Update 1118

On, June 6, 2024, Paul Niehoff will present the sermonette, titled, “Choose Life” and Kalon Mitchell will present the sermon, titled, “Before You and Behind You.”

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

Watching the recent presidential debate in the USA was a bit of an eye-opener, with two elderly men throwing insults at each other and accusing each other of lying.  A fact check of either one would show that they both lied many times during the debate, following the example of their leader— Satan, the current ruler of this age whom Christ called a liar and murderer from the beginning.

We read Christ’s words in John 8:44: “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

Satan lied to Eve and deceived her into taking the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which was in direct disobedience to what God had told her and which led to the death of both her and her husband Adam who followed her lead.

So, the devil not only lied to her but was also guilty of murder. He is a totally corrupt, evil and irredeemable being, awaiting judgement in the future. He is currently the god of this world who sinned and rebelled against his Creator—the one and true God.

That is the problem with many politicians and leaders in this age. Influenced by Satan in one way or another, they lie about everything, thinking there is no recourse or future punishment. Politicians lie and are backed up by a corrupt lying media to push their agenda on the people.

Thankfully, this situation will end when this evil system will be changed and be replaced by a just system of government. This will be accomplished when Christ returns to rule the earth with His saints– the glorified children of God who will not be, nor can be, corrupted by man or Satan.

It behoves us in this day and age to tell the Truth at all times and live with the consequences. Once a person starts lying and refuses to correct his lies and to change by telling the Truth, he cannot be trusted.

As God’s people, we must be looked upon as trustworthy and as those who tell the Truth–always.

by Norbert Link

We begin with dramatic events in France; a terror threat in Germany; and Hungary’s role in the EU.

We continue with Biden’s debacle during the debate, demands for him to pull out of the race;  and the problematic role his wife and her “Rasputin-like” “work-husband” are playing in this “story of lies.”

We report on some wide-ranging legal cases in the USA, pertaining to Donald Trump, and conclude with the pride-parade in London, but not in Istanbul.

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

Le Pen Wins and Macron Loses

Daily Mail wrote on June 30:

“Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) won the first round of legislative elections on Sunday, leaving incumbent president Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance lagging in third behind the left…

“Many French voters are frustrated about inflation and other economic concerns, as well as Macron’s leadership, seen as arrogant and out-of-touch with their lives. The National Rally party has tapped that discontent… Le Pen, the daughter of the party’s racist and anti-Semitic father Jean-Marie, said Macron’s alliance was ‘almost wiped out’ during the first round of voting.  

“The first round of this year’s election, called by Macron after a devastating loss in the European Parliament elections earlier this month, saw record levels of turnout. Polls suggested 67.5% of people voted in the national election, the highest participation in a regular format legislative election in France since 1981. The final turnout in 2022, the last time national elections were held in the nation, was just 47.5%.

“Despite the win, it is still not currently clear whether Le Pen’s party would win an absolute majority of seats in the new National Assembly lower house in the July 7 second round and claim the post of prime minister. The second round will see run-off votes take place in seats where there was no absolute majority, allowing the final shape of the National Assembly to form.  

“The vote could give 28-year-old RN party chief Jordan Bardella, a protege of its longtime leader Marine Le Pen, the chance to form a government, making it the first time the far-right takes the reins of power in France since the Nazi occupation during WWII. The last far-right leaders of France were Philippe Pétai and his prime minister, Pierre Laval, who headed the Vichy regime that collaborated with the Nazis during World War II. 

“Bardella has previously said he would only form a government if the RN wins an absolute majority in the elections, but the party has said that the far-right wunderkind would become the country’s prime minister, while Macron would stay president until his term expires in 2027 in an awkward power-sharing arrangement called ‘cohabitation’ in France.  Gabriel Attal, France’s current prime minister, said tonight that the ‘extreme right is on the verge of power’…

“Despite his humiliating third-place finish in the first round of voting, Macron called for a broad coalition to come together to stop the RN next weekend… Bardella hit back, telling voters that he would be the ‘protector’ of their rights and freedoms….”

The RN and its allies won Sunday’s round with 33% of the vote, followed by a left-wing bloc with 28% and well ahead of President Emmanuel Macron’s centrists, who scored just 20%.

How the French Voting System Works

The Sun wrote on July 1:

“THE French public choose their president and MPs in separate elections – unlike in the UK where the country’s leader, the PM, is determined by which party has a majority in parliament. There are 577 seats – and constituencies – in France’s National Assembly. For an absolute majority in government a party would need 289 seats.

“France’s parliamentary elections are made up of two rounds, with the first kicking out anyone who fails to win 12.5% of votes in their area. If any candidates get more than 50% of the vote in their area, and at least a quarter of the local voter pool turns out to cast their ballot, they win a seat automatically. This doesn’t happen very often, but RN thinks this time it could happen in dozens of seats.

“The second round, for any seats which candidates do not win outright, is then a series of knock-outs fought either by two, three or sometimes four candidates.

“Some candidates may drop out before the second round on July 7 to give their allies a better chance over another candidate in a three or four-way race. French leaders are urging candidates and voters to act tactically to stop the far-right surge.”

