On August 29, 2026, Eric Rank will give the first split sermon, titled, “Foundation of Values”and Daniel Blasinger will give the second split sermon, titled, “Laodicea 2.0.”

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 our Q&A on 8^th July 2022, entitled “What is the Definition of a Woman?,” we discussed this matter after a female nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court couldn’t define what a woman is during her confirmation hearings.   In short, we showed that it was as simple as an adult female.  Even the UK Prime Minister had a problem with the simple definition, no doubt brought about by political correctness rather than ignorance.

Another example is that of marriage. God says quite simply: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”   They were told to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 2:24). Therefore, a family is a man and a woman and their children. End of story you would think, but not in a more “enlightened” society. 

I was reminded of all of this nonsense recently when I read a report about two female lesbian English cricketers. They both had represented their country at the international level with great success, had “married” a few years ago and had a son in 2025.  The one who had recently retired from cricket had the baby and her “wife” was still a full-time professional cricketer. As she was the wife, the one who had the baby was the “husband.“  However, a husband is always a man in God’s eyes and we know that a man cannot give birth in a normal union of husband and wife. Also, there have to be three people in such a “marriage” of two lesbians as a sperm donor is always required. The simple definition of husband and wife in a marriage goes out the window when perverted lifestyles are adopted.

For those of us who believe in God should not have the problems that non-believers have in terms of definitions.   

But for non-believers, they have to make up their own definitions because they refuse to allow God and His Way into their lives.   

We have quoted this before, but it is worth mentioning again. In November 2009, Desert News in Salt Lake City, USA, stated that “America’s struggles to define marriage are all over the map.   It’s more than just differences from California to Connecticut and from Idaho to Iowa — it’s also how those definitions continue to be refined across the country.  Marriage definitions have been crafted or confirmed in courts, legislatures and voting booths. And in some cases, those definitions have been reversed in a matter of months.  With the exception of the Defense of Marriage Act passed a dozen years ago by the United States Congress, the definition of marriage — either the traditional union of a man and a woman or the more recent allowance of uniting same-sex couples — is an issue left for each state to answer for itself.”   

Of course, since this was written, matters have progressed at an alarming rate in the wrong direction.

Since that time, there have been many other people who have tried to define marriage simply because they won’t accept the biblical definition, thinking that they know better. But they don’t! 

And so, man will make up the definitions himself, and unless they are in conformity with the Word of God, they will always be wrong.

In short, God simplifies, but man complicates and is so often wrong when he does.  God is never wrong.

Having come up with their own definitions, what are the fruits of these definitions when implemented in reality? We only have to look at society today to see what a mess it all is. If only man would accept that God knows best and accept His definitions, much heartache, anguish and trouble would be saved. In short, it reminds me of the song “I Did It My Way”. But we should do it God’s Way, and the results would be much better and longer-lasting. However, man who has no intention of going God’s Way at this time, will do so in the Millennium when the “knowledge of the LORD” shall be as “the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9; compare Habakkuk 2:14). Then they will all realize that God had, quite simply, the best definitions because they all worked!

By Norbert Link

We begin with frightening developments and occurrences in Germany, especially regarding AfD’s convoluted plans and Germany’s most dangerous school; and we continue with Putin’s sinister scheme against NATO. Please view in this regard our StandingWatch program, titled, “Will Putin Attack NATO?” We also speak on Ukraine’s attacks on Russia with alleged British weapons and support and Russia’s response in pulling its ambassador out of Britain.

We address National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s terrible demands; the position of Israel pertaining to a Palestinian state; and Israel’s volatile and deteriorating relationship with Turkey.

Focusing on the United States, we address America’s unprecedented horrendous national debt; Trump’s attempt to court North Korea about which South Korea is extremity unhappy; the US Pentagon’s firing of the Stars and Stripes Editor in Chief; the beginning of a new trade war between Canada and the USA; the Supreme Court’s controversial decision to give green light for Trump’s ballroom; and a thought-provoking article about the downfall of the United States.

We conclude with another example of Catholic idolatry and blasphemy.

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “America’s Foolish Trade War With Canada.”

Is the Gestapo of a Police State Coming?

tkp wrote on August 16:

“On Wednesday, the German cabinet passed a 700-page legislative package that massively expands the powers of the domestic intelligence agency (Office for the Protection of the Constitution) and the Federal Intelligence Service (BND)… Artificial intelligence is to analyze vast amounts of data—including footage from public and private video surveillance. Data retention periods are being extended, and controversial methods such as online searches, surveillance of private homes, and the creation of movement profiles are being expanded…

“The Society for Civil Rights (GFF) considers large parts of the package to be unconstitutional… The strict separation between the police and intelligence agencies was enforced by the Allies after World War II to prevent a recurrence of the Gestapo… The article argues that the abolition of this separation is directly linked to Germany’s return to an imperialist war policy: hundreds of billions of euros in additional military spending, the reintroduction of conscription, and the creation of a society ‘ready for war’ require a police state…

“There is reportedly no serious opposition among the parties in the Bundestag… WSWS author Peter Schwarz views the legislative package… as the deliberate preparation for a police state intended to suppress growing domestic opposition to rearmament and social cutbacks—with the tacit or open support of all parties in the Bundestag.”

These are dangerous developments, but they are prophesied to occur.

Calls For Spahn’s Complete Departure

Bild Online wrote on August 21:

“Pressure is mounting on Jens Spahn in his political home region: following his resignation as leader of the Union parliamentary group and his decision to step down as district chairman, some CDU officials are now openly demanding that he also relinquish his seat in the Bundestag.

‘Accusations of double standards have been raised; at the grassroots level, there is talk of anger, outrage, and party members leaving.’”

But observers feel that Spahn’s future is anything but certain.

Jewish Community Compares AfD to NSDAP

t-online reported on August 22:

“Shortly before several elections in East Germany, Reinhard Schramm, chairman of the Jewish community in Thuringia, has issued a warning regarding the AfD. Drawing a comparison with the NSDAP highlights parallels in the rise of both parties, Schramm wrote in a guest commentary for the Thüringische Landeszeitung newspaper. By downplaying Nazi crimes and attacking Germany’s culture of remembrance, the AfD is facilitating its own gradual ascent to power, Schramm argued. Eyewitnesses to Nazi terror are watching ‘with fear the development of today’s increasingly right-wing extremist AfD.’

“Charlotte Knobloch, a Holocaust survivor and former president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, had previously drawn this comparison in Stern magazine. ‘The NSDAP, too, started small and tested the limits of what was possible,’ she said. That is exactly what is happening with the AfD. ‘In many areas, I no longer see any difference between it and the NSDAP before it came to power.’ She noted that she had witnessed many terrible parties—the NPD, the Republicans, the DVU—but none had been as dangerous as the AfD.”

NSDAP stands for Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, which translates from German as the National Socialist German Workers’ Party. It was the official name of the Nazi Party, led by Adolf Hitler, which ruled Germany as a fascist dictatorship from 1933 to 1945.The similarities between the rise of the NSDAP and the AfD are obvious.

The AfD’s Short-Sighted Plans

t-online wrote on August 23:

“AfD leader Alice Weidel … predicted that the CDU would ‘never win another federal election’… In opinion polls, the AfD is leading the CDU and CSU by up to eight percentage points nationwide. The situation was exactly the reverse for the 2025 federal election. In states like Saxony-Anhalt, where elections are taking place in September, the gap between the AfD and the Union is even wider…

“The AfD politician reaffirmed her party’s intention—should it take power—to withdraw from the euro and from the Schengen Agreement, which provides for the principle of border-control-free movement across internal borders…”

On closer inspection, these are all plans that run counter to prophecy. The AfD would not succeed with them… at least not in the long run. Yet the AfD’s views and plans are constantly changing… much like the proverbial chameleon. Whether a charismatic political and military leader (a male) will arise out of the AfD or from somewhere else will remain to be seen.

The Most Dangerous School in Germany

Daily Mail wrote on August 23:

“A German school whose student body is made up almost entirely of migrants has been dubbed ‘the most dangerous in the country’. Karolina-Burger-Realschule, a secondary in the south-western state of Rhineland-Palatinate, has been at the centre of a national frenzy over the country’s relationship with migrants. 

“Around 90 per cent of the roughly 760 pupils there are migrants, while roughly 40 per cent of the residents in the town it is based in, Ludwigshafen, are also non-German… The school regularly sees brutal fights between students, wanton destruction of property and violent threats against teachers… The ongoing chaos is so bad that parents are desperate to pull their children out… Teachers at Karolina-Burger have been calling in sick to avoid the chaos. German newspaper Der Spiegel reported that a third of the school’s 53 teachers called in sick last week.”

And why is nothing done about this?

Putin’s Sinister Scheme

The Telegraph wrote on August 23:

“Russia has launched a fresh wave of attacks on European armaments factories under the guise of plausible deniability… The Kremlin is recruiting local gang members to sabotage defence manufacturers to test Nato’s resolve. The attacks appear carefully calculated to fall just short of triggering Article 5…

“This week, Latvia detained three of its own nationals on suspicion of an arson attack against a drone manufacturer in neighbouring Estonia. A building belonging to Milrem Robotics, a Tallinn-based firm that supplies weapons to Ukraine, was set ablaze on Aug 1…

“Since Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 there has been a steady stream of unexplained attacks across Europe. As well as the Estonian arson incident, there have been explosions at major arms manufacturers in Italy and Bulgaria this month alone. Earlier this year, a fire almost destroyed a Czech plant making drones and thermal optics for Ukraine…

“On August 10, a major explosion ripped through a plant belonging to EMCO, one of Bulgaria’s largest private arms manufacturers, which produces 155mm artillery ammunition for Ukraine… Three days later a similar blast rocked a munitions factory operated by KNDS Ammo Italy in Colleferro on the outskirts of Rome…

“Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency, known for its attacks on foreign soil using highly trained agents… cultivate sources within criminal gangs to act as intermediaries in the targeted country using online messaging apps such as Telegram. These middlemen then dish out tasks to local recruits, who are paid in cryptocurrency and often never know they are working for Russia…

“Italy and Germany… are often unwilling [to] blame Moscow over fears of an escalation… With each attack that goes unpunished, the Russians are gathering their own useful intelligence on just how far they can push Nato’s boundaries… With Putin preparing Russia to use force against Nato ‘within five years’, according to Mr Rutte, Western officials see this hybrid attack as a potential precursor…”

It sounds like being taken from Putin’s well-known playbook. And a Russian attack on NATO within the next five years sounds overly optimistic. Such an attack could happen much earlier.

Moscow Pulls Ambassador Out of Britain

Daily Mail wrote on August 21:

“More than 300 workers were urgently evacuated today at a Russian Amazon logistics hub as it was hit in a Ukrainian drone attack. It was the second Ozon online marketplace struck in two days as Vladimir Putin admitted Kyiv was damaging his economy with its latest onslaught…

“Meanwhile, Moscow has pulled its ambassador out of Britain after Putin claimed the concerted strikes on so-called ‘Russian Amazon’ Ozon and Wildberries facilities were helped on by ‘Western handlers’ like the UK…  diplomatic relations have effectively been downgraded between the two countries and fears have arisen of a total breakdown of communications between Moscow and London.

“Relations between the UK and Russia took a dive last week after it emerged that British drones had been used by Ukraine to strike targets deep in the Russian mainland, prompting the embassy to threaten ‘consequences’.”

Poland Braces For War With Russia

Fox News wrote on August 19:

“Polish Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said his country is actively preparing for the possibility of conflict… A European diplomat… backed Tomczyk and said Poland sees a pattern of escalating Russian pressure on multiple fronts… The diplomat pointed to what they described as Russian disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks, sabotage efforts and repeated tests of Poland’s air defenses, as well as increasingly frequent nuclear rhetoric from Russian officials and propagandists.

“‘Altogether, it shows quite clearly that if Russia or Belarus saw any chance to attack Poland to destroy an obstacle to restoring the Soviet or Tsarist Russian empire in Eastern Europe, they would do it without hesitation,’ the diplomat said…. ‘But they — at least the imperialists who are the foundation of the Putin administration — would like to turn Poland, the Baltics and, of course, Ukraine back into their colonial part of Europe.’”

This assessment is right… once Russia gets the chance.

Ben-Gvir’s Ongoing Inhuman Demands

Israel 365 News wrote on August 20:

“National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced this week the start of construction on a dedicated execution facility for Palestinians sentenced to death under Israel’s new death penalty law, days after his comments calling for Israel to kill ‘30 to 40’ Gazans nightly drew condemnation from Germany… The facility will include a dedicated wing for prisoners sentenced to death, with gallows at its center, and observation booths allowing victims and their families to witness executions…

“Referring to a woman who had brought Braslavski food during his captivity, Ben-Gvir said she ‘needs a bullet in the head..’… German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ‘strongly condemns the inhumane remarks made by Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’ a German government spokesperson said Wednesday.”

The remarks are indeed a terrible testimony to man’s cruelty.

No Palestinian State

Washington Jewish Week wrote on August 20:

“In a meeting on Monday with Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law who advises the president on Middle East subjects, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made very clear, and in no uncertain terms, that he is against a Palestinian state…

“The discussions come as implementation of Trump’s 20-point plan remains stalled over the issue of Hamas’s disarmament. The Jewish state has maintained that the terror group must disarm fully before Israeli forces withdraw and large-scale reconstruction can begin…”

Kushner has not been a successful negotiator.

Turkey Crossed a Red Line

The Jerusalem Post wrote on August 20:

“Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter told The Jerusalem Post that Israel had received clear intelligence indicating that Turkey intended to significantly expand its military presence in Syria, a move Jerusalem viewed as crossing a red line… His comments came following Israel’s strike in Syria and subsequent criticism from both the Syrian and Turkish governments…

“‘It is clear to us that the Syrians do not want a confrontation with us,’ he said. ‘That is why we are telling the Turks not to create conflicts. There is more than one indication that the move planned by Turkey was imposed on the Syrians.’ … Leiter said the apparent disconnect was also evident in conflicting Turkish and Syrian statements following the strike. ‘While Syrian Foreign Minister Shaibani acknowledged that there had been a Turkish delegation in Syria several days before the strike, the Turks denied it.’”

PBS wrote on August 21:

“The Israeli military bombed an airbase in Syria, far from the Israeli border, sparking condemnation… from… the Trump administration. U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack accused Israel of an ‘unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability.’”

