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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Norbert Link

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Churches Unfairly Scapegoated for Pandemic”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unwilling to Be Vaccinated against Coronavirus

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 12:

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

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

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

The Great Covid-19 Deception

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Health Danger of Masks

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

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

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

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

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

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

Certain States Travel Restrictions Constitutionally Dubious

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New Restrictions by Gov. Newsom

Fox News wrote on July 13:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reactions to Gov. Newsom’s New Restrictions

 Fox News reported on July 16:

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

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

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

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

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

California’s Economic Downfall

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

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

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

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

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

Buying Guns in Record Numbers

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 14:

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

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

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

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

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

Violence WILL spread. Is civil war inevitable?

CNN Spreads Heretical and Blasphemous Teachings

Fox News reported on July 14:

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

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

More Nonsense from the LAT:

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

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

And so, the nonsense continues.

From Hagia Sophia to Al Aqsa?

Breaking Israel News reported on July 12:

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

The Jerusalem Post wrote on July 11:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Breaking Israel News reported on July 14:

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

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

The Right of the Sword

Newsmax wrote on July 12:

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

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

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

Erdogan’s Move Threatens Christianity

The Associated Press wrote on July 10:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conflicting Reports from Israel re Potential Lockdown

JTA wrote on July 14:

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

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

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

Bloodbath at Church in South Africa

The Daily Mail wrote on July 12:

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

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

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

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

Duda Wins in Poland

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 13:

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

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

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

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

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

Pope Francis’ Prayer to the “Virgin Mary”

Herald Malaysia wrote on July 11:

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

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

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

Required Qualities for the Next Pope?

National Catholic Reporter wrote on July 14:

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

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

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

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

About half of Oklahoma Belongs to Native Americans

BBC News reported on July 10:

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

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

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

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

Trump to Open Up Citizenship for Dreamers?

Fox News wrote on July 11:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Germany: Rich Economy “Über Alles”

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 11:

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

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

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

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

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

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

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

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

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

The apostle Paul understood this and wrote:

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

How, then, are people called?

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

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

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

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

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

Again, then, how are people being called?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lead Writer: Dave Harris

compiled by Dave Harris

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Norbert Link

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

California’s Ongoing Persecution of Churches

Breaking Israel News wrote on July 5:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Church Leaders Oppose Newsom

Newsmax wrote on July 6:

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

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

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

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

CNN wrote on July 3:

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

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

Newsom’s New Order Conveniently Excludes Napa Valley

The Sun wrote on July 3:

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

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

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

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

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

Newsom Ramps Up Enforcement

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

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

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

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

Coming… Civil War in the USA?

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

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

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

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

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

Sadly, this is exactly what may happen.

Terrible Consequences of Coronavirus Restrictions in Israel

Breaking Israel News reported on July 6:

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

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

The curse of governmental dictatorship.

Australia Closes Borders

Reuters wrote on July 4:

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

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

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

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

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

Trump: 99% of Coronavirus Infections Totally Harmless

Times of Israel wrote on July 5:

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

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

The Sun wrote on July 8:

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

Deliberate Falsification of Covid “Cases”?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trump’s Remarkable 4^th of July Speech

Breaking Israel News wrote on July 5:

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

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

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

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

The Guardian wrote on July 4:

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

Deutsche Welle added on July 4:

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

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

The 4th of July 2020 Experience

The Associated Press wrote on July 4:

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

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

Very true.

In Defense of John Wayne

 Fox News wrote on or about June 30:

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

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

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

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

No More Master Bedrooms?

The Daily Mail wrote on July 4:

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

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

When insanity rules…

Germany’s Condemnation of Israel—a Day of Shame

Breaking Israel News wrote on July 5:

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

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

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

Germany’s Hypocritical Bundestag

The Jerusalem Post added on July 4:

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

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

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

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

In These Times of Conflict, Europe Must Boost Its Defense

The Parliament Magazine wrote on July 6:

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

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

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

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

Conscription to Be Reintroduced in Germany?

Deutsche Welle reported on July 7:

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

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

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

Russia and China Combine Forces in Opposition to Trump

CNN wrote on July 5:

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

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

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

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

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

China Threatens the UK

The Guardian wrote on July 2:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Putin Mocks American Rainbow Flag

Times of Israel wrote on July 4:

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

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

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

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

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

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 2:

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

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

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

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

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

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

CNA wrote on July 5:

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

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

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

After Queen Elizabeth II… Charles or William?

Geo News wrote on July 4:

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

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

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

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Wikipedia Encyclopedia states:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Another group at the time of Christ were the Zealots.

thorncrownjournal.com states:

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

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

Continuing with the quote from the above-mentioned source:

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

God’s Word First states this:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wikipedia tells us:

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

The Jewish Encyclopedia adds about the Herodians:

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

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

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

gotquestions.org adds:

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

J C McRuer states:

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

“In the synagogues of Galilee, Jesus’ voice was heard as one with a mission. ‘For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven’ (Matthew 5:20) were strong words, revolutionary words, revolutionary words that preached rebellion not against the power of Rome but against special privilege in everything religious.  He was a humble man, a carpenter’s son. To the crowds that came to hear him he taught as a man of astonishing knowledge and as one who had authority – not as their scribes.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

compiled by Dave Harris

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On July 4, 2020, Eric Rank will present the sermonette, titled, “Do Your Best,” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “TEST Your Conversion.”

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

In this Editorial, I want to look at what has been an ongoing media obsession – that of Covid19 – the coronavirus. It is a terrible disease that has caused much heartache around the world, and in no way am I minimising the tragic effect that this will have had on so many families in so many nations around the world, even though some, if not many, feel that the numbers have been grossly over reported, but I will be addressing the media obsession with this matter.

On the website realclearpolitics.com we read that “Despite the coronavirus spreading rapidly across China early this year, media and search interest remained nearly non-existent until around January 21st when the first case on U.S. soil was reported.”

It must be evident to everyone who looks at news programmes that there has been a relentless barrage of coronavirus news every day and this may, we are told, raise anxiety levels.

Psychology Today had an article in March 2020, entitled “Media, Fear, and the Coronavirus Outbreak.”

They state: “Fear influences how we react to media coverage of health hazards. Fear of disease and contamination is particularly relevant when it comes to epidemics like the coronavirus. A certain amount of healthy respect for disease and contamination is adaptive. But at a certain point, somewhere in the moderate to high range of fear, concern about disease and contamination generates excessive personal distress and interference in daily functioning. It’s for these people that the barrage of threatening media coverage about the coronavirus outbreak may have the most negative impact.”

In fact, it seems to me that the coverage from mid to late January 2020 up until more recently has been obsessive. Collins Dictionary defines obsessing as follows: “If something obsesses you or if you obsess about something, you keep thinking about it and find it difficult to think about anything else.” To me that sums up the general media coverage that we have been subjected to and they have been so caught up in their own world of reporting and analysing that they appeared to have lost all sense of proportionality. The news had become out of kilter.

Until recently, it seemed to be a long time since I last saw any other news of any great importance. We are now starting to see other news being reported on in the UK in spite of the obsession that has gripped the television media in particular. Back on their agenda are news items about other matters but you would have been hard pressed to find such details until more recently.

For the last several months, we have had a daily diet of non-stop information and statistics; we have seen hundreds of people being interviewed, almost always staring at us on our television screens through skype, facetime (and similar), these being scientists, medical specialists, politicians, NHS workers, care home staff and any and every other person that could give even the faintest amount of input on this crisis, admirably aiding the news outlets to fill the 24 hours a day news reports.

It is not unfair to say that once the media in general get their teeth into a story, they can be like a dog with a bone and find it very difficult to let go of. There can be sensationalism and fear can sell. It can cause fear, and bad news can always draw viewers to the television news and internet news outlets.

Television schedules were revamped in the UK to allow the daily governmental update from Downing Street to be screened with a minister, scientists and health officials taking part as were deemed appropriate, and although this was discontinued just last week, we had several months of this. The media are there to report the news but, at times, you could be forgiven for thinking that they are more intent on making the news!

As time passes on, other crises will occur as we rapidly approach the Great Tribulation, and the news-baton will pass from the coronavirus to other serious matters, no doubt, with the usual obsessive approach.

Yes, we do need to know what is going on in the world as we are told to “watch” (compare Matthew 24:36, 42-44) as we approach the end of this age, but let us never be obsessed with what the general media wants to tell us, but rather let us access news in the light of biblical prophecy.

Our weekly Update will continue to keep us all informed with the news that we need to hear about, and in a fair and objective way.

by Norbert Link

We begin with articles showing the ongoing alienation between Europe and the USA on many different levels, as well as Europe’s, Iran’s and Turkey’s opposition to Israel. We also report on recommendations to Europe to use military power in Libya and the desire of eastern Ukrainians to belong to Russia.

We point out fears of global damage for the economy; a federal court’s decision holding New York’s Church Lockdown Orders to be illegal; and the US Supreme Court’s decision supporting abortionists.

We publish numerous articles containing different viewpoints on the fight against racism, violent riots, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and the demolition of historical statues and monuments. In this context, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Is America Destroying Itself?”

We focus on “Gay Pride Month” celebrations and address the ongoing controversy regarding the accuracy of statistics about the coronavirus and the prospects of safe vaccinations.   

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

Merkel’s Views on Europe, Britain, the USA and Russia

The Guardian wrote on June 26:

“As the rotating presidency of the EU council passes to Germany on 1 July, the country’s chancellor, Angela Merkel, sat down for an interview…

“‘It is very much in all the member states’ own interests to maintain a strong European internal market and to stand united on the world stage. In such an extraordinary situation, I rely on the member states having a great interest in the things that unite us… It is in Germany’s interest to have a strong internal market and to have the European Union grow closer together, not fall apart. As ever, what’s good for Europe is good for us…

“‘Without a doubt, European law has precedence over national law – but that does not tell us where the realm of European law begins and ends. The essence of the European Union lies in the member states transferring powers…

“‘It would, of course, be in Britain’s and all EU member states’ interests to achieve an orderly departure. But that can only happen if it is what both sides want. What matters is not our wishes but only the reality before us, in other words first of all what Britain wants. With Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the British government wants to define for itself what relationship it will have with us after the country leaves. It will then have to live with the consequences, of course, that is to say with a less closely interconnected economy. If Britain does not want to have rules on the environment and the labour market or social standards that compare with those of the EU, our relations will be less close… We need to let go of the idea that it is for us to define what Britain should want. That is for Britain to define – and we, the EU27, will respond appropriately….

“‘We in Germany know that we have to spend more on defence; we have achieved considerable increases in recent years, and we will continue on that path to enhance our military capabilities. American troops in Germany help to protect not only Germany and the European part of Nato but also the interests of the United States of America… There are compelling reasons to remain committed to a transatlantic defence community and our shared nuclear umbrella. But of course Europe needs to carry more of the burden than during the cold war. We grew up in the certain knowledge that the United States wanted to be a world power. Should the US now wish to withdraw from that role of its own free will, we would have to reflect on that very deeply….

“‘… we recognise hybrid warfare, methods of destabilisation, as a Russian behaviour pattern. On the other hand, there are good reasons to keep engaging in constructive dialogue with Russia…’”

In her usual “diplomatic” way, Angela Merkel expresses very timidly Europe’s concern about America’s lack of reliability. The following articles express this concern in much more drastic ways. But what we should also glean from this interview is the strong desire for European strength and power. This will also be expressed more clearly in the articles to follow.

“The World Is Putting America in Quarantine”

The Week wrote on June 25:

“Europe… is looking at America with slackjawed horror… Around the world, it is beginning to sink in how profoundly rotten the United States is. Unless America manages to turn things around, it will slide from the center of the international order to a peripheral, mistrusted basketcase…

“When faced with a problem, most top politicians in both parties think first about how they can shift blame to others or appear the victim of circumstance…”

Trust in the USA Is Gone

The Local wrote on June 29:

“Some 63 percent of Italians, 61 percent of French people, and 52 percent of Spaniards said that the EU has not lived up to its responsibilities… But that did not mean there is an increased desire to see the European project fail. In fact a majority in all countries surveyed believed there was a need for greater European cooperation after the pandemic ‘The share of respondents who held this belief was as high as 91 percent in Portugal and 80 percent in Spain… In France, Sweden, and Denmark, more than half of respondents approved of greater cooperation at the European level. In Italy, 77 percent did,’ read the survey…

“Strikingly the survey also revealed a steep deterioration in the European perception of Donald Trump’s America. More than 60 percent of respondents in Germany, France, Spain, Denmark and Portugal said they had lost trust in the United States as a global leader… ‘Now, Europeans’ trust in Trump’s America is gone…’ the study wrote. ‘Europeans have accepted the fact that Trump’s America is not necessarily a friend of Europe in a time of need. Europeans’ view of China has also worsened since the pandemic….”

This European perception regarding the USA will have terrible consequences.

Most US Travelers Barred from EU

MSN wrote on June 26:

“The European Union will bar most travelers from the United States, Russia and dozens of other countries considered too risky because they have not controlled the coronavirus outbreak…

“The exclusion of the United States, an important source of tourism to the European Union, represented a stinging rebuke to the Trump administration’s management of the coronavirus scourge… The list will be updated every two weeks, raising the possibility that excluded countries will be added… officials said the United States and other nations had been lobbying intensely to get on the safe list.

“The United States, which banned most EU travelers in March when the virus was raging in Europe, has not eased its own restrictions since then… Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, asked Thursday about the prospect of a prolonged ban on American travel to Europe, struck a conciliatory tone but said that many European countries were eager to admit American visitors… ‘We’ve heard from a dozen or more countries that have very different views about their willingness to open up their borders to anyone, not only folks from the United States of America,’ he said…

“While the new list is not legally binding, member states that open up to excluded countries face the risk that their EU partners will close their borders to them… Seven million Americans visited Europe between June and August last year…

“The full list finalized Friday includes Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay, Andorra, San Marino, Monaco and the Vatican. China will be included if it also opens its borders to EU travelers, as reciprocal reopening is one of the criteria used to make the final selection for the safe list. Britain, despite having left the EU, is still being considered part of the bloc until year’s end, and so was not part of the discussion over outside visitors.”

