On June 16, 2018, Michael Link will present the sermonette, titled, “God’s Children,” and Kalon Mitchell will present the sermon, titled, “Joy of Living Today.”

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.

There is a wonderful piece of Scripture that very clearly defines what a true Christian’s attitude should be, and we find this in Ezekiel 9:4: “… the LORD said to him, ‘Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.’”

“Sigh,” as defined in Strong’s #584, means “to groan,” “to mourn,” and “to moan.” “Cry,” as defined in Strong’s #602, also means “to groan,” and to “to shriek.” It means that this is not just a cursory look at the world’s evils, mumbling something about how bad things are, but then carrying on with life as if nothing had happened. We can certainly become accustomed to the manifold sins of the world and inured and uncompassionate because we see so much of what is going on through the ubiquitous news media where the unacceptable becomes acceptable through constant application and usage. We can, in short, have a much lower threshold of what is right and wrong, if we’re not careful, through the brainwashing and availability of news, 24 hours a day.

The Scripture quoted above refers to abominations in the city of Jerusalem. However, this can be extended to cover any and all societies and places where abominations are prevalent but are seen as being the norm. We read in Isaiah 5:20: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” In this sin-sick world, Satan has cleverly manipulated the thinking of man to accept that which is unacceptable to God and make it totally acceptable. How very clever he is, as the people of God know only too well.

Of course, we have to know what is abominable to God, and 1 John 3:4 states that “sin is the transgression of the law” (Authorized Version) and “…by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).

One commentator stated that “Some people can see sin right before their eyes, they can hear it around them, they can live amidst it, but they can never sigh and cry over it because they refuse to allow God’s law to be the standard of their behaviour.” But it must be our standard.

That brings me to one of the latest events where we should all, in the Church of God, “sigh and cry over all the abominations” that we see in front of us.

On Saturday, 26th May 2018, the final results of the referendum to repeal Ireland’s abortion ban was approved by a big majority. In 2015, in another vote, this same country approved same-sex marriage by a landslide. It is remarkable as this is a Catholic country which has defied the teaching of their church. There was unbridled joy by so many young people in that country that was seen in print and on television. It was as if they had just won a world war or some other mighty achievement and, it would appear, that the enormity of what they had done was missed by those who voted for abortion on demand. I suspect that many who were celebrating would also have been among the number of those protesting at the killing of innocent women and children in war. They simply don’t see that abortion is murder and is just as bad as killing others in warfare. It is a double standard that they are oblivious to. ALL killing is wrong as the 6th Commandment of God reveals to all who have an ear to hear.

We cannot sigh and cry if we are unaware of what is happening in the world today. We need to keep ourselves continually updated in what is happening and be amongst those who have compassion on the plight of others and grieve over the problems we can see in every corner of the world. In Ireland, it was the attitude that was so concerning! There didn’t seem to be one iota of concern for the good and wellbeing of the unborn, just the celebration of women being able to make a choice in terminating a life and seen as their “right” and “entitlement”.

Of course, there are many more abominations for us to sigh and cry over as the world descends into chaos. As the great tribulation nears, additional appalling abominations will surface or increase. What we are seeing today, and what we saw in Ireland, is just another manifestation of the power and influence of Satan who convinces the world that sin is acceptable.

The good news is that his time is short and the coming of God’s Kingdom is near.

by Norbert Link

In this special edition, we are discussing the two most recent summits involving the USA. The diametrically opposite results of Donald Trump’s summits with US trading partners in Canada and with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in Singapore show how prophecy is marching on, if we have eyes to see. The distinctions between America’s friends and allies and America’s enemies become increasingly blurred.

Europeans are determined to take matters into their own hands, while America becomes marginalized and isolated. A trade war is on the horizon, and maybe more than that. Please view our most recent StandingWatch program, titled, “US Summits in Singapore and Canada—with Opposite and Frightening Prophetic Results.” 

We are also reporting on President Trump’s declaration to support overdue changes regarding the federal prohibition of medical Marijuana; the possible come-back of former President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz; an ongoing dangerous situation for Angela Merkel; Austria’s crackdown on mosques and imams; adopted and contemplated regulations within the EU pertaining to data protection and copyright laws; Italy’s commitment to the euro; a hypocritical resolution of the UN condemning Israel; and Israel’s and America’s pride for gay parades. We are pointing out in our comments that developments are happening right now which we have declared to occur for a long time.

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

North Korean Summit

The Japan Times wrote on June 12:

“In a vaguely worded agreement signed at their unprecedented summit Tuesday in Singapore, U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inked what Trump said was a ‘comprehensive document’ declaring that Kim’s regime would ‘work towards the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula’ while committing to a ‘lasting and stable peace.’

“In exchange, Trump committed to provide ‘security guarantees’ to Kim — including a halt to joint military exercises… But the agreement… offered few specifics about how the two sides would reach these goals, while also leaving ‘complete denuclearization’ undefined…

“Trump, however, did note that the U.S. would be halting its war games… adding that this would save the U.S. ‘a tremendous amount of money.’ He also suggested that South Korea had failed to contribute enough money and said the drills would be ‘inappropriate’ as the U.S. and North Korea negotiate a new relationship.”

Newsmax added on June 12:

“President Donald Trump rocked the region with the stunning announcement Tuesday that he was halting annual U.S.-South Korean military drills — and wants to remove the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in the South… The remarks contradicted countless previous declarations by U.S. political and military officials over the years that the drills are routine, defensive and absolutely critical.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 12:

“North Korea’s abysmal human rights record, which previous US administrations have sharply criticized, was not even mentioned in the declaration. ‘We wish he [Trump] had covered detention facilities and prison camps [in North Korea],’ Arnold Fang, an expert at Amnesty International, told DW…”

Time will tell where this will lead. We should note, however, that in the not-too-distant future a power bloc of Far Eastern nations will form, consisting of countries such as China, Russia, Japan, India, Pakistan, and, in all likelihood, a united Korea. (In this context, note our quoted article below, titled, “A World without the USA.”)

These collaborating “kings of the East” will be hostile towards the West, and vice versa. The “success” of the summit in Singapore stands in blatant contrast to the failure of the G-7 summit in Canada, as the many articles, quoted below, will show.

How North Korea Describes the Summit with President Trump

ABC News June 13:

“All of the media, limited as it may be, in North Korea is controlled by the state…

“North Korea’s newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, featured a series of pictures of Trump and Kim Jong Un shaking hands and standing side by side on its front page Wednesday. The headline reads, ‘A summit meeting of the century that pioneered a new history in DPRK-US relations,’ with a subheadline of ‘A joint statement adopted.’ Overall, the paper reads as if complete denuclearization was not a major issue… The article mentions ‘denuclearization’ — without the word ‘complete’ — only once, in a paragraph buried in context… The article ran across four pages out of the six-page newspaper with 33 color photos from the summit.

“North Korean TV’s most famous newsreader Ri Chun Hee, also known as the ‘Pink Lady,’ announced the results of the Trump-Kim summit on Wednesday at 4 a.m. ET, specifically highlighting Trump’s ‘intention to halt the U.S.–South Korea joint military exercises … offer security guarantees to the DPRK and lift sanctions against it as mutual relations improve.’

“Details about sanctions being lifted is unclear, as Trump specifically said they would not be lifted in a press conference following the summit…”

Trump’s Tweets: North Korea No More Threat to the World and America’s Real Enemy is the Free Press such as CNN and NBC

Newsmax wrote on June 13:

“President Donald Trump declared that North Korea no longer posed a nuclear threat, even though Kim Jong Un hasn’t committed to a timetable for giving up his weapons. ‘Everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office,’ Trump said on Twitter…

“Trump and Kim’s summit produced a historic handshake and a joint statement that committed North Korea to ‘complete denuclearization’ without providing any details about how that would happen. U.S. defense analysts have said Kim retains as many as 60 nuclear bombs and a range of missiles, including some he says can strike the U.S. ‘Before taking office people were assuming that we were going to War with North Korea,’ Trump said in another tweet. ‘President Obama said that North Korea was our biggest and most dangerous problem. No longer – sleep well tonight!’”

CNS wrote on June 13:

“Criticizing some of the liberal media’s coverage of the U.S-North Korea summit on denuclearization, President Donald Trump said ‘Fake News’ outlets NBC and CNN are trying to ‘downplay’ the summit… and added that America’s ‘biggest enemy is Fake News’ which is ‘so easily promulgated by fools!’”

When they say, “Peace, Peace”, there is NO PEACE!

 The G-7 Summit

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 8, 2018 [prior to the beginning of the G-7 summit]:

“The Trump administration’s decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum from Canada, the EU and Mexico due to ‘national security’ concerns has enraged US allies and threatens to unleash a trade war… The scale of the crisis between the United States and the other G7 members was highlighted early, when, in off-the-cuff remarks, Trump suggested Russia be allowed to rejoin the elite club of rich nations after it was expelled from the G8 following Moscow’s annexation of Crimea… European members of the G7 agreed that conditions were not ripe for Russia to be readmitted as long as the Ukraine crisis was not resolved.”

Newsmax wrote on June 9, 2018 [during the G-7 summit]:

“U.S. trading partners have been furious over President Donald Trump’s decision last week to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, the European Union and Mexico as part of his ‘America First’ agenda. Some countries have retaliated with their own levies on U.S. imports…

“While G7 leaders confronted Trump with a slew of data on imports and exports in a bid to sway his thinking, Trump countered (with) his own numbers and held his position that the United States was at a disadvantage on international trade…

“Trump’s ‘America First’ message to allies has hardened since he brought hardline national security adviser John Bolton on to his team…”

Trump in Warrior Form

The Associated Press reported on June 10:

“Insulting the host, alienating allies and threatening to suspend business with other countries: President Donald Trump was in full trade-warrior form for the weekend summit of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies in Canada.

“The president’s acrimony raised the risk of a trade war that could spook financial markets, inflate prices of goods hit by tariffs, slow commerce, disrupt corporations that rely on global supply chains and jeopardize the healthiest expansion the world economy has enjoyed in a decade.

“Leaving the conclave in Quebec on Saturday, Trump threatened to ‘stop trading’ with America’s allies if they defied his demands to lower trade barriers. And he shrugged off the risk that his combative stance would ignite escalating tariffs and counter-tariffs between the United States and its friends — the European Union, Canada, Japan and Mexico…”

Total Blowup—Trump Refuses to Sign Joint Statement of G7

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 9:

“The summit between the United States, Germany, France, Japan, Canada, Britain and Italy was one of the most fractious ever… a deep rift was highlighted as host Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ended the summit by saying he would move forward with retaliatory tariffs against the United States starting on July 1. He called US tariffs on its ally under the pretext of national security ‘kind of insulting’ and said Canada would not be ‘pushed around.’…

“Only hours later Trump took to Twitter to assault the Canadian prime minister’s ‘false statements’ and instructed US representatives to renege on the US endorsement of the joint communique. He also said he would be looking to impose tariffs on car imports into the United States.  Trudeau’s office responded later, saying they were focused on what was accomplished at the G7 summit and that the prime minister said nothing at the press conference that he hadn’t mentioned ‘before – both in public, and in private conversations with the President.’

“… the summit showed the United States was increasingly isolated…”

The New York Times wrote on June 9:

“With a petulant tweetstorm from Air Force One, Mr. Trump all but blew up the Group of 7 nations that the United States has led for more than four decades and essentially declared open political war on America’s closest neighbor… The blowup left the United States alienated from its allies even more than it had been entering into the summit meeting…

“Mr. Trump’s unvarnished post-summit Twitter insults aimed at Mr. Trudeau… left the Canadian-American relationship at its most overtly hostile since, perhaps, the War of 1812. Indeed, Mr. Trump had already clashed with Canada before the summit meeting by reportedly accusing it of burning down the White House during that war (it was really the British)…”

Wars Begin with Words—“Special Place in Hell for Trudeau”?

Fox News reported on June 10:

“There’s a special place in hell for any foreign leader that engages in bad faith diplomacy with President Donald J. Trump and then tries to stab him in the back on the way out the door,” [White House Director of Trade Policy Peter] Navarro said. “And that’s what bad faith Justin Trudeau did with that stunt press conference. That’s what weak, dishonest Justin Trudeau did…’”

The New York Times wrote on June 12:

“Peter Navarro, one of President Trump’s top trade advisers, said on Tuesday that it was a mistake to suggest that ‘there is a special place in hell’ for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, offering a rare apology from a White House that almost never walks back heated rhetoric… While Mr. Navarro backed down from his attack, Mr. Trump did not, continuing on Tuesday to accuse Mr. Trudeau of acting in bad faith and trying to take advantage of the United States.”

European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted in response: “There is a special place in heaven for Justin Trudeau.”  British Prime Minister Theresa May “is fully supportive of Trudeau and his leadership,” a senior UK government source said.

Canada Condemns Trump

Reuters wrote on June 11:

“Canada’s House of Commons on Monday unanimously condemned the personal attacks on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by U.S. President Donald Trump and his surrogates… Lawmakers… gave a standing ovation for the government’s response to the Trump administration’s verbal attacks on Trudeau… While the agreement of legislators who are normally opposed on most fronts was remarkable, the anger also spread to pundits, officials, celebrities and ordinary citizens as Canadians vowed consumer boycotts of American goods and brainstormed insults of Trump on social media.”

France and Germany Condemn Trump’s Angry Behavior

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 10:

“The French president’s office has said there is no place for anger and insults in international cooperation…

“[German] Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Sunday the US president’s tweets had destroyed trust and Europe should answer by staying even closer together…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 10:

“Germany’s Angela Merkel… told German broadcaster ARD that Trump’s ‘withdrawal via Twitter is of course sobering and a little depressing’…  Saturday’s events only reinforced the chancellor’s commitment to forging a stronger, more unified European Union. Europe must take its fate into its own hands and no longer ‘imprudently’ follow the US, Merkel said.

“The chancellor also announced during Sunday’s interview that, just like Canada, the EU was also preparing counter-measures to Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs. ‘We won’t let ourselves be ripped off again and again,’ Merkel said, taking on an unusually combative tone…’”

Trump’s Figures All Wrong?

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 12:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday struck back at President Donald Trump’s repeated complaints over the US’ trade deficit. Merkel pointed out the US actually runs a significant account surplus with Europe if one factors services into the equation.

“Several German economists have long made similar arguments. The chancellor also stressed that German direct investment into the US was significantly higher than the other way around.”

The Associated Press agreed, stating on June 10:

“Economists and trade analysts note that the rules of world trade rules aren’t as one-sided as the president argues. According to the World Bank, America’s average tariff is 1.6 percent, the same as the EU’s, only slightly higher than Japan’s 1.4 percent and double Canada’s 0.8 percent…”

So did Newsmax in an article, dated June 11:

“MarketWatch has pointed out that Trump has significantly overstated the U.S. trade deficit with the EU. And the web site of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative even refutes the main thrust of Trump’s argument, stating that ‘two-way U.S.-EU trade has been roughly balanced over time and the very high levels of foreign investment accounted for by each in the other’s markets means that the transatlantic economy is arguably the most integrated on Earth.’”

USA and Europe on Collision Course

Handelsblatt Global wrote on June 10:

“The failed G7 summit has made it more likely that a trade war between the US and other countries will escalate, a leading German economist, Ifo president Clemens Fuest, said.”…

“For the first time ever, Germany is developing a strategy on how to deal with the US, because Berlin has lost faith that its current policy of ‘damage control’ [no] longer works with Donald Trump’s administration. Currently, political strategies only exist for adversaries, such as Russia and China…

France’s Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire urged Germany to support France in reforming the EU and euro zone, otherwise the region might become too weak to cope with Donald Trump’s administration and China.”

“Time for Europe to Fill US Vacuum, Says ex-Danish PM”

The EUObserver wrote on June 11:

“In the wake of a disastrous G7 summit where US president Donald Trump all but broke off the Western alliance, the EU should… prepare to take over global leadership. That is the message on Monday (11 June) by a former member of the EU leaders club… ‘If we don’t find solutions we will be irrelevant,’ warned Denmark’s Helle Thorning-Schmidt, a year ahead of the next European elections…”

Trump’s and White House’s Rhetoric “Worsened”

Newsmax wrote on June 11:

“President Donald Trump told French President Emmanuel Macron that the European Union is worse than China on trade during a meeting at the White House in April… The rhetoric has only worsened in the days since, with White House officials insulting G7 leaders and Trump himself doubling down on his threats.

“International officials have in response been highly critical of Trump, as have many in Congress, including Republican Sen. John McCain, who slammed the president in a tweet.”

In Trump, Some Fear the End of the World Order

The Washington Post wrote on June 9:

“As each day brings a new series of punches and counterpunches between President Trump and longtime U.S. partners, the question appears to be moving beyond the realm of the academic… ‘What worries me most . . . is the fact that the rules-based international order is being challenged,’ European Council President Donald Tusk said… What is surprising, Tusk said, is that the challenge is driven not by the ‘usual suspects, but by its main architect and guarantor, the U.S.’

“Trump’s actions, he said, ‘play into the hands of those who seek a new post-West order where liberal democracy and fundamental freedoms would cease to exist.’ Tusk’s usual suspects certainly include China and Russia…

“Trump… often describes countries that have been historically aligned with the United States, including Germany, France and Canada, as ‘so-called allies’ who take advantage of the nation…

“‘…where I’m wringing my hands is the 2020 presidential election,’ said Cliff Kupchan, chairman of the Eurasia Group, which advises investors about the impact of politics on risks and opportunities in foreign markets. ‘If President Trump is reelected… then during his second term, we have to worry about the end of the liberal world order,’ Kupchan said. ‘A second term would allow him enough time to do irreparable damage to liberal institutions, to the WTO [World Trade Organization] and Bretton Woods,’ the 1944 conference where the current international financial system was created, which was quickly followed by the establishment of the United Nations…

“Americans have long had a love-hate relationship with Europe and foreigners in general, along with a strong current of belief that others have taken advantage of U.S. beneficence, sentiments that Trump has been more than willing to exploit…”

Angela Merkel’s Dark View of the World

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 5:

“The chancellor has made frequent excursions into history lately. Indeed, the Peace of Augsburg also came up four weeks ago during her visit to the residence of the German ambassador in Washington. The treaty initiated a 60-year phase of peace between Protestants and Catholics after the bloody turmoil of the Reformation and it initially seemed as though people had finally come to their senses. But that image turned out to be a deceptive one. In 1618, a war began unlike any the Continent had ever seen before. By the time the inferno ended 30 years later, large parts of Germany had been depopulated and many cities left in ruins.

“To Merkel, the Peace of Augsburg is much more than some distant historical date. Rather, it is a warning of just how thin the varnish covering civilization really is. Just as people in the late 16th century were erroneous in their belief that the Peace of Augsburg would be enduring, we could be just as mistaken today in the belief that the postwar order, with all its treaties and alliances, serves as a guarantee that the scourge of war will not return…

“For her, [Donald Trump] is a man who has turned back the historical clock to zero hour and casts doubt on everything that has united the West for decades: NATO, trade agreements and the United Nations. Many in the German government had hoped that Trump wouldn’t be so bad once he was actually sworn in. But Merkel is no longer under any illusions. Trump is implementing his campaign promises, no matter how asinine they might be, as if going down a checklist…

“She feels everything needs to move much faster, in Europe and in Germany, which can’t even manage to build an airport in its capital city — in stark contrast to a China that can build entire metropolises from scratch within just a few years. During her trips to China, there is always a hint of appreciations for the Chinese government… China is governed from the top down.

“Something has to happen, Merkel said with concern as she traveled back to Berlin, impressed by the drive of Beijing’s leaders. And then, in the same breath, she went on to explain why nothing could happen: because her hands are tied by German federalism…”

But this will change soon. A European power bloc will emerge which will NOT be a democracy.

A World Without the USA

The Website of lobelog wrote on June 8:

“Given the unpredictability of US policy, imagine a South Korea/China/North Korea/Japan agreement that leads to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, mutual security commitments, greater exchange between the two Koreas, increased economic support for North Korea, and South Korean request for the US to withdraw its troops. The US would be effectively marginalized…

“How might unhappy European allies respond, over time?… By strengthening, for the first real time, their security forces in the European Union, as opposed to the NATO framework…

“The world is in the midst of a power shift that is resetting roles and relationships in a fundamental way. The impact of the Trump doctrine may be to accelerate these changes, leading to the emergence of new actors, processes and institutions where the US does not lead, and a very different perspective on the US role…”

Amazing! All of this is what we have been saying for quite a long time, based on biblical prophecy, and this article, quoted above, was written BEFORE Mr. Trump announced his desire to withdraw American troops from South Korea. Also note the next article.

Russia, China and Other Allies Make Show of Unity

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 8:

“Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Russian leader Vladimir Putin to Beijing on Friday, with both men hailing the importance of working together strategically… The meeting underscored a growing closeness at a time of prickly relations with the US for both countries…

“Putin said he and Xi had enjoyed fruitful talks… ‘Cooperation with China is one of Russia’s top priorities and it has reached an unprecedented level.’… Moscow is increasingly looking to China for investment after a sharp decline in relations with the West after the 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and support for pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine. China is seeking allies amid growing criticism of its militarization of the South China Sea and continued accusations of human rights breaches and unfair trade practices.”

AFP wrote on June 9:

“Chinese President Xi Jinping will open late Saturday a two-day regional security summit attended by Russia, Iran and other allies confronting rising tensions with the US over trade and Washington’s withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal… world leaders arrived Friday for the 18th annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a regional security bloc led by China and Russia. Its member states also include four ex-Soviet Central Asian republics, Pakistan and India. Iran is an observer member.

“Though not officially on the agenda, analysts say that one key topic of discussion this year may focus on whether Iran will be allowed to ascend from its position as an SCO observer to become a full member state — a development it has sought since 2008 but has been unable to achieve while subject to UN sanctions…

On June 10, Bloomberg News ran an article with the following headline: “China, Russia Solidify Growing Eastern Bloc as Trump Rattles G-7.”

Trump To End Federal Ban on Marijuana?