Turkey Issues Another Arrest Warrant Against Netanyahu

The Times of Israel wrote on August 21:

“Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government on Friday issued another arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, amid spiking the two countries over an Israeli strike in Syria… Turkey’s Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said on X that his ministry had asked the interior ministry to issue Interpol red notice alerts for Netanyahu… A red notice is a request to police forces worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition…

“The Israeli statement reiterated past accusations by Jerusalem against Erdogan, calling him ‘an antisemitic dictator who has massacred Kurds, harbors Hamas terrorists, occupies half of Cyprus, and jails record numbers of journalists and politicians who oppose him.’..

“The Turkish announcement was the latest sign of the collapse of Israeli-Turkish relations since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack and subsequent Gaza war. Turkey has hosted Hamas leaders, and Erdogan has praised the terror group and castigated Israel, ending trade and direct flights between the countries.”

To our knowledge, there is no arrest warrant for the antisemitic warmonger and mass murderer Erdogan.

Unprecedented National Debt

ABC News wrote on August 20:

“The United States’ gross national debt surpassed $40 trillion this week for the first time, meaning the nation’s financial hole has doubled in size in less than a decade…

“It’s been more than 20 years since the federal government’s last budget surplus, which occurred in 2001. Every year since then, the U.S. has spent more money than it has brought in, deepening the nation’s debt…”

Such irresponsible and incompetent corrupt conduct!

Trump Courts North Korea, While South Korea Fears for the Worst

npr wrote on August 21:

“President Trump posted on social media on Monday that he had ordered the drills [with South Korea] shortened because he thinks they are costly and send a hostile message to North Korea. He later said that he had reached out to Kim for a meeting and received a positive response. [Kim Jong Un’s sister] Kim Yo Jong, however, dismissed what appeared to be Trump’s latest overture. 

“Trump’s curtailing of the military drills has fueled South Korea’s unease about the future of the alliance with the U.S… South Koreans have been shocked by this week’s events, which have heightened their fears of being sidelined during a Trump-Kim summit. They fear that in order to seal a deal with Kim, Trump could withdraw U.S. troops from South Korea and lift economic sanctions on the North, while leaving their nuclear arms in place…

“But for Trump, Seoul has fallen short on his demands. In the same social media post on Monday, Trump also complained that South Korea had declined his request to join the U.S. in its operations against Iran.”

South Korea has every reason to be concerned about Trump’s conduct.

Pentagon Fires Stars and Stripes Editor-in-Chief and Others

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 22:

“The US Pentagon has sacked the editor, publisher and a reporter of military newspaper Stars and Stripes after they publicly objected to potential editorial interference, they said on Friday. The newspaper, which has been publishing since World War II, is partially funded by the Defense Department but has remained editorially independent. ‘According to the notice, I am being fired ‌for stating in ⁠a CBS ⁠interview that hypothetical censorship of news for service members would constitute a personal red line,’ Stars and Stripes Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin said in a statement on Friday. Slavin received a notice of separation for insubordination, as did Publisher Max Lederer and Middle East reporter Lara Korte…

“In an email announcing his retirement, Lederer had said it was clear that the Pentagon had a new vision for the newspaper which differed from his own… Meanwhile, Korte said on social media she was being fired for insubordination ‘after I told a CBS reporter that I work for Stars and Stripes – not the Pentagon, not any administration, and not any policy maker… It’s a shame for the institution and service members, who swore to defend the Constitution and deserve the right to a free and independent press,’ she wrote…

“US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has been extremely critical of the media since taking office in 2025. Among the measures he took was drastically restricting press access to the Pentagon…   National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. said, Slavin’s firing was ‘another brazen attempt by the Pentagon to dictate coverage of the military. Firing a newspaper editor after he publicly defended his newsroom’s editorial independence is deeply troubling, and it should concern every journalist and every member of the US military who depends on independent reporting…’”

In light of prior attempts to even deceive Trump about the state of affairs in the military, Hegseth’s conduct is clear. He does not want anyone reporting on his misrepresentations and lies, which do not reflect reality.

Trade War Between USA and Canada Has Begun

The New York Post wrote on August 22:

“A hefty new tariff on a wide range of products from Canada took effect early Saturday after last-minute negotiations to avert the duties collapsed…. The 50% tariff will apply to some $20 billion worth of Canadian products, including wine, hockey sticks, and cement. 

“Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed swift retaliation after negotiations failed. ‘Canada will match those tariffs dollar for dollar to protect our workers and businesses,’ he said in a statement… ‘We have recognised from the beginning that America has changed, and that we will not return to our old relationship… Our government understood, before many, that America is altering all its trade relationships. Putting tariffs on its closest allies and charging for access to its vast market.’

“The prime minister blamed ‘last-minute changes in the US proposed terms’ that he described as ‘unfair, uneconomic, and called into question the reliability of any deal’ for the breakdown in talks.”

CTV News added on August 21:

“The Trump administration on Sunday warned that Canada would be ‘foolish’ to think it could win a trade war with the United States… Prime Minister Carney delivered his own address on the trade dispute in which he said Canada is at economic ‘war’ with the U.S… Carney was asked: ‘Why does it feel like, today, Mark Carney is going to war, trade war?’ ‘You’re at war when you get attacked. We got attacked,’ he responded… Carney said retaliatory tariffs, in response to Trump’s new levies, will come into force on Sept. 8…

“Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says he fully supports Prime Minister Mark Carney and the federal government’s decision to walk away from trade talks with the United States. Speaking Saturday afternoon, Kinew commended the prime minister for standing up for Canadians and that all premiers are united with Carney. ‘History will not be kind to Donald Trump. So we should never appease him and we should fight back, which is what Canada is doing today,’ said Kinew. ‘We can fight back against Donald Trump by buying from Canadian businesses, by supporting Canadian workers and most importantly, by living up to our Canadian values.’…

“B.C. Premier David Eby says a request from U.S. negotiators would have effectively reduced Canada to America’s 51st state. ‘The suggestion that Canada would not trade with other countries or reduce our trade with other countries because the Americans tell us to would reduce us to the economic equivalent of the 51st state,’ said Eby…”

What an incredible demand!

The Hill added on August 22:

“The prime minister has said these new policies are in ‘direct violation’ of the free trade agreement between the U.S., Mexico and Canada…. Canada and the U.S. have historically enjoyed a close relationship, but the Trump administration’s aggressive efforts to broker new trade agreements that favor the U.S. have placed these ties to the test. Trump has repeatedly suggested that the U.S. cede its northern neighbor as a ‘51st state’ and addressed Carney as the ‘future governor of Canada.’”

Trump repeatedly asked for a trade war with Canada. Now he has it, and he might very well lose this war as well.

Trade War Escalates

The New York Post wrote on August 25:

“President Trump floated the possibility of rebranding Lake Ontario as ‘Lake America,’ in a shot across the bow against Canada’s most populous province — whose premier threatened to cut off electricity and minerals to the US. ‘The United States is giving serious consideration to changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in that we don’t expect to [be] doing much business with Ontario any longer,’ Trump declared on Truth Social Tuesday…

“One of the issues Carney claimed contributed to the breakdown in talks at the 11th hour last week was purported demands that Canada make changes, demanding Quebec use English instead of French. Trump denied that on Monday. ‘I would never interfere with Canadians speaking French!; Trump insisted on Truth Social. ‘In fact, I have never even thought of doing such a stupid thing. This lie was made up by a weak and ineffective Prime Minister in an attempt to gain political support, which he has totally lost, from the people of Quebec. I love French Canadians!’”

We wonder who is lying. For further information on this developing situation, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “America’s Foolish Trade War With Canada.”

Trump Allowed to Continue Ballroom Construction

NPR wrote on August 21:

“The Supreme Court ruled Friday that President Trump can — for now— move forward with construction of his ballroom on the site of the former East Wing of the White House without needing approval from Congress…. In a brief order, signed by Chief Justice John Roberts, the court stayed the lower court ruling to pause construction.

“In its brief filed earlier this week, the [National Trust for Historic Preservation] asserted that if the Supreme Court allowed construction to continue at this time, the court was effectively ending the case. ‘Rather than obtain permission from Congress, Petitioners have instead decided to try to outrun judicial review’ by accelerating construction. ‘It is clear that in Petitioners’ view, if the Court grants their stay application, this case is over—despite every court to have reviewed their project having found it to be patently unlawful, and no matter the fact that this Court has not reviewed those decisions on the merits,’ the brief states.  

“56% of Americans did not approve of Trump’s decision to tear down the East Wing and build the ballroom.”

And so, as one outlet wrote, Roberts dances with Trump in the new ballroom.

Our Shattered Empire

The Ron Paul Institute published the following article on August 20, which originally appeared on August 19 in the American Conservative:

“Almost daily we witness some spectacle illustrating the appalling corruption of our country’s leadership. The recent release of Anthony Fauci’s diary entries confirms long-held suspicions about the Covid-19 narrative, which we now know even Fauci himself did not fully believe. Think of the millions of lives ruined and harmed by that corruption… What else are our leaders still hiding about the worldwide disaster caused by Covid-related deceptions and manipulations? There has not yet been any meaningful examination of our medical profession, which largely acted as cowards during the pandemic, adhering to the bogus official narrative at the expense of the welfare of their patients.

“Our leadership has not even begun to scratch the surface of the horrors created by the many secret—and potentially illegal—biolabsscattered around the globe, supported by funds often hidden from voters under the guise of ‘national security.’ The Fauci crowd appears to have been deeply involved in that dark world…

“The current wars have exposed the shortcomings of our nearly trillion-dollar military and its multi-billion-dollar weapons systems… After years of being told we possess the ‘most powerful military’ in history, Americans are beginning to realize it is a fantasy…

“Our government classifies and redacts documents as a matter of course. Think of the billions of pages we are still not allowed to see… Many significant, history-changing events remain shrouded in secrecy. How is it that information is still being withheld about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy?… Most Americans suspect the official government narrative was false, yet officials continue to withhold information that might shed light on that crime. The same is true for the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., our government’s willful abandonment of US prisoners of war in Vietnam, the September 11 attacks, and the late, disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein…

“Our political leadership’s frenzied efforts to hide the Epstein files make it look as though the ‘national security’ excuse is merely a convenient tool to obscure malfeasance, rape, blackmail, bribery, and plain old corruption…

“We watch with horror the chaos, death, and destruction currently being wreaked on the world—and on our own country—by our ‘exceptional nation.’… All this from a president who campaigned on an America First policy, an end to forever wars, and the promotion of peace. It looks like we were fooled again. Presidential candidate after presidential candidate promises peace, and we get war after war. The system is subverted by corruption…

“The American people, especially the younger generation, are beginning to recognize the corruption at the top of our country and the magnitude of the war lies…  Ours is not an ‘exceptional nation.’ It is not the ‘shining city on a hill.’… Not anymore. It is a declining empire with a declining military—one unable to protect its allies, yet still seeking to bully and harm any country that angers its corrupt elites.

“Our military defenses are so ineffective that Iran—a country one-fourth our size, with an economy smaller than our bloated military budget—can practically name its next round of targets knowing our mighty military can do little to stop them…”

This article shows clearly that if and when America is attacked by an outside military power, it will NOT be able to defend itself successfully.

Roman Catholic Idolatry

Daily Mail wrote on August 21:

“A 1,700-year-old skull was returned to a gold bust in an ancient Catholic ritual that saw one of the Vatican’s most powerful cardinals bow and kiss the relic. The remains belonged to Saint Agatha, a third-century Christian martyr and the patron saint of Catania, Sicily…. The ceremony commemorated the 900th anniversary of Saint Agatha’s relics being returned to Catania from Constantinople in 1126…

“Many non-Catholics deemed the ritual ‘idolatry’.. .Catholics view relics as tangible links to figures from the early Church and reminders of the courage they displayed. Believers may also pray beside them, asking the saint to intercede with God on their behalf.”

Just one of many examples of idolatry and blasphemy in the Catholic Church which run rampant.

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 the contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing to worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

There are a number of stark reminders in the Bible of those who ignored God’s specific instructions when they were given to certain individuals and the consequences were very serious.  All of these should be handy lessons for those of us who have been called in this age that disobedience to God consistently results in serious consequences, ranging from immediate personal struggles and broken relationships to spiritual separation and ultimate judgment.

Obedience is often viewed today as a “bad” or outdated concept in modern society. It can often be equated with forced submission, authoritarianism, and a lack of free will. Obedience can be viewed negatively because it may limit freedom or be used manipulatively, plus the fact that so many don’t like any restrictions in their lives.

However, there are many areas where obedience is vital.   Without a base level of obedience to laws and authority, chaos could ensue.  It is essential for social order and safety, such as following road traffic rules to ensure safety, to maintain social order, and across multiple other facets of life.

Obedience to honour the true God is for Christians of paramount importance and must supersede man’s requirements if there is any conflict.  It is required as per biblical instruction for man’s own well-being. We must always obey God rather than man in any situation and under any circumstances. 

As God the Father created all things through Jesus Christ (compare Colossians 1:16-17), He knows better than any man, however great they may be, what is best for His creation and, therefore, He has our best interests at heart.   Obedience to God and His Way of Life is essential for the best results possible.

Some of these examples that we will look at will be well-known; others not quite so.

Adam & Eve

What a story this is! 

Right at the dawn of civilisation, after God had re-created the earth, we read in Genesis 1:31:

^“Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

In the following chapter, we read about the Garden of Eden, an idyllic physical creation if ever there was one. Verses 8-9 describe the situation:

^“The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

Probably most people around the world know the story of Adam and Eve.   There they were at the dawn of civilization, given the Garden of Eden to live in, and God commanded Adam what he could and couldn’t do.

God said that of every tree of the garden they could eat from except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (compare Genesis 2:16:17) but the serpent (Satan) was there to spoil the party.  Eve was encouraged and tempted to eat of the tree that God had said they should not, and Adam did likewise, even though he was not deceived, but he just followed the lead of his wife, which resulted in the first act of man’s disobedience to God taking place.

This broke the one single instruction that God had given them that they shouldn’t do, by just ignoring it, albeit through the subtlety of the serpent.   The consequences were that they were banished from the Garden of Eden, life became difficult in living off the land, women would suffer pain in childbirth, and they would eventually die.   This brought about a separation from God because they trusted the serpent more than they trusted the clear instruction from God.   Instead of relying on God’s perfect wisdom, they chose to take matters into their own hands and make their own wrong decision.