In spite of the fact that some European countries depend heavily on American tourists, the EU wants to exclude the USA in obvious retaliation for Trump’s many political actions and pronouncements which the EU rejects. The pandemic concerns are a welcome “justification” for European politics.

Breitbart wrote on June 30:

“European politicians claimed that the decision was not political… While the EU has maintained the ban was made based on which countries had worse containment of the virus, the movement may be seen as a move towards a tit-for-tat spat with the United States. In March, President Donald Trump banned travel from the European Union over the bloc’s failure to contain the spreading Chinese virus… Eurocrats reacted with anger, claiming that President Trump had treated the continent as a ‘scapegoat’, blaming ‘nationalism’ for provoking the U.S. travel ban…”

European Lawmakers Strongly Oppose Israel and USA

JTA wrote on June 25:

“More than 1,000 lawmakers from throughout Europe signed a letter opposing Israel’s plans to annex parts of the West Bank and calling for ‘commensurate consequences.’ More than 240 of the signers are British legislators… Other lawmakers come from 25 countries including Belgium, Sweden, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands.

“The letter, which was sent to the countries’ foreign ministers, says the lawmakers ‘share serious concerns about President Trump’s plan for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the imminent prospect of Israeli annexation of West Bank territory.’ The letter adds: ‘Failure to adequately respond would encourage other states with territorial claims to disregard basic principles of international law. The rules-based global order is central to Europe’s own long-term stability and security.’…

“On Wednesday, seven European countries said in a statement in the United Nations that annexation of any part of the West Bank ‘would have consequences for our close relationship with Israel and will not be recognized by us,’ The Jerusalem Post reported. The statement was signed by the five European nations that are currently members of the Security Council — France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, Estonia — and the incoming Security Council members, Ireland and Norway.

“The Trump peace plan allows for Israel to annex up to 30% of the West Bank and calls for negotiations toward a Palestinian state. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will put annexation into motion after July 1.”

Europe is outing itself more and more against Israel and the USA. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz emphasized that the annexation has been planned for some time “after July 1,” not “on” July 1.

Vatican Gets Involved

Breaking Israel News wrote on July 2:

 “The Vatican announced that it had summoned the envoys of both Israel and the United States on Wednesday for meetings to oppose Israel’s plans to assert sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria within the framework of Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’. In two separate meetings on Tuesday, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin warned US Ambassador Callista Gingrich and Israeli Ambassador Oren David of the possibility of war… ‘regarding possible unilateral actions that may further jeopardize the search for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, as well as the delicate situation in the Middle East.’”

Iran and Turkey to Attack Israel?

Breaking Israel News wrote on June 28:

“The notion of a joint Iran-Turkey invasion of Israel is a realistic scenario according to several Middle East experts… Both Ankara and Tehran have been cooperating in various Middle East conflicts including their opposition to American involvement in Syria as well as battling Kurdish dissident groups. And the once rivals also now share a hatred of Israel combined with the support of Hamas which could translate into a united front in a potential war against Israel…

“One example is how Turkey’s Religious Affairs Ministry has threatened to mobilize the Muslim community against Israel to protect Jerusalem against annexation. Similar sentiments have been heard from Tehran as Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, called for ‘armed resistance’ (against Israel) on May 21… Hamas is currently funded by Turkish-backed Qatar and the two maintain very close diplomatic ties….

“Turkey and Iran were diametrically opposed due to their religious differences with Iran being strongly Shia and Turkey being strongly Sunni… ‘Sometimes, Sunni and Shia cooperate against a common enemy,’ Dr. Kedar said, noting that Iran, fanatically Shia, funds Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, fanatically Sunni, against Israel, the small devil, and the US, the great devil.’… ‘For economic and trade, Iran and Turkey can get along quite well,’ Dr. Aviv said. ‘In Turkish culture, there are no “friends”. There are only common interests. This is especially true of foreign powers. They have an expression that there is no friend for a Turk other than another Turk. There are agreements, agendas, and goals but no real alliances. This allowed Turkey to stay out of World War II until the very end. This allows them to be a member of NATO but still buy Russian military hardware when it suits them… What this means for the US, Israel, and other countries is that… if their interests suddenly demand, they can become an enemy overnight.’”

Turkey will turn out to become a violent and mean enemy of the state of Israel and the USA.

EU and Germany Should Threaten Military Intervention in Libya

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 29:

“The European Union should threaten to intervene militarily in the Libyan civil war if necessary, Wolfgang Ischinger, the head of the Munich Security Conference, said in an interview on Monday. ‘Europe could throw its military weight into the equation in order to achieve a cease-fire,’ Ischinger told newspapers of the Funke media group. ‘Diplomacy often remains mere rhetoric if you are unable to use the threat of military action as leverage in international conflicts.’

“As Germany prepares to take on the rotating EU presidency on July 1, the bloc must speak ‘the language of power’ to better represent its interests. ‘This requires Germany, too, to learn the language of power,’ he said… Germany’s diplomatic appeals were largely ignored, because for the acting powers in the conflict, such as Russia, Turkey and Egypt, ‘whoever is in charge of the military is the one in charge,’ said Ischinger.”

Europe, under German leadership, WILL speak the language of power very soon… resulting in the Great Tribulation.

Ukrainians for Putin

The Associated Press reported on June 29:

“Residents of separatist-controlled regions in eastern Ukraine who have Russian citizenship are travelling to Russia to vote on constitutional amendments that would allow President Vladimir Putin to remain in power until 2036… Some of the voters told The Associated Press that the constitutional changes would boost the powers of the Russian authorities and bring peace to the separatist region in eastern Ukraine. Others expressed hope that the changes would allow separatist republics to become part of Russia…

“Over 220,000 Ukrainians living in areas held by Russia-backed rebels received Russian passports last year, after Putin signed a decree expediting citizenship applications from residents of the self-proclaimed republics… More than 150,000 residents of eastern Ukraine have expressed a desire to cast a ballot in the vote on the constitutional reform…”

Ukraine WILL become part of Russia, or at least collaborate with Russia AGAINST Europe.

Larger and More Aggressive Military Force in Australia

ABC News reported on June 30:

“Australia will build a larger and more aggressive military focused on its immediate backyard, including new long-range missiles [as well as cyber capabilities and a high-tech underwater surveillance system], signalling a major shift in the nation’s defence strategy… Prime Minister Scott Morrison [emphasized] a greater focus on the Indo-Pacific region, warning Australia needs to prepare for a post-COVID-19 world that is ‘poorer, more dangerous and more disorderly’…

“‘The strategic competition between China and the United States means that there’s a lot of tension in the cord and a lot of risk of miscalculation,’ Mr Morrison [said]… ‘And so we have to be prepared… to respond and play our role to protect Australia, defend Australia… When they talk about the bad behaviour that’s happening in the region, the annexation of territory, coercion, the influencing of domestic politics, the use of cyber attacks – it’s really only one country which is doing that at industrial levels, and that’s the People’s Republic of China.’”

Breitbart added on July 1:

“China has warned its students and tourists against going to Australia, slapped trade sanctions on Australian goods and sentenced an Australian citizen to death for drug trafficking. Beijing has laughed at Australia’s long alliance to the U.S. through war and peace, deriding it as something to be ridiculed.”

Bleak Picture of Global Economy

The Hour wrote on June 24:

“The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday painted a bleak portrait of the global economy, saying the coronavirus pandemic has caused more widespread damage than expected and will be followed by a sluggish recovery. The global economy will shrink this year by 4.9%, worse than the 3% decline predicted in April, the IMF said. No major economy is escaping the pandemic. The U.S. economy, the world’s largest, is expected to shrink this year by 8%. Countries that use the single European currency are headed for a decline of more than 10%… By the end of next year, the pandemic will have cost the global economy $12.5 trillion in lost output, she added…

“Fund officials blamed the darker forecast on the effects of social distancing; scarring to global production capacity from the lockdown of activity; and the productivity cost of new safety and hygiene rules… The forecast assumes countries will not reimpose comprehensive lockdowns even if the pandemic flares up again…”

As we can see from this report, measures employed in fighting the coronavirus have been causing a terrible global economic downfall.

Cuomo and de Blasio Church Lockdown Orders Knocked Down by Federal Judge

Newsmax wrote on June 26:

“An order by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio to limit the size of church services has been struck down by a federal judge. The preliminary injunction pointed out that Cuomo and de Blasio undercut their claim that lockdown orders were ‘generally applicable’ by encouraging large protests against police brutality while discouraging large church gatherings… [The judge] said that… de Blasio couldn’t make a ‘legitimate’ claim that he isn’t biased against people of faith.

“‘Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio could have just as easily discouraged protests, short of condemning their message, in the name of public health and exercised discretion to suspend enforcement for public safety reasons instead of encouraging what they knew was a flagrant disregard of the outdoor limits and social distancing rules’ [the judge] wrote. ‘They could have also been silent. But by acting as they did, Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio sent a clear message that mass protests are deserving of preferential treatment.’”

Indeed they have done so, and the court decision is just and fair.

Abortion Activists Win Before US Supreme Court

The Associated Press wrote on June 29:

“The Supreme Court on Monday struck down a Louisiana law regulating abortion clinics, reasserting a commitment to abortion rights over fierce opposition from dissenting conservative justices in the first big abortion case of the Trump era. Chief Justice John Roberts joined with his four more liberal colleagues in ruling that the law requiring doctors who perform abortions have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals violates the abortion right the court first announced in the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 1973…

“In dissent, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote, ‘Today a majority of the Court perpetuates its ill-founded abortion jurisprudence by enjoining a perfectly legitimate state law and doing so without jurisdiction.’ President Donald Trump’s two appointees, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, were in dissent, along with Justice Samuel Alito…

“Roberts’ vote was a bit of a surprise because he voted in [another] case to uphold [such] clinic restrictions… Roberts didn’t write anything explaining his position at the time, but he had never before cast a vote on the side of abortion rights.”

 John Roberts is clearly becoming THE political voice for the liberal US Supreme Court justices.

Catholic Archbishop Condemns Abortion Decision

Breitbart wrote on June 30:

“The chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ committee for pro-life activities denounced Monday’s Supreme Court decision that perpetuates the ‘cruel precedent’ of prioritizing the abortion industry over women’s health and well-being… ‘Abortion violently ends the life of a child, and often severely harms women,’ writes Kansas City Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann in a statement… ‘As Catholics, we condemn abortion as a grave injustice that denies the fundamental human right to life…’

“In his powerful dissent to the ruling, Justice Clarence Thomas not only criticized the court’s decision, he also said that the landmark 1973 case Roe v. Wade that trampled states’ rights and imposed abortion-on-demand on the entire country needs to be revisited and overturned, a position echoed by the U.S. bishops… ‘Roe is grievously wrong for many reasons, but the most fundamental is that its core holding—that the Constitution protects a woman’s right to abort her unborn child—finds no support in the text of the Fourteenth Amendment,’ he noted.

“The Court’s grotesque judicial travesty in Roe v. Wade is further exacerbated by Monday’s ruling, the bishops contend. ‘The Court’s failure to recognize the legitimacy of laws prioritizing women’s health and safety over abortion business interests continues a cruel precedent,” Archbishop Naumann declares… ‘We will not rest until the day when the Supreme Court corrects the grave injustice of Roe and Casey and recognizes the Constitutional right to life for unborn human beings,’ the archbishop concludes.”

Racial Discrimination in California

The Wall Street Journal published the following article on June 25:

“… while deploring racism, the Democratic Legislature in California has voted to codify racial discrimination in state law. On Wednesday the state Senate voted for a constitutional amendment, ACA 5, that would reintroduce racial preferences for who gets a state job or contract, or who is admitted to a state university.

“The state Assembly previously passed the measure, which means the amendment will be on the November ballot. It would repeal Proposition 209, which voters approved in 1996 and outlawed racial bias in state policy. The repeal effort received a boost from the killing of George Floyd, no matter the irony of voting for discrimination by race in the name of eliminating discrimination by race.”

The Fight against Racism

Newsmax reported on June 28:

“Princeton will remove President Woodrow Wilson’s name from its prestigious public policy school and a residential college [because of his “racist” and “segregationist views”]… ‘The Simpsons’ will no longer have white actors voicing the roles of non-white characters… part of a push by animated shows to be more sensitive to matters of race and avoid stereotypes… leaders of Orange County’s Democratic Party are pushing to drop film legend John Wayne’s name, statue and other likenesses from the county’s airport because of his racist and bigoted comments…”

The Daily Mail wrote on June 29:

“Donald Trump bashed Princeton University’s trustees on Monday for their decision to nix the 28th president’s name from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs… He also claimed Democrats are being ‘stupid’ in pushing for actor John Wayne’s name and statue to be removed from an airport in Orange County, California. ‘Can anyone believe that Princeton just dropped the name of Woodrow Wilson from their highly respected policy center,’ the president tweeted Monday morning. ‘Now the Do Nothing Democrats want to take off the name John Wayne from an airport. Incredible stupidity!’”

JTA wrote on June 26:

“Amid the nationwide movement to take down memorials to Confederacy figures, two Charlotte synagogues are calling for the removal of a downtown monument to Judah Benjamin, a Jewish politician who served as a Cabinet member for the Confederate government.”

Sharpton’s Views on Confederate Monuments

Newsmax wrote on June 25:

“Al Sharpton said… that public statues featuring Confederate soldiers are insulting to African Americans, who along with all taxpayers, are footing the bill for the upkeep of the public monuments… Sharpton said the Confederate monuments should be replaced with statues of people who ‘fought and defeated them, not the ones who were defeated.’

“He then posed a question to World War II veterans in order to explain how many Blacks are feeling. ‘How would a World War II veteran feel about paying taxes to have a statue of Mussolini or Hitler in their public square?’ Sharpton asked.”

