On September 27, 2025, Frank Bruno will present the sermonette, titled, “The Case for Loyalty,” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “Something Greater.”

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.

The Day of Atonement will be observed, October 2, 2025. Live services will be broadcast at the same time as Sabbath Services.

Eric Rank will present the Offertory and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “Elements of the Day of Atonement.”

Please note: This will be the last Update until October 24, 2025, due to our observing the Day of Atonement; the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day.

Back in 1973, the United States had been reeling from the shocks of the Vietnam War, the ever-threatening Cold War with the Soviet Union, the Watergate scandal, and the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Any of these factors alone could destabilize a nation and spark panic and economic uncertainty for decades to come. We know that when nations and world markets suffer, private business interests and world banks react. From 1973 through 1975, world markets suffered from an oil crisis, energy shortages, and high unemployment. While these headwinds resulted in political changes in U.S. leadership in 1976, business people, former government ministers, and members of security services in Japan, the US, and Western Europe had already formed an alliance, a Trilateral Commission, under the guidance of the rich and powerful David Rockefeller to affect change.

The inspiration for our messages can vary. Recently I was watching a lighthearted police comedy/drama from the mid-1970’s. In one episode, the detectives brought in a person who was agitated about a meeting of the Trilateral Commission in NYC. The mention of the Commission brought me back to my teen years and my new awareness of world politics. The members and their work were opaque at the time, as intended—powerful people working behind the scenes, yet hidden in plain sight, and they are not alone.

The stated goal of the Commission since its founding in 1973 has been to foster international cooperation between Japan, Western Europe, and North America. Further, the Commission is purportedly committed to so-called common values, rule of law and democratic principles. The Commission represents the commercial and political interests of what we now refer to as the elites in business and government. In 2021, the Commission had over 400 representatives from the member nations, and this includes academia, business, national security, medicine, and other disciplines. Members have included U.S. Congressional representatives, National Security Advisors, Media, and even the late financier, Jeffrey Epstein.

The Commission has a bold, three-arrow circular logo that one could imagine adorning the collar of a uniform—a one-world government uniform, so to speak. The concept of common democracy and economic prosperity might not, on the surface, seem problematic; however, we know that God does not wish His people to focus in this way. We only need to turn to the beginning of our Bible in Genesis 11, verses 1-9, to see that the earliest people became focused on creating a coordinated government and language, and, they were intent on building a great tower to the heavens—in essence to compete with God:

“Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, ‘Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.’ They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.’ But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. The LORD said, ‘If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. ‘Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.’ So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel—because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth” (New International Version throughout).

God knew that the people’s desire to grow and unite in language and power was evilly inspired. He therefore took swift action to change the plans of the people at that time, and He scattered the people and their languages so that evil collaborations were halted.

“We know that the prophet, Daniel, was granted the ability from God to foresee similar events long into the future that he shared with the king of Babylon. What Daniel saw in his dreams was a future, powerfully evil, one-world government that is detailed in Daniel 7:23: “He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it.’”

We see time and again in Scripture that God is warning us to be aware of flawed and corrupt leaders, in all fields, not just government, who use their authority for self-aggrandizement and control over the people. This is certainly not a new theme for our Church. This is what our Evangelist, Norbert Link, is doing with his messages and StandingWatch programs; however, we all must be awakened to these things.

The Prophet Jeremiah, however, initially reluctant to be a messenger of God, provided important words to live by in Jeremiah 17, verse 5: “This is what the LORD says: ‘Cursed is the one who trusts in, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.’”

As those called by God the Father to faith and Truth, we know how this story of Creation and mankind’s existence on earth progresses and is fulfilled by the return of Jesus Christ. We see the horror in Revelation 13:15 that shows us a global government and religious structure that we can have no part in and that means to destroy or subjugate all life. Then, and, in God’s good time, we have in Revelation 19:15-16the fulfillment of God’s plan for His people in the return of Jesus Christ and His Millennial rule: “Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.” The Trilateral Commission, or any national or hidden power will be no more.

“Consider this final Scripture inRevelation 22:3-5:“No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.” I am elated at the thought of the rulership of God and our Savior, Jesus Christ, and the ultimate force of goodness and life prevailing over such depravity. Vengeance is not ours to deliver, but, if we do our work and remain faithful, we can see the end of all evil and be a part of God’s plan. These worldly entities will attempt to convince all that they are the answer, or conversely, frighten people into submission. Either way, obedience to the Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ, is the only antidote to such poison.

by Norbert Link

We are reporting on the controversial decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel and the resulting backlash, with many from all directions alleging suppression of free speech and ulterior monetary motives.

We continue with Putin’s deliberate attacks on Poland, Romania and Lithuania with the obvious goal to test NATO in order to determine how far he can go. An insightful article paints a picture of where all of this might lead. We also report on Trump’s speech to the UN and his changed position in the Russia-Ukraine war.

We speak on America’s ongoing destruction of vessels in the Caribbean and killing the people on board, allegedly transporting drugs; and fears that America might attack Venezuelan territory.

We report on the controversy regarding Tylenol and imposing an annual $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications; Trump’s threats against nonprofit organizations; and the ongoing fight between California and ICE, as well as another demonically inspired sniper attack on migrants at an ICE facility in Texas.

We conclude with further recognitions of Palestine as a state, while Hamas makes a despicable announcement.

Please note our new message, “Worldwide Attacks and Persecution—Comments on News and Prophecy, September 20, 2025.” 

Please also note our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Our War-Torn World—Will It Ever Change?”

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

America’s Comedians Blast ABC 

The Hollywood Reporter wrote on September 19: 

“Conan O’Brien Says Jimmy Kimmel Suspension ‘Should Disturb Everyone’: ‘It’s Wrong.’… ‘The suspension of [Jimmy Kimmel] and the promise to silence other Late Night hosts for criticizing the administration should disturb everyone on the Right, Left, and Center,’ he wrote on X. ‘It’s wrong and anyone with a conscience knows it’s wrong.’ 

“The former Late Night and Tonight Show host is one of many late night TV hosts who have voiced their disapproval on the indefinite suspension of Kimmel’s show… Stephen Colbert defended Kimmel, notably after his own The Late Show was recently canceled by CBS…. Jimmy Fallon also backed his fellow late night host, and said he ‘hope[s] he comes back’ on air.  

“Jimmy Kimmel Live! was ‘pre-empted indefinitely’ by ABC on Wednesday shortly after Nexstar released a statement noting they would not air the planned episode and would preempt the long-running talk show for the foreseeable future. The backlash stemmed from Kimmel’s remarks about the alleged shooter of Charlie Kirk. His comments were as follows: ‘We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.’ 

“Following Kimmel’s remarks, Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr went on a podcast on Wednesday where he publicly condemned Kimmel’s comments and urged affiliates should ‘push back’ on ABC… A source told The Hollywood Reporter Kimmel was prepared to address the backlash on Wednesday night’s canceled show. He planned to explain what he said and demonstrate how it was taken out of context. The source added that Kimmel was not planning on apologizing. He felt that what he said did not need an apology. 

“Late night TV legend David Lettermann shared his thoughts on the matter earlier on Thursday… ‘You know, I just, I feel bad about this because we all see where this is going, correct? It’s managed media. And it’s no good. It’s silly. It’s ridiculous,’ he said. ‘And you can’t go around firing somebody because you’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian criminal administration in the Oval Office…’ 

“Current Late Night host Seth Meyers stressed the importance of free speech during his Thursday night episode and offered support for Kimmel… ‘I wake up every day and I count my blessings that I live in a country that at least purports to value freedom of speech, and we’re gonna keep doing our show the way we’ve always done it with enthusiasm and integrity.’’

Blasting Disney and FCC Chair Brendan Carr 

The German media outlet, Deutsche Welle, added on September 19: 

“The decision to suspend Kimmel came amid pressure from the FCC and ABC’s parent company, Disney. The suspension has ignited a firestorm among fellow late-night hosts — Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, and others — who are speaking out about what they see as an alarming threat to free speech in media…. 

“Colbert called the suspension ‘blatant censorship,’ criticizing ABC and Disney for yielding to external pressure rather than defending Kimmel. He especially zeroed in on the role of FCC Chair Brendan Carr, framing the suspension as symptomatic of growing media suppression.” 

Daily Mail wrote on September 19: 

“ABC parent company Disney decided to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! ‘indefinitely’ after Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr threatened action against the network over the host’s remarks [on Kirk’s murder]…” 

Germany and Great Britain are taking note of this development, as well. 

Ted Cruz Blasts Brendan Carr—Trump Disagrees 

CNN wrote on September 19: 

“GOP Sen. Ted Cruz on Friday denounced Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr’s threats to pull ABC’s broadcast license as ‘unbelievably dangerous’ and compared some of his rhetoric to ‘mafioso’ tactics… ‘If the government gets in the business of saying, “We don’t like what you, the media, have said. We’re going to ban you from the airwaves if you don’t say what we like,” that will end up bad for conservatives.’ 

“Though Carr’s comments have drawn widespread condemnation on the left, Cruz’s remarks represent one of the strongest denunciations of the threats against broadcasters by an elected conservative. Cruz also chairs the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which has broad authority over the FCC… 

“President Donald Trump has also vaguely threatened to pull network’s licenses if they air overwhelmingly negative coverage of him, though Cruz did not rebut the president’s remarks directly on the podcast. Trump offered praise for Carr when pressed on the scathing remarks from the Texas Republican. ‘I think Brendan Carr is a great American patriot. So I disagree with Ted Cruz on that,’ he said.” 

But Cruz is not the only Republican politician disagreeing with Trump. Note the next article: 

NBC News wrote on September 21: 

“Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said that Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr’s comments threatening to take action against Disney’s ABC last week were ‘absolutely inappropriate.’…” 

Jay Leno and Eisner Speak Out 

Daily Mail added on September 19: 

“Late-night legend Jay Leno has weighed in on the abrupt suspension of Jimmy Kimmel… ‘I’m on Jimmy Kimmel’s side on that one,’ he told reporters on Thursday, adding that he’s ‘for free speech.’… The veteran host added that ‘you don’t get cancelled saying popular things.’ ‘Usually it’s the truth that winds up getting [you] cancelled, so we’ll see what happens,’ he said.  

“Leno was blunt when addressing critics who praised Kimmel’s suspension. ‘It’s a comedian talking. If you don’t like it, don’t watch it… Let the people decide,’ he said…” 

Deadline wrote on September 19: 

“The ‘suspending indefinitely’ of Jimmy Kimmel immediately after the Chairman of the FCC’s aggressive yet hollow threatening of the Disney Company is yet another example of out-of-control intimidation,’ the 1984-2005 Disney boss [Michael Eisner] wrote Friday in a rare X post… 

“Declaring that he ‘finds Jimmy Kimmel very talented and funny,’ [Eisner] bluntly asked today: ‘Where has all the leadership gone?’” 

Some Humorous Comments and Actions 

The New York Post wrote on September 19: 

“HBO host Bill Maher said Friday that Jimmy Kimmel was ‘wrong’ to suggest that Charlie Kirk’s suspected assassin was a MAGA Republican — but slammed his former network ABC for taking the comedian off the air… Maher noted that Kimmel’s show was pulled ‘24 years to the day’ that his own controversial remarks – about the 9/11 hijackers –  ‘got me canceled from that network.’ 

‘And Jimmy Kimmel took my slot!’ he said. ‘I got canceled before cancel even had a culture,’ Maher joked, before taking a shot at his former network. ‘ABC stands for Always Be Caving,’ he quipped… 

“Maher’s take on Kimmel came the day after his fellow late-night hosts supported their embattled peer Kimmel… Jon Stewart made a rare Thursday-night appearance on ‘The Daily Show,’ speaking in front of a gold-inspired backdrop wearing a dark suit and red tie, both nods to Trump’s preferred attire and decor. ‘From Comedy Central. It’s the all-new government-approved ‘Daily Show’ with your patriotically obedient host, Jon Stewart,’ an announcer began the show.” 

Humorous, but they also paint a pathetic picture. 

Shameful… Media Companies Buckle 

The Guardian wrote on September 19: 

“The move [to suspend Kimmel] ‘marks a dark new level of capitulation and censorship of speech more redolent of autocracies than democracies’, according to PEN America, the free-expression advocacy organization. The Trump administration’s bullying appalls first amendment champions. Just as bad is the way so much of big media has rolled over like a docile lapdog, eager to obey in advance. The administration ‘is becoming increasingly brazen in its abuse of government power to silence its critics’, said Jameel Jaffer, who heads the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, adding that ‘too many of the powerful institutions that could stand up to this thuggery are capitulating instead’… 

“Each instance of bullying emboldens Trump and his allies, and each instance of capitulation lays the groundwork for more cowardice. Just a few months ago, it seemed shocking when ABC News settled a suit brought by Trump over on-air remarks made by star anchor George Stephanopoulos. Most first amendment experts believed that the network could have successfully defended the case, but instead ABC buckled, even including an apology with the financial settlement. Not long afterwards, an even more defensible suit against CBS News over the routine editing of a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris went a similar route. 

“Parent company Paramount Global settled the case. Soon after Stephen Colbert criticized that settlement, calling it a bribe, his CBS late-night show was cancelled. The media has been cozying up to Trump in earnest since last fall, often with the owners’ commercial interests all too obvious. Paramount Global, for example, was eager for federal approval of a huge merger with another media giant. 

“… too many media companies are bending the knee – and then cowering as Trump grows ever bolder. What good is the first amendment when so many in power don’t seem to know it exists?” 

As the media did under Biden, so now they are doing it under Trump. 

Kimmel Is Back 

The Huffington Post wrote on September 22: 

“Disney announced Monday that it’s bringing ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ back on the air Tuesday… 

“Critics slammed Disney and its CEO Bob Iger for suspending the show after Brendan Carr, President Donald Trump’s chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, threatened to punish the company with regulatory action over Kimmel’s comments. Earlier Monday, more than 400 celebrities, including Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, signed a letter calling the suspension a ‘dark moment for freedom of speech.’ [The letter was also signed, among many others, by Billy Crystal, Ron Howard, Ben Stiller, Michael Keaton and Kevin Beacon]. A handful of other celebrities have called on people to cancel their subscriptions to Disney’s platforms [including Howard Stern] or vowed not to work with the company again. 

“Sinclair which owns multiple ABC affiliates and control what broadcasts on them, released a statement saying it would continue to preempt Kimmel’s show despite Disney lifting the suspension. It will air news during that time slot instead but left the door open to Kimmel’s return.” 

This was apparently a bridge too far for Disney. In August, Sinclair said it was reviewing its business and considering “acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and business combinations,” which would require approval from the FCC. 

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 23: 

“In his first show since the suspension, Jimmy Kimmel said he never meant to make light of Kirk’s murder… Kimmel criticized the ABC affiliates that took his show off the air. ‘That’s not legal. That’s not American. It’s un-American,’ he said. 

“‘This show is not important,’ Kimmel said, adding, ‘what is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.’” 

Trump Keeps On Threatening 

Mediaite wrote on September 24: 

“Minutes before Kimmel was set to return, Trump posted a rant threatening ABC on Truth Social, writing: 

‘”Something happened between then and now because his audience is GONE, and his ‘talent’ was never there. Why would they want someone back who does so poorly, who’s not funny, and who puts the Network in jeopardy by playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE. He is yet another arm of the DNC [Democratic National Committee] and, to the best of my knowledge, that would be a major Illegal Campaign Contribution. I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative. A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings.’” 

Deadline wrote on September 23: 

“Saurav Ghosh, director of federal campaign finance reform at the Campaign Legal Center, said… ‘The decision to put Jimmy Kimmel back on the air is in no way an illegal campaign contribution,’ he said. ‘…There is no indication the decision is being driven by anything other than a commercial decision. That is not even close to a campaign contribution.’” 

The Daily Mail commented on September 23 regarding Trump’s threats: 

“If Trump isn’t careful, he will end up no better than Biden! This dirty revenge tour must cease… before everyone loses…” 

America at a Dangerous Crossroads 

BBC wrote on September 17: 

“Within days of Kirk’s death, the country’s political camps had already retreated to opposing narratives. Many on the left are eager to explore the ways that Kirk’s killer might have been radicalised by internet subcultures and group chats. Many on the right prefer to unpack whether the suspect was part of a left-wing conspiracy. Neither group seems particularly keen to prioritise reconciliation or healing… 

“As for the question of whether America can break the hold of the algorithms that stoke the divisions, that would take a leader of enormous strength with an equally enormous commitment to reconciliation… Usually only a president can facilitate that… Trump is not that type of president. He often seems at his strongest, politically, when he has an adversary to fight against… 

“The framing by the president – that this was not just the deed of a twisted individual but of the radical left more broadly – is being echoed by other White House officials. ‘With God as my witness, we are going to use every resource we have… to identify, disrupt, dismantle and destroy these networks,’ said Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff… 

“However, a number of studies into politically-motivated killings and violence in the US – over several decades – suggest that more cases were carried out by people with ‘right-wing’ ideologies than with ‘left-wing’ ones, though more data is likely necessary to draw a firm conclusion… 

“Yes, American history is full of anger and conflict — but I’m not sure this country’s social and political systems were always so quick to reward the companies and people who stoke those emotions. Meanwhile the United States will get weaker, not greater… America’s adversaries certainly know how much its divisions damage this superpower. They work hard online to drive people further apart. And Americans make it easy for them.” 

America is deeply divided. And there are not even attempts from either side to bring about reconciliation. 

Google to Reinstate Banned YouTube Accounts 

Fox News reported on September 23: 

“Google vowed on Tuesday to offer YouTube accounts that were permanently banned for political speech the ability to be reinstated, and the big tech giant admitted that it once faced pressure from the Biden administration to remove content about COVID-19… and elections integrity policies… 

“Google’s revelations came in response to a yearslong Republican-led investigation by the committee into big tech companies, including Google, that censored and suppressed content on their platforms related to COVID-19, the 2020 election and Hunter Biden.” 

