Update 1126

On August 31, 2024, Kalon Mitchell will present “Choose the Path,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Godlessness and Perversion in Our End-Time Society!”

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.

Words can be powerful; they express emotions and even evoke memories so deep that we are brought to tears. They convey our intentions with one another and really are a gift from God when used properly. Words also give us a mechanism to seek, understand and communicate with Him.

There is another side to our use of words. Of course, we can use words to wound and harm. The bullying that has sadly become more prevalent with the age of social media is an example of the misuse of words and language. We’ve also become accustomed to the use of words and phrases that hold little meaning. The example I want to focus on for this editorial is the phrase: “I’ll try.” We’ve all used this a time or two in our lives and likely meant well. I’ve read a perspective on this from a business strategist. His take on the phrase “I’ll try,” is that one is conveying an attempt to do something, yet, also hedging one’s bets, or leaving ourselves a convenient escape valve. The idea is that the person is signaling that perhaps they will not be successful or will fail if they try. As though constructing a safety net in advance will inoculate the person from criticism and failure.

In 2017, an American free climber, Alex Honnold, made history and redefined what athleticism means by climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without the use of ropes or equipment. In preparing for this, Mr. Honnold had completed many other challenging climbs. In reading his comments about the climbs, I noticed he never used the phrase, “I’ll try to do this.” He simply prepared to do it, and then went forward. Had he failed in his bid to ascend El Capitan, he still would have won in so many respects. He did not pave the way with the cushion of potential failure.

The word “try” is used 134 times in the Bible and in relation to humans, it may convey what a person will attempt to do, such as one trying to till the land. When it relates to God and His promise for those He calls and who obey, He is always clear. He does not attempt to do something; He commits to it. He implores His people to “try” Him or test Him and He promises to be constant.

In Numbers 14:22-23, we read: “Because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it.” Other translations will use the words try me, rather than test, but the point is made; God requires no equivocation, and no cushion. He sets His hand to something, and He does it. He wants His followers to live with the same commitment in our relationship with Him, and in these verses, He is citing His displeasure with His people for their disobedience.

In Psalm 139:23, we see David imploring God to try him, to search him and know him: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxieties.” This is unnecessary as God knows all about each of us; He knows our shortcomings and our strengths. Still, David is correct in wanting God to know him and throughout this chapter, he is stating his intention of remaining close to God.

Perhaps a more accurate word choice for true Christians in our calling to follow God is that we endeavour (or endeavor) to follow Him. According to Vocabulary.com, The Middle English root of the word “endeavour means to put oneself in or do one’s utmost, so if you endeavour to do something, you do it with earnestness and significant effort.” The U.S. Space Agency—NASA, named one of its space shuttles built in 1987 “Endeavour.” NASA was honoring the HMS Endeavour, the first ship used by the British explorer Captain James Cook. Back in the days of sailing vessels such as the Endeavour, one did not try to make the journey—they truly endeavored to do so. It was life or death and rarely in between. Ironically, it may have been riskier to set sail around the cape of Africa than to sit atop over 3 million pounds of fuel to lift Endeavour into orbit 400 miles above the earth.

In our calling we also must endeavour to obey—that means putting our hearts and minds fully into our commitment. Romans 12:11 illustrates this well: “Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” Fervent in spirit means we are fully committed in our pursuit of God’s Kingdom. We must never justify our failure to obey with a cushion of weakness.

There is a good modern example of this inherent weakness in a photo of the actor Chris Pratt as he portrayed a lazy fellow in a popular sitcom. The photo includes his comment: “I’ll Try; Don’t Expect Much.” This is truly a statement on society. Don’t count on me to show up for work, to do what I say, and to stand up for God. Contrast this with God’s promise for us as he urges us to try Him and see the result. We see this in Malachi 3:10: “‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.” For our faith, obedience and trust in God, He will bestow such blessings on His people such that it will overwhelm us. God never backs away from us, He does not need an excuse, and He is the foundation of our lives—now and forever.

In 1 Peter 1:15, we read the admonition for us to endeavour to be as constant in our faith as God is with us: “But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.”

Think about how we wish others to view us; not as one who shifts with the winds, but as a strong, reliable person. First, we must strive for this standard in our relationship with God—to be consistent in our obedience to Him.

by Norbert Link

We begin with many examples of hypocritical conduct of America’s politicians (please view our new message, “Hypocrisy—Comments on News and Prophecy, August 24, 2024”); speak on Robert Kennedy’s new role and Joe Biden’s impeachable offenses and the fraudulent misrepresentation of job growth in the USA; and continue with the question of the responsibility of parents for the criminal conduct of their children and the terrible curse of abortion.

We report on further attempts of the EU to suppress free speech, by arresting the CEO of Telegram [please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Europe’s Persecution of Telegram, Rumble and X (Musk)”; and we update you on the murderous terrorist attack in Solingen, West Germany, which was allegedly perpetrated by a Syrian “refugee” and “soldier” of IS.

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

Kamala Harris’s Clueless Hypocrisy

The New York Post wrote on August 23:

“Will the real Kamala Harris please stand up?… Harris finally took the floor to speak of herself Thursday night.  She spoke well and forcefully and electrified the Chicago convention hall, but color me as confused as ever.  Other than not being Donald Trump or Joe Biden, who is she? What does she really believe and what would she do as president? If she knows the answers, she’s keeping them a secret.

“Promises to ‘chart a new path forward’ and ‘be a president for all Americans’ are so boilerplate, they ought to be outlawed. Then there was this: ‘The future is always worth fighting for..’ You don’t say! 

“The economy is the top issue for voters, and as vice president for the last three and a half years, you would think she would have nailed down some ideas that could improve upon the mess she and President Biden made. 

