On August 3, 2019, Norbert Link will present, “Comments on News and Prophecy (August 3, 2019)” and the sermon, titled, “Can You Follow God as a Young Person? — Not Only for Kids and Teens!”

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.

Being grateful in our lives is a very important characteristic we must have to please God. We are instructed in Ephesians 5:20 to be “Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And one of those “all” things is God’s Word, the Bible.

In this day and age, it is easy to take for granted the opportunity we have to purchase Bibles so very readily. We can go to a local bookstore which usually has at least one version of the Bible available. We can order one of many different translations on-line. There are even free downloads of some older biblical versions available. But do we acknowledge that this ability is actually a great blessing for us that is not available in some countries and has not been available at all in past times?

Here in Melbourne, Australia, a city with a population of just under five million, the number of religious bookstores has been reduced over the last forty years with some Protestant stores closing or going to on-line ordering only. General bookstores usually stock one or a few modern versions of the Bible amongst various other religious books like the Koran and books on Buddhism. So probably due to reduced demand, the availability of Bibles is not as convenient as it once was.

But still there are no restrictions in most of the Western World yet on purchasing Bibles. In some countries, Bibles are restricted or even totally banned. In North Korea, being caught possessing a Bible can result in a fifteen-year sentence to a labour camp or even death. In some Islamic or communist countries, obtaining Bibles can be quite difficult. For example, in China, the most populous country in the world, the sale of Bibles is government-controlled. The government is actually preparing a new approved translation with a “correct understanding” favourable to the Chinese Communist Party.

When we look into God’s Word, it appears that in New Testament times the Old Testament Scriptures were readily available. In Acts 8:27-28 we read that the Ethiopian eunuch was reading the book of Isaiah. Because of his position, he may have been able to obtain the Old Testament without any difficulty.  However, another mention of the Scriptures being readily available, perhaps in public libraries, occurs in Acts 17:10-11 in the city of Berea. Here we read, “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” It appears that these attendees of the synagogue, Jews and Gentiles, were able to read the Scriptures as often as they wanted to.

2 Timothy 3:15 indicates that Timothy had access to the Scriptures in some manner all of his life. For we read, “And that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” This seems to indicate that either his family had access to the Scriptures or that Timothy was taught from them regularly in the synagogue.

The manner in which Christ and the apostles quoted the Old Testament Scriptures throughout the New Testament indicated that their listeners were familiar with what was being said. Many of the various audiences obviously knew the Scriptures and there is no indication that anyone claimed the Scriptures were in any way misquoted.

So that is the situation today and the situation in New Testament times, but what about between these times? Early on there were some translations into languages like Armenian and Coptic (Egyptian).

Focusing on translations in Britain, over time quite a large part of the Bible was translated into various languages used in the British Islands. In the mid-14th century however, English became the language of Britain, and the older translations became effectively unintelligible to the population. The Latin Vulgate existed, but by this time almost nobody could read Latin. So now the Bible was basically unobtainable in England. However, it was necessary that English translations would become available, as God’s Word was to spread from England to the New World.

Near the end of this century, in about 1382, John Wycliffe and his associates translated the whole of the Bible from Latin into English. So, the Bible became available to be read by the people, but since copies were hand-written, they could cost a year’s salary. This was a very great barrier for most people. A further consideration was that the Catholic Church was totally against any English translation and condemned John Wycliffe. While he was not put to death, later his bones were exhumed and scattered far from a Church burial site.

In 1408 in Oxford, Archbishop Arundel produced a law forbidding anyone to translate the Scriptures into the common language, and to even have a copy of it could, and did, lead to the death penalty. Many were burnt at the stake purely for possessing a Bible in English.

The next major event in the production of the English Bible was with the arrival of William Tyndale. In 1526 he translated the New Testament from the Greek text provided by Erasmus and later the Old Testament from Genesis to 2nd Chronicles and the book of Jonah from the Hebrew text. His New Testament was sold as a printed edition which made it much cheaper to purchase. However, to try to prevent its circulation, the bishop of London bought and burnt as many copies as he could obtain. Various ways were tried to smuggle copies into England to prevent them from being confiscated.

Tyndale was arrested and burnt at the stake for his efforts. About a year after his death, Miles Coverdale and John Rogers in 1536 produced a complete English Bible, beginning with William Tyndale’s translation of the New Testament and part of the Old Testament from the original languages, and finishing with Miles Coverdale’s translation of the rest of the Old Testament from the German and Latin languages. For this effort, Miles Coverdale had to flee to Europe to save his life, and John Rogers was burnt at the stake. This version of the Bible, named the Thomas Matthew Bible, formed the basis of the King James Bible or the Authorized Version and other modern versions.

So, from this we can see that obtaining a copy of the Bible has not always been easy. In fact, we find that the blood of men has been shed in order that the ordinary person could obtain a copy of the Word of God.

So then, when we think how easy it is today to obtain our own personal copies of the Bible, we can be thankful that some have laboured long and hard and in constant danger to make this possible. We should consider this convenient access to His Word a great blessing that God has provided for us and give Him thanks for it always.

by Norbert Link

We begin with eye-opening articles on the true and deeply concerning state of America’s military and the unsettling practical application of the US Presidency’s war powers; and we continue with concerns about the future of the US economy and the disturbing fact that America’s allies disassociate themselves more and more from the US. 

We address another political decision of the US Supreme Court; strange happenings at the Mexican border; and the announcement of a proposed controversial treaty between the USA and Guatemala.

We continue with doubts about the sincerity of “flip-flopping” Boris Johnson, as well as some interesting news about his close connections to Israel; the new-found friendship between China and Russia; and with deeply alarming developments regarding a brutal and violent crackdown by the Russian government on opponents and dissidents, including the charge of attempted poisoning of Russia’s most popular opposition leader.  

We speak on China’s persecution of Christians and other disconcerting developments; the shameful European conduct in regard to UN anti-Israel resolutions; the ongoing desire and demand for the building of the Third Temple [please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “What Will Europe Do When the Third Temple Is Being Built?”;] and new unproven dirty allegations against Austria’s former chancellor, Sebastian Kurz.

We conclude with frightening news about Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri; an overview over earthquakes in Europe and other places; and interesting ideas as to how to deal with the current recycling crisis.

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

How Strong Is the US Military?

The Atlantic wrote on July 27:

“Contrary to President Donald Trump’s assertion that ‘our nation is stronger today than it ever was before,’ the ‘Salute to America’ [parade during the 4^th of July celebrations] looked more like a military antiques road show than a display of a 21st-century military power.

“The age of the current force was most apparent in the Army hardware on display… The M-1A2 Abrams tanks and M-2 Bradley infantry combat vehicles… represent a generation of armored vehicles that were designed in the 1970s and procured in large numbers during the 1980s. More than three decades later, they remain, albeit with modification, the mainstay of the U.S. Army and have been used in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“The aircraft that flew over the capital echoed the theme of an advanced but aging force. The B-2 Spirit stealth bomber was another product of the Reagan defense buildup. Although it is an impressive aircraft able to evade enemy radar, the U.S. Air Force has fewer than 20 of them—far short of the 132 the Air Force originally envisioned purchasing when the bomber first took flight in 1988, and its successor, the B-21 Raider, has yet to make its first flight. The two F-22 Raptors that flanked it are newer aircraft but, like the B-2, exist in only small numbers (187 rather than the 750 originally envisioned)…

“America’s non-stealthy aircraft are becoming more vulnerable. Decades after it was introduced, stealth is still working its way into the U.S. military—in the form of the F-35 plane that the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps are procuring. In the meantime, most U.S. combat aircraft are not stealthy and are less and less useful in high-threat environments. Indeed, as a result of a lack of aircraft-modernization programs over the past 30 years, the Air Force’s fighter force is half the size it was when the Berlin Wall fell, and has reached an unprecedented average age of 26 years…

“Moreover, military displays like the one on July 4 obscure the fact that the U.S. armed forces are still largely organized the way they were a generation ago and employ tactics that have seen only marginal change from those employed in past wars…

“The United States tends not to parade its nuclear forces in public. Had Trump done so, the public would have seen not row upon row of new missiles, such as those that have appeared in recent Russian and Chinese parades, but rather a force of land- and sea-based missiles and bombers that date back to the late Cold War or its immediate aftermath…

“The wars of the future may depend not so much on the kinds of things you can put on parade, but on new technologies that reimagine warfare. Adversaries have invested in blunting America’s ability to project military power abroad, including by striking critical bases of operations, disabling information networks, and interfering with communication, navigation, and imagery satellites that support military operations…”

In light of these facts, it might perhaps not be all that stunning to realize that the US will lose its biblically prophesied war with Europe.

US Costliest Warship Cannot Carry Ammunition

Bloomberg wrote on July 30:

“Only two of 11 elevators needed to lift munitions to the deck of the U.S. Navy’s new $13 billion aircraft carrier (the costliest warship ever) have been installed… It’s another setback for contractor Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. — and for the Navy, which had said in December it planned to complete installation and testing of all 11 elevators before the Ford completed its post-delivery shakedown phase this month… Instead, the shakedown phase has been extended to October and the vessel won’t have all the elevators installed — much less functioning — by then… Essentially, the ship can’t deploy… It can’t carry ammunition…

“The elevators aren’t the only issue plaguing the ship, which has had problems with two other core systems — the electromagnetic system to launch planes and the arresting gear to catch them when they land… ‘I am concerned overall that the Navy is under-equipped in key areas,” the Oklahoma Republican [Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman James Inhofe] said in a statement. ‘The USS Gerald R. Ford is a prime example of that — delivered nearly two years late, billions over budget, and 9 of 11 weapons elevators still don’t work, with costs continuing to grow’…”

The US President’s War Powers

The Week wrote on July 28:

“The U.S. is currently conducting military operations in at least seven countries. In addition to Afghanistan and Iraq, American forces are involved in conflicts in Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Niger, and Libya. Most of these campaigns are being carried out under the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), which Congress passed just a week after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The 60-word resolution granted the president sweeping powers to use force against any nation, organization, or person who aided in the attacks. That was understood to include Osama bin Laden’s terrorist network al Qaida and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The Constitution gives Congress the sole power to ‘declare war,’ but since 2001, presidents have repeatedly used the AUMF to justify military operations around the globe. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently suggested President Trump had the authority to unilaterally order a war against Iran because of the AUMF.

“Can Trump do that? Legally, it’s a big stretch. Pompeo has told Congress that Iran has ‘very real’ ties with al Qaida. Intelligence analysts, however, are highly skeptical… there is no evidence of active collaboration between Iran’s Shiite rulers and Sunni-dominated al Qaida. So, the Trump administration’s trial balloon on Iran has alarmed members of both parties in Congress…

“Presidents Bush and Obama invoked the AUMF at least 37 times for military actions in 14 countries and at sea. Obama invoked it to strike ISIS in the Middle East and al–Shabab in East Africa—terrorist groups that didn’t exist on Sept. 11, 2001. Obama administration lawyers argued that those groups were ‘associated forces’ of al Qaida, so the law still applied. But even before the AUMF, American presidents had steadily expanded their war powers over the last century.

“Through what authority? Through their role as commander in chief of the military. The Framers acknowledged that the president should be able to order a military response to an emergency, such as a foreign attack on the U.S., without a formal declaration of war. American presidents have steadily expanded the definition of ‘emergency’; as a result, the U.S. has had only five declared wars in its history, the last of which was World War II. President Truman didn’t seek congressional approval for the Korean War – which lasted for three years and cost the lives of 40,000 Americans – by describing it as a ‘police action’ under United Nations rules. The small American presence in South Vietnam metastasized into a full-blown… undeclared war [which] lasted until 1975, killing more than 58,000 Americans and more than 1.3 million people altogether…

“In 1973, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution, which required the president to seek congressional approval for any conflicts lasting more than 60 days. Presidents have mostly just ignored it. Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton all used loose interpretations of ‘national emergency’ to justify interventions in conflicts in Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, Somalia, and Bosnia. Obama argued that the War Powers Resolution didn’t apply to airstrikes in Libya because they wouldn’t involve ground troops or the ‘sustained fighting or active exchanges of fire.’ The Obama and Trump administrations have used a similar rationale to justify supporting Saudi Arabia’s brutal campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen. Trump used the same legal framework for airstrikes on Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria last year.

“Why doesn’t Congress object? It often does, but it’s nearly impossible to rein in the president without overwhelming, veto-proof congressional majorities. Congress passed a bipartisan bill in April demanding that Trump remove all troops involved in ‘hostilities’ in Yemen, but the president simply vetoed it… In many cases, Congress has actually preferred to let the president take the lead on military action abroad. When Obama asked Congress in 2013 to authorize military strikes against Syria in retaliation for chemical weapons attacks against civilians, the Senate refused even to hold a vote…”

So, practically, the power of the US President to declare and wage war is seemingly unrestricted. This should be of great interest to every American—and to American allies and foes alike.

US Economy Slows

npr wrote on July 26:

“U.S. economic growth fell to a 2.1% annual rate in the second quarter — down from a 3.1% pace in the first three months of 2019…  President Trump has targeted a growth rate of 3% or above, citing the Republican tax cuts passed in 2017. But some studies have found that the tax cuts passed have done little to boost growth, in part because most of the benefit went to wealthy people and corporations.

“A 5.2% drop in exports — amid economic weakness in Europe and elsewhere as well as the U.S. trade war with China and other countries — contributed to the slowdown… In addition… the Commerce Department cited a number of other factors for the slowdown, including drops in business investment and investments in commercial and residential real estate. But consumer spending jumped 4.3% in the second quarter and government spending surged 5%….

“The economic slowdown comes even as unemployment, at 3.7%, is at near 50-year lows. Over the past three months, employers have added an average of 171,000 jobs each month. The trade war has taken a toll on manufacturing, and Boeing’s ongoing problems with the grounding of its top-selling 737 Max have also hurt the economy, analysts say… ‘We’re already seeing some signs of slowing momentum in the U.S. economy and slowing business investment overall,’ Greg Daco, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, told NPR’s Jim Zarroli [said].”

The question in light of this is as to how long the low unemployment figures and the high consumer spending can be maintained. 

Fed Cuts Interest Rates – Why?

The Week wrote on July 31:

“The Federal Reserve announced its first interest rate cut in a decade on Wednesday…

“It’s unusual for the Fed to cut rates as data show ‘above trend growth’ and such a strong labor market, rather than waiting to offer stimulus when the economy is heading into trouble, said Ethan Harris, head of global economic research at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. ‘There’s no historical precedent,’ he said.”

The Democratic Debate: Socialists vs. Moderates

AFP wrote on July 31:

“The ideological divide between Democratic presidential hopefuls came into focus Tuesday as leading progressive candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren defended their liberal policies on healthcare and immigration against surprisingly energetic attacks from moderate rivals. The fault lines emerged immediately in the second debate of the 2020 Democratic primary race, with lesser-known candidates taking sharp digs and warning that forcing radical change could ensure President Donald Trump’s re-election…

“[Warren] and Sanders faced dramatic pushback including from ex-congressman John Delaney who delivered a scathing rebuke to their ‘fairy tale economics’ that risk bankrupting the economy… Warren and Sanders… are essentially tied for second, at about half Biden’s support…”

Second Democratic Debate

Fox News reported on August 1:

“Former Vice President Joe Biden dominated the debate stage and weathered the attacks of nine opponents for the Democratic presidential nomination Wednesday night, emerging the clear winner… [He] delivered his message compellingly and convincingly. Even during his less strong moments, Biden remained the focal point of the conversation, speaking for over 21 minutes – more than any other candidate on stage…

“Despite Biden’s strong performance and solid frontrunner status, it is clear that the party has seismically shifted away from the centrist Democratic Party of the 1990’s…”

US Allies Are Distancing Themselves from America

The Atlantic wrote on July 27:

“Two of America’s closest treaty allies have announced military efforts explicitly designed to exclude the United States. Australia is ‘seeking to cement its status as the security partner of choice for Pacific nations’ by establishing an expeditionary training force. And the United Kingdom wants to create a multinational force to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

“It’s not a coincidence that allies are striking out on their own. Countries in the Pacific worry that the U.S. is forcing them to choose between their economic connections to China and their security relationships with the U.S…

“America’s friends are choosing to dissociate themselves, believing their interests are better served without American strength. It seems the rest of the world is losing faith that the U.S. is a reliable partner… The U.S. is ceasing to be a country that its allies come to for help solving problems. On the contrary, America’s allies think the U.S. is the cause of their increasingly tenuous security… [US] relations with close allies have frayed in systemically significant ways…”

The Algemeiner wrote on July 26:

“Denmark said on Friday it welcomed a British government proposal for a European-led naval mission to ensure safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and would consider a military maritime contribution… The initiative won initial support from Denmark, France and Italy… The backing contrasts with a lukewarm response shown by European allies to a similar American call first voiced at NATO in late June, which was resisted by France and Germany. They worried the US-led military alliance would be dragged into a possible confrontation with Iran.

“EU-member Denmark is among the world’s biggest seafaring nations and home to the world’s biggest container shipping firm AP Moller-Maersk, which sails in the high-tension area. ‘The Royal Danish Navy is strong and capable and would be able to contribute actively and effectively to this type of engagement,’ said Danish Defense Minister Trine Bramsen. A final decision would still need to be discussed in parliament.”

Germany Refuses to Assist USA

Breitbart wrote on July 31:

“The U.S. has requested naval cooperation from Germany in the Strait of Hormuz as tensions with Iran escalate, but the political leaders of the European nation have refused to assist their NATO allies. The German Federal Foreign Office said that Washington has approached them to contribute to a new surveillance mission in the Persian Gulf but had rejected the appeal saying there was no prospect of a contribution, German tabloid Bild reports.

“Germany’s allies, including the U.S. and the UK, have been attacked in the Persian Gulf by Iran in recent months. and under the doctrine of collective defence guaranteed by the NATO alliance, Germany is duty-bound to come to the aid of its allies if asked. Yet senior members of Angela Merkel’s left-centrist coalition government have made clear working with the U.S. is out of the question.”

Trade Deal between US and UK?

The Guardian wrote on July 31:

“Boris Johnson has presented a trade deal with the US as a way of offsetting the economic costs of leaving the EU, and Donald Trump promised the two countries could strike ‘a very substantial trade agreement’ that would increase trade ‘four or five times’. Trump, however, would not be able to push an agreement through a hostile Congress, where there would be strong bipartisan opposition to any UK trade deal in the event of a threat to the 1998 Good Friday agreement, and to the open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic…

“[Republican] Pete King [said] his party would have no compunction about defying Trump over the issue…

“For the past eight months, Congress has held up ratification of a new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada, the USMCA, which Trump has presented as an extraordinary achievement… Representative King said a UK trade deal would face even greater obstacles…

“The Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has said that a US-UK trade deal has ‘no chance whatsoever’ of passing in Congress…”

Partisan Decision of US Supreme Court to Support Trump’s Wall

Breitbart wrote on July 26:

“The U.S. Supreme Court allowed President Donald Trump to begin building the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border using emergency funds, lifting an injunction Friday that had been imposed by a district court in California and upheld by the Ninth Circuit.

“After Congress refused to appropriate enough funding to build a barrier along the border earlier this year, President Trump declared a national emergency to allow the administration to access more money. In total, he ordered $8 billion spent — though, as Breitbart News pointed out, only $3.6 billion needed an emergency declaration.

“The decision was largely along partisan lines, with all five Republican-appointed justices voting to lift the injunction, while all three liberal justices were opposed…”

As can be seen from this example, the US Supreme Court has become—or has always been—a political force. The decision is difficult to comprehend from just a merely legal standpoint.

Strange Happenings at the Mexican Border

World News Daily Report wrote on July 24:

“A group of Minutemen watching the Mexican Border for illegal migrants and drug traffickers, have proceeded to the citizen arrest of two men in an SUV, carrying 1300 pounds of cocaine. The volunteers were completely astonished when the two arrestees pulled out CIA ID cards and explained they were actually carrying the drug as part of their duties and that the cargo belonged to the Central Intelligence Agency.

“… the CIA spokesperson, Dean Boyd, has officially denied any link between the organization and the two men… Both the border patrol officers and minutemen seem unconvinced, however, and many of them seem to believe that the secret service agency is hiding something… Both the FBI and the DEA have announced that they would collaborate with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in this case, which has already attracted a lot of attention in Southern Texas.”

One does wonder…

U.S., Guatemala Sign Treaty Denying U.S. Asylum to Migrants

The Week wrote on July 27:

“President Trump on Friday announced an agreement with Guatemala that will require migrants traveling through the country to seek asylum there rather than the United States. American officials said the deal could go into effect within weeks, but critics are expected to challenge it in court, arguing that Guatemala is one of the world’s most dangerous countries and, therefore, should not be considered a place of refuge for those fleeing violence.

“Guatemala’s Constitutional Court has also granted multiple injunctions on the deal preventing the government from entering into it without congressional approval. American asylum laws require that almost all asylum seekers who arrive at the U.S. border be allowed to seek refuge in the country, unless they passed through a ‘safe third’ country, which is what Guatemala would be considered if the deal does go into effect.”

Even though the proposed deal was described by the conservative media as a great victory for Donald Trump, it faces substantial legal challenges in both countries. 

Believing Flip-Flopping Boris Johnson?

Breitbart wrote on July 27:

“Brexit Party MEP Alexandra Philips has warned that ‘we can’t believe Boris’ on his pledges to deliver Brexit… [She] joked that his colleagues should keep count of how many times Prime Minister Johnson pledges to take the UK out of the EU on October 31st, after his predecessor Theresa May stated 108 times that the UK would leave on March 29th. Ms Philips remarked: ‘No, we can’t believe Boris because this is the man who first of all reportedly wrote two different versions of his columns to The Telegraph on whether we should Remain or Leave.’

“Mr Johnson has u-turned on a number of positions in the past, including having voted for Mrs May’s withdrawal treaty on its third vote in the House of Commons, despite having voted it down twice before on grounds that it would reduce the United Kingdom to a ‘vassal state’ or ‘colony’ of the EU…

“Show host Martin Daubney revived the possibility of a Nigel Farage-Boris Johnson election pact…  Mr Farage also shared his colleague’s scepticism that the Tory government under Johnson would deliver Brexit, saying: ‘I don’t believe a single word the Conservative Party tell us. Theresa May told us 108 times we were leaving on March 29th and we didn’t, so just because Boris says we’re leaving on the 31st of October doesn’t mean we’re going to.’”

Nigel Farage also said that unless an election pact between him and Boris Johnson is formed, Mr. Johnson will not succeed. On the other hand, he might carry out Brexit—even without a deal. Also note the next interesting article about his close relationship to Israel.

Johnson a Passionate Zionist

Breaking Israel News wrote on July 24:

“Boris Johnson[’s] Jewish ancestry and personal experiences volunteering on an Israeli kibbutz as a young man positively impact his feelings about the Land of Israel and the Jewish people… He has great-grandparents who were Christian, Muslim, and Jewish and sometimes refers to himself as a ‘one-man melting pot.’

“Johnson’s maternal great-grandfather was a Russian Jewish immigrant… [he] was not a practicing Jew but was descendent of a strictly Orthodox Jewish rabbi from Lithuania. Throughout his political career, Johnson has been a strong advocate for Israel. Writing for The Jewish Chronicle, Daniella Peled reported in 2007 that Johnson is, ‘an enemy of politically correct anti-Zionism and immensely proud of his own Jewish ancestry.’ She quoted Johnson saying, ‘I feel Jewish when I feel the Jewish people are threatened or under attack, that’s when it sort of comes out. When I suddenly get a whiff of antisemitism, it’s then that you feel angry and protective.’

“In addition to his Jewish ancestry, Johnson has even stronger ties to Israel through his Jewish stepmother… Johnson refers to himself as a ‘passionate Zionist’ who ‘loves the great country’ of Israel… British politicians rarely call themselves ‘Zionists.’…”

Pound Could Hit Historic Low

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 30:

“The new U.K. government’s tough line on Brexit negotiations is pummeling the pound, reflecting increased investor fears the country could crash out of the European Union without an exit agreement… Two days of heavy selling have raised fears that sterling is heading toward its lowest level against the dollar in more than 34 years…

“‘People had thought that Boris Johnson may soften his stance once he was in power, but now the market is realizing that a no-deal Brexit is a very real possibility,’ said Seema Shah, chief strategist at Principal Global Investors in London… The pound could fall to $1.18 as Oct. 31 approaches, she said… Analysts are now placing the probability of a no-deal Brexit between 35% and 45%, up from 20% to 30% at the start of July.”

