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.

On January 30, 2021, Kalon Mitchell will present the sermonette, titled, “How are You?” and the sermon will be presented by Norbert Link, titled “What? The Mark of the Beast Does Not Already Exist?”

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.

Looking at the riotous and destructive events over the past year, it’s very obvious that people, when guided solely by their own carnality, rise to nothing more than confused beasts.  Whether it’s the destruction and takeover of portions of our cities or the storming of our capital, these events show a mindset that is utterly devoid of God.  Mob or herd mentality is not just a trite description of social behavior.  People often lose their better senses when they allow themselves to be swayed and controlled by others. And this loss of personal control always begins with people putting themselves in settings or attitudes that breed confusion. “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there” (James 3:16).

This carnal trait is not just symptomatic of our era.  As described in the Book of Acts, the same characteristic was used against the early followers of Christ. “At that time a great disturbance erupted about the Way. There was a silversmith named Demetrius. He made silver models of Artemis’ temple, and his business generated a lot of profit for the craftspeople. He called a meeting with these craftspeople and others working in related trades and said, ‘Friends, you know that we make an easy living from this business. And you can see and hear that this Paul has convinced and misled a lot of people, not only in Ephesus but also throughout most of the province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands aren’t really gods. This poses a danger not only by discrediting our trade but also by completely dishonoring the great goddess Artemis. The whole province of Asia—indeed, the entire civilized world—worships her, but her splendor will soon be extinguished’” (Acts 19:23-27 Common English Bible).

When the mobs rushed in to stop the apostles, they did so with confusion as their guide.  “The city was thrown into turmoil. They rushed as one into the theater. They seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from the province of Macedonia… Meanwhile, the assembly was in a state of confusion. Some shouted one thing, others shouted something else, and most of the crowd didn’t know why they had gathered” (Acts 19:29, 32 Common English Bible).

Societal chaos always begins with deceit and blindness to the Truth. No matter how well laid out man’s reasoning might be, anything that is not of God is confusion. Christ was clear in demonstrating this division between Godly and carnal mindsets.  When Christ preached of His death and resurrection, Peter became upset and “took Him (Christ) aside and began to rebuke Him.  But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men’” (Mark 8:32-33).  As Christ demonstrated through His rebuke to Peter, there is no middle ground for the Truth, it is absolute.

It’s no easy task to separate ourselves from the chaos of the world when surrounded by such turmoil. But that is precisely the reason we are called by God to be lights.  “God is not the author of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33). We must steady ourselves and stay grounded in that simple yet profound understanding.

by Norbert Link

We begin with reporting on the “second impeachment circus” and alleged massive voter fraud in November’s presidential election; speak of America’s coming economic crisis; and continue with Biden’s new policies and executive orders which some like Ron Paul have labeled “fascistic.” 

Regarding the second impeachment and the presidential election in general, please view our new StandingWatch program, “The Second Impeachment Circus.” 

We report on further governmental restrictions to fight the coronavirus, including travel bans; and address Biden’s slap in the face for the British people. We also point out that the fight between Britain and Spain over Gibraltar will continue.

We address further movements towards the creation of a European Army, and speak on new developments in Germany which can only be described as deeply disturbing. We speak on a potential conflict between Biden and Israel and conclude with Russia’s violent suppression of opposing voices.

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

The Second Impeachment Circus

On January 22, Breitbart published an article by Charles Hurt, “opinion editor of The Washington Times”:

“The last time these slinking mongrels in Congress impeached President Trump, a deadly disease from China was stalking our country, poised to pounce and kill close to 400,000 Americans. In those crucial early months of the global pandemic, our federal government ground to a halt as Democrats in Congress pursued with blind fury a hotly partisan and clearly futile effort to remove Mr. Trump. Democrats failed. Mr. Trump survived. Everyone knew the outcome of the fake charade from the start. But as Democrats dawdled, bloviated and fawned for the cameras, the pandemic prevailed. If you want to know why Democrats are so hellbent on blaming the China virus on Mr. Trump, it is because the blood is actually on their hands.

“Now comes Round Two of hopeless impeachment. Still, the pandemic rages. This time they all know it. Yet, still, they pursue Mr. Trump with an ISIS-like zealotry… Truly, these are the most fundamentally dishonest and unserious people ever to hold elected office. They are a mockery of self-governance and precisely why Mr. Trump got elected in the first place. You might say House Speaker Nancy Pelosi presides over a circus of untrained animals and diabolical clowns, but that would be an unkind insult to clowns and penned animals…

“If you really want to stir up one of these impeachment fanatics, just ask them to point to the one single line in Mr. Trump’s speech from before the raid against the Capitol that ‘incited’ the violence. They go full Adam Schiff and start making up quotes and manufacturing language that the president never used. Also, they refuse to acknowledge that the president implored his supporters to protest ‘peacefully.’.. If anything, it was unpremeditated incitement of peaceful protest — also known as our constitutional right to free speech, free assembly and the right to petition your government. Peacefully.

“Among the clowns in Congress scrambling to shift blame for the mess they have made in Washington onto Mr. Trump are 10 Republicans in the House. One of them is Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, who is in the chamber because her father, Dick Cheney, was vice president… Another impeachment zealot is Rep. Jim Clyburn, South Carolina Democrat. To his credit, at least he is honest about his motives… ‘he must be prevented from ever attempting to seize power again.’

“There you have it… It is all about preventing him from ever running for office again. In other words, Congress is scrambling to overturn the next election before it even happens. They are desperate to deny American voters the right to elect Donald Trump again. Talk about an insurrection…”

Strong words.

Republicans Opposed to Impeachment Trial

The Associated Press wrote on January 25:

“… a growing number of Republican senators say they are opposed to the proceeding, dimming the chances that former president will be convicted on the charge that he incited a siege of the U.S. Capitol… GOP passions appear to have cooled… Now that Trump’s presidency is over, Republican senators who will serve as jurors in the trial are rallying to his legal defense, as they did during his first impeachment trial last year.  ‘I think the trial is stupid, I think it’s counterproductive,’ said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.. He said that ‘the first chance I get to vote to end this trial, I’ll do it’ because he believes it would be bad for the country and further inflame partisan divisions…

“Arguments in the Senate trial will begin the week of Feb. 8. Leaders in both parties agreed to the short delay to give Trump’s team and House prosecutors time to prepare… the mounting Republican opposition indicates that many GOP senators would eventually vote to acquit Trump. Democrats would need the support of 17 Republicans — a high bar — to convict him… A few GOP senators have agreed with Democrats, though not close to the number that will be needed to convict Trump.  Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said he believes there is a ‘preponderance of opinion’ that an impeachment trial is appropriate after someone leaves office… But Romney, the lone Republican to vote to convict Trump when the Senate acquitted the then-president in last year’s trial, appears to be an outlier.”

Furthermore, many legal experts disagree with Romney’s assessment of the constitutionality of trying a former President.  

Rand Paul Describes the Democrats’ Hypocrisy

Breitbart wrote on January 26:

“Sen. Rand Paul… highlighted the Democrats’ hypocrisy as he spoke against the impending impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, which is scheduled to begin Tuesday afternoon, though substantive proceedings will be delayed until February 8… ‘This impeachment is nothing more than a partisan exercise designed to further divide the country. Democrats claim to want to unify the country, but impeaching a former president, a private citizen, is the antithesis of unity… Hyper-partisan Democrats are about to drag our great country down into the gutter of rancor and vitriol the likes of which has never been seen in our nation’s history. Instead of doing the nation’s work, with their new majorities in the House, the Senate, and the executive branch, Democrats are wasting the nation’s time on a partisan vendetta against a man no longer in office…

“No Democrat will honestly ask whether [Senator] Bernie Sanders incited the shooter that nearly killed Steve Scalise and volunteer coach. The shooter nearly pulled off a massacre — I was there — because he fervently believed the false and inflammatory rhetoric spewed by Bernie and other Democrats, such as, ‘The Republican health care plan for the uninsured is that you die.’…

“No Democrat will ask if [Senator] Cory Booker incited violence when he called for his supporters to get — get ‘up in their face’ of congresspeople — a very visual, and specific incitement. No Democrat will ask whether [Representative] Maxine Waters incited violence when she told her supporters, and I quote, that ‘If you see a member of the Trump administration at a restaurant, at a department store, at a gas station, or any place, you create a crowd, and you push back on them.’ Is that not incitement?

“My wife and I were pushed and surrounded and screamed at by this same type of mob that Maxine likes to inspire. It’s terrifying to have a swarm of people threatening to kill you, cursing at you and literally holding you hostage until police come to your rescue. That night we were assaulted by the crowd, I wasn’t sure if we would survive even with the police protection. But no Democrat suggested impeaching Maxine for her violent rhetoric…

“Should Kamala Harris be impeached for offering to pay for violent people to get out of jail who have been burning our cities down?… Should Republicans impeach the Democrat mayor of Seattle who incited and condoned violence by calling the armed takeover of part of her city a ‘summer of love’?…

“On June 8, the New York Post, citing U.S. Justice Department statistics, reported that more than 700 law enforcement officers were injured during the Antifa/Black Lives Matter riots. There were at least 19 murders, including 77-year-old retired police officer David Dorn. Yet Democrats insist on applying a test of incitement to a Republican that they refuse to apply to themselves…

“Shame on these angry, unhinged partisans who are putting forth this sham impeachment, deranged by their hatred of the former president. Shame on those who seek blame and revenge, and who choose to pervert a constitutional process while doing so… A sham, this is, a travesty. A dark blot on the history of our country…”

Most Senate Republicans Declare Impeachment Trial to be Unconstitutional

Breitbart wrote on January 26:

“Forty-five senators voted with Paul’s motion to raise the question of whether it is constitutional to impeach Trump after he left office. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) voted with Paul on the motion that the impeachment trial is unconstitutional… This vote likely serves as a proxy vote on the final vote of whether to convict Trump on the question if he incited an insurrection during the January 6 riots.

“Paul wrote on Tuesday that 45 senators agreed that this trial is a ‘sham: The Senate just voted on my constitutional point of order. 45 Senators agreed that this sham of a ‘trial’ is unconstitutional. That is more than will be needed to acquit and to eventually end this partisan impeachment process. This ‘trial’ is dead on arrival in the Senate,’ Paul wrote.”

Deutsche Welle added on January 27:

“All but five Senate Republicans have voted in favor of dismissing Trump’s impeachment trial, making clear a conviction of the former president for ‘incitement of insurrection’ is unlikely… only five Republican lawmakers joined Democrats to reject Paul’s motion, far short of the 17 Republicans [needed to convict Trump]… Some Republican senators who backed Paul’s motion said their vote on Tuesday did not indicate how they might come down on Trump’s guilt or innocence after a trial.”

Still, many are convinced that Trump will not be convicted and that he won’t be prevented from holding a public office or running again for the Presidency in 2024.

Trump Wants to Run Again

Newsmax wrote on January 23:

“President Donald Trump has told former acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell ‘personally, a number of times, he does want to run again,’ according to Grenell… ‘We’ll see if that holds and how that comes about; I think we’ve got a long ways to go,’ Grenell [said] rejecting talk of Trump forming a rumored Patriot Party. ‘Clearly, Donald Trump is a Republican and should run again as a Republican.’”

Trump won’t just go away…

Battle over Election Fraud between ABC and Rand Paul

Breitbart reported on January 24:

“Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) had a battle over election fraud with anchor George Stephanopoulos, Sunday on ABC’s ‘This Week.’ Stephanopoulos said, ‘A threshold question for you, this election was not stolen, do you accept that fact?’ Paul said, ‘Well, what I would say [is] that the debate over whether or not there was fraud should occur. We never had any presentation in court. Most of the cases were thrown out for lack of standing, a procedural way of not hearing it. A law was changed in secretary of state, not the state legislatures. There’s still a chance that those actually work their way up to the Supreme Court.’

“Stephanopoulos said, ‘I have to stop you there. No election is perfect, but there were 86 challenges filed by President Trump and his allies in court, all were dismissed. Every state certified the results after counts and recounts. The Department of Justice, led by William Barr, said there’s no widespread of fraud. Can’t you just say the words this election was not stolen?’

“Paul said, ‘What I would suggest is, is that if we want greater confidence in our elections and 75% of Republicans agree with me is that we do need to look at election integrity and we need to see if we can restore confidence in the election.’

“Stephanopoulos said, ‘Seventy-five percent of Republicans agree with you because they were fed a big lie by President Trump and his supporters that the election was stolen.’

“Paul said, ‘George, where you make a mistake is people coming from the liberal side like you, you immediately say everything’s a lie instead of saying there’s two sides to everything. Historically what would happen if I said… there were fraud, you would interview someone who said there wasn’t. Now you insert yourself in the middle and say the absolute fact is everything I’m saying is a lie.’

“Stephanopoulos said, ‘I said what the president [said] was [a] lie. Hold on a second. He said the election was stolen. This election was not stolen. The results were certified in every single state.’

“Paul said, ‘You said we’re all liars. You are simply saying we’re all liars.’

“After more back and forth, Paul said, ‘There were lots of problems, and there were secretaries of state who illegally changed the law, and that needs to be fixed, and I’m going to work hard to fix it. I won’t be cowed by people saying, “oh, you are a liar.” That is the problem with the media today. They say all Republicans are liars and everything we say is lies. There are two sides to every story. Interview somebody on the other side.’

“Stephanopoulos said, ‘Sir, there are not two sides to this story. This has been looked [at] in every single state.’

“Paul said, ‘Sure there are. There are two sides to every story. George, you’re forgetting who you are as a journalist if you think there’s only one side. You’re inserting yourself into the story to say I’m a liar because I want to look at secretaries of state who changed the laws. It happened. You can’t just sweep it under the rug—nothing to see here. You’re a fool to bring this up. A journalist would hear both sides. Not insert themselves in the story.’”

It is amazing how Democratic journalists like George Stephanopoulos are willing to suppress the opinions of those who do not agree with them and the left-wing agenda, as well as FACTS which they would like to “sweep under the rug.” Paul was absolutely right in his analysis about the hypocrisy of “journalists.”

No Evidence of Voter Fraud?

Life Site News reported on January 20:

“A business law professor at New Mexico State University (NMSU) said that anyone who proposes there ‘is no evidence’ for massive election fraud in November’s presidential election doesn’t know what they are talking about. Professor David K. Clements released a provocative video in response to a letter sent to the entire faculty of NMSU from Dr. John Floros, the university’s president. Clements described the letter as ‘regurgitating’ the narrative ‘in the media’ regarding the election and the January 6 violence at the U.S. Capital… he was very specific with regards to his own personal investigation into the election fraud question…  ‘I’ve reviewed hours upon hours of public hearings. I have read almost all of the lawsuits that are out there. Most of them were dismissed on legal process grounds… It’s not because there isn’t evidence. There is evidence,’ the professor emphasized.

