On, February 10, 2024, Norbert Link will present, “Comments on News and Prophecy—February 10, 2024,” and Kalon Mitchell will present the sermon, titled, “Before It’s Too Late.”

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.

The German language has a reputation for requiring more letters and words than the English language for expressing an equivalent meaning. However, there are exceptions for which a single German word conveys a deep, poetic sentiment with great efficiency. “Weltschmerz” is one of those words, so eloquent that it appears in English language dictionaries without modification. This word is a contraction of two words in German, “Welt” and “Schmerz”, which translate to “World” and “Pain” in English, respectively. Taken in a literal sense, “World Pain” does not convey the complete meaning of the word. Weltschmerz describes a personal emotion of feeling weighed down by the demise of the world at large, causing malaise, sadness, depression, or apathy. It describes a sense of personal hopelessness, resulting from internalizing the downward spiral of the world.

Today, there is no shortage of events in the world to inspire a feeling of Weltschmerz. World leaders are a disgrace to their countries, governments, and the people they rule. The prevailing morality in societies around the world is baseless and self-indulgent with no concern for God. Violence and wars escalate more and more, bringing death and pain to those affected. Desperation pierces the lives of the innocent in so many ways – with sickness, job loss, poverty, and pain. When looking around us, it can be difficult to see what’s happening, knowing where it all leads, without feeling the gut-wrenching agony of the world’s demise.

The prophet Jeremiah may have felt the agony of Weltschmerz when he inquired of God why the wicked prosper (compare Jeremiah 12:1-4). In his time, he observed the wicked ways of the people and how they caused the environment around them to become desolate. Unquestionably grieved in seeing God neglected, we get a sense of Jeremiah’s lament for the state of the world. God’s response to Jeremiah’s inquiry explains the corruption He saw from His perspective: “‘Many rulers have destroyed My vineyard, They have trodden My portion underfoot; They have made My pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. They have made it desolate; Desolate, it mourns to Me; The whole land is made desolate, Because no one takes it to heart’” (Jeremiah 12:10-11). In this example, we see the cause of desolation. The people of Judah, to whom Jeremiah prophesied, took God and His blessings for granted. [Of course, Jeremiah also had the responsibility to prophesy to other nations (Jeremiah 1:5) and in prophetic terms, to the entire world in the last days]. They chose to disobey Him, as is also the case today. They took part in the way of destruction. In figurative language, God’s creation mourns this dismal state of affairs.

I’m afraid that our current state of the world is far worse than described by Jeremiah for his day and age. The vast majority in the world have departed from God, blatantly choosing to follow their own ways. The world glorifies sin. It corrupts the Truth. It puts trust in the faultiest of men to fix its problems. Only Jesus Christ will manage to correct the path this world is on when He establishes His righteous government (compare Isaiah 2:2-4; Isaiah 9:6-7).

Fortunately, the world has hope. The dire straits will become straight and smooth when Jesus Christ returns to save the world from mankind. And we, as true Christians, will have the opportunity to work underneath His perfect authority to make it happen. The world will breathe a sigh of relief. “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now” (Romans 8:20-22). Just as the world has hope for relief from its grief, we too can find solace in knowing that the current corruption will cease, giving way to a wonderful restoration.

by Norbert Link

We begin with the German government’s ill-conceived and highly controversial measures against Germany’s farmers; and we point out that the farmers’ movement has now reached the heart of Europe. We also speak on the German government’s ridiculous persecution of opponents; and on Europe’s real goal.

We address the Hungarian leader’s strong support of Donald Trump; a court decision denying Trump immunity;  and address the Senate’s horrible bi-partisan border bill. We report on the failed attempt to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and discuss an unprecedented court decision, convicting a mother of involuntary manslaughter over a mass shooting carried out by her child. We also point out America’s strike on Iran’s proxies in the Middle East, as well as divided reactions to this strike and America’s troubled relationship with Iraq. We also speak on the Houthis’ declared intent to destroy America.

We address the outcry over Tucker Carlson’s interview with Vladimir Putin.

We report on Europe’s and especially Ireland’s desire to establish a Palestinian state; which is shared and promoted by the Biden Administration, but rejected by Netanyahu and most Israelis. We address Netanyahu’s three conditions to end the war in Gaza; Biden’s highly dubious executive orders against Jewish settlers; and an alarming assessment to the effect that Israel’s destruction may be inevitable.

Please view our newStandingWatch program in this regard, titled, “Is Israel’s Destruction Imminent?”

We report on King Charles III’s health condition; Britain’s dental care crisis; a potential magnetic pole flip; and we conclude with an amazing story about an ever-growing army of monkeys (macaques) taking over a central city in Thailand.

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

German Bundestag Approves Controversial Diesel Subsidy Cuts

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 2:

“The German lower house of parliament, or Bundestag, approved the controversial rolling back of tax relief for diesel use by the German agricultural industry on Friday as part of the government’s spending plans.  Later on Friday, the Bundestag also voted in favor of a 2024 budget after much delay. The budget of around €477 billion ($519 billion) will include €39 billion in new borrowing.

“This proposal has angered German farmers, leading to nationwide protests in recent weeks… The budget financing law was put forward by the current governing coalition of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), environmentalist Greens and business-focused Free Democratic Party (FDP).  Other measures apart of the law passed Friday include higher air traffic taxes and new rules on financial support for families.  

“In order for the law to be enacted, it will need to be approved by the Bundesrat [which is supposed to meet sometime in March], which represents Germany’s 16 federal states. German Farmers’ Association chief Joachim Rukwied suggested Thursday that the Bundesrat could put a stop to the law. 

“The German government’s spending plans were first derailed in November, after the German Constitutional Court ruled that the coalition may not reappropriate €60 billion in unused credit made available during the COVID pandemic to a climate fund…”

If this proposal becomes law, we can expect further widespread anti-government demonstrations by angry and desperate farmers and others.

Farmers’ Protests Reach the Heart of the EU

LifeSiteNews wrote on February 2:

“On February 1, the Europe-wide farmers’ protest against policies threatening their existence reached Brussels, where protestors blocked many roads with tractors, started bonfires, set off fireworks, and toppled a statue in front of the European Parliament… The protest in Brussels happened in the context of a continent-wide uprising, including in France… Farmer protests also took place in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Germany, Scotland and Ireland.

“A German comedian and member of the European Parliament, Martin Sonneborn, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, ‘…  Brussels is at a standstill, already 230 kilometers of traffic jams at 8 o’clock in the morning… As far as the EU is concerned, the outside world and the inside world are clearly no longer in any meaningful relationship with each other: while more than 1,300 tractors are blocking the European Parliament and its burning forecourt outside, the 27 heads of state inside have not even put the farmers’ anger on their agenda,’ he wrote…

“Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, the former papal nuncio to the U.S., expressed his support for the farmer’s protests in a recent post on X. ‘The globalist criminal plan wants to destroy traditional agriculture, animal husbandry, and fishing in order to force people to eat artificial food produced by multinational corporations,’ he wrote. ‘And it is the big investment funds and the Word Economic Forum that are lobbying parliaments to impose a devastating and inhuman “transition”. I express my complete solidarity with and encouragement to the farmers, ranchers, fishermen, truck drivers, and all those who support them. Let us accompany with prayer those who are fighting against the New World Order…’

“One of the farmers’ concerns is the flooding of the European market with cheap Ukrainian imports that are meant to help the country with its war efforts. Since Ukraine and other non-EU countries do not have to adhere to the high environmental standards of the EU, the farmers view it as unfair competition that threatens their existence. For the same reason, the farmers also oppose a planned trade deal between the EU and the Mercosur bloc, a federation of countries in South America. 

“One of the major issues for farmers is the so-called ‘green’ measures imposed by EU bureaucrats that include higher taxes or cuts to tax subsidies as well as bans on necessary tools such as nitrogen fertilizer. The farmers have also been blamed for their greenhouse emissions and their alleged contribution to ‘climate change’. They are heavily affected by the EU’s plan to achieve ‘net-zero’ emissions and make the bloc ‘climate-neutral’ by 2050. 

“The plan includes cutting fertilizer use by 20%, limiting the amount of land dedicated to agricultural use, halving pesticides by 2030, and doubling organic food production. While some of these measures may have a positive impact on food quality [they surely would], they put immense pressure on farmers, especially smaller farms, whose numbers have been on the decline for decades. The EU’s plan to combat so-called ‘climate change’ could lead to the majority of farmland being controlled by a relatively small elite. 

“Part of the problem for smaller farms is the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP), a € 55 billion per year subsidy system that has been in place for over 60 years. The system ‘has historically been based on economy of scale: bigger farms, bigger holdings, common standards,’ Jon Henley from The Guardian writes. This policy has led to a continuous decrease in small farms in Europe as they have become increasingly uncompetitive.”

Business Standard added on February 2:

“Farmers… wrested some promises of relief from European leaders on Thursday, the culmination of weeks of protests across the continent over excessive red tape and competition from cheap imports. Eager to reassure a key part of the electorate and end disruptions in several cities, leaders at a European Union summit in Brussels showered the farmers with compliments and compassion if few concrete proposals…

“Leaders welcomed the plan of the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, to shield farmers from cheap imports from Ukraine during wartime and allow farmers to use some land that had been forced to lie fallow for environmental reasons… In France, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced a new set of measures, including hundreds of millions of euros in aid and tax breaks, and also promised not to ban pesticides in France that are allowed elsewhere in Europe. In Brussels, many leaders also said they would not approve a trade deal with South American nations that is under consideration unless any imports would meet the same regulatory standards that EU farmers face, a key demand from the sector…”

Will the farmers’ protests have some lasting success?

Germany Afraid of Former Spy Chief Hans-Georg Maassen

The Jerusalem Post wrote on January 31, 2024:

“Last month, [Hans-Georg] Maassen announced he was setting up a party… aiming to capture voters who polls say are increasingly disenchanted with Germany’s dominant parties…

“Hans-Georg Maassen, who until five years ago was responsible for protecting Germany against violent and extremist threats to its democracy, is himself now being monitored by the security agency he ran, the bureaucrat-turned-politician said.

“Maassen was dismissed as head of Germany’s Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV—Bundesamt fuer Verfassungschutz) in 2018 after appearing to play down the threat of violence by right-wing extremists who at the time were rioting in an eastern German city. Since, the lawyer has become known for his increasingly radical comments on the supposed threat immigration poses to Germany, becoming a hero to far-right activists including some in the circles surrounding Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss, the aristocrat who led [an alleged] foiled coup attempt in 2022. [We have reported about this “made-up “coup” by the mass media].

“‘Germany is clearly afraid of me,’ he said on X, adding the country was using the internal security agency to monitor him and the party he has founded… Maassen published on his website a letter from the BfV… confirming that he featured extensively in their databases tracking extremists…

“As BfV chief, he was in effect Germany’s chief hunter of neo-Nazis. The documents released to him by the BfV show him being repeatedly praised by far-right figures.”

Sounds quite like what is happening in the USA. Opposition candidates are persecuted with the goal to shut them up.

Further Left-Wing Demonstrations Against the AfD in Berlin

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 3:

“Around 150,000 people have attended a protest rally in the German capital, Berlin, against the far right and its ideology… Many of the slogans chanted were directed against the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party…

“Several politicians attended the demonstration in Berlin, including the leader of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’ Social Democrats (SPD), Saskia Esken, and Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, from the same party…

Chancellor Scholz voiced his support for the protests across Germany in a message on X, formerly known as Twitter, calling them a ‘strong signal for democracy and our constitution.’

“The AfD voiced anger at the government support for the protests, asking on X: ‘What have we in Germany actually come to when a government calls a demonstration against part of the population?’…

[The AfD] is currently Germany’s second most popular party, coming behind only the conservative CDU.”

Europe Needs Its Own Military

Trend News Agency wrote on February 5:

“The head of the federal state of Hesse, which is one of the major economic centers of Germany, Boris Rein proposed that Europe create its own military alliance without the participation of the United States… He noted that the nuclear arsenal can be used to deter and ‘intimidate’ Russia. ‘That’s why we want a strong European security union – with common defence, a European nuclear umbrella, secure borders and protection of our critical infrastructure,’ he said.”

Comments like these show more and more Europe’s REAL GOAL of establishing their own army with nuclear weapons apart from or in opposition to the USA.

No Other Leader Than Trump?

Breitbart wrote on February 2:

“Despite fatigue with funding NATO’s proxy war with Russia setting in across the West, globalist politicians appear intent on continuing the war no matter what. For the Hungarian leader, who has been a lone voice among European heads of state calling for peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv… the only viable offramp for the conflict is for his longtime friend and ally [Donald Trump] to return to the White House…. ‘My personal conviction remains that if, in February 2022, the American president had been called Donald Trump, there would be no more war in Europe. Today I don’t see anyone other than him, neither in Europe nor in America, who is a leader strong enough to stop the war,’ the Hungarian leader declared.

“Legacy media outlets and globalist EU politicians have begun to openly warn of the claimed danger to Europe posed by Trump coming back to power — ignoring the destabilising policies of the Biden administration, from the birth of another European migrant crisis following the botched withdrawal of Afghanistan to war breaking out in Europe under his watch…

“Orbán criticised power players in Berlin, Brussels and Paris, who ultimately seek to expand the EU into Ukraine, no matter the threat of sparking a full-on war with Russia or the likely negative economic impacts of incorporating the former Soviet state into the bloc, particularly for farmers throughout Europe who will face being further undercut by cheap Ukrainian exports. ‘The European Union, in recent years, has increasingly moved in an imperialist direction, especially after the departure of the United Kingdom. It is less and less a community of sovereign states. More and more, no matter what treaty rights you have, no matter what reasonable arguments you put forward to them, they are trying to force you into something you don’t want,’ Orbán said.

“Those words came just days before Hungary was apparently forced with menaces into signing off on a massive $54 billion EU cash programme for Ukraine, which it had blocked since last year.

“President Trump, for his part, has consistently maintained that he would seek a swift end to the conflict in Ukraine, declaring that not only would the war not have happened under his watch but that he would be able to force a peace settlement should he return to the White House… Conversely, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has openly baulked at Trump, saying that the former president’s claim that he could end the war in 24 hours was ‘very dangerous’…”

The end has been decreed by God from the beginning: Ukraine and Russia will unite and ultimately fight against Europe.

US Court: No Immunity for Trump

Express wrote on February 6:

“Former President Donald Trump has shot back after a US court ruled that he does not have immunity from prosecution in a case related to the 2020 presidential election. The former president believes the landmark ruling could stop future presidents from doing their job and ruin the country. ‘A nation-destroying ruling like this cannot be allowed to stand,’ he raged on Truth Social, adding it would leave any president fearing ‘vicious retribution after leaving office.’

“The ruling has dealt a blow to his attempts to avoid prosecution for events leading up to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol in 2021. The three-judge panel considering his appeal delivered their decision clearly, stating: ‘Any executive immunity that may have protected him while he served as president no longer protects him against this prosecution.’… The former president’s lawyers argue that he enjoys broad legal protections unless impeached by Congress and removed from office. Trump could still take his claim to the Supreme Court [Trump was given leave to do so until Monday]… The issue at hand is whether former presidents can be prosecuted after leaving office for actions they took related to official duties. The Supreme Court has previously decided that they are protected from civil cases. Trump and his lawyers insist that should also extend to criminal actions…

“[The case] was heard by Judges Michelle Childs and Florence Pan, who were both appointed by Biden, and Karen LeCraft Henderson, appointed by President George H.W. Bush. They dismissed Trump’s argument that he already faced impeachment proceedings over the same allegations and should not stand trial again. They wrote: ‘In light of the very different procedures and purposes associated with impeachment proceedings as compared to criminal proceedings, former President Trump’s reliance on the Double Jeopardy Clause is misplaced.’ They also stated: ‘Impeachment is not a criminal process and cannot result in criminal punishment’…”

The rationale of the court (being clearly unfriendly towards Trump) is not convincing. It will remain to be seen how the US Supreme Court will decide this important issue.

Senate’s Bipartisan Border Bill—Worse Than Expected

Newsmax wrote on February 5:

“Conservative reaction to the Senate’s border security bill was fast and furious. The Senate on Sunday unveiled a $118 billion bipartisan border security bill that also would provide billions in aid to Ukraine and Israel following months of negotiations. House Speaker Mike Johnson [said] the bill was ‘worse than expected’ and ‘dead on arrival’ in the House. Others seemed to agree with his assessment…

“‘Any Republican voting for this Senate America last open border amnesty bill must be paid off by foreign interests and is acting as a foreign agent,’ Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., wrote on X. ‘What an embarrassment! Shame on them!!’…

“Former President Donald Trump said… ‘Only a fool, or a Radical Left Democrat, would vote for this horrendous Border Bill… It takes the HORRIBLE JOB the Democrats have done on Immigration and the Border, absolves them, and puts it all squarely on the shoulders of Republicans. Don’t be STUPID!!! We need a separate Border and Immigration Bill. It should not be tied to foreign aid in any way, shape, or form!…’

“Democrats, meanwhile, insists the bill upholds the country’s ‘tradition of immigration.’”

Amazingly, Republicans in the Senate voted for this horrible bill.

Senate Bill Dead!

The New York Post wrote on February 6:

“Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell waved a rhetorical white flag Tuesday, admitting the bipartisan.. spending package was doomed… ‘It’s been made pretty clear to us by the [House] speaker [Mike Johnson] that it will not become law,’ the 81-year-old Kentuckian bluntly conceded to reporters. ‘It looks to me and to most our members as if we have no real chance here to make a law,’ McConnell added.

“The Republican leader bowed to political reality after a two-day outcry among conservatives over the $118 billion measure…”

The New York Post wrote on February 7:

“The Senate’s $118 billion border deal officially crashed and burned Wednesday, as the upper chamber was ready [to] put the nation’s migration crisis on the back burner by prepping a bill that would provide $95 billion in military aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

“Almost exactly 24 hours after Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters the supplemental spending package had ‘no real chance;’ of becoming law, the measure came up 11 votes short of clearing the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster.”

Newsmax wrote on February 8:

“A $95.34 billion bill that includes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan advanced in the U.S. Senate on Thursday after Republicans blocked compromise legislation that included a long-sought overhaul of immigration policy… There was no immediate word on when the 100-member chamber would consider final passage…. 

“Even if the aid bill eventually passes the Senate, it faces uncertainty in the House of Representatives. Dozens of Republican House members, particularly those most closely allied with former President Donald Trump, have voted against Ukraine aid, including Speaker Mike Johnson.”

No Impeachment of Mayorkas… Embarrassing Defeat for Republicans

Breitbart wrote on February 6:

“The House of Representatives let Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas off the hook for the border crisis created under his watch in a historic 216-214 vote against impeachment.

“Reps. Ken Buck (R-CO) and Tom McClintock (R-CA) announced before the vote they would vote against impeachment. They were joined by Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) in voting with unified Democrats…

“The defeat is the latest for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who inherited a slim majority that has been decimated further by the ejection of Rep. George Santos (R-NY), early retirement of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and, temporarily, the absence of Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), who is recovering from cancer.”

Even though impeachment would not have been successful in a Senate, dominated by Democrats, the three dissenting Republican voices are embarrassing, in light of the facts.

Mother Convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter Over Mass Shooting of Her Son

The U.S. Sun wrote on February 7:

“The mother of Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley who killed four students has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in an unprecedented court case… [She] is the first American parent to ever be convicted of the crime over a mass shooting carried out by their child…. [The prosecution alleged the parents failed] to give their [15-year-old son] son proper mental health treatment despite repeated warning signs, including meetings with school administrators over some worrying drawings…. of a gun pointing at the words ‘the thoughts won’t stop. Help me.’ Next to it was a drawing of a person who had been shot twice with the words ‘blood everywhere’, ‘my life is useless’ and ‘the world is dead.’ Ethan’s parents were called into the school that morning at 10am – but later left and around three hours later, the teen took a gun out of his backpack and killed his fellow students…

“During one text message exchange in spring 2021, just months before the attack, Ethan told his mom that there was a ghost or a devil in the house and pleaded for her to respond, but she did not… ‘My parents won’t listen to me about help with a therapist…’ the teen wrote.

“[The mother] on the other hand, testified that she saw no signals of mental health troubles in her son…

“Prosecutors slammed [the mother], arguing she was responsible for the deaths after she and her husband irresponsibly gave Ethan a gun for Christmas… [The mother] admitted she and her husband… gifted Ethan the weapon, ‘We didn’t just hand him a gun as ‘here you go son,”’ she testified. ‘It was something we could use when we went to the (gun) range as a family.’…

“Ethan’s dad… bought him the 9mm handgun for Christmas – even though he was too young under state laws to own a gun. It was this gun that he took to school on the day of the shooting – when no one checked his bag. It was reportedly bought four days before the shooting ahead of the holiday, and was ‘freely available’ to the teen…

“[The teen, by now 17 years old, was sentenced to life in prison], without the possibility of parole in December after pleading guilty to murder, terrorism and other charges. [A separate trial will still be held against the father, starting March 5.]

Whether right or wrong, this decision, if it stands, will have unparalleled legal consequences for parents in many different aspects.  

USA Strikes Back

NBC News wrote on February 2:

“The United States launched attacks Friday against 85 sites in Iraq and Syria used by Iranian forces and Iran-backed militants, its first retaliatory strikes for the killing of three American soldiers in Jordan last weekend, U.S. officials said.

