On May 11, 2024, Michael Link will present the sermonette, titled, “Stay Consistent!” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Why Will Many Church Members Not Be Protected at the Place of Safety?”

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.

PLEASE NOTE: We will not publish another Update until May 30, 2024, due to our annual Church Conference.

We Christians live our lives in this world. Christ, in His prayer to the Father in John 17:9-18, states that we are living here and that our task is to remain apart from the evil one—by the power of God. He also mentions that our sanctification is in being set apart by the word of Truth. 

Christ lived His life with God at the center. Nothing He did or said or thought was in opposition to God. NOTHING! Multiple times He stated that He didn’t speak on His own authority but on the Father’s. Notice John 12:44-50: “Then Jesus cried out and said, ‘He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

The only way for Christ to have lived His life perfectly in this world is by doing exactly what He said He did—never once taking His eyes off of God or the task for which He was sent.

We have the same opportunity that Christ had. We have been called to be here at this point in time, living our lives and accomplishing those things that God has set in motion for us. There is a purpose for us to be here now. We need to understand and keep that in mind at all times—like Christ did (compare 2 Peter 1:10-11: “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ).

How many times have we read Matthew 6:33—and yet I wonder how many of us truly understand what is being asked of us? Notice: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” 

Our righteousness is useless! It is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6)! It is not our righteousness that we need to seek—it’s God’s! 

Seeking God first takes an enormous amount of letting go—letting go of one’s own desires and outcomes and turning everything over to God. We want to remain in control (or at least think we have control), but the Truth is that without Christ leading in our lives—showing us the way, leading, guiding and directing, we will inevitably end up following our own wants and desires and serving that which is NOT useful or good. 

Can we trust Christ to lead us? That is a question that is being asked of each of us. The answer lies in how we live our lives, in how we think, what we say, and our actions or reactions. 

We can trust Christ to lead us in good directions (Colossians 1:9-29). We can trust Him to show us how to live this life because He has already done so (Hebrews 4:14-16). We can also have faith that Christ is faithful even when we are not (2 Thessalonians 3:3-5). 

There is something truly remarkable that should come with a life that is centered around Christ. Christ mentions it in John 14:27 where He tells us: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

There are so many things in this life that we can be worried about. Stress is growing in the world all around us! Christ stated that the world would be in upheaval before His return. This cannot cause us to stumble. We have to be rooted in our Way of Life and lean on Christ, so we can stand and not be afraid—no matter WHAT happens to us. 

Philippians 4:6-7 states: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

This can only truly happen when we allow Christ to lead us. The challenge for us daily is to figure out and understand if we are allowing Christ to lead in our lives! Note Ephesians 5:15-17: “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

by Norbert Link

We begin with explosive events in and pertaining to the Middle East; address violent student protests against Israel in the USA; the insane worldwide increase in military spending; and Europe’s preparations for World War III.

Please view in this regard our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Europe Is Preparing For Worldwide Nuclear War!”

We address the “embarrassing” New York State lawsuit against Trump which “stinks to high heaven” and “shames the USA”; speak on the issue of immunity for a US President; a show trial in Germany similar to the fake trials against Trump; Trump’s “blasphemous” Bible; and modern Sodom and Gomorrah in America.

We conclude with a proposed new American law regarding “antisemitism,” which has already been approved by the House, but which could very well threaten the expression of the Christian faith of the Bible.

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

Israel Moves Into Rafah

The Associated Press wrote on May 7:

“Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city…

“The U.N. warned of a potential collapse of the flow of aid to Palestinians from the closure of Rafah and the other main crossing into Gaza, Kerem Shalom… The Israeli foray overnight came after hours of whiplash in the Israel-Hamas war…”

Rafah Not the End

Israel Today wrote on April 30:

“As signs of an imminent IDF operation in Rafah intensify, there is growing concern that Israel will unnecessarily exercise self-imposed restraint by acting with insufficient force, so as not to upset the Biden administration, the Egyptians, or the ICC prosecutor at The Hague. Meanwhile, Hamas is exploiting the prolonged waiting period and preparing well for the ground operation in this sector, which will undoubtedly pose complex operational challenges for the IDF…

“The Rafah operation will not complete the task of decisively defeating Hamas. Even after it is over, much more work, and a deeper impact, will be needed inside the territory before Hamas’s remaining capabilities are destroyed and a new reality emerges. This was also the case following ‘Operation Defensive Shield’ 22 years ago. It will not be quick and easy…”

Netanyahu To Be Blamed?

Newsmax wrote on April 30:

“Former President Donald Trump heaped criticism on Benjamin Netanyahu, saying the Israeli prime minister has been ‘rightfully criticized’ for Iranian-backed Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack.

“Trump said the attack, in which at least 1,200 Israeli civilians were massacred and about 250 others taken hostage, should never have happened and blamed Netanyahu for not seeing it coming… ‘They have the most sophisticated equipment. They had — everything was there to stop that. And a lot of people knew about it, you know, thousands and thousands of people knew about it, but Israel didn’t know about it, and I think he’s being blamed for that very strongly. And now you have the hostage situation.”…

“Trump was a staunch supporter of Israel during his presidency — he recognized Jerusalem as the nation’s capital, moving the U.S. embassy there; approved of Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights; and backed the historic Abraham Accords peace agreement between Israel and several Arab nations. But he said he had a bad experience with Netanyahu regarding the killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani via a U.S. drone strike at an Iraqi airport in January 2020. ‘As you probably know by now, he dropped out just before the attack,’ Trump said. ‘And I said, “What’s that all about?’ Because that was going to be a joint [operation] and all of a sudden, we were told that Israel was not doing it. And I was not happy about that. That was something I never forgot. And it showed me something.”’”

Trump also reacted angrily when Netanyahu immediately congratulated Biden as the next President while Trump attempted to question the election result. It is untrue that Israel knew or could have known ahead of time exactly when and how an attack by Hamas would occur. It is therefore unfair to blame Netanyahu in this regard.

EU States to Recognize Palestinian Statehood

The Cradle wrote on April 29:

“The EU Foreign Policy Chief, Joseph Borrell, said on 29 April that several EU member states are anticipated to recognize Palestinian statehood by the end of May… including Ireland, Malta, Spain, and Slovenia…. Other EU states, including Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria, have already recognized the state of Palestine.

“… Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat… wrote on social media that ‘Recognition of a Palestinian state following the October 7 massacre sends a message to Hamas and the other Palestinian terrorist organizations that murderous terror attacks on Israelis will be reciprocated with political gestures to the Palestinians.’…

“Earlier this month, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that Madrid would recognize Palestine by the end of July, adding that other western nations would follow suit without giving specifics… Israeli officials have made known their opposition to a two-state solution, with one claiming, ‘A two-state solution after what happened on October 7 is a reward to Hamas.’…

“The majority of UN member states, 140 to 53, recognize the state of Palestine…”

Biden Throws Israel Under the Bus

JNS wrote on April 28:

“Former U.S. senator and presidential candidate Rick Santorum told JNS that U.S. President Joe Biden is willing to abandon Israel to secure victory in the 2024 presidential election. ‘To him, it’s all about winning elections, and he is willing to throw Israel under the bus,’ Santorum told JNS… in Budapest, Hungary on Friday. ‘The Biden administration has been anything but supportive of Israel. It has done the bare minimum to keep some sort of lid on the outrage that would come from America if it didn’t support Israel,’ he added.

“The U.S. State Department’s top Middle East diplomat Barbara Leaf reiterated on Wednesday that… the Biden administration has not given approval to an IDF military operation in Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, where four of Hamas’s six remaining battalions are entrenched… Earlier this month, Biden called on Israel not to ‘move on Haifa,’ apparently confusing the northern Israeli city with Rafah…

“Biden ‘has not just attacked Israel, he also directly attacks… Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on national security issues when everybody else would be doing the exact same things’ in Netanyahu’s position, said Santorum. ‘President Biden is doing everything he can to pressure Israel into doing things that are not in their national security interests. He is doing everything he can to support Iran as being the power in the Middle East,’ he added.”

US Withholding Weapons From Israel

Breitbart wrote on May 7:

“The U.S. withheld certain bombs from Israel to prevent their use in an attack on Hamas battalions in the town of Rafah… The Biden administration opted to pause a shipment of some 3,500 bombs to Israel last week because of concerns the weapons could be used in Rafah… The decision to pause the shipment and consider slow-walking others is a major shift in policy for the Biden administration and the first known case of the U.S. denying its close ally military aid since the Israel-Hamas war began… Critics of Biden’s decision have argued that withholding weapons that Congress has already authorized, absent any finding of human rights violations by Israel, is unconstitutional and violates the Impoundment Control Act of 1974.”

The New York Post wrote on May 9:

“President Biden said Wednesday that ‘I’m not supplying the weapons’ if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu moves forward with a full attack on the Hamas-controlled city of Rafah — before signaling he wants Israel to surrender the Gaza Strip’s transitional administration to Arab states…

“Biden [said] the arms denied to Israel could expand to artillery shells as well — before saying that he was in talks with five Arab leaders about [Arab nations] potentially occupying Gaza after Israel defeats Hamas, which could conflict with Jerusalem’s plans to administer the area… It’s unclear if any Arab states actually would want to administer Gaza, which was controlled by Egypt until the 1967 Six-Day War — though Cairo has since relinquished its claims.”

Turkey to Cut All Trade With Israel?

Express wrote on May 2:

“Turkey has announced that it will halt all trade with Israel as tensions worsen over the war in Gaza… Israel’s Foreign Minister Katz said that any attempts to block imports and exports would be breaking agreements, and labelled Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He wrote on X: ‘This is how a dictator behaves, disregarding the interests of the Turkish people and businessmen, and ignoring international trade agreements.’…

“Turkey’s trade ministry said on social media: ‘This decision will remain in place until Israel declares a ceasefire immediately and allows adequate and uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.’”

No Two-State Solution

Israel365News reported on May 2:

“In a recent interview with Time magazine, former President Donald Trump said, ‘I’m not sure a two-state solution anymore is gonna work…There was a time when I thought two states could work. Now I think two states is going to be very, very tough.’ ‘We are grateful to President Trump for expressing the view of the pro-Israel community and coming out against the reckless pursuit of the two-state solution,’ said Rabbi Tuly Weisz, founder of Israel365 and a member of the Keep God’s Land leadership committee. ‘Biden has repeatedly used October 7th as an excuse to pressure Israel into accepting a Palestinian terror state, when that would simply be a gross reward for terrorism.’…

“‘Trump is a true friend not only of the State of Israel but of truth and a sense of historical justice that the land of Israel belongs to the people of Israel. The statement of former president Trump corrects a historical injustice of American administrations that promoted the dangerous so-called “two-state solution”’, said Yossi Dagan, head of the Shomron Regional Council. “This statement is important, and I call on other leaders to join…’

“International attorney and Chairman of Republicans Overseas Israel Mark Zell said, ‘Many have questioned where President Trump stands now on Israel, the Palestinians and Judea & Samaria.  I have consistently maintained that he is rock solid on these issues just as he was in the White House…’

“Many have speculated that a second Trump term would bring significant changes to America’s relationship with Israel, and recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.”

Israel’s Minimal “Retaliation”

Reuters reported on April 19:

“Israel launched a strike on Iranian soil on Friday… in the latest of the tit-for-tat exchanges between the regional arch foes whose long-running shadow war has broken into the open.

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed his country would respond after Iran fired drones and missiles at Israel on April 13. Tehran’s action, its first-ever strike on Israel, had been in retaliation for a suspected Israeli air strike on Tehran’s embassy compound in Damascus on April 1.”

The New York Post published on April 21 the following article by John Bolton, former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, 2018-19, and US ambassador to the United Nations, 2005-06.

“With Israel facing overwhelming pressure from President Biden, its… retaliation against Iran was an exercise in minimalism… Biden muscled Israel’s war cabinet but bent his knee to our mutual adversaries in Iran, revealing by this unforced error crippling weakness in the White House.. Our global adversaries, especially Moscow and Beijing, must have marveled at Biden’s sophistry, which sadly rises to the level of Lenin’s scorn for “useful idiots.”…

“Israeli and US missile defenses were not as fully tested as first thought. Largely unnoticed, The Wall Street Journal and CBS reported that half of Iran’s 120 ballistic missiles failed, either at liftoff or before being shot down. If true, out of 320 Iranian projectiles, Israel’s missile defenses faced only around 60 ballistic missiles, plus 30 cruise missiles and 170 much-slower drones… if Iran launches more properly functioning missiles next time, we may not be so successful.”

Israel to Stop Iran and Its Proxies

The New York Post wrote on April 19:

“Post-Oct. 7, Jerusalem is intent on peeling back these threats and eliminating them. That includes destroying Hamas’ remaining four battalions in Rafah alongside their command-and-control leadership. [They] will not be deterred from completely destroying Hamas.

“Hezbollah is next… Netanyahu is determined to drive Hezbollah away from its northern border… Hamas and Hezbollah, however, are only heads of a hydra. Israel is also determined to destroy the Hydra itself — the IRGC [Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps]…

“Yet Israel’s fights with Hamas, Hezbollah and the IRGC are not its most important fights vis-à-vis Iran. Khamenei’s rapidly expanding nuclear-weapons program remains Jerusalem’s overarching existential threat… At the moment, Tehran is only theoretically just days from a nuclear breakout, not weeks or months…

“Jerusalem’s biggest strategic challenge in first containing and then eliminating Iran as a regional and existential threat is the White House. President Biden and his national security team still believe they can negotiate with Tehran.  Biden’s permissive environment and ever-present fears of escalation are thwarting Israel’s efforts to decisively win against Iran.

“Israel needs Biden to lean into winning this war against Khamenei… If not, ultimately, Israel will have no choice but to go it alone and militarily take out Iran’s nuclear program — if not Khamenei’s regime itself, as well.”

“Levites Tune Up For the Third Temple”

Israel 365 News wrote on April 26:

“A group of about two dozen Levites gathered in the Old City to practice their singing while wearing garments designed for use by the Temple musicians in the Third Temple… The Levites also blew silver trumpets that had been prepared for use in the Third Temple…’

“In the Bible, the tribe of Levi included Moses and Aaron. Kohanim (priests) are descendants of Aaron and his descendants became a subset of the tribe of Levi. The other members of the tribe were chosen by God to forfeit their portions of land in Israel and to serve in the Temple. The Levites performed various functions in the Temple including guarding and serving all the musical needs. ‘

“Jewish communities are scrupulous about perpetuating the status of the Levites, which is passed from father to son. Only Jewish men whose fathers were Levites are considered eligible…”

Blinken: Anti-Israel Protests Hallmark of American Democracy

Reuters and Die Algemeiner wrote on April 26:

“US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that ongoing protests at US universities over Israel‘s war in Gaza are a hallmark of American democracy, but criticized what he called the ‘silence’ about Palestinian terrorist group Hamas…

“During the campus protests, which have spread across the US and picked up support in other countries, students and even some faculty have expressed support for Hamas, called for Israel’s destruction, and even threatened to target Jews on campus.”

What Blinken pretends not to understand is that these antisemitic demonstrations are in support of Hamas.

Majority of Young Americans in Support of Hamas

The Algemeiner wrote on April 19:

“A greater proportion of young Americans [18-29] sympathize with the Palestinian people and government than with the Israeli people and government, while almost one in five sympathize with Hamas and a growing number want the US to end or reduce its alliance with the Jewish State, according to a new poll…. while 52 percent of young people sympathize with Israelis, 56 percent sympathize with the Palestinian people…

“… a majority of young people [18-25] have said they believe Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack was justified on the basis of legitimate grievance. Another poll found 51 percent said that Israel should be ‘ended’ as a country and ‘given to Hamas and the Palestinians.’”

Violent Student Protests

Newsmax wrote on May 1:

“What does Joe Biden have to say about the rowdy student protests against Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza that have rocked American college campuses in recent weeks? Almost nothing. The president has so far avoided the contentious subject as it is likely to complicate his reelection campaign.

“The 81-year-old Democrat, who will face Republican Donald Trump in November’s presidential election, has publicly addressed the demonstrations only once and briefly, even as students have clashed with police and several hundred people have been arrested at universities across the country…

“Biden’s reluctance to weigh in on the biggest and most prolonged unrest to rock U.S. campuses since the Vietnam war protests of the 1960s and ’70s has not gone unnoticed by Trump. ‘There’s a big fever in our country, and he’s not talking,’ the 77-year-old tycoon said Wednesday during a campaign rally.

“Trump urged college presidents to ‘remove the encampments immediately, vanquish the radicals and take back our campuses.’ As for the demonstrators at Columbia University, he called them ‘raging lunatics and Hamas sympathizers.’”

Subsequently, the New York Post wrote on May 2:

“President Biden broke 10 days of silence about pro-terror anarchy on college campuses Thursday, saying the US is not a ‘lawless country’ and ‘order must prevail’ while acknowledging the right to peaceful demonstrations — and rejecting calls to bring out the National Guard. Biden, 81, spoke for three-and-a-half minutes in the White House Roosevelt Room after taking sustained criticism for or his lack of public comments as chaos raged across the country…

“The president has a long-held aversion to protests… but has tried to avoid antagonizing anti-Israel activists as polls show the conflict risking his re-election prospects in battleground states such as Michigan.”

It’s all about votes and election!!!! Meanwhile, antisemitic and at times violent protests and demonstrations continue throughout the USA, and also in Europe. Subsequently, Biden gave another speech on May 7, condemning antisemitism and violence. However, his actions against Israel do not support the contents of his speech. 

Antisemitism in America Just Like in Germany in the 1930s

Breitbart wrote on April 24:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video Wednesday blasting antisemitism on American college campuses, saying the atmosphere had become like Germany in the 1930s, and calling on leaders to do more to fight it.

“Netanyahu was responding to a wave of radical anti-Israel and antisemitic protests at Columbia University and other college campuses… In a two-minute address in English, Netanyahu — who graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the campuses engulfed by radical protests today — warned about the historic precedents for today’s protests. ‘Antisemitic mobs have taken over leading universities,’ Netanyahu said. ‘They call for the annihilation of Israel. They attack Jewish students. They attack Jewish faculty. This is reminiscent of what happened in German universities in the 1930s.’

“He called the responses of several university presidents ‘shameful,’ adding that ‘more has to be done.’…

“Funding for the protests is reportedly coming from a variety of radical sources — including, according to the UK Daily Mail, Democratic Party mega-donor George Soros. The Wall Street Journal also reported this week that the protests fit a strategy promoted by Hamas and other Iran-backed groups to undermine western support for Israeli security…”

Foreign Aid Package and Johnson’s Betrayal

Breitbart wrote on April 20:

“Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) delivered President Joe Biden a $61 billion gift on Saturday afternoon, reversing his months-long pledge to never advance foreign aid without first securing America’s border….

“Johnson, once again, violated the Hastert Rule. Only 101 Republicans voted with Johnson, while 112 — a clear majority — opposed.”

Under the Hastert rule, the speaker is not to allow a floor vote on a bill unless a majority of the majority party supports the bill. Dennis Hastert explicitly adopted the majority of the majority rule after becoming Speaker of the House.

Clarifications on the Foreign Aid Package for Ukraine and Israel

Newsmax wrote on April 22:

“[Regarding the adopted and signed] $95 billion… aid package for Ukraine ($60.84 billion), Israel ($26 billion) and the Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan ($8.12 billion)…,  “80% of the Ukrainian funding will go to the replenishment of American weapons and stocks and our facilities and our operations,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Saturday.”

What hypocrisy!

Verhofstadt’s Attack on Conservative Americans

Breitbart wrote on April 21:

“One of the most ardent supporters of the war in Ukraine, former Belgian Prime Minister and current member of the European Parliament, Guy Verhofstadt beamed: ‘America is back where it should be: Supporting Freedom.’ [He] added: “But I will for my life never forget that in the Republican group – the party of Reagan – a majority of 112 traitors voted against!”

“Verhofstadt… has increasingly used bombastic rhetoric against American conservatives during the Ukraine war… [he called] for an EU travel ban to be imposed on American journalist Tucker Carlson for having the temerity to interview Russian strongman Vladimir Putin. Verhofstadt also called for the EU to impose sanctions on Carlson for supposedly being a “propagandist for the Russian regime”.

Dangerous men like Verhofstadt are on the rise in Europe.

Worldwide Military Spending Soars to Record High

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 22:

“The global defense budget saw its largest yearly increase in 14 years in 2023, according to the think tank SIPRI. Russia’s war in Ukraine, the China-Taiwan crisis and other global conflicts played a significant role… top spenders such as the United States, China and Russia [were] ratcheting up their military budgets.

“Military spending is up in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Oceania and North and South America. It’s the first time since 2009 that annual spending has increased in all geographical regions… Countries across Europe spent another year fearing security threats from Russia. Poland increased its military spending the most of all European countries, by 75% from 2022, to $31.6 billion in total…

“It’s likely… military expenditures in 2024 will once again find an increase in spending…

“[Niklas Schörnig, a political scientist at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt] said he had a pessimistic outlook… He said he also hoped the United States and China could negotiate to keep the regional conflict with Taiwan under control. Even if they could, he said, ‘this current geopolitical situation is like a powder keg…’”

A powder keg ready to explode…

Poland Ready For Nuclear Weapons

Politico wrote on April 22:

“Polish President Andrzej Duda said Poland is ‘ready’ to host nuclear weapons on its territory if NATO decides to reinforce its eastern flank… ‘If our allies decide to deploy nuclear weapons as part of nuclear sharing on our territory as well, in order to strengthen the security of NATO’s eastern flank, we are ready for it,’ he added…”

Arming EU with Nuclear Weapons

Breitbart wrote on April 28:

“President Emmanuel Macron has been accused of undermining French sovereignty and military deterrence after the head of state ‘opened the debate’ about creating a common European defence armed with nuclear weapons.

“In an interview published on Saturday evening with the Ebra group of regional French newspapers, Mr Macron said per Le Figaro: ‘I am in favour of opening this debate which must include anti-missile defence, the firing of long-range weapons, nuclear weapons for those who have them or who have American nuclear weapons on their soil.’ ‘Let’s put everything on the table and look at what truly protects us in a credible way,’ he continued, but maintained that France would keep ‘its specificity but is ready to contribute more to the defence of European soil’.

“‘Being credible also means having long-range missiles that would deter the Russians. And there is nuclear weapons: French doctrine is that we can use them when our vital interests are threatened. I have already said that there is a European dimension to these vital interests,’ the president said…

“… while the French leader was initially a proponent of peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow and appeared to be hesitant to broaden the conflict, he has since recast himself as one of the leading hawks in Europe, similarly calling for a ‘debate’ about sending NATO troops into Ukraine.”

Even though the mass media may portray it differently, Macron has many supporters in other European countries. And then there is Trump. Note the next article.

If Trump Is Elected

The Friday Times wrote on May 1:

“In the European Parliament elections, Macron asserts that far-right parties espouse a pacifist stance, whereas globalists are perceived to be driving the world towards war….

“The potential for a right-wing victory in the European parliamentary elections has prompted concern among the US and UK governments. They are uncertain about the nature of the European policy that will emerge, particularly in Germany and France… Germany… has decided to renew its army at this point and has increased its war budget. This is because Germany has the greatest industrial, financial and economic power in the EU.