Russia and China Best Friends

The Guardian wrote on July 27:

“Now that Putin is Xi’s ‘best and bosom friend’, where does that leave the west?  An ever closer alliance between Beijing and Moscow has the Pentagon worried as a threat to US power in east Asia…

“A China-Russia axis is not a new idea but the question is gaining in topicality. Look no further than last week’s aerial confrontation over the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea. For the first time, China and Russia joined forces to mount an air patrol using long-range bombers and spy planes…

“China and Russia agree on many issues, principally the obsolescence of liberal democracy and the attractions of authoritarian governance. When Putin hosted Xi Jinping in Moscow in June, they celebrated a 30% year-on-year increase in bilateral trade and signed various cooperation deals. Russia is selling China its latest weaponry, including S400 ground-to-air missiles and SU-35 jets.

“Bigger, more frequent joint military exercises are planned… Putin has met Xi about 30 times since 2013. Xi calls him his ‘best and bosom friend’. All this… is deeply troubling, not just for Pentagon war-gamers but also for western allies… Trump’s two summit meetings with North Korea’s dictator, Kim Jong-un, have failed to produce any movement on denuclearisation. Now things are beginning to unravel. On Thursday, Pyongyang resumed ballistic missile testing.

“Shinzo Abe, Japan’s prime minister, while pursuing improved relations with China, also wants his country to be more self-reliant militarily. But he failed to secure a mandate to change Tokyo’s pacifist constitution in last weekend’s Upper House elections. That has tied his hands – which suits China and Russia just fine.

“Compared with Japan, South Korea’s relations with China are less encumbered by historical baggage. But the large American military presence there is a constant irritant… The Philippines president, Rodrigo Duterte, lamely agreed this year to shelve bilateral territorial and fishing disputes under pressure from Xi. Cambodia has reportedly agreed to host a Chinese naval base, although it officially denies it.

“Meanwhile China, sensing division and weakness, is noisily amplifying its longstanding objections to US (and British) geopolitical ‘meddling’. After more violence in Hong Kong last week, it pointedly told the US to remove its ‘black hand’.  Xi is simultaneously ramping up pressure on US-protected Taiwan… Beijing vowed to ‘resolutely defeat anyone attempting to separate Taiwan from China and safeguard national unity at all costs’.

“This sterner-than-usual warning follows Washington’s decision to supply $2.2bn (£1.8bn) in arms to Taiwan and a heightened US naval presence in the Taiwan Strait. Yet despite these American moves, Taiwan, in common with other rattled regional friends and allies, doubts Trump can be counted on…”

The Bible prophesies that a strong economic and military power bloc will be forming in the Far East, consisting of countries such as China, Russia and others. This power bloc will turn out to be hostile towards the West, especially continental Europe.

Crackdown on Russia’s Opposition

Deutsche Welle reported on July 27:

“Police in Moscow said they arrested more than 1,000 people [newer accounts put the number in excess of 1,400] on Saturday during an unauthorized rally to demand fair upcoming elections in Russia’s capital city. Around 3,500 people took to the streets, according to media reports [but the real figure was undoubtedly much higher, according to other press releases], in a demonstration which lasted more than seven hours. Demonstrators were protesting a decision by Moscow’s electoral authorities to keep several opposition members off the ballot for a city council election in September…

“Alexei Navalny, Russia’s most prominent opposition activist, had called for people to attend the rally. He was jailed for 30 days on Wednesday for organizing ‘unauthorized’ demonstrations… [Deutsche Welle wrote on July 28: “It’s not the first time Russian authorities have detained Navalny. The European Court of Human Rights last year ruled that Russia’s arrests and detention of Navalny in 2012 and 2014 were politically motivated and breached his human rights, a verdict Moscow rejected.”]

“Last weekend, 22,000 people attended a protest in Moscow to protest the ban on opposition candidates, the largest such demonstration in years… anti-Kremlin parties have been steadily marginalized in Russian politics since President Vladimir Putin first took office 20 years ago…

“Sergey Dik, a journalist working in [Deutsche Welle’s] Russian department, was briefly arrested… when he… was covering the protests on behalf of DW Russia… He immediately told the police officers that he is a journalist. They asked to see his ID, at which point Dik informed them that he had his passport as well as his foreign ministry press accreditation in his backpack. As he went to show his accreditation, the special forces offers told him that it was ‘some worthless document.’

“He was then taken to a police van, which transported him, along with 20 other detainees, to the ‘Marino’ police station in southeastern Moscow. A minor and another journalist were also among those who were detained… ‘It quickly became clear that the police were simply arresting everyone arbitrarily,’ Dik said. ‘They just come here, grab someone and lead or drag that person into the police vans — young men, women and also older people — and all without knowing whether these people are actually taking part in the protest,’ he said…

“After almost an hour and a half in the police van and the station, Dik was released.”

The Guardian added on July 27:

“Police also arrived at the homes of multiple opposition figures with search and arrest warrants, and called the editor-in-chief of the country’s leading independent television station in for questioning… Taken by surprise, authorities responded over the past week by launching a series of legal procedures against various opposition figures, alternating between the sinister and the absurd.

“Alexei Navalny, the highest profile opposition politician, was arrested outside his house earlier in the week as he stepped out to go jogging and buy his wife flowers for her birthday; he has been sentenced to 30 days in jail. Others received midnight knocks on the door from investigators, who demanded to search their properties and branded them suspects in the crime of ‘hindering the work of the electoral commission’…

“Sources told Russian media outlets that a department of the FSB security services, the successor of the KGB, is running the cases against opposition leaders… ‘This is the end of Russia’s 30-year experiment with elections,’ said Grigory Yavlinsky, a veteran Russian liberal politician… Yavlinsky, who came third in the 2000 presidential election in which Putin first won the presidency, said that ‘with each year the elections are less and less real, but this is really the end’…

“Now, authorities will… have to decide whether to step back or crack down, at a time when [former KGB intelligence officer and Russian spy Vladimir] Putin’s ratings are slipping and his ruling United Russia party is widely despised…”

The Sun added on July 27:

“Demonstrators decrying the leader’s grip on power were beaten and dragged away to cells as security forces used batons to storm the crowds… Amnesty International described the security force’s ‘military’ style tactics as reaching a ‘new low’…”

Historically, Russia has always been a dictatorship, and there is really no indication that this will change—most certainly not under Vladimir Putin. When the Russian government is challenged, those in power react with brutal force. 

Navalny Poisoned? 

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 29:

“Russian Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny’s personal doctor, Anastasiya Vasilyeva, said Monday that an unidentified ‘toxic agent’ may have caused his health to deteriorate while in police custody. Navalny was rushed to a Moscow hospital on Sunday but was since reported to be in ‘satisfactory condition’ and taken back to jail. ‘… he was in a life-threatening condition,’ she told reporters. ‘And now they are sending him back to the same place where that same toxic, chemical substance might be again… This was a chemical substance – even the doctors here have admitted that…’

“Navalny’s lawyer, Olga Mikhailova, supported that assumption, saying: ‘It is indeed poisoning.’”

It is not the first time that Vladimir Putin’s government has been accused of poisoning its opponents—and at least in some cases, overwhelming evidence points at the government’s guilt.

Atheistic China Persecutes Christians

CBN wrote on July 27:

“The Chinese government continues to tighten its grip on Christianity by actively discouraging young people to engage in things of faith. Under the last year’s new Regulations on Religious Affairs legislation, schoolchildren are even encouraged to report any family members who espouse Christian views… the new policy has created fierce rifts amongst families as children are encouraged to [question] and undermine the religious beliefs of those closest to them. In addition, the youngsters are fully aware that, if they report members of their family, it could result in their arrest and prosecution…

“‘My teacher says that Christianity is an evil cult,’ one boy explained to his mother… ‘Before starting school, I told my child about God’s creation, and he believed it,’ she explained. ‘But after being taught at school, my child is like a different person. In atheistic China, these pure and innocent children have been taught to hate God.’…

“Another school screened a propaganda video in which Jesus-followers were depicted as big scary monsters. After the presentation was complete, a teacher warned that Christian relatives might ‘cast spells’ on the youngsters… students were advised to ‘supervise’ their parents to ensure that they don’t partake in any religious activities…”

Such as was done in Nazi Germany under Hitler. 

Chinese Forces Gather at Hong Kong Border 

news wrote on July 31:

“The White House is monitoring the sudden gathering of Chinese forces at the border with Hong Kong, in a worrying sign of escalation… following another night of unrest and clashes between protesters and police…

“Growing ranks of Hong Kong’s typically conservative and publicity-shy bureaucrats have begun an unprecedented online dissent campaign against the city’s pro-Beijing leaders… US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has urged China to ‘do the right thing’ by Hong Kong… China hit back immediately, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying blaming America for the protests. ‘It’s clear that Mr Pompeo has put himself in the wrong position and still regards himself as the head of the CIA,’ Ms Hua said.”

UN Anti-Israel Resolution 

JTA wrote on July 26:

“Norway and six EU countries voted at the United Nations in favor of two resolutions that singled out Israel for criticism as a violator of women’s and human rights. Israel was the only country named Tuesday as a violator or trouble spot by the 54-nation UN Economic and Social Council during the session…

“The council’s rotating president is currently the Norwegian UN ambassador. France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg and Malta joined China, Russia, Iran and Venezuela and 29 other nations in supporting a resolution that says ‘that the Israeli occupation remains a major obstacle for Palestinian women and girls with regard to the fulfillment of their rights.’…

“Only Canada and the United States voted against the resolution. The United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Romania and Ukraine were among the nine nations that abstained.

“Nikki Haley, the previous US ambassador to the UN, tweeted on Thursday: ‘It amazes me how the U.N. condones votes like these. It is a total mockery of human rights to allow Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, and Yemen to name Israel as the world’s only violator of women’s rights…’”

Bild Online commented about the “scandalous” UN Resolution and Germany’s decision to abstain, asking Germany’s UN ambassador:

“How could Germany be silent, Herr UN-Ambassador? It is a new low point of the German conduct at the UN regarding Israel—a poor testimony for Germany’s UN Ambassador Christoph Heusgen… He was not even present during this farce, but sent a replacement…”

Even though some European countries and especially the German government with its controversial UN ambassador might give lip services for the support of Israel, their actions show quite consistently a totally different and disturbing picture of anti-Israeli politics. Ultimately, European countries will even intervene militarily in the Middle East and occupy Jerusalem, as the Bible clearly predicts.

“Top Rabbi in Israel: We Must Build the Third Temple”

Breaking Israel News wrote on July 29:

“The former Rabbi of the Old City of Jerusalem and one of the leading rabbis in Israel today said in an interview: ‘we must do everything in our power to build the Temple’.

“Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl is an Israeli rabbi and Posek (a legal scholar who determines the position of Halakha (Jewish law) in cases of law where previous authorities are inconclusive, or in those situations where no clear halakhic precedent exists). He is the head of the Yeshiva (seminary) of Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh, a faculty member at Yeshivat HaKotel, and Rabbi of the Ramban Synagogue. Nebenzahl used to serve as the chief rabbi of the Old City of Jerusalem. Today, the post was taken over by his son, Rabbi Chizkiyahu Nebenzahl…

“The rabbi emphasized that there has never been any sort of ruling from Chazal (Jewish sages of the Mishna) that states that the Jewish people should wait for it to fall from the sky contrary to what many ultra-orthodox Jews believe. One piece of evidence Rav Nebenzahl submits comes from Midrash Rabah of Parshat Toldot, saying: ‘When the Roman Empire gave the Jews permission to build the Temple, they built it. They didn’t wait for it to fall from Heaven’.

“The rabbi added that there is a mitzvah (commandment) to build the Temple – even if we can’t yet offer sacrifices. He added that questions surrounding the renewal of Temple sacrifices should not get in the way of the Third Temple being built…”

A Third Temple will be built soon.

New Dirty Allegations against Austria’s former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz

Kleine Zeitung wrote on July 27:

“The national election campaign has already reached an all-time low.  On the Internet, a new website with allegations against ÖVP chairman Sebastian Kurz has emerged. In it, the former Chancellor is accused of having been active in the 1990s as a child porn actor…

“This campaign ‘is becoming more and more the dirtiest battle there has ever been – and all with only one goal, namely, to damage Sebastian Kurz sustainably,’ ÖVP General Secretary Karl Nehammer said… Only a few days ago, Kurz was associated with rumors about drugs by the research institute ‘Zoom’, registered in Switzerland… Now it’s ‘one more step down’, says Nehammer.

“[Apart from the accusation of participation as a child porn actor in the 1990s,] there is also a mail circulating that accuses Kurz of sexual relationships with underage Syrian or Afghani [hustlers], Nehammer [reported]…

“As contact, a Dr. Siegfried Mayr is mentioned on the website… Mayr said Saturday afternoon that the site was authentic and the allegations against Kurz were substantiated by witnesses…

“Nehammer [stated:] ‘What is happening here in regard to allegations, rumors, slander and insults, is a systematic… filthy campaign against Sebastian Kurz… With Dirty Campaigning they want to permanently damage Kurz.’ The ÖVP Secretary General announced legal action against the partially unknown actors and has reportedly forwarded the ‘fake mail’ to data-forensic investigations to identify the authors…

“With similar words, Kurz responded himself Sunday on Facebook: ‘The last few days have highlighted the degree of horror [or gruesomeness] that this campaign will bring,’ Kurz writes… He believes that one wants to suppress his policy. The 2017 election campaign was apparently just a foretaste. ‘From the left and from the right, new innuendos, defamation and filth of the lowest kind are being disseminated on an almost daily basis.’ Kurz refers to fake e-mails… and then continues: ‘That’s not enough. Rumors of child pornography, drug abuse or corruption are being scattered around, leaving no stone unturned, saying “Something is going to stick”, in order to sabotage us and our country.’ In short, it is assumed that it is about ‘fighting by all means the change we stand for,’ including [fighting] all those who support this path of change.”

 Politics has always been a rotten and dirty business, but it seems now that there is no end to accusations and innuendos… and that is true around the world. The accused finds him- or herself always in the precarious situation as to whether to remain silent (which could be construed as an admission of guilt in the court of public opinion) or to speak out (which could be construed as a desperate attempt by the “guilty” accused to deny the “facts.” The nice-sounding concept of “presumption of innocence until proven guilty” is in many cases just a farce.) However, the truth, whatever it may be, will come to light and prevail in God’s due time. This proves once more that a true Christian cannot and must not have any active part in politics. In any event, we feel that Sebastian Kurz has still an important role to play on the world scene. 

The Dangers with Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri

The Daily Mail wrote on July 30:

“Amazon staff review thousands of audio recordings made by Alexa each day… The clips were accidentally captured by the popular digital assistant — confusing the noises for the commands it should be listening to — and sent off for analysis. Staff at the tech firm review one in every five-hundred recordings made by Alexa, whether of deliberate commands to the assistant or accidental recordings… the revelation is a reminder of the extent of the personal information that the tech firm has on its users. Amazon has an English-speaking team monitoring thousands of Alexa recordings daily based in Bucharest, Romania… along with similar setups in Boston, Costa Rica and India…

“It is estimated that Amazon’s Echo and Echo dot smart speakers — on which Alexa operates — can be found in around 6.5 million homes in the UK alone. ‘All Amazon Alexa owners will likely be stunned by the news that Amazon employees can listen to intimate moments,’ Kaspersky principal security researcher David Emm told the MailOnline. ‘While digital assistants such as the Amazon Echo are supposed to be activated by a specific ‘wake-up’ word, time and time again recently these devices have hit the headlines for intruding on people’s privacy, so the question is, where does this end?’…

“On Twitter, various Alexa users report their smart speaker devices being accidentally activated by random sounds — or even to no apparent cause… consumers need to be made aware ‘that what goes on at home doesn’t necessarily stay at home.’ ‘It is an alarming wake-up call to owners of all digital assistants that the vendor has access to a huge volume of your personal information,’ he said. This information is of potential value not only to cyber-criminals who could conceivably gain access to the data, but advertisers as well…

“The Sun’s investigation comes after similar privacy issues were revealed with Apple’s equivalent digital assistant, Siri — which is so sensitive that even the sound of a zipper being pulled can set it off… There have been countless instances of recordings featuring private discussions between doctors and patients, business deals, criminal dealings, sexual encounters and so on… In particular, it has been suggested that Siri is especially disposed towards unintended activation on Apple Watch devices….”

Amazon’s and Apple’s conduct should not be ignored or glossed over…

Cheaters Linked to Professional Misconduct

The Independent wrote on July 31:

“… a new study suggests that marital infidelity and professional misconduct are linked…

“The study’s researchers said their investigation suggests a strong connection between people’s actions in their personal and professional lives…”

Earthquakes in Europe, Turkey, Japan and Indonesia

The Sun wrote on July 31:

“The island of Crete was hit by a 5.3 magnitude earthquake earlier this morning… Greece is a hotspot for earthquakes…

“While France has not been hit by strong earthquakes in recent history, the country is still affected by shakes, especially along western France… Just last month, a 4.9 magnitude earthquake hit France with tremors felt as far as Bordeaux and Normandy…

“Spain does not have dangerously strong earthquakes although they are common in certain regions such as Costa Blanca. In March, holiday resorts in the area were hit by a magnitude 4 earthquake… Eastern and central Italy often experience earthquakes, with a 6.2 quake in 2016 killing more than 150 people…

“Turkey has experienced some of the most deadly earthquakes in the world. In 1999, thousands of people were killed following a 7.6 magnitude earthquake.

“… the UK rarely experiences strong earthquakes – the most recent being a 3.3 magnitude quake in February this year. One of the largest earthquakes to hit the UK was in 1931, with a magnitude of 6.1.

“The countries with the most earthquakes are Japan and Indonesia – with the deadliest in 2004 on the island of Sumatra, triggering the Boxing Day tsunami.”

In addition, we will soon experience strong earthquakes in other places around the world, including in America and also in Italy and Israel.

America’s Recycling Crisis—Robots to the Rescue

CNBC wrote on July 27:

“The U.S. is facing a recycling crisis that is burying cities and towns in tens of millions of tons of garbage a day. The problem began last year when China, the world’s largest recyclable processor, stopped accepting most American scrap plastic and cardboard due to contamination problems, and a glut of plastics overwhelming its own processing facilities. Historically, China recycled the bulk of U.S. waste.

“Contamination in the U.S. is high… The situation is dire for many local economies as recycling costs skyrocket. It’s forced many cities and some small communities to stop recycling all together. [Others threaten to charge fees for recycling, which would most certainly not help the situation.] Now more waste is ending up in landfills and incinerators.

“To tackle this environmental catastrophe, U.S. companies and researchers are developing AI-assisted robotic technology that can work with humans in processing plants and improve quality control… Sorting trash is a dirty and dangerous job. Recycling workers are more than twice as likely as other workers to be injured on the job… The profession also has high fatality rates.

“The way the robots work is simple. Guided by cameras and computer systems trained to recognize specific objects, the robots’ arms glide over moving conveyor belts until they reach their target. Oversized tongs or fingers with sensors that are attached to the arms snag cans, glass, plastic containers, and other recyclable items out of the rubbish and place them into nearby bins.

“Denver-based AMP Robotics… has developed software… so robots can recognize different colors, textures, shapes, sizes and patterns to identify material characteristics so they can sort waste. The robots are being installed at the Single Stream Recyclers plant in Sarasota, Florida and they will be able to pick 70 to 80 items a minute, twice as fast as humanly possible and with greater accuracy…”

Amazing what the human mind can do. This would be actually good news for a change… if it works.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

In the first part of this two-part series, we examined human “pride” which is opposed to God and which exalts oneself above God and His Law and other human beings. This kind of pride can also be described as a boasting and a wrong feeling of self-confidence and of being inflated with self-conceit. David brought it to the point when he remarked that such a proud person is not concerned about and does not seek God so that, consequently, he persecutes the poor.

We pointed out that in the Old Testament, the Hebrew words “gaon,” “gavah” and “geuth” are rendered with “pride” in English translations, when referring to wrong and ungodly human pride. At the end of part 1, we asked the question whether the concept of “pride” could also be applied in a right and godly way.

This might be a puzzling question, as we are used to thinking of pride in strictly human negative terms. But would it be beyond imagination that God might feel proud about His accomplishments, and that God’s disciples might feel proud about abilities which God gave them–not to glorify themselves, but to glorify God? Would it be wrong to have godly pride and satisfaction in God’s marvelous works? Would it be ungodly to find satisfaction and pride in one’s godly work, or to tell our children when they have accomplished something worthwhile after a long and arduous struggle, “I am proud of you”? Would it be ungodly to tell parents that they can be proud of their righteous and upright children?

It is a common theme throughout the Bible that Satan uses a godly concept and perverts it into something which is ungodly. We could think of numerous examples, including righteous godly anger and the wrong kind of human anger; godly righteousness and human self-righteousness; godly jealousy and wrong human jealousy; godly desires and wrong human desires; just to name a few. Could something similar be applicable when examining the concept of “pride”?

The answer to this puzzling question may become clearer when realizing the original meaning of the Hebrew words, which, as we discussed in the first part, are translated with “pride” in English Bibles. However, these words have additional meanings as well.

The Hebrew word “gaon” can also mean “excellency” or “majesty” (Strong’s Concordance of the Bible, #1347). This Hebrew word is applied to human pride, as we saw, but it can also apply to God in many instances.

We read in Exodus 15:7: “And in the greatness of Your excellence You have overthrown those who rose against You; You sent forth Your wrath; It consumed them like stubble.”

Also, we read in Job 37:1-5 about God’s greatness or majesty and His marvelous works:

“At this also my heart trembles, And leaps from its place. Hear attentively the thunder of His voice, And the rumbling that comes from His mouth. He sends it forth under the whole heaven, His lightning to the ends of the earth. After it a voice roars; He thunders with His majestic voice, And He does not restrain them when His voice is heard. God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend.”

Micah 5:2-5 speaks of Jesus Christ and especially His coming worldwide rule on and over this earth. It states the following:

“‘But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting… And He shall stand and feed His flock In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God; And they shall abide, For now He shall be great To the ends of the earth; And this One shall be peace.”

The book of Isaiah contains many references to and descriptions of God’s “majesty”.

In Isaiah 24:4-6, 14-15, we read about the majestic God’s punishment of haughty and disobedient people who are cursed because they transgress God’s Law:

“The earth mourns and fades away, The world languishes and fades away; The haughty people of the earth languish. The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed the laws, Changed the ordinance, Broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, And those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, And few men are left…They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing; For the majesty of the LORD They shall cry aloud from the sea. Therefore glorify the LORD in the dawning light, The name of the LORD God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea.”

As we saw in the first part, another Hebrew word which is used in English translations to describe ungodly human pride is “geuth.” According to Strong’s #1348, it also includes the meaning of “excellent things” and “majesty.”

In Psalm 93:1, 3-4, the contrast is beautifully described between the “proud” and “noisy” floods and the much more powerful majestic God:

“The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The LORD is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength…The floods have lifted up, O LORD, The floods have lifted up their voice; The floods lift up their waves. The LORD on high is mightier Than the noise of many waters, Than the mighty waves of the sea…”

A third Hebrew word, which we discussed in the first part and which has been translated as “pride” in reference to man’s ungodly haughtiness, is “gaavah.” This word has also the meaning of “excellency,” “majesty” or “ornament” (Strong’s, #1346). It is translated in Isaiah 13:3 as God’s “exaltation” in which man can rejoice.

We read in Psalm 68:32-35:

“Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; Oh, sing praises to the LORD, Selah. To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old! Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice. Ascribe strength to God; His excellence is over Israel, And His strength is in the clouds. O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!”

We read in Isaiah 26:9-11, 21: “… when Your judgments are in the earth, The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. Let grace be shown to the wicked, Yet he will not learn righteousness; In the land of uprightness he will deal unjustly, And will not behold the majesty of the LORD. LORD, when Your hand is lifted up, they will not see… behold, the LORD comes out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity…”

Isaiah 2:9-21 uses two of the three Hebrew words. It describes how the majestic and exalted God will deal with ungodly people who are proud of their ungodliness:

“And each man humbles himself [before an idol]; Therefore do not forgive them. Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the LORD of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty, Upon everything lifted up–And it shall be brought low–Upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up, And upon all the oaks of Bashan; Upon all the high mountains, And upon all the hills that are lifted up; Upon every high tower, And upon every fortified wall… The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, And the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; The LORD alone will be exalted in that day… They shall go into the holes of the rocks, And into the caves of the earth, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily… [They will] go into the clefts of the rocks, And into the crags of the rugged rocks, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily.”

