On February 27, 2021, Michael Link will present the sermonette, titled, “Adapting to Change” and Kalon Mitchell will present the sermon, titled, “Parallels With Ancient Israelites.”

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.

Do we really understand how much and to what degree this world is being held captive by Satan and his demons? Could this also apply to any of us? (cp. 2 Timothy 2:24-26). Of course, Satan cannot do what God does not allow, but still, this is NOT God’s world. It is Satan’s world, and he has deceived and is deceiving the whole world (Revelation 12:9). We are asked to come out of this sinful Babylon of confusion (Revelation 18:4). While living in this world (John 17:18), we are not to be part of this world (John 17:14, 16). Satan is the ruler of mankind, and he gives power and authority to human leaders. In Luke 4:5-7, we read how Satan tried to tempt Christ, saying: “Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, ‘All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.’”

Christ did not dispute Satan’s claim. He knew it was true. He knew that Satan rules on his throne here on earth (Revelation 2:13). He also knew, of course, that Satan would be behind the ten revivals of the Roman Empire in Europe (Revelation 13:2, 4), and that he would give power and authority to the coming beast and the false prophet. But do we understand that this is not limited to those past, present and future developments and rulers in Europe? Satan has power over ALL the kingdoms of the world, and he gives his authority to WHOMEVER he wishes.

People are deceived, because Satan is pretending to be an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14)… not of darkness. They may believe that rulers under his guidance and direction want to do the best for the people… and some in authority might very well think that they do, but they don’t understand what is good and what is bad (Isaiah 5:20). While they say they want peace, their actions lead to war and misery; rather than saving lives, they help to destroy lives (Romans 3:10-18).

Satan wants all mankind to be eradicated and wiped off this planet. And he would be successful if it were not for Jesus Christ who will come back to this earth to make an end to this madness of human misrule at His return.

Satan’s main target, however, is the people of God. He knows that Christ’s true disciples will replace him and his rule when Christ returns, and so he has great wrath against God’s Church, knowing that his time is short (Revelation 12:12).

Satan’s modus operandi  is not just to destroy and kill literally, but also, and perhaps even more importantly at this time, to destroy us spiritually. He uses teachers in all the world who are teaching our children the wrong things in school—from the godless evolution concept to the abominable ideas of abortion and war to the false concepts of sexual immorality, just to name a few. He will try to use his human rulers to prohibit the preaching of the gospel and to malign, accuse and persecute those who do. We are already seeing the beginning of these endeavors. Satan is a liar and a murderer, and we must not be ignorant of his evil devices.

Very importantly, Satan is the accuser of the brethren, accusing them day and night before God (Revelation 12:10). Some of his accusations might be their sinful conduct for which he was directly responsible. Satan influenced Peter to speak Satan’s words (Mark 8:31-33); and he influenced Judas to betray Christ (Luke 22:3; John 13:27). It is therefore critical that we repent of our sins when we become aware of them and confess them to God so that we can be cleansed (1 John 1:9), and so that Satan does not succeed (Revelation 12:11; Zechariah 3:1-5).

It is Satan’s goal to devour us (1. Peter 5:8). In order to accomplish this, he is using fiery darts (Ephesians 6:16); evil devices or schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11); craftiness or unscrupulous conduct (2 Corinthians 11:3); and wiles or thought-out tricks (Ephesians 6:11).

God warns us that we can easily fall for Satan, if we are not careful. He describes Satan in very descriptive ways:

Satan is identified as our adversary (1 Peter 5:8); the god of this age or of this present evil world (2 Corinthians 4:4) who is worshipped (Matthew 4:9; Revelation 13:4); the prince and ruler of the darkness of this world and age (John 12:31; 14:30; Ephesians 6:12); the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2); a murderer and a liar (John 8:44) who blinds the minds of unbelievers (2 Corinthians 4:4); and Apollyon, meaning “the destroyer” (Revelation 9:11).

But we don’t have to be or become Satan’s victims, falling for his evil devices and becoming inadvertently his instruments (1 Timothy 5:15). It is very comforting to know that we can protect ourselves against Satan, when we are sober or self-controlled (1 Peter 5:8); when we are vigilant or watchful and on the alert (1 Peter 5:8); when we resist him (1 Peter 5:9; James 4:7) while submitting to and drawing near to God (James 4:7-8); when we put on God’s whole spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:11); accept and apply the “blood of the Lamb” or Christ’s Sacrifice to and for our sins (Revelation 12:11); when we believe God and His Word and live by it, while rejecting all lies (Revelation 12:11, 17); and when we give our lives to God (Revelation 12:11).

The good news is, God will crush Satan under our feet shortly (Romans 16:20), but in the meantime, as we have read, we must resist him now and draw near to God; and Satan will flee from us. Then, we can say victoriously with Jesus: “Satan has no power over me” (compare John 14:30, Revised Standard Version).

by Norbert Link

We begin with examples of the mass media’s falsification of facts or of the suppression of alternate views; address issues pertaining to allegations of voter fraud or voter irregularities and the US Supreme Court’s refusal to hear any of those cases; and we point out the “civil war” in the GOP.

We report on President Biden’s speech at the Munich Security Conference and the mixed reaction of America’s European allies. In this context, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Will the Relationship between the USA and Europe Improve?”

We also address Europe’s dream of a European army which is shared by most Europeans, and Israel‘s concern regarding the willingness of America and other powers to revive the Iran deal, as well as the bad relationship between Israel and America’s Democrats.

We speak on the concern of Palestinians regarding Israel’s alleged goal pertaining to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Third Temple.

We conclude with an article on China’s terrible concentration camps and a discussion as to whether the coronavirus vaccines are safe; as well as an attempt to destroy biblical values; Jens Spahn’s fight for survival; and ongoing travel restrictions and the concept of a vaccination passport for all travel. 

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

Lies about the January 6 Riot

On February 19, the Ron Paul Institute republished, in part, the following article by Glenn Greenwald. After condemning the inexcusable violence of the mob, the author went on to say:

“One of the most significant of these falsehoods was the tale… that Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick was murdered by the pro-Trump mob when they beat him to death with a fire extinguisher… It took on such importance for a clear reason: Sicknick’s death was the only example the media had of the pro-Trump mob deliberately killing anyone…

“But none of the other four deaths were at the hands of the protesters: the only other person killed with deliberate violence was a pro-Trump protester, Ashli Babbitt, unarmed when shot in the neck by a police officer at close range. The other three deaths were all pro-Trump protesters: Kevin Greeson, who died of a heart attack outside the Capitol; Benjamin Philips, 50, ‘the founder of a pro-Trump website called Trumparoo,’ who died of a stroke that day; and Rosanne Boyland, a fanatical Trump supporter whom the Times says was inadvertently ‘killed in a crush of fellow rioters during their attempt to fight through a police line.’

“… Without Sicknick having his skull bashed in with a fire extinguisher, there were no deaths that day that could be attributed to deliberate violence by pro-Trump protesters. Three weeks later, The Washington Post said dozens of officers (a total of 140) had various degrees of injuries, but none reported as life-threatening, and at least two police officers committed suicide after the riot…

“After the media bombarded Americans with this story for a full month without pause, it took center stage at Trump’s impeachment process. As former federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy noted, the article of impeachment itself stated that ‘Trump supporters ‘injured and killed law enforcement personnel.’ The House impeachment managers explicitly claimed on page 28 of their pretrial memorandum that ‘the insurrectionists killed a Capitol Police officer by striking him in the head with a fire extinguisher’…

“The problem with this story is that it is false in all respects. From the start, there was almost no evidence to substantiate it. The only basis were… two original New York Times articles asserting that this happened based on the claim of anonymous law enforcement officials. Despite this alleged brutal murder taking place in one of the most surveilled buildings on the planet, filled that day with hundreds of cellphones taping the events, nobody saw video of it. No photographs depicted it. To this day, no autopsy report has been released. No details from any official source have been provided.

“…On the same day the Times published its two articles with the ‘fire extinguisher’ story, ProPublica published one that should have raised serious doubts about it. The outlet interviewed Sicknick’s brother, who said that ‘Sicknick had texted [the family] Wednesday night to say that while he had been pepper-sprayed, he was in good spirits.’ That obviously conflicted with the Times’ story that the mob ‘overpowered Sicknick’ and ‘struck him in the head with a fire extinguisher,’ after which, ‘with a bloody gash in his head, Mr. Sicknick was rushed to the hospital and placed on life support.’…

“The fire extinguisher story was now a matter of lore. Nobody could question it. And nobody did: until after a February 2 CNN article that asked why nobody has been arrested for what clearly was the most serious crime committed that day: the brutal murder of Officer Sicknick with a fire extinguisher… the middle of the article provided evidence which essentially declared the original New York Times story false: ‘In Sicknick’s case, it’s still not known publicly what caused him to collapse the night of the insurrection. Findings from a medical examiner’s review have not yet been released and authorities have not made any announcements about that ongoing process. According to one law enforcement official, medical examiners did not find signs that the officer sustained any blunt force trauma, so investigators believe that early reports that he was fatally struck by a fire extinguisher are not true.’

“The CNN story speculates that perhaps Sicknick inhaled ‘bear spray,’ but like the ProPublica interview with his brother who said he inhaled pepper spray, does not say whether it came from the police or protesters… CNN noted that investigators are ‘vexed by a lack of evidence that could prove someone caused his death as he defended the Capitol during last month’s insurrection.’ Beyond that, ‘to date, little information has been shared publicly about the circumstances of the death of the 13-year veteran of the police force, including any findings from an autopsy that was conducted by DC’s medical examiner.’

“Few noticed this remarkable admission buried in this article. None of this was seriously questioned until a relatively new outlet called Revolver News on February 9 compiled and analyzed all the contradictions and lack of evidence in the prevailing story, after which Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, citing that article, devoted the first eight minutes of his February 10 program to examining these massive evidentiary holes.

“That caused right-wing media outlets to begin questioning what happened, but mainstream liberal outlets — those who spread the story aggressively in the first place — largely and predictably ignored it all. This week, the paper that first published the false story — in lieu of a retraction or an explanation of how and why it got the story wrong — simply went back to the first two articles, more than five weeks later, and quietly posted what it called an ‘update’ at the top of both five-week-old articles: ‘New Information has emerged regarding the death of the Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick that questions the initial cause of his death provided by officials close to the Capitol Police.”

“With the impeachment trial now over, the articles are now rewritten to reflect that the original story was false. But there was nothing done by The New York Times to explain an error of this magnitude, let alone to try to undo the damage it did by misleading the public. They did not expressly retract or even ‘correct’ the story…”

That is another example as to how the left-wing mass media fabricates and invents fake stories. Note the next article for another example as to how alternate viewpoints are being suppressed.

Facebook’s Censorship Continues

Breitbart wrote on February 21:

“Actor Kevin Sorbo was banned from Facebook for posting content that the platform’s ‘fact checkers’ have deemed to be ‘debunked’ information regarding coronavirus vaccines. Sorbo reacted to the ban by saying: ‘All I can say is that I find it amazing that a place like Facebook has more power than our government, apparently. And the government allows them to do what they’re doing right now, in terms of just canceling people that they don’t agree with…

“‘I post things that usually come from what other doctors are saying about the virus, or what other people are saying about the voter fraud, and if that doesn’t fit their narrative, they just get rid of you,’ he added. ‘Freedom of speech, obviously, as we know, has gone out the window,’ said Sorbo. The actor also mentioned that he is ‘more than happy to leave Facebook,’ but wishes that he had the chance to at least tell his 500,000 Facebook followers where they can follow him on CloutHub or Parler before he got banned from Zuckerberg’s platform… ‘Being a Christian and a conservative in Hollywood, that’s kind of is like being a double leper, so I’ve got my own battles to deal with,’ Sorbo added. ‘And thank God for independent movies, otherwise I wouldn’t have a career right now.’”

Sorbo became famous through his portrayal of Hercules in a long-running TV series. Subsequently, he did other TV series and played in numerous movies, until he began to make Christian-oriented movies, such as “God’s Not Dead” and “Let There be Light.”

60 Million Americans Don’t Believe in Biden’s Legitimacy as President

Breitbart wrote on February 22:

“A USA Today/Suffolk University poll found that only 17 percent of Trump voters believe… Joe Biden was legitimately elected, while 73 percent said he was not…

“Of course, there was voter fraud! Does this mean there was enough fraud to overturn the presidential election? We don’t know… And one thing that makes us suspicious is that no one wants to find out if there was voter fraud, most especially the establishment media. Instead of looking into the 2020 president election, instead of investigating what happened and taking people’s concerns seriously, the corporate media are only increasing our suspicions by refusing not only to look into what happened, but by writing those of us off who have questions as terrorists and conspiracy theorists. People with nothing to hide don’t freak out when you ask a question. Governments with nothing to hide don’t freak out when you make an inquiry…

“Trump voters have every reason to believe the 2020 election was stolen. That doesn’t mean it was stolen, but when you behave as though you have something to hide, people have every right to believe you have something to hide… We are unceasingly lied to by the corporate media, Big Tech, and the federal government. Whenever we ask questions, we are shouted down as liars and conspiracy theorists just before we are blacklisted. No one tells us the truth. No one is interested in discovering the truth. Anyone who questions any of this is canceled and attacked. Of course, this is going to breed suspicion, and it should breed suspicion… If three-quarters of Trump supporters do not accept Biden’s legitimacy, you’re talking about some 60 million Americans.”

This almost sounds like a quote from Isaiah 59:4, which reads: “No one calls for justice, Nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies…”

US Supreme Court Won’t Hear Election Cases Alleging Voter Fraud

Breitbart wrote on February 22:

“[On] Monday… the Supreme Court decided — by one vote –to hear none of the 2020 election cases raising issues of voter fraud and illegal votes. Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett voted with the liberal justices to deny review of the lower court decisions.

“Four justices must vote to hear a case to put it on the Court’s docket, but only three justices — Thomas, fellow conservative Samuel Alito, and libertarian Neil Gorsuch — voted to take at least two of four of the key cases from November 2020. All three dissenting justices took the unusual step of writing opinions as to why the Court should have taken at minimum two of these cases.

“‘The Constitution gives to each state legislature authority to determine the “Manner” of federal elections,’ began Thomas. ‘Yet both before and after the 2020 election, nonlegislative officials in various States took it upon themselves to set the rules instead. As a result, we received an unusually high number of petitions and emergency applications contesting those changes. The petitions here present a clear example… That is not a prescription for confidence. Changing the rules in the middle of the game is bad enough. Such rule changes by officials who may lack authority to do so is even worse. When those changes alter election results, they can severely damage the electoral system on which our self-governance so heavily depends… Because fraud is more prevalent with mail-in ballots, increased use of those ballots raises the likelihood that courts will be asked to adjudicate questions that go to the heart of election confidence… ‘

“Quoting the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist’s concurring opinion from the 2000 case Bush v. Gore, Alito [wrote in his dissenting opinion which was joined by Gorsuch]: ‘Now, the election is over, and there is no reason for refusing to decide the important question that these cases pose. The provisions of the Federal Constitution conferring on state legislatures, not state courts, the authority to make rules governing federal elections would be meaningless if a state court could override the rules adopted by the legislature simply by claiming that a state constitutional provision gave the courts the authority to make whatever rules it thought appropriate for the conduct of a fair election…’

“Thomas concluded his dissent with: ‘One wonders what this Court waits for. We failed to settle this dispute before the election, and thus provide clear rules. Now we again fail to provide clear rules for future elections. The decision to leave election law hidden beneath a shroud of doubt is baffling. By doing nothing, we invite further confusion and erosion of voter confidence. Our fellow citizens deserve better and expect more of us. I respectfully dissent.’”

Why wouldn’t the Supreme Court look into these charges?

Civil War in the GOP… Trump vs. McConnell

Newsmax wrote on February 19:

“Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., will… attempt to ease tensions with Republican leaders…  Graham hopes to be ‘constructive’ in his talks with Trump, who recently met with the second-highest ranking Republican in the House, Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise.

“Trump recently hit out at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., for saying that the former president was ‘practically and morally responsible’ for the Capitol riot, saying that the longtime GOP leader is a ‘dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack’… Graham told Fox News after the exchange: ‘President Trump is the most consequential Republican in the party. If Mitch McConnell doesn’t understand that, he’s missing a lot.’”

Daily Mail added on February 19:

“Trump also accused McConnell of ‘destroying’ the GOP and urged the party’s senators to end his leadership…. The former president blamed McConnell… for causing the loss of two GOP Senate seats… ‘The Republican Party can never again be respected or strong with political “leaders” like Sen. Mitch McConnell at its helm,’ Trump began in a letter… ‘McConnell’s dedication to business as usual, status quo policies, together with his lack of political insight, wisdom, skill, and personality, has rapidly driven him from Majority Leader to Minority Leader, and it will only get worse,’ he wrote.

“‘The Democrats and Chuck Schumer play McConnell like a fiddle—they’ve never had it so good—and they want to keep it that way! We know our America First agenda is a winner, not McConnell’s Beltway First agenda or Biden’s America Last… Likewise, McConnell has no credibility on China because of his family’s substantial Chinese business holdings,’ wrote Trump. ‘He does nothing on this tremendous economic and military threat.’”

CNN wrote on February 19:

“Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell vowed never to [meet with Trump]… ‘They’re now at each other’s throat,’ Graham said on Fox News this week. ‘I’m more worried about 2022 than I’ve ever been…’ Trump remains the GOP figure whose words and actions reliably command the most attention. And in his lengthy Tuesday statement blasting McConnell, Trump included a veiled threat to support his own candidates in Republican primaries….”

Trump was invited and agreed to speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Florida. Pence was also invited, but reportedly declined.

Trump 2024 the Republican Presumptive Nominee?

Newsmax reported on February 22:

“Former President Donald Trump plans to use his appearance at the upcoming Conservative Political Action Conference as a ‘show of force’ that will send the message that he will be the Republican ‘presumptive 2024 nominee’ for the presidency, according to top Trump allies. ‘Trump effectively is the Republican Party,’ Trump senior adviser Jason Miller told Axios’ Mike Allen for a report Monday that Trump will claim ‘total control’ of the party during his speech this coming Sunday at CPAC…

“Trump will meet with his advisers this week at his Mar-a-Lago estate to map out his next political moves and to set up his plans for kingmaking actions for the 2022 midterm election, including stoking primary challenges for lawmakers who have voted against him. He’s also expected to pour both money and endorsements on his biggest backers… Meanwhile, Save America, Trump’s leadership PAC, has $75 million on hand, as well as a database containing tens of millions of names. However, Axios reports that there are many Trump confidants that think the former president will pretend like he’s running in 2024, but will ultimately pass that by.”

We must wait and see.

Biden Speaks at Munich Security Conference

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 19:

“At the Munich Security Conference, Joe Biden proclaimed the revival of the trans-Atlantic alliance with a forward-looking agenda that puts democratic resilience first. But the US still has much to prove to a wary Europe…

“Joe Biden couldn’t resist repeating his foreign policy mantra (“America is back”) during his debut on the (virtual) international stage of the Munich Security Conference… Biden is well aware that on neither side of the Atlantic are citizens longing for restoration of a… Western order in which the US led, materially as well as morally, and Europe followed.

“Though he made only polite and passing reference to NATO budgetary contributions in his MSC speech, it was clear that he expects his international partners to leverage and buttress US resources, sharing burdens not only on defense spending, but also on health, climate, trade — and, most particularly, in relations with China. Europeans, too, are wary and weary, well aware that in a deeply polarized US, today’s restart could come to a grinding halt four years from now…

“Whether German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her French counterpart Emmanuel Macron will grasp the hand Biden is extending depends on the degree to which the French president, in particular, sees his quest for strategic autonomy as compatible with trans-Atlantic multilateralism, and on whether the European partners are serious about boosting cooperation not only with the US but, first and foremost, amongst themselves…”

Breitbart added on February 19:

“President Joe Biden reassured European leaders Friday that he would once again work with them, apologizing for former President Donald Trump’s approach while in office… ‘The last four years have been hard but Europe and the United States have to lead with competence once more,’ he said. While not naming Trump explicitly in his speech, Biden repeatedly lamented damages to the European relationships with the United States and promised to revert back to the way it used to be…

“Biden specifically promised to work with European leaders including his ‘good friends’ and ‘outstanding leaders’ like German Chancellor Angela Merkel… Biden said he appreciated a ‘whole’ Europe united under the European Union and spoke about their goal to unite against global competitors like Russia and China…”

Focus asked on February 19 why Merkel responded so emotionless and indifferent to Biden, continuing, “Many conflicts between the USA and Germany remain.”

Allies Remain Doubtful

Yahoo News wrote on February 19, thereby republishing an article which had originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times:

“President Biden tried to reassure U.S. allies Friday that he is turning the page on his predecessor’s ‘America first’ approach, and restoring a foreign policy that values cooperation with the world’s major democracies to tackle global challenges. In two virtual appearances before world leaders, his first as president, Biden emphasized that he would be restoring and building upon the Obama administration’s diplomatic achievements, including the 2015 multination nuclear deal with Iran and the 2016 Paris climate accord, and would be seeking to work collaboratively to contain threats from Russia and China… Biden reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to NATO’s Article V, the mutual-defense promise among treaty members…

“The president nonetheless faces a hard job persuading allies, many of whom have emerged from the Trump years nervous about U.S. reliability, said James Townsend, a former deputy assistant secretary of Defense now at the Center for a New American Security, a centrist Washington think tank. ‘The big issue for Biden is trust, in the sense that a lot of allies are still not convinced where our politics are heading,’ Townsend said…

“Allies’ skepticism about U.S. reliability… were evident Thursday in remarks from French President Emmanuel Macron. He renewed his call for European ‘strategic autonomy’ from Washington, diverging from Biden’s support for a return to reliance on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. ‘I am a defender of European sovereignty, of strategic autonomy…’ Macron said in an interview with the Financial Times. ‘Europe cannot delegate its protection and the protection of its neighborhood to the USA.’

“Such splits between Washington and Europe may become even more visible if Biden pushes NATO members to take a more confrontational stance toward Beijing and Moscow. Many European governments favor less confrontational approaches to both countries. Nor will U.S. frustration likely abate at Europe’s go-slow approach to meeting NATO’s goal that each member spend at least 2% of its gross domestic product on its defense. Nine of the 30 NATO members will reach the target this year; three met it in 2014. But Germany and other allies still lag behind.

“In earlier remarks to a separate virtual session of allies in the Group of 7, made up of leaders of major industrialized nations, Biden announced a $4-billion U.S. investment in COVAX, a cooperative global vaccination effort…”

Translation: America will spend $4 billion dollars for global coronavirus vaccination efforts in foreign countries, while the USA is suffering economically at home, without getting a meaningful handle on the pandemic.

Boris Johnson’s Praise for Biden

Breitbart wrote on February 20:

“Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared that ‘America is unreservedly back’ with the election of Joe Biden as President… ‘and that is a fantastic thing.’ In an apparent jab at Donald Trump, Johnson added: ‘The gloom has been overdone…  I’m delighted that America under President Biden’s leadership has rejoined the Paris Agreement’…

“While the relationship between the two leaders was reportedly tense over the issue of Joe Biden’s anti-Brexit attitude, the pair seem to have mended the ‘special relationship’…”

With Boris Johnson, one never knows where his true loyalties lie. But if Trump were to return to power in some way, he wouldn’t forget what he must view as Johnson’s betrayal. The Bible says that the USA will be against Britain, and vice versa, and both will be against Israel.

Macron’s European Army

MSN wrote on February 18:

“Speaking to Express.co.uk, Peter Kofod claimed the French President’s vision for a unified defence corp in the EU could risk Europe its biggest allies within NATO, the US and the UK. The Danish People’s Party’s MEP dismissed the idea as ‘ridiculous’ as he blasted the French leader’s ‘worrying’ ambitions…

“[Macron’s] position was underlined by French Minister for Europe Clement Beaune during an interview with French broadcaster CNews earlier this month. In remarks which have likely raised eyebrows in the new administration of Joe Biden, Mr Beaune appeared to take a swipe at the new US President and question the USA’s commitment to Europe, while highlighting the threat posed by Vladimir Putin’s Russia and Xi Jinping’s China. Mr Beaune said: ‘The Americans want to do less for European defence, the French want to do more for European defence. I think that’s the big European project for the years to come. Our European partners are close to this path.’”