“Germany’s decision to meet with the President of Turkey during this critical period suggests that it views Turkey as the closest ‘neighbour’ to Germany in terms of Europe’s prosperity and reliability. Turkey’s military capabilities and the development of military technology, its underground energy resources and energy grid, and most importantly, its strategic location between Europe and Asia, make it a country of significant geopolitical importance. And so a meeting was held between the President of Germany and the President of Turkey…

“Should Trump prevail in the forthcoming US presidential election, he will inevitably instruct Germany and Europe to curtail economic relations with China… Europe is understandably concerned about the potential implications of a Trump presidency. Upon assuming power in the United States, Donald Trump will find that Europe, particularly Germany, will be placed in a quandary between China and the United States…. the European Parliament, the US elections, and Trump’s rhetoric of ‘making America great again’ will all contribute to the emergence of a predominantly economic-oriented struggle that will have far-reaching implications…

“It can be reasonably presumed that preparations for war are underway. One can observe that intelligence and espionage activities have increased on all sides. It is to be expected that economic disputes will intensify…”

Europe’s Populist Parties on the Rise

The Sun wrote on April 30:

“Just look at the latest election forecasts across Europe. While centre-left, green, and liberal centrist parties look set to suffer significant if not major losses, an assortment of national populist and ultra-conservative parties look set for major gains.

“In France, Marine Le Pern’s lead in the polls is growing… In Italy, Giorgia Meloni’s party is still dominant, as is Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party in Hungary. In Germany, the Alternative for Germany is still in second place [even though there was a perhaps temporary decrease in popularity] while Belgium’s Flemish Interest also looks set for major gains.

“In Austria and the Netherlands, the Freedom parties are likewise topping the polls while in Sweden the Sweden Democrats, which just launched its election campaign with the slogan ‘My Europe Builds Walls’, a reference to the ongoing refugee crisis, is effectively already the kingmaker in Swedish politics.

“Contrary to all those columnists and commentators who routinely like to dismiss populism as a refuge for pensioners, it’s actually now drawing considerable support from the young. In Germany, for example, a… new study of some 2,000 young people, aged between 14 and 29, found that 22 percent of them plan to vote for the national populist Alternative for Germany, compared to only nine percent two years ago… In France, for example, at the most recent presidential election, the under-35s were more likely than the over-35s to vote for Marine Le Pen, who is also targeting disillusionment with the country’s disastrous experiment with mass immigration.

“Like their parents and grandparents, many younger voters are profoundly worried about what mass immigration, the ongoing refugee crisis, and the spread of radical Islamism mean for the future of their liberal societies, including their hard-won rights for women and same-sex couples. In fact, another recent study found that populist parties are now winning much higher levels of support among LGBT people than they did in the 2000s, many of whom are also deeply concerned about how, if at all, their crucial rights will be maintained if radical Islamism continues to assert itself across Europe…

“… in America, Donald Trump is making major inroads among Latino, Hispanic, and African American voters who are utterly fed-up with the woke left and how Joe Biden has completely lost control of their southern border. While Trump is still leading Biden in six of the seven battleground states that will decide the election in November, many minority voters have watched in horror as elites demand utterly ludicrous policies like ‘defunding the police’, or going soft on crime and drug addiction in major cities, all the while knowing it won’t be them who have to suffer the consequences of these decisions…

“And as Europe’s rapidly approaching elections will almost certainly reveal, until elites pull their heads out of the sand by both acknowledging and addressing these concerns, the populist wave that’s now engulfing the old parties and politicians will only continue to get bigger and bigger.”

France to Send Troops Into Ukraine?

The Sun wrote on May 2:

“FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron has declared he will send his countries brave troops to Ukraine if Putin breaks through the frontline. If French troops are deployed to Ukraine it could be the biggest sign of Nato resistance so far… Macron made the… declaration during an interview where he said sending across troops would become a ‘legitimate’ course of action should Kyiv ask for any help. He made it clear that if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ever made a request for back-up then he would feel obliged to help…

“If France was to send their troops into Ukraine’s backyard then it could cause major issues within Nato. The French would prove to be the first set of troops with Nato links to step up to Putin’s war machine and go head-to-head with the Russian army… The reason why it could cause a potential major issue is as Article 5 in Nato’s handbook states that all members are obliged to defend each other if there is an attack. Russia[ns] are thought to be well aware that if they attack and kill French troops then it could draw in UK, German and even US troops into the battle.”

German Conservatives Vote For Compulsory Military Service

Barron’s wrote on May 7:

 “The German conservatives on Tuesday voted in favour of restoring compulsory military service as the country aims to revive its army in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The CDU-CSU alliance, currently Germany’s largest opposition party, approved a motion tabled by its youth wing at a party conference calling for a temporary return to conscription.

 “The conservatives have already pledged to introduce a year of compulsory community service for young people, which could be completed in the army or by working in civil society. But the youth wing argued this would take too long to introduce and put forward a period of compulsory service for a limited number of people…”

All would be evaluated, and some of those would be drafted. Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius seems to support a similar concept.

Lawsuit Against Trump “Stinks to High Heaven”

Newsmax wrote on April 23:

“Former Arkansas Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee told Newsmax on Tuesday that former President Donald Trump’s ongoing criminal trial in New York City is a ploy by Democrats ‘to attack a political opponent using the gears of government.’… ‘Trump has the uncanny ability to control the news cycle, no matter what else is going on,’ Huckabee said. ‘Joe Biden can barely mumble his way through a response to a question if he takes them at all, and he usually takes them from pre-arranged reporters.’…

“Huckabee went on to say that ‘a lot of people’ watching Trump’s criminal trial over alleged attempts to hide payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, are unconvinced of the former president’s guilt. He implied that the ongoing legal cases against Trump might actually win him support from voters. ‘I think a lot of people are watching this trial in New York and they’re saying, “Let me see if I get this right. Hillary Clinton clearly was involved in trying to rig the 2016 election by the phony Steele dossier that resulted in the complete fabrication of a story called the Russia hoax, and somehow that was fine. She never got really accused or charged with anything,”’ Huckabee said.

“He continued, ‘Donald Trump is sitting in a New York courtroom for a charge that doesn’t even fit in New York and already had run the statute of limitations. They had to make up a legal strategy in order for this to even go to trial and I think people are saying this is a clear attempt by the current administration to attack a political opponent using the gears of government, and it stinks to high heaven.’”

Breitbart wrote on April 22:

“Fox News legal analyst Jonathan Turley said Monday on Fox News Channel’s ‘America Reports’ that former President Donald Trump’s New York trial for allegedly falsifying business records is an ‘embarrassment.’

“Turley said, ‘… The fact that we are actually talking about this case being presented in a New York court room leaves me in utter disbelief… You had this misdemeanor under state law that had run out… They zapped it back into life by alleging that there was a campaign finance violations under the federal laws that doesn’t exist…’”

A Sham Trial That Shames America

The New York Post published on April 16 the following commentary by Piers Morgan:

“There are many reasons to criticize Donald Trump… But one thing you can’t say about Trump is that he’s a bad father… So, I can only imagine how both he and his youngest son, now 18, must have felt when the judge in Trump’s unprecedented criminal trial suggested yesterday that he could be jailed if he tries to skip a day in court, even if it’s to be at Barron’s graduation from Oxbridge Academy in Palm Beach on May 17…

“In the annals of American presidential history, has there ever been a cheaper, more demeaning, and utterly pointless attempt to shame and humiliate one of the only 46 men to be President of the United States?

“This whole Stormy Daniels saga is so pathetic… You can have a moral disapproval about it… but the idea that it has now led to a criminal trial where Trump faces up to 10 years in prison is ridiculous. It’s patently obvious that Manhattan’s DA, Alvin L. Bragg, has been driven by political malice… And there’s such a stinking hypocrisy about the way Democrats have tried to destroy Trump for alleged sexual peccadillos. Bill Clinton had sex with an intern in the Oval Office when he was a sitting president and paid $850,000 to settle a case with Paula Jones, who accused him of harassing and assaulting her while he was Arkansas governor.

“Yet I don’t remember Clinton enduring any criminal trial. However, I do remember him attending his daughter Chelsea’s graduation from Sidwell Friends High School in 1997, embracing her off stage after she received her diploma, and then making an emotional speech to all the students speaking of his great pride.

“It’s outrageous that Donald and Barron Trump should be deprived of the same shared experience. Should the moment come next month when Judge Merchan bans him from attending, Trump should ignore him and go to the graduation. If Merchan then tries to jail him for doing what any loving father in America would do in the same situation, Trump will win the election by a landslide.”

Compromised Judge Dismisses Proper Motion For Mistrial in Trump/Stormy Daniels Case

Professor Jonathan Turley wrote on May 8 in the New York Post:

“Judge Juan Merchan… allowed the prosecutors to get into the details of the affair [between Trump and Stormy Daniels] despite the immateriality of the evidence to any criminal theory… The value of the testimony was entirely sensational and gratuitous, yet Merchan was fine with humiliating Trump… The most maddening moment for the defense came at the lunch break when Merchan stated, ‘I agree that it would have been better if some of these things had been left unsaid.’

“He then denied a motion for a mistrial [based] on the testimony and blamed the defense for not objecting more. That, of course, ignores the standing objection of the defense to Daniels even appearing, and specific objections to the broad scope allowed by the court… Merchan said that he is considering a limiting instruction for the jury to ignore aspects of the testimony… The court was told that this would happen, it happened, and now the court wants to ask the jury to pretend that it did not happen. Merchan knows that there is no way for the jury to unhear the testimony. More importantly, the prosecution knew that from the outset…

“You have a judge who should have recused himself given his daughter’s major role as a Democratic activist and fundraiser. You have a gag order that is allowing a New York Supreme Court justice to regulate what the leading candidate for the presidency may say in an election on the weaponization of the legal system. You have a lead prosecutor, Matthew Colangelo, who not only left the Biden Justice Department to revive this case, but once worked for the Democratic National Committee. You have a case based on two dead misdemeanors shocked back into life by a still mysterious theory of an undefined crime….”

You have an attempt by desperate Democrats to use the “Justice System” to secure a win for Biden and to stop Trump from becoming the next President. 

Trump Held in Contempt

cbs news wrote on April 30:

“The judge… held him in contempt of court on Tuesday for violating a gag order that limits what he can say about those involved in the [New York] case, and warned him that he could be jailed if he violates the order again.

“Judge Juan Merchan said Trump violated the order nine times in recent weeks in posts on Trump’s Truth Social platform and campaign website, many of which targeted Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels, key witnesses in the case. Merchan fined Trump $9,000, or $1,000 for each violation, and ordered him to delete the posts. All nine posts were taken down by Tuesday afternoon.

“The judge announced the ruling from the bench… He wrote that Trump ‘violated the Order by making social media posts about known witnesses pertaining to their participation in this criminal proceeding and by making public statements about jurors in this criminal proceeding.’

“Merchan wrote that New York law doesn’t allow him to impose a fine higher than $1,000 per violation, which ‘unfortunately will not achieve the desired result in those instances where the [defendant] can easily afford such a fine.’ He said a higher fine might be appropriate in those cases, but since he does not have that discretion, the court ‘must therefore consider whether in some instances, jail may be a necessary punishment.’

“He concluded with a warning to Trump: ‘Defendant is hereby warned that the Court will not tolerate continued willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarceratory punishment.’

“[The gag order] barred Trump from commenting on likely witnesses, potential jurors, court staff, lawyers for the prosecution and others connected to the case. The judge later expanded that order to cover his own family members…”

Many legal experts state that gag orders are unconstitutional. This is especially true for the gag order at hand. They also feel that the judge is compromised and biased and should recuse himself. They also feel that imprisonment may lead to mass protests or even civil unrest. Subsequently, Trump was held in contempt again for violating the judge’s ridiculous gag order, ordered to pay another $1,000 fine and threatened with jail for up to 30 days. Trump’s response: “The constitution is more important than jail.”

The Pervasive Hypocrisy of the Federal Government

The New York Post wrote on April 24:

“Hypocrisy is Washington, DC’s lifeblood, so it was a nice change when DC Judge Ana Reyes lambasted the Justice Department for instructing two lawyers in its Tax Division to disregard a congressional subpoena in the Hunter Biden investigation, all while it has been zealously prosecuting Trump officials for the very same offense…

“It’s about time someone in authority called out the hypocrisy and egregious double standard permeating every corner of the federal government, and if even a Biden-appointed judge like Reyes can see the problem, you know we’ve reached a tipping point.”

Immunity For the President?

Professor Turley wrote on April 25 in the New York Post:

“There are cliffs on both sides of this case. If the court were to embrace special counsel Jack Smith’s arguments [in the retention of documents case], a president would have no immunity from criminal charges, even for official acts taken in his presidency.

“It would leave a president without protection from endless charges from politically motivated prosecutors. If the court were to embrace Trump counsel’s arguments, a president would have complete immunity. It would leave a president largely unaccountable under the criminal code for any criminal acts… No immunity or complete immunity each holds obvious dangers.”

Breitbart wrote on April 25:

“A majority of Supreme Court justices sympathized with Donald Trump’s attorneys’ arguments that a president does enjoy some level of immunity that endures past the term of office. The court heard oral arguments regarding if Trump is immune from prosecution on charges of attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election, as Special Counsel Jack Smith claims… Smith’s prosecution in D.C. has been on hold until the Supreme Court weighs in, likely in late June…

“There is no indication that a majority of justices would agree some kind of immunity exists that would summarily end the current prosecution. But if there is some type of standard to determine immunity, the usual practice would be to strike the lower court’s opinion and send it back down to the lower court with the test – a remand that undoubtedly would be a victory for Trump’s legal team.

“In further good news for Trump, even the three liberal justices seemed open to there being some level of presidential immunity that endures past the term of office. It is possible those justices concur in part with a decision to implement an immunity test while dissenting in part.”

Depending on what course the Supreme Court takes, a final decision could be delayed in Smith’s document retention case until after the election.

Trial Delayed in Document Case

The New York Post wrote on May 7:

“A federal judge in South Florida scrapped a planned May 20 trial start date in former President Donald Trump’s classified document case — a move that will likely push proceedings back until after the Nov. 5 election… Should Trump succeed in delaying the remainder of his trials until after the election and win back the presidency, he will have the authority to instruct the Justice Department to call off Smith’s prosecutions, an unprecedented intervention by a commander in chief in his own defense.”

Trump’s Take

Newsmax wrote on April 25:

“Former President Donald Trump told Newsmax on Thursday that he had a ‘very good session’ before the Supreme Court during his hearing for presidential immunity.

“Even if he wasn’t allowed to be there. Trump was occupied by his ‘disgraceful’ criminal trial in New York and not allowed to be in Washington, D.C. Trump said… ‘You need presidential immunity to do the right thing. And sometimes you may do the wrong thing. I mean, that’s possible, too… Ideally, you’re going to do all the right things, that includes going to war and ending wars and sometimes starting wars, and you know you have to make very tough decisions as president… But you can’t be criminally tried if you make a mistake…’”

So, true Christians are willing to vote for a president who will have to make decisions to start wars???

German Fake Trial Begins

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 28:

“The first of three trials linked to a far-right coup plot begins in Germany on Monday, with the defendants accused of preparing to commit high treason and belonging to a terrorist organization. All the suspects… were allegedly plotting to overthrow the German government… Some 25 people were arrested and are now in detention awaiting the upcoming trials…

“The alleged military arm of this group is to face court in Stuttgart on April 29. The nine defendants are represented by 22 lawyers, while more than 300 witnesses have been named, including 270 police officers… The alleged ringleader of the ‘Reichsbürger’ group facing charges is Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss, a 72-year-old estate agent from Frankfurt and descendant of an aristocratic family. He was allegedly earmarked for the role of provisional head of a German state by his supporters. His group is accused of planning to storm the German parliament and detaining prominent politicians…

“Reuss’ supporters allegedly fantasized about deploying German army helicopters, flown by soldiers that back their cause. They are even accused of planning a violent takeover of the arms business Heckler & Koch, based in Oberndorf am Neckar, the Bundeswehr’s main supplier of small arms…

“The federal prosecutor’s office says the group was planning a violent coup d’etat and aiming to negotiate a new treaty with the World War Two allies, particularly Russia… Rulings in all three trials linked to the alleged coup attempt of Prince Reuss and his co-conspirators are not expected before 2025.”

Many feel that these trials are conducted to distract from the miserable and incompetent performance of the German government and especially Germany’s unpopular federal minister of the interior, Nancy Faeser. These “trials” and the underlying accusations, which would have to be established by the EVIDENCE, will be similar to the show trials conducted against Trump. In other words, a sham and a farce.

Biden’s Insane Capital Gains Tax Proposals

Newsmax wrote on April 24:

“In his 2025 budget proposal, Biden outlined plans to elevate the top marginal rate on long-term capital gains and qualified dividends to 44.6%. This rate, if enacted, would surpass any seen in over a century… Moreover, the combined federal-state rate could exceed 50% in several states when factoring in state capital gains taxes. For instance, California residents would potentially face a 59% rate, while those in New Jersey, Oregon, Minnesota, and New York could confront rates ranging from 53.4% to 55.3%.

“… capital gains taxes, particularly when not indexed to inflation, impose a form of double taxation and disproportionately affect certain demographics. Small business owners, for example, may find themselves grappling with inflated tax liabilities on gains that are partly attributable to inflation rather than real profit… China, for instance, maintains a capital gains tax rate of 20%, significantly lower than Biden’s proposed rate…

“The history of the capital gains tax underscores the magnitude of Biden’s proposal. Initially introduced in 1922 at a rate of 12.5%, the tax has evolved over the decades but has never approached the proposed levels. Additionally, Biden’s plan includes measures to address tax implications upon inheritance, potentially adding further complexity to the tax code. The proposal to eliminate a stepped-up basis upon the transfer of assets upon death could result in a mandatory capital gains tax event, affecting families’ financial planning and estate management… When someone dies, and the asset transfers to an heir, that transfer itself will be a taxable event, and the estate is required to pay taxes on the gains as if they sold the asset…”

When Christ returns, these insane tax laws will end once and for all.

Trump’s Bible Blasphemous

ChurchLeaders wrote on April 24:

“Pastor Loran… Livingston… argued the fundamental practices of reading the Bible and praying directly affect a believer’s mindset and interaction with the world—including in the area of politics. ‘Some of you bring politics into the church. You think politics is spiritual stuff,’ Livingston said. ‘Don’t be talking to me about my spiritual responsibility to vote. I don’t have a spiritual responsibility to vote. I have a civic privilege… you say, ‘Wow, there’s a Bible out now that includes the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Isn’t that wonderful?’… Livingston replied, ‘No. No, it’s disgusting. It’s blasphemous. It’s a ploy.’

“Recently, former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump began promoting the ‘God Bless the USA Bible.’ The King James Version of the Bible includes copies of the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, and Pledge of Allegiance. Lee Greenwood’s handwritten chorus of ‘God Bless the U.S.A.’ is also included. ‘The gospel is not an American gospel,’ Livingston argued…

“Livingston was appalled that anyone would endorse and purchase such a Bible that prints texts containing the words ‘of the people, by the people, and for the people’ alongside Scripture, which states, ‘of him, by him, through him, and from him… ‘If you glory in that kind of mess, political mess, you do not know what the Word of God says,’ shouted Livingston.”

Politics and religion are a dangerous and poisonous mix.

Drag Queen’s Performance Wrong on Every Level

The New York Post wrote on April 25:

“Video of a drag queen in Massachusetts leading a group of young kids to chant ‘Free Palestine’ has sparked fierce backlash… The encounter, which unfolded at a ‘Queer Storytime for Palestine’ event organized by the Valley Families for Palestine group in Amherst last week, had gone viral by Thursday as outrage mounted…

“Furious critics were quick to point out the hypocrisy of a drag queen touting the phrase given the harsh treatment of LGBTQ people in Gaza… ‘Often times members of the LGBTQ+ community seek refuge in Israel as their lives are endangered and their families excommunicate them. Were these children taught these points?’… ‘If people can’t see that drag queens teaching kids to chant “Free Palestine” is wrong on every level, then they seriously are part of the problem,’ British TV host and politician Nigel Farage raged…

“The organizers of the event had earlier shared a slew of photos on an Instagram account of the young children and their parents watching and smiling as the drag queen performed for them… The group also boasted of the ‘important lessons’ the kids learned during the storytime event….”

LGBT Champions in Scottish Schools

Mail On Line wrote on April 18:

“Scottish primary schools have appointed children as ‘LGBT champions’ and are being encouraged to ask children as young as four if they are gay, lesbian or transgender… A Scottish government spokesman said: ‘We are committed to doing everything we can to make Scotland the best place to grow up for LGBTQI+ young people. This includes funding LGBT Youth Scotland to deliver a range of projects, such as the LGBT Charter programme.’”

The handwriting is clearly on the wall. Scotland, beware!

Biden Blesses Abortion

Israel 365 News wrote on April 28:

“President Joe Biden was on the stage in Tampa when Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried, the state’s former Democratic gubernatorial nominee, went on a rant, slamming an upcoming law restricting abortion to within six weeks of gestation. The president seemed to bless her comments by crossing himself in a Catholic gesture of devotion… Biden went on to ‘blame’ former President Trump, pledging to install abortion as a ‘constitutional right’…

“Rep. Alex Mooney (R-West Virginia), a Roman Catholic… tweeted, ‘Life beginning at conception is not only a religious belief, but a scientific fact.’ ‘Biden’s use of the Sign of the Cross in support of abortion is a disgusting insult toward… Catholics whom he claims as his own,’ President of CatholicVote Brian Burch said…”

Arizona Abortion Law Repealed

The Associated Press wrote on May 1:

“The Arizona Legislature approved a repeal of a long-dormant ban on nearly all abortions Wednesday, sending the bill to Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, who is expected to sign it [which she did subsequently.]

“Two Republicans joined with Democrats in the Senate on the 16-14 vote in favor of repealing a Civil War-era ban on abortions that the state’s highest court recently allowed to take effect. The ban on all abortions — which provides no exceptions for survivors of rape or incest, and only allows for procedures done to save a patient’s life — would still be active until the fall.

“Hobbs said in a statement that she looks forward to quickly signing the repeal, with a ceremony scheduled for Thursday. ‘Arizona women should not have to live in a state where politicians make decisions that should be between a woman and her doctor,’ Hobbs said. ‘While this repeal is essential for protecting women’s lives, it is just the beginning of our fight to protect reproductive healthcare.’”

What about the right and the LIFE of the unborn child?

Abortion and Election

Newsmax wrote on May 1:

“Treading into a topic Democrats use as an election weapon against conservatives, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump warned pro-life conservatives seeking to restrict abortion. ‘Remember this as a politician: You have to have heart, you have to have what your heart determines, and you have to fight for what’s in your heart, and what’s the right thing to do, but remember, you also have to get elected,’ Trump told his Wednesday rally from the Freeland, Michigan, airport tarmac in a speech that aired live…

“Abortion restrictions should not be decided by the unelected Supreme Court, Trump said… Conservative states can be more restrictive and liberal states can be more permissive, but ultimately late-term abortions cannot be allowed under a Supreme Court precedent, Trump said.”

