On March 30, 2019, Michael Link will present the sermonette, titled, “Easter in the Bible?” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “The Fulfillment of the Passover through Christ and His Church.”

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.

Is everything going well in your life? Or do you encounter trials and do you struggle with problems and obstacles? I dare to say, you do! And you would not be alone! The question is, How do you deal with setbacks? Do you view them as just being temporary and passing, or permanent and lasting?

When God revealed Himself to Moses at the burning bush and announced that He would use Moses to free Israel from Egyptian slavery, Moses did not believe him. So God convinced him through a set of miracles that it would happen as declared, and finally Moses reluctantly followed God’s command and returned to Egypt. God told Moses very clearly that there would first be obstacles—Pharaoh would not let Israel go until he was forced to do so by a mighty hand. God even told Moses that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart and multiply His signs and wonders in the land of Egypt (Exodus 7:3).

When Moses still doubted that the Israelites would believe him, God also told him that the elders of Israel would listen to Moses (Exodus 3:18), and this is exactly what occurred at first (Exodus 4:29-31).

But then things did not go too well, it seemed. When Moses and Aaron demanded of Pharaoh to let Israel go, Pharaoh’s response was to plague the people even more severely. The people were not prepared for this setback, and so they complained to Moses (Exodus 5:20-21), and Moses was likewise caught off guard and complained to God (Exodus 5:22-23). God gave him encouragement, which he passed on to the people, but now they did not listen “because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage” (Exodus 6:9). And so, Moses, being frustrated, told God that Pharaoh would not listen to him either (verse 12). But God commanded him to carry out his pre-ordained task of bringing Israel out of Egypt (verse 13).

Moses, under inspiration, announced to Pharaoh that terrible plagues would be poured out if he were to refuse to let Israel go. They would even culminate in the death of Pharaoh’s firstborn son (Exodus 4:23). But as God had predicted, Pharaoh hardened his heart time and again, and God allowed it (Exodus 7:3, 13-14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7, 12, 34-35; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10). As a consequence, God did pour out plagues on the land, as He had announced through Moses and Aaron. This God did because of three reasons, which He clearly revealed to Moses: The Egyptians would recognize that He was God (Exodus 7:5); God’s name would be declared in all the earth (Exodus 9:16); and Israel would also know that “I am the LORD” (Exodus 10:2).

After the initial “setbacks,” it seemed that now everything would run smoothly. Didn’t Israel just have to wait until Pharaoh would give in? Not so! First, the people were still enslaved and they still had to suffer because of their cruel affliction; and then, they too were affected by the first three plagues. Only beginning with the fourth plague, God would protect Israel so that His plagues would not come near them (Exodus 8:22-23; 9:26; 10:23). God’s protection culminated of course during the Passover night when He would not allow the destroyer to touch the Israelites in their houses when He saw the blood on the doorposts, while all the firstborn in Egypt would be killed.

Finally, Pharaoh relented and allowed Israel to leave. They did so full of joy and boldness and thankfulness. But right afterwards, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart once again so that he pursued Israel with a huge army (Exodus 14:4, 8). Israel’s reaction to this new setback was telling: “So they were very afraid… and said to Moses, ‘Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, “Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?” For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness’” (Exodus 14:10-12).

Moses responded that God would fight for them (Exodus 14:14), and He surely did. When the Red Sea opened, Israel “went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground” (verse 22), but when Pharaoh and his army followed them, the waters of the sea returned and drowned them all (verses 27-28, 30; Psalm 136:14-15).

NOW, when the people of Israel saw the great work which God had done, they feared and believed God and His servant Moses (Exodus 14:31). Sadly, it did not last long. A few days afterwards, the people did not find water in the wilderness, or only bitter waters which could not be consumed (Exodus 15:22-24). And so, they started complaining again about this new setback and their misery. God helped them and made the bitter waters sweet, but the same pattern would continue throughout their journey. When obstacles or setbacks occurred, the people forgot God’s mighty hand, which works miracles, and only focused on their seemingly hopeless condition.

Are we that different today? If things do not work out right away or in the way we expect or hope, are we falling into despair? Do we take into consideration that God may work things out in a very special way, which we do not quite understand yet, for HIS glory?

It is human to become frustrated in the face of setbacks. But notice how the sons of Korah addressed such a set of circumstances in their lives: “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God… My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, ‘Where is your God?’… When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me… Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance” (Psalm 42:2-5).

Let us have the same mindset, knowing that when we go through fiery trials, we are never alone, and that God will intervene for us in HIS due time. Whatever setbacks we may encounter—they are temporary, and God knows about all of them. Let us have faith in Him and His doing, and let us allow Him to fight our battles in His unique way, and He will!

by Norbert Link

We begin with the Mueller report vindicating Trump and his team while politically–motivated Democrats are unhappy, and we are discussing the incredible costs and waste of time for the Mueller investigation. We report on interesting developments pertaining to the Golan Heights and Jerusalem; and address the inconsistent stance of Europeans towards Israel. In this regard, please view our new StandingWatch program, “Does President Trump fulfill a preordained role?”

We also report on the renewed never-ending battle (it seems) regarding healthcare insurance without any tangible results, and we speak on the defeat of the Islamic State “caliphate,” but not necessarily of ISIS.

We continue with Theresa May’s isolation and an incredible attack of the British government on the Bible; a dark day for the Internet due to a highly controversial newly-enacted European law; and the desire to build a strong relationship between China and Europe.

 We conclude with outrageous comments by Barbara Streisand about child abuse; and a new push by the pharmacy and politicians to make measles vaccinations mandatory in Germany, as well as incredible measures in the USA.

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

The Mueller’s Report

The Independent wrote on March 22:

“Special counsel Robert Mueller did not recommend any further charges as he submitted his long-awaited report on his investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 US election…”

The Associated Press wrote on March 24:

“Attorney General William Barr declared Sunday that Mueller’s long investigation found no evidence that Trump’s campaign ‘conspired or coordinated’ with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election. Mueller also looked into whether Trump tried to obstruct the inquiry, but did not provide a definitive answer on that point.”

In particular, Axios wrote on March 24:

“After taking the weekend to pore over the Mueller report, Attorney General William Barr has sent Congress his summary of the ‘principal conclusions’ from the special counsel’s 675-day investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia:

“‘… [T]he investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.’

“On the question of obstruction of justice, Barr writes that while Mueller’s report ‘does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.’

“Barr says he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein concluded that the evidence ‘is not sufficient to establish that the President committed an obstruction-of-justice offense,’ noting that the government would have to prove such a case ‘beyond a reasonable doubt.’” [To this point, Deutsche Welle added on March 24: “The report also ‘did not draw a conclusion — one way or another’ on whether Trump’s actions had obstructed justice…”]

Deutsche Welle also wrote: “In the meantime, a series of investigations into potential illegal activity and irregularities in Trump’s business dealings are underway, both in Congress and in his home state of New York. None of these will likely remove the US president from office…”

This is undoubtedly a huge win for President Trump and his team. Not surprisingly, politically-motivated Democrats, not stopping at anything in trying to “get” Trump, declared that the fight will go on, indicating to subpoena Barr and Mueller to testify before Congress, amongst other contemplated measures. As if this superfluous and distracting “witch hunt” did not cost Americans more than enough in terms of money and waste of time. Note the next article:

The Costs

The Guardian wrote on March 22:

“Mueller was appointed on 17 May 2017, to serve as special counsel for the Department of Justice. The appointment was prompted by the firing of the FBI director, James Comey, eight days earlier; the recusal of the then attorney general, Jeff Sessions, from matters pertaining to the Russia investigation; and a perceived need to protect and advance open investigations into Russian election tampering and the Trump campaign…

“Mueller turned in his report 650 days after his appointment. By the end of last December, the investigation had cost about $27m… Mueller’s duties connected with his appointment as special counsel are now complete, and he is not expected to take on a further public role. Before agreeing to the special counsel appointment, Mueller, 74, was in private practice, after having served for 12 years as director of the FBI, as a US attorney, and as a marine…”

Time for Reckoning?

Breitbart wrote on March 25:

“Wall Street Journal assistant editor James Freeman and Sen. Rand Paul are on the same page: the Mueller report confirms it is now time for the Obama administration toaccount for its flagrant abuse of the surveillance powers of the federal government…

“Freeman wrote: ‘… This historic abuse of executive authority was either approved by President Barack Obama or it was not. It’s time for Mr. Obama, who oddly receives few mentions in stories about his government’s spying on associates of the 2016 Trump campaign, to say what he knew and did not know about the targeting of his party’s opponents.’

“Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, similarly tweeted it is ‘time to investigate the Obama officials who concocted and spread the Russian conspiracy hoax!’”

Another costly and time-consuming investigation?

The War on Healthcare which Won’t Go Away

Newsmax republished the following article by The Associated Press, dated March 27:

“President Donald Trump is calling on Republicans to revive the effort to quash the Affordable Care Act, handing Democrats an opportunity to unite in defense of the law… Trump’s administration [over the objections of Attorney General William Barr and others]  is asking a federal appeals court to strike down the entire healthcare law…

“The Supreme Court has twice upheld President Barack Obama’s healthcare law, known as ‘Obamacare.’ Five justices — a majority — who upheld the law in 2012 are still on the bench. Trump’s effort to repeal Obamacare narrowly failed in the Senate in 2017… there’s no indication that GOP senators want another fight over repealing Obamacare — particularly not those up for re-election next year. The GOP also lost control of the House, which means any attempt to dismantle the law could not pass Congress…

“As the debate plays out on Capitol Hill, the White House made a surprising legal argument for eliminating the healthcare bill. In a Monday court filing, the administration said the entire healthcare law should be struck down as unconstitutional after Congress repealed fines [the individual mandate] on people who remain uninsured. That’s at odds with previous statements by leading congressional Republicans who said they didn’t intend to repeal other parts of the law when they cut out its fines, effective this year…

“Repeal of Obamacare in its entirety would risk making more than 20 million people uninsured. That includes some 12 million low-income people covered through its Medicaid expansion and some 11 million purchasing subsidized private health insurance through HealthCare.gov and state-run insurance markets… Several GOP senators said Tuesday that Trump told them to ensure those with pre-existing conditions stayed protected as they work on an Obamacare replacement…”

However, they won’t stay protected without legislation to that effect. And Republican Senators confirmed that presently no legislation exists replacing Obamacare. If Obamacare was to be repealed without a replacement, millions of people, including those with pre-existing conditions, might find themselves without any healthcare insurance.

Recognizing the Golan Heights

JTA wrote on March 21:

 “Last week, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally, called on the U.S. to recognize Israel’s claim to the Golan. Trump himself followed suit on Thursday, breaking with half a century of U.S. policy… it makes clear that peace between Israel and Syria isn’t happening anytime soon, even when the civil war ends. If Israel’s hold on the Golan was tight before, it’s airtight now…

“It’s also a big deal for Netanyahu, who is facing a credible challenge to his premiership in the election a couple of weeks away. Trump’s statement is a huge boost in a tight race…

“After the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel took control of five territories. In the ensuing 52 years, it’s withdrawn from two — the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula, both in the south… Israel has also annexed two — eastern Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. Trump recognized the Jerusalem annexation in 2017…

“The fifth territory is the West Bank, which is way more complicated. Israel hasn’t withdrawn from nor annexed it… If Trump recognized Israel’s annexation of the Golan and eastern Jerusalem, could he recognize a West Bank annexation, too? The answer to that question used to be ‘no.’ Now it’s ‘maybe.’”

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 24:

“The decision has been criticized by many US allies — Germany, Britain, France and the EU have all said they still consider the Golan Heights to be ‘occupied’ by Israel.”

The Independent added on March 28:

“The 28 member countries of the European Union have unanimously declared that they do not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights region, despite a change in policy by the United States.”

JTA wrote on March 25:

“With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looking on, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. ‘Our relationship is powerful,’ Trump said Monday at the White House ceremony… ‘We will confront the poison of anti-Semitism through our words and more importantly our actions.’

“Trump’s formal recognition comes four days after he said on Twitter that it was time to do so and two weeks before elections in Israel. The proclamation is one of several actions taken by the Trump administration to boost Netanyahu, perhaps the international leader Trump is closest to, ahead of the April 9 vote…

“The United States is the first country to recognize Israel’s sovereignty. Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in 2017 and moved the U.S. Embassy there last year.”

Trump Like Queen Esther?

The Independent wrote on March 22:

“Donald Trump may have been sent by God to save the Jewish people from any threat posed by Iran, his secretary of state has claimed. In an interview in Jerusalem with the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), Mike Pompeo was asked whether the US president was a latter-day Queen Esther, a figure who appears [in] both Christian and Jewish stories as a person who halted an attempt to wipe out the Jewish people. Mr Pompeo claimed that because of the president’s hardline stance against Iran, Mr Trump may indeed fit such a role.

“‘Could it be that President Trump right now has been sort of raised for such a time as this, just like Queen Esther, to help save the Jewish people from the Iranian menace,’ CBN’s interviewer asked Mr Pompeo. ‘As a Christian I certainly believe that’s possible,’ replied the US secretary of state. ‘It was remarkable. So we were down in the tunnels where we could see 3,000 years ago, and 2,000 years ago — if I have the history just right — to see the remarkable history of the faith in this place and the work that our administration’s done to make sure that this democracy in the Middle East, that this Jewish state remains.’ He added: ‘I am confident that the Lord is at work here’…”

Trump’s role for the USA, Israel and the world is indeed providential.

Romania to Move Embassy to Jerusalem?

The EUObserver wrote on March 25:

“Romania will move its embassy to Jerusalem [“the capital of Israel”], its prime minister has said… Her announcement broke the joint EU and UN line that Israeli-occupied Jerusalem ought to be shared by Israel and Palestine in a future two-state solution. It made Romania the first EU state to follow the example of US president Donald Trump, who moved America’s embassy to Jerusalem last year.  And it did extra damage to EU policy because Romania currently holds the six-month EU chairmanship…

“[Prime Minister Viorica] Dancila’s embassy move was put in doubt by Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, however, who said on Sunday: ‘The final decision about moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem rests with me’. ‘The prime minister shows complete ignorance regarding foreign affairs,’ he added, in a sign of internal turmoil in Bucharest…

“Dancila’s announcement marked a broader split in EU Middle East policy. Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Hungary are also opening lower-level diplomatic missions in Jerusalem in echoes of Trump’s move. Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, and Romania declined to join the EU line on [and opposing] Trump’s embassy move at the UN last year…”

Ultimately, ten leading European anti-Israeli core nations or groups of nations will arise out of the present EU. Note the interesting next article as well.

Europeans Reject UN Anti-Israel Resolution

JTA wrote on March 22:

“In a major policy reversal by Western members of the United Nations Human Rights Council, all its European Union member states voted against a permanent item singling out Israel. The vote Friday was the first time that EU members states, plus Brazil and Japan, have voted against Item 7 — a recurrent draft resolution that is the only permanent item on the agenda singling out any one nation.

