Our Life Saver / Time

On June 8, 2024, Michael Link will present the sermonette, titled, “Our Life Saver,” and Brian Gale will present the sermon, titled, “Time.”

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.

This Week in the News

Many Palestinians Favor Hamas

Israel Today wrote on June 3:

“The majority of Arab residents of Judea and Samaria believe that the Hamas terrorist group will emerge from the war with Israel strengthened. To the question, ‘Do you estimate that the war will end with a rise or fall in the popularity of Hamas among Palestinians?’ 55% said the terror group’s popularity would rise. Only 13.1% thought Hamas’s popularity would decline and 27.3% said its popularity wouldn’t change.

“The Jerusalem Media & Communication Centre, an Arab NGO in Jerusalem, conducted the survey almost eight months after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack.

“Nearly 40% of respondents said the attack served ‘national Palestinian interests’ while 30.2% thought it would hurt those interests. Another 23.5% said it didn’t hurt or help. More than 41% of those surveyed said that the war would end in Hamas’s favor. Only 6.3% said it would end to Israel’s advantage.”

This totally destroys the often repeated wrong left-wing narrative that only a small minority of Palestinians support Hamas.

Hamas Unable to Strike Again?

The New York Post wrote on May 31:

“President Biden announced a proposed Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip without defeating Hamas Friday — claiming that the terrorist group is now incapable of ‘carrying out another October 7th.’ Biden asserted that Hamas had been all but crushed militarily…

“Netanyahu’s office… insisted Israel’s war will not end [and there will NOT be a permanent ceasefire] ‘until all its objectives are achieved, including the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities.’”

The seeming naivety of Joe Biden is stunning.

Biden Attacks Netanyahu

Breitbart wrote on June 4:

“Biden suggested in an interview published in Time magazine on Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prolonging the war in Gaza for ‘his own political self-preservation.’…

“The only Israelis suggesting that Netanyahu is deliberately prolonging the war are on the far left of the political spectrum. The Israeli public supports the continuation of the war in Gaza until victory by overwhelming margins. Biden has been hostile to Netanyahu since the latter won his election in November 2022, refusing to meet with the Israeli leader for nearly a year. He traveled to Israel after the October 7 attacks, but has since backed efforts to oust Netanyahu.

Biden resents Netanyahu because the Israeli leader is resisting American pressure to accept a Palestinian state as an outcome of the war. The Israeli public overwhelmingly backs Netanyahu’s position on the issue after decades of Hamas terror.”

There will never be a deep friendship between Biden and Netanyahu.

Hungary vs. EU

AFP wrote on June 2:

“Tens of thousands of Hungarians rallied at a ‘peace march’ Saturday called by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is increasingly stoking fears of a war between the West and Russia…

“As Moscow’s closest EU ally despite its invasion of Ukraine, Orban has refused to send weapons to Kyiv while blocking European military aid. He has repeatedly said Ukraine ‘cannot win’, claiming that ‘most people want’ a ceasefire and peace negotiations…

“On Friday, Orban accused the defense alliance of ‘dragging’ Hungary into war over Ukraine, comparing it to how Adolf Hitler had pressured the country into joining World War II.”

Interesting comments and comparisons.

UK Uninformed About Europe

The Daily Mail wrote on June 3:

“More than 370 million people are entitled to vote [in European elections] between June 6 and 9, an electorate second in size only to India’s. As the EU has continued to centralise power, the European Parliament has become less like an international assembly and more like the legislature of a superstate. That superstate is taking shape right next door to us and, although we are each other’s largest trading partners, our relations have often been marred since Brexit by the tendency in Brussels to see us as a rebel province.

“In short, you might think we would be interested. So why so little coverage? Is it that we have become more insular as a result of Brexit?…

“No, what we are seeing is a reminder that this country was never especially community-minded in its outlook. In 1950, as Labour’s then foreign secretary, Ernest Bevin, put it: ‘Britain is not “part of Europe”, she is simply not a Luxembourg.’

“As long as we were members, we did our best to pay attention. Turnout at our European elections may have been in the low thirties, but at least we had a vague idea of who Jacques Delors and Jean-Claude Juncker were. The moment we left, though, our gaze snapped back to the Commonwealth and the other English-speaking democracies…”

The situation is not unlike the one in the USA where most Americans are not interested as to what is happening in the rest of the world. And this means, there will be a rude awakening soon for both the UK and the USA.

UK in Political Uproar

The Daily Mail wrote on June 3:

“Nigel Farage has vowed to lead a ‘political revolt’ against the Conservatives and Labour, after announcing he will lead the Reform Party for the next five years and stand for Parliament in the Essex seaside town of Clacton. The veteran Brexiteer argued that Britons are ‘furious’ at how both Labour and the Conservatives have approached the immigration crisis, adding there is also ‘deep anger’ at the rate at which public services are ‘disintegrating’….

“Mr Sunak suffered the darkest hour of his election campaign yesterday afternoon. During a dramatic 60 minutes, the Prime Minister suffered a double blow as Nigel Farage entered the fray and a new poll predicted a Tory wipeout…. Writing in The Telegraph yesterday, [Farage] alleged that the UK has been ‘failed by two main parties’ who have ‘conspired to accelerate our decline’… He argued that neither the Tories nor Labour have a ‘plan to pull this country out of a deep economic hole’ and that both are ‘hooked on a deadly addiction to mass immigration‘. The Reform Party leader… claimed that voters feel ‘sick’ at the Government’s ‘policy of betrayal’.”

It was stated that Farage’s intervention “risks handing Sir Keir Starmer [Labour’s party leader] a ‘blank cheque’ to reverse Brexit.” The UK’s general election will be held on July 4. Whatever the outcome, we do not believe that Brexit will ever be reversed.

Breitbart wrote on June 4:

“While Farage is arguably one of the most impactful post-World War II political figures in the United Kingdom — having led the charge to lead the country out from under the thumb of the European Union and the unelected cadre of Brussels bureaucrats — he has never held office in Britain, a point frequently brought up by his detractors…

“That is not to say, however, that the populist campaigner is without a history of electoral success, having been elected to serve as a British Member of the European Parliament from 1999 until the UK’s withdrawal from the bloc in 2020. In the most recent election in which he meaningfully campaigned — the 2019 EU Parliament elections — Farage’s Brexit Party secured a staggering 5.2 million votes compared to 1.5 million for Theresa May’s Conservatives…

“… chief political correspondent for the globalist Financial Times newspaper, Jim Pickard… said that while it is an ‘aberration’ for third-party candidates to win seats in the House of Commons, he ‘wouldn’t bet against Farage right now.’”

Germany’s Conscription—Coming?

The Frankfurter Allgemeine wrote on May 29:

“In the debate about various conscription models, Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius sees the sending of muster questionnaires to young adults as the first step. In the event of a defense, conscription would be automatically activated immediately, said the SPD politician on Wednesday during a visit to troops in northern Germany. However, they couldn’t be drafted at all because [the government] does not know where or who the 18-year-old young men actually are. ‘We are currently working on rebuilding military registration – and that is why the question of sending out muster questionnaires is a first step.’

“In view of the armed forces’ personnel needs, Pistorius emphasized how important for the Bundeswehr the ability is to grow in the reserves. They are formed from the training of those doing military service or from the other male and female soldiers. Compulsory military service is currently suspended. According to Pistorius, those who decided this in 2011 for fiscal reasons simultaneously destroyed all structures that made military registration possible. But this is mandatory.”

With his conflicting and contradictory statements, Pistorius is hard to pin down, but the bottom line is: He needs to be watched.

Deutsche Welle reported on June 5:

“‘We must be ready for war by 2029,’ the defense minister said during a questioning session in Germany’s lower house of parliament, the Bundestag… ‘In an emergency, we need strong young women and men who can defend this country.’ Pistorius also said that, for that reason, he believed a ‘new form of military service’ was necessary, that ‘cannot be completely free of obligations.’”

Mexico Elects Claudia Sheinbaum

The Associated Press wrote on June 3:

“Claudia Sheinbaum will become the first woman president in the country’s 200-year history… The climate scientist and former Mexico City mayor said that her two competitors had called her and conceded her victory… Sheinbaum will also be the first person from a Jewish background to lead the overwhelmingly Catholic country. She will start her six-year term Oct. 1. Mexico’s constitution does not allow reelection.

“The leftist has said she believes the government has a strong role to play in addressing economic inequality and providing a sturdy social safety net…

“Just as the upcoming November rematch between U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump has underscored deep divisions in the U.S., Sunday’s election revealed how severely polarized public opinion is in Mexico over the direction of the country, including its security strategy and how to grow the economy.”

The Associated Press added on June 3:

“Sheinbaum, the favored successor of outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, vowed to continue on the direction set by the populist leftist leader… López Obrador claims to have reduced historically high homicide levels by 20% since he took office in December 2018. But that’s largely a claim based on a questionable reading of statistics. The real homicide rate appears to have declined by only about 4% in six years.”

U.S. Banks Indebted and Near Bankruptcy

The Daily Hodl wrote on June 2:

“Unrealized losses in the US banking system are once again on the rise, according to new numbers from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). In its Quarterly Banking Profile report, the FDIC says banks are now saddled with more than half a trillion dollars in paper losses on their balance sheets, due largely to exposure to the residential real estate market…

“The FDIC also says that the number of lenders on its Problem Bank List rose last quarter. According to the agency, [63] banks are on the brink of insolvency due to financial, operational, or managerial weakness or a combination of such issues.”

Our Political Injustice System

On June 3, Ron Paul wrote in his weekly column:

“I’ve long criticized our current US justice system – on all levels – as becoming much more about political justice than blind justice. The bizarre trial and conviction of former President Donald Trump last week on 34 felonies only reinforces my concerns.

“The New York District Attorney, Soros-backed Alvin Bragg, has been notorious for downgrading felony charges against others to misdemeanor charges. According to a recent article in the Daily Mail, Bragg had downgraded 60 percent of felony cases to lesser charges, resulting in violent criminals being released on the streets and a crime wave across New York City. But when it came to Donald Trump, Bragg lurched in the other direction, upgrading what normally would have been misdemeanor charges against anyone else to 34 felony charges against the former president. How can this sudden ‘about-face’ be explained other than politics?…

“Regardless of one’s view of Donald Trump, it is a disturbing development in our society when justice is treated more like a football game where you root for your ‘team’ rather than a way of preserving our freedom and liberty in an equal way for all.

“The real goal of the trial was political. None other than George Soros’ son Alex let the cat out of the bag recently when he advised fellow Trump-haters how to take advantage of the trial result. He posted on Twitter after the verdict, ‘Democrats should refer to Trump as a convicted felon at every opportunity. Repetition is the key to a successful message and we want people to wrestle with the notion of hiring a convicted felon for the most important job in the country!’

“It was not about justice in any way. It was all about being able to call the likely Republican presidential nominee a ‘felon’ so as to undermine his support among voters. In other words, election interference.

“The market has a way of prevailing, however. The repeated attempts at using ‘lawfare’ to remove Trump from the political scene have all backfired and actually have served to make the former president even more popular among voters. Immediately after Trump’s conviction on the 34 charges he began sending out fundraising appeals based on his ‘persecution’ by the state of New York. As of this writing, he has, according to press reports, raised over $200 million for his campaign.

“The politicization of justice is not limited to the Democratic Party. The wind sown by political opponents of Donald Trump may well become the whirlwind they reap when their own political opponents are in positions of power. When that is the case, we all lose.”

Sadly, the left-wing mass media is unable or unwilling to read the handwriting on the wall. And the few conservative media outlets dwell on unrealistic hopes and wishful thinking for the future.

“What a Farce!”

Piers Morgan wrote in The Sun on May 31:

“WHAT a farce. That was my instant reaction as I left the recording of Thursday night’s BBC Question Time to hear the bombshell breaking news that Donald Trump had been convicted on all counts in the Stormy Daniels hush money trial. And my feelings only intensified on the journey home into utter incredulity that such a stinking, stupid, senseless act of self-harming partisan political claptrap had been allowed to happen.

“Trump’s no angel, we all know that. But for America to drag one of its 46 presidents through a criminal court over this tawdry, tacky, pathetically trivial case is so damaging to the country’s reputation. Frankly, who cares if Trump did or didn’t have a one-night stand with a porn star 18 years ago, and then paid her off to keep quiet about it?

“Is that any worse than what Bill Clinton did when he had ‘sexual relations’ with Monica Lewinsky in the Oval Office and then lied to the American people about it, or paid Paula Jones off with $850,000 to settle her sexual harassment case against him? And don’t even get me started on JFK and all his sexual shenanigans which included one of his myriad girlfriends Judith Exner passing classified CIA plans for the assassination of Fidel Castro to Chicago mafia boss Sam Giancana.  

‘There’s a sickening hypocrisy behind the Democrat campaign to beat Trump in the 2024 election by trying to incarcerate him for doing far less serious things with Stormy Daniels than their own presidents did with women. And Trump’s conviction sets a horribly dangerous precedent for US political parties to weaponize the justice system against their opponents.

“But the reason it’s so dumb as well as dangerous is because it will inevitably make Trump an even stronger candidate to win back the White House against an ageing, ailing, deeply disliked President Biden.

“Within [a few] hours of the verdicts, his presidential campaign received a staggering $34 million in donations, nearly doubling its single day fundraising record. [Within 24 hours after the verdict, his campaign received 53 million dollars, with 1/3 coming from new donors.]

“Money talks in elections, and Trump’s enraged support has never looked more fired up, or more determined to see him re-elected. Even if he’s jailed when he’s sentenced in July, it will only make him a bigger and more popular martyr…”

To be clear, even an incarcerated Donald Trump could still be elected President and run the country from his prison cell.

A Machine-Gun Mob-Style Hit Job

Express wrote on May 31:

“Former prime minister [Boris Johnson] defends the US presidential candidate [Donald Trump], saying the case against the Republican was a ‘load of stunted-up old nonsense’ [and a] ‘machine-gun mob-style hit job.’…

“Current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Labour opponent Sir Keir Starmer have both refused to criticise the jury’s verdict… But Mr Johnson… called the conviction ‘authoritarian and corrupt’… ‘It was nakedly political. It was completely artificial.’… “

Johnson is right, and Sunak’s and Starmer’s “political correctness” is sad.

Even CNN Trashes Verdict

Breitbart wrote on May 31:

“CNN legal analyst Elie Honig has published an article in New York magazine pointing out many of the procedural flaws behind the prosecution of former President Donald Trump… Among other problems, Honig noted that no state prosecutor had ever tried to enforce federal election laws before. Many legal observers have said that the Manhattan district attorney had no authority or jurisdiction to do so.

“Honig wrote: ‘The charges against Trump are obscure, and nearly entirely unprecedented. In fact, no state prosecutor — in New York, or Wyoming, or anywhere — has ever charged federal election laws as a direct or predicate state crime, against anyone, for anything. None. Ever. Even putting aside the specifics of election law, the Manhattan DA itself  almost never brings any case in which falsification of business records is the only charge.”

Honig also wrote:

‘“The judge donated money — a tiny amount, $35, but in plain violation of a rule prohibiting New York judges from making political donations of any kind — to a pro-Biden, anti-Trump political operation, including funds that the judge earmarked for ‘resisting the Republican Party and Donald Trump’s radical right-wing legacy.’”

This is so telling. This whole corrupt circus show trial makes one sick.

Will Merchan Impose Jail Time?

The Editorial Board of the New York Post wrote on May 31:

“Don’t think the political games are done just because Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and Judge Juan Merchan have engineered a kangaroo-court conviction of President Donald Trump: Sentencing is still ahead. Conveniently…, Merchan set that hearing for July 11, just four days before the Republican convention opens. That gives him a perfect time to look at the polls and see if President Biden needs yet more help. If Trump’s current narrow lead increases these next six weeks, bet on Merchan to demand hard time.

“Yes, legal experts say it’s beyond rare for a judge to send a first offender, convicted of a non-violent crime, to prison. But this judge has proven himself more than willing to burst far past the boundaries of decency where Trump is concerned. It’s no secret that the whole dog-and-pony show was politically driven… Why would [Merchan] refrain from an unprecedented punishment, especially if the verdict alone isn’t slowing Trump’s momentum?

“If [Trump’s] polling [is] even better [than Trump’s currently lead over Biden by 6 points], come July 11, Merchan’s fellow Democratic hacks will be in full panic, demanding he ‘save the country’… Ordering Trump behind bars is no more outrageous than all the other violations of norms in this case.”

Reuters wrote on June 3:

“Donald Trump said on Sunday he would accept home confinement or jail time… but that it would be tough for the public to accept… ‘You know, at a certain point, there’s a breaking point.’”

Trump also said that he told his lawyers not to beg the judge not to send him to prison. Law Professor Alan Dershowitz does not think that Merchan will be so stupid as to imprison Trump, but he might give him a suspended jail sentence. Note the next article.

The Whole Thing Was Made Up

Newsmax wrote on June 2, 2024:

“New York City Judge Juan Merchan will likely sentence former President Donald Trump to up to three years in prison, but will suspend the sentence, Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz [said]… ‘The judge, I’m sure, made up his mind what he was going to sentence him to before the verdict came back, because he knew what the verdict was going to be based on the instructions. The jury had no choice but to convict.’ The trial, meanwhile, ‘wasn’t a trial’ but a ‘predetermined, orchestrated result,’ Dershowitz said… ‘Nobody could have won’ the case, as it ‘didn’t matter what the facts or the lawyers were,’ said Dershowitz…

“‘There are dozens of appealable issues… I’ve never seen so many reversible errors.’ But even though ‘any first-year law student’ could win the appeal, that wouldn’t necessarily happen in New York because the appellate judges are elected by the same people ‘who were on the jury and that hate Donald Trump, so this has to get outside of New York City in order for there to be any kind of justice,’ said Dershowitz…

“Further, ‘the whole case was made up’ by imagining that Trump was trying to cheat on his taxes or hide a campaign contribution, said Dershowitz. ‘[Alvin Bragg] searched up and down to find the crime,’ he added. ‘He couldn’t find one. So he made one up… out of whole cloth. And I think any reasonable appellate court would find so many errors in this that they would reverse the conviction, not remand it for a new trial, but reverse it, dismiss it, and condemn the prosecutors for bringing it.’”

Since all of this seems to be so clear, shouldn’t the judge and the prosecutor be disbarred?

Biden “Responds”

Axios wrote on May 31:

“President Biden addressed former President Trump’s criminal conviction for the first time Friday, warning that it’s ‘reckless, dangerous, and irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict… The American principle that no one is above the law was reaffirmed…

“‘Our justice system should be respected, and we should never allow anyone to tear it down. It’s as simple as that… That’s America. That’s who we are. And that’s who we’ll always be, God willing,’ he concluded.”

What hypocrisy. Note the next two articles.

Breitbart wrote on July 1:

“On Friday’s ‘Mark Levin Show,’ Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) stated that there is ‘an extraordinary double standard’ in how Democrats pivoted from openly undermining the credibility of and attacking Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito over flags at his house [flown by his wife] to now demanding unquestioned agreement with the ruling in… former President Donald Trump’s trial… The whole thing just smacks of corruption.’”

One should also recall how leading Democrats viciously attacked the US Supreme Court for abolishing Roe v. Wade.

Biden Attacks Trump

Media ITE reported on June 4:

“‘For the first time in American history, a former president that is a convicted felon is now seeking the office of the presidency,’ Biden said at a fundraising event in Greenwich, Connecticut… ‘But as disturbing as that is, more damaging is the all-out assault Donald Trump is making on the American system of justice… ‘Something snapped in this guy for real’ after the 2020 election, Biden said. ‘It’s literally driving him crazy.’ Biden also called Trump ‘unhinged.’”

Witness Tampering?

The New York Post published the following article by Miranda Devine on June 2:

“The president flew into Wilmington, Del., on Sunday night, where his 54-year-old son’s felony gun trial begins Monday,  and will spend the whole day there with no official duties. Joe Biden’s looming presence in the strange small city leaves nobody in any doubt of the message he is sending to Delaware special counsel David Weiss, the prosecutors, the judge, and the jury pool being chosen Monday: You mess with my son, you mess with me. 

“It’s all very subtle, in a flagrant way, much like Joe’s impromptu visit to Hallie Biden, the widow of Beau and former lover of Hunter, just nine days before his son’s trial, at which she is the star witness for the prosecution. It was Hallie who threw Hunter’s new handgun in a trash can in October 2018 out of concern for his drug-addled mental state, creating a ticking legal time bomb that would propel him into court six years later. It was Hallie who found drugs and drug paraphernalia in his truck. Hallie, 50, even shared his crack addiction for a time, amid multiple drug rehab efforts.

“In a trial based on the allegation that Hunter lied on the gun shop’s federal background form on Oct. 12, 2018, when he checked ‘No’ on the question, ‘Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to” various narcotic drugs, Hallie’s understanding of his drug use will be key. Hunter’s defense is that the day he bought the gun was a rare day of sobriety…

The potential for witness tampering in Joe’s late-night visit to Hallie was obvious… conspicuous Hunter sightings alongside his father have accelerated in the last two weeks… Perhaps the most flagrant of all was the May 23 state dinner for the president of Kenya where, yet again, the indicted first son rubbed shoulders with Attorney General Merrick Garland…

“Hunter’s California tax trial in September is high risk for Joe, as it will encompass 2014 and 2015, during which Hunter was earning $1 million from Burisma and his VP father had the Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating the corrupt energy company fired.”

Biden seems to be getting away with his seemingly inappropriate conduct. Democrats are silent, and Republicans don’t speak much either. This country continues to go down on every level.

Biden’s Executive Order

BBC News wrote on June 4:

“ US President Joe Biden’s announcement of his executive action aimed at curbing migrant arrivals on the US border… will stop migrants who cross unlawfully from receiving asylum, and will make it easier for immigration officers to remove people in the US who are there illegally.

“The action takes affect when the southern border is ‘overwhelmed’, but the White House’s description did not come with any hard numbers that defined what an overwhelmed border would be. Biden’s announcement was met with criticism from Donald Trump’s campaign, and some of Trump’s key Republican allies. It was also met with criticism from some Democrats and migrant advocacy groups.

“And in Mexico, there was uncertainty of what the executive action could mean for the border cities where many try to cross into the US.”

Newsmax added on June 4:

“President Joe Biden’s new border plan is just window dressing, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Tuesday… Johnson reminded people Biden said four months ago he had done all he could do. ‘He tried to convince us all for all this time that there was no way he could possibly fix the mess,’ Johnson said. ‘Remember that he engineered it’… Johnson noted Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas issued 64 executive orders to open up the border…

“The House speaker said, if Biden was really concerned about the border, he would have issued the executive order a long time ago…”

The New York Post wrote on June 4:

“Whereas the law says that Biden and [impeached] Mayorkas must detain illegal migrants, the pair have instead released nearly all of them, more than 3.9 million by my conservative estimates. Those releases encouraged even more foreign nationals to come here illegally from all over the globe. That surge has overwhelmed border agents to such a degree that they couldn’t stop nearly 1.7 million others from entering illegally and evading Border Patrol apprehension.

A compliant media largely ignored this crisis until the Mayorkas impeachment and negotiations over a Senate border bill last winter pushed it to the fore… He’s using a 72-year-old immigration authority — section 212(f) — to bar migrant asylum claims…

“His new executive order is simply a deceitful press stunt he hopes will shore up his rock-bottom ratings from voters on the crisis.”

It’s all about politics and the desire to be elected.

Fauci Personifies Systematic Failure

Breitbart wrote on June 3:

Dr. Anthony Fauci refused to disavow business, church, and school closures during his testimony before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on Monday while continuing to justify mask and vaccine mandates during a line of questioning with Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX). ‘Dr. Fauci’s testimony before this subcommittee underscores a shocking lack of accountability,’ Cloud said in an exclusive statement to Breitbart News following Fauci’s testimony. ‘His claims of ignorance about key decisions — whether it’s the arbitrary six-foot distancing rule, school closures, or funding dangerous research in Chinese labs — are both disturbing and unacceptable. Fauci personifies the systemic failure within our federal agencies, where passing the buck is the norm, not the exception,’ the congressman continued.