We knew it and experienced it all along… 

Trump Addresses the UN 

The Sun wrote on September 23: 

“The US president returned to the 80th UN General Assembly for the first time in five years – and shocked everyone with his fiery words. Trump touted America’s role in bringing peace to seven conflicts since taking over the White House. He touched on one of his favourite topics in politics – immigration, telling assembly members it’s time to end the ‘failed experiment of open borders’. He said: ‘It’s uncontrolled, your countries are being ruined.’… 

“The jaw-dropping summit saw him calling global warming as an illegitimate idea, slamming climate change as the ‘greatest con job ever perpetrated in the world.’ He complained about renewable energy, calling it useless and warning that it was leading Europe to the ‘brink of destruction’… 

“Meanwhile, Trump slammed the UN for ‘not helping me stop the conflicts.’ He said: ‘It’s too bad that I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them. And, sadly, in all cases, the United Nations did not even try to help in any of them… ‘All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that on the way up, stopped right in the middle. And then the teleprompter didn’t work, these are the two things I got from the United Nations.’ 

“Trump warned in his fiery speech about the nuclear threat the world faces, and said ‘there is no more serious danger to our planet today.’ He asked Nato’s European members to stop buying Russian oil and prevent funding Russia’s war machine against Ukraine.” 

Some of Trump’s comments were well-taken.

Russia’s Further Attacks 

The Sun wrote on September 19:

“NATO forces were scrambled to intercept three Russian jets flying over Estonia as the Baltic nation triggered an emergency meeting. [Three jets] brazenly entered the country’s airspace today in a major escalation by Moscow… without clearance…

“Shortly afterwards, Polish authorities reported a ‘low flyover’ of Russian military planes near an oil and gas platform… While in Estonian airspace, the jets circled in the sky [for nearly 12 minutes] as though waiting for a response… NATO allies scrambled Italian F-35s to repel the Russian jets.

“Security expert Will Geddes told The Sun: ‘What we’re increasingly seeing is incursions into NATO country airspace, whether that be Poland, quite recently on September 10, with drones, whether it be Romania, or now Estonia. This is becoming increasingly concerning, as NATO has a joint agreement in terms of protecting their airspace.’

“He added: ‘I think what it really comes down to is the fact that Russia is testing NATO countries, and testing their aerial defence measures.’… It comes as hopes of a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine look ever distant… Speaking in Istanbul, the former spy boss [Sir Richard Moore] said: ‘I have seen absolutely no evidence that President Putin has any interest in a negotiated peace short of Ukrainian capitulation.’” 

Politico wrote on September 19: 

“Romania has also faced repeated violations, including a drone tracked for nearly 50 minutes in its airspace in mid-September. Fragments from earlier Russian attacks in Ukraine have repeatedly landed on Romanian territory… 

“NATO allies have historically exercised restraint in such situations. The last time a member state shot down a Russian fighter was in 2015, when Turkey downed a Su-24 near the Syria-Turkey border, sparking a sharp diplomatic confrontation with Moscow but no wider conflict. Since then, despite repeated airspace violations over the Baltics, Poland and Romania, the alliance has refrained from similar moves.”

Deutsche Welle reported on September 20: 

“Germany’s air force on Sunday sent two Eurofighters to follow a Russian IL-20m military aircraft that had entered neutral airspace over the Baltic Sea, before handing the escort over to NATO partners in Sweden.” 

It is clear that Russia is testing NATO. None of it is accidental. 

Trump Switches Position on Russia-Ukraine War – For Now!

The Sun wrote on September 24: 

“Yvette Cooper (Foreign Secretary) slammed Moscow or its ‘provocative and reckless violations’ into Nato airspace in recent weeks during a speech to the UN… [adding] ‘we will be ready to act.’ 

“Meanwhile, on Tuesday evening,  Boris Johnson urged Britain to put troops into Ukraine now — with or without a ceasefire… he blasted Germany for not giving Kyiv its Taurus stealth cruise missiles. And he attacked the Labour government for buying Russian uranium… 

“It comes after Trump told Nato countries to ‘shoot down’ invading Russian aircraft saying member states ‘shouldn’t hesitate’ in the face of incursions. When asked if Washington would back them militarily, he was non-committal. ‘That depends on the circumstance,’ Trump said…. 

“The president doubled down in a Truth Social post – calling Moscow a ‘paper tiger’ and backing Ukraine to reclaim its land… ‘in its original form and, who knows, maybe even go further than that!’… 

“He also admitted his relationship with the Russian leader ‘didn’t mean anything’… 

“Trump has repeatedly argued that Ukraine would likely have to cede some land to end the war… Responding to Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia was a bear, not a tiger, and ‘there is no such thing as a paper bear’…” 

How It All Could Develop 

The Sun wrote on September 19: 

“Sir Richard [a former NATO commander]  outlined that it would all start with a massive power outage across Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, which would plunge the city into chaos… ‘A wave of looting and civil unrest breaks out, wholly unexpected in law-abiding Lithuania.’ Power cuts would also be reported across Latvia and Estonia, the former army commander predicted. And within hours, [the] Lithuanian President… would announce that martial law had been imposed in the capital in the wake of rioting and violence. 

“The very next day, in the wake of the growing chaos, Vladimir Putin would announce that troops in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad are being placed on full alert and moved to the border with Lithuania… According to Sir Richard, Putin would say that ‘Russian-speaking residents in Vilnius are being targeted by nationalist mobs and that Moscow will not abandon them.’ And within two hours, he will claim that Russian forces in Kaliningrad have come under fire from ‘warmongering Lithuanian rebels’ – forcing him to take control of the Suwalki Gap… 

“The 60-mile strip Suwalki Gap is wedged between Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.  It has massive strategic importance for NATO and the EU – as well as Russia – if conflict were to erupt. For the West, it is the only land link to the three ex-Soviet Baltic republics – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. [Seizing the gap would essentially cut off the Baltic States of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia from their Nato allies] … For Russia, control of the corridor would give a land link to Kaliningrad, the main base of Putin’s Baltic Fleet… 

“‘Nato chief Mark Rutte has spoken briefly to US defence secretary Pete Hegseth, whose response was: ‘Article 5? Sure, in theory, but what does that mean in reality? You’re seriously asking POTUS [the President of the United States] to declare war on Russia because of some low-flying planes? Get real!’ The military expert predicts that Poland would warn Russia to stay out of its airspace, but it will fall short of launching any direct retaliation. 

“And soon, the Lithuanian army posted at the border will come under fire from the Russian army, before Russian tanks start to roll into Vilnius. And since Russia now controls the Suwalki corridor, Nato will fail to send support logistics to the Baltic countries to help defend against Russia. With Europe engaged with yet another Putin invasion, Sir Richard predicted that China in the East would launch an attack on Taiwan… The military expert said that even though Trump will threaten to slap China with ‘the motherload of all sanctions’, he will fall short of supporting the island with necessary military aid… 

“‘China has seized the prize it long desired. Russia has guaranteed the eventual conquest of Ukraine and begun to reclaim the Baltic states. Nato has disintegrated. Europe is preparing a new alliance with the Far East. And Britain is exposed as a tiny island no better able to defend itself than Taiwan.’… 

“While Putin’s war in Ukraine rages on with no end in sight, The Sun investigated the hidden signs that show Putin is planning to invade the Suwalki Gap… Speaking on Battled Plans Exposed of Putin’s telltale signs, Colonel Philip Ingram says: ‘We’re seeing increased Russian military presence in Kaliningrad and Belarus, we’re seeing snap military drills and unusual troop movements… The military analyst also explains that any potential threats to the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, need to be compared to the moments leading up to the invasion of Ukraine… Anything resembling the massive military buildup on the border of Ukraine just before the war in 2022 would need to be interpreted as a serious warning sign, he explains.” 

In this regard, the next article is quite revealing. 

“Trump Blocks $400 Million Military Aid Package to Taiwan” 

The Telegraph wrote on September 19: 

“[The] US was due to provide munitions and autonomous drones that would have been ‘more lethal’ than any sent previously… Donald Trump has blocked a military aid package to Taiwan worth more than $400m ahead of a potential summit with Xi Jinping…” 

America’s Further Attacks 

BBC wrote on September 19: 

“President Donald Trump has said US forces carried out a ‘lethal kinetic strike’ on a vessel which he said was trafficking drugs, and the attack killed three ‘male narcoterrorists’ on board. Trump said he ordered the attack on the boat, which was in the US Southern Command’s area of responsibility, after US intelligence confirmed it was trafficking drugs. It was the third such strike on alleged drug boats in recent weeks. 

“Trump’s statement on Truth Social on Friday said the strike happened in international waters. The US Southern Command’s area of responsibility covers most of South America and the Caribbean. Two previous strikes have killed a total of 14 people on boats allegedly from Venezuela… 

“Trump’s post on Friday evening mirrored previous announcements of such strikes. It featured a video showing the boat travelling on a body of water, and seconds later it explodes and bursts into flames.” 

How is something like this justifiable? 

“Incalculable” Price to Pay? 

AFP wrote on September 20: 

“US President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened Venezuela with ‘incalculable’ consequences if it refuses to take back migrants it has ‘forced into the United States,’ as tensions soar with Caracas. ‘We want Venezuela to immediately accept all of the prisoners, and people from mental institutions… Get them the hell out of our country, right now…’ 

“Venezuela on Friday accused the United States of waging an ‘undeclared war’ in the Caribbean and called for a UN probe of American strikes that have killed over a dozen alleged drug traffickers on boats in recent weeks. Washington has also deployed warships to international waters off Venezuela’s coast, backed by F-35 fighters sent to Puerto Rico in what it calls an anti-drug operation. The biggest US naval deployment in the Caribbean in decades has stoked fears the United States is planning to attack Venezuelan territory. 

“The strikes have prompted debate over the legality of the killings, with drug trafficking itself not a capital offense under US law. Nor has Washington provided specific details to back up its claims that the boats targeted had actually been trafficking drugs.”

Tylenol and Autism

The Sun wrote on September 22: 

“Donald Trump has claimed that taking Tylenol during pregnancy increases the risk of autism… He advised pregnant women to only take Tylenol… in the case of high fevers… 

‘”Taking Tylenol is not good,’ he said… Trump also demanded no mercury or aluminum in vaccines.”

Trump also said not to give Tylenol to your child, and that there is no downside to not taking it, except for high fever (compare NPR, dated September 23). Pharma of course rejected those comments. 

Tylenol’s Historic Tweet

The Daily Mail wrote on September 25:

“Tylenol has come under fresh scrutiny after a 2017 post resurfaced in which the brand appeared to warn pregnant women against using its products. The tweet, now being widely shared, stated: ‘We actually don’t recommend taking any of our products while pregnant.’…

“When the Daily Mail approached Kenvue, which manufactures Tylenol, it issued the following statement: ‘This eight-year-old consumer response is incomplete and did not address our full guidance on the safe use of Tylenol.’ A spokesman added that paracetamol and acetaminophen remain the safest painkiller options for pregnant women — but stressed that any over-the-counter medicine should only be taken after consulting a doctor.

“Current Tylenol packaging advises: ‘If pregnant or breast-feeding, ask a health professional before use.’… Paracetamol packets in the UK carry almost identical warnings: ‘Talk to your doctor before taking these tablets if you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant or plan to get pregnant. If necessary, paracetamol can be used during pregnancy. You should use the lowest possible dose that reduces your pain and/or your fever and use it for the shortest time possible.’”

Massive Vaccines for Babies? 

Express wrote on September 22: 

“… the president remarked:… ‘children get these massive vaccines like you’d give to a horse… for a little baby to be injected with that much fluid, even beyond the actual ingredients, they have sometimes 80 different vaccines in them. It’s crazy… you have a little body, a little baby, and you’re pumping this big thing. It’s a horrible thing…’” 

This is indeed horrible and crazy conduct. 

Annual $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas 

The Guardian wrote on September 19: 

“Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Friday that would impose an annual $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications, dealing a potentially major blow to the US tech industry, which relies heavily on workers from India and China. The US commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, said at a Friday press briefing that ‘all the big companies’ had been briefed on the new fee… ‘If you’re going to train somebody, you’re going to train one of the recent graduates from one of the great universities across our land. Train Americans. Stop bringing in people to take our jobs,’ he said. 

“Trump’s threat to crack down on H-1B visas has become a major flashpoint with the tech industry, which contributed millions of dollars to his presidential campaign. The tech industry relies, more than any other sector of the US economy, on H-1B visa holders. Roughly two-thirds of jobs secured through the H-1B program are computer-related, government figures show, but employers also use the visa to bring in engineers, educators and healthcare workers… Supporters, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk,  say it brings in highly skilled workers essential to filling talent gaps and keeping firms competitive. Musk, himself a naturalized US citizen born in South Africa, once held an H-1B visa. 

“Adding new fees ‘creates disincentive to attract the world’s smartest talent to the US’, Deedy Das, partner at venture capital firm Menlo Ventures, wrote on X. ‘If the US ceases to attract the best talent, it drastically reduces its ability to innovate and grow the economy.’… 

“Immigration experts are questioning whether the executive branch has the authority to impose the exorbitant annual fee. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, said… ‘the president has literally zero legal authority to impose a $100,000 fee on visas… The only authority Congress has ever given the executive branch here is to charge fees to recover the cost of processing the application.’” 

TechCrunch added on September 19, 2025: 

“Trump hits H-1B visas with $100,000 fee, targeting the program that launched Elon Musk and Instagram… 

“Silicon Valley will undoubtedly be up in arms over the initiative. The restrictions take aim at a program that helped create some of the region’s biggest success stories. Elon Musk… initially worked in the U.S. on an H-1B after arriving as a student. In fact, Musk, taking issue with a perceived critic of the H-1B program in December on his platform X, tweeted to the individual that, ‘The reason I’m in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B. Take a big step back… I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend.’” 

Another move to destroy the American economy? 

Trump Threatens Non-Profits 

The Guardian wrote on September 20: 

“Immigrant advocacy organizations and activists are bracing for a crackdown from the federal government following threats from the Trump administration to root out and criminally prosecute non-profit groups it believes are sympathetic to ‘leftwing’ politics. Donald Trump and his closest allies have periodically threatened immigrant rights activists and nonprofits, including those that distribute food and water to migrants or provide immigrants with legal services, with arrest. But their rhetoric has been heightened in the days following the killing of rightwing activist Charlie Kirk this month. 

“Over the last week, JD Vance described civil rights groups as a ‘domestic terror movement’, while Stephen Miller, a top Trump aide and the architect of the US president’s mass deportation agenda, vowed that the administration would hold nonprofits, including immigrant-rights and police-reform organizations, ‘criminally liable’ for what he baselessly described as ‘coordinated attacks’ on Ice agents… The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), meanwhile, has expanded its definition of ‘threats’ to include the filming Ice operations…” 

So, nobody is allowed to give food and water to hungry and thirsty migrants? God has a lot to say about such ungodly prohibitions. 

False Statistics? 

The New York Post wrote on September 19: 

“President Trump’s ‘border czar’ Tom Homan [claimed] that ‘70% of everybody arrested is a criminal.’ He said the other 30% of migrants arrested and slated for deportation include ‘thousands of national security threats’ who don’t have criminal histories and were ‘laying low to do their dirty deed down the road,’ as well as gang members that have evaded law enforcement.” 

These comments are totally contradicted by many reports on the Internet, which state: “A large number of people arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did not have criminal convictions, with data from early 2025 showing that approximately 65% of individuals booked into ICE detention had no criminal record. More than 93% of ICE book-ins were never convicted of any violent offenses. Most convictions [53%] that do occur are for minor offenses, such as traffic or immigration violations.” 

California Opposes ICE 

The New York Post wrote on September 20: 

“Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a series of bills on Saturday banning masking statewide [for federal law enforcement agents], as part of a concentrated effort to bar Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from concealing their identities during raids. The five bills Newsom signed into law Saturday ‘make California the first state in the nation to prohibit federal law enforcement officers, including ICE, from hiding their identities [‘except when absolutely necessary’] according to a press release from his office… 

“Newsom’s office did not say how they would enforce such a rule against a federal agency, though they did talk at length about how much they oppose ICE’s recent actions… 

“The new law will require notification to families when immigration enforcement intends on visiting a school. Emergency rooms and other nonpublic areas within hospitals are off limits to immigration enforcement ‘without a judicial warrant or court order, and it clarifies that immigration information collected by a health care provider is protected as medical information.’” 

The key question is indeed: How WILL or even CAN California enforce these new rules? It will inevitably lead to further confrontations between the state of California and the federal government. 

Sniper Attack on Migrants 

The Daily Mail wrote on September 24: 

“A sniper killed [one migrant and wounded two] in a shooting at a Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, then shot himself dead, police say. The bloodbath unfolded… when the gunman targeted migrants on an unmarked transport van.  ICE said… that the sniper ‘fired indiscriminately’ before later shooting himself… The victims were ICE detainees, and no law enforcement were injured in the shooting…

“Officials said at a press conference on Wednesday morning that bullets found by the shooter’s body were engraved with ‘anti-ICE messages.’ … Although the sniper appeared to target migrants in ICE custody, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote on X that the shooting represented an attack on ICE and law enforcement…” 

If this demonically inspired attack was indeed an attack on ICE, and not on migrants, as JD Vance claimed, then this was a terribly bad sniper. Something very hard to believe. The violence in this country reaches unparalleled proportions. 

Stephen Miller a Nazi?

Breitbart wrote on September 25:

“California Governor Gavin Newsom launched an antisemitic attack on White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller this week, referring to Miller, who is Jewish, by the Nazi acronym ‘SS,’ in a social media post…

“Referring to a Jew as a Nazi is widely considered a form of Holocaust denial, as well as antisemitic…”

We have never heard before that referring to a Jew as a Nazi is “widely considered a form of Holocaust denial, as well as antisemitic.” This would be a rather strange association, if true. It would also be highly concocted to make this association because someone calling someone else a Nazi most surely is not trying to emphasize that the other person is Jewish.