Express wrote on February 19:

“Macron has said that European Union member states need to ‘play a larger role in its own defense’. The French President hit back at suggestions that the EU pushing ahead with its defence plans was ‘incompatible’ with NATO. Mr Macron said that with the US changing its focus to the Pacific-Asia region, ‘we need Europe to deal with our neighbourhood’…

“Speaking to the Munich Security Conference, he said: ‘… I believe that the best possible involvement of Europe within NATO is to be much more in charge of its own security and more in charge of its strategic autonomy… He added that the EU should not be ‘dependent’ on the US for security, adding: ‘The EU and its key member states have to be part of the solution of their own security’ Mr Macron continued: ‘The US has become a Pacific power, which is mainly looking at China and Asia.”

In the past, Macron had stated that a European Army is a must in order to be able to defend against Europe’s enemies, including Russia, China and perhaps even the USA.

Most for a EU Army

Express wrote on February 23:

“An EU army has long been contemplated in the bloc… In a boost to the EU’s plans, two-thirds of those surveyed in a poll from the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) think-tank, were supportive of a European-level defence force… This comes in response to many within the poll claiming they could not rely on Washington as a strategic ally. When asked on their opinion on the EU’s security partnership with the US, just 10 percent viewed the US as a viable partner… 67 percent across all countries believe their own country could not rely on the US….

“The countries polled were Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Great Britain.”

The prophesied establishment of a European Army is moving forward.

Reviving the Iran Deal?

Times of Israel wrote on February 19:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded on Friday to the United States’ announcement that it was willing to hold talks with Tehran on a return to the nuclear deal, saying Israel believes the old agreement will ‘pave Iran’s path to a nuclear arsenal.’ ‘Israel remains committed to preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons and its position on the nuclear agreement has not changed,’ the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement…

“The Biden administration said Thursday it’s ready to join talks with Iran and world powers to discuss a return to the nuclear deal. It has also reversed the Trump administration’s assertion that all UN sanctions against Iran had been restored. Trump’s move had been ignored by the rest of the Security Council and the world, and the overwhelming majority of members in the 15-nation council had called the action illegal because the US was no longer a member of the nuclear deal. Washington also eased stringent restrictions on the domestic US travel of Iranian diplomats posted to the United Nations.

“The top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, quickly denounced the steps. ‘It is concerning the Biden Administration is already making concessions in an apparent attempt to re-enter the flawed Iran deal,’ he said…”

Newsmax wrote on February 19:

“Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is blasting the Biden administration for saying it is ready to join talks with Iran and world powers to discuss a return to the 2015 nuclear deal… Pompeo told the Free Beacon that European nations ‘wanted to appease the Iranian theocracy for my entire time as secretary of state. We refused. The ayatollah understands only strength. I led a response to the Iranian threat that protected the American people from its terror and supported the Jewish state of Israel.’ And he warned: ‘Adopting the European Union model of accommodation will guarantee Iran a path to a nuclear arsenal.’”

US Democrats vs. Netanyahu

Israel Today wrote on February 19:

“The serious deterioration between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and the Democratic Party really began when Donald J. Trump became President of the United States. The special personal relationship the two leaders developed and the subsequent measures Trump took against the Palestinian Authority was a thorn in the side of many Democrats, including Joe Biden… Judging Biden by his deeds one could doubt his ‘commitment to Israel’s security’… He already canceled most of the measures Trump took against the PA and resumed funding of the Palestinian regime… his administration says it wants the status of Jerusalem settled in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority…

“The Obama years also contributed significantly to a rift in Israel-Democratic relations. Obama is seen in Israel as the most hostile US President in the history of the Jewish state. Netanyahu was under constant pressure from Obama to make concessions to the Palestinians, and at the end of his term, Obama had his UN ambassador vote for an anti-Israeli resolution in the UN Security Council. This had never happened and it caused a lot of bad blood, especially among the right-wing parties in Israel…

“Democratic politicians told Israeli media that they hope Netanyahu will be removed from office after the upcoming Israeli election on March 23… Democratic politicians have little understanding of the political situation in Israel…

“An additional problem is that the ruling American party is slowly being taken over by radical left-wing elements that are fiercely anti-Israel, including former Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders, who is Jewish… Other examples are Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, two Muslim Congresswomen who were banned from entering Israel in August 2019. Both support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel and have made no secret of their hate for the Jewish state.”

Newsmax added on February 18:

“Netanyahu and President Barack Obama had a highly contentious relationship, one that some Israeli experts have called the worst ever between a U.S. president and Israeli prime minister.”

Destroying Al Aqsa to Build the Temple?

Israel 365 wrote on February 24:

“A so-called Israeli affairs ‘expert’ explained to viewers of official PA TV that the ‘true and serious Zionist threat’ is Israel’s ‘plan’ to empty Jerusalem of Christian and Muslim holy sites. Nawaf Al-Zaru went as far as accusing Israel of planning to ‘burn monasteries and churches,’  ‘destroy’ Islamic holy sites, and ‘bomb’ the Al-Aqsa Mosque…

“Hundreds, if not thousands, of similar libelous statements have been made by PA officials… for decades. The PA claims that Israel seeks to ‘Judaize’ Jerusalem and erase all traces of Christianity and Islam in the city. The PA also alleges that the Al-Aqsa Mosque is in danger because Israel is plotting to destroy it to rebuild Solomon’s ‘alleged Temple.’ In accordance, official PA TV teaches its viewers that there is no Jewish history in Jerusalem… ‘This is the city of Allah and of his early promise. Everything in Jerusalem is Arab and Islamic.’ …

“Likewise, Jerusalem District Deputy Governor Abdallah Siyam recently stated that Israel… [is] ‘striving to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque and establish the so-called “Temple” in its place.’”

China’s Concentration Camps of Horror

The New York Post wrote on February 20:

“To hear the Chinese Communist Party tell it, the network of concentration camps in China’s far west are ‘vocational schools.’ But former women inmates, largely Uighurs and Kazakhs, tell a different story. They describe the camps as houses of horrors where Chinese camp guards systemically use gang rape and torture to violate their bodies and break their will to resist.

“The new testimony… has aroused worldwide condemnation. It also confirms the State Department’s recent finding that China is committing genocide against its Uighur minority…”

The detailed description of what happens in these camps is too gruesome to repeat here. The lack of condemnation by Western leaders is appalling.

Destroying Biblical Values

LifeSiteNews (which has been permanently banned on YouTube) wrote on February 24:

“Following the announcement that the radical pro-abortion and pro-LGBT Equality Act will be brought before the U.S. House of Representatives… pro-life and pro-family leaders have described the proposed legislation as ‘the most comprehensive assault on Christianity ever written into law.’

“Dr. Bill Donohue, Ph.D., president of the Catholic advocacy group Catholic League, said that, contrary to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s claim that the Equality Act is ‘about ending discrimination,’ … in fact the opposite is true, with Christians set to experience severe discrimination should the act be passed into law… Donohue said that the act’s broad scope would force healthcare providers to supply hormone therapies and even surgeries in accordance with ‘sex change’ procedures. Women’s sports, too, will become unfairly altered by the inclusion of boys and men who purport to be female. ‘These biological males can use the locker rooms, restrooms and shower facilities that have always been reserved for females,’ he added…

“Family Research Council (FRC) President Tony Perkins described the Equality Act as ‘a catastrophic loss of religious freedom in America.’

“… Lila Rose, Founder & President of Live Action, described the Equality Act as ‘deceptively named and corrupt in its vision… There is nothing empowering or “equalizing” about killing innocent preborn children nor confusing what it means to be male and female. This deceptively named piece of legislation hides within it policies that override conscience rights, require employers to cover abortions in their healthcare plans, and nullifies pro-life laws and protections on a massive scale…’

“Experts from the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) agree. President Ryan T. Anderson, Ph.D., a specialist in bioethics, religious liberty, and political philosophy, said: ‘The so-called Equality Act is legislative malpractice that turns equality on its head… It isn’t drafted as a shield to protect vulnerable minorities from unjust discrimination, but as a sword to persecute those who do not embrace new sexual and gender ideologies.’”

Are Coronavirus Vaccines Safe?

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on February 23:

“Via a Monday Twitter post, President Joe Biden made an unqualified assertion that the experimental coronavirus vaccines… the United States government is encouraging Americans to take are ‘safe’ for everyone. However, taking a look through the fact sheets for recipients and caregivers regarding the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna experimental coronavirus vaccines, available at the website of the US government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you find a very different representation.

“These fact sheets warn that there are many known health risks of taking either vaccine and that there are also other potential health risks that remain unknown because the experimental vaccines went through rushed and incomplete testing…

“The first warning sign in the fact sheets for the two experimental vaccines is in the fact sheets’ titles. Both titles refer to the ‘emergency use authorization’ of the vaccines.., it is made clear that the emergency use authorization does not mean the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined the vaccines are safe… the fact sheets explicitly say that some people should not receive the injections: people under a certain age (16 for Pfizer-BioNTech and 18 for Moderna), as well as people who have ‘had a severe allergic reaction after a previous dose of this vaccine’ (both vaccines have a two shot regimen) or ‘had a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient’ of the respective vaccines…

“So, are the experimental coronavirus vaccines safe? The answer is ‘no’ according to the fact sheets provided at the FDA website. There are significant known dangers from taking the vaccines. Also, especially given the rushed and abbreviated testing of the experimental vaccines, there may be numerous unlisted health problems that arise in people who receive the shots.”

The article concludes by saying that a wise “course is for people to consider the potential risks carefully and make their own informed decisions regarding taking the experimental coronavirus vaccines.”

This is true. People should make an informed decision… either way.

Spahn Fighting for Survival?

The Daily Mail wrote on February 24:

“German health minister Jens Spahn is said to be ‘fighting for his career’ after overseeing a shambolic vaccine roll-out, clashing with Angela Merkel and failing to deliver on a promised rapid-testing scheme. Spahn, who only months ago was being feted by those marvelling at Germany’s early success against the pandemic, has seen his approval rating slide five points in a month amid the vaccination chaos and a grinding two-month lockdown.

“Merkel’s decision to postpone a major rapid testing roll-out which Spahn had promised to bring in on March 1 has prompted talk of ‘revenge’ in German media – after the chancellor accused him of trying to shift blame for the vaccine fiasco to Brussels. With Bild [Germany’s mass tabloid] now describing Spahn as a ‘ministerial flop’, the 40-year-old – who was seen as an outside contender in the race to succeed Merkel as chancellor later this year – is said to be ‘frustrated’ and ‘bewildered’ by the setbacks to his career.”

No End to Travel Restrictions… Vaccination Passports?

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 25:

“Leaders from across the 27-nation bloc [of the EU] convened via videoconference on Thursday to thrash out joint approaches to the COVID-19 crisis… Tourist-reliant southern European nations such as Greece and Spain urged the rapid adoption of an EU-wide vaccination certificate for travelers. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz backed the idea in an appearance on the online television channel of Germany’s Bild newspaper. He said it would enable a restart to free travel in Europe and could help ‘secure and protect’ struggling sectors like the arts, sports and gastronomy.

“Manfred Weber, the head of the conservative bloc in the European Parliament, has called for a speedy rollout of a vaccine passport in order to allow freedom of movement in the EU… Other countries, such as France and Germany, have shown more reluctance, with officials saying it would create de facto vaccination obligation and could prove discriminatory…”

CNBC wrote on February 25:

“Given the health crisis, European leaders are not yet inclined to ease travel restrictions… Some heads of state believe it is too early to consider a vaccination passport as the deployment of vaccines is still at such an early phase.

“Rickard Gustafson, CEO of Scandinavian Airlines,… said that it needs to be applied to ‘all other transportation means… because if you cross a border, it doesn’t really matter if you cross it by air, by train, by car, by bus’…” 

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 to review this section of Scripture although Mr Norbert Link has already addressed aspects of this recently in a member letter and a StandingWatch programme.  In this Q&A, we want to show specific details of some of the New Testament apostles and make appropriate observations on a number of Scriptural references.

First of all, let us read what Deuteronomy 18:20-22 says:

“But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death. You may say to yourselves, ‘How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?’ If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.”

Mr Link observed in his member letter that “On the face of it, that would mean that the early New Testament apostles would have been false prophets, because they all believed and proclaimed dogmatically, undoubtedly with the conviction that they were inspired by God, that they would still be alive at the time of the return of Jesus Christ. Later it became clear to them that they would all die, but that was not clear to them at first.

“It is obvious that Deuteronomy 18:20-22 does not address these kinds of scenarios. Matthew Henry explains that the false prophet makes wrong predictions, contrary to the plain meaning of Scripture, to encourage people to sin (cp. Jeremiah 23:20-22). The false prophet claims to speak in the name of the LORD, but it is his goal to lead the people to wrong gods. In reality, a false prophet speaks in the name of other gods, either expressly (cp. Deuteronomy 13:1-5), or clandestinely.

“The Nelson Study Bible points out that false prophets might even predict events which do come to pass, while true prophets may predict events which do not materialize.  A classic example is Jonah who proclaimed that God would destroy sinful Nineveh in 40 days. Due to the sincere repentance of the Ninevites, God relented from the calamity which He had planned to bring about (compare Jeremiah 18:7-8; 26:3). This did not make Jonah a false prophet.”

For the purpose of this presentation, let us look at the statements of several apostles in the New Testament who thought that Christ would return in their lifetime.

In Acts 2:16-21 we read the passage where Peter was speaking on the day of Pentecost in 31AD and written by Luke some 30 years or so later:

“But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,  That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;  Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,  Your young men shall see visions,  Your old men shall dream dreams.  And on My menservants and on My maidservants   I will pour out My Spirit in those days;  And they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above  And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.  The sun shall be turned into darkness,  And the moon into blood,  Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.  And it shall come to pass  That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’”

Peter was quoting the prophet Joel and while this happened in part with the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, this prophecy has to be fulfilled at the end of this age. It seems fairly obvious that Peter thought that they were in the last days then; otherwise, why would he have quoted this prophecy at that time?

Also, Peter thought it was the end-time with his comment in 1 Peter 1:20:

“He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.”

This was written nearly 2,000 years ago, but does that make Peter a false prophet?   If he was, we might as well throw the Bible away because all Scripture stands, without exception, or it falls.   We believe that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

Further, Peter was joined by Paul in thinking that time was short then. We read an interesting verse in 1 Corinthians 7:29.   This was written by Paul between AD 50-52:

“But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none…”

Paul thought that the time was short and that the Great Tribulation was imminent, but here we are nearly 2,000 years later, still awaiting Christ’s return.

Over a few pages in 1 Corinthians 15:50-52, we read the following:

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

The last four words of verse 52 are very revealing – “we shall be changed.”   When we use the word “we,” it obviously includes ourselves, and in this case it included Paul himself.

The first letter that the apostle Paul wrote was 1 Thessalonians, around AD 50-52. The disciples’ early epistles reveal that some, if not most of them, thought that Christ’s return was imminent. So, what does he write in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18?

“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

We read here that Paul expected, at that time, that Jesus would return in his lifetime as again, the word “we”—that inclusive term— is used.  He even said that he was passing this information on to the readers as “the word of the Lord.”

In Hebrews 1:1-2, we again see Paul referring to the last days:

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds…”

There are four different references of Paul, and we need to fully realize how some—or maybe all of the early apostles—felt on this matter. There are of course many more references where Paul expressed his conviction that Christ would come soon (compare for example Philippians 4:5: “The Lord is at hand.”)

Let us see what James, the half-brother of Jesus, had to say.

He stated in James 5:1-3:

“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you!  Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.”

Yet again, the phrase “the last days” has been used.  Compare also James 5:8: “…the coming of the Lord is at hand” or, as the margin in the New King James Bible has it, “has drawn near.”

The apostle John felt exactly the same. As we read in 1 John 2:18:

“Little children, it is the [or: a] last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the [or: a] last hour.”

The or a last hour is quoted twice in the same verse.

In this Q&A, we have quoted numerous references for Peter, Paul, James and John.  Were any of these disciples of Christ a false prophet? If they had been, they would have been condemned in the Bible, but they are not. They were men of God, but none of these men were perfect, nor were any of them false prophets.

With the wrong idea that they were false prophets, we might as well conclude that Jesus Christ was a false prophet. In the book of Revelation, we read that God the Father revealed to Christ “things which must shortly take place” (1:1). Christ passed the information on to an angel to communicate to the apostle John. John then adds in verse 3: “the time is at hand.” In Revelation 3:11, Christ Himself is quoted as saying: “I come quickly.” The Greek word for “quickly” is “tachu” and has the meaning of, shortly, without delay, soon. It can also mean, suddenly. Christ repeats this in Revelation 22:7, 12, 20. John understood Christ’s words as saying that He was coming soon, because he responds: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

We must remember, though, that Christ said this and that He inspired His apostles to write what they did, because “they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come” (1 Corinthians 10:11). Even though their words were meant for the last generation—for us today–, still, they believed when they wrote them down, that what they wrote would be fulfilled in their lifetime.

In our anxiety as the people of God, and having been given such a tremendous calling with the promise of a wonderful future, it is unsurprising that members and ministers of the Church have eagerly looked forward to the time when Jesus Christ will return to the earth to set up the Kingdom of God and rule in peace.  This may also be partially due to the fact that they have been very well aware of Christ’s warning in Matthew 24:48-51:

“But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (New International Version).

With such an incredibly marvellous and magnificent future in store for us, we may well have been over-anxious for this time to arrive before it is God the Father’s time to send Jesus back to this earth to save mankind from extinction. But this does not make us to be false prophets. We are certainly getting close to that point now but we all have to remember that God is the Master of timing and it will happen at exactly the right time – in His own time!

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Will the Relationship between the USA and Europe Improve?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary: 

Some are hopeful that the relationship between the USA and the EU, which has not been that good, will get better substantially because of the new US Administration. Others are not so sure, or they even doubt it very much. Listen to many articles from national and international liberal and conservative sources to note what their take is on the matter.

“Christi Erklärung der vier Reiter der Offenbarung,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Christ’s Explanation of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”

“Erziehung im Sinne Gottes,” is the title of last Sabbath’s split sermon, presented by Thilo Hanstein. Title in English: “Training According to God’s Will.”

“Eine gute Verbindung haben,” is the title of last Sabbath’s split sermon, presented by Christoph Sperzel. Title in English: “Have a Good Connection.”

“Dead Center,” is the title of last Sabbath’s sermonette, presented by Frank Bruno. Here is a summary:

The world today likes to deceive itself that it prefers life in the center—a world of compromise. Politicians who do not espouse this sentiment, this focus on false healing and unity are condemned. The world is of course hostile to any truth associated with being obedient to God’s laws. Worldly negotiation demands driving to the center—accepting pain for all! Humans cannot succeed in this world if they are true to God’s commandments, yet, conversely, they cannot find the narrow pathway to the Kingdom of God if they seek to please two masters. In this Sermonette we will cover several scriptures that make this perfectly clear. Participating in the politics of this world by definition means choosing between the lesser of two evils—not the ways of the Lord. This is not acceptable for followers of Jesus Christ.

“The Open Door,” is the title of last Sabbath’s sermon, presented by Eric Rank. Here is a summary:

The Bible describes an amazing opportunity for mankind, and an even greater opportunity to those who are fortunate to be called out of the world in this age. What do we need to do to take advantage of the great opportunities we have sitting right in front of us?

On February 20, 2021, Frank Bruno will present the sermonette, titled, “Dead Center,” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “The Open Door.”

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.

At the end of January this year, Ohio Senator Rob Portman announced that he would not seek re-election following the completion of his current term that ends in 2023. For nearly 30 years he has worked in the upper echelon of federal politics, as an advisor for presidential administrations, as a member of the House of Representatives, and now as a Senator. Over the many years, he has prided himself as being results-oriented, crossing party lines to do what he believed was right, even when others in his party would disagree. To be clear, we are not endorsing or rejecting his political views or statements, and this Editorial should not be understood in any way as to approving or disapproving his positions. But in commenting on the reasons behind his decision not to seek re-election, he cited the divisiveness that is increasingly plaguing politics today. Portman stated, “Our country’s polarized right now.… It’s kind of shirts and skins. That makes it more difficult to find that common ground. Elected officials aren’t rewarded for that. What they’re rewarded for is throwing red meat to the talk show.” We see from this example an insider’s account of the problems that face the U.S. government. The divisiveness in politics, vaunted by the media and incited by the populous, draws attention away from the hard work of righteous virtue, focusing instead on feeding an insatiable appetite of bloodlust and vitriol.

What we see right now merely foreshadows the hostility of individuals and factions that will increase as the return of Christ draws closer. Jesus Christ reminds us of the reason why this is so when He states, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). The citizens and ironically, the lawmakers of our nations are not seeking the Will of God, but rather they are embracing lawlessness. We can see the consequences of these worldly actions today manifested in the hatred expressed against those who hold contrary opinions. Sadly, the world that we live in will need to suffer catastrophe and near-extinction before the return of Jesus Christ sets things straight.

Until then, we must endure life in this world, doing the hard work of upholding the Way of God. We know that Satan is the lying tempter who deceives the world, convincing individuals to adopt his way of sin rather than the Way of God (compare 1 John 5:19, Revelation 12:9). It is our responsibility to be on guard against these powerful forces in the world because they can be very subtle in their influence. We have the privilege of having the Truth of God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It provides us with a guide to discern the worldly from the spiritual. But we have to put the Holy Spirit to work in our lives if we want it to be effective! If we don’t, we too may succumb to the way of sin without even recognizing our falling away from the Truth. We know that Satan will work to deceive even the elect – those who have the Truth (compare Matthew 24:24, Mark 13:22). We must not fall into that trap. Since we live in this world that embraces a culture of conflict, we face the threat of becoming negatively influenced unless we are constantly vigilant. Jesus Christ spoke of this state of being when He prayed to God the Father in those last hours of His life on Earth, saying about His disciples, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:16-17). If we want to guard ourselves against the evil in the world that surrounds us, we must separate ourselves from the world by clinging to God’s Truth, rather than becoming influenced by the nonsense that swirls around us.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul offers instruction that can serve us very well today: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). We can renew our minds by focusing our attention on doing good, rather than those things that heighten our anger. This is not to say that we could not and must not become angry about the evils in this world or that we could not or must not hate what is wrong. We most certainly have to, but we are speaking here of the hate and anger of the carnal mind. By finding reasons to love what is right rather than hate in the wrong way, we please God. By making peace, we become sons of God. By offering mercy to others, we too will receive mercy from God. By doing good in our lives, we will overcome evil. (Compare Matthew 5:7, Matthew 5:9, Romans 12:21.)

Separating ourselves from this world is no simple task. As hard as we try, we will still become influenced by it. It is impossible to completely avoid it. Christ was the only One who was able to overcome this world and its evil influences perfectly, without ever sinning. But just as Christ served to glorify His Father in heaven, while still living in this world, we must do the same today by the way we live our lives. Our mission on this Earth is to continually work to find those areas in our lives where we can eliminate the worldly ways that influence us to sin and replace them with love and Truth. In doing so, we uphold godly righteousness and improve our own wellbeing right now, and we guarantee that we will be able to enter the Kingdom of God in the future.

by Norbert Link

We address Trump’s acquittal in his “impeachment trial” and subsequent reactions from Trump, Republicans and Democrats; and point out the use of reckless rhetoric and the phenomenon of the new McCarthyism, which are only all too common nowadays in the USA. We speak on the terrible cold and the insane green energy politics and further developments regarding the strained relationship between the USA and Israel, as well as Europe. n this context, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Can Israel Count on America’s Support?”

We report on Italy’s new Prime Minister, former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi, and, in focusing on issues related in some way to the coronavirus pandemic, we speak on the problems New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and, to an extent, his younger brother, CNN moderator Chris Cuomo, are encountering; and we report Instagram’s latest atrocity in banning Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; as well as Parler’s return.

We address further nonsense regarding the use of the words “breast milk” and a new bill in the state of Victoria in Australia persecuting, in effect, Bible-believing Christians; and we point out an attempt by the UN to create a blacklist of those who oppose the LGBT agenda in any way.

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

Trump Acquitted for the Second Time

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 13:

“The United States Senate on Saturday formally cleared former President Donald Trump of inciting an insurrection at the US Capitol last month. Trump was the first former president to face trial after leaving office and the only president to be impeached twice. The US Senate voted 57-43 on the impeachment charge, which means that seven Republican senators voted to convict the former president. A conviction… was seen as highly unlikely as it required a two-thirds majority, and the 100-member Senate is evenly split between Democrats and Republicans.

“DW’s Washington bureau chief Ines Pohl said the vote showed the influence Trump still has. ‘Picture is really clear that former-President Donald Trump has a grip on the Republican Party,’ she said. ‘Donald Trump is far from being done.’