In which case, you would be mistaken…

“Her 37-minute speech capped a remarkable shift in Democratic fortunes, made possible only by the political assassination of Biden, ostensibly by his friends.  Et tu, Barack Obama? Et tu, Nancy Pelosi?…

“… the entire Democratic convention has been a disappointment in that it relied on lies about Trump to attack him. Starting with Biden Monday and ending with Harris Thursday, many speakers accused Trump of planning to sign a national ban on abortion and of supporting an arch-conservative program called Project 2025. The problem with those accusations is that Trump has said repeatedly that he will not sign a national abortion ban and has made it clear he wants all states to include exceptions in cases of rape, incest and the health of the mother. He also publicly scorned Project 2025, saying he did not support it…

“The touting of his conviction in the rigged Manhattan bookkeeping trial further betrays their desperation… Harris…  cited the case as a reason why Trump can’t be trusted. Oddly, she didn’t seem to mind working with Biden despite his family’s influence-peddling scheme, which netted it some $27 million. Or that Hunter Biden is an accused tax cheat and has already been convicted of a gun felony…”

This and the following are typical cases of hypocrisy by politicians. A true Christian ought not to have anything to do with this. Note the next article.

More and More Hypocrisy!

The New York Post wrote on August 22:

“We will not soon forget the way in which [Nancy Pelosi] said that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris had ‘established one of the most successful presidencies of modern times.’… But the standout moment was her tribute to Biden. Only a few weeks ago, Pelosi went to see him and brutally ended his career, reportedly telling him he must either stop his run or get pushed out ‘the hard way.’… Her performance was second to none as she paid tribute to the man whose career she so recently ended… And during Biden’s own performance, she could be seen enthusiastically waving a ‘We love Joe’ sign. It takes an actor of once-in-a-generation skill to do what Nancy did…

“Who could fail to be impressed when [Hillary Clinton] held a smile even as she said that Kamala should be the first woman to make it to the Oval Office? Some viewers may have gotten the feeling that Hillary was about to…  burst out screaming, ‘It should have been mine’ at any moment. But she didn’t. She kept herself measured and turned in a performance of rare, multi-layered complexity, underscored by a raw, sublimated rage…

“Bill Clinton compared Joe Biden to George Washington and said that, like Washington, Biden had exited the stage at a time of his own choosing. Historians are still looking for the Chuck Schumer, Barack Obama and George Clooney characters of 1797.

“Leading a prayer onstage, [Cardinal Blasé Cupich] praised the idea of Americans being united by ‘profound aspirations of life.’  The cardinal had clearly not toured the abortion… trucks that were doing big business outside the convention….

Oprah Winfrey [will be remembered] not least for her inspiring claim that she understood — because she had suffered from — ‘income inequality…

“Joe Biden… managed a whole speech, whipped himself up into a rage over things that nobody said and wiped a tear from his face as he accepted the gratitude of a party that wanted him gone…

“The Democrats have managed to create a whole new candidate. Not the Kamala we thought we knew. But a new, special Kamala whom we apparently don’t know at all. A Kamala who is hyper-competent, super-inspiring and a fresh face in politics…”

But there are many more examples of hypocrisy. Note the next articles.

The Daily Mail wrote on August 22:

“Tim Walz is everything Kamala Harris needs him to be: steady Midwesterner, brave veteran, working-class hero, bumbling… dad — and, oh yes, a compulsive liar!… Whether Coach Walz is spinning a yarn about using ‘weapons of war’ during his pretend time in combat, or concocting a tale about his long-suffering wife Gwen’s ‘IVF’ treatment that didn’t actually happen, [he] is willing to spend credibility for the cause….”

The Guardian wrote on November 11, 2016, about Michelle Obama’s decision not to run:

“… she feels politics is very dirty and she doesn’t want to be in the gutter.”

Now she asked everyone to vote for Kamala, even though she initially refused to endorse her.

Breitbart wrote on July 21:

“[Barack] Obama and Pelosi stand out among Democrat leaders for not [initially] specifically endorsing Harris…”

The New York Post wrote on July 22:

“After Democratic bigs knifed Joe Biden in the back, wresting the candidacy from his stubborn, locked grip, they rushed to valorize him with effusive praise and glowing political obituaries. They’ve called him a ‘patriot’ and a ‘hero’... the trinity of Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer…. especially with the backing of the big-money donor class and Hollywood hotshots… in a calculated campaign to remove the president, threatened him with the 25th Amendment in a ‘palace coup’…”

The New York Post wrote on July 24:

“[Barack] Obama’s hope was to get Biden out of the way, and an op-ed written by George Clooney in the New York Times asking him to step aside was a part of that plan. However, the higher-ups in the Democratic Party didn’t count on Biden endorsing Harris right away and ‘Obama was shocked’ when the president endorsed her… Obama is ‘furious’ that things haven’t gone his way, ‘which is why he is not joining in the Democratic Party’s support of Harris…”

Later Barack and Michelle endorsed Harris in their infamous staged phony phone call with Kamala.

Biden’s Impeachable Offenses

The New York Post wrote on August 21:

“It’s infuriating that House Republicans waited so long to release their devastating report that President Biden committed impeachable offenses when he ‘actively participated’ in a foreign influence-peddling conspiracy to enrich his family and then defrauded American voters by ­lying about his abuse of office.  Even more infuriating is that Biden will not be held accountable by Congress for his malfeasance.  It’s hard to find a clearer-cut case for impeachment than selling access to the White House to foreigners, including the Chinese Communist Party, for tens of millions of dollars. 

“The report… is believed to have been ready for release back in April, when Democrats were still pretending that Biden was a viable candidate for re-election. But fears that as many as 10… House Republicans would refuse to impeach the president led to the report being shelved until this week…

“But while Biden will not get the impeachment he deserves, the report’s meticulous array of evidence stands forever in the official record. It laughs in the face of all the nauseating eulogies for Biden this week at the Democratic National Convention as the greatest president of all time, a man of integrity and honor so great, he deserves to be memorialized on Mount Rushmore….