As it is with human nature, it was someone else’s fault; Adam blamed Eve (and in the final analysis, God, who had given Eve to him) and Eve blamed the serpent.  That so often happens today when people play the blame game; it is so often someone else’s fault and we see this behaviour playing out with the two original human beings.

It could be said that Eve was tempted on three levels: physical (good for food), emotional (pleasant to the eyes) and spiritual (desire for wisdom).   This is not dissimilar to what we read in 1 John 2:16:

^“For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”

They made the choice to disobey God which was clearly an act of rebellion!

In a sermon entitled “What If Adam Hadn’t Sinned?,” given onJune 13, 1981, Mr Herbert W Armstrong said the following: 

“When Adam made that choice, he cut himself off from God! And most humans have cut themselves off from God through sin ever since. Your sins have cut you off from God. And man is on Satan’s wavelength, and ALL have sinned and been cut off from God. But when Adam made that choice and instead of taking the Holy Spirit, which he would have had from God that would have first given him knowledge of the SPIRITUAL LAW — the way of Life: love toward God and love out-going out-flowing towards neighbor … In other words, I help my neighbor. My neighbor helps me. We kind of help one another mutually. And, if we get into trouble, we go to God.”

Disobeying God’s instructions were life-changing for Adam and Eve, and disobeying God’s instructions have continued apace during the last 6,000 years.

Lot’s Wife

The story of Lot’s wife in the book of Genesis (19:1–26), when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, clearly illustrates the consequences of disobeying divine commands and longing for a sinful past.

The command was simple enough as we read in Genesis 19:15-17 when the two angels were trying to extricate Lot and his family out of an area that was to be razed to the ground.   They knew that the place was to be completely destroyed, leaving nothing standing:

^“When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, ‘Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.’ And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, ‘Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.’”

However, Lot’s wife whose name is not mentioned in the Bible, ignored this instruction and looked back at where she had lived her life for a number of years. As a direct consequence of this disobedience, she was instantly transformed into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26).

It shows that she valued her life-style that she enjoyed, and the worldly possessions she may have had, over obedience to God.    

In Luke 17:28-32, Jesus was speaking about the end times just before His Second Coming and the action His followers at that time must take:

^“Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife.”

Lot’s wife is remembered for her disobedience to God’s instructions through the two angels, and her death, upon her disobedience, was immediate!

King Uzziah

Uzziah’s father, King Amaziah and the three previous kings had all been assassinated. It was a position with not a lot of job security!  However, in 2 Chronicles 26:1-5, it appears that he started his reign well:

^“Now all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. He built Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king rested with his fathers. Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.”

In verse 5 above, we see twelve important words: “…and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.”  It was conditional. Although Amaziah, his father, had initially done well, we read that he “turned away from following the LORD” (see 2 Chronicles 25:27). His son was, unfortunately, to follow suit.  In 2 Chronicles 26:16 we read the penalty for his pride.   

God had blessed him with great power and military success. Uzziah grew arrogant, which caused his downfall. 2 Chronicles 26:16-21 gives the account of his dreadful demise:

^“But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. So Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the LORD—valiant men. And they withstood King Uzziah, and said to him, ‘It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honor from the LORD God.’ Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the incense altar. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, he was leprous; so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he also hurried to get out, because the LORD had struck him. King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He dwelt in an isolated house, because he was a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD. Then Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.”

Instead of repenting when confronted by the priests, he became furious.  After all of his success, arrogance was the cause of his fall from grace and disobeying God’s instructions brought about his downfall.   He had reigned for 52 years.  The principle of cause and effect was shown to be still in operation… 

He made a good start and did well for a long time but we must remember that it’s not so much how we start, but how we finish.   Disobeying God’s instructions was life-changing for King Uzziah!

Gehazi

In 2 Kings 5, we read about Naaman’s leprosy being healed.   In verse 1, we read:

“Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper.”

The story moves on and is told in 19 verses, and there is a lot that happens.   A young Israelite girl who waited on Naaman’s wife told her that Elisha, her master, would be able to heal him.   Naaman mentions this to the King of Syria who wrote a letter to the King of Israel (Jehoram) to help in this matter and he sent “ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing” (verse 5).   The king tore his clothes, fearing the worst and when Elisha heard of this he said: “Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” That happened, and Naaman was told to wash in the Jordan 7 times which sent Naaman into a rage as he said: “‘Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?’ So, he turned and went away in a rage” (verse 12). However, he was persuaded to do this and was subsequently healed.   Naaman offered gifts for this healing but Elisha refused them, which showed that God’s healing cannot be bought.

Now we come to Gehazi, Elisha’s servant.  In verses 20-27 is the story of Gehazi’s greed and how it played out for him.  He was unhappy that Elisha had turned down, quite categorically, receiving any gifts from Naaman and so he saw an opportunity to acquire gifts for himself.   He ran after Naaman and told lies to extort from a willing giver, silver and garments.  What he asked for was doubled by Naaman, as he was appreciative of his healing and Gehazi hid them away when he returned.   However, Elisha asked him where he had been and Gehazi lied again by saying that he had not been anywhere, but by spiritual discernment, Elisha was aware of the deception.  Gehazi lied to both Naaman and Elisha, and in verse 27, the concluding verse in the chapter, sums up his punishment:

“Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.” And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow.”

His disobedience was life-changing!

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

Compiled by Norbert Link

“America’s Foolish Trade War With Canada” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

America has begun a trade war with Canada which America might lose, as it has lost almost all wars or controversies in recent times.  Trump’s threats pertaining to Canada—and also to other countries—should not be ignored. And while old allies turn away from America and look for new alliances, America is becoming more and more isolated.

“Amerikas törichter Handelskrieg mit Kanada” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers the same topics as described above.

A new member letter has been written. https://www.eternalgod.org/letter-to-the-brethren-august-28-2026/ It has been posted and sent out. In his letter, Paul Niehoff contrasts the evil in this world with our future, when Christ comes back and establishes the Kingdom of God here on earth.

We are pleased to announce the wedding of Steven Hammond and Natalia Lis, which was conducted in Spain by Pastor Michael Link on Sunday, August 23, 2026. Congratulations.

The Rank family hosted a memorial service for David Harris on August 16, 2026. It was attended by friends and family. We appreciate all of the support and prayers during the last few months.

Paul Niehoff’s first split sermon has been posted, titled, “Fruit of the Spirit: Peace.” 

Here is a summary:

Peace is a subject mentioned over two hundred times in the Bible. God’s Son is even named the “Prince of Peace” in Isaiah 9:6. God gives us instructions on how to achieve peace, and the practices we should avoid that will prevent us from achieving peace.

Norbert Link’s second split sermon has been posted, titled, “Christ In Us—What Does This Mean?” 

Here is a summary:

How, and from what point in time, can Christ live within us? And what does this mean in practical terms? How can we examine ourselves to see if Christ is truly in us? This split sermon explores clear biblical statements that reveal whether Christ lives within us—or not. It also shows that one does not and cannot walk God’s Way unless Christ lives and works within that person.

Robert Macher’s German sermonette from last Sabbath has been posted. It is titled, “Der Weg zurück in die Gemeinde“ (“The Way Back to the Church”). 

On August 22, 2026, Paul Niehoff will give the first split sermon, titled, “Fruit of the Spirit—Peace,” and Norbert Link will give the second split sermon, titled, “Christ in Us…What Does This Mean?”

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.

Since my conversion, I have become more aware of the resentment that so many people seem to harbor towards God and true Christianity. There are yard signs here in our neighborhood that are meant to show the homeowner’s absolute belief in science, choice, and diversity of everything—all things except a belief in God. As I walk in my neighborhood and see these signs, I find myself getting upset, but I know that I’ve got to rely only on God to deal with such matters; it is not my place to confront my neighbors. Still, it is frustrating because people don’t seem to learn. From Covid lockdown lies to riots that some still characterize as peaceful demonstrations; people become comfortable with their positions, speaking points and deception. It also seems that people are more interested in celebrating what humans can accomplish, rather than repenting and turning to God. 

To this point, on September 5, 1977, from a launch pad at Cape Canaveral in Florida, a spacecraft named Voyager 1, lifted off on the start of a mission to deep space. I had just turned 20 at the time of launch, and was in the middle of college and fascinated by the space race that was initiated by the Soviet Union and President Kennedy’s challenge to take the US to the moon. Weighing just 1800 pounds, far less than most cars, and having only 470 watts of on-board power, this spacecraft has been on the job each day for nearly 50 years.

A 1960s proposal for a space tour to study the outer planets led NASA to begin work on a mission during the early 1970s. Initially, Voyager 1 was planned as Mariner 11 of the Mariner program. Due to budget cuts, the mission was reduced to a flyby of Jupiter and Saturn and renamed the Mariner Jupiter-Saturn probes. The name was changed to Voyager when the probe designs began to differ substantially from the Mariner mission. Currently, it is roughly 16 billion miles away from Earth, and while its mission was initially intended to last only about five years, it will continue to send data for at least a few more years.

In 2012, Voyager 1 entered Interstellar Space—the distant zones of cold and deep space between the stars. On March 31, 2006, amateur radio operators in Germany tracked and received radio waves from Voyager 1 using the 20-meter (66 ft) dish at Bochum with a long integration technique. Retrieved data was checked and verified against data from the Deep Space Network station at Madrid, Spain. This seems to be the first such amateur tracking of Voyager.

It is interesting how much interest there is in wanting to reach out to deep space and somehow connect with the unknown. To this end, Voyager 1 included a gold-plated record that held music and speeches from notable people of the day. The record was curated by the astronomer, Carl Sagan. Mr. Sagan was famous for his belief only in science, rather than God—The Creator of the universe. 

The point of the golden record sent on Voyager was intended to be a message from Earth’s scientific and political establishment into deep space. The point being that mankind exists and is in control here on Earth. Humankind desires power and to control. This is of course rather than making a connection with the Creator of the universe. Consider the contrast with this worldview in David’s writings in Psalm 19:1-2: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge” (New International Version throughout). 

Voyager 1 has been collecting interesting data that has helped science better understand our own planet. It has also recorded similar information from the planets and deep space. However, remember, when we receive this information back on Earth, it is already in the past. As true Christians, we are focused on the promise of the coming Kingdom of God and His Son, Jesus Christ. We know that ultimately science and technology, no matter how impressive, pales in the face of God and His majesty. Consider just how this will unfold, as we see in 1 Thessalonians 4:16: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” Those who have been called by God need not rely on Voyager 1 “to touch the face of God,” as Ronald Reagan spoke, following the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster. In Psalm 29:3-4, we read that “The Voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic.” This is reinforced for us in Job 37:5: “God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.”

If we, as true Christians wish to develop deeper wisdom, we simply need to ask God. We see this in James 1:5-6: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”

It is not my intention to demean the work of NASA and many independent scientists and academics. Clearly, they did impressive work in keeping Voyager 1 in orbit for nearly 50 years when its mission was designed to conclude decades ago. This has been inspired work indeed; however, it is not the voice of God that will be heard in any of the data.

We need only turn to God to unlock the majesty of the universe that God created—we need only to believe and trust in God and as we read in Psalm 46:10 where He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

By Norbert Link

We address the alleged appalling conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln – a byproduct and consequence of war – and speak on Trump’s unhinged rants and outbursts on numerous fronts, while totally misrepresenting or misunderstanding the negative standing of the USA in the world… and his rising unpopularity among most American voters. 

We address the role of Eritrea; Greenland’s concerns; and Israel’s misgivings regarding Trump’s handling of the war with Iran.

We speak about contradictory messages from Trump and JD Vance about the Iran war; and the nearly insurmountable problems NATO might face if Putin were to strike a NATO country. 

We address the inexcusable failure of the FBI to investigate Epstein; the scandal pertaining to COVID measures; and reactions to Germany’s new military system. 

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Will Putin Attack NATO?”

Appalling Conditions on USS Abraham Lincoln

Stars and Stripes wrote on August 13:

“Family members and sailors say months at sea with no end in sight to a grueling Middle East deployment have intensified worries about mental health and the risk of self-harm aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. Those concerns were brought directly to Navy leadership Thursday, when family members spoke to Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao and other senior officials during intense town hall meetings… In one case, a spouse tearfully told officials that she received a message that same day from her husband saying ‘he hopes he doesn’t wake up tomorrow’… 

“The worries expressed at Thursday’s meetings echo those raised independently with Stars and Stripes by sailors and family members in recent weeks. Interviews with active-duty sailors and family members, along with dozens of public social media comments and posts by crew members, describe sailors struggling with exhaustion and declining morale, including reports of suicidal thoughts and at least one instance where a crew member was prevented from jumping overboard. The concerns come during an unusually demanding deployment… The aircraft carrier left San Diego in November for a Pacific deployment, was redirected to the Middle East and has now been deployed for more than eight months, including a record-breaking number of days at sea without a port stop. Its crew has spent much of that time supporting U.S. combat operations against Iran, and the deployment, which was anticipated to end in May, has been extended with no publicly announced return date….

“Family members and sailors say the roughly 5,000 service members aboard Lincoln have endured food and water shortages, disrupted mail service and long workdays with little time off…. Carriers generally pull into a port every 30 to 45 days to allow for replenishment, maintenance and crew rest… ‘Nothing to really look forward to at this point,’ [a] sailor said, adding that crew morale now is so low that sailors and Marines aboard Lincoln would be willing to forgo any upcoming stops in favor of returning home as soon as possible…”

While Secretary of State Pete Hegseth flatly denied the reports, saying they were “completely misrepresented,” President Trump downplayed or dismissed them, saying that the deployment was “not nearly long enough.” This happens when you start an unprovoked war in the Middle East with no clear goal or concept of duration in mind. These denials sound untrustworthy.

Trump’s Navy in Crisis

Daily Mail wrote on August 18:

“Donald Trump’s Navy is facing renewed scrutiny after a warship lost all power while deployed in the South China Sea, stranding sailors without drinkable water, food, air conditioning or working toilets for four days.