French Press Blasts Macron

Bild Online wrote on July 1:

“France’s establishment in shock! Will the right-wing populist party ‘Rassemblement National’ actually produce the prime minister? That’s what it looks like!…

“The press has identified a clear culprit: President Emmanuel Macron (46). And a very large part of the population is also angry and blames him for the rise of the right… Not only did he dissolve the National Assembly and thus initiate early elections, which only had 20 days to prepare – he also lost them by a huge margin!…

“’Le Figaro’ titles its commentary: ‘A French Tragedy’ and writes: ‘When historians look back on the dissolution of Parliament, only one word will come to mind: disaster!’ ‘What a field of rubble!’, says indignantly its Editor-in-chief and sarcastically writes ‘Thank Macron’ for the ‘regime crisis’…

“But between the right-wing populists (RN) and the left-wing extremists (‘New Popular Front’), it is clear to the ‘Figaro’ boss who is the lesser evil: ‘The RN’s program is certainly worrying in many ways, but on the other side [there is] anti-Semitism, Islamist leftism, hateful class struggle, tax hysteria… An ideology that would bring shame and ruin to the country.’… ‘End of an era’, writes the business newspaper ‘Les Échos’. However, the newspaper does not call for a blockade with the left. Reason: the left-wing extremists are simply not electable. Party leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon is ‘a scarecrow’, his candidates wearing Palestine scarves are ‘just there to shock’, but otherwise have no political concepts.

“Politico… headlines: ‘Macron is already over. Can someone stop Le Pen?’ It also takes a hard stance against Macron: ‘The first round of the parliamentary elections on Sunday was a personal humiliation, just like his breathtaking rise to the presidency seven years ago.’ Now Emmanuel Macron is ‘facing a bitter, painful one…. Should he do everything he can to stop the far right or try to save what’s left of his once-dominant movement before it dies?’

“Many media outlets agree that Macron completely lost his gamble by dissolving Parliament after the EU elections. Die Zeit wonders what Macron was doing: ‘Rarely has a single man in a Western democracy made such a solitary decision. Whether due to overconfidence, hurt pride or other motives – this question will concern historians.’”

There is an interesting parallel to the situation prior to and leading to Hitler’s election in 1933. At that time, it was basically a fight between right-wing and left-wing extremists in Germany.

Terror Threat in Germany

Newsmax wrote on July 1:

“CNN reported Sunday that several U.S. military bases in Europe had detected terror threats on the continent… The U.S. Army garrison in Stuttgart, Germany… raised its alert level to Force Protection Condition ‘Charlie’ on Sunday. In its report, CNN noted it is ‘not clear what intelligence triggered the heightened security.’

“Nonetheless, in light of the Paris Olympics in July and the European soccer championships in Germany, both countries are said to be putting in place active security measures. Germany is planning to roll out an additional wave of police officers, and France is also said to be taking precautionary measures. ‘French authorities actively monitor terrorist threats from organized groups and radicalized individuals,’ the U.S. Embassy in France said.  ’Attacks may happen with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, major sporting and cultural events, and other public areas that attract large numbers of civilians.’”

This is the second-highest alert. The highest alert pertains to a situation when a terror attack has occurred or when it is imminent to occur immediately.

Political Proceedings Against Höcke?

Bild Online wrote on July 1:

“The Thuringian AfD leader Björn Höcke (52) was sentenced to the next fine on Monday for using a Nazi slogan. The Halle regional court also found the AfD politician guilty in the second trial for using the symbols of unconstitutional organizations and imposed a fine totaling 16,900 euros. The 5th Criminal Chamber… saw it as proven that the AfD right-wing extremist had shouted ‘Everything for Germany’, a slogan of Adolf Hitler’s… Sturmabteilung (SA), with the help of his listeners, at his party’s regular meeting in Gera (Thuringia) in December 2023…

“Höcke first shouted the slogan in 2021 during an AfD election event in Merseburg (Saxony-Anhalt). At the first trial in May, Höcke was sentenced to a fine of 13,000 euros. In both cases he must also bear the costs of the procedure. The politician’s lawyers immediately filed an appeal against the May verdict. This judgment should be reviewed by the Federal Court of Justice.

“It is also expected that Höcke’s lawyers will appeal the second judgment handed down on Monday.

“In his final words, read from index cards, the politician asked the court – like his two lawyers before him – for an acquittal“.

In his closing statement, Höcke accused the court and, above all, the public prosecutor’s office of conducting a ‘political trial’ against him. He complained that the separation of powers in Germany was ‘broken in many places’ and that his proceedings ‘reeked of influencing the judiciary.’…”

As we have previously reported, it was largely unknown in Germany that the slogan “Everything for Germany” was allegedly a banned slogan from the Nazi era.

Hungary at the Helm

The Washington Post wrote on July 1:

“Hungary has spent the past few years railing against the European Union. For the next six months, Hungary will help lead it — and it’s set to be a wild and revealing ride. On July 1, Hungary, the E.U.’s disrupter-in-chief, takes up the rotating presidency of the Council of the E.U., a job that shapes the E.U. agenda but rarely makes headlines beyond sleepy Brussels.

