Update 1079

On August 5, 2023, Brian Gale will present the sermonette, titled, “Beware the Company You Keep,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Our Self-Destruction Is Imminent!”

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.

What kind of attitude does God want us to have when we take a part in His Work? And, of course, His Work at times includes offerings as well as other actions. We know that God loves a cheerful giver which is something we are often reminded of before the Holy Day offerings (see 2 Corinthians 9:7).

In the Old Testament writings, when the tabernacle was being built, the term “willing” was used regarding the offering people gave for its construction. In Exodus 35, the term “willing” or “freewill” is used five times in the New King James Bible, showing how important this attribute is considered by God. The first mention is in Exodus 35:5 where we read, “Take from among you an offering to the LORD. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the LORD: gold, silver, and bronze…” The meaning of “willing” in this chapter is “generous, spontaneous, voluntary, abundant”—all being attitudes that God desires in us as we serve Him.

Much later, when King David was instructing his son to be the future king and to serve God, he used the terms “a loyal heart” and “a willing mind” in 1 Chronicles 28:9. In this case, willing is from a different Hebrew word meaning “delight in, desire, have pleasure.” In other words, delight in serving God and ruling His people correctly.

At the time just before Solomon began building the temple in Jerusalem, we also read in 1 Chronicles 29:6, “Then the leaders of the fathers’ houses, leaders of the tribes of Israel, the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the officers over the king’s work, offered willingly.” They gave abundantly materials for the building of the temple as had King David.

There is an interesting example in the New Testament of a man who was willingly serving God, and that man was Cornelius. He was “a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always” (Acts 10:2). Doing good to all, especially those who are of the household of faith as we have opportunity, which would include giving alms or charitable gifts generously or willingly, is mentioned in Galatians 6:10 as good works we are to perform. What is also interesting in the account of the angel visiting Cornelius is that the angel puts the prayers of Cornelius first before the alms as a memorial before God. (See Acts 10:4 and Acts 10:31). So both are a memorial but God puts prayers first here while He placed alms first in Acts 10:2. Both are part of an important memorial.

Of course, there are warnings if we do not serve God willingly. Jeremiah 48 tells us that God was using an army (possibly the Chaldeans, depending on which commentary is referred to) to destroy ancient Moab because of their attitudes and actions. (We understand, of course, that this entire passage is mainly a prophecy for the “latter days,” note Jeremiah 48:47). In Jeremiah 48:10 we read, “Cursed is he who does the work of the LORD deceitfully, And cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.”

The Pulpit Commentary shows the literal translation of “deceitfully” means “slackly, negligently.” And the New Testament mentions examples of people doing God’s Work deceitfully or negligently.

Early in the New Testament Church, a couple, Ananias and Saphira, tried to deceive the apostles and the Church by claiming their gift was the full amount of what they sold, whereas it was only a part. They were exaggerating their gift—possibly, to receive more praise. See Acts 5:1-2. God inspired Peter to see through the deception and the result was that God killed both the man and his wife because of them lying to the Holy Spirit.

In the letter to the Church of the Laodiceans in Revelation 3:14-22, God condemns the Laodiceans for not being zealous. They believed they were rich, had become wealthy, and had need of nothing, whereas God told them they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. By being self-satisfied and not being zealous in their lives, including their need to repent and to overcome, what little, if any, of God’s Work they were doing, they were doing negligently or with a slack hand. Because of this attitude, God intended to vomit them out of His mouth.

So, from these examples, we see that no matter whether we have a large or a small part in God’s Work, we must do our part willingly and zealously, and without any deception. When we do this, our efforts will be a memorial well pleasing to God.

by Norbert Link

We begin with additional criminal charges filed against Donald Trump regarding the 2020 election, one day after Hunter Biden’s former business partner gave “bombshell testimony” strongly implicating Joe Biden; and we continue with charges made by the Justice Department against Donald Trump in the document case one day after their “sweetheart plea deal” with Hunter Biden fell through. After a long period of silence, the international press and also America’s mainstream media have begun to notice the real danger Joe Biden finds himself in. The possibility of and the problems with impeachment are being raised, and so is the perception that America is doomed—no matter who wins the next presidential election.

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Is America Doomed? The Biden and Trump Scandals!”

We speak on the attempts of the Biden government to censor free speech and the shocking revelation that most Democrats support such measures which will inadvertently lead to autocratic dictatorship; and we address new developments regarding the Temple Mount.

We report on Ukraine’s decision to move “Christmas” from January 7 to December 25; Putin’s meeting with African leaders regarding military cooperation and the Ukraine war; and Russia’s response to Ukraine’s drone attacks on Moscow.

We publish an opinion stating that and why America could not win an overseas war; and address Germany’s desire and incentives for women to join the military.

We conclude with real dangers of electric cars and e-bikes; and the discovery of a huge supply of water UNDER the earth’s crust.

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

More Evidence Against President Joe Biden?

The Daily Mail wrote on July 31:

“Hunter Biden’s business partner Devon Archer told Congress in bombshell testimony the ‘Biden brand’ helped Ukrainian firm Burisma from going bankrupt and revealed Joe was on the phone at least 20 times while his son was talking with foreign associates. Republicans claim Archer’s testimony added to mounting evidence that the then-Vice President was involved in Hunter’s overseas deals that raked in millions from nations including China and Romania.  Democrats claimed the phone calls were innocent and did not involve business. 

“Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., confirmed Archer told the House Oversight Committee that Joe had been on speakerphone multiple times while his son was talking with business partners – but insisted they were talking about ‘niceties’ such as the weather…

“Oversight member Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene told DailyMail.com in an interview Archer testified that ‘the Bidens were in the actual business of influence peddling’… claiming that the 20 phone conversations Archer referred to were directly about business deals…

“But Archer is facing legal troubles of his own and is expected to go to prison shortly. He was sentenced to one year and a day in prison in February 2022 for defrauding a Native American tribal entity and various investment advisory clients of tens of millions of dollars, in connection with the issuance of $60 million in bonds…

“Archer, 48, and Hunter both graduated from Yale and were friends for decades. Hunter has reportedly described Devon as his ‘best friend in business.’…

“Archer testified that Burisma executive Vadym Pozharskyi [and] owner Nikola Zlochevsky put ‘constant pressure’ on Hunter in 2015 to get his father to fire prosecutor Viktor Shokin, who was investigating Burisma… In March 2016, Joe Biden threatened to withhold $1 billion in aid to Ukraine if Shokin was not fired for corruption…”

Shortly thereafter, Shokin was fired. The pieces of the puzzle are falling into place.

More Criminal Charges Against Trump

Fox News wrote on August 1:

“Fox News correspondent David Spunt reported… that Trump had been indicted on four counts: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights.

