On January 27, 2018, Norbert Link will present “Analysis: News and Prophecy,” and Michael Link will present the sermon, titled, “Conquer Our Obstacles.”

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

The nation has been hit with sickness, resulting in thousands of flu cases, including several of our own members who were affected by it.  But this isn’t only limited to the United States, as this particular flu has spread around the world.  Now considered an “epidemic,” ABC News reported on January 19: “A deadly flu epidemic spreading across the nation has now claimed the lives of at least 30 children, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.  The report also shows that 8,990 laboratory-confirmed influenza-associated hospitalizations were reported across the nation between Oct. 1, 2017 and Jan. 13, 2018.”

The Independent added that this deadly “flu virus has been killing around 100 people per week in the US since mid-December, the Center for Disease Control has warned. A report published by the CDC with the latest figures showed there were 759 flu deaths between 7 October and 23 December.”

ABC News went on to report that “The CDC has identified a particular strain of influenza A, H3N2, as the culprit affecting thousands from coast to coast. Agency officials said 49 of 50 states have reported widespread flu activity at the same time.”

“‘This seems to be the worst flu season we’ve had here in the last 10 to 15 years,’ Dr. Adrian Cotton, chief of medical operations at the Southern California hospital, told ABC’s “Good Morning America.” ‘We’re seeing a lot more patients with the flu and the patients we’re seeing are a lot sicker than usual… lots of cases [are] happening, in lots of states, all at the same time.’”

The big question is, how does one protect him- or herself and prevent from getting the flu, or any other sickness for that matter?  A lot of controversies has been circulating around the effectiveness of the flu shot, whether or not this would really “prevent” or “protect” one from the flu.  The article of ABC News continues to say, “We know that the influenza vaccine is the best way to prevent the flu, but in this season it is not as effective as it is for the other viruses that circulate… It’s never too late to get the vaccine because the flu season can go on for months. It takes the vaccine about a week to really kick in. But if you’re at risk, which pretty much anyone out there is right now, [if] you haven’t gotten the flu shot, you should get vaccinated.”  That is what the CDC recommends, even though many who have gotten sick have also received the flu shot.

USA Today reported on December 29, 2017,  “‘It’s just one of those years where the CDC is seeing that this strain of flu is only somewhat covered by the vaccine that was given this year,’ said Jennifer Radtke, manager for infection prevention at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville. ‘They’re seeing that it’s anywhere from 10% to 33% effective, so any time there’s a mismatch between the vaccine and the circulating strain of the flu, you’re going to see more cases.’” Not only that, but “‘It can take up to two weeks to build full immunity to the flu after you are vaccinated,’ said Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services.”

Even though health officials still recommend that “getting a flu shot now is still one way to combat the virus even though it can’t promise total immunity,” they also advocate common sense by frequently washing and sanitizing your hands, covering your mouth when coughing, staying home when sick, staying away from sick people, avoiding touching your face and getting lots of rest and hydration—so if you do come in contact with a flu virus, your body is prepared to fight it off.   The article continues that “antiviral prescription drugs such as Tamiflu can lessen the severity of influenza for people who have had flu symptoms for two days or fewer and prevent complications such as pneumonia. But they also can have side effects, so a flu shot while you’re well should be your first choice.”  (Please read our article in the Current Events section of this Update regarding the dangerous side effects of this drug.)

The most significant course of conduct the majority of health officials leave out is the importance of prayer.  Where is God in all of this?  He is our ultimate Healer and we should pray to Him FIRST when we are sick (compare James 5:13-18).  Of course, we also must understand that we should seek medical attention when necessary, along with God’s guidance.

The fact is, times will get increasingly worse and the Bible prophesies that there will be sicknesses and diseases much more horrible than we have ever seen before, when together with war, famine and other disasters a fourth of the earth will be affected (Revelation 6:7-8) in various places around the world (Matthew 24:7; Luke 21:11).  Described in the Bible as the Day of God’s wrath, no flu shot or vaccine and no amount of money can prevent what is to come as described in Ezekiel 7:2-19.  New disease epidemics will appear (Deuteronomy 28:27-28, 35, 58-61).  But is there a way that we can be spared from this inevitable suffering?  Our free booklets: “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord”,  “Human Suffering, Why…and How Much Longer?” and “Is That In the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation” go into much detail and also explain HOW we can protect ourselves from these terrible times that are coming upon us in the near future.

Yes, there is a way that we can be protected.  As we explain in our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” Christ promises His people—who are counted worthy—a way to “escape all these things that will come to pass” (Luke 21:34–36; compare Revelation 3:10; Zephaniah 2:3; Psalm 31:19–20).   It is high time that we prepare ourselves NOW and take heed of the warnings the Bible proclaims, before it’s too late.

by Norbert Link

We begin with dramatic developments in the USA regarding the 2018 shutdown of the government “in a striking display of Washington dysfunction,” while the blame game is continuing. The subsequent temporary reopening of the government on Monday, January 22, until Thursday, February 8, does not give great reason for optimism. For this topic and many of the other topics discussed in these Current Events, see our new StandingWatch program, “Biblical Standards and Prophesies Are Never Wrong!”

We also report on alleged highly inappropriate sexual conduct and subsequent cover-up attempts by Donald Trump prior to his Presidency (showing again the complete lack of any American “moral” influence and leadership in the world); and we point out that others share, at least to some extent, our firm conviction that President Trump will be reelected in 2020 (if there are new elections in 2020).

We address the different positions of the USA and Europe towards Israel and the Palestinians, and we continue discussing events in Germany, where Martin Schulz’s party (SPD) gave him the green light to enter into coalition negotiations with Angela Merkel (CDU), and even though the media and others had voiced strong doubts that such negotiations could take place, or that they would result in a grand coalition between the CDU and the SPD, we state again our firm belief that such a grand coalition WILL take place and that Angela Merkel and Martin Schulz will play key roles in the drive to unify Europe, while (by then) Germany’s biggest opposition party, the right-wing anti-European AfD, will not make it easy for the new government, meaning that Merkel and Schulz will have to make strong and decisive decisions.

We address the relationship between Germany and Poland and the further demise of the UK in light of Brexit (which we also proclaimed for years, and we say again that renewed attempts in Britain to revoke Brexit will fail).

We speak on Pope Francis’ support of a Catholic bishop in Chile who is blamed for knowingly covering up sexual child abuse cases; address attempts of governments to restrict or “regulate” bitcoin (reminding us of biblical prophecies regarding the mark of the beast and the ability to buy and sell); point out the European goal to censor the Internet and to disallow allegedly “offensive” statements (including those, of course, which are based on biblical teaching); speak on unprecedented winter conditions around the world which cast doubt on the claim of man-made global warming; address potential dangers regarding the consumption of raw or undercooked infected seafood; and point out the terrible side-effects of an anti-influenza drug.

We conclude with the situation of medical marijuana in Germany. Even though it is legal there, it is difficult for patients to obtain it, showing again the heavy influence of the opposing money-making pharmaceutical industry. We also publish a convincing article on the fallacy of the Evolution Theory.

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

2018 Shutdown of the US Government

Newsmax wrote on January 20:

“A procedural vote to advance legislation passed by the House to fund the federal government through next month failed in the Senate on Friday, less than two hours before a midnight deadline passed to avert a shutdown. The vote… failed 50-49…

“Most Democrats rejected the continuing resolution that would have kept the government open until Feb. 16 to try to force Republicans to negotiate a permanent solution for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program [the “Dreamers”]. Only five Democrats voted to advance the resolution… However, four Republicans voted against the measure… Arizona Sen. John McCain, who is battling brain cancer, was absent for the vote…”

Since 1976, there have been 18 shutdowns. But this is the first shutdown ever to occur while a single party controls both the White House and Congress (House and Senate).

The Daily Mail wrote on January 20:

“The federal government shut down at the stroke of midnight Friday… marring the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trump’s inauguration in a striking display of Washington dysfunction…”

On Monday, the shutdown was lifted for three weeks after votes in the Senate and the House. The Democrats are blamed for giving in to President Trump and the Republicans.

Media Blames Democrats for Betraying Dreamers

The Washington Post wrote on January 23:

“In exchange for reopening the government through Feb. 8, the majority leader promised that the Senate will consider the status of ‘dreamers’…  the undocumented immigrants who were brought to this country illegally as children… [Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch] McConnell delivered a carefully worded speech on the Senate floor, saying it was his ‘intention’ to address the dreamer issue, whether in the next spending bill or thereafter. He did not offer a specific promise to protect dreamers, and he suggested that he would offer nothing if the government shut down again, but he said he would follow an evenhanded process…

“The deal that reopened the government did nothing to ensure the House will act on a bill that the Senate passes, and conservatives aligned with the Freedom Caucus predicted that the bipartisan proposals currently being considered would be dead on arrival in their chamber… House leaders said they’re still acting as if the deadline to deal with DACA is March 6, which is when Trump announced last year that he would end the program…

“Keeping the president as contained as possible and largely hidden from view deprived Democrats of the boogeyman they expected when they decided to force the shutdown… Over the weekend, aides like [Mick] Mulvaney, [John] Kelly and [Marc] Short warned Trump to stay out of the fight and let it play out on Capitol Hill. … McConnell and [Ryan] also believed that the Democrats were in a politically tricky position, and called Trump multiple times to ensure he remained locked into the approach…

“This morning’s clips are brutal for Senate Democrats, especially [Senate Democratic Leader Chuck] Schumer. The mainstream media coverage is portraying them, almost universally, as weak-kneed and hapless. They’re getting mocked on the right and hammered even harder from left-leaning outlets… The consensus on the left side of the media is that Schumer made a fool’s bargain… He could prove skeptics wrong over the next two weeks, of course, but for now he is not getting the benefit of the doubt…”

It appears that Schumer tries to placate his critics by changing positions, but in doing so, matters will only get worse. Note the next article:

Politico wrote on January 23:

“The Senate minority leader, through an aide, informed the White House on Monday that he was retracting the offer he made last week to give Trump well north of the $1.6 billion in wall funding Trump had asked for this year, according to two Democrats. And now they say Trump will simply not get a better deal than that on his signature campaign promise…

“In the now-infamous cheeseburger summit last Friday with Trump, Schumer offered a large increase in border wall spending as a condition for a broader deal to help Dreamers. But after that offer was rebuffed — prompting the three-day government shutdown — the president has now ‘missed an opportunity to get the wall,’ one Democratic aide said…

“Republicans aligned with Trump are unlikely to go for any bill that does not offer a major boost in border wall funding, given the president’s strong feelings about the issue…”

This does not sound to be great news. Trump already declared that if there is no wall, then there is no DACA.

The Week added on January 25:

“The White House delivered an outline of its proposal on immigration to members of Congress on Thursday, which includes a pathway to citizenship for up to 1.8 million undocumented young people brought to the United States as children…

“The proposal also calls for $25 billion for border security, including building parts of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border; the end of a diversity visa lottery system; and the scaling back of family-based immigration.”

Trump Lawyer Reportedly Created Shell Company to Pay Off Porn Star

The Week wrote on January 19:

“A month before the 2016 presidential election, President Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen set up a private company in Delaware to pay former adult film star Stephanie ‘Stormy Daniels’ Clifford $130,000 to keep quiet about alleged sexual encounters with Trump, The Wall Street Journal reports.

“On Oct. 17, 2016, Cohen established Essential Consultants LLC, then used a bank account linked to the company to send $130,000 to the client-trust account of an attorney representing Daniels. Pseudonyms were reportedly used to conduct the business, with Clifford referred to as ‘Peggy Peterson.’ Records also show that on Sept. 30, 2016, Cohen started an entity in Delaware called Resolution Consultants LLC, but on Oct. 17, just two minutes after creating Essential Consultants, he dissolved Resolution Consultants. Cohen denies paying off Daniels.’”

What is remarkable about this story is that it was reported by a highly respected conservative publication. While a denial of payment in this case seems highly dubious and while a settlement, per se, is not evidence of guilt, the reported underlying circumstances seem to amply support the conclusion that money was paid for highly inappropriate sexual behavior.

According to The Daily Mail, dated January 19, Daniels “told In Touch that they had slept together on a previous occasion, shortly after the birth of his youngest son… she described the alleged 2006 sexual encounter with the future president in a hotel room at the Harrah’s Casino in Lake Tahoe following a celebrity charity golf tournament… Daniels, now 39, told ‘In Touch’ that Trump, then a reality TV star, lured her into conversations and sex with a promise that he would get her a role on his show, ‘The Apprentice.’… Daniels said that Trump deflected questions about his wife, the future first lady, despite the fact that she was at home with an infant son while he was making publicity appearances…”

Daily Mail added:

“Daniels has previously denied that she engaged in any type of sexual relationship with Trump, in a statement released by the president’s longtime personal lawyer Michael Cohen. Trump has also denied having an affair with her.”

Even though Sodom and Gomorrah describes homosexual conduct rather than adultery, the principle of God’s anger with inappropriate sexual behavior by American Presidents (such as Kennedy, Clinton and now Trump, if true) certainly applies.

How the Most Unpopular President in US History Could Be Reelected in 2020

Express wrote on January 19:

“DONALD TRUMP ended his first year in office as the most unpopular US President on record and the past year since his inauguration has been filled with surprises, controversy and disagreements but… he could win a second term…

“The past year has been eventful for Mr Trump as he fights continued allegations over connections with Russia, escalated the rhetoric with North Korea, fought the battle at home over healthcare and fired the head of the FBI, amongst taking swipes at the media and announcing plans to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. He is the only US President since Harry Truman to have a negative net approval rating after a year in the White House and finds himself an unbelievable 24 points below where Barack Obama was at the same time in his presidency.

“Mr Trump’s honeymoon period did not last long, as eight days after his inauguration he had managed to achieve a majority disapproval rating. The Republican businessman managed to win the presidency despite being extremely unpopular in many parts of America and was only the fifth US President in history to win despite losing the popular vote, the previous being George W Bush in 2000… Despite the overall drop in public opinion, Mr Trump’s approval ratings have remained stable since July. He had a positive net approval rating in 17 states during 2017 – all of which he won in the 2016 presidential election and has regularly outperformed the polls, suggesting he could potentially win another election… Mr Trump defied many experts and polling figuring in the last election and with US politics so divided, if he retains the support of his core base he could win a second term in 2020.”

As our long-time readers and listeners know, we stated our belief that Donald Trump would become the Republican presidential candidate when he announced his run for presidency, and also, that he would become the next US President. Many scoffed at our stance at the time, claiming this would never happen (Subsequently, of course, once he became President, some self-appointed lying “prophets” came forward stating that they “always” knew that he would be President). We have also stated our firm belief that Donald Trump WILL be reelected in 2020, IF the USA will have elections in 2020. All of this is based on our understanding of biblical prophecy… and NOT on opinion polls or human reasoning.

Is US Quietly Preparing for War with North Korea?

Business Insider wrote on January 19:

“While much of the world has celebrated the progress in talks between North Korea and South Korea ahead of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang next month… the US has taken steps to move heavy firepower to the region. And though the US says it will delay its yearly military exercises with South Korea until the end of the Paralympics in March, it has elsewhere trained for scenarios that seem tailor-made for fighting North Korea…

“Besides the exercises, the US has for the second time ever positioned both its nuclear-capable bombers in its territory of Guam, just a short flight from North Korea…

“At a meeting of foreign ministers from 20 countries this week in Vancouver, British Columbia, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson discussed sanctions implementation for North Korea, while Secretary of Defense James Mattis briefed them on the US’s plan for military strikes.”

Mike Pence Speaks to Israel’s Parliament

JTA wrote on January 22:

“Vice President Mike Pence said the U.S. Embassy would move to Jerusalem by no later than the end of next year during an address to Israel’s parliament. In his address Monday, the first by a U.S. vice president to the Knesset, Pence also called the Iran nuclear deal a ‘disaster’ and said ‘the United States of America will no longer certify this ill-conceived agreement.’

“As he began to speak, Arab-Israeli lawmakers from the Joint Arab List party began waving signs protesting the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, leading to their expulsion from the Knesset chamber… Pence cited passages from the Bible and alluded to biblical history, as well as the parallels between the founding of the United States and Israel, many times during his 30-minute address…”

However, as our Q&A in this issue points out, the friendly relationship between the state of Israel and the USA will not continue.

EU Opposes USA and Sides with Palestinians against Israel

The EUObserver wrote on January 22:

“The EU has restated its opposition to US plans on Jerusalem during a visit to Brussels by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. ‘I want to reassure president Abbas of the firm commitment of the European Union to the two-state solution with Jerusalem as the shared capital of two states,’ EU foreign relations chief Federica Mogherini said on Monday… She spoke alongside the Palestinian leader, who urged the EU to ‘swiftly recognise the state of Palestine’…

“The meeting came in the wake of US president Donald Trump’s decision, last year, to unilaterally recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Mogherini referred to Trump’s decision with disdain on two occasions on Monday… France, on Monday, said the EU should open talks on an association treaty with Palestine as an ‘interim accord’ ahead of its future statehood…”

Ultimately, the EU, under German leadership, will enter into an accord or a confederacy with Arab countries against the State of Israel.