“But the country’s slogan for its stint — ‘Make Europe Great Again’ — suggests Hungary plans to make the most of its turn at the E.U. microphone, likely by taunting E.U. allies and talking up a resurgent right. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban takes center stage at a moment when the success of hard- and far-right parties in recent elections has shaken Europe’s establishment and the world is mulling the possible return of a different populist firebrand, former president Donald Trump… Orban has strong ties to Trump’s political movement…

“Orban and the E.U. have been feuding for years, but he is particularly unpopular in Brussels right now because he’s held up financial support for Ukraine.

“… over the next six months, Hungary will need to find a balance between lambasting the E.U. and using it to promote its interests…”

In spite of Hungary’s ongoing quarrels with the EU, we do not foresee Hungary’s departure from the EU. Rather, it is conceivable that Hungary will play an important future role within the core nations of Europe.

Orban Visits Zelenskyy

The Associated Press wrote on July 2:

“Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was in Kyiv on Tuesday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his first visit to the country since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022… the main topic of the meeting will be the opportunity for building peace as Ukraine fights off Russia’s invasion…

“Orbán’s visit was a rare gesture in a relationship that has long been marred by tensions. Known as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest EU ally, Orbán has routinely blocked, delayed or watered down EU efforts to extend assistance to Ukraine and to sanction Moscow over its war, frustrating both Zelenskyy and other EU leaders.

“He has also accused Kyiv of mistreating an ethnic Hungarian minority in Ukraine’s western region of Zakarpattia, a community he has used to justify his refusal to provide weapons to Ukraine or allow their transfer across the two countries’ shared border…

“Orbán’s visit also comes as he seeks to recruit members into a new nationalist alliance that he hopes will soon become the largest right-wing group in the European Parliament. On Sunday, Orbán met in Vienna with the leaders of Austria’s far-right Freedom Party and the main Czech opposition party, announcing the formation of the new group, ‘Patriots for Europe.’ The trio would need to attract lawmakers from at least four more EU countries to successfully form a group in Europe’s new parliament…”

Biden Must Go…

The New York Post Editorial Board wrote on June 27:

“Millions just witnessed the end of a presidency live on television. Joe Biden’s performance during the debate was embarrassing… The administration can’t say it’s a ‘cheap fake’ — everyone saw it happen. Biden can’t survive this.

“It is political malpractice to let him continue to run for re-election. It is national malpractice to let him continue. Biden spent an entire week preparing for this debate, and this is the best he could do. That should terrify everyone.

“Let’s say that, shockingly, Democrats don’t intervene to replace President Biden as their candidate. Say, implausibly, 81-year-old Biden wins. He won’t be getting any sharper. During a second term, our president would continue to deteriorate, incapable of making proper decisions. That would be a disaster for the United States…

“Biden was so mumbling, so doddering, so lacking in command of the facts that it overshadowed everything… No wonder the White House keeps him hidden, away from the press and public events. The Democratic elite are pulling a con job on the American people, and it was exposed last night.”

Deutsche Welle added on June 29:

“‘There is nothing to sugarcoat here: This debate was a disaster for Joe Biden,’ said Ines Pohl, bureau chief of DW’s Washington D.C. studio. ‘The main objective for Biden tonight was to demonstrate that he is fit for office, but he failed miserably’… ‘The Democrats are in a state of panic.’’

What an Awful Choice!

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on June 29:

“This week’s presidential debate made me both horrified and dismayed. Here was the world’s most powerful nation trying to decide which elderly candidate to select as its presidential candidate. Joe Biden was left looking feeble and halting before the bombastic Trump. At least Trump made some sense in what he said whether true or false…

“Few should doubt that President Biden is much too old for a second term… Democrats badly need a new leader…

“What a dark time in US history. America seems to be going the way of the old Soviet Union, with a decrepit leadership sitting atop a sea of corruption… Those who do not love the United States must be very happy now. Things could only get worse.”

They will. And Biden’s claim during the debate that the USA is respected in the world today was laughable.

Piers Morgan’s Take

He wrote in The Sun, on June 29:

“This wasn’t a mere car crash or train-wreck, as some are saying… It was a political earthquake of Biblical-level proportions. Only this quake lasted just 16 seconds. That’s how long it took Joe Biden to show horrified Americans, and the watching world, he is no longer fit to serve as President of the United States… And from that moment, which came just a few minutes into the 90-minute debate, Biden was a dead man walking, both metaphorically and sadly, almost literally…

“Biden stumbled on like a guy with senile dementia who’s escaped from his carer – and got lost in a hospital corridor…

“Setting aside political partisanship, this was a desperately sad moment for America… Frankly, I wouldn’t trust Joe Biden to even sit in a rocking chair without tumbling out of it, let alone have his supposed Commander-in-Chief fingers anywhere near a nuclear trigger.

