It would also be interesting to find out the exact circumstances of the person’s death.

Biden’s War on the Unvaccinated

Fox News reported on December 20:

“The White House was viciously mocked over the weekend after pushing the message that unvaccinated Americans would experience a winter of ‘severe illness and death’ due to the omicron variant of the coronavirus….

“Critics took to social media to mock the White House’s message of death, with some referring to Biden as the ‘Grim Reaper’…

“‘President Biden’s warning of a “winter of severe illness and death” makes President Jimmy Carter’s “malaise” speech urging Americans to lower expectations seem a cheerful upper by contrast. How do Democrats run as the party of ‘severe illness and death’? This is madness,’ wrote former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Other critics echoed his Jimmy Carter comparison…”

Madness indeed. God has poured out a spirit of deep slumber on our leaders.

Utter Confusion regarding Biden’s Vaccine Mandates

Newsmax, The Associated Press and Thomson/Reuters wrote on December 18:

“A U.S. appeals court on Friday reinstated a nationwide vaccine-or-testing COVID-19 mandate for large businesses, a federal government rule that covers 80 million American workers. The ruling by the 6th U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati lifted a November injunction that had blocked the rule from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which applies to businesses with at least 100 workers…

“The [decision] comes a day after the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a nationwide ban on the mandate [for healthcare workers]. The court instead allowed the mandate to remain blocked in 14 states that had collectively sued in federal court in Louisiana. That action altered a Nov. 30 ruling by U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty, who originally applied his order nationwide.

“A different appeals court, the St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, has declined to disturb a lower court order blocking the mandate in 10 other states.

“The Biden administration asked the justices to allow the mandate to take effect in the 24 states covered by those two courts’ decisions. A federal judge in Texas granted an injunction Thursday that applies only to that state.”

The Associated Press wrote on December 17 about the decision of the 6^th Court of Appeals regarding private companies:

“‘Given OSHA’s clear and exercised authority to regulate viruses, OSHA necessarily has the authority to regulate infectious diseases that are not unique to the workplace,’ Judge Julia Smith Gibbons, who was nominated to the court by former President George W. Bush, a Republican, wrote in her majority opinion…. She was joined in the majority decision by Judge Jane Branstetter Stranch, an appointee of former President Barrack Obama, a Democrat… The dissent in Friday’s ruling came from Judge Joan Larsen, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, who said Congress did not authorize OSHA to make this sort of rule and that it did not qualify as a necessity to use the emergency procedures the agency followed to put it in place.’”

This decision by two judges (against one) is SO unconstitutional and plainly wrong.

Fox News added on December 18:

“The Supreme Court earlier this week refused to block a New York regulation mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for health care workers – a move that could spell trouble for those opposed to the sweeping mandate.”

All of this is becoming SO political, as evidenced by the fact that courts and judges disagree amongst themselves and decide, strictly based on political preferences. The concern for the health of the American people is secondary, if it exists at all, even though lip-services to the contrary might be uttered here and there. Nobody knows how the utterly political and divided Supreme Court will decide, while innocent workers are the pawns in this despicable chess game.

The Associated Press added on December 18:

“A vaccine mandate for companies that have contracts with the federal government is on hold nationwide, while a separate mandate for health care employees who work for providers that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid funding has been blocked in half the states…

“… vaccine mandates for federal government employees and the military remain in effect, as do mask requirements for airline passengers and people using public transportation.”

Californians Openly Defy Newsom’s Corona Mandates—Good for Them

NBC San Diego wrote on December 18:

“Coronado and El Cajon leaders said this week if the state wants to enforce the new indoor mask mandate it can use its own resources. On Friday the city of Oceanside joined them. The mandate won’t be enforced at privately owned businesses in Oceanside, and many small business owners who made it through the pandemic are fine with it…”

Breitbart wrote on December 17:

“Californians are ignoring Gov. Gavin Newsom’s statewide mask mandate, which went into effect Wednesday for most indoor spaces… Newsom exempted San Francisco — where he used to be mayor of the city — and the surrounding counties…

“In Los Angeles County, for example, gyms and restaurants are continuing as before…  The Sacramento Bee reported that no one can figure out who is responsible for enforcing the mask mandate, and that Newsom says he has ‘faith’ in Californians to enforce his mandate themselves, saying that they would ‘self-enforce’ but didn’t provide specifics on what would happen if they didn’t…

“Local government officials say the state hasn’t given any guidance on enforcement, and some local authorities say they won’t enforce the state’s order at all. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has said… he would not enforce vaccine mandates in his county.”

Ark of the Covenant in Ethiopia?

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 16:

“A fascinating connection between Ethiopia and Jewish history is the belief that the Ark of the Covenant, containing the tablets of the Ten Commandments, may reside to this day in Ethiopia. While a Talmudic source relates that the ark – along with several other of the Temple’s sacred objects – was hidden just prior to the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash, numerous other theories exist as to its whereabouts.

“A longstanding religious legend in Ethiopia describes how the Ark of the Covenant was brought there 3,000 years ago by a man named Menelik, who, according to the legend, was the son of the Queen of Sheba and Israel’s King Solomon. The legend states that the Queen of Sheba was from Ethiopia and that she traveled to Jerusalem, where she was seduced by King Solomon, giving birth to Menelik upon her return home. Menelik later traveled to Jerusalem and studied with his father before taking the ark and bringing it to Ethiopia, where, legend has it, it still resides in the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Aksum, where only ‘The Guardian of the Ark of the Covenant’ can view it.

“Others maintain that a sect of Jews driven by King Manasseh from Israel took the ark with them and transported it to Egypt, from where they eventually sailed up the Nile to Ethiopia. Researchers who journeyed to Aksum and made their way to Mary of Zion Church were purportedly introduced to a man referred to as the guardian of the ark. This man was said to live his entire life inside a fenced-off area surrounding the church and will not leave his post until he dies, at which time he will be replaced by the next guardian. In the chapel of the church, 30 robes from 30 previous guardians are on display – and every one of those 30 professed that the object they protected was the true Ark of the Covenant.

“While others dispute and debunk this legend – claiming that, at most, the ark in the church is merely a replica of the real thing – it fits neatly with the claim by Ethiopia’s former emperor Haile Selassie that he was a direct descendant of Menelik. Selassie, who ruled Ethiopia from 1930-1974, called himself ‘the Lion of Judah,’ the 225th king descended from King David, and prominently displayed a Lion of Judah motif on the country’s flag and currency.”

Whether true or not, the question is what others believe, especially the Roman Catholic Church which is very interested in possessing all kinds of religious relics and which therefore might be prompted to participate in a war against Ethiopia (Daniel 11:40-43). Regarding the whereabouts of the Ark of the Covenant and its future, see our Q&A on the issue. 

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 two-part series, we looked at the fact that many writers will agree that there are pagan connections to Christmas but conclude that it is still acceptable to keep the festival.   We gave two examples and continue with further examples.

EXAMPLE 3:

Here is another approach to try and justify Christmas celebrations:

“The Lord, through His sacrifice, has cleansed us of our sins. He sanctifies what he touches.  When we came in contact with Him, it is we who were cleansed. It is not Him who is defiled.  The woman with the issue of blood who touched Jesus (Mark 5:25-34) was made clean. It was not Jesus who was defiled. Likewise, Jesus touched the unclean lepers and cleansed them (Matthew 8:3). Jesus came in contact with many people, and it was never He who was defiled. It was they who were cleansed.

“I think this principle can be applied to Christmas. Yes, Christmas has pagan origins. Yes, it is a highly commercial time. Yes, many do not have their eyes on Jesus. But for the Christian, it is a time to reflect upon the birth of our Lord and to celebrate His coming into the world to die for our sins.”

This approach is exactly what the Bible condemns.

In our Update 122, dated December 19, 2003, we read the following in our Q&A, “Why don’t you celebrate Christmas?” 

“The age-old question is, however, why is it so important to know that Christmas and its customs were a pagan invention? What is wrong with ‘Christianizing’ those pagan customs? We might not be able to bring Christ BACK into those customs (as He was never part of them in the first place), but why can’t we bring those customs to Christ and use them to worship Him in that way?

“Simply, because the Bible prohibits us to do so. The concept of adding pagan practices to godly worship, known as ‘syncretism,’ is condemned throughout Scripture. Again, we encourage our members, subscribers and friends to read or re-read our booklet, ‘Don’t Keep Christmas,’ for a more comprehensive analysis of this important question.

“In short, we read in Deuteronomy 12:29-32, that God commanded Israel that ‘you do not inquire after their [pagan] gods, saying, “How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.” You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way…”

“What could be clearer? God commands us NOT to worship Him in the way that the Gentiles did. Christmas was a pagan festival in honor of pagan gods. God FORBIDS us to worship Him in that way. We read in Matthew 15:7-9 that we worship Christ IN VAIN when we teach ‘as doctrines the commandments of men’ or pagans. The Ryrie Study Bible comments regarding the passage in Deuteronomy 12:30: ‘The Israelites were not even to inquire about the worship of the Canaanites, lest they be tempted to INCORPORATE ASPECTS OF IT INTO THEIR WORSHIP OF GOD.’

“That is, exactly, what the Roman Catholic Church did. That is exactly what God PROHIBITS His people from doing!”

EXAMPLE 4:

Another writer gives us an insight into further antagonism towards those who say that Christmas is not a festival that true Christians should keep:

“Q. WHAT IS A PROPER CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO PEOPLE WHO CLAIM CHRISTMAS AND OTHER CHRISTIAN CELEBRATIONS ARE PAGAN?

“A. First, if we are honest, we are forced to acknowledge that aspects of Christmas certainly are pagan: the revelry, drinking and overeating, commercialism, coveting, and immorality that are rife during the season. The holiday atmosphere as represented by these sins surely cannot be considered a part of true Christianity. Also, holly and mistletoe, Santa Claus, and the like are not found in Scripture either, though certain trappings of the season, like Christmas trees, candles, wreaths, and bells, are not necessarily wrong if they classify as decorations rather than gods. Anything can become a god if we lose perspective and don’t put God first. Further, enough eons have elapsed so that any pagan connections with items such as Christmas trees are now truly meaningless.

“I believe Christians must part company with those, such as certain cultists who advocate totally ignoring the celebration of Christ’s birth. We are unsure of the exact date on which our Savior was born. In fact, Dec. 25 is almost certain not to be the day. Does that matter? The precise day of the year should not deter us from designating a day to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. Further, there is nothing wrong with having family gatherings, exchanging gifts, sending greeting cards, singing, going to special services at church, and enjoying good food God has provided. We should use Christmas as a special time to witness to unsaved loved ones and acquaintances too. Many people have trusted Christ as Savior through the local church during the holiday season, the only time when some people enter a church.

“‘Christmas is for children’ is quite true. Many of us remember our early childhoods as the time when the account of the Christ Child was especially enthralling. Therefore, we adults can make Christmas a time of unselfish giving toward children (not just material things, by the way), creating great experiences that they will remember all their lives. It is an important part of bringing them up in the training and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Many of us remember events surrounding our early Christmases better than any other times during our entire childhoods.

“These are responses that I believe honor the Lord. Christmas is not going to go away and critics will always be around. If some Christians cannot in good conscience observe Christmas, or any other Christian celebration, they have the privilege of leaving it alone.”

That is quite a statement but is hardly a proper response to people who claim Christmas and other Christmas celebrations are pagan!   Here’s why:

It is incorrect to say that any pagan connections with items such as Christmas trees are now truly meaningless.  God, who doesn’t change (see Malachi 3:6), said quite categorically that His people should not follow the customs of worship who serve false gods (compare again Deuteronomy 12:29-32).   That was true in the times of the ancient Israelites and still applies to God’s people today.

As often happens, those who disagree with the practice of keeping Christmas are labelled as cultists with opponents trying to denigrate and falsely accuse them so as to undermine their standing.

The assertion is made that “Dec. 25 is almost certain not to be the day” but that “it doesn’t matter.”  Is it not strange that the celebration of His birthday which they say is not on December 25^th is a wrong date and yet they keep it?

What can be said about the argument that “we should use Christmas as a special time to witness to unsaved loved ones and acquaintances too”?   So, they use a time that is not the date of the Savior’s birth, pretend it is, and to try and teach others that this is quite alright? What sort of example is that?

Regarding the training of children, they say that “It is an important part of bringing them up in the training and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).” To teach children God’s Word is indeed the responsibility of parents, but that must be based on the sure foundation of the truth.   Teaching them lies about a pagan festival with a cloak of so-called Christianity draped over it is not in line with what God expects of us.

It is stated that “Christmas Is not going to go away” which may well be true but that does not mean that true Christians have to be involved in it.   It is highly unlikely that Halloween is not going to go away but we should never have anything to do with that demonic celebration, either.

The Church of the Eternal God and its corporate affiliates have consistently taught that we must never be involved with Christmas celebrations.

One of our Q&As has the following headline: “You teach that Christians should not keep man’s holidays, such as Christmas, but rather, they need to observe God’s annual Holy Days. Why can’t we do both? And what, exactly, are those annual Holy Days, and how are they different from days such as Christmas?”  We address in that Q&A the fact that the world’s holidays of which Christmas is just one, should not be kept, and it goes into the biblical Holy Days that God’s people are commanded to keep.  You can access this Q&A at: https://www.globalchurchofgod.co.uk/q-a-8343/

Of course, becoming lax in this area couldn’t happen to us, could it? Not all that long ago a photograph appeared of a former evangelist in the Church of God who had taught the truth about Christmas, until the mid-1990’s, when he was standing in front of a Christmas tree obviously enjoying the experience.   His new-found “freedom” seemed to have allowed this action that he preached vehemently against in his ministry in the Church of God.  Quite a turnaround!

“Whether to celebrate Christmas or not, is man’s choice. However, to decree whether it is right or wrong to do so, is God’s prerogative.”(See our weekly Update 122, dated December 19, 2003).