“The EU states currently on the council are Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Spain and the United Kingdom. The draft resolution passed, despite the Western opposition: while 16 opposed it, including Australia, 26 were in favor. Whereas European nations in recent years have abstained by and large in votes on Item 7 at Human Rights Council sessions, this year they made a joint stand against the item, citing its ‘imbalance,’ as the representative of Bulgaria said in a statement representing the bloc…

“Item 7 comprises four resolutions. One states that the Council is ‘deeply concerned at the suffering of the Syrian citizens in the occupied Syrian Golan due to the systematic and continuous violation of their fundamental and human rights by Israel since the Israeli military occupation of 1967.’ It does not mention the slaughter of Syrians by their government and other forces involved in fighting in Syria…

“Another part of Item 7 ‘Calls upon Israel, the occupying Power, to immediately end its occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.’ The third expresses ‘grave concern at the continuing violations of international humanitarian law and the systematic violation of the human rights of the Palestinian people by Israel, the occupying Power.’ The fourth, titled ‘Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories,’ does mention terrorism, but only by ‘extremist Israelis.’

“A total of five critical but nonbinding resolutions, including one supporting an arms embargo on Israel, were passed about the Jewish state during the 40th session of the Council. It was the highest number of negative resolutions passed about any individual country during the session.

“In an earlier vote, all EU countries on the Council except the United Kingdom voted against adopting a U.N. report accusing Israel of war crimes in Gaza. The British delegate abstained… the resolution… passed with a majority of 23 yes votes and 15 abstentions…

“Last year, the United States pulled out of the Human Rights Council. Nikki Haley, then the U.S. envoy to the United Nations, called the council a ‘cesspool of political bias.’”

In light of Germany’s embarrassing and hypocritical conduct in its Parliament (see our Current Events in previous Update #869), we wonder how Germany would have voted if they had been a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council. While some of the present EU Council member states will be part of the prophesied ten nations or groups of nations, others won’t be.

 “Islamic State ‘Caliphate’ Defeated, Yet Threat Persists”

Reuters and the Algemeiner wrote on March 23:

“US-backed forces proclaimed the capture of Islamic State’s last territory in Syria on Saturday, eliminating its rule over a self-proclaimed ‘caliphate,”’ but the jihadists remain a threat from sleeper cells around the world. Originally an offshoot of al-Qaeda, IS took large swathes of Iraq and Syria from 2014, imposing a reign of terror with public beheadings and attacks by supporters abroad — but it was eventually beaten back to the village of Baghouz…

“Some IS fighters still hold out in Syria’s remote central desert, and in Iraqi cities they have slipped into the shadows, staging shootings or kidnappings. The United States believes the group’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, is in Iraq… jihadists in Afghanistan, Nigeria, and elsewhere show no sign of recanting allegiance, and intelligence services say IS devotees in the West might plot new attacks…

“Still, the fall of Baghouz is a big milestone in a fight waged against the group by numerous local and global forces… for more than four years. France and Britain, which also back the SDF, both welcomed Saturday’s developments, though US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned: ‘We still have work to do.’…”

We agree. ISIS is still a terrible threat to life, liberty and freedom.

Theresa May Isolated?

AFP wrote on March 24:

“Accused of presiding over an unprecedented national humiliation in her chaotic handling of Brexit, British Prime Minister Theresa May has all but lost control of her party and her government… her approach to the endgame, refusing to accept MPs’ opposition to her divorce deal and agreeing to delay Brexit to try for a third time to get it through, has prompted frustration and anger on all sides… And this weekend, after yet another bruising Brussels summit for the prime minister, British newspapers were full of moves by her colleagues to oust her.

“In an editorial, Conservative-supporting Spectator magazine suggested May was the ‘worst prime minister in our history’… although it also accused the ruling party itself for failing to find a better leader.

“May’s former director of communications, Katie Perrior, wrote in The Times newspaper that the prime minister was ‘a passenger at the time when the country needed a rally driver’… The top selling The Sun tabloid [said] it was ‘time to move on… She has lost the backing of much of the country and now her party’…

“However, May has been written off before… May’s critics are deeply divided, and their inability to unite behind a rival candidate has foiled previous attempted coups. Her finance minister, Philip Hammond, condemned any talk of replacing May… ‘This is not about the prime minister or any other individual, this is about the future of our country,’ he said.”

Newsmax wrote on March 25:

“British lawmakers voted on Monday to wrest control of Brexit from Prime Minister Theresa May… The move underlined to what extent May has lost her authority… Monday’s vote… came after the prime minister admitted that the deal she had agreed with the EU after two years of talks still did not have enough support to pass…”

Express wrote on March 27:

“Mrs May said she will stand down before the next stage of Brexit negotiations. She told MPs: ‘I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party.’ The Prime Minister’s offer comes after a string of MPs said they would back her divorce deal in return for her promising to go.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 28:

“The EU has agreed to put Brexit on hold until May 22 if the deal is approved this week. If parliament cannot agree upon any kind of deal, the UK would crash out of the EU with no deal on April 12…

“The German papers shook their collective heads following the latest round of voting in the British Parliament, which saw the House of Commons vote against eight different proposals for a way out of the UK’s Brexit crisis…

“Bild, Europe’s biggest mass-circulation newspaper, began its top story with the line: ‘The next act in the Brexit drama — and the chaos has become even more confusing!’…  Die Zeit’s Matthias Krupa… laid much of the blame for the debacle on May for failing to consult Parliament for a majority in the past two years of negotiations with the EU. But he added that Wednesday’s events showed that ‘the parliament isn’t any cleverer [than] the prime minister.’… Der Spiegel… noted that even May’s offer to resign once her deal had been passed by parliament could not guarantee the Commons’ approval…

“House Speaker John Bercow said on Thursday that MPs would vote on a motion to approve the Brexit withdrawal agreement, which sets the divorce terms. Unlike the two meaningful votes already held, it will not cover the political declaration which deals with the future relationship between the UK and the European Union. Leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom said that the vote on Friday would not count as a meaningful vote on the whole Brexit deal… it is still a question if the government has the numbers.”

Incredible Attack of British Government on the Bible

Daily Mail wrote on March 24:

“The Home Office turned down a Christian convert’s bid for asylum in an ‘unbelievably offensive’ letter quoting bloodthirsty passages from the bible to prove Christianity is not a religion of peace. The Iranian national claimed asylum in 2016, but was turned down, with Home Office officials saying his conversion from Islam was ‘inconsistent’ with his claim Christianity was a peaceful religion – by highlighting violent passages from the bible.

“In the refusal letter six passages are listed and a claim is made that Revelations is filled with ‘images of revenge, destruction, death and violence.’… The refusal letter also quotes parts of The Book of Leviticus from the old testament.

“The full statement below the verses says: ‘These examples are inconsistent with your claim that you converted to Christianity after discovering it is a “peaceful religion, as opposed to Islam which contains violence, rage and revenge.”’”

It is truly shocking that such unqualified Home Office officials, being hostile to the Bible, are allowed to make important decisions based on nonsensical and ignorant reasoning.

“‘Dark Day for Internet Freedom’: EU Lawmakers Approve Controversial Copyright Reform”

The Drudge Report linked to the following article by RT, on March 26:

“The European Parliament has voted to adopt the highly controversial Article 13 provision which would govern the production and distribution of content online under the auspices of increasing copyright protections. Tuesday’s move will update the EU’s 20-year-old copyright rules and will govern audiovisual content, much to the dismay of many social media users who have already begun outpouring their grief online…

“MEPs passed the legislation by 348 votes to 274 Tuesday. Opponents had hoped for last-minute amendments to be made but their efforts were in vain. Julia Reda, a German MEP with the Pirate Party, described it as a ‘dark day for internet freedom.’… The onus will now be on tech companies to clamp down on content-sharing on their platforms, which will likely ensure yet more draconian policing of speech and content.

“EU member states now have two years to pass their own laws putting Article 13 into effect. Tens of thousands marched in protest across Germany ahead of the vote, decrying what they viewed as severe online censorship. Tech giant Google said that… the directive… will… lead to legal uncertainty and will damage Europe’s creative and digital economies. Critics have argued that the only way for Article 13 to be effectively enforced would be through the use of upload filters which automatically check content to see if it’s copyrighted or not, at least in theory. However, the exact mechanics of such a system have yet to be fully debated and the potential for abuse is immediately clear.’”

Deutsche Welle added on March 26:

“The draft law… means:

“Social media platforms would have to ensure uploaded content is not in breach of copyright rules. Companies will need licensing agreements with rights holders such as  musicians, performers and authors to use their content. The likes of Google News would have to pay publishers for press snippets shown in search results (whatever that means). Non-profits and encyclopedias such as Wikipedia will still be able to use data for research and educational purposes (whatever that means). Fledgling companies with an annual turnover below €10 million ($11.3 million) are exempt…

“European consumer organization BEUC also opposed the reform. ‘We fully support the aim of ensuring fair remuneration for creators, but this should not happen to the detriment of consumers,’ said Monique Goyens, head of BEUC. ‘There is a very high risk that the new law will do more harm than good.’”

Of course it will. As can clearly be seen from these articles, this is a most ridiculous and at the same time ambiguously worded and extremely dangerous law for consumers. Depending on how this law is implemented, it could also adversely affect God’s Church, which would have to be seen as a clear attempt of Satan to destroy God’s commission to His Church. But as usual, the majority of ignorant European parliamentarians did not care a bit.

A New World Order?

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 26:

“The leaders of China, Germany, France and the EU have held ‘unprecedented’ talks on building a new global governance. The challenge for Europe is how to balance ties in the face of Beijing’s growing global influence. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker joined French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping for talks in Paris on Tuesday… Macron urged his Chinese counterpart to ‘respect the unity of the European Union and the values it carries in the world.’…

“A prosperous Europe corresponded with China’s ‘vision for a multipolar world,’ Xi said, adding that the EU and China were ‘advancing together’ despite ‘suspicions.’… France wants to engage China as a closer partner as Washington becomes more isolationist under Trump’s ‘America First’ policy. A full China-EU summit is due to take place in Brussels on April 9.”

However, this “close” cooperation between the EU and China will not last.

Streisand under Fire for Outrageous Comments

New York Daily News wrote on March 22:

“Barbra Streisand is under fire for comments she made about two men accusing Michael Jackson of sexually assaulting them as children. The legendary singer and actress said that [the alleged victims] — ‘were thrilled to be there’ and that what allegedly happened to them ‘didn’t kill them.’… she also said that Jackson’s ‘sexual needs were his sexual needs.’ She says she ‘absolutely’ believes the allegations of abuse… but puts more blame on their parents than [Jackson]…

“‘You can say “molested,” but those children, as you heard say [the grown-up alleged victims] they were thrilled to be there. They both married and they both have children, so it didn’t kill them.’”

Subsequently, Streisand issued a somewhat contradictory, convoluted and rambling “clarification” and “apology,” stating that “there is no situation or circumstance where it is OK for the innocence of children to be taken advantage of by anyone” and that “It’s clear that the parents of the two young men were also victimized and seduced by fame and fantasy.”

First Fox Moderator Tucker Carlson’s damnable comments about abused minor school boys by female teachers (see Current Events in Update #868), now these damnable (initial) comments by Barbara Streisand. Where is decency and what is this world coming to?

And Now Germany? Measles Vaccinations to Become Mandatory?

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 25:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives and coalition partners, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), are considering the measles vaccination compulsory for children nationwide, according to media reports on Monday… [German] parents are increasingly opting not to vaccinate their children…

“Opposition parties in Germany are split over the move, with the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP) backing mandatory vaccinations for children up to the age of 14… Pushback came from the Greens, who say they support vaccines, but are skeptical about requiring them…”

Also, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAAP) leaders have called for the elimination of non-medical exemptions to vaccination to be the top priority for the year. Maybe governmental officials should consider as to why so many parents are opposed to vaccinations. Obviously, the attempts by pharmaceutical “scientists” to deny clearly-established side effects and to “convince” parents of the “need” for highly dubious vaccinations did not produce the desired results. Governmental hysteria, combined with an ill-informed and manipulated mass media and autocratic governmental measures, have never been a good combination.

When You Thought It Could Not Get Any Crazier…

CNN wrote on March 26:

“Unvaccinated people under age 18 are banned from public places in Rockland County, New York, as of midnight Wednesday… The declaration is an effort to contain an outbreak of measles that began in October… Public places include synagogues, churches, schools, restaurants, stores and public buses. ‘Public places are defined as: a place where more than 10 persons are intended to congregate,’ the news release says… the penalty is six months in jail and/or a $500 fine…”

It was pointed out on Fox News that this is almost impossible to enforce and that the ban is likely to be unconstitutional, but when there is paranoia, who cares? In addition, some are claiming the quarantine to be anti-Semitic because Rockland County has a high number of unvaccinated Orthodox Jews. Quarantine is to be applied during Passover season, so Jews with unvaccinated children won’t be able to attend services.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

In the first part, we began with explaining as to why we are quoting New Testament writings primarily from the New King James Bible (the modernized rendition of the old King James Bible or Authorized Version). These renditions are both based on Greek manuscripts commonly referred to as the Textus Receptus. We also explained that basically two more sets of Greek manuscripts exist—the Alexandrian text and the Majority Text. Many feel that greater emphasis should be placed on especially the Alexandrian text, as the copies we have are allegedly older than those used for the Textus Receptus.

The Church of God has, for many decades, concluded for important reasons that the manuscripts based on the Textus Receptus are most reliable.

First, we need to understand that we have today about 5,000 Greek manuscripts, but no original copies. Almost 4,500 of these are based on the Byzantine text [the Textus Receptus], stemming from the fourth and fifth century A.D. They are pretty much consistent. Whatever differences exist are in spelling or wording.

In “The Inspired Text of the Bible,” the late Dr. Herman L Hoeh, a long-time Evangelist, historian and biblical scholar, set forth in 1969 the position of the Church of God, as follows:

“The first and fundamental principle is very simple: God has told us in the Bible that He has indeed revealed His will to man by (1) inspiring men to write or say certain things; and (2) to have it preserved. In short, the concept is that all scripture is given by inspiration of God (II Tim. 3:16)…

“Now, with these two basic premises in mind, we would logically expect that the Old Testament would have been preserved by those people in whose language it was originally given! This is the simplest, most logical, and most likely result: The people to whom the revelation is given, who understand the language, are the people who will preserve it. You really cannot preserve something like the Hebrew Bible [the Old Testament] intelligently when it comes to copying if you can’t understand the LANGUAGE. Try to copy a language you don’t understand and see how many errors will immediately creep in!