“‘This has been yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our country,’ Trump said in a statement. ‘In the months ahead I have much to share with you, and I look forward to continuing our incredible journey together,’ he added. He signaled towards a possible political future, saying that ‘our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun.’ ‘We have so much work ahead of us, and soon we will emerge with a vision for a bright, radiant, and limitless American future,’ Trump said…

“… the Senate’s top Republican, Mitch McConnell, said Saturday he would vote against convicting the former president. McConnell said he could not vote to convict Trump because he is ‘constitutionally not eligible for conviction’ after leaving office. In a speech after the vote, McConnell called Trump ‘practically and morally responsible for provoking’ the riot. Even though Trump was acquitted, the end of the trial saw the largest number of senators ever to vote to convict a president of their own party…”

Democrats such as Schumer or Pelosi fume and are beside themselves over Trump’s acquittal, thereby conveniently forgetting their own radical rhetoric arguably inciting violence. A particularly telling comment was uttered by Democratic Manager Eric Swalwell, himself not a stranger to scandals and controversies: “Democrats could have called ‘God herself’ to testify during the impeachment, and Republican senators would not have voted to convict former President Donald Trump” (Breitbart, February 14, 2021). How else than as being appallingly disgusting and blasphemous could such a comment be characterized?

Trump Most Potent Force in GOP

Bloomberg News reported on February 14:

“Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said Donald Trump remains the party’s ‘most potent force’ even after his second impeachment, and suggested Minority Leader Mitch McConnell hurt the GOP by blaming the former president for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol…

“The South Carolina senator’s comments reflect the internal struggle facing the party… Trump’s level of support among the GOP base will help determine his future role in the party. Graham said there’s no question Republicans need to work with Trump to win future elections… ‘We can’t do it without him,’ Graham said…

“Republicans who have crossed Trump… already met pushback from within the GOP. Senators Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Richard Burr of North Carolina were both censured on Saturday by their state parties… In another sign that Trump’s influence could live on, Graham predicted the former president’s daughter in law, Lara Trump, could run for Burr’s Senate seat in 2022…”

Some, even amongst former Trump supporters, such as former U.S. ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, predict that Trump will never again become President. They might end up being surprised. On February 14, Newsmax quoted former U.S. ambassador to Germany, Ric Grenell, as saying:

“I think that President Trump is 100% the leader of the Republican Party. Whether he decides to run or not — he’s told me in the past that he was definitely going to run — I think the reality is that we haven’t had a leader of the Republican Party that has grown Hispanic support, Black support, inner city support, support from women and gays. This is a president who has really put together an incredible coalition. And I think anyone who thinks that he’s just going to go away quietly is dead wrong. He’s going to be the leader of the party and certainly have the decision on who is going to be the nominee in 2024.”

Most Republicans Support Trump Running in 2024

The Guardian wrote on February 16:

“If the 2024 Republican presidential primary were held today, Donald Trump would be the clear favorite to win big. That was the message from a Politico-Morning Consult poll released on Tuesday… Among Republican voters, 59% said they wanted Trump to play a prominent role in their party, up a whopping 18 points from the last such poll, taken in the aftermath of the Capitol riot. A slightly lower number, 54%, said they would back Trump in the primary… Though the 45th president will be 78 by election day 2024, he will be able to run again if he chooses…  [Mike Pence] placed second in the Politico-Morning Consult poll, with 12%…. Donald Trump Jr shared third place, with 6%, with Nikki Haley… Mitt Romney… scored 4% in the new poll. Ted Cruz… scored 3%…

“The battle for the soul of the party is on. On Monday, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell followed an editorial in the Wall Street Journal which said Trump would not win another national election with a column on his own…  McConnell has also made clear that he will oppose pro-Trump candidates seeking Republican nominations in the 2022 midterms, if he thinks they would damage chances of beating a Democrat.”

McConnell’s divisive and self-serving role becomes more and more problematic for him and the GOP.

“Uncertainty Looms”

Politico wrote on February 13:

“What comes next for the 45th president is anybody’s guess. Uncertainty looms over nearly every aspect of the former president’s post-impeachment political future — from the causes he will embrace, to his level of influence inside the GOP, to the possibility he could face criminal charges or see diminished voter appetite for a potential comeback bid in 2024…

“The former president has promised to help the GOP retake the House in the midterm elections next fall but also wants revenge against 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach him in the lower chamber. It is assumed he will reserve similar animus for the seven Senate Republicans who voted for his conviction on Saturday…

“Trump allies are unsure how much success he’ll see…, particularly on the heels of an emotional impeachment trial that may have deeply wounded his reputation… But others argue Trump’s acquittal will only cement his position in the party and send a message that Trump — and Trumpism — is the predominant force in GOP politics…

“Trump has framed his post-presidential legal exposure as remnants of ‘the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country’ — a phrase he also used to describe the Senate impeachment trial on Saturday. ‘It is a sad commentary on our times that one political party in America is given a free pass to denigrate the rule of law, defame law enforcement, cheer mobs, excuse rioters, and transform justice into a tool of political vengeance, and persecute, blacklist, cancel and suppress all people and viewpoints with whom or which they disagree,’ Trump said.

[According to CNN, Trump also added: “I always have, and always will, be a champion for the unwavering rule of law, the heroes of law enforcement, and the right of Americans to peacefully and honorably debate the issues of the day without malice and without hate.”]

“‘ACQUITTED AT LAST! The biggest political circus of ALL TIME is finally over and we want to send a message that the Republican Party is STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE,’ read a message [by the Republican National Committee on Saturday].

That may seem like wishful thinking now. But perhaps not entirely so…”

Trump cannot be easily ignored.

Trump Calls Fox News, Mourns Limbaugh’s Death and Speaks about Election Fraud

The Sun wrote on February 17:

“DONALD Trump has again claimed that he won the 2020 election and said the nation is ‘angry.’ The 45th president underwent his first interview since leaving the White House on Wednesday afternoon. Trump [called in and] spoke to Fox News to pay tribute to the late Rush Limbaugh [who died on Wednesday at the age of 70 after being diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer last year], however quickly started discussing the 2020 election. ‘Rush felt we won and he was quite angry about it,’ he said. He also doubled down on his opinions on his claims that there was election fraud, dubbing the results as ‘disgraceful.’ Trump said the United States was a ‘third world country on election night,’ saying ‘you don’t know how angry this country is.’

“He added that he still believes that his administration ‘won substantially’… Speaking about Limbaugh just hours after his death was announced, Trump said he was ‘very brave… he was fighting until the very end.’… He said: ‘It was a great honor and an incredible night to give the Medal of Honor to him during the State of The Union address.”

The interview was conducted by Harris Faulkner and Bill Hemmer. As Yahoo!News observed, “neither Harris Faulkner nor Bill Hemmer… pushed back on the former president’s false claims of election fraud.”

However, most Republicans believe that Trump’s claim is accurate. It should be noted that Trump was asked in the interview how Limbaugh felt about the election. In addition, at the end of the interview, Faulkner thanked Trump for calling in and remarked, in effect, that she was glad that Trump was back on Fox, and that Fox would conduct many more interviews with him in the future.

Dangerous Reckless Rhetoric

On February 11, the Ron Paul Institute published the following article by Prof. Jonathan Turley:

“Reckless rhetoric reflects our age of rage… Fired FBI director James Comey has been given to reckless rhetoric… He recently said, ‘The Republican Party needs to be burned down…’ Likewise, Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin declared that ‘We have to collectively, in essence, burn down the Republican Party. We have to level them because if there are survivors, if there are people who weather this storm, they will do it again’…

“Such rhetoric even extends to academics, who historically abhor violence. One professor recently called for more Trump supporters to be killed. Rhode Island Professor Erik Loomis…  said he saw ‘nothing wrong’ with the killing of a conservative protestor’—a view defended by other academics.”

That is terrible, but a sign of our times.

New McCarthyism of the Left

Newsmax wrote on February 14:

“Former Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz on Sunday blasted the ‘new McCarthyism’ of the Democrats’ ‘hard left.’… Dershowitz, a constitutional law expert, said some liberals have become radical censors of free speech.

“‘Common Cause, which purports to be a liberal, not a radical organization, has now demanded that Facebook keep Donald Trump off its platform,’ he said. ‘We are getting liberals… [calling for] Fox News [to be] taken off the networks. I hated communism but I defended the rights of lawyers to defend accused communists.’ ‘If any lawyer is the subject of this kind of McCarthyism, I will represent you pro bono, in front of universities and bar associations,’ he added. ‘I will dedicate myself that the new McCarthyism of the hard left doesn’t become American culture.’”

The attempts to censor free speech are rampant in the US these days.

The Insane Green Energy Politics

Breitbart wrote on February 16:

“Monday, Fox News Channel’s Tucker Carlson opened his program with a sharp rebuke of so-called green energy policies that have wreaked havoc on the country as an Arctic blast makes its way across the United States. Carlson focused on failures in Texas, where millions suffered power losses in the wake of the colder weather, and said more of that should be expected with the left’s energy policies…

“‘The bad news is, they don’t have electricity. The windmills froze, so the power grid failed. Millions of Texans woke up this morning freezing. There was no heat, no traffic lights, and no cell service. Schools closed, cars crashed. Hospitals canceled surgeries. In Fort Worth, people had to boil their water because with no electricity, it couldn’t be purified. The ironically named Electric Reliability Council of Texas which oversees the grid had no solution to any of this. They simply told people to stop using so much power to keep warm… We’ve seen it happen repeatedly in California for years now. Rolling blackouts in a purportedly first world state that is slipping steadily into chaos. But in Texas?…

“‘There are huge natural gas deposits all over Texas. Texas is an oil and gas state famously… Rather than celebrate and benefit from their state’s vast natural resources, politicians took the fashionable route and became recklessly reliant on so-called alternative energy, meaning windmills… Last year, roughly a quarter of all electricity generated in the state came from wind…

“‘Green Energy inevitably means blackouts… It means failures like the ones we’re seeing now in Texas…’”

Tucker Carlson is right. Note the next article.

A Deep Green Freeze

The Wall Street Journal added the following opinion piece by the Editorial Board, dated February 15:

“Power shortages show the folly of eliminating natural gas—and coal. Gas and power prices have spiked across the central U.S. while Texas regulators ordered rolling blackouts Monday as an Arctic blast has frozen wind turbines. Herein is the paradox of the left’s climate agenda: The less we use fossil fuels, the more we need them.

“A mix of ice and snow swept across the country this weekend as temperatures plunged below zero in the upper Midwest and into the teens in Houston… the power grid is becoming less reliable due to growing reliance on wind and solar, which can’t provide power 24 hours a day, seven days a week… Regulators rationed gas for commercial and industrial uses to ensure fuel for power plants and household heating.

“Texas’s energy emergency could last all week as the weather is forecast to remain frigid… Blame a perfect storm of bad government policies, timing and weather. Coal and nuclear are the most reliable sources of power. But competition from heavily subsidized wind power and inexpensive natural gas, combined with stricter emissions regulation, has caused coal’s share of Texas’s electricity to plunge by more than half in a decade to 18%.”

Because of this self-destructing policy, people have died due to the freezing cold.

More Misery Coming

The Associated Press reported on February 17:

“Utility crews raced Wednesday to restore power to nearly 3.4 million customers around the U.S. who were still without electricity or heat in the aftermath of a deadly winter storm while another blast of ice and snow threatened to sow more chaos. The latest storm front was certain to complicate recovery efforts, especially in states that are unaccustomed to such frigid weather — parts of Texas, Arkansas and the Lower Mississippi Valley… Weather-related outages have been particularly stubborn in Oregon, where some customers have been without power for almost a week…

“Utilities from Minnesota to Texas and Mississippi have implemented rolling blackouts… The worst U.S. power outages by far have been in Texas, where 3 million homes and businesses remained without power as of midday Wednesday… The outages in and around Portland, Oregon, affected nearly 150,000 customers nearly a week after a massive snow and ice storm toppled many trees and took out hundreds of miles of power lines. The damage to the power system was the worst in 40 years… At the peak of the storm, more than 350,000 customers in the Portland area were in the dark… Rolling blackouts were imposed Tuesday in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Southeast Texas…”

Incredibly, the article also says that this terrible winter storm was blamed by scientists on “global WARMING caused by humans.”

USA vs. Israel

The Jerusalem Post wrote on February 14:

“If American planes are not allowed to operate emergency flights to Israel, Israeli planes will not be allowed to land in the US, N12 reported Saturday.

“The Biden administration accused Israel of violating the freedoms of the air and creating a crisis with the new administration following the Israeli border closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, N12 reported. The administration then demanded that planes from the US be allowed to land in Israel…

“The US Department of Transportation complained to the Foreign Ministry and Transportation Ministry that this situation violates the aviation agreement between the countries, which was meant to guarantee equal treatment of Israeli and American airlines.”

The relationship between the USA and Israel will never be the same under Biden as it was under Trump.

“Israel and Biden-Trouble on the Horizon”

Israel Today wrote on February 15:

“Israel has reason to be deeply concerned about the policy that US President Joe Biden’s new administration will pursue vis-à-vis the Jewish state… those concerns are justified and relate to diplomatic measures already taken by the Biden White House…

“… the Trump Administration’s recognition that the Golan Heights is Israeli territory was effectively withdrawn… The Biden Administration has announced that financial aid to the Palestinian Arabs, which Trump canceled, will resume… Biden, furthermore, will allow the Palestinian Authority to reopen the PLO diplomatic mission that Trump closed in Washington DC…

“One important issue viewed by Jerusalem as a threat to Israel is the opinion of certain key figures in the Biden administration regarding Iran. They say the US should return to dialogue with Iran and rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA). More recently, Biden has linked such a move to Iran’s willingness to stop enriching uranium…

“Another reason Israel worries about the policies the Biden Administration will pursue towards the Jewish state and the Middle East are the appointments of a number of ex-Obama officials to key positions. [US Secretary of State Antony] Blinken, for example, is an appeaser when it comes to Iran. He was against including Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the list of recognized terrorist organizations. Blinken was also the one who questioned the legality of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights last week.

“Biden’s Director for National Security, Avril Haines, signed a… letter, [in which] Israel was condemned for ‘violence, terrorism, and incitement.’…  Then there’s Wendy Sherman, the female chief negotiator in the talks with Iran… She was a strong supporter of negotiations with and concessions toward Iran. At the time, she also refused to condemn Palestinian suicide attacks on Israelis.

“The appointment of Robert Malley as Biden’s special envoy to Iran is another problem point. Malley… is a left-wing extremist… [He] wants dialogue with Hamas and Syrian dictator Assad. He is also known for his aversion to Israel.

“Jen Psaki, another former Obama official, is now the White House press secretary. She questioned Israel’s commitment to peace, but remained silent about the Palestinian refusal to return to the negotiating table.

“Another anti-Israel official in the Biden government is Maher Bitar, who is the new head of the US Intelligence and National Security Council…. [He] is a Palestinian American who once wrote in a paper the following: ‘Israel’s political existence as a state is a cause for Palestinian dispossession and statelessness….’

“Another appointment of a Palestinian American to a key position when it comes to Israel is Hady Amr [who] is known for his radical anti-Israeli views and has strong ties to the Palestinian leadership…

“Reema Dodin… serves in the White House… She took part in rallies against Israel calling for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions… In 2002, Dodin said suicide bombings by Palestinian Arabs were ‘the last resort of a desperate people.’”

It really appears as if the relationship between Israel and the USA is to drastically change for the worse.

Biden and Netanyahu “Talk”

Newsmax wrote on February 17:

“President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone Wednesday after a month of silence that raised concerns in Israel about a frostier relationship between the two allies… Israelis had been complaining since Biden’s inauguration in January the new president had not reached out to Netanyahu, concerned the silence could forecast a chillier relationship between the two close allies after former President Donald Trump’s warm embrace… Many Israelis fear Biden, who served as President Barack Obama’s vice president, will revive his approach to the region, both by returning to the Iran deal and by pressing Israel to make concessions to the Palestinians.”

This phone call won’t change anything.

Europe’s New Identity

Middle East Monitor wrote on February 12:

“Despite the long-awaited political change in Washington, with Democratic President Joe Biden now safely in the White House, Europe is unlikely to resume its previously unhindered reliance on its transatlantic partner. The four years of Donald Trump’s term in office were full of tension and difficulties between the US and Europe… However, the strain in the US-EU relationship long preceded Trump’s presidency.

“The former president’s eccentric personal style — and often blunt rhetoric and action — was an indicator to Europe that the continent urgently needed to create its own leadership alternatives to Washington. Following World War Two, the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949 and the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact in 1991, the US became the uncontested leader of the West. Eventually, it was the world’s only superpower. These dynamics are now experiencing an unparalleled state of flux.

“The US commitment to the post-war paradigm was clearly faltering. Consequently, statements from Europe’s political elites in recent years suggest a massive rethink among European governments regarding their definition of the relationship with Washington, an alliance that ran the world for decades. In an unprecedented statement in May 2017, German Chancellor Angela Merkel articulated the massive shift in Europe’s new political outlook when she said, ‘The times in which we could completely depend on others are, to a certain extent, over.’ In that momentous speech in Munich, Germany’s strong leader signalled the beginning of the end of the disproportionate reliance on the US and Britain…

“Britain… is no longer a member of the European Union, and has confronted the bloc with its greatest challenges by rejecting not only the EU’s fiscal, migration and other policies but also the very notion of the ‘European Community’. Coupled with Washington’s global retreat, ‘Brexit’ decisively ended any illusion that a post-WWII political scenario can still be possible. Attesting to this seismic change in the attitude of Europe’s mainstream politicians, were the remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron in November 2018 when he called for a ‘true European army’ to protect the continent from outside threats. ‘We must have a Europe that can defend itself on its own without relying only on the United States,’ he explained…

“Actual data from a large pan-European survey commissioned by the European Council on Foreign Relations confirm Europe’s fundamentally changing attitude towards the US. The survey included more than 15,000 people in 11 EU countries and was held after it became clear that Biden had won the US election. According to the survey, the majority in leading EU countries believe that ‘the US political system is broken’; that ‘China will be more powerful than the US within a decade’; and, finally, that ‘the Europeans cannot rely on the US to defend them’. Particularly interesting, the ECFR-commissioned poll signalled a massive geopolitical shift in Europe’s view towards global alliances, seeing ‘Berlin, rather than Washington, as the most important partner’.

“On the issue of trust, only 27 per cent of those polled believe that ‘Americans can be trusted’ after they voted for Trump in 2016. With Germany currently being Europe’s de facto leader, the views of Germans towards their American counterparts are particularly critical. Hence, the US should really take note that 53 per cent of German respondents have lost trust in a country that was once a close partner. The ECFR chose the eve of Biden’s inauguration to release the findings of the report. This was in itself a message to the new administration to tread very carefully while attempting to repair broken ties on both sides of the Atlantic.

“The ball is no longer in Washington’s court alone. The fact that the majority of Europeans believe in China’s impending global leadership in a matter of a few years means that the EU will have no patience with any US ultimatum to choose between Washington and Beijing…

“The next few years should be enough for Europe to determine its new identity, without Britain and without relying on American guidance and leadership… it will redefine itself, despite the political shift in the US.”

And so, as we have proclaimed for many, many years, Europe will rise to become a mighty hostile superpower, in competition with and challenging the USA and Britain.

Mario Draghi New Prime Minister of Italy

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 13:

“Former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi was sworn in on Saturday as Italy’s new prime minister. The 73-year-old economist, credited by some with having saved the euro, will now be charged with political reform and leading Italy out of devastation wrought by the coronavirus pandemic… Draghi is expected to oversee spending of more than €200 billion ($242 billion) in European Union recovery funds aimed at relaunching the country’s economy…

“62% of Italians surveyed said they supported Draghi. The pandemic, which hit Italy one year ago, left more than 93,000 people dead and triggered Italy’s deepest recession since World War II. Many Italians hope they can count on Draghi’s banking experience and his years working in the Italian civil service. The government of Draghi’s predecessor Giuseppe Conte, which had assumed office in September 2019, was the 66th in the Italian Republic (since World War II)…”

npr added on February 13:

“A boost for the Italian economy could benefit the whole eurozone. ‘Your experience will be an exceptional asset for Italy and Europe as a whole, especially in these difficult times,’ European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Twitter.”

Draghi has been nicknamed “Count Draghila” by the German mass tabloid Bild. Italy is predestined to play a major role in end-time prophecies related to Europe.

The Cuomos in Trouble

Fox News wrote on February 13:

“CNN was blasted as ‘an abject disgrace to both the journalism profession and America’ in the wake of an aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo admitting the state withheld COVID-19 nursing home death data after months of glowing coverage from the disgraced network. Gov. Cuomo’s little brother, Chris, hosts ‘Cuomo Prime Time’ on CNN, regularly providing a platform last year for the governor to appeal to viewers by conducting playful on-air conversations masquerading as interviews amid the nursing home scandal…

“The scandal started when Gov. Cuomo infamously ordered nursing homes in the Empire State to accept patients who had, or were suspected of having, COVID-19 in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic… thousands had died from COVID-19 in New York nursing homes before Cuomo reversed course… the scandal… took another turn on Thursday when a top Cuomo aide told leading state Democratic lawmakers that the administration had withheld data on COVID-19 deaths at nursing homes to avoid federal scrutiny…

“The latest revelation prompted condemnations and even talk of impeachment in Albany, the state’s capital… DePauw University professor and media critic Jeffrey McCall echoed the notion that CNN should not have allowed ‘Chris to interview his newsmaker brother about any matter remotely related to actual news’ when Americans wanted answers. ‘There is just no way that Chris can maintain any sense of journalistic distance, especially when reporting about matters of pandemic life and death. All major journalism codes of ethics, including the Radio Television Digital News Association, clearly warn against conflicts of interest. Interviewing a brother for news purposes is exactly such a conflict of interest,’ McCall told Fox News….

“The [New York Post] first reported that Melissa DeRosa, secretary to the governor, told leading Empire State Democrats that the administration feared the data could ‘be used against us’ by the Justice Department during a video conference call… DeRosa’s bombshell admission also fueled fury over an earlier discovery by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who said in late January that an investigation by her office revealed Cuomo’s administration had undercounted the COVID-19 death toll linked to nursing homes by as much as 50 percent. DeRosa has since attempted to walk back the claim, insisting Friday that the governor’s office was “comprehensive and transparent” in responding to records requests from the Trump administration’s Justice Department. The statement did little to quell the anger from Republican lawmakers, some of whom are now calling for a criminal indictment of Cuomo and top staffers for their mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic…”

Apart from the obvious scandals Gov. Cuomo is involved in, it is incomprehensible that CNN would allow Cuomo’s brother to interview and openly support the Governor, given the fact of a blatant conflict of interest. While some are calling for the resignation of Gov. Cuomo, others ask for a revocation of his emergency powers.

Daily Mail reported on February 12:

“A conference is expected to be held discussing rescinding Cuomo’s emergency powers – which granted him the authority to suspend existing statutes or effectively create new laws – a new report states.  Allegedly a growing number of Democrats are joining Republicans’ calls for a revocation, including New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“On Friday, 14 Democratic New York State Senators joined Republicans in calling for Cuomo’s pandemic emergency powers to be rescinded. ‘Without exception, the New York State Constitution calls for the Legislature to govern as a co-equal branch of government,’ they wrote.”

Gov. Cuomo received an International Emmy award “in recognition of his masterful leadership and briefings during the COVID-19 pandemic.” What a joke! Now, the Academy is suspiciously silent on whether they will rescind the award. But rather than taking responsibility and admitting guilt and failure, Gov. Cuomo blamed everybody else but himself in a “press conference” this week, while misrepresenting the facts, as Fox News clearly proved in their broadcast. And President Biden keeps silent… as does Chris Cuomo.

Instagram Bans Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

LifeSiteNews wrote on February 11:

“Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the son of former U.S. attorney general Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former president John F. Kennedy, has been banned from Instagram due to what the social media company called ‘sharing debunked claims about the coronavirus or vaccines.’… In recent years, Kennedy has become an outspoken critic of harmful vaccines, highlighting the dangers children can be subjected to…

“Kennedy’s Instagram ban came just hours after the Washington Post had reported lobbying Facebook, Instagram’s parent company, to ‘take action’ against Kennedy, after he shared a clip from the ‘Planet Lockdown’ film — a movie that links Big Tech to governmental and societal control, as well as claims that COVID vaccinations were being controlled by global elites. The video has been widely banned by Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube…

“Kennedy’s ban comes shortly after he wrote an extensive report detailing the manner in which Bill Gates had quietly become the largest owner of farmland in the U.S. and warning about the power Gates could exert upon the world and its food supplies…

“Kennedy wrote a strong statement:

“‘Every statement I put on Instagram was sourced from a government database, from peer-reviewed publications and from carefully confirmed news stories. None of my posts were false. Facebook, the pharmaceutical industry and its captive regulators use the term ‘vaccine misinformation’ as a euphemism for any factual assertion that departs from official pronouncements about vaccine health and safety, whether true or not. This kind of censorship is counterproductive if our objective is a safe and effective vaccine supply’…

“‘The pharmaceutical industry is hastily creating vaccines using taxpayer money and untested technologies. These include a rash of risky new products that are exempt from liability, from long-term safety testing and that have not received FDA approval. Emergency Use Authorization is a mass population scientific experiment. If it has any prayer of working, it will require extraordinary scrutiny from the press and the public. Instead, the mainstream media and social media giants are imposing a totalitarian censorship to prevent public health advocates, like myself, from voicing concerns and from engaging in civil informed debate in the public square.

