On January 12, 2019, Norbert Link will present, “Comments on News and Prophecy (January 12, 2019),” and Kalon Mitchell will present the sermon, titled, “Naked or Clothed.”

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.

In my previous Editorial a few weeks ago, I gave the marvellous example of a dog’s nose and how incredible it is that even the small nose of a small dog can house well over 100 million scent-detecting receptors, which for those who have eyes to see is a brilliant example of God’s marvellous creativity.

Recently, due to the generosity of a family member, my wife and I had the opportunity to visit Australia and New Zealand. It reminded me yet again, if I ever needed to be reminded, how ridiculous the theory of evolution is.

As we travelled down the western side of the south island of New Zealand for hundreds of miles, the amazing scenery of small mountains, hills, lakes, rivers, trees, hedgerows, flowers, rocks and boulders was an assortment of natural delights. The thought that this backdrop of natural beauty and creativity could be part of an evolutionary process is absurd.

On the livescience.com website, we read the following: “Life on Earth first bloomed around 3.7 billion years ago, when chemical compounds in a ‘primordial soup’ somehow sparked into life, scientists suspect. But what turned sterile molecules into living, changing organisms? That’s the ultimate mystery.”

From the position of “scientists suspecting,” they then go on to guess what happened which is an “understanding” of sorts, which allows them to omit the possibility of an all-powerful Creator God. My thoughts turn to Romans 1:18-22 when I hear, see or read about man’s ridiculous postulations on this vital subject. It is a passage that is well worth reviewing again and again.

In addition, John 1:3 states that “all things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made,” showing from the Bible that the great God was responsible for and the instigator of everything at creation.

I have had the privilege of seeing similar scenery in a number of other parts of the world, and I am always amazed at those who refuse to acknowledge a mighty hand in the production of such beauty—rather believing theories, explanations, conclusions, conjecture, propositions and human rationale instead of admitting that a greater force than man must have instigated all that we see in nature today. And what I saw was but a fraction of God’s artistry in this world of ours.

How different it will be in the Kingdom of God on earth when all of man’s consistent mismanagement of earth’s rich and plentiful resources are replaced by correct and sustainable applications and when people will then realise that evolution was a satanic smokescreen to divert people from God’s Way. At that time, the wonder of a dog’s nose and the incredible array of natural beauty will be understood—not as a product of chance, a primordial soup or any other imaginings of fertile but misguided minds, but as the accomplishment of a Creator whose thinking and implementation of wondrous things far surpasses anything that mere man can come up with. And what I have mentioned today is but the tip of the iceberg in terms of the creative power of our great God.

While most of the world refuses to believe that God is the Creator who has made the life and beauty that surrounds them, God’s people have been given such knowledge of the Truth even though they are not the great of this world, as we read in 1 Corinthians 1:26-28: “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are.”

The time is coming when everyone will know the Truth and appreciate that God did create all things, and all other theories were just flawed arguments used as a diversionary tactic by our arch enemy and believed by far too many people.

The Truth is there, right before our eyes and, in God’s due time, the Truth will prevail!

by Norbert Link

We begin with new developments pertaining to President Trump’s announcement to withdraw all American troops “immediately” from Syria, followed by a contradictory statement by John Bolton, which in turn prompted an angry response by Turkey.

We continue with President Trump’s fight for a border wall and the resulting ongoing partial government shutdown [please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “How America Is Destroying Itself… Terrible Consequences of the Shutdown”] and the broken American health care system with its unique astronomical costs.

We address the increasingly hostile relationship between the Trump administration and the EU; and speak on the terrible consequences of America’s horrible nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands.

We report on another defeat of Theresa May in the British Parliament regarding Brexit and Germany’s strong warning that the EU will not accept a hard border between EU member state Ireland and Northern Ireland which is part of the UK.

We speak on a new law in parts of Belgium, dealing with the ritual slaughter of animals. This law, which is similar to laws in some European countries, has been described as anti-Semitic and as foreshadowing further persecution to come. We also address a violent and apparently politically motivated attack on a leader of the anti-immigrant German AfD party; Pope Francis’ warning against nationalism; and the interesting role of German cardinal Reinhard Marx.

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

Bolton Contradicts Trump on Withdrawal from Syria

The Jewish Telegraph Agency wrote on January 7:

“U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said in Israel that there is no timeline for a U.S. withdrawal from Syria and that American troops will remain until the Islamic State is defeated.

“Bolton met Sunday with Israeli security and intelligence officials to reassure them over the withdrawal unexpectedly announced by President Donald Trump last month… Bolton reportedly disagrees with the withdrawal decision.

“Trump also walked back the timetable on Sunday, telling reporters he had ‘never said we were doing it that quickly.’”

Of course he did say that. On his program of January 7, Shepard Smith of Fox News made this VERY clear. One wonders what is going on behind the scene. General Mattis resigned over President Trump’s announcement that American troops would be withdrawn from Syria “immediately.” Is John Bolton speaking for the President, and with his consent? The next article wonders about this too.

Axios wrote on January 7:

“Trump now says U.S. troops will withdraw ‘at a proper pace while at the same time continuing to fight ISIS and doing all else that is prudent and necessary.’ He initially announced: ‘They’re all coming back, and they’re coming back now.’…

“There is a pattern of ‘Trump saying we’re getting out and his advisers saying we’re staying in,’ Philip Gordon of the Council on Foreign Relations says. Gordon… [says] the moment of truth may be when Trump is asked about the apparent contradictions between his statements on Syria and Bolton’s: ‘I guess we’ll find out then if Bolton actually speaks for the president or if we’re back to “ISIS is defeated and we’re getting out.”’…

“The bottom line: ‘The danger of such inconsistency is that America’s word becomes meaningless, leading allies to doubt Washington’s promises and adversaries its resolve,’ writes Joel Rubin of the Washington Strategy Group. ‘… it’s unclear how committed he is to the Syria withdrawal.’”

And that IS the bottom line: America is perceived as being unreliable and its promises as being meaningless. First, President Trump shot from the hip when he announced on Twitter that American troops would withdraw now and immediately. When General Mattis tried to talk him out of that plan, he did not react kindly, so General Mattis resigned. Subsequently, John Bolton, Senator Graham and others were seemingly successful in getting President Trump to change his mind. But how long will it last? Regardless, the damage towards America’s allies has been done.

Turkey Unwilling to Give Assurances to USA

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 8:

“Bolton said on Sunday, in Israel, that he would seek assurances that Turkey would not harm US-allied Kurdish forces in Syria, a condition of the withdrawal…

“Erdogan gave a fiery speech to parliamentarians from his Law and Justice Party (the AKP), saying Bolton made a ‘serious mistake’ calling for the condition. ‘We cannot make any concessions,’ he told his party’s MPs. ‘Those involved in a terror corridor in Syria will receive the necessary punishment.’

“The United States fought alongside and supported the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militant group in Syria against the so-called ‘Islamic State.’ Kurds in Iraq also fought against IS militants in alliance with NATO powers, while Turkey is fighting an insurgency within its own borders against Kurdish groups.”

The Guardian wrote on January 8:

“Turkey has asked Washington to hand over its bases in Syria as the Trump administration appeared to reverse plans to withdraw from the country’s north-east on Tuesday, jeopardising Ankara’s plans to launch a widespread military operation targeting Kurdish groups…”

The relationship between Turkey and the USA is bound to deteriorate further, as prophesied in the Bible.

Former Presidents Debunk Trump’s Claim that They Support a Border Wall

The Week wrote on January 7:

“President Trump claimed last week that former presidents had told him that they supported the idea of building a wall on the southern border…

“All four living ex-presidents told The Washington Post on Monday that this is untrue. Former President Barack Obama’s spokesman referred to previous comments in which Obama said a wall would ‘run counter to our history as the world’s melting pot,’ while former President Jimmy Carter said he does ‘not support [Trump] on the issue.’ Representatives for former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton said they had never discussed the matter with Trump.”

The Huffington Post added on January 8:

“Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday struggled to back President Donald Trump’s lie that former presidents have affirmed their support for his proposed border wall… attempting to claim that the president meant that it had been ‘his impression’ and that he meant ‘the importance of border security.’”

Trump’s Case for a Border Wall

The Associated Press reported on January 8:

“President Donald Trump made a somber televised plea for border wall funding Tuesday night, seeking an edge in his shutdown battle with congressional Democrats as he declared there is ‘a humanitarian crisis, a crisis of the heart and a crisis of the soul.’… saying it was ‘immoral’ for ‘politicians to do nothing.’

“Responding in their own televised remarks, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Trump of misrepresenting the situation on the border as they urged him to reopen closed government departments and turn loose paychecks for hundreds of thousands of workers…

“Trump used emotional language, referring to Americans who were killed by people in the country illegally, saying: ‘I’ve met with dozens of families whose loved ones were stolen by illegal immigration. I’ve held the hands of the weeping mothers and embraced the grief-stricken fathers. So sad. So terrible.’

“The president often highlights such incidents, though studies over several years have found immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than people born in the United States.

“Trump has been discussing the idea of declaring a national emergency to allow him to move forward with the wall without getting congressional approval for the $5.7 billion he’s requested. But he did not mention that Tuesday night… Trump embraced the ceremonial trappings of his office as he tries to exit a political quagmire of his own making. For weeks he has dug in on a signature campaign promise to his base voters, the pledge to build an impregnable ‘beautiful’ wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 9:

“For his inaugural prime-time television address to the nation two years after taking office and during one of the longest government shutdowns in recent memory, President Donald Trump… could have used the bully pulpit accorded to US presidents to present himself as the true leader of the country, one who will earnestly try to bridge the gaping divide that threatens to tear the nation apart.

“… Instead… Donald Trump has once again shown he is incapable or unwilling to fulfill a key requirement for a president: To unite, not divide the nation.”

Shutdown to Continue

The Guardian wrote on January 5:

“Donald Trump said [the partial government shutdown] could go on for months or years, if he is not given funding for a wall on the Mexican border…

The Week wrote on January 5:

“President Trump… [asserted] in a… tweet that everyone ‘other than drug dealers, human traffickers, and criminals’ wants the wall ‘very badly.’ Recent polling shows just one in four Americans say shutting down the government is better than accepting no wall funding.”

CNBC wrote on January 9:

“President Donald Trump on Wednesday stormed out of a meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer over an ongoing partial government shutdown, calling it ‘a total waste of time.’

“The breakdown in already fraught negotiations over border wall funding, which have kept nine federal agencies shut down for 19 days and counting, appeared to heighten the possibility that Trump might declare a national emergency.

“‘I asked what is going to happen in 30 days if I quickly open things up, are you going to approve Border Security which includes a Wall or Steel Barrier? Nancy said, NO,’ Trump explained in a tweet… ‘I said bye-bye, nothing else works!’ Trump added.”

Affecting Air Travel

The Associated Press wrote on January 8:

“The partial government shutdown is starting to affect air travel. Over the weekend, some airports had long lines at checkpoints, apparently caused by a rising number of security officers calling in sick… Safety inspectors aren’t even on the job.”