The Hebrew word for “majesty” is “gaon.” The Hebrew word for “haughtiness” is “gaavah.” This is remarkable as the word “gaavah” can also describe, as we have seen, God’s majesty. So, in this passage, both concepts are being introduced—man’s ungodly “pride” and God’s righteous and majestic excellency—His unparalleled glory and exaltation.

It is important to realize that the Bible also uses the words describing God’s majesty and excellency in reference to His creation—including man.

We read in Deuteronomy 33:26-29 about Israel—apparently a reference to both the remnant of physical Israel in the Millennium and, even more so, glorified and immortal Christians—spiritual Israelites—in the Kingdom of God:

“There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, And in His excellency on the clouds. The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, ‘Destroy!’ Then Israel shall dwell in safety, The fountain of Jacob alone, In a land of grain and new wine; His heavens shall also drop dew. Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, The shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! Your enemies shall submit to you, And you shall tread down their high places.”

The Hebrew word for “excellency” is “gaavah,” and the Hebrew word for “majesty” (the Authorized Version says here too, “excellency”) is also “gaavah.” But notice, it is the sword of ISRAEL’S excellency. So God will make man excellent or “proud”… but it is the right and righteous kind of pride which God Himself has for His creation; and man should not deny this fact and reject that kind of appropriate pride for God and His Work.

We read in Psalm 47:1-9:

“Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth… He will choose our inheritance for us, The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah… Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne… He is greatly exalted.”

Here, the Hebrew word for “excellence” is “gaon.” But God speaks here of the excellence of Jacob—the satisfaction and “pride” which He has for Jacob.

Another and even more revealing thought is expressed in Isaiah 60:15-16, 18-21, speaking about “Zion” at the time of the Millennium and beyond:

“Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, So that no one went through you, I will make you an eternal excellence, A joy of many generations… You shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob… Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; But you shall call your walls Salvation, And your gates Praise. The sun shall no longer be your light by day, Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the LORD will be to you an everlasting light, And your God your glory. Your sun shall no longer go down, Nor shall your moon withdraw itself; For the LORD will be your everlasting light, And the days of your mourning shall be ended. Also your people shall all be righteous; They shall inherit the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified.”

The Hebrew word for “excellence” is “gaon.” God will make “Zion” an eternal excellence; the people will live in righteousness, and God will be glorified. Realizing that the word can also mean “pride,” a picture is being described here of which one can truly be proud; and God will indeed be satisfied with and even be proud of His people.

God had called Israel to give them the feeling of the right kind of pride and praise towards Him and what He accomplishes. But Israel failed miserably. We read in Ezekiel 7:20-21:

“As for the beauty of his ornaments, He set it in majesty; But they made from it The images of their abominations– Their detestable things; Therefore I have made it Like refuse to them. I will give it as plunder Into the hands of strangers, And to the wicked of the earth as spoil; And they shall defile it. I will turn My face from them, And they will defile My secret place; For robbers shall enter it and defile it.”

The Hebrew word for “majesty” is “gaon.” God gave them ornaments for their majesty of which they could have been proud—not in the sense that they had acquired them due to their own strength or that they were worthy of receiving it, but in the sense that they realized that they were God’s people and that in spite of their frailties, God had accepted them. We should have this same kind of pride in the right way since God has called us and has given us the Holy Spirit, so that we can have the urge, zeal and dedication to make God proud of us, in living worthily of our calling. However, Israel became proud in the wrong way—they rejected God’s presents and blessings, treated them without appreciation and even used them for the service and worship of other gods.

And so, as we read earlier in Amos 6:8, God said that He abhorred the pride [“goan”] of Jacob—that human pride opposed to God and His Way of Life. While Jacob should have had a right sense of pride, which was godly, they replaced it with self-centered feelings of haughtiness and inflated self-aggrandizement. But we also read that once Jacob comes to repentance, God will restore Jacob’s excellency or that right kind of pride. We read in Nahum 2:2:

“For the LORD will restore the excellence of Jacob Like the excellence of Israel…” The Hebrew word for “excellence” is “goan.” As God hated the self-centered pride of Jacob, so He will restore the right kind of pride to the people who will live in a godly way so that God can be proud of them, and they can develop an appreciation of the right kind of pride towards God.

God challenged Job to do what He could do. If that were possible, note what would have been the outcome, in Job 40:8-12:

“‘Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified? Have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like His? Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, And array yourself with glory and beauty. Disperse the rage of your wrath; Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him. Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low; Tread down the wicked in their place.”

The Hebrew word for “majesty” is “gaon.” As God is adorned with majesty, so Job would be, and then he would be able to humble those who are proud in the wrong way. Then Job would be able to have the right kind of pride in his work… not the self-righteous wrong kind of pride in his “innocence” which he was trying to uphold.

God is excellent, majestic, exalted, and what He creates is likewise supposed to be excellent and majestic; except that man has polluted this world and has replaced God’s righteous character traits with satanic counterfeits of unrighteous pride, unrighteous anger, unrighteous desires and unrighteous jealousy. When God had completed the restoration of the earth and the creation of plants, animals and men, He looked at His work and found it to be very good. We can read between the lines and see that He was satisfied with His work and that He was proud of and found pride in His work.

When we realize that God is working in us, we can have the same kind of satisfaction and godly pride… not that we amount to anything on our own, but that God is calling us worthy to obtain His mercy and protection and that He is qualifying us to ultimately inherit eternal life. Everything we have is from God (1 Corinthians 4:7), but we must not belittle what He gave us and treat it as something without value. We should not reject praise, which we might receive for our good deeds, but we should accept such acknowledgement with the consciousness that it is for God’s glory who does His deeds in and through us. We read that people will see our good works and praise and glorify the Father for them (compare Matthew 5:16).

We should not treat whatever talents we have received from God as something  which we developed on our own (Deuteronomy 8:11-18); nor should we neglect these talents, but in using them, we glorify God who in turn will be proud of us… and so we should be proud of God and what He does.

True majesty and righteous pride belong to God, but when we forget that, we usurp godly pride, which we should have, and change it into unrighteous and selfish pride, which we must not have. When we do that, then the high and mighty God will humble us until that human pride is eradicated from our lives.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

A new Member Letter (August 2019) has been posted and mailed to our subscribers. In this letter, Pastor Rene Messier (Canada) writes of the awesome future which is promised to God’s Church—with a reminder that we must finish what God has called us to accomplish.

“What Will Europe Do when the Third Temple Is Being Built?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Europe and especially Germany have already manifested a hostile attitude towards Israel. But what will they do when Israel begins to build the prophesied Third Temple on the Temple Mount? Some even suggest that in doing so, Israel will have to destroy the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa mosque. Would this lead to World War III? What does the Bible say?

“Ursula von der Leyen und die europäische Armee” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program. Title in English: “Ursula von der Leyen and the European Army.”

“Kannst Du als junger Mensch Gott folgen? — Nicht nur für Kinder und Teens!” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon. Title in English: “Can You follow God as a Young Person? — Not Only for Kids and Teens!”

“Nothing New Under the Sun,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Frank Bruno, is now posted. Here is a summary:

While there are people in the world who might bristle at the thought that the Bible has influenced their thinking; either directly or more subtly, the fact is it does indeed. Many of our ideas and conversations and even some of the most passionate public speeches recorded in history have been greatly influenced by biblical verses. This Sermonette will cover several of the most poignant scriptures as well as the impact they had on the world stage.

“This Life,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Do we understand the words of the Bible? They are God’s words, and we must ask whether or not we are able to hear what God says. Jesus Christ spoke God’s words, and they are the words of eternal life! Do we understand Him?

On July 27, 2019, Frank Bruno will present the sermonette, titled, “Nothing New Under the Sun,” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “This Life.”

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

In our weekly Update number 235, dated March 17, 2006, there was a Q&A entitled, “Does it matter what a political leader does in private as long as he does his ‘public’ job effectively?” 

We have had a leadership contest in the UK for the leadership of the Conservative party, following the resignation of the former incumbent, Theresa May. From an initial list of eleven, the final two candidates were chosen and have been in a run-off for the position leader of the party and Prime Minister of the UK.  The winning candidate has indeed had a well documented chequered personal lifestyle over many years until the present time and, although he is highly likeable and a charismatic figure, he would rate very poorly as a role model for those with high standards.

It struck me that briefly re-visiting that Q&A from over 13 years ago would be a reminder of what really matters in the choice of someone for the top political position in the country. Below are just a few of the comments made in that Q&A:

“The Dutch theologian and historian philosopher Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) said that ‘A man cannot govern a nation if he cannot govern a city; he cannot govern a city if he cannot govern a family; he cannot govern a family unless he can govern himself; and he cannot govern himself unless his passions are subject to reason.’

“Those in the public eye and in political leadership positions should have certain standards. We ought to be able to expect that politicians bring certain qualities to the jobs that they undertake, including honesty, integrity, uprightness and a moral code. In other words, we ought to be able to expect ‘character.’

“Character is the ability to discern right from wrong and to always choose the right, irrespective of circumstances or popular demand.

“Character is a vital ingredient and involves the whole person. In his book ‘The Death of Outrage,’ William J. Bennett made the following comments: ‘Are character and integrity abstract side issues, outweighed by current economic well-being?… The leader must be whole; he cannot have his public character be honest and his private character be deceitful.’…

“Integrity comes from studying and applying God’s Word, and it is still of paramount importance. To put it simply, integrity is the difference between what you say and what you do. It has also been described as what you do when no one is looking…

“The behaviour of politicians really does matter. Sadly, in this world which is ruled by Satan, most politicians do not follow God’s Way of Life. Many citizens copy the bad behaviour of their leaders and among many other reasons, that is why the Church of the Eternal God and its corporate affiliates do not vote in governmental elections, nor do we endorse any political candidates.”

We know that both the UK and the USA are due for a big fall before they rise again after Christ’s return, and the importance of voting in someone of high intelligence, leadership qualities and personal charisma is no substitute for good character and integrity. This is not to say that a leader must never slip nor make any mistakes, as no human being is without sin, but we are addressing here an habitual lifestyle and concepts, philosophies and ideas, which are opposed to the Word of God.

What has happened with both Brexit (or the lack of Brexit) and the change of national leadership should not surprise us, as the nation heads for disaster for many and varying reasons, not least being that of great national sins and leaders who are responsible for and involved in them.

The sad thing is that turning to God could have avoided so many problems, but that approach is not even considered today, and we are all the poorer for that.  The new Prime Minister of the UK will have his work cut out over Brexit and the economy at large. However, the sins of the nation are great and the recent winner of this “prize” will not be able to stop the demise of a once great nation. It is sad, it is inevitable and it is to be expected, and only a nation whole-heartedly turning to God can stop it and, based on all the evidence, that is not likely to happen.

Only the return of Christ will solve the problems of the UK, and the world at large, and that cannot be too far away now.

by Norbert Link

We begin with ongoing troublesome conflicts with Iran, involving both the USA and the UK; and a brewing conflict between these two allies over America’s “Operation Sentinel” and Britain’s initiative of a European “maritime protection mission.” We report on the appointment of Britain’s new Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and his uncertain future course of action regarding Europe and Brexit. Please view in this context our new StandingWatch program, “Europe, Britain and the USA… How Prophecy Moves On!”

We also speak on tensions between the USA and Turkey. We report on interesting comments by Vladimir Putin regarding Russia and Ukraine and address Donald Trump’s reelection in 2020; the Mueller hearing; and a controversial bipartisan deal on increasing federal spending. We also speak on the mistrust of the vast majority of Americans regarding their government and the news media.

We report on turmoil in America’s unincorporated territory, Puerto Rico, and in the former British colony, Hong Kong, as well as hardship in Zimbabwe, formerly known as Rhodesia when it was under British colonial rule until 1964.

We continue with the ongoing deteriorating relationship between Donald Trump and Germany, under Angela Merkel, and between President Trump and Europe, under EU’s new Commission President, German Ursula von der Leyen. Our new StandingWatch program, “Europe, Britain and the USA… How Prophecy Moves On!”, comments on this situation as well.  We address the prospects of a devastating trade war between Europe and the USA. We also speak on the 75^th anniversary of the assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler and the concern that Austria might become a totalitarian state.

We conclude with Europe’s failed migrant rescue efforts with little hope that the devastating situation of migrants drowning in the Mediterranean Sea will be resolved any time soon; and heated controversies in Israel about comments pertaining to homosexuality.

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

US Tensions with Iran… Seeks “Continued” Friendship with Saudi Arabia

AFP wrote on July 20:

“The United States is deploying troops in Saudi Arabia as tensions soar with its arch-rival Iran raising concerns over navigation in the Gulf’s strategic Strait of Hormuz. It will be the first deployment of its kind since 2003, when American forces withdrew from the kingdom after a 12-year presence and two US-led wars with Iraq that culminated with the toppling of dictator Saddam Hussein…

“Analysts say the deployment is aimed at bolstering ties between Washington and Riyadh — particularly military relations — strained in the past year…

“Trump’s administration has faced anger from lawmakers at home for not doing more to punish Saudi Arabia over last year’s killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul… There has been growing outrage in the US, and around the world, over American arms sales to Saudi Arabia… Despite the criticism, Trump has repeatedly hailed Saudi Arabia’s powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, who is also the kingdom’s defence minister.”

The Sun wrote on July 22:

“DONALD TRUMP has slammed claims Iran smashed an American spy ring as ‘just more lies and propaganda’. It comes after an Iranian intelligence ministry official appeared in a state TV documentary which brags about capturing CIA spies and sentencing them to death… The programme describes a CIA spy operation which involved recruiting Iranian civilians to steal secrets on the promise they could emigrate to America… [None of the alleged captured spies are Americans.]

“Iran is second only to China in the number of people it executes every year — officially about 500 people are put to death annually on charges ranging from murder, drug dealing to opposing the regime or being gay. Firing squads or hanging is the preferred method.

“According to Amnesty International confessions are extracted under torture and some trials are held in secret…”

British Tensions with Iran

The Algemeiner and Reuters wrote on July 22:

“Britain was weighing its next moves in the Gulf tanker crisis on Sunday… as a recording emerged showing that the Iranian military defied a British warship when it boarded and seized a ship three days ago… in apparent retaliation for the British capture of an Iranian tanker two weeks earlier… there are few obvious steps London can take at a time when the United States has already imposed the maximum possible economic sanctions, banning all Iranian oil exports worldwide…

“The Iranian capture of the ship in the global oil trade’s most important waterway was the latest escalation in three months of spiraling confrontation with the West that began when new, tighter US sanctions took effect at the start of May.”

The Guardian wrote on July 22:

“About a fifth of the world’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, the busiest shipping lane in the world for crude tankers, and it is less than 25 miles (40km) wide at its narrowest point… Friday’s tanker seizures caused [oil] prices to rise… The UK has already advised all British-flagged ships not to enter the Strait of Hormuz until the crisis is resolved. There are eight British-flagged ships in the region at present…

“There is an urgency about the security of British ships, since one option is for British-flagged ships to be reflagged to avoid them becoming a target of the Iranians, something that would deal a blow to the British shipping industry. There are about 4,500 ships registered with Britain or its overseas territories.”

The Sun wrote on July 25:

“Boris Johnson has ordered the Royal Navy to accompany all British-flagged vessels through the Strait of Hormuz… Fears have recently been raised that the Royal Navy lacks the strength to conduct missions to protect UK shipping. Since the Falklands War, the navy has dropped from 80 vessels to 50 but with ten of those currently out of action for maintenance.”

European Tensions with Trump over Iran

The Guardian wrote on July 22:

“The UK must be responsible for the safety of its own ships in the Gulf, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has said [adding: ‘The US has a responsibility to do its part.’] His remarks reflect unresolved tensions between Britain and the US over Donald Trump’s plans for a US-led military convoy to protect international shipping operating off the Iranian coast… [the United States Central Command said it is working on a ‘multinational maritime effort’ called Operation Sentinel ‘to increase surveillance of and security in key waterways in the Middle East to ensure freedom of navigation in light of recent events in the Arabian Gulf region.’]

“The UK foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, spoke to his German and French counterparts on Sunday to urge them to recognise the need to internationalise the maritime security operation in the Gulf. A multinational task force already exists, and it is not clear what the US believes its proposed Operation Sentinel will add…

“Britain has concerns that a US-led maritime security operation may have a different emphasis since Trump wants Europeans to join the US in pulling out of the nuclear deal signed in 2015.”

The Associated Press wrote on July 22:

“Britain announced plans Monday to develop and deploy a Europe-led ‘maritime protection mission’ to safeguard shipping in the vital Strait of Hormuz…

“He also sought to put distance between Britain and its closest international ally, the United States. Washington has broken with London on Iran policy… The foreign secretary said the planned European mission was not part of the U.S. policy of exerting ‘maximum pressure’ on Iran.

“It was unclear which countries will join the protection force or how quickly it can be put in place. Hunt said he had consulted with foreign ministers of Oman, the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, Spain and Denmark…”

The Guardian added on July 22:

“The proposal has parallels with existing international maritime forces operating in the Gulf as well as EU anti-piracy force operating off the east coast of Africa. However, these missions are protecting shipping largely from non-state actors…

“Hunt admitted the US had first requested the UK to contribute to a US-led maritime protection force… He said the US plan was helpful and it was important to coordinate, but said he wanted the contribution to the proposed naval protection force to be as broad as possible, implying a number of European countries would not be willing to contribute assets if the force was US-led.”

Boris Johnson new UK Prime Minister

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 23:

“Boris Johnson was elected leader of the British Conservative Party on Tuesday… [He] will take over the reins from outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May, having repeatedly pledged during the campaign to leave the European Union at the end of October ‘come what may.’ …

“His ascent to power was marked with regular controversies and gaffes, starting with his job as a trainee reporter at The Times newspaper, where he was dismissed for concocting a quote from his own godfather. In 2004, by then an MP, the Oxford graduate was sacked from his roles as shadow arts minister and Conservative Party vice-chairman for lying about an extramarital affair. His London mayorship was epitomized by a 53.5 million pounds (€59.5 million, $66.5 million) waste of taxpayer money on a failed vanity project, meant to be a garden-covered pedestrian bridge over the River Thames…”

“Boris Johnson Is How Britain Ends”

The New York Times wrote on July 22:

“Boris Johnson… faces the most complex and intractable political crisis to affect Britain since 1945… Mr. Johnson, whose laziness is proverbial and opportunism legendary, is a man well practiced in deceit, a pander willing to tickle the prejudices of his audience for easy gain… his premiership could bring about the end of Britain itself…

“He seems not to have principles… Tackling Britain’s deep divisions requires depth of character, conviction and principle, none of which its incoming prime minister has ever hinted at possessing…”

EU Congratulates Johnson, but…

The Guardian wrote on July 23:

“Boris Johnson’s election as Conservative leader has been greeted in Brussels with a rejection of the incoming British prime minister’s Brexit demands and an ominous warning by the newly appointed European commission president [Ursula von der Leyen] about the ‘challenging times ahead’… The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, tweeted that he wanted to work ‘constructively’ with Johnson on the basis that both sides were committed to facilitating ‘the ratification of the withdrawal agreement’, the deal struck by Theresa May that the new Conservative leader has repeatedly described as dead…

“He has promised to rapidly renegotiate almost all of May’s departure deal, ditching the Irish backstop border guarantee policy, something that would seem a huge task over any timescale, let alone little more than 12 weeks, a fair proportion of which is taken up by a summer break. If this fails, he will be set on a no-deal departure for 31 October, and a likely huge clash with MPs.” BBC News wrote on July 23:

“…EU leaders’ welcoming tone does not signal a willingness to accept whatever Prime Minister Johnson might demand in terms of changes to the Brexit deal. He’s right when he says a no-deal Brexit is bad for Brussels but he overestimates EU wiggle room. Amendments will only be forthcoming if EU leaders deem them workable, if Dublin is on board and if Brussels is convinced the new prime minister commands a majority in parliament to get the Brexit deal through once and for all. Big ifs…”

Newsmax and The Associated Press wrote on July 23:

“The EU is adamant that the deal with May will stand, saying Britain has to take it or leave it… Economists warn that a no-deal Brexit would disrupt trade and plunge the U.K. into recession . Fears that Britain is inching closer to crashing out of the bloc weighed on the pound once again Tuesday. The currency was down another 0.3 percent at $1.2450, nearly a two-year low…”

How Boris Johnson will proceed and whether he will stick to his promises is anybody’s guess. In the past, he strongly advocated that Britain should not leave Europe, stating that Europe was the best thing which could have happened to Britain. He also attacked Donald Trump, saying that Trump was unfit to be President. Even though he is considered to be Trump’s ally, he does not shy away from publically criticizing him when it is politically advantageous for him; for instance, when calling his remarks about four Congresswomen “racist.” This is a rather odd statement, coming from Johnson, given his ”offensive and racist comments, such as calling Papua New Guineans cannibals” (The Associated Press, dated July 23. It also said in a related article: “Boris Johnson aspires to be a modern-day Winston Churchill. Critics fear he’s a British Donald Trump.”)

Johnson’s Night of the Blond Knives

 The Sun wrote on July 24:

“Just hours after he became Britain’s 55th Prime Minister this afternoon with a promise to deliver Brexit in 99 days, more than a dozen were booted in a shock reshuffle… His rival Jeremy Hunt was the most high profile to get the sack – after he was offered a job as Defence Secretary but turned it down. Almost all of those who were axed were backers of Hr Hunt, showing the new PM is keen to ditch those who gunned for his opponent or were part of May’s team who failed to deliver Brexit.

“… a Boris supporter told the BBC this afternoon: ‘This is a bloodbath. I hope he knows what he’s doing.’ Furious allies of Jeremy Hunt turned on Boris over the purge and warned it would backfire by creating powerful enemies who will move against the new PM at the first hint after Mrs. May formally stepped down. Chancellor Philip Hammond, David Gauke, the Justice Secretary, David Lidington, the PM’s deputy and Rory Stewart all quit earlier – before Boris even had the chance to sack them…”

Johnson’s actions could very well backfire.

UK to Become the Greatest Place on Earth?

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 25:

“The British prime minister has vowed to push through Brexit — even without a deal. Johnson has backed an October 31 deadline to leave the EU, describing it as the beginning of a ‘new golden age for the United Kingdom.’ [He] told Parliament that he was committed to the October 31 deadline to leave the EU ‘for the purpose of uniting and re-energizing our great United Kingdom and making this country the greatest place on earth.’…”

The Daily Mail wrote on July 25:

“Defiant Boris Johnson chanelled Donald Trump today as he promised to make Britain the ‘greatest country on Earth’ on his debut in the House of Commons… telling MPs he was determined to honour his ‘do or die’ promise to secure Brexit by the end of October.

“Going on the attack after his unprecedented bloodbath of 17 Cabinet ministersovernight, Mr Johnson warned that the Irish border backstop must be scrapped altogether, saying ‘a time limit is not enough’. He urged the EU to ‘rethink’ its refusal to make more concessions in the negotiations – threatening to withhold the £39billion divorce bill unless the UK gets a better deal. He said the UK was ‘better prepared’ than many thought for No Deal…

“In a limited olive branch to Brussels, Mr Johnson did say he would unilaterally guarantee the rights of EU citizens already in the UK to stay after the country leaves the bloc…”

Tensions with Turkey

On July 19, Newsmax published the following article by Patrick Buchanan:

“In 1951, Turkey ended a neutrality dating to the end of World War I and joined NATO. In the seven decades since, there has been no graver crisis in U.S.-Turkish relations than the one that erupted this week.

“Turkey has just received the first components of a Russian S-400 air and missile defense system, despite U.S. warnings this would require the cancellation of Turkey’s purchase of 100 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters… The sale has been canceled. The Turkish pilots and instructors training in the U.S. are being sent home. Contracts with Turkish companies producing parts for the F-35 are being terminated.

“Under U.S. law, the administration is also required to impose sanctions on Turkey for buying Russian weaponry. Wednesday, the Pentagon warned Turkey against military action in an area of Syria where U.S. troops are deployed. The Turks appear to be massing for an incursion against U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces Ankara regards as terrorist allies of the Kurdish PKK inside Turkey.

