On July 25, 2020, Dave Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “Still the Same Day!” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “Future, Fear, Focus, Faith.”

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

In this generation there is unrelenting pressure to conform to ways of thinking and acting which are absolutely wrong—ultimately, even deadly.

Step back and think about the sad and broken state of families. Once upon a time men and women married, stayed married and raised their children. Now, just living together makes what should be binding relationships nothing more than a temporary and disposable arrangement for the moment. This used to be called fornication, and, before God, it still is!

A direct outcome of this has led to killing of the unborn by people who just don’t want the “bother” of children. This wholesale slaughter of human life is supported by nations all over the earth through laws making abortion legal. This is still murder in the eyes of God!

Beyond the prevalence of divorce, family structure itself is under assault as marriage has been redefined. The vile behavior of perverted people now finds acceptance as being normal. However, God’s judgment is that “those who practice such things are deserving of death” (Romans 1:32).

Does anyone resist anything that is wrong? The standard has become to go along to get along. Thoughtless acceptance and even blind obedience define ever-growing elements of society. There is a reason. For, “even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting” (Romans 1:28).

It might seem that there is nothing we can do, but there is! We can resist—personally, in our family life and in our obedience to God. Very few will do this. They are called the elect by Jesus (Matthew 24:22), and because of them, life on this planet will be saved!

If we are to be numbered among the elect, then we must resist all that is evil and do only what God commands of us:

“‘Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction’” (Malachi 4:4-6 English Standard Version).

by Norbert Link

We begin with interesting developments in Europe, identifying the leading nations on the continent as well as those countries that will possibly not fulfill a major role in the final European constellation and revival of the ancient Roman Empire. In this context, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Germany’s Dangerous Lead of Europe.” We also address serious threats from China and the ensuing confrontation between China and the West.

We focus on America’s potential role pertaining to Israel’s annexation of the West Bank and other areas; and the ongoing violent protests and other ridiculous developments regarding the attack on American culture and the “offensive” labels of products.   

We warn of the coming prophesied destruction of the US economy; the explosive nature of anticipated further lockdowns; the controversial and highly disputed “need” or wisdom to close schools in the fall; inconsistent medical “advice” as to the effectiveness of wearing masks; and the sometimes overlooked “curse of travel bans.”

We publish a report about developments in Australia and conclude with eye-opening excerpts from an interview with former national security advisor John Bolton regarding Trump’s rocky relationship with Germany.

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

The New European Trio?

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 17:

“The leaders of France, Italy and Germany urged ‘all foreign actors’ to stop interfering in Libya and to respect the UN arms embargo on the country. The trio hinted at sanctions as a way to enforce their position. Libya faces a ‘heightened risk of regional escalation,’ said German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in a joint statement on Saturday…

“‘We are ready to consider the possible use of sanctions should breaches to the embargo at sea, on land or in the air continue,’ the leaders said in the statement… [It] marks a change in tone from Paris, Berlin and Rome. International observers worry that Libya fighting could escalate to the level of the Syrian civil war, with various regional players waging proxy wars through their factions on the ground.  Last month, German diplomacy veteran Wolfgang Ischinger said the EU should ‘threaten military intervention’ in Libya.”

Germany, Italy and France are becoming more and more the leading nations in an evolving prophesied core-Europe of ten nations or groups of nations. Note the next article as well.

Northern EU Countries (and Austria) vs. Germany, France (and Italy)

MSN wrote on Sunday, July 19:

“European Union leaders failed to unlock an agreement on a 750 billion-euro ($860 billion) response to the coronavirus pandemic after a second day of sparring in Brussels… A crucial late-night meeting including Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Germany’s Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron of France ended abruptly in a dispute over how much of the package should be disbursed as grants and how much as loans.

“Germany and France are insisting that at least 400 billion euros should be handouts and Rutte and four other fiscal hawks from northern Europe are pushing for a much lower figure… ‘Europe is being blackmailed’ by the hawks, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said in a statement released by his office. Italy may suggest the possibility of seeking an accord of just 26 nations, leaving out the Netherlands, which are at the forefront of opposition to the plan… [Most other EU countries, including Spain, but excluding the “hawks,” support the plan.]

“Rutte and his allies from Austria, Denmark and Sweden [as well as Finland] are trying to water down the handouts that the highly indebted South sees as critical for shoring up its finances…”

In addition to Austria (which is becoming more and more an antagonist to Germany and other leading European nations), the “four hawks” are, interestingly enough, all nations which are descendants of the ancient house of Israel.

The Guardian wrote on July 20:

“The Brussels summit… had been notably bad-tempered from day one. As tempers flared on Sunday night, Macron even accused Kurz of having a ‘bad attitude’ and not caring about the views of others after he had left the negotiating room to take a call. Asked to respond to Macron’s criticisms of his approach, Kurz said: ‘It’s understandable that some people, when they don’t get much sleep, have their nerves on edge…’”

Finally, a Deal was reached, but…

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 21:

“EU leaders agreed early Tuesday to an unprecedented €1.8 trillion ($2 trillion) aid and budget deal aimed at helping hard-hit bloc members recover from the economic fallout of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The package includes a €750-billion fund to be sent as loans and grants, as well as a seven-year €1 trillion EU budget.

“European Council President Charles Michel tweeted a brief message minutes after leaders adopted the plan: ‘Deal!’ ‘We did it. Europe is strong, Europe is united. This is a good deal, this is a strong deal and most importantly this is the right deal for Europe right now,’ Michel said. ‘I believe this agreement will be seen as a pivotal moment for Europe’s journey.’

“The breakthrough comes after more than four days of wrangling, with talks often stretching into the early hours. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen thanked German Chancellor Angela Merkel for ‘steering’ negotiations towards a European solution… Merkel described the agreement as an ‘important signal,’ and said she was ‘very relieved’ that EU leaders were able to cooperate. It was good ‘that we pulled ourselves together in the end,’ she said.

“That sentiment was echoed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who called it a ‘historic day for Europe… There is no such thing as a perfect world, but we have made progress,’ said Macron.

“However, the European Parliament will still have to agree to the package… DW correspondent Marina Strauss said the deal had taken so long because the positions of each side had been so far apart, but that the result was monumental…

“The package includes the biggest-ever joint borrowing by the 27 members of the bloc, and an initiative to send tens of billions of euros to countries hardest hit by the virus — most notably heavily indebted Spain and Italy, which had both called for major financial assistance from the EU. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hailed ‘a Marshall Plan for Europe,’ that would see €140 billion sent to Spain over the next six years.

“Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said that Italy was ‘satisfied’ with the results of the plan, which would see 28% of the total funds, or €209 billion directed towards Italy. That figure includes €81 billion in grants and €127 billion in loans… Greece will also receive €72 billion under the plan, in a move that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called a ‘national success.’…

“To meet the concerns of the so-called frugal four — the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark and Sweden — which see Italy and Spain as being too lax with public spending, the assistance includes a number of conditions and major strings attached…

“Negotiations were bogged down by major disagreements concerning grants, loans and whether economic and financial reforms should dictate access to the funds. The 27 member states had been largely divided into two camps. Germany and France spearheaded efforts to collectivize debt in order to raise much-needed funds for countries such as Italy and Spain, which bore the brunt of the pandemic in the EU.

“In the other camp, the frugal four, together with Finland had called for a strings-attached approach that would have made access to funds conditional on tough market reforms. That camp also support stringent measures that would have blocked funding for countries that did not adhere to EU rules on the rule of law.

“That could have jeopardized funding for countries such as Hungary and Poland who are the target of a European Commission investigation over rule of law violations.”

However, the real nature and underlying importance of this “deal” is described in the next article.

“They Lied”

Express wrote on July 22:

“EU leaders have betrayed their citizens with a coronavirus rescue package which commits countries in the north of the bloc to put their hands in their pockets to bail out those in the south, a former MEP has said, on the day the European Council signed off on the controversial deal. Hans-Olaf Henkel said the move broke historic promises made by European giants like Helmut Kohl and Gerhard Schroder and claimed the justification for the measures was a ‘poor camouflage’ for the real intention – to create a United States of Europe…

“Mr Henkel told Express.co.uk: ‘I also regard this agreement as ‘historic’ but in a different way as pronounced by Merkel, Michel and von der Leyen…  ‘These grants are… a blatant violation of all promises made before: “Never ever would the membership in the EU or of euro currency force Germans to subsidise others!”… This promise made by Chancellors Kohl, Schroder and even Merkel was broken last night – by Merkel!… These gigantic debts… depend on the introduction of a new EU taxation system, a decision previously always blocked by Great Britain and for instance Germany.

“From now on, not only cities, regions and countries will tax EU citizens and EU companies, also Brussels will! The package’s justification being ‘Corona’ and ‘Solidarity’ is a poor camouflage of the true intent: to use the current corona crisis to move the EU ever closer to the United States of Europe under a socialist-green flag.’”

Ultimately, it will be an authoritarian dictatorial USE… with whatever label it may be described. But we should not forget that the Third Reich was ruled by NAZIS–national-socialist dictators.

Germany Wants a Strong Europe and Alliance with Russia against USA

Modern Diplomacy wrote on July 22:

“Germany’s presidency in the European Union, which began on July 1^st, may stimulate the EU into re-evaluating its role in world affairs and could encourage it to streamline relations with Russia. The key factor contributing to this is the traditionally productive trade, economic and energy cooperation between Moscow and Berlin, and the recent move towards a deterioration of Germany-US relations, a trend which is set to intensify as the November presidential elections in the US draw nearer. The two priorities pursued by incumbent President Donald Trump are the policy of protectionism and an aggressive promotion of his country’s financial and economic interests throughout the world…Both trends are at odds with Germany’s agenda…

“Germany’s Ambassador to Russia Geza Andreas von Geyr [said a few days ago that] Berlin is pursuing a whole range of priorities, including the strengthening of relations between the European Union and Russia… [It] will require the German leadership to take more action, both in defending the interests of ‘united Europe’, and in searching for diplomatic solutions to regional and global crises. In pursuit of this agenda, Berlin may face its key opponent – Washington. Not accidentally, the motto of German presidency in the EU is formulated in the spirit of Donald Trump’s election slogan: ‘Together we will make Europe strong again’. But it is the United States that is not interested in strong Europe, since it will limit the opportunities for the expansion of American products, capitals and interests.

“In the near future the EU can be expected to recreate the French-German alliance… Germany’s ability to succeed in addressing its agenda will depend on its readiness to become a kind of a ‘bridge’ between the East and the West. One of the factors that could signal such readiness is the completion of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project… Germany’s ruling circles are confident that the ‘construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea will be completed despite the US sanctions’. However, the intensifying pressure from the United States will require Germany to demonstrate yet more stamina in defending both national and common European interests.”

Von der Leyen has declared that US sanctions regarding the pipeline violate international law.

The Threat from China

The Sydney Morning Herald wrote on July 18:

“China is now engaged in simultaneous diplomatic, military and trade disputes across Europe, Asia, America and Australia. At the centre of all these disputes is a China with territorial, technological and economic ambitions that are starting to match the size of its population and the weight of its history…

“In one 48-hour period this week, Beijing traded tit-for-tat sanctions with Washington, slammed primaries held by Hong Kong pro-democracy parties as illegal, accused Britain of being a US lackey for banning its flagship telecommunications provider Huawei, confronted the economic fallout from a border dispute with India and warned its citizens they could have their property seized in Australia as diplomatic relations between the two countries evaporate…

“Germany has taken a keen interest in Australia’s fraying diplomatic relationship with Beijing… as Europe hardens its position on China in response to its crackdown on Hong Kong, the historically liberal territory that for more than a century functioned as a conduit between East and West. Berlin, which has long maintained a China principle of ‘change through trade’ is now leading calls for the European Union to ‘take a strong stand’…

“Xu Xiaonian, an honorary professor at the China Europe International Business School,… doesn’t agree that confrontation… is inevitable… ‘In history we have a precedent. Germany under Otto von Bismarck successfully avoided confrontation with France and the UK. Why today we cannot do that?’ This is true but the analogy has a problem. Germany’s first chancellor also annexed Alsace-Lorraine. Two decades after his reign the world would be at war.”

The Bible shows that in the not-too-distant future, kings from the East, including nations such as Russia and China, will be involved in a nuclear war with Europe under German leadership.

Breaking with China

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 20:

“The United Kingdom has suspended its extradition treaty ‘immediately and indefinitely’ with Hong Kong… The move makes the UK the fourth country after Canada, Australia and the United States to suspend its extradition agreement with the partly autonomous Chinese city…

“Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Monday the UK was heading down the ‘wrong path’ and urged London to ‘avoid further damage to China-UK relations.’ Last week, Johnson ordered that Huawei technology be purged completely from the UK’s 5G network… The UK also announced last month it would open a special route to citizenship for up to 3 million eligible Hong Kong residents, a move Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming has described as a ‘gross interference’ in Chinese affairs.”

As the BBC explains on July 20:

“The extradition treaty means that, if someone in Hong Kong is suspected of a crime in the UK, then the British authorities can ask Hong Kong to hand them over to face justice – and vice versa. The UK fears the arrangement – which has been in place for more than 30 years – could see anyone it extradites to Hong Kong being sent on to China.”

In light of China’s dictatorial measures and habit of suppressing and persecuting minorities and opponents of the regime, that concern is surely well-founded.

British Army Could Be Wiped out in One Afternoon

Express wrote on July 23:

“RUSSIA could have wiped out the British Army’s only fighting unit in one afternoon, a shock report revealed after experts found the UK could have only deployed 5,000 to 10,000 war-ready troops.

“Research by the Royal United Services Institute [in 2019] found that the [British] Army, as well as Nato allies, had a ‘critical shortage’ of artillery and ammunition. It concluded that it could not maintain a credible defence position… It added that Britain is ‘comprehensively outgunned and outranged’, leaving enemy artillery free to defeat UK units.

“The UK and other NATO forces not only have a limited number of artillery pieces, but also a shortage of munitions stockpiles and transportation… In response, the MoD said: ‘The UK does not stand alone but alongside its NATO allies, who work closely together across air, sea, land, nuclear and cyber to deter threats and respond to crises.’”

But what happens when Britain or the UK will stand alone… as prophesied?

USA Prepares for Military Confrontation with China

Breaking Israel News wrote on July 22:

“Washington is deploying its military forces throughout Asia for a potential confrontation with China. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said… that Washington would continue sending Navy ships into the region to challenge China’s expansionary policies. It should be noted that the U.S. has now officially rejected China’s claims of sovereignty in most of the South China Sea.

“Esper added that the US would continue selling arms to Taiwan so that it can defend itself against an increasingly belligerent China. Esper noted that based on China’s actions in Hong Kong, Taiwan has no reason to believe that Beijing will honor its commitments vis-a-vis the defunct ‘one country, two systems’ model. He then reaffirmed his country’s commitment to executing freedom of navigation exercises in both the Taiwan Strait as well as the South China Sea.”

Deutsche Welle reported on July 22 that “China condemned an order to close it[s] consulate in the US city of Houston as a ‘political provocation’ that will make diplomatic relations worse. Beijing has threatened retaliation for the surprise decision.”

Contrary to popular belief in Christian and Jewish circles, the Bible does not prophecy a major military confrontation between China and the USA, prior to Christ’s return. As mentioned above, the Bible DOES prophesy a major NUCLEAR war between China and Europe.

God Unhappy with America?

The Times of Israel wrote on July 17:

“Mike Evans, the evangelical writer… [with more] than 73 million followers [on Facebook], stated: ‘… people are terrified right now, that God is not happy with America… They’re looking at the riots, they’re looking at the plague of corona, and they’re worried, “Is God unhappy, is he cursing us?” They’re not sure, and they want God to bless them.’”

Americans are deeply concerned, and they should be. It is clear that God is NOT blessing this country right now. Mike Evans had another interesting take on America’s future role in the Middle East. Note the next article.

Annexation Resurrection?

JTA wrote on July 16:

“When I spoke to Mike Evans… he offered a bold prediction… ‘Before the election, I think President Trump’s going to come out and declare sovereignty over all of Judea and Samaria, and the Jordan Valley and declare that the Bible is not illegal,’ Evans told me.

“… the Trump administration has gone quiet on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s push to annex just parts of the West Bank. But Evans said Trump would go one better and say that the United States would recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the entire West Bank… Evans said, the president would learn that evangelicals needed annexation to get them to turn out in the numbers Trump needs to defeat Joe Biden in November.”

And he will defeat Biden. Will he then also begin to actively support the anticipated building of the third temple in Jerusalem, on the Temple Mount?

Sending “Federal Troops” to Major Cities?

The Hill wrote on July 20:

“President Trump on Monday signaled he may order federal agents to be deployed to Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia and other major cities as he threatens to crack down further on unrest across the country…

“Trump cited heightened violence in Chicago and New York City, in particular, both of which have seen a rise in shootings in recent weeks. In the latter’s case, he blamed city and state officials for restricting police from taking a stronger response. ‘I’m going to do something – that, I can tell you,’ Trump said. ‘Because we’re not going to let New York and Chicago and Philadelphia and Detroit and Baltimore and all of these – Oakland is a mess. We’re not going to let this happen in our country…’

“Trump has for weeks threatened federal intervention in major cities as protests against police brutality and racial inequality persist in the wake of the death of George Floyd in late May. He has fixated in recent days on the situation in Portland, Ore., where demonstrations have continued for more than 50 days leading to the administration sending in federal law enforcement to respond.

“Democratic leaders and civil rights groups have condemned the Trump administration’s actions in Portland… Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler (D) said Sunday the presence of federal law enforcement is leading to more violence in the city and called for their removal. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) has also called for federal officers to be removed from the city and Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum (D) sued federal agencies on Friday over the detention of protesters.

“But Trump on Monday argued that federal agents in Portland had done a ‘fantastic job’ and claimed the Democratic leaders in the cities he named were unwilling to act to deter further violence. ‘The governor and the mayor and the senators out there, they’re afraid of these people,’ Trump said…”

Truth be told, violent “demonstrations” and protests were consistently occurring in Portland, Oregon, for months BEFORE any federal agents arrived there. The charge that the presence of federal agents causes or increases violence is demonstrably false.

Federally Funded Smithsonian Institution Attacks Whites, American Culture and Christianity

PJ Media wrote on July 15:

“In June, while Americans were focused on the protests and riots that engulfed U.S. cities in the wake of the horrific police killing of George Floyd, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) released an online ‘teaching tool’… The page dedicated to ‘whiteness’ includes an infographic attributing various aspects of American culture to ‘whiteness’ or ‘white dominant culture.’ Among other things, this graphic suggests that the nuclear family, science, capitalism, and the Judeo-Christian tradition are forms of oppressive ‘whiteness’ that non-white people should reject as part of an oppressive system… [It focuses especially on] the Protestant work ethic, English common law, some aspects of capitalism, and Christianity… including the nuclear family, the husband as the breadwinner, and the wife as homemaker and subordinate to the husband…

“… the Smithsonian receives about two-thirds of its $1.2 billion annual budget from taxpayers… The federally-funded institution should be defending American culture, not demonizing [it].”

What horrific nonsense. You could not make that up. And the federal government supports those institutions financially? For more absolute ridiculousness, note the next article.