Trump’s stance is unsupportable. When Christ rules this world, crazy elections and desperate attempts to get votes, while willing to compromise, will be a thing of the past. Thank God for that.

“Closing 50 Years of Battle”

The Associated Press wrote on May 6:

“It took just a few days for United Methodist delegates to remove a half-century’s worth of denominational bans on gay clergy and same-sex marriages… The reversals can be seen as marking the end of a half-century of epic battles and schisms over LGBTQ involvement — not only in the United Methodist Church but in U.S. mainline Protestant denominations overall… The nation’s largest Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal and Lutheran denominations have all now removed barriers to LGBTQ participation in the pulpit and at the altar. But this comes amid long-term declines in membership and influence…

“The United Methodist Church was the last of the major U.S. mainline groups to liberalize its policies on sexuality in part because of its large presence in rural, small-town and Southern areas, where a more conservative sexual ethos prevails…”

New Bill Threatens Christian Faith

Lee Fang wrote on May 2:

“The House of Representatives on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to advance a bill that would empower the federal government to crack down on student protests by defining antisemitism in a way that includes certain criticism of Israel. Sponsored by Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican from New York, the bill’s passage reflects a broader national trend…

“All of these laws — federal and state — require government entities to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism… the IHRA definition counts ‘the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis’ as antisemitism… some conservative Christian voices who believe that Jewish contemporaries of Jesus played an integral role in his crucifixion have expressed fear that the IHRA definition could be used to restrict authentic expressions of the Christian faith…

“Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., called the Lawler legislation a ‘ridiculous hate speech bill’ that would empower a new Department of Education speech police. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said the bill ‘could convict Christians of antisemitism for believing the Gospel that says Jesus was handed over to Herod to be crucified by the Jews.’ Former Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., tweeted that the bill is ‘flagrantly unconstitutional under the First Amendment.’ Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., a Jewish lawmaker who represents a district that includes the Columbia University campus, said the bill ‘threatens to chill constitutionally protected speech.’…

“The Lawler bill is now headed to the Senate [for a hot debate]… Several pro-Israel groups support the legislation…”

The Gateway Pundit wrote on May 1:

“Rep. Matt Gaetz also criticized the bill, stating that it disregards the Constitution and the common understanding of words. ‘This evening, I will vote AGAINST the ridiculous hate speech bill called the ‘Antisemitism Awareness Act.’ Antisemitism is wrong, but this legislation is written without regard for the Constitution, common sense, or even the common understanding of the meaning of words,’ Gaetz wrote. ‘The Gospel itself would meet the definition of antisemitism under the terms of this bill! The bill says the definition of antisemitism includes ‘contemporary examples of antisemitism’ identified by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). One of those examples includes: ‘…claims of Jews killing Jesus…’ The Bible is clear. There is no myth or controversy on this…’”

LifeSiteNews added on May 3:

“…the legislation that was rushed through without the normal procedure of allowing debate and amendments… Twenty-one Republicans opposed the bill… Seventy Democrats also opposed the bill…

“[Daily Wire commentator Ben] Shapiro, an Orthodox Jew and Harvard University law school grad, said the bill is ‘obviously unconstitutionally vague,’ on his show Thursday. He also said the New Testament clearly said the Jews did hand over Jesus to Pontius Pilate to be killed… Other conservatives pointed out the bill could punish Biblical beliefs. ‘Did the House of Representatives just make parts of the Bible illegal,’ Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk wrote on X Wednesday night. ‘Yes. The New Testament,’ Tucker Carlson replied….”

Please view our recent sermon from April 23, 2024, titled, “Who Killed Jesus Christ?” 

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

We all face challenges in our daily lives. They may be related to health, our jobs, families, and other areas that are important to us. There are times when it seems that the challenges are raining down as a storm that won’t relent. Despite this, we know that we are not alone in our trials and suffering, and we understand that our brethren, and truly all men, women, and children struggle.

In Matthew 26:39-44, we see a very real human Jesus, praying to the Father to let the cup of suffering pass from Him. We read: ^“He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, ‘What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.’ And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.”

Jesus needed encouragement in what only He and the Father understood to be the beginning of the climax of His human life and His ministry. As is the case with each of us, Jesus was not eager to suffer the path that He knew lay ahead for Him in order to fulfill the plan of the Father. He asked, as we do, for help, for release, but unlike us on some or many occasions, Jesus was absolutely willing to accept the will of God the Father.

In verse 56 of Matthew 26, Jesus tells His followers and those who came to arrest Him that these actions were required. Consider His words: “But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled…”

Jesus exemplifies the perseverance that the Father wants to see from us as we face the challenges that cannot ever compete with what Jesus confronted. This is not to say that enduring trials, hardships, pain, and suffering is easy.

In 2 Corinthians 1:3-6 we can see that God understands that we need His love and the comfort that only He can offer. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.”

If we remember how much that Jesus suffered for us, perhaps we can begin to see how we can endure to face our challenges and run towards God and away from sin. These moments of anxiety and pain may not be made less but considered in the context of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us, our purpose becomes clearer.

The book of Hebrews is interesting in that it serves as an encouragement to the author’s brethren. While the identity of the author is not entirely clear, it has been our conclusion that it was Paul. He makes the case for all of us to live by faith in God and seek the perfection we can only achieve through Him. In Hebrews 12, “The Race of Faith,” and verses 1 and 2, we read: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

How do we as humans incorporate these Scriptures in our lives? We start by working to build discipline in ourselves.

When we lift weights, we know that we do not begin with a 50-pound dumbbell, but we begin with lighter weight, and we steadily move towards our goal. We are striving for a certain degree of perfection in our physical condition. Though we never attain spiritual perfection in our mortal existence, we must work towards this on a pathway. We use discipline, we persevere, and we accept pain. As with the weights, we will have setbacks; but again, in context, true Christians can gain a deeper understanding of our purpose and move forward.

We recognize the discipline of the Father in these challenges. He is not necessarily punishing us, but refining us to become stronger in our faith, and more resilient in our daily lives—that we may live according to His commandments to persevere.  We are to renew our spiritual vitality, and as much as we exercise our bodies, we must strengthen our faith and obedience. In Hebrews 12:12-13, we are counseled accordingly: “Therefore, strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.”

In the Book of Jeremiah, chapter 29, we see how God used His prophet, Jeremiah, to deliver a message to the Israelites who were captive in Babylon and under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar. Surely, they were discouraged, and eager for deliverance, just as Jesus Christ was praying that night in the garden to be spared from the suffering awaiting Him. But just as the cup would not pass from our Savior, God told His people to settle in where He had caused them to be carried away captive. He did not want them to dwell on negative emotions or hostility, but to pray for their captors, and to live their lives and prosper. He wanted them to persevere, be disciplined, and be faithful so that they would eventually be restored to their land. Consider the words of verses 4 through 7: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.”

To answer our initial question: How do we as true Christians persevere and maintain our self-discipline in order to grow in our faith? We’ve considered several Scriptures that show us the pathway. We must always remember the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ and think of the love the Father has for Jesus and for each of us. We use this as our foundation to exercise our faith, study our Bible, lift our spiritual weights, and cling to our relationship with God our Father and Creator.

Lead Writer: Frank Bruno

compiled by Dave Harris

“Europe Is Preparing For Worldwide Nuclear War!” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Can this bold statement in the title be proven? ABSOLUTELY, as this program will show, but many are sound asleep and do not see the handwriting on the wall. The Bible prophesies worldwide nuclear war and identifies Europe, under German leadership, as some of the key players. Listen to the facts establishing that European preparations for war with nuclear weapons “are underway.”

“Europa bereitet sich auf den nuklearen Weltkrieg vor!” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers the same topic as described above.

“Bekämpfe die Krankheit,” the first split sermon presented last Sabbath in Germany by Christoph Sperzel, is now posted. Title in English: “Fight the Disease.” 

“Das Klagen und Murren der Israeliten,” the second split sermon presented last Sabbath in Germany by Thilo Hanstein, is now posted. Title in English: “The Wailing and Murmuring of the Israelites.”

“Clean and Unclean Foods,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Paul Niehoff, is now posted. Here is a summary:

God expects us to be holy as He is holy. Being holy involves us living by His laws and statutes, and included in them are His laws on clean and unclean animals. Obeying these laws, including His dietary laws, helps us to be His special treasure.

“Showing the Greatest Love,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted.  Here is a summary:

Christ gives us many examples throughout the New Testament that show us how important our relationship with God is. Second to this relationship is our relationship with our fellow people and Christians. What does the Bible tell us in regards to how we are to grow in understanding and how to have the best relationships possible?

All other new English and German sermonettes, split sermons and sermons from the last three weeks have also been posted on our Websites.

On, April 13, 2024, Norbert Link will present “Comments on News and Prophecy, April 13, 2024,” and Rene Messier will present the sermon, titled, “Keeping Sin Out.”

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.

PLEASE NOTE: We will not publish another Update until May 10, 2024, due to our observance of the Spring Holy Days:

Passover for 2024 will be observed on Sunday evening, April 21; the first Day of Unleavened Bread is Tuesday, April 23; and the last Day of Unleavened Bread is Monday, April 29, 2024.

Over fifty years ago, I read a book entitled “Fear is the Key,” written by Scotsman Alister Maclean. The end of the book explained how, when a murderer could only see death ahead of him, he was willing to admit to his crime to a relative of the victim. The relative had used fear as the key to obtaining the confession. Of course, this situation was staged in an undersea vehicle with no apparent means of escape for this very purpose and was successful. After that time, I forgot about this book until recently.

Over about the last four years, fear has been the key used to influence the actions of much of the world. In fact, a new expression has been invented, that being “fear porn”. So, what is “fear porn”? It does not appear in the Oxford English dictionary or the Merriam-Webster dictionary, but the Collins dictionary defines it as, “Media content that deliberately and enticingly plays on people’s fears about disaster, disease and death. Currently used in relation to some Covid reporting.”

“Fear porn” is used like pornographic images to stimulate an emotional response and ultimately control another person’s behavior.

We hear ideas like “If you don’t get vaccinated, you could kill grandma.” Or, “No one is safe until everyone is safe.” All of this is playing on people’s emotions to increase their level of fear and get them to comply with government requirements.

Unfortunately, “fear porn” is used as a weapon against anyone, especially any professional person, who speaks against the government’s official narrative. So, as well as Covid, it also includes man-made climate change and the possibility of President Putin causing Russia to invade Europe. For example, doctors who use or recommend alternate medicine, or older inexpensive drugs, to deal with Covid are fearing losing their medical license. Scientists who provide data refuting man-made global warming fear losing research grants and their standing in scientific circles.

Currently in Europe, the citizens are constantly being made aware that Russia is going to invade Europe in the next few years. This is to increase their level of fear and their willingness to increase defence expenditure even at the cost of increased taxation.

We, as God’s people, know we are living in Satan’s world. 1 John 5:19 informs us that, “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” He is the ruler of this world, a liar, a murderer and a destroyer. In fact, much of this “fear porn” consists of lies and is used to destroy.

We are told to watch as well as pray to understand the present situation. So how do we avoid being influenced by deliberately induced fear into unquestioning compliance? And how do we avoid being complacent? The key is not fear, but faith, faith in God’s promises and prophecies.

One promise we have is that although we will have trials and temptations because we live in this evil world, we will not be tempted beyond what we are able and that God will provide a way of escape that we may be able to bear it. Refer to 1 Corinthians 10:13.

We certainly may have anxieties but 1 Peter 5:6-7 encourages us, “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.” In the English Standard Version, casting all your care is translated as casting all your anxieties. There are many other verses reminding us that God cares for us.

Regarding prophecies, some are that God will change the climate of the earth because of man’s sins. One of these prophecies concerning the people of Israel is in Deuteronomy 28:23-24. “And your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you shall be iron. The LORD will change the rain of your land to powder and dust; from the heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed.”

Another prophecy in Revelation 16:8-9 gives us further information on extreme global warming that will be caused by God, not by man, but because of man’s sins. “Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.”

These curses and punishments will not come on these people because they do not drive electric cars or eat too much meat as these suggestions are vigorously being forced upon us. They will come upon them because of their sins. In fact, there are many scientists who believe that the current narrative on man-made global warming is a total hoax. They are the ones who are currently suppressed.

We are also made aware that the future war between the king of the North and the kings of the East will not be started by Russia and their allies invading Europe. We read in Daniel 11:44-45 that the king of the North will make a pre-emptive strike on the nations to the East and the North of him. “But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.”

So, we see that in this world, governments and organizations use fear as a key to get people to comply with their directives without questioning; whereas we are to use faith as a key to remember God’s promises and prophecies to enable us to understand what is happening and trust God to encourage and strengthen us as we live through difficult times.

Remember the wonderful promise in Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

by Norbert Link

We report on the earthquake striking New York City and the solar eclipse, prompting some to come up with outlandish theories. Please view our new program, ‘Solar Eclipse and the Coming of Christ—Comments on News and Prophecy, April 6, 2024.”  

We continue with Germany’s move towards becoming a military power; and the question as to whether “Germans have lost their minds.” Please view our new StandingWatch program in this regard, titled, “The Germans Have Lost Their Minds!”

We address the unconstitutionality of gag orders in the USA; the blatant misconduct of Ecuador towards Mexico and the ensuing reactions of many South American countries; Slovakia’s move towards supporting Russia; and the willingness of many countries to suspend sending weapons to Israel. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “America’s Betrayal of Israel!” We also address possible future developments pertaining to Israel and the Middle East.

We point out Britain’s unpreparedness for war and what a nuclear attack would do to London; and conclude with a decision of the European Court of Human Rights on climate change or global warming; Ghana’s fight against homosexuality; the Pope’s rejection of the “gender theory”; Scotland’s “Pandora’s Box”; and Trump’s changed position on abortion.

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

Strong Earthquake Hits New York City

The New York Post wrote on April 4:

“A rare earthquake rocked the New York City area Friday morning, swaying buildings and sending terrified residents into the streets — the strongest temblor to strike near the Big Apple in 140 years… Tremors could be felt as far north as New Paltz, New York — about 80 miles away — and as far south as Delaware, about 130 miles…

“The last time an earthquake with a magnitude close to 5 struck near New York City was back in 1884… That quake appeared to have been centered in Brooklyn.”

The Sun added on April 6 that “some X users are pushing outlandish theories linking the quake to the rare solar eclipse that will occur on Monday, April 8… ‘It’s not a coincidence that the magnitude earthquake in NJ was 4.8, and the solar eclipse is on 4/8,’ posted one user. His claim caused a stir among other users. ‘4.8 is a man-made measurement… the eclipse is nature,’ one person countered…”

And the Daily Beast reported on April 5 that “far-right congresswoman” Marjorie Taylor Greene posted on x: “God is sending America strong signs to tell us to repent. Earthquakes and eclipses and many more things to come.” The outlet continued: “It’s not the first time [she] alluded to an apocalyptic reckoning if… Trump isn’t elected president in November. Last year, she likened him to Jesus Christ himself because he, like the Christian messiah, was arrested and persecuted by ‘radical, corrupt governments.’”

To associate the New York City earthquake and the solar eclipse with Christ’s coming is of course nonsense. See our article below, titled “Solar Eclipse and the Coming of Christ.” So would be any ludicrous suggestion that God would be angry with Americans because they might not vote for Trump (In fact, a true Christian should not vote at all, compare our Q&As https://www.eternalgod.org/why-we-must-not-vote-in-governmental-elections/  and https://www.eternalgod.org/is-it-a-sin-to-vote-in-the-presidential-election/ ).

On the other hand, Christ has warned for the end time of “earthquakes in various places” (Matthew 24:7), calling them, and many other occurrences, “the beginning of sorrows.” (verse 8). He also spoke of “fearful sights and great signs from heaven” (Luke 21:11), indicating serious damage caused by these great and terrifying signs. A solar eclipse, which is actually not uncommon, can hardly qualify as such a “fearful” and “great sign” from heaven.

Solar Eclipse and the Coming of Christ

Study Finds wrote on April 4:

“Does the upcoming solar eclipse signal the second coming of Jesus? In all likelihood, no, but that hasn’t stopped people from speculating that it does… The upcoming solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, which will be visible over parts of North America, has brought with it a slew of predictions that Jesus might be returning sooner rather than later…

“Religious theories surrounding this eclipse are part of a larger pattern of attempts to find meaning in astronomical events that goes back thousands of years.

“One of the more famous examples from the ancient world of people finding meaning in the skies occurred in 44 B.C.E., when a comet appeared in the skies over Italy just four short months after the assassination of Julius Caesar. Roman authors Pliny the Elder and Suetonius claimed that the comet was visible for about a week and that it was so bright, it could be spotted in the late afternoon. Many Romans interpreted its appearance and lingering presence as a sign that Caesar had ascended to the heavens and had taken a seat among the many gods of Rome. Caesar’s deification was made official by a vote of the Roman senate less than two years later.

“A few examples from the past 30 years further illustrate this phenomenon. In December 2020, speculation ran wild in some Christian circles that a planetary conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn signaled the return of the fabled ‘Star of Bethlehem’…

“For at least 10 years, televangelist John Hagee has promoted theories linking various ‘blood moons’ as signs that the apocalypse is approaching. A tragic example is the religious movement known as Heaven’s Gate. Members of this movement believed that there was a spacecraft hidden in the tail of the Hele-Bopp Comet, which appeared in 1997. This spacecraft, they thought, was coming to transport them to a higher level of consciousness. In March 1997, 39 members of the Heaven’s Gate movement committed ritualized, mass suicide through a lethal combination of phenobarbital, vodka and asphyxiation…

“Most of these end times predictions are rooted in North American evangelical views on the apocalypse, many of which originated or at least share an affinity with evangelical author Hal Lindsey’s popular book, ‘The Late Great Planet Earth.’ In this book, Lindsey predicted that the apocalypse would occur in the 1980s, and to make his argument, he stitched together a number of disparate events and phenomena to construct an apocalyptic narrative that included Soviet helicopters, the establishment of the state of Israel and nuclear warfare. Lindsey was wrong, of course; the 1980s did not bring about the apocalypse. But this way of thinking – of seeking to find significance in various random events like eclipses – persists among some Christians… But… attempting to predict such timing by means of things like eclipses is, at the very least, not terribly ‘biblical.’”

In spite of wrong predictions and looking at somewhat irrelevant occurrences and developments, when judged in light of Bible prophecy, the fact remains that we are living in the end time and the “last days,” which means that Christ will return soon. However, most who believe in or hope for this event are looking at the wrong “signs.” In addition, Christ told us that no one knows the exact timing of His coming, and that He would come at a time when we do not expect it. For the Truth, which is quite confusing for many, please read our free booklet, “How Can We Know That Christ’s Return Is Near?” 

Please view our new program, ‘Solar Eclipse and the Coming of Christ—Comments on News and Prophecy, April 6, 2024.”  

Jewish Superstitions

JTA wrote on April 8:

“The rabbis of the Talmud are famous for their disagreements. But they presented a united front on eclipses, calling the celestial event ‘a bad omen for the whole world.’ The attitude was common across the ancient world, when eclipses could not be predicted and were experienced as frightening, though astronomy was more developed by the time the Talmud was written in the fourth century… Because an eclipse can take place only around the time of a new moon, they are always adjacent to the start of a new Jewish month. (The month of Nisan begins Monday night.)

“… is not traditional for Jews to say a blessing on an eclipse, but some rabbis have pointed to all-purpose blessings reserved for witnessing natural wonders and major demonstrations of God’s might as appropriate for the moment…

“Others say an eclipse provides an apropos moment to reflect on the majesty of the natural world and the power of light over dark even without a religious obligation to offer a blessing… others [have said] that it would be wise to put away one’s tzitzit, or ritual fringes, during the minutes when the sun is blotted out, as Jewish law does not require them to be worn at night.

“Geoffrey Mitelman, a Conservative rabbi… concluded that the process of the eclipse would be experienced as an event whose impact is in some ways akin to the splitting of the Red Sea in the Passover story…”

And on and on the nonsense goes…

The New Bundeswehr to Become War-Ready!

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 4:

“The new Bundeswehr is to become ‘war-ready’ and flexible, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said as he announced his plans to restructure the German army… Pistorius, currently Germany’s most popular politician according to the polls, had chosen the date quite deliberately — the 75^th anniversary of the founding of NATO. At the time, it was a turning point in world politics: A new alliance of Western states against the threat posed by socialist-communist states in the East.

“Pistorius now also wants a turning point – for ‘his’ Bundeswehr. ‘Nobody should get the idea of attacking us as a NATO territory,’  he said in Berlin on Thursday… The long-term plan for reform is to move the armed forces away from laborious long-term missions — such as in Afghanistan, Mali, Kosovo or the Horn of Africa — towards national defense…. According to Pistorius, he wants to make the troops ‘fit for war.’

“The Bundeswehr’s operations will soon be coordinated in one place: the so-called operational command, where previously, domestic and foreign operations had been managed separately… Pistorius also wants to make the Bundeswehr fit for a relatively new front in global wars, and plans to establish a new branch of the armed forces, in the cyber and information warfare…

“There will also be a support command for medical supplies and logistics, or attacks with nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons, which will be available to all branches of the armed forces… He also said he wants to give himself and his team six months to implement the reform…

“Many observers had expected Pistorius to present his ideas for the potential reintroduction of compulsory military service though nothing along those lines came on Thursday. But the Bundeswehr remains short of new recruits… Pistorius is apparently continuing to examine models of compulsory military service and has taken a look at the practice in Scandinavian countries. On Thursday, however, he merely mentioned that models had also been considered in the event of a ‘reintroduction of compulsory military service.’…”

As we have warned for many decades, Germany is clearly preparing for nuclear, biological and chemical warfare… and the world is still sound asleep.

Most Germans for EU Army

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 5:

“Germans feel that there’s a high global security threat… Seven out of 10 consider the threat to peace and security in Europe to be very serious or serious, much higher than five years ago, and the result appears to be more support for NATO and the European Union

“… most German voters are open to the idea of a European defense force: Almost six out of 10 German citizens currently support the formation of a joint EU military… One in three people currently believes that EU membership has advantages for Germany overall…”

At this point, most Germans are still in favor of NATO and Germany’s cooperation with it. But this will change too in time. Most Germans are also in favor of reinstating compulsory military service. 

“The Germans Have Lost Their Minds!”

Report 24 wrote on April 3:

“The church’s decline in values ​​is progressing.

“The Good Friday service deals with Jesus’ last words: ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!’ This is how the ARD [Germany’s first public television company] announced the bizarre spectacle that was offered to viewers on Good Friday. Dancing is still often banned on this so-called silent holiday, but the Protestant Church obviously doesn’t believe in this: the service shown on ARD was introduced by a dance performance that gave rise to worrying associations with demonic possession.

“Many believers must have felt God-forsaken in view of this performance… Many users associated the spectacle with exorcisms, some brought the depiction of epileptic seizures into play… According to their own statements, commentators initially thought the dancer was Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock… What does that say about the German political and media apparatus?

“The embarrassing performance caused people to shake their heads far beyond the country’s borders. In English, one X user stated: ‘The Germans have literally gone mad. You’ve lost your mind. Crazy.’ ‘Demonic possession is not art,’ criticized another user. This is obviously seen differently in the modern church.