In Mark 7:6-7, we read Jesus’ words, quoting Isaiah, when speaking to the Pharisees and scribes: “He answered and said to them, ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: “This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”’”  It is obvious for those with eyes to see that this applies to modern mainstream Christianity as they have discarded the Holy Days of God and replaced them with man-made holidays of which Christmas is just one of them.   We must never forget that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Also, as mentioned repeatedly in this series, a reading (or a re-reading) of our booklet “Don’t Keep Christmas” could prove to be very well worthwhile, as we approach this time of the year once again.

Lead Writer:  Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

A new Member Letter (December 2021) has been written and mailed to our subscribers. Eric Rank writes about the lies and deceptions Christians face in the world, especially during this time of the year. He points to our need to closely adhere to the Truth of God both personally and in fulfilling the job God has given to His Church.

“Why Won’t Some Christians Keep Christmas this Year?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary: 

Some may not keep Christmas this year because of governmental restrictions to fight the coronavirus pandemic, forbidding them to meet. Depending on the country, unvaccinated must not meet at all; others may be allowed to meet in small groups not exceeding ten persons. Church services might be totally banned, or severely restricted. But then there are those who won’t celebrate Christmas this year for altogether different reasons which have nothing to do with coronavirus restrictions.

“Warum einige Christen dieses Jahr kein Weihnachten feiern” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Why Won’t Some Christians Keep Christmas this Year?”

“Gott oder der Mensch? – Teil 1” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Michael Link. Title in English: “God or Man? Part 1.”

“Die drei himmlischen Bücher,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Manuel Mueller, is now posted. Title in English: “The Three Heavenly Books.”

“Ein wahrer loyaler Freund!” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Christoph Sperzel, is now posted. Title in English: “A True Loyal Friend.”

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

Christians are instructed to bear Spiritual fruit. What is involved in the process? How can we practically produce the results that God expects?

“Jacob’s Trouble,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Why is so much going wrong? Once great world powers, the UK and the US are now experiencing what might appear to be punishment—and it is! Punishment from God has been prophesied long ago for these nations because of their refusal to obey Him. The Bible shows that even greater catastrophes are coming!

On December 18, 2021, Eric Rank will present the sermonette, titled, “Fruition,” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “Jacob’s Trouble.”

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.

Many of us will remember learning the 23^rd Psalm as a child or young adult. It consists of six verses so it is quite easy to remember and many articles, or even books, have been written about it. There are even a number of hymns written using its words, some are sung in many different churches, and we even have two versions in our own Hymnal.

The theme of the Psalm is obviously about how a shepherd looks after his sheep, and from that point of view, is most inspiring and encouraging, especially as it applies to us. But it also lists many of the attributes of God in just five of its verses. All of these attributes are mentioned in other Scriptures so we can see consistency in God’s Word.

The very first thing we read in verse 1 is that “The LORD is my Shepherd.” This is not newly revealed in the Bible here but is first mentioned in Genesis 49:24. There we read, speaking of Joseph that “… the arms of his hands were made strong By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel).” This attribute is continued through the Bible, and we read again of it in John 10:11: “I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”

Continuing on in Psalm 23:1, “I shall not want.” In other words, God will provide. This attribute is first mentioned in Genesis 22:14 after God had provided a ram as a sacrifice in place of Isaac. “And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, ‘In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.’”

Considering Psalm 23:2, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.” This is a very peaceful situation. In fact, that is another attribute of God. In Judges 6:23-24 we read, “Then the LORD said to him, ‘Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.’ So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.”

Following on in Psalm 23:3, it begins with, “He restores my soul…” This shows us that God is our healer. This is first mentioned in Exodus 15:26 where God said: “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”

The second part of Psalm 23:3 states, “He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.” This is mentioned in Jeremiah 23:6 where we read, “In His days [the days of the Branch of righteousness] Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely. Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

Going on to Psalm 23:4, we read, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” David acknowledged that the LORD was with him; that He was present. In Ezekiel 48:35, last part, we read: “…and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE.”

In Psalm 23:5, we find that, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” In Exodus 17:15, we read, “And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner.” This signifies that the LORD protects us from enemies—a banner being a symbol of authority and power, like a national flag.

In the second part of Psalm 23:5, we read: “You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.” In the last part of Exodus 31:13, we read that when you keep God’s Sabbath, “… you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.” It was a practice for kings and others, e.g. Aaron or David, to be sanctified by anointing them with oil to show that they were appointed to their office.

But, of course, this is not the end of Psalm 23. It finishes up in verse 6 with, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.” The prophet Ezekiel echoes this in Ezekiel 37:25: “Then they [the children of Israel] shall dwell in the land I have given to Jacob My servant, where you fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever.”

When we read this very short Psalm, it shows us God’s loving attitude and concern, not just to David, but also toward us. It also shows us some of God’s attributes that we can rely upon. It finishes up with a promise of eternal life for David, and other Scriptures show that this promise also extends to us. So, this Psalm is very encouraging, well worth meditating on and singing praise to God.

by Norbert Link

We begin with America’s troublesome domestic situation, from unparalleled rising inflation in recent times; the unprecedented rise of the government’s debt; increasing violence; the left-wing frenzy in the Smollett case, led by no others than Biden and Harris; CNN Anderson Cooper’s arrogance; NBC Brian Williams’ sober warning; the proposed costly Build Back Better Act; shocking revelations in Wisconsin’s presidential election in 2020; holding former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in contempt; Elon Musk new person of the year; to Fauci’s doomsday clock which is mirrored by Fauci’s clone, Germany’s new health minister Karl Lauterbach; and California’s new measures regarding Corona and White House press secretary Jen Psaki’s appalling comments.

We continue with developments pertaining to America’s foreign partners, allies and enemies, starting with bad signs for Europe’s “democracies”; the persecution of the unvaccinated and of European Christians; a remarkable new statue at the UN’s headquarters in New York City; the dangerous situation between Russia and Ukraine and America’s cluelessness in the matter; Ukraine’s hope for European intervention while tensions escalate; Germany’s new weak and indecisive Chancellor Olaf Scholz; and Europe’s incredibly ridiculous proposals for a “new” language under the auspices of Ursula von der Leyen.

We address new challenges from China over Taiwan, and we conclude with the fairy tale about Santa Claus without a good ending.  Please view in this context our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Why do we lie to our children?” 

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

Inflation at all Time High since 1982

The Associated Press wrote on December 10:

“Prices for U.S. consumers jumped 6.8% in November compared with a year earlier as surging costs for food, energy, housing and other items left Americans enduring their highest annual inflation rate since 1982.

“It is the sixth straight month that inflation has been above 5%.”

Fox News added on December 10:

“Consumer prices surged at the fastest pace in nearly four decades in November as Americans paid more for practically everything from groceries to cars to gasoline… Price increases were widespread: Energy prices jumped 3.5% in November and are up 33.3% year over year. Gasoline is a stunning 58.1% higher than it was a year ago. Food prices have also climbed 6.1% higher over the year, while used car and truck prices – a major component of the inflation increase – are up 31%.”

No spin of the Biden Administration that we are on the road of economic recovery can change the facts.

US Debt Limit now at 31.4 Trillion Dollars

Newsmax wrote on December 15:

“The U.S. Congress on Tuesday approved raising the federal government’s debt limit by $2.5 trillion, to about $31.4 trillion, sending the bill to President Joe Biden to sign and avert an unprecedented default… A deal last week between Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and his Republican counterpart, Mitch McConnell, set the stage for Tuesday’s vote, bypassing normal Senate rules requiring at least 60 of the chamber’s 100 members to agree to advance most legislation. The Senate passed the bill earlier on Tuesday in a partisan 50-49 vote.

“The Democrat-led House of Representatives approved the bill in a 221-209 vote.”

CNS News reported on December 15:

“With that limit lifted, the federal debt will take a jump upward, then keep steadily climbing, constantly increasing the burden on future taxpayers….

“Among those lending money to the federal government so it can continue to run its massive annual deficits are foreign governments and foreign interests. According to the Treasury Department, entities in Japan owned $1.299 trillion in U.S. government debt as of the end of September. Entities in mainland China owned $1.047 trillion. Entities in the United Kingdom owned $566.5 billion; entities in Luxembourg owned $311.8 billion; entities in Ireland owned $309.6 billion; and entities in Switzerland own $296.5 billion…

“In fiscal 2021, according to the Monthly Treasury Statement, interest payments on Treasury securities hit $562.38 billion. That was more than three times as much as the fiscal 2021 cost of the Department of State ($35.814 billion), the Department of Justice ($39.261 billion) and the Department of Homeland Security ($91.069 billion) combined ($166.144 billion).

“Will the federal government ever again balance its budget? The obvious bet is: No.”

Foreigners become the head, and the borrower is servant to the lender…

Violent America

ABC News wrote on December 8:

“At least 12 major U.S. cities have broken annual homicide records in 2021… Philadelphia, a city of roughly 1.5 million people, has had more homicides this year (521 as of Dec. 6) than the nation’s two largest cities, New York (443 as of Dec. 5) and Los Angeles (352 as of Nov. 27). That’s an increase of 13% from 2020, a year that nearly broke the 1990 record.

“Chicago, the nation’s third-largest city, leads the nation with 739 homicides as of the end of November, up 3% from 2020…

“Other major cities that have surpassed yearly homicide records are St. Paul, Minnesota; Portland, Oregon; Tucson, Arizona; Toledo, Ohio; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Austin, Texas; Rochester, New York; and Albuquerque, New Mexico, which broke its record back in August.

“… the nation saw a 30% increase in murder in 2020, the largest single-year jump since the bureau began recording crime statistics 60 years ago…”

America’s Crazy Windstorms

Gizmodo wrote on December 15:

“Dust Bowl-like conditions have spread across the Plains, with dust storms, ferocious fires, and staggering storms that are exceptional for this time of year…. Less than a week after a freak tornado outbreak  [in six states, especially in Kentucky], meteorologists are again gawking in awe and horror at the scenes unfolding on their radar screens and across the Midwest and Plains.

“A powerful windstorm unleashed by the clash of record heat and a vigorous storm system dropping out of the Mountain West has unleashed chaos for a huge swath of the United States. Raging winds have whipped up to 107 mph (172 kmh) in Colorado, fires have lit up the Texas Panhandle, and monster plumes of dust have turned night into day from Nebraska to Kansas.

“As if that wasn’t enough, a line of thunderstorms is now screaming into the region with shocking speed and ferocity—and could be poised to unleash a handful of tornadoes in locations usually covered in snow at this time of year. Dealing with one of these hazards alone would be shocking for this time of year, but seeing the weather map painted in broad brush strokes with some of the most extreme warnings that the National Weather Service issues is a nightmare…

“The conditions that gave rise to the Dust Bowl of the 1930s have become twice as likely thanks to carbon pollution from burning fossil fuels… In addition to satellites showing dust, smoke is also visible in the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles. Wildfires have rapidly spread in the region…”

How Biden and Harris, and other Lefties, Led Frenzy in Jussie Smollett’s False Claims

Fox News wrote on December 10 in three different articles [which were compiled below in just one publication]:

“It is shameful, but predictable, that Smollett’s false accusations were accepted as gospel by prominent politicians and others without ever waiting for the facts to unfold…

“In 2019, top Democrats, celebrities, and liberal news outlets, including CNN, all uncritically peddled the false narrative that [‘Empire’ actor] Jussie Smollett [who is gay] was attacked by two MAGA hat-wearing Trump supporters at 2 AM during the polar vortex in Chicago… Even when his story began raising scrutiny, CNN’s left-wing media guru Brian Stelter defended the media’s coverage of the disgraced actor at the time….

“Smollett was found guilty on five [out of six] charges of staging a hate crime [by hiring two Nigerian brothers to fake the attack against him] and lying to police on Thursday…

“What happened today to Jussie Smollett must never be tolerated in this country,” President Biden tweeted in January 2019 when he was mulling a presidential run, ‘We must stand up and demand that we no longer give this hate safe harbor; that homophobia and racism have no place on our streets or in our hearts. We are with you, Jussie.’

“Vice President Kamala Harris also believed Smollett’s story and posted about it on Twitter calling the alleged attack an attempted ‘modern day lynching.’ New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, a Democrat who ran for president, also referred to the alleged attack as an attempted ‘modern day lynching.’…

“Biden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg took Smollett’s side as well and used the incident to push for hate crime legislation… Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California called the alleged attack ‘vile’ and ‘tragic.’… Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and many other prominent Democrats also chimed in with support for Smollett..

“It says something about the quality of leadership in the White House when neither the president nor vice president have the common decency to apologize for their role in blindly supporting a phony hate crime….”

Shameful indeed, but this narrative was used eagerly by the left in their support of the “hate crime-racial oppression” agenda.

CNN Anderson Cooper’s Arrogance

Breitbart wrote on December 9:

“CNN anchor Anderson Cooper said Thursday on his show ‘Anderson Cooper 360’ that those who choose not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 are arrogantly shirking their responsibilities to society, which he finds ‘infuriating.’”

What about the arrogance of many proponents of mandatory vaccinations towards the unvaccinated? Comments published by Breitbart were telling:

“No tyranny can survive without a complicit media… Notice no anger toward the drug companies who made these big promises?… The drug companies support the media by pumping big $ into ads… a full third of those fully vaccinated are getting sick. It’s coming to light the original vaccine only lasts 4-5mos…”

Brian Williams Retires with a Sober Warning

Real Clear Politics wrote on December 10:

“Longtime NBC News broadcaster Brian Williams issued a strange warning Thursday as he retired from his 11 p.m. MSNBC show.