Initial Win for Schulz… SPD Approves Coalition Talks with Merkel

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 21:

“Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) on Sunday voted to begin coalition talks with Angela Merkel’s conservatives in a bid to end the country’s political limbo following September 24 elections. The vote in favor of going ahead with talks, taken at an SPD conference in the former capital, Bonn, attended by some 600 delegates from various state party organizations, came despite considerable rifts within the party. Of the votes, 362 were in favor of talks compared with 279 against.

“The contract that emerges at the end of the coalition negotiations will then be voted on by the SPD’s full 440,000-strong membership, which will thus decide whether the so-called ‘grand coalition’ of Germany’s main parties is finally established…

“Merkel has said that she wants to conclude the negotiations by February 12. If they are successful and Merkel receives the necessary absolute majority in the Bundestag to retain her position as chancellor, she could possibly begin her fourth term in office before Easter…

“In a speech at the congress, SPD leader Martin Schulz… spoke of the blueprint for coalition talks agreed at the preliminary talks as a ‘manifesto of a European Germany that is conscious of its responsibility for liberty, democracy, cohesion and solidarity in Europe.’ He said French President Emmanuel Macron had told him in a telephone conversation on Saturday that France was afraid that the extreme right could come to power in Germany if the German government did not work with its neighbor to support the European idea…”

Handelsblatt Global wrote on January 21:

“Germany’s political class is breathing a sigh of relief, at least for now… Following an emotional debate that seemed to split much of the party’s membership, delegates narrowly voted 362-279 in favor of a blueprint haggled out last week for another so-called grand coalition… The hard work, however, is only just beginning…

“The onus now falls to SPD party leader Martin Schulz, a man who just three months ago had vowed to lead his party into opposition following a huge defeat for his party in September’s elections. But the failure of coalition talks between Ms. Merkel and two other smaller parties, the Free Democrats and Greens, forced the SPD into a rethink… Still, it is hardly a given that the party’s base will vote in favor of a final coalition agreement. The SPD’s debate before Sunday’s vote exposed a wide generational gap in the center-left party, as younger members have led opposition to another grand coalition with Angela Merkel. In other words, the SPD’s more pragmatic wing has won a key battle, but it has yet to win the war…”

We take it for granted that there will be a grand coalition between Merkel and Schulz… something which we have pronounced for months. We also take it for granted that Angela Merkel will be the next German Chancellor, to push forward the European unification project, and that Martin Schulz will play a key role within the new German government regarding European developments. We state this in spite of movements within the SPD to isolate Schulz, asking for his resignation.

AfD’s Immigration Proposals

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 18:

“Thursday marked a historical moment for the Reichstag. It was the first time since the old parliament building burned down in 1933 that a far-right party has been able to present a draft law in the venerable Prussian-era edifice, a building revamped and reopened for the new democratic age in reunified Germany during the 1990s.

“Unsurprisingly, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) chose to present a bill to the chamber that reflected the key policy that has elevated them to the third-largest political force in the Bundestag: stopping immigration. Specifically, their bill was an alteration to Germany’s Residence Act that would permanently ban refugees with ‘subsidiary protection’ status from bringing over their close relatives from war-torn countries.

“Subsidiary protection is an intermediate status defined under European law, which ‘applies when neither refugee protection nor an entitlement to asylum can be granted and yet serious harm is threatened in the country of origin’… Once granted, it entitles the asylum seeker to a one-year residence permit, which can be extended on reapplication, as well as the right to work…

“The AfD went on to add that any relatives of refugees who might be in danger back home in Syria or Afghanistan should instead move to ‘pacified, or uncontested zones in their home country, or else in protective camps in a neighboring country.’”

This sounds pretty much like the position held by President Trump.

AfD Secures Chair of Powerful Budget Committee

The Local wrote on January 23:

“The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party secured the chair of the country’s powerful budget committee on Tuesday, after being repeatedly shunned for top parliamentary jobs which were shared out among more established parties. The move comes after the Social Democratic Party (SPD) agreed Sunday to open coalition talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives, leaving AfD lawmakers as potentially the largest opposition grouping — traditionally called on to head up scrutiny of government finances. MPs from the eurosceptic party will also chair the committees on law and consumer protection and of tourism.”

Italy’s Persecution of the Jews under Mussolini

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 23:

“The Italian parliament on Tuesday held a session recalling the 80th anniversary of the 1938 racial laws it approved under the rule of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini… The 1938 racial laws allowed Italy’s fascist authorities to deprive Jews of fundamental rights, including expelling them from public life by stripping them of their jobs or expelling them from schools. The laws were later expanded to ban marriage between Jews and non-Jews, and strip them of citizenship if they had arrived in Italy after 1919…

“Over the past four years, Italy has witnessed a resurgence of far-right activity…”

One should not forget the collaboration between Mussolini and the Pope; as well as the Italian Catholic Church’s strong support of the racial laws against the Jews.

Germany and Poland Close on Europe

Euraktiv Poland wrote on January 18:

“On Wednesday (17 January), Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz met with his German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel in Berlin… ‘We have many common issues, problems on the European and world agenda, we should coordinate activities between the main countries in the EU that are France, Germany and Poland,’ said Czaputowicz, expressing hope for a quick meeting within the framework of the Weimar Triangle.

“‘We are close to Germany’s position on the most important issues concerning the vision for and the role of the EU’, but noted that Poland has a ‘slightly different’ position than France. Warsaw was open to dialogue with Paris, expressing hope that soon also a meeting at the highest level will take place. He added that Poland has always been in favour of strengthening ‘this traditional form of cooperation’ between Germany, France and Poland.”

It is hardly imaginable that Poland will not play an important role in the process of unifying Europe.

German-French Collaboration

Euractiv France wrote on January 23:

“On the 55th anniversary of the 1963 [Élysée Treaty], the French National Assembly and the German Bundestag both adopted, on the same day [Monday, January 22], a resolution calling for the strengthening of Franco-German relations.

“The presidents of the National Assembly and of the Bundestag, invited respectively to their counterpart’s institutions, have reaffirmed the importance of Franco-German relations. ‘France and Germany are not simply a couple: our two countries form a family!’ stated the President of the French National Assembly Francois de Rugy, while Bundestag President Wolfgang Schaüble called for ‘further developing together the basis of our close relations.’”

UK Loses EU Satellite Centre to Spain Amid Post-Brexit Security Concerns

Politico wrote on January 18:

“Spain was picked Thursday as the new host of a data center that protects military information gathered by the EU’s satellite program, which must move from the U.K. after Brexit. The secure facility helps ensure the security of the Galileo satellite program — used by government defense programs as well as for civilian uses. The center, currently located in Swanwick, England, is a backup for the main infrastructure in Paris. The European GNSS Program Committee voted today ‘by a large majority’ in favor of relocating the U.K. center to Spain, said a Commission spokesperson.

“The move comes amid concerns over such a facility being located in a non-EU country. Even if the U.K. stays in the Galileo program, like Norway or Switzerland, non-EU member countries are excluded from participating in security aspects. ‘Given the overriding importance for the Galileo program of maintaining the business continuity of the backup site, it is necessary that the U.K. backup site … is transferred to a location in the EU27,’ the spokesperson said.

“The technical infrastructure is the latest facility that has to move from the U.K., following the relocation of two EU agencies: the European Medicines Agency and the European Banking Authority.”

Turkey Attacks Syria

Euractic wrote on January 22:

“The Turkish military on Saturday launched operation ‘Olive Branch’, its second major incursion into Syrian territory during the seven-year civil war. The operation, where Turkish war planes and artillery are backing a major ground incursion launched with Ankara-backed Syrian rebels and Turkish tanks, aims to oust the People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia from its enclave of Afrin…

“But the operation is hugely sensitive as Washington relied on the YPG to oust Islamic State (IS) jihadists from their Syrian strongholds and the Kurdish militia now holds much of Syria’s north… US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said yesterday he was ‘concerned’ about the offensive, saying the United States was in Syria with the aim of defeating the jihadists. But Erdoğan expressed impatience with US demands to set a clear timetable for the operation, saying the campaign would be over ‘when the target is achieved’… Erdoğan insisted Turkey had discussed the operation in advance with Russia, and Moscow was in ‘agreement.’”

Pope Accuses Clergy Sex Abuse Victims Of Slander

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 19:

“Pope Francis had hoped to help repair the wounds of decades of sexual abuse in the church during his trip to South America this week, but his parting comments in Chile have left Catholics there stunned. Victims have accused a local bishop of covering up the crimes of Chile’s most notorious child abuser and allowing them to continue. But on Thursday, Pope Francis criticized the allegations against the bishop, saying they amounted to ‘slander’ due to lack of evidence…

“Francis told Chilean reporters it was slanderous that the victims of pedophile priest Fernando Karadima were accusing Bishop Juan Barros of covering up the abuse. ‘The day they bring me proof against Bishop Barros, I’ll speak out,’ Francis said. ‘There is not one shred of proof against him. It’s slander.’ Barros was invited to several events with Francis.

“‘As if I could have taken a selfie or a photo while Karadima abused me and others and Juan Barros stood by watching it all,’ tweeted Barros’ most vocal accuser, Juan Carlos Cruz. ‘These people are truly crazy, and the pontiff talks about atonement to the victims. Nothing has changed, and his plea for forgiveness is empty’…

“Patricio Navia, political science professor at Diego Portales University in Santiago, said Chileans appreciated that Francis had gone much further than Chilean bishops in acknowledging sexual abuse, but his apparent U-turn on Barros would erase any good will. Anne Barrett Doyle, of the online database BishopAccountability.org, said in that statement Francis ‘has just turned back the clock to the darkest days of this crisis.’ ‘Who knows how many victims now will decide to stay hidden, for fear they will not be believed?’”

The Huffington Post wrote on January 19:

“The church is losing its influence in the nation… A new poll… showed that the number of Chileans calling themselves Catholics fell from 74 percent in 1995 to 45 percent last year…”

The End of Bitcoin? Dictatorships Would Like to Think So!

The Week wrote on January 19:

“The bitcoin boom may be over. And the death of the cryptocurrency craze may well come at the hands of government regulators. Earlier this week, Bloomberg reported that Chinese authorities plan to block domestic access to central cryptocurrency trading platforms and related services. Subsequent stories suggested officials in Russia and South Korea might pull similar moves.

“In response, the price of a single bitcoin — the world’s premiere digital currency — has plummeted. Over the weekend, bitcoins were valued at nearly $14,500. That price tag plunged below $9,500 on Wednesday, before bouncing back Thursday — though still only to $12,000. Worse still, bitcoin has been on a slow slide since December, when it topped out at almost $20,000 per coin.

“Is the bubble really bursting? Only time will tell… China’s government actually already banned official cryptocurrency exchanges late last year…

“On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that ‘legislative regulation [of cryptocurrencies] will be definitely required in [the] future.’ And on Thursday, South Korean officials said they were considering following China’s lead, and shutting down crypotcurrency trading via exchanges. Some of the resulting selloff was clearly a news-induced panic…”

Authoritarian governments (including China and Russia) are anxious to destroy bitcoin, as they see it as a threat which they have a hard time managing or controlling. Similar comments to that effect have been made in Europe (see article below). It reminds one of the biblical warning that a time will come when no one can buy or sell unless he has accepted the mark of the beast. But this time has not quite arrived. To therefore conclude that bitcoin is failing now is premature. Apart from continuing stories of irresponsible conduct of established banks, such as Wells Fargo’s ongoing problems, and governmental shutdowns and failing governments due to bickering and/or incompetent politicians, note the following article:

Express added on January 19:

“Bitaccess co-founder Mo Adam… dismissed concerns, claiming it would be impossible to completely ban bitcoin… Speaking to CBC, he said: ‘This is a very recurring theme in the bitcoin world: when more governments become aware of bitcoin, they get scared but then eventually come around it. And then business as usual continues.’…

“Forecast [from] a panel of experts predict bitcoin will remain top dog, with a market cap of $597.95 billion… This comes as Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel are set to launch a joint clampdown on trading cryptocurrencies. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said yesterday that the two countries will make joint proposals to regulate the bitcoin cryptocurrency at the next summit of the G20 group. The European Union has previously proposed treating‎ cryptocurrency markets as a security threat linked to criminal ‎laundering and terrorists.”

Bitcoin will prove to be a thorn in the flesh of many autocratic governments, the banking system, and the world economy. Drastic measures are to be expected, under the disguise of a security threat, and as far-fetched as it may sound, phenomena like bitcoin MIGHT contribute to the rise of a dictatorship in Europe.

Berlin Bitcoin Capital of Europe

The Local wrote on January 23:

“The German capital was first dubbed the ‘Bitcoin Capital of Europe’ by the Guardian in 2013 and since then a number of other businesses have been keen to accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment. Nowadays people can buy an apartment, book holidays, eat and drink in a number of trendy bars and even pay for further education using the controversial cryptocurrency Bitcoin…

“One of the first universities in Germany to accept Bitcoin as a means of payment is the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT). The ESMT Berlin EMBA is ranked highly in the world for career progress and first started accepting Bitcoin payments in December 2016… Niels Göttsch is the owner of Leuchtstoff Kaffeebar in Berlin which introduced Bitcoin payments in 2012 and has been fascinated by cryptocurrencies for a very long time…”

The Drive to Remove “Offensive” Material from the Internet

The EUObserver wrote on January 19:

“Social media outlets Instagram and Google Plus are joining ranks with other IT firms as part of a broader European Commission effort to remove online hate speech… [in addition to] Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Microsoft… Facebook had recently hired another 3,000 people, on top of an existing staff 4,500, all tasked to remove the material. Out of a sample of just under 3,000 notifications of hate speech over a six-week period for all the platforms, Facebook performed the best and had removed 89.3 percent of the content in under 24 hours. YouTube managed 62.7 percent and Twitter 80.2 percent.

“Racist comments against ethnic minorities, anti-muslin hatred, and xenophobia dominated the take downs… Similar national efforts in Germany, where companies risk a €50 million fine, saw a satirical magazine Twitter account shut down within days of the law being enacted.”

We should realize that Satan is behind this move in an attempt to prevent God’s servants from proclaiming powerfully the Godly teaching and condemnation of ungodly conduct, which has been labeled by liberals as “hate speech.”

Unprecedented Snow and Dark Weather vs. Global Warming

nbc15 wrote on January 17:

“The latest blast of wintry weather brought accumulations as far south as the Gulf Coast! Wednesday morning started off with snow cover in all 50 states and 52.3 percent of the country covered in the white stuff. To have snow on the ground in all 50 states at the same time, is a fairly rare feat. The last time all 50 states had snowfall on the ground at the same time was on February 12th, 2010… Typically, the hardest state to get accumulating snowfall is Florida. This season has already featured three snowfall events in northern Florida!”

The Guardian wrote on January 18:

“Sunshine is in short supply across a swathe of north-west Europe, shrouded in heavy cloud from a seemingly never-ending series of low pressure systems since late November and suffering one of its darkest winters since records began. If you live in Brussels, 10 hours and 31 minutes was your lot for the entire month of December. The all but benighted inhabitants of Lille in France got just two hours, 42 minutes through the first half of January… Belgium’s Royal Meteorological Institute has declared December 2017 ‘the second darkest month since 1887’, when it began measuring, after the 10.5 hours of sun recorded at its Uccle weather station last month were beaten only by a bare 9.3 hours in 1934…

“Rouen in Normandy had an even more depressing first half of the month, with just 2.5 hours of sunshine compared with a full-month norm of 58.6, Météo France said, while Paris’s 10 hours were also a far cry from the 62.5 hours the capital usually averages in January.  Even southern French sun-traps such as Bordeaux and Marseille fell a very long way short of their usual ray quota in the first half of the month, basking in just 10.3 and 26.9 hours respectively against monthly averages of 96 and 92.5.

“Health experts say a shortage of sunshine can lead to seasonal depression, whose symptoms include a lack of energy, a desire to sleep and a perceived need to consume greater quantities of sugar and fat…

“The inhabitants of north-west Europe, however, can count themselves lucky. Moscow recorded just six paltry minutes of direct sunshine in the whole of December, shattering the previous record low of three hours, set in 2000. The Russian capital normally averages a bleak 18 hours of sunshine in the last month of the year… Roman Vilfond of Moscow State University’s meteorological unit [said:] ‘The darkest month in the history of our weather observations…’ The daily Moskovsky Komsomolets reported a surge in visits to psychiatrists.”

Daily Mail wrote on January 20:

“Snowfall of the decade! The heaviest snow in EIGHT YEARS falls on Scotland as hordes of skiers create SIX MILE traffic jams in the hills – and there is more on the way in England too. A yellow warning remains in place across the midlands, northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It follows up to a foot of snow falling yesterday, with temperatures expected to sink as low as -11C last night.

“More snow is expected today, adding up to 6in to the 14in already blanketing parts of the Scottish highlands… forecasters have warned snow could make it as far south as London on Saturday night into Sunday.”