Breitbart wrote on June 8:

“President Donald Trump told a gaggle of reporters Friday that he will ‘probably’ support efforts by Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) to end the federal ban on marijuana in states that have legalized it. ‘I support Sen. Gardner… We’re looking at it. But I probably will end up supporting that, yes.’

“President Trump has taken a hard line against drugs. In March, he proposed that the death penalty be made available in prosecutions of drug traffickers. Earlier this year, Attorney General Jeff Sessions reversed an Obama-era policy of not enforcing the federal marijuana ban in states that had voted to legalize the drug for medicinal or recreational use, allowing federal prosecutors in each state to use their own discretion.

“In response to that decision, Garnder threatened to hold up future nominations for positions in the Department of Justice. He backed down after he said Trump had agreed not to intervene in states that had legalized the drug, and said privately that he would support Garnder’s legislation. Friday’s statement, however, was the first time Trump had made that support public…”

Newsmax added on June 9:

“President Donald Trump said Friday that he was inclined to support a bipartisan effort in Congress to ease the U.S. ban on marijuana, a proposal that would dramatically reshape the nation’s legal landscape for pot users and businesses. The federal ban that puts marijuana on the same level as LSD and heroin has created a conflict with about 30 states that have legalized pot in some form, creating a two-tiered enforcement system at the state and federal levels. The legislation would ensure states have the right to determine the best approach to marijuana within their borders, but some U.S. restrictions would remain, including sales of non-medical pot to people under 21…

“The president’s remarks place him in conflict with his own Justice Department and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who staunchly opposes marijuana. He lifted an Obama administration policy and freed federal prosecutors to more aggressively pursue cases in states that have legalized marijuana. Asked about the measure in an interview with Colorado Public Radio, Sessions said, ‘We’ll see how far it goes and how much support there is. … My view is clear: The federal law remains in effect nationwide, just as it does for heroin and cocaine.’…

“The bill would change the definition of marijuana in federal drug law to exclude industrial hemp, which like marijuana is part of the cannabis plant family but doesn’t contain the THC that gives pot users the high. Hemp produces the non-intoxicating cannabinoids, or CBDs…”

Hopefully, these changes will be made soon, as it is ignorant and unconscionable to place MEDICAL marijuana in the same category as LSD and heroin.

Germany Elected to UN Security Council

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 8:

“The United Nations has voted to give Germany a two-year seat on the Security Council… Germany was voted onto the United Nations Security Council for the sixth time on Friday [since it became a UN member in 1973], after it secured a two-thirds majority in the General Assembly.

“Germany and Belgium will be joined by South Africa, the Dominican Republic and Indonesia as the new faces on the Security Council for 2019 and 2020. Sweden, the Netherlands, Ethiopia, Bolivia and Kazakhstan are set to leave the council at the end of this year after completing their two-year term. The other five temporary seats not up for election this year are held by the Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Kuwait, Peru and Poland.

“The Security Council is made up of five permanent members with veto powers — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France — and 10 temporary members elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms. Every year, five countries are elected by secret ballot. A seat on the Security Council is viewed as the pinnacle of diplomatic achievement, as it gives countries a strong voice in matters concerning international peace and security. The council is also the only UN body with the power to impose sanctions and authorize the use of military force.”

Comeback of Martin Schulz?

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 6:

“Some Social Democrats want their ex-leader to take another turn as a candidate — this time for the 2019 European elections. He has the Brussels experience…

“Former party leader and chancellor candidate Martin Schulz had one of the most meteoric rises in recent German political history — and an equally steep and speedy fall. When Schulz handed over leadership of the center-left SPD to Andrea Nahles earlier this year, it seemed to be a safe assumption that Schulz’s time in the political spotlight was over.

“However, a suggestion last month from Berlin Mayor Michael Müller has set off a round of chatter that Schulz may yet have another turn as a candidate in front of him… Schulz [has] already built up a profile in Brussels through his two decades in the European Parliament: he served as the body’s president from 2012 to 2017. As a candidate and SPD leader in last year’s federal elections, Schulz frequently promoted greater European integration, calling for what he referred to as the ‘United States of Europe.’

“It wasn’t just Müller who backed the idea of Schulz as the center-left’s leading candidate and would-be European Commission president, a position currently held by Jean-Claude Juncker. The SPD’s Seeheimer Circle, known as the more centrist and pragmatic wing of the party, also ‘wholeheartedly’ endorsed the idea. ‘Europe is his topic,’ Johannes Kahrs, the group’s spokesman, told Der Spiegel. ‘Martin Schulz is known across Europe, esteemed, connected, and can and will advance Europe.’

“… German political experts acknowledge that Schulz is by far the SPD politician with the biggest profile on the European political stage… ‘Martin Schulz has obvious shortcomings, but also several advantages: he’s somebody who’s highly qualified, who knows everybody in Europe and everything about Europe, and feels at home in Brussels,’ Marcel Dirsus, a political scientist at the University of Kiel, told DW…”

We have said from the outset that we did not believe that Schulz’s political career was over.

 Are Merkel’s Days as German Chancellor Numbered?

Handelsblatt Global wrote on June 13:

“Angela Merkel faces fresh trouble from her Bavarian allies, the Christian Social Union, over her stance on the refugee question. This time around, though, the chancellor looks more isolated than ever, as more and more Christian Democrats side with the hardline Bavarians, abandoning their leader.

“As the dispute escalates, the stakes are growing and could eventually bring Ms. Merkel’s chancellorship to an end. The issue is already dividing Europe, a split that’s now being exacerbated by the Bavarian CSU leader, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, as he allies himself with other European leaders who oppose Ms. Merkel’s asylum policy…

“The ongoing feud between Ms. Merkel and Mr. Seehofer over immigration flared up again suddenly on Monday when the chancellor rejected the interior minister’s proposal to turn refugees away at the German border if they had already applied for asylum in another European country…

“On Tuesday, CDU lawmakers in the Bundestag overwhelmingly supported Mr. Seehofer’s plan during an internal debate within the party’s parliamentary group… In all, ‘75 percent of the group support Mr. Seehofer’s plan,’ said Andreas Mattfeldt, a CDU politician from Lower Saxony. He said in the nine years he has been in the Bundestag, ‘I have never seen so many politicians voice their disapproval of the chancellor’s position so clearly.’…

“On Tuesday, Mr. Seehofer invited Mr. Salvini, his hardline Italian counterpart, to Berlin next week to discuss a joint proposal to protect the EU’s external borders. Mr. Salvini is not just any interior minister. A member of the anti-immigration League party, Mr. Salvini was behind Italy’s decision to close its ports to a rescue ship carrying 629 migrants at the weekend. The far-right politician was sworn in last month with a pledge to deport 500,000 migrants from his country. According to Italian officials, Mr. Salvini and Mr. Seehofer are in ‘full agreement’ on security and immigration.

“On Wednesday, Mr. Seehofer… chose… to meet with another chancellor — from Austria. Sebastian Kurz is another long-standing Merkel critic and thus a natural ally for Mr. Seehofer. Although his proposal to reject migrants at Germany’s borders would cause Austria major problems, both politicians opted to ignore this difference, and emphasize instead their agreement on how to defend the EU’s borders…”

Deutsche Welle added on June 14:

“Germany’s conservative bloc may be coming apart at the seams, as its Bavarian wing lines up behind Interior Minister Horst Seehofer and against the chancellor. It’s the greatest challenge ever to Merkel’s authority.”

Austria’s Crackdown on Imams and Mosques

AFP wrote on June 8:

“Austria said Friday it could expel up to 60 Turkish-funded imams and their families and would shut down seven mosques as part of a crackdown on ‘political Islam’, triggering fury in Ankara… Even Austria’s opposition parties were broadly supportive of Friday’s announcement, with the centre-left Social Democrats calling it ‘the first sensible thing this government’s done’…

“Turkey’s relations with Austria have long been strained, most recently when Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said he would ban Turkish politicians from campaigning in Austria for upcoming elections. Around 360,000 people of Turkish origin live in Austria, including 117,000 Turkish nationals. Last week Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attacked Kurz, saying: ‘This immoral chancellor has a problem with us’…”

Erdogan’s reference to Kurz’s immorality might have been in regard to the fact that Kurz has been living together for many years with his girlfriend, without being married.

Daily Mail wrote on June 8:

“… other European far-right leaders welcomed the announcement. Marine Le Pen, the leader of the French Front National, said on Twitter: ‘Austria is taking things in hand and showing that “when you want to, you can!’”’ Matteo Salvini, head of Italy’s League and interior minister in the new government, also tweeted his approval, saying: ‘Those who exploit their faith to endanger a country’s security should be expelled!’

“… The government recently announced plans to ban girls in elementary schools and kindergartens from wearing headscarves, adding to existing restrictions on veils.”

Results of Germany’s New Data Protection Law

Bild Online reported on June 9:

“Because of fear of warning notices and fines because of the Data Protection Law, over 70 percent of small and medium size companies either limited their digital activities or abandoned them altogether.

“2,400 German companies were surveyed, and 40% did limit their Online activities to some extent, while 26 percent did so to a large extent. Almost 3 percent abandoned such activities completely.”

Intrusive European Copyright Law Next?

The New York Post wrote on June 8:

“The proposed [EU] regulation will force websites to filter out text, audio, photos and video shared by users against an ever-expanding database of copyrighted works… privacy advocates warn the rules… violate the fundamental rights of internet users and could be used to excessively censor the web… A campaign against the law says the proposals could ‘destroy the internet as we know it.’ ‘Should Article 13 of the Copyright Directive be adopted, it will impose widespread censorship of all the content you share online,’ it said…

“Meanwhile, non-profit The Electronic Frontier Foundation and 56 other rights organizations sent an open letter to European lawmakers in October highlighting their issues with Article 13. ‘Article 13 appears to provoke such legal uncertainty that online services will have no other option than to monitor, filter and block EU citizens’ communications if they are to have any chance of staying in business,’ it read.”

Europe becomes more and more an autocratic power bloc, as prophesied in the Bible.

More Censorship and Restrictions of Free Speech Coming in Germany?

The Guardian wrote on June 13:

“The head of Germany’s most powerful cultural body has called for the plug to be pulled on the nation’s multitude of political talkshows for a year… Olaf Zimmermann, who heads the German cultural council… said public broadcasters needed to step back and rethink a format that has helped cement gloom-ridden public attitudes towards refugees and Islam, and propelled the Alternative für Deutschland party into parliament at last September’s election…

“For their part, the AfD… have been deeply critical of the extent to which they are excluded from TV debates. Last week that impression was only intensified after Alexander Gauland, the party’s leader, had his invitation to appear on Hart Aber Fair withdrawn in protest at his description of the Nazi era… AfD supporters reacted to the ban with fury on social media, calling it part of a campaign to squeeze the party off the airwaves…”

Italy Commits to Euro

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 10:

“Italy’s new Finance Minister Giovanni Tria has said the government aims to stick with the euro and also cut debts levels. His words should help assuage fears of an Italian spending splurge and exit from the EU currency… ‘The position of the government is clear and unanimous. There is no question of leaving the euro,’ Tria said, adding that the government would work actively to prevent the likelihood of such an event…

“Tria’s words echoed those of Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who earlier this week said a departure from the euro was ‘not up for discussion.’”

We have repeatedly announced dogmatically that Italy will not abandon the Euro.

Hypocritical UN Condemns Israel

Deutsche Welle reported in June 14:

“The UN General Assembly on Wednesday adopted by a sweeping majority a resolution condemning Israel for killing Palestinians in Gaza and rejected a US attempt to pin the blame on Hamas. The resolution put forward by Algeria, Turkey and the Palestinians secured 120 votes in the 193-member assembly, with 8 votes against and 45 abstentions…

“The resolution deplores Israel’s use of ‘excessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate force’ against Palestinians, particularly in Gaza. Australia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Togo and the Solomon Islands joined the United States and Israel in voting against the resolution. Germany abstained…

“The resolution did condemn rockets fired from Gaza into Israel, but did not explicitly mention Hamas. About 70 rockets were fired into Israel from Gaza on May 29, most of which were intercepted by Israel’s missile defense system… Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon told the General Assembly before the vote that in supporting the Arab and Islamic backed resolution UN members were supporting a ‘terrorist organization’ and ‘empowering Hamas.’

“The United States sought to add an amendment to the resolution blaming Hamas for ‘inciting’ violence. The amendment received 62 votes in favor, with 58 against and 42 abstentions. However, it failed to get the two-thirds majority needed to be adopted. US Ambassador Nikki Haley called the resolution biased against Israel. ‘For some, attacking Israel is their favorite political sport…’

“General Assembly resolutions are non-binding and there is no veto, but they carry political weight…”

JTA wrote on June 13:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement thanked Haley for her defense of Israel. ‘The U.N.’s incessant focus on Israel not only brings shame to the organization, it also draws attention away from so many other pressing issues that demand the attention of the international community,’ he said…

“In a similar scenario in December, the General Assembly approved a resolution condemning the U.S. decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv by a wide margin after the United States vetoed a similar resolution in the Security Council. Nine countries voted against [that] resolution, including Israel, the United States, Guatemala, Honduras and Togo, and 35 abstained, including EU member states Poland, Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Croatia and Latvia. The rest of the European Union was among the 128 nations that voted in favor.”

Tel Aviv’s 20^th Annual Pride Parade

JTA wrote on June 8:

“A crowd of 250,000 attended Tel Aviv’s 20th annual Pride Parade, which featured a performance by Israeli Eurovision winner Netta Barzilai. At least 30,000 foreign tourists attended the parade on Friday morning… The event, which topped last year’s overall attendance by some 50,000, according to estimates, is held in congruence with LGBTQ Pride Month. The parade also featured a tribute to longtime LGBTQ activists, as well as a performance by the Israeli-Arab diva Nasreen Qadri…

“‘I am proud of everyone who is marching in the #TLVPride Parade in support of… diversity and… equality,’ tweeted U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman (who was appointed to the post by Donald Trump). ‘Promoting, protecting and advancing human rights – including the rights of #LGBTI persons – has long been the policy of the United States.’”

Nothing to be proud of.

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.

A: One does not have to go searching very far on the Internet to find people who are taking the writings of the Old Testament out of context and finding fault with the words of God. People will go to any extreme to rule out the need for God and His laws. The issues that people take umbrage with range from murder, sacrifices (including human sacrifices), slavery to rape, just to name a few. Some say that the Old Testament was harsh in its exacting. But they fail to realize it was mainly dealing with people’s hardness of heart.

Quoting from our Q&A:  “God revealed the law of the Ten Commandments to the people, but since they did not have the Holy Spirit, they were unable to keep the spiritual intent of the law. However, God expected them to keep at least the letter of the law, but they were also disobedient in that regard. They sinned gravely, and sin is the transgression of the spiritual law (1 John 3:4). Because of their sinful conduct, God introduced a sacrificial system of ritual laws and regulations to remind them of their sins and to make physical amends (Hebrews 10:1-4). This system of ritual laws was only temporary (Hebrews 10:8-10). It included the laborious task of offering animal sacrifices, and sometimes it included very rigorous physical penalties, such as death by stoning. Dealing with carnal human beings, God knew that only harsh measures could prevent them from totally rebelling against Him and from living a terrible life of depravity and violence (compare Ecclesiastes 8:11). Nevertheless, even those measures did not help, and they ultimately became totally and completely corrupt (Ecclesiastes 9:3).

“It was never God’s desire to ‘force’ people to obey Him. It was never His desire to introduce harsh physical penalties for disobedience. He never wanted a sacrificial system. He did not desire animal sacrifices, but rather, that men lived in a way that such sacrifices [and penalties] would not be necessary (Psalm 40:6; 50:8-14; 51:16-17).

“God had created man as free moral agents, with the faculty of deciding for himself whether or not to follow God’s rules. God had offered Adam and Eve the gift of the Holy Spirit (symbolized by the Tree of Life), but they rejected that gift and ate instead from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, representing the concept of determining and deciding for themselves what seemed right to them. The consequence was that man began to call good evil, and evil good (Isaiah 5:20), ending up in his unspeakable depravity and his destruction in a worldwide flood (Genesis 6:5-7).“

We can easily see that many of the things that happened in the Old Testament were not what God wanted. When trying to discredit the Bible, people don’t and cannot see the entire plan of God laid out. They have no clue that God is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8; 1:8-12). God doesn’t change. He still expects the Ten Commandments to be followed, both in the letter, but more importantly, in the spirit. For instance, Christ made clear that it is not only wrong to murder someone, but hatred is equally forbidden.

Nor do people realize that there is a distinction between the ritual laws introduced in the Old Testament, which had reached their finality and were abolished when Christ died for us, and the spiritual law, which is still in place. Christ did NOT come to abolish the entirety of God’s Law, but rather, Christ came to magnify the Law through the Holy Spirit. (For more detailed explanation, please read our free booklet, “Old Testament Laws Still Valid Today?”). For the last 6,000 years or so, man has been allowed to reap the rewards of his own choices. The Old Testament helps to show that the ways in which people chose to act and the things that they chose to do were not necessarily right. 1 Corinthians, chapter 10, speaks about the warnings to Israel. Verse 11 says: “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

In some cases, God expressly condemned certain conduct, such as human sacrifices. In other cases, the Bible just reports the events without specifically stating that the particular human conduct was wrong, but the reader is supposed to know that it was wrong, when it clearly violated the Ten Commandments and the statutes and judgments, defining the Ten Commandments even more (for instance, when people lied). Sometimes, the Bible may give us additional information or hints, when stating that there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in his own eyes. God had simply permitted human beings to make their choices, without intervening and preventing them (for instance, in the case of polygamy or slavery). In still other situations, God even used wrong choices (such as warfare) to bring about His specific purpose (for instance, to fulfill His unconditional promise to Abraham to bring his descendants into the Promised Land).

People fail to see that when the children of Israel in the Old Testament obeyed and heeded the teachings of God, they were blessed, healed, and taken care of all around. For instance, look at King Solomon who had peace in his kingdom. There was no reason for war and all the atrocities that come along with war, because God kept it peaceful.

But then the opposite is true as well. Hebrews 3:9-11; Isaiah 53:6; and Jeremiah 4:16-22 are just a few Scriptures, outlining the problems that ensued because of Israel’s and Judah’s lack of following after the laws of God.

In 1 Peter 3:15 we are told that we must be able to give an answer for the things we believe. If we don’t know the answer to some of these errors, then we could be led away from the knowledge of the Truth. It can be easy to be swayed by people who sound like they know what they are talking about. Many arguments against the Bible found on the Internet are attempting to disprove and discredit the Bible in any perceivable or dishonest way, without showing any understanding of the Scriptures (compare Jeremiah 23:36; 2 Peter 3:16). Matthew 24:10-12 points out that this type of conduct will increase as we move towards the end of this age. Notice that because of the growth of wickedness or lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. This love for the Truth is quickly replaced with hate, iniquity and vileness.

It is the responsibility of God’s true Church to teach the Truth to its members and to others in general, as we read in Ephesians 4:11-15:

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints… till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God… that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the Head—Christ…”

At the end of the day, we must accept the guidance of God’s true ministers when they explain to us the Word of God in the light of the Scriptures (compare Acts 8:31; Romans 10:14-15) , and we all must individually study the Word of God for clarity and understanding in the matters mentioned earlier in this Q&A. We must understand where we stand individually in relation to God’s words and commands. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 shows us why we must make the effort to study. If we truly claim to be Christians and say we believe the Bible, we must understand what the Bible says in many different areas of life and be able to back it up with Scripture (2 Timothy 2:15).

Lead Writer: Kalon Mitchell

compiled by Dave Harris

“US Summits in Singapore and Canada—With Opposite and Frightening Prophetic Results,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The diametrically opposite results of Donald Trump’s summits with US trading partners in Canada and with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in Singapore show how prophecy is marching on… if we have eyes to see. The distinctions between America’s friends and allies and America’s enemies become increasingly blurred. Events are being set in motion right now which are not accidental, but which might determine your future—including your physical and spiritual survival.

“Was sagt uns der Prophet Daniel über die Endzeit?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “What Does the Prophet Daniel Tell Us About the End Time?”

“Renewal of Your Mind,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

What does the Bible really mean when it talks about renewing our minds? What are we doing every day to renew our minds in relation to our Christian calling? Does it really make that much of a difference how we think? Does God command it?

“God or Man—Part 2?” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

How do we correctly manifest love towards our neighbor? Are there laws or biblical teachings which man doesn’t consider to be sinful when God clearly does? In this second part, the next 6 commandments will be covered which describe the love towards our neighbor, or fellow man.

On June 9, 2018, Kalon Mitchell will present the sermonette, titled, “Renewal of Your Mind,” and Michael Link will present the sermon, titled, “God or Man? – Part 2.

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.

There is a lot of talk about making the world a better place, but the reality is that under Satan’s tutelage and administration, this world is not going to get better. Rather, it is heading for complete and utter annihilation.

Matthew 24:22 tells us: “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”

THIS LOOKS LIKE A PRETTY GRIM OUTCOME FOR MANKIND. Is there any hope FOR US?

We know that the only viable and enduring solution lies in the return of Jesus Christ to end the madness of man’s rule and to put Satan away for a long duration of time, to give some relief from his negative influence on this world.

When this has occurred, we read about the conditions in the Millennium in the book of Isaiah: “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:2-4).

These are encouraging Scriptures and should inspire us to maintain our zeal to complete the Work we have been given to accomplish, prior to Christ’s return. The end of war is just one aspect of the changes we will help to bring about in the future. We can also see that the worship of God will be established, including keeping the Sabbath and the Holy Days. Wanting to be taught God’s ways in the above Scripture in the book of Isaiah includes worshipping Him in the prescribed manner, as outlined in Leviticus 23.

It is really important for us to remain faithful to our calling and see the present job through, since we will have such a positive powerful impact on the world in the future. As sons and daughters of God, we will be able to really make enduring positive changes to this world.

Our training now will eventually qualify us to be involved in this worldwide effort to implement the changes to truly make the world a better place. Paul expressed the current situation and looked to a future solution in Romans 8:20-23:

“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.  Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption [better: sonship], the redemption of our body.”

