On December 11, 2021, Norbert Link will present “Comments on News and Prophecy (December 11, 2021),” and Michael Link will present the sermon, titled, “Our Duty to Fulfill.”

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 number of this week’s Update is 1,000, meaning that we, in the Church of the Eternal God, have published 1,000 weekly Updates since we began publication on or about August 25, 2001. These initial issues had a humble beginning with just one page or a few pages of Church announcements and of some news developments, but soon, beginning with Update #32, we added a regular Editorial and, commencing with Update #54, a regular Bible study which we named “Q&A”—with our Current Events (News) section having reached over the years a sizeable scope as well. Our weekly Updates have grown to in excess of 20 pages on average.

Is there any significance to the fact that we have now reached now the milestone of 1,000 editions of our weekly Updates? We believe there is.

In the Bible, the number 10 has great significance… even more so, of course, 10x10x10.

We explain in our free booklet, Hidden Secrets in the Bible, that the biblical number 10 stands for godly judgment. And so, God is judging us as to how well we have performed so far, realizing that there is of course always room for improvement in our search for excellence, but we believe that God is also judging those who were reached over the years with the Gospel message—and even those who could have been reached, but who refused to respond by closing their ears and shutting their eyes. Yes, God is judging and evaluating us as to how we have responded to the preaching of His Word and whether we have turned to or from God’s Way of Life.

We say in our above-mentioned booklet that God gave us the law of the Ten Commandments, which is still in force and effect today, and it is by that law that we will be and are being judged. God also asked us to pay Him His tithe—ten percent of our increase—and we will be judged as to how diligent we are in fulfilling His command.

God brought judgment upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians and their false religion (Exodus 12:12; Numbers 33:4), by striking them with ten plagues—the tenth plague being the death of every Egyptian firstborn. God told Abram that He would not destroy Sodom if ten righteous were to be found in it (Genesis 18:32), but Sodom was judged as lacking even ten righteous people. We also read that during God’s judgment, only ten out of one hundred people (that is, 10%) will be left in the cities of Israel (Amos 5:3).

There are ten generations from Adam to Noah (Genesis 5), and God judged the world at the time of Noah when He destroyed it in a Flood. At the time of Moses, the children of Israel rebelled ten times against God in the wilderness (Numbers 14:22), judging themselves as unworthy to enter the Promised Land (verse 23).

We read about ten virgins in the end time—five of them are judged as being foolish, and five as being wise. The five foolish ones are not too concerned with using the Holy Spirit that had been given to them, while the five wise virgins—even though they also fell asleep with the others—had still enough Holy Spirit within them to be able to prepare and make themselves ready for their Master’s return. The church in Smyrna was to be tested for ten days, but if they were judged to be faithful, they would inherit eternal life (Revelation 2:10).

All these examples, and there are many more, show that 10 (or a duplication of the number 10) signifies evaluation and judgment in many cases. We believe that God has given His Church the end-time responsibility of preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God to this dying world as a witness, which includes a warning message of doom and destruction, unless there is repentance, and God’s Church is also to feed the flock and to nourish them in the Word of God. Yes, God is judging all of us as to how well we are fulfilling this responsibility, collectively and individually, and He is evaluating and judging all of those who have responded to His Word and are changing their lives for the better, as well as those who returned to the world, or refused to listen even though they were given the opportunity to respond.

We do not know how much time we have left before the Great Tribulation begins, and how many more weekly Updates we can produce in combination with our other activities and services, with the hope of reaching as many people as possible, but as much as we have opportunity, we will continue to do the Work and “march onward” as “Christian soldiers,” knowing that time IS running out.

by Norbert Link

For over 20 years, the Church of the Eternal God has been publishing relevant news articles in the light of biblical prophecy, giving our readership an overview of really important developments and where they might lead. We have been warning of the prophesied arrival of a worldwide dictatorship and, more recently, we pointed out how the global restrictions and governmental measures in response to the coronavirus pandemic are paving the way for such a dictatorship to form.

We have been closely observing developments in Germany, Austria and Europe, since it is there where the “beast” will arrive to begin the Great Tribulation. Since he will work hand in hand with the false prophet, and since there will be a European collaboration between church and state, we have been focusing on developments pointing to such an occurrence.

As especially the downfall of the USA and Britain and their hostile relationship with continental Europe have been prophesied, our news articles have been focusing on events such as the Brexit (which we have announced to occur long before it actually did), as well as, more recently, the shaky relationship between the USA and Europe under Bush, Trump and now Biden, in combination with the catastrophic politics of the Biden Administration, accelerating America’s demise domestically and internationally.  

We have been regularly addressing regularly the developments in the Middle East with special emphasis on Israel, as especially Israel will be in the forefront of the coming fulfillment of end-time prophecies. In addition, we have been watching the growing collaboration between Russia, China and other Far Eastern nations, in opposition to continental Europe, which will lead to a future nuclear war between these power blocs.

And so, this edition is no exception.

We report on Austria and Germany’s new governments which do not give much hope of a return to democracy and freedom from dictatorial and autocratic measures (please view our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “The Dictatorship of the Beast in the Book of Revelation”);  focus on Italy and perhaps even Israel jumping on the bandwagon of totalitarianism; wonder whether former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi might return; and speak on the movement of global tyranny for all nations.

Focusing on the USA, we address, among many other articles, Biden’s vaccination mandates and concerns regarding his mental health.

We address the developments pertaining to Russia and Ukraine [please view our new StandingWatch program titled, “War between Russia, America and Europe over Ukraine?”]; speak on America’s deteriorating relationship with Israel, and conclude with a stunningly surprising announcement by Biden regarding the prophesied building of the third Temple.

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

“Immigration Hardliner” Karl Nehammer new Austrian leader

The Guardian wrote on December 3:

“Austria’s ruling conservatives have picked the interior minister, an immigration hardliner, to lead them and the nation after a wave of resignations by senior officials set off by Sebastian Kurz…

“Karl Nehammer succeeds Kurz as party chief and will lead the coalition government with the Greens. He takes over a party in disarray since Kurz stepped down as chancellor in October because he had been placed under criminal investigation on suspicion of corruption offences.  Kurz denies any wrongdoing. Nehammer said… fighting coronavirus would be a top priority. Austria is in lockdown…

“Kurz’s resignation as party leader on Thursday sent shock waves through the party and prompted two of his closest allies, the chancellor, Alexander Schallenberg, and the finance minister, Gernot Blümel, to say they too would step down. Schallenberg had been in the job for less than two months.

“Bluemel is under investigation in a separate corruption case and also denies wrongdoing. Both he and Kurz said that having newborn children had motivated their decisions… Neither the OVP nor the Greens have an obvious interest in a snap election as opinion polls suggest both would lose seats. But tensions between them are such that few analysts expect their government to survive until the end of this parliament in 2023.”

Voices have warned that under Nehammer, Austria’s dictatorship will even get worse.

On Monday, Nehammer was sworn in as the new Chancellor. Wochenblick added on December 6:

“Other ÖVP members were also newly sworn in … the appointment of the new Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, who stood out in the past by caring for the remembrance of the Austro-Fascist dictator Engelbert Dollfuss, is causing criticism. Will the Interior Ministry now act even more aggressively against the resistance than it did under Nehammer? In any case, the Interior Ministry has already found the right [person as the] head of state security for dictatorial reprisals. Just yesterday, the ‘Director for State Security and Intelligence’ Omar Haijawi Pirchner announced that he wanted to monitor closely the social media.”

Demonstrations in Austria

Wochenblick wrote on December 4:

“Tens of thousands are back on Vienna’s streets today. They stand up against the coming compulsory vaccination…. People from all walks of life and of all ages are protesting. Mothers appeal: ‘Protect our children – get children out of schools!’ The state has been repressive from the start. Penalties for not wearing a mask were imposed…

“The lawyer from the Ministry of Defense, Monika Donner, gave an incendiary speech against the lies of the government…

“As a trained medical doctor, the FPÖ politician Dagmar Belakowitsch… spoke again at the rally. Alexander Tschugguel from the Catholic St. Bonifatius Institute spoke out decisively against the state access to our bodies and appealed to the people to continue to offer resistance before everything is taken from us…

“The fact that Karl Nehammer is now the new Federal Chancellor is causing a particular resentment among those who resist. They know from their own demonstration experiences that as minister of the interior, he was known by his autocratic, inhuman style… As the government will… force injections, this will also apply to the children and, if nothing changes, even to the newborns as well.”

Wochenblick stated on December 5 that “more than 100,000 people demonstrated in Vienna.”

The New York Times added the following on December 5:

“Austria has also announced that vaccination would become compulsory as of Feb. 1, making it the first Western country to take that step… the editorial board of The Financial Times [has] said the plan exacts too high a price in terms of individual freedom and see it a sign of political failure.”

By Sunday, the lockdown in Austria for the vaccinated will end, for the time being, but NOT for the unvaccinated.

Germany’s New Lockdown and Mandatory Vax Health Minister…

Breitbart wrote on December 6 in a headline:

“New German Government Taps Lockdown Loving Lawmaker as New Health Minister.”

It continued:

“The most closely watched appointment was that of the health minister… Scholz chose Karl Lauterbach, an epidemiologist and media-savvy lawmaker who lacks executive experience but has been one of Germany’s most prominent voices urging caution and strict measures against COVID-19 since the pandemic started… Federal and state leaders last week announced tough new restrictions that largely target unvaccinated people… parliament will consider a general vaccine mandate.”

Lauterbach is also an advocate of mandatory vaccinations. Lauterbach is a controversial figure, even in his own party (SPD). Leader of the opposition party AFP, Alice Weidel, tweeted: “It could not have been worse for Germany.”  The three coalition parties of the new government (SPD, Green and FDP) also agreed on other controversial measures, such as obtaining 80% of Germany’s electricity from renewable energies by 2030; lowering the voting age to 16; and legalizing the recreational use of cannabis. Dark clouds on the horizon in Germany…

Germany’s “Fight” against the Unvaccinated

The Local wrote on December 7:

“In a press conference held after the signing of the new government’s coalition agreement in Berlin, incoming Chancellor Olaf Scholz slammed ‘threatening’ protests against Covid restrictions and vaccinations. His comments were echoed by Green Party co-leader Robert Habeck… ‘The fact that we need a higher vaccination rate isn’t up for debate,’ he said. ‘It becomes problematic when, out of the multitude of different reasons (for not getting vaccinated), a movement arises – not necessarily against vaccination, but against the state, against a free and open democracy,’ he added…

“Demonstrations against current Covid measures have been ramping up in Germany as the incoming government moves to bar unvaccinated people from most areas of public life, including non-essential shops. The country has also introduced contact restrictions that prevent unvaccinated people from meeting more than two other people at a time.

“Critics of the measures claim that the moves risk sowing more division in an already divided society, but Scholz defended the move on Tuesday, claiming the German population was ‘not split’ but rather ‘of one mind’. ‘We have to do everything in our power to protect the population, and we’ll only succeed if as many people as possible are vaccinated,’ said Scholz. ‘We need restrictions, particularly for the people who haven’t got vaccinated, because there’s no doubt whatsoever that it’s the people who aren’t vaccinated who are driving the high infection rates.’”

The Local published the following comments:

“What a hypocrisy! To talk about democracy when there is in fact absolute tyranny and segregation.

“The hypocrisy is real… To claim that the only way to succeed in fighting covid is by getting as many people as possible vaccinated or to claim that the unvaccinated are to blame for the rising covid cases is just bogus and false…”

New German chameleon and backpedaling politician Olaf Scholz might be right to the extent that most brainwashed Germans, but by far not all, are of “one mind” when it comes to blaming the unvaccinated and mandating vaccinations.

Meet Karl Lauterbach… the German Anthony Fauci

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 6:

“During the COVID pandemic, epidemiologist and eccentric Karl Lauterbach became known as a voice of reason for some, and an infuriating lockdown supporter for others. Now he will be Germany’s new health minister… Karl Lauterbach… is a regular guest on talk shows, gives interviews and regularly tweets — sometimes every hour… his media appearances were to impart bad news. He regularly called for a tougher stance and more restrictions in Germany’s coronavirus policy…

“Karl Lauterbach is a controversial figure. Some are annoyed and [describe] him as a ‘Cassandra,’ a nod to the ancient Greek mythical clairvoyant who always predicted disaster… But many others trust him, and some even became ardent supporters during the course of the pandemic…

“[His] appointment was a highly controversial decision within the SPD right up to the end. In the party, to which Lauterbach has belonged for 16 years as a directly elected member of parliament, he is regarded as a lone wolf, an eccentric and a know-it-all… Olaf Scholz likely knows that with Karl Lauterbach he is bringing a politician into his Cabinet who will not please everyone…”

Germany’s “Quarantine Centers” in Use Again

Life Site News wrote on December 3:

“A recent survey by German newspaper Welt am Sonntag found that at least 15 people have been taken to quarantine facilities in Germany’s 10 largest cities since the beginning of the year. The 15 individuals, who allegedly violated at-home isolation requirements for COVID-19, include 11 in Munich, two in Stuttgart, and one each in Düsseldorf and Frankfurt, Welt am Sonntag reported. The full number of cases is likely higher, as authorities Berlin and Leipzig did not provide figures to the paper.

“Some of the quarantine facilities were located within prisons, according to Welt. ‘Most of the federal states have closed areas in hospitals or prisons for quarantine breakers,’ the outlet noted. ‘In Eisenhüttenstadt, Brandenburg, refusals were last housed in a former deportation detention center, in North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, in a Solingen clinic.’…

“German Infection Protection Act of 2000 specifically authorizes ‘placement in a locked hospital’ or ‘locked facility’ to that effect. ‘The fundamental right to freedom of the person can be restricted in this respect,’ the law states. With hundreds of thousands of Germans subject to domestic quarantine orders at any given time, city authorities typically ‘check’ residents ‘if there is a specific suspicion,’ according to Welt. In Stuttgart, officials rely on ‘special tipsters,’ including ‘neighbors, acquaintances and relatives.’…

“The 10 largest cities in Germany have also initiated more than 250 fine proceedings for quarantine violations, the newspaper noted. Fines ranged between 250-1,000 euros, though they can run up to 25,000 euros….”