Napolitano’s Views on Historical Monuments

On June 25, Newsmax published the following article by Judge Andrew Napolitano:

“I am amazed at the efforts around the country to remove and destroy painful mementos of our history…

“When a statue is erected to an historical figure, the erection is a statement about the balance of the person’s life worth. It is not a claim of perfection. The Father of our Country owned more than 100 slaves. When the Capital of the U.S. was in Philadelphia, at a time when all slaves were deemed by Pennsylvania law to be freed after six months of their entry into the state, George and Martha Washington — he, the president of the United States at the time — rotated their slaves into and out of the state, so that none would qualify for freedom. The same man who wrote in the Declaration of Independence that ‘all men are created equal’ also fathered numerous children with one of his 600 slaves.

“Do you think Sally Hemings was free to reject a years-long sexual union with Thomas Jefferson, the man who owned her? And the author of the Constitution, who owned at least 100 slaves, defended his exploitation of them into his presidency. The same James Madison who artfully and articulately defended natural rights for white people, hardly considered Blacks to be in the same category. Should we really forget the three of them?…

“The police brutality of Blacks in America today is the natural progression and extension of the government hypocrisy that brought about and protected slavery. We need to reverse that progression. But we cannot reverse the memory of it. We need to be reminded from time to time of our horrible past so that we can labor mightily to avoid repeating it. Does this mean changing the names of federal institutions? Does it mean tearing down statues of the long-dead because we finally realized that there was more evil than good in some of them?… Once we start pulling down statues — whether of Robert E. Lee or Christopher Columbus or Theodore Roosevelt — there will be no end.

“… pretending that these figures never existed, or eradicating the memory of the good they performed, will continue the march toward… self-delusion that escapes reality. We must live in the real world where bad men did good things and good men did bad things — and intelligent people recognize this. You… cannot escape the consequences of escaping reality. Those consequences will be the inevitable repetition of a past we should never forget.”

Indeed, not learning from the mistakes of the past means that they will have to be repeated.

The Term “Lightening” Racially Offensive?

Fox News reported on June 27:

“Industry-leading French cosmetics company L’Oreal announced they will be removing words like ‘whitening’ and ‘lightening’ from their products after a number of beauty brands received backlash for their skin-lightening products amidst ongoing protests for racial equality. ‘The L’Oreal Group has decided to remove the words white/whitening, fair/fairness, light/lightening from all its skin evening products,’ the company said in a statement..

“L’Oreal’s promise for change comes a day after consumer products leader Unilever announced they’d be changing the name of their ‘Fair & Lovely’ cream that is popular in Asia for skin lightening. The product reportedly generated $500 million in revenue in India last year… but the brand says they are working to acknowledge how their terminology and branding perpetuates racist stereotypes… Still, the company holds that the Fair & Lovely range ‘has never been, and is not, a skin bleaching product.’”

Pretty soon, with that rationale and extreme way of thinking, few words will be left which will not in some way and in the minds of some “perpetuate racial stereotypes” in one form or another. Note the following:

The Daily Mail wrote on June 30:

“A historic 400-year-old British pub named ‘The Black Boy’ is set to be renamed in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests. The pub in Sevenoaks, Kent, will soon be called ‘The Restoration’ in a nod to King Charles II – who was restored as the monarch in 1660 following the period of Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth. The pub name ‘The Black Boy’ is believed to be a reference to the 17th century monarch who is said to have been nicknamed ‘Black Boy’ by his mother, Henrietta Maria of France, due to his dark hair and complexion.”

In addition, thepeoplescube.com reported that “Australia’s taxpayer funded public broadcaster ABC is facing ridicule after announcing it would host a debate asking if chess is racist because the white team traditionally gets to go first under the rules of the game.”

Violent Riots in Oregon

The Associated Press wrote on June 26:

“The mayor and newly appointed police chief of Portland, Oregon, on Friday sharply criticized protesters who set fire to a police precinct and vandalized businesses the night before, saying continued violence at protests is preventing the city from moving forward with meaningful reform. Early Friday, a group of several hundred demonstrators set fire to the North Precinct building while people were inside and barricaded the doors after they were unable to break in through a garage… Police in riot gear used CS gas, a type of tear gas, around 2:15 a.m. to disperse the crowd….

“Newly appointed Police Chief Chuck Lovell, who is black, also criticized protesters’ tactics in a tweet Friday. He said earlier this week that demonstrations have cost the city $6.2 million so far and that cost does not include straight-time pay for officers pulled from other jobs to work at protests…

“Thousands of people have turned out every night for nearly a month in this liberal Pacific Northwest city since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Most protesters are peaceful, but smaller numbers of people break away most nights and set small fires, tear down fences and statues and clash with police, Lovell said…

“The nonprofit Don’t Shoot Portland and two protesters sued the city, seeking to ban the use of tear gas to disperse large crowds. A federal judge on June 9 issued a 14-day court order barring the launching of the riot-control agent except when a life is at risk. The judge extended the temporary order through July 24.”

These kinds of riots are taking place all over the country and in other parts around the world (note the next article). They are placing police officers in an untenable and unmanageable position.

The Daily Mail wrote on June 29:

“A guillotine has been set up by protesters outside the Washington DC home of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos demanding the company he founded be abolished. A number of videos have been posted to social media that show an old fashioned piece of apparatus commonly used for beheading during the French Revolution. A sign placed underneath read: ‘Support our poor communities. Not our wealthy men.’”

Britain’s BLM Problems

Douglas Murray wrote in Mail on Sunday on June 27:

“Depressingly, what is happening to our police is symbolic of wider social unrest. It is as if Britain is suffering a mental breakdown – with all the values and links that bind us together being torn apart… The violent lawlessness last week followed disturbances across the country as protesters acting under the banner of Black Lives Matter brought the worst and most divisive aspects of American identity politics to the UK. They ushered in the disturbing sight of it seeming to be completely acceptable for people to get away scot-free with defacing or destroying any public monument that isn’t to their liking.

“Despite strong words of condemnation, ministers shamefully stood by and allowed this to happen. Unprotected by the Government, police chiefs felt obliged to hold back – or even in some cases watch as their under-attack officers ran away. … At the core of this pressure-cooker atmosphere is… a shocking failure of nerve by almost everybody in a position of authority –from politicians, the police, our religious leaders and broadcast media.”

Now note in the next article the shocking failure of nerve—or worse—by the head of the Church of England.

England’s Head of Church of England Recommends to Reconsider Jesus

 The Daily Mail wrote on June 26:

“In a wide-ranging interview, [the Archbishop of Canterbury, head of the Church of England] revealed he would be reviewing statues at Canterbury Cathedral [and] urged the West to reconsider its prevailing mindset that Jesus was white, and pointed to different portrayals of Christ as Black, Middle Eastern and Chinese in different countries.”

The Daily Mail wrote on June 30:

“A painting of the Last Supper featuring a black Jesus will replace a Nativity scene at St Albans Cathedral to show solidarity with Black Lives Matter. The Dean has agreed to install the 9ft piece of artwork on the altar after conceding that the church is in a weak position to preach about racial justice. Titled A Last Supper, the painting reworks Da Vinci’s renowned 15th century mural by casting a Jamaican-born model as Christ.”

What incredible insanity and blasphemy! Christ was a JEW!

Obama and Biden Celebrate Gay Pride Month

Breitbart wrote on June 26:

“Barack Obama and Joe Biden took part Friday in a virtual Gay Pride Month celebration… They were joined by prominent A-list celebrities including Taylor Swift, Ellen DeGeneres, George Takei, and Katy Perry… ‘You know, Pride is particularly poignant this year,’ the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said.

“‘Even as the LGBTQ+ rights continue to be attacked, the Supreme Court has affirmed protections for the LGBTQ+ people against unemployment discrimination. Even as the lives of trans individuals,  especially black trans women, are under threat, we’re reminded that Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera helped bring life to the movement… Against the backdrop of the pandemic and historic protests against systematic injustice and racism, we are reminded of those courageous individuals who first marched decades ago and renewed our hope.’…

“Barack Obama appeared in a separate segment in which the former president encouraged people to protest as a way of illuminating ‘injustice.’ He also noted that the Stonewall riots paved the way for gay marriage, which the Supreme Court made legal five years ago. As a presidential candidate, Obama was opposed to gay marriage, saying in 2008 ‘I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I am not in favor of gay marriage.’ As president, Obama later changed his view on the controversial topic, saying that he was in favor of it. ‘The struggle and triumph for LGBTQ rights shows how protest and politics go hand in hand, how we’ve got to both shine a light on injustice and translate those aspirations into specific laws and institutional practices,’ he said Friday.”

Shining an approving light on what is wrong in God’s eyes is not what the Bible means when it tells us to be lights in the world. But there seem to be no limits for spiritual lawlessness. Note the next article.

“Burger Queer” in Honor of “Pride Month”

Unilad wrote on June 27:

“Burger King Mexico has changed its name to Burger Queer and adopted new, rainbow-patterned branding in support of Pride Month. The social media pages for the Mexican branch of the fast food chain changed their look yesterday, June 26, in an effort to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and recognise the month-long event, which takes place in June. The company incorporated the celebration into its own branding as it posted a new Facebook cover photo, patterned with multi-coloured moustaches in the same shape of that on the face of the Burger King logo, and with the words ‘your way’ written in Spanish over the top…

“Alongside their new branding, the company encouraged people to come in and order one of its products in order to ‘receive the crown of the #BurgerQueer Pride in a very special packaging.’”

Man’s ways are not God’s ways.

The Guardian reported on June 29: “Thousands of protesters marched in central London to celebrate the black trans community…”

When does it end?

The American Decline

Bloomberg published the following opinion piece by Noah Smith on June 29, 2020:

“The U.S.’s decline started with little things that people got used to. Americans drove past empty construction sites and didn’t even think about why the workers weren’t working, then wondered why roads and buildings took so long to finish. They got used to avoiding hospitals because of the unpredictable and enormous bills they’d receive. They paid 6% real-estate commissions, never realizing that Australians were paying 2%…

“When writers speak of American decline, they’re usually talking about international power… To most Americans, those are distant and abstract things that have little or no impact on their daily lives…

“In addition to worrying about their jobs and livelihoods, Americans must now be subjected to months of images of Italians casually walking around on the streets while they cower in their houses. It’s a painful and stark demonstration of national decline. Even more galling, [U.S.] citizens can no longer travel freely around the world…

“But the consequences of U.S. decline will far outlast coronavirus. With its high housing costs, poor infrastructure and transit, endemic gun violence, police brutality and bitter political and racial divisions, the U.S. will be a less appealing place for high-skilled workers to live. That means companies will find other countries in Europe, Asia and elsewhere a more attractive destination for investment, robbing the U.S. of jobs, depressing wages and draining away the local spending that powers the service economy. That in turn will exacerbate some of the worst trends of U.S. decline — less tax money means even more urban decay as infrastructure, education and social-welfare programs are forced to make big cuts. Anti-immigration policies will throw away the country’s most important source of skilled labor and weaken a university system already under tremendous pressure from state budget cuts.

“Almost every systematic economic advantage possessed by the U.S. is under threat… The U.S. has long enjoyed a so-called exorbitant privilege as the financial center of the world, with the dollar as the lynchpin of the global financial system. That means the U.S. has been able to borrow money cheaply, and Americans have been able to sustain their lifestyles through cheap imports. But if enough investors — foreign and domestic — lose confidence in the U.S.’s general effectiveness as a country, that advantage will vanish.

“If capital begins to abandon the U.S. and the dollar in large amounts, the currency will crash and Americans will find themselves paying much more for everything from cars to televisions to gasoline to imported food. Interest rates will be raised in an attempt to lure back investment capital, and the country might undergo a period of stagflation worse than the 1970s. Large-scale unrest would undoubtedly result and — in the worst-case scenario — the U.S. could collapse like Venezuela.

“This is an outcome… that is no longer out of the realm of possibility… If the U.S. goes from rich, world-straddling colossus to floundering dysfunctional developing nation…, it will be one of the most spectacular instances of civilizational decline in world history…”

But it IS prophesied to happen. The USA is destroying itself from the inside. It will also be destroyed from the outside.

Coronavirus Causes Delirium?

The New York Times wrote on June 29:

“To a startling degree, many coronavirus patients are reporting [strange] experiences. Called hospital delirium, the phenomenon has previously been seen mostly in a subset of older patients, some of whom already had dementia, and in recent years, hospitals adopted measures to reduce it… Now, the condition is bedeviling coronavirus patients of all ages with no previous cognitive impairment. Reports from hospitals and researchers suggest that about two-thirds to three-fourths of coronavirus patients in ICUs have experienced it in various ways. Some have ‘hyperactive delirium,’ paranoid hallucinations and agitation; some have ‘hypoactive delirium,’ internalized visions and confusion that cause patients to become withdrawn and incommunicative; and some have both…

“When [a patient] was first placed on the ventilator, doctors used a lighter sedative, propofol, and dialed it down for hours so he could be awake and know where he was… But then [his] respiratory failure worsened. His blood pressure plummeted, a condition propofol intensifies. To allow the ventilator to completely breathe for him, doctors had him chemically paralyzed, which required heavier sedatives to prevent the trauma of being conscious while unable to move. So [the patient’s] sedation was switched to midazolam, a benzodiazepine, and fentanyl, an opioid — drugs that exacerbate delirium.”

From this article, it seems that it is not the coronavirus which causes delirium and worse, but the treatments and medications given to the patient.

500,000 Confirmed Deaths, 10 Million Confirmed Cases

The Associated Press wrote on June 29:

“The world surpassed two sobering coronavirus milestones Sunday — 500,000 confirmed deaths, 10 million confirmed cases — and hit another high mark for daily new infections as governments that attempted reopenings continued to backtrack and warn that worse news could be yet to come…

“The true death toll from the virus, which first emerged in China late last year, is widely believed to be significantly higher. Experts say that especially early on, many victims died of COVID-19 without being tested for it… Overall the US still has far and away the most total cases. At more than 2,450,000 – roughly twice that of Brazil…”

But are these figures accurate and true? Note the next articles.

Coronavirus–A Created “Pandemic”?