Notice, the creation will be delivered from the bondage of Satan. And it groans and labors with birth pangs, awaiting the arrival of the firstfruits of those in the first resurrection to change this current evil world. Let’s ensure we are up to the task in remaining faithful to the end. The world desperately needs us.

by Norbert Link

We begin with reporting on NATO’s refusal to help Israel in case of an Iranian attack; and the divide between Israel and Europe, especially Germany. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “NATO: No Protection for Israel.”

We continue with the ongoing fight between the USA and the EU, Canada and Mexico regarding the imposition of tariffs (please view our StandingWatch program, titled, “Trade War Coming? US Imposes Tariffs on Europe”; and continue with events pertaining to the upcoming US summit with North Korea on June 12.

We address outrageous and disturbing statements by President Trump’s former and present attorneys in respect to an American President’s legal accountability for criminal wrongdoing; and address the controversial and hypocritical conduct of many Evangelicals towards Donald Trump.

We speak about a narrow US Supreme Court decision upholding the religious rights of a baker who had refused to prepare a wedding cake for a gay couple, and quote an article about openly gay US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, and his appreciation for the support of gay rights by Donald Trump, Mike Pence and John Bolton. We continue with the uproar caused in Germany by Mr. Grenell regarding his alleged comments to empower Europe’s right-wing governments.

We address another uproar caused in Germany by comments of one of the leaders of Germany’s far-right AfD party regarding the Nazi era; and address the viewpoints of Angela Merkel and Martin Schulz regarding the future of Europe; as well as the controversial position of Austrian leaders towards Russia.

We focus on the new governments of Italy and Spain and the “re-elected” government of Egypt; and we conclude with a Canadian Supreme Court decision, holding that courts do not have the jurisdiction to review doctrinal decisions of churches, such as the expulsion of members.

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

NATO: No Help for Israel

WallStreet Online wrote on June 2:

“In light of growing tension in the Middle East due to Trump’s cancellation of the Iran deal, NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg made clear that Israel could not rely on protection from NATO in case of an Iranian attack. ‘Israel is our partner, but not a member of NATO. The guarantee for protection of Article 5 does not apply to Israel,’ Stoltenberg said to Der Spiegel.”

The New Jerusalem Post added on June 2:

“In response to Stoltenberg’s announcement, Volker Beck – the German Green Party politician and former head of the German-Israel parliamentary group in the Bundestag – asked on Twitter: ‘That raises the question: What does this clarification mean for the security dialogue between NATO, EU, Germany and Israel?’”

Good question. NATO becomes more and more irrelevant for Israel and Europe, but would the EU intervene on behalf of Israel? View our new StandingWatch program, titled, “NATO: No Protection for Israel.”

Iran Vows Tenfold Response to Any Attack

The Times of Israel wrote on June 4:

“Iran’s top leader said Monday that anyone who fires one missile at his country ‘will be hit by 10’ in response… In a speech, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also said he had ordered atomic authorities to increase the country’s nuclear enrichment capacity. The increase he detailed in his speech would not exceed limits set by the nuclear accord, which European countries have said they hope to salvage.

“In a series of tweets on Sunday, [he called] the Jewish state the ‘cancerous tumor’ of the region that must be ‘removed and eradicated.’”

According to some news outlets, Netanyahu responded to Iran’s announcement to increase nuclear enrichment activities that Israel was prepared to strike Iran. Further, news emerged this week that in 2011, Netanyahu had already ordered an attack on Iran within 15 days, but had later withdrawn the order.

Significant Differences between Germany and Israel

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 4:

“Israeli PM Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to Germany comes at a politically turbulent time. Israel expert Peter Lintl sums up the divide between Europe and Israel: ‘Europeans have a hard time understanding Israelis… There are indeed significant differences. Germany believes that the nuclear agreement with Iran was a step in the right direction. Israel, on the other hand, says that the agreement offers Iran the opportunity to develop a nuclear bomb…

“‘Germany has rejected any suggestion of relocating embassies to Jerusalem based on the historical background that Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1980 declaring it the unified capital…’”

Deutsche Welle added on June 4:

“[In their meeting in Berlin on Monday, the] Israeli and German leaders may have stressed commonalities, but on Iran’s nuclear potential they’re miles apart… The two close allies are on diametrically opposite sides of this particular issue… Israel opposes the deal… It wants to see Germany cease doing business with Tehran…

“Fielding questions from reporters, Merkel said that Germany and Israel shared the goal of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons but disagreed on the means to that end. Merkel said that before the UN-sponsored deal Iran had been close to developing such weapons and that the deal would guarantee ‘more transparency.’ Netanyahu countered that the deal would give Iran permission to develop ‘unlimited’ amounts of enriched uranium in the future in return for not enriching uranium now. He said that was unacceptable.

“Netanyahu… was keen to stress that ‘radical Islam’ was the greatest danger faced by the world today and said that Iran continued to call for Israel’s destruction. He also claimed that Tehran intended to start a ‘religious war’ within the Islamic world, which he warned would lead to further masses of refugees who would try to flee to Europe — a pointed reference to the issue that is widely regarded as Merkel’s Achilles heel…”

Even though the article states that Germany and Israel are “close allies,” this manifests itself as a misconception when digging deeper. And the relationship between Israel and Germany, as well as Europe, will further deteriorate.

EU, Mexico and Canada Retaliate Against Trump’s Steel and Aluminum Tariffs

Reuters reported on June 1:

“Canada, Mexico and the European Union retaliated against U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum with levies on billions of dollars of U.S. goods from orange juice and whiskey to blue jeans and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The EU took the United States to the World Trade Organization to challenge the legality of the new tariffs and the Trump administration’s national-security justification…

“President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Washington’s closest allies drew condemnation at home from Republican lawmakers and the country’s main business lobbying group and sent a chill through financial markets…

“Canada and Mexico, embroiled in talks with the United States to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), responded swiftly. Canada, the largest supplier of steel to the United States, will impose tariffs covering C$16.6 billion ($12.8 billion) on U.S. imports… ‘The American administration has made a decision today that we deplore, and obviously is going to lead to retaliatory measures, as it must,’ Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said…

“For the EU, a decision on just how far to push back will require agreement among the 28 member states that make up the world’s biggest trade bloc. Germany, by far the biggest exporter to the United States, is keen to avoid a wider trade war, especially as the Trump administration has floated the prospect of tariffs on cars. Other countries such as France favor more forceful retaliation against what they see as American bullying. EU members have so far given broad support to a European Commission plan to set duties on 2.8 billion euros ($3.4 billion) of U.S. exports. EU exports subject to U.S. duties are worth 6.4 billion euros ($7.5 billion)…

“French President Emmanuel Macron telephoned Trump to tell him he believed the tariffs were both a mistake and illegal, his office said. U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue warned in a letter to the body’s board that current trade policies could threaten economic progress and cause the loss of more than 2 million jobs, mostly in states that voted for Trump.”

The EU and Canada filed complaints with the WTO. But as Deutsche Welle wrote on June 1: “The European Commission is hopping mad, and it’s ready to fight back… [But] US President Donald Trump has already signaled his country would withdraw from the World Trade Organization, should it side with the EU in its ruling [which might take months to be rendered anyhow]. In other words, Europeans shouldn’t pin too much hope on the WTO.”

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated in an interview that he finds it “insulting and unacceptable” that Canada would be described by President Trump as a threat to or a security risk for the USA. “FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron has launched a furious attack on Donald Trump, warning his decision to impose trade tariffs on the EU is illegal and could lead to war” (Express, dated May 31).

“Trump Refuses to Back Down as EU and Canada Hit Back”

The Independent wrote on June 1:

“The decision by the Trump administration to finally impose the 25 per cent tariffs on steel imports and 10 per cent on aluminum weeks after they were announced has sparked outrage among some of Washington’s staunchest allies with Theresa May saying: ‘The EU and UK should be permanently exempted from tariffs’ and she is ‘deeply disappointed at the unjustified decision by the US.’…

“Germany’s Volkswagen, Europe’s largest automaker, warned that the decision could start a trade war that no side would win… The European Union and China have already said they will deepen ties on trade and investment as a result of the move to impose steel and aluminum tariffs…”

USA Being Attacked by G7 Finance Leaders

Reuters reported on June 1:

“The United States’ closest allies attacked the Trump administration on Friday for imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports and mounted challenges with the world’s top trade body, fouling the mood at a G7 finance leaders meeting…

“Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso… called the U.S. action ‘deeply deplorable.’… Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a statement that the tariffs were ‘imposed under a false pretext of safeguarding U.S. national security.’…”

The media spoke about the G7 meeting as 6 vs. 1.

US Summit with North Korea Set Again for June 12

The Sun wrote on June 1:

“PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s historic summit with Kim Jong-un is back on after he met with a North Korean envoy at the White House [on Friday]. It comes after a letter from Kim Jong-un was today passed onto the US President, which he described as ‘very nice’ and ‘very interesting’ [even though he said later in the same press conference that he had not read the letter]…

“Despite the upbeat message in the US, Kim Jong-un, in a meeting with Russia’s foreign minister on Thursday, complained about the US trying to spread its influence in the region…

“Kim Yong Chol [was] the most senior North Korean visitor to the United States since Vice Marshal Jo Myong Rok visited Washington in 2000 to meet President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. That was the last time the two sides, which are technically at war, attempted to arrange a leadership summit. It was an effort that ultimately failed…

“Kim Yong Chol, [former North Korean spy chief and currently the] vice chairman of the North Korean ruling party’s central committee, was allowed into the United States despite being on a US sanctions list. And North Korean officials are not normally allowed to travel outside the New York area.”

Further, according to President Trump, North Korea’s atrocious human rights violations were not raised during the meeting, either.

More Nonsense from Giuliani and Trump’s Legal Team: “Trump Can Probably Pardon Himself”

 ABC wrote on June 3:

“In an interview Sunday with ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos on ‘This Week,’ Rudy Giuliani discussed special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of whether the president may have tried to obstruct justice in the probe of Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. When Stephanopoulos asked if the president has the power to pardon himself, Giuliani said he ‘probably does.’ ‘He has no intention of pardoning himself,’ said Giuliani… But it is a ‘really interesting constitutional argument: “Can the president pardon himself?”’

“Giuliani added, ‘I think the political ramifications of that would be tough…’

“Giuliani’s comments come on the heels of the publication of a 20-page letter sent to Mueller from Trump’s legal team earlier this year… The letter, dated Jan. 29, argues that, as president, Trump cannot be indicted, cannot be subpoenaed and could not be guilty of obstruction of justice due to his position as ‘chief law enforcement officer’…”

The Washington Post added on June 3:

“… while arguing that the president has the theoretical ability to pardon himself, Giuliani and other Trump allies on Sunday nonetheless rejected the reality of such a brash move — in part because of the political backlash they said could lead to Trump’s impeachment…

“The reality, however, is more nebulous. The Republican Party… has so far failed to assert any clear red line over which Trump could walk that would prompt them to take action against their party’s leader. And Republican lawmakers have remained largely silent as Trump has repeatedly gone to war with his Justice Department and the FBI, intentionally and routinely degrading public trust in the institutions tasked with holding him accountable for misbehavior…

“The president and his allies have long privately played out the strategy that burst into public view this weekend. As early as last summer, for instance, as Mueller’s probe dragged on, the president began asking advisers about his power to pardon aides, family members and even himself. His lawyers at the time discussed his pardoning powers as well…”

The Huffington Post added on June 3:

“President Donald Trump’s lawyer says Trump could shoot the FBI director in the Oval Office and still not be prosecuted for it. ‘In no case can he be subpoenaed or indicted,’ Rudy Giuliani told HuffPost Sunday… Giuliani said impeachment was the initial remedy for a president’s illegal behavior ― even in the extreme hypothetical case of Trump having shot former FBI Director James Comey to end the Russia investigation rather than just firing him…”

CNN wrote on June 4:

“President Donald Trump asserted Monday that he has the right to pardon himself but suggested that he won’t use that power… ‘As has been stated by numerous legal scholars, I have the absolute right to PARDON myself, but why would I do that when I have done nothing wrong?…’ the President tweeted.”

IF the contentions of Giuliani’s and “numerous legal scholars” WERE even remotely correct, then we would have a totalitarian dictatorship in the USA unheard of and unparalleled in ANY democratic country.

How the Mighty Have Fallen

The Huffington Post wrote on June 2:

“Franklin Graham is on a crusade across California. But unlike his father [the late Billy Graham]… he’s looking for voters he can deliver to the Republican Party…

“Graham’s decision to focus on turning out evangelical voters in the Golden State… demonstrates how much today’s Religious Right has departed from its early history…

“… today’s Religious Right, led by [Franklin] Graham and other Trump supporters, takes a defensive position, angrily defending their sense of occupying a shrinking place in the nation as an oppressed minority. It’s that aggrieved identity that led evangelicals to abandon their formerly high character standards for politicians in order to embrace the thrice-married casino magnate Trump in the first place, a man who may not join them in the church pews on Sunday but promised to fight for them on America’s political battlefields… Graham has… distinguished himself from his father who, after an early flirtation, ultimately abandoned the political realm. Disgusted by his friend Richard Nixon’s vulgarity revealed in the White House tapes (plus embarrassed by how the recordings had also captured his own anti-Semitic statements), Billy Graham distanced himself from politics.

“In marked contrast, neither Trump’s own filthy language nor hateful rhetoric has diminished Franklin Graham’s support for the president. ‘I can’t think of anything mean he’s said,’ Graham told the Times in February. Even more tellingly, Graham has argued that Trump’s affair with the adult film actress Stormy Daniels was ‘nobody’s business.’ Such moral compromises for the sake of politics have long troubled some evangelical leaders, including Franklin’s father. Even in the heady days of the early Reagan years, Billy Graham refused to allow his evangelistic association to help the Religious Right…

“Manipulating religion in service of the Republican Party, and especially Trump, now appears to be exactly Franklin Graham’s project… white evangelicals’ support for Trump doesn’t expose their hypocrisy…”

True Christians are NOT to get involved in politics. And God most certainly requires a high moral standard of a leading politician. Please see our Q&A on this issue, asking and answering the question, “Does it matter what a political leader does in private as long as he does his ‘public’ job effectively?” We said: “The behavior of politicians really does matter. Sadly, in this world which is ruled by Satan, most politicians do not follow God’s Way of Life. Many citizens copy the bad behavior of their leaders.”

US Supreme Court Sides with Baker against Gay Couple

NBC News reported on June 4:

“The U.S. Supreme Court gave a boost to advocates of religious freedom on Monday, ruling that a Colorado baker cannot be forced to make a cake for a same-sex wedding, in a case that involved marriage equality and protection from discrimination.

“But the opinion was a narrow one, applying to the specific facts of this case only. It gave no hint as to how the court might decide future cases involving florists, bakers, photographers and other business owners who have cited religious and free-speech objections when refusing to serve gay and lesbian customers in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2015 same-sex marriage decision.”

Proud to Be Gay… Supported by Trump

Breitbart wrote on June 4:

“Ambassador Richard Grenell expressed nothing but praise for President Trump, Mike Pence, and John Bolton, during an interview with Breitbart London, describing what it is like to be the most prominent [and high-powered] openly gay diplomat in the history of the United States…  ‘I’m certainly proud of it…’ Grenell… thanked both President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence…  ‘It’s never been an issue for President Trump. He communicated that very early’… Things were not the same before the coming of Trump, Grenell said, noting that he had been involved with the Republican Party since the re-election campaign of former President George H.W. Bush in 1992…

“In 2005, John Bolton spoke at the Log Cabin convention in San Diego as the U.S. ambassador to the UN…  He was for gay marriage. He was for gays serving in the military even back then, long before many of the Democrat politicians embraced it…

“President Trump has also been a supporter of the Log Cabin Republicans, a group which represents LGBT Republicans, recently issuing an official statement congratulating the group on its 40-year anniversary.”

We feel these statements, and many like them, speak for themselves.

US Ambassador to Germany Under Fire

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 4:

“The German Foreign Ministry says it wants clarity about controversial comments made by the new US ambassador, Richard Grenell. In an interview with Breitbart News… he said he was excited by the rising wave of conservatism within Europe, adding that he saw his task as ‘empowering’ Europe’s right-wing governments and budding leaders…

“Adding fuel to the fire regarding Germany’s perceived lack of defense spending, Grenell said that Germany is losing credibility…”

The EUObserver wrote on June 6:

“US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, rejected on Sunday as ‘ridiculous’ claims that he ‘endorses’ conservatives in Europe… he tweeted: ‘I stand by my comments that we are experiencing an awakening from the silent majority – those who reject the elites & their bubble. Led by Trump’.”

Even though Breitbart might have quoted Grenell incorrectly, his denial sounds more like a confirmation.

Expelling Grenell from Germany?

AFP wrote on June 5:

“Leading German politicians on Tuesday called for the US ambassador to be expelled, after the staunch ally of Donald Trump was accused of meddling in domestic politics and aggravating already tense ties. Richard Grenell had taken up his diplomatic posting in Berlin on May 8, and immediately irked Germany when he tweeted on the same day that German companies should stop doing business with Iran as Trump quit the nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic.

“He stoked further outrage over the weekend with reported comments to far-right website Breitbart of his ambition to ‘empower other conservatives throughout Europe, other leaders’. Grenell also raised eyebrows with his plan to host Austria’s arch-conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz — who the US envoy describes as a ‘rock star’, for lunch on June 13.

“‘What this man is doing is unheard of in international diplomacy,’ Martin Schulz, former chief of the Social Democratic Party and an ex-European Parliament president, told national news agency DPA. ‘If a German ambassador were to say in Washington that he is there to empower the Democrats, he would have been kicked out immediately. I hope that Kurz’s visit will lead Mr Grenell’s tenure as ambassador in Germany to be short,’ added Schulz, playing on the German word for short ‘kurz’. Schulz had earlier tweeted that the US envoy did not behave like a diplomat but like a ‘far-right colonial officer’.

“… the opposition far-left Linke party’s chief Sahra Wagenknecht said Grenell had disqualified himself as ambassador. ‘Someone like US ambassador Richard Grenell, who thinks he can lord over Europe and determine who is governing here, can no longer stay in Germany as a diplomat,’ Wagenknecht told Die Welt daily…

“Although Merkel herself belongs to the conservative camp, commentators said it was clear that Grenell was not seeking to bolster the chancellor’s party base, but rather its opponents from the far-right. ‘It is bad enough if that’s what he is thinking, let alone saying it,’ said the daily Berliner Zeitung…”

And so, all German parties, except for the AfD, have been condemning Grenell’s statements.

Germany’s AfD Causes Further Outrage

Note: The following article includes a strongly-worded quote from a German politician which might be offensive to some. In order to report correctly as to what was said exactly and the (in some cases exaggerated) reactions to it, we decided not to omit the quote.

AFP wrote on June 2:

“One of the leaders of Germany’s far-right AfD party sparked outrage Saturday by downplaying the crimes of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, saying they were ‘just a speck of bird shit in over 1,000 years of successful German history.’ The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is the biggest opposition party in Germany’s lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, with more than 90 deputies…

“Gauland (77) has repeatedly attacked Islam, and argued that Germany should be proud of its veterans of two world wars. In 2016, he took aim at star footballer Jerome Boateng, who was born in Berlin to a German mother and a Ghanaian father. ‘People find him good as a footballer, but they don’t want to have a Boateng as a neighbour,’ Gauland said.

“The head of Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrat Union party quickly hit out at Gauland’s latest remarks on Saturday, saying that the AfD was revealing its true face. ‘50 million war victims, the Holocaust and the total war are nothing more than “bird shit” for the AfD,’ she tweeted…

“Set up in 2013 as an anti-euro party, the AfD recorded a surge in support after it began capitalising on unease in Germany over the arrival of more than a million asylum seekers since 2015.”

Die Welt commented: “Gauland means exactly what he says. And that makes it so dangerous.”

Handelsblatt Global wrote on June 4: “Alexander Gauland, co-leader of the AfD party, said he never meant to “trivialize or deride the victims” of Nazi rule, and that he chose the word Vogelschiss or ‘bird poop’ out of contempt for Nazis.”

Deutsche Welle added on June 4:

“Moderates in the Alternative for Germany have rejected Alexander Gauland’s trivializing characterization of the Third Reich. But hardliners blame the media and say the party chairman’s words were taken out of context… most AfD members defended Gauland, claiming that he had merely misspoken… One of those who is defending Gauland is the AfD’s leader in the state of Thuringia, Björn Höcke. He accused the media of distorting Gauland’s words. ‘Alexander Gauland has once again been quoted out of context by journalists… Before the quote in question, Alexander Gauland spent four or five sentences explaining in detail how he as an AfD member and as AfD chairman accepted Germany’s historical responsibility for the Nazi era.’”

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 6:

“The co-chairman of Germany’s far-right AfD could face legal action for appearing to trivialize the Nazi era. A complaint has been filed with a public prosecutor, accusing Alexander Gauland of inciting hatred… [and describing] Gauland’s remarks as ‘scandalous’ and an ‘intolerable mockery of the victims of the Holocaust.’ Gülegen went on to accuse Gauland of seeking to ‘deliberately downplay’ the crimes committed during the Nazi era.”

In all fairness, it is hard to understand why Gauland’s comments received the kind of condemnation which they did, given the fact that he clearly condemned and distanced himself from Nazism. The terms he used (however one wants to translate them into English) do not in any way support or even belittle the atrocities by Nazi Germany. But such overreaction is typical for German politicians and the mainstream media.

The Future of Europe according to Merkel

Politico wrote on June 3:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Sunday she supports the idea of a joint European defense force… Merkel’s French counterpart Emmanuel Macron has been pushing for the creation of a combined EU military force that could be deployed to trouble spots around the world…

“Merkel also called for the creation of an EU-wide asylum agency ‘that processes all asylum claims at the external borders, based on unified EU asylum law.’…

“Asked about her goals for the EU in the next five to ten years, Merkel said: ‘My goal is that the world knows: In foreign policy, Europe speaks with one voice.’”