“‘I’m not a liberal or a conservative. I’m an institutionalist. I believe in this place. And in my love of my country… But the darkness on the edge of town has spread to the main roads and highways and neighborhoods. It is now at the local bar, and the bowling alley, the school board, and the grocery store. And it must be acknowledged and answered for. Grown men and women who swore an oath to our Constitution, elected by their constituents, possessing the kinds of college degrees I could only dream of, have decided to join the mob and become something they are not while hoping we somehow forget who they were.

“‘They’ve decided to burn it all down with us inside. That should scare you to no end as much as it scares an aging volunteer fireman… The reality is though, I will wake up tomorrow in the America of the year 2021, a nation unrecognizable to those who came before us and fought to protect it, which is what you must do now…”

But his warning will fall on deaf ears…

Build Back Better Will Cost Almost 5 Trillion Dollars

Breitbart wrote on December 10:

“Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told reporters on Friday that the true cost of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion reconciliation package is far more costly and debt-ridden than previously disclosed by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

“Upon request from Graham, the CBO issued a report Friday that revealed the reconciliation package would increase the deficit by $3 trillion over a ten-year period and cost $4.9 trillion in scope. The CBO’s original scoring claimed the deficit would only increase $0.2 trillion over ten years…

“Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO), the ranking member of the House Budget Committee, said in a statement on Friday that the $4.9 trillion Build Back Better Act will ‘bankrupt the economy’ while Americans continue to suffer from soaring inflation.”

Wisconsin 2020 Election Rigged?

Life Site News reported on December 9:

“Tens or even hundreds of thousands of people likely cast illegal votes in Wisconsin’s 2020 election, according to newly-released findings from a months-long investigation by a conservative legal group. Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) published the results of a 10-month probe of last year’s elections in the battleground state, reporting that the number of unlawful ballots in Wisconsin all but certainly surpassed Joe Biden’s victory margin of under 21,000 votes. ‘It is almost certain that in Wisconsin’s 2020 election the number of votes that did not comply with existing legal requirements exceeded Joe Biden’s margin of victory,’ the group said…

“It seems clear that voters abandoned the rules for voting indefinitely confined, drop boxes were used, at least one ballot harvesting event was conducted without statutory authorization, absentee balloting in nursing homes was conducted contrary to law, ballots were cured without authorization, and voter rolls were not accurately maintained as required by state and federal law… WILL said that while it did not find evidence of widespread, intentional fraud, the possibility ‘cannot be excluded.’

“While the fact that something ‘could have’ happened is not evidence that it did, failure to follow the required procedures raises the possibility of fraud and undercuts confidence in the results… It is unclear whether, had these ballots been disqualified, the results of the election would have changed. ‘It is not possible to know who these legally questionable votes were cast for,’ according to the WILL report. ‘Given the location of the votes it may be more likely than not that, depending on which ballots were thought to be unlawfully cast, that Trump would have wound up the winner’ due to Wisconsin’s ‘drawdown’ method, the group concluded.”

But the left-wing mass media does not want to hear about that.

Meadows Held in Contempt

NBC News wrote on December 15:

“The House voted Tuesday night to refer former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to the Justice Department for a potential criminal charge over his refusal to answer questions about the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol [claiming executive privilege]. Lawmakers passed the measure largely along party lines in a 222-208 vote. Two Republicans voted with Democrats: Reps. Liz Cheney, of Wyoming, and Adam Kinzinger, of Illinois…

“Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio… accused Democrats of ‘destroying executive privilege’ by seeking to force ‘the closest of close’ presidential advisers [i.e. Trump] to testify…’

“A contempt referral is not the first to stem from the Jan. 6 investigation. The House previously voted to refer former Trump adviser Steve Bannon to the Justice Department for contempt charges after he defied the committee’s subpoenas. The Justice Department acted on the recommendation… Bannon has been charged with two counts of contempt and could face up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine if he is convicted. He has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to stand trial in July.”

Trump’s claim of executive privilege is being adjudicated. To hold Meadows and Bannon in contempt is premature at best. Meadows rightly pointed out that this is another attempt by Democrats and two Rino’s to get to Trump.

Elon Musk “Person of the Year”

The Brownstone Institute published the following article by Jeffrey Tucker on or about December 15:

“It’s a good call for Time Magazine: it made Elon Musk the person of the year… Musk is arguably the most prominent opponent of lockdowns and vaccine mandates in the US. In his official interview, he refused to take back his last-year denunciation of stay-at-home orders as ‘fascist.’

“He stepped it up even further concerning vaccine mandates. ‘I am against forcing people to be vaccinated, not something we should do in America… ‘I believe we’ve got to watch out for the erosion of freedom in America.’…

“For some reason, people have a hard time understanding how someone could be for the right to accept the vaccine but also be against imposing it by force. And yet that position is clearly the most reasonable one, the one consistent with freedom, and good public health…

“Only a few weeks ago, he told the Wall Street Journal that the whole of the Democrats’ and Biden’s $1.9 trillion spending bill on infrastructure should be scrapped… There is nothing worth anything in it… What’s surprising is that someone so rich, so influential, so decisive to our present economic lives, would actually say openly what everyone knows… Musk… is now beyond being controlled or contrite at this point. In that way he is a very dangerous man, in the best possible way we can use that term. He had better watch his back.

“Today, the White House spokesman routinely says that no edicts against rights and freedom are ‘off the table.’ Anything is possible. Anything can happen. They will decide. No one says a word; the craven press believes this is just normal. It’s not. It’s dangerous…

“[Musk] began to realize that the governing elites in this country are incredibly inept and unwilling to take responsibility for their actions. He noted the completely undemocratic methods and the unscientific rationale that were deployed to bring about lockdowns. For that reason, he has been smeared and put down as a promoter of misinformation. Anyone who has paid attention for the last two years knows exactly what that means: he is telling truths he is not supposed to tell…”

Fauci and Lauterbach—the great Dividers

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on December 9:

“As Biden’s vaccine mandates continue to be smacked down by courts, as the Senate has held a bipartisan vote rejecting mandates, as even Democrats are…  ‘souring’ on vaccine mandates, Fauci was asked in a MSNBC interview whether it might be time to back down a bit. Not at all! – was Fauci’s response. If people won’t take the shots they must be forced to take the shots, he replied.”

Newsmax wrote on December 10:

“Fauci says families should ‘ask,’ and ‘maybe require’ that guests be vaccinated if they come over for holiday celebrations…”

Fauci’s clone or alter ego, Germany’s new Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, blows into the same horn. According to an article in Bild Online, dated December 10, [“Unvaccinated are hit now very hard” – “Ungeimpfte trifft es jetzt ganz hart”], he said in a discussion televised by ZDF:

https://www.bild.de/politik/talk-kritik/talk-kritk/omikron-debatte-im-zdf-lauterbach-ungeimpfte-trifft-es-ganz-hart-78500232.bild.html

“I will continue to say that one is perhaps only protected well with three vaccinations [“Ich werde immer wieder erklären, dass man nur mit drei Impfungen wahrscheinlich gut geschützt ist”.]… [Those who are not vaccinated] are not protected at all [“Die sind gar nicht geschützt!”].” He also stated that the vaccines can only be preserved for nine months. [“Der Impfstoff ist neun Monate lagerbar, tiefgekühlt”], and that Delta and Omicron can only be fought with the two pillars of booster shots and mandatory vaccination.” [“Delta und Omikron wirklich effektiv zu bekämpfen [ist] nur möglich mit den zwei Säulen Boosterimpfung und Impfpflicht.“]

Nothing was said that those who have had corona ARE protected because of natural immunity.

Wochenblick ran a lengthy article on December 10, stating that “Lauterbach continues to lie.” [“Lauterbach lügt weiter.”] 

California Joins the Corona Hysteria

NBC7 wrote on December 13:

“… the state announced Monday that beginning Wednesday, mask-wearing will become mandatory in all indoor public settings across California regardless of vaccination status. The mask mandate… will remain in place until Jan. 15.

“The state will also toughen the restriction for unvaccinated people who attend indoor ‘mega-events’ of 1,000 people or more, requiring them to receive a negative COVID-19 test within one day of the event if it’s a rapid antigen test or within two days for a PCR test… State officials will also recommend, but not require, that people who travel to California or return to the state after traveling be tested for COVID-19 within three to five days.”

Nothing else was to be expected from left-wing Governor Newsom.  

Is WH Press Secretary Jean Psaki for Real?

Fox News wrote on December 10:

“White House press secretary Jen Psaki suggested Friday that it is OK for kids to eat their lunches outside in cold temperatures in an effort to maintain safety amid the COVID 19 pandemic.

“Asked whether the White House wanted school children to ‘get back to a more normal school experience,’ Psaki insisted schools are having children practice social distancing measures, mask up, and eat their snacks and lunch in frigid outdoor temperatures in an effort to ‘keep their kids safe and keep students safe.’

“Psaki said she believes the ‘vast majority of parents appreciate’ such measures being taken by school systems to limit the spread of the coronavirus among elementary-aged school children.”

This is appalling. We would say that the vast majority of parents who have not been brainwashed by the left-wing propaganda, do NOT appreciate such measures being taken by autocratic school systems which endanger the health of our children much more than COVID could ever do.

Confusion regarding Mandatory Vaccinations

 Fisher Phillips wrote on December 16:

 “Serving up yet another curveball for healthcare employers, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals effectively reactivated the [Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services] CMS vaccination mandate across nearly half of the country with a surprise decision on Wednesday afternoon…

“… It is… possible that the vaccine mandate may have received only a brief reprieve. The Fifth Circuit stopped short of approving the mandate, ruling only that the Louisiana judge had exceeded his authority in enjoining the vaccine mandate nationwide.

“In states such as Florida and Tennessee – where the CMS mandate is reinstated and new state laws or executive orders have all but gutted employer vaccine mandates – a clear conflict exists between state and federal law on this issue. Although the CMS mandate clearly states its intention to supersede any contrary state or local law, it remains to be seen as to how long it remains in place, if at all.”

Bad Signs for Europe’s “Democracies”

The Local wrote on December 10:

“As the German parliament votes through a vaccine mandate for medical and care workers, the new Health Minister has clarified that people who avoid compulsory Covid jabs will face fines… ‘The imposition of fines is unavoidable,’ Lauterbach said… If someone doesn’t pay, the fines will have to be increased considerably, he said… [He] also spoke out in favour of a vaccine mandate for teachers and nursery school employees…

“From March 15th, 2022, employees in clinics, doctors’ surgeries and care homes will have to show proof that they are fully vaccinated – or present a doctor’s note explaining why they are unable to get their jabs…

“The step towards compulsory jabs for certain sections of the population follows similar moves by France, Italy, Britain and Greece. Neighbouring Austria plans to bring in a general vaccine mandate by next February, with fines of around €3,000 for people who still refuse to get their Covid jabs.

“Germany’s new Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said he is in favour of compulsory jabs [for] the general public…”

It does not look as if many of the European nations will ever return to a free democracy. Rather, the build-up to an authoritarian and dictatorial society is steadily and swiftly increasing.

The Propaganda against the Unvaccinated

The medical Journal, the Lancet, published an article by Guenther Kampf, “a prominent German researcher,” on November 20, which was referenced by the Ron Paul Institute on December 14:

“In the USA and Germany, high-level officials have used the term pandemic of the unvaccinated, suggesting that people who have been vaccinated are not relevant in the epidemiology of COVID-19. Officials’ use of this phrase might have encouraged one scientist to claim that ‘the unvaccinated threaten the vaccinated for COVID-19.’ But this view is far too simple.

“There is increasing evidence that vaccinated individuals continue to have a relevant role in transmission. In Massachusetts, USA, a total of 469 new COVID-19 cases were detected during various events in July, 2021, and 346 (74%) of these cases were in people who were fully or partly vaccinated, 274 (79%) of whom were symptomatic. Cycle threshold values were similarly low between people who were fully vaccinated (median 22·8) and people who were unvaccinated, not fully vaccinated, or whose vaccination status was unknown (median 21·5), indicating a high viral load even among people who were fully vaccinated.

“In the USA, a total of 10 262 COVID-19 cases were reported in vaccinated people by April 30, 2021, of whom 2725 (26·6%) were asymptomatic, 995 (9·7%) were hospitalised, and 160 (1·6%) died. In Germany, 55·4% of symptomatic COVID-19 cases in patients aged 60 years or older were in fully vaccinated individuals, and this proportion is increasing each week…

“People who are vaccinated… are still a relevant part of the pandemic. It is therefore wrong and dangerous to speak of a pandemic of the unvaccinated. Historically, both the USA and Germany have engendered negative experiences by stigmatising parts of the population for their skin colour or religion. I call on high-level officials and scientists to stop the inappropriate stigmatisation of unvaccinated people, who include our patients, colleagues, and other fellow citizens, and to put extra effort into bringing society together.”

AMEN!

Governmental Persecution of Christians in Europe

Christian Today wrote on December 9:

“A new report [by OIDAC] has identified the UK as one of the most challenging places for Christians in Europe amid a startling rise in anti-Christian hate crime across the continent…. It reveals a 70 per cent increase in anti-Christian hate crimes in Europe between 2019 and 2020, with the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Sweden forming the top five countries where Christians face the ‘most severe challenges’ for their faith… The hate crimes include… physical attacks on Christians, and restrictions on religious freedom, freedom of expression and parental rights…. It warned of ‘a strong and sometimes even extreme opposition to Christian morals derived from core beliefs’, and the increasing criminalisation of opinion.

“OIDAC director Madeleine Enzlberger said the 60-page report revealed a ‘worrisome phenomenon’… When Christians are forced to choose between their moral values and their professions; Christian students and speakers get silenced on campuses; when parental rights are trampled on by overreaching governmental interference or asylum claims of Christian refugees are arbitrarily denied; we often find that the main source of this intolerance and discrimination against Christians is due to a simple ignorance towards the problem or an explicit anti-Christian bias,’ she said.”

We should note that Germany is mentioned as one of the five top countries guilty of Christian persecution by the government.