“‘In fact, I’m in possession of 574 pages of sworn affidavits, forensic reports, all of which would make its way in a court of law under the rules of evidence in a federal or state court. The fact that the evidence has not been heard here by these courts’ should not be conflated into ‘this idea that there is no evidence,’ Clements argued… However, he observed, the main problem was that ‘we have a bunch of cowards. We have judges who are cowards, we have politicians that are cowards, and that’s the reality.’ Clements, who lost a close primary run for senate in 2014, encouraged all ‘to look at the evidence, [including] sworn affidavits where people face 10 to 15 years of prison time if they commit perjury, and statistical analysis that just flies in the face of this idea that there was no fraud in this election.’…

“Clements, a long-time political independent, [said:] ‘The people’s business’ that day (January 6) ‘was to certify votes to ensure that there was a proper transition to the next president. However, in seven of those states there were dueling electors, and the “People’s Business” allowed for the American people to hear evidence of voter fraud. When these members of Congress returned, they did not deal with the massive black cloud hanging over the election in November. They did nothing of the sort. They used the riot as grounds to move forward and push their paper.’ According to the law, the professor explained, during this certification process, ‘you can object, and you can investigate, when certain votes are not regularly given. And in many states, it’s clear that they weren’t.’ Therefore, Clements concluded, ‘The people weren’t heard,’ that day. ‘They were silenced once again…

“To demonstrate the weakness of the media narrative Clements showed video clips, including an Antifa activist bragging about his involvement in the Capitol Hill riots, police removing barriers and waving the crowds into the Capitol area, and Trump supporters forcefully working to stop ‘Antifa’ individuals from smashing windows at the Capitol.”

But if one suggests these days that there was massive voter fraud involved, they are immediately silenced, banned, and perhaps even labeled in the most extreme and oppressive way by Big Tech, the mass media, and left-wing Democrats.

Coming: Washington’s Economic Crisis

Newsmax wrote on January 23:

“The continued massive printing of money is going to lead to an economic crisis that Washington insiders are dangerously ignoring, according to publisher and former presidential candidate Steve Forbes…

“‘The real danger is printing money… That’s going to lead to inflation… The economy was reviving, is reviving, and I’ve said, “if Joe Biden took 6 months off and his administration went on a sabbatical for 6 months, this economy would be booming and they would look like geniuses,’” Forbes said, adding there will be a ‘rude awakening’ for those believing printing money is the way to avoid an economic crash; it is precisely the precursor to one… ‘They don’t realize what’s coming… they’re going to have a firestorm on their hands before the end of the year.’”

Others have warned too that Biden’s policies will destroy the country from the inside.

Investing in China and India

CNN wrote on January 25:

“Foreign companies are turning their backs on the United States, taking advantage of China’s booming economy… Direct investment in the US by foreign companies plummeted 49% to $134 billion last year… By contrast, foreign direct investment in China grew by 4% to $163 billion in 2020.

“2020 marked the first year in history that foreign direct investment in China overtook that of the US… China is now the world’s largest recipient of foreign companies’ investments…

“Foreign direct investment to India has similarly skyrocketed, from less than $25 billion in 2014… to $57 billion last year…

“Foreign direct investment in the United Kingdom and Italy fell by almost 100%. Russia’s foreign direct investment fell 96%, Germany’s sank 61% and Brazil’s plunged by 50%. Australia, France, Canada and Indonesia — all among the top foreign direct investment recipients in 2019 — also fell by double digits. Overall, foreign direct investment tumbled 42% last year to the lowest level since the 1990s — and 30% below the lowest level reached during the 2008-2009 global financial crisis.”

CNBC added on January 24:

“The European Union saw FDI decline by two-thirds, according to the report, with the United Kingdom seeing no new inflows… Despite China surpassing the U.S. in the flow of foreign direct investment in 2020, the total stock of foreign investment remains much larger in the U.S. than in China…”

That “the total stock of foreign investment remains much larger in the U.S. than in China,” is not necessarily a good thing for the US. Especially the USA and the UK will experience ongoing devastating economic problems, while countries such as Germany will recuperate.

Old International Broadcasters fired and new ones named by Biden

The Associated Press reported on January 24:

“The Biden administration on Sunday installed new heads of three federally funded international broadcasters after abruptly firing Donald Trump-appointees at the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Kelu Chao, the acting CEO of the agency, made the announcement after dismissing the previous directors of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks late Friday, just a month after they had been named to the posts.

“Daisy Sindelar will be acting head of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, replacing Ted Lipien until a permanent president is named. Bay Fang will return to her post as Radio Free Asia president, replacing Stephen Yates. Kelley Sullivan will become acting Middle East Broadcasting Networks president, replacing Victoria Coates…“The moves follow the forced resignation of Trump’s hand-picked agency head, Michael Pack, only two hours after Joe Biden took office as president on Wednesday. The director of the Voice of America and his deputy were soon removed and the chief of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting stepped down.

“Chao on Sunday also announced new corporate board directors for the three broadcasters, replacing the board directors named by Pack just days before his departure… ‘Now more than ever, U.S. international media must serve as an accurate, reliable source of news and information in places where illuminating truth is needed the most,’ Kornbluh said. [Kornbluh was named as ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development under President Barack Obama].

When it comes to an accurate and reliable source for true information, America’s mass media did not fare too well at all.

Biden’s Fascist Policy

Ron Paul wrote on January 25 in the Ron Paul Institute:

“Almost immediately after his inauguration, President Joe Biden began creating new government dictates via executive orders… One of Biden’s executive orders imposes mask and social distancing mandates on anyone in a federal building or on federal land. The mandates also apply to federal employees when they are ‘on-duty’ anywhere. Members of the military are included in the definition of federal employees… Another one of Biden’s executive orders forces passengers on airplanes, trains, and other public transportation to wear masks.

“Biden’s mask mandates contradict his pledge to follow the science. Studies have not established that masks are effective at preventing the spread of coronavirus. Regularly wearing a mask, though, can cause health problems. Biden’s mask mandates are also an unconstitutional power grab…

“Mask and social distancing mandates, government control of private industry, and some of Biden’s other executive actions, such as one creating a new ‘Public Health Jobs Corps’ with responsibilities including performing ‘contact tracing’ on American citizens, are the type of actions one would expect from a fascist government, not a constitutional republic. Joe Biden, who is heralded by many of his supporters as saving democracy from fascist Trump, could not even wait one day before beginning to implement fascistic measures that are completely unnecessary to protect public health. Biden will no doubt use other manufactured crises, including ‘climate change’ and ‘domestic terrorism,’ to expand government power and further restrict our liberty. Under Biden, fascism will not just carry an American flag. It will also wear a mask.”

Warnings to be heeded.

Biden to Reinstate Travel Restrictions

The Week wrote on January 23:

“President Biden will soon reinstate COVID-19 travel restrictions on most non-U.S. citizens who have recently been in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, and 26 European countries that allow travel across open borders, a senior U.S. public health official told Reuters on Sunday. During his last days in office, former President Donald Trump lifted the restrictions on Europe and Brazil, effective Tuesday; Biden’s order rescinds this. Additionally, Biden is adding South Africa to the list…”

This was to be expected.  As of Tuesday, January 26, all air passengers ages two and older must show proof of a negative Covid-19 test to enter the United States. The new rule includes US citizens and legal permanent residents. The opposition to these travel restrictions and other lockdown measures around the world is growing.

California Lifts Stay-at-Home Order

Deadline reported on January 25:

“Officials with the California Department of Public Health have lifted the stay-at-home order for all counties amid signs that COVID-19 is spreading at a slower rate across the state. Authorities cited improving conditions in hospitals but noted that counties remain subject to the restrictive ‘purple tier’ of guidelines for economic reopening. Individual counties, however, still are able to impose stricter restrictions than the state…

“… the state’s move today lead to a resumption of outdoor dining and at least some services at gyms, barber shops and nail salons, among other businesses.”

Governor Newsom, fighting for his political survival, bowed to tremendous pressure. But it will remain to be seen what follows next.

Biden’s Slap in the Face for Great Britain

Fox News wrote on January 23:

“In his inaugural address, President Biden pledged to ‘repair alliances.’ Yet one of his first moves in power was to remove a bust of the late British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill from the Oval Office, as President Barack Obama did in January 2009. This was a slap in the face for Great Britain on Day One of Biden’s presidency, and sends the wrong signal to America’s closest friend and ally.

“The Churchill bust is a sensitive issue for U.S.-British relations. The bronze bust, created by sculptor Jacob Epstein, was originally a loaned gift to President George W. Bush from British Prime Minister Tony Blair in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The bust is a symbol of the British people standing shoulder to shoulder with their American brothers and sisters following the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history…

“When Obama decided to send the Oval Office Churchill bust back to the British Embassy within days of taking office, the move attracted a great deal of negative publicity in the United Kingdom. It was strongly condemned by then-mayor of London (and now Prime Minister) Boris Johnson. The Churchill bust was returned to the White House when Donald Trump became president in 2017, and was in the Oval Office until this week.

“The location of the Churchill bust is a sensitive issue in U.S.-U.K. relations, not least because the great World War II leader is so greatly revered on both sides of the Atlantic as a savior of the free world, but also because its removal over a decade ago suggested an impending weakening of the special relationship between London and Washington. Indeed, under President Obama, the partnership between the two allies was not as close as it was under President George W. Bush. At the time, many British conservatives viewed the Obama administration as being at best lukewarm towards Britain, and on occasion even hostile.

“In April 2016, ahead of the Brexit referendum, Obama warned the U.K. that it would be at ‘the back of the queue’ for a trade deal with the U.S. if the British people dared to vote to leave the European Union. Nearly five years later, President Biden’s immediate removal of the Churchill bust from the Oval Office is attracting growing attention across the Atlantic and has already been strongly attacked by some British politicians, including former Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage…

“There are real concerns in London that Biden may translate his antipathy towards Brexit and his well-known admiration for the European Union into a downgrading of the Anglo-American alliance in favor of appeasing Brussels and the continental European powers of Germany and France. Such a stance would be a huge mistake… Any move by Biden to weaken the special relationship would undermine the United States and Great Britain. Taking Churchill out of the Oval Office is the worst possible start.”

OZY Medias added on January 22:

“Whose finest hour is it? British tabloids have blasted President Biden’s Oval Office remake snubbing a bust of legendary wartime leader Winston Churchill — something then-Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson decried when President Barack Obama did it in 2016, blaming anti-colonial Kenyan roots. It seems there’s simply no room now for the sculpture, on loan from the British government, among recently added busts of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks and labor organizer César Chávez…”

The relationship between the USA and the UK might very well suffer under Biden. The comment in the articles regarding Biden’s admiration of the EU is also very interesting… and disturbing.

Fight over Gibraltar to Continue

Express wrote on January 22:’“Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation Arancha González Laya has made clear the country has not renounced the ‘sovereignty’ nor the ‘co-sovereignty’ of Gibraltar after Brexit. She issued the warning during a reply to parliamentary groups before the Joint Commission of the European Union of the Congress of Deputies when explaining the principle of the agreement between Spain and the UK over Gibraltar… The minister had previously said the principle agreement reached with the UK over the Rock following Brexit would allow Spain to ‘regain control’ in matters related to Gibraltar.”

The Church of God has said for a long time that ultimately, England will lose possession of Gibraltar.

Further Move towards EU Army

Express wrote on January 23:

“A NEW Controversial defence fund and project has been launched by the EU just as Britain left the bloc. The £5billion European Peace Facility will see the bloc gain powers for the first time to send military aid and equipment to foreign conflicts. The fund… is set to increase the EU’s role in international conflicts. But critics claim the fund shows the bloc is controversially shifting their policy towards a more militarized approach…

“Under the scheme, the new fund and project will allow Brussels to enhance its defence missions with the ‘supply of military and defence-related equipment, infrastructure or assistance’ on request. The project was initially proposed by former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in 2018 and would develop EU missions in countries across the world including Libya, Mali and Somalia…

“Lucia Montanaro, head of EU office at NGO Saferworld, said: ‘The decision to provide arms and ammunition under the EPF represents a fundamental shift in EU foreign policy, from promoting peace and human rights to boosting the combat capability of repressive states and unaccountable security forces. ‘There is a high risk that arms and ammunition provided under the EU flag will be misused or diverted into the wrong hands.’”

The EU is moving towards becoming an autocratic military power. In combination with authoritarian measures regarding the coronavirus, this is an alarming development.

YouTube Bans German Channel

The Associated Press wrote on January 22:

“Google says it has banned a prominent German user of its YouTube video platform who had repeatedly posted false claims about the coronavirus outbreak. Google said Friday that a YouTube channel known as KenFM was no longer available and that the person operating it would not be allowed to start another. ‘We have long standing community guidelines policies that strikes are issued when our systems are notified of a policy violation of the rules for how to behave on YouTube,’ the company said in a statement. ‘Videos on the channel KenFM violated our COVID-19 policies and the channel was removed from YouTube after receiving the third strike for a video within 90 days on November 19th, 2020,’ it said.

“KenFMwas operated by Ken Jebsen, a former journalist… YouTube and others have vowed to crack down on the spread of misinformation about the coronavirus by users of their sites.”

We don’t know anything about this channel, but to cancel it because of allegedly false claims regarding the coronavirus  is most certainly problematic and reflects the hysteria presently perpetrated in the USA by the left-wing media and Big Tech.  But it gets worse. Notice the next article.

Germany To Put AfD Under Surveillance

NPR wrote on January 22:

“The AfD now has 88 members in Germany’s federal parliament, more than 12% representation. Germany’s Bundesamt fuer Verfassungsschutz, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, is constantly on the lookout for potential threats to Germany’s democratic constitutional system, and it has wide-ranging powers when it finds them…

“The agency has wrapped up a two-year investigation into Germany’s largest right-wing opposition party, the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, and is expected to announce soon that it will place the entire party under surveillance for posing a threat to Germany’s political system and violating the constitution. The unprecedented move would mean that all AfD lawmakers, including several dozen in Germany’s parliament, would be put under state surveillance…

“AfD politician Georg Pazderski claims the process is political. The agency is run by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government, staffed with members of her own conservative Christian Democratic Union party. Pazderski says the CDU is worried about how fast the AfD has become a presence in Germany’s parliament…  ‘If you have an opposition party which is very successful within a very short time, we become a danger for the ruling parties,’ says Pazderski, ‘especially for the conservative CDU. And this is a reason why they are trying to stigmatize us and to really put us in the Nazi corner and also to spread strong rumors.’…

“Der Spiegel’s Amann says tightened surveillance on the AfD will affect civil servants like police officers and military personnel, who may cancel their membership out of fear of losing their jobs… When Germany announces the AfD is under surveillance, Pazderski says it can expect an immediate lawsuit challenging the decision. And that, he says, may take years to resolve…”

This seems to be certainly political, considering who runs the agency. It reminds us of the witch-hunt by Democrats against Trump.

Deutsche Welle added on January 26:

“The Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Saxony-Anhalt approved the decision to place the regional branch of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party under surveillance, the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung reported on Monday. The decision was allegedly made on January 12… The move gives the state intelligence service the power to observe communications and financial transactions of the 1,400 members of the party in the state… The intelligence service is also considering placing the entire national AfD party under surveillance. The results of a two-year investigation are expected to be published soon, according to AFP, which could be a blow to the party during an election year…

“The former head of the intelligence service, Hans-Georg Maassen, also said on Tuesday that he was stepping down earlier than planned from the law firm which was representing the AfD’s case against the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Maassen was allegedly forced out of his previous job for holding close connections with the far-right party and subsequently came under fire for joining the law firm.”

These are indeed frightening and deeply disturbing developments.