Express added on June 3:

“ANGELA Merkel has backed key planks of Emmanuel Macron’s vision for an ever-closer European Union for the first time, including a joint EU army…”

The Telegraph added on June 3:

“The structural integration of the European Union’s armed forces has been a long-standing strategic ambition of the EU, with the latest initiative being based on the 2009 Lisbon Treaty… The United Kingdom, Europe’s pre-eminent military power, blocked this, fearing the creation of a Europe-wide army. However, [after] Brexit [the UK has] no say in the matter and the EU has pushed ahead with plans.

“A resurgent Russia and the election of Donald Trump, on a platform attacking Nato, may have lent a sense of urgency to the process. The Permanent Structured Cooperation (Pesco) was initiated in 2017… The UK is exempted, Denmark and Malta have opted out. All 25 other European Union members are committed. Initial plans envisaged countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland creating permanent military structures to act on behalf of the EU and for the deployment of the EU’s battle groups and 18 national battalions. It could also comprise an EU military planning and operations headquarters in Brussels that would parallel Nato.”

So, it should be clear that a European army IS coming very soon.

Time to Fight

Martin Schulz, former European Parliament president, wrote in Der Spiegel Online on June 5:

“It is time to fight…. We are in the middle of a global fight between systems… It is a matter of survival of a free democracy… With Donald Trump, we have a president who scoffs at Western values… In our immediate neighboring countries, the enemies of the free world grow… they all propagate the spirit of Trumpism… All these phenomena have also reached our own country…

“Those who want to destroy the EU attack a model which has guaranteed freedom and democracy for more than seven decades… We have to fight stronger and more passionately than ever before for this Europe… We have to make sure that Germany will take the leading role in the strengthening of Europe…”

Austria for Lifting of Russian Sanctions because of Ukraine

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 3:

“[Heinz-Christian Strache, the] leader of Austria’s Freedom Party says he wants to end EU sanctions imposed on Russia in response to the Ukraine crisis. [He] says the measures have damaged the Austrian economy. ‘It is high time to put an end to these exasperating sanctions and normalize political and economic relations with Russia,’ he said. The EU sanctions against Russia were imposed in an effort to return Crimea to Ukraine and end an ongoing conflict in the east of Ukraine.

“The remarks by Strache, leader of Austria’s Freedom Party (FPÖ), come amid a European diplomatic push to resolve the situation in Ukraine. The vice chancellor is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vienna during the week…

“Strache, whose pro-Moscow Freedom Party (FPÖ) is junior partner to Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s conservatives, has previously spoken out against the sanctions and warned against pushing Russia into the arms of China. Austria’s coalition government says it wants to act as a bridge between east and west, while Kurz has stressed its pro-EU stance is secure.

“Top-ranking FPÖ party members went to Moscow in 2016 to sign a five-year cooperation agreement with Putin’s United Russia party. According to press reports, one of the points described the ‘raising of younger generations in the spirit of patriotism and work enjoyment.’ Sergei Zheleznyak, deputy speaker of Russia’s lower house — who signed the agreement and who is on the EU sanctions list — praised the party for opposing the EU sanctions. “Austria will take over the EU’s rotating presidency for six months in July.”

In addition to Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has the reputation of a hardliner as well. He is very popular in Germany. The German magazine Focus published an article WARNING against the grave dangers stemming from Kurz’s politics.  

Italy’s New Government… For Now!

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 1:

“Giuseppe Conte… was sworn in as Italy’s 58th prime minister on Friday, ending weeks of political turmoil that rocked financial markets and prompted concerns from the country’s European Union partners. Italy has been without a government since elections on March 4 failed to produce a clear winner. The far-right Lega (League)… and the anti-establishment, populist Five Star Movement (M5S), despite being diametrically opposed on some issues, have been trying to cobble together a government…

“President Sergio Mattarella… initially refused to approve Conte’s government last weekend. He rejected the inclusion of the ardently anti-euro Paolo Savona as economy minister. With Savona replaced by Giovanni Tria, an economics professor who has never advocated leaving the eurozone, Mattarella finally gave his approval on Thursday…”

In a related article, Deutsche Welle wrote on June 1:

“It would be a miracle if the new prime minister… turned out to be anything more than a puppet controlled by the two party leaders. After all, this unknown law professor has no ties to either M5S or The League… Conte is destined to become a weak figure, a head of government who must call The League and M5S headquarters before making promises to foreign counterparts like German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron.

“And that goes for the whole cabinet, which also consists of novices — few have ever done more than work at city hall… But inexperience can be problematic…”

Daily Mail added on June 1:

“Italy swears in its new PM at the head of anti-EU populist government that is set to launch an immigrant crackdown, cut taxes but STAY in the Euro.”

Spain’s New Government… for Now!

The Guardian wrote on June 1:

“Mariano Rajoy, once viewed as the great survivor of Spanish politics, has been ousted as prime minister in a vote of no confidence after several former members of his party were convicted of corruption in a case that proved a scandal too far. He will be replaced by Pedro Sánchez, the leader of Spain’s opposition socialist PSOE party…

“It cements a remarkable comeback for Sánchez, who regained his leadership a year ago after a PSOE coup saw him deposed over his steadfast refusal to let Rajoy back into office following two inconclusive general elections…

“Rajoy, who served as premier for seven years, had managed to weather a string of corruption scandals within his People’s party (PP) but was unable to withstand political anger after Spain’s highest criminal court found the party had benefited from an enormous and illegal kickbacks-for-contracts scheme, known as the Gürtel case. The 63-year-old’s fate was sealed on Thursday afternoon when the Basque Nationalist party (PNV) joined the anti-austerity Podemos party and the two biggest Catalan pro-independence parties in backing the PSOE motion.

“Sánchez, 46, has promised to call elections but has said his minority government will spend a few months focusing on social and educational reforms before taking Spain to the polls. His time in office is unlikely to yield profound changes and he will have to heed the demands of the parties who backed his motion… [He] also held out his hand to the Catalan independence parties, saying he was willing to engage in dialogue over the long-running territorial and political crisis.

“The leader of the centre-right Ciudadanos, Albert Rivera, who had not voted to remove Rajoy, said his party would be ‘very attentive to the concessions’ made to Basque and Catalan nationalists. He also called for early elections…”

“Re-Elected” Egyptian President Sworn In

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 2:

“Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi (63) was sworn in for a second term on Saturday, little more than two months after winning an election that critics have widely regarded as a sham… El-Sissi was re-elected to a four-year term after winning 97 percent of the vote with voter turnout at 41 percent in a March election that featured no serious opposition… The top challenger was arrested and his campaign manager beaten up. Other legitimate contenders soon withdrew from the race, citing intimidation.

“El-Sissi, a former intelligence chief and defense minister, led the military coup in 2013 of Egypt’s first freely elected president, Islamist Mohammed Morsi, amid widespread protests against his divisive rule. Under el-Sissi, security forces have waged a widespread crackdown on dissent, jailing thousands of Islamists as well as secular activists.

“Unauthorized protests have been outlawed and hundreds of websites, including those of independent media and human rights groups, have been blocked.”

This sounds like a Hitler-type dictatorship, as we know it from Turkey as well.

Canada’s Supreme Court: Courts Cannot Second-Guess Church Decisions

LifeSiteNews wrote on June 1:

“Canada’s top court has affirmed the right of religious groups to govern their own affairs. It ruled yesterday that an Alberta court had no jurisdiction to review a decision by a Jehovah’s Witness congregation to expel a member for alleged drunkenness and domestic verbal abuse… all nine Supreme Court justices agreed the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench had no authority to rule on [a] civil action against Jehovah’s Witness brought by [a] former member [who] had argued that his expulsion from the church affected his property and civil rights.

“Courts have neither the ‘legitimacy nor institutional capacity to deal with contentious matters of religious doctrine,’ wrote Justice Malcolm Rowe. ‘In the end, religious groups are free to determine their own membership and rules,’ Rowe concluded…”

This has also been the law in the USA for many years, even though lower courts might try time and again to ignore or circumvent it.

 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.

A: The entire passage of 2 Corinthians 3:3-18 has been very confusing to many, and most commentaries use it to teach that the Ten Commandments are no longer binding for us today. We discussed this question in our Q&A, titled, “Does 2 Corinthians 3:3-11 teach that the Ten Commandments have been abolished?”.

We will summarize below some statements in the above-mentioned Q&A and then proceed with answering further questions and objections to our explanation.

In the Q&A, we pointed out that verse 3 addresses indeed the Ten Commandments, stating, “… you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.”

This statement merely explains that we are to internalize the Ten Commandments. It is not enough to have them in our Bibles or written on posters or on tablets of stone, but they must be part of ourselves. They must be in our hearts, on the tablets of our flesh. This passage does not even remotely suggest that we are no longer obligated to keep the Ten Commandments; just the opposite is the case.

God’s Law must be in our hearts (Isaiah 51:7; Hebrews 10:16). In the context of this Q&A and 2 Corinthians 3, the following passage in Ezekiel 36:26-27 is especially telling: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.”

Some turn to 2 Corinthians 3, verses 7-8, 11, for their claim that the Ten Commandments have been abolished. However, these verses don’t talk about the tablets of stone on which the Ten Commandments had been written. They state:

“(7) But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, (8) how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?… (11) For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.”

Let us compare the different Greek words which are used in verses 3 and 7, when describing the “tablets of stone” and the “ministry of death… engraved on stones.” The Greek word for “of stone” in verse 3 is, “lithinos” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, No. 3035), and means, literally, “made of stone” or formed out of stones. The word is used in Revelation 9:20, describing idols made out of stone. The Greek word for engraved “on stones,” in verse 7, is, “lithos” (Strong’s No. 3037), and it describes complete stones–not something made of stone. It is also rendered as “millstone” in Luke 17:2. The tablets with the Ten Commandments, as mentioned in verse 3, were taken from stones–the tablets did not constitute complete stones. But verse 7 speaks of complete stones.

This distinction is important as much later, massive stones would be used on which the entire Law of Moses would be engraved. The Law of Moses had been written in the “Book of Moses” or the “Book of the Law of Moses” or the “Book of the Covenant” (Exodus 24:4, 7; Deuteronomy 28:58-61; 29:20-21, 27; 30:10; 31:24-26; Joshua 1:8; 8:31, 34). This Book was also called the “Book of the Law of God” in Joshua 24:26. While God wrote twice the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone (Exodus 31:18; Exodus 34:1, 28), He instructed Moses to write all the commandments in a Book (Exodus 34:27). This Book included the Ten Commandments and other spiritual laws which are still valid today, but it also included ritual laws, sacrificial laws, and the penalties or “curses” for disobedience such as the death penalty for capital sins and crimes.

ALL the laws that had been written by Moses into the “Book of the Law” were later engraved by Joshua on massive stones (Joshua 8:30-32, 34), pursuant to the word of Moses (Deuteronomy 27:2-3, 8). These are the stones Paul speaks about in 2 Corinthians 3:7-8 (“… if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious… how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?”). The reference to the ministry of death includes the death penalty for violating God’s spiritual law. The ministry of death referred to the Levitical priesthood. They had to carry out the execution of those guilty of death. They had to apply the letter of the law (2 Corinthians 3:6); there was no room for mercy due to repentance. The Levitical priesthood was also a ministry of death for the additional reason that people would still not be able to obtain eternal life, even though they brought sacrifices, as sacrifices did not forgive sins, and the penalty of sin is death (Romans 6:23).

God’s true ministers today do not administer the death penalty for sin–they don’t fulfill the ancient Levitical priesthood’s role and function of a “ministry of condemnation” (2 Corinthians 3:9). Rather, God’s true ministry today teaches that sinning man can receive forgiveness of sin, through the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. God’s ministry today also teaches that man must keep the Ten Commandments. Man can only do this, however, through the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within him, which is received after repentance, belief and proper baptism and the laying on of hands. In other words, God’s ministry is a “ministry of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 3:9), teaching man how to obtain righteousness and how to live righteously.

The penalties were first written in the Book of the Law of Moses and then engraved on massive stones. Note that the tablets of stone with the Ten Commandments did not include any death penalties. But the massive stones with the entirety of the Book of Moses surely did.

The Ten Commandments, as well as other permanent and temporary laws, were WRITTEN in a book–the Book of the Law of Moses. Verse 7 makes reference to this fact, when it says, “…WRITTEN and engraved on stones.” Quite literally, the meaning is that all of the laws were first “reduced to writing” (“en grammasin” in Greek) and then “engraved” (“entupoo” in Greek) “on stones” (“en lithos” in Greek).

It must be admitted that the literal rendering in verse 7 does not include the word “and” in the phrase, “written and engraved on stones”, but it was supplied by the translator of the Authorized Version and the New King James Bible. But the supplication is correct; otherwise there would be doubletalk, because “written” and “engraved” means the same thing in the context. But it was first written in the Book of Moses and then engraved on stones. The tablets with the Ten Commandments were “written” with the finger of God, but the clause “engraved” is not used in regard to the tablets of stone with the Ten Commandments (but compare for example Exodus 28:9-11).

Another objection is as follows: If 2 Corinthians 3:7 makes reference to the massive stones which were mentioned by Moses and later erected under Joshua, why then do verses 7-8, 11-14 refer to Moses’ shining face when he returned from the mountain with the tablets of the Ten Commandments? In order to answer this question, let us quote these particular verses in context:

“(7) But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, (8) how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?… (11) For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious. (12) Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech—(13) unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. (14) But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ…”

The argument is that Moses’ face had a glorious appearance when he had returned with the tablets of the Ten Commandments, proving that Paul is referring here to the tablets with the Ten Commandments and NOT to the massive stones with the entire Law of Moses, including its ritual and sacrificial laws and its penalties.

Some who understand that Paul was NOT speaking about the Ten Commandments in verse 7 try to explain this verse by giving an interesting rendition of the words “so that” in the phrase, “But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance…”

The argument goes like this (quoted from the Internet):

“In reading the above passage, one might think that there is some close connection between the administration of death and the glory of Moses’ face.  Actually, there is no connection.  Rather, there is a parallel.  In verse 7, where it says, ‘so that the children of Israel,’  the word ‘so’ is translated from the Greek word hoste, which in some contexts, can mean ‘as’—as it certainly must in this case.  Paul was using simile (showing similarity using ‘like’ or ‘as’).   For instance, if someone says, ‘Bill stared at that glass of water like a lion stalking his prey,’ that doesn’t mean there is a connection between Bill and the lion.  There is simply a parallel.  So what was Paul saying?   He was pointing out that, just as the glory of Moses’ face had a brilliant glory, even though it was only temporary, so the civil ‘administration of death’ at that time had a brilliant glory even though it [too] was only temporary.   But, as he goes on to show, that pales beside the much greater, permanent glory of the spiritual ‘administration of righteousness’…”

 The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon defines the word “hoste” as: “so that, insomuch that, so then, therefore, wherefore.”

The total of the King James Word Usage of the word “hoste” is 83, as follows: “‘so that’ 25, ‘wherefore’ 17, ‘insomuch that’ 16, ‘therefore’ 9, ‘that’ 6, ‘so then’ 5, ‘to’ 3, ‘as’ 1, ‘insomuch as’ 1.”

However, no commentary has been found agreeing with the explanation that “hoste” can mean “as” in the sense of a comparison or a simile. They all say, it can only convey the concept of expressing the effect or result of anything (cp. Vine’s Expository Dictionary).

In looking at the passages where “hoste” is used, none seems to give the meaning of conveying a comparison. Rather, the synonyms are, “in so much that; so that; therefore; wherefore.” Even when “as” may be used in some (modern) translations, it is not to be understood as a comparison, but only as an expression of the effect.

We do not have to decide whether the meaning of the word “hoste” in the context of 2 Corinthians 3:7 can convey a comparison or simile. The reason is that an incorrect assumption was made regarding the timing of the shining face of Moses.

Let us note that the face of Moses shone with glory after he saw God in His glory (Exodus 33:18-23) and after he had been with God a second time for 40 days and 40 nights to receive the second set of the tablets of stone, containing the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:29-30). His face did not shine when he received the first tablets with the Ten Commandments which he broke in anger because the Israelites had built a golden calf and committed idolatry.

The Soncino commentary points out that “these rays of glory originated with Moses at the time he stood in the cleft of the rock and God covered him with His hand.” Most commentaries conclude that his glory continued to shine throughout his life, and that he continued to put a veil on his face when he showed himself to the Israelites (Exodus 34:33-35).

The Nelson Study Bible states that Moses’ “glory was enhanced on each subsequent encounter with the LORD.”

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers says: “The brightness of Moses’ face… remained henceforth a property of his countenance.”

The Benson Commentary states: “He carried his credentials in his very countenance; some think, as long as he lived he retained some remainders of this glory, which perhaps contributed to the vigour of his old age; that eye could not wax dim which had seen God, nor that face wrinkle which had shone with his glory.”

Friedman, Commentary on the Torah, writes: “For the rest of the narrative in Exodus (and in the next three books of the Hebrew Bible), he is to be pictured wearing a veil.”

In fact, Paul does not mention the timing as to when the face of Moses was shining with glory. He does not say that Moses’ face shone only when he returned from the mountain with the tablets of stone, and that therefore, Paul had in verse 7 the tablets of stone with the Ten Commandments in mind. Rather, it appears that Moses’ face still shone when he spoke about the massive stones on which the entire Law of Moses would be engraved. So, Paul’s point is still well taken that when Moses announced that the ministry of death (reduced to writing in the Book of Moses) would be engraved on massive stones, the face of Moses was still shining, but that was temporary because Moses would die soon thereafter. In the same way, the ministry of death passed away and ended when Christ died on the cross.

We should also note again that verse 7 talks about the “ministry of death.” The tablets with the Ten Commandments did not include the death penalty or any punishment at all. But the ministry of death, as described in the Book of Moses, did not and could not forgive sin. Animal sacrifices could only provide physical reconciliation with God. The comparison is between the ministry of death, as the letter killed and the Levites had to fulfill their task according to the letter, and the ministry of life, as repentance and forgiveness of sin through Christ’s Sacrifice frees us from death. (Note that Christ refused to stone the woman caught in adultery, when He saw her repentance.)

Paul did not in any way teach that the Ten Commandments were abolished. But he did teach that the “ministry of death” with its rituals, sacrifices and penalties had come to an end. Today, God’s true Church has received the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-21) and not of condemnation (2 Corinthians 3:9), as Christ Himself did not come “to condemn the world,  but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

Our monthly Tech Team Meeting was conducted on Sunday, June 3, 2018, via SKYPE. Hosted by Eric Rank, aspects of complying with the GDPR requirements were discussed—this is a critical necessity for protecting the personal data of those who come to our various web pages.

“NATO: No Protection for Israel,” is the title of a NEW StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg explained that Israel could not rely on protection from NATO in case of an Iranian attack. Whether Israel would receive help from the EU and Germany is highly doubtful, as there is a “divide between Europe and Israel.” Benjamin Netanyahu and Angela Merkel are “miles apart” and on “diametrically opposite sides” on the Iran issue. Iran has announced that it will “increase its nuclear enrichment capacity,” and that Israel “must be eradicated.” What WILL the future bring?

“Netanyahu’s Announcement of a Third Temple?” the recent StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link, continues to have an exceptional response on YouTube—with over 66,000 views. Three booklets were offered on this program: The Book of Zachariah-Prophecies for Today; Is That In the Bible? Mysteries of the Book of Revelation; and, The Fall and Rise of the Jewish People.

“Der Prophet Elia in Vergangenheit, Gegenwart und Zukunft, Teil 2,” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “The Prophet Elijah in the Past, the Presence and the Future, Part 2.”

“Through His Blood,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Frank Bruno, is now posted. Here is a summary:

This Sermonette draws the parallel that exists with the human bodies that God created for us, along with the life of the flesh that is our blood. This combined with the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for mankind through the shedding of his own blood and his death on the cross. Our human bodies maintain life through our blood, and Jesus Christ provides the potential for eternal life through  His sacrifice and His blood.

“Love Flows,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Jesus’ commandment to love God and love one another is central to Christianity. The Bible reveals the fascinating truth about how this awesome force of love works when we practice it.

On June 2, 2018, Frank Bruno will present the sermonette, titled, “Through His Blood,” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “Love Flows.”

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.

It seems that each week in the United States brings another school shooting, another round of senseless murders. But it is not just here—there are wars, murders and homicides around the world. Death is inevitable. When we peel back the layers of our society, it is not hard to see the cracks in the foundations. Our planet is being slowly destroyed. Our oceans and waters are becoming polluted. Our air is becoming toxic. The land and the food that it produces are poisoned and abused with chemicals.

When we stop and consider what is going on, when we take off our blinders and really look at the world’s condition, it is quite a worrying scene that unfolds. And all to what end?

There is something that we must realize when we look at this world. John 17:15-16 states that while we are “in” the world, we must NOT be “of” the world. This is such a fine line that we walk. So how are we doing on that path?

Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 that we are to be ambassadors for Christ. We are representatives of a different country, a different culture, a different way of living and, most importantly, a different mindset. Romans 8:14 tells us that as God’s children, we are to be led by the Spirit of God. In theory, this sounds good and probably gives us good intentions and some notions of motivation. But if we are truly honest with ourselves, our circumstances and our motivations, what is it that we truly convey? What is it that we truly are seeking after?

Having motivation and good ideas and intentions doesn’t produce results. We cannot confuse emotions and good motives with results. We can easily fool ourselves into thinking that we are good Christians.  Hence, the mighty warning in the book of Revelation about those who are called Laodiceans. It is NOT enough to go half-heartedly through this Christian life. If we do, we will get tangled up (2 Peter 2:20). What actions, what goals, what prayers are reflecting our way of life? Are we discouraged with where we find ourselves? Do we look back and realize that while we may have thought we were giving it our all, we were in reality just doing enough to squeak by?

We read the encouraging Scriptures which tell us that WE CAN overcome and make it into God’s Kingdom, into which He Himself has called us. But the amount of effort and zeal we put into this is left up to us (Matthew 13:8-9). We should never think that God hasn’t called each of us for a reason. That main reason being, He knows we can accomplish it, because He has ordained us to be successful. Again, it is based on how much effort we put in. Like anything in life, effort we put in affects what we will get out of it. If one’s attitude is negative, angry, self-serving, jealous, hateful, unkind and unmerciful, then that is what will be reaped (compare Romans 6:20-21).