All of this does not quite fit with the concept of man-made global warming or climate change.

5 ½-Foot-Tapeworm in Person Shocks Hospital

Newsmax reported on January 20:

“Public health specialists are warning about the dangers of hidden parasites after media reports of a 30-year-old Fresno, Calif., man who showed up at a hospital emergency room with a 5 ½-foot-long tapeworm he may have acquired from improperly prepared sushi.

“Dr. Kenny Banh… said the man showed up in the emergency room of UCSF Fresno’s Community Regional Medical Center last August and told him he was stricken with stomach cramps and bloody diarrhea after eating sushi. Then, while using the bathroom, he noticed something hanging from his rear end, which he was able to remove… He said the patient was convinced he got the tapeworm from eating raw fish because he ate sushi or sashimi almost daily…

“Concerns about sushi-related parasites have been rising in recent years. U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released guidelines for controlling parasites in seafood by cooking the food or freezing it for certain amounts of time. Last January 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases that wild salmon caught in Alaska’s icy waters were found to be infected by a Japanese tapeworm known as Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense… [They are] among the most common tapeworms and can grow up to 30 feet, and live for years in the human body…

“Last May, researchers reported in the British Medical Journal Case Reports that sushi’s growing popularity may be driving an increase in parasite infections. In one case, doctors found parasite larvae in the gut lining of a 32-year-old man who had recently eaten sushi. The man had been vomiting with stomach pain and a fever, but doctors did not suspect the parasite until the man mentioned recently eating sushi. According to The Guardian, the worm was from the genus Anisakis, which causes the condition known as anisakiasis. ‘When humans eat raw or undercooked infected fish or squid, they ingest nematode larvae,’ the CDC reports. ‘Once inside the human body, the larvae can invade the gastrointestinal tract. Eventually, the parasite dies and produces an inflamed mass in the esophagus, stomach, or intestine.’

“According to the CDC, some people will experience a tingling sensation after or while eating raw or undercooked fish or squid, which could actually be the parasite moving in the mouth or throat.

“Tapeworms are only one type of parasite that can infect the human body. Others that can enter the human body through food and water include:

“Giardia — a protozoan that causes giardiasis in humans. This parasite is ingested via contaminated food and water, and affects the small intestine as it begins to multiply and colonize. Symptoms: Flatulence, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fatigue, weakness, and weight loss. Giardiasis symptoms are frequently found in travelers but resolve in a few weeks without treatment.

“E. vermicularis — a nematode parasite that strikes 209 million adults and 30 percent of children worldwide, according to a study published in the American Family Physician journal reports. This parasite is also present in the intestine and the infection may last four to six weeks. Symptoms: Perianal and vaginal itching, urinary tract infection, appendicitis, and weight loss.

“Filarial worms — a roundworm that causes filariasis. This parasite circulates in the blood and, upon maturing, enters the lymphatic system and develops while it lives there for more than five years. It affects the lymphatic nodes and causes retention of fluids resulting in swelling. Symptoms: Swollen feet and lower limbs, skin hardening and thickening.

“Hookworm — also known as necator americanus is found widely in the Americas and Caribbean. The hookworm attaches itself to the intestinal walls and feeds on human blood. Symptoms: Anemia, physical and mental retardation in children.

“Guinea worm — a roundworm that causes Guinea worm disease by entering the stomach and intestine from untreated water. Symptoms: There are no significant visible symptoms when the parasite enters the body. But a year later, the worm ruptures the skin surface, often near the lower limbs, causing painful wounds that can lead to bacterial infections and blood poisoning.”

Terrible Side Effects of Anti-Influenza Drug

CBS DFW (CBS 11) wrote on January 18:

“More families have come forward with stories about frightening side effects in children who took Tamiflu. CBS11 first broke the news of a 6-year-old Allen girl who tried to jump out of a window after taking the anti-influenza drug. She is now back to normal, but her family wasn’t alone…

“Lindsay Ellis of Indianapolis was a healthy 11-year-old before she had the flu last year. Then she began hallucinating bugs on her body and the devil’s voice in her ear… Ellis says doctors believe it was a reaction to Tamiflu. Lindsay was hospitalized for nearly two months, had a feeding tube and was incoherent and unable to move her hands or feet for several weeks… A year later, she still suffers tremors…

“[Japan] banned Tamiflu for youth ages 10 to 19 in 2007 after several dozen instances of neuropsychiatric events… The FDA has listed 559 cases of hallucinations from Tamiflu since 2009.”

Before one falls into the trap of taking drugs and receiving vaccinations against the flu, one should surely research the facts and consider the potential consequences. And one should not just trust the assertions of doctors depending on the pharmaceutical industry… note the next article.

Medical Marijuana in Germany… Legal, but Difficult to Get

Handelsblatt Global wrote on January 19:

“Chronically and terminally ill patients in Germany can’t get enough cannabis. Demand for medical marijuana has far outstripped supply since becoming legally available early last year to patients suffering from debilitating pain… Prior to legalization, only some one thousand people suffering from certain diseases such as cancer or chronic pain had permission from Germany’s federal drug institute (BfArM) to use cannabis for medical purposes…

“Within 10 months, more than 13,000 people had applied, according to a survey of three large health insurers by the Rheinische Post newspaper. Nearly two-thirds of the applications were approved, and some of the remainder are pending further information from patients and their physicians…

“Cannabis is also being used to treat people with multiple sclerosis (MS), an incurable disease that prevents the brain from sending signals correctly through the body…

“The dilemma now facing Germany, which has some of the strictest narcotic drug laws in Europe, is how to get more weed, which is currently imported from countries with legalized operations, like Canada and the Netherlands. A program to produce its own medical marijuana is underway: Last year, Germany’s federal drug institute issued 10 tenders for companies to grow up to 2 tons per year through 2021 and 6 tons from 2022 onward. The first harvest is scheduled for next year. There’s just one hitch: The law requires companies to have previous experience with medical marijuana, which German companies don’t have…

“Growing your own is not an option, which Mr. Weiglein learned the hard way. With a prescription to purchase cannabis since 2009, he saw the monthly cost for his daily 3-gram dose soar from €900 to €2,400 under the new law last year. Apart from the price (one dose of 5 grams of medical marijuana costs €30 in the Netherlands, compared to €125 in Germany), he also had trouble finding his preferred varietal or sometimes any of the 16 varieties at all in local pharmacies. So he grew his own from seeds purchased in the US, got caught, went to court and lost.

“Another hurdle for German patients to clear in obtaining medical marijuana is finding physicians willing to prescribe it…”

“Swimming Bacteria Defy Darwin’s Theory”

Christian Headlines wrote on January 19:

“Tiny biological motors that give bacteria the power to swim possess a complexity that baffles scientists and undercuts Darwin’s theory of evolution… Each of the proteins involved in the bacterial motor’s function is essential…

“Charles Darwin himself admitted that the discovery of such irreducible complexity would destroy his assumptions. ‘If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down,’ he wrote in On the Origin of Species.

“Nevertheless, the researchers said a biological ‘quantum leap’ spurred the evolution of bacterial motors. Lead researcher Morgan Beeby likened the quantum leap to what would happen if the necks of giraffes suddenly increased in length because a giraffe gave birth to offspring with necks a meter longer, rather than because an extended series of random mutations over many years favored longer-necked giraffes.”

The Theory of Evolution is one of the most ridiculous fairy tales ever invented by man, under Satan’s influence.

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.

Here is the verse:

“Manasseh shall devour Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; Together they shall be against Judah. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still.”

Manasseh, Ephraim and Judah are names mentioned often in the Old Testament, but their prophetic significance is found in events now occurring and those about to take place in the United States (modern Manasseh), the United Kingdom (modern Ephraim) and the State of Israel (modern Judah). This prophecy in Isaiah 9:21 applies to the end of this age—just before the return of Jesus Christ!

Further proof of Old Testament prophecies being given by God for our time can be found in our publications:

Q&A–You teach that the Bible contains end-time prophecies, involving many modern nations and peoples, referring to them with ancient names. Would you please explain the identity of major modern nations, as mentioned in Biblical prophecy?

Q&A–Numerous Scriptures in the books of Isaiah and Ezekiel address the house of Israel with dire warnings. Do any of those prophecies apply to us today?

The Fall and Rise of Britain and America;

The Fall and Rise of the Jewish People

Ephraim and Manasseh were the two sons of Joseph specially blessed by Jacob with a double portion of blessings (Genesis 48:22). Joseph received the birthright from Jacob (1 Chronicles 5:2), because Reuben, who was Jacob’s firstborn son (Genesis 46:8), lost his birthright:

“Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel–he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright” (1 Chronicles 5:1; compare Genesis 35:22).

It was in the days of King Solomon’s reign, when he turned away from God, that a division occurred in the tribes of Israel—one which has endured to this day:

“Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, ‘Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen’” (1 Kings 11:11-13).

Judah was preserved as a separate nation and became known as the House of Judah, while ten tribes became known as the nation or House of Israel. Nevertheless, both of these nations turned from God and went into captivity—Israel in 721 BC by Assyria; Judah in 606 BC by Babylon.

However, the Bible reveals in Genesis 49:1-28 a time when national blessings would come to Jacob’s descendants, and the fulfillment was to occur “‘in the last days’” (Genesis 49:1). Moses also blessed the children of Israel, giving prophetic statements about each of the twelve sons of Jacob and their future heritage (Deuteronomy 33).

True to Jacob’s prophecies about Joseph’s sons, Ephraim (the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth) became “‘a multitude of nations’” and Manasseh (the United States of America) became a “great” nation (Genesis 48:19). In recent history, each of these “world powers” has played a vital role in the establishment of a modern Jewish nation.

Out of the fledgling Zionist movement in the nineteenth century, Jews once again sought to re-establish their Jewish homeland.  During World War I, the British government came to the aid of the Jewish people with the Balfour Declaration (1917)—which stated:

“His Majesty’s government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.”

This support from Britain opened the door for Jews to establish themselves in the Palestine territories—including Jerusalem.

Next, following World War II, the most powerful nation in the world, the United States, cast the decisive vote approving the formal establishment of the State of Israel (1948).  President Harry S. Truman recognized the proclamation by David Ben-Gurion of the State of Israel:

“This Government has been informed that a Jewish state has been proclaimed in Palestine, and recognition has been requested by the provisional Government thereof.

“The United States recognizes the provisional government as the de facto authority of the new State of Israel.”

The tumultuous history of the State of Israel has seen the establishment of a nation which now sits in the cross-hairs of world attention.  Against the backdrop of hostile nations and the call for a Palestinian State, the United States has given its support to recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. This came about on December 6, 2017, in an announcement by President Donald J. Trump. He also indicated that the American embassy would be re-located from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The prophetic implications of this decision are momentous!  Consider this prophecy which faces imminent fulfillment:

“‘Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it’” (Zechariah 12:2-3).

In the previous chapter of Zechariah, the prophet symbolically foreshadows something which will soon take place:

“Then I cut in two my other staff, Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel” (Zechariah 11:14).

In spite of the “brotherhood” shown by the birthright nations of the United Kingdom and the United States toward Judah, that support will be ended! The former “special relationship” enjoyed between America and Britain is being torn apart even at this time. These are the events described in Isaiah 9:21.

America is devouring Britain and Britain is devouring America—and they both will turn against Judah—leaving the State of Israel alone against the world. In spite of the strong support given to the modern State of Israel by America, events will take place which will make their relationship adversarial. Already, there are mounting calls in Britain to stop the financial and military aid being given to the State of Israel.

On the heels of these dramatic changes, national captivity will fall on the United States, the United Kingdom and the State of Israel! This is the meaning of the second part of Isaiah 9:21, which states, “For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still.” It will be at this time that God will intervene to help His people. Jesus Christ will return to the earth, and note this promise from God for His people:

“Also the envy of Ephraim shall depart, And the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, And Judah shall not harass Ephraim… There will be a highway for the remnant of His people Who will be left from Assyria [modern Germany], As it was for Israel In the day that he came up from the land of Egypt” (Isaiah 11:13, 16).

Also, note this end-time prophecy and promise:

“Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: “For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.” Then take another stick and write on it, “For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.” Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand.

“…say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD God: “Surely I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will join them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand”’…

“Then say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD God: “Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again”’” (Ezekiel 37:15-17, 19, 21-22).

Present world conditions will rapidly change for the worse, and new alliances will be formed—all in opposition to the USA, the United Kingdom and the State of Israel. But as we have seen, even these three allied powers will become antagonistic towards each other. It will require the return of Jesus Christ to usher in a peaceful world, without strife, contention and envy.

Lead Writer: Dave Harris

compiled by Dave Harris

“God’s Teaching on Sexual Relationships,” our newest booklet, has been sent to the printer.

“Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians,” is the title of a new SW Talking Points, presented by Pastor Rene Messier. Here is a summary:

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is one of the most comprehensive letters written by Paul to explain to us the nature of God and God’s great plan and purpose for His creation, especially the future of mankind. Sadly, it has been greatly misunderstood by almost everyone who reads it.

“The Book of Zechariah-Prophecies for Today!” is the title of a new Global Trailer, presented by Pastor Brian Gale. Here is a summary:

The book of Zechariah is an extraordinary and clearly inspired book of the Bible. It shows us what will happen very soon. It is indeed a prophecy for our time! It gives us some unique insight into the very workings of the mind of God, beginning even with the name of the book itself.

“Biblical Standards and Prophesies Are Never Wrong!” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Our weekly Updates include large sections on Current Events. This program gives an overview of the important news of the week, including Donald Trump’s alleged sexual misconduct; the attempts to create a functioning government in Germany; European endeavors and the sad consequences of Brexit. We state clearly our conviction regarding biblical standards and future events, which are based on Scripture and not on opinion polls or the ideas of the media. This includes our often-stated belief that Donald Trump will be reelected in 2020 (if there are American elections in 2020); that a grand coalition in Germany under Merkel and Schulz will come about soon; and that Brexit will not be reversed.

“Verantwortung gegenüber dem sündigen Bruder,” is this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Responsibility Towards the Sinful Brother.”

“Just the Beginning,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Frank Bruno, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We are now able to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, and have the opportunity for ultimate salvation if we follow the Truth, the Light and the Word. It is therefore a new Beginning thanks to Jesus Christ.

“Beginning of Sorrows,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

As the return of Jesus Christ draws near, what events leading up to the Tribulation does the Bible say will take place? And once we know what to watch for, what does the Bible instruct Christians to do about it? The answers to these questions are timely and relevant!

On January 20, 2018, Frank Bruno will present the sermonette, titled, “Just the Beginning,” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “Beginning of Sorrows.”

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

When you reach your mid-seventies, there are fewer and fewer events in your life that really surprise you. I had one such incident near the end of December of 2017. I went to Walmart in Penticton to pick up a few things and to my dismay, when I got back to my car, the battery was dead. I have made it a habit to carry jumper cables in my car, so I lifted the hood, put the jumpers on the battery and walked to a man in his mid-fifties with his wife in the parking lot who were just getting out of their car. I asked them if they could help me by giving me a jump start with his car. To my amazement, the man said no. Somewhat shocked, I approached another man with his wife who were returning to their car, and they were happy to help me out and I got my car going.

I was troubled for several days over this incident, having a hard time believing that a person would not help another when he needs help. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, a person should help another in need.

The story of the Good Samaritan comes to mind (Luke 10:30-36)—a story demonstrating true love for our neighbor.

This parable told by Christ describes a man who fell amongst thieves and robbers. He was beaten and left for dead on the side of the road, only to be passed by a priest and a Levite who did nothing to help him. Yet a Samaritan stopped, bandaged him up, brought him to an innkeeper and paid the innkeeper to look after him, while he continued on his journey. Interestingly, Jews wanted to have nothing to do with Samaritans. They avoided and looked down on them, which is demonstrated by the Samaritan woman at the well. In total violation of Jewish custom and “tradition,” Christ asked her to give him a drink of water, which surprised the woman as He, an unmarried Jewish man, would be willing to talk publicly to a Samaritan woman and ask her for a drink.

John 4:9 states: “Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, ‘How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?’ For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.”

In His parable, Christ chose a good Samaritan expressing genuine love towards his neighbor, while Jewish leaders refused to do so.

Thinking about the incident I experienced, if this was the man’s attitude in good times we enjoy today, what will it be like in bad times? Matthew 24:12 [in the Authorized Version] tells us that because of lawlessness, iniquity or sin will abound, the love of many will wax cold. The frightening fact is that Christ is addressing here members in the Church. It’s somewhat perplexing to think that the love of many (not a few) would grow cold in the Church; yet, that is what Christ warned us about. This is one of the effects of sin—loss of love, a non-caring cold manner, abounding and ever increasing.

When such an attitude can develop in the Church, how much more will it be prevalent in the world. The world is in a complete mess and you have to wonder how long God is going to allow things to go on. We are all suffering, as it were, from the effects of sin, either nationally or on a personal level. If not dealt with, sin, like leaven, will grow and “deal” with us.