“The point is that God did choose a particular people to whom He revealed His will. These are the people about whom we read in the Bible that ‘unto them were committed the oracles of God’ (Romans 3:2)…”

In other words, God entrusted the Jews with the preservation of the Old Testament Scriptures. Continuing:

“Now we also read that God was going to commit this information to the Gentiles. The Jews had turned aside and therefore, Paul said, ‘I go to the Gentiles.’ He did give the message to the Gentiles and God inspired the New Testament to be written in Greek! So we would logically and consequently expect the Greeks to preserve it. If the Jews preserved what was written in Hebrew, why should not the Greeks have preserved what was written in Greek? That is exactly what happened!

“What text have the Greek people preserved for the New Testament? – the ‘Byzantine.’ In the Western world the Protestant form of that text is called the Textus Receptus, which is essentially the same as the Byzantine except for a little Latinization here and there and late Greek spellings. The Greeks as a people have within their national and religious body, a whole series of manuscripts that is available to the scholarly world.

“If the Greeks had not preserved it, there would not even have been a Greek Bible available until Tischendorf and Griesbach and others uncovered manuscripts. In fact, if the Greek Bible is not the New Testament God inspired to be preserved in Greek, then the New Testament in Greek was lost, and we only had the Latin. And only when Tischendorf, for instance, went to Sinai and was looking in the waste basket, could the Western world have recovered the Greek New Testament – which doesn’t make sense!”

Dr. Hoeh went on to explain why the Dead Sea Scrolls (discovered by Tischendorf) should not be the standard as they were not publicly preserved but hidden for almost two centuries and as the Essenes and other heretical sects were not a part of the mainstream of the Jewish community and did not accurately preserve the Greek text to begin with.

Dr. Hoeh continued:

“Now, in what community do we find the inspired Greek text has publicly been preserved? Answer: In the Greek community in general… [at] Mount Athos… Athens, or Constantinople. Mount Athos was… a center of the multiplication of the text of the Greek world…

“There are two major areas of deviation from the Byzantine text. The one used by the scholars to replace the Byzantine is the Alexandrian…”

To interject, the Alexandrian text consists of ancient Greek manuscripts, and three of them date from the third century A.D., while it is claimed that the earliest manuscripts in our possession on which the Textus Receptus is based, are, as mentioned above, from the fourth and fifth century. Even though this may be true, ancient versions in other languages have been found following the reading of the Textus Receptus, which include manuscripts from as early as AD 120.

In any event, does this mean that the older Alexandrian text is more reliable than the younger Byzantine text?

Dr. Hoeh went on to explain:

“The Alexandrian text, though Greek, was preserved in Egypt – named after the city of Alexandria. What does God say about Egypt?… Egypt is a type of sin and we’re to flee from it! Christ came out of Egypt; Moses fled Egypt; The Children of Israel left Egypt. You can go on and on and you will note how many people have had to come out of Egypt! This should have been a warning to the scholars. The Greeks in Egypt, unlike any other place in the world, were the most important grammarians and hence their approach to the text was critical. The Alexandrian text gives every evidence of suffering more from a critical analysis of the various readings. Alexandria was the center of critical scholarship of that day! Therefore it was… the unsafe area for preserving Scripture.

“The Greek Septuagint was the first translation of the Hebrew text. It was done by Hellenized Jews in Alexandria, Egypt! The Jews themselves recognized in their day that the Septuagint represented an early form of the Bible but, a heretical form with false readings…”

To elaborate, while the scribes who copied the Byzantine manuscripts in Asia Minor were extremely diligent, this was not the case for those copying manuscripts in Egypt. This explains why there are even several differences between the three most ancient Alexandrian manuscripts. Also, thousands of words seem to be missing from the Alexandrian texts, again indicating that the copying was somewhat sloppy. Others claim that these missing texts were added in the Byzantine manuscripts, but for the most part, there is no proof for such an allegation. Exceptions exist, of course; note our discussion in our previous Q&A on the fraudulent addition of a portion in 1 John 5:7-8.

Dr. Hoeh went on to explain:

“What other name is applied to non-Byzantine [Greek] readings other than Alexandrian? The Western! Why do scholars use the Alexandrian and not the Western as the standard text type in competition with the Byzantine? Because they saw clearly themselves that there were so many variations within the Western that they couldn’t produce a text. The Western text was not a critical solution trying to resolve problems of divergent reading…

“… there are many variations in the Alexandrian… but sufficient uniformity that it entertains the scholars. There are a sufficient number of variations in the Alexandrian that you can never arrive at the right answer, but you can always get something that is an approximation – and scholars like that! That’s the ‘scientific’ approach. It must not be exact, but it must be potentially resolvable – ‘enough to keep us employed!'”

Dr. Hoeh also made the point that for a long time, the variants in the Greek text, that is, the Alexandrian and the Western texts, were not publicly circulated. He stated: “They have not been available, but rather unused, forgotten, unknown, uncirculated!”

On the other hand, it must be stated that the differences between Alexandrian texts and Byzantine texts (Textus Receptus) are very small. It has been estimated that they involve less than one tenth of 1 percent of the text of the New Testament. Almost none of them includes a significant change in meaning. They may be interesting to textual scholars, but the overall spiritual content is maintained in both sets of manuscripts. That is to say that someone who is honest in reading and understanding texts based on Alexandrian or Byzantine manuscripts will not conclude that the doctrines of Scriptures have been altered—including the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath, the Holy Days, unclean meats, tithing, and many other salvational matters.

In conclusion, we must empathize again that God has determined to preserve His Word, and He has seen to it that this was done. The following statement in this regard must be taken very seriously:

“For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19).

Technically, this passage refers specifically to the book of Revelation, but the overall application relates to the entire body of Scriptures. Moses gives the same admonition in Deuteronomy 4:2 which specifically refers to God’s words as related by Moses, but which clearly applies to all Scriptures: “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it…”

God gave His true Church the ability to determine what was added and what was deleted in certain manuscripts. It boils down to a matter of faith and conviction that God IS true to His Word.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

The 2019 Church Conference will be conducted in Escondido, California, next week. Arrival will be Wednesday, April 3, 2019, and departure is scheduled for Tuesday, April 9, 2019.

“Does President Trump Fulfill a Preordained Role?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Why will President Trump stay in power beyond 2020? Why will he continue bringing about important developments in Israel? Why will the relationship between the USA and an anti-Israeli Europe under German leadership continue to deteriorate? You might be surprised to learn the answers from your Bible.

“Der Sabbat und Gottes heilige Jahresfeste” is a new German trailer presented by Michael Link which features two German booklets about the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days.

“Erfüllt Präsident Trump eine vorherbestimmte Funktion?” a new AufPostenStehen program presented by Norbert Link, covers the same topic as described above, in German.

“Was die Tage der Ungesäuerten Brote für Christen bedeuten?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “What Do the Days of Unleavened Bread Mean for Christians?”

“Allgemeine Missverständnisse—Ostern” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermonette, presented by Michael Link. Title in English: “Common Misconceptions—Easter.”

Max Busse from Alberta Canada died peacefully in his home on Saturday March 23, 2019. Max was one of the oldest church members at 90 years of age.  He is survived by his wife Carol and his son Ron. Max exemplified generosity towards the church and others even with his limited income. At the feast which he was able to attend a few times he would eat pancakes in the morning and at noon to save money so he could treat others at supper. He had a great sense of humour and will be greatly missed. Anyone wishing to send cards, the address is

PO Box 47, Strome, Alberta, Canada,  T0B 4H0

“Facing the Pain & Adversities of Life,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Frank Bruno, is now posted. Here is a summary:

One need only listen to announcements during Sabbath Services to understand that Church Members may be in pain each and every day, or face other adversities that could crumple those without hope—hope for a future with God and His Son, Jesus Christ. In this Sermonette we will together consider the scriptures that prove to us that our suffering is a trial that can prepare us for what God requires from us, and what He has in store if we overcome, as Christ overcame.

“Forgotten Christianity—Overcoming!” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Beyond our calling, repentance and baptism, is there more that we, as Christians, should be doing? Do we grasp the tremendous challenges before us—things we must be overcoming?

On March 23, 2019, Frank Bruno will present the sermonette, titled, “Facing the Pain & Adversities of Life,” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “Forgotten Christianity—Overcoming!”

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.

God specifies the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. It consists of a number of components which, considered as a whole, make up this fruit, and actually are characteristics that everyone who has God’s Spirit will display in their lives to one degree or another.

The second component of this fruit is joy. So, what is joy? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines joy as “the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.” This implies that when things are going well, or expected to go well, we can be joyful.

There are many examples in the Bible of people expressing joy. Two of them are in the book of Ezra. This was a time when the temple had finally been finished after a great amount of local opposition and around twenty years since King Cyrus had made his decree that the temple was to be rebuilt. It was also a time between a little over a month before the Passover, and just after the Passover. Ezra 6:16 states: “Then the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the descendants of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.”

As well as that, they had finally received favour from the king of Assyria. Ezra 6:22 tells us: “And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the LORD made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.”

So, after many years of opposition, trials, setbacks and difficulties, things were finally going well for them, and the people were joyful. Just like in the definition above. God had blessed them and made them joyful.

Both the apostle Paul and Titus were also joyful when things were going well in the Church. 2 Corinthians 7:13 reads: “Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.”

The apostle John also repeated this sentiment in 3 John 4: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”

This joy was mainly because of happy events in the present. There is an additional definition of joy that I found on the internet. It is the meaning used many times especially in the New Testament, and explains:  “Joy… remains even amidst the suffering… Joy is an emotion that’s acquired by the anticipation, acquisition or even the expectation of something great or wonderful.”

The greatest example of someone having this type of joy would be in Hebrews 12:2, describing Jesus Christ: “… looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Anticipating the beating and crucifixion that He had to endure was not something that would make Christ happy in itself. He had joy because He knew that the suffering He was going to go through would enable God’s Family to be vastly expanded—a great and wonderful result.

At this time approaching the Passover, we are reminded of just how much He suffered, and that this suffering was for us in this age and for all others in the future, and this can help us to be joyful as well as thankful. Following this example of Jesus, the next quote would likewise apply to us. James 1:2-4 states: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

Again, trials are not usually pleasant, but when we consider the intended outcome of trials, the patience and perfection (the marginal reading for “perfect” is “mature”), we can have joy because of the end result of those trials. They lead to eternal life as God beings with God the Father and Jesus Christ.

With the knowledge that Jesus went through extreme trials for us, and that we go through trials for our perfection, we can indeed be people of joy. We should remember and be encouraged by Psalm 16:11 in which David tells us: “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures for evermore.”

by Norbert Link

We begin with a stunning revelation about Saudi Arabia’s long-time brutal methods of crushing dissidents through a special barbaric team… under the direct supervision and command of the Crown Prince. We report on violence in the Netherlands and New Zealand through deranged killers under demonic influence; and focus our attention on the ever-growing Brexit debacle with absolutely no deal or solution in sight. We also publish an insightful article about Europe and especially Germany for the time after Brexit.

We report on another Russian step toward autocracy and censorship; speak on the obscure and changing celebration of the Purim festival; speak on anti-Semitic occurrences in Poland and the fragile relationship between Poland and Israel; and address the cowardly and hypocritical conduct of the vast majority of German Parliamentarians towards the Jewish state.

We publish articles which allege anticipated further alienation between Merkel and Trump; which discuss whether Trump really wants to cut Medicare (while pointing out the incredible hypocrisy in politics); and which raise concern that Trump, if cornered, might propagate violence against his opponents.

We conclude with articles about the poisoning of American citizens; contemplated measures by Democrats to make vaccinations mandatory in Oregon; and a lawsuit by a church against Washington state officials, raising the unconstitutionality of a law, enacted by Democrats, forcing churches to provide “health” insurance for those of their employees who may choose to have an abortion.

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

Saudi’s Brutal Crush on Dissidents

The Week wrote on March 18:

“More than a year before Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved a secret — and brutal — plan to crush dissent, using surveillance, abduction, and torture, U.S. officials who read classified intelligence reports on the matter told The New York Times. Saudi citizens were targeted around the world, with a special team — called the Saudi Rapid Intervention Group by U.S. officials — involved in at least 12 operations beginning in 2017, the Times reports.

“This is the same team that killed Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. After being captured and brought back to Saudi Arabia, these people were housed in palaces belonging to the crown prince and his father, King Salman, the Times reports, with many tortured during interrogations.”

The New York Times wrote on March 17:

“Saudi laws prohibit torture and hold accountable those involved in such abuses of power… The Saudi government insists that the killing of Mr. Khashoggi… was not an assassination ordered from Riyadh. The decision to kill him was made by the team on the spot, government officials say…

“Saudi Arabia has a history of going after dissidents and other Saudi citizens abroad, but the crackdown escalated sharply after Prince Mohammed was elevated to crown prince in 2017… [He] locked hundreds of princes, businessmen and former officials in the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton in 2017 on accusations of corruption…”

Nothing of such magnitude happens in Saudi Arabia without the Crown Prince at least knowing about it. Clearly, he was behind the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. To deny this FACT because of political motives and “advantageous” considerations is outrageous!

Violence in the Netherlands

Reuters wrote on March 18:

“A gunman shot dead three people and wounded nine on a tram in the Dutch city of Utrecht on Monday and police said they were hunting for a 37-year-old Turkish man in an apparent terrorist attack. Dutch authorities raised the terrorism threat to its highest level in Utrecht province… Prime Minister Mark Rutte [said] he was deeply concerned about the incident, which came three days after a lone gunman killed 50 people in mass shootings at two mosques in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand.”

Daily Mail added on March 18:

“[The] Turkish ‘terror’ suspect is arrested after ‘shooting a relative on Dutch tram “for family reasons” and then firing at anyone who tried to intervene‘ … [The suspect’s] family members in Turkey say the person targeted on the tram was a relative of the 37-year-old.”

npr wrote on March 18:

“A motive for the shooting remains unclear; police have said they were investigating a ‘possible terrorist motive’ for the attack, but reports have also emerged that the shooting might have its roots in a family dispute.”

Tighter Gun Laws in New Zealand

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 18:

“Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Monday that her Cabinet had agreed ‘in principle’ upon tighter gun laws for New Zealand. The proposed changes… were spurred by Friday’s Christchurch terror attacks, in which a shooter used multiple weapons, including military-style semi-automatic ones, to open fire on worshippers at two mosques… In the meantime, she encouraged individuals to surrender weapons similar to the ones used in the attacks to the authorities…

“Ardern also announced that her government would launch an inquiry into the country’s intelligence services. The suspect charged in relation to the attacks, a self-declared white nationalist who had posted a racist manifesto online, was not on the security services’ radar…”

These senseless mass murders in the Netherlands and in New Zealand are committed by deranged individuals who are obviously under demonic influence, if not possession.