Trader Joe’s Jumps on “Political Correct” Band Wagon

The San Diego Union Tribune wrote on July 20:

“Trader Joe’s has responded to criticisms about its packaging by announcing that it is in the process of eliminating labels that use ethnic-sounding names intended to be humorous. The offending products bear such labels as Trader Ming’s for foods and condiments related to Chinese cuisine, Trader José’s for Mexican-style products and Trader Giotto’s for Italian-themed items…

“The attention on Trader Joe’s comes amid a nationwide reconsideration of branding that has accompanied the Black Lives Matter movement. Land O’Lakes has removed a Native American woman from its products. Meanwhile, the images of Black men and women on product lines such as Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben’s and Mrs. Butterworth are in for a makeover, if they survive at all. The Eskimo Pie name also is becoming history…”

Words fail…

Twitter Bans Jewish Star

Breaking Israel News wrote on July 22:

“Twitter’s battle against racism led them to block accounts incorporating the Jewish star… Twitter sent messages explaining the measure: ‘We have determined that this account violated the Twitter Rules. Specifically for: Violating our rules against posting hateful imagery. You may not use hateful images or symbols in your profile image or profile header. As a result, we have locked your account.’

“Twitter instructed them that if they delete the ‘hateful imagery’, i.e. the Star of David, the account may be unlocked… One of the definitions for ‘Hateful Images’ is ‘symbols historically associated with hate groups.’”

Appalling indeed!

Twitter “Apologizes”

 JTA added on July 23:

 “Twitter acknowledged that it accidentally closed the accounts of some users for posting the Star of David… The Star of David in the profile pictures of the locked accounts ranged from artistic images to the yellow stars worn by Jews during the Holocaust… 

“Twitter stated… that using a yellow Star of David like those worn by Jews in the Holocaust in order to target Jewish people is a violation of its Hateful Conduct Policy… Twitter addressed the closed accounts this way: ‘While the majority of cases were correctly actioned, some accounts highlighted recently were mistakes and have now been restored.’”

Still VERY strange and troublesome!

Before the Explosion…?

The Week wrote on July 17:

“… there’s some worse thing looming just around the corner… [People are] oblivious to the doom about to strike… The anxiety comes from having lived through two major and massive unforeseen events taking place in quick succession over the past six months — first, the coronavirus spreading across and shutting down the world; second, the video of George Floyd’s death at the hands of the Minneapolis police sparking massive, weeks-long protests across the country and precipitating a moral revolution in American civil society.

“… many millions are now in long-term unemployment, with bankruptcies up and evictions and foreclosures bound to spike… it’s hard to see how this doesn’t start a cascade of terrible economic consequences… Opening public schools is enormously important — for the health of the economy and the well-being and future prospects of both children and their parents, most of whom need to work during the day and so can’t (and are unqualified to) step in to serve as full-time homeschooling teachers…

“What kind of social, economic, and political disruptions are we likely to see as it happens?… imagine a nation in which the ranks of the unemployed grow every week for months on end… and then the economy really starts to tank, with waves of bankruptcies and layoffs, a flood of evictions leading to a huge increase in homelessness, a bigger wave of urban crime than we’ve already seen, foreclosures that push banks to the brink and erase the equity of homeowners, and a belated stock market crash that wipes out the retirement funds of half the country.

“Tick, tick, boom. What would the explosion look like?… I spend an awful lot of time dreading it.”

Yes, America’s explosion will come… and it will be so much worse than anticipated. America’s economic ship is indeed on a collision course with a huge iceberg and en route to the abyss. There is no recovery, avoidance or escape in sight. The next article shows that many Californians are seeing this… and business owners are fed up with governmental restrictions which destroy their livelihood.

Californians Refuse to Shut Down Again

The San Diego Union Tribune wrote on July 17:

“Shawn Gilbert is not shutting down. Not again, after losing tens of thousands of dollars during the first government-mandated closure of his University Heights gym, Boulevard Fitness… Now, with 25 years under his belt in the fitness industry, he’s at his limit with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest order to shut down gyms again, barely a month after he reopened…

“He’s not alone in that decision. At least two gyms in North County remained open Thursday… these businesses and others — from salons to churches — push back against county and state regulations meant to slow the spread of COVID-19… A collection of San Diego gyms… have banded together to fight what they perceive as an unfair mandate that unreasonably singles out their businesses. Several of the gym owners have consulted the same attorney, and they plan to sue if officials try to shut them down…

“Gilbert said he was denied help from multiple lenders, not qualifying for a dime of assistance from the government-backed Payroll Protection Program loan, nor the Economic Injury Disaster Loan — two programs meant to keep small business owners alive during closures…

“Hair salons — businesses also ordered to shut down this week for the second time — are getting more vocal about their own resistance movement. A federal lawsuit was filed on behalf of hairstylists and salon owners against Newsom in May, alleging the governor had unfairly kept them closed. The lawsuit represented over 500,000 licensees via the Professional Beauty Federation of California…

“In a very public blog post, Jeremy McGarity, a pastor at Skyline Church in Rancho San Diego, explained in no uncertain terms why the church would not be complying with the state’s new mandates… In his post, McGarity said that other churches have also decided to stay open…

“‘The government has called cigarettes and alcohol essential while considering a fitness center that builds your mental health and immune system unessential,’ Gilbert said. ‘That makes zero sense to people in California.’… For example, Big 5 Sporting Goods, a national retailer, sells guns and therefore deemed itself essential. But Play It Again Sports in Pacific Beach, a small franchise business in direct competition to Big 5, had to shut down…”

Man’s governments are simply UNABLE and INCOMPETENT to deal with a crisis effectively. They only make matters far worse.

California’s Schools Remain Closed

The Hill wrote on July 17:

“80 percent of the state’s schools cannot reopen in the fall. Those counties include Orange County, where the education board just this week approved reopening without masks or social distancing.

“Masks are also required for teachers and students in third grade and above in [the 20 percent of the state’s schools that are allowed, but are not required, to] reopen… Additional requirements include physical distancing, symptom checks, hand-washing stations and increased sanitation.

“Newsom clarified that the new guidance is a ‘mandate’ for both public and private schools in the state…”

Masks and social distancing for school kids is a horrible idea which is extremely DAMAGING to the health and welfare of the children.

No Spread of Virus in Schools

Bloomberg wrote on July 18:

“Scientists behind a Nordic study have found that keeping primary schools open during the coronavirus pandemic may not have had much bearing on contagion rates. There was no measurable difference in the number of coronavirus cases among children in Sweden, where schools were left open, compared with neighboring Finland, where schools were shut, according to the findings… Sweden avoided a proper lockdown, while Finland imposed tougher social distancing.

“Indicative data show there is no difference in the overall incidence of the laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 cases in children aged 1 to 19 years in the two countries; contact tracings in primary schools in Finland found hardly any evidence of children infecting others, according to the working paper by the Public Health Agency of Sweden and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. What’s more, there’s no increased risk for teachers, according to a Swedish comparison of cases among daycare and primary school staff, compared with risk levels in other professions.

“It’s not the first time researchers have raised questions about the merits of shutting schools during the pandemic. A French study last month found that school children don’t appear to transmit Covid-19 to peers or teachers. That investigation established that kids seemed to show fewer symptoms than adults, and to be less contagious…

“After two months of remote learning, Finnish children returned to school in May, and national infection rates have continued to decline since then…”

Why is it that so little is being published in the propaganda-driven mass media about THESE kinds of scientific findings?

The Trump Lockdown Folly

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on July 17:

“If the truth be told, … the Trump Lockdown Folly [by not firing Dr. Fauci] ranks among the greatest blunders ever committed by a US President. That’s because even at this late date nearly four months into the resulting economic disaster: there is no evidence that asymptomatic persons are transmitters of the virus, there is powerful statistical evidence that 95 percent of the population can cope with the disease and recover if they do become infected.

“Yet, the twin pillars of Fauci’s… scheme assumes the very opposite: Namely, that healthy Americans must be put under house arrest because they are silent spreaders and killers of their fellow citizens; and that the disease is so virulent that its #1 enemy—the powerful immune system of every healthy American—cannot be trusted to do its job if the virus is permitted to follow its natural course of contagion and eventual herd immunity….

“WHO’s COVID-19 Task Force, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, recently explained that transmission of the virus from asymptomatic patients appears to be very rare… In a constitutional democracy, where the liberties and properties of citizens are protected by law, you need overwhelming proof of an existential threat to society before ordering mass house arrests…”

Even though this folly is repeated all over the world, it does not suddenly become sound and sane. And in the process, the world is destroying itself.

Death Toll from Coronavirus Questioned

Breitbart reported on July 22:

“Nearly one-third of Americans do not believe the coronavirus death toll is as high as reported, an Axios/Ipsos poll released Tuesday revealed. The survey, conducted July 17-20, 2020,… found that Americans are growing skeptical over the number of reported coronavirus-related deaths… the number of those who believe it is less has increased by eight percent since May.

“Republicans remain far more skeptical of the coronavirus death toll, with 58 percent saying it is ‘less’… A majority of Democrats, 61 percent, believe the death toll is higher… The growing skepticism coincides with reports of errors in reporting positive cases, as was recently seen in Connecticut and Florida.”

No Outbreak in South Dakota

Breitbart wrote on July 17:

“The spike of coronavirus that was supposed to come as a result of President Donald Trump’s speech at Mount Rushmore on July 3 never came according to Gov. Kristi Noem… During an interview with Fox News Channel’s ‘Fox & Friends,’ Noem said there were decreases COVID-19 metrics in her state…

“‘I think what we did here in South Dakota is really remarkable because we gave people their freedom. We let the businesses stay open. We let people go to work. We told them to be smart. And we also asked them to be personally responsible, and we’re seeing the benefits of that each and every day in South Dakota.’…

“When asked for what advice she would give to other governors around the country, Noem urged them not to ‘lay down mandates… Let [the people] make decisions that are right for their families.’”

Good advice! Will governors in other states, such as California or New York, heed it? Hardly!

Wearing a Mask?

Newsmax wrote on July 20:

 “Surgeon General Jerome Adams is pleading with Americans to wear a mask to help curb the spread of coronavirus. During a Monday appearance on ‘Fox & Friends,’ the country’s top doctor said he was wrong to say face masks weren’t necessary during the initial outbreak of the virus… During the early days of the pandemic, Adams said masks were ineffective and possibly even dangerous. He said face coverings provide a false sense of security and can cause people to touch their faces even more.

“Now, he said his position has changed…  ‘Once we realized that the science was different for this virus, we changed our recommendations.’”

 Not so. Dr. Fauci also originally recommended AGAINST wearing masks, with exactly the same rationale as given by Adams. Subsequently, he changed his recommendations as well. When asked about his earlier advice against wearing masks, he said that he wanted to discourage the public from wearing masks because there were not enough masks for the medical personnel.

The Hill wrote on July 20:

“[Fauci] also acknowledged that masks were initially not recommended to the general public so that first responders wouldn’t feel the strain of a shortage of PPE. He explained that public health experts ‘were concerned the public health community, and many people were saying this, were concerned that it was at a time when personal protective equipment, including the N95 masks and the surgical masks, were in very short supply.’… Fauci continued to say that they wanted to give as many masks as possible to front line workers and emergency personnel.”

This stunning admission only leads to three (or four) possible conclusions: Either, he purposefully lied about the effectiveness of wearing masks, or he was ignorant about the real nature of the pandemic, or he is ignorant about it now, or all of the above. The real question is, Why should he be listened to now, since his views “changed” and might have been dishonest, and they are by no means uncontested by other doctors and scientists?

On July 22, CBS reported:

“President Trump changed his rhetoric on wearing masks in a press conference Tuesday, saying that ‘they have an impact.’… Mr. Trump urged Americans to wear a mask in the briefing. He largely resisted wearing a mask in public for months and downplayed their importance but tweeted a picture of himself wearing one on Monday.”

Following the recommendations of his political and medical advisers, he made a 180-degree turn around regarding the wearing of masks, obviously with a view to the November elections.

Bill Gates on Vaccines and School Closures

The Sun wrote on July 23:

“Bill Gates… warned it could take an ‘unbelievably big number’ of doses to beat the virus. He said: ‘None of the vaccines at this point appear like they’ll work with a single dose… [He continued:] there will be ‘a lot of uncertainty’ about the vaccine… Gates also described the closures of schools as the ‘biggest cost’ of the pandemic after deaths as he said classes likely won’t be all back until fall 2021…

“Asked whether Facebook should do more to remove the conspiracy theories, he said: ‘They are willing to take down anti-vaxxer posts. But you don’t want to suppress normal dialogue.’”

Gates should define “normal dialogue.” The ones who oppose vaccines obviously don’t fall into that category. Anthony Fauci said on Wednesday it is unlikely the coronavirus will ever be eradicated.

The Curse of Travel Bans

Forbes wrote on July 19:

“A labyrinth of travel restrictions and border closures have added a daunting layer of complexity to long-distance relationships… This despite the fact that these couples are willing to get screened for the virus before they travel and remain in quarantine with their partners after they arrive.

“Like everyone else, unmarried couples living apart—in two different countries—worry about the impact of the virus on their health, work, and everyday lives. But this angst is compounded by lengthy and painful separations, as well as uncertainties about where and when they’ll see each other again…

“Corsi Crumpler, 28, a silversmith in Wichita Falls, Texas, owns a small jewelry company… Corsi last saw her fiancé, Sean Donovan, 29, for five days in March… ‘We met at a pub in Dublin in 2018 and the rest is history,’ she says. The couple face time, talk by phone, and text multiple times a day but can’t shake the trauma of their separation… ‘Our  K-1 Visa (a non-immigrant visa for a fiancé/fiancée) ceased to make progress because the embassies and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) shut down—without word about when they might reopen,’ she says. ‘Sean can’t come to the States because Ireland is on the U.S. travel ban list… ‘The US Embassy in Dublin told us that Sean might qualify for a “humanitarian waiver” to visit me,’ she says. ‘So we went through all the paperwork and purchased air tickets (required to prove his intent to return). After a week-long runaround complying with document requests, they turned us down two days later (via email) and chalked it up to a misunderstanding.’ Adding to the disappointment: A few days later, Corsi learned that more than 1000 foreign athletes and their families/significant others were granted travel ban waivers to enter the U.S…

“You might call Dylan Greene, 27, and Gugulethu Duma, 29, citizens of the world. The couple—both of them composers, musicians and teachers—met as international fellows at a program called Onebeat… Dylan is Canadian. Gugu, who is from South Africa, has been living in Trondheim, Norway completing a master’s degree. Since COVID hit, she has been in Berlin. They last saw each other in February in Brooklyn, New York. Since then, they video call or phone each other multiple times a day, and text, share art and watch movies… Gugu is not permitted to travel to the U.S. from Germany and she’s unable to return to South Africa because its borders are shut. Dylan hasn’t been able to get to Germany. He’s had five flights cancelled despite providing evidence of negative COVID tests, doctors’ notes testifying to his need to be with her, and proof of their residence…

“A petition on Change.org (also with the hashtag #LoveIsEssential) asks governmental authorities to lift travel bans and reunite couples. It has already garnered more than 17K signatures… Couples fear that a second wave of the virus may extend the length of time that border restrictions are in place so they hope to compel governments to act before then. Their message: We deserve to be recognized as ‘essential’ travelers rather than tourists…”

This article, and the next one, shows the perhaps somewhat unintended terrible consequences of travel bans which, nevertheless, DESTROY the lives of people in many different irresponsible ways.

“International Students Can Study in the U.S. this Fall — If They Can Get Here”

NPR wrote on July 19:

“Due to the pandemic, many international students who are starting a graduate program or their freshman year… face a series of hurdles — travel restrictions, limited flights and closed U.S. consulate offices — that make it incredibly difficult to start the fall semester at U.S. colleges. That’s despite a reprieve last week, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement agreed to allow international students to stay in the country even if their schools opted for online-only learning in the fall.

“The biggest hurdle for students… is acquiring a student visa. U.S. consulate offices, where students go for an in-person interview, are closed — it’s unclear when they’ll reopen… travel restrictions will make it difficult…to make [their] way to the U.S. The State Department has currently barred travelers coming directly from China…

“Students come to the U.S. from all over the world, but China and India send the most. In 2019, there were more than 350,000 Chinese international students in U.S. colleges and universities. And because they often pay full-tuition, that translates to big money for schools: international students studying in the U.S. contributed $41 billion during the 2018-2019 academic year…

“Colleges are bracing for the possibility that their students won’t make it to campus… In the worst case scenario, that means the U.S. would admit the lowest level of new international students since just after World War II… The Trump administration said last week that students coming from Europe are exempt from the current travel ban to the U.S., but it’s unclear the impact that will have on enrollment, given that no European country is represented on the top 10 list of origin countries for international students…

“With weeks left before the first day of school, there are few options for international students trying to enter the U.S…. Ultimately it may be the case that an in-person fall is a fallacy for all students, not just an impossible feat for those living abroad. More and more colleges have scaled back or reversed their decision to hold in-person classes… “

Apart from the terrible situation which foreign students find themselves in, the economic loss to the USA is mind-blowing.

Pleading for Opening Transatlantic Flights

Skift wrote on July 22:

“American Airlines and United Airlines, along with Iberia Airlines’ owner International Airlines Group and Lufthansa Group, want regulators to permit more American and Europeans to travel on transatlantic flights, arguing they need more customers on these routes for their businesses to recover. ‘Given the unquestioned importance of transatlantic air travel to the global economy as well as to the economic recovery of our businesses, we believe it is critical to find a way to re-open air services between the U.S. and Europe,’ the CEOs of the four companies wrote in a joint letter to U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson.

“All four airline groups fly across the Atlantic now, serving major routes like New York to Frankfurt, Dallas/Fort Worth to Madrid, and Washington D.C. to Zurich. The problem is the customer pool is tiny, with American and European regulators placing strict limits on who can fly. Most flights are [filled] with dual citizens, or customers who are transiting in European airports, or passengers exempt from the ban, such as health care workers, and diplomats. It is easier for Americans to visit the United Kingdom, though they must quarantine for two weeks upon arrival. The United States maintains similar restrictions on which travelers can enter from Europe. It first instituted the restrictions in March, during Europe’s first wave.

“While the letter is addressed to U.S. and European leaders, this issue is probably stickier in Europe, because it has fewer cases, per capita, than the United States. Europeans have said they’re concerned about the rising number of U.S. Covid-19 cases, and they’re fearful that an influx of Americans would lead to more cases. In their letter, the four CEOs acknowledge the Covid-19 problem, but said regulators could mitigate it by creating a joint U.S.-EU testing program… ‘A coordinated COVID-19 testing program could be key to providing confidence to permit services to resume without quarantine requirements or other entry restrictions.’”

News from Australia

We received the following report from Australian Elder Paul Niehoff:

“In Melbourne face masks will become compulsory on Thursday morning for everybody over 12 years of age who leaves their home except for running, attending school or going into a bank. The border with New South Wales will be tightened. The FDA and FTC have sent out over 280 letters to companies who recommend any non-approved treatment, drug or otherwise, for Covid-19 even when it is used successfully in other countries or by various doctors in the US. The letter includes the final statement as shown here:

‘‘It is unlawful under the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. § 41 et seq., to advertise that a product can prevent, treat, or cure human disease unless you possess competent and reliable scientific evidence, including, when appropriate, well-controlled human clinical studies, substantiating that the claims are true at the time they are made. For COVID-19, no such study is currently known to exist for the products identified above. Thus, any Coronavirus-related prevention or treatment claims regarding such products are not supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence. You must immediately cease making all such claims… Within 48 hours, please send a message to James E. Elliott… describing the specific actions you have taken to address the FTC’s concerns…’

“The local money changers have closed due to lack of business. Our bank has sent us a letter telling us that they will no longer provide international cheques but we must use electronic transfers.”