“[Professor] Turley [explained] that special counsel Jack Smith might be ‘yielding to his weakness’ with the indictment. ‘[Smith] may be stretching the law a bit… Jack Smith has a reputation for stretching criminal statutes beyond the breaking point. He went after [former Virginia Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell] and secured a conviction there. He was unanimously overturned because he just stretched the law too far.’…

“Host Jesse Watters… expressed incredulity that it appears to relitigate claims of election fraud in 2020 in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada and Michigan. Watters quipped that Democrats might not want to go back down the road of defending the ‘integrity’ of the election system in Philadelphia…

“Trump has repeatedly claimed Pence had the authority to send the elector slates back to the state legislatures under the Electoral Count Act of 1887… [Former New York federal prosecutor Andy] McCarthy… suggested that no matter how ‘frivolous,’ such machinations, [they] are likely protected speech… ‘it was something that [Trump] was allowed to rely on’…”

Real Clear Politics wrote on August 1:

“[Professor] Jonathan Turley on Tuesday told FOX News host Sean Hannity that… ‘This is a free speech killing indictment. There’s no way around it. I write a great deal in academia in the free-speech area and I [have] rarely seen a more chilling filing by the Department of Justice…  And I have to tell you, this indictment is really [a] sad moment for me… It basically just says that we think Trump is lying that he actually didn’t believe this. I can’t tell you how faciously ridiculous this claim is…’”

Breitbart wrote on August 1:

“Turley said Special Counsel Jack Smith’s indictment of 2024 Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump ‘basically just accuses him of disinformation. This is a disinformation indictment’ and charges “many” things that are protected by the First Amendment…’”

CNBC wrote on August 1:

“An attorney who is representing former President Donald Trump in his latest federal criminal indictment vowed to use the charges to ‘re-litigate every single issue in the 2020 election in the context of this litigation.’ The case gives Trump ‘an opportunity that he has never had before, which is to have subpoena power since January 6 in a way that can be exercised in federal court,’ attorney John Lauro said in a Fox News interview.”

In the 45-page indictment, it was alleged about 50 times regarding election fraud that Trump made false statements which he knew were false. With these accusations, Jack Smith has opened up a Pandora’s box as Trump will undoubtedly try to litigate or relitigate the question on the merits whether his statements regarding a “rigged election” were false and whether he knew that they were false. The underlying question is also whether a person can even be criminally prosecuted for conduct while in the office of the Presidency, and whether his statements are constitutionally protected as free speech and therefore immune from criminal prosecution. In addition, note the next article.

npr wrote on August 1:

“… one count of conspiracy against rights refers to Trump and his co-conspirators alleged attempts to ‘oppress, threaten and intimidate’ people in their right to vote in an election. The charge of ‘conspiracy against rights’ goes back to the Civil War era. It was passed after the Civil War as a way to stop members of the Ku Klux Klan and other similar organizations from intimidating, harassing and outright terrorizing Black voters especially in the South. This law was part of the Enforcement Act, passed between 1868 and 1870…”

As can be clearly seen, this law does not remotely apply to Trump’s alleged conduct.

The article continued:

“The case [against Trump] has been assigned to Judge Tanya S. Chutkan [who] stood out for her tough punishment [and “the hardest line against Jan. 6 defendants of any judge serving on Washington’s federal trial court”] for Jan. 6 rioters. In at least seven cases… Chutkan imposed harsher penalties than what federal prosecutors sought for those rioters.”

Chutkan was nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama.

Reactions from Republicans

Breitbart wrote on August 1:

“Republican officials blasted the Justice Department’s January 6 probe and the fresh indictment of former President Donald Trump, expressing support for Trump in the face of ‘serial election interference.’… Republican members slammed Smith’s ‘political witch hunt’ targeting ‘every one of his supporters.’

“House Republican Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) released a statement on ‘the disgraceful non-stop witch hunt by Biden’s corrupt DOJ against President Trump,’ calling Tuesday ‘yet another dark day in America’ as Biden continues to ‘weaponize’ his ‘corrupt’ Justice Department against his leading political opponent:  ‘Less than 24 hours ago, Congress heard testimony from Hunter Biden’s longtime business partner that Joe Biden joined Hunter‘s business calls over 20 times. This directly contradicts Biden’s lie that he never discussed business with his son. Today’s sham indictment of Donald Trump is yet another desperate attempt to distract attention away from the mounting evidence of Joe Biden‘s direct involvement in his family’s illegal influence peddling scheme — one of the greatest political corruption scandals in history.’

“According to Stefanik, Trump ‘had every right under the First Amendment to correctly raise concerns about election integrity in 2020.’…

“House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) highlighted how people have recently been informed that Hunter Biden ‘received money from China (contradicting President Biden’s claim),’ that Biden ‘spoke with Hunter’s business associates over 20 times (contradicting what Biden previously claimed),’ and that Biden’s DOJ ‘tried to secretly give Hunter broad immunity and admitted the sweetheart deal was unprecedented.’… he charged that ‘Everyone in America could see what was going to come next: DOJ’s attempt to distract from the news and attack the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, President Trump.’…

“‘Let’s be clear about what’s happening: Biden’s DOJ is cutting sweetheart deals for Hunter to cover for the Biden Family’s influence peddling schemes while at the same time trying to persecute his leading political opponent,’ wrote House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) as he deemed it ‘an outrageous abuse of power.’…

“‘When you drain The Swamp, The Swamp fights back,’ wrote House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH). ‘President Trump did nothing wrong!’…

“‘It’s not shocking that every time the Biden crime family has evidence surface (FD-1023), or a congressional hearing that exposes further corruption and abuses of power, that the weaponized DoJ indicts his top political opponent (Pres. Trump),’ wrote Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL)…

“‘Democrats would rather destroy America than see Donald Trump in the White House again,’ wrote Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN)…”

And many more voiced their disgust with Smith’s indictment. Also, Fox News wrote on August 1:

“Reacting to the charges, a Trump campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital [that] ‘the lawlessness of these persecutions of President Trump and his supporters is reminiscent of Nazi Germany in the 1930s, the former Soviet Union, and other authoritarian, dictatorial regimes.’”

Where is America heading?

More Charges Against Trump in the Document Case

Breitbart wrote on July 27:

“Special Counsel Jack Smith on Thursday (one day after Hinter Biden’s “sweetheart plea deal” fell apart) brought new charges against former President Donald Trump in the Mar-a-Lago White House documents case. Smith charged Trump with one count of willful retention of national defense documents and two counts of obstruction. Trump’s valet, Walt Nauta, who was previously charged in the first indictment, also received two new obstruction-related charges.

“The superseding indictment also charged Carlos De Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s head of maintenance, with altering, destroying, mutilating, or concealing a document, making false statements, and conspiracy to obstruct justice…

“With the additional charges, Trump is now facing 40 counts in the criminal case.

“Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung blasted the U.S. Department of Justice for the new charges, calling it a ‘continued desperate and flailing attempt by the Biden Crime Family and their Department of Justice to harass President Trump and those around him… Deranged Jack Smith knows that they have no case and is casting about for any way to salvage their illegal witch hunt and to get someone other than Donald Trump to run against Crooked Joe Biden…’

“Judge Aileen Cannon set a trial in this case for next May, just months before the 2024 presidential election.”

In a related article, Breitbart wrote on July 27:

“‘This is harassment. This is election interference,’ Trump said when asked to respond to the superseding indictment and additional charges. ‘I’m protected by the Presidential Records Act totally. It shouldn’t even be a case. It’s not a criminal case. Where’s Biden with all the documents? He’s got 20 times, 30 times the documents I have, and he has not made it easy for them either. He has been hiding boxes. They’re sending boxes to Chinatown… and yet China is paying them millions of dollars. You explain that one. You don’t even hear about it. All you hear about is Trump. No, this is a two-tier system of injustice. That’s what we have. We have a sick country… We have a failing nation and it’s a very sad thing to watch.’…

“Trump also told Breitbart News that if elected president again—he is currently the leading GOP candidate for the White House—he would fire Smith. Trump also cited failed cases Smith’s office has brought against other politicians from both political parties… ‘He’s destroyed a lot of lives… He went after Christians… What he’s done is just horrible. The abuse of power—it is prosecutorial misconduct.’…

“Trump said he thinks history will remember this all as an ‘embarrassment’ for Democrats and for the nation… Trump said he believes the public sees it his way, which is why he says his poll numbers keep rising—in both the primary and the general…”

Trump denied all charges and said he will continue to run, even if he were convicted and sentenced. Questions were raised in the media whether he could pardon himself once he was elected President—a question not addressed in the Constitution. It was also pointed out that if he were to do so, it would be very difficult to challenge this, because, for one reason, who would even have standing to do so in a Court of Law?

GOP Members Outraged by Biden’s “Justice” Department

The New York Post wrote on July 28:

“The three new charges stacked against Donald Trump have left members of the GOP enraged over the timing a day after Hunter Biden’s probation-only plea deal fell apart. ‘It’s so brazen right now, what they’re doing,’ Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) told Fox News… ‘It is really a subversion of the rule of law…’

“Hawley said the Department of Justice has begun ‘charging random people’… hinting that the new charges were meant to take attention off the first son. ‘Is it any coincidence that the DOJ rushes to add these new indictments today, after the Hunter debacle…

“The president’s son pleaded not guilty to federal tax and gun charges following the bombshell ruling by the judge, opening the door for the possibility of additional charges in the future — such as for allegedly working as an unregistered foreign agent.

“Hunter Biden admitted during the hearing he had received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Chinese Communist Party-backed company— contradicting President Biden’s claims that his family never ‘made money from China.’

“Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called the charges brought forth by the Democrats ‘a disgrace’… ‘I think Merrick Garland should be impeached and removed from office for allowing the Department of Justice to be turned into a partisan hammer to attack the political enemies of the White House,’ Cruz said of the attorney general…

“Fellow Republican lawmakers have also begun ringing the bell that the indictment is being used as a distraction to benefit the Biden family. ‘The American people understand that Joe Biden and his administration are engulfed in one of the biggest political corruption scandals of all time,’ wrote House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) in a statement shared on Twitter. ‘It is no coincidence that the day after a federal judge throws out Hunter Biden’s corrupt, sweetheart plea bargain, Biden’s weaponized [Department of Justice] continues its witch hunt against President Trump,’ she added. ‘Our Republic is in peril, our justice system is broken.’…”

The Justice Department’s blatant witch hunt against Donald Trump and the appalling protection of Joe Biden are continuing…

What is particularly shocking about the Hunter Biden sweetheart plea deal is that the prosecution and the defense attorneys reportedly tried to hide the immunity clause in an attachment (dealing with the gun charge), which was allegedly given to the judge on the day of the hearing (not before) with the apparent hope that the judge would not even read it and sign off on the deal.

It will remain to be seen whether the judge who has given the parties leave to amend the documents, will ultimately sign off on them, as some scholars have already suggested that she would.  Some have even expressed their fear that the immunity clause will be removed from the written documentation, but a secret verbal understanding between the prosecution and Hunter Biden’s attorneys will be reached to the effect that no further charges against Hunter will be brought, while claiming that investigations are ongoing so that Congress would have no access to uncovered information pending investigation.

This is almost too bizarre to contemplate, but with the existing corrupt Justice Department, even the unbelievable becomes believable.

Great Britain Takes Note of the Biden Scandal

The Daily Mail wrote on July 28:

“This was the week Joe Biden’s ‘s rotten House Of Cards began teetering on the brink of collapse. While Netflix’s fictional U.S. President Kevin Spacey was found not guilty of sex charges by a jury in London, in another courtroom 3,500 miles away the web of lies and secrecy around alleged corruption in the Biden family was unravelling spectacularly…

“A judge in Delaware threw out a disgraceful sweetheart deal which would have seen Biden’s degenerate son Hunter walking free after pleading guilty to tax evasion, gun and drug charges, which would normally have led to serious jail time. Judge Maryellen Noreika refused to rubber-stamp an incredibly lenient plea bargain agreement stitched up between Hunter’s lawyers and the prosecution. It would have given Hunter not just a virtually free pass on past and present crimes but would have granted him immunity against any future charges he might face. After the judge ripped up the deal, Hunter was forced to enter not guilty pleas on two counts to which he had pleaded guilty to minutes earlier. He now faces further investigation into alleged crimes which may well implicate his father.

“On Monday, Hunter’s former best friend and business partner Devon Archer is due to tell a Congressional committee that both Hunter and Joe Biden accepted bribes of $5 million each from a Ukrainian businessman. He is also expected to testify that despite previous repeated denials, the President was involved in his son’s business dealings. Archer says he was present when Joe Biden took part in not one but 24 separate telephone conference calls with Hunter’s foreign clients.

“That’s if Archer actually turns up and isn’t found floating face down in Washington’s Potomac River. Last night he was reported to have gone into hiding, after friends said he had received unspecified ‘threats’ against both himself and his family.