“And shame on the First Lady, Jill Biden, for not stepping in before to save her husband from himself and such hideous ignominy…”

Jill Biden Should Persuade Her Husband to Pull Out of the Race

The Telegraph wrote on June 29:

“Jill Biden is under fire from Democrat donors for refusing to advise the president to pull out of the 2024 presidential race… Mrs Biden is considered to be the most influential voice in the president’s tight inner circle… On Saturday, several Silicon Valley ‘megadonors’ were trying to reach the first lady in an attempt to persuade her to convince Mr Biden to end his campaign in favour of a younger candidate, the [New York Times]  said…

“Mr Biden could be replaced by his vice president, Kamala Harris, though there are concerns she would prove even less popular than he is. Other options include Gavin Newsom, the charismatic governor of California, though he remains vocally supportive of the president staying in the race. Experts say it would be virtually impossible for the Democrats to oust Mr Biden at this late stage of the campaign, and that in reality the decision lies solely with the president…

“On Saturday, one poll revealed that 60 per cent of US voters believe Mr Biden should drop out of the race.”

Another poll reported that 72% want him out.

Biden’s Tall Tales

Report 24 wrote on June 29:

“After the disastrous debate for Joe Biden…, the global system media spread the narrative almost word for word: ‘Biden was weak, Trump lied’. The left-wing broadcaster CNN, of all people, destroys this fairy tale – it meticulously lists how many statements the darling of the left, Joe Biden, lied about…

“The fact that politically left-wing, globalist politicians in particular lie completely shamelessly and have these lies spread by bought journalists is nothing new. The fact that even this media is abandoning him has a new quality and suggests that Biden may soon be abandoned…

“Biden claimed that he was the only president during whose term no soldiers had to die anywhere in the world. In fact, it was Donald Trump who was almost the only US president in recent decades not to start a new war and not to order a counterattack even after an attack by Iran…

“This was followed by a series of false statements about the US healthcare system, where he made serious errors – he mixed up $15 and $35 for insulin and $200 and $2,000 for medication. Even the statements that fewer illegal immigrants came to the USA under his administration than under Trump were not accepted by the left-wing CNN, which was a minor sensation. In fact, millions of illegal immigrants are streaming into the USA and are causing massive social tensions.

“Under Biden, unemployment in the US rose rapidly. To disguise this, Biden boldly claimed that unemployment was 15 percent when he took office – in fact, he took office from Trump with unemployment at just 6 percent. Relative to the population of the United States, this is a brutal attempt to defraud the public.

“Biden also claimed that Donald Trump would want to abolish people’s already very poor social security in the USA, which is a clear lie. He also lied about the income taxes of US billionaires. The Covid period was also part of the demented US President’s cheeky tall tales. He claimed that Trump had demanded that Americans be injected with bleach – another free invention.”

Also note the next article.

Biden and His Life of Lies

On July 1, The New York Post published the following article by Miranda Devine:

“Under the thrall of her Rasputin-like adviser Anthony Bernal, the first lady is acting as if she is the candidate — at the expense of her husband and the country. She is the keeper of Biden delusions. ‘Joe, you did such a great job,’ she shrieked after commandeering the microphone at the debate after-party in Atlanta, as her downcast husband stood on stage gaping at her uncomprehendingly. ‘You answered every question!’ she gushed in a gratingly patronizing tone, like a nursery schoolteacher who hates kids. The whole world knew he did a terrible job. Even Joe knew. 

“But that’s the problem with habitual lying. It swallows you in delusion eventually. 

“You could see the emergence of Jill’s rival court in recent months as Joe faded and she embarked on a frenetic round of solo campaigning, always with Bernal, whom she calls her ‘work husband.’ Bernal was by her side when she swanned into Hunter’s gun trial in Wilmington in her finest designer threads last month to project presidential power on the yokels in the jury. You can see how she depends on Bernal by the knowing glances they exchange when Joe is going off the rails, as he did at Waffle House where they dragged him after the debate when he should have been in bed. As Joe babbled to random customers, Bernal turned to look at Jill and raised both eyebrows in an expression of alarm…

“The problem is that the reality of Dr. Jill doesn’t measure up to her delusions of grandeur. She will never be the candidate, no matter how many upbeat polls Bernal shows her about her popularity with suburban women. She’s not helping her husband or the country…

“Joe and his boosters pretend that he is ‘decent’ while Trump is morally deranged. Yet Trump has five well-adjusted adult children who adore him, while Biden’s two adult children are drug addicts, and Hunter got his widowed sister-in-law hooked on crack when he had an affair with her… Joe has lied for so long that he has come to believe his own lies — his uncle was eaten by cannibals, he was top of his class, he grew up in the black church, his father was a coal miner. The problem is that lies are contagious. Clearly the Biden family is afflicted…

“Worse still, there is contagion for all of us when we have a commander in chief who is a habitual liar. It sickens a nation… Ultimately lies become self-delusion and the habitual liar loses the ability to discern fact from fiction. It gets worse as the brain ages. Lies eventually impair the memory because it is too hard to keep track. 