“‘They are punishing, shaming, vilifying, gaslighting and abolishing individuals who report their own vaccine injuries. Anyone can see that this is a formula for catastrophe and a coup d’état against the First Amendment, the foundation stone of American democracy.’”

It was also reported that YouTube has permanently banned LifeSiteNews.

Parler Back Online

Fox Business wrote on February 15:

“After more than a month offline, the social media platform Parler relaunched using a new web hosting service… Parler, which has more than 20 million users and was first launched in August 2018, is currently back online for current users and will be available for new users starting next week, the company said…

“Last month, Amazon… decided to suspend the upstart social media platform for failure to moderate ‘egregious content’ related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot… Apple and Google previously suspended Parler from its app stores…

“Parler’s interim CEO, Mark Meckler, issued a statement following Monday’s development saying, ‘Parler was built to offer a social media platform that protects free speech and values privacy and civil discourse.’ ‘When Parler was taken offline in January by those who desire to silence tens of millions of Americans, our team came together, determined to keep our promise to our highly engaged community that we would return stronger than ever,’ he continued.”

The left-wing media and Big Tech are not interested in free speech if it does not agree with their agenda and ideas. In this context, note the thoughtful comments by the Ron Paul Institute, dated February 17:

 “Gazillionaire globalist Bill Gates has a new book out on how to tackle what he sees as the problem of climate change. One of his guidelines to save the planet? Give up your meat and grab a ‘plant-based’ burger instead. ‘You can get used to the taste difference,’ he said in a recent interview. While such ‘big ideas’ might normally come under some scrutiny in the media, it turns out that Gates has given something like a quarter of a billion dollars to dozens of media outlets. He also funds the ‘fact check’ organizations who play their part getting independent voices silenced.”

This is just INSANE. But more insanity is coming; note the next article.

Insanity Galore… Don’t Say “Breast Milk Anymore”

Fox 8 Evening News reported on February 17:

“There is a new push by some health care professionals to change the term ‘breast milk’ to ‘chest milk.’ In the United Kingdom, one hospital made international headlines for changing the term ‘breast milk’ to ‘human milk.’ It’s an effort to be more inclusive to transgender and non-binary parents.

“Illinois mother Jill Aspinwall… opened her own lactation service… Now she teaches parents how to naturally feed their child. Recently, Aspinwall implemented terminology changes at her practice… She says she started to use the terms chest milk or human milk, instead of the traditional term. She says it’s a way to create a more comfortable atmosphere for transgender parents as well as non-binary parents — who do not identify with any gender…

“Medically, it is possible for transgender men and non-binary people to have a baby. Aspinwall says the term chest milk, human milk, and chest feeding make gender minorities feel more comfortable and open to the process…

“Dr. Cecilia Banga specializes in delivering babies and prenatal care… ‘It’s very important for infants to get milk that comes from humans. Depending on what we want to call it, breast milk, chest milk, human milk. That depends on the patient and what they are comfortable with. It doesn’t change the fact that the milk is coming from humans and that it’s coming from the breast… Breast milk is a huge first step towards a baby developing a strong immune system because it is chock full of multiple nutrients…’”

This is getting SO ridiculous.

Victoria’s New Radical Bill

LifeSiteNews wrote on February 8:

“The Australian state of Victoria has written another radically leftist bill into law after a 12-hour debate in parliament… [It] makes it illegal to try to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity in Victoria. The bill must now be signed by the Victorian governor-general for royal assent, and will come into effect in 12 months’ time.

“A similar bill was passed in the state of Queensland last year, but the Victorian legislation goes much further in that it prohibits ‘harmful practices’ not only in healthcare settings but also in churches. This includes ‘carrying out a religious practice, including but not limited to, a prayer-based practice, a deliverance practice or an exorcism.’ Transgressors could face fines of up to $200,000 and 10 years in prison…

“… the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney’s Director of Public Affairs Monica Doumit – who is also a lawyer –… detailed a list of examples of who could be penalized under the new law, given the broad and vague definitions in its text:

“A parent whose five year old son was insisting that he was a girl would be prevented from seeking any help – medical, psychological, behavioural, spiritual, social or otherwise – to assist their son in understanding and accepting that he was a boy.  Anything less than affirmation of him as a girl would be prohibited.

“Christian teenagers who had committed themselves to saving sexual activity for marriage would be prohibited from gathering together to support each other to remain faithful to their commitment to chastity.

“Not only would Courage, a ministry for those Catholics experiencing same-sex attraction but who want to live chastely in accordance with their religious beliefs be banned, the teaching of Theology of the Body would not be allowed, and it is even possible that preaching the same verse from Corinthians that got [Australian Rugby star] Israel Folau sacked could get a cleric imprisoned.

“A man who was tempted to cheat on his wife could not go and see his priest or minister, asking for advice on how to stay true to his marriage vows, without risking the priest or minister being punished.  And alarmingly, the laws as currently drafted would even prevent a psychologist from trying to ‘convert’ the attractions of a paedophile…”

It is obvious that it is Satan who is behind these attempts to destroy biblical teachings and practices pertaining to marriage and sexual relationships and identities. Also note the next article.

Black List for LGBT-“Hate” Groups

C-Fam wrote on February 12:

“The UN rights office is collecting the names of anyone who opposes the LGBT agenda in any way. Politicians, religious leaders, and organizations from around the world who defend life and family will likely be put on a blacklist by the UN office for human rights. The drastic new measure may be used to impose sanctions on pro-family advocates and expose them to terrorist attacks…

“In the broadly worded prompt, the UN rights office asks for examples of ‘public expressions or statements by political and/or religious leaders’ who challenge LGBT rights… The UN rights office is especially focused on religions of pro-life and pro-family groups. It asks for any ‘examples where the concept of gender has been used in religious narratives or narratives of tradition, traditional values or protection of the family’ in opposition to new LGBT laws and policies…

“The UN LGBT czar appears to be adopting the approach of the Southern Poverty Law Center, of creating a list of ‘hate groups.’ The hate list of the Southern Poverty Law Center was notoriously used by domestic terrorist Floyd Corkins in an armed attack on the Family Research Council in 2015…

“Democrats introduced a bill in the U.S. Congress to create a similar international blacklist last year, called the Global Respect Act, imposing sanctions on all foreigners who oppose LGBT rights. It is not the first time the UN LGBT expert has attempted to focus on religion. In a 2019 report he called on states to ‘take decisive action’ against religious leaders who oppose LGBT rights.”

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’s a good question to ask and one to carefully consider; after all, they were doing the Work of God not long after Jesus was crucified and returned to heaven. In fact, this question is more important than we may, at first, think!

We know the process that true Christians have to go through when they are called by God. In his sermon on the Day of Pentecost, just 7 weeks after Jesus’ resurrection, Acts 2:38 states: “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” It is not just a question of “giving your heart to the Lord” but a complete change of direction. We read that we are to “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13). The Authorized Version has here, more accurately, “But straight is the gate, and narrow is the way…”

It can sometimes be difficult to walk that narrow way towards the straight gate, and it can be difficult to understand why those who make such a life-changing decision may have problems with inter-personal relationships, from time to time, with others who are making the same journey. After all, they have all received the Holy Spirit of God to lead them in living a godly life, so how can there be difficulties?

First of all, we should consider three different scenarios in the New Testament, one of which is the heading of this Q&A — the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas.

Paul and Barnabas were very good friends, not just casual acquaintances. We read in Acts 9:26-27 how Barnabas had been instrumental in convincing the disciples that Paul was genuine and no longer the persecutor of the brethren that he had previously been:

“And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.”

But they had a disagreement, as we read in Acts 15:36-41:

“Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.’ Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark.  But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work.  Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God.  And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”

We read in Colossians 4:10 that John Mark was the cousin of Barnabas and he was commended. However, he decided to return to his home in Jerusalem (Acts 13:13), but no mention is made about why he did that.  Many suggest that he did so because of his youth and personal weakness. William Barclay wrote in “The Acts of the Apostles,” under the heading, “The Deserter”:

“Mark was a very young man… Paul and Barnabas took him with them as their helper… but he turned and went home… When [Paul] set out on the second missionary journey Barnabas wanted to take Mark again but Paul refused to take the one who had proved a quitter (Acts 15:38) and he and Barnabas split company… over it. Then Mark vanished from history, although tradition says he went to Alexandria and Egypt and he founded the church there. When he re-emerged almost 20 years later he is the man who has redeemed himself… By the grace of God the man who was once a deserter became the writer of a gospel and the man whom, at the end, Paul wanted beside him.”

Later, under the heading, “Paul takes the road again,” Barclay says:

“It is impossible to say whether Paul or Barnabas was right. But this much is certain, Mark was supremely fortunate that he had a friend like Barnabas… It may well have been the friendship of Barnabas which gave Mark back his self-respect and made him determined to make good.”

We also read that later Mark is called by Peter “my son” (1 Peter 5:13). Mark was not Peter’s literal son; this is an expression of spiritual closeness—Mark was Peter’s son in the faith. Tradition has it that Peter dictated his letters to Mark to reduce them to writing.

This disagreement between Paul and Barnabas was not over any doctrinal matter, but it was a personal issue. From what we read, it didn’t seem to adversely affect the work that they were doing.

We read years later in 2 Timothy 4:11 that Paul wrote: “Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.”

The Bible says nothing about the future relationship between Paul and Barnabas, but it seems that in the end it all worked out. We can learn from this. We may differ at times about certain matters but that should never affect us in following the Way of God and the life we have been called to.

“Here we see an example of Christian leaders modelling good disagreement. Sometimes there are times where one can ‘agree to disagree’” (christiantoday.com).

The second example is where Paul took Peter to task, as we read in Galatians 2:11-15:

“Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.  But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, ‘If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles…’”

In our booklet “Paul’s Letter to the Galatians,” we read the following on pages 25-26:

“The truth of the gospel requires no separation between Jews and Greeks. All are to be ONE in Christ. God is not a respecter of persons, compare Acts 10:34–35; Romans 2:11; 1 Peter 1:17.

“But Peter set the wrong example. As it is stated in verse 12, he still feared those who were of the circumcision. The understanding prior to the conference in Acts 15 had been that a Jew was not to eat with uncircumcised Gentiles (compare Acts 10:28; 11:2–3). But God had revealed to Peter that that understanding was wrong and that it had no place in the Church of God.

“What does Paul mean, in verse 14, that Peter was compelling Gentiles to live as Jews?

“Peter was ‘compelling them’ by first sitting and eating with Gentiles—thereby living after the manner of Gentiles—but then separating from the Gentiles when Jews came, as IF there still WAS a separation and as if there still WAS a need for Gentiles to be circumcised and to keep all the Jewish rituals. That is, he was inducing them or coercing them to think that they should perhaps adopt those customs and be circumcised.”

Paul was accusing Peter of hypocrisy which was one of those sins committed frequently by the religious establishment at that time. Paul said that even Barnabas was affected or “carried away.” Peter should have known better, as we read in Acts 10:28: “Then he (Peter) said to them, ‘You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.’”

We do not read about Peter’s immediate reaction to Paul’s public rebuke (some suggested that Paul was a little bit overzealous in this matter and could have handled the situation a little bit differently), but it is obvious that they had the highest regard for one another in spite of this rather public disagreement, as we read in 2 Peter 3:15-16: “… and account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.”

The third example is the story of the disciples arguing amongst themselves, as we read in Luke 22:24:

“Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.”  In verses 25-27 Jesus corrects them: “But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.”  (Also see Matthew 18:1 and Mark 9:33.)

Pushing for position is not new; it is as old as the hills. Right from the dawn of civilisation man has wanted to be at the top table, the one calling the tune, the one who is in charge and the one that others can look up to. Even with the Saviour of mankind teaching them, their own carnality showed through although, again, there is no Scripture that shows that they didn’t co-operate in the Work they had to do after Christ’s ascension. They were a co-operative whole who worked for God and for each other.

God hates bickering between members of His Church. Let us review just a few Scriptures that highlight His view on people’s problems where human interaction is problematic.

James 4:1-2 says:

“What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.”

We read in 2 Corinthians 12:20:

“For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish; lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults…”

Galatians 5:15 states:

“But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!”

An answer to difficult personal relationships can be found in Philippians 2:3-4:

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better [“more important,” New American Bible] than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”

As Church members today, it is vital that we conduct ourselves in such a manner.   Jesus said in the beatitudes (blessings) in Matthew 5:9: “Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.”

Also, Ephesians 4:32 is important: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:1-3 adds: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Over the years in this era of the Church of God, there have been many instances where brethren have fallen out with others by not resolving their issues with them. That particular procedure as to how to solve problems is covered in Matthew 18:15-17: “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.  But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’  And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”

Unfortunately, this biblical instruction in resolving conflict and interpersonal problems has sometimes been ignored with “offended” brethren just leaving either their particular Church fellowship or the Church altogether.  It is a very sad state of affairs that, occasionally, a member may replicate the “waiting to be offended” mindset that is a mark of current society. The problem is that they can “infect” others and persuade them of the rightness of their situation and cause them to question their Church membership.

A few others, from time to time, can be argumentative which is certainly not what God expects of His people. Galatians 5:22-23 sums up perfectly what our approach must always be: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” When we implement this teaching, we will insulate ourselves against the wiles of the devil and happily remain in the true Church of God.

As the end of this age looms large, it behooves us all to forge close and strong relationships within the Church which should keep us in good stead as world problems increase and where membership of God’s Church will be a magnet for Satan’s further assault through worldly individuals. Leaving the Church must never be an option for any of us.

If they had inter-personal relationship problems in the New Testament Church, why should we believe that we won’t have them today?  The key is how we deal with them that matters.

In this context, we would do well to apply the following part of the model prayer that Jesus gave as we read in Matthew 6:12: “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” If we do that, we will strive to reconcile any differences we may have with others, esteem others better or more important than ourselves and prayerfully and faithfully push ahead toward the Kingdom of God. With that attitude and mindset, we will give ourselves the best chance of making it into the wonderful world tomorrow.

And that, at all times, must be our goal!

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Can Israel Count on America’s Support?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The relationship between America under the Biden Administration and Israel under Benjamin Netanyahu is bound to deteriorate, and their recent phone conversation, with nice sounding but unrealistic platitudes, will not change this a bit. This program shows the many reasons why Israel cannot count on meaningful support from the USA, at least not for the time being. 

“Kann sich Israel auf Amerikas Hilfe verlassen?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This program covers the same topic as the English version described above.

“Das Leben gehört Gott!” is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Jens Herrmann. Title in English: “Life Belongs to God.”

“His Marvelous Light,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We have been called out of darkness to be the light of the world. We who are Christians are to be living in the marvelous light of God—how are we doing?

“Why We Don’t Stop,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Robb Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Christianity is not a destination but a process of improvement.  We were called by God in a broken state, and through His Holy Spirit, we can achieve a life of success.  But is this eye-opening understanding something that we relish or just endure?  True success, which is entrance into the Family of God, requires a persevering and joyous heart.

On February 13, 2021, Dave Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “His Marvelous Light,” and Robb Harris will present the sermon, titled, “Why We Don’t Stop.”

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.

It seems that the whole world is being devoured by hatred, and, indeed, Jesus spoke of a time when the love of many would grow cold (Matthew 24:12). We see this in the unbridled bitterness spewing forth daily in the media. Nations are divided by those who seek power over others who have opposing views; there is growing racial and religious discord resulting in never-ending violence; and, even the most fundamental understanding of what it means to be a human being is being redefined by those who practice shameful and godless lifestyles.

The Apostle Paul wrote that “the sting of death is sin” (1 Corinthians 15:56). Sin is how Satan was able to “sting” both Adam and Eve and then all of humanity by overwhelming them with disobedience to God—and thus, invoking the death penalty on the world. We are warned:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

One way we can be devoured is to let Satan plant a root of bitterness (Hebrews 12:15) within any of us who are members of the Church of God. That ploy has worked far too often and with far too much success. Once bitterness is sown, its contagion is deadly. Former brethren who once walked in love and unity turn to become bitter, resentful and consumed by Satan’s deception.

We are taught this fundamental truth of God—it is how we can avoid and even cure bitterness:

“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5:14).

That counsel is followed by this caution:

“But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another (Galatians 5:15).”

Who among the brethren do you hate, resent, disrespect or simply want to avoid? Hopefully, not a single individual arises in the mind of any of us in answering this question. If there is, the surest resolve for us is to repent to God for our own sins. If someone has wronged us, we must do what Jesus commanded us to do (sadly, this is not being done as it should—a step that would help heal a bitter spirit):

“‘Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother’” (Matthew 18:15).

by Norbert Link

We begin with Big Brother conduct of American banks, in cahoots with the US Government; speak of an outrageous attack on Christianity and the Bible which was in no way censored by Big Tech; report on huge gun sales in the US in January; and address the second impeachment “trial” of Donald Trump, which has been described as utterly unconstitutional and stupid and as a political banana republic show trial of hypocritical Democrats. In this regard, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Why Did Trump Lose the Election?”

We report on an eye-opening article by Time magazine, describing coordinated pre-election procedures to prevent a Trump victory or a challenge to the election; a decision by the US Supreme Court overturning California’s restrictive measures towards churches; some troubling reports about Joe Biden; and Fox News’ controversial decision to fire Lou Dobbs.

In other news, we speak on a US Senate decision regarding America’s embassy in Jerusalem; the International Criminal Court’s desire to rule on “Israeli War Crimes”; developments in Israel and Turkey; Biden’s somewhat inconsistent and confusing decisions pertaining to Germany and Europe; and remarkable events in Italy.

We conclude with the deteriorating relationship between Russia and Europe, comments by Tucker Carlson on the Corona vaccines; further lockdown measures and a vaccination passport; and a terrible prediction regarding global air travel.

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

Incredible…  America’s Banks in Cahoots with Big Brother

Fox Business wrote on February 5:

“Americans are furious following Fox News’ report that Bank of America may have handed private customer information over to the U.S. government related to the Capitol Hill riot. Fox News’ Tucker Carlson reported on Thursday night that Bank of America, at the request of federal investigators, combed through customer data in search of people and transactions that fit a certain profile – potentially placing individuals at the Capitol on the day of the Jan. 6 riot. More than 200 people were reportedly identified as fitting the profile, which included engaging in transactions in D.C. on Jan.5 or Jan. 6, renting hotel rooms, buying weapons within a specified date range, as well as making certain flight purchases. The individuals identified were reportedly flagged to federal authorities without their knowledge.

“The report has triggered outrage among customers and the general public whose privacy and private information have become increasingly vulnerable… A spokesperson for Bank of America said the bank does not comment on its communications with law enforcement. ‘All banks have responsibilities under federal law to cooperate with law enforcement inquiries in full compliance with the law,’ the spokesperson said.

“A spokesperson for Wells Fargo declined FOX Business’ request for comment. Citi and JPMorgan did not return FOX Business’ requests for comment.”

Their silence speaks louder than words…

Outrageous Attack on Christianity and the Bible

The Wrap wrote on February 5:

“Bill Maher dove headfirst into ripping Trump supporters who are evangelical Christians on the latest episode of HBO’s ‘Real Time.’ During his weekly ‘New Rules’ segment, Maher eviscerated Christians and the Book of Revelations, which he argued was just as unhinged as the conspiracy theories spread by QAnon. Maher also said Trump-supporting conservatives who are still convinced the 2020 election was rigged in favor of President Biden are part of a ‘mass delusion.’ ‘There’s a lot of talk now about how Republicans should tell their base who still believe the election was rigged that they need to grow up and move on and stop asking the rest of us to respect their mass delusion,’ Maher said Friday. ‘Of course it is a mass delusion. But the inconvenient truth here is that if you accord religious faith the kind of exalted respect we do here in America, you’ve already lost the argument that mass delusion is bad.’ Maher argued that it shouldn’t be surprising, then, that most of the senators who objected to certifying the electoral college votes for Biden were also fundamentalist Christians. And many of Trump’s supporters, the host contended, follow the former president with a god-like reverence that is often very tied up in their religious beliefs…

“It’s fun to laugh at QAnon with the baby-eating lizard people and the pedophile pizza parlors, but have you ever read the Book of Revelations? That’s the Bible, that’s your holy book, Christians, and they’ve got… stuff you only see after the guy in the park sells you bad mushrooms,” he joked.

“The host then turned to railing against evangelical Christian lawmakers like Ted Cruz and Paul Gosar, who tried to overturn election results by baselessly claiming the 2020 election was ‘stolen’ from Trump. Cruz and Gosar were among a group of senators who objected to certifying electoral college results in Arizona, along with Senators Josh Hawley, Cindy Hyde-Smith, John Kennedy, Roger Marshall and Tommy Tuberville. Maher pointed out that each of those senators also identified and campaigned as fundamentalist Christians…

“A longtime outspoken critic of nearly all religions, Maher has referred to himself as agnostic in the past and has said that he thinks all religions are ‘stupid’ and dangerous.”

Does Big Tech censor, suppress and delete these offensive and hateful comments as well, as they have done regarding Bible-upholding expressions, or do they look the other way and ignore them under the disguise of “free speech.” We all should know the answer.

Over 2 Million Guns Purchased in January

Breitbart wrote on February 5:

“A report by the Washington Post indicates over two million guns were sold during January 2021.The Post reports the sales figures represent ‘the third highest one-month total on record.’ March 2020 saw gun sales surge above two million amid coronavirus shutdowns and stay-at-home orders. Then the May 25, 2020, death of George Floyd spawned social unrest that fed into even higher gun sales of ‘2.8 million in June and 2.5 million in July.’

“After January 2021’s surge in gun sales, the Post noted ‘It’s common for gun sales to jump when a Democrat takes over the White House.’ This squares perfectly with an observation by National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Mark Oliva, who told Breitbart News gun sales would continue strong in 2021 because of President Biden’s gun control pledges.”

Surely, this is not the only reason.

House Manager Raskin in Blatant Violation of the Constitution

On February 5, the Ron Paul Institute published the following eye-opening article by Law Professor Jonathan Turley:

“Over the last four years, we have seen an alarming trend of law professors and legal experts discarding constitutional and due process commitments to support theories for the prosecution or impeachment of Donald Trump or his family… No principle seems inviolate when it stands in the way of a Trump prosecution. Yet, the statement of House manager Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., this week was breathtaking. A former law professor, Raskin declared that the decision of Trump not to testify in the Senate could be cited or used by House managers as an inference of his guilt — a statement that contradicts not just our constitutional principles but centuries of legal writing… [Raskin] wrote in a letter to Trump that ‘If you decline this invitation, we reserve any and all rights, including the right to establish at trial that your refusal to testify supports a strong adverse inference regarding your actions (and inaction) on January 6, 2021.’…

“The Fifth Amendment embodies this touchstone of American law in declaring that ‘[n]o person . . . shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.’… the silence of an accused cannot be used against him in the way suggested by Raskin. There was a time when members of Congress not only respected this rule but fought to amplify it… The Supreme Court has been adamant that the type of inference sought by Raskin is abhorrent and abusive in courts of law…

“It is true that this is not a criminal trial. It is a constitutional trial. As such, the Senate should try an accused according to our highest traditions and values. That includes respecting the right to remain silent and not to have ‘inferences’ drawn from the fact that (like prior presidents) Trump will not be present at the trial or give testimony… There appears no price too great to pay to impeach or prosecute Trump. Now, the House is arguing against one of the very touchstones of our constitutional system and legal experts are silent…”

They are either cowards or they are even in silent agreement, only to get rid of Trump.

Trump Responds to Raskin on Gab

Newsmax wrote on February 5:

“Former President Donald Trump returned to social media for the first time since he was banned from Twitter and Facebook last month, posting a letter from his attorney to House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., on his Gab account.