Incredible Falsification in Bavaria

Focus wrote on December 4:

“The Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder caused a sensation at the end of November with a graphic: The incidence of unvaccinated people in Bavaria is 1469, compared with only 110 people who have been vaccinated. ‘There is a direct connection between low vaccination rates and high infection rates,’ Söder wrote. His appeal: ‘So please get vaccinated. Only vaccination helps.‘

“Now it became known, however, that the State Office for Health and Food Safety [LGL] which collects the data in Bavaria, apparently often does not even know the vaccination status of the individually infected people, according to ‘Welt’ research. Instead of ignoring the cases with an unknown status, they are added to the unvaccinated.

“The imbalance can be serious. According to a spokesman for the authorities, a total of 81,782 corona cases were reported for the week before November 24th – 9,641 infected people with full vaccination protection, 14,652 without vaccination protection and 57,489 with ‘unknown’ vaccination status. According to the LGL, these 57,489 infected people were then assigned to the group of unvaccinated – with considerable consequences for the incidence value for unvaccinated people.

“Apparently Bavaria is not an isolated case. This counting method is also used accordingly in Hamburg, as a spokesman for the Hamburg Senate of the ‘Welt’ confirmed …

“There has been harsh criticism from the opposition regarding the incidence reports in Bavaria. Martin Hagen, FDP parliamentary group leader in the Bavarian state parliament, called for ‘unreserved clarification’. He criticized according to ‘Welt’: ‘The suspicion that state authorities are deliberately giving the public a wrong picture with distorted statistics weighs heavily.’ And turning to the Prime Minister, he asks: ‘Did Söder know that the numbers were manipulated with which he justifies his politics?’”

It will end up as it did in Bertolt Brecht’s “Mackie Messer”: “… who knows nothing of any of it” (“der von allem nichts gewusst.”)

Subsequently, Focus reported on December 5 that the Bavarian government responded to the report. The audacity with which their falsifications were justified is incredible:

“LGL President Walter Jonas says: ‘This accusation is absolutely absurd. We decided to initially count the cases without information on the vaccination status among the unvaccinated… Merely omitting the missing values ​​would have led to completely wrong incidence ratios … Even after changing the calculation, nothing will change…’

“However, the authority does not provide any information about what the ‘conversion of the calculation’ of the data is all about.”

This is how the people are being misled.

Abolishing the Nuremberg Code?

Ddbnews.org wrote on December 4:

“Ursula Van Der Leyen, chairwoman of the EU Commission, told the press on Wednesday that she was in favor of abolishing the long-standing Nuremberg Code and forcing people to get vaccinated against COVID… In Austria, unvaccinated people aged 12 and over are currently almost completely banned and are only allowed outside for essential tasks such as eating or seeing a doctor…

“The Nuremberg Code was enacted in 1947 immediately after World War II to prevent many of the egregious human rights violations committed by the Nazis and the Imperial Japanese during the war.

“In particular, it was about carrying out medical procedures on test subjects without their consent. These procedures, often under the direction of the likes of Dr. Josef Mengele or Hideki Tojo, often included the worst torture methods. Since then, full and proactive ongoing consent has been required.”

If this does not ring alarm bells…

Israel too?

Israel Today wrote on December 6:

“Israel’s ‘Corona Czar’ said last week that the Jewish state must consider mandating COVID-19 vaccines for all citizens. Other officials retorted that doing so would make Israel a dictatorship. Israel is currently not mandating vaccination against coronavirus, though many have argued that there is heavy governmental control to get the jab… Government officials, including Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, insist that those sectors of society still refusing the vaccine are now threatening the success of Israel’s battle against the pandemic.

“…  there is a good chance Israel will eventually mandate vaccination in light of decisions by several major European countries… However, Israel is a more fractured society. Vaccination rates are still lowest among the Arabs and ultra-Orthodox Jews, and it is difficult to see those sectors peacefully acquiescing to any government mandates.”

Italy of Course

The Associated Press reported on December 6:

“Italy is making life more uncomfortable for unvaccinated people this holiday season, excluding them from indoor restaurants, theaters and museums starting Monday to reduce the spread of coronavirus and encourage vaccine skeptics to get their shots.

“Italian police have been empowered to check whether diners in restaurants or bars have a ‘super’ green health pass certifying that they are either vaccinated or have recently recovered from the virus. Smart phone applications that verify people’s health pass status have been updated to prevent entry to concerts, movies or performances to those who have merely tested negative in recent days. The measures run through Jan. 15.”

Mussolini is coming to town…

Comeback of Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi?

The Daily Mail wrote on December 5:

“Former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has been tipped to make one more run to be Italy’s next president. The 85-year-old media tycoon… remains Italy’s longest serving post war leader, having been in office three times. Despite regular brushes with the law – including being convicted of tax fraud in 2013 – and a number of health concerns, he has previously been referred to as ‘the immortal’ for his longevity in politics. And now, those within his centre-right Forza Italia party, which he led for more than two decades, are tipping him to make one final run for the top job.

“Antonio Tajani, the deputy leader of the party told the Sunday Telegraph: ‘It would be a dream. A lot of us have asked him [to run]…’ Berlusconi has not officially entered the race but is reportedly campaigning behind the scenes. The right-wing bloc… are expected to back him if he were to officially enter the race… He is currently a legislator in the European Parliament…

“Gianfranco Rotondi, a veteran Forza Italia MP and a former minister under Berlusconi’s last government said his former boss has a ’50-50 chance to make it’ in voting which starts around January 20. Lorenzo Castellani, a political historian at Rome’s Luiss university, said he predicted Berlusconi’s attempt to fade, but expected him to be ‘one of the kingmakers’ in the presidential race. The frontrunner in January’s elections is currently Mario Draghi, the current prime minister, while sitting president Sergio Mattarella has also been mentioned as a credible option, despite saying he wants to retire.

“Italian presidents are elected by approximately 1,000 national and regional lawmakers in a secret ballot.”

A Global Treaty for Pandemics?

Climate Depot wrote on December 1:

“… global leaders on Wednesday agreed to start negotiations to create an international agreement to prevent and deal with future pandemics — which some have dubbed a ‘pandemic treaty.’ The special session of the World Health Assembly, only the second ever held by the WHO’s governing body, pledged by consensus to begin work on an agreement… The United States has said it is largely in favor of such an accord… Britain and European Union states have also championed an agreement…”

Climate Depot went on to comment:

“… if a ‘radical’ WHO ‘pandemic treaty’ that is ‘legally binding’ becomes reality, global mandates may be coming your way… Even the Washington Post is calling a ‘pandemic treaty’ a ‘radical’ idea. Once a ‘pandemic treaty’ is set in place, COVID mandates will become permanent as elite officials fly around the world to discuss how to further crush freedom… Just like the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the architects of a ‘pandemic treaty’ will seek more and more power and control and become a self-interested lobbying organization…”

This is frightening news.

Global Tyranny

Life Site News wrote on December 3:

“Dr. Robert Malone, the original inventor of the mRNA vaccine technology 40 years ago, praised the recent call by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò to build an anti-globalist alliance…

“Archbishop Viganò had proposed on November 18 to ‘free humanity from a totalitarian regime that brings together in itself the horrors of the worst dictatorships of all time,’ and he challenged ‘rulers, political and religious leaders, intellectuals and all people of good will, inviting them to unite in an alliance that launches an anti-globalist manifesto, refuting point by point the errors and deviations of the dystopia of the New World Order and proposing concrete alternatives for a political program inspired by the common good, the moral principles of Christianity, traditional values, the protection of life and the natural family, the protection of business and work, the promotion of education and research, and respect for creation.’…

“Dr. Malone [is] a strong opponent to the currently debated and planned vaccine mandates, lockdown policies, and mask mandates, all of which are, according to his study and research, ineffective and potentially harmful to human health… The vaccine expert compared the lockdowns with the ‘camel’s nose’ metaphor: ‘Once the camel’s nose gets in the tent, pretty soon the whole camel is in the tent,’ Dr. Malone said…

“‘There is a growing sense by many people that there’s something fundamentally evil going on here (…) I’ve become convinced that we do have a situation that is essentially the growth and expansion of global tyranny that is harmonized, that is managed, that is aligned across nation states, and it appears to be aligned with the economic interests of a small cluster of investment funds that represents the bulk of global western capital… For two years now we have been witnessing a global coup d’état, in which a financial and ideological elite has succeeded in seizing control of part of national governments, public and private institutions, the media, the judiciary, politicians, and religious leaders… Fundamental rights, which up until yesterday were presented as inviolable, have been trampled underfoot in the name of an emergency: today a health emergency, tomorrow an ecological emergency, and after that an internet emergency.’”

Poll: US Government without Power to Mandate Vaccination

Breitbart wrote on December 3:

“Most voters say the federal government does not have the authority to mandate coronavirus vaccines, a Rasmussen Reports survey released Friday found… “Most, 57 percent, said ‘no,’ the government does not have that power, while 35 percent said ‘yes,’ and eight percent said ‘not sure.’

“The vast majority of Republicans, 81 percent, said the government does not have that power, and 63 percent of independents agree. However, most Democrats, 59 percent, believe the government does, in fact, have the power to make the coronavirus vaccination mandatory.”

This shows where at this point, the greatest danger for US democracy comes from. We are not promoting or endorsing any political party or candidate—we are just stating facts and focusing on trends. However, Trump keeps taking credit for developing the vaccine at high speed “when everyone said it wasn’t possible.” Since the vaccine was not, and could not have been tested for long-time complications, his continued “encouragement” to get vaccinated contributes to the problems which we are facing today. But there can be no doubt that the vaccination policy of the Biden Administration does endanger the safety, security and survival of this country. Note the next article.

Oklahoma’s AG Sues Biden over Vaccine Mandates

Breitbart reported on December 3:

“Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor (R) has sued the Biden administration over its federal coronavirus vaccine mandate for federal employees and National Guard members… Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin sent a letter to Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt earlier this week reinforcing the need for military members to be vaccinated following Stitt’s request to bypass the mandate…

“‘Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate ensures that many Oklahoma National Guard members will simply quit instead of getting a vaccine, a situation that will irreparably harm Oklahomans’ safety and security,’ O’Connor said in a statement. ‘These patriots, along with many federal employees, who serve their country and their state are now at risk of being terminated because they do not wish to take the vaccine.’”

Federal Judge Blocks Vaccine Mandate for Federal Contractors

Breitbart wrote on December 7:

“A federal judge Tuesday issued an injunction striking down the Biden administration’s coronavirus vaccine mandate for federal contractors, saying the plaintiffs are ‘likely [to] succeed in their claim that the President exceeded the authorization given to him by Congress.’

“The lawsuit was brought by Attorney General Alan Wilson and Governor Henry McMaster of South Carolina, along with the attorneys general of Georgia, Alabama, Idaho, Kansas, Utah, and West Virginia and the governors of Georgia, Alabama, and Idaho, as well as other state entities.

“The case revolves around the president’s authority under the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act (Procurement Act) and the authority it gives the president to issue public health mandates such as the one President Joe Biden issues in Executive Order (EO) 14042 to require all federal contractors to be vaccinated or face possible termination. ‘The Court acknowledges the tragic toll that the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought throughout the nation and the globe,’ Judge Stan Baker begins. ‘However, even in time of crisis this Court must preserve the rule of law and ensure that all branches of government act within the bounds of their constitutionally granted authorities.’ Furthermore, writes Baker, the government’s  ‘“strong interest in combating the spread of [COVID-19]’ … does not permit the government to ‘act unlawfully even in the pursuit of desirable ends.’”…

“Baker also pointed out that the Biden administration has neither cited a case that allows the president ‘to promulgate such a wide and sweeping public health regulation,’ nor cited a case in which a court upheld an analogous action. Concluding his determination of the merits, Baker explained that if the Biden administration were to have success in this case, it would give the president the ‘right to impose virtually any kind of requirement on businesses that wish to contract with the Government.’”

New York City’s Ongoing Tyranny under Mayor de Blasio

CNBC wrote on December 6:

“New York City is imposing a vaccine mandate for all private sector employers as a preemptive measure to fight a surge of Covid cases this winter, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Monday. The mandate covers 184,000 businesses and will go into effect on Dec. 27, de Blasio said. Everyone 12 and older, workers and customers, will be required to show proof of two vaccine doses by that date, unless they received Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine…

“The city will also require proof of vaccination for children ages 5 to 11 for indoor dining, entertainment and fitness establishments, the mayor said. Kids will be required to have proof of at least one dose by Dec. 14. They will also have to show proof of one dose for high-risk extracurricular activities such as sports, band, orchestra and dance by the same date.

“The New York City policy comes after the Biden administration was forced to halt implementation and enforcement of national vaccine and testing requirements for businesses with 100 or more employees to comply with a federal court order… It’s unclear whether omicron causes more severe disease, according to the WHO. The people who have tested positive…  so far have shown mild to moderate symptoms.”

This incredible “first in the nation” measure has been summarized by Breitbart in this way: “Covid-1984… It’s All About Control.” De Blasio’s mayoralty ends at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, so he moved quickly to get these new dictatorial measures in place before vacating his office. The proposed new measures have already received sharp criticism from many New Yorkers (see New York Post, December 6).

New York City has been setting a really bad example of terrible dictatorship.

Far Weaker US Jobs Report as Expected

Breitbart wrote on December 3:

“The U.S. economy added 210,00 jobs in November and the unemployment rate sank to 4.2 percent. This was a far weaker jobs report than expected. Economists had forecast 545,000 positions added to payrolls and an unemployment rate of 4.5 percent…”

The White House and President Biden tried to spin the devastating report by saying it contained “incredible news” and proof of a “strong” recovery.  Fox News moderators and others responded to this spin with mockery and condemnation.  Sean Hannity said on Fox News:

“The November jobs report was abysmal, falling well short of every projection — keep in mind we’re already facing a severe worker shortage, record-setting inflation, insanely high gas prices, stagnant growth, and now it appears to be getting even worse,” adding that Biden was supposed to shut down the virus, not the economy (see Fox News, December 4).