AfD on Top 

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 20: 

“If federal elections were held in Germany today, the far-right populist… AfD would emerge as the largest party, according to an opinion poll released on Sunday… which put the anti-immigration party up one percentage point at 26%, overtaking the ruling conservative CDU/CSU bloc which remained unchanged at 25%. The center-left… SPD, the junior partner in the current coalition government, would increase their share of the vote by one percentage point to 15%, according to the poll, while the Green Party and far-left Left Party would both be on 11%. The left-wing populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) and the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP) would both fall short of the minimum 5% threshold required to enter parliament at 4% and 3% respectively. 

“The AfD, which has been officially classified as a ‘confirmed right-wing extremist endeavor’ by Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz or BfV), won 20.8% of the vote in February’s federal elections. Despite being the second-largest party in parliament, the other parties refused to enter into a coalition with the AfD.” 

The AfD will not go away, and sooner or later, parties desirous to rule will be forced to enter into a coalition with it. 

UK, Canada, Australia and Portugal Recognize Palestine as a State 

Breitbart wrote on September 21: 

“The United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia announced on Sunday they now recognize Palestine as a state, despite accusations that it would be rewarding the Islamist Hamas terrorists behind the October 7th terror attacks on Israel. One day before the beginning of the Rosh Hashanah Jewish New Year celebrations, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced that the UK would recognize Palestine statehood. The move pre-empted plans from France to back the measure this week at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York. 

“Starmer’s telegraphed announcement was preempted by fellow G7 nation Australia and Canada, both of which announced Sunday they would also recognize the territory as a state shortly before Starmer’s statement. 

“Starmer initially laid out plans to officially recognize Palestine in July on a conditional basis, demanding that Hamas — the Islamist terror group behind the October 7th terror attacks on Israel in 2023, which saw over 1,200 murdered and around 250 hostages taken — disarm, release the hostages, and agree to give up control of Gaza. Despite these conditions not being met, Starmer said on Sunday, ‘In the face of the growing horror in the Middle East, we are acting to keep alive the possibility of peace and of a two-state solution.’… 

“Turning to Israel, the PM accused Jerusalem of conducting a ‘relentless and increasing bombardment of Gaza,’ adding: ‘The starvation and devastation are utterly intolerable. Tens of thousands have been killed, including thousands as they tried to collect food and water. This death and destruction horrifies all of us. It must end.’ For its part, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in response: ‘Recognition is nothing but a reward for jihadist Hamas – emboldened by its Muslim Brotherhood affiliated in the UK. Hamas leaders themselves openly admit: this recognition is a direct outcome, the “fruit” for the October 7 massacre…’ 

“Palestine lacks the fundamental aspects of statehood, such as clearly defined borders or a firm constitution and has not held meaningful elections in nearly two decades. Meanwhile, it continues to be a major sponsor of terrorism against its neighbour and top trading partner, Israel. The move to recognise Palestine as a state will put Canberra, Ottawa, and London at odds with both Israel and the United States, with the Trump administration stressing its opposition to Palestinian statehood as it would be ‘rewarding Hamas’ for the October 7th terror attacks on Israel… 

“Nigel Farage, whose Reform UK party has led in the polls throughout the year, said per The Telegraph: ‘Hamas and a Palestinian state are inseparable for now. This is typical of Starmer, he can’t really decide where he stands… this announcement is a surrender to terrorism and a betrayal of Israel.’… 

“According to a survey released on Saturday from JL Partners, 87 per cent of the public opposes the move [to recognize Palestine] without any conditions on Hamas. Additionally, 51 per cent said that they would oppose it while Hamas remains in power in Gaza, and 52 per cent said they believe the action would be rewarding the terrorists.” 

The shortsightedness of these politicians is mind-boggling. France recognized Palestine on Monday in the UN General Assembly, as did  Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, and Monaco. Germany, Italy and Japan did not recognize such a state. Note the next article. 

“Hamas Releases ‘Parting Image’ of 48 Remaining Captives, Vowing That Israel Will Never See Them Again” 

The New York Post wrote on September 20: 

“Hamas ominously released what it called a “parting image” Saturday of the remaining 48 Israelis being held captive in Gaza, as the Jewish state’s ground troops prepare to close in on Gaza City… Gaza City, the largest city in the Palestinian enclave, is considered Hamas’ last remaining stronghold… 

“The terror group, in anticipation of IDF forces encircling the critical city, issued its strongest warning yet Thursday, saying the military takeover of Gaza City meant Israel had lost any chance of having the hostages returned — dead or alive.” 

Hamas is a murderous lying terrorist organization. To try to strike any deals with them is patently stupid.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:

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

The word, millennium, derives from the Latin mille, meaning thousand. “M” in Roman numerals represents the number 1,000. Over time, “the Millennium” has become a reference to the thousand years mentioned in Revelation 20, verses 2-7. The term “millennium” is not actually found in the Bible. We will use millennium in this Q&A as a parallel designation to the thousand years, as appears below in Revelation 20:2-7:

“(2) He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 

“(3) and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.

“(4) And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

“(5) But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

“(6) Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

“(7) Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison…”

Verses 2, 3 and 7 reveal that in the future and for one-thousand years, Satan will be restrained from ruling or influencing the earth; verses 4, 5, and 6 describe those who will be in the first resurrection and given eternal life in God’s Kingdom.

The beginning of the millennial reign of Jesus with His elect (those in the first resurrection) is a major focus point of biblical prophecy. Jesus clearly spoke of this end-time event:

“‘Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other’” (Matthew 24:29-31).

The Apostle Paul wrote of those who would be in the first resurrection when Jesus returns.

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19).

He added the following:

“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.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” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17).

Again, referencing events surrounding the sounding of the trumpet which heralds the first resurrection, Paul writes:

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:50-53).

Jesus Christ will return with great power and majesty at the sounding of the seventh trumpet (Revelation 11:15). He will come to Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:4), and those of the first resurrection, called saints, will be with Him (Zechariah 14:5; Jude 14). The Prophet Daniel also wrote of this:

“‘“Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him”’” (Daniel 7:27).

Jesus Christ, along with His elect, will begin the Millennium by stopping those who are destroying the earth (Revelation 11:18). Jesus warned about catastrophic events which would occur just before His return.

“‘For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened’” (Mathew 24:21-22).

Note this prophetic role of Jesus:

“Thus says the LORD: ‘In an acceptable time I have heard You, And in the day of salvation I have helped You; I will preserve You and give You As a covenant to the people, To restore the earth, To cause them to inherit the desolate heritages’” (Isaiah 49:8).

The Millennium will become a time of restoration and rebuilding; of returning the captive people of Israel to their inheritance; a time of world peace through the government of God. Note this marvelous promise from God:

“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD’S house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:2-4).

Jerusalem, troubled and fought over as it is today, will become the world capital during the Millennium when Jesus Christ returns to this world and establishes the Kingdom of God:

“‘Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,’ says the LORD. ^‘Many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. And the LORD will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem’” (Zechariah 2:10-12).

The following prophecy speaks of Jesus Christ’s rule as the Millennium begins with the establishment of the Kingdom of God:

“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

“And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be— ‘The LORD is one,’ And His name one” (Zechariah 14:9). And in the last part of Isaiah 11:9, this is said of the millennial rule of God’s government: “…For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.”

There are other places in the Bible that describe the Millennium, and one of those can be found in God’s Holy Day observances. One example is the Feast of Tabernacles. Here is what God has commanded:

“‘You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress. And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant and the Levite, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, who are within your gates. Seven days you shall keep a sacred feast to the LORD your God in the place which the LORD chooses, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice’” (Deuteronomy 16:13-15).

Also, in Leviticus 23, further instructions are given for observing the Feast of Tabernacles:

“‘“You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God”’” (Leviticus 23:42-43).

While this observance portrays events which have already occurred, it also points to a future time. Israel was led out of Egypt to then enter the land of Canaan—the region in the Middle East that God promised to Abraham and his descendants. This promise is described as “My rest” by God in Psalm 95:11; Hebrews 3:11; 4:3 and 4:5.

In Hebrews, Paul explains that the rest of God is His Kingdom by showing that it is something we can enter in the future:

“Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it” (Hebrews 4:1).

“Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience” (Hebrews 4:11).

Paul also shows that the weekly Sabbath is representative of the Millennium in reference to the rest of God:

“For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: ‘And God rested on the seventh day from all His works’; and again in this place: ‘They shall not enter My rest.’

Since therefore it remains that some [must not in original] enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, again He designates a certain day, saying in David, ‘Today,’ after such a long time, as it has been said: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.’For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a [Sabbath] rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His” (Hebrews 4:4-10).

True Christians anticipate the Millennium as the time when they will enter the Kingdom of God. Christians are “firstfruits” (James 1:18) of salvation. The Bible has many detailed references about what the Millennium will be like, and for those who faithfully observe God’s Holy Days, a deeper understanding will come.

The Church of the Eternal God and its affiliates have provided many Q&As, booklets, sermonettes and sermons which more fully explain topics such as the Millennium, the Sabbath and the Holy Days of God. These can be found on our websites—all of which can be referenced through www.eternalgod.org

Lead Writer: Dave Harris

compiled by Dave Harris

“Our War-Torn World—Will It Ever Change?” is the title of our newest StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

This world is preparing for war. Mandatory military service for European women; European nuclear weapons against Israel; Russia’s invasion of NATO airspace; Zapad drills and Eastern Sentry operations; Trump’s “change of heart” and a scenario how war between Russia and NATO could break out, while forsaken Taiwan is being occupied by China. And still, God prophecies for us a bright and peaceful future.

“Unsere vom Krieg zerrissene Welt—wird es jemals anders?” is the title of our newest AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers the same topics as described above.

“AI—Angel of Light or Prince of Darkness?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

Should you be concerned about AI? Do you know how your child deals with it? Why are ministers of religion naïve—to put it mildly—when they support religious smartphone apps as a “critical tool for those trying to find God.” But whom may they find? Are you aware how chatbots work—and why they could clearly be very dangerous?

“KI—Engel des Lichts oder Fürst der Finsternis?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers the same topics as described above.”

Our short video, “The Fall and Rise of the Jewish People,” (1 minute, 20 seconds long), has by now received over 505,000 views. 

“Gott IST… unsere Bestimmung!” the German translation of our English booklet, “God Is… Our Destiny,” has been forwarded for printing.

“Satan der Teufel,” last Sabbath’s first German split sermon presented by Tahir Coban, is now posted. Title in English: “Satan the Devil.”

“Der Geist der Wahrheit oder der Geist der Lüge – wem dienen Sie?” last Sabbath’s second split German sermon presented by Mike Richter, is now posted. Title in English: “The Spirit of Truth or the Spirit of Lies – Whom Do You Serve?”

“Lauter wie Silber,” the Feast of Trumpets Offertory in Germany presented by Robert Indlekofer, is now posted. Title in English: “Pure as Silver.”

“Von Weisen und Toren,” the Feast of Trumpets sermon presented in Germany by Mario Danisch, is now posted. Title in English: “Of Wise Men and Fools.”

“Worldwide Attacks and Persecution—Comments on News and Prophecy, September 20, 2025,” last Sabbath’s first message presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

In this program: Mandatory military service for women; nuclear weapons against Israel; Russia’s attack on Poland, Romania and Lithuania; America’s attack on vessels in the Caribbean; Britain’s embarrassing humiliation; annual $100,000.00 fees for H-1B Visas; the government’s threats against nonprofits; and the controversial “indefinite” suspension of Jimmy Kimmel.

“The Illusion of Control,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is the summary:

We often live under the illusion of control, convinced that we can direct our lives by our own will, yet Scripture shows this pursuit always ends in loss, frustration, and even destruction. From Adam and Eve to Job, Esau, and Paul, the Bible reveals that true peace and maturity come not through grasping for control but through surrendering to God’s will. The greatest freedom we can ever know is found not in self-rule, but in faithfully, humbly following the Father’s lead.

“I Do Not Bring Peace,” the Feast of Trumpets Offertory presented by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted.

“Will YOU Hear the Trumpets?” the Feast of Trumpets sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

What does the Bible say about the seven last trumpets, which are directly related to the annual Feast of Trumpets? Who will hear them? Will YOU hear them, if you are alive by the time when they are blown, whoever and wherever you are? Do the Bible and history give us any hint as how to answer this question?

2025 FALL HOLY DAYS:

October 2            Day of Atonement

October 7-13     Feast of Tabernacles

October 14         Last Great Day

On September 20, 2025, Norbert Link will present, “Comments on News and Prophecy, September 20, 2025,” and Kalon Mitchell will present the sermon, titled, “The Illusion of Control.”

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.

Feast of Trumpets will be observed, Tuesday, September 23, 2025. Live services will be broadcast at the same time as Sabbath Services.

Kalon Mitchell will present the Offertory, titled, “I Do Not Bring Peace,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon.

One would have to be living under a rock not to have seen the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Live on national TV, the man was murdered by someone with a rifle. Charlie Kirk was a polarizing person because he was willing to debate anyone on what he believed to be right. 

As this was happening, Joe Rogan, a well-known podcaster, was doing a podcast and his guest commented that this assassination could serve as a tipping point just as other assassinations in history have caused some serious issues to happen, so for example the Rodney King video that caused massive riots or the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which triggered a series of declarations of war due to complex alliances and underlying tensions which ended up causing the start of World War One, etc. 

A few days before this, there was another killing where a young Ukrainian woman was stabbed on a train in New York, and she sat there for a few minutes dying, and no one stepped in to help or confront her attacker. 

If we were to monitor the news from all over the world, the number of deaths is extraordinary and it grows day by day. 

I have been watching a lot of podcasters and YouTubers and reading articles and talking to people, and the general consensus I am getting is that people are tired of what has been going on over the last few years. There is a rift growing within the United States. The problem is that people want to fight. Left and Right are hating one another. 

On top of this, there are wars going on: Israel and its fight for Gaza. Ukraine and its war with Russia. This is the state of the world that we live in at this time. 

It should be clear that we are experiencing the days that Christ spoke about, which would occur before the start of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:12; Luke 21:9). These are not just random tragedies, but they are evidence that the world is unraveling, and Christ told us this would happen. 

We must be vigilant and aware that we are not caught up in these same worldly mindsets and attitudes. Violence is not just the act of murder or war. Christ expanded the definition in Matthew 5:22: “…whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment…” The increase in hostility, division, and rage, even in speech and attitude, shows how violence grows first in people’s hearts before it spills out into the world. 

We are called for a different purpose. We are standing up for the Truth. This may cause serious violence for us. Most of the early apostles ended up being martyrs. Seeing a man shot on TV for being brave enough to speak his mind made me stop and evaluate who I am and what I believe and it is making me confront some fears. Christ minced no words about this. He said in John 15:18: “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.” He added in Matthew 10:28:  “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.”

We cannot live in fear and panic, and we cannot consider retaliation. Rather, we have to live in faith. We continue to speak the Truth even though we realize what it will cost. We refuse to turn to the right or to the left. We are the ambassadors for the light, for peace, for a Way of Life that is foreign and unknown to the masses. 

From the first murder (Cain killing Abel) to where we are now, the world thinks that violence can end violence. This lie is sold over and over again. James 4:1-2 makes it so abundantly clear that this is so far from the Truth: “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.”

In a few short weeks, we will be keeping the Feast of Tabernacles! One of the highlights of the Feast is the revelation that we are going to have peace. These wars and violent acts will be a thing of the past. There is a promise of peace, real peace under Christ’s rule in the Kingdom of God. Isaiah 2:4 tells us: “…They shall beat their swords into plowshares…” We as Christians must not be overcome by the violence around us, but rather, we should live as witnesses of Christ’s peace in a divided and violent world. Part of our commission is to live and act in this way; the other part of it is to preach the Gospel to all the world. 

We will continue to preach this and we will continue to grow in Faith in doing this. 

In stark contrast to this current world, let us cling to the promise of what is before us, which is described in Isaiah 9:6-7: “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

by Norbert Link

We begin with disturbing news from Denmark and continue with a pitiful decision by the European Court of Human Rights refusing to condemn Covid restrictions (please view in this regard our new StandingWatch program, “When Will Governments Be Held Accountable For Their Corona Measures?”).

We speak on Spain’s suggestion to use nuclear weapons against Israel; the “political persecution” of Brazil’s former President; and the recent school shooting in Colorado and the murder of Charlie Kirk. We also publish a disturbing analysis of prior and current political assassinations in America.

We point out Russia’s attack on Poland and NATO’s “response”; escalations between the USA and Venezuela; Trump’s visit to the UK: and we conclude with an article showing financial consequences if the US Supreme Court were to determine that many of Trump’s tariffs are illegal, as well as a shocking article about AI.

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

Mandatory Military Service for Women 

Tovima wrote on September 12: 

“For the first time in its history, Denmark has introduced mandatory military service for women, becoming the third European country to do so after Norway (2015) and Sweden (2017). The move, announced in July, places 18-year-old Danish women into the same draft lottery as their male peers, ending a system where female participation had been voluntary. The law also extends service from four to eleven months, with the first conscripted women expected to begin in January 2026… 

“Ukraine, despite being at war, does not mandate female service, though 68,000 women now serve voluntarily—up 40% since Russia’s 2022 invasion. 

“… In the U.S., 200,000 women—14% of the military—serve on a voluntary basis, including in combat roles since 1993… 

“Israel remains the longest-standing example: women have served compulsory terms since 1949, though for two years compared with men’s three.” 

It is interesting that three European countries, descendants of the ancient House of Israel, as well as the state of Israel (descendant of Judah), would have mandatory military service for women.

“European Court Rejects Religious Freedom Case Over Covid Worship Bans” 

Christian Today wrote on September 10: 

“The European Court of Human Rights has dismissed a complaint brought by former EU special envoy Jan Figel challenging Slovakia’s bans on communal worship during the pandemic. The Strasbourg-based court ruled the case inadmissible, saying it was not clear how Figel was personally affected by the restrictions and that he could not therefore be regarded as a victim under the European Convention on Human Rights. 