“During his line of questioning, Cloud went through a list of coronavirus mitigation measures that Fauci supported throughout the pandemic, beginning with business closures, asking if that was justified… [continuing with] church closures…, mask mandates for adults, mask mandates for children, mask mandates for children under five… vaccine mandates for employees, vaccine mandates for students, and vaccine mandates for the military…

“Cloud took to social media after his line of questioning to the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) chief, writing, ‘I asked Dr. Fauci a simple yes or no question: Did he believe school, business, and church closures, mask mandates, and stay-at-home orders were justified?… He refused to disavow those measures, despite knowing they were ineffective,’ the congressman added.”

Fauci’s performance throughout his “tenure” was horrible, but no admission of guilt or an apology can be detected. This means, in a similar situation, he would recommend the same terrible and insane measures.

Fauci’s God Complex

The New York Post wrote on June 4:

“… as two weeks to stop the spread turned into two years of moving the goalposts… it was clear the doctor was developing a God complex. And much of our media became higher clergy genuflecting at every turn. Many adherents found in Fauci a religious purpose, with a mask and a needle serving as virtue symbols and ‘Trust the science’ as their main recitation.

“Anyone with questions or objections was a heretic to be shamed. We were forced to mold our society around these arbitrary and draconian rules…  Parents who advocated for schools to reopen were ostracized and called ‘grandma killers.’… there was no humility and no openness from Fauci & Co. — only suppression and control…. He leaves in his wake a tidal wave of American distrust in institutions. And an absolute inability to see his role in dissolving that trust.”

Planning Another Epidemic?

Ezra Levant wrote in Rebel News on June 1:

“One of the things I hated about the pandemic and the lockdowns was it was as if every country was acting in lockstep. It’s as if everyone was following Anthony Fauci or Theresa Tam in the United States and Canada. But they, too, were following the marching orders from the World Health Organization run by Doctor Tedros. And really, underneath it all, run by the Chinese Communist Party, which installed Tedros.

“What I think we should take away from that is that the decisions in your town, in your school, and at your workplace were not made in your town, at your school, or in your workplace. Odds are, they were concocted… at the… World Health Organization (WHO).

“The WHO is having its annual get-together called the World Health Assembly right now in Geneva, Switzerland. In response to that, I started seeing ads for a trucker-style convoy to come and protest against it.

“Covid-19 was one of the worst things that ever happened to us. It destroyed our lifestyle, destroyed our income, destroyed our family connections, destroyed our sense of community, and destroyed our civil liberties. It was the worst moment in many people’s lives. But for the public health bureaucrats, especially the globalist ones who are not rooted in any jurisdiction, it was the best time of their lives. They had power. They had respect. They were on TV every day.

“Obscure, unknown nobodies like Doctor Theresa Tam were suddenly being called Canada’s top doctor… Those people want another pandemic… so they can offer themselves up as the solution themselves and their plans and their budgets and their powers… We’re here because the decisions being made for you about you are not happening in the Canadian Parliament or your local legislature. They’re happening by unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats, diplomats and politicians at the United Nations.”

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.

Update 1114

Our Life Saver / Time

On June 8, 2024, Michael Link will present the sermonette, titled, “Our Life Saver,” and Brian Gale will present the sermon, titled, “Time.”

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.

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A Good Alternative, or a Bad Compromise?

by Thilo Hanstein (Germany)

Recently I went with my wife to Ramona, California, in order to attend our annual Church Conference, where we discussed, among other things, different church organizations in the body of Christ. It was very nice to see many brethren again and to once again have the chance to welcome them with open arms after such a long time. For some, it had been over 13 years since I had seen them in person, for others a little less. And yet, it is always a great feeling to be able to reunite with brethren and their families.

In August 2008, the Church of the Eternal God broadcasted the program “AufPostenStehen” in Germany for the first time, and my initial contact with the Church took place in October of the same year. Then, in September 2009, we were baptized in Ramona and had our Church wedding at the Feast of Tabernacles in San Diego in October.

The Church of the Eternal God, operating as the Kirche des Ewigen Gottes in Germany, grew steadily with new members, and each year more and more were baptized. This means that God has called some out of this terrible world to bring them as firstfruits into the Family of God. Not only was it a wonderful feeling to see the growing membership; it was overwhelming to understand the power with which God is working in us, leading us and revealing His Truth to us.

But being a member of God’s Family means having responsibility, sincerity, faithfulness, sacrifice, consistency, love, humility and fear of the Lord our God. This implies that we all have a task to fulfill and to do it steadfastly until the return of Christ, exactly in the place where God has planted us. Thus, if we have been called into the Church of the Eternal God or its affiliated international organizations, then we have an obligation to it— unless the Truth would no longer be fully preached there!

But in the nearly 15 years that my wife and I have been in the Church of the Eternal God, we have repeatedly seen brethren leaving us and resigning from the Church. Some left because of selfishness, pride, wrong ideas or resentment towards other members, and even because of personal disputes with the ministry.

Some of them have left for other church groups that emerged from the [now defunct] Worldwide Church of God after the death of the human leader, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong; or they have left the Way of God altogether.

It must be understood that many different groups have arisen because they no longer agree with the doctrines of God’s Truth. Some leaders and their members have developed their own ideas and no longer teach the plain truth. They have become lukewarm. Others have formed church organizations out of pride, greed and job preservation, looking for members, or acting for other nonsensical reasons.

Why would one do that? Why do people leave the part of the body of Christ into which they were baptized, even though the Truth of God is still taught there without compromise? Quite possibly, to avoid having to deal honestly with their underlying personal problems!

Or could God have made a mistake? Is it simply no longer fashionable to remain faithful to the part of the body of Christ that is endowed with the Spirit of Philadelphia, to which God has called us?

Would it actually be a good alternative to simply walk away from one’s commitment of remaining faithful to one’s God-ordained place and instead move on to another church organization—one that may be part of the body of Christ but does not manifest the same enthusiasm and love for the Truth; that has compromised with the Truth; or that does not fulfill the Church commission of proclaiming the gospel as a witness? Or would it be a bad compromise?

Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 12:13, 24-25, 27: “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit… But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another… Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.”

And Christ tells us in John 15:1, 5: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser… I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

Personally, I see these statements with a very special emphasis.

If we cut ourselves off as a branch from the sweet vine of God for personal reasons or problems and try to cling to “another vine” that does not bear the same fruit, or if we move to an opposite vineyard, we may produce fruit, but it will never be the same as it was before and was expected of us.

So, leaving the Church organization that has remained faithful to the Truth is, in most cases, a bad compromise!

We must understand that God does not make mistakes. God is perfect in everything He does.  David, inspired by God, wrote in Psalm 18:30: “As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.”

In Mr. Michael Link’s Editorial from October 29, 2020, he said: “We must NEVER leave Him out of the picture, but put matters into His hands (Jeremiah 17:5-8). This is very difficult to do at times, especially in the heat of the moment. We must keep our heads high and look to God for help.”

And finally, let us remember one thing: “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

We must therefore ensure that we remain faithful to God’s assignment to the part of His body that He has ordained for us, provided that the perfect Truth from God’s Word continues to be preached there!

Initial translation from German: Daniel Blasinger

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by Norbert Link

We begin with the support of many Palestinians for Hamas; Joe Biden’s seemingly naïve evaluation of the current situation in the Middle East; Hungary’s fight with the EU; and the unwillingness of the UK to watch Europe, while being involved in a political turmoil prior to the general election.

We continue with Germany’s push for mandatory military service and the duplicity of Defense Minister Boris Pistorius; the election of leftist Claudia Sheinbaum to the office of President of Mexico;  and the indebtedness of many American banks.

We speak on our terrible judicial system which has become thoroughly politicized, as exemplified by the unparalleled corrupt trial against and conviction of Donald Trump whose further fate will still have to be decided by a biased and unpredictable judge. Please view in this regard our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “Trump Guilty—Shame on America”  and our subsequent message, titled, “Trump’s Guilty Verdict—More to Come?—Comments on News and Prophecy, June 1, 2024”.

We continue with Biden’s hypocritical response to the verdict and also the appearance of his witness tampering and we conclude with Dr. Fauci’s refusal to admit any guilt for his horrible conduct during the Covid pandemic. Please view in this regard our newest StandingWatch program, titled, “Fauci’s God Complex.” 

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

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Many Palestinians Favor Hamas

Israel Today wrote on June 3:

“The majority of Arab residents of Judea and Samaria believe that the Hamas terrorist group will emerge from the war with Israel strengthened. To the question, ‘Do you estimate that the war will end with a rise or fall in the popularity of Hamas among Palestinians?’ 55% said the terror group’s popularity would rise. Only 13.1% thought Hamas’s popularity would decline and 27.3% said its popularity wouldn’t change.

“The Jerusalem Media & Communication Centre, an Arab NGO in Jerusalem, conducted the survey almost eight months after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack.

“Nearly 40% of respondents said the attack served ‘national Palestinian interests’ while 30.2% thought it would hurt those interests. Another 23.5% said it didn’t hurt or help. More than 41% of those surveyed said that the war would end in Hamas’s favor. Only 6.3% said it would end to Israel’s advantage.”

This totally destroys the often repeated wrong left-wing narrative that only a small minority of Palestinians support Hamas.

Hamas Unable to Strike Again?

The New York Post wrote on May 31:

“President Biden announced a proposed Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip without defeating Hamas Friday — claiming that the terrorist group is now incapable of ‘carrying out another October 7th.’ Biden asserted that Hamas had been all but crushed militarily…

“Netanyahu’s office… insisted Israel’s war will not end [and there will NOT be a permanent ceasefire] ‘until all its objectives are achieved, including the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities.’”

The seeming naivety of Joe Biden is stunning.

Biden Attacks Netanyahu

Breitbart wrote on June 4:

“Biden suggested in an interview published in Time magazine on Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prolonging the war in Gaza for ‘his own political self-preservation.’…

“The only Israelis suggesting that Netanyahu is deliberately prolonging the war are on the far left of the political spectrum. The Israeli public supports the continuation of the war in Gaza until victory by overwhelming margins. Biden has been hostile to Netanyahu since the latter won his election in November 2022, refusing to meet with the Israeli leader for nearly a year. He traveled to Israel after the October 7 attacks, but has since backed efforts to oust Netanyahu.

Biden resents Netanyahu because the Israeli leader is resisting American pressure to accept a Palestinian state as an outcome of the war. The Israeli public overwhelmingly backs Netanyahu’s position on the issue after decades of Hamas terror.”

There will never be a deep friendship between Biden and Netanyahu.

Hungary vs. EU

AFP wrote on June 2:

“Tens of thousands of Hungarians rallied at a ‘peace march’ Saturday called by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is increasingly stoking fears of a war between the West and Russia…

“As Moscow’s closest EU ally despite its invasion of Ukraine, Orban has refused to send weapons to Kyiv while blocking European military aid. He has repeatedly said Ukraine ‘cannot win’, claiming that ‘most people want’ a ceasefire and peace negotiations…

“On Friday, Orban accused the defense alliance of ‘dragging’ Hungary into war over Ukraine, comparing it to how Adolf Hitler had pressured the country into joining World War II.”

Interesting comments and comparisons.

UK Uninformed About Europe

The Daily Mail wrote on June 3:

“More than 370 million people are entitled to vote [in European elections] between June 6 and 9, an electorate second in size only to India’s. As the EU has continued to centralise power, the European Parliament has become less like an international assembly and more like the legislature of a superstate. That superstate is taking shape right next door to us and, although we are each other’s largest trading partners, our relations have often been marred since Brexit by the tendency in Brussels to see us as a rebel province.

“In short, you might think we would be interested. So why so little coverage? Is it that we have become more insular as a result of Brexit?…

“No, what we are seeing is a reminder that this country was never especially community-minded in its outlook. In 1950, as Labour’s then foreign secretary, Ernest Bevin, put it: ‘Britain is not “part of Europe”, she is simply not a Luxembourg.’

“As long as we were members, we did our best to pay attention. Turnout at our European elections may have been in the low thirties, but at least we had a vague idea of who Jacques Delors and Jean-Claude Juncker were. The moment we left, though, our gaze snapped back to the Commonwealth and the other English-speaking democracies…”

The situation is not unlike the one in the USA where most Americans are not interested as to what is happening in the rest of the world. And this means, there will be a rude awakening soon for both the UK and the USA.

UK in Political Uproar

The Daily Mail wrote on June 3:

“Nigel Farage has vowed to lead a ‘political revolt’ against the Conservatives and Labour, after announcing he will lead the Reform Party for the next five years and stand for Parliament in the Essex seaside town of Clacton. The veteran Brexiteer argued that Britons are ‘furious’ at how both Labour and the Conservatives have approached the immigration crisis, adding there is also ‘deep anger’ at the rate at which public services are ‘disintegrating’….

“Mr Sunak suffered the darkest hour of his election campaign yesterday afternoon. During a dramatic 60 minutes, the Prime Minister suffered a double blow as Nigel Farage entered the fray and a new poll predicted a Tory wipeout…. Writing in The Telegraph yesterday, [Farage] alleged that the UK has been ‘failed by two main parties’ who have ‘conspired to accelerate our decline’… He argued that neither the Tories nor Labour have a ‘plan to pull this country out of a deep economic hole’ and that both are ‘hooked on a deadly addiction to mass immigration‘. The Reform Party leader… claimed that voters feel ‘sick’ at the Government’s ‘policy of betrayal’.”

It was stated that Farage’s intervention “risks handing Sir Keir Starmer [Labour’s party leader] a ‘blank cheque’ to reverse Brexit.” The UK’s general election will be held on July 4. Whatever the outcome, we do not believe that Brexit will ever be reversed.

Breitbart wrote on June 4:

“While Farage is arguably one of the most impactful post-World War II political figures in the United Kingdom — having led the charge to lead the country out from under the thumb of the European Union and the unelected cadre of Brussels bureaucrats — he has never held office in Britain, a point frequently brought up by his detractors…

“That is not to say, however, that the populist campaigner is without a history of electoral success, having been elected to serve as a British Member of the European Parliament from 1999 until the UK’s withdrawal from the bloc in 2020. In the most recent election in which he meaningfully campaigned — the 2019 EU Parliament elections — Farage’s Brexit Party secured a staggering 5.2 million votes compared to 1.5 million for Theresa May’s Conservatives…

“… chief political correspondent for the globalist Financial Times newspaper, Jim Pickard… said that while it is an ‘aberration’ for third-party candidates to win seats in the House of Commons, he ‘wouldn’t bet against Farage right now.’”

Germany’s Conscription—Coming?

The Frankfurter Allgemeine wrote on May 29:

“In the debate about various conscription models, Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius sees the sending of muster questionnaires to young adults as the first step. In the event of a defense, conscription would be automatically activated immediately, said the SPD politician on Wednesday during a visit to troops in northern Germany. However, they couldn’t be drafted at all because [the government] does not know where or who the 18-year-old young men actually are. ‘We are currently working on rebuilding military registration – and that is why the question of sending out muster questionnaires is a first step.’

“In view of the armed forces’ personnel needs, Pistorius emphasized how important for the Bundeswehr the ability is to grow in the reserves. They are formed from the training of those doing military service or from the other male and female soldiers. Compulsory military service is currently suspended. According to Pistorius, those who decided this in 2011 for fiscal reasons simultaneously destroyed all structures that made military registration possible. But this is mandatory.”

With his conflicting and contradictory statements, Pistorius is hard to pin down, but the bottom line is: He needs to be watched.

Deutsche Welle reported on June 5:

“‘We must be ready for war by 2029,’ the defense minister said during a questioning session in Germany’s lower house of parliament, the Bundestag… ‘In an emergency, we need strong young women and men who can defend this country.’ Pistorius also said that, for that reason, he believed a ‘new form of military service’ was necessary, that ‘cannot be completely free of obligations.’”

Mexico Elects Claudia Sheinbaum

The Associated Press wrote on June 3:

“Claudia Sheinbaum will become the first woman president in the country’s 200-year history… The climate scientist and former Mexico City mayor said that her two competitors had called her and conceded her victory… Sheinbaum will also be the first person from a Jewish background to lead the overwhelmingly Catholic country. She will start her six-year term Oct. 1. Mexico’s constitution does not allow reelection.

“The leftist has said she believes the government has a strong role to play in addressing economic inequality and providing a sturdy social safety net…

“Just as the upcoming November rematch between U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump has underscored deep divisions in the U.S., Sunday’s election revealed how severely polarized public opinion is in Mexico over the direction of the country, including its security strategy and how to grow the economy.”

The Associated Press added on June 3:

“Sheinbaum, the favored successor of outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, vowed to continue on the direction set by the populist leftist leader… López Obrador claims to have reduced historically high homicide levels by 20% since he took office in December 2018. But that’s largely a claim based on a questionable reading of statistics. The real homicide rate appears to have declined by only about 4% in six years.”

U.S. Banks Indebted and Near Bankruptcy

The Daily Hodl wrote on June 2:

“Unrealized losses in the US banking system are once again on the rise, according to new numbers from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). In its Quarterly Banking Profile report, the FDIC says banks are now saddled with more than half a trillion dollars in paper losses on their balance sheets, due largely to exposure to the residential real estate market…

“The FDIC also says that the number of lenders on its Problem Bank List rose last quarter. According to the agency, [63] banks are on the brink of insolvency due to financial, operational, or managerial weakness or a combination of such issues.”

Our Political Injustice System

On June 3, Ron Paul wrote in his weekly column:

“I’ve long criticized our current US justice system – on all levels – as becoming much more about political justice than blind justice. The bizarre trial and conviction of former President Donald Trump last week on 34 felonies only reinforces my concerns.

“The New York District Attorney, Soros-backed Alvin Bragg, has been notorious for downgrading felony charges against others to misdemeanor charges. According to a recent article in the Daily Mail, Bragg had downgraded 60 percent of felony cases to lesser charges, resulting in violent criminals being released on the streets and a crime wave across New York City. But when it came to Donald Trump, Bragg lurched in the other direction, upgrading what normally would have been misdemeanor charges against anyone else to 34 felony charges against the former president. How can this sudden ‘about-face’ be explained other than politics?…

“Regardless of one’s view of Donald Trump, it is a disturbing development in our society when justice is treated more like a football game where you root for your ‘team’ rather than a way of preserving our freedom and liberty in an equal way for all.

“The real goal of the trial was political. None other than George Soros’ son Alex let the cat out of the bag recently when he advised fellow Trump-haters how to take advantage of the trial result. He posted on Twitter after the verdict, ‘Democrats should refer to Trump as a convicted felon at every opportunity. Repetition is the key to a successful message and we want people to wrestle with the notion of hiring a convicted felon for the most important job in the country!’

“It was not about justice in any way. It was all about being able to call the likely Republican presidential nominee a ‘felon’ so as to undermine his support among voters. In other words, election interference.

“The market has a way of prevailing, however. The repeated attempts at using ‘lawfare’ to remove Trump from the political scene have all backfired and actually have served to make the former president even more popular among voters. Immediately after Trump’s conviction on the 34 charges he began sending out fundraising appeals based on his ‘persecution’ by the state of New York. As of this writing, he has, according to press reports, raised over $200 million for his campaign.

“The politicization of justice is not limited to the Democratic Party. The wind sown by political opponents of Donald Trump may well become the whirlwind they reap when their own political opponents are in positions of power. When that is the case, we all lose.”

Sadly, the left-wing mass media is unable or unwilling to read the handwriting on the wall. And the few conservative media outlets dwell on unrealistic hopes and wishful thinking for the future.

“What a Farce!”

Piers Morgan wrote in The Sun on May 31:

“WHAT a farce. That was my instant reaction as I left the recording of Thursday night’s BBC Question Time to hear the bombshell breaking news that Donald Trump had been convicted on all counts in the Stormy Daniels hush money trial. And my feelings only intensified on the journey home into utter incredulity that such a stinking, stupid, senseless act of self-harming partisan political claptrap had been allowed to happen.

“Trump’s no angel, we all know that. But for America to drag one of its 46 presidents through a criminal court over this tawdry, tacky, pathetically trivial case is so damaging to the country’s reputation. Frankly, who cares if Trump did or didn’t have a one-night stand with a porn star 18 years ago, and then paid her off to keep quiet about it?

“Is that any worse than what Bill Clinton did when he had ‘sexual relations’ with Monica Lewinsky in the Oval Office and then lied to the American people about it, or paid Paula Jones off with $850,000 to settle her sexual harassment case against him? And don’t even get me started on JFK and all his sexual shenanigans which included one of his myriad girlfriends Judith Exner passing classified CIA plans for the assassination of Fidel Castro to Chicago mafia boss Sam Giancana.  

‘There’s a sickening hypocrisy behind the Democrat campaign to beat Trump in the 2024 election by trying to incarcerate him for doing far less serious things with Stormy Daniels than their own presidents did with women. And Trump’s conviction sets a horribly dangerous precedent for US political parties to weaponize the justice system against their opponents.

“But the reason it’s so dumb as well as dangerous is because it will inevitably make Trump an even stronger candidate to win back the White House against an ageing, ailing, deeply disliked President Biden.

“Within [a few] hours of the verdicts, his presidential campaign received a staggering $34 million in donations, nearly doubling its single day fundraising record. [Within 24 hours after the verdict, his campaign received 53 million dollars, with 1/3 coming from new donors.]

“Money talks in elections, and Trump’s enraged support has never looked more fired up, or more determined to see him re-elected. Even if he’s jailed when he’s sentenced in July, it will only make him a bigger and more popular martyr…”

To be clear, even an incarcerated Donald Trump could still be elected President and run the country from his prison cell.

A Machine-Gun Mob-Style Hit Job

Express wrote on May 31:

“Former prime minister [Boris Johnson] defends the US presidential candidate [Donald Trump], saying the case against the Republican was a ‘load of stunted-up old nonsense’ [and a] ‘machine-gun mob-style hit job.’…

“Current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Labour opponent Sir Keir Starmer have both refused to criticise the jury’s verdict… But Mr Johnson… called the conviction ‘authoritarian and corrupt’… ‘It was nakedly political. It was completely artificial.’… “

Johnson is right, and Sunak’s and Starmer’s “political correctness” is sad.

Even CNN Trashes Verdict

Breitbart wrote on May 31:

“CNN legal analyst Elie Honig has published an article in New York magazine pointing out many of the procedural flaws behind the prosecution of former President Donald Trump… Among other problems, Honig noted that no state prosecutor had ever tried to enforce federal election laws before. Many legal observers have said that the Manhattan district attorney had no authority or jurisdiction to do so.

“Honig wrote: ‘The charges against Trump are obscure, and nearly entirely unprecedented. In fact, no state prosecutor — in New York, or Wyoming, or anywhere — has ever charged federal election laws as a direct or predicate state crime, against anyone, for anything. None. Ever. Even putting aside the specifics of election law, the Manhattan DA itself  almost never brings any case in which falsification of business records is the only charge.”

Honig also wrote:

‘“The judge donated money — a tiny amount, $35, but in plain violation of a rule prohibiting New York judges from making political donations of any kind — to a pro-Biden, anti-Trump political operation, including funds that the judge earmarked for ‘resisting the Republican Party and Donald Trump’s radical right-wing legacy.’”

This is so telling. This whole corrupt circus show trial makes one sick.

Will Merchan Impose Jail Time?

The Editorial Board of the New York Post wrote on May 31:

“Don’t think the political games are done just because Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and Judge Juan Merchan have engineered a kangaroo-court conviction of President Donald Trump: Sentencing is still ahead. Conveniently…, Merchan set that hearing for July 11, just four days before the Republican convention opens. That gives him a perfect time to look at the polls and see if President Biden needs yet more help. If Trump’s current narrow lead increases these next six weeks, bet on Merchan to demand hard time.

“Yes, legal experts say it’s beyond rare for a judge to send a first offender, convicted of a non-violent crime, to prison. But this judge has proven himself more than willing to burst far past the boundaries of decency where Trump is concerned. It’s no secret that the whole dog-and-pony show was politically driven… Why would [Merchan] refrain from an unprecedented punishment, especially if the verdict alone isn’t slowing Trump’s momentum?