“But the same people who turned a blind eye and covered up Biden’s corruption are the ones who covered up his cognitive incapacity and who now are trying to smuggle mirage candidate Harris into power without real scrutiny or policies or accountability for her role in the Biden administration’s disasters…”

Trump on Kennedy

The New York Post wrote on August 22:

“The 45th president has said he would be open to a Kennedy endorsement and would even consider adding him to his team. ‘I like him a lot, I respect him a lot, I probably would if something like that would happen,’ Trump told CNN in an interview on Tuesday about the possibility of adding Kennedy to his administration.”

The Sun wrote on August 24:

“Hours after Kennedy Jr. announced that he would suspend his campaign for president, he made a surprise appearance at Trump’s rally in a show of support…. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever introduced anyone who’s gotten applause like he just did,’ Trump said of Kennedy’s entrance. Trump called Kennedy his friend and said he ran ‘an extraordinary campaign’ for the last 16 months… he is a brilliant, phenomenal person… I’m proud of Bobby if you want to know the truth…”

On April 28, 2024, The Telegraph wrote:

“Trump described Mr Kennedy as ‘a Radical Left Liberal who’s been put in place to help Crooked Joe Biden, the Worst President in the History of the United States, get Re-Elected.’… He said Mr Kennedy ‘was far more LIBERAL than anyone running as a Democrat… Juniors’ a so-called Independent, but he’s not, he’s a Radical Left Lunatic … No Republican can vote for this guy.’”

A lesson that one ought to carefully choose one’s words. Note the next article as well.

Kennedy Attacked Trump

CNN wrote on August 26:

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr… has a long history of criticizing the man he now supports, including calling Trump a ‘threat to democracy,’ and, as recently as July, a ‘terrible president.’ For years, Kennedy has repeatedly condemned Trump, referring to him as a ‘bully,’ who appealed to ‘bigotry,’ ‘hatred,’ ‘xenophobia’ and ‘prejudice.’ Among the chief attacks Kennedy has leveled at Trump through the 2024 campaign is to accuse him of corruption for turning his administration over to corporate lobbyists and special interests and failing to ‘drain the swamp’ as he’d promised.

“But on Friday, Kennedy was full of praise for Trump, saying that while he and the former president ‘don’t agree on everything,’ they do share similar isolationist views on US foreign policy, government censorship, and the need to address chronic disease in America…”

Vance on Trump:

Bild Online wrote on July 28:

“[In 2016, Vance said : ‘He is simply a bad man. A morally reprehensible person.’

The Guardian wrote on July 27:

“Vance… was selected because he faithfully reflected the ideological gut instincts of Trump, despite having previously called him ‘America’s Hitler’”

Of course, he totally changed his opinion on Trump. Right?

Kennedy’s New Role

When announcing that he would suspend his candidacy, Kennedy said this, according to the Daily Mail, dated August 24:

“He [said that] the Democrats ‘ran a sham primary that was rigged to prevent any serious challenge to President Biden.’  Once Biden, he said, ‘predictably bungled’ the debate against Trump, a ‘palace coup’ took place. ‘The same shadowy DNC operatives appointed his successor, also without an election,’ Kennedy charged.  ‘They installed a candidate who was so unpopular with voters that she dropped out in 2020 without winning a single delegate,’ Kennedy said….

The article also said this:

“Kennedy’s siblings – who support Harris – released a joint statement slamming their brother’s decision.  ‘Our brother Bobby’s decision to endorse Trump today is a betrayal of the values that our father and our family hold most dear,’ said Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Courtney Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Chris Kennedy and Rory Kennedy. A number of other Kennedy family members work in the current Biden administration.”

What were the values of John and Robert Kennedy which Trump is now ‘betraying”?

The Sun wrote on August 24:

“The Republican nominee [Trump] also pledged that he would create a panel to look into the causes of childhood health issues including auto-immune disorders, autism, obesity, infertility, and more. Trump said that ‘top experts would work with Bobby’ on this panel. The former president said he wanted to ‘salute’ Kennedy Jr.’s ‘decades of work as an advocate for the health of our families and children.’… ‘Nobody has done more,” Trump said of Kennedy Jr.’s philanthropy work and activism. ‘Millions and millions of Americans have concerns about toxins in our environment and pesticides in our food,’ Trump said in his announcement of the health panel….

“During his time on stage, Kennedy Jr. took aim at the CDC, the FDA, the USDA, big food processing companies, and chemical companies. ‘Our children are the unhealthiest, sickest children in the world,’ Kennedy Jr. claimed.’ Don’t you want healthy children? Don’t you want a safe environment for your children? Don’t you want to know the food that you’re feeding them is not filled with chemicals that will give them cancer and chronic diseases? Don’t you want a president that will make America healthy again? Well, that is what President Trump told me he wanted,’ Kennedy Jr. said.”

The New York Post added on August 24:

“Kennedy also touted Trump’s vows to keep the US out of foreign wars, end censorship  and protect ‘America’s freedoms’ from ‘totalitarianism.’”

All laudable goals. Would they be accomplished under a Trump presidency?

Biden Administration Fraudulently Manipulating Job Growth Statistics

Newsmax wrote on August 21:

“Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday accused the Biden administration of ‘fraudulently manipulating’ statistics after the government announced revised job growth numbers for this year showing lower growth than previously reported. The Labor Department released a revised report this week showing that the U.S. added 818,000 fewer jobs between April 2023 and March 2024 than originally stated in a previous report. The initial report showed the U.S. added an average of 242,000 jobs per month during that time, but the revised figures show the U.S. added 174,000 jobs per month.

