On June 15, 2019, Thilo Hanstein will present the first sermon, titled, “Are You Really Different?” and Kalon Mitchell will present the second sermon, titled, “Learning How to Make Christian Change.”

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.

With school sessions completed, days becoming longer, and temperatures warming up, the joy of summertime has picked up momentum in my household. Immediately following our children’s last day of school, my family began spending more time outside and our activities have become more playful. Living in a time of relative peace, safety, and abundance, it’s a joyful time that my family and I have been blessed with the ability to enjoy.

I believe that what has made the time so precious involves the fact that we have simply enjoyed our time together, with one another. The most satisfying moments are the most accessible ones — a walk in the neighborhood; an evening gazing at the stars; an afternoon fishing; sharing stories and bad jokes during dinnertime. All of these experiences have been miniature treasures that cost us only the time it takes to experience them.

Solomon makes comments throughout the book of Ecclesiastes about appreciating the present lives we live. We can see a succinct summary of this notion in Ecclesiastes 2:24, “Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.” Apparently, this most-wealthy king was wise enough to see that the simple pleasures in life are a blessing from God that all of us have the capacity to enjoy.

It is worth noting that Solomon, who was known for the abundance of his riches, mentions that the material he managed to amass was not the source of joy. On the contrary, he expresses the tremendous grief that it caused (compare Ecclesiastes 2:4-11, 2:17-21). The reconciliation he finds is that his joy comes from the appreciation of the inherent experience of work and the simple satisfaction in the most basic of life’s activities. It is the experience of life that he values more than its riches.

There are very few things in life that cannot be taken away from us. Even Solomon laments that our physical possessions are among the easiest to lose. We may lose those who are near and dear to us too. But our ability to experience life’s events, whether good or bad, can never be taken away. Experience is built into being. The relentless pace of time continues forward and accumulates experience, captured in memories that we keep as long as our memory retains them. Since experience is among the most durable of our possessions, it only makes sense to attribute a commensurate amount of value in how we treat it.

By contrast, the physical world that we live in offers us nothing that is materially permanent. 1 Timothy 6:6-10 informs us, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Not only is contentment with our existence a perspective to nurture, we can see that there are negative consequences when we dedicate our time and attention to the accumulation of the wrong kind of possession. The love of money and material gain lies at the source of the kind of behavior and priorities that lead us away from God. Certainly, if we want to live an eternally good life, we must begin now by placing value in what matters. And what matters is not material.

The time we have to live these physical lives is finite and short. In addition, this age in which we live in relative peace, safety, and abundance is exceedingly short. Knowing that we all have the capacity to experience the events that God prepares for us, and that the time we have to enjoy them is limited, we ought to pay attention and appreciate the moments of our lives. God works to provide us with occasions for growth. It’s up to us to take the time to extract as much as we can from the experience He offers us. For, experience is all we get in this life.

by Norbert Link

We begin with frightening reports on censorship in the USA, Europe and China; continue with the ongoing trade war between the USA and China; as well as Mexico; and address near-fatal and potentially horrible accidents between the USA and Russia, as well as further attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

We speak on the growing alliance of Arabs and Christian churches against Israel; the almost certain election of Boris Johnson as Britain’s new Prime Minister; and we address the terrible immigration situation in the USA and in Europe. We also address interesting speculation and rumors about former Austrian chancellor, Sebastian Kurz.

(See StandingWatch: “Is Austria’s Sebastian Kurz gay… and Would it Matter?” 

We conclude with an article about abortion and two articles about the Vatican’s clarifications on two misunderstood biblical passages and the “gender” theory, while Catholic schools in Australia follow a different path.

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

YouTube’s New Anti-Extremism Policy

The New York Times wrote on June 5:

“YouTube announced plans… to remove thousands of videos and channels… in an attempt to clean up extremism and hate speech on its popular service. The new policy will ban ‘videos alleging that a group is superior in order to justify discrimination, segregation or exclusion,’ the company said in a blog post. The prohibition will also cover videos denying that violent events, like the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, took place…

“The decision by YouTube, which is owned by Google, is the latest action by a Silicon Valley company to stem the spread of hate speech and disinformation on its site. A month ago, Facebook evicted seven of its most controversial users, including Alex Jones, the conspiracy theorist and founder of Infowars. Twitter barred Mr. Jones last year…

“The kind of content that will be prohibited under YouTube’s new hate speech policies includes videos that claim Jews secretly control the world, that say women are intellectually inferior to men and therefore should be denied certain rights, or that suggest that the white race is superior to another race…

“YouTube announced in January that it would recommend fewer objectionable videos, such as those with conspiracy theories about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and vaccine misinformation, a category it called ‘borderline content’…”

thinkprogress wrote on June 6:

“Conservatives cry censorship after YouTube rolls out new anti-extremism policy. The policy is littered with problems and YouTube itself is struggling to defend the move…

“Conservatives claimed that the [action] was part of a wider liberal agenda to silence dissenting voices…”

It surely appears to be that way. Subsequently, Google’s CEO stated in an interview that he wants to see YouTube expand its crackdown on “borderline” content.

China’s Brutal Censorship

ctpost wrote on June 8:

“Websites of The Washington Post and the Guardian appear to now be blocked in China as the country’s government further tightens its so-called ‘Great Firewall’ censorship apparatus as it navigates a politically sensitive period. Until this weekend, The Post and the Guardian were among the last few major English-language outlets that were still regularly accessible from mainland China without the use of virtual private networking (VPN) software, according to the censorship tracker greatfire…

“Chinese Internet authorities have gone into overdrive in recent weeks ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre on June 4, 1989, prohibiting users on the popular WeChat social media service to post keywords or pictures related to the event…

“Every language edition of Wikipedia was fully banned in mid-May. A CNN reporter said the network’s website was blocked again this week shortly after CNN… ran a top story commemorating the 1989 incident… the trend since 2013 has shown more and more foreign websites being irrevocably added to China’s blacklist.

“Outlets such as Bloomberg, the New York Times, Reuters and the Wall Street Journal have been blocked for years. So have social media services such as Facebook and Twitter and all Google-owned services, including YouTube. Other popular services such as Dropbox, Slack and WhatsApp are also prohibited… While a small number of Chinese users download VPNs to access banned websites and social media services, China has increasingly found ways to enforce the bans – including through physical intimidation.”

Woe unto those who suppress the Truth in unrighteousness.

Huge Demonstration in Hong Kong against Chinese Dictatorship

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 9:

“Hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong residents are participating in a rally on Sunday against a government plan that would allow extraditions to authorities in mainland China… The turnout at Sunday’s rally marks the event as one of the largest protests in Hong Kong’s history… The proposed extradition law is one of the most controversial pieces of legislation in Hong Kong since a 2003 national security bill, which was scrapped by the authorities after at least half a million residents took to the streets to oppose it…

“Hong Kong authorities have come under immense pressure from the international community to ditch the extradition bill. Foreign ministers of Germany and Britain have spoken against the bill, while 11 European Union envoys recently met Chief Executive Carrie Lam to formally protest the law. The International Chamber of Commerce to the EU office in Hong Kong and the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission also voiced serious concerns about the controversial extradition bill…

“Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997 after 99 years under British colonial rule. The ‘one country, two systems’ principle underpins the reunification process and allows the territory relative autonomy in the 50-year transition period. But more than 20 years into the process, critics are concerned Chinese authorities are already tightening their grip on political and social life. In 2012, a report on freedom of the press in Hong Kong showed it had deteriorated alarmingly… Chinese authorities have clamped down on pro-democracy demonstrations in recent years…”

Not surprisingly, China blamed the USA for the demonstrations in Hong Kong. That Britain lost Hong Kong was in fulfillment of biblical prophecy.

“The End of the World As We Know It”

On June 3, Project Syndicate published an article by Joschka Fischer, former German Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor from 1998-2005:

“After three decades of moving toward a single global market governed by the rules of the World Trade Organization, the international order has undergone a fundamental change. The United States and China are locked in a tariff war that at first seemed to be about the bilateral trade balance, but has turned out to be about much more…

“Last month, under pressure from US President Donald Trump’s administration, Google terminated its cooperation with Huawei, thereby depriving the Chinese smartphone maker of the license to use Google’s Android software and related services. The move poses an existential threat to Huawei. But, more than that, it marks both a new pinnacle in the Sino-American [i.e., Chinese-American] conflict and the end of US-led globalization…

“The Trump administration’s latest move is meant to signal that the US will not hand over its dominant global position without a fight. Yet by precipitating a break in the existing trade relationship with China, the US will incur immense costs of its own.

“No doubt turbulence awaits Europe, too. A rupture in the global economy would pose a fundamental challenge to the European – and especially the German – export model… [The EU’s] exporters have become increasingly reliant on the Chinese market…

“Past experience has shown that Europe usually needs a crisis in order to move to the next stage of its development… Europe may now have no choice but to develop a geopolitical strategy for the twenty-first century. The EU… must get to work safeguarding its prosperity and sovereignty in an age of Sino-American rupture…”

And that is exactly what the EU will do… with dangerous unforeseen consequences. Also, in regard to the deteriorating relationship between the USA and Europe, Newsmax reported on June 11:

“President Donald Trump on Twitter Tuesday accused Europe of devaluing the euro zone’s single currency and also targeted U.S. monetary policy with renewed attacks on the U.S. central bank. ‘The Euro and other currencies are devalued against the dollar, putting the U.S. at a big disadvantage,’ Trump tweeted without offering any evidence. He also slammed U.S. interest rates for being too high.”

Tariff Fight with Mexico Not Over

AFP wrote on June 10:

“Amid speculation about the contents of Mexico’s deal to curb mitigation in order to avert President Donald Trump’s threat of tariffs, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said he had rebuffed the US demand for such a measure, but agreed to revisit the matter in 45 days… Ebrard, who led the Mexican negotiating team in marathon talks in Washington, spoke as Trump renewed his tariff threat over a secret provision in the deal.

“Trump tweeted that part of the deal would require approval by the Mexican Congress — he did not give details — and that ‘if for any reason the approval is not forthcoming, Tariffs will be reinstated!’”

Axios wrote on June 10:

“Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said at a news conference Monday that there is no secret immigration deal between Mexico and the United States…

“Ebrard said at the press conference that there had merely been an agreement for both parties to monitor migration in upcoming months, with a contingency for discussions on further asylum reforms if it was determined that individuals crossing the U.S.’ southern border had not been reduced…”

“If the US Cuts Immigration from Mexico, Who Will Do the Jobs Americans Don’t Want?”

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 10:

“Trump had threatened to impose tariffs of 5% on all imports from Mexico, worth $346.5 billion (€305 billion), ‘until illegal immigration across the southern border was stopped.’ The tariffs would have begun on June 10, rising to 10% on July 1, 15% on August 1, 20% on September 1 and 25% on October 1. Mexico exported to the US $346.5 billion worth of goods in 2018 — meaning that a 5% tariff on those products would have meant a de facto tax increase of $17 billion on agricultural goods, machinery, clothing and components used to make other products…

“About 8 million immigrants from Mexico have jobs, making up 5% of the US workforce… The Department of Agriculture estimates that about half of the nation’s farm workers are unauthorized…

“A study for the dairy industry said that if federal labor and immigration policies cut the number of foreign-born workers by 50%, about 3,500 dairy farms would close, leading to a drop in milk production and a rise in prices of about 30%.

“Unauthorized immigrants make up 24% of maids and cleaners…

“While Mexican workers in the US average $1,870 per month, the average wage in Mexico is $291 per month, or just over $2 an hour, with the minimum wage roughly $4.15 for a full day’s work. Caterpillar is considering opening a plant in Monterrey in northeastern Mexico while General Motors is shifting some of their Detroit operations to Mexico. Ford is planning on moving some of its Detroit south of the border.”