Breitbart wrote on December 3:

“Alfredo Ortiz, president and CEO of the Job Creators Network,… said Biden’s speech is evidence of the ‘complete delusion concerning the actual state of the economy.’… Ortiz put forth some sobering economic data, that Biden omitted… ‘Biden touted the “significant improvement” in created jobs since he took office, yet chooses to ignore the fact that we are still 4 million jobs behind pre-pandemic numbers. Today’s jobs report showed there are still 6.9 million Americans unemployed. The number of those who currently want to work but can’t find work is a stagging 5.9 million. It’s worth noting, the Bureau of Labor Statistics does NOT count those 5.9 million looking for work among the 6.9 million currently unemployed…’”

How Soros “Makes” Left-Liberal Politics

Fox News reported on December 9:

“Liberal billionaire George Soros has poured millions of dollars into a dark money hub used by far-left activists pushing to dismantle the police…

“[This] is yet another instance showing how [Soros’] cash funds efforts to reshape the justice system. For years, Soros has showered district attorney races with money, oftentimes backing the most progressive candidate.

“Parker Thayer, a researcher at the Capital Research Center, estimated that Soros has dropped $28 million into prosecutor races since 2015.

“Soros’ Open Society Foundations also devoted $220 million in 2020 to a racial equality push, which included $70 million for local efforts geared toward criminal justice reform.”

Breitbart added on December 9:

“Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón gathered ‘progressive’ prosecutors from around the country to celebrate the one-year anniversary of his time in office, but the party was derailed by questions about rising violent crime.

“Gascón, who ran against the first black woman to hold the job, and who received millions of dollars in donations from left-wing billionaire George Soros, has pursued an aggressive, radical agenda of ‘criminal justice reform’ since taking office. But crime has spiked, leaving the city in the throes of what the Los Angeles Times has called a spate of ‘brutal, brazen’ crimes.”

So much for left-wing billionaire Soros’ policies.

BLM Calls for Boycott of White Companies

Fox Business wrote on December 1:

“The Black Lives Matter movement’s national arm is leading a boycott of ‘white companies’ until New Year’s Day, encouraging supporters to help ‘end white-supremacist-capitalism’ by visiting only Black-owned businesses during the holiday shopping season…

“‘We’re dreaming of a #Blackxmas. That means no spending with white companies from 11/26/2021 – 01/01/2022,’ the BlackXmas website says. The organization also calls on supporters to ‘move your money out of white-corporate banks that finance our oppression and open accounts with Black-owned banks.”

Serious questions about Biden’s Mental Health

The New York Post wrote on December 3:

“President Biden is having a series of worrisome episodes that seem to be a mix of his trademark plagiarism (adopting episodes from other public figures’ lives as his own in addition to appropriating their words) and what we sometimes euphemistically call a ‘senior moment.’

“Recently, President Biden told a truck driver: ‘I used to drive a tractor-trailor.’ This wasn’t the first time he had made the claim. But the White House has since conceded that it is a fabrication…

“But that’s par for the course for Biden, who infamously slandered an innocent man in the matter of the death of his first wife and daughter, claiming that the man had been a drunken driver. He wasn’t, there was no suggestion that he was, and police reports at the time suggested that it was probably Mrs. Biden who had been at fault in the accident. Yet Biden spent years alleging that the man ‘drank his lunch’ before causing the accident.

“Biden also has a rich fantasy life, which is not limited to his mythical truck-driving days… On Wednesday, he told an audience that during the Six-Day War, he had acted as a liaison between Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir and the Egyptian government. The Six-Day War occurred in 1967, when Levi Eshkol was the prime minister of Israel and Biden was plagiarizing his way toward finishing No. 76 of 85 in law school… He was years away from beginning his Senate career. This is another fantasy, one that Biden keeps repeating. Is it an ordinary lie, or is it a delusion?

“… Because of Biden’s long history of habitual dishonesty, it is difficult to tell how much of this is Biden being Biden and how much of it is Biden no longer quite being Biden — how much is his longstanding and familiar moral disability and how much is, as it may be, late-life mental disability.

“We need an independent medical assessment of the president’s mental health. That is a sobering fact to face, but face it we must. And right now, we need a Democrat who will say so in public.”

But Democrats are not willing to raise this, and neither do Republicans because the replacement of Biden through Kamala Harris would seem to be even more devastating to many.

The Pope in Greece

The Associated Press wrote on December 4:

“Pope Francis warned Saturday that the ‘easy answers’ of populism and authoritarianism are threatening democracy in Europe… Arriving in Greece, the birthplace of democracy, Francis used a speech to Greek political and cultural leaders to warn Europe at large about the threats facing the continent…

“Francis, who lived through Argentina’s populist Peronist era as well as its military dictatorship, has frequently warned about the threat of authoritarianism and populism and the danger it poses to the European Union and democracy itself… Francis praised the ‘necessary vaccination campaign’ promoted by government authorities to tame the coronavirus…

“Francis has accelerated inter-faith initiatives, as the two churches attempt to shift from centuries of competition and mistrust toward collaboration. Orthodox churches are also seeking alliances amid a deepening dispute over the independence of the Ukrainian church, which was historically governed by the Russian Orthodox Church…

“Up to 4,000 police officers were readied for duty in Athens for the pope’s visit, and authorities banned protests and large public gatherings in parts of central Athens over the weekend.”

Francis warned of authoritarianism and praised at the same time the “necessary vaccination campaign” of governments, which includes mandatory vaccinations. These measures clearly constitute authoritarianism. What a contradiction.  It is also interesting that the Greek government prohibited protests against the Pope. So much for Francis’ highly praised Greek democracy. According to the Bible, most “Christian” churches will unite under the umbrella and leadership of the Catholic Church.

Russian Offensive against Ukraine Coming Soon?

Deutsche Welle reported on December 4:

“US intelligence officials claimed on Friday that Russia is planning a military offensive against Ukraine that could begin as early as 2022 [which] would supposedly involve an estimated 175,000 Russian military personnel. A US intelligence document obtained by the Washington Post showed apparent evidence of Russian forces massing in four locations and the arrival of tanks and artillery…

“[While denying that an invasion is planned,] Russian foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov said that President Vladimir Putin will reiterate Russia’s ‘red lines’ in negotiations, including demands for a legally binding guarantee that NATO will not expand into Ukraine. NATO has not set a timeline for Ukrainian membership in the alliance. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Russia has no say in whether Ukraine will join the alliance…”

Newsmax added on December 4:

“Ukrainian officials also warned that Russia could invade next month… But some U.S. government officials say Putin also could be seeking attention and concessions from Biden and other Western leaders, using the military escalation to force Russia back into a central role in world affairs as it had in the days of the Soviet Union.”

Biden and Putin Talk for two Hours… with little or no success

Deutsche Welle reported on December 7:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin and US leader Joe Biden held a virtual summit Tuesday, with Moscow’s troop build-up on Ukraine’s borders dominating the talks. The two presidents spoke for roughly two hours…

“‘President Biden voiced the deep concerns of the United States and our European Allies about Russia’s escalation of forces surrounding Ukraine and made clear that the U.S. and our Allies would respond with strong economic and other measures in the event of military escalation,’ the White House said in a statement after the summit… The Kremlin also issued a statement after the call, saying that Putin had ‘complained about NATO’s dangerous attempts to develop Ukraine’ for its own goals, and that he ‘expressed concerns about Kyiv’s provocative actions’ towards Ukrainian regions controlled by Russia-backed separatists…

“A Russian invasion of Ukrainian territory could come with consequences for Germany too. US approval for the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to Europe was contingent on Moscow refraining from military provocations. Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday that Washington would pull its approval if Russian troops enter Ukrainian territory.”

The approval of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline was one of the biggest blunders by Merkel and Biden.

The Sun added on December 7:

“Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov told CNN that there would be a ‘really bloody massacre’ if Russia decides to invade Ukraine… The defense minister also said that five million Ukrainian refugees are fleeing into Europe amid heightened alarm about troop movements on the nations’ border.”

The New York Post added on December 7:

“Following… a virtual summit between President Biden and his Russian counterpart Tuesday, the White House appeared to be taking a ‘wait-and-see’ approach to a potential invasion of Ukraine by Moscow… national security adviser Jake Sullivan… acknowledged in the afternoon that ‘we still do not believe that President Putin has made a decision’ about whether to send his massed forces across the border and into Ukraine… Sullivan declined to say whether additional American forces would be dispatched to eastern Europe in the event of an invasion… When asked why the US should wait to take action… Sullivan responded that American policy, in ‘lockstep with our European allies,’ was to deter a Russian invasion…

“Sullivan also suggested Tuesday that the US could persuade Germany to cut off the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline if Russia invaded Ukraine.’ The fact is the gas is not currently flowing through the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which means that it’s not operating, which means that it’s not leveraged for Putin,’ Sullivan claimed. ‘It is leverage for the West. If Vladimir Putin wants to see gas flow through that pipeline, he may not want to take the risk of invading Ukraine.’

“That claim caused an uproar among online critics, who pointed out that Biden waived sanctions against the pipeline in May despite concerns that it would weaken Ukraine’s security by pumping gas directly from Russia to Germany — depriving Kiev of lucrative gas transit fees…”

Would Germany be willing to give up the Nord Stream 2 pipeline? That is highly doubtful.

But it’s all pretty immaterial as to what different powers may want to do, as the Bible is clear that Russia and Ukraine will unite in some way. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “War between Russia, America and Europe over Ukraine?”

Christmas Trees Unite Us?

JTA wrote on December 8:

“A Fox News host explained that the Christmas tree represents the Christmas spirit — and Hanukkah… after a man was arrested for allegedly setting fire to the Christmas tree outside Fox News Channel headquarters in New York. ‘It’s a tree that unites us, that brings us together. It is about the Christmas spirit, it is about the holiday season, it is about Jesus, it is about Hanukkah,’ Earhardt said… ‘It is about everything we stand for as a country…’

“Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Jewish temple several centuries before the birth of Jesus,  and its main story is about a Jewish sect’s resistance to assimilating into the dominant religious culture. The two holidays, Christmas and Hanukkah, are coincidental in their midwinter timings, but in little else.

“There is suggestive evidence in the New Testament that Jesus attended a Hanukkah event [as] described in John 10:22… Some angry Jews confronted Jesus about his claim to messiahhood, and it almost ended in a stoning. The apostle does not report any tree-burnings, however.”

Even though of different origins, there can be no doubt that a mixture between Christmas and Hanukkah has occurred. The Christmas tree is thoroughly pagan and was used as a means of worship long before the birth of Christ. If it unites the country, then woe to the country.

Swarm of Earthquakes rattles Oregon

Beach Connection wrote on December 9:

“What seems like an unprecedented number of small to sizable quakes off the Oregon coast have rattled underwater starting early Tuesday morning, with the number still rising 36 hours later. As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, some 74 undersea quakes have hit about 300 miles directly west of Yachats in just over 24 hours… Experts say it’s nothing to worry about because it has nothing to do with the larger Cascadia Subduction zone that also exists off the Oregon coast, which will one day create a massive quake and subsequent tsunami…

“The quake swarm is unusual, as that area generally receives about 20 to 30 quakes per year… Most were in the 4.0 to 4.8 magnitude range, but at least ten were over 5.0, which is sizable… they are not ‘releasing’ pressure for that area and are not lessening the chances of the big one.”

KIRO 7 added on December 8:

“Harold Tobin leads the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network at the University of Washington. He points out the Blanco Fracture Zone is a long way from the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which is what we worry about for a major quake around Seattle… Still, any seismic event is a reminder that we live in earthquake country and should be prepared. ‘We always have the risk of a substantial earthquake that is damaging but I don’t think that risk is different in the Pacific Northwest today than it was two days ago,’ Tobin said.

“Emergency managers now ask people to be ‘two weeks ready,’ which means having enough supplies to be on your own for two weeks.”

If you are naïve enough to take the “experts’” words for it… 

Is the USA-Israel Honeymoon Period Over?

JTA wrote on December 2:

“[Prime Minister Naftali] Bennett has allowed for the construction of thousands of new settler homes. Biden is pushing to reopen the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, formerly the principal venue for U.S.-Palestinian relations. Last month the United States sanctioned two Israeli spyware companies.

“Then there is the ongoing strife over Iran’s nuclear program, a point of contention that those who analyze the U.S.-Israel relationship say could eventually blow the doors wide open… Israeli officials have said they believe Iran is weeks away from nuclear weapons capability; the country is enriching uranium to 60% purity, perilously close to the 90% needed for weaponization…”

It might very well be over, but then note the following surprising news, which was published by a paper in Israel.

Biden and the Third Temple?

Israel 365 wrote on December 2:

“US president Joe Biden hosted the White House’s annual menorah lighting ceremony on the fourth night of Chanukah on Wednesday. During his speech, Biden referenced the story of Chanukah and the destruction of the Second Temple. Biden compared the holy Temple to the ‘temple of our democracy’…

“Later on in his speech, the US president seemed to be optimistic that the third Temple will be rebuilt saying: ‘Whether it’s in the temple of Jerusalem or a temple of our democracy nothing broken or profaned is beyond repair…nothing. We can always build back better. Or perhaps, build back brighter.’

“The speech was not without the president’s signature gaffes… Ironically, Biden who champions both mask and vaccine mandates hailed the lessons of freedom and liberty that could be learned from the Maccabees.”

With Biden, one never knows, of course, how serious he is with speeches drafted for him, and whether any references are intentional or just “accidental.” Still, a third temple WILL BE built prior to Christ’s return, even though some are still stiff-necked or willfully ignorant enough to totally dismiss this possibility, against current events, better judgment and the clear prophecies in the Bible. Please view our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “A False Messiah in the Temple of 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.