“If [Trump’s] polling [is] even better [than Trump’s currently lead over Biden by 6 points], come July 11, Merchan’s fellow Democratic hacks will be in full panic, demanding he ‘save the country’… Ordering Trump behind bars is no more outrageous than all the other violations of norms in this case.”

Reuters wrote on June 3:

“Donald Trump said on Sunday he would accept home confinement or jail time… but that it would be tough for the public to accept… ‘You know, at a certain point, there’s a breaking point.’”

Trump also said that he told his lawyers not to beg the judge not to send him to prison. Law Professor Alan Dershowitz does not think that Merchan will be so stupid as to imprison Trump, but he might give him a suspended jail sentence. Note the next article.

The Whole Thing Was Made Up

Newsmax wrote on June 2, 2024:

“New York City Judge Juan Merchan will likely sentence former President Donald Trump to up to three years in prison, but will suspend the sentence, Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz [said]… ‘The judge, I’m sure, made up his mind what he was going to sentence him to before the verdict came back, because he knew what the verdict was going to be based on the instructions. The jury had no choice but to convict.’ The trial, meanwhile, ‘wasn’t a trial’ but a ‘predetermined, orchestrated result,’ Dershowitz said… ‘Nobody could have won’ the case, as it ‘didn’t matter what the facts or the lawyers were,’ said Dershowitz…

“‘There are dozens of appealable issues… I’ve never seen so many reversible errors.’ But even though ‘any first-year law student’ could win the appeal, that wouldn’t necessarily happen in New York because the appellate judges are elected by the same people ‘who were on the jury and that hate Donald Trump, so this has to get outside of New York City in order for there to be any kind of justice,’ said Dershowitz…

“Further, ‘the whole case was made up’ by imagining that Trump was trying to cheat on his taxes or hide a campaign contribution, said Dershowitz. ‘[Alvin Bragg] searched up and down to find the crime,’ he added. ‘He couldn’t find one. So he made one up… out of whole cloth. And I think any reasonable appellate court would find so many errors in this that they would reverse the conviction, not remand it for a new trial, but reverse it, dismiss it, and condemn the prosecutors for bringing it.’”

Since all of this seems to be so clear, shouldn’t the judge and the prosecutor be disbarred?

Biden “Responds”

Axios wrote on May 31:

“President Biden addressed former President Trump’s criminal conviction for the first time Friday, warning that it’s ‘reckless, dangerous, and irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict… The American principle that no one is above the law was reaffirmed…

“‘Our justice system should be respected, and we should never allow anyone to tear it down. It’s as simple as that… That’s America. That’s who we are. And that’s who we’ll always be, God willing,’ he concluded.”

What hypocrisy. Note the next two articles.

Breitbart wrote on July 1:

“On Friday’s ‘Mark Levin Show,’ Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) stated that there is ‘an extraordinary double standard’ in how Democrats pivoted from openly undermining the credibility of and attacking Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito over flags at his house [flown by his wife] to now demanding unquestioned agreement with the ruling in… former President Donald Trump’s trial… The whole thing just smacks of corruption.’”

One should also recall how leading Democrats viciously attacked the US Supreme Court for abolishing Roe v. Wade.

Biden Attacks Trump

Media ITE reported on June 4:

“‘For the first time in American history, a former president that is a convicted felon is now seeking the office of the presidency,’ Biden said at a fundraising event in Greenwich, Connecticut… ‘But as disturbing as that is, more damaging is the all-out assault Donald Trump is making on the American system of justice… ‘Something snapped in this guy for real’ after the 2020 election, Biden said. ‘It’s literally driving him crazy.’ Biden also called Trump ‘unhinged.’”

Witness Tampering?

The New York Post published the following article by Miranda Devine on June 2:

“The president flew into Wilmington, Del., on Sunday night, where his 54-year-old son’s felony gun trial begins Monday,  and will spend the whole day there with no official duties. Joe Biden’s looming presence in the strange small city leaves nobody in any doubt of the message he is sending to Delaware special counsel David Weiss, the prosecutors, the judge, and the jury pool being chosen Monday: You mess with my son, you mess with me. 

“It’s all very subtle, in a flagrant way, much like Joe’s impromptu visit to Hallie Biden, the widow of Beau and former lover of Hunter, just nine days before his son’s trial, at which she is the star witness for the prosecution. It was Hallie who threw Hunter’s new handgun in a trash can in October 2018 out of concern for his drug-addled mental state, creating a ticking legal time bomb that would propel him into court six years later. It was Hallie who found drugs and drug paraphernalia in his truck. Hallie, 50, even shared his crack addiction for a time, amid multiple drug rehab efforts.

“In a trial based on the allegation that Hunter lied on the gun shop’s federal background form on Oct. 12, 2018, when he checked ‘No’ on the question, ‘Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to” various narcotic drugs, Hallie’s understanding of his drug use will be key. Hunter’s defense is that the day he bought the gun was a rare day of sobriety…

The potential for witness tampering in Joe’s late-night visit to Hallie was obvious… conspicuous Hunter sightings alongside his father have accelerated in the last two weeks… Perhaps the most flagrant of all was the May 23 state dinner for the president of Kenya where, yet again, the indicted first son rubbed shoulders with Attorney General Merrick Garland…

“Hunter’s California tax trial in September is high risk for Joe, as it will encompass 2014 and 2015, during which Hunter was earning $1 million from Burisma and his VP father had the Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating the corrupt energy company fired.”

Biden seems to be getting away with his seemingly inappropriate conduct. Democrats are silent, and Republicans don’t speak much either. This country continues to go down on every level.

Biden’s Executive Order

BBC News wrote on June 4:

“ US President Joe Biden’s announcement of his executive action aimed at curbing migrant arrivals on the US border… will stop migrants who cross unlawfully from receiving asylum, and will make it easier for immigration officers to remove people in the US who are there illegally.

“The action takes affect when the southern border is ‘overwhelmed’, but the White House’s description did not come with any hard numbers that defined what an overwhelmed border would be. Biden’s announcement was met with criticism from Donald Trump’s campaign, and some of Trump’s key Republican allies. It was also met with criticism from some Democrats and migrant advocacy groups.

“And in Mexico, there was uncertainty of what the executive action could mean for the border cities where many try to cross into the US.”

Newsmax added on June 4:

“President Joe Biden’s new border plan is just window dressing, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Tuesday… Johnson reminded people Biden said four months ago he had done all he could do. ‘He tried to convince us all for all this time that there was no way he could possibly fix the mess,’ Johnson said. ‘Remember that he engineered it’… Johnson noted Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas issued 64 executive orders to open up the border…

“The House speaker said, if Biden was really concerned about the border, he would have issued the executive order a long time ago…”

The New York Post wrote on June 4:

“Whereas the law says that Biden and [impeached] Mayorkas must detain illegal migrants, the pair have instead released nearly all of them, more than 3.9 million by my conservative estimates. Those releases encouraged even more foreign nationals to come here illegally from all over the globe. That surge has overwhelmed border agents to such a degree that they couldn’t stop nearly 1.7 million others from entering illegally and evading Border Patrol apprehension.

A compliant media largely ignored this crisis until the Mayorkas impeachment and negotiations over a Senate border bill last winter pushed it to the fore… He’s using a 72-year-old immigration authority — section 212(f) — to bar migrant asylum claims…

“His new executive order is simply a deceitful press stunt he hopes will shore up his rock-bottom ratings from voters on the crisis.”

It’s all about politics and the desire to be elected.

Fauci Personifies Systematic Failure

Breitbart wrote on June 3:

Dr. Anthony Fauci refused to disavow business, church, and school closures during his testimony before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on Monday while continuing to justify mask and vaccine mandates during a line of questioning with Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX). ‘Dr. Fauci’s testimony before this subcommittee underscores a shocking lack of accountability,’ Cloud said in an exclusive statement to Breitbart News following Fauci’s testimony. ‘His claims of ignorance about key decisions — whether it’s the arbitrary six-foot distancing rule, school closures, or funding dangerous research in Chinese labs — are both disturbing and unacceptable. Fauci personifies the systemic failure within our federal agencies, where passing the buck is the norm, not the exception,’ the congressman continued.

“During his line of questioning, Cloud went through a list of coronavirus mitigation measures that Fauci supported throughout the pandemic, beginning with business closures, asking if that was justified… [continuing with] church closures…, mask mandates for adults, mask mandates for children, mask mandates for children under five… vaccine mandates for employees, vaccine mandates for students, and vaccine mandates for the military…

“Cloud took to social media after his line of questioning to the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) chief, writing, ‘I asked Dr. Fauci a simple yes or no question: Did he believe school, business, and church closures, mask mandates, and stay-at-home orders were justified?… He refused to disavow those measures, despite knowing they were ineffective,’ the congressman added.”

Fauci’s performance throughout his “tenure” was horrible, but no admission of guilt or an apology can be detected. This means, in a similar situation, he would recommend the same terrible and insane measures.

Fauci’s God Complex

The New York Post wrote on June 4:

“… as two weeks to stop the spread turned into two years of moving the goalposts… it was clear the doctor was developing a God complex. And much of our media became higher clergy genuflecting at every turn. Many adherents found in Fauci a religious purpose, with a mask and a needle serving as virtue symbols and ‘Trust the science’ as their main recitation.

“Anyone with questions or objections was a heretic to be shamed. We were forced to mold our society around these arbitrary and draconian rules…  Parents who advocated for schools to reopen were ostracized and called ‘grandma killers.’… there was no humility and no openness from Fauci & Co. — only suppression and control…. He leaves in his wake a tidal wave of American distrust in institutions. And an absolute inability to see his role in dissolving that trust.”

Planning Another Epidemic?

Ezra Levant wrote in Rebel News on June 1:

“One of the things I hated about the pandemic and the lockdowns was it was as if every country was acting in lockstep. It’s as if everyone was following Anthony Fauci or Theresa Tam in the United States and Canada. But they, too, were following the marching orders from the World Health Organization run by Doctor Tedros. And really, underneath it all, run by the Chinese Communist Party, which installed Tedros.

“What I think we should take away from that is that the decisions in your town, in your school, and at your workplace were not made in your town, at your school, or in your workplace. Odds are, they were concocted… at the… World Health Organization (WHO).

“The WHO is having its annual get-together called the World Health Assembly right now in Geneva, Switzerland. In response to that, I started seeing ads for a trucker-style convoy to come and protest against it.

“Covid-19 was one of the worst things that ever happened to us. It destroyed our lifestyle, destroyed our income, destroyed our family connections, destroyed our sense of community, and destroyed our civil liberties. It was the worst moment in many people’s lives. But for the public health bureaucrats, especially the globalist ones who are not rooted in any jurisdiction, it was the best time of their lives. They had power. They had respect. They were on TV every day.

“Obscure, unknown nobodies like Doctor Theresa Tam were suddenly being called Canada’s top doctor… Those people want another pandemic… so they can offer themselves up as the solution themselves and their plans and their budgets and their powers… We’re here because the decisions being made for you about you are not happening in the Canadian Parliament or your local legislature. They’re happening by unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats, diplomats and politicians at the United Nations.”

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.

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Must Christians be poor?

Many times, we come across the concept that true Christians must be poor and live in poverty. But is this correct? Does the Bible require of true Christians to sell all they have and give it to the poor, so that they themselves become poor and dependent on others for their sustenance? Asking it this way, we should readily say how preposterous such a concept would be.

We find many Scriptures in the Bible about righteous people who were rich because God blessed them. God would not have blessed them with riches and wealth if having and possessing those would be wrong.

We read in Genesis 13:2: “Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold,” and Genesis 24:34-35 adds that he became rich because God had blessed him greatly. The same can be said about Abraham’s son Isaac (Genesis 26:12-14).

We all know of course about the incredible riches of Solomon, surpassing all kings of the earth in riches (1 Kings 10:23), because God blessed him greatly in that regard, as 1 Kings 3:13 tells us. Later, Solomon departed from God to an extent, but not because of his wealth, but because of his inability to control himself regarding women.

Job was very rich, and even though God took his wealth temporarily away, when Job repented of his sin of self-righteousness, God restored Job’s riches and blessed him even more than He had done before (Job 42:12-13).

The Bible is very clear that God blesses His people, at times, with riches and wealth. This fact completely rules out the concept that being rich is wrong, a curse, and ungodly. David even said that he was young and grew old, and he never saw the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread (Psalm 37:25).

We read in Deuteronomy 8:18: “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

Proverbs 10:22 says: “The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.”

The New Testament confirms that it is God’s wish for us to prosper and lead good Iives. We read in John 10:10 that Christ came “that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” 3 John 2 adds: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things…”

On the other hand, God does not bless someone who is unrighteous. It is true, of course, that unrighteous people may be rich, but this would not be because of God’s blessings. We will address this later. God warns us that if we refuse to tithe diligently, for example, we cannot expect to be blessed by God.

Proverbs 3:9-10 states: “Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.”

And Malachi 3:8-11 says: “‘Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, “In what way have we robbed You?” In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,’ Says the LORD of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,’ Says the LORD of hosts…”

There are of course many warnings in the Bible regarding an unhealthy desire to become rich. As it is true for every aspect of life, we must submit to and wait for the will of God to be revealed in our lives. And God might have decided that He may not bless us with riches, at least not for now, and if that is the case, we should not try to preempt God and desperately seek riches and wealth—apart from God’s blessing. Desiring to become rich, even though God might not have backed up or honored such desire, would be wrong.

Proverbs 28:20 says: “A faithful man will abound with blessings, But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished…”

Proverbs 23:4-5 adds: “Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven.”…

Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 6:9-11:

“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things…”

This passage does not condemn riches and wealth per se, but it includes a warning for those who “desire” to be rich because of their “love of money” and “greediness.” Rather, Paul says, let us be content with what God has given us (1 Timothy 6:6-8).

Paul continues his warning in 1 Timothy 6:17-19:

“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor TRUST in UNCERTAIN riches but in the living GOD, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do GOOD, that they be rich in good works, READY TO GIVE, WILLING TO SHARE, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

Trusting in riches and wealth would be a terrible mistake. We read in Proverbs 11:4: “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death.” And Zephaniah 1:18 states: “Neither their silver nor their gold Shall be able to deliver them In the day of the LORD’S wrath…”

There are also warnings regarding wrong conduct when one is rich; that is, one who has become prosperous must be careful not to forget that GOD has blessed him.

We read in Deuteronomy 8:18 that we must remember God, “for it is He who gives you power to get wealth…”  Hosea 13:6 states: “When they had pasture, they were filled; They were filled and their heart was exalted; Therefore they forgot Me….”

Hosea 2:8-9 explains what will happen when we DO forget God and the source of our prosperity: “For she did not know That I gave her grain, new wine, and oil, And multiplied her silver and gold–Which they prepared for Baal. Therefore I will return and take away My grain in its time And My new wine in its season, And will take back My wool and My linen, Given to cover her nakedness.”

Another reason why someone who had been prosperous might become poor is explained in Proverbs 10:3-4: “The LORD will not allow the righteous soul to famish, But He casts away the desire of the wicked. He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.” Proverbs 27:23-24 adds: “Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, And attend to your herds; For riches are not forever…”

Diligence is important. We are told that “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). And we must be diligent in preserving what God has blessed us with.

Proverbs 21:17 says: “He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not be [or stay] rich.” Even though God may bless us with riches, we have to do our part. We must not waste what God gave us. And, we must in no way act dishonestly in our pursuits. Proverbs 13:11 says: “Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, But he who gathers by labor will increase.”

We have to be diligent in our pursuits, without allowing wrong priorities to take over our lives. Paul says that when someone does not want to work, he should not even eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12). He cannot expect to be blessed by God with riches if he refuses to work for it.

We need to remember that we can leave God’s way if we desire to be rich. Christ warns of the deceitfulness of riches (Matthew 13:22). He told us that it will be difficult for a rich man who trusts in his riches and does not want to give up his wealth to enter the Kingdom of God (compare Mark 10:17-24).

God also warns us to not become envious of unrighteous people who might have become rich—but not as a result of God’s blessing. It could be easy to become unsatisfied with God, asking Him, how come they are blessed, and I am not?

Psalm 37:7, 16 says: “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass… A little that a righteous man has Is better than the riches of many wicked.”

Otherwise, we might easily charge God with wrong. That is why Agur said the following in Proverbs 30:7-9:

“Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches— Feed me with the food allotted to me; Lest I be full and deny You, And say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God.”

But again, this does not make property, wealth and riches wrong per se. Some however claim that a Christian must be poor because, so they say, Christ was poor, referring to 2 Corinthians 8:9 to prove this assertion, which states: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” But Paul is using a comparison between the richness of the immortal God who owns everything, and, in contrast, the poverty of man whose insignificant riches might be here today and gone tomorrow.

There are numerous passages indicating that Jesus owned His own house—or perhaps even more than one. At times, though, when He was on a journey, He might not have been given shelter (Matthew 8:20; compare the context of His words in Luke 9:51-58), but this does not mean that Jesus was a homeless vagabond. The soldiers did not want to cut Jesus’ garments and clothing, when He was hanging on the cross (or better, stake), but they cast lots to determine who should receive them (Matthew 27:35; John 19:23-24). His garments and clothing were apparently not “cheap,” but of such a quality and value that the soldiers were willing to cast lots for them.

On the other hand, we all must be willing to give up everything to be able to inherit the Kingdom of God. This includes physical wealth and well-being, our health and security, and even our relatives and friends if a choice must be made between Christ and them. Christ tells us that when we love anything and anyone more than Him, we are not worthy of Him (Luke 14:26; Matthew 10:37). Otherwise, He tells us that He will bless us even in this life when we have our priorities correct (Mark 10:29-30).

Sometimes, we may be required to make tough decisions. Moses chose Christ and rejected the “passing pleasures of sin” and the “treasures of Egypt,” esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than those worldly treasures (Hebrews 11:25-26). Rather than laying up for himself “treasures on earth,” he laid up for himself treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19), “for he looked to the reward” (Hebrews 11:26).

We must be rich toward God (Luke 12:21). We must first seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all the things which we need (compare Philippians 4:19)—and many things which we might not even need—WILL be given to us by God (Matthew 6:33). God knows what we need, and He will look after us (Matthew 6:30, 32). Even though we might be considered “poor” by the worldly standards of the rich and ultra-rich, we possess the greatest riches that could be imagined.

Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 6:10 that we are to commend ourselves “as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” Note also Revelation 2:9. The world might look at us as relatively poor people, but we have been promised the inheritance of the Kingdom of God! What greater riches could there be?

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

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Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

compiled by Dave Harris

“Fauci’s God Complex,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Dr. Fauci’s testimony this week before a House Subcommittee on the Coronavirus pandemic and measures taken to combat the same manifested a total lack of repentance or admission of guilt. Rather, it seems that, as the New York Post put it, Fauci developed a “God complex” and much of the media became “higher clergy” at every turn, while those with questions were labeled as “heretics.” Fauci might be gone, but his ideas are very much alive. Where did they originate? And where will YOU end up when the next pandemic strikes and similar, or even worse measures will be enacted? Will you follow and obey God or men?

“Trump Guilty – Shame on America,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The conviction of Trump in a Manhattan courtroom is unparalleled. The proceedings by the judge and prosecution have been described as corrupt, illegal, unconstitutional and as a “travesty of justice,” which “stinks to high heaven.” What are the true facts, and what does GOD have to say about all of this?

“Trump schuldig – Schande für Amerika,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This covers the same topic as described above.

“Müssen Christen arm sein?” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Must Christians Be Poor?”

“Was ist die wahre Religion?” last Sabbath’s Germon sermonette presented by Tahir Coban, is now posted. Title in English: “What is the true religion?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zapr8oD3yYI

“Do Your Emotions Rule You?” last Sabbath’s sermonette by Christoph Sperzel, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Today’s world is dominated by emotions! How can you safely get a grip on your feelings?

“Trump’s Guilty Verdict—More to Come?—Comments on News and Prophecy, June 1, 2024,” last Sabbath’s comments by Norbert Link are now posted. Here is a summary:

The “kangaroo-court” conviction of Trump in New York might lead to further incredible developments, when Judge Merchan will sentence Trump, beginning on July 11. Will Merchan send Trump to prison? Biden’s response to the verdict sounds hypocritical; and turning to other news, Biden’s allegation that Hamas is now unable to carry out another October 7th attack is incredibly naive. Focusing on Germany, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has made his true intentions known, and they are not good.

“Do You Dwell With God or With Satan?” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Either we live in the house or temple of God, as his household, or we live in the world’s house of bondage and slavery, ruled by Satan. We have been brought out of slavery and bondage by our master, Jesus Christ, to dwell in God’s house, but some leave God’s house and return to Satan’s house. The house of the world, built on sand, will fall, and its fall will be great. However, Christ’s house, built on the rock, will endure forever, and we will remain as pillars in the house of the Lord, never going out.

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How This Work is Financed

This Update is an official publication by the ministry of the Church of the Eternal God in the United States of America; the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada; and the Global Church of God in the United Kingdom.

Editorial Team: Norbert Link, Dave Harris, Rene Messier, Brian Gale, Johanna Link, Eric Rank, Michael Link, Anna Link, Kalon Mitchell, Manuela Mitchell, Dawn Thompson

Technical Team: Eric Rank, Shana Rank

Our activities and literature, including booklets, weekly updates, sermons on CD are provided free of charge. They are made possible by the tithes, offerings and contributions of Church members and others who have elected to support this Work.

While we do not solicit the general public for funds, contributions are gratefully welcomed and are tax-deductible in the U.S. and Canada.

Donations can be sent to the following addresses:

United States: Church of the Eternal God, P.O. Box 270519, San Diego, CA 92198

Canada: Church of God, ACF, Box 1480, Summerland, B.C. V0H 1Z0

United Kingdom: Global Church of God, PO Box 44, MABLETHORPE, LN12 9AN, United Kingdom

Do Your Emotions Rule You? / Do You Dwell With God or With Satan?

On June 1, 2024, Christoph Sperzel will present the sermonette, titled, “Do Your Emotions Rule You?” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Do You Dwell With God or With Satan?”

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.

This Week in the News

The Butcher of Tehran Dead

The New York Post wrote on May 20:

“Iran’s hardline President Ebrahim Raisi was killed when a helicopter carrying the reviled leader known as the ‘Butcher of Tehran’ crashed in a remote region of the country Sunday… Raisi, 63, his foreign minister and other passengers were found dead after the rescuers discovered the helicopter crash site early Monday. State news agency Mehr reported ‘all passengers of the helicopter carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister were martyred.’ An Israeli official quickly denied the country had any involvement in the crash.

“Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate power with the final say on foreign policy and Iran’s nuclear program, said First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber would take over as interim president… Raisi was flying a US-made Bell 212 helicopter at the time of the crash…

“The crash comes at a time of growing dissent within Iran over an array of political, social and economic crises. Since Iran’s ally Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, provoking Israel’s assault on Gaza, conflicts involving Iran-aligned groups have erupted throughout the Middle East. A long ‘shadow war’ between Iran and Israel also broke into the open last month with tit-for-tat exchanges of drone and missile fire.

“Messages of condolence have been pouring in from Iran’s allies, including the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Iraq and Pakistan. Russian President Vladimir Putin called Raisi ‘a true friend of Russia,’ while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was ‘deeply shocked and saddened.’…

“Under Iranian law, Mokhber will be president for a custodial period of 50 days, at which point an election must be held to choose Raisi’s successor. But the real succession drama would center around who steps up to be the Islamic Republic’s next supreme leader, a role currently held by 85-year-old Imam Sayyid Ali Khamenei. Most pundits believed the likely competition to succeed Khamenei came down to a two-man race between Khamenei’s son Mojtaba and Raisi

“Days after Iran’s failed missile and drone attack against Israel last month, Raisi rattled his saber at an annual military parade, threatening a ‘massive and harsh’ response should Israel retaliate, and warning that if Tehran had wanted to carry out a bigger attack, ‘nothing would remain of the Zionist regime.’…  He was sanctioned by the US in part over his involvement in the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988 known as the ‘death committee’ at the end of the bloody Iran-Iraq war… In 2022… Raisi unleashed a thuggish security crackdown on young people across the country that killed more than 500 people and saw more than 22,000 detained.”