In addition, many big firms operating in the USA, such as Home Depot, Vons, Walmart, Starbucks, McDonalds and quite a few other fast-food stores, have opened branches in Mexico.

USA vs. Germany

The EUObserver wrote on June 13:

“US president Donald Trump has pledged to send at least 1,000 extra troops to Poland to deter Russian aggression.

“He also praised Poland’s nationalist-populist government, while again attacking Germany on defence spending and on its Russia gas pipeline.”

President Trump also stated that he plans to withdraw the 1,000 US troops for Poland from Germany.

Close Encounter

npr wrote on June 7:

“The U.S. Navy says ‘unsafe and unprofessional’ maneuvers by a Russian destroyer nearly caused it to collide with a U.S. missile cruiser in the Philippine Sea on Friday. The Russian warship came within 50 to 100 feet of the USS Chancellorsville, which was busy recovering a helicopter, and the American ship had to take drastic action to avoid the other vessel, the Navy says. Russia’s military, however, provided a different version of events and said the U.S. ship was at fault [saying that] the two vessels were ‘heading in parallel directions’ when the U.S. ship ‘impeded’ its warship…

“The near-collision comes two years after two other warships in the 7th Fleet — the USS Fitzgerald and the USS John S. McCain — were involved in high-profile accidents. In those cases, the Navy vessels collided with cargo ships… Friday’s incident comes on the heels of another close encounter. Earlier this week, a Russian fighter jet intercepted a U.S. Navy aircraft three times while they were in international airspace over the Mediterranean Sea…”

Imagine the devastating consequences if such an accident actually did take place.

Attacks on Oil Tankers in the Gulf of Oman

The Allgemeiner wrote on June 13:

“Two oil tankers were attacked on Thursday and left adrift in the Gulf of Oman, driving up oil prices and stoking fears of a new confrontation between Iran and the United States, which blamed Tehran for the incident…

“Crude oil prices spiked more than 4% after the attacks near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping artery for Saudi Arabia and other Gulf energy producers…

“Washington accused Tehran of being behind a similar attack on May 12 on four tankers in the same area.

“Tensions between Iran and the United States, along with its allies including Saudi Arabia, have risen since US President Donald Trump pulled out of a deal last year between Iran and global powers that aimed to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Iran has repeatedly warned it would block the Strait of Hormuz if it cannot sell its oil due to US sanctions…

“The Saudi-led military coalition, which is battling the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen, described Thursday’s events as a ‘major escalation.’ Russia, one of Iran‘s main allies, urged caution, saying no one should rush to judgment about the incident or use it to put pressure on Tehran…

“Britain said it was ‘deeply concerned’ about the attacks. Germany, which like Britain remains a party to the nuclear pact with Iran, said the ‘situation is dangerous’ and all sides needed to avoid an escalation.

“The Arab League said some parties were ‘trying to instigate fires in the region’…”

Arabs and Greek Orthodox Church against Israel

The Jordan Times wrote on June 4:

“His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday reaffirmed Jordan’s unwavering position on the Palestinian cause and Jerusalem, and in defending the just and legitimate rights of the Palestinians… The King stressed the need to maintain coordination between mosques and churches, and among churches, to counter challenges… For their part, the attendees thanked His Majesty for his positions in defence of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem…

“Jerusalem Awqaf Director Mohammad Azzam Khatib Tamimi highlighted the King’s efforts in safeguarding Al Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, as well as other holy sites…

“In remarks by Patriarch Theophilos III, Patriarch of the Holy City and all Jordan and Palestine, delivered on his behalf by Archbishop Christoforos Atallah, Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Jordan… [he] voiced confidence in the King’s clear stance on the need for a just and comprehensive solution for the Palestinian cause and Jerusalem, and the importance of establishing an independent Palestinian state on Palestinian national soil with East Jerusalem as its capital… He thanked the King for his ‘generous donation for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre’ to help implement needed renovations.”

This article, written from a Jordanian perspective, shows the close cooperation between Arabs and Christian churches, and their determination to support the Palestinians against the Jews in Israel.

Boris Johnson Steamrolling Ahead

Axios wrote on June 13:

“There is little standing in the way of Boris Johnson becoming Britain’s next prime minister… Johnson is a brash Brexiteer who has vowed to take the U.K. out of the EU without a deal if one can’t be reached by October…

“Step one in the two-step process to replace Theresa May as Conservative Party leader, and thus prime minister, officially began on Thursday. Johnson got off to a massive head start after 114 Conservative Members of Parliament selected him — far more than went for Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt (43), Environment Secretary Michael Gove (37), or former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab (27).

“Seven candidates had enough backers to move on to the next round, with three others eliminated. The voting will continue until the list is whittled down to two, whom the party’s 160,000 members will then choose between…

“If he does triumph, Johnson will take ownership of the most intractable dispute in recent British political history and a divided party that has fallen to once-unthinkable depths in the polls. There are clearly many who think he’s just the man for the job.”

Ongoing Immigration Nightmare for Children

AFP wrote on June 8:

“When reporters toured a shelter for immigrant children in February, authorities showed off classrooms, soccer fields and art studios to prove the kids were being treated well. This week President Donald Trump’s administration cancelled all that special care, citing a lack of funding. Some 13,200 children and teens, most of them Central American, are being held in 168 shelters for minors in 23 states across the United States. In all of them, activities that are not essential or not linked to the children’s physical safety began to be cut this week…

“Minors who cross the southern US border without an adult are classified as Unaccompanied Alien Children and sent to centers of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, where they live until they can be reunited with their parents or US-based relatives. Many human rights groups deem these places as being akin to prisons or even concentration camps.”

It is terrible when innocent children must suffer because of the conduct of adults.

EU Accused of Help Killing Illegal Immigrants

The EUObserver wrote on June 4:

 “EU states’ efforts to ‘deter’ migrants from Libya have helped kill more than 14,000 people… according to a lawsuit filed at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague…

“The EU’s decision to end a sea rescue operation called Mare Nostrum off the coast of Libya led to a gross increase in drownings, [the] 243-page document… alleged… The EU’s policy of returning migrants to Libya, despite the political chaos there, exposed a further 40,000 people to ‘crimes against humanity’ in militia-run camps there between 2016 and 2018, the lawyers’ document added.

“‘European Union officials were fully aware of the treatment of the migrants by the Libyan coastguard and the fact that migrants … would face immediate detention in detention centres… in which murder, sexual assault, torture and other crimes were known by the European Union agents and officials to be common,’ it said… ‘the EU is orchestrating a policy of forced transfer to concentration camp-like detention facilities,’ it added. The EU policy constituted the ‘most lethal and organised attack against civilian population the ICC had jurisdiction over in its entire history,’ it said.”

If true, it would sound awfully similar to what Nazis began to do in Germany prior to World War II.

“Justice” in Totalitarian Italy? Demagogues Responsible?

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 8:

“Pia Klemp stands accused of aiding illegal immigration after she saved people from drowning in the Mediterranean. The Bonn native has accused Italian authorities of organizing ‘a show trial.’

“… According to German public broadcaster WDR… [Klemp] has personally assisted in the rescue of more than 1,000 people at risk of drowning in unsafe dinghies as they attempted to cross to Europe in search of a better life. An already immigrant-unfriendly government in Rome became even more so in June 2018, when newly appointed Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini of the far-right League party promised a crackdown the likes of which modern Italy had never seen.

“Since assuming office, Salvini has sought to put a stop to migrant rescue ships docking on Italian shores and allowing refugees to disembark. In January, the nationalist leader made headlines with the forced evacuation of [immigrants and] his refusal to clarify where the people, many of whom had lived in Castelnuovo di Porto for years and become integrated into town life, were being taken.

“Shortly thereafter, Sicilian prosecutors ruled that Salvini could be charged with kidnapping more than 177 migrants left stranded on a ship he had ordered impounded.

“… the captain blames not only the Italian government but what she sees as a failure of the European Union ‘to remember its avowed values: human rights, the right to life, to apply for asylum, and the duty of seafarers to rescue those in danger at sea.’ Klemp added that ‘demagogues’ such as Salvini, former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer were effectively allowing thousands to perish in the Mediterranean each year…”

Catholic Church Concerned About Salvini

Firstthings wrote on May 31:

“Several ecclesiastical figures expressed horror at the results of last week’s European Parliament elections… The reactions centered on the Matteo Salvini’s stunning victory in Italy, where his Lega Party took more than 34 percent of the Italian vote, exceeding even the most extravagant forecasts. This means that in absolute figures the Euroskeptic Lega party will have the third-highest number of seats in the new parliament…

“On May 27, the semi-official Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano published a front-page editorial by Andrea Monda (personally appointed as the newspaper’s editor-in chief last December by Pope Francis), who criticized the pro-sovereignty movement that made extraordinary gains in Sunday’s elections. That movement is the enemy of Europe, the editorial proposed, and the Lega’s substantial victory in Italy was particularly worrisome… It was not a vote for something, but ‘against’ something, driven by fear…

“Luxembourg Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich… criticized Italy’s interior minister Matteo Salvini for preying upon Catholics by appealing to their religious sense, also suggesting that Italian Catholics are easily duped… suggesting that Salvini is not a real Catholic, despite his claims to the contrary…

“Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro, the editor-in-chief of La Civiltà Cattolica, railed against the election results in a full-page article in Famiglia Cristiana. ‘There is a toad, a moral sickness, in the belly of our country, which is also infecting our Church,’ Spadaro observed, since a significant number of self-identified Catholics evidently voted for Salvini…

“These three examples are just the tip of the iceberg, the latest signs of a process by which leading spokesmen for the Church in Europe seem to be growing more overtly political…

“To take just one more example from the Italian political scene, leading ecclesiastical figures have demonized Salvini for closing Italian ports in an effort to curb illegal immigration, calling him everything from the antichrist to Satan…”

While the quoted article was written in support of Salvini and as an accusation against the leading Catholic figures mentioned therein, it is interesting that something seems to be developing in Italy which may remind us of the long-lasting quarrel between the Catholic Church and Mussolini whose sincere dedication to the Catholic faith was also [correctly] questioned on numerous occasions.

Sebastian Kurz Gay?

Haaretz wrote on May 18:

“As for [former Austrian Vice-Chancellor] Strache’s claims in the leaked video that Sebastian Kurz is gay and partakes in sex orgies, the chancellor refused to comment, adding that such matters are unimportant.”

Kurz is described as a “practicing Catholic.” He is living together with his girlfriend, without being married. Still, there have been rumors about Kurz’s alleged homosexuality for quite some time. “Heute” wrote on November 13, 2018, that a local branch of the opposition party, the SPÖ, suggested on Facebook that Kurz might be gay. Strache’s party, the FPÖ, has been strongly opposed to gay marriages, which Kurz has been supporting. Same-sex marriage in Austria has been legal since 1 January 2019, following a decision of the Constitutional Court on 4 December 2017. Austria’s interim chancellor, Brigitte Bierlein, has been the Vice-President of the Constitutional Court since 2003, and the sitting President since 2018. Note our new StandingWatch program: “Is Austria’s Sebastian Kurz gay… and Would it Matter?”

Abortion Essential to Be Successful in Business?

Breitbart wrote on June 10:

“The top executives of more than 180 companies have signed a letter that says abortion is essential in order for people to be successful in their businesses… ‘Restricting access to comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion, threatens the health, independence and economic stability of our employees and customers,’ they said, adding: ‘Simply put, it goes against our values and is bad for business. It impairs our ability to build diverse and inclusive workforce pipelines, recruit top talent across the states, and protect the well-being of all the people who keep our businesses thriving day in and out.’

“The letter appeared as a full-page ad in the New York Times Monday… The abortion lobby, led by Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and the ACLU formed the coalition of business executives as more states are passing restrictions on abortion.”