“A lifetime of lies came crashing down on Joe Biden Thursday night in a display that can never be unseen. Lies have consequences.”

It was also reported that on Sunday, the Biden family encouraged Joe Biden to stay in the race. According to Breitbart, dated June 30, “[Convicted felon] Hunter Biden was described as being ‘one of the strongest voices’ [within the Biden “crime family”, according to Breitbart] encouraging the president not to drop out of the presidential race.”  The Guardian added that “senior democrats and donors have expressed exasperation at how his staff prepared him for the event.”

In addition, Obama and Bill Clinton are supporting Biden’s ongoing race.

Please read our editorial in this issue, titled, “Stop Lying!”

Europeans Respond

The Guardian wrote on June 29:

“European politicians, already drowning in multiple crises of their own, were left shell-shocked and aghast at Joe Biden’s meandering performance…,  aware that a second Trump term had drawn that much nearer – with all that this implies for the rise of populism in the continent, the future of Nato, and for Ukraine and the Middle East.

“The voices of despair came from across the mainstream political spectrum, interspersed with the… call for Europe to prepare even more intensively for a Trump second coming… The German CDU foreign policy specialist Norbert Röttgen said: ‘This night will not be forgotten…’”

Biden Should Abdicate

Bild Online wrote on June 29:

“Doubts and concerns about Biden’s constitution and the outcome of the 2024 presidential election race are also growing in German politics. Finance Minister Christian Lindner (45, FDP) told BILD: ‘Concerns about the USA have not diminished after the TV debate, but now it’s really big.’… CDU party leader Friedrich Merz (68) said about the debate on the ARD talk show ‘3nach9’: ‘I was a bit afraid that it would go like this.’ Merz continued: ‘Biden is an old man, one asks oneself: Is he still up to the job?’”

Welt Online wrote on June 28:

“The TV duel was a disaster for the US President and a bad evening for many in the West. The media has too often been blind in glorifying Joe Biden – and blind with anger when it comes to Donald Trump. This is now taking its toll.”

ntv wrote on June 28:

“Biden’s popularity ratings were already in the basement before the debate. In many polls he is behind Trump. If Biden wants Trump not to become the next US president, if, as he said, he wants to save the soul of America, if he wants to preserve the democracy of the US, then this is the best way: he has to give up the candidacy… With that, Biden would be doing a great service not only to himself but also to his country.”

Supreme Court: Trump Immune from Criminal Prosecution

Breitbart wrote on July 1:

“The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of former President Donald Trump on Monday, holding in a 6-3 decision that presidents are covered by limited immunity from criminal prosecutions for actions taken while in office. The Court held, according to the summary of the decision: ‘Under our constitutional structure of separated powers, the nature of Presidential power entitles a former President to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority. And he is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts. There is no immunity for unofficial acts.’

“The Court also ruled that a president is entitled to a pretrial hearing on immunity that can be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court before a trial begins. This means that any trial of the former president will take place after the November 5, 2024, election...

“The case will now be remanded, and will likely result in the dismissal of some or all of the charges facing the former president in federal court in Washington, D.C., relating to the Capitol riot of January 6.”

Sentencing of Trump’s “hush money case” was delayed until September 18, if sentencing “is still necessary,” in light of the Supreme Court’s decision on presidential immunity.

Another Legal Victory for Trump

NBC News wrote on June 28:

“The Supreme Court on Friday ruled in favor of a former police officer who is seeking to throw out an obstruction charge for joining the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The justices in a 6-3 vote on nonideological lines handed a win to defendant Joseph Fisher who is among hundreds of Jan. 6 defendants — including former President Donald Trump — who have been charged with obstructing an official proceeding over the effort to prevent Congress’ certification of President Joe Biden’s election victory.

“The court concluded that the law… was only intended to apply to more limited circumstances involving forms of evidence tampering, not the much broader array of situations that prosecutors had claimed it covered. The court sent the case back to lower courts for further proceedings on whether the Justice Department could still prosecute Fischer under the new interpretation of the law.

“Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement that he was disappointed by the decision because of the impact it would have on the Justice Department’s Jan. 6 cases, although he stressed it would not affect the bulk of them…

“Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion that the government’s view of the law’s reach ‘defies the most plausible understanding’ of the statute in question, 18 U.S. Code 1512. The provision carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years…

“The ruling may not affect Trump’s case. Prosecutors said that even if Fischer wins, Trump’s conduct would still be covered by a narrower interpretation of the statute.”

Breitbart added on June 30:

“Constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley opined at the Hill saying that Friday’s Supreme Court decision holding that the most severe law cited in January 6 prosecutions does not apply to riots or protests effectively means that the oft-repeated accusations of ‘insurrection’ have been downgraded to mere trespassing.”

And so, the claims of the Justice Department and the left-wing mass media are going up in flames… again.