“How America and Turkey avoid a collision that could wreck NATO, where the Turks field the second-largest army in the alliance, is not easy to see. U.S. hawks are already calling for the expulsion of Turkey from NATO. And expulsion of U.S. forces and nuclear weapons from the Incirlik air base in Turkey in retaliation is not out of the question…

“In this new century, leaders of both parties have plunged our country into at least five wars in the Middle and Near East… None of these wars has produced a victory or success for us. But taken together, they did produce a multitrillion-dollar strategic and human rights disaster… ‘Great nations do no fight endless wars,’ said Trump. Yes, they do. As the British, French, Germans, Japanese and Russians showed in the last century, that is how they cease to be great nations.”

“Russians and Ukrainians Are ‘One People'”

Newsmax wrote on July 20:

“…the Kremlin released comments by President Vladimir Putin, saying that the two countries will mend ties despite their five-year conflict. Putin went as far as to say that Russians and Ukrainians are one people…

“Ties between the former allies deteriorated after protesters in Kiev unseated the country’s Kremlin-backed leader in 2014 and Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea before fomenting a war in which he still denies involvement.”

Russia and Ukraine will unite and fight together in a prophesied nuclear war with continental Europe.

Trump for Another Four Years

Piers Morgan wrote on July 22 in the Daily Mail:

“[Trump] knows most Americans would never vote for a diehard socialist to run the country. In fact, there’s never been a genuine socialist U.S. president in the country’s 243-year history… The Squad proudly bleed pure unadulterated socialism from every pore… Their policy proposals include free healthcare and tuition for all and a massive environmental ‘Green New Deal’ program. All of which sounds great until you try to calculate a budget for it all, and realize it would cost $43 trillion which would instantly bankrupt America…

“They also persistently scream that Trump must be impeached… Yet any attempt at impeachment, which would certainly fail due to the Republicans’ control of the Senate, would be a gift to the incumbent President. It’s little wonder then that Trump wants the Squad to dominate Democrat discourse, since everything they do or say further enrages and mobilizes his base…

“The Squad is deeply unpopular even within their own party… And there lies the big problem for the Democrats: how do they shut up the Squad?… Trump knows the Squad is a very potent vote-winner for him. The more everyone’s talking about them, the less they’re talking about Biden, Harris, Warren, Buttigieg or any of the other Democrat presidential candidates.

“And that means the whole image of the Democratic Party is now being moulded into far-left socialism, to potentially disastrous electoral consequences… If Trump can… keep the Squad center-stage then the 2020 election could come down to a straight fight between capitalism and socialism, at a time when the U.S. economy is surging and job numbers are roaring, and with the specter of socialist-run Venezuela lying in ruins… So long as they remain the face of the Party, the Democrats are doomed.”

Mueller Hearings – No Favors for Democrats

Fox News wrote on July 24:

“Democrats hoping that hours of testimony by former Special Counsel Robert Mueller might fuel their case for President Trump’s impeachment were left with little new material at the conclusion of Wednesday’s back-to-back hearings, as Republicans gloated that the spectacle failed to make the case to oust the president…

“Mueller stood by his team’s findings at Wednesday’s hearings—reiterating that the special counsel’s office found no evidence of a criminal conspiracy between Trump associates and Russia, while also stating that the president was not exonerated on allegations of obstruction of justice despite his assertions to the contrary.

“But in doing so, he also repeatedly refused to drift beyond the bounds of his report… Mueller declined to go down the road of the impeachment topic, under questioning from both Republicans and Democrats…

“Even fierce Trump critics voiced concern that the hearings were doing Democrats no favors. Harvard Law Professor Laurence Tribe called the hearing a ‘disaster’ that ‘sucked the life’ out of the Mueller report…

“Perhaps one of the most seemingly revealing moments in the hearings occurred when Mueller testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee that if it were not for the Office of Legal Counsel rule that says a sitting president cannot be indicted, Mueller would have criminally charged the president based on the findings of his investigation. ‘The reason that you did not indict the president is because of the OLC opinion that you cannot indict a sitting president, correct?’ Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif. asked Mueller. ‘Correct,’ Mueller replied.

“Mueller backpedaled on these remarks at the top of the second hearing of the day, saying ‘I want to add one correction to my testimony this morning. I want to go back to one thing that was said this morning by Mr. Lieu, who said and I quote, “You didn’t charge the President because of the OLC opinion.” That is not the correct way to say it. As we say in the report and as I said at the opening, we did not reach a determination as to whether the President committed a crime.’”

Mueller also said that a president could be charged with a crime after the expiration of his term in office, but he declined to address the problematic topic of the statute of limitations, which is apparently not tolled. If the Democrats thought they could use Mueller’s testimony to beef up their case for impeachment against Trump, they were disappointed. Trump is not going to be impeached.

Bi-Partisan Deal on Increasing Federal Spending

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 22:

“Congressional and White House negotiators reached a deal to increase federal spending and raise the government’s borrowing limit, securing a bipartisan compromise to avoid a looming fiscal crisis and pushing the next budget debate past the 2020 election. The deal for more than $2.7 trillion in spending over two years, which must still pass both chambers of Congress and needs President Trump’s signature, would suspend the debt ceiling until the end of July 2021. It also raises spending by nearly $50 billion next fiscal year above current levels…

“For President Trump, the deal pushes the debt-limit question out beyond the 2020 election and provides a boost to military spending that he can tout on the campaign trail. For congressional leaders, it ensures an initial measure of stability and marks a win for the kind of pragmatic deal making that has been in short order in Washington in recent years. The accord also marked another example of Washington’s rising tolerance for deficits, among both Democrats, who prize domestic spending, and Republicans, who consistently seek more money for the military.”

The Telegraph added on July 22:

“Nobody can claim a big win — though they did — but both sides view it as better than a protracted battle this fall that probably wouldn’t end up much differently.

“However, it also comes as budget deficits are rising… requiring the government to borrow a quarter for every dollar the government spends — despite the thriving economy… It ignores warnings from deficit and debt scolds who say the nation’s fiscal future is unsustainable and will eventually drag down the economy.”

Such insanity cannot go on forever.

Americans Mistrust their Government and News Media

AFP wrote on July 22:

“Americans distrust the news media, but see government and political leaders as even more untrustworthy… 69 percent of Americans say the federal government intentionally withholds important information from the public, while 61 percent say the news media intentionally ignores important stories. Nearly two-thirds say it is hard to tell the difference between what is true and false when they hear elected officials, and almost half said the same about information they encounter on social media.

“The survey highlighting growing mistrust among Americans in institutions and in each other… 64 percent of US adults believe trust in each other has declined… and that it keeps neighbors apart… at least part of [the] reason for the lack of trust in government lies with President Donald Trump, who has repeated at least 10,000 falsehoods since taking office… and who has repeatedly attacked mainstream media reports about him as ‘fake news.’’

It will even get much worse. The Bible has prophesied this to happen. We read in Micah 7:2, 5: “The faithful man has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among men. Do not trust in a friend; Do not put your confidence in a companion…”

Proposed US Refugee Plan Echoes Dark Time in American History

JTA wrote on July 24:

“In July 1939, eight months after Kristallnacht and seven weeks before Hitler would invade Poland, Congress killed a bill that would have allowed 20,000 Jewish refugee children into the United States. Opponents of the bill… said America should help its own poor people before foreigners, and worried that letting in children could later lead to admitting their parents…

“After the war, and the Holocaust, Congress passed two bills that let 80,000 Holocaust survivors move to the U.S. Since then, the United States has continued accepting tens of thousands of refugees per year. But next year, that number may again shrink — this time to zero… Stephen Miller, the architect of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, may try to eliminate refugee admissions next year — no refugees would be allowed beyond the borders…

“Jewish historians and refugee advocates, however, say that if implemented, the eradication of the refugee program would echo a dark time in American history… Daniel Okrent, author of ‘The Guarded Gate,’ a new book about anti-immigrant sentiment targeting Jews, Italians and other immigrants in the early 20th century, [said:]

“‘Despite what Americans learned about the Nazi depredations, about the Nuremberg Laws, Kristallnacht and so on, the American public was not interested in setting aside the quotas to allow more Jews into this country.’… Americans as a whole have never been particularly pro-refugee…  In 2016, under President Barack Obama, the cap on refugee admissions was 110,000. Trump cut that to 45,000 and then to 30,000. But the United States has not even met those numbers…”

Trouble in Puerto Rico

Axios wrote on July 22:

“Hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans filled the streets of San Juan Monday demanding the resignation of Gov. Ricardo Rosselló…

“Leaked text messages revealed Rosselló and members of his inner circles making sexist and homophobic comments and mocking victims of Hurricane Maria, a disaster that killed thousands and caused the longest electrical blackout in U.S. history. The leak came just days after a separate incident, in which the FBI arrested two officials from Rosselló’s administration for mishandling government contracts worth millions of dollars.

“On Sunday, Rosselló announced that he would resign as leader of his party and would not run for re-election next year, but refused to step down as governor before the end of his term. His concessions have not been enough for the thousands who have taken to the streets over the past two weeks. A number of U.S. officials have joined calls for Rosselló to resign, both over the profane text messages and his administration’s handling of Hurricane Maria.

“President Trump tweeted on Monday: ‘A lot of bad things are happening in Puerto Rico. The Governor is under siege, the Mayor of San Juan is a despicable and incompetent person who I wouldn’t trust under any circumstance, and the United States Congress foolishly gave 92 Billion Dollars for hurricane relief [actually, Congress has allocated $42.5 billion in disaster relief to Puerto Rico, according to Axios], much of which was squandered away or wasted, never to be seen again. This is more than twice the amount given to Texas & Florida combined. I know the people of Puerto Rico well, and they are great. But much of their leadership is corrupt, & robbing the U.S. Government blind!’”

NBC News wrote on July 24:

“Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló announced his resignation Wednesday [effective August 2] days after demonstrators at the island’s largest protest in recent history called for his ouster over a scandal involving leaked private chats, as well as corruption investigations and arrests.”

Hong Kong Crisis Escalates

ABS News reported on July 22:

“China harshly criticized the weekend demonstration, saying ‘central authority cannot be challenged.’ The Chinese rebuke came after its Hong Kong office was targeted Sunday night by protesters who pelted it with eggs and spray-painted its walls. It made no mention of the violent attack hours later at a subway station by men wielding iron pipes and wooden poles as they beat up people clad in the pro-democracy movement’s black shirts…

“The attack on China’s Liaison Office was an escalation of the weekslong protests, during which demonstrators besieged Hong Kong’s legislature and police headquarters but did not direct their ire at China itself. It came after more than 100,000 people marched through the city to demand democracy and an investigation into the use of force by police to disperse crowds at protests…

“The ‘one country, two systems’ framework, under which the former British colony was returned to China in 1997, allows Hong Kong to maintain a fair degree of autonomy in local affairs… The growing crisis in Hong Kong has fueled fears that China’s People’s Liberation Army may intervene.”

Returning Hong Kong to China was prophesied to happen, as Britain was and is to lose its power and influence.

Hardship in Zimbabwe

The Guardian wrote on July 21:

“Millions of people in Zimbabwe face hardship, hunger and chaos as the economy comes close to ‘meltdown’… More than 18 months after the military coup that removed Robert Mugabe from power, the new government is struggling to overcome the legacy of the dictator’s 30 years of repressive rule and the consequences of its own failure to undertake meaningful political reform.

“Official figures published on Monday showed annual inflation had almost doubled to 175% in June, adding to the pressure on a population already struggling with shortages of basic foodstuffs, fuel and medicine. The rising prices reminded many of the economic collapse caused by Mugabe’s policies a decade ago, when hyperinflation emptied shelves of basic foodstuffs and led the southern African country to abandon its currency…

“A severe drought has caused further hardship and rolling power cuts as water levels in dams have dropped… About 7 million people are threatened with hunger… Some have resorted to selling livestock and land, spending savings, withdrawing children from school and begging…”

Merkel on Collision Course with Trump

The Local wrote on July 19:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday condemned President Donald Trump’s xenophobic tweets against four minority Democratic congresswomen, saying the US leader’s attacks ‘go against what makes America great’… International condemnation has rained down over the comments. British Prime Minister Theresa May called them ‘completely unacceptable’. New Zealand’s leader Jacinda Ardern said she ‘completely and utterly’ disagreed with Trump.

“While usually refraining from commenting on other countries’ domestic politics, Merkel on Friday had markedly sharp words about Trump’s latest attacks. Questions over racism are particularly sensitive in Germany given its Nazi past, and the government routinely speaks out forcefully in favour of tolerance and diversity.

“Trump and Merkel’s relationship had been strained from the start, with the US leader haranguing the German chancellor even before he took office. During his election campaign, the US property mogul called Merkel’s decision to take in a million asylum seekers a ‘catastrophic mistake’ and suggested that she was ‘ruining Germany’.

“Merkel [has drawn] the startling conclusion that the US may no longer be a reliable partner for Germany and the European Union. Europe must step up as a player in world affairs, Merkel said in 2017, signalling that the EU needs to take control of its destiny in the Trump era…

“Earlier this year during a commencement speech at Harvard University, dubbed by German media such as Spiegel Online as her first ‘Anti-Trump speech’, [the] German leader deplored attacks on free trade, ‘walls’ of any kind and ‘lies (described) as truth.’… Merkel also indirectly took a stab at Trump’s penchant for hiding the truth. ‘We shouldn’t call lies truths, and call truths lies,’ she added, receiving the largest round of applause…”

The relationship between the USA and Germany will continue to deteriorate, even after Merkel steps down. It is not to be expected that anyone in Germany will become the new German Chancellor who would be sympathetic towards Trump.

Ursula von der Leyen vs. Donald Trump

Politico wrote on July 17:

“Ursula von der Leyen has called Donald Trump’s discussions of NATO ‘immature,’ questioned why he wants to be a ‘best buddy’ with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and even suggested the president is uncomfortable with strong female leaders. Now she’ll be his main counterpart in the European Union… The new role for von der Leyen… will put her at the forefront of negotiations with the U.S. over trade, technology and other major issues… even some of her fans worry that her ascent to the Commission presidency will further fray the tenuous U.S.-EU relationship under Trump…

“Von der Leyen, often referred to as VDL, is close to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has long had a tense relationship with Trump… Von der Leyen is a strong believer in multilateralism and the European project. That alone could turn off Trump, who is skeptical of international alliances and often stresses the overriding importance of national sovereignty…”

EU-US Trade War Coming?

Politico wrote on July 21:

“EU trade chief Cecilia Malmström has warned that the U.S. is likely [to] soon impose retaliatory tariffs on up to $25 billion of European products, as part of a dispute over airline subsidies… It could get even worse. Seven Commission officials and EU diplomats said they fear Trump will carry out a long-standing threat to impose painful auto tariffs as early as November. The EU has said it is ready to retaliate with its own tariffs targeting €20 billion of U.S. exports.

“‘Compared to one year ago, the number of trade irritants has increased, not decreased,’ said Luisa Santos, director for international relations at BusinessEurope… The outlook is grim, according to Gary Hufbauer, a senior fellow with the Washington-based Peterson Institute for International Economics: ‘Trump firmly believes — and has convinced many Americans — that the U.S. has been taken advantage of all these years, and that Europe should make unilateral concessions,’ he said.  Trump has repeatedly said he wants to slash the U.S.’s $169 billion trade-in-goods deficit with the EU. His 2020 reelection campaign risks escalating the conflict, Hufbauer said: ‘Trump really believes that confrontation with foreign countries gets him votes.’…

“There is no indication that trade talks will move forward… Jürgen Matthes from the German Economy Institute said… that Trump’s trade war with China demonstrated that ‘when in doubt, Trump goes the way of confrontation.’… BusinessEurope’s Santos said that Europe’s fate would partially hinge on the U.S.-China trade talks, as Trump’s advisers would seek to avoid a two-front trade war, particularly if tensions with Beijing escalated further…”

Merkel Remembers Operation Valkyre and Attacks Right-Wing Extremism

The Huffington Post wrote on July 20:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel used the [75^th] anniversary of a celebrated assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler to lash right-wing extremism on Saturday… The 1944 plot to kill Hitler… called Operation Valkyrie… was the most famous of the attempts on Hitler’s life. It was led by German Col. Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, who plotted with several co-conspirators to assassinate the Nazi leader with a briefcase bomb.

“Stauffenberg, just 36 years old at the time, placed the briefcase next to Hitler before a meeting at Hitler’s secret Wolf’s Lair headquarters in an East Prussia forest. But Hitler survived the assassination attempt with minor injuries after someone moved the briefcase next to a heavy table leg, which deflected much of the explosion. Four people were killed when the briefcase detonated. Stauffenberg and some 200 co-conspirators were caught and executed within hours…

“Germany is battling a new eruption of right-wing extremism. There are an estimated 24,000 right-wing extremists in Germany, and close to 13,000 are believed to have a tendency to violence… In May the nation’s right-wing party Alternative for Germany, which has a nationalist and anti-immigrant agenda, became the nation’s largest opposition party in German Parliament.”

Germany to Increase Military Spending?

The EUObserver wrote on July 22:

“Germany’s new defence minister and CDU leader, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (AKK), plans to increase military spending to the Nato target of two-percent of GDP by 2024, which is also a frequent demand of US president Donald Trump.

“Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition partners, the SPD said they would not allow Trump to dictate military spending.”

To be clear, AKK’s proposal to increase Germany’s military spending is not based on any desire to please Trump.

Austria to Become an Authoritarian State under Kurz?

 vaaju wrote on July 21, 2019:

“‘Courier’ editor Helmut Brandstätter warns in his new book about an ‘authoritarian state’ – driven by… ÖVP chief and former chancellor Sebastian Kurz… ‘Sebastian Kurz wanted the power at all costs.’ …  ‘With brutal pressure and penetrating intervention, the ÖVP chief and his spokesmen try to bring the media in line.’..

“Brandstätter sees the road to an authoritarian state interrupted, but not necessarily ended, by the coalition’s temporary end. He warns specifically against leaving again the Ministry of the Interior to the FPÖ [and by extension, the governmental reigns to the ÖVP under Kurz] this fall… ”

Courier or ‘Kurier’ is a liberal Austrian newspaper, which was at one time the most successful paper in Austria. Its editor, Helmut Brandstätter, also wrote that Kurz’s search for power was “never limited by content-related substantial convictions,” and that it was therefore “absolute.”

NGO Migrant Ships Continue Despite Strong Opposition

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 21:

“Humanitarian group SOS Mediterranee says it has relaunched migrant rescues off Libya, seven months after it was forced to abandon its activities [following hostility from several European governments].

“The operation comes amid growing concerns for people attempting the perilous Mediterranean Sea crossing from the conflict-hit North African country. The Norwegian-flagged Ocean Viking… is expected to arrive in the central Mediterranean at the end of the month… [which] can hold up to 200 migrants.

“The charities reported there were almost no rescue vessels patrolling the Mediterranean, where at least 426 people have died so far this year… SOS Mediterranee said these migrants were attempting ‘to escape the escalating conflict in Libya and the deplorable conditions of Libyan detention centers.’…

“In recent weeks there have been repeated confrontations between Italy’s populist government and other charities seeking to bring rescued migrants ashore. Last month, the captain of German charity ship Sea-Watch 3, Carola Rackete, was arrested after she docked with 40 migrants at the port of Lampedusa without permission.  ‘Our presence at sea is to save lives. We hope that the countries will understand and join with us as there is no other solution in the central Mediterranean,’ head of operations at SOS Mediterranee, Frederic Penard, told the Agence France-Presse news agency…”

Deutsche Welle added on July 21:

“The Marella Discovery picked up 111 migrants, including 33 children, near Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula… The migrants’ boat was found in distress on Saturday evening, some 74 kilometers (40 nautical miles) off Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula… The passengers were taken to the Greek port of Kalamata…

“Several times a week, boatloads of people — many of them from Africa — attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea for a better life in Europe. Greece, Italy and Spain have borne the brunt of the influx of newcomers over the past decade, many of whom are picked up by migrant rescue ships operated by European charities. A failure by European Union states to agree an effective disembarkation procedure has prompted Italy’s populist [far-right] government to ban several migrant ships from docking at the country’s ports.

“Although the number of migrants attempting the perilous journey has fallen from 362,000 in 2016 to 116,000 in 2018, an average of six migrants die every day in the Mediterranean…”

The EUObserver added on July 19:

“Countries who rejected non-European migrants or raised concern on rule of law, such as Poland, could expect more sympathy from the European Commission, its new president, Ursula von der Leyen, has indicated.”

This would indicate that Europe’s horrible immigration policy will not change under von der Leyen, but it might even become more devastating for the survival of migrants.

Europe Needs to Rediscover Christian Heritage

Breitbart wrote on July 24:

“Europe must rediscover its Christian heritage and not be afraid of promoting openly Christian values, said Iraqi Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako in an interview this week… ‘I understand that there are no longer Christian religious classes in Belgian schools, only classes about Islam.’… ‘Europe should not be ashamed of Christian values that we in Iraq defended for centuries… Christians are afraid of Muslims in Europe but they are not helping Christians in Iraq…

“‘Throughout the Middle East Christians are ready to die rather than deny their faith, while many Muslims in Europe are ready to die rather than continue living in a continent where “infidels” make the law.’… While the European Union (EU) could be a big help…, they have done virtually nothing, he said. Individual European nations, such as Hungary, have provided assistance, but the EU itself ‘is not helping Christians,’ he declared…”

Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem Condemns Homosexuality

JTA wrote on July 23:

“The Sephardi chief rabbi of Jerusalem said gay people cannot be religious Jews and called homosexuality ‘a wild lust that needs to be overcome.’ Rabbi Shlomo Amar made the remarks last week during a sermon… [He said:] ‘It would be better if they cast off their kippah and Shabbat [observance] and show their true faces.’

“… Three groups representing religious LGBTQ Jews… slammed his remarks in a joint statement Tuesday… ‘Rabbi Amar, with your harsh comments you called on our families to vomit us out of our homes and from our communities,’ the organizations said.

“Last week, Israel’s new education minister, Rafi Peretz, came under fire for saying he supports gay conversion therapy and that he has used the practice to help homosexual youth. He later walked back his remarks, condemning the practice.”

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.

When reading the Bible in the Authorized Version or the New King James Bible, as well as in most other English translations, one will find that the words “pride” or “proud” are exclusively applied to wrong human conduct or emotions. This is especially true when analyzing Scriptures in the New Testament.

There, three different Greek terms are used to describe pride, but all have a slightly different underlying meaning.

In Mark 7:21-22, we read that “from within, out of the heart of men, proceed[s]… pride…”

In this case, the Greek word for pride also designates “haughtiness.”

In 1 Timothy 3:6, Paul addresses the qualifications of a minister, emphasizing that he should not be “a novice, lest being puffed up with pride, he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.” We know from the Old Testament that Lucifer, who became Satan, sinned when his heart was lifted up and became proud. The Greek term, which Paul uses in 1 Timothy 3:6, alludes to this historical fact. The word actually means, “inflated with self-deceit.”

Finally, in 1 John 2:15-16, we are told not to love this world or this present evil age, nor the things in the world. John continues to say that “all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”

Satan is the god and ruler of this world, and so he broadcasts his feelings and emotions, including those of pride, to unsuspecting people. The Greek word for pride here has the meaning of “self-confidence” and “boasting.”

From these three examples, we can see that human pride, which is actually Satan’s pride being instilled into man, is condemned. Emphasis is especially placed on haughtiness, inflation with self-conceit, and self-confidence.

“Proud” is a related word in the English translation of the New Testament, which describes similar concepts.

In 1 Timothy 6:4, Paul warns of false teachers who do not agree with Christ, calling them “proud, knowing nothing.” The meaning for “proud” here is “being inflated with self-conceit.”

The word “proud” is also used in five more passages, in which the meaning is, “appearing above others.” But Paul tells us to look at others higher or superior than ourselves, as Philippians 2:3 should be translated (compare the Amplified Bible).

We read in Luke 1:51 that God “has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.”

In Romans 1:30, Paul speaks about those who turned against God and His Law and describes them as “backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters…”

In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, the perilous end times are described. People love themselves and are haughty, proud and blasphemers, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.

James 4:4 describes people who want to be friends with the world and therefore become enemies of God, adding in verse 6 that “God resists the proud But gives grace to the humble.”

Finally, 1 Peter 5:5 repeats the same statement (that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble”), adding in verse 6: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.”

All these passages, taken together, show us that human pride is condemned as an emotion or wrong character trait which is in opposition to God and which is unwilling to submit to Him, while feeling superior, more important and higher than others, which prevents the manifestation of love and outgoing concern for the welfare and benefit of others.