“‘We are in receipt of your latest public relations stunt,’’ the letter [by attorney David Schoen] begins. ‘As you certainly know, there is no such thing as a negative inference in this unconstitutional proceeding. Your letter only confirms what is known to everyone: you cannot prove your allegations against [the] 45^th President of the United States, who is now a private citizen. The use of our Constitution to bring a purported impeachment proceeding is much too serious to try to play these games.’’…

“[Trump’s] Gab account, which last showed a post from Jan. 8 when he announced he would not attend the inauguration, has only 1.4 million followers, a fraction of his following on the much larger platforms Twitter and Facebook. Gab, which also was blamed by critics for aiding in the Jan. 6 disturbance at the Capitol, has about 3.4 million users.”

Newsweek wrote on February 6:

“[Trump’s] post [on Gab] has racked up more than 62,000 likes since Friday and Trump’s [Gab] account has 1.4 million followers. This is far fewer than the 88 million Twitter followers he could boast before his ban. However, Gab is now the only social media platform Trump has access to. Despite being encouraged to join Parler – another site popular with his supporters – Trump declined to do so…

“Gab CEO Andrew Torba has said the site had 275 million page views in the last 30 days and 2.3 million new members…”

There are other reports that claim that Trump might be thinking of creating his own social media platform.

Dershowitz: Impeachment Trial Blatantly Unconstitutional and Trump’s Defense Not Frivolous

Newsmax wrote on February 6:

“Political partisans are abusing their constitutional scholarship and violating the Constitution in this impeachment ‘show trial’ of former President Donald Trump, according to legal expert Alan Dershowitz… ‘The president made the right decision. You don’t walk into a perjury trap when you have people you know are going to be hostile to you. The best arguments he can make, and he will make, are the constitutional ones, namely the Senate had no jurisdiction over a former president and the speech was covered by the First Amendment.’

“Dershowitz rejected the legal opinion of ‘so-called constitutional scholars’ that are saying making the First Amendment argument is ‘frivolous.’ ‘Lawyers, listen to me,’ Dershowitz [said]….’I’m an expert on legal ethics and I’m also an expert on the Constitution. I’m telling you: Make those arguments; don’t listen to the 144 scholars; they’re wrong.’ The arguments ‘are not frivolous, they’re serious arguments, they should be presented to the Senate, the Senate should hear both sides of those issues,’ Dershowitz continued. ‘Congress has put itself above the law…

“‘They say the president is not above the law; they’re right, but Congress is not above the law, and the law makes specific provisions for when a president can be impeached and you can’t impeach a president in violation of the First Amendment. The First Amendment says Congress… shall make no law abridging the First Amendment of free speech, and an impeachment resolution is effectively a law. It is state action, and Congress is prohibited from violating the First Amendment…’”

This impeachment trial is a joke and a circus. Democrats are acting out of vindictiveness and fear that Donald Trump might return.

Predictably, as CBS News reported on February 10, “The Senate voted to move forward with former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial on Tuesday, with a majority of senators determining they have jurisdiction to place former presidents on trial in cases of impeachment. By a vote of 56 to 44, the Senate rejected arguments by Mr. Trump’s attorneys, who asserted that holding an impeachment trial of a former president is unconstitutional.

“Six Republicans joined all 50 Democratic senators in voting to move forward with the trial. But the vote also served as an indication of Mr. Trump’s eventual acquittal, since 17 GOP senators would need to vote with Democrats in order to convict him.”

The Sun added on February 10: “DONALD Trump’s second impeachment trial is moving forward after a 56-44 Senate vote on Tuesday afternoon – but acquittal appears certain.”

Still, the Democrats are displaying a compelling presentation of their narrative, while the defense of Trump’s attorneys has been, so far, overwhelmingly disappointing.

Fox News wrote on February 10:

“Former President Trump  was ‘furious’ and ‘beyond angry’ over his defense team’s showing on Day One of his second impeachment trial despite his ultimate acquittal almost certain… he was particularly incensed with the effort thus far by his attorney Bruce Castor. Trump believes Castor gave a rambling opening argument… Castor’s 45-minute opening remarks were widely panned on social media after he praised the House impeachment managers for a job ‘well done.’ ‘The American people just spoke and they just changed administrations,’ Castor said at one point. He said the public is smart enough to ‘pick a new administration if they don’t like the old one, and they just did.’ Castor’s comment prompted the Associated Press to run the headline, ‘Trump Never Conceded He Lost, But His Impeachment Lawyer did.’”

Newt Gingrich commented that he would fire Castor right away, and Prof. Dershowitz wondered what the defense team was trying to do with their rambling and incohesive presentation.

No Delay Because of the Sabbath

JTA wrote on February 9:

“Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial will not be delayed by Shabbat now that his Orthodox Jewish lawyer has withdrawn his request for the delay.

“Last week, David Schoen asked for and received permission to delay the proceedings should they extend into Friday evening and Saturday, as they are expected [to]. But on Monday he withdrew the request, saying he had worked out a solution with the former president’s legal team: Schoen’s role would be completed by the time Shabbat begins.”

This does not sound too good for the defense team.

“The Trump Political Show Trial”

In his weekly column, Ron Paul wrote the following in The Ron Paul Institute on February 8:

“The Senate trial for now twice-impeached former President Donald Trump is set to begin this week, with little doubt over the outcome… Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who is required by the Constitution to preside, has by refusing to participate made it clear that he does not consider the upcoming action in the Senate to be a legitimate impeachment trial. So if it is not a legitimate trial, what is it, then? Judging from the House impeachment resolution, it looks more like a banana republic ‘show trial’ than a careful case detailing Trump’s ‘high crimes and misdemeanors.’

“Trump was impeached by the Democrat-controlled US House for ‘incitement of insurrection’ over the January 6th melee at the US Capitol. Telling his supporters they must fight or they’re ‘not going to have a country any more’ was cited in the impeachment resolution as evidence that Trump ‘gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government’ and has ‘demonstrated that he will remain a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office.’

“Trump also told them to march to the Capitol ‘peacefully and patriotically’ to encourage Congress to consider his claims of election fraud, but Democrats in the House say that he didn’t really mean it… the House had no interest in… hearings. They wanted a snap impeachment. They wanted no witnesses. They wanted to benefit from the universal mainstream media narrative that the mob who entered the Capitol building was not just unruly Americans angry over what they believed was a rigged election, but was actually trying to overthrow the government to keep Trump in power.

“The House Democrats knew that the ‘insurrection’ narrative would not stand the test of time – anyone familiar with ‘color revolutions’ or coups overseas would easily recognize that this was not one. So they rushed through the impeachment not because they wanted to remove him from an office he no longer occupied, but because they wanted to bar him from ever running for office again. It does raise the question: what are they afraid of? They called their impeachment a victory for democracy, but isn’t preventing Trump from running again a subversion of democracy?…”

Conspiracy to Prevent Trump from Winning or Challenging the Election Result

Breitbart wrote on February 5:

“Time magazine has published a detailed account of what it describes as a ‘conspiracy’ between ‘left-wing activists and business titans’ to create ‘an extraordinary shadow effort’ to ‘protect’ the 2020 presidential election. The New York Times had reported on the effort in January, referring to the ‘Democracy Defense Coalition.’ The Daily Beast hinted at it in the fall. But the Time article is the most in-depth report at what others suggested was going on behind the scenes. The article by Molly Ball, titled ‘The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign That Saved the 2020 Election,’ presents the effort as a heroic effort to preserve a free and fair election, and to fend off President Donald Trump’s anticipated claims of fraud.

“Ball’s description, however, also matches what she calls a ‘paranoid’ view of an effort to make it difficult for Trump to win: “‘The handshake between business and labor was just one component of a vast, cross-partisan campaign to protect the election–an extraordinary shadow effort dedicated not to winning the vote but to ensuring it would be free and fair, credible and uncorrupted. For more than a year, a loosely organized coalition of operatives scrambled to shore up America’s institutions as they came under simultaneous attack from a remorseless pandemic and an autocratically inclined President. Though much of this activity took place on the left, it was separate from the Biden campaign and crossed ideological lines, with crucial contributions by nonpartisan and conservative actors… Their work touched every aspect of the election. They got states to change voting systems and laws and helped secure hundreds of millions in public and private funding. They fended off voter-suppression lawsuits, recruited armies of poll workers and got millions of people to vote by mail for the first time. They successfully pressured social media companies to take a harder line against disinformation and used data-driven strategies to fight viral smears. They executed national public-awareness campaigns that helped Americans understand how the vote count would unfold over days or weeks, preventing Trump’s conspiracy theories and false claims of victory from getting more traction. After Election Day, they monitored every pressure point to ensure that Trump could not overturn the result… That’s why the participants want the secret history of the 2020 election told, even though it sounds like a paranoid fever dream–a well-funded cabal of powerful people, ranging across industries and ideologies, working together behind the scenes to influence perceptions, change rules and laws, steer media coverage and control the flow of information. They were not rigging the election; they were fortifying it. And they believe the public needs to understand the system’s fragility in order to ensure that democracy in America endures.’

“Ball describes the participants in this plan as ‘democracy campaigners.’ It was led by Mike Podhorzer, a ‘senior adviser to the president of the AFL-CIO,’ one of the nation’s most powerful labor unions, aligned with the Democratic Party.

“Ball notes: ‘In his apartment in the D.C. suburbs, Podhorzer began working from his laptop at his kitchen table, holding back-to-back Zoom meetings for hours a day with his network of contacts across the progressive universe: the labor movement; the institutional left, like Planned Parenthood and Greenpeace; resistance groups like Indivisible and MoveOn; progressive data geeks and strategists, representatives of donors and foundations, state-level grassroots organizers, racial-justice activists and others.’

“By April, she notes, Podhorzer was hosting two-and-a-half-hour Zoom meetings with other participants in the project. They pushed Congress to fund vote by mail, and persuaded Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to ‘election administration funding.’ (As Breitbart News warned, Zuckerberg’s donations looked more like a Democrat get-out-the-vote effort, and was aimed primarily at Democrat-heavy counties in key battleground states.)

“The campaign also used legal efforts to change voting procedures during the COVID pandemic, leading to a ‘revolution’ in mail-in voting: ‘Only a quarter of voters cast their ballots the traditional way: in person on Election Day,’ Ball notes.

“The group also used a ‘nameless, secret project’ to fight ‘disinformation.’ Their method was ‘to pressure platforms to enforce their rules, both by removing content or accounts that spread disinformation.’ Ball does not mention the New York Post’s story about Hunter Biden’s laptop, but tech companies, mainstream media outlets, and former intelligence officials leapt in October to call the laptop potential Russian ‘disinformation,’ and to suppress it. Twitter blocked links to the story, and also locked the Post out of its account for more than two weeks. The story was later shown to be true, with Hunter Biden announcing — after the election — that he was under FBI investigation.

“The group also decided to exploit the violent unrest that spread across the nation in the wake of George Floyd’s death in May, and took steps ‘to harness its momentum for the election without allowing it to be co-opted by politicians.’

“Toward the end of the election, Ball reports, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce set aside old disputes to join the AFL-CIO in creating an alliance to reject claims of election fraud. Ball notes that some Republicans also aided in the effort. As Breitbart News reported at the time, there was a nationwide left-wing movement to unleash more unrest if Trump claimed victory in a close election. Ball’s reporting confirms that the ‘shadow’ effort was coordinating such efforts. She adds that the ‘national mobilization network’ was told to ‘stand down’ after it appeared Biden would be the winner.

“Later, she says, Podhorzer’s network decided to make sure there were few counter-demonstrators at the January 6 ‘Stop the Steal’ demonstration in Washington, DC, ensuring that blame for what happened would be placed on Trump alone.”

This sounds more like efforts to destroy democracy, rather than to save and uphold it.

US Supreme Court: Prohibition of Church Gatherings Unconstitutional

The LAT wrote on February 5:

“The Supreme Court lifted California’s ban on indoor church services during the pandemic Friday, ruling that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s strict orders violate the Constitution’s protection for the free exercise of religion. The justices in a 6-3 decision granted an appeal from a Chula Vista church that has repeatedly challenged the state restrictions on church services, including its ban on singing and chanting. The ruling overturned decisions by federal judges in San Diego and San Bernardino, and the 9th Circuit Court in San Francisco, which upheld the state’s orders despite earlier warnings from the high court.

“But the majority said the state may limit attendance at indoor services to 25% of the building’s capacity, and singing and chanting may be restricted as well… The justices in the majority differed among themselves, but they agreed California had singled out churches for unfair treatment. ‘California worries that worship brings people together for too much time. Yet, California does not limit its citizens to running in and out of other establishments; no one is barred from lingering in shopping malls, salons, or bus terminals,’ wrote Justice Neil M. Gorsuch in one of three concurring opinions.

“The state’s ban on indoor services was challenged in separate lawsuits by the South Bay United Pentecostal Church in Chula Vista and the Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena, and Friday’s order applies directly to them. But its legal logic would block enforcement of a similar ban at other churches.

“The court’s three liberals — Justices Elena Kagan, Stephen G. Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor — dissented…”

The Associated Press wrote on February 6:

“Chief Justice John Roberts wrote… that California’s determination ‘that the maximum number of adherents who can safely worship in the most cavernous cathedral is zero—appears to reflect not expertise or discretion, but instead insufficient appreciation or consideration of the interests at stake.’

“In addition to Roberts, Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Amy Coney Barrett also wrote to explain their views. Gorsuch and Justice Clarence Thomas would have kept California from enforcing its singing ban. Barrett, the court’s newest justice, …wrote that ‘if a chorister can sing in a Hollywood studio but not in her church, California’s regulations cannot be viewed as neutral,’ triggering a stricter review by courts. The justices said the churches who sued can submit new evidence to a lower court that the singing ban is not being applied generally.”

Biden’s Vindictiveness?

Deadline wrote on February 5:

“President Joe Biden says that Donald Trump should not receive intelligence briefings even though they typically have been given to previous former presidents… Biden told CBS Evening News… that he doesn’t think Trump should receive the briefings [because of] his ‘erratic behavior unrelated to the insurrection,’ referring to the Jan. 6 siege on the Capitol. ‘You’ve called him an existential threat. You’ve called him dangerous. You’ve called him reckless,’ O”Donnell said at one point in the interview. ‘Yeah, I have. And I believe it,’ Biden said.

“O’Donnell then asked him what was his ‘worst fear if [Trump] continues to get these intelligence briefings.’ ‘I’d rather not speculate out loud,’ Biden said. ‘I just think that there is no need for him to have the– the intelligence briefings.  What value is giving him an intelligence briefing? What impact does he have at all, other than the fact he might slip and say something?’”

Some feel that Biden acts because of vindictiveness and revenge.

Biden Revives Fairy Tale

The New York Post wrote on February 4:

“President Biden on Thursday told State Department employees he was ‘shot at’ overseas — reviving a claim that previously stirred controversy. ‘You have great personal courage. I’ve been with some of you when we’ve been shot at,’ Biden told a group of diplomatic aides in Washington. Biden did not offer a detailed description of being shot at. But he was forced to walk back a similar claim in 2007 as veterans warned him not to exaggerate. Biden said during a CNN-hosted Democratic presidential debate in 2007 that he was ‘shot at’ inside Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone. He later revised the claim, saying that in fact, ‘I was near where a shot landed.’…

“Biden has a reputation for gaffes and stretching the truth. He said incorrectly in 2008, ‘ I am a hard coal miner,’ and was forced to drop out of the 1988 Democratic presidential primary for plagiarism of speeches and a law school paper.”

The left-liberal press had a field day with Trump when they could quote his misrepresentations and lies (and they quoted quite a few). But what about Biden who does not seem to be the most truthful person either? Not much is being published by the left-liberal mass media in that regard.

Fox News Fires Lou Dobbs

The Los Angeles Times wrote on February 5:

“Fox News Media has canceled ‘Lou Dobbs Tonight,’ the program hosted by television’s staunchest supporter of Donald Trump and of his assertions of voter fraud in the 2020 election…

“Dobbs, who was signed to Fox News by former Chief Executive Roger Ailes in 2011, has long been the company’s most outspoken supporter of Trump’s economic and immigration policies. In the weeks after the election, he expressed anger on his program that the Republican Party did not do more to act on the former president’s claims that the election was rigged in favor of Biden…

“When he arrived at Fox News, he immediately made waves by questioning the U.S. citizenship of then-President Obama… Dobbs’ program typically averaged around 300,000 viewers a night in the 7 p.m. Eastern hour, the largest audience on any business news channel…”

Newsmax reported on February 5:

“Fox News has been in turmoil as long-time viewers have abandoned the channel since Election Day. Former President Donald Trump has attributed his election loss to Joe Biden to unfair coverage by Fox News as well as massive voter fraud.

“The firing of Dobbs will add weight to critics’ claims the network has gone soft backing conservative views. Fox has also been reeling as its ratings have been in a tailspin as the network has dropped to third place behind CNN and MSNBC.

“Newsmax appears to be the main beneficiary as its viewership has soared. Newsmax is now the 4th highest-rated cable news channel in the U.S.”

Breitbart added on February 5:

“The sudden development comes after voting systems company Smartmatic filed a $2.7 billion defamation suit against Fox News and hosts Dobbs, Jeanine Pirro, and Maria Bartiromo. Smartmatic alleges that the network broadcasted falsehoods about the company that caused both financial and reputational damage. Dominion Voting Systems, another voting software system, recently sued Rudy Guiliani and Sidney Powell for $1.3 billion over their voter fraud claims. Fox News maintains that the voting systems company’s claims against it are meritless.”

Newsmax reported on February 5:

“Former President Donald Trump reportedly issued a statement in support of television host Lou Dobbs… Trump said the following through spokesman Billy Bush. ‘Lou Dobbs is and was great. Nobody loves America more than Lou. He had a large and loyal following that will be watching closely for his next move, and that following includes me.’”

Most House Republicans Do NOT Oppose Trump

The Independent wrote on February 4:

“The vast majority of House Republicans refuse to denounce Donald Trump’s… claim that November’s presidential election was stolen… A survey from Reuters shows that 133 of the 147 lawmakers who voted against certifying President  Joe Biden’s electoral college win on 6 January still back, or will not reject, Mr Trump’s continued insistence that he was robbed of a second term.

“A poll administered between 22 and 25 January showed that 81 per cent of Republican voters still have a favourable view of Mr Trump, while less than 20 per cent said they supported a conviction in his second Senate impeachment trial, and 56 per cent thought he should run again in 2024.”

US Senate Supports Keeping US Embassy in Jerusalem

The Algemeiner wrote on February 5:

“The US Senate approved an amendment to Friday’s COVID-19 relief package that pledges to keep the US Embassy to Israel in Jerusalem, reaffirming the 2018 decision by former President Donald Trump to relocate it from Tel Aviv. The amendment, included in a budget measure approving a $1.9 trillion stimulus package, passed by a 97-3 vote, with only Senators Tom Carper (D-DE), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (D-VT) voting against it. The broader pandemic relief measure passed narrowly, 51-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote…

“The Trump Administration’s decision to move the embassy came more than two decades after the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act, passed by the Senate on a 93-5 vote, which recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and set aside funds to move the US Embassy there. In the interim, every president before Trump had invoked waivers to delay applying the law. In his Senate confirmation hearings in January, Secretary of State Antony Blinken committed to keeping the US Embassy in the Israeli capital. ‘There’s not much the U.S. Senate agrees on these days,’ wrote American Jewish Committee CEO David Harris on Twitter. ‘Happily, here’s one point of agreement: [The] U.S. embassy should stay in Jerusalem, Israel’s capital city.’”

But why would this aspect even be part of the Corona Stimulus Package?

International Criminal Court to Rule on “Israeli War Crimes”

Reuters wrote on February 5:

“Judges at the International Criminal Court on Friday found the court has jurisdiction over war crimes committed in the Palestinian territories, paving the way for a possible criminal investigation… The decision prompted swift reactions from both Israel, which is not a member of the court and rejects its jurisdiction, and the Palestinian Authority, which welcomed the ruling…

“… The Court’s territorial jurisdiction… extends to the territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem…

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the decision, saying in a video statement: ‘When the ICC investigates Israel for fake war crimes, this is pure antisemitism.’ He condemned the court for investigating Israel when it ‘defends itself against terrorists’ while refusing to investigate what he said were brutal dictatorships in Iran and Syria that committed horrific atrocities almost daily. ‘We will fight this perversion of justice with all our might,’ Netanyahu said in the video, shaking a fist…

“U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price wrote on Twitter: ‘The United States objects to today’s… IntlCrimCourt decision regarding the Palestinian situation.’ ‘We will continue to uphold President Biden’s strong commitment to Israel and its security, including opposing actions that seek to target Israel unfairly,’ Price added.

“The Trump administration had vehemently opposed the ICC.

“Jamil Dakwar, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Human Rights Program, said U.S. President Joe Biden should do nothing to undermine the ICC’s independence…”

Let’s wait and see how strong Biden’s commitment to Israel really is.

Closing the Aqsa Mosque?

Israel 365 wrote on February 9:

“Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion warned that he would order the Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount to be closed unless the Muslim residents of East Jerusalem agreed to be vaccinated in more significant numbers… ‘they won’t be allowed into hotels. They won’t be allowed into mosques. They won’t be allowed into schools…

“The move comes two months before the month-long Ramadan fast-feast when many Muslims come to pray en masse on the Temple Mount. The head of the Arab communities of east Jerusalem announced, ‘In two months will be Ramadan. If you don’t get vaccinated, you will not be permitted to enter the mosque. You will not be permitted to return to work. If you don’t get vaccinated, you will not be allowed on the train. You will not be permitted into doctors’ offices. That is the way it must be.’…

“Despite nationwide lockdowns, Israeli officials are reluctant to enforce closures on the Temple Mount in fear of a violent Arab reaction…”

No LGBT in Turkey?

Breitbart wrote on February 5:

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Thursday ‘there is no such thing’ [in Turkey] as LGBT… Erdoğan’s comments… came in response to a recent incident at Istanbul’s Bogazici University in which protesters displayed a poster depicting Mecca – Islam’s holiest site in Saudi Arabia, which all Muslims pray towards – with various LGBT flags and symbols. ‘The poster placed a mythical creature of half-woman and half-snake found in Middle Eastern folklore on the site of worship along with the flags of LGBT, lesbian, trans and asexual people. The text below said the artwork was a critique of traditional gender roles,’ according to the Associated Press.

“Istanbul police on January 30 arrested two people on charges of ‘inciting hatred and insulting religious values’ for helping to display the poster at a protest exhibition at the university. While Turkey is a secular nation with no official state religion, it is currently ruled by the Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP), which is led by Erdoğan.”

US Won’t Withdraw Troops from Germany… For Now

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 5:

“The German government welcomed US President Joe Biden’s plan to stop the planned withdrawal of thousands of US troops from German soil, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman said on Friday. ‘We have always been convinced that American troops being stationed here in Germany [serve] European and transatlantic security and hence is in our mutual interest,’ Steffen Seibert told reporters. US troops have been stationed in Germany since World War II. Former-President Donald Trump’s plan to withdraw almost a third of the soldiers based in Germany [was] met with heavy criticism.

“Biden said on Thursday that the withdrawal would be halted at least until his incoming Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had completed a review of US military presence around the globe…”

Biden—Not Much of a Difference for Europe

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 7:

“Right now, the United States has a huge amount of the COVID-19 vaccine, perhaps too much even… Citizens, journalists and politicians in Germany and the rest of the EU have been observing these developments in astonishment, asking what went wrong here… Merkel… offered this explanation: ‘The US has a war act in force on the export of vaccines, and in some cases on important supplies for vaccines…’  In other words, Germany and the EU are considered to be third-class partners by its allies and friends and will be left in the lurch in these difficult times. This is a sobering assessment…

“If Donald Trump was still US president, this outcome might have been more predictable — even palatable. But his successor Joe Biden, of whom the EU had such high expectations, is not lifting a finger to help either. He has signed an executive order upholding the ban on exporting vaccines decreed by Trump…

“Even with a Democrat in the White House, what Merkel said in May 2017 after Trump’s first G7 summit as president still holds true: ‘The era in which we could fully rely on others is over to some extent. […] We Europeans truly have to take our fate into our own hands.’…

“For four years, most of the EU tolerated Trump and hoped at the same time that Brexit would not become a reality. But it’s becoming clear, a few turbulent weeks into 2021, that Biden has not meant an automatic return to better times and the UK really is no longer part of the European Union.”