“Defiant Bannon Becomes Latest Biden Political Prisoner”

Breitbart wrote on July 1:

“Former President Donald Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon is scheduled to report to a federal prison in Connecticut on Monday to serve a four-month sentence on contempt charges for defying a subpoena from the [highly suspect] January 6 Select Committee created to investigate the riot at the Capitol on January 6, 2021… A judge had allowed Bannon to stay free for nearly two years while he appealed, but ordered him to report to prison after an appeals court panel upheld his contempt of Congress convictions. The Supreme Court rejected his last-minute effort to stave off his custodial sentence on Friday…

“Bannon’s appeal will continue to play out despite his incarceration… and Republican House leaders have put their support behind stepping in to assert the Jan. 6 committee was improperly created as the man himself continues to be fully engaged in the broader 2024 political agenda…

“A defiant Bannon publicly restated his own defense Saturday, asserting the Jan. 6 committee’s subpoenas ‘don’t mean anything’ and returned to arguments addressing executive privilege. When asked what his endgame is during an interview with NBC News, Bannon said it was ‘victory or death of this republic… they shred the Constitution…’

“It’s a claim the Goldman Sachs banker made earlier this month during his speech at the conservative Turning Point USA conference…”

While Garland goes free, Trump supporters like Bannon are sent to jail for the SAME “infraction.” A shameful situation showing America’s hypocrisy.

Biden to Pay a Big Price

ABC News wrote on July 1:

“On the same day his close ally and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon reported to prison for contempt of Congress, former President Donald Trump again blamed President Joe Biden for what he claims is a ‘weaponization’ of the justice system, suggesting that Biden is ‘going to pay a big price’ for it… Trump’s latest comment… is a continuation of his rhetoric on ‘retribution’…

“… the Trump campaign’s national press secretary Karoline Leavitt told ABC News that ‘President Trump was referring to the very big price Joe Biden will pay on November 5th when the American people overwhelmingly vote to evict him from the White House’… Just last week, during the first presidential debate in Atlanta, when Trump was asked about his idea of ‘retribution,’ he insisted, ‘My retribution is going to be success.’ But he went on to say that Biden ‘could be a convicted felon as soon as he gets out of office,’ claiming he has done ‘horrible things’ as president.

“Trump has in the past vowed to appoint a special prosecutor to ‘go after’ Biden should he be reelected to a second term. ‘I will appoint a real special “prosecutor” to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the USA, Joe Biden, the entire Biden crime family, & all others involved with the destruction of our elections, borders, & country itself,’ Trump posted on his social media platform in June… During an interview with Dr. Phil last month, he said he’d be OK with taking a ‘forgive and forget’ approach but that ‘sometimes, revenge can be justified.’

“Trump has also declined to say whether he’d try to prosecute Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the New York criminal case against him, insisting that the prosecutor ‘did some very bad things’ and that ‘we’re going to see what happens.’”

Prosecuting Opponents?

DNYUZ wrote on July 1:

“Former President Donald J. Trump over the weekend escalated his vows to prosecute his political opponents… Mr. Trump, using his account on Truth Social on Sunday, promoted two posts from other users of the site that called for the jailing of his perceived political enemies.

“One post that he circulated on Sunday singled out Liz Cheney… and called for her to be prosecuted by a type of military court reserved for enemy combatants and war criminals…  A separate post included photos of 15 former and current elected officials that said, in all-capital letters, ‘they should be going to jail on Monday not Steve Bannon.’ Those officials included Mr. Biden, Ms. Harris, Mr. Pence, Mr. Schumer and Mr. McConnell — the top leaders in the Senate — and Representative Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker.

“The list in the second post also had members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, including Ms. Cheney and… Adam Kinzinger… and… Adam Schiff, Jamie Raskin, Pete Aguilar, Zoe Lofgren and Bennie Thompson…

“In a statement, the Trump campaign did not address Mr. Trump’s posts, instead repeating allegations of misconduct by members of the committee, saying ‘Liz Cheney and the sham January 6th committee banned key witnesses, shielded important evidence, and destroyed documents’ related to their investigation. The posts, which were amplified by Mr. Trump’s Truth Social account on Sunday afternoon, were still listed on his profile on Monday afternoon.

“The Biden campaign denounced the posts in a statement, saying that Mr. Trump ‘is doubling down on threats to our democracy,’ adding that ‘the Supreme Court has now paved the way for him to do exactly what he is saying he will if he wins.’…

“Mr. Trump has repeatedly called for the imprisonment of his political opponents, often singling out members of the Jan. 6 committee. But the two posts that Mr. Trump amplified on Sunday particularly stand out…

“One… invoked the dictatorial imagery of a televised military tribunal, which would strip Ms. Cheney of her right to due process, similar to the military courts used to prosecute terror suspects of Guantanamo Bay.”

Canada Unable to Defend Itself?