This is just abominable.

Pope Changes Bible?—Not too Fast!

The Daily Mail wrote on June 6:

“Pope Francis has changed the Lord’s Prayer after criticising the English translation for implying that God – not Satan – leads people into temptation. Francis approved an alteration [of] the line ‘lead us not into temptation’ which now reads ‘do not let us fall into temptation’, which is closer to the French translation…

“Francis also approved changes to The Gloria from ‘Peace on earth to people of good will’ to ‘Peace on Earth to people beloved by God.’”

Actually, both “changes” convey more accurately, to an extent, the intended meaning of these verses.

Vatican Sets the Record Straight on Gender Theory

Reuters reported in June 10:

“The Vatican condemned gender theory on Monday as part of a ‘confused concept of freedom’, saying in a new document that the idea of gender being determined by personal feeling rather than biology was an attempt to ‘annihilate nature’. LGBT rights advocates denounced the 30-page document, called ‘Male and Female He Created Them’, as harmful and confusing, saying it would encourage hatred and bigotry.

“The document, the Vatican’s first on gender theory, was written by the Congregation for Catholic Education as an ‘instruction’ to Catholic educators on how to address the topic of gender theory in line with Church teaching…

“[The Vatican’s booklet] says gender theories are ‘often founded on nothing more than a confused concept of freedom in the realm of feelings and wants, or momentary desires provoked by emotional impulses and the will of the individual, as opposed to anything based on the truths of existence’… While the document is not signed by Pope Francis, it several times quotes from his speeches and teachings and those of previous popes…”

We agree with the Vatican on this issue and its evaluation of the matter. However, note the next article.

God Gender-Neutral?

Daily Mail Australia wrote on June 2:

“Catholic schoolgirls are being taught that God is gender-neutral and banned from using the words ‘Lord’, ‘Father’ and ‘Son’ in prayers… Top schools including All Hallows, Stuartholme, Loreto College and Stuartholme School are leading a push towards a feminist interpretation of the Christian Bible…

“’As we believe God is neither male or female, Stuartholme tries to use gender-neutral terms in prayers … so that our community deepens their understanding of who God is for them, how God reveals Godself through creation, our relationships with others and the person of Jesus,’ a spokeswoman told The Sunday Mail.

“Loreto College in Coorparoo has taken the word ‘Lord’ from their prayers as it is a ‘male term’… the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference did suggest schools use gender-neutral terms where appropriate…”

What a horrible blasphemous travesty!

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.

The second commandment describes a prohibition against idolatry. In Exodus 20:4-5, God presents the instruction to Moses, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.’”

Since God presented this commandment in an explicit way following the Exodus of Israel out of Egypt, does it mean that it began to take effect at that moment? Or was the commandment in effect before that time? The answer to the question of its existence prior to the proclamation of the Ten Commandments is clearly affirmative, as shown by the evidence in the Bible.

Before beginning to cite evidence for the existence of the commandment against idolatry, it is important to clarify the scope of what it means. There is a clear admonition against creating anything that is a physical representation of the true God, or other false gods. It includes the prohibition of using idols in the purported worship of the true God. The creation and use of the golden calf, the cross or the Christmas tree in the “worship” of God are prime examples of this kind of “syncretism”—mixing true worship with pagan elements. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Don’t Keep Christmas.” In addition, we might think today of pictures purportedly representing the Father or Jesus Christ. To create such pictures is clearly in violation of the second commandment. Also, the creation and worship of statues allegedly representing dead “saints” or the “Virgin Mary” break the second commandment as well.

However, the notion of idolatry expands beyond the narrow concept of prohibiting physical representations. An important aspect of the second commandment also involves worship and the way things are served. For example, if any material possession consumes our attention, such that it becomes more important to us than our relationship with God, it is a form of idolatry. An idol doesn’t need to be a physical object either. If we have a habit or activity in our lives that diminishes the importance of God in our lives and we choose to dedicate ourselves to something else, it is a form of idolatry. For example, a hobby or a job can become an idol if it becomes more important in our lives than God. A person can become an idol as well, if serving him or her gets in the way of serving God. Clearly, this commandment goes further in its application than what it seems on the surface.

Quoting from a recent Q&A, we provide an explanation that covetousness is also a form of idolatry:

“The apostle Paul tells us that we are to put to death covetousness which is idolatry (Colossians 3:5). Therefore, the tenth commandment is linked to the second commandment. If we covet anything belonging to another person, we are making an idol of what we covet. This would include our neighbor’s spouse, car, house, job, holiday, etc. We would be coveting something that God says is not ours to have because it is someone else’s possession.

“From this we see that an idol is not just a religious symbol or image, but it can be any object, person or animal or even profession for which we have a wrong desire. In fact, anything we put before God basically becomes our idol.”

In the same Q&A, we explain how we can have idols in our minds:

“[I]dols can relate to physical objects and the desire for the possessions of others, but they can also include the belief in things like charms, divination or astrology. They can even pertain to our reliance on our own self-righteousness and integrity. As we read in Ezekiel 14:3-4, idols can indeed be in our minds. And any idol, whether an object or a wrong thought pattern or concept, can lead us away from obeying God and can cloud our understanding as to what and who He is.”

Knowing how to identify idolatry allows us to detect evidence for the fact that it has always been a sin, and a violation of God’s eternal, spiritual law. Idols can take the shape of physical representations of gods, as well as any other object, person, activity, or idea that turn us away from God. The examples in the Bible primarily focus on physical representations of other gods used in false worship as well as their use in the proposed worship of the true God, but as we will see, a broad sense of idolatry is also expressed.

A key Scripture providing evidence that the commandment against idolatry was in effect prior to the reception of the ten commandments can be found when God instructs Jacob to go to Bethel and build an altar to God (Genesis 35:1). In response to this instruction, Jacob hides the idols that he knows are among his people. “And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, ‘Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have gone.’ So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree which was by Shechem”(Genesis 35:2-4). Not only does this show that idols for foreign gods existed at that time, but it also shows that Jacob knew they were wrong to possess to be used for the worship of false gods or even the true God.

Since Jacob knew that he would go to Bethel to build an altar to God and dwell there, it is apparent that he also knew that it was time to remove the idols that were present in his camp. It is therefore clear that idol worship was understood as being wrong, giving us evidence that the second commandment was in effect before it was presented to Moses.

The Bible expresses another example of the presence of idolatry prior to the presentation of the Ten Commandments and the fact that it was always a violation of God’s commandment when Joshua confronts the same problem and provides the historical context and condemnation of idol worship in describing the behavior of Abraham’s ancestors. “And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Thus says the LORD God of Israel: “Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of the River in old times; and they served other gods”’” (Joshua 24:2).

This shows that other gods were served in a way that expresses wrongdoing. Joshua goes on to describe the ways in which they served other gods. “‘Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD!’” (Joshua 24:14). The ancestors of Israel, going back before Abraham and including ancestors in Egypt, served other gods with idols. This behavior of the ancestors is condemned because it was wrong then, just as it was at Joshua’s time. The reference to the kinds of idols served is not explicit in its description, but as we understand, an idol can be anything that is served in a way that takes away from the true worship of God.

We see an additional historic reference to the violation of the commandment against idolatry when Ezekiel describes the context of preparing to bring Israel out of Egypt. “‘Say to them, “Thus says the LORD God: ‘On the day when I chose Israel and raised My hand in an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob, and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, I raised My hand in an oath to them, saying, “I am the LORD your God.”   On that day I raised My hand in an oath to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, “flowing with milk and honey,” the glory of all lands. Then I said to them, “Each of you, throw away the abominations which are before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God”’”’” (Ezekiel 20:5-7). From here we see that there was idol worship in Egypt and among the Israelites before the Exodus, and before God presented the Ten Commandments to Moses. The clear instruction is to remove their idols, which God declares as abominations, at the time when God revealed His intentions. God expected the Israelites to clean up their act by ceasing to serve idols, especially those made for other gods and even the true God, and not to use them in worship of false gods or the purported worship of the true God.

The spiritual law of God against idol worship was clearly in effect prior to the time when God presented the Ten Commandments to Moses. Idolatry was a problem since the very early history of mankind, and it was always considered to be sinful, as the evidence in the Bible clearly shows.

Lead Writer: Eric Rank

compiled by Dave Harris

“Is Austria’s Sebastian Kurz gay… and Would it Matter?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

There have been rumors for quite a while about the alleged homosexuality of Austria’s former and future Chancellor, but the press basically avoids talking about them. However, would there exist any prophetic biblical significance in that regard?

“Ist Sebastian Kurz schwul… und wäre das wichtig?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program. Presented in German by Norbert Link, this program covers the same topic as the one described above.

“Unsere vorherbestimmte Berufung zum Heil,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Our Preordained Calling to Salvation.”

“Erntezeit,” is the title of the posted Offertory presented on Pentecost in Germany by Jens Herrmann. Title in English: “Harvest Time.”

“God’s Grief,” is the title of the posted Offertory presented by Thilo Hanstein on Pentecost during afternoon services. Here is a summary:

We often read in the Bible that God is very angry at man’s behavior and that He will soon pour out His anger. But is God’s wrath all there is to it? What do the prophets and Jesus Christ say about God’s feelings? You may be surprised to hear about God’s grief for man’s apostasy.

“What Exactly Is the Holy Spirit?” is title of the posted sermon presented by Norbert Link on Pentecost during afternoon services. Here is a summary:

Is the Holy Spirit an independent Personality or Person, or does it at least exist in some way as a conscious entity which is separate from the Father and the Son? If not, how are we to understand biblical Scriptures which seem to indicate that the Holy Spirit speaks or acts; and that this happens independently of God the Father and Jesus Christ? Upon closer examination, we will see that those passages, as well as the entire teachings of the Bible, convey something completely different from what is commonly assumed.

“Are We Always Half Empty?” is the title of the posted sermonette presented by Robb Harris on Pentecost during morning services.

“What Is the Church?” is the title of the posted sermon presented by Dave Harris on Pentecost during morning services. Here is a summary:

We hear it often, people talk about going to church, but is that really what church is all about? As shocking as it may sound, there is a great and marvelous purpose for the Church of God, and the Bible reveals that this is the ongoing work of Jesus Christ.

“Becoming Bold,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Boldness is a Christian attitude that is talked about as being something we need to use. We have to make sure that our actions are correct and that our boldness comes from Christ.

“Fruits to be Desired,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Fruit has many advantages and benefits to our health and there are many different varieties of fruit with their own unique qualities. There are vital steps necessary for their growth which ultimately make them desirable. In the same respect, how can we apply these steps in our spiritual lives which are essential for our eternal salvation?

Saturday, June 8, 2019, Kalon Mitchell will present the sermonette, titled, “Becoming Bold,” and Michael Link will present the sermon, titled, “Fruits to be Desired.”

Sunday, June 9, 2019, is a Holy Day—the Feast of Pentecost. Services will be broadcast live in the morning and afternoon. Morning services will begin at 10:00 am Pacific Time, and afternoon services will begin at 3:00 pm Pacific Time. Morning: The sermonette will be presented by Robb Harris, titled, “Are We Always Half-Empty?” and the sermon will be presented by Dave Harris, titled, “What Is the Church?” Afternoon: Offertory will be presented by Thilo Hanstein, and the sermon will be presented by Norbert Link, titled, “What Exactly Is the Holy Spirit?”

The Church of God will be keeping the Day of Pentecost this year on June 9, 2019, celebrating the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit. All of those who have been blessed with this special gift even before the Feast of Pentecost, on that very day, or ever since, were carefully selected by God. They were not rewarded for what they had done; God was not prompted to call them to salvation because of their “tremendous righteousness.” Rather, God the Father brought us to Christ because of His own Will, and He made that decision long before our birth, before we had done anything good or evil.