The UN and the Lion with Wings

On December 9, Israel 365 wrote the following:

“A statue with Biblical implications has been erected recently outside the United Nations headquarters in New York City. The statue, entitled the ‘guardian for international peace and security, is situated on the Visitor’s Plaza outside UN Headquarters. According to the UN, the ‘guardian’ is a ‘fusion of jaguar and eagle.’ It was donated by the Government of Oaxaca, Mexico.

“Many have noticed an eerie similarity to Daniel’s dream in the Bible… His dream featured four beasts – a lion with wings, a bear with fangs, a four-winged leopard. The fourth beast had ten horns… The lion with wings represents Babylon. The bear represented Persia. The four-winged leopard represented Greece and the final most treacherous of them all represented Rome…”

In Daniel 7, four world-ruling empires are described and compared with wild beasts—the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greco-Macedonian and Roman Empires. The first beast, the Babylonian Empire, is described as “a lion, and had eagle’s wings” (Daniel 7:4). Although the Babylonian Empire was replaced by the Medo-Persian Empire and ultimately absorbed by the ancient Roman Empire, it would experience a revival in these last days… in the form of a revived Roman Empire in Europe. The modern Chaldeans will lead that revival into an all-encompassing war. It is interesting that the UN headquarters would erect such a statue, claiming peace and security, but signifying dictatorial war-mongering world domination.

No War with Russia

An Editorial by Pat Buchanan of December 9, published by buchanan.org, states the following:

“A U.S. war with Russia over Ukraine would be a disaster for all three nations. Nor could the U.S. indefinitely guarantee the independence of a country 5,000 miles away that shares not only a lengthy border with Mother Russia but also a history, language, religion, ethnicity and culture…

“Forced to choose between accepting Russia’s demand that NATO stay out of Ukraine and Russia going in, the U.S. is not going to war.”

See our new StandingWatch program, titled, “War between Russia, America and Europe over Ukraine?”

America’s Cluelessness regarding Russia and Ukraine

Here are some comics which were published in the Week (December 10, 2021) on the Russia-Ukraine developments https://theweek.com/cartoons . Even though satirical, they DO point out the current danger of the situation and Biden’s cluelessness as to how to deal with it. .

Ukraine Hopes for Europeans to Intervene

The Telegraph wrote on December 9:

“Vladimir Putin will be emboldened to invade Ukraine if European Union countries don’t sign up to a package of sanctions to deter Russia, Ukraine’s country’s foreign minister has warned. Dmytro Kuleba told the Telegraph that Mr Putin’s goal was to ‘destroy Ukraine’ and that he would be more tempted to resort to military actions if Western allies do not quickly find agreement on punitive measures… The Kremlin has denied planning an attack, but has simultaneously signalled that it will go to war unless the West and Ukraine concede a list of demands…

“Meanwhile, Joe Biden… promised ‘additional military capabilities’ would be deployed in the region – although he ruled out sending forces to Ukraine.”

Tensions Escalate

Express wrote on December 13:

“President Putin has sent the notorious Buk-M1 medium-range surface to air missiles to the frontline of the conflict. The Buk became infamous in 2014 after a missile fired from a territory controlled by Russian proxies in eastern Ukraine shot down a Malaysian airline, killing all 298 people aboard.

“The news of Mr Putin sending in this deadly weapon does not bode well for peace talks between Russia, the US and Ukraine… Even if he does not launch a full-scale invasion, experts suggest Mr Putin may be leaving his troops and the Buk near the frontline as leverage for negotiations. However, Russian and western analysts also agree that this military buildup is a dire warning about a series of future crises over Ukraine…

“With over 175,000 personnel now ready in the region, the US has warned allies the Russian leader may be planning a renewed invasion for real this time. In the past few days alone, Mr Putin has likened Ukraine’s policy in the Donbas, the border region where Russia has led a slow-burning separatist war since 2014, to ‘genocide’ – words Kyiv fears may be a pretext to invade.

“The US has shared intelligence to convince even the most sceptical European allies that Mr Putin may be prepared to make good on Russia’s quasi-imperial ambitions early next year but has yet to conclude precisely when or if he may give the order to invade. Officials and analysts in Washington and Europe, and even people close to the Kremlin in Moscow, admit Putin’s true intentions with Ukraine remain a mystery.”

Russian-Chinese Cooperation

The New York Ledger wrote on December 15:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to present a united front with Xi Jinping as the Kremlin said the Chinese leader supported Moscow’s demand for security guarantees that would limit western influence in its backyard. In remarks shown by Russian state television at the start of their 90-minute video call on Wednesday, Putin told his ‘dear friend’ Xi that ‘a new model of co-operation between our countries has formed on principles such as non-interference in internal affairs and respecting each other’s interests’…

“‘Certain international forces are interfering in the internal affairs of China and Russia, and trampling on international law and recognised norms of international relations,’ Xi added. ‘China and Russia should carry out more joint actions to safeguard the security interests of both parties.’”

While Russia is reportedly planning an invasion of Ukraine, China is reportedly planning an invasion of Taiwan.

Scholz NOT the new European Leader

Politico wrote on December 9:

“The power shift in Berlin this week sparked hopes around Europe and across the Atlantic that the new chancellor’s government would unfreeze Germany’s stance on everything from pipelines to Poland, reversing Angela Merkel’s why-can’t-we-all-be-friends approach to the world. Instead, they’re likely to get more of the same.

“For Germany’s international partners, that shouldn’t be reassuring. With serious tensions on Europe’s eastern flank, not to mention challenges the EU faces on its southern doorstep and its dealings with China and even the U.S., a divided Continent could use some leadership from its most populous country. It’s unlikely to get any…

“Germany’s new coalition promises to be a difficult partner for Washington…

“Germany’s future engagement with the world isn’t clear. It doesn’t suggest, however, that Germany… is eager to play a central role… If [Scholz] fails to act quickly, his international standing will melt long before summer.’

It should have been clear from the outset that Scholz and his left-wing coalition spell disaster for Germany.

France and Hungary United?

The Times wrote on December 14:

“President Macron smoothed over differences yesterday with Viktor Orban, the man he has defined as his European adversary, and won Hungarian support for French goals for EU defence, nuclear power and agriculture.

“The Hungarian prime minister… struck a relatively friendly note with the French leader, who was visiting Budapest to push his plans for an ambitious French turn in the rotating six-month presidency of the European Council. Four months from an election in which he hopes to win a second term, Macron is treating the usually routine EU role as a moment for France to shine on the global stage. ‘Hungary’s relation towards President Macron is that of respect,’ Orban said.”

Europe Is Losing It

Israel 365 wrote on December 8:

“After widespread criticism (including from the Pope) the European Union retracted a manual for communications that claims to promote religious and gender ‘inclusion’ but which many believe is anti-religion.

“The 32-page internal document called the ‘Union of Equality’ was released last month as an initiative of Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen, President of the European Commission to ensure that ‘everyone is valued and recognized’. The manual for EU officials was intended as a guide for how they should communicate in press briefings and social media. It recommended that EU representatives ‘update your language’…

“It also suggested using the phrase ‘first name’ rather than ‘Christian name’ and using names ‘Malika and Julio’ instead of ‘Mary and John’ to describe an ‘international couple’…

“The manual also instructed to avoid gender-referencing words such as ‘Man-made’ and ‘ladies and gentlemen,’ which should be replaced with more neutral phrases like… ‘dear colleagues.’ Words such as ‘chairman’ should be replaced by ‘chairperson’, and ‘policeman’ or ‘policewoman’ substituted for ‘police officer’, the guide said. It also recommended the word ‘stewardess’ be avoided in preference of ‘flight attendant’, and ‘principal’ be used instead of ‘headmaster’ or ‘headmistress’.

“Pope Francis reacted strongly to the EU statement, comparing it to other anti-religious ideologies. In a statement on Monday, the pontiff said, ‘In history many, many dictatorships have tried to do it. Think of Napoleon: from there… Think of the Nazi dictatorship, the communist one… it is a fashion of a watered-down secularism, distilled water… But this is something that throughout hasn’t worked… This could end up dividing the countries and [causing] the European Union to fail. The European Union must respect each country as it is structured within, the variety of countries, and not want to make them uniform.’

“‘[Nazism] ended up annihilating democratic life, indeed life itself with the death of the people, in becoming a bloody dictatorship,’ Pope Francis said… ‘This happens when there is a superpower that dictates economic, cultural, and social behavior to the other countries…’”

Now China

The Washington Free Beacon wrote on December 9:

“China’s military ‘will heavily attack U.S. troops who come to Taiwan’s rescue’ if a war between China and Taiwan breaks out, a possibility that is increasingly likely as the Communist regime readies its war machine on Taiwan’s borders.

“China’s latest threat to escalate tensions with Taiwan comes on the heels of remarks by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who said the United States is prepared to counter an attempt by China to forcefully seize Taiwan and bring it back into the Communist country’s orbit. The long-simmering standoff comes as the Biden administration confronts Russian attempts to invade Ukraine… China has been threatening to take Taiwan since the Biden administration took office.”

Biden’s troubles only mount, while he seems incapable of dealing with them.

You Must Not Tell the Truth

The Associated Press wrote on December 10:

“A Roman Catholic diocese in Sicily publicly apologized to outraged parents after its bishop told a group of children that Santa Claus doesn’t exist… The diocesan communications director, the Rev. Alessandro Paolino, said Stagliano was trying to underline the true meaning of Christmas and the story of St. Nicholas…  Italian news reports quoted Stagliano as saying during a recent religious festival that Santa doesn’t exist and that his red costume was created by the Coca-Cola company for publicity.

“‘First of all, on behalf of the bishop, I express my sorrow for this declaration which has created disappointment in the little ones…’ Paolino wrote on the diocesan Facebook page. ‘We certainly must not demolish the imagination of children, but draw good examples from it that are positive for life,’ he continued…

“While several welcomed the bishop’s attempt to focus on the Catholic meaning of Christmas, others faulted Stagliano for interfering with family traditions and celebrations, and crushing the spirits of children…”

So, one is willing to continue to LIE to their children and attack those who are daring to tell the truth.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

It is interesting when reviewing this question that many writers will agree that there are pagan connections to Christmas but conclude that it is still acceptable to keep the festival.

There was a special report on the BBC News website some years ago entitled “Whose Christmas is it anyway?,” which stated the following:

“Apparently, the season of good cheer did not start out as exclusively a Christian festival. According to Pagans, the early Christian church hijacked December 25 to celebrate the birth of Jesus because they saw that everyone was already having a good time and decided to take advantage of it.

“Historical debate has been raging for a long time over the exact date of the birth of Jesus Christ, with estimates ranging from sometime in September to much later in February.

“But the most important date in the festive season for Pagans is the winter solstice which always takes place around December 21. Called Yule, it is one of the traditional Celtic fire festivals and marks the return of the light after the longest night of the year.

“The Pagan Federation, an umbrella group for Pagan organisations, describes Paganism as a spiritual nature-venerating belief system rooted in the ancient nature religions of the world.”

In spite of so many understanding the roots of this worldly festival, there are still those, who with limpet-like qualities, cling tenaciously to the fact that “we know all of this, but it is fine to keep this end-of-year celebration”.

Let us look at several examples, although we could quote many more.  Because we believe that the examples shown are in gross error we have, for once, deliberately not put the source for the examples shown. Although they have been taken from websites that have published this information, the reasons they give are fairly generic, and to publish specific names when others have the same kind of reasoning could be seen as a personal attack on their set of beliefs.

EXAMPLE 1:

One commentator wrote on 25^th December 2020, the following in a long article, amongst many other similar assertions:

“This year of all years — with a clarity denied us in happier times — it is possible to recognise in Christmas its fundamentally Christian character. The light shining in the darkness proclaimed by the festival is a very theological light, one that promises redemption from the miseries of a fallen world. In a time of pandemic, when the festive season is haunted by the shadows of sickness and bereavement, of loneliness and disappointment, of poverty and dread, the power of this theology, one that has fuelled the celebration of Christmas for century after century, becomes easier, perhaps, to recognise than in a time of prosperity. The similarities shared by the feast day of Christ’s birth with other celebrations that, over the course of history, have been held in the dead of winter should not delude us into denying a truth so evident as to verge on the tautologous: Christmas is a thoroughly Christian festival.”

You have to wonder about the depth of deception that has been foisted on a deceived world by authors who can cleverly use words to show exactly the opposite of what is meant in the Word of God.

In his book “4000 Years of Christmas,” Earl W. Count writes: “‘The [Roman Catholic] Church finally succeeded in taking the merriment, the greenery, the lights, and the gifts from Saturn [a Roman sun god patterned after the Persian sun god Mithras] and giving them to the Babe of Bethlehem.’”  Mr Count is one of many authors who write extensively about the pagan roots of this end-of-year festival.

When considering the relevant Scriptures and some external sources, we can, indeed, find out the approximate time of Christ’s birth, but it is impossible to find out the exact date. It is all to do with King David who had divided the priests into several “courses” or divisions — that is, each group or “course” of priests was to serve God for a specific period of time. Luke 1:5-9 shows that Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, was of the course of Abijah (which courses are listed in 1 Chronicles 24) and that he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course or division. Each course lasted eight days — from Sabbath to Sabbath.  By studying this, it becomes clear that John was born in the spring and Jesus was born six months later – around late September or early October. It is clear that Jesus was born in the autumn — not on December 25.   For a full exposition of this important matter, please study this Q&A:

Therefore, to associate the light shining in the darkness—Jesus Christ—with Christmas is absolutely ridiculous. Christ was not born anywhere near Christmas. If we want to associate a “light” with Christmas, it would be Satan, who pretends to be an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), and whom Christ saw fall from heaven like lightning (Luke 10:18).

EXAMPLE 2:

After questioning all of the trappings of this festive season, another writer asks a number of questions and then comes up with a conclusion.   To start with, the question is asked: “So can Christians have Christmas things?” and states the following:

“Since the pagan origins of Christmas have long passed and Christians no longer have any association with paganism and certain Christmas decorations, my personal view is that some decorations may or may not be harmless.