As Church members, we have to remain focused on the job given to us and not allow sin to take a hold of our lives. We must not be like the cold-hearted priest and Levite who plainly saw the man fallen under the robbers, being injured and in physical distress, but they did nothing to help him. Rather, they looked the other way, showing us how not to love our neighbor. WE must be DIFFERENT.

by Norbert Link

We report on the frightening events pertaining to a false emergency notification claiming an immediate missile attack on Hawaii (please see our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Hawaii’s Nuclear Alert Disaster–a Foretaste of Things to Come”); and continue with the history of American presidents, using foul language, in light of Donald Trump’s mischaracterized statements pertaining to Haiti, El Salvador and certain African nations.

We continue with America’s monumental debt, which is actually mirrored and even surpassed by national debts of other countries, showing the extremely fragile worldwide economic situation. We also report on further alienation between Turkey and the USA and the blatant attempts by Washington to delay the move of the American embassy to Jerusalem.

We address the first meeting between Sebastian Kurz of Austria and Angela Merkel of Germany; and we discuss the attempts of Angela Merkel and Martin Schulz to create a grand coalition and establish a functioning German government, and focus on “the most powerful German in Brussels.”

We conclude with an article explaining the many problems with the worldwide #MeToo movement.

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

Hawaiian Emergency Alert Inexcusable

CNN reported on January 14:

“An emergency alert notification sent out on Saturday claiming a ‘ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii’ was a false alarm, according to state leaders and emergency officials, who blamed it on an employee who ‘pushed the wrong button.’ ‘BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL,’ the emergency alert read.

“… the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency… responded on Twitter, saying, ‘NO missile threat to Hawaii.’… A second emergency alert was sent to phones in Hawaii 38 minutes after the initial message confirming the false alarm…

“On Saturday evening, former Defense Secretary William Perry warned it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that a nuclear war could start by accident… Officials also said they are reviewing why some sirens on the island were triggered by the alert when they shouldn’t have been…”

The Huffington Post wrote on January 14:

“The alert forced people to act quickly and make difficult decisions… Many sent messages of ‘Goodbye’ and ‘I love you,’ in fear they wouldn’t be able to say it again…

“Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) called the slip-up ‘totally inexcusable.’ ‘The whole state was terrified,’ he tweeted Saturday… After the alert was broadcast across the islands, Rep. Gabbard told CNN that ‘the people of Hawaii just got a taste of the stark reality of what we face here of a potential nuclear strike on Hawaii.’ ‘This is a real threat facing Hawaii,’ she added.”

The Washington Post added on January 14:

“Around 8:05 a.m., the Hawaii emergency employee initiated the internal test, according to a timeline released by the state. From a drop-down menu on a computer program, he saw two options: ‘Test missile alert’ and ‘Missile alert.’ He was supposed to choose the former; as much of the world now knows, he chose the latter, an initiation of a real-life missile alert… Part of what worsened the situation Saturday was that there was no system in place at the state emergency agency for correcting the error…”

That such an inexcusable poor procedure should even be possible is frightening. In the meantime, we are assured that Hawaii has worked on their system to make it more safe. Whether this will be so, and whether it will be enough to assure the public that future alarms will be tests or genuine, depending on the circumstances, remains to be seen.

Actor and Comedian Jim Carrey Blames Donald Trump and Corrupt Congress

Breitbart wrote on January 14:

“Actor Jim Carrey warned that President Donald Trump’s insistence on ‘alienating the world’ will eventually thrust America into unimaginable agony. ‘I woke up this morning in Hawaii with ten minutes to live,’ Carrey wrote on Twitter Saturday, apparently referencing to an Emergency Alert System (EAS) message sent to citizens of Hawaii warning them to ‘seek immediate shelter’ from a ‘ballistic missile threat.’ ‘It was a false alarm, but a real psychic warning,’ Carrey continued, adding of Trump, ‘If we allow this one-man Gomorrah and his corrupt Republican congress to continue alienating the world we are headed for suffering beyond all imagination.’”

Sadly, Jim Carrey has a valid point, as America IS heading “for suffering beyond imagination,” but the warning should be addressed to ALL politicians of ALL parties, as well as independents, who are far too eager to support America’s frightening politics and ungodly “values.”

“A Massive Wake-Up Call for All of Us”

The Week wrote on January 16:

“Saturday’s incident was precisely the sort of executive-function-testing fiasco you could see [Trump] having difficulty grappling with… while it wasn’t the president’s fault that a state employee created an international panic, nor is he the original author of the Korea standoff, there is no question that the [threats] emanating from his Twitter account have heightened tensions and increased the risk of accidental calamity…

“The mayhem in Hawaii also raised the specter of an accidental nuclear war… the history of the nuclear age is replete with near-misses…

“Apart from the risk of global annihilation, expanding America’s nuclear arsenal would be a massive and pointless incineration of national wealth. Studies estimate that the United States has spent about $1 trillion a decade designing, building, and maintaining its nuclear weapon inventory, most of which has always been completely unnecessary…”

False Nuclear Alarm in Japan

Express wrote on January 16:

“A JAPANESE broadcaster caused widespread fear by incorrectly claiming North Korea had launched a ballistic missile, just hours after Pyongyang had escalated its war of words with Trump by calling him a ‘lunatic.’”

The New York Post wrote on January 16:

“Japan’s public broadcaster on Tuesday issued a false alarm about a North Korean ballistic missile launch, just days after the same blunder terrorized residents of Hawaii for nearly 40 minutes. The broadcaster, NHK, corrected the mistake in minutes and issued an on-air apology. ‘The news alert sent earlier about NK missile was a mistake. No government J alert [a nationwide warning system in Japan] was issued,’ it said…”

The Foul Mouth of American Presidents

The Hill wrote on January 15:

“President Trump is accused of using the word ‘s… hole’ to describe some African countries, Haiti and El Salvador. The president has been slammed in the media for his reported use of profane language…But according to historians, we’ve had our fair share of presidential [inappropriate language].

“‘I have interviewed six presidents of the United States. I have traveled with them. I have been in their homes. They’ve been in my home on multiple occasions. I have flown on Air Force One with them and commercial jets and private jets and car caravans and Winnebagos. Went to Disney World with one. They all have used the “S-word.” Even that old gentleman, Ronald Reagan, would sometimes occasionally, rarely use the “F-word.” So, the White House is going to endure,’ conservative author Doug Wead said…

“Sometimes choice words were reserved for the political opponents. President Reagan famously referred to enemies a few times as ‘SOBs’… former President Obama once called Mitt Romney a ‘bullsh…’… Richard Nixon… was caught on White House tapes using numerous vulgarities… Likewise, President Johnson was accused of often using the ‘N-word’ when talking about African-Americans…

“In 2000, George W. Bush was caught on a hot mic during a campaign rally calling Adam Clymer, a reporter with The New York Times, a ‘major league a… hole’.

In fact, both the younger Bush and his father, former President George H.W. Bush, are quoted… as dropping the ‘F-bomb.’

“George W. Bush even had this to say about two former colleagues. ‘[Former Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld] never made one f—-ing decision.’… In 2008, [Bill] Clinton forgot to hang up a phone call with reporter Susan Phillips before saying he wouldn’t take any ‘s…’ from Obama, then a candidate…”

News With View, dated January 15, published additional bad examples:

“Abraham Lincoln: ‘… There is nothing to make an Englishman s… quicker than the sight of General George Washington.’… John F. Kennedy: ‘This is obviously a f… up.’ Harry Truman: ‘General Douglas MacArthur [is] a ‘dumb son of a b…’ and Nixon [is]… a shifty-eyed g…d… liar.’”

Great examples for our children to learn from, but it serves as a warning and a reminder for all of us to be careful with our language. Now, the discussion evolves around whether President Trump said that Haiti, El Salvador and certain African countries are ‘s…holes’ [which he denies] or ‘s…houses’ [which some present in the meeting allegedly admit, compare the Independent, dated January 15, 2018.] Great distinction! Others, like Sen. Lindsey Graham, seemed to have confirmed Trump’s use of words, as originally reported, having himself called some countries as “h…holes” in the past (see Breitbart, January 15.)  

However, the left-wing narrative evolves around the accusation of Trump making racist comments (when preferring immigrants from Norway over immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and certain African countries). This is hard to decipher within the context of his alleged statements. Obviously, he spoke about the countries, not the people. Also, it is interesting that the Washington Post had reported the following on January 12, which was subsequently conveniently omitted by the left-wing media, in order to support the racist agenda:

“Trump then suggested that the United States should instead bring more people from countries such as Norway, whose prime minister he met with Wednesday. The president, according to a White House official, also suggested he would be open to more immigrants from Asian countries because he felt that they help the United States economically.”

America’s Monumental Debt

The Week wrote on January 13:

“The U.S. debt is $20.5 trillion and rising…

“Apart from a four-year stretch during the economic boom of the late 1990s, the federal government has run a budget deficit every year since 1970. In 2017, the shortfall was $666 billion. The national debt is now slightly larger than the size of the entire U.S. economy… Overall, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) expects the national debt to surpass $30 trillion by 2028…

“Like any credit card user, the government must pay interest on its debt. For much of the past decade that hasn’t been a major problem, because of historically low interest rates… [but] interest rates are expected to rise steadily in the coming years. As a result, the CBO estimates, the cost of servicing the national debt is expected to nearly triple by 2027 — leaving the government paying more on interest payments than on national defense…

“About three-quarters [of the debt is owned by] investors in the form of Treasury securities sold by the government to raise money. The rest is intragovernmental debt that comes from Washington borrowing against government trust funds, such as Social Security and Medicare. Americans own most of the public debt… Foreign investors own about 30 percent of the nation’s total debt, or about $6.3 trillion. America’s biggest foreign creditor is China, which holds about 5 percent of the total debt, followed closely by Japan. This could become a problem if the U.S. ever damaged its credit rating…

“President Andrew Jackson briefly paid off the national debt in 1835, partly with proceeds from lands seized from Native American tribes. Otherwise, the U.S. has been in hock for nearly every year of its existence, beginning with the bill for the Revolutionary War. The debt peaked after World War II, ballooning to 119 percent the size of the GDP in 1946, but it swiftly shrank during the postwar economic boom. The debt load bottomed out at about 24 percent of GDP in 1974, and has been rising ever since. But it was after the Great Recession in 2007 that the debt really began to explode…

“Theoretically, paying down the debt is simply a matter of spending less and collecting more in taxes. But voters don’t like spending cuts or tax increases, so politicians who want to be re-elected avoid them. Depending on whether they’re in power or out, both Democrats and Republicans are conveniently inconsistent in their views on the debt. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Obama chided Bush for ‘unpatriotic’ deficit spending on the Iraq War and tax cuts, which helped increase the total debt by 101 percent during the Bush years. But Obama increased the debt by 68 percent during his own presidency, arguing that deficit spending was necessary to rescue the economy. Likewise, Republicans who warned that Obama was spending away the country’s future have now embraced deficits, arguing that their $1.5 trillion tax plan will pay for itself by generating economic growth — a contention that most economists say is unrealistic..

“In sheer dollars, the U.S. is the most indebted country in the world, followed by Japan ($11 trillion) and China ($5 trillion). But in relation to the size of its economy, Japan’s debt is the biggest in the world by far. Japan’s debt is more than 240 percent the size of its economy, with Greece carrying the world’s second-largest debt load at 180 percent. By that same measure, the U.S. sits at 12th in the world…”

Sooner or later, the worldwide bubble will burst…

Further Disunity between Turkey and USA

The Telegraph wrote on January 16:

“Turkey’s president has called on Nato to take a stance against the US, a fellow ally, over its plans to form a 30,000-strong Kurdish-led border security force in Syria. Turkey has been threatening to launch a new military offensive in Syria against Syrian Kurdish militias, which Ankara considers to be terrorists because of their affiliation with [an] outlawed group fighting an insurgency in southern Turkey.

“On Monday President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Washington of creating an ‘army of terror’ in Syria, along the border with Turkey, and vowed to crush the US-backed border force… Ties between Turkey and the US have deteriorated over the latter’s support of the Kurdish militia, known as the People’s Defense Units, or YPG, which Turkey says is a major threat to its security… The US however has relied on the YPG – the backbone of a Syrian force that drove Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) from much of northern and eastern Syria with the help of US-led airstrikes.

“The coalition has said the new force, expected to reach 30,000 in the next several years, is a key element of its strategy in Syria to prevent the resurgence of Isil… Mr Erdogan on Tuesday reiterated that Turkey planned an imminent intervention in the Kurdish-controlled enclave of Afrin in northern Syria. Asked whether he planned to discuss the Kurdish-led border force with President Donald Trump, Mr Erdogan said he had no plans to call the US leader.”

Relationship between USA and Turkey Continues to Deteriorate

Reuters wrote on January 18:

“Turkey has warned its citizens against travel to the United States, saying Turks face the risk of arbitrary arrest and should take precautions if they do decide to travel, the latest tit-for-tat volley in a diplomatic feud between the NATO allies. The comments from the Turkish Foreign Ministry come after the U.S. Department of State this week warned U.S. citizens planning to visit Turkey to reconsider due to ‘terrorism and arbitrary detentions’.

“Ties between Washington and Ankara, the biggest Muslim country in NATO and a major U.S. ally in the Middle East, have been strained by a number of disputesin recent months, including the U.S. arrest and conviction of a Turkish banker in an Iran sanctions-busting case… The trial against the banker included testimony of corruption by senior Turkish officials. Ankara has said it was based on false evidence and supported by the network of Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based Turkish cleric Ankara blames for orchestrating a failed coup in Turkey in 2016.

“Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999, has denied the charges and condemned the coup. Turkey has called for his extradition, but the United States says sufficient evidence has yet to be put to a court…”

Moving US Embassy to Jerusalem within a Year?… That’s a “No.”

Reuters reported on January 17, 2018:

“President Donald Trump denied on Wednesday that the planned relocation of the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem would take place within a year, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected the controversial move to happen by then… U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said last month the embassy move was ‘probably no earlier than three years out, and that’s pretty ambitious,’ a timeframe that administration officials have attributed to the logistics of finding and securing a site as well as arranging housing for diplomats…

“Netanyahu… said on Wednesday: ‘My solid assessment is that it will go much faster than you think – within a year from now.’ Asked about Netanyahu’s comment, Trump told Reuters in an interview that was not the case. ‘By the end of the year? We’re talking about different scenarios – I mean obviously that would be on a temporary basis. We’re not really looking at that. That’s no.’”

It is clear that the USA is stalling, as the move could occur within a day.

Sebastian Kurz Meets With Angela Merkel

The Local wrote on January 17:

“Angela Merkel and her Austrian counterpart Sebastian Kurz clashed over immigration in their first meeting Wednesday, with the seasoned German chancellor saying Vienna’s resistance to sharing out refugees across the bloc was ‘wrong’… Austria has sided with countries such as Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic that reject the scheme, agreed by a majority of EU leaders in 2015, to share 160,000 migrants around the bloc to help frontline states like Greece and Italy. Just some 32,000 were relocated by the end of 2017.

“Kurz, who was Austrian foreign minister at the height of Europe’s migrant crisis, was one of the fiercest critics of Merkel’s contentious decision in 2015 to open Germany’s borders to those fleeing conflict. The move prompted an influx of nearly 900,000 asylum seekers to Germany that year alone, although arrivals have slowed significantly since then.

“Kurz came to power after taking over the conservative People’s Party (ÖVP) last year and yanking it to the right, with a hardline stance on immigration. His government is the only one in Western Europe to feature the far right after he struck an alliance with the controversial Freedom Party (FPÖ). Merkel stressed the ‘close cooperation’ between Germany and Austria and their shared positions on many issues…”

Kurz Trying to Calm German Fears

Politico wrote on January 18:

“Sebastian Kurz used his first visit to Germany as Austrian chancellor to assuage fears his right-wing government might break with other European nations on immigration, pledging ‘increased cooperation’ at a joint press conference with Angela Merkel… ‘We are not just neighbors, but partners,’ said Kurz. ‘Germany is perhaps our most important partner.’”

Germany and Austria Need Each Other

Handelsblatt wrote on January 17:

“Sebastian Kurz is in Berlin to convince Angela Merkel that he’s pro-European. But the German leader also needs Austria’s rising star, who has the ear of Eastern Europe’s populists… though Austria might be one-tenth the size of Germany, these two leaders need each other…

“Austria, of course, has a cultural affinity with many of these countries that were once in a union with Austria’s Habsburgs. Though that union may have ended with World War I, Vienna has maintained close ties, trade and financial links ever since. But it was Austria’s rightward shift and Mr. Kurz’s election that was celebrated in capitals like Budapest, Warsaw and Prague, where right-wing populist leaders have taken charge…

“If Mr. Kurz plays his cards right, he could become something of a middleman in Europe for the so-called ‘Visegrad countries’ of Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Ms. Merkel no doubt hopes he will prove a moderating influence rather than a typical far-right leader…

“That influence is all the more important since Austria will take over as chair of the European Council, one of two legislative bodies in the European Union, in the second half of this year – at a crucial time when broad reforms of the 28-nation bloc are being discussed. Austria might be small, but with the backing of his eastern neighbors, the youthful Chancellor Kurz has a chance to punch well above his weight – and perhaps even force Ms. Merkel to view him as her equal.”