The naïve would assume that over the course of twenty years that all of the possible questions about the teachings of the Bible would be answered. But having a Berean outlook on learning, we know better. In the month of August, 2001, we published our first Q&A on the topic of the rapture. Immediately seeing the value of presenting the Truth in this format, we began publishing new Q&As regularly, setting a pace to answer a new question with every weekly version of the Update. In this 1,000^th version of the Update, we have produced enough material to fill a 3,000-page book with well-researched answers to 935 questions.

The wealth of information presented in the Q&As cannot be overstated. These tightly focused presentations provide our readership with a wide variety of continually relevant material. Topics range vastly from foundational Christian doctrine, to timely questions affecting our society during a snapshot in time, to the interpretation of commonly misunderstood Scriptures, to topics that provide a detailed insight into the reasons behind the doctrines we uphold. The breadth and depth of content published in our Q&As has an immense range.

Each Q&A produced by the Church ministry takes a deep dive into the Bible. As those who have been involved in writing and editing them can attest, the process of study takes tremendous focus, preparation, and rigor. As much work as it takes to write, the inherent joy of study provides a great reward in producing these written works. The authors write each Q&A as a rigorous Bible study, making them a fantastic resource worth studying on our own.

It is impossible to concisely summarize the entirety of Q&As that we have produced over the years. However, we encourage you to consider a small selection of some of those that provide a survey of the most foundational topics of our Christianity. As we consider our Church roots during this landmark 1,000^th Update, it is useful to likewise consider the core of our Christian beliefs. It is only upon a solid foundation that we can build a spiritual house that will endure in this world (compare Matthew 7:24-25).

Q: What does it mean, practically, not to add to or delete from God’s Commandments?

Q: Why do you teach that true Christians should not observe Christian holidays such as Easter and Christmas?

Q: When should a person be baptized? 

Q: When we ask God for healing and are not healed, does this mean that we don’t have enough faith? 

Q: Every splinter group or offshoot of the Worldwide Church of God claims to be God’s true church. What do you say of yourselves? 

Q: Can you elaborate on the Church being a spiritual organism? 

Q: Are we forbidden to eat the meat of “unclean” animals? 

Q: How Are We to Keep the Sabbath? (Part 1) 

Q: What Is the Mystery of the Salvation of the Gentiles? 

Q: Did the sorcerers and magicians at the time of Moses perform real miracles? If so, what is the significance for us today? 

These Q&As mentioned above and all the rest of the Q&As serve as a fantastic reference for us all to use when seeking out an answer to a question we might have. Truly, the work produced over the years is vast. As long as God grants us the means to continue producing this valuable material, we will do so. As the mission we have been given instructs us, we will continue to share our research openly, so that you may continue on your spiritual journey and fulfill your Christian walk.

Lead Writer: Eric Rank

compiled by Dave Harris

In commemorating this Update #1000, a short overview focusing on what we call the “Work” will be helpful. People often ask about our origin, and this is what we write in our Statement of Beliefs about our “Doctrinal Foundation”:

“The major doctrines of the Church are those, which were taught by Herbert W. Armstrong, derived from the Biblical teachings as followed by God’s faithful servants, and originally established by Jesus Christ through the founding of His Church in the time of His chosen early apostles. Since we are to increase in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, we are committed to review and alter any of our teachings, if and when proven to be wrong by the Bible.”

We specifically address the role we have for “The Church’s Commission”:

“We believe that it is the Church’s commission to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God to all nations as a witness, to warn all nations, and especially the lost tribes of the house of Israel (mainly in the United States, Great Britain, certain Commonwealth nations and nations in Northwestern Europe) of impending danger, and to feed the flock of Christ – the Church – spiritually and physically.”

The weekly Updates are one part among many in accomplishing our responsibility in fulfilling the Work of God. Twenty years ago we had to pick up the baton and continue to produce written material, sermonettes and sermons, video presentations and much more! Simultaneous to our modest beginning, the Internet simply seemed to explode with opportunities for us to carry the gospel to the world, which is being done in collaboration with our international affiliates—the Church of God, A Christian Fellowship (Canada); Global Church of God (UK); Kirche des Ewigen Gottes (Germany) and further associations in Australia and other countries. This includes supporting websites with our material posted in English, German, French, Spanish and Russian.

While in this section of the Update we announce baptisms, new booklets, member letters, tech-team meetings, Feast information and sermonette and sermon summaries, we also highlight new StandingWatch (English) and AufpostenStehen (German) presentations by Evangelist Norbert Link. Among the hundreds of these programs, here are some examples:

• Netanyahu’s Announcement of a Third Temple? 
• Russia’s Persecution of the Jehovah’s Witnesses 
• Why Is America in so much Trouble? 
• Was demnächst in Europa und Amerika geschieht! 
• Was Wird Bald in Europa und Deutschland Geschehen? 
• Ein falscher Messias im Tempel Gottes? 

If you haven’t taken the time to really explore our websites, please take the opportunity to get a real sense of the Work God is leading us to accomplish. By simply going to www.eternalgod.org you will have access to all other websites, as well.

“War between Russia, America and Europe over Ukraine?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Will Russia try to invade Ukraine, as many suggest? Would America and Europe attempt to stop such an invasion with military measures? What did the phone call on December7 between Presidents Putin and Biden accomplish? Could Germany be persuaded to cut off the Nord Stream 2 pipeline if Russia invaded Ukraine? Does the Bible say anything about a future war between Russia, America and Europe, and if so, what Ukraine’s role would be? 

“Wie sah Jesus als Mensch aus?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “How Did Jesus Look as a Man?”

“Wollen wir wirklich die Wahrheit wissen?”  is the title of the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Christian Mrosek. Title in English: “Do We Really Want to Know the Truth?”

“The Fig Tree,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Paul Niehoff, is now posted. Here is a summary:

When Jesus cursed the fig tree because it had no fruit, the disciples did not know the meaning of that miracle at the time. However, it was for us to learn that God requires us to bear fruit as a part of our calling. We can understand the meaning today because of the inspiration God gives us through His Spirit.

“Are You Fully Armed?”, the sermon presented last Sabbath by Rene Messier, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Knowing who the enemy is and his characteristics, and ensuring you have the whole armor of God, is to guarantee success in overcoming Satan and gaining access to the Kingdom of God.

On December 4, 2021, Paul Niehoff will present the sermonette, titled, “The Fig Tree,” and Rene Messier will present the sermon, titled, “Are You Fully Armed?”

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.

I read an excellent book some time ago entitled, “Affluenza – The All-Consuming Epidemic.”   It was an excellent presentation of the ills that beset so many today.

The book describes Affluenza as “a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more.”

On page 109, with the chapter heading of “Dissatisfaction Guaranteed,” it quoted psychologist David Meyer who wrote: “More than ever, we have big houses and broken homes, high incomes and low morale, secured rights and diminished civility.   We excel at making a living but often fail at making a life.   We celebrate our prosperity but yearn for purpose.   We cherish our freedoms but long for connection.   In an age of plenty, we feel spiritual hunger.”

Psychologist Jeremy Seabrook was also quoted on the same page where he opined: “The only chance of satisfaction we can imagine is getting more of what we have now.   But what we have now makes everybody dissatisfied.   So what will more of it do – make us more satisfied, or more dissatisfied?”

Those quotes certainly apply to so many in society today, and the book gives the symptoms, the causes and the necessary treatment in its 236 pages plus chapter end notes, bibliography and sources.

It got me to thinking how much the pursuit of “stuff” and material things may have rubbed off on some church members?   Do we have to discard our laptop computer that works perfectly well in order to get the latest version which we actually do not need?   Do we have to change our car every year so that it is up-to-date with the latest add-ons and options which we likewise do not need and which will be quite expensive to acquire?   Do we constantly buy clothes and shoes when our wardrobe may already be full to overflowing?   Do we have to have the latest mobile (cell) phone which may be very little different to the phone we have had for the last six months and which works perfectly well, and do we have to have the very latest fashions, clothes and gadgetry that the marketing gurus thrust before our eyes with a compelling sales pitch that such stuff are a must have or because “you’re worth it?”

Even Church of God people are not immune to the accumulation of “stuff” as well as maxed-up credit cards and bank overdrafts to facilitate this emphasis and “necessity” to indulge as the world does.   After all, we are subject, in the main, to all of the advertising that bombards society on a daily basis, and from every quarter, but we should have much more resistance than others because of the precious knowledge that God has so marvellously revealed to us.

On page 111 of this book is a quote from Donella Meadows who wrote “Beyond the Limits,” as follows:  “People don’t need enormous cars, they need respect.   They don’t need closets full of clothes, they need to feel attractive and they need excitement and variety and beauty.   People don’t need electronic equipment; they need something worthwhile to do with their lives.   People need identity, community, challenge, acknowledgement, love and joy.   To try to fill these needs with material things is to set up an unquenchable appetite for false solutions to real and never-satisfied problems. The resulting psychological emptiness is one of the major forces behind the desire for material growth.”

I’m not talking, of course, about necessities, those things that we truly need.  We need clothes and shoes, and in this day and age, most, at least in the Western world, need mobile phones, cars, electronic equipment and computers.  I’m emphasising that even members of God’s Church can, if they’re not on their guard, be distracted from their true goal in life if the here and now, and all of its excesses and glitzy attractions, take a grip of how we behave and function.   It is a very easy trap to fall into and can become a way of life contrary to that which we have been called into.

On page 118 of the book, “Affluenza – The All-Consuming Epidemic,” we read “today by virtue of a media-happy free market, it may now be possible for a person to travel from one week to the next without thinking an original thought unshaped by manipulative messages!   Much of the territory between our ears has now been commercially ‘colonised’.   The question is, if we get evicted from our own minds, who are we?”

Of course, church members are too wise to be caught out in the acquisition of stuff, aren’t they?   Are they?   One television advertisement I saw sold the benefits of being able to use their facility for things we want and for those things we may not need as well.   No wonder so very many people seem to be up to their eyes in debt!   But it is not just the debt issue but having the wrong emphasis that is even more worrying.

Scripture tells us not to love the world and all of its attractions which certainly includes unnecessary purchases and debt.   In 1 John 2:15-17, we read the following: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

If we follow the way of this dying world by greatly accumulating “stuff” that is not necessary, and spend ourselves into unnecessary debt, we may well be falling for yet another Satanic trap.  Rather than being content with our lot, we can easily succumb to the way of this world which continues down the secular path towards destruction.   Developing holy righteous character is what we should be about, not accumulating that which will disappear.

Right at the end of the book, they conclude with these thoughts.   “The bottom line is this.   When your time comes and your whole life flashes before you, will it hold your interest?   How much of the story will be about moments of clarity and grace, kindness and caring?   Will the main character – you – appear as large and noble as life itself, or as tiny and absurd as a cartoon figure, darting frantically among mountains of stuff?   It’s up to you, and indeed, it’s up to all of us.”

As we approach the December festive season, there will be huge amounts of money spent on “stuff” with many maxing up their credit card(s) for materialistic goods that may have temporary pleasure but with long-lasting consequences of unnecessary debt and all that that can bring.

We can never have “Godly Overload,” but it is a direction that would be much more profitable to pursue than all of the material pursuits of this world!

It’s about priorities, and let none of us be found wanting in this respect!

by Norbert Link

We begin with Putin’s “undeclared war” against Europe and fears that Russia will invade Ukraine very soon; and report on the goal of “Germany’s incoming Europhile left-wing government” to create a United States of Europe with a European Army.

We continue with the alleged reason for Biden’s hostility toward Hungary; speak about “Germany’s nuclear weapons”; and address the concept that America is becoming another socialist nation. We also publish an article speculating as to who would be Trump’s running mate if he was to run for President in 2024.

We report on Israel’s preparation for building the Third Temple; and Canada’s proposed radical pro-LGBT bill.

We speak on the discovery of a new Corona variant—the so-called Omicron variant, which has also been referred to as the Nu variant—and the resulting worldwide paranoia, including apparently quite meaningless dictatorial travel bans, even though the symptoms appear to be mild and non-threatening.

We also address the reasons why Biden is deeply unpopular, and why some feel that the departure of health “expert” Fauci is long overdue.

We continue to dedicate a large section of these Current Events to the incredibly frightening—but prophesied–move towards dictatorships all over the world, with special emphasis on Greece, Austria, Germany, Europe and Australia. We also report on the death of a famous TV Evangelist in the USA. In this context, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “The Dictatorship of the Beast in the Book of Revelation.”  

We also report on the death of a famous TV Evangelist in the USA.

We conclude with the abuse of Catholic nuns in their convents. 

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

Putin’s Undeclared War against Europe

Financial Post wrote on November 26:

“… western leaders are waking up to the fact that Vladimir Putin has been waging an undeclared war against Europe and the west since 2014 when it annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine. This is because he has escalated his warfare. In August, he weaponized energy exports by throttling back natural gas shipments, creating shortages and enormous price hikes. Also during the summer, Putin’s proxy, Belarus, weaponized migration. Thousands of residents from the Middle East were encouraged to fly to Minsk, then were transported to the border with Poland where they were promised they could easily sneak into the European Union (EU).

“This gambit, designed to damage the EU, was impeded by Poland and Lithuanian troops. It gained world headlines as these migrants were caught, like human ping pong balls, between an odious regime in Belarus (likely urged by Russia) pushing them to break fencing and defy soldiers — and the Polish army using tear gas and water cannons to prevent a flood of illegal migrants…

“In April, Putin amassed about 100,000 troops, tanks and warships near Ukraine’s borders, and has continued this deployment despite requests by the United States and others to de-escalate… Putin… described the demise of the Soviet empire as the greatest ‘geopolitical catastrophe in history’ in a 2005 speech. Ever since, he has set out to reverse history… his ‘War’ against Europe has gone mostly unnoticed because he wages two kinds of warfare. He undertakes ‘hot wars’ or traditional conflicts but these are hidden and involve unidentified armed forces or operatives, who are former Russian military soldiers working as mercenaries. Hot wars against European nation-states included Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014, both of which are now partially occupied by Russian ‘operatives’ — territories equivalent in size to the country of Bulgaria, or the State of Colorado.