“A generator failure aboard the USS Benfold on July 24 left the destroyer without power… The Navy did not disclose the incident for nearly a month…”

Trump Attacks Fox News Anchor

TV Insider wrote on August 17:

“Fox News’ Shannon Bream appeared to get under Donald Trump’s skin on Sunday (August 16) as the president delivered not one but two lengthy rants against the anchor on Truth Social… ‘Watching FoxNews with Shannon Bream is always like watching the Worst of Fake News CNN,’ he wrote in the first of two unhinged rants….

“‘I don’t know Shannon, but she always seems to pick guests, charts, and “polls” that are negative, never talking about all of the incredible things that the Trump Administration has done,’ he continued before reeling off a list of supposed accomplishments and claimed that the U.S. is ‘more RESPECTED throughout the World than at any time in Memory’… adding, “Even Chris Wallace was better, and he was really bad.”

Trump lives in a dream world. 

Due to Trump, Tension Escalates in Strait of Hormuz

The New York Post wrote on August 15:

“President Trump posted an AI image of himself helping seize an Iranian-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Truth Social, in another online escalation as a US ally said Iran fired on another commercial vessel. ‘It’s Our Oil Tanker Now!’ Trump posted Friday night, hours after declaring on Long Island that ‘Pretty soon, I will be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States.’ 

“‘This strait will only be opened and closed under Iran’s command, and as long as you do not accept the reality of defeat and stop indulging in delusions, Iran will continue to enforce the blockade,’ Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi posted on X Saturday. The United Arab Emirates said Saturday that Iran had attacked another Abu Dhabi National Oil Company vessel transiting the strait, the third attack in a week.”

Some say Trump’s comments regarding declaring the Strait of Hormuz territory of the USA was a joke, but due to Trump’s ongoing provocations and his desire to invade other countries and areas, it would be foolish to dismiss his illegal threats as a joke. Note the following article.

Daily Mail added on August 18:

“The US President shared a map on Truth Social showing the narrow waterway with the words ‘NEW U.S. TERRITORY’ written across it. The bizarre image showed a large blue circle around the strait, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is one of the world’s most important shipping routes.”

Trump Threatens Oman 

The Daily Mail wrote on August 17:

“Donald Trump threatened to ‘bomb the s….’ out of Oman if it continues negotiations with Iran without American approval as the ceasefire with Tehran nears its expiration.

Oman, a major US defense ally in the Middle East, is negotiating with Iran over a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by placing the narrow waterway, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil passes, under joint control…

“Trump’s threats against his own ally come as the 60-day US-Iran ceasefire is set to expire today, raising fears of renewed fighting that could further destabilize the region and disrupt global oil supplies…”

With his wild rant against Oman, Trump proved again his frustration and his realization that he is unable to bring the war to an end. 

Using Nuclear Weapons Against Iran?

Vietnam.vn wrote on August 17:

“Former US Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene claims that officials in Washington are discussing the possibility of using nuclear weapons against Iran amid the escalating months-long conflict… According to Ms. Greene, the issue of nuclear weapons use was discussed in strategic planning meetings…

“Ms. Greene wrote: ‘They are discussing the use of nuclear weapons against Iran in strategic meetings. I’m not speculating, I know that. And that’s absolutely evil.’… Ms. Greene warned that such a move could trigger a ‘nuclear catastrophe’ and drag the world into a war on a much larger scale.”

Greenland Objects—Far From Receiving Approval

Euractiv wrote on August 11:

“US oil operator Greenland Energy will not obtain the approvals needed to begin drilling in eastern Greenland this year, local authorities said, contradicting the company’s public timetable. Nuuk, however, says the project remains far from receiving approval.

“‘In the current situation, I do not believe it is realistic for the company to carry out drilling work this autumn,’ Greenlandic Minister for Foreign Affairs and Natural Resources, Múte B. Egede, told local broadcaster KNR.”

It will remain to be seen how US oil operator Greenland Energy will react, given its close relationship with Donald Trump. 

Eritrea’s Strategic Importance

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 13:

“Amid growing tensions and security risks in the Horn of Africa, Eritrea, with its strategically important coastal points on the Red Sea, is emerging as an important player in the region… Yemen lies on the other side of the Red Sea, which makes Eritrea’s location particularly interesting… The only safe route in this area runs through Eritrea… The Houthi militia, propped up by Iran, have been attacking merchant ships in the Red Sea from the Yemeni coastline…

“Still, Eritrea continues to exert its influence as the Red Sea has emerged a crucial sea route for the world, and especially for the Gulf states — Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates… A viable alternative, should the Strait of Hormuz remain repeatedly blocked, would be for these Gulf nations and their partners to find routes via Saudi ports located further up on the Red Sea…

“Meanwhile, Eritrea’s neighbors, particularly landlocked Ethiopia, are fighting hard to maintain access to the Red Sea as a trade route, Sayed added — in particular for oil exports from the Horn of Africa to the rest of the world, especially to Europe and the Americas.”

At one time, Ethiopia and Eritrea were one country until they separated in 1993. Biblically, the two powers might still be viewed as one country. The same may be true for India and Pakistan, which were one country in the past, until their separation in 1947. Other examples might be North and South Korea, which separated in 1953, or Germany and Austria, which seem to be “one country” according to the Bible.  

Israel Can’t Wait Forever

The Jerusalem Post wrote on August 16:

“The clock has been ticking for two months since the June ‘ceasefire’ between the US and Iran, and still the Islamic Republic is rearming. That should dominate Israel’s thinking about every day that passes without an agreement capable of restraining the Iranian regime…  Israeli defense officials have been shocked by the speed with which Iran is recovering from the damage inflicted during the war…

“Israel and the United States struck more than 2,600 missile and military-industrial targets during the roughly 40-day war, carrying out some 30,000 attacks, and it left Israeli officials believing the scale of the destruction had crippled Iran’s ability to restore its military industries at anything like their previous pace…. Now the Post has confirmed that Iran is producing new weapons at a much faster pace than Israeli planners anticipated…

“The ballistic missile threat remains unresolved, and the pressure campaign has yet to return Tehran to the negotiating table on terms that can give Israel confidence the danger is actually receding. The longer this goes on, the more it looks like the Americans are operating without a real, strategic plan… Every month gives Iranian engineers, commanders, and procurement networks more time to reopen facilities, replace machinery, uncover underground missile sites, disperse production, and replenish stocks…

“Israel cannot afford to wake up next year and discover that a threat believed to have been pushed back by years was delayed by only a matter of months… Israel is directly in the firing line. The United States is not. If we need to take matters into our own hands, then that should be our prerogative, whatever our working relationship with the US… Two months have already been spent trying to turn a ceasefire into something more permanent. Iran has spent those same two months recovering…  Israel cannot afford to give Iran any more time to rearm.”

The war with Iran was a catastrophic failure from the outset. 

Terrible Demands

Brussels Signal wrote on August 17:

“Israel’s Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir has called for the Israeli army to carry out targeted assassinations in Gaza every night, arguing it should be ‘taking down 30 to 40 every night.’… 

“Ben-Gvir said the killings should not be confined to those posing an immediate threat, describing people in the enclave as unworthy of life and not even human.”

Trump to Americans: Accept Higher Gas Prices

Reuters wrote on August 15:

“Trump urged Americans to accept slightly higher gasoline prices while the conflict continues. He told a political rally in Garden City, New York, on Friday that paying ‘a tiny little bit more for your gasoline’ is worth the cost of ensuring ‘a very evil country’ could not have a nuclear ‌weapon, one of his stated rationales for the war.

“Throughout the conflict, the president has alternated between threats of escalation and assertions that a peace deal is imminent. In a trend that has sparked inflation and disappointed voters, the average U.S. price of a gallon of ⁠gasoline was about $4.08 on Friday, up 29% from a year earlier… Trump… campaigned for reelection on a promise to lower energy costs, and Democrats are seeking to make the war’s fallout an issue in November congressional elections….

“Only two vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Friday with no crude oil shipments ‌visible… Some ships may cross the strait undetected with their transponders off, ​but the figures are nowhere near the more than 130 ships that traversed it daily before the war. Vessels that dare ​navigate the strait without Iranian permission risk missile or drone strikes… Attacks by ‌Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen renewed concerns about a widening regional war… the Houthis fired six ballistic missiles at the Red Sea port of Mocha ​on Friday, killing four civilians…”

Americans are not going to accept higher gas prices for a war which should have never been started. In fact, Trump’s declaration for the goal of the war contradicts what JD Vance just said. Note the next article.

Top Goal of Iran War: Get Gas Prices Down

AFD wrote on August 14:

“The top US priority now in the Iran war is no longer its nuclear program but to bring gasoline prices down for American consumers, the vice president said Thursday… Preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon — consistently touted by President Donald Trump as his main reason for the war — now takes a back seat to getting oil flowing again freely through the strait, Vance told Will Cain on Fox News.

“Vance’s comments underscored the stark reality that the war now centers on control of the Strait of Hormuz, the critical fuel supply conduit that was open before Trump started the war along with Israel in late February… Republicans fear Trump and the war, which has caused gasoline prices to soar, will cost them their control of Congress.”

Trump reiterated again that his main goal is that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon. He said that he does not care about the midterm election (and by extension, gas prices). It does not look like Trump and Vance are on the same wavelength. This confusing picture is not very reassuring for American citizens. 

Trump’s Loyalty Test

The Daily Beast wrote on August 14:

“The Trump administration is quietly trying to force international partners to pass an ideological fealty test before deciding whether to pull back vital military protection.

A leaked document sent to alliance members… lays out a high-stakes questionnaire probing whether individual countries have ‘been publicly supportive’ of President Donald Trump’s foreign policy…

“Allies have balked at the private questionnaire, viewing it as a blatant attempt to pressure sovereign nations into political alignment in exchange for basic security guarantees…

“The questionnaire arrives partway through an administration review of its military presence in Europe, expected to wrap by December. That review process has left NATO allies bracing for deep cuts to U.S. troop levels and the military assets the U.S. would deploy in the event of an attack. The document touches on several major flashpoints that have divided Washington from its partners, including the U.S. war with Iran and the raid that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro…

“ It specifically asks whether countries are buying from American defense firms and whether they have spoken out against new ‘made in Europe’ procurement policies, adding, ‘If not, would they be willing to do so?’”

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte attempted to downplay the rift, even stating foolishly that the questionnaire would bring NATO “closer together.” NATO, as we know it, is doomed, and Rutte’s hypocritical “diplomacy” won’t change that. 

No Referendum as Long as Trump Is in Office

CBC wrote on August 18:

“The Parti Québécois will not hold a referendum as long as U.S. President Donald Trump remains in power, party leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon announced Tuesday morning. In a news release, St-Pierre Plamondon said he wants to avoid having the issue ‘hijacked by the ups and downs of American politics.’ ‘An issue as crucial as the political future of Quebec requires conditions that allow for an informed and calm debate,’ the PQ leader said.

“He said the next government will be faced with ‘more than enough challenges’ without calling a referendum. ‘So I decided to completely defuse the argument that this would be the worst time to think about our future because of Trump, by ruling out the possibility of holding a referendum by the end of his second term,’ St-Pierre Plamondon explained. Trump’s second term is set to end on Jan. 20, 2029.

“St-Pierre Plamondon said that, if elected, he would still consult Quebecers on the issue of independence during his first mandate, but only after Trump leaves office. The announcement comes just over a week ahead of the official launch of the Quebec provincial election campaign. Voters are scheduled to head to the polls on Oct. 5.”

Will Putin Attack NATO?

The Sun wrote on August 13:

“With his back against the wall, Putin could choose to risk it all and attempt a World War Three-stoking attack on a Nato nation, according to longtime Kremlin critic and Brit banker Bill Browder. The gamble would aim to test who is truly on Ukraine‘s side and would be aimed at the US with Russia hoping they would avoid being drawn into a conflict despite Article 5 of the Nato treaty. One theory is Putin could grab a city in Poland or one of the three Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania  – all Nato nations which have strongly backed Ukraine during the war. A new US intelligence report even revealed this week that US officials fear Putin is plotting a small-scale land incursion to test the alliance.

“Bill told The Sun: ‘Putin has reached a stalemate in his war with Ukraine. It’s been going on for more than four years, and he’s unable to gain more territory. He’s losing between 1,000 to 1,500 troops a day. His oil refineries and warehouses of online retailers are being bombed by the Ukrainians. And the Ukrainians are developing more and more sophisticated weapons so they’ve reached a stalemate – and, of course, he’s short on money.’ 

“Russia’s faltering economy is one of the biggest issues hampering the war, he says…. ‘If he were to attack a Nato country, he might do that with the expectation that Trump doesn’t get involved. And then he’s got this situation where you have Nato without America. Bill says the Kremlin could turn Trump’s refusal to support Europe into a weapon of their own. They could demand countries stop funding Ukraine and supplying weapons or risk war with Russia. ‘That may be Putin’s best way to win this war with Ukraine as if Ukraine doesn’t get European funding, they will lose the war,’ Bill added.”

Some of these thoughts are quite interesting. We know that ultimately, Russia and Ukraine will be together against Europe. 

Russia on German Soil?

On August 16, Die Welt wrote:

“Russia is increasingly becoming a threat to Europe: the explosive-laden drone at Leipzig Airport, the impact of a Russian missile in Poland, a drone crash in Romania, and repeated airspace violations in the Baltic states. For former US Secretary of Defense and ex-CIA chief Leon Panetta, these are warning signs that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is systematically testing Europe’s lines of defense…

“Panetta is no longer willing to rule out even a nightmare scenario: Russian military actions taking place on German soil as well… ‘Putin reacts to weakness, and if he senses it in NATO and the US, he will continue to provoke and strike,’ Panetta warns.”

Ultimately, Russia WILL attack Europe and Germany, but not yet.

Putin’s Drones on NATO’s Doorsteps

The Sun wrote on August 18:

“AN ‘apocalyptic’ war is looming over Europe as Russia lines its borders with new drone bases capable of striking Nato and Kremlin warships stalk the seas, experts warn. Desperate Vladimir Putin is rapidly expanding Russia’s drone network and developing new warfare tactics as he prepares to take on the West…

“Images showed enough storage at one base for more than 1,000 drones to be kept on site at one time… Turkey, Romania, eastern Poland and the Baltic Republics, Lativa, Lithuania and Estonia are all under threat.”

A Three-Front War?