Please view our new prophecy program, titled, “The Ongoing Shutdown– Comments on News and Prophecy (January 5, 2019)” 

Tax Refunds Still To Be Sent Out

The Week wrote on January 7:

“Lawyers for the Trump administration ruled on Monday that the Internal Revenue Service will be able to issue tax refunds, despite the government shutdown. During earlier shutdowns, including one last year, the IRS said it would not send out any refunds.

“A senior official with the Office of Management and Budget told The Washington Post it was decided that processing tax refunds is similar to paying Social Security benefits, which is allowed during a government shutdown. Since the shutdown started on Dec. 22, 90 percent of IRS staffers have had to stay home without pay…”

Food Stamps to Continue through February

Axios wrote on January 8:

“The Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that it has found a way to continuing providing food stamps to millions of Americans during the month of February, despite the government shutdown.”

Trump Did Not Realize what a Shutdown Would Do!

The Intelligencer wrote on January 7:

“Just as Trump did not expect to win the election and neglected to plan for his transition, he shut down the government on a whim, after right-wing media complained about his plan to approve a government funding bill. Nobody in the administration had a clear understanding of just what a shutdown would entail…

“Trump appears to have no endgame in mind. He told Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer he would ‘look foolish’ if he agreed to reopen the government without extracting concessions. But Democrats have no incentive to give him any. Voters in general tend to blame the president for problems… it especially holds true when the president personally engineers the calamity and announces beforehand on camera that he won’t blame the other side for it…”

And that is the big problem in other areas as well: How much WOULD President Trump understand when it comes to actions of war which might threaten the very survival of the USA?

USA Today wrote on January 9:

“… the shutdown’s most obvious impact has come in the form of trash pileups and overflowing toilets at national parks, where bathrooms have been closed and garbage is not getting picked up…

“Accidents like last week’s horrific crash in Florida that killed seven people — five of them children on the way to Disney World – will not be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board… Transportation Security Agency officers… are no longer just calling in sick. Now… some are resigning… the situation poses a… massive security risk for American travelers… At the very least.. the shutdown will mean increased wait times for travelers going through security checkpoints…”

CBS Chicago added on January 9:

“Funds from an emergency farm-aid bill are frozen and government employees who offer several services to farmers are [prevented from working]… This is happening on top of less demand for American crops as China retaliates in response to President Trump’s tariffs. Farmers… have to store much of the biggest soybean crop ever.”

Astronomical Health Care Prices in USA

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School for Public Health wrote on January 7:

“The United States, on a per capita basis, spends much more on health care than other developed countries [which] was due mainly to higher prices—including higher drug prices, higher salaries for doctors and nurses, higher hospital administration costs and higher prices for many medical services.

“… the U.S… health care spending [was] about 25 percent higher than second-place Switzerland… It was also 108 percent higher than Canada… it was more than double… the U.S. spent per capita on health care in 2000…

“Not only does the U.S outspend other OECD countries, on the whole it has less access to many health care resources…”

An abominable report on America’s failing health care system.

Trump Cuts Aids to California’s Fire Victims

Roll Call wrote on January 9:

“President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he has ordered FEMA to withhold funds from California’s state government until officials there ‘get their act together’ fighting forest fires. But he tweeted he thinks that is ‘unlikely.’

“The president long has criticized California state officials, sometimes with dubious claims, over wildfires there and their steps to prevent and nix them. But stopping the flow of federal funds is an escalation of the feud, and one that might raise the ire of lawmakers — even the sizable House GOP delegation from the Golden State.

“Trump appeared… unconcerned that cutting off the FEMA aid might put more people at risk of injury, death or losing their homes…”

This is indeed a major blow to past, current and future fire victims of California.

Europe to Defend Its Interest against Trump

Euractiv wrote on January 3:

“[Manfred Weber,] the EPP’s Group leader in the European Parliament and candidate for the EU Commission top office said Europe does not want a trade conflict. ‘We have tried everything to make dialogue and mutual understanding prevail. If President Trump decides to treat Europe as an enemy, we will have no choice but to defend the European industry, European jobs, European interests,’ the German conservative politician emphasised. ‘This will have consequences for the American people too. In a trade conflict there are only losers,’ Weber added.

“The Bavarian politician also said the new situation with increased US isolation, should be seen as a wake-up call for Europeans to be the ‘bridge-builders’ and reliable partners towards the rest of the world.”

Europe will fill the gap “for the rest of the world,” created by America’s exclusivist policies.

Trump Downgrades Diplomatic Status of EU

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 8:

“The Trump administration has downgraded the diplomatic status of the European Union’s delegation to the United States… The demotion happened at the end of last year without notice… ‘I can confirm that this has not been well received in Brussels,’ [an EU official] said…

“The diplomatic downgrade of the EU’s mission in Washington appears to be in line with what is widely being perceived as an anti-EU stance by the Trump administration. Trump was an avid supporter of Britain’s exit from the European Union during his presidential campaign, and as president has repeatedly lashed out against the European Union on issues such as trade or defense.

“In a major foreign policy speech in Brussels in early December, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praised Trump, a self-declared nationalist, and urged European countries to reassert their national sovereignty vis-a-vis the EU…”

The Guardian added on January 8:

“The change… potentially means that the EU mission would have less clout and access to US officials… ‘This is a gratuitous and entirely unreasonable swipe at the EU by the Trump administration,’ said Nicholas Burns, who was under secretary of state for political affairs in the George W Bush administration.

“‘It coincides with Trump’s campaign to depict the EU as a competitor, and not a partner, of the US. It continues the administration’s delegitimization of… the supranational organization that is the EU. Americans should remember that the EU is our largest trade partner and largest investor in our economy,’ Burns added. ‘Trump’s entire policy toward the EU continues to be misguided and ineffective.’”

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 9:

“The US Congress has been sent an open letter by EU parliamentarians fuming over the sidelining of the EU’s mission in Washington. The MEPs again accuse President Donald Trump of eroding trans-Atlantic relations.

“[The] letter published Wednesday by the 58-member EU parliamentary Delegation for Relations with the United States slammed the White House’s ‘increasingly harmful approach’ to trans-Atlantic relations and urged Congress to help ‘strengthen and not undermine’ ties… The EU signatories urged Congress to build on a ‘long-cherished’ trans-Atlantic relationship. ‘This is no way to treat partners,’ they wrote…

“The delegation’s letter specifically takes aim at President Trump, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland. ‘They lambast the EU as bureaucratic, make no secret of their preference to deal with individual member state governments bilaterally, and have praised populist and nationalist movements,’ wrote the delegation in its open letter.

“In a resolution passed last September, the European Parliament said it regretted ‘that the current US administration has chosen a one-sided “America first” policy that harms the interests of both the EU and the US and undermines mutual trust.’”

Whatever the practical consequence of this downgrade might be, the Europeans are again VERY unhappy with President Trump. But there is more. Note the next article.

US State Department Warns of China AND Europe!

Business Insider wrote on January 3:

“The US State Department has issued a travel advisory urging Americans to ‘exercise increased caution’ when traveling to the People’s Republic of China. The State Department’s elevated travel advisory is out of concern that China may arbitrarily enforce local laws and detain US citizens without cause.

“‘Chinese authorities have asserted broad authority to prohibit US citizens from leaving China by using ‘exit bans,’ sometimes keeping US citizens in China for years,’ the State Department said in its advisory. ‘US citizens may be detained without access to US consular services or information about their alleged crime,’ the State Department said. ‘US citizens may be subjected to prolonged interrogations and extended detention for reasons related to “state security.”’ ‘Security personnel may detain and/or deport US citizens for sending private electronic messages critical of the Chinese government,’ the agency added.

“The new China travel advisory is a level-two advisory, which urges increased caution. A level-one advisory suggests travelers ‘exercise normal precautions,’ while a level-three advisory urges Americans to ‘reconsider travel.’ A level-four advisory recommends that Americans avoid traveling to a particular country.

“Other countries or regions with a level-two advisory include Algeria, Antarctica, Belgium, France, Germany, Denmark, Myanmar, and the United Kingdom.”

The level-two travel advisory towards China seems more than justified, based on the facts reported in this article. BUT that the USA has such two-level travel advisories in place against its closest European allies is quite ridiculous.

In addition, as Handelsblatt reported on January 9, “The US and European Union have not made progress in solving their trade dispute, EU Commissioner Cecila Malmström said after a visit to Washington D.C..”

The Curse of Nuclear Weapons Tests

The Sun wrote on January 8:

“Deadly radioactive plutonium is leaking into the Pacific Ocean from a tiny island where the US detonated dozens of Cold War nukes. During its clean-up operation on Enewetak Atoll, in the Marshall Islands, the American military built a giant concrete dome to house the toxic material left over from the nuclear tests. And now with rising sea levels, the storage facility is leaking into the Pacific Ocean, potentially spreading its deadly contents far and wide.

“It has now been claimed that the dome, which was built with a porous base of seashells and sand, was not sealed properly – which has further contributed to the radioactive leak… Over the course of 10 years, during the Cold War, 43 nuclear bombs were detonated, blasting craters and vaporising islands. Back in 2013, a report commissioned by the US Department of Energy confirmed the dome is leaking its highly toxic waste. Locals refer to it as ‘the poison’ and have already been complaining of birth defects and high cancer rates.

“One of the substances buried within the nuclear dump is plutonium — which has a half-life of 24,000 years – and is one of the most toxic and carcinogenic substances on the planet. Exposure can cause a number of health issues, including radiation sickness, genetic damage, cancer and death…

“Some of the largest nuclear bombs ever tested were detonated in the tiny tropical islands. In the ’70s, US media reports labelled the area the most decimated and toxic in the world. One of the bombs tested in the area was called the ‘Bravo Shot’ — 1000 times more powerful than those bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki…

“The 2013 US government report also warned that the increasing severity of storms in the region meant the dome was at risk of being blown apart…”

It is just terrible what man in his morbid and sick desire for war and destruction is capable of doing. But Christ will come to destroy those who destroy the earth.

Brexit: May Suffers Further Defeat in Parliament

Reuters wrote on January 8, 2019:

“British Prime Minister Theresa May’s government suffered a defeat in parliament on Tuesday when lawmakers who oppose leaving the European Union without an accord won a vote that created a new obstacle to a no-deal Brexit. The 303 to 296 defeat means that the government needs explicit parliamentary approval to leave the EU without a deal before it can use certain powers relating to taxation law.

“The defeat highlights May’s weak position as leader of a minority government, a divided party, and a critical parliament just days before she is due to hold a pivotal vote on whether to approve the Brexit deal she has negotiated with the EU…

“The government downplayed the significance of its defeat. ‘This amendment does not change the fact that the UK is leaving the EU on the 29 March, and it will not stop the government from collecting tax,’ a spokesman said…”

May Suffers Another Defeat

The Sun wrote on January 9:

“Theresa May has been defeated on Brexit for the second time in 24 hours today as rebels wrestled back power from the Government. Hopes that she can get next week’s deal passed by MPs are now fading fast after she was slapped down yet again by politicians demanding more of a say on our EU exit.

“The PM will now be forced to make a statement within three days if her withdrawal agreement gets thrown out by MPs on Tuesday as expected.”