“… Trump called the revelation a ‘MASSIVE SCANDAL!’… Trump added: ‘The Harris-Biden Administration has been caught fraudulently manipulating Job Statistics to hide the true extent of the Economic Ruin they have inflicted upon America. New Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the Administration PADDED THE NUMBERS with an extra 818,000 Jobs that DO NOT EXIST, AND NEVER DID. The real Numbers are much worse than that…’”

This IS scandalous… but to be expected from lying politicians.

Zuckerberg Confirms Improper Conduct of Biden Administration

The Wall Street Journal wrote on August 27, 2024:

“Zuckerberg said it was improper for the Biden administration to have pressured Facebook to censor content in 2021 related to the coronavirus pandemic, vowing that the social-media giant would reject any such future efforts… In a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan… he wrote that senior Biden administration officials, including from the White House, had ‘repeatedly pressured our teams for months to censor certain COVID-19 content, including humor and satire, and expressed a lot of frustration with our teams when we didn’t agree.’ At the time, Facebook’s publicly stated goal was to push millions of people toward Covid 19 vaccines…

“Zuckerberg said that he believed the pressure from the administration ‘was wrong, and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it… we’re ready to push back if something like this happens again.’

“… In his letter to Jordan, Zuckerberg said that Meta [which owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and others] ‘shouldn’t have demoted’ a New York Post story about President Biden’s son Hunter Biden ahead of the 2020 election… At the time, dozens of former intelligence officials signed a letter that then-candidate Biden cited in a presidential debate saying that the release of the emails had ‘all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation’… ‘It’s since been made clear that the reporting was not Russian disinformation, and in retrospect, we shouldn’t have demoted the story,’ Zuckerberg wrote. In a social-media post, Jordan said that the letter was a ‘big win for free speech.’”

Parents Responsible and Not Responsible For Mass Killings of Their Children

Newsmax wrote on August 19:

“The parents of a former student accused of killing 10 people in a 2018 school shooting near Houston cannot be held responsible for what happened, a jury decided Monday. The victims’ lawsuit sought to hold Dimitrios Pagourtzis and his parents, Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Marie Kosmetatos, financially liable for the shooting at Santa Fe High School on May 18, 2018. The lawsuit alleged the parents failed to provide necessary support for their son’s mental health and didn’t do enough to prevent him from accessing their guns. Authorities say Pagourtzis fatally shot eight students and two teachers. He was 17 years old at the time.

“Pagourtzis, now 23, has been charged with capital murder but the criminal case has been on hold since November 2019, when he was declared incompetent to stand trial. He is being held at a state mental health facility. In April, Jennifer and James Crumbley were sentenced to at least 10 years in prison by a Michigan judge after becoming the first parents convicted in a U.S. mass school shooting. Pagourtzis’ parents are not accused of any crime…

“Similar lawsuits have been filed following other mass shootings. In 2022, a jury awarded over $200 million to the mother of one of four people killed in a shooting at a Waffle House in Nashville, Tennessee. The lawsuit was filed against the shooter and his father, who was accused of returning a rifle to his son before the shooting despite the son’s mental health issues.”

Many Children Survive Abortions… Before They Die!

eSiteNews wrote on August 23:

“In Canada, not a single federal leader will discuss abortion – except to affirm their support for feticide in all its forms. Thus, there has been no response to a gut-wrenching new study by medical statisticians at the University of Montreal that found that one in four babies aborted at 23 weeks gestation in Quebec are born alive. One of the ‘complications’ of later-term abortions is known as ‘live birth,’ and ‘live birth rates’ after abortion have increased in Quebec, most noticeably in abortions between 20 and 24 weeks…

“The study found that 90% of these babies died within three hours, and… ‘only 24.5 percent of the babies born alive were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) while only 5.5% received palliative care.’

“The authors noted a strange trend, reporting that the likelihood of a baby surviving an abortion actually increased between 1989-2000, when it was 4.1%, and 2011-2021, when it was 20.8%…”

This is SO horrible. What a heartless civilization we live in, condoning, supporting and promoting such barbarous and ungodly conduct!

Telegram CEO Arrested in France

Breitbart wrote on August 24:

“Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov (39) was arrested in France on Saturday after his private jet landed at Le Bourget Airport, French media reported. Durov was arrested under a warrant related to ‘various violations of his encrypted messaging service,’ according to a report by Le Monde… French authorities are accusing Durov of a ‘lack of moderation’ involving Telegram. The messaging app is reportedly under attack in Europe for the ‘viral circulation of false information.’ ‘Telegram has shielded itself from state moderation rules, at a time when the European Union and the United States are putting pressure on major platforms to remove illegal content,’ Le Monde reported. France’s OFMIN (Office to Combat Violence Against Minors) issued the warrant as part of an investigation into ‘offenses ranging from fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime, glorification of terrorism, and fraud,’ a source told the French newspaper.

“Durov, who doesn’t often sit down for interviews, spoke with Tucker Carlson in April, telling the former Fox News host that the Russian government was the first entity to demand that he censor speech — via his other platform, VK — in an effort to quell protests in the country. ‘We were requested to ban these [protest organizing] communities — and I refused,’ Durov explained. ‘But that did not go too well with the government.’ ‘A few years from then, in 2013, we had a similar situation where you had these protests in Ukraine where people, again, would use VK to organize themselves and go to the main square of the city and show their disagreement with the government,’ Durov continued. ‘We received a demand from the Russian side, saying, “You have to give us the private data of the organizers of this protest,” and our response was, ‘Wait, a minute, this is a different country, we won’t betray our Ukrainian users because you asked us to.” We decided to refuse, and that didn’t go too well with the Russian government as well,’ he added. As a result, Durov chose to resign as the CEO of VK.

“‘I had to make a difficult decision,’ he said. ‘Because I was offered basically a choice between two suboptimal options: one of which was I would start complying with whatever the leaders of the countries tell me to do, and the other one was I could sell my stake in the company, retire, resign as the CEO, and leave the country. I chose the latter.’