“U.S. military forces struck targets at seven facilities [in Iraq and Syria] tied to attacks on U.S. personnel in the region… ‘Our response began today. It will continue at times and places of our choosing,’ President Joe Biden said in a statement…

“The military action is a significant escalation in Washington’s bid to deter the growing threat from Iran-backed groups across the Middle East — a step fraught with risk abroad and at home…

“The U.S. conducted the strikes knowing that the facilities are used by Iranian-backed militia personnel and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps…

“The Iraqi army condemned the U.S. airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraqi border areas, calling the air assault a ‘violation of Iraqi sovereignty’ and ‘a threat that will drag Iraq and the region into unforeseen consequences.’”

It was also reported that at least 34 pro-Iranian fighters were killed in the US attack. In fact, the USA had bombed 85 targets in seven different locations, hitting four points in Syria and three in Iraq. Iraq’s reaction is telling and is bad news for the USA. While the White House has said Iraq was warned ahead of the blitz, the Sun reported on February 3:

“Iraq on Saturday said the US was ‘misleading public opinion’ by claiming they had given an explicit warning. Iraqi officials said 16 people, including civilians, were killed and 25 others were wounded. They raged: ‘This aggressive strike will put security in Iraq and the region on the brink of the abyss, and it also contradicts efforts to establish the required stability.’… Syrian media also said cities in the east of the country were hit… And the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 18 people were killed in the strikes on their soil. While Iran-linked targets were hit – Iran itself was not.”

Kirby Apologizes for False Claim About Warning Iraqi Government Ahead of Strikes

Fox News reported on February 6:

“White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby apologized Tuesday for falsely saying last week that Iraqi officials were notified before a series of coordinated air strikes… He was forced to retract this claim after State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel confirmed this was not accurate and that Iraqi leaders were not informed until after the strikes…

“Kirby released a statement about the confusion the same day, saying he was going off ‘information that I had been provided at the time.’”

USA’s Troubled Relationship With Iraq

npr wrote on February 2:

“U.S. troops left Iraq in 2011 but returned in 2014 to fight ISIS alongside Iraqi forces. And now there are 2,550 — not in combat, but assisting Iraqis in going after the remnants of ISIS. Now, many of the U.S. troops are stationed in northern Iraq in Erbil, and those troops also support the anti-ISIS fight next door in Syria.

“The U.S. also provides hundreds of millions of dollars to Iraq in aid, government development, humanitarian assistance, demining efforts and military sales —more than $16 billion, covering everything from F-16 aircraft to helicopters and radar and small arms. In addition, the U.S. has provided Iraq with excess defense equipment over the recent years — 300 large armored vehicles, Humvees, helicopters, body armor — all of which contributed to the ISIS fight.

“Still, the U.S. airstrikes have created a political problem for the Iraqi government, some of whose parliamentarians have ties to Iran and want to see U.S. forces withdraw from the country. And the latest strikes will certainly add to that headache.

“Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani came to power because Iran, and the militias it supports, backed him. So in between anger over the U.S. role in supplying Israel with weapons for the war in Gaza, and anger over U.S. breaches of Iraqi sovereignty, he faces intense pressure about the future of U.S. forces in Iraq…

“An adviser to the Iraqi prime minister said the aim is to come up with what he called a specific and clear timetable for the gradual reduction of the U.S.-led coalition troops in Iraq and to an end to the U.S.-led anti-ISIS mission. The government spokesman, Bassem al-Awadi, told Iraqi state TV viewers that Sudani had repeatedly made clear that Iraq’s stability required ending the U.S. military presence in Iraq. ‘He literally said that ending the mission of the international coalition in Iraq is necessary for Iraq,’ said al-Awadi. ‘He used the term necessity. And I assure you that when the prime minister uses a term, he means it.’”

US Reactions to the Strike

Newsmax wrote on February 3:

“Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., criticized the Biden administration’s weeklong buildup to the retaliatory strikes against Iranian-backed proxies in the Middle East. ‘The tragic deaths of three U.S. troops in Jordan, perpetrated by Iran-backed militias, demanded a clear and forceful response. Unfortunately, the administration waited for a week and telegraphed to the world, including to Iran, the nature of our response,’ Johnson said…  

“Reaction to the strikes and their timing was met with a party line approval or disapproval.  

“Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Sen. Jack Reed D-R.I., called the strikes ‘a strong, proportional response…  

“Sen. Roger Wicker R-Miss., reiterated Speaker Johnson’s sentiments… that the administration ‘spent nearly a week foolishly telegraphing U.S. intentions to our adversaries, giving them time to relocate and hide.’”

Breitbart added on February 3:

“During CNN’s coverage of Friday’s American strikes in the Middle East, CNN Military Analyst and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Wesley Clark (Ret.) argued that… ‘we didn’t really deter Iran’s hostility to the United States… [T]he Iranians are going to come back and do something. My guess is, it will take a few days, several weeks before they can reconstitute these forces. And then, depending on what happens in Gaza, they’ll be back… you can be sure that, on the terrorist websites and in their communications, they’re sort of laughing, yeah, they gave us a lot of warning and yeah, we got all the people out and some of the bombs missed… because that’s the kind of the bravado that you expect from some of these people. What we’re going to do is… collect hard intelligence, and see if we have to go back in and re-strike.’”

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on February 3:

“The Axis of Resistance is present throughout the Middle East. It has its own economic and social networks. It produces its own weapons and its fighters are well trained to fight under the local circumstances. This is an enemy the U.S. cannot defeat…  it is the Resistance which is using small and increasingly larger cuts to eliminate, over time, the U.S. presence in the Middle East. It is dead serious…

Give it two, three or maybe even five years. But the envisioned results WILL be achieved.”

npr explained on February 2 that “The so-called ‘axis of resistance’ is a network of Iran proxy groups across the region. It includes Hezbollah in Lebanon, a coalition of militias in Iraq that go by the name the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, Ansar Allah — Houthi forces — in Yemen and Iran-linked groups in eastern Syria. Kataib Hezbollah (which means Party of God Brigades) is not a subsidiary of the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, but both have close links to Iran. KH is considered the most powerful of the Iran-backed militias in the Iraq-based resistance, which has claimed about 160 attacks on U.S. forces since the beginning of the Gaza war.”

The Editorial Board of the New York Post wrote on February 2:

“Too Little, Too Late… so far it looks like President Biden opted for the least he could do…. it looks like the targets will be exclusively in Syria and Iraq, and mainly Iran’s proxy forces there, though some Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps units might get hit. IRGC forces inside Iran will be perfectly safe, even though the White House fully admits Tehran is behind it all…

“A commander-in-chief who refuses to think about it until it actually happens, and then takes his time deciding, is plain unfit for his sworn duties…

“As for our president’s oft-expressed fear of escalation:… Iran is escalating anyway, and will keep at it at least until we give it real reason to worry how we’ll escalate. Tehran won’t care how many of its proxies we kill, nor even a few low-level IRGC sacrificial lambs. Whereas it does fear having its own forces pulled in: As it finishes its dash to nuclear-weapons capability and negotiates the transition to a new “supreme leader” (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is 84), the last thing it wants is any more instability at home…”

Houthis’ Goal Is Destruction of America

Breitbart wrote on February 5:

“A senior member of the Yemeni Houthi terrorist organization declared that the group’s ongoing jihad in the Red Sea, which he described as ‘spillover’ in the conflict between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas, would ‘inevitably result in an end to US hegemony.’ The statement was not the first of its kind from the Houthis but does solidify the objective of the Houthi campaign against global commercial shipping as being the destruction of America…

“The promise to destroy America arrived on Monday in response to targeted airstrikes by the administration of President Joe Biden and the government of the United Kingdom against Houthi assets in Yemen. Multiple rounds of airstrikes have failed to deter the Red Sea attacks, a reality Biden has recognized…

“The Houthis announced following the first American and British airstrikes that ships from those countries are ‘legitimate targets…’…

“The Houthis – a Shiite terrorist operation that seized control of Sana’a, the capital of Yemen, in 2014 with the backing of Iran – declared war on Israel in October in a gesture of support to Hamas…  The official Houthi slogan is ‘Allahu Akbar, Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse on the Jews, Victory to Islam.’

“Shortly after the war declaration, the Houthis began using Yemen’s position on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait leading to the Red Sea to attack commercial shipping vessels… The attacks resulted in a 90 percent drop year-on-year in container ship traffic through the Red Sea and Suez Canal between January 2023 and 2024 and soaring shipping prices. The United Nations reported in late January that it had documented a 45 percent drop in two months in freight volume through the Suez Canal, which lies on the northern tip of the Red Sea. Multinational shipping corporations, such as Maersk, announced a major redirection of ships despite assurances from the Biden administration that the American military would protect civilian ships as part of ‘Operation Prosperity Guardian,’ a coalition of allied navies.”

Big powers such as the USA and the UK seem to be unable to defeat a tiny group of terrorists.

Tucker Carlson Interviews Vladimir Putin

Daily Mail wrote on February 7:

“Controversial talk show host Tucker Carlson could be subjected to sanctions from the European Union…  Russian President Vladimir Putin has been interviewed by Carlson, the Kremlin confirmed Wednesday. It is Putin’s first interview to a Western journalist since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago…

“Former Belgian Prime Minister and current member of the European Union Parliament Guy Verhofstadt told Newsweek as the Russian president is considered a ‘war criminal’ it’s ‘logical’ that an investigation be held into Carlson. Verhofstadt has also called for a ‘travel ban’ against Carlson and described the host as a ‘mouthpiece’ for Donald Trump who has long been criticized for his pro-Kremlin views.  Any investigation into Trump would be conducted by the EU’s European External Action Service, or EEAS, which is essentially the 27-nation bloc’s foreign ministry…

“Following the publication of the interview, Carlson’s friends in the American far right chimed in. ‘The same EU globalist scum are trying to bully Elon Musk in to censorship with criminal prosecution threats. Now they are moving in on Tucker! We must stand together for free speech,’ wrote…  Alex Jones. ‘The EU is considering sanctions against Tucker Carlson for interviewing Putin. This is little more than an admission that they have been lying about everything regarding Ukraine,’ wrote commentator Candice Owens. ‘This narrative is about to fully collapse and they are terrified,’ she added.  

“’Was there ever any doubt they would come for Tucker Carlson to daring to interview Putin? Rest assured there are those in power in the US who want to do the same as the EU,’ columnist and attorney Phil Holloway tweeted.  

“Russian authorities have cracked down on media, forcing some independent Russian outlets to close, blocking others and ordering a number of foreign reporters to leave the country. Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters that Carlson was chosen for the interview because ‘he has a position which differs’ from other English-language media… ‘Carlson’s position, Peskov said, ‘is in no way pro-Russian, nor pro-Ukrainian, but rather pro-American.’”

Breitbart wrote on February 6:

“Ukraine’s controversial American transgender sometimes-‘spokesperson’ Sarah Ashton-Cirillo has accused Tucker Carlson of being the ‘Kremlin’s favourite court eunuch’ and an ‘enemy of humanity,’ apparently placing a target on the head of Carlson…

“The often bombastic rhetoric spouted by Ashton-Cirillo, including public threats to ‘hunt down’ people allegedly spreading Russian propaganda, has previously sparked concern among American lawmakers… Ohio Republican Senator J.D. Vance wrote a letter to the Biden White House questioning whether Ashton-Cirillo had any ties to the U.S. government or intelligence agencies and whether the president would demand free speech is respected in Ukraine. Following the report, Ashton-Cirillo accused Sen. Vance of engaging in ‘gender chaos’, while claiming that free speech protections should not be afforded to those who spread so-called Russian propaganda and that they should be sent to prison as ‘war criminals’.

“The comments came amid the imprisonment of late citizen journalist YouTuber Gonzalo Lira, an American-Chilean dual citizen, who faced a lengthy prison sentence in Ukraine over comments on his YouTube channel critical of the Zelensky and Biden governments. [Lira died last month in prison.]

“Lira’s death was first announced by Tucker Carlson, who had interviewed his father shortly before his son’s death. Lira’s father accused the White House of ignoring the plight of his son…”

Breitbart added on February 7:

“Carlson said interviewing Putin was important — although dangerous — because, in his view, one-sided reporting from the establishment media has left many Americans ignorant of much of what was happening with Russia. The journalist called some reporting of the Ukraine war, which he said blindly parroted Ukraine government information, ‘government propaganda.’

“Condemnation of Mr Carlson for interviewing President Putin has been swift, with U.S. figures like neoconservative writer Bill Kristol, paraphrasing a meme to write: ‘Perhaps we need a total and complete shutdown of Tucker Carlson re-entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on’ and former Congressman Adam Kinzinger claiming simply: ‘He is a traitor’.”

On February 6, NBC’s Lester Holt interviewed on TV Iran’s ambassador to the USA, without any complaints from anyone. In the same manner, interviews by American journalists and moderators were conducted with Arafat, and other terrorists. The present “outcry” is just another proof for the incredible hypocrisy in the Western mass media.

Ireland vs. Israel

The Palestine Chronicle wrote on February 2:

“Ireland is in talks with other EU members who want a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement on the basis that Israel may be breaching the agreement’s human rights clause… Ireland’s action is consistent with the political attitude of other European countries, who are either critical of Israel or are calling for a Palestinian state.

“A number of EU States are also talking about a possible joint recognition of a Palestinian State after the current conflict…

“Ireland has long been a champion of Palestinian rights, and ministers have repeatedly said the government is considering recognizing a Palestinian State… Ireland, Belgium, Spain and a few other EU countries were some of the early voices to join international criticism of the Israeli war on Gaza, starting on October 7.”

The negative and hostile attitude of Europeans towards Israel is quite telling. And so is the attitude of the Biden Administration. Note the next article.

USA vs. Israel

Israel 365 News wrote on February 1:

“The Biden administration is bucking decades of U.S. foreign policy by considering a plan to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state… Both Axios and The New York Times reported on Wednesday about this potential major shift in the American approach towards Palestinian statehood…

“According to the Axios report… Secretary of State Antony Blinken requested a review of policy options for the recognition of a Palestinian state after Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza concludes. In the months since the Oct. 7 terrorist assault on southern Israel, the Biden administration has been pushing for Palestinian statehood…

“A senior U.S. official told Axios that some inside the Biden administration believe that unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state should be the first step in talks to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict instead of the last.

“This goes against the doctrine of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who sees increasing relations with the wider Arab world as the key to solving the Palestinian issue… Netanyahu’s right-wing and religious coalition is firmly against establishing a Palestinian state. There is also widespread opposition among the Israeli public to the creation of a Palestinian state… when asked whether they support the creation of a ‘Palestinian’ state alongside Israel, 66% of Jewish respondents said they opposed such a move, while 27% expressed support for the creation of a ‘Palestine.’…

“Axios reported on several options the Biden administration could take, including bilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, withdrawing its veto power against the United Nations Security Council admitting ‘Palestine’ as a full U.N. member state, and urging other countries to recognize a Palestinian state. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said on Monday that the U.K. was considering recognizing a Palestinian state…”

To unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state would burn all bridges with Israel.

Netanyahu’s Conditions to End the War

Israel 365 News wrote on February 5:

“Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday set out the country’s core demands for ending the war against Hamas in Gaza.’ The essential goal is, first of all, the elimination of Hamas. To achieve this goal, three things are needed,’ Netanyahu told journalists…

“‘The first requirement is the collapse of Hamas’s battalions…’ After the battalions are destroyed, the Israeli military will have to carry out clearance operations to prevent Hamas from rebuilding its terrorist army… Finally, Netanyahu said, Israel will need to complete ‘the neutralization of the underground [tunnels]…’

“The Israel Defense Forces will not withdraw from Gaza before it achieves the goals of eliminating Hamas, returning all 136 hostages and ensuring that the coastal enclave never again constitutes a threat to the Jewish state, Netanyahu reiterated.

“Netanyahu also called to replace the Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA with other aid organizations ‘not tainted by support for terrorism.’…

“Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir leveled criticism at U.S. President Joe Biden, saying Donald Trump would have been better for Israel during the current war. ‘Instead of giving us his full backing, Biden is busy with giving humanitarian aid and fuel [to Gaza], which goes to Hamas,’ charged Ben-Gvir…”

Israel’s concern is well-founded. Note the next article.

Biden’s Executive Order Against Jewish Settlers

Israel Today wrote on February 5:

“The administration of US President Joe Biden has taken Israeli law into its own hands by issuing an executive order that compelled Israeli banks to freeze the assets of at least four Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria, the so-called ‘West Bank.’ In the executive order issued last Thursday, the White House said it was imposing sanctions against ‘persons undermining peace, security and stability in the West Bank.’ Notably, the order only targets Jews. The assets of senior Palestinian Authority leaders, despite their demonstrable participation in incitement and violence against Israel, are left untouched.

“The order goes on to falsely claim ‘high levels of extremist settler [read: Jewish] violence, forced displacement of people and villages and property destruction.’…

“It should be pointed out, however, that none of the four men named by the White House have been convicted of crimes by the Israeli judicial system… Bank Leumi, where Yinon Levi does business, immediately informed him that in light of Biden’s executive order, it was freezing his assets and closing his accounts. ‘The executive order is a result of requests to Biden by the anarchist, anti-Zionist left, which hates the Jewish people and made up a bunch of stories about Israel’s pioneers,” Levi told the Kan public broadcaster on Sunday. But he also vowed: ‘Biden, who is unable to deal with the Houthis who murder American soldiers, doesn’t scare us. We will continue to settle the Land of Israel without fear.’

“Bank Hapoalim, where Einan Tanjil and Shalom Zicherman have accounts, said it will take similar action soon for fear of getting on Washington’s bad side.

“Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich responded by insisting that Israel is ‘not a banana republic of the United States,’ and promising to take action to prevent the banks from harming Israeli citizens.”

Biden’s actions leave no doubt that he is NOT a friend of Israel.

Coming… the Destruction of Israel?

Life Site News wrote on February 2:

“Colonel Douglas Macgregor has warned that Israel’s current operation of ‘expelling or killing the population in Gaza’ is enraging the Arab nations in the region. Macgregor believes this will ‘culminate… in the destruction of Israel’ with war easily expanding globally, even onto American soil, and the real possibility of nuclear exchanges…

“For many decades Christians in the Holy Land have pleaded with Israel and the international community to end the Jewish state’s illegal occupation and building of settlements on the Palestinian people’s internationally recognized territory, as a necessary foundation for peaceful coexistence…

“Though the leaders of Middle East Arab nations such as Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Turkey want to avoid a regional war, due to what the consequences will be for their nation’s infrastructure and population, their own positions are in danger due to the possibility of popular uprisings among their citizens, the colonel explained. The populations in these regions, particularly the Muslim Arabs and the Turks, ‘are so angry and so enraged, they’re ready to fight, regardless of what the costs are, to destroy Israel.’ ‘As a result, increasingly across the Middle East, everyone who is in power or authority is privately saying … we will no longer tolerate this Israeli state and they are moving towards a state of war across the region, which will culminate, I think, in the destruction of Israel,’ Macgregor warned. ‘And I don’t think we can stop it.’

“… should the Israeli and U.S. authorities be successful at initiating war with Iran, the retired colonel predicts these forces ‘will pay a heavy price.’ ‘Iran has an enormous arsenal of missiles,’ he said. These include, ‘thousands of very precise, very destructive theater ballistic missiles as well as tactical ballistic missiles. They have cruise missile technology, [and] infinite numbers of drones.’

“There are around 57,000 American troops in the region, and these missiles can ‘attack with great precision’ all of their bases and positions.. These include hypersonic missiles which can hit targets at sea, and there remains ‘no way to shoot them down or defend against them.’…

“‘Remember, Hezbollah has substantial facilities and concentrations of people in Mexico. So do Islamists who are Sunni Muslims,’ he recalled. With all the recent waves of illegal immigrants pouring across the Mexican border in recent years, ‘we don’t even know who has actually entered the United States.’…

“And thus, ‘the greatest danger,’ the colonel said, ‘is that the Israelis will respond, but with the use of a nuclear weapon, particularly as they watch their cities Tel Aviv, Haifa and so forth, largely annihilated by these arsenals of missiles. And if that were to happen, I think that would have catastrophic consequences for Israel and the world, far worse than anything we’ve seen thus far.’”

Even though Macgregor has been a controversial figure with some extreme positions, he claimed, correctly, that Ukraine will lose the war against Russia. Further, we read that prior to the downfall of the state of Israel during the Great Tribulation, Israel will receive a wound… presumably a military defeat of some kind. It will then turn to Germany for help, but won’t receive it.

King Charles III Diagnosed With Cancer

Breitbart reported on February 5:

“King Charles has cancer, Buckingham Palace has said in a statement, and he will postpone his public duties while undergoing a programme of treatment that began today. Just days after being discharged from hospital for treatment of a non-cancerous enlarged prostate, it has been revealed King Charles III also has cancer. The cancer was discovered during tests the monarch underwent during his hospital stay, which identified a ‘separate issue of concern’.

“Subsequent testing confirmed the King does have a non-specified ‘form of cancer’, Buckingham Palace said, and that he had already started a regime of treatment today… While the King is unable to perform public duties, the Palace made clear his constitutional role is unaffected as he would be able to continue to undertake ‘State business and official paperwork as usual’.