It is quite interesting and telling to focus on those countries and leaders who quickly uttered their appalling condolences for the butcher and mass murderer Raisi.

Hypocritical EU’s Shameful Conduct

Breitbart wrote on May 20:

“European Council President Charles Michel, a Belgian centrist-liberal, was quick to make an expression on behalf of the whole European Union… ‘The EU expresses its sincere condolences for the death of President Raisi and Foreign Minister Abdollahian, as well as other members of their delegation and crew in a helicopter accident. Our thoughts go to the families.’

“Theo Francken, a [Belgian] Eurosceptic Member of Parliament… expressed concern at the European message. Responding first to the announcement that the EU was acting in ‘solidarity’ with Iran to help it in the immediate aftermath of the crash, the politician stated, ‘Are you totally crazy? This guy is a first class mass murderer. What’s next? Saving [Putin]? What a club of geopolitical dwarfs is this EU commission’.

“On Monday after Michel’s message of sympathy was broadcast, Francken responded again, calling it hypocritical for European leaders to express condolences to Iran while the regime is holding a European diplomat and aid worker hostage. He said: ‘Oh boy, European condolences for the death of a butcher and cruel mass murderer. Where are all those fake tears for Olivier Vandecasteele and Johan Floderus your EU diplomat who is still been kidnapped by the regime. You don’t speak in my name.’

“That Michel did not speak in the name of all Europeans gained some traction, and shortly after Geert Wilders, the right-populist presently working to form a new government in the Netherlands joined the call. Decrying ‘EU solidarity with evil’, he wrote Monday morning: ‘not in my name’.

“The earliest expressions of sympathy for Iran came from its allies worldwide, with statements published by the Chinese and Russian Presidents, India, Pakistan, and even OPEC. The Hamas terror group and Yemen’s Houthi militia, both militarily backed by Iran in their wars against the West, also sent ‘deepest condolences’…”

The EU, under German leadership, will turn out to be one of Israel’s greatest enemies.

Turkey Of Course

Newsmax wrote on May 20:

“Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday expressed his condolences for the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, saying Raisi was a ‘valuable colleague and brother.’ ‘As a colleague who personally witnessed his efforts for the peace of the Iranian people and our region during his time in power, I remember Mr. Raisi with respect and gratitude,’ Erdogan wrote on social media platform X, adding Turkey stood by Iran in this difficult time.”

Nothing less could be expected from mass murderer and anti-Semite Erdogan. The Bible predicts horrible conduct by Turkey against Israel.

US Sends Condolences

Israel 365 News wrote on May 21:

“The US State Department on Monday sent condolences to the government of Iran, expressing grief over the deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi…

“Despite the condolences, former Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on state television that the United States was ‘one of the main culprits’ in the crash due to sanctions that affected Iranian aviation.”

Shameful!

A Moment of Silence

Israel Today wrote on May 21:

“Members of the UN Security Council, including the United States, observed a minute of silence on Monday in memory of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi… ‘The Security Council has simply become a danger to world peace,’ said… Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, in response to the event…

“‘What’s next: Will the Council dedicate a moment of silence to commemorate Hitler?’ he added.”

Good question!!!

“Iranian Supreme Leader Renews Pledge to ‘Eliminate’ Israel”

Newsmax wrote on May 24:

“At the funeral of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed when his helicopter crashed on Monday, the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reiterated his commitment to destroy Israel

“‘The promise to eliminate Israel will be kept, and we will see the day when Palestine extends from the sea to the river,’ Khamenei said.”

Iran puts the world on notice, but the world chooses to be willfully ignorant.. or worse.

A Palestinian State?

MSN wrote on May 22:

“The Spanish, Irish and Norwegian governments announced Wednesday that they would recognize a Palestinian state, saying there would be no peace in the Middle East without it. Israel denounced the move as giving aid to its enemy, Hamas… In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz ordered the immediate recall of the Israeli ambassadors to Spain, Ireland and Norway…

“More than 140 other countries around the world recognize a Palestinian state, but most are outside Europe. Before Wednesday’s announcement, only a few countries in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Sweden, had formally recognized it.”

Egypt vs. Israel

Al Jazeera wrote on May 12:

“Egypt says it will formally join the lawsuit filed by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice which accuses Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention in the Gaza Strip.”

Biden—Jekyll and Hyde

The New York Post wrote on May 11:

“The deadly, chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and Biden’s decision to throw open the southern border without a plan for handling the millions of illegal crossers are just two of the many head-scratching decisions that have turned his tenure into a synonym for failure. A common thread is that his debacles were unforced errors. Doing nothing would have produced far better outcomes than the actions he took…

“Biden’s sudden military freeze smacks of a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality. If the freeze stops Israel’s plan to eliminate Hamas, it will guarantee more Islamic terrorism and another war, which will mean more civilian casualties on both sides…

“Can Saudi Arabia really trust an administration that mercilessly undercut America’s closest ally?

“Should European allies be worried that they, too, will somehow run afoul of a White House that treats its enemies better than its friends? Then there’s Ukraine, which has another reason to worry, while Russia and China must be delighted to see American weakness in action…

“Biden remains unmoved by the evidence that he is playing with fire by appeasing America’s enemies and punishing its friends.”

The EU will become America’s enemy.

Biden’s Blackmail Beyond Despicable

The New York Post wrote on May 13:

“The Washington Post reports, citing four sources, that the White House has offered Jerusalem ‘sensitive intelligence to help the Israeli military pinpoint the location of Hamas leaders and find the group’s hidden tunnels’ if the IDF doesn’t go full-scale into Rafah… And this follows the freeze in many munitions the Pentagon was about to send over — including precision bombs…

“None of this makes sense except as a strategy for appeasing the pro-Hamas protesters… It’s beyond despicable, and yet another gross violation of the president’s oath of office….”

Biden Back Peddles…

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 15:

“The administration of  President Joe Biden has informed Congress of a planned $1 billion (€0.92 billion) weapons shipment to [Israel], official sources said. The weapons package includes $700 million for tank ammunition, $500 million for tactical vehicles, and $60 million for mortar rounds…

“On Monday, national security spokesman John Kirby emphasized that the administration would continue to support Israel’s defense needs. Kirby said Biden is ‘going to continue to provide Israel with all of the capabilities it needs, but he does not want certain categories of American weapons used in a particular type of operation in a particular place. And again, he has been clear and consistent with that.’”

Clear and consistent? Laughable. It could not be more ambiguous.

Spain At War With Israel

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 17:

“Spain has said it will now refuse permission for ships carrying arms for Israel to stop at its ports, a day after it denied permission for a vessel to dock at one of its ports… Spain has been among the most critical voices of Israel’s Gaza offensive and is seeking to rally other European countries to accept the idea of recognizing a Palestinian state… Madrid has halted arms exports to Israel after it launched a military onslaught against the Palestinian, militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.”

ICJ “Orders” Israel to Halt Offensive in Rafah

Deutsche Welle reported on May 24:

“The International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to [immediately] halt its [military] offensive in Rafah amid mounting international criticism… Though ICJ orders are legally binding, the court has no police or military force to enforce them, and Israel is unlikely to abide by the ruling, insisting it has the right to defend itself from Hamas militants…

“Similarly, Russia has so far ignored a 2022 order by the court to halt its… invasion of Ukraine.”

Note this ridiculous “order” in light of the next article.

Hamas Attacks from Rafah

Breitbart wrote on May 26:

“Hamas fired rockets at the Tel Aviv area [from Rafah] on Sunday, marking the first time in four months that a barrage reached central Israel from Gaza, and emphasizing the importance of Israel’s fight against Hamas in its last stronghold…

“Last week, The Times of Israel reported that the IDF believes Hamas has the capability to launch rocket attacks on central Israel from the Rafah area, and when troops advance further into the city, the terror group is likely to carry out such an attack… The fight against Hamas in Rafah continues…”

Germany to Arrest Netanyahu

Newsmax wrote on May 22:

“[Scholz spokesman Steffen Hebestreit] said Wednesday it will abide by an International Criminal Court arrest warrant and detain Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he step foot on German soil. The ICC on Monday issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes in its military response to Iranian-backed Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack. The ICC also issued arrest warrants [for] Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, its military leader Muhammad Deif, and its Qatar-based political leader Ismail Haniyeh on charges of war crimes.

“A dramatic appeal written in German and English and posted Tuesday on X by Ron Prosor, Israel’s ambassador to Germany was rebuffed by the administration of Prime Minister Olaf Scholz…  ‘This is outrageous!’ Prosor wrote… ‘The Chief Prosecutor [of the ICC] equates a democratic government with Hamas, thereby demonizing and delegitimizing Israel, and the Jewish people… He has completely lost his moral compass. Germany has a responsibility to readjust this compass. This disgraceful political campaign could become a nail in the coffin for the West and its institutions…’”

This is beyond appalling. But it shows where Germany’s alliances are. Note the next article.

Habeck’s Controversial Statements About Israel

MSN wrote on May 26:

 “For the first time, a member of the Federal Government, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens), has accused Israel of breaking international law in the war against Hamas. The Union finds the statements ‘completely incomprehensible and unacceptable’. All that can be heard from the traffic lights (Ampel collation) in the Bundestag about Habeck’s statement is silence…

“Habeck receives support from both the AfD faction and the Left Party.”

Compulsory Military Service Proposed in Italy

Euractiv wrote on May 21:

“Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini’s League party has submitted a bill to the Chamber of Deputies proposing a mandatory six-month period of military or civilian service for all young people aged between 18 and 26, while the far-right party’s centre-right allies, including Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, oppose the measure.”

Compulsory Military Service in the UK?

Express wrote on May 25:

“TEENAGERS will be signed up for compulsory National Service under bold new plans unveiled by Rishi Sunak. All 18-year-olds will have to take part in some kind of civic duty by enrolling for 12 months in the armed forces. Or they could instead opt to join the police, fire service or another body that does work in the community for one weekend every month. The Prime Minister announced his eye-catching proposal as he drew up the finishing touches to his general election manifesto…

“National Service – abolished 64 years ago – has only been in place in the UK twice in the modern era, once during the First World War, and again from 1939…

“The move comes as… a Labour government would give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote…”

 It is predicted that Sunak will lose the general election by a landslide.

Pope Attacks America

Breitbart wrote on May 12:

“Climate change has brought the world to the ‘breaking point,’ Pope Francis asserted in his introduction to a 3-day climate summit to be held in the Vatican in May. A firm believer in the climate ‘crisis,’ the pontiff wrote that he has ‘heartfelt concerns’ for ‘our suffering planet,’ contending that ‘the world in which we live is collapsing’ because of humanity’s failure to adequately address the crisis…

“Pope Francis has singled out the United States as particularly responsible for the climate ‘emergency’ because of the ‘irresponsible lifestyle’ of its citizens…”

What about China and other “polluters”?

In a related article, CAN wrote on May 12:

“On Mother’s Day, Pope Francis entrusted all mothers to the Blessed Virgin Mary, asking everyone to remember to also pray for all the mothers who have gone to heaven…”.

Except, no mother has ever gone to heaven, including the “Virgin Mary.” It would appear that the Pope doesn’t even know that!

Francis Attacks US Conservatives

Breitbart wrote on May 17:

“Pope Francis… asserts that a conservative [especially referring to conservative Catholic bishops] ‘is someone who clings to something and does not want to see beyond that. It is a suicidal attitude.’… Pope Francis has never hidden his disdain for Americans… Francis asserts that climate change skeptics are ‘stupid’ to refute compelling evidence of a climate emergency.”

The Pope’s accusations against America are becoming more and more hateful, but are in line with the fulfillment of biblical prophecy.

Supernatural Events in the Catholic Church

The Independent wrote on May 17:

“The Catholic Church has had a long and controversial history of the faithful claiming to have had visions of the Virgin Mary, of statues purportedly weeping tears of blood and stigmata erupting on hands and feet mimicking the wounds of Christ. Church figures who claimed to have experienced the stigmata wounds, including Padre Pio and Pope Francis’s namesake, St Francis of Assisi, have inspired millions of Catholics…

“Francis himself has weighed in on the phenomenon, making clear that he is devoted to the main church-approved Marian apparitions, such as Our Lady of Guadalupe, who believers say appeared to an Indigenous man in Mexico in 1531… When confirmed as authentic by church authorities, these otherwise inexplicable signs have led to a flourishing of the faith… That has been the case for the purported apparitions of Mary that turned Fatima in Portugal, and Lourdes in France, into enormously popular pilgrimage destinations…”

More of these lying wonders will occur in the near future.

Pope’s Stance on Guns and Condoms

Reuters wrote on May 10:

“Pope Francis criticised the weapons and contraceptive industries on Friday, accusing them of destroying or preventing life…

“Francis, 87, has long been a fierce opponent of the arms industry. He has also reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s longstanding ban on artificial birth control [including the use of condoms], though he supports natural [but very unreliable] ways of avoiding pregnancy.”

While he is right about the abuse of weapons, he is very wrong about the use of contraceptives.

China and Russia… the Everlasting Friendship

Express wrote on May 18:

“Sophia Gaston, head of foreign policy at Policy Exchange… noted that the relationship between the presidents of the two countries have an important connection, which should terrify the West. Xi and Putin see each other as allies in a parallel international and ‘multipolar’ world order that can challenge a Washington-led global consensus… ‘I do think that all those in Europe who have recently thought that perhaps they were making inroads with Xi around putting some pressure on Putin regarding Ukraine will have to take a really long hard look in the mirror.’

“This comes as Putin visits China to celebrate the 75th year of formal China-Russia relations. The visit is packed with gestures that underline the mutually beneficial friendship that has blossomed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Xi said the friendship between China and Russia was ‘everlasting’ and had ‘become a model for a new type of international relations’. Xi also described Putin as his ‘best friend’ and Putin said that Xi was ‘warm and comradely’ and ‘like a brother.’

“However, political commentators have said that Xi holds all the cards, with Putin eager to further the relationship with one of the only countries willing to help fund his war in Ukraine  Former US president Donald Trump has accused Putin and Xi of getting together to ‘do damage.’… ‘They are right now together working on plans [to] do damage, because that’s ultimately what they’re thinking about doing damage.’”

China and Russia will be allies in their coming war with Europe.

Coming… A European Army

wbj.pl wrote on May 18:

“… the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, just beyond the eastern border, has rekindled the European debate about the need to have its military potential…

“According to Eurobarometer research published in 2022, the vast majority of EU citizens (81 percent) support a common defense and security policy – in every EU country, this support is at least 2/3 of citizens. About 93 percent of EU residents agree that countries should work together to defend the territory of the Community, and 85 percent believe that defense cooperation should be strengthened at the EU level.”

Sending Troops Into Ukraine?

Fakti.bg wrote on May 9:

“The government in Warsaw will not simply stand behind the borders in case Ukraine is threatened with imminent defeat. Rather, it is much more likely that Poland will send troops into Ukraine ‘to prevent the worst’. Such an opinion was expressed by the former commander of the US Army in Europe, Ben Hodges, in an interview with the German publication T-mobile.

“At the same time, he imagines that Romania will also officially commit to the defense of Moldova.”

The New York Times wrote on 16:

“NATO allies are inching closer to sending troops into Ukraine to train Ukrainian forces, a move that would be another blurring of a previous red line and could draw the United States and Europe more directly into the war… Ukrainian officials have asked their American and NATO counterparts to help train 150,000 new recruits closer to the front line for faster deployment.”

According to the Ron Paul Institute, dated May 18:

“Last month, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur… said in the interview with the Austrian newspaper Die Presse that all NATO countries already have NATO personnel stationed in Ukraine, but that they aren’t directly engaged in hostilities as they are there in advisory roles… ‘The reality is that every NATO member country already has military personnel in Ukraine, such as military attaches or people who travel to Ukraine from time to time,’ the Estonian defense chief said…”

Sad State of Affairs in Ukraine

The Associated Press wrote on May 18:

“A divisive mobilization law in Ukraine came into force Saturday, as Kyiv struggles to boost troop numbers… The legislation… will make it easier to identify every conscript in the country. It also provides incentives to soldiers, such as cash bonuses or money toward buying a house or car, that some analysts say Ukraine cannot afford.

“Lawmakers dragged their feet for months and only passed the law in mid-April, a week after Ukraine lowered the age for men who can be drafted from 27 to 25. The measures reflect the growing strain that more than two years of war with Russia has had on Ukraine’s forces, who are trying to hold the front lines in fighting that has sapped the country’s ranks and stores of weapons and ammunition.

“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also signed two other laws Friday, allowing prisoners to join the army and increasing fines for draft dodgers fivefold...

“The U.S. last week announced a new $400 million package of military aid for Ukraine, and President Joe Biden has promised that he would rush badly needed weaponry to the country to help it stave off Russian advances. Still, only small batches of U.S. military aid have started to trickle into the front line, according to Ukrainian military commanders, who said it will take at least two months before supplies meet Kyiv’s needs to hold the line.

Thousands of Ukrainians have fled the country to avoid the draft since Russia’s all-out invasion in February 2022, some risking their lives as they tried to swim across a river separating Ukraine from neighboring Romania and Hungary…”

Germany Expels Ukrainian Soldiers

MENAFN wrote on May 19:

“The German government has taken steps to address concerns regarding Ukrainian soldiers wearing Nazi symbols while undergoing military training in the country. In a revelation made on Wednesday, Berlin disclosed that seven Ukrainian troops participating in military exercises were found sporting far-right extremist symbols. These soldiers were promptly expelled from the training program and sent back to Ukraine.

“According to estimates from the German military, approximately 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers received training on German soil in 2023, as part of the European Union Military Assistance Mission Ukraine (EUMAM UA) initiated in November 2022. German instructors, along with personnel from other EU member states, have been involved in training Ukrainian military personnel.

“The expulsion of the soldiers came to light in response to an inquiry by the right-wing Alternative for Germany Party (AFD). The German government clarified that incoming Ukrainian military personnel are explicitly warned against the use of Nazi insignias upon their arrival for training. Despite these incidents, Berlin sought to downplay the potential threat posed by Ukrainian far-right nationalists to any future peace process between Kiev and Moscow. The government emphasized that it does not perceive Ukrainian extremist nationalists as a significant obstacle to a possible peace process in Ukraine.

“Instead, the German government reiterated its stance that Russia’s imperialism lies at the root of the ongoing conflict, characterizing it as an illegal war of aggression against Ukraine that poses a threat to security in Europe.”

Scholz Works For Russia?

Focus wrote on May 20:

“[The Green Party] Anton Hofreiter is considered one of the harshest critics of the Chancellor when it comes to Germany’s Ukraine policy. Now he is making an outrageous accusation about Olaf Scholz…  After the invasion of Russian troops and while Scholz announced his ‘turning point’, Hofreiter demanded ‘more leadership’ from the Chancellery. In interviews last year he made it clear that in his opinion the ‘main problem’ lay in the Chancellery. And a few months ago, Hofreiter settled accounts with the Chancellor on the Taurus issue and accused him of ‘catastrophic defeatism’ and ‘dramatically poor communication’…

“Now Hofreiter has attacked the Chancellor again – and more sharply than ever before… ‘People who deal with this say the strategy is to always support Ukraine half-heartedly until Ukraine is ready to negotiate and give up large parts of its territory’…

“Hofreiter’s statements are highly explosive and contain an outrageous accusation… that Scholz only supports Ukraine pro forma and is actually acting in Moscow’s interests to bring Ukraine to the negotiating table…”

The outrage over Hofreiter’s statements, which have some merit, is downright ridiculous. Scholz just stated that Ukraine will not be a part of NATO for the next 30 years.

Ukraine Will Have To Give Up Territory

The Gateway Pundit wrote on May 24:

Long gone are the days when Ukraine was at least winning the war on the western news sites’ headlines.

“Now, slowly but surely, the MSM has had to face the fact that the outmanned, outgunned and outmaneuvered Ukrainian forces will not win this war on the battlefield, will not get back to pre-war borders, much less reincorporate the Crimean peninsula… Colonel Oleksandr Bakulin… accepted that territory will need to be given up during negotiations…”

Poland’s “Transformation”

LifeStiteNews wrote on May 17:

“The mayor of Warsaw ordered the removal of religious symbols, i.e., crosses and crucifixes, from City Hall while urging employees to use transgender ‘pronouns’ and respect same-sex relationships… The ban on religious symbols will not apply to ‘religious symbols for personal use worn by people working in the office, for example in the form of a chain, tattoo or armband.’

“Going forward, events organized by the city hall must not include prayer of any kind… The document also notes that employees will be subjected to compulsory ‘diversity training.’”

Coming… Conscription in Germany?

Daily Mail wrote on May 12:

“Germany could bring back conscription for all 18-year-olds amid fears out an all-out NATO- war with Russia, leaked military plans reveal. Military planners are discussing three potential plans, two of which involve a compulsory military year for all men once they turn 18.

“It is understood that officials are in the final stages of discussions with German defence minister Boris Pistorius expected to go public with official plans next month…  Mr Pistorius, during a trip to Washington last week, said he was ‘convinced’ that Germany ‘needs a form of military conscription’. He also previously described the country’s decision to suspend compulsory military service in 2011 as a ‘mistake’. 

“In one proposal being considered by military planners in Berlin, all men and women would be subject to conscription once they turned 18. Germany’s previous policy on compulsory military service only applied to men. To include women would require changing the nation’s constitution… but ministry insiders reportedly believe the change would ‘most likely to receive societal approval’.

“Another proposal, which is viewed by the defence ministry as a ‘a strong signal’ to both allies and rivals, would only apply to 18-year-old men, but would not see everyone selected, the leaked reports revealed. Young men would be required to complete an online form and could then later be chosen for service.

“A third option under consideration avoids conscription and instead focuses on ‘optimising’ the current military system through more proactive recruitment campaigns.

“News of the defence ministry’s potential conscription plans comes just days after Vladimir Putin declared his nuclear forces were at full combat readiness in preparation for a global war…”

Recently, Pistorius became silent regarding conscription, leading Bild Online to assume that it was off the table. That conclusion is woefully naive and  premature.

Germans for Conscription

Bild Online wrote on May 12:

“46 percent are FOR compulsory military service, only 33 percent are against it. There is even greater support for general compulsory service (social or military service). Here 56 percent are in favor, 26 percent against…

“Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (57, CSU) is pushing the pace: ‘A master plan for the introduction of compulsory military service is needed quickly,’ said Söder…

“Until 2010, the military service law said: Every young man, if he is suitable, has to serve in the Bundeswehr for nine months. Former Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (CSU) shortened conscription to six months and then suspended it from July 2011 during peacetime. Since then, compulsory military service has only been applicable in ‘cases of tension or defense’.”

This does not correspond with the information in the next article.

Germans Not Afraid of War

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 22:

“… only around a third of Germans (36%) believe a Russian attack on NATO territory by 2030 is likely or somewhat likely, while 48% consider it unlikely or somewhat unlikely. Only 23% consider it likely or somewhat likely that Germany could become the target of a Russian attack this decade. Some 61% consider it unlikely or somewhat unlikely… 39% are convinced that it is very poorly or rather poorly prepared for an attack.

“… only 30% of Germans would be prepared to take up arms to defend the country in the event of a military attack, while more than 50% would not fight.”

However, sadly, this will change.

Pistorius in Washington

Bild Online wrote on May 10:

“He is giving the speech at an elite university in the USA. But it is also directed at Germany, also at his own party – at the ditherers and pacifists among the comrades! Liberation Day was celebrated in Germany, the end of the Second World War 79 years ago. And now Boris Pistorius (64, SPD), Germany’s Defense Minister, stands in front of almost 250 students and professors at Johns Hopkins University in Washington and says: ‘We are ready to take the lead.’

“Who does he mean?