“Carlson reacted to Durov’s arrest in a Saturday X post, writing, ‘In the end, it wasn’t Putin who arrested him for allowing the public to exercise free speech. It was a western country, a Biden administration ally and enthusiastic NATO member, that locked him away.’ ‘Pavel Durov sits in a French jail tonight, a living warning to any platform owner who refuses to censor the truth at the behest of governments and intel agencies,’ Carlson added. ‘Darkness is descending fast on the formerly free world.’”

Indeed, darkness is descending on Europe. Of course, Europe was never really free, but now it is clearly being held captive by Satan the devil.

Europe’s Persecution of Freedom of Speech Continues…

Reuters wrote on August 25:

“The arrest of the 39-year-old technology billionaire prompted on Sunday a warning from Moscow to Paris that he should be accorded his rights and criticism from X owner Elon Musk who said that free speech in Europe was under attack… [Hypocritical Russia is making these demands!!!] Durov, who has dual French and United Arab Emirates citizenship, was arrested as part of a preliminary police investigation into allegedly allowing a wide range of crimes due to a lack of moderators on Telegram and a lack of cooperation with police, a… French police source said.

“Russian lawmaker Maria Butina, who spent 15 months in U.S. prison for acting as an unregistered Russian agent, said Durov ‘is a political prisoner – a victim of a witch-hunt by the West.’…

“Telegram, based in Dubai, was founded by Durov, who left Russia in 2014 after he refused to comply with demands to shut down opposition communities on his VK social media platform, which he has sold. The encrypted application, with close to one billion users, is particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine and the republics of the former Soviet Union. It is ranked as one of the major social media platforms after Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and WeChat.

“Durov, who is estimated by Forbes to have a fortune of $15.5 billion, said in April some governments had sought to pressure him but the app should remain a ‘neutral platform’ and not a ‘player in geopolitics’. Durov came up with the idea of an encrypted messaging app as a way to communicate while he faced pressure in Russia. His younger brother, Nikolai, designed the encryption…

“After Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Telegram has become the main source of unfiltered – and sometimes graphic and misleading – content from both sides about the war and the politics surrounding the conflict. The platform has become what some analysts call ‘a virtual battlefield’ for the war, used heavily by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his officials, as well as the Russian government.

“Russia began blocking Telegram in 2018 after the app refused to comply with a court order granting state security services access to its users’ encrypted messages… Telegram says it ‘is committed to protecting user privacy and human rights such as freedom of speech and assembly.’

“Durov has previously accused U.S. law enforcement agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of seeking to get a backdoor into the platform...

“Musk, billionaire owner of X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, said after reports of Durov’s detention: ‘It’s 2030 in Europe and you’re being executed for liking a meme.’”

Please view our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “Europe Attacks America’s Freedom!” 

Europe’s Increasing Persecution of Dissidents

Austria’s Report 24 wrote on August 26:

“While Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in France, Rumble boss Chris Pavlovski departed Europe… Elon Musk could be next on the list. In the new age of censorship and surveillance, there is no place for privacy and freedom of expression.

“Europe is returning to dangerous ways of thinking. In the past, countless people from the Old Continent fled across the Atlantic to the New World to be safe from religious or political persecution. In the meantime, European politicians present themselves as ‘democratic’ and ‘liberal’, but as a result of the leftward shift in the political party system, they seem to prefer to rely again on repression against those who think differently, and on total surveillance.

“Pavel Durov… was targeted… because he stood up against the total surveillance by authorities and secret services on his platform and protected freedom of expression. But there is no room for that in Europe for censoring and control-hungry politicians…

“Chris Pavlovski, the CEO of the video streaming platform Rumble, which presents itself as a free alternative to Google’s heavily censorious YouTube, explained on X that he had just left Europe ‘for good reason’. His platform was also threatened by France because they did not censor free speech there.

“All of this raises the question of when the French and European authorities will also want to take appropriate measures against Elon Musk. After all, the tech billionaire is also an advocate for the greatest possible freedom of the press and freedom of expression. However, this is something that no longer has a place in Europe. A woke, left-liberal and green-minded totalitarianism will prevail there in the future.”

Arrest of Durov Alarming!

The New York Post wrote on August 27:

“Americans should be worried… French investigators were quick to assure the public that this was most certainly not a political detention, which means it most certainly was… Durov is a seasoned veteran in the fight to protect free speech and association.

“Elon Musk has dealt with similar threats by foreign entities demanding he crack down on his platform, or else. We can expect that European-style censorship will find a welcoming audience in the DC swamp…  the major social media platforms do remain magnets for the worst of the worst elements; possibly criminals, terrorists, and traffickers. But criminals plan and commit crimes using the telephone, too, and governments around the world aren’t locking up the phone companies.

“The message of Durov’s detention is simple — hand over the data of the private citizenry, monitor and police their free speech, or face political persecution… We cannot allow our long-standing freedom of speech and assembly to become subject to European laws or lawmakers. And certainly not to the whims of globalists at the United Nations or in Davos. Durov is a walking target for refusing to capitulate to the surveillance state…”

The Associated Press wrote on August 28:

“In 2022, Germany issued fines of $5 million against Telegram’s operators for failing to establish a lawful way to reporting illegal content or to name an entity in Germany to receive official communication. Both are required under German laws that regulate large online platforms.”

Business Insider wrote on August 26:

“Musk described the arrest as a violation of freedom of expression. ‘It is essential to supporting free speech that you forward X posts to people you know, especially in countries where censorship exists,’ Musk wrote on X on Sunday. He also posted a tweet from Chris Pavlovski, the CEO of Rumble, a right-wing competitor to YouTube. Pavlovski said in a post on Sunday that France had ‘crossed a red line’ with the arrest of Durov.”