National Post wrote on June 30:

“Canada has run out of ammo, with no plan to reload…

“A few years ago, the Trudeau government essentially shut down Canadian-based production of military ammunition, in particular, the 155-mm artillery shell… The federal government decided Canada’s military did not need a secure supply of ammunition… so we went from domestically producing a sizeable quantity of ammunition  (which we used to train our armed forces soldiers, and stockpiled for our friends and allies)… to producing a trickle… In 2023, the Ministry of National Defence allocated $4.8 million to IMT Defence to bolster production. And this March, the three ammo facilities were promised $4.4 million to conduct research…

“The demoralizing impact on recruitment is obvious. Our troops have limited ammunition for training and aging equipment… 72% of the army’s vehicles and trailers are offline… the men and women in uniform don’t see any demonstrable proof that the federal government is actually seized of the issue of trying to get them the capabilities they need to better defend Canadians…”

Insanity Galore

The Daily Mail wrote on July 2:

“A primary school headmistress who was sacked and accused of assault after tapping her own toddler’s hand while he played with a bottle of hand sanitiser has been awarded more than £100,000. Shelly-Ann Malabver-Goulbourne was trying to get her three-year-old to stop playing with the bottle in her office when she used two fingers to attract his attention, an employment tribunal heard. The incident was witnessed by the teacher in charge of child safety who accused her of hurting her son and filed an official complaint. Police officers were called in and the head was suspended.

“Despite the police ruling that her actions were ‘reasonable chastisement’ by a parent, Ms Malabver-Goulbourne, 46, was found guilty of gross misconduct and sacked. Yet an employment judge concluded there was no evidence that she had committed ‘physical chastisement or an assault’ and ruled her dismissal unfair.”

How far can today’s stupidity go?

Pride Parade in London

Daily Mail wrote on June 29:

“[London’s mayor] Sadiq Khan [led London’s Pride Parade. He] said: ‘I’m delighted that London’s diverse LGBTQI+ communities and allies are once again joining together in the heart of our capital for our world-renowned Pride celebrations and march of solidarity. Pride is one of the highlights of my year and it is an honour to have been on every march since I was first elected as mayor in 2016.

“’This incredible event is a shining light for LGBTQI+ rights and shows why our city is a beacon for openness and inclusion – a place where you are embraced and celebrated for who you are. Our capital’s LGBTQI+ communities make a huge contribution to life in London.

“’There is however still work to be done to achieve true equality, and as a proud ally, I’ll continue to stand side-by-side with our capital’s LGBTQI+ communities as we work to build a better London for all.’”

When viewing the accompanying photos in the article, picturing the attendees, one must ask where that “shining light” was supposed to be seen. They rather reflected utter darkness.

“… But Not in Istanbul, Turkey!”

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 30:

“Several hundred people briefly took part in a banned LGBTQ+ Pride Parade in Istanbul on Sunday, with Turkish police detaining some of the participants… The governor of Istanbul had earlier banned the  LGBTQ+ community from holding a Pride Parade, without giving any reasons for his move except to say that ‘illegal groups’ were wanting to hold a protest march without authorization.”

Istanbul shows London the way.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

In the first two parts of this three-part series, we looked at why it is vital to stay with “our calling” and the “Way of Life” to which we have been called.   Nothing less will do.  To repeat the key Scripture in this review, once again, it is in Matthew 24:13: “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

But what about those who have succumbed to the dreadful disease of dementia?     We will now address the dementia question for those Church members and their families who are affected.

We quote briefly below from the following sources to show what a traumatic time this can be for those families who have to deal with this problem.

The Biblical Counselling Coalition gives this description of dementia: “In brief, dementia is a cognitive disorder. The affected person’s thinking ability gradually deteriorates. It interferes with judgment and memory and also can create confusion, fear, and irritation. There are several types of dementia. The best known is Alzheimer’s, which was experienced by former president, Ronald Reagan.”

According to the website verywellmind.com, there are seven stages of dementia from “no cognitive decline” to “very severe cognitive decline.”

“Stages 1 to 3 are the pre-dementia stages; whereas Stages 4 to 7 are the dementia stages. Clinicians typically compare the person’s symptoms to the criteria listed for each stage and use their judgment to determine which stage the patient is at.  

“In the final stage, the brain appears to lose its connection to the body and becomes incapable of telling it what to do. The person is likely to progressively lose their motor skills as well as the ability to speak. They may only be able to utter unintelligible sounds or words, if at all. They will need assistance with all personal care tasks such as eating, walking, and using the bathroom.”

The Alzheimer’s Society has this to say on their website:

“The word ‘dementia’ describes a set of symptoms that over time can affect memory, problem-solving, language and behaviour. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia.

“People with dementia often experience memory loss. This is because dementia is caused by damage to the brain, and this damage can affect areas of the brain involved in creating and retrieving memories.

“For a person with dementia, memory problems will become more persistent and will begin to affect everyday life. This can be difficult to cope with, both for the person themselves and for the people around them.”

John Dunlop, a medical doctor, wrote the following about dementia: “Dementia can inflict its victims with memory loss and render them unable to care for themselves. It can cause them to wake up every morning not knowing where they are or who is feeding or bathing them. People with dementia often want to say something but are unable to organize their thoughts or even form the words.”

Many of us may have come into contact with those who are struggling with this alarming, distressing and grievous health problem.  It is a very fair question to ask what happens when a Church member develops these symptoms.   Does this affect their salvation in any way when they can no longer remember their calling and commitment to God’s Way of Life that will result in them being in the Family of God for eternity if they endure to the end?