Third Brexit Vote Illegal unless Substantial Change in Brexit Deal

The Guardian wrote on March 18:

“The House of Commons Speaker, John Bercow, has said the government cannot bring the meaningful vote back to parliament again unless there has been substantial change to the Brexit deal. In a shock move likely to infuriate the prime minister, the Speaker said the House of Commons was ‘being repeatedly asked to pronounce’ on the same question…

“Quoting from the guide to parliamentary procedure, Erskine May, Bercow said that by convention, the question ‘may not be brought forward again during the same session’ and that it was a ‘strong and longstanding convention’ dating back to 1604. He said the convention had been confirmed again many times, including in 1864, 1870, 1882, 1891 and 1912…

“He said the change must make the deal ‘fundamentally different’, rather than just a unilateral reinterpretation…”

UK Asks for Short Brexit Delay

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 20:

“The United Kingdom has requested delaying Brexit until June 30 in a letter to European Union leaders, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday. ‘As prime minister I am not prepared to delay Brexit any further than the 30th of June,’ May told MPs in Parliament… In the letter she says that she intends to hold a third vote on the twice-rejected Brexit deal, but will need more time to do so…”

Daily Mail wrote on March 20:

“The EU will give Britain a ‘short’ Brexit delay but only if MPs back Theresa May’s deal next week, European Council President Donald Tusk said today – setting up a dramatic political showdown days before the UK is due to leave…

“If no delay or deal is agreed with the EU before Friday, the law says Britain will leave without a deal – despite years of dire warnings about its impact on Britain. If May’s deal fails, the EU has not ruled out offering a longer delay but this would likely come with preconditions such as a second referendum.”

Still Shorter, If At All

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 21:

“The European Council on Thursday agreed to offer the UK two different Brexit extension options…

“Option 1: If the UK parliament accepts the withdrawal agreement, it can delay exiting until May 22 to ratify the text.

“Option 2: If it does not accept the deal, the EU will offer a shorter extension until April 12.

“If it rejects the deal and takes the shorter extension, it can decide whether to seek a much longer delay and vote in the European elections…

“British Prime Minister Theresa May… called on British MPs to accept the deal, saying it would be wrong to participate in the European elections.”

What to Know about Brexit

Axios wrote on March 18:

“On June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom shocked the world and voted to ‘Brexit,’ or leave the European Union. More than two years later, with divisions sowing within and between political parties — and with the March 29 withdrawal date approaching rapidly — the country seems no closer to negotiating the terms of its exit…

“At the time of Brexit, the Conservative Party held a majority in Parliament. The party lost its majority in a snap election called by Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May in 2017 and was forced to form a coalition party with the Democratic Unionist Party.

“David Cameron [was] Prime Minister from 2010-2016. He called the referendum, campaigned for ‘Remain,’ and resigned after losing the vote. Theresa May [is] U.K.’s current prime minister. May supported remaining in the EU before winning the leadership election to replace Cameron. She has managed to keep the job, but has failed to win much support for her approach to Brexit. Boris Johnson [is one] of the most vocal proponents of leaving the EU from within the Conservative Party.

“[The] Labour Party [is the] opposition party in Parliament, which overwhelmingly supports remaining in the EU. Jeremy Corbyn [is the] hard-left leader of the Labour Party. He opposed Brexit (at least officially) but after the vote said the results must be respected. He’s been accused of failing to take a firm line on the issue.

“‘Leave’ [is the] pro-Brexit campaign focused on cutting immigration, gaining sovereignty and slashing payments to Brussels. ‘Remain’ [is the] opposing campaign emphasized economic harm if Brexit went ahead…

“A hard Brexit is the preferred exit strategy of hard-line Brexiteers. It would include a full withdrawal from the EU customs union…

“A soft Brexit, as outlined by Theresa May’s plan, includes keeping closer economic ties to the EU.

“No deal Brexit [is the] case in which the U.K. leaves the E.U. with no formal exit agreement, which would be bad for Europe and disastrous for the U.K. There is an overwhelming consensus on both sides of the aisle that a no-deal Brexit cannot be allowed to happen…

“A backup solution… would avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland until the EU’s future relationship with the U.K. is resolved…

“We are less than a month away from Brexit Day, when the U.K. is scheduled to leave the EU, and nowhere close to a deal. Now, May will have to get the EU to sign off on the proposal to push the Brexit deadline back. Getting the EU to agree to an extension will be tricky, though, and pushing back the deadline won’t get May any closer to a parliamentary majority.”

Brexit will happen in God’s due time. What is going to happen afterwards?

Europe after Brexit

spiked online wrote on March 15:

“As Britain prepares for Brexit, what will happen to the EU that we leave behind? To understand the EU and its direction of travel, you have to understand Germany – the bloc’s richest, most populous and most powerful nation. Sir Paul Lever has worked in the Foreign Office and the European Commission [and] he was the British ambassador to Germany between 1997 and 2003.”

The article quoted Sir Paul Lever as follows:

“I’d hesitate to say the EU won’t change at all when Britain leaves because the UK is a major state. But it won’t change fundamentally. The two things that currently matter in the EU, and the things that most matter to Germany, are the Euro and immigration. Since we’re not in the Euro and we had opted out of Schengen, Britain’s voice hasn’t been relevant for years on the two most important issues… Brexit won’t have an existential effect on the EU…

“If you look at the actual structures of the EU, there’s the Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the European Court. That is exactly the same way that Germany is governed. The Bundesregierung, or federal government, is like the Commission, the Bundestag, or German parliament, is like the European Parliament, and the Bundesrat, the council of the German Länder (the federal states), is like the Council of Ministers, and both the EU and Germany have very powerful constitutional courts, too. So for a German politician moving into the EU, it’s a very familiar world, which is precisely why the Germans find it so easy to operate in Europe… The EU is Germany writ large. And this is how it has been from the beginning. It is not some recent German plot to subvert the EU – it is how it was set up…

“When the Euro was originally set up, the rules were ones which the old Bundesbank (the German central bank) insisted on: it wasn’t going to be a transfer union, there was going to be a big budget, and there would be strict obligations on debt and deficits. In the first few years, those rules weren’t always adhered to. In recent times, during the Greek crisis, for instance, the Germans started to insist on a strict application of these rules. In fairness, every country did sign up to them. And the Germans weren’t reneging on any obligations when they first refused to bail out Greece, for instance. They had never implied that they would accept responsibility for the debts of other member states – it would have been political suicide in Germany to promise this…

“Germany has been a huge beneficiary from the euro. A study was published recently by the Centre for European Policy Studies in Germany, which estimated that Germany had earned €1.9 trillion from adopting the euro in its first 20 years. But it had cost France €3.6 trillion and Italy €4.3 trillion. German politicians don’t like to admit this…”

Germany is destined to become and remain THE leading nation in Europe. It is also destined to bring much pain and misery to the world, when the end-time leader of core Europe arrives—a person of German or Austrian descent, who is called the beast in the Bible.

Another Step Towards Russian Autocracy

Axios wrote on March 18:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a set of controversial measures into law Monday that criminalize the dissemination of information online that ‘exhibits blatant disrespect for the society, government, official government symbols, constitution or governmental bodies of Russia,’ the Washington Post reports…

“Russian lawmakers say the bills are intended to combat fake and abusive comments online, but critics have labeled the legislation ‘direct censorship’ and yet another step toward autocracy. Online publications and users that repeatedly spread ‘fake news’ will ‘face fines of up to 1.5 million rubles, or $22,900.’ Repeat offenders that publish information deemed insulting to Russian authorities — including Putin — could face 15 days in jail.”

It will of course be the Russian government and its judges who will decide what is fake news and what constitutes insults to Putin and other Russian authorities.

USA to Recognize Israel’s Sovereignty over Golan Heights

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 21:

“On Thursday, US President Donald Trump tweeted that ‘after 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights,’ calling the area important to regional stability…

“Israel took control over the western two-thirds of the Golan Heights, which was previously part of Syria, during the Six-Day War in 1967. The eastern portion of Golan remained under the control of the Syrian Arab Republic. The western section of the Golan remained occupied by the Israeli army from 1967 until December 14, 1981, when the Israeli government passed the Golan Heights Law, essentially annexing the area.

“Despite the fact that Israeli settlements had been built in the area, the move was roundly condemned in the United Nations Security Council when it passed UN Resolution 497 on December 17, 1981, declaring the annexation ‘null and void and without international legal effect.’ The United States is the only country that has signaled a willingness to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.”

The Obscure Celebration of Purim

JTA wrote on March 12:

“On [Palma de Mallorca, a Spanish] island south of Barcelona, Jews celebrate Purim these days pretty much as they do most anywhere else in Europe [that is, without deep contemplation for the events described in the book of Esther]… 50 years ago, Purim was the holiest day of the year — comparable to Yom Kippur — for this island’s unique Jewish community. Persecuted for centuries during the Spanish Inquisition, the forcibly converted Jews of Mallorca had exploited their persecutors’ relative ignorance of Purim to mourn their situation and sustain their faith and culture. ‘Purim wasn’t celebrated in Mallorca, it was sorrowfully observed in secret,’ said Rabbi Nissan Ben-Avraham… Celebrating any of the major Jewish holidays — including Passover, Sukkot and Shavuot — would have been too risky… Those holidays were too well-known and featured too many distinctive customs to be practiced safely…

“In previous centuries, [Purim,] a holiday that celebrates the Jews’ triumph over people who conspired to annihilate them in fifth-century B.C. Persia was far less joyous than its carnival-like character today. Jews only began dressing up [that is, wearing costumes] on Purim in the 16th century. Before that, the holiday’s essence was primarily in the daylong Fast of Esther, which comes immediately before the actual holiday and is meant as a sign of gratitude to God for the survival of Jews in Persia… The fast aligned comfortably with Lent, a 40-day period in early spring during which Catholics abstain from certain indulgences, including meat. Many Christians would fast on Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, thereby providing a handy alibi… observing the Fast of Esther at around the same time…

“Some… fasted on Purim as recently as 30 years ago.

“… after the fall of the pro-Catholic dictatorship of Francisco Franco in 1975, anti-[Jewish] sentiment declined [on Mallorca] and with it the need for secrecy around the Purim customs. By then, thousands of tourists to Mallorca had transformed the remote island into a European party capital…”

Today, many Jews keep Purim in the form of carnival celebrations and worldly parties. This year, Purim will be held by the Jewish community from the evening of March 21 to the evening of March 22. It is not a biblically-commanded festival for neither Jews nor Christians.

“Front Page in Polish Paper: ‘How to spot a Jew'”

Fox News wrote  on March 15:

“A right-wing newspaper in Poland sparked widespread criticism after running an anti-Semitic article on its front page instructing readers ‘how to spot a Jew.’ The Polish-language weekly, Tylko Polska, or ‘Only Poland,’ includes a list of supposed markers [such as ‘names, anthropological features, expressions, appearances, character traits, methods of operation’] and ‘disinformation activities.’… The newspaper’s front page – which also included a headline that read ‘How to defeat them? This cannot go on!’ – ran an article, which read, ‘Attack on Poland at a conference in Paris’ – in reference to a Holocaust studies conference at the French capital last month that sparked criticism over alleged anti-Polish speakers…

“It included a photo of Jan Gross, a Polish and Jewish Princeton scholar who wrote ‘Neighbors: The Destruction of [the] Jewish Community in Jebwabne, Poland,’ which is about the massacre of the Jewish people in Jebwabne by their non-Jewish neighbors during the Nazi occupation in Poland… The newspaper was first spotted at the lower house of the Polish parliament – the Sejm – on Wednesday, as part of the weekly package of publications sent to lawmakers…

“Opposition lawmaker Michal Kaminski called for prosecutors to investigate, as it’s a crime in Poland to incite hatred based on race or religion. A lawmaker from the ruling right-wing party called for the paper to be banned altogether. The director of the Parliament’s information center initially said his office could not take action because the paper was being sold from kiosks inside the Sejm, which was responsible for the choice of newspapers. Andrzej Grzegrzolka also suggested that a court could look into the front page to decide whether ‘Only Poland’ should be suspended under Polish law, the [Washington] Post reported. He later relented and announced his office would request that ‘Only Poland’ be removed from the set of periodicals delivered to the Parliament…

“According to JTA, the newspaper is published by Leszek Bubl, a fringe nationalist political candidate. In the past, he has sung anti-Semitic songs about ‘rabid’ rabbis. Poland, which was home to Europe’s largest Jewish community before the 1939 occupation by Nazi Germany, has a history of anti-Semitic speech and actions. The government has also been accused in the past of trying to rewrite history by banning any suggestion of Polish complicity in the Holocaust.”

Fragile Relationship between Poland and Israel

The Washington Post also wrote on March 14:

“Poland’s collective historical memory over treatment of Jewish people and Polish-Jewish relations have been fraught issues in the past few years. In 2018, the Polish government backed a law that made it punishable by jail time to refer to Poles as complicit in Nazi atrocities, sparking an international outcry, largely from Israeli and U.S. lawmakers. The law was later watered down, removing the prison terms. Then last month, Polish-Israeli relations were tested again when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was misquoted on his return from a Middle East summit in Poland as saying that ‘the Poles’ collaborated with Nazis during World War II. The paper that quoted him, the Jerusalem Post, later added a correction to make clear that Netanyahu meant to say ‘Poles,’ not ‘the Poles.’

“But then Israel Katz, on his first day as Israel’s acting foreign minister, reiterated that Poles collaborated with Nazis during World War II and quoted former Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Shamir by saying that Poles ‘sucked anti-Semitism with their mothers’ milk.’ Poland pulled out of a summit between Israel and the Visegrad Four countries (the other three being the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia), and the summit was replaced with bilateral meetings between Israel and the other three.”

That anti-Semitic Poles collaborated with the Nazis in the persecution and murder of Jews is a well-known and undisputable fact.

Shocking! “Germany’s Parliament Favors Anti-Israel U.N. Voting Pattern!”

The Jerusalem Post wrote on March 16:

“Political representatives in Germany’s Bundestag overwhelmingly rejected a resolution by the Free Democratic Party to urge Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government to reverse its anti-Israel voting record at the United Nations. The Free Democratic Party (FDP)… introduced the pro-Israel resolution calling on the federal government… ‘to dissociate [in the UN] from unilateral, primarily politically motivated initiatives and alliances of anti-Israeli Member States, and protect Israel and legitimate Israeli interests from unilateral condemnation’…

“Merkel, who said in Israel in 2008 that its security is ‘non-negotiable’ for her administration, voted with authoritarian regimes, like the Islamic Republic of Iran, 16 times in 2018 to condemn the Jewish state… from a total of 21 anti-Israel resolutions… Germany abstained from four anti-Jewish state resolutions.

“The vote in the Bundestag was from a total of 626 MPs participating. An eye-popping 408 voted to reject the pro-Israel resolution while 155 urged its acceptance. A total of 63 MPs abstained. The depth of anti-Israelism in the Bundestag sparked criticism from a tiny number of German politicians and journalists. The FDP and the largely anti-immigration party, Alternative for Germany, supported a reversal of Merkel’s anti-Israel voting record at the UN.