Biden Reverses Trump Policy on Israel and Palestinians

The Associated Press wrote on January 26:

“U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration announced Tuesday it was restoring relations with the Palestinians and renewing aid to Palestinian refugees, a reversal of the Trump administration’s cutoff and a key element of its new support for a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict between Israelis and Palestinians… President Donald Trump’s administration provided unprecedented support to Israel, recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv, slashing financial assistance for the Palestinians and reversing course on the illegitimacy of Israeli settlements on land claimed by the Palestinians.

“Israel captured east Jerusalem and the West Bank in the 1967 war. The international community considers both areas to be occupied territory, and the Palestinians seek them as parts of a future independent state. Israel has built a far-flung network of settlements that house nearly 700,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank and Jerusalem since their capture in 1967…

“‘Under the new administration, the policy of the United States will be to support a mutually agreed two-state solution, one in which Israel lives in peace and security alongside a viable Palestinian state,’ [acting U.A. ambassador Richard Mills] said… ‘Now is the time to heal and repair the damage left by the previous U.S. administration,’ he said. ‘We look forward to the reversal of the unlawful and hostile measures undertaken by the Trump administration and to working together for peace.’”

But there won’t be peace. In fact, this new blind-sighted US approach will only lead to more hostility. Note the next article.

Israel Warns Biden

The Associated Press wrote on January 26:

“Israel’s military chief Tuesday warned the Biden administration against rejoining the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, even if it toughens its terms, adding he’s ordered his forces to step up preparations for possible offensive action against Iran during the coming year. The comments by Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi came as Israel and Iran both seek to put pressure on President Joe Biden ahead of his expected announcement on his approach for dealing with the Iranian nuclear program. In Iran, leaders said they would not wait indefinitely for Biden to act.

“The 2015 deal put curbs on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the easing of crippling economic sanctions. Israel strongly opposed the deal, saying it did not include sufficient safeguards to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. It welcomed the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the agreement in 2018. Biden has said he will seek to revive the deal, with some changes.

“Kohavi said that given the threat posed by Iran, Israel’s military would be prepared to attack on its own if needed. ‘I instructed the army to prepare a number of operational plans in addition to the existing ones,’ he said. ‘We are taking care of these plans and will develop them during the coming year…”

Israel WILL act militarily against Iran, even unilaterally, if it feels threatened.

Russia’s Suppression of Opposing Voices

The Associated Press reported on January 23:

“Russian police arrested more than 3,000 people Saturday in nationwide protests demanding the release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the Kremlin’s most prominent foe… In Moscow, an estimated 15,000 demonstrators gathered in and around Pushkin Square in the city center, where clashes with police broke out and demonstrators were roughly dragged off by helmeted riot officers to police buses and detention trucks. Some were beaten with batons.

“Navalny’s wife Yulia was among those arrested… The protests stretched across Russia’s vast territory, from the island city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk north of Japan and the eastern Siberian city of Yakutsk, where temperatures plunged to minus-50 Celsius, to Russia’s more populous European cities…

“The 44-year-old activist is well known nationally for his reports on the corruption that has flourished under President Vladimir Putin’s government. His wide support puts the Kremlin in a strategic bind — officials are apparently unwilling to back down by letting him go free, but keeping him in custody risks more protests and criticism from the West… Navalny has been a thorn in the Kremlin’s side for a decade, unusually durable in an opposition movement often demoralized by repressions. He has been jailed repeatedly in connection with protests and twice was convicted of financial misdeeds in cases that he said were politically motivated. He suffered significant eye damage when an assailant threw disinfectant into his face. He was taken from jail to a hospital in 2019 with an illness that authorities said was an allergic reaction but which many suspected was a poisoning.”

That is how Russia deals with opponents. They are simply suppressed violently. In the USA, opponents are being suppressed through political propaganda, the mass media and Big Tech. The results are the same.

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.

One of our many booklets is entitled, “Sickness and Healing – What the Bible Tells Us,” and the aim of this Q&A can be likened to a trailer which is a preview, generally, for a film or book coming out in the future.   However, in this case, it is for a booklet that was first published in 2004.

With the coronavirus pandemic, most people are looking to the medical profession and scientists for answers, although politicians and other leaders are also involved in the implementation of the recommendations that the scientists and the medics make.   Hopefully, the people of God will have their priorities right and the last sub-heading in our booklet is, “Let God’s Will Be Done”—where it states the following:

“Whatever trials or sicknesses we have to deal with in our lives, let us ALWAYS be subject to God’s Will, giving Him the honor, praise and thanks for whatever He does for us. God created us, and He knows what is best for us. When Job was plagued with sickness, he thanked God for it, knowing that God would not have allowed it unless there was a purpose. Job did not understand that purpose for a long time, and neither might we be able to see God’s purpose clearly during a particular illness, but God knows, and that should ultimately be sufficient for us.

“Once everything in God’s plan for all of mankind has been accomplished, sickness and death will be a thing of the past. Let us always have this hope of a better future in mind when we go through trials and sicknesses, because the time will come when EVERYTHING will be different.”

On pages 18/19 of this booklet we read about those who may have a problem with the medical profession:

“While some may concede that there might be certain ‘medicines’ that can be used by sick people without constituting a lack of faith, they claim that we must never consult doctors, let alone receive treatment from them, as this would clearly mean that we place our trust in doctors, rather than in God. Yet, they don’t seem to have a problem with consulting those who profess to have knowledge regarding ‘health foods’ herbs or other ‘natural’ substances, and asking them for a ‘prescription’ of numerous vitamins or vitamin supplements.

“Then, there are those who would allow a doctor to conduct ‘repair surgery’ but they would be strongly opposed against any operation going beyond such ‘repair surgery.’ When those people are asked what they mean by ‘repair surgery,’ the answers vary and are many times dependent on the ‘need’ of the individual being asked. While they would perhaps agree that medical assistance regarding the healing of a fractured bone might be ‘repair surgery’ they would vehemently deny that ‘laser surgery’ of an impaired eye would fall into that category, until they themselves are confronted with the question of whether or not to undergo such surgery themselves.”

And there is much more to read about these issues.   If you haven’t read this booklet yet, we would encourage you to do so; if you have read this, a revisiting of this material could be beneficial.

Let us review some Scriptures where physicians are mentioned.

In the Old Testament we read about physicians to heal, repair (rapha—Hebrew).

Genesis 50:2

“And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel.”

Physicians were not spoken of in a derogatory sense but that they were helpful in this task.

2 Chronicles 16:12

“And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady was severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians.”

This indicates the issue of priorities, as God must always be first!

Matthew Henry’s Commentary observes as follows:

“…his sin was that in his disease, instead of seeking to the Lord for relief, he sought to the physicians.   His making use of physicians was his duty; but trusting to them, and expecting that from them which was to be had from God only, were his sin and folly.”

Job 13:4

“But you forgers of lies, You are all worthless physicians.”

Albert Barnes Notes on the Whole Bible comments:

“Physicians of no value – The meaning is, that they had come to give him consolation, but nothing that they had said had imparted comfort.  They were like physicians sent for to visit the sick, who could do nothing when they came.”

This was not saying that physicians in general were of no value but they had come as “worthless physicians”—of which there are undoubtedly some physicians who are not competent or who are of no value (consider those who perform abortions, which is against their remit /oath to preserve life).

Jeremiah 8:22

“Is there no balm in Gilead, Is there no physician there? Why then is there no recovery For the health of the daughter of my people?”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible:

“Is there no balm in Gilead?…. Which was famous for it; see Genesis 37:25, or rather turpentine or rosin, a gum which drops from pine trees and the like; since balm or balsam grew on this side Jordan, near Jericho and Engedi.  Is there no physician there? or surgeon, anyone that heals wounds and bruises; very probably there were many such lived in Gilead, since it was a place where proper medicines were to be got and applied: this may be understood of prophets and teachers, who, in a moral and spiritual sense, are instruments of healing of men, by showing them their evil, calling them to repentance, and directing where to go for healing or pardon of sin; namely, to Christ, the alone physician, and to his precious blood, shed for the remission of sins.”

Again, physicians are mentioned, but not condemned as such, but the spiritual application is the most important aspect here.   Many other commentaries make similar observations and in Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary we read about the spiritual application of these comments:

“At length they begin to see the hand of God lifted up. And when God appears against us, everything that is against us appears formidable.  As salvation only can be found in the Lord, so the present moment should be seized.  Is there no medicine proper for a sick and dying kingdom?  Is there no skilful, faithful hand to apply the medicine?  Yes, God is able to help and to heal them.   If sinners die of their wounds, their blood is upon their own heads.   The blood of Christ is balm in Gilead, his Spirit is the Physician there, all-sufficient; so that the people may be healed, but will not.  Thus men die unpardoned and unchanged, for they will not come to Christ to be saved.”

In the New Testament we read about physicians–a healer (iatros–Greek).

Matthew 9:12

“When Jesus heard that, He said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.’”

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible:

“They that be whole … – Jesus, in reply, said that the whole needed not a physician. Sick persons only needed his aid.  A physician would not commonly be found with those that were in health.   His proper place was among the sick. So, says he, ‘If you Pharisees are such as you think yourselves – already pure and holy – you do not need my aid.   It would be of no use to you, and you would not thank me for it.   With those persons who feel that they are sinners I may be useful, and there is my proper place.’   Or the expression may mean, “I came on purpose to save sinners: my business is with them. There are none righteous; and as a physician is in his proper place with the ‘sick,’ so am I with guilty and miserable sinners.”’”

Here, Jesus did not say that we should not use physicians but that the sick needed them.  He was speaking in a spiritual sense as verse 13 would imply.  Jesus was not condemning the use of physicians where they are needed.

Of course, Church members should seek God’s healing first for physical healing but that doesn’t rule out any help from a physician where necessary.

Mark 2:17

“When Jesus heard it, He said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.’”

This is the same as in Matthew 9:12.

Mark 5:26

“…and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.”

Without making any excuses for the medical profession, there are usually a few charlatans in their midst as there are in every profession, primarily because human nature exists and people are imperfect.   But Christ did not condemn them, because they can be very helpful in many ways.

Luke 4:23

“He said to them, ‘You will surely say this proverb to Me, “Physician, heal yourself!  Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.”’”

Luke himself was a physician (see Colossians 4:14 where he is called the “beloved physician”) and neither Christ nor the apostle Paul, who wrote the book of Colossians, censured him in any way about his profession.   The medical profession, and physicians, were not in the dock here.

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible:

“…physician heal thyself; and which was a proverb in use with the Jews……the meaning of which is, that a man ought to look at home, and take care of himself, and of those that belonged to him; and Christ was aware that his townsmen would object this to him, that if he was the person he was said to be, and could do the miracles and cures which were ascribed to him, he ought to do something of this kind at home, among them, who were his townsmen, neighbours, relations, and acquaintance.”

Luke 5:31

“Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.’”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible:

“…they that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick: suggesting hereby, that as such who are in good health, who are free from all diseases, wounds, bruises, and putrefying sores, stand in no need of the advice and assistance of a physician, or surgeon, but such who have either distempers or sores on their bodies; so they, the Scribes and Pharisees, who, in their own opinion, were free from the disease of sin, original and actual, and touching the righteousness of the law, were blameless, stood not in any need of him, the physician, who came to cure the maladies of the souls, as well as of the bodies of men;”

The application of Jesus’ words is both for physical and spiritual application.

Luke 8:43

“Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any,”

See comments on Mark 5:26 previously made about this same situation.

At present, with the coronavirus pandemic, most people around the world are looking to the medical profession and potential vaccines as a source of healing, and God never seems to be mentioned by the scientists and politicians in their pronouncements.   In the UK, for example, the National Health Service (NHS) can be elevated in many people’s eyes to a god-like status.   There are indeed many dedicated and hardworking people in the NHS, but it is a man-made institution with its limitations, whereas God will always do what is best for His people with His unlimited power.   We know what the procedure is for members of the Church of God as we read in James 5:13-16:

“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

We state in our booklet “Sickness and Healing – What the Bible Tells Us” (pages 25/26) the following:

“We are not to place our faith in God’s faithful ministry, however, but we must place our faith in God. Still, God has established certain procedures, as we will see, that need to be applied and that involve His ministry, when it comes to physical, as well as spiritual healing.”

Physicians can be very helpful in advising about diet and exercise.  They can bind up wounds and put a broken leg in plaster to facilitate the body’s healing process.   God has put a wonderful immune system in the body and as a cut will heal, given a short time, so there are many other recuperative systems built into the human body which may only need time, not the surgeon’s knife.   In other cases, the removal of a trapped nerve, or similar, may be necessary to allow the natural healing processes of the body to perform as intended.

The medical profession can be very helpful but God’s healing should always be sought first.   However, we must play our part, and if there is anything that the medical profession can do to help a condition then it is not wrong to allow them to help the body function more effectively.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“The Second Impeachment Circus,” is the title of the new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

This is another example of how to divide the country. Observers tell us that it is highly unlikely that in addition to all the Senate Democrats, 17 needed Senate Republicans will convict Trump, and some even went so far as to say that the “trial” is dead on arrival and that it is all over, after 45 Republican Senators voted that such a trial would be unconstitutional. Others are not so sure, pointing out that some Senate Republicans voted against a trial because of its lack of constitutionality, but that this did not indicate “how they might come down on Trump’s guilt or innocence after a trial.” The presenter of this program is convinced that Trump will not be convicted or prevented by the Senate from holding a public office in the future or running again for the Presidency in 2024. But how can you have any confidence in those statements, or any further statements pertaining to prophetic events, given the fact that the presenter was wrongly predicting that Trump would be reelected in 2020?

“Wie bitte—das Malzeichen des Tieres existiert noch nicht?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “What? The Mark of the Beast Does Not Already Exist?”

“Nach welchen Maßstäben urteilen wir?” is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Manuel Giermann. Title in English: “By What Standards Do We Judge?”

“Germany’s Past Resurrected?—Comments on News and Prophecy (January 23, 2021),” is the title of the first message from last Sabbath, presented by Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Developments in Germany are frightening and deeply disturbing, including the creation of detention centers for those who ignore lockdown measurers. The comparison with Nazi Germany’s concentration camps has been drawn. And while total lockdowns have been instituted in Germany, which many find to be unconstitutional, Merkel’s successor as Party Chief has been elected—Armin Laschet. Here is what you ought to know about him and others who are supporting him for now.

“You Will Be Tested,” is the title of last Sabbath’s sermon, presented by Rene Messier. Here is a summary:

Many of God’s servants and biblical characters in the Bible were tested by trials and tests from God. Some were successful through the trials and some failed. The key is the ones who were successful were faithful and so should we be when we face trials and tests which we know are coming in the near future.

On January 23, 2021, Norbert Link will present “Comments on News and Prophecy, (January 23, 2021), and Rene Messier will present the sermon, titled, “You Will Be Tested.”

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.

Now that’s an interesting headline, grammatically incorrect with a double negative, but it does have an effect.   Even with its flaws, most people will get the meaning.

https://wordhistories.net gives us this explanation of its origin:

“The colloquial phrases you ain’t seen nothing yet and you ain’t heard nothing yet are used to indicate that however extreme or impressive something may seem, it will be overshadowed by what is to come.