Biden Outmaneuvered by Merkel

Fox News wrote on February 9:

“President Biden’s government has been outmaneuvered by German Chancellor Angela Merkel on critical security fronts, Richard Grenell, the former acting director of national intelligence for the Trump administration, told Fox News. ‘You have to give it to Chancellor Merkel: She outmaneuvered Joe Biden in just three weeks. Merkel made it clear she would not take sides between communist China and capitalist America, reversed the 10,000 U.S. troop withdrawal that Trump previously announced and got the Biden administration to stop enforcing Nord Stream 2 sanctions,’ Grenell said… The Nord Stream 2 deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime will transfer Russian gas to Germany via a pipeline running under the Baltic Sea. Critics say the project will ensure that Germany becomes dependent for its energy needs on Russia—a major adversary of the US and Europe.

“For Grenell, who was the first openly gay person to hold a U.S. Cabinet-level position and who also served as ambassador to Berlin from 2018 to 2020, the ‘message is you can have a “Germany First” policy, have your businesses totally engaged with China, and you do not need to take sides between Communist China and America…

“Grenell said Berlin is eager to ‘start normalized trade with Iran.’ Germany is the Iranian regime’s biggest European trade partner…”

No Fresh Election in Italy? Draghi to Become Next Prime Minister?

Breitbart wrote on February 5:

“Italian president Sergio Mattarella has called on former European Central bank (ECB) president Mario Draghi to form a new technocrat government following the resignation of Giuseppe Conte rather than call fresh elections. Mr Draghi accepted the offer to form a government on Wednesday after a meeting with the Italian president and will begin talks with various political parties in the parliament to secure the majority needed to properly govern the country…

“If Draghi is unable to come to terms with enough parties to form a solid majority, he will likely return to President Mattarella and refuse the position of Italian prime minister…  Should he form a new government, it would not be the first time in recent years a pro-European Union figure has come to head the Italian national government. Following the resignation of long-serving Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in 2011, European Commissioner Mario Monti was appointed prime minister and led a technocrat government from November 2011 to April 2013…”

The Associated Press added on February 6:

“Italian Premier-designate Mario Draghi on Saturday secured preliminary support from two key parties for forming a new government that will decide how to spend more than 200 billion euros ($240 billion) in European Union funds to help relaunch Italy’s pandemic-ravaged economy. The populist 5-Star Movement and the right-wing League both signaled support for a Draghi-led government, saying they were ready to put aside bitter rivalries for the good of the country and increasing the potential for a broad-based government of national unity… Before Saturday, Draghi already lined up the support of the Democratic Party, former Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia, former Premier Matteo Renzi’s Italy Live, and the small Free and Equal party.

“After their meetings with Draghi, both 5-Star Movement leader Vito Crimi and League leader Matteo Salvini spoke about acting in the interest of Italy, the first Western nation to be struck hard by the coronavirus. With the economic fallout of the pandemic still being tallied, both acknowledged they would have to put aside political rivalries and betrayals in order to do so…

“Salvini cited the weight of the EU recovery funds needed to relaunch the Italian economy after a national lockdown and subsequent public health restrictions… Crimi said that Italy would be judged by its European partners on how it spends the considerable funds, and that the 5-Stars want to guarantee the money will be distributed ‘with honesty, transparency and in the exclusive interest of citizens’ well-being.’

“The world is watching us and will judge if the country has changed,″ Crimi said.”

Reuters reported on February 10:

“The leader of Italy’s 5-Star Movement on Wednesday rescheduled an online party vote on whether to support a government led by former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi, urging its members to vote yes… The 5-Star has the largest number of lawmakers. With pledges of support from a host of groups from left to right, Draghi does not need their votes but an absence would undermine his efforts to build a national unity alliance…

“Posts on the party blog suggest many members are uneasy at the prospect of hooking up with a former president of the European Central Bank, despite calls from the movement’s founder, Beppe Grillo, to endorse the initiative… Politicians expect Draghi to see President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella before the end of Friday to confirm he has sufficient backing to form a government and to present a list of ministers.”

Russia Expels EU Diplomats

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 5:

“Russia expelled three European diplomats on Friday, accusing them of taking part in ‘unauthorized’ rallies supporting jailed Kremlin critic Alexi Navalny… The trio come from Germany, Sweden and Poland. It was unclear which rank they hold in their respective diplomatic missions…

“The EU’s top diplomat [Josep Borrell] ‘strongly condemned this decision and rejected the allegations that they conducted activities incompatible with their status as foreign diplomats.’…

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: ‘We condemn Navalny’s sentence and also the expelling of diplomats from Germany, Sweden and Poland.’ It was ‘another facet’ of ‘what can be observed quite far from the rule of law in Russia,’ Merkel added at a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in Berlin. She said that the Nordstrom 2 pipeline will remain unaffected, but that Germany would continue to pursue sanctions against individuals in Russia. It was ‘strategic’ and a ‘diplomatic task’ to remain in conversation with Russia despite ‘deep differences’ because ‘we are neighbors,’ Merkel added. Macron meanwhile condemned the expulsion and Russia’s treatment of Navalny and his supporters ‘with the utmost firmness.’…”

Germany, Poland and Sweden Expel Russian Diplomats

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 8:

“Germany, Poland and Sweden on Monday expelled Russian diplomats in their countries… Moscow hit back at the expulsions… ‘Today’s decisions by Poland, Germany and Sweden are unfounded, unfriendly and are a continuation of the very series of actions that the West is taking with regard to our country and which we qualify as interference in our internal affairs,’ Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on state channel Rossiya 1. EU Commission chief Josep Borrell is expected to meet with foreign ministers from the 27 EU states on February 22 to mull new sanctions against Moscow. The move would require a unanimous vote among EU members…

“Russia’s decision on Friday also came as Borrell was meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Borrell said he learned about the expulsions on social media. ‘The messages sent by Russian authorities during this visit confirmed that Europe and Russia are drifting apart,’’ Borrell wrote in a blog on his return to Brussels. ‘It seems that Russia is progressively disconnecting itself from Europe and looking at democratic values as an existential threat.’”

Russia must be laughing at these kinds of meaningless “strong” condemnations and potential sanctions (requiring unanimous consent).

Pompeo Disputes WHO’s Explanation of Origin of COVID-19

Newsmax wrote on February 10:

“Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday a statement from the World Health Organization that the COVID-19 pandemic did not likely begin with a leak from a Wuhan, China laboratory has not changed his mind about the origins of the deadly disease or the validity of the WHO itself. ‘I’ve seen that headline and I must say the reason we left the World Health Organization was because we came to believe that it was corrupt,’ Pompeo said… ‘It had been politicized. It was bending a knee to China…’

“Peter Ben Embarek, who heads the WHO’s team of experts investigating the origins of COVID-19, said Tuesday it is ‘unlikely’ that a leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology started the outbreak… Experts continue to believe the virus is likely to have originated in animals before it spread to humans… Pompeo also insisted that he, personally, continues to ‘know there was significant evidence this may well have come from that laboratory.’”

Spahn’s Wings Clipped?

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 10:

“In November, Google and the Health Ministry [under Jens Spahn] launched a cooperation to steer German-language searches about the 160 most common illnesses to a government-funded website. ‘Anyone who Googles about their health should land on our government site, and find the information that they need there,’ Health Minister Jens Spahn told reporters, standing alongside Google’s vice president for Central Europe, Philipp Justus… ‘[It] should become the central port of call for reliable health information on the internet,’ he said…

“But a state court in Munich provisionally shot down the deal on Wednesday. In essence, it found that the ministry’s bid to secure prominence for its information had been… putting private providers of health information at an unfair disadvantage… Judge Gesa Lutz warned in her ruling that Google and the Health Ministry teaming up could put ‘serious private health websites’ at risk financially and thus threaten ‘a reduction in freedom of the press and of opinion.’…

“Google is Germany’s search engine of choice with more than 90% of all online searches (97% on mobile devices)…

“This case in Munich, which is still subject to review, was only looking at whether the deal put private publishers at an unfair commercial disadvantage. The legitimacy of the gesundheit.bund.de website or its Health Ministry funding was not in question. The court was also not considering whether a government should be allowed to strike such a deal with a company like Google, or whether there might be scope for abuse of power in some cases.”

Merkel and Spahn have come under increased attack due to their mishandling of the availability of vaccines.

Tucker Carlson: Authorities Are Lying about Covid Vaccine

According to the Wrap, dated February 9, “Tucker Carlson leaned into ant-vaxx rhetoric on his Fox News Tuesday night, saying that powerful people are ‘for certain’ trying to deceive you about the COVID-19 vaccine.” He stated this:

“After months of hearing that life could never return to normal until we get a vaccine, we’ve got a vaccine. Two vaccines, actually. But life did not return to normal. Life got worse. We were instructed to take the new vaccine as soon as possible, and then to put on more masks. One mask was no longer enough. Anyone who complained about that was punished. Most people obeyed the orders. They had no choice. But the whole thing made them nervous. How could it not? Why exactly did the rules change all of a sudden, they wondered. Was there a good reason for that?…

“Why are Americans being discouraged from asking simple straightforward questions about it, questions like: How effective are these drugs? Are they safe? What’s the miscarriage risk for pregnant women, for example? Is there a study on that? May we see it? And by the way, how much are the drug companies making off this stuff?… In a democracy, every citizen has a right to know the answer. But instead we got fluff and propaganda. The media rollout for the vaccine came off like a Diet Pepsi commercial at the Super Bowl: tons of celebrity endorsements, not a lot of science… from the very first day, the way the authorities handled the COVID vaccine did not inspire confidence. If the vaccine was so great, why were all these people lying about it? And they were lying, clearly they were lying. You know that for certain because from the moment the COVID vaccine arrived, the most powerful people in America worked to make certain that no one could criticize it…”

Tough New Covid Rules and Lockdown Extensions

Daily Mail wrote on February 10:

“[Under a new law] Travellers who lie about where they’ve been face 10 YEARS in jail, all arrivals must take three Covid tests, hotel quarantine starts Monday and it could last until AUTUMN. New even stricter rules on coronavirus testing for arrivals to the UK are being introduced by ministers. As well as having to test negative before departure, people will be screened twice during isolation period. From Monday arrivals from ‘red list’ states will have to spend 10 days in ‘quarantine hotels’ at own expense.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 10:

“Germany’s federal government and state leaders agreed on Wednesday to extend the nationwide shutdown until March 7, beyond the previous February 14 deadline… A decision paper released after the meeting said Chancellor Angela Merkel and the state leaders would meet again on March 3 to assess the situation. Other measures that were discussed included: Hairdressers will be allowed to open again starting on March 1 if they follow rigorous hygiene conditions. Schools and day care centers should be ‘the first to gradually reopen,’ but it is for individual states to decide how and when. All nonessential shops and services remain closed. People in shops and on public transport are required to wear medical masks, which include surgical masks as well as FFP2 filter mask. Employers must, wherever possible, allow employees to work from home until March 15. Contact at private meetings is restricted to just one other person not living in the same household. Schools are largely closed and students are taught through distance learning.”

More nonsensical rules are hard to imagine. But then read the next article.

Vaccination Passports

Life Site News reported on February 8:

“Swedish Health Minister Lena Hallengren announced at a recent press conference the government’s intention to provide a ‘digital vaccination certificate’ to residents who receive a COVID-19 vaccine, allowing them to ‘travel abroad on holiday or to meet a loved one.’ The minister said she is convinced that a ‘vaccination certificate is probably as desirable as getting vaccinated,’ raising speculation that the digital identifier could become necessary for accessing international travel, as well as going about everyday activities such as like shopping and eating out… the digital ‘passport’ will allow those people to have a copy on their phones… Sweden’s announcement follows that of Denmark which announced its own plans to establish a ‘vaccine passport’ program to identify those who have been vaccinated, for the sake of travel.

“… In the last few weeks, the president of the European Union Commission has thrown her support behind an EU-wide ‘vaccine passport’ scheme… Ursula von der Leyen said it should be ‘a medical requirement to have a certificate proving that you have been vaccinated.’ The president welcomed the idea that vaccine ‘passports’ might be utilized to control travel between member states of the EU…”

No Global Travel until 2024?

The Jerusalem Post wrote on February 5:

“… the pandemic will not be solved by spring 2021, health experts said. It will not be over in 2022. And according to the most optimistic predictions, the skies will only really begin to open, and travel and tourism will resume, sometime between 2023 and 2024… While the world recovers from COVID-19, it will be plagued by economic and health challenges that impact everyone…”

Let’s hope these predictions are wrong.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

The word fool is defined as a person who acts unwisely or imprudently. The Bible has an added significance to this word as someone who disregards God’s Word.

Several Scriptures that describe such a person, often contrasting him- or herself with one who is wise and/or righteous, can be found in Ecclesiastes 10:2-3. A fool’s heart continually goes towards foolishness (Proverbs 26:4-12).  Fools do not learn their lesson from their mistakes and they continue on with them, doing the same foolish things over and over again, leading to their own destruction (Isaiah 32:6).

The book of Proverbs lists quite a few more characteristics of fools in contrast to the wise:  They don’t care about understanding (Proverbs 18:2, 6-7); they hate knowledge (Proverbs 1:22); they love doing evil (Proverbs 10:23); they broadcast folly or stupidity (Proverbs 12:23); they speak perversity (Proverbs 19:1); they are quick-tempered (Proverbs 12:16); they are deceitful and mock sin (Proverbs 14:8-9); they reject discipline and bring grief to their parents (Proverbs 15:5, 20; 17:25; 19:13); and they give in to sexual immorality through lustful behavior (Proverbs 6:32; 7:7-23).

There certainly are many characteristics of a fool but the ultimate description of a fool is one who says in his or her heart that there is no God (compare Psalms 14:1-3).  And the Bible warns us that we should not associate with these types of people (Proverbs 14:6-7; 13:20).

Fools have the opportunity to become wise when seeking wise counsel and also applying it in their lives (Proverbs 8:5-11; 21:11).

In Matthew 5:22, Jesus gives a warning to those who call someone a fool. The term Raca, when spoken from a heart of contempt, seems to imply utter worthlessness.  It was a very strong expression. But Jesus wasn’t saying that we can’t call the choices of another foolish.  We say in our Q&A on Matthew 5:21-22, stating from The Nelson Study Bible, which gives the following explanation:

“‘You have heard’ refers to the teaching of various rabbis rather than to that of Moses. Jesus was questioning the interpretation of the Jewish scholars, not the Old Testament itself. The scribes and Pharisees said that a person who referred to another as Raca, meaning empty head, was in danger of being sued for libel before the council (or the Sanhedrin). On the other hand, Jesus said that whoever calls another a fool will have to answer to God. That is not to say that calling someone a fool will condemn a believer to eternal punishment in hell. Rather Jesus was saying that to utter such words is to place oneself in a worse condition at the time of judgment (see 1 Cor. 3:12-15).”

We do not have the power or the right to condemn anyone to “hell” or the lake of fire. That position of judgment belongs only to God which is further revealed through Christ’s warning in Matthew 12:36-37, “But I say to you that for every idle (careless, thoughtless, useless) word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, in their Commentary on the Whole Bible, provide this further explanation:

“To understand why it is so serious to call a brother a ‘fool’–the meaning of which might include a ‘child of hell’ or an ‘effeminate,’ that is, a sexually abnormal person–is because it is the fate of those kinds of people to end up in the lake of fire, unless they repent (compare Revelation 21:8; 22:15). It is a serious matter to falsely call a brother or a sister in Christ a sexually immoral person or a ‘dog,’ i.e., a homosexual. This is not to say that we must blind our eyes to true facts. Paul was not afraid to point out that some, including in the church, were–or had been–sexually ‘abnormal’ (compare 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 5:9-13). However, Christ warned us not to make incorrect charges of immoral conduct against others, and especially our brethren, because of motivation of hate and malice.”

The Broadman Bible Commentary says this:

“Jesus traced sin back to disposition, attitude, or intention. The overt act of murder has its root in anger, hostility or contempt for another. Jesus cited anger…, insulting one’s brother… and calling another fool… as being crimes for which one is [or should be] brought before the court (local court of 23 persons), the Sanhedrin (highest ruling body of the Jews), or for which he is liable to Gehenna. No court seeks to convict a person on the grounds of feeling or attitude, but feelings of anger or contempt are as dangerous as are the outward crimes for which one is brought into the courts or considered liable to hell [i.e. Gehenna fire–that is, ultimate extinction]. Jesus’ words… are to be understood as radical protests and warnings against wrong feelings toward another… That Jesus had his own community in mind is reflected in the recurrence of ‘his brother,’ a term reserved in Matthew for a Christian brother. Anger and contempt are not only self-destructive but destroy the fellowship of the church.”

What does the Bible say about foolishness?

A fool uses his reasoning skills to make wrong decisions, and foolishness is a result of a person misusing the intelligence or even the understanding that God has given him.  As we already explained earlier, denying God’s existence is the most basic type of foolishness.

Foolishness is associated with a quick temper (Proverbs 14:16-17); perverse speech; and disobedience to parents; and it is counterproductive (Proverbs 19:3).  Foolishness can also contribute to the unsuccessful efforts of the household (Proverbs 14:1).  The contrast is stated in Matthew 7:24-26, describing the well-grounded wise man building his house on the rock, as opposed to the unstable foolish man who built his house on the sand.

Jesus lists all the evil things that come out of the heart of men in Mark 7:20-23, which defiles a man.  As we can see, foolishness is breaking God’s Law and can most certainly lead to it, which is sin, and sin is lawlessness.

God’s way is foolishness to the fool, especially to those who don’t have the understanding but may think that they do, yet they are fooled and give in to foolishness  (compare 1 Corinthians 1:18-25). God’s Truth is considered foolishness to the vast majority of the world because they don’t understand what the true Gospel is all about, and it doesn’t make sense to them (3:18-23).  For that reason, they put their foolish trust into worthless things like idolatry (compare Jeremiah 10:8, 14-15).  They may also put their trust into their leaders of this world (compare Job 12:23-25; 17:4). Paul warns the Galatians at that time for acting foolishly but this also coincides accurately with what is happening today (compare Galatians 3:1-9).

What does it mean when Paul talks about the foolish things of the world in 1 Corinthians 1:27? To whom is he referring?

We read in verse 26 of 1 Corinthians 1: “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.”  As Paul was speaking to the Church of God in Corinth, he implies that they should be glad that not many were wise according to the flesh or mighty or noble. Such things often keep people from the sense of need that leads to salvation. If more of them had been wise, mighty, or noble, it is likely that many of them would not have been saved.  Why?

Verses 27-28 say: “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are.”

God is not looking for millionaires, famous entertainers and athletes, politicians, all those considered great in the eyes of men, to save and to do His Work. This is not to say that He couldn’t call rich and famous people because He most certainly can do that and has done so. This could certainly be a distraction and God knows that, just like the example of the rich ruler who “wanted to follow Christ” but his riches were more important to him.  The very things that put the “wise of this world” ahead in the world may actually put them behind with God.  They have everything they need and want, living the life. They think that they don’t need God to help them. But God looks at the heart and He calls certain people for His specific purpose.  His design is not by accident.  In human thinking, strength is strength, weakness is weakness, and intelligence is intelligence. But to God, some of the seemingly strongest things are the weakest, some of the weakest things are the strongest, and some of the wisest things are the most foolish.

A simple, uneducated, untalented, and “clumsy” believer who trusts and believes in Jesus Christ and God the Father, and who faithfully and humbly follows Him and keeps His laws is immeasurably wiser than the brilliant Ph.D. who scoffs at God’s Law, who knows nothing beyond his books, his own mind, and his own experience. He sees nothing beyond this life, and he cannot be considered anything but foolish.

Barnes’ Notes of the Bible Commentary states that “the foolish things are the things esteemed foolish among people. The expression here refers to those who were destitute of learning, rank, wealth, and power, and who were esteemed as fools, and were despised by the rich and the great.

“To bring to shame; or that he might make them ashamed; that is, humble them by showing them how little he regarded their wisdom; and how little their wisdom contributed to the success of his cause. By thus overlooking them, and bestowing his favors on the humble and the poor; by choosing his people from the ranks which they despised, and bestowing on them the exalted privilege of being called the sons of God, he had poured dishonor on the rich and the great, and overwhelmed them, and their schemes of wisdom, with shame. It is also true, that those who are regarded as fools by the wise men of the world are able often to confound those who boast of their wisdom; and that the arguments of plain people, though unlearned except in the school of Christ; of people of sound common sense under the influence of Christian principles, have a force which the learning and talent of the people of this world cannot resist. They have truth on their side; and truth, though dressed in a humble garb, is more mighty than error, though clothed with the brilliancy of imagination, the pomp of declamation, and the cunning of sophistry.

“And the weak things are those esteemed weak by the people of the world. The mighty are the great; the noble; the learned.”

It is more than just believing in Christ, as action is also required.  We need to recognize that God has given us righteousness when we are willing to give up what the world has to offer (1 Peter 2:1-4).  We are to have the mind of Christ as it says in 1 Corinthians 2:16.

We should be able to decipher between what is right and what is wrong, between righteousness and unrighteousness, between the Truth of God and the lies and deception that clouds this world we live in.  If we rely on God and put our trust, faith and confidence in Him, then we can reject foolishness through the power of His Holy Spirit. Our thoughts can please God; our righteous decisions can glorify God; and our lives can be enriched, not just for ourselves but also the lives of those around us (compare Philippians 4:8-9).

When it comes to our eternal salvation, one is either a fool, meaning he rejects God’s Way of Life after knowing the Truth, or one is wise, meaning he continues to believe in Christ and God’s Law and commits his life to Him.  Soon, all who have not yet been called will have the opportunity to discover that God’s Way of Life—what the world thought was foolishness—is, in reality, the wisdom of God offering them eternal salvation.

Lead Writer: Michael Link

compiled by Dave Harris

A new Member Letter (February 2021) has been written and mailed to our subscribers. In this important letter, Norbert Link discusses recent political events in the United States in light of the role of the Church of God in watching prophetic fulfillment, while strongly preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God. This letter is now posted.

“Why Did Trump Lose the Election?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary: 

The Democrats in the Senate are trying to prevent former President Donald Trump from ever running for office again, but will they be successful? Will the “Senate Banana Republic Show Trial,” as it has been described by some, lead to Trump’s conviction? Is this trial even constitutional, and if not, why not? What should Trump’s defense lawyers address in rebuttal of the claims made by the Democratic managers? And what is it that needs to be pointed out to get the entire picture pertaining to the 2016 election and possible future developments?

Our monthly Tech Team meeting was conducted via SKYPE on February 7, 2021. Hosted by Eric Rank, particular attention was directed to the current movement by Internet providers to block programming. In that regard, alternative sourcing was discussed. Additional time was spent reviewing our broadcasting procedures to ensure smooth transmission experiences for our participants during live services.

“Wieso hat Trump die Wahl verloren?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Why did Trump Lose the Election?”

“Die Heiligen richten die Nationen,” is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Marc Voeller. Title in English: “The Saints Judge the Nations.”

“A Small Amount Matters,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Robb Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Many have based their eternal rewards on misconceptions and on achieving salvation with only minimal effort. But the Bible is clear, and Christ as well, that this is a dangerous misconception that can lead many to destruction. Each of us must overcome our carnality with an habitual change of heart.

“Before the Temple is Built,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

What will be happening before the Temple described in Ezekiel is built? Are the current preparations by Jews in the State of Israel to build a Temple of God on the Temple Mount of any significance—and are they actually in line with biblical prophecy? Prior endeavors by Israel in constructing the Tabernacle and subsequent Temples provide keys for what we can expect today.

On February 6, 2021, Robb Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “A Small Amount Matters,” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “Before the Temple is Built.”

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.

So, what is integrity? Physically, it could be understood as wholeness. As an example, if a boat hull has integrity, then it does not leak, it is whole. If a computer program has integrity, it performs what it was designed for without errors.

When it applies to our spiritual lives, a good definition from Google is: “Integrity is the quality of having strong ethical or moral principles and following them at all times, no matter who’s watching. A person with integrity acts with honesty, honour, and truthfulness.” To this could be added, “even when no one is watching except for God.”

Unfortunately, in this day and age, integrity can be difficult to find. During this current Covid crisis, we hear of politicians who enact lockdown rules for the safety of the population, but then go and break these same rules, especially when they think they will not be found out. One would say that they do not act with integrity. Similarly, there is much doubt about the integrity of the vote count in the recent US election. Was it fraudulent?

In the Bible, we find there are some people specifically mentioned because of their integrity. One of those was David. After Solomon had prayed dedicating the House of the Lord, God appeared to him and made this comment in 1 Kings 9:4-5. “Now if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgements, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever…”

So, God considered David had integrity and was upright. The Hebrew word translated integrity means completeness and innocence, whereas the Hebrew word translated uprightness means straight or even. In the Psalms are many statements of how David loved God’s Law and meditated on it continually. He loved God and His ways completely, even in spite of his occasional faults.