“The Social Democrats, the Christian Democratic Union, the Christian Democratic Party, The Left Party, and the Green Party lined up behind targeting Israel for punishment at the UN. The Green Party abstained, but German critics viewed the abstention as a cowardly escape hatch… Green Party politician Volker Beck wrote on his Twitter feed that ‘This was not a glorious chapter for foreign policy and national interests of the German Bundestag. And it will not be the last word. I am angry, also about my parliamentary group.’

“When asked on Twitter why the Social Democratic politician Frank Schwabe voted against the pro-Israel resolution, he declined to answer. The Post also questioned the Christian Democratic Union MP Andreas Nick who declined to respond about his anti-Israel vote. The German journalist and author, Alex Feuerherdt, who is an expert on the UN and Israel, wrote that the vote shows the lack of solidarity for the Jewish state in Germany. ‘Dead Jews are always capable of solidarity in Germany, especially on days such as 9 November or 27 January,’ he wrote. ‘The living and her state [Israel], on the other hand, are maximally in Sunday sermons, but not when it matters. What a lousy hypocrisy.’

“The Israeli security and defense expert Arye (ARO) Sharuz Shalicar tweeted: ‘I was born in [Germany]. I grew up in Berlin. I have a German high school diploma. I even served in the armed services. But today I am ashamed of German politics!’”

Was this just an exceptional cowardly behavior by most German Parliamentarians… or is there much more to it? The underlying anti-Semitism in Germany, which has ALWAYS been prevalent, cannot be denied. Bild Online chastised the main parties in Parliament and congratulated the FDP and the often-maligned AfD for their pro-Israel stance, stating that the AfD puts parties like the CDU and the SPD to shame. The Bible shows that very soon from now, Germany will align with Arab states against Israel.

Will Germany Renege?

The Wall Street Journal published the following article on March 18:

“The German government is poised to renege on its pledge to raise military spending, the latest gesture of defiance by Chancellor Angela Merkel toward President Donald Trump.

“… the move would mark a fresh step in the gradual estrangement between the U.S. and its erstwhile loyal European ally and comes after Mr. Trump’s repeated attacks of North Atlantic Treaty Organization leaders for not meeting a 2% military-spending target.”

US Ambassador Should Be Expelled from Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 19:

“US ambassador Richard Grenell is acting like ‘a high commissioner of an occupying power,’ the deputy leader of the Free Democrats (FDP) has said. Grenell has also drawn rebuffs from Germany’s two governing parties.

“Wolfgang Kubicki, the deputy chairman of the opposition Free Democrats (FDP), said Richard Grenell’s repeated interference in German sovereignty should prompt Foreign Minister Heiko Maas to immediately declare Grenell persona non grata. ‘Any US diplomat who acts like a high commissioner of an occupying power must learn that our tolerance also knows its limits,’ said Kubicki, who is also one of five deputy speakers of Germany’s Bundestag parliament.

“Grenell had on Tuesday criticized Germany’s military spending plans within NATO as insufficient, prompting Kubicki to accuse the envoy of ‘interfering’ repeatedly in political issues of a sovereign country.

“Grenell’s criticism of Germany’s defense spending came weeks after he demanded that Berlin halt Nord Stream 2, a gas pipeline being laid across the Baltic Sea to deliver gas from Russia to Germany, and threatened firms involved in the project with sanctions.

“Carsten Schneider, caucus manager of the Social Democrats (SPD) within the parliament, told the German news agency DPA on Tuesday that ‘Mr Grenell is a complete diplomatic failure,’ adding that ‘Mr Grenell damages transatlantic relations with his repeated clumsy provocations.’…

“Michael Grosse-Brömer, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative alliance (CDU/CSU), urged Grenell to show restraint…”

Once an ambassador is declared to be “persona non grata,” he has to leave the country. German media pointed out that this episode will further alienate the two countries.

Is Trump Really Proposing to Cut Medicare?

The Week wrote on March 12:

“President Trump… promised [in 2015] to ‘save Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security without cuts.’… Trump’s new national budget proposal was released [this week]. Democratic presidential contenders… are all pouncing on the president for supposedly including $845 billion in cuts to Medicare in his budget’s 10-year window. Meanwhile, Trump’s budget director is firing back that it isn’t true.

“Which is it? Does Trump want to cut Medicare or not? The answer is complicated.

“Usually, what people imagine when politicians talk about ‘cuts to Medicare’ is benefit reductions: Seniors getting less coverage, fewer drugs and procedures, or having to pay more money out of pocket. For the most part, those kinds of cuts aren’t in Trump’s proposal. Instead, his budget looks to reduce what Medicare pays to doctors and hospitals and private insurers for all those things…

“Specifically, Trump’s budget would cut the payments that Medicare sends to hospitals to reimburse them for unpaid bills, as well as payments to the outpatient care that hospitals provide. Payments to nursing homes and home health-care providers would be reduced. And Trump’s budget also includes a bunch of different policies aimed at lowering prescription drug prices…

“The funny part is that the two parties found themselves in opposite roles over the exact same issue several years ago. When they passed ObamaCare, the Democrats… [cut] Medicare’s payments to providers… Republicans at the time accused Democrats of cutting Medicare and endangering seniors… Democrats shot back that these attacks were unfair, because the cuts were to provider payments, as opposed to benefit reductions… the GOP made no effort to rollback ObamaCare’s cuts after they took the presidency and both houses of Congress in 2016. That’s politics for you…

“America’s total spending on health care is through the roof: almost 17 percent of the economy in 2015. That’s 5, 6, or even 7 percentage points higher than most other advanced Western nations. Most of what drives that gap is prices: What American health-care providers charge for drugs, services, procedures and everything else is just way higher than in those other countries. There are definitely enormous savings to be found here.

“Ironically, what makes it harder for Medicare to get those savings is that it doesn’t cover the entire population. Which gives providers an out. If nothing else, that’s a point in favor of Democrats’ plans for a Medicare-for-all system: It would finally allow us to get our arms around the entire health care pricing system. For providers, there would finally be no escape from the government’s payment terms.”

This would be an area where the government could do some good, in keeping greedy pharmaceutical companies in check. The article shows once again the lying and deceptive manner with which politicians operate.

Is Trump Threatening with Real Violence?

The Guardian wrote on March 16:

“In an interview with Breitbart News published on Wednesday, Trump noted: ‘I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of the Bikers for Trump – I have the tough people, but they don’t play it tough – until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad.’ In case you missed it, ‘they’ are Trump’s political opponents, including House Democrats and the mainstream media…

“It is impossible to know what bizarre scenario is playing out in Trump’s head. But another hint came on Friday, when, in the wake of the horrific shootings at two mosques in New Zealand, Trump told reporters he didn’t believe white nationalism was on the rise… ‘I think it’s a small group of people.’

“… the facts are otherwise. The number of hate groups in the US increased 7% last year, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Hate crime reports increased 17%, according to the FBI… 11 people were murdered at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue on 27 October, at the hands of a white supremacist. A few days earlier, a white supremacist murdered two black people at a grocery store in Jeffersontown, Kentucky…

“At a rally for Missouri Senate candidate Josh Hawley in September, Trump said his opponents ‘were lucky that we’re peaceful’. He continued: ‘Law enforcement, military, construction workers, Bikers for Trump … They travel all over the country … They’ve been great.’ But, he warned, ‘these are tough people … they’re peaceful people, and antifa and all, they’d better hope they stay that way.’ In February, the White House Correspondents’ Association called on Trump to make it ‘absolutely clear to his supporters that violence against reporters is unacceptable’. To date, he has not. Meanwhile, Steve Bannon [former White House Chief Strategist in the Trump administration during the first seven months of Trump’s term] … predicted that ‘2019 is going to be the most vitriolic year in American politics since the civil war’.”

Trump: Tariffs against China Will Stay for Now

Axios wrote on March 20:

“President Trump said he plans to keep tariffs in place on Chinese goods for a ‘substantial period of time,’ possibly even after a trade deal is forged to ensure Beijing’s compliance…

“China has been pushing the Trump administration to eliminate tariffs in any forthcoming deal, so the president’s comments are certainly not a carrot for China’s end of the bargain…”

How America Poisons Its Citizens

The Guardian wrote on March 20:

“About 70% of fresh produce sold in the US has pesticide residues on it even after it is washed… strawberries, spinach and kale are among the most pesticide-heavy produce, while avocados, sweetcorn and pineapples had the lowest level of residues.

“More than 92% of kale tested contained two or more pesticide residues… Dacthal – the most common pesticide found, which was detected in nearly 60% of kale samples, is banned in Europe and classified as a possible human carcinogen in the US…

“Other foods on the group’s ‘dirty dozen’ list include grapes, cherries, apples, tomatoes and potatoes. In contrast, its ‘clean 15’ list includes avocados, onions and cauliflower…

“A… Harvard study found that for women undergoing fertility treatment, those who ate more high-pesticide fruits and vegetables were less likely to have a live birth…

“The Environmental Protection Agency… is fighting a court order to ban chlorpyrifos, a pesticide that is associated with development disabilities in children…”

Oregon on its Way to Mandate Vaccinations

Portland Tribune wrote on March 14:

“A legislative proposal that would ban nonmedical exemptions for required vaccinations passed out of committee on a party-line vote Thursday, March 14, the committee’s seven Democrats voting in favor… it would still need to survive votes in the House and Senate and be signed into law by [Democratic] Gov. Kate Brown, who supports the proposal… unvaccinated children could still attend an online school, though they would not be able to participate in organized school activities, such as field trips. It also added a grace period, giving parents until August 2020 to comply with the law, if it were to pass…

“The proposal has been controversial, as more than 100 showed up to oppose the bill… People who opposed the bill said they went to committee members’ offices to distribute flowers representing injuries they say their children incurred when vaccinated. Some lawmakers’ staff declined the flowers, deeply upsetting some citizens…”

The Bulletin added on March 14:

“Oregon is [at this time] one of 17 states that allow students to attend school if they are not inoculated for personal, philosophical or religious reasons…  Several Republican opponents of the bill spoke during the debate over the final committee vote. ‘I find this bill to be far overreaching,’ said Rep. Cedric Hayden, R-Roseburg. ‘I have five children who are vaccinated. But I believe in parental rights.’

“Rep. Denyc Boles, R-Salem, said she was disappointed the legislation appeared on its way to approval. ‘I did not expect to be part of something I think is a complete disregard to the individual freedoms we have,’ she said.”

Some “liberal” Democrats become more and more a driving force for totalitarianism in this country. Also note the next article.

David vs. Goliath—the Fight against Abortion

news ag org wrote on March 11:

“Cedar Park Church, an Assemblies of God congregation in Bothell, Washington, filed a federal lawsuit on March 8 against Washington state officials to challenge a newly implemented law that forces all employers — including churches that already provide maternity coverage — to pay for abortion and abortifacient contraceptives in health insurance plans. ‘We’re standing for the rights of people of faith to not be forced into being complicit with something inconsistent with our faith,’ says [a] senior pastor of the Seattle-area church. ‘Abortion is the antithesis of who we are as an organization, what our beliefs are, and how we live out our faith.’…

“The suit contends Washington’s law is an intentional attack on people of faith. No abortion exemptions are allowed for churches or religious organizations that provide insurance coverage for maternity care. Cedar Park currently provides comprehensive coverage as part of its employee package. ‘Cedar Park’s deeply held religious belief is that abortion is the ending of a human life and is a grave sin,’ the suit declares.

“The bill… [signed by Democratic governor Jay Inslee] requires employee health plans to also ‘provide a covered person with substantially equivalent coverage to permit the abortion of a pregnancy.’… The suit contends that Cedar Park cannot use tithes and offerings for purposes deemed to be religiously and morally repugnant to its members… under the current law church leaders would face not only fines, but also prison time for noncompliance. ‘Cedar Park believes and teaches that abortion violates the Bible’s command against the intentional destruction of innocent human life,’ the suit states.”

This law is truly catastrophic in that it is trying to, in effect, force churches which are biblically opposed to abortions, to tolerate or even encourage abortions by demanding financial support for those of their employees who, in violation of church teaching, choose an abortion. Churches would thereby have to compromise their religious beliefs and become complete hypocrites, or they would face severe punishment from ungodly governmental agencies.

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.

As a standard, we commonly use the New King James Version of the Bible, which presents current English usage along with some modified points of translation as compared to the Authorized or King James Version of the Bible (1611 edition and 1769 revision). In some instances, we may refer to other translations for better clarity of a particular word or verse in the Bible. Our ultimate goal for Bible translations we use is to convey the most accurate meaning of the truest translations available to us.

Quoting from the 1996 edition of the New King James Bible (Holman Bible Publishers):

“There is more manuscript support for the New Testament than for any other body of ancient literature. Over five thousand Greek, eight thousand Latin, and many more manuscripts in other languages attest the integrity of the New Testament. There is only one basic New Testament used by Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Orthodox, by conservatives and liberals. Minor variations in hand copying have appeared through the centuries, before mechanical printing began about A.D. 1450” (Preface, page v)…

“In light of these facts, and also because the New King James Version is the fifth revision of a historic document translated from specific Greek texts, the editors decided to retain the traditional text in the body of the New Testament and to indicate major Critical and Majority Text variant readings in the center reference column. Although these variations are duly indicated in the center-column notes of the present edition, it is most important to emphasize that fully eighty-five percent of the new Testament text is the same in the Textus Receptus (the “received text”), the Alexandrian Text, and the Majority Text” (Preface, page vi).

Erasmus produced a Greek New Testament which was printed in 1516, and his work, following subsequent editing, became known as the “Textus Receptus” and the basis for the King JamesVersion (KJV), the New King James Version (NKJV) and other versions.  The Alexandrian Text finds support from translators who believe that this collection of Greek manuscripts (which are older than those supporting the Textus Receptus) is a closer representation of the original writings. However, none are dated before 200 B.C. The New International Version (NIV), the New American Standard Bible (NASB) and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) are among modern Bible translations based on the Alexandrian Text. Few modern English Bibles are based on the Majority Text, which is simply a compilation of New Testament Greek manuscripts relying on the frequency of particular texts to establish authenticity.

Understand that the Bible, both the Old Testament and the New Testament, has been handed down over time based on copies of the various texts.  There is no “original” writing—no etched stone, no preserved papyrus or vellum as first inspired by God—to which we can refer. Over time, modern translators have developed a better understanding of Hebrew and Greek. As well, more copies of old manuscripts have surfaced to serve as references in the process of translating—especially, in comparison to the time of the 1611 edition of the King James Bible.

Translations in understandable languages are easily available all over the world, and these can provide a comprehensive presentation of God’s written Word. In a coming Q&A, we will be discussing in detail why we believe that the King James Bible, which is based on the textus receptus, is the most reliable translation, even though it is not without mistakes. Having said this, we do use other translations when they convey an intended meaning more clearly, because there is an added dimension which is critical to this process—understanding of what is written!