Interview with John Bolton on Trump and Merkel

On July 17, Der Spiegel published an interview with John Bolton who served as Trump’s national security advisor from 2018 to 2019. We are quoting relevant excerpts from that interview, as they relate to the relationship between Trump and Germany, especially Merkel:

“DER SPIEGEL:  Mr. Bolton, Donald Trump had already begun firing barbs at German Chancellor Angela Merkel back when he was still one of many Republican candidates for president. Merkel’s refugee policies, he said at the time, had been a ‘disaster for Germany.’… is Trump rather obsessed with the German chancellor?

“Bolton: … with Merkel, it’s kind of complicated – the president’s father was German, so that might have something to do with it. But there are also political reasons. U.S.-EU trade relations have been a major source of controversy between the U.S. and Germany. Then there is the issue of support for NATO and the agreement that each member state would spend 2 percent of GDP on defense, which Germany is behind on…

“DER SPIEGEL:  Ever since Trump moved into the White House, the German government has been concerned that he might introduce punitive tariffs on German automobiles. Thus far, though, he has not followed through on his threats. Is the issue off the table?

“Bolton: It’s never off the table. Trump likes tariffs, and it’s something he can do without Congressional approval…

“DER SPIEGEL: Another dispute between the United States and Germany is the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. Is this really about serious concerns that Germany and Europe could grow overly dependent on Russia? Or is it more about business and American hopes to sell American natural gas to Europe?

“Bolton: It’s a combination of both. He talked about imposing sanctions all the time, but he never has. I think it would have stopped the pipeline. And it’s not finished yet. It may yet be stopped. It is strategically damaging to Europe and the United States.

“DER SPIEGEL: There is a famous image from the G-7 Summit in Canada in April 2018. It shows Merkel leaning on a table with Trump facing her, his arms crossed and looking unhappy. You are standing right next to him. Can you remember what you were talking about?

“Bolton: Yeah, it wasn’t comfortable. In my recollection, it wasn’t Chancellor Merkel speaking with Trump at that moment, I think it was President Macron. But that’s just an historical detail. To me, it demonstrates two things. One, why I don’t like these communiqués at G-7 and G-20 meetings… Number two, in this instance, by forcing Trump literally as well as figuratively into a corner, they made him very unhappy with the whole process. Not long after that picture was taken, when we were back on Air Force One, Trump withdrew his approval for the communiqué. It was the first time that had ever happened…

“DER SPIEGEL: Will Germany and the rest of Europe have to be responsible for their own national security and defense in the future?

“Bolton:… The problem with the European Union is that there’s a lot of rhetoric about strong security policies, but not a lot of follow through. You hear European leaders saying over and over again: ‘We’ll defend ourselves.’ If people aren’t careful, there will be others in America, like Trump, who say: ‘Fine, go ahead.’…

“DER SPIEGEL: Is there a chance that Trump will win the election in November?

“Bolton: Absolutely. He’s way behind now – in large part, because of the coronavirus pandemic and the economic consequences. But the polls in 2016 showed him behind as well. There was a universal consensus on Election Day, including in Trump campaign headquarters, that he was going to lose. In my view, we should never underestimate the ability of the Democratic Party to blow an election.”

In the light of biblical prophecy, we are repeating our long-standing conviction that Trump is going to be re-elected. The relationship between the USA and Germany, as well as the rest of continental Europe, will not improve.  

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.

To answer this question, we will begin by concentrating briefly on the fact that the Jews rejected Jesus when He was on earth, and Judaism has continued with that rejection up until the present time. We will also give ample proof that Jesus did exist although some still question that fact.

Some Jews at the time that Jesus was on earth did believe in Him. In our booklet, “The Fall and Rise of the Jewish People,” we read on page 60 the following under the heading “Some Jews Believed in Christ”:

“Some Jews believed what Paul taught, as noted in Acts 17:1–4: ‘Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.’”

We also continue to state on pages 60-61, under the heading, “Most Jews Did Not Believe”:

“Most Jews rejected what Paul taught: ‘On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles”… But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region’ (Acts 13:44–46, 50).

“Later in his ministry, being a prisoner, Paul was taken to Rome. Nonetheless, he was still able to teach those who came to him. Among those were leaders of the Jews in Rome (Acts 28:17), and Paul spoke to them: ‘So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved’ (Acts 28:23–24).”

Continuing on pages 61 -62 under the heading, “Why the Rejection?”:

“Paul explained why most of the Jews rejected Jesus, using the analogy of the veil that Moses had to place over his face, due to the glory of his countenance, following his presence before God: ‘But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away’ (2 Corinthians 3:14–16).

“Paul made it clear that the rulers killed Jesus because they did not understand the wisdom of God, as written in 1 Corinthians 2:7–8: ‘But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.’

“Christ confirmed this fact, praying to God the Father to forgive His murderers, because ‘they do not know what they do’ (Luke 23:34).

“On the other hand, it is true that the Pharisees had some knowledge about the person of Christ. Nicodemus, one of the Pharisees, came to Christ by night and told Him: ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with Him’ (John 3:2).

“Still, most Pharisees rejected Him because they were envious and did not want to lose their positions in the community (Matthew 27:18; John 11:48). They even accused Him of casting out demons through the power of Satan, which caused Christ to give them a stern warning, since they knew better (Matthew 12:22–32).

“The apostle Peter boldly preached to the Jews about Christ, showing again that the Jews were ‘ignorant’ as to who Christ was:

“‘The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses… Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled’ (Acts 3:13–15, 17–18).

“The people did not really understand who Christ was. Christ asked His disciples: ‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’ The disciples answered: ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah, or some of the prophets.’ When Jesus asked them: ‘But who do you say that I am?’, Peter answered: ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Christ responded that this revelation had to come from God the Father; otherwise, he would not have understood this either (compare Matthew 16:13–17).”

We read in John 1:10-11: “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.   He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.”  Since that time, this rejection of Jesus as the Messiah has been the approach of most Jews down through the last 2,000 years.

On the website https://jewsforjesus.org/answers/why-do-most-jews-not-believe-in-jesus/ we read the following:

“Religious reasons most Jews do not believe in Jesus.

“Rabbis, religious leaders and religious followers will respond to this question that Jesus cannot be the Messiah because he did not fulfill the job requirements.

“Judaism does not believe that Jesus was the Messiah because He did not fulfill any messianic prophecies. ‘Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nor shall they learn war anymore’ (Isaiah 2:4).’ Far from establishing world peace, Jesus himself said he came to divide ‘father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother’ (Luke 12:53, ESV). In fact, there has been more bloodshed in the name of Jesus rather than peace. How can anyone argue that Jesus is the promised Messiah according to the Jewish Scriptures?”

It is indeed true that there has been violence down through the ages, but this cannot be justified by quoting the above-mentioned passage in Luke 12. There, Christ did not advocate any violence against others, but He pointed out that His Word—the Truth—is a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17; and Revelation 1:16) which will divide truth from error and cause those who do not believe to persecute those who do.

The quoted website explains this quite succinctly:

“These many atrocities and this tragic legacy are a stain on those who call themselves Christians and identify with those who claim to share the same faith. However, we must ask ourselves, is any of this what Jesus taught his followers to do? Is there a single New Testament writer who advocated violence and called for injury to the Jews? Jesus himself declared, ‘all who take the sword will perish by the sword’ (Matthew 26:52, ESV). Contrary to the early church fathers, Paul declared that God has not rejected the Jews. ‘Has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite’ (Romans 11:1, ESV). It is clear that this tragic legacy of those who identify themselves with Jesus does not follow the instructions of Jesus or the New Testament writers.”

Today, Judaism rejects Jesus as the Messiah but some Jews claim that they accept Him.

The Jewish Virtual Library estimates that there are 14,707,400 Jews worldwide and the jewsforjesus website states that “Statistics of how many Jews embrace Jesus range wildly from 1.7 million Jewish adults to 175,000 Messianic Jews in the US.  Some have argued that these figures represent Jews who are assimilated, disaffected, and otherwise uneducated in Judaism. However, the historical record would disagree. Some who embraced Jesus are among the most educated in Judaism such as Israel Zolle, the chief rabbi of Rome during World War II; Isaac Lichtenstein, district rabbi of Tapio-Szele in Hungary, who after 35 years serving his synagogue, at age 60, publicly declared to his congregation he discovered Yeshua is the Messiah; and Leopold Cohn, the Grand Rabbi of Austria-Hungary. Even today, there are Jews with different degrees of educations and observance, courageous enough to explore whether Jesus is the promised Jewish Messiah in spite of the dictates of traditions and religious authorities.”

It is clear from these estimates that the vast majority of Jewish people do not accept Jesus as the Messiah (or even claim that they do), and that is the view of the Judaic faith.

This information gives us the basis to review the reasons WHY the great majority of the Jews dismiss Jesus as the Saviour of mankind. To look at what Jews believe today, we will quote from the website www.jewfaq.org/mashiach.htm as follows:

“The idea of mashiach (messiah) is an ancient one in Judaism. The Jewish idea of mashiach is a great human leader like King David, not a savior. There is much speculation about when the mashiach will come. The Bible identifies several tasks that the mashiach will accomplish. Jews do not believe in Jesus because he did not accomplish these tasks.”

The article continues:

“Jews do not believe that Jesus was the mashiach. [According to their reasoning, even “assuming”] that he existed, and assuming that the Christian scriptures are accurate in describing him (both matters that are debatable [in the eyes of the Jews]), [the Jews believe that] he simply did not fulfill the mission of the mashiach as it is described in the biblical passages cited above. Jesus did not do any of the things that the scriptures said the messiah would do.”

Let us break in here to answer the absurd statement about the fact that Jesus’ existence is questionable. (We will address the absurdity of questioning the accuracy of the Christian Scriptures in the next instalment).  In our booklet “Jesus Christ – A Great Mystery!” this question is immediately addressed under the heading, “Did Jesus Exist?”, beginning on page 1, and below is a brief extract (we recommend, however, to read the entire chapter in our booklet, proving beyond doubt the existence of Jesus):

“Is there any historical proof that a person called Jesus Christ ever existed? Although it is sometimes claimed by atheists and agnostics that the very person of Jesus was an invention by early writers, very few educated people down through history have doubted the existence of Christ. There are more than 1,000 works of literature that were written very early in Church history affirming the existence of Christ, and much of it was written by pagans or Jews—people who acknowledged His existence, but denied that He was, indeed, the Son of God.

“H.G. Wells wrote in ‘Outline of History’: ‘…one is obliged to say, “Here was a man. This part of the tale could not have been invented.”’ Will Durant, professor of philosophy, and a non-Christian, wrote extensively about Christ’s existence and His effect on society in ‘The Story of Civilization.’ The Encyclopedia Britannica refers to Christ more than 20,000 times—more than Socrates, Aristotle, Buddha, Napoleon, Confucius, Mohammed, or Shakespeare. It says in one instance: ‘These independent accounts prove that in ancient times even the opponents of Christianity never doubted the historicity of Jesus, which was disputed for the first time and on inadequate grounds by the end of the 18th, during the 19th, and at the beginning of the 20th centuries.’

“John Singleton Copley, also known as Lord Lyndhurst, one of the greatest legal minds in British history, once commented in this way on the existence of Christ, His death, and His resurrection: ‘I know pretty well what evidence is: and I tell you, such evidence as that for the resurrection has never broken down yet.’ Also, Lord Chief Justice of England, Lord Darling, once said: ‘no intelligent jury in the world could fail to bring in a verdict that the resurrection story is true.’

“Consider also this brief synopsis of many other non-Biblical sources attesting to the historical authenticity of Jesus Christ:

“The Huleatt fragments were written in AD 50 and contain the quote from Matthew 26:7–15, referring to Christ’s anointing with oil.

“Tatian, the Syrian, wrote in AD 170 that, ‘God was born in the form of a man’ (Address to the Greeks 21).

“Melito of Sardis wrote in AD 177 about the baptism of Christ and His miracles (Fragment in Anastasius of Sinai’s The Guide 13).

“Thallus, a Samaritan historian, wrote in AD 52 about the darkness that occurred at the crucifixion of Christ.

“Mara Bar-Serapion wrote in AD 73 to his son about the death of Socrates, Pythagoras and Jesus.

“Cornelius Tacitus wrote in AD 112 or AD 115 in his Annal (15.14) that ‘Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberias.’

“Lucian of Samostasa (AD 115–200) wrote about Christ as ‘the man who was crucified in Palestine because he introduced this new cult into the world.’

“Phlegon wrote in his ‘Chronicles’ in AD 140 about the ability of Jesus to foresee future events.

“In addition, Christian authors such as Clement of Rome [AD 30–101], Ignatius [martyred in AD 117], a writer naming himself Barnabas [in the Epistle of Barnabas, written between AD 70 and 135], and Justyn Martyr [AD 100–165] wrote about Christ and His followers.

“The Jewish Talmud contains several references to Jesus Christ. It states on one occasion, ‘On the eve of the Passover Yeshu was hanged’ (The Babylonian Talmud, vol. iii, Sanhedrin 43a, p. 281). Another quote states, ‘Our rabbis taught: Yeshu had five disciples—Mattai [i.e. Matthew], Nakkai, Netzer, Buni and Yodah’ (from Sanhedrin 43a). Other sources talk about Christians who were following Christ (compare, Aristides, Apology 16 [AD 140]; Pliny the Younger [AD 112]; and Suetonius [AD 120]).”

(To be continued)

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

compiled by Dave Harris

A new Member Letter (July 2020) has been posted and sent to those on our mailing list. In this letter, Dave Harris appeals to us to remember our calling and to stay faithful to God and Jesus Christ—knowing that judgment is now on us to be obedient to God.

“Germany’s Dangerous Lead of Europe,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Germany, France and Italy become more and more the leaders of Europe. Especially Germany’s lead is not good news for America and Britain, as well as some other European nations. We will present numerous examples of Germany’s hardening stance, broken promises and its zeal for a strong Europe. We also present some of John Bolton’s views which he shares with Donald Trump’s viewpoints regarding a militarization of Europe and a deteriorating relationship between the USA and Germany.

“Gottes Rache am Tier des modernen Babylons,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “God’s Revenge on the Beast of Modern Babylon”

A German Trailer for our new German booklet, “Man muss Gott mehr gehorchen als den Menschen“ (in English: “Obeying God Rather than Men”) has been produced by Michael Link. It is viewable on YouTube and on our German homepage.

“Der gute Kampf,” the sermonette presented in Germany last Sabbath by Mike Richter, is now posted. The title in English: “The Good Fight.”

“Contrasting Cities,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Frank Bruno, is now posted. Here is a summary:

In this sermonette, we will consider what God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, have in store with the blessed city of life: the New Jerusalem. This is in contrast to what man is capable of, when reviewing, for example, CHAZ and later CHOP in Seattle. In the best case, humans can strive to do good—but only the Father and His Son are able to deliver the city of love and light that we crave.

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

Righteous anger is a godly trait and not all outrage should be considered sin.  The degree to which our anger is the manifestation of the old self or of the new creation determines whether or not we are falling into sin.  By not allowing this society’s violence  to influence us, we can walk in the light of truth while growing ever closer to God.

The YouTube channel for the Church of the Eternal God presents past videos for StandingWatch programs along with sermonettes, sermons and promotional videos. These are also available on our website: www.eternalgod.org.

On July 18, 2020, Frank Bruno will present the sermonette, titled, “Contrasting Cities,” and Robb Harris will present the sermon, titled, “The Proximity of Outrage.”

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.

As we enter into one of the most perilous times in the history of man—the coming tribulation when Satan’s wrath is coming on the world with a vengeance—we have to be aware that our relationship with God is very crucial during the coming years.

When the love of many waxes cold to the point of betrayal by Church members, coupled with a falling away, staying close to God is of utmost importance. The one thing we must never forget is that God is faithful and He will never abandon us if we make the effort to remain close to Him.

Let us look at the encouraging words that Moses told Joshua in Deuteronomy 31:8: “And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” Also note what Paul said in Hebrews 13:5: “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU.’”

God the Father and Jesus Christ are the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). What God promised His servants in times past, He is telling us the same today. That is the case even though He has been observed to change His mind when declaring disaster on a nation. When they repented of their sins, He relented. His character remained the same, as God is full of mercy and compassion, desiring that all men should repent so they could qualify for the great reward in store for them and for us in the church.

That does not mean that we will not have trials to go through to test our mettle, as it were, but it does mean that if we remain close to God, He will see us through those trials—He will never forsake us if we do not forsake Him.

There are times when we do sin or don’t deal with bad habits in an appropriate manner. Then, there is a separation in distance between God and us.

So then the critical question is, “Who Moved”? God stands firm in the laws He has given us which bring peace and harmony to those who obey those laws and subsequently are truly close to God. This closeness allows God to respond to our fervent prayers in a timely manner according to His divine Will. If we are not getting the desired results, then we may want to look at ourselves to see whether we are falling short since God the Father and Jesus Christ have not moved nor changed anything in their character. The problem may lie with us, even though we realize that God may not answer our prayers in the way we want Him to, because He sees the overall picture and may decide that the desired result may not be good or most beneficial for us in the short or the long run.

Looking at what is coming on this world and looking past the pain and trials to the reward that lies ahead, let us never forget that God will not abandon nor forsake us, and if there is some separation and distance in our relationship with God, we have to ask, “Who Moved”? God has promised that He will stand firmly by our side and not abandon us, as long as we remain faithful, and if He moves away from us, it is because we have moved away from Him.

by Norbert Link

We begin with articles pointing out the persecution of Christian churches in the USA and elsewhere, while addressing controversial governmental restrictions, guidelines or recommendations pertaining to church services, causing strong opposition from Church leaders and others; speak on the reluctance of many Germans to become vaccinated against coronavirus, if such vaccines should ever be developed; the concept of a “coronavirus deception,” as described by a popular author of New York Times’ bestselling books; and, according to some scientists, potential health dangers of wearing masks.

We address the possible unconstitutionality of certain travel restrictions enacted in some US states; new restrictions in California which might lead to the state’s complete economic downfall; the purchase of guns in record numbers; heretical and blasphemous statements by CNN moderators; and more nonsense published by the Los Angeles Times regarding America’s national anthem.

We speak on developments pertaining to the transformation of Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque and purported intentions of Turkey’s President Erdogan regarding al-Aqsa mosque, while many Christians view Erdogan’s conduct as very disturbing. We also address conflicting reports about Israel regarding the potential prevention of High Holy Days celebrations.  

We speak on a bloodbath in South Africa in a big church; the victory of controversial Polish President Andrzej Dude with the help of the Catholic Church; and the Pope’s plea to pray to the “Virgin Mary”  for understanding, bestowing on her the additional title of “Comfort of Migrants”; as well as published desired qualities for a new pope.

In this context, please view our new StandingWatch program, “Turkey’s Plans to “Liberate” al Aqsa.”

We report on a decision by the US Supreme Court, stating that for procedural and jurisdictional purposes, about half of Oklahoma belongs to Native Americans; and we report on proposed immigration measures towards DACA.

We conclude with an eye-opening article about Germany’s policies, when it comes to a striving economy and the violation of democratic values.

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

“Churches Unfairly Scapegoated for Pandemic”

On July 10, The Week published the following opinion by Bonnie Kristian:

“The New York Times on Wednesday published a case in point. ‘Churches were eager to reopen,’ the headline announced. ‘Now they are a major source of coronavirus cases.’ A shocking claim! Let’s see the evidence:

“[The New York Times wrote:] ‘Weeks after President Trump demanded that America’s shuttered houses of worship be allowed to reopen, new outbreaks of the coronavirus are surging through churches across the country where services have resumed. […] More than 650 coronavirus cases have been linked to nearly 40 churches and religious events across the United States since the beginning of the pandemic, with many of them erupting over the last month as Americans resumed their pre-pandemic activities, according to a New York Times database.’