The Apostle James tells us very clearly: “Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (James 1:18). Those whom God has foreknown and predestined to be called in this day and age with the goal of being conformed to Christ’s image, are called firstfruits, because they are being called first in comparison with the rest of mankind who will be called later. But we repeat: Belonging to the firstfruits does not mean that God chose us because we were in any way better or more righteous than others.

Comparing our calling with God’s election of Jacob, Paul tells us in Romans 9:10-12, 16:

“… when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac (for the children [Jacob and Esau] not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), it was said to her, ‘The older shall serve the younger.’… So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.”

Our calling is based on God’s Will and His mercy. In Ephesians 1:3-5, 9, 11-14, Paul continues to explain to us:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons [better: sonship] by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will… having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself…

“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, [which] is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”

When God called us whom He had predestined for this very purpose, we responded to Him and began as the “first,” before the rest of mankind, to trust in Christ, and after genuine repentance of having broken His laws and after accepting Christ’s Sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins and believing the gospel of the Kingdom of God, we became baptized and received the gift of God’s Holy Spirit, which guarantees inheritance of eternal life in the Kingdom of God IF we stay faithful.

As the firstfruits, we must strive to live a godly and holy life, being undefiled with “women” and without deceit and fault in the eyes of God (Revelation 14:4-5). As those who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we eagerly wait for the redemption of our physical body by becoming immortal sons and daughters in God’s Family (Romans 8:23).

Drawing a parallel to the calling of Israelites and Gentiles to the spiritual Body of Christ, Paul is also telling us that we must be careful not to glory about ourselves (compare 1 Corinthians 1:29), for “if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy” (Romans 11:16). God will, in His due time, call everyone to salvation, and so, Paul warns us, “Do not be haughty, but fear” (Romans 11:20), adding, “… you should not be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion” (verse 25). Paul explains as well that God can and will cut us off, not sparing us, if we neglect so great a salvation, adding in 1 Corinthians 10:12: “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”

Nobody who has received God’s Spirit needs to fall. As firstfruits, we can and should make it into His Kingdom, but we must view ourselves with the proper humble perspective–not as those who deserved to be called, but as those who have received God’s undeserved mercy and pardon to become trustworthy and faithful. And as God’s true and dedicated unpretentious servants, we will act humbly and do whatever we can to participate in God’s great Work for His Church in these last days–to help in preaching and proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom of God as a witness in all the world (Matthew 24:14), and to help in making ready God’s people prepared for Christ (Luke 1:17; Revelation 19:7; 21:2).

by Norbert Link

We begin with reports surrounding President Trump and the D-Day commemoration; report on political upheaval in both Austria and Germany; note the growing cooperation between Russia and China while the relationship between the US and Germany becomes more frayed.

We report on the plea by Pope Francis for EU unity; note the ongoing battle for control of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and highlight President Trump’s dissatisfaction with Israeli politics; we conclude with warnings about earthquakes and the terrible plight of our planet.

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

Mr. Trump Goes to Britain

ABC News wrote in June 2:

“President Donald Trump departs Sunday for a five-day trip to Europe, heading first to the United Kingdom for a three-day state visit before continuing on to Ireland, where he will meet with the prime minister and visit one of his Trump-branded properties and pay his respects at Normandy on the 75th anniversary of D-Day…

“While the UK’s internal politics couldn’t be more complicated on their own, the president has already shown in an interview to the British news outlet The Sun that he isn’t likely to keep his opinions to himself… The president criticized May’s handling of Brexit in the interview, telling the Sun that she should have ‘negotiated from strength’ by making more demands of the EU during the course of negotiations…

“Beyond the issue of Brexit, the president has also waded into the leadership contest for the next prime minister, expressing his favor for Boris Johnson, who is vying to be the next prime minister, calling him a ‘friend of mine’… The president has also offered praise for Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage, who actually campaigned alongside Trump during the 2016 campaign as the two drew parallels between Trump’s anti-establishment campaign and the UK’s Brexit vote…”

Express wrote on June 2:

“US Ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson revealed the Americans will be ‘ready to go’ with a trade deal with the UK as soon as Brexit is resolved, claiming preparations for an agreement have already been ‘lined up’… Mr Johnson argued the USA and the UK will have a ‘great relationship whatever happens’ with Brexit. The US official claimed Donald Trump’s office was already in talks with the UK trade department to secure a post-Brexit US-UK trade deal and deliver it in a speedy manner…

“It comes after Donald Trump called on Britain to leave the European Union without a deal if Brussels refuses to meet its demands, as he urged the Government to send Nigel Farage into the negotiations… In his second extraordinary intervention into British politics ahead of this week’s state visit, the US president suggested the UK should ‘walk away’ from talks and refuse to pay the £39 billion divorce bill if its requests are not met… Mr Trump added that if he was in charge, he would not pay the EU divorce bill, and he claimed it is not too late to ‘sue’ the EU to give Britain greater ‘ammunition’ in the talks.”

Marking the 75th Anniversary of D-Day

The Washington Post reported on June 5:

“British royalty and leaders from around the world gathered here Wednesday to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, honoring the men and women who participated in what is still the largest naval, air and land operation in history.

“President Trump and Prime Minister Theresa May were among the 16 world leaders who attended events throughout the day to mark the anniversary of the allied invasion of northern France.

“The commemorations began in the morning at an amphitheater, near the Portsmouth harbor, where Queen Elizabeth II wore a bright pink dress and sat next to Trump and Prince Charles, her son. Leaders from Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland and Slovakia were in attendance.

“Addressing the crowd from her box, the queen said that when she attended events marking the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings, some thought they would be her last. ‘But the wartime generation — my generation — is resilient, and I am delighted to be with you in Portsmouth today,’ she said.

“‘On behalf of the entire country — indeed the whole free world — that I say to you all, thank you,’ she said…

“Trump’s trip to Britain was many things, but it was not dull. He was treated to a good dollop of royal pomp, while tens of thousands of Londoners took to the streets to register their dislike for him…

“On Wednesday, Trump tweeted: ‘Could not have been treated more warmly in the United Kingdom by the Royal Family or the people. Our relationship has never been better, and I see a very big Trade Deal down the road.’”

In spite of controversy, the amazing connection between the US and the UK was on full display during this commemoration. However, circumstances will arise which are prophesied to break this bond in the near future!

Brigitte Bierlein New Austrian Interim Chancellor

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 30:

“President Van der Bellen has named Brigitte Bierlein interim chancellor to take over for the outgoing Sebastian Kurz… Bierlein will serve as chancellor until elections in September. Bierlein, a constitutional judge [and sitting president of the Austrian Constitutional Court], will become the first woman to lead the country.

“Bierlein will be tasked with assembling a parliamentary-backed Cabinet and overseeing a caretaker government until new elections are held…”

BBC added on May 30:

“From 2003, she served as Vice President of the Constitutional Court. She held the position until she took over the presidency in 2018, her candidacy backed by Mr Kurz’s right-wing coalition government.

“Politically, she is considered to be right-wing with socially conservative views. Her apparently close ties with Mr Kurz’s People’s Party and Mr Strache’s Freedom Party have been noted by Austrian media…”

Kurz Ahead in Polls

POLITICO wrote June 2:

“Sebastian Kurz may have just lost a vote of confidence, but new polls show he could ultimately end up Austria’s chancellor again.

“A survey conducted for Austria’s Krone newspaper showed Kurz’s center-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) at 38 percent, compared to the 31.5 percent the party won in the October 2017 national election. The Social Democrats followed with 21 percent, compared to 26.9 percent in 2017.”

The emerging leadership in Austria and Germany points to dramatic changes ahead throughout the EU!

Chief of Merkel’s Junior Coalition Partner Resigns

The Guardian wrote on June 2:

“Andrea Nahles, the leader of Germany’s junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats (SPD), has announced her resignation, raising concerns that Angela Merkel’s government might collapse. Nahles, who will step down from all her political roles including that as leader of the SPD parliamentary group, said her resignation was a consequence of the poorest ever performance from the SPD in its 156-year history last weekend, when it received just 15.8% of the vote at the European parliamentary elections, 11 points down on 2014…

“Nahles’s decision plunges both the party and the future of the 15-month-old so-called grand coalition with the Christian Democrats (CDU) under Merkel into doubt. The future of the coalition now depends on the decision as to who succeeds Nahles. Anyone more to the left of the party might consider collaboration with the CDU unworkable and could push for a departure from the coalition. While a minority government might be tolerated, it is more likely that such a decision would trigger new elections, and probably lead to the premature end of what Merkel has declared is her final chancellorship.

“The CDU was on Sunday sending out the message that it was in favour of keeping the grand coalition afloat. Many SPD members were sceptical about the party entering its third coalition in four terms with the CDU… Many are convinced the SPD’s close association with the CDU has increasingly damaged them at the polls…

“The co-chair of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) Alice Weidel said the days of Merkel’s government were numbered (The formation of the grand coalition meant the AfD became the strongest opposition party in parliament).… The former SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel said the party was racked with inner turmoil, with Nahles’s resignation a sign that it needed a ‘detoxification’.”

Russia and China Forge New Ties

CNBC reported on June 5:

Under this headline, “Putin and Xi hail ‘unprecedented’ ties as US relations sour,” CNBC added:

“Russia and China appear to be intent on strengthening their alliance and fostering deeper cooperation in the face of increased political and economic hostility from the U.S.

“The bid to strengthen bilateral ties continues this week as Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Russia Wednesday for the start of a three-day state visit and top-level talks with Putin.

“Welcoming Xi to the Kremlin on Wednesday, Putin said ties between Russia and China stood at ‘an unprecedented level.’ Xi echoed that sentiment by saying that the countries’ relations had withstood ‘trials and tribulations’ over the years and were now better than ever.

World powers are shifting and aligning—all directly pointing to the fulfillment of biblical prophecy!

German-US Relationships… Never Been Worse Since World War II

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 31:

“US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has just been to Berlin. The composed diplomatic courtesy shows just how far Germany and the US have drifted apart… Pompeo has visited 40 countries since he took office. Yet he has never found time for Germany until now. There was a visit scheduled a few weeks ago. However, Pompeo canceled because he had to make a trip to Iraq at short notice. Such an affront to Germany — formally such a close ally — would have been unconscionable a few years ago.

“… the areas of conflict raised their head: Iran, Syria, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the German defense budget, relations with China. To search for a topic where there is no conflict would be to search in vain. Even worse is the impression that this estrangement has long been routine…

“The German chancellor made her true feelings towards the US government abundantly clear in a now-lauded speech that she gave at Harvard on Thursday. It was a passionate plea for multilateralism, for climate protection, for the triumph of facts over lies. Not once did Merkel mention US President Donald Trump by name, but the reference was evident in every sentence.

“… in reality, the respective governments are living on different planets.”

Pope Pleas for European Unity!

Reuters wrote on June 2:

“Pope Francis made an impassioned plea for Europe to stick together and revive the ideals of its founders on Sunday, saying ideologies and fear-mongering politicians were threatening its very existence as a bloc…

“He said Europe had to again ‘take up the mysticism’ of its founding fathers and overcome divisions and borders.

“‘Please let’s not let Europe be overcome by pessimism or by ideologies, because Europe is not being attacked by canons or bombs in this moment, but by ideologies – ideologies that are not European, that come either from outside or which stem from small groups in Europe,’ he said.

“Francis urged Europeans to remember how the continent was divided and belligerent in the years leading up to both world wars in the 20th century.

“‘Please, let’s not return to this. Let’s learn from history. Let’s not fall in the same hole.”