Germany Warns Britain

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 8:

“German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the EU would not accept a hard border between Ireland, an EU member state, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. Maas pledged the EU’s full support for the Republic of Ireland…

“The British parliament is set to vote on May’s deal on January 15. Many observers expect it to end in defeat for the prime minister, who was forced to postpone an earlier vote in December due to lack of support… Any extension of the deadline for Britain leaving the EU would require unanimous approval from the EU’s remaining 27 member states.”

None of this looks good for Great Britain.

Belgian Region of Flanders Bans Halal and Kosher Slaughter

Express wrote on January 8:

“Under the new law [in the Belgian region of Flanders] animals must be stunned before being slaughtered, which animal rights campaigners argue is more humane. However, traditional halal and kosher rituals involve cutting the animals throat without stunning the animal first. Halal and kosher meat will continue [to] be sold in shops but it must be sourced from elsewhere.

“The move – initiated by right-wing nationalist Ben Weyts – has prompted a furious outcry from religious groups, with claims it is motivated by Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.

“Muslim leader Saatci Bayram told The New York Times: ‘This ban is presented as a revelation by animal rights activists, but the debate on animal welfare in Islam has been going on for 1,500 years. Our way of ritual slaughtering is painless.’

“Yaakov David Schmahl, a senior rabbi in Antwerp, added: ‘It is impossible to know the true intentions of people. Unless people state clearly what they have in mind, but most anti-Semites don’t do that. It definitely brings to mind similar situations before the Second World War, when these laws were introduced in Germany.’”

JTA wrote on January 4:

“Antwerp’s Jewish community was still recovering from its Holocaust-era devastation when Wim van den Brande’s grandfather opened one of Europe’s largest kosher slaughterhouses. Since its establishment in 1966, the Kosher Poultry factory grew together with the local Jewish community, which numbered only a few thousand people after Nazis and their collaborators murdered most of the Jews in Flanders — the Belgian region whose capital is Antwerp.

“By the end of last year, van den Brande’s factory was processing 80,000 chickens a month — a testament to how the region’s Jewish population has more than quadrupled to 20,000 since 1945. But all that ended last month, when a law banning methods used in ritual slaughter went into effect, forcing van den Brande, who is not Jewish, to fire his 10 employees and close up shop, in the hope of moving his factory to Hungary. For van den Brande, 42, and hundreds of meat industry professionals, it means ‘an attack on traditions and on an entire industry,’ he told JTA.

“It has less immediate implications for Antwerp’s Jews — who can simply switch to importing customs-free kosher meat from elsewhere within the European Union trading bloc. Yet many of them view the law both as a declaration that they are not wanted in Belgium, and as the opening shot of further hostile action…

“Schuldiner fears the law, which he considers a ban, is a ‘prelude to a ban on importing kosher meat,’ and a move heralding ‘new restrictions, be it on milah or other elements of Jewish life.’ Milah is the Hebrew word for circumcision of men…

“In this context, the law passed in Belgium ‘is clearly only the beginning,’ said Ari Mandel, an Antwerp Jew who in 2011 opened Kosher4U, an online store that specializes in shipping kosher products to remote European Jewish communities, such as in Sweden and Norway. ‘We’re talking about a domino effect. Kosher slaughterhouses can move but moving appears to be a temporary solution, a stay of execution,’ he added…

“Ritual slaughter of animals is allowed in France, Germany, the United Kingdom [but with restrictions], Ukraine and Russia… Five European Union member states — Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania and Slovenia — have blanket bans on ritual slaughter. So too do three other non-EU countries in Western Europe: Norway, Switzerland and Iceland.

“In Belgium, it is currently illegal only in Flanders, or the Flemish Region, which is one of three states that make up the federal kingdom. Another region, Wallonia, will impose a ban in September. Austria and Estonia also enforce strict supervision of the custom that some Jews there say makes it nearly impossible…”

Anti-Semitism is clearly on the rise, and what we observe here in some European states (others will follow) is an obvious preview of the future when European armies will invade the Middle East and the state of Israel to suppress the animal sacrifices which will be offered at the rebuilt third temple.

CNA wrote on January 8:

“Yaakov David Schmahl, a rabbi of Antwerp, reflected on fears the Belgium rules conceal anti-religious bigotry under animal protection concerns… He also voiced concern about a new Belgian law regulating homeschooling, a common practice for his Jewish community, as another example of a European trend he said makes it more difficult for observant Jews to live according to their practices.”

Homeschooling is, for example, prohibited in Germany, which places an undue burden on many religious parents who are opposed to the German school system and its many questionable teachings, including courses on sex education and unbiblical religious activities.

Germany and France Sign Security Policy Agreement

The EUObserver wrote on January 9:

“German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Emmanuel Macron will sign a bilateral cooperation and integration agreement on 22 January at a ceremony in Aachen town hall, the German government announced on Tuesday. The new Treaty of Aachen builds on the Elysee Treaty of 1963 on reconciliation between Germany and France and will further strengthen relations in areas such as economic policy, foreign and security policy.”

Aachen was the capital of Charlemagne from which he ruled, and where he is buried.

Needed—a European Army

Handelsblatt added on January 9:

“The common defense project is currently the hot topic. US President Donald Trump recently reconfirmed through his conduct that the times when we could rely completely on the US are over. There can be no doubt about it: There is an urgent need for action, and it is ultimately a question of building a ‘real European army,’ as Chancellor Angela Merkel would have it, or an ‘army of Europeans,’ per Defense Minister Ursula Von der Leyen — whatever the difference may be…

“In the discussion about joint armed forces, the German army has a critical role… In no other field than security and defense is more Europe more urgent and necessary. The majority of European citizens agrees…”

Violent Attacks on Germany’s AFP Party

The Sun wrote on January 8, 2019:

“Frank Magnitz, chairman of Germany’s AfD party, was left with a gaping wound in his head after he was reportedly knocked unconscious by three attackers on Monday… The party has described the assault as a ‘politically-motivated attempted assassination’… German Chancellor Angela Merkel has led condemnations of the assault with her spokesman saying on Twitter the ‘brutal attack’ was to be ‘condemned sharply’…

“An AfD office in Saxony was damaged by an explosive device left in a bin and three people were detained.

“… it was Merkel’s reaction to the refugee crisis that propelled the far-right party into the Bundestag lower house. It is expected to attract even more votes in May’s European elections.”

Deutsche Welle added on January 8:

“Monday’s attack on Bremen’s… AfD leader Frank Magnitz is not the first time the far-right populist party has been targeted in the northern German city. In the past, windows have been smashed and a car vandalized. Yet the brutal beating of Magnitz does mark a new level of violence in Bremen.

“The 66-year-old Magnitz, who remains hospitalized, was reportedly set upon by masked assailants, who struck the parliamentarian in the head with an object. When Magnitz went to the ground, the attackers apparently continued beating him. Passersby ultimately came to his aid. Bremen’s police and state security authorities suspect the attack was politically motivated…

“Leading politicians from all parties in Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, condemned the attack on Magnitz… Alice Weidel, who leads the AfD’s parliamentary group together with Alexander Gauland, said… that ‘the hatred against the AfD and the media coverage against this democratically elected party is bearing fruit.’”

Political propaganda from all sides and hatred and fanaticism in all their regrettable forms are taking their toll. Terrible incidents like these remind us of the violence which was experienced in Germany after the First World War.

Pope Francis Warns Against Populism and Nationalism

Breitbart wrote on January 7:

“Pope Francis compared today’s emergence of populist and nationalist movements to the days of Nazi Germany in an address to a group of diplomats accredited to the Holy See Monday… During the period between the two world wars, he said, ‘populist and nationalistic propensities prevailed over the action of the League of Nations…”

His speech was directed, in part, at President Trump. This is remarkable, as the Catholic Church will support the coming European power in their launch of a military attack on the USA in the not-too-distant future.

German Cardinal Reinhard Marx a Lightning Rod in Francis’s Papacy

Crux Now wrote on January 5:

“President of the German Episcopal Conference and archbishop of Munich and Freising, Marx is also a member of the pope’s ‘C9’ advisory council. Almost from the moment Francis took office in 2013, he has been a consistent provocateur, taking a leading role in the Vatican’s financial reform as president of the Council for the Economy, pushing for a more progressive interpretation of Francis’s 2016 exhortation on the family…, advocating for intercommunion in mixed marriages when one spouse is Catholic and one is not, and also calling for greater openness to LGBT relationships.

“Most recently Marx stirred the waters on the issue of celibacy, which will be openly debated during the German bishops’ permanent council meeting in the spring on the grounds that it could have an impact on the Catholic Church’s clerical sexual abuse crisis… He said that 2019 will be a year of ‘unrest and opposition’ in the German Church… “From the beginning, Marx has been a key player in virtually every aspect of Francis’s papacy… Marx’s role as a major point of reference in the Francis papacy seems destined to endure.”

It will be interesting to see as to what faction in the Vatican will ultimately prevail.

 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.

The Bible shows that Great Britain will leave the EU. The Church of God has been proclaiming for many years that Great Britain will not be a part of the European unification in its final configuration. The main reason for this warning has been that the Bible predicts a devastating war between Great Britain and continental Europe.

Many falsely believe that the house of Israel and the Jewish people are one and the same. But Judah, from whom the Jewish people descended, was just one tribe of the descendants of Jacob, whose name God changed to Israel (Genesis 35:10). They separated from their Israelite brothers and, along with the tribes of Levi and Benjamin, formed the “house of Judah.” The other tribes became known as the “house of Israel.” The “house of Israel” went into captivity first, never to return to the “Promised Land.” Today, they are called the “lost ten tribes.” The “house of Judah” also went into captivity but did eventually return to Palestine. Many descendants of the house of Judah are living today in the state of Israel.

In due time, as history and archeology reveal, the lost ten tribes of the house of Israel migrated to and settled in Europe and the British Isles. One tribe in particular, the descendants of Manasseh—the older son of Joseph—migrated from there to the United States of America, where they still are today. The descendants of Ephraim—the younger son of Joseph—can be found in Great Britain and in some of today’s Commonwealth nations [once known as the British Commonwealth], including Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

The Bible shows that just prior to the return of Christ, the United States and Great Britain, as well as some of the other Commonwealth nations, will be overthrown and enslaved by a mighty European power bloc, constituting the last revival of the ancient Roman Empire. When we see that hostile relationships develop between continental Europe and the USA, Great Britain and the state of Israel, and that these hostilities are escalating towards outright military confrontations, we know that Christ’s return is imminent.

A remarkable prophecy for our time can be found in Zechariah 11, which is directed against the USA, the United Kingdom and to some of the Commonwealth nations, as well as the state of Israel. The passage refers specifically to three powerful religious and/or political leaders: “(8) I dismissed the three shepherds in one month. My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me… (14) Then I cut in two my other staff… that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.”

This indicates that in the times just ahead of us, the close relationship between the USA and Great Britain on the one hand, and the state of Israel on the other hand, will cease. We will soon know for sure who the three shepherds or human leaders over these three nations are or will be who will be “dismissed” “in one month.”