“Wait, that’s it? The contrast is stark between the headline’s branding of churches as a ‘major source’ of contagion and the story’s citation of 650 church-linked cases out of 3 million nationwide… ‘The not-so-subtle subtext,’ observed Reason‘s Jacob Sullum, is that ‘[r]eopening churches was reckless, because they are more likely than other venues to be the sites of superspreading events, regardless of the precautions they take. But the evidence presented by the Times does not support that thesis.’ The Billy Graham Center’s Ed Stetzer raised the same objection, deeming this ‘a headline looking for a story’ and arguing the ‘real story’ is that ‘churches are gathering and remarkably few infections are taking place.’…

“We do know tens of thousands of cases have been tied to other locations — 24,000 to meatpacking plants and 57,000 to prisons… But that headline is what was published atop an article suggesting churches are uniquely dangerous places… the Times piece is not a wild aberration, though it stands out as a straight news item so poorly framed and explained. Recent months have seen too much journalism on churches and COVID-19 which is similarly misleading or incomplete.

“A recent Politico story, for example, questions why ‘officials have declined to single out church-related outbreaks as problematic’ while offering little evidence churches deserve to be thus singled out. The report says case clusters ‘are surfacing in counties across the U.S. where in-person religious services have resumed’ — but many other indoor public spaces have opened in those same counties. Is there data showing the churches are unusually culpable? Politico does not present it. Meanwhile, an emergent genre stories argues evangelicalism is itself a public health hazard….”

The quoted comments are interesting, especially as being published in a left-liberal magazine such as The Week. Some try to make or label the debate on religious liberties and freedoms a political issue. It is nothing of the kind. But giving up religious freedoms and practices, which are commanded by God, prepares us for the ultimate acceptance of the mark of the beast. There are always “arguments” someone can come up with to justify their respective compromising viewpoints, but if they are not based on the Bible, they are meaningless and wrong. Our new free booklet, “Obeying God rather than men,” enumerates, by way of example, some restrictions imposed by governments in the context of religious services and practices which, if followed, WOULD violate the commands of God.

Please also view our recent StandingWatch program, “California’s Ongoing Persecution of Churches”, as well as our video-taped message, “Coming Civil War in the USA?—Comments on News and Prophecy, July 11, 2020.” 

We also recommend watching the following StandingWatch program, “Do you disobey God while accepting the mark of the beast?”

We should be clear on what it means to accept the mark of the beast… and what it does not mean.

California Churches Have Had Enough with Gov. Newsom’s Restrictions

On July 10, Newsmax published the following article which originally appeared in The Associated Press:

“Crossroads Community Church Senior Pastor Jim Clark… [is] drawing the line at a new California ban on singing or chanting at religious services. ‘I said enough’s enough,’ Clark said. ‘We will be singing and praising the Lord. … We don’t chant, but if we did chant, we’d be chanting too.’

“The California ban was one of a number of restrictions on indoor businesses and gatherings put in place last week by Gov. Gavin Newsom… It’s unclear if any similar prohibition on singing exists in the United States, though there is one in England… The ban may well end up in court as there are differing opinions on its legality, with some conservative groups arguing it infringes on religious freedom…

“The American Center for Law and Justice, a religious freedom law firm with ties to President Donald Trump, says it will sue. ‘We can’t stand by and watch as California strips its believers of their God-given right to raise their voices in worship and praise,’ executive director Jordan Sekulow said on the center’s website. The center, which was founded by televangelist Pat Robertson, did not say how quickly it would sue…

“Another conservative-leaning legal group, The Pacific Justice Institute, told faith leaders in a letter that Newsom’s guidance is advisory because it does not say it is an order, cites no legal authority, isn’t signed by any official and includes no reference to penalties. Institute president Brad Dacus said after the letter went out attorneys there fielded dozens of subsequent calls from relieved religious leaders who allowed singing last Sunday and intend to keep doing so. ‘These churches are just glad to know they will not be criminally prosecuted for singing worship songs on Sunday morning,’ said Dacus, whose institute has filed pandemic unequal treatment lawsuits against state officials in Oregon and Washington…

“The California Catholic Conference said it would comply… But others like Clark said they will ignore the ban… Clark said there has been no effort to crack down, and no criticism of him flouting Newsom’s restrictions. To the contrary, he said feedback has been positive. ‘Most of them have been calls, ‘Thank you for standing up for what you believe,’” he said…

“Greg Burt, spokesman for the conservative California Family Council, said he’d heard of no effort to enforce the singing ban during the first weekend it applied. ‘As soon as they try to enforce it, it’s going to make national news,’ he said. ‘This seems to be a little more extreme than telling them they can’t meet, because you’re telling them how to worship,’ Burt said. ‘That seems to be a little more over the line involving the government directly violating the First Amendment.’

“Harmeet Dhillon, a lawyer and Republican Party official… said she is considering a lawsuit over the singing restriction. Dhillon and other critics including Advocates for Faith & Freedom and the National Center for Law and Policy said the church restrictions constitute unequal treatment when compared to recent crowds of demonstrators protesting police violence after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. ‘If you’re allowed to chant “Hey hey, ho ho, racism’s got to go” but you can’t chant the liturgy, that’s obviously discriminatory,’ she said.”

Again, the objections by church leaders to the governmental restrictions have NOTHING to do with liberal or conservative politics. At least, they should not have. Rather, they ought to be strictly based on God’s commandments, which must be obeyed, if they are in conflict with man’s laws or regulations. In this context, you might also consult the following Q&A’s, explaining our responsibility as God’s Church; many misunderstood religious concepts; and offering hope in these times of uncertainty.

https://www.eternalgod.org/in-what-way-do-your-booklets-sermons-sermonettes-and-updates-especially-articles-and-comments-in-your-current-events-sections-relate-to-the-churchs-end-time-commission-to-preach-the-gospe/ 

https://www.eternalgod.org/are-lengthy-imprisonments-and-quarantines-godly/ 

https://www.eternalgod.org/should-we-be-afraid-of-the-future-part-1/

https://www.eternalgod.org/should-we-be-afraid-of-the-future-part-2/

https://www.eternalgod.org/should-we-be-afraid-of-the-future-part-3/

Unwilling to Be Vaccinated against Coronavirus

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 12:

“In April, 74% of survey participants in Germany, the UK, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy, France and Portugal said they would be willing to get vaccinated. By June, that number had dropped to 68%… The drop was particularly dramatic in Germany, which saw vaccine willingness drop from 70% to 61%. Divisions between northern and southern Germany were especially pronounced, with 67% of people in the northern state of Lower Saxony saying they would get vaccinated. In the southern state of Bavaria, however, only 52% said they would do the same.

“In early June, a national survey carried out by YouGov found only 50% of respondents were willing to get vaccinated — while 20% were staunchly opposed to getting a vaccine… [A] growing number of survey respondents… said they didn’t want to get a vaccine or were unsure about it due to concerns about potential side-effects or uncertainty about the safety of the vaccine….”

Of course, scientists working on the development of vaccines will go on overdrive to “assure” the public that a vaccine, still to be developed, will be “safe” and will have no side effects. People should be health-oriented and they should be very careful before allowing to be vaccinated with a vaccine which could be very dangerous. This is especially true for Christians in whom the Holy Spirit dwells. The Bible says that our body is supposed to be a holy temple of and for God.

The Great Covid-19 Deception

The Ron Paul Institute published an article on July 10 by Gary Heavin, stating that “he and his wife Diane are the founders of Curves, the world’s largest fitness franchise. Gary is the author of two NY Times bestselling books, Curves and Curves on the go. Gary co-wrote and starred in the movie Amerigeddon. Gary is a pro-life libertarian and serves on the advisory board of Dr. Ron Paul’s Institute for Peace and Prosperity. Gary and his wife are philanthropists who feed 10,000 children a day in Haiti and operate an orphanage outside the slums of Mumbai. Most importantly, they are bible believing Christians”:

“… it’s imperative that you understand the great deceit that Big Pharma, their minions at the FDA, CDC, NIH, the WHO, the MSM, and officials in high government positions are perpetrating on you, your family, and likely your doctor… you need to know you are being duped and you need a plan for you and your family if you become infected with Covid 19…

“When it comes to safe, effective and affordable therapies for Covid 19, Big Pharma and its agents, i.e. Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx and many others, appear to have an agenda to lie to you and your physician. The most obvious example is their ongoing effort to ridicule the treatment option of hydroxychloroquine, Azithromycin, and Zinc. We’ve all watched the harsh criticism that President Trump received when he promoted this protocol for Covid 19. So, hydroxychloroquine has been around for almost 70 years as a treatment for malaria, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. The WHO has designated it as a safe and effective medication akin to taking an aspirin. A survey of 6,000 medical doctors affirmed it as their treatment of choice for Covid 19….

“How much effort has Big Pharma put into subverting this treatment regimen? In addition to denouncing its effectiveness, from Dr. Fauci and company, constant MSM hit pieces, the censoring of medical doctor’s articles and videos from the internet, there has also been a number of ‘studies’ done that were literally sabotaged from the onset.

“The VA hospital system reported in March that they had given hydroxychloroquine to a number of patients. Following their release of information, the MSM ran the story with the headlines, ‘VA hospital found that hydroxychloroquine doesn’t work and increases the fatality rate of Covid 19.’ However, if you actually read the study you will find that only the sickest of the cohorts were given the drug. They got the drug only after they were so far along that it would not have a chance to work and they were not given zinc. None of these details made the MSM articles.

“Another example of the Great Deception came from the British medical journal, The Lancet. The Lancet reported that a meta study showed that hydroxychloroquine was ineffective. As a result of this published study, France, Italy and other European countries immediately prohibited the use of this treatment option. Within a few weeks, it was found that the study was… badly designed and that the results were literally fabricated. The Lancet was forced to make a retraction of the ‘study.’ Of course in the meantime the MSM ran the original Lancet story and mislead millions of people and their physicians.

“So what could possibly be the motive behind Big Pharma’s Great Deception. Well there’s three answers, money, money and money. That brings up the treatment option that Big Pharma is promoting, Remdesivir. This lovely experimental drug, costs above $3,000 per regimen, must be given intravenously in a hospital (five days stay around 15 grand) and evidence shows that it doesn’t really work. The other treatment option is the promised Covid 19 vaccine that they allege is forthcoming. The NHS in Great Britain has committed to purchase a vaccine for the entire population of Great Britain. That’s a commitment of 80,000,000 doses at an agreed price of around $600 for each vaccination. That’s about $50,000,000,000. (50 Billion) That’s a lot of incentive to mislead people. This week, a US pharmaceutical company received $1.6 billion dollars towards their efforts to make this vaccine which in the opinion of many experts, won’t work on a coronavirus and will be untested and experimental.

“How does Big Pharma have so much control over the dissemination of this information or should I say propaganda? Well, the same answer pops up again, money. Big Pharma gave $2 billion dollars during the last election cycle to US politicians. Big AG, the military/security complex and big oil each gave only a paltry $1.0 billion dollars to buy the votes of our political leadership… The MSM counts Big Pharma’s advertising revenue at up to 80 percent of their income…”

The mass media and Big Pharma will not admit to any of this, but can there be any doubt that the involvement of Big Pharma has caused great harm to many people?

The Health Danger of Masks

The Ron Paul Institute published the following additional article on July 13:

“Way back in March of this year the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) were on record saying masks should only be worn by people who were around sick people. Healthy people didn’t need to wear masks.

“But all that has changed. Dr. Mark Sircus, in an article published on Lew Rockwell, July 10, 2020… reveals a startling statistic. He notes that typical CO2 in the air is about 400 ppm, a little higher than that around the nose or mouth as we breathe. But a typical mask can drive the level up to a dangerous 5,000 ppm!

“According to Dr. Sircus… wearing a face mask has been shown to reduce the amount of oxygen in the blood stream to 17.5 percent which over time can lead to hypoxia or lack of adequate oxygen to function normally. Headaches, foggy thinking and lethargy are common byproducts. Mask wearing while engaging in heightened physical activity can make matters even worse.

“Then there are the obvious inconsistencies with mask wearing. You have to wear one to enter a restaurant but once seated you can take it off? How does that work? Is there any ‘science’ that says seated people in a restaurant aren’t susceptible to the virus but if you start walking around you’re toast? None of this Covid garbage makes any sense to anyone willing to engage in critical thinking!…”

To be clear, we do not advocate against wearing masks when it is necessary, for instance, when shopping in stores [otherwise, one could not buy something] or working in an office where masks are mandated [otherwise, one could not work there and would lose his or her job]. What we ARE advocating is careful consideration of avoiding wearing masks when and where it is not necessary.

Certain States Travel Restrictions Constitutionally Dubious

On July 14, the Hill published the following opinion by lawyer “Daniel Ortner at the Pacific Legal Foundation, which litigates nationwide to achieve court victories enforcing the Constitution’s guarantee of individual liberty”:

“At the end of June, the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut announced that anyone coming into their states from other states identified as coronavirus ‘hot spots’ — now up to 19 states — are required to quarantine themselves for 14 days. Ironically, Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York earlier in the pandemic called a similar policy put in place by Rhode Island for those who had been to New York unlawful and threatened to sue. But Cuomo was right then and is wrong now. These travel restrictions are constitutionally dubious and deeply problematic.

“Although governors have been granted emergency powers to respond to a pandemic, these powers have limits. In particular, governors can only exercise the power that has been granted to them by the legislative branches of their state. Constitutional guarantees, such as the right to due process and the right to travel, further constrain the governors’ emergency powers… ordering someone not to leave their home is a significant incursion on liberty. Accordingly, state legislatures have placed stringent limitations on the exercise of this power.

“A common limitation on the power to quarantine or isolate is the requirement that such orders must target discrete named individuals or identifiable groups, rather than broad categories of individuals. For example, in Connecticut, the governor or health commissioner can quarantine only those individuals they reasonably believe have been exposed to a disease or are contaminated. This requirement forecloses the application of quarantine and isolation orders to categories as broad as ‘anyone who has visited the state of Florida in the past two weeks.’ There is no reasonable basis for believing that anyone who has been anywhere in Florida has COVID-19. Statewide in Florida as of July 13, there were around 245,500 active cases among a population of 21.48 million, or around one in every 100 people (which is comparable to the number of active cases per capita in New York). And there’s even less reason to assume that for other states on the list, such as Iowa where around 1 in 400 people is infected, or North Carolina where around 1 in 300 is infected.

“Most states place significant procedural limitations on the exercise of quarantine and isolation authority, such as the right to an individualized hearing and to be represented by counsel, and categorical orders that apply to anyone who visited a particular state do not comply with these limitations. The northeastern governors’ orders ignore these sensible limitations, disregarding due process, another severe constitutional defect. Because quarantine or isolation orders significantly infringe on individual liberty, an individual is entitled to due process of law. At a bare minimum, an individual is entitled to a hearing where the government bears the burden of proof and where an individual can put on a defense. The northeast governors’ recent quarantine declaration provides for none of that.

“Finally, sweeping restrictions on travel violate the fundamental constitutional right to travel. We live in a country made up of 50 states… The Supreme Court has held that the Constitution protects the right of individuals to travel between states. This right to travel can be limited only when necessary to achieve a compelling state interest. A policy that imposes a quarantine on everyone coming from a particular state is far too broad and poorly designed to meet this level of scrutiny, especially when a traveler is not significantly more likely to be sick, on average, than the state’s own residents. Such a sweeping ban also ignores the significant regional variation that exists within most states. For example, someone from rural Franklin County in the Florida Panhandle is 12 times less likely to have had COVID-19 than someone from Miami-Dade County. But these sweeping travel bans treat them both the same…”

The question is, does anybody care anymore about America’s Constitution?

New Restrictions by Gov. Newsom

Fox News wrote on July 13:

“California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday ordered a halt to indoor activities at certain businesses statewide… Newsom, a Democrat, announced during a press briefing that all bars across the state must close… and that restaurants, wineries, tasting rooms, family entertainment centers, zoos, museums and card rooms must suspend indoor activities. The governor also announced that all gyms, places of worship, malls, personal care services, barbershops, salons, and non-critical offices in counties on the state’s ‘monitoring list’ had to shut down under the new order. The order affects more than 30 counties which are home to about 80 percent of California’s population…

“In March, California became the first state to impose a mandatory stay-at-home order… By late April, Newsom — under increasing pressure – began allowing businesses and activities to resume…

“Newsom’s announcement comes just hours after the state’s two largest school districts, Los Angeles and San Diego, announced they will not reopen for in-person instruction when the 2020-21 academic year begins next month…”

Los Angeles Unified, the country’s second-largest school district with roughly 700,000 students, will begin online-only “instruction” August 18; San Diego Unified, which serves more than 100,000 students, is set to start Internet “Instruction” August 31. But Orange County’s Board of Education voted to approve recommendations for reopening schools in the fall that do not include the mandatory use of masks for students or increased social distancing in classrooms. This vote is advisory only.

The Editorial Board of the Wall Street Journal wrote on July 14:

“The evidence — scientific, health and economic — argues overwhelmingly for schools to open in the fall. Start with the relative immunity of young children to the disease, which should reassure parents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 children under age 15 have died from COVID-19. In a typical year 190 children die of the flu, 436 from suicide, 625 from homicide, and 4,114 from unintentional deaths such as drowning.

“Only two children under age 18 have died in Chicago — fewer than were killed in shootings in a recent weekend. In New York City, 0.03 percent of children under age 18 have been hospitalized for Covid and 7.5 in one million have died. The death rate for those over 75 is more than 2,200-times higher than for those under 18.”

All these new measures, including the refusal to open schools, will BANKRUPT California [and other states] for sure and will destroy the financial survival of millions of people. They may also lead to violent protests and violent reactions. Man is proving time and again that he is totally incompetent to rule. We need Christ’s return to replace ALL human governments with the righteous Kingdom of God.

Reactions to Gov. Newsom’s New Restrictions

 Fox News reported on July 16:

 “A California pastor (Greg Fairrington, leader of 3,500-members Destiny Christian Church outside of Sacramento) said he would defy Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest coronavirus lockdown… ‘If we don’t take a stand, all we’re doing is kicking the can down the road and we will be having the same conversations in three weeks, six weeks, six months, or even a year from now,’ [he said]. During a livestream service earlier this month, Fairrington floated a run for governor if he gets enough support… After 11 weeks of online-only services, Fairrington reopened on May 31 along with 1,000 other congregations across the state. Days before, President Trump had declared houses of worship ‘essential’ and stated he would override any governors that don’t allow them to open.”

 In a newsletter of the Los Angeles Times, it was stated on July 16:

 “The rapid shifts between a little more light and further darkness have created a sense of whiplash for many Californians. We stayed home, suffered job losses or uncertainty, and struggled to pivot as the rules adjusted and a bit of normalcy returned. Now, we find ourselves seemingly plunged back in time to the panic of late March and April, with narrowed lives and ever louder alarm bells ringing in every direction… the analogy of ‘the hammer and the dance’ might be helpful for wrapping your head around our ever-shifting situation… 

“We’ve already seen the hammer — it came down hard in late March, when aggressive action was taken to all but shutter the state of California. And we are now well into the dance, a delicate, imperfect quickstep of tightened and loosened restrictions that began when stay-at-home orders first eased in mid-May. We twirl in, and then out, and back again, urgently hoping that our improvised choreography can outpace the need for another all-encompassing blow of the hammer sending us back into total lockdown.