“Israeli Police Quell Temple Mount Riots After Jewish Visitors Enter for Jerusalem Day”

The Algemeiner wrote on June 2:

“Riots broke out on the Temple Mount on Sunday after the Israel Police permitted Jewish visitors to enter the site in honor of Jerusalem Day, which celebrates the reunification of the city in 1967… Police stated that they pushed the rioters back toward the al-Aqsa mosque, where they barricaded themselves. They were eventually dispersed successfully and several arrests were made.

“The Islamic Waqf, which manages the site, blasted the police and said, ‘the violation of the sanctity of al-Aqsa by the occupation is an attack on the feelings of Muslims all over the world, not only in Palestine, we call on Muslims to come to the mosque and protect it from desecration.’… Jordan, which officially administers the site, also attacked Israel, with the Foreign Ministry issuing a statement saying, ‘We strongly condemn the continued Israeli violations against al-Aqsa.’”

Trump Not Happy about Israeli Politics

JTA wrote on June 3:

“‘Israel is all messed up with their election. I mean, that came out of the blue three days ago. So that’s all messed up. They ought to get their act together,’ [President Donald Trump] said. ‘Bibi got elected. Now, all of a sudden, they’re going to have to go through the process again until September? That’s ridiculous. So we’re not happy about that,’ he said, using Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s nickname.

“Trump added that the new elections could harm the chances of success for his administration’s Israeli-Palestinian peace plan…

“Hours after the fall of Israel’s government very early Thursday morning, Trump called Netanyahu ‘a great guy’ and said of the new elections scheduled for Sept. 17, ‘That is too bad. Because they don’t need this. I mean they’ve got enough turmoil over there, it’s a tough place.’”

The Algemeiner added on June 3:

“White House senior adviser Jared Kushner said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that the Palestinians deserve ‘self-determination,’ but stopped short of backing Palestinian statehood and expressed uncertainty over their ability to govern themselves… The Palestinian leadership has refused to deal with the Trump administration since late 2017 when the president decided to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv and recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”

Hundreds of Earthquakes Hit Southern California

The Los Angeles Times wrote on June 3:

“A magnitude 3.3 earthquake was felt in parts of Southern California on Sunday afternoon, one in a series of quakes to hit the Riverside County area…

“It has been almost five years since California experienced its last earthquake of magnitude 6 or stronger. But scientists say the calm period will end, with warnings about seismic dangers ranging from the Big One on the San Andreas fault to catastrophes that could come from lesser-known faults, such as Hayward or Newport-Inglewood.

“Researchers also recently discovered that the state has experienced 10 times more earthquakes than previously known. They documented 1.8 million earthquakes in Southern California over the last decade, the vast majority so small that they had been undetectable to computing systems. Previously, only 180,000 earthquakes were on record for the last 10 years.”

A World Held Captive

The website of inverse wrote the following on June 2:

“I was born in the early 1970s. This means in my lifetime, the number of people on Earth has doubled, while the size of wild animal populations has been reduced by 60%… We have chopped down over half of the world’s rainforests, and by the middle of this century, there may not be much more than a quarter left. This has been accompanied by a massive loss in biodiversity, such that the biosphere may be entering one of the great mass extinction events in the history of life on Earth…

“To understand you are in a prison, you must first be able to see the bars. That this prison was created by humans over many generations doesn’t change the conclusion that we are currently tightly bound up within a system that could… lead to the impoverishment, and even death of billions of people.”

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.

For a long time, the expression that Jesus used about Himself, the “Son of Man,” has been debated back and forth.

Wikipedia has this to say about this term: “Son of man is an expression in the sayings of Jesus in Christian writings, including the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles and the Book of Revelation. The meaning of the expression is controversial.  Interpretation of the use of ‘the Son of man’ in the New Testament has remained challenging and after 150 years of debate no consensus on the issue has emerged among scholars.

“The expression ‘the Son of man’ occurs 81 times in the Greek text of the four Canonical gospels, and is used only in the sayings of Jesus.  The singular Hebrew expression ‘son of man’ (ben-‘adam) also appears in the Hebrew Bible over a hundred times.”

One commentator on the internet made these observations: “In the gospels, there are more than 80 places where Jesus refers to himself in the third person as the ‘Son of Man’. In most of those places, he is associating it with one of two prophecies concerning himself; either that the Son of Man will suffer and be killed (Matthew 17:12, Mark 8:31, 9:12, Luke 9:22) or that the Son of Man will come again in glory and final judgement (Matthew 16:27, 25:31; Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26, 21:27).  Often the two images are linked, and in only a very few places he doesn’t use ‘son of man’ that way.”

In Matthew 25:31, as referred to above, we read: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.”   Here we should note that “the Son of Man” is a clear reference from the mouth of Jesus that He, as the second Person of the God Family, will “sit on the throne of His glory.”

In the following chapter, Matthew 26:64, at His trial, He was asked if He was the Messiah.  He said: “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

These two passages show that Christ referred to Himself as the “Son of Man” in connection with His future as an immortal being, not just according to His human appearance on earth nearly 2,000 years ago. However, as we will explain, His reference in this regard must not be misunderstood.

In the Old Testament, we read about this same phrase in Daniel 7:13-14: “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him.  Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.”

What Daniel saw in a vision of the future is in complete accord with what Jesus said about Himself in the future. This would be a good reason why Jesus used this term and a proof that He was the Messiah.

One internet commentator made these observations: “The person who is presented to the Ancient of Days here is described as ‘like a son of man.’… The Jewish people took the phrase ‘son of man’ from this vision and used it as a title (‘Son of Man’) to describe the divine savior figure they were expecting.  Jesus often applied this title to himself, both to show that he was the Savior sent from God, and also, paradoxically, to show that he had given up his divine prerogatives and come to earth humbly, in human form, to identify completely with those he came to save.”

After Christ’s crucifixion, we read more instances about the Son of Man in His glory. In Acts 7:55-56 when Stephen was accused of blasphemy and gave his address, we read: “But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’”

In Revelation 1:13-14 we read: “… and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.  His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire…”

There is a further reference in Revelation 14:14 which reads: “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.”

We see that even after His resurrection as a glorified being, He is still referred to, at times, as the Son of Man. In fact, we even read that there is only one Mediator between God and man—the MAN Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). In addition, He was referred to repeatedly as the “Lamb,” or the “Lamb of God,” when here on earth, but He is even now, after His resurrection, still referred to as the Lamb (Revelation 5:6) to show the tremendous sacrifice which He gave for all of mankind. All of this proves that He is still the Person which He was when here on earth as a Man. But it does NOT show that He is still a Person consisting of flesh and blood, or that He still has a physical body which was somehow made “immortal.” That is why the reference to His so-called “bodily resurrection” can be so deceiving. (Please read our Q&A on that topic, titled, “Do you teach a resurrection of the physical body?”).

When Christ, the Son of God, became Man and the Son of Man, He ceased to be a divine Spirit being. He became fully flesh. At the same time, this did not mean that He ceased to be the Person who  He had always been since eternity. That is why we read that when Jesus became a Man and dwelled among us, He was still “God with us” (Matthew 1:23), referring to Him as the Person, not as an immortal God being. In the same way, when He died and was resurrected, He ceased to be a physical being. He became fully God, but again, this does not mean that He ceased to be the Person who  He was when He lived as a Man. Rather, Jesus Christ—the God being—became Man, and after His death, Jesus Christ, the Man, became God—an immortal eternal God being. But as a God being, He still possesses all the memories of His experiences as a Man, and that is why He is referred to as the Man Jesus Christ who can suffer with us and who can be our merciful High Priest. He is also referred to as the Lamb now, as He died for us for our sins, and His Sacrifice has ongoing applications for us today (1 John 1:7-10).

Unless we understand this connection we are bound to misunderstand the meaning of the terms “Son of God” and “Son of Man.” Christ was always the Son of God, but He became the Son of Man when He was conceived in the womb of His mother Mary.

We will show now why this understanding is so critically important, and why so many have a totally false concept of the Incarnation and associated issues.

On the website “desiringgod” we read the following in their article, “How Can Jesus Be God and Man?”

“The early church considered the Incarnation to be one of the most important truths of our faith. Because of this, they formulated what has come to be called the Chalcedonean Creed, a statement which sets forth what we are to believe and what we are not to believe about the Incarnation. This creed was the fruit of a large council that took place from October 8 to November 1, 451, in the city of Chalcedon and ‘has been taken as the standard, orthodox definition of the biblical teaching on the person of Christ since that day by all the major branches of Christianity.’”

One of five main “truths” that the Chalcedonean Creed listed was that Jesus was and is “fully God and fully man.” This is hardly surprising given that the basis of their faith is that God is a Trinity and this became a teaching of the [now defunct] Worldwide Church of God a few years after Mr Herbert W Armstrong died in 1986. However, this teaching is totally false. Christ was never and is not now “fully God and fully Man.”

Let us quote briefly, and selectively, from our free booklet “Jesus Christ – A Great Mystery”:

On page 9, under the heading “Jesus Christ Came in the Flesh” we read:

“God clearly reveals who and what Christ was when He was here on earth, and He also tells us that people have been deceived by the ‘spirit of antichrist’ if they don’t accept this clear Biblical revelation. 1 John 2:22–23 warns us: ‘Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.’”

On pages 10-11 we read: “How, exactly, did Christ come in the flesh? Was He, at that very time, ‘fully God and fully man’? Was He ‘fully God’? Or was He ‘fully man’? Notice the clear revelation of this mystery in John 1:14: ‘And the Word [the ‘Word” referring to Jesus Christ, Who in the beginning was God and was with God the Father, John 1:1–2] BECAME flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.’

“God clearly tells us that the Word—Jesus Christ—who was God before His human birth, BECAME flesh. Christ came in the flesh by BECOMING flesh. This means that He became totally and fully flesh and blood, like you and I! This is CRUCIAL for you to understand! When Christ BECAME flesh, He was no longer Spirit. He was no longer fully God, because He had become fully man!

“Think for a moment about the word ‘became.’ When a poor person becomes rich, he is no longer poor. When a person becomes sick, he is, at that point in time, no longer healthy. When a woman becomes pregnant, she is, at that point in time, no longer barren. Likewise, when the Word became flesh, He was no longer Spirit. He was no longer an immortal God being as He was before.”

In this booklet, pages 10-14 deal with the Scriptures that are used incorrectly by those who think that Jesus was fully God and fully man while He was here on earth.

It would appear that, with the use of the phrase “Son of Man”, Jesus wanted to show everyone that when He dwelled among us, He was entirely human and that he was fully man. In the book of Ezekiel, the phrase “son of man” is used many times for the prophet Ezekiel, but he was just a man with no previous supernatural background. On the other hand, with Jesus, previously a supernatural being from all of eternity, it was somewhat different.  By using this phrase, He showed that He, who had been God, became fully human, but He also showed that He, the Person who had lived in the flesh and who had died for us, would be resurrected and return as a glorified immortal and eternal God being–the King of kings and the Lord of lords–to rule over all mankind.

Lead Writers: Brian Gale and Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“Gewissheit, im Reich Gottes zu sein!” is the title for this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Certainty to be in God’s Kingdom!”

“Treffen Sie die richtige Wahl?” is the title for this Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Michael Link.  Title in English: “Are You Making the Right Choice?”

“Was genau ist der Heilige Geist?” is the title of the German sermon for Pentecost, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “What Exactly Is the Holy Spirit?”

“Wo liegt Ihr Fokus?” is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Christoph Sperzel. English translation: “Where Is Your Focus?”

“How Much Fear and Worry Can We Endure?” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Thilo Hanstein, is now posted.

“Why Do Righteous People Suffer?” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The main purpose of this sermon is not to explain that suffering can be the consequence of sin. Rather, it will be shown that and why righteous people must suffer… independently from sinful conduct. This might sound as a paradox at first sight, but it is not. Instead, we hope that this sermon will give you much encouragement and motivation.