“The fact that the church is moving further and further away from its values ​​– and therefore also its believers – is nothing new. Just remember the German Evangelical Church Conference last year, where a pastor announced that God was ‘queer’. It is no longer surprising that people are increasingly leaving the church. Both the Protestant and Catholic churches today are at the service of the powerful and their agendas, not at the service of people and communities. For religious people this is sheer betrayal.”

Whatever “values” the big churches might have had, they are long gone.

Gag Orders Unconstitutional

Judge Andrew P. Napolitano wrote on April 4, 2024 in Creators.com:

 “… last week, a justice of the New York State Supreme Court — that’s the trial court in New York — entered a gag order prohibiting former President Donald Trump from criticizing the daughter of the justice. The daughter is a fundraiser for Democratic clients who use the prosecution of the former president in their fundraising solicitations. The daughter has voluntarily entered the marketplace of ideas by her professional work, much of which is aimed at the former president.

“Put aside the unseemly appearance of a trial judge signing an order to insulate his own daughter from political criticism by a public figure whom the daughter and her clients publicly criticize; these gag orders are direct assaults on the freedom of speech… In Trump’s case, it is exquisitely unfair for the judge’s daughter to use the criminal prosecution of Trump as a fundraising tool while her father — the judge in Trump’s criminal case — has silenced Trump himself from commenting publicly about this…

“The Supreme Court has ruled consistently since the 1960s that the whole purpose of the First Amendment is to keep the government out of the business of speech. Government may not favor or disfavor speech; and it may not evaluate the content of speech. Thus, it may not encourage or deter or punish speech…. If government could evaluate the content of speech and punish what it characterizes as intolerance or disinformation, we’d have no freedoms remaining. Government is the negation of liberty. It exists by stealing, prohibiting and compelling. Speech is the last bastion against the government’s totalitarian impulses. If the government could punish the speech it hates and fears or the speech its patrons don’t want to hear, we will have no freedoms remaining.”

The conduct of this particular prejudiced judge [Justice Juan M. Merchan] in the New York criminal hush money case involving former porn actress Stormy Daniels is truly outrageous. He should recuse himself or be disqualified. But like biased and compromised Judge Arthur Engoron in the wrongfully decided New York civil “fraud” case against Trump (where there were no victims and no one was damaged), there is little hope that these Democratic Trump-hating judges will do so, showing how corrupt and weaponized–as well as how authoritarian and dictatorial–our legal system has become.

Ecuador Violates Mexican Sovereignty

The Associated Press wrote on April 6:

 “The Mexican president has quickly moved to break off diplomatic ties with Ecuador after police broke into the Mexican Embassy to arrest a former Ecuadorian vice president who had sought political asylum there after being indicted on corruption charges… Ecuador’s presidency said in a statement: ‘Ecuador is a sovereign nation and we are not going to allow any criminal to stay free.’… [Mexico called Ecuador’s conduct] an ‘authoritarian act’ and ‘a flagrant violation of international law and the sovereignty of Mexico.’ [Allegedly,] a number of diplomats suffered injuries during the break-in…

“Diplomatic premises are considered ‘inviolable’ under the Vienna treaties and local law enforcement agencies are not allowed to enter without the permission of the ambassador. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange lived inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for seven years because British police could not enter to arrest him…

“Mexico [said it] would take the case to the International Court of Justice ‘to denounce Ecuador’s responsibility for violations of international law.’”

That Ecuador violated international law is without dispute.  This is another example of authoritarian and dictatorial hypocritical conduct by a government which does not care about the law. Sadly, these kinds of behavior are increasing rapidly all over the world.  In addition, it seems that Ecuadorian criminal gangs are very active in Mexico.

Deutsche Welle added on April 7:

“Other countries in the region, including Bolivia, Chile, Cuba and Venezuela, expressed outrage at Ecuador’s actions, while Honduras called on the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to convene an emergency meeting over the matter.

“Whereas Brazil’s President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva expressed his ‘solidarity’ with Mexican President Lopez Obrador, condemning the storming of the embassy in ‘the strongest possible terms,’ Nicaragua went a step further, following Mexico’s lead by severing diplomatic ties with Quito” [Ecuador’s capital]. 

Russia-Friendly Populist Elected Slovak President

BBC News wrote on April 7:

“Populist Peter Pellegrini has been elected president of Slovakia, succeeding the liberal Zuzana Caputova. Mr Pellegrini, 48, defeated the pro-Western Ivan Korčok, a former diplomat, with 53% of the vote. A former prime minister, he is an ally of Prime Minister Robert Fico, and shares the PM’s dovish attitude towards Russia. Mr Fico and his allies now control Slovakia’s parliament, government, and soon the president’s office.

“Slovakia had been one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies before Mr Fico came to power in October on a pledge to halt supplies of Slovak Army military stocks to Kyiv. With Mr Pellegrini replacing Mrs Caputova, Ukraine has now definitively lost a voice of support in an EU and Nato capital. Mr Fico has called for an end to Western military support for Ukraine, an immediate ceasefire, and peace talks with Moscow. He said recently President Vladimir Putin had been ‘unfairly demonised’ and argued admitting Ukraine to Nato would mark the beginning of a third world war… Once Mrs Caputova steps down in June, there will no longer be any high-level official in Slovakia – a country which barely a year ago donated its entire fleet of MiG-29 aircraft to Ukraine – who unequivocally backs Kyiv’s effort to defend its territory with force…

“Robert Fico’s government recently set its sights on Slovakia’s public broadcaster, submitting plans to abolish the institution and replace it with one under virtual state control. Those plans were put on the back burner after a surprisingly poor showing from Peter Pellegrini in the first round of the presidential election two weeks ago. The opposition fears a reinvigorated Robert Fico will resubmit them – and they say President-elect Pellegrini is unlikely to stand in his way…”

Russia’s supporters increase.

No More Weapons for Israel?

Reuters wrote on April 6:

“Representative Nancy Pelosi, former House speaker and a key ally of Joe Biden, signed a letter on Friday from dozens of congressional Democrats to the president and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging a halt to weapons transfers to Israel…. Support from Pelosi, a veteran member of Biden’s Democratic Party, for stopping the transfer of weapons to Israel showed that the view is increasingly becoming mainstream in the party…

“[The letter] was signed by Pelosi and 36 other Democrats including Representatives Barbara Lee, Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (members of the extreme-left radical “squad”).

Please view our new StandingWatch program, “America’s Betrayal of Israel!” 

The Associated Press wrote on April 7:

“Israel said the attack that killed the aid workers and their Palestinian driver was a tragic mistake. Its military dismissed two officers and reprimanded three others, saying they violated the army’s rules of engagement…. The World Central Kitchen attack has increased pressure on Europe’s governments to move from criticism to suspending arms sales to Israel.

“The United Nations’ Human Rights Council passed a nonbinding resolution to that effect Friday. Among European countries in the 47-nation body, only Germany voted against it, as did the United States. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Thursday that his country had stopped selling weapons to Israel and urged other nations to do the same. In February, Canada announced it would stop future shipments… In Britain, more than 600 British jurists, including three retired Supreme Court judges, pressed the government to… stop shipping weapons to Israel…

“Germany is the second-biggest weapons supplier to Israel and approved 326.5 million euros ($354 million) in defense exports last year… Asked Friday under what circumstances Germany would consider suspending weapons deliveries to Israel, government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann replied that ‘weapons exports are always case-by-case decisions … taking into consideration political and human rights questions.’”

The opposition of Israel’s “friends” and “allies” grows…

Netanyahu Will Enter Rafah

The Jerusalem Post wrote on April 8:

“Netanyahu set a date for an IDF operation in Rafah to destroy the remaining Hamas battalions, as the United States reiterated its opposition to such a step… ‘This victory requires entering Rafah and eliminating the terrorist battalions there. This will happen; there is a date,’ Netanyahu said in a brief video message he issued to the public on Monday night.

“He spoke after the IDF removed Brigade 98 from Gaza, a move believed to be necessary so the troops could rest and regroup in advance of any further military activity in the enclave. It sparked speculation, however, that Israel had decided not to send the IDF into Rafah. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened to leave the government if the IDF did not enter Rafah or if it prematurely ended the war.”

Israel Prepared to Strike Iran’s Nuclear Sites?

The Sun wrote on April 9:

“… a Western security official has revealed that Israel will respond to any attacks by striking Iran’s nuclear targets directly. Israeli forces have been conducting air force drills in preparation for the dangerous escalation… Iran is home to several nuclear sites – including power plants, uranium mines and research reactors…

“There is no way to tell exactly how Iran would respond to an attack on its nuclear sites or whether either country would resort to actually dispatching nuclear weapons…”

What we can tell exactly is that the situation in the Middle East gets more and more troublesome and dangerous.

Britain Woefully Unprepared for War

Daily Mail wrote on April 6:

‘It is still 90 seconds to midnight’: the stark admission by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in January 2024, marking the second year in a row the world’s fate, according to the Doomsday Clock, has been held on such a precarious threshold.

“The war in Ukraine, North Korean peacocking and the breakdown of a deal with Iran to limit proliferation have all contributed to talk of the nuclear threat returning to headlines in recent years. Fear is exploited by the Russian propaganda machine, with Putin and his cronies repeating explicit warnings of Moscow’s preparedness to use ‘all available means’ to protect her people should they feel threatened – and the possibility of ‘accidental’ Armageddon reaching London.

“The revived threat of an attack on the capital has revealed the ‘beyond embarrassing’ holes in Britain’s ability to defend against attacks on the mainland with various programmes of astronomical expense to the taxpayer… an attack on London could kill and injure more than a million people…

“A missile attack on London would cause untold casualties, tear apart bridges to [the] rest of the country and vaporise almost everything around ground zero. In an instant, a 500kiloton nuclear bomb… would raze buildings and kill nearly 100 per cent of the those within half a mile. If dropped on Westminster, that would mean the Houses of Parliament, Downing Street, St Thomas’s Hospital and Westminster Abbey being completely obliterated by the thermal blast.

“As the explosion forms a towering mushroom cloud in the air, fires would spread over a large area, even putting people in underground shelters at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. And within a fraction of a second, the heat would cause a high-pressure shockwave to spread out from the blast, tearing through buildings with powerful force. Travelling at supersonic speed, this would smash windows and cause mass injuries even miles from the point of impact…

“But it is not only the nuclear threat that poses a direct challenge to Britain’s defences, experts warn. The war in Ukraine has shown the urgency of anti-missile defence systems – and the UK has long left itself exposed to all manner of attacks from above… With capability only to deflect a finite number of attacks, and reliant on its partners to restock, questions remain over for how long the country could defend itself.”

The development of these weapons of mass destruction shows the incredible insanity and stupidity of mankind and its leaders. Britain will be attacked and destroyed in a nuclear war… but the attacker won’t be Russia.

“Heatwaves Linked to Climate Change”

BBC wrote on April 9:

“A group of older Swiss women have won the first ever climate case victory in the European Court of Human Rights. The women, mostly in their 70s, said that their age and gender made them particularly vulnerable to the effects of heatwaves linked to climate change. The court said Switzerland’s efforts to meet its emission reduction targets had been woefully inadequate. It is the first time the powerful court has ruled on global warming…

“The ruling is binding and can trickle down to influence the law in 46 countries in Europe including the UK… The Court ruled that Switzerland… had violated the right to respect for private and family life.”

These kinds of highly controversial decisions will have far-reaching consequences for Europe.

Ghana’s Fight Against Homosexuality

LifeSiteNews wrote on April 5:

“Ghana Member of Parliament (MP) Sam George recently defended a bill that would criminalize homosexual behavior — and its promotion — against pressure from the West to quash the legislation. ‘Ghana is not the 51st state of the United States. Ghana is a sovereign state on its own,’ George said on New Dawn Africa Channel when asked to comment on U.S. Department of State spokesman Matthew Miller’s denunciation of the bill, which was sponsored by George. ‘I’d expect Matthew Miller to respect the tenets of democracy,’ said George, stressing that Ghana is ‘opposed to cultural imperialism’ and adding that Miller ‘should be more interested in the loss of life of (c)hildren in American schools to gun violence.’

“The legislation, which has not yet been signed into law, punishes homosexual behavior with six months to three years in jail, and also punishes the support or promotion of such behavior with three to five years in prison. The bill includes an outright ban on same-sex ‘marriage,’ same-sex adoption, and other public displays of homosexual or transgender behavior. The bill also seeks to clamp down on transgender ideology by banning mutilating procedures for gender-confused individuals.

“New Dawn asked George if he was concerned that Ghana might face treatment from the West similar to the economic punishment imposed on Uganda when it enacted its own anti-homosexuality law. The World Bank halted all new lending to Uganda in 2023 after the law was passed, driving them to seek funds from China, and the Biden administration officially removed Uganda from an African trade deal last year in response to the anti-sodomy law… George advised companies that ‘want to lose $100 million in profit’ to ‘pack up and go,’ because ‘another company will come into Ghana and do business.’…

“He pointed out that Western countries, including the U.S., are hypocritical for continuing to trade with Middle Eastern countries like Qatar that legally punish homosexuality with jail time. He suggested that this is because the U.S. profits handsomely from business with these nations…

“Asked to elaborate on why Ghana’s anti-sodomy bill is so important, George suggested that it is tied up with the definition of the family, which is in turn core to a nation’s identity… He further pointed that homosexuality takes both a financial and psychological toll upon countries, citing money spent to care for AIDS patients as well as the cost of suicide, more common among homosexuals…  ‘The CDC says that homosexuals are 400% more likely to be suicidal.’”

Hypocritical America’s desire to dictate and impose its “values”—or the lack thereof—on other countries overlooks the fact that America does no longer speak with authority or credibility.

Gender Theory Contrary to Human Dignity

The Associated Press wrote on April 8:

“The Vatican on Monday declared gender-affirming surgery and surrogacy as grave violations of human dignity, putting them on par with abortion and euthanasia as practices that it said reject God’s plan for human life. The Vatican’s doctrine office issued ‘Infinite Dignity,’ a 20-page declaration that has been in the works for five years. After substantial revision in recent months, it was approved March 25 by Pope Francis, who ordered its publication…

“In its most eagerly anticipated section, the Vatican repeated its rejection of ‘gender theory,’ or the idea that one’s biological sex can change. It said God created man and woman as biologically different, separate beings, and said people must not tinker with that or try to ‘make oneself God.’”

It is clear that Joe Biden’s obsession with transgender people stands in direct opposition to the Catholic Church’s teaching. Is Biden still considered now to be a “good Catholic”?

Scotland’s Pandora’s Box

Breitbart wrote on April 9:

“Police Scotland received around 8,000 complaints under the [Hate Crime] law [to “protect” the LGBTQ2AIS+ community] in the first seven days of its implementation, which according to analysis by The Telegraph, would surpass the total number of crimes reported annually (416,000) if the trends continue…

“The chairman of the Scottish Police Federation David Threadgold warned that the man-power hours required to deal with such a large number of complaints will impact the police force’s ability to deal with actual crimes, with the force already failing to solve a growing number of crimes like sexual assault, shoplifting, and car theft. Scotland has also been plagued by a drug epidemic, with the small nation having the highest drug-related deaths per capita in all of Europe…

“Threadgold went on to suggest that the law was being ‘weaponised’ by the public in order to settle personal grudges against fellow citizens or to wage political feuds, while suggesting that the government encouraging the public to report instances of ‘hate’ has clearly blown up in their face.”

The term LGBTQ2AISA+ means “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (or sometimes questioning), intersexual, asexual and two-spirited.” The plus-sign signifies a number of other identities, and is included to keep the abbreviation “brief” when written out; the full abbreviation is sometimes referred to as LGBTTTQQIAA. Has one ever heard of such nonsense before? The Scottish law is a ridiculous left-wing radical attempt to change society, with predictable consequences.

Trump’s Changed Position on Abortion

Axios wrote on April 8:

“Former President Trump issued a formal statement on Monday with a simple calculus in mind: his position might infuriate conservative activists — but they’ll vote for him in November anyway… Trump has spent months privately wrestling with how to insulate himself from Democratic attacks on abortion, knowing that the issue could be one of his biggest vulnerabilities in the 2024 election. By declining to endorse a national ban on abortion — and suggesting he would leave legislation up to individual states — Trump is seeking to blunt the potency of the Biden campaign’s messaging. He’s also trying to thread a needle with conservatives: taking credit for the Supreme Court striking down Roe v. Wade, while resisting a national ban because ‘we must win’ elections to get anything done.

“SBA Pro-Life America, the leading anti-abortion group, said in a statement that ‘we are deeply disappointed in President Trump’s position.’ Former Vice President Mike Pence went a step further, saying in a statement, ‘Trump’s retreat on the Right to Life is a slap in the face to the millions of pro-life Americans who voted for him in 2016 and 2020.’ Doug Stafford, chief strategist for Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-Ky.) PAC, tweeted: ‘I’m not sure a major candidate has ever produced a worse statement on Life than the one I just watched.’ He later deleted the post. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a top Trump ally who has introduced legislation to restrict abortion at the federal level after 15 weeks, said he ‘respectfully’ disagrees with the former president.

“Trump lashed out at Graham and SBA president Marjorie Dannenfelser on Truth Social Monday afternoon, arguing that Republicans who are ‘unrelenting’ on abortion ‘are handing Democrats their dream of the House, Senate, and perhaps even the Presidency.’

“Biden officials still see plenty to work with, including Trump’s inconsistent history on abortion and the fact that his latest statement effectively endorsed strict abortion bans in dozens of states. As recently as last month, Trump said that a national 15-week abortion ban with exceptions could be ‘very reasonable.’”

Trump’s new position is clearly wrong and unbiblical. At one time, Trump was “pro-choice”; now, in large part due to the influence and support of evangelicals, he is “pro-life”… sort of. Sadly, Robert Kennedy Jr. recently endorsed a similar position. As politicians, they compromise to get more votes. This is shameful and undignified, and another example as to why true Christians must have nothing to do with politics.  

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.

While most people who participate in various branches of Christianity do not keep the Passover, the Bible very clearly mandates its continued observance!

The Passover is viewed as a “Jewish holiday” and relegated to Old Testament practices by many religious leaders and by the public at large. Certainly, by contrast, Judaism has maintained, to a degree, the observance of all biblical Holy Days, including the Sabbath Day.

However, the Church of God, which follows both the Old Testament and the earliest New Testament teachings, also continues to keep the Passover as commanded by God and in following the example of Jesus Christ, Who brought the true meaning of Passover to light.

Today, the Passover is mistakenly referred to as “the Last Supper,” and false practices such as “the sacrament of the Eucharist” are broadly embraced by both Catholics, Protestants, and others. For example, from britannica.com/topic/Eucharist, in its article about “Eucharist,” Roman Catholicism’s view is presented:

“Roman Catholics believe in the real presence [the concept that Jesus Christ is present in the flesh; that His body and His blood are really present and are consumed], an issue that has dominated Catholic-Protestant controversies about the Eucharist. According to the eucharistic doctrine of Roman Catholicism, the elements of the consecrated bread and wine are transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ: their substance is converted into the substance of the body and blood, although the outward appearances of the elements, their ‘accidents,’ remain. This teaching of the real presence is intended to emphasize the intimate relationship between Jesus and the communicant. Although Catholic theologians developed new ways to interpret the mystery of the sacrament of the Eucharist in the period after Vatican II, the doctrine of transubstantiation remains the fundamental understanding of all Catholics” (Emphasis added).

Also, from the same article: “The High Church Anglicans (especially since the Anglo-Catholic Oxford movement of the 19th century) and the Lutherans (who affirm the real presence of the body and blood of Christ “in, with, and under” the bread and wine) adhere most closely to the traditions of Catholic eucharistic doctrine and practice” (Emphasis added).

These beliefs are not found in the Word of God!  They have totally blurred the real meaning of Passover and supplanted the truth of the Bible with human reasoning and traditions! Such is also the case found in an article, titled, “Why Don’t Christians Celebrate Passover if Jesus Did?” (christianity.com/wiki/holidays) This author writes:

“Why Did We Stop Celebrating Passover?

“As time went on, the church grew from majority Jewish to majority Gentile. These Gentiles were largely unaware of Jewish culture, so those things not specifically tied-up with Christian doctrine were often lost.

“As Christians, the church was no longer bound by Old Testament law (Romans 7:4). With these laws, many of the associated customs fell away as well. Eventually, the celebration of Easter grew more prevalent than the celebration of Passover.

“In AD 325 at the Council of Nicaea, Easter was cemented as the day to celebrate the resurrection of Christ, and its date was also determined. This was when Easter perhaps most officially replaced Passover.

“In the Middle Ages, growing anti-Semitism in Europe led to even further distancing of Roman Catholics from all things Jewish. Later on, Reformation theology’s heavy emphasis on salvation by grace alone and not through works also did not foster an environment conducive to the celebration of Old Testament ritual” (Emphasis added).

As noted earlier, Judaism does observe the Passover. However, their practices now embrace many traditions which go beyond biblical teachings and the fundamental instructions first given to the entire nation of Israel as found in Exodus, chapter 12. From the website chabad.org the following information about the Seder (the Passover meal) is presented:

“The Seder is the traditional Passover meal that includes reading, drinking 4 cups of wine, telling stories, eating special foods, singing, and other Passover traditions.

“As per Biblical command, it is held after nightfall on the first night of Passover (and the second night if you live outside of Israel), the anniversary of our nation’s miraculous exodus from Egyptian slavery more than 3,000 years ago…” (chabad.org)

Jewish tradition regarding when to observe the Passover is in error. Observance of the Passover by most of Judaism takes place on the evening of the first Day of Unleavened Bread (note that a biblical day begins with evening and ends with evening—not sunrise to sunrise (compare Genesis, chapters 1 and 2). Leviticus 23:5 states, “‘“On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord’s Passover.”’”

While Passover is on the fourteenth day, the first Day of Unleavened Bread is on the fifteenth day (Leviticus 23:6). Many Jews keep the Passover one day too late, as they already did in Jesus’ time.

In Exodus 12, God says of the Passover that it is an “‘“everlasting ordinance”’” (verse 14); “‘And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever’” (verse 24).

Throughout the biblical history of Israel in the Old Testament, the Holy Days of God—including the Festival of Passover—have a very significant role. Likewise, the Holy Days of God are central in the life of Jesus Christ, and later for the newly established Church of God.

Note what is said of Jesus:

“So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read” (Luke 4:16).

And of Paul:

“Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures…” (Acts 17:2).

Jesus Christ observed the Passover—it was His custom to do so! In John 13, we find that Jesus first ate the Passover meal as commanded in Exodus 12 with His disciples. However, Jesus then instituted a new observance of the Passover. In chapter 13 of John, Jesus specifically introduces foot washing among His disciples, saying:

“‘If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you’” (John 13:13-14).

In addition, following Jesus’s washing of His disciples’ feet, more is recorded regarding how His disciples were to now observe the Passover:

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.’ And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives” (Matthew 26:26-30).

Christ meant that the bread represented His body, and the wine represented His blood. He did not teach that the bread and the wine would literally change into His flesh or His body and into His blood when consumed during Passover. For instance, we are prohibited from consuming blood (Acts 15:28-29).

The date to observe Passover did not change, but the symbolism of how the Passover was to be observed did change. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth and addressed some needed corrections in keeping the Passover. He specifically reminded them of the grave responsibility they bore regarding their conduct when participating in this observance (1 Corinthians 11:27-34).