“Germany’s military and its political leaders – and probably himself too. It is HIS keynote speech. He is making HIS era! Title: ‘Steadfast, capable and ready: Germany’s security renaissance and transatlantic defense.’ An announcement to the world – and also to all his comrades and nostalgics who have long been calling him a ‘warmonger’. It’s Pistorius’ declaration of war

“Germany needs to grow up militarily, says the Defense Minister!… Pistorius mentions China and Russia in the same breath, in the same sentence – as a common threat. The economic power of Germany should also become a military power… [a] strong leading military power!… a military power alongside the USA!… And for that… he wants ‘a kind of conscription’. Because: ‘We must ensure our military endurance in a state of national or collective defense… Defense thinking means thinking in worst-case scenarios. The time of the peace dividend is over… Germany is making national and collective defense its priority – this is new in German history.’

“Just as Germany benefited from the West ‘as a frontline state during the Cold War’, Germany will now defend the eastern border of the free West against Moscow: ‘Our particular focus remains the defense of our allies on NATO’s eastern flank… ‘From the far north to the Balkans, from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean.’ Otherwise: where our interests are threatened – i.e. worldwide

“It all sounds like more… more than has been heard from the Chancellery so far. The speech: NOT coordinated with the Chancellery. Someone wants to lead. More than just the troops…”

More Money For War

ntv wrote on May 11:

“The head of the arms company Rheinmetall, Armin Papperger, is expecting large orders from the federal government’s 100 billion special fund. ‘You can assume that in the end between 30 and 40 billion euros will come to us from the special fund,’ said the manager… ‘For air defense, trucks, ammunition, our share in the F35 program, and much more.’…

“The special fund for the Bundeswehr was made available by the federal government shortly after Russia’s attack on Ukraine in February 2022. However, the budget is expected to be used up by 2026. Papperger therefore called on the federal government to provide secure financing for the Bundeswehr for the period afterwards.

“If the Bundeswehr’s special fund announced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz is used up, there will be ‘only two options’, said Papperger. ‘You can take on new debt or reallocate money from the budget.’ There is ‘no alternative’, said the manager, ‘either one or the other’. Because ‘otherwise the turning point [“Zeitenwende”] would be over in 2026’ and you would be ‘worse off than before’.

“Germany would then have ‘more military equipment’, but would no longer be able to ‘pay for its use’. You also need personnel… In order to play in ‘the same league with the Americans’, according to the Rheinmetall boss, large European defense companies would have to join forces. ‘We need a European arms champion.’…”

Manfred Weber for War?

Civilek.info wrote on May 10:

War psychosis is increasingly prevailing among Western European politicians, and in the European Parliament election campaign, they are apparently trying to make as serious statements as possible on the pro-war side. The other day in the BR24 television program, for example, Manfred Weber, the [German] faction leader of the European People’s Party [and CDU member], stated… that “’we need a European nuclear weapon.’

“He said that if French President Emmanuel Macron offers France nuclear weapons to Europe, it is ‘an offer from France that we have to talk about.’… Manfred Weber has now said he is ‘disappointed’ that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the German government have been ‘reticent’ and that there has been no response to Macron’s proposal… [He also stated that he] supports the introduction of a general compulsory [military] service year.”

“Stephan Protschka, the president of the Bavarian AfD, accused Weber and the politicians who support him of inciting war…”

Pistorius Must Do MORE!

Bild Online wrote on May 15:

“The traffic lights [Ampel coalition] are putting pressure on Boris Pistorius (64, SPD): His own MPs are urging the Defense Minister to finally arm the Bundeswehr’s most important weapons (missiles, cruise missiles, artillery shells) for possible use. An extraordinary event!

“… the debate about a possible Taurus delivery to Ukraine revealed how poorly equipped the troops really are. The MPs learned to their horror that although the Bundeswehr had 600 of these important cruise missiles in storage, only 300 were actually operational. The other half would first have to be modernized. But the Bundeswehr has so far made no move to get the Taurus completely ready for an emergency. The manufacturer informed MPs that there is still no contract for the overhaul of the aging Taurus missiles. According to previous estimates, this would cost a three-digit million amount.”

The CDU opposition supports the traffic light decision. Note their statement:

“Pistorius and his machine are once again in a deep sleep. If Pistorius does not want to voluntarily go down the path to military proficiency, Parliament must show him the way.”

AFD Under Surveillance

Reuters wrote on May 13:

“A German high court on Monday ruled that domestic security services could continue to treat the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) as a potentially extremist party, meaning they retain the right to keep it under surveillance. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), charged with protecting Germany’s democratic order from extremist threats, has classified the AfD as potentially extreme since 2021.

“Judges at the higher administrative court in Muenster upheld a lower court’s 2022 finding that the designation was proportionate and did not violate the constitution, or European or domestic civil law. ‘The court finds there is sufficient evidence that the AfD pursues goals that run against the human dignity of certain groups and against democracy,’ the judges wrote. ‘There are grounds to suspect at least part of the party wants to accord second-rank status to German citizens with a migration background.’

“The potentially extremist designation means security services can wiretap the party and recruit informants inside it.”

Leading AfD Politician Fined

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 14:

“A regional court in the eastern German city of Halle ordered on Tuesday far-right politician Bjoern Hoecke to pay 100 fines at a daily rate of €130 each for using a banned Nazi slogan. 

“Höcke, the leader of the [AfD] in the eastern state of Thuringia, was accused of knowingly using the slogan of the Sturmabteilung (SA), or Storm Troopers… In 2021, Höcke allegedly said at an AfD rally:… ‘Everything for our homeland, everything for Saxony-Anhalt, everything for Germany.’ Prosecutors say Höcke, a former history teacher, knew that ‘Everything for Germany’ was a banned slogan of the SA. 

“He denied this during the trial, describing the phrase as an ‘everyday saying.’”

He is right. Note the next article.

Miscarriage of Justice Against Björn Höcke

Report 24 wrote on May 16:

“Björn Höcke is said to have deliberately used a Nazi slogan: Because he uttered the slogan ‘Everything for Germany’ during a campaign speech in 2021, he has now been sentenced to a fine totaling 13,000 euros. It’s just unfortunate that so far hardly any German has associated these words with the NSDAP and identified them as forbidden. Contemporary documents show: The alleged slogan of the Sturmabteilung was used by Christian trade unions as well as by Social Democrats during the Weimar Republic. Politically correct media have used them in recent years and decades, as have politicians from other parties. The use obviously only becomes a crime if the ‘perpetrator’ is an AfD man.

“In fact, countless users on social networks comment that they had never associated these three words with the National Socialists and that they were therefore not aware of the ban. Did you know them as SA slogans? At least not us in the editorial team. And even the left-wing taz, which normally celebrates every verdict against the AfD and its representatives, commented in an article: ‘Did you know that “Everything for Germany” is a forbidden slogan from National Socialism? Probably 99.9 percent of Germans didn’t know that until recently.”

AfD Bans Its Top European Candidate

Euro News wrote on May 23:

“… the AfD banned Maximilian Krah, its top European election candidate, from campaigning for the upcoming European election. He subsequently stepped down from the leadership role following internal party pressure.

“Krah recently copped backlash after he told an Italian newspaper not all members of the Nazis’ elite SS unit, which was involved in major war crimes during World War II, were war criminals.”

With these controversial measures, the AfD will lose supporters.

Report 24 wrote on May 24:

“But the real problem is not necessarily Krah’s statements about SS officers (incidentally, the left-wing Italian newspaper ‘La Repubblica’ explicitly addressed the officers and not the SS as a whole), but rather the perception of the AfD as a whole by the other parties…”

No Longer Tax Exempt?

Die Welt wrote on May 16:

“The non-profit [tax-exempt] status of the online blog ‘Der Volksverpetzer’ has been withdrawn. Co-founder and managing director Thomas Laschyk announced this in a video on Tuesday. We ‘suddenly no longer meet the requirements’…

“‘Der Volksverpetzer’ describes itself as an ‘anti-fake news blog’ on its own website. ‘We are committed to fighting hatred, agitation, fake news and conspiracy myths. The aim is to refute claims made by extremists and conspiracy ideologists through fact checks, for example. Publications from many media outlets are also criticized by the authors of the ‘Volksverpetzer’…

“Recently… it was announced in a letter that the blog would no longer be allowed to issue donation receipts from April 23rd. In addition, the non-profit [tax-exempt] status has been withdrawn – retroactively since 2021. There is therefore a risk of additional payments…. With the loss of the non-profit [tax exempt] status, the exemptions from taxes such as trade tax no longer apply. In addition, donations without receipts are not tax deductible – which is likely to reduce the willingness of supporters to pay… Laschyk claims… that the [IRS] has announced that the work of the ‘people’s rabble-rousers’ is too close to that of journalists. Journalism that serves the common good is currently not recognized as [having] a separate charitable purpose.

“The Frankfurt tax office had already revoked Attac’s non-profit [tax-exempt] status in 2019 because the organization, which was critical of globalization, had expressed itself too strongly in day-to-day politics. It is not uncommon for organizations such as ‘Volksverpetzer’ or ‘Journalistenwatch’ to operate in a legal gray area. The traffic light [Ampel] coalition declared in its coalition agreement that it wanted to create legal certainty for non-profit journalism. Which hasn’t happened yet.”

These are extremely dangerous developments.

Lauterbach’s Nonsense

Nius wrote on May 7:

“Karl Lauterbach is the first member of the federal government to say what must be the logical consequence of green politics: he announces restrictions for citizens. ‘It won’t work without restrictions,’ wrote the Health Minister at X. What this means: restrictions on eating, mobility, travel and consumption. That means: Citizens should restrict their lives in a wide variety of areas for the traffic light [Ampel] government’s climate policy… ‘Even inventors can’t change the fact that we eat too much meat, drive too much, travel too much and consume too much’

“NIUS asked the Federal Ministry of Health what Lauterbach meant by ‘restrictions’ [and] how he wanted to implement them… The request remained unanswered.”

This is not just ridiculous nonsense, but it is dangerous nonsense.

“Was Eurovision Always THAT Bad?”

Daily Mail wrote on May 12:

“Once a family favourite to gather around the TV for, the Eurovision appears to have become an on-screen raunch fest with displays of near full-frontal nudity, thongs, and corsets. Eurovision viewers have taken to social media to slam the iconic song contest’s 68th edition which took place in Malmo, Sweden, after several artists stormed the stage in outfits that left little to the imagination.  After the finale last night, X… was flooded with comments about how ‘bad’ and sleazy’ this year’s performances were in terms of racy costumes and sets…

“But the tiny outfits and racy get-ups didn’t stop at the artists, as the UKs Olly Alexander, 33, turned up the heat as he performed his song Dizzy while surrounded by scantily-clad male dancers… the group of five danced provocatively against each other on the floor and against the walls of the set while engaging in the occasional suggestive near-kiss…

“Bambi, who describes themselves as a ‘queer witch’, performed their song while wearing a pointed black headband, dark lipstick, and sharp black nails… On Tuesday, a commentator on Kan warned viewers that Bambie’s performance of their song, Doomsday Blue, would be ‘the most scary’ of the night, involving ‘a lot of spells and black magic and dark clothing, Satanic symbols, and voodoo dolls’

“Swiss act Nemo walked away victorious at the contest, where they become the competition’s first non-binary winner…”

Sick!

Satanism, Transgender and LGBTQ

Report 24 wrote on May 9, 2024:

“Baphomet (or the ‘Goat of Mendes’) [is] not only one of the most well-known symbolic figures of Satanism… but also [has] high status among transgender activists… half human and half animal, male and female, good and evil …

“In August 2018, Satanists from the Satanic Temple erected a seven-foot-tall statue of Baphomet as a symbol of Satan in front of the government building in Arkansas. In addition to the goat-headed God, this also showed two ‘smiling children’ who blissfully looked up at Satan…

“Back in August 2019, Satanic Temple co-founder Lucine Greaves announced that the temple would be comprised largely of LBGTQ+ people who felt rejected and disenfranchised by the traditional religious institution…”

Parents Cannot Refuse Their Children’s Participation in LGBTQ-Ideology

Breitbart wrote on May 16:

“A federal court… upheld a Maryland school district policy that does not allow parents to opt their young K-5 children out of curriculum about gender identity and sexuality

“The Muslim, Jewish, and Christian parents… argued that the district’s refusal to allow their young children to opt out of reading of LGBTQQIAAP2S+-themed books or participation in the curriculum violated their right to raise their children in accordance with their faith and how their faith defines identity and sexuality. Parents also argued the material is not age-appropriate for such young students….”

Tattoos Linked to Cancer

The Daily Mail wrote on May 27:

“Tattoos have been linked to a deadly type of blood cancer for the first time. Researchers from Lund University in Sweden found that tattooed individuals had a 21 percent higher risk of lymphoma, compared to people without tattoos.

Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the white blood cells, which are crucial for fighting infections.

“The link is thought to lie with carcinogenic chemicals in the tattoo ink. When it is injected into the skin, it is be interpreted as something foreign and the immune system is activated, causing a low-grade inflammation in the body which can trigger cancer.

“Some 46 percent of 30 to 49 year-old Americans have at least one tattoo, while 22 percent of all ages, on average, have more than one.”

The Bible prohibits tattoos.

Trump and Biden Violated Constitution

Bloomberg wrote on May 24:

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attacked former President Donald Trump on his response to the Covid-19 pandemic… ‘Trump presided over the greatest restriction of individual liberties this country has ever known. He did not stand up for the Constitution when it really mattered,’ Kennedy said… ‘I don’t recall any part of the United States Constitution that creates an exemption for pandemics,’ he said…

“Kennedy’s… independent campaign threatens the hopes of the major party candidates. With a national polling average near 10%, Kennedy is potentially the best-performing third-party presidential candidate in three decades. The outcome of the election could depend on whether Kennedy draws more support away from Trump or… Biden.”

The Guardian added on May 24:

“Kennedy, 70, brought Libertarians to their feet by promising to pardon government whistleblower Edward Snowden, currently exiled in Russia, and drop espionage charges against Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder battling US attempts to extradite him from Britain…

“Kennedy accused Trump of allowing the government to abuse individual liberty during the pandemic. He said: ‘I think he had the right instinct when he came into office. He was initially very reluctant to impose lockdowns, but then he got rolled by his bureaucrats. He caved in and many of our most fundamental rights disappeared practically overnight.’ Kennedy earned further applause when he asserted: ‘All of our constitutional rights were ploughed under. They closed all the churches but they kept open the Walmarts and the liquor stores.’…

“He went to take aim at the current president, too. ‘When President Trump left office, the assault on the constitution intensified. President Biden violated a freedom so fundamental that James Madison didn’t even think to put it in the Bill of Rights.’ Kennedy accused Biden of ‘a programme of coercion and information control’ during the pandemic, repeating… claims that Biden colluded with the FBI to coerce social media sites to allow government agencies to carry out ‘an obscene orgy of federal censorship’. He said it went from ‘medical misinformation’ to an entire censorship industrial complex that also suppresses critics of the war in Ukraine.”

The extreme left-wing Guardian stated that the “claims that Biden colluded with the FBI” were “unfounded” and that “Coronavirus vaccines were deemed safe and effective by the US government and its regulatory agencies as well as the World Health Organization. The first two years of Covid vaccines saved an estimated 3m lives in the US alone.” This unfounded and false propaganda is appalling. In what world does the Guardian live?

The Most Shocking Moment of His 60-Year Legal Career

Professor Dershowitz wrote on May 23 in the Daily Mail:

“I watched in disbelief as Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen told the jury one seeming lie after another… I wouldn’t buy a used car from this man, let alone rely on his testimony to send a presidential candidate to prison.  Most significantly, I haven’t heard any evidence that Trump committed a crime…

“Never in my 60 years of practicing law and teaching and writing about the U.S. legal system have I seen such a weak criminal fraud case… New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan should throw it out of court – and rule that Cohen’s testimony is so unreliable that the jury should not even consider it. This judge has the power to do just that… But he won’t. For even more shocking than the pathetic flaws of this case is the palpable bias that this judge holds against Trump.

After the defense called their key witness, former Cohen legal adviser Robert Costello, Judge Merchan made ruling after ruling denying Costello the ability to speak – inexplicably dismissing his testimony as hearsay and irrelevant.

“I was shocked, along with the other lawyers watching in the audience… the judge truly revealed his apparent unhinged prejudice against Trump when he exploded after Costello, a lawyer himself, expressed his surprise over the mystifying rulings. Merchan lost control over the perceived slight and angrily ordered the court police to clear the room… ‘Do you raise your eyebrows at me?’ Merchan shouted at Costello. ‘Did you stare at me?’ He sounded like a paranoid schizophrenic… Then Merchan threatened to exclude all of Costello’s testimony against Cohen from the trial. I was flabbergasted… the idea that a judge would punish Trump by denying him an opportunity to present evidence over the actions of a witness is preposterous. It’s unethical. It’s unconstitutional.

“So, could Trump be convicted despite all of this? Of course, he can. The Manhattan pool consists largely of people who voted against Trump and don’t want him to be elected in 2024. But the weakness of the prosecution’s case and the jaw-droppingly pervasive bias exhibited by this judge against Trump will provide him with an excellent opportunity to appeal if he is found guilty…”

Trump Permitted to Attend Son’s Graduation

The New York Post wrote on May 17:

“The 45th president was permitted to attend the ceremony by Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Juan Merchan, who called off the day’s planned proceedings in the ‘hush money’ trial of the onetime commander-in-chief.”

At least the totally biased judge conceded in this regard. Even he must have felt that prohibiting this would have been a bridge too far. But note the next article.

A Travesty of “Justice”

Miranda Devine wrote for The New York Post on May 26:

“Joe Biden is salivating at the prospect of his political archrival being convicted in the Stormy Daniels hush money trial in Manhattan, with jury deliberations set to begin this week. If Donald Trump is found guilty in the first criminal prosecution of a former president, it will be a travesty of justice and a clear attempt to rig the 2024 presidential election. But the ploy risks backfiring on Biden in the same way that Republican attacks on Bill Clinton over his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky did…

“According to Politico, as soon as the jury comes back, Biden will deliver a statement addressing the verdict in a ‘White House setting — not a campaign one — to show his statement isn’t political.’… Nothing Biden can say will be cleansed of the taint of political dirty tricks… Biden is… trying to avoid fueling the suspicion that he weaponized the DOJ to go after his political rival, aided by Democratic DAs Alvin Bragg in New York and Fani Willis in Georgia, because he has nothing in the way of achievements or vision to run on in his own right…

“It’s clear to even Trump-deranged observers that Manhattan Supreme Court Acting Justice Juan Merchan is a political hack. He was cautioned last year by the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct over donations, albeit modest, to Biden and other Democrats. His daughter, Loren Merchan, has been profiting from the trial through her consulting firm as her Democrat clients reportedly raise millions in campaign donations through emails citing the trial over which her father is presiding. It was a no-brainer for Merchan to recuse himself, and yet he refused, sullying the reputation of the New York legal system… Merchan has been a paragon of bias.

“He gave free rein to prosecution star witness Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, a convicted perjurer and con man who revealed in court that he stole $60,000 from the Trump Organization because he was angry his bonus had been cut… By contrast, the judge muzzled defense witnesses — if he allowed them to be called at all…

“Merchan’s handling of the trial has been such a disaster that any guilty verdict will almost certainly be overturned on appeal. But that will only happen after the election, which allows Biden to smear his opponent as a ‘convicted felon’ which, of course, is the whole point…”

A Rigged Trial

Newsmax wrote on May 29:

“Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law professor emeritus… attacked a New York State law that allows the prosecution [in the Trump case] to go last when presenting closing arguments, calling it unconstitutional. ‘How does a defense go first when it doesn’t even know what the crimes are that turned a misdemeanor into a felony?’ Dershowitz said. ‘They had to wait until they heard it from the prosecutor’s closing argument and then had no chance to rebut.’

“Dershowitz said if he was on the defense team, he would’ve said he had nothing to say and that he would wait for the prosecutors to present their case and then respond to it. ‘You can’t make me respond to a case I haven’t heard yet,’ Dershowitz said.”

Unconstitutional Jury Instructions

Breitbart wrote on May 30:

“Jurors in the Trump business records trial do not have to agree on what crime former President Donald Trump allegedly committed in order to convict him, but would just have to agree that he falsified or caused someone else to falsify business records with the ‘intent of committing or hiding that crime.’

“… according to the AP, the jury just has to unanimously agree that ‘something unlawful was done to promote Trump’s election campaign,’ but they do not have to agree on what that unlawful thing was.

Conservative legal experts and media pundits criticized those convoluted instructions… Mark Levin, lawyer and conservative show host, called it ‘grotesque’ on Truth Social, posting:

“‘The grotesque trial charade gets even worse this morning. The Stalinist clown judge directed the jury that they can choose among three areas of crimes to convict the former president:

‘“1. Violations of federal election law (which no one in that courtroom is familiar with, and the judge specifically prevents Brad Smith from testifying about);

‘“2. The falsification of business records; and

‘“3. Tax violations.

“Of course, the issue for all of the above is the requirement of a criminal intent. Furthermore, the idea that jurors can pick 1 of the 3, and they don’t have to unanimously agree on which of the three, is another shocking development….’”

Trump Found Guilty

The New York Post wrote on May 30:

“Donald Trump has become the first former US president to be convicted on criminal charges. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on the morning of July 11 and Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan said Trump can remain free without bail until that date.”

Sadly, in the Trump-hating state of New York, with a corrupt prosecutor, a thoroughly biased judge, and a totally rigged trial with faulty jury instructions and many other appealable errors, this outcome was not unexpected. But it has been said that this obvious miscarriage of justice might guarantee Trump’s victory in November. 

Guiliani Fired After Raising “Election Fraud”

The New York Post wrote on May 10:

“Ex-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani claimed WABC radio canned him from his daily show to appease… Biden… The once-beloved ‘America’s Mayor’ blasted station owner John Catsimatidis as a hypocrite who touts the right to free speech while stopping Giuliani from ‘telling the truth’ about the ‘stolen’ 2020 presidential election… he was cut from the station’s ‘The Rudy Giuliani Show’ for allegedly violating a company-wide policy ‘not to state, suggest or imply that the election results are not valid….

“But according to Giuliani, he had never been told about the policy. Even more disorienting, he claimed the ‘stolen’ 2020 election was a main focus of his show, which he has been hosting since 2021. ‘Those of you who listen to me on WABC or this show are going to find it very, very strange to believe that there was such a policy,’ Giuliani said…

“Giuliani accused Catsimatidis of firing him in an attempt to get in good with the Democrats, who he claimed are gearing up to steal another presidential election.

“The canning — costing Donald Trump’s ex-lawyer his $15,000-per-month salary — is the latest in a series of financial blows. He faces a mountain of legal bills to fight criminal cases in Arizona and Georgia, where he was charged with trying to overturn the 2020 election — as well as multiple civil cases, including by the voting machine firms Dominion and Smartmatic…

“Giuliani, who is also a former federal prosecutor, had his law license suspended in New York City in 2021. He faces disbarment for ‘his utter disregard for facts,’ which ‘denigrate the legal profession,’ a panel said last year.”

That verdict is still out. And to have an alleged policy prohibiting to talk about the results of the 2020 election is more than telling and clearly constitutes censorship and the suppression of free speech. 

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.

Update 1113

Do Your Emotions Rule You? / Do You Dwell With God or With Satan?

On June 1, 2024, Christoph Sperzel will present the sermonette, titled, “Do Your Emotions Rule You?” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Do You Dwell With God or With Satan?”

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.

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Accountability Before God

by Frank Bruno

Occasionally one hears the phrase: “To Thine Own Self Be True.” Perhaps it was used in the context of career or life advice. However, many people mistake this quotation as originating in the Bible. If it had, it might not have the connotation that people associate with it. It can be construed as meaning to do your own thing, and, in light of the decay of society, you can imagine what some would suggest it means. The quotation is actually from the Shakespeare classic: Hamlet. While Shakespeare was familiar with the Bible and utilized over 2000 Bible verses in his plays and writings, this is not one of them. As true Christians, we know our charge is more accurately: “In our relationship with God, we must be true.” We are referring to accountability—accountability to and before God.