“… King Charles III is the King of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and ten other Commonwealth Realms besides. As a Constitutional monarch, his assent is required for the passing of laws but in practice this is now a mere formality, and he acts on the advice of his Prime Minister and Parliament…

“The King’s enlarged prostate was disclosed by Buckingham Palace on January 17th, the same day it was revealed the future Queen, Princess Kate, had undergone abdominal surgery for an undisclosed ailment. It rapidly became apparent the Princess’ surgery had been a major one, and she spent 13 days recovering in hospital and is expected to spend months more convalescing.

“The disclosure about the health of the Royals is highly unusual from a house that until recently kept such information under tight control, but the change is down to a King wishing to be more open…

“Both the King and Princess Kate receiving treatment or recovering at the same time puts two of the Royal Family’s most effective and best-known faces out of the public eye for possibly months. Prince William has also taken time to help care for his wife and their children, and Princess Anne, the King’s sister, has stepped up to take on more duties…”

Dental Care Nightmare in Britain

Daily Mail wrote on February 5:

“Police broke up a snaking queue that formed outside a newly-opened NHS dental practice today, in scenes which illustrate the appointments crisis plaguing millions of desperate Brits… A local news website compared the queue, eventually shut [down] by police at 2.15pm, as being ‘reminiscent of Soviet-era Eastern Europe’, where queues for basic goods like food were an infamous part of daily life…

“NHS dentistry has been in crisis for years, with leaders claiming the sector has been chronically underfunded, making it financially unviable to carry out treatments. Exacerbating the problem is that, as more dentists leave the NHS, those that remain become swamped by more and more patients… “

Coming… Another Magnetic Pole Flip?

The Reese Report wrote on February 2:

“In the late nineteen-forties, Major Maynard White, commander of Project Nanook, discovered that the Earth experiences routine magnetic pole flips that occur in the span of just one day. But this information was suppressed from the public and was directly followed by the birth of the United Nations Global Warming propaganda campaign. 

“Western governments adopted the man made global warming cover story, but this does not seem to be the case in the East. In Russia, talk of a pole shift is openly being discussed. Russian scientists have been tracking the wandering magnetic north which has been exponentially moving towards Siberia for decades. And even state run media, Ria News, has been reporting that the north and south magnetic poles have repeatedly changed places and that it could happen again at any moment…

“The Russian Federation seems to be preparing for this pole shift. Massive infrastructure is being developed in the Eurasian arctic, and Russian bases in Antarctica are being drastically restored. The farmers in Russia are not being attacked, they are being given extra subsidies by the government and encouraged to expand…”

It is a well-known fact that pole changes HAVE occurred in the past.

Monkeys Are Taking Over

The U.S. Sun wrote on February 1, 2024:

“AN ARMY of thousands of monkeys have run a city in central Thailand into the ground. Several stores and businesses have been forced to shutter and relocate, investors have halted their investments, and shoppers have all but entirely vanished from Lopburi. The Thai city, once a thriving hub for tourists who flocked to see the city’s wild macaques, has now been completely overrun by the 3,500-strong army that have taken control. Some locals have fled, while others have been forced to barricade their homes in a desperate bid to protect themselves against the rampaging monkeys… Lopburi has had to establish several no-go zones throughout the city, as some of these areas have been taken over by warring rival monkey gangs.

“At first the locals attempted to keep the animals at bay by providing them with junk food, but that plan backfired and seemed to only make the monkeys more violent. They had been giving the monkeys sweets, fizzy drinks and cereal – sugary treats which are well known to make monkeys more hyper and sexually-active.

“Female monkeys already have the ability to reproduce twice per year, and the frequency with which they have been given sugar has meant that these monkeys have had an abundance of energy to do so. Pre-pandemic, monkey and man lived in harmony in the city – the macaques attracted tourists to the city, and those tourists would buy bananas to feed the animals and pose with them. But that balance quickly collapsed when lockdowns stopped the steady flow of tourism, leaving the macaques desperate for a new food source…

“The monkeys can now be found everywhere. They sit atop rooftops, ready for ambush, they run riot on the roads, and they even rob passing cars. Thailand’s Department of National Parks has had to launch a sterilisation program, in the hope that they can curb some of the rapidly-growing monkey population in the city.

“Back in 2020, authorities were able to use large fruits to lure several hundred monkeys into cages so that they could sterilise them. At first they were successful, managing to catch some 500 monkeys on a daily basis, but now the monkeys have caught on to their tactics.

“Supakarn Kaewchot, a government veterinarian,… said that catching the macaques is no longer an easy feat. ‘As soon as they see our faces they remember. They know what we’re going to do… In some groups, the head of the group tries to stop their clan from going into the cage.’ He said that now, managing to capture a mere 20 monkeys is proving to be a challenge.”

Sounds like a scene from the “Planet of the Apes” movies. But the Bible warns that in these end times, animals will behave aggressively towards man.  In addition, monkeys are being viewed as sacred in Thailand. According to the national epic Ramakien — a version of India’s Ramayana — monkeys in Lopburi are the direct descendants of Hanuman, god-king of the apes.

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.

Those who claim to love God should look at what Christ said in regard to keeping the commandments. In John 14:15, He clearly states: “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

It becomes increasingly difficult to just ignore these words from Christ. We demonstrate our love for Christ and also for God the Father by keeping the commandments which Christ, the God of the Old Testament, spoke to Israel and, by extension, to the entire world. Furthermore, we especially demonstrate our love for God and Christ by keeping the first four of the Ten Commandments.  The first four commandments are the four main pillars of how to love God.

One of those pillars is to keep the Sabbath—the time span from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. We read in Exodus 20:8-11:

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.  For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”

God says, remember the Sabbath day; and overall man has forgotten to keep it while introducing Satan-inspired days such as Sunday, a former pagan day of worshipping the sun.

Furthermore, who changed the day from Saturday to Sunday?

We are quoting excerpts from an article by Christian Educators Academy:

“One of the earliest references to Sunday worship can be found in the writings of Justin Martyr, an early Christian apologist who lived in the second century. In his writings, Justin describes how Christians would gather together on Sunday to read the Scriptures, listen to a sermon, and partake in the Lord’s Supper.

“Over time, Sunday worship became more organized and structured. By the fifth century, Sunday had become the official day of worship for the Christian Church. This was largely due to the influence of the Roman Emperor Constantine, who declared Sunday a day of rest and worship throughout the Roman Empire.”

It was the Catholic Church which replaced the Sabbath with Sunday, and it was Constantine who enforced the worship on Sunday. But no institution and no man had or has ecclesiastical authority or an edict from God to make that change. The Sabbath was instituted by God and given to man.

Notice this statement in Luke 6:5: “And He said to them, ‘The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.’”

Of course, He was and is the Lord of the Sabbath since He made it, following the direction of God the Father. If you are Lord of the Sabbath, you have power over it to declare when and how to keep it. No one has the authority to change it to another day, be it Sunday, Friday (which is kept by Muslims) or any day of the week (as the Jehovah’s Witnesses and, for example, Grace Communion International [GCI] believe).

Notice what else Christ said about the Sabbath in Mark 2:27-28: “And He said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.’”

God made the Sabbath during the seven days of recreation of the surface of the earth which had been destroyed by catastrophes. It had become void and empty. God created man and made the Sabbath for man, not for angels or animals. Christ is also emphasizing again that He is LORD of the Sabbath, and we are subject to keeping it, not forgetting it or replacing it with another day.

What else does the fourth commandment say? It commands us to “keep” the Sabbath day “holy.” The Sabbath is holy because God put His presence in it. The Sabbath is holy time. Members and affiliates of the Church of the Eternal God keep it holy by assembling together in worship services to God, while those who have no congregation nearby listen to services which are broadcast live on the Internet, participate in song services and are able to use the chatline to communicate with others. Those who are unable to listen to services can listen to recorded sermons posted on the Internet.

Let us note further instructions of the fourth commandment: “Six days you shall labor and do all your work.” We are to do our customary work during six days of the week, but not on the seventh day, constituting the designated holy time by God.

The Sabbath has been called the test commandment as it can test our willingness to obey God rather than man. The Sabbath may conflict with the type of employment we may have so we have basically four choices:

1. Seek out another employee willing to fill in for you on the Sabbath.
2. Ask your employer for an exemption from working on the Sabbath which may or will impact your income.
3. Make up the time by either working overtime on weekdays or coming in on Sunday, if permitted, and work.
4. Seek other employment.

At times, a person can declare he or she wants to obey God’s commandment regarding the Sabbath; at other times, a person actually has to prove it regardless of the consequences.

Carrying on, we read next: “In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.”

We are to refrain from work involving how we make our income, and from non-essential work, including by those we are responsible for and under our care. That would include not mowing our lawn on the Sabbath and not having our gardener do it for us on that day; it would include not working on our house or having someone else do it for us. It would also include not using our animals for farm work or our machinery to make our physical labor easier, like lawnmowers, tractors and other work-saving machinery. They are to “rest” also.

We continue to read: “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”

God is reiterating that the Sabbath was instituted during the week of re-creation [note that God “made” the heavens and the earth in six days, by referring to pages 21-22 of our free booklet, “Heavens and Earth… Before and After the First Man!”]. He also emphasizes that we are to keep it, as it was and is blessed by God. He hallowed it, making it holy time. So what it boils down to is that we can come up with all kinds of excuses and apply human reasoning and justification for NOT keeping the Sabbath, but all of it is totally unacceptable to God.

We prove our love for God by keeping the Sabbath. We prove our love for Satan, the current god and ruler of this earth, by keeping Sunday or any other designated day of the week. Satan has deceived the whole world, so many do not know that we must keep the Sabbath. They are not judged yet—their judgment comes later when they understand the Truth. But God’s people DO know, and they must NEVER deviate from observing the Sabbath and keeping it holy.

So, what is special and unique regarding the Sabbath which cannot be claimed by worshiping any other day? It is sanctified by God, set aside for a holy purpose. It has His approval and it points to the one and true God of creation.

Please notice Exodus 31:16-17: “Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.'” 

As an aside and in passing, Exodus 31 actually speaks about the “Sabbaths”—the weekly Sabbath and the annual Sabbaths or Holy Days. Both are to be kept. But in this Q&A, we are concentrating on the weekly Sabbath.

Members of the Church of God, who have been properly baptized and received the Holy Spirit, are spiritual Israelites. They must obey God by keeping the Sabbath (compare Acts 5:32), as physical Israel is commanded to do.

Notice, the Sabbath is a sign—a badge, as it were, that we belong to God, and that God is our God, and the Sabbath points to the one and only true God who should be obeyed by true Christians who are set aside by God’s Spirit in them. It is a sign forever, not just for a few weeks, and no one has the authority to change the day, even though we read in Daniel 7:25 that the “little horn” (the Catholic Church) “shall intend to change times and law”; that is, the law about holy time.

The Sabbath is a special and unique day of rest and refreshing, so let us ensure we take advantage of this wonderful blessing from God.

Lead Writer: Rene Messier (Canada)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Is Israel’s Destruction Imminent?”  is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The world is ganging up on Israel. Soon, Israel will end up without any true friends. Plans by Europe and America, including the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, make this very clear. Netanyahu does not concede, and his goal and conditions regarding Hamas and the end of the war have been stated very clearly. But is it even conceivable that a war in the Middle East might break out, which could lead to the destruction of the state of Israel?

“Wird Israel bald zerstört werden?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This program covers the same topic as described above. 

A Tech Team meeting was conducted on February 4, 2024. Hosted by Eric Rank, updated statistical results for our booklet ad campaigns were reviewed along with progress on our French and Spanish websites. A new promo video for our booklet, “God is… Our Destiny,” will be developed by Michael Link, and Feast of Tabernacles sites were briefly discussed.

“Jenseits von Unrecht–Der christliche Lebensweg,” last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Andreas Raetz, is now posted. Title in English: “Beyond Injustice – the Christian Way of Life.”

“Language Limitation,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Brian Gale, is now posted. Here is a summary:

One of many ways in which man has been limited is undoubtedly in his use of language. In whatever language, the ability to describe God and everything about Him and all that He has done, is doing and will be doing, is limited by the fact that we are human and our understanding and vocabulary is, therefore, limited. That is going to change in the future when God restores a pure new language to the nations.

“As for Me, I’ll Call on God,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

What do we do in situations where we need help and where we may think that nobody can help us? What can we learn from the examples in the Bible of those who went through exactly that? What did they do and what can we do?

On February 3, 2024, Brian Gale will present the sermonette, titled, “Language and Limitation,” and Michael Link will present the sermon, titled, “As for Me, I’ll Call on God.”

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

We all find it way too easy to point the finger at another person and say, “Well, well, look what he or she is doing.”  But when we try to condemn another person, we thereby take away a privilege that belongs to God alone.

As human beings, we can only draw conclusions from what we see or hear.

We read in John 8:3-5: “Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?’”

Jesus Christ did not answer this question right away, as verse 6 shows us: “This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.”

We don’t know what He wrote, but there was little doubt as to her guilt; she had been caught sinning. However, they did not bring the guilty man before Christ either, which was required by the law. The whole incident was an attempt to accuse Christ because of His expected decision. But Jesus did not answer them.

Verse 7 tells us: “So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.’”  We then read in verse 8: “And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.”

After a few minutes, Jesus looked up and saw no one else but the woman. Verses 10-11 continue: “When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’”

Christ makes clear at this point that He did not come to condemn people, but to save them. We should follow His example. As human beings, we can only draw conclusions from what we see or hear. But Christ told us not to judge based on physical factors. John 7:24 quotes His words: “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.’”

God tells us that before we can judge someone, we first have to be righteous ourselves. This is the message Christ gave to those who accused the adulteress.

Righteous judgment requires us to look deep into a person’s heart in order to recognize his or her innermost motives. Obtaining such insight is beyond the power of man—no matter how righteous we think we are.

Jesus said that it is easy for us to see exactly those faults in others of which we ourselves are most likely guilty.  We read in Matthew 7:3-5: “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

When we are tempted to criticize a fellow human being, we are well advised to examine our own actions and see whether we might not be on the same path. Paul warns us in Romans 2:1-3: “Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?”

Let’s try pointing a finger at someone and then have a look at our hand: there will be three fingers pointing at us.

James 4:11-12 admonishes us: “Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?”

We know that God had decided not to heal Paul’s “thorn in the flesh.” People at the time of Paul may have judged him as weak in faith or as a sinful man. But today we know that it was for the glory of God (compare 2 Corinthians 12:7-9). Anyone who condemned Paul was wrong.

Let us apply the same principle today. When we are tempted to condemn other people, let us remember that we have no idea what God has in mind for that person.

Many times, we don’t even know all the circumstances that are involved, causing a person to act in a certain way. And we have no idea of the tremendous battle someone might be fighting.

Christ must have seen something in the adulterous woman who was standing before Him, that the accusers could not or did not want to recognize. Although she was guilty, Jesus could see that she detested the deed she had committed. He could see that she was repentant, and He forgave her.

In Isaiah 11:3-4, we read about Christ after His return: “…And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth…”

Then we will rule and reign under Christ, and then we will be able to judge with perfect righteousness.

(Initial translation: Daniel Blasinger)

by Norbert Link

We begin with alarming developments pertaining to Russia, NATO and Europe; as well as the controversial American politics in Europe and the UK; continue with America’s failures regarding its many wars and military actions; and speak on the first fatality of American soldiers in the Middle East since October 7.

We address at some length the Southern Border standoff and the showdown between the Biden Administration and the state of Texas; and we reveal the horrendous activities of a Covid Lab in America.

In this regard, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “America’s Self-Inflicted Downfall.”

We point out that most of the US money designated for Ukraine does not reach Ukraine; address Netanyahu’s intention to “do it alone” when it comes to the war in Gaza, if the USA and others were to withdraw their support; speak on a UN agency harboring terrorists; and report on Justin Trudeau’s evil schemes and his persecution of opponents.

We conclude with ridiculous nonsense of the EU regarding gendered language guidelines.

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

Russia Warns Europe and NATO

Newsweek wrote on January 27:

“Earlier this week, NATO launched a military exercise called ‘Steadfast Defender 2024.’ The operation will run through May and entail around 90,000 military personnel training in several European countries, including Poland, Russia’s neighbor. The goal of the exercise is to ‘test and refine NATO’s defense plans for reinforcing European defenses against a near-peer adversary,’ according to a statement from NATO.

“While Russia was not named in the announcement, NATO states in its 2022 Strategic Concept, a document that identifies security challenges facing the military bloc, ‘The Russian Federation poses the most significant and direct threat to Allies’ security.’…

“During a briefing, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the operation ‘provocative in nature,’ Russian state media Tass reported on Friday… ‘This step is deliberately aimed at escalating things. It increases the risk of military incidents and could ultimately lead to tragic consequences for Europe.’ Zakharova said that Russia ‘has no plans to attack NATO countries,’ despite fears of escalating global conflict if Russia was to win its invasion of Ukraine…

“During her recent briefing, Zakharova said that ‘the chairman of its [NATO] military committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, said that the alliance is preparing for a conflict with Russia. Similar comments have also been repeatedly heard from the leadership of NATO countries’…”

It was reported by Bild Online on January 29 that almost half of Germans are afraid of an attack by Russia, and almost 40% are building up supplies.

And Now… US Nuclear Weapons in the UK?

The Telegraph wrote on January 26:

“The United States is planning to station nuclear weapons in the UK for the first time in 15 years… the US intends to place nuclear warheads three times the strength of the Hiroshima bomb at the air base… The disclosure comes in the wake of warnings that Nato countries need to ready their citizens for war with Russia… Boris Johnson on Friday night backed Sir Patrick’s call for a citizen army, as he pledged to sign up if the UK went to war with Russia…

“Russia has stated that the placement of US weapons in Britain would be viewed by Moscow as an ‘escalation’ and would be met with ‘compensating counter-measures’…

“The US currently has warheads stationed in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey, under a Nato nuclear-sharing arrangement….”

It is as if America is creating its own Frankenstein monster.

Nuclear Deterrent for Europe?

Express wrote on January 28:

“Calls by top eurocrat Manfred Weber for the European Union to be equipped with its own nuclear deterrent are ‘shocking and worrying’, Reform UK deputy leader Ben Habib has said…

“[He claimed] that any such development would in itself represent ‘a threat to world peace’… ‘The EU is going rogue. Not only does it want its own European army, it now wants nuclear weapons directly under its control.’”

Europe will obtain both.

American Fighter Jets for Turkey

Newsmax wrote on January 27:

“The Biden administration has approved the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey following the Turkish government’s ratification this week of Sweden’s membership in NATO…

“The State Department notified Congress of its approval of the $23 billion F-16 sale to Turkey, along with a companion $8.6 billion sale of advanced F-35 fighter jets to Greece, late Friday…

“NATO ally Turkey has long sought to upgrade its F-16 fleet and had made its ratification of Sweden’s membership contingent on the approval of the sale of the new planes. The Biden administration had supported the sale, but several lawmakers had expressed objections due to human rights concerns…

“Sweden’s formal accession to NATO now depends on Hungary, which is the last remaining NATO ally not to have approved its membership…”

To send F-16s to Turkey, which is being run by a ruthless dictator, is another bone-headed decision of the Biden Administration.

America’s Failure

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on January 26:

“The breaking news that Ansar Allah (Houthi) fighters have fired on the USS Carney in the Red Sea today (Friday, 26 Jan.) underscores the shocking failure of the Biden Administration, which initiated airstrikes on the Houthis this month with no plan for ‘victory’ beyond hoping that the mere presence of US warships would intimidate them into surrendering… it was the kind of doomed operation that, had cooler (i.e. non-political) Pentagon heads prevailed, would never in a million years have been launched. There was simply no possibility of success and 100 percent probability of failure…

“Yesterday, the US Navy attempted to escort two Maersk tankers – the Maersk Detroit and the Maersk Chesapeake – through the Red Sea loaded with weapons for Israel. This after nine rounds of US airstrikes on the Houthis. The US show of force backfired into an unprecedented… moment… It was a massive defeat for the notion of US military superiority…  today the Houthis again fired on US military ships in the Red Sea and have again scored a massive success…

“Even the most comatose US Members and Senators are starting to wake up to the fact that Joe Biden… is taking the country to war without any authorization. Attacks against Biden’s forces in Iraq, Syria, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean will escalate. And he is backed into a corner. What’s next?”

America is entering into more and more wars… without any realistic hope of success.

US Soldiers Killed in Jordan Drone Attack

Reuters reported on January 28:

“Three U.S. service members were killed and dozens may be wounded after an unmanned aerial drone attack on U.S. forces stationed in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border, President Biden… said. Biden blamed Iran-backed groups for the attack, the first deadly strike against U.S. forces since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October and sent shock waves throughout the Middle East…

“The attack is a major escalation of the already tense situation in the Middle East…Since [October 7], U.S. forces have come under attack more than 150 times by Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria, causing at least 70 casualties prior to Sunday’s attack, most of them traumatic brain injuries…”

Axios wrote on January 28:

“President Biden is facing calls from congressional hawks to escalate attacks on Iran-linked targets, including within Iran itself… Heeding those calls would risk significantly expanding and drawing the U.S. further into an already growing regional conflict that has sprung up as a result of the Israel-Hamas war…

“Senate Minority Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called for ‘serious, crippling costs’ to Iran, ‘not only on front-line terrorist proxies, but on their Iranian sponsors who wear American blood as a badge of honor.’

“Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), said in a statement the attacks the U.S. has carried out on Iranian proxies outside Iran ‘will not deter Iranian aggression,’ calling to ‘strike targets of significance inside Iran.’ ‘The only answer to these attacks must be devastating military retaliation against Iran’s terrorist forces, both in Iran and across the Middle East,’ said Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). ‘Anything less will confirm Joe Biden as a coward unworthy of being commander-in-chief.’…

“Biden would likely face an outcry from many members of his own party if he retaliated to the degree some Republicans are advocating for.”

With all these meaningless talks, the momentum for action has already been lost. Now, Biden announced that some unspecified retaliation will occur in the future, but apparently not in Iran.

Southern Border Standoff

LifeSiteNews wrote on January 27:

“Former FBI executives have warned Congress that military-age men from ‘hostile’ nations and regions are invading the U.S. through the southern border, significantly elevating the risk of a terror attack [cautioning] that the threat ‘may be one of the most pernicious ever to menace the United States’…

“Until this ‘invasion’ is halted, the U.S. is ‘extraordinarily less safe and secure,’ the officials warned…

“A week after the letter was written, Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared that the ‘failure of the Biden Administration’ to protect the country against invasion from across the southern border triggered Article I, § 10, Clause 3, which he said gives Texas the ‘constitutional authority to defend and protect itself.’  Abbott then pressed in securing the Texas southern border with razor-wire fencing, which had been previously cut down by federal border patrol agents.

“President Joe Biden yesterday expressed support for a border deal being negotiated in the U.S. Senate. The legislation would mandate the expulsion of illegal immigrants across the border if ‘migrant encounters’ surpass 5,000 a day. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has slammed the deal as a ‘farce’…”

Politico added on January 27:

“While many Senate Republicans are on board with the deal, it is far less popular among Trump-aligned House Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson.”

Trump spoke out against the deal as well, saying “a bad border deal is far worse than no border deal.”

It’s a Mass Invasion

PBS wrote on January 25:

“Earlier this week, the Supreme Court said U.S. Border Patrol agents could remove razor wire that the state put in place along the Rio Grande River. The Homeland Security Department is demanding immediate access to a section of the border and being blocked with razor wire and fencing. But Texas Governor Greg Abbott is doubling down, blocking the agents from entering the area and saying Texas constitutional authority is… ‘the supreme law of the land and supersedes any federal statutes to the contrary.’”

Newsmax wrote on January 27:

“North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum told Newsmax on Saturday that the battle between the states and the federal government over whether to secure the southern border has turned into a ‘constitutional crisis.’ ‘As you know, this is a mass invasion,’ Burgum, a former candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, [said]. ‘This debate… is about national security, and it’s about public safety. And so, of course, we stand with [Texas] Gov. [Greg] Abbott, because the federal government is really abdicating its responsibility.’”

Newsmax wrote on January 28:

“Donald Trump… promised that he will support Texas in its battle to secure the border… ‘Instead of fighting border states, I will use every resource tool and authority of the U.S. president to defend the United States of America from this horrible invasion that is taking place right now,’ Trump said… Trump further thanked Abbott and Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, as well as the state of Texas, ‘for rightly invoking the invasion clause of the U.S. Constitution. It’s an invasion.’”

A People’s Republic of Texas?

Business Insider wrote on January 28:

“A former Russian president and ally of Vladimir Putin taunted the Biden administration over the Texas border crisis and suggested a ‘destructive civil confrontation’ in the US could be coming. Dmitry Medvedev criticized ‘senile old man Biden’ for the high numbers of migrants trying to cross into the US at the southern border…

“Medvedev said that the possibility of establishing a ‘People’s Republic of Texas’ is getting ‘more and more real,’ days after Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene suggested a ‘national divorce’ between blue and red states over the issue of migration…

“The dispute has inflamed loose talk of civil war and resistance from conservative media and US politicians… Former President Donald Trump has made stoking concerns over immigration a central plank of his campaign for his second Republican nomination for president…”

Biden Administration vs. Texas

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on January 29:

“Texas Governor Greg Abbott… issued a statement declaring that ‘an invasion under Article I, Section 10, Clause 3’ of the US Constitution is underway and invoking ‘Texas’s constitutional authority to defend and protect itself.’

“Here Governor Abbott answers an important question I brought up back in my 1988 US Presidential run: at what point do open borders and mass illegal immigration into the US become an ‘invasion,’ which would grant governors the authority – and obligation – to take action?

“By some estimates, more than six million illegal immigrants have crossed into the United States during the three years of the Biden Administration. These illegals likely mostly come from Mexico and Central America, but the fact is we have no idea how many of them may be arriving from, for example, the Middle East or other war-torn areas of the world. Last month even the New York Times wrote of the disaster on the US border that, ‘thousands of migrants are arriving at the border every day, trekking from the farthest reaches of the globe, from Africa to Asia to South America, driven by relentless violence, desperation and poverty.’…

“… if the Biden Administration intends to use the Supreme Court ruling to take action against the Texas border barrier there are… ways of defending the border. Rep. Thomas Massie took to Twitter last week to recount a meeting he and a group of US House Members had with the late Justice Antonin Scalia. At the breakfast, Massie wrote, Justice Scalia told the group to quit complaining about Supreme Court rulings and start defunding rulings they oppose. As Massie explained in another Tweet, ‘Congress can render the 5-4 Supreme Court decision against Texas IRRELEVANT by simply refusing to fund Biden’s removal of border security measures.’ Nullification through the ‘power of the purse’ is an important tool given to Congress in the US Constitution and it could be easily exercised in this case…”

Great idea. However, will a weak and divided Congress be willing to do this?

Biden Lies and Lies…

The New York Post wrote on January 29:

“For three years, Joe Biden and his repulsive Homeland Security chief, Alejandro Mayorkas, have encouraged the Third World to enter America illegally. At least 8 million have answered their siren song. Only now that the sheer numbers of illegal aliens causing mayhem and busting budgets in Democratic cities like New York have become an electoral liability has Biden had an epiphany.

“So he is doing what he does best: telling lies to weasel out of blame. Now he claims he needs Republicans in Congress to give him the ‘authority to shut down the border when it becomes overwhelmed…’

“But he already has the authority. He could shut down the border today. He has spent three years lying that the border is ‘secure’ and now he’s lying that he needs new laws to secure it… He signed 94 executive actions in his first 100 days to dismantle Donald Trump-era border protections. He could reinstate them with the stroke of a pen.

“But in the most astonishing act of political self-harm, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his merry band of never-Trumpers are giving Biden cover for his lies and setting their party up for Democrats to blame for the border disaster, as long as the billions keep flowing to Ukraine…

“Everyone knows what Biden has done. We see it in overwhelmed hospitals and schools, shattered budgets, crime and disorder and the sheer unfairness of illegal aliens living high on the hog in flashy Manhattan hotels while American veterans sleep on the street…”

Mitch McConnell has overstayed his position far too long.

Trump the “Sitting President”?

The New York Post wrote on January 29:

“President Biden is being ridiculed for his latest blunder, appearing to call his predecessor, Donald Trump, the ‘sitting president.’ The gaffe-prone commander in chief’s blunder came during a speech in South Carolina on Saturday as he repeatedly called former President Trump a ‘loser.’… But online commentators soon said Biden was the real loser as he slipped up while discussing how ‘American consumers are facing real confidence in the economy we’re building. ‘Let me tell you who else is noticing that: Donald Trump,’ Biden said before he stumbled on his words. ‘Did you see what he recently said about … he wants to, he wants to see the economy crash this year? A sitting president,’ he said without correcting himself…

“His comment about the ‘sitting president’ was met with widespread ridicule… Trump backers reveled in Biden’s slip-up, which appeared to corroborate the Republican frontrunner’s… claims to have won the 2020 presidential election amid alleged voter fraud.”

Maybe Biden spoke inadvertently the Truth… for a change.

How Leftists Try to Defeat Trump

Breitbart wrote on January 26:

“A well-coordinated, well-funded, and high-powered network of leftist organizations… is behind the push to remove former President Donald Trump, the 2024 frontrunner for president from any party, from the ballot…

“But it’s much broader than that: For years, this network of leftists grew from a powerful vast left-wing conspiracy unmasked a decade ago into now being the dominating force on the left determined to stop Trump at all costs. What’s more, these leftists clearly control what top Democrats are saying, forcing their leaders to adopt their narrative. They even regularly openly brag about controlling what the sitting President of the United States says, taking credit for Democrat President Joe Biden’s dark reelection campaign messaging, where Biden has warned of ‘MAGA extremists’ on the rise…

“The level of influence and control that this leftist network has over elected officials is essentially unprecedented in world history. Everyone from the sitting president of the United States to top law enforcement officials at the federal, state, and local level to leading Democrats in Congress and in states around the country are using these leftists’ playbook and talking points, following them close to verbatim. Nothing remotely like it exists on the right in U.S. politics, and never before has there been such a sophisticated leftist structure in control of at least half of American discourse in a presidential election year…

“Some of the talking points or suggested actions from these leftist groups have shown up later – not just in the legal push to kick Trump off the ballot in several states,, but also seem to have formed at least part of the groundwork for the various indictments he faces, like one from Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation. But beyond simply preceding and fueling the indictments against Trump, these leftist groups have cheered them and organized activists to further politically weaponize them in a manner designed to hurt Trump and any Republicans who associate with him…

“George Soros, the left-wing billionaire, among many other luminaries on the radical left, had come together during the George W. Bush administration as an effort to resist Bush’s policies and push the Democrat agenda in Washington…”

That Soros and other lefties are supporting Biden and the Democrats and fighting Trump has not been a secret. However, the extent to which they are able and willing to go might be somewhat shocking.

America’s Covid Lab

The U.S. Sun wrote on January 29:

“Photos and footage obtained by watchdog White Coast Waste show scientists at the Rocky Mountain Lab sedating monkeys and pigs – and carrying out experiments with deadly viruses. White Coat Waste has described the lab as a ‘bioagent superlab’ that infects animals with highly contagious and deadly diseases – such as Ebola, Lassa fever, Nipah, and even the plague… Last year, White Coat Waste revealed that the lab was experimenting with SARS-like viruses just a year before the Covid outbreak as part of a collaboration with the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

“The Wuhan lab has been at the centre of a storm over the origins of Covid – with many claiming the virus leaked from the facility during experiments on bat coronaviruses. Experiments with SARS-like viruses at the Rocky Mountain Lab have reportedly stopped – but experiments on deadly pathogens are still being carried out, White Coat Waste said. And some of the deadly diseases have the potential to spark a new pandemic.

“Experiments include injecting pigs with Ebola and injecting monkeys with Covid, White Coat Waste said. Researchers also studied how monkeys react to hemorrhagic fever – which causes bleeding and organ failure…”

The stupidity of man and especially of scientists is breathtaking.

US Money Not Going to Ukraine

Breitbart wrote on January 29:

“The $130 billion sent to Ukraine so far for its war against Russia is apparently not actually going to Ukraine…

“… a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Embassy told Breitbart that ‘funds authorized by American lawmakers to support Ukraine’s armament are not directly allocated to Ukraine’… The spokesperson explained that, instead, a ‘significant portion’ of the billions of dollars to Ukraine is ‘utilized in the United States for the construction of new weapons or to replenish those dispatched to Kyiv from U.S. reserves,’ adding that ‘an analysis’ (not specifically cited) found that ‘nearly 90 percent’ of aid granted by Congress ‘is benefiting American interests.’… ‘American interests’ in this context presumably means weapons manufacturers.

“The Associated Press reported Sunday that employees from a Ukrainian arms firm ‘conspired with defense ministry officials to embezzle almost $40 million’ allocated for weapons purchases. The news comes months after the New York Times reported on the sacking of Ukraine’s minister of defense due to ‘graft’ and ‘financial mismanagement’ in the department, amid an avalanche of cash coming from the United States to fund the beleaguered war effort, and as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asks for more. The Times report said some prepayments for weapons had ‘vanished’ in the bank accounts of weapons dealers, among ‘about $980 million in weapons contracts’ that ‘missed their delivery dates,’ in 2023…”

Again, this has been suspected all along. It is the weapon industry and the military which are profiting greatly from the Ukraine war.

Netanyahu: We Will Do It Alone!

The New York Times wrote on January 28:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is ready to ‘do it alone’ when it comes to the war in Gaza, as President Biden is accused of sending mixed messages on the US stance over the conflict… ‘Too many countries and too many leaders have been asleep too long. We have to act to assure that Iran will not have nuclear weapons, and I certainly intend to do so.’

“The prime minister characterized the bloody war against the Palestinian terror group Hamas as just one fight in a much broader struggle for the future of global domination — with Iran on one side and the Western world on the other.’

“…Iran is the primary backer of Hamas, the extremist Muslim group which violently attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,200 civilians and sparking the war which has waged between Gaza and the Jewish state since. Besides Hamas, Iran backs numerous extremist and terror groups in the Middle East known as the Axis of Resistance, which effectively serve as proxy forces in a wider campaign to annihilate Israel, expel western influence from the region and reshape the geopolitical map with Iran at its center.

“Other prominent terror groups doing Iran’s bidding include the Houthis in Yemen — who have disrupted global trade and drawn strikes from US forces by raiding merchant ships in the Red Sea — and Hezbollah along the Israeli border in Lebanon, which has been on the brink of opening a second front in the Gaza war for months…

“Biden officials have reportedly considered slowing down or halting weapons deliveries to Israel to try to pressure the nation into scaling back its offensive in Gaza…”

UN Agency Harbored Terrorists

The New York Post wrote on January 29:

“The United Nations aid agency staffers accused of taking part in Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel included some who provided rocket-propelled grenades — as well as others who actively killed and kidnapped Israelis, according to a damning dossier of intel given to the US. At least 10 of the 12 fired last week by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) were active members of Hamas, while another was affiliated with the Islamic Jihad… In total, Israeli officials say a dozen employees from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency actively took part in the terrorist attack — prompting the aid agency to announce on Friday that it fired nine of the staffers who were still alive, as an investigation continues. Two others have since died, according to the agency.

“The US immediately cut funding to the agency in the wake of the allegations, the State Department said — marking a significant reversal from the Biden administration’s strong support for UNRWA… Other nations including Canada, Italy, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Finland have since announced they were pausing any additional aid to the agency… But Hamas has slammed Israeli ‘threats’ against UNRWA, urging the UN and other international groups not to ‘cave into the threats of blackmail.’ The Palestinian Authority is also urging countries to reverse their suspension of funds…”

Austria on Monday joined 14 other countries in suspending funding for UNRWA over the accusations. In addition to the countries mentioned above, they include Estonia, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, the Netherlands, Scotland and Switzerland.

Trudeau’s Evil Schemes

The New York Post wrote on January 29:

“Justin Trudeau… turned the federal government’s power on the COVID-mandate-protesting truckers… in 2022, jailing them, seizing their rigs and even shutting down their bank accounts (‘debanking,’ as it’s known) — though that last came to a swift end when enough Canadians withdrew their money to threaten a bank run.

“We were told the truckers were ‘right-wing extremists,’ probably racist and possibly agents for the dreaded MAGA cabal… This… mostly went to show just how afraid the West’s leadership has become of a populist revolt…

“Last week, Federal Court Judge Richard Mosley found that the Canadian government overstepped legal bounds in going after the truckers, writing, ‘I conclude that there was no national emergency justifying the invocation of the Emergencies Act and the decision to do so was therefore unreasonable.’.. Recent independent journalism has demonstrated this ‘unreasonable’ decision wasn’t simply an honest mistake. It was the product of a deliberate campaign of deception and denigration the government organized with help from its media allies…

“Here in the United States we’ve seen a similar phenomenon. And European governments have been rolling out a similar script to deal with those who complain about unrestricted immigration and farmers’ protests against ‘green’ policies designed to shut them down. Apparently anyone who challenges the insider crowd’s power is the next Hitler… 

“As journalist Elizabeth Nickson writes, ‘If Canada were a state, it would be poorer than West Virginia or Mississippi, despite being the second-largest country, with abundant natural resources, in the world, blessed with a highly educated populace…’”

These are the fruits of dictatorial rule; the “green” policy; and a spineless and corrupt mass media.  

The EU’s “Gendered Language” Guidelines… Utter Nonsense

The Daily Mail wrote on January 29:

“The EU has called for ‘gendered language’… A 61-page document advises policymakers, legislators and the media to revise the order of common phrases such as ‘King and Queen’ or ‘brother and sister‘ in which the male comes first. 

“It suggests to ‘try swapping the order of these phrases sometimes’. [Rather than saying King and Queen, we ought to say Queen and King. The same for brother and sister.]

“Tory MP Nick Fletcher has called the guidelines ‘nonsense‘ and argued that the EU had ‘far more serious issues’ that it should be concerned about. The famous Star Trek line, ‘To boldly go where no man has gone before’, is noted in the bundle as an example for which ‘women may be subject to invisibility or omission’. 

“Former Tory MP Ann Widdecombe [said]: ‘It’s ridiculous.’ Nigel Mills, Conservative MP for Amber Valley, [said]: ‘This is utter madness. It’s an attack on the English language.’

“Even though Britain officially left the EU in January 2020, English is still its official language. 

Other “gendered language” alternatives were:

“No man’s land” to be changed to “unclaimed territory.” “Best man for the job” should be changed to “best candidate for the job.” “Repairman” should be changed to “repairer” or “technician.”

It is only a matter of time until silly EU politicians will also fool around with the Bible and recommend a “gender-neutral language” in this regard as well; replacing God the Father and the Man Jesus Christ with some blasphemous alternatives.

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.

Having reviewed both the criticism and approval of the family model God gave at the dawn of civilisation in the previous five Q&A’s, let us now look at Scriptures that show how necessary the family is in a well-ordered society and how it will be in the soon-coming Kingdom of God on earth when Jesus Christ returns.

In our booklet “The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families”, we read the following on page 18 under the heading “The Christian Family”:

“As the Bible gives clear instructions as to the individual roles and functions of husbands and wives, it also explains the duties and responsibilities of fathers and mothers toward their children, and of the children toward their parents.

“As we have far too many marriage problems, we also have FAR too many family problems. Too often, parents know little about proper parenting, and rebellious children are the result. Children who are victims of divorce are expected to be resilient when someone they love suddenly disappears from their life. More often than not, they grow up with multiple mothers, fathers, and grandparents due to remarriage, and yet are left to fend for themselves too much of the time, because no one has time for them.

“We read, in fact, a startling and sobering prophecy in the Bible for the very last days—just prior to the return of Christ—that addresses the tragic reality of broken families. Sadly, this situation HAS also affected the attitudes of true Christians, and God says that unless these conditions change, something terrible will happen to this planet.”  

This booklet was written in 2002 and problems with family matters have worsened as we have seen with continued empowerment of minority interests who have little or no interest in promoting marriage and the family unit.

In Colossians 1:15-16 when talking about Jesus Christ, we read: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.”

We see here that God created all things through His Son, Jesus Christ.  In Genesis 1:26-28 we read:

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’”

This clearly shows that God the Father and Jesus Christ were both involved in the creation, and man was made in their image.

Genesis 2:21-25 shows that Adam and Eve were man and wife and that a man was to leave the family home and be married:

“And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: ‘This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”

There is no suggestion anywhere in the Bible that there were to be more than two sexes – just male and female who were to become man and wife.   Today, there are those who would have you believe that there are over 100 different gender identities.  It was reported in January 2021 that a BBC programme aimed at 9-12-year-olds included the astonishing claim that there are ‘over 100 gender identities’. The film, “Identity – Understanding Sexual and Gender Identities”, is being offered on the corporation’s website as part of its relationships and sex education package.  It comes despite Government guidance published last year which advised schools to exercise caution when teaching children about gender issues.   This just shows how even a national broadcaster, of long-standing, can be biased when it takes a stance on the matter of gender identity which can then affect the traditional and godly family.   

The article about the BBC went on to say that “The programme, which features children asking adults about sexuality and gender on behalf of their peers, suggests the different identities include ‘bi-gender’, ‘gender-queer’ and ‘pansexual’.”  The film also tells children that becoming transgender is “a way to be ‘happy’ while making no mention of the growing legal and medical concerns about the rising number of children saying they want to change gender.”

The BBC said teachers were “strongly advised” to watch the film before viewing it with their pupils.

God says there are male and female only; the BBC and many others say that there are 100 different gender identities, depending on who is making the claim.   Who do we believe?  God who is the great Creator of heaven and earth or fallible man who makes up his own mind contrary to his Creator?

In Matthew 19:4-6 Jesus, the Creator along with His Father, had this to say about a question that the Pharisees put to Him: “And He answered and said to them, ‘Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning “made them male and female,” and said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh”? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together [or “bound”], let not man separate.’”

And so, Jesus confirmed that marriage was God-ordained.   A man and his wife and children from that union was a family.

In Ephesians 5:22-33, Paul teaches about marriage and the husband’s and wife’s responsibilities, and mentions the comparison with Christ and the Church which shows why marriage and the family are so important.   Satan knows this and that is why, as the prince of the power of the air (see Ephesians 2:2), he is broadcasting his opposition to those who are members of the Church who will marry Christ at His return (see Revelation 19:7-9).

There are many other Scriptures that further show how a family is to behave and function which is for their own good (see Exodus 20:12; Proverbs 1:8; 6:20; 15:20; 20:7; 22:6; Ephesians 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Timothy 3:4; and many others).