When turning to the Old Testament, a similar picture emerges.

The most common Hebrew word translated in the Authorized Version or the New King James Bible with “pride,” is “gaon.” As we will see in the second part of this series, this Hebrew word has several meanings, but we will concentrate in this first part on “pride.”

In Leviticus 26, God prophesied to the modern houses of Israel and Judah that they would be blessed for their obedience, but they would be cursed for disobedience. In verse 19, He tells them that in case of continued sinful conduct against Him, He would “break the pride of” their power; that is, their human pride in their power.

God has begun to do this, especially to the USA, the UK, and other English-speaking nations. He says in Hosea 5:5: “The pride of Israel testifies to his face; Therefore Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity; Judah also stumbles with them.” In verse 4, God makes very clear what the problem is: “They do not direct their deeds Toward turning to their God.” Their human pride in their own “greatness” prevents them from repenting and from seeking God, as Hosea 7:10 reiterates and emphasizes: “And the pride of Israel testifies to his face, But they do not return to the LORD their God, Nor seek Him for all this.”

God says in Amos 6:8: “I abhor the pride of Jacob.” Also, note Amos 8:7 in connection with Israel’s transgressions of the Sabbath: “The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob: ‘Surely, I will never forget any of their works.’”

Again, in Ezekiel 24:20-21: “Then I answered them, ‘The word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Speak to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I will profane My sanctuary, your arrogant boast [lit.: the pride of your strength], the desire of your eyes, the delight of your soul; and your sons and daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword.”’”’”

God will also punish the modern house of Judah for exactly the same kind of transgression and proud attitude. He says in Jeremiah 13:9-10:

“Thus says the LORD: ‘In this manner I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who follow the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be just like this sash which is profitable for nothing.’”

Again, God condemns here human pride with the accompanying unwillingness to submit to Him.

God made similar statements about other end-time nations which likewise sin against Him. In Ezekiel 30:6, God says about Egypt that the “pride of her power shall come down” and that He will punish “her arrogant strength” (verse 18) and destroy her many idols (verse 13).

God will also punish “the pride of Moab—He is very proud… his haughtiness and his pride and his wrath” (Isaiah 16:6). Jeremiah 48:29 reiterates this statement, but adds that Moab “exalted himself against the LORD” (verse 26).

In addition, God will “cut off the pride of the Philistines” (Zechariah 9:6). Likewise, “the pride of Assyria shall be brought down” (Zechariah 10:11), and “the pride of the Jordan” will be “in ruins’ (Zechariah 11:3).

God also has this to say about end-time Babylon, in Isaiah 13:19: “And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.”

We all know that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sins, and the sin of homosexuality comes immediately to mind. However, there is more to the story, as Ezekiel 16:49-50 explains:

“Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit.”

Pride would most certainly include here the “pride” to be gay (thinking of gay pride parades, etc.), but pride is also used here in a more general sense, referring to the pride about all the sins mentioned in this passage.

And so, God condemns human pride which is directed against Him and His Way of Life. In Job 35:9-13, we read:

“Because of the multitude of oppressions they cry out; They cry out for help because of the arm of the mighty. But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs in the night, Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth, And makes us wiser than the birds of heaven?’ There they cry out, but He does not answer, Because of the pride of evil men. Surely God will not listen to empty talk, Nor will the Almighty regard it.”

David pleaded with God for His intervention on his behalf and for help from evil and godless people who were trying to destroy him. He said in Psalm 59:12-13:

“For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, Let them even be taken in their pride, And for the cursing and lying which they speak. Consume them in wrath, consume them, That they may not be; And let them know that God rules in Jacob To the ends of the earth. Selah.”

Finally, we read in Proverbs 16:18: “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Human pride, which is directed against God, His Word and His people, will not go unpunished. Somebody who is too proud and haughty to submit to God by showing love and outgoing concern for his fellow human being stands condemned by God. It is important to remember that in all the Old Testament passages, which were quoted above, the Hebrew word for pride is “gaon.”

A related Hebrew word to “gaon” is “gaavah,” which the New King James Bible translates likewise with “pride” in the following passages, reiterating what we already know to a large extent from passages quoted above (This Hebrew word has several meanings as well, but again, we will concentrate in this first installment on “pride.”).

In Isaiah 25:10-12, God speaks again of the punishment of Moab:

“For on this mountain the hand of the LORD will rest, And Moab shall be trampled down under Him, As straw is trampled down for the refuse heap. And He will spread out His hands in their midst As a swimmer reaches out to swim, And He will bring down their pride Together with the trickery of their hands. The fortress of the high fort of your walls He will bring down, lay low, And bring to the ground, down to the dust.”

Zephaniah 3:11-13 speaks of a future time when God will have destroyed the inappropriate human pride of Israel and Judah and when the people will be humble and trust in Him:

“In that day… I will take away from your midst Those who rejoice in your pride, And you shall no longer be haughty In My holy mountain. I will leave in your midst A meek and humble people, And they shall trust in the name of the LORD. The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness And speak no lies, Nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth…”

Proverbs 29:23 emphasizes that “A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor.”

Finally, in the book of Psalms, we find several passages equating human pride with wicked and evil men who are unwilling to submit to God and who are persecuting God’s people. In Psalm 36:11, David pleads with God: “Let not the foot of pride come against me, And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.”

That proud wicked person is described in verses 1-4 as follows:

“There is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes, When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates. The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise and to do good. He devises wickedness on his bed; He sets himself in a way that is not good; He does not abhor evil.”

Let us also turn to an interesting passage in Psalm 10:2-4, 11-13, where David states:

“The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised. For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire; He blesses the greedy and renounces the LORD. The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts… He has said in his heart, “God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see. Arise, O LORD! O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble. Why do the wicked renounce God? He has said in his heart, ‘You will not require an account.’”

The above-quoted passages, using the Hebrew word “gaavah,” which is translated as “pride,” relate the fact that wicked, evil and rebellious persons act with pride against God, while those who are humble submit to Him.

Another word translated with “pride” is the Hebrew word “geuth.” It, too, has different meanings, and “pride” is one of them.  It is used in Isaiah 28:1-3, 7-8 and describes the leaders of modern Ephraim (mainly the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) who should rule righteously, but miserably failed, even though they swallow in pride:

“Close Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, Whose glorious beauty is a fading flower Which is at the head of the verdant valleys, To those who are overcome with wine! Behold, the LORD has a mighty and strong one, Like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, Like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, Who will bring them down to the earth with His hand. The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, Will be trampled underfoot… But they also have erred through wine, And through intoxicating drink are out of the way; The priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink, They are swallowed up by wine, They are out of the way through intoxicating drink; They err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filth; No place is clean.”

We have seen that God condemns human pride, which is opposed to God and which is unwilling to submit to Him. God despises those who wallow in haughtiness and who boast in their self-confidence and self-conceit. Such an attitude prevents a person from loving and obeying God with all of one’s heart and from loving his neighbor as oneself.

But could there be another form of “pride” which we could even call “godly pride” and which is acceptable or even desirable? Could the concept of “pride” be applied to God Himself? We will explore this question in the next installment.

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“Europe, Britain and the USA… How Prophecy Moves On!” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

During the last two weeks, we have observed some interesting and important personnel changes in Europe and Great Britain. How will the new European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and the new British Prime Minster, Boris Johnson, contribute to the development of biblical prophecy in view of a European Army, Brexit and their interaction with President Donald Trump?

“Ein Unglück kommt selten allein!” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link.  The title is a German proverb with a meaning which, in English, is something like, “When it Rains, it Pours.”

“Gelassenheit” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermonette, presented by Michael Link. Title in English: “Calmness.”

“Wholehearted Choice,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Robb Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We must constantly be asking ourselves if we have a Philadelphian attitude. If we don’t care, then we are in jeopardy of allowing ourselves to fall into a Laodicean spirit. Drawing close to God on a daily basis is the surest way to thrive and persevere in an age filled with lackadaisical attitudes.

“Don’t Get Too Comfortable,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The life of a Christian involves commitment to living in a way that is contrary to the ways of the world. Discomfort is an expected result because of this. Since our ultimate goal lies beyond the boundary of physical life, it is important that we don’t seek our satisfaction within that boundary. Our pursuit in life must not end until we are raised in glory at the return of Christ.

On July 20, 2019, Robb Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “Wholehearted Choice,” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “Don’t Get Too Comfortable.”

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.

Mankind’s vision of the universe is built upon an ever-changing landscape of understanding. The pursuit of scientific discovery, in what has become religion to many, causes foundations of knowledge to often shift.  What is understood today often replaces the understanding of our past. This fluidity of fact is considered part and parcel in the pursuit of scientific knowledge. No truth is unshakable if discovery proves it false.

In a recent web article entitled, “New Hubble Data Breaks Scientists’ Understanding of the Universe,” the author, talking about the Hubble Constant, states, “The value was first calculated by astronomer Edwin Hubble in the 1920s. But since then, astronomers observing and measuring the universe’s expansion have arrived at different values of the Hubble Constant, none of which seem to agree with one another. The discrepancy calls into question not only our idea of how old the universe is, but also our ability to fundamentally understand the physics that drive its behavior.”

The Hubble telescope, named in honor of Edwin Hubble, has called into question one of his fundamental truths. But for the scientific community, this is part of the process in gaining understanding. The earth was once flat until discovery proved it to be round. Today’s truth and understanding might end up as a simple footnote in the chronicles of our civilization.

How fortunate we are to have our eyes opened to Truth that doesn’t change! Truth that was set as a foundation for all eternity at creation when our God uttered the words, “Let there be light.” When Christ manifested Himself to mankind, He left us with examples of the unchanging Truth of God. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). We are warned to not take that Truth for granted by pursuing ungodliness.

Continuing in Hebrews, “Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them” (Hebrews 13:9).

Man searches in vain because Godly wisdom has been wholeheartedly rejected. Instead, our scientific leaders posit ideas such of parallel universes (to name one) as a way to explain what they can’t understand.

Christ, the one through which creation was accomplished (see Colossians 1:16), was clear in how applicable His teachings were for all ages.  “‘Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew 5:17-19).

We must stand firm in the Truth as this age draws deeper into ungodliness, and not be led away from Truth that doesn’t change.

by Norbert Link

We begin with reports on the election of Ursula von der Leyen as the new president of the European Commission and Angela Merkel’s appointment of Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (AKK) as Germany’s new Defense Minister, as well as British and German reactions; speak on a proposed law to make measles vaccinations mandatory in Germany; the rift between Turkey and the USA and Europe; heightened tensions with Iran; US ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell; the military celebrations and their meaning during Bastille Day; and Russia’s alleged thirst for regional wars in Europe. We also speak on the find of a missile and other sophisticated weapons in the hands of Italian extremists.

We report on recent developments and their consequences pertaining to President Trump’s tweets on “progressive Democratic congresswomen” (in this regard, please view our new StandingWatch program, “Trump’s Reelection Is Assured!”);  and we point at Trump’s unwelcome and highly controversial criticism of Bitcoin.

We address the ever-increasing abnormal frequency of major earthquakes around the world; and we quote from articles about Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving Prime Minister; an alleged movement to destroy the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque to prepare for the Third Temple; and rabbinic condemnation of all dogs and their owners.

Germany’s von der Leyen New European Commission President

Deutsche Welle reported on July 16:

“German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen has won the vote to become the next president of the European Commission, and will be the first woman to hold the post. She received 383 out of 747 possible votes, just nine more than the minimum for her election. 327 lawmakers voted against her and 22 abstained.

“In brief remarks after the final tally was announced, she said her aim was for a strong and united Europe. German Chancellor Angela Merkel congratulated von der Leyen, calling her a ‘committed European’ who would ‘tackle with great vigour the challenges facing us as the European Union.’ ‘Though I am losing a long-standing minister, I am winning a new partner in Brussels,’ Merkel said, via her spokesman Steffen Seibert on Twitter…

“Von der Leyen will step down as defense minister on Wednesday and will succeed Jean-Claude Juncker at the helm of the commission on November 1. She will be the first German to lead the EU executive branch since the creation of the modern European Union…”

The Guardian wrote on July 16:

“German commission secretary-general Martin Selmayr… has said he will leave his post by the end of the next week. By convention, the two top posts in the commission should not be held by nationals of the same country…

“French and German MEPs representing the far left and the far right [had] railed against Von der Leyen’s previously stated aspiration to forge a ‘United States of Europe’ and establish an EU army…

“On Brexit, she was booed by Brexit party MEPs as she reiterated her openness to a further extension of the UK’s membership of the EU after 31 October… The leader of the Brexit party, Nigel Farage, accused Von der Leyen of wanting to build ‘a centralised, undemocratic, updated form of communism where nation state parliaments will cease to have any relevance at all.’ ‘Be in no doubt: five years of these people [and] the European Defence Union will be complete,’ Farage said. ‘And what is there for defence can also be used for attack.’”

In a related article, the Guardian wrote on July 16:

“If Von der Leyen’s approval ratings have recently plummeted, making her the least popular minister in Merkel’s cabinet, it is because her handling of Germany’s notoriously under-funded military at times displayed… deficiencies.

“When she diagnosed the troops with an ‘attitude problem’ after the emergence of stories about rightwing extremist activities and hazing of new recruits, she was accused – and not only by members of the Bundeswehr – of choosing a good write-up over loyalty to her staff… More recently, Von der Leyen grabbed negative headlines over the accusation that her defence ministry had allocated over-inflated contracts worth hundreds of millions of euros to external consultants. A parliamentary committee is investigating the ministry for accusations of nepotism, and Von der Leyen is expected to be invited as a witness in December. In Brussels and Berlin, she will have two stages to manage.”

Prophecy marches on. With Von der Leyen at the European helm, a European army is only a matter of time.

Von der Leyen Another Reason for Brexit?

The Sun wrote on July 17:

“The new woman running the EU is the perfect advert for Brexit. Ursula von der Leyen narrowly squeaked into power in a secret ballot against no rival candidates in another triumph for European democracy. This unpopular, failed German defence minister is a fanatical federalist who longs for the Brussels club to become a single country made up of client states.

“‘The world needs more Europe,’ declared the new EU president, falsely. Ursula is dead set too on a European army, with Eurocrats ordering national troops to war. Remember when Remainers sneered that was just a paranoid scare story told by Leavers?

“Good luck to Ursula and her EU. She’s welcome to it… We can’t wait to be out.”

Boris Johnson UK’s last PM?

The Guardian wrote on July 18:

“Boris Johnson could be the UK’s last prime minister, Gordon Brown has warned… Brown, the former Labour prime minister, warned of an approaching ‘head-on conflict’ between Johnson’s hardline views and the Scottish National party’s ‘extreme nationalism’, with its intention to abandon the pound and leave the UK single market and customs union…

“Brown said Johnson’s brand of anti-Europe conservatism was regarded in Scotland as anti-Scottish…”

AKK new Germany’s Defense Minister

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 17:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel’s surprise decision on Tuesday to hand AKK (Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer) the Defense Ministry immediately came under fire from the opposition, largely due to her lack of experience in the field. The leader of Germany’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) joins the Defense Ministry in the middle of extensive reforms and on the tail-end of countless scandals left behind by her predecessor Ursula von der Leyen…

“On the international stage, how AKK addresses the German defense budget will be of huge interest to Germany’s fellow NATO allies — not least of all for the Trump administration. US President Donald Trump has been particularly vocal in his criticism of Berlin for failing to spend 2% of its GDP on defense — a target which NATO adopted at its 2014 Wales Summit in response to the Ukraine crisis. AKK, too, has previously advocated the 2% target. But… reaching such a target in the current legislative period is seemingly impossible. Merkel’s junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats (SPD), staunchly positioned themselves against the 2% goal in Germany’s 2017 federal elections and have remained resolute…

“Underfunded and overflowing with scandals, the German Defense Ministry can quickly become a political minefield and is prone to making headlines with ongoing scandals. AKK will be hoping that she won’t be part of the next one.”

According to Der Spiegel, two-thirds of Germans disapprove of AKK’s appointment as Defense Minister.

Spahn Was Considered Favorite as Defense Minister

Fox News reported on July 17:

“An ambitious younger conservative who also ran in last year’s CDU leadership election [but was defeated by AKK], Health Minister Jens Spahn, had been considered favorite to become defense minister. Kramp-Karrenbauer’s move to take the job avoids giving a potential rival more exposure.”

Spahn, who is openly gay, was again defeated by AKK. In his present role as Health Minister, he has made quite a few controversial and problematic decisions, if compared with biblical concepts (see also the article on vaccinations below).

Mandatory Measles Vaccinations in Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 17:

“Germany’s Cabinet on Wednesday backed a draft law that would make it compulsory for all children at kindergartens, schools and daycare centers to be vaccinated against measles. The measure, which would go into force on March 1 2020, still needs to be passed by Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag.

“Under the proposed bill, children at daycare and education institutions, as well as employees there, have until July 31, 2021 to provide proof of vaccination. Kids who aren’t immunized won’t be able to attend daycare, while parents who refuse to vaccinate their school-aged children could face a fine of up to €2,500 ($2,800). Fines may also apply to facilities that allow unvaccinated children to attend. ‘We want to protect all children from measles infection,’ Health Minister Jens Spahn said… He added that he also hoped to boost voluntary vaccinations in schools for other infectious diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough.

“The law also covers medical staff, and residents and workers at asylum seekers and refugee accommodations… the law would obligate around 600,000 children and adults in Germany to get a measles vaccination. Exemptions apply to people born before 1970, those who cannot tolerate the vaccination on medical grounds, as well as those who can prove they have already had the disease.”

US and Turkey… Edging Closer to Crisis?

The Associated Press wrote on July 12:

“The U.S. edged closer to crisis Friday with NATO ally Turkey, which began receiving components of a Russian-made air defense system in defiance of Trump administration warnings that the deal would mean economic sanctions and no access to America’s most advanced fighter jet… For months, Washington urged Turkey to buy the American-made Patriot air defense system instead and has insisted that buying from Russia would result in economic and military penalties. Turkey has said it was not offered favorable terms on the Patriot…

“Turkey has long been a key to the defense of NATO’s southeastern flank, and some believe its willingness to buy key weaponry from Russia — long identified as NATO’s main adversary — suggests the possibility that its alliance status is in jeopardy… ‘By accepting delivery of the S-400 from Russia, President Erdogan has chosen a perilous partnership with Putin at the expense of Turkey’s security, economic prosperity and the integrity of the NATO alliance,’ the top members of the Senate committees on Foreign Relations and Armed Services said in a joint statement…

“Some see the Russian sale as an attempt to drive a wedge between NATO allies. In their joint statement, the Senate committee leaders also called the Turkish action ‘a troubling signal of strategic alignment with Putin’s Russia’…

“The prospect of a further rupture in Turkey’s relations with Washington also raises a delicate issue rarely mentioned in public: the status of American nuclear weapons stored at Turkey’s Incirlik air base. Turkey has had a nuclear role in NATO for decades, but this new split is likely to cause some in Washington to question the wisdom of keeping those nuclear bombs at Incirlik…”

American Nukes in Europe

The Sun wrote on July 17:

“The United States and its allies in the Nato military alliance never disclose the locations of the nuclear arsenal but it appears… six sites have inadvertently  been   disclosed… A draft version of the document entitled ‘A new era for nuclear deterrence? Modernisation, arms control and allied nuclear forces’ was published earlier this year. But Belgian newspaper De Morgen spotted that it contained details about the nuke sites. A section on the nuclear arsenal read: ‘These bombs are stored at six US and European bases — Kleine Brogel in Belgium, Büchel in Germany, Aviano and Ghedi-Torre in Italy, Volkel in The Netherlands, and Incirlik in Turkey.’

“The study was written by a Canadian senator Joseph Day for the Defense and Security Committee of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. The final version of the report has now been published online with specific reference to where bombs are stored deleted.”

Sanctions against Turkey

Bloomberg wrote on July 14:

“Relations between the European Union and Turkey are set to hit a new low… the bloc’s foreign ministers [were to] announce a suspension of most high-level contacts with Ankara, confirm another cut in financial aid, freeze negotiations on an aviation accord and reaffirm the threat of sanctions targeting companies involved in energy exploration off the coast of Cyprus.

“The spat over Mediterranean natural-gas reserves adds to a series of disagreements straining ties between European nations and their NATO ally — from democratic standards to the purchase of Russian missiles. While an escalation is in no-one’s interest, so much is piling up that it looks increasingly difficult to avoid.”

Richard Grenell—America’s Controversial Ambassador to Germany

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 13:

“Berlin’s political class… has been struggling to come to terms with Mr. Grenell’s unorthodox diplomacy since he arrived last year, delivering to Berlin a shock similar to President Trump’s own disruption of establishment Washington.

“Mr. Grenell, a confidant of the president and former adviser to his campaign, embodies both the diplomatic doctrine of the Trump administration and its new posture toward U.S. allies in Europe: engagement, public criticism that rankles host nations, some achievements and some unbridgeable divides… ‘Trumpian foreign policy is obviously more confrontational,’ said Cliff Sims, Mr. Trump’s former White House director of strategic messaging…

“On his first day in his new post, Mr. Grenell, 52 years old, sparked outrage in Germany with a tweet demanding German companies wind down their operations in Iran. The acrimony was compounded by his call in a Breitbart News interview for empowering conservatives across Europe—a statement German officials viewed as political meddling exceeding the mandate of a diplomat. A senior member of a governing party compared Mr. Grenell to a far-right colonial officer, while opposition politicians, including a vice chairman of the German Parliament, called for the U.S. ambassador to be expelled…

“Mr. Grenell also has campaigned relentlessly against Nord Stream 2, a controversial Russian-German pipeline opposed by Washington, as well as on Germany’s failure to meet its North Atlantic Treaty Organization defense-spending targets. Those initiatives have ruffled feathers in Berlin but haven’t led to changes… Ms. Merkel… has ignored U.S. objections to the pipeline, which is due to double Russia’s gas shipments to Germany…

“Mr. Grenell’s undiplomatic manner has made him the president’s favorite ambassador, according to current and former officials… Mr. Grenell’s approach has rankled others in the White House, where some advisers complain that the ambassador doesn’t accept direction on policy or communications and is too quick to exceed his mandate, according to a senior administration official. This official said Mr. Grenell has ‘made more enemies than friends, both inside and outside of Germany.’

“Mr. Grenell in some ways is following the president’s lead. Mr. Trump has taken a confrontational stance toward Germany since the earliest days of his administration. In an early 2017 meeting with Ms. Merkel at the White House, Mr. Trump went on a lengthy riff about German car imports, describing American streets as being flooded with Mercedes… He has since repeatedly chided Germany over its military spending and has threatened tariffs against Germany’s flagship car industry… The president views Mr. Grenell ‘not just as his man in Germany, but his man in Europe,’ said Mr. Sims, the former White House director of strategic messaging.

“That close relationship has at times created tensions between Mr. Grenell and his boss, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Mr. Grenell, who is openly gay, appealed to Mr. Trump this spring when he felt the State Department was slow to issue guidelines on how to mark Pride Month… The president issued two tweets in support of Mr. Grenell’s campaign…

“Rufus Gifford, the former ambassador to Denmark, called “Mr. Grenell’s tactics… embarrassing to the United States… It’s irresponsible. It’s not the role of an ambassador. It’s disrespectful to the host government…’”

The rift between the USA and Germany is bound to continue.

Heightened Tensions with Iran

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 18:

“President Trump said the U.S. Navy downed an Iranian drone that was flying too close to a U.S. warship in the Strait of Hormuz, hours after Iranian forces said they had seized a foreign tanker, the latest in a series of incidents that have ratcheted up tensions in a vital oil shipping route.

“Mr. Trump said the USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship, took defensive action against the drone, which he said was ‘threatening the safety of the ship and the ship’s crew’ in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow channel leading into the Persian Gulf through which a third of the world’s seaborne oil is transported.

“The drone was ‘immediately destroyed,’ Mr. Trump said. The president called the approach by the drone the latest “of many provocative and hostile actions by Iran against vessels operating in international waters.’…

“Tensions are rising in the region. Earlier in the day, a Wall Street Journal reporter aboard the USS Boxer witnessed close encounters between a group of U.S. ships and the Iranian military.”

“Bastille Day Parade Showcases European Military Cooperation”

Deutsche Welle reported on July 14:

“German Chancellor Merkel and other European leaders have highlighted their shared defense potential on Bastille Day amid rifts with the US. Troops from 10 countries participated in the annual Paris parade.