Many years ago, I worked as a civilian at a naval shipyard that we were converting into a business park. We had a company that did ship repair for the Navy. I learned some tough lessons in my years working there. Some directly involved me, and others I gleaned from observing all that was taking place around the complex. I learned that even while a ship was in dry dock undergoing refurbishment, the commanding officer was still responsible for everything that occurred on or near the ship.

My point is not to praise military service nor advocate for it, as we understand that this is against God’s law. The point is that accountability for one’s actions is serious business. To ignore this is an affront to God and against His law. There was a small fire on a ship being repaired, likely the result of a welding torch. I learned that despite the fact that the ship was in dock and had only a skeleton crew on board, the commander would be disciplined and likely face demotion or be frozen in his position for years to come. This struck me as a harsh consequence, but I came to understand that such standards were designed to instill rigor, discipline, and accountability. To set standards higher than our human nature typically seeks is why we must rely solely on God. It is His standard that we must meet.

We know that as true Christians we are subject to this high standard in our relationship with God. In Romans 14:10-13, we see that we all must give account of ourselves before God. Paul advises that we not judge one another as we face the judgement of our Creator who will consider all we have done and failed to do. Consider Paul’s words: “But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: ‘As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.”

We have the words of Jesus Christ to further guide us in Matthew 12:33, referring to the fruit of the tree, that a bad tree will yield bad fruit and so the opposite is so“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.” Jesus continues in Matthew 12 to point out that we are all responsible for our actions and thoughts. We see this in Matthew 12:36-37: “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

We are reminded by Paul, who we believe to be the author of the Book of Hebrews, that the Word of God is living and powerful; it cuts to the truth and discerns the intent of the heart.

Further on in Hebrews 4:13 we read: “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”

This point is reinforced for us in Jeremiah 17:9-10:“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.”

Unlike the officer who paid the penalty for that fire, God offers us the opportunity to be forgiven for our transgressions when we repent. He does not demote us; He forgives when we are sincere and allows us to move forward. Repentance is therefore the corollary to accountability. We can seek forgiveness if we are sincere, repent, and we own our sins.

We are also accountable to one another. We hurt each other too easily and struggle to say we are sorry. It is more than this simple emotion. We need one another and, as true Christians, our accountability to God and to our brethren is fundamental. Paul illustrates this clearly for us in 1 Corinthians 12:20-26. Notice his words: “But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’; nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”

Ultimately, we will stand before God and be accountable for what we’ve done in life. It would be better if we acknowledge this each day and correct ourselves when we must. This is the standard God has established for His people and for which we will be called to account.

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by Norbert Link

We begin with events pertaining to Iran and Israel, and the shameful reaction and conduct of many countries. We also report on Biden’s and Germany’s appalling behavior towards Israel.

We speak on the Pope’s attack on Americans and continue with events pertaining to Ukraine and Germany’s pitiful actions in that regard; and address ridiculous war efforts, especially by Germany, to bring this world to the edge of utter destruction and devastation.

We report on controversial efforts to fight the right-wing AfD party in Germany; and address ongoing limitations on the developments pertaining to the American “justice” system regarding Trump and others.

We speak on the horrible Eurovision Song Contest; show the connection between the LGBTQ movement and Satanism; speak on the dangerous use of tattoos; and conclude with absolutely appalling developments pertaining to the American “justice” system regarding Trump and others. We also report on the miscarriage of justice leading to Trump’s guilty verdict in New York.

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

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The Butcher of Tehran Dead

The New York Post wrote on May 20:

“Iran’s hardline President Ebrahim Raisi was killed when a helicopter carrying the reviled leader known as the ‘Butcher of Tehran’ crashed in a remote region of the country Sunday… Raisi, 63, his foreign minister and other passengers were found dead after the rescuers discovered the helicopter crash site early Monday. State news agency Mehr reported ‘all passengers of the helicopter carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister were martyred.’ An Israeli official quickly denied the country had any involvement in the crash.

“Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate power with the final say on foreign policy and Iran’s nuclear program, said First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber would take over as interim president… Raisi was flying a US-made Bell 212 helicopter at the time of the crash…

“The crash comes at a time of growing dissent within Iran over an array of political, social and economic crises. Since Iran’s ally Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, provoking Israel’s assault on Gaza, conflicts involving Iran-aligned groups have erupted throughout the Middle East. A long ‘shadow war’ between Iran and Israel also broke into the open last month with tit-for-tat exchanges of drone and missile fire.

“Messages of condolence have been pouring in from Iran’s allies, including the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Iraq and Pakistan. Russian President Vladimir Putin called Raisi ‘a true friend of Russia,’ while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was ‘deeply shocked and saddened.’…

“Under Iranian law, Mokhber will be president for a custodial period of 50 days, at which point an election must be held to choose Raisi’s successor. But the real succession drama would center around who steps up to be the Islamic Republic’s next supreme leader, a role currently held by 85-year-old Imam Sayyid Ali Khamenei. Most pundits believed the likely competition to succeed Khamenei came down to a two-man race between Khamenei’s son Mojtaba and Raisi

“Days after Iran’s failed missile and drone attack against Israel last month, Raisi rattled his saber at an annual military parade, threatening a ‘massive and harsh’ response should Israel retaliate, and warning that if Tehran had wanted to carry out a bigger attack, ‘nothing would remain of the Zionist regime.’…  He was sanctioned by the US in part over his involvement in the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988 known as the ‘death committee’ at the end of the bloody Iran-Iraq war… In 2022… Raisi unleashed a thuggish security crackdown on young people across the country that killed more than 500 people and saw more than 22,000 detained.”

It is quite interesting and telling to focus on those countries and leaders who quickly uttered their appalling condolences for the butcher and mass murderer Raisi.

Hypocritical EU’s Shameful Conduct

Breitbart wrote on May 20:

“European Council President Charles Michel, a Belgian centrist-liberal, was quick to make an expression on behalf of the whole European Union… ‘The EU expresses its sincere condolences for the death of President Raisi and Foreign Minister Abdollahian, as well as other members of their delegation and crew in a helicopter accident. Our thoughts go to the families.’

“Theo Francken, a [Belgian] Eurosceptic Member of Parliament… expressed concern at the European message. Responding first to the announcement that the EU was acting in ‘solidarity’ with Iran to help it in the immediate aftermath of the crash, the politician stated, ‘Are you totally crazy? This guy is a first class mass murderer. What’s next? Saving [Putin]? What a club of geopolitical dwarfs is this EU commission’.

“On Monday after Michel’s message of sympathy was broadcast, Francken responded again, calling it hypocritical for European leaders to express condolences to Iran while the regime is holding a European diplomat and aid worker hostage. He said: ‘Oh boy, European condolences for the death of a butcher and cruel mass murderer. Where are all those fake tears for Olivier Vandecasteele and Johan Floderus your EU diplomat who is still been kidnapped by the regime. You don’t speak in my name.’

“That Michel did not speak in the name of all Europeans gained some traction, and shortly after Geert Wilders, the right-populist presently working to form a new government in the Netherlands joined the call. Decrying ‘EU solidarity with evil’, he wrote Monday morning: ‘not in my name’.

“The earliest expressions of sympathy for Iran came from its allies worldwide, with statements published by the Chinese and Russian Presidents, India, Pakistan, and even OPEC. The Hamas terror group and Yemen’s Houthi militia, both militarily backed by Iran in their wars against the West, also sent ‘deepest condolences’…”

The EU, under German leadership, will turn out to be one of Israel’s greatest enemies.

Turkey Of Course

Newsmax wrote on May 20:

“Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday expressed his condolences for the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, saying Raisi was a ‘valuable colleague and brother.’ ‘As a colleague who personally witnessed his efforts for the peace of the Iranian people and our region during his time in power, I remember Mr. Raisi with respect and gratitude,’ Erdogan wrote on social media platform X, adding Turkey stood by Iran in this difficult time.”

Nothing less could be expected from mass murderer and anti-Semite Erdogan. The Bible predicts horrible conduct by Turkey against Israel.

US Sends Condolences

Israel 365 News wrote on May 21:

“The US State Department on Monday sent condolences to the government of Iran, expressing grief over the deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi…

“Despite the condolences, former Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on state television that the United States was ‘one of the main culprits’ in the crash due to sanctions that affected Iranian aviation.”

Shameful!

A Moment of Silence

Israel Today wrote on May 21:

“Members of the UN Security Council, including the United States, observed a minute of silence on Monday in memory of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi… ‘The Security Council has simply become a danger to world peace,’ said… Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, in response to the event…

“‘What’s next: Will the Council dedicate a moment of silence to commemorate Hitler?’ he added.”

Good question!!!

“Iranian Supreme Leader Renews Pledge to ‘Eliminate’ Israel”

Newsmax wrote on May 24:

“At the funeral of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed when his helicopter crashed on Monday, the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reiterated his commitment to destroy Israel

“‘The promise to eliminate Israel will be kept, and we will see the day when Palestine extends from the sea to the river,’ Khamenei said.”

Iran puts the world on notice, but the world chooses to be willfully ignorant.. or worse.

A Palestinian State?

MSN wrote on May 22:

“The Spanish, Irish and Norwegian governments announced Wednesday that they would recognize a Palestinian state, saying there would be no peace in the Middle East without it. Israel denounced the move as giving aid to its enemy, Hamas… In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz ordered the immediate recall of the Israeli ambassadors to Spain, Ireland and Norway…

“More than 140 other countries around the world recognize a Palestinian state, but most are outside Europe. Before Wednesday’s announcement, only a few countries in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Sweden, had formally recognized it.”

Egypt vs. Israel

Al Jazeera wrote on May 12:

“Egypt says it will formally join the lawsuit filed by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice which accuses Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention in the Gaza Strip.”

Biden—Jekyll and Hyde

The New York Post wrote on May 11:

“The deadly, chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and Biden’s decision to throw open the southern border without a plan for handling the millions of illegal crossers are just two of the many head-scratching decisions that have turned his tenure into a synonym for failure. A common thread is that his debacles were unforced errors. Doing nothing would have produced far better outcomes than the actions he took…

“Biden’s sudden military freeze smacks of a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality. If the freeze stops Israel’s plan to eliminate Hamas, it will guarantee more Islamic terrorism and another war, which will mean more civilian casualties on both sides…

“Can Saudi Arabia really trust an administration that mercilessly undercut America’s closest ally?

“Should European allies be worried that they, too, will somehow run afoul of a White House that treats its enemies better than its friends? Then there’s Ukraine, which has another reason to worry, while Russia and China must be delighted to see American weakness in action…

“Biden remains unmoved by the evidence that he is playing with fire by appeasing America’s enemies and punishing its friends.”

The EU will become America’s enemy.

Biden’s Blackmail Beyond Despicable

The New York Post wrote on May 13:

“The Washington Post reports, citing four sources, that the White House has offered Jerusalem ‘sensitive intelligence to help the Israeli military pinpoint the location of Hamas leaders and find the group’s hidden tunnels’ if the IDF doesn’t go full-scale into Rafah… And this follows the freeze in many munitions the Pentagon was about to send over — including precision bombs…

“None of this makes sense except as a strategy for appeasing the pro-Hamas protesters… It’s beyond despicable, and yet another gross violation of the president’s oath of office….”

Biden Back Peddles…

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 15:

“The administration of  President Joe Biden has informed Congress of a planned $1 billion (€0.92 billion) weapons shipment to [Israel], official sources said. The weapons package includes $700 million for tank ammunition, $500 million for tactical vehicles, and $60 million for mortar rounds…

“On Monday, national security spokesman John Kirby emphasized that the administration would continue to support Israel’s defense needs. Kirby said Biden is ‘going to continue to provide Israel with all of the capabilities it needs, but he does not want certain categories of American weapons used in a particular type of operation in a particular place. And again, he has been clear and consistent with that.’”

Clear and consistent? Laughable. It could not be more ambiguous.

Spain At War With Israel

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 17:

“Spain has said it will now refuse permission for ships carrying arms for Israel to stop at its ports, a day after it denied permission for a vessel to dock at one of its ports… Spain has been among the most critical voices of Israel’s Gaza offensive and is seeking to rally other European countries to accept the idea of recognizing a Palestinian state… Madrid has halted arms exports to Israel after it launched a military onslaught against the Palestinian, militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.”

ICJ “Orders” Israel to Halt Offensive in Rafah

Deutsche Welle reported on May 24:

“The International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to [immediately] halt its [military] offensive in Rafah amid mounting international criticism… Though ICJ orders are legally binding, the court has no police or military force to enforce them, and Israel is unlikely to abide by the ruling, insisting it has the right to defend itself from Hamas militants…

“Similarly, Russia has so far ignored a 2022 order by the court to halt its… invasion of Ukraine.”

Note this ridiculous “order” in light of the next article.

Hamas Attacks from Rafah

Breitbart wrote on May 26:

“Hamas fired rockets at the Tel Aviv area [from Rafah] on Sunday, marking the first time in four months that a barrage reached central Israel from Gaza, and emphasizing the importance of Israel’s fight against Hamas in its last stronghold…

“Last week, The Times of Israel reported that the IDF believes Hamas has the capability to launch rocket attacks on central Israel from the Rafah area, and when troops advance further into the city, the terror group is likely to carry out such an attack… The fight against Hamas in Rafah continues…”

Germany to Arrest Netanyahu

Newsmax wrote on May 22:

“[Scholz spokesman Steffen Hebestreit] said Wednesday it will abide by an International Criminal Court arrest warrant and detain Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he step foot on German soil. The ICC on Monday issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes in its military response to Iranian-backed Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack. The ICC also issued arrest warrants [for] Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, its military leader Muhammad Deif, and its Qatar-based political leader Ismail Haniyeh on charges of war crimes.

“A dramatic appeal written in German and English and posted Tuesday on X by Ron Prosor, Israel’s ambassador to Germany was rebuffed by the administration of Prime Minister Olaf Scholz…  ‘This is outrageous!’ Prosor wrote… ‘The Chief Prosecutor [of the ICC] equates a democratic government with Hamas, thereby demonizing and delegitimizing Israel, and the Jewish people… He has completely lost his moral compass. Germany has a responsibility to readjust this compass. This disgraceful political campaign could become a nail in the coffin for the West and its institutions…’”

This is beyond appalling. But it shows where Germany’s alliances are. Note the next article.

Habeck’s Controversial Statements About Israel

MSN wrote on May 26:

 “For the first time, a member of the Federal Government, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens), has accused Israel of breaking international law in the war against Hamas. The Union finds the statements ‘completely incomprehensible and unacceptable’. All that can be heard from the traffic lights (Ampel collation) in the Bundestag about Habeck’s statement is silence…

“Habeck receives support from both the AfD faction and the Left Party.”

Compulsory Military Service Proposed in Italy

Euractiv wrote on May 21:

“Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini’s League party has submitted a bill to the Chamber of Deputies proposing a mandatory six-month period of military or civilian service for all young people aged between 18 and 26, while the far-right party’s centre-right allies, including Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, oppose the measure.”

Compulsory Military Service in the UK?

Express wrote on May 25:

“TEENAGERS will be signed up for compulsory National Service under bold new plans unveiled by Rishi Sunak. All 18-year-olds will have to take part in some kind of civic duty by enrolling for 12 months in the armed forces. Or they could instead opt to join the police, fire service or another body that does work in the community for one weekend every month. The Prime Minister announced his eye-catching proposal as he drew up the finishing touches to his general election manifesto…

“National Service – abolished 64 years ago – has only been in place in the UK twice in the modern era, once during the First World War, and again from 1939…

“The move comes as… a Labour government would give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote…”

 It is predicted that Sunak will lose the general election by a landslide.

Pope Attacks America

Breitbart wrote on May 12:

“Climate change has brought the world to the ‘breaking point,’ Pope Francis asserted in his introduction to a 3-day climate summit to be held in the Vatican in May. A firm believer in the climate ‘crisis,’ the pontiff wrote that he has ‘heartfelt concerns’ for ‘our suffering planet,’ contending that ‘the world in which we live is collapsing’ because of humanity’s failure to adequately address the crisis…

“Pope Francis has singled out the United States as particularly responsible for the climate ‘emergency’ because of the ‘irresponsible lifestyle’ of its citizens…”

What about China and other “polluters”?

In a related article, CAN wrote on May 12:

“On Mother’s Day, Pope Francis entrusted all mothers to the Blessed Virgin Mary, asking everyone to remember to also pray for all the mothers who have gone to heaven…”.

Except, no mother has ever gone to heaven, including the “Virgin Mary.” It would appear that the Pope doesn’t even know that!

Francis Attacks US Conservatives

Breitbart wrote on May 17:

“Pope Francis… asserts that a conservative [especially referring to conservative Catholic bishops] ‘is someone who clings to something and does not want to see beyond that. It is a suicidal attitude.’… Pope Francis has never hidden his disdain for Americans… Francis asserts that climate change skeptics are ‘stupid’ to refute compelling evidence of a climate emergency.”

The Pope’s accusations against America are becoming more and more hateful, but are in line with the fulfillment of biblical prophecy.

Supernatural Events in the Catholic Church

The Independent wrote on May 17:

“The Catholic Church has had a long and controversial history of the faithful claiming to have had visions of the Virgin Mary, of statues purportedly weeping tears of blood and stigmata erupting on hands and feet mimicking the wounds of Christ. Church figures who claimed to have experienced the stigmata wounds, including Padre Pio and Pope Francis’s namesake, St Francis of Assisi, have inspired millions of Catholics…

“Francis himself has weighed in on the phenomenon, making clear that he is devoted to the main church-approved Marian apparitions, such as Our Lady of Guadalupe, who believers say appeared to an Indigenous man in Mexico in 1531… When confirmed as authentic by church authorities, these otherwise inexplicable signs have led to a flourishing of the faith… That has been the case for the purported apparitions of Mary that turned Fatima in Portugal, and Lourdes in France, into enormously popular pilgrimage destinations…”

More of these lying wonders will occur in the near future.

Pope’s Stance on Guns and Condoms

Reuters wrote on May 10:

“Pope Francis criticised the weapons and contraceptive industries on Friday, accusing them of destroying or preventing life…

“Francis, 87, has long been a fierce opponent of the arms industry. He has also reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s longstanding ban on artificial birth control [including the use of condoms], though he supports natural [but very unreliable] ways of avoiding pregnancy.”

While he is right about the abuse of weapons, he is very wrong about the use of contraceptives.

China and Russia… the Everlasting Friendship

Express wrote on May 18:

“Sophia Gaston, head of foreign policy at Policy Exchange… noted that the relationship between the presidents of the two countries have an important connection, which should terrify the West. Xi and Putin see each other as allies in a parallel international and ‘multipolar’ world order that can challenge a Washington-led global consensus… ‘I do think that all those in Europe who have recently thought that perhaps they were making inroads with Xi around putting some pressure on Putin regarding Ukraine will have to take a really long hard look in the mirror.’

“This comes as Putin visits China to celebrate the 75th year of formal China-Russia relations. The visit is packed with gestures that underline the mutually beneficial friendship that has blossomed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Xi said the friendship between China and Russia was ‘everlasting’ and had ‘become a model for a new type of international relations’. Xi also described Putin as his ‘best friend’ and Putin said that Xi was ‘warm and comradely’ and ‘like a brother.’

“However, political commentators have said that Xi holds all the cards, with Putin eager to further the relationship with one of the only countries willing to help fund his war in Ukraine  Former US president Donald Trump has accused Putin and Xi of getting together to ‘do damage.’… ‘They are right now together working on plans [to] do damage, because that’s ultimately what they’re thinking about doing damage.’”

China and Russia will be allies in their coming war with Europe.

Coming… A European Army

wbj.pl wrote on May 18:

“… the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, just beyond the eastern border, has rekindled the European debate about the need to have its military potential…

“According to Eurobarometer research published in 2022, the vast majority of EU citizens (81 percent) support a common defense and security policy – in every EU country, this support is at least 2/3 of citizens. About 93 percent of EU residents agree that countries should work together to defend the territory of the Community, and 85 percent believe that defense cooperation should be strengthened at the EU level.”

Sending Troops Into Ukraine?

Fakti.bg wrote on May 9:

“The government in Warsaw will not simply stand behind the borders in case Ukraine is threatened with imminent defeat. Rather, it is much more likely that Poland will send troops into Ukraine ‘to prevent the worst’. Such an opinion was expressed by the former commander of the US Army in Europe, Ben Hodges, in an interview with the German publication T-mobile.

“At the same time, he imagines that Romania will also officially commit to the defense of Moldova.”

The New York Times wrote on 16:

“NATO allies are inching closer to sending troops into Ukraine to train Ukrainian forces, a move that would be another blurring of a previous red line and could draw the United States and Europe more directly into the war… Ukrainian officials have asked their American and NATO counterparts to help train 150,000 new recruits closer to the front line for faster deployment.”

According to the Ron Paul Institute, dated May 18:

“Last month, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur… said in the interview with the Austrian newspaper Die Presse that all NATO countries already have NATO personnel stationed in Ukraine, but that they aren’t directly engaged in hostilities as they are there in advisory roles… ‘The reality is that every NATO member country already has military personnel in Ukraine, such as military attaches or people who travel to Ukraine from time to time,’ the Estonian defense chief said…”

Sad State of Affairs in Ukraine

The Associated Press wrote on May 18:

“A divisive mobilization law in Ukraine came into force Saturday, as Kyiv struggles to boost troop numbers… The legislation… will make it easier to identify every conscript in the country. It also provides incentives to soldiers, such as cash bonuses or money toward buying a house or car, that some analysts say Ukraine cannot afford.

“Lawmakers dragged their feet for months and only passed the law in mid-April, a week after Ukraine lowered the age for men who can be drafted from 27 to 25. The measures reflect the growing strain that more than two years of war with Russia has had on Ukraine’s forces, who are trying to hold the front lines in fighting that has sapped the country’s ranks and stores of weapons and ammunition.

“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also signed two other laws Friday, allowing prisoners to join the army and increasing fines for draft dodgers fivefold...

“The U.S. last week announced a new $400 million package of military aid for Ukraine, and President Joe Biden has promised that he would rush badly needed weaponry to the country to help it stave off Russian advances. Still, only small batches of U.S. military aid have started to trickle into the front line, according to Ukrainian military commanders, who said it will take at least two months before supplies meet Kyiv’s needs to hold the line.

Thousands of Ukrainians have fled the country to avoid the draft since Russia’s all-out invasion in February 2022, some risking their lives as they tried to swim across a river separating Ukraine from neighboring Romania and Hungary…”

Germany Expels Ukrainian Soldiers

MENAFN wrote on May 19:

“The German government has taken steps to address concerns regarding Ukrainian soldiers wearing Nazi symbols while undergoing military training in the country. In a revelation made on Wednesday, Berlin disclosed that seven Ukrainian troops participating in military exercises were found sporting far-right extremist symbols. These soldiers were promptly expelled from the training program and sent back to Ukraine.

“According to estimates from the German military, approximately 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers received training on German soil in 2023, as part of the European Union Military Assistance Mission Ukraine (EUMAM UA) initiated in November 2022. German instructors, along with personnel from other EU member states, have been involved in training Ukrainian military personnel.

“The expulsion of the soldiers came to light in response to an inquiry by the right-wing Alternative for Germany Party (AFD). The German government clarified that incoming Ukrainian military personnel are explicitly warned against the use of Nazi insignias upon their arrival for training. Despite these incidents, Berlin sought to downplay the potential threat posed by Ukrainian far-right nationalists to any future peace process between Kiev and Moscow. The government emphasized that it does not perceive Ukrainian extremist nationalists as a significant obstacle to a possible peace process in Ukraine.

“Instead, the German government reiterated its stance that Russia’s imperialism lies at the root of the ongoing conflict, characterizing it as an illegal war of aggression against Ukraine that poses a threat to security in Europe.”

Scholz Works For Russia?