“The latter phrase is generally said to have first appeared as the title and in the lyrics of a song by Al Jolson and Gus Kahn (music by Bud De Sylva). Published in 1919 by Jerome H. Remick & Co. (Detroit & New York), You Ain’t Heard Nothing Yet was originally interpreted by Al Jolson.”

livemint.com echoes with this warning:

“The WHO (World Health Organisation) warned that worse pandemics could lie ahead, urging the world to get ‘serious’ about preparedness.  The novel coronavirus has had a devastating impact around the globe, but the World Health Organization warned Monday (December 28th) that worse pandemics could lie ahead, urging the world to get ‘serious’ about preparedness.  ‘This is a wakeup call,’ WHO emergencies chief Michael Ryan told reporters at a briefing marking a year since the UN agency first learned of the new virus spreading in China.”

The Covid19 virus has had an enormous effect on the world since the beginning of 2020, and the consequences of what we have seen and experienced have devastated many businesses, economies and, most importantly, many people’s lives.

However, there can be no question that the statistics have been skewed.   For example, walesonline.co.uk gives this example: “A patient who has tested positive, but successfully treated and discharged from hospital, will still be counted as a Covid death even if they had a heart attack or were run over by a bus three months later.”   Nevertheless, this virus is real and has wreaked havoc and heartache within countries and families around the world.

Wherever you look around the world there seems to be insurmountable problems and no country seems to be immune from them.  To list many of these now would be to just reiterate regular news items and much that is regularly highlighted in our weekly Update.

But wait.   This is just the beginning.   The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord are now, surely, just over the horizon and when it is God’s time for these things to happen, they will.   It will be the only way to get man’s attention!

With many panicking at the current state of affairs, what the future holds will be much, much worse.   Only our continual obedience to God’s ways will keep us from the suffering that the world will have to endure, and we are admonished in Luke 21:36 to: “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Much worse is to come, although the world is looking forward to normal service being resumed after the coronavirus has been defeated.   Who knows, there could still be a short breathing space after the current crisis has been dealt with before further devastating events happen to an unrepentant human race.  The key is to remember that these things will happen when God deems it right to do so in His plan for mankind. The timing is in His hands, but worse will surely follow.

And – be aware: You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet!

by Norbert Link

We begin with some strong voices cautioning against the second impeachment of Donald Trump and predicting the possible destruction of the GOP and further disunity within the USA;  address the questionable outcome of the first impeachment due to alleged incompetent or corrupt conduct by former leaders of the FBI; further attempts by Big Tech, left-wing politicians and the mass media to silence those with opposing viewpoints; and a serious warning against attempts to persecute Christians in the USA.

In this regard, please watch the following message: “Freedom of Speech under Attack, Comments on News and Prophecy, January 16, 2021.”

In addition, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Will President Biden Unify the Country?”

We address the relationship between the USA and EU which cannot be expected to be “repaired” under Biden; the horrible news that Germany is erecting “detention camps” for those opposing governmental measures pertaining to the coronavirus; and we speak about the election of Armin Laschet as Angela Merkel’s successor as party chief (but not as chancellor).

We address North Korea’s nuclear ambitions; Russia’s persecution of Putin’s opponents; and we conclude with the seemingly inevitable breakup of the UK.

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

Bill O’Reilly Slams McConnell

Newsmax wrote on January 17:

“Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is ‘torturing’ President Donald Trump in a ‘foolish display of power,’ conservative host Bill O’Reilly said Sunday. ‘Mitch McConnell is playing an extremely dangerous game by diminishing President Trump in the eyes of Americans who still like him,’ O’Reilly said… in reference to the Senate Majority Leader’s comments signaling he wouldn’t be the roadblock to impeachment the way he was this time last year. ‘I have not made a final decision on how I will vote and I intend to listen to the legal arguments when they are presented to the Senate,’ McConnell wrote in a letter to colleagues after the House voted to impeach the president on grounds he incited an insurrection when a mob of rioters breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, the day Congress was set to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.

“‘As Senate majority leader, McConnell is delaying the impeachment trial until after Joe Biden is sworn in,’ writes O’Reilly. ‘But the Kentuckian is also saying it’s okay if GOP senators vote to ultimately convict the president on charges of inciting the violence at the Capitol building. Why would McConnell do that? He has to know that voting to convict Donald Trump in the Senate would damage the Republican Party immensely. Millions of people who voted for Trump would leave the GOP.’”

McConnell, called “the fox,” does seem to play an interesting personal political game, but it could be a dangerous one for the GOP survival.

Newsmax reported on January 19:

“U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said in a speech on the Senate floor Tuesday that ‘the mob was fed lies’ before the violent Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. ‘They were provoked by the president and other powerful people,’ McConnell said of the attack that delayed certification of Democrat Joe Biden as the next president by several hours, forcing lawmakers to seek safety, and resulted in the death of five people, including a Capitol Police officer.”

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham said in a subsequent interview that McConnell was clearly wrong on this; and that only Trump could save the GOP. Senator Rand Paul added that if the Republicans in the Senate will go through with impeachment, then it will destroy the Republican Party.

Franklin Graham Attacks House Republicans

Newsweek wrote on January 14:

“Evangelist Franklin Graham compared 10 members of the GOP to Judas Iscariot on Thursday after they voted to approve President Donald Trump’s second impeachment… ‘Shame, shame on the ten Republicans who joined with @SpeakerPelosi & the House Dmocrats in impeaching President Trump yesterday,’ Graham tweeted. ‘After all that he has done for our country, you would turn your back & betray him so quickly? What was done yesterday only further divides our nation.’

“Graham elaborated on his opinion in a Thursday Facebook post, detailing why he believed Trump was actually impeached. ‘But the House Democrats impeached him because they hate him and want to do as much damage as they can,’ Graham wrote. ‘And these ten, from [Trump’s] own party, joined in the feeding frenzy. It makes you wonder what the thirty pieces of silver were that [Democratic House] Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi promised for this betrayal.’”

Original Investigation against Trump “Incompetent” and “Corrupt”

Fox News reported on January 16:

“Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham on Friday released a slew of additional documents and transcripts related to his panel’s investigation into the origins and aftermath of the Trump-Russia probe, calling the original probe ‘one of the most incompetent and corrupt investigations in the history of the FBI and DOJ.’… ‘The FISA court was lied to. Exculpatory information was withheld on those being investigated. The investigators, with some notable exceptions, were incredibly biased and used the powers of law enforcement for political purposes,’ Graham said. ‘The subjects of the investigation had their lives turned upside down. It is my hope that counterintelligence investigations will be reined in and this never happens again in America.’

“Graham slammed the leadership of the FBI under former Director James Comey and former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, saying it was ‘either grossly incompetent’ or said  ‘they knowingly allowed tremendous misdeeds.’…

“Meanwhile, former Attorney General Bill Barr tapped U.S. Attorney from Connecticut John Durham as special counsel to ensure he could continue his investigation into the origins of the Russia probe through the Biden administration. Durham was appointed by Barr last year to investigate the origins of the FBI’s Russia probe, shortly after special counsel Robert Mueller completed his yearlong investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians to influence the 2016 presidential election. Mueller’s investigation yielded no evidence of criminal conspiracy or coordination between the Trump campaign and Russian officials during the 2016 election.”

With that terrible record of the first impeachment, what will the second impeachment bring?

CNN Pushes to Close Down Newsmax TV

Newsmax wrote on January 17:

“CNN is making no mistake about it: It wants to censor and close Newsmax from broadcasting as a cable news channel. Apparently jolted by the fact Newsmax has skyrocketed to become the 4^th highest-rated cable news channel in the country, the liberal CNN is decrying what it calls Newsmax’s ‘election denialism’ and is seeking to have it ‘deplatformed’ from cable and satellite systems across the nation…

“Previously, CNN had led efforts to deplatform President Donald Trump from Twitter…

“While far-left activists jumped to support a potential silencing of Newsmax, others noted the censorship effort runs afoul of both freedom of speech and anti-trust laws. Former Bush White House press secretary Ari Fleischer exposed the hypocrisy, if not double standard, of the suggestion of silencing conservative channels, tweeting, ‘You knew it would happen. Some want to take conservative media off the air because they bought into Trump’s election theories. On those grounds, shouldn’t CNN, ABC, CBS and NBC be taken off the air because they bought into [Russian] collusion theories? This censorship must stop.’”

This is really eye-opening, but it shows how much power the left-wing mass media has.

Israelis Worried about US Censorship

Israel Today wrote on January 15:

“Developments in the US are a major concern for many Israelis, not only because a similar situation could develop here… but also because America has always been a friend of Israel, and never more so than in the past four years. Now, however, a creeping authoritarianism made up of corrupt politicians and big tech companies seems to be threatening the country.

“It is unprecedented to see companies like Facebook, Twitter, Amazon and Google teaming with overreaching politicians to silence political opponents, and the fact that this is happening in the world’s only superpower is particularly worrying… The impression that many on this side of the world have is that the tech giants, with Joe Biden as their puppet, have teamed up to take control of the United States…

“On top of that, you have the Corona vaccinations. Even in Israel, which leads the world in mass inoculation, the vaccine remains somewhat controversial. Media reports of some people suffering side effects and even dying after receiving the vaccine have folks concerned… Despite protests by many experts against the draconian coronavirus restrictions, the politicians stubbornly continue down their chosen path. The initial panic when we knew far less about the virus continues to determine political decisions a year later…”

The connection between Big Tech and certain left-wing politicians has been clearly recognized in the article.

Increasing Persecution of Christians in the USA

Newsmax wrote on January 17:

“Famed conservative thinker and author David Horowitz is warning that Democrats are trying to ‘criminalize’ the First Amendment rights of Americans as the nation is in ‘the initial stages to becoming a fascist state.’… Horowitz, a prominent Jewish conservative, warned that Christians are set to see increasing persecution as the Democrats take control of Washington… Horowitz said the Democratic Party has embraced an anti-Christian agenda that was vigorously implemented by Barack Obama, ‘the most anti-Christian, most anti-religious president in history.’

“‘The problem, outside the persecution of any group is bad, is this country was founded on Christian principles,’ Horowitz noted. He said… the ‘values we cherish’ began with America’s Christian settlers, who themselves were fleeing persecution in Europe for their beliefs. Horowitz argues [that] those freedoms are ‘under systematic assault by the Democrat party’ today. Horowitz also defended the right of Republicans to question the 2020 election results, and noted Democrats had made similar moves in with the 2000, 2004 and 2016 elections.”

Persecution of Christians is prophesied and is truly coming, as Satan is behind all of this.

Politicians in Biden Administration Responsible for Real Coups

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on January 18:

“With the mainstream media still obsessing about the January 6th ‘violent coup attempt’ at the US Capitol Building, the incoming Biden Administration looks to be chock full of actual purveyors of violent coups. Don’t look to the mainstream media to report on this, however. Some of the same politicians and bureaucrats denouncing the ridiculous farce at the Capitol as if it were the equivalent of 9/11 have been involved for decades in planning and executing real coups overseas. In their real coups, many thousands of civilians have died.

“Take returning Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, for example. More than anyone else she is the face of the US-led violent coup against a democratically-elected government in Ukraine in 2014. Nuland… was caught on a phone call actually plotting the coup right down to who would take power once the smoke cleared.

“Unlike the fake Capitol ‘coup,’ this was a real overthrow… the Ukraine coup had real armed insurrectionists with a real plan to overthrow the government. Eventually, with the help of incoming Assistant Secretary of State Nuland, they succeeded – after thousands of civilians were killed… while President Trump railed against the ‘stupid wars’ and promised to bring the troops home, he hired people like John Bolton and Mike Pompeo to get the job done. They spent their time ‘clarifying’ Trump’s call for ending wars to mean he wanted to actually continue the wars. It was a colossal failure.

“So it’s hard to be optimistic about a Biden Administration… Biden has announced that… Samantha Power… would head that Agency [USAID] in his Administration. Power, who served on President Obama’s National Security Council staff and as US Ambassador to the UN, argued passionately and successfully that a US attack on the Gaddafi government in Libya would result in a liberation of the people and the outbreak of democracy in the country. In reality, her justification was all based on lies and the US assault has left nothing but murder and mayhem. Gaddafi’s relatively peaceful, if authoritarian, government has been replaced by radical terrorists and even slave markets.

“At the end of the day, the Bush Republicans – like Rep. Liz Cheney – will join hands with the Biden Democrats to reinstate ‘American leadership.’ This of course means more US overt and covert wars overseas. The unholy alliance between Big Tech and the US government will happily assist the US State Department under Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Assistant Secretary of State Nuland with the technology to foment more ‘regime change’ operations wherever the Biden Administration sees fit… “

And there will be no peace…

US-EU Relationship Beyond Swift Repair

CNN wrote on January 17:

“The presidency of Donald Trump has left such a wretched stench in Europe that it’s hard to see how, even in four years, Joe Biden could possibly get America’s most important alliance back on track. Throughout Trump’s term, Europeans have been walking a tightrope, trying to balance outright condemnation of the President’s most destructive behavior with not alienating the leader of the Western world… While the assumption is that the transatlantic relationship will improve under Biden, four years of carnage has spooked the European political scene…

“This idea, that Europe has lost its trust in America, comes up time and again when speaking to European diplomats and EU officials… European diplomats and officials are adamant that moves towards an independent defense policy and international ‘strategic autonomy’ will not slow down…

“A view many European officials share is that no matter how friendly Biden is, Trump happened once — and could happen again. The President lost the election, but clearly there is still a lot of support for his politics…

“If this all sounds a little gloomy, to some extent, it is. It will take more than four years for the fog to lift over the Atlantic, and there are fears the relationship between Europe and America will never go back to what it was. For Europeans, that’s a reality they’re determined to make the best of. For the US, it’s unclear whether being downgraded as a diplomatic force is something that its citizens… will even care about.

“Regardless, the Trump era has left Europeans with little choice but to wait and see how much of a priority Biden places on reclaiming America’s place on the world stage. And they will use the four years of relative quiet under Biden to build safeguards against the all too real possibility of another Euroskeptic firestarter winning the White House in 2024.”

Under Biden, the relationship between the USA and Europe might not continue to deteriorate as fast as it would have been under Trump, but we do not see that it will get substantially better (especially, if, as the previous article suggests, the Biden Administration will be engaged again in overseas wars which may or may not meet Europe’s approval). Europe will look after their own, while observing how the Biden Administration will cause America’s economic and domestic downfall.

Travel Restrictions to be “Strengthened” under Biden

The Sun wrote on January 18:

“The incoming Biden administration will NOT lift entry bans on those traveling from the UK, [Ireland,] Brazil and much of the Europe on January 26. [Donald Trump on Monday rescinded entry bans imposed of the coronavirus pandemic on most non-US citizens arriving from Brazil, the United  Kingdom and all European Union countries, to become effective January 26.] Travel restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic barring most visitors from Europe coming to the US have been in place since mid-March, while the Brazilian entry ban came into force in May.

“Incoming president Joe Biden will instead be strengthening rules around international travel…”

The following reader’s comment was quite telling:

“Biden doesn’t want the travel restrictions loosened, but he’ll let 10,000 people cross the southern border. Then he’ll pay for their medical expenses, food, and tax the American public to pay for it.”