That the relationship between the USA, the UK and the state of Israel will deteriorate, just prior to Europe’s attack on these powers, is confirmed in Isaiah 9:20-21, which tells us: “… Every man shall eat the flesh of his own arm. Manasseh (USA) shall devour Ephraim (UK), and Ephraim Manasseh, Together they shall be against Judah. For all this His anger is not turned away, But his hand is stretched out still.”

The Germans will be the dominant people of the coming united Europe, which will attack and conquer both the United States of America and Great Britain, as well as the state of Israel. Isaiah 10:5 describes the person who will launch the world into a devastating war, stating: “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hand is My indignation.” God will use Assyria to punish Israel and Judah, but afterward, He will deal with Assyria as well.

The Church of God has recognized for a long time that the modern Assyrians can be found today in large parts of Austria and Germany (especially the southern part and perhaps the eastern part of Germany). At least three leaders (the German Otto the Great, the Austrian Charles V and the Austrian Adolf Hitler), and possibly as many as seven leaders (the three Germanic Barbarian tribes and Charlemagne or Charles the Great) of the various revivals of the ancient Roman Empire, were descendants of the Assyrians. The last leader, called the king of the North, the beast, the king of Assyria and King Jareb, will also be an Assyrian. This means that the “beast” will be of German or Austrian descent.

There currently still exists a superficial friendly alliance between Germany and the State of Israel, the United States and Great Britain. However, recent events have shaken that alliance considerably, at least between Europe and the USA and the UK, mostly due to the controversial leadership of President Donald Trump and the failing Brexit negotiations between the UK and the EU.

The time will soon arrive when any friendly relationship between Europe and the USA, the UK and the state of Israel will come to a complete end. The days of calamity are looming, when the United States, Great Britain and the modern state of Israel will seek the help of the modern Assyrians, without receiving it.

We read God’s words in Hosea 5:9-14: “Ephraim [modern Great Britain and possibly here, by extension, the USA] shall be desolate in the day of rebuke; Among the tribes of Israel I make known what is sure. The princes of Judah [modern leaders in the state of Israel] are like those who remove a landmark; I will pour out My wrath on them like water. Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, Because he willingly walked by human precept.

“Therefore I will be to Ephraim like a moth, And to the house of Judah like rottenness. When Ephraim saw his sickness, And Judah saw his wound [a military defeat in war and lingering consequences], Then Ephraim went to Assyria… [the German Menge Bible and the New American Bible add: “…and Judah…”] sent to King Jareb [the “beast”–note that the Elberfelder Bible explains that “Jareb” means, “fighter; or one who seeks quarrels”]; Yet he cannot cure you, Nor heal you of your wound. For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, And like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear them and go away; I will take them away, and no one shall rescue.”

Ephraim and Judah will attempt, unsuccessfully, to obtain help from Assyria, perhaps pursuant to a covenant or a treaty which Ephraim and Assyria had entered into (Hosea 12:1). Only later, after they had to experience their terrible destruction through the Assyrians, all of “Israel” will come to recognize reality and turn to God, as Hosea 14:1-3 states:

“O Israel, return to the LORD your God, For you stumbled because of your iniquity… Say to Him, ‘Take away all iniquity; Receive us graciously, For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips. Assyria shall not save us, We will not ride on horses, Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, “You are our gods.” For in You the fatherless finds mercy.’”

Considering the former greatness of the British Empire and comparing it with today’s British Isles, we can see how accurate the following descriptions are in Hosea 7:8-9, 11-12. We read in verse 8: “Ephraim has mixed himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake unturned…”

The Nelson Study Bible has the following interesting annotation: “Instead of depending on the Lord for political stability, Israel formed alliances with surrounding nations. The destructive outcome of this policy is compared to a cake that has been placed over a fire and left unturned.”

Modern Israelites and modern Jews will try in vain, at their time of distress, to obtain assistance from Assyria. But quite to the contrary, the Assyrians will fight against modern Israel and Judah. Enslavement and mass deportation of peoples will be the result. Assyria, which will invade the territories of the modern Israelites and the Jewish state, will bring some of the prisoners into its own country (as in the Second World War many of the imprisoned Poles and Yugoslavs were deported to Germany as forced laborers).

Hosea 9:3 tells us: “They shall not dwell in the LORD’s land, But Ephraim shall return to Egypt [not to the land of Egypt, but to “Egyptian” captivity and slavery, as they had endured it in Egypt], And shall eat unclean things in Assyria.” Hosea 11:5 adds: “He shall not return to the land of Egypt; But the Assyrian shall be his king.”

What all of this means is that the relationship between Europe and the USA, the UK and the state of Israel will deteriorate more and more. Finally, the last European revival of the ancient Roman Empire will attack the USA, the UK and the state of Israel with nuclear and bio-chemical weapons of mass destruction.

That war may not only be directed against the state of Israel, Great Britain and some of the Commonwealth nations (such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand), as well as the USA, but also against some of the Israelite nations in Europe which can be found today in Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden and the northern part of Germany.

On the other hand, the name of Israel should rest specifically on the descendants of Joseph (Genesis 48:16), the father of Ephraim (the UK) and Manasseh (the USA), and biblical prophecies about the modern house of Israel are mainly directed towards them. Therefore, a departure of other Israelite nations from the EU or even the Eurozone is possible, as we pointed out in the last installment, but it is not compelling. It is also possible that many or all of the Israelite nations in Europe (apart from the UK) will remain as members of the EU—in the case of France, Belgium, Luxembourg or Ireland, as well as those living in the northern part of Germany, this is very likely.

For instance, none of the descendants of Dan in today’s Ireland are mentioned in the book of Revelation as part of the 144,000 who will be sealed to receive special protection from the awesome plagues of the terrible “Day of the Lord” (see Revelation 7:4-8), perhaps because of their ongoing idolatry and their alliance with or being part of core European nations. Therefore, the possibility exists that some of these Israelite nations will be part of the European power bloc so that they will participate in fighting against the UK and the USA, as well as the State of Israel. Historically, there have been many times when Israelite nations fought against each other.

We read in Zechariah 14:14 that “Judah”—that is, some or many of the Jews from around the world—will fight not only “at,” but also against Jerusalem. (Compare Revised Standard Version; New American Bible; New Jerusalem Bible and the Moffat translation; as well as the German Elberfelder Bible; the Luther Bible 1891; the Luther Bible 1984; the new Luther Bible 2009; the Luther Bible 2017; the Menge Bible; and the Zuercher Bible.)

In addition, other Israelite nations outside “core Europe” might not actively participate in the fighting, but they may not do anything to protect or defend the USA, the UK or the state of Israel. They may stay “neutral,” as the Israelite nation of Switzerland has famously done many times throughout its history, thereby clandestinely supporting both sides.

Major events have already occurred in the recent past, setting the stage for the final crescendo of end time prophecies—including the fall of the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall and the unification of Germany; the introduction of the euro; the expressed and repeated desire for a strong unified European army; the current power vacuum in Germany which will be filled soon; the deteriorating relationship between Europe and the USA under Donald Trump’s isolation and exclusivist nationalistic policies; the ongoing animosity of Turkey towards America and the Jews; and the resurgence of the Russian military might under Vladimir Putin in collaboration with Middle Eastern and Far Eastern nations, such as Iran, Syria, China, Japan, India and others.

As another necessary preparatory step, the momentous prophetic event of Britain’s exodus from the EU is in the process of being fulfilled. It is expected that Germany (under a new leadership following Angela Merkel’s departure) will fill the vacuum left by Britain, especially in the areas of the economy and “European security.”

The next major development will then be the revelation and manifestation of the “beast”—King Jareb of Assyria—at the same time when ten European nations or groups of nations unite powerfully economically, politically and militarily. We know from previous installments that very shortly thereafter, the newly created unified European army will invade the Middle East and Jerusalem to suppress the daily sacrifices and to occupy the third temple. When these ten nations or groups of nations establish themselves as the leading core European nations and give their power and authority to the beast (who will only rule for a very short time), we know that Christ’s return is imminent.

We do not set any dates, but we can tell from the signs of the times that Christ’s return cannot be that far off (compare Matthew 24:32-33). Some speak of twenty or thirty years, which seems to be clearly outside the realm of reality.  It is therefore very important not to fall into the self-destructive trap of some who claim that their Lord delays His coming (Matthew 24:48) and that He won’t come for a long time. The Bible clearly warns against such attitude.

Peter told us in 2 Peter 3:3-4 that in our time, “scoffers will come in the last days… and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’” Peter continued to tell us that they “willfully forget” that God has patience with us (verse 9), but that His patience will run out, stating, “the day of the Lord WILL COME as a thief in the night” (verse 10).

Ezekiel 12:21-28 adds this pronouncement for us today, and we had better take it to heart:

“And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, what is this proverb that you people have about the land of Israel, which says, “The days are prolonged, and every vision fails”? Tell them therefore, “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘I will lay this proverb to rest, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel.’”

“‘But say to them, “The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision. For no more shall there be any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. For I am the LORD. I speak, and the word which I speak WILL COME TO PASS; it will no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word and perform it,” says the Lord God.’”

“Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, look, the house of Israel is saying, “The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.” Therefore say to them, “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘None of My words will be postponed any more, but the word which I speak WILL BE DONE,’ says the Lord GOD.”’”

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“2019 in der Prophezeiung!” (2019 in Prophecy), has received over 33,000 views during the past week on our AufPostenStehen German language program, which was presented by Norbert Link.

“How America Is Destroying Itself… Terrible Consequences of the Shutdown,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Was Abraham Lincoln right when he prophesied that America would destroy itself? Sadly, the crazy government shutdown gives us a foretaste of what is going to happen. Millions upon millions of people are already affected, and it will get much worse, as this program shows. The Bible condemns very strongly what is happening, but most people are sound asleep.

“Wie man Depressionen überwinden kann,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “How to Overcome Depression.” “Die Macht der Emotionen,”  the German sermonette presented last Sabbath by Mario Danisch, is now posted. Title in English: “The Power of Emotions.”

“The Ongoing Shutdown– Comments on News and Prophecy (January 5, 2019),” the presentation last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The partial government shutdown is continuing, with no end in sight. President Trump claimed it may last months, if not years. Food, tax, transport, trash collection and much more are being threatened. Most Americans are opposed to the shutdown, but what would be a swift solution to end this and future shutdowns caused by bickering politicians, once and for all?

“Don’t Delay,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

What is it that we should be focusing on and preparing for so we are not caught off guard in the soon coming end times, while the rest of the world, especially the English speaking nations, are sound asleep? How can this be and what does the Bible say about this very fact? What is prophesied for 2019, especially what’s happening in Europe which can cause things to develop very quickly?

“Saul’s Demon,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

With whom did King Saul and the witch of Endor communicate? Was it indeed the dead prophet Samuel, as some commentaries claim, who told Saul about the future, even though God had refused to talk to him through prophets? Or are other commentaries correct, which state that it was a demon who pretended to be Samuel? Could Saul’s prior experiences with a demon be significant? What does God tell us about demons and those who want to consult the dead?

On December 29, 2018, Robb Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “Are We Standing Our Ground?” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “Everyone.”

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.