The Guardian wrote on August 25:

“Elon Musk reposted a clip from that interview with Tucker Carlson where Durov praised Musk’s takeover of X as ‘a great development’… He followed up with a second tweet: ‘Liberté! Liberté! Liberté?’

“According to Fox News, dated August 26 , the arrest prompted ‘swift outcry from free speech advocates, including fellow tech billionaire and X owner Elon Musk, and former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr..”

Macron responds, according to Al Jazeera, dated August 25:

“Macron insisted that there was no political motive [that it was not a political decision], and that Durov had been detained as part of a judicial inquiry. ‘I have seen false information regarding France following the arrest of Pavel Durov. France is deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication, to innovation, and to the spirit of entrepreneurship. It will remain so,’ Macron said in a post on X.”

France Persecutes Rumble—”Macron Is Lying”!

Nius wrote on August 28:

“It’s a worrying development: in the UK people have to worry about being visited by the police for sharing posts on ‘X’, in Germany citizens who criticize the government are being sued and in France the founder of the messenger service Telegram has now been arrested. The reason: He would not take sufficient action against criminal activities on his platform.

“Now the next shock for freedom of expression: The CEO of the Canadian video platform ‘Rumble’, Chris Pavlovski, decided to leave Europe in the wake of Durov’s arrest. On ‘X’ he writes: ‘France has already threatened Rumble, now they have crossed the red line by arresting Telegram’s CEO. Rumble will not tolerate this behavior and will fight by every legal means for freedom of expression, which is a universal human right. We are currently fighting in court in France and hope for Pavel Durov’s early release.’

“Pavlovski’s video portal, an alternative to YouTube, was banned in France in 2022 and is still in legal battle with the country over its refusal to remove blocked Russian accounts. In another post on ‘X’, the Rumble CEO accuses French President Emmanuel Macron of lying. ‘We had to shut down Rumble in France because you show no commitment to freedom of expression’. He is responding to the president’s statement that Durov’s arrest was legal and that France is deeply committed to freedom of expression.

“’Rumble’ has been working with Donald Trump’s ‘Truth Social’ social network since 2021. The current [proposed] Vice President J.D. Vance has already invested in the video platform.”

The Associated Press wrote on August 28:

“French authorities handed Telegram CEO Pavel Durov [six] preliminary charges Wednesday for allowing alleged criminal activity on his messaging app, and barred him from leaving France pending further investigation.”

But he has avoided jail with a 5m euro bail. He must check in at a police station twice a week.

Terror Attack in Solingen, Germany

Daily Mail wrote on August 24:

“A knifeman has left at least three people dead after stabbing random passersby in the neck in a horrific ‘terror attack’ at a diversity festival in Germany.  Eight others have been injured, five of them seriously, in the knife attack in the western German city of Solingen last night, police have said.  A desperate manhunt has been launched to find the killer who fled after carrying out the ‘brutal and senseless’ killings…

“Solingen is also known as the ‘City of Blades’, as it has long been renowned for the manufacturing of fine swords, knives, scissors and razors made by famous firms.  The tragedy comes amid a heated political debate about rising knife violence in German cities… The ‘Festival of Diversity,’ marking the city’s 650th anniversary, began on Friday and was supposed to run through Sunday, with 80,000 people expected.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 24:

“The man suspected of the stabbing in Solingen turned himself in to the police, a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry of North Rhine-Westphalia told the news agency DPA. According to the German daily Bild, the man, still covered in blood, approached the officers shortly after 11 p.m. (2100 GMT) and said: ‘I’m the one you’re looking for…’  He had reportedly been hiding in a backyard since the crime.

“German news magazine Spiegel reported that the suspect is a 26-year-old Syrian, who came to Germany in 2022 and applied for asylum in Bielefeld.  Because he came from a country in civil war, he was allowed to stay in Germany… The so-called ‘Islamic State’ has claimed responsibility… In a statement on social media, IS’ Amaq media wing said the knifeman was a ‘soldier of the Islamic State’ who targeted a ‘Christian gathering’ in what it said was ‘revenge for Muslims in Palestine and everywhere.’”

Breitbart wrote on August 24:

“It was claimed that, according to witness statements gathered by police, the attacker had shouted out the Jihadi war cry ‘Allahu Akbar’ as he carried out the attack…”

Reuters added on August 24:

“The episode comes ahead of three state elections next month in Thuringia, Saxony and Brandenburg, in which the anti-immigrant far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has a chance of winning… a top AfD candidate for one of the state elections, Bjoern Hoecke, [posted] on X: ‘Do you really want to get used to this? Free yourselves and end this insanity of forced multiculturalism.’”

Bild reported on August 25 that an arrest warrant was issued for him because of alleged murder and membership in a terrorist organization (IS), and that the investigation is now in the hands of the federal prosecutor.

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 installments of this new series, we have pointed out that at the time of the final revival of the ancient Roman Empire in Europe, God’s Church will be busy, with renewed strength, to fulfill its end-time commission to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God in all the world as a witness, prior to Christ’s return. As the European power will only survive for a short time, so the preaching of the gospel will likewise be short-lived.

We showed that both the last revival of the Roman Empire [through the raising up of the ancient Chaldeans, and their subsequent defeat] and the preaching of the gospel are described as the Work of God. We then concentrated on God’s Work, as it relates to the preaching of the gospel.

In this installment, we will discuss that God’s end-time Church has been given the Work of warning the nations, which is actually part of the proclamation of the gospel message.

We read in Amos 3:4-9, 13-14:

“Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing? Will a bird fall into a snare on the earth, where there is no trap for it? Will a snare spring up from the earth, if it has caught nothing at all? If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid? If there is calamity in a city, will not the LORD have done it? Surely the LORD God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The LORD God has spoken! Who can but prophesy? Proclaim in the palaces at Ashdod, And in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say: ‘Assemble on the mountains of Samaria; See great tumults in her midst, And the oppressed within her… Hear and testify against the house of Jacob,’ Says the LORD God, the God of hosts, ‘That in the day I punish Israel for their transgressions, I will also visit destruction on the altars of Bethel; And the horns of the altar shall be cut off And fall to the ground….’”