“Others, however, perhaps should be avoided. Is your tree the centerpiece of your house and does it distract from worship of God? Do you spend too much time decorating the tree instead of praying and having a Bible study with your family all while playing ‘O Christmas Tree’ pagan tree-worship songs? In this case, I believe you should not have the tree.

“The problem with avoiding holidays entirely could be you are the oddball. But if that’s what God wants, then it’s ok to be the oddball. After all, Halloween should definitely be avoided by Christians. But Christmas? I don’t know. At least, I’m not prepared myself to get rid of Christmas just yet. Maybe this will change, but for now I don’t feel convicted to eliminate and avoid Christmas entirely; just to avoid some things like mistletoe and ungodly things and ungodly songs.

“But you should pray and decide for yourself whether Christmas decorations are good for you and your family. Ask God to impress on your heart what He wants you to do, and surely God will show you.

“All that said, have a merry Christmas and a happy holiday full of joy and the love of Christ! And be sure to use this time as an opportunity to show the love of Christ to others one way or another!”

That seems to be fairly typical of the approach of many where accepting wrong practices is questioned but still going ahead with the celebrations.   In fact, this writer wishes everyone “a merry Christmas and a happy holiday,” even though he also says: “After all, Halloween should definitely be avoided by Christians. But Christmas? I don’t know. At least, I’m not prepared myself to get rid of Christmas just yet.”   There is no conviction in his argument, and Romans 14:23 states: “But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.”

The argument, as expressed above, that the pagan origins of Christmas have long passed and that Christians who keep Christmas have no association with paganism is blatantly false. In our booklet “Don’t Keep Christmas,” we read on pages 19-20 these observations under the heading “Counter Arguments of the Carnal Mind”:

“Some may respond by saying, ‘So what? Why not keep Christmas anyway? Even though Christmas is a pagan festival and its customs are pagan in origin, I do it to honor Christ. And even though the Bible doesn’t command us to keep it, doesn’t God give us the freedom to celebrate the birthday of His Son whenever we want? And further, if we don’t like the “paganism” associated with Christmas, why not just keep Christmas solely to honor Christ, while leaving all the pagan customs behind?’

“Yes, we humans can come up with all kinds of reasons to hang on to our traditions and beliefs.  We somehow want to justify our actions rather than coming to terms with the truth of the matter, and it quickly becomes evident how strongly our beliefs entrench our customs.  We don’t give up easily, even when shown to be wrong.

“For example, we know that Christmas has become totally commercialized, and it is being kept alive by commercialism. As U.S. News & World Report points out in its December 23, 1996 article, on page 64: ‘To turn Christmas into a purely religious celebration now might cheer those who want to “take back Christmas.”… But such an observance “would lack the cultural resonance and impact of a holiday deeply rooted in the marketplace.” If Christmas came to that… “we probably wouldn’t keep it as a society.”’

“And, while Christmas is widely touted as a time of ‘peace on earth and good will toward men,’ it is a well-known fact that Christmas is the time of year in the Western world when more crimes are committed than at any other time.  It is a time when alcoholism runs rampant.  It is a time when commerce reaches its peak of illogical and irresponsible conduct and behavior, and people incur credit card debts that they can never repay, only to fulfill their ‘obligation’ to give gifts to others.  Parents lie to their children, telling them that Santa Claus will come through the chimney to bring Christmas presents, and that if they don’t behave, Santa Claus won’t bring them presents at all.”

We know what the world says about Christmas, but what does God have to say about this celebration? Although the word “Christmas” is never used in the Bible, are there guidelines and principles on how to look at this issue?

One author explained the pagan origin of Christmas and its ongoing pagan “relevance,” as follows:

“It may sound silly to some people but not everyone believes Christmas is a Christian holiday. After all, we hear ‘Keep Christ in Christmas’ every year. It’s said to be all about the birth of Jesus. But not everyone believes this.

“Why? Because the Christmas tree, the toys given to children, Santa Clause, and his 8 tiny reindeer… had nothing to do with Jesus originally. Neither does the Easter bunny, for that matter. No, Christmas was originally a pagan celebration…

“Romans had a holiday known as Saturnalia, it was a time of lawlessness between December 17-25. During this holiday no one would be punished or brought to court for anything they did. This meant you could pretty much do anything you wanted.

“During this time each community would select a sacrifice. A person that they would force to indulge in every kind of pleasure they could and then on December 25th they would kill them. This was thought to be a method of destroying evil…

“If you have ever been to New Orleans LA. or Mobile AL. then you know about something called Mardi Gras. It’s a time of Parades where people dress in costumes and throw beads, toys, and Moon-pies. It’s called a family event in Mobile. But this is actually about as pagan as it gets.

“The holiday is actually all about gods and goddesses, parties of excessive drinking, and sexual pleasures. I know because I lived in Mobile, AL. most of my life.

“So what do the churches in the area do about this? Wait for it…THEY GO OUT AND THROW BEADS!!! What?! Why would they be celebrating such a thing?

“It’s because they want to be ‘relevant’ to the culture and use it as a method of ‘evangelism.’ While they are throwing beads and Moon-pies to people they are also trying to preach the gospel. So what you get is a mix of pagan and Christian influences.

“This is EXACTLY how Saturnalia became Christmas. People of the time tried to ‘evangelize’ the pagans by telling them they could still celebrate this holiday. The only problem is it didn’t have anything to do with Christ. So they began to say December 25th was the birthday of Jesus. And Christmas was born. A mix of pagan and Christian influences.”

In the next instalment, we will continue to address the fact that Christmas is pagan to the core, and that we are NOT to mix pagan customs with the worship of God, which further hammers home that the keeping of this festival should not be kept by those who are followers of Christ.

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Why Do We Lie to Our Children?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary: 

Are our children growing up with the truth or with lies? This program will examine many lies which parents tell their children, not realizing the great harm they are causing. We expose the lies of Christmas and Easter; evolution; sexual conduct; war and coronavirus restrictions; and we explain that while God cannot lie, it is Satan, the author of lies, whom we must resist.

“Warum belügen wir unsere Kinder?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Why Do We Lie to Our Children?” 

Our Ministerial Conference for 2022 will take place on Friday, April 29; Sunday, May 1 and Monday, May 2. The Conference will again be conducted using SKYPE.

“Die Hoffnungsimpfung,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Andreas Raetz, is now posted. Title in English: “The Vaccination of Hope.”

“America’s Disastrous Downfall under Biden—Comments on News and Prophecy, December 11, 2021,” the first message presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

For over 20 years, we have told our audience what the future will bring, based on biblical prophecy. We have warned about ongoing worldwide dictatorships with autocratic governmental restrictions and mandates. In this report, we address the inevitable downfall of the USA under the failing Biden Administration, including inflation, unemployment, staggering costs of trillions of dollars for Biden’s proposed projects; and, following the Afghanistan debacle,  threats from China and Russia, which do not take the US President seriously. We address concerns about Joe Biden’s mental health and his repetition of his fabricated and at times slanderous stories;  and his unconstitutional vaccination mandates which are supported by Anthony Fauci, but which are smacked down by federal courts.

“Our Duty to Fulfill,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We are in the beginning stages of self-destruction. The future for the world is heading towards a terrible time, as predicted in the book of Isaiah and Habakkuk.   Through man’s selfish desires they look to their own resources and reasoning, instead of looking to God and keeping His commandments.  There is hope however and God tells us how we can be saved, how we are to continue the work until Christ returns, so we can inherit everlasting life.

On December 11, 2021, Norbert Link will present “Comments on News and Prophecy (December 11, 2021),” and Michael Link will present the sermon, titled, “Our Duty to Fulfill.”

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

The number of this week’s Update is 1,000, meaning that we, in the Church of the Eternal God, have published 1,000 weekly Updates since we began publication on or about August 25, 2001. These initial issues had a humble beginning with just one page or a few pages of Church announcements and of some news developments, but soon, beginning with Update #32, we added a regular Editorial and, commencing with Update #54, a regular Bible study which we named “Q&A”—with our Current Events (News) section having reached over the years a sizeable scope as well. Our weekly Updates have grown to in excess of 20 pages on average.

Is there any significance to the fact that we have now reached now the milestone of 1,000 editions of our weekly Updates? We believe there is.

In the Bible, the number 10 has great significance… even more so, of course, 10x10x10.

We explain in our free booklet, Hidden Secrets in the Bible, that the biblical number 10 stands for godly judgment. And so, God is judging us as to how well we have performed so far, realizing that there is of course always room for improvement in our search for excellence, but we believe that God is also judging those who were reached over the years with the Gospel message—and even those who could have been reached, but who refused to respond by closing their ears and shutting their eyes. Yes, God is judging and evaluating us as to how we have responded to the preaching of His Word and whether we have turned to or from God’s Way of Life.

We say in our above-mentioned booklet that God gave us the law of the Ten Commandments, which is still in force and effect today, and it is by that law that we will be and are being judged. God also asked us to pay Him His tithe—ten percent of our increase—and we will be judged as to how diligent we are in fulfilling His command.

God brought judgment upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians and their false religion (Exodus 12:12; Numbers 33:4), by striking them with ten plagues—the tenth plague being the death of every Egyptian firstborn. God told Abram that He would not destroy Sodom if ten righteous were to be found in it (Genesis 18:32), but Sodom was judged as lacking even ten righteous people. We also read that during God’s judgment, only ten out of one hundred people (that is, 10%) will be left in the cities of Israel (Amos 5:3).

There are ten generations from Adam to Noah (Genesis 5), and God judged the world at the time of Noah when He destroyed it in a Flood. At the time of Moses, the children of Israel rebelled ten times against God in the wilderness (Numbers 14:22), judging themselves as unworthy to enter the Promised Land (verse 23).

We read about ten virgins in the end time—five of them are judged as being foolish, and five as being wise. The five foolish ones are not too concerned with using the Holy Spirit that had been given to them, while the five wise virgins—even though they also fell asleep with the others—had still enough Holy Spirit within them to be able to prepare and make themselves ready for their Master’s return. The church in Smyrna was to be tested for ten days, but if they were judged to be faithful, they would inherit eternal life (Revelation 2:10).

All these examples, and there are many more, show that 10 (or a duplication of the number 10) signifies evaluation and judgment in many cases. We believe that God has given His Church the end-time responsibility of preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God to this dying world as a witness, which includes a warning message of doom and destruction, unless there is repentance, and God’s Church is also to feed the flock and to nourish them in the Word of God. Yes, God is judging all of us as to how well we are fulfilling this responsibility, collectively and individually, and He is evaluating and judging all of those who have responded to His Word and are changing their lives for the better, as well as those who returned to the world, or refused to listen even though they were given the opportunity to respond.

We do not know how much time we have left before the Great Tribulation begins, and how many more weekly Updates we can produce in combination with our other activities and services, with the hope of reaching as many people as possible, but as much as we have opportunity, we will continue to do the Work and “march onward” as “Christian soldiers,” knowing that time IS running out.

by Norbert Link

For over 20 years, the Church of the Eternal God has been publishing relevant news articles in the light of biblical prophecy, giving our readership an overview of really important developments and where they might lead. We have been warning of the prophesied arrival of a worldwide dictatorship and, more recently, we pointed out how the global restrictions and governmental measures in response to the coronavirus pandemic are paving the way for such a dictatorship to form.

We have been closely observing developments in Germany, Austria and Europe, since it is there where the “beast” will arrive to begin the Great Tribulation. Since he will work hand in hand with the false prophet, and since there will be a European collaboration between church and state, we have been focusing on developments pointing to such an occurrence.

As especially the downfall of the USA and Britain and their hostile relationship with continental Europe have been prophesied, our news articles have been focusing on events such as the Brexit (which we have announced to occur long before it actually did), as well as, more recently, the shaky relationship between the USA and Europe under Bush, Trump and now Biden, in combination with the catastrophic politics of the Biden Administration, accelerating America’s demise domestically and internationally.  

We have been regularly addressing regularly the developments in the Middle East with special emphasis on Israel, as especially Israel will be in the forefront of the coming fulfillment of end-time prophecies. In addition, we have been watching the growing collaboration between Russia, China and other Far Eastern nations, in opposition to continental Europe, which will lead to a future nuclear war between these power blocs.

And so, this edition is no exception.

We report on Austria and Germany’s new governments which do not give much hope of a return to democracy and freedom from dictatorial and autocratic measures (please view our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “The Dictatorship of the Beast in the Book of Revelation”);  focus on Italy and perhaps even Israel jumping on the bandwagon of totalitarianism; wonder whether former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi might return; and speak on the movement of global tyranny for all nations.

Focusing on the USA, we address, among many other articles, Biden’s vaccination mandates and concerns regarding his mental health.

We address the developments pertaining to Russia and Ukraine [please view our new StandingWatch program titled, “War between Russia, America and Europe over Ukraine?”]; speak on America’s deteriorating relationship with Israel, and conclude with a stunningly surprising announcement by Biden regarding the prophesied building of the third Temple.

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

“Immigration Hardliner” Karl Nehammer new Austrian leader

The Guardian wrote on December 3:

“Austria’s ruling conservatives have picked the interior minister, an immigration hardliner, to lead them and the nation after a wave of resignations by senior officials set off by Sebastian Kurz…

“Karl Nehammer succeeds Kurz as party chief and will lead the coalition government with the Greens. He takes over a party in disarray since Kurz stepped down as chancellor in October because he had been placed under criminal investigation on suspicion of corruption offences.  Kurz denies any wrongdoing. Nehammer said… fighting coronavirus would be a top priority. Austria is in lockdown…

“Kurz’s resignation as party leader on Thursday sent shock waves through the party and prompted two of his closest allies, the chancellor, Alexander Schallenberg, and the finance minister, Gernot Blümel, to say they too would step down. Schallenberg had been in the job for less than two months.