CONCLUSION:

The attack on the institution of the family is being brought about by a concerted effort by many in the education of the young, and not so young, including by many politicians and a growing number in all the many facets of the media and even some mainstream churches, who “go with the flow” rather than with biblical injunction.   That’s a heady mix of influencers and pressure groups who mold and shape society to their way of thinking.  It does seem in some cases, that once a group has achieved their goals, they are then emboldened and then try and stifle any further discussion on the matter.  

Schools, colleges and universities have access to the minds of their pupils from a young age where they can be molded and shaped according to society’s immoral and God-defying culture.

In her book “Aware, Not Woke” Noelle Mering makes these interesting comments on pages 73/74 in the chapter “Will Over Reason: “Rather than conforming ourselves to him, we have made ourselves into our own gods around whom God must adjust.   Instead of progress, this is the worst form of cultural regression.   It is as if the scientific community returned to the pre-Copernicum thinking of the sun revolving around the earth.

“In order to disobey God, we must first diminish him.   We will not adore a being who is our subordinate.  We don’t stand in awe of what is beneath us.   Once diminished, devotion to him becomes unnecessary but unreasonable.   This is why for so many today, the Christian faith seems to be a sign of weakness, or even stupidity.

“In ensuring God revolves around us, we conceive of him as being what he is not, and in that void, we make gods of ourselves.   This is at the heart of the will’s triumph over reason, over nature and over God.     What we desire becomes right by the sheer fact of desiring it.   It is now we, not he, who know all, love all, are all powerful.   If we keep God around at all, it is for the sake of sentimentalism or custom.   Either way, it will not last.”

Those are powerful words about the current woke culture where they seem to insist that God must bend according to the will of man.  It is stupidity on a massive scale that will ultimately fail.   And those who want to reduce God to having to bend to the will of puny man are those who also want to dismantle and dismiss the importance of the family as we have known it over the last 6,000 years.

There can be little doubt that there are many who are on a quest to try and eliminate the family as we know it—that which has been the hallmark and bedrock of a stable society down through the ages. God who created mankind in the first place, set out the right way of living which is clearly revealed in the pages of the Bible.   However, the world’s best-selling book is probably one of the least read or understood and many just ignore its profound wisdom. The reason is that Satan has blinded their minds so that in most cases they CANNOT see and understand. 

In Hosea 4:6 we read a prophecy where God levels charges against Israel which also applies today:

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

In the previous few verses are other charges laid against Israel both then, and now, for their lack of restraint and disobedience.   Surely, we can see how this applies in our lands today.

The divorce rate in most of the English-speaking nations continues to be high but because there are so many doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with the institutions of marriage and the family, but the problem is always with the people concerned, albeit sometimes when it may not be their fault.

The institution of family is perfect!   It is perfect because God created a man and a woman and instructed them to be a family and raise children.   Any problems with any family are because of the individuals involved, not the institution itself.

Always a good question to ask is “What are the fruits?” and in connection with all of the immorality and God-defying attitudes today, the answer will be obvious for those who have eyes to see.

All the information that we have looked at in these 6 Q&A’s are but a drop in the ocean, but they should give us a reasonable overview of the parlous state our nations are in.  Many people around the world may not always fully appreciate how far this assault on the God-ordained family has gone, along with many other ungodly practices.   Those of us in the Church of God need to make sure that we are not taken in by any of the practices which society allows, and in many cases encourages.   We are fighting an uphill battle as a sodomite-type culture continually approves of wrong behaviour, and we know what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah!

In the soon-coming Kingdom of God, true, right and good governance will be the order of the day under the righteous rule of Jesus Christ and His government here on earth.   That is the future that all of God’s people must be looking forward to, but in the meantime, all of those who have been called and chosen by God need to ensure that we are following His righteous ways and recognising the stupidity of man’s current governance.

We know that Satan and his demons want to cause doubt and distress to those who are being, and have been called and chosen.  By sowing seeds of doubt about the institution of the God-ordained family, these spiritual forces reduce the importance of it in so many people’s minds. In our Q&A, “Where will the marriage supper between Christ and His Church be held?” we read:

“Revelation 19:7-9 states the following about the marriage between Christ and His Church: ‘Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb [Jesus Christ, compare Revelation 5:1-14] has come, and His wife [the Church, compare Ephesians 5:31-32] has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’”” 

Here we read of the importance to God of the marriage supper and to the future Family of God.   Undermining marriage, as society now dictates, will in many people’s minds reduce and possibly eliminate the need for people to be married at all at this time, and this will inevitably impact their view of marriage.   Such people could have a hard time understanding the marriage supper of the Lamb! 

We mentioned our booklet “The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families” earlier and it seems appropriate to finish this Q&A with the final paragraphs on page 36 from this booklet under the heading “Use These Keys!”:

“We have seen from the Bible the vital keys to happy marriages and families. God wants mankind to apply His perfect laws for our own good. In fact, if we do, God will be in our marriages and in our families, guiding and protecting us as we seek to follow His lead. In Isaiah 66:2, God promises to help us, if we have an attitude pleasing to Him, ‘But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.’

“In the book of Malachi, God takes special note of those who fear or respect Him and who esteem His name. Consider what God says to those people, ‘‘“…And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him”’’ (Malachi 3:17). God is revealed in the Bible as our Father (cp. Matthew 6:9; 23:9). He wants His family to be happy, and the way for us to do that is to apply His keys revealed to us for this tremendous purpose.

“We have been given an awesome privilege of knowing HOW we can better our marriage and family relationships. But with knowledge comes responsibility! We need to ACT upon what we know! Rather than being forgetful hearers or readers, let’s become DOERS of the Word of God (James 1:22–25). And if we do that, the product will be happy and successful relationships, and our marriages and families will stabilize and will last.

“It’s up to us now to respond to God’s challenge—are we going to apply God’s Word in our lives, or not? Our very physical and spiritual survival—as well as the survival of our families—will depend on it!”

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“America’s Self-Inflicted Downfall,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

We are observing more and more America’s downfall which is, sadly, self-inflicted. It is as if we are watching a self-fulfilling prophecy about a country which is creating its own Frankenstein monster. From US nuclear weapons being stored in Europe to the sale of fighter jets to Turkey; from terrible experiments in America’s labs with the potential of spreading deadly pandemics to America’s failure in its “fight” with the Houthis; from the death of three US service members through an Iran-sponsored attack in Jordan to the “invasion” at the southern border—America, a once great country, is plagued with incredible problems beyond solution.

“How Can Young People… Cope With Life?” our newest booklet, is now posted.

“Seit wann kennt Gott SIE?” this Sabbath’s German sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Title in English:  “Since When Did God Know You?”

“Eine Welt im Stress,” last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Mario Danisch, is now posted. Title in English: “A World in Stress.”

“To Be Like God,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Paul Niehoff, is now posted. Here is a summary:

God has made a promise in many scriptures that we will see God as He is after our resurrection. This, of course, is not possible in our present state, as we must be changed for this to occur.

“Since When Did God Know You?” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Did God know YOU before you were born? And if so, when did God “start” to know you, by name? From the foundation of the world? Before the foundation of the world? Before time began? The Bible has much to say about God’s “foreknowledge” and the fact that some have been “predestined” to be ”called” for salvation in this day and age.  What exactly does this mean for YOU?

On January 27, 2024, Paul Niehoff will present the sermonette, titled, “To Be Like God” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “When Did God Know You? 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.

I read an interesting quote recently: “One of the greatest challenges each society faces is deciding what constitutes ‘truth.’ Whoever holds that power wields enormous influence and steers the direction of that society for better or for worse. For centuries, ‘truth’ was delegated to the ruling institutions of the time, and hence truth was simply the narrative which conformed to their interests.” These ruling institutions of the various times could be the king, the government or the religious leaders of the day.

Of course, this “truth” was usually far removed from God’s truth and was more than likely inspired by Satan, who we know is a liar. And currently, he is the ruler of this world or the god of this age (refer John 14:30, John 16:11 and 2 Corinthians 4:4). So today, we live in a world with many lies.

Some of these lies may have small immediate consequences, but some are quite deadly. A couple of these lies with deadly consequences come to mind readily. The most recent are statements about the Covid vaccines, that they are safe and effective. This narrative was proclaimed from all official sources basically in unison around the world. As has been shown over the past few years, many thousands have died from these vaccines and many more have been seriously injured. As it also has been discovered, any effectiveness these vaccines had wears off very quickly and makes their recipients more likely to suffer from the current virus or even other illnesses. Those doctors who saved lives with early treatment for Covid were censured because they were going against the narrative (the official “truth”). Some lost their medical license and received fines for going against the government directive that certain early treatments were not allowed.

Another lie we heard in 2003, was that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and they were developing nuclear weapons. This lie was spread so that the U.S. and some allies had a reason to go to war. When the U.S. military invaded Iraq, no weapons of mass destruction were found, neither was there any evidence that nuclear weapons were being developed. In fact, some intelligence agencies knew beforehand that this was a lie, but they were ignored. However, this lie resulted in the death of over two hundred and eighty thousand Iraqi citizens and thousands of US troops.

As it turned out, both of these lies resulted in vast profits for the medical and military industries, so they had a vested interest in pushing these lies. Certainly, this showed that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (refer to 1 Timothy 6:10).

In Proverbs 6:16-19, God lists things He hates. “These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.” In this list, it is significant that lying is mentioned twice to reinforce its importance.

While this sin of lying has been extant over the millennia, it has been greatly enabled by the increased use of technology in this modern age. The use of Artificial Intelligence will further aid the dissemination of lies in the future. It will be more difficult to discern between lies and the truth.

The only hope this world has is for Jesus Christ to return as the king of the earth. So, what will be the ultimate fate of liars? Revelation 21:8 informs us, “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, idolater, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstones, which is the second death.”

Revelation 22:14-15 reinforces this: “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.”

We must be striving in our own lives to avoid lies, and constantly be praying earnestly, “Thy kingdom come,” when God’s truth alone will be lived by.

by Norbert Link

We begin with interesting revelations as to the reason for the October 7 attack on Israel and continue with Netanyahu contradicting Biden’s statement; publish articles about the Houthis and Biden’s war on Yemen which has been viewed to be unconstitutional; speak on another controversial decision by the US Supreme Court; arbitrary prohibitions regarding raw milk, medical marijuana, cigarettes and excessive alcohol consumption; and quote from an article by Boris Johnson concluding that the world needs Trump, and some speculation as to whether Tucker Carlson might be a contender for Vice President. We also report on Trump’s victory in New Hampshire.

We report on Germany’s detention of Arnold Schwarzenegger; the feeling that Germany is committing national suicide; that it must become “war-ready”; and that it fudges the math on Ukraine and NATO. We continue with Germany’s dubious treatment of the populist party AfD and mass demonstrations by leftist activists. Please view our new StandingWatch program in this regard, titled, “Why Germany’s Disaster Is Important For YOU!”

We conclude with an article claiming that Europe is becoming an anti-democratic empire and the perception that Brits are unwilling to fight for their country.

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

October 7 Attack Because of Red Heifer?

WND wrote on January 18:

“While political experts worldwide pontificate on the war in Gaza, most have overlooked Hamas’ explicitly stated reason for its Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, revealed on Day 100 of the war. Incredibly, according to the terror group’s military spokesman, it has to do with attempting to prevent the ‘ceremony of the Red Heifer’ – a mysterious event of great meaning to both Jews and Christians…

“‘We look back 100 days to remember the educated, the complicit, and the incapacitated among the world powers governed by the law of the jungle, reminding them of an aggression that reached its peak against our path (Al-Quds) and Al-Aqsa, with the start of its actual temporal and spatial division, and the ‘bringing of red cows’ as an application of a detestable religious myth designed for aggression against the feelings of an entire nation in the heart of its Arab identity, and the path of its prophet (the Night Journey) and Ascension to heaven.’

“The ‘red cows’ referred to by the Hamas leader were five red female calves brought to Israel in September 2022 by Boneh Israel, an organization that connects Christian lovers of Israel to the Holy Land, working under the auspices of the Temple Institute, an organization in Israel focusing on establishing the Third Temple…

“After the announcement of the arrival of the cows last year, Hamas reacted almost immediately, warning that the potential Jewish ritual posed a threat to Al Aqsa… According to Jewish tradition, there have been nine red heifers since the mitzvah was given at Mount Sinai and the tenth red heifer will be used in the era of the Messiah…  According to Jewish tradition, there will be only 10 red heifers in human history, with the 10th heifer ushering in the Messianic era…”

The Bible does not say anything about a tenth red heifer; nor, that it is necessary for the building of the Third Temple or the coming of the Messiah. Still, many Messianic Christians and Jews believe that it is.

Netanyahu Contradicts Biden

The Algemeiner wrote on January 20:

“U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters on Friday night that a two-state solution is possible with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite what the Israeli leader said publicly in recent days. The Israeli leader later issued a statement underscoring his opposition to a Palestinian state…

“In regards to Biden’s comments on Netanyahu being open to a two-station solution, and how that might look like, the U.S. President said ‘there are a number of types of two-state solutions.’…

“Netanyahu’s office issued a statement clarifying the leader’s stance. ‘In his conversation last night with President Biden, Prime Minister Netanyahu repeated his consistent position for years, which he also expressed at a press conference the day before: after the elimination of Hamas, Israel must remain in full security control of the Gaza Strip to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel, and this conflicts with the demand for Palestinian sovereignty.’’

Is Biden just making these things up?

Watch Yemen and the Houthis

EricMargolis.com published the following article on January 19:

“The first time I went to remote Yemen, this wild, mountainous nation was just creeping into the 7th Century AD. That was 45 years ago…  The ruler back in the day was a despot known to his less than loving subjects as ‘Ahmed the Devil.’ He liked to nail subjects who displeased him to the palace door.

“One of Yemen’s frequent civil wars was raging around the walled, medieval capital between royalists and Shia tribesmen. At dusk a ram’s horn would be blown and the city gates barred… Hardly anyone in Washington knows anything about Yemen except that it’s the southern tip of the remote Arabian Peninsula at the southern end of the Red Sea…

“American ‘experts’ scoff at the Houthis as mountain primitives… The US and Britain have been bombing Houthi tribesmen for seven years. This has only made them angrier. We also dismissed Afghanistan’s ‘backwards’ mountain warrior Pathans (Pashtuns) and look what happened – they whipped us.

“President Joe Biden, who never served in the military, should keep this in mind…”

America is about to create another Afghanistan or Vietnam for itself. Note the next article.

Biden’s Illegal and Unconstitutional Conduct

Judge Andrew P. Napolitano wrote on January 18 in the Ron Paul Institute:

“Last week, Biden used the U.S. Navy to attack militias in Yemen. He did so after learning that the militias had attacked non-American ships carrying goods and fuel destined for Israel… Yet, the questions arise: Can the president fight any war he wishes? Can Congress fund any war it chooses? Are there constitutional and legal requirements that must first be met before war is waged? Can the United States legally attack a country that is a member of the United Nations?

“These questions should be front and center in a debate over the U.S. involvement in the Middle East, Yemen, Africa, Ukraine, Iraq, Syria and wherever else U.S. troops are involved in hostilities. There has been no great debate. The media are mouthing what the CIA is telling them, and only a few websites and podcasts… are challenging the government’s reckless, immoral, illegal and unconstitutional wars.

“All power in the federal government comes from the Constitution and from no other source. Congress, however, has managed to extend its reach beyond the confines of the Constitution by giving money to the president and then looking the other way when he spends it. Congress cannot legally declare war on Gaza or Yemen or Russia, since there are no militarily grounded reasons for doing so. None of these countries poses a threat to American national security, and the U.S. has no treaty that triggers American military support to any ally implicated by those countries. But Congress spends money on wars nevertheless.

“Under the Constitution, only Congress can declare war on a nation or group. The last time it did so was to initiate American involvement in World War II. But Congress has given away limited authority to presidents and permitted them to fight undeclared wars. Examples of this are the unconstitutional War Powers Resolution of 1973 and President George W. Bush’s disastrous and criminal invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Congress has not only not declared war on Yemen; it has not authorized the use of American military forces against it. Yet, Biden has inherited a blank check in the form of the Authorization for Use of Military Force of 2001. That unconstitutional legislation cedes Congress’ war-making powers to the president for the purpose of attacking any person or group involved in the 9/11 attacks. The 9/11 attacks? They were 22 years ago! They were, but all presidents since the younger Bush have claimed authority under this law to kill whomever they pleased in the Middle East.

“In Ukraine, Congress has only authorized weapons and cash to be sent to Ukraine, but Biden has sent troops as well. The U.S. involvement in Vietnam began the same way: no declaration of war, no authorization for the use of military force, yet a gradual buildup of American troops as advisers and instructors, and then a congressionally supported land war that saw half a million American troops deployed, 10% of whom came home in body bags.

“… The War Powers Resolution, which requires presidential notification to Congress of the use of American military force, is unconstitutional because it consists of Congress giving away one of its core functions — declaring war. The Supreme Court has characterized delegating away core constitutional functions as violative of the Constitution’s separation of powers. Stated differently, Congress cannot allow the president to do its job…

“The various treaties to which the U.S. is a party limit its war-making to that which is defensive, proportional and reasonable. So, if a foreign power is about to strike — like on 9/11, while the government slept — the president can strike first in order to protect the U.S. Beyond repelling an actual attack, the basis for war must be real, the adversary’s anti-U.S. military behavior must be grave, the objective of war must be clear and attainable, and the means must be proportionate to the threat.

“Have Russia or Yemen threatened the U.S.? No. What grave acts have they committed against the U.S.? None. What is Biden’s objective? His vision of [the] American empire. Does the Congress uphold the Constitution? Does the president? The answers are obvious…”

The acts by Congress and the President seem to be clearly unconstitutional.

Controversial Decision by the US Supreme Court

The Associated Press wrote on January 21:

“A divided Supreme Court on Monday allowed Border Patrol agents to cut razor wire that Texas installed on the U.S.-Mexico border, while a lawsuit over the wire continues. The justices, by a 5-4 vote, granted an emergency appeal from the Biden administration, which has been in an escalating standoff at the border with Texas and had objected to an appellate ruling in favor of the state… Abbott also has authorized installing floating barriers in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass and allowed troopers to arrest and jail thousands of migrants on trespassing charges. The administration also is challenging those actions in federal court.

“A federal appeals court last month forced federal agents to stop cutting the concertina wire. Large numbers of migrants have crossed at Eagle Pass in recent months. In court papers, the administration said… that, in any case, federal immigration law trumps Texas’ own efforts to stem the flow of migrants into the country.

“Texas officials have argued that federal agents cut the wire to help groups crossing illegally through the river before taking them in for processing.

“Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor sided with the administration. Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas voted with Texas. No one provided any explanation for their vote.”

This is not the first time that Roberts, who has proven to be somewhat unpredictable, sided with the liberal wing of the US Supreme Court, and against the conservative wing. The consequence is, of course, that more and more migrants are entering the USA illegally.

Newsmax wrote on January 23:

“Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, reacting to the Supreme Court’s decision to temporarily let border patrol agents remove razor wire fencing that Texas officials placed along parts of [the] state’s border with Mexico, is vowing ‘this is not over.’

“Abbott made his comments… after justices granted a request by President Joe Biden’s administration to pause a lower court’s ruling that temporarily blocked federal agents from disturbing the fencing while litigation over the issue proceeds…

“Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton… wrote: ‘The Supreme Court’s temporary order allows Biden to continue his illegal effort to aid the foreign invasion of America. The destruction of Texas’s border barriers will not help enforce the law or keep American citizens safe. This fight is not over, and I look forward to defending our state’s sovereignty.’”

Arbitrary Prohibitions

On January 22, 2024, Professor Laurence M. Vance wrote the following in the Ron Paul Institute:

“Forty-six states now allow the sale of raw milk, that is, unpasteurized milk, for human consumption… Only the states of Hawaii, Louisiana, Nevada, and Rhode Island prohibit the sale or distribution of raw milk. The states of Idaho, Iowa, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming all relaxed raw dairy prohibitions in 2023.

“We are still far from food freedom in the United States: the right of any person to grow, raise, produce, buy, sell, share, and eat the foods they choose in the way they choose. But at least things are moving in the right direction. Proponents of raw milk maintain that pasteurization harms the nutritional value of milk, and that raw milk not only tastes better but prevents allergies, protects against skin conditions, and reduces the risk of asthma. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…, drinking raw milk can lead to serious illness…

“States have laws that restrict the sale of raw milk because of its supposedly adverse health consequences. And yet, any adult can go into any liquor store in any state and purchase as many bottles of liquor that he wants to and drink as much alcohol each day as he chooses until he is falling-down drunk as a skunk or passes out.

“The medical use of marijuana, beginning with California in 1996, has now been legalized in 38 states, the District of Columbia, and the other U.S. territories of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands…  We are still far from marijuana freedom in the United States, that is, the right of any person to buy, sell, grow, process, transport, advertise, use, or possess marijuana but at least things are moving in the right direction. Proponents of marijuana tout its effectiveness in treating nausea, loss of appetite, inflammation, chronic pain, seizures, spasms, depression, insomnia, and anxiety.