On June 26, the Ron Paul Institute published the following article:

“… the CARES act does direct a 20% bonus Medicaid payment to hospitals for every diagnosis of Covid19, and a greater payment again for the use of a ventilator… The CARES act channeled $175bn dollars into the ‘fight’ against coronavirus, including $15 billion purely for treating COVID patients without insurance…. You couldn’t blame a doctor for gaming the system to get a little for his struggling, under-funded clinic… for labelling some unknown respiratory illness ‘Covid 19’  or re-ordering a test known to create false-positives until he gets the result which may pay a nurse’s salary, or re-stock a pharmacy.

“If a few thousand doctors do that a few hundred times each, you’ve created a ‘pandemic’ out of nowhere, with a comparatively small outlay and 99% of those involved believing they’re doing the right thing. The American medical system is broken, of course. Has been for decades…”

Bild Online wrote on June 25:

“New Study: 85 percent of all those infected with coronavirus did not even notice it. Did we overemphasize the virus-danger?… Is the coronavirus not as dangerous as we always assumed?”

Is the Mass Media Lying to Us?

Dr. Ron Paul wrote the following on June 29 in his weekly column in the Ron Paul Institute:

“… from the peak in April, deaths had decreased by 90 percent and were continuing to crash… With massive increases in testing, the ‘case’ numbers climbed. This is not rocket science: the more people you test the more ‘cases’ you discover. Unfortunately our mainstream media is only interested in pushing the ‘party line.’ So the good news that millions more have been exposed while the fatality rate continues to decline – meaning the virus is getting weaker – is buried under hysterical false reporting of ‘new cases.’ Unfortunately many governors… are incapable of resisting the endless lies of the mainstream media. They are putting Americans again through the nightmare of forced business closures, mandated face masks, and restrictions of Constitutional liberties based on false propaganda.

“In Texas the ‘second wave’ propaganda has gotten so bad that the leaders of the four major hospitals in Houston took the extraordinary step late last week of holding a joint press conference to clarify that the scare stories of Houston hospitals being overwhelmed with Covid cases are simply untrue. Dr. Marc Boom of Houston Methodist said the reporting on hospital capacity is misleading. He said, ‘quite frankly, we’re concerned that there is a level of alarm in the community that is unwarranted right now.’

“In fact, there has been much reporting that the ‘spike’ in Texas cases is not due to a resurgence of the virus but to hospital practices of Covid-testing every patient coming in for any procedure at all. If it’s a positive, well that counts as a ‘Covid hospitalization.’ Why would hospitals be so dishonest in their diagnoses? Billions of appropriated Federal dollars are being funneled to facilities based on the number of ‘Covid cases’ they can produce… And that’s why we are getting more Covid cases… Even though we know hospitals have falsely attributed countless deaths to ‘Covid-19’ that were deaths WITH instead of FROM the virus, we are seeing actual deaths steadily declining over the past month and a half…”

Who is right and who is wrong? You decide. But decide you should!

Totalitarianism the New Normal?

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on June 30:

“We cannot go back to the pre-coronavirus world, they tell us. Everything has changed and we must accept a ‘new normal.’ What does this ‘new normal’ look like? It looks a lot like a dystopian horror film, where privacy is destroyed, property is subject to political whim, surveillance is to be accepted, medical treatments can be forced on people. Should we accept totalitarianism as our ‘new normal’?”

Case in point. Note the following statement by California Governor Gavin Newsom, as quoted by CBS SF on June 30:

“The framework for us is this:  if you’re not going to stay home and you’re not going to wear masks in public, we have to enforce and we will… We’ve got Fourth of July weekend coming up. One of the areas of biggest concern… remains family gatherings… Where family members or rather households — immediate and extended family members — begin to mix and take down their guard. They may walk into that barbecue with masks on; then they put the cooler down and the mask comes off, they have a glass of water, and all of a sudden nieces and nephews start congregating.’”

And so, the state-ordered destruction and separation of families is supposed to continue?

Fauci: Need to Fight Strong Resistance to Vaccination

Newsmax wrote on June 29:

“Dr. Anthony Fauci said it’s ‘unlikely’ the United States would reach herd immunity from the coronavirus even if a successful vaccine is developed because of strong resistance to getting inoculated… [He] noted there is a good chance a vaccine for the SARS-CoV-2 virus will be available by the end of this year or early next year.

“He added later, however, that pushback to getting a vaccine —some polls say as many as one-third of Americans would refuse to be vaccinated — could result in a lack of herd immunity. ‘I doubt seriously that any vaccine will ever be 100% protective. The best we’ve ever done is measles, which is 97 to 98% effective. That would be wonderful if we get there, I don’t think we will,’ Fauci said.

“‘I would settle for a 70, 75% effective vaccine because that would bring you to that … herd immunity level… ‘We have a lot of work to do because as you well know … there is a general anti-science, anti-authority, anti-vaccine feeling among some people in this country — an alarmingly large percentage of people, relatively speaking.’”

Vaccines won’t come cheaply. The Wall Street Journal reported on June 29: “Covid-19 Drug Remdesivir to cost $3,120 for [a] typical patient on private insurance. Gilead Sciences, remdesivir’s maker, said its price will depend on who is paying and how long a patient takes the drug.”

Senator Rand Paul (Son of Ron Paul) Rips into Anthony Fauci

The New York Post wrote on June 30:

“Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul on Tuesday ripped into Dr. Anthony Fauci… during a hearing on COVID-19 response…

“‘It is a fatal conceit to believe any one person or small group of people has the knowledge necessary to direct an economy or dictate public health behavior. I think government experts need to show caution in their prognostications,’ Paul, a Republican and libertarian, [said.]

“‘It’s important to realize that if society meekly submits to an expert and that expert is wrong, a great deal of harm may occur when we allow one man’s policy or one group of small men and women to be foisted on an entire nation,’ Paul continued… ‘We shouldn’t presume that a group of experts somehow knows what’s best for everyone. Only decentralized power and decision-making based on millions of individualized situations can arrive at what risk and behaviors each individual will choose. That’s what America was founded on, not a herd with Washington telling us what to do and like sheep we blindly follow…

“‘Dr. Fauci, every day we seem to hear from you things we can’t do…’”

The Daily Beast added on June 30:

“During a tense exchange on Capitol Hill, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) on Tuesday blasted the nation’s top public health experts… He went on to call America’s public health community ‘fatally’ arrogant…

“Paul specifically berated Dr. Anthony Fauci… for his recent statements on spectator sports, herd immunity, and other subjects. Though Fauci had couched his words in caveats, he said that ‘it would be very hard to see how football is able to be played this fall’ and that, even with a working vaccine, herd immunity might be difficult to accomplish if Americans aren’t willing to take it.

“But Paul said such statements have caused ‘undue fear’ in pockets of the country and cautioned the public not to trust the words of top infectious disease professionals in the country, saying: ‘… We just need more optimism.’”

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 discussed in previous instalments the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes and the elders. In this instalment, we will address the Sanhedrin. Depending on the Bible translation, the Sanhedrin is also referred to as the “Council.”

According to Young’s Analytical Concordance under “council,” we read that “Sanhedrin” means “a sitting together.”

The Wikipedia Encyclopaedia elaborates:

“The Sanhedrin (… Greek… synedrion, ‘sitting together,’ hence ‘assembly’ or ‘council’) were assemblies of either twenty-three or seventy-one elders… appointed to sit as a tribunal in every city in the ancient Land of Israel.

“There were two classes of Jewish courts called Sanhedrin, the Great Sanhedrin and the Lesser Sanhedrin. A lesser Sanhedrin of 23 judges was appointed to each city, but there was to be only one Great Sanhedrin of 71 judges, which among other roles acted as the Supreme Court, taking appeals from cases decided by lesser courts. In general usage, ‘The Sanhedrin’ without qualifier normally refers to the Great Sanhedrin, which was composed of the Nasi, who functioned as head or representing president, and was a member of the court; the Av Beit Din or chief of the court, who was second to the nasi; and sixty-nine general members (Mufla)…

“In the Second Temple period, the Great Sanhedrin met in the Temple in Jerusalem, in a building called the Hall of Hewn Stones. The Great Sanhedrin convened every day except [during] festivals and the sabbath day (Shabbat).”

The website of learnreligions.com explains:

“During the time of Roman governors such as Pontius Pilate, the Sanhedrin had jurisdiction only over the province of Judea. The Sanhedrin had its own police force that could arrest people, as they did Jesus Christ. While the Sanhedrin heard both civil and criminal cases and could impose the death penalty, in New Testament times it did not have the authority to execute convicted criminals. That power was reserved for the Romans, which explains why Jesus was crucified—a Roman punishment—rather than stoned, according to Mosaic law…”

In other words, at the time of Christ, the Sanhedrin could find a person guilty and give the death sentence, but they could not carry it out. Only the Romans could put a person to death.

Continuing with learnreligions.com:

“Caiaphas was the high priest or president of the Sanhedrin at the time of Jesus’ trial and execution. As a Sadducee, Caiaphas did not believe in the resurrection. He would have been shocked when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Not interested in the truth, Caiaphas preferred to destroy this challenge to his beliefs instead of supporting it…

“The Great Sanhedrin was comprised not only of Sadducees but also of Pharisees, but it was abolished with the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple in 66-70 A.D.”

Since that time, there has been no Jewish high priest, for national sacrifices ceased with the destruction of the Second Temple. However, the Bible reveals that sacrifices will be given again shortly before Christ’s return, and a Third Temple will be built.

The Wikipedia Encyclopaedia states:

“The Sanhedrin is traditionally viewed as the last institution which commanded universal authority among the Jewish people in the long chain of tradition from Moses until the present day. Since its dissolution in 358 CE, there has been no universally recognized authority within Jewish law (Halakha).”

The website of reasonabletherology.com adds:

“Despite their small numbers, the Sadducees were able to maneuver themselves politically to positions of power within the Sanhedrin… and allied themselves with the Romans…”

jewelsofjudaism.com has some interesting comments about the Pharisees and Sadducees uniting with their disagreements with Jesus, stating as follows:

“The majority of the [71] seats of the Sanhedrin were filled by Sadducees with a minority filled by the Pharisees… because the Pharisees had the majority of the Jewish population under their influence, the Pharisees often swayed the decisions in the Sanhedrin….

“Even though the Sadducees and Pharisees were diametrically opposed to each other regarding their belief system within Judaism, they were forced to work together… One person that united these two factious groups was the person of (Jesus).

“… the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, ‘What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.’ But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all, nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.’ Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that (Jesus) was going to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on they planned together to kill Him. – John 11:47-53….

“In the above scenario, we read about the chief priests and the Pharisees. The chief priests would be from the group of the Sadducees. Therefore when we read about the chief priests and the Pharisees working together we are actually reading about the Sadducees and Pharisees working together. We also see the connection between the priests and the Sadducees explained in context in the book of Acts: ‘But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy’ (Acts 5:17). The priests and those associated with the priests were generally from the sect of the Sadducees…”

It so often happens that when a situation arises, former adversaries can put aside their personal differences in order to achieve a common aim. This was certainly the case with the religious opponents of Jesus.

The Website of neverthirsty writes:

“The Sanhedrin Council was also called the ‘Senate,’ gerousia, which means ‘the Council of the Elders.’ The Council was the supreme political and religious body of Israel. In John 3:1 we are introduced to a man called Nicodemus, a Pharisee. In that verse he is called a ‘ruler of the Jews.’ Then in verse 10 of the passage he is called ‘the teacher of Israel.’… Both passages reveal that Nicodemus was a political ruler of Israel and a religious teacher. This reveals the Council was a political and religious body…

“The Sanhedrin Council is referred to twenty-one times in the New Testament… Luke 22:66 reveals that the Sanhedrin Council at the time of the New Testament… included [the elders,] the chief priests and scribes. Acts 23:1-7 reveals that the Council was composed of Pharisees, Sadducees and chief priests…

“Acts 5:34-35 indicates that the famous rabbi Gamaliel was a member of the Council and made an eloquent plea for justice for Peter and the apostles. The only other members of the Council named in the New Testament… are Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea…

“The gospel records… report that the Council tried to force Christ to lie. We assume that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea did not or were not in attendance. One wonders if the great rabbi Gamaliel attended this mockery of a trial…”

Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, is mentioned in three places in the Gospel of John. He first visits Jesus one night to discuss Jesus’ teachings (John 3:1–21). In Luke 23:50, we learn that Joseph of Arimathea was a part of the Council or Sanhedrin as well. However, we read that Joseph was opposed to the Council’s decision and was in fact a secret follower of Jesus.

We may wonder whether Paul, named Saul before his conversion, was a member of the Sanhedrin.

Bible Questions Answered [bibleq.net] states:

“… it [is] likely that Paul was at one time, a member of the Sanhedrin Council: Paul ‘cast his vote against’ the saints [Acts 26:10-11]… Paul consented to the execution of Stephen, a decision made by the Sanhedrin [Acts 20:22]… Paul advanced in Judaism beyond many of his own age [Galatians 1:13-14].”

As the Sanhedrin consisted of Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes and elders, it is no surprise that they conspired together to kill Christ.

Below are a few examples of the word “Sanhedrin” being used in the New International Version (NIV), but, generally, the word is translated as “Council”. There is no doubt that they were one and the same.

Matthew 26:59 states: “The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death” [NIV].

Mark 14:55 adds: “The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any” [NIV].

Acts 6:12 reads: “So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin” [NIV].

Acts 6:15 states: “All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel” [NIV].

As Jesus faced the Sanhedrin (the subtitle in the New King James Bible), we read in Mark 14:55: “Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.”

And in Mark 15:1, we read: “Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate.”

In both of the above Scriptures, the word “council” is translated “Sanhedrin” in the NIV.

We read that Jesus appeared before the council or Sanhedrin in Matthew 26:59-68; Mark 14:55-65; Luke 22:66-71 and John 18:19-24.

The “trial” of Jesus Christ was without legal precedent. He was convicted and executed even though Pilate found Him innocent! Let us notice many of the outstanding reasons why the arrest, “trial,” and conviction of Jesus were illegal.