The Atlantic wrote on August 17:

“Western military planners do not seem eager to talk about their nightmare scenario, much less prepare for it. But they tend to agree on how it would begin: a coordinated, near-simultaneous attack on opposite sides of the planet, in which Russia targets a NATO member in Eastern Europe while China makes its move against Taiwan. The U.S. military would need to react on two fronts at once—three if it remains at war in the Middle East…

“About a year ago, General Alexus Grynkewich, the top NATO commander in Europe, issued a rare public warning about the risk of a two-front war against Russia and China, and he called on European allies to help the U.S. prepare. But when I asked a range of military experts and strategists what the West would do in such a situation, the responses rang surprisingly hollow. Most of them expressed bewilderment and a bit of shame about how little has been done in recent years to study this risk in detail.”

FBI Failed to Investigate Epstein

California Post wrote on August 14:

“Playboy founder Hugh Hefner repeatedly called the FBI to report Jeffrey Epstein for sexual abuse in 2005, after a Playboy Playmate [Christiansen]… told him she was raped and trafficked by the disgraced financier, according to new details in a lawsuit… The revelations are part of an amended complaint filed in May in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida by Epstein victims who charge the FBI failed to act on multiple reports about his sexual abuse as early as 1996.

“‘The fact that the FBI is trying to utilize procedural technicalities to try to avert accountability and responsibility for its failures to properly investigate Jeffrey Epstein for over 20 years should be deeply concerning to all,’ Jordan Merson, lawyer for the victims, told The Post… Christiansen… was only contacted by the FBI in October 2020, after Epstein’s death, to follow up on the information provided 15 years earlier…

“The FBI tried to get the lawsuit thrown out in June, saying it was ‘not required to investigate every complaint’ it received.”

The Epstein scandal is not a fake, but very real. The lack of US government investigations into Epstein is deeply disturbing. The idea that Epstein committed suicide is likewise absurd.

California’s “Rolling Resistance” Madness

The New York Post wrote on August 18:

“The California Energy Commission unanimously approved new rules Monday that will phase out the sale of replacement tires that don’t meet the state’s energy- efficiency standards— potentially wiping out a huge chunk of the tires currently available to California drivers… The rules target a tire’s ‘rolling resistance’ — how much energy it takes to keep a tire moving down the road. Lower resistance means cars use less gas or electricity.

“The first phase begins in 2029, when replacement tires will have to meet a maximum rolling-resistance level of 9.1 newtons per kilonewton. That threshold drops to 7.2 in 2033….

“Goodyear’s Bret Gladfelty told the commission the rules could drive up costs and said technical and legal questions remain unresolved. While the commission estimates phase-two rules would add an average of about $6.50 per tire, Gladfelty warned that actual increases could reach several hundred dollars. He also told KCRA that the rules could eliminate an estimated 70% of the tires currently sold in California by 2033.”

 No wonder California is going down.

Scientists Use AI to Create New Viruses

The Jerusalem Post wrote on August 18:

“Researchers at Stanford University used artificial intelligence to create 16 functional viruses not found in nature earlier this month… [Researchers are] using EVO 2, a generative AI model… that generates new DNA sequences.

“… many have also expressed concern over the potential dangers of using artificial intelligence to create viruses. EVO 2 is open source, meaning anyone can download the AI and design new genomes themselves….

“In a paper written in response to King and Hie, scientists from John Hopkins University’s Center, Thomas Inglesby and Moritz Hanke for Health Security warned that while the Stanford researchers limited the AI’s training data it would not be difficult for a different user to discover a way around the limitations, opening the possibilities for viruses designed to infect humans, animals, or plants in ways we cannot yet counter.”

Another Frankenstein monster in the making… 

Covid Lockdowns to Delay Natural Immunity 

Life Site News wrote on August 14:

“Jeffrey Tucker, a prominent critic of COVID-19 lockdown policies from the earliest days, stated categorically that the purpose of the stringent measures was not to protect people’s health; it was to delay the onset of natural immunity so that the experimental ‘vaccine’ which was still in development would be hailed as the heroic solution to the virus…. ‘I was told by top FDA, NIH officials that a major reason for social distancing, lockdowns, masking, plexiglass, stay at home orders, and everything else was to delay the onset of natural immunity, to delay rising seroprevalence levels, to delay endemicity, until after the shots were online,’ said Tucker…. 

“‘It was to keep us from gaining a natural capacity to resist the virus so that they could wait until the injection came along so the injection could be deployed and experimented upon us and thereby get all the credit for having solved the issue,’ he explained… Multiple sources have confirmed this without a shadow of a doubt in their mind that that was the real purpose of the school closures, the business shutdowns, stay-at-home orders, the travel restrictions, everything – to delay the point at which we would have essentially solved the problem through natural exposure and immune upgrades.’”

Tucker stated that it sounds like a “wild conspiracy theory. But it’s the truth.” Frankly, in light of what has transpired, it sounds VERY believable. 

Fauci and Lauterbach

On July 28, the Berliner Zeitung published an article with the following headline and introduction:

“Fauci’s secret diary: ‘Important Zoom meeting with Karl Lauterbach.’ Secret vaccine coordination… Karl Lauterbach appears in the diary of immunologist Anthony Fauci.”

The article goes on to state:

“In the recently released secret diary of US coronavirus chief Anthony Fauci, an interested reader from Germany might be surprised to come across a familiar name: Former Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach had ‘by now become something of a friend’ to Anthony Fauci, the American immunologist wrote in his diary on December 8, 2022…. Lauterbach features quite prominently in Fauci’s notes… Lauterbach frequently sought the advice of the ‘Corona Pope’ [regarding the vaccination campaigns].”

This is by no means “surprising.” It has long been known that Lauterbach followed Fauci’s “wisdom” in his disastrous vaccination measures and his often unlawful efforts to combat the coronavirus. Consequently, Lauterbach should also be held accountable.

Applications For Conscientious Objection More Than Double

Kettner-Edelmetalle wrote on August 13:

“The figures are clear—and uncomfortable for the federal government. By July 31, 2026, the Federal Office of Family Affairs and Civil Society Functions in Cologne had received 8,302 applications for conscientious objection. That is more than twice as many in seven months as in the entire year of 2025, when the agency recorded 3,879 applications. This surge was evidently triggered by the new military service system that came into effect on January 1, 2026. Since then, every young German has received mail from the Bundeswehr shortly after their 18th birthday…

“Anyone who attributes these figures merely to the youth’s desire for an easy life is oversimplifying the issue. From our editorial team’s perspective, this mountain of applications reveals one thing above all: a profound loss of trust in the political leadership… The debate surrounding conscription assessments and conscientious objection is a symptom of broader uncertainty. The security situation, national debt, energy prices, migration…”

The “Firewall” Only Benefits the AfD

Die Welt wrote on August 18:

“A report by the British magazine ‘The Economist’ ahead of the state election in Saxony-Anhalt [on September 6] states that the ‘firewall’ has primarily benefited the AfD…

“The ‘Economist’s assessment prior to the election: Friedrich Merz—now Chancellor—had pledged in 2018 to cut the AfD’s support in half. Since then, however, support for the party has doubled, while the CDU is approaching record lows. ‘Irregular migration has dropped sharply, yet the AfD has simply shifted further to the right.’ It now rails against ‘culturally alien workers’…

“‘The Economist’ identifies the AfD itself as the greatest beneficiary of the firewall. AfD Bundestag member Torben Braga told the publication that the firewall protects his party from having to grapple with very difficult questions—a view the magazine explicitly shares. Political scientist Christian Stecker of Darmstadt adds that, behind the firewall, the AfD can promise anything; it shields the party from the disappointment that comes with the responsibility of governing in a democracy.

“The magazine outlines tricky scenarios for election day on September 6: If the AfD narrowly misses an absolute majority, the CDU would likely need the support of all other parties, including The Left… If the AfD remained excluded from power despite holding twice as many seats as the CDU, it would not just be its supporters asking whether German democracy is functioning, ‘The Economist’ continues…

“The magazine sees no clear path forward for the right way to deal with the AfD… Some things will collapse, new things will emerge—and we do not know what it will all look like in the end.”

Does the AfD Want to Abolish Christmas?

Focus wrote on August 13:

“State Minister for Culture Wolfram Weimer sharply criticizes the AfD and its understanding of German culture in an interview. He points out that some within the party even want to abolish Christmas.

“‘What the AfD understands by “German thinking” is particularly alarming. I see a blatant, narrow-minded nationalism there, a resurgence of the mindset from dark times…. At the last AfD party conference, there was this motion… from the state capital to abolish Christian holidays and introduce Germanic holidays instead. They seriously propose celebrating the Yule festival and the winter solstice instead.’”

Hitler tried to do that, too. Read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

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 the contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing to worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

When we read about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22, one word stands out in particular: longsuffering. It has affected many within the Church of God, and it is something we must understand correctly. God has the power to fulfill all things, and long suffering requires ongoing patience. Patience and longsuffering go hand in hand.    

Longsuffering means having patience in spite of troubles. It requires ongoing patience to wait faithfully for Christ’s return, even though we do not know exactly when that will be. In the meantime, we face trials, live in a world filled with hate and violence, and struggle to live God’s Way of Life. In this day and age, we have been called out of this world for a reason—to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom and to prepare mankind for Christ’s Second Coming—and we have been given God’s knowledge and power to apply this in our lives. When we suffer from sickness, for example, we must pray continually for God’s healing and trust Him to answer in His time. We must believe that God will fulfill His promise to heal us and to continue to use us in His service, even though He might not intervene right away. 

Christ endured longsuffering during His life on earth to fulfill His mission, which included saving us from death. He lived as a human being, preached the Gospel, and sacrificed Himself for all mankind so that we may live and receive forgiveness of sins. He knew He would face a horrible death, yet He remained obedient to God the Father. He asked that the cup pass from Him three times, even though He knew that this was not possible. And so, He submitted to God’s Will for our sake (compare Matthew 26:39-44). 

God the Father and Jesus Christ are patient, merciful, and longsuffering, as the Bible shows in many places (Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Psalms 86:15). We read in 2 Peter 3:14-15: “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you.” 

We also read in 2 Peter 3:9: 

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

Also, let’s notice Romans 2:4: “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”

We know that God the Father and Christ are longsuffering with us, because we sin at times and yet God still gives us life and mercy. Jesus Christ was the God of the Old Testament, dealing directly and personally with the people, but He acted on behalf of the Father, being totally unified with Him, His Will and His mindset. That is why we read that God is “one.”  However, God’s longsuffering is not endless. He gave people many chances to repent and live His Way, but when disobedience and disregard for the Truth continued, there came a point when His longsuffering ended (Genesis 6:5-12). It was not because of His gentleness or kindness that destroyed mankind, but man’s own corrupt and carnal behavior led to their destruction. We see similar attitudes in society today, and it will only grow worse until Christ returns and stops the total destruction of this world.

Israel endured longsuffering while enslaved in Egypt, waiting for the day when they would be freed. They would be blessed if they agreed to keep God’s Law (Exodus 19:1, 3-8). God also endured longsuffering with the Israelites, but it eventually came to an end when He removed the inheritance He had given them after they repeatedly defied His righteous rule. They had agreed to keep God’s Law, and they knew that disobedience would bring curses and eventually exile from the land God had given them as a blessing (Deuteronomy 28).

This was a strong warning for the Israelites, and it is a warning for us today. If only they had stopped sinning and repented, events would have unfolded differently. God was still patient with them, but after several hundred years of rebellion and repeated efforts to turn them back to the right path, He finally drove Israel out of their inheritance through the king of Assyria (2 Kings 17:5-18).

Israel was not the only nation to reject God’s commandments; Judah followed their example as well (2 Kings 17:19). Eventually, God also removed them from the land through the king of Babylon (2 Kings 24:1-4). The two main reasons for their captivity was Sabbath-breaking and idolatry. We must be careful not to fall into the trap of this world, thinking it is acceptable to keep pagan practices and traditions because “everyone else is doing it.” That attitude is dangerous, and those who once knew the Truth but returned to the world, by, for example, forsaking the Sabbath and the Holy Days and keeping instead Christmas or Easter, will face a sobering awakening when they cry out to God: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

Saul is a warning example of a man who seemed to have everything going for him until pride took hold and he began to fear men more than God, losing his humility and trust (1 Samuel 15:17-25). As a result, God rejected him (compare verse 26). God withdrew His mercy, took the kingdom from him, withdrew His Spirit, and allowed an evil spirit to trouble him, which led him farther and farther from righteousness and ultimately to his death (1 Samuel 15:28; 16:14; 22:16-19; 31:1-6). This is a serious warning: God gave him a chance, and he failed. We must make sure that the same does not happen to us. 

At that time, God’s longsuffering had ended for Israel, Judah, and certain individuals like Saul. But there is still hope: In the future, mankind will have a chance to obey God and live His Way. This would include ancient Israel and Judah, but not King Saul, who committed the unpardonable sin. This process of universal salvation for most people will begin with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and God’s rule over the earth, as it is written in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

Those who endure to the end will experience in the first resurrection what is described in Revelation 20:4-6. The old things will be forgotten, because God will make all things new again (Revelation 21:4, 7-8). Those who think God’s commandments have been done away with are mistaken; Jesus says in the last chapter of the Book of Revelation that God’s Law still stands: “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14). 

Our longsuffering will come to an end, just as God’s longsuffering for mankind will come to an end, and everyone who did not commit the unpardonable sin will have the chance to live a perfect life and receive God’s reward, as we read in verse 12:“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.”

Do we understand why we suffer? How could we become perfect or grow in knowledge if we never went through trials? Each of us face different struggles in life, often in the areas that affect us most. We will continue to endure suffering until Christ returns, because these experiences help train us to become perfect and immortal beings prepared to share God’s righteousness in the future. Christ also suffered on earth for our sake, giving mankind the opportunity to become part of God’s Family, and we have that first opportunity now. Christ understands what we go through, and Peter reminds us that we are blessed in our sufferings and that we suffer for God’s glory (1 Peter 3:14, 17; 4:12-19).

We need to look at the bigger picture and understand that with God’s help, nothing we face is too difficult to overcome (1 Corinthians 10:13). God knows what we are going through, and He will bless and take care of us if we put our faith and trust in Him.  Our longsuffering will soon come to an end and give way to the peace, restoration, and the joy of God’s Kingdom.

Lead Writer: Michael Link

Compiled by Norbert Link

“Will Putin Attack NATO?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. 