“However, according to the CDC: Marijuana use directly affects the brain, specifically the parts of the brain responsible for memory, learning, attention, decision-making, coordination, emotion, and reaction time…

“States have laws that restrict the sale and use of marijuana because of its supposedly adverse health consequences. But any adult can go into a convenience store in any state and purchase as many packs of cigarettes that he wants to and smoke as many of those cigarettes each day as he chooses until he smokes like a chimney. Yet, drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes are much more dangerous and deadly than drinking raw milk and smoking marijuana.

“According to the CDC: Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States… More than 10 times as many U.S. citizens have died prematurely from cigarette smoking than have died in all the wars fought by the United States…

“And also according to the CDC: Excessive drinking both in the form of heavy drinking or binge drinking, is associated with numerous health problems…

“The fact that it is raw milk and marijuana that the state governments restrict or prohibit… shows just how arbitrary and nonsensical these restrictions and prohibitions are…”

The real reason why some products are prohibited while others are not, has to do with the incredible and unhealthy influence of lobbyists, such as the medical and tobacco industry, among others.

The World Needs Trump?

Boris Johnson wrote the following article in the Daily Mail on January 19:

“The results from the Iowa Republican caucus have exploded like thunder in every high-minded meeting place… In the editorial conferences of fine old U.S. and UK publications, the leader writers are having hysterics… No! they are saying. Not him — not that man again!… Following his sweeping victory in Iowa, Donald Trump is now the ­overwhelming favourite to be the Republican nominee, and ahead in the polls to take the presidency…

“According to The Economist: ‘Donald Trump poses the biggest threat to the world in 2024.’… If you look at the facts, you can actually make a case… that a Trump presidency could be just what the world needs… The more ­frenzied the effort to cancel him, the stronger he becomes. The more bitterly his enemies wage lawfare against him, the more unstoppable he seems to be…

“And so yes, of course, given some of the views that are glibly ascribed to Donald Trump on this subject, I have been ­pondering deeply what a Trump victory might mean for the war [in Ukraine].. What can we deduce from the record? Well, ask yourself first: which American president was the first to stand up for Ukraine, after Putin’s invasion of 2014? Was it the great liberal ­internationalist Barack Obama? No… He did nothing to push Putin out of Ukraine, either from ­Crimea or the Donbas. Nor did the French, nor did the ­Germans, and nor, frankly, did the UK government of the day which decided — mystifyingly — to wash its hands of the ­matter and entrust the fate of the Ukrainians to the morally bankrupt ‘Normandy Format’.

“It was Donald Trump who gave the Ukrainians those Javelin anti-tank weapons which — together with the UK NLAW missiles and other weapons — were so valuable to the Ukrainians in the battle for Kyiv; and it was at least partly thanks to that bold decision by Trump that the Ukrainians were able to stun the world and send Putin’s armies scuttling from the Ukrainian capital. So, whatever they now say about President Trump, I ­cannot believe that he will want to go down in history as the president who abandoned a country that he has already signally helped to keep free…

“Trump will certainly demand that the Europeans pay more for their own defence — but then that is long-standing U.S. (and indeed UK) policy…

“Can you really say that the world feels safer now than it did when Trump was president? Everywhere, you see the malevolence of Iran, and of hostile actors backed by Iran. We see Putin raining Iranian missiles and drones on Ukrainian civilians. We have seen Hamas — trained and funded by Iran — launch the biggest massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust. Now, we see the Houthis using ­Iranian missiles to disrupt global shipping.

“I ask you, in all seriousness — do you think any of this would now be happening if Donald Trump had been president for the past four years? It was Trump who suddenly ­staggered the world, at the beginning of 2020, by violently liquidating Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The diplomatic world had conniptions. But we didn’t hear much from Iran, for the rest of the Trump presidency, did we?

“Or take Syria, where Bashar al-Assad — another client of Iran — ­poisoned his own people in 2013 with illegal chemical weapons. What did America do, under Barack Obama? Nothing. And what did Trump do, when Assad did it again, and used ­poison gas against his own people in 2018? With UK support, Trump hit him so hard, and destroyed so many of his planes, that Assad never used chemical weapons again.

“You could certainly argue, on this evidence, that what the world needs now is a U.S. leader whose willingness to use force and sheer unpredictability is a major ­deterrent to the enemies of the West. If so, that leader is Trump.

“You could argue that, after the nightmare of Covid, and the ­expansion of the state across the West, the world now needs a U.S. president who is an enthusiastic exponent of free markets and ­capitalism. If so, that’s Trump.

“You could argue that among the many things Brexit Britain should be doing is a proper free trade deal with a U.S. president who is ­actually interested in the subject. If so, Trump is your man…”

In his typical chameleon-like fashion, Boris Johnson criticized Trump on other issues and also heaped praise on Biden and the good work he has allegedly done since becoming President. What is concerning now that Trump, too, is making more and more mistakes in his speeches, like Biden is famous for. Trump several times recently confused Nikki Haley with Nancy Pelosi, blaming Haley for security issues on January 6, 2021.

In addition, “Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was worried by the prospect of Donald Trump returning to the White House, branding Trump’s claim that he could stop Ukraine’s war with Russia in 24 hours as ‘very dangerous’… and appeared to be apprehensive that Trump’s idea of a negotiated solution might involve Ukraine making major concessions to Russia” (Newsmax, dated January 20).

Tucker Carlson a Contender for VP?

Breitbart wrote on January 18:

“Donald Trump Jr. said Thursday… that former Fox News host Tucker Carlson was ‘certainly’ a contender to be picked as his father’s vice presidential running mate… Trump said, ‘… I’d love to see a Tucker Carlson… I mean they’re very friendly, I think they agree on virtually all of these things. They certainly agree on stopping the never-ending wars. And so, I would love to see that happen. That would certainly be a contender.’”

Donald Trump said that Nikki Haley will not be VP.

DeSantis Drops Out

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 21:

“Florida Governor Ron DeSantis suspends his presidential campaign, endorsing Donald Trump in the GOP race. His departure narrows the field, with Nikki Haley now the sole GOP challenger to Trump… Two other Republican rivals to Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, also both dropped out of contention and endorsed the former president earlier in the week.”

Trump Takes New Hampshire

Breitbart wrote on January 23:

“Nikki Haley relied heavily on the support of Independents and Democrats in the New Hampshire primary yet still lost by wide margins. Of Haley voters in the Granite State, CNN said,  ‘about 7 in 10 said they were registered as undeclared prior to Tuesday.’… New Hampshire’s loose requirements allow for voters to cross over, while future Republican caucuses and primaries will consist overwhelmingly of registered Republicans.

“Trump crushed Haley in the New Hampshire primary by double digits [With 91% of the expected Republican vote in, Trump led Haley with 54.8% support to her 43.2%]… The Associated Press called the New Hampshire results within three minutes… Trump’s path to the nomination seems all but inevitable after his crushing victory.”

Politico reported on January 21:

“Trump’s back-to-back wins in Iowa and New Hampshire make him the only non-incumbent Republican candidate in modern political history to win the first two nominating contests [since both states began leading the election calendar in 1976].”

Even though she lost against Trump in Iowa and New Hampshire, Haley declared that she will continue with her candidacy.

The Associated Press wrote on January 23:

“Haley’s path to becoming the GOP standard-bearer is narrowing quickly. She won’t compete in a contest that awards delegates until South Carolina’s Feb. 24 primary, bypassing the Feb. 8 Nevada caucuses that are widely seen as favoring Trump. As South Carolina’s former governor, Haley is hoping a strong showing there could propel her into the March 5 Super Tuesday contests. But in a deeply conservative state where Trump is exceedingly popular, those ambitions may be tough to realize and a home-state loss could prove politically devastating.”

It’s a Long Road to November

The Daily Mail wrote on January 24:

“The biggest unknown in the 2024 election has little to do with primaries, or debates, or election night concession speeches. Keep your eyes on the courtrooms. The timing matters for when Trump stands trial in Washington D.C. in the special counsel’s January 6th case, where he faces four serious criminal indictments for allegedly attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election…

“Exit polls in both Iowa and New Hampshire show a significant cohort of voters — even some Republicans — say they would find Trump ‘unfit’ for the presidency should he be convicted of a crime. What happens in that jury room, may have more impact on Trump’s ability to win than any TV ad or strategy that any nominee can conjure.

“At least for now, the Republican primary contest appears to be decided, but it’s a long road to November, especially when it begins on January 24.”

Still, it appears that every time Trump is accused of something in the courts, his approval rates go up. And if he was convicted of any crime, it depends on how plausible and convincing that conviction would be.

Schwarzenegger Detained in Germany

Breitbart wrote on January 18:

“Action star and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was left furious after being detained for more than three hours at a German airport [in Munich, Bavaria] Wednesday after officials accused him of tax evasion for not declaring a $21,000 watch he was [wearing and] preparing to auction off for charity [in Austria]… It was reported that Schwarzenegger was friendly and cooperative at first, but as the inefficiency and incompetence of the customs officials worsened with every minute, the movie star began getting frustrated.

“The paper [Bild Online] added that officials demanded the action star pay a fee for the potential taxes on the watch, but when the agent tried to use a credit card reader in the office, he couldn’t get it to work. Then they demanded he accompany them to a local bank to withdraw the money for them in cash. But the bank was closed and his debit card had a limit on it that would not let him take out the amount the customs cops wanted. After that, officials took him back to the airport where another official then transported him to yet another bank — one that was open — and he was able to withdraw the amount they were demanding. Thomas Meister, a German government customs agent, told the media that the state is initiating ‘criminal tax proceedings’…

“Schwarzenegger, though, is less than amused at the whole incident… the actor said German officials never asked for any forms to be filled out for the watch ahead of being detained… it was an incompetent shakedown, a total comedy of errors that would make a very funny cop movie… The Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative will properly report it, as all of Arnold’s nonprofits do… His charity auctions raise millions of dollars every year for after-school programs for kids all over the United States and environmental work around the world…

“The spokesman then took a shot at German officials, saying, ‘We hope Germany spends as much energy turning around their economy as they do asking for tax payments for people’s property they bring into the country, and we hope next time they don’t make him pay taxes on his suits.’”

Politico commented on January 19:

“As if we needed any more evidence for the shabby treatment of Austrians at the hands of Germans…This week’s abomination involves none other than… Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was detained at Munich airport enroute to Kitzbühel for allegedly failing to declare a luxury watch in his luggage. Arnie agreed to pay the duties and penalties — to the tune of about 10,000 euros, but in typical German fashion, the border police wanted at least part of the payment in cash!”

The watch was later auctioned off in Austria for 270,000 euros. According to Schwarzenegger and Bild, the customs officers asked him totally inappropriate and unrelated questions, such as, how many children does he have, what is the name of his partner, how much money does he have in the bank, what is the value of his assets, etc.  Schwarzenegger said later: “This is the problem which shows Germany’s sickness. One does not see the forest because of the many trees.” Germany is becoming a laughing stock all over the world.

Germany Commits National Suicide

LifeSiteNews wrote on January 19:

“[The farmers’] protests are not about diesel subsidies, as the mainstream media have reported… the protests are the result of widespread discontent with the direction of Germany under the current coalition. They are symptomatic of a growing spirit of resistance, born of exasperation with years of globalist policies… This is a systemic pushback against the entire globalist agenda.

“It is a pushback which enjoys vast popular support, with one recent poll showing 81 percent of the public sympathetic to the farmers. Despite this, repeated attempts have been made to frame the protests as ‘far right’ and ‘extremist.’… The attempt to marginalize and isolate a vast movement of rebellion against this deeply unpopular government is understandable. After all, it has recently refused to rule out criminalizing the… opposition party which stands for the farmers. With recent polling showing its support at 23 percent, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) says it sees the protest as one result of the years of  ‘wrong policies’ from Germany’s coalition government…

“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been reluctant to appear in public as his government faces national rail strikes and a deepening economic crisis. Whilst Scholz restricted himself to a video appearance – in which he repeated the ‘extremist’ slur, the German Finance Minister Christian Lindner told farmers ‘there is no more money’ for them.  The question asked by one AfD politician was simple: where has all the money gone? 

“The German Vice Chancellor Habeck replied, ‘The answer lies in the fact we have decided to support Ukraine.’… The financial cost of supporting Ukraine with cash, tanks and other weapons is but one dimension of the catastrophe caused by a government whose policies amount to national suicide.  

“The Green/Red/Yellow ‘traffic light’ government of Scholz and Habeck borrowed heavily to finance lockdowns – leaving a massive hole in the German budget. They borrowed 65 billion euros in ‘emergency funding,’ which allowed them to bypass German laws against adding massive debt to any budget.  But they did not spend the money on the… covid ‘emergency’… They used the funds to implement the WEF-backed Sustainable Development Goals promoted by the United Nations. This move was ruled unlawful by the highest German court in November 2023, seeing Habeck’s own budget struck down as ‘unconstitutional’ – and leading to further crisis. 

“These green initiatives included shutting down all of Germany’s nuclear power plants and other cheap generators, funding windmill projects and other ‘sustainable development goals.’ This in turn led to higher energy costs, and pressure on industry, damaging the economy and driving inflation – a situation which worsened with sanctions on Russia and the sabotage of their strategic gas supply through the destruction of the Nordstream pipelines. A criminal act, long desired by U.S. President Joe Biden and Under-Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, the destruction of Germany’s gas pipelines to Russia was first suggested by current Secretary of State Antony Blinken in 1987. 

“In failing to press for any meaningful investigation, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been complicit in the terrorist sabotage of the prosperity of his own nation. ‘If Russia invades – there will no longer be a NordStream – we will put an end to it,’ said Biden, speaking alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Feb 7, 2022…

“With the framing of the most popular movement in Germany to emerge in years as a threat to democracy, and attempts to criminalize an opposition party with soaring support, the witch hunt in Germany is one led by the government against its own people. This desperate regime is resorting to propaganda, media blackout and perhaps even lawfare to maintain its tenuous grip on power.  Looking at the numbers, it seems to be failing. The people are winning in Germany. They are with the farmers’ movement and against the policies of national suicide which the globalist government has pushed for years…”

What a terrible description of a failing and incompetent government!

Germany Must Become “War-Ready”

Breitbart wrote on January 20:

“Germany’s defence minister… Boris Pistorius… said that while there was a Russian threat in Europe that hadn’t been seen for decades, ‘At the moment I don’t think a Russian attack is likely.’… [He] said they expected a ‘a period of five to eight years in which this could be possible’, saying it was understandable that a country like Sweden had made more alarmist noises of late, because their geography — much closer to the Russian border — puts them ‘in an even more serious situation’.

“This week, alleged German military planning documents were reported as leaked in Europe’s largest newspaper. They prognosticated an alarming escalation of violence in Europe including a renewed Russian assault on Ukrainian capital Kyiv. In the papers, Moscow was also predicted to provoke fabricated border clashes with European states, and finally stage an invasion of NATO member state Poland…

“In terms of what he believes must be done, the politician… said it was time to ‘wake up society’ and make Germany ‘war-ready’ [‘kriegstüchtig’]…  The interview, after all, comes amid a flurry of predictions of either impending of medium-term war with Russia, ranging from Russian aggression in Europe in three years from Poland [and] possible world war on four fronts in five years from the United Kingdom…”

Russia commented too, saying that World War III will begin in the Middle East.

Germany Fudges the Math on NATO and Ukraine

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 20, 2024:

“In the federal budget for 2024, the government will barely reach NATO’s spending target… NATO countries have committed themselves to spending 2% of their budgets on their armed forces each year… Chancellor Scholz promised his partners in Europe and the US that Germany would meet this target in the future.

“The German army was promised an additional… $108 billion… to modernize. This special fund, a separate budget approved by the German parliament, the Bundestag, was established primarily to purchase modern war equipment. However, it has emerged that aid for Ukraine is now also coming from this budget. Germany plans to spend a total of €8 billion on weapons for Ukraine starting this year… Ukraine can hardly deploy any of the Leopard 2 tanks supplied by Germany because of high maintenance requirements…

“Christian Mölling from the German Council on Foreign Relations told DW…  in the worst-case scenario, NATO has just five years to build its forces enough to deter Russia from attacking NATO territory, especially the Baltic states…”

And there will be wars and rumors of wars…

AfD’s Political Agenda

The Telegraph wrote on January 22:

“Britain was ‘dead right’ to leave the European Union and Germany should hold its own ‘Dexit’ vote, the leader of the… AfD… has said. Alice Weidel… said she would push for a referendum on EU membership if her party came to power. Ms Weidel said the vote would be held if an AfD government could not secure reforms to curb overreach by the ‘unelected’ European Commission… Winning such a referendum… would be a tall order, with 90 per cent of people in favour of continued membership. A recent poll found that less than half (45 per cent) of AfD members would vote for Dexit…

“Ms Weidel admitted that the AfD would not be able to take power in Berlin before 2029 but said a future role in government was ‘inevitable’. She predicted that the CDU, the centre-Right party of former chancellor Angela Merkel, would be the first to break the ‘firewall’ of establishment forces and ally with the AfD… The AfD is pro-Russian and is accused of being soft on Vladimir Putin. Ms Weidel said the 1.1 million Ukrainian refugees in Germany should not have been allowed to draw benefits. ‘It’s clear that when the war ends, all Ukrainians will have to go home. They will be needed anyway to help rebuild their country,’ she said… Despite the recent scandal, it has remained popular, thanks in part to Mr Scholz’s failures on the economy.”

Germany will not leave the EU. However, other comments made by Weidel might not be that far off.

Over a Million Leftist Activists “Demonstrate” in Germany Against the AfD

Breitbart wrote on January 22:

“More than a million leftist activists took to the streets of Germany in protest over the weekend amid growing calls to ban the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as it surges in the polls.

“In a welcome distraction for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government — which has become deeply unpopular over economic stagnation, mass migration and most recently a farmer uprising against its globalist agenda — the legacy media, political elites and activist networks have rallied around a common target, the AfD.

“According to organizers, over 1.4 million people took to the streets in protest against the populist Alternative for Germany party over the weekend, under the banner of slogans such as: ‘Against Fascism, Populism and the Right’ and ‘Demo against the right – not an inch from fascism’…

“The protests were urged on by Chancellor Scholz in an apparent attempt to change the narrative from his struggling coalition government…

“The mass protests across the country against the AfD came in response to a report published by the taxpayer-subsidized and Soros-funded non-profit Correctiv… In the report, the left-wing research centre claimed that a November conference in Potsdam was attended by members of the AfD, alongside members of the centrist Cristian Democratic Union (CDU) as well as political activists, including Austrian identitarian activist Martin Sellner, whom Correctiv describes as a ‘neo-Nazi’. The Correctiv report… that Sellner laid out a ‘masterplan’ to enact ‘deportations of people from Germany based on a set of racist criteria, regardless of whether or not they have German citizenship.’ The report went on to draw comparisons between the meeting in Potsdam to the infamous Wannsee Conference in 1942 in which senior leaders of Adolph Hitler’s Nazi regime laid out plans for the extermination of millions of Jews in the Holocaust.

“This assertion that deportations of German citizens were discussed at the November meeting has been disputed by several participants of the meeting, including former AfD parliamentarian Roland Hartwig, who now serves as the personal advisor to the co-leader of the party Alice Weidel. Hartwig maintained that the Correctiv report was ‘complete nonsense’, stating that Sellner did not call for the mass deportations of German citizens and that ‘if he had done so, I would have protested because it would have been unconstitutional.’ The party has also noted that the meeting at the hotel in Potsdam was a private conference that was not organised or endorsed by the AfD.

“A member of the centrist CDU party of former Chancellor Angela Merkel who also attended the event, Ulrich Vosgerau, also denied the veracity of the Correctiv claims, saying: ‘At least in my presence no one said anything like that.’ ‘What was actually discussed was the question of how to deport criminal aliens or rejected asylum seekers more quickly…’

“There has also been no suggestion from the AfD leadership of adopting a programme of deporting German citizens. Rather the party openly rejects any distinctions along racial lines…

“Ultimately the truth of what was said is unclear… Nevertheless, the report has spurred on calls for the AfD to be banned to supposedly protect democracy as the party has surged to around 23 per cent in the polls…

“Earlier this month, the leader of Scholz’s Social Democrat Party (SPD) in the German Bundestag parliament, Saskia Esken argued that a ban on the AfD should be considered given that the party is ‘clearly anti-democratic.’ Last year, the government-funded German Institute for Human Rights (DIMR) claimed that banning the AfD would be justified on the basis that the party is opposed to the ‘free democratic basic order’.

“The calls for the party to be banned come ahead of regional elections in the German states of Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia later this year, all of which are expected to see the AfD make significant gains and potentially even take control of local government posts. The AfD is also expected to be a big player in the upcoming EU Parliament elections in June.”

The German mass media from the left, the right and the middle, has overwhelmingly depicted the mass demonstrations of Germans as a healthy sign that Germany won’t tolerate Naziism anymore, and a justified outcry against the AfD. As the article above shows, none of that is really clear at all.

The Making of the European Empire: Loss of Freedom, Security, and Self

The European Conservative wrote on January 20:

“The European Parliament recently approved an amendment to the EU treaties that would be the next step in abolishing the member states’ veto in the EU Council and increase the powers of supranational institutions. Such a reform is a decades-old federalist dream… The idea has a long history…

“The current proposals are the most concrete manifestation yet of this anti-democratic trend… The abolition of the veto in the European Council would essentially make each member state cease to be a self-governing country and become an administrative unit...