When we really believe what the Bible has to say—meaning, when we stop fooling ourselves and really dig in and set our minds towards obedience, then that is when progress comes, both in our spiritual and physical life.  2 Chronicles 7:14 states that when Christians seek God, turn from their evil ways and are obedient, then God forgives and heals, and then He is willing to hear our prayers. And what power comes from those prayers! In Mark 11:24 we find a mind-boggling example of how we should be praying. Jeremiah 33:3 reiterates God’s own words for us, as it is rendered in the New International Version: “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Such an amazing opportunity and calling that is ours, individually and collectively!

Finally, we would encourage every reader to study Romans, chapter 12; to put his or her name in there; and to see where our lives stack up in comparison to what Paul is saying. Let’s make it personal. Because in the end, it is each of us who is personally responsible to God. We can continue being miserable because of sin or we can do the hard work NOW and reap happiness and a much better outcome in the future.

by Norbert Link

We begin with reports on the revived desire of the Trump administration to conduct a summit with North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong Un on June 12. At the same time, the White House announced that it will implement high tariffs on Chinese goods.

Turning to Europe, we report on American Imposition of Steel and Aluminum Tariffs on the EU (please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Trade War Coming? US Imposes Tariffs on Europe.”);the growing influence of right-wing populists in Germany and Italy; the resulting chaos in Italy; and the ensuing blame game. We also address Austria’s controversial contemplated measures against immigrants. We are publishing an article about Europe’s contemplated future, and we continue speaking on European institutions supporting anti-Israeli terrorists, and the unprecedented nightmare of the new European Data “Protection” Law.

We point out Ireland’s electorate vote to legalize abortions; the proposal to purge “Christianity” from Prince Charles’ future Coronation Ceremony; and the Pope’s contradictory messages on homosexuality.

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

US Summit with North Korea—Off and On?

ABC News wrote on May 29:

“President Donald Trump announced on Twitter Tuesday that a high level North Korean official [Kim Chol, the Vice Chairman of North Korea] is heading to the U.S. for meetings [including with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo] surrounding a potential revival of the June 12 Singapore summit with leader Kim Jong Un. The announcement comes a day after the White House described the summit as ‘expected’ in a readout of a call between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe… The White House said Tuesday that Trump will meet with Abe on June 7 at the White House.”

Breitbart wrote on May 29: “The White House also confirmed that National Security Adviser John Bolton continues to speak frequently with South Korean and Japanese officials about the proposed summit.”

It is very likely that North and South Korea will unite in the future, and that a united Korea will become part of a Far Eastern anti-European coalition, including countries such as China, Russia and Japan.

Tariff on $50 Billion Worth of Chinese Goods

The Week wrote on May 29:

“The White House confirmed Tuesday that it will be going forward with the implementation of heavy tariffs on Chinese imports next month following weeks of concern that doing so might spark a trade war. Some $50 billion in imported goods will be subject to the 25 percent tariff, with a finalized list of goods expected by June 15.

“The U.S. also plans to restrict China’s access to American technology, with the administration citing national security concerns. Trade negotiations between the nations are ongoing…”

This will make China very unhappy, and anti-American sentiments will rise.

Trade War Coming? US to Impose Steel, Aluminum Tariffs on EU, Canada, Mexico

 AFP wrote on May 31:

“The United States said Thursday it will impose harsh tariffs on steel and aluminum imports [25 percent tariff on imported steel and a 10 percent tariff on imported aluminum] from the European Union, Canada, Mexico at midnight—another move sure to anger Washington’s trading partners. [Commerce Secretary Wilbur] Ross said talks with the EU had failed…

“French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire has warned before the announcement that the EU would take ‘all necessary measures’ if the US imposed the tariffs… German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the EU would respond in a ‘firm and united’ manner to the tariffs.”

Chancellor Merkel also said: ‘We consider this unilateral measure to be unlawful.” The EU has threatened to retaliate by imposing tariffs worth up to $3.3 billion on Harley-Davidson motorbikes, blue jeans, bourbon whiskey, orange juice and peanut butter. President Trump announced that he would “respond” to the EU if that was to happen.

The Associated Press wrote on May 31:

“Besides the U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs, the Trump administration is also investigating possible limits on foreign cars in the name of national security…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 31:

“Mexico was the first country hit by the tariffs to announce its response. The country’s Economy Ministry said that it would put penalties on US products including steel sheets, lamps, pork leg and shoulder, sausages, apples, grapes and different types of cheese…

“In a joint statement, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and Japanese Economy Minister Hiroshige Seko said the tariffs would ‘cause serious turmoil in the global market and could lead to the demise of the multilateral trading system.’

“On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a speech at the OECD on the matter, where he warned about the consequences of a trade war…

“The imposition of tariffs comes at a time of high tension between Europe and the US…”

The Wall Street Journal wrote on May 31:

“President Donald Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum from the European Union marks a new low in deteriorating trans-Atlantic relations… it offers another sign that the U.S. administration has broken with decades of American policy by playing down European ties.

“The tariffs are particularly painful for European leaders because the U.S. and EU together built the World Trade Organization three decades ago to promote and regulate free trade… the U.S. and EU had operated as peers on trade. Now the two camps could be headed for a trade war with unpredictable consequences, European officials warned…

“Trans-Atlantic relations are worsening as the EU faces financial pressure from political chaos in Italy, which has prompted fears of a renewed euro crisis…”

Ars Technica wrote on May 31:

“US President Donald Trump wants to escalate his trade war to include a total ban on German luxury cars, says a report in WirtschaftsWoche. According to the German publication, which says its report results from talking to several unnamed US and European diplomats, during French President Macron’s recent visit to Washington, Trump told him that he would ‘maintain his trade policy until no Mercedes models rolled on Fifth Avenue in New York.’

“WirtschaftsWoche’s article points out that just prior to his inauguration in 2017, Trump railed against the Mercedes-Benz vehicles he saw in New York.

“The US market is extremely important for luxury German automakers, and a ban on importing new vehicles would be devastating for brands like Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz…”

Please view our new StandingWatch program, “Trade War Coming? US Imposes Tariffs on Europe.”

The Far Right vs. the Far Left in Berlin, Germany

The Associated Press wrote on May 27:

“Supporters of the nationalist Alternative for Germany party marched through central Berlin to protest against Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government Sunday, and were kept away from a raft of counter-demonstrations by a heavy police presence.

“Police said over 5,000 people turned out for the demonstration organized by the anti-migration Alternative for Germany, known by its German acronym AfD. A variety of counter-protests against the far right attracted well over 25,000 people in total, they said.

“The AfD event opened with German flags, placards such as ‘No Islam in Germany’ and chants of ‘Merkel must go’ outside Berlin’s central train station. The party’s supporters then marched to the landmark Brandenburg Gate. Opponents chanted ‘Nazis out’ from the other side of the monument… About 2,000 police officers were in place to prevent trouble, including reinforcements from other parts of Germany. The march concluded without significant trouble.

“AfD won 12.6 percent of the vote to enter Germany’s national parliament last year on anti-migrant and anti-establishment sentiment. It is now the largest of four opposition parties after the country’s two biggest parties finally agreed to continue a centrist ‘grand coalition’ under Merkel earlier this year.”

Even though the demonstrations were more or less peaceful at this time, they remind us of the violent demonstrations and counter-demonstrations of the right and the left before Hitler rose to power in Germany.

More Chaos in Italy

The New York Times wrote on May 29:

“Italy’s quiet, white-haired president, Sergio Mattarella, emerged as the most contentious figure in Italian and European politics. His refusal to confirm a euroskeptic economist as a government minister set off the collapse of a populist coalition hours before it was expected to take control of the European Union’s fourth largest economy.

“Mr. Mattarella’s defenders hailed him as the courageous protector of Italy’s democracy, institutions and financial health, while fuming populists sought to make the usually revered figure of the Italian head of state the country’s public enemy No. 1. They called for his impeachment…

“It was Mr. Mattarella’s loyalty to the euro that prompted the 11th-hour collapse of the nascent government of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and the anti-immigrant League. He determined that the alliance’s proposed economy minister, Paolo Savona, the co-author of a guide to leaving the eurozone, could lead Italy to abandon the euro without sufficient public debate, being that the parties maintained vague and shifting positions on the issue during the campaign leading up to the March 4 elections.

“But in deliberately forcing a new election over the euro, which a majority of Italians say they support, the usually careful and measured Mr. Mattarella expressly put an explosive issue with the potential of transforming Europe front and center…

“Mr. Berlusconi, the former prime minister… also gave his support to Mr. Mattarella, saying the Five Star Movement was ‘irresponsible as always, talking about impeachment.’”

Coalition Agreement Reached?

The Telegraph wrote on May 31:

“Italy’s populist parties finally reached a deal to form a coalition government on Thursday evening after nearly three months of political deadlock… After days of intensive negotiations, the anti-immigrant, hard-Right League party and the anti-establishment Five Star Movement ironed out their differences.

“The prospect of Western Europe’s first populist, Eurosceptic government will unnerve Brussels and could lead to further turmoil on financial markets, not just in Europe but around the world. Both parties are deeply Eurosceptic and have flirted with the idea of ditching the euro as Italy’s currency, although in the 24 hours before the breakthrough they had been at pains to deny that that was one of their objectives…”

No matter what will happen next, Italy will not abandon the euro or leave the EU.

It’s All Germany’s Fault

Handelsblatt Global wrote on May 28:

“Italy’s populists, angry at being thwarted in their attempt to form a government, have been quick to assign the blame: It’s all the Germans’ fault. After President Sergio Mattarella vetoed their choice for finance minister and put the country on the path to new elections, the populist parties seemed certain to make Germany’s dominance in Europe a campaign issue…

“The caricature of the ugly German matched that of the lazy Italian, which ran through the German media in the past few days as the populists were on the verge of taking power with a plan to provide fiscal stimulus to Italy’s ailing economy. Newsweekly Der Spiegel ran a story titled ‘The moochers of Rome,’ casting Germany as the generous provider of funds to an ungrateful nation of deadbeats…

“Even a normally moderate commentator, Federico Fubini at Corriere della Sera, lit out against the Germans. ‘And this Germany, in the way it thrashes through Europe, is once again the de facto best ally and the greatest gift for the anti-Europeans of Italy.’ He proceeds to catalog once again Germany’s own infractions of EU rules, from its excessive current account surplus to its government aid for banks…

“Markets at first breathed a sigh of relief when the president rejected Mr. Savona. But the naming of Mr. Cottarelli, virtually a provocation in the current political environment, brought new agitation. The euro fell to a six-month low…

“Italy is in a political quandary with little hope of a quick resolution. In Brussels, too, the initial relief at dodging the bullet of a Euro-skeptic finance minister quickly gave way to concern that Mr. Mattarella’s move had fueled anti-European feeling in Italy. The perception is that pressure from Germany and France motivated the president’s rejection of Mr. Savona. But there is little evidence to back this claim…

“The growing worry in Brussels, as in Berlin, is that Italian voters would increase their support for the populist parties out of protest against perceived foreign interference.”

A comparison with the events in Germany and Italy under Hitler and Mussolini is compelling. Then, as now, Germany was the dominant force within the alliance.

Austria Wants to Fight Illegal Immigrants in Their Home Countries

The Associated Press reported on May 27:

“Austria’s chancellor says European border guards should be allowed to go to north Africa to prevent migrants from setting off across the Mediterranean Sea in rickety boats. Austria will take over the European Union’s rotating presidency in July. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s governing coalition took office in December after a campaign in which both partners talked tough on migration.

“Kurz told Sunday’s edition of German newspaper Welt am Sonntag that a new mandate for EU border protection agency Frontex should allow it ‘to act in third countries, with the permission of their governments, to end smugglers’ dirty business model and prevent smugglers’ boats setting off on the dangerous route across the Mediterranean.”

Austria Discriminates against Non-German Speaking Foreigners

The EUObserver wrote on May 29:

“Austria’s conservative led government announced on Monday plans to cap minimum welfare payments for non-German speaking immigrants, including refugees, at €563 a month, but with the perspective of reaching the Austrian normal level of €863, provided they passed a German test. The test itself costs €1,000.

“The move brings Austria into conflict with European Union rules requiring EU citizens to be treated equally.”

The controversial measures of Austria’s young chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, find more and more supporters inside and outside Austria.

Europe to Lead without the USA

The website of thecorner published the following interesting article on May 25, 2018.

The article was written by Israel Rafalovich, a “journalist based in Brussels who has over 50 years of experience in Tel Aviv, Brussels, Bonn and Washington, DC.”:

“Things have changed on the international political stage, and the European in particular, which gives the European Union an unprecedented opportunity to mould and shape its own military and foreign policy in a way that makes it possible for the EU to deal with crisis on the European continent and elsewhere without American interference. A key lesson is that the EU has to be the one to call the shots in matters of security, foreign policy as well as the economy…

“NATO is a relic of the past and no new ‘strategic concept’ can revive the irrelevance of NATO…  Today, more then ever before, the European Union must take responsibility for its security interests in a way that will result in defence integration and reinforce defence cooperation amongst EU member states.

“Is should be the EU’s assertion of sovereignty that its security is better assured by a dominating European Union and it should seek to become a serious counterpart for the United States.

“The unity among EU member states is a fundamental condition for the EU Security System to be successful… Mistrust of the United States runs deep in EU quarters and the European Union has to decide to what extent and what forum, if at all, the United States should remain politically and militarily engaged…

“EU member states should be working more forcefully for the creation of the new sovereign EU army under combined EU command and control, that will be a capable and powerful military force… They will also have to be ready to contribute to a EU military coalition in time of need according to their capabilities, and they will need to find ways to share resources or buy equipment together…

“If the ability to project force is now a sign of an independent EU foreign and security policy, then the EU has at last to get bolder and more resolute in its action. It is also an opportunity for the EU as well as a challenge to be able to walk alone on the international stage without American crutches. The EU is needed on the international stage and should play a decisive role in calming conflicts, and should become a counter balance to the United States on the world stage.”

The author expresses what many leaders in Europe think without perhaps expressing it in such drastic terms. But the Bible prophesies that this is exactly what is going to happen in Europe very soon.

EU Institutions Support Anti-Israeli Terrorists

Newsmax wrote on May 27:

“European Union institutions have given millions of euros annually to non-governmental organizations with ties to Palestinian terrorist groups and that support boycotts of Israel, according to Gilad Erdan, Israel’s minister for strategic affairs and public diplomacy.

“Examples include Norwegian People’s Aid, which received 1.76 million euros in EU aid in 2016, Erdan said in a 40-page report issued Friday. The group carried out a project with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which is classified as a terrorist group by the EU and U.S. The Norwegian group also provided services to Iran’s energy sector, Erdan said. It was fined $2 million in April by the U.S. Department of Justice because of the links…

“More than a dozen organizations that promote anti-Israel boycotts have together received 5 million euros annually from the EU, the report says.”

Even though the EU gives lip service objecting to such support, and the accused organizations try to explain away their conduct, the facts speak for themselves, and they are very disturbing.

The European Data Protection Law—an Unprecedented Nightmare

Handelsblatt Global wrote on May 25, 2018:

“After thousands of amendments, the European project has finally become a law. And, wow, what a law: The General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR. Yet instead of clarity, the four letters create a lot of question marks. Companies have been complaining that their IT departments have been clogged up for months in preparation for the new rules. Freelancers are considering closing semi-private blogs. And even wedding photographers wonder who they can still photograph without having to fear cease-and-desist letters.

“A hopeless mess with plenty to share the blame… we have a law where it’s unclear whether users need permission to store information from other people’s business cards in their mobile phones… How is a freight forwarder behaving when he stores travel times and movement data about his own vehicles on his computer – is he violating his employees’ privacy? What are accountants, who’ve always informed their clients about current developments via e-mail, now allowed to do? Even law firms are unclear about the law. And doctor’s offices: Will they also need a data protection officer because they deal with sensitive data? Unclear.

“The GDPR… will… become a huge burden for the small ones: for companies with a few dozen employees, a server in the basement, but without a compliance department. A Bitkom survey shows that only 9 percent of startups have successfully implemented the GDPR due to a lack of resources… The law is too bureaucratic and does not answer the important questions ahead…

“… even internet firms in America, Asia and elsewhere have to abide by the new rules if they have European customers, or risk huge fines… the lawmakers overshot disastrously…  this week they hit hundreds of thousands of small family firms. These are businesses with only a few employees that need to keep and manage some data about their customers…

“So here we are, like you, feeling confused and overwhelmed. We have given up reading the new privacy notices…”

This is a horrible indictment of harmful and incompetent conduct by European bureaucrats.

“No Need to Be Concerned…?”

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 25:

“The new EU data protection law taking effect May 25 has many small companies worried. But EU Commissioner Vera Jourova stresses that there is no need to panic – authorities will focus on watching the digital giants…

“‘If a company does not process data as its core business, if they do not sell the data and make money with the privacy of people, they will just have to make minimal changes. The data protection authorities will focus mostly on the most risky businesses… We have the law in place. We have the authorities with the power to sanction violations and we have companies and institutions which are aware of these rules…’”

On the surface, such “assurance” sounds good and comforting for smaller businesses (even though the statement that the EU will focus MOSTLY on digital giants and risky businesses should give pause for alarm), but the truth is altogether different anyhow. Note the next article.

A new EU Body Created Just to enforce the Data Protection Law

The EUObserver wrote on May 25:

“The European Data Protection Board is a new EU body tasked with enforcing the EU’s privacy laws with powers to impose massive fines. Its head Andrea Jelinek told reporters complaints against companies are expected to be immediate…

“Andrea Jelinek, a former Austrian police chief, will be in charge of coordinating enforcement of the EU’s general data protection rules as of Friday (25 May) – in a move that has rattled companies worldwide. Jelinek chairs a new EU body known as the European data protection board or EDPB which coordinates all the national data protection authorities in a bid to ensure European rights to privacy are uniformly respected throughout member states…”

This gives us a foretaste as to how it will be when the mark of the beast is enforced on all citizens of Europe… and elsewhere.

Ireland To Legalize Abortions

The Guardian wrote on May 26:

“Ireland has voted by a landslide to legalise abortion in a stunning outcome that marks a dramatic defeat for the Catholic church’s one-time domination of the Republic. The Irish electorate voted by 1,429,981 votes to 723,632 in favour of abolishing a controversial constitutional amendment that gave equal legal status to the lives of a foetus and the woman carrying it. The result was a two-thirds majority: 66.4% yes to 33.6% no.

“By voting yes in unexpectedly large numbers to abolish the eighth amendment to the Irish constitution, the country has enabled the government in Dublin to introduce abortion in Ireland’s health service up to 12 weeks into pregnancy… The eighth amendment – article 40.3.3 of the Irish constitution – which prohibited abortion, will be replaced with a clause stating: ‘Provision may be made by law for the regulation of termination of pregnancy.’

“… The prime minister, Leo Varadkar, said he wanted the new law to be enacted by the end of the year. Between 12 and 24 weeks, abortion will be available only in cases of fatal foetal abnormality, a risk to a woman’s life or a risk of serious harm to the health of the mother. After 24 weeks, termination will be possible in cases of fatal foetal abnormality. There will be provision for conscientious objection among medical practitioners, although doctors will be obliged to transfer care of the pregnant woman to another doctor…

“Victory for the yes side means that the only part of the United Kingdom and Ireland where abortion remains banned in almost all circumstances is Northern Ireland…”

Human life begins with conception. Abortion violates God’s sixth commandment against murder.

“Will Christianity Be Ditched When Prince Charles Becomes King?”

CBN News wrote on May 24:

“A new report from a leading UK think tank argues that Christianity should be reduced or purged from Prince Charles’ future Coronation Ceremony. Prince Charles is next in line to the throne and will be the first king in decades after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Before that happens, University College London’s Constitution Unit, says the coronation ceremony should cut back on its overtly Christian rituals for the sake of progress. ‘The UK is no longer a global or a colonial power. Celebration will therefore need to reflect what the UK has become rather than what it once was,’ the report said. ‘… a wholly Anglican coronation service is no longer capable of reflecting or responding to modern British society.’

“The ceremony is performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who anoints the Monarch with oil, administers communion, and leads them in pledging their obedience to God in a series of Oaths. In the Oaths the monarch affirms he or she is a ‘faithful Protestant,’ and will preserve the church. The Constitution Unit says this needs to change, noting that half of the UK’s population has ‘no religious affiliation.’ The report suggests that a separate non-Christian ceremony could take place at Westminster Hall to honor Britain’s religious diversity…

“It is yet to be seen how Prince Charles’ coronation ceremony will proceed, especially since it is the first one the country will see in more than 50 years. While Prince Charles has been quiet about his own personal relationship with God, he has been a strong advocate of the persecuted Church.”

Even though the current Coronation Ceremony does not reflect TRUE Christianity, it is still remarkable that voices propose to abandon any reference to Christianity because of Britain’s modern unchristian society.

The Pope’s Contradictory Messages on Homosexuality

Christianity Today wrote on May 25:

“Pope Francis has warned Italian bishops to be wary of priesthood applicants suspected of having homosexual tendencies… ‘Keep an eye on the admissions to seminaries, keep your eyes open,’ the pope said, according to the Vatican Insider service of Italian newspaper La Stampa. ‘If in doubt, better not let them enter.’

“The remarks were reportedly made at a closed-door gathering at the Vatican on Monday, opening the 71st general assembly of the Italian bishops’ conference. The pontiff reportedly called for ‘careful discernment’ of seminary applicants, including caution about those with ‘deep seated tendencies’ or who ‘practise homosexual acts’. These tendencies could lead to scandal, compromising both the priest and the Church, he said.

“The pope’s reported comments were confirmed by Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti of Perugia-Citta della Pieve, president of the Italian bishops’ conference, in a press conference yesterday… They appear to affirm the traditional Catholic teaching that practising homosexuals should not be admitted to the priesthood.