Focus wrote on May 20:

“[The Green Party] Anton Hofreiter is considered one of the harshest critics of the Chancellor when it comes to Germany’s Ukraine policy. Now he is making an outrageous accusation about Olaf Scholz…  After the invasion of Russian troops and while Scholz announced his ‘turning point’, Hofreiter demanded ‘more leadership’ from the Chancellery. In interviews last year he made it clear that in his opinion the ‘main problem’ lay in the Chancellery. And a few months ago, Hofreiter settled accounts with the Chancellor on the Taurus issue and accused him of ‘catastrophic defeatism’ and ‘dramatically poor communication’…

“Now Hofreiter has attacked the Chancellor again – and more sharply than ever before… ‘People who deal with this say the strategy is to always support Ukraine half-heartedly until Ukraine is ready to negotiate and give up large parts of its territory’…

“Hofreiter’s statements are highly explosive and contain an outrageous accusation… that Scholz only supports Ukraine pro forma and is actually acting in Moscow’s interests to bring Ukraine to the negotiating table…”

The outrage over Hofreiter’s statements, which have some merit, is downright ridiculous. Scholz just stated that Ukraine will not be a part of NATO for the next 30 years.

Ukraine Will Have To Give Up Territory

The Gateway Pundit wrote on May 24:

Long gone are the days when Ukraine was at least winning the war on the western news sites’ headlines.

“Now, slowly but surely, the MSM has had to face the fact that the outmanned, outgunned and outmaneuvered Ukrainian forces will not win this war on the battlefield, will not get back to pre-war borders, much less reincorporate the Crimean peninsula… Colonel Oleksandr Bakulin… accepted that territory will need to be given up during negotiations…”

Poland’s “Transformation”

LifeStiteNews wrote on May 17:

“The mayor of Warsaw ordered the removal of religious symbols, i.e., crosses and crucifixes, from City Hall while urging employees to use transgender ‘pronouns’ and respect same-sex relationships… The ban on religious symbols will not apply to ‘religious symbols for personal use worn by people working in the office, for example in the form of a chain, tattoo or armband.’

“Going forward, events organized by the city hall must not include prayer of any kind… The document also notes that employees will be subjected to compulsory ‘diversity training.’”

Coming… Conscription in Germany?

Daily Mail wrote on May 12:

“Germany could bring back conscription for all 18-year-olds amid fears out an all-out NATO- war with Russia, leaked military plans reveal. Military planners are discussing three potential plans, two of which involve a compulsory military year for all men once they turn 18.

“It is understood that officials are in the final stages of discussions with German defence minister Boris Pistorius expected to go public with official plans next month…  Mr Pistorius, during a trip to Washington last week, said he was ‘convinced’ that Germany ‘needs a form of military conscription’. He also previously described the country’s decision to suspend compulsory military service in 2011 as a ‘mistake’. 

“In one proposal being considered by military planners in Berlin, all men and women would be subject to conscription once they turned 18. Germany’s previous policy on compulsory military service only applied to men. To include women would require changing the nation’s constitution… but ministry insiders reportedly believe the change would ‘most likely to receive societal approval’.

“Another proposal, which is viewed by the defence ministry as a ‘a strong signal’ to both allies and rivals, would only apply to 18-year-old men, but would not see everyone selected, the leaked reports revealed. Young men would be required to complete an online form and could then later be chosen for service.

“A third option under consideration avoids conscription and instead focuses on ‘optimising’ the current military system through more proactive recruitment campaigns.

“News of the defence ministry’s potential conscription plans comes just days after Vladimir Putin declared his nuclear forces were at full combat readiness in preparation for a global war…”

Recently, Pistorius became silent regarding conscription, leading Bild Online to assume that it was off the table. That conclusion is woefully naive and  premature.

Germans for Conscription

Bild Online wrote on May 12:

“46 percent are FOR compulsory military service, only 33 percent are against it. There is even greater support for general compulsory service (social or military service). Here 56 percent are in favor, 26 percent against…

“Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (57, CSU) is pushing the pace: ‘A master plan for the introduction of compulsory military service is needed quickly,’ said Söder…

“Until 2010, the military service law said: Every young man, if he is suitable, has to serve in the Bundeswehr for nine months. Former Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (CSU) shortened conscription to six months and then suspended it from July 2011 during peacetime. Since then, compulsory military service has only been applicable in ‘cases of tension or defense’.”

This does not correspond with the information in the next article.

Germans Not Afraid of War

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 22:

“… only around a third of Germans (36%) believe a Russian attack on NATO territory by 2030 is likely or somewhat likely, while 48% consider it unlikely or somewhat unlikely. Only 23% consider it likely or somewhat likely that Germany could become the target of a Russian attack this decade. Some 61% consider it unlikely or somewhat unlikely… 39% are convinced that it is very poorly or rather poorly prepared for an attack.

“… only 30% of Germans would be prepared to take up arms to defend the country in the event of a military attack, while more than 50% would not fight.”

However, sadly, this will change.

Pistorius in Washington

Bild Online wrote on May 10:

“He is giving the speech at an elite university in the USA. But it is also directed at Germany, also at his own party – at the ditherers and pacifists among the comrades! Liberation Day was celebrated in Germany, the end of the Second World War 79 years ago. And now Boris Pistorius (64, SPD), Germany’s Defense Minister, stands in front of almost 250 students and professors at Johns Hopkins University in Washington and says: ‘We are ready to take the lead.’

“Who does he mean?

“Germany’s military and its political leaders – and probably himself too. It is HIS keynote speech. He is making HIS era! Title: ‘Steadfast, capable and ready: Germany’s security renaissance and transatlantic defense.’ An announcement to the world – and also to all his comrades and nostalgics who have long been calling him a ‘warmonger’. It’s Pistorius’ declaration of war

“Germany needs to grow up militarily, says the Defense Minister!… Pistorius mentions China and Russia in the same breath, in the same sentence – as a common threat. The economic power of Germany should also become a military power… [a] strong leading military power!… a military power alongside the USA!… And for that… he wants ‘a kind of conscription’. Because: ‘We must ensure our military endurance in a state of national or collective defense… Defense thinking means thinking in worst-case scenarios. The time of the peace dividend is over… Germany is making national and collective defense its priority – this is new in German history.’

“Just as Germany benefited from the West ‘as a frontline state during the Cold War’, Germany will now defend the eastern border of the free West against Moscow: ‘Our particular focus remains the defense of our allies on NATO’s eastern flank… ‘From the far north to the Balkans, from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean.’ Otherwise: where our interests are threatened – i.e. worldwide

“It all sounds like more… more than has been heard from the Chancellery so far. The speech: NOT coordinated with the Chancellery. Someone wants to lead. More than just the troops…”

More Money For War

ntv wrote on May 11:

“The head of the arms company Rheinmetall, Armin Papperger, is expecting large orders from the federal government’s 100 billion special fund. ‘You can assume that in the end between 30 and 40 billion euros will come to us from the special fund,’ said the manager… ‘For air defense, trucks, ammunition, our share in the F35 program, and much more.’…

“The special fund for the Bundeswehr was made available by the federal government shortly after Russia’s attack on Ukraine in February 2022. However, the budget is expected to be used up by 2026. Papperger therefore called on the federal government to provide secure financing for the Bundeswehr for the period afterwards.

“If the Bundeswehr’s special fund announced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz is used up, there will be ‘only two options’, said Papperger. ‘You can take on new debt or reallocate money from the budget.’ There is ‘no alternative’, said the manager, ‘either one or the other’. Because ‘otherwise the turning point [“Zeitenwende”] would be over in 2026’ and you would be ‘worse off than before’.

“Germany would then have ‘more military equipment’, but would no longer be able to ‘pay for its use’. You also need personnel… In order to play in ‘the same league with the Americans’, according to the Rheinmetall boss, large European defense companies would have to join forces. ‘We need a European arms champion.’…”

Manfred Weber for War?

Civilek.info wrote on May 10:

War psychosis is increasingly prevailing among Western European politicians, and in the European Parliament election campaign, they are apparently trying to make as serious statements as possible on the pro-war side. The other day in the BR24 television program, for example, Manfred Weber, the [German] faction leader of the European People’s Party [and CDU member], stated… that “’we need a European nuclear weapon.’

“He said that if French President Emmanuel Macron offers France nuclear weapons to Europe, it is ‘an offer from France that we have to talk about.’… Manfred Weber has now said he is ‘disappointed’ that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the German government have been ‘reticent’ and that there has been no response to Macron’s proposal… [He also stated that he] supports the introduction of a general compulsory [military] service year.”

“Stephan Protschka, the president of the Bavarian AfD, accused Weber and the politicians who support him of inciting war…”

Pistorius Must Do MORE!

Bild Online wrote on May 15:

“The traffic lights [Ampel coalition] are putting pressure on Boris Pistorius (64, SPD): His own MPs are urging the Defense Minister to finally arm the Bundeswehr’s most important weapons (missiles, cruise missiles, artillery shells) for possible use. An extraordinary event!

“… the debate about a possible Taurus delivery to Ukraine revealed how poorly equipped the troops really are. The MPs learned to their horror that although the Bundeswehr had 600 of these important cruise missiles in storage, only 300 were actually operational. The other half would first have to be modernized. But the Bundeswehr has so far made no move to get the Taurus completely ready for an emergency. The manufacturer informed MPs that there is still no contract for the overhaul of the aging Taurus missiles. According to previous estimates, this would cost a three-digit million amount.”

The CDU opposition supports the traffic light decision. Note their statement:

“Pistorius and his machine are once again in a deep sleep. If Pistorius does not want to voluntarily go down the path to military proficiency, Parliament must show him the way.”

AFD Under Surveillance

Reuters wrote on May 13:

“A German high court on Monday ruled that domestic security services could continue to treat the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) as a potentially extremist party, meaning they retain the right to keep it under surveillance. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), charged with protecting Germany’s democratic order from extremist threats, has classified the AfD as potentially extreme since 2021.

“Judges at the higher administrative court in Muenster upheld a lower court’s 2022 finding that the designation was proportionate and did not violate the constitution, or European or domestic civil law. ‘The court finds there is sufficient evidence that the AfD pursues goals that run against the human dignity of certain groups and against democracy,’ the judges wrote. ‘There are grounds to suspect at least part of the party wants to accord second-rank status to German citizens with a migration background.’

“The potentially extremist designation means security services can wiretap the party and recruit informants inside it.”

Leading AfD Politician Fined

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 14:

“A regional court in the eastern German city of Halle ordered on Tuesday far-right politician Bjoern Hoecke to pay 100 fines at a daily rate of €130 each for using a banned Nazi slogan. 

“Höcke, the leader of the [AfD] in the eastern state of Thuringia, was accused of knowingly using the slogan of the Sturmabteilung (SA), or Storm Troopers… In 2021, Höcke allegedly said at an AfD rally:… ‘Everything for our homeland, everything for Saxony-Anhalt, everything for Germany.’ Prosecutors say Höcke, a former history teacher, knew that ‘Everything for Germany’ was a banned slogan of the SA. 

“He denied this during the trial, describing the phrase as an ‘everyday saying.’”

He is right. Note the next article.

Miscarriage of Justice Against Björn Höcke

Report 24 wrote on May 16:

“Björn Höcke is said to have deliberately used a Nazi slogan: Because he uttered the slogan ‘Everything for Germany’ during a campaign speech in 2021, he has now been sentenced to a fine totaling 13,000 euros. It’s just unfortunate that so far hardly any German has associated these words with the NSDAP and identified them as forbidden. Contemporary documents show: The alleged slogan of the Sturmabteilung was used by Christian trade unions as well as by Social Democrats during the Weimar Republic. Politically correct media have used them in recent years and decades, as have politicians from other parties. The use obviously only becomes a crime if the ‘perpetrator’ is an AfD man.

“In fact, countless users on social networks comment that they had never associated these three words with the National Socialists and that they were therefore not aware of the ban. Did you know them as SA slogans? At least not us in the editorial team. And even the left-wing taz, which normally celebrates every verdict against the AfD and its representatives, commented in an article: ‘Did you know that “Everything for Germany” is a forbidden slogan from National Socialism? Probably 99.9 percent of Germans didn’t know that until recently.”

AfD Bans Its Top European Candidate

Euro News wrote on May 23:

“… the AfD banned Maximilian Krah, its top European election candidate, from campaigning for the upcoming European election. He subsequently stepped down from the leadership role following internal party pressure.

“Krah recently copped backlash after he told an Italian newspaper not all members of the Nazis’ elite SS unit, which was involved in major war crimes during World War II, were war criminals.”

With these controversial measures, the AfD will lose supporters.

Report 24 wrote on May 24:

“But the real problem is not necessarily Krah’s statements about SS officers (incidentally, the left-wing Italian newspaper ‘La Repubblica’ explicitly addressed the officers and not the SS as a whole), but rather the perception of the AfD as a whole by the other parties…”

No Longer Tax Exempt?

Die Welt wrote on May 16:

“The non-profit [tax-exempt] status of the online blog ‘Der Volksverpetzer’ has been withdrawn. Co-founder and managing director Thomas Laschyk announced this in a video on Tuesday. We ‘suddenly no longer meet the requirements’…

“‘Der Volksverpetzer’ describes itself as an ‘anti-fake news blog’ on its own website. ‘We are committed to fighting hatred, agitation, fake news and conspiracy myths. The aim is to refute claims made by extremists and conspiracy ideologists through fact checks, for example. Publications from many media outlets are also criticized by the authors of the ‘Volksverpetzer’…

“Recently… it was announced in a letter that the blog would no longer be allowed to issue donation receipts from April 23rd. In addition, the non-profit [tax-exempt] status has been withdrawn – retroactively since 2021. There is therefore a risk of additional payments…. With the loss of the non-profit [tax exempt] status, the exemptions from taxes such as trade tax no longer apply. In addition, donations without receipts are not tax deductible – which is likely to reduce the willingness of supporters to pay… Laschyk claims… that the [IRS] has announced that the work of the ‘people’s rabble-rousers’ is too close to that of journalists. Journalism that serves the common good is currently not recognized as [having] a separate charitable purpose.

“The Frankfurt tax office had already revoked Attac’s non-profit [tax-exempt] status in 2019 because the organization, which was critical of globalization, had expressed itself too strongly in day-to-day politics. It is not uncommon for organizations such as ‘Volksverpetzer’ or ‘Journalistenwatch’ to operate in a legal gray area. The traffic light [Ampel] coalition declared in its coalition agreement that it wanted to create legal certainty for non-profit journalism. Which hasn’t happened yet.”

These are extremely dangerous developments.

Lauterbach’s Nonsense

Nius wrote on May 7:

“Karl Lauterbach is the first member of the federal government to say what must be the logical consequence of green politics: he announces restrictions for citizens. ‘It won’t work without restrictions,’ wrote the Health Minister at X. What this means: restrictions on eating, mobility, travel and consumption. That means: Citizens should restrict their lives in a wide variety of areas for the traffic light [Ampel] government’s climate policy… ‘Even inventors can’t change the fact that we eat too much meat, drive too much, travel too much and consume too much’

“NIUS asked the Federal Ministry of Health what Lauterbach meant by ‘restrictions’ [and] how he wanted to implement them… The request remained unanswered.”

This is not just ridiculous nonsense, but it is dangerous nonsense.

“Was Eurovision Always THAT Bad?”

Daily Mail wrote on May 12:

“Once a family favourite to gather around the TV for, the Eurovision appears to have become an on-screen raunch fest with displays of near full-frontal nudity, thongs, and corsets. Eurovision viewers have taken to social media to slam the iconic song contest’s 68th edition which took place in Malmo, Sweden, after several artists stormed the stage in outfits that left little to the imagination.  After the finale last night, X… was flooded with comments about how ‘bad’ and sleazy’ this year’s performances were in terms of racy costumes and sets…

“But the tiny outfits and racy get-ups didn’t stop at the artists, as the UKs Olly Alexander, 33, turned up the heat as he performed his song Dizzy while surrounded by scantily-clad male dancers… the group of five danced provocatively against each other on the floor and against the walls of the set while engaging in the occasional suggestive near-kiss…

“Bambi, who describes themselves as a ‘queer witch’, performed their song while wearing a pointed black headband, dark lipstick, and sharp black nails… On Tuesday, a commentator on Kan warned viewers that Bambie’s performance of their song, Doomsday Blue, would be ‘the most scary’ of the night, involving ‘a lot of spells and black magic and dark clothing, Satanic symbols, and voodoo dolls’

“Swiss act Nemo walked away victorious at the contest, where they become the competition’s first non-binary winner…”

Sick!

Satanism, Transgender and LGBTQ

Report 24 wrote on May 9, 2024:

“Baphomet (or the ‘Goat of Mendes’) [is] not only one of the most well-known symbolic figures of Satanism… but also [has] high status among transgender activists… half human and half animal, male and female, good and evil …

“In August 2018, Satanists from the Satanic Temple erected a seven-foot-tall statue of Baphomet as a symbol of Satan in front of the government building in Arkansas. In addition to the goat-headed God, this also showed two ‘smiling children’ who blissfully looked up at Satan…

“Back in August 2019, Satanic Temple co-founder Lucine Greaves announced that the temple would be comprised largely of LBGTQ+ people who felt rejected and disenfranchised by the traditional religious institution…”

Parents Cannot Refuse Their Children’s Participation in LGBTQ-Ideology

Breitbart wrote on May 16:

“A federal court… upheld a Maryland school district policy that does not allow parents to opt their young K-5 children out of curriculum about gender identity and sexuality

“The Muslim, Jewish, and Christian parents… argued that the district’s refusal to allow their young children to opt out of reading of LGBTQQIAAP2S+-themed books or participation in the curriculum violated their right to raise their children in accordance with their faith and how their faith defines identity and sexuality. Parents also argued the material is not age-appropriate for such young students….”

Tattoos Linked to Cancer

The Daily Mail wrote on May 27:

“Tattoos have been linked to a deadly type of blood cancer for the first time. Researchers from Lund University in Sweden found that tattooed individuals had a 21 percent higher risk of lymphoma, compared to people without tattoos.

Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the white blood cells, which are crucial for fighting infections.

“The link is thought to lie with carcinogenic chemicals in the tattoo ink. When it is injected into the skin, it is be interpreted as something foreign and the immune system is activated, causing a low-grade inflammation in the body which can trigger cancer.

“Some 46 percent of 30 to 49 year-old Americans have at least one tattoo, while 22 percent of all ages, on average, have more than one.”

The Bible prohibits tattoos.

Trump and Biden Violated Constitution

Bloomberg wrote on May 24:

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attacked former President Donald Trump on his response to the Covid-19 pandemic… ‘Trump presided over the greatest restriction of individual liberties this country has ever known. He did not stand up for the Constitution when it really mattered,’ Kennedy said… ‘I don’t recall any part of the United States Constitution that creates an exemption for pandemics,’ he said…

“Kennedy’s… independent campaign threatens the hopes of the major party candidates. With a national polling average near 10%, Kennedy is potentially the best-performing third-party presidential candidate in three decades. The outcome of the election could depend on whether Kennedy draws more support away from Trump or… Biden.”

The Guardian added on May 24:

“Kennedy, 70, brought Libertarians to their feet by promising to pardon government whistleblower Edward Snowden, currently exiled in Russia, and drop espionage charges against Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder battling US attempts to extradite him from Britain…

“Kennedy accused Trump of allowing the government to abuse individual liberty during the pandemic. He said: ‘I think he had the right instinct when he came into office. He was initially very reluctant to impose lockdowns, but then he got rolled by his bureaucrats. He caved in and many of our most fundamental rights disappeared practically overnight.’ Kennedy earned further applause when he asserted: ‘All of our constitutional rights were ploughed under. They closed all the churches but they kept open the Walmarts and the liquor stores.’…

“He went to take aim at the current president, too. ‘When President Trump left office, the assault on the constitution intensified. President Biden violated a freedom so fundamental that James Madison didn’t even think to put it in the Bill of Rights.’ Kennedy accused Biden of ‘a programme of coercion and information control’ during the pandemic, repeating… claims that Biden colluded with the FBI to coerce social media sites to allow government agencies to carry out ‘an obscene orgy of federal censorship’. He said it went from ‘medical misinformation’ to an entire censorship industrial complex that also suppresses critics of the war in Ukraine.”

The extreme left-wing Guardian stated that the “claims that Biden colluded with the FBI” were “unfounded” and that “Coronavirus vaccines were deemed safe and effective by the US government and its regulatory agencies as well as the World Health Organization. The first two years of Covid vaccines saved an estimated 3m lives in the US alone.” This unfounded and false propaganda is appalling. In what world does the Guardian live?

The Most Shocking Moment of His 60-Year Legal Career

Professor Dershowitz wrote on May 23 in the Daily Mail:

“I watched in disbelief as Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen told the jury one seeming lie after another… I wouldn’t buy a used car from this man, let alone rely on his testimony to send a presidential candidate to prison.  Most significantly, I haven’t heard any evidence that Trump committed a crime…

“Never in my 60 years of practicing law and teaching and writing about the U.S. legal system have I seen such a weak criminal fraud case… New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan should throw it out of court – and rule that Cohen’s testimony is so unreliable that the jury should not even consider it. This judge has the power to do just that… But he won’t. For even more shocking than the pathetic flaws of this case is the palpable bias that this judge holds against Trump.

After the defense called their key witness, former Cohen legal adviser Robert Costello, Judge Merchan made ruling after ruling denying Costello the ability to speak – inexplicably dismissing his testimony as hearsay and irrelevant.

“I was shocked, along with the other lawyers watching in the audience… the judge truly revealed his apparent unhinged prejudice against Trump when he exploded after Costello, a lawyer himself, expressed his surprise over the mystifying rulings. Merchan lost control over the perceived slight and angrily ordered the court police to clear the room… ‘Do you raise your eyebrows at me?’ Merchan shouted at Costello. ‘Did you stare at me?’ He sounded like a paranoid schizophrenic… Then Merchan threatened to exclude all of Costello’s testimony against Cohen from the trial. I was flabbergasted… the idea that a judge would punish Trump by denying him an opportunity to present evidence over the actions of a witness is preposterous. It’s unethical. It’s unconstitutional.

“So, could Trump be convicted despite all of this? Of course, he can. The Manhattan pool consists largely of people who voted against Trump and don’t want him to be elected in 2024. But the weakness of the prosecution’s case and the jaw-droppingly pervasive bias exhibited by this judge against Trump will provide him with an excellent opportunity to appeal if he is found guilty…”

Trump Permitted to Attend Son’s Graduation

The New York Post wrote on May 17:

“The 45th president was permitted to attend the ceremony by Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Juan Merchan, who called off the day’s planned proceedings in the ‘hush money’ trial of the onetime commander-in-chief.”

At least the totally biased judge conceded in this regard. Even he must have felt that prohibiting this would have been a bridge too far. But note the next article.

A Travesty of “Justice”

Miranda Devine wrote for The New York Post on May 26:

“Joe Biden is salivating at the prospect of his political archrival being convicted in the Stormy Daniels hush money trial in Manhattan, with jury deliberations set to begin this week. If Donald Trump is found guilty in the first criminal prosecution of a former president, it will be a travesty of justice and a clear attempt to rig the 2024 presidential election. But the ploy risks backfiring on Biden in the same way that Republican attacks on Bill Clinton over his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky did…

“According to Politico, as soon as the jury comes back, Biden will deliver a statement addressing the verdict in a ‘White House setting — not a campaign one — to show his statement isn’t political.’… Nothing Biden can say will be cleansed of the taint of political dirty tricks… Biden is… trying to avoid fueling the suspicion that he weaponized the DOJ to go after his political rival, aided by Democratic DAs Alvin Bragg in New York and Fani Willis in Georgia, because he has nothing in the way of achievements or vision to run on in his own right…

“It’s clear to even Trump-deranged observers that Manhattan Supreme Court Acting Justice Juan Merchan is a political hack. He was cautioned last year by the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct over donations, albeit modest, to Biden and other Democrats. His daughter, Loren Merchan, has been profiting from the trial through her consulting firm as her Democrat clients reportedly raise millions in campaign donations through emails citing the trial over which her father is presiding. It was a no-brainer for Merchan to recuse himself, and yet he refused, sullying the reputation of the New York legal system… Merchan has been a paragon of bias.