1. There was no legal basis for Jesus’ arrest, because no one had presented a formal charge of any crime; He was simply taken. Moreover, those who went with Judas to have Jesus arrested included the priests and elders—His judges (Luke 22:52)—among whom were the ones who bribed Judas!
2. Jesus was subject to a secret preliminary examination at night (John 18:12-14, 19-23). Jewish law permitted only daylight proceedings.
3. The indictment against Jesus was illegal, because the judges themselves brought up the charge without any prior testimony by witnesses. The Sanhedrin was not allowed by law to originate charges.
4. The Sanhedrin illegally proceeded to hold its trial of Jesus before sunrise so that no one would be available to testify on his behalf.
5. The trial began on a day before an annual Sabbath (John 18:28) even though Jewish law did not permit the trial of a capital offence to begin on a Friday or on the day before an annual Sabbath. Jesus was arrested and tried on the 14^th of Nisan, the day before the first annual Sabbath, the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
6. Jesus’ trial was concluded in one day. Jewish law says: “If a sentence of death is to be pronounced, it [a criminal charge] cannot be concluded before the following day” (Mishna, “Sanhedrin” IV, 1). This was done to allow sufficient opportunity for any witnesses in support of the accused to present themselves. Jesus’ trial was conducted in private and completed in less than nine hours!
7. Two false witnesses charged Jesus with saying He would destroy the temple made with hands (Mark 14:58); yet He was condemned by the court on another false charge – that of blasphemy. He was condemned on His own testimony (Luke 22:67-71). But according to Jewish law, a person could not be condemned on his own testimony.
8. The merits of Jesus’ defence were not considered. Despite Deuteronomy 13:14, the high priest did not “inquire, and make search, and ask diligently” to see whether Jesus’ statement was blasphemous. The law in the Mishna says, “The judges shall weigh the matter in sincerity of their conscience” (Sanhedrin IV, 5). Instead, the court pronounced a sentence instantly and unanimously!
9. Those who would have voted against condemnation were apparently not at Jesus’ trial. Joseph of Arimathaea was a member of the court, yet he had not consented to the verdict (Luke 23:50-51). Jesus’ opponents had made sure that only those who hated Him would be there.
10. The sentence was pronounced in a place forbidden by law. The trial took place at the high priest’s house (Luke 22:54). According to the law, a death sentence could be pronounced only in the court’s appointed place.
11. Most of the judges were not legally qualified to try Jesus. Some had bought their way into office, according to Josephus. Since they were known enemies of Jesus, Jewish law required that they disqualify themselves so He could be tried by impartial judges.
12. The court illegally switched the charges from blasphemy to treason before Pilate. Jesus’ opponents wanted Him killed. So they charged Him with treason (Luke 23:2) – a Roman crime – so the Romans would be responsible for His death. No evidence was presented (John 18:29-30). Pilate, after a brief interview, saw that Jesus was not guilty (John 18:38; 19:4; Matthew 27:18). Fearing the crowd, however, he allowed the crucifixion of an innocent man. Pilate did not even pronounce Him guilty; He merely turned Him over to the soldiers. In fact, as Pilate pronounced Him to be innocent, He had to be released, according to the law, at that moment.

What a mockery of justice this trial was! All this illegality, in addition to His crucifixion, Jesus willingly suffered to pay the penalty of sins in our stead!

In the foreword in the book “The Trial of Jesus” by J C McRuer, Chief Justice of the High Court for Ontario, Canada, the following comments are made about the author: “Never have I seen the evidence of injustice in the trial of Jesus so well collated and united, and the cumulative effect of violation after violation of injustice and illegality is most profound.”

In our free booklet, “Jesus Christ—a Great Mystery!”, under Part 4, we discuss numerous additional reasons which show that His arrest, “trial” and crucifixion were illegal and that He was murdered by the Romans and the Sanhedrin. For instance, even after the sentence had been issued, the Sanhedrin had the legal duty to reconvene if a new witness in favour of the accused showed up. Judas was that new witness. He said, “I have betrayed innocent blood.” The Sanhedrin, however, violated that legal duty as well.

Quoting from our above-mentioned booklet, we say this:

“The Bible confirms that Christ was murdered. It was not an execution of a legally charged and legally convicted person. It was a state-approved and state-commanded murder. His disciples were not afraid to say so.” We then quote among other passages Acts 5:27-30 and Acts 7:51-52, where Peter and the apostles and Stephen accused the Sanhedrin of having murdered Jesus.

But we also explain in great detail WHY Christ was willing to be wrongfully captured and accused by the Sanhedrin, tortured and subsequently murdered, and what this means for you and for me.

In conclusion, we read in The Wikipedia Encyclopaedia:

“Over the centuries, there have been attempts to revive the institution, such as the Grand Sanhedrin convened by Napoleon Bonaparte, and modern attempts in Israel. In October 2004… a group of rabbis representing varied Orthodox communities in Israel undertook a ceremony in Tiberias, where the original Sanhedrin was disbanded, in which it claimed to re-establish the body according to the proposal of Maimonides and the Jewish legal rulings of Rabbi Yosef Karo… As of March 2010, that effort is ongoing and is supported by The Temple Institute.”

It would be interesting if such a Grand Sanhedrin would be re-established prior to Christ’s return, as most Jews will reject Christ when He returns. So will professional Christianity as well.

(To Be Continued)

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

compiled by Dave Harris

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

“Is America Destroying Itself?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

This program contains many examples proving that America is deeply divided, and division leads to destruction. One author wrote that the US collapse would be one of the most spectacular instances of decline in world history. The sad truth is that we are doing it to ourselves, and it has been prophesied to occur.

The German translation of our most recent booklet, “Obeying God rather than men,” has been sent to our Graphic Designer, Shelly Bruno, for finalization. The German title  is: “Man muss Gott mehr gehorchen als den Menschen”.

“Der kommende Untergang Deutschlands,” is the title of a new German sermon for this Sabbath, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Title in English: “Germany’s Coming Destruction.”

“Both Feet In,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Since our calling to the truth, we have had a foot in the door. To bring our other foot in was our choice to get baptized and to live God’s way of life. Even though we still go through struggles, what do we need to do to keep both feet in, and what does God promise to all who remain faithful until the end?

“The Destruction of Germany,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

In the Old Testament book of Nahum, the destruction of the ancient city of Nineveh—capital of the Assyrian Empire—is described in vivid detail. But the prophet Nahum is foremost speaking about the coming destruction of modern Germany. The specific description of Germany’s fate is sobering. At the same time, it reveals much about God’s character.

On June 27, 2020, Michael Link will present the sermonette, titled, “Both Feet In,”  and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “The Destruction of Germany.”

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

It has never been more important to push towards eternal salvation than right now. While that statement is completely true for those of us presently called, it equally applied to Christians living throughout the history of the true Church.  Our calling hinges on choices we make today.  We cannot change our past actions nor can we direct our future with absolute precision. But today, we can point ourselves in a righteous direction and be assured, through the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit, that our path will lead to success.

Our decision to change and commit ourselves must not be with any reservations.  When Lot’s wife turned back, she lost her means to escape sin because she wasn’t fit for a life leading to Godly freedom.  From His disciples, Jesus required (and requires today) complete submission to His lead.

When Jesus walked the earth, many flocked to Him with a desire to become His disciples.  But He required proof of commitment above just simple desire. “Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, ‘Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.’ Then He said to another, ‘Follow Me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.’ And another also said, ‘Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’” (Luke 9:57-62).

The apprehension and wavering in their willingness to commit most likely cost those men a place as the firstborn of God.  But they weren’t alone in a reluctance, especially when difficulties arose in understanding.  When Christ talked about the necessity of eating of His flesh and drinking of His blood, “…many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can understand it?… From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (John 6:60,66).

When given the opportunity to change, we must have the willingness to do it today.  We cannot put our salvation on the back-burner, hoping to get to it when we feel better equipped.  We must have the same courage and zeal to change that the core disciples of Christ demonstrated.  “And as He [Christ] walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him. When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him” (Mark 1:16-20).

These men, by faith, stepped away from everything and followed Christ.  God is faithful and patient (see 2 Peter 3:9), but we must not test His patience in our own unwillingness to change. We must keep stride with Christ because His lead is all we have as a guide in this ungodly world.  Paul summed up this immediacy quite well, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25 NIV).  Let us all demonstrate our zeal today, as though our choices determine our entrance into the Kingdom of God, because they do.

by Norbert Link

We begin with a short article containing serious warnings of coming global massive disasters—far worse than the coronavirus; address Israel’s announced annexation of the West Bank; report on Austrian leader Sebastian Kurz’s strong support for Israel and his friendship with Benjamin Netanyahu; Hezbollah’s threat against Israel; the modern Sodom of Tel Aviv; and fears of anti-Israel legislation in Europe.

We continue with an unprecedented civil war-like riot in Germany and the discussion about a European nuclear bomb.

We address the contemplated withdrawal of American troops from Germany and former US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell’s, “revengeful” involvement in the matter; Americans’ fear of the future; the uncertain destination for DACA; and announcements of more visa restrictions.

We address Anthony Fauci’s attack on “anti-science beliefs” and the “anti-vaccination movement”; and we publish several articles on the highly controversial mandate of wearing face masks, which is dividing the country; the growing movement of destroying America’s heritage under the disguise of “fighting against racism”; and attempts of prohibiting freedom of speech; and address the destruction of America’s monuments and statues. In this context, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “The Paradox of BLM and the Fight against Racism.”

We conclude with an eye-opening powerful piece discussing the extremely troublesome agenda and conduct of the “Black Lives Matter Movement” in the UK.

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

Coming… Massive Disaster Worse than Covid-19?

Market Watch wrote on June 19:

“Analysts [at Deutsche Bank] say there is at least a one-in-three chance that at least one of four major tail risks will occur within the next decade: a major influenza pandemic killing more than two million people; a globally catastrophic volcanic eruption; a major solar flare; or a global war… Earthquakes were omitted from the numbers on the grounds that they are more local events…

“Another point made is that these major events tend to have ripple effects as well, just as the current COVID-19 crisis has led to fraying ties between the U.S. and China.”

Massive disasters are prophesied to occur soon.

US Republican Leadership Support Annexation

Breaking Israel News reported on June 22:

“Republican leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives has been circulating a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in support of Israel expected to annex parts of Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank… The letter, signed by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) and House Republican Conference chair Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), emphasizes support for Israel and its right to make its own decisions…

“The Israeli government plans to enact annexation starting July 1.”

Israel’s Planned Annexation

The Times of Israel wrote on June 19:

“Though Israel’s planned annexation of parts of the West Bank hasn’t happened yet, on the ground its tremors are already being felt. The first victim of the fracas around annexation is the security coordination between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, halted last month…

“Fatah’s militant offshoot the Tanzim, the slumbering beast that fueled the Second Intifada in its early days, is starting to wake up and exhibiting a growing presence in the West Bank. Tanzim members have increasingly been seen operating in Qalqilya and Hebron, and they are very present in the area surrounding Jerusalem, with East Jerusalem residents reporting hearing increased gunfire in the area’s villages and refugee camps.

“It was not actually annexation that awakened the beast, but rather the pandemic: Fatah leaders who sent the field operators into villages, often armed, in order to enforce COVID-19 discipline, are now finding it difficult to remove them again. In isolated locations such strongmen can claim more and more autonomy, engage in criminal activities and become a nuisance for both residents and Israeli security forces…

“… There are [allegedly] already 12 or 13 European states that are willing to recognize a Palestinian state under occupation in the event of an Israeli annexation…”

In addition, Breaking Israel News wrote on June 24:

“The E.U. states against Israeli sovereignty are Luxembourg, Belgium, Ireland, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Malta and Finland, while on the pro-Israel side are Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Greece, Latvia, Cyprus and Poland, the report said, citing E.U. diplomats, cables and meeting transcripts.

“France and Spain are siding against Israel but are not being as vocal about it, and Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy are in the middle.”

The list might not be totally accurate. It does not appear correct to say that Germany or France are in the middle. They would be better listed as being against Israel. 

It is indeed to be expected that certain European countries will support the Palestinians against Israel. However, Austria might not be one of them. Note the next article.

Sebastian Kurz’s Strong Support for Israel

JTA wrote on June 19:

“Austria is led by one of the country’s most remarkable politicians in recent decades: Sebastian Kurz, who was elected chancellor in 2017 at just 31 years old. Kurz is immediately striking for a world leader…

“Following a scandal in an allied party last year that collapsed Kurz’s parliament coalition and forced a new election, the People’s Party came back even stronger, winning nine new parliament seats…

“One of the fellow world leaders Kurz feels closest to is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That could help explain why Kurz has reversed his country’s stance toward Israel during his tenure from very critical to very supportive. Austria is the only Western European nation whose government is actively shielding the Jewish state from sanctions by the European Union over Netanyahu’s plan to annex parts of the West Bank. New sanctions would require complete consensus among its 27 members…

“In March, he was the only world leader to congratulate Netanyahu on what Kurz termed Netanyahu’s ‘clear election victory’ earlier that month… The chancellor’s biggest homage to Netanyahu came during the coronavirus crisis, when Kurz publicly credited the prime minister for advice on how Austria should handle the pandemic.

“In a March interview with the German Bild daily, Kurz… added a note: ‘…Thank God for Bibi Netanyahu…’

“In a 2017 video speech for the American Jewish Committee, Kurz recalled Austria’s incorporation into Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany, calling it the darkest period in our history. ‘But it also guides my political work today,’ he said. This means ‘a zero-tolerance approach’ to anti-Semitism and that ‘we have to be a strong partner of Israel’…

“Kurz was among a handful of European leaders who publicly chided Iranian President Hassan Rouhani for saying in 2018 that Israel’s land should be ‘returned to the owners.’ Austria’s parliament this year passed a resolution calling the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel a form of anti-Semitism. It has also labeled Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

“Those who know Kurz in Austria and Israel told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that his pro-Israel policies offer him few political dividends, but he adheres to them in any case because of his convictions and values….”