“Figel, who served as the European Commission’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, said he was surprised by the ruling after submitting detailed arguments on the personal impact of the worship ban in July 2023. ‘Religious freedom is among the most vital and central human rights,’ said Figel in response to the ruling. ‘I am deeply saddened by the Court’s decision not to rule on the merits of this case and recognise that the government overstepped the European Convention by banning collective worship repeatedly.’

“Figel, the former Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief outside the EU, brought the case in response to Slovakia’s Covid-19 restrictions during the pandemic, which included a total ban on religious services. He said he intended not only to defend his own rights but also to highlight wider concerns about freedom of religion in Europe. ‘As Special Envoy, I saw firsthand how fragile freedom is. I believe the EU cannot credibly promote religious freedom abroad if we fail to uphold it at home,’ he said. ‘This case was about ensuring that worship does not become a dispensable right in times of crisis.’” 

An utterly wrong decision, mirroring many of the cases brought by President Trump pertaining to the alleged rigged 2020 election, where courts chose, by and large, to dismiss them based on jurisdictional or procedural matters, without ever reaching the merits of the complaints. The Supreme Court has, until now, done the same thing, by refusing, for instance, to adjudicate the issue of birthright citizenship. 

Nuclear Weapons Against Israel? 

Israel 365 News wrote on September 12: 

“Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez ignited a political firestorm after suggesting that he would like to stop Israel’s military campaign in Gaza but cannot, as it lacks nuclear weapons… These remarks were immediately interpreted by many as a veiled threat toward the State of Israel, suggesting that the Spanish leader might consider the use of nuclear weapons—if Spain had them—as a means to intervene in the conflict… 

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded forcefully on Thursday, calling Sánchez’s comments ‘a blatant genocidal threat to the world’s only Jewish State… Apparently, the Spanish Inquisition, the expulsion of the Jews of Spain and the systematic mass murder of Jews in the Holocaust is not enough for Sánchez.’ 

“The rhetoric drew further rebuke from Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who… blasted Sánchez’s administration for what he called a ‘hostile, anti-Israel line, marked by wild, hate-filled rhetoric,’ and said the prime minister was using inflammatory language to ‘divert attention from grave corruption scandals.’ 

“The fallout inside Spain was just as intense. Santiago Abascal, the leader of the far-right Vox party, slammed Sánchez, saying: ‘Sánchez would like to have nuclear weapons… but not to defend Spain. To defend Hamas… Cornered tyrants always end up going mad.’ Carlos Díaz-Pache, a spokesman for the center-right Popular Party, expressed disbelief: ‘A nuclear bomb on Tel Aviv? Is that what he intends to do?’ He accused Sánchez of ‘aligning himself with Hamas terrorism with a repugnant antisemitic statement.’… 

“Sánchez’s comments mark a dramatic escalation in tensions between Spain and Israel—a relationship that has long been marked by political ambivalence and historical baggage. It wasn’t until 1986 that Spain formally established diplomatic ties with Israel, making it one of the last Western European nations to do so. For decades, Spain’s foreign policy had leaned toward courting the Arab world, particularly during the Franco era and its aftermath… 

“In response to the deteriorating situation, Spain has recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv for consultations. In return, Israel has banned two Spanish ministers from entering the country.” 

It can be easily seen what will happen when a unified Europe has access to nuclear weapons… something which will occur according to biblical prophecy. 

Ground Operation in Gaza City Has Begun

Reuters wrote on September 16: 

“Israel announced the start of its long-awaited ground operation into Gaza City on Tuesday, declaring ‘Gaza is burning’. An Israeli military official said the Israeli Defence Forces had begun the main stage of their ground operation into Gaza City, the main urban centre in the enclave, where Israel has ordered hundreds of thousands of residents to flee. The military gave few initial details but said its troops had begun ‘dismantling Hamas terrorist infrastructure in Gaza City’…. 

“U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who visited on Monday, offered apparent backing for the Israeli government’s decision to abandon ceasefire talks and use force to smash Hamas. While the United States wished to see a diplomatic end to the war, “we have to be prepared for the possibility that’s not going to happen”, Rubio said. He endorsed the Israeli demand that Hamas surrender its weapons and free all remaining hostages at once, as the only way to end the war… 

“Much of Gaza City was already laid to waste in the early weeks of the war in 2023, but around 1 million Palestinians had returned there to homes among the ruins. Forcing them out means nearly the entire population of Gaza will now be confined to encampments along the coast further south… An Israeli security official briefing reporters on Monday said around 320,000 people were estimated to have left Gaza City so far, while some 650,000 are thought to remain.” 

Former President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, Convicted of Failed “Coup Attempt” 

Breitbart wrote on September 12: 

“Brazil’s Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF) on Thursday convicted conservative former President Jair Bolsonaro and sentenced him to 27 years and 3 months prison for his alleged role in a ‘failed coup attempt,’ marking the first time that a former president of Brazil is convicted for ‘crimes against democracy.’ Bolsonaro, and six other individuals… were found guilty of ‘attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, coup d’état, participation in an armed criminal organization, aggravated damage, and deterioration of listed heritage sites.’… 

“According to the STF, Bolsonaro allegedly conspired with a broader group of over 30 individuals to stage a ‘coup’ and overturn the results of the controversial 2022 presidential election. Bolsonaro, at the time the incumbent president, narrowly lost against current radical leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is now serving his third term…. In addition to the prison sentence, Bolsonaro, 70, will reportedly receive a new eight-year ban from public office at the end of his 27-year sentence… 

“U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the sentencing in a social media post. ‘The political persecutions by sanctioned human rights abuser Alexandre de Moraes continue, as he and others on Brazil’s supreme court have unjustly ruled to imprison former President Jair Bolsonaro,’ Sec. Rubio wrote. ‘The United States will respond accordingly to this witch hunt.’ The Brazilian government… responded to Sec. Rubio in a three-part social media post  claiming that Sec. Rubio’s ‘threats’ to attack Brazilian authorities ignore ‘the facts and compelling evidence in the case files, will not intimidate our democracy’… 

“In late July, President Donald Trump cited the political persecution of Bolsonaro in an executive order identifying Brazil as a national security threat to the United States, imposing a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian goods entering the U.S.” 

Brazil is currently led by the left-wing Workers’ Party under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a long-standing leftist figure. This really looks like a left-wing attempt to neutralize the former President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro. 

School Shooting in Colorado 

The Daily Mail wrote on September 12: 

“The Colorado school shooter (16) who opened fire ‘again and again’ on fellow high school students on Wednesday has been named and pictured by police… [He] died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after he fired at terrified children at Evergreen High School, close to Denver [in a quiet, leafy Denver suburb] during their lunch break just after noon. Two students were rushed to the hospital. Sheriff spokesperson Jacki Kelley said that one victim has been discharged while the other remains in a critical condition.  

‘We know that the suspect had a handgun,’ Kelley told a press conference on Thursday. ‘He had to keep reloading. He would fire and reload, fire and reload, fire and reload. This went on and on. As he did that, he tried to find new targets.’ 

“Kelley said the first shots were fired from inside the school grounds, but the chaos ‘spilled out into the street behind the school’ where the second victim was shot. A suspected motive has not been disclosed, but Kelley said Holly was ‘radicalized by some extremist network’.” 

It was reported that the shooter was fascinated with previous mass shootings and expressed neo-Nazi views online (compare The Independent, September 13). 

Another example of demonic influence, if not demonic possession. Like the killing of Charlie Kirk. Note the next articles. 

Charlie Kirk’s Murder Investigation 

The New York Post wrote on September 13: 

“Charlie Kirk’s alleged shooter Tyler Robinson was living with a transgender partner who was in the process of transitioning from a male to a female, a law enforcement source confirmed to The Post Saturday. [This fact was initially hidden by the FBI]. That individual… is now fully cooperating with the FBI on its investigation into the fatal shooting of the conservative activist, the source added… 

“Kirk, 31, was struck in the neck by a single bullet shortly after being posed a question on his ‘American Comeback’ college speaking tour about transgender mass shooters. ‘Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?’ asked attendee Hunter Kozak. ‘Too many,’ Kirk responded. ‘Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?’ Kozak followed up. ‘Counting or not counting gang violence?’ the Turning Point USA founder sought to clarify. 

“Kirk was shot immediately after and transported to a hospital where he underwent surgery. He was pronounced dead within a few hours.” 

Subsequently, Tyler Robinson was charged with aggravated murder, among many other charges. It was also reported by the New York Post that the alleged murderer, who had been raised as a Mormon, was “deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology,” while being “full of hate and spreading hate.” The Utah governor also added that “social media is a cancer on our society right now.” That is certainly true. 

Kirk’s Transformed Relationship With Israel 

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on September 12: 

“Charlie Kirk rejected an offer earlier this year from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to arrange a massive new infusion of Zionist money into his Turning Point USA (TPUSA) organization… as he began to publicly question Israel’s overwhelming influence in Washington and demanded more space to criticize it… [Reportedly,] Kirk strongly warned Trump last June against bombing Iran on Israel’s behalf… 

“This July… Kirk provided a forum for the right-wing grassroots to vent its fury about Israel’s political hammerlock on the Trump administration. There, speakers from former Fox News stalwarts Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly… branded Jeffrey Epstein as an Israeli intelligence asset… Kirk appeared visibly outraged during an August 6 interview with conservative host Megyn Kelly, as he discussed the menacing messages he was receiving from pro-Israel [supporters]… ‘I have less ability… to criticize the Israeli government than actual Israelis do. And that’s really, really weird.’… 

“In one of his final interviews, conducted with… Ben Shapiro, Kirk once again tried to raise the issue of censorship of Israel critics. ‘A friend said to me, interestingly: “Charlie, okay, we’ve pushed back against the media on COVID, on lockdowns, on Ukraine, on the border,’” Kirk told Shapiro on September 9. ‘Maybe we should also ask the question: is the media totally presenting the truth when it comes to Israel? Just a question!’… 

“There is currently no evidence of an Israeli government role in Kirk’s assassination. However, that has not stopped thousands of social media users from speculating that the pro-Trump operative’s shifting views on the issue contributed in some way to his death… The frenzied speculation has set off shockwaves in Tel Aviv, where Netanyahu felt compelled to explicitly deny that his government killed Kirk during a September 11 interview with NewsMax… During that interview, Netanyahu did his best to insinuate that Israel’s enemies were responsible for murdering Kirk…” 

Maybe the truth regarding Kirk’s assassination will never be known, as we still don’t know for sure, for example, who was really behind the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and of Robert F. Kennedy. But we can be reasonably certain that the “official” explanations are not believable (that Lee Harvey Oswald, who was subsequently killed, or Sirhan Sirhan, who is still in prison, were acting alone, if at all). See the next article. 

Political Assassinations in America… Then and Now… 

The Daily Mail wrote on September 14:

“College campuses in revolt. Raging debates over social issues and foreign wars. A bitter — near-existential — struggle between Left and Right, rich and poor, young and old, in a politically, culturally polarized country rocked by political assassination. 

“Sound familiar? Turn back the clock six decades… Then the conflict was the Vietnam War. Gays and women were demanding equal rights. The hippie generation, rejecting their parents’ norms over drugs, fashion and music, was subsumed by counterculture, especially at universities. And, tragically, America’s political and social leaders were being gunned down. 

“It’s not hard to see parallels with today [referring to America’s controversial wars or involvement, such as the Russia-Ukraine war; Israel’s war in Gaza, etc.] … The shocking assassination of conservative movement leader Charlie Kirk, 31, is yet another disturbing marker… 

“America is indeed entering an increasingly violent new era the 1960s provided a frightening precedent. President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas, Texas, in November 1963 is a defining moment in US history but it was only one of myriad political killings. Civil rights activist Medgar Evers was killed five months earlier, fatally shot by a fertilizer salesman and member of the segregationist White Citizens’ Council, as he exited his car outside his Mississippi home. 

“Revolutionary Malcolm X was gunned down two years later in New York City’s Washington Heights. Three members of the Nation of Islam were convicted for the murder (although two were later exonerated). 1968 was a particularly bleak year, claiming the lives of both minister and activist Martin Luther King Jr (shot on the balcony of his Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee) and Democratic presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy (at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles) within two months of each other… 

“[Now think] of Luigi Mangione whose alleged message was heard loud and clear when he gunned down United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson… Mangione perversely became an icon of sorts for many – hailed as some sort of ‘hero’ and heartthrob… In June, Democratic Minnesota state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot dead in their home in a ‘politically-motivated’ double killing in which the shooter was reportedly dressed as a police officer… President Trump, of course, survived two… assassination attempts last year… [Previously, Ronald Reagan survived an assassination attempt.] 

“Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Trump blamed ‘radical left political violence’ for [Kirk’s] killing without a suspect even being in custody. Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren was equally uncompromising, responding to requests to tone down the rhetoric by saying: ‘Why don’t you start with the President of the United States, right? And every ugly meme he has posted and every ugly word.’ 

“If there is a lesson to be learned about Kirk’s death it doesn’t seem to be getting through yet to all concerned.” 

As we have warned for a long time, it is very likely that civil war will break out in America. 

“Germany’s ‘Radical Left’ Media Faces U.S. Consequences After Charlie Kirk Smears” 

Breitbart wrote on September 16: 

“Charlie Kirk’s assassination has dominated headlines in Germany, but the coverage from state-funded broadcasters and prominent media personalities has been anything but neutral. Anchors and correspondents seized on the murder to push hostile portrayals of one of America’s most influential conservatives. Their remarks in the German media, including false accusations made on public television, have sparked outrage in Germany, triggered formal complaints, and are now drawing the attention of U.S. officials. 

“The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) ran the headline ‘A targeted shot into the heart of the MAGA world,’ [‘Ein gezielter Schuss ins Zentrum der MAGA-Welt’] with the
subhead: ‘Charlie Kirk dies after being shot on a university campus in Utah. He tried to win young people over to Trump and racist ideas.’ [‘Charlie Kirk stirbt, nachdem er auf einem Uni-Campus in Utah angeschossen worden ist. Er versuchte, junge Menschen für Trump und rassistische Ideen zu gewinnen.‘] 

“The Berlin daily Tagesspiegel went further, bluntly labelling Kirk’s death: ‘Tod eines Brandstifters’ – ‘Death of an arsonist.’ 

“Dunja Hayali, host of the state-funded ZDF Heute Journal, told her audience on Thursday [in effect]: ‘The fact that there are now groups celebrating his death cannot be justified by anything, not even his often abhorrent, racist, sexist, and misanthropic statements. But it seems that the radical religious conspiracy theorist struck a chord with precisely these views. Charlie Kirk not only had millions of followers on various platforms, his events were also extremely popular and well attended.’ 

“Later, on the broadcaster’s official podcast, without providing evidence, Hayali doubled down, labelling Kirk’s positions [in effect] ‘too radical, too racist, too misanthropic, misogynistic, and dehumanising.’ 

“That same evening, ZDF’s Washington correspondent Elmar Theveßen appeared on the primetime talk show Markus Lanz. Though he admitted he could not recall Kirk ever calling for violence, Theveßen painted him as a central driver of social division. Theveßen claimed Kirk [in effect] had said homosexuals ‘should be stoned to death,’ ‘women must submit to men,’ and that ‘black pilots should be feared.’… 

“After a sharp backlash, ZDF acknowledged to Junge Freiheit that Theveßen’s claim about Kirk advocating stoning homosexuals was misleading. In reality, Kirk had cited an Old Testament passage during a discussion in June 2024. The broadcaster conceded: ‘… Elmar Theveßen regrets not having been more detailed at that point.’ [‘an der Stelle nicht ausführlicher gewesen zu sein.’] 

“Independent German outlets and online commentators erupted in outrage at the coverage. Many argued that celebrating or trivialising the assassination of a U.S. political figure crossed a red line, regardless of political disagreements… Conservative commentators accused ZDF of ‘dancing on a grave,’ while even centrist accounts questioned why sweeping accusations of racism and sexism were made without evidence… 

“Criticism of ZDF has not only come from conservative outlets and social media users but also from inside Germany’s press establishment. Die Welt chief reporter Anna Schneider described the coverage as marked by ‘malice’ and ‘inhumanity,’ pointing in particular to young people on social media openly celebrating Kirk’s assassination… She sharply criticised ZDF for the way its reporting framed the killing… Schneider also condemned ZDF correspondent Theveßen for spreading false claims about Kirk… adding that she understood why many Germans were furious about being forced to fund public broadcasters through the GEZ fee while being served such distortions. 

“At the heart of the outrage is Germany’s GEZ broadcasting fee — a compulsory charge of about €18 per month, billed to every household. The fee finances the country’s public broadcasters, including ARD (a consortium of regional networks) and ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen, the second national channel). Germans must pay for it regardless of whether they ever watch state television or not… [This is] widely criticised as a mandatory tax underwriting bias and misinformation. 

“The controversy has spilt over into U.S. politics and may result in diplomatic consequences… Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau declared in a strongly worded statement on X, that foreigners who glorify violence and hatred in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination are ‘not welcome visitors’ in the United States… Former U.S. Ambassador to Germany under President Trump’s first administration, Richard Grenell, added his own criticism on X: ‘…I believe the majority of Germans are conservative, pro-family Westerners who believe in capitalism more than socialism. But the German media is radical Left. They don’t represent the majority of Germans… The media in Germany are ruining Germany. The people must reject their narratives and speak up. Now.’ 

“In a later post, Grenell went further, directly calling for Theveßen’s visa to be revoked. ‘This radical Lefty German keeps calling for violence against people he politically disagrees with. He poses as a journalist in Washington, DC. His visa should be revoked. There is no place in America for this type of inciter,’ Grenell wrote, sharing the footage of Theveßen likening Trump aide Stephen Miller’s convictions to the ‘ideology of the Third Reich.’”

Russia’s Attack on Poland—No Mistake! 

Reuters wrote on September 12: 

“Poland flatly rejected on Friday a suggestion by U.S. President Donald Trump that drone incursions into its airspace could have been a mistake, describing them as ‘a deliberate Russian attack’. 