“The remarks will be seen by some as an attempt by Pope Francis to appease conservatives agitated by widely publicised comments the pope has been reported as saying, such as when he told a gay Chilean man who had suffered clerical sex abuse that God loved him the way he had made him…

“In now-famous remarks on his first overseas trip in 2013… Pope Francis said: ‘If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?’ In 2016 he said that ‘when a person arrives before Jesus, Jesus certainly will not say: “Go away because you are homosexual.”‘

Pope Francis is always good for surprises, and one never knows what his position is on any given subject—or how long it will be maintained. His prior comments on homosexuality were controversial for sure, in light of the Catholic Church’s official teaching, but now it seems that he is backpedaling to appease the strong conservative fold in the Vatican. One wonders what his TRUE position is on the issue.

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.

Surprisingly perhaps, there are different explanations given by Bible commentaries for this phrase, and all seem to have some validity.

Let us read Daniel 12:3-4, realizing that the context refers to the time of or close to the great tribulation (verse 1) and the resurrection (verse 2):

“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

Also, verses 9-10: “And he [the angel] said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.”

One explanation of the phrase, “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase,” refers to the unique worldwide travel in the end time with cars, buses, trains and airplanes, as well as the increase of physical knowledge (e.g., how to build an airplane and rockets, sending people into space and to the moon and back). Note, for instance, that the New Living Translation renders this phrase as follows: “But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.” The GOD’S WORD Translation says: “But you, Daniel, keep these words secret, and seal the book until the end times. Many will travel everywhere, and knowledge will grow.”

The Living Bible translates or interprets verse 4 as follows: “But Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal it up so that it will not be understood until the end times, when travel and education shall be vastly increased.”

There are several explanations for this understanding. First, while it says in Daniel 12:4 that knowledge will increase, we read another end time prophecy in the book of Hosea that the knowledge of God is lacking, and so, the argument goes, the knowledge in Daniel 12 cannot refer to godly spiritual knowledge, but must address physical knowledge. Hosea 4:1, 6 reads: “Hear the word of the LORD, You children of Israel, For the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: There is no truth or mercy Or knowledge of God in the land… My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being priest for Me…”

The Hebrew word for “knowledge” is “daath” and can indeed refer to physical knowledge as well as spiritual knowledge. Even though it is mostly describing godly knowledge, it can also refer to the knowledge of man being cut off from God, as they are eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Note Jeremiah 10:14 in the Authorized Version: “Every man is brutish in his knowledge.”)

In addition, the phrase “run to and fro” (Hebrew: “shut“) can refer to travel or movement from one physical place to another. For instance, we read in Jeremiah 5:1: “Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem… If you can find a man… who executes judgment, Who seeks the truth, And I will pardon her…”

Also, note this end time prophecy in Amos 8:12: “They shall wander from sea to sea, And from north to east; they shall run to and fro seeking the word of the LORD, but shall not find it.”

Another reference can be found to the “eyes of the LORD” (angelic beings) who “run to and fro throughout the whole earth” (2 Chronicles 16:9). A parallel passage can be found in Zechariah 5:10 in the Authorized Version.

The Hebrew phrase “shut” is also used in 2 Samuel 24:2, 8 (“go throughout” and “go through” the land of Israel); Numbers 11:8 (they “went about” and gathered the manna); and Job 1:7; 2:2 (Satan “goes to and fro” on the earth and walks back and forth on it); as well as in Ezekiel 27:8  (“mariner”) and in Ezekiel 27:26 (“rower”).

We can see that in all these places where the Hebrew word “shut” is used, some kind of physical movement is being referred to. The German Pattloch Bible states: “Many will roam searching, and the thirst for knowledge will be great.”

However, most commentaries and Bible renditions convey the thought that the reference in Daniel 12:4 is not to travel and physical knowledge, but to the searching of the Scriptures and the gaining of spiritual knowledge. The thought is that people—the wise—will go to and fro in the Scriptures, searching them daily to see whether the things are so (compare Acts 17:11), and thereby increasing in godly knowledge (2 Peter 3:18).

For instance, Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers states: “The verb ‘to run’ [in “run to and fro”] is used in Jeremiah 5:1 of searching after knowledge. In this sense it is used of ‘the eyes of the Lord’ (Zechariah 4:10; comp. Amos 8:12). In the same sense it is used in this verse. Many will anxiously search in this book for knowledge of the manner of God’s dealings with His people, and will derive comfort and understanding therefrom.”

The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary agrees, pointing out:

“run to and fro—not referring to the modern rapidity of locomotion, as some think, nor to Christian missionaries going about to preach the Gospel to the world at large…, which the context scarcely admits; but, whereas now but few care for this prophecy of God, ‘at the time of the end,’ that is, near its fulfilment, ‘many shall run to and fro,’ that is, scrutinize it, running through every page. Compare Hab[akuk] 2:2…: it is thereby that ‘the knowledge (namely, of God’s purposes as revealed in prophecy) shall be increased’. This is probably being now fulfilled.”

The commentary of Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges seems to agree as well, stating:

“A famous passage… interpreted… as signifying that the complete exploration of the world… would coincide with great discoveries in science… This explanation of the words is, however, unhappily, too foreign to their context to be probable. But it must be admitted that the words are enigmatic… the sense generally given to the passage is that many will then run to and fro in the book, i.e. diligently explore and study it, and so the knowledge of God’s providential purposes, to be obtained from it… will be increased.”

This understanding is adopted by most German translations. The revised Luther Bible of 1984 states that “many will search in it (the book), and that they will find great knowledge.” The Zuercher Bible, the Menge Bible and the Schlachter Bible state that “many will search in it, and so knowledge will grow” or “increase.”

This understanding makes a lot of sense, when reviewing the context. We are informed that the book is sealed until the end, but then the wise will be purified and understand. In this context, the phrase “many will run to and fro” and “knowledge shall increase,” might very well refer to the searching of the Scriptures (running to and fro through the books of the Bible, and finding passages, here a little and there a little, which open up the understanding of the reader, compare Isaiah 28:9-10). This conclusion is not in conflict with the passages, previously cited, that the nation is destroyed for lack of knowledge, or that people will try, unsuccessfully, to hear or comprehend the Word of God. While unconverted people, being cut off from God, will not understand, those whom God has called and whom He is opening their minds,  WILL understand.

This conclusion is not in conflict with the fact either that in the end time, there will be a falling away from the Truth. First of all, in order to fall away from the Truth, one has had to know the Truth first. (Also compare Daniel 11:33-35). Then, we read that after the time of the falling away has occurred, 144,000 Israelites and a great multitude of Gentiles will be sealed by God on their foreheads, having the name of their Father written on their foreheads (Revelation 7:3-4; 14:1). They will become worthy of protection from the plagues of the Day of the Lord, which will begin approximately one year prior to the return of Christ.

There is still a third way in which the phrase in Daniel 12:4 has been rendered and understood. The revised Luther Bible of 2017 translates: “Many will wander around (in the sense of, walking around in error, “herumirren” in German), and wickedness will increase.” The Elberfelder Bible states that the rendition “wickedness will increase” is due to a “change” of the text.

The commentary of Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges explains:

“The text, it must be owned, is open to suspicion. Prof. Bevan making a slight change… in a sense suggested by the LXX., obtains the rendering ‘many shall run to and fro (viz. in distraction), and evils (calamities) shall be increased.”

However, the Septuagint or LXX, the earliest extant Greek translation of the Old Testament from the original Hebrew, does not state, “evils,” in the sense of “calamities,” but “wickedness [or evil] shall increase.”

This general understanding is not unbiblical, as Jesus Christ warned that in the end time, just prior to His return, “lawlessness will abound,” and “the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). In the end-time prophecy of Joel 3:13, we read that “their wickedness is great.” In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, Paul gives a striking description of this present evil world (Galatians 1:4) and the end-time conditions of evil people and their wicked doings. Compare also Revelation 9:20-21; 11:18; 16:4-11. As it was in the time of Noah, when wickedness was great on the earth, so it will be again in the days of Christ’s coming (cp. Matthew 24:37-39 with Genesis 6:5, 11-13).

Daniel 12:4 shows, in context, that the Bible is a LIVING book. ALL of these different attempts to comprehend the meaning of this passage make sense to those who search in and believe the Bible and who KNOW their God and God’s Word. These different interpretations do not contradict each other (cp. John 10:35), but they complement each other in the spirit of biblical understanding.

It is undoubtedly true that in these end times, people travel a lot from one end of the earth to the other and that their physical knowledge has tremendously increased in comparison to earlier generations. It has been rightly said that this world is a world of awesome progress and appalling evils.

It is also true that while the gospel of the Kingdom of God is being preached as a witness to all nations (Matthew 24:14), those who are called by God respond and search the Scriptures to see whether these things are so, and, in the process, their spiritual knowledge increases.

Finally, it is true that while those drawn by God respond and become wise, others will reject the Truth, and wickedness and evil will increase on the earth. In fact, if Jesus Christ would not intervene and stop man’s madness and desire for destruction through nuclear and biological/chemical weapons, no flesh would be saved alive; everyone on this earth would die in a coming horrible World War, but for the elect’s sake—the chosen ones and the wise—Christ WILL intervene to shorten those days (Matthew 24:22).

As God is alive, so is His Word—the Bible. It is truly worthwhile and greatly rewarding to study it deeply.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new Member Letter (June 2018) has been written by Brian Gale (United Kingdom). In this letter, Mr. Gale poignantly reminds us of the ingratitude which so characterizes our society—with a further caution that Christians must not take our blessings for granted.

“Trade War Coming? US Imposes Tariffs on Europe,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The US is imposing harsh tariffs on European steel and aluminum. A total American ban on German luxury cars is also being investigated. The Europeans are furious and threaten with retaliation by imposing tariffs on American products. We have reached a new low of the deteriorating trans-Atlantic relationship. A trade war with unpredictable consequences could be on the horizon. Voices demand the creation of a “sovereign EU army” which would be independent from NATO or the USA.

“Kommt ein Handelskrieg? Amerikanische Strafzölle für Europa!” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This video covers the same topic as described above.

“Netanyahu’s Announcement of a Third Temple?”, the recent StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link, has received an exceptional response on YouTube—with views already over 50,000. Three booklets were offered on this program: The Book of Zachariah-Prophecies for Today; Is That In the Bible? Mysteries of the Book of Revelation; and, The Fall and Rise of the Jewish People.

“Der Prophet Elia in Vergangenheit, Gegenwart und Zukunft, Teil 1,” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “The Prophet Elijah in the Past, the Present and the Future, Part 1.”

“Your report Card,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We who have been called by God are being judged for eternal life—are we doing the things we must?

“Is Feeling Believing?” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Robb Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Most forms of religion focus on the importance of personal feelings as part of worshiping. Political and social beliefs are increasingly falling into this same mode of thinking. While our emotional state is important in how we relate to God, we must take care to not let it override our decision making process.

On May 26, 2018, Dave Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “Your Report Card,” and Robb Harris will present the sermon, titled, “Is Feeling Believing?”

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.

It is a kind of ritual for people to watch the news each day. That, however, has become an almost unbearable challenge! World news, national news and even local news stories are so filled with atrocities that we often just tune out—it is simply too depressing!

The Bible speaks of these perplexing times—as a warning! Note this prophecy in Isaiah:

“‘…When the overflowing scourge passes through, Then you will be trampled down by it. As often as it goes out it will take you; For morning by morning it will pass over, And by day and by night; It will be a terror just to understand the report’” (Isaiah 28:18-19).

In another prophecy, also directed at the modern descendants of the Houses of Israel and Judah, God reveals the conditions that would and now have come upon us:

“‘“Destruction comes; They will seek peace, but there shall be none. Disaster will come upon disaster, And rumor will be upon rumor. Then they will seek a vision from a prophet; But the law will perish from the priest, And counsel from the elders”’” (Ezekiel 7:25-26).

We must not turn a blind eye to what is happening! In fact, it falls to the Church of God to address the bad news in the light of Bible prophecy. Jesus explicitly told us to “watch” and to be “ready” (compare Matthew 24:42, 44; 25:10, 13; Luke 21:36). In doing this—beyond our own personal preparedness—we are to also report news to the world that isn’t utterly dreadful and so filled with hopelessness!

The news we are to convey is ultimately GOOD NEWS—it is the gospel of the Kingdom of God! This is what Jesus proclaimed. It is the only true hope set before mankind, and it will happen! To be able to know the Truth of how God the Father will establish peace through sending His Son to this world removes the focus for all the bad news we now face.

As bad as things are now in the news, worse times lie immediately ahead—something we already know, because God has revealed this to us. And we, like Jesus did, must continue to look beyond, to that joy which is set before us—in the Kingdom of God (compare Hebrews 12:2).

by Norbert Link

We begin with reports on the fragile relationship between Germany and Russia, as well as China; President Trump’s announcement to cancel the planned summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un; and the perceived need by Europeans to unite quickly. We speak on political developments in Italy; the outright admission by Hamas that it is their goal to provoke Israel; and we address end-time fatigue in regard to developments in Israel; articles pertaining to Israel’s temples; and the ongoing insane school shootings in the USA.

We continue with mind-boggling articles about Germany’s laws on compulsory school attendance and an incomprehensible church tax law and their ridiculous consequences; the sexual abuse scandals of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in The Netherlands and of the Catholic Church in Chile; and Pope Francis’ most recent controversial comments about homosexuality. Please view our new StandingWatch program in this regard, titled, “Pope Francis: ‘God Made People Gay!’”

We speak on Ramadan in Germany and the continuing volcanic eruptions in Hawaii; and we address the “very modern royal wedding” between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and its “groundbreaking multi-cultural ceremony.”

We also report on Zimbabwe’s attempt to re-join the British Commonwealth.

We conclude with further stupidity of the “gender neutrality” movement.

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

Merkel and Putin Meet

Deutsche Welle reported on May 18:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the Iran nuclear deal was better than none at all in a press conference with Vladimir Putin on Friday…

“Both leaders said the Minsk accord was the ‘only basis’ to achieve peace in eastern Ukraine, and that work should continue in the so-called ‘Normandy’ format — involving Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine. Merkel noted a ‘major breach’ in the ceasefire in the region overnight…

“Merkel stressed Ukraine should remain a gas transit country even after the Nord Stream 2 pipeline opens, said Germany was ‘ready to play its role.’ Putin said that Russian gas may still flow to Ukraine…

“Putin found warm words on Donald Trump, saying ‘I understand the US president, he protects his business interests. He wants to push his product to the European market.’ According to Putin, ‘Donald is not just the US president; he is also a strong, good entrepreneur’…

“Germany and Russia’s agreement on the importance of the Iran nuclear deal is a rare moment of concurrence between the two countries. Relations have been marred by differences over Moscow’s support for Syria’s President Bashar Assad, its annexation of Crimea and its role in the subsequent conflict in eastern Ukraine, among other things.”

German-Russian Relationship?

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 17:

“… anyone who is pinning their hopes on relations with Russia… by making unilateral concessions on economic sanctions or other shifty compromises is gravely mistaken… such an appeasement policy would only be interpreted as weakness by Moscow… there are many who still don’t seem to have understood that Putin needs the confrontation with the West in order to secure his power within Russia because it distracts the Russian people from the economic stagnation and social problems in the country.

“It is simply naive to believe that any agreement can be reached with Putin on Ukraine. Or that it will be possible to negotiate a new European framework for peace with him. He has already undermined such a framework with his aggressive foreign policy towards Ukraine, through attempts to influence Western elections, and through cyberattacks against German institutions.

“At such times, it is doubtful whether Putin’s Russia, but not necessarily Russia in general, is the right partner for any further expansion of German-Russian energy relations… As long as the Kremlin adheres to its aggressive Ukrainian policy — and it will, because it is Putin’s way of consolidating domestic power – the sanctions must remain in place… we need to significantly increase our German, and also European, defense capabilities, both in traditional terms and against the new dangers of a hybrid cyber war…”

The Bible shows that in the future, Russia and Ukraine will be united against Europe.

Trump Cancels Singapore Summit with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un

CNBC wrote on May 24:

“President Donald Trump has canceled his historic summit in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un next month.  The meeting, which would have marked the first face-to-face encounter between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader, was set for June 12…

“The news came as North Korea made a show of dismantling a nuclear test site, but also on the heels of some sharp words from the North Korean government about America denuclearization demands. Trump’s decision also comes more than two weeks after he withdrew the U.S. from the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal, which lifted sanctions on the Middle Eastern country as long as it limited its nuclear program.

“Doubts had grown in recent days about whether Trump’s summit with Kim would actually happen. North Korea abruptly canceled talks with South Korea out of anger over joint military tests with the U.S. in the Korean peninsula… Earlier Thursday, a top North Korean official, Choe Son Hui, called Vice President Mike Pence’s remarks likening Pyongyang with Libya ‘ignorant’ and ‘stupid.’ Pence had said North Korea could end up like Libya if it doesn’t make a nuclear deal with Washington… The vice president’s comments also echoed those of Trump’s national security advisor, John Bolton, who had suggested the U.S. could pursue a Libya-style denuclearization plan with North Korea. Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was eventually violently overthrown, a move the U.S. supported. North Korea’s Kim is concerned about regime change…

“There were no immediate details about how the administration would continue to pursue diplomacy with North Korea, which is the only nation to conduct nuclear-weapons tests this century. Yet Trump left the door open for arranging a new meeting with Kim…

“Read the full text of the letter here [from Donald Trump to Kim Jong Un, dated May 24]:

“… We greatly appreciate your time, patience, and effort with respect to our recent negotiations and discussions relative to a summit long sought by both parties, which was scheduled to take place on June 12 in Singapore. We were informed that the meeting was requested by North Korea, but that to us is totally irrelevant. I was very much looking forward to being there with you. Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting. Therefore, please let this letter serve to represent that the Singapore summit, for the good of both parties, but to the detriment of the world, will not take place. You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used.

“I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me, and ultimately it is only that dialogue that matters. Some day, I look very much forward to meeting you. In the meantime, I want to thank you for the release of the hostages who are now home with their families. That was a beautiful gesture and was very much appreciated.

“If you change your mind having to do with this most important summit, please do not hesitate to call me or write. The world, and North Korea in particular, has lost a great opportunity for lasting peace and great prosperity and wealth. This missed opportunity is a truly sad moment in history…”

Reactions

The Associated Press wrote on May 24:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin, a staunch Kim ally, said the North Korean leader had in fact done ‘everything that he had promised in advance, even blowing up the tunnels and shafts’ of his country’s nuclear testing site. Putin said of Trump’s announcement, ‘In Russia we took this news with regret.’…

“Trump’s announcement appeared to surprise South Korea, which had pushed to keep the summit on track as recently as Tuesday, when President Moon Jae-in met with Trump in the Oval Office and said the ‘fate and the future’ of the Korean Peninsula hinged on the talks…

“Trump, who considers himself a master dealmaker, has confounded aides and allies at every turn of the fateful flirtation with the North. He looked past the warnings of senior aides when he accepted Kim’s invitation to meet back in March. He unveiled the date and the time with characteristic showmanship. And after initially projecting calm in the face of North Korea’s escalating rhetoric, he made a sudden about face, though his letter also waxed poetic about the ‘wonderful dialogue’ emerging between the two leaders…

“The question now is how Trump’s maneuvering will be received. His letter could make the situation worse in a society where saving face can be pivotal. Kim might well take offense at the hardnosed U.S. approach after he released American detainees and destroyed a nuclear site…”

US-China Trade Agreements

CNN wrote on May 21:

“After weeks of tensions, China and the United States have reached a ceasefire. Both sides this weekend said they had agreed to not impose new tariffs on one another while talks continue, after reaching an initial agreement on trade. In a joint statement on Saturday, the countries said China would ‘significantly increase’ purchases of US goods and services to reduce their trade imbalance.”

Focus wrote on May 21 that the US-China trade agreements have a loser—Europe and especially Germany.

Deutsche Welle added on May 20:

“European officials are worried that a new trade deal between the US and China could come ‘at the expense of Europe.’… French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire on Sunday warned that Europe could be hurt if the US and China adopt a new trade deal. ‘The United States and China risk entering an agreement at the expense of Europe if Europe is not capable of showing a firm hand,’ Le Maire told French TV station CNEWS. ‘The United States wants to make Europe and European countries pay for China’s bad behavior. All of that is totally absurd and incomprehensible.’

“Over the past decade, China has been a major source of foreign direct investment in Europe, with Germany the largest recipient on the continent. Germany is also China’s largest trading partner in Europe.”

EU, China and Japan Warn the USA

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 24:

“The EU, China and Japan have decried the Trump administration’s idea to also heap US tariffs on imported vehicles – on top of steel and aluminum…

“The Wall Street Journal said vehicle import tariffs as high as 25 percent were being sought by US President Donald Trump…

“Citing national security was ‘far-fetched,’ said German DIHK chamber of commerce president, Eric Schweitzer and a European Commission spokesman in Brussels, Margaritis Schinas. ‘We should almost regard this as provocation,’ Schweitzer said, estimating it would cost an extra €6 billion ($7 billion) and impose ‘another nasty blow to our economic relations.’

“… Already, the EU is approaching a 1 June deadline on whether it will be exempted from US duties on steel and aluminum based similarly on protectionist rhetoric…

“Japan’s economy, industry and trade minister, Hiroshige Seko, said Tokyo would continue to remind US officials that any trade measures must conform to the WTO rules. Japan accounts for up to 40 percent of vehicles imported into the United States… Last week, Japan… warned at the WTO of possible retaliation…

“In Beijing, Chinese Commerce Minister spokesman Gao Feng warned the US that abusive imposition of national security provisions would ‘undermine the multilateral trade system and disrupt the order of international trade.’ China would ‘firmly defend our legitimate rights and interests,’ Gao told reporters…”

EU Foreign Policy Unification Is NOW!

Handelsblatt Global wrote on May 18:

“Iran, Gaza, Jerusalem: If ever the time was right for EU countries to unite in their foreign policy as in their trade policy, it is now… May 2018 could one day enter history books as the moment when the EU countries including Germany at last embarked on a common foreign policy. The catalyst, as long expected, will have been an external power. Not, however, a common foe, but an ostensible ally: America’s Donald Trump.