In Paul’s instructions, we find that Passover observance was to continue to include the return of Jesus Christ:

“For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

Jesus said of Himself:

“‘Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled’” (Matthew 5:17-18).

We see from the New Testament how Jesus did fulfill the meaning of what the Passover observance meant. Yet, the Passover, along with other godly Festivals, seven annual Holy Days and the weekly Sabbath will continue to be observed following the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the thousand-year reign of God’s Kingdom over the earth—as Ezekiel 45:21 shows:

“‘In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall observe the Passover, [then] a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten.’”

Keeping ALL of the Holy Days of God is what Jesus did, and His example has been followed by His disciples throughout the centuries. Today, the Church of the Eternal God and its affiliates also seek to keep what God commands as Jesus Christ continues to lead the Church.

If you would like further detailed information about Passover, the Holy Days and the path of true Christianity, please refer to our website www.eternalgod.org.

Lead Writer: Dave Harris

compiled by Dave Harris

“The Germans Have Lost Their Minds” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

A dance performance at the beginning of a Good Friday Service of the German Protestant Church which was broadcast on public television and which resembled demonic possession and an exorcism; an increasing desire to become a military power and to reinstate compulsory military service… what is going on in Germany? Have Germans “literally gone mad”?

“Die Deutschen haben den Verstand verloren,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This program covers the same subject as described above.

A new Member Letter (April 2024) has been posted and mailed to our subscribers. Pastor Brian Gale (United Kingdom) powerfully reminds us of the incredible opportunity given to Christians to reach out to “Our Father” in prayer.

Our next project… the German translation of our English booklet, “Should You Fight in War?” [“Sollten Sie im Krieg kämpfen?”] has been sent to graphic artist Shelly Bruno in preparation for printing.

“Nur Gott kann Ihnen wirklich helfen” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon,  presented by Pastor Michael Link. Title in English: “Only God Can Really Help You!”

“Die Chance ergreifen,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Andreas Ratz, is now posted. Title in English: “Seize the Opportunity.”

“Two Mule Loads of Earth,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Paul Niehoff, is now posted. Here is a summary:

It is easy to be so familiar with a particular Scripture, that details apart from the main point can easily be overlooked. These details can also be informative of how God operates.

“Solar Eclipse and the Coming of Christ—Comments on News and Prophecy, April 6, 2024,” last Sabbath’s first message, presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

After an unusual earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8, striking New York City, and the coming solar eclipse on 4-8, theories emerged, linking these two events with God’s wrath and the coming of Jesus Christ. Is there a connection, and what did Jesus Himself tell us about His Second Coming?

“Women and the Ministry,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Brian Gale, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The message of Scripture is unambiguous: Christian women are not to teach Biblical or spiritual matters in church or in a public forum.   It may be difficult for some to accept and apply God’s Word on this issue. Sadly, due to the violation of these clear instructions, unhappy or failed marriages have been the result in some cases.

On April 6, 2024, Paul Niehoff will present the sermonette, titled, “Two Mule Loads of Earth,” and Brian Gale will present the sermon, titled, “Women and the Ministry.”

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 a world ruled by Satan, the contrast between dark and light is quite evident.  We experience this every year during God’s Spring and Fall Holy Days. God expects us to observe these Days as commanded in the Bible, while the world celebrates its man-made pagan holidays. Insofar as these holidays in the spring are concerned, the world keeps them around the same time we keep God’s Spring Holy Days – a contrast between dark and light.  

The world just celebrated Easter, erroneously believing that this has to do with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, where “Good Friday” is claimed to be the day that Christ was crucified and Easter Sunday the day that Christ was resurrected.   The Bible says nothing of the kind. There is nothing “good” about this and Isaiah 5:20 even points this out, saying, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness.”  

The Bible and historical records prove, instead, that Christ was crucified and buried late on Wednesday and that He was resurrected late on Saturday, just before sunset.  Had this not been the case, Christ would not have fulfilled the only sign that He gave the Pharisees for His Messiahship — that is, to be dead and buried in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights (Matthew 12:38-40).

Modern Christianity has done exactly what God forbids by incorporating pagan aspects into the worship of God. But God says, “You shall NOT worship the LORD your God in that way!” (Deuteronomy 12:31). Our free booklet, “Is That in the Bible?–Man’s Holidays and God’s Holy Days,” goes into this in much more detail. 

We know what the Truth is.  And even though we have to face this test every year since we live in this world, having to go through the distractions of pagan worship, we must remain attentive to God and His righteousness.  The darkness of Easter has just passed, and we look forward to the light just ahead of us in the observance and celebration of the Passover, symbolizing the remembrance of Christ’s death, and the Days of Unleavened Bread, symbolizing our commitment to live a sinless life.  

This is our focus and God called us to this understanding and for a purpose.  “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

Let us continue to be the lights that God expects of us as we shift our attention to what is just ahead of us – the correct observance of His Holy Days. 

by Norbert Link

In this edition, we report on growing anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiments, even in places where one might not expect this; controversial actions by Israel; Erdogan’s surprising losses in Turkey’s local elections; speak on Europe’s “pre-war era” and Russia’s “holy war” against Ukraine; Haiti’s descent into the abyss; and point out the concern that Americans and Canadians will soon be “slaves.”

We address demands that Joe Biden and other high-ranking Catholic Democrats need to be excommunicated from the Catholic Church; and report on the idea that there cannot be equality for women without their “right” to abortion.

We continue with shameful conduct related to American Women’s Soccer; Easter Sunday and Transgender Day of Visibility; and the many holidays to celebrate “alternate lifestyles.” We report on an outcry because of new Hate Crime Laws to “protect” transgender people, and we conclude with a short article pointing out that most Americans believe in a [biblically debunked] physical resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “America’s Betrayal of Israel!”

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

Germany Shifts Tone

DNYUZ wrote on March 29:

“German officials have begun to question whether their country’s support [for Israel] has gone too far… The change in stance also tracks with the evolving position of Germany’s most important ally, the United States…

“Until recently, German public opinion seemed firmly behind the government’s support of Israel’s military campaign. But polls by public broadcasters in recent weeks show that nearly 70 percent of Germans surveyed felt Israel’s military actions were not justifiable… The matter has become inescapable for Mr. Scholz…”

Germany’s “friendship” with Israel—which was really overshadowed all along by Germany’s “friendship” with and support for the Palestinians—will become more and more strained.

Trump Too?

LifeSiteNews wrote on March 28:

“Former U.S. president Donald Trump said Israel’s behavior in conducting its retaliatory attack on the 2.3 million people of Gaza has done tremendous damage to how the Jewish state is perceived around the world, putting them ‘in trouble’ and encouraging antisemitism…. ‘You have to finish up your war… Israel has to be very careful, because you’re losing a lot of the world, you’re losing a lot of support, you have to finish up, you have to get the job done.’… Trump suggested that [the major rise in antisemitism] is a natural result to the devastation the Israeli army is inflicting upon tens of thousands of innocent lives… ‘you (Israel) fought back. And I think Israel made a very big mistake. I wanted to call (Israel) and say don’t do it,’ he said…

“‘You have a lot of people on the outside that are not friendly to Israel, and they’re never going to be friendly to Israel. And you have to be very careful. You’re in a very treacherous neighborhood,’ he proposed…

“In a late January interview, U.S. Col. Douglas Macgregor said the populations in the Middle East Arab nations such as Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Turkey ‘are so angry and so enraged, they’re ready to fight, regardless of what the costs are, to destroy Israel.’”

Trump’s and Netanyahu’s friendly relationship turned somewhat sour when Netanyahu wasted no time in congratulating Biden for his “victory” over Trump after the last election.

Israeli Strike Kills Seven Aid Workers

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 2:

“Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted a ‘tragic case of an unintentional strike’ by Israeli forces on ‘innocent people.’ Seven people working for the US food aid charity World Central Kitchen were killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza. Australian, British and Polish citizens are reported to be among the seven aid workers killed in an alleged Israeli air strike… The Israeli military has expressed ‘sincere sorrow’ and has promised an investigation.

“US Secretary of State Antony Blinken [said] that Israel should ‘do more to protect innocent civilian lives, be they innocent Palestinian children or aid workers.’ Israel’s conduct of its war in Gaza with its rising civilian death toll has been causing increasing consternation in Washington…”

Israel Strikes Syria

CNN wrote on April 2:

“Iran has vowed to retaliate after it accused Israel of bombing its embassy complex in Syria on Monday, in a deadly escalation of regional tensions over the war in Gaza that once again appeared to raise the risk of a wider Middle Eastern conflict.

“The airstrike destroyed the consulate building in the capital Damascus, killing at least seven officials including Mohammed Reza Zahedi, a top commander in Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), and senior commander Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry… ‘According to our intelligence, this is no consulate and this is no embassy,’ Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told CNN…’This is a military building of Quds forces disguised as a civilian building in Damascus.’”

“The Height of Hypocrisy”

Die Welt wrote on April 2:

“It is a symptom of the moral wear and tear of our time that we have almost become accustomed to the hypocrisy of dictatorial regimes. This applies to Russia as well as to Iran. The most recent example: the furor over Israel’s attack on part of the Iranian embassy complex in Damascus, which Tehran branded as a violation of international law.

“However, it was mainly top Iranian terrorists who died, including the commander of the Quds Force for Syria and Lebanon. The Revolutionary Guards and their foreign arm, the al-Quds Force, are rightly classified as terrorist organizations by the USA. It is the height of hypocrisy that Iran is claiming the rules of diplomacy that the mullahs’ regime itself has always flouted.

“Think of the 444-day hostage-taking of the US Embassy in Tehran in 1979 shortly after the Islamic Revolution, the Iranian terrorist attack on the US Embassy in Beirut in 1983 and the one on the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992. More than 90 people died.

“Iran is also known to abuse diplomatic immunity to carry out terrorist attacks. Most recently, for example, in the case of Assadollah Assadi, who, as a diplomat at the Iranian embassy in Vienna, planned a terrorist attack in Paris and was convicted for it by a Belgian court.

“So it is quite ridiculous for Iran to now claim diplomatic immunity for terrorist generals who coordinated military operations against Israel. Iran is waging an openly declared war to eliminate Israel and is currently supporting Hamas and Hezbollah’s war against the Jewish state, both financially and with weapons.

“And the military who are waging and coordinating this war on Iran’s side are, of course, a legitimate military target, regardless of whether Tehran puts the mask of diplomacy on them or not. Neither the media nor politicians should fall for this transparent maneuver.”

Persecution of Jews in Canada

The Times of Israel wrote on March 29:

“Canadian Jews have begun to worry about the very viability of their community of some 400,000 people. They fear for its future amid growing hostility to Jews on the streets, antipathy in government toward Israel and bureaucratic regulation they say limits their ability to practice their faith.

“A recent example of the regulation was the government’s introduction last year of new animal welfare-related limitations on kosher meat production… many Canadian Jews view the move on kosher meat as fresh evidence that their society… is becoming inhospitable….”

Antisemitism—including antisemitism sponsored or supported by many governments—is clearly on the rise.

Erdogan Loses Election in Istanbul and Ankara

Breitbart wrote on April 1:

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) suffered their worst defeat in more than 20 years in local elections, losing the mayoralties of both Istanbul and Ankara to opposition candidates. The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) narrowly won the overall popular vote for the first time in decades, elevating Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu to become Erdogan’s major rival for national influence…  AKP’s parliamentary majority is no longer large enough to push through a new constitution without a referendum, which the results suggest Erdogan would lose…

“In the capital city of Ankara, CHP candidate Mansur Yavas won by such a significant margin that he declared victory before half of the votes were counted…

“Sunday’s election more than doubled the number of female mayors in Turkey, another signal that Erdogan’s Islamist grip on Turkish politics might be slipping. Most of the new women mayors were members of the more secular CHP, plus a few from the People’s Democracy Party (DEM), a pro-Kurdish party that is sometimes stripped of its seats by Erdogan’s government because it is supposedly linked to Kurdish separatist militants…”

Elections for the Turkish presidency will occur in 2028. Much can still happen till then.

CNBC wrote on April 1:

“… while Erdogan’s opponents are celebrating the weekend’s result, it’s still by no means the end of the road for the Turkish president and his hold on power, some analysts note… ‘It would be naïve and erroneous to assume that this setback marks the beginning of the end for Erdogan.’… ‘[He] will not move towards greater political accommodation given his aversion to share power and will not tone down his polarizing rhetoric due to this stinging defeat… Rather, he is likely to respond forcefully (but not necessarily immediately) to the challenges posed by the opposition’s victory in the local elections.”

Erdogan is a ruthless dictator who, like Putin, crushes his opponents. Turbulent times in Turkey are to be expected.

Europe in a Pre-War Era

BBC News wrote on March 30:

“[Polish Prime Minister Donald] Tusk warned the next two years of the war would decide everything, adding: ‘We are living in the most critical moment since the end of the Second World War.’… Mr Tusk, a former president of the European Council, has warned Europe must be prepared for war before.”

The Independent wrote on March 29:

“Europe is in a ‘pre-war era’ reminiscent of 1939… For the first time since 1945, war in Europe is becoming “real’ again,” Tusk said… ‘We have not experienced a situation like this since 1945,’ he said…”

Europe is indeed in a pre-war era, but the outcome will be quite different from what many people believe.

Holy War Against Ukraine?

Newsmax wrote on March 29:

“The Russian Orthodox Church this week approved a document declaring its country’s self-described ‘special military operation’ against Ukraine as a ‘holy war’ being waged to protect Russia’s ‘spiritual space.’ The declaration was made in a document approved during a gathering of the World Russian People’s Council, which brought religious, cultural, and political figures together at the Orthodox Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow… ‘From a spiritual and moral point of view, the special military operation is a Holy War, in which Russia and its people, are defending the single spiritual space of Holy Russia,’ said the document…

“The document added that the war was waged to protect ‘the world from the onslaught of globalism and the victory of the West, which has fallen into Satanism,’ and declared that once the war is over, ‘the entire territory of modern Ukraine should enter the zone of Russia’s exclusive influence.’ ‘The possibility of the existence of a Russophobic political regime hostile to Russia and its people on this territory, as well as a political regime controlled from an external center hostile to Russia, should be completely excluded,’ the declaration said.

“Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, who heads the Russian Orthodox Church and the World Russian People’s Council, is an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In February 2022, when the invasion of Ukraine began, Kirill declared that Ukraine and Belarus remain part of ‘Russian lands’ and condemned Ukrainians fighting back against the invasion as ‘forces of evil.’ He also presented the war as Russia’s battle for Christianity’s future…

“Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, told Newsweek earlier this month that in places where Russia has arrived in Ukraine, it has worked to ‘exterminate all other religions besides the well-controlled and weaponized Russian Orthodox Church.’ Meanwhile, the Institute for Religious Freedom, based in Kyiv, said last year that Russia’s military has destroyed, damaged, or looted almost 500 religious buildings, with the numbers continuing to climb.

“Shevchuk said it is a challenge for his church not to become militant or ‘fall to the same temptation the Russian Orthodox Church fell into and become an instrument of hatred.’”

One might be tempted to think that Putin is the beast and Kirill the false prophet, as their actions clearly reflect what the beast and the false prophet will do. But we know, of course, that the beast will be of German (or Austrian) descent, arising in Germany, being hostile to Russia, and the false prophet won’t belong to the “Orthodox Church.” Still, Putin’s and Kirill’s actions seem to be influenced by the same dark powers which will finally possess the beast and the false prophet.

Haiti an “Open-Air Prison”

Express wrote on April 1:

“Haiti’s crisis has got so bad that the country has now been described as an ‘open-air prison’ as armed gangs continue to kill unarmed civilians and the humanitarian crisis deepens. In recent weeks, the gangs have ramped up their violence as they forced Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign. A transitional government has been formed to run the country before elections are held, but the gangs continue to cause chaos on the streets of the capital Port-au-Prince… children are among the most impacted, often caught in crossfire or being kidnapped by gangs as they aim to raise funds from ransoms. Sexual violence has also made the streets incredibly unsafe for women.

“William O’Neill, the UN’s designated independent expert on human rights, based in New York, said: ‘Schools, hospitals, key government institutions, everything now is at risk… Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area is essentially an open-air prison. There’s no way out — air, land, or sea. In fact, it’s not even so open-air anymore because people are afraid to leave their houses.’

“Many in Haiti are now going without essentials, including food. Gang violence has also seen over 350,000 people displaced in their own country. Mr O’Neill continued: ‘Gangs in the Artibonite department have attacked farm properties and also stolen hundreds of livestock belonging to residents, assets which often represent farmers’ life savings… Furthermore, along the northern coast… the Village de Dieu gang continues to use motorboats to … attack, loot, and steal from residents, local businesses, and humanitarian actors.’ To pay the ransoms demanded by gangs for the liberation of kidnapped family members, many have been forced to sell their homes and take out loans…”

When anarchy rules, that is the result.

Huge Earthquake Strikes Taiwan

Breitbart wrote on April 3:

“Taiwan was struck by the largest earthquake in 25 years in the early hours of Wednesday morning, collapsing buildings and triggering landslides, killing several and leaving tens of dozens missing… As noted by Britain’s BBC, China has been fast to offer aid to Taiwan, but Taiwan has turned down the suggested assistance from Beijing, which claims all of Taiwan as its own territory and is frequently discussed as a Russia-Ukraine style invasion risk.”

Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency said the quake was 7.2 magnitude while the U.S. Geological Survey put it at 7.4. In 1999, an earthquake measuring 7.6-magnitude killed 2,400 people.

“We Will Be Slaves”

LifeSiteNews wrote on March 28:

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared in no uncertain terms recently that establishing a Central Bank Digital Currency in the country will be ‘the end of freedom; we will be slaves if we allow that to happen.’ ‘The truckers in Canada were protesting the COVID mandates, the lockdowns, masking mandates, vaccination mandates, and others,’ Kennedy [said]… ‘they were exercising a right that we all take for granted in this country: the right to assemble, the right to protest, the right to petition their government…  the government instead condemned them as right-wing fascists and racists… 

“‘The government used facial recognition systems and other intrusive technologies to identify the participants,’ he recounted, ‘and weaponized that information against them to freeze their bank accounts so they couldn’t purchase diesel for their trucks, buy food for their kids, or pay their mortgages or rents… ‘The truckers in Canada were never charged with a crime. They were certainly never convicted. It was just (that) they were doing something the government didn’t like. So the government was able to destroy their lives, and that is a very dangerous power to give government. And that’s why I’m against Central Bank Digital Currencies because that is part of the path to getting us where China is today…

“Kennedy is far from alone in his alarm over the prospect of a CBDC being introduced in the U.S. or Canada… U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz introduced the CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act last month to prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency that Republican sponsors of the bill believe could turn the nation into a ‘surveillance state’ by handing over control of personal finances to federal government agencies… ‘Big government has no business spying on Americans to control their personal finances and track their transactions,’ said Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, a co-sponsor of the bill.”

The irony is, according to biblical prophecy, Americans and Canadians, among others, will become slaves, but in a more drastic and terrible way than even suggested in the article.

Biden Much Worse Threat to Democracy Than Trump

Breitbart wrote on April 2:

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former Democrat turned independent running for president in 2024 as a third party candidate, said [on CNN] the argument can be made President Joe Biden is a ‘much worse threat to democracy’ than former President Donald Trump… pointing to the fact that Biden, 81, has weaponized federal agencies, using them to censor his political opponent….

“Kennedy continued, explaining that ‘the greatest threat to democracy is not somebody who questions election returns, but a president of the United States who uses the power of his office to force the social media companies, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter to open a portal and give access to that portal to the FBI, to the CIA, to the IRS, to CISA, to NIH to censor his political critics.’”

The CNN moderator did not like that answer.

Trump Blasts “Corrupt” Judges and Legal System

Newsmax and Reuters wrote on April 2:

“Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted the New York judge presiding over his trial on charges of falsifying records regarding a payment to silence a porn actress after the judge expanded a gag order on him.

“Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan on Monday amended a week-old ban on Trump making public statements about witnesses, jurors, and others connected with the case after the presumptive Republican nominee lashed out at the judge’s daughter, a Democrat political consultant, in several posts on his Truth Social platform. ‘I just was informed that another corrupt New York Judge, Juan Merchan, GAGGED me so that I cannot talk about the corruption and conflicts taking place in his courtroom with respect to a case that everyone, including the D.A., felt should never have been brought,’ Trump posted on Truth Social… ‘This Judge should be recused, and the case should be thrown out’

“Trump then turned his attention to President Joe Biden… ‘Please remember, ALL of these Lawsuits, Charges, and Indictments that have been brought against me have been orchestrated and coordinated by Crooked Joe Biden, the White House, and the DOJ, as an ATTACK ON CROOKED’S POLITICAL OPPONENT, ME. This has never happened before in our Country… THE LEGAL SYSTEM IN OUR COUNTRY HAS BEEN CORRUPTED & POLITICIZED AT A LEVEL NEVER SEEN BEFORE… UNDER CROOKED JOE BIDEN WE HAVE BECOME A THIRD WORLD NATION. OUR BORDERS ARE GONE, OUR LEGAL SYSTEM IS WEAPONIZED, OUR ELECTIONS ARE CORRUPT. IT DOESN’T GET ANY WORSE THAN THAT!!!…’

“Earlier Monday, Trump posted a $175 million bond in his New York civil fraud case,.. ‘I had to pay New York State in order to appeal a corrupt decision by a biased, crooked and highly overturned judge. It’s supposed to be the other way around – you appeal before you pay,’ Trump wrote Tuesday morning… The bond prevents New York Attorney General Letitia James from going after Trump’s properties, including Trump Tower, his 370-acre resort and golf course in Westchester, and his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. CNN reported that the bond is underwritten by Knight Specialty Insurance, a California-based insurance company. It was not disclosed what collateral Trump used to secure the bond.”

Our corrupted legal system cannot get any worse? Oh yes, it can, and it will. We have just seen the beginning.

Excommunicate Biden (and Many Other Catholic Democrats)

LifeSiteNews wrote on March 28:

“The former prefect of the Vatican’s highest doctrine office, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, condemned U.S. President Joe Biden’s support for abortion, saying it is ‘infanticide’ and that those promoting ‘infanticide’ should be ‘excommunicated.’ ‘The word “abortion” is too much a soft word. The reality is killing, murder of a living person,’ said… Müller. ‘There’s no right to kill another person…’

“Cardinal Müller likened the killing of the unborn and the elderly to the ‘Nazi’ times, saying that ‘it’s absolutely unacceptable that you can say you are a Catholic and promote and justify killing of human persons, human beings [from] the beginning in the mother’s womb, until the last respiration [with] euthanasia… Killing of ill people, like in the Nazi times, is euthanasia.’

“Biden is very public about his self-professed Catholic faith, but Cardinal Müller suggested that while Biden is ‘nominally a Catholic, in reality he is a Nihilist’…

“The Catholic Church teaches that abortion is always wrong, because it kills an innocent human being, thus violating the Church’s prohibition on murder…”

If the Pope and the Catholic Church were to act true to their own teaching, Biden, Pelosi and other high-ranking Catholic Democrats, openly supportive of abortion, would HAVE to be excommunicated. But this applies to hypocritical Europeans too (see the next article). Of course, the Catholic Church can’t really be serious about its proclaimed stance against killing human beings, because it has been guilty of murdering opponents and “heretics” throughout its existence.