On June 1, 2019, Thilo Hanstein will present the sermonette, titled, “How Much Fear and Worry Can We Endure?” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Why Do Righteous People Suffer?”

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.

We are preparing to keep God’s Feast of Pentecost which will occur in just over a week. What is its specific meaning? We know that it was the day when God’s Holy Spirit was first given to a multitude of people, thousands in fact, of those whom God was calling to be a part of the New Testament Church. In contrast to this, in the Old Testament congregation of Israel, only very few had God’s Spirit. So this is a very important day signifying the beginning of the New Testament Church. But is there more to it than that fact?

The word Pentecost comes from the Greek word pentekoste, meaning fiftieth, which basically means that fifty days were counted to know when it was to be observed. In the Old Testament, Pentecost is called the Feast of Weeks, again because seven weeks or Sabbaths were counted from the wave sheath offering which was brought on the Sunday, which fell during the Days of Unleavened Bread, and fifty days later, the festival of Pentecost was observed, again on a Sunday.

Leviticus 23:15-16 gives these instructions: “And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD.”

So that is how the date is determined from year to year, but the meaning of the day is alluded to in the next verse.

Leviticus 23:17 reads: “You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the LORD.”

This theme of firstfruits is mentioned in Exodus 34:22: “And you shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest….”

Also, in Numbers 28:26, firstfruits is again mentioned: “Also on the day of the firstfruits, when you bring a new grain offering to the LORD at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work.”

But during the Days of Unleavened Bread, the sheaf was also called the firstfruits of your harvest (Leviticus 23:10). So, there are two times of the year where firstfruits are specifically mentioned. The first is at the beginning of the barley harvest during the Days of Unleavened Bread and the second is at the wheat harvest on the Feast of Weeks. (Exodus 34:22). Ruth 2:23 informs us that the wheat harvest follows the barley harvest.

However, to find out the meaning of firstfruits, we need to go to the New Testament.

In 1 Corinthians 15:20, we read: “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” And in verse 23 of the same chapter, it says: “But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.”

There are two passages that indicate that Christ was both our Passover and also that the wave sheath offering symbolized Him. The first is 1 Corinthians 5:7: “….For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” The second, which occurred on the first day of the week, on the day when the wave sheath was offered, is John 20:17: “Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father, but go to My brethren and say to them, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.”’” So the wave sheath offering pictures Christ again as the firstfruits.

Who else is called firstfruits in the New Testament? James 1:18 tells us that “Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” Therefore, firstfruits is a description of both Jesus Christ and the brethren, members of the Church of God.

Going back to Leviticus 23:17, we note that there were two loaves baked of fine flour and leavened. Obviously, anything offered to God was to be of fine quality, but why two loaves and why were they leavened?

When the Church began on the Day of Pentecost, Peter was speaking to the whole house of Israel exclusively. Acts 2:36 tells us: “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” But God was soon to show that the Church was also to include Gentiles by having Cornelius and his relatives and close friends baptized. Acts 11:18 reports: “When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, ‘Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life’”.

The fact that the two loaves were waved before God as holy to Him (Leviticus 23:20) shows again that both Israelite and Gentile members of God’s Church were to be harvested as God’s firstfruits.

The bread used at the Passover was unleavened, picturing Christ being free of any sin. But as humans, we all sin and therefore are pictured as leavened. 1 John 1:8 shows us this. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

So, to answer the question asked previously, the meaning of the Feast of Pentecost or day of firstfruits is to show that the members of the Church of God are symbolized as firstfruits. We are to be called both from Israelites and Gentiles which is why there are two loaves. And because we are still human, we do commit sin at times, which is why the loaves at this time are leavened. This should give us great encouragement. When we sin, as we will from time to time, we can obtain forgiveness of our sins (1 John 1:9) and go on towards our perfection, so that finally, the leavened loaves will become unleavened

by Norbert Link

In this issue, we focus primarily on events pertaining to Europe, including the collapse of the Austrian government and the (temporary?) fall of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz due to a no-confidence vote and the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache because of the “Ibiza-gate scandal”; [please view our new StandingWatch program, What Does God Prophesy about Austria?]; the outcome of the European election which turned out to be less troublesome for the pro-European parties than originally feared; the uncertain situation in Great Britain due to Theresa May’s announced resignation and her controversial potential successor, Boris Johnson; and developments in Germany affecting negatively the German coalition government, as well as Germany’s growing anti-Semitism.

We also report on the collapse of coalition talks in Israel, necessitating new elections in September; Europe’s challenges from Russia, China and the USA; and the EU’s attempts to create a European “empire.” We conclude with the Pope’s stance on abortion, which is contradicted by highly problematic Jewish law; a new and extremely controversial law in Colorado; and serious current and anticipated earthquake activities in Peru and America’s West Coast.

The Fall of Sebastian Kurz

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 27:

“Austrian lawmakers have voted for a motion of no confidence in the government of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. The vote was called by parties on the left, and supported by Kurz’s former far-right coalition partners…”

The Local wrote on May 27:

“[The no-confidence vote] comes in the wake of the so-called ‘Ibiza-gate’ scandal, which saw FPÖ leader and Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache resign from both posts after he was caught appearing to offer public contracts in return for campaign help from a fake Russian backer. That led to Kurz ending his coalition with the FPÖ and calling early elections for the autumn, but the opposition say the 32-year-old leader must also take responsibility for the scandal…”

The Guardian wrote on May 27:

“During a debate in which the delegates of the far-right Freedom party (FPÖ) resolutely refused to lend Sebastian Kurz the customary applause, rightwing populist politicians accused the centre-right chancellor of trying to use the so-called Ibiza scandal to consolidate his power at the top of government…

“Sunday evening’s European elections made it look as if the tremors of the Ibiza scandal had done less damage to Austria’s political landscape than many had expected. Kurz’s conservatives emerged as the strongest party on the night on 34.5% of the vote, up 7.5 percentage points on the previous elections. The FPÖ only took a minor hit, losing 2.2 percentage points to come third with 17.5%. Strache received enough preferential votes across the country that he could be headed to the European parliament if he were to accept the mandate…

“The no-confidence vote means that Kurz, 32, will go down in Austria’s history books not only as its youngest ever chancellor, but also it shortest-serving. Kurz spent 525 days in office after a resounding win in the 2017 national elections…”

The German tabloid Bild has been referring to the “Kurz-Sturz” (play on words, “Sturz” is German for fall or downfall).

Austria’s New Temporary Leader

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 28:

“Austria’s finance minister Hartwig Löger has been elevated to run government business after the toppling of Sebastian Kurz…

“Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen on Tuesday asked ministers except Kurz to stay in office a few days until a caretaker cabinet is chosen, pending Austria’s next parliamentary election, due in September… Kurz remains, however, leader of his conservative People’s Party (ÖVP)…”

Kurz’s Downfall Only Temporary?

The Washington Post wrote on May 27:

“Kurz was the first Austrian leader to be ousted via a no-confidence vote in the country’s postwar history. But the conservative’s exile from the nation’s most powerful office may be temporary; he already had announced elections slated for September, and polls show that his party holds a commanding lead. In European Parliamentary elections Sunday, his People’s party won a resounding victory, suggesting voters don’t hold him responsible for the controversy that befell the Freedom Party…

“Derided by critics as ‘Trump in a slim-fit suit,’ the young politician had won fans among many in the U.S. president’s orbit by reinvigorating his once-stodgy party and adopting many of the ideas, policies and slogans of the far-right. Kurz took a hard line on immigration, advocating tougher policies aimed at stopping the flow of asylum seekers into Europe. He also aggressively fought culture wars, pushing through a ban on Islamic headscarves in primary schools.

“But unlike the continent’s populist politicians, Kurz generally avoided inflammatory rhetoric and presented himself as a modern conservative who, while clearly to the right of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, is still rooted in the European mainstream…

“Before the vote, Kurz had accused his critics of engaging in ‘a game of revenge,’ while noting in reference to the upcoming election that, ‘at the end of the day, the people will decide.’”

We might not have heard the last word yet about both Kurz and Strache.

Did Israel Leak the Strache Video?

Ynet wrote on May 27:

“According to a German Intelligence official, the Israeli Intelligence service Mossad was behind the leak of a damning video, which led to the resignation of Austria’s far right Freedom Party chief Heinz-Christian Strache…

“Rudolf Adam, former diplomat and dep. director of Germany’s secret service, published an article in the German monthly Cicero claiming: ‘Israel has an interest in promoting policies friendly to it and the growth of a radically right party poses a threat to European Jewish communities,’ he said. ‘It is unlikely that a European country is behind this campaign,’ Rudolf wrote. ‘American intelligence agencies are occupied with Korea, Iran and China. The policies of President Donald Trump actually, support the right-wing stance of the former Austrian vice chancellor. The Russians had a good relationship with Strache. Regarding China and the Arab states, they have no reason to get involved in Austrian politics.’

“After eliminating all other options, Rudolf concludes that only ‘one country has the manpower and technological capability to carry out such a campaign, as well as a clear motive — Israel. European Jewish communities fear the rise in anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial. Israel has an interest in promoting friendly policies toward it and toward Jewish communities in Europe and if radical right-wing movements continue to grow, the EU policies may become more extreme and harmful to Jewish communities,’ Rudolf continued…

“In a press conference given upon his resignation, Strache said he fell victim to an illegal political assassination but conceded his conduct in the recorded meeting was stupid and wrong.”

The Guardian wrote on May 27:

“Who exactly organised the sting on the far-right remains the subject of fevered speculation in both Austria and Germany… [Former Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian] Strache has called the video ‘a honey trap stage-managed by intelligence agencies’…”

If those suspicions should become proven to be accurate, this would cause a tremendous backlash of the Austrian people against Israel.

European Elections

The EUObserver wrote on May 26:

“Mainstream parties suffered losses at the European election on Sunday (26 May), which saw a high turnout in most EU member states, ushering in massive wins for the Greens, but a lower than expected surge in right-wing populist parties.

“Estimated overall turnout in the EU-27 member states at 51 percent compared to 42.6 percent in 2014, ending a 40-year downward trend in Europe of attracting less and less voter interest. After a decade of crises with the EU at its core, whether the euro crisis, the migration crisis, or a rise of nationalism attacking a perceived Brussels elite, voters across EU countries went to the polls in numbers not seen since the European Parliament was first elected directly in 1979.

“… voters… created a new parliament that will be more fragmented, yet still with a mostly pro-EU majority…

“Centre-right parties in France and Spain lost heavily, and German chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats have lost some seats too, although with 29 MEPs (down from 34) they are likely to remain the biggest national party in the parliament…

“The Greens celebrated early with a massive result from Germany, where Die Gruene became the second-largest party with over 20 percent of the votes, pushing the Social Democrats, Merkel’s junior government coalition partners, into a humiliating third place. The Greens have also done well in France, Ireland, Belgium too, and are set to become the fourth-largest party in the parliament, positioning their expected 67 MEPs (up from 52) as possible kingmakers…

“In France, Macron’s En Marche came second with 22.4 percent of the votes to far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s National Rally with 23.6 percent…“… populists and nationalists had a strong showing in Britain, where Nigel Farage’s new Brexit Party came in first place nationally, and could be one of the biggest parties in Brussels. In Italy, where far-right leader and interior minister Matteo Salvini has led a campaign against the ‘Brussels elite’, they failed to make a splash in the new parliament. Their overall number of right-wing, nationalist, anti-EU MEPs will surge to 108 from 78, with eurosceptic conservatives adding another 61 MEPs to the lot. Their increased number could make legislating more difficult in the parliament, but ultimately fall below some earlier predictions of dominating one-third of the EU parliament.”

The Huffington Post wrote on May 26:

“But there’s certainty on one front: Europe remains, for now, united.”