“Poland, backed by aircraft from its NATO allies, shot down drones that had violated its airspace on Wednesday, the first time a member of the Western military alliance is known to have fired during Russia’s war in Ukraine… Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk responded on X: ‘We would also wish that the drone attack on Poland was a mistake. But it wasn’t. And we know it.’… For its leader so directly to contradict Trump in public is almost unheard of, and a sign of Europe’s alarm at the U.S. president’s willingness to give weight to Moscow’s account. 

“Polish Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk said: ‘I think this is a message that should reach President Trump today: there’s no question of a mistake – this was a deliberate Russian attack.’… 

“European leaders say it is the latest demonstration that Moscow has no interest in a peace deal in Ukraine, weeks after Trump hosted President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and withdrew a demand that Russia accept an immediate ceasefire…. Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Moscow to agree a ceasefire or face new sanctions, only to row back.” 

Newsweek wrote on September 10: 

“German defense minister Boris Pistorius [called] the path of the Russian drones deliberate. ‘These drones were quite obviously deliberately directed on this course—in order to fly into Ukraine,’ Pistorius told the Bundestag.” 

It does not appear that Russia, which even denied the entire incident and claimed that Ukraine did it, acted by mistake. 

Dangerous Escalation 

The Sun wrote on September 12: 

“POLAND has deployed 40,000 troops to its eastern front as Vladimir Putin launches his WW3 drills in Belarus… The Zapad drills — meaning ‘West’ in Russian — take place every four years and entail chilling mock military exercises… 

“In 2017, the drills involved creating fictional scenarios, which saw Russia capture Baltic states, bomb Germany and invade neutral countries… [At that time,] Nato officials warned the exercises were a ‘serious preparation for war’. And in 2021, the drills led to Belarus’s rearmament, with weapons later deployed in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

“In a powerful display of solidarity, several Nato members, including the UK, have sent reinforcements to Poland, including troops, artillery, and air defence systems… 

“The Polish site the [19] drones [entering Poland] are thought to have been targeting is providing military supplies to Ukraine, German newspaper Die Welt reported.” 

Tusk also said that the drone attack on Poland was taking his country to the ‘closest to conflict since WW2.’” Reuters added on September 13: “For many in Poland – which endured decades of Moscow’s domination under the Soviet Union – the fear of Russian hostility looms large.” 

The Abyss of World War III 

Metro wrote on September 13: 

“Putin deploys nuclear bombers in ‘WW3 war games’… New footage shows the supersonic long-range strategic bomber carrying out a strike on a simulated enemy… Troops will also drill the use of nuclear missiles from the West’s doorstep in Belarus… Poland closed its border with Belarus as the UN security council was warned of the dire risk of a new world war… 

“Ukraine’s permanent representative to the UN Andriy Melnyk warned that if Putin’s escalation is not halted ‘tomorrow it could be drones or even missiles falling on Berlin, Paris, or London’. ‘And the day after, who knows, something might even “accidentally” cross the Atlantic,’ he added. 

“‘Russia is not mocking this council. It is spitting in your face. We are staring into the abyss of a Third World War.’ 

“Putin highlighted his lack of interest in a settlement in the war with his spokesman signalling that peace negotiations with Ukraine were now on ‘pause’…” 

A war between Europe and Russia, China and their allies will break out with devastating consequences, but not quite yet. However, preparations for this prophesied terrible war are already in the works. 

NATO Prepares For “Defense” 

CNN wrote on September 12: 

“NATO has launched an initiative to reinforce the defense of Europe’s eastern flank after a Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace this week, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced on Friday. The ‘Eastern Sentry’ operation will commence in the coming days and will involve assets from Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and others… Rutte said that Russia’s ‘dangerous and unacceptable’ drone incursion on Wednesday was ‘not an isolated incident.’… 

“NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, US General Alexus Grynkewich [said:] ‘Although the immediacy of our focus is on Poland, this situation transcends the border of one nation. What affects one ally affects us all’… The operation will cover the entire eastern flank of NATO states.”

Other reports claimed that Russia’s drones also entered Romania’s airspace. 

Trump to Fight with Russia to Destroy Ukraine? 

Express wrote on September 13: 

“Russia urges Trump to ‘fight on Putin’s side and destroy Ukraine’… 

“Television presenter and propagandist Vladimir Solovyov went on a bizarre rant during his Full Contact radio show, where he claimed Ukraine was a ‘global evil’… He said: ‘America has to come over to the side of good, and together with us, like in World War II and the Great Patriotic War, destroy universal evil that has taken root within America itself, which is freely blooming in Europe.

“‘And one of these scary [heads] of Medusa is in Ukraine. That’s why we fight against [global] evil in Ukraine. That’s why we’re addressing all healthy, traditional, conservative forces in the world. If you want to defeat global evil, you have to stand shoulder to shoulder with us.’” 

Zelensky stated that it is Putin’s goal to occupy ALL of Ukraine. This appears very likely. We know from biblical prophecy that ultimately, Russia and Ukraine will be part of a huge Far Eastern power bloc which will be hostile to the West. 

Trump Strikes Again 

The Daily Mail wrote on September 15: 

“Less than 24 hours after warning he might strike again, President Donald Trump followed through — launching a fresh military assault on a vessel in the Caribbean he claimed was carrying Venezuelan drug traffickers. Trump writing on Truth Social said that three ‘narcoterrorists’ from Venezuela were killed this morning… The president emphasized in his post that the ‘narcoterrorists’ were operating in international waters while transporting illegal drugs bound for the United States. He went on to describe the trafficked narcotics as a ‘deadly weapon’ responsible for poisoning American citizens. He labeled the cartels involved as ‘extremely violent’ threats to U.S. national security… 

“This follows the initial attack in early September, when the president said 11 people were killed in a targeted strike by U.S. Navy forces on another boat that drug traffickers reportedly used… This move raised questions surrounding whether the administration had violated international law. 

“A source familiar with the operation told Daily Mail that the U.S. ‘did not even know if there were drugs on the boat’ — contradicting official statements. The strike was designed to ‘illicit a response from Maduro and provoke him’ to ‘show his true colors,’ but he didn’t take the bait. The Trump administration has yet to offer proof the targeted vessel was carrying drugs.” 

Getting Away With Murder? 

The Future of Freedom Foundation published on September 15 the following article by professor, attorney and Libertarian Party’s three-time presidential candidate [in 2000, 2020 and 2024] Jacob G. Hornberger: 

“The U.S. Code provides that a murder of a foreigner by an American citizen on the high seas is a federal criminal offense. The pertinent sections are 18 U.S.C. Section 1111 (Murder) and 18 U.S.C. Section 7 (Special Maritime and Territorial Jurisdiction of the United States). The U.S. Constitution provides that the president shall be removed from office on impeachment and conviction of ‘high crimes.’ It goes without saying that murder is a ‘high crime.’…

“Why shouldn’t President Trump be both criminally prosecuted and removed from office through impeachment for murdering those 11 Venezuelan citizens on the high seas? Indeed, why shouldn’t the military personnel who loyally followed his orders also be prosecuted and convicted of murder?… 

“Trump claims that the 11 people were using a boat to transport drugs to the United States in violation of U.S. drug laws. Even if Trump’s claim is valid though, he still has no legal authority to kill drug-war suspects, including both American citizens and foreign citizens. Deadly force can only be used in self-defense against the use of deadly force or the threat of deadly force. In other words, if a U.S. vessel had approached that Venezuela boat and those 11 people had begun firing guns at the U.S. vessel, the U.S. vessel could have responded with deadly force… 

“There is no evidence whatsoever that those 11 people on that boat ever employed deadly force or threatened the use of deadly force against U.S. vessels. Certainly neither Trump nor any military officials have made that claim… 

“Are we really now living in a country where the president of the United States and his loyal military henchmen who promised to support and defend the Constitution can get away with murder? Apparently so.” 

What If Trump’s Tariffs Are Held to Be Illegal? 

Business Insider wrote on September 13: 

“The US could be on the hook for between $750 billion $1 trillion, if the Supreme Court overturns the president’s tariffs. Legal experts told Business Insider that this figure shouldn’t factor into the Supreme Court’s decision on whether the tariffs are legal, which they see as a matter concerning the Constitution. 

“… the Supreme Court granted the administration’s petition to hear and expedite the case… William Reinsch, the Scholl Chair in International Business at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Business Insider he expects the Supreme Court to make a final decision before the end of the year. ‘My experience with the Supreme Court is that when it comes to an economic issue, they don’t always break along typical ideological lines,’ said Reinch… ‘I don’t think it’ll be unanimous… But I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that this is the first big case where they go against the president.’ 

“Multiple lawsuits… have… challenged the legality of these tariffs, arguing that the power to set duties belongs to Congress and cannot be delegated to the President at will. The Court of International Trade and a federal appeals court have ruled the tariffs illegal but they remain in place after a lower court blocked an injunction to halt them.

“Will Planert, a partner in international trade practice at Morris, Manning & Martin LLP, told Business Insider:… ‘[The Court ruled against] Biden’s attempt to modify the student loan program… Those justices have been very skeptical of the idea that Congress can confer very broad economic powers on the president or the federal agencies… If the tariffs are illegal, then they are illegal irrespective of fiscal impact… In that case, the government would have collected a very large amount of money that it’s not entitled to, which would be all the more reason to have it returned.’ 

“The federal government has had to issue refunds in the past because of Supreme Court decisions. In 1998, the Supreme Court ruled the Harbor Maintenance Tax on exports to be unconstitutional, and that resulted in refunds of over $1 billion to affected exporters. Robert Shapiro, chair of international trade practice at Thompson Coburn LLP, told Business Insider that a company would usually have to file a protest for every entry to receive money from customs, but that may be tough on customs when it comes to handling almost every shipment that has entered the country since April… 

“‘It may eventually be up to the Board of International Trade to decide how to do the refunds… Since many companies were explicit that they had to raise prices due to tariffs, customers may want their money back, too, if importers are getting theirs.’”

What a mess. Even though the Supreme Court should not consider the underlying economic consequences, it is clear that they will look at those. And “the end of the year” is still a long way off. 

King Trump in Britain 

DNYUZ wrote on September 17:

“The United Kingdom shamelessly prostrated itself at the feet of Donald Trump on Wednesday, throwing a lavish welcoming party for his state visit to Windsor that resembled less diplomacy and more fealty. No foreign leader has ever been greeted with the degree of ceremonial extravagance, as Britain rolled out a show of pomp unmatched since the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II…

“Trump demands spectacle, and Britain provides it. He wants to be king, and, for a day, Britain is letting him. In doing so, the U.K. has revealed something deeply unflattering about itself—in the scramble to keep America close, it will debase itself and its values completely.

“It will… flatter the ego of a man who has spent much of his political life suggesting he should be treated like… a monarch… As stage props go, the monarchy is unbeatable. But if this is what the ‘special relationship’ between the U.S and the U.K. now means, it looks to many in Britain less like a partnership and more like groveling, feudal servitude.

“Nothing about the welcome was subtle… The choreography spoke volumes. Every cannon, every plume, every flashing braid, every polished boot timed to inflate and flatter Trump’s sense of himself.

Then came the pageantry proper… It was a grotesque parody of a coronation parade…

“… this was theatre that revealed far more than a sovereign nation should about its craven need to please a foreign leader who has done absolutely nothing to help the sovereign nation in question, and plenty to harm it…

“Britain managed to suppress dissent so thoroughly that you would never have known there was any. It was as if the entire nation had agreed to collude in pretending Donald Trump is universally revered. This is a national embarrassment for a once-proud nation. Britain has every reason to want a functional relationship with Washington. Nobody disputes the importance of the alliance. But the line between respect and abasement has to be drawn somewhere, and Windsor on Wednesday crossed it.

“It was not a welcome; it was a deliberate performative subservience. It sent the message that Britain will not merely tolerate Trump, we will exalt him, indulge him, and play courtier to him, no matter the damage he does here and elsewhere.”

Kair Starmer, visiting Donald Trump in the White House in February of 2025, displayed already a certain embarrassing attitude of submissiveness with the obvious attempt to flatter Trump. 

No US-UK Deal 

Express wrote on September 16: 

“In a stinging setback for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a long-anticipated deal to eliminate US tariffs on British steel and aluminium has been abruptly shelved just hours before US President Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK, according to government sources. The collapse of the agreement, which would have reduced tariffs from 25% to zero, has left UK ministers scrambling and the steel industry reeling from the unexpected blow…. 

“The timing of the decision is particularly humiliating for Starmer, who had hoped to showcase a strengthened UK-US partnership during Trump’s visit…” 

“AI Now Claiming to Be God”

Futurism wrote on September 16: 

“A slew of religious smartphone apps are allowing untold millions of users to confess to AI chatbots, some of which claim to be channeling God himself… Religious leaders told the NYT that these tools could serve as a critical entry point for those looking to find God… It’s a fascinating new development, especially considering the language surrounding companies attempting to ‘build God’ by developing an AI that can vastly surpass human intelligence… 

“… experts worry that AI’s strong tendency to please the user may have unintended consequences… The AIs ‘tell us what we want to hear,’ Researchers have also warned that countless people are using AI chatbots for championship, which in extreme cases are driving some into dangerous spirals of delusions.”

Or worse, by communicating with someone who might turn out to be a demon, pretending to be an “angel of light” or even “God.”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:

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

Before we answer this question, let us address the problem prompting this question.

First of all, it is clear from Scripture that Samson, Gideon and Jephthah WILL BE resurrected to eternal life and that they WILL enter the Kingdom of God when Christ returns.

We state the following in our Q&A, titled, “Were There ‘Christians’ in Old Testament Times?”:

“We know that Old Testament followers of God will be in the Kingdom of God… we find a rather long list of God’s Old Testament servants in the 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews. The list includes people like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. Verses 39-40 explicitly state: ‘And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise [of eternal life and of entering the Kingdom of God], God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect APART FROM us.’”

In regard to Samson, we stated this in our Q&A, “Will a newly-baptized person be in God’s Kingdom if he dies shortly after baptism?”:

“God looks at the heart of a person, and when He determines that a newly-converted person is qualified to enter the Kingdom of God, He may let him die soon after his baptism. We find that Samson will be in the Kingdom of God (compare Hebrews 11:32, 39-40), even though we understand that he only came to true repentance and conversion shortly before his death, when his hair grew again in the dungeon…”

This Q&A also touched upon the question as to how it could be that Samson would be in the Kingdom of God, after a life of constant disobedience and defiance of God. As we stated, it appears he came to repentance at the very end of his life, when he was in the dungeon and when his hair grew, which was in the case of a Nazarite an outward sign of submission to God. Before, he treated this sign with disdain, but now, he accepted it for what it meant. And we said that “God looks at the heart” (compare Psalm 73:1). He saw in Samson a changed attitude from glorification of self to glorification of God.

Still, even with his very last action, he sinned when committing suicide. We say in our Q&A, “What Does the Bible Say About Suicide?”:

“There are a number of examples in the Bible where suicide was committed. Ahithophel hanged himself (2 Samuel 17:23), Zimri burned himself (1 Kings 16:18), Saul fell on his sword, as did his armorbearer (1 Samuel 31:4-5), Judas hung himself (Matthew 27:3-5), and Samson killed himself, while destroying the pagan temple, knowing that his actions would lead to his death (Judges 16:29-30)…”

We also pointed out:

“Taking one’s own life or helping someone else to do so is a sinful act.”

Still, Samson will be in the Kingdom. How could that be, as he did not repent of his sin of suicide (and of killing others) which led to his death? We stated in the Q&A on suicide:

“What about those who have been baptized in the Church of God and received the Holy Spirit, and who subsequently take their own life? Are they lost forever? They would certainly have known that it was wrong, but we all sin in many different ways, and we don’t know another person’s heart or situation. We do read in Psalm 103:11: ‘For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him.’ In James 2:13, we read: ‘For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.’

“God is a merciful God, and He will always make the right decision about everyone. For instance, even though Samson committed suicide, he will be in God’s Kingdom, as Hebrews 11 tells us… God, as a merciful and loving God, will judge them righteously and fairly, something that any man would be incapable of doing.”

We also stated in our Q&A, “Did God ORDER Ancient Israel to SIN?”:

“Some passages in the Old Testament are perhaps difficult to understand, but we must appreciate that God will judge people based on what they knew, not on what they did not know. For example, Samson is going to be in the kingdom of God (compare Hebrews 11:32, 39-40), but his entire life, as reported in Scripture, reflects little of a converted person. At the very end of his life, he must have become converted (otherwise he would not be in God’s kingdom) – most likely while he was in the dungeon – but even then, he asked God to give him power to avenge himself against the Philistines (compare Judges 16:28).

“But somehow, his nature had begun to change – perhaps now he was finally and fully realizing that it was God Who gave him his strength. This mindset might have been sufficient for God to decide that He would resurrect Samson in the first resurrection, as God looks at the heart, and He overlooks ignorance.”

Christ told us that God does not see as man sees (Isaiah 11:3). And He most certainly does not judge according to human standards and appearance (John 7:24). He overlooks times of ignorance (Acts 17:30) and what He had not clearly revealed to people. But Paul says that once he will be in the Kingdom of God, he will fully know or understand (1 Corinthians 13:12). IF David did not fully understand that killing in war is sin, he will most certainly understand this fully, and he will be repentant of his conduct and mindset, when he enters the Kingdom. And God knows this, as He knows the hearts of men. David, as well as everybody, including Samson, will be judged based on what they knew—not, based on what they did not know and understand. This would also involve situations when one slips and falls, sliding into sin, but his overall conduct is acceptable in God’s eyes.

Gideon would be another case in point. After some initial “hiccups,” he acted as Israel’s righteous judge for many years. Still, we read in Judges 8:27: “Then Gideon made… an ephod and set it up in his city, Ophrah. And all Israel played the harlot with it there. It became a snare to Gideon and to his house.” Surely, Gideon would have known that committing idolatry was sinful. We do not know to what extent Gideon himself engaged in it, or whether he finally repented of it. The Bible simply does not say.