“More commonly, Putin conducts ‘hybrid warfare’ against targets which also include the United States, all NATO members, and former Soviet vassal nations. In these battles, his arsenal includes cyber warfare, political sabotage, disinformation, propaganda, lawsuits, election intervention, diplomatic maneuvers, bombings, poisonings, assassinations, gaslighting, and most dramatically this year, the mobilization of forces capable of invading Ukraine as well as the weaponization of energy and migration…

“Putin’s biggest ‘recapture’ occurred in 2020 when Russia took control over Belarus without a single shot fired after its dictator lost re-election, rigged results and faced mass protests in the streets. Its leader, Alexandre Lukashenko, was only able to cling to power with Russian military and financial backing, and now takes orders from the Kremlin… winter approaches and he has inordinate leverage over Europe’s energy market. The reality is that Putin plays a long game, and tested the limits this year. But he will never end his war and hopefully Europe realizes this and will remain vigilant and fortified.”

The time will come when European powers, feeling threatened by Russia, China and other Far Eastern nations, will “react” militarily with terrible and devastating consequences.

Russia Expected to Invade Ukraine

Newsmax wrote on November 28:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the mass production of the Zircon hypersonic nuclear missile ahead of an expected offensive into Ukraine early next year, The Sun reported. Putin has said Zircon could fly at nine times the speed of sound and have a range of 620 miles, according to The Associated Press. He has ordered the Zircon missile to be deployed in 2022 by the Russian Navy, boasting that it is ‘truly unparalleled … in the world,’ per The Sun.

‘There was a successful hypersonic missile test from a frigate in the White Sea on Nov. 18, following a submarine test a month earlier. The missiles have been in development for over 20 years and are considered a critical next step for Putin’s arsenal…

“Ukrainian commander Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Kyiv’s defence intelligence agency, said that Russia has planned an attack in late January that would involve some 100,000 Russian soldiers on 10 fronts… Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky recently alleged that Russian ‘representatives’ are planning to overthrow his government…, which Russia has denied, BBC reported.”

It is only a matter of time.

The United States of Europe

Express wrote on November 27:

“The new German government is pressing for further integration with the European Union in a move set to pave the way for a so-called ‘United States of Europe’…

“Social Democrat (SPD) leader and incoming Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed an historic three-way coalition this week with the Greens and Free Democrats.  The direction of the new regime has also started to take shape after the Green party’s co-leader Annalena Baerbock, an ardent europhile, was appointed foreign minister… The 40-year-old will help to shape overseas policy-making and her ideas are already being described as a blueprint for a ‘United States of Europe’…

“The prospect of a ‘United States of Europe’ is one that has been in the offing for several years – and ever since French President Emmanuel Macron spearheaded the idea of an EU Army… The EU27 began operating like one super-state during the coronavirus pandemic after President Macron and Angela Merkel led calls for a historic €750 billion rescue package to bail out the bloc. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also presided over coronavirus vaccine purchases for the entire bloc.”

Breitbart wrote on November 29:

“Germany’s incoming Europhile left-wing government has begun a push for a federalized European Union superstate and the creation of what has been unofficially dubbed the ‘United States of Europe’. The campaign for the creation of the superstate was enshrined in the coalition agreement between the three soon-to-be ruling parties, the Social Democrats (SPD), the Free Democrats (FPD), and the Greens, according to a report by the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, the German language paper of record in Switzerland.

“The agreement outlines the coalition’s commitment to supporting the ‘necessary treaty changes’ needed to ‘lead developments to a European federal state’. This is something Germany clearly sees itself as being responsible for doing… It also voices the coalition’s support… for an increase of ‘Europe’s strategic sovereignty… this means establishing one’s own ability to act in a global context and being less dependent and vulnerable in important strategic areas’, an oblique reference to an emerging single European foreign policy and an EU military…

“The idea for a federal ‘United States of Europe’ has been brewing for years, and was a major subject of discussion in the run-up to the UK Brexit referendum in 2016. Yet preparations for a federal Europe stepped up a gear in 2017 when the former President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, proposed that the bloc be turned into a federal state by 2025… European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen [stated] in September that the bloc needs to build the ‘political will’ to create an EU Army. German defence minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer hailed the call for an EU Army, saying von der Leyen was right and that ‘Germany and France must lead.’”

The emergence of a powerful EU Army is sure.

Washington vs. Budapest

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on November 27:

“Ever since the Democrats took the White House, Washington and Budapest have been drifting ever further apart. But Biden needs to accept that just because Orban disagrees with him doesn’t mean he’s ‘undemocratic’.

“Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has expressed concerns that the United States will attempt to interfere in next year’s general election. The purpose of the underhand interference, Szijjarto believes, is to have sitting Hungarian PM Viktor Orban replaced by the United Opposition candidate Peter Marki-Zay, who is more ideologically aligned with the Biden administration…

“This is not the first time the Hungarian government has suggested America will intervene in next year’s election… The Hungarian government is unashamedly anti-globalist and believes in the sanctity of the sovereign nation. It is also very pro-family and a champion of Christian values. This is anathema to Biden, Brussels and the liberal press, which regularly, and lazily, label Orban ‘far-right’.

“Second, unlike Biden, Orban believes in strong borders, and, to this end, has built a wall to secure his country from another migrant crisis. In contrast, one of Biden’s first acts as president was to put a halt to the building of Donald Trump’s wall on the US’ southern border. The result has been a catastrophe…

“Third, there is the fact that Orban was close to Trump and made it clear he was rooting for his ally to win another term last year… The feelings of warmth are mutual…

“Next year’s Hungarian general election, to take place in either April or May, will determine the direction the nation will take…”

It does not appear very likely that Hungary will not be part of the EU.. .and maybe even the core European nations… but further hostility between Hungary and the USA can be expected.

Germany’s Nuclear Weapons

The Independent wrote on November 30:

“The president of Belarus has suggested his nation will take advantage of access it has to nuclear weapons via its Russian ally, should Nato decide to arm parts of Europe with similar machinery. It comes amid increasing tensions between Alexander Lukashenko and the EU over the current migrant crisis on the border shared by Belarus and Poland.

“Less than two weeks ago, Jens Stoltenberg, Nato’s secretary-general, announced in a statement that US nuclear weapons currently stationed inside Germany could well be moved to ‘other European countries’…  However, he added: ‘I expect that Germany will continue to be part of nuclear sharing, because it is so important for Europe.’

“… Mr Stoltenberg said in his speech on 19 November that Nato’s ‘aim is a world free of nuclear weapons’. But, he added, ‘as long as others have them, we must have them too’”.

And so, nuclear war IS coming.

Today’s America… another Socialist Country

Fox News reported on November 28, 2021:

“A Republican congresswoman from South Carolina [Nancy Mace] says President Biden’s Build Back Better plan includes $80 billion in funding to hire some 89,000 more IRS agents who will be tasked with ‘spying’ on Americans’ bank accounts like socialist countries around the world do…

“The Build Back Better Act’s investments in the IRS… would result in an estimated 1.2 million additional audits each year. Nearly half of the audits would impact families earning less than $75,000 a year. One quarter of the audits would affect Americans earning $25,000 or more per year.

“Mace predicted that the Build Back Better plan will only increase inflation, arguing that socialist spending will incentivize people not to work, worsening supply chain issues and raising taxes for average Americans already facing increased prices for groceries, gas and other goods….”

Trump’s Running Mate for 2024

The New York Post wrote on November 30:

“While former President Donald Trump has yet to formally announce a 2024 White House bid, he’s already stoking speculation about potential running mates… [Reportedly, the] 45th president will largely choose his campaign sidekick based on two factors: unconditional loyalty, and support for Trump’s claim that the 2020 election was stolen by the Democrats.

“In June, [Trump said] that he would ‘certainly consider’ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis… as a potential running mate. But a source quoted by Politico threw cold water on the possibility… ‘Trump sees him as a competitor…’

“Other names that sources have suggested based on recent interactions with Trump include Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, both of whom recently spoke with Trump at Mar-a-Lago… If Trump opts to select a female running mate, the outlet reports the list of contenders includes Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.)… Former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley was once thought to be a possible VP candidate, but that is seen as increasingly unlikely due to her sharp criticism of Trump over the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

“Some sources… suggest former acting national security adviser Ric Grenell… While Pence has publicly proclaimed that he and Trump are on good terms after the former president labeled Pence disloyal for not attempting to overturn the 2020 election results earlier this year, there is little chance the two would reunite for a third White House run. Trump is expected to formally announce his decision following the 2022 midterms, in which Republicans are favored to regain control of the House of Representatives after two years of Democratic control of the House, Senate and White House.”

Preparing for the Third Temple

Israel 365 wrote on November 30:

“On Monday, December 6, a reenactment of several Temple ceremonies will be held in Mitzpe Yericho. The reenactments will include a demonstration of the anointing of the High Priest, and the lighting of the Temple menorah. A new altar will be dedicated for use on the Temple Mount. Each ceremony is an essential element of the Temple service and practical efforts such as these are intended to prepare for the Third Temple.

“As Monday will be the last night of Hanukkah, a demonstration of the lighting of the temple menorah will be carried out. Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple by the Hasmoneans in 164 BCE and the ceremony next week will recreate several aspects of that historic event.

“The gold menorah intended to be installed permanently in the Third Temple upon its construction is on display in the Jewish quarter of Jerusalem. Made to Biblical specifications, it is not portable and cannot be used for reenactments. Standing approximately six feet tall, it weighs half a ton, and contains 45 kilograms (approximately 99 lbs) of 24 karat gold valued at approximately three million dollars…

“A demonstration of the anointing of the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) will also be held. Rabbi Baruch Kahana will serve as the Kohen Gadol for the purpose of this demonstration. Rabbi Kahana has served an essential role in educating Kohanim to serve in the Third Temple and has served as the Kohen Gadol in many of the Temple reenactments.”

The building of the Third Temple, prior to Christ’s return, is just a matter of time.

New Radical Pro-LGBT Bill in Canada

Life Site News wrote on November 30:

“Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s liberals introduced yet another radical left-wing pro-LGBT bill that seeks to criminalize all forms of so-called ‘conversion therapy.’ Violators would face years in prison. On Monday, Trudeau’s Federal Liberal Party introduced Bill C-4 in the second effort made by the Liberals, after their first bill, C-6, was dropped earlier this year when Trudeau called for an election. While similar, the new bill is stricter, and is being touted as ‘among the most comprehensive in the world,’ with violators of the broad-scoped policy being subject to a prison term of up to five years.

“The bill not only seeks to criminalize ‘providing’ so-called conversion therapy to people, including adults actively seeking it out, but also intends to make illegal ‘knowingly’ causing ‘another person to undergo conversion therapy,’ advertising or promoting conversion therapy, removing a child from Canada for the purposes of undergoing conversion therapy, or receiving ‘financial or material’ benefit as a result of someone undergoing conversion therapy.

“Further, the bill applies a broad definition to the term ‘conversion therapy.’ The term includes ‘any practice, treatment or service designed to: change a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual; change a person’s gender identity to cisgender; change a person’s gender expression so that it conforms to the sex assigned to the person at birth; repress or reduce non-heterosexual attraction or sexual behaviour; repress a person’s non-cisgender gender identity; or repress or reduce a person’s gender expression that does not conform to the sex assigned to the person at birth.’

“In effect, not only is attempting to reverse someone’s orientation from homosexual to heterosexual illegal, but so is any attempt to ‘repress or reduce’ homosexual or transsexual behavior, even if an adult asks for help to do so…

“Jack Fonseca, Political Operations Director for Campaign Life Coalition (CLC), told LifeSiteNews that ‘there are no protections whatsoever in Bill C-6 for parents or pastors who, for example, discourage a gender-confused child from identifying as transgender and try to help them be at peace with the body in which they were born.’”

God’s righteous wrath on modern Sodomite countries, such as Canada, will be poured out soon.

“Omicron Variant Symptoms ‘Unusual but Mild’”

Fox News reported on November 27:

“‘So far, we have detected that those infected do not suffer the loss of taste or smell. They might have a slight cough.’ [Dr. Angelique Coetzee, a board member of the South African Medical Association] who first alerted authorities to the presence of the COVID-19 omicron variant reported that it presents ‘unusual but mild’ symptoms. ‘It presents mild disease with symptoms being sore muscles and tiredness for a day or two not feeling well,’ Coetzee explained… ‘ They might have a slight cough. There are no prominent symptoms. Of those infected some are currently being treated at home.’…

“Tulio de Oliveira, the director of South Africa’s Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation…  criticized several countries – including the U.S., U.K., South Korea and various countries in Europe – for enacting travel restrictions on South Africa and several other African nations…”

Israel jumped on the hysteria bandwagon and banned all foreigners from entering Israel, after one case (!) had been confirmed in the country. Israel’s history of lockdowns is more than troubling.

Biden’s and Fauci’s Worse than Useless Travel Bans

The New York Post wrote on November 27:

“Critics took aim Saturday at White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci and President Biden for their ‘worse than useless’ response to the… Omicron variant of COVID-19…  The Fauci-approved weekend-long delay in launching the ban on travel from Omicron-infected African countries angered City Councilman Joe Borelli (R-SI). ‘Why do people still take this man seriously?’ Borelli, the chamber’s new minority leader, asked. ‘Either this is a life or death emergency, or it doesn’t need to happen. It seems like this is a lockdown for the sake of lockdowns.’…

“Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) condemned the Biden administration’s too-little, too-late travel measure as ‘worse than useless.’ ‘Joe Biden and Tony Fauci push crushing restrictions on Americans—like masking two-year-olds—that are pointless,’ Cotton tweeted Saturday.”

Fauci is still being referred to in the mass media as “The United States’ top infectious disease expert” (Reuters, November 28). It is high time that this false description be altered. He said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that the Republicans like Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rand Paul (R-KY) criticizing him were “lying” while he is “saving lives.” But Fauci’s continued misrepresentations, combined with numerous incompetent “opinions,” have been well documented.