“Bluemel is under investigation in a separate corruption case and also denies wrongdoing. Both he and Kurz said that having newborn children had motivated their decisions… Neither the OVP nor the Greens have an obvious interest in a snap election as opinion polls suggest both would lose seats. But tensions between them are such that few analysts expect their government to survive until the end of this parliament in 2023.”

Voices have warned that under Nehammer, Austria’s dictatorship will even get worse.

On Monday, Nehammer was sworn in as the new Chancellor. Wochenblick added on December 6:

“Other ÖVP members were also newly sworn in … the appointment of the new Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, who stood out in the past by caring for the remembrance of the Austro-Fascist dictator Engelbert Dollfuss, is causing criticism. Will the Interior Ministry now act even more aggressively against the resistance than it did under Nehammer? In any case, the Interior Ministry has already found the right [person as the] head of state security for dictatorial reprisals. Just yesterday, the ‘Director for State Security and Intelligence’ Omar Haijawi Pirchner announced that he wanted to monitor closely the social media.”

Demonstrations in Austria

Wochenblick wrote on December 4:

“Tens of thousands are back on Vienna’s streets today. They stand up against the coming compulsory vaccination…. People from all walks of life and of all ages are protesting. Mothers appeal: ‘Protect our children – get children out of schools!’ The state has been repressive from the start. Penalties for not wearing a mask were imposed…

“The lawyer from the Ministry of Defense, Monika Donner, gave an incendiary speech against the lies of the government…

“As a trained medical doctor, the FPÖ politician Dagmar Belakowitsch… spoke again at the rally. Alexander Tschugguel from the Catholic St. Bonifatius Institute spoke out decisively against the state access to our bodies and appealed to the people to continue to offer resistance before everything is taken from us…

“The fact that Karl Nehammer is now the new Federal Chancellor is causing a particular resentment among those who resist. They know from their own demonstration experiences that as minister of the interior, he was known by his autocratic, inhuman style… As the government will… force injections, this will also apply to the children and, if nothing changes, even to the newborns as well.”

Wochenblick stated on December 5 that “more than 100,000 people demonstrated in Vienna.”

The New York Times added the following on December 5:

“Austria has also announced that vaccination would become compulsory as of Feb. 1, making it the first Western country to take that step… the editorial board of The Financial Times [has] said the plan exacts too high a price in terms of individual freedom and see it a sign of political failure.”

By Sunday, the lockdown in Austria for the vaccinated will end, for the time being, but NOT for the unvaccinated.

Germany’s New Lockdown and Mandatory Vax Health Minister…

Breitbart wrote on December 6 in a headline:

“New German Government Taps Lockdown Loving Lawmaker as New Health Minister.”

It continued:

“The most closely watched appointment was that of the health minister… Scholz chose Karl Lauterbach, an epidemiologist and media-savvy lawmaker who lacks executive experience but has been one of Germany’s most prominent voices urging caution and strict measures against COVID-19 since the pandemic started… Federal and state leaders last week announced tough new restrictions that largely target unvaccinated people… parliament will consider a general vaccine mandate.”

Lauterbach is also an advocate of mandatory vaccinations. Lauterbach is a controversial figure, even in his own party (SPD). Leader of the opposition party AFP, Alice Weidel, tweeted: “It could not have been worse for Germany.”  The three coalition parties of the new government (SPD, Green and FDP) also agreed on other controversial measures, such as obtaining 80% of Germany’s electricity from renewable energies by 2030; lowering the voting age to 16; and legalizing the recreational use of cannabis. Dark clouds on the horizon in Germany…

Germany’s “Fight” against the Unvaccinated

The Local wrote on December 7:

“In a press conference held after the signing of the new government’s coalition agreement in Berlin, incoming Chancellor Olaf Scholz slammed ‘threatening’ protests against Covid restrictions and vaccinations. His comments were echoed by Green Party co-leader Robert Habeck… ‘The fact that we need a higher vaccination rate isn’t up for debate,’ he said. ‘It becomes problematic when, out of the multitude of different reasons (for not getting vaccinated), a movement arises – not necessarily against vaccination, but against the state, against a free and open democracy,’ he added…

“Demonstrations against current Covid measures have been ramping up in Germany as the incoming government moves to bar unvaccinated people from most areas of public life, including non-essential shops. The country has also introduced contact restrictions that prevent unvaccinated people from meeting more than two other people at a time.

“Critics of the measures claim that the moves risk sowing more division in an already divided society, but Scholz defended the move on Tuesday, claiming the German population was ‘not split’ but rather ‘of one mind’. ‘We have to do everything in our power to protect the population, and we’ll only succeed if as many people as possible are vaccinated,’ said Scholz. ‘We need restrictions, particularly for the people who haven’t got vaccinated, because there’s no doubt whatsoever that it’s the people who aren’t vaccinated who are driving the high infection rates.’”

The Local published the following comments:

“What a hypocrisy! To talk about democracy when there is in fact absolute tyranny and segregation.

“The hypocrisy is real… To claim that the only way to succeed in fighting covid is by getting as many people as possible vaccinated or to claim that the unvaccinated are to blame for the rising covid cases is just bogus and false…”

New German chameleon and backpedaling politician Olaf Scholz might be right to the extent that most brainwashed Germans, but by far not all, are of “one mind” when it comes to blaming the unvaccinated and mandating vaccinations.

Meet Karl Lauterbach… the German Anthony Fauci

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 6:

“During the COVID pandemic, epidemiologist and eccentric Karl Lauterbach became known as a voice of reason for some, and an infuriating lockdown supporter for others. Now he will be Germany’s new health minister… Karl Lauterbach… is a regular guest on talk shows, gives interviews and regularly tweets — sometimes every hour… his media appearances were to impart bad news. He regularly called for a tougher stance and more restrictions in Germany’s coronavirus policy…

“Karl Lauterbach is a controversial figure. Some are annoyed and [describe] him as a ‘Cassandra,’ a nod to the ancient Greek mythical clairvoyant who always predicted disaster… But many others trust him, and some even became ardent supporters during the course of the pandemic…

“[His] appointment was a highly controversial decision within the SPD right up to the end. In the party, to which Lauterbach has belonged for 16 years as a directly elected member of parliament, he is regarded as a lone wolf, an eccentric and a know-it-all… Olaf Scholz likely knows that with Karl Lauterbach he is bringing a politician into his Cabinet who will not please everyone…”

Germany’s “Quarantine Centers” in Use Again

Life Site News wrote on December 3:

“A recent survey by German newspaper Welt am Sonntag found that at least 15 people have been taken to quarantine facilities in Germany’s 10 largest cities since the beginning of the year. The 15 individuals, who allegedly violated at-home isolation requirements for COVID-19, include 11 in Munich, two in Stuttgart, and one each in Düsseldorf and Frankfurt, Welt am Sonntag reported. The full number of cases is likely higher, as authorities Berlin and Leipzig did not provide figures to the paper.

“Some of the quarantine facilities were located within prisons, according to Welt. ‘Most of the federal states have closed areas in hospitals or prisons for quarantine breakers,’ the outlet noted. ‘In Eisenhüttenstadt, Brandenburg, refusals were last housed in a former deportation detention center, in North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, in a Solingen clinic.’…

“German Infection Protection Act of 2000 specifically authorizes ‘placement in a locked hospital’ or ‘locked facility’ to that effect. ‘The fundamental right to freedom of the person can be restricted in this respect,’ the law states. With hundreds of thousands of Germans subject to domestic quarantine orders at any given time, city authorities typically ‘check’ residents ‘if there is a specific suspicion,’ according to Welt. In Stuttgart, officials rely on ‘special tipsters,’ including ‘neighbors, acquaintances and relatives.’…

“The 10 largest cities in Germany have also initiated more than 250 fine proceedings for quarantine violations, the newspaper noted. Fines ranged between 250-1,000 euros, though they can run up to 25,000 euros….”

Incredible Falsification in Bavaria

Focus wrote on December 4:

“The Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder caused a sensation at the end of November with a graphic: The incidence of unvaccinated people in Bavaria is 1469, compared with only 110 people who have been vaccinated. ‘There is a direct connection between low vaccination rates and high infection rates,’ Söder wrote. His appeal: ‘So please get vaccinated. Only vaccination helps.‘

“Now it became known, however, that the State Office for Health and Food Safety [LGL] which collects the data in Bavaria, apparently often does not even know the vaccination status of the individually infected people, according to ‘Welt’ research. Instead of ignoring the cases with an unknown status, they are added to the unvaccinated.

“The imbalance can be serious. According to a spokesman for the authorities, a total of 81,782 corona cases were reported for the week before November 24th – 9,641 infected people with full vaccination protection, 14,652 without vaccination protection and 57,489 with ‘unknown’ vaccination status. According to the LGL, these 57,489 infected people were then assigned to the group of unvaccinated – with considerable consequences for the incidence value for unvaccinated people.

“Apparently Bavaria is not an isolated case. This counting method is also used accordingly in Hamburg, as a spokesman for the Hamburg Senate of the ‘Welt’ confirmed …

“There has been harsh criticism from the opposition regarding the incidence reports in Bavaria. Martin Hagen, FDP parliamentary group leader in the Bavarian state parliament, called for ‘unreserved clarification’. He criticized according to ‘Welt’: ‘The suspicion that state authorities are deliberately giving the public a wrong picture with distorted statistics weighs heavily.’ And turning to the Prime Minister, he asks: ‘Did Söder know that the numbers were manipulated with which he justifies his politics?’”

It will end up as it did in Bertolt Brecht’s “Mackie Messer”: “… who knows nothing of any of it” (“der von allem nichts gewusst.”)

Subsequently, Focus reported on December 5 that the Bavarian government responded to the report. The audacity with which their falsifications were justified is incredible:

“LGL President Walter Jonas says: ‘This accusation is absolutely absurd. We decided to initially count the cases without information on the vaccination status among the unvaccinated… Merely omitting the missing values ​​would have led to completely wrong incidence ratios … Even after changing the calculation, nothing will change…’

“However, the authority does not provide any information about what the ‘conversion of the calculation’ of the data is all about.”

This is how the people are being misled.

Abolishing the Nuremberg Code?

Ddbnews.org wrote on December 4:

“Ursula Van Der Leyen, chairwoman of the EU Commission, told the press on Wednesday that she was in favor of abolishing the long-standing Nuremberg Code and forcing people to get vaccinated against COVID… In Austria, unvaccinated people aged 12 and over are currently almost completely banned and are only allowed outside for essential tasks such as eating or seeing a doctor…

“The Nuremberg Code was enacted in 1947 immediately after World War II to prevent many of the egregious human rights violations committed by the Nazis and the Imperial Japanese during the war.

“In particular, it was about carrying out medical procedures on test subjects without their consent. These procedures, often under the direction of the likes of Dr. Josef Mengele or Hideki Tojo, often included the worst torture methods. Since then, full and proactive ongoing consent has been required.”

If this does not ring alarm bells…

Israel too?

Israel Today wrote on December 6:

“Israel’s ‘Corona Czar’ said last week that the Jewish state must consider mandating COVID-19 vaccines for all citizens. Other officials retorted that doing so would make Israel a dictatorship. Israel is currently not mandating vaccination against coronavirus, though many have argued that there is heavy governmental control to get the jab… Government officials, including Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, insist that those sectors of society still refusing the vaccine are now threatening the success of Israel’s battle against the pandemic.

“…  there is a good chance Israel will eventually mandate vaccination in light of decisions by several major European countries… However, Israel is a more fractured society. Vaccination rates are still lowest among the Arabs and ultra-Orthodox Jews, and it is difficult to see those sectors peacefully acquiescing to any government mandates.”

Italy of Course

The Associated Press reported on December 6:

“Italy is making life more uncomfortable for unvaccinated people this holiday season, excluding them from indoor restaurants, theaters and museums starting Monday to reduce the spread of coronavirus and encourage vaccine skeptics to get their shots.

“Italian police have been empowered to check whether diners in restaurants or bars have a ‘super’ green health pass certifying that they are either vaccinated or have recently recovered from the virus. Smart phone applications that verify people’s health pass status have been updated to prevent entry to concerts, movies or performances to those who have merely tested negative in recent days. The measures run through Jan. 15.”

Mussolini is coming to town…

Comeback of Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi?

The Daily Mail wrote on December 5:

“Former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has been tipped to make one more run to be Italy’s next president. The 85-year-old media tycoon… remains Italy’s longest serving post war leader, having been in office three times. Despite regular brushes with the law – including being convicted of tax fraud in 2013 – and a number of health concerns, he has previously been referred to as ‘the immortal’ for his longevity in politics. And now, those within his centre-right Forza Italia party, which he led for more than two decades, are tipping him to make one final run for the top job.

“Antonio Tajani, the deputy leader of the party told the Sunday Telegraph: ‘It would be a dream. A lot of us have asked him [to run]…’ Berlusconi has not officially entered the race but is reportedly campaigning behind the scenes. The right-wing bloc… are expected to back him if he were to officially enter the race… He is currently a legislator in the European Parliament…

“Gianfranco Rotondi, a veteran Forza Italia MP and a former minister under Berlusconi’s last government said his former boss has a ’50-50 chance to make it’ in voting which starts around January 20. Lorenzo Castellani, a political historian at Rome’s Luiss university, said he predicted Berlusconi’s attempt to fade, but expected him to be ‘one of the kingmakers’ in the presidential race. The frontrunner in January’s elections is currently Mario Draghi, the current prime minister, while sitting president Sergio Mattarella has also been mentioned as a credible option, despite saying he wants to retire.

“Italian presidents are elected by approximately 1,000 national and regional lawmakers in a secret ballot.”

A Global Treaty for Pandemics?