“… the US and Europe can no longer pretend to be aligned. The US has forfeited its role of honest broker [in the Middle East]… If there is today an honest broker, it may ironically be Germany…

“Angela Merkel and her EU peers have certainly grasped the urgency of the moment… For Germany to play a diplomatic role… it would need to boost military spending far beyond its paltry 1.2% of GDP…”

Kurz Would Receive More Votes in Germany than Merkel

The left-liberal Austrian paper Kurier wrote on May 18 that more Germans would vote for Austria’s Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, than for Angela Merkel.

Kurz would receive 38% of the German votes, while presently only 32.5% of Germans would vote for Merkel. The paper points out that it is noticeable that the support for Kurz is remarkably high in all political corners. 80% of voters from the right-wing and anti-Immigrant party AFD voters are clear supporters of Kurz, and one-third of Merkel’s party support Kurz as well. 20% of voters from the grand coalition party SPD and from the Left support Kurz, and even 13% of the Greens would vote for him if they had a chance.

Italy’s Incoming Eurosceptic Government

AFP wrote on May 21:

“Fears of a new European crisis grew on Tuesday over Italy’s incoming eurosceptic government… Governments and markets have suddenly become unsettled as the prospect of populists taking the helm of the EU’s fourth biggest economy suddenly becomes a reality after months of deadlock. A period when the rest of the world seemed to be in denial finally seemed to be over as Italy’s president was tasked on Tuesday on whether to approve little-known lawyer Giuseppe Conte as prime minister…

“Fear number one is that Italy, a founder member of both the EU and the euro, is set to irk financial markets and trigger a new eurozone crisis by refusing to stick to public spending and debt targets set by Brussels. The bloc’s enforcer for the euro, European Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis, issued a tough public warning to the incoming Italian administration to pursue a ‘responsible’ budget policy…

“French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire meanwhile warned on Sunday that the ‘financial stability of the eurozone will be threatened’ if Italy ‘takes the risk of not respecting its commitments on debt and the deficit.’ The Frenchman also warned that Italy still had to clean up its debt-laden banks, whose health has long been a worry for the Eurozone…”

Italy First

Deutsche Welle added on May 21:

“Both coalition parties want to put a stop to immigration from Africa to Italy, and aim to deport 500,000 migrants… Matteo Salvini, until now a member of the European Parliament for the far-right, nationalist League, has rejected criticism of the new alliance. ‘It’s about Italy first…’

“… However, Matteo Salvini made clear that the coalition parties do want to stay in the EU, in the euro monetary union and also in NATO. ‘We want to remain in the Atlantic alliance, but at the same time we also want to aim for better relations with Russia,’ Salvini said… Both populist coalition parties will campaign in Brussels for a lifting of the EU sanctions against Russia imposed in response to the annexation of the Crimean peninsula and Russia’s activities in eastern Ukraine…”

Italy’s modern history of unpredictable and unstable governments is almost unique in the Western world. One never knows what will happen next there, but one thing is certain: Italy will NOT leave the EU or the Eurozone.

Hamas Leader Admits: “Peaceful Resistance Deceptive”

JTA wrote on May 18:

“A senior member of Hamas said that when his organization ‘talk[s] about “peaceful resistance,” we are deceiving the public.’ Mahmoud al-Zahar, who according to some is a co-founder of the Islamist group ruling Gaza, spoke May 13 about protests organized by Gaza on its border with Israel. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed in demonstrations their leaders say is nonviolent; Israel points to evidence that demonstrators have been armed with Molotov cocktails and incendiary kites. ‘This is not peaceful resistance. Has the option [of armed struggle] diminished? No,’ Al-Zahar, former foreign minister in the Hamas government, said during an interview with Al-Jazeera. ‘On the contrary, it is growing and developing. That’s clear. So when we talk about “peaceful resistance,” we are deceiving the public.’

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said Al-Zahhar’s remarks vindicate Israel’s firing of live ammunition on some protesters amid an international outcry over Israel’s actions. ‘I agree. Shooting guns and lobbing explosives at Israelis isn’t peaceful at all,’ Netanyahu said in the English-language video message. He also quoted Hamas commander Yahya Sinwar who before Monday’s riots was filmed saying that during the clashes, ‘we will tear down their border and tear out their hearts.’ This, Netanyahu said, ‘is what we are defending our families against. And you would do exactly the same.’…

“The United Kingdom, France, Canada and other countries have accused Israel of using excessive force in Gaza on Monday, though the United States, Australia and several other countries have blamed Hamas for the bloodshed. Separately, the United Nations Human Rights Council accused Israel of keeping Gazans ‘caged in a toxic slum’ during a special session in Geneva on the Gaza border clashes.”

How people can be easily deceived as to the Truth.

Development in Israel Sign for the End Time?

The Guardian wrote on May 19:

“For many on the Christian right, the state of Israel has been seen as a key to fulfilling prophesy… At the opening ceremony, two of the American speakers were evangelical superstars: Pastor Robert Jeffress, the author of several doomsday books about Israel, and John Hagee, who interpreted recent lunar eclipses as evidence that the end times were nigh. The Fox News personality Jeanine Pirro, meanwhile, declared that Trump had ‘fulfilled biblical prophecy’…

“This ‘post-evangelical’ generation was raised on a steady diet of low-budget movies and pulp novels that injected a potent fear of the coming Rapture, a dynamic most eloquently described by the late Billy Graham. ‘I pick up the Bible in one hand,’ he said, ‘and I pick up the newspaper in the other. And I read almost the same words in the newspaper as I read in the Bible. It’s being fulfilled every day round about us.’…

“It’s not only post-evangelicals who are dubious about the end times scenario…”

This development of abandoning the belief in the CORRECT “end-time” scenario (there will be no rapture, and the interpretations of lunar eclipses are far-fetched) is exactly what the Bible forewarns against, because it is when people are blinding themselves regarding the true signs of the time and declare peace that sudden destruction will come upon them.

A Photo with the Third Temple… Just a Joke?

Zero Hedge wrote on May 22:

“As if US-Palestinian relations weren’t already at the lowest point in perhaps all of history, they just sank even lower after a controversial photo… surfaced of the American Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, receiving a large aerial photograph of Jerusalem… As Ambassador Friedman attended an event sponsored by an Israeli charity, one of the staff members presented him with the framed photograph which featured a photo-shopped imagined Jewish Temple in the place where Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock currently stand. The Israeli Haaretz newspaper describes the image as ‘bearing a simulation of the Third Temple’ placed in the photograph at the heart of Jerusalem’s walled old city, with the ‘Third Temple’ featured front and center…

“Though the US Embassy is reportedly outraged at the incident which it says the ambassador did not endorse and was not immediately aware of, it’s seems hard to miss the huge stone temple prominently at the forefront of the image… The official statement concluded with the following: ‘The U.S. policy is absolutely clear: ‘we support the status quo on the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount.’…

“For its part the Israeli charity responsible for the controversial photograph has issued an apology to Friedman and the embassy… Friedman, however, has been known for engaging in provocations aimed at showing his personal devotion to the Jewish state and preferred changes in US policy toward the conflict; for example, he’s long attempted to pressure the State Department to use terminology more friendly to the idea that the West Bank belongs to Israel…”

Ancient Jewish Coins Found on the Temple Mount

Breaking Israel News wrote on May 22:

“Five exceptionally rare ancient coins from among the very first ever minted by Jews were discovered on the Temple Mount, evidence of Jewish activity at the disputed site.

“The small coins – three in pristine condition and two showing signs of wear – were discovered as part of the Temple Mount Sifting Project, an archaeological initiative started in order to sift thousands of tons of dirt illegally excavated and dumped in the Kidron Valley by the Islamic Waqf in 1999. The Waqf excavations compromised the archaeological integrity of the Temple Mount and sparked outrage in Israel, leading many to suggest that the Waqf was intentionally attempting to eradicate evidence of two Jewish Temples which stood on the Mount for over 800 years…

“The newly-discovered coins bear the letters ‘YHD,’ or Yehud, the Aramaic name for the biblical kingdom of Judea, and are dated to the end of the 4th century BCE. According to one of the co-directors of the project, Zachi Dvira, only five other coins of this kind have been found in the 150 years of archaeological digging in ancient Jerusalem sites. Dvira noted that Jewish pilgrims would bring offerings of first fruits of the season to the Temple around the time of the Shavuot holiday, and would often convert their value to silver in the days of the Second Temple…

“‘These were the first coins ever minted by Jews,’ Dvira said in an interview with Israel’s Ynet news. ‘They express the people’s return to their land after the Babylonian exile, and their ability to hold and maintain diplomatic ties with the ruling empire—then Persia—similar to our relations with the United States today.’… In May 2017, UNESCO adopted a resolution denying Jewish connection to Jerusalem. In October 2016, the international body said the Jewish people have no ties to the Temple Mount.”

The Latest Insane Mass Murder in an American School

CBS wrote on May 19:

“10 people were killed and 10 others wounded in the shooting Friday morning at Santa Fe High School south of Houston. The suspected shooter [a 17-year old teenager] also had explosive devices, including a molotov cocktail, that were found in the school and nearby… Police found pressure cookers and pipe bombs around the school… Among the dead were a substitute teacher and several students…

“Students described [the suspected murderer] as quiet and ‘weird’ because a long trench coat was part of his wardrobe, even on days when the temperature neared 90 degrees… His motive is still unclear… the suspect had information in journals, on his computer and on cell phones that indicated he wanted to commit the shooting and take his own life afterward… the suspect ‘gave himself up’ and told authorities that he did not have the courage to take his own life… [He] posted the phrase ‘Dangerous Days’ on social media before the rampage along with a pentagram symbol.

“Two weapons were used in the attack… a shotgun and a .38 revolver, both of which were legally owned by the suspect’s father… A school resource officer was shot and injured in the shooting… [The suspected mass murderer] played on the junior varsity football team and was a member of a dance squad with a local Greek Orthodox church. His social media pages showed multiple images of guns. He recently posted a photo wearing a t-shirt reading ‘Born to Kill’ and there were also photos of a long green jacket with Nazi regalia.

“… one major question investigators will look into is why [the suspected mass murderer] allegedly opened fire in the art room and whether the class was specifically targeted.

“… the suspect had no criminal history…”

When will America’s violent culture and its fascination with guns and easy access to them ever cease? The answer is clear: Only AFTER Christ has returned to change our minds and hearts and give us a new way of thinking so that we will get rid of all weapons, as so powerfully described by the prophets Isaiah and Micah.

 School Shootings out of Control

Daily News wrote on May 18:

“More people have been murdered in schools so far this year than have been killed while serving in the U.S. military… 31 people — an overwhelming majority of whom were students — have been killed at schools since Jan. 1… Twenty-nine U.S. service members have been killed in the same timeframe, including both combat and noncombat deaths…

“Previous years, the numbers have typically been inverted, with service member casualties outnumbering student deaths by at least double… The number of individual school shootings is also much higher this year, with 16 deadly incidents across the country so far. Last year, there had been four fatal school shootings during the same period…”

Only in Germany: Parents Fined by Police for Not Sending their Children to School

Handelsblatt Global wrote on May 22:

“Police in southern Germany have filed 21 cases of truancy after spot checks at the Allgäu and Nuremberg airports on May 17 and 18. Officers caught families attempting to fly prior to the three-day Pentecost weekend without approval for their children to skip school…

“All German children are required by law to be in classes during regular school hours unless they have been previously excused by the school… German schools often refuse to excuse children prior to long weekends and holidays…

“But the compulsory education laws go further… home-schooling is also illegal in Germany. The Wunderlich family from the central state of Hesse is suing the German government at the European Court of Human Rights after they were prohibited from home-schooling their children. The Wunderlich children were taken from the family for three weeks in 2013 until the parents agreed to send their three children to local schools.

“However, while in the care of the state, officials tested the children. ‘To their certain annoyance, the test revealed the children to be performing at the same level as the average state school student,’ wrote Robert Clarke, the family’s lead attorney, in Christian Today earlier this month. The European court has agreed to hear the case and Mr. Clarke expanded on his position: ‘The Universal Declaration of Human Rights — often described as the constitution of the entire human rights framework — says that parents have a ‘prior right’ to direct the upbringing of their children.’”

Deutsche Welle added on May 21:

“School truancy is treated seriously in Germany and parents can be held liable if children do not attend school from age six to 16… The fine for truancy can be as high as €1,000 ($1,177)…  ‘It’s true that we have to adhere to the rules, but getting the police involved is a bit of an exaggeration,’ said Stephan Wassmuth, head of Germany’s Federal Parents Council. The Education and Science Workers’ Union (GEW) agreed, saying that ‘it makes more sense to have a conversation with parents. Police involvement for individual cases is too strong a reaction.’”

Der Stern wrote:

“Don’t the police have anything better to do? … This police conduct is merely annoyance.”

Die Welt stated:

“… religious reasons can justify an ongoing excuse, which must be applied for ahead of time in a timely fashion.”

The Horror Story of Germany’s Intrusive Church Taxes

Handelsblatt Global wrote on May 18:

“Germany has a church tax — unimaginable in the US or France. Anyone who was ever baptized or christened and has not officially left the church is liable.

“Thomas Bores is not religious. He was christened in the Catholic church during his first year on earth, like the overwhelming majority of babies in France. When his parents asked him at age six whether he wanted to go to catechism, he said no, and that was the end of his religious life. Or so he thought. Decades later when Mr. Bores moved to Berlin, in 2013, he checked the box for ‘not religious’ on his registration form. Two years later, he noticed €550 was missing from his bank account. He asked the payroll department at the company he worked for and was told the tax office had identified him as Roman Catholic and had billed him for back church taxes…

“Members of a recognized confession [mainly the Roman Catholic church and the Protestant church—“Evangelische Kirche”] pay an additional 8 or 9 percent of their annual income tax to that church. And by ‘member’ the authorities mean anyone who has been christened or baptized. The money is automatically deducted just like payroll taxes or social insurance. People are thus on the hook to their church until they formally renounce their membership with an official declaration made in person at a district court that comes with a filing fee of about €30.

“When I arrived in Berlin last year from the United States, I checked the box for ‘konfessionslos’ (not religious) as I registered. That was the end of it, I thought. A few weeks later I received an official-looking letter from the ‘church-tax office’ (Kirchensteuerstelle). It said they needed clarification about my religious affiliation. The questionnaire, which included my tax number and was posted from the same address as my district tax office, asked for intrusive details about my life. Was I ever baptized or christened? If so, where and when? Had I ever been married in the church? If so, where and when? Was I a member of any free church? I was taken aback by the idea of having to share such personal information.

“After digging online, I discovered that this church-tax office is not an actual government agency, and the letter is a deceptive initiative to snare potential church taxpayers. Any person who acknowledges they were baptized or otherwise involved in a church who cannot show paperwork proving they officially left the church is considered to still be a member in Germany and thereby liable for church taxes and back taxes.

“Mr. Bores, the French citizen, determined, with the help of a lawyer, that the church-tax office in Berlin had written a misleading letter to his old diocese in France, which had replied with a copy of his christening certificate. And that was enough for the Catholic diocese of Berlin to claim him as a member.

“This surely must violate privacy laws, I thought, and I found a report on the topic from Berlin’s data-protection official. This 2016 review concluded that because the church-tax offices are not official government agencies, and their employees work for the church, they are not subject to government data-protection laws — even though they are housed in government buildings and receive data from a government agency…

“Many Germans are leaving the church just to opt out of the taxes, which rankles religious leaders. A single person earning €60,000 a year in Berlin would pay about €1,500 of that in church tax. But leaving the church means more than skipping Sunday services. In Germany and Switzerland, leaving the church is a formal affair, requiring an appointment at a local government agency, sometimes a district court…

“The problem also hits Germans. Many of those formerly from the communist East at one point found themselves paying church taxes because the documents related to their religious status did not survive the bureaucratic transfers after reunification…

“Mr. Frerk, the church-tax expert, got into trouble. He was never baptized, never had anything to do with the church, but suddenly received a pay stub that identified him as Protestant. How do you prove a negative? The tax office wanted him to collect letters from every town he’d ever lived in to prove his non-religious status. So he argued with officials for months before realizing what would solve the problem. He went before a judge to declare his exit. ‘What church are you leaving?’ The judge asked. ‘I don’t care, any of them,’ Mr. Frerk replied. With the official papers in hand, he went back to the tax office. Shortly thereafter he received a letter from the church-tax office, saying, ‘If you were able to leave the church, that must mean you were a member. We would like you to now pay us the back taxes.’

“Mr. Bores’ lawyer also advised that he pay the €30 to officially leave the Catholic Church in Germany even though he had never been a practicing Catholic in France. The exit took another three months to be processed. During that time he remained liable for church taxes. Mr. Bores is still fighting in court to get back his €550.”

This horrible and intrusive “church” tax law in Germany, and the appalling methods of the church-tax office, prove that there is NO real separation of church and state in Germany, and it shows the methods with which the churches are greedily trying to get money they are clearly not entitled to. The church tax law is based on a treaty between the state and the church (going back to the Weimar constitution) allowing the state to collect church tax for the church and then transfer the received church tax money to the church. The Roman Catholic church, in collaboration with the Protestant church (“Evangelische Kirche”) and the German state, have always had an incredibly all-powerful influence on the German people in other ways as well, either directly or indirectly. We should take note of the fact that for centuries the church (the woman in Revelation 17) has been riding the European states (the beast).

Sexual Abuse by Jehovah’s Witnesses?

Dutch News reported on May 22:

“The Jehovah’s Witnesses community in the Netherlands will not hold an independent inquiry into the sexual abuse of members, despite being urged to do so by justice minister Sander Dekker. By last month, 267 reports of sexual abuse involving Jehovah’s Witnesses had been made to a hotline set up by the Reclaimed Voices foundation in 2017 after Trouw published a report on the growing scandal.

“Dekker told RTL Nieuws on Tuesday that the organisation’s decision is ‘disappointing’ and that it is ignoring the victims who want to be heard. He has no powers to force the organisation to hold an inquiry… Dekker said last year that the church should look to the example of the Catholic church to dealing with complaints about sexual abuse. In total, 3,712 people have reported being victims of sexual abuse within the Catholic church to a special hotline set up in 2010. There are some 30,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Netherlands.”

All Chilean Bishops Offer Their Resignation to Pope Francis Because of Charges of Child Abuse 

Zenit wrote on May 18:

“In an unprecedented move, the bishops of Chile have presented their resignation, this Friday, May 18, 2018, in the Holy See… The 34 Chilean bishops have been meeting with Pope Francis in Rome from May 15 to 17 to ‘examine in depth their causes and consequences, as well as the mechanisms that have led in some cases to their cover-up and serious omissions towards the victims’ , reported the Holy See in a statement, published on May 12…

“In the declaration, the Chilean prelates ask for forgiveness ‘for the pain caused to the victims, to the Pope, to the People of God and to the country for our grave errors and omissions’… Nevertheless, Bishop Juan Ignacio González, Bishop of San Bernardo, has specified that placing his pastoral offices at the Pope’s complete disposition ‘implies that as long as the Holy Father does not make a determination, each one of the bishops members of the Episcopal Conference of Chile, continues in its pastoral works and in full functions.’”

Pope: God Made People Gay

Catholic News Agency wrote on May 20:

“A victim of the Chilean clergy abuse crisis who met privately with Pope Francis told a Spanish news source that the Pope told him to accept himself and his same-sex attraction, because God made him that way.

“Juan Carlos Cruz, a victim of Chilean abuser Fr. Fernando Karadima, met with Pope Francis privately in April after being invited to the Vatican along with other victims of abuse… ‘He told me “Juan Carlos, that you are gay does not matter. God made you like that and he loves you like that and I do not care. The Pope loves you as you are, you have to be happy with who you are,”’ Cruz recalled.

“The comment is controversial because it evokes a theological debate about the causes of homosexuality. The Catechism of the Catholic Church… states that ‘deep-seated’ homosexual inclination is ‘objectively disordered,’ and that homosexual acts are ‘acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that ‘homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.’ They are contrary to the natural law… Under no circumstances can they be approved.’”

The Guardian added on May 20:

“It is not the first time it has been suggested Francis has an open and tolerant attitude toward homosexuality, despite the Catholic church’s teaching that gay sex – and all sex outside of heterosexual marriage – is a sin… The new remarks appear to go much further in embracing homosexuality as a sexual orientation that is designed and bestowed by God. It suggests that Francis does not believe that individuals choose to be gay or lesbian, as some religious conservatives argue.

“Austen Ivereigh, who has written a biography of the pope, said Francis had likely made similar comments in private in the past, when he served as a spiritual director to gay people in Buenos Aires, but that Cruz’s public discussion of his conversation with Francis represented the most ‘forceful’ remarks on the subject since 2013…”

The Sun added on May 21:

“The Pope’s words signal a much more open and inclusive approach by the often restrictive faith – a move which will likely upset many conservative Catholics. The Vatican has neither confirmed nor denied the Pontiff’s comments to Cruz.”

Regardless of what the Pope says, the BIBLE calls homosexuality a sin. Homosexual conduct is due to choice.

“Ramadan an ‘Old German Custom’ Celebrated Longer than Oktoberfest”?

Breitbart wrote on May 18:

“German radio broadcaster Deutschlandfunk Kultur has claimed that the Islamic holy month of Ramadan is not only an ‘old German custom’ but that it had been celebrated in the country longer than Oktoberfest. In an article, journalist Eren Güvercin claims that Ramadan is a thoroughly German holiday and that there is no question that Islam belongs to Germany.

“Güvercin maintains that the practice is older than the Oktoberfest, also known in Bavaria as Wiesn. While he provides no evidence for his assertion, the earliest Wiesn celebrations are thought to have been held on 12 October 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Prince Ludwig, later King Ludwig I, and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. The oldest mosque in Germany, by contrast, was built in Berlin in 1915 and was discovered by an archaeological team in 2015. The mosque, which was made of wood, was thought to have been intended for Muslim prisoners of war as it was built inside a World War One-era prison camp.