Fauci’s Departure long Overdue

Newsmax wrote on November 28:

“Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Sunday called Dr. Anthony Fauci an ‘unelected technocrat who has distorted science and facts in order to exercise authoritarian control over millions of Americans’ after Fauci blasted Cruz for suggesting he be investigated for statements he made about COVID-19….

“Some Republicans, including Cruz and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., have accused Fauci of lying to Congress when he denied in May that the National Institutes of Health funded ‘gain of function’ research — the practice of enhancing a virus in a lab to study its potential effect in the real world — at a virology lab in Wuhan, China. Cruz has urged Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Fauci’s statements…”

The New York Post added on November 29:

“[Fauci also said:] ‘So it’s easy to criticize… But they’re really criticizing science, because I represent science. That’s dangerous.’…  ‘The absolute hubris of someone claiming THEY represent science,” [Rand] Paul tweeted. ‘It’s astounding and alarming that a public health bureaucrat would even think to claim such a thing, especially one who has worked so hard to ignore the science of natural immunity.’

“The Biden administration has repeatedly stood by Fauci amid the criticism from Republicans…”

Breitbart wrote on November 30:

“Appearing Monday on the Fox News Channel’s ‘Hannity,’ Sen. Ted Cruz… referred to White House Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci as the ‘most dangerous bureaucrat’ in U.S. history… ‘Throughout this pandemic, he’s been dishonest, political, partisan, and the American people know it…”

The “Nu Variant” Hysteria in the UK

The Dossier wrote on November 26:

“The ‘Nu variant’ scare [which is officially named the “omicron” variant, after the 15^th letter of the Greek alphabet, thereby skipping the thirteenth and fourteenth letter, “Nu” and “Xi”] is coming from the same people and institutions that spawned the last COVID scare, and the one before that, and the one before that one, dating back all the way to the onset of COVID Mania.

“The corporate press and world governments have produced an incredible amount of noise about a claimed new COVID variant, the ‘Nu’ variant, which has been detected in South Africa and Botswana… there is no statistical cause for alarm over this new strain, which is one of over 100,000 mutations of the coronavirus…. a panicked narrative has already been seeded in the public. The U.K. in particular has driven the fear to new levels. The country has already added several African nations to its travel ban list, citing the new strain… it is not a coincidence that the U.K. is again the first mover on the ‘Nu strain’ front.

“The new variant hysteria originated at Imperial College UK, the home of a disgraced, corrupted academic modeling institution that proselytized lockdowns to the Western world. Throughout COVID Mania, Imperial has been the source of countless versions of ‘new strain’ propaganda. The institution does not only participate in shoddy modeling. It both foments the insanity and demands a series of totalitarian measures to deal with their faulty narrative creations…

“The current new strain panic comes at a time in Europe when COVID-19 cases are surging in the continent, despite the universal embrace of mRNA injections that were promised to resolve the COVID-19 problem. This ‘new strain’ has reportedly been found in Europe, driving the media’s narrative even further into the totalitarian abyss. With claims disseminated to the masses by Big Tech and world governments, the Gates Inc and China-influenced World Health Organization is sowing maximum panic and terror…

“Imperial College UK is the home of the infamous ‘doomsday models’ for COVID-19, which promised that millions of people would imminently be wiped off the earth if the Western world did not lock down in March of 2020 for COVID-19… Before Nu, the latest scariant, best known as the ‘Delta variant,’ had a similar viral marketing campaign behind its emergence.

“Notably, Imperial’s virology and epidemiology departments have received incredible amounts of funding from the Gates Foundation…  According to a review of their public records, Gates Inc has delivered close to $300 million dollars to the Imperial College London.”

It has been suggested that the WHO skipped “Xi” for naming the variant, as it is the name of the Chinese President, Xi Jinping. And that “Nu” sounds like “nothing.”

The Afrophobia of Omicron Travel Bans

The Washington Post wrote on November 29:

“The president of Malawi has described travel bans imposed by several nations… in response to a new strain of the coronavirus as ‘Afrophobia,’ joining other African leaders in condemning the restrictions… The bans have… angered political leaders in Africa who view them as hasty and unjustified – scapegoating countries that have been quick to come forward with information on a potentially dangerous new variant. South Africa’s health minister on Friday described the measures as ‘misdirected’ and ‘draconian.’…

“South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa said he was ‘deeply disappointed’ by the travel bans and called for them to be lifted immediately. ‘The prohibition of travel is not informed by science. Nor will it be effective in preventing the spread of this variant,’ he said in a televised broadcast. ‘The only thing the prohibition on travel will do is to further damage the economies of the affected countries and undermine their ability to respond to and also to recover from the pandemic.’”

No doubt about that.

Why Biden Is Deeply Unpopular

Fox News published on November 27 an article which was adapted from Tucker Carlson’s opening commentary on the November 26, 2021 edition of “Tucker Carlson Tonight”:

“Joe Biden is deeply unpopular. The question is: why?… What we are witnessing under the Biden administration is something Americans will absolutely not forgive: the decline in our standard of living. Biden hasn’t just embarrassed the United States internationally, though he has certainly done that. Americans can overlook that… and hope for something better next time.

“A lot of things are happening and one of them is inflation. Inflation [is] a result of government policy. The Federal Reserve has devalued the U.S. dollar by printing too many U.S. dollars. Why are they printing them? To pay for more government spending. Spending that under the Biden administration is now literally out of control. There was a $10.1 trillion amount of spending obligations in fiscal year 2020… In 2019… the total was $6.6 trillion, still a lot, but very different than $10.1 trillion.

“More spending is on the way because we can spend any amount of money, we hold the world’s reserve currency. Biden’s so-called Build Back Better bill is estimated to cost over $5 trillion. The people who are printing this money, U.S. Congress, The Federal Reserve specifically, know they are making the problem worse. They don’t care…

“In the Biden administration, a host of bureaucratic agencies are suddenly in charge of your body… The White House believes that OSHA, for example, can tell you what to inject into your body. Get the injection or you’re fired. Just a few months ago the White House was saying the opposite of this. Vaccine mandates are illegal.

“JOE BIDEN: ‘I don’t think it should be mandatory, I wouldn’t demand it be mandatory, but I would do everything in my power. Just like I don’t think masks should be made mandatory nationwide.’

“JEN PSAKI: ‘Can we mandate vaccines across the country? No, that’s not a role that the federal government I think even has the power to make.’

“NANCY PELOSI: ‘We cannot require someone to be vaccinated. That’s just not what we can do [sic]. It is a matter of privacy to know who is or who isn’t.’

“ANTHONY FAUCI: ‘No. Definitely not. You don’t want to mandate and try and force anyone to take the vaccine, we’ve never done that. We don’t want to be mandating from the federal government to the general population. It would be unenforceable and not appropriate.’

“These people are reckless, crazy, and dishonest, and the people put up with it. After all that, of course they mandated the injection. They knew that was illegal and… they did it anyway. Then the airlines started canceling flights and health care workers disappeared because politicians know more about coronavirus than nurses?… Then we ran out of truck drivers to pick up goods from our ports. First responders were then fired. You couldn’t get an ambulance…

“Most people are very tired of it… The question is, how are we going to survive three more years of this? It’s a very good question.”

It has been reported that Biden is thinking of running again in 2024. And if he does not run, then the politician who is most popular among the Democrats would be Kamala Harris, followed by Michelle Obama. Words fail…

The Dictatorship of Greece

The Associated Press wrote on November 30:

“Residents in Greece over 60 years old will have to undergo mandatory vaccinations against coronavirus or face monthly 100-euro ($114) fines beginning next year, the prime minister announced Tuesday, declaring the country’s first general inoculation mandate… It will take effect on Jan. 16 and the fines will be added to tax bills… Roughly a quarter of the country’s adult population remains unvaccinated. Vaccination mandates were introduced over the summer for health care workers and fire service rescuers in Greece, with those failing to comply being suspended from their jobs indefinitely without pay…

“The opposition left-wing Syriza party accused the center-right government of… ‘targeting people over 60 … with punitive and financially debilitating measures that haven’t been implemented anywhere else in the world.’”

This is discriminatory STUPID dictatorship in the extreme.

Francis to Visit Greece

AFP wrote on November 30:

“Twenty years after the last papal visit to Athens sparked protests by monks, Pope Francis heads to the Greek capital on Saturday seeking to improve historically difficult relations between the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches. Francis visited the island of Lesbos in 2016 but his trip to Athens, which will include a mass and meetings with Greece’s top cleric, Archbishop Ieronymos, is the first to the Greek capital by a pope since John Paul II came in May 2001.

“The Orthodox Church has been separated from the Catholic Church since the schism of 1054 between Rome and Constantinople, today’s Istanbul which was then the capital of the Byzantine Empire.

“Hardliners in Greece still blame the pope for the split, and for the Fourth Crusade that sacked Constantinople in 1204… Francis has already visited several majority Orthodox countries including Georgia, Armenia, Romania, Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia.”

This is a curious coincidence that at the time when Greece enacts terrible dictatorial measures, Pope Francis would visit the state to improve relationships with the Greek Orthodox Churches.  

The Dictatorship of Germany

The Associated Press and Breitbart wrote on November 30:

“Germany’s highest court on Tuesday rejected complaints against curfews and other restrictions imposed by federal legislation earlier this year in areas where the coronavirus was spreading quickly…

“The court found that the most controversial measures contained in the federal ‘emergency brake’ legislation that was in place from April until the end of June were in line with the constitution. Those included a 10 p.m.-5 a.m. curfew and school closures in areas with high coronavirus infection rates.”

How this could be constitutional is hard to decipher, and many legal experts are of a different mindset. But we know—don’t we?—that the Beast will arise in Germany or Austria. In biblical terms, Germany and Austria are one nation, anyhow.

Interesting were some of the comments to this article, published by Breitbart:

“They were looking at the 1933 version Constitution to come to this conclusion… The Germans can’t help themselves. No matter what they always side with the State… Germany has not come far from its Nazi roots… The gas ovens were also legal in Germany… Nothing new here. Next they will round up the new 21st century Jew, the unvaccinated… I fully envisage a day in Germany when Adolph Hitler will be fully rehabilitated, and the courts there will rule that everything he did was constitutional, so okay to do it all again… Germany apparently can’t learn from its own history… Watch out Germany, you have been down this path before… The top German courts have always been good at siding with authoritarian regimes… Remember the 30’s? Of course it was legal for the state to confiscate Jewish property…  It is obvious that the German ‘constitution’ is not created to empower people, rather grant tyrannical power to the ‘government’… German law also found nothing wrong with concentration camps and the extermination of 6 million Jews… It’s 1939 all over again.”

And many many more comments along the same lines… But most Germans are sound asleep, as the comments above recognize.

The New Dangerous German Chameleon— Chancellor-in-Waiting Olaf Scholz

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 30:

“Merkel’s designated successor Olaf Scholz is calling for a general vaccine mandate. Talking to Germany’s Bild television on Tuesday, the chancellor-in-waiting said he would like to see mandatory vaccinations ‘not too far away in the future, so I suggest beginning of February or March.’…

“The question of mandatory vaccination is considered controversial in Germany, partly due to forced medical treatments during the Nazi-era.”

Scholz also indicated that the unvaccinated should be punished with fines as they are to be blamed for the current corona situation. Merkel’s leadership regarding the coronavirus crisis was already bad enough. But with Scholz, unpleasant memories of the Nazi era come to light. It is noteworthy what we read in Wikipedia about Scholz:

“Scholz joined the SPD in 1975 as a student, where he got involved with the Jusos, the youth organization of the SPD. From 1982 to 1988, he was Deputy Federal Juso Chairman, and from 1987 to 1989 also Vice President of the International Union of Socialist Youth. He supported the Freudenberger Kreis, the Marxist wing of the Juso university groups, and the magazine spw and promoted ‘overcoming the capitalist economy’ in articles. In it, Scholz criticized the ‘aggressive-imperialist NATO’, the Federal Republic as the ‘European stronghold of big business’…”

We had written this in our Update #991, quoting an article from Deutsche Welle of September 27:

““Scholz underwent a remarkable political transformation. As deputy chairman of the SPD youth organization Jusos, he was still a radical socialist in the 1980s…”

Allegedly, he “transformed” and left his dictatorial and autocratic Juso/Socialist/Marxist past behind. Did he really? In any event, the mass tabloid Bild Online accused Scholz and others of breaking their word.

Germans Brainwashed?

Breitbart wrote on December 1:

“People who are fully vaccinated will also be considered unvaccinated again if they do not take a booster dose within six months, Scholz added.

“A recent poll conducted by YouGov revealed that nearly seven out of ten adults in Germany support mandatory vaccinations, with less than a quarter saying they were against the coercive measure.”

Comments to this article were telling:

“Why do German politicians hate the people of Germany so much???… They show no fear of the LORD which is about all there is to save them at this point… But they fear the monster which they have helped to create… The fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom. They have neither.”

Breitbart wrote on December 2:

“Angela Merkel has announced a de facto lockdown of the unvaccinated, and that Germany’s parliament will soon vote on making vaccination mandatory….  the country will be barring the unvaccinated from events, leisure facilities, and all non-essential retail.”

Austria’s Chancellor Announces His Resignation

Deutsche Welle reported on December 2:

 “Former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced he is stepping back from politics following the birth of his son… Kurz’s withdrawal from national political life comes as a surprise to Austria… Later on Thursday, Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg, a Kurz loyalist who took over when Kurz resigned from the chancellorship, announced he would not run for party leadership and announced his intention to resign as head of government… ‘I am… making my post as chancellor available as soon as the relevant course has been set within the party,’ he added.”

Europeans Brainwashed?

The Guardian wrote on December 1:

“The EU must now consider mandatory vaccination in response to the spread of the ‘highly contagious’ Omicron Covid variant  across Europe, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has said… Von der Leyen said the EU’s 27 member states should rapidly deploy booster doses and a commission communique backed countries opting to temporarily enforce pre-travel PCR tests even within the bloc’s borders….