Climate Depot wrote on December 1:

“… global leaders on Wednesday agreed to start negotiations to create an international agreement to prevent and deal with future pandemics — which some have dubbed a ‘pandemic treaty.’ The special session of the World Health Assembly, only the second ever held by the WHO’s governing body, pledged by consensus to begin work on an agreement… The United States has said it is largely in favor of such an accord… Britain and European Union states have also championed an agreement…”

Climate Depot went on to comment:

“… if a ‘radical’ WHO ‘pandemic treaty’ that is ‘legally binding’ becomes reality, global mandates may be coming your way… Even the Washington Post is calling a ‘pandemic treaty’ a ‘radical’ idea. Once a ‘pandemic treaty’ is set in place, COVID mandates will become permanent as elite officials fly around the world to discuss how to further crush freedom… Just like the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the architects of a ‘pandemic treaty’ will seek more and more power and control and become a self-interested lobbying organization…”

This is frightening news.

Global Tyranny

Life Site News wrote on December 3:

“Dr. Robert Malone, the original inventor of the mRNA vaccine technology 40 years ago, praised the recent call by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò to build an anti-globalist alliance…

“Archbishop Viganò had proposed on November 18 to ‘free humanity from a totalitarian regime that brings together in itself the horrors of the worst dictatorships of all time,’ and he challenged ‘rulers, political and religious leaders, intellectuals and all people of good will, inviting them to unite in an alliance that launches an anti-globalist manifesto, refuting point by point the errors and deviations of the dystopia of the New World Order and proposing concrete alternatives for a political program inspired by the common good, the moral principles of Christianity, traditional values, the protection of life and the natural family, the protection of business and work, the promotion of education and research, and respect for creation.’…

“Dr. Malone [is] a strong opponent to the currently debated and planned vaccine mandates, lockdown policies, and mask mandates, all of which are, according to his study and research, ineffective and potentially harmful to human health… The vaccine expert compared the lockdowns with the ‘camel’s nose’ metaphor: ‘Once the camel’s nose gets in the tent, pretty soon the whole camel is in the tent,’ Dr. Malone said…

“‘There is a growing sense by many people that there’s something fundamentally evil going on here (…) I’ve become convinced that we do have a situation that is essentially the growth and expansion of global tyranny that is harmonized, that is managed, that is aligned across nation states, and it appears to be aligned with the economic interests of a small cluster of investment funds that represents the bulk of global western capital… For two years now we have been witnessing a global coup d’état, in which a financial and ideological elite has succeeded in seizing control of part of national governments, public and private institutions, the media, the judiciary, politicians, and religious leaders… Fundamental rights, which up until yesterday were presented as inviolable, have been trampled underfoot in the name of an emergency: today a health emergency, tomorrow an ecological emergency, and after that an internet emergency.’”

Poll: US Government without Power to Mandate Vaccination

Breitbart wrote on December 3:

“Most voters say the federal government does not have the authority to mandate coronavirus vaccines, a Rasmussen Reports survey released Friday found… “Most, 57 percent, said ‘no,’ the government does not have that power, while 35 percent said ‘yes,’ and eight percent said ‘not sure.’

“The vast majority of Republicans, 81 percent, said the government does not have that power, and 63 percent of independents agree. However, most Democrats, 59 percent, believe the government does, in fact, have the power to make the coronavirus vaccination mandatory.”

This shows where at this point, the greatest danger for US democracy comes from. We are not promoting or endorsing any political party or candidate—we are just stating facts and focusing on trends. However, Trump keeps taking credit for developing the vaccine at high speed “when everyone said it wasn’t possible.” Since the vaccine was not, and could not have been tested for long-time complications, his continued “encouragement” to get vaccinated contributes to the problems which we are facing today. But there can be no doubt that the vaccination policy of the Biden Administration does endanger the safety, security and survival of this country. Note the next article.

Oklahoma’s AG Sues Biden over Vaccine Mandates

Breitbart reported on December 3:

“Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor (R) has sued the Biden administration over its federal coronavirus vaccine mandate for federal employees and National Guard members… Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin sent a letter to Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt earlier this week reinforcing the need for military members to be vaccinated following Stitt’s request to bypass the mandate…

“‘Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate ensures that many Oklahoma National Guard members will simply quit instead of getting a vaccine, a situation that will irreparably harm Oklahomans’ safety and security,’ O’Connor said in a statement. ‘These patriots, along with many federal employees, who serve their country and their state are now at risk of being terminated because they do not wish to take the vaccine.’”

Federal Judge Blocks Vaccine Mandate for Federal Contractors

Breitbart wrote on December 7:

“A federal judge Tuesday issued an injunction striking down the Biden administration’s coronavirus vaccine mandate for federal contractors, saying the plaintiffs are ‘likely [to] succeed in their claim that the President exceeded the authorization given to him by Congress.’

“The lawsuit was brought by Attorney General Alan Wilson and Governor Henry McMaster of South Carolina, along with the attorneys general of Georgia, Alabama, Idaho, Kansas, Utah, and West Virginia and the governors of Georgia, Alabama, and Idaho, as well as other state entities.

“The case revolves around the president’s authority under the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act (Procurement Act) and the authority it gives the president to issue public health mandates such as the one President Joe Biden issues in Executive Order (EO) 14042 to require all federal contractors to be vaccinated or face possible termination. ‘The Court acknowledges the tragic toll that the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought throughout the nation and the globe,’ Judge Stan Baker begins. ‘However, even in time of crisis this Court must preserve the rule of law and ensure that all branches of government act within the bounds of their constitutionally granted authorities.’ Furthermore, writes Baker, the government’s  ‘“strong interest in combating the spread of [COVID-19]’ … does not permit the government to ‘act unlawfully even in the pursuit of desirable ends.’”…

“Baker also pointed out that the Biden administration has neither cited a case that allows the president ‘to promulgate such a wide and sweeping public health regulation,’ nor cited a case in which a court upheld an analogous action. Concluding his determination of the merits, Baker explained that if the Biden administration were to have success in this case, it would give the president the ‘right to impose virtually any kind of requirement on businesses that wish to contract with the Government.’”

New York City’s Ongoing Tyranny under Mayor de Blasio

CNBC wrote on December 6:

“New York City is imposing a vaccine mandate for all private sector employers as a preemptive measure to fight a surge of Covid cases this winter, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Monday. The mandate covers 184,000 businesses and will go into effect on Dec. 27, de Blasio said. Everyone 12 and older, workers and customers, will be required to show proof of two vaccine doses by that date, unless they received Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine…

“The city will also require proof of vaccination for children ages 5 to 11 for indoor dining, entertainment and fitness establishments, the mayor said. Kids will be required to have proof of at least one dose by Dec. 14. They will also have to show proof of one dose for high-risk extracurricular activities such as sports, band, orchestra and dance by the same date.

“The New York City policy comes after the Biden administration was forced to halt implementation and enforcement of national vaccine and testing requirements for businesses with 100 or more employees to comply with a federal court order… It’s unclear whether omicron causes more severe disease, according to the WHO. The people who have tested positive…  so far have shown mild to moderate symptoms.”

This incredible “first in the nation” measure has been summarized by Breitbart in this way: “Covid-1984… It’s All About Control.” De Blasio’s mayoralty ends at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, so he moved quickly to get these new dictatorial measures in place before vacating his office. The proposed new measures have already received sharp criticism from many New Yorkers (see New York Post, December 6).

New York City has been setting a really bad example of terrible dictatorship.

Far Weaker US Jobs Report as Expected

Breitbart wrote on December 3:

“The U.S. economy added 210,00 jobs in November and the unemployment rate sank to 4.2 percent. This was a far weaker jobs report than expected. Economists had forecast 545,000 positions added to payrolls and an unemployment rate of 4.5 percent…”

The White House and President Biden tried to spin the devastating report by saying it contained “incredible news” and proof of a “strong” recovery.  Fox News moderators and others responded to this spin with mockery and condemnation.  Sean Hannity said on Fox News:

“The November jobs report was abysmal, falling well short of every projection — keep in mind we’re already facing a severe worker shortage, record-setting inflation, insanely high gas prices, stagnant growth, and now it appears to be getting even worse,” adding that Biden was supposed to shut down the virus, not the economy (see Fox News, December 4).

Breitbart wrote on December 3:

“Alfredo Ortiz, president and CEO of the Job Creators Network,… said Biden’s speech is evidence of the ‘complete delusion concerning the actual state of the economy.’… Ortiz put forth some sobering economic data, that Biden omitted… ‘Biden touted the “significant improvement” in created jobs since he took office, yet chooses to ignore the fact that we are still 4 million jobs behind pre-pandemic numbers. Today’s jobs report showed there are still 6.9 million Americans unemployed. The number of those who currently want to work but can’t find work is a stagging 5.9 million. It’s worth noting, the Bureau of Labor Statistics does NOT count those 5.9 million looking for work among the 6.9 million currently unemployed…’”

How Soros “Makes” Left-Liberal Politics

Fox News reported on December 9:

“Liberal billionaire George Soros has poured millions of dollars into a dark money hub used by far-left activists pushing to dismantle the police…

“[This] is yet another instance showing how [Soros’] cash funds efforts to reshape the justice system. For years, Soros has showered district attorney races with money, oftentimes backing the most progressive candidate.

“Parker Thayer, a researcher at the Capital Research Center, estimated that Soros has dropped $28 million into prosecutor races since 2015.

“Soros’ Open Society Foundations also devoted $220 million in 2020 to a racial equality push, which included $70 million for local efforts geared toward criminal justice reform.”

Breitbart added on December 9:

“Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón gathered ‘progressive’ prosecutors from around the country to celebrate the one-year anniversary of his time in office, but the party was derailed by questions about rising violent crime.

“Gascón, who ran against the first black woman to hold the job, and who received millions of dollars in donations from left-wing billionaire George Soros, has pursued an aggressive, radical agenda of ‘criminal justice reform’ since taking office. But crime has spiked, leaving the city in the throes of what the Los Angeles Times has called a spate of ‘brutal, brazen’ crimes.”

So much for left-wing billionaire Soros’ policies.

BLM Calls for Boycott of White Companies

Fox Business wrote on December 1:

“The Black Lives Matter movement’s national arm is leading a boycott of ‘white companies’ until New Year’s Day, encouraging supporters to help ‘end white-supremacist-capitalism’ by visiting only Black-owned businesses during the holiday shopping season…

“‘We’re dreaming of a #Blackxmas. That means no spending with white companies from 11/26/2021 – 01/01/2022,’ the BlackXmas website says. The organization also calls on supporters to ‘move your money out of white-corporate banks that finance our oppression and open accounts with Black-owned banks.”

Serious questions about Biden’s Mental Health

The New York Post wrote on December 3:

“President Biden is having a series of worrisome episodes that seem to be a mix of his trademark plagiarism (adopting episodes from other public figures’ lives as his own in addition to appropriating their words) and what we sometimes euphemistically call a ‘senior moment.’

“Recently, President Biden told a truck driver: ‘I used to drive a tractor-trailor.’ This wasn’t the first time he had made the claim. But the White House has since conceded that it is a fabrication…

“But that’s par for the course for Biden, who infamously slandered an innocent man in the matter of the death of his first wife and daughter, claiming that the man had been a drunken driver. He wasn’t, there was no suggestion that he was, and police reports at the time suggested that it was probably Mrs. Biden who had been at fault in the accident. Yet Biden spent years alleging that the man ‘drank his lunch’ before causing the accident.

“Biden also has a rich fantasy life, which is not limited to his mythical truck-driving days… On Wednesday, he told an audience that during the Six-Day War, he had acted as a liaison between Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir and the Egyptian government. The Six-Day War occurred in 1967, when Levi Eshkol was the prime minister of Israel and Biden was plagiarizing his way toward finishing No. 76 of 85 in law school… He was years away from beginning his Senate career. This is another fantasy, one that Biden keeps repeating. Is it an ordinary lie, or is it a delusion?

“… Because of Biden’s long history of habitual dishonesty, it is difficult to tell how much of this is Biden being Biden and how much of it is Biden no longer quite being Biden — how much is his longstanding and familiar moral disability and how much is, as it may be, late-life mental disability.

“We need an independent medical assessment of the president’s mental health. That is a sobering fact to face, but face it we must. And right now, we need a Democrat who will say so in public.”

But Democrats are not willing to raise this, and neither do Republicans because the replacement of Biden through Kamala Harris would seem to be even more devastating to many.

The Pope in Greece

The Associated Press wrote on December 4:

“Pope Francis warned Saturday that the ‘easy answers’ of populism and authoritarianism are threatening democracy in Europe… Arriving in Greece, the birthplace of democracy, Francis used a speech to Greek political and cultural leaders to warn Europe at large about the threats facing the continent…

“Francis, who lived through Argentina’s populist Peronist era as well as its military dictatorship, has frequently warned about the threat of authoritarianism and populism and the danger it poses to the European Union and democracy itself… Francis praised the ‘necessary vaccination campaign’ promoted by government authorities to tame the coronavirus…

“Francis has accelerated inter-faith initiatives, as the two churches attempt to shift from centuries of competition and mistrust toward collaboration. Orthodox churches are also seeking alliances amid a deepening dispute over the independence of the Ukrainian church, which was historically governed by the Russian Orthodox Church…

“Up to 4,000 police officers were readied for duty in Athens for the pope’s visit, and authorities banned protests and large public gatherings in parts of central Athens over the weekend.”

Francis warned of authoritarianism and praised at the same time the “necessary vaccination campaign” of governments, which includes mandatory vaccinations. These measures clearly constitute authoritarianism. What a contradiction.  It is also interesting that the Greek government prohibited protests against the Pope. So much for Francis’ highly praised Greek democracy. According to the Bible, most “Christian” churches will unite under the umbrella and leadership of the Catholic Church.

Russian Offensive against Ukraine Coming Soon?