“According to Güvercin, the Islamic holy month is as German as the great poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe or noted author of the First World War novel All Quiet on the Western Front Rainer Maria Rilke… The article comes after Interior Minister Horst Seehofer stated that Islam did not belong to Germany and was later contradicted by his coalition partner, Chancellor Angela Merkel. A poll of the German public revealed that they sided with Seehofer with 75 per cent stating that Islam probably did not belong to Germany or absolutely did not belong to the country.”

Güvercin’s statements are ridiculous and can be clearly categorized as “fake news.”

“Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano Erupts, Releasing 30,000ft Plume of Ash”

The Guardian wrote on May 17:

“Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupted anew before dawn on Thursday, shooting a steely gray plume of ash about 30,000 feet (9,100 meters) into the sky that began raining down on a nearby town…

“Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. An eruption in 1924 killed one person and sent rocks, ash and dust into the air for 17 days… The volcano has been erupting continuously since 1983. It is one of five volcanoes on Hawaii’s Big Island…”

The Associated Press wrote on May 21:

“White plumes of acid and extremely fine shards of glass billowed into the sky over Hawaii as molten rock from Kilauea volcano poured into the ocean, creating yet another hazard from an eruption that began more than two weeks ago: A toxic steam cloud… Scientists said the steam clouds at the spots where lava entered the ocean were laced with hydrochloric acid and fine glass particles that can irritate skin and eyes and cause breathing problems…

“In recent days, the lava began to move more quickly and emerge from the ground in greater volume. Scientists said that’s because the lava that first erupted was magma left over from a 1955 eruption that had been stored in the ground for the past six decades. The molten rock that began emerging over the past few days was from magma that has recently moved down the volcano’s eastern flank from one or two craters that sit further upslope — the Puu Oo crater and the summit crater. The new lava is hotter, moves faster and has spread over a wider area… The volcano has opened more than 20 vents, including four that have merged into one large crack. It has been gushing lava high into the sky and sending a river of molten rock toward the ocean at about 300 yards (274 meters) per hour…”

Shocking?–“Brides Should Pledge to ‘Obey’ their Husbands”

Daily Mail wrote on May 18:

“Piers Morgan’s wife Celia Walden says brides SHOULD pledge to ‘obey’ their husbands – as the world waits to see if Meghan omits the promise from her wedding vows…  [Walden] admitted… that she did vow to obey her husband Piers Morgan, even though it is now ‘out of fashion’.

“Many brides leave out the word ‘obey’ from the traditional pledge to ‘love, honour and obey’ their new husbands in modern ceremonies…

“Curious about what happened at Piers and Celia’s 2010 wedding, presenter Kate Garraway asked the journalist what she said… ‘I did say obey…’ she confessed. The revelation clearly shocked [presenters] Ben and Kate who jokingly screeched: ‘You fool!’…

“The royal vows were used by Queen Elizabeth in 1947 and come from the church’s Anglican Book of Common Prayer. In them, grooms vow ‘to love and cherish till death do us part’. The bride promises to ‘love, cherish and obey’. According to ABC News, the vows have been modernized, however.

“In 2000, they were changed to: ‘I, (bride/broom name), take you, (groom/bride name) to be my wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part.’

“Princess Diana omitted the word ‘obey’ from her vows at her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981. Kate Middleton followed in her footsteps in 2011…”

As it was widely expected, Meghan omitted in her vows the promise to obey her husband. Whether it is fashionable or not, the Bible clearly demands obedience of the wife to her husband, but of course only as such obedience is supported by Scripture. God would never want a wife to obey her husband in anything which violates the letter or the spirit of the law of God.

A Groundbreaking Modern Royal Wedding

The Sun wrote on May 19:

 “Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s first kiss delights fans as they seal [a] VERY modern Royal Wedding [and a] groundbreaking multi-cultural ceremony with a gospel choir and [an] eccentric American bishop… Royal experts [were] saying the couple have thrown the Royals into the 21st century.

“Ingrid Seward, Editor in Chief of Majesty Magazine said: ‘There’s never a royal wedding like this in modern history’… A gospel choir sang American soul singer Ben E. Kings 1960s hit Stand By Me to the couple, who had earlier been given their new titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex…

“Majesty Magazine’s Ms Seward added that the star of the wedding was the American preacher, The Most Reverend Michael Curry… Peter Rolfe, owner of luxury events organiser PAVE London, added: ‘What is obvious is how much the black community have been featured in the ceremony so far, which is different from previous royal weddings [Meghan, a divorcee and former actress, is the child of a white father and a black mother.]. It’s nice to put in Meghan’s heritage with the head of the Episcopal Church was probably the most memorable speaker in the ceremony. ‘He was very arousing. His speech about love caught everyone in the church by surprise… Some of the faces in the church showed they weren’t expecting such a rousing address’…

“Harry wore full military uniform… Kensington Palace confirmed that the Royal brothers would be wearing the frockcoat uniform of the Blues and Royals, with the Queen giving her permission for Prince Harry to marry in his uniform…”

As Deutsche Welle reported, “Michael Bruce Curry, a US Episcopalian bishop [actually, he is the presiding Bishop of the American Episcopal church and a strong supporter of same sex marriage], [gave] an impassioned wedding address. His words [centered] on the power of love to transform human lives.” Episcopalianism is the American branch of the worldwide Anglican community; the Queen is the head of the Anglican church. His speech was in stark contrast to the military uniforms worn by the Royal brothers, as he referred to a world ruled by love, saying that “when love is the way, we will lay down our swords and shields, down by the riverside, to study war no more…” (as quoted by the website of townandcountrymag).

Zimbabwe applies to Re-Join British Commonwealth

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 21:

“Zimbabwe has applied to re-join the British Commonwealth and invited observers to attend its general elections. The move is a major step towards re-engaging with the international community after Robert Mugabe’s ouster.

“Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa officially applied for his country to re-join the Commonwealth almost 15 years after it left… Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said in a statement that the member states ‘very much look forward to Zimbabwe’s return when the conditions are right.’ ‘Zimbabwe’s eventual return to the Commonwealth, following a successful membership application, would be a momentous occasion, given our shared rich history,’ Scotland said.

“Under former leader Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe left the voluntary grouping of mostly former British colonies in 2003. Mugabe, who ruled Zimbabwe since its independence in 1980, had been suspended by the group for violent and disputed elections as well as the seizure of land from white farmers, which triggered a national economic collapse. Mnangagwa replaced Mugabe as leader following a de facto army coup last November.

“In the letter, Mnangagwa also invited Commonwealth officials to observe Zimbabwe’s general elections which are due to take place in July. The presidential, parliamentary and council elections will be the southern African nation’s first big democratic test.

“In order to become a member of the Commonwealth, Zimbabwe must show that it adheres to the group’s core values including democracy and rule of law as well as the protection of human rights including freedom of expression… If its application were to be accepted, Zimbabwe would be the fifth country to re-join the Commonwealth. The group is currently comprised of 53 countries, mainly former British colonies, representing 2.4 billion people.”

The survival or remnant of the once all-powerful British Commonwealth shows the degree of Britain’s downfall.

New Contemplated “Gender Neutral” Advertisement Requirements in the UK

Daily Mail wrote on May 17:

“The Committee of Advertising Practice is considering introducing rules that could effectively outlaw stereotypical characteristics such as boys being daring or girls being caring in adverts… Ad that seeks to emphasise the contrast between a boy’s stereotypical personality – for example, daring – with a girl’s stereotypical personality – for example, caring – needs to be handled with care, a committee announced today.

“Vetoed: Aptamil baby milk advert that showed girls growing up to become ballerinas and boys becoming scientists and rock climbers… Other notions on the endangered list for advertising include women not being able to park cars and men failing to change nappies…

“Some big brand names have already taken voluntary measures to end what they see as gender stereotyping. Knorr TV ads used to show a mother and daughter in the kitchen but now feature a father and son…

“The consultation finishes at the end of July and any new rules are likely to come into effect by December.”

As the gender neutrality movement is reaching new heights of stupidity, one can only imagine what these new advertisement rules will look like.

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.

First of all, let us emphasize the biblical teaching that in the not-too-distant future, prior to Christ’s return, there WILL BE a falling away from the Truth. We have written extensively on this subject. We are setting forth excerpts from several of our Q&A’s:

We state the following in our Q&A on the 144,00:

“… the Bible even prophecies that in the future, prior to Christ’s return, true Church members will fall away from the Truth, because they did not receive the love of the Truth and did not believe the Truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:10, 12). Because of lawlessness, the love of God within them will grow cold (Matthew 24:12), and they will become an easy target for Satan’s ministers (2 Corinthians 11:14-15) who will deceive them through their lying signs and wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9, 11; Matthew 24:11, 24). Hopefully, their falling away will not be permanent and they will come again to ‘repentance so that they may know the truth,’ and that they ‘may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will’ (2 Timothy 2:25-26).”

The end-time falling away from the Truth refers to converted Christians. It will reach its climax at the approximate time when the man of sin—the false prophet—manifests himself just prior to and during the Great Tribulation, claiming to be God and sitting in the Temple of God.

We say this in the Q&A about a future Temple prior to Christ’s return 

“Another Scripture, indicating the existence of a future temple in Jerusalem, just prior to Christ’s return, can be found in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4. Paul writes: ‘Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day [of Christ’s return] will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.’…

“However, we read that the returning Christ will consume the man of sin ‘with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming’ (2 Thessalonians 2:8). Therefore, this man of sin will exist at the time of Christ’s return. He will proclaim himself to be God, not just ‘a god.’ It is highly unlikely that Paul was talking about the Church as the temple of God in this context. There is no Biblical evidence that the false prophet will be sitting in God’s true Church, proclaiming himself to be God. However, Christ warned His Church in Matthew 24:11 that ‘many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.’

“One argument that has been advanced for the idea that the ‘man of sin’ is or will be a religious leader within the true Church of God is that he allegedly has to fall away from the truth, which he once knew. This is, however, not in accordance with Scripture. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 does not say that the end-time ‘man of sin’ must fall away from the truth, which he once understood. Rather, the passage only states that Christ will not return ‘unless the falling away comes first, AND the man of sin is revealed.’”

Some have proposed that the coming falling away refers to traditional Christianity, which will exert a more powerful influence on the world. But this interpretation is erroneous.

We state the following in our Q&A about the future apostasy in 2 Thessalonians 2:3  

“The context of these verses is interesting. This is talking about a falling away from the truth, and it is the only place in the Bible where the word ‘apostasia’ is used. The apostle Paul is addressing ‘brethren’ (verse 1) about an apostasy especially at the end time, as ‘the man of sin’ is also mentioned who is to reveal himself during the very last days, and who will sit in the temple of God and pretend to be God himself. This strongly indicates that the Jews will build a temple in Jerusalem prior to Christ’s return, where they will bring sacrifices, and that the man of sin or the false prophet will occupy the temple for a while, when the armies of the beast power will occupy the city of Jerusalem and suppress the daily sacrifices. All of this will be fulfilling aspects of Christ’s end time warning that the abomination of desolation will be set up or standing at the holy place, where it should not be (Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14).

“It is correct, of course, that an apostasy from the true gospel already began during the lifetime of Paul, when he stated that he marvelled that so many in the Church of God had turned to another gospel (Galatians 1:6-7). But Paul’s warning, taken as a whole, is not about others who did not or do not have the truth, but he is addressing those who had learned it and who would nevertheless ‘fall away’ or leave their own beliefs behind and go off in a different direction.

“It is therefore clear that any revival of orthodox Christianity, including a revival of the Roman Catholic Church, the Greek and Russian Orthodox Church or the different Protestant churches (as mentioned in Revelation 13 and 17), is not in any way to be viewed as being an aspect of the end-time apostasy or falling away from true biblical teaching. How can orthodox Christianity ‘fall away’ from biblical beliefs that they do not accept in the first place, and have never accepted? For instance, the Catholic and Protestant churches have rejected, for nearly two millennia, the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days…

“The Protestant Church, even though they officially rejected and still reject the authority of the Catholic Church to change the teachings of the Bible, nevertheless followed the lead of the Catholic Church and adopted Sunday worship, while rejecting the Sabbath. Martin Luther himself declared that the Bible teaches the observance of the Sabbath, agreeing with the Waldenses who insisted at the time that the Sabbath must be kept, but he concluded that one should instead continue the observance of Sunday, as to avoid an unnecessary uproar. Other Protestant ‘reformers’ such as Calvin understood that Easter is a pagan holiday, which is not enjoined in Scripture, but which the Catholic Church adopted from pagans who kept this day in honour of pagan gods. The goal was to bring those pagans into the fold of the Catholic Church. However, these same Protestant ‘reformers’ did not feel it necessary to abrogate Easter observance…

“At the same time, a false concept of God is being taught, where He is misrepresented as a Trinity—One Person in Three Persons—while the Bible clearly rejects such absurd doctrine. The list could go on and on, but suffice to say that orthodox Christianity could not be part of an end time ‘apostasia’, because they never had the truth in the first place from which to renege, and they most certainly do not have the truth today…

“The true Church of God has always been a ‘little flock’… It must be remembered that ‘a falling away’ doesn’t have to be millions of people. It is a falling away from a small flock, which the Church of God has always been, and therefore, numerically, won’t be millions of people. The ‘falling away’ is only in connection with where the truth is and has been preached – and that is in the Church of God… Paul’s warning for us today is therefore very sobering: Even though a falling away did undoubtedly take place at the time when a new administration came to power in the Worldwide Church of God [WCG], after the death of its human leader, Herbert Armstrong, in 1986, the apostasy from the truth within the Church of God will continue. As many fell away from the truth then, so many will still fall away in the future…”

The commentary of Bengel’s Gnomen adds:

“The apostasy and the mystery of iniquity are a great evil… Apostasy is a falling away from the faith… Some of those who had received it drew back [and departed] from the living God…”

The coming end-time apostasy refers to true converted Christians who will fall away from the Truth. As we will point out below, even though we might hope for the better, their departure might very well be a final decision in many cases, leading to the unpardonable sin. We should realize that this departure does not only refer to a “handful” of people. It is true that the Bible does not use the term “GREAT” or “GREATER” falling away in 2 Thessalonians 2. However, it is also correct that it has been commonly understood that Paul had a GREAT apostasy in mind, which—relatively speaking—will be, in some way, greater than prior apostasies. For instance, the headline of the New King James Bible for 2 Thessalonians 2 reads, “The Great Apostasy.” The Ryrie Study Bible comments about the coming apostasy: “An aggressive and climactic revolt against God.”

The Benson Commentary writes about the coming apostasy: “The article here is emphatical, denoting both that this was to be a great apostasy, the apostasy, by way of eminence, (the general, grand departure of the whole visible church into idolatrous worship,) and that the Thessalonians had been already apprized of its coming.”

After all, Paul uses the end-time falling away from the Truth and the manifestation of the man of sin as important and critical visible signs for the arrival of the day of the Lord–the return of Jesus Christ. If he had only a minor event in mind or just a few Christians who were to forsake the Truth, then this would hardly be an obvious and convincing sign for Christ’s return, as Christians have fallen away from the Truth as long as the Church of God has existed, and as many Christians HAD fallen away from the Truth at the time of Paul, as Paul explains in the first chapter of the letter to the Galatians.

When we consider the falling away from the Truth in the days of the [now defunct] Worldwide Church of God [WCG], after the death of Herbert W. Armstrong, how can there still be a “great” apostasy, when today, the numbers of members and attendees in all Church of God organizations are so much smaller than in the days of WCG, and when after Mr. Armstrong died, more than 100,000 people (an approximate estimate) forsook the teachings of the Bible? Another question is, how can the coming falling away from the Truth be GREATER than the falling away from the Truth in WCG’s days?

First, we should ask ourselves as to how many Church attendees were actually truly converted in WCG days and understood, embraced and LOVED the Truth, before they subsequently departed. In this regard, you might carefully consider biblical passages such as 1 John 2:19 and 2 Timothy 2:15-20, referring to Church “attendees” who were not converted and ultimately left the fellowship with the true Church… or who stayed in the Church organization, without being truly converted servants of God (compare 3 John 9-10; Jude 4, 19). If true, then they did not really depart from the Truth (even though they might have “known” aspects of the Truth, the Truth was never part of their lives), and their judgment will still come in the future, while converted Christians are already being judged today (1 Peter 4:17).

Further, the concept of a “great” or “greater” falling away is relative. It may not be a “greater” falling away than it was at the time of Paul or at the time of WCG, when referring to numbers, but it will be a GREATER falling away in terms of importance and potentially eternal consequence. If the Body of Christ were to consist of 5 million converted members, then a departure of 1000 would not necessarily qualify as a great falling away. But when there are only 30,000 members, then 10,000 members who fall away can indeed be described as a great falling away. And in comparison, if many more members fall away than those who stay, then this would be a great falling away, in any event.

In addition, we hope that many of those who were converted and departed from the Truth in WCG’s days will return in the years to come, so that they would not be counted as those who departed from the Truth for good. The possibility of such a return is definitely implied in passages such as Revelation 2:5; 3:2-3, 17-19. And as we mentioned before, we also hope the same for those who will fall away in the future apostasy. But the extremely frightening warning is that many of those who will depart from the Truth in the future may very well depart for good—constituting a true departure and falling away of converted Church members from the Truth—as the love of God, poured out in their hearts through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5), will grow cold, and as they will forsake the Truth AND the love of the Truth, which they might have had at one time. The German Menge Bible renders this verse in 2 Thessalonians 2:10: “They did not make the love of the Truth a part of themselves.” The New International Version and many other translations say: “They refused to love the truth.”

The warning in this regard must not be overlooked. As the love of God would grow cold in them, so, as a consequence, the love of and for the Truth would grow cold in them as well. The love of God IS the keeping of His commandments (1 John 5:3), and without God’s love, lawlessness abounds, and vice versa (Matthew 24:12).

Hebrews 6:4-6 states very clearly: “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance…”

When we speak of the fact that there will be “many” who will fall away in the future (compare Matthew 24:10-12; 2 Peter 2:1-2), we must realize how the Bible uses the word “many.” We state the following in our Q&A on the number of those who will be saved:

“First, we need to realize that the word ‘many’ is to be understood in context. It does not necessarily have to describe the vast majority of a group of people… We read in Acts 12:12 that Peter ‘came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where MANY were gathered together praying…’ In 1 Corinthians 11:30, Paul described the status of the brethren in Corinth, saying: ‘For this reason [because they did not properly discern Christ’s Sacrifice, when they partook of the symbols of bread and wine] MANY are weak and sick among you, and MANY sleep [having died prematurely].’

“We also read that at the time of Jesus’ death, ‘the graves were opened; and MANY bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many’ (Matthew 27:52-53). Verses 55-56 point out that ‘MANY women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James [the Less] and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.’

“In addition, Mark 14:56 informs us that at the time of Christ’s illegal ‘trial,’ ‘MANY bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.’ So, we need to look at the use of the word ‘many’ in context. For instance, when we read that many brethren in Corinth had partaken of the Passover symbols in an unworthy manner, we are informed that a sizeable group had done so; this passage does not have to mean that the majority had acted in that way…”

God’s warning to all of us is clear. We are to retain the Truth, love the Truth and GROW in Christ’s knowledge of the Truth. We must not forsake or reject the Truth which has been entrusted to us (and God’s true Church is the foundation and pillar of the Truth; cp. 1 Timothy 3:15), and we must love God’s Truth so much that we will not refuse to accept further aspects of the Truth, whenever God reveals them to us in the pages of the Bible. We must continue to be zealous, steadfast and committed to God and His Word until the very end (Matthew 10:22; 24:13; Hebrews 3:14). If we do, then God will protect and save us from the deceptions around us, so that we will NOT drift away (Hebrews 2:1), turn away from God and depart from Him (Hebrews 12:25; 3:12), fall through disobedience (Hebrews 4:11) and lose our salvation (Hebrews 2:3; 10:26-31).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“Pope Francis: ‘God Made People Gay!’” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Are people born gay or is it their choice to become this way? Did God create gay people, as Pope Francis seems to suggest? Are there any differences in role and responsibility between husband and wife? Do we have to adopt gender neutrality, even in advertisement? What are TRUE biblical standards in regard to sexual relationships?

“Wann kommt der große Abfall?” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. The title in English is: “When Will the Great Galling Away Happen?”

“Fishing for True Answers,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Robb Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Placing God before all other desires is critical in our ability to show true fruits of repentance. We don’t know when or how but we know that God will use us as lights to the world. We must be prepared to shine at all times with works that reflect Godly nature.

“True Proof!” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Satan challenges mankind to “prove it”—but his motive is evil. God also challenges mankind to prove Him—and His objective is good. Our responsibility is to choose the true proof from God that leads to life.

“Shape and Definition,” the sermonette presented on Pentecost morning by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The shape of our current condition is a result of our past. While our history determines our present state of being, it does not need to control our future. Our determination to repent of our past sins and actively work towards the fulfillment of our calling is what defines our character.

“This Gospel,” the sermon presented on Pentecost morning by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The gospel, that is, the “good news” of the Kingdom of God is the message from God to mankind. This is the focus of what Jesus Christ preached, and it is what He commissioned as the “work” of the Church of God. It is through the Holy Spirit of God that His servants are completing this responsibility!

“God Will Provide,” the Offertory presented on Pentecost afternoon by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Do we believe that God will provide in ALL things? What do we ask for? What kind of blessings can we expect to receive if we live righteously? How do we put God to the test if we want to receive blessings?

“How We Grow in God’s Knowledge,” the sermon presented on Pentecost afternoon services by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

On the Day of Pentecost, God gave His Holy Spirit to His New Testament Church. It is God’s Spirit which leads us in all Truth and which declares to us the future, if we accept God’s involvement in our lives and act accordingly. In this sermon, we will give you many examples from recent Church history, showing HOW God lets His Knowledge grow in His disciples, which includes the courage of true Christians to free themselves from error, while believing and boldly and uncompromisingly declaring the doctrines of the Bible.