Here is the summary:

As with Putin’s back against the wall, many are afraid of such an action. And the fears extend beyond just one city in a neighboring NATO country… they are much more comprehensive. Mass murderer and war criminal Putin has uttered such threats for a long time. Then there is dictatorial China which might work with Russia to launch a coordinated simultaneous attack on opposite sides of the planet. What would Trump do? Would he want to get involved in a three-front war? Trump’s back is against the wall too, and his frustrations, irrational illusions, violent threats and aggressive actions are increasingly spiraling out of control. What does Bible prophecy tell us?

“Wird Putin die NATO angreifen?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers the same topics as described above.

Frank Bruno’s sermonette has been posted, titled, “Atomic August.” 

Here is a summary:

On August 6, and August 9, 1945, the US dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. While political and military pundits around the world have opinions as to the reasons and the responsibility for the bombings, true Christians understand that we must never justify the savagery that preceded the attacks, nor the acts themselves. In this Sermonette we will consider various scriptures that make clear how God sees such actions.

Eric Rank’s sermon has been posted, titled, “Give Your Concerns to God.” 

Here is a summary:

God is in control, and for that we can be relieved. Our circumstances and the outcomes in our lives are a result of His will for us. When we have problems or concerns that weigh us down, we can be reassured that we have God on our side. He loves us and will work things out for our best interest, even if we might not understand what He is doing. By trusting in this process designed by God, we can release the burden of worry and concern, giving it all to God to carry the load.

Norbert Link’s German sermon for this Sabbath has been posted. It is titled, “Wieso werden Simson, Gideon und Jeftha im Reich Gottes sein?“ (“Why Will Samson, Gideon and Jephthah Be in God’s Kingdom?”)

Dmitrij Niemann first German split sermon has been posted, titled, “Das Leben in vollen Zügen geniessen” (“Enjoying Life to the Fullest.”)

Daniel Blasinger’s second German split sermon has been posted, titled, “Gebrauchsanweisung” (“Manual”)

On August 8, 2026, Frank Bruno will give the sermonette, titled, “Atomic August,” and Eric Rank will give the sermon, titled, “Give Your Concerns to God.”

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.

Without God’s involvement in the raw facts and events of reality, they carry no positive or negative value in themselves. They are simply events. Natural disasters like a tornado or wildfire happen on their own accord, doing what they do. Far less destructive events like a cool summer breeze or a rainbow after a rainstorm take place without any predetermined intention in themselves. Events with a human origin are also, on the face of it, mere moments in time. Weddings, funerals, a day at the beach, a scraped knee all occur as they do, as facts. Whatever happens factually becomes captured as a record in the annals of history as events.

Yet each of these events that take place as objective facts, without any inherent value, have the power to affect us emotionally. A situation may produce sadness, joy, anger, compassion, or myriad other emotions according to how we process it. Interestingly, the same event can produce opposite emotional responses even within the same person, depending on a shift in perspective. Our emotional responses can vary widely in both range and intensity.

Our emotions also affect us greatly, ultimately having the power to direct our chosen responses. In Thilo Hanstein’s powerful and insightful editorial, “Feelings That Can Deceive Us!,” published on February 27, 2026, he wrote about how we are to anchor ourselves by trusting in God so our feelings and emotions don’t lead us astray. He writes, “God’s Word does not say that we should suppress our feelings, but that we should not make them our ultimate standard. God is described as unchanging, while the human heart can falter. That is why trusting in God is not a feeling, but a decision.” He acknowledges that feelings are real and meaningful to us. But he continues to emphasize the importance of using those feelings to bring us closer to God, so that He can help us manage them. We need God to guide us in all things, and our feelings and emotions help Him to understand our situation.

The passage in Jeremiah 17:9 is one which, humanly speaking, is very troubling. Jeremiah writes, “‘The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?’” If we cannot trust our own hearts, even when we feel that our intentions are good, it can leave us untethered. If even our inner-most hearts cannot be trusted, what are we to do? The answer is that we go to God. The Holy Spirit is pure and with it, God will help us to understand our situation from a godly perspective. It is with that godly perspective that we are to guide our emotional response. As Mr. Hanstein astutely emphasized in his editorial, we must trust in God to help us process our feelings and emotions. This is the only way to avoid being led astray by the deceits of our human heart.

So then, if emotions are a synthetic response to factual events and if those emotions produced by our heart can lead us astray, is it wrong for us to have emotions? Should we deny the way we feel? Do our emotions have no value in the eyes of God? To answer any of these questions affirmatively is not what the Bible instructs. In fact, we see many counter examples demonstrating how emotions serve an important and powerful purpose in our lives and the lives of God the Father and Jesus Christ.

Shortly after the creation of man, God felt sorrow and grief after seeing the severe wickedness that had developed in mankind and moved Him to initiate the flood (compare Genesis 6:5-6). Even though there was such evil, God the Father also felt such strong love for humanity that He was willing to give His Son Jesus as a Sacrifice to cover their sins (compare John 3:16). Jesus Christ, being fully man when He was on the earth, felt strong emotion as well, which motivated His ministry. “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest’” (Matthew 9:36-38). Emotion is not an ungodly trait. Far from it. Emotion is a powerful force that we see through God’s example. In these examples, we can see how action became motivated through emotion.

Emotion is a motivating force. Without emotion, the events of our lives are neutral facts of history that fail to move us in any meaningful way. As Christians, we must be moved in the right direction by our emotions. What we do in the eyes of God matters. Therefore, our motivation needs to be aligned with God. The call to action is to bring emotions to Him so we choose the right direction.

Emotion, guided by God, will motivate us to understand how we should respond. Our hearts will be bound to lead us astray if we don’t include Him. However, when we invite God into our lives to help us understand the events that affect us, He has the power to fortify our emotions with righteous intent. This is what gives us strength to tackle the difficult events we face and to rejoice in the situations we are meant to appreciate.

God has a strong desire to work with us. He expects that we will have a heart with a capacity to feel joy, anguish, love, and more. He knows that we need that in our lives to be a motivating force. And He knows we need His strength.

When we have need, God invites us to pour out our innermost heartfelt emotions to Him. And we always have need. “…Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward Him…” (Lamentations 2:19). What we go through will certainly trigger emotional responses. When we lay down those emotions before God, He will help us to understand our circumstances from His perspective, motivating us to respond righteously.

By Norbert Link

We address the criticism of more and more conservative voices in regard to Trump’s Iran war; address his ballroom project and his renewed attempts to limit birthright citizenship. We speak on Anthony Fauci’s contempt of Congress; the ongoing disagreements about the control over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s overall goals; and we publish several articles speaking about Trump’s Iran trap and proclaiming that America’s era is coming to an end.

We address regime change in Cuba and Spain’s humanitarian disaster; as well as drone incidents in Europe for which Russia is blamed. We conclude with an alleged imminent threat of an Israeli takeover of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. 

Please view our recent message, titled “Israel to Take Over Al-Aqsa?—Comments on News and Prophecy, August 8, 2026.”

In addition, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “No Peace for Israel.”

Fox Moderators Critical of Trump’s Iran War

The Guardian wrote on August 1:

“Throughout his two presidencies, Donald Trump has leaned on reliable support from the conservative opinion wing of his favorite cable news channel, Fox News. But, like a broad swathe of the American public, several traditionally supportive commentators on the channel have recently expressed concerns about whether the war on Iran is succeeding, suggesting that Trump is on increasingly dicey footing in the conservative media world he relies on for backing.

“While he isn’t close to losing the support of hosts such as Sean Hannity or Jesse Watters, Trump has received scrutiny from one of the network’s top personalities, Laura Ingraham, who has regularly questioned whether the US has achieved the tactical wins it has claimed in Iran. He has also faced reliable skepticism from one of the network’s most prominent commentators about the armed forces, Johnny ‘Joey’ Jones, a contributor and retired Marine Corps staff sergeant who lost both his legs in combat in Afghanistan…

“That’s not to mention the network’s military commentators, such as retired Lt Gen Keith Kellogg, who said on Fox on Wednesday that Trump needs to ‘change’ his strategy…  ‘Bombing is not going to get the job done.’…

“Brit Hume, a Fox News analyst, connected the quagmire to Trump’s political promises to voters. ‘He promised to keep us out of endless wars or unsatisfactory wars, and now he’s in one, and it’s not at all clear how it’s gonna end…’ In June, John Roberts, a Fox News anchor, said he was ‘a little puzzled’ about Trump’s Iran negotiation strategy. Even Watters, a reliable Trump booster, seemed skeptical about his ever-changing timelines for reaching a deal with Iran to end the war. ‘He keeps saying: “We’re very close. We’re days away.” And I don’t know what that means. We’ve heard that for a very long time,’ he said in June.

“Hosts on the network’s business channel have also regularly questioned the rising price of oil and the impact on American consumers, particularly ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.”

Trump’s Ballroom on Hold

The Associated Press wrote on August 7:

“A divided federal appeals court ruled Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration must stop construction of the $400 million White House ballroom because Congress has not approved the project, a decision he blasted as ‘unjust’ while vowing to appeal it to the nation’s highest court….

“Friday’s ruling marked the second time this week that the Trump administration has made headlines for construction plans that have been called into question. An assessment by the National Park Service found that a 250-foot-tall (76-meter-tall) triumphal arch that Trump has proposed building could compromise the historical significance of dozens of sites near its planned location on a traffic circle between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery….

“After the lower court earlier this year ordered a halt to aboveground construction, the president argued that permission from Congress was unnecessary because public money was not being used to pay for it. Trump has said he has raised hundreds of millions of dollars from corporations and wealthy people, including himself, to cover the construction costs. But the Trump administration had requested $1 billion for the ballroom, which Congress refused in May…”

It is more than doubtful that the Supreme Court will side with Trump on this issue, but one never knows.

Birthright Citizenship—Trump Tries It Again…

Newsweek wrote on August 7:

“President Donald Trump on Thursday signed executive orders aimed at narrowing access to birthright citizenship, marking a renewed effort after the Supreme Court struck down a broader administration policy earlier this year. The move follows the Supreme Court’s June 30 rejection of Trump’s earlier executive order seeking to deny automatic citizenship to some children born in the United States to noncitizen parents.

“The orders target what the administration describes as ‘birth tourism’and seek to deny automatic citizenship in a limited number of circumstances that officials argue fall within longstanding exceptions to the 14th Amendment. The White House said the measures expand the definition of people ineligible for birthright citizenship and strengthen restrictions aimed at curbing so-called birth tourism. Administration officials argued the new orders fall outside the scope of the Supreme Court’s June ruling because they apply only to categories that they contend are not covered by birthright citizenship protections.

“The order directs federal agencies not to recognize U.S. citizenship for certain people born in the United States when neither parent is a U.S. citizen and one of several conditions applies… A separate executive order directs the State Department and Department of Homeland Security to take additional steps aimed at curbing birth tourism… Officials contend that some cases involving birth tourism involve fraudulent entry or misrepresentation by parents seeking U.S. citizenship for a child… The order defines birth tourism as a foreign national entering the United States on a nonimmigrant visa for the purpose of giving birth on American soil, or assisting another foreign national in doing so. The order authorizes federal agencies to deny visas or travel authorizations to people seeking to engage in birth tourism, revoke existing travel documents, permanently bar entry, and pursue action against individuals or organizations involved in facilitating such schemes….

“The American Civil Liberties Union, which successfully challenged Trump’s previous birthright citizenship order, said the new measures were unlikely to survive judicial scrutiny. ‘The Supreme Court already decided this issue: Birthright citizenship is guaranteed by the Constitution. No additional executive order can change the meaning of the Constitution,’ Cody Wofsy, deputy director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, said in a statement. Critics have argued that the 14th Amendment broadly guarantees citizenship to nearly everyone born on U.S. soil and that attempts to narrow that protection through executive action are unconstitutional. Civil rights groups and immigration advocates have long maintained that changes to birthright citizenship would require legislation or a constitutional amendment rather than executive action. Trump said Thursday that he believed the new actions were constitutional.

“The new orders come after the Supreme Court dealt a major blow to Trump’s broader effort to restrict birthright citizenship through executive action. In June, the court ruled that children born in the United States are generally citizens at birth, reaffirming a longstanding interpretation of the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause while leaving intact certain historical exceptions. The decision preserved the legal framework established by the court’s landmark 1898 ruling in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, which held that a child born in the U.S. to immigrant parents was an American citizen.

“Trump and his allies have argued that the Citizenship Clause has been interpreted too broadly and have pointed to what they describe as abuses of the system through birth tourism. Following the ruling, Trump called on Congress to pursue legislation addressing the issue, writing on Truth Social that lawmakers should ‘start TODAY’ on efforts to end birthright citizenship.”

In that Trump asked Congress to act, he admitted that he does not have the authority to unilaterally act via executive order. His “belief” that the new orders are constitutional is meaningless because Trump is not even a lawyer… what does he know about the Constitution? He admitted in the past that he does NOT understand the Constitution, in that he does not know whether he has to uphold it.

Hypocritical Moves

Newsweek wrote on August 12:

“Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose parents were not United States citizens when he was born in the U.S., announced Wednesday that the State Department has revoked more than 600 visas as part of a new crackdown on so-called ‘birth tourism’ networks…

“The announcement places Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants who were later naturalized, at the forefront of one of the administration’s most aggressive efforts yet to curb what officials describe as the exploitation of citizenship laws. Born in Miami in 1971, around 15 years after his parents arrived in the U.S., Rubio became a U.S. citizen under the same constitutional principle now at the center of a heated political debate. When his presidential eligibility was challenged in 2016, his lawyers argued that his U.S. birth made him a natural-born citizen under English common law, Supreme Court precedent, and the Fourteenth Amendment tradition.

“That argument is in line with what has long been the legal understanding of birthright citizenship, but conflicts with a broader theory pushed in an executive order by President Donald Trump in 2025 to make parental citizenship or permanent residence necessary for American citizenship to be granted to newborns… Traveling to the United States while pregnant is not, by itself, illegal. The legal issue is the traveler’s primary purpose and whether she truthfully represents that purpose.”

Fauci in Contempt of Congress

NPR wrote on August 7:

“The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee yesterday voted along party lines to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress. The decision comes after Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination during a hearing on the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Justice Department will decide whether to pursue potential criminal prosecution of Fauci. Prosecutions are rare, but two former Trump advisers — Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro — were imprisoned on contempt of Congress charges during President Joe Biden’s administration.”