Newsmax added on January 18:

“Until Biden acts, Trump’s order ends restrictions the same day that new COVID-19 test requirements take effect for all international visitors… Last week, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed an order requiring nearly all air travelers to present a negative coronavirus test or proof of recovery from COVID-19 to enter the United States starting Jan. 26… Biden, once in office, has the legal authority to reimpose the restrictions.”

On the other hand, right after his inauguration on Wednesday, Biden signed 17 sweeping executive orders, undoing much of Trump’s policies, including ceasing to build the border wall with Mexico and lifting the “Muslim travel ban.”  This seems to be quite inconsistent with, at the same time, refusing to lift the travel ban with European countries. While speaking on unity in his acceptance speech, his executive orders will do little to create any form of unity with the over 74 million Trump voters.

Trump refused to attend the inauguration ceremony. He departed earlier for Florida. In his farewell speech on Wednesday, he said: “We will be back in some form.”

Detention Camps in Germany… Again!

The Sun wrote on January 18:

“GERMANY’S worst Covid rule breakers will be held in detention centres under new proposals being drawn up by a number of state governments. The move forms part of the country’s efforts to stop the spread of the more contagious mutant strain of the virus detected in the UK last month.

“In the eastern state of Saxony, people who ignore lockdown measures will be held in a cordoned-off part of a refugee camp being built next week. State authorities have said the centre will only be used for those who repeatedly breach self-isolation requirements. A similar scheme will be used in neighbouring Brandenburg, while in northerly Schleswig-Holstein rule breakers will be held in a part of a juvenile detention centre. The southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg will reportedly use rooms in hospitals.

“The country’s regional governments have powers to hold people who flout lockdown requirements under the Disease Protection Act, first passed by the federal parliament in March, Die Welt reports…

“Current lockdown measures are due to expire on January 31, but Chancellor Angela Merkel [allegedly said] that the country still needs ‘eight to 10 weeks of hard measures’.”

Mass tabloid Bild commented that we must accept a total lockdown, like in the Middle Ages. The very concept of detention or concentration camps in Germany brings up all kinds of terrible memories, and the comparison with Nazi Germany and the Holocaust has ALREADY been drawn on social media.

Total Lockdown Extended in Germany

Deutsche Welle reported on January 19:

“Angela Merkel and Germany’s 16 state premiers decided to keep the lockdown in place until at least mid-February… and introduce tougher measures to fight the spread of the coronavirus…  Most shops, schools and non-essential business, such as gyms and sports centers, will remain closed… People in shops and on public transport will be required to wear filter masks such as FFP2 respirators, which also protect the wearer…

“Religious events in churches, synagogues and mosques may take place if they follow hygiene rules, but communal singing is not allowed. 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….”

This is clearly overkill.

Laschet Becomes Merkel’s Successor

Daily Mail wrote on January 16:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s centre-right party has elected a new leader to take over ahead of the national elections in September. Armin Laschet,… governor of North Rhine-Westphalia, was announced the winner at a virtual conference hosted by the Christian Democratic Union party on Saturday in Berlin… The decision ends an 11-month leadership limbo in Germany’s strongest party after outgoing leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who had failed to impose her authority on the party, announced her resignation…

“CDU members may also have been swayed by Laschet’s alliance with Health Minister Jens Spahn, whose efforts to steer Germany through the pandemic have made him a favourite with the public. The pair wrote a joint article for Der Spiegel weekly promising to make the CDU ‘one of the most modern parties in Europe’ and stressing that leadership ‘does not mean a one-man show’…

“Laschet was born in Aachen, the spa city in western Germany near the border with Belgium and the Netherlands. He is a great fan of Charlemagne, the king of the Franks credited with uniting Europe whose empire was based in Aachen. His family has even claimed they are direct descendants… [He is Catholic and a self-described ‘passionate European.’].”

God’s Church has been having ongoing problems especially and mainly in Laschet’s North Rhine-Westphalia, with the state government refusing to excuse our children from school attendance to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

North Korea in the News Again

Bloomberg wrote on January 15:

“North Korea held its second major military parade in three months to mark a rare party meeting, showing off nuclear advances including a new submarine-launched ballistic missile as Donald Trump leaves office… North Korea unveiled what was likely the world’s largest road-ready intercontinental ballistic missile, designed to carry multiple nuclear warheads to the U.S…

“The show of force demonstrated the progress North Korea has made on its nuclear program in the face of Trump’s unprecedented move to meet Kim face-to-face in an effort to neutralize one of the U.S.’s biggest security threats. Kim last week signaled a challenge to Biden, saying he would focus on ‘subduing’ the U.S. and continuing to enhance his nuclear capability to ensure North Korea’s ‘autonomic development.’”

It seems like North Korea was just waiting until Trump exits the stage… for now.

Russia Being Condemned Internationally for Detention of Dissident Alexei Navalny

Breitbart wrote on January 18:

“Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, who has been receiving treatment and recuperating in Germany since he was poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok in August, made good on his promise to return to Russia on Sunday. The Russian government immediately made good on its promise to arrest him…

“The Kremlin announced before Navalny departed Germany that he would be arrested upon returning to Russia because he allegedly violated the terms of his parole from a 2014 conviction for embezzlement. Navalny maintains the embezzlement prosecution against him was politically motivated, and the European Court of Human Rights agrees with him.

“Navalny’s arrest on Sunday was swiftly condemned by governments and human rights organizations around the world. Outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and incoming National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan both condemned the arrest as politically motivated and a violation of Navalny’s rights. The German government denounced the arrest as ‘totally incomprehensible’ and demanded Navalny’s immediate release…  ‘Steps taken by Russian authorities against Alexei Navalny must not be left without consequences for the international community’s relations with this country,’ said Polish President Andrzej Duda on Sunday night.

“Amnesty International declared Navalny a ‘prisoner of conscience’ and said his arrest provides ‘further evidence that Russian authorities are seeking to silence him.’ Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth said it was a ‘real act of bravery’ for Navalny to return to Russia ‘given that government agents already tried to kill him once,’ and also a sign that Navalny knows he would be less effective as a ‘dissident in exile.’

“The Russian government responded by describing Navalny’s arrest as a purely internal matter of criminal law and told the rest of the world to mind its own business, with the sneering implication that Western nations lack the moral stature to criticize Russia for the steps it takes to maintain public order…”

Deutsche Welle added on January 18:

“Navalny was rushed to a makeshift courtroom on Monday, just a day after his arrest at a Moscow airport… Navalny’s aide accused authorities of denying him access to his lawyers, saying he was notified at the last minute of the makeshift hearing. The judge handed Navalny a sentence of 30 days in prison…

“Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert… said Russia had arrested the ‘victim’ of ‘attempted murder with chemical weapons’ and ‘not the perpetrator.’ Merkel had ‘repeatedly’ noted that Russia’s treatment of Navalny ‘weighed on’ relations between Berlin and Moscow, Seibert added…

“His detention has been widely condemned internationally, with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas [calling] it totally ‘incomprehensible’ and Britain’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab saying it was ‘appalling’… Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis called for EU sanctions against Moscow… European Union members… Latvia and Estonia also called for the ‘imposition of restrictive measures’ against Russia.”

Russia is a totalitarian country which does not allow opposition. The USA should wake up to this and make sure that it does not follow Russia’s example—which right now it IS in the process of doing.

UK Breakup Inevitable

Daily Mail wrote on January 17:

“Most Scots are scunnered by events at Westminster since 2016, notably by Brexit and what they see as the incompetence of Boris Johnson and his Government. In December 2019, along with every Westminster Election since 2005, Scotland overwhelmingly did not vote for the party that formed the British Government. Indeed, it pulled in the opposite direction with an even more impressive landslide for the Scottish National Party. The First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, has made it clear that many Scots believe there is a profound democratic deficit for their nation – that their views on Brexit (and other matters) did not count, and that if Scots wanted to leave any union, it was the one known as the United Kingdom…

“Whether you are a British unionist or one of the several versions of Scottish, English, Welsh or Irish nationalists, the truth is that the United Kingdom is now united in name only. The choice before us is either to come together and make profound changes to the way we are governed, or to accept that the UK is ultimately a failed state and agree to split apart… I have come to believe that Britain may indeed be coming to its end. It is not alarm bells I hear. It’s a death knell.

“On the day we officially left the EU a year ago, Mr Johnson promised to bring the United Kingdom together… Rapidly, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland shrank to becoming the Prime Minister of England only – and at times only parts of England… The end of Britain would be much more complicated, messy, costly and bitter even than Brexit.”

Yes, it does appear that way.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

We conclude this series with further examples of hyperbole from the Word of God.

Matthew 18:23-35:

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

^{23 “‘}Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

^{24 “‘}And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.

^{25 “‘}But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.

^{26 “‘}The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, “Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.”

^{27 “‘}Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

²⁸ “‘But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, “Pay me what you owe!”

^{29 “‘}So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.”

^{30 “‘}And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.

^{31 “‘}So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.

^{32 “‘}Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.

^{33 “‘}Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?”

^{34 “‘}And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

³⁵ “‘So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.’”

In the website: learnreligions.com:

“In the New Testament, the term ‘talent’ meant something very different than it does today. The talents Jesus Christ spoke of in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:21-35) and the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) referred to the largest unit of currency at the time. For example, the ten thousand talents owed by the unforgiving servant would come to at least 204 metric tons of silver, reflecting an astronomical sum of 60 million denarii.

“Thus, a talent represented a rather large sum of money. According to New Nave’s Topical Bible, one who possessed five talents of gold or silver was a multimillionaire by today’s standards. Some calculate the talent in the parables to be equivalent to 20 years of wages for the common worker. Other scholars estimate more conservatively, valuing the New Testament talent somewhere between $1,000 to $30,000 dollars today.

“Needless to say (but let’s say it anyway), knowing the actual meaning, weight, and value of a term like talent can help give context, deeper understanding, and better perspective when studying the Scriptures.”

We can see the incredible difference in this parable – a man was forgiven what he owed – but he went to collect the debt that he was owed which was just 100 denarii after he had been forgiven his debt of 60 million denarii!

We should easily see the hyperbole used in this parable of Jesus to get across in the most graphic terms the need to forgive others.   There are those today who say that they will never forgive others for whatever they have gone through and this parable teaches that forgiveness is vital irrespective of the wrongs suffered.

Putting it in today’s terms, someone who is forgiven a debt of £1.2 million, chases a debt of just £20.   “Everyone,” C.S. Lewis writes, “says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until there is something to forgive” (Mere Christianity, p.115).

Matthew 19:24:

“And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (also in Mark 10:25 and Luke 18:25)

The website: biblicalstudies.org.uk explains as follows:

“Traditionally it has been said that there was a gate in the walls of Jerusalem called the ‘Needle’s Eye,’ through which an unladen camel could squeeze through with great difficulty. Unfortunately, this interpretation is simply not true, there was no gate in Jerusalem called the ‘Needle’s Eye’ and there never has been. The first reference to this is found in the writings of Theophylact, Archbishop of Achrida in Bulgaria in the 11th century.  Jerusalem had been destroyed twice by this time (in AD 70 and 134-136), but Theophylact had never visited it anyway. He simply made up the interpretation to get around the obvious meaning.

“After all, it is impossible for a camel to go through the eye of [a] needle, and that was precisely Jesus’ point. It is impossible for one who trusts in riches to enter the kingdom. It takes a miracle for a rich person to get saved, which is quite the point of what follows: ‘All things are possible with God.’

“Jesus was very fond of hyperbole, and used it frequently in His teaching.”

Matthew 23:24:

^“Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!”

In the previous verse, Jesus berated the scribes and the Pharisees by stating that they “paid tithe of mint and anise and cummin, but neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.”

There is quite a difference between a gnat and a camel!   It has been estimated that it would take up to seventy million gnats to equal the weight of a camel!   The hyperbole used here is the difference of size and showed the religious leaders at that time had lost all sense of moral proportion.

Meyer’s NT Commentary opines:

“The Jews were in the habit of straining their wine in order that there might be no possibility of their swallowing with it any unclean animal, however minute (Leviticus 11:42). Figurative representation of the painful scrupulosity with which the law was observed.”

It is used in this passage as “straining out” or “filtering” gnats out of wine.  We should also note that gnats were unclean as mentioned above.   The Jews then should certainly have paid close attention to little things but were castigated for neglecting the important things, the larger issues, as we indeed must not overlook today.

Luke 9:25:

“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?”

We can see those who have set out to build businesses of which some have become very successful.   Many entrepreneurs succeed; others fail but they will all have great personal ambitions to succeed in business.  We ourselves may have had ambitions to become very successful in business before we were called into the knowledge of the truth.

Does it make people happy?   Many are always striving for their next success which could bring them millions or billions of pounds or dollars.   When the basis for living is purely on the physical but little or no thought for the spiritual, there can be no lasting joy or happiness.

The choice set before us when we are called is to be a disciple of Christ which is not an option but a necessity. We will either fully follow the true Christian way or the way of the world – there is no in- between.

It is impossible to gain the whole world – hyperbole at its highest level, in action – but it presses home the point that even if this were possible, the loss of the truth and the right way to live would be disastrous.   The physical life we have is for a short time but the spiritual things are eternal.  What real profit is to be derived from even aspiring to gain the impossible (the whole world) and lose out on eternity?

Luke 10:4:

“Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.”

Patently Jesus didn’t want them to ignore people on their travels, quite the reverse as those were the people to whom they were to take the message of the gospel of the coming Kingdom of God.   Further, to be rude to others was neither His way nor how He taught His disciples to deal with others—which was the way of love, kindness and outgoing concern.  Simply put, Jesus was emphasising that they had a really important job to do and were not to get caught up in the everyday things that can take up so much time and can be a distraction from the important work they were undertaking, and He taught that they were to concentrate on the vital matter at hand.

There are some very interesting comments by Barnes Notes on the Bible:

“Salute no man by the way – Salutations among the Orientals did not consist, as among us, of a slight bow or an extension of the hand, but was performed by many embraces and inclinations, and even prostrations of the body on the ground. All this required much ‘time;’ and as the business on which the seventy were sent was urgent, they were required not to ‘delay’ their journey by long and formal salutations of the persons whom they met. If two Arabs of equal rank meet each other, they extend to each other the right hand, and having clasped, they elevate them as if to kiss them. Each one then draws back his hand and kisses it instead of his friend’s, and then places it upon his forehead. The parties then continue the salutation by kissing each other’s beard. They gave thanks to God that they are once more permitted to see their friend – they pray to the Almighty in his behalf. Sometimes they repeat not less than ten times the ceremony of grasping hands and kissing.

“They would waste time, distract attention, and in many ways hinder the prompt and faithful discharge of their important mission. The salutation of friends, therefore, was a ceremony which consumed much time; and it was on this account that our Lord on this occasion forbade them to delay their journey to greet others. A similar direction is found in 2 Kings 4:29.”

John 12:19:

“The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, ‘You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!’”

The world has gone after Him – this is again hyperbole as this simply couldn’t have happened at that time.   Jesus spoke to large crowds in Judah but beyond those borders then, the world would have no knowledge of Jesus Christ until a much later time.   At that time, it was a localised “fame” that He had and on the Day of Pentecost a following initially of 120 (see Acts 1:15).   Of course, on that day there were about 3,000 people added to the Church (Acts 2:41), but even that number of people would hardly have put a dent in the hyperbolic statement that “the world has gone after Him!”