We are constantly put to the test. If we have chosen to live this Way of Life, that is, a life pleasing to God based on what He commands, then we face many challenges and our inner strength will also be put to the test. To conquer our weaknesses is the challenge. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Here was Paul, an apostle of God, admitting that he had weaknesses and only through his weaknesses could he become strong. The weakness he had didn’t make him strong, but overcoming it gave him that strength. He knew of course that only through God’s help could he attain that strength. God gave him His strength, because without it, he could do nothing, but with it, he could do everything. This is very relevant for us today since we all have weaknesses that we must fight to overcome. It is nothing that is easily overcome, but only through faith, prayer, and repentance. If we didn’t have any weaknesses, then we would be perfect, and we know that that is not the case, since none of us are perfect.

Every person in the Bible had a weakness, even some of the greatest, who were men of God. They too had to struggle continuously to overcome their weaknesses and they also had to experience punishment by God to make them stronger. Many of them went through trials that seemed impossible to get through, but strength was on their side.

Job had many trials. He lost everything – his family and his possessions, and his health was also affected, but even after all that, he wasn’t angry towards God. However, he did have a weakness and that was his self-righteousness, which he did eventually overcome by acknowledging God’s power, and as a result, received back more than he had before his trials.

Samson had an incredible gift from God, which he took for granted. His weakness was women. They were more important to him than God, and every time he got into trouble, he never looked to God for help, but decided to fight his own battles instead. As a result, he lost his life. But before he died, he realized what his sin was and repented of it. He had finally overcome his weakness.

Moses had a weakness, that of anger. It is very easy to get angry and anger could be very difficult to control. Do you consider yourself easily tempered? Do we sometimes make others angry by what we may say or do? Have we noticed that it is more work to be happy than to be angry? Why is that? Because we are living in Satan’s world, and he is just the opposite of peace and tranquility. Have we noticed how much more of an effort it is to maintain peace? When something goes wrong, what is our initial reaction? Do we have thoughts of doubt, worry and discouragement during tough times? It’s all about how we control ourselves. What would Christ do in this situation?

“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ‘Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth’; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously… Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For ‘[h]e who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it’” (1 Peter 2:21-23; 3:8-11).

Unfortunately, there were some who were not strong enough, and as a result, they just gave up completely, like that which happened to King Saul. We have to make sure that we don’t fall into that category. Judas had a weakness that he did not overcome, and that was money. He betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-15). He was greedy for money, and that was very dangerous because riches had the better of him—just like the one individual who asked Christ in Matthew 19 what he could do to inherit eternal life and when Christ told him to sell everything he had and give it to the poor, he didn’t want to do it because money was more important to him.

Sometimes, we may feel that when times are really tough, we aren’t being blessed, but think of it as more of a test that we need to overcome. And remember, we DO have help from God (compare Romans 8:26-27). Each one of us is unique. We all have various strengths and weaknesses. Each one of us is aware what they are and we all know what it is that we must work on. If there is a certain weakness we have trouble with, we should make it a priority to overcome it. Satan is very intelligent, let us not forget that. He will attack us on the very things where we are most vulnerable.

We are called out of this world for a reason and Satan knows it, which is why we need to be vigilant at ALL times. But he can only do what God allows. Think of what happened to Job. God allowed Job’s trials to teach him a lesson! Yes, we are all going through trials, and yes, there are reasons for them. Again, we are the few that God has chosen and Satan knows that too, and the trials that we go through are different than those outside the Church of God because when we have been called to the Truth, we are in a separate category and we are not controlled by time and chance. God is aware of everything we go through, every trial, for our benefit. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). We still need to overcome our weaknesses and replace them with righteousness. And once we do that, God will be pleased, and so will we.

by Norbert Link

2018 ends with a bang, and the prospects for 2019 are even more grim. President Trump’s unilateral decision, announced by him on Twitter and without any prior consultation or warning, to admit defeat by withdrawing all troops from Syria (leaving the country to the mercy of the ruthless dictators of Russia, Turkey, Iran and Syria) and to withdraw half of the US troops from Afghanistan, combined with the resulting resignation of Defense Secretary General James Mattis (“the only adult left in the room”), have placed the world and especially a worried Europe on notice that the USA is a completely unreliable “partner” and that President Trump’s “unpredictable” and “chaotic” decisions “compel” the EU to create a unified army as soon as possible.

The next bombshell by the end of 2018 has been the partial shutdown of the US government (with wavering changes of mind by the American President) and fears of a global recession and the demise of the dollar.

We also warn of the growing fear and real danger of international cyber warfare; Putin’s alarming ambitions regarding the creation of a militaristic Russian Empire; and we speak on interesting developments in Germany; the collapse of the Israeli government; the mixed bag of Austria’s EU Presidency; and the devastating tsunami in Indonesia, reminding us of another tsunami several years ago—both of which happened during the Christmas season. We also report on the eruption of Italy’s most active volcano, Mount Etna.

We conclude with several eye-opening articles on Christmas and the Catholic Church.

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

How President Trump Made the Decision to Withdraw from Syria and Why General Mattis Resigned

The Washington Post wrote on December 21:

“When he spoke to President Trump on the telephone a week ago Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s agenda had not changed from when they met two weeks earlier at the Group of 20 summit in Argentina. He repeated his inability to understand why the United States was still arming and supporting Syrian Kurdish fighters to conduct a ground war against the Islamic State…

“The Islamic State, according to Trump himself, had been defeated, Erdogan said. Turkey’s military was strong and could take on any remaining militant pockets. Why did some 2,000 U.S. troops still need to be there? ‘You know what? It’s yours,’ Trump said of Syria. ‘I’m leaving.’

“The call, shorthanded in more or less the same words by several senior administration officials, set off events that, even by the whirlwind standards of Washington in the Trump years, have been cataclysmic…

“For those who cared to defend the decision, including some on Trump’s staff, a minority of lawmakers, and presumably a good portion of his unshakable supporters across the country, Syria withdrawal was a promise kept… But for many members of Congress — Republicans and Democrats — and the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State, it was an unmitigated disaster. None was officially informed in advance of Trump’s announcement, made on Twitter early Wednesday. Most warned that Turkey, whose troops were poised on the border waiting for U.S. forces to leave, would slaughter U.S. Kurdish allies. Overall, they said, it was nothing less than a capitulation to the other two powers on the ground in Syria — Russia and Iran.

“For Trump it was an assertion of presidential prerogative that he had repeatedly been constrained from exercising. It came at a time when he was feeling a loss of control over a range of issues, from the special counsel’s Russia investigation to the falling stock market and a threatened government shutdown.

“In the days after the Friday call with Erdogan, Trump’s senior national security team tried, and failed, to get him to reconsider, saying it was the worst possible moment for such an abrupt action. On Wednesday evening, in the Oval Office with aides, Trump complained that Mattis and others were still trying to dissuade him from the withdrawal… The Syria decision, [Mattis] believed — along with Trump’s order to prepare for troop withdrawals from Afghanistan — was the epitome of the president’s careless way of operating.

“On Thursday afternoon…, Mattis sat in his Pentagon office and watched a video lasting one minute and 19 seconds that the president had posted of himself on Twitter the night before. ‘We have won against ISIS,’ the Islamic State, he said. ‘We’ve beaten them badly, and now it’s time for our troops to come back home… Having to call families of military casualties was ‘heartbreaking . . . no question about it,’ Trump said, and there was ‘nobody happier’ about his decision, he said, pointing up at the sky…

“Mattis was done trying to talk Trump out of it. In a calm, 45-minute conversation with the president, he talked about their divergent views of the world and how to treat allies and partners. Trump, he said, deserved someone who thought more like he did. They thanked each other, and it was over…”

It is all over indeed. Another war has been lost by the USA, proving the accuracy of our prediction for many years that the US will NOT win another war. It’s certainly the beginning of the end…

Mattis’ Resignation Has the World on Edge

Bloomberg wrote on December 21:

“The abrupt resignation of U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has governments from Seoul to Brussels on edge, as the reliability of American alliances and the direction of policy under an erratic leader come under question.

“The former Marine general was widely seen as a moderating force against President Donald Trump’s hostility toward traditional American alliances and overseas troop commitments, and had come to be described as ‘the last adult in the room.’ Besides the immediate moves to pull forces from Afghanistan and Syria, Mattis’s departure could have ramifications for U.S. standing around the world…

“Mattis leaves at a perilous time for South Korea, which is grappling with the price of Trump’s outreach to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his decision to suspend joint annual military exercises with the south. Mattis worked to reassure South Korea that America’s commitment remained strong, while the president focused on questioning the necessity of having some 28,000 troops on the peninsula and pressed Seoul to pay more for its security…

“Mattis’s resignation and the announcement of a partial U.S. troop withdrawal undercut the recent efforts to finally end the 17-year-long conflict in Afghanistan. They’ve also left U.S. allies hanging. Germany, which has the second-biggest troop contingent in NATO’s Afghanistan mission after the U.S., is particularly miffed…

“Even before the decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria, the Middle East had been jolted by a series of policy about-faces under Trump… While Trump justified the Syria move by saying the U.S. has scored ‘historic victories’ over Islamic State [which claim is largely disputed], he’s drawn bipartisan criticism from lawmakers who warn that it leaves Syria’s future in the hands of Russia and Iran, the primary backers of President Bashar al-Assad…

“The reshuffle at the Pentagon will exacerbate already deep concern in Europe, and in particular NATO. After Trump initially failed to recommit the U.S. to the alliance’s mutual-defense pact… it fell to Mattis to reassure allies… With him gone, allies are losing confidence that there’s any resistance within the administration to Trump’s ‘America First’ policies… Mattis ‘checked President Trump’s worst instincts and was a strong supporter of NATO,’ Guy Verhofstadt, head of ALDE in the European Parliament and a former Belgian prime minister, said in a tweet. ‘Europe stands unprepared & needs to speed up the establishment of a European Defense Community.’…

“Mattis struck a middle road on one of Asia’s biggest potential flash points, the South China Sea. He reassured China’s neighbors with more frequent naval patrols and tough rhetoric criticizing Beijing’s efforts to expand its military footprint on reclaimed reefs in the disputed water body… His talks with Chinese Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe helped ease tensions after a near collision in the South China Sea…

“Over the long history of postwar disputes between the U.S. and Japan, their security pact has often proved an anchor. Trump threw that into doubt by not only threatening to levy auto tariffs against Japan, but questioning its contribution to security. Since taking the job, Mattis has repeatedly visited to share reassuring words about the alliance with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe…

“For the Kremlin, Mattis’ announcement capped a sweep of wins the Kremlin had long desired but didn’t believe would ever happen. But the jubilation was measured in public statements, and some were tinged with anxiety about what the U.S. retreat might mean for conflict zones where Russia’s now left as the primary foreign power… Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov… said he couldn’t speculate on what decisions Mattis may have kept Trump from making, but warned that the unpredictability of U.S. policy was a growing risk.”

The world has become much less safe, even though it was never safe to begin with.

Angry Trump Responds

Newsmax wrote on December 23:

“Reportedly angry at the publicity that U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis was getting over his resignation letter, President Trump suddenly named a new defense secretary Sunday morning, ensuring that Mattis will leave months early. ‘I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019…’ Trump tweeted… Shanahan is a former Boeing Co. executive…

“Trump was enraged over the publicity and news coverage Mattis and his pointed resignation letter was receiving. Trump was also castigated by French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday… ‘To be allies is to fight shoulder to shoulder. It’s the most important thing for a head of state and head of the military,’ he said. ‘An ally should be dependable.’”