Jesus confronted the so-called experts of the Law because they did not really understand the written Word of God. When challenged by the Sadducees about the resurrection, for they rejected that belief, Jesus said, “‘…You are [deceived], not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God’” (Matthew 22:29). The Sadducees were those who were leading members of society at that time—including the priesthood and even the office of high priest (compare Acts 5:17).

Even the disciples of Jesus did not understand the Scriptures about “the Christ” until He revealed the Truth so that they could understand:

“Then He said to them, ‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?’ And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:25-27).

Jesus did not give the Sadducees, the Pharisees or the scribes special, revealed understanding. Rather, He gave it to His chosen disciples—note:

“Then He said to them, ‘These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.’ And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures” (Luke 24:44-45).

God communicates through His written Word—a process that is dynamic and interactive! God inspires our understanding, and that understanding is given in accordance with our willingness to obey Him:

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever” (Psalm 111:10).

The Bible is one book. It includes the Old Testament (originally written primarily in Hebrew) and the New Testament (originally written primarily in Greek). The Bible is the inspired written Word of God. Paul addressed the need for Timothy, a minister in the Church of God, to be “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

This remains our challenge, today! The Bible is unique in that various parts of it must be considered to get a true and complete understanding:

“‘Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts? For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little’” (Isaiah 28:9-10).

Without God’s revelation, the Bible remains closed to people! During the first decades of the Church of God, the time when the New Testament was being written and the original copies were extant, people still argued over the meaning:

“Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation–as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures” (2 Peter 3:14-16).

There were false teachers during that time who wrote to deceive the brethren, and Paul warned of this:

“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition…” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3).

God calls His Church the pillar and ground or foundation of Truth (1 Timothy 3:15). He has instructed His truly ordained ministers to teach the Truth (Romans 10:14-17; John 17:20). To be able to do this, God gives His Church an understanding of the Truth, which includes a proper discernment for accurate and inaccurate translations of His Word. Since God’s Word cannot be broken or contain contradictions (John 10:35), God’s ministers, growing in Christ’s knowledge, as all members must do, can readily determine whether one particular rendering in whatever translation is not correct or legitimate, or whether another translation conveys the intended meaning of a particular passage more accurately.

For example, some translations include a passage in 1 John 5:7-8 which purports to teach the Trinity.  The Authorized Version and the New King James Bible contain this passage (stating, “…there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one”), while most modern translations do not include it. However, this passage is clearly a hoax—a fabrication by the Catholic Church which was added much later. It appears first in the 4^th century in some Latin versions and only in the 15^th century in some Greek versions.  We discuss this whole matter more thoroughly on pages 14 and 15 of our free booklet, “Is God a Trinity?” God’s true ministers, given to understand the Truth about the Family of God—and that God is NOT a Trinity—know that this passage is not and cannot be part of the original writings, and they can therefore declare dogmatically that it must not be viewed as a genuine passage.

What, then, is the solution? How can one understand the Bible or be confident that a particular translation is the true Word of God? It is as it has always been—seek God! Seek God’s true Church which explains the Truth boldly and without compromise (Please review our free booklet, “How to Find the True Church of God?”). Turn to God and ask for understanding! Most importantly, when you do understand what the Will of God is—that is, what He commands you to do—do it (compare John 7:17).

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Dave Harris

compiled by Dave Harris

A new Member Letter (March 2019) has been written by Michael Link in which he addresses the upcoming spring Holy Days and their importance to Christians.

Our new booklet on Christ’s Return, titled, “How Can We Know that Christ’s Return is Near?” has been sent to Phyllis Bourque for initial review. Written by Norbert Link, this is based on the recent 10-part series of Q&A’s which we ran in the Updates.

Two new booklets have been translated from English into German—“How to Keep the Sabbath” and “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.” These have been sent to our printer in Germany.

“Sollten Sie die Tage der Ungesäuerten Brote halten?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Should You Keep the Days of Unleavened Bread?”

“Sharpening the Ax,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

When urgency takes all of our attention, our actions take the form of reaction. It is critical in the life of a Christian to dedicate time to meditate on transforming our lives and choose our actions intentionally.

“Is Our Trust Aligned with Our Goals?” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Robb Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

It is easy to state that we “trust in God” but do our actions acknowledge that fact?  Trust isn’t demonstrated by statement, it is proven by action.  Our belief in God must fundamentally be ingrained in every part of our lives.  It is in that state that we confirm what it really means to have trust in God.

The 2019 Church Conference will be conducted in Escondido, California. Arrival will be Wednesday, April 3, 2019, and departure is scheduled for Tuesday, April 9, 2019.

On March 16, 2019, Eric Rank will present the sermonette, titled, “Sharpening the Ax,” and Robb Harris will present the sermon, titled, “Is Our Trust Aligned with our Goals?”

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

In his “State of the Union Address” last month, US President Donald Trump raised the issue of abortion. Taken, word for word, from his speech, he said the following:

“Lawmakers in New York cheered with delight upon the passage of legislation that would allow a baby to be ripped from the mother’s womb moments before birth. These are living, feeling, beautiful babies who will never get the chance to share their love and dreams with the world. And then, we had the case of the Governor of Virginia where he basically stated he would execute a baby after birth.

“To defend the dignity of every person, I am asking the Congress to pass legislation to prohibit the late-term abortion of children who can feel pain in the mother’s womb. Let us work together to build a culture that cherishes innocent life. And let us reaffirm a fundamental truth: all children — born and unborn — are made in the holy image of God.”

When I heard the examples he raised, my blood boiled, but that was not the end of it. When he said this to a joint session of the United States Congress, one side of the chamber rose and applauded; the other side, with a handful of male exceptions, metaphorically, sat on their hands.

The Daily Mail wrote: “A group of Democratic women who wore white in honor of the suffragettes gave President Donald Trump an unexpected standing ovation at Tuesday evening’s State of the Union address. They stood slowly at first, then clapped joyously, as Trump spoke about the economic gains that have been enjoyed in the United States by women since he took office. ‘No one has benefited more from our thriving economy than women who have filled 58 percent of the newly created jobs last year,’ Trump said, prompting loud cheering from the section of women.”

These women were basking in self-congratulatory terms but when it came to the President’s statement about abortion, they obviously did not approve of even a small curtailment of this abominable practice; after all, abortion is another name for murder.

We read in 1 Timothy 5:14: “Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully.”

God gave women a hugely important role in life but the tragedy is that today a woman who stays at home to look after her husband and family seems to be despised and looked down upon in society. Currently, many women seem to see children as a nuisance, and abortion is seen by too many to be the answer to that which would otherwise curtail their career. There are many other reasons, of course, but God formed women to have the caring and loving approach to their offspring and, in no way does He approve of abortion. The attitude of these American women elected to positions of importance was totally grievous.

The President did a good thing when he asked Congress to pass legislation to prohibit the late-term abortion of children. However, he didn’t go far enough; he should have said that ALL abortion is wrong but that may have been way too much for many in a nation that seems to have embraced this practice as something good, acceptable and worthwhile, and not the selfish self-indulgent and sinful action that it is. When God’s Word is not consulted on such issues, man’s reasoning comes into play which often has a disastrous end result.

In the true Church of God, members are not to vote nor take political sides, but it is disappointing in the extreme to observe a group of people (in this case, women) standing to applaud themselves but later not approving, as was seen by their inaction, a basic and fundamental right of the unborn to not have their lives snuffed out right at the beginning of their existence.

It is several weeks since I saw this “exhibition” by those who were elected to office and I still feel the same now – a feeling of righteous anger at the unfeeling and cruel approach of so many to the unborn.

These same representatives of the people–blind leaders–may wonder why the nation has so many problems but never align this to spiritual matters that need to be addressed. Their constant denial or ignorance of the right way to live leads to problems that they cannot solve, and it not only applies to the USA but to every nation around the world.

As for Church members, we should continue to “cry and sigh over all the abominations that are done within it” (Ezekiel 9:4). Although this passage was written about 2,600 years ago and was about idolatrous Israel at that time (which would include Britain and the USA today), the same principles still apply to us now when we see similar evil within our present world. The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary explains “sigh and … cry—similarly sounding verbs in Hebrew, as in English Version, expressing the prolonged sound of their grief. “Sigh” implies their inward grief (“groanings which cannot be uttered,” [Romans] 8:26); “cry,” the outward expression of it.”

That should be our approach and it will be different from the world at large but that should, and must not be, our concern. The Church of God, of which we are a part, is being judged now (see 1 Peter 4:17), and that includes our conduct and approach towards politics and abortion. The judgment of others will be at a later time, and they will have to answer for their hypocritical political behaviour and their ungodly approach to the unborn.

They will have quite a lot of explaining to do!

by Norbert Link

We begin with articles pertaining to a new ill-conceived budget proposal by President Trump, asking for $8.6 billion for his wall (for which Mexico was supposed to pay), while proposing a reduction of 5 percent across all non-defense agencies; a clarification on the requirements for Americans traveling to Europe starting in 2021; and the deadly crash of a Boeing 737 Max 8 airplane in Ethiopia with dire consequences for Boeing and America.

While Europeans allege that they won’t allow Trump to blackmail them, the chances for Trump to be reelected in 2020 are viewed by the media as becoming more and more likely.

The most recent Brexit developments have plunged the UK into chaos and have opened up the possibility of the destruction of the UK. It has also emerged that from 2014 to 2019, criminals and terrorists might have entered Germany as migrants; and Italy has begun to enforce its overbearing law for mandatory vaccinations. We also warn that the world is unprepared for the next global economic crash.

We focus on controversial comments by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and caution at the same time not to count him out too quickly; speak on clashes on the Temple Mount which will reach their climax when the prophesied Third Temple will be built there; and we continue with new evidence confirming the initial suspicion that the “coup” in Turkey in 2016 was actually fake news or even initiated by autocratic President Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself.

We speak on Finland’s coming hot political season; publish a report on two Fox News moderators who have come under criticism—rightly or wrongly—for controversial comments; and conclude with the sentencing of convicted Australian cardinal George Pell. We also published a new StandingWatch program, dealing with the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days, titled, “Are You Keeping God’s Commandments?”

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

Additional $8.6 Billion for the Wall?

Reuters reported on March 10:

“President Donald Trump… will ask the U.S. Congress for an additional $8.6 billion to help pay for his promised wall on the U.S-Mexico border to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking… The demand, which drew swift criticism from Democrats, is more than six times what Congress allocated for border projects in each of the past two fiscal years, and 6 percent more than Trump has corralled by invoking emergency powers this year…

“Funding legislation needs to be passed before Oct. 1 – the start of the 2020 federal fiscal year – or the government could shut down again. If Congress and the White House fail to agree to lift mandatory spending caps set in a 2011 law, steep automatic cuts in many programs would kick in. Around the same time, Trump and lawmakers must agree to lift the debt ceiling, or risk a default, which would have chaotic economic fallout.

“Trump’s wall request is based off a 2017 plan put forward by Customs and Border Protection officials to build or replace 722 miles (1,162 km) of barrier along the border, which in total is estimated to cost about $18 billion.  So far, only 111 miles (179 km) have been built or are under way, officials said…”

The Independent added:

“The White House is proposing $2.7trn (£2trn) in spending cuts for the year beginning 1 October, a reduction of 5 percent across all non-defence agencies while military funding is boosted to $750bn (£577bn).”

JTA wrote on March 12:

“The 2020 fiscal plan sent by the White House to Congress on Monday includes the full $3.3 billion in assistance promised under a 10-year memorandum of understanding, despite spending cuts throughout the proposal… The $38 billion Memorandum of Understanding, a 10-year defense agreement signed under President Barack Obama, went into operation in October at the start of the last fiscal year…

“The budget plan includes domestic cuts to education and social welfare programs, among others, and includes $8.6 billion for a controversial border wall with Mexico and increased defense spending. Leaders in the House of Representatives said the plan had no chance of passing.”

No European Visas for Americans, but…

npr wrote on March 9:

“European Union officials have moved to clarify travel regulations for U.S. citizens, following erroneous reports this week that Americans will soon be required to apply for visas. Last summer, the European Union announced that starting in 2021, it will require citizens from countries that don’t currently require visas, including the United States, to apply for authorization in order to visit member states. The process will occur through the European Travel Information and Authorization System, an automated online system meant to [allegedly] strengthen security checks on visitors.

“An application will cost about $8, and it will ‘not take more than 10 minutes,’ according to the European Commission. Responses will be cross-checked by Interpol and other security databases, and prospective travelers will receive an emailed approval or rejection in as little as a few minutes or as long as four weeks… The approval will be valid for three years, allowing people to make multiple entries and to freely visit European countries in the Schengen Area – a zone of 26 nations that agreed to ease border restrictions. Currently, U.S. travelers can enter Europe without a visa or registration for up to 90 days…”

Ethiopian Crash and Big Trouble for Boeing

The Associated Press wrote on March 11:

“Boeing’s stock plunged 8 percent Monday morning as aviation authorities in China, Indonesia and Ethiopia ordered airlines to ground their Boeing 737 Max 8 planes the day after one crashed in Ethiopia, killing all 157 people on board. The crash of the Ethiopian Airlines jet shortly after it took off from Addis Ababa on Sunday is drawing renewed scrutiny of the plane just four months after a similar crash of the same model that killed 189 people in Indonesia…

“The 737 is the best-selling airliner in history, and the Max, the newest version of it with more fuel-efficient engines, is a central part of Boeing’s strategy to compete with European rival Airbus…

“A spokesman for Ethiopian Airlines… said the carrier had grounded its remaining four 737 Max 8 planes until further notice as an ‘extra safety precaution.’ The airline had been using five new 737 Max 8s and awaiting delivery of 25 more…

“China’s Civil Aviation Administration said that it ordered airlines to ground all 737 Max 8 aircraft… Chinese carriers and leasing companies operate 96 Boeing 737 8 MAXs, according to the government, with dozens more believed to be on order. China Southern Airlines is one of Boeing’s biggest customers for the aircraft.

“Indonesia also grounded 11 737 Max 8s for inspections to ensure flight safety…

“Boeing has delivered about 350 737 Max planes to scores of airlines and has orders for more than 5,000…”

CNBC wrote on March 12:

“[The] European Union [following the lead of Germany, France and Britain] joins other nations in grounding Boeing 737 Max jets… The decision not only applies to airlines within the European Union but to operators outside of the region flying to or from the region… The Federal Aviation Administration [of the USA] said Monday that it did not see a reason to ground the planes and Boeing said it wasn’t planning to issue new guidance to pilots ‘based on the information currently available.’

“American Airlines and Southwest Airlines flight attendants and ground crews urged the companies to take their Boeing737 Max airplanes out of service.”