This would almost certainly rule out Sebastian Kurz as the prophesied end-time European anti-Israeli leader. In addition, Ahval News reported on June 22: “Kurz said Austria was in favour of ‘close cooperation among EU countries’ but not a European army…”

The prophesied end-time European military leader will of course be an ardent supporter of a strong and powerful European army.

Hezbollah Threatens Israel with Precise Missile Attacks

“The Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group on Saturday released a video threatening to strike major Israeli cities with precision guided missiles and claiming that it has the capability to hit ‘very precise targets’ anywhere in Israel… Hezbollah is believed to have over 150,000 missiles… Israel fears in a future war, the terror group could use a barrage of precision missiles to attack sensitive facilities and overwhelm its air defense array…

“Hezbollah was formed in the early 1980s with assistance from Iran to counter and harass Israel, which occupied southern Lebanon following the 1982 First Lebanon War… Over the years — and with ample Iranian training, funding and support — the terror group turned from a small guerrilla outfit… into a more powerful terrorist organization with thousands of simple rockets that it rained down on northern Israel and advanced anti-tank guided missiles that it fired at IDF positions in southern Lebanon. A full-scale war erupted in 2006.

“Iran-backed Hezbollah… fights alongside the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad in the neighboring country’s civil war. It is Tehran’s most potent proxy on the regional scene and also wields significant influence in Lebanese politics.”

Hezbollah’s terrorists are a continuing threat to the safety of Israel.

Tel Aviv… modern Sodom?

Times of Israel wrote on June 21:

“The Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality on Sunday said it would allow cohabiting couples to register their relationship and enjoy marital rights, in a protest of the government’s refusal to recognize same-sex couples or those not wed under the state’s religious authorities. Tel Aviv-Jaffa Mayor Ron Huldai said the move, coinciding with the country’s Pride Week, makes those who register eligible for housing tax discounts, as well as easing enrollment of their children in public daycares and schools. ‘In honor of Pride Week, we decided to challenge the government and allow couples to register on the basis of a declaration,’ said the mayor…

“Though same-sex marriage is not technically illegal in Israel, there is no institution authorized to carry it out. In a system inherited from Ottoman times, people can only marry in Israel through their religious institutions: Jewish couples must marry through the Chief Rabbinate, which refuses to carry out same-sex or interfaith marriages; and Christians, Druze and Muslims all marry through their own state-sanctioned and publicly funded religious legal systems…”

Even though interfaith marriages are included, the gist of the move deals with same-sex marriages.

“Curbing Religious Freedom With Ban on Kosher Slaughter”

The Algemeiner wrote on June 22:

“One of Europe’s top rabbis has warned that Jews on the continent may no longer be able to consume kosher meat because of legislation targeting ‘shechita’ — the Jewish method of slaughtering animals for human consumption. ‘Shechita is a vital religious practice within the Jewish faith that forms an inherent part of our religious identity, without which Jews would be deprived of the ability to eat meat,’ Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt — president of the Conference of European Rabbis (CER) — said in a statement on Monday.

“Goldschmidt was speaking ahead of a hearing at the European Court of Justice in July that is expected to rule on the legality of the ban on Jewish and Muslim slaughter methods adopted by Belgium in January 2019. The hearing had originally been scheduled for April 21, but was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Goldschmidt said that the supply chain of kosher meat in Europe was not strong enough to rely solely on imports. ‘In recent months, and particularly over the recent Passover holiday, which of course came at the height of the pandemic in Europe, the supply chain was simply not robust and many communities in Belgium — and indeed throughout Europe — suffered a shortage of meat due to the lack of supplies,’ he stated…

“If the ban was to be upheld, Goldschmidt remarked, the ‘message would be clear: Jews are not welcome.’ He continued: ‘Such a notion is abhorrent and so I implore the judges to look at the evidence in front of them and do not allow the processes to be hijacked by intolerance under the guise of a concern for animal welfare regulations.’”

However, Europe’s left-liberal anti-Jewish judges might very well issue a prohibition of “shechita.”

Unprecedented Civil War-Like Riots in Germany

 Deutsche Welle wrote on June 21:

“Police in Stuttgart have arrested 24 suspects over rioting and looting that erupted in the German city early Sunday morning… Police said hundreds of mainly young people who had gathered there started throwing stones and bottles at authorities, smashing patrol cars and breaking shop windows. They then tore through the main shopping district. Officers estimated that up to 500 people were involved in the unrest, which took several hours to bring under control.

“Police President Frank Lutz said the level of violence against officers was ‘unprecedented’… ‘These are incredible events that have left me stunned, and that I’ve never experienced in all my 46 years of police service,’ he said…

“Winfried Kretschmann, the premier of the state of Baden-Württemberg where Stuttgart is located, condemned ‘this brutal outbreak of violence’… Sascha Binder, a regional politician from the center-left SDP, described the violence as ‘civil war-like scenes.’”

People are getting more and more upset and violent. Terrible times lie ahead.

A European Nuclear Bomb?

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 20:

“Days after US President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of roughly one third of US troops stationed in Germany, the shock still lingers. Politicians at every level are grappling with the consequences… Germany’s foreign minister is worried about the further deterioration of relations with the US… Germany has been a key component of the US defense strategy in Europe for decades, with US nuclear weapons — to be delivered by German fighter jets in a moment of crisis — stationed here…

“‘It is entirely unclear where this journey is heading and what security risks lie ahead,’ said Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff, vice president of the Berlin-based German Marshall Fund… He told DW the weakening of ties between Germany and the US is damaging to the whole of Europe… ‘Europe will have to take on more responsibility,’ said Roderich Kiesewetter, a former military officer who is now a parliamentary foreign policy expert for Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union party…

“[Is] Germany ready for a paradigm shift — working toward a Europe that can protect itself, without the US? Should that… option be the secret desire of German politicians, it would no doubt bring out every last EU political and military heavyweight between Berlin and Paris. And it would also put the spotlight on an uncomfortable issue for the Germans: their stance on nuclear weapons — which are, after all, considered the last guarantor of independent sovereignty… Still, the issue of whether or not to create a European nuclear umbrella could well arise should Trump complete a US withdrawal from Europe that started long before he came to office…

“The one seemingly intractable conflict inherent in the idea of a ‘European bomb,’ however, is the question of who would decide to use it when a split-second decision is needed. In France, that duty falls to the president, who is closely followed everywhere he goes by an officer carrying the nation’s nuclear codes… Germany will likely have to get used to the French nuclear mindset in the coming years…”

Ten European nations or groups of nations will have a powerful army with nuclear weapons, and it will indeed be the “beast”—a political and military leader—who will have authority to decide as to when to use them.

German Leadership Needed

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 23:

“NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg touted the importance of German leadership, following US President Donald Trump’s controversial move to announce the withdrawal of 9,500 US troops from Germany. ‘The world needs more German leadership,’ Stoltenberg told DW. ‘NATO needs German leadership. We all need Germany to play an even more important role because Germany is the largest economy in Europe.’

“In the interview, Stoltenberg highlighted an increase in Germany’s defense budget as significant. ‘I value Germany as a very strong and important ally. And Germany is now actually investing significantly more in defense… Germany now has the largest defense budget with the European Union, and third in NATO behind the United Kingdom and the United States…’”

And so, Germany WILL lead Europe militarily very soon.

Trump Rally in Tulsa

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 22:

“During his speech Trump appeared to make light of the coronavirus, which has claimed at least 120,000 lives in the US, by referring to it as the ‘kung flu.’ He also said he had instructed people to slow down coronavirus testing because more tests lead to a higher case count. In his remarks Trump singled out Germany, saying it owed the US $1 trillion (€890 billion).

“‘We’re supposed to protect Germany from Russia, but they are paying billions of dollars to Russia for a brand new pipeline,’ he said, referring to the Nord Stream 2 project. He described German Chancellor Angela Merkel as ‘a very nice woman, very good negotiator’ but accused Germany of ‘ripping off’ the US.”

Trump added that this is the reason why he will withdraw American troops from Germany. Germany—and Europe—hotly dispute the notion that Germany owes the US or anybody any money, stating that this is not how the arrangement with NATO works.

Trump’s Former Ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, Gets His Revenge

Der Spiegel wrote on June 15:

“… when the news made the rounds in late May that Donald Trump’s ambassador to Germany, Richard ‘Ric’ Grenell, would be leaving his posting early, the reactions ranged from glee to relief. Former Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) described Grenell’s departure as ‘an act of kindness.’ He joked that Trump must still have a soft spot for the Germans after all. ‘Over generations, every ambassador I have met left Germany as a friend and respected partner,’ writes Andreas Nick, a lawmaker with Angela Merkel’s center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) specializing in foreign policy. Grenell, he says, behaves like ‘the representative of a hostile power.’

“Grenell reacted in his own way to the jubilation. In late May, he tweeted: ‘You make a big mistake if you think the American pressure is off. You don’t know Americans.’ It sounded like a threat. It’s now clear that it was. On Friday of last week, shortly after Grenell left Berlin, it became known in Washington that Trump was planning to drastically reduce the number of U.S. troops in Germany… the decision was made extremely quickly by a circle of three men: the president, his security advisor Richard O’Brien – and Grenell…

“Grenell is seen as the driving force behind the withdrawal plans… According to officials in the German government, the reduction of U.S. troops won’t have grave consequences for Germany’s security. But the symbolic damage to the German-American relationship, which has already been battered under Trump, is severe. Since the end of the Second World War, the presence of U.S. soldiers in Germany has been an important symbol of the closeness between the two countries…

“[Grenell] was a pariah in Berlin’s political circles. Even Merkel steered clear of the diplomat. In summer of 2019, Grenell threatened to withdraw U.S. troops if the German government didn’t accede to American calls to raise the defense budget to 2 percent of gross national product (GNP), as NATO members had pledged to do by 2024… Officials in Berlin were shocked by the tone.

“At the time, Trump was also considering reducing the contingent of U.S. troops… Trump backed away from the plan, apparently partly because the proposal didn’t get a very positive reaction from Republicans in Congress or at the Department of Defense… Trump was annoyed that Merkel ruined his plan to hold a G-7 Summit in Washington…”

It appears that both Trump and Grenell are acting, at least in part, because of revenge. Whatever the motive, the irreparable harm towards the relationship between the USA and Europe continues.

“U.S. Likely to Be Left out of Europe”

The Los Angeles Times wrote on June 24:

“The headline in a leading German newspaper [Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung] put it succinctly: ‘Cuba yes, USA no.’ With the European Union moving toward reopening external borders on July 1, travelers from the United States could be among those excluded… No decision has yet been made. But for the holders of dark-blue American passports and even U.S. green cards, such a restriction would mark a humbling reversal — and to some, a symbol of Washington’s slipping prestige…

“In European countries long counted as among America’s closest allies, the news of the U.S. potentially being left off the travel list is drawing mixed emotions — sympathy and unease, hard-nosed realism and in some quarters a touch of scorn. Many staunch supporters of transatlantic ties genuinely mourn any fresh distancing from a country that is warmly remembered for helping the continent back to its feet after the devastation of World War II…

“Germany’s Der Spiegel newsmagazine said EU internal discussions centered on two key criteria: the level of new infections in a given country, and also reciprocity–if EU citizens are not allowed in, that country’s chances of its own citizens being allowed in are low, it said. In a summer season already blighted by the pandemic, U.S. visitors would be sorely missed…”

Americans Very Stressed over America’s Future

Study Finds wrote on June 19:

“The year 2020 feels like a crossroads for the United States. With a pivotal election just around the corner, protests in the streets, and a deadly virus that refuses to disappear, our nation hasn’t felt this vulnerable and divided in ages…  A staggering 83% say that worrying about the future of the United States is a big source of personal stress. Also, 72% believe this is the lowest point in the country’s history that they’ve ever been alive to see.

“…66% of respondents say that the government’s ongoing response to the coronavirus continues to stress them out on a daily basis. Among that group, 84% are mostly worried about the federal government’s response. More than… 72% are concerned about their state leaders. Another 64% feel unstrung over their local government…”

It won’t get better.

The Uncertain Future of DACA

Newsmax wrote on June 19:

“President Donald Trump, claiming nothing was lost or won by the Supreme Court’s ruling on his efforts to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, says he will submit ‘enhanced papers’ to try again. The high court on Thursday ruled that Trump improperly ended DACA in 2017. Chief Justice John Roberts joined the four liberal justices in the 5-4 majority, while the conservative justices called DACA illegal… On Thursday [Trump] ripped the high court for ‘horrible and politically charged decisions.’…

“Trump could still take away the ability for hundreds of thousands of them to live and work legally in the United States. With no legislative answer in sight, that means the uncertainty of the last eight years isn’t over for many who know of nowhere else as home. Activists… face a White House that’s prioritized immigration restrictions and a divided Congress that’s unlikely to pass legislation giving them a path to citizenship anytime soon…

“While Republicans protested that now, if ever, was the time for Congress to clarify the immigration system, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made it clear that Democrats were done with their legislation before the summer break…”

It is terrible when political maneuvering decides the fate of thousands of innocent people.

New Visa Restrictions Coming

Reuters wrote on June 20:

“President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would announce new restrictions on visas… to block the entry of certain foreign workers and protect Americans struggling with a job market devastated by the coronavirus pandemic…

“Critics have said Trump looked set to use the pandemic to achieve his longstanding goal of limiting immigration into the United States. His tough stance on immigration is central to his pitch to voters as he runs for re-election. Major American companies, particularly in the tech sector, have urged Trump to refrain from blocking the flow of foreign workers into the United States, saying it would hurt the economy…

“In April, he ordered a temporary block on some foreigners from permanent residence in the United States. He also… virtually cut off access to the U.S. asylum system. At the same time, he announced the land borders with Canada and Mexico would be closed to non-essential crossings, a measure that has been extended several times.”

To be clear, we do not support open borders. The USA, or any country for that matter, cannot just let in hard-core criminals or those who want to destroy the country. Some inquiries and measures of protection are certainly necessary. But arbitrary restrictions are to be rejected, such as prohibitions of chain migration (legal residents and US citizens would be unable to bring their parents into the country, or vice versa) or preventing legal residents from obtaining a green card or truly persecuted aliens from being granted asylum;  nor would deportations of those innocent aliens be justified who entered the USA under DACA.