Deutsche Welle reported on December 4:

“US intelligence officials claimed on Friday that Russia is planning a military offensive against Ukraine that could begin as early as 2022 [which] would supposedly involve an estimated 175,000 Russian military personnel. A US intelligence document obtained by the Washington Post showed apparent evidence of Russian forces massing in four locations and the arrival of tanks and artillery…

“[While denying that an invasion is planned,] Russian foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov said that President Vladimir Putin will reiterate Russia’s ‘red lines’ in negotiations, including demands for a legally binding guarantee that NATO will not expand into Ukraine. NATO has not set a timeline for Ukrainian membership in the alliance. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Russia has no say in whether Ukraine will join the alliance…”

Newsmax added on December 4:

“Ukrainian officials also warned that Russia could invade next month… But some U.S. government officials say Putin also could be seeking attention and concessions from Biden and other Western leaders, using the military escalation to force Russia back into a central role in world affairs as it had in the days of the Soviet Union.”

Biden and Putin Talk for two Hours… with little or no success

Deutsche Welle reported on December 7:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin and US leader Joe Biden held a virtual summit Tuesday, with Moscow’s troop build-up on Ukraine’s borders dominating the talks. The two presidents spoke for roughly two hours…

“‘President Biden voiced the deep concerns of the United States and our European Allies about Russia’s escalation of forces surrounding Ukraine and made clear that the U.S. and our Allies would respond with strong economic and other measures in the event of military escalation,’ the White House said in a statement after the summit… The Kremlin also issued a statement after the call, saying that Putin had ‘complained about NATO’s dangerous attempts to develop Ukraine’ for its own goals, and that he ‘expressed concerns about Kyiv’s provocative actions’ towards Ukrainian regions controlled by Russia-backed separatists…

“A Russian invasion of Ukrainian territory could come with consequences for Germany too. US approval for the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to Europe was contingent on Moscow refraining from military provocations. Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday that Washington would pull its approval if Russian troops enter Ukrainian territory.”

The approval of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline was one of the biggest blunders by Merkel and Biden.

The Sun added on December 7:

“Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov told CNN that there would be a ‘really bloody massacre’ if Russia decides to invade Ukraine… The defense minister also said that five million Ukrainian refugees are fleeing into Europe amid heightened alarm about troop movements on the nations’ border.”

The New York Post added on December 7:

“Following… a virtual summit between President Biden and his Russian counterpart Tuesday, the White House appeared to be taking a ‘wait-and-see’ approach to a potential invasion of Ukraine by Moscow… national security adviser Jake Sullivan… acknowledged in the afternoon that ‘we still do not believe that President Putin has made a decision’ about whether to send his massed forces across the border and into Ukraine… Sullivan declined to say whether additional American forces would be dispatched to eastern Europe in the event of an invasion… When asked why the US should wait to take action… Sullivan responded that American policy, in ‘lockstep with our European allies,’ was to deter a Russian invasion…

“Sullivan also suggested Tuesday that the US could persuade Germany to cut off the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline if Russia invaded Ukraine.’ The fact is the gas is not currently flowing through the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which means that it’s not operating, which means that it’s not leveraged for Putin,’ Sullivan claimed. ‘It is leverage for the West. If Vladimir Putin wants to see gas flow through that pipeline, he may not want to take the risk of invading Ukraine.’

“That claim caused an uproar among online critics, who pointed out that Biden waived sanctions against the pipeline in May despite concerns that it would weaken Ukraine’s security by pumping gas directly from Russia to Germany — depriving Kiev of lucrative gas transit fees…”

Would Germany be willing to give up the Nord Stream 2 pipeline? That is highly doubtful.

But it’s all pretty immaterial as to what different powers may want to do, as the Bible is clear that Russia and Ukraine will unite in some way. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “War between Russia, America and Europe over Ukraine?”

Christmas Trees Unite Us?

JTA wrote on December 8:

“A Fox News host explained that the Christmas tree represents the Christmas spirit — and Hanukkah… after a man was arrested for allegedly setting fire to the Christmas tree outside Fox News Channel headquarters in New York. ‘It’s a tree that unites us, that brings us together. It is about the Christmas spirit, it is about the holiday season, it is about Jesus, it is about Hanukkah,’ Earhardt said… ‘It is about everything we stand for as a country…’

“Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Jewish temple several centuries before the birth of Jesus,  and its main story is about a Jewish sect’s resistance to assimilating into the dominant religious culture. The two holidays, Christmas and Hanukkah, are coincidental in their midwinter timings, but in little else.

“There is suggestive evidence in the New Testament that Jesus attended a Hanukkah event [as] described in John 10:22… Some angry Jews confronted Jesus about his claim to messiahhood, and it almost ended in a stoning. The apostle does not report any tree-burnings, however.”

Even though of different origins, there can be no doubt that a mixture between Christmas and Hanukkah has occurred. The Christmas tree is thoroughly pagan and was used as a means of worship long before the birth of Christ. If it unites the country, then woe to the country.

Swarm of Earthquakes rattles Oregon

Beach Connection wrote on December 9:

“What seems like an unprecedented number of small to sizable quakes off the Oregon coast have rattled underwater starting early Tuesday morning, with the number still rising 36 hours later. As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, some 74 undersea quakes have hit about 300 miles directly west of Yachats in just over 24 hours… Experts say it’s nothing to worry about because it has nothing to do with the larger Cascadia Subduction zone that also exists off the Oregon coast, which will one day create a massive quake and subsequent tsunami…

“The quake swarm is unusual, as that area generally receives about 20 to 30 quakes per year… Most were in the 4.0 to 4.8 magnitude range, but at least ten were over 5.0, which is sizable… they are not ‘releasing’ pressure for that area and are not lessening the chances of the big one.”

KIRO 7 added on December 8:

“Harold Tobin leads the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network at the University of Washington. He points out the Blanco Fracture Zone is a long way from the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which is what we worry about for a major quake around Seattle… Still, any seismic event is a reminder that we live in earthquake country and should be prepared. ‘We always have the risk of a substantial earthquake that is damaging but I don’t think that risk is different in the Pacific Northwest today than it was two days ago,’ Tobin said.

“Emergency managers now ask people to be ‘two weeks ready,’ which means having enough supplies to be on your own for two weeks.”

If you are naïve enough to take the “experts’” words for it… 

Is the USA-Israel Honeymoon Period Over?

JTA wrote on December 2:

“[Prime Minister Naftali] Bennett has allowed for the construction of thousands of new settler homes. Biden is pushing to reopen the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, formerly the principal venue for U.S.-Palestinian relations. Last month the United States sanctioned two Israeli spyware companies.

“Then there is the ongoing strife over Iran’s nuclear program, a point of contention that those who analyze the U.S.-Israel relationship say could eventually blow the doors wide open… Israeli officials have said they believe Iran is weeks away from nuclear weapons capability; the country is enriching uranium to 60% purity, perilously close to the 90% needed for weaponization…”

It might very well be over, but then note the following surprising news, which was published by a paper in Israel.

Biden and the Third Temple?

Israel 365 wrote on December 2:

“US president Joe Biden hosted the White House’s annual menorah lighting ceremony on the fourth night of Chanukah on Wednesday. During his speech, Biden referenced the story of Chanukah and the destruction of the Second Temple. Biden compared the holy Temple to the ‘temple of our democracy’…

“Later on in his speech, the US president seemed to be optimistic that the third Temple will be rebuilt saying: ‘Whether it’s in the temple of Jerusalem or a temple of our democracy nothing broken or profaned is beyond repair…nothing. We can always build back better. Or perhaps, build back brighter.’

“The speech was not without the president’s signature gaffes… Ironically, Biden who champions both mask and vaccine mandates hailed the lessons of freedom and liberty that could be learned from the Maccabees.”

With Biden, one never knows, of course, how serious he is with speeches drafted for him, and whether any references are intentional or just “accidental.” Still, a third temple WILL BE built prior to Christ’s return, even though some are still stiff-necked or willfully ignorant enough to totally dismiss this possibility, against current events, better judgment and the clear prophecies in the Bible. Please view our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “A False Messiah in the Temple of God?” 

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

The naïve would assume that over the course of twenty years that all of the possible questions about the teachings of the Bible would be answered. But having a Berean outlook on learning, we know better. In the month of August, 2001, we published our first Q&A on the topic of the rapture. Immediately seeing the value of presenting the Truth in this format, we began publishing new Q&As regularly, setting a pace to answer a new question with every weekly version of the Update. In this 1,000^th version of the Update, we have produced enough material to fill a 3,000-page book with well-researched answers to 935 questions.

The wealth of information presented in the Q&As cannot be overstated. These tightly focused presentations provide our readership with a wide variety of continually relevant material. Topics range vastly from foundational Christian doctrine, to timely questions affecting our society during a snapshot in time, to the interpretation of commonly misunderstood Scriptures, to topics that provide a detailed insight into the reasons behind the doctrines we uphold. The breadth and depth of content published in our Q&As has an immense range.

Each Q&A produced by the Church ministry takes a deep dive into the Bible. As those who have been involved in writing and editing them can attest, the process of study takes tremendous focus, preparation, and rigor. As much work as it takes to write, the inherent joy of study provides a great reward in producing these written works. The authors write each Q&A as a rigorous Bible study, making them a fantastic resource worth studying on our own.

It is impossible to concisely summarize the entirety of Q&As that we have produced over the years. However, we encourage you to consider a small selection of some of those that provide a survey of the most foundational topics of our Christianity. As we consider our Church roots during this landmark 1,000^th Update, it is useful to likewise consider the core of our Christian beliefs. It is only upon a solid foundation that we can build a spiritual house that will endure in this world (compare Matthew 7:24-25).

Q: What does it mean, practically, not to add to or delete from God’s Commandments?

Q: Why do you teach that true Christians should not observe Christian holidays such as Easter and Christmas?

Q: When should a person be baptized? 

Q: When we ask God for healing and are not healed, does this mean that we don’t have enough faith? 

Q: Every splinter group or offshoot of the Worldwide Church of God claims to be God’s true church. What do you say of yourselves? 

Q: Can you elaborate on the Church being a spiritual organism? 

Q: Are we forbidden to eat the meat of “unclean” animals? 

Q: How Are We to Keep the Sabbath? (Part 1) 

Q: What Is the Mystery of the Salvation of the Gentiles? 

Q: Did the sorcerers and magicians at the time of Moses perform real miracles? If so, what is the significance for us today? 

These Q&As mentioned above and all the rest of the Q&As serve as a fantastic reference for us all to use when seeking out an answer to a question we might have. Truly, the work produced over the years is vast. As long as God grants us the means to continue producing this valuable material, we will do so. As the mission we have been given instructs us, we will continue to share our research openly, so that you may continue on your spiritual journey and fulfill your Christian walk.

Lead Writer: Eric Rank

compiled by Dave Harris

In commemorating this Update #1000, a short overview focusing on what we call the “Work” will be helpful. People often ask about our origin, and this is what we write in our Statement of Beliefs about our “Doctrinal Foundation”:

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

We specifically address the role we have for “The Church’s Commission”:

“We believe that it is the Church’s commission to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God to all nations as a witness, to warn all nations, and especially the lost tribes of the house of Israel (mainly in the United States, Great Britain, certain Commonwealth nations and nations in Northwestern Europe) of impending danger, and to feed the flock of Christ – the Church – spiritually and physically.”

The weekly Updates are one part among many in accomplishing our responsibility in fulfilling the Work of God. Twenty years ago we had to pick up the baton and continue to produce written material, sermonettes and sermons, video presentations and much more! Simultaneous to our modest beginning, the Internet simply seemed to explode with opportunities for us to carry the gospel to the world, which is being done in collaboration with our international affiliates—the Church of God, A Christian Fellowship (Canada); Global Church of God (UK); Kirche des Ewigen Gottes (Germany) and further associations in Australia and other countries. This includes supporting websites with our material posted in English, German, French, Spanish and Russian.

While in this section of the Update we announce baptisms, new booklets, member letters, tech-team meetings, Feast information and sermonette and sermon summaries, we also highlight new StandingWatch (English) and AufpostenStehen (German) presentations by Evangelist Norbert Link. Among the hundreds of these programs, here are some examples:

• Netanyahu’s Announcement of a Third Temple? 
• Russia’s Persecution of the Jehovah’s Witnesses 
• Why Is America in so much Trouble? 
• Was demnächst in Europa und Amerika geschieht! 
• Was Wird Bald in Europa und Deutschland Geschehen? 
• Ein falscher Messias im Tempel Gottes? 

If you haven’t taken the time to really explore our websites, please take the opportunity to get a real sense of the Work God is leading us to accomplish. By simply going to www.eternalgod.org you will have access to all other websites, as well.

“War between Russia, America and Europe over Ukraine?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Will Russia try to invade Ukraine, as many suggest? Would America and Europe attempt to stop such an invasion with military measures? What did the phone call on December7 between Presidents Putin and Biden accomplish? Could Germany be persuaded to cut off the Nord Stream 2 pipeline if Russia invaded Ukraine? Does the Bible say anything about a future war between Russia, America and Europe, and if so, what Ukraine’s role would be? 

“Wie sah Jesus als Mensch aus?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “How Did Jesus Look as a Man?”

“Wollen wir wirklich die Wahrheit wissen?”  is the title of the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Christian Mrosek. Title in English: “Do We Really Want to Know the Truth?”

“The Fig Tree,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Paul Niehoff, is now posted. Here is a summary:

When Jesus cursed the fig tree because it had no fruit, the disciples did not know the meaning of that miracle at the time. However, it was for us to learn that God requires us to bear fruit as a part of our calling. We can understand the meaning today because of the inspiration God gives us through His Spirit.

“Are You Fully Armed?”, the sermon presented last Sabbath by Rene Messier, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Knowing who the enemy is and his characteristics, and ensuring you have the whole armor of God, is to guarantee success in overcoming Satan and gaining access to the Kingdom of God.