From Gill’s Exposition of the Bible:

“The Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read, ‘the whole world’, and so Nonnus; the Persic version, ‘all the people’; that is, a very great number of people; for they could not mean, that all the inhabitants of the world, or every individual of mankind were followers of him, and became his disciples, nor even all in their own land; they themselves, with multitudes more of the same complexion, were an exception to this: but they speak in the common dialect of that nation,”

The final one that we highlight in this Q&A is one of the most famous in the Bible.

Matthew 18:21-22:

^{21 “}Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’

²² “Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.’”

It appears from some sources that Jewish tradition limited forgiveness to three times, perhaps based on Amos 1:3, 6, 9 and Job 33:29-30, but the apostle Peter may have thought that he was going way beyond that which others may have mandated by suggesting seven times.   Jesus said “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20).   Here, Peter could be seen as going further than these religious teachers of the law at that time.   But Jesus meant something much more than he could ever have imagined.

The sheer logistics of forgiving someone 490 times is mind boggling.   In fact, you would have to wonder about someone’s sincerity if they asked forgiveness that number of times.  With the Jews of that time, they would count the number of times a person would seek forgiveness and put a very short limit on it, and Peter seemed to want to increase the limit that could be set.  Jesus would have none of that.  It was to be 70 times 7 if you want to put a number on it but that, in effect, meant a limitless number. It was clearly hyperbole, indicating that there is no end to forgiving others however often they seek forgiveness from us.

CONCLUSION

As we have seen, hyperbole is a figure of speech that is used to emphasize a point or create a strong feeling in the reader or listener – an amplification or magnification.

As Literary Devices state: “Hyperbole, derived from a Greek word meaning ‘over-casting,’ is a figure of speech that involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis.”

Hyperbole is mainly used to add emphasis and create strong impressions and it is helpful in seeing a far bigger picture, but it is not to be taken literally at this time.   The following are words that can sum up hyperbole in many ways and these should excite us to know how great God is and wonderful is His way and plan for mankind: cheerful, vivid, breathtaking, intriguing, dramatic thrilling, colourful, striking, compelling, dynamic, electrifying, gripping, stunning, galvanizing, astonishing and astounding.

Whatever words God uses are those which we can understand, but the reality of the future in store for us in the Kingdom of God is way beyond any description that we are given in His Word.   Even the most excessive hyperbole would simply not be enough to give us a full understanding of what is in store for us in God’s Kingdom and what a future is in store for the people of God!

Lead writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

Several of our members in Southern California were infected with the COVID-19 virus. Hardest hit were Johanna and Norbert Link, but thankfully, all are on the mend. This, of course, affected the work of the Church, and several wrote expressing their concern—here are some comments we received:

• We are praying for you and your wife that you both may have a strong recovery. It was wonderful and uplifting for us here in Milwaukee to have received your reply and see you once again on YouTube. We will continue to pray for you and your wife and not only for you both but for the entire body of GOD’s church. Thank you so much for all that you and the others are doing in the work of our true GOD.

• Thank you for your informative programs. I have noted that there are no new programs.  I know that we are in very turbulent times ,but there are many viewers in my community who I have made aware of your programs, and we are all waiting .  Can you inform your viewers what is the matter Sir.  When can we expect new episodes of STANDINGWATCH?

 We received this follow-up:

… In my social circle we were members of the parent organization the Worldwide Church of GOD.  I was so alarmed to hear that you had contacted the virus, but as I saw and heard you through the link that you provided to me I see that you are a soldier for the Eternal Great God.

• I’m hoping you are well. I was wondering if there will be anymore Standing watch programs? I’ve missed your informed biblical based news.

• I was very glad to see you on Sabbath.  I was concerned and am praying for your  full recovery very soon. 

• Thank you for taking the time to go over the updates today even though you were still sick…That was appreciated! Praying some get called by God this week cause I have a feeling things are going to be bad… 

Will President Biden Unify the Country?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The USA is divided as never before. President Biden, in his inauguration speech, emphasized the need for unity. But shortly thereafter, he signed 17 sweeping executive orders, undoing much of Trump’s policies. This will do little to create any form of unity with the over 74 million Trump voters. The war of the mass media, being in cahoots with Big Tech and many Democrats, against Trump and his supporters continues.

Both the Republican Party and the Democratic seem to be deeply divided. There will not be any meaningful substantial cooperation between them.

What will 2021 bring, and what can we expect from the Biden Presidency? One thing is certain: Biden will NOT unify the country. 

“Weiss Satan um seine Zukunft?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Does Satan Know About His Future?”

“Was ist Wahrheit?” is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Tahir Coban. Title in English: “What is Truth?”

“Freedom of Speech under Attack, Comments on News and Prophecy, January 16, 2021,” is the title of last Sabbath’s sermonette, presented by Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Banning President Trump and others from certain platforms seems to be just the beginning to control unpopular viewpoints. Even European politicians express disapproval, stating that we “cannot leave it to the American Big Tech to decide how we can and cannot discuss online,” and others warn of the close connection between “private companies becoming the state’s best friends.” In the final analysis, what we are experiencing right now is a threat to true Christianity when Big Tech and others can determine what beliefs are acceptable, and which ones have to be banned. God’s true Church must be aware of this and speak up powerfully for God’s Truth.

“Ready For What’s Coming?” is the title of a split-sermon presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell. Here is a summary:

The Bible predicts what’s coming in our near future. It has predicted with great accuracy events in the past! With this in mind, how ready is each of us? Mentally – Spiritually? We have a little time left. NOW is the time to prepare. Now is the time to do the little daily things to make sure we are ready for the times ahead of Christ’s return.

“Suffer for Salvation,” is the title of a split-sermon presented last Sabbath by Michael Link. Here is a summary:

It is expected that we all go through trials which may also include sicknesses in various forms. What is the purpose of these sufferings and what can we learn from the examples of individuals who went through sicknesses?

On January 16, 2021, split sermons will be presented by Kalon Mitchell and Michael Link. Their titles are, “Ready For What’s Coming?” and “Suffer for Salvation,” respectively.

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.

Over the past week, we saw the President of the United States of America banned from social media platforms for posting comments interpreted as inciting violence. While no violence or incitation of it is justifiable, the social media giant Twitter chose to interpret seemingly innocuous statements by President Trump as glorifying violence. In his final incriminating tweet, President Trump expressed his intention to not attend the inauguration of Joe Biden. How such a statement glorifies violence is beyond me. Yet, Twitter found a way to interpret this statement as a call to violence in support of his own election, therefore providing them with a justification to finally shut down his account permanently.

What I find most disturbing is how this example demonstrates the power wielded by the tech giants to squash voices that express ideas opposing the narrative set forth by mainstream media. In recent history, especially over the past year, we’ve seen several examples of objective and factual statements being subjectively judged as a “threat” because they spread information that conflicts with the mainstream agenda of those in power. When a message by someone contradicts that which serves their interests, those who are in power take away the privilege of expressing those ideas and beliefs. More and more, we see that only the popular ideas and beliefs in the world may be expressed freely. Any voice that contradicts is threatened to be silenced, discredited, ridiculed, denounced, belittled, and otherwise rejected. Their terms are to conform or be canceled.

For Christians, what we saw happen to the President of the United States should be a wakeup call. But not in the way that our political positions are threatened – because we do not involve ourselves in the politics of this world. Rather, what we are witnessing is the power of the few determining what beliefs are acceptable to express. And that is a threat to true Christianity.

The Christian beliefs that we hold, which are founded in the Truth of God’s Word, will conflict more and more with the world we live in. If we express those truths out loud, do we really think that we will easily be heard? Do we really think that the platforms that provide a means of sharing ideas will tolerate God’s Truth? If we as a Church preach the gospel, as Christ commissioned us to do, the world will hate us for it! Jesus Christ states this clearly (compare John 15:18, John 17:14, Matthew 24:9). What we see now are the possible examples of how this hatred of God’s Truth will manifest. The prince of the power of the air, Satan (compare Ephesians 2:2), will do whatever he can to prevent the Truth from even being expressed, because it contradicts with his agenda to lead man to destruction.

Sadly, this world has chosen to exchange the plain truth of God for lies (compare Romans 1:24-25). Until Jesus Christ returns, lies will prevail in this world with growing intensity. Our job is to never fall prey to those lies. To protect ourselves, we need to love the Truth and never shrink away from upholding it. “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-11). There is nothing that we can do to control the world we live in, but we can defend ourselves against its deceptive effects. If we continue to hold fast to God’s Truth with our whole heart, we will prevail against all other powers that threaten to extinguish it.

We begin with news of the impeachment of President Trump; point to warnings about widespread armed protests during Joe Biden’s inauguration.

We present several articles about the power of Big Tech and the growing alarm by world leaders and many others about the loss of free speech.

We report on Pope Francis changing church law to allow women to have more participation in Catholic Church functions; we report on the growing movement for Catholic and Lutheran reconciliation.

We conclude with reports about Brexit and the frightening specter of widespread food shortages in the UK.

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

Congress Votes to Impeach President Trump… Again!

apnews.com wrote on January 13:

“President Donald Trump was impeached by the U.S. House for a historic second time Wednesday, charged with ‘incitement of insurrection’ over the deadly mob siege of the Capitol in a swift and stunning collapse of his final days in office.

“With the Capitol secured by armed National Guard troops inside and out, the House voted 232-197 to impeach Trump. The proceedings moved at lightning speed, with lawmakers voting just one week after violent pro-Trump loyalists stormed the U.S. Capitol, egged on by the president’s calls for them to ‘fight like hell’ against the election results…

“The soonest Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell would start an impeachment trial is next Tuesday, the day before Trump is already set to leave the White House, McConnell’s office said. The legislation is also intended to prevent Trump from ever running again.”

Just how “quietly” President Trump will leave the public stage remains to be seen…

Questions Surrounding Trump Impeachment

Fox News reported on January 13:

“The House of Representatives voted 232-197 Wednesday to impeach President Trump for alleged ‘incitement of insurrection’ in connection with the mob chaos at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Whether or not the impeachment results in a conviction, it marks a historic moment in that no prior U.S. president has been impeached twice. But it also raises questions about whether a trial can even be held once the president leaves office. The earliest the Senate could receive the article of impeachment would be Jan. 19, a day before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, according to Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. A trial could go on for weeks, if it takes place at all…

“J. Michael Luttig, a judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit from 1991 to 2006, argued in a Washington Post op-ed Tuesday that a Senate trial after Trump has left office would be unconstitutional. But other experts disagree and Senate leaders in both parties appear ready to move forward. McConnell sent memos to his colleagues explaining how the chamber might proceed after receiving articles of impeachment from the House, and his Democratic counterpart from New York, Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, vowed that a trial would be held…

“Seeking Trump’s removal from office after Biden’s inauguration appears to be a moot point. But a conviction would allow senators to then vote to bar the outgoing president from running for office again in 2024 and curtail his post-presidential benefits.

“Other officials have been impeached after leaving office in the past – but none were presidents. The Senate voted to dismiss some of those cases on the basis that the subjects were no longer holding their positions. However, in an 1876 case, former Secretary of War William Belknap resigned just before his impeachment. The Senate held a trial and acquitted him anyway.

“There’s also a question over who would represent the president’s defense and whether taxpayers would foot the bill for Trump’s legal fees – which remains unclear. Last time, he was represented by both White House lawyers and private attorneys. At least two of the latter were paid for by the Republican National Committee, according to campaign finance records.

“Even if the Senate moves forward with a trial, it could face legal and constitutional hurdles. George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley argued Wednesday that Trump would have standing to challenge an impeachment trial in court if it began after he exits the office. As a result, the trial could be over before it starts…”

Now, evidence is mounting that the attack on the Capitol was prepared BEFORE Trump gave his speech. If so, then Trump’s speech could not possibly have incited violence. Legal scholars have pointed out anyhow that his speech was protected by the Constitution. The indictment through out-of-control Democrats and ten political House Republicans must be explained, according to some observers, as an act of revenge with the attempt to get rid of Trump for good.

In the meantime, the war of the mass media, being in cahoots with Big Tech, against Trump and his supporters continues. CNN’s Tapper stated that the “GOP needs exorcism to ‘get this demon out.” CNN’s Don Lemon stated that “if you voted for Trump, you are on ‘the Klan,’ ‘Nazis’ Side.” And the LA Times called for “De-Trumpification.’” Tucker Carlson warned of the future where Trump voters are ‘redefined as Domestic Terrorists.’” 

Armed Protests in all 50 State Capitals?

Foxnews.com reported on January 11:

“An internal FBI memo is warning of plans for armed protests in all 50 state capital cities ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s Inauguration, Fox News has learned.

“A federal law enforcement source told Fox News that an internal bureau memo is warning that the protests could be staged before, on, and after Inauguration Day.”

Preparing for the Worst

Political.com wrote on January 13:

“National Guard units are being told to prepare for the possibility that improvised explosive devices will be used by individuals plotting to attack the Capitol in the days surrounding the Inauguration, according to two Guardsmen briefed this week.

“The briefings indicate that Washington, D.C.-area law enforcement believe the IEDs planted last week at the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee headquarters were not an isolated incident. The individual who planted those bombs has yet to be apprehended, and FBI agents have been going door to door in D.C. this week asking residents for any photos or video they might have that could help identify the suspect, two of the residents told POLITICO.

“In addition to the IED threat, the Guardsmen are being briefed that protesters could be heavily armed. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy has authorized the National Guardsmen protecting the Capitol, previously only carrying protective gear, to carry lethal weapons including M-9 handguns. A ‘significant majority’ of soldiers are also carrying M-4 rifles, one of the Guardsmen said…

“Up to 20,000 Guardsmen could be stationed around D.C. in the coming days, at the request of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and other civil authorities. On Tuesday night, hundreds of armed Guardsmen deployed to the Capitol ahead of lawmakers beginning a second round of impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump.”

Trump Warns Big Tech

Breitbart wrote on January 12:

“President Donald Trump warned Tuesday that the efforts by Big Tech companies to deplatform him and his supporters was a ‘big mistake’ that would only anger more Americans. ‘I think that big tech is doing a horrible thing for our country and to our country, and I believe it’s going to be a catastrophic mistake for them,’ Trump said… Trump said that he had warned about the massive power and influence wielded by Big Tech throughout his presidency, adding that the decision they were making would reverberate around the world. ‘They’re dividing, and divisive, and they’re showing something that I’ve been predicting for a long time,’ he said…

“Facebook and Twitter permanently banned the president’s social media accounts. Google, Apple, and Amazon acted simultaneously to ban Parler, a Twitter competitor, from all of their platforms and web hosting services… ‘I’ve never seen such anger as I see right now, and that’s a terrible thing and you have to always avoid violence’ [Trump said].

“Trump also challenged assertions that his rally speech in front of the White House last week inspired the mob violence that took place on Capitol Hill… He compared his own rhetoric to Democrat political leaders talking about and failing to condemn the violence during the Black Lives Matter riots during the summer…”

YouTube Suspends Trump Channel

CNN reported on January 13:

“YouTube is suspending President Donald Trump’s channel for at least one week, and potentially longer, after his channel earned a strike under the platform’s policies, the company said Tuesday evening.

“A recent video on Trump’s channel had incited violence, YouTube told CNN Business. That video has now been removed.