As it turned out, Trump’s visa restrictions this time were relatively mild. Subsequently, Trump, by executive order, extended the 60-day ban on certain foreign work visas. Tech executives did not like this decision.

IBT wrote on June 23:

“The new restrictions will come into effect on June 24, and are expected to block 219,000 temporary workers from entering the U.S…. Companies like Amazon, Twitter, Facebook, Tesla, Microsoft and industry bodies, such as the Internet Association (IA), Information Technology Industry Council and Information Technology Industry Council, have also strongly opposed the move…

“‘IA condemns the administration’s latest executive order that will limit the number of high-skilled foreign workers from entering the country through the end of the year. The diverse and accomplished H-1B visa holders in the U.S. create American jobs and help our economy grow. All industries benefit from a visa system that allows U.S. companies to attract the best and brightest…’”

Fauci Attacks “Anti-Science Beliefs” and “Anti-Vaccination Movement”

The Huffington Post wrote on June 19:

“Dr. Anthony Fauci… said Thursday he was troubled by the rise in ‘anti-science’ beliefs throughout the country, saying such ill-founded sentiments could be ‘a problem’ as the nation seeks to move past the coronavirus pandemic… ‘That’s unfortunate because, you know, science is truth,’ he added…

“Fauci touted efforts across the United States to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus… But he also warned that the anti-vaccination movement could undermine such efforts… ‘It’s the same thing that gets people who are anti-vaxxers, who don’t want people to get vaccinated, even though the data clearly indicate the safety of vaccines. That’s really a problem.’”

The problem is that, in spite of Fauci’s claims, even vaccines in general are not as safe as some “scientists” want us to believe. But that would be especially true in the case of a rushed-through vaccine against the coronavirus.

Vaccinating Children to Help the Adults?

The Guardian wrote on June 23:

“Lords committee told children may have to be immunised to protect their grandparents.

“A vaccine against Covid-19 may not work well in older people who are most at risk of becoming seriously ill and dying from the disease, say scientists, which may mean immunising others around them, such as children…

“Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at Oxford University, who is heading its Covid-19 vaccine research, told the Lords committee that none of the 140 vaccines in development was likely to be perfect, but said a useful vaccine did not have to be 100% effective…

“As the numbers of people infected with coronavirus fall in England and the rest of the UK, it becomes more difficult to trial vaccines there, so she and colleagues have embarked on a trial in Brazil, where the numbers are high, and are about to start in South Africa as well. Astra Zeneca, to whom the vaccine is licensed, is setting up a trial of 30,000 people in the US, she said.”

Masks Mandated

Breitbart wrote on June 18:

“California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Thursday signed an order making wearing face coverings mandatory while in public or high-risk settings… Californians will be required to wear a mask while in line or inside public spaces, at the workplace, and when waiting for or while riding public transportation… People engaged in hiking, running or bicycling do not need to wear a mask. Children under two-years-old and individuals with medical conditions are also exempt from the order. ‘Science shows that face coverings and masks work,’ Newsom said in a statement.”

According to many scientists, science does NOT show that face coverings and masks work. Newsom’s new order also prohibits having parties at home, involving people outside one’s household, including pool or cocktail parties, but it was reported that police won’t (be able to) enforce those “guidelines.”

Reuters wrote on June 19:

“Resistance to face masks took on a partisan edge after President Donald Trump opposed them, telling the Wall Street Journal in an interview published on Thursday that some people wear them to show opposition to him. But… masks are becoming commonplace in the United States….”

USA Today wrote on June 19:

“[Arnold] Schwarzenegger said [Newsom’s] decision is ‘100% the right move. This will help us beat this terrible virus,’ tweeted Schwarzenegger, the state’s governor from 2003 to 2011. ‘The science is unanimous… It’s not a political issue. Anyone making it a political issue is an absolute moron who can’t read.’

“Newsom’s new requirement waded into the growing national divide over face masks, which are often cast as either a common courtesy to stem the spread of coronavirus or an infringement on personal freedom. It has led to tense confrontations, particularly in Southern California. Mask matters have been rendered political after President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, who have been pushing for a fast restart of the U.S. economy, refused to wear masks in a number of public settings.”

The truth is, science is NOT unanimous on the issue at all. Our advice to Mr. Schwarzenegger: Since you are no longer state governor, stick to your movies and stop libeling people by calling them illiterate morons who may disagree with your hotly debated viewpoint. Note the next section.

Breitbart explained on June 19:

“But far from being ‘unanimous,’ public health officials have issued confusing and sometimes contradictory statements about the efficacy of masks to prevent the spread of the Chinese coronavirus.  Near the beginning of the global outbreak, U.S. experts discouraged people from wearing masks. But now, many are urging the opposite.

“As a result, masks have become a political football…”

npr added on June 19:

“… [Newsom’s order] is likely to be met with resistance, pitting the governor against local government leaders who have dropped mandatory mask-wearing measures. In many such counties and cities, residents and business owners eager to return to pre-pandemic life have challenged the need for the widespread use of face coverings…”

Nevada City Mayor Suggests Citizens Ignore California Mask Order

SF Gate wrote on June 21:

“The mayor of Nevada City suggested citizens do not need to follow California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s statewide mask mandate in a Facebook post Saturday. ‘As you go about your day today, KNOW there is NO LAW that Orders you to Wear a Mask. Our Governor does NOT have that unilateral power to make such orders…’ [she wrote].

“‘Again, THERE IS NO LAW THAT STATES YOU MUST WEAR A MASK. Ask our local Police chief or officers. They will not, and cannot, cite ANYBODY for not wearing a mask because the law does not exist. When you come across Newsom’s orders’ online, you will see it’s linked to a page that does not lead you to his Executive Order, BUT to the California Department of Public Health GUIDELINES! Again, NOBODY can be forced to wear a mask outside, in a business, or as an employee or customer.’”

A country or a state divided cannot and will not stand and survive…

When Face Masks Could be Hazardous to your Health

The British paper, “The Conversation,” wrote on June 15:

“… a mask makes it harder to inhale the quantity of air needed to perform at the highest levels… Exercise invariably leads to faster and harder breaths, so wearing a mask during exercise places a further strain on airflow…

“When we do heavy exercise (“fencing” was given as an example), our muscles produce lactic acid, which causes that burning sensation. It is then converted to carbon dioxide and exhaled. But what happens if the carbon dioxide is trapped by the mask? As you move from moderate to heavy exercise, you may be re-breathing carbon dioxide, which can reduce cognitive function and increase breathing rate. There may also be less oxygen in the recycled air… So it is important we gain a better understanding of the limitations of heavy exercise with a face mask.

“The need for this understanding is growing, given the story… of two teenage boys in China dying within a week of each other during compulsory physical education examinations while wearing face masks. With gyms looking to reopen and sports clubs wanting to resume, before anyone recommends wearing a face mask, research urgently needs to be undertaken to ensure the safety of the sporting community, regardless of any underlying conditions.”

Wise counsel. Before mandating wearing face masks to combat coronavirus, other health concerns stemming from wearing masks must not be ignored.

Blacks Exempt in Oregon

Fox News reported on June 24:

“Amid ‘heightened concerns about racial profiling and harassment,’ a county in Oregon is allowing its residents of color to be in public without coronavirus face coverings… ‘No person shall intimidate or harass people who do not comply,’ health officials said.

“‘For many black people, deciding whether or not to wear a bandanna in public to protect themselves and others from contracting coronavirus is a lose-lose situation that can result in life-threatening consequences either way,’ ReNika Moore, director of the ACLU’s Racial Justice Program, said.”

This is the epitome of hypocrisy.

Eliminating the Aunt Jemima Brand of Pancake Mix and Syrup?

Breitbart reported on June 18:

“A great-grandson of ‘Aunt Jemima’ says that his family legacy will be ‘erased’ now that Quaker Foods plans to eliminate the Aunt Jemima brand of pancake mix and syrup. ‘This is an injustice for me and my family. This is part of my history, sir,’ said Larnell Evans Sr. to Patch.com. ‘The racism they talk about, using images from slavery, that comes from the other side — white people.’

“The great-grandson went on to say that ‘it hurts’ to know that Quaker Foods’ answer to current events in America is to ‘erase my great-grandmother’s history.’ Evans, a 66-year-old Marine Corps veteran, is the great-grandson of Anna Short Harrington, who portrayed Aunt Jemima after the death of Nancy Green — the first Aunt Jemima who made her debut at Chicago’s World’s Fair in 1893.

“Harrington was born on a South Carolina plantation where her family worked as sharecroppers and was later discovered in 1935 by a Quaker Oats representative at the New York State Fair while serving pancakes, reports Patch.com. The report added that Harrington later became a national celebrity as her likeness was seen on products and ads while she traveled the country serving pancakes dressed as Aunt Jemima. ‘She worked for that Quaker Oats for 20 years,’ said Evans. ‘She traveled all the way around the United States and Canada making pancakes as Aunt Jemima for them. This woman served all those people, and it was after slavery.’ ‘She worked as Aunt Jemima. That was her job,’ he added. ‘How do you think I feel as a black man sitting here telling you about my family history they’re trying to erase?’

“On Wednesday, Quaker Foods announced that it will be eliminating Aunt Jemima in order ‘to make progress toward racial equality.’ The Aunt Jemima brand has been around for the last 130 years.”

This decision is ridiculous and shows what happens when a false spirit of supposedly “fighting racism” overtakes the world. Note the next articles with more counter-productive nonsense.

Prohibiting “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”?

 The Daily Mail wrote on June 18:

“The RFU [Rugby Football Union] are conducting a review into how rugby can end institutional racism. ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ [was] written by a black slave in the American South during the nineteenth century, the song was first belted out by supporters when two black wingers – Martin Offiah and Chris Oti – became sporting heroes on the pitch at the end of the 1980s.”

Are these people for real?

Freedom of Speech in America?

Newsmax wrote on June 17:

“A Catholic chaplain at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has stepped down after sending an email that read George Floyd ‘had not lived a virtuous life’… Daniel Patrick Moloney sent the note out on June 7 to the Catholic community at MIT. ‘George Floyd was killed by a police officer, and shouldn’t have been. He had not lived a virtuous life. He was convicted of several crimes, including armed robbery, which he seems to have committed to feed his drug habit. And he was high on drugs at the time of his arrest. But we do not kill such people,’ Moloney said.

“The email continued, ‘In the wake of George Floyd’s death, most people in the country have framed this as an act of racism. I don’t think we know that. Many people have claimed that racism is a major problem in police forces. I don’t think we know that.’

“Moloney continued in his email by saying police officers ‘deal with dangerous people and bad people all the time, and that often hardens them.’ Suzy Nelson, MIT’s vice president and dean for student life, called Moloney’s email ‘deeply disturbing’ in a message to students on Friday. ‘By devaluing and disparaging George Floyd’s character, Father Moloney’s message failed to acknowledge the dignity of each human being and the devastating impact of systemic racism,’ Nelson wrote.

“The Boston Archdiocese asked Moloney to step down. ‘While Fr. Moloney’s comments should not reflect on the entirety of his priestly ministry, they nonetheless were wrong and by his resignation he accepts the hurt they have caused,’ archdiocese officials said…”

The hype following George Floyd’s unjustifiable murder has reached unjustifiable extremes.  During the televised memorial service for him, a huge blasphemous painting was shown throughout the ceremony, portraying him as an angel with wings and with a halo or a gloriole.

Mount Rushmore Won’t Escape

Breitbart wrote on June 23:

“There is no way Mount Rushmore can survive… We have crossed the Rubicon and there is no going back… Before the… [r]iots, as a country, on the right and left, we all agreed there was one line that could never be crossed; that we could never, ever, ever condone or encourage violence of any kind…

“Gandhi and… Martin Luther King understood… [c]ivilization could be made to see the light through peaceful resistance and civil disobedience… On the left today, most especially in the media, that culture King and Gandhi knew it could appeal to, is dead… violence is acceptable now…

“The modern left’s goals, the modern media’s goals, the goals of… Antifa and Black Lives Matter are immoral, are the authoritarian goals of tyrants who want to tell us how to think and what to believe, what we can and cannot say… They want total control of our children by way of a failed school system, they want total control of that which shapes our culture by way of an entertainment institution that blacklists those who think different, they want total control of political speech…

“We now live in a world where a very public Black Lives Matter organizer, Shaun King, can openly call for the destruction of Christian churches while Twitter allows the call for mob violence to remain published [while they place a warning message on Trump’s tweets for “threat of harm” or “abusive behavior” against DC protestors. Trump had tweeted: “There will never be an ‘Autonomous Zone’ in Washington, D.C., as long as I’m your President. If they try they will be met with serious force!”] and the media protect King and Black Lives Matter by ignoring it.

“We now live in a world where Democrat politicians are doing nothing to stop the violence in their own cities, where the police are obviously being told to stand down as lawless mobs gleefully stream the statues they topple and monuments they desecrate, where a big city mayor sides with [those] who occupied six city blocks filled with hundreds of businesses and private residences. We now live in a world where violence against President Trump and his supporters is openly encouraged by the media….

“In this environment Mount Rushmore cannot survive. All four men carved into the Black Hills of South Dakota hills have been labeled ‘problematic’ by the left and media, this includes Abraham Lincoln. Already the location of Mount Rushmore is considered ‘problematic’ because it was once land that belonged to the American Indian…

“The… Riots are here to stay. The media and the Democrats who run America’s major cities see Antifa and Black Lives Matter as… their way to political power…”

We omitted the most “controversial” verbiage in the article.

In addition, to exemplify the ridiculous ignorance of certain protestors, statues of former President Ulysses S. Grant and lyricist Francis Scott Key were among those toppled Friday night in Golden Gate Park. Key wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and Grant led the Union army to victory against the Confederacy as a general and fought for African American voting rights as president. Both men were slave owners.