 “It’s a roller coaster ride with no end in sight. And… we are all screaming in our hearts. But the chaos has been particularly acute for those who work in industries affected by the closures. Small-business owners are contending with how to possibly stay afloat, as their workers face further layoffs and furloughs after months of financial uncertainty. That pain is being felt across California, as evidenced by a slew of reports in local papers around the state… The 2021 Rose Parade is canceled for the first time in 75 years…”

California’s Economic Downfall

Regarding California’s precarious situation, CNBC already published the following article on May 9, 2020:

“California will have a budget shortfall of $54.3 billion because of the economic devastation wrought by the coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration announced Thursday, a stunning reversal for a state that had a $21 billion surplus a year ago.

“The state has been under a mandatory stay-at-home order since mid-March, forcing nonessential businesses to close and prompting more than 4 million Californians to file for unemployment benefits. After recording record low unemployment of 3.9% at the start of the year, the Newsom administration now predicts a jobless rate of 18% for the nation’s most populous state — 46% higher than the height of the Great Recession a decade ago… the revenue shortfall means the state’s constitutionally required funding level for public schools and community colleges will fall by $18.3 billion…

“The Newsom administration projects personal income will fall by close to 9% for the state’s nearly 40 million residents while permits for new housing construction — a key measure of the economy’s health — will drop more than 21%… For the past 10 years, the state has had an unprecedented run of economic growth, adding more than 3.4 million new jobs… But the projected budget [dispelled] any notion of a quick recovery once the state’s coronavirus restrictions are lifted… ‘The next few years we’re going to have to work through these challenges,’ Newsom said Wednesday.”

And now, after some restrictions had been lifted, they are back again… and with them, the economic downfall of California continues.

Buying Guns in Record Numbers

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 14:

“Gun sales began rising to unusual highs in March, as coronavirus cases began surging in the U.S. and government-ordered lockdowns led to the highest unemployment levels since the Great Depression. The Federal Bureau of Investigation processed 7.8 million background checks for gun purchases from March to June… In June, background checks for firearms were up 136%, compared to a year earlier… Background checks in June for civilians seeking a license to carry were the highest since the FBI began conducting checks 20 years ago. Background checks for guns in Georgia tripled last month versus last year… and have more than doubled in Oklahoma, New York, Illinois and Minnesota.

“Last month in Minneapolis, the city where Mr. Floyd, a Black man, was killed by a white policeman, the line for gun permits was three hours long on Juneteenth, with a racially diverse group standing in line to obtain a permit… Dealers estimate that 40% of sales are going to first-time buyers, an increase over the normal average of about a quarter… sales of handguns, which are used for personal safety, are the strongest…

“That worries political leaders who are struggling to quell a recent surge in violence in cities around the U.S. Murders in Milwaukee, Chicago, Kansas City, Mo., and New York are on pace to see their highest levels in years, or even decades. ‘When we shut down all but necessary businesses, the states kept gun shops open. Why is that an essential business? And we had people lined up outside,’ Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said in an interview. The city is struggling with a steady increase in gunshot victims…

“First, there was a run on ammo… then it was the Asian-American community fearful over hate crimes they had seen related to China-bashing, and now it is just about everybody. Basic training courses are sold out through October. At Coliseum Gun Traders in Uniondale, N.Y., sales manager Kevin Romano said many first-time gun owners say they are buying guns because they see other people are buying guns.

“Gun stores were closed in some states in March amid a debate over whether they needed to be open during lockdowns, along with such essential businesses as grocery stores and gas stations. But eventually, all state governments allowed them to operate after the Trump administration said they should be considered essential businesses. Among the new buyers are people who say they never thought they would own a firearm and were previously critical of those who did…”

Violence WILL spread. Is civil war inevitable?

CNN Spreads Heretical and Blasphemous Teachings

Fox News reported on July 14:

“CNN anchor Don Lemon made the claim that Jesus Christ was ‘not perfect’… ‘Jesus Christ, if that’s who you believe in, Jesus Christ, admittedly was not perfect when he was here on this earth,’ Lemon told his colleague Chris Cuomo during ‘CNN Tonight with Don Lemon’ on Monday… ‘Don Lemon’s comments are, first of all, heretical,’ [Robert] Jeffress, the pastor of 14,000-member First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas told Fox News, ‘and it contradicts the most basic tenet of the Christian faith and demonstrates how tone-deaf the left is to faith issues’…

“MRCTV says, ‘this isn’t the first time that CNN has aired anti-religious rhetoric,’ pointing to what Cuomo told his viewers at the end of last week. ‘If you believe in one another and if you do the right thing for yourself and your community, things will get better in this country. You don’t need help from above,’ he said at the conclusion of Friday’s show. ‘It’s within us.’”

More Nonsense from the LAT:

On July 14, the Los Angeles Times published a commentary by Jody Rosen, recommending to “cancel the Star-Spangled Banner” and replace it with an appropriate piece as America’s new national anthem. The following was stated:

“‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ — like, for that matter, ‘America the Beautiful’ … is out of step with the 21st century… Irving Berlin’s ‘God Bless America’ [and] its uncomplicated patriotism… doesn’t wash in 2020. ‘This Land Is Your Land’… has its own blind spots: to indigenous Americans, the refrain ‘This land belongs to you and me’ may sound less like an egalitarian vision than a settler-colonialist manifesto. Nope, none of these songs will do.”

And so, the nonsense continues.

From Hagia Sophia to Al Aqsa?

Breaking Israel News reported on July 12:

“On Friday, a Turkish court annulled a 1934 ruling that turned the Hagia Sophia into a museum, effectively paving the way for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to fulfill his promise to turn the formerly Christian site into a mosque… Immediately after the court ruling, Erdogan signed a decree declaring Hagia Sophia was now open to Muslim worship and the first prayers inside could take place on July 24. Erdogan reiterated his claim that Hagia Sophia was originally constructed as a mosque…”

The Jerusalem Post wrote on July 11:

“Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to ‘liberate al-Aqsa mosque’ from Israel after ‘resurrecting Hagia Sophia’ as a mosque on Friday.

“The decision to change the status of the ancient Hagia Sophia church, which had been transformed into a mosque in 1453 and then into a museum in 1934, was made controversially last week. It follows an increasingly religious authoritarian agenda from Ankara that has made Turkey the world’s largest jailer of journalists, seen dissidents imprisoned for ‘terrorism’ and witnessed increasing military invasions of neighboring countries by Turkey.

“The resurrection of Hagia Sophia heralds the liberation of the al-Aqsa mosque, the Turkish Presidency website says… The speech, which was in Turkish, was translated slightly differently to Arabic and English, apparently as a way to hide part of Ankara’s full views on how it has linked Hagia Sophia to a wider agenda. In Arabic the speech says that turning Hagia Sophia into a mosque is part of the ‘return of freedom to al-Aqsa,’ essentially meaning Israel should be ejected from controlling Jerusalem’s Old City where al-Aqsa is located.

“Turkey’s president linked the decision to reviving Islam from Bukhara in Uzbekistan to Andalusia in Spain. This terminology, linking al-Aqsa in Jerusalem to Hagia Sophia and Spain, is a kind of coded terminology for a wider religious agenda… Turkey’s current president has long championed the Palestinian cause and been an extreme critic of Israel… Linking the major change at Hagia Sophia to Jerusalem illustrates that Ankara’s ambitions are far larger than just reasserting Islamic prayers at the historic mosque and church in Istanbul; it is part of a larger Islamic agenda for the region.

“Turkey’s ruling AK Party is rooted in the Muslim Brotherhood and Turkey is a close ally of Hamas in Gaza. Hamas is also rooted in the Muslim Brotherhood… Ankara’s leadership believes that its changes to Hagia Sophia are only one step of a larger religious militarist agenda in the Middle East… One day, Turkey could even aim its sights at Jerusalem. The speech about Hagia Sophia clearly indicated this is on the agenda in the future.”

The Bible confirms that Turkey will engage in mean and hostile acts against Israel. God is strongly condemning Turkey for such conduct.

Breaking Israel News reported on July 14:

“The United Nations came out strongly against the Turkish government turning Haga Sophia, built as the most prominent church of its time, into a mosque. But many people, Jews and Christian, noted that UNESCO was being hypocritical since it has a long history of supporting Muslim appropriation of Jewish sites in Israel…

“Elias Zarina, an Israeli Christian Arab and co-founder of the Jerusalemite Initiative [said:] ‘What Erdogan just did to Hagia Sophia and it will not stop there, Muslims have been doing to Christians all through history. This is what the Muslims did to the Temple Mount; they built a Muslim building on top of the ruins of the Jewish Temple and now Jews are forbidden from going there or praying there. And UNESCO went along with it, perpetuating the Muslim lie that the Temple Mount is only a holy site for the Muslims.’”

The Right of the Sword

Newsmax wrote on July 12:

“For Turkey’s religious conservatives, ‘converting the Hagia Sophia is the ultimate moment,’ said Mustafa Akyol, a senior fellow specializing in Islam and modernity at the Cato Institute, a Washington think tank. ‘They believe in what they call the right of the sword, the right of the Ottomans to convert the church into a mosque as a result of conquest,’ Akyol said.

“‘Turkey has the sovereign right to do what it wants. But I ask them: What will you say if Israel does something to Al Aqsa? Will that also be the right of the sword?’”

The “Right of the Sword” points to war. The Bible predicts of course that war WILL occur soon in the Middle East. Also note the next article.

Erdogan’s Move Threatens Christianity

The Associated Press wrote on July 10:

“The move threatens to deepen tensions with neighboring Greece, whose prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, condemned the decision as an affront to Hagia Sophia’s ecumenical character… ‘This decision clearly affects not only Turkey’s relations with Greece but also its relations with the European Union, UNESCO and the world community as a whole.’

“In Greece’s second-largest city, Thessaloniki, protesters gathered outside a church that is modeled on Hagia Sophia and bears the same name. They chanted, ‘We’ll light candles in Hagia Sophia!’ and held Greek flags and Byzantine banners. Cyprus ‘strongly condemns Turkey’s actions on Hagia Sophia in its effort to distract domestic opinion and calls on Turkey to respect its international obligations,’ tweeted Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides.

“Vladimir Dzhabarov, deputy head of the foreign affairs committee in the Russian upper house of parliament, called the action ‘a mistake.’ ‘Turning it into a mosque will not do anything for the Muslim world. It does not bring nations together, but on the contrary brings them into collision,’ he said… Garo Paylan, an ethnic Armenian member of Turkey’s Parliament tweeted that it was ‘a sad day for Christians (and) for all who believe in a pluralist Turkey.’ ‘The decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque will make life more difficult for Christians here and for Muslims in Europe,’ he wrote…

“On Friday, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America said the decision runs counter to the vision of secular Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk ‘who understood that Hagia Sophia should serve all Turkey’s people and indeed the whole world.’ ‘The days of conquest should remain a closed chapter of our collective histories,’ he told The Associated Press…

“Erdogan, a devout Muslim, has frequently used the Hagia Sophia issue to drum up support for his Islamic-rooted party…

“Built under Byzantine Emperor Justinian, Hagia Sophia was the main seat of the Eastern Orthodox church for centuries, where emperors were crowned amid ornate marble and mosaic decorations. The minarets were added later, and the building was turned into an imperial mosque following the 1453 Ottoman conquest of Constantinople — the city that is now called Istanbul. The building opened its doors as a museum in 1935, a year after the Council of Ministers’ decision. Mosaics depicting Jesus, Mary and Christian saints that were plastered over in line with Islamic rules were uncovered through arduous restoration work for the museum. Hagia Sophia was the most popular museum in Turkey last year, drawing more than 3.7 million visitors.”

While Turkey will escape the hands of the “beast” or the “king of the North” and ultimately assist Europe in fighting Israel, Erdogan’s fanatic and radical Muslim policy will anger and be of concern for many Christians.

Conflicting Reports from Israel re Potential Lockdown

JTA wrote on July 14:

“Israel’s Health Ministry is considering ordering Israelis to limit their Rosh Hashanah celebrations to only their nuclear families… The order would come with a total lockdown of Israeli cities for the High Holidays, a repeat of the Passover closure policy…

“The Makor Rishon newspaper first reported on Monday that Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority will allow non-citizens to enter Israel to attend life-cycle events including weddings, births, and bar and bat mitzvahs. Advance coordination and proof of health insurance, including for COVID-19, is required, as is a two-week isolation for the visitors, who can include the relatives’ spouses and children who are under the age of 1…

“Israel’s current ban on the entrance of non-citizens is in effect until Aug. 1.”

Bloodbath at Church in South Africa

The Daily Mail wrote on July 12:

“Five people have been killed and dozens arrested in an ongoing church massacre in Johannesburg. The bloodbath took place at the International Pentecost Holiness Church in Zuurbekom, and specialised police and a heavily-armed national defence force remain at the scene. It is believed the killings came amid a leadership battle at the church, as officers scrambled to the church at 3am local time following reports that 200 people were taken hostage…

“The International Pentecost Holiness Church, which has a membership of three million, has become divided in its search for a successor to former leader Glayon Modise. He died in February 2016 without appointing a successor… The clashes have led to several court battles over the years. It has not yet… been confirmed if today’s hostage situation relates to the ongoing row.

“In November 2018 two church factions confronted each other outside the church’s Silo headquarters… Churchgoers at the time reported being narrowly hit by bullets…”

If true, these would be horrible developments pertaining to a church claiming to be representing Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

Duda Wins in Poland

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 13:

“Polish President Andrzej Duda has won the country’s presidential election… The right-wing politician will lead Poland for five more years… Cultural issues dominated the campaign trail, with the government, state media and the influential Catholic church all ultimately coming out in support of Duda, a social conservative… In the weeks leading up to the election, the president’s rhetoric shifted farther to the right. He seized on gay rights as a key theme, denouncing the LGBT+ rights movement as an ‘ideology’ worse than communism…

“Duda also tapped into anti-Semitic tropes in his characterization of his rival as someone who would sell out Polish families to Jewish interests. Poland had been home to Europe’s largest Jewish community before it was decimated by Germany in the Holocaust…

“‘Poland is split down the middle,’ said Witold Orlowski, a professor at Warsaw University of Technology Business School. ‘On the one hand, even this slim victory is a PiS success and will allow it to continue to govern, at least technically,’ Orlowski said. ‘On the other hand the social and economic situation will deteriorate and a large part of the electorate will blame the PiS.’

“In 2017, the EU launched unprecedented proceedings against Poland over changes to the country’s judicial law made on Duda’s watch that could see its EU voting rights suspended.”

We would expect that catholic Poland will be a part of the final European constellation of the ancient Roman Empire.  

Pope Francis’ Prayer to the “Virgin Mary”

Herald Malaysia wrote on July 11:

“Pope Francis offered Mass asking the Virgin Mary to help Christians recognise the face of Christ in each migrant and refugee…

“Invoking the new Marian title [Solacium migrantium, ‘Solace or Comfort of Migrants,’] added to the Litany of Loreto in June, Pope Francis prayed for the migrants who are in detention camps in Libya and elsewhere who are often subject to abuse and violence.”

One of her titles is also the “Queen of Heaven”, which was adopted from the pagan goddess Ishtar or Astarte. We know of course that the Mary of the Bible is dead and in her grave, awaiting the resurrection from the dead to eternal life in the God Family at the time of Christ’s return.

Required Qualities for the Next Pope?

National Catholic Reporter wrote on July 14:

“New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan has forwarded copies of a book that suggests qualities desirable in a future pope to cardinals across the globe, in an apparent break with the longstanding practice that the Catholic Church’s highest prelates refrain from publicly lobbying for possible candidates for the papacy… The book is George Weigel’s The Next Pope: The Office of Peter and a Church in Mission, released by the publisher this month…

“Pope John Paul II [wrote in] the 1996 apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis:… ‘I … forbid anyone, even if he is a Cardinal, during the Pope’s lifetime and without having consulted him, to make plans concerning the election of his successor, or to promise votes, or to make decisions in this regard in private gatherings’…

“Dolan’s note accompanying Weigel’s book is dated June 9, signed by the cardinal, and printed on letterhead featuring Dolan’s coat of arms. It appears to have been sent to all 222 of the world’s cardinals… Weigel does not specifically propose names of cardinals to consider as a possible future pope in his book, but he does suggest characteristics and qualities that would be desirable in the next pontiff. Weigel also makes several veiled criticisms of Francis…

“Upon the death or resignation of a pope, all cardinals under the age of 80 are tasked with gathering in Rome to elect his successor. At present there are 122 such cardinals, including Dolan.”

About half of Oklahoma Belongs to Native Americans

BBC News reported on July 10:

“The US Supreme Court has ruled about half of Oklahoma belongs to Native Americans, in a landmark case that also quashed a child rape conviction. The justices decided 5-4 that an eastern chunk of the state, including its second-biggest city, Tulsa, should be recognised as part of a reservation… Thursday’s decision… is seen as one of the most far-reaching cases for Native Americans before the highest US court in decades. The ruling means some tribe members found guilty in state courts for offences committed on the land at issue can now challenge their convictions. Only federal prosecutors will have the power to criminally prosecute Native Americans accused of crimes in the area. Tribe members who live within the boundaries may also be exempt from state taxes… Some 1.8 million people – of whom about 15% are Native American – live on the land, which spans three million acres.

“Justice Neil Gorsuch, a conservative appointed by US President Donald Trump, sided with the court’s four liberals and also wrote the opinion. He referred to the Trail of Tears, the forcible 19th Century relocation of Native Americans, including the Creek Nation, to Oklahoma. The US government said at the time that the new land would belong to the tribes in perpetuity. Justice Gorsuch wrote: ‘Today we are asked whether the land these treaties promised remains an Indian reservation for purposes of federal criminal law. Because Congress has not said otherwise, we hold the government to its word.’…

“In a dissenting opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts said the decision would destabilise the state’s courts. He wrote: ‘The State’s ability to prosecute serious crimes will be hobbled and decades of past convictions could well be thrown out. The decision today creates significant uncertainty for the State’s continuing authority over any area that touches Indian affairs, ranging from zoning and taxation to family and environmental law.’”

The decision of the US Supreme Court does not address land ownership.

Trump to Open Up Citizenship for Dreamers?

Fox News wrote on July 11:

“President Trump said Friday that he will be signing an executive order in the next few weeks which will include a ‘road to citizenship’ for… DACA… recipients… ‘I have the power to do it as president…’ Trump said… Trump, who has pledged to end DACA since he was on the campaign trail in 2015 when he called the program an ‘illegal executive order,’ said that the bill wouldn’t just be for temporary relief but would be a far more encompassing merit-based bill. DACA currently serves as a protection for young immigrants that were brought to the U.S. illegally as children, also referred to as Dreamers, to allow them to legally study, work and remain in the U.S. without fear of deportation. While it is unclear whether the president can grant DACA recipients a path to citizenship through executive powers, he stated it is his intention Friday…

“Trump’s announcement comes just weeks after the Supreme Court 5-4 ruling that rejected Trump’s attempt to dismantle the program for young immigrants. It said that the administration had not provided proper legal justification to end the program [instituted] by former President Barack Obama in 2012. Trump took to Twitter to express his anger about the ruling at the time. ‘These horrible & politically charged decisions coming out of the Supreme Court are shotgun blasts into the face of people that are proud to call themselves Republicans or Conservatives,’ Trump tweeted…

“President Trump and a bipartisan group of senators hit a stalemate in January 2018 after a compromise immigration bill was presented that would protect DACA recipients. But Trump would not agree to the measure because it did not include a provision for the U.S.- Mexico border wall, eventually leading to the longest government shut down in U.S. history.