An obvious but important point to make is that God is fair, unlike our adversary, Satan the devil. 2 Peter 3:9 is instructive: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

Also, in 1 Timothy 2:4, we read that God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

God does not want anyone to fail, but God would like to see that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth. However, He knows that some will be rebellious and turn down the opportunity.  Those refusing God’s offer will be thrown into the lake of fire, as Revelation 21:8 confirms: “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Further proof of God’s mercy that He will give everyone an opportunity for salvation is in the message of the Last Great Day, which directly follows the Feast of Tabernacles.   On our website is our Statement of Beliefs where we read under the “Observation of God’s Commanded Holy Days” the following information:

“The Last Great Day which immediately follows the Feast of Tabernacles, once a year. This day symbolizes a 100-year period called the “Great White Throne Judgment,” during which all persons who have ever lived and who were never called by God for salvation during this life, will have their first opportunity to accept Christ as their Savior (Leviticus 23:36; John 7:37; Revelation 20:11-12). At the end of that period, there will be a judgment during which all people who have ever lived and who have refused to accept Christ as their Savior, will be finally condemned to eternal death and destroyed in Gehenna fire (Revelation 20:13-15).”

This shows God’s great compassion for human beings – would He be any less compassionate for those who were faithful until the time of their reason and brain functionality was taken away?   Of course, the answer must be no as He is supremely fair to all.

In the first part of this Q&A, we mentioned 2 Timothy 4:7-8 where Paul said that he had finished the race – he had endured to the end of his life and his life’s work.  It is worth repeating here to make a further point.   The passage reads:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

It is very well worth noting that Paul was still alive when he said this!  Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers observes that “the tense of the Greek verb—the perfect—’I have fought,’ is remarkable. The struggle had been bravely sustained in the past, and was now being equally bravely sustained to the end. His claim to the crown (2 Timothy 4:8) was established.”

Those faithful Church members with dementia will have run their race until they were prevented from continuing to do so.   When is the end of the race?   For those with dementia, it may be at the stage where they no longer remember their “calling” and “Way of Life,” when their personal mental control and memory ceases to function.

God does not want anyone to fail.

In the final analysis, God determines the outcomes in such cases as He knows the hearts of all people.

There is the story of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4, when he lost his mind [compare Daniel 4:16, saying that his heart of man would be replaced with the heart of an animal] – but regained his mind after seven years through a miracle from God.   However, there is no indication that this was anything other than punishment from God for His arrogance. 

Today, dementia sufferers don’t recover and regain all the faculties that they lost. The website of bigthink.com states that “Dementia involves the loss of memory, cognition, and speech. It’s caused by changes in the brain due to injury or disease, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s and it’s progressive, meaning the symptoms get more severe over time.” 

In Philippians 1:6, Paul writes: “… being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Barnes Notes on the Bible explains: “Will perform it – Margin, ‘Or, finish.’ The Greek word – ἐπιτελέσει epitelesei – means that he would carry it forward to completion; he would perfect it. It is an intensive form of the word, meaning that it would be carried through to the end.”

God will have begun a good work in the lives of those called by Him who have faithfully lived the true Christian Way of Life, and not even such a crippling disease as dementia will change that reality.

Further encouraging words can be read in 1 Corinthians 1:6-9:

“… even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

We read on the website ncbi.nlm.nih.gov the following information about a sickness, which affects so many in the world and some few in the true Church of God:

“Dementia is a progressive condition which affects over 55 million people worldwide, with nearly 10 million new cases every year.  The term ‘dementia’ indicates not a single disease, but rather a spectrum of different conditions with different clinical phenotypes, which can be caused by a multitude of pathologies that cause changes in the structure and chemistry of the brain. While the most common cause of dementia-related symptoms is a neurodegenerative disease, other causes do exist (e.g., chronic inflammatory disease, alcoholism…). The exact pathological cascade of events which causes the development of symptoms is still unknown, but overall it is thought that a combination of genetic and environmental factors results in the abnormal accumulation of misfolded, toxic proteins in the brain, which then triggers both chemical imbalance and neuronal loss in the brain (a process called atrophy), ultimately leading to the hallmark clinical symptoms that eventually impair the daily functioning of affected individuals.” 

When someone has given themselves faithfully to the true Way of God from the time of their calling and a disease such as dementia removes understanding and recognition of previous learning later in life, Scripture reveals that God will honour that person.

And 1 Corinthians 9:25 reveals that it is “for an imperishable crown.”   It is great news for those who suffer from dementia and for all of God’s faithful people!

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Weil sie der Lüge mehr geglaubt haben,” last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Patrick Flueck is now posted. Title in English:  “Because They Believed the Lie More.”

“This Is the Work of God,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

The Work of God can be described in many different ways, but one definition which Christ gave is truly remarkable.  What is that definition, and how does it apply to us?

“As You Wish,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

In this day and age there is so much want and desire, wishing for things that others have.  This is dangerous as this could lead to sin.  However, we in God’s Church have something that others do not, something that anyone can only wish for.