The Study Bible states: “The ephod, rather than being a blessing, became a ‘snare,’ or a trap, leading to spiritual downfall. This highlights the danger of creating objects or symbols that can become idols, drawing people away from true worship of God. For Gideon and his family, the ephod’s presence led to unintended consequences, illustrating the principle that even well-intentioned actions can lead to sin if they deviate from God’s commands.”

But the Bible does say that Gideon will be in the Kingdom of God. God, in looking at the heart and considering the motives of a person, and in His great mercy, decided that Gideon was worthy of inheriting eternal life at the time of Christ’s return.

Another person who will be in God’s Kingdom was Jephthah even though he committed a horrible sin. We state in our Q&A, “Did Jephthah sacrifice his own daughter? If so, how could he still be granted access to the Kingdom of God?”:

“The account referred to can be found in Judges 11:30-31, 34-40. We read: ‘And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD, and said, “If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”… When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah [after having defeated the Ammonites], there was his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.

“‘And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low! You are among those who trouble me! For I have given my word to the LORD, and I cannot go back on it.” So she said to him, “My father, if you have given your word to the LORD, do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth… let me alone for two months, that I… bewail my virginity…” And it was so at the end of two months that she returned to her father, and he carried out his vow with her which he had vowed. She knew no man. And it became a custom in Israel that the daughters of Israel went four days each year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.’

“… it is possible that Jephthah had strictly an animal in mind, when he made his vow, as Jephthah’s words (in Judges 11:31) can be translated from the Hebrew, as follows: ‘Whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me…, I will offer IT up for a burnt offering’ (compare Authorized Version). It was common at that time for houses to have enclosed courtyards where animals were kept.

“In any event, whatever Jephthah’s original intent, the earliest Christian and Jewish commentators all seem to have accepted the story at face value; that is, that Jephthah killed his daughter… It has also been the long-held understanding of the Church of God that Jephthah did in fact sacrifice his only daughter. It is stated in ‘The Bible Story’: ‘Though some commentators have thought Jephthah kept his daughter a perpetual virgin, the Jews and most commentators have understood this tragic story as explained in the Authorized Version of the Bible. Jephthah learned a mighty lesson. He discovered, through this tragedy, the real lesson of faith — that one does not have to vow to God in order to have Him perform what He has promised. What God expects is that we learn to trust Him in everything. When Jephthah finally learned that lesson, he became an outstanding example of faith…

“An older letter from the Letter Answering Department of the Worldwide Church of God added: ‘Jephthah made a very rash and foolish vow. He further compounded his error by keeping his vow (Judg. 11:39). That, no doubt, was greatly displeasing to God. Nevertheless, Jephthah is mentioned among the faithful listed in Hebrews 11 (see verse 32). This leads us to conclude that — like other servants of God — he ultimately realized the error of his own ways, repented, and received God’s forgiveness.’”

Maybe so. But the Bible does not say expressly that he repented of sacrificing his daughter. We see from the narrative, however, that this was an act which he greatly regretted from the outset, even before it was carried out. He let it happen because of his erroneous belief that God would hold him to his vow. Again, due to God’s mercy and His righteous judgment, which considers the attitude and the motives of the heart, Jephthah was deemed worthy to enter the Kingdom of God. And as in the case of Samson and possibly David, upon seeing the errors of his way, even when already in the Kingdom, he will deeply repent… and God knew that this would happen.

We all sin from time to time, and we might not even know that we do. We would therefore not repent of unrealized sins before dying, but God looks at our hearts and motives (1 Samuel 16:7; 1 Kings 8:39), and unrecognized and therefore unrepentant sins will not keep us out of the Kingdom of God. If our overall life is one of love and mercy, then love will cover all sins (Proverbs 10:12; also compare Luke 7:47), and we will be judged mercifully by God because we have shown mercy to others. And we read in the letter to the Hebrews that Samson, Gideon and Jephthah will be in God’s Kingdom because of their faith in Him and His promises (Hebrews 11:13, 33-34). They might have committed sinful conduct at times, but their faith did not cease and it did sustain them.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“AI—Angel of Light or Prince of Darkness?” is the title of the newest StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

Should you be concerned about AI? Do you know how your child deals with it? Why are ministers of religion naïve—to put it mildly—when they support religious smartphone apps as a “critical tool for those trying to find God.” But whom may they find? Are you aware how chatbots work—and why they could clearly be very dangerous?“

KI—Engel des Lichts oder Fürst der Finsternis?” is the title of the newest AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers the same topic as described above.

“When Will Governments Be Held Accountable For Their Corona Measures?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

The governments’ horrific coronavirus measures, with the support of the pharmaceutical industry and the mass media, included dangerous mandatory vaccinations, lockdowns, and other freedom-robbing restrictions. Yet, nowhere does one see them being held accountable. On the contrary, they continue to be protected, and voices are again calling for the same approach in the future. And it’s by no means just about forced vaccinations for coronavirus. Some want to change these conditions, but will they succeed?

“Wann geben die Regierungen Rechenschaft für ihre Corona Maßnahmen?” 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 (September 2025), has been posted and has been mailed to our subscribers. Evangelist Norbert Link writes about the return of Jesus Christ to bring peace to a world that has no peace by banishing Satan and restoring God’s government on the earth.

“Gott IST… unsere Bestimmung!” the German translation of our English booklet, “God Is… Our Destiny,” has entered the first review draft in preparation for printing.

Spanish translations of our booklets, “The Ten Commandments” (“Los Diez Mandamientos”) and “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?” (“¿Tenemos un alma inmortal?”) have been posted on our Spanish webpage https://www.dioseterno.es/

“Klopft Gottes Wahrheit an die Tür?” last Sabbath’s first split sermon in Germany was presented by Jens Herrmann and is now posted. Title in English: “Is God’s Truth Knocking at the Door?”

“The King’s Seer,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted.

“Could Unpunctuality Be Sinful?” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

Is punctuality important to you? What might being late say about your character? Do you have excuses ready when you’re late? Could your lateness actually sin against God, your fellow human beings, and yourself? Is God ever late? Shouldn’t we also avoid being late?

2025 FALL HOLY DAYS:

September 23   Feast of Trumpets

October 2            Day of Atonement

October 7-13     Feast of Tabernacles

October 14         Last Great Day

On September 13, 2025, Kalon Mitchell will present the sermonette, titled, “The King’s Seer,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Could Unpunctuality Be Sinful?”

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.

The saying “May the best player win” is often heard in sports or games. It expresses the desire that victory should go not to the ruthless or crafty, but to the truly more capable or skilled. Behind this stands an attitude of fairness and respect: one recognizes that the other person also deserves a chance—and that their success should elicit recognition rather than envy.

But in the reality of today’s society, things often look different. Performance, self-promotion, and competition shape the thinking of many people. Social media does not celebrate fairness, but mostly individual success. Even in everyday or professional life, the motto “The most important thing is that I win” often seems to apply.

In English, the saying goes, “The winner takes it all.” But what does that mean from a biblical perspective? What does God’s Word say about winning, losing, and what it means to truly take it all?

The world equates “winners” with power, influence, success, or wealth. But Jesus Christ’s victory over sin and death did not come through domination, but through sacrifice. Christ did not win by defeating others, but by sacrificing Himself. Many people saw His death on the cross as a defeat – but it was precisely there that He achieved the ultimate victory.

Jesus challenged the worldly idea of success. He said:

“Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant” (Matthew 20:26).

Even true Christians are not immune to comparing themselves with others: Who is more successful, more popular, more talented, or more “spiritual”? But the gospel calls us to a different Way of Life – to humility, to appreciation for our neighbors, and to gratitude.

The apostle Paul, who endured much suffering – shipwreck, beatings, imprisonment, abandonment – did not strive for worldly fame. His goal was different:

“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

The true winner does not take anything away from others but receives what only God can give.

The Bible often uses metaphors from sports and competition to convey spiritual Truths: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it” (1 Corinthians 9:24).

For Christians, this means that we do not race against each other, but together toward Christ.

One of the greatest ideas in the Bible is that God’s victory is shared: “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Revelation 3:21).

The path to the throne leads through humility: “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vain glory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3; New American Bible; the New Jerusalem Bible says, “…give preference to others”).

The world says: The winner takes it all.

Jesus asks: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).

To enter God’s Kingdom, we must give up everything in this life that stands in the way. This is how we receive eternal life. When we follow Christ, we do not chase after trophies. We carry our cross. We may lose a lot in this life – prestige, possessions, even our lives. But in the end, we gain the most important thing: eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

When we as Christians say, “May the best player win. The winner takes it all,” we recognize a deeper Truth in this: in the end, what matters is not whether we were better than others, but whether we remained faithful.

Paul gets to the heart of the matter: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Where do I find it difficult to acknowledge the success of others? Do I live my daily life according to the principle of “me first” – or in humility, considering “others as more important” than myself?

Which “victories” in faith are genuinely important to me – the recognition of people or faithfulness to God?

Let the world chase after its perishable crowns. We want to run the race that is set before us – toward the prize that never fades away (cf. Hebrews 12:1-2).

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

(Initial translation: Daniel Blasinger)

by Norbert Link

We begin with events and reports pertaining to Israel and the Middle East; address France’s situation; Britain’s dire future; and America’s relationship with Europe and Russia; the murder of Charlie Kirk; another example of stupid woke ideology; the new “War” Department; America’s economy and another controversial ICE raid in Georgia; and America’s tensions with Venezuela.

We speak on events in Germany (including the insane COVID policy) and conclude with the Roman Catholic Church’s newest saint—a 15-year-old boy who died of leukemia.

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

France vs. USA 

Israel 365 News wrote on September 5: 

“French President Emmanuel Macron has once again demonstrated his willingness to appease terrorist-supporting regimes by condemning the United States’ entirely justified decision to deny visas to Palestinian Authority (PA) officials ahead of the United Nations General Assembly…. Following a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Macron called the American decision ‘unacceptable’. It demanded that ‘this measure be reversed and for Palestinian officials to be granted access’. The French president’s criticism followed the State Department’s announcement that it would deny visas to PA President Mahmoud Abbas, along with 80 other PA officials, who were planning to attend the UN General Assembly… 

“Macron’s criticism of American policy rings hollow given France’s abysmal record on protecting its Jewish citizens from rampant Islamic antisemitism… Macron’s criticism becomes even more problematic when viewed alongside France’s confirmed plans to recognize a Palestinian state during the UN General Assembly… The timing of this recognition, coming after the October 7 massacre and during ongoing PA terror financing, demonstrates France’s moral bankruptcy on Middle Eastern issues.” 

France in Trouble 

Deutsche Welle reported on September 9:

“Macron was forced to appoint a fifth prime minister in less than two years after parliament ousted Francois Bayrou nine months into the role over his plans for taming the country’s ballooning debt. Bayrou officially tendered his resignation to Macron earlier on Tuesday, a day after his government was defeated in a confidence vote at the National Assembly… [Macron] chose Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu as the country’s new prime minister on Tuesday. His appointment… signals Macron’s intent to maintain a minority government…

“In handing the job to Lecornu, Macron risks alienating the center-left Socialist Party and leaves the president and his government depending on Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally for support in parliament.” 

A New Study About Israel—But Does the World Listen? 

The Jerusalem Post wrote on September 3: 

“Israel is fighting two wars against Hamas. The first is the grinding military campaign in Gaza. The other is the battle over narrative and legitimacy. On the first front, Israel is winning resoundingly: Hamas leaders and commanders eliminated, thousands of terrorists killed, its rocket arsenal depleted, its labyrinth of tunnels badly degraded. 

“On the second front, Israel is taking a beating. Or, as US President Donald Trump said on Friday, Israel ‘may be winning the war, but they’re not winning the world of public relations.’ 

“A new 311-page study by the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University (BESA) highlights just how distorted the conversation has become. This report systematically dismantles some of the most frequently leveled charges against Israel – genocide, deliberate starvation, indiscriminate killing – by reexamining casualty figures, food-truck deliveries, and UN reports. 

“It shows how Hamas has manipulated numbers, how UN agencies have quietly ‘corrected’ data without acknowledgment, and how aid organizations inflated needs in order to spur action. The report is not a whitewash. It concedes negligence, tragedy, and individual acts of IDF misconduct. But it demonstrates clearly that the sweeping allegation of genocide is without foundation. In short, it provides Israel with the kind of factual ammunition needed to fight the narrative war. 

“That’s the good news. The bad news is that it comes long after the damage has been done. Take the claim of an Israeli-induced famine.  For months, UN officials and international media declared that Gaza required 500 food trucks daily and that Israel was deliberately starving civilians… Yet prewar averages were closer to 73 trucks a day. During long stretches of the war, more food entered Gaza than before the October 7 massacre. Those facts are only now surfacing. But it’s too late. The accusation – that Israel weaponized famine – has already hardened into conventional wisdom. 

“… Or consider casualty figures. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reported nearly every death as civilian, excluded combat-age men, and included natural deaths. International media parrot the numbers without question. Researchers are now exposing the statistical anomalies. Again – too late… And while the BESA report was being released in Israel, Reuters ran a wire story that illustrates exactly what is happening. The International Association of Genocide Scholars voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to declare that Israel’s ‘policies and actions in Gaza’ meet the definition of genocide. Fifteen paragraphs long, the story included applause from a Hamas-affiliated source in Gaza – Hamas, which openly calls for Israel’s eradication, the very definition of genocide. And Israel’s side? A single boilerplate sentence that quoted the Foreign Ministry denying the charge… 

“The Foreign Ministry would have done well to provide context: that less than a third of the members of this organization actually voted, and that the way the vote was conducted was problematic. Additionally, it would have been worth noting that one need not even have to be a ‘genocide scholar’ to be a member of this association… 

“That failure highlights the larger problem: Israel too often contents itself with a flat denial, while its enemies wage an organized campaign to shape the narrative… The study demonstrates that genocide – a deliberate campaign to eradicate a people – was not Israeli policy. On the contrary, Israel invested heavily in warnings, evacuation zones, and humanitarian corridors. Civilian-to-combatant ratios compare favorably with Western campaigns in Iraq or Afghanistan.” 

Very few even reported on this striking and revealing report. 

Israel’s Attack in Qatar 

Reuters reported on September 9:

“Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an airstrike on Qatar on Tuesday, escalating its military action in the Middle East with what the U.S. described as a unilateral attack that does not advance American and Israeli interests.

“U.S. President Donald Trump said he was ‘very unhappy about every aspect’ of the Israeli strike… While Israel defended the attacks as being justified, Qatar said Israel was treacherous and engaged in ‘state terrorism.’.. Trump said he considered hitting Hamas was a worthy goal, but he felt badly that the attack took place in the Gulf Arab state, which is a major non-NATO ally of Washington … The attack drew condemnation from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and the European Union…

“Trump assured the emir of Qatar in a phone call after the attack that ‘such a thing will not happen again on their soil.’..

“The airstrike took place shortly after Hamas’ armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for a shooting on Monday that killed six people at a bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem… ‘The days are over when terror leaders can enjoy immunity of any kind,’ Netanyahu said in a televised address. ‘I won’t allow that kind of immunity to exist.’” 

Britain in the Eye of the Financial Storm 

UnHerd wrote on September 4: 

“As any analyst will tell you, it’s a mug’s game to predict crashes, but anyone could tell you western markets are facing a tempestuous autumn. And Britain is sitting squarely in the eye of the storm.  

“Amid weak growth and a worsening budget outlook, British gilt yields are now higher than they have been in nearly 30 years, rising steadily for months and nearly 1% since last year. With national debt of nearly £3 trillion, every percentage point increase in interest drains billions from the government’s budget. Nor is there much hope this will change anytime soon. Britain’s inflation is proving even harder to dislodge than that of other developed economies, adding a premium to its bonds. To a greater extent than other countries, too, it depends on external creditors for its lending — with 30% of gilts held abroad compared to an average of 18% for other Western countries… 

“Will there be a crash? Possibly. Will things get rocky? Almost certainly…” 

Trump’s Presidency Most Dangerous Period Since World War II? 

The Guardian wrote on September 4: 

“The world during Donald Trump’s second presidency has entered a period of danger with ‘certain similarities to the 30s’, according to Mitch McConnell, the veteran Republican former Senate leader. McConnell made the comments primarily in reference to tariffs and foreign affairs… he likened [Trump’s tariffs] to the isolationist policies of the US in the 1930s that historians say hastened a global depression that paved the path to conflict…. 

“‘Those who were totally anxious to stay out of all of what was going on in Europe were called “America First”. Sound familiar? So what do we have today? North Korea, China, Russia, Iran and Iran’s proxies. They’re very different kinds of countries, but they have one thing in common: They hate us.’” 

Will the FBI go after McConnell now, too? 

Trump Responds to Fines Against Google and Apple 

CNBC wrote on September 5: 

“President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to launch a trade investigation to ‘nullify’ what he said were discriminatory fines being levied by Europe against U.S. tech firms such as Google and Apple… He issued the threat hours after Google caught a nearly $3.5 billion penalty from the European Union in a major antitrust case centered on the search giant’s advertising technology business… ‘Very unfair, and the American Taxpayer will not stand for it!’… 

“Trump claimed that Google has previously paid $13 billion in ‘false claims and charges.’… He also called out the EU for squeezing billions of dollars from Apple in back taxes and fines for alleged anticompetitive practices… Apple ‘should get their money back!’ Trump wrote.” 

Europe is wondering whether Trump will impose further tariffs on them as a consequence. 

Ideology Instead of Law

Report 24 wrote on September 7:

“A judge appointed by Joe Biden blocked Donald Trump’s decree intended to end the madness of ‘X-genders’ on US passports. Instead of clarity and a return to biological facts, the government continues to cement the myth of arbitrarily interchangeable gender identities…

“After taking office, Donald Trump clearly and unequivocally declared that there are only two genders – male and female – and that this fundamental fact must be enshrined in all government documents, including passports. It was an attempt to reverse the madness of the Biden years, when anyone could decide, at their whim, whether they wanted an ‘M,’ an ‘F,’ or an ‘X’ on their passport. The Biden administration turned the passport into a political toy for gender-confused minorities, while the majority of citizens remained stunned when they watched as elementary biological facts were simply trampled underfoot because of a minority of zero point X percent.