Preliminary Deal for Grand Coalition in Germany

The EUObserver reported on January 12:

“German chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) and its Bavarian allies (CSU) struck a preliminary deal with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) on Friday (12 January) to open formal coalition talks… The three German parties… support turning the eurozone emergency fund… into a full-blown European Monetary Fund under parliamentary control and anchored in EU law. This would turn the fund into a European institution rather than an intergovernmental body…

“European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker welcomed ‘a significant, positive, constructive, forward-looking contribution to the European policy debate.’…”

Deutsche Welle added on January 14:

“Schulz has promised to let the party [the SPD] have the final say on whether to re-enter a grand coalition. On Saturday, 600 delegates will be asked to give the green light to enter formal talks, while more than 400,000 rank and file SPD members will have their say at a special party conference in Bonn the following day.”

Express wrote on January 15:

“The [proposed deal for a grand coalition] begins: ‘The EU is a historically unique successful peace project and so it should remain in the future… Germany has an infinite debt to Europe. Also because of this we are under an obligation to turn it into a success. To Germany, a strong and united Europe is the best guarantee for a good future in peace, freedom and prosperity.’

“A successful deal would help Europe take ‘its destiny in its own hands’… ‘We want to… formulate a European response to international developments and challenges, notably in the US…’

“They said this and other aims could be achieved by giving the EU – and especially the Parliament – more power… With Britain leaving the EU, Germany proposed working even closer with France, strengthening an alliance from which both sides have talked about punishing Britain. The passage is a clear dig at Britain and a blatant attempt to place Germany and France at the influential heart of the EU.

“The coalition proposal said: ‘The renewal of the EU will only succeed when Germany and France act together with combined strength. As a result, we want to renew and strengthen the French-German cooperation.’”

The world has been placed on notice what Germany wants to accomplish if a grand coalition should become reality. At the moment, Schulz is touring Germany in an attempt to convince many in his own party that such a coalition is necessary.

The Local wrote on January 16:

“While Social Democrats (SPD) leader Martin Schulz continues to promote the new edition of a grand coalition after an agreement was reached with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives on Friday, more and more of his colleagues are speaking out against it. ‘We have members who say yes and those who say no – and in between we have a large number of those who are indecisive,’ North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) state leader Michael Groschek told radio station WDR2 on Tuesday. According to Groschek, there is still a lot of uncertainty within the SPD before the vote on coalition negotiations at the party congress in Bonn on January 21st.

“The vote in Bonn is important because it will determine whether or not the SPD will formally enter into coalition negotiations with Merkel’s Christian Democrats-Social Union (CDU/CSU) alliance. Approval among SPD delegates from NRW is moreover crucial for Schulz as almost a quarter of them will vote at the party congress. But Schulz is optimistic… Deep scepticism however runs through the party, because of fears that to again govern in Merkel’s shadow will force the SPD to betray its ideals and further damage its voter appeal.

“On Monday, the executive committee of the SPD in Berlin voted 21 to 8 against negotiations on a new edition of the grand coalition. The SPD’s state executive committee in Saxony-Anhalt similarly spoke out against it on Saturday. The party’s state executive board in Brandenburg on the other hand supported the start of negotiations on a grand coalition with a recent vote of 9 to 2.

“If the SPD delegates give the thumbs up at the party congress on January 21st, formal coalition talks could in theory begin as soon as the following day.”

If the SPD decides against a grand coalition, new elections would be all but necessary… an outcome, which nobody seems to want. Note the next article.

Fighting for the Grand Coalition

The Guardian wrote on January 17:

“Leading Social Democrats in Germany are engaged in a fierce battle of willsahead of a crunch vote on Sunday over whether to endorse in-depth coalition negotiations with Angela Merkel’s conservatives. The party has become the focal point of a tense political drama almost four months after an inconclusive election left Germany in a state of limbo. If delegates at a special conference on Sunday vote against a grand coalition, Germany will be heading either for new elections or a minority government, neither of which is a popular choice and will leave Merkel’s political future hanging by a thread.

“Martin Schulz, the SPD’s embattled leader, has been criss-crossing the country this week in an effort to secure party members’ backing for a deal…

“The rise of the rightwing populist and anti-immigrant Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) looms large in the debate. Some in the SPD say that by siding with Merkel, the party would ease the way for the AfD – which entered the Bundestag for the first time in September – to become the largest opposition force in parliament…

“The looming decision has plunged Germany’s oldest political party into nothing less than an existential crisis. Leading the opposition to a coalition is the party’s youth wing, the Jusos (Young Socialists), who have coined the phrase ‘NoGroKo’ to sum up their campaign against what they say would be nothing short of a betrayal of social democratic values… Kevin Kühnert, the head of Jusos, has emerged as a political star and is regarded as the biggest danger to Merkel, having rallied the party base and won considerable support for his cause. The 28-year-old politics student from Berlin has called the mood among the party’s base ‘devastating’…

“Even if SPD delegates vote in favour of a coalition, the drama will be far from over. More serious talks between the SPD and the conservatives could begin immediately and would be expected to last around two weeks, but Schulz would then insist on putting the final agreement to the party’s 450,000 members in a postal vote, which could take a further three weeks.”

The Most Powerful German in Brussels

Politico wrote on January 12:

“The most powerful German in Brussels — a man with seven political lives — just pulled off his latest comeback… EU Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger received some welcome news from home. Exploratory coalition talks in Berlin between Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats had produced a position paper laying out policy priorities for the coming years. Among them: a statement that Germany was ‘ready to pay higher contributions to the EU budget.’…

“In less than a year, the eagle-nosed German had climbed back from a potentially career-ending scandal over what critics saw as racist and homophobic remarks to being in a position to shape the future of the EU…

“The challenges are myriad. Brexit will blow a big hole in the bloc’s finances and there’s little agreement among national governments over what to do about hot-button issues like migration or defense, not to mention agricultural subsidies and development aid for recalcitrant members like Poland and Hungary. But a German budget commissioner can be a powerful figure in the EU, especially if he has… the backing of his government at home…”

Controversial #MeToo Movement Reaches Germany

The Local wrote on January 16:

“As accusations of sexual misconduct against famous men swept through the media in the Anglophone world late last year, Germany stayed silent. That changed this month when one of the country’s most famous directors was accused of rape. In early January, the liberal newspaper Die Zeit became the first German publication to publish sexual assault allegations against a powerful figure in the film industry…

“Die Zeit emphasizes the research that it put into the article before it was published. The newspaper noted its concerns about the #MeToo campaign… ‘We knew we had to be cautious, given the hysterical features that the #MeToo debate has occasionally exhibited,’ Die Zeit deputy editor-in-chief Sabine Rückert wrote. But she goes on to say that the two journalists who investigated the piece conducted 50 interviews over a period of two months. As well as questioning the women themselves, they conducted interviews with people who were acquainted with the allegations from the time they allegedly occurred… The newspaper came to the conclusion that it was ‘highly likely’ that the attacks took place…

“Despite how intensively researched the Die Zeit article was, it faced immediate criticism. Writing in Die Welt, the court correspondent Gisela Friedrichsen described the accusations as ‘execution via the media.’ ‘The supposition of innocence, the statute of limitations and even investigative work seems to be irrelevant’ to Die Zeit, Friedrichsen claimed. Accusing Die Zeit of ignoring the fact that the crimes took place over 20 years ago – and thus beyond the statute of limitations – Friedrichsen argued that the newspaper knew that there was no chance of the police investigating the crimes.

“She also accused the women of using the public attention created by #MeToo to maximize their publicity. ‘These actresses kept their silence for decades and then only spoke when they knew they would get maximum exposure – and when there was as good as no chance that their accusations could be checked,’ she wrote.

“Friedrichsen also compared the accusations to another case which has been cited frequently in Germany since #MeToo started making headlines in the autumn – that of [a] Swiss weatherman [who] was accused by several women in 2010 of sexual assault and the women’s allegations were extensively reported in the media. [He] spent four months in German custody as the claims were investigated. But prosecutors dropped the case after establishing that his chief accuser had inflicted the wounds herself, which she claimed had resulted from the rape. The case also caused scandal when it was found out that the magazine Bunte had paid women €50,000 to publicize their allegations…

“The accusation of trial by media has also met with resonance in legal circles. Alexander Stevens, a Munich lawyer who specializes in sexual assault cases, complained in an article for anwalt.de that the #MeToo debate was making a mockery of the presumption of innocence… He warned that… it was reckless to make hasty judgements on sexual assault cases… He argued that it is particularly important to uphold the statute of limitations, as ‘it is difficult or impossible to prove sexual crimes 10, 20 or 30 years later when there are no witnesses or proof. In no other crime are false statements – intentional or otherwise – more likely.’…”

The article points out very real problems with the worldwide #MeToo movement.

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.

Over many years, we have been asked if we are, or are part of, the true Church of God. We have answered this a number of times; please see:

Q&A – Why Does CEG exist?  This is in our weekly Update number 96 on 6^th June 2003.

Q&A – Are You the True Church? This is in our weekly Update number 479 on 11^th February 2011.

There have been many other references to this, which have been included in our new booklet “How to Find the True Church of God”, where we state the following on pages 1 and 2:

“Even though God’s true Church—the body of Christ (Colossians 1:24)—is a spiritual organism, consisting of all who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, it is nevertheless physically organized.  Organizations that are divided among themselves need to strive to come to the unity of the faith (Jude 3) and to embrace the unity of the Truth.

“It is the responsibility of every Christian to ascertain where the Truth is being upheld and taught; and this can only be accomplished by comparing the teachings and practices of a particular Church organization with the requirements of the Bible. We read in Acts 17:11 about the people in Berea: ‘These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.’

“We do believe that the Church of the Eternal God and its international affiliates in Canada, the UK and German-speaking areas are part of the true Church of God. While we are not saying that our organizations comprise the entirety of the Church of God, we are saying that we differ remarkably in many areas from other Church organizations, which all claim to represent true Christianity.”

To try to elaborate on this (hopefully, once and for all), let us give an analogy.

Suppose that you had received excellent grades in your “A” level studies at school and were going to make an application to attend a university in the UK.   In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2018, a UK university league table revealed the 93 best UK universities and colleges.   Of these, the universities of Cambridge and Oxford came out as the top two.   The credentials of these two universities are outstanding.

According to Wikipedia, “The University of Cambridge (informally Cambridge University) is a collegiate public research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by King Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world’s fourth-oldest surviving university. The university has educated many notable alumni, including eminent mathematicians, scientists, politicians, lawyers, philosophers, writers, actors and foreign Heads of State.  Ninety-seven Nobel laureates, fifteen British prime ministers and ten Field medalists  have been affiliated with Cambridge as students, faculty or alumni.”

According to Wikipedia, “Oxford university has no known date of foundation, but there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world’s second-oldest university in continuous operation.   Oxford has educated many notable alumni, including 28 Nobel laureates, 27 Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom and many heads of state and government around the world.  Oxford is the home of the Rhodes Scholarship, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious international scholarships, which has brought graduate students to study at the university for more than a century.”

There are 127 other universities listed, with some being very good indeed, and with an impressive history and some which were only created in more recent times. How would you choose if you wanted the very best chance of getting the most valuable education that was available and would equip you to achieve excellency in your chosen career? Would it be the academic teaching that would attract you; or the one that was nearest to your home or the one with the best social life? What about going to the one where your school friends were also going to enrol? Would you be influenced by the decisions of others? What criteria would you use?

Those who wanted to become the best educated and the most successful in their field would surely choose the university that would offer them the greatest chance of success. They would check up on the courses and the teaching that they would receive to ensure that they would be able to achieve their goals. Anything less than this might mean that they may do well but not as well as they could have done with a little more care and research.

If we apply this analogy to the true Church of God, it can be seen that there are those who have chosen a particular Church of God organization to attend, based on the wrong criteria. Areas of consideration can be given to which Church group is closest to them, where the biggest congregation may be, what the social life is like, whether it has facilities for children, and whether their friends are there. They might like it best where they feel most comfortable. These are interesting decisions to make, but the basic, most fundamental question can be overlooked; that of where the Truth is best taught without fear or compromise.

Any serious prospective university undergraduate would surely focus entirely on the education that he would receive and that same yardstick must be used by those within the Church of God.

After the spiritual mayhem of the 1990’s when false teachers altered the true doctrines that the Church of God had taught for nearly 2,000 years (compare 2 Peter 2:1-3), those who would not submit to such heresy had to make a choice of where to attend. There were those who seemed to make decisions based on reasons other than doctrine.   However, the answer is to find the Church of God organizations which teach the biblical truth without fear of favour. Those who choose for other reasons might still make it into the Kingdom of God after perhaps having to endure serious pain and suffering; but those whose main focus is on doctrinal fidelity will certainly make it into God’s Kingdom subject to staying faithful until the end of their lives.

Attending where the whole Truth of God is taught will give members the best chance of making it into the Kingdom of God. Choosing where a person attends based on criteria other than doctrinal teaching could be a dangerous approach. It is much better to attend where the Truth is taught without compromise, political expediency or any other consideration than to be where a more liberal view may be taken.

The question was “Do You Believe That You Are, or Are Part of, the True Church of God?” The answer is simple. Yes, we believe that the Church of the Eternal God and its international affiliates in Canada, the UK and German-speaking areas are part of the true Church of God, and, most importantly, certainly fit into the category where doctrinal fidelity is at the very heart of the Truth that is taught boldly, fully, and without compromise.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

Our new booklet, “God’s Teaching on Sexual Relationships,” was sent to our Graphic Designer, Shelly Bruno, for finalization.

A new Member Letter (January 2018) has been written and is now posted. In this letter, Robb Harris encourages us to focus on the job at hand—staying close to God andannouncing God’s intervention to establish His Kingdom on the earth.

“Hawaii’s Nuclear Alert Disaster–a Foretaste of Things to Come,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

“An emergency alert notification sent out on Saturday claiming a ‘ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii’ was a false alarm,” caused by an employee who “pushed the wrong button” from a “drop-down menu on a computer program.” Before a retraction was issued, much more went wrong, showing the complete incompetency of those responsible for the entire warning system. The “mayhem in Hawaii raised the specter of an accidental nuclear war,” leading to “global annihilation.” Many feel that the Trump administration has “heightened tensions and increased the risk of accidental calamity.” An example from bygone radio broadcast days shows that panic can ensue when the unimaginable appears to become reality. The sad truth is that the incident in Hawaii and subsequent developments in Japan are a foretaste of prophesied events which will cause “suffering beyond all imagination.”

Three new ad videos have been produced by Mike Link, featuring our free booklet, “The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families!”

English: https://youtu.be/_D5VV6Z_qSY

German: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4Ml7sjGKuM

Russian:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAw5T5CQtoo

“Schutz vor der großen Trübsal, Teil 2,” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Protection from the Great Tribulation, Part 2.”

“Seek Righteousness and Be Courageous,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

A large part of living a Christian life involves choosing how to respond to difficult situations. The choices we make when faced with calamity demonstrate our willingness to bring our lives into submission to God. When we find ourselves under pressure, we can find great relief by seeking righteousness and acquiring the courage to put that righteousness into action.

“A Body that Cannot Survive,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Robb Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We live in an age that predominantly exemplifies the Laodicean attitude. This attitude focuses on the self and not toward our redeemer, Jesus Christ. We must always remember that the head leads the body in all things and not succumbing to a Laodicean attitude requires us to focus on Christ.

On January 13, 2018, Eric Rank will present the sermonette, titled, “Seek Righteousness and Be Courageous,” and Robb Harris will present the sermon, titled, “A Body that Cannot Survive.”

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.

For our 11^th anniversary, my wife gave me a Bonsai tree. I have often admired Bonsais and the ability to craft and grow a tiny miniature tree. What I was not prepared for was the instruction sheet that came with this little tree. In order to keep this tree healthy, alive and growing, one has to do multiple things for it. It is not a get it and forget it type of plant. Nurturing, watering, plucking, replanting, growth wire, misting, and hibernating are just a few things that it needs.

This really reminded me of our Christian Way of Life. There are so many things that we have to be aware of as Christians, so that we stay alive spiritually. We come into our Christian life through a gift. That gift is God’s calling. He has known us for all eternity, and He also knew since then when He was going to call us and how He would call us. It was not a spur of the moment decision. God has called us because He knows that we can make it. Philippians 1:6 should be well known to us. God’s Will is to continue this good work in each of us to the very end.

Once we are called and we respond, we start to grow in this Way of Life. We keep our eyes on the prize of the Kingdom of God. Why else would we want to suffer so much through life’s trials?  If we didn’t have an end goal in mind, there would be no reason to endure.  I think that is why so many people walk away from the Truth in one way or another. They never truly understood or grasped the importance of our calling.