The Troublesome Black Lives Matter Movement in the UK

Esther Krauke wrote the following in the Sunday Mail on June 21:

“When I first moved to the UK from Ghana with my family in my early teens, the country that welcomed me was one where multiculturalism flourished and neighbours were warm and unassuming. Your achievements were not prefaced by the colour of your skin… It was a Britain where confidence trumped victimhood.

“But, much to my dismay, the tone has shifted entirely, and worryingly, over the past five years… I have grown increasingly concerned about the methods and the wider far-Left political agenda of the Black Lives Matter movement here in the UK. I have been horrified to watch this ridiculous campaign of tearing down statues and relics of British heritage escalate. It is a campaign that has yet to make any progress in tangibly helping me as a black person. And in recent weeks I have been increasingly vocal on Twitter about my concerns. But in doing so I have become targeted by a wave of vile online abuse… Most of this abuse was seemingly coming from black supporters of Black Lives Matter, including a significant amount from African-Americans, although I have also been abused by white liberals…

“What I have received this last week online has given me a glimpse into the darkest part of the human soul – the part that can muster up the most awful hatred… The slogan of this campaign is indisputable. Of course black lives matter. They matter in the same way that everyone’s life, by virtue of being human, matters. Every individual, of whatever skin colour, should have the right to pursue happiness and live free from prejudice. And where racial discrimination and injustice exists in this country, it should be stamped out.

“But a simple glance at the ‘Who We Are’ section on its online fundraising page demonstrates that this organisation is about much more than ‘black lives’. The group’s GoFundMe page explains that it intends to be ‘guided by a commitment to dismantle imperialism, capitalism, white supremacy, patriarchy and the state structures that disproportionately harm black people in Britain and around the world’. What on earth does ‘defending black lives’ have to do with dismantling capitalism – a system that has lifted millions of people out of absolute poverty in just this century alone? How would the tearing down of wealth creation benefit black lives?…

“There are also growing questions surrounding this organisation’s funding. BLM UK has raised over a million pounds in recent weeks… The group… appears determined to spend the money on a string of Marxist initiatives, which according to its GoFundMe page, includes ‘developing and delivering training, police monitoring and strategies for the abolition of police’… If we abolish the police, what do we replace it with?…

“We need to wake up and see that people are trying to divide this country and are using minority groups to do it. First it was statues, then it was a potential ban on Swing Low, Sweet Chariot being sung at rugby matches. When will this end? This small faction of Left-wing activists will never stop trying to tear this country apart and shaming every aspect of British heritage… My parents taught me the value of hard work, honesty, humility and standing up for the truth. I was taught to judge individuals on the content of their character, and I will never surrender to race baiters who try to bully me into submission…”

Very wise and true words indeed. The situation in the USA does not seem to be any different… perhaps even worse.

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 fourth part of this series, we will focus on “the Elders” and show their hostility toward Jesus Christ.

There are many references in the Bible to elders both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. In the Old Testament references, the word elder is translated as “old, aged, aged as to days, bearded and grey headed.” The inference seems to be that with age and maturity there is wisdom to be had.

We read in Genesis 50:7: “So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders (old, aged, bearded) of the land of Egypt.”

We read in Numbers 11:16-17: “So the Lord said to Moses: ‘Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you.  Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone.’”

Here we read that the elders would receive from God some of the same Spirit that was given to Moses in order to help them in the duties that they were chosen to perform. (The word “elder” is again translated as “old, aged and bearded.”)

desiringgod.org points out:

“In general, then, we can say that, while through the long history of Israel the role of the elder no doubt changed, they were the older men of the community who, because of their wisdom in counsel and the natural honor due to them (Leviticus 19:32), became the official administrators or leaders of the community.

“In the Judaism of Jesus’ day the elders of Israel were still dominant. The most frequent use of the word ‘elder’ in the New Testament refers to the Jewish elders who opposed Jesus during his lifetime. Within the gospels and Acts ‘elders’ are most often viewed as forming a closely knit group with the ‘chief priests.’ Again and again we read of ‘the chief priests and elders of the people’ (Matthew 21:23; 26:3,47; 27:1 etc.). The term elder was probably very broad and would include members of the scribes as well as the Pharisees and Sadducees (cf. ‘traditions of the elders’ (Matthew 15:2; Acts 22:6)).”

biblestudy.org writes the following:

“In the New Testament, elders (of the people, of Israel, etc.) were older men who represented the people and who exercised a certain amount of authority over them. Existing at least as far back as the time of Moses, they were the governing foundation of different groups in the Bible. Elders were the first ones told, by Moses, about God’s plan to free the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage (Exodus 3:16). The Old Testament elders asked the prophet Samuel to place a human king (instead of God) over all the people (1 Samuel 8:5).

“Old Testament elders could represent a city or town (Deuteronomy 19:12, 1 Samuel 16:4), the people of a particular tribe (Numbers 22:7, Deuteronomy 31:28, 2 Samuel 19:11), a family (2 Samuel 12:17) or a country (Joshua 9:11). They were eligible to sit on the Sanhedrin, or properly the Great Sanhedrin, which met in Jerusalem and was the supreme council of the Jews.”

“The word translated as elder in the New Testament is the Greek word presbuteros (Strong’s Concordance #G4245), which generally is used to refer to older men respected by others as leaders and role models. The elders of the people were some of the most vehement adversaries against Jesus and his teachings. It was known, in advance, that the elders would play a big part in causing the suffering and death of Jesus (Matthew 16:21, Mark 8:31, Luke 9:22). They, along with the chief priests and scribes, challenged Jesus’ authority just days before the crucifixion (Matthew 21:23, Luke 20:1-2).”

In Matthew 15:1-11 and Mark 7:1-13, Christ is challenged with the question as to why His disciples were “transgressing” the “tradition of the elders,” referring to eating clean meat with ritually “unwashed” hands. Christ responded by asking them why they were transgressing God’s commandment and making it “of no effect,” so that they could uphold their own traditions. He specifically referred to the tradition of “Korban” which allowed them to dishonour their parents.

Bible.org states the following:

“Jesus and his disciples had violated the ‘traditions of the elders’…  as if those traditions were now authoritative and could be sinned against… the traditions of men had been elevated to the status of Scripture, so that one could be guilty of violating them…

“They could pronounce a vow on their things with the word, ‘Korban,’ meaning it is a gift… If because of greed, for example, a man did not want to help support his aging parents, he would announce ‘Korban.’ That would mean the money was frozen, and could not be used for taking care of the parents. Thus, they could use their traditions to get out of taking care of their father and mother (which the Law required). Then, they might find a way of nullifying the vow so they ended up keeping the money…”

Let us review additional Scriptures that clearly show that the involvement of the elders (and others) was complicit in accusations of and evil intentions towards Jesus, leading to His torture and murder.

Matthew 26:3-4 reads: “Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him.”

This was just before the Passover where they were assembled together at the High Priest’s palace and where they tried to devise ways in order to kill Jesus. You do have to wonder what their “religion” really meant to them when they proposed to trick Jesus Christ and looked to having Him killed. This is even more remarkable as they would be keeping the Passover which should have reminded them as to how God saved the Israelites from death in Egypt. Those were hardly the actions of good and righteous men, even if they did disagree with His teaching. Rather, it showed their incredible hypocrisy and their spirit of murder.

Judas Iscariot “with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the elders of the people” (Matthew 26:47). However, it went even further than that as we read in Matthew 27:3-4: “Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’ And they said, ‘What is that to us? You see to it!’”

After they had agreed with Judas to betray Jesus, they tried to deny any responsibility.

In Matthew 27, we read about the release of Barabbas when Pilate offered to free a prisoner. “But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus” (Matthew 27:20).

In addition, we read in Matthew 27:41: “Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, ‘He saved others; Himself He cannot save.  If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.’”

Here we have the scenario of someone dying in agony on the cross, and they, having been part of the conspiracy to murder Him, mock, incite and ridicule Him. Their religious approach was so open to ridicule by those who would expect better from their religious leaders!

Within a short space of time, they were further compounding their previous errors with bribery. Matthew 28:11-15 states: “Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, saying, ‘Tell them, “His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.”  And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.’ So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.”

In a very short space of time, the elders, along with the scribes and Pharisees were involved in trickery, releasing a criminal, paying 30 pieces of silver for information, mocked a dying man who was in agony on the cross and then paid money to bribe soldiers to lie about Christ’s disciples and to deny Christ’s resurrection. That is a shocking list of actions from supposedly “religious” men.

Their opposition to early Christianity didn’t stop there, and they continued their opposition by taking every opportunity that they could to destroy the early Christian movement. In Acts 4:5-7, we read: “And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes,  as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.  And when they had set them [the early apostles] in the midst, they asked, ‘By what power or by what name have you done this [that is, healing a sick man]?’”

The apostle Peter then addressed the “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel” (verses 8-12). Subsequently, the apostles were forbidden to speak in the name of Jesus (v 18.) “But Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard’” (verses 19-20).

We read in Acts 6 that Stephen was accused of blasphemy, and we see the religious hierarchy, including the elders, inciting those prepared to lie and accuse: ^“Then they secretly induced men to say, ‘We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.’ And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council.  They also set up false witnesses who said, ‘This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law’” (Acts 6:11-13).

In the following chapter, after his address, we see that Stephen was stoned to death.  The religious leaders may have felt vindicated with the result, even though they clearly understood that even by human standards, they committed murder, but it is something that they will have to answer for in the judgment.

Perhaps just one more example will again show how much the elders were involved in the persecution of the early Christians. In Acts 23, we read of a plot against the apostle Paul, who himself had persecuted the early church but had repented of that course of action after his conversion on the road to Damascus.

Some Jews “banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul” (verse 12). In verse 14, “They came to the chief priests and elders, and said, ‘We have bound ourselves under a great oath that we will eat nothing until we have killed Paul.’” The elders and the chief priests were the ones they approached. The elders continued to be among those who persecuted the people of God after the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The discussion of the hypocritical “religious elders” at the time of Jesus must not be confused with the office of an ordained elder in the Church of God.

We state the following in our Q&A, “What is the meaning of the Biblical term, ‘elder’?”:

“Addressing now the word ‘elder’ within the confines of the Church of God, Peter called himself a ‘fellow elder.’ But he was also an apostle. In addition, John, who was also one of the original apostles, called himself ‘the elder’ (2 John 1; 3 John 1). However, we also read about a clear distinction, at times, between apostles and elders (Acts 15:4, 6, 22, 23; 16:4)…

“On the other hand, the word ‘bishop’ simply means ‘overseer.’ The Greek word is ‘episkopos’ and is applied to ‘elders’… (compare again Acts 20:17 with Acts 20:28, and Titus 1:5 with Titus 1:7, describing ‘elders’ as ‘bishops’ or ‘overseers’–in Greek, ‘episkopos.’). 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:7 describe the qualification of a ‘bishop’ or an ‘overseer’–that is, an elder. In its ultimate sense, the word ‘bishop’ is also applied to Jesus Christ (as is the word ‘Apostle’; compare Hebrews 3:1), as we read about Christ’s FUNCTION as a ‘Bishop’ in 1 Peter 2:25: ‘For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and OVERSEER [Greek, ‘episkopos,’ i.e. Bishop] of your souls.’…

“Paul and Peter… fulfilled several functions, roles and responsibilities, including the function of ‘prophet,’ ‘preacher,’ ‘teacher’ and ‘elder’…”

In our Q&A on Ephesians 4:11-12, we state:

“… the Bible speaks of the rank and office of Elder in numerous places.

“James 5:14 states: ‘Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.’

“Acts 14:23 writes: ‘So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.’

“Compare also 1 Timothy 5:17 and 1 Peter 5:5; and note 1 Timothy 4:14, referring to ‘the laying on of hands of the eldership.’”

Regarding the office and function of an elder in the church, we need to explain that the original definition of being “old, aged, aged as to days, bearded and grey headed” does not necessarily apply. Rather, the emphasis is on spiritual maturity, not being a novice in the faith (1 Timothy 3:6). For instance, Christ who was called an elder, was only 30 years old when He began to preach publicly. Paul warns that members should not despise the evangelist Timothy because of his youth (1 Timothy 4:12). It does not appear that any of the early apostles were “grey headed or aged.”  When He was dying, Christ asked that His mother Mary would be treated by John as his mother.

Returning to the religious “elders” at the time of Christ who opposed Christ so that they could uphold their own traditions, this should be a warning to all of us in God’s true Church today, and especially elders in the ministry, not to replace God’s Law with our own concepts and ideas which are based on man’s philosophies and customs. One area where this could happen might be the commandment of God to keep the Sabbath. Our free booklets, “God’s Commanded Holy Days,” and “How to Keep the Sabbath,” explain in detail how to observe God’s weekly and annual Sabbath Days, while avoiding falling into the trap of human traditions and ideas.

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

compiled by Dave Harris

“The Paradox of BLM and the Fight against Racism,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Do the Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement and violent riots and protests against racism really help the black community, or do they hurt them and others? Do they in fact contribute to the destruction of the USA and the UK? In this program, we will examine many examples to give you the indisputable answers to these questions. 

“Sind Sie ein eitler Windhauch?” is the title of a new German split sermon for this Sabbath, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. The title in English: “Are You a Vain Breath of Wind?” 

“Tun oder Sterben,” is the title of a new German split sermon for this Sabbath, presented by Michael Link. The title in English: “Do or Die.” 

Last week’s German sermonette by Daniel Blasinger (“Vom Wesen der Freundschaft”) and the German sermon by Thilo Hanstein (“Ein Leben im Reich Gottes in der Zeit des Millenniums”) were also posted.

“Success With the Right Tools,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Robb Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Mankind has been duped into believing that following ALL of God’s Laws is burdensome. But you cannot find success in following God if you aren’t willing to use ALL of the Laws He has provided us to know Him. We can only be transformed into children of God if our every action and thought is a reflection of His commandments.

“HEBREWS—Spoken to Us!” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The Book of Hebrews offers us a sweeping view of God’s salvation for us—for the firstfruits. The greatness of our calling at this time and the dire consequences if we fall away are messages by which we are now being judged. Will we hear what God is saying?