“He gave free rein to prosecution star witness Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, a convicted perjurer and con man who revealed in court that he stole $60,000 from the Trump Organization because he was angry his bonus had been cut… By contrast, the judge muzzled defense witnesses — if he allowed them to be called at all…

“Merchan’s handling of the trial has been such a disaster that any guilty verdict will almost certainly be overturned on appeal. But that will only happen after the election, which allows Biden to smear his opponent as a ‘convicted felon’ which, of course, is the whole point…”

A Rigged Trial

Newsmax wrote on May 29:

“Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law professor emeritus… attacked a New York State law that allows the prosecution [in the Trump case] to go last when presenting closing arguments, calling it unconstitutional. ‘How does a defense go first when it doesn’t even know what the crimes are that turned a misdemeanor into a felony?’ Dershowitz said. ‘They had to wait until they heard it from the prosecutor’s closing argument and then had no chance to rebut.’

“Dershowitz said if he was on the defense team, he would’ve said he had nothing to say and that he would wait for the prosecutors to present their case and then respond to it. ‘You can’t make me respond to a case I haven’t heard yet,’ Dershowitz said.”

Unconstitutional Jury Instructions

Breitbart wrote on May 30:

“Jurors in the Trump business records trial do not have to agree on what crime former President Donald Trump allegedly committed in order to convict him, but would just have to agree that he falsified or caused someone else to falsify business records with the ‘intent of committing or hiding that crime.’

“… according to the AP, the jury just has to unanimously agree that ‘something unlawful was done to promote Trump’s election campaign,’ but they do not have to agree on what that unlawful thing was.

Conservative legal experts and media pundits criticized those convoluted instructions… Mark Levin, lawyer and conservative show host, called it ‘grotesque’ on Truth Social, posting:

“‘The grotesque trial charade gets even worse this morning. The Stalinist clown judge directed the jury that they can choose among three areas of crimes to convict the former president:

‘“1. Violations of federal election law (which no one in that courtroom is familiar with, and the judge specifically prevents Brad Smith from testifying about);

‘“2. The falsification of business records; and

‘“3. Tax violations.

“Of course, the issue for all of the above is the requirement of a criminal intent. Furthermore, the idea that jurors can pick 1 of the 3, and they don’t have to unanimously agree on which of the three, is another shocking development….’”

Trump Found Guilty

The New York Post wrote on May 30:

“Donald Trump has become the first former US president to be convicted on criminal charges. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on the morning of July 11 and Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan said Trump can remain free without bail until that date.”

Sadly, in the Trump-hating state of New York, with a corrupt prosecutor, a thoroughly biased judge, and a totally rigged trial with faulty jury instructions and many other appealable errors, this outcome was not unexpected. But it has been said that this obvious miscarriage of justice might guarantee Trump’s victory in November. 

Guiliani Fired After Raising “Election Fraud”

The New York Post wrote on May 10:

“Ex-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani claimed WABC radio canned him from his daily show to appease… Biden… The once-beloved ‘America’s Mayor’ blasted station owner John Catsimatidis as a hypocrite who touts the right to free speech while stopping Giuliani from ‘telling the truth’ about the ‘stolen’ 2020 presidential election… he was cut from the station’s ‘The Rudy Giuliani Show’ for allegedly violating a company-wide policy ‘not to state, suggest or imply that the election results are not valid….

“But according to Giuliani, he had never been told about the policy. Even more disorienting, he claimed the ‘stolen’ 2020 election was a main focus of his show, which he has been hosting since 2021. ‘Those of you who listen to me on WABC or this show are going to find it very, very strange to believe that there was such a policy,’ Giuliani said…

“Giuliani accused Catsimatidis of firing him in an attempt to get in good with the Democrats, who he claimed are gearing up to steal another presidential election.

“The canning — costing Donald Trump’s ex-lawyer his $15,000-per-month salary — is the latest in a series of financial blows. He faces a mountain of legal bills to fight criminal cases in Arizona and Georgia, where he was charged with trying to overturn the 2020 election — as well as multiple civil cases, including by the voting machine firms Dominion and Smartmatic…

“Giuliani, who is also a former federal prosecutor, had his law license suspended in New York City in 2021. He faces disbarment for ‘his utter disregard for facts,’ which ‘denigrate the legal profession,’ a panel said last year.”

That verdict is still out. And to have an alleged policy prohibiting to talk about the results of the 2020 election is more than telling and clearly constitutes censorship and the suppression of free speech. 

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.

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Does God know unconverted people prior to their birth who would not be called in this day and age?

We explained before that God chose and knew those before time began whom He would call for salvation in this day and age. But does the fact that God knew those “called-out ones” a long time ago exclude those who would not be called for salvation now? To put it differently, did God know individuals a long time ago whom He would NOT call for salvation prior to Christ’s Return?

Consider this:

Since God knew YOU before the foundation of the world and chose you for salvation to be called now, then God must have carefully observed—or known—your forefathers or ancestors to make sure that you would be even born in the first place. This explains the many otherwise unexplainable events of protection and survival which your forefathers might have experienced in war or in other dangerous situations.

In addition, we point out in our free booklet, Are You Predestined to Be Saved?”

In Ezra 1:1, we read that King Cyrus of Persia made a proclamation to rebuild the temple, in fulfillment of God’s prophecies in Isaiah 44:28 and Isaiah 45:1. It is interesting that these prophecies named Cyrus, even though they were written hundreds of years before Cyrus was born. However, even though God called Cyrus for a certain task, He did not call him to salvation…”

Please note carefully that God knew Cyrus, by name, long before he was born. He had not been predestined to be called for salvation at that time, but he was preordained to fulfill an important task in the line of prophetic events. Having said this, it means that God must have known Cyrus’ ancestry too to make sure Cyrus would be born and live to fulfill his prophecy.

God also saw to it that Cyrus would survive as a child. We are told that Cyrus was born sometime around 600 BC and was the son of Cambyses, king of the Persians, and grandson of Astyages, king of the Median Empire. Astyages was warned in a series of prophetic dreams that Cyrus would one day supplant and kill him. Astyages ordered his top general Harpagus to kill the child, but instead Harpagus had Cyrus taken away to live as a shepherd.

Continuing with quoting from our booklet:

Ecclesiastes 6:10 sets forth an interesting observation: “Whatever one is, he has been named already…” The Revised English Bible states: “Whatever exists has already been given a name”…

Paul makes a similar observation about God’s foreknowledge in Romans 9:10-13, when he discusses God’s mystery of election: “…when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac (for the children not being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), it was said to her, ‘The older shall serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.’”

Again, it is implied here that God knew the older Esau and the younger Jacob, by name, before they were born, and that He had already called Jacob and rejected Esau, prior to their birth. In that sense, God “loved” Jacob and “hated” Esau—that is, He loved Esau less by comparison, insofar as the timing of God’s election was concerned.

The point to note is that God knew Esau, not just Jacob, before their birth… even though God would not call Esau for salvation during his lifetime. As God had known and chosen Jacob for salvation before time began, He must have also known Esau, whom He rejected, before time began.

Continuing with quoting from our booklet:

It is also noteworthy what is stated about Christ’s knowledge about His betrayer Judas. We read in John 6:64: “For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him”…

Christ knew that one of the twelve whom He chose was “a devil” (John 6:70). In John 17:12, Christ prayed to the Father, “Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” Peter, one of Christ’s original apostles, later explained that Judas “fell” from apostleship, when he stated, “Judas left it and went to his place which was predestined for him.” (Acts 1:25; Die Grosse Bibel)…

Jude 4 reminds us of the following: “For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation”…

Paul asked in Romans 9:22: “What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction…?” [Compare Proverbs 16:4: “The LORD has made all for Himself, yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.”].

It is implied here that God knew those individuals “marked out for condemnation” and “prepared for destruction” long before their birth. They were “called” by God to fulfill their destiny in God’s plan.This does NOT mean that they lacked free will (Judas, for example, DECIDED to betray Christ) or that they were predestined to commit the unpardonable sin. Even though God uses evil men to carry out His purpose, He does not “make” them commit the unpardonable sin. It is not as if they never had a chance. They will still get their chance to qualify for God’s Kingdom in the Second Resurrection. God NEVER predestines someone to end up in the lake of fire, just as He does not guarantee eternal life for those who are called to salvation.

Continuing with quoting from our booklet:

We have already read about an end-time political figure, called “the beast” in the prophecies of the book of Revelation. God has predetermined that this “beast” or political leader, as well as the government he will represent, will rule for “one hour” (Revelation 17:12). During this time, he will persecute God’s people (compare Revelation 13:7). We are told, in Daniel 7:25, that this Biblical term (“one hour”) means, in this case, 3½ years…

We also read about a future king of Assyria—none other than the “beast” in the book of Revelation—whom God will use to punish modern Israel (Isaiah 10:5-7, 12). God is using those individuals to bring about prophecy.

The beast—also called King Jareb of Assyria and the king of the North—will work together with the false prophet, a religious figure, to bring much evil to this world. God knows the identity of the beast and the false prophet, and He did so at least when the Book of Revelation was written. In fact, as the beast is the same as King Jareb of Assyria and the king of the North, He knew them already at the time when the books of Isaiah and Daniel were written; but in reality, He already knew them much earlier than that. They would not be called for salvation in this day and age, but they would be “called” for a particular task which had to be fulfilled prior to Christ’s return. To put it differently, Christ could NOT come back unless these events were to occur first.

Continuing with quoting from our booklet:

We find an additional statement of God’s foreknowledge and pre-appointment, regarding the existence of nations, in Deuteronomy 32:8: “When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations, When He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the peoples According to the number of the children of Israel.” This statement is highly remarkable because when God separated the sons of Adam (compare, for example, Genesis 11:8) and gave them their land, Israel, the son of Isaac, or Israel’s children, did not even exist.

The individual, called Jacob or Israel, would only be born many years later, and the nation of Israel would not emerge for many hundreds of years. Still, God says that He set the boundaries of the peoples “according to the number of the children of Israel,” stating that He knew that the children of Israel would exist in the future and implying that He even knew their number. Paul confirms this fact in Romans 11:2: “God has not cast away His people [Israel] whom He foreknew.”

This means, then, that God foreknew many members of the House of Israel and the House of Judah BEFORE they were born… and BEFORE those houses even came into existence. He had to preserve Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who were predestined to be called for salvation during their life time—the ancestors of the Houses of Israel and Judah. In addition, He also preserved others in their lineage who were NOT predestined to be called for salvation in their lifetime, but who nevertheless were “called” to fulfill an important role, function and task.

There are many more aspects to consider which should motivate us to stand in awe when realizing God’s incredible plan, and all that is involved for its fulfillment.

For example, we read that Jesus Christ was slain from the foundation of the world (compare Revelation 13:8). We even read that He was foreordained to give His blood for mankind as a lamb without blemish and without spot BEFORE the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:20). This means He must have known BEFORE creating Adam and Eve that mankind would sin and that He would have to die for man in order to bring about forgiveness with the potential of inheriting eternal life. This implies that God knew Adam and Eve before they were created. They were, in a sense, predestined and chosen to be called in their lifetime for salvation, but they rejected that call.

Later, God decided to destroy the earth in a flood. But it was clear that some would have to survive; otherwise, God’s plan for mankind and the prophecies given could not be fulfilled. And so, God “found” Noah, a righteous man who had been preordained and predestined to be called for salvation in his lifetime. He was “a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). But notice: We only read that Noah was perfect and that he walked with God. We do not read this about his wife, his sons and his daughters-in-law.

Still, in order to make sure that mankind would survive and produce offspring to replenish the earth, God had to save not just Noah, but also his wife and his three sons and daughters-in-law even though it does not say that they were righteous or called for salvation; only Noah was. Still, God did not only know Noah, but also his wife and family, and that long before they were born.

In addition, God had to save the Jews when at the time of Esther, Haman was determined to kill them, as Jesus would be a descendant of the Jews. So, He had to know at least some of them to make sure that they would survive. And God gave David a promise. David had been predestined and chosen before time began to be called for salvation during his lifetime. God’s promise was that there would always be one of his descendants sitting on his throne until the return of Christ (compare Jeremiah 33:17). So, God had to know them and protect and preserve them to make sure that they would fulfill His promise to David, even though the vast majority of kings and rulers sitting on that throne had not been predestined to be called for salvation during their lifetime.

There are certainly many more examples which we could give and our above-quoted booklet contains additional information. But what has been written here should suffice to show the incredible foreknowledge of God and His awesome plan for mankind. How great God is, and how small we are in comparison. As Paul says in Romans 11:33-36:

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?’ ‘Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?’ For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.”

And it is this awesome and all-powerful God who has predestined and chosen you before time began to be called for salvation in this day and age. He wants to share His Kingdom with you. He wants YOU to be in His Family. Think about it.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

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Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

compiled by Dave Harris

“Gibt es eine Vorherbestimmung für unbekehrte Menschen?” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Is There Predestination for Unconverted People?”

Das Evangelium – Gottes Auftrag und die Voraussetzung für das Ende,” last Sabbath’s first split sermon in Germany, presented by Marc Voller, is now posted. Title in English: “The Gospel – God’s Mission and the Prerequisite for the End.”

“Unser Glaube,” last Sabbath’s second split sermon in Germany, presented by Robert Muhr, is now posted. Title in English: “Our Faith.”

“Do We Know How to Pray?” last Sabbath’s first split sermon presented by Christoph Sperzel, is now posted.

“When the Time of Adversity Dawns,” last Sabbath’s second split sermon presented by Thilo Hanstein, is now posted.

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How This Work is Financed

This Update is an official publication by the ministry of the Church of the Eternal God in the United States of America; the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada; and the Global Church of God in the United Kingdom.

Editorial Team: Norbert Link, Dave Harris, Rene Messier, Brian Gale, Johanna Link, Eric Rank, Michael Link, Anna Link, Kalon Mitchell, Manuela Mitchell, Dawn Thompson

Technical Team: Eric Rank, Shana Rank

Our activities and literature, including booklets, weekly updates, sermons on CD are provided free of charge. They are made possible by the tithes, offerings and contributions of Church members and others who have elected to support this Work.

While we do not solicit the general public for funds, contributions are gratefully welcomed and are tax-deductible in the U.S. and Canada.

Donations can be sent to the following addresses:

United States: Church of the Eternal God, P.O. Box 270519, San Diego, CA 92198

Canada: Church of God, ACF, Box 1480, Summerland, B.C. V0H 1Z0

United Kingdom: Global Church of God, PO Box 44, MABLETHORPE, LN12 9AN, United Kingdom

Stay Consistent! / Why Will Many Church Members Not Be Protected at the Place of Safety?

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

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

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

This Week in the News

Israel Moves Into Rafah

The Associated Press wrote on May 7:

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

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

Rafah Not the End

Israel Today wrote on April 30:

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

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

Netanyahu To Be Blamed?

Newsmax wrote on April 30:

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

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

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

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

EU States to Recognize Palestinian Statehood

The Cradle wrote on April 29:

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

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

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

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

Biden Throws Israel Under the Bus

JNS wrote on April 28:

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

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

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

US Withholding Weapons From Israel

Breitbart wrote on May 7:

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

The New York Post wrote on May 9:

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

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

Turkey to Cut All Trade With Israel?

Express wrote on May 2:

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

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

No Two-State Solution

Israel365News reported on May 2:

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

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

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

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

Israel’s Minimal “Retaliation”

Reuters reported on April 19:

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

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

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

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

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

Israel to Stop Iran and Its Proxies

The New York Post wrote on April 19:

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

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

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

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

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

“Levites Tune Up For the Third Temple”

Israel 365 News wrote on April 26:

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

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

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

Blinken: Anti-Israel Protests Hallmark of American Democracy

Reuters and Die Algemeiner wrote on April 26:

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

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

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

Majority of Young Americans in Support of Hamas

The Algemeiner wrote on April 19:

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

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

Violent Student Protests

Newsmax wrote on May 1:

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

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

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

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

Subsequently, the New York Post wrote on May 2:

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

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

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

Antisemitism in America Just Like in Germany in the 1930s

Breitbart wrote on April 24:

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

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

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

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

Foreign Aid Package and Johnson’s Betrayal

Breitbart wrote on April 20:

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

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

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

Clarifications on the Foreign Aid Package for Ukraine and Israel

Newsmax wrote on April 22:

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

What hypocrisy!

Verhofstadt’s Attack on Conservative Americans

Breitbart wrote on April 21:

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

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

Dangerous men like Verhofstadt are on the rise in Europe.

Worldwide Military Spending Soars to Record High

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 22:

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

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

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

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

A powder keg ready to explode…

Poland Ready For Nuclear Weapons

Politico wrote on April 22:

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

Arming EU with Nuclear Weapons

Breitbart wrote on April 28:

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

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

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

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

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

If Trump Is Elected

The Friday Times wrote on May 1:

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

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

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

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

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

Europe’s Populist Parties on the Rise

The Sun wrote on April 30:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

France to Send Troops Into Ukraine?

The Sun wrote on May 2:

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

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

German Conservatives Vote For Compulsory Military Service

Barron’s wrote on May 7:

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

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

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

Lawsuit Against Trump “Stinks to High Heaven”

Newsmax wrote on April 23:

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

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

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

Breitbart wrote on April 22:

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

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

A Sham Trial That Shames America

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trump Held in Contempt

cbs news wrote on April 30:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Pervasive Hypocrisy of the Federal Government

The New York Post wrote on April 24:

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

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

Immunity For the President?

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

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

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

Breitbart wrote on April 25:

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

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

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

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

Trial Delayed in Document Case

The New York Post wrote on May 7:

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

Trump’s Take

Newsmax wrote on April 25:

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

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

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

German Fake Trial Begins

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 28:

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

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

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

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

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

Biden’s Insane Capital Gains Tax Proposals

Newsmax wrote on April 24:

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

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

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

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

Trump’s Bible Blasphemous

ChurchLeaders wrote on April 24:

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

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

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

Politics and religion are a dangerous and poisonous mix.

Drag Queen’s Performance Wrong on Every Level

The New York Post wrote on April 25:

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

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

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

LGBT Champions in Scottish Schools

Mail On Line wrote on April 18:

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

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

Biden Blesses Abortion

Israel 365 News wrote on April 28:

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

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

Arizona Abortion Law Repealed

The Associated Press wrote on May 1:

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

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

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

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

Abortion and Election

Newsmax wrote on May 1:

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

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

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

“Closing 50 Years of Battle”

The Associated Press wrote on May 6:

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

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

New Bill Threatens Christian Faith

Lee Fang wrote on May 2:

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

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

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

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

The Gateway Pundit wrote on May 1:

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

LifeSiteNews added on May 3:

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

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

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

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

Update 1112

Stay Consistent! / Why Will Many Church Members Not Be Protected at the Place of Safety?

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

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

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

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A Christ Centered Life

by Kalon Mitchell

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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by Norbert Link

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

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

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

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

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

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Israel Moves Into Rafah

The Associated Press wrote on May 7:

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

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

Rafah Not the End

Israel Today wrote on April 30:

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

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

Netanyahu To Be Blamed?

Newsmax wrote on April 30:

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

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

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

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

EU States to Recognize Palestinian Statehood

The Cradle wrote on April 29:

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

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

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

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

Biden Throws Israel Under the Bus

JNS wrote on April 28:

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

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

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

US Withholding Weapons From Israel

Breitbart wrote on May 7:

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

The New York Post wrote on May 9:

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

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

Turkey to Cut All Trade With Israel?

Express wrote on May 2:

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

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

No Two-State Solution

Israel365News reported on May 2:

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

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

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

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

Israel’s Minimal “Retaliation”

Reuters reported on April 19:

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

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

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

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

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

Israel to Stop Iran and Its Proxies

The New York Post wrote on April 19:

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

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

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

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

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

“Levites Tune Up For the Third Temple”

Israel 365 News wrote on April 26:

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

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

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

Blinken: Anti-Israel Protests Hallmark of American Democracy

Reuters and Die Algemeiner wrote on April 26:

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

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

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

Majority of Young Americans in Support of Hamas

The Algemeiner wrote on April 19:

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

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

Violent Student Protests

Newsmax wrote on May 1:

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

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

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

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

Subsequently, the New York Post wrote on May 2:

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

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

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

Antisemitism in America Just Like in Germany in the 1930s

Breitbart wrote on April 24:

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

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

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

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

Foreign Aid Package and Johnson’s Betrayal

Breitbart wrote on April 20:

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

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

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

Clarifications on the Foreign Aid Package for Ukraine and Israel

Newsmax wrote on April 22:

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

What hypocrisy!

Verhofstadt’s Attack on Conservative Americans

Breitbart wrote on April 21:

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

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

Dangerous men like Verhofstadt are on the rise in Europe.

Worldwide Military Spending Soars to Record High

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 22:

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

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

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

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

A powder keg ready to explode…

Poland Ready For Nuclear Weapons

Politico wrote on April 22:

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

Arming EU with Nuclear Weapons

Breitbart wrote on April 28:

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

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

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

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

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

If Trump Is Elected

The Friday Times wrote on May 1:

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

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

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

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

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

Europe’s Populist Parties on the Rise

The Sun wrote on April 30:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

France to Send Troops Into Ukraine?

The Sun wrote on May 2:

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

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

German Conservatives Vote For Compulsory Military Service

Barron’s wrote on May 7:

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

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

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

Lawsuit Against Trump “Stinks to High Heaven”

Newsmax wrote on April 23:

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

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

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

Breitbart wrote on April 22:

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

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

A Sham Trial That Shames America

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trump Held in Contempt

cbs news wrote on April 30:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Pervasive Hypocrisy of the Federal Government

The New York Post wrote on April 24:

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

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

Immunity For the President?

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

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

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

Breitbart wrote on April 25:

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

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

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

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

Trial Delayed in Document Case

The New York Post wrote on May 7:

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

Trump’s Take

Newsmax wrote on April 25:

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

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

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

German Fake Trial Begins

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 28:

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

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

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

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

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

Biden’s Insane Capital Gains Tax Proposals

Newsmax wrote on April 24:

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

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

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

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

Trump’s Bible Blasphemous

ChurchLeaders wrote on April 24:

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

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

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

Politics and religion are a dangerous and poisonous mix.

Drag Queen’s Performance Wrong on Every Level

The New York Post wrote on April 25:

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

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

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

LGBT Champions in Scottish Schools

Mail On Line wrote on April 18:

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

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

Biden Blesses Abortion

Israel 365 News wrote on April 28:

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

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

Arizona Abortion Law Repealed

The Associated Press wrote on May 1:

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

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

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

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

Abortion and Election

Newsmax wrote on May 1:

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

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

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

“Closing 50 Years of Battle”

The Associated Press wrote on May 6:

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

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

New Bill Threatens Christian Faith

Lee Fang wrote on May 2:

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

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

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

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

The Gateway Pundit wrote on May 1:

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

LifeSiteNews added on May 3:

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

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

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

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

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How can we persevere, maintain self-discipline in our mortal lives and grow in our faith?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lead Writer: Frank Bruno

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Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

compiled by Dave Harris

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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How This Work is Financed

This Update is an official publication by the ministry of the Church of the Eternal God in the United States of America; the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada; and the Global Church of God in the United Kingdom.

Editorial Team: Norbert Link, Dave Harris, Rene Messier, Brian Gale, Johanna Link, Eric Rank, Michael Link, Anna Link, Kalon Mitchell, Manuela Mitchell, Dawn Thompson

Technical Team: Eric Rank, Shana Rank

Our activities and literature, including booklets, weekly updates, sermons on CD are provided free of charge. They are made possible by the tithes, offerings and contributions of Church members and others who have elected to support this Work.

While we do not solicit the general public for funds, contributions are gratefully welcomed and are tax-deductible in the U.S. and Canada.

Donations can be sent to the following addresses:

United States: Church of the Eternal God, P.O. Box 270519, San Diego, CA 92198

Canada: Church of God, ACF, Box 1480, Summerland, B.C. V0H 1Z0

United Kingdom: Global Church of God, PO Box 44, MABLETHORPE, LN12 9AN, United Kingdom

Comments on News and Prophecy, April 13, 2024 / Keeping Sin Out

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

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

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

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

©2024 Church of the Eternal God