In Matthew 13:31-32; Mark 4:30-32; and Luke 13:18-19, Christ likens the Kingdom to a mustard seed that continues to grow into a massive tree. This is both in the sense of what the Kingdom will become, but also how we ought to view it in our lives as humans. If it is all important to us, we will continue to work towards it. Matthew 17:20 and Luke 17:5-6 show us that our faith, even if it is as the size of a mustard seed, will be able to accomplish great things, because we have also the faith of God and Christ living in us.

Leviticus 26:3-4 shows us that through obedience to the Truth, we will receive the things that we need to continue living. We will receive blessings from God. Blessings come in many ways, even ones that we don’t expect. Psalm, chapter 1, shows us that when we are obedient and meditate on God’s Ways until they become our Way of Life, then we shall prosper like a tree planted by a river.

With water and blessings also comes the need to be pruned. Romans 11:11-31 and Luke 13:6-9 show the amazing possibilities that come from our calling and that God is the one who directs and places people where He wants them. But we should not ignore the fact that God will and does prune where He needs to, so as to help His people. John 15:1-9 shows that we cannot wander off on our own, on some pointless tirade because we want to be right or think we know something that the ministry does not know. Christ’s very strong warning here is that we must stay in the Church; otherwise, we will wither and be thrown out.

Our goal is not that far out in front of us now. Let us make sure we stay on track in regard to this Way of Life. We need to make sure we have the proper goal(s) in front of us so that we stay focused. Like a tree that continues to grow with the right care, we too can continue to grow stronger in our faith and confidence that we are doing God’s Will and accomplishing what He has set out for us to accomplish.

by Norbert Link

We report on the continuing embarrassing domestic and international circus created and perpetrated by the Trump Administration, including President Trump’s Twitter war and his behavior in general which has caused some observers to question his memory and/or capability. We also speak on the ongoing debate regarding the protection of “Dreamers” and Jeff Sessions’ controversial conduct as Attorney General. We emphasize in this context the annulment of alliances and the forming of the United States of Europe under German and French leadership in an attempt to fill the gap caused by the USA. In this regard, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “America and Britain–Global Leaders No More!” 

At the same time, we notice a clear orientation of some European countries towards the far right, including Hungary, Poland and Austria, which will have an impact on the rest of Europe. We focus especially on developments and restrictive measures in Austria and Germany which cast a dark shadow on things to come.

We conclude with articles on Facebook restrictions; the bitcoin success; and the California flu outbreak which raises again some very uncomfortable questions regarding the faulty reasoning of “medical science.”

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

No More Alliance between Pakistan and USA

Breitbart wrote on January 5:

“Pakistan’s foreign ministry claimed to annul its alliance with the United States after the Trump administration reportedly suspended an estimated $1 billion in security aid for refusing to take decisive action against jihadists who are fighting American troops and their allies in Afghanistan…

“Pakistan has long rejected accusations from the United States, Afghanistan, and India that it supports terrorist groups in South Asia. The Afghanistan-Pakistan region is home to the ‘highest regional concentration’ of terrorist groups in the world, according to the U.S. military.

“In response to the Trump administration’s aid cuts, Pakistan’s opposition leader Imran Khan has urged Islamabad to expel some American diplomatic personnel and cut off supply routes for the U.S./NATO-led coalition forces as well as close its airspace to American troops.”

The Bible prophesies that Far Eastern nations, including Pakistan and India, will form an alliance in opposition to the West… especially Europe. Before and while this is happening, any collaboration with the USA will diminish and disappear. This is not only true for Far Eastern countries, but also for “allies” such as Europe. Please note our articles below on the coming United States of Europe under German leadership.

“Fire and Fury”

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 5:

“‘Fire and Fury,’ the new tell-all book from journalist Michael Wolff about the chaotic, unhappy inner workings of the Donald Trump White House is full of juicy stories – betrayal, accusations of treason, infighting, and name-calling… Wolff… spent months conducting interviews and watching the routine inside the White House…

“The White House has dismissed Wolff’s book as ‘lies,’ and sent a letter to publisher Henry Holt & Co. to stop the book’s release. In response, the company brought forward the publication to Friday instead of next week. Wolff… has presented records of his interviews with both President Trump and several staffers, including former adviser Steve Bannon, as evidence that the stories presented in the book are true.

“On Friday, Wolff also jokingly thanked the president for increasing his book sales by trying to suppress it.”

Wollf has been accused of fabricating stories, changing names and dates and even resorting to lies to get access to the White House, but the most substantial accusations in his book, especially pertaining to Steve Bannon, have so far not been repudiated, except that Bannon apologized for his comments of treason by Donald Trump Jr., according to a report of Deutsche Welle on January 8:

“After accusing Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, of committing treason by meeting a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer, Bannon reversed his comments by reaffirming his support for the administration and praising Trump Jr as ‘both a patriot and a good man’… He [was also quoted in the book as saying] that a prosecutors’ probe into possible collusion between Trump campaign officials and the Kremlin would ‘crack Don Junior like an egg on national TV.’ Despite backtracking, Bannon stopped short of denying the comments.”

Trump’s Twitter War Diminishes US Credibility

Star Tribune wrote on January 7:

“Countries are unsure whether to take his words as policy pronouncements or believe they can be safely ignored. If Trump’s threats are seen as hollow, what does that do to American credibility? In a series of Twitter posts on Saturday, Trump reacted to questions about his mental fitness by calling himself a ‘very stable genius.’ Even if there is a recognition that Trump’s tweets may be largely intended to let off steam or reassure his domestic base, there is an increasing sense that the credibility of the administration, and the presidency itself, is being eroded.

“While allies do not necessarily take his Twitter posts as policy pronouncements, they still create significant confusion, said Pierre Vimont, former French ambassador to Washington and former top aide to the European Union foreign policy chief. Even in areas where allies agree… ‘we have a hard time understanding the real policy line from Washington,’ Vimont said.”

President Trump’s posts on Twitter are most certainly unpresidential… but then, his followers don’t care a bit about that. But Trump’s tweets DO backfire… note our article below, titled, “Trump vs. Trump.”

Does Donald Trump Suffer from Dementia and/or Lack of Capability?

Daily Mail, January 9, 2018:

“United States President Donald Trump is being dragged on Twitter after he appeared to not know the words to the National Anthem during his appearance at the College Football Playoff National Championship Game between Alabama and Georgia. He appears to do pretty well in the beginning, but later his mouth appears to go awry. Twitter was quick to take Trump – who has been a vocal critic of football players who do not stand for the National Anthem – to task for appearing to mumble his way through it.

“But tweeters also wondered whether Trump’s botched Anthem singalong was more a sign of forgetfulness and early dementia. The public debate about Trump’s mental health has intensified in the face of author Michael Wolff’s assertion that he is increasingly forgetful.”

In an apparent attempt to counter allegations pertaining to Mr. Trump‘s mental instability, forgetfulness and dementia, USA Today reported on January 9 that “Trump and his top advisers sat down Tuesday with 25 members of Congress — 16 senators and nine representatives, 15 Republicans and 10 Democrats. And in an unusual move, the White House opened nearly an hour of the meeting to the press.” The meeting dealt with immigration issues and the passing of the spending bill by January 19 to prevent a government shutdown. The publically broadcast meeting was designed to show that Mr. Trump is in control.

The Washington Post wrote on January 9:

“He acted the part, listening intently and guiding the conversation with the control of a firm but open-minded executive… President Trump on Tuesday tried to show that he could do his job… Trump sought to definitively answer the question that has been nagging at him for the past week: Is the 71-year-old mentally fit to be commander in chief? And for the 55 minutes that the scene unfolded on television, the president demonstrated stability, although not necessarily capability. In trying to erase one set of queries (is he up for the job and a ‘very stable genius,’ as he claimed on Twitter?), he inadvertently opened another: What, exactly, is going to be in that immigration bill? On that, Trump left a cliffhanger.

“The former reality television star… offered captivating television drama, [but] he also muddled through the policy by seeming to endorse divergent positions… [Trump’s conduct] so alarmed House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) that he interjected himself… ‘Mr. President, you need to be clear, though,’ McCarthy said… Later, again attempting to nudge the president back on track to a more conservative plan, Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) made a similar pitch for precision. ‘We have to be very clear, though,’ Perdue urged…”

For the Time Being… Dreamers Protected from Deportation

The Associated Press and Newsmax reported on January 10:

“A federal judge [of the 9^th Circuit] on Tuesday night temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s decision to end a program protecting young immigrants from deportation. U.S. District Judge William Alsup granted a request by California and other plaintiffs to prevent President Donald Trump from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program while their lawsuits play out in court.

“Alsup said lawyers in favor of DACA clearly demonstrated that the young immigrants ‘were likely to suffer serious, irreparable harm’ without court action. The judge also said the lawyers have a strong chance of succeeding at trial. DACA has protected about 800,000 people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas. The program includes hundreds of thousands of college-age students.

“U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced in September that the program would be phased out, saying former President Barack Obama had exceeded his authority when he implemented it in 2012. On Tuesday, the Department of Justice said the judge’s decision doesn’t change the fact that the program was an illegal circumvention of Congress, and it is within the agency’s power to end it…  ‘DACA covers a class of immigrants whose presence, seemingly all agree, pose the least, if any, threat and allows them to sign up for honest labor on the condition of continued good behavior,’ Alsup wrote in his decision… DACA recipients are commonly referred to as ‘dreamers,’ based on never-passed proposals in Congress called the DREAM Act…”

More Confusion as to Trump’s Position

The Week wrote on January 10:

“President Trump is being criticized by immigration hard-liners after signaling his flexibility Tuesday to work with Democrats on an immigration deal, including a solution for the 800,000 ‘DREAMers’ brought to the United States illegally as children. A frustrated Tucker Carlson wondered ‘what was the point of running for president’ on Fox News while Ann Coulter, the author of In Trump We Trust, called it the ‘lowest day of his presidency.’ Trump praised his own ‘performance’ at the bipartisan meeting, saying he ‘got great reviews’ and ‘I’m sure their [TV] ratings were fantastic.’ The president, however, called the court system ‘broken and unfair’ after a federal judge ruled the administration must continue accepting and processing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals renewal applications while lawsuits are pending.”

One should not forget that previously, repeated promises were made by the Trump Administration and also by Paul Ryan NOT to deport Dreamers. God hates those who give their word and don’t keep it. This does not exclude politicians in high places. Note the next article. On the other hand, conservatives pointed out that Trump had promised during his presidential campaign that Dreamers would never obtain amnesty or American citizenship.

Trump vs. Trump

The Washington Post wrote on January 10:

“Trump himself had expressed support for DACA on Twitter in September, just days after Department of Homeland Security officials rescinded it. ‘Does anybody really want to throw out good, educated and accomplished young people who have jobs, some serving in the military? Really!’ the president wrote in a Sept. 14 tweet. Another read: ‘Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do). If they can’t, I will revisit this issue!…

“Those lines seemed to capture the program’s benefits in a nutshell, Alsup wrote in a 49-page order. ‘We seem to be in the unusual position wherein the ultimate authority over the agency, the Chief Executive, publicly favors the very program the agency has ended,’ the judge wrote. ‘For the reasons DACA was instituted and for the reasons tweeted by President Trump, this order finds that the public interest will be served by DACA’s continuation… The main, if not exclusive, rationale for ending DACA was its supposed illegality. But determining illegality is a quintessential role of the courts,’ Alsup wrote…

“[Alsup] noted that the plaintiffs had suggested the administration had terminated the program so it could be used as a bargaining chip to demand funding for a border wall. And again, he cited the president’s Twitter feed as evidence… The tweet in question, posted by Trump on Dec. 29, read: ‘The Democrats have been told, and fully understand, that there can be no DACA without the desperately needed WALL at the Southern Border and an END to the horrible Chain Migration & ridiculous Lottery System of Immigration etc.’ Alsup granted a request by the plaintiffs to take ‘judicial notice’ of the tweet. Alsup’s order notwithstanding, Trump appeared to double down on the proposal Tuesday night, stubborn as ever. ‘Our country needs the security of the Wall on the Southern Border,’ he tweeted, ‘which must be part of any DACA approval.’”

Trump To Bring About Extinction of Human Race?

Breitbart wrote on January 8:

“Yale professor and clinical psychiatrist Dr. Bandy X. Lee has warned that President Donald Trump may bring about the ‘extinction of the human species’ because of his mental instability. Lee, who has briefed members of congress on the president’s psychological state, insisted that her extreme prediction was ‘not hyperbole’ but ‘reality.’ Dr. Lee [told] Newsweek that the situation is so grave that ‘a public health emergency’ should be declared that would need to be ‘responded to as quickly as possible.’

“After a series of tweets from Trump that appeared to threaten North Korea with nuclear war, Lee was one of the hundreds of self-described mental health experts who issued a statement calling the President’s mental health into question after he responded to a challenge from North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Un…

“Following on Trump’s assertions on social media of his mental stability and intelligence, Lee said that deflecting or projecting ‘are often concerning signs,’ and seemed to suggest that Trump could even be a candidate for forcible commitment…”

What a circus… It is remarkable that Breitbart under Executive Chairman Steve Bannon would publish a report like this. Subsequently, Bannon stepped down from Breitbart.

Newsmax reported on January 9:

“Breitbart News executive chairman Stephen Bannon is resigning — unable to quell a firestorm over his remarks in a new book disparaging President Donald Trump and his eldest son. The [news site] announced the exit on its website Tuesday afternoon. The New York Times reported the departure was forced by his former financial patron, Rebekah Mercer.”

Further Outrage Caused by Trump’s Vulgar Comments

The Week wrote on January 11, 2018:

“During a meeting with both Democratic and Republican senators on Thursday, President Trump referred to Haiti, El Salvador, and African nations as ‘s… countries’… Trump asked why they would want people from ‘all these s… countries’ coming to the United States. Trump…  said the U.S. should try to instead attract people from Norway and similar countries. In a statement, the White House did not dispute the remarks, merely saying Trump ‘will always fight for the American people’…

“Paul Altidor, Haiti’s ambassador to the United States, [said] that he and the Haitian government ‘vehemently condemn’ President Trump’s comments on Haiti and other countries being s…’

“The Haitian government has formally summoned a U.S. official to explain the comments, Altidor said, and Haiti’s embassy in Washington, D.C., has heard from outraged Haitian-Americans demanding Trump apologize for what he said. ‘Haitians fought along U.S. soldiers in the Revolutionary War and we continue to be great contributors to American society,’ Altidor said.”

Deutsche Welle added on January 11:

“Previously, the Trump administration announced it would end a temporary residency program that allows nearly 60,000 Haitians to live in the US.”

Sessions’ Foolish Hypocritical Witch-Hunt

The Associated Press wrote on January 5:

“The Trump administration announced Thursday that it was ending an Obama-era policy to tread lightly on enforcing U.S. marijuana laws. The declaration renewed anxiety, confusion and uncertainty that has long shadowed the bright green leafy drug still forbidden under federal law but now legal in a majority of states as medicine and in a handful of those for recreational purposes…

“In 2013, President Barack Obama’s attorney general advised prosecutors not to waste money targeting pot growers and sellers that were abiding by state laws, but to go after flagrant violations such as trafficking across state lines or selling to minors…

“Advocates for the drug that is classified in federal law in the same category as heroin have argued that it has medicinal qualities and causes less harm than alcohol…

“Pot proponents along with some members of Congress, including Sessions’ fellow Republicans, roundly condemned the change in direction Thursday and said it was an intrusion upon the rights of states whose voters had approved use of the drug. ‘If … Congress allows the Department (of Justice) to crack down on individuals and state governments, it will be one of the biggest derelictions of duty I will have witnessed,’ said U.S. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska…

“It was not clear how Thursday’s announcement might affect states where marijuana is legal for medical purposes. A congressional amendment blocks the Justice Department from interfering with medical marijuana programs in states where it is allowed. Justice officials said they would follow the law, but would not preclude the possibility of medical-marijuana related prosecutions…”

Such incredible hypocrisy by ALL involved parties supporting or at least not opposing Sessions on this issue.

AG Sessions’ Unconscionable “Guidance”… Congress MUST Act Now!

Newsmax and The Associated Press reported on January 7, 2018:

“Forty-six states — including Sessions’ home state of Alabama — have legalized some form of medical marijuana in recent years… Eight of those states also allow recreational marijuana… Among the guidance that Sessions rescinded was the so-called Ogden Memorandum of 2009 that instructed federal prosecutors not to pursue cases against medical marijuana patients and distributors who complied with state laws…

“Georgia state Rep. Allen Peake, a Republican who sponsored a bill in his state’s legislature that legalized possession of medical marijuana in 2015, denounced the move. ‘I’m very disappointed in Jeff Session’s actions,’ Peake said Friday in a telephone interview. ‘He will be hurting the grandfather with Alzheimer’s, the soccer mom with breast cancer, the college student with Crohn’s disease, the young child with seizures — these are the people that will be impacted by this action by the attorney general.’