“Germany and France see the EU as a projection of their own power. Their leading position within the EU gives them extra clout at the table. It is no coincidence that both countries are overwhelmingly in favour of greater centralisation—the more deeply integrated the EU is, the more influence they have within the EU and, through it, in the world. The amendments adopted by the European Parliament make it very clear that the relative influence of the smaller countries would drastically decrease while the relative power of the largest countries would increase…

“After all, if we understand (and we do) that a federal EU would be an EU of decisions dictated by Germany and France, what do the rest of us hope to gain from it? What do German and French influences mean in practice?

“In domestic politics, it means more and more leftist ideology, woke thinking, and aggressive culture wars. At present, it is only the veto and similar such brakes that are preventing us from being mandated to declare the homosexual family, abortion, gender reassignment, and limitless migration to be alienated human rights, guaranteed, and enforced at an EU level. Particularly on the issue of border protection, the dominance of the German approach would be disastrous for both Southern and Central European countries. It is even disastrous for Finland, which is also suffering from Russian hybrid attacks and has closed its border to the surprising waves of African migrants hailing from beyond the Arctic Circle…

“In foreign policy, domination by Germany and France means being pragmatic with Russia and cautious with the United States. Many in Western Europe would love that. In Central Europe, it sounds like a recipe for disaster…”

Germany will end up leading the EU and especially a group of 10 core nations. And this will be indeed disastrous for Germany, Europe and the entire world.

Brits Unwilling to Fight?

The Sun wrote on January 24:

“A WAR hero [Ben McBean] who lost an arm and leg in Afghanistan says Brits would have to be dragged kicking and screaming if called up to fight Russia… [He] says poor pay, conditions and shoddy veteran care give Brits absolutely no incentive to sign up… ‘The way the country is being run, and then people being skint and underpaid, there’s not a lot of incentive to want to fight for this country…’

“Sir Patrick – due to step down from his role in June… called for a ‘shift’ in the mindset of regular Brits to get mentally prepared that war with Russia could happen… [He also pleaded for ‘mobilization.’]

“Rishi Sunak today ruled out conscription and insisted military service will remain voluntary. A spokesman for the PM added: ‘… The British military has a proud tradition of being a voluntary force. There are no plans to change that.’”

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 4^th part of this Q&A, we started to look at those who are committed to, and promote, the institution of the God-ordained family.   Let us continue to review this much more positive attitude towards the biblical family environment which is the bedrock of a stable society.

Quoting selectively from the USA website concernedwomen, we see that they are concerned about:

1.    The disrespect for and devaluation of the family and for the unique contribution of fathers and mothers. The attempt to deny biological distinctions between men and women.

2.    Sexual promiscuity, cohabitation and sexually transmitted diseases.

3.    The alarming increase in violence in American households, including same-sex and opposite-sex partner assaults, spousal assaults, and child and elder abuse.

And they are working to see:

1.    The family esteemed as the bedrock institution of society consisting of individuals related by blood, marriage (the legal union of one man and one woman), birth, or adoption. The respect for the distinctiveness of men and women.

2.    Society value and respect marriage, encourage sexual abstinence before marriage and educate on the dangers of promiscuity.

3.    An end to violence within households, especially the sexual abuse of children, while reinforcing the importance and autonomy of healthy families.

And, importantly, they are doing this from a biblical viewpoint, which is encouraging to see.

In his article “In defence of family life” in January 2023, Niall Gooch wrote about a new study investigating the financial costs of having children.

“There is something profoundly wrong-headed about the whole endeavour of trying to evaluate the good of family life in economic terms, or to treat the raising of children as simply one option among many in the great lifestyle marketplace. And yet many people persist with doing so. 

“More fundamentally, some things in life are, and should be, set apart from the realm of price and economic calculation. I am not among those social conservatives who are completely disdainful of the need for growth and prosperity, but it is bordering on immoral to insist that a parent’s responsibility to an abstraction like GDP supersedes their natural and healthy desire — and responsibility — to be closely involved in the raising of their own children. It is, after all, a well-established finding in social science that most women would like to spend more time with their children in the early years.

“This is an entirely reasonable and wise wish. The family is at the heart of our civilisation. As the site of the raising of the next generation, it is crucial to our ongoing survival and flourishing. It precedes all our political and economic arrangements and it will, hopefully, outlast them. At its best it is a place of unconditional love and rootedness. This is what we mean when we talk about Home. It is where we learn the arts of humanity: compromise, forgiveness, tolerance, humour. It is where we find consolation and rest among those whose bonds with us go deeper than choice or shared interests. The value of this way of life is literally immeasurable. 

“The weakening of the family does have consequences. Consider how contemporary culture, especially those parts of it entangled with social media, is increasingly febrile and antagonistic. A special status attaches to ‘safety’, understood not in the traditional sense of physical protection from harm, but as the right to be insulated from strong challenges to personal opinions or conceptions of the world. Commentators often speculate about how this has come about. No doubt the demand for a ‘safe space’ is often made cynically, to intimidate opponents. But equally it seems that many people do genuinely experience questioning of their worldview as an attack on themselves. 

“A society that wishes to remain open and wealthy must pay attention to the preconditions of liberty. Robust families which take care of their own as far as possible, minimising reliance on the state, are one of those preconditions. Rushing parents back into the workplace, to leave their small children with strangers for eight hours a day, and leaving them little time for informal caring responsibilities or community involvement, is almost certainly a false economy.

“There remain, finally, the human truths about the relative importance of work and family. There is nothing to compare with watching your children take their first steps or perform in their first play, or finally master reading. These things have no conceivable monetary value. It’s not your colleagues who will look after you in your old age. Your headstone is unlikely to feature glowing personal tributes to your professional life. I think often of a simple inscription I saw above a grave many years ago: ‘To a devoted father, a loving husband & loyal friend.’ Which of us, when our time comes, could really hope for more than that?”

As we pointed out before, some of these are certainly worthwhile comments, but they also show how difficult it might be to carry them out, since our governmental and economic systems, all being inspired and controlled by Satan, make this often impossible. But again, we can try to do the best under a corrupt and deeply ungodly government and in a God-defying evil and rotten society. 

Some years ago, Rita Kramer wrote a book  “In Defense of the Family,” and Chester E. Finn reviewed this and reported as follows: 

“At once stern and affectionate, (Rita Kramer) harbors what many will deem old-fashioned views, namely, that an authentic family consists of husband, wife, and children, and that raising the children is the foremost responsibility of the parents, not something to be done for them by public or private agencies while the adults engage in other pursuits. Her book, however, is not an exercise in finger-wagging or tradition-mongering. Rather, Mrs. Kramer’s image of the proper ordering of family and society is grounded in her understanding of child development, of human psychology, and of the requisites for the emergence of an autonomous young adult as a responsible and productive member of democratic society who will in time become a competent parent of the next generation.

“To state her thesis simply, the successful development of the child requires the sustained and active involvement of both parents. This does not mean entrusting the child to the care of well-chosen professionals; it means looking after the child oneself. And those doing the looking-after must act like his parents, not his buddies…

“Does a child grow up with the sense of being protected in a world that makes sense?  Such a beginning provides the basis for the flexibility of response that will help him learn and overcome difficulties in later life. Such parents are able to let the child go little by little as he indicates a need and an ability to move out on his own. They instil conscience rather than dependency. The paradox is that only by remaining strong, authority figures can… help their child become independent. He learns from what they are, what they do, what it is to be an adult.

“The centrality of the parents and the stability of the family have several corollaries. Formal institutions, notably the schools, are to play supporting rather than leading roles in the drama of child-rearing. If parents attend to their child’s values and character, if they assume responsibility for sex education and moral development, the schools can concentrate on cognitive skills and subject matter. This is desirable, both because intellectual development is something that schools can do well (and that parents seldom can) and because the controversies surrounding such curricular and pedagogical matters are far less fractious than those involving issues of faith and morals.”

Again, we would not agree with everything stated above, especially with the idea that parents can seldom help with the intellectual development of the child. That concept seems to be dead-wrong. It also overlooks the terrible and God-defying role which schools are playing in far too many circumstances. 

That’s quite a defence, if one was needed, about the necessity and need for a properly constructed family as God ordained.   Her supposed “old-fashioned views” are nothing of the sort; that is a tag that so-called “progressives” like to use in a derogatory way to support their own man-made conclusions that they arrived at where the teachings of the Creator God are ignored or not even considered.   After all, man thinks that he knows best in all things including redefining the family unit.   What a lesson these people will learn in the future!

Finally, in this section, we will quote an article headed “The Decline of the Traditional Family and the Threat to Democracy” by John W. Whitehead, which is a robust support of the God-ordained family and we will quote from this article as follows:

“The traditional family–a married man and woman with children–is in decline, even as lip service to ‘family values’ is being paid to its importance from both the Left and Right of the political spectrum. Under the swirling current of this double-speak, the entire social fabric of American culture is being upended as a result of deteriorating family life and the conditions that undermine care for our children.

“These startling conclusions are backed by a recent report of the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. The report concludes that households will move even further away from the family-structure model of a stay-at-home mother, working father, and children. [As we have pointed out before, this rather sad development is many times dictated by economic realities, not necessarily by choice or preference. It is simply not desirable to become homeless while insisting that a mother must stay at home rather than fulfilling the need of supplementing the family income]. 

“Because of divorce, cohabitation (unmarried adults living together) and single parenthood, a majority of families rearing children in the 2lst Century will probably not include the children’s two parents. Moreover, most households will not include children at all. ‘Marriage has declined as the central institution under which households are organized and children are raised,’ commented Tom Smith, author of the report. In fact, a growing proportion of children has been born outside of marriage.

“These structural changes in the family have obviously led to a reassessment of values. And, as the study illustrates, the U.S. has not reached a peak of modernity. More changes, thus, are in store.

“Values have shifted in several areas. For example, ‘the climb in divorce and liberalization of divorce laws,’ the report states, ‘went along with public support for the idea that divorce was preferable to continuing failed marriages.’ [Sadly, if a marriage has failed indeed, perhaps due to adultery and other sins, divorce might very well be the preferable and only alternative.] Moreover, greater tolerance of premarital sex coincided with gains in teenage sexual activity, cohabitation and non-marital birth. In brief, changes in structure and values have gone hand-in-hand over the last generation to transform the American family in both forms and norms.

“However, the effect of this transformation may have other consequences for society. In 1952, a California appeals court touched on what the impact may be:

“The family is the basic unit of our society, the center of the personal affections that ennoble and enrich human life. It channels biological drives that might otherwise become socially destructive; it ensures the care and education of children in a stable environment; it establishes continuity initiative that distinguishes a free people.

“From antiquity, the family has served as the basic building block of free societies. Likewise, we find a strong emphasis on the high estate of parenthood and history. Wherever we turn in the ancient world, to Judaism, to Greece or to Rome, the family structure has been revered. And long before foreign invaders toppled any of those great societies, they collapsed from within, due largely to the deterioration of their family structures.

“The family, not the state or the school, therefore, has been primarily responsible for teaching lessons of independence and proper conduct, which are essential to a free, democratic society. If, as we now see, these family functions begin to break down, then everything else we cherish is in peril.”

You will see that we have deliberately underlined the phrase “has not reached a peak of modernity. More changes, thus, are in store” as structural changes in the family have obviously led to a reassessment of values.  That was prophetic as this was written in 1999, some 24 years ago where society then was markedly different to 2023, and not for the better.   There has been an acceleration in the downgrading of the traditional family to an extent that has been breathtaking in its progress.

As a final note in this section, we quote from our weekly Update #1095, dated 22nd December 2023, under the heading “Blasphemous Woke Nonsense”:

“The Daily Mail wrote on December 18:

““Couples getting married will be asked if they want to be called ‘husband and wife’ under new woke Church guidelines. It is part of new ‘inclusive language’ rules published by The Methodist Church, which warns that old-fashioned terminology ‘makes assumptions about a family or personal life that is not the reality for many people’.

““The guidance also advises preachers to share their pronouns with congregation members ‘to create a safe space for people to be themselves.’… they should use ‘gender-neutral language’, opting for words such as ‘folks, teammates, friends, colleagues, or simply people’.  It adds: ‘People of different genders may choose to use a gender-neutral title such as Mx’…””

Such action from a mainstream Church is both deplorable and laughable and is indicative of the way that mainstream Christianity has, in the main, followed secular leadership in downgrading the importance of the Family unit.

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Why Germany’s Disaster Is Important For YOU!” is the title of a NEW StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:  

Germany is a total mess and utterly sick. It is run by a completely incompetent government under a chancellor which has the lowest approval rates of all prior German leaders since World War II. Rather than trying to do something about the utterly disastrous situation which the government has created, it is attacking the German farmers, and the political establishment is attacking the only meaningful popular opposition party, the AfD, while instigating “mass demonstrations” against that party which the government wants to criminalize and ban. It should be obvious that something drastic will have to happen, unless we want to conclude that Germany is done and its sickness incurable. And something drastic WILL occur. That is WHY it is critical for YOU to understand! Please stay tuned until the end of this program for an important announcement.

“Warum Deutschlands Zukunft für SIE so wichtig ist!” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This program covers the same topic as described above.

A NEW Promotional Video about our booklet, “The Rise and Fall of Germany and Europe,” has been prepared by Michael Link and is now posted. A German version has also been posted.

Our NEW booklet, “How Can Young People… Cope with Life,” has been approved for publication. It will be printed in Germany, together with a reprint of our booklet, “The Rise and Fall of Germany and Europe.”

“Die Früchte der richtigen Wahl,” this Sabbath’s NEW German sermon by Michael Link, is now posted. Title in English: “The Fruits of the Right Choice.” 

“Als wir noch in der Welt waren,” last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Patrick Flück, is now posted. Title in English: “When We Were Still in the World.”

“Restoration,” last Sabbath’s first split sermon presented by Frank Bruno, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The world’s greatest paintings and other pieces of fine art have one trait in common: they all develop fine lines or craquelure, over time. No matter how youthful our own physical appearance, we too develop superficial cracks and lines. Because of sin, we can also develop cracks in our relationship with God. Artwork can be repaired but the only real restoration we can achieve is through God. In this split sermon, we will consider Scriptures that can help lead us to the restoration that we can receive through repentance, God’s forgiveness, and ultimately, in God’s Kingdom.

“What is the Law of Christ?” last Sabbath’s second split sermon presented by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Jesus Christ instructs us that if we love Him, we are to keep His commandments. What are the commandments of Jesus Christ? How are we to understand the relationship between the commandments of God the Father and Jesus Christ?

On, January 20, 2024, Frank Bruno will present the first split sermon, titled, “Restoration,” and Eric Rank will present the second split sermon, titled, “What is the Law of Christ?”

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.

When we are confident in our abilities, it brings about gratification and a sense of accomplishment which in return makes us feel good.  

We can be confident in our various talents; especially, when it leads to good fruit.  When we do well and are successful in a sporting event, or a work project, or a school assignment, or when we have finished a task, whatever it may be, we then have that feeling of achievement. 

Being confident in our conviction should also make us feel at ease; especially, since we know what we believe is the Truth and we have the Bible to back us up. 

Paul had this conviction, and he was confident that he was going to make it by overcoming all the trials he had to endure and that he would receive his crown when Christ would return.  He said in 2 Timothy 4:8: “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”  He was absolutely convinced he would succeed as he said in verses 6 and 7: “… the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

When Jesus was on this earth as a man, He could have sinned and was tested repeatedly but He obviously passed the tests and lived a sinless life.  He also had the absolute confidence that He would not sin, as did God the Father, for they knew the crucial role of Christ’s sinlessness to accomplish God’s plan, for the sake of you and me, and all of mankind. 

Just as God the Father and Jesus Christ were confident in their plan, they also have that same confidence in us that we will succeed.  They are convinced that all those whom God calls to eternal salvation in this day and age WILL succeed. He WANTS those whom He calls to salvation to be in His Kingdom— to be in His Family. 

Because Paul knew this, he was certain that the following statement in Philippians 1:3-6 would apply to him as well: “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…”

Is this the kind of confidence we have in ourselves, just as Paul did? And for those of us who are called today, do we believe that we WILL make it into His Kingdom?  It takes work, though, and we need to prove to God that we are serious in our obedience to Him so that our confidence is acceptable by fruits worthy of repentance and of the gospel.

by Norbert Link

We begin with Trump’s landslide historic victory in Iowa; the continuing uproar in Germany; France’s new gay prime minister; and the ongoing attacks of Iran’s Houthi pirates on ships in the Red Sea and America’s more than questionable attacks in Yemen.

We continue with Russia’s declaration never to recognize Ukraine, and Israel’s position never to allow for a Palestinian state.

We conclude with the lies of Anthony Fauci and statements by Pope Francis on war and communism.

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

Trump’s Historic Win in Iowa

The Daily Mail wrote on January 16:

“Donald Trump’s runaway victory in the Iowa caucuses means the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination has pretty much ended on the day it began. The scale of Trump’s triumph is historic. Just about everything went right for him. Whether it’s right for America and the rest of the world is another matter.

“After Iowa, America seems condemned to a re-run of the Trump-Biden contest of 2020, a repeat a majority of Americans have made clear they do not want but seem powerless to stop. For America’s allies, the increased prospect of a Trump presidency brings nothing but dread, even among conservatives-minded governments. For its enemies, the risk is that opportunities for them to sow mischief will abound.

“Trump won 51 per cent of the vote, a record-breaking 30 points ahead of his nearest rival and more than his two main challengers combined. Until Tuesday, Bob Dole had held the record in a contested Republican Iowa caucus with a 13-point victory margin in 1988. Trump smashed that. He also won 98 of Iowa’s 99 counties, with the only hold out, Johnson County, home of the University of Iowa, going for Nikki Haley by… one vote…

“He swept all before him, winning not just a majority of evangelicals in rural areas and small towns but with clear leads even among more moderate suburban Republicans… Of course, Iowa is hardly representative of America and some will claim you can read too much into Tuesday’s result. But it is representative — largely white, rural, small town, evangelical, blue collar, not college educated — of the Republican Party base on which Trump has such a grip and which will deliver him the nomination… The icing on his Iowa cake was Vivek Ramaswamy’s decision to pull out of the race and back him…

“President Zelensky in Kyiv must be wondering what progress he can make against Russia in Ukraine before a Trump presidency 2.0 threatens to undermine his war effort. The chancelleries of Europe woke up Wednesday morning to the harsh reality that the potential next president of the United States could bring the whole edifice of NATO crumbling down at a time when Europe needs the American-led alliance more than ever. America’s allies in the Middle East and Asia are contemplating new years of confusion and uncertainty…

“Of course, winning the Republican nomination is not the same as winning the White House. But the most recent ABC News poll gives President Biden a record 58 per cent disapproval rating… as things currently stand, Trump must surely be regarded as favourite to win…

“For America it threatens a return to division, chaos, even violence. For if Trump does not abide by the country’s democratic rules why should his opponents? As America is forced to face up to the new challenges of the 21st century and a world which suddenly looks a lot more dangerous than it did even a decade ago, the last thing it needs is a geriatric contest between two of yesterday’s men.

“America’s great strength has always been its ability to renew itself, to pass the baton on to new generations and new thinking… That cannot happen in 2024 if the choice is Trump or Biden. For the rest of the world dependent on American protection, the prospects are just as scary. Trump and his supporters have every reason to celebrate this week. The rest of us have just as many reasons to be fearful.”

The Daily Mail added on January 16:

“The historic landslide came despite Arctic temperatures and the Hawkeye State being battered by blizzards that were expected to decimate turnout. It gives Trump a massive boost as he seeks to win the Republican presidential nomination and return to the White House in what would be the most remarkable political comeback in U.S. history.”

Especially Europe, Ukraine and, to an extent, Israel are in panic regarding the prospects of a return of Trump. Netanyahu said he would not allow Trump to end the Gaza war in the way that he has proposed.

Political Uproar in Germany

Life Site News wrote on January 12:

“Amidst a growing sense of national crisis Germany’s vice chancellor [Robert Habeck] has refused to rule out the criminalization of the main opposition party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD)… Habeck’s comments were reported in German newspaper Handelsblatt, which also noted ‘there are supporters of an AfD ban in almost all democratic parties.’ All but one of these parties lag far behind the AfD, which is now the second most popular in Germany… This increase is explained in part by a decade of mass immigration, which has seen figures of up to three million immigrants arrive in Germany in one year. With support at 23 percent – 10 percent higher than Habeck’s Greens – the AfD has now eclipsed all the parties of government in the polls. The increase of their ‘influence’ is an established fact. What is also obvious is the reasons behind their rise – the chaos created by the policies of the German government, and by Habeck himself…

“Habeck’s decision to cut support to German farmers has triggered a wave of national protests [which] have been characterized as ‘far right,’ in a routine description of any organized opposition… The pressure on Habeck and his government is compounded by a growing economic catastrophe in which he and his party are implicated. The man whose management of the state was ruled unconstitutional is hoping to create a case to criminalize a party for the ‘anti-constitutional’ action – of having popular policies…

“It is Habeck’s party who have presented an alternative Germany… Pro-mass immigration, pro-abortion and strongly supportive of so-called ‘LGBTQ rights,’ their entire political platform aims at the total destruction of the German way of life. 

“The reasons for the move to criminalize popular political movements is obvious: the establishment has no solutions for the problems it has created. Both in the U.S. and in Europe, it is resorting to the desperate measure of lawfare to make any alternative to itself illegal.