“Trump first submitted his appeal to the Supreme Court in January 2018 after a federal judge blocked the president’s attempt to terminate DACA. The Supreme Court then began oral arguments for the case in November 2019, which prompted Trump to tweet, ‘Many of the people in DACA, no longer very young, are far from “angels.” Some are very tough, hardened criminals.’”

Trump’s position on DACA has been extremely inconsistent and contradictory, to say the very least.

In another interesting development, Deutsche Welle reported on July 14 that “The Trump administration has dropped a proposed rule that would have required international students to leave the US if their college classes were held entirely online this fall…

“[Several universities, including Harvard] challenged the Trump administration’s decision [in court]… US District Judge Allison Burroughs in Massachusetts said the US government as well as Harvard University and MIT had reached a settlement that would make the rule moot.”

Germany: Rich Economy “Über Alles”

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 11:

“Economy and Energy Minister Peter Altmaier defended Germany’s continuing trade relationship with China, following the passing of a controversial new security bill in Hong Kong. ‘It has always been the policy of the Western international community, including the EU, that international trade relations cannot be based solely on how democratic a country is,’ Altmaier told national newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. ‘We have never done that,’ he stressed, adding this was not even official policy in the times of Willy Brandt or Joschka Fischer – Germany’s former Social Democratic chancellor and Green party foreign minister respectively.

“With regard to Sino-German relations, Berlin has long adhered to the principle of ‘change through trade’ (‘Wandel durch Handel’ in German), hoping that increased business ties may lead to more democratic structures in China. China implemented Hong Kong’s so-called national security law at the end of June that covers offenses such as succession, subversion of state power, local terrorist activities and collaborating with foreign forces to endanger national security. It also gives China greater legal jurisdiction in the semi-autonomous territory… Critics fear it will quash dissent and jeopardize Hong Kong’s special status within China.”

Germany is the richest economy in Europe. No surprise there.

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.

To become a follower of Jesus Christ, one must first respond to God’s calling and this Q&A will deal with the aspect of God’s calling.

While people by the countless millions have appropriated the Christian mantle, the vast majority have never been called to true Christianity.

Jesus made this statement regarding how people are called: “‘No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day’” (John 6:44). There were many “followers” of Jesus who were really not called by God. Read the context of chapter 6 of John, and you will see that most neither understood nor did they believe what He taught. Jesus once again addressed them saying: “‘Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father’” (John 6:65).

Not everyone is being called at this time (However, all people will be given the chance to respond to God’s calling, but that will take place in the future—in a time following the calling of the “firstfruits” of salvation (compare 1 Corinthians 15:20-24: Revelation 20:4-6). Those who are called now to become Christians are specially selected by God—for His purpose and for His reason:

“‘At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him’” (Matthew 11:25-27).

The apostle Paul understood this and wrote:

“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God–and righteousness and sanctification and redemption–that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord’” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).

How, then, are people called?

God, who is Spirit (John 4:24), does the calling. Note: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). God’s purpose is to call people into the Church of God, and we find that on the Day of Pentecost (also named the Feast of Firstfruits, compare Exodus 23:16; 34:22 and Numbers 28:26), it was God who led people to repentance in order to become a part of the Church:

“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call’” (Acts 2:38-39).

Those who are called are “called to be saints” (1 Corinthians 1:2). Basically, the word saint means “setting apart”—as from the world (Colossians 1:13-14). God calls people to come out of this world and into the spiritual life of the Church of God. People are being called into the Church of God, over which Jesus Christ rules as its Head (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18).

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “‘I will build my Church.’” The Bible reveals how this is being accomplished:

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22).

Again, then, how are people being called?

It is through the Work of the Church of God. Jesus commissioned His Church to preach the good news of the Kingdom of God—the gospel (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 1:8; Matthew 24:14).

Jesus Christ has established His ministry with the specific responsibility to preach:

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:11-16; Also, 1 Corinthians 12:28 and Romans 10:8-17).

The ministers of God’s Church are those whom God chooses. A person can no more choose to become a minister of Christ on his own than anyone can call themselves into the Church of God. In fact, note this warning: “And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was” (Hebrews 5:4).

But many do take this honor onto themselves, and Christians are warned about false ministers. This is especially critical for those first experiencing God’s calling. Note:

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

In the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:2-20), Jesus warns that Satan will attack those whom God calls or who think that they were called. In verses 14 and 15, Jesus explains, “‘The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.’”

Satan is a real spirit being, and he is a fallen Archangel who has totally rejected the way of obedience to God: He is called a liar (John 8:44); He is called “‘the ruler of this world’” (John 12:31); He is “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4); He has deceived “the whole world” (Revelation 12:9); and, he has “the power of death” (Hebrews 2:14).

Christians, and this includes the newly called and those who continuously live God’s Way as members of the Church of God, are instructed:

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (1 Peter 5:6-9).

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:7-10).

There are deceived individuals who falsely think that God has called them and that they are doing God’s Will—even fulfilling ministerial roles claiming to be representatives of Christ. Consider this response from Jesus:

“‘Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

In these words of Christ we find a key to success for those whom God is truly calling. It is to be obedient to God and to not refuse to keep His laws! It is far too easy to compromise, but if one is to answer God’s calling, he or she must turn to God with all their heart and be willing to fully submit to His guidance.

Ask God for His help and really mean it! Personal prayer, study and meditation combined with the guidance from God’s true ministers will help in answering God’s calling. But this is only the first step, for God’s calling leads to repentance from sin!  It also leads to an unyielding and uncompromising commitment to seek and obey God’s Will—to enter His eternal Kingdom as Sons and Daughters in the Family of God.

Our booklet, “How to Find the True Church of God,” offers much more information about what a person must do to become a true Christian and how to answer the calling of God.

Lead Writer: Dave Harris

compiled by Dave Harris

“Turkey’s Plans to “Liberate” al Aqsa,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Explosive and devastating events will occur very soon in the Middle East, and Turkey will play an important role in a coming war involving Israel and Jerusalem. The transformation of Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque is just a first step, and Turkey’s plans to “liberate” al Aqsa will set the world on fire. So will Israel’s plans to build the Third Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem where al Aqsa is located today.

A monthly Tech Team Meeting was held on Sunday, July 11, 2020, via SKYPE. Conducted by Eric Rank, changes in personnel responsibility for sermon set-up on YouTube and Facebook were made along with clarifying ChatRoom sign-ins and discussions about website maintenance.

“Die Vernichtung Amerikas und Englands durch das Tier von Babylon,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link, Title in English: “The Destruction of America and the UK Through the Beast of Babylon.”

“La vérité en ce qui concerne la nature de Dieu,” is the title of a new “La Sentienelle”, presented in French by Rene Messier.

“Coming Civil War in the USA?—Comments on News and Prophecy, July 11, 2020,” a message presented by Norbert Link last Sabbath, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Is it really possible that we are soon going to experience civil war in the USA? Could the Black Lives Matters movement, as well as governmental restrictions and alleged falsifications of Covid cases have anything to do with that? Are you willing to compromise when it comes to obeying God rather than men, and do you listen to those who tell you that you should blindly follow human leaders by violating God’s injunctions?

“Is It Worth It?”, the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

As we walk the Christian Way of Life, we are going to be faced with the choice of deciding whether the path we are on is worth it. What will be our answer? Will we allow Christ and the Father to lead us down the straight and narrow or will we end up choosing for ourselves our own paths? Is the life of a Christian really worthwhile for us?

“Just a Little Leaven,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Rene Messier, is now posted. Here is a summary:

This sermon discusses the destructive effects when we don’t deal early on with sin or leaven. Lucifer is a great example. We also speak about man and the nation of Israel, and show how God protected His righteous servants in the past and how He will protect His Church in the future.

The YouTube channel for the Church of the Eternal God presents past videos for StandingWatch programs along with sermonettes, sermons and promotional videos. These are also available on our website: www.eternalgod.org.

On July 11, 2020, Kalon Mitchell will present the sermonette, titled, “Is It Worth It?” and Rene Messier will present the sermon, titled, “Just a Little Leaven.”

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

Many years ago, I read a book, entitled “People of the Lie,” written by a psychiatrist. It is a book describing some people as being inherently evil as a way of life. The author points out that it is not just about doing evil things or sinning, which we all do, but being evil without ever acknowledging it. They may appear to be model citizens, hard workers, active in neighbourhood activities, but in their private life or family life, they may be continually evil. The author compared them with the biblical Pharisees.

It got me thinking that in our lives, we are not to be people of the lie, but God requires us to be people of the Truth. It helps to know what Truth is, and God describes it quite clearly for us. In Psalm 119:142 we read that God’s Law is Truth. So, Truth is based on the Law of God. In addition to that, we can read in John 14:6 that Christ Himself is the Truth as well as the Way and the Life. In all aspects of His life, He lived truth and is the One to define it. In John 17:17, where Christ is praying to His Father for His disciples, He asked God: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth.” So, the Bible itself is also a Book of Truth.

What was wrong with the Pharisees that the author of the book compared them with the people of the lie? Matthew 23 describes them very accurately. They certainly had an appearance of righteousness. They made long prayers but only for pretence (verse 14). They tithed exactly the required amount but ignored justice, mercy and faith (verse 23). Matthew 23:28 sums them up: “Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Christ combined them with the scribes and called them hypocrites seven times in this chapter.

So how should we live so as not to be comparable with the Pharisees? God gives us many instructions in both the Old Testament and the New Testament for our way of life. Jeremiah 9:3 informs us that those who do evil continually are not valiant for the Truth. They are not striving or making every effort to live by Truth. In Psalm 15:2, David reminds us who will ultimately dwell with God in His holy hill: “He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart.” It is not just a matter of speaking truth outwardly, but being totally sincere with the Truth.

David reinforced this in Psalm 51:6: “Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts…” Truth must be a part of us, not just an outward show. Zechariah 8:16 shows us how we should interact with our neighbours: “These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbour; Give judgement in your gates for truth, justice and peace…” So, we are instructed here to be truthful to our neighbours, but not just our neighbours, but everyone with whom we have dealings, in order to bring about justice and peace.

We must also interact in truth with God. Christ said in John 4:23-24: “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

There are some warnings for us that we must heed. One is in 2 Thessalonians 2:10. This informs us that some will “perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” When we love the Truth, we will want to embrace it and not let go of it. Otherwise, the warning is that if we do not love the Truth, we could be deceived and thereby might not be saved.

Another warning for us is in 1 John 1:8-10: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” Saying we have not sinned makes us just like the people of the lie and the Pharisees. Denying our sins makes us self-righteous, and if we do not admit and repent of our sins, we cannot be forgiven.

So, we must ensure that we are people of the Truth. We must embrace it, speak it and live by it. This is well pleasing to God.

by Norbert Link

We begin with extremely unsettling events in California, threatening Christian churches and our religious freedom and liberty. In this context, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “California’s Ongoing Persecution of Churches”.

At the same time, we report on California’s autocratic measures to enforce questionable mandates which will continue to destroy the economy, while pointing out conduct by the governor which appears to be hypocritical to some observers.  

We continue with an article predicting, for thought-provoking reasons, the inevitability of civil war in the USA.

We speak on terrible consequences of governmental conduct regarding the coronavirus in Israel and Australia and quote President Trump’s claim that the coronavirus pandemic is by far not as serious in the USA as propagated by the left-wing mass media. This claim is strongly supported by Dr. Ron Paul, former Congressman and Presidential candidate, citing examples in Texas of deliberate falsifications of the pandemic statistics.

We speak on President Trump’s remarkable speech in celebration of the 4^th of July at Mount Rushmore, which, to some observers, was the best speech that he ever gave as President, and come to John Wayne’s defense, by quoting his son’s experiences and impressions of his father. We also cite more examples of the nonsense propagated by the BLM movement.

We point out Germany’s deeply troubling hypocrisy towards Israel; Europe’s desire to “boost” their defense; a new discussion, initiated by the left-liberal SPD party, as to whether or not to re-introduce conscription in Germany; and we speak on collaboration between Russia and China against the USA; and China’s threats towards the UK.

We speak on the American and British embassies’ controversial decision to fly the rainbow flag in Moscow to celebrate “Pride Month”; and we discuss the unconscionable decision in Germany to criminally indict a Protestant pastor for speaking out against homosexuality.

 We conclude with articles about meaningless lip services by the UN and the pope for a “global cease fire” “amid the coronavirus pandemic” (with the pope imploring the “virgin Mary” for help); and the uncertain future of the British monarchy.

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

California’s Ongoing Persecution of Churches

Breaking Israel News wrote on July 5:

“People in California can still attend their house of worship. But they are now being warned against singing or chanting during services… although California Governor Gavin Newsom initially allowed religious institutions to reopen in late May, the state is now saying that these institutions should ‘strongly consider discontinuing singing, group recitation, and other practices and performances… California’s health department… says that both singing and chanting are outright banned.

“California Senator Melissa Melendez cynically to the ban saying: ‘Singing, chanting and group recitation now banned in church by order of King Newsom. So basically you can go, you just can’t actually participate in active religious activities. But hey, shout “defund the police” all you want.’ Texas senator Ted Cruz (R) called the move ‘Grossly, transparently unconstitutional.’”

It is also grossly, transparently ungodly and violates the direct command of the Bible to SING to GOD (and not just “silently”) in Church services. Please see our booklet on that injunction, titled, “How to keep the Sabbath.” Also note our Q&A, “Do you have guidelines for proper appearance and conduct in your worship services?” Note also our Q&A on music. 

We must obey God rather than men (see our new booklet on this topic).

The published comments to the above-quoted article were more than telling. Here are a few examples:

“Is it not ironic that the week we celebrate our freedom from King George III and Britain’s tyranny that the governor of California bans singing in public worship?! The freedom of worship is a constitutional protected right! Did the tyrant Gavin Newsom ban protests? Nope.”

“Now they are trying to prevent the Faithfull from praising the LORD , a time is coming when they will prevent the world from owning a HOLY BIBLE!!”

“Gavin Nuesence is the one who is spreading disease , the disease of ignorance and socialism / communism!”

“God created us to worship him. How dare man decree otherwise. God inhabits the praise of his people. This is a satanic move.”

“The devil, and his demons continue to have his way, for a while longer, until King Jesus returns.”

Church Leaders Oppose Newsom

Newsmax wrote on July 6:

“Faith leaders are decrying California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ban last week on singing in houses of worship due to a surge in coronavirus cases… California’s new guidelines state that places of worship must ‘discontinue singing and chanting activities and limit indoor attendance to 25 percent of building capacity or a maximum of 100 attendees, whichever is lower,’ as health officials point to singing as a proven way to spread a virus.

“Sean Feucht, a pastor in Northern California, started a ‘Let Us Worship’ petition on his website, comparing Newsom to Pharoah by reading a verse from Exodus, ‘This is what the Lord says, “Let my people go, so that they may worship me.”

“He shared a post on Instagram showing images of him leading ‘illegal worship’ in Iraq in 2016, in North Korea in 2010, and in California on Friday, writing ‘Never in my life would I believe that it would be California in 2020.’ Feucht called the order an ‘unprecedented attack’ on the freedom of worship and said he is defying the ban. ‘Tens of thousands of people have been gathering outdoors in cities all across California and they have been screaming and chanting and protesting [as state officials encourage them],’ Feucht said, adding ‘can you see the hypocrisy? … It really is time that we take a stand and that we fight back.’

“Other faith leaders made similar protests, including Pastor Les Simmons of South Sacramento Christian Center, who told KCRA that in ‘the black culture, singing in churches goes all the way back from 400 years ago during slavery up until now. Singing was our thing that got us through.’”

CNN wrote on July 3:

“While the California Department of Public Health strongly recommends places of worship should continue to facilitate remote services, in-person services are currently permitted in California if proper measures are followed… Offering plates and similar items that move between people at places of worship have also been temporarily discontinued.”

This is dangerous conduct in the eyes of God! AND it constitutes hypocrisy. Note the next article.

Newsom’s New Order Conveniently Excludes Napa Valley

The Sun wrote on July 3:

“California Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday ordered wineries in 19 counties to close amid surging coronavirus cases — but his own winery and tasting room remains open…

“Indoor operations at restaurants, wineries, and tasting rooms, family entertainment centers, movie theaters, zoos, museums, and cardroom gambling businesses were ordered to close down. The updated coronavirus restrictions apply to 19 counties, including Los Angeles, that have been on the state’s monitoring list because of an increasing number of cases for three straight days… But… Newsom’s winery and tasting room in Napa Valley — PlumpJack Wines — is still open… Newsom found PlumpJack Wines in 1992 as his first business… The winery’s next available tasting is on Tuesday, per the venue’s website, which explains their new rules and guidances amid the pandemic…

“Newsom owns stock in PlumpJack Group, ‘which includes a winery in Napa Valley’s Oakville’… Newsom’s 2018 tax filings show he and his wife own shares in the group, which brought in a combined salary of almost $600,000 in 2018. As of Wednesday, Napa County, where the winery is located, had reported 344 coronavirus cases, and was not included in the list of 19 counties.”

The current website of napavalley.com, updated July 7, states this:

“Starting Thursday, July 9th, businesses offering indoor activities must suspend services. However, Napa Valley wineries and tasting rooms with outdoor tasting areas, restaurants with outdoor seating, and other attractions that operate outdoors REMAIN OPEN. In addition, Napa Valley hotels have been permitted to remain open as well…”

Newsom Ramps Up Enforcement

On the other hand, the Los Angeles Times reported on July 6:

“Gov. Gavin Newsom… said Monday the state will expand monitoring of counties hard-hit by the virus after cracking down on restaurants and bars ignoring restrictions over the Fourth of July weekend… Newsom said that state agents from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control visited close to 6,000 restaurants and bars during the holiday weekend. In addition, officials from the Division of Occupational Safety and Health contacted 440,000 other businesses to ensure they heeded the tougher restrictions on indoor activities for most of the state…

“The changes come amid growing concern about Newsom’s response to the outbreak, including sometimes-harsh critiques in the San Jose Mercury News and the Sacramento Bee in recent days… State Sen. Steven Glazer (D-Orinda) said Newsom reopened the state too quickly… Newsom on Monday refuted that…”

It appears that Newsom, in order to refute the criticism against him, wants to resort to even more autocratic and dictatorial destructive measures… with the exception, of course, of Napa Valley wineries. Newsom’s mandates systematically destroy the entire Californian economy. Californians should be able to see what is really going on. But do they?

Coming… Civil War in the USA?

The Drudge Report linked to the following article by shtfplan from July 7:

“In my view, it is clear that the political left has gone so far off the rails into its own cultism that there is no coming back. There can be no reconciliation between the two sides, so we must separate, or we must fight… War is probably inevitable…

“… the political left is a tool for a greater agenda. They are being used as a weapon of chaos by globalist interests. This is not ‘conspiracy theory’, this is a conspiracy fact. Millions of dollars have poured into Antifa and BLM related groups… Globalist institutions like these have been influencing the extreme left and promoting identity politics for DECADES… The reason for the agenda should be obvious: Chaos creates fear. Fear creates division and crisis. And, crisis creates opportunity… the extreme left is going to start a war because that’s exactly what the global elites created them for…

“A civil war that will tear America apart… When the left comes for us (and they will), the fight has to be won by us, not government. We cannot hand even more power to government in the name of security. We cannot become the fascists the leftists accuse us of being…

“Furthermore, I am not convinced there will even be an election in November. With pandemic lockdowns surely returning as infections spike once again… voting in a traditional fashion will be difficult or restricted in some states. And, mail-in or digital ballots will not be accepted by most conservatives because of their history of being used to rig election outcomes… If Trump ‘wins’, or delays the election, the left will riot and a civil war will be triggered. Conservatives will have to deal with the violence of the left while also dealing with the potential for martial law (which we cannot tolerate or support either)… if Trump is still in the White House in 2021, get ready to fight back against leftist mobs as well as martial law measures… If Biden enters the White House, expect him to immediately implement unconstitutional policies including medical tyranny, gun confiscation, and martial law. Either way, it ends in war…”

Sadly, this is exactly what may happen.