Europe knows that under Trump, the USA is clearly not dependable. And the appointment of a Boeing Co. executive with little military experience does not help to give Europe any sense of security. Note how Germany’s popular weekly magazine, Der Stern, described the situation on December 23:

“Donald Trump betrays his friends, accommodates his enemies such as Russia, and does not care about the chaos which he creates. His fans will celebrate him for that.  And of course Stephen Bannon, for whom it does not matter, presumably, who sets the world on fire. They don’t call him prince of darkness for nothing.”

Iraq Condemns Trump’s Surprise Visit; Demands Withdrawal of US Troops

The Guardian wrote on December 27:

“Iraqi lawmakers have demanded US forces leave the country in the wake of a surprise visit by Donald Trump, which politicians denounced as arrogant and a violation of Iraqi sovereignty. Politicians from both blocs of Iraq’s divided parliament called for a vote to expel US troops and promised to schedule an extraordinary session to debate the matter… Trump, making his first presidential visit to troops in a troubled region on Wednesday, said he had no plans to withdraw the 5,200 US forces in the country… But after defeating Isis militants in their last urban bastions last year, Iraqi politicians and militia leaders are speaking out against the continued presence of US forces in Iraqi soil…

“Qais Khazali, the head of the Iran-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia that fought key battles against Isis in north Iraq, promised on Twitter that parliament would vote to expel US forces from Iraq, or the militia and others would force them out by ‘other means’… [Trump] left without meeting any Iraqi officials, though he spoke to the prime minister, Adil Abdul-Mahdi, by phone. Abdul-Mahdi’s office said in a statement after Trump’s visit that ‘differences in points of view’over arrangements led to a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders being scrapped.”

The USA is losing its allies, one after the other.

Germany and France Feel Threatened because of US Withdrawal from Syria

The EUObserver wrote on December 21:

“America’s Western allies have voiced dismay at US leader Donald Trump’s sudden idea to pull out of Syria…France and Germany spoke out against Trump’s move on Thursday (20 December)… The risk of an IS resurgence is especially frightening for France and Germany – the main targets of its overseas attacks. But the US pull-out from a part of Syria under Kurdish control also posed other threats for Europe.

“Turkey reacted to Trump’s news by saying that it would attack Kurdish forces in the region, as part of its long-term campaign to stop the creation of a Kurdish state and to wipe out Kurdish separatism at home… A Turkish assault could create ‘thousands upon thousands’ of new refugees, Mehmet Tanriverdi, a spokesman for Kurdish Community in Germany [said]. The US pull-out could also embolden the Syrian regime and its main allies Iran and Russia to attack the last rebel stronghold in Syria’s Idlib province, prompting an even larger exodus to Europe…”

Europe is still struggling with the migrant crisis. A renewed influx is not in Europe’s perceived best interest, and President Trump will be blamed and hated for this.

Germany and France to Fill the Gap?

The EUObserver wrote on December 20:

“The decision by president Donald Trump to withdraw US forces from Syria has sent shock waves throughout… the entire globe. It has left many officials and observers, not the least in Washington, flabbergasted about what is going to happen…

“… there lies an opportunity for France and Germany to consider military options. At a first glance, such a move would appear totally improbable. However when studied, it is neither unachievable nor would it be controversial. Both France and Germany are part of the international coalition against ISIS…

“It is… time for president Emmanuel Macron and chancellor Angela Merkel to walk the talk on the idea of a European army by sending their troops to Rojava, filling the security gap the United States is leaving behind.”

The call for a powerful European army gets louder—thanks to President Trump and Vladimir Putin.

Politico wrote on December 21

“… European allies’ biggest fear is here to stay: In the case of a real crisis, Trump may well fail to defend them…”

Aljazeersa wrote on December 21:

“The chairman of the Munich Security Conference, Wolfgang Ischinger… believes that a more common European defence policy and the creation of a European army is inevitable. ‘It’s necessary … if there is a question mark about the reliability of our American partner (and) if we have a huge question mark about Russian intentions…’”

US Special Envoy Resigns

CBS News wrote on December 22:

“Brett McGurk, special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS… submitted his resignation on Friday… [He] was publicly left in the lurch by the president’s sudden declaration on Wednesday that he was pulling U.S. forces out of Syria…

“Just days earlier, McGurk had stood at the State Department podium to guarantee an ongoing U.S. commitment to the fight… At the time he made those remarks, the Trump administration’s policy was to remain in Syria to help stabilize areas under the control of U.S. allies and until Iran pulled out its militias…”

More resignations of highly qualified military personnel will follow, and competent replacements willing to serve under Trump will be hard to find.

“It’s Time to Be Worried!”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 21:

“While the resignation of James Mattis was widely lamented in Washington, hopes for some kind of internal resistance against Donald Trump are misplaced… any kind of musings about this president resigning are wishful thinking…

“Trump is the commander-in-chief and people will salute…

“The Trump administration and the world… have been fortunate until now that this president has not yet had to deal with the kind of national security crisis that a US president usually has to face in his tenure. But eventually… such a crisis… is likely to come.”

It will come, and will end badly for the USA.

The Shutdown (Night) Before Christmas

The Associated Press wrote on December 22:

“A partial federal shutdown took hold early Saturday after Democrats refused to meet President Donald Trump’s demands for $5 billion to start erecting his cherished Mexican border wall, a chaotic postscript for Republicans in the waning days of their two-year reign controlling government…

“The gridlock blocks money for nine of 15 Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice. The lack of funds will disrupt many government operations and the routines of 800,000 federal employees. Roughly 420,000 workers were deemed essential and will work unpaid just days before Christmas, while 380,000 will be furloughed, meaning they’ll stay home without pay. Those being furloughed include nearly everyone at NASA and 52,000 workers at the Internal Revenue Service. About 8 in 10 employees of the National Park Service will stay home and many parks were expected to close…

“The U.S. Postal Service, busy delivering packages for the holiday season, will not be affected because it’s an independent agency. Social Security checks will still be mailed, troops will remain on duty and food inspections will continue. Also still functioning will be the FBI, the Border Patrol and the Coast Guard. Transportation Security Administration officers will continue to staff airport checkpoints and air traffic controllers will also remain at work.

“Trump has openly savored a shutdown over the wall for months, saying last week he’d be ‘proud’ to have one and saying Friday he was ‘totally prepared for a very long’ closure… GOP lawmakers have wanted to avoid one, since polling shows the public broadly opposes the wall and a shutdown over it…

“Despite saying last week he’d not blame Democrats for the closure, Trump and his GOP allies spent the last two days blaming Democrats anyway. Trump said now was the time for Congress to provide taxpayers’ money for the wall, even though he’s said repeatedly that Mexico will pay for it — something that country has repeatedly rebuffed…

“Republicans conceded that one of their biggest hurdles was Trump’s legendary unpredictability and proclivity for abruptly changing his mind…”

No End in Sight

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 22:

“The shutdown… is the third since the president took office less than two years ago…  no votes will take place for another five days.”

Some claim that the shutdown could even last until sometime in 2019.

Project Syndicate commented as follows, on December 24:

“With no compromise in sight to end the federal government shutdown, and no one left in President Donald Trump’s cabinet who can restrain him, Americans and their allies are staring into the abyss that has been looming since the 2016 election.”

Limbaugh and Fox Changed Trump’s Mind

The Huffington Post wrote on December 20:

“Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.)… criticized President Trump’s tendency to be controlled by the opinions of talk-radio hosts… alluding to talk radio personalities like Rush Limbaugh and ‘Fox & Friends’ hosts throwing a fuss when they learned Trump would sign a bill to fund the government that didn’t include $5 billion for a border wall.

“Trump changed his mind Thursday and announced that he wouldn’t sign the bill passed by the Senate Wednesday, angering many Republicans… in the process.”

Now THAT is VERY troublesome and incredible, given the FACT that he had PROMISED to sign the bi-partisan bill.

The Unpredictable Stock Market

The Week wrote on December 26:

“The Dow Jones Industrial Average spiked over 1,080 points Wednesday, a nearly 5 percent gain and the largest rise since 2009. The S&P 500 jumped nearly 5 percent and the Nasdaq Composite gained 5.6 percent, largely thanks to oil and retail stock hikes in the wake of the holidays. The massive gains come after the biggest Christmas Eve trading slump in history, which continued the stock market’s worst December since the Great Depression…

“Markets also seemed placated after White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s job is ‘100 percent safe.’”

The Perils of the US Economy

The Associated Press wrote on December 22:

“… the partial shutdown of the government that began Saturday has added another threat to a growing list of risks. The stock market’s persistent fall, growing chaos in the Trump administration, higher interest rates, a U.S.-China trade war and a global slowdown have combined to elevate the perils for the economy…

“The world economy is showing clear signs of a downshift… Several other global risks abound. There is Britain’s turbulent exit from the European Union… China, the world’s second-largest economy after the U.S., is trying to manage a slowdown in growth that is being complicated by its trade war with Trump…”

The Washington Post wrote on December 22:

“… the closure of the government… was barely a blip on the radar amid the many other storms buffeting the nation…These chaotic events have rattled world markets and sparked concern that the next crisis could tip the nation into recession – with no certainty that the Trump administration and feuding lawmakers are up to the task of correcting course…

“Diane Swonk, chief economist of accounting and advisory firm Grant Thornton, called the shutdown ‘another straw on the camel’s back – and the straws are piling up.’ She said she was already worried about a recession hitting in late 2019 or early 2020, ‘and something like this could make it happen sooner.’

“Americans are more concerned about their finances than at any time in the Trump presidency…”

Will Demise of the Dollar Begin in 2019?

Money Morning wrote on December 24:

“It’s been a grim year for markets – the worst since 2008. But the drama’s not over yet… Could 2019 be the year the demise of the dollar begins?…

“The tricky thing about the debt ceiling is that, while it’s entirely artificial, if it’s breached, it means that the US can’t borrow any more money. In other words, it can’t issue any more Treasuries (government bonds). If that happens, then the US would only be able to use incoming tax money to repay any debts. It would have to start prioritising the various payments it has to make every month. And eventually it’d run out of money to pay its bills – including the interest payments due on government debt… If the US government actually defaulted on its debts – even once – that would send a shockwave of epic proportions across global financial markets….”

US Supreme Court Rejects Trump Asylum Ban

The Associated Press wrote on December 21:

“A divided Supreme Court won’t let the Trump administration begin enforcing a ban on asylum for any immigrants who illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border. Chief Justice John Roberts joined his four more liberal colleagues Friday in ruling against the administration… New Justice Brett Kavanaugh and three other conservative justices sided with the administration…

“The court’s order leaves in place lower court rulings that blocked Trump’s proclamation in November automatically denying asylum to people who enter the country from Mexico without going through official border crossings. Trump said he was acting in response to caravans of migrants making their way to the border…

“The ban conflicts with an immigration law that says immigrants can apply for asylum regardless of how they enter the U.S., [superior court justice] Tigar said… The ruling prompted Trump’s criticism of Tigar as an ‘Obama judge’ and led to an unusual public dispute between Trump and Roberts, who rebuked the president with a statement defending the judiciary’s independence.”