“YouTube declined to share details of the video that earned Trump the strike, but said that after the one-week timeout, it will revisit the decision. YouTube also removed content from the White House’s channel for violating policy, the company told CNN Business, but the channel itself has not been suspended or been given a strike — just a warning.

“Until now, YouTube had been the only remaining major social media platform not to have suspended Trump in some fashion. Facebook has suspended Trump’s account ‘indefinitely,’ while Twitter has banned Trump completely.

“‘After careful review, and in light of concerns about the ongoing potential for violence, we removed new content uploaded to the Donald J. Trump channel and issued a strike for violating our policies for inciting violence,’ a YouTube spokesperson said in a statement. ‘As a result, in accordance with our long-standing strikes system, the channel is now prevented from uploading new videos or livestreams for a minimum of seven days—which may be extended.’”

New York City Dumps Trump Organization

CNN wrote on January 13:

“New York City is terminating its business relationships with the Trump Organization in response to last week’s attack on the US Capitol.

“On the day President Donald Trump faces a second impeachment for his role inciting the rioters who ransacked the Capitol, officials in New York City announced plans to immediately end the Trump Organization’s contracts to operate the Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point, the Central Park Carousel and the nearby Wollman and Lasker ice skating rinks.

“‘The attacks on our Capitol killed a police officer, left four rioters dead, exposed lawmakers to Covid-19 and threatened the constitutional transfer of power,’ the city said in a statement issued Wednesday morning. ‘They were a national abomination. We’re reviewing whether legal grounds exist in light of these new circumstances to terminate concessions with the Trump Organization.’

“‘Inciting an insurrection against the US government clearly constitutes criminal activity,’ New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told MSNBC on Wednesday. ‘The City of New York will no longer have anything to do with the Trump Organization.’”

The World Against America’s Big Tech

Breitbart wrote on January 11:

“An international outcry over tech censorship is underway, as political leaders from Mexico to Europe voice their alarm at the unchecked power of Big Tech, following the purge of President Donald Trump by the Big Tech Masters of the Universe…

“German chancellor Angela Merkel, whose pro-migration, anti-hate speech policies have little in common with President Trump or his movement, has nonetheless expressed concern at Silicon Valley’s unchecked power. ‘The chancellor sees the complete closing down of the account of an elected president as problematic,’ said Steffen Seibert, chief spokesman of the German chancellor, at a recent press conference in Berlin…. The finance minister of France, Bruno Le Maire, condemned what he called a ‘digital oligarchy,’ calling it ‘one of the threats’ to democracy. ‘There needs to be public regulation of big online platforms,’ said Le Maire…

“The French and German leaders join president Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico, an avowed socialist, who was the first world leader to condemn Facebook and Twitter for banning president Trump. ‘I don’t like anybody being censored or taking away from the right to post a message on Twitter or Face(book). I don’t agree with that, I don’t accept that,’ said López Obrador. The Mexican president said tech companies were behaving like an ‘inquisition’ to ‘manage public opinion.’ ‘This is really serious’ he added…

“The Prime Minister of Britain, Boris Johnson, was reportedly alarmed at Silicon Valley censorship even before Trump was permanently removed from Twitter and other platforms. In November… the Prime Minister was considering new laws against tech censorship following Twitter’s censoring of President Trump during the U.S. presidential election. ‘Boris did not like what he saw in the US election and has asked for more time to consider how to avoid the same thing happening to him in future,’ said the government source, discussing a planned internet regulation bill…

“Manfred Weber, leader of the largest party group in the European Parliament, said ‘we cannot leave it to American Big Tech to decide how we can or cannot discuss online,’ labeling it a threat to the ‘consensus building’ that is ‘crucial in free and democratic societies.’…

“Poland, run by a populist-nationalist government, has long taken the issue of tech censorship seriously. The Polish government is in the process of passing a law that would fine tech companies millions of euros for censoring content that is legal in Poland. The law would also create a new Court for the Protection of Freedom of Speech in Poland, where citizens of the country will be able to escalate complaints of tech censorship… The government of Hungary, a resolute enemy of the international cultural left, began an investigation into tech censorship in Europe in 2019… In the same year, Hungary also fined Facebook for claiming its services are ‘free.’

“In the Pacific, leaders of the center-right government of Australia including the Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack, and the Treasurer, Josh Fryndenburg, also voiced their opposition to the bans of Trump from social media…

“In Russia, opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was the victim of attempted assassination by poisoning last year, said Silicon Valley’s actions bear the hallmarks of authoritarianism. ‘Of course, Twitter is a private company, but we have seen many examples in Russian and China of such private companies becoming the state’s best friends and the enablers when it comes to censorship,’ said Navalny…

“Jonas Gahr Støre, leader of the left-wing Labour party in Norway and a favorite to become the next Prime Minister of the country, also criticized the censorship. While condemning President Trump for ‘hate,’ the left-wing party leader said that big tech censorship threatened political freedom around the world….”

washingtonexaminer.com wrote on January 11:

“French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire has joined international leaders in condemning social media’s censorship of conservative voices.

“Le Maire, who said he was ‘shocked’ by the decisions of Twitter, Facebook, Apple, and other Silicon Valley companies to ban President Trump in the wake of Wednesday’s siege of Capitol Hill, called Big Tech ‘one of the threats’ to democracy. He called for government regulation of the corporations to stave off a ‘digital oligarchy.’

“‘This should be decided by citizens, not by a CEO,’ he said. ‘There needs to be public regulation of big online platforms.’

“Le Maire’s comments come as the technology companies are facing international scrutiny in light of their handling of the recent political unrest. Most notably, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the bans represented a ‘problematic’ breach of the ‘fundamental right to free speech.’”

Israelis See Big Tech Duplicity

Israel Today wrote on January 10:

“The decision by tech giants Twitter, Facebook, Apple and Google to silence US President Donald Trump and some of his followers has Israelis agitated… What’s got Israelis all across the political spectrum frustrated is the fact that the Jewish state has for years been pressing Facebook and Twitter to ban incitement to violence against Israel from the likes of Iran, Palestinian terror groups and others. But the response has always been that freedom of speech must be protected.

“During a Knesset hearing in July 2020, a Twitter representative told Israeli lawmakers that tweets by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei calling for the elimination of the ‘Zionist regime’ were legitimate ‘comments on political issues of the day.’

“So why is Trump different? Comparatively speaking, even if Trump’s tweets can be directly linked to the Capitol riots and other acts of violence, he never explicitly called for such, unlike Iran and the Palestinian terror groups. Also by way of comparison, the acts of violence in the US have resulted in far fewer casualties than have the acts of violence against Israel incited by Khamenei, the Muslim Brotherhood and Fatah.

“An Internet survey taken by Israeli newspaper Ma’ariv suggested that most Israelis see Twitter’s move as entirely political. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said that cutting off Trump was an unjustified effort to silence a political voice…”

Twitter’s Bizarre Censorship

Israel 365 added on January 10:

“Twitter intensified its bizarre and disjointed program of censorship by taking down a tweet by Iran’s Ayatollah due to its skepticism of the COVID-19 vaccine while continuing to ignore the regime leader’s calls to wipe out Israel. Twitter removed a tweet posted on Friday by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saying that anti-COVD vaccines produced in Britain and the US are ‘untrustworthy.’…”

Tucker Carlson Speaks Out

Life Site News wrote on January 9:

“Democrats, social media giants, and CEOs have seized upon Wednesday’s Washington, D.C. protest as a blanket excuse to crack down on the freedoms of anyone who supports President Donald Trump. ‘The Trump protest at the Capitol yesterday is already being used as a pretext for an unprecedented crackdown on civil liberties. Just in the last several hours we have heard people in positions of power and authority demand that those who support Donald Trump should no longer be allowed to publish books or use the internet or fly on airplanes… Driving cars, holding jobs, staying in hotels — those will certainly be next, and we’re barely exaggerating. In fact, we’re predicting it,’ Tucker Carlson said during his show Thursday evening. ‘To justify mind-bending, terrifyingly un-American demands like these, they are as usual relying on lies and hysteria,’ Carlson continued…

“Wednesday’s events are also being used as an excuse to remove posts and videos from major social media platforms. In some cases, there is no apparent reason other than the questioning of the legitimacy of the election, or even the expression of dissatisfaction with the Democratic party. YouTube has just announced that, in response to Wednesday’s events at the Capitol, it will crack down on claims of voter fraud by blocking users from YouTube for a week without a first-strike warning, which was its previous policy… YouTube has already admitted to censoring ‘thousands of videos’ claiming that fraud affected the 2020 election…

“Facebook and Instagram banned Donald Trump from their platforms indefinitely. Twitter announced Friday night it is banning Trump — the leader of the free world — from its platform permanently. The Chinese communist government is still allowed to use Twitter, as is Iran’s ayatollah. Meanwhile, Biden compared U.S. senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) to Nazis.”

Glen Beck and Nazi Germany

The Huffington Post wrote on January 13:

“Right-wing talk show host Glenn Beck drew condemnation after he compared social media companies’ crackdown on President Donald Trump to the ghettoization of Jews in Nazi Germany. ‘You can’t have freedom of speech if you can’t … express yourself in a meaningful place,’ Beck said… claiming censorship was ‘absolutely un-American’ whether carried out by people on the left or the right… ‘Well, this is the digital ghetto…’”

Recently, in commenting on current events in the USA, more and more comparisons with Nazis and Nazi Germany have been drawn. Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke of the “Reichskristallnacht,” when Jewish stores were destroyed by Nazis, comparing it with the mob invading the Capitol. On the other hand, Fox News host Jeanine Pirro compared the social media ban to the “Kristallnacht.” Politicians call their colleagues Nazis when they don’t agree with their viewpoint. However, all these comparisons are not helpful, when it is not being recognized who the Nazis in Germany were. Nazi is a short form for National Socialism, as it was practiced in Germany under Hitler. Most do not seem to recognize what Hitler stood for. 

Ron Paul Takes on Big Tech and US Governments

Ron Paul wrote on January 11 in his weekly column:

“Last week’s massive social media purges – starting with President Trump’s permanent ban from Twitter and other outlets – was shocking and chilling, particularly to those of us who value free expression and the free exchange of ideas. The justifications given for the silencing of wide swaths of public opinion made no sense and the process was anything but transparent. Nowhere in President Trump’s two ‘offending’ Tweets, for example, was a call for violence expressed explicitly or implicitly. It was a classic example of sentence first, verdict later.

“Many Americans viewed this assault on social media accounts as a liberal or Democrat attack on conservatives and Republicans, but they are missing the point…. This is a wider assault on any opinion that veers from the acceptable parameters of the mainstream elite, which is made up of both Democrats and Republicans. Yes, this is partly an attempt to erase the Trump movement from the pages of history, but it is also an attempt to silence any criticism of the emerging political consensus in the coming Biden era that may come from progressive or antiwar circles…

“Those who continue to argue that the social media companies are purely private ventures acting independent of US government interests are ignoring reality… ‘Big Tech’ long ago partnered with the Obama/Biden/Clinton State Department to lend their tools to US ‘soft power’ goals overseas. Whether it was ongoing regime change attempts against Iran, the 2009 coup in Honduras, the disastrous US-led coup in Ukraine, ‘Arab Spring,’ the destruction of Syria and Libya, and so many more, the big US tech firms were happy to partner up with the State Department and US intelligence to provide the tools to empower those the US wanted to seize power and to silence those out of favor.

“In short, US government elites have been partnering with ‘Big Tech’ overseas for years to decide who has the right to speak and who must be silenced… Even pro-free speech alternative social media outlets are under attack from the Big Tech/government Leviathan…”

Big Tech’s reaction was prompt and swift. Notice the next articles.

Facebook Blocks Ron Paul

Breitbart wrote on January 12:

“Facebook on Monday blocked former Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) from managing his own Facebook page… Paul tweeted, ‘With no explanation other than “repeatedly going against our community standards,” Facebook has blocked me from managing my page. Never have we received notice of violating community standards in the past and nowhere is the offending post identified.’… Facebook’s message to Paul did not include any specific information identifying what content was violative of its ‘community standards’ or how. The Facebook employee(s) who decided to restrict Paul’s access to his page was not identified.

“Facebook’s restriction of Paul’s access to its platform is the latest example of a broader pattern of left-wing censorship driven by Big Tech. Kelley Paul, wife of Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), highlighted Twitter’s arbitrary application of its own nebulous terms of service on Sunday when she criticized the left-wing digital platform for not removing threats against her husband. ‘Hey @jack, remember how for the last three years you have allowed thousands of hateful tweets celebrating my husband’s assault and encouraging more violence against him? I do,’ wrote Paul’s wife in a tweet.”

On January 12, 2021, JonathanTurley.org wrote the following:

“Paul, a libertarian leader and former presidential candidate, has been an outspoken critic of foreign wars and an advocate for civil liberties for decades… His son is Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) tweeted, ‘Facebook now considers advocating for liberty to be sedition. Where will it end?’

“Even before the riot, Democrats were calling for blacklists and retaliation against anyone deemed to be ‘complicit’ with the Trump Administration. We have been discussing the rising threats against Trump supporters, lawyers, and officials in recent weeks… After the riots, the big tech companies moved to ban and block sites and individuals, including Parler which is the primary alternative to Twitter…

“The riots are being used as a license to roll back on free speech and retaliate against conservatives. In the meantime, the silence of academics and many in the media is deafening. Many of those who have spoken for years about the dark period of McCarthyism and blacklisting are either supporting this censorship or remaining silent in the face of it…

“The move against Paul… shows how raw and comprehensive this crackdown has become. It shows how the threat to free speech has changed. It is like having a state media without state control… The riot was immediately taken as a green light to move against a huge variety of sites and individuals. As we have seen in Europe, such censorship becomes an insatiable appetite for greater and greater speech control… Yet, most law professors and media figures in the United States remain silent.”

Spahn to Be Next German Chancellor?

Reuters reported on January 13:

“German Health Minister Jens Spahn is considering putting himself forward to stand as chancellor for Angela Merkel’s conservative bloc in a September federal election, top-selling Bild daily reported on Friday. Merkel has said she will not run for a fifth term in the election and her Christian Democrats (CDU) are to pick a new leader next week. The winner would be a favourite to stand as chancellor but someone else could stand, not least because the CDU’s Bavarian sister party has to back the candidate.

Citing party sources, Bild said Spahn, who has been in the spotlight during the coronavirus pandemic, had discussed his future role with various influential CDU politicians in the last few weeks. A chairman of a CDU state association told the paper that Spahn was ‘very openly thinking about running and is saying so quite clearly in talks’.

“In addition, a CDU state parliamentary party leader told Bild: ‘Jens Spahn has made it clear to me that he is open to running for chancellor if his poll ratings in March are much better than (Armin) Laschet’s.’ Laschet is one of the candidates vying for the CDU leadership, to be decided at a Jan. 15-16 conference. Spahn, 40, has backed Laschet for that job. He faces long-time Merkel rival Friedrich Merz and foreign policy expert Norbert Roettgen.