Terrible Consequences of Coronavirus Restrictions in Israel

Breaking Israel News reported on July 6:

“A [special] report on the situation in Israel… which covers March to May 2020… reviews the condition of 4,800 teens who suffer from emotional anxiety, eating disorders, depression, mental crises, severe loneliness and have even made suicide attempts. There was also a sharp increase in reporting of verbal and sexual violence among the youth compared to previous year. The situation also pushed more youths into drinking alcohol and taking drugs… The guidelines for lockdown may be dangerous for those for whom the home is not a safe place…

“The number of homeless teens who were thrown out of their family homes rose 47% above the 2019 figure… while those who fled from their homes numbered 145. The number of teens who tried to kill or seriously injure themselves was 231. A total of 143 had an encounter with the police. The prevalence of eating disorders (anorexia and other types) rose by 50%. The number of teens who contacted ELEM because of anxiety increased by 43%, because of hunger 13%, loneliness 29%, physical and/or verbal violence at home (up 7%, a 70% rise compared to the same period in 2019) and sexual violence (almost twice that of 2019).”

The curse of governmental dictatorship.

Australia Closes Borders

Reuters wrote on July 4:

“The border between Australia’s two most populous states will close from Tuesday for an indefinite period as authorities scramble to contain an outbreak of the coronavirus in the city of Melbourne… The decision announced on Monday marks the first time the border between Victoria and New South Wales has been shut in 100 years. Officials last blocked movement between the two states in 1919 during the Spanish flu pandemic…

“The move will, however, likely be a blow to Australia’s economic recovery as it heads into its first recession in nearly three decades. The number of COVID-19 cases in the Victorian capital of Melbourne has surged in recent days, prompting authorities to enforce strict social-distancing orders in 30 suburbs and put nine public housing towers into complete lockdown.”

We received the following report from our minister in Australia, Paul Niehoff:

“Starting from tomorrow night, all of Melbourne goes into six weeks of lockdown again. We can only go out for shopping, work if unable to work from home, exercise and medical reasons. Food must be take-away. Fortunately masks are not necessary. Panic buying has begun again even though there is absolutely no shortage of food or toilet paper. This time we can go fishing, boating or surfing and even play golf or tennis, but must not go to regional Victoria. We are not allowed to have visitors, but intimate partners are allowed to visit, which is interesting. We still hope to attend the Feast but at the moment it is wait and see.”

“As for the country, mostly only Australian citizens are allowed to come here and on arrival must go into hotel quarantine for fourteen days at government expense.”

Trump: 99% of Coronavirus Infections Totally Harmless

Times of Israel wrote on July 5:

“The president repeated his claim that the high number of cases found is a result of a high test rate among the population. ‘Now we have tested almost 40 million people,’ Trump said. ‘By so doing, we show cases, 99% of which are totally harmless. Results that no other country can show because no other country has the testing that we have, not in terms of the numbers or in terms of quality.’”

Of course, the left-wing mass media attacks Trump because of his comments to one end. The question is, who is right.

The Sun wrote on July 8:

“Donald Trump has waged war against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s ‘impractical’ school reopening policies a day after slamming Dr Anthony Fauci. Trump railed against the guidelines released last week by the CDC and revealed on Wednesday morning that he plans to meet with the federal agency about their ‘expensive guidelines.’”

Deliberate Falsification of Covid “Cases”?

Dr. Ron Paul wrote on July 6 in the Ron Paul Institute:

“On July 2nd, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order mandating the wearing of face masks across the state, whether indoors or outdoors, when six feet cannot be maintained between people. In the governor’s decree, he cited a rise in Covid cases, a rise in test positivity, and a rise in hospitalizations as justification to force people to cover their faces in public.

“The move is not only a violation of the civil liberties of all Texans. Abbott may have based his executive order on inaccurate information about a ‘rise’ in Covid cases due to the Texas State Department of Health Services changing the definition of what constitutes a ‘Covid case.’

“Thanks goes to Collin County Judge Chris Hill for blowing the whistle on what appears to be a move in mid-May to redefine what was a ‘Covid’ case to open the door to a massive increase – all to match the mainstream media line that a ‘second wave’ was on the way. In a Commissioners Court hearing for Collin County on May 18th, it was revealed that while previously the determination of a Covid ‘case’ was a confirmed test result, the definition was suddenly changed to count ‘probable’ cases as ‘cases.’ At the same time, the threshold for determining ‘probable’ was lowered to a ridiculous level.

“As Judge Hill said at that May 18th meeting, ‘If you have a subjective fever and you have a headache and you live in Collin County, you now meet the qualifications to be a probable COVID patient. It is remarkable how low the standard is now.’ Even worse, once a ‘probable’ case was determined based on possibly unrelated subjective criteria, up to 15 people in possible contact with that ‘probable’ case were also listed as ‘probable cases.’ And ‘probable cases’ were considered cases. Repeat that farce across Texas and is it any wonder there was a ‘spike’ in ‘cases’?

“Also, Governor Abbott’s claim that hospitals were being over-run by Covid patients was refuted by the Houston hospital directors themselves, who said they were nowhere near actual capacity and in fact were about the same level as they were last year… It is encouraging to see so many local and county officials across Texas announcing they will refuse to enforce Governor Abbott’s unconstitutional face mask order…

“The ‘second wave’ is driven by propaganda. Across the country, Covid testing increased from about 150,000 to more than 700,000 per day. You can’t drive through Houston without seeing a flurry of signs advertising ‘Free Covid test! Results in 15 minutes!’ Last week Reuters reported that tests shipped around the country by the federal government were contaminated.

“Deaths from coronavirus – even the deaths ‘with’ coronavirus rather than deaths ‘from’ coronavirus – are down more than 90 percent since the peak in April. The decline in deaths continues. That means we are closer to the ‘herd immunity’ that will finally kill this virus. Yet Governor Abbott and others across the country see this as a reason to lock the country back down.”

Wow! But will anybody listen and THINK in the light of the ongoing mass-media propaganda, claiming the exact opposite?

Trump’s Remarkable 4^th of July Speech

Breaking Israel News wrote on July 5:

“US President Donald Trump gave a historic speech at Mount Rushmore on Saturday celebrating America’s Independence Day. His Fourth of July address invoked God in many instances including the right to life for babies in the womb saying: ‘We believe in equal opportunity, equal justice, and equal treatment for citizens of every race, background, religion, and creed. Every child, of every color — born and unborn — is made in the holy image of God.’

“The president also lauded the Judeo-Christian values that the nation was founded on noting: ‘We are proud of the fact that our country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, and we understand  that these values have dramatically advanced the cause of peace and justice throughout the world… We know that the American family is the bedrock of American life’…

“And as rioters and vandals are now toppling statues, President Trump issued a dire warning that ‘Those who seek to erase our heritage want Americans to forget our pride and our great dignity, so that we can no longer understand ourselves or America’s destiny. In toppling the heroes of 1776, they seek to dissolve the bonds of love and loyalty that we feel for our country, and that we feel for each other. Their goal is not a better America, their goal is the end of America.’”

Trump also said that we will only kneel in front of God.

The Guardian wrote on July 4:

“[Trump also said:] ‘We are now in the process of defeating the radical left, the Marxists, the anarchists, the agitators, the looters, and people who in many instances have absolutely no clue what they are doing… ‘We will never allow an angry mob to tear down our statues, erase our history, indoctrinate our children or trample on our freedoms … We will teach our children to cherish and adore our country so they can build its future. Together, we will fight for the American dream.’ Trump pointedly said ‘our way of life’ began in 1492 ‘when Columbus discovered America’. Statues of Christopher Columbus have been toppled along with those of Confederate generals during several weeks of protest…”

Deutsche Welle added on July 4:

“The United States is ‘witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, indoctrinate our children,’ President Donald Trump said… ‘In our schools, our newsrooms and even our boardrooms, there is a new far-left fascism,’ he said…”

That is true in many other parts of the Western World as well.

The 4th of July 2020 Experience

The Associated Press wrote on July 4:

“It was the worst of times. It was the weirdest of times. It was a season of sickness and shouting, of defiance and tension, of industrial-strength falsehood and spin. It was a moment of ugliness and deep injustice… many things make this particular Fourth of July different.

“It comes after millions of Americans have been forced to [be] stuck at home [for months], in some cases losing their jobs, being economically stressed, fearing a horrifying death, feeling both trapped and unable to access the ‘normal’ life they remember…  Many are dead. Many more are confused. Many are deeply angry at each other and at the system. Many are terrified. Many have simply had enough…”

Very true.

In Defense of John Wayne

 Fox News wrote on or about June 30:

“John Wayne’s son is speaking out after California Democrats in Orange County recently demanded that the county’s John Wayne Airport be renamed and all likenesses of Wayne be removed from the airport, over ‘racist and bigoted statements’ made by the American icon decades ago…

“In a statement to Fox News on Monday, Ethan Wayne said: ‘Let me make one thing clear — John Wayne was not a racist… There is no question that the words spoken by John Wayne in an interview [with Playboy] 50 years ago have caused pain and anger… They pained him as well, as he realized his true feelings were wrongly conveyed… The truth is, as we have seen in papers from his archives, he did not support “white supremacy” in any way and believed that responsible people should gain power without the use of violence…

“‘Those who knew him, knew he judged everyone as an individual and believed everyone deserved an equal opportunity… He called out bigotry when he saw it. He hired and worked with people of all races, creeds, and sexual orientations. John Wayne stood for the very best for all of us — a society that doesn’t discriminate against anyone seeking the American dream… [It] would be an injustice to judge him based on a single interview, as opposed to the full picture of who he was… One thing we know – if John Wayne were here today, he would be in the forefront demanding fairness and justice for all people… He would have pulled those officers off of George Floyd, because that was the right thing to do…’”

The hypocrisy of the BLM movement and many of those politicians and celebrities supporting it is beyond description.

No More Master Bedrooms?

The Daily Mail wrote on July 4:

“The term ‘master bedroom’ will no longer be used by dozens of estate agents in England due to its allusions to sexism and slavery. Agents across London and the south will ditch the term in order to appeal to younger, socially conscious buyers. They will instead be introduced to the ‘primary’ or ‘principal’ bedroom reported The Times.”

According to Express, dated July 6, “the famous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes has been denounced as a racist in the wake of the Black lives Matter movement.” The paper asks: “So will his statue be next to be toppled?”

When insanity rules…

Germany’s Condemnation of Israel—a Day of Shame

Breaking Israel News wrote on July 5:

“… the ‘grand coalition’ consisting of the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democrats (SDP), along with the Free Democrats (FdP) from the opposition… vote[d] on a non-binding resolution to condemn Israel over plans to extend sovereignty over Israeli-controlled areas in the West Bank/Judea and Samaria, a [move] often dubbed ‘annexation.’ The debate was symbolically timed on the day from which Israel could execute the move (but hasn’t yet) and in which Germany assumed the presidency of the Council of the European Union…

“Marcel Goldhammer, a journalist with both German and Israeli citizenship [protested the move, saying:] ‘Germany killed 6 million Jews in World War II, in the Holocaust, and now Germany wants to tell Israel how to defend its security’… He also slammed Germany’s alleged funding of NGOs that support or excuse Palestinian terrorism, saying, ‘Shame on you!’

“The only political opposition came from the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD), which abstained from the motion largely on the grounds that Germany shouldn’t tell Israel what to do…”

Germany’s Hypocritical Bundestag

The Jerusalem Post added on July 4:

“The mass-circulation Bild paper blasted the German parliament on Friday for its condemnation of the Jewish state for seeking to exercise sovereignty over disputed parts of the West Bank. ‘Commentary on the decision against Israel’s policy: ‘You treat friends differently,’ read the headline of the editorial by Louis Hagen. ‘The Bundestag discussed internal borders in Israel. It is grotesque. Because the outcome of the debate was already certain. The Bundestag presents Israel as a threat to stability in the Middle East. It warns that Israel’s actions have “significant effects on the peace process,”’ wrote Hagen. ‘What peace does Israel endanger? There is no peace in the Middle East that could be endangered,’ he added. ‘As long as Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas and all the other neighbors from Syria to Jordan want to more or less wipe the Jewish state off the map. As long as the “moderate” Palestinian government in the West Bank pays terrorists life-long pensions.’

“The editorial declared that ‘unfortunately, we only hear the voice of the German Bundestag when it comes to criticizing Israel. Human rights violations by the Palestinians, in Iran, in Syria, in Egypt – one hears very little of that… We needed a clear commitment to our deep friendship and solidarity with the only democracy in the Middle East. What has now been decided is an embarrassing pretense and not a friendly act. Friends are treated differently,’ the editorial concluded.

“The Bundestag has not condemned Turkey for its occupation of North Cyprus, China for its occupation of Tibet, and Russia for its annexation of Crimea…”

Deep down inside, Germany is NO supporter of Israel OR the Jewish people… and it has never been.

In These Times of Conflict, Europe Must Boost Its Defense

The Parliament Magazine wrote on July 6:

“Addressing Parliament’s Security and Defence Subcommittee, [French Armed Forces Minister Florence] Parly said the newly-created European Defence Fund (EDF) needed sufficient funding to help boost Europe’s defence… Parly said, ‘Europe should not just be an assembly of building blocks but a real force and for this we need the European Defence Fund… That is why France, Germany, Spain and Italy have written to the High Representative Josep Borrell because we need an ambitious EDF more than ever… A peaceful Europe is not a given and we see threats to our security every day. There are considerable conflicting forces at the gates of Europe including increasing tensions between the US and China, and the erosion of treaties – all of this taking place at a time of great instability… The security situation has considerably worsened in our neighbourhood, including in Turkey and Libya… ‘We cannot hide the fact we are not happy with Russia’s role in Libya…

“Parly, in a reference to a possible ‘European Army’, said, ‘we must be able to act together. Yes, we must not forget national interests, but we need to make sure we are able to react together. For example, we have 17 different types of tanks in Europe while the US has just one. We could, and should, better pool our efforts on resources like this… Germany is a key partner and one of the countries which are really committed to building European defence and ambitious projects. I am sure it will live up to these expectations…’

“Committee chair Nathalie Loiseau, a French RE member, said… ‘Conflicts have not abated but increased and Europe has been targeted by fake news campaigners and cyber-attacks. EU-US tensions have taken hold and all this has plunged us into uncertainty. But Europe must not be a mere observer to such events but be at the table and step up its level of ambition on security and defence.’”

A European army is coming… the handwriting IS on the wall… but most are too blind to see it.

Conscription to Be Reintroduced in Germany?

Deutsche Welle reported on July 7:

“The German parliament’s new center-left military commissioner wrongfooted a number of her colleagues on Saturday by calling for the reintroduction of conscription. It had been a ‘big mistake’ to get rid of mandatory military service in 2011, Eva Hoegl, a Social [Democrat] (SPD) told the Funke Media Group… Högl immediately won support from… Germany’s biggest far-right party. This was the ‘first meaningful proposal by the SPD for many years,’ said Rüdiger Lucassen, the Alternative for Germany’s (AfD) defense spokesman. ‘Now all she has to do is convince her own party and the CDU,’ he said.

“The conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was indeed in an awkward position. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party traditionally supports the Bundeswehr and long held on to the need to continue conscription… The CDU’s defense spokesman Johann Wadephul offered a cautious welcome for the general idea of re-opening a debate on military service…

“German men were forced to serve in the army from the age of 18 but could claim moral objections to military service, and opt to do civilian national service instead. Conscription was introduced in postwar Germany, with the idea of  ‘citizens in uniform’ serving as a bulwark against extremist tendencies.”

Russia and China Combine Forces in Opposition to Trump

CNN wrote on July 5:

“Russia and China have effectively re-aligned the coming world order. They… both took advantage of uncertainty and unpredictability that Trump has helped create… This past week…  Putin has effectively been made President for life, as Xi has moved equally ruthlessly, taking control of Hong Kong through a new national security law, while telling US allies Canada, Australia and the UK to keep out of China’s internal affairs.

“Both seem to be of the view the US has neither the will nor the consistency to put up resistance. Indeed, Trump’s White House gave evidence of exactly that this week, floundering for a coherent response to allegations Russia paid the Taliban to kill US forces in Afghanistan. The Russian Embassy in Washington and the Taliban have both denied the claims…

“Only this week German Chancellor Angela Merkel… appeared to reject Trump’s China tactics, saying ‘only together can the 27 EU member countries have enough weight to achieve ambitious deals with China.’…

“Hong Kong’s new National Security Law, promulgated in Beijing this week and immediately enforced on the territory’s streets, is a game changer. According to the UK, it breaks the 1984 joint Sino-British declaration of one country-two systems….”

A powerful MILITARY collaboration of Far Eastern nations—including Russia and China, and probably others, including Japan, India, Pakistan, the Philippines and South and North Korea—is prophesied.

China Threatens the UK

The Guardian wrote on July 2:

“China has said it will take countermeasures against the UK should it grant residency to Hongkongers fleeing a harsh new national security law, promising that the UK would ‘bear all consequences’. On Thursday, senior Chinese officials said the UK had no right to give residency to Hongkongers in response to Beijing forcing a sweeping anti-sedition law on the territory… Zhao’s comments came after the UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, said he would honour a promise to offer nearly 3 million residents of the former British colony… the right to settle in the UK…

“[China said:] ‘The UK has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or right of “supervision” over Hong Kong.’…

“On Thursday, the Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, said his country was working on a scheme to provide a safe haven to Hong Kong residents after China’s ‘very concerning’ decision…

“The UK foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, has admitted there is little Britain can do to ‘coercively force’ China if it tries to block Hongkongers from coming to the UK….

“But the scale of the UK’s coming diplomatic challenge was highlighted when China claimed 53 countries had put their names to a Cuba sponsored statement at the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday supporting the Chinese government’s new security laws in Hong Kong. The UK had touted the support of 27 mainly European and Asian countries. China’s support group included 15 African countries, left and right wing autocracies and a smattering of the Gulf monarchies normally close to the UK. The list underlined how the UK has lost sway in Africa over the past 5 years to China. Many of the European countries that did back the UK did so nervously fearing criticism of China might lead to a trade backlash…

“The security law in Hong Kong… criminalises a broad swathe of behaviours deemed as secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. Critics say the law gives authorities sweeping new powers to crack down on dissent and a new level of Chinese control over the semi-autonomous territory.”

The UK should have never given up Hong Kong, but it was prophesied to happen.

Putin Mocks American Rainbow Flag

Times of Israel wrote on July 4:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday mocked a rainbow LGBT pride flag hung from the US embassy in Moscow [to celebrate Pride Month in June], suggesting it reflected on the orientation of the diplomats…

“Putin on Friday signed amendments to the constitution backed by a national vote that include a clause on marriage being between a man and a woman, aimed at preventing legalization of gay unions. The president said Friday however that Russia does not discriminate against people on the basis of sexual orientation. He said a law banning promotion of homosexual relationships to minors, which he signed in 2013 to a storm of international condemnation, aimed simply to prevent the ‘foisting’ of such relationships on children. The law has been used as a pretext to ban gay pride events…

“The British embassy in Moscow also flew a rainbow flag…”

Note the shameful contrast expressed in the next article—shameful for what is happening in Germany.