“For once, America’s mainstream media hasn’t been able to swerve the mounting evidence against the Bidens. On Wednesday all three major national TV networks led their nightly news bulletins with reports on the sensational decision by the judge to throw out Hunter’s sweetheart deal. Until now, Joe Biden has enjoyed fawning coverage from NBC, ABC and CBS, along with backing from 95 per cent of America’s big city newspapers. Negative stories have been studiously ignored…

“Peter Baker, who covers the White House for the Democrat-supporting New York Times, admitted it would be difficult for Joe Biden to continue defending his son on the grounds of Hunter’s well-documented ‘battle’ against drug addiction… And tellingly, Baker added: ‘For President Biden, it’s not just about his wayward son but whether he himself had something to do with his wayward son’s business dealings.’ Joe Biden has always maintained he has never even discussed business with Hunter. That changed subtly this week when the White House said he had never been in business… with him…

“Yet if half of what is being alleged about Joe Biden is true, Clinton’s ‘I did not have sex with that woman, Miss Lewinsky’ is at worst a little white lie which pales into insignificance alongside allegations of multi-million-dollar influence peddling. The claim that both Bidens received $5 million each in bribes from a Ukrainian businessman is supported by a recently released document detailing sworn evidence from a source described as an FBI ‘trusted confidential informant’…

“[Hunter’s] laptop hard drive contained a mine of explosive and potentially incriminating material [including] an email from Hunter to his sister complaining that he had to give half his income to his father…

“[Press spokeswoman] Karine Jean-Pierre… refused to answer questions from the Washington Press Corps on the preposterous grounds that Hunter is a ‘private person’ who is trying to ‘rebuild his life’ following drug addiction… As for the notion that Hunter is a private person, how come he was driven to court in a six-vehicle secret service motorcade? If he’s a private person, what is he doing at official functions at the White House, where he appears to live half the time? Why is he flying to Camp David on Marine One… or swanning round the world on Air Force One, accompanying his dad on state visits?…

“Biden’s apologists say he is only trying to protect his son. But, as former Republican speaker Newt Gingrich said this week, President Biden is really trying to protect himself… Even the mainstream media, which has protected Biden for years, appear to be withdrawing their love right now…”

Calls for an impeachment inquiry and impeachment have been growing. Bribery is one of the two offenses specifically mentioned by the Constitution as grounds for impeachment, along with treason. But will it reach that point? Note the next articles.

A Doomed President?

1945 wrote on July 28:

“Those who are concerned that former President Donald J. Trump’s alleged crimes will dissuade independent voters from supporting Trump in the General Election will now have to contend with the fact that President Biden will be under the same—if not more—legal scrutiny than Trump if Biden remains the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee in 2024. 

“Already, President Biden is one of the most unpopular men to have ever run for reelection in modern political history. He’s got slightly less unpopularity than what Trump has. But the presence of this corruption scandal hanging over his head, as well as the likelihood that the Republicans impeach the forty-sixth president, means that his chances for reelection have just declined drastically—and Trump’s chances have increased. 

“This is a nightmare scenario for the Democrats, who now find themselves having to support Biden no matter what or replace him with a far less effective candidate, such as Vice-President Kamala Harris.  Or with a more effective candidate, like California’s Governor Gavin Newsom, who will have difficulty proving to independent voters that they should vote for the obviously unstable Democratic Party in 2024, should the DNC kick both its presidential and vice-presidential candidates to the curb.”

What are the Republicans waiting for in regard to an impeachment inquiry or impeachment? While the Democrats impeached Trump twice with much less “evidence,” Republicans don’t seem to be willing to impeach Biden, while the evidence of his misconduct is mounting. The next article might explain as to why the reluctance.

Impeaching Biden?

1945 wrote on July 28:

“Former Speaker Newt Gingrich has a warning for Republicans on a Joe Biden Impeachment: You will get President Kamala Harris if you impeach Joe Biden and remove him from office… ‘The only short-term consequence of a successful impeachment is Kamala Harris , and Kamala would be such a total disaster for the country that Biden’s corruption is probably preferable to her incompetence,’ Gingrich said…

“The chances of removing Biden in the event he is impeached is slim and none because it takes 67 senators to remove a president from office. Donald Trump’s second impeachment marked the first time a majority of senators voted to remove the then former president. Fifty-seven senators voted to remove and disqualify Trump, falling 10 votes short…

“The precedent set during the Trump impeachments has transformed impeachment into something akin to a vote of no confidence, as exists in parliamentary democracies. Impeaching Biden would expose politically damaging information during the 2024 political campaign and could take the political sting off of the Trump prosecutions. It would then be up to the voters to decide which candidate is the lesser of two evils.”

From that last standpoint, impeachment procedures against Biden would make a lot of sense.

Doomed Either Way–Neither Trump Nor Biden?

The Washington Examiner wrote on July 29:

“A new poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports confirmed what many voters say to each other: we’re doomed. The interesting twist on this survey is that the answer is more indicative of the country’s political tribalism than any particular candidate’s character or platform.

“82% of the country thinks we are doomed if President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump is reelected president in 2024. This breaks down to 40% of ‘likely U.S. voters’ agreeing that the country is doomed unless Biden is elected. Conversely, 42% of voters felt that Trump must win in 2024 or ‘the United States is doomed.’…

“69% of liberals agreed in some form with the ‘Biden-or-doom’ attitude regarding the 2024 presidential election. Comparatively, 63% of conservative voters supported the ‘Trump-or-doom scenario.’… only 24% of voters ‘strongly disagree’ with both the Biden-or-doom and Trump-or-doom statements…

“The poll reveals what many people in the country already knew: we are a country divided…”

A division which will NOT be cured.

How Biden “Forced” Censorship of Free Speech

Fox News wrote on July 28:

“The Biden administration is facing intense scrutiny after Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, revealed a ‘smoking gun’ Thursday indicating alleged collusion between the White House and Facebook to censor Americans. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey argued the documents obtained by the House Judiciary Committee show the Biden administration pushed Big Tech beyond its own censorship bounds… ‘We knew that Joe Biden had coerced and colluded with Big Tech social media to silence American voices in violation of the First Amendment right to free speech,’ Bailey [said]. ‘And what this shows is that not only did he coerce and collude with Big Tech social media, but he actually pushed them further than their own internal censorship policies…’

“Earlier this month a judge blocked key Biden agencies and departments from communicating with social media companies to avoid potential First Amendment violations in the Missouri v. Biden ruling… ‘We can’t let Joe Biden destroy free speech in America,’ Bailey continued. 

“‘Never-before-released internal documents subpoenaed by the Judiciary Committee PROVE that Facebook and Instagram censored posts and changed their content moderation policies because of unconstitutional pressure from the Biden White House,’ Jordan wrote Thursday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. ‘During the first half of 2021, social media companies like Facebook faced tremendous pressure from the Biden White House—both publicly and privately—to crack down on alleged “misinformation”… In April 2021, a Facebook employee circulated an email for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg, writing: “We are facing continued pressure from external stakeholders, including the [Biden] White House’ to remove posts.”