“There is growing momentum behind mandatory vaccination among the EU member states… On Wednesday, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, an EU health agency, said the potential benefits of vaccinating children aged 5 to 11 should also now be considered…”

And on and on it goes…

Quarantine Camps in Brainwashed Australia for the Unvaccinated

Armstrong Economics wrote on November 24:

“Rumors are swirling on the internet that the Australian Army is herding the unvaccinated population into ‘quarantine camps.’ The army is not currently hunting down the vaccinated, yet, but there is a suspicious amount of funds going toward these quarantine facilities. The Guardian has reported that $130 million was recently invested by the Northern Territory into the Howard Springs quarantine camp. Howard Springs was designed as a fly-in-fly-out workers’ camp, but the mainstream media is reporting that the camps will become redundant as home quarantine pilot programs have begun. If that were true, why is the government continuing to invest in Howard Springs?

“The Northern Territory hosts two main quarantine camps—Howard Springs and Alice Springs… People constantly compare conditions to the concentration camps of Nazi Germany, but this is one example that is becoming dangerously close in nature. They have not begun killing off the unvaccinated population, but they have taken away their freedoms. ‘Residents’ at these hotels may not leave their rooms unless supervised by an authorized officer. That is much more akin to a prison than a hotel. Officers will ‘remind’ those held hostage by their government when they are disobeying the rules. Since COVID can spread on surfaces, people are not allowed to interact with those outside their immediate family. But it gets worse. The website states that family rooms are not always available…

“The poor children who are subjected to this traumatizing experience! Toys are not allowed. Visitors are not allowed. There is a chance children will be separated from their parents, guarded only by the state. Similar to a prison environment, cooking appliances are not available in these quarantine camps. Officers in hazmats suits feed their hostages three times per day by leaving the meals outside the room on the ground as another reminder of lost freedoms. Bottled water and toiletries are not available. The camps boast having limited wifi service, but it is safe to bet that online activities will be monitored. How could we allow such cruel human rights abuses to occur in plain sight? Sending millions of dollars to these camps indicates that they have no real plans to end this abuse…”

This is satanic! Satan’s world is being pushed into universal dictatorship and the establishment of concentration camps for the “undesired” population.

Famous Televangelist Reportedly Dies of Covid Complications

Newsweek reported on November 30:

“Marcus Lamb, a televangelist and founder of Daystar Television Network, has… died… after allegedly taking ivermectin to prevent infection….  Marcus’ wife, Joni Lamb, confirmed her husband died from COVID-19, saying that he had been hospitalized after his oxygen dropped and alternative treatments proved ineffective. Lamb [64], according to Joni Lamb, was diabetic…

“Marcus founded Word of God Fellowship in the early 1980s and created Daystar Television Network in the late 1990s. It’s since become the second-largest Christian network in the world, reaching more than 2 billion people worldwide.

“Throughout the pandemic, Daystar has hosted prominent anti-vaccine voices, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was barred from Instagram for spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine. On the network’s website, Daystar called vaccines the ‘most dangerous thing’ children face, and Daystar filed a petition to block President Joe Biden’s vaccine rule from going into place. In a court filing Daystar filed alongside the American Family Association, the two nonprofits called implementing a vaccine mandate a ‘sin against God’s Holy Word.’

“Daystar argued in the court filing that they have a ‘religious objection’ to forcing employees to ‘test their conscience’ about getting vaccinated. If the company was required to implement the policy, they claimed they would ‘wound the consciences’ of employees and ‘potentially cause them to sin.’

“People claiming a religious exemption to vaccine mandates often cite the fact that vaccines were developed and tested on fetal cell lines, which are based on aborted fetal cells but grown in labs. Fetal cell lines have also been used in the development of multiple common medications, including Tylenol, Benadryl and Claritin.

“Tributes began pouring out after news broke of Marcus’ death and Graham posted on Facebook that he was ‘shocked’ to learn Marcus died from complications of COVID-19…

“Ahead of his death, Marcus’ son, Jonathan, said there was ‘no doubt’ in his mind that his father’s COVID-19 battle was a ‘spiritual attack from the enemy…’”

Instagram’s barring Kennedy for “spreading misinformation” was more like barring him for spreading information which Instagram does not like to be heard. There is no doubt that the death of Marcus Lamb will be used to push vaccinations and malign the unvaccinated…

Abuse in Convents

Reuters reported on November 29:

“When young nuns at a convent in Eastern Europe told their Mother Superior that a priest had tried to molest them, she retorted that it was probably their fault for ‘provoking him’. When African nuns in Minnesota asked why it was always they who had to shovel snow they were told it was because they were young and strong, even though white sisters of the same age lived there too. As the Roman Catholic Church pays more attention to the closed world of convents, where women spend much of their time in prayer and household work, more episodes of psychological, emotional and physical abuse are coming to light…

“Marcela, a South American woman who joined an order of cloistered nuns in Italy 20 years ago when she was 19, recounts how the indoctrination was so strict that younger sisters needed permission to go to the bathroom and ask for sanitary products during their menstrual periods… Therese, a French woman, was told ‘you have to suffer for Jesus’ when she asked to be spared physically demanding chores because of a back condition…

“In 2018, the Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano exposed the plight of foreign nuns sent by their orders to work as housekeepers for cardinals and bishops in Rome with little or no remuneration… Last year, Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz… [said] he was shocked to discover that… former nuns had to resort to prostitution to live.”

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 account of Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist is recorded in Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11 and Luke 3:21-22. The first chapter of John also mentions the context of when Jesus was baptized as told by John the Baptist (John 1:19-34).

It is important to understand the role of John the Baptist leading up to the baptism of Jesus.

A prophecy in Isaiah 40, verse 3, actually refers—in part—to John the Baptist: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness; ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A Highway for our God.’”

The religious leadership from Jerusalem sent to John the Baptist wanting to know who he was. John’s response was to quote Isaiah 40:3, saying that he was fulfilling this prophecy. He also said, “‘You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, “I am not the Christ,” but, “I have been sent before Him”’” (John 3:28).

Another dramatic prophecy is given in Malachi 4:5, which states: “‘Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.’”

While this prophecy incorporates most specifically the time of the return of Jesus Christ to establish the Kingdom of God, it also was applied to John the Baptist—note this exchange between Jesus and some of His disciples:

^“And His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.’ Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist” (Matthew 17:10-13; also, Mark 9:11-13).

Jesus very specifically identified John as fulfilling the Elijah type role:

“‘For this is he of whom it is written: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.” Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!’” (Matthew 11:10-15).

Before John’s birth, the angel Gabriel told John’s father, Zacharias, that John would do an Elijah type work:

“‘For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, “to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,” and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord’” (Luke 1:15-17).

Concerning the work of Elijah, it was to cause the people of Israel to seek God. Elijah fully understood this as he withstood the prophets of Baal:

^“And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, ‘LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again’” (1 Kings 18:36-38).

Both Elijah and John the Baptist completed the work given to them, but there is also an end-time fulfillment of the Elijah prophecies. We have addressed this in other Q&A’s and sermons, and you can find more information by typing the word “Elijah” in the search option, under “Q&A’s” at www.eternalgod.org

Here is a summary of John’s work and his message:

“In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’” Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.” For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire’” (Matthew 3:1-10).

John also pointed to Jesus in his preaching:

“‘I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire’” (Matthew 3:11-12).

Also:

^“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  This is He of whom I said, “After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.” I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water’” (John 1:29-31).

Jesus was first revealed to Israel through being baptized by John:

“Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?’ But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’” (Matthew 3:13-17).

The baptism of Jesus by John was different than others baptized by John and his disciples. Following His baptism, the Spirit of God descended upon Jesus “in bodily form like a dove” (Luke 3:22). To be clear, Jesus had the Holy Spirit without measure (John 3:34-35, Authorized Version) from His conception in Mary’s womb. Even though the Bible does not expressly state this, it is obvious when putting all the Scriptures together. We read that John the Baptist had the Holy Spirit “from his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:15), and Jesus, as God in the flesh, was more than John (compare again John 1:30). John was not the Light, but he came for a witness, to bear witness of the true Light, Jesus Christ (John 1:6-9). We read that Jesus, as a young child, “increased in wisdom” (Luke 2:52), referring to the wisdom of God as a characteristic of the Holy Spirit. Most importantly, it was only through the Holy Spirit dwelling within Him without measure that He, who was fully flesh, was able to live a sinless life, because Jesus said that of Himself, He could do nothing (John 5:30).

When the Holy Spirit descended on Him like a dove at the time of His baptism, this might have been a sign to John the Baptist of who Jesus was (compare John 1:32-34), but it also was an anointing for the message Jesus would preach, which was different than that of John. Following His temptation by Satan, “…Jesus began to preach and say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew  4:17). The Book of Mark adds this:

“Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15).

Later, when Paul encountered disciples in Ephesus, he asked them:

“… ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ So they said to him, ‘We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.’ And he said to them, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ So they said, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ Then Paul said, ‘John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied” (Acts 19:2-6).

By having John the Baptist baptize Him, Jesus set the example for those who would believe in Him. Regarding His baptism, Jesus plainly told John, “‘…Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness’” (Matthew 3:15). Jesus showed, by His baptism, that His followers must be baptized too. He left us an example to follow His steps (1 Peter 2:21).

In addition, it appears that when Jesus was baptized, He received special powers from God to perform miracles (Acts 10:38: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power…”).  We do not read that Christ performed any miracles before His baptism. The first recorded miracle occurred in Cana, when He turned water into wine. This miracle is referred to as “the beginning of signs” (John 2:11). It followed a little later with His healing of a nobleman’s son, which is described as “the second sign that Jesus did” (John 4:54).

The act of baptism has symbolic meaning—it was in John’s ministry who performed a baptism of repentance (Matthew 3:11), and it is for Christians, as Paul so eloquently explains:

^“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection…” (Romans 6:3-5).

Likewise, the baptism of Jesus was symbolic of His death. He spoke figuratively of baptism in this way:

“But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!” (Luke 12:50; also, Mark 10:38).

Baptism for Jesus had nothing to do with repentance or sin relative to Him. Jesus did not sin at all! (Compare 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5). He had nothing for which to repent. However, baptism for Christians requires prior repentance, obedience and belief in Christ as our Savior and in the gospel. It pictures the death of Christ as a sacrifice on our behalf (Romans 5:6-11; Hebrews 9:26).

Consider that Jesus used other representations to instruct us. Note what Paul wrote:

“For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

The baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist revealed Jesus to Israel, and John testified of Him that He was the Son of God, the Christ. Christ’s baptism pictured the death He would suffer, and it also served as an example for believers—those who would seek the Kingdom of God, for Jesus stated:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).

Lead Writer: Dave Harris

compiled by Dave Harris

“The Dictatorship of the Beast in the Book of Revelation,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary: 

The Book of Revelation tells us about an end-time dictator, called the beast, who will arise in Germany or Austria. There are historical forerunners in the persons of Charles the Great, Otto the Great, Charles V., and of course Adolf Hitler. But this time, there will be a difference in that we read that the whole world–not just some countries–will support, adore, worship and follow the beast. We should be able to see that this prophesied dictatorship is being prepared right now. And it’s again Austria and Germany which we must focus on.

“Die Diktatur des Tieres im Buch der Offenbarung” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This covers the same topic in German as described above.

A Tech Team Meeting was conducted on Sunday morning, November 28, 2021. Hosted by Eric Rank, plans for Update 1,000 were discussed along with selecting promotional and advertising outlets to feature StandingWatch programs.

We are pleased to announce the baptism of Gertrude Schobesberger last Sabbath in Germany. Elders Thilo Hanstein and Christoph Sperzel conducted the baptism. Welcome to the Church of God, Gertrude!

“Die heutige Verfolgung der Minderheiten,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Michael Link. Title in English: “Today’s Persecution of the Minorities.”

“Neuer Mut, jetzt erst recht,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Marc Voeller, is now posted. Title in English: “New Courage, Especially Now!”

“Measurable Growth,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Continually measuring ourselves with Christ’s example, along with God’s help, is how we can grow to become truly mature Christians.

“Staying Engaged,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The life of a Christian requires sustaining love for the Truth. What does the Bible teach us that can help us maintain a thriving relationship with God? What can we do to stay engaged in our conversion?

On November 27, 2021, Dave Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “Measurable Growth,” and Eric  Rank will present the sermon, titled, “Staying Engaged”.

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

Since this past Thursday was the day of Thanksgiving here in the United States, it seems kind of self-explanatory that this Editorial would in some way be about thankfulness.

I wonder how we embody thankfulness as Christians. This will be different for each of us as God works with us individually! I am curious though about the mindset that we are cultivating. What do we do on a continual basis in regards to being thankful? What do we have in place to make sure that we are giving thanks to God for everything? How often do we think about how important it is to God that we give Him thanks and praise?

Oftentimes, our thoughts are inward and self-pleasing. When this happens, we start to lean on ourselves or others around us, and we start to leave God out of our picture! This is the exact opposite to what God wants! God desires that we depend on Him for everything. When we are constantly looking to Him, we are going to be searching how we can please Him, how we can do things differently and better. Paul tells us in Colossians 3:17: “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” If we are not in this mindset, then we are in a different mindset.

In a world that is permeated by Satan’s mindset of hate, greed, lust and a general dissatisfaction with life, I wonder how we approach each day and the things that we face. From personal experience, it is very, very easy not to remember the immense number of blessings that God gives us and just focus on the negatives that are happening in our lives!