Incredible! German Pastor Charged with Incitement for Anti-Homosexual Comments!

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 2:

“A Protestant pastor in the German city of Bremen has been charged with incitement for comments he made about homosexuality, authorities said. The pastor allegedly described homosexuals as criminals and homosexuality as ‘a form of degeneration of society,’ the dpa news agency reported. ‘It makes people insecure, destroys civilization and culture,’ he allegedly said and also warned about the existence of a so-called ‘homolobby.’

“The pastor made the controversial remarks at a seminar in October on the subject of marriage. An audio recording of the seminar was available online for several months on the social media platform YouTube. It has long since been taken down.

“Prosecutors considered some of the comments to be examples of criminal incitement, arguing that they disturb public peace and incite hatred towards a group based on sexual orientation. Authorities also said the comments were an attack on human dignity.

“In his defense, the pastor denied referring to homosexuals when he spoke of criminals. Instead, he claimed to be talking about ‘militant aggressors’ who have attacked and defamed the church. Following the incident, the Bremen Evangelical Church distanced itself from the comments and launched disciplinary proceedings against the pastor.”

Homosexual pedophiles ARE criminals, and the practice of homosexuality IS called an “abomination” in the Bible. Germany’s Protestant Church in Bremen does not stand as a beacon for the values of God.

UN Security Council Calls of Global Ceasefire, with the Support of Pope Francis

CNA wrote on July 5:

“Pope Francis applauded the United Nations Security Council Sunday for its recent resolution calling for an immediate global ceasefire amid the coronavirus pandemic… The ceasefire resolution applies to conflicts in Yemen, Syria, Libya, South Sudan, and Congo… It demands ‘a durable humanitarian pause for at least 90 consecutive days’ to ensure that medical and humanitarian aid will reach those in need as the coronavirus continues to spread. The 15 countries that make up the Security Council passed the resolution July 1 after months of disagreement between China and the United States…

“The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres first called for a global ceasefire on March 23 with Pope Francis echoing this appeal the following week… [The Pope said:] ‘May Mary, the humblest and highest of creatures, implore from God wisdom of the heart for us…’”

Mary, the “humblest and highest of [God’s] creatures”??? Also, the UN words and resolutions for a global ceasefire are meaningless.

After Queen Elizabeth II… Charles or William?

Geo News wrote on July 4:

“Queen Elizabeth II has reportedly turned down calls for Prince William to take over the throne after her instead of his father Prince Charles. According to royal expert Victoria Arbiter, many in the United Kingdom are longing to see the Duke of Cambridge become the next King before Prince Charles after the abdication of Her Majesty…

“Simon Vigar, a correspondent to Channel 5 however, claimed that despite being in-demand, the monarch would never allow that to happen. ‘The Queen doesn’t believe in breaking the rules, she does not want Charles to step aside when she passes. William doesn’t want that to happen,’ he said…  William’s youth, charisma and his modernization of the monarchy make him one of the most popular and admired members of the British royal family.”

Will there even be another king in the UK before the Great Tribulation starts? And if so, will it be Charles or William?

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

In the previous five instalments, we wrote about the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes, the elders, and the institution of the Sanhedrin. In this installment, we will be discussing additional influential groups at the time of Jesus, as spoken about in the Bible and also in archeological and historical records, namely the Essenes, the Zealots (and in passing the tax collectors) and the Herodians.

The Essenes are not mentioned directly in the Holy Bible. However, their existence has been well established, and from what we know about them, it is clear that they would have been at odds with Jesus, His teachings and His practices. Contrary to the opinion of some “experts,” Jesus was most definitely NOT a member of the sect of the Essenes.

The Essenes have been described as a “Jewish mystical sect somewhat resembling the Pharisees… They originated about B.C. 100, and disappeared from history after the destruction of Jerusalem” (M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition).

The Smith’s Bible Dictionary says this about the Essenes:

“It seems probable that the name signifies seer, or the silent, the mysterious… There were isolated communities of Essenes, which were regulated by strict rules, analogous to those of the monastic institutions of a later date. All things were held in common, without distinction of property; and special provision was made for the relief of the poor… Slavery, war and commerce [trading] were alike forbidden. Their best-known settlements were on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea.”

The Wikipedia Encyclopedia states:

“The Jewish historian Josephus records that Essenes existed in large numbers, and thousands lived throughout Roman Judaea … The Essenes lived in various cities but congregated in communal life dedicated to voluntary poverty, daily immersion, and asceticism (their priestly class practiced celibacy).  Most scholars claim they seceded from the Zadokite priests… The Essenes have gained fame in modern times as a result of the discovery of an extensive group of religious documents known as the Dead Sea Scrolls, which are commonly believed to be the Essenes’ library. These documents preserve multiple copies of parts of the Hebrew Bible untouched from possibly as early as 300 BCE until their discovery in 1946.”

The Encyclopaedia Britannica adds that “The Essenes, a quasi-monastic dissident group, probably [included] the sect that preserved the Dead Sea Scrolls. This latter sect did not participate in the Temple worship at Jerusalem and observed another religious calendar, and from their desert retreat they awaited divine intervention and searched prophetic writings for signs indicating the consummation.”

We should note that the Dead Sea Scrolls do not contain many Old Testament passages, while including other writings which were not inspired.  About 40% are copies of texts from the Hebrew Scriptures. The books of Esther and Nehemiah were not included at all. Approximately another 30% are texts from the Second Temple Period which ultimately were not canonized in the Hebrew Bible, like the Book of Enoch, the Book of Jubilees, the Book of Tobit, the Wisdom of Sirach, Psalms 152–155, and others.

It has been claimed that the biblical writings contained in the Dead Sea Scrolls are completely identical with the Hebrew Bible, as we have it today, but that is not true. There are differences, and we must not replace the Bible with the Dead Sea Scrolls.  As we pointed out in previous instalments, God used the scribes to preserve the Hebrew Bible, not the Essenes.

The Early Church by Henry Chadwick, pages 13-14, adds the following comments:

“They were a rigidly separatist society… Their life was frugal… Although they did not condemn marriage as wrong, they expected full members of the community to be celibate.   They practiced very frequent ritual washings, and had a sacred common meal to which the uninitiated were not admitted…”

Josephus wrote in “The Jewish War” that the Essenes “ritually immersed in water every morning and studied the books of the elders, preserved secrets, and were very mindful of the names of the angels kept in their sacred writings.” Wikipedia adds that “Their theology included belief in the immortality of the soul and that they would receive their souls back after death.” They also believed apparently in the coming of two Messiahs. PBS informs us that “Some of their writings talk about a Messiah of David that is a kind of kingly figure who will come to lead the war. But there’s also a Messiah of Aaron, a priestly figure, who will come to restore the Temple at Jerusalem to its proper purity and worship of God.”

Jesus did not belong to the Essenes. For example, Quora.com points out that Mark 7 “records an incident in which Jesus is challenged by the Pharisees because some of his followers do not wash their hands [in a ritual way] before they eat…The Essenes were even stricter about handwashing than the Pharisees, so a lack of concern over this issue reveals a very un-Essene-like philosophy.” In addition, Jesus did believe in trading and commerce (Matthew 25:14-16), and He did not uphold the concept of secluded “monasteries” (He sent His disciples into the world); and He upheld the Hebrew calendar. The apostle Paul, reflecting the teachings of Christ, spoke strongly against “asceticism” (Colossians 2:21) and the “worship of angels” (Colossians 2:18). Both Christ and Paul rejected the concept of mandatory celibacy (Hebrews 13:4; 1 Timothy 4:3).  They most certainly did not believe in the immortality of the soul (Matthew 10:28). Some feel Jesus had at times encounters with the Essenes. If so, it is obvious that such encounters would not have manifested substantial agreement between them.

Another group at the time of Christ were the Zealots.

thorncrownjournal.com states:

“The New Testament speaks little of the friction between Rome and the Jews. We do know that one of Jesus’ disciples was a [former] zealot. The zealots favored armed rebellion against Rome. They believed that God would deliver Israel with the sword. Their reasoning went back to the days of David. When there was a gentile problem, what did David do? He got out his sword and dealt with it, and God was on his side. Surely, God would raise up a new Son of David who would do the same.”

We hasten to add here that David SINNED when he fought in war. Regarding this often-misunderstood truth, please read our free booklet, “Should YOU Fight in War?” and our free booklet, “Obeying God Rather than Men.”

Continuing with the quote from the above-mentioned source:

“It is interesting that one of Jesus’ disciples, Simon, was a zealot (Luke 6:15, Acts 1:13). Considering the fact that Jesus opposed violent rebellion against Rome, many probably wondered why Jesus would choose such a fellow. The irony increases when we add the fact that Matthew was a tax collector. Tax collectors were very much in league with Rome. There were probably no two groups of Jews in Palestine who hated each other more than the tax collectors and the zealots. Yet, Jesus chose one of each. Most people probably would have been afraid that these two fellows would kill each other. The Lord wasn’t. He knew the kingdom of God was more powerful than the hatred of men. The very fact Jesus chose two men so opposite in their worldviews was a demonstration of its power.”

God’s Word First states this:

“The term ‘zealot’ in Hebrew means one who is zealous on behalf of God. The term derives from Greek (zelotes), ‘emulator, fanatic, admirer or follower.’ Zealots were known in the time of Jesus as religious fanatics who defended the Law of Moses and… the national life of the Jewish people relentlessly opposing any attempt to bring Judea under the dominion of idolatrous Rome… radicalized zealots were a dangerous, unorganized, unpredictable sect… More like revolutionists, many members of this party bore also the name Sicarii, from their custom of going about with daggers (‘sicæ’) hidden beneath their cloaks, with which they would stab anyone found committing a sacrilegious act or anything provoking anti-Jewish feeling…

“The Zealot sect traces its roots back to the Maccabean revolt about 150 BC, about the same time the Pharisees began. The Zealots objected to Roman rule and violently sought to eradicate it by generally targeting the Romans, their Jewish collaborators, and the Sadducees, by raiding for provisions and other activities to aid their cause…

“Some of the more notorious were untrustworthy as they were known to take monetary bribes from the enemy to back off and at times do evil to their own people under deception in order to incite them to engage in action, riot or war whatever the prevailing situation might warrant…”

The Encyclopaedia Britannica adds that the Zealots “were aggressive revolutionaries known for their violent opposition to Rome and its polytheisms.”

Regarding Simon the Zealot, amazingbibletimeline.com states the following:

“The apostle named Simon the Zealot was mentioned only four times in the Bible, and the Synoptic Gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke) named him as one of the Twelve ([Matthew] 10:4; Mark 3:18; and Luke 6:15). Readers find him again in the book of Acts (1:13) after the death of Jesus and his ascension to heaven where Simon and his fellow apostles gathered together to elect a replacement for Judas Iscariot… In some versions of the Bible, Matthew 10:4 and Mark 3:18 (NRSV) both mentioned him as ‘the Cananaean,’ while Luke tagged him as ‘the Zealot’… Why he was nicknamed as ‘the Zealot’ is still being debated… Perhaps he was involved at some point in his life with the Zealots, a group of nationalistic Jews (sometimes bordered on fanatical) who actively sought independence from Roman rule. They—along with the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Idumeans—actively participated in the Roman-Jewish War of the 1st century. It was unclear whether Simon participated as a fighter for them or that he was simply a religious enthusiast.”

The Bible does not report any encounters between Jesus and the Zealots, but it is clear that they would have known each other (Simon the Zealot being one of His first disciples), and their philosophies on violence, war and peace were diametrically opposite. As we point out in our above-mentioned booklets, Jesus NEVER resorted to violence, and He never preached that we should be engaging in violence in any way (John 18:36). Jesus was most certainly not a zealot, as Herod and Pilate recognized (Matthew 27:24; Luke 23:4, 14-15; John 18:38). He had to teach His disciples, however, not to engage in violence either (Matthew 26:51-53). For some of them, this was more difficult to understand than for others, and contrary Jewish influence and traditions had to be eradicated in all of them.

Another group with whom Jesus did have encounters, according to the Bible, were the Herodians.

Wikipedia tells us:

“The Herodians (Herodiani) were a sect of Hellenistic Jews mentioned in the New Testament on two occasions — first in Galilee, and later in Jerusalem— being hostile to Jesus (Mark 3:6, 12:13; Matthew 22:16; cf. also Mark 8:15, Luke 13:31-32, Acts 4:27). In each of these cases their name is coupled with that of the Pharisees who began to plot against Jesus in response to his actions in healing on the Sabbath day, and drew the Herodians into their conspiracy.”

The Jewish Encyclopedia adds about the Herodians:

“Priestly party under the reign of King Herod and his successors; called by the Rabbis ‘Boethusians,’ as adherents of the family of Boethus, whose daughter Mariamne was one of the wives of King Herod, and whose sons were successively made high priests by him. They followed the Sadducees in their opposition to the Pharisees, and were therefore often identified with the former…  According to the Gospels, their plot against the life of Jesus was supported by the Pharisees… wherefore Jesus warned his disciples, saying ‘Beware of the leaven [i.e., the teaching] of the Pharisees and of the leaven of Herod’ (Mark viii. 15; Matt. xvi. 6 has ‘Pharisees’ and ‘Sadducees’)…”

Some claim that the Herodians were a religious party, while others contend, perhaps more accurately, that they were strictly public political supporters of King Herod the Great. As such, they had strong teachings, which were detrimentally opposite to Jesus’ teachings, as we will see.

Wikipedia tells us that “Like the Pharisees, the Herodians wanted political independence for the Jewish people. Unlike the Pharisees, who sought to restore the kingdom of David, the Herodians wished to restore a member of the Herodian dynasty to the throne in Judea.”

gotquestions.org adds:

“The first appearance of the Herodians in Scripture is Mark 3:6, ‘Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.’ Jesus had been doing miracles, which caused some of the people to believe in Him for salvation, and that threatened the power and position of the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Herodians. The Herodians again joined with the Pharisees to challenge Jesus, to see if they could trap Jesus in His words by a trick question, to either discredit Him or to get Him to stop preaching (Matthew 22:16).

“Jesus regarded the two groups as in unity against Him and warned His followers against them… Many scholars believe that the Herodians looked to Herod as a messiah, a savior of sorts who would put the Jewish land in favor with the Roman Empire and bring blessings to them. Jesus’ presentation of Himself as the Messiah was a threat to the Herodians’ attempt to make Herod the influential political power in the land.”

Christ was also rejected by the Herodians because He did not engage in politics, in support of King Herod or any other human ruler. Even though He taught to pay taxes and not to engage in violent rebellion against the government, He did not “accommodate” Herod (who wanted to kill Him and whom He called a fox; Luke 13:31-32) when He was asked to perform miracles for Herod’s entertainment (Luke 23:8).

Conclusion

In this series, we have looked at the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Scribes, the Elders, the Sanhedrin, the Essenes, the Zealots and the Herodians. There were other religious groups at the time of Jesus, but these were the principal players at that time.

J C McRuer states:

“Whatever may have been the theological and philosophical differences between the Pharisees and Sadducees [and the other groups which we discussed herein],  Jesus’ early ministry arrested the attention of the leaders of both [rather, all] parties. They saw in His teaching new concepts of human values and human obligations – concepts that, if allowed to take root and grow, would destroy not only much of the power they wielded in religious [and political] affairs, but many of the vested interests which were the source of their great wealth.  From the early days they were united in one thing – the determination that Jesus’ ministry should be of short duration…

“In the synagogues of Galilee, Jesus’ voice was heard as one with a mission. ‘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) were strong words, revolutionary words, revolutionary words that preached rebellion not against the power of Rome but against special privilege in everything religious.  He was a humble man, a carpenter’s son. To the crowds that came to hear him he taught as a man of astonishing knowledge and as one who had authority – not as their scribes.”

In “From Sabbath to Sunday” by Samuele Bacchiocchi, we read the following on page 34:

“Our story provides a fitting example of this prevailing perversion, by contrasting two types of Sabbath-keepers.  On the one side stood Christ ‘grieved at the hardness of the heart’ of his accusers and taking steps to save the life of a wretched man (Mark 3:4-5). On the other side stood the experts of the law who even while sitting in a place of worship spent their Sabbath time looking for faults and thinking out methods to kill Christ (Mark 3:2,6). The contrast of attitudes may well provide the explanation to Christ’s questions about the legitimacy of saving or killing on the Sabbath (Mark 3:4), namely that the person who is not concerned for the physical and spiritual salvation of others on the Sabbath is automatically involved in destructive efforts or attitudes.”

This sums up the massive difference between the approach of Jesus Christ and the religious (and political) leaders nearly 2,000 years ago and what our Saviour had to contend with during His earthly ministry.

It is interesting to note that while the common denominator of the different religious (and political) groups at that time was the destruction of Jesus, there was apparent disunity between the various sects of Judaism at that time on many other issues. Today, we have disunity between the very many different groups in mainstream Christianity, all of whom have considerable differences with apostolic Christianity which is the basis for the understanding of the true Church of God.

It is also an interesting exercise to review the religious environment that Jesus was born into, and His teaching seemed revolutionary to many at that time. It was certainly in sharp contrast to the mainstream Judaic beliefs, and this was deemed to threaten the position and standing of the ruling religious elite.

In the end, they seemed to have succeeded when Jesus was crucified but, instead of that being the end of His teaching, it was, in fact, just the beginning as we see down through the events of the last 2,000 years.

However, the same sort of situation is also prevalent today. The true Church of God which teaches apostolic Christianity without any additions or deletions is criticised and accused by the mainstream churches of today. What an apt comparison that is, but nothing really changes!

When Jesus Christ does return to set up the Kingdom of God on earth (not in heaven as many mainstream churches seem to believe), the people of God, baptised faithful and loyal spiritually begotten members of the Church that Jesus founded nearly two millennia ago, will become born-again members of the God Family. They will teach the truths during the Millennium which have generally been discarded today and seen as in error by mainstream Christianity, which itself is full of errors and syncretism and, at last, “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (Habbakuk 2:14).

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

compiled by Dave Harris

Our newest booklet, “Obeying God Rather Than Men,” has been translated into German and was sent to Germany for printing. Title in German: “MAN MUSS GOTT MEHR GEHORCHEN ALS DEN MENSCHEN.”

“California’s Ongoing Persecution of Churches,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Unconstitutional governmental restrictions in California, pertaining to Church services, are violating our religious liberties and freedoms and oppose the commands and injunctions of Almighty God. Some politicians, Church members and faith leaders are decrying Governor Gavin Newsom’s ban on singing in houses of worship, while others don’t seem to understand or are puzzled and confused. So what are Christians supposed to do?

“Wird Russland Berlin zerstören?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Will Russia Destroy Berlin?”

“Mit beiden Füssen” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermonette, presented by Michael Link. Title in English: “Both Feet In.”

“Die Familie,” is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Robert Muhr. Title in English: “The Family.”

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

Why is it important for us as Christians to do our best at whatever we choose to do? What can we do to dedicate ourselves in our lives?

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

“Examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Don’t you understand that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless, of course, you fail the test” (2 Corinthians 13:5 CEB).

The YouTube channel for the Church of the Eternal God presents past videos for StandingWatch programs along with sermonettes, sermons and promotional videos. These are also available on our website: www.eternalgod.org.