No Equality Without Abortion?

BioEdge wrote on March 21:

“France’s decision to include a right to abortion in its constitution has revived moves to include it in [the] European Union’s Charter of Fundamental Rights. ‘Deciding about one’s own body is a fundamental right: there is no equality if women cannot do so; it is impossible without the right to abortion,’ said Karen Melchior, a Danish Member of the European Parliament. 

“… Amending the Charter requires a unanimous vote from all members of the EU. It is unlikely that Poland, Malta, or Hungary, at least, would agree. So despite speeches by activists, it is unlikely that the EU will be following in France’s footsteps.

“Not everyone in France has welcomed the abortion amendment. Nicolas Bauer, a lawyer… believes that it will weaken doctors’ right to conscientious objection.”

In addition, does the unborn have no rights? It is amazing that pro-abortion activists—including many Catholics—are unwilling to even address this undeniable fact.

Shameful Conduct in the Female Soccer Realm

Breitbart wrote on March 29:

“Former U.S. Women’s National Team soccer star Megan Rapinoe has launched an all-out war against current USWNT midfielder Korbin Albert for daring to post a video by a Christian who opposes transgenderism. The 20-year-old Albert had reposted a video by a teen who faced serious mental health issues that caused him to think he might be transgender. The teen says that after he found God, he realized he was not trans and detransitioned. But after being attacked by Rapinoe [who is openly lesbian and took a knee, in protest of “racism,” during the national anthem] and her rabid gender ideology cohorts, Albert fell on her sword and apologized for posting the video.

“‘I want to sincerely apologize for my actions on social media,’ Albert wrote in an Instagram story this week… ‘Liking and sharing posts that are offensive, insensitive, and hurtful was immature and disrespectful, which was never my intent. I truly believe that everyone should feel safe and respected everywhere and on all playing fields. I know my actions have not lived up to that, and for that, I sincerely apologize. It’s an honor and a privilege to get to play this sport and on the world stage and I promise to do better,’ she added.

“Rapinoe had attacked Albert and pushed the false claim that ‘kids are literally killing themselves because of this hate.’ Indeed, more and more studies are finding that suicide threats increase after transitions and are not higher in trans-leaning teens before transition procedures. Rapinoe, who retired from professional soccer last year, went all-in for transgender athletes after she was safely out of the game and did not have to face playing with men on her team or the teams of her opponents.

“Many jumped to social media to blast Rapinoe for her hypocritical stance in favor of transgender athletes now that she is safely out of the game.”

Too bad that Albert felt a need to apologize, due to pressure from Rapinoe and other radicals. Newsmax suggested that Albert did not write the apology, but somebody else did, and that she just signed off on it, as she might have been threatened with being expelled from the US national soccer team, if she had not. Who knows? In our ungodly society, none of that sounds too far-fetched. Note the next outrageous article.

Easter Sunday and Transgender Day of Visibility

Breitbart wrote on March 30:

“Biden issued an official proclamation on Good Friday, reading, ‘We honor the extraordinary courage and contributions of transgender Americans and reaffirm our Nation’s commitment to forming a more perfect Union — where all people are created equal and treated equally throughout their lives.’

“The official proclamation continued: ‘NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 31, 2024, as Transgender Day of Visibility. I call upon all Americans to join us in lifting up the lives and voices of transgender people throughout our Nation and to work toward eliminating violence and discrimination based on gender identity.’

“Biden’s chosen day for the inaugural celebration is Easter Sunday, a day on which [nominal] Christians — including Biden, who discusses his Catholic faith often — celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ…”

Express wrote on March 30:

“Joe Biden released a statement ahead of Transgender Day of Visibility… This year, Transgender Day of Visibility will fall on the same day as Easter Sunday, causing outcry from Christians across the US. March 31st will mark Easter Sunday and the 15th annual Transgender Day of Visibility – which is celebrated internationally, not just in the US.

“Christians have taken to social media to express their outrage at the clash of the two celebrations, arguing that it is disrespectful to their religion.”

Biden’s fascination with the transgender people is ridiculous.

Transgender Nonsense and Biden’s Ongoing Provocations

Breitbart wrote on April 1:

“On Sunday afternoon, Biden’s X account tweeted: ‘Today, on Transgender Day of Visibility, I have a simple message to all trans Americans: I see you. You are made in the image of God, and you’re worthy of respect and dignity.’…

“Biden’s transgenderism statement was slammed by Christians and critics of transgenderism… ‘To say that humans who block puberty, take cross-sex hormones, and cut off their body parts because they were “born in the wrong body” are “made in the image of God” is quite an insult to God…’”

At Least 50 Days of “Celebration”

Breitbart added on March 30:

“The Biden administration’s decision to honor ‘Transgender Awareness Day’ on Easter Sunday has caused widespread controversy. However, many Americans may be unaware that there are more than 50 LGBTQIA2S+-themed holidays.”

Breitbart then published a list of many of the above-mentioned days. They include days in March (called the “Bisexual Health Awareness Month”), days in May (referred to at times as “Agender Pride Day”), days in June (called the LGBTQ Pride Month), days in October (called the LGBTQ History Month), and days in November (called the Trans Awareness Month). Days themselves might be called National Transgender HIV Testing Day; Nonbinary Parents Day; Lesbian Visibility Day; Agender Pride Day; LGBTQ Families Day; Queer Youth of Faith Day; International Drag Day; Gay Uncles Day; Bisexuality Day; International Lesbian Day; National Coming Out Day; National LGBT Center Awareness Day; Transgender Awareness Week; Intersex Day; Pansexual Day; Transgender Parent Day; Omnisexual Visibility Day; and many others.

This is the world in which we live!!!!

Scotland’s New Hate Crime Laws to “Protect” Transgender Persons Cause Uproar

The Daily Mail wrote on April 1:

“The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act came into force today… critics say the laws could be used to stifle free speech and that gender-critical activists could be jailed for using the wrong pronoun for a transgender person… Earlier today it was revealed by Scottish minister Siobhian Brown that people ‘could be investigated’ for misgendering someone online. It means a person could be arrested for calling a trans woman ‘he’ if the police decided to do so. … The new laws sparked a furious response by concerned Scots…  with many holding up gender critical slogans. Some of the signs read, ‘a man can’t become a woman. simple’…  ‘truth is not hate speech’, ‘keep trans ideology out of our schools’…

“The Association of Scottish Police Superintendents (ASPS) also warned of the risk of vexatious complaints… Critics, many of whom including the Harry Potter author [J K Rowling] hold gender-critical views [meaning they do not endorse change of gender by transgender people], have said it would be weaponised against them….”

Breitbart wrote on April 2:

“J.K. Rowling won a significant victory over Scotland’s new speech restrictions after daring the police to arrest her over comments criticising transgender ideology, as Police Scotland said they would not take criminal actions against the Harry Potter author after activists reported her statements to law enforcement… [She vowed] that she would stand by any other woman who runs afoul of the new speech codes, saying, ‘If they go after any woman for simply calling a man a man, I’ll repeat that woman’s words and they can charge us both at once.’”

Physical Resurrection of Jesus?

Breitbart wrote on March 30:

“A recent poll reportedly found that a large percentage of registered voters believe that Jesus Christ physically rose from the dead… The Daily Signal, citing a Scott Rasmussen National Survey poll, reported Thursday that almost 70 percent of registered voters believe in Jesus’ bodily resurrection.”

The equation of “bodily” resurrection with “physical” resurrection is clearly wrong. Jesus did NOT physically rise from the dead. Please see our Q&A on this topic. https://www.eternalgod.org/what-will-we-be-in-the-first-resurrection/

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

We recently published three Q&As on the question as to what the Bible means when it says that “many are called, but few are chosen.” https://www.eternalgod.org/why-does-the-bible-say-that-some-are-called-and-chosen-in-this-day-and-age-part-1/ ; https://www.eternalgod.org/why-does-the-bible-say-that-some-are-called-and-chosen-in-this-day-and-age-part-2/ ; https://www.eternalgod.org/why-does-the-bible-say-that-some-are-called-and-chosen-in-this-day-and-age-part-3/

We pointed out that those who are called today to salvation were elected or chosen to be called before the foundation of the world—before time began. We debunked the idea that some would be called first, and only later, after having proven themselves to be worthy, they would become chosen. Rather, those who are called to salvation today had been chosen long ago by God to be called in this age. We also showed that the statement “many are called, but few are chosen” does NOT refer to a calling of many to salvation, but that only the few (“the chosen”) would make it into the Kingdom, while the many will fall away. Rather, we stated at the end of part 3:

“When God foreknew, predestined and elected or chose someone, before time began, to be called to eternal salvation in this life, He expected that person to remain faithful. Many, though, who may think that they are called by God to salvation, are not truly called at all (Matthew 7:21–23; Matthew 15:13). God does not call many today to salvation; He just calls the few or the firstfruits. The calling of the vast majority of mankind will occur later, during the Millennium and the Great White Throne Judgment. God did not call the few in this age, knowing that out of ‘the few,’ ‘the many’ would fail and depart from the Truth and leave the Church, and that only the ‘chosen ones’ would stay and make it into the Kingdom. Those who come to the Church and then leave the Church were, in all likelihood, never called to salvation in this age, even though we must say that, sadly, some might have been called to salvation and in departing from the faith, after having received the Holy Spirit, they lost it again and have committed the unpardonable sin…”

How then do we explain the passage in 2 Thessalonians 2, especially in verse 3 and verses 10-12, referring to a falling away from the Truth in the end time? We read:

“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day [of Christ’s return] will not come unless the falling away comes first…  [regarding] those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned [or judged, compare Neue Lutherbibel 2009] who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

When Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong died in 1986, the human leader of the [now defunct] Worldwide Church of God, a new administration took over and slowly, but surely, began to change all fundamental doctrines of the Church. They began doing so clandestinely, so that many, at first, did not even recognize that “changes” were made. But then, the changes were introduced full-speed and with tremendous force, but by then, many had already given in and had blinded themselves to the Truth, unwilling to reject, based on the Bible, the falsity of what was being introduced, and instead following the new administration blindly to perish together with it. The point is, at that time, a tremendous falling away from the Truth had taken place, and many had become victims of that Satanic deception.

But 2 Thessalonians does not speak about THAT event, even though it was clearly a forerunner of what is going to happen. The end-time falling away, just prior to Christ’s return, will be accompanied by the appearance of the “man of sin” or the “lawless one”; in fact, it is largely through the man of sin who will bring about, under Satan’s influence, the final falling away or apostasy.

We read in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 in context:

“… that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”

Continuing in verses 8-10:  “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish…”

So we see, both events—the falling away and the coming of the lawless one—appear at approximately the same time. In passing, the rendition of verses 6 and 7 in the New King James Bible is unfortunate. It states there: “And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He [or “he,” note the Margin] who now restrains will do so until He [or “he”] is taken out of the way.”

As we explain in our Q&A, https://www.eternalgod.org/who-or-what-restrains-or-holds-back-the-manifestation-of-the-man-of-sin/ , the correct rendering of verses 3-8 should be:  “… that Day [of Christ’s return] will not come unless… the man of sin is revealed… And now you know what is holding it [the Day] down [or back] that he [the man of sin, or He, Jesus Christ] may be revealed in his [or His, i.e. God’s] own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains (holds it back) [will do so] until he comes from the midst [of the apostasy]. And then the lawless one will be revealed…”

We explained that “it is the man of sin who restrains until he is manifested. The Day of Christ’s return can only happen after God has allowed the man of sin to manifest himself as the human religious leader of the apostasy—working openly and no longer in secret.” We also explained that what is being held back “is the full mystery of lawlessness, which is restrained today.”

Before addressing in detail the coming falling away, we need to show from the Bible who the man of sin is… as there is tremendous confusion on this issue. Many claim that there won’t be a temple in which the man of sin sits; others claim that the man of sin (wherever he sits) is the beast (calling him Antichrist). They are wrong on all counts.

First of all, there will HAVE to be a literal temple in Jerusalem, prior to Christ’s return. Passages like Revelation 11:1-2 and Zechariah 6:15 (in the Authorized Version) reveal that a temple will be built. Passages such as Psalm 79:1 and Jeremiah 51:11; 50:28 show that the temple will be defiled, desecrated and polluted. Ezekiel 8:5-6, 14-16 describes this desecration even further, and so does Daniel 8:11-14; 11:31; 12:11. The Jews will bring animal sacrifices at the temple, but they will be suppressed, and the man of sin will occupy the temple—the inner sanctuary (2 Thessalonians 2:4, as the word “temple” should be translated).  In fact, Christ warned His disciples not to believe that He would be in the “inner rooms” (Matthew 24:26), as it would be the man of sin who would sit there. As the temple will be built for the honor of God, the Bible does refer to it as the temple of God, even though it would be polluted. The second temple, which had been expanded by Herod, and which also had been polluted by the money changers and others, was still referred to as the house of God the Father (cp. Mark 11:15-17; John 2:14-17).

We would also like to point out that the Church, under Mr. Armstrong, clearly taught the existence of a literal physical temple of God prior to Christ’s return. Herbert W. Armstrong wrote the following about the man of sin, in the Plain Truth of June 1967:

“This European power, resurrecting for a VERY short while the Roman Empire, will take over the city of Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:2.) They will take the Temple, and plant the palace of their headquarters there. With this coming military leader, pictured in Revelation 17 as the symbolic ‘beast,’ will be a supreme religious leader, called ‘the False Prophet’ [Rev. 16:13; 19:20; 20:10] and the ‘man of sin.’ So will you turn next to II Thessalonians 2:3-4: ‘Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day’ — the Day of the Lord, verse 2 — ‘shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and THAT MAN OF SIN be revealed, the SON OF PERDITION; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.’ So there will have to be the Temple there!” (Also compare our free booklet, “How Can We Know That Christ’s Return Is Near?”)

As we see from the quote above, Mr. Armstrong also clearly taught that the man of sin is the false prophet, not the beast. This is correct. The false prophet will be able to deceive the people through satanic signs and wonders (compare Revelation 19:20; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). There is only one vague reference in the Bible to the beast and demonic signs, in Revelation 16:13-14, speaking of demons or unclean spirits coming out of the mouth of Satan the Dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, and saying that these are spirits of demons which perform signs and go out to the kings of the earth and the whole world to gather them at Armageddon. Notice, technically, it is the demons who perform signs and go out to the kings and the world; we do not read here that it is the beast himself who does so (in fact, he won’t go out to the kings of the world to assemble them at Armageddon). But when speaking of the false prophet, we find the repeated expression that HE will perform those signs, of course due to Satan’s help and influence (as the two witnesses will perform signs and wonders due to God’s help and influence, note Revelation 11:5-6).  

The false prophet is also described in Ezekiel 28:1-7. Some have questioned that the person in Ezekiel 28:1, referred to as the prince of Tyre, is in fact the false prophet, and claim that it is the beast. They are wrong. The parallels to 2 Thessalonians, referring to the false prophet, are obvious. In both passages, the personage claims to be God (or a god). We would also like to point out that Herbert Armstrong clearly taught as well that the prince of Tyre describes a religious leader in our time (compare “Mysteries of the Ages,” page 82, hard cover version).

The beast is nowhere described as claiming to be God (or a god). In fact, it is the beast who considers the false prophet as his god (Daniel 11:36-39; Habakkuk 1:11, Authorized Version).

Some claim that the man of sin in 2 Thessalonians 2 is the beast as the beast will be worshipped. That is a false association. First of all, it says that the beast and the image of the beast will be worshipped (Revelation 13:4, 8,15; 14:9, 11; 19:20). The image of the beast describes a religious power, but could also include the end-time representative of that power, as well as a “speaking” statue placed at or in the temple of God (such as a statute of the “Virgin Mary” or of “Christ Himself”). But the concept of being worshipped does not have to mean at all that people consider the person or object being worshipped as “God” (or a god). For instance, in Revelation 13:4, the beast which is “worshipped” is the Roman Empire—not the individual representing the last revival of the Roman Empire in the end time. In addition, who can doubt that many Germans “worshipped” Adolf Hitler—but they did not consider him to be God or a god.

So, we find that the man of sin, sitting in the temple of God, is none other than the false prophet.  For further information and proof, please read our free booklets, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord”; “The Fall and Rise of the Jewish People”; and “The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire.”

Now we are ready to answer more fully the question as posed in this Q&A. When speaking of the coming “falling away,” it clearly addresses people who will be falling away from the Truth which they once understood. This passage does not describe the growth of a religious power, falsely claiming to be “Christian,” which never understood the Truth to begin with. Rather, it does describe the falling away of those who were “in” or “part of” the true Church of God. That would include true converted Christians who will fall away from the Truth. As we will point out below, even though we might hope for the better, their departure might very well be a final decision, leading to the unpardonable sin. Hebrews 6:4-6 is a sober reminder of that possibility.

It is true that the Bible does not use the term “GREAT” or “GREATER” falling away in 2 Thessalonians 2. However, it is also correct that it has been commonly understood that Paul had a GREAT apostasy in mind, which—relatively speaking—will be, in some way, greater than prior apostasies. For instance, the headline of the New King James Bible for 2 Thessalonians 2 reads, “The Great Apostasy.” The Ryrie Study Bible comments about the coming apostasy: “An aggressive and climactic revolt against God.”

For instance, we read in Matthew 24:10, 12 about the end time: “And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another… And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” The “love” which grows cold is the agape love—the love of God given to us by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). The reference here is to converted Christians. The word “offended” in Verse 10 is rendered “fall away” in the English Standard Version (ESV); the New American Standard Version (NASV); the Amplified Bible; and the International Standard Version (ISV).

So, are those correct then who teach that even though many are called to the Truth, only the few are chosen to stay faithful, while the many become “offended” and “fall away” by rejecting eternal life?

Let us review a few more examples where the concept of falling away is described in the Bible.

In 1 Timothy 4:1-2, we read: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron…” The NASV, the English Revised Version and Young’s Literal Translation say “fall away” for “depart.” So, this Scripture says that “some” will fall away.

In addition, in Luke 8:13 we read: “But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.” As we explained in our three-part Q&As on “many are called, but few are chosen,” this category of people mentioned in Luke 8:13 addresses people who were never called; they never received the Holy Spirit, but they could understand and receive the word with joy and even believed for a while.  But in times of temptation, they fell away by forgetting or rejecting that part of the Truth which they did understand and believe.

In Hebrews 3:12, Paul cautions the brethren by comparing them with the ancient Israelites of old who could not enter the Promised Land, by saying: “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.” The RSV and the ESV say here: “in falling away.” But the Israelites of old did not have the Holy Spirit.

In Isaiah 1:2-4, the unconverted modern House of Israel is addressed by God as follows:  “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: ‘I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me; The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master’s crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider.’ Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward.” The Coverdale Bible states “fell away” instead of “rebelled.” In fact, the word for “falling away” in 2 Thessalonians 2, “apostasia,” means defection from the Truth, and related concepts are to remove, to depart, to forsake and to withdraw, and it can also relate to rebellion.

We can therefore say that in the end time, there will be a falling away, while God’s love in many will grow cold. But this does not have to mean that they lost the Holy Spirit and committed the unpardonable sin, unable and unwilling to ever repent again. As is the case of many who forsook the Truth after Herbert Armstrong’s death, it is our hope that they were either not converted (even though they understood certain aspects of the Truth, as the Holy Spirit might have worked with them), while others did not lose the Holy Spirit, but allowed God’s love in them to grow cold (not, to become thoroughly extinguished). For instance, the five foolish virgins do not have enough of God’s Holy Spirit when Christ returns, but we do not read that they lost God’s Holy Spirit completely, having committed the unpardonable sin. We do not read that they will be thrown into the lake of fire.

On the other hand, some might have committed the unpardonable sin, or will do so, in allowing themselves to fall for Satan’s deception, so the warning is clearly there.

But as we have seen, the Bible also refers to those who fall away from the Truth without having been converted. They might have attended services of God’s true Church for a while—sometimes for a long time—and might have adopted and accepted some of the Truth, but they were never truly convicted. They never received the Holy Spirit. They might have become baptized—many were—but God did not accept that baptism as He looked into their hearts. In short, they were never predestined to be called to salvation in this day and age. Still, they “attended” and were “part of” and were referred to as “members” of the Church.

We read in 2 Timothy 2:17-21:

“And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’ But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.”

In time, it will become manifest who are vessels of gold and silver—who are God’s—and who are vessels of wood and clay who had never been called for salvation in this day and age. The same thought is expressed in Matthew 13:24-30, 47-50.

In conclusion, 2 Thessalonians and other passages addressing the “falling away” of potentially many, do not teach that God called many to salvation, and only very few will make it into the Kingdom, while most of those who were “called” were never “chosen.”  As we have explained before, those who are called in this day and age were predestined and chosen by God long before they were born to be called now, and God did not call them knowing that most would not succeed.

Still, the decision is ours and the warning that the love of many will grow cold is most certainly to be taken quite seriously. Many might come to repentance and to the receipt or the renewal of the Holy Spirit (which had been somewhat dormant in their lives) during the time of the Great Tribulation or just before or even during the Day of the Lord. Others, sadly, will not accept God’s gift of repentance and may end up in the lake of fire. God calls us by giving us the opportunity to respond to the calling and to overcome and fulfill our potential to inherit eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Let us hope that those who fell or will fall away from the Truth which they had understood will come to their senses before it is too late.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link 

compiled by Dave Harris

“America’s Betrayal of Israel!” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Israel is bombarded with accusations and condemnations by its Western friends and allies. The Biden administration is leading, but others have joined the chorus as well. We also note the emergence of more and more antisemitism in the Western world. If you don’t believe this, or if you disagree with the title or the premise of this program, please listen to and learn about shocking facts which should open your eyes as to what is going on.

Passover for 2024 will be observed on Sunday evening, April 21; the first Day of Unleavened Bread is Tuesday, April 23; and the last Day of Unleavened Bread is Monday, April 29, 2024.

A Tech Team meeting was held on March 31, 2024. Hosted by Eric Rank, discussions centered on evaluating our booklet ad campaigns relative to returns and cost considerations.

“Wer hat Jesus Christus getötet?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Who Killed Jesus Christ?”

“Karfreitag—das Leiden Jesu Christi?” last Sabbath’s first split sermon in Germany, presented by Christoph Sperzel, is now posted. Title in English:  “Good Friday—The Suffering of Jesus Christ?”

“Unser Glaube, er fällt oder er steht,” last Sabbath’s second split sermon in Germany, presented by Thilo Hanstein, is now posted. Title in English: “Our Faith, It Falls Or It Stands.”

“As Yourself,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The Bible instructs us to love others as ourselves. Since this expresses a need to love others AND oneself, what does it mean to have love for oneself? What is the deeper meaning of self-love, how does it contrast with selfish indulgence, and how do we treat ourselves with kindness, patience, and honesty?

“How Can We Strengthen the Church of God?” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

What is the role of a Christian relating to building up the Church of God? Importantly, how can we find help in fulfilling our responsibility in this regard?

On March 30, 2024, Eric Rank will present the sermonette, titled, “As Yourself,” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “How Can We Strengthen the Church of God?”