One will have to see whether Fauci will ever be held accountable for his conduct. Sadly, the chances are rather slim.

Opening of Strait of Hormuz… At What Cost?

NPR wrote on August 7:

“Iran’s parliament is considering an agreement with Oman to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The proposal would ban ships connected to the U.S., Israel and other ‘hostile countries’ from the key waterway until Iran receives compensation for war damages. Commercial vessels passing through the strait would be subject to fees of up to 7% of cargo value and a 20% fine for noncompliance. On Wednesday, Iran said it was finalizing a shipping route agreement with Oman, a U.S. ally. The Trump administration disputes Iran’s characterization of the agreement, maintaining that the U.S. currently controls the strait through its naval blockade of Iran. Oman has not commented…

“The stalemate has raised concerns from observers that the U.S. may have to accept terms worse than the previous status quo, which was free movement through the Strait. Current negotiations are also focused on the waterway reopening rather than issues like uranium enrichment, which Trump originally cited as justification for the war.”

Newsmax wrote on August 8:

“Iran’s top national security official said Saturday the Strait of Hormuz will not fully reopen unless the United States meets a sweeping list of demands, including lifting sanctions and its naval blockade, withdrawing U.S. military forces from around Iran, and paying compensation for damage caused by the war…

“The conditions cast new uncertainty over efforts to restore commercial traffic through the critical waterway…”

US in Control of Hormuz?

The Jerusalem Post wrote on August 11:

“US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States controls the Strait of Hormuz and had swept the strategic oil waterway for Iranian mines… Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to six that day, compared with a 10-day average of about 11 vessels, shipping data showed, amid fading hopes of a peace deal between the US and Iran.

“Four commodity vessels, including two empty oil product tankers, entered the waterway… Two vessels – a small tanker laden with liquefied petroleum gas and another carrying residual fuels – exited the Strait… In pre-war days, about 130 to 140 ships typically transited the strait.”

Trump’s declarations are not believed or shared by Gulf States. They are also not realistic. See the next article.

Gulf States Accept a New Normal in Hormuz: Iran Is in Control

The Wall Street Journal wrote on August 10:

“Persian Gulf energy producers are concluding that Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz will become permanent, disrupting their oil and gas exports and global energy supplies indefinitely.

“The problem is they worry the alternative—going back to war—would be worse.”

Trump Concerned About Low Weapons Stockpile

The Jerusalem Post wrote on August 9:

“Russia and China could feel emboldened to begin a hot conflict with America due to the US’s rapidly depleting weapons supply, senior officials and defense experts told the New York Times on Saturday….

“The… low stockpile levels have been a driving factor in Trump’s latest decisions in his campaign against Iran. The president reportedly chose not to go through with a major bombing campaign he threatened last month due to the low level of munitions.”

The attack will not come from Russia and China, but from Europe.

Trump in Big Trouble

Daily Mail wrote on August 10:

“Donald Trump’s strategy to defeat Iran is facing more roadblocks as the US weapons stockpile and cash to fund the military operation runs dry. Further complicating the path to peace, Tehran is refusing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz until Washington pays war reparations, lifts sanctions, and ends its naval blockade. Meanwhile, War Secretary Pete Hegseth has failed to sell skeptical senators on Trump’s record $1.5 trillion defense budget. The chamber left town for its five-week summer recess without advancing it, or the separate war funding the Pentagon says it urgently needs…

“Iran’s demands amount to a message that the regime does not plan to submit to Trump in the near future. Tehran wants US forces out of the region and a compensation check for the damage, terms Washington has consistently ruled out… Nearly every condition Tehran listed on Saturday already appears in the memorandum of understanding Trump signed on June 17, an agreement that collapsed when American strikes resumed and the blockade was reimposed on July 14.”

Trump really does not seem to know what he is doing. The next article proves this.

Trump’s Empty Boasts of “Victory”

The Jerusalem Post wrote on August 5:

“[Trump] has declared ‘total and complete victory, 100%’ in Iran in several versions, at least 32 times… Yet the war, now in its sixth month, sputters on and on – along with the president’s other empty boasts. Just this week, after more threats to obliterate the ancient Persian civilization with ‘the biggest attack since WWII,’ he suddenly called the attack off ‘for the Future benefit of the world.’ He apparently didn’t even inform his Israeli partner, who reportedly learned of the decision the same way the rest of the world did: in a post on Trump’s Truth Social account.

“It looked like another case of what has come to be known as TACO, Trump Chickens Out Again. This is not the first – nor likely the last – time he warns of apocalyptic strikes only to back down at the last minute. The Iranians, along with America’s adversaries and allies, see it as a sign of weakness…

“On June 25, 2025, he declared Iran’s nuclear capacity had been ‘completely and totally obliterated.’ However, seven months later, re-obliteration was his rationale for starting a war of choice in partnership with Israel. He did not cite any imminent threat to justify the February 28 surprise attack… Trump apparently had no clear strategy, no support base, or exit plan for his war. Allies were not briefed in advance… Control of the Strait of Hormuz is potentially worth tens of billions of dollars annually in transit fees for Iran and power over a major portion of the world’s resources.”

Iran is not going to give up this lucrative power. It seems America is ruled by incapable “children” (compare Isaiah 3:4, 12).

Iran’s Goal

The Guardian wrote on August 7:

“Tehran has set out a protracted negotiating timetable designed to keep Donald Trump embroiled in the Iran conflict until the midterm elections, in the hope of inflicting the same ruinous blow on his presidency as Jimmy Carter suffered over the 1979-81 US embassy hostage crisis…

“But the focus on the midterms became more obvious this week when the deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, told the official IRNA news agency that after agreeing a route for commercial shipping through the strait of Hormuz, it would take two to four months to reach the second phase of negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme…

“If Tehran gets its way on this timetable, Trump will be going to the polls with no Iranian commitment on nuclear weapons, only a hefty economic bill for a failed war…”

And so, Trump started a war with Iran which he could not win. Note the next article.

Trump Caught in the Iran Trap

Bild Online reported on August 8:

“In addition to mounting pressure regarding the Iran war, US President Donald Trump (80) is now also facing the consequences of weaknesses in his own economy! The monthly US labor market report (the ‘Jobs Report’) took both experts and the administration by surprise: instead of the job boom Trump had promised, 23,000 jobs were lost in July. Furthermore, the figures for May and June were revised downward by a combined total of 103,000 jobs. While the unemployment rate did fall to 4.1 percent, it did so for the wrong reason: 264,000 people gave up looking for work and dropped out of the labor market.

“Trump thus finds himself in the midst of a dual crisis: regarding the Iran conflict, Tehran is increasingly dictating the terms of negotiations over a potential reopening of the oil shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz. Now, grim news from the domestic economy has been added to the mix—traditionally one of the key factors in how citizens evaluate a presidency…

“The Iran war has not only driven up gasoline prices; transport and energy costs are rising too—bringing with them the risk of further price hikes. Trump’s trade conflicts are having a similar effect: he recently imposed new import tariffs of 10 to 12.5 percent on goods from 60 countries. Higher import costs can burden companies and push consumer prices even higher. At the same time, Trump is betting heavily on the expansion of artificial intelligence. Yet, public concern is growing that AI could act as a ‘job killer,’ replacing millions of positions. Moreover, the drastic decline in immigration and increased deportations are exacerbating labor shortages in certain sectors—such as agriculture, construction, and the hospitality industry.

“… Trump’s popularity has recently fallen to record lows, primarily due to the unpopular Iran war. US political science professor Scott Erb views the new job figures as ‘a real weakness in the US economy.’ Trump, by contrast, seeks to ‘sugarcoat’ the situation and focuses on issues ‘that miss the mark regarding the concerns of many voters’… Consequently, Trump could cause massive damage to the Republicans in the congressional [midterm] election campaign.”

“America’s Era Is Coming to an End”

t-online wrote on August 8:

“America’s global power is clearly waning. Entangled in a war trap in the Middle East; humiliated by Tehran’s militias and by the imperialist Putin in Eastern Europe; burdened by massive debt and depleted weapons arsenals; and barely able to curb China’s aggressive rise in Asia—the former ‘world policeman’ now shuffles through the global arena in a rumpled uniform and with a battered sheriff’s badge. Thirty-five years after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, the era of American supremacy is drawing to a close. Donald Trump’s constant threats against everyone and everything are the most glaring sign of this diminishing influence. Those who lose their authority shout all the louder…

“Less obvious to European observers is the dynamic unfolding within the US itself. Yet it appears no less dramatic than the developments in foreign policy. The balance of power is shifting rapidly—both within Trump’s administration and between the Republican and Democratic parties—compounded by the most profound technological revolution since industrialization 150 years ago: Artificial Intelligence is transforming the entire economic landscape, and only the digital economy is saving the US from a severe recession…”

Cuba Regime Overthrow?

The Telegraph wrote on August 8:

“Regime change in Cuba would look more like Iran than Venezuela, American spy agencies have warned… The Cubans who would take power…  are from hard-line factions, like their Iranian counterparts… It is unclear who the White House would prefer to lead Cuba, and there is a lack of practical options.

“This week, the Cuban ambassador to Britain declared that the Cuban people would fight to the death against any US military intervention….”

Greenland Warns Trump

Firstpost wrote on August 9:

“Greenland issued a ‘strong warning’ after an American oil company connected to US President Donald Trump started preparing to sink wells in the Arctic region without any permission from local authorities. The firm’s project is coming at a time when the American leader has renewed his threats to claim the vast Arctic territory. The Greenlandic authorities began to express concern when drilling materials were brought ashore in recent days on the island’s eastern coast. The move has prompted Greenland’s government to issue a ‘strong warning’ that no approval had been granted to land the kit.

“‘All future logistical matters must be advised and approved by the mineral resources authority – before they are carried out,’ the government said in a statement. However, two days later, Trump made a menacing post on Truth Social, showing himself looming over a Greenlandic village [The AI-generated image showed a giant Trump, looming over the island, with the words, “Hello, Greenland!”]

“The company in question is Greenland Energy, which is based in Texas and was set up last year. They have claimed that $1 trillion of crude may lie beneath the Jameson Land region. Hence, the firm announced plans to spend $60 million drilling two wells to find out. However, it is pertinent to note that the Greenland authorities stopped issuing new oil licences in 2021 on environmental grounds. But despite this, a UK company called 80 Mile had secured exploration rights in Jameson Land. Greenland Energy’s corporate filings say it will take a majority stake in the project in exchange for funding the exploration, though it still needs government permission to proceed.

“The American firm is retained by Phil McGraw, popularly known as Dr Phil, a prominent rightwing former chat show host who served on Trump’s religious freedom commission… It has also appointed the director, a US Navy veteran who is working on Golden Dome, the missile defence plan for which Trump says controlling Greenland is “vital”. Larry Swets, Greenland Energy’s chair and a big shareholder, appears to enjoy access to Trump’s circle….

“The Greenland government’s statement… said it ‘would not be proportionate’ to demand the equipment be removed. An application for permission remained under processing, it added…”

UPI added on August 8:

“Trump has, for years, been adamant in his desire to annex Greenland. He has claimed the United States needs it ‘for defense.’  In January, he told European leaders that one of the reasons he renewed his push to own the territory was because he did not win the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump has been rebuffed by officials in both Denmark and Greenland.”

Spain’s Humanitarian Disaster

Sue Reid wrote the following article, which was published by Daily Mail on August 7:

“… a deceitful narrative is being peddled by politicians, including our own new Prime Minister, that this crisis is over. The truth is it’s only just beginning.

“This week, to my horror, I have witnessed a migration catastrophe unfolding in Ceuta, with a multitude of children, some only 11 or 12, at the heart of it. For make no mistake, between 2,000 and 4,000 young north African and sub-Saharan boys have not budged an inch since arriving – and have no intention of doing so. They have become pawns in a migration disaster sparked by families sending their children to find a better life in Europe, spurred too by an avalanche of social media messages flooding Africa that encourage the young to up sticks and leave via Ceuta, which is seen as a gateway to Madrid, Berlin or London….

“Outside the main police station, I watched hundreds of children on Wednesday and Thursday sitting pathetically in rows on the street as they waited in the vain hope that the Spanish authorities would give them the paperwork necessary to allow them to board ferries to mainland Spain… This is a humanitarian disaster unfolding in real time, which also threatens the national security of Europe. Spanish intelligence services say ISIS jihadis from across war-torn Africa have been caught among the tens of thousands who seized the chance to enter Ceuta.”

The Jerusalem Post wrote on August 7:

“Spain’s leftist government expects to transfer some migrant minors from overcrowded reception centers in the North African enclave of Ceuta to the mainland within weeks… 1,342 minors had been registered so far and more staff would be drafted in to help the effort. [Youth Minister Sira Rego] acknowledged the ‘painful images’ of children sleeping rough on Ceuta’s streets…

“Ceuta’s local government head Juan Jesus Vivas said the modest local facilities could host up to 90 children, and were now saturated by roughly 1,100 unaccompanied minors who arrived before the border rush…”

Drone Incidents Raise Security Concerns Across Europe

AFP and Reuters wrote on August 8:

“In Germany, a spokesperson for the armed forces said on Saturday that two drones were spotted at about 10pm (20:00 GMT) on Thursday at a military base in Mechernich in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, 35km (22 miles) from the Belgian border…

“German media reported that the Bundeswehr armed forces site in Mechernich has a high-security underground storage facility for equipment and spare parts for military hardware. It is also a base for personnel responsible for the maintenance of US Patriot air defences.

“A drone was also discovered late on Tuesday at Leipzig/Halle Airport – a civilian freight and NATO logistics hub – near several Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo transporters, according to German media reports. The drone incidents across the continent have revived concerns about Moscow’s war on Ukraine entangling neighbouring NATO states.

“They have also intensified debate about whether strategically important members of the military alliance such as Germany are ready to cope with new security threats. German government officials have not blamed any foreign countries publicly for this week’s drone incursions, but some politicians have accused Russia, which has been at war with Ukraine since its military invasion in 2022. NATO and European Union officials have blamed Russia for previous drone sightings.

“Last month, after a suspected Russian drone was spotted over NATO member Romania’s airspace, the European Commission said it showed Russia’s war had ‘crossed yet another line.’ NATO chief Mark Rutte has said Moscow’s ‘reckless behaviour is a danger to us all’. The US ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, has pledged that the alliance will ‘defend every inch’ of its territory.