“… Judge Julia Kobick, appointed by Biden, blocked Trump’s order, not for compelling legal reasons, but with the familiar blunt: alleged ‘disproportionate hardship’ for those ‘affected’ and the insinuation that Trump was acting out of ‘unconstitutional hatred’ toward gender-confused ‘transgender’ people…

“The judge’s perfidious argument was that the plaintiffs would allegedly be exposed to greater harassment and violence abroad without an ‘X’ on their passports. One inevitably wonders: Do these lawyers seriously believe that an ‘X’ in a passport would change anything abroad? In fact, it’s the exact opposite: With this special ideological treatment, one is immediately recognized as gender-confused abroad. This could lead to ‘surprises’ when traveling to Muslim countries.

“The US civil rights organization ACLU (American Civil Liberties) Union), one of the most influential lobby groups for gender and minority rights, celebrated the ruling as a victory. The left-wing front organization sees its agenda vindicated… Anyone wondering why the United States is so deeply divided will find this case a prime example.”

Indeed, a deeply divided ungodly society. 

The Murder of Charlie Kirk

 Breitbart wrote on September 11, 2025:

“31-year-old Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was killed in what President Donald Trump called an assassination at a debate event in Utah on Wednesday, and European sovereigntists, conservatives, and political leaders have responded with messages of support for the family he leaves behind, and disdain for political violence.

“Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who helped Kirk launch the British offshoot of Turning Point in 2019 wrote of the slaying that ‘This is a very dark day for… American democracy, Western democracy [and] free speech…  Farage warned that while the U.S. is bitterly divided, the United Kingdom is ‘not far behind’ and that there are ‘voices of intolerance’ who ‘wish to shut down free speech’ who are ‘very dangerous’.

“Former British Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson also spoke out, hailing ‘a shining new martyr to free speech’ and saying that Kirk had been killed because of his ‘courage. He wrote: ‘The murder of Charlie Kirk is a tragedy, and a sign of the utter desperation and cowardice of those who could not defeat him in argument…  He has been killed for saying things that used to be simple common sense.’..

“In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni… expressed her shock at an ‘atrocious murder’. She called the killing a ‘deep wound for democracy and for those who believe in freedom’…  

“Another friend to Trump’s America, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban… said: ‘Yesterday, we lost a true defender of faith and freedom. Our deepest condolences go to the Kirk family and to the American people. Charlie Kirk’s death is the result of the international hate campaign waged by the progressive-liberal left… We must stop the hate-mongering left!’…

“In Germany, Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) leader Alice Weidel lionised ‘a fighter for freedom of speech’ who was ‘shot by a fanatic who hates our way of life and discussion.’ In France, National Rally leader and possible next French President Jordan Bardella noted that the ‘dehumanizing rhetoric of the left and its intolerance fuels political violence. No one can ignore this poison that is eating away at our democratic societies.’”

JTA added on September 11:

“Kirk frequently characterized himself as a defender of the Jews and Israel… Among the first global leaders to send their prayers following reports that Kirk had been shot was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Kirk was a vocal backer of Israel, visiting the country multiple times and more recently staunchly supporting its war in Gaza…

“He told a crowd at a Jerusalem bar during his second trip: ‘I’m very pro-Israel, I’m an evangelical Christian, I’m a conservative, I’m a Trump supporter, I’m a Republican, and my whole life I have defended Israel’… he also said that Jewish people control ‘not just the colleges; it’s the nonprofits, it’s the movies, it’s Hollywood, it’s all of it.’”

Trump Challenges EU Over Russian Oil 

Fox News wrote on September 4: 

“President Donald Trump called on European leaders to stop ‘funding’ Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine and accused them of failing to pressure China… a White House official said, ‘President Trump emphasized that Europe must stop purchasing Russian oil that is funding the war – as Russia received €1.1 billion [nearly $1.3 billion] in fuel sales from the EU in one year.’ 

“‘The President also emphasized that European leaders must place economic pressure on China for funding Russia’s war efforts,’ the official added… The EU has drastically cut its imports of Russian oil following the invasion of Ukraine, though the president’s comments point out that it has not completely cut off its energy imports from Moscow.” 

Trump Is Right 

Bild Online wrote on September 7: 

“Even after more than three years of the Ukraine invasion and 18 EU sanctions packages, plenty of oil and gas from Russia is still flowing into the EU!… Fossil fuels from Russia were imported for a total of 21.9 billion euros between February 2024 and February 2025… ‘Of course Trump is right,’ says Russia expert Stefan Meister of the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP). 

“‘After China, India, and Turkey, Europe is number four in imports of oil and gas from Russia. At the same time, Europe buys gasoline from countries like India and Turkey, and thus indirectly also Russian oil,’ he explains… in July 2025, the five largest EU importers of Russian raw materials transferred a total of 1.2 billion euros to Russia…” 

Russia Strikes Ukraine Cabinet Offices 

The New York Post wrote on September 7: 

“Russia hit Ukraine’s capital with drone and missiles Sunday in the largest aerial attack on the country since the war began, killing at least two people and leaving smoke rising from the roof of a key government building.

Russia attacked Ukraine with 805 drones and decoys, officials said… 

“Sunday’s attack is the second mass Russian drone and missile attack to target Kyiv in the span of two weeks, as hopes for peace talks wane… The attack comes after European leaders pressed Russian leader Vladimir Putin to work to end the war after 26 of Ukraine’s allies pledged to deploy troops as a ‘reassurance force’ for the war-torn country once the fighting ends.” 

Russia Attacks Polish Airspace 

The Sun wrote on September 10:

“Nato has vowed to defend ‘every inch’ of allied land after Kremlin drones invaded Polish airspace overnight – forcing Warsaw to shoot them down and trigger Nato Article 4, one below the threshold of war… Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said 19 Russian drones sailed across the border amid an onslaught against western Ukraine, taking his country to the ‘closest to conflict since WW2’. He said four were shot down by Nato fighter jets – understood to be from Poland, Italy, the Netherlands the US – and officials later said seven had been found on the ground.

“This is the first time since the outbreak of war that Nato has directly clashed with Russia… Kremlin spokespeople have denied there is any evidence the drones were Russian, and even outrageously implied they had been launched by Kyiv….

“Nato chief Mark Rutte said… ‘Allies are resolved to defend every inch of allied territory.’ Rutte wouldn’t confirm whether Vlad’s drones were being treated as deliberate – but branded the night’s events ‘absolutely reckless’ either way…

“Article 4, a clause in Nato’s founding treaty, brings all of the allies together when the security or territory of one is threatened. But it stops short of Article 5’s key promise that an attack on one is an attack on all that demands [or better: “might demand”] a military response.”

Article 4 is actually nothing more than a debate exercise between NATO members. 

The War Department 

USA Today wrote on September 5: 

“President Donald Trump on Sept. 5 ordered his administration to rename the Department of Defense the ‘Department of War,’ bringing back a Cabinet name abandoned in 1947 to match what White House officials call a new ‘warrior ethos’ it is instilling in the armed forces… The move empowers Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to use titles such as ‘Department of War,’ ‘Secretary of War’ and ‘Deputy Secretary of War’ in official government correspondence and communications without formally changing the department’s name, which would require action from Congress. ‘We won the First World War. We won the Second World War. We won everything before that and in between,’ Trump said before signing the order in the Oval Office. 

“‘And then we decided to go woke and we changed the name to the Department of Defense. So we’re going Department of War.’… ‘It’s not just about renaming. It’s about restoring,’ Hegseth said. ‘Words matter. It’s restoring, as you’ve guided us to, Mr. President, restoring the warrior ethos, restoring victory and clarity as an end state, restoring intentionality to the use of force’… Hegseth said he agreed with Trump that ‘we haven’t won a major war’ since ditching the name Department of War in 1947… ‘We’re going to raise up warriors,’ Hegseth said of the name change, ‘not just defenders.’”

Long before Mr. Trump and Mr. Hegseth, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong stated that America had not won a major war since World War II. It had nothing to do with the name of the Department, but with the fact that God had started to withdraw His blessings from the USA, due to its ongoing sinful conduct. The name change will not alter that. America will NOT win a major war again, as there is no indication that it will deeply repent of its sinful and God-defying ways and become obedient to the true God of the Bible. To create a “warrior nation” is only one of the many sins America is guilty of. In this regard, please view our new message,  “Why America is Going Down—Comments on News and Prophecy, September 6, 2025”. 

What a Waste of Money 

Politico wrote on September 5: 

“Pentagon officials grappled Friday with the Herculean task of fulfilling President Donald Trump’s executive order to remold the enormous, global agency into the Department of War. Many expressed frustration, anger and downright confusion at the effort, which could cost billions of dollars for a cosmetic change that would do little to tackle the military’s most pressing challenges — such as countering a more aggressive alliance of authoritarian nations… officials may need to change Defense Department seals on more than 700,000 facilities in 40 countries and all 50 states. This includes everything from letterhead for six military branches and dozens more agencies down to embossed napkins in chow halls, embroidered jackets for Senate-confirmed officials and the keychains and tchotchkes in the Pentagon store. 

“‘This is purely for domestic political audiences,’ said a former defense official. ‘Not only will this cost millions of dollars, it will have absolutely zero impact on Chinese or Russian calculations. Worse, it will be used by our enemies to portray the United States as warmongering and a threat to international stability.’… 

“A [small] War Department existed from U.S. independence until 1947, when the Truman administration split the Army and Air Force into separate military branches and joined them with the then-independent Navy to form a new agency. An act of Congress two years later coined it the Department of Defense…” 

According to the BBC, the renaming of the department marks the president’s 200th executive order signed since he took office. 

It Won’t Make America Stronger 

RUSI [Royal United Service Institute, founded in 1831 by the Duke of Wellington] wrote on September 5:

“With the stroke of a pen, President Trump has ordered the Pentagon to be renamed the Department of War. It is a dramatic gesture, but one that leaves the US looking smaller, not stronger. He defended the change by noting America ‘won World War I and World War II’ under the old name and insisting that ‘we want offense too.’ But that outlook is precisely what alarms allies and emboldens adversaries: it signals that Washington defines itself by fighting wars, not by preventing them… 

“Nor is the change likely to endure; Congress enshrined the Department of Defense in law in 1949, and an executive order cannot erase that statute. The Department of War belongs to the past. Congress created the Department of Defense in 1949 for good reason: to unify the services, deter conflict, and reassure allies of America’s defensive purpose. An executive order cannot erase that history or substitute theatre for strategy… Lawmakers should move quickly to reassert the statute and restore the Department of Defense: a name that reflects America’s enduring role as a defender…” 

Whatever and whoever will cause this, we know that ultimately, Europe will launch a successful nuclear war against the USA [and the UK]. 

Bad Job Report for August 

The Independent wrote on September 5: 

“The U.S. economy added 22,000 jobs in August — worse than financial experts had expected — according to the first government report since President Donald Trump fired the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner  Erika McEntarfer. The August Jobs Report, published Friday, revealed that the employment market continued to cool in the same month that Trump’s global tariffs took effect… The jobs data also revealed that unemployment increased to 4.3 percent, the highest level since 2021… 

“Figures also showed the economy lost jobs in June for the first time since December 2020, when the jobs market was in turmoil during the Covid-19 pandemic. Revisions showed that payrolls declined by 13,000 jobs in June… 

“Economist Daniel Zhao warned the U.S. is ‘heading into turbulence without the soft landing achieved.’” 

ICE Sabotages Construction in Georgia 

The Guardian wrote on September 5: 

“Hundreds of workers at a factory being built in Georgia to make car batteries for Hyundai and Kia electric vehicles were detained in a huge raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement… on Thursday that stopped construction. The facility is part of what would be the biggest industrial investment in the state’s history and had been hailed as a huge boost for the economy by Georgia’s Republican governor, Brian Kemp…. 

“About 475 workers were arrested… the largest single-site enforcement operation in the history of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS)… However, the Korea Economic Daily earlier had reported about 560 workers at the Hyundai facility and LG Energy Solution (LGES), had been detained… About 300 are South Korean nationals… Hyundai Motor is a South Korean automotive company but has many international plants. 

“The raid on Thursday has dealt a setback to the company’s substantial project in Georgia and was a dramatic iteration of the Trump administration’s harsh crackdown on immigrants in the US. It also showed the disruptive impact that Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda is having on businesses, even as the White House tries to spur more inflows from foreign investors.. 

“The arrests could exacerbate tensions between Washington and Seoul, a key ally and investor in the US. The countries have been at odds over the details of a trade deal that includes $350bn of investments. At a summit last month, South Korea pledged $150bn in US investments – including $26bn from Hyundai Motor…” 

This might not encourage foreign countries to invest heavily in and move their operations to the USA. 

Supreme Court Collaborates With Trump

Rolling Stone wrote on September 8: 

“On Monday, the Supreme Court issued perhaps its most profoundly un-American ruling yet, allowing Trump’s masked immigration thugs to indiscriminately stop people on the streets because they are speaking Spanish or working as day laborers in the construction industry… 

“Kavanaugh did kindly explain his vote regarding the administration’s stop, frisk, and deport strategy. He wrote in a concurring opinion… ‘Importantly, reasonable suspicion means only that immigration officers may briefly stop the individual and inquire about immigration status… If the person is a U.S. citizen or otherwise lawfully in the United States, that individual will be free to go after the brief encounter.’” 

Many reported cases have shown that Kavanaugh’s description is simply not true. 

Tensions Between USA and Venezuela Escalate 

Express wrote on September 5:

“Two Venezuelan fighter jets have flown over a US Navy ship in a ‘show of force’ as tensions between the two neighboring countries escalate to terrifying new levels…  This comes after President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the U.S. has carried out a strike in the southern Caribbean against a drug-carrying vessel that departed from Venezuela and was operated by the Tren de Aragua gang…. Trump… repeated his claim — contradicted by a declassified U.S. intelligence assessment — that Tren de Aragua is operating under Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s control… 

“The US administration recently doubled a reward it is offering for Maduro’s arrest to $50 million. Maduro called the warships a ‘criminal and bloody threat’ earlier this week, deploying Venezuelan drones and warships to patrol the coastline…

“The president said in a social media posting that 11 people were killed in the rare U.S. military operation in the Americas, a dramatic escalation in the Republican administration’s effort to stem the flow of narcotics from Latin America. Trump also posted a short video clip of a small vessel appearing to explode in flames. ‘The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States,’ Trump said on Truth Social. ‘No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike. Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America.’’ 

Breitbart added on September 5: 

“U.S. officials have reportedly ordered 10 F-35 fighter jets be deployed to Puerto Rico amid President Donald Trump’s fight against drug cartels… The sources… said the 10 fighter jets are being sent to conduct operations against designated narco-terrorist organizations operating in the southern Caribbean.” 

Murder in the Caribbean?

On September 5, the Ron Paul Institute republished the following article by the “Future of Freedom Foundation”: 

“President Trump is taking credit for the intentional military killings of eleven people in international waters near Venezuela… He ordered his military drug-war goons to blow a boat out of the water that was traveling in international waters near Venezuela, killing, Trump proudly claimed, eleven people in the process. 

“No stopping of the boat to search it. No arrests. No grand-jury indictments. No trials in federal district court. None of that. On Trump’s orders, his military drug-war goons dutifully, loyally, and obediently fired military projectiles at the boat knowing full well that they would be killing all of the boat’s occupants. 

“In my opinion, that’s just murder, pure and simple. Sure, it’s legalized murder. After all, there is no chance whatsoever that Trump’s Justice Department will seek criminal charges against Trump and his military killers. Even if it did, there is no possibility whatsoever that the US Supreme Court would permit the charges to stand, given the extreme deference that the Court has always paid to the US national-security establishment. The International Criminal Court has no jurisdiction over US officials and even if it did, there is no doubt that Trump and his military drug-war goons would ignore any criminal proceeding against them anyway. 

“Let’s keep in mind something important: Drug-war offenses are criminal offenses. Even though we all call it a ‘war on drugs,’ it is not a war in the true sense of the term. That is, we are not talking about a war like World War I or World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, or the US undeclared wars of aggression against Iraq and Afghanistan. We are talking about federal criminal offenses, not acts of war. 

“That means that under our system of constitutional government, people are presumed to be innocent of criminal offenses until proven guilty in a court of law. Under the US Constitution, which is supposed to control the actions of federal officials, US officials are prohibited from simply killing people who they suspect have committed a crime… the Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution states, federal officials, including the president, the military, the CIA, DEA, and ICE, are expressly prohibited from depriving anyone of life without due process of law, which means, at a minimum, formal notice of criminal charges and a trial. 

“None of those eleven people who Trump and his military drug-war goons just killed was ever convicted of anything in a court of law. Nonetheless, Trump and his military drug-war goons knowingly, intentionally, and deliberately deprived them of life by shooting them dead, simply because Trump and his military drug-war goons were convinced that their victims were committing drug-related offenses. 

“Prior to Trump, US drug-war policy in international waters has been consistent with the principles of American criminal jurisprudence… If the US Coast Guard, for example, suspects a boat traveling in international waters of carrying illegal drugs, Coast Guard officials stop it, board it, and search it. If illegal drugs are found, the occupants of the boat are transported to the United States, indicted, and tried for drug-related offenses in US District Court…”

Trump had famously declared that every drug dealer should get the death penalty. To our knowledge, he never specified what kind of drug dealer he was referring to. 

Mobilizing Over 8 Million People? 