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.

Last Friday evening, March 22, 2024, my wife and I sat down to watch the 6 o’clock BBC News where we were told that there was to be an announcement from the Princess of Wales about her health concerns following mountains of “trolling” in social media.

It was said that she had come to the decision around the time she was facing intense social media speculation after the Photoshop editing of a family photo released on Mother’s Day.  We further learned that she was always intent on waiting until her children’s school broke up for Easter on Friday to go public about her health.  The princess revealed in this video announcement that she was diagnosed with cancer last month, having spent a fortnight in the private London Clinic for abdominal surgery in January.

In an editorial on January 12 this year in our weekly Update #1098, entitled “Never Complain, Never Explain,” mention was made as follows: “Those of us who have been called at this time can learn from biblical examples, and those who set high standards in public life, like the late Queen who, being a God-fearing woman, implemented standards expected of someone in her position.   And the result was, that as the reigning monarch in the UK for over 70 years, no one could ever point an accusing finger in her direction about her life style and behaviour.  She put up and shut up and she never complained and never explained if adverse publicity arose about the Royal Family.”

That approach has stood the Royal Family in good stead.   Because of the unkindness, speculation and outright lies being peddled on social media platforms, the Princess took the unprecedented step to make this public announcement.

The Sun editor Victoria Newton said: ‘It was actually, I understand, that the princess made the decision two weeks ago that she was going to do this public statement.  The key thing for her as a mother, the priority was protecting those three children. She didn’t want them going to school, being asked even more than they already were.  They were already being affected at school, so it was always her plan that she would wait until the last day of term.  Obviously, they’ve endured an incredible amount of social media speculation which has been really hard for them to handle, but the priority for her was always those children.”

When any of us have serious problems, we may not want to let the “world and his wife” [a British expression, meaning, “a great many people”] have all of the intimate details.  Much of this is private and we should give others the time and space to work through any problems they may have with their family and close friends.   The world does not need to know every jot and tittle about every issue.

Social media has brought about an intrusiveness never experienced before.   Facebook seems to be the instigator of the fashion that everyone in our circle needs to know everything that is going on in our lives.   Other platforms have reinforced this narrative and so many just seemed to have accepted this without really thinking it through.   

Let us think about this.   If the Princess of Wales had listed all of the problems she had had, the media would have had a field day and the questions wouldn’t stop there.   There is an insatiable desire in this world of 24-hour rolling news to fill the airwaves with continuous and even more graphic announcements if possible, and it then takes on a life of its own.   For news reporting and social media today, enough is never enough!

The Princess told us as much as we needed to know and asked for privacy as both she and her family work their way through it all.   Maybe all of that evil online trolling can now die down; human nature being what it is, it is highly unlikely that it will all stop.  An expert on cyber extremism said “the inhumanity” of social media led the royal to make her statement.

The London Standard wrote the following: “There we have it: an answer that finally puts an end to the cruel internet frenzy that became known as Katespiracy and a tragic one: Kate, the Princess of Wales has not been abducted by aliens, selected to appear on The Masked Singer [a reality singing competition TV series] or whatever other outlandish, baseless or distasteful rumours various conspiracy theorists wanted us to believe over the two months since her last public appearance. She has cancer. She was diagnosed with it in February after her abdominal surgery, and is currently in the early stages of preventative chemotherapy.”   And truly, we need to know no more than that.

However, there is some good news about this whole episode in that it has been reported that “visits to the NHS website’s cancer page rose by nearly five-fold following the announcement, while Cancer Research UK and Macmillan also reported a surge in clicks.”   

There was much unkindness in so many of the online comments on this issue.   Kindness is something our world is desperate for and is often in short supply.   But after Jesus Christ’s return to this earth, online trolling will not be allowed and, in the meantime, we can practice the instruction of Proverbs 21:21 (even if others don’t) which states “Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor.”

Let us follow these simple admonitions for our own benefit and the benefit of others.

by Norbert Link

We begin with disturbing articles related to Donald Trump and Joe Biden, as well as the US Congress and its House Speaker Mike Johnson, speak on the effects of the Baltimore bridge collapse and the UK’s delayed ruling on Julian Assange’s extradition to the US; and continue with antisemitism and anti-Israel propaganda in Great Britain and continental Europe.

We address America’s betrayal of Israel; the dangerous push for a Two-State-“Solution”; and typical threats against Israel by Turkey’s mass murderer Erdogan.

We speak on “sticky questions” for the green movement, and conclude with Hungary’s Victor Orbán’s insightful comments about the EU’s war agenda and Emmanuel Macron’s dangerous “folly.”

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Satan—the God of this Evil World!” 

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

Trump—God’s Anointed and America’s Messiah?

Reuters wrote on March 22:

“‘This is really a battle between good and evil,’ evangelical TV preacher Hank Kunneman says of the slew of criminal charges facing Donald Trump. ‘There’s something on President Trump that the enemy fears: It’s called the anointing.’ The Nebraska pastor… is among several voices in Christian media pressing a message of Biblical proportions: The 2024 presidential race is a fight for America’s soul, and a persecuted Trump has God’s protection… With Trump now facing dozens of criminal charges as he pursues a second term, some Christian media are bolstering his support by portraying him as an instrument of God’s will who faces persecution by his foes. While the people making these claims are largely outside the mainstream in Christian media, they have amassed significant online followings and their messages reverberate across radio shows, cable TV and streaming platforms that reach millions of Americans every day…

“But what’s new about this election cycle is the unabashed support for Trump and the frequency he is depicted as ‘God’s chosen’ leader… Language that casts Trump in messianic terms helps to energize his base…

“Many Christian voters credit Trump with a series of policy victories, including the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 2022 to overturn the constitutional right to abortion after he appointed three conservative justices to the court, plus the moving of the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. ‘There’s a lot of evangelical conservative Christian voters that have some challenges with some aspects of his personality, but when they look at his policies, what he did, juxtaposed to what we have, and what’s proposed by those on the other side, it’s a no-brainer,’ said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council evangelical advocacy group… Much of the Trump content on Christian media looks at the former president through the lens of the Bible, he added, for example drawing a parallel between him and Cyrus the Great, the pagan ruler of the 6th century BC who liberated the Jews from Babylonian captivity and enshrined religious freedom…

“Trump himself has leaned into the battle. In a speech to an NRB conference last month Trump vowed to defend Christianity and urged Christians to vote for him in the Nov. 5 election, a contest he depicted in religious terms and likened to the great battles of World War Two…  The former president has started some rallies with a messianic video made by social media influencers which opens with the line: ‘On June 14, 1946, God looked down on his planned paradise and said: I need a caretaker, so God gave us Trump.’ He has also shared on the Truth Social media app a sketch of himself in court, sitting next to what appears to be a rendering of Jesus Christ. Written above the drawing: ‘Nobody could have made it this far alone.’”

Trump is most certainly not God’s anointed chosen Messiah, but to portray or view him as such borders on blasphemy and idolatry. Of course, Biden does not help, and he inadvertently contributes to this development, as the next article shows.

Biden Seeks to Jail Trump to Stop Him

Newsmax wrote on March 22:

“Many Americans believe the country is becoming a virtual dictatorship with a solid majority saying President Joe Biden wants to put former President Donald Trump in jail to stop his electoral chances, a new McLaughlin poll finds.

“We should note that Russian President Vladimir Putin just won reelection by 88%. But he did so only after Putin first jailed his leading political opponent, Alexei Navalny, and many of his supporters. (Sadly, Navalny recently died while in prison.) Now Biden’s playbook against Trump seems eerily similar. At least a majority of American voters think so.

“… 56% of all voters think Biden really wants to stop Trump from winning by putting him in jail… Only 30% say it’s not true that Biden is trying to jail Trump. A supermajority of Republicans, 86%, agree that Biden is weaponizing the justice system against Trump. This is also not a partisan issue. Independents agree 50% to 33% that Biden is seeking to jail Trump for political reasons, with moderates agreeing 48% to 32%. Democratic constituencies also have a negative view of Biden’s actions with African Americans at 41%, Hispanics at 53%, and women at 53% agreeing.

“Biden and his legal henchmen have truly made Trump a sympathetic victim. It’s a frightening idea that after 235 years of democracy and peaceful presidential elections, we have devolved to such a point… The reasons for Trump’s success and Biden’s weakness are simple. Some 66% of all voters say the country is on the wrong track and 56% disapprove of the job Biden is doing as president.

“Facing serious challenges with the economy and crises internationally, the Biden campaign has shifted gears from winning on the issues to winning the Putin way — by putting your opponent in jail…”

It is truly shameful what the Biden Administration is doing to the USA… and to Biden’s opponents.

Trump Scores Some Temporary Victory in New York Hoax Case

The New York Post wrote on March 25:

“Donald Trump snagged a last-minute legal victory Monday when a state appeals court ruled he could post a drastically reduced bond of $175 million to fight the massive judgment in his civil fraud case…. Had Trump failed to fork over the $454 million sum, New York Attorney General Letitia James could have moved to start seizing some of his prized properties.

“The appellate court gave him another 10 days to post a bond for the lower figure — a cut of nearly 62% from the previous amount — and Trump said he could and would pay it… [He] will have until September to file the appeal — making it unlikely an ultimate decision would come before the November election… Once the bond is posted, other parts of Engoron’s judgment will also be put on hold, including the portions barring Trump, his two eldest sons, Eric and Donald Trump Jr., and other top Trump Organization executives from running New York companies… The appeals court also agreed to pause part of the ruling that banned Trump and his family real estate holding company from applying for loans in the Empire State….

“… if Trump loses the appeal of the case, he and his co-defendants will still owe $464 million and daily interest of $112,000 on top of that.”

Judge Engoron has been reversed on appeal in this case numerous times. He is either ignorant of the law, or he willfully violates it, or both. Even though the bond was reduced, the whole case has been a sham and a farce, instigated by a radical judge and a radical prosecutor, depriving Trump of a fair trial and finding fraud even though there was no victim and there were no damages. Another disgrace of a deeply corrupt legal system.

Kennedy a Threat to Biden—Not Trump?

The New York Post wrote on March 27:

“On Tuesday, Kennedy made himself more lethal to Biden by naming as his running mate the well-divorced California attorney and tech investor Nicole Shanahan. Shanahan, who calls herself a ‘progressive through and through,’ is the radical-left millennial ex-wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who divorced her after she was rumored to have had an affair with Elon Musk. (Shanahan and Musk deny it.)… For most of her adult life, Shanahan has contributed to radical-left causes and candidates that have brought California to utter ruin… Lest anyone think Shanahan is truly ‘independent,’ she donated $25,000 to Biden’s 2020 victory fund after having initially supported Pete Buttigieg and Marianne Williamson for that year’s Democratic nomination.

“Shanahan donated $4 million this year to RFK Jr.’s super PAC, American Values 2024 [After the announcement, American Values received $2.1 million in donations]… If Shanahan’s willing to spend more, it could smooth her ticket’s path to a ballot presence in all 50 states in November, likely costing Biden millions of Democratic votes while driving virtually all potential Republican supporters and many independents into the Trumpian fold. Her spending could also gain Kennedy sufficient numbers to qualify for presidential debates, which would make him the first third-party candidate to reach that national stage since Ross Perot in 1992.

“Democratic strategists ramped up criticism of RFK Jr. even before he named Shanahan to the ticket. Biden’s re-election campaign reportedly has an entire team devoted to denigrating him… On St. Patrick’s Day, dozens of Kennedys posed for a White House photo with Biden, a symbolic rejection of a relative many of them have criticized for his dissenting views on public health.

“Just before Kennedy’s announcement, a pro-Biden super PAC launched a website featuring composite images of RFK Jr. and Trump and alleging the former is racist, homophobic, antisemitic, anti-science and a conspiracy theorist, in addition to a GOP stalking horse. Now that RFK Jr. has a running mate with enormous personal resources, the Democrats are doubling their efforts to smear him….”

Trump immediately responded. According to Breitbart, dated March 27, Trump wrote on his outlet “Truth Social”:

“RFK Jr. is the most Radical Left Candidate in the race, by far. He’s a big fan of the Green New Scam, and other economy killing disasters… His running mate, Nicole Shanahan, is even more ‘Liberal’ than him, if that’s possible. Kennedy is a Radical Left Democrat, and always will be!!!… Expect him, and her, to be indicted any day now, probably for Environmental Fraud!… He is Crooked Joe Biden’s Political Opponent, not mine. I love that he is running!”

These statements are difficult to decipher, given the fact that left-wing Biden and Harris are running in the race. It appears that Trump IS somewhat afraid of Kennedy Jr. 

Joseph Lieberman Died

 JTA wrote on March 27:

 “Joseph Lieberman, a longtime senator from Connecticut who as Al Gore’s running mate in 2000 became the first Jewish member of a major presidential ticket, died Wednesday. He was 82. A statement sent to former staffers and reported widely said Lieberman had suffered complications from a fall… A moderate — some would say conservative — Democrat turned independent, Lieberman was known for his attempts to build bridges in an increasingly polarized Washington, sometimes losing old friends and allies along the way…

“He also became one of the most visible role models for Jewish observance in high places, in contrast to the largely secular Jewish politicians who had preceded him on the public stage. In 2011, he wrote ‘The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath.’ In it he wrote how on Friday nights he would walk the roughly four miles from the Capitol to his home in Georgetown after a late vote so as not to violate Shabbat — to the bemusement and admiration of Capitol police…

“He watched his onetime party drift away from his beloved Israel, and it pained him. Last week, in one of his last public statements, he excoriated Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Jewish senator from New York who called for new elections in Israel. ‘Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer last Thursday crossed a political red line that had never before been breached by a leader of his stature and never should be again,’  Lieberman wrote in the Wall Street Journal…

“In 1998, he delivered a floor speech excoriating President Bill Clinton for his affair with an intern, Monica Lewinsky. He called his one-time friend ‘immoral’ and said that Clinton had ‘weakened’ the presidency…

“His relationship with Obama remained cordial but tense. Lieberman took the lead in criticizing Obama’s approach to Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking as overly confrontational when Obama met last May with Jewish lawmakers… In August 2015, Lieberman became chairman of United Against Nuclear Iran, a group fiercely opposed to efforts by the Obama administration to broker a deal with Iran over its nascent nuclear program…”

Politico added on March 27:

“As an Orthodox Jew, he kept the Sabbath, which meant avoiding all business from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown… His support for Israel and opposition to the Iran nuclear deal led Lieberman to back President Donald Trump on a number of issues… He joined Trump at an event marking the move of the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May 2018….”

But his Sabbath observance was not without controversy. He would on occasion vote on the Sabbath, including in December 2010, when he voted at the Senate to end restrictions on gays in the U.S. military, saying that “we righted a wrong.” 

Biden Signs $1.2T Bill to Fund US Government Until October

The Associated Press wrote on March 23:

New Poll: Majority Say Biden Trying to Put Trump in Jail, See More

“President Joe Biden on Saturday signed a $1.2 trillion package of spending bills after Congress had passed the long overdue legislation just hours earlier, ending the threat of a partial government shutdown… It took lawmakers six months into the current budget year to get near the finish line on government funding…

“The first package of full-year spending bills, which funded the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture and the Interior, among others, cleared Congress two weeks ago with just hours to spare before funding expired for those agencies. The second covered the departments of Defense, Homeland Security and State, as well as other aspects of general government. When combining the two packages, discretionary spending for the budget year will come to about $1.66 trillion. That does not include programs such as Social Security and Medicare, or financing the country’s rising debt.

“On Ukraine aid, which Biden and his administration have argued was critical and necessary to help stop Russia’s invasion, the package provided $300 million under the defense spending umbrella. That funding is separate from a large assistance package for Ukraine and Israel that is bogged down on Capitol Hill…

“A bipartisan border package collapsed last month when Republican senators scuttled months of negotiations with Democrats on legislation intended to cut back record numbers of illegal border crossings.

“The House passed the legislation Friday morning by a vote of 286-134, narrowly gaining the two-thirds majority needed for approval. The vote tally in the House reflected anger among Republicans over the content of the package and the speed with which it was brought to a vote. Johnson brought the measure to the floor even though a majority of Republicans ended up voting against it… The vote breakdown showed 101 Republicans voting for the bill and 112 voting against it. Meanwhile, 185 Democrats voted for the bill and 22 against…”

Removing House Speaker Mike Johnson?

Axios wrote on March 22:

“Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Friday introduced a motion to vacate against House Speaker Mike Johnson  (R-La.), threatening a future vote to oust him. Greene isn’t yet forcing the vote to remove Johnson as speaker — but the move lays the groundwork for another historic showdown on the House floor. Johnson’s predecessor, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), became the first House speaker to be ousted after hardline Republicans triggered a motion to vacate against him last year.

“Greene said she would bring the vote to remove Johnson if he attempts to pass Ukraine aid, which she and other hardline Republicans fervently oppose.”

Part of the uproar is that Johnson broke the 72-hour rule, requiring to give enough time to review a bill, which he originally stated he would adhere to. But now he went back on his word and proclaimed that the rule was not sacred and could be waived. Of course, a Christian which Johnson claims to be, is to uphold his word even when it hurts. That is why a true Christian could never be a politician or even part of man’s political system.

The Catastrophic Disaster of the “Must Pass” Spending Bill

Ron Paul (88) wrote the following in the Ron Paul Institute on March 25, 2024:

“… the American people are left with a massive $1.2 trillion dollar spending package to add to our already $34 trillion in debt. Military spending will, of course, be increased yet again, as the military-industrial complex demands more of our wealth to feed its ever-increasing appetite…

“Republicans like to talk a good game about reining in spending – especially during election season – but as we learned with this ‘compromise’ and all previous ‘compromises,’ it’s all talk… we are left with a Washington-style compromise, meaning the leadership of both parties gets to throw anything and everything they want into the massive bill…

“The Republican House leadership promised the Members 72 hours to read any new bill before a vote, but they broke their promise without hesitation. Members would not have the chance to read the more than 1,000 page bill, which was worked out in secret behind closed doors.

“There is likely a reason that Congressional leaders did not want Members to get the chance to read the bill. As Rep. Thomas Massie discovered, buried in the bill is funding for 13 year old children to get help with gender transitioning without consent from their parents. He also pointed out that although nowhere was it in the authorization bill, just hours after the omnibus passes the Department of Justice announces the creation of a Federal ‘Red Flag’ center to attack our Second Amendment rights.

“Who knows how many more items like these – and far worse – are deeply buried in the ‘must-pass’ spending bill… no wonder Congress enjoys such a low approval rate among the American people. In the end, the bill only passed the Republican-controlled House with the support of Democrats, fueling a growing rebellion against Speaker Johnson among House conservatives… both parties embrace policies that are leading to our financial bankruptcy. This further threatens the dollar as the world’s reserve currency and will result in catastrophic changes worldwide that nearly no one in Congress seems capable of imagining. Republicans capitulating to Democrat demands to ‘save us’ from a government shutdown… are making the coming crash all the worse.”

The downfall of the USA is inevitable, and its corrupt Congress contributes to this development.

The Effects of the Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Axios wrote on March 27:

“The stunning collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday will have economic impacts far beyond the city of Baltimore… The Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest in the U.S., has halted vessel traffic  indefinitely in the wake of the bridge’s collapse — which is expected to affect the flow of commerce in the U.S…

“The decades-old bridge offered a key transport helping link Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York… The Port of Baltimore is the top handler in the U.S. of imports and exports of cars and light trucks…  [it has been] called ‘one of the largest economic generators’ in the state.

“It also ranks ninth among U.S. harbors for both tonnage and dollar value of foreign cargo passing through…. In 2023, the port handled a record 52.3 million tons of international cargo, worth about $80.8 billion.. The port supports more than 15,000 direct jobs and more than 139,000 indirect jobs connected to the port, generating almost $3.3 billion in total personal income…

“The port’s location is also a boon for business. It’s closer to the Midwest than any other East Coast port and is within an overnight drive’s distance from one-third of the country’s population… Stretching 1.6 miles, the bridge sees about 11.3 million vehicle crossings per year… [or about 35,000 people per day]…”

Assange Can Appeal Extradition

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 26:

“UK judges on Tuesday delayed their ruling on Julian Assange’s extradition to the US, and asked the US for further assurances that the self-styled whistleblower would not face the death penalty if extradited [and that he could rely on the First Amendment of the US Constitution which protects freedom of speech]. The UK abolished the death penalty in the 1960s…

“Assange had appealed on nine grounds in total, six of which the judges rejected, but they said they would grant him appeal on three issues: freedom of speech, concerns that he faces a disadvantage because he’s not a US citizen, and the risk of facing the death penalty…

“Assange’s wife and supporters say that his physical and mental health have suffered during a decade either in custody or in hiding in Ecuador’s embassy in London. After years in the embassy, with police monitoring the building round the clock, he spent the last five years in a high-security prison on the outskirts of the British capital.

“Politicians from government and the opposition in Australia in February joined forces to issue an appeal that Assange, an Australian citizen, be returned there. Several other countries have advocated more lenient treatment, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who said earlier this month that past US failures to assure the UK ‘that the possible punishment would be within a justifiable framework from the UK’s point of view’ seemed to suggest that a further right to appeal the extradition was warranted.”

Terrifying Anti-Semitism in London

Breitbart wrote on March 21:

“Antisemitism in European cities is reaching 1930s levels and London is the worst of them all, an Israeli government minister says, warning of mass migration, radicalisation, and the hard left coming together and ‘serious consequences’ for inaction.

“The growth of antisemitism in Britain is ‘terrifying’, says Israeli government figure Amichai Chikli, who warns freedom of speech is being extinguished in the old ‘beacon of light and democracy’. ‘Wokeism’-infected London is now the ‘most antisemitic place in the West’, the Diaspora and Antisemitism Minister said, counselling the United Kingdom and other Western nations to take another look at their open borders polities and soft-touch approach to extremism.

“London has become particularly hard-hit by hate, Chikli said, because the ‘radicalised Islamist’ minority has coalesced with the hard left…  He told a meeting of visiting European journalists in Israel: ‘The anti-Semitism we see today in the West is the worst since the 1930s and it is because of a “red and green” alliance – the combination of the radical Left and the radical Islam groups that work together.’…

“The Community Security Trust, a Jewish charity in the United Kingdom, said it has been told by many British Jews that they now avoid central London while demonstrations are taking place…

“The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan hit back at the Israeli government man’s comments through a representative, reports GB News, which recorded him as saying that while rising antisemitism is a problem, so is anti-Muslim hate…”

Anti-Semitism and the anti-Israel propaganda and hate in Britain are not limited to the hard left and radical Islamists. Note the next article.

BBC Anti-Israel Propaganda

The Sun wrote on March 24:

“Eight Palestinian staff told of torture by the Israel Defence Forces at Nasser Hospital, Gaza.  The report triggered outrage when it appeared on BBC television and radio bulletins on March 12. Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said the contents were ‘very disturbing’ as he demanded answers. But six of the eight medics have posted anti-Semitic and pro-Hamas messages online for years — a fact that was not included by the BBC…

“Jewish Tory MP Andrew Percy said: ‘There must be a full independent inquiry undertaken of the BBC’s failure to uphold impartiality on this. Their coverage is fuelling the hate on our streets.’… Former Attorney General Sir Michael Ellis, a Tory MP, said: ‘This is more evidence of an endemic anti-Israel bias at the corporation.’”