“[Some] legal protection… for medical marijuana growers, processors, sellers and users is a temporary measure sponsored by Republican California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and Democratic Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer prohibiting the U.S. Department of Justice from using government funds to target them. Rohrabacher, in a conference call with reporters and four other members of Congress, said Sessions’ move should galvanize national support for marijuana legalization…

“Many politicians, including Republicans, have cast Session’s move as an infringement on states’ rights. Only Idaho, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas do not allow any access to marijuana…

“Georgia’s General Assembly passed that state’s medical marijuana law in 2015. Called Haleigh’s Hope Act, it was named for a girl who was suffering from hundreds of seizures a day… ‘This is as bipartisan an issue as you can get,’ [Peake] said. ‘Cancer doesn’t ask if you’re a Republican or a Democrat. There are people of all races and creeds who benefit from medical cannabis, so that’s why it’s so crucial that Congress get together and take action.’

“The Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment that restricts U.S. attorneys from taking legal action against people who use medical marijuana or produce it was maintained in a last short-term funding bill passed by Congress. But that funding bill expires on Jan. 19… Rohrabacher said a better, more permanent solution is a bill he submitted last year that amends the Controlled Substances Act so it doesn’t apply to people who produce, possess or deliver marijuana in compliance with state marijuana laws… New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker has also introduced a bill to legalize marijuana at the federal level.”

The amendments and repeal of the ridiculous federal restrictions of medical marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act are long overdue, but because of the incredible influence of the money-grabbing pharmaceutical industry, Congress has so far refused, in a cowardly political fashion, to do what is right. But ironically, Sessions’ foolish action and the uproar it created, coupled with the double-talk of the White House, might cause a desired change.

Time for Sessions to Resign

The Week wrote on January 7:

“Attorney General Jeff Sessions has come under broad criticism for his performance at the Justice Department in general and specifically his decision, reported Thursday, to do away with an Obama-era policy permitting states to legalize marijuana without federal meddling.

“Among Sessions’ critics are Republican lawmakers including Sen. Cory Gardner (Colo.), who slammed Sessions’ pot policy on the Senate floor, and Reps. Mark Meadows (N.C.) and Jim Jordan (Ohio), who published an op-ed Friday calling for him to resign because ‘he has no control at all of the premier law enforcement agency in the world.’ Sessions is ‘really on borrowed time,’ Republican strategist Brian Darling told The Hill.”

United States of Europe a Worthwhile Goal

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 8:

“European Commissioner Günther Oettinger, 64, says in an interview with DER SPIEGEL that a United States of Europe is a worthwhile goal…

“Oettinger [said:] ‘… Konrad Adenauer also spoke of the United States of Europe as did, much earlier, Victor Hugo. What they meant is more relevant than ever: There are challenges that we Europeans can only meet together — controlling migration, for example, and making research more effective, and our militaries… As bad as Brexit is, it has brought Europeans together to a certain degree…

“Austria’s new government has earned a chance. There is nothing in their coalition agreement that is inconsistent with European law and the rule of law… The completion of the economic and currency union is an urgent task that we should complete before European elections in spring 2019…'”

The establishment of the United States of Europe is just a matter of time. The comment that nothing in the Austrian coalition agreement violates European law is a startling and at the same time frightening admission. Note our articles below on Austria.

“The American Void—Time for Germany to Learn to Lead”

Der Spiegel wrote on January 5:

“The liberal world order that the United States spent seven decades building is disintegrating. The U.S…. is withdrawing from the global stage on three different fronts: militarily, morally and a key leader of the international community…

“In recent years, Germany has shown a greater willingness to take on the responsibility commensurate with a country that is the most economically powerful and populous in Europe… Looking ahead… Germany will have to lead. But where to?…

“The new global situation will… mean a departure from the good Germany. When principles collide with pragmatism, when values clash with interests, Berlin will be forced to make difficult decisions…

“German foreign policy experts are still debating how radically the estrangement between the U.S. and Europe has become. Atlanticists are calling for optimism, even though Trump, so far, has served to affirm the worries of the pessimists. They continue to cling to the illusion that, Trump aside, trans-Atlantic relations are actually still entirely intact. They see the U.S. president as a painful, but temporary illness. They believe that once America returns to health, the status quo will return to trans-Atlantic relations.

“The problem with that view, however, is that America’s retreat from its role as a shaper of global politics began before Trump — and it won’t end with his departure, either…”

France to Counter Trump in China

The New York Times wrote on January 9:

“President Emmanuel Macron of France, during a three-day visit to China this week, has worked at every turn to win over China’s leaders, hoping to reinvigorate ties between the two countries as they grapple with the strident nationalism of President Trump. Mr. Macron and President Xi Jinping, during meetings this week, articulated a vision sharply at odds with Mr. Trump’s worldview. They spoke of a need for free trade and rallied against protectionism.

“They embraced multilateralism and praised institutions like the United Nations. And they emphasized the importance of working together to combat climate change, as the United States backs away from global efforts to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Mr. Macron… repeated one of his favorite jabs at Mr. Trump, saying it was time to ‘make our planet great again.’… Analysts said Mr. Macron was positioning himself as a reliable ally of China at a time when… [t]he United States, under Mr. Trump, is withdrawing from the world stage…”

The “Liberal” EU and the Right-Wing Visegrad Group

The Guardian wrote on January 6:

“… the EU’s biggest challenge in 2018… comes from within. It has been slowly emerging along the bloc’s central and eastern flanks since the so-called Visegrád Group of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic acceded in 2004…

“Front and centre in this fight is Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s prime minister, who… has called for the defence of Europe’s ‘Christian culture’ against ‘Muslim invasion’…

“Orbán now claims a new friend in the almost but not quite neo-fascist coalition that won power in Austria at the close of 2017. But it is Poland, under the ugly tutelage of the authoritarian Law and Justice party, that has emerged as his closest ally…

“Speaking alongside Orbán in Budapest last week, Mateusz Morawiecki, Poland’s prime minister, predicted a ‘year of great battles’ against western Europe’s multicultural and integrationist values…”

The strong far-right position of the Visegrad Group and Austria will not lead to a disintegration of an united Europe, but rather, it will influence the entirety of Europe and especially core European nations to move further towards the right.

Turkey vs. the EU

The Telegraph wrote on January 5:

“[The] EU must end [its] ‘hypocrisy’ of letting Turkey think it can become [a] fully-fledged member says… President Emmanuel Macron of France [said], who added that progress on the application was not possible given human rights concerns. Mr Macron’s remarks came during a tense press conference with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as the French leader warned against flouting the rule of law and freedom of expression while his counterpart accused some writers and journalists of acting as ‘the gardeners’ of terrorism.

“During the exchange, the authoritarian Turkish leader, who ordered the arrest of up to 55,000 security force members, judges, academics, journalists and activists in the wake of the 2016 failed coup, said his country was ‘exhausted’ after 54 years in the ‘antichambre’ of the EU… But Mr Macron said that political developments in Turkey were effectively blocking its EU accession bid…

“Ankara was hoping to warm frosty relations with Europe during Mr Erdogan’s trip, but the talks were overshadowed by concerns over Turkey’s huge post-coup crackdown and the arrest of journalists. Over 140,000 people have been sacked or suspended, accused of links to the movement run by US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused by Ankara of orchestrating the attempted coup…

“Mr Macron suggested that the pair should work towards a ‘partnership’ rather than full membership to ensure that ‘Turkey remains anchored in Europe’… [a]fter signing multi-billion euro trade agreements… The talks came as Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called for a fresh start in his country’s rocky relationship with Germany, holding out the prospect of closer economic cooperation if ties improved…”

Muslim Turkey will never become a member of the “Christian” EU, but a partnership, as suggested by Macron, is very likely, due to a mutually developing antagonism toward the state of Israel.

German Military Recruits More and More Minors

Deutsche Welle reported on January 9:

“The German government has admitted that the Bundeswehr is recruiting more minors than ever before as it continues its complex transition from a conscription-based to a volunteer military… the Defense Ministry said that some 2,128 under-18s had been recruited as volunteers into the military in 2017, including 448 young women. Ninety of the 2,128 recruits were still underage at the end of their six-month trial period. That represented a continuing increase, with the number of underage recruits more than tripling since 2011… when Germany ended conscription.

“Left party Bundestag member Evrim Sommer… used the opportunity to condemn the trend… ‘Young people should not be used as cannon fodder in the Bundeswehr as soon as they come of age. As long as Germany recruits minors for military purposes, it cannot credibly criticize other countries. The German government is endangering its own efforts towards an international ban on the use of child soldiers.’

“… in a 2014 report on Germany, the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) noted that, ‘Some advertising campaigns for the armed forces specifically target children, and representatives of the armed forces are sometimes present within the school context, speaking with pupils and organizing activities.’

“… The Bundeswehr is not allowed to advertise recruitment drives directly to minors, though that does not stop military officers giving talks in high schools, something else that is criticized by peace campaigners… ‘The Bundeswehr does all it can to make itself attractive to young people,’ said [Wolf-Christian Ramm, spokesman for the children’s rights group Terre des Hommes International Federation]. ‘They have videos on YouTube and ads that talk about all the fun of joining the military, and compare it to playing an adventure game. That’s a part of the problem too. That hides the fact that military service is dangerous and can be deadly.’”

The same terrible and ungodly praxis of trying to make the military attractive to children and teens is also used in many other “civilized” Western countries, including the USA.

Dangerous New German Law Leads to Suppression of Opinion

The Local wrote on January 5:

“On January 1st the Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz (network enforcement act) came into force. Germans are furiously debating whether it is a necessary tool against hate speech or a form of censorship…

“The Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz was formulated by the German government last year in response to a rising tide of hate speech on the web. It obligates social media companies to delete offensive posts within 24 hours of them being reported, with the companies facing huge fines if they fail to comply. But days after it came into force, the legislation has had hefty criticism.

“The AfD have labelled it ‘censorship legislation’ after two of their MPs had their accounts on Twitter blocked. Party deputy leader Beatrix von Storch was unable to tweet for twelve hours after she attacked Cologne police for sending a New Year’s greeting in Arabic on Twitter… Her colleague, MP Jens Maier, also fell foul of the law after he described former tennis star Boris Becker’s son Noah as a ‘little half-negro’ on the social media platform. Becker has since indicated that he will take legal action over the tweet, which he describes as racist.

“AfD leader Alexander Gauland responded to the blockades by saying that ‘private individuals, in this case Twitter employees, should not be taking over the work of judges.’

“It is not just the far-right who have been hit by the legislation, though. Satirical magazine Titanic was banned from using Twitter for two days after it parodied von Storch by using the phrase ‘barbarian hordes’ in a tweet. Even after the satirical magazine was allowed back onto the platform on Friday, three tweets remained blocked for readers in Germany.

“Twitter has so far rejected requests from the media to clarify its deletion policy. In the deleted tweets, the company says that the content is unavailable ‘due to local law.’ Dietmar Wolff, head of the Association of German Print Media (BDZV) complained of the law that it was encouraging social media companies ‘to decide when in doubt against freedom of expression.’…

“Justice Minister Heiko Maas, who was largely responsible for bringing the law onto the books, came to its defence on Thursday. Speaking to Bild, he argued that the law would prevent calls to murder, hate speech and Holocaust denial, all of which he claimed were attacks on other people’s freedom of expression. But the law also faced criticism from inside the government. Christian Social Union (CSU) deputy Dorothee Bär said it had ‘led to chaos’ since it came into force. ‘Nobody knows why things are being deleted,’ she said. ‘It doesn’t help anyone if certain views can no longer be expressed because a company decides that they are not acceptable.'”

These are indeed dangerous and frightening developments. If that new censorship law can be used to justify deleting comments at whim, then it is clearly illegal, and the laughable opinion of Germany’s highly controversial Justice Minister is blatantly wrong. After all, Germany is not a dictatorship … so far…

Austria Wants to “Restore Order” by “Locking Away” Migrants

Daily Mail wrote on January 5:

“Migrants in Austria will be held in disused barracks and subjected to curfews in order to restore ‘order’, under proposals announced by the country’s far-right deputy leader. Heinz-Christian Strache said that the plan should be introduced amongst a raft of drastic measures, such as taking money and mobile phones from new arrivals, to combat Europe’s ‘open’ migration policy…

“Mr Strache, who has repeatedly batted away accusations of fascism despite his party being founded by former Nazis, wants the government to usurp charities to take control of asylum issues. Under the plan, he said that asylum seekers in Austria could be sent to live in ‘underutilised’ barracks and told to return to the building at a specified time every evening. ‘Order is needed, as long as there is an open asylum procedure,’ he said, announcing the plan.

“But the call provoked fury from rival politicians who said that the policy amounted to internment whereby migrants are ‘locked away’ and denied the chance to ‘stand on their own two feet’…  The FPO has been given control of Austria’s interior, defence and foreign ministries under the coalition agreement with new chancellor Sebastian Kurz, the world’s youngest elected leader…

“Despite raising eyebrows across Europe with the decision to enter an agreement with the FPO, Mr Kurz has vowed to commit to hard-line election promises on migration and asylum. In a 182-page coalition agreement, the two parties said they would take money from new asylum seekers which would be used to cover the initial costs of care. Mobile phones belonging to migrants would also be seized so that that data contained on the devices could be used to determine their identity and route into Europe. The measures also outline how benefits and payments offered to new arrivals will be cut, while they will be barred from accessing many social services during their first five years.”

National Post wrote on January 6:

“Strache back-pedalled from his remarks in a press conference with the chancellor yesterday, suggesting Kurz may have exerted pressure behind closed doors. ‘Housing refugees in barracks is currently not an issue,’ a subdued Strache said. ‘There are currently no plans for mass accommodation.’”

However, the other measures mentioned above are still “on the table,” as part of the coalition agreement, which is telling in light of comments quoted earlier herein that nothing in that coalition agreement violates European law.

Facebook Removes Christian Website for Upholding Biblical Teaching

Christian Headlines reported on January 9:

“Facebook has removed the Christian ministry ‘Warriors for Christ’ page, saying the page violated community standards on bullying and hate speech. Warriors for Christ, a West Virginia-based ministry, are a group that opposes any sinful behavior. Its Facebook page had more than 225,000 followers. Its administrators frequently post memes that criticize LGBT rights and abortions, among other topics. Videos from Pastor Rich Penkoski are also posted on the page.

“The page was first taken down on Dec. 29. The page was reinstated after an online petition called for Facebook to reverse its decision. The page was then again removed last Friday.

“Penkoski told The Christian Post that the group’s Christian beliefs are being ‘censored.’ ‘We can’t even use the term “LGBT” in any context whatsoever or else it immediately gets flagged and banned. If we type those four letters out in our page, it gets removed,’ Penkoski said. He said that only 3 percent of their 3,000 posts referred to LGBT issues. The organization’s focus is counseling, he added. ‘Yet, homosexuality is the focus that everyone keeps talking about with us. We talk about abortion. We talk about adultery. We talk about fornication… When Facebook pulled our page [for the first time], we were actually counseling with a young woman who was suicidal.’

“The second time the page was pulled, Penkoski said he did not receive an explanation and was told the decision could not be appealed. ‘Your Page “Warriors for Christ” has been removed for violating our Terms of Use. A Facebook Page is a distinct presence used solely for business or promotional purposes. Among other things, Pages that are hateful, threatening or obscene are not allowed,’ the email reads. ‘We also take down Pages that attack an individual or group, or that are set up by an unauthorized individual. If your Page was removed for any of the above reasons, it will not be reinstated. Continued misuse of Facebook’s features could result in the permanent loss of your account.’

“Facebook did not comment, but instead pointed to their policies on hate speech and bullying, which says bullying or harassment is not tolerated and pages that ‘attack’ people based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, sex, gender and gender identity will be removed.”

Woe unto those who call evil good and good evil.

J.P. Morgan Regrets Calling Bitcoin a Fraud

CNBC wrote on January 9:

“J.P. Morgan Chase CEO said he regrets calling bitcoin a fraud. ‘The blockchain is real,’ Dimon tells Fox Business. Dimon remains concerned about how ‘governments are going to feel about bitcoin when it gets really big….

“The price of bitcoin declined 1.4 percent to $14,760 Tuesday…The digital currency is up more than 1,500 percent in the past 12 months.”

California Flu Outbreak

The Los Angeles Times wrote on January 9:

“California health officials said Tuesday that the state’s flu season could turn out to be one of the nastiest the state has seen in a long time… Most people in California and nationwide are catching a strain of influenza A known as H3N2, which tends to be deadlier than other strains. H3N2 was the culprit in Australia’s most recent flu season, which led to record numbers of sick people as well as the nickname ‘Aussie flu.’

“… officials are recommending a flu shot for everyone over 6 months old. Experts say the flu shot may only be 30% effective this year, but can reduce the severity of symptoms for people who still get the flu. It takes about two weeks for the flu shot to take effect. Among the 27 Californians under 65 who have died from the flu, 30% had been vaccinated against the flu…”

We must be allowed to ask whether these vaccinations actually CAUSE flu sickness, rather than preventing it. How can 30% of vaccinated persons catch the flu, if such vaccinations are so important and successful and designed to prevent flu sickness? And what about the nonsensical allegation that it takes two weeks for the flu shot to become effective? By then, the flu has passed in most cases, while the poison of the vaccinations remains in the body. Clearly, medical science has it all backwards.