“‘They didn’t actually care whether things was true or false to censor it. They just censored it. So, for instance, if you said that you had a pretty good immunity after COVID recovery, well, you could get censored. If you said that people could get vaccine injured [sic] you were censored,’ Dr. Jay Bhattacharya of Stanford Medical said Friday. Last year’s ‘Twitter Files’ revealed that Bhattacharya was allegedly on the platform’s ‘blacklist’ because he ‘argued that COVID lockdowns would harm children,’ according to information revealed by reporter Bari Weiss. ‘You could even get censored for saying true things,’ Bhattacharya continued. ‘For instance, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was paused by the CDC. When the White House posted that on its Facebook page, it got censored. It got censored by its own censorship regime that it created. It’s ironic and tragic that the White House violated the rights of American people for nothing.’

“But Jordan said Facebook knew what it was doing when it was succumbing to the administration’s demands in order to maintain a ‘cozy’ relationship… ‘One of those Facebook executives said “this is a significant incursion into the boundaries of free expression.” That is a fancy way of saying this violates the First Amendment…’

“Bhattacharya echoed Jordan’s sentiment, arguing the White House infringed on Americans’ free speech rights, but also ‘harmed public health’ in the process…”

So much more has been revealed in the meantime, including Biden’s pressure on Facebook [now called Meta] to delete footage from Tucker Carlson’s Fox News program (see The Wall Street Journal, dated July 28). In light of this evil development of governmental suppression of free speech— including true statements—, the next article is really shocking.

Most Democrats Support Suppression of Free Speech

The Ron Paul Institute republished the following article by Professor Turley on July 27:

“[A new] Pew found that ‘Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are much more likely than Republicans and Republican leaners to support the US government taking steps to restrict false information online (70% vs. 39%).’

“I was raised in a politically active Democratic family in Chicago. Free speech was viewed as one of the defining values of the party and championed across campuses in the country. That changed dramatically in the course of the last ten years as many liberal politicians and professors called for opposing voices to be banned or canceled. I no longer recognize the party as it pushes for censorship and speech regulation…

“What is particularly chilling is that this poll is occurring after the disclosure of biased censorship efforts by the government and corporations, including the suppression of views that were later found to be legitimate. That includes the banning or cancelling of scientists who raised concerns over Covid-19 that are now considered valid from the lab theory to the efficacy of masks to natural immunities. It also includes the suppression of political stories like the Hunter Biden laptop.

“The growing support for censorship may reflect the echo chambered media environment… President Biden even charged that companies who refused to censor opposing views on social media were ‘killing people’… former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich has declared free speech is ‘tyranny.’  Many journalists have joined politicians and professors in decrying the dangers of free speech…

“The result left free speech values in free fall in our country… The European crackdown on free speech has now reached our shores and there are a growing number of citizens calling on the government to limit their right to free expression. It is a form of constitutional immolation by citizens who have never known true authoritarian government.

“The Pew poll shows how dire this struggle has become… This is a crisis of faith that we cannot ignore. Justice Louis Brandeis once warned that ‘The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.’”

Another proof that America is descending into authoritarian dictatorship, following Canada’s horrific example.

Robert F Kennedy Jr. Vice-President Under Trump?

Newsweek wrote on August 1:

“Steve Bannon has joined a growing number of conservatives who have suggested that a 2024 presidential ticket with Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could find success with voters.

“Bannon, a one-time senior adviser to Trump, discussed the possibility during Sunday’s episode of his War Room podcast. Though he noted the chances of Kennedy, a Democrat, running with the Republican former president would be a ‘long shot,’ Bannon said the pairing could win in a ‘massive landslide.’

“Kennedy… has found favor with many conservatives. Federal Election Commission filings show he has received large contributions for his presidential campaign from donors who typically give to GOP candidates.

“But some prominent right-wing figures would prefer that Kennedy join forces with Trump rather than running his own campaign for the White House. Roger Stone, another former adviser to the ex-president, has suggested Kennedy should receive a top administration role if Trump wins the White House in 2024. Last week, Stone dedicated an episode of his show on the video platform Rumble to the possibility of Kennedy running as Trump’s VP.

“Numerous social media users have also endorsed a Trump/Kennedy ticket in recent days… Trump himself has also spoken well of Kennedy, saying… that he thinks the Democrat is a ‘very smart person.’”

Adverse Effects From Covid Vaccinations Seriously Underreported

Rebel News reported on July 25:

“The senior Health Canada official [Dr. Celia Lourenco] who approved which COVID vaccines Canadians could take is admitting their surveillance of ‘adverse events’ — caused by the jab — fell short…

“Parliament imposed a vaccine mandate on the public service and federally regulated sectors in October 2021 and abandoned it last June.

“Lourenco ascertains that underreporting adverse effects caused by COVID vaccines is a ‘well-known fact’ because healthcare providers and patients may not report or even be aware of the events.

“… litigator Bernard Desgagné… claimed this degree of underreporting could have caused millions of deaths south of the border… A health department spokesperson told the publication that ‘most pre-pandemic studies about this topic estimate adverse drug reactions under-reporting rates of 90% or higher.’…

“As of writing, the federal government has paid nearly $6.7 million in damages to Canadians caused by COVID vaccine injuries… As of November 2022, Canada administered 93 million COVID doses to residents.”

This is SO irresponsible!

Visiting the Temple Mount? Not Allowed!

The Times of Israel wrote on July 27:

“Far-right National Security Itamar Ben Gvir visited the flashpoint Temple Mount site Thursday for Tisha B’Av, a Jewish day of national mourning, prompting anger from Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and the Hamas terror group as well as a rebuke from Washington.

“It was Ben Gvir’s third visit to the site while serving as a cabinet minister. Each visit has prompted a furious reaction from the Arab world.

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry warned that alleged unilateral measures by Israel at the site and violations of the status quo ‘threaten to escalate the situation into more rounds of violence.’ ‘We warn against the dangerous consequences of allowing the extremists to reach the mount and allow them to carry out provocations,’ the ministry added.

“In a statement following Ben Gvir’s visit, the US Embassy in Israel said it ‘stands firmly’ for preserving the status quo and the site, adding that ‘any unilateral action or rhetoric that jeopardizes the status quo is unacceptable.’

“The Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Ministry charged Ben Gvir’s visit was part of ‘an official Israeli cover for the ongoing invasions and the plans to Judaize the Al-Aqsa Mosque and to impose forced changes on the existing historical and legal reality, as an inseparable part of the Judaization of Jerusalem.’

“Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qasem called the visit a ‘dangerous escalation’ and a ‘provocation’ to the Palestinian people, vowing that they would not allow Israel to carry out its alleged ‘plans’ at the site. ‘Our people will defend the identity of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and protect its Islamic and Arab character at all costs, because Al-Aqsa has always been the trigger for revolutions and rebellions,’ the statement read.