The Week added on March 13:

“The U.S. is one of the few remaining countries still allowing the 737 MAX 8 aircraft to fly, with the European Aviation Safety Agency banning the aircraft from the airspace of the 32 countries it oversees on Tuesday and Canada following suit on Wednesday. The Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing are standing behind the new jet…”

American Airlines and Southwest Airlines are the only two US airlines which use Boeing 737 Max airplanes. They refused to ground the airplanes on their own. Another [non-American] company flying Boeing 737 Max airplanes, United Airlines, likewise refused to ground the planes on its own.

Trump Steps In

Newsmax wrote on March 13:

“President Donald Trump says the U.S. is issuing an emergency order grounding all Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9 aircraft in the wake of a crash of an Ethiopian Airliner that killed 157 people. Many nations in the world had already barred the Boeing 737 Max 8 from its airspace, but until now, the Federal Aviation Administration had been saying that it didn’t have any data to show the jets are unsafe… Trump says pilots and airlines have been notified. He says the safety of the American people is of ‘paramount concern.’”

Daily Mail wrote on March 13:

“Trump said he made the decision following conversations with Elaine Chao, the transportation secretary, and the airline companies, he said, after new information emerged on the tragic crash….

“[Boeing] suggested in a statement a half-hour after Trump’s shocking announcement that the company asked the FAA to suspend the flights. It said in the statement, as its stock shares started to tumble, ‘Boeing continues to have full confidence in the safety of the 737 MAX. However, after consultation with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and aviation authorities and its customers around the world, Boeing has determined — out of an abundance of caution and in order to reassure the flying public of the aircraft’s safety — to recommend to the FAA the temporary suspension of operations of the entire global fleet of 371 737 MAX aircraft…’

“The FAA said almost an hour later… that it was ‘ordering the temporary grounding’ of the Boeing Max airplanes.”

“We Europeans Won’t Be Blackmailed by Trump”

Politico wrote in March 6:

“Manfred Weber, the center-right candidate to be the next European Commission president, urged Brussels on Wednesday to hit back hard if Donald Trump hikes tariffs on European cars. ‘As Europeans, we will not be blackmailed,’ Weber declared in a speech in his home state of Bavaria, which is also home to two major German carmakers, BMW and Audi.

“‘The U.S. economy is similar in size to the EU. Economically, we are on equal footing,’ said Weber, the lead candidate in May’s European Parliament election for the European People’s Party (EPP), the Continent’s center-right alliance. ‘And that is why America must know that if it starts a trade war with Europe and levies car duties, also on our products from Lower Bavaria, then we will have to respond.’… He said the EU should be both self-assured and prepared for possible economic ‘thunderclouds’ to come…

“Weber suggested Trump might not particularly care about the statistics and just dislike the view ‘from his Trump Tower, when he looks down at the streets of New York, and sees so many BMWs, Audis and Mercedes.’…

“In his speech to the rally, CSU chief and Bavarian state premier Markus Söder echoed Weber, and linked the trade feud to another transatlantic battle, over defense spending. ‘How can German tanks improve security but Bavarian cars be a threat to security?’ Söder asked.”This is a good question indeed.

Will Trump Win a Second Term?

Project Syndicate wrote on March 7:

“It seems that every time I write about Donald Trump’s presidency, I pronounce it to be in more trouble than ever. This time is no different: he and his presidency are indeed in more trouble than ever. And yet that may not prevent him from winning again in 2020. I used to think Trump might not even finish his first term, much less get a second…

“Logic would suggest that Trump can’t make it through a reelection fight: his base, an estimated 35-38% of voters, is too small, and he’s done next to nothing to expand it… But logic isn’t a trademark of the Trump presidency…

“Trump’s success at solidifying his base could be his salvation in 2020 if the Democratic nomination process doesn’t produce a strong enough opponent or ends in hostility…”

 Logic has nothing to do with it. God’s will does!

UK Plunged into Chaos

The Sun wrote on March 12:

“Britain was tonight plunged into chaos once again as MPs voted to kill off Theresa May’s Brexit deal by 391 votes to 242. Now 993 days after the referendum, and with just 17 days before Brexit, Brits are still in the dark… Furious MPs blasted the uncertainty – saying the ‘wretched soap opera of Brexit continues’ as the country heads ‘back to square one’…

“Parliament has repeatedly voted against Mrs May’s strategy for leaving the EU on March 29 – tonight the Commons laughed and cheered after the fresh chaos was confirmed. But without a clear alternative on the table, the latest defeat opens the door to a range of wildly different outcomes…”

The Week wrote on March 12:

“The Brexit disaster could destroy the United Kingdom… Prime Minister Theresa May’s government is on the brink of a disastrous, unnegotiated departure from the EU, which in addition to inviting economic calamity, may ultimately push Scotland, Northern Ireland, and eventually even Wales to leave the U.K….”

Europe’s Reactions

Express wrote on March 13:

“… the European Union said that only the UK can sort out the Brexit problem… The spokesman for European Council president Donald Tusk added: ‘On the EU side we have done all that is possible to reach an agreement. It is difficult to see what more we can do. If there is a solution to the current impasse it can only be found in London.’”

Brexit “Neverendum”

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 13:

“[On Wednesday] British lawmakers have voted to reject the UK leaving the European Union without a withdrawal agreement — under any circumstances, even after March 29.”

The Sun added on March 13:

“Tory Remainers betray Theresa May to bury No Deal Brexit FOREVER and kill our hope of leaving EU in 16 days. The House of Commons hit by chaos as Remainers seize control from [a] weak Prime Minister… Tonight’s vote is not legally binding – but the PM had already pledged to abide by it anyway…

“The chaos was another sign the Prime Minister has lost control of the Brexit process and her party – with Tories calling on her to sack the top ministers who failed to support her. Brexiteer Ben Bradley, who backed Mrs May’s deal, fumed: ‘… We promised to leave on the 29th, now Parliament has said we’re not going to leave.’

“The Commons verdict is a massive blow to Brexiteers who think the UK should quit the EU on time with or without a deal… It’s still not clear whether the EU will actually grant Britain an extension to the Brexit process even if the Commons votes to request one…”

The UK WILL leave the EU when it is time.

Brexit to Be Delayed?

The Associated Press wrote on March 14:

“British lawmakers were voting Thursday on whether to scuttle the already dwindling chances the U.K. will leave the European Union this month as scheduled, but EU officials warned they would only allow a delay if the country made a fundamental shift in its approach to Brexit… The vote in Parliament was on whether to seek a delay of at least three months to Brexit, which currently is due to take place March 29… Lawmakers voted to rule out the idea of holding a second Brexit referendum — at least for now… Thursday’s vote doesn’t prevent lawmakers from trying again later to get Parliament’s support for another referendum.

“May… is proposing that Brexit be delayed until June 30 — but only if Parliament approves her Brexit deal… Any delay in the Brexit process would require the unanimous approval of all 27 remaining EU member states...

“In another sting for the beleaguered May, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was ‘surprised at how badly’ the Brexit negotiations have been handled. Trump… said he gave May advice but she didn’t listen to him… The EU, meanwhile, is reluctant to postpone Brexit beyond the late May elections for the European Parliament, because that would mean Britain taking part even as it prepares to leave. The bloc is more open to a long delay to allow Britain to radically change course… European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted that he will appeal to EU leaders ‘to be open to a long extension if the U.K. finds it necessary to rethink its Brexit strategy and build consensus about it.’

“The EU has also warned that Parliament voting against no-deal Brexit isn’t enough to stop it. By law, Britain will leave the EU on March 29, with or without a deal, unless it cancels Brexit or secures a delay.”

Criminals and Terrorists Might Have Entered Germany as Migrants

Breitbart wrote on March 10:

“[A] new report claims that from 2014 to 2019, the German government not only let in around 5,000 migrants who were subject to investigation for violating international law, but only investigated a handful of them itself [i.e., 129, according to] German tabloid Bild…

“Since the height of the migrant crisis in 2015, many have been concerned over the possibility of criminals and terrorists using the crisis as a way to enter Europe. Several reports have claimed that groups like the Islamic State have purposely used the crisis to smuggle in their fighters with several arrests of ISIS fighters being made in Germany and other countries.

“War criminals have also been discovered among the migrants and several have faced trial in various European countries. In Sweden, the government has seen a surge in reports of war criminals since 2014…”

Italy Enforces Compulsory Vaccination Laws

BBC wrote on March 12:

“Italian children have been told not to turn up to school unless they can prove they have been properly vaccinated. The deadline follows months of national debate over compulsory vaccination. Parents risk being fined up to €500 (£425; $560) if they send their unvaccinated children to school. Children under six can be turned away… children must receive a range of mandatory immunisations before attending school. They include vaccinations for chickenpox, polio, measles, mumps, and rubella.

“Children up to the age of six years will be excluded from nursery and kindergarten without proof of vaccination under the new rules. Those aged between six and 16 cannot be banned from attending school, but their parents face fines if they do not complete the mandatory course of immunisations.”

Another step towards total governmental control… all based on unscientific assumptions financed by the pharmaceutical industry, while ignoring or even denying the real dangers of these kinds of vaccinations.

The World Is Unprepared for the Next Crash

New Statesman wrote on March 6:

“A decade has passed since the start of the Great Recession – the momentous downturn that shook the global economy as none had since the 1930s. In the intervening years, the world has experienced a slow but consistent recovery. Economic dangers, however, are now apparent at every turn: a new global debt crisis, trade wars between great powers and a Chinese slowdown… Some market analysts are now warning of a possible global recession this year – far earlier than most have anticipated…

“Perhaps the greatest cause for concern is that, when the next recession does arrive, as it will, we will be even less prepared than we were in 2008… History teaches us that when the status quo only offers stagnation or decline, voters will look for radical alternatives…”

Radical alternatives can be seen in the acceptance and support of radical politicians and other “Savior”-like personages.

Israel only for the Jewish People?

JTA wrote on March 10:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on social media that Israel is ‘not a country of all its citizens,’ but rather ‘the nation-state of the Jewish people.’…

“[He also wrote:] ‘According to the nation-state law we passed, Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people — and not anyone else… there is no problem with Israel’s Arab citizens. They have equal rights and the Likud government has invested more than any other government in the Arab population…’ But he added that a government including Arab parties would ‘undercut the state’s security.’”

The Guardian added on March 11:

“Netanyahu’s comments referenced a deeply contentious ‘nation state’ law passed last year declaring that only Jews have the right of self-determination in the country. Critics of the law have said it amounted to ‘apartheid’ for the 1.8 million Arabs in Israel with citizenship, who make up about a fifth of the total population. They consist of Palestinians who remained on their land following wars surrounding the creation of Israel in 1948. Others either fled or were expelled from their homes.”

In the future, Israel and the Promised Land will be a country for the descendants of the houses of Israel and Judah… not just the Jews.

Don’t Count Out Netanyahu too Quickly

Bloomberg wrote on March 6:

“Criminal charges seem to be looming, but don’t count Benjamin Netanyahu out: Chances are good that he’ll form Israel’s next government. A fragmented political system, many undecided voters and the stature that comes with 13 years in office could converge with a loyal base to hand Israel’s prime minister a fifth term on April 9. And though the attorney general plans to indict Netanyahu for bribery and fraud, a decision is months away…

“Netanyahu’s ability to weather the storm could have a profound influence in a Middle East that’s realigning as the U.S. confronts Iran and prepares to present its formula for regional peace. He has labored to contain Iran’s influence and sideline the Palestinians’ quest for statehood as ties with Gulf Arab states warm, often finding a sympathetic ear in Trump’s White House…

“During the campaign, Netanyahu will continue to characterize the attorney general’s investigation as a left-wing ‘witch hunt’ and his supporters will likely continue to accept that…

“No single party has ever won a majority in Israel’s history, meaning the country has always been run by coalitions. What’s key is which faction can put together the most stable bloc… Netanyahu seems to have a clearer path to building a narrow coalition…”

Clashes on the Temple Mount, Leading to a Religious War?

CBN News wrote on March 13:

“Jerusalem Authorities re-opened the Temple Mount Wednesday following a violent clash on the holy site the day before. Israeli forces temporarily closed the compound after police say a firebomb was hurled at a security post Tuesday. The post went up in flames and an officer was injured by smoke inhalation. Dozens of police flooded the Temple Mount after the attack and clashed with Muslim worshippers. Several people were arrested and taken in for interrogation… Jerusalem authorities found Molotov cocktails, firecrackers, and flammable material at the holy site after conducting a security search.

“However, The Islamic Waqf, the body that controls the Temple Mount, claims the firebomb attack ‘was fabricated and deliberately escalated and planned by the police.’ Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas also blamed Israel for the escalation and called on the international community to ‘halt Israeli assaults on al-Aqsa Mosque.’ The Palestinian Authority warned there will be violence if Israel ‘tampers’ with the holy site. ‘Al-Aqsa Mosque is a redline,’ said spokesman Osama Qawassmeh. ‘Tampering with holy sites, especially al-Aqsa Mosque, is a direct call for violence. Fatah won’t allow Israel to carry out its schemes, regardless of the price.’

“Israel’s Public Safety Minister Gilad Erdan accused the Palestinian Authority of trying to spark a religious war. ‘Abu Mazen [PA President Mahmoud Abbas] continued to lie and incite violence together with the terror organizations of Murabitoun and Hamas, in an attempt to ignite a fire and cause a religious war on the Temple Mount,’ Gilad Erdan said… ‘We will not allow this to happen,’ Erdan said. ‘We will continue to act to restore calm on the [Temple Mount]. Police will respond with strength and determination to any act of violence or attempt to harm Israeli sovereignty on the Temple Mount.’

“Tuesday’s clash is just a symptom of mounting tensions on the Temple Mount. In recent weeks, Muslim worshippers have protested the closure of an area on the compound near the Gate of Mercy. The area was closed in 2003 after allegations that the group overseeing the site was linked to terror activity. Last month, the Islamic Waqf, the body controlling the Temple Mount, reopened the site to Muslim worshipers, despite Israel’s desire to keep it closed. Worshippers on the mount have staged protests and clashed with police over the site.”

These tensions and clashes will continue, and they will reach a violent climax when Israel begins to bring animal sacrifices on the Temple Mount and build the prophesied Third Temple there, which will occur, of course, prior to Christ’s return. This will result in a military intervention of European forces, under the beast or the king of the North, and the occupation of the rebuilt Temple by the false prophet who will claim to be God and who will “support” this claim with Satanic powers and demonic signs and lying wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9 with Revelation 13:13; 19:20).

The Church of God, under its late human leader, Herbert W. Armstrong, has always and consistently identified the man of sin in 2 Thessalonians 2 as the false prophet. James Hastings, Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, under “Antichrist”, says correctly that the “man of sin” in 2 Thessalonians refers to the false prophet—“a false Messiah, a prophet… the opponent of the true Messiah.”