Notice carefully! God is telling us that He will reveal to His servants what is going to happen, and they must prophesy or proclaim what they hear. This does not mean that God must tell them directly, face to face, what they must speak; rather, He HAS already told us, in the pages of the Bible, what will happen. The above-cited Scripture speaks, in context, of calamity which God will bring on the House of Jacob or Israel. It will be His Work! As this is an end-time prophecy, God’s Church is to proclaim and warn the nations of Israel, in hopes that some will repent and change their ways, so that they could be spared.

We read a timeless prophecy in Psalm 64:9:

“All men shall fear, And shall declare the work of God; For they shall wisely consider His doing.”

Ultimately, all will declare the Work of God, but today, it is basically only those in the Body of Christ who understand and wisely consider His doing and, with the fear of God, proclaim and warn about what He will soon accomplish.

Psalm 73:28 is even more encompassing, stating:

“But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the LORD God, That I may declare all Your works.”

ALL of God’s works include, of course, the warning message to the nations that God’s wrath will be upon them soon, but also, that Christ will return soon to end the madness of man’s incompetent rule.

We find another Scripture in the Bible about God’s commission to His end-time Church to proclaim and prophesy about God’s Work of punishing all nations—in this case, modern Babylon:

Jeremiah 51:1-11 tells us this:

“Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, Against those who dwell in Leb Kamai, A destroying wind. And I will send winnowers to Babylon, Who shall winnow her and empty her land. For in the day of doom They shall be against her all around. Against her let the archer bend his bow, And lift himself up against her in his armor. Do not spare her young men; Utterly destroy all her army. Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, And those thrust through in her streets. For Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah, By his God, the LORD of hosts, Though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.’“Flee from the midst of Babylon, And every one save his life! Do not be cut off in her iniquity, For this is the time of the LORD’S vengeance; He shall recompense her. Babylon was a golden cup in the LORD’S hand, That made all the earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; Therefore the nations are deranged. Babylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed. Wail for her! Take balm for her pain; Perhaps she may be healed. We would have healed Babylon, But she is not healed. Forsake her, and let us go everyone to his own country; For her judgment reaches to heaven and is lifted up to the skies. The LORD has revealed our righteousness. Come and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God. Make the arrows bright! Gather the shields! The LORD has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes. For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it, Because it is the vengeance of the LORD, The vengeance for His temple.”

This passage describes the Work of God—His punishment of modern Babylon through the modern Medes—which must be proclaimed by His Church “in Zion”—that means, it must also be proclaimed IN the Church of God. It includes the warning message to come out of or flee from Babylon (compare Revelation 18:4)—not having anything to do with its evil conduct, culture and philosophies, in order to save our physical and—even more importantly—our spiritual lives.

We have read in prior installments that God will do His Work by reviving the modern Chaldeans—Babylon—to punish Israel.

In Habakkuk 3:2-9, God is asked to revive and make known His Work in the midst of the years:

“O LORD, I have heard your speech and was afraid; O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy. God came from Teman, The Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, And the earth was full of His praise. His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, And there His power was hidden. Before Him went pestilence, And fever followed at His feet. He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations. And the everlasting mountains were scattered, The perpetual hills bowed. His ways are everlasting.”

We see here that the context is His return and the last plagues poured out on mankind. Just prior to that, He is asked to revive His Work of raising the Chaldeans and of having His Church preach the gospel and warn the nations. In the midst of the years could refer to the 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation which will precede the Day of the Lord and the Coming of Christ. Then the proclamation will become really powerful, but it must occur earlier, BEFORE the houses of Israel and Judah will be destroyed at the very beginning of the Great Tribulation—in fact, their destruction sets in motion the Great Tribulation.

We saw earlier, in Amos 3, that proclaiming the warning message has been associated with blowing a trumpet—the trumpet of war. The following Scriptures tell us more about the duty and commission of God’s Church to blow the trumpet of warning.

We read in Jeremiah 4:5-8, 11-16 about the coming destruction of the modern Houses of Israel and Judah through the modern King of Assyria—the beast; and we read about the commission to “blow the trumpet” of warning:

“‘Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say: “Blow the trumpet in the land”; Cry, “Gather together,” And say, “Assemble yourselves, And let us go into the fortified cities.” Set up the standard toward Zion. Take refuge! Do not delay! For I will bring disaster from the north, And great destruction.’ The lion has come up from his thicket, And the destroyer of nations is on his way. He has gone forth from his place To make your land desolate. Your cities will be laid waste, Without inhabitant. For this, clothe yourself with sackcloth, Lament and wail. For the fierce anger of the LORD Has not turned back from us…

“At that time it will be said To this people and to Jerusalem, ‘A dry wind of the desolate heights blows in the wilderness Toward the daughter of My people– Not to fan or to cleanse–A wind too strong for these will come for Me; Now I will also speak judgment against them.’ Behold, he shall come up like clouds, And his chariots like a whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are plundered!’ O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, That you may be saved. How long shall your evil thoughts lodge within you? For a voice declares from Dan And proclaims affliction from Mount Ephraim: ‘Make mention to the nations, Yes, proclaim against Jerusalem, That watchers come from a far country And raise their voice against the cities of Judah.’”

We will address those watchers later.

Now notice Isaiah 58:1:

“Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins.”

Hosea 8:1 adds:  “Set the trumpet to your mouth! He shall come like an eagle against the house of the LORD, Because they have transgressed My covenant And rebelled against My law.”