The public dispute between Trump and Roberts might very well have had some underlying repercussions.

Witchcraft Grows in the USA

The Telegraph wrote on December 21:

“Witchcraft is thriving in the US, with an estimated 1.5 million Americans now identifying as witches – more than the total number of Presbyterians. As Christianity declines across the country, paganism has swung to the mainstream, with witchcraft paraphernalia for sale on every high street and practises normalised across popular culture…”

How much more can Americans drift away from God?

Cybersecurity–Taking Entire Countries Offline

Business Insider wrote on December 22:

“Gatwick Airport is Britain’s second busiest by passenger volume, and Europe’s eighth. And yet it was brought to a standstill for two days by two people and a single drone…

“The criminals who break into the web sites of banks or chainstores and steal personal data or money are not the scariest people out there… The hackers we really ought to be worrying about are the ones trying take entire countries offline. People who are trying to take down the internet, switch the lights off, cut the water supply, disable railways, or blow up factories.

“The West’s weakness is in the older electronics and sensors that control processes in infrastructure and industry. Often these electronics were installed decades ago. The security systems controlling them are ancient or non-existent. If a hacker can gain control of a temperature sensor in a factory, he… can blow the place up, or set it on fire… The problem people don’t realise is it becomes a weapon of mass destruction. You can take down a whole country. It can be done…

“In December 2017, three men pleaded guilty to causing the largest internet outage in history – a distributed ‘denial of service’ attack that blacked out the web across most of the US and large chunks of Northern Europe for about 12 hours… And then, in April 2018, the African country of Mauritania was taken offline for two days when someone cut the single undersea cable that serves its internet… The Mauritania attack was probably done by the government of neighbouring Sierra Leone, which was trying to manipulate local election results by crippling the media.

“… In June 2018, Atlanta’s city government was hobbled by an attack that wiped out a third of its software programs. The FBI told Business Insider earlier this year that it believed terrorists would eventually attempt to take America’s 911 emergency system offline…

“[During] the December 2015 blackout in Ukraine… three major power suppliers were simultaneously taken over by hackers. The hackers gained remote control of the stations’ dashboards, and manually switched off about 60 substations, leaving 230,000 Ukrainians in the cold and dark for six straight hours. The hack was almost certainly done by Russia, whose military had invaded Crimea in the south of the country in 2014… Hackers don’t need to control an entire plant, the way they did in Ukraine. They only need to control an individual censor on a single machine…

“2010 was the year that cybersecurity experts really woke up to the idea that you could take down infrastructure, not just individual companies or web sites. That was the year the Stuxnet virus was deployed to take down the Iranian nuclear program… Then, in 2017, the Wannacry virus attack happened. Like Stuxnet, Wannacry also spread itself through the Microsoft Windows ecosystem… During its brief life, Wannacry became most infamous for disabling hundreds of computers used by Britain’s National Health Service… By December 2017, the US government confirmed that the North Korean government was responsible for the attack…”

This is a real danger. And the USA seems to be unprepared for such attacks. It is also a FACT that America is lingering far behind other sophisticated countries when it comes to their Internet capabilities and reliabilities.

The Russian Bear Is Back

The Sun wrote on December 21:

“Russia’s empire is expanding around the globe as Putin warns of ‘catastrophic’ global war. The Russian bear is back as strongman Putin re-arms his country’s military and expands his powerbase across the globe

“Once he dubbed the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 as a geopolitical disaster. And during Vladimir Putin’s 18 years in power, he has been on a mission to revive Russia’s empire — and yesterday he even threatened a ‘catastrophic’ World War 3 if any nation defies him.

“Describing the re-arming of his nation as a ‘priority’, the ultra-nationalist strongman wants to have one million serving personnel by 2020. Missiles, planes and ships have been upgraded and modernised. Meanwhile, bases have been improved or established all over the globe… From the cold wastes of the Arctic to tropical islands, his power is spreading across the world.”

Russia, together with China, India, Japan and other Far Eastern countries, will form a military power bloc with massive capabilities.

Putin Lectures Brits on Democracy

The Guardian wrote on December 20:

“Vladimir Putin has said the UK should not hold a second referendum on Brexit, insisting Theresa May must ‘fulfil the will of the people.’ Offering public support that the embattled British prime minister could probably do without, Putin said he understood May’s position in ‘fighting for this Brexit.’

“Britons may see some irony in a lesson on democracy from a fourth-term president who has co-opted or crushed any substantial opposition in his home country…”

“Putin Tests New Missile to Frighten Europe”

The EUObserver published the above-quoted headline and continued to write on December 27:

“Russia has tested a ‘hypersonic’ missile capable of a nuclear strike anywhere in Europe in what Russian president Vladimir Putin called ‘a great New Year’s present for the country’. The ‘Avangard’ system, to be deployed in 2019, travels at 20 times the speed of sound and has a range of 6,000km.”

Europe is most certainly concerned about these developments.

Non-Citizens in the World’s Militaries

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 27:

“The news that the Bundeswehr is tentatively considering recruiting non-German European Union citizens has naturally triggered concerns… but this is hardly a new idea… Many countries have foreign nationals in their military ranks…

“EU citizens aged between 18 and 34 have been allowed to join Belgium’sarmed forces since 2004. The Danish military allows foreign recruits, as long as they are already living in Denmark and can speak Danish, and Luxembourgalso allows EU citizens to join, as long as they have been living in the country for three years and aged between 18 and 24. Ireland allows any citizen of the European Economic Area (the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) to join its military, while other foreign nationals can also apply as long as they have been living in Ireland for three years.

“Britain has traditionally sourced military recruits from the former colonies of its empire, which in the first half of the 20th century morphed into an international organization of 53 nations known as the Commonwealth, now a bloc of some 2.3 billion people that includes Australia, India, Canada, Kenya, and Fiji… The Ministry of Defense announced in November that it would no longer require Commonwealth citizens to have lived in the UK for five years before joining up…

“The French Foreign Legion remains unique as the oldest foreign-only military branch still active. Founded in 1831, foreign nationals are still commanded by French officers, and can apply for French citizenship after three years’ service… Spain has allowed foreigners into its military since 2002, when it began recruiting citizens from ex-colonies (a measure that some branded as imperialist)…

“Russia has… made the army a fast-tracked route to citizenship: non-Russians who speak Russian can sign five-year contracts to join the military, with the option of applying for citizenship after three years.

“The US allows permanent residents and Green Card holders to join the military… a path that is also seen as a fast-track to US citizenship. In 2002, President George W. Bush signed an order allowing citizenship procedures to be accelerated for non-US soldiers in the military. Now, around 8,000 non-citizens join the US military every year, with the two biggest countries of origin being Mexico and the Philippines.”

All true, but Germany’s desire to do so shows a remarkable shift from its previous pacifistic attitude after World War 2.

Germany’s Role in Tackling Global Conflicts

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 27:

“[Germany’s] Foreign Minister Heiko Maas stressed again that the UN’s highest decision-making body, the Security Council, needs to be reformed to include more than the current five permanent members… insisting that Germany should hold a permanent seat. The UN Security Council currently has five members, the US, the UK, France, China and Russia…

“Maas stressed that Germany’s global ‘responsibility is growing’ and that his country is prepared to take a greater role in tackling global conflicts… ‘We won’t be able to shun big decisions anymore,’ he said, especially regarding conflicts in the Middle East, including those in Syria and Yemen… Germany starts its latest two-year stint on the UN Security Council on January 1.”

Germany will get involved more and more in international conflicts, especially in the Middle East… including militarily.

A Mosque Tax for German Muslims

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 26:

“Lawmakers from Germany’s grand coalition government said on Wednesday that they were considering introducing a ‘mosque tax’ for German Muslims, similar to the church taxes that German Christians pay… In Germany, church taxes are collected by the state [from practicing Catholics and Protestants] and then transferred to religious authorities.

“In the absence of a similar tax, mosques in Germany are reliant upon donations, raising concerns about possible financing by foreign organizations and governments…

“Several European countries, including Austria, Sweden, and Italy, also use church taxes to fund Catholic and Protestant institutions. It has also been criticized for being compulsory for practicing Christians and, as it is collected by the government, for blurring the lines between church and state.”

While couched in language sympathetic towards Muslims in Germany, the ulterior goal and motive of Germany’s grand coalition is quite obvious: To supervise, control and restrict Germany’s Muslim community.

Government of Israel Collapses

JTA wrote on December 24:

“Israel will hold new elections in April after the heads of all six coalition parties announced Monday that they were dissolving the government…

“According to Jerusalem Post political correspondent Gil Hoffman, the ‘coalition heads decided to go to elections at the beginning of April because they couldn’t reach agreement on the ultra-Orthodox enlistment bill’ — legislation addressing a judge’s order that could mean that all members of the haredi Orthodox community are subject to the military draft.

“Israel had appeared to have narrowly avoided a coalition collapse last month following the resignation of Yisrael Beiteinu party head Avigdor Liberman, the defense minister, and his call for new elections over what he described as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ‘capitulation to terror’ in accepting a cease-fire with Hamas.

“With Yisrael Beiteinu out of the government, the coalition led by Netanyahu still had the narrowest of majorities in the 120-member Knesset with 61 seats. Further cracks began to form when Education Minister Naftali Bennett, the Jewish Home party leader, threatened to leave unless he was appointed to replace Liberman. Instead, Netanyahu kept the defense portfolio for himself and Bennett backed down. Netanyahu is currently in charge of the foreign affairs, defense, health and immigration absorption ministries…

“The new elections could also forestall American efforts to negotiate a deal between Israel and the Palestinians. The White House is reported to have decided to hold off on launching its peace initiative until after the election.”

It will be interesting to see whether Netanyahu can hold on to power or whether another leader will emerge who will be more orthodox, conservative and militaristic.

Austria’s Mixed Bag

The EUObserver wrote on December 26:

“When Austria took over the EU presidency, for the third time, on 1 July 2018, Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz declared that his government – in a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) – would use its six-months tenure to promote what he called ‘a Europe that protects’… Six months later, it is clear that this goal was achieved only partially… Kurz’s much-repeated promise to act as ‘bridge-builder in the EU’ could not be kept.

“Austria’s decision on 31 October to withdraw from the UN migration pact left many European partners alienated and caused great damage to the international reputation of the country. Most observers believe that Kurz gave in on this to demands by the far-right FPO coalition partner… Similarly, many European partners were taken aback by the attendance of Russian president Vladimir Putin at the wedding of Austrian foreign minister Kneissl in August. This reduced the country’s credibility to act as bridge-builder between Russia and West.

“On 1 January 2019, Romania will take over the EU presidency from Austria and with it thus inherit a mixed bag of challenges.”

Huge Tsunami in Indonesia

ABC News wrote on December 23:

“[Hundreds] were left dead and hundreds more injured in Indonesia early Sunday as a tsunami hit the island nation following [and caused by] a volcanic eruption… Krakatau, a volcano located between the islands of Java and Sumatra, is known for the historic eruption in 1883 that blew the island apart and killed 30,000 people, but it has erupted regularly since…

“Indonesia was struck by a massive earthquake and tsunami in late September. The disaster hit Sulawesi, an island hundreds of miles northeast of Java. The disaster killed over 2,000 people and displaced 70,000 more.”