“Key European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte joined French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday to commemorate France’s national holiday, Bastille Day, which marks the July 14, 1789 storming of the Bastille fortress in Paris during the French Revolution… Heads of state and government from Belgium, Estonia, Finland, the Netherlands and Portugal also joined Merkel and Macron in the reviewing stand… European leaders are under pressure to boost their military ties amid growing rifts with Washington and Britain’s looming exit from the European Union.

“On Saturday, Macron had issued a statement heralding a new national military space force command from September. The president said space has become a ‘true national security issue’ due to increased spending and interest in the area from the United States, India, China and Russia. ‘Never since the end of World War II has Europe been so important,’ Macron said in a statement to mark July 14…

“In November 2018, defense ministers from 10 European countries gathered in Paris to set the agenda for the EI2, which is spearheaded by President Macron. ‘To face new threats, Europe needs a strong defense,’ the French Defense Ministry said in a tweet after the meeting. ‘With the European Intervention Initiative, 10 European countries are committed to its protection.’

“[Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko] Maas [agreed, saying:] ‘We need a true European security and defense union’…”

Fox News added on July 14:

“The annual Bastille Day celebration in Paris this year was not just about showcasing France, but also military cooperation among European [countries]. The flags of 10 countries of the European Intervention Initiative, a joint military pact created last year, led Sunday’s military parade down the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris… Some 4,300 soldiers, around 200 vehicles and over 100 aircraft, some from other European countries, were taking part in the parade that was opened by Spanish troops…

“Bastille Day commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789, one of the key events of the French Revolution. The day has become a national holiday in France.

“The European Intervention Initiative is a 10-country coalition of European militaries ready to react to crises. The French-led initiative, which includes Germany, Belgium, Britain, Denmark, Estonia, the Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal [as well as Finland], was launched last year, according to Reuters.”

Bloomberg wrote on July 14 under the headline, “European Army”:

“France’s long-term ‘ambition’ is to work with several other states to create a European Army to share in procurement, command and operations, Defense Minister Florence Parly said, reaffirming the plan announced by President Macron. While details and the time-frame are still unclear, the plan has led to tensions with Donald Trump, who has interpreted the initiative as an effort to shut out the U.S.”

Ultimately, 10 European nations or groups of nations will combine their efforts to create a powerful army under the command of a charismatic political and military leader. However, it won’t be the ten nations currently forming the EI2. For instance, Britain will most certainly not be part of the final configuration, while countries such as Italy will most certainly be part of it.

Russia Prepares for Regional Wars in Europe

Express wrote on July 15:

“Heinrich Brauss, who is also a retired German lieutenant general, claimed while Europe, the US and UK’s attention is more focussed on issues world leaders have deemed more pressing, Russian President Vladimir Putin is plotting a regional war with member states right under their noses. He told Berlin publication Welt am Sonntag: ‘At a time when our political attention is shrouded in climate change, the migration crisis, the EU crisis and many other issues that call for cooperative solutions, Russia is preparing under Putin – totally unprovoked – for regional wars in Europe, which they want to end with the help of nuclear weapons threats.’

“Mr Brauss and Joachim Krause, director of the Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University, said the aim of Russia’s strategy is to seek confrontation with the West and undermine the unity of the Western alliance. Both men say that while President Putin is aware he would have little chance of success in a NATO-wide conflict, Mr Brauss added the Russian leader wanted ‘the ability to escalate dominance in a regional conflict in Europe’.

“Mr Brauss and Mr Krause said that in the event of an armed conflict, Russia could try to launch a ‘limited-scale surprise attack backed by a nuclear threat before NATO can respond effectively’. They have predicted this would most likely take place on the Black Sea region and the Baltic states. The warnings come weeks after Moscow officially suspended the INF treaty, sparking fears of a conflict that could escalate to World War 3.

“Military experts are even more alarmed by the fact Russia continues to arm itself with super and hypersonic missiles. The US has also been urged to disarm itself along with Russia, as tensions between the two power nations hit boiling point… Russia, the US and China are all battling to dominate previously unclaimed territory adding even more fuel to fears of conflict. Beijing has claimed waters in the South China Sea, Moscow has claimed ice in the Arctic regions and the US is battling for space in the solar system.”

The Bible prophesies that in the end time, a nuclear war will break out between Russia and Europe.

Missiles and other Sophisticated Weapons by Far-Right Italian Extremists

The Local wrote on July 15:

“Anti-terrorism police in northern Italy have seized an air-to-air missile and other sophisticated weapons during raids on far-right extremist groups, police revealed on Monday. Three people were arrested – two of them near Forli airport.

“Police also seized Neo-Nazi propaganda in raids in several cities. Italian media say the raids were part of an investigation into Italian far-right help for Russian-backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine.”

ABC News added:

“… police found a French-made missile at an airport hangar that they apparently were seeking to sell.”

This is frightening indeed.

How Trump Conquered the Republican Party

The Week wrote on July 14:

“Republican members of Congress said nothing when President Trump told minority congresswomen to ‘go back’ to where they came from.

“Trump tweeted this morning that ‘Progressive Democrat Congresswomen’ should ‘go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.’ Trump was almost certainly talking about the group popularly known as ‘the squad’ — Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.

“WaPo’s Phil Rucker points out that ‘three of the four members of “the squad” were born in the United States, so they would ‘go back’ to Cincinnati, Detroit and New York.’ (Omar was born in Somalia and came to the U.S. as a refugee.)…

“Trump knows he can say whatever he likes and face no consequences from the party he has conquered… No modern president, besides George W. Bush immediately after the 9/11 attacks, has enjoyed such popularity with Republican voters.”

The Guardian wrote on July 16:

“The president seems to regard divisive… rhetoric as his best chance of staying in the White House. Analysts say he may be right…

“John Zogby, an opinion pollster and author, said: ‘… Trump is a guy obsessed with winning and a guy who has demons… Going for the base has worked for him…’

“Trump is breaking from every previous incumbent president in modern times by not even attempting to reach across the divide and broaden his coalition… Immigration and border security is set to be the defining issue… Ron Brownstein, a senior editor at the Atlantic, told CNN: ‘Under Trump, the Republican coalition has become overwhelmingly centered on the voters and the parts of the country that are most uneasy with demographic change… And what’s striking is how few Republicans, however much they may grumble privately, have been willing to stand up against this redefinition of the party.’

“Indeed, the Republican response was muted with only a small number of current and former office holders stepping forward to condemn Trump’s behaviour. Many seem willing to ride this tiger into the 2020 contest…

“Michael Steele, the former chairperson of the Republican National Committee, said: ‘There are people out there who believe what Trump says… this speaks to our history, how we look at each other, how we view people who are not from here and people who are from here. It’s a sad statement about the state of America that some of our political leaders are silent because they are afraid of Donald Trump.’”

Reuters reported on July 17:

“Support for U.S. President Donald Trump increased slightly among Republicans after he lashed out on Twitter over the weekend in a racially charged attack on four minority Democratic congresswomen… The national survey, conducted on Monday and Tuesday… showed his net approval among members of his Republican Party rose by 5 percentage points to 72%, compared with a similar poll that ran last week.”

Britain Not Happy With Trump

BBC News wrote on July 15:

“UK Prime Minister Theresa May has criticised US President Donald Trump for calling on several Democratic congresswomen of colour to ‘go back’. The outgoing PM called Mr Trump’s words ‘completely unacceptable’…”

The Sun added on July 15:

“Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt (both contenders for the post of Prime Minister) [were] grilled [during their last TV debate] on today’s comments from President Trump… Hunt says it’s ‘totally offensive’ for him to say such things, and Boris adds it is ‘unacceptable’…

“Mr Johnson said: ‘If you are the leader of a multiracial multicultural country, you simply cannot use that kind of language about sending people to where they came from. That went out decades and decades ago and thanks heavens. So it’s totally unacceptable and I agree with the Prime Minister [Margaret Thatcher].’

“Hunt… said: ‘I have three half-Chinese children and if anyone ever said to them “go back to China” I would be utterly appalled. It is totally un-British to do that. So I hope that would never happen in this country.’”

The ongoing controversy between Britain and the USA does not seem to end; rather, further comments by Trump only seem to acerbate the situation.

In Defense of Israel?

JTA added on July 15:

“President Donald Trump said that his call for some Democrat congresswomen to ‘go back’ to their countries also was in defense of Israel… Amid the outcry [by Democrats] over Trump’s suggestion, he wrote on Twitter: ‘So sad to see the Democrats sticking up for people who speak so badly of our Country and who, in addition, hate Israel with a true and unbridled passion.’…

“He also wrote: ‘They talk about Israel like they’re a bunch of thugs, not victims of the entire region.’… Ilhan and Tlaib have been especially outspoken in their criticism of Israel, and have been widely criticized by Jewish groups on the right and in the center…”

While most Trump supporters did not choose to criticize Trump for his above-described comments, they were surely extremely unhappy with his condemnation of Bitcoin, as the next article points out. Insofar, Trump’s words might have been a bridge (almost) too far even for many of his base and the conservative media such as Breitbart.

Trump Attacks Bitcoin and Faces Strong Backlash from his Supporters

Breitbart wrote on July 15:

“President Donald Trump faced a backlash from his online supporters last week after he condemned the Bitcoin cryptocurrency as ‘highly volatile’ and a facilitator of illegal activity. Trump called for Facebook’s new ‘Libra’ cryptocurrency to be regulated like a bank.

“Many of the president’s biggest fans are users and supporters of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. As companies like PayPal, Patreon, and various major credit cards conduct financial blacklisting to impoverish the political right, and as the far left demonize, harass, and even assault those suspected of supporting conservative causes, Bitcoin provides an escape route financial blacklisting and a method to discreetly support conservatives.

“But President Trump is not on board. In a string of tweets during his social media summit last week, he derided Bitcoin as ‘not money,’ accused it of being ‘highly volatile and based on thin air.’ Filmmaker and author Mike Cernovich, who strongly supported the president’s campaign in 2016, said the president had received bad advice on cryptocurrencies. ‘Trump is usually a visionary,’ said Cernovich. ‘He has clearly been misled by advisers who don’t have his best interests in mind. Bitcoin offers a way for freedom-minded people to buy and trade without having to submit to Wall Street.’

“One potential source of pressure against cryptocurrencies at the federal level may be the FBI. Under James Comey, the Bureau launched its ‘Going Dark’ initiative, a multi-million dollar investigation of encrypted technologies like bitcoin, based on concerns that federal agencies are unable to snoop on encrypted communications, devices, and transactions. The program was continued by Comey’s successor, Andrew McCabe.

“Bill Ottman, CEO of the free-speech friendly social network Minds, was in attendance at the President’s social media summit last week, but expressed concern at Trump’s statements about cryptocurrencies…

“Gab, the internet free speech project that develops platforms and technologies aimed at bypassing Big Tech censorship… was even blunter in its assessment of Trump’s comments. ‘You are wrong about this’ said Gab’s official account on Twitter in a response to the President’s account. ‘Bitcoin is free speech money.’

“Preston Byrne, a technology lawyer, fellow of the Adam Smith Institute, and Trump voter said the President was correct to criticize Facebook’s Libra coin, but is wrong on Bitcoin… ‘Facebook already controls how we make social communications. Now it wants to control financial communications as well.’ Byrne suggested that Facebook might use control of a currency in the same way that they use their dominance in communications to censor conservatives…

“Byrne urged the President to differentiate corporate-controlled cryptocurrencies like Facebook’s Libra from decentralized tech like Bitcoin. ‘The President is clearly advised on Bitcoin by Steve Mnuchin and others in the Treasury Department and the Fed, at the direction of bank lobbyists,’ said Byrne. ‘This view doesn’t really accord with what’s going on with the main regulatory agencies…’ Far from being more susceptible to crime than other forms of monetary exchange, Byrne also pointed out that using Bitcoin to commit crime, with its public ledger of all transactions, is ‘actually a really good way to get arrested.’”

Fox News added on July 15:

“The price of bitcoin tumbled Monday after President Trump tweeted Thursday that he was ‘not a fan’ of cryptocurrencies… Bitcoin price briefly hit below $10,000 just after midnight Monday, a two-week low for the leading digital coin… The cryptocurrency appeared to rebound slightly to bring it past $10,000 as of Monday morning. It’s unclear what caused the sudden price drop, but it comes just days after Trump took to Twitter to slam cryptocurrencies.”

This won’t make many Trump supporters too happy. Regardless, we are convinced that he is going to be re-elected as he has to fulfill a prophetic role… for better or for worse.

Please view our new StandingWatch program, “Trump’s Reelection Is Assured!”  

Earthquakes in Indonesia and Australia

Fox News wrote on July 14:

“A 7.3 magnitude earthquake shook the Moluccas islands on Sunday… creating panic and causing damage to houses in eastern Indonesia… Indonesia is located on the so-called Ring of Fire, a major area in the Pacific Ocean where about 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes occur. It’s also home to nearly 452 volcanoes.

“Last week, a 6.9 magnitude quake rocked the northeast shore of Sulawesi, located west of the area impacted on Sunday… Sunday’s earthquake produced at least seven aftershocks, each stronger than 5 magnitudes…

“The most powerful earthquake to hit the area occurred in 2004 when a 9.5 magnitude quake triggered a huge tsunami that killed 226,000 people and 126,000 in Indonesia. Just last year a tsunami killed thousands in the area of Sulawesi…

“The quake struck just hours after a 6.6 magnitude impacted Western Australia (This was the strongest earthquake in Australia for more than 30 years). The agency asks residents to remain calm and be on alert for more aftershocks…”

On July 15, the Drudge Report linked to the following article by Infowars:

“… a magnitude 6.1 quake just hit Japan, a magnitude 6.6 quake just hit Australia and a magnitude 7.3 earthquake just hit Indonesia.  And of course all of this comes just about a week after southern California was hit by the two largest earthquakes that it has experienced in more than two decades.  So is all of this shaking unusual?…

“Within the last seven days, our planet has experienced an average of more than 677 earthquakes of magnitude 1.5 or greater per day.  That means that the number of global earthquakes right now is more than 3 times above normal. And the number of very large earthquakes is at a frighteningly high level as well… there have been 121 earthquakes of at least magnitude 4.5 around the world within the last seven days, and that includes the magnitude 6.1 earthquake that just hit Japan.

“None of this is ‘normal’… In fact… a 4.0 earthquake has rattled Manhattan, Montana. This earthquake follows the string of quakes that have rattled the globe over the past few weeks producing powerful earthquakes in Southern California and rattling Seattle, Washington… we definitely need to keep a close eye on the Northwest, because they are definitely overdue for a ‘Big One’ of their own and there are several volcanoes in the region that could literally go off at any time.

“Meanwhile, the shaking in southern California simply will not stop… there have been 10,303 earthquakes of all magnitudes in California and Nevada within the last seven days… if a magnitude 9.0 earthquake were to hit southern California someday, it would be 707 times more powerful than the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that we just witnessed…

“Our entire planet is being greatly shaken, and many believe that what we have witnessed so far is just the beginning.”

Subsequently, further major earthquakes struck, including a 5.7 earthquake, hitting the island of Bali on July 15. Christ DOES talk about the “beginning of sorrows,” to be followed by the “Great Tribulation.”

Benjamin Netanyahu Israel’s Longest-Serving Prime Minister

The Associated Press wrote on July 17:

“As Benjamin Netanyahu becomes Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, he is solidifying his place as the country’s greatest political survivor and the most dominant force in Israeli politics in his generation. He has persevered through scandals, crises and conflicts, winning election after election even as the country grows more bitterly polarized. His supporters credit him with keeping Israel safe and prosperous, maintaining its Jewish character and boosting its standing internationally. His opponents… claim he has dashed hopes for peace with the Palestinians…

“But as the longevity of his 13-year rule is set to surpass that of Israel’s founding father David Ben-Gurion on July 20, all agree Netanyahu has left a permanent imprint on Israel… Just as he is about to cross a milestone, Netanyahu faces perhaps his greatest political challenge yet. After failing to form a parliamentary majority following April elections, the country is holding a repeat vote on Sept. 17. The following month, he faces a hearing with Israel’s attorney general, who has recommended indicting Netanyahu on corruption charges. If formal charges are filed, Netanyahu could be forced to step aside.

“In contrast to his predecessors, the 69-year-old hasn’t left his mark by winning a war or signing a peace accord… In confronting President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran in a brazen 2015 speech to Congress, Netanyahu also debunked the conventional wisdom that an Israeli leader could not survive an open clash with an American president. Since Trump’s election in 2016, Netanyahu has enjoyed unprecedented backing, drawing frequent accusations of partisanship.”

Al-Aqsa Mosque Targeted for Destruction in Lieu of Third Temple?

Mint Press News wrote on June 24:

“The iconic golden dome of the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque, located on the Temple Mount or Haram el-Sharif, is the third holiest site in Islam and is recognized throughout the world as a symbol of the city of Jerusalem. Yet, this ancient site that dates back to the year 705 C.E. is being targeted for destruction by increasingly influential… groups…

“Some observers may have noticed the growing effort by some Israeli government and religious officials to remove the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque from the Jerusalem skyline, not only erasing the holy site in official posters, banners and educational material but also physically removing the building itself. For instance, current Knesset member of the ruling Likud Party, American-born Yehuda Glick, was also the director of the government-funded Temple Institute, which has created relics and detailed architectural plans for a temple that they hope will soon replace Al-Aqsa… ‘In the end we’ll build the temple and it will be a house of prayer for all nations,’ Glick told Israeli newspaper Maariv in 2012. A year later, Israel’s Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel stated that “we need to build a real Temple on the Temple Mount.’ Ariel stated that the new Jewish Temple must be built on the site where Al-Aqsa currently sits…

“In recent years, a centuries-old effort by what was once a small group of extremists has gone increasingly mainstream in Israel, with prominent politicians, religious figures and political parties advocating for the destruction of the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque in order to fulfill a specific interpretation of an end-times prophecy… this movement has gained powerful allies, not just in Israel’s government, but among many evangelical Christians in the United States, including top figures in the Trump administration who also feel that the destruction of Al-Aqsa and the reconstruction of a Jewish Temple are prerequisites for the fulfillment of prophecy… Furthermore, given the influence of such movements on the Israeli and U.S. governments, these beliefs of active Messianism… are pushing the world towards a dangerous war.”

We are not aware of any evangelical Christians in the USA who are openly advocating the destruction of the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque, but there are many who in some way participate in the preparation of the building of the prophesied Third Temple.

“All Dogs Are Bad and Their Owners Accursed, Israeli City’s Rabbis Rule”

JTA wrote on July 12:

“More than a dozen rabbis from the city of Elad near Tel Aviv issued an edict declaring all dogs bad and warning residents that keeping them will make them accursed. The edict, dated June 14, contains the signatures of all the Sephardic rabbis in Elad, a city of about 46,000 residents where most of the population is haredi Orthodox. The city’s chief rabbi, Mordechai Malka, also signed the edict…

“‘We have heard and have seen that lately, a serious phenomenon has spread in our city Elad, in which young boys and children walk around publicly with dogs. This is strictly forbidden. As explained in the Talmud and by the Rambam, anyone raising a dog is accursed and especially in our city where many women and children are afraid of dogs,’ the anti-canine edict states.”

“The rabbi of neighboring Holon, Avraham Yosef, is quoted as writing: ‘I do not find any grounds for permitting any dog whatsoever in any manner.’ The term ‘bad dog’ means ‘any dog, for it barks on whomever it does not know and because of its bark it is a bad dog even if does not bite,’ the edict also states…”

This is stupid and ridiculous. How crazy can this world get?

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

In the first chapter of the first book in the Bible, we read that God created man in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27). Man was created for a purpose, and that ultimate purpose is to become an immortal member of the God Family.

In John 10, Jesus talks about Himself as being the good Shepherd and that He had “come that they have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (verse 10).  In this day and age, God has only called very few people for salvation, but everyone will receive their opportunity to inherit eternal life when God deems that the time is right.  Why would anyone who has received this marvelous calling today want to commit suicide? There are many “reasons” and “justifications” why even true Christians might erroneously think that this is the best course of action in their particular circumstances.

What circumstances would give rise to such a thought? Perhaps someone has an incurable disease (by man’s reckoning) and is in such severe pain that it seems to be the only way out of a terrible situation? Or someone doesn’t think him- or herself worthy of God’s calling and cannot reconcile the fact that he or she is a sinner who doesn’t seem to be making any progress in his or her life, perhaps even going backwards? What about someone who experiences demonic activity in his or her life which presses that individual to take such action as a way out of this misery? Drug or alcohol addiction, mental illness, depression, family issues, bullying and marital and financial problems can also be reasons why suicide might seem to be the answer, but it never is. When someone commits suicide, he or she will have to give an answer to God for that course of action within his or her very next waking moment.

The definition of suicide is “the act or an instance of taking one’s own life voluntarily and intentionally.” Taken from “Key trends from the Samaritans Suicide Statistics Report 2017,” 6,188 suicides were registered in the UK and 451 in the Republic of Ireland, and the highest suicide rate in the UK was for men aged 40–44. According to “2016-National-Facts-Figures,” nearly 43,000 Americans die by suicide every year. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and the second leading cause of death for ages 44 and under.

There are a number of examples in the Bible where suicide was committed. Ahithophel hanged himself (2 Samuel 17:23), Zimri burned himself (1 Kings 16:18), Saul fell on his sword, as did his armorbearer (1 Samuel 31:4-5), Judas hung himself (Matthew 27:3-5), and Samson killed himself, while destroying the pagan temple, knowing that his actions would lead to his death (Judges 16:29-30). Abimelech, a son of Gideon, asked his armorbearer to kill him, which he did (Judges 9:54), but some might dispute this as an example of suicide as Abimelech died at the hand of someone else. Perhaps “assisted suicide” might be an appropriate term (in legal terms, helping someone to commit suicide might also qualify as “aiding and abetting of murder” or even as “murder” itself), but in any event, the outcome was that Abimelech wanted to die and did so.

We read in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who (better “which”) is in you, whom (better “which”) you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” How could we even consider taking such drastic action, irrespective of our individual situation, when the Holy Spirit lives within us? Life belongs to God and the 6th Commandment tells us: “You shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13). We are not to kill either someone else or ourselves. Suicide, the taking of one’s own life, is equal to murder.

After Job had lost his property and his children, he stated that “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away” (Job 1:21). When someone takes their own life, it is an ungodly act because it rejects the life that God so graciously gave them in the first place. The meaning of Job 1:21 is that it is God who gives life and it is His prerogative and authority to take life away. It is not within a human being’s right or authority to do so.

King David stated in Psalm 31:15 that “my times are in Your hands.” Albert Barnes observed: “All that pertained to us is under the control and at the disposal of God. We shall live as long as God has appointed; we shall pass through such changes as he directs; we shall die when and where and how he chooses.”

In Deuteronomy 30:19, God told the ancient Israelites to choose life: “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” It was blessings or cursings – blessings for living the life that God would have us lead, or cursings for choosing to disobey God, leading to death.

What about those who have been baptised in the Church of God and received the Holy Spirit, and who subsequently take their own life? Are they lost forever? They would certainly have known that it was wrong, but we all sin in many different ways, and we don’t know another person’s heart or situation. We do read in Psalm 103:11: “For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him.” In James 2:13, we read: “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” God is a merciful God, and He will always make the right decision about everyone. For instance, even though Samson committed suicide, he will be in God’s Kingdom, as Hebrews 11 tells us. On the other hand, it appears that King Saul will not be, but he had lost the Holy Spirit quite a while before his final act, and it is for God to make these kinds of ultimate judgments.

Suicidal thoughts can happen to the best of people. Towards the end of his life, Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 2:17: “Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.” In Ecclesiastes 12:13, he also wrote: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all (or: “the whole duty of man”). For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether it is good or whether it is evil.”

Both Elijah and Jonah at one point wanted to die; Jeremiah encountered serious moments of despair;  and the apostle Paul and his friends were under significant pressure at times. We read in 2 Corinthians 1:8: “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.” Even great men in the Bible had their very difficult moments, as we ourselves can have those today.

But this does not justify suicide, assisted suicide or aiding and abetting murder by any stretch of the imagination. Taking one’s own life or helping someone else to do so is a sinful act. Even though there are usually extreme circumstances that may have driven people over the edge to do this, and even though we may have no idea of the pressure that others may be under, nor do we know their hearts, we also know that we must never take such action. God, as a merciful and loving God, will judge them righteously and fairly, something that any man would be incapable of doing.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Trump’s Reelection Is Assured!” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

President Trump’s recent tweets regarding four young Democratic Congresswomen have created a lot of attention and speculation. Inaccurate conclusions were drawn, and only very few seem to understand what is actually happening here, and why Trump’s tweets and comments are contributing to his assured reelection in 2020. Apart from this, it is very clear from the Bible that Mr. Trump will stay in power, even though the statement of this fact could be misunderstood as well.