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.

If so, who will and who will not be at that place; where is it; and how can one get there?

In the previous Q&A, we discussed God’s promise of protection for some Church members at a special place on earth during the times of the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord. In this Q&A, we will address additional pertinent questions on this subject, including how God’s people might get to the place of safety; who will be those who will be protected; and who will belong to those who won’t be protected at the place of safety.

How Will God’s People Get to the Place of Safety?

We read in Jeremiah 4:6 that God’s people are to “Take refuge! Do not delay! For I will bring disaster from the north, And great destruction.”

Isaiah 26:20–21 states: “Come, My people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past. For behold, the LORD comes out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, And will no more cover her slain.”

These passages seem to imply some active conduct on the part of those who are to receive God’s protection. They are to “take” refuge; and they are to “hide” themselves without delay.

As we saw in the previous Q&A, Revelation 12:14-16 pictures the flight of a particular group of people. Christ compares the time preceding His coming with the time of Noah (Matthew 24:37–39), and as God protected Noah and his family in the ark—here on earth—so He will protect His people on this earth in the way that HE has chosen. God delivered Lot by leading him out of Sodom and providing a place of refuge for him at a particular location. Early Christians escaped from Jerusalem and fled to the city of Pella, just before the Romans invaded and destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D. (compare Eusebius in his Church History; and Josephus, Bellum Judaicum, Book VI, chapter 3, section 3). In all of these cases, active conduct was required—Noah had to go into the ark; Lot had to leave Sodom; and the early Christians had to walk to Pella.

On the other hand, some Scriptures might imply God’s supernatural intervention, as well as transfer of human beings from one place to another location here on earth. In Luke 17:37, Christ is addressing the general time of His return (verses 24, 30), stating that at that time, “‘…two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left. And they answered and said to Him, ‘Where, Lord?’ So He said to them, ‘Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together’” (verses 36-37).

The word “body” is translated from the Greek word soma, which refers many times to the “body of Christ”—the Church of God (compare Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22-23).

Although Christ is describing events leading up to His return, the fact that some will be taken, and some may be left behind, could be a reference to the short time span of 3 ½ years JUST PRIOR to His Second Coming, when His Church will stay in a place of safety here on earth, to be PROTECTED from the terrible things to come. God’s protection is many times associated with eagles, or eagle’s wings. God will give His Church, often pictured as a “woman” or “virgin,” “two wings of a GREAT EAGLE, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time [3 1/2 years], from the presence of the serpent [Satan the devil]” (Revelation 12:14).

In similar ways, God protected ancient Israel when they left Egypt. Please note Exodus 19:4: “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on EAGLES’ WINGS and brought you to Myself.” We know that God compares Himself and His loyal angels with eagles. Certain angels are described as having characteristics of eagles (Ezekiel 1:10; 10:14; Revelation 4:7). When God told Israel that He brought them out of Egypt on eagles’ wings and “bore them and carried them” (Isaiah 63:9), He signified His supernatural involvement and protection (compare Deuteronomy 32:10-12; see also Psalm 91:4 and Psalm 17:8).

It is therefore possible that Christ was addressing, in Luke 17:37, a SUPERNATURAL PROTECTION of God’s Church, through ANGELIC involvement, here ON THIS EARTH, just PRIOR to His Second Coming. Those who qualify for such a protection will be “taken” away from dangerous surroundings, while others, who are not considered worthy, will be left behind.  We are NOT told HOW, exactly, God will bring those whom He considers worthy to the place of safety. Ancient Israel left Egypt BY FOOT. Similarly, we read that Christ asks us to pray that our FLIGHT would not happen in winter or on the Sabbath (Matthew 24:20). This seems to indicate that SOME will go to the place of safety “by foot” or by means of physical transportation. But even then, supernatural protection during this “flight” will be guaranteed, in the same way as God protected ancient Israel on their exodus out of Egypt.

At other times, God protected human beings by SUPERNATURALLY TRANSPORTING them–or “taking them”–to another place on this earth. Acts 8:38-40 describes a supernatural transport of Philipp to another place here on earth. We also read that Enoch and Elijah were supernaturally transported to another place on earth.

In speaking of Enoch, the Bible records that he “walked with God” (Genesis 5:24), and “he pleased God” (Hebrews 11:5). Because of this and because of the rebellious society in which Enoch lived, God “took” him away, so that he “should not see death” (Hebrews 11:5, Authorized Version). God “translated” or transported him to another place on earth, in order to spare him from the second death. John 8:51 confirms that if we keep God’s Word, we shall “never see death” — the second death, that is, as it is appointed to men once to die the first death (Hebrews 9:27). In addition, God might have transported him to another place on earth to protect him from physical death at that time. We do know for certain, based on the biblical teaching and evidence, that Enoch did die at a relatively young age for his day and that he did not ascend to heaven! Paul also said in Hebrews 11:5 that Enoch was “not found.” This does not mean that he lived on forever. Moses died, and God buried him at a secret place, and he was not found, and “no one knows his grave to this day” (Deuteronomy 34:6).

Regarding Elijah, we read, in 2 Kings 2:1, 11, that Elijah was taken up “into heaven by a whirlwind.” We also read that the disciples understood that Elijah did not go to the third heaven, as they were concerned that “the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley” (verse 16). In fact, God transported Elijah to another place here on this earth, where Elijah continued to live until his death. He wrote a letter and had it delivered to King Jehoram, AFTER he “went to (the first) heaven,” as Jehoram became king right at the time of Elijah’s disappearance (2 Kings 1:17; 3:1). 2 Chronicles 21:12-15 gives us the contents of the letter, referring to the evil deeds of King Jehoram that he had committed after Elijah had been taken away and transported through the air to another place here on earth. Elijah was transferred, supernaturally, to another place here on earth.

Another description of a supernatural transport from one place to another location on this earth could perhaps be found in Ezekiel 3:10-16.

So, it appears that in the end time, some might, in some way, “physically” flee towards a place of safety, while others may be taken or transported supernaturally. In any event, they all will have angelic protection. Luke 17:37 seems to imply that eagles or angels will be gathered together to protect Christ’s body (soma in Greek)–the Church. We might also consider this possibility: As Satan will assemble the kings and nations of this earth at a place called “Armageddon” (Revelation 16:16), from where they will march to Jerusalem to fight Christ there (Zechariah 14:1-4; Joel 3:2), could it be that God’s Church will assemble at or supernaturally brought to a certain place to move from there, with supernatural angelic protection, to the place of safety? Satan’s conduct would then just be a diabolical counterfeit to God’s plan regarding His Church.

But, this does not mean that Christ will return before the Great Tribulation and take His Church to a place of safety here on earth, where He will dwell with His Church during the time of the Great Tribulation. This teaching is without any biblical support; in fact, Christ warns against such teaching, when He says in Matthew 24:26-27: “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out… For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” His return will be clear and obvious and visible for all alive. Revelation 1:7 says: “Behold, He is coming with clouds, AND EVERY EYE WILL SEE HIM.”

Jesus said in Matthew 24:19-22:

“But woe to those who are pregnant and to those with nursing babies IN THOSE DAYS. And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For THEN there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until THIS TIME, no, nor ever shall be. And unless THOSE DAYS were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake THOSE DAYS will be shortened…”

Even though some commentaries state that Jesus’ sayings were restricted to the time of 69 A.D. and 70 A.D., when true Christians fled to the city of Pella before the Romans invaded and destroyed Jerusalem, it is clear from the context that those events, even though constituting a forerunner, did not describe the final fulfillment of the prophesied events. There was no “Great Tribulation” at the time of 70 A.D.–worse than it ever had been or will be–nor did those events precede “the end of the age”–this present civilization–and “the coming of Christ” (compare verses 29-30).

It is true that Christ specifically addressed first “THOSE who are in Judea,” telling them to “flee to the mountains” (verse 16). But then, His statement is all-encompassing, stating in verse 20: “And pray that YOUR flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.”

Travelling in winter can be very uncomfortable and dangerous. It would most certainly not be easy “in those days” to have to flee “in winter.” Remember, Christ said in Matthew 24:19: “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those with nursing babies in THOSE days.”

In addition, Christ asked us to pray that our flight may not be on the Sabbath. At the time of the end, the Satan-induced governments of this world and followers of “orthodox Christianity” will have begun a thorough persecution of all those who keep the Sabbath. We read that Satan will influence the governments of this world to persecute those who will be fleeing to a place of safety here on earth (compare Revelation 12:14-16). Those who keep the Sabbath and have probably already been under surveillance by the governments, will be in danger of additional persecution, and the governments might step in to prevent their flight. If that were to happen on the Sabbath, one can easily see how difficult, even mentally and spiritually, the conditions would be for the continuation of the flight.

We read that Christ’s true disciples will be hated by all nations in those days (Matthew 24:9). This would include hatred by professing Christians, because true Christians won’t accept the pagan concepts and worship which have become part of orthodox Christianity. This would also include hatred by Jews, because true Christians won’t accept Jewish traditions and fairy tales, and they will confess Jesus Christ as the ONLY Savior of the world, which concept the Jews (as well as the Arabs and other non-Christian religions) universally reject. True disciples will become the target of worldwide persecution from every corner, and fleeing on the Sabbath would contribute to additional hostilities.

Where Is the Place of Safety?

The Bible might give some indication as to how God’s people who are worthy of protection will reach the place of safety, but it is useless to prepare for it in a physical way or contemplate where it might be and how to get there, as God will “work out the specifics.” First of all, the Bible does not clearly reveal where the place of safety will be. We are only told that it is in the wilderness and that it is a secret place where some will be hidden, which might indicate a somewhat isolated location which will not be surrounded by many people. And even though it may be possible that the place of safety will be somewhere in the Middle East, we cannot be sure about this.

Most importantly, we should not try to prepare physically for our “flight,” by saving money for the purpose of buying plane tickets to an airport close to the [assumed] particular place; or preparing some survival kit. All of this would be manifesting a totally wrong priority. We are to prepare spiritually to be counted worthy to be protected at the place of safety, because if we are not counted worthy or if God should decide for other reasons that we are not to be at the place of safety, then all our efforts for our physical preparation would be futile anyhow.

Who Will Not Be Protected?

The fifth seal in the book of Revelation describes the Great Tribulation (Revelation 6:9-11). It refers to a future martyrdom of the saints. It undoubtedly includes many (but not necessarily all) who are converted members, but who have allowed themselves to slip, become lukewarm and embrace the spirit of compromise, pride and self-sufficiency. We also saw in a previous Q&A that the 144,000 and the great multitude will suffer during the beginning years of the Great Tribulation, without receiving protection at the place of safety, but God will save or deliver them from the seven last plagues during the Day of the Lord.

We read in Revelation 12:17 that some will not be protected at the place of safety even though they “keep” God’s commandments and “have” the testimony or the words or teachings of Christ. They will profess Christ and claim to be His true most dedicated followers, but they will not really be willing to live God’s Word from the heart and with uncompromising and unwavering determination and conviction.

The Elberfelder Bible comments that the word for “keep” can either convey the meaning of “to preserve” or “to do.” It does not have to mean both. God told the Israelites through Moses to “keep” and “do” the commandments (compare Deuteronomy 4:6. Authorized Version). The Elberfelder Bible translates: “to preserve and do them.” Generally speaking, the scribes and Pharisees “preserved” or “kept” the Law of God, but they most certainly did not “do” it (compare Matthew 23:1-3).

The Greek word for “keep” is tereo, and it includes the meaning of “watch over, preserve, keep, watch” (W. E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words). The passage in Revelation 12:17 could then be understood to say that they persevered or “watched” or “watched over” the commandments, but they were not really doing them. They called themselves Christians, but were not really conquered and led by God’s Holy Spirit.

In addition, it is obvious that even some very dedicated and zealous Christians will not be protected at the place of safety. God has decreed that some will have an important responsibility to fulfill during the Great Tribulation. This is self-evident for the two witnesses. We are told in Scripture that during that future time of Jerusalem’s occupation, “two witnesses” will prophesy for 1260 days or 3 1/2 years (compare Revelation 11:3). This will apparently happen at the same time when certain Church members will be at a “place of safety” here on earth to be protected from the beast and the false prophet (compare Revelation 12:14). The time frame for the testimony of the two witnesses of 1260 days or 3 ½ years corresponds with “a time and times and half a time” or 3 1/2 years in Revelation 12:14, describing how long Church members will be at the place of safety (Please remember that one year has 360 days according to the Hebrew calendar, and that the term “time” means “year”, compare Daniel 4:16).

God will give the two witnesses great powers during the time of their preaching (verses 5-6), but at the end, He will allow them to be killed and to be dead for 3 ½ days (verses 7-9).  Following that event, God will resurrect them to eternal life (verses 11-12), together with all the other saints who have died in Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). The two witnesses will not be at the place of safety. It is not inconceivable that other converted members who would “normally” be worthy of protection at the place of safety, will assist and work with the two witnesses. These true Christians will not be at the place of safety either–and some, if not many of them, might likewise have to endure martyrdom–not necessarily because of any character flaws, but because they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ’s sake and God’s glory (compare Revelation 6:9-11; John 21:17-19; Acts 5:40-41; 1 Peter 4:12-19).

Even though the Bible speaks only of the two witnesses, many times, God’s prophets did not act alone, but they were accompanied and supported by other disciples or followers. This is true for Moses and Aaron (we might think of Joshua, as well as the elders of Israel or the Levites etc.); John the Baptist; and even Jesus Christ, as well as, of course, the original apostles. In the case of Elijah and Elisha, we find a few references to their disciples or “apprentices” in 2 Kings 2:5; 4:38; 6:1; and 9:1.

Who Will Be Protected?

King Solomon indicates in Proverbs 14:26 that young children and teenagers of those Church members who are counted worthy will be protected in the coming times of trial: “In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence, and his children shall have a place of refuge” (Authorized Version). As the Ryrie Study Bible points out correctly, “his children” refers “the children of the one who fears the Lord.” The New International Version translates: “He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.”

Since children or teenagers would not be converted and would not have received the Holy Spirit, they would not be “worthy” per se, but God promises their protection because of the “worthiness” of their parents or parent. It is also not inconceivable that well-meaning adults could be protected, who are not yet converted, but who understand and accept God’s calling and promises, as God looks at the heart and does not judge as man judges. During the time of the Exodus, not only Israelites were departing from Egyptian slavery, but also a mixed multitude (Exodus 12:38; Numbers 11:4).

One might ask, why would God consider “unconverted” people worthy of protection at the place of safety, while He would not protect certain converted, but lukewarm members. The answer is that God looks at the heart, and He expects more from converted members than from those who may not yet be converted. It is interesting to see how enthusiastic and zealous, as well as teachable, prospective members can be, who are being introduced to the Truth, while at the same time, certain converted members in God’s Church who have been in the Church for many years, might have lost their original zeal and their first love and their humility, having allowed themselves to slip and to become proud, ending up as being neither hot nor cold.

In conclusion, God will provide for some a place of safety on this earth for the purpose of physical protection during the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord. Even though we are asked to watch always and pray that we are to be counted worthy to escape the terrible times which are ahead of us and to be protected at that special place of refuge and shelter, it is up to God as to who will be at that place. In many cases, God will not count some worthy enough to be allowed to be there; in other cases, God may have important duties and responsibilities assigned to them which would prevent them from being at the place of safety. However, it is critical to realize that our ultimate goal is to become worthy to be accepted by Christ when He returns, not only to be protected from physical harm at the place of safety. Rather than concentrating on the thought that we have to be among those for whom God will provide a physical and temporary place of safety, we ought to concentrate on qualifying to be able to enter the eternal Kingdom of God at Christ’s Coming (Matthew 25:34).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

A Tech Team meeting was conducted via SKYPE last Sunday morning (January 7, 2018). Hosted by Eric Rank, podcast reports, video production and advertising were among some of the topics discussed along with details for the German live services broadcast.

“America and Britain–Global Leaders No More!” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

“In 2017, Trump relinquished America’s 70-year role as global leader”; “The largest trend today is the decline of American influence”; “American leadership has reached its end”; “America’s power and global influence have plummeted like a stone”; “The United States is withdrawing from the world stage”; “The incredible shrinking Britain”; “Brexit has taken its toll on Britain’s foreign policy”; “The UK presence has been barely noticeable.” These quotes from several news articles show the declining role of the USA and the UK on the world scene. But who will fill the power vacuum? Some point at Russia and China. But the real future world leader is rising somewhere else.

“Schutz vor der großen Trübsal, Teil 1,” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Protection from the Great Tribulation, Part 1.”

“Are You Counterfeit?” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Robb Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The ability to differentiate between godly truth and the lies that permeate today’s religion requires spiritual insight. Even the greatest can succumb to the subtle hypocrisies that Satan deceives with. We must stand with vigilance to protect this precious truth.

“God’s Deliverance,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Impossible—Overwhelming—Hopeless! Have you ever faced life feeling what these words express? And they might apply if we were without God in this world! But God is with us—if we are righteous. Still, we will face problems.