“The AfD in Germany is anti-war. It proposes to halt mass migration, restart sensible energy policies, and abandon the Net Zero program destroying the economy…  These policies are popular with people generally, as is evidenced by Trump’s commanding lead and the growing support for the AfD in Germany. Both nations have seen narratives of extremism crafted to characterize opposition to the globalist schemes of forever war and the collapse of industrial society as the enemies of democracy…”

A slightly different report was published by the Associated Press on January 11:

“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday sharply condemned alleged plans by members of far-right groups who supposedly met recently at a mansion outside Berlin to devise a plot to deport millions of immigrants, even those with German citizenship, if the groups take power. The alleged plan, which was published in an article by the investigative journalists’ group Correctiv on Wednesday, has led to an uproar in the country because it echoes the Nazis´ ideology of deporting all people who are not ethnically German…

“According to the report by Correctiv, members of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, and the extremist Identarian Movement participated in the meeting in November…  Deportation of German citizens is not possible under to the constitution, which can only be changed by a two-thirds majority in the lower and upper houses of parliament.”

The AfD denied having any such plans, as described in the above-stated article. Reuters reported on January 10:

“[The AfD] said on Wednesday it had no plans to pursue deportation of ‘unassimilated’ immigrants with passports if it wins power, after investigative portal Correctiv said that was aired at a meeting… Roland Hartwig, personal assistant to AfD leader Alice Weidel, and Ulrich Siegmund, party leader in Saxony Anhalt state, met neo-Nazi influencers and wealthy businessmen late last year in a hotel near Berlin. At the meeting, Martin Sellner, an Austrian leader of the far-right Identitarian Movement, had proposed a project of ‘remigration’, whereby some immigrants could be forced to leave Germany – even if they had citizenship…

“The AfD confirmed that Hartwig was present at the meeting but said that the reported proposals were not party policy… ‘The AfD won’t change its position on immigration policy because of a single opinion at a non-AfD meeting,’ the party told Reuters. Sellner confirmed he was at the meeting but denied proposing anything illegal…

“Alexander von Bismarck, a descendent of Germany’s 19th century founding chancellor, was also named by Correctiv as a participant…”

Protests Continue

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 15:

“German farmers converged on Berlin on Monday for demonstrations that filled the streets around the city’s famous Brandenburg Gate… The protests drew some 10,000 farmers, with some 5,000 tractors and trucks, along with others from across Germany… Monday’s rally is the culmination of protests that have lasted for more than a week… German lorry drivers and freight forwarders are also supporting the demonstrations.”

Pistorius to Replace Scholz?

Focus wrote on January 9:

“Boris Pistorius [Germany’s defense minister] is the most popular politician in the country, much more popular than the Chancellor. This emerges from various surveys. According to the latest Insa survey, almost two thirds of Germans would like Pistorius to replace his SPD party colleague Olaf Scholz as Chancellor.

“The wild debate about Scholz’s twilight of the chancellor was triggered by the Italian daily newspaper ‘La Repubblica’. The renowned newspaper reported that the Chancellor was about to be replaced – by Pistorius. The sensational article is about speculation surrounding… suspected Russian spy and ex-company boss Jan Marsalek… In the subsequent survey commissioned by ‘Bild am Sonntag’, 64.3 percent of those surveyed were in favor of Pistorius as chancellor… Even among SPD supporters, more respondents are for than against such a change of chancellor (47.9 to 47.1 percent)…

“In any case, it would not be the first time that an incumbent Chancellor in Germany is replaced by another from the same party during a legislative period. Konrad Adenauer (CDU) resigned in October 1963 and was replaced by Ludwig Wilhelm Erhard (CDU). In 1974 Willy Brandt (SPD) also resigned. Helmut Schmidt (SPD) took over the office of Federal Chancellor…. The Italian daily newspaper’s theory is also somewhat reminiscent of the Guillaume [spy] affair, which toppled Chancellor Willy Brandt. Like Brandt, Olaf Scholz would have to resign as chancellor to make way for Pistorius.”

Focus added on January 12:

“Scholz is lonelier than ever, surrounded by a dwindling following and internal party intrigues. What was still satire two years ago is now on its way to becoming reality. The words ‘resignation’ or ‘overthrow of the chancellor’ are already making the rounds, at least in the mild version… They say the time is now for personnel renewal and a new beginning. That sounds less brutal, but in the language of party politicians, it means the same thing.”

Stranger things have happened.

France’s New Prime Minister

The Washington Post wrote on January 12:

“This week, France became the world’s most important country with an openly gay head of government. The French didn’t want to talk about it. French media trumpeted the fact that Gabriel Attal is the country’s youngest-ever prime minister; at age 34, his youth and hypersonic ascent as President Emmanuel Macron’s protégé are no doubt remarkable.

“Yet most news coverage in France mentioned the fact of Attal’s sexual orientation only in passing, or omitted it altogether, until some journalists noticed it had made headlines elsewhere, especially in the United States. That stirred some belated commentary, including a headline… ‘The prime minister is gay, but not too much.’…”

Iran Behind Houthi Attacks

Newsmax wrote on January 11:

“Secretary of State Antony Blinken has admitted that Iran was behind the ‘biggest attack’ by Yemen-based Houthi rebels targeting U.S. interests in the Red Sea… Blinken said the attacks, using unmanned aerial vehicles, were aided by Iran with ‘technology, equipment, intelligence, information, and they are having a real-life impact on people’… “

Newsmax added on January 17:

“The recent series of Houthi rebel attacks on ships in the Red Sea is the most unprecedented assault on merchant shipping since World War II and the Battle of the North Atlantic.”

Further Escalation

Reuters and the Algemeiner wrote on January 17:

“The US military carried out new strikes in Yemen on Tuesday against anti-ship ballistic missiles in a Houthi-controlled part of the country as a missile struck a Greek-owned vessel in the Red Sea. Disruptions to Red Sea shipping caused by Houthi attacks will push up prices of consumer goods in Europe in particular… The Iran-allied Houthi militia has threatened to expand its attacks to include US ships in response to American and British strikes on its sites in Yemen…

“British oil major Shell has suspended all shipments through the Red Sea indefinitely after the US and UK strikes triggered fears of further escalation, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. Shell declined to comment…

“European diplomats said member states of the European Union had given initial backing to creation of a naval mission by Feb. 19 at the latest to help protect ships. The existing US-led coalition meant to safeguard commercial traffic in the Red Sea is weak because regional powerhouses Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt have not taken part, Yemen’s vice president said on Tuesday…

“Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister underlined the link between Houthi attacks on commercial ships to the war in Gaza. Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said the kingdom’s priority is finding a path to de-escalation through a ceasefire in Gaza.”

America’s Unconstitutional War on Yemen

Ron Paul wrote on January 15 in his weekly column:

“Late last week President Biden started a new US war on the tiny country of Yemen. US warships and fighter jets launched more than a hundred missiles at the country in a massive escalation that the Administration bizarrely claimed would ‘de-escalate’ tensions in the Red Sea. Taking the US to war without a Congressional declaration of war is a grave crime against the Constitution. Not only did Biden show no interest in coming to Congress for a war declaration, he didn’t even ask for authorization. Together with Washington’s reliable junior partner in war, the UK, Biden attacked Yemen. It seems the US Administration consulted more with the UK government than with the US Congress on the attacks.

“But that’s not really the worst part. Far from taking action against this illegal move by an out-of-control president, Congress as a body couldn’t even see fit to criticize the Administration. On the contrary, Congressional leadership in both bodies actually applauded President Biden for brazenly violating US law!…

“To their credit, several Members of Biden’s own party joined with a handful of Republican colleagues to denounce a US president taking the country to war without the authority to do so…

“The Framers of the Constitution gave war-making power to Congress because they understood that leaving such power in the hands of one person was a recipe for disaster. The role of the president is to make the case for a war declaration. Congress deliberates and either authorizes or refuses the proposed action.

“Washington has obviously not learned the lessons of Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and all the other failed US interventions over the past 20 years. Why do we keep losing wars? Because we do not go into wars according to the US Constitution. This war will be no different.

“The Houthis in Yemen withstood years of attacks from the Saudis using the latest US weaponry and came out on top…

“So we are left with the strange and sad spectacle of Congress asleep at the wheel as a Defense Secretary launches military strikes from his hospital bed in the service of a president clearly not in his prime. All this in pursuit of a policy that makes no sense and is leading us closer to a major war in the Middle East that will only harm, not serve, the US national interest.”

Paul’s legal analysis seems to be correct.

Russia Will Never Recognize Ukraine

Newsmax wrote on January 17:

“Russia will never recognize Ukraine as an ‘independent state’… even if a diplomatic solution is reached to end the war, Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, said in a social media post… ‘No matter who stands at the helm of the cancerous growth called Ukraine, it will not make their rule legitimate, nor will it make the “country” legally viable. Therefore, the likelihood of a new fight will persist indefinitely.’

“The statement led a source close to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to say that ‘the Putin regime doesn’t recognize Ukraine’s right to exist’… ‘The existence of Ukraine is mortally dangerous for Ukrainians, and I don’t mean only the current state…’ Medvedev further referred to Ukraine as an ‘artificial country’ and that Russia will never consider it a legitimate nation.”

Russia and Ukraine will unite.

No Palestinian State After October 7

Israel Today wrote on January 12:

‘While there are many lessons to be learned from the October 7, 2023 Hamas invasion of southern Israel, chief among them is that a Palestinian state must never be established in the Land of Israel. That was the conclusion of the ‘Nation, Land & Sovereignty’ conference held in Jerusalem on Thursday…

“According to a poll presented at the conference, 74% of Israelis now oppose the creation of a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria…”

Lying Fauci

The New York Post wrote on January 11:

“In recent years, we, the public, have lost faith in institution after institution. Often with very good reason. We’ve seen a multi-tiered justice system. We’ve seen the politicization of every government agency. And we’ve had profound doubts cast — by Democrats and Republicans alike — on the security of the voting system… Research shows that public faith in scientists has fallen off the cliff since the pandemic… And no one is more responsible for that than Dr. Anthony Fauci.

“This week he appeared before a closed House select subcommittee on the coronavirus… His performance was by turns superior, shameless and suspicious… in February 2020, Fauci prompted the drafting of a paper to debunk the lab leak conspiracy theory… anyone suggesting the virus might have come from the laboratory was pushing a ‘conspiracy theory.’… [Fauci] claimed before members of Congress that he in fact never rejected the lab leak theory. That is a bald-faced lie. And unfortunately for him, there are dozens of interviews from that time in which he did exactly that. He said on every available platform that the evidence ‘strongly’ suggested the virus’s ‘natural occurrence.’

“… this week, giving testimony, flanked by his four lawyers (two personal, two government), Fauci is reported to have said ‘I don’t recall’ hundreds of times. He might as well not have been there, considering the number of things he just doesn’t remember. Or claims not to remember. But… what Fauci did remember and commented on this week is damning.

“Questioned by the subcommittee about the 6-foot rule — that we were all ordered to live by — Fauci had one of the most bizarre answers of the whole hearing… Fauci said that the 6-feet-of-distance rule ‘sort of just appeared.’ Without any scientific input.

“Which is nice to know. After all, it wasn’t like it was something that put the public to any kind of trouble. It wasn’t like all those signs on every shop window and every floor actually had any impact on our lives. Or on the people who were kept from seeing loved ones and stood at a distance from them, unable to get nearer than 6 feet…

“It was the same on issue after issue. Back at the height of the virus, Fauci was one of the people advocating for stronger and stricter mandates to push people into having the vaccine. Now he acknowledges that this policy actually caused a huge increase in suspicion of vaccines among the American public. And not just the COVID vaccines, but all vaccines. If we see the spread of old and unfamiliar diseases in the coming years, we will be able to thank this expert in disease control…

“So yes, there is a problem with faith in institutions. And faith in science… It is the direct result of the actions of Dr. Anthony Fauci and ‘evidence’ of the kind he rolled out again this week.”

But Fauci was not the only one responsible for the chaos and harm caused by scientific “experts” and mindless politicians regarding their “analysis” of Covid.

War – a Crime Against Humanity

Reuters wrote on January 14:

‘Pope Francis said on Sunday war was ‘a crime against humanity’… In the prayer, he urged people not to forget those suffering due to the “cruelty of war” in several parts of the world… ‘Let us pray that those who have power over these conflicts reflect on the fact that war is not the way to resolve them, as it sows death among civilians and destroys cities and infrastructure,’ the pope said.”

Francis is right.

Pope Francis and Communism

Life Site News wrote on January 11:

“Hosting a Marxist-Christian dialogue group at the Vatican on Wednesday, Pope Francis urged them to ‘be open, in dialogue, to new ways,’ while avoiding reiterating the Church’s consistent condemnation of Marxism… In his address, the pope urged the Marxist and Christian attendees to ‘never lose the ability to dream.’… the pope did not mention Christ, Christianity, or the Church’s condemnation of Communism and Marxism at all.

“Catholic teaching against Communism is very clear… Pope Pius XI warned the entire Church about ‘the impious and iniquitous character of Communism.’ Describing Socialism as slightly less violent, Pius XI firmly prohibited any attempts to marry Socialism and Catholicism… ‘Socialism… cannot be reconciled with the teachings of the Catholic Church because its concept of society itself is utterly foreign to Christian truth… Communism is intrinsically wrong, and no one who would save Christian civilization may collaborate with it in any undertaking whatsoever…’

“Pius’ words merely built on the constant teaching of his predecessors. Pius IX’s 1846 encyclical Qui pluribus described Communism as ‘a doctrine most opposed to the very natural law,’ which would usher in ‘complete destruction of everyone’s laws, government, property, and even of human society itself.’ Pope Leo XIII’s 1878 encyclical Quod Apostolici Muneris condemned Socialism as a ‘deadly plague that is creeping into the very fibres of human society and leading it on to the verge of destruction…

“In recent years, Francis has increasingly aligned himself with globalist entities such as the U.N…, the International Monetary Fund; the COP climate agenda; and the World Economic Forum.”

The rift in the Catholic Church caused by Francis and his liberal supporters will have wide-ranging consequences.

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.

After looking at a sample of the criticism of the godly-ordained family where there is so much antipathy towards this institution, let us now look at those who contend earnestly with the opposite view – that of preserving what God has designed although many approach this from a human point of view, resorting to human reasoning, and, often, without any references to God’s instructions on the matter.

In the Daily Mail newspaper in May 2022, excerpts were published from the new book “The Case Against The Sexual Revolution” by feminist Louise Perry.  We will quote, selectively, what she has to say about marriage.

“Monogamous marriage is by far the most stable and reliable foundation on which to build a family.

“But while the monogamous marriage model may be unusual, it is also spectacularly successful. When monogamy is [adopted by] a society it tends to become richer and more stable, with lower rates of both child abuse and domestic violence. Birth rates and crime rates both fall, which encourages economic development, and wealthy men, denied the opportunity to devote their resources to acquiring more wives, instead invest in property, businesses, employees and other productive endeavours.

“A monogamous marriage system is successful in part because it pushes men away from cad mode, particularly when pre-marital sex is also prohibited. If a man wants to have sex in a way that’s socially acceptable, he has to make himself marriageable. That means holding down a good job and setting up a household suitable for the raising of children. In other words, he has to tame himself. [The need to “tame” oneself applies of course also to a woman, not just to a man.]

“The monogamous marriage model is also the best solution yet discovered to the problems presented by child-rearing.

“There was a wisdom to the traditional model in which the father was primarily responsible for earning money while the mother was primarily responsible for caring for children at home. Such a model allows mothers and children to be physically together and at the same time financially supported. In an age of labour-saving domestic devices it has become more feasible for mothers of young children to do paid work outside of the home, as most of us do and take pleasure from. But not during the early months of a baby’s life.

“I know full well that I was irreplaceable as mother to my new born child – not only because I was the only person who could breastfeed, but also because children have a relationship with their mother that cannot be handed over without distress to both mother and baby. If we want to keep that maternal bond intact, the only solution is for another person to step in during these times of vulnerability and do the tasks needed to keep a household warm and fed.

“Perhaps we could call that person a spouse. Perhaps we could call their legal and emotional bond a marriage.

“Which is why – as a feminist – the most important piece of advice I can offer to the young women of today is this: get married and do your best to stay married. Particularly if you have children. And if you do find yourself in the position of being a single mother, wait until your children are older before you bring a stepfather into their home [We would not necessarily agree with this advice at all].

“These directives are hard to follow because we no longer live in a culture that incentivises perseverance in marriage. But it is still possible for individuals to go against the grain and do the harder, less-fashionable thing.

“The critics of marriage are right to say that it has historically been used for the control of women by men, and they’re right to point out that most marriages do not live up to a romantic ideal. The marriage system that prevailed in the West until recently was not perfect, nor was it easy to conform to, since it demanded high levels of tolerance and self control. Where the critics go wrong is in arguing that there is any better system. There isn’t.”

As we pointed out in part 1 of this series, we realize, of course, that the comments above by a “feminist” are extremely “optimistic” and “idealistic” and are in many cases impossible to carry out today. This is especially true for the idea that the man alone can be the breadwinner today while the wife can stay at home. That would be somewhat ideal, but almost far from being doable in today’s societies. Still, the comments above can serve as guidelines to do what we can do under the best of circumstances.

On dailycaller, dated 27th November 2022, Liz Wheeler wrote an article headed “Twelve Republican Senators Betrayed The Institution Of Marriage,” and below are just a few comments from a long article:

“On November 16, all 50 Democratic senators and 12 of their Republican counterparts voted to advance the Respect for Marriage Act, circumventing the filibuster and paving the way for the bill’s imminent passage.

“In what should come as a surprise to no one familiar with the insidious tactics utilized by the Marxists currently in control of our government, the goals of this bill are being completely misrepresented. It’s time we cleared up exactly what this bill means and break down the sinister ramifications of its potential passage.

“At its core, this legislation would force the federal government to recognize any marriage that was performed according to a state law. If a same-sex couple gets married in a particular state— California, for example — then the federal government would be required to recognize that union.

“There are at least three major problems that would necessarily result from this.  First, the bill amounts to a direct assault upon religious liberty. The anti-Christian, anti-Jewish, anti-Muslim, anti-religion, anti-God, secular mob will undoubtedly use this law to target people of faith. They will target non-profit organizations. They will target churches. They will target religious schools. You won’t be able to conduct business under the premise of the biblical definition of marriage or you will likely come under fire.

“Which leads us to the second problem: this bill gives government the power to redefine words. This has nothing to do with sexual orientation or sexual attraction. It’s about the definition of the word marriage, and whether government at the federal or state level has the right to redefine what marriage is, and has always been, since before the inception of our country.

“After all, if the federal government can be forced to recognize a same-sex union, what would the limitation be upon recognizing polygamous marriage? What about a marriage between an adult and a child? Once definitions become malleable and subject to political whimsy, they cease to have any meaning, and can be wielded against society at will. There are no limitations.

“Our government does not have the right to redefine words. That is a core tenet of authoritarian rule.”

“Third — and perhaps most importantly — the bill will inherently become a legal catch-all for the Democratic Party’s radical progressive agenda, which hinges upon the deliberate Marxist goal of destroying the nuclear family and ultimately deconstructing our society’s moral fiber.

“Ultimately, this bill is not about equal rights or codifying gay marriage into law. This is a radical leftist agenda that assaults the rights of religious people and institutions, grants government virtually unlimited power to define truth and morality, and provides protection for perverted, anti-American individuals and organizations.”

There are others who have written eloquently about the value of marriage.

Michael Ayling wrote in the Australian Spectator in June 2017: “The Left needs to destroy the family unit to succeed in the long-term. Over the last few years, we have seen numerous attempts to make the meaning of the word ‘family’ whatever anyone wants it to be, to strip it of any collective meaning. The Left needs to attack and to destroy the family as the basic building block of society in order to progress its goals.”

Mr Ayling then goes on to give an account of his schooling and how his school was taken over in 1980 by a highly ideological left-wing couple, calling themselves co-principals where he, and the other students, were exposed to their teaching which was based on their political leanings. Today, in so many areas of education, that same approach continues apace.

Without the protective influence of the family, we are left with “all within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state” as Benito Mussolini once said. The radicals seek to own the idea of the family, by redefining it out of existence.

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

A new Member Letter (January 2024) has been written and posted. Eric Rank reports on details concerning our efforts to publish and proclaim the gospel–especially, our current booklet advertising campaign. He also addresses the fact that we look to God for help in accomplishing the Work given to us and reminds us of the tremendous resources we are making available through our websites.

“UFOs—Außerirdische, Engel oder Dämonen?” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “UFOs—Aliens, Angels or Demons?”

“Kann Begierde denn Sünde sein?” last Sabbath’s second split sermon presented in German by Jens Herrmann, is now posted. Title in English: “Can Desire be Sin?”

“Bleibe standhaft,” last Sabbath’s first split sermon presented in Germany by Robert Indlekofer, is now posted. Title in English: “Stand Firm.”

“Is Your Heart Poisoned?” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Poison is a destructive substance that does damage to those exposed to it. Spiritual poison takes the form of destructive emotions and ideas that lead us away from God, toward the way of sin. How can we tell if our hearts are spiritually poisoned, and what can we do about it?

“Deceived? Not Me!” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Is there a chance that you have been deceived about what you believe—especially when it comes to the Word of God? Is there a way to know what deception is and to avoid it?