Deutsche Welle added on December 22:

“Saturday’s tsunami was reminiscent of several similar disasters that have struck the vast archipelago, including the massive earthquake and seismic sea wave [at Christmas time] in 2004 that killed 226,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.”

Mount Etna Erupts, Triggers Earthquake

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 26:

“Volcanic activity on Mount Etna has continued after a 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck the nearby region… The mountain has been shooting ash, smoke and lava stones into the air over recent days…

“The eruption began on the side of Mount Etna, Europe’s most active volcano, on Monday… The mountain is the largest of Italy’s three active volcanoes at 3,300 meters (10,800 feet) high… The last major eruption was in the European winter of 2008-2009…

“‘Etna remains a dangerous volcano, and this country of ours is unfortunately fragile,’ said government undersecretary Vito Crimi…”

Trump Hates Christmas Parties

The New York Magazine wrote on December 17:

“By the 26th, he will have attended 21 Christmas parties, clocking in at more than 52 hours of festivities in total, or about 10 percent of his waking hours this month. This is the life of a modern president of the United States in the month of December — and Donald Trump hates every minute of it… Making Christmas great again may have been a pillar of his presidential campaign — ‘We’re going to start saying “Merry Christmas again,” he often promised — but the war on Christmas is now raging inside of him… Trump hates the entire production surrounding Christmas…

“For his first Christmas as president, the White House parties featured a procedure for guests to enter a line and take a photo with Donald and Melania, an excruciating and monotonous ritual endured by most modern presidents since the early 1960s. It can, and often does, go on for hours. But Trump seems to have less patience for it than his predecessors. At one party, Trump grew so annoyed that he began complaining openly to one of his aides… He said, ‘I’m supposed to be the president, but now all I do is stand there and take pictures all day. There’s no telling what’s going on in the world right now. I’d never know’…

“Christmastime was not always a season of forced merriment for the president. The first White House Christmas party was held in 1800 by President John Adams and his wife Abigail… but it wasn’t until the administration of President John F. Kennedy, well after American concerns about paganism had given way to the commercial embrace of the holiday and all of its symbols, that celebrating became a matter of First Family tradition. President Ronald Reagan even dressed up as Santa Claus in 1983.

“But Trump is not the first president to bristle at the hostile, tinsel-draped takeover of his schedule. In 2012, Vanity Fair published a bizarre item in which the writer… criticized Obama for not shaking as many hands or posing for as many photos as his predecessors did during the holidays… As an example of someone Obama should have tried to emulate, [the magazine] shared a horrifying story about Abraham Lincoln holding, ‘near-constant public receptions during the depth of the Civil War (including one on the night his young son, Willie, lay dying upstairs).’…

“The oddest parts of the events were when people who thought Obama was the anti-Christ — like Sean Hannity and Darrell Issa — would show up to eat some Bo-shaped cookies and get a picture with the president.”

Please read our Q&A in this issue, asking and answering the question as to whether Donald Trump or Barack Obama could be the Antichrist.

German Christmas Celebrations

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 22:

“17 million people in Germany do not celebrate Christmas, and some of that can be chalked up to Germany’s immigrant population, which is largely Muslim. However, there are fewer than 5 million Muslims in Germany. Immigrant families only accounted for about 20 percent of respondents who told researchers that they avoid Christmas celebrations.

“The poll found that the majority of the people not partaking in the holiday were young adults between the ages of 18 and 30, and overwhelmingly male… One key reason that may account for the drop in Christmas celebrations could be economic…

“However, the survey also found that Christmas remains Germany’s biggest festival of the year, both in economic and personal terms.”

Can’t Get Rid of Christmas?

Mosaic Magazine wrote on December 24:

“Around the time of Thomas Balazs’ confirmation into the Lutheran church, his father sat him down and explained that he and Thomas’s mother had been born and raised as Jews, survived the Holocaust in Hungary, and converted to Christianity upon their marriage to spare their children the danger and indignity of growing up Jewish. Thomas returned to Judaism in the fifth decade of his life. But it was several years later—ice-skating with his own son to the sound of Christmas carols the day before Thanksgiving—that he first found himself missing the Gentile holiday of his youth:

“‘Until that moment, the first ten years without Christmas had been surprisingly easy for me. . . . So it was odd when I found myself singing [‘Jingle Bell Rock’] along with Bobby Helms as [my son] and I skated around the rink…

“If it’s true, as some say, that one can never stop being a Jew, it’s also true that you can never quite shake off Christmas once it has worked its way into your system… And it’s a consequence of there being some really great Christmas songs.”

With God’s help, it IS possible to leave Christmas observance behind.

Pope Francis Realizes Great and Widespread Sexual Abuse Problem in His Church

The Guardian wrote on December 21:

“Pope Francis has vowed the Catholic church will ‘never again’ cover up clerical sexual abuse and demanded that priests who raped and abused children turn themselves in… after a year of revelations of sexual misconduct and cover-ups that rocked his papacy and caused a crisis of confidence in the Catholic hierarchy… His remarks capped a difficult year for the Catholic church, which began with the pontiff’s botched handling of a sexual abuse scandal in Chile and ended with US state prosecutors uncovering decades of cover-ups.

“… The pope has summoned church leaders from around the world to an abuse prevention summit in February, indicating that he has come to realise the problem is far greater and more widespread than he had understood at the start of his pontificate five years ago… [He claimed] there were priests who, ‘without batting an eye’, were ready to enter into a ‘web of corruption’ by abusing those in their care. ‘Often, behind their boundless amiability, impeccably activity and angelic faces, they shamelessly conceal a vicious wolf ready to devour innocent souls,’ he said.”

If one could only know how serious and committed Pope Francis is about all of these and others challenges.

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.

This question as to whether Donald Trump is the Antichrist has been debated on the Internet for quite some time. In the past, many claimed that former President Barack Obama was or is the Antichrist. Some are convinced now that Donald Trump is the Antichrist, basing their conclusion on his personality or his actions.

Let us see what the Bible says about the Antichrist. This word is mentioned four times in the Holy Scriptures, and the term “antichrists” is mentioned once.

• 1 John 2:18 says:

“Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.”

The translation that “the Antichrist is coming” is incorrect. In the original, there is no definite article, so it should read: “you have heard that antichrist shall come” (compare Authorized Version). In addition, John states that there were many antichrists and that they went out from them (the church), but were not really a part of them (they were not true Christians).

• 1 John 2:22 says:

“Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.”

John clarifies just who is an antichrist: Someone who denies that Christ is the Messiah; also someone who denies the Father and the Son. By extension, anyone who believes in the Trinity would be classified as an antichrist since the Bible is clear that the Godhead is currently composed of the Father and Christ who are both God, with Christ being subject to God the Father. If one denies this in any form of belief or doctrine, then the Bible says that such a person is an antichrist.

• 1 John 4:2-3 says:

“By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.”

Again, in the original, there is no definite article, nor is the word “spirit” in the original, so it should read: “… this is that of antichrist” (compare Authorized Version, which places the word “spirit” in italics). John further defines antichrist as anyone denying that Christ came in the flesh; that is, that He was fully man, not part God and part man, or fully God and fully man. The doctrine of antichrist denies that Christ gave up His divinity to become a man; that He became fully flesh and blood and a human being like you and I.

Philippians 2:5-9 explains: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.  Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name…”

• 2 John 7 says:

“For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”

John adds the following important point in explaining who an antichrist is: Everyone who denies that Christ is coming today in the flesh; that is, that He is living His life in true Christians through His Holy Spirit in them.

As mentioned above, 1 John 2:18 speaks about “many antichrists.” This means, “antichrist” is not associated with one particular individual but describes all those who have false beliefs regarding who and what Christ was and is; that He lives in true Christians today; and the composition of the Godhead. It is therefore incorrect to label a particular person such as Barack Obama or Donald Trump as “the” Antichrist.

Many associate the concept of “the Antichrist” with the beast of Revelation 13; claiming that both terms describe the same person. This is not the case. But what about the allegation that Donald Trump or Barack Obama are “the beast”?

Revelation 13:1-7 reads:

“Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.  So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’

“And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.”

This passage describes the ancient Roman Empire which would be revived ten times. Nine resurrections have already occurred, and the tenth and last revival is happening in Europe—not in the USA. But Revelation 13 speaks also of the beast as the human leader of the revived Roman Empire (Revelation 13:8; compare also Revelation 16:13; 19:19-20). However, that person is revealed as being of German or Austrian descent, and again, he will rule over a revived unified core Europe. Barack Obama is not of German or Austrian descent. Even though Donald Trump is partly German, neither Barack Obama nor Donald Trump are connected to the EU nor Europe. In fact, Donald Trump is clearly against the unification of Europe or the existence of the EU. Neither Barack Obama nor Donald Trump fit the profile of the beast.

We need to remember that the “beast”—the end-time representative of the revived European system—will be a boastful charismatic and powerful military leader who will rule for a short time—approximately three and a half years prior to Christ’s return. Ten European nations or groups of nations with sovereign powers (“core Europe”) will emerge from the current EU, and they will in turn give their authority to the coming charismatic economic, political and military leader of German or Austrian descent. This “beast” is also referred to as the “king of the North” and as “King Jareb,” the modern “King of Assyria.”

Let us notice how the “beast”—the economic and military leader of core Europe—is described in the Bible.

Daniel 11:36-39 states: “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain.”

Notice that he will exalt himself mightily, above every god. He will not have the desire of women, possibly implying that he might be either single, living in celibacy, or that he might be a homosexual. It is also implied that he will place much confidence in his military capabilities, honoring the god of fortresses (the god of war) or of military might.

Daniel 8:25 adds: “Through his cunning [he] shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means.”

Those who may not know ALL the biblical passages and prophecies referring to “antichrist” and the “beast” might look at some characteristics of the coming European leader and wrongfully conclude that they have determined his identity. However, based on the entirety of God’s revelation, we can conclude with certainty that neither Barack Obama nor Donald Trump (nor any other previous American President) are “the Antichrist” or “the beast” of Revelation 13.

Lead Writer: Rene Messier (Canada)

compiled by Dave Harris

“How To Keep the Sabbath,” is the title of a new booklet written by Evangelist Norbert Link. This booklet has entered the initial editorial process, and it is planned for printing early next year.

“Sauls Dämon–Was uns das Buch Samuel lehrt, Teil 4,” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Saul’s Demon–What the Book of Samuel Teaches Us, Part 4.”

“Above All Things,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

In the Bible, the imaging of hot and cold is applied to love. The warning for Christians is to not let their love fail as evil grows ever more powerful.

“Balance through ‘The Way’ of Christ,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Robb Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The teachings of Christ, often referred to as “The Way”, offer mankind balance and a reward of eternal life. True balance does not equate to acceptance of worldly ideals. We must be careful to not fall into the trap of most professing Christians and allow Satanically inspired teachings to lead us away from the path Christ has clearly set before us.