“Wie Satan die Bibel verfälscht!” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “How Satan Distorts the Bible!”

Also check our German website for weekly German sermonettes which are regularly posted.

“Anticipation For What?” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We are expected to be anticipating great things as Christians. When we anticipate we also need to be having actions that align us with what we are anticipating. How does this all relate to being a Christian?

“Right and Wrong Righteousness,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Are there differences between man’s righteousness and God’s righteousness? Is there a right way and a wrong way? What are some of the examples the Bible talks about when explaining both ways?

On July 13, 2019, Kalon Mitchell will present the sermonette, titled, “Anticipation For What?” and Michael Link will present the sermon, titled, “Right and Wrong Righteousness.”

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

In our daily lives, we have a plan.  We plan on getting things done. We make plans for the day and for the week and, in general, future plans to achieve our goals.  We may not always fulfill them, but our plan is to do so.  There may be several hurdles over which we need to jump to get to that finish line, and perhaps thoughts of giving up may come into our minds, but then we catch ourselves veering away and no matter how difficult it may be at times, we ultimately end up sticking to the plan.  Just as we have a plan to accomplish whatever goals we may have, God also has a plan for us!

So how is it then that the trials we go through seem to be so overwhelming at specific times, but soon thereafter, we are able to get through them?  We have help!  God is there to guide us and through the power of prayer with faith, we place it all in God’s hands. He knows! He knows our struggles. He knows our strengths and weaknesses, and so does Satan.     Satan knows where we are vulnerable, which is why we are tested and tempted time and time again. As we know this, we are to “count it all joy when [we] fall into various trials knowing that the testing of [our] faith produces patience” (James 1:2-3).  Verses 6-8 tells us that we are to ask God in faith for help without doubting, for the one who doubts will not receive anything from God, for such a person is unstable in all his ways.

Christ can relate to what we all go through since He had experienced the same trials and temptations. In Matthew 13:31-32, we read about the parable of the mustard seed stating that, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

As we explain in our Q&A on the mustard seed, “The spiritual application of this parable is very clear. Christ compared the Kingdom of God with a very small seed, as it begins in a very small way. It is like a little bit of leaven, which will ultimately leaven the whole world (Matthew 13:33). Today, the gospel of the Kingdom of God is not accepted by very many, and very few–the firstfruits–respond to its message and become converted. Once they receive the Holy Spirit, they are begotten children of God and of His Kingdom–which is the Family of God that will rule on this earth, when Christ returns. Ultimately, the knowledge of God will cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea. The government of Christ will increase and will have no end.”

As we can see, the purpose for us today is quite clear for we have been chosen as the pioneers to be part of God’s plan.  And even though we struggle often and sin continuously, God is very merciful and forgiving WHEN we have recognized our sins and ASK for forgiveness. He does not give up on us but He sticks to His plan for us to succeed.  When we go through our trials, we may react the wrong way at first, but when we recognize this and ask God for help, He will help us to get through our trials in some way or another. Let us keep this in mind and let us strive to be victorious so that God will count us worthy to enter His Family. He called us to carry out and accomplish His plan for and in us, and He will do so as long as we don’t draw back.

by Norbert Link

We begin with ongoing disagreements between Germany and the USA, this time pertaining to ground troops in Syria; continue with Iran’s second major breach of the 2015 nuclear deal while Russia, China and Europe blame the USA for Iran’s conduct; and address Gibraltar’s detention of a Syrian oil tanker allegedly laden with Iranian oil.

Focusing on Russia, we report on Ukraine’s desire to speak with Russia over Crimea; Putin’s meeting with Pope Francis [please view our new StandingWatch program,“Trying to Appease Russia?”]; and the prevention of a nuclear catastrophe for which Russia would have been held responsible.

We address concerns regarding Angela Merkel’s health; the new leadership of Greece; the terrible immigration policies of the USA and—worse yet—Europe; strains in the “special relationship” between the USA and the UK over leaked comments made by the UK’s ambassador to the US; and the harsh fine imposed on British Airways for being the victim of criminal hackers. We also quote several court cases rendering judgments against the Trump administration.

Addressing Israel and the Middle East, we report on the “pro-Israel evangelical conference” which is strongly supported by the Trump Administration; and the discovery of the ancient Philistine city of Ziklag where David found refuge for a while.

In other news, we speak on the controversial plan to dump 1.5 tons of rat poison on the Farallon Islands off the coast of San Francisco; the real danger from asteroids colliding with earth; and the shaky situation of Southern California in light of major earthquakes.

We conclude with conflicts within the Catholic Church; the dangerous LGBT ideology; and potentially good news from Australia regarding “religious discrimination.”

Germany Rejects US Call for Syria Troops

AFP wrote on July 7:

“Discord broke out in German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition Sunday, after the United States urged the country to send ground troops to Syria as Washington looks to withdraw from the region. ‘We want ground troops from Germany to partly replace our soldiers’ in the area as part of the anti-Islamic State coalition, US special representative on Syria James Jeffrey had told German media…. Jeffrey, who was visiting Berlin for Syria talks, added that he expects an answer this month…

“A clear rejection of the American request came from Merkel’s junior coalition partners, the Social Democrats (SPD)… But deputy conservative parliamentary leader Johann Wadephul told news agency DPA that Germany should ‘not reflexively reject’ the US call for troops… Wadephul [is] seen as a candidate to succeed Ursula von der Leyen as defence minister if she is confirmed as European Commission chief…

“The US appeal comes after Trump has repeatedly urged Berlin to increase its defence spending, last month calling Germany ‘delinquent’ over its contributions to NATO’s budget… Former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (SPD) told business newspaper Handelsblatt on Saturday that Trump wanted ‘vassals’ rather than allies. ‘I’d have liked the federal government to tell him once or twice that it’s none of his business’ how much Germany spends on defence, Schroeder said. ‘This isn’t a banana republic here!’”

Deutsche Welle reported on July 8:

“German government spokesperson Steffen Seibert said on Monday that Germany would not increase its military presence [in Syria]… ‘[This] means no ground troops,’ Seibert said… [However] CDU party leader and possible Angela Merkel successor Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer is prepared to negotiate Germany’s contribution in Syria…”

As the media reports, Germany’s current official stance, if maintained, is likely to anger President Donald Trump.

Iran Announces Second Breach of 2015 Nuclear Deal

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 7:

“The Iranian government on Sunday said it would once again breach the 2015 nuclear deal by raising its enrichment of uranium beyond limits agreed with several world powers. [The permitted enrichment level is 3.67%]… Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said the move was a countermeasure to ‘US economic terrorism.’… The decision comes less than a week after Iran acknowledged breaking the deal’s 300-kilogram (661-pound) limit on its low-enriched uranium stockpile.

“Sunday’s announcement was immediately condemned internationally, with Germany saying they were ‘extremely concerned’ at the news…

“Israel accused Tehran of starting a ‘march’ towards nuclear weaponry. ‘The enrichment of uranium is made for one reason and for one reason only: it’s for the creation of atomic bombs,’ said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. ‘The leaders of the P5+1 [the United States, Germany, France, Britain, China, and Russia] … committed themselves to snap back sanctions the minute Iran did that. It just did. Where are you?’…

“Germany and other EU countries have sought to keep the accord alive by developing a money transaction system known as INSTEX that allows Iran to circumvent US sanctions and continue doing business internationally. But Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has dismissed the mechanism because it does not include Iran’s oil sector.”

Deutsche Welle added on July 8:

“Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Monday gave the other signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal a final 60 days to find ways to counter United States sanctions against Tehran or it would implement its third deliberate violation of the accord… Kremlin spokesman Dimitry Peskov said… Sunday’s announcement by Iran was one of the ‘consequences’ of the US abandoning the deal. China was another signatory to put blame on the US, saying that ‘unilateral bullying’ by the Americans was the cause behind the escalating Iran nuclear crisis.”

Tehran has also said that it would keep reducing its commitments every 60 days unless the other signatories protect Iran from US sanctions.

Newsmax added on July 8:

“Iran threatened on Monday to restart deactivated centrifuges and ramp up its enrichment of uranium to 20 percent purity as its next potential big moves… Enriching uranium up to 20% purity would be a dramatic move, since that was the level Iran had achieved before the deal was put in place… It is considered an important intermediate stage on the path to obtaining the 90% pure fissile uranium needed to make a bomb.”

According to Der Spiegel, dated July 8, experts felt that before the deal was made, Iran could produce a bomb within weeks or months. Since then, Iran claimed that they destroyed the enriched and purified fissile uranium needed to produce the bomb. Whether this is really true is anybody’s guess, as foreign inspectors were not allowed to visit all the different Iran sites, and Iran is now referring to “deactivated” centrifuges which they are willing to restart.

Gibraltar Detains Syrian Oil Tanker

AFP wrote on July 6:

“Iran demanded Friday that Britain immediately release an oil tanker it has detained in Gibraltar, accusing it of acting at the bidding of the United States… Authorities in Gibraltar, a British overseas territory on Spain’s southern tip at the western entrance to the Mediterranean, said they suspected the tanker was carrying crude to Syria in violation of EU sanctions…

“The Grace 1 was halted in the early hours of Thursday by police and customs agencies in Gibraltar, aided by a detachment of British Royal Marines. Gibraltar’s Supreme Court ruled Friday that the vessel can be held for 14 more days, the territory’s attorney general said…

“In a statement, Britain’s Foreign Office said it welcomed Gibraltarian authorities ‘acting to enforce the EU Syria sanctions regime’… Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell told reporters the vessel was detained at the request of the United States. But Gibraltar insisted it acted of its own accord… Russia said the tanker’s detention was a ‘targeted action aimed at further complicating the situation around Iran and Syria’…

“White House National Security Advisor John Bolton, a champion of the hawkish policy towards Tehran, tweeted the interception of the supertanker was ‘excellent news’. According to specialised shipping trade publication Lloyd’s List, which analyses vessel-tracking data, the 1997-built ship is laden with Iranian oil.”

The Church of God has believed and proclaimed for a long time that ultimately, Gibraltar will end up belonging to Spain.

Ukraine Wants to Talk to Russia

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 8:

“Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the recently elected president of Ukraine, invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to resume peace talks to solve the ongoing conflict between their respective countries on Monday… Zelenskiy proposed: ‘I suggest the following lineup for talks: me, you, US President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President Emmanuel Macron.’

“Zelenskiy was also clear about the topic of the meeting: ‘Let’s discuss who Crimea belongs to and who isn’t in the Donbass region.’ Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov… said the proposal would be reviewed…

“Zelenskiy and Putin have never met, but during his inaugural address in May, the Ukrainian president vowed that resolving his country’s conflict with Russia would be his top priority. The conflict began in March 2014, when pro-Russian separatists staged an uprising in eastern Ukraine’s Donbass region after pro-Kremlin President Viktor Yanukovich was forced to flee the country in February 2014. The actions took place shortly after Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in February and March 2014, sparking international condemnation.

“Since then, some 13,000 people have been killed in eastern Ukraine. Russia has strongly denied any involvement in the region, despite ample evidence that it has continually shipped arms and troops into the area. Though peace talks involving Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany resulted in the so-called Minsk Agreements in 2014 and early 2015, both sides have violated the terms of the ceasefire agreement, and the situation remains at an impasse… The EU has been unapologetically supportive of Ukraine, issuing sanctions against Russia in an effort to force its hand. [European Council President Donald] Tusk underscored the deteriorating state of the situation, saying ‘The tragedy in eastern Ukraine continues with disastrous humanitarian consequences for local people trapped by Russia’s war.’”

Finally, Ukraine will become part of Russia.

“Pope” Putin Meets with Pope Francis

The New York Times wrote on July 4:

“Pope Francis is viewed by many European liberals as the greatest moral voice against the resurgence in populism and the demonization of migrants. But for many European nationalists, anti-migration politicians and opponents of gay rights, the real spiritual strongman of their movement is the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, their alternate pope. So when Mr. Putin visited the Vatican on Thursday, it was more than a mere meeting — their third — between the two men. Rather it was a tête-à-tête between the standard bearers of competing views of Christianity on the European continent as ideological polarization between nationalists and liberals cleaves the West…

“Mr. Putin has many fans in Italy, including the country’s de facto leader, Mr. Salvini, who has publicly professed admiration for the Russian leader… The most devout Putin followers talk of the Russian leader in mystical terms, comparing him to the Katechon, a Greek word referring to a force that keeps the Antichrist at bay… Amid this backdrop, Francis has been careful not to antagonize Russia by taking sides in the conflict in Ukraine, or between the Ukrainian Orthodox churches…”

Church Militant wrote on July 8:

“For Putin, the meeting… represented a way to reify his stature as a global leader. For Francis, the meeting represented a way to gain leverage in his relationship with populist, anti-migration Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini and in negotiating better relations with the Russian Orthodox Church — as well as the Ukrainian Orthodox Church…

“In January, Ukraine broke from the Russian Orthodox Church it had been tied to for more than four centuries and started its own independent Orthodox Church… Bartholomew I, the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, to which Ukraine had been loyal until 1686, recognized the independence of [the] Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In response, the Russian Orthodox Church… said it would no longer recognize the Istanbul-based patriarch. Putin sided with Cyril, patriarch of Moscow and the Russian Orthodox Church…”

Potential Nuclear Planetary Catastrophe Averted?

Bloomberg wrote on July 9:

“The 14 sailors who died during a fire last week on a nuclear-powered Russian military submarine prevented a ‘planetary catastrophe,’ a top naval officer said at their funeral… Russia broke three days of secrecy July 4 and confirmed that the stricken underwater research vessel was nuclear-powered… Russian authorities had previously refused to say whether the country’s worst naval incident in more than a decade involved a nuclear-powered vessel. They have also refused to say what type of craft was involved, with the Kremlin calling the information ‘absolutely classified.’…

“The vessel is linked to a secret nuclear-submarine project known as Losharik…The fire was Russia’s most serious naval incident since 20 people died on a Nerpa nuclear submarine in 2008… Russia’s worst post-Soviet naval disaster occurred early in Putin’s presidency, in August 2000, when 118 crew died on the Kursk nuclear submarine that sank in the Barents Sea after an explosion. The authorities were also accused of a cover-up.”

This shows how quickly our planet can be threatened by nuclear catastrophes.

Merkel’s Health Cause for Concern?

The Associated Press wrote on July 10:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s body shook visibly at a public event for the third time in less than a month on Wednesday… Merkel shook as she stood at a military honors ceremony alongside Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne outside the chancellery in Berlin, listening to the two countries’ national anthems. It followed similar episodes on June 18 and June 27. As in both those cases, the incident started as she stood still without talking…

“Merkel, who has been German leader since 2005, turns 65 on July 17. She suggested that the psychological impact of the first incident was responsible for the subsequent episodes… Public figures’ health is generally regarded as a private matter in Germany and the country’s privacy laws are very strict on that type of information. It is not publicly known if Merkel has any health problems…

“A spokeswoman for Merkel… declined to comment on whether there had been any other shaking episodes beyond the three publicly known ones. Merkel said last year that she won’t seek a fifth term as chancellor and won’t seek any other political job after her current term ends in 2021.

“She gave up the leadership of her center-right party after a pair of poor state election performances that followed a rocky start to her fourth-term government. She has shown no sign since of wanting to give up the chancellorship before her term is up.”

Greece Has a New Leader

The Associated Press wrote on July 8:

“Conservative party leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis was being sworn in as Greece’s new prime minister Monday, a day after his resounding win over left-wing Alexis Tsipras, who led the country through the tumultuous final years of its international bailouts. Mitsotakis’ New Democracy party won 39.8% of the vote, giving him 158 seats in the 300-member parliament, a comfortable governing majority. Tsipras’ Coalition of the Radical Left, or Syriza, garnered 31.5%. The extremist right-wing Golden Dawn, Greece’s third largest party during the height of the financial crisis, failed to make the 3% threshold to enter parliament.

“Mitsotakis will have to move fast to deal with the myriad of problems still plaguing the economy… Greece’s economy shrank by a quarter and poverty and unemployment levels soared during the country’s nearly decade-long financial crisis… The country’s debt stands at about 181% of annual GDP…

“‘New Democracy’s clear victory in Greece’s parliamentary elections yesterday will be welcomed by investors,’ said economics consultancy Capital Economics in a research note. ‘But it will not be a game changer for the economy, not least because the government will still be constrained by its membership of the single currency and its “surveillance” agreement with the EU… [The] enhanced surveillance’… bears a striking resemblance to a bail-out program… the government will get further relief on the cost of servicing its public debt only if it sticks to tight fiscal policy.’”

It is not clear at all whether Greece will be part of the final ten European nations or groups of nations resurrecting the ancient Roman Empire.

America’s and Europe’s Outrageous Immigration Policy

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 4:

“It’s easy to criticize Washington’s migration policies as inhumane, but the approach taken by the European Union is even more outrageous. Politicians in the EU outsource the horrors and wash their hands of any guilt…

“A father and his daughter lie dead on the bank of the Rio Grande, entwined in an embrace, after drowning in their attempt to reach the United States… They came from El Salvador and had attempted to swim across the border and the image of their bodies went around the world last week. It is absolutely heart-breaking… In the United States, the photo triggered a response similar to the one in Germany in 2015, when pictures of the deceased three-year-old Alan Kurdi, whose body washed up on the beach in Turkey, made the rounds…

“In addition came the revelations last week that U.S. authorities in Texas exposed around 300 children to inhuman conditions in cells with open toilets in the middle of the room and a lack of soap, clothing and food… Trump’s pick as the next director to lead the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency once said that when he looks into the eyes of detained migrant children, he sees future gang members… Without a doubt, America is no longer the country that was once proud to offer a new home to immigrants from around the world….

“Today’s migration policies in the European Union are even more brutal than those pursued by Donald Trump… the Europeans have entered into pacts with Libyan militias that operate horrific camps where torture and rape are commonplace, and they work together with the so-called Libyan coast guard, which is little more than a militia at sea. Sea rescue operations in the Mediterranean have practically been shut down, and Italian hardliner Matteo Salvini is no longer allowing private rescue ships to come ashore in the country.

“… This year alone, just under 600 migrants have drowned in the Mediterranean, a figure that is far greater than the number who have died along the U.S.-Mexican border. The horrors of the EU’s migration policies aren’t playing out in front of the cameras — they are unfolding in North Africa and on the high seas…

“Despite the suffering, the situation in the Mediterranean Sea is quite convenient for countries in northern Europe… the EU is selling its soul… the EU member states, the German government included, aren’t making any serious efforts to deal with the issue. Instead, they’ve outsourced the horrors and washed their hands of any guilt. Which is why it is only a matter of time before the next iconic image of dead immigrants will shock people around the world — without changing anything.”

A change to these horrible developments will only happen after Jesus Christ has returned to this earth.

Strains in Special Relationship between USA and UK

The Hill wrote on July 8:

“President Trump on Monday said he would ‘no longer deal with’ the U.K.’s ambassador to the U.S. [Sir Kim Darroch] after leaked cables revealed the diplomat’s blunt assessment of the Trump administration. Even as Trump bristled at being criticized in secret diplomatic notes, he went after outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May, who expressed ‘full faith’ in Darroch, over her handling of Brexit. ‘What a mess she and her representatives have created. I told her how it should be done, but she decided to go another way,’ Trump wrote, adding that ‘the good news for the wonderful United Kingdom is that they will soon have a new Prime Minister.’

“Darroch wrote in secret cables to top officials in London that Trump is viewed as ‘insecure’ and ‘incompetent.’ He said there are doubts in Washington about whether the White House ‘is going to become substantially more normal; less dysfunctional, less unpredictable, less faction-riven, less diplomatically clumsy and inept.’ The British government has expressed regret to Trump administration officials for the leak…

“The cables were published by U.K. newspaper The Mail on Sunday, providing fresh evidence of strains in the so-called ‘special relationship’ between the U.S. and U.K. during Trump’s presidency.”

The Associated Press wrote on July 8:

“British officials said they were hunting for the culprit behind the leak, which was both an embarrassment to Prime Minister Theresa May’s government and a major breach of diplomatic security… The documents were intended for senior U.K. ministers and civil servants. Government officials think the mole will be found among British politicians or officials, not in foreign governments or among people who aren’t British…”

Axios wrote on July 8:

“As the ambassador to a top U.S. ally, Darroch meets regularly with senior officials in the Trump administration. May will be replaced later this month, probably by the Trump-friendly Boris Johnson. If this is more than a passing dispute, Johnson will have to decide between standing by Darroch and the British diplomatic service, or making an early goodwill gesture to Trump by choosing a favorable replacement…

“Darroch, a highly regarded career civil servant, was due to leave Washington at the end of this year… The real surprise here isn’t the contents of the private messages Darroch sent back to London, but the fact that they leaked to the Mail on Sunday tabloid in the first place. There has been frantic speculation about the motives behind the leak.”

It will have to be seen whether this is only a temporary impasse between the USA and the UK or the sign of an ongoing phenomenon. Note the next article.

Britain’s Ambassador to the US Sir Kim Darroch Quits after Boris Johnson Refused to Support Him

The Sun wrote on July 10:

“BRITAIN’S ambassador to the US Sir Kim Darroch has sensationally quit today after being embroiled in a Donald Trump leak storm… Sir Kim wrote: ‘The current situation is making it impossible for me to carry out my role as I would like. I am grateful to all those in the UK and the US, who have offered their support during this difficult few days. This has brought home to me the depth of friendship and close ties between our two countries…’

“MPs have… come forward to support Sir Kim – including Theresa May, who said it is a ‘matter of deep regret’ that Sir Kim felt it necessary to stand down. It is understood the PM did not want him to resign and had urged him to stay – but he made it clear to her his mind was made up as he thought his position had become untenable following Trump’s decisions to bar him from attending key events and working together. She even sent a written note supporting him this week, her spokesperson said earlier.

“Foreign Secretary and leadership candidate Jeremy Hunt, who had stood by Sir Kim, said he was ‘deeply saddened’ by his decision. In a statement, he added: ‘For 42 years, Sir Kim served his country with the utmost dedication and distinction. I profoundly regret how this episode has led Sir Kim to decide to resign. He deserves to look back upon his career as a servant of Britain with the greatest satisfaction and pride.’

“Mr McDonald [Simon McDonald, the most senior official at the Foreign Office] said this lunchtime that it was the first time a friendly government has refused to deal with a British envoy – after Donald Trump said he’d no longer work with the ambassador following the leaks. He told MPs this afternoon: ‘It was his judgement that as long as he remained in Washington he would remain a target and his family with him … Nothing like this has ever happened before.’…

“Friends say Sir Kim decided the game was up last night after watching Boris Johnson [refuse] to back him during a live TV debate last night. The Tory leadership candidate refused several times to say he would keep Sir Kim in his post if he became prime minister…

“Labour MP Ben Bradshaw said on Twitter: ‘The shameful forcing out of Kim Darroch after Johnson failed to back him shows Johnson as PM would be nothing more than Trump’s lap dog. What a humiliating prospect for our United Kingdom.’… But Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage, a friend of Mr Trump, said it was ‘the right decision’.”

The Guardian added on July 10:

“Darroch’s decision will put pressure on Johnson, who was criticised by some Conservatives after the leadership debate for refusing to give Darroch his support even as his rival, Jeremy Hunt, said he would expect the ambassador to stay in post until his planned retirement. When pressed on the point, Johnson gave only mild criticism of Trump and said a good relationship with the US was ‘of fantastic importance’. Sir Alan Duncan, a Foreign Office minister, said Johnson had thrown Darroch ‘under the bus to serve his own personal interests’ and accused him of ‘contemptible negligence’.”

British Airways Fined

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 8:

“British Airways has been fined 183.4 million pounds ($230 million, €205 million) by the United Kingdom’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) [under the new UK Data Protection Act] after computer hackers stole customer data last year… The ICO said the penalty was the biggest it had ever handed out and the fine was the first to be made public under new rules.