Joel 2:1-3, 10-15 points out:

“Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the LORD is coming, For it is at hand: A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come, great and strong, The like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations. A fire devours before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely nothing shall escape them… 

“The earth quakes before them, The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness. The LORD gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; Who can endure it? ‘Now, therefore,’ says the LORD, ‘Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.’ So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him– A grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God… Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly…”

God’s Church needs to blow the trumpet in Zion which includes the Church itself. When we read that the LORD says to return to Him, He speaks through His Church.

But the warning message is not only directed towards the Houses of Israel and Judah. The trumpet must also be blown to warn modern Babylon, as God has decreed to carry out His Work against them:

Jeremiah 51:27-29 says:

“Set up a banner in the land, Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations against her, Call the kingdoms together against her: Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a general against her; Cause the horses to come up like the bristling locusts. Prepare against her the nations, With the kings of the Medes, Its governors and all its rulers, All the land of his dominion. And the land will tremble and sorrow; For every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, To make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitant.”

We read in Joel 2 that God executes His Word, and we read above that God’s purpose against Babylon shall be fulfilled. This is another way of saying that His Work will be accomplished and that we must proclaim it by blowing the trumpet. We are also reminded of the fact that the warning message must be clear—the blowing of the trumpet must be accurate, bold and convincing. We read in 1 Corinthians 14:8: “For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare himself for battle?”

Jeremiah 6:1, 9, 17 adds another important aspect when describing the duty of His Church to warn the nations:

“O you children of Benjamin, Gather yourselves to flee from the midst of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa, And set up a signal-fire in Beth Haccerem; For disaster appears out of the north, And great destruction… To whom shall I speak and give warning, That they may hear? Indeed their ear is uncircumcised, And they cannot give heed. Behold, the word of the LORD is a reproach to them; They have no delight in it… Also, I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’”

We read earlier, in Jeremiah 4, that watchers from a far country will come and raise their voice against the cities of Judah. Here we are introduced again to God’s watchmen who blow the trumpet and encourage the people to listen to it.  

Even though most will not listen and heed the warning of the watchmen, God’s Church must still fulfill its commission to warn them—as a witness or testimony against them. Those who are entrusted with proclaiming the warning message are called “watchmen.” They are to carefully watch world events and proclaim the impending dangers which can clearly be seen by those who take note with understanding and comprehension of the signs of the times.

Ezekiel 33: 7-12 elaborates on this.

“So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?”’ Say to them: “As I live,” says the LORD God, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?”’

“Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: ‘The righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.’”

We can clearly see that it is the solemn duty of the “watchmen”—God’s Church in these last days—to warn the people, including the House of Israel, of their sinful ways and implore them to change so that they won’t die. Once the warning message has been proclaimed, the responsibility is with the hearers to heed.

The role of the watchman is not limited to just warning the Houses of Israel and Judah. We read in Isaiah 21:6, 8-10:

“For thus has the LORD said to me: ‘Go, set a watchman, Let him declare what he sees.’ Then he cried, ‘A lion, my Lord! I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime; I have sat at my post every night. And look, here comes a chariot of men with a pair of horsemen!’ Then he answered and said, ‘Babylon is fallen, is fallen! And all the carved images of her gods He has broken to the ground.’ Oh, my threshing and the grain of my floor! That which I have heard from the LORD of hosts, The God of Israel, I have declared to you.”

The watchman declares what he sees and comprehends. Habakkuk 2:1-3 adds:

“I will stand my watch [Revised English Bible: “at my post”] And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected [or: “and what He will answer concerning my complaint”]. Then the LORD answered me and said: ‘Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.”

The watchman is even to plead with God to bring back His Son very soon who will then rule from Jerusalem, and in the process, to prepare the people for Christ’s Second Coming. We read in Isaiah 62:6-7, 10:

“I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent, And give Him no rest till He establishes And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. Go through, Go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people; Build up, Build up the highway! Take out the stones, Lift up a banner for the peoples!”

This reminds us of Christ telling us to pray daily to the Father: “Your Kingdom Come!”

In the next installment, we will talk about the connection between aspects of the Work of God and our salvation.

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“Europe’s Persecution of Telegram, Rumble and X (Musk)” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

Europe continues with its political goal and efforts to suppress free speech. Now, Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has been arrested and has been charged in France with criminal conduct “for a lack of moderation and a lack of cooperation with police.” Others who are being targeted include X’s CEO Elon Musk and Rumble’s CEO Chris Pavlovski. Is Europe becoming an autocratic and totalitarian dictatorship?

“Europas Verfolgung von Telegram, Rumble und X (Musk),” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers the same topics as described above.

It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of Margaret Adair on Friday, August 23, 2024. Margaret suffered a fatal heart attack. Arrangements are being made to transfer Margaret’s body to Ireland, where she will be buried next to her husband, Colin. A memorial service will also be held in the future in the San Diego area.

“Der kommende Weltuntergang,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “The Coming End of the World.”

“Unser Kreuz, das wir tragen müssen,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Jens Herrmann is now posted. Title in English: “Our Cross that We Must Bear.”

“Warum Ignoranz so gefährlich ist!” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Thilo Hanstein, is now posted. Title in English: “Why Ignorance Is so Dangerous!”

“Hypocrisy—Comments on News and Prophecy, August 24, 2024,” last Sabbath’s first message, presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

This program discusses many incidents of hypocrisy of American politicians, by just basically quoting from pertinent articles published by the media. Especially one article by the New York Post is somewhat satirical and could be seen as humorous, if the events had not been so terribly tragic and horrific.

“A Daily Diet of Truth,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Brian Gale, is now posted. Here is the summary:

Most of us watch the daily news on television, hear it on the radio, read it in newspapers and other publications, or more likely for the younger generation, on social media. But that is not where we learn about the Way of Life to which we have been called. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 we read that where our focus should be for our daily diet of truth: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.