“The Saudi Foreign Ministry also condemned Ben Gvir’s visit to the site, calling it a ‘flagrant violation of all international norms and agreements’ as well as a ‘provocation to all Muslims around the world.’…

“Observant Jews fast the entirety of the day in mourning of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE, and then of its replacement in 70 CE. A major reason for the catastrophes cited in tradition is the division and hatred between different groups in Jewish society. The two temples were located at the flashpoint site…

“[Negev and the Galilee Development Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf, a member of Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit party] tweeted his hope for the ‘redemption’ of the Jewish people and ‘the building of the [Third] Temple soon in our days, amen.’…

“Last week, Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef accused Ben Gvir of ‘sinning and causing others to sin’ by visiting the Temple Mount. Yosef said Ben Gvir has defied multiple rabbinical rulings stating that Jewish Orthodox law forbids Jews to enter the Temple Mount, citing principles detailed in halacha, Jewish Orthodox law, about preserving the purity of the site, considered the holiest in Judaism.

“Ben Gvir defended the visits in response, saying that he was following the advice of his own rabbis, who said it was a ‘mitzvah’ — the Hebrew word for duty or commandment — to visit the site.”

A third temple will be built, but the contentions among Jews regarding this issue are quite telling.

Ukraine Moves Christmas to December 25

Evening Standard wrote on July 29:

“Ukraine has moved its official Christmas Day state holiday from January 7 to December 25 in a snub to Russia. President… Zelensky said the parliamentary bill would help Ukraine ‘abandon the Russian heritage of imposing Christmas celebrations’…

“Ukraine’s largest Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has long-standing historic ties to Moscow, has previously celebrated the holidays according to the Julian calendar used by Russia.”

Neither January 7 nor December 25 marks the birthday of Jesus. He was clearly not born at that time. But more importantly, nowhere does the Bible tell us that we ought to celebrate Christ’s birthday.

Russia and Africa

Tag24 News wrote on July 29:

“Russia has signed agreements for military cooperation with over 40 African countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Friday in St. Petersburg… Putin stated that African states received a wide range of weapons and technology, some for free ‘with the aim of enhancing the security and sovereignty of the countries’…

“Putin reiterated that Russia would continue to be a reliable supplier of grain to the continent’s countries. The pledge came after Russia ended a deal that allowed Ukrainian grain to be exported through the Black Sea. Ukraine is a major supplier of grain to Africa.

“The chairman of the African Union said in his closing address at the summit that Putin’s proposals to provide grain were insufficient. ‘Yes, this is important, but it may not be quite enough. We need to achieve a ceasefire,’ Azali Assoumani said. ‘President Putin has shown us that he is ready to engage in dialogue and find a solution,’ he added. ‘Now we need to convince the other side.’”

Russia Threatens Ukraine With Nuclear Weapons

The Daily Mail wrote on July 30:

“The Kremlin today bluntly threatened use of nuclear weapons in the wake of the Ukrainian drone strike on Moscow’s skyscraper zone. Three drones struck an elite office building and residential skyscraper in Moscow early Sunday morning in what Russia’s Defence Ministry has branded an ‘attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime’.

“Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and Putin ally, has warned there is ‘simply no other way out’ and said that Kyiv should ‘pray to our warriors’ that they do not ‘allow the global nuclear fire to flare up’.

“Moscow said it had brought down three Ukrainian drones early on Sunday that had been trying to attack the capital. (Moscow claimed it injured one person and prompted a temporary airport closure). It also claimed its forces had thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to attack Russia-annexed Crimea with 25 drones overnight.

“Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, has been targeted by Kyiv throughout Moscow’s Ukraine offensive but has come under more intense, increased attacks in recent weeks. Kyiv has repeatedly said it plans to take Crimea back.”

The US Cannot Establish Air Superiority

On July 29, the Ron Paul Institute republished the following article by William Schryver;

“I have long asserted, and I continue to be convinced, that the US could NOT establish air superiority against Russia, China, nor even Iran — not in a week; not in a year. Never. It simply could not be done. American air power would prove substantially inferior to the extremely potent and abundantly supplied air defenses arrayed against it in any of those three countries. American suppression of enemy air defenses would prove woefully inadequate to the task… US air power as a theater-wide undertaking could not be sustained in the context of a non-permissive regional and global battlefield.

“In a high-intensity combat scenario in either eastern Europe, the China seas, or the Persian Gulf, the maintenance requirements for US aircraft could not be met… The US would, quite literally after only a few days, see sub-10% mission-capable rates for the F-22 and F-35, and sub-25% rates for almost every other platform in the inventory…  US supply lines would be severely attrited on both a regional and a global scale.

“Russian and Chinese submarines and long-range anti-ship missile systems would wreak havoc on US seaborne logistics… The US could not fight an overseas war in a non-permissive environment against a peer adversary. It doesn’t have the means, let alone the experience and competence, to do so…”

Of course, the real and unappreciated danger is overlooked; and that is the coming prophesied war between Europe and the USA. But, applying the statements about the USA above to a war with Europe, they are frighteningly accurate.

More Women in the Germany Army!

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 30:

“Germany wants you for the armed forces — especially if you’re a woman. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Cabinet adopted a series of measures this week to boost equal opportunity in the military… The Bundeswehr needs people to fill its ranks, as part of Germany’s efforts to bolster its military capabilities in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine…

“As the government sees it, putting more women in uniform ‘makes a contribution’ to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development…

“… the improved provisions… follow up efforts elsewhere in the bureaucracy and private sector. Some political parties, for example, require a 50-50 split of candidates running for office. The Bundestag, Germany’s parliament, has strengthened laws to get more women into leadership positions in companies…

“When West Germany’s military was founded in 1955, women were barred from service. That would not change until 1975 — and only then limited to the medical corps. Even after all military roles were open to women, in 2001, the medical corps remained the area with the highest female contingent.

“The story was different in [East Germany]. The country’s socialist character took pride in equal opportunity for men and women. Its armed forces were founded in 1956 and allowed full participation. The big difference: men were drafted, whereas women could volunteer. Those who did mainly fulfilled medical and administrative tasks…

“The Bundeswehr’s push for more women is not only a matter of equal opportunity. It dovetails with new demand for all-around improvements to Germany’s military capabilities.

“The military has the added burden of needing to attract young people [wanting a] high degree of flexible and individual freedom in working life… Those expectations are generally at odds with a military’s rigid hierarchy and command structure. This week’s adoption of stricter equal opportunity standards helps fulfill part of the Bundeswehr’s strategy to expand recruitment.

“Another challenge the military shares with the private sector: workplace safety, especially for women. Sexual harassment lingers in the ranks. The Bundeswehr saw nearly 850 cases between 2018-2020…”

When becoming a part of the military, you are becoming a slave of the military. Paul said we should not voluntarily become slaves of men (1 Corinthians 7:23).