The Week wrote on May 27:

“… nationalist parties gained significant ground in the U.K., France, Italy, and Poland. Despite the victories of far-right movements like Britain’s Brexit Party and France’s National Rally party, the EU as a whole isn’t expected to undergo a major shift in power. Four pro-EU parties… together were projected to win 504 out of the available 751 seats, though no party took a majority…”

Europe’s Far Right Not a REAL Challenge to European Unification

Politico wrote on May 27:

“Turns out the bark of Europe’s far right is worse than its bite. Yes, illiberal parties did well in France and Italy, Poland, Hungary and beyond. But overall no better than expected, and in some cases worse so. Bottom line: The populists’ finish isn’t that much stronger than in 2014.

“That’s good news for Europe’s democratic parties and even better news for the European Union… In Germany and Austria, the far-right populists finished below their results in national elections in 2017, down by 1.8 and 3.3 percentage points respectively… The anti-immigration Danish People’s Party won only one seat in the European Parliament, compared to four last time out. In the Netherlands, far-right parties performed worse than many of their opponents feared. In Spain, the populist Vox party managed to win only about 6 percent of the vote. Estonia’s far-right EKRE party, which recently joined the country’s governing coalition, finished only third in Sunday’s European election.

“Though Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party did well in the U.K., capturing first place, it’s unlikely to play much of a role in the next Parliament without membership in one of the main alliances, which seems unlikely. Even in France and Italy, where the populists did best on the Continent, the results are below some expectations. Marine Le Pen’s National Rally recorded a strong 23.5 percent of the French vote, finishing first — but that is still slightly below the party’s 2014 result. Her rebranded party is on course to have two seats fewer in the European Parliament this time around.

“Salvini’s League party appears to have performed strongly in Italy, winning more than 33 percent of the vote. But his dreams of forming the biggest group in the European Parliament will remain just that…  his group will have around 70 seats in the 751-member chamber…

“… there are big questions over just how cohesive the planned populist grouping will be. While the parties share a basic aversion to migration and an illiberal, anti-democratic ethos, they don’t have much else in common…”

The unification of Europe and the establishment of core Europe will not be stopped by anyone.

Boris Johnson

nbc news wrote on May 25:

“Boris Johnson is one of the most divisive political figures in the United Kingdom. He is also favorite among bookmakers and pollsters to become the next leader of the Conservative Party — and therefore the next prime minister — after Theresa May announced Friday that she would be stepping down June 7… Thirty two percent of people have a positive opinion about him, according to the pollster YouGov, the highest of any politician in the country. But far more, 46 percent, hold a negative view…

“Critics accuse Johnson of being an arch opportunist. In the past, he has argued for tax cuts and against rises in welfare spending, and in the House of Commons he has voted generally in favor of equal gay rights…

“However, there are still big questions about what his government would actually look like, including its relationship with the United States. In 2015, when President Donald Trump said parts of London had been ‘radicalized,’ American-born Johnson, who was the city’s mayor at the time, replied that the president’s ‘ill-informed comments are complete and utter nonsense.’ He added, ‘Crime has been falling steadily in both London and New York. And the only reason I wouldn’t go to some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump.’

“Fast forward to last year, and the two were exchanging pleasantries, with Johnson saying there were many reasons for ‘admiring Trump’ and the president declaring Johnson is ‘a friend of mine’ and backing him to be the next prime minister…

“In any potential matchup, Johnson is the members’ favorite ‘by huge margins’” according to a YouGov poll earlier this month. But whoever wins will inherit a Conservative Party in disarray…”

The Guardian wrote on May 26:

“Boris Johnson [has] been warned that Tory MPs would be prepared to bring down any prime minister backing a no-deal Brexit, triggering a general election, amid fears the leadership [hopeful] will veer to the right in response to a surge in support for Nigel Farage at the European election.

“Johnson and [Dominic] Raab, two of the leading candidates, both said they would take the UK out of the EU at the end of October with a deal or no deal, as they positioned themselves on the hard Brexit side of the contest. Raab even suggested he would be prepared to ignore the will of parliament in order to do so…”

Growing Political Turmoil in Germany

Bloomberg wrote on May 28:

“Angela Merkel has given up hope on her heir apparent and is hunkering down in office in the face of growing turmoil in Germany’s ruling party. Since taking over as leader of the Christian Democratic Union in December, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer slid in opinion polls, roiled the party with a failed effort to accelerate Merkel’s exit, and on Sunday oversaw the CDU’s worst ever result in a national election.

“All that has persuaded Merkel that Kramp-Karrenbauer may not be up to the job… As a result, the chancellor is more determined than ever to stay in power until her term ends in 2021… Merkel has resolved to spend no more political capital helping AKK… The chancellor is expecting to come under more pressure to step aside as AKK’s political problems mount… The direction of the party is completely open again… and what happens after 2021 is entirely uncertain…”

A powerful charismatic male leader is to arise in Germany soon… the only question is, how soon, and who will it be?

Jews in Danger in Germany?

The Algemeiner wrote on May 26:

“Israeli President Reuven Rivlin issued a defiant statement on Saturday after Germany’s top official on fighting antisemitism suggested that Jewish men should limit the wearing of kippot in public. ‘We will never submit, will never lower our gaze, and will never react to antisemitism with defeatism,’ Rivlin said.

“His statement came after the German government’s Commissioner on Antisemitism, Felix Klein, said on Saturday, ‘I cannot advise Jews to wear the kippa everywhere all the time in Germany.’…

“‘Responsibility for the welfare, the freedom, and the right to religious belief of every member of the German Jewish community is in the hands of the government of Germany and its law enforcement agencies,’ [Rivlin] said… ‘fears about the security of German Jews are a capitulation to antisemitism and an admittance that, again, Jews are not safe on German soil.’”

The Local wrote on May 28:

“Following protest, the government has withdrew an earlier warning against wearing the traditional skullcap. In his latest statement… [Felix] Klein said: ‘I call on all citizens of Berlin and across Germany to wear the kippa next Saturday if there are new, intolerable attacks targeting Israel and Jews on the occasion of al-Quds day in Berlin.’ Al-Quds is an annual event against Israeli control of Jerusalem and will take place on Saturday.

“… Earlier Monday, German daily Bild published a cut-out-and-use kippa in a bid to fight rising anti-Semitism. Bild, Germany’s top-selling daily newspaper, called on readers to ‘stand in solidarity with (their) Jewish neighbours’ by making ‘their own kippa’, bearing the star of David, to ‘raise the flag against anti-Semitism’.

“Germany, like other Western countries, has watched with alarm as anti-Semitic and other racist hate speech and violence have increased in recent years while the political climate has coarsened and grown more polarized. Anti-Semitic crimes rose by 20 percent in Germany last year…”

CNN wrote on May 28:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said ‘there is work to be done’ in Germany to face up to the dark forces that are finding mainstream support there and in other parts of the world.”

None of these measures will prevent the ongoing rise of anti-Semitism throughout Europe. Please view our StandingWatch program, “Are Anti-Semitism and Anti-Americanism Connected?”

Israeli Coalition Talks Collapse—New Elections in September

JTA wrote on May 29:

“For the first time in its history, Israel will hold a second national election in one year, four months after the last election in April. The Israeli Knesset voted at midnight Thursday to dissolve itself, triggering elections on Sept. 17. The unprecedented vote happened after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to assemble a governing coalition by the end of the day Wednesday, his final deadline.

“Netanyahu was seen as the winner of the April 9 election because right-wing parties, which all supported Netanyahu for prime minister, garnered a majority in Knesset. But Netanyahu was unable to get those parties to join a governing coalition with one another.

“The sticking point was a draft law obligating haredi Orthodox men to participate in Israel’s mandatory military draft. Haredi Orthodox parties wanted to soften the text of the law. Avigdor Liberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, insisted he would not join the government unless the law was passed in its current form. In the end, Liberman did not join the coalition, dooming Netanyahu’s efforts… ‘We are natural partners in a right-wing government; we won’t be partners in a government of Jewish [religious] law,’ [Liberman] added.”

EU Challenged by Russia, China and USA

CNBC wrote on May 22:

“There is at least one thing in common between the U.S. and Russia — their willingness to weaken the European Union, a high-ranking European official told CNBC… Jyrki Katainen, vice president of the European Commission [said] that the external challenges have never been so hard. ‘Countries like Russia, China but also the United States have challenged us harder than before,’ Katainen said in Brussels.

“‘We are (for the) first time in the history in a situation where the President of the United States and (the) President of Russia seem to share the same view on Europe: the weaker, the better, because they think that it’s better for their own country, which is obviously not right,’ Katainen, who is also the former prime minister of Finland said.”

The EU’s reaction to those perceived or real challenges is forthcoming. Note the next article.

The EU to Become an Empire

Breitbart wrote on May 22:

“Leader of the left-progressive group in the European Parliament Guy Verhofstadt has said that in order to compete with the rest of the world, the European Union must become an ‘empire.’… ‘The world is developing into one not of nation states, but of empires. China is an empire. India is an empire. The US is an empire. [He most certainly should have added Russia.] We need to create a European Union that is capable of defending our interests,’ Mr Verhofstadt stated… the former prime minister of Belgium compared a proposed United States of Europe to the United States of America…

“Other Eurocrats have also voiced support for a United States of Europe, including former president of the European Parliament and German socialist politician Martin Schulz who called for its formation by 2025…

“.. a number of prominent European politicians have voiced their support for other measures of greater centralisation of power and federalisation, including President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker who wants an EU army by 2025;  the progressive President of France Emmanuel Macron who proposed full monetary union with a common EU budget, a finance ministry, and an EU public prosecutor to protect the Single Market from abuses; and German Chancellor Angela Merkel who urged the bloc to adopt a common migration policy.”

The Pope’s Stance on Abortion

The Daily Mail wrote on May 25:

“Pope Francis has compared abortion to ‘hiring a hitman’ during a Vatican-sponsored anti-abortion conference. Abortion can never be condoned, even when the fetus is gravely sick or malformed, Pope Francis said… He urged doctors and priests to support families to carry all pregnancies to term – even where death is the result.

“The Pope claimed his opposition to abortion was not for religious issues, but for human ones. He said: ‘Is it licit to throw away a life to resolve a problem? ‘Is it licit to hire a hitman to resolve a problem?’…

“He said often the ‘mere suspicion of disease can change the experience of pregnancy,’ and even risk ‘throwing women and couples’ into a ‘deep despair’.  But ‘the evolution of every disease is always subjective and often not even doctors know how it will manifest itself in the individual’, according to the Pope.

“… Francis has spoken out strongly against abortion, although he has also expressed sympathy for women who have had them and made it easier for them to be forgiven… But in June 2018 the Pope likened abortion to Nazi eugenics – saying parents should accept the children God gives them.

“At a meeting of an Italian family association he told those gathered that as a child he was horrified to hear stories from his teacher about children ‘thrown from the mountain’ if they were born with malformations. ‘Today we do the same thing,’ he said. ‘Last century, the whole world was scandalised by what the Nazis did to purify the race. Today, we do the same thing but with white gloves.’”

Jewish Law on Abortion in Conflict with the Bible

JTA wrote on March 22:

“Jewish law does not consider the fetus to be a being with a soul until it is born. It does not have personhood… The Talmud, in Yevamos 69b, cites the view of Rav Hisda that ‘until forty days from conception the fetus is merely water. It is not yet considered a living being.’

“If there is a threat to a woman’s life, the safety of the mother takes precedence over continuing the pregnancy at any stage…  For example, in a case of maternal danger, we find in Sanhedrin 72b… that ‘a midwife may insert her hand into the womb and kill the fetus … [the reason is] for as long as the fetus has not emerged into the world, it is not a nefesh [a being with a soul]; one is therefore allowed to kill it and save the mother …’

“According to Mishna Oholos 7:3, ‘If a woman is having trouble giving birth, they cut up the child in her womb and bring it forth limb by limb, because her life comes before the life of [the child].’