I have to say that at times, I tend to look at the negatives in my life and dwell on them more than I should or more than is good or necessary. When we have challenging things happening in our lives, we should stop and think about the things or trials that we are going through and start turning to God MORE, so He can show us how to get through whatever it is that we are facing. In this regard, I think often about the Apostle Paul and ALL the things that he went through in his life. I especially find encouragement in what he says in Philippians 4:11-13, quoting from the NIV: “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything [or “all things,” according to the New King James Bible] through him who gives me strength.” The “secret” to being able to deal with WHATEVER we are given in this life, is found, I believe, in giving thanks and finding thanksgiving in ALL situations that we go through. We need to have full confidence and faith in God, knowing with certainty that He knows everything about us and cares about us. The Bible is replete with these truths. Notice in Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Also, note this in Hebrews 13:5: “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”

During tumultuous times, God asks us to focus on Him and His faithfulness to us, rather than being shaken in this conviction by our circumstances; to dwell on His promise to never leave or forsake us; and to trust Him to help us in every situation we face in life. If we can do this more and more, then we are going to grow as Christians. And this is truly what God wants and desires in us, as we read in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “… in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Finally, reading in Colossians 4:2, we find these timely words:  “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.”  I would say, at no other time in our current history should this be more apropos and useful to us than at this time. We are witnessing the world crumble around us, and we know that things will NOT get better, but drastically worse and worse. We must remain close to God asking for His protection, guidance and help in these times we are living; and we must do so with an attitude of thankfulness.

I would like to put forth a challenge for all of us. What would happen if we spent the first couple minutes when we wake up and the last minutes before we go to bed in giving thanks to God? What if instead of every time we went to complain, we stopped and thought about something we could give thanks to God for instead? Based on God’s Word, I would be willing to say that things would start to change for the better in our lives! When we find ways to be thankful, we bring our focus back to God which is where it should be!

by Norbert Link

We begin with frightening and deeply disturbing developments of potentially huge prophetic proportions in many countries around the world,  especially in Austria and Germany— known for their terrible past atrocities and dictatorships. We also publish an incredible article about Australia.

 Turning to the USA, we report on the unsuccessful “accomplishments” of the TSA [Transportation Security Administration]; the controversial and extremely “costly” “Build Bridges Better” spending bill; the Biden administration’s ongoing push for mandatory vaccinations regardless of the law; attempts to silence Robert Kennedy Jr. and his new book on Dr. Fauci and others; and the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse (please view in this context our new StandingWatch program, “Kyle Rittenhouse—Vigilante and Villain or Patriot and Hero?”). We also report on subsequent violent events which were clearly or at least somewhat related to the Rittenhouse’s acquittal.

We also report on extremely controversial plans in California regarding abortion and teachers.

We continue addressing events in England and Wales in relationship to Boris Johnson’s “competency”; Barbados’s intention to “remove” the Queen; and statements by Catholic bishops; and we speak on Russia’s ongoing plan’s to “annex” Ukraine and the military cooperation between Russia and China.

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

We HAVE Seen It Before!

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on November 18:

“Across Europe, from Germany to Italy, governments are placing millions under house arrest for the ‘crime’ of not being ‘fully’ vaccinated. While there is no public health justification for the move – we know from experts such as the CDC Director that the vaxxed continue to spread the virus – there is a distinct punitive intent. Those who do not follow the orders – as irrational as the orders [are] – are to be denied basic human rights. Haven’t we seen this movie before?”

Absolutely—in Nazi Germany, Stalin’s Russia, East Germany’s communist regime, and in other dictatorships. But most are blind and brainwashed. Warning voices are being ignored. History is repeating itself. Terrible times are ahead of us.

Austria’s Tyranny

The Associated Press reported on November 19:

“Austria announced a new national lockdown and a plan to mandate vaccinations as coronavirus infections hit a record high Friday, forcing the government to walk back promises that such blanket shutdowns were a thing of the past. Imposing a mandate would give Austria one of the world’s most stringent vaccine requirements. Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said those who didn’t comply would likely be fined but gave no other details… Starting Feb. 1, the country will also make vaccinations mandatory — though the chancellor gave few details about what that meant or how it would work…

“When the lockdown takes effect early next Monday, restaurants, Christmas markets and most stores will close, and cultural events will be canceled. People will be able to leave their homes only for certain reasons, including buying groceries, going to the doctor or exercising. Wolfgang Mueckstein, the country’s health minister, said that kindergartens and schools would remain open for those who needed them, but all parents were asked to keep their children at home if possible…

“Government officials had long promised that vaccinated people would no longer face lockdown restrictions: Over the summer, then-Chancellor Sebastian Kurz declared the pandemic ‘over’ for those who had received the vaccine…”

God never justifies broken promises. This is ungodly behavior. The Austrian government was in no way “forced” to break their word. To break one’s word is to lie. But it is good politics to lie. That is why a true Christian could not be a politician. Liars will not be in God’s Kingdom. Thank God for that.

The Daily Mail wrote on November 19:

“One of Austria’s main opposition parties has warned the country ‘is now a dictatorship‘ after the government vowed to make Covid vaccines mandatory for everyone from February next year to tackle a wave of Covid cases. Herbert Kickl, leader of the right-wing populist FPO party, slammed Friday’s announcement – which also plunged the country into full lockdown – branding it ‘unconstitutional’ and calling on the country’s top court to intervene… ‘we have reached a level with compulsory vaccination that nobody actually thought was possible…’ Even if the decision to lift the lockdown is taken, the ministers said unvaccinated people will be required to stay in lockdown longer….

“[Chancellor] Schallenberg [accused] the un-jabbed of launching an ‘attack on the health system.’ The move is likely to prove hugely controversial, coming after Austria locked down only unvaccinated people in a move dubbed ‘health apartheid’…”

The FPO’s stance on lockdowns and mandatory vaccination is being condemned as attacks on the health system and the vaccinated, and the FPO is indirectly labeled as an “enemy of the state.” And most Austrians are swallowing it.

Freedom for Austria

The Austrian newspaper Wochenblick wrote on November 23:

“Croatian President Zoran Milanovic is concerned about Austria. The fact that the Corona dictatorship now provides for the compulsory vaccination of Austrians from February reminds him of the 30s. Internationally, Austria is increasingly becoming a negative example. ‘The Nazis are coming back,’ headlines a Greek newspaper. A comparison that would even be illegal in Austria in accordance with the Prohibition Act (NS trivialization, §3h). Croatia’s President describes Austria’s path as ‘fascist’. That’s why he is summoning Vienna’s ambassador.

“According to media reports, Milanovic calls the Corona dictatorship in Austria a ‘catastrophe’. He wants to ‘express our deep concerns about the fundamental freedoms in Austria’ to the ambassador, as the corona restrictions envisaged by Austria’s policy are not scientifically justified and are only aimed at terrorizing people, according to Milanovic.

“‘For a long time, the politicians in the Balkans were lectured by Western Europeans. For example on the subject of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Now Croatia’s president is also speaking out about the human rights violations in this country. He explains: ‘If the Dutch and anyone else comment on Bosnia-Herzegovina every week, then I can also talk about Rotterdam.’ In Rotterdam, the people protested resolutely against the country’s lockdown dictatorship. What happened in Austria reminded him of fascism. People in Croatia are smarter than the Austrians and will therefore not impose a lockdown. ‘In Austria today, people who have not been vaccinated are forbidden from leaving the house. What is it, science or methods that are reminiscent of the 30s?’ explains Milanovic.

“‘The Nazis are coming again,” headlines an Athens newspaper, “Dimokratia.” Many people are inclined to compare the increasingly dictatorial Corona regime with National Socialism. It is unclear whether Croatia’s president is targeting the Christian-social Austrofascism of the 1930s or National Socialism. The former would be legally permissible and in fact, Austria had this experience of dictatorial leadership beyond the later National Socialist rule …

“If Austrians were to take up the comparison in the Greek newspaper, ‘The Nazis are coming again’, they would at least come close to NS-trivialization. A jury would ultimately decide whether they would even have to serve a prison term for it. Dr. Jaroslav Belsky had to experience a conviction according to §3h of the National Socialist Prohibition Act … He compared the Australian Corona camps with the historical concentration camps. But that doesn’t matter to the Athens newspaper ‘Dimokratia’. It even placed the Nazi comparison on the front page …

“People across Europe fear that our fate will happen to them too. The solidarity is great. Solidarity rallies have already taken place in London, Paris and Germany under the motto ‘Freedom for Austria’.”

It has also been reported that those who refuse to be vaccinated will be punished with heavy fines.

Germany’s Tyranny

Reuters wrote on November 19:

“Asked if Germany could rule out an Austrian-style full lockdown, [German Health Minister Jens] Spahn said: ‘We are now in a situation… where we can’t rule anything out… ‘A total lockdown for Germany would be extremely bad news for the economic recovery,’ said Ludovic Colin, a senior portfolio manager at Swiss asset manager Vontobel…

“Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday Germany will limit large parts of public life in areas where hospitals are becoming dangerously full of COVID-19 patients to those who have either been vaccinated or have recovered from the illness.”

Merkel’s recent comments that she justified and defended her prior unconstitutional lockdown with its restrictions in Germany were already great cause for concern. And nothing good can be expected from chameleon and double-tongued Jens Spahn. But most Germans are as blind as their Austrian neighbors. With the new government taking control, Spahn will exit the political arena soon, but perhaps not for good. Some are already predicting Spahn’s resurgence or comeback in the future (Handelsblatt, November 18).

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 19:

“The plans include mandatory daily testing for employees and visitors of care homes, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated or not. They also include ‘3G’ rules (vaccinated, recovered, or tested) requiring people to show proof of full vaccination or recovery or a valid negative COVID test result for workplaces and on public transport… Germany’s 16 states will be also able to retain and introduce protective measures. This includes restricting or prohibiting recreational, cultural, and sporting events, banning entry to healthcare facilities and the sale and public consumption of alcohol, and closing universities…

“German Green Party lawmaker and doctor Paula Piechotta said… ‘If we can’t achieve sufficient vaccination rates on a non-mandatory basis… ‘we have to talk about vaccine mandates…’”

The Green party, which will be part of the next contemplated government, has shown authoritarian tendencies in the past, especially with their ridiculous “green” policies. The article continues:

“Bavaria… imposed a lockdown on all districts that have a seven-day COVID incidence rate of over 1,000 per 100,000 people. Premier Markus Söder said there will be a ‘de facto lockdown’ for unvaccinated people by implementing the ‘2G’ rule across the state. The unvaccinated will lose access to even places like hairdressers, universities or adult education centers. There will also be contact restrictions, with the unvaccinated allowed to meet with a maximum of five people from two households. Even in areas with incidence rates lower than 1,000, there will be restrictions.

“For sports and cultural events, the number of spectators will be limited to 25% of the venue’s total capacity and the ‘2G+’ rule will apply — meaning even the vaccinated and recovered people will be required to produce an additional negative COVID test result. In retail stores, there will be a limit on the number of customers allowed inside: one customer per 10 square meters. All retail outlets and restaurants will also have to be closed by 10 p.m.”

The “free state” of Bavaria, as it calls itself, has always been known for being a place prone to dictatorship, having been “ruled” by dictators such as Franz Josef Strauss and others. Söder is most certainly no exception. So no surprise that Bavaria would jump ahead with authoritarian measures. And all under the disguise of concern for public health.

The Sun added on November 21:

“Germany is set to become the latest European nation to make vaccines compulsory… Ministers and experts said a move to make jabs mandatory was ‘unavoidable’… The country’s tourism czar Thomas Bareiß… [said to the] DPA news agency: ‘It is politically no longer justifiable that entire industries, retailers, restaurants, clubs, bars and the entire cinema, cultural and event scene live in a state of crisis prescribed by the state for 20 months and are faced with great existential fears, while others… take the freedom not to vaccinate.’”

So it’s the fault of the unvaccinated, as the Jews were blamed for everything which was wrong in Germany’s Third Reich. History is just repeating itself… Note the next article.

The Local reported on November 21:

“Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich have docked the wages of unvaccinated players like star midfielder Joshua Kimmich who, along with four unimmunised teammates, is in quarantine over contact with Covid-infected individuals… The latest quarantine order risks inflaming an already heated debate over whether sports personalities should be required to take the jab… Kimmich, 26, had drawn sharp criticism since revealing he opted not to be vaccinated due to ‘personal concerns’… Under new rules taking effect from November 1st, employees who miss work because of a quarantine are no longer entitled to receive compensation if they are unvaccinated…

“German leaders this week decided new curbs to spur those holding out against the jab to change their minds. Those not immunised will have to provide negative tests to use public transport or go to the office. They will also be shut out of restaurants, sporting events and cultural shows in regions where the hospitalisation rate stands at above three patients per 100,000 over the past seven days.”

The fact that it has not been established that these vaccinations are even safe does not seem to bother governmental officials and company bosses.

Vaccine Mandate and Test Requirements

The Associated Press reported on November 24:”

“Germans faced a confusing array of pandemic rules, lax enforcement and a national election — followed by a drawn-out government transition during which senior politicians dangled the prospect of further lifting restrictions… Resistance to getting the shot… remains strong among a sizeable minority of the country. Vaccination rates have stalled at 68% of the population, far short of the 75% or higher that the government had aimed for… Older people who got vaccinated early in 2021 are also seeing their immunity wear off, making them vulnerable to serious illness again…

“Some German politicians are suggesting it’s time to consider a vaccine mandate, either for specific professions or for the population as a whole…  Merkel’s likely successor, current Finance Minister Olaf Scholz of the center-left Social Democrats, has refused to be drawn on whether he would back compulsory COVID-19 shots…  Together with the environmentalist Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats, his party recently passed a law that replaces the existing legal foundations for pandemic restrictions with narrower measures, starting Wednesday. These include a requirement for workers to provide their employers with proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test….”

These “narrower measures” have already proved to be a nightmare for unvaccinated workers. Employers become increasingly hostile towards their unvaccinated employees. The test requirements have proven more than just an annoyance.  Beginning Wednesday, employees, depending on where they live, have to be tested DAILY, as the tests are only valid for 24 hours.  

Other European countries, such as Italy, of course, are following Austria’s bad dictatorial example. Reuters reported on November 24:

 “Italy is expected to restrict access to some indoor venues for people who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19… The government will approve a decree allowing only those who are vaccinated or have recently recovered from the virus to enter venues such as cinemas, restaurants and hotels as of Dec. 6… The country is also likely to extend mandatory vaccination, already in force for healthcare workers, to teachers and police as of Dec. 