Another person whom God stated was upright was Job. Job himself claimed that he held fast his integrity (Job 27:5-6), and, in fact, when we read in the book of Job, chapters 29 and 31, we find a very comprehensive list of things that Job did correctly. This would explain why God said he was blameless prior to being tested (compare Job 1:8, Job 2:3). His problem was not lack of integrity but self-righteousness.

Let us now consider Ruth. She was a young widow living in the land of Moab, a woman of great integrity even though it is not stated as such. When her mother-in-law Naomi, also a widow, was leaving Moab to return to Israel, she recommended that her daughters-in-law return to Moab. However, Ruth refused to return, making the statement in Ruth 1:16-17, “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.”

She was willing to totally give up her whole past life, family and country, never wanting to return to it. Ruth’s integrity did not just consist of words, but when we follow the part of her life that is recorded, she served Naomi very well, working in the barley and wheat fields collecting the grain that God commanded to be left for the poor, the stranger, the fatherless and the widow (Leviticus 19:9-10 and Deuteronomy 24:19-21). Even though she had the right to glean according to God’s Law, she still asked permission, showing that humility was a part of her integrity (Ruth 2:7).

It was not only her hard physical labour that displayed her character, but she had a very good reputation that had been related to Boaz of all that she had done for her mother-in-law (Ruth 2:11-12). Her life showed her great integrity, and God rewarded her with a good husband and enabled her to be the great grandmother of David and an ancestor of Jesus Christ Himself.

Following these examples, and there are others that could also be mentioned, God expects us to live a life of integrity. It can be difficult always doing and saying what is right when many will disagree with us. And as persecution increases, especially for Christians, we should apply to ourselves what David said in Psalm 41:12: “As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, And set me before Your face forever.”

by Norbert Link

We address the rocky relationship between President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu and the fragile relationship between the USA under Biden and the EU. We also run an interesting article about the German Left Party’s military ambitions.

We speak on the continuing censorship of Big Tech and others regarding Christian organizations and viewpoints; and report on the latest development on former President Trump’s activities and plans, as well as his growing popularity.  In this regard, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “The Return of Donald Trump.” 

We point out Germany’s and Europe’s vaccination disaster and address another rift between Britain and the EU and Germany’s imposition of further travel bans; and we conclude with ongoing demonstrations in Russia and the international condemnation regarding the arrest and conviction of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, as well as the Russian government’s hostile reaction.  

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

Rocky Relationship between Biden and Netanyahu

 Israel 365 reported on January 31:

“Though the new administration in the newly inaugurated US president has spoken with the Israeli Prime Minister, communication has been notably lacking, hinting at a challenging future for Israel. A report in Al Jarida, a Kuwaiti media, claimed that President Biden has not yet spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and actually rebuffed a calling attempt from Israel… Biden has called the leaders of Canada, Mexico, the UK, France, Germany, NATO, Russia, and Japan, but not Israel’s Netanyahu…

“The report does seem to highlight the nature of the connection between the Israeli leader and the new administration. According to media reports, in his first week in the Oval Office, Biden had phone discussions with London, Berlin, Paris, Moscow, Canada, and the Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). These connections imply that in the first days of his term in office, Biden was focused on relations with Europe.

“But additional reports claim that officials in the Biden administration have already begun holding quiet talks with Iran on a return to the 2015 nuclear deal. Though the reports also claim that Israel has been appraised of the talks, the Iran deal has always been a major concern for Netanyahu who sees the deal as an existential threat to Israel. Al Jarida reported that these contacts between the US and Iran began even before Biden took office, indicating his desire to reenter the deal which Trump rejected.”

However, as The Times of Israel reports on February 1, Iran insists that Washington lifts all of its sanctions before rejoining the 2015 pact. The article also stated this:

“Iran gradually and publicly abandoned the deal’s limits on its nuclear development. Iranian state TV reported Thursday that Iran had exceeded 17 kilograms of 20 percent enriched uranium within a month, moving its nuclear program closer to weapons-grade enrichment levels.

“US President Joe Biden, who was vice president when the deal was signed during the Obama administration, has said he hopes to return the US to the deal. But he has also said Tehran must resume compliance first… The Biden administration’s policy on Iran is expected to be a point of contention between the new US administration and Israel. Israeli officials have voiced strong objections to the US rejoining the nuclear deal, and have also issued threats against Iran in recent weeks.”

Given the history of the deal, it does not appear that Biden will stand strong against Iran.

Biden’s European Challenge

Vox wrote on January 26:

“Alliances are the keystone of President Joe Biden’s foreign policy agenda. Whether confronting China, curbing the coronavirus pandemic, or addressing climate change, Biden has repeatedly emphasized the critical importance of working with allies to tackle major global challenges.

“But the problem with keystones is that if they crumble, the rest of the structure falls with them. And less than a week into Biden’s presidency, the edifice is starting to shake. That’s because, on a number of prominent issues from China to Venezuela to trade, the United States and its closest European allies are out of sync.

“Last December, the European Union signed a long-promised investment deal with China despite the public concerns of Biden’s then-incoming National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. The worry now is China will not only tighten economic relationships with America’s transatlantic allies but also use that newfound access to steal intellectual property from European industries…

“Biden also on Monday signed his ‘Buy American’ executive order to ensure the US government ‘whenever possible’ purchases items ‘that will help American businesses compete in strategic industries and help America’s workers thrive.’ Experts fear European governments will view that move as a continuation of former President Trump’s protectionist economic policies.

“… early signs indicate Biden can’t just reflexively count on European support… ‘The Europeans are not keen on following the US’ in whatever it wants to do, said Erik Brattberg, the Europe program director at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC. ‘Just because Biden is being nice and he’s not Trump doesn’t change that calculus.’..  If Biden hoped his presence — or Trump’s absence — would automatically mean closer US-EU ties on China policy, he should think again…

“Economic tensions between the US and Europe are already quite high… If there was ever a time to calm nerves about the state of transatlantic trade relations, it’d be now — and ‘Buy American’ seems likely to do the opposite.

“None of this is to say Biden is grossly imperiling US-EU relations. It already looks like the continent’s leaders are happier to see him in the Oval Office than Trump. But it’s just not clear that Biden has the tight-knit bond he hoped to form — proving a big foreign policy problem for his early presidency.”

In spite of some wishful thinking on both sides of the ocean, the relationship between the USA and Europe will not improve substantially under Biden. Please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Even Germany’s Left Party supports European Army

The website of wsws wrote the following on February 3:

“As a member of a potential German federal coalition government with the Social Democrats and Greens, the Left Party would fully support the continuation of Germany’s foreign military operations and the rearmament of the armed forces. Anyone who doubts this should read the paper ‘Left-wing security policy’ by Matthias Höhn. Between 2012 and 2017, Höhn was the Left Party’s head of federal affairs and serves today as the Left Party parliamentary group’s spokesperson on security policy.

“The paper, released January 19, is virtually indistinguishable from the strategy papers advocating rearmament produced by foreign policy think tanks and the Defence Ministry. On all essential points, it supports the Christian Democrat/Social Democrat (SPD) grand coalition government’s militarist agenda. Höhn defends NATO, demands a massive rearmament programme for Germany’s armed forces, and calls for the establishment of a European army and the conducting of more ‘humanitarian’ interventions under German leadership…  ‘The EU [European Union] must understand that it is a political actor with independent interests, goals and values, and act as such. This can and will repeatedly result in conflicts of interest, including with the United States,’ he writes.“Höhn then appeals for the Left Party to set itself up explicitly as a militarist party…

“A federal government involving the Left Party would not mean fewer foreign interventions by Germany’s military, but more… The Left Party has supported the return of German militarism from the outset… Höhn acknowledges for the record that his proposals were not only ‘motivated by discussions with many of our party’s comrades,’ but also ‘with members of the armed forces.’”

Germany is becoming more and more unified in its desire to establish a European Army.

Twitter Bans Christian Organization

Breitbart wrote on January 30:

“A Christian organization has been suspended from the Twitter social media platform for stating Dr. Rachel Levine’s, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), biological sex. In recent weeks tech giants like Twitter, Facebook, and Google have been censuring mostly conservative voices on social media platforms, including former President Donald Trump and My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell…

“At issue was a Tweet pointing to a story about Dr. Rachel Levine, President Biden’s controversial nominee for Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of Health and Human Services. The tweet included the following sentence: ‘Dr. Levine is a transgender woman, that is, a man who believes he is a woman.’… the appeal to Twitter about the suspension was denied.”

There will be an ongoing effort to silence all those voices stating the biblical Truth about sex and sexual relationships. Also note the next article.

Facebook Suspends Christian Scholar

Israel 365 wrote on January 28:

“Prominent Christian scholar Robert AJ Gagnon was suspended by Facebook on Tuesday for 24 hours after speaking out against transgenderism and President Joe Biden’s new transgender military policy. Facebook claimed that Gagnon’s critique of this ideology violated the social media’s ‘Community Standards on violence and incitement.’ The post was ironically referring to another post written by his friend, Laurie Higgins, who was suspended for seven-days for blasting Biden’s policy…

“A Ph.D. in sexuality and Pauline theology from Princeton Theological Seminary, Gagnon published The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics. He works as a professor of New Testament theology at the Houston Baptist University.

“In the Facebook post, Gagnon defended Higgins’ view on Biden’s pro-transgender military policy. The following is the text from the post Gagnon got suspended for:

“‘My friend Laurie Higgins has been suspended for 7 days, for making an accurate and witty satirical post, by left-wing FB overlords who seek to squash all dissent on the issue of transgenderism, no doubt emboldened by the Biden/Harris administration. There’s nothing inaccurate about this post.

“‘Biden’s lifting of Trump’s transgender military ban will indeed put women military personnel in the awful position of having to shower with biological males. Trans-promoters aren’t content with having men invade the domain of women’s sports and shelters. “Transgender” ideology is indeed a pseudo-science, compelling people to reject basic biological facts. Promoters of “transgenderism” do indeed exhibit traits of a religious cult in their mind-numbing, science-denying conformity. The censoring and suspending of Laurie Higgins rather proves the point, doesn’t it?…’”

LGBT Flags to be flown at US Embassies Worldwide

Breitbart wrote on January 31:

“LGBT activists are cheering Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s announcement that he will reverse an order from President Donald Trump and put up ‘pride’ flags at U.S. Embassies around the world… In a memo from July 2020, former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper released a list of flags permitted to be displayed at U.S. military bases. Missing from the list was the LGBTQ pride flag, which Esper compared to the confederate flag. Prior to the ban, embassies raised the flag during pride month on the official embassy flagpole…

“Blinken also confirmed that he plans to appoint an envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQ persons, a position created by Barack Obama in 2015 that wasn’t filled during the Trump presidency. ‘Biden is the first U.S. president to openly embrace a full range of queer rights, including transgender equality,’ Outfront magazine reported.”

The interested reader might want to see what the Bible has to say about this issue. Please read our free booklet, “God’s Teachings on Sexual Relationships.” Please also note our Q&A in this issue about the “sexual sins of Sodom and Gomorrah.”

Police Fines Churchgoers

Life Site News reported on January 29:

 “Police in a small Ontario town have been going door to door and fining members of an evangelical community who have dared to go to church on Sundays… ‘under cover of darkness, [the police] went from house to house handing out $880 tickets for going to church this past Sunday’…

“The church-goers were in violation of Ontario’s ‘Emergency Orders’ measure meant to contain the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus through suspending the rights of Ontarians to, among other activities, attend public worship in groups larger than 10… the Aylmer Police Service identified 47 people who took part in Christian worship, held both inside and outside the church, and is now in the process of bringing tickets to them all.

“‘As of 27th of January Aylmer Police have identified 47 persons who were in violation of Emergency Orders during an indoor and outdoor gathering on 24th of January 2021 at a church situated on John St. North Aylmer ON,’ the Aylmer Police’s post stated. ‘Officers are in the process of serving 29 Part 1 tickets on those individuals identified. In addition, 18 Part 3 summons are being processed for individuals residing outside of Elgin County Jurisdiction and for those persons/organization responsible for Organizing and hosting the event.’…”

Canada Classifies Proud Boys as Terrorists

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 4:

“Canada on Wednesday deemed the far right Proud Boys group a terrorist organization, saying it had become a ‘serious and growing threat’ to society… The group’s regular appearances as counter-protesters at events such as Black Lives Matter protesters, and their willingness to use violence against rival demonstrators, was [a] reason cited… Enrique Tarrio, the chairman of Proud Boys, called the terrorist designation ‘ridiculous.’ ‘There is no basis for it. It’s infringement of free speech rights. All the Canadian Proud Boys have ever done is go to rallies,’ Tarrio said…

“The new designation means the Proud Boys may have assets seized and face stiffer terrorism-related punishments… Donating money to the organization or buying Proud Boys paraphernalia would also be deemed a crime…

“Canada is the first country to designate the Proud Boys as a terrorist entity…”

 Is Canada also classifying other “violent” groups as Terrorists, such as Antifa and “Black Lives Matter”? What hypocrisy!

Trump’s Impeachment Defense Team

Breitbart wrote on January 31:

“Lawyers who had been preparing President Donald Trump’s defense for his Senate impeachment trial have reportedly quit over his insistence that they present a defense that involves claims of election fraud in several states in the 2020 election… Trump wanted the attorneys to argue there was mass election fraud and that the election was stolen from him rather than focus on the legality of convicting a president after he’s left office. Trump was not receptive to the discussions about how they should proceed in that regard.

“The first legal filing in the trial is due on Tuesday, and the trial is expected to begin in earnest the week of February 8.”

CNN wrote on February 1:

“Former President Donald Trump’s office announced that David Schoen and Bruce L. Castor, Jr. will now head the legal team for his second impeachment trial… It’s unclear whether Schoen and Castor will go along with what Trump wants… ‘Schoen has already been working with the 45th President and other advisors to prepare for the upcoming trial, and both Schoen and Castor agree that this impeachment is unconstitutional – a fact 45 Senators voted in agreement with last week,’ the release said… Castor… is a well-known attorney in Pennsylvania who previously served as Montgomery County district attorney…

“Many House Republicans remain staunch Trump defenders, saying he did nothing wrong and shouldn’t be blamed for the violence that occurred at the Capitol on January 6.”

Most observers from all kinds of political persuasion expect that, regardless of the nature of the defense, Trump will not be convicted, as it appears highly unlikely that 17 House Republicans will vote for his conviction, under any circumstances.

Trump and McCarthy Meet

The Sun wrote on January 29:

“FORMER president Donald Trump and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy have launched a plan to ‘take back the House in 2022’ during a meeting today. Claiming that Trump’s ‘popularity has never been stronger than it is today’, the pair met at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

“The rendezvous – with accompanying handout statement and a photo of the beaming Republicans – was a chance for the two to launch their bid to put the GOP back in the driving seat in the House. ‘They discussed many topics, number one of which was taking back the House in 2022,’ read the statement. ‘President Trump’s popularity has never been stronger than it is today, and his endorsement means perhaps more than any endorsement at any time. President Trump has agreed to work with Leader McCarthy on helping the Republican Party to become a majority in the House. They worked very well together in the last election and picked up 15 seats when most predicted it would be the opposite. They will do so again and the work has already started.’

 “The image of Trump at his Palm Beach club standing beside McCarthy is the first official photo of the former president released by his team since he left office on January 20. The staged shot emphasises that Trump will still support Republicans in their campaigns, despite question marks over whether he would move to set up his own political party… the former president reiterated Monday he will ‘forever be a champion for the American People’.

“Former president Donald Trump’s popularity rating among Republicans has begun to bounce back since he left office, reported Forbes. According to tracking by Morning Consult, 81 per cent of Republican voters polled between January 23 to 25 hold positive views of Trump, including 54 per cent who do so strongly.

“The meeting was a chance for the duo to clear the air after House Minority Leader McCarthy had previously spoken out against Trump on the impeachment, blaming him for fuelling the January 6 riots at the Capitol.”

Lindsey Graham has said that the GOP is dead without Trump. Rand Paul said that if Senate Republicans conspire with Senate Democrats to convict Trump, then the GOP is dead. It seems more and more like leading Republicans agree with them and now have a sudden “change of heart.”

Trump Is Getting Stronger

Fox News reported on January 30:

“Former President Donald Trump has actually gained — not lost — political clout since leaving office, a political observer asserted Friday. Politico reporter Tara Palmeri’s observation runs contrary to the assumptions of many in the Washington D.C. establishment and the mainstream media. ‘People don’t want to hear anything against Trump,’ Palmeri said during an appearance on MSNBC. ‘Actually, the more he stays out of the media, the more that he becomes this martyr, this looming figure over the GOP.’ In fact, there is now a ‘crusade’ being waged on behalf of the former president in places like Wyoming, where Trump is ‘way more popular’ than the state’s high-ranking congressional Republican, U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, Palmeri said…

“In Wyoming, she added, ‘A lot of people said they aren’t really Republicans, that, like, they’re for Trump. That’s it … I think the base is getting stronger, truly…’”

Trump Gone with the Wind?

On January 31,  Bild Online ran an article with the following headline:

“Von wegen weg vom Fenster. Republikaner wollen 14. Juni zum Trump-Feiertag machen.“ (In English, something like: “You must be joking–gone with the wind?…” Or: “No way he is a goner or gone with the wind. Republicans want to declare June 14 as Trump Celebration Day.”

WIVB wrote on January 29:

“Two Ohio representatives are looking to declare June 14 as ‘President Donald J. Trump Day.’ On Friday, Republican Reps. Jon Cross and Reggie Stoltzfus emailed their House colleagues asking for co-sponsors for their upcoming bill ‘to celebrate one of the greatest presidents in American history’… ‘Let’s show the 3,154,834 Ohio voters who cast their ballot to re-elect Donald J. Trump that we as a legislature recognize the accomplishments of his administration,’ the request said. The email request has been shared on social media by several journalists.

“They selected June 14 as it is Trump’s birthday. It is also Flag Day, which commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States of America on June 14, 1777… While it’s not unheard of to create a holiday for a former president’s birthday – Ronald Reagan Day is celebrated in some form in 40 states on Feb. 6 – it’s not common for living presidents. Only Barack Obama, for whom the Illinois legislature approved an unofficial holiday on Aug. 4, has received anything similar.”

Trump—the Antipope?

Politico wrote on January 29:

“The ousted leader refused to relent to reality… He was Benedict XIII—’the pope,’ said Joëlle Rollo-Koster, a noted scholar of the Middle Ages, ‘who never conceded.’

“Benedict, who died in 1423, was the last of the popes of Avignon, in what’s now the south of France. He was an ‘antipope’—in opposition, that is, to a sequence of popes presiding from the more customary hub of Rome—and insisted even as he was twice deposed that he remained the rightful pontiff. He tried to exert control from a fortress of a palace in a separate seat of power—propped up by a stubborn type of papal court, retaining sufficient political capital to pressure heads of states to pick sides, bestowing benedictions and other benefits and if nothing else gumming up earnest efforts to allay divides…

“Six centuries later, Donald Trump, twice impeached, is finishing his first full week as a dispatched post-president ensconced in his own Florida fortalice of Mar-a-Lago—committed by almost all accounts to do from his Palm Beach perch some modern-day variant of what Benedict pulled off for decades…

“As unequaled as this is in the 245 years of the country’s existence, there are, however, rough parallels from other areas and eras around the world—tainted, brought-down kingpins, cast off to often island elsewheres. A defeated Napoleon was sent to Elba and then again to Saint Helena… But none match the current moment with the resonance of Benedict XIII… there was an unexpected twist to Benedict’s intransigence…: The harder and longer he held out, the more he was seen by some as a victim or a martyr, abidingly admired precisely because of his obstinacy and unwavering audacity…

“Trump last Wednesday departed a rattled, armored Washington, pledging to ‘be back in some form.’…

“Trump will raise money, stoke talk of a 2024 run and aim to quash the careers of candidates who’ve crossed him, deploying post-Twitter methods to continue to press his message to people who support him—and to pique the people who don’t… Last Thursday, Trump’s family, top donors and supporters put on a welcome-back luncheon for him at Mar-a-Lago. Earlier this week, he planted a more official flag in Palm Beach County, opening his post-presidential office to ‘carry on the agenda of the Trump Administration through advocacy, organizing, and public activism.’ As was the case in Avignon, the presence of power… is almost certain to spawn an ecosystem of… opportunists and money men…

“Trump’s been bringing in money like mad, fundraising off the election he lost but said he won—and that mother lode of more than $200 million, which ostensibly was going to be used to fight the result in court, actually is his to do with as he sees fit…

“What remains to be seen, though, is whether all this will work, or work as well not merely in the wake of the grievous end of his presidency but in the face of any additional consequences to come…”

Interesting parallels.

Politico added on January 31:

“Former President Donald Trump amassed $31.2 million in his new political operation by the end of 2020, giving him a powerful tool to keep the Republican Party in his grip as he left office… Save America, a leadership PAC created in the aftermath of the 2020 election, is set to play a key role in Trump’s plans to keep a strong hand in party politics… Trump cannot spend the PAC funds directly on any future campaign of his own, but he can use it to wield influence in campaigns in the midterm elections, pay his political advisers and travel the country.”

Trump’s Veto Powers

Liberty Nation wrote on January 27, 2021:

“In fact, what Trump holds over the Republican Party right now is beyond leverage. It is de facto veto power — not the kind he once wielded over the government but over his party…

“Nobody yet knows how Trump will proceed from here, what form, fashion, and timing will mark his return to the political spotlight. Only one thing appears certain: He will not leave the stage. And when he returns, woe be to any Republican who tried to drag the party back in the direction desired by the NeverTrumpers and establishment lifers…”

Trump to Run in 2024?

CNN wrote on January 30, 2021:

“Donald Trump is no longer president. He no longer has the megaphone of Twitter. But make no mistake: This is still Trump’s Republican Party. You see it in the actions of Republican… parties trying to punish those who went against Trump. You see this in a majority of congressional Republicans voting to uphold an objection to Pennsylvania’s electoral votes for President Joe Biden. And more than that, you see it in the polling, which indicates that Trump’s in a historically strong primary position for an ex-president. Indeed, he’s polling tremendously well among Republicans in the context for any future presidential nominee…

“Republican leaders go against Trump at their potential electoral peril… A majority of Republicans (57%) said… that he should be the 2024 nominee. Against named opponents, Trump easily leads the field. Among those who either voted for Trump in 2020 or are Republicans, Trump’s averaging about half the primary vote. No one else is even close… 72% of Republicans said Biden only won because of fraud. That high of a percentage is unprecedented.

“It likely helps Trump to continue to claim the winner he always says he is. And right now, Republicans seem more than willing to continue to see him that way as well.”

In reality, more than just 72% of Republicans believe that voter fraud caused Trump’s defeat. And that does not include Independents and even some Democrats.

No Free Pass for Bannon in spite of Trump’s Pardon?

The Washington Post wrote on January 29:

“On his last day in office, President Donald Trump issued pardons to 74 people and commuted the sentences for 70 others. For most recipients, the impact of Trump’s actions is simple: They get out of jail or legal jeopardy. More complicated are the last-minute pardons that Trump extended to some of his friends and allies, particularly political strategist Stephen K. Bannon. It would be a mistake to think that Bannon’s pardon gives him a free pass…

“Pardons do not take effect automatically. More than a century ago, the Supreme Court explained that, for a presidential pardon to be effective, it must be ‘accepted’ by the person offered the pardon. Significantly, as Chief Justice John Marshall wrote in 1833, the decision to accept a pardon is an admission of guilt. As a consequence, people offered a pardon who insist that they are innocent of the charges have the right to a trial to clear their name. But if they decide to accept the pardon, they convey to the world that they committed the crime and have been spared some of the consequences… In addition, a presidential pardon only excuses federal crimes, but it does not protect Bannon from state prosecutors.”

Many might not have known that accepting a pardon is tantamount to an admission of guilt.

Massive Voting Irregularities in New York?

 Breitbart wrote on February 3:

“Marc Elias, the election lawyer who represented Democratic challenges to state rules throughout the 2020 election, alleged in a court filing this week that a close congressional race in upstate New York was marred by faulty voting machines. Republicans have been vilified for making similar claims about the 2020 presidential race.

“In the congressional race for New York’s 22nd district, Republican Claudia Tenney currently leads incumbent Democrat Anthony Brindisi by a razor-thin margin of 125 votes. Tenney declared victory on Tuesday, though challenges continue. In a legal filing Monday requesting a manual audit of the election, [attorney] Elias… argued that there were ‘substantial errors and irregularities in the conduct of the election.’