Germany is willing to become the strongest military in Europe—no matter what the challenges and costs. In Revelation 9:8, the coming European army is described as having “hair like women’s hair.”

The Real Dangers With Electric Cars and Bikes

The Sun published the following article by Jeremy Clarkson on July 29:

“For years I’ve told people until I’m blue in the face that electric cars don’t have enough range, that they take far too long to charge up, that they will always be too expensive and that they aren’t even very ­environmental. Happily, people are now starting to listen, so it’s time to move the argument along a bit with this:  Electric cars are also… dangerous.

“As I write, a massive ship is on fire off the Dutch coast and one person has died. No one knows for sure what caused it, but it was carrying 25 electric cars, and experts say it’s likely that one of them had a faulty battery pack.

“Earlier this month, much the same thing happened on an Italian car transporter in the port of Newark, New Jersey.  Two firefighters were killed putting that out.

“And then there was the Felicity Ace, which was carrying cars powered by lithium-ion batteries when it caught fire in the Atlantic Ocean and sank.

“In total, there have been ten major fires on ships carrying electric cars in the past 20 years… in the last five years, the emergency services have been called out to 753 electric vehicle fires in the UK alone.

“Last weekend the World Rallycross Championship at Lydden Hill in Kent had to be abandoned when a faulty battery pack destroyed the pits and burned out two Lancia Delta Evo E racing cars.

“And it’s not just cars. A safety charity announced this week that e-bikes have caused hundreds of catastrophic house fires.

“People have died, and that’s not surprising when you learn that a fully charged e-bike contains the same explosive energy as six hand grenades. And to make matters worse, fires in electric bikes and cars are often very difficult to extinguish.

“The electrical car that Richard Hammond rolled down a hill while filming for the Grand Tour burned for days. And then, after the fire had died down, something in the battery pack called ‘thermal runaway’ caused it to rear back up again. And this went on for weeks.

“The fact is this. It’s only a matter of time before an electric car bursts into flames on a cross-Channel ferry or in the Chunnel. Or in an underground car park…”

Bild Online asked 10 carmakers about the danger of electric cars. Not surprisingly, some responded by denying any danger, limiting their response however strictly to THEIR products, while other companies refused to answer.

Massive “Ocean” Under the Earth’s Crust

On the website of Indy100, we read the following:

“… there’s a massive ocean hidden under the Earth’s crust… there’s a huge supply of water 400 miles underground stored in rock known as ‘ringwoodite’… Scientists made the findings at the time after studying earthquakes and discovering that seismometers were picking up shockwaves under the surface of the Earth.

“From that, they were able to establish that the water was being held in the rock known as ringwoodite… If the rock contained just 1 per cent water, it would mean that there is three times more water under the surface of the Earth than there is in the oceans on the surface.”

God tells us that He will water the dry land (Isaiah 35:6-7; 44:3-4)—not necessarily with salt water from the oceans on the surface. We also read that at Noah’s time, “the fountains of the great deep were broken up” (Genesis 7:11), and that at the end of the Flood, “the fountains of the deep… were… stopped” (Genesis 8:2).

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

In the previous two Q&As, we discussed the fact that children of at least one converted parent are “sanctified” or “holy” in God’s eyes, which means that they can have a special and intimate relationship with God; that they CAN speak to God, expecting to be heard, and that they can experience and obtain an answer from God. We pointed out that they are not cut off from God the Father, but that they must make the decision of wanting to have continuing contact with God, by not neglecting or forsaking the Way of God.

We also discussed the blessing of little children and the fact that God assigns guardian angels to them for their protection, so that they can reach their potential of becoming baptized and ultimately born-again members in the God Family. We also showed that it is eventually the decision of the child or teenager or young adult as to how to conduct his or her Way of Life and whether or not to maintain a relationship with God.

Still, as we alluded to in the previous two Q&As, the teaching and conduct of parents can have great influence on the decision of the children to either become and stay loyal to God or to reject Him. In regard to Sabbath observance, we pointed out that “those children who are being taught and raised by their converted parents must come to the point where they prove for themselves that what they are being taught is true. They might have developed a ‘habit,’ due to the teaching and practice of their parents, to ‘keep’ the Sabbath by ‘going to church’ that day and sitting quietly in services for two hours, but that alone is never enough. Rather, they must prove for themselves in due time that God demands of them the keeping of the Sabbath and the annual Holy Days; the abstention from unclean meat; and the rejection of observing Sunday, Christmas, Easter or Halloween—again, no matter the costs and circumstances.”

This applies, as we explained, to all areas of life. In this regard, the example of parents is very important. For instance, when parents keep the Sabbath just as a matter of routine, but they are doing so grudgingly and with resentment and the attitude that it is a burden, and “we can hardly wait for when the Sabbath is over so we can do our own thing,” they give very mixed signals to the child as to the sanctity of the Sabbath and that it is supposed to be a day of joy.

We stated this in our free booklet, “The Key to Happy Marriages and Families”:

“In order to be able to teach God’s word effectively, it must first be settled in the hearts of the teachers themselves. Notice Deuteronomy 6:6–7, ‘And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.’

“If the words of God are NOT in our hearts, HOW CAN WE teach them diligently to our children? If we ourselves are not sure whether God’s instructions always apply in every situation without fail, how CAN we teach our children or teens that they do? If we doubt whether it is ALWAYS right NOT to lie, NOT to steal, NOT to kill, NOT to break the Sabbath, NOT to cheat on our wife or husband, how CAN we bring up our children or teens in the admonition of the Lord?”

It is true, as we pointed out in the previous Q&A, that the righteousness of parents does not automatically mean that their children become and stay righteous; but converted parents who behave unrighteously certainly have a bad influence on the upbringing of their children. At the same time, righteous parents who behave righteously most certainly have a good influence on the upbringing of their children, helping them to make the right decision of staying loyal to God and responding to His calling.

The Bible emphasizes time and again that children will follow the example of parents who behave badly. The child of an alcoholic or of a homosexual parent may easily adopt that lifestyle. A father who beats his wife may raise a son who may do the same later to his wife. Abraham lied when he said that his wife was his sister (Genesis 20:2,13); and his son Isaac committed the same sin (Genesis 26:6-7).

David lusted after Bathsheba, but he also took other women, including Maacah, a Geshurite or Canaanite princess (something which God had forbidden; compare Deuteronomy 7:3). Their son Absalom (2 Samuel 3:3) killed his half-brother Amnon who had raped Absolom’s sister Tamar (2 Samuel 13:1-14). David’s son Solomon committed terrible sins when he married pagan wives and followed their pagan religion.

We pointed out in the previous Q&A that God will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those children who hate God (Exodus 20:5). Friedman, Commentary on the Torah, points out that this “may refer to the way in which [bad] behavior recurs through generations in a family.”