“British Airways revealed in September 2018 that computer hackers had carried out a ‘sophisticated, malicious criminal attack’ on the airline’s website and app, and obtained the credit card details of some 380,000 customers. The airline promised to ‘fully reimburse’ affected customers…

“Airlines have become frequent targets for cyberattacks in recent years, due to their hyperconnected service models, which allow passengers to easily book and pay for flights. Passengers also have to include passport data and credit card information when booking a flight online. There were about 1,000 cyberattacks per month reported by airlines in 2016…”

The penalty imposed on British Airways, which the airline has vowed to fight, seems to be unduly harsh, given the fact that unscrupulous evil hackers have been committing crimes on the airline and its customers.

US Courts vs. Trump

npr wrote on July 9:

“A federal appeals court in Manhattan says President Trump cannot block critics from his Twitter account, calling it ‘unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.’ In a 29-page ruling on Tuesday, a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a lower court’s decision that found that Trump violated the First Amendment when he blocked certain Twitter users, because he uses his Twitter account ‘to conduct official business and to interact with the public.’ By preventing critics from accessing his feed, the president is barring them from participating in what the judges deemed a public forum.”

The Washington Post wrote on July 9:

“A federal judge in New York on Tuesday denied a bid from the Justice Department to replace the team of lawyers on the case about the census citizenship question…

“U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman denied the formal, legal bid to do so. ‘Defendants provide no reasons, let alone “satisfactory reasons,” for the substitution of counsel,’ Furman wrote. He also noted that a filing in the case was due from the department in just three days, and that the department had previously pushed for the matter to be moved along quickly.”

Subsequently, Trump abandoned his “effort to have a citizenship question added to the 2020 census, instead instructing federal agencies to provide the Commerce Department with records on citizenship… The Supreme Court last month ruled that the administration could not add the citizenship question to the census for now…” (The Week, July 11, 2019). The Independent wrote that Trump has “capitulated” and has suffered “a major defeat” in the matter.

npr added on July 11:

“President Trump announced Thursday he would sign an executive order to obtain data about the U.S. citizenship and noncitizenship status of everyone living in the United States… his executive order will direct all U.S. agencies to provide the Department of Commerce all information they have on U.S. citizenship, noncitizenship and immigration status…

“Trump appears to be doing what the Census Bureau encouraged over a year ago… Some of the steps Trump outlined are already underway. The Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security… had already entered into agreements with the Census Bureau to provide the bureau with information on noncitizens.”

This is a somewhat frightening development. Why and for what purpose is information needed about LEGAL noncitizens?

The Associated Press wrote on July 8:

“An appeals court on July 3 upheld a freeze on Pentagon money to build a border wall with Mexico, casting doubt on President Donald Trump’s ability to make good on a signature campaign promise before the 2020 election.

“A divided three-judge panel of the ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco agreed with a lower court ruling that prevented the government from tapping Defence Department counterdrug money to build high-priority sections of [a] wall in Arizona, California and New Mexico.”

Trump’s Top Officials to Speak to pro-Israel Evangelicals Conference

JTA wrote on July 8:

“Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton are set to address the annual Christians United for Israel conference, a sign of how much President Donald Trump values pro-Israel evangelicals.

“Pence, Pompeo, Bolton as well as ambassador to Israel David Friedman and Jason Greenblatt, the top U.S. Middle East negotiator, will speak Monday and Tuesday at the conference taking place in Washington D.C. Such a broad array of top senior foreign policy and security officials is rare for pro-Israel groups.

“Trump has on multiple occasions noted that the pro-Israel evangelical community has shown the most appreciation for his Israel-related actions, including moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, defunding the Palestinians, pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, and recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights…

“Other notable speakers [are] an array of Republicans from the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. No Democrats appear on the schedule.”

The article also published a picture of Pastor John Hagee shaking hands with Vice President Mike Pence at the Christians United for Israel annual conference on July 17, 2017. Hagee and other evangelicals believe strongly that an end-time third temple will be built in Jerusalem prior to Christ’s return, and they seem to suggest that Trump will be instrumental in some way in helping to build that temple.

Biblical City of Ziklag Found

The Jerusalem Post wrote on July 8:

“Researchers from a joint expedition including the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority and Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, believe that they have discovered the famous biblical city of Ziklag, a Philistine city where a young David sought refuge from King Saul…

“About a thousand square meters were excavated; the find revealed evidence of Philistine settlement dating from the 11th-12th century BCE. Large stone structures were uncovered, including finds characteristic of Philistine culture. Stone vessels and metal vessels found on the site are similar to finds from this period, discovered in the past in excavations of Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron and Gat, all ancient Philistine cities…

“A rural settlement from the time of King David, dating to the beginning of the 10th century BCE, was discovered above the remains of the Philistine settlement, which was destroyed by a fire. There were dozens of complete pottery vessels found in the remains of buildings, identical to those found in the fortified Jewish city of Khirbet Qeiyafa…

“The name Ziklag gives clues as to the origin of its inhabitants. It is not a local Semitic name but a Philistine name, further proof that the Philistines were not native to the area but migrated to the land of Israel from Europe. [Based on DNA testing, some believe that the ancient Philistines came to the Middle East from southern Europe more than 3,000 years ago].

“Ziklag is mentioned several times in the Bible, most famously in the Book of Samuel, when the young David is granted refuge from King Saul by the Philistine King Achish of Gat. David appears to have been awarded Ziklag as a vassal state, under the protection of Achish, and he used it as a base for raids against the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. According to the Book of Samuel, the city was destroyed by the Amalekites and the population was enslaved.

“After King Saul is killed in battle with the Philistines, David leaves Ziklag, traveling to Hebron to be anointed King of Israel.”

More historical proof that the Bible is accurate in everything.

Dumping 1.5 Tons of Rat Poison on the Farallon Islands?

The Los Angeles Times wrote on July 7:

“For most humans, life on these jagged islands off the coast of San Francisco would be a nightmare: Waves lash the shore with treacherous force, the stench of guano fills the air, and the screech of seagulls is so loud that resident scientists wear earplugs to bed. But wildlife thrive on ‘the Devil’s Teeth’ – the name given to the Farallon Islands by sailors over a century ago. The islands boast one of the world’s largest breeding colonies for seabirds… and their beaches are covered with lolling sea lions and seals. The waters surrounding the islands teem with 18 species of whales and dolphins.

“The islands also host tens of thousands of house mice – an invasive species that is wreaking havoc on the native ecosystem… The explosive growth in mice has attracted burrowing owls, who not only eat the mice but also prey upon the storm-petrels, a rare bird with a declining population.

“The federal government contends that the only way to get rid of the mice is to drop 1.5 tons of rat poison pellets from a helicopter onto the islands. But Bay Area conservationists are worried that the poison, an increasingly controversial rodenticide called brodifacoum, will kill other species and make its way up the food chain… The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency that manages the Farallones, acknowledges that while some non-target species will likely be killed in the process, broadcasting poison over the islands is a tried-and-true method of tackling rodent infestations. Biologists say that the long-term benefits will far outweigh any collateral damage…

“Critics insist there is reason to be wary of brodifacoum, an anticoagulant that causes internal bleeding. Mountain lions in California have been found dead with the rodenticide in their systems after eating small prey that ingested the poison. California outlawed consumer use of the poison in 2014… Critics do not refute that the mice need to go. But they do not buy the federal government’s insistence that rodenticide is the best way to get the job done…

“Alison Hermance, director of communications at Wildcare, a wildlife hospital in San Rafael, has seen firsthand how rat poison has affected local species. The organization began testing livers of patients – hawks, owls, foxes, coyotes – about 10 years ago for brodifacoum. They found that 76% of the 600 animals had been exposed to the poison. ‘People don’t recognize that this is a much bigger issue,’ said Hermance, who called the Farallones poison plan ‘ludicrous’…”

It very well seems to be.

“The Asteroid Peril Isn’t Science Fiction”

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 5:

“Even if we managed to spot a small but dangerous asteroid heading for Earth, we currently have no means to stop it…

“Many scientists argue that the most effective way to deal with a threat from a small asteroid would be to send up an unmanned spacecraft armed with a nuclear explosive device (they hesitate to call it a bomb) to blow it up or nudge it off course. Nuking an incoming asteroid is also the preferred Hollywood method… but the nuclear option faces serious hurdles in the real world…

“In December 2018… a 30-foot-wide asteroid exploded in the atmosphere over the Bering Sea with the explosive force of a dozen Hiroshima atomic bombs—but except for a few satellites and sensor systems, no one noticed…

“Hundreds of thousands of… near-Earth asteroids, both large and small, haven’t been identified. We have no idea where they are and where they are going. On Feb. 15, 2013, a relatively small, 60-foot-wide asteroid traveling at 43,000 mph exploded in the atmosphere near the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, sending out a blast wave that injured 1,500 people. No one had seen the asteroid coming…

“Nor is it clear that we could deflect a small but dangerous asteroid heading our way even if we did spot it. No asteroid-deflection method has ever been tested in real-space conditions—and, as [a scientific] conference’s war game demonstrated, using untested technology always entails a risk that the mission could go terribly wrong…

“Earth has been hit millions of times by powerful asteroids, and it will inevitably be hit again—whether two centuries from now or next Tuesday. So it isn’t a question of whether humankind will have to confront the prospect of a destructive asteroid hurtling our way; it is only a question of when.”

In the war game scenario, even though the asteroid was “blown up,” preventing it from hitting Denver, a piece hit New York and wiped out Manhattan.

Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Strikes California

The Week wrote on July 5:

“ A magnitude 7.1 earthquake rocked Southern California on Friday evening, just one day after a 6.4-magnitude temblor struck the same area. Friday’s quake was reportedly felt as far north as Sacramento, as far east as Las Vegas, and as far south as Mexico. There are reports of damaged buildings and roads, fires, and several injuries.

“The seismic activity was the largest in Southern California [for] at least 20 years and was followed by multiple aftershocks, some of which surpassed magnitude 5.0. More aftershocks are expected and could reportedly occur for years… The fault causing the quakes appears to be growing, scientists said.”

The 6.4 quake is now considered a foreshock to Friday’s 7.1 earthquake. Also, the earthquakes had no effect on diminishing the magnitude of potential earthquakes along the San Andreas fault. If anything, their magnitude would have been increased. This means, it is still an ongoing concern with ever increasing likelihood that the long overdue “big one” with a potential magnitude of 9 or higher and causing waves up to at least 20 meters high will strike California’s West Coast residents in the near future. The last time there was a strong earthquake on the San Andreas fault was 1906 when a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit the San Francisco area, causing widespread damage and thousands of deaths.

Why Comparatively Little Damage in Ridgecrest?

The Los Angeles Times wrote on July 10:

“Ridgecrest suffered far less damage than cities hit by less powerful quakes in recent years, including Napa and Paso Robles, where older buildings in the downtown areas crumbled amid the shaking. Experts were quick to point out that last week’s quakes would have proved far more devastating had they been located near bigger cities filled with more susceptible buildings. ‘You take a 7.1 and put it into the Hollywood fault or Newport-Inglewood fault in Long Beach — we’re going to see substantially different levels of damage,’ said Ken O’Dell, president of the Structural Engineers Assn. of Southern California…

“Many cities in Riverside and San Bernardino counties haven’t required fixes to brick buildings, a vulnerability Californians have known about for a century… There are at least 1 million of… vulnerable homes in California, but Ridgecrest has very few… Some of the worst damage was to mobile homes, which often are not secured to their foundations…

“The happenstances of geology and geography also worked in the town’s favor. The magnitude 7.1 earthquake started at an epicenter 10 miles northeast of central Ridgecrest. But it occurred on a fault that focused the worst shaking waves away from Ridgecrest and Trona, to the northwest and southeast, respectively, of the epicenter, and into sparsely populated areas…”

German Catholics Storm out of Sermon Urging Forgiveness for Predator Priests

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 5:

“Retired [Roman Catholic] priest Ulrich Zurkuhlen caused consternation in the city of Münster, northwest Germany, when he dedicated his sermon to the concept of forgiving priests who had sexually abused minors. Zurkuhlen’s remarks come at a difficult time for the Roman Catholic Church, as it grapples with continued allegations, from various parts of the world, of priests’ predatory conduct and church attempts to cover it up.

“In 2018, the German Bishops’ Conference published a report revealing that 1,670 priests, roughly 4.4% of clerics, had abused 3,677 people between 1946 and 2014 in Germany.

“The controversial sermon took place in the Holy Spirit Church of Münster… parishioners were incensed, with some 70 members of the congregation walking out in protest. Several parishioners reportedly interrupted the 79-year-old Zurkuhlen and tried to argue with him… the situation became chaotic and the priest was not able to finish the sermon…

“Stefan Rau, a fellow priest of the Holy Spirit Church, regretted Zurkuhlen’s position…”

Rau said he believes forgiveness isn’t the duty of abuse victims. In addition, the bishop of Münster, Felix Genn, has reportedly asked Zurkuhlen to stop preaching. However, if there is genuine repentance on the part of the pedophile priest, a true Christian has the duty to forgive him. This is true for every sin which is sincerely repented of. Otherwise, God will not forgive us our sins either.

Ten-Year-Olds Tell the Teacher About LGBT Ideology

Life Site News reported on July 1:

“A 10-year-old [and her classmate were] suspended from school for a week after asking [their] teacher permission to be excused from participating in a ‘Pride Month’ LGBT lesson… Susan Papas… who banned the children from the school… has been reported to the local authorities for what amounts to an unlawful act…

“Kaysey… says she was kept in detention for five hours from 10am to 3pm. Kaysey’s and Farrell’s version of the story, which differs widely from what their teacher and the head of their school alleged, has been corroborated by their classmates.

“‘This is why parents are beginning to see the dangers of the imposition of the new sexual and gender ideology that does not permit dissent even from  innocent ten year old children,’ said Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which is aiding the two students and their families in this matter. ‘This incident highlights again just how aggressive and intolerant the LGBT agenda can be… An ideology that has to resort to such heavy-handed tactics to force ten-year-old children to accept something that instinctively they do not, only highlights how life-crushing that ideology is… When bullies know that right is not on their side they resort to coercion and intimidation…’”

Out of the mouth of “babes”…

Some Potentially Good News from Australia

CNA wrote on July 6:

“Australia’s coalition government has proposed the introduction of legislation that would make it unlawful to discriminate against people on the ground of their religious belief or activity… It would be made clear that religious groups cannot be required to make their property available for same-sex marriage celebrations… The government wants to make religious belief and activity a protected class, like race or sex. It also hopes to ensure that groups rejecting same-sex marriage are not stripped of their charitable status…

“When same-sex marriage was legalized in Australia in 2017, efforts to include amendments that would protect religious freedom failed during parliamentary debate… Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney noted last year that ‘we cannot take the freedom to hold and practice our beliefs for granted, even here in Australia,’ and that ‘powerful interests now seek to… strip us of charitable status and protections.’”

It is even shocking to contemplate that a church might lose its charitable status for stating plainly what the Bible condemns.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

We find many times in the Old Testament a description of the Promised Land as a land flowing with milk and honey. The first reference can be found in the episode when God appeared to Moses in the burning bush. He told Moses in Exodus 3:8 that He would deliver His people “out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey.” This promise was later repeated many times, for instance in Numbers 14:8; Deuteronomy 31:20; and Ezekiel 20:15. Commentaries tell us that the promise referred to the fertility and bounty that awaited God’s chosen people. The mention of “milk” suggested that Israel’s livestock (consisting of cattle, sheep and goats) could find much pasture; and the reference to “honey” implied the bountiful farmland available where bees had plenty of plants from which to produce nectar. “Honey” could also refer to the sweetness of dates that grew in the land. All of this would mean that the promise included both richness and fertility.

The website gotquestions makes the following comments:

“God called the new land ‘good and spacious.’ The Hebrew word translated ‘good’ means ‘pleasant, beautiful, and fruitful, with economic benefits’… at the same time with promoting the goodness of the land, God mentions the enemies in the land that must be overcome. The nations displaced by Israel from the land ‘flowing with milk and honey’ were significant in number, and they valued that land enough to fight and die for it.

“Later, we have the record of the ten faithless spies who were sent into the Promised Land by Moses. The ten spies disagreed that Israel was able to conquer the inhabitants of the land, but they did agree on this: it was a land… flowing with milk and honey. This is what they told Moses in Numbers 13:27.  The ‘fruit’ the spies showed Moses was a single cluster of grapes that had to be carried on a pole between two men (verse 23). They also brought some pomegranates and… figs from Canaan.”

God made a covenant with the nation of Israel during the time of Moses, which included God’s promise to bring the nation into the Promised Land. Moses told the people in Deuteronomy 9:5 why this was to happen: “It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD your God drives them out from before you, and that He may fulfill the word which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

This same reason was also explained to the nation of Judah by Jeremiah in chapter 11, verses 3-5:  “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant which I commanded your fathers in the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, “Obey My voice, and do according to all that I command you; so shall you be My people, and I will be your God,” that I may establish the oath which I have sworn to your fathers, to give them “a land flowing with milk and honey,” as it is this day.’”

We explain in our booklet “And Lawlessness Will Abound”:

“God made a covenant with the nation of Israel at the time when He brought them out of slavery to fulfill His unconditional promise that He had made, through a covenant or agreement, to Abraham, later to Isaac, and then to Jacob. But… God expected of the nation to obey Him—at least in a general way. Since God never offered them the gift of the Holy Spirit, He knew that they could not obey Him in the same way we can today. Still, God expected obedience to an extent. In fact, when they refused to do so, He expelled them from the land.”

Similarities to the Promised Land can be seen with the Garden of Eden–a perfect paradise filled with bountiful trees and fruits and plants, the place where Adam and Eve really had it all. But due to their disobedience, they were expelled from the garden, in a sense a land “flowing with milk and honey.”

Quoting again from gotquestions:

“There are many areas in Israel that are in fact barren and infertile but this does not negate the fact that this land overall is flowing with milk and honey. There are many areas of Israel that are extremely fertile and produce many types of fruits and vegetables. The area north of present-day Israel is biblical Mesopotamia, also known as the ‘Fertile Crescent,’ which is just that—fertile (and crescent-shaped). It is also true that the Bible records severe drought and famine in the land of Israel, but those times were connected to God’s judgment on the sinful people (Deuteronomy 11:16-17; 1 Kings 18:1-2, 18)…

“God’s description of the Promised Land as ‘a land flowing with milk and honey’ is a beautifully graphic way of highlighting the agricultural richness of the land. God brought His people out of slavery in Egypt to a prosperous land of freedom and blessing and the knowledge of the Lord.”

God had originally created a beautiful world.  Unfortunately, due to man’s greed and sinful conduct, the world is being destroyed in many ways and man as a whole has taken for granted what God has created.  Because of this, God is angry and mankind will be punished once more in the future.  We read that Christ will come to destroy those who destroy the earth (Revelation 11:18).

But Christ will also restore all things again in the not-too-distant future, including the beauty of our planet. We state in our booklet “Human Suffering, Why.. and How Much Longer?” 

“Isaiah 49:8 explains that Christ, the Messenger of the New Covenant, will come to ‘restore this earth’ to its original beauty. The earth was so beautiful when it was created, that the angels praised God for it. They shouted for joy when they saw its awesome beauty (compare Job 38:4–7). This earth was not created void and empty. God is the Author of beauty and harmony. Whatever He does is beautiful and, indeed, reflects His character of light and brightness and splendor and glory.

“And so, Christ will RESTORE beauty to our planet.

“Christ will also restore those from the nations of Israel and Judah who have remained alive, as well as from all the other nations (Isaiah 49:6). Christ will restore the remnant of Israel by bringing them back into the Promised Land. Today, only a very small percentage of the houses of Israel and Judah live in the Promised Land. Only some of the Jews (descendants of Judah, Levi and Benjamin) live there, and virtually no one of the descendants of the house of Israel. But the Promised Land, as we know it today, is not the kind of land that God had envisioned. Today, it is a land filled with violence, hatred and war. But once Christ has returned and has begun His rule, the Promised Land will be changed into a land flowing with milk and honey again, as it once was—a land of prosperity, beauty, peace, and abundance for everyone (Joel 2:23–27).”

We can also understand some spiritual lessons from God’s promise to His physical people to provide them with a land flowing with milk and honey. In 1 Peter 2:2, a parallel is drawn between milk and God’s Word, and honey is likewise compared with God’s Word in Psalm 119:103.

As God has revealed His Word to us, if we are converted Christians, we must feed on it on a daily basis. As God’s Spirit is compared with rivers of living water, flowing into us and out of us, so God’s Word must be for us like milk and honey, flowing to us and from us.

We should not take for granted what God has done in our lives; the fact that He called us out of this world and made us understand His Word, so we can live a way that is pleasing in God’s eyes, preparing for a future time when we will be involved with beautifying this planet once again–not just a land but a whole planet flowing with milk and honey.

The nation of Israel at the time of Moses had God on their side who took them out of slavery and the land of Egypt in miraculous ways.  Yet they were quick to forget when they were in the wilderness, and they resorted to sinful conduct, due to a lack of faith and the willingness to obey. But God was merciful time and time again and gave them opportunities to obey, but finally, He had enough and many of His people were killed. With just a few exceptions, nobody who had been freed from Egypt was able to enter the Promised Land due to their disobedience and lack of faith.  They had taken for granted what God was trying to give them.

As spiritual Israelites, those whom God has truly called out of this world, we were also once “slaves” of this world, which is ruled by Satan. We are to flee from our carnal nature and to get rid of our old man–our sinful carnal desires–to become something better, to become renewed, to become a new man. Through our proper baptism, we received God’s Holy Spirit and became begotten children of God’s Family.  We still live in this world but we shouldn’t be a part of this world. Rather, we are to be a part of Christ and His spiritual Body, to live a life pleasing to God, based on what He commands. We will still be faced with trials, temptations and difficulties which we need to overcome as we continue to travel on this narrow road which leads us to our “Promised Land,” while we are inheriting the promises that God has in store for us – everlasting life in God’s rich and prosperous Kingdom and Family.

Lead Writer: Michael Link

compiled by Dave Harris

A new Member Letter (July 2019) is now posted and copies have been mailed to our subscribers. In this letter, Elder Robb Harris draws attention to our urgent need to not allow ourselves to drift away from God and fall back into the world.

“Trying to Appease Russia?” is the title of a special new StandingWatch program, present by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Many desperate attempts are being made today to appease Putin’s Russia. Will any of these attempts succeed? What does the Bible prophesy about the future relationship between Russia and the EU, Ukraine, the Roman Catholic Church and the USA?

Here is some information about our ever-enlarging German website—which you can find at: https://www.ewigengottes.de/

In addition to our German sermonettes, sermons and AufPostenStehen Programs, as well as occasional editorials, articles and Q&As, we are posting installments of our German translation of our Zechariah booklet, to be published as a German booklet upon completion (Buch Sacharja, seven parts so far), as well as German translations of our member letters (under Mitgliederbrief) and of portions of our Current Events (under Weltnachrichten).

We are currently running Google Ads which highlight our new booklet, “How Can We Know that Christ’s Return Is Near?”  Here is more information as presented in last week’s Update 883:

“WHY Christ’s Return IS NEAR Indeed!” is the title of a special new StandingWatch program, present by Evangelist Norbert Link. This program introduces our newest booklet, “How Can We Know that Christ’s Return Is Near?” Here is a summary:

How can we be so SURE that Christ’s return is near? Why is Christ’s soon-coming return the only hope for mankind’s survival? What are many different news events PROVING to us that Christ will return very soon? Our new free booklet, “How Can We Know that Christ’s Return Is Near?” gives you answers to these all-important questions. Please be sure to watch the short VIDEO at the END of this program.

In addition, a promotional video presented by Michael Link is included with the StandingWatch program and features the booklet. This video, titled, “How Can We Know that Christ’s Return Is Near?” is also posted.

“Glauben Sie dem Teufel?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Do You Believe the Devil?”

“Salt of the Earth,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Brian Gale, is now posted. Here is a summary:

This message looks at 4 different aspects of salt and compares it to God’s people who are the “the salt of the earth” and who must not lose their savour!

“The Devil is Loose!” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Satan’s wrath is great, as he knows that he has only a short time. But he is still the god of this evil world, the prince of darkness, who walks about like a roaring lion, seeking his victims in order to destroy them. He is a murderer, a liar, a deceiver, a fraud, an accuser and a tempter, and so are his servants and ministers who are acting on his behalf, even though many may think that they serve the true God. Those who were able to free themselves from Satan’s clutches through the understanding of the Truth and become again his victims are walking towards their spiritual and perhaps even physical death. This sermon will show from the Bible how Satan has inflicted misery and pain on so many people, but it also emphasizes that with God’s help, we will conquer the Devil.