“Spahn was a fierce critic of Merkel’s 2015 open-door migrant policy and lost a CDU leadership election in 2018. He won respect for Germany’s handling of the first coronavirus wave but is now facing some criticism for a slow vaccine rollout.”d

Francis Grants More Rights to Women

The Associated Press wrote on January 11:

“Pope Francis changed church law Monday to explicitly allow women to do more things during Mass, granting them access to the most sacred place on the altar, while continuing to affirm that they cannot be priests. Francis amended the law to formalize and institutionalize what is common practice in many parts of the world: Women can be installed as lectors, to read Scripture, and serve on the altar as eucharistic ministers. Previously, such roles were officially reserved to men even though exceptions were made. Francis said he was making the change to increase recognition of the ‘precious contribution’ women make in the church, while emphasizing that all baptized Catholics have a role to play in the church’s mission…

“The change comes as Francis remains under pressure to allow women to be deacons — ministers who perform many of the same functions as priests, such as presiding at weddings, baptisms and funerals. Currently, the ministry is reserved for men… Francis has created a second commission of experts to study whether women could be deacons… Advocates for expanding the diaconate to include women say doing so would give women greater say in the ministry and governance of the church, while also helping address priest shortages in several parts of the world. Opponents say allowing it would become a slippery slope toward ordaining women to the priesthood.”

Francis: Suicidal Denial

AFP wrote on January 9:

“Pope Francis has called opposition to the coronavirus vaccine ‘suicidal denial’ urging people to get the jab and saying he would get vaccinated himself next week. ‘Next week, we will start to do it here (in the Vatican) and I made an appointment, we must do it,’ he told Canale 5 in segments released on Saturday from an interview set to be broadcast the next day. ‘There is a suicidal denial which I cannot explain, but today we have to get vaccinated,’ the pontiff said.”

Catholic-Lutheran Reconciliation

Life Site News wrote on January 7:

“The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) and the Lutheran World Foundation (LWF) have released an updated version of their joint document on justification to mark the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s excommunication from the Catholic Church.

“Bishop Farrell… described it: ‘we do have the same doctrine and it basically says this: “together, we Lutherans and Catholics, confess that by grace alone in faith in Christ’s saving work, and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit who renews our hearts and makes us capable of doing good work.’”

“The new translation and increased ecumenical ties, come as the latest steps in an increasing number of actions undertaken by Pope Francis, in order to align the Catholic Church with the Lutherans. Then in January of 2020, Lutheran Evangelical Reverend Michael Jonas stated that in a private audience, Pope Francis had ‘stressed’ how ‘Catholics and Protestants are very close to one another in what they do in their public worship.’”

“A Week into Brexit, the Pain for UK Businesses Has Arrived”

The New York Times wrote on January 9:

“Britain started 2021 in a new relationship with its biggest trade partner, and it has immediately brought a litany of headaches and lost business. Within a week, implications of the Brexit trade deal with the European Union are being felt by businesses up and down the country as food deliveries are delayed for not having the right customs paperwork, logistics companies halt the shipment of goods, and retailers discover their supply chains might be obsolete…

“[On Monday,] The first day of financial trading under the new agreement meant the stock of European companies could no longer be traded on the London-based platforms they have historically been exchanged on. The trades have migrated to trading platforms in cities including Amsterdam and Paris… [On Tuesday] The British retailer Marks & Spencer had trouble getting its fresh salads and other prepared foods across the English Channel to its stores in France… [On Wednesday] The governor of the Bank of England, Britain’s central bank, told a parliamentary committee that the Brexit deal would cost the British economy about 2 percent of gross domestic product over the next few years. Part of that expense, said Andrew Bailey, the governor, would be caused by additional paperwork for customs declarations and other expenses of trade…

“[On Thursday] Scottish salmon farmers, who take pride in getting their fillets from sea to French markets within 24 hours, reported delays in their sleek process under the new Brexit terms. The deal’s ‘new, complex’ trading rules had caused holdups as seafood companies struggled  with the paperwork, the trade group Scotland Food and Drink said. ‘We have warned for months about the lack of preparation time for everyone involved and these problems sadly come as little surprise,’ said the head of the group.

“[On Friday] The large European delivery company DPD, which moved more than one billion parcels around the world in 2019, said it would stop sending packages from Britain to the European Union until at least the middle of next week as it tried to figure out new cross-border systems.

“For many businesses, this is what Brexit has quickly become: a logistical, regulatory and administrative burden for which they were unprepared. It will only add to the malaise in Britain, where the coronavirus pandemic is raging… and the country is under its third national lockdown. And analysts say the economy is heading for a double-dip recession…

“On Friday, DFDS, a large Danish logistics company that runs ferries from the English port of Dover to France, said a ‘high volume’ of trucks were being refused or delayed for not having the correct paperwork… DPD, the parcel delivery company, said it paused service to the European Union after up to 20 percent of parcels it handled had incorrect or incomplete data, and so would need to be returned to the sender…

“Many U.K. businesses — at least 150,000, according to data from Britain’s tax agency — have never traded beyond the European Union, and so have no experience dealing with the customs systems…

“Another new problem faced by large retailers with international locations: ‘Rules-of-origin requirements,’ which determine whether a product leaving Britain is ‘British enough’ to qualify for tariff-free trade with the European Union. International retailers who use sites in Britain as distribution centers are now finding that they can’t automatically re-export their products to their stores in the European Union without facing tariffs — even if the product came from the bloc…

“So far, there are few immediate tangible benefits of Brexit for businesses… it will be hard to realize any substantial short-term gains from Britain’s new trading arrangement with the European Union, especially since the pandemic continues to take a toll on the economy. Last year, the British economy experienced its deepest recession in more than 300 years, and the lockdowns continue as vaccines are slowly rolled out.”

Food Supplies at Risk

msn.com wrote on January 13:

Two weeks after New Year celebrations from government that marked the end of the Brexit transition period, bosses of the U.K.’s largest supermarkets are warning of “significant disruption” to food supplies in the coming months because of post-Brexit border arrangements on the island of Ireland.

Already, some products are running short in Northern Ireland as shops come up against new post-Brexit rules for importing food products from Great Britain across the Irish Sea. The chief executives of Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Iceland, Co-Op and Marks & Spencer have written to Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove warning that “urgent intervention” is needed to prevent supermarkets running out of food. They said that if further new certification requirements are introduced in April the system will become “unworkable”.

Since December 31, as part of the Brexit deal, a customs border was imposed in the Irish Sea to allow Northern Ireland to remain a part of the European Union’s (EU’s) single market for goods while the rest of the U.K. left. This means that food products moving from England, Scotland and Wales into Northern Ireland are subject to extra controls and checks at ports.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

In the first part in this series, we discussed and reviewed what hyperbole is and what its uses are in the Bible.

When it comes to Scripture, we have many examples which we will now review.

2 Samuel 1:23:

“Saul and Jonathan were beloved and pleasant in their lives, And in their death they were not divided; They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions.”

The National Eagle Centre states that “Eagles can achieve 30 mph using powerful wing-beats and even faster when diving after prey (stoop). Bald eagles can dive at up to 100 mph; golden eagles at up to 150 mph.   However, “The fastest recorded human sprinter ever is Usain Bolt. At the World Championship in Berlin in 2009, he hit 27.78 miles per hour between meters 60 and 80 during the 100-meter sprint. Over the full 100 meters, he averaged 23.35 miles per hour, finishing in 9.58 seconds and setting a new world record.”

Obviously, there is no comparison between the speed that a man can run and an eagle can fly.   In addition, we read in Proverbs 30:30: “A lion, which is mighty among beasts And does not turn away from any.”

In Matthew Poole’s English Annotations on the Holy Bible, they explain as follows: “Swifter than eagles; expeditious and nimble in pursuing their enemies, and executing their designs; which is a great commendation in a prince and in a soldier. Stronger than lions, in regard of their bodily strength and the courage of their minds.”

Joseph Benson’s Commentary of the Old and New Testaments observes: “According to Agur’s observation, Proverbs 30:30, the lion never betakes himself to flight, but faces his foe to the last. Courage then seems the most remarkable property of the lion. And since David uses the same word here in speaking of Saul and Jonathan which Agur uses in speaking of this property of the lion, he evidently means to celebrate the courage of his heroes rather than their strength; and to say that, in facing the enemy and braving of danger, they were undaunted as lions.”

It is very clear that hyperbole was used in this verse to make or reinforce a point and to catch the reader’s attention.

Deuteronomy 1:28:

“Where can we go up? Our brethren have discouraged our hearts, saying, ‘The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.’’’

This was making the point that, in human terms, the walls were very high.   In the previous Q&A – “Doesn’t Psalm 139:8 show that we either go to heaven or hell at death?” we answer this question and refer to another Q&A that we have produced showing that the Bible speaks of three heavens.  The first two heavens — the physical heavens — can be divided into the earth’s atmosphere and the space beyond our atmosphere — commonly called the universe plus a heaven composed of spirit — the third heaven, where God lives.   Therefore, in Deuteronomy 1:28, this could only apply to the first heaven as the other two are way beyond the first heaven and any wall could be fortified only up to a certain level.

In Wikipedia, we read “The world’s tallest artificial structure is the 829.8-metre-tall (2,722 ft) Burj Khalifa in Dubai (of the United Arab Emirates). The building gained the official title of “tallest building in the world” and the tallest self-supported structure at its opening on January 9, 2010.”   As modern building techniques have improved exponentially in recent times, even this building in Dubai hardly makes a mark in the first heaven and the “walled cities of the Anakim” would have been substantially smaller than the current tallest structure in the world.

Again, hyperbole is used in this verse to make the point that, except for Caleb and Joshua, the other ten men returned from the land that God had wanted to give Israel and were terrified by the inhabitants and made out that the walled cities were fortified up to heaven to support their case.   God was not pleased by their words and actions and they were not allowed to enter the Promised Land.   Hyperbole in this case simply didn’t work!

Judges 20:16:

“Among all this people were seven hundred select men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair’s breadth and not miss.”

Matthew Poole’s Commentary opines as follows:

“Left-handed, Heb. shut up on their right hand, i.e. using their left hand instead of their right.

“Every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss; an hyperbolical expression, signifying that they could do this with great exactness. There are many parallel instances in historians of persons that could throw stones or shoot arrows with great certainty, so as seldom or never to miss; of which see my Latin Synopsis.”

Job 29:6:

“When my steps were bathed with cream, And the rock poured out rivers of oil for me!”

Gill’s Exposition of the Whole Bible states:

“…and the rock poured me out rivers of oil; another hyperbolical expression, like that in Deuteronomy 32:13, where honey is said to be sucked out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock; as honey may be got out of a rock, because bees may make their nests and hives there, where it is laid up by them; so oil, in like manner, may be had from the flinty rock, olive trees growing on hills, mountains, and rocks, which yield oil in great abundance; near Jerusalem was a mount called Olivet, from thence: the land of Edom, or Idumea, where abounded with cragged mountains and rocks; and there might be in Job’s estate such on which olive trees grew in great plenty, as to produce vast quantities of oil.”

2 Chronicles 1:15:

“Also the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland.”

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible – Unabridged

“The king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones – in addition to the large amount of treasure collected and bequeathed to him by his father David. The great source of Solomon’s immense wealth undoubtedly lay in his trading speculations. For, as a monarch, he possessed advantages and enjoyed facilities for ending into trade, infinitely superior to any of his subjects. His vessels traded to distant shores, and returned laden with the gold and the treasures of every land. The multiplication of gold and silver was prohibited to the theocratic king as well as that of horses (Deuteronomy 17:16-17).”

E.W. Bullinger’s Companion Bible Notes

“as stones . . . as the sycamore trees. Figure of speech Hyperbole.”

Matthew 5:29-30:

^“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.”

The right eye was generally regarded as the better one, just as the “right hand” is the stronger one for the majority of people. To gouge it out is a graphic hyperbolic equivalent of the apostle Paul’s exhortation to “put to death the misdeeds of the body” (Romans 8:13) or to “mortify (kill) therefore your members …” (Colossians 3:5). Either way, the idea is to refrain from using those faculties or abilities for sin.

This is not meant to be literally applied; it is hyperbole to forcibly make the point that we should do everything possible to make sure we enter the Kingdom of God and such expressive language is used to get our attention!

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible explains:

“Pluck it out … – It cannot be supposed that Christ intended this to be taken literally. His design was to teach that the dearest objects, if they cause us to sin, are to be abandoned; that by all sacrifices and self-denials we must overcome the evil propensities of our nature, and resist our wanton imaginations. Some of the fathers, however, took this commandment literally. Our Saviour several times repeated this sentiment.”

Matthew 7:1-3:

“Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?”

The Benson Commentary states that “The word here rendered mote, according to Hesychius, may signify a little splinter of wood. This, and the beam, its opposite, were proverbially used by the Jews to denote, the one, small infirmities, the other, gross, palpable faults.”

The Expositor’s Greek Testament makes these interesting comments:  “A beam in the eye is a natural impossibility; cf. the camel and the needle eye. This is a case of tu quoque (a retort accusing an accuser of a similar offense or similar behaviour) or rather of “thou much more”. The faults may be of the same kind: a petty theft, commercial dishonesty on a large scale—“thou that judgest doest the same things” (Romans 2:2); or of a different sort: moral laxity in the publican, pride and inhumanity in the Pharisee who despised him (Luke 18:9-14).— the contrast is not between seeing and failing to see, but between seeing and not choosing to see; ignoring, consciously overlooking. The censorious man is not necessarily ignorant of his own faults, but he does not let his mind rest on them. It is more pleasant to think of other people’s faults.”

The hyperbole used by beam in the eye is, as stated above, a physical impossibility – it can be described as a long, thick piece of wood, metal, or concrete – and very little is able to get in the eye because of its small size.  However, by mentioning a beam it brings an extravagant and exaggerated mental vision that can resonate and remain with the reader denoting, in vivid terms, the much greater fault which we overlook in ourselves.

(To be continued)

Lead writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

A Tech Team meeting was conducted on Sunday, January 10, 2021, via SKYPE. Hosted by Eric Rank, we discussed topics covering Internet providers; transmission of Sabbath services; and possible dates for the Ministerial Conference for 2021. In this regard, it appears that we will have to conduct the Conference around the time of Pentecost—due to restrictions in travel and the status of the COVID-19 virus.

“Die Narren und die Toren” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Michael Link. Title in English: “The Fools and the Foolish.”

“Die Frucht Freude,” is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Christoph Sperzel. Title in English: “The Fruit of Joy.”

“And on His Shoulders,” the split sermon presented last Sabbath by Frank Bruno, is now posted. Here is a summary:

That the world is a troubled place is a vast understatement. The condition of many of our major cities is an indication of the failed leadership by human-kind that is now deaf to the Word of God and His Son. People worry about climate change as being irreversible, but never give a thought to the foundation and future of a nation that at one time espoused obedience to God as a primary tenet. The Bible holds the keys to the future of a government and a kingdom that will never end, and whose goodness will be boundless and endless as well. Together in this split-sermon we will refresh our understanding of the promises that God and His Son, Jesus Christ, have laid out in the scriptures for us to read, comprehend and pray for.

“The Comfort of Backsliding,” the split sermon presented last Sabbath by Robb Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We are warned throughout the Bible of the perils of rejecting God and returning to our carnality.  This is an attitude that leads to destruction, yet it is an action many who have once professed God follow after.  Our hands must stay firmly gripped on that proverbial plow if we have any hope of weathering the end of days.