Christ emphasized that wicked fathers may bring up wicked children. He explained in Matthew 23:29-35 that even though the children might pretend to have acted differently, they would have done the same thing as their fathers did, as they were engaged in the same kind of practice as their fathers:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.”

This terrible and vicious “circle of life” is, sadly, repeated time and time again. God prophesies that the last generation of Americans and Brits will go into captivity, and Leviticus 26:37-39 explains why: “… you shall have no power to stand before your enemies. You shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up. And those of you who are left shall waste away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; also in their fathers’ iniquities, which are with them, they shall waste away.”

We emphasize that this development does not have to be automatic. A son can see the wickedness of his father and decide NOT to live that way (Ezekiel 18:14-17). This is especially true, in our context of sanctification, when a child was brought up in the church but then experiences that his parents leave and go back into the world. That child does not need to follow his parents’ example. God had sanctified him or her, and that sanctification or holiness does not automatically cease to exist when the parents leave God’s Way of Life. But it goes without saying that their bad example might have a tremendously bad influence on the child; and the child or teen or young adult must turn to God with all his or her might to maintain his or her sanctified relationship with Him.

On the other hand, parents who live God’s Way of Life and don’t deviate from it have a very positive influence on the child’s development. God promises children tremendous blessings if they stay righteous (Psalm 103:17-18; Proverbs 20:7; Deuteronomy 4:40). God even offers physical protection in these terrible times to come, at a place of safety here on earth, for righteous parents and their children: “In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge” (Proverbs 14:26).

God speaks very clearly about the responsibility of the parents when He says: “Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 12:28). But God makes clear that when it comes to observing the law of God, more is necessary than just “keeping” it, so that parents can be great examples:

“Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” (Deuteronomy 5:29).

We all will, to an extent, adopt the bad behavior of our parents. And as they are called upon to repent of it, we, as their children, must do likewise, and the same is true for our children. This command to repent applies also to the “children” of the last generation of Americans and Brits in captivity:

“But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me, and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt—then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember; I will remember the land” (Leviticus 26:40-42).

As the new generation of Israel was called upon to enter into a covenant relationship with God at Moab, so each of us—grandparent, parent, children and grandchildren—is individually challenged to make that personal decision to follow God and not to walk away. It is interesting to read the words of Moses to that new generation of people who were ready to enter the Promised Land:

“The LORD our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain. Turn and take your journey, and go to the mountains of the Amorites, to all the neighboring places in the plain, in the mountains and in the lowland, in the South and on the seacoast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the River Euphrates. See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to your fathers–to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give to them and their descendants after them.’ And I spoke to you at that time, saying: ‘I alone am not able to bear you’” (Deuteronomy 1:6-9).

Moses reiterates events which had happened 40 years earlier. Most who were assembled now were not even alive when these events had taken place. Still, Moses addresses them directly in saying that he spoke to them. What had happened 40 years earlier had great consequences for the new generation. In Deuteronomy 1:21, Moses said to them: “Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.”

The word in Hebrew for “you” is in the singular; Moses addresses everyone individually, because everyone had to make the individual decision to follow God. And so, Moses states this in Deuteronomy 5:2-3:

“The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive.”

Technically, God did not make the covenant at Horeb with the new generation as most were not even alive at that time. But in a sense, God did.

In Hebrew, it says, literally:

“… but with us! We! These! Here! Today! All of us! Living!”

Friedman, Commentary on the Torah, explains:

“Moses speaks to the people in front of him as if they had all been at Sinai forty years earlier. Now he says explicitly, powerfully, unmistakably, with seven different words: Each generation must see themselves as personally standing at Sinai, not just inheriting their parents’ covenant, but as making the covenant themselves. It is a present, living commitment.”

Parents might have entered into the New Covenant relationship at the time of their baptism. But this will not bring their children automatically to the point where they also become baptized. It is up to them. But converted parents can and must help.

Let us conclude with these questions and remarks:

Are you a converted parent? Make sure that you do whatever you can to help your child to live God’s Way of Life.

Are you a sanctified child? Then God has preordained you before you were born to be called in this day and age to have a special relationship with Him and to come to Him. He has chosen YOU and given YOU the opportunity now to become a part His very Family. Value this precious and priceless gift very highly.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

By Delayla Sperzel (15) – Germany

My mom and I went to my orthodontist because I had to get fixed braces. We went to appointments on three consecutive days and I was trying to predict which pliers the orthodontist was going to use during the application and got it right each time, as I’m a very quick learner. When he heard that, he asked me if I wanted to do an internship at the clinic. Since I was still searching for something at this point, I brought an application with me the next day. He was very enthusiastic about this application and asked me if I had time for an internship and we made appointments together for this.

Therefore, at the beginning of July, I spent 3 days doing an internship in the orthodontics practice.

On the last day of my internship, the boss invited me to his office, where he praised me very much, and told me that he was very impressed that I had done such a wonderful job and that I had a great and positive charisma. After the great praise, he gave me the wonderful message that he would like me to be part of his team.

I give thanks to God and His leadership and how God intervened in my new phase of life and put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Now he has provided me with a wonderful education and a very nice and understanding boss.

Initial Translation: Anna Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“Is America Doomed? The Biden and Trump Scandals!” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Hunter Biden’s sweetheart plea deal and its somewhat hidden immunity clause fall apart. More criminal charges against Trump in the Mar-o-Lago documents case are brought one day later. Hunter’s business partner Devon Archer testifies in Congress about Joe Biden’s conduct in regard to Hunter and Hunter’s foreign business associates. One day later, criminal charges are brought in an indictment pertaining to 2020 election events.  Did special counsel Jack Smith open a Pandora’s box, and if so, why and how? Could Smith be indicted himself? Legal experts and scholars such as George Washington University Professor Jonathan Turley and Harvard University Professor Alan Dershowitz rip the indictment apart on constitutional and other grounds. Are we doomed? Many feel that we are!

“Russlands Krieg mit Deutschland,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Russia’s War with Germany.”

Our new German booklet, “Aufstieg und Fall von Deutschland und Europa,”  which is a translation of our English booklet, “The Rise and Fall of Germany and Europe,” has been sent to our printer. It has also been posted on our Website. 

“Was ist Gottes Wort?” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented in Germany by Tahir Coban, is now posted. Title in English: “What is God’s Word?”

“In Despair,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Life can get pretty hard. We can learn from the examples in the Bible of those who groaned in despair because of their dire circumstances. By hanging on in faith that God will see us through even the most difficult situations, we will be able to overcome, even when things seem hopeless.

“The Power of Love,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Imagine, for a moment, a world in which love was the basis for all human interactions! God has planned for this, and He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to lay the foundation for just such a world!