“Jewish law prohibits killing in all cases — except if one person is trying to murder another. If an individual is trying to end someone’s life, killing that person is actually a requirement. How much more so, a fetus (not yet a full person) who threatens the mother’s life may be aborted.

“In his Mishneh Torah, Maimonides writes the following: ‘The sages ruled that when complications arise and a pregnant woman cannot give birth, it is permitted to abort the fetus in her womb, whether with a knife or drugs, for the fetus is considered a rodef [a murderer in pursuit] of its mother …’ In other words, when a fetus endangers the life of the mother, unless it is in the process of being born, abortion is a halachic requirement…

“Jewish law takes psychological and emotional distress into consideration… Waldenberg, considered to be one of the foremost modern scholars of Jewish law in medicine, writes that severe psychological distress is as much of a legitimate reason for an abortion as severe physical distress (Tzitz Eliezer 13:102; 14:101).”

These are absolutely horrible rules and regulations, which are in clear conflict to the biblical teaching. Please view our StandingWatch program, “When Does God Allow Abortions?”

Colorado Enacts Controversial Laws in Favor of LGBTQ Community

The Denver Channel reported on May 24:

“Gov. Jared Polis will sign two pieces of LGBTQ legislation into law on May 31: A bill banning conversion therapy for minors and another that will allow Coloradans to update the gender on their birth certificate without needing surgery or a court order.

“The conversion therapy bill, which outlaws counseling and therapy that tries to change the sexual orientation of a person under the age of 18, was passed after several prior attempts by Democrat legislators.

“The American Psychiatric Association and other psychology governing bodies have taken stances against conversion therapy. The APA on its website says conversion therapy poses ‘a significant risk of harm by subjecting individuals to forms of treatment which have not been scientifically validated’ and that it undermines a person’s self-esteem.

“The birth certificate bill, known as ‘Jude’s Law,’ was aimed at making it easier for transgender individuals to change their birth certificates to reflect their gender designation…”

The signs of the times which the Bible designates as perilous.

Powerful Earthquake Hits Peru

Newsmax wrote on May 26:

“A powerful magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck a remote part of the Amazon jungle in Peru early Sunday, collapsing buildings and knocking out power to some areas but causing only one reported death… Helping limit damage was the earthquake’s depth, at 70 miles below the surface, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Earthquakes that are close to the surface generally cause more destruction…

“Earthquakes are frequent in Peru, which lies on the Pacific’s so-called Ring of Fire. On August 15, 2007, a similarly sized quake struck near Lima, killing more than 500 people.”

“Small Tremors along West Coast Could Lead to ‘Big One’”

Koin 6 News wrote on May 22:

“A small burst of tremors have been recorded along the West Coast in the last few weeks, causing scientists and geologists to pay close attention. Scott Burns, a professor of geology at Portland State University, tells KOIN 6 this event is ‘quite interesting.’ ‘This is what we call a slow slip type of movement,’ he said. ‘The Juan De Fuca Plate is moving underneath us and then all of the sudden, about every 14 months, it stops and it goes in a westerly direction. And as it does that, it creates a lot of tremors. So we are in this slow slip type of movement right now and that’s why we’re getting a lot of tremors up in Washington, Northern California and then some here in Oregon.’…

“Eventually, the Juan De Fuca Plate will continue going in an easterly direction and ‘keep building up the stress in the rocks.’ Burns and other scientists predict the ‘big one’ will likely occur during one of these slow slip events. Each slow slip event puts additional stress onto the ‘lock zone,’ eventually causing it to ‘break’ and create a 9.0 or larger magnitude earthquake. Burns said the ‘big one’ will shake for around four minutes and cause extensive damage. He cautioned that the slow slip events are a good reminder to be prepared and have a plan with family and an emergency kit at your home.”

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.

The answer is a resounding, emphatic and unequivocal “Yes!” We will show from the Bible that GOD is confident—convinced—that those whom He calls to eternal salvation in this day and age WILL succeed.

Paul expresses his and God’s thinking in this regard in Philippians 1:3-6, as follows:

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…”

The Amplified Bible says: “… And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ… developing… and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.”

God does WANT those whom He calls to salvation to be in His Kingdom—His Family. He is confident, convinced, sure that His disciples WILL “make it” into His Kingdom. When God calls us, He ENABLES us, and therefore KNOWS that we CAN finish our race successfully. Our ability, sufficiency, or qualification come from God. This does not mean, however, that we cannot lose out on salvation. The Bible contains many warnings against taking our calling lightly. It is our responsibility to accept God’s gifts and use them and let Him complete the good work in us.

We must have the same confidence, persuasion and conviction that we, who are called today, WILL make it into His Kingdom. At the same time, we must prove to God that we mean “business,” so that our confidence is established on evidence—fruits worthy of repentance and worthy of the gospel—not only on wishful, unjustified thinking and illusionary hope.

Christ is our elder brother. He is the firstborn among many brethren. When He was here on earth as a man, He lived a sinless life. This was a requirement and also a necessity for our salvation, because if He had committed only one sin, He would have been disqualified as our Savior.

Both the Father and Jesus Christ had the absolute conviction and complete confidence that Jesus would NOT sin. This does not negate the fact that Jesus, as a man, having become totally flesh as we are flesh and blood today (John 1:14; Hebrews 2:14; Romans 8:3), COULD have sinned. He had to struggle against sin so that He remained sinless throughout His human life (compare Hebrews 5:6-9; 12:3-4).

We read throughout the Old Testament, long BEFORE Jesus became a man, that He, as the Messiah, would succeed in the flesh (Isaiah 52:13, so the Luther Bible and the Menge Bible; the Revised English Bible says: “My servant will achieve success…”) and that He would subsequently rule as a glorified God being—with the glorified saints—on and over this earth in the Kingdom of God (compare for instance Isaiah 2:1-4; Daniel 2:44; 7:9, 13-14, 27; Zechariah 14:3-5, 9).

That rule could only become possible if Jesus, as a man, would remain sinless. If He had sinned only once, He would not and could not rule, and neither could any of us. This means that God the Father had complete confidence in Christ that He would not sin. It also appears that God, who inspired the Old Testament prophecies, might have looked into the future beyond Christ’s First Coming, knowing that He would remain sinless, as otherwise, none of the Old Testament prophecies, predicting as a certainty His rule on earth as the Messiah, could come to pass.

Today, God the Father and Jesus Christ have the complete confidence in us that we will make it into the Kingdom, with Jesus Christ living His life in us (compare Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:27; Romans 8:9-10; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Ephesians 3:17). Of course, God and we know that unlike Jesus Christ, we will not be able to live completely sinless lives, but when we sin and repent, confessing our sins to God, “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

God knows that MOST of those whom He has foreknown, predestined, called, chosen and justified in this day and age WILL make it as glorified beings into His Kingdom. Romans 8:28-30 states:

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”

The German Luther Bible conveys the meaning in a clearer fashion, stating it this way: “…Moreover whom He has predestined, these He has also called; whom He has called, these He has also justified; and whom He has justified, these He has also glorified.”

The apostle Paul makes this statement in a way that we who have been foreknown and predestined to be called in this day and age are already glorified, but in reality, we are not yet glorified. However, it is a foregone conclusion in Paul’s mind that we WILL BECOME glorified in the Kingdom of God at the time of Christ’s Return.

The apostle John had the same conviction. He said in 1 John 3:2:

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

Again, there was no doubt in John’s mind that we WILL BE like or, insofar as our outward appearance is concerned, equal or identical with Christ—that we will appear in His glorified likeness, bearing His glorified image (1 Corinthians 15:49; 2 Corinthians 3:18; compare again Romans 8:29), just as Christ is the glorified image and likeness of God the Father (2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:1-3).

As Christ was, in that sense, equal with God before He became a man (Philippians 2:5-6), and as He obtained again that equality with God, when He was resurrected to an immortal God being, so will we.

But John goes on to say in 1 John 3:3: “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” He makes clear that we cannot (continue to) live in sin, but barring this, our glorification is guaranteed.

Paul and John are echoing what Jesus Christ Himself had said in John 17, when praying to the Father just prior to His arrest. He began by asking the Father to glorify Him with the glory, which He had with the Father before the world was (Verse 5). But then, He continues, in verses 22-24:

“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one… Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”

When Christ spoke these words, He had not yet received His glory from the Father—He was not yet glorified—and His disciples were not yet glorified either; they had not yet received the glory which the Father would give Christ. But these powerful words of Christ show His absolute conviction that His brethren would receive the glory which the Father would give Him.

The reason for such bold statements can be found in Romans 4:17, where we read:

“God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.”

The Amplified Bible says it in this way: “God… speaks of the non-existent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed.”

God has promised us eternal life and the glorification as God beings in His Kingdom, and so He describes these future facts in a way as if they had already occurred.  Again, this shows His unwavering faith in us and our future.

This is the kind of faith, which we can have too. We read in 1 John 5:14-15:

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”

Again, we are praying to God that we will be qualified to enter His Kingdom. This is most certainly a prayer in accordance with His Will, as He wants us to be in His Kingdom. And so, when we ask Him this, we know that we have already received the petition that we asked of Him. Our confidence then is such that we know that we will be in God’s Kingdom.

Paul was confident that his crown was awaiting him and Christ would give it to him when He comes. He said in 2 Timothy 4:8:

“Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

How could he be so sure? Here is why: He said in verses 6 and 7:

“… the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”

Peter had also no doubt about His future in God’s Kingdom. He would remember that Christ had told him that He would pray for him that his faith would not fail, asking him to strengthen the brethren after his conversion (Luke 22:32). And he would have also remembered Christ’s words to him and the other apostles telling them that they who had followed Him (that would exclude Judas Iscariot who did not really follow Him) would rule in the future over the tribes of Israel in the Kingdom of God (Matthew 19:28; compare also Luke 22:28-30). Again, there was no doubt in Christ’s mind that they would be rulers in God’s Kingdom. He stated this as a fact.

With the same persuasion with which Christ declared that His early apostles would be in God’s Kingdom, He declares today that you and I will be in it, as we are called today to salvation, as long as we do not decide to abandon our potential. But as long as we remain faithful (Revelation 17:14), we will be with Christ in God’s Kingdom and Family when Christ returns. God counts on it; and so must we.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

A new Member Letter (May 2019) has been posted and mailed to our subscribers. In this letter, Elder Kalon Mitchell points to our need to sustain our Christian way of living along with points on just how we can do so.

“What Does God Prophesy about Austria?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

What is behind the collapse of the entire Austrian government, including Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache? Is their downfall only temporary? Who might be behind the secretly-taped and distributed video about Strache’s secret meeting, causing the so-called “Ibiza-gate” scandal? What does the Bible say about Austria’s future?

“Was prophezeit Gott über Österreich?” is the new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This covers the same subject in German as described above.

“Warum leiden gerechte Menschen?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Why do Righteous People Suffer?”

“Walk in the Light,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Frank Bruno, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The world that we inhabit today seems to glorify darkness and celebrates things that are inherently evil as being attractive. This may be so in the carnal sense, and it is fleeting and will ultimately lead to spiritual death. As such, these choices cannot stand the light that is found only in Jesus Christ. It has been said that darkness cannot drive away darkness—only the light can do this and for those who have been called to follow and obey God, we can walk in the light of Jesus Christ. Together we will consider several scriptures that can help us to do just that–to honor, obey and glorify God, and walk in His light.

“The Times and the Seasons,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The warnings have been given! Yet, almost no one will be ready–will you? Are you among those very few who understand and believe what is revealed in the Bible?