Newsweek wrote on September 5: 

“The clash between Washington and Caracas has escalated beyond rhetoric, with military maneuvers, sanctions, and criminal designations transforming into a broader contest for regional dominance. Trump has tied Maduro’s government to narcoterrorist organizations while expanding U.S. deployments, and Caracas has responded by massing citizens into its defense structures. At stake is whether the Caribbean becomes the stage for a direct confrontation between the United States and Venezuela, with ripple effects for Latin America and beyond… 

“Venezuela will deploy 15,751 popular defense bases and 5,336 communal militia units across the country. These forces fall under the National Bolivarian Militia, a civilian reserve created by the late Hugo Chavez to integrate ordinary citizens into the country’s defense system. Maduro said roughly 4.5 million citizens have already undergone training, with new enlistments through a digital platform expected to push the total beyond 8 million… 

“As Maduro mobilizes millions and Trump escalates military operations, the U.S.-Venezuela standoff is entering a dangerous new phase…” 

Confusion Galore

 CNN wrote on September 6: 

“President Donald Trump is weighing a multitude of options for carrying out military strikes against drug cartels operating in Venezuela, including potentially hitting targets inside the country as part of a broader strategy aimed at weakening leader Nicolas Maduro… Multiple sources told CNN Tuesday’s strike was just the beginning of a much larger effort to rid the region of narcotics trafficking and potentially dislodge Maduro from power… 

“Earlier this year, Trump authorized the military to carry out lethal operations against cartels his administration designated as terrorist groups, according to a source familiar with the matter, a move in which the president appeared to claim the power to treat suspected smugglers not as criminals, but enemy combatants. Asked Tuesday if the US would consider strikes on Venezuelan soil against the Maduro regime, Secretary of State Marco Rubio didn’t count out the possibility…. 

“Though Rubio initially said that the alleged Venezuela drug boat was likely bound for Trinidad or another Caribbean country, a day later, after Trump said it had been headed for the US, Rubio amended his remark and said the boat was ‘eventually’ headed to the US… 

“Despite all this, behind the scenes the US continues to coordinate with Venezuelan officials on deportation flights. The Trump administration also recently re-issued a license for US energy giant Chevron to resume oil operations in Venezuela, home to the largest proven oil reserves in the world…” 

Trump Muddies the Water on Vaccines 

clickorlando.com wrote on September 5: 

“President Donald Trump said vaccines that work ‘should be used,’ when asked to weigh in on a plan by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to end vaccine mandates in the state Friday. ‘You have some vaccines that are so amazing, the polio vaccine I happen to think is amazing,’ Trump said. ‘A lot of people think that COVID is amazing. I think you have to be very careful when you say that some people don’t have to be vaccinated. It’s a very, you know, it’s a very tough position,’ Trump added. 

“Earlier this week, DeSantis and Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo announced a plan to end all vaccine mandates in the state. Ladapo likened the vaccine mandates to slavery. ‘Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery,’ Ladapo said during his announcement. ‘Who am I as a government or anyone else to tell you what you should put in your body? Your body is a gift from God. What you put into your body is between your relationship with you and your God.’

“Florida has several vaccine requirements in certain situations, chief among them mandates for school children. Ladapo and the Florida Department of Health may be able to lift the mandates for vaccines like chickenpox and hepatitis B, but mandates for polio, diphtheria, measles, mumps, rubella, pertussis (aka whooping cough), and tetanus vaccines would require repealing a decades-old Florida law, which only the state legislature can do. 

“‘Look, you have vaccines that work,’ Trump said Friday. ‘They just pure and simple work. They’re not controversial at all, and I think those vaccines should be used; otherwise, some people are going to catch it, and they endanger other people, and when you don’t have controversy at all, I think people should take it.’” 

We should not forget that Trump advocated highly controversial and, to a large extent ineffective or even dangerous vaccinations against Covid. 

Trump’s Tariffs 

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 6: 

“Postal traffic to the United States plunged over 80% after new tariffs announced by the Trump administration came into effect on August 29… 

“88 operators worldwide have fully or partially suspended the shipping of parcels to the US…” 

India and Russia Lost to China 

Reuters wrote on September 5: 

“U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said India and Russia seem to have been ‘lost’ to China after their leaders met with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, expressing annoyance at New Delhi and Moscow as Beijing pushes a new world order. 

“‘Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China…’”  

Germans Unhappy With Their Government

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 4: 

“The monthly Deutschlandtrend survey commissioned by German public broadcaster ARD found that 77% of those surveyed were dissatisfied with how the CDU/CSU Union and SPD get along. 

Supporters of the CDU/CSU and the SPD were equally dissatisfied, according to the survey… 

“Respondents also had little good to say about the government’s work so far. Some 75% of them indicated that they didn’t like what the government was doing… [Plans to raise] the retirement age to 70 was rejected by 84% of survey respondents… Germans are expected to have to work beyond the current retirement age of 67 and may see pension levels go down.. 

“The far-right… AfD was viewed as the most competent of all parties when it comes to immigration policy…” 

Merz on Putin 

Weltwoche wrote on September 4: 

“Russian President Vladimir Putin has reacted sharply to recent statements by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who called him ‘perhaps the most serious war criminal of our time’… 

“The Kremlin did not leave Merz’s choice of words unanswered. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the TASS news agency that, in light of these statements, Moscow would no longer consider any suggestions or opinions from Berlin: ‘Merz has made very bad statements to President Putin.'” 

Published comments on this article, almost all of them directed against Merz, were notable: 

“A power-hungry Merz is dragging us into war with Russia. There won’t be a third time. Russia will destroy us forever for it.” 

“There is ‘no room for leniency’ in dealing with war criminals,’ to hear this from a CDU chancellor, of all people, whose party in the old Federal Republic of Germany was unsurpassed in its leniency toward Nazi war criminals, as well as in their whitewashing and integration into the German democracy…” 

“With this Merz, there will be no more peace with Russia.” 

“Probably the stupidest government in Germany, with a chancellor no one trusts anymore.” 

A Woke Bundeswehr? 

Junge Freiheit wrote on September 4: 

“…the Bundeswehr is not about a professionally required exchange. Instead, the troops are inviting people to the conference ‘Woke and Defensive. Queer Realities of Life in the Bundeswehr.’ The ‘scientific objective of the research project’ is… ‘the experience-based exchange to strengthen diversity and queerness in the Bundeswehr…’ 

“For this purpose, the Bundeswehr University… has scheduled panels with subsequent discussions over two days. The rainbow-framed brochure is supported by the ‘Evangelical Chaplaincy in the Bundeswehr’ and the ‘Center for Gender & Diversity’… 

“According to the brochure description, the troops’ true enemy is our closest military ally: US President Donald Trump. Shortly after taking office, he abandoned the ‘Diversity-Equity-Inclusion’ policy (diversity, equality, inclusion), which had also spread in the US Army. Trump is using anti-diversity strategies ‘to massively restrict the rights of transgender people’… A presentation from the first panel is directly titled ‘Gender in Law – More Than Just Male or Female’… 

“Are there more diverse people who will stand up for Germany, the colors black, red, and gold, and not for the rainbow? Skepticism is raised by the Bundeswehr’s own advertising posters, which sometimes omit the word ‘Germany’ – despite the fact that recruits take their oath of allegiance to it. Now the Bundeswehr is advertising with a slogan that is also being used by certain political circles: ‘How far will you go for our democracy?’” 

Jens Spahn Lags Far Behind 

Der Stern wrote on August 5: 

“The highest trust ratings among their own supporters in the current ranking are Boris Pistorius (SPD, 82 points), Markus Söder (CSU, 80 points), as well as Heidi Reichinnek (Left Party) and Alice Weidel (AfD) (78 points each). Jens Spahn (CDU) has by far the lowest trust rating among his own party’s supporters: He receives only 37 points from CDU supporters. 

In the overall ranking, Pistorius is by far the best: Söder is in 6th place, closely followed by Merz in 7th place, closely followed by Klingbeil (SPD) in 8th place, Reichinnek in 10th place; Spahn is far behind in 17th place, and Weidel is in 19th place. 

The Insanity of COVID Politics

Report 24 wrote on September 8:

“Jens Spahn, the former Minister of Health, recently admitted what has long been clear to many. He would be the first to face the AfD’s ‘political judiciary’ if it were to take power… If the judiciary were truly independent, Spahn would have had to face it already. The same applies to Angela Merkel, Olaf Scholz, Karl Lauterbach, and Christian Drosten. Instead, doctors who issued mask certificates or simulated vaccinations are being prosecuted for giving people their lives back… That’s why people are in prison today whose only offense was resisting the measures… The judiciary is hunting those who helped the people, while the real perpetrators walk free.”

“Because the vaccination is anything but safe. Dozens of studies demonstrate serious side effects. Thrombosis, myocarditis, strokes – such adverse reactions quickly appeared after the start of the vaccination campaigns. The FDA even officially warned of myocarditis in young men after mRNA vaccinations. By now, everyone probably knows someone who has been harmed by the forced injection. Turbo cancer, sudden death, permanent damage. Yet the injection was sold as harmless.

“The lockdowns were equally destructive. The disruption of production fueled inflation. Psychologically, the number of depressions, anxiety, and suicides rose explosively. Families were destroyed by propaganda, children lost years of their development. In terms of health, people died from untreated illnesses because they didn’t dare go to the doctor. The worst part is the knowledge of those in power. They knew the risks in advance. Corona was not a lethal virus. Manufacturers like Pfizer and Moderna promised neither efficacy nor safety… The contracts protect them from lawsuits, even in cases of serious damage, even in the death of vaccine victims. The politicians protected them. They took away the people’s freedom, forced them into isolation, and ruined livelihoods. For absolute control, total power. For billions that flowed to pharmaceutical companies. 

“Spahn was right in the middle of it with his mask deals. He organized the vaccination campaign, ignoring all warnings. Merkel ordered the lockdowns. Scholz prolonged the catastrophe. Lauterbach preached panic. Drosten provided the ‘Science’ that suited the government’s wishes. If the judiciary were independent, there would be charges, trials, and a genuine investigation. Instead, it protects the perpetrators…

“But the pressure is growing. On August 27, the US withdrew emergency approval for mRNA gene injections, and the injection is now only being considered for very old or sick people. As it should have been from the beginning – including here. People don’t forget. The evidence is mounting. The stories of those affected are getting louder. Spahn’s words seem like a confession. They reveal the fear of the powerful. It may take a long time, but everyone will be held accountable for their crimes. The politicians, the pharmaceutical mafia, the henchmen in the media. Nothing will be forgotten, nothing will be forgiven. Not even in Austria.”

Still,  voices are being heard again, advocating the insanity of vaccinations and the useless wearing of masks. 

Becoming a Saint… 

USA Today wrote on September 5: 

“Pope Leo will canonize Blessed Carlo Acutis on Sunday, Sept. 7, the first such ceremony of his tenure and the first Catholic saint of the millennial generation… Carlo, a British-born Italian who died from leukemia in 2006 at age 15, had been set to be canonized April 27 during the Jubilee of Adolescents. The ceremony was postponed after the death of Pope Francis on April 21. Carlo, sometimes referred to as ‘God’s influencer,’ learned several computer coding languages before his death and built websites to spread his faith. Sainthood indicates that the church believes the person is in heaven with God. 

“Sainthood causes are examined by a Vatican department that must confirm that the person lived a holy life. It usually also involves the verification of two miracles [AFTER the person’s death] attributed to the future saint’s intercession with God in heaven. 

“In 2020, the church recognized his first miracle, involving a 4-year-old Brazilian boy who was determined to be healed from a serious pancreatic birth defect. After the boy’s mother prayed to Carlo in 2013, her son experienced a sudden and complete recovery. 

“In May 2024, a second miracle was announced, this time involving a woman from Costa Rica. In 2022, she prayed at Carlo’s tomb in Assisi, Italy, after her daughter suffered severe head trauma from a bicycle accident. Doctors had informed the mother that her daughter was unlikely to survive. In her pilgrimage to Carlo’s tomb, the mother left a note. On the same day, her daughter began to breathe spontaneously. The next day, she started to move and regained some of her speech. Ten days later, a CAT scan showed her brain hemorrhage had disappeared. 

“Carlo’s beatification took place in October 2020, when Pope Francis declared the teen had attained the blessedness of heaven, and he was given the title of ‘Blessed.’” 

None of that is biblical. Only Jesus Christ went to heaven after His resurrection—nobody else. Any “miracle” cannot be attributed to Carlo Acutis because he is dead and in his grave, without any consciousness, awaiting his resurrection from the dead. IF those “miracles” did in fact occur, they did not show any DIVINE intervention because people prayed to Carlo.   

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:

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

First of all, let us look at this phrase. From Wikipedia we can glean this interesting information: “‘In God We Trust’ is the official motto of the United States of America, Nicaragua, and of the U.S. state of Florida. It was adopted as the United States’ motto in 1956 as a replacement or alternative to the unofficial motto of E pluribus unum, which was adopted when the Great Seal of the United States was created and adopted in 1782. ‘In God We Trust’ first appeared on the two-cent piece in 1864 and has appeared on paper currency since 1957.”

It is an interesting question to ask if this would be permitted today.   And even if it were, would it be embraced with the same deep intended meaning? You just have to wonder as the USA, as well as many other nations around the world, have become much more secular and permissive societies. 

As ever, there are those who, not having any religious affiliation or affinity, object to the use of this phrase.   Wikipedia continues:

“Some groups and people have expressed objections to its use, contending that its religious reference violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. These groups believe the phrase should be removed from currency and public property.  In lawsuits, this argument has so far not overcome the interpretational doctrine of accommodationism, which allows government to endorse religious establishments as long as they are all treated equally. According to a 2003 joint poll by USA Today, CNN, and Gallup, 90% of Americans support the inscription ‘In God We Trust’ on U.S. coins.”

In an article by Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell on May 7, 2013, she wrote: “Following the April 29 (2013) opening of their documentary The Unbelievers at Toronto’s Hot Docs Film Festival, outspoken atheists Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss discussed the merits of their approaches to ‘ridding the world of religion.’ In a recent interview with Steve Paikin, they made it clear that, despite their sometimes different personas, they have the same agenda—getting people to get rid of their belief in God. Yet they both say that Christians should not feel ‘threatened’ by their efforts to expunge religion from human history.”  

That is the society that we live in today, where trust in God is belittled, undermined and scoffed at, and this background should give us the extra urgency and energy to trust in God for all our needs.

And so, back to the question. This phrase is not found verbatim in the Word of God but there are many verses that give the same meaning and understanding. 

In Psalm 91:2 we read: “I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.’”

There are many other verses that say much the same thing, for example:

Psalm 18:2: “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”

Nahum 1:7: “The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him.”

Psalm 40:3: “He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD.”

Psalm 73:28: “But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the LORD GOD, That I may declare all Your works.”

Proverbs 29:25: “The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.”

These are but a few verses that show us where our trust should be.

As we know, times have changed drastically over the last several decades. There was a time when most people had a belief in God but, in more recent times, as the world has become more and more secular, that belief and acceptance have dwindled, been questioned, dismissed and even ridiculed by many as being outdated and unnecessary.   There are those who wonder why the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord will be necessary, and even as severe as they will surely be but, even a cursory review of how society today thinks and behaves should give more than a clue as to why “there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21).   It will be the only way of getting man’s full attention.

Dismissing trust in God, along with many other sins, will lead to much trouble and suffering for mankind.

Unfortunately, as so often happens, this phrase has been misappropriated by those who seem to know no better.   For example, an increasing trend with football (soccer) supporters in the UK can be seen when showing banners at matches with God’s Name being replaced by the manager or a star player.   Instead of “In God We Trust” it becomes “In (name of person) We Trust”.   In a way, that is hardly surprising, as football in the UK (and in many other countries) has become a religion.   This phrase with a human being’s name inserted, can also be heard in conversation and it is indeed a godless and unwelcome trend where a human being is seen as more important than God.   Regrettably, that means nothing to those who are so involved but they will see, one day, how ridiculous such assertions were.

We are told not to trust in man.   In Psalm 118:8-9 we read: “It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man.  It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in princes.”

Also, Psalm 146:3: “Do not put your trust in princes, Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.”

And in Jeremiah 17:5: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the LORD.’”

It is quite clear that trust is not to be in mortal man but in the great Creator and Eternal God.  Those in the true Church of God today, do trust God.   In 2 Samuel 22:2-3, David, when giving praise for God’s deliverance said:

“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence.”

A stronghold is a “fortified place, a place of security or survival,” and that is what God should be to us.   In God we trust, not in any man, and while this exact phrase cannot be found verbatim in the Word of God, the principle is seen throughout the Bible.

Let us, as the people of God, never forget where our trust should be and make our motto “In God We Trust.”

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

A Tech Team Meeting was conducted on September 7, 2025. Hosted by Eric Rank, several topics were covered, including ad results for our booklet offerings and website adjustments along with more FOT planning.

“Gott IST… unsere Bestimmung!” the German translation of our booklet, “God Is… Our Destiny,” has been sent to graphic designer Shelly Bruno in preparation for printing.

“The Feast of Trumpets” is the latest video in our Bible Story Series on YouTube.

“Was das “Christentum“ über Christus nicht weiß!” is the title of this Sabbath’s second split sermon in Germany, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English, “ “What ‘Christianity’ Does Not Know About Christ!”

“Nur für Dich,” last Sabbath’s first German split sermon presented by Johann Schell, is now posted. Title in English: “Only for You.”

“Den Herrn allezeit vor Augen – Die Lösung für Angst und Furcht,” last Sabbath’s second German split sermon by Daniel Blasinger, is now posted. Title in English: “Keeping the Lord Always in Mind – The Solution to Anxiety and Fear.”

“Why America is Going Down—Comments on News and Prophecy, September 6, 2025,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

This program gives many examples of the ongoing downfall of the USA and its deteriorating relationship with friends and allies, as well as frightening conduct by its enemies, notwithstanding wishful thinking and statements to the contrary. There is a reason for that, and God’s Church has a duty to proclaim this reason. This includes the fact that the USA will NOT win a major war anymore, as Herbert W. Armstrong so famously proclaimed.

“God’s Warning to True and False Christians,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

Are you a true Christian, and if not, how can you become one? On the other hand, what must true Christians guard against to ensure they remain true Christians? The answers to these questions are of utmost importance and will determine your ultimate salvation.

2025 FALL HOLY DAYS:

September 23   Feast of Trumpets

October 2           Day of Atonement

October 7-13     Feast of Tabernacles

October 14         Last Great Day