“Citing alleged discrepancies between votes counted by hand and votes counted by ballot machines, Elias argued that the error rate, extrapolated across the entire district, could mean that thousands of votes were improperly counted by the machines. He also complained about procedural faults with the conduct of the voting process, alleging failures to comply with New York State election law.”

Recalling California Gov. Newsom?

 Politico wrote on February 4:

“The campaign to oust Newsom went from unlikely to unavoidable this week as pervasive frustration with Newsom’s pandemic management cut sharply into his approval numbers. The longer businesses have been closed, hospitals full and school campuses shut, the more the movement has gained traction beyond conservative social media circles…

“Getting the recall onto the ballot is the first lift; voters would then have to decide in a special election whether to recall Newsom and simultaneously which candidate they would prefer instead. The recall could still fail to qualify. The deadline to certify is March 17, and the campaign is still operating on a shoestring budget by statewide campaign standards, relying on volunteers and some paid mail to collect the 1.5 million valid signatures they need. Proponents claim they have 1.3 million total signatures, still a ways off the nearly 2 million they will likely need to compensate for invalid signatories.

“Still, the campaign had a surprisingly high rate of valid signatures in the last statewide report through early January, hovering around 85 percent. California county registrars have verified about 600,000 signatures so far.”

German Praise for Trump, Netanyahu and Johnson

Breitbart wrote on January 29:

“German media continues to criticise the European Union’s bureaucratic and slow handling of coronavirus vaccine procurement, with Bild hailing, by comparison, the ‘vaccination masters’ Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, and Benjamin Netanyahu… Bild wrote: ‘Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, this trio has been silently mocked and ridiculed by the [German] federal government and the EU Commission. But when it came to vaccinations, they put Berlin and Brussels in the shade: The then U.S. President Donald Trump (74), British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (56), and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (71) have the most successful vaccination campaigns up and running in the Western World.’…

“The newspaper went on to praise former President Trump for preparing for the vaccination programme since February 2020 and the speed with which his procurement project advanced. ‘Instead of haggling over the price for months like the EU Commission did, Netanyahu bravely grabbed the state wallet,’ the author also said of the Israeli leader. ‘Brexit Boris laid the foundation for vaccination success’ in March 2020 by bringing together Oxford University with AstraZeneca, the article said, and rather than ‘waiting for the junk EU Commission’, Johnson ordered 30 million doses from Pfizer-BioNTech on July 20th.

“The article was published days after German newspaper Die Zeit published an opinion piece calling the European Commission’s handling of the bloc’s vaccination programme ‘the best advertisement for Brexit’ with the newly-independent UK able to exercise its right to manage its own inoculation procurement.”

In the above-mentioned article by Bild, the tabloid portrayed pictures of Johnson, Trump and Netanyahu, together with the following headline: “What did these three do better than Merkel, Spahn and von der Leyen?” It is interesting that Trump, Netanyahu and Johnson are mentioned in the same breath.

Germany’s and Europe’s Vaccination Disaster

Breitbart wrote on February 1:

“The German media has continued to criticise the EU’s handling of its vaccine programme, headed by the country’s former defence minister, with an editor from Germany’s largest-selling newspaper calling it the ‘biggest confidence-destroying programme in its history’. Bild‘s Peter Tiede remarked that… the bloc and Germany are… ‘struggling with a vaccination disaster’. ‘… in Germany, which has a population of 83 million, ‘vaccination appointments for the elderly have had to be cancelled, if they actually got any at all’ the Bild editor said… ‘we will not have vaccinated 70 per cent of Germans before the autumn. And that is the best-case scenario.’

“Ursula von der Leyen… is reportedly now under pressure to resign from her role as president of the European Commission — the EU’s powerful executive arm… Mr Tiede alluded… to von der Leyen’s failure at procurement for EU vaccines being a mirror of her failure to procure military equipment as German defence minister, and that the European Commission had become a dumping ground for failed national politicians. ‘Angela Merkel ordered her away to the European Commission. Just as Europe has been doing for decades with its discarded political personnel: disposed of like nuclear waste in the final repository of Brussels…”

Is EU Trying to Pay Britain Back over Brexit?

Newsmax wrote on January 31:

“Daniel Hannan, a conservative former member of the European Parliament… wrote Sunday in The Telegraph: ‘Brexit has indeed led to an outbreak of populism, protectionism, and chauvinism… But not on the side of the Channel they expected. The EU’s behaviour over the past 72 hours has been so demented, so self-wounding, that it is hard to know where criticism should begin.’

“Hannan chronicled a dispute between Brussels and British-Swedish vaccine-maker AstraZeneca, which the EU is using to get back at Britain, he wrote. ‘In pursuit of its quarrel, Brussels announced plans to block the export of vaccines from a completely unrelated company, the American corporation Pfizer, to Britain – vaccines which no one disputed that the U.K. had purchased, and on which the EU did not pretend to have any legal claim,’ he wrote.

“‘In other words, Brussels was threatening to halt the sale of life-saving drugs to a neighbouring country, not in response to any provocation, but simply because it was cross that that country was further advanced in its vaccination programme… Annoyed at Britain’s success, European leaders started casting doubt on the efficacy of the AstraZeneca product… Engaging in the kind of nuttiness which gets people banned from social media, Emmanuel Macron claimed that the vaccine “didn’t work.” In other words, the EU is breaking every norm of civilized behaviour and threatening expropriation over a vaccine which, from sheer sour grapes, its leaders claim is ineffective.’…

“Ultimately, Britain will wind up with a vaccine surplus it can use to help its allies, Hannan concluded.”

The relationship between the UK and the EU will continue to deteriorate. Please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Germany Imposes more Travel Restrictions

Deutsche Welle reported on January 29:

“Germany has announced entry restrictions for travelers from the UK, Ireland, Brazil, Portugal and South Africa, as concerns of more contagious coronavirus variants are rising…

“Starting on Saturday, a transportation ban will go into effect for all planes, trains, buses and ships from countries where the new variants have spread. Starting on Sunday, the restrictions will also apply to travelers from the small African countries of Lesotho and Eswatini. The restrictions are currently set to run until February 17. There are several exceptions to the travel restrictions, including: people who have right to reside in Germany and those who are transporting goods, as well as urgent medical transports and travel due to ‘urgent humanitarian reasons.’

“Earlier this week, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer told the Bild newspaper that the plan will include completely halting flights into the country.  He said the government was looking at stricter border checks, ‘but also reducing air travel to Germany to almost zero, as Israel is currently doing.’”

MSN added on January 30 that Seehofer also said that it is the “civic duty” (“Buergerpflicht”) of Germans to avoid traveling to another country without a most compelling reason.  

The World Condemns Russia

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 31:

“[Alexei] Navalny’s wife, Yulia, was taken into custody for a second weekend in a row for taking part in the demonstrations. Police have detained over 5,000 people… Authorities introduced unprecedented security measures in the capital in a bid to restrict protesters’ movements. They shut down seven metro stations in the city center, blocked off streets around the Kremlin and ordered restaurants and stores to stay closed. Police also asked Moscow cafes to turn off their internet connections ahead of the protests.

“Washington criticized the crackdown on protesters and urged Russia to release Navalny. ‘The US condemns the persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists by Russian authorities for a second week straight,’ US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter.

“Moscow later hit back at the criticism, accusing the US of meddling in Russia’s affairs and trying to destabilize the situation. ‘The gross interference of the United States in Russia’s internal affairs is as proven a fact as the promotion of fakes and calls for unauthorized rallies by online platforms controlled by Washington,’ Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Facebook. Meanwhile, Canadian officials urged the release of jailed pro-Navalny protesters. ‘Canada is deeply concerned by the mass detentions and the use of force against protesters and journalists in Russia,’ Foreign Minister Marc Garneau wrote on Twitter. ‘We call on Russia to release those detained, adhere to its international commitments and protect media freedom.’”

But Russia does not seem to care much. In fact, its measures against dissidents and opponents become more and more violent and intrusive. In addition, it is almost ironic that Western countries demand of Russia to protect media freedom when, at the same time, media freedom is systematically censored and suppressed in those countries.

Subsequently, the following occurred:

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 2:

“Russian dissident Alexei Navalny was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in a penal colony after a Moscow court found him guilty of disobeying the terms of his probation over the 2014 money laundering case. In the Tuesday ruling, however, the court also took into account the time Navalny had spent under house arrest, meaning that the Kremlin critic would spend only two years and eight months behind bars.

“Navalny rejected the claims of violating parole and slammed the process as an attempt to silence him. During the hearing, Navalny… blamed the charges against him on Russian President Vladimir Putin… The opposition leader labeled Putin as ‘Vladimir, the underpants poisoner’ during the hearing. According to Navalny’s research into his own poisoning, a ‘hit squad’ deployed by the country’s main intelligence agency FSB tried to kill him by putting a Novichok nerve agent on his underwear. Navalny fell ill after boarding a flight in Siberia. He was then hospitalized in Russia and eventually flown to Germany for treatment. ‘We have proven that Putin committed this attempted murder,’ he said on Tuesday.

“The Kremlin has denied the poisoning allegations from Navalny… Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he hoped that the ‘nonsense’ would not affect ties with the European Union, which has sharply criticized Moscow’s treatment of Navalny. He said Russia would not be lectured by EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell when he visits Moscow this week.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 3:

“The list of voices from the international community demanding an immediate release of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny continued to grow on Wednesday… UN human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said on Wednesday that her office was ‘deeply dismayed’ that Navalny was sentenced over a case that the European Court of Human Rights in 2017 had ‘unanimously found’ to be ‘arbitrary, unfair and manifestly unreasonable.’ ‘We urge the authorities in Russia to immediately release all those detained for exercising their right to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression yesterday and over the past few weeks of protests across the country,’ she added in a statement.

“Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said her country is deeply concerned… German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticized the court’s decision as lawless and demanded an end to violence against peaceful protesters in Russia… ‘Navalny must be released at once,’ Merkel was quoted as saying in a tweet by her spokesman… German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called the ruling a ‘bitter blow against fundamental freedoms and the rule of law in Russia.’ The German government said on Wednesday further sanctions against Russia cannot be ruled out…

“In a tweet, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also…  dubbed the ruling as ‘pure cowardice’… British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab issued a statement saying that the ‘perverse ruling, targeting the victim of a poisoning rather than those responsible, shows Russia is failing to meet the most basic commitments expected of any responsible member of the international community.’

“French President Emmanuel Macron said… ‘A political disagreement is never a crime. We call for his immediate release. The respect for human rights such as democratic freedom are not negotiable…’  European Council President Charles Michel said that the EU will not accept the ruling… US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Russia to release Navalny and his supporters…”

Putin Afraid for His Life?

The Sun wrote on February 4:

“VLADIMIR Putin is terrified of being killed like Libyan tyrant Gaddafi in a revolution as protests sweep Russia over the jailing of Alexi Navalny, a leading expert has said. Putin enemy Yuri Felshtinsky told The Sun Online the ongoing unrest has convinced the Kremlin strongman that more repression and killing of opponents is needed to avoid the same grisly fate as the Libyan leader. 

“Putin is facing one of the biggest challenges to his 20 year rule as thousands of supporters of jailed opposition figurehead Navalny have been taking to the streets. The 68-year-old, who has maintained an iron grip on Russia for twenty years – has signed off laws allowing him to remain in power until at least 2036. Felshtinsky told The Sun Online Putin will feel he needs to ramp up the brutality to quell the dissent and protect his position.

“It has been reported that the Russian leader has ‘watched obsessively’ videos of Colonel Gaddafi being brutally murdered after being cornered by a raging mob in 2011… Felshtinsky is a widely respected Russian-American writer and historian… He helped Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko escape to the UK where he was later murdered by Kremlin assassins.

“It has given him first-hand experience of how ruthlessly Putin deals with those who dare to cross him. Kremlin hitmen also attempted to poison former KGB officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury in 2018. Felshtinsky believes a similar fate awaits Navalny… During his time in power [Putin] has ruthlessly clamped down on any opposition to his rule and also seized the Crimea from Ukraine… He has been brazen in eliminating anyone who falls foul of his regime with poisoning the favoured means of killing.

“Putin has also accumulated massive wealth and is said to live like a king… Since parting with his wife in 2014 a number of ‘secret girlfriends’ have been reported….”

What About the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline?

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 2:

“French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune on Monday said France had urged Germany to drop the Nord Stream II project… The US and several European countries such as Poland have strongly criticized the building of the pipeline, saying it will increase German and EU reliance on Russia for critical gas supplies… The European Parliament has also demanded that the pipeline’s construction should be put on hold immediately…

“Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokeswoman Martina Fietz said the government had not changed its mind on Nord Stream 2… which Merkel strongly supports…

“Nord Stream 2 consists of two pipes, each around 1,230 kilometers (765 miles) long, and would be expected to deliver tens of billions of cubic meters of natural gas per year from Russia to Germany.”

 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.

We cover the matter of sexual sins in our booklet “God’s Teachings on Sexual Relationships” on pages 95-105, showing, quite clearly, that homosexuality is most certainly condemned in the Bible.

We read in Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible the following notes about Sodom: “A city on the shore of the Salt Sea south of Engedi; destroyed in the days of Abraham and Lot along with Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim.  BC 1900.”   All four cities are mentioned in Genesis 10:19.

On the website Britannica.com, we read: “Sodom and Gomorrah, notoriously sinful cities in the biblical book of Genesis, destroyed by ‘sulfur and fire’ because of their wickedness (Genesis 19:24). Sodom and Gomorrah along with the cities of Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar (Bela) constituted the five ‘cities of the plain,’ and they are referenced throughout both the Old and New Testaments and the Qur’an.”

Deuteronomy 29:22-23 identifies two of the other cities as Admah and Zeboim, while Genesis 19:23 identifies the final city as Zoar.

The first reference to Sodom and Gomorrah is in Genesis 10:19, and they are mentioned in 15 different books of the Bible– from the first book to the last.

Sodom and Gomorrah have become synonymous with depravity, perversion and wickedness—a byword for sin usually with a sexual connotation.

First of all, let us look briefly at the background to the whole episode.

We know that Lot decided to leave Haran with his uncle Abraham when God instructed Abraham to “get out of your country from your kindred And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1).  “So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him” (verse 4).

However, there was a parting of the ways between Abraham and Lot after “there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock,” and Abraham gave Lot the choice between going to the left or to the right, and Lot chose to journey east towards Sodom (see Genesis 13:7-12).

It is interesting to note that Abraham was sitting in the “tent door in the heat of the day” (Genesis 18:1) when the LORD and two angels appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre (Genesis 18:2) before the two angels went to Sodom, and where Abraham interceded with Christ—the LORD—for the people of Sodom (verse 16).

In contrast, we read: “Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground.”   It is interesting to note that a short while after leaving Abraham, the angels were now in company with Lot who “sat in the gate.”

Unger’s Bible Dictionary states that “the gate was the place for great assemblies of the people (Proverbs 1:21) as they passed into and out of the city.   This naturally led to the custom of using gates for places for public deliberation; reading the law and proclamations (2 Chronicles 32:6, Nehemiah 8:1,3,) holding court (2 Samuel 15:2; cf Deuteronomy 16:18; 17:8; Ruth 4:11); gathering news (Genesis 19:1) and gossip (Psalm 69:12)…”

There is much more information given in Unger’s but the above will suffice to show that “the gate” is where so much happened, and Lot would have been there to greet the two angels to the city, indicating that he was much involved in their local events.  Abraham was not involved in the politics of any city but looked after his family, whereas Lot had become an important figure in a corrupt city.

Now the story moves on to the sexual depravity of the city.  Looking at the events in brief, we read the following in Genesis 19:1-5:

^“Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. And he said, ‘Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.’ And they said, ‘No, but we will spend the night in the open square.’ But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house.  And they called to Lot and said to him, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.’”

There were just men, both young and old, and to know them carnally obviously meant sexually.  The Benson Commentary observes that “No description which could be given of their vile and abominable conduct, however laboured, could possibly have conveyed so striking an idea of their unparalleled wickedness, as this simple narrative of facts. Here were old and young, all from every quarter — Collected for practices too shameful to be mentioned! Either they had no magistrates to protect the peaceable, or their magistrates themselves were aiding and abetting.”

We then continue to read that Lot offered his two virgin daughters to the mob but the two angels pulled Lot back into the house and struck the men with blindness (verses 6-11).  Then Lot and his family were told to flee from the city which they did, although it seems with some reluctance because we read: “And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters” (verse 16).  Lot and his two daughters escaped to a city named Zoar and “Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens.  So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground” (verses 24-25).   They were told not to look back but Lot’s wife did and was turned into a pillar of salt (verse 26).

It’s an old and familiar story but is that all there is to it?   In Ezekiel 16:48-50 we read:

^“‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘neither your sister Sodom nor her daughters have done as you and your daughters have done. Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit.’”

It is generally reckoned that the destroying of Sodom was around 1900 BC and Ezekiel was written circa 600 BC; therefore, this event was some 1300 years before, and in the New King James Bible, the sub- heading to this passage in Ezekiel is “More Wicked than Samaria and Sodom”.  It appears that the Sodomites were not the worst but it does also state that they had other faults, in addition to their homosexual behaviour, which were not pleasing to God.   These were, as stated below, and it is worth a study of the Scriptures given (this is in addition to “iniquity” which God mentioned in Ezekiel):

They were proud;

They had fullness of food (without caring for others);

They lived in abundance of idleness;

They didn’t strengthen the hand of the poor and needy;

They were haughty;

And they committed abomination before God.

That is quite a list of ungodly activities!  Let us look briefly at these actions that were not pleasing to God.

Matthew Poole’s Commentary observes as follows:

“The iniquity; iniquity, either for iniquities, or the fountain and occasion of all amongst the Sodomites.

 “Pride; a haughty mind, swelled with the excellency, beauty, and grandeur of their state, and vaunting of it above their neighbours.

“Fulness of bread, i.e. luxury, and riotous excess in eating and drinking: their plenty was not their sin, but they made it occasion of sin to themselves; they were very intemperate in their diet.

“Abundance of idleness; every thing so plentiful, that they little regarded to employ themselves, but were idle and slothful, or deeply secure in their peace, plenty, and honour, neither feared God’s wrath nor man’s sword; the first was the fault of particular sinners, the latter was the sin and fault of the community.

“Neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy; she refused to help strangers, as appeareth in the history of the angels’ entertainment, Genesis 19; nor was she mindful of helping the poor with counsel and defence; they were unmerciful and hard-hearted toward the poor amongst them. This was a great sin to those that abounded in wealth, as the Sodomites did.”

Here are a few Scriptures about each of these failings (there are many more in the Bible):

Pride

Job 35:12; Psalms 10:4; 59:12; Proverbs 8:13; 11:2; 14:3; 16:18: 29:23; Isaiah 9:9; 25:11; Jeremiah 3:11; James 4:6.

Fulness of Food 

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible states the following: “fulness of bread; the land of Sodom was very fruitful before it was destroyed; it was like the garden of the Lord, Genesis 13:10; it brought forth plentifully, so that there was great fulness of provision, of all sorts of food, which is meant by bread: this, considered in itself, was not sinful, but a blessing; it was the Lord’s mercy and goodness to them that they had such plenty; but it was their sin that they abused it; luxury and intemperance, eating and drinking to excess, are here meant; which led on to that sin, and kindled the flames of it, and were the fuel to it, which has its name from them; and, besides, this fulness of good things enjoyed by them was the source of their pride, and served to increase that, as before mentioned.”

Some verses that show that this sort of behaviour is ungodly and has bad consequences are: Numbers 11:19-20; 1 Samuel 25:36-38; Proverbs 23:19-21; Isaiah 56:12; Joel 3:3 (trading in human beings); Luke 12:45-46; Galatians 5:19-21; Philippians 3:19; 1 Peter 4:3; and 2 Peter 2:13.

Abundance of idleness  

Proverbs 6:4-8; 14:23; 15:19-21; 20:13; 21:25-26; 22:13; 24:30-34; 26:13-16; 28:19;  Ecclesiastes 10:18; Isaiah 56:9-12; 2 Thessalonians 3:10-15.

The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary defines “abundance of idleness” as, “literally, ‘the secure carelessness of ease’ or ‘idleness.’”

Didn’t strengthen the hand of the poor and needy: 

Exodus 23:6; Leviticus 19:9-10; 25:35-37; Deuteronomy 15:7-8, 11; Job 6:14; 20;19; Psalm 10:8-10; 37:14; 41:1-2; Proverbs 3:27; 14:20-21, 31; 14:31; 17:5; 19:17; 22:9; 28:27; 29:7;Matthew 23:14; 1 John 3:17-18.

The Pulpit Commentary states: “Prosperity and luxury in her case, as in that of other wealthy cities, hardened the hearts of men against the poor and needy.”

Haughty.

Proverbs 16:18; 18:12; 21:4;       21:24; Isaiah 10:12;  Psalm 138:6; Isaiah 2:11; Ezekiel 16:50; Zephaniah 3:11; Romans 12:16.

The Benson Commentary points out: “they were high, lofty, arrogant in their deportment toward good men, vexing Lot’s righteous soul, toward the angels, whom they assaulted in his house, and toward God himself, all whose laws they trampled under foot.”

John Gill’s John Gill’s Commentary on the Bible adds: “And they were haughty,…. Sodom and her daughters, the inhabitants of that place, and the cities adjacent; they lifted up themselves above God and man; they were above regarding the poor and needy; and were elated and swelled with their plenty and prosperity, and behaved very insolently, both to fellow citizens and strangers; see Genesis 19:4.”

And committed abomination before Me

John Gill’s Commentary on the Bible continues: “and committed abomination  before me; perhaps referring to that sin, which has its name from them; a sin abominable to God, and scandalous to human nature; and which they committed openly and publicly, neither fearing God, nor regarding men; and are said to be sinners before the Lord, (Genesis 13:13);  therefore I took them away as I saw [good]; both as to time and manner, as he in his sovereignty thought most fit and proper, by raining fire and brimstone on them, and setting them forth as an example of the vengeance of eternal fire…”

In conclusion, we read in Genesis 13:13: “But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord,” and we know that this ended dramatically and fatally for all concerned.

In fairness, the sins that they committed have been replicated in all nations down through the ages, but the main sin was that of homosexuality, as the text of the story clearly shows.   It shows that only “the men” were involved, and there is no mention of women in this context, but it appears that they approved of the wicked conduct of their husbands, sons and other male relatives and friends (note an interesting statement in Romans 1:32), and they would also have been guilty of all the other sins mentioned in Ezekiel 16:48-50; hence the reason why there were not even 10 righteous people in the city.

answersingenesis.org states:  “‘Pride is a fountain of many sins because it effectively is saying, ‘I want what I want, and I will have it regardless of what God says or the cost to someone else because I am better than they are and deserve it.’ If that lustful passion is for ‘strange flesh’ or ‘unnatural desire’ as Jude 1:7 terms it, then that can lead to homosexual behavior. So yes, Sodom was judged for homosexual sin—which flowed from pride, which also led to cruelty and exploitation of their fellow men and women.”

Today, the homosexual lobby fails to learn the lessons of history but, as we have seen, there is even more to the account than just sexual perversion, and living a life pleasing to God in all aspects of life is what is required of His faithful people.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“The Return of Donald Trump” is the title of the new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. 

Here is a summary:

Apart from occasional short comments, Donald Trump was at first pretty quiet after Joe Biden’s inauguration and Trump’s departure from Washington to his estate in Florida. But beginning with the end of January, a remarkable change could be observed. Trump began to be back in the spotlight, and it seems, he has become more popular and influential than ever. It would be naïve and a grave mistake to think that we have heard the last word and seen the last action from Trump.

“Richtige und falsche Gerechtigkeit” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Michael Link. Title in English: “True and False Righteousness.”

“Die Liebe zur Wahrheit—ein Weckruf an wahre Christen,” is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Mike Richter. Title in English: “The Love of Truth — A Wake-Up Call to True Christians.”

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

How often do we ask this question, and how often are we asked it? In terms of a Christian, how often do we really ask our fellow brethren and truly seek to understand exactly how somebody is doing or feeling? We are to be loving each other. How do we do this?

“What? The Mark of the Beast Does Not Already Exist?” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

An idea has been advanced that the biblical mark of the beast does not exist at this time, and it is not explained as what the mark of the beast is. The truth is that the mark of the beast has been in existence for a long time, as we have taught for many years, and the Bible tells us very clearly what the mark of the beast is, and how it is different from the sign with which God identifies His people.