“Russia has rejected the allegations. On Friday, the Russian embassy in Berlin dismissed the discovery in Leipzig as a ‘fabricated provocation’, saying it was another example of accusations against Russia without evidence.”

Ultimately, rumors from the north and the east will cause a revived Europe to attack Russia and China.

Netanyahu Rejects US Peace Plan for Gaza

Fox News wrote on August 9:

Israel is rejecting a 15-point Gaza proposal put forward by the Board of Peace, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, declaring that Israeli forces will not withdraw from the enclave until Hamas fully gives up its weapons… ‘When I say Hamas is disarmed, that means the heavy weapons, the less heavy weapons, all the weapons,’ he added…

“He also reiterated his opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state in either Gaza or the West Bank. ‘As long as I am prime minister, there will be no Palestinian state, not in Gaza and not in Judea and Samaria,’ Netanyahu said. ‘Neither “Fatahstan” nor “Hamastan.”’”

Israel to Take Over Al-Aqsa?

The Guardian wrote on August 4 and August 5:

“Jordan is convening an emergency meeting of foreign ministers from the Arab and Islamic world over what it says is an ‘imminent’ threat of an Israeli takeover of the most important Muslim site in Jerusalem…

“The… Jordanian warning… follow[s] an escalating pattern of government-backed incursions by Jewish religious extremists on the compound around al-Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock, in violation of a status quo treaty overseen by Jordan’s Hashemite monarchy, by which only Muslims can pray at the site. On 23 July, more than 2,000 Israelis from the religious right… prayed and performed rituals all around the compound in what Jordanian officials said was the worst violation in modern history.

“Amman has also been alarmed at a recent recruitment drive for religious Jews for a special Temple Mount police unit, and is braced for more direct challenges to traditional Jordanian custodianship by extremist Israeli leaders in the major Jewish holidays in September. This year, those holidays will come amid an intense election campaign, in which the far-right coalition of the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, will be fighting for survival. ‘This is… a dangerous threat that we’re trying to counter in every tool that we have possible,’ Jordan’s foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, told the Guardian. ‘We warn that tampering with the status quo … could trigger a religious conflict that will reverberate beyond Palestine and Jordan into the whole Muslim world.’”

Anything Could Happen?

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 8, 2026:

“Reports from Jerusalem suggest that Israeli authorities are taking over one of Islam’s holiest sites, the Al-Aqsa Mosque. If they do, experts say anything could happen, from war to terrorism to ending diplomatic ties.

“The statement issued after this week’s meeting in Jordan was blunt about what might happen next. Israeli infringements on one of Islam’s holiest sites, the Al-Aqsa Mosque in east Jerusalem, could lead to ‘a religious conflict with repercussions that will extend beyond the region and threaten regional and international peace and security,’ the foreign ministers of 10 countries belonging to the Arab League said after Wednesday’s emergency meeting in Amman, Jordan. The statement was also signed by ministers from Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Malaysia.

“Jordan’s foreign minister called the meeting because of mounting evidence that the Israeli government is surreptitiously changing a decades-old agreement meant to ensure intercommunal peace at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, an area of great religious significance to Muslims, Jews, and Christians… Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued a response, saying the statement was inaccurate…

“This is not the first time that the governments of Muslim-majority countries and activists in Jerusalem have issued such warnings. For decades, Jewish fringe groups, often referred to as the Temple Mount movement, have demanded that they be allowed to pray at the site. The most extremist of these groups say they want to demolish the mosque and construct a new Jewish temple. At first they were mostly ignored… But [as one observer stated]… that ‘radical fringe’ has become more mainstream. ‘Over time, the Temple Mount movements, backed by more than 100 rabbis associated with the settler movement in the West Bank, became more visible, more vocal and more provocative…’

“‘This crisis has been decades in the making… [another observer said]. There’s been an effort from religious extremists to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque since at least the 1980s, when plots to do that were uncovered. But those groups and those ideologies have gained more representation within the Israeli [parliament] Knesset today.’”

ABNA wrote on August 8:

“Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has called for greater unity among Muslim countries in response to regional developments and Israeli policies, describing the recent defence agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye as a step toward broader cooperation across the Muslim world…

“As if also said that, particularly in light of developments involving Israel, Muslim countries should stand together…”

But it’s much more than just cooperation between Muslim nations. See the next article.

Lulling Israel Into Sleep

Israel Hayom wrote on August 10:

“A disturbing secret proposal emerged during talks between countries in the Middle East: Officials in one country advised another to sign an agreement with Israel as a tactical move aimed at ‘lulling’ Israel into a false sense of security while using the time to prepare for a larger military confrontation against it, Kan 11 reported Monday, citing knowledgeable sources.

“According to the report, the discussions between the two sides took place in recent months. During the talks, officials proposed that their counterparts show flexibility toward Israel and work to advance an agreement with it, but not with the intention of treating it as a long-term arrangement.

“Instead, according to the report, the proposal was to use the period covered by the agreement to ‘lull’ Israel while simultaneously preparing for war against it. Once conditions were considered ripe, the agreement could be broken and a confrontation launched. The identities of the countries involved in the discussions cannot be published.

“The revelation raises questions about how Israel assesses the intentions of countries in the region, particularly against the backdrop of efforts to advance normalization agreements. Kan 11 raised the question of whether Israel could once again find itself fundamentally misreading the other side’s intentions, as it did in the period preceding Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack, and whether an apparent willingness to move closer to Israel could, at least in some cases, serve as cover for preparations for a future confrontation…

“On Friday, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, a trilateral defense pact stipulating that an armed attack against any one of the three countries would be considered an attack against all of them. The agreement was signed in Mecca on Aug. 7 by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.”

Israel will NOT enjoy peace and friendship with Arab nations.

Robot Dogs on the Moon?

The Independent wrote on August 10:

“Chinese scientists are mulling the use of robot dogs to guard the country’s future bases on the Moon, alongside wheeled and other humanoid robots built for finding resources on the lunar surface…

“China plans to build an International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) near the Moon’s south pole in collaboration with Russia and other international partners, and says it wants to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030….

The idea is that these human astronauts will then collaborate with the robots on the Moon.

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 the contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing to worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

In our last Q&A, titled, “Are there phrases in the Bible that have become normal in society today? (Part 2),” we covered this question briefly, as follows:

“God will never give you more than you can handle

“This is another common phrase which, as quoted, is not in accordance with Scripture. It is not found in the Bible. One commentary stated astutely: ‘When someone is going through a difficult time in life, whether they are feeling overwhelmed, stricken with grief, or just generally burdened, they are often encouraged that though their challenges are considerable, God would never give them more than they could handle. But, despite what we might say, God will give us more than we can handle [or bear].  Rather, God will never allow us to be tempted [or tested] beyond what we are able to [handle or bear]. He will always provide a way for us [to escape and] to be faithful to Him, even when the pull toward a different path is as strong as it has ever been.’… So, whatever we are being confronted with, GOD will help us. We need GOD… on our own, we can do and accomplish nothing. But with God, we can do and endure everything.”

We also quoted 1 Corinthians 10:13 in that portion of the above-cited Q&A, which reads:

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

In this Q&A, we will address the issue at question in more detail.

Of course, God does not tempt us so that we sin.   In our booklet: “Teach Us To Pray” on page 60, we read under the heading: “But…God Tests Us:

“While God never tempts us to sin, He does test us, to help us NOT to sin. Sometimes His tests can be very difficult. And so, this is another way we can understand Christ’s admonition to us regarding our prayer to the Father. For instance, in the Jewish New Testament, by David H. Stern, it is written: ‘And do not lead us into hard testing…’ This is also an accurate translation in the context, and here is why:

“The New Testament Greek word for ‘temptation’ (‘peirasmos’), and the Greek word for ‘to tempt’ (‘peirazo’), can also mean, ‘trial’ and ‘to test.’ The same is true for the Hebrew words in the Old Testament, ‘massah’ and ‘nasah,’ which can mean ‘temptation’ and ‘tempt,’ or, ‘trial’ and ‘test.’ The context of the passage dictates the correct usage, and in most cases, the correct rendering is very clear.

“As we will see, we should want God to test us so that we grow stronger in a spiritual sense, so that we will become approved in His eyes. We know, however, that we can ask the Father not to make it too hard for us, as Christ indicated in the outline prayer. Jeremiah once prayed: ‘O LORD, correct me, but with justice; Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing’ (Jeremiah 10:24). So did David (Psalm 6:1; Psalm 38:1).

“In addition, especially insofar as end-time Christians are concerned, they should also pray, ‘… do not subject us to the final test’ (Matthew 6:13; New American Bible). This refers to the Great Tribulation—’the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth’ (Revelation 3:10). Christ says that those who follow Him diligently will be able to escape that hour of final test (same verse).”

Everyone who has ever lived will have had tests and trials at one time or another, and true Christians are not exempt in any way.   In fact, we read in Acts 14:22 that Paul was “…strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.’”

It is interesting to read about God’s promise and intent in 1 Corinthians 1:8: “… who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

In this verse, stating that God is confirming us to the end, it means that we will make it with His help.   Paul’s expression in Philippians 1:6, under godly inspiration, was very similar, stating that he was “confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…”

God hasn’t called us to fail and He will do everything He can to see that we succeed. He doesn’t give us anything that we can’t overcome because He is there assisting us, and maybe at times pushing us past our human limits but not beyond our total limit which includes His marvellous and wonderful help.

The overall message and understanding is that God is always faithful to His chosen ones, and with every trial that we encounter, He will offer us the strength needed in such circumstances.   And that is why we need to be and stay close to God, through daily prayer and study, where He sees our commitment to Him, and He will grant us His supernatural help whenever we need it.

So, it is biblically incorrect to say that God will never give us more than we can handle, if we just focus on our human strength. In fact, based on our human strength, we cannot do anything, and we cannot handle any trial which God gives us or allows to test us.

On the other hand, it is biblically correct to say that God will never give us more than we can handle when we focus on God’s help, who will sustain us to succeed. God knows how severe a trial He can allow, as He knows us better than we do, and He knows that with His help, we can succeed.

Prolific Christian writer, Charles R Swindoll, in his book on Abraham, pages 258-259, makes these observations:

“A test usually makes us feel vulnerable.   We get weak.   We begin to panic.   We try to find safety in the familiar.   We avoid taking risks.   But tests of faith call for boldness.   You may have heard it said that ‘God never gives us more than we can handle’.  That’s absolutely wrong!   He frequently challenges us to trust Him more by giving us far more than we can handle on our own.  He wants us to turn to Him in desperation and ask for His assistance.   He’s always willing to help, but he wants us to recognise our need and to want Him.”

When the apostle Paul writes that God won’t test us beyond what we are able to bear, he means not beyond what we are able to bear with God’s help. We are not independent of God when this happens; God makes up the difference between our own capacity and that which we need to handle the situation in hand. It is also important to note again the second part of Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 10:13, which says: “…but with the temptation [He] will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

Sometimes, we need a way out of trouble, and God must show us that way; otherwise, we might indeed be unable to bear the trial.

We said earlier that Paul’s statement that “no temptation” has overtaken us which is uncommon to man, and that God will not allow us “to be tempted” beyond what we are able to bear (as He will provide us with His help), should be rendered with “severe trial” or to be tested.” This is certainly true, as God does not tempt us to sin. On the other hand, God does at times ALLOW Satan to tempt us, and we should be mindful of this fact and ask God not to “lead us into temptation”—that is, not to allow Satan to bring severe temptations upon us. As we should ask God not to test us too severely, so we should also ask God not to allow Satan to tempt us too severely.  But even when those trials and temptations come, which we could not master on our own, we can rely on God who is there to help us so that we can bear (or escape) all of them.

We should note that God’s Spirit LED Christ into the wilderness after His baptism TO BE TEMPTED by Satan (Matthew 4:1) for forty days and forty nights. But God the Father was with Christ the entire time to give Him the power and strength, as well as the wisdom, to reject and overcome Satan’s temptations.

And so, we need God’s assistance at all times and then, with His help, we can truly say that we can handle anything that is thrown at us as we head towards the Kingdom of God.  The good news is that God will give us all the help we need in every situation we face even if by our own normal human standards, such testing is beyond our human capabilities to handle.   And that is the key.  And God gets the glory!

It is not God’s Will that we should fail and He will help us to overcome the testing and trials and temptations that may come our way so that we may have everlasting life in His soon-coming Kingdom!

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

Compiled by Norbert Link

“No Peace for Israel” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

What did Jesus say about the fate of Jerusalem, and what does the Bible prophesy for the end time? In this program, we will show you many indications that Jerusalem’s desolation is near, and that Israel will never enjoy peace and friendship with Arab nations; instead, the exact opposite is prophesied.

“Kein Friede für Israel” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers the same topics as described above.

Norbert Link’s sermonette has been posted, titled, “Israel to Take Over Al-Aqsa?—Comments on News and Prophecy, August 8, 2026.” 

 Here is a summary:

Some reports point out that Russia is preparing an impending attack on NATO. We also quote from an insightful article dealing with July 20, 1944—the assassination attempt on Hitler—and the duty of soldiers to refuse unlawful orders. We report on Trump’s renewed efforts to fight birthright citizenship; and we warn of the mostly unrealized dangers of AI. We address America’s desperate attempts to have Iran open the Strait of Hormuz; and speak of an alleged imminent threat of an Israeli takeover of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Kalon Mitchell’s sermon has been posted, titled, “The Weight of God’s Glory.”  

Here is a summary:

This message explores what the Bible actually means by “the glory of God,” tracing the shift from kavod (weight, substance) in the Old Testament to doxa (glory made visible) in the New Testament. It considers how a person’s life gets tested over time, the way a foundation and building materials are tested by storm and fire. It closes by contrasting those who took credit for what God did with those who redirected glory back to Him.

A new Bible Stories video has been posted, titled, “Moses’ Calling.” 

Norbert Link’s German sermon for this week has been posted. It is titled, “Warten auf Gott.” (Title in English: “Waiting for God.”) 

Manuel Giermann’s sermonette from last Sabbath was posted. It was titled, “Was ist Gottes leises Säuseln?“  (“What Is God’s Quiet Whisper?”).