It sure is, but the BBC is just one of many anti-Israel news organizations in the Western world.

Czech Ambassador: Lessons of Holocaust Not Learned

JNS (Jews News Syndicate) wrote on March 21:

“The outburst of antisemitism across the West following the Hamas massacre on Oct. 7 and the world’s inability to clearly differentiate between the attacker and the victim indicates that the lessons of the Holocaust have not been learned, the Czech ambassador to Israel said on Wednesday… The ambassador said that she was particularly shocked by how under-reported the sexual crimes of Hamas were, and the international community’s belated and minimalistic response to the attacks, including women’s groups and the United Nations… [She] said that a largely uninformed and uninterested European public was being influenced by a strong anti-Israel slant in the media, several major anti-Israeli countries in Europe, senior E.U. leaders and the ignorant voices of uneducated youth at universities…

“In the interview, the ambassador was highly critical of E.U. foreign policy chief Josep Borell for his vociferous criticism of Israel, including his comments that Jerusalem was intentionally starving Palestinians in Gaza….

“Despite its support for Israel, the ambassador conceded that the Czech Republic shifted its position last week to support an E.U. declaration sanctioning several Israeli residents of Judea and Samaria accused of harassing Palestinians in the wake of a similar move taken by the U.S. government. She said that while initially, Prague did not think it was an appropriate move…, it supported the decision in the wake of E.U. ‘dynamics’ after Hamas leaders were further sanctioned first. ‘Sometimes you need to compromise in order to get what you want,’ [she] said.

“Prague is also facing strong E.U. pressure against moving its embassy to Jerusalem…

“The ambassador noted that her country’s relationship with Israel dates back to before the founding of the modern state. Tomas Masaryk (1850-1937), the founding father of Czechoslovakia, fought the antisemitic prejudices of his family and went on to become an ardent Zionist after a visit to the Holy Land in 1927. His son Jan Masaryk (1886-1948), who served as foreign minister until his death shortly before Israel’s War of Independence, is credited with arming the nascent state with Czech rifles at a time when other countries refused to supply it with weapons. The West’s betrayal of Czechoslovakia in the lead-up to World War II was fresh in his memory….

“Still, she noted the influence that the young generation of Czechs are facing at universities on the continent from their European peers coupled with a strongly anti-Israel European media, pointing out if two decades ago an anti-Israel demonstration was unheard of in the Czech Republic, today small groups can be found in a sea of support.”

This seems to be a fairly accurate assessment. However, to say that sometimes compromises are necessary shows again the fragile and problematic nature of the evil of politics.

America’s Betrayal of Israel

Israel 365 News wrote on March 24:

“As some of us have long feared and that has now become undeniable, Israel is fighting not one but two wars of defense against a malevolent foe. The first is against the axis of Iran and its proxies: Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis of Yemen. The second is against America.

“The Biden administration is to construct a pier off the Gaza shore to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid. This week, Israeli TV’s Channel 14 reported that, astoundingly, the Americans have handed over the financing and management of this pier to Qatar, the founder, funder and protector of Hamas… Channel 14 said the Qataris demanded that the new pier be built by a Gaza company named Al Hissi, which is controlled by Hamas… America is feeding Israel into the Qatari jaws…

“America’s action is so preposterous it’s hard to believe. Yet in any event, the Biden administration has already pivoted from supporting the destruction of Hamas to working for its ultimate victory… The administration is determined to impose upon Israel a Palestine state, even though this would become another ‘Hamastan’ and place central Israel in grave danger of Oct. 7-style attacks on steroids…

“A common explanation for this shocking American reversal is that, in this election year, President Joe Biden has to play to the anti-Israel gallery in the Democratic Party. Maybe so; but rather more significant is the endemic hostility to Israel within the administration, and above all, its pathological hatred of Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, whom the administration is astonishingly trying to push out…

“The Biden administration doesn’t understand that, despite widespread opposition to Netanyahu over his domestic record, Israel is united in support of going into Rafah to defeat Hamas. It’s also united, post-Oct. 7, in opposition to a Palestinian state… American liberals believe that if only he could be removed Israel would meekly fall into line with U.S. demands. This was illustrated last week by the Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. In a shocking statement, he called for an Israeli election ‘once the war starts to wind down’ to oust Netanyahu…

“According to the Oxford University Press Dictionary of American Family Names, ‘Schumer’ derives from a German word that means a ‘good-for-nothing.’ Schumer claims instead that his name derives from the Hebrew shomer, or ‘guardian’; and so he boasts to be the shomer of Jewish values…

“How dare he. He is not a shomer. What has horrified so many is that Schumer and other liberal American Jews who are taking aim at Israel’s ‘right-wing’ are using ‘Jewish values’ as a shield behind which they are betraying Israel and the Jewish people and delivering them to their enemies. Along with the shills for Israel’s surrender in the Biden administration, they present an obscene and disgusting spectacle. ‘In every generation,’ say the Jews at Passover, ‘they rise up against us.’ To the enemies of the Jewish people today—Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran—we must add the Biden administration, Chuck Schumer and the liberal Jewish fifth column.”

Yes, the USA has been betraying Israel. The following articles prove this beyond doubt.

The Dangerous Nonsense of a Two-State-“Solution”

Israel Today wrote on March 22:

“The US obsession with a two-state solution clearly goes against the will of the Israeli public, and certainly does not mesh with what the Palestinians want… Multiple polls have shown that the majority of Palestinian civilians support Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre and the idea of a Palestinian state in the 1948 borders, meaning the destruction of Israel…  Given this long-standing Palestinian support for terrorism, terrorist leaders and the eradication of Israel, a vast majority of Israelis agree that establishing a Palestinian state, especially as a response to the Oct. 7 massacre, would constitute a clear reward for terrorism. Yet this is exactly what the international community is trying to do—against Israelis’ will… 

“Israelis today are horrified at the idea of Palestinians getting their own state, from which they would inevitably launch massive terror attacks. Many question why the Biden administration is pushing for a two-state solution when the majority of Palestinians openly express support for terrorism…

“The Israeli public is aware that the US government and the international community did not react similarly when, for example, Syria massacred 600,000 of its own citizens, said Gilboa. This heavy pressure on Israel is viewed by Israelis as a cheap way for the Biden administration to gain political points on the American street.”

It’s not only Biden. Politicians in other countries behave likewise. They are feeding off each other.

The Times of Israel wrote on March 22:

“Spain has agreed with the leaders of Ireland, Malta and Slovenia to take the first steps towards recognizing a Palestinian state…”

Breitbart wrote on March 22:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that there was no alternative to an attack in Rafah, and that Israel was prepared to do so without U.S. support…

“Blinken said in Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday that an Israel attack on Hamas in Rafah would be a ‘mistake’ and ‘unnecessary.’ Israel depends on the U.S. heavily for resupply of arms and ammunition. It is not clear exactly how Israel would sustain a longer conflict — especially if Iranian-backed Hezbollah continues to attack Israel from Lebanon — without U.S. support. But a shorter attack to win the war in Gaza may be feasible.”

Vice President Kamala Harris stated that the Administration had not ruled out “consequences” for Israel if it “defied” Biden and attacked Hamas in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. And French President Emmanuel Macron told Netanyahu that any forced transfer of people from Rafah would amount to “a war crime.”

The threats from the USA and Europe against Israel are getting louder and more forceful.

Netanyahu Cancels Meeting With Washington

Breitbart wrote on March 25:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a meeting between his advisers and White House officials on Monday after the Biden administration let an anti-Israel resolution pass at the United Nations Security Council.

“The U.S. abstained on [a UN resolution] which it could have vetoed by voting against it. The resolution calls for an ‘immediate ceasefire’ in the war between Israel and Hamas for the last two weeks of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. However, it does not condemn Hamas for its October 7 terror attack — something the United Nations has yet to do — and does not condition a ceasefire on the release of the remaining 134 Israeli hostages still held in Gaza….

“Last week, the White House demanded that Israel send representatives to Washington to consult about Israel’s plans to enter Rafah… Netanyahu responded by naming his strategic affairs minister, Ron Dermer, and his national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, to attend talks this week — though he stressed that Israel would still attack Hamas in Rafah, regardless. However, after Monday’s decision by the Biden administration to allow the U.N. resolution, backed by Russia and China, to pass — after Russia and China had blocked a U.S. resolution Friday tying a ceasefire to a hostage release — Netanyahu called the meeting off.”

The U.S. said it agreed with the UN resolution’s demand for an immediate ceasefire, but abstained because it did not include a condemnation of Hamas. Politico added on March 25:

“The decision of the U.S. to abstain, rather than veto the resolution, is also Washington’s sharpest action to date at the United Nations against its ally.”

Erdogan on the War Path

The Times of Israel wrote on March 23:

“Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Friday ordered the Foreign Ministry to summon Turkey’s envoy to Israel for a ‘serious reprimand’ after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to ‘send [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] to Allah.’… Erdogan has increasingly stepped up his rhetoric in the wake of October 7, attacking Israel and Netanyahu and giving his full support to Hamas, who he has called ‘freedom fighters.’… He also claimed that ‘Netanyahu and his administration, with their crimes against humanity in Gaza, are writing their names next to Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin, like today’s Nazis.’…

“Erdogan has not officially condemned Hamas’s slaughter of Israeli civilians. His government also maintains strong ties with Hamas, and Turkey has hosted some of its leaders.”

Erdogan is a murderous dictator, working together with terrorists, and he is reflecting a spirit of hate against Israel which the Bible prophesies about many Turks in the end time.

Sticky Questions For the Green Movement

The Guardian wrote on March 20:

“When New York’s deteriorating and unloved Indian Point nuclear plant finally shuttered in 2021, its demise was met with delight from environmentalists who had long demanded it be scrapped. But there has been a sting in the tail – since the closure, New York’s greenhouse gas emissions have gone up.

“Castigated for its impact upon the surrounding environment and feared for its potential to unleash disaster close to the heart of New York City, Indian Point nevertheless supplied a large chunk of the state’s carbon-free electricity. Since the plant’s closure, it has been gas, rather than clean energy such as solar and wind, that has filled the void, leaving New York City in the embarrassing situation of seeing its planet-heating emissions jump in recent years to the point its power grid is now dirtier than Texas’s, as well as the US average…

“The closure of Indian Point raises sticky questions for the green movement and states such as New York that are looking to slash carbon pollution…

“This mirrors a situation faced by Germany after it looked to move away from nuclear in the wake of the Fukushima disaster in 2011, only to fall back on coal, the dirtiest of all fossil fuels, as a temporary replacement.”

Another example showing that man’s short-sighted actions do not solve anything.

Massacre in Moscow… and the Blame Game Continues

Daily Mail wrote on March 23:

“Russian law enforcement have reportedly made arrests for suspects in the Crocus concert hall massacre in Moscow. They also revealed pictures and names of four suspects as the [confirmed] death toll rose to [at least 137] people, including three children, and 115 people remained in hospital. The condition of 44 survivors – including two children – is described as ‘serious’, while that of 16 other victims, including one child, is ‘extremely serious’. The Islamic State- group (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack, which was the deadliest in Russia in years and left the 6,000 capacity concert hall in Krasnogorsk, outside Moscow, in flames with a collapsing roof. [However, it was also pointed out that ISIS’s statement might not be reliable.]

“… Ukraine has vehemently denied any role in the bloodbath at Crocus City Hall [as Russia was quick to claim a connection between Ukraine and the terrorist attack]… A US intelligence official told The Associated Press that American agencies had learned the group’s [ISIS’s] branch in Afghanistan was planning an attack in Moscow and had shared the information with Russian officials. [That report was filed several weeks ago, on March 8, warning of an attack within 48 hours, but it was dismissed by Russia, and the US government, via U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, declared on March 23 that it was too early to tell who was behind the attack. Other reports claim that US intelligence did confirm the plot was masterminded by ISIS in Afghanistan.]

“There were reports today that the Moscow security services suspect the Russian Volunteer Corps [RDK], a far-right paramilitary unit of Russian citizens, based in Ukraine… The RDK denied the possibility of participation in the terrorist attack.

“Russian senator Andrey Klishas claimed the terrorist attack in Crocus was part of the war that Western intelligence services have been waging with Russia for many years. ‘Support for terrorists in the Caucasus in the 1990s, the coup in Ukraine in 2014, the breakdown of the Minsk agreements, the extermination of civilians in Novorossiya, Russophobia, support for neo-Nazism, Crocus. All these are stages of the same war with Russia and there is only one customer here.’

“Ukrainian outlet Pravda Gerashchenko alleged that ‘Russian special services either knew or were themselves the organisers of the terrorist attack…. Ukrainian military intelligence blamed the operation on Russian secret services and said they were likely to use the consequences to increase support for the military conflict.

“Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeev called for a nuclear strike. ‘Let’s give the civilian population of Ukraine 48 hours to leave the cities and finally end this war with the victorious defeat of the enemy. Using all forces and means,’ he posted…

“The Tajikistan foreign ministry hit out at false reports over its citizens being involved… Russian political scientist Sergei Karnaukhov alleged Ukrainian involvement….”

The Algemeiner added on March 23:

“Russian internal intelligence FSB… claimed that the suspects planned to cross the Russia-Ukraine border and had ‘relevant contacts’ in Ukraine… Russian President Vladimir Putin… echoed the claim that the gunmen were moving towards Ukraine.”

And so, each side blames the other. And the incident will be used for political purposes, to be sure.

Viktor Orbán About EU’s War Agenda

Hungary Today wrote on March 22:

“The Prime Minister was speaking from Brussels, where he is attending the EU summit…  Speaking about the summit, the Prime Minister said that the leaders in Brussels were talking as if they were fighting their own war with the Russians. ‘I feel as if I have arrived in another galaxy,’ the Prime Minister said of the warlike atmosphere in Brussels. ‘They are in a spiral of war, which is getting worse, and there is now talk of stationing troops in Ukraine. This is shocking to the Hungarian ear,’ he added. ‘What is most alarming,’ the Prime Minister said, ‘is that what would have been unthinkable two or three months ago is now becoming commonplace.

“‘Before, the Germans did not want to send weapons, they sent helmets. Today, Germany would give Ukraine missile systems that could reach deep into Russian territory. This is not a video game. This is reality…’ In the West, too, people are more supportive of anti-war political forces, but this is not leading to a pro-peace turnaround in Europe, because Brussels is in fact a network for George Soros, Orbán claimed. ‘The Soros network is embedded in European institutions. The EU gives them money to operate, he said, adding that this also makes it difficult for the voices of the European people to be heard… we are marching closer to war.’

“Orbán said that the First World War also started as a local conflict. Step by step, it developed, and it turned out that the conflict that was thought to be the Balkan war was the first act of the world war…”

Orban’s observation that things can change very quickly for the worst, almost overnight, is very correct, as the Bible clearly prophesies.

Macron’s Folly

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on March 26:

“France is reportedly preparing to dispatch a force of some 2,000 troops… into Ukraine sometime in the not-so-distant future… This would be introducing combat troops of a NATO country into a theater of war… the Russians are likely to believe that Macron’s folly has the tacit approval of some key U.S. and other Western officials…

“Europe needs to understand that France is leading it down a path of inevitable self-destruction. The American people need to understand that Europe is leading them to the cusp of nuclear annihilation.”

In addition, the French Chief of Army Staff said he has 20,000 troops ready to be sent to Ukraine in 30 days.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

In the first part of this Q&A, we started our review about why God continually condemns arrogance.  We mentioned that the words arrogance, arrogant, proud, and haughty are mentioned over 200 times in the New International Version, and that they are all interconnected in their meaning.   God resists the proud, as we read in 1 Peter 5:5: “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.’”

In the Book of Psalms are found many references to those traits that God does not approve of.   Psalm 5:5 reads: “The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity.”   Boastful, that is self-praising, boasting and bragging, exhibiting self-importance, reflects arrogance that God totally disapproves of; therefore, His people should steer clear of any such behaviour.   This is further supported by Psalm 75:4: “I said to the boastful, ‘Do not deal boastfully,’ And to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up the horn.’”

Further such injunctions are found in Psalm 94:4: “They utter speech, and speak insolent things; All the workers of iniquity boast in themselves.”   Also, Psalm 119:21 reads: “You rebuke the proud—the cursed, Who stray from Your commandments.”

Being arrogant, proud, boastful and haughty are traits, that, if not repented of, will ensure that we will not be in the Kingdom of God as God hates these characteristics.   The world and its ways can rub off, even on the people of God, so we had better be very careful about the way we live our lives and ensure that we are not guilty in such matters.

Of course, some even accuse true Christians of arrogance. One such accusation on a forum stated that “Religions in many ways are indistinguishable from fascism, where one’s value comes not from oneself, but from your status as part of something much greater. As such, it encourages and rewards extreme arrogance: nothing so deadly as a righteous man.”

Maybe that could apply in some cases, and we all have to be careful that, because God has called us out of this world, we don’t have such a mindset.  If we are one of God’s people who follow His instructions on how to live His Way of Life, that accusation could not be made against us as we would be guilty of doing that of which God disapproves and would disqualify us as one of God’s people anyway.

Further criticism against God is that He was arrogant when He spoke to Job, as we read in Job 38:4: “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding,” and in the rest of the chapter, God “revealed His Omnipotence to Job,” as the chapter heading in some Bibles reads.

Barnes Notes on the Bible observes: “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? – The first appeal is to the creation. The question here, ‘Where wast thou?’ implies that Job was not present. He had not then an existence. He could not, therefore, have aided God, or counselled him, or understood what he was doing. How presumptuous, therefore, it was in one so short-lived to sit in judgment on the doings of him who had formed the world!”

The allegation that God was arrogant is made null and void when we see the context and know that God is love which is the very antithesis of arrogance (compare 1 John 4:8,16).

Another criticism is that Christians believe that theirs is the only true religion.   What about all of the other faiths – aren’t they equally important?   And isn’t it arrogant for Christians to believe that they are the only ones with the truth?   It is interesting that since the dawn of civilization, man has gravitated towards pagan gods of stone and there are many instances of this.   One such is the example of Solomon as we read in 1 Kings 11:4-8: “For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David.  For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.  Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not fully follow the LORD, as did his father David.  Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon.  And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.”

Even Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived (except for Jesus Christ), resorted to idol worship, and it can be guaranteed that the master of deception, Satan the devil was at the heart of such behaviour.   After all, he is the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4; Authorized Version) and the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2).

We further read in Acts 4:12: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved,” which clearly tells us that all the other religions in this world are false.   Is it arrogance to believe that?   It is, surely, just a matter of believing what the great Creator of the Bible states in His Word, which can never be construed as arrogance.

Having arrogance is a deeply unlovely trait, and when we hear someone displaying this characteristic, it can, and it must be, something that reinforces our belief that in no way must we behave in such a manner.

It should be obvious to readers of the Bible that God approves of behaviour that is in line with what He is – God is love as was mentioned before.  We read in 1 John 4:7-8: “ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born (begotten) of God and knows God.  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

God the Father Who created us all is perfect.  The second member of the God Family, the Logos or Word and Who became Jesus Christ, is also perfect.   As perfect beings, they make no errors or mistakes and are the epitome of love as the above Scripture reveals.   We can be the same through the power of the Holy Spirit which we are given after repentance and baptism.   We read in John 1:12: “ But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.”

We have taken the long route to answer the question thoroughly, although there may be those who think that this is not necessary for the people of God.   However, because we have the knowledge of God’s Way which most people discard or ignore today, there could be a tendency, if we’re not careful, that this might give us a superior feeling or arrogance which would be dangerous.   We must not forget that the religious people in Jesus’ time did make considerable mistakes in this area.   We read in the first part of this two-part series, in Luke 18:9-14, the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector where superiority and arrogance were shown by the outwardly religious man but who seemed to feel superior to everyone else.

Wherever self is mentioned, we had better be very careful, but one area that is vitally important is that of self-assessment.   In 1 Corinthians 11:27-28, we are instructed as follows: “Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”  In verses 23 to 26 of the same chapter is the institution of the New Testament Passover and the necessity to examine ourselves before taking it.   In 2 Corinthians 13:5 is a further instruction to examine ourselves: “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.” Therefore, this self-assessment or investigation is a vital and necessary part of our Christian lives.

Apart from this pre-Passover requirement (which should be ongoing throughout the year) is the requirement of fasting on the Day of Atonement.  We read the following in our booklet “The Meaning of God’s Fall Holy Days”: “Leviticus 23:27 gives the following command on the Day of Atonement: ‘… It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls….’   The Hebrew word for ‘afflict’ is ‘anah.’ It means, literally, ‘to lower’ or ‘to humble.’  Deuteronomy 8:3 sheds more light on the meaning of the Hebrew word, ‘anah.’ We read: ‘He humbled [‘anah’] you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna…’ We should note here the connection between being humbled and abstaining from food. Psalm 35:13 adds: ‘I humbled [‘anah’] myself with fasting.’”

Humbling oneself is the opposite of arrogance.  When fasting, arrogance is usually a trait that can disappear quite quickly, if it was there in the first place.   It is difficult to demonstrate an attitude of arrogance and superiority when you are being deprived of one of the basics of life – food. 

In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, we read about a time of stress during the last days: “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:  For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,  traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,  having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”

We have been warned!  The arrogance and haughtiness displayed by those outside the Church are traits that we must dismiss and not let any of this sort of behaviour rub off on us.   Love cannot exist where arrogance prevails as the two are completely incompatible.

Because continually exhibiting arrogance as a Way of Life is not the way that will lead to eternal life in the Kingdom of God. We all need to ensure that such a trait is one that we cannot be accused of.   If we have problems in this area, it is imperative to remove them as soon as possible; otherwise, we could fall short of what is required by God.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Satan—the God of this Evil World!” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Man has chosen to disobey and disbelieve the God of the Bible and to follow Satan instead. Misery, pain, suffering and war have been the consequence. Due to Satan’s deception and false religions, man does not know why God created him in the first place. But you can know, and this program shows you how.

“Christenverfolgung in Deutschland,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Persecution of Christians in Germany.”

Beyond those who use our webpage,  www.eternalgod.org, to follow our weekly Updates, we now have reached a total subscriber list of one thousand people who receive the Update via email. Additionally, portions of the Update are also published in German, https://www.ewigengottes.de/.

The text for our new German booklet, “Wie können junge Menschen…das Leben meistern?” (translation of our English booklet, “How Can Young People… Cope With Life?”) has been sent to our Graphic Designer Shelly Bruno for finalization.

“Vergebung, ein biblisches und absolut notwendiges Konzept,” last Sabbath’s first split sermon in Germany, presented by Mike Richter, is now posted. Title in English: “Forgiveness, A Biblical and Absolutely Necessary Concept.”

“Gottes Plan… und Satans Agenda,” last Sabbath’s second split sermon in Germany, presented by Daniel Blasinger, is now posted. Title in English: “God’s Plan… and Satan’s Agenda.”

“Who Do You Follow?” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Are you a person who subscribes to the opinions, ideas, beliefs, and teachings of others by following social media sources? There is one social media platform which is truly unique, and it is the Bible. Are you a follower?

“Limitations,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Human beings have physical limitations that determine the boundaries of possibility. God is limitless in His power. What happens when we put the power of God to work in our lives?