While the Church felt at times that the “temple” might be a reference to a spiritual temple—the Church—it has also taught at other times that it is referring to a literal temple. Herbert W. Armstrong wrote the following about the man of sin and the Third Temple, in the Plain Truth of June 1967:

“There will be a Jewish Temple built in Jerusalem, with animal sacrifices once again being offered… For a long time the Jewish people have had in mind the rebuilding of the Temple… And it must be built on the exact site of Solomon’s Temple… [Jesus said:] ‘When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the Holy Place …’ – this ‘Holy Place’ has to be IN THE TEMPLE! And IN JERUSALEM!… before the second coming of Christ, a vile leader will stop the daily sacrifices being offered in the Temple (yet to be built) in Jerusalem, and will profane the Holy Place with an idol…

 “There will very soon be a Temple in Jerusalem, with daily sacrifices once again being offered. But the ruler of the soon-coming resurrected ‘Holy Roman Empire’; a political- military union of ten European nations – will stop the daily sacrifices and profane the Holy Place in the Temple… Jerusalem will be surrounded and captured… by the… armies of the European Empire… They will invade Jerusalem, and take charge of the Temple.

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

We can clearly see now that the Bible speaks indeed of the building of a LITERAL Third Temple on the Temple Mount just prior to Christ’s return, and that the false prophet will occupy that Temple, claiming to be God (perhaps in the Person of the Messiah—the returned Jesus Christ).

2016 “Coup” in Turkey Fake News!

The EUObserver wrote on March 11:

“The failed coup in Turkey in 2016 transformed its internal politics and EU relations. But two and half years later, evidence is trickling out to support what the EU initially suspected – that president Recep Tayyip Erdogan knew what was going to happen and let it go ahead as a pretext to create one-man rule. The new evidence recently came in the form of a document written by a Turkish prosecutor on 16 July 2016, and obtained by an investigative journalist, Ahmet Donmez, who lives in exile in Sweden.

“The document is a detailed record of events which took place between the start of the coup and 5AM and 7AM that morning. It said that putschists in the Turkish air force had bombed the parliament and the garden of the presidential palace, for instance. They did so. But oddly enough, the prosecutor who minuted the events, Serdar Coskun, dated his record as having been written at 1AM – four hours before it all happened.

“Coskun… gave an interview to a pro-government journalist in which he confirmed the authenticity of the document, but in which he also said he had made a mistake on the timing… Coskun’s explanation lacked credibility because some of the things he minuted as having just taken place never did take place… The non-events he recorded included a siege of the MIT (the national intelligence service), the bombing of the special forces command HQ, and the bombing of the police intelligence bureau… the minutes indicate that Erdogan’s people knew exactly what was going to happen, let some of the events unfold in a controlled way as a pretext for the ensuing crackdown, and even began drafting papers beforehand that they would later use in trials against his political opponents…

“The fact that Erdogan himself was not captured or harmed also looked odd… In a proper coup, he [Erdogan] would have been the main and possibly only target of the plotters…

“Erdogan blamed the coup on Fethullah Gulen, the head of a religious movement who lives in exile in the US and who is one of his main political opponents. But the IntCen report on the coup, dated 24 August 2016… said it was ‘unlikely that Gulen had the abilities and the capacities to take such steps… The coup was just the catalyst for the crackdown prepared in advance,’ the IntCen report said.

“Much has happened since… 16 July 2016… Erdogan has detained over 70,000 people, including opposition MPs, 110 journalists, and human rights defenders. He has sacked 150,000 public officials and shut down all government-critical media. He also rammed through constitutional changes under a post-coup state of emergency that gave himself new powers amounting to one-man rule…

“The idea that Turkey might one day join the EU has evaporated no matter how much it helps Europe to control flows of refugees. Erdogan’s decision, last weekend, to expel three German journalists, shows that his contempt for Europe has continued to deepen. ‘The Turkish government managed to more or less silence the national media, and they are now trying to do it with the international media,’ Joerg Brase, the head of German broadcaster ZDF’s Istanbul bureau, who was given 10 days to leave the country, said.

“‘It cannot be ruled out … that the Turkish government will take further action against representatives of German media and civil society organisations,’ the German foreign ministry added in an update to its Turkey travel advice. ‘Statements, which are covered by the German legal understanding of the freedom of expression, can lead in Turkey to … criminal proceedings,’ it also said.

“Meanwhile, Coskun has been promoted to become a member of one of [Turkey’s] highest courts, the court of cassation. At the same time, many military officers are behind bars on the basis of trials which referenced his strange minutes in official court records.”

It was clear from the start to many that autocrat Erdogan was either himself responsible for the coup or used a somewhat juvenile attempt of a “coup” to became the one-man dictator of Turkey, while brutally suppressing all of his real or imagined critics or opponents. Hitler employed similar tactics when a confused and mentally disturbed Jewish communist set fire to the Reichtstag to initiate anti-Jewish laws and persecute the Jews systematically.

Politically Hot Season in Finland

The EUObserver wrote on March 11:

“Finnish prime minister Juha Sipila’s centre-right government’s surprise resignation on Friday (8 March) kicks off a political hot season in the otherwise cool Nordic country.

“Voters are facing national elections on 14 April as well as EU elections on 26 May, while the country is also preparing to hold the EU’s rotating six-month presidency from 1 July.”

Fox News Moderators in Trouble? Not Really, it Seems…

The Independent wrote about Fox moderator Tucker Carlson on March 11:

“Fox News host Tucker Carlson has refused to apologise for comments he made on a new unearthed radio programme. Progressive media watchdog Media Matters for America published recordings… which originally aired from 2006 to 2011…

“The recordings, which see Carlson cover a wide range of topics, include a clip from 2007 in which he compares women to dogs, adding: ‘They’re extremely primitive…’ The show host talks about Tucker Carlson’s 14-year-old daughter and girls her age at school sexually experimenting with each other. Mr Carlson responds: ‘If it weren’t my daughter I would love that scenario.’’

The Drudge Report linked to an article in the Wrap, adding:

‘He then mentioned reading a story about a teacher who molested her 13-year-old student ‘28 times in one week,’ and asked…, ‘Are you physically capable of doing that or do you take your hat off to this kid?… So my point is that [teachers] like this, not necessarily this one in particular, but they are doing a service to all 13-year-old girls by taking the pressure off. They are a pressure relief valve, like the kind you have on your furnace.’”

Even though Carlson might have made some of the comments “in jest,” they are still sick and outrageous!

The Huffington Post wrote about Fox moderator Judge Jeanine Pirro on March 11:

“Fox News on Sunday said the network ‘strongly’ condemns Jeanine Pirro’s stunningly Islamophobic attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar… The Fox News host said on Saturday that Omar wears a hijab because the Koran ‘tells women to cover so they won’t get molested.’ She also said the lawmaker’s religious dress may be ‘antithetical to the Constitution.’… Fox offered no details about any possible consequences for Pirro…

“The hijab attack was part of Pirro’s questioning of whether Omar’s criticism of Israel shows ‘her adherence to Sharia law.’

“The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the largest Muslim civil rights organization in the U.S., demanded that Fox News fire Pirro… Pakistani American Hufsa Kamal, a producer on the ‘Special Report with Bret Baier,’ reminded Pirro that she actually works with Muslims at Fox News.”

On the other hand, Omar’s anti-Semitic statements have been extremely problematic, and while many Democratic members of Congress were unwilling to condemn her for these, questions regarding her political stance must be allowed. From the context of Pirro’s comments, it is clear that she was just talking about Omar, not about all Muslims.

Nevertheless, more and more prominent Fox moderators have been leaving the network or were being fired for alleged wrongdoing. The left-liberal media is having a field day, while some of their moderators have likewise been strongly criticized for alleged inappropriate conduct or offensive statements.  

Australian Catholic Cardinal Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

npr wrote on March 13:

“Australian Cardinal George Pell, 77, a former leading Vatican official who last month was convicted of sexually abusing two boys, has been sentenced to six years in prison. He will be eligible for parole after three years and eight months. During the sentencing hearing, Victoria state County Court Chief Judge Peter Kidd acknowledged the disgraced cleric may not live to serve the full sentence. The prospect of facing jail at Pell’s advanced age ‘must be an awful state of affairs,’ Kidd added.

“Pell was convicted in December of five sexual offenses committed against two 13-year-old choirboys during an incident in 1996 at Melbourne’s grandest cathedral, when he was archbishop… A 12-member jury unanimously found him guilty of exposing himself to the two boys, fondling them and forcing one to perform oral sex on him. The jury also convicted Pell of indecently assaulting one of the boys more than a month later…

“Pell denies the allegations, and his lawyers argue he has been made a scapegoat for the failings of the Catholic Church regarding sexual abuse by priests… Pell has filed an appeal, and the court will determine if there are sufficient grounds for it to be heard. A court date has been set for June 5. In court on Wednesday, Pell was told he will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life. He is the most senior Vatican leader ever charged with sexual abuse. He was selected by Pope Francis to run the Vatican’s new economic ministry.”

Deutsche Welle added on March 13:

“Pell’s lawyers have appealed the decision but for now Pell will go straight to jail… The trial against Pell has shocked and divided Australia’s Catholic Church, and society at large. Some argue his sentencing was much overdue, while others believe Pell is being used as a scapegoat to settle a score with the church. Some figures in Rome, meanwhile, have dismissed the accusations against Pell as ‘absolutely unbelievable,’ which smacks of cynicism and arrogance — an attitude that has characterized the Catholic Church for decades. Indeed, accusations of sexual abuse against Pell began surfacing many years ago but were not taken seriously.

“Chief Judge Peter Kidd said Pell acted with ‘callous indifference to the victims’ distress’ and had been ‘breathtakingly arrogant.’ The conviction illustrates just how big of a sexual abuse scandal the church really faces. Indeed, the college of cardinals currently counts 122 men who are eligible to elect a new pope and thus leader of the worldwide Catholic Church, when the time comes. Pell is one of them. And so is the archbishop of Lyon, Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, who was recently sentenced to six months probation for failing to report allegations of assault. Fortunately, Cardinal Barbarin wants to resign from his position. Meanwhile, the Vatican has launched a canonical trial against Pell, yet will wait until his civil trial ends before reaching a decision.

“Pope John Paul II made Pell an archbishop and a cardinal. Pope Benedict XVI later gave him a say in important decision-making processes in Rome, and in 2014 Pope Francis named him the Vatican treasurer. Pell’s rise to power makes clear a fundamental problem with the all-male Catholic Church: outside criticism is ignored. That explains why some figures in Rome still dismiss the court case against Pell in Australia.

“… Francis must realize that the credibility of his institution has been ruined…”

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 Jewish Publication Society of America, in its 1917 version of the Bible, translates Ezekiel 14:3, 4 by using the expression “idols in their minds” and “idols in his mind”. This seems to be the only translation which renders it this way, while others use the word “heart” rather than “mind,” saying in verse 3: “…these men have set up their idols in their hearts.” The Hebrew word used here can be translated either as “heart” or “mind,” depending on the context. So, the question that needs to be answered is, what is an idol? Is it only an image of something that is made to be worshipped, or can it be more than this?

The second commandment states that we must not make a carved image, a likeness of anything in heaven above, or in the earth or in the water under the earth to bow down to them or serve them (compare Deuteronomy 5:8-9). This refers clearly to some kind of physical idol or image.

When we read through the book of Ezekiel, we find many references to the house of Israel being condemned by God because of their multitude of idols. In fact, idolatry was a major reason why God sent them into captivity. Even in the modern-day house of Israel, including the USA, the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, there are still large numbers of people that have idols or images in their homes and elsewhere and bow down to them and serve them. So, not much has changed over the past thousands of years. Some make the excuse that the idol represents God, but considering that God is the Almighty, no inanimate image made of wood or stone can represent Him truly. It distorts the understanding of what God is.

But does this commandment only refer to religious idols or images? 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. We know that God commands us to give thanks for all things, but if we covet, then instead of giving thanks for what we have, we are complaining about or coveting what we do not have. That is the reason why the apostle Paul tells us in 1Timothy 6:8-9: “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.”

However, idolatry is more than the worship of images or even the wrongful desire for physical things. Returning to Ezekiel 14:3, 4, the Soncino commentary explains: “More lit. ‘have brought up their idols to their hearts,’ an idiom for ‘have set their mind upon their idols.’ The phrase does not imply that they were worshipping idols, but that their thoughts were influenced by pagan ideas, such as believing in magical spells and divination. This has been a stumbling block to them willfully placed by themselves in their way and leading them into iniquity.”

Just reading through chapter 13 of the book of Ezekiel, we see many references to false divination, false prophets and magical charms—all things that God hates because they turn people away from Him. Today this would include séances, mediums, astrology, horoscopes, fortune telling, etc. In this case, the idolatry would be leading us not to rely on God and His revealed Word, but on a false diviner or fortune teller.

Matthew Henry in his Concise Commentary gives still an additional possible meaning: “No outward form or reformation can be acceptable to God, so long as any idol possesses the heart; yet how many prefer their own devices and their own righteousness, to the way of salvation! Men’s corruptions are idols in their hearts, and are of their own setting up…”

This reminds us of the book of Job where we find Job stating: “Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go…” (Job 27:5-6).  Job believed in his own righteousness so much that he accused God of wrongdoing (compare Job 19:6-12). As long as he made an idol of his own righteousness, which was self-righteousness, he could not understand God and His righteousness.

In conclusion, idols 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.

Lead Writer: Paul Niehoff (Australia)

compiled by Dave Harris

“The Sabbath and God’s Commanded Holy Days,” is a new trailer presented by Michael Link which features our booklets: “How to Keep the Sabbath” and “God’s Commanded Holy Days.”

“Are You Keeping God’s Commandments?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Most Christians would answer this question in the affirmative, but would they be correct? What about the weekly Sabbath? Has it been replaced by Sunday? If so, by what authority? What is the Roman Catholic’s position on that important question? What about God’s annual Holy Days? Can you keep the weekly Sabbath while neglecting God’s annual Sabbaths? At the end of this program, we show you an important video, addressing these questions even further and offering you absolutely free literature. The program incorporates at the end the new trailer by Michael Link, as announced above.

“Die Erfüllung des Passa durch Christus und seine Kirche,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “The Fulfillment of the Passover Through Christ and His Church.”

“Gottes Trauer,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Thilo Hanstein, is now posted. Title in English: “God’s Grief.”

“Conviction!” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

How convicted are we in what we believe, to the Truth, and are we committed to it for life?

“When, How and What Should We Hate?” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Is there something like righteous and godly hatred? For a Christian, it may be difficult to see how “hate” could be a part of God’s character, because many feel erroneously that a Christian must never hate. However, David gives us several examples in the book of Psalms which show us what and how we should and must hate. This includes the command to stay away from people who want to tempt us and others to sin.

Our newest booklet, “How to Keep the Sabbath,” has been mailed to our subscribers. Please contact us with your request if you would like a free copy.

The 2019 Church Conference will be conducted in Escondido, California. Arrival will be Wednesday, April 3, 2019, and departure is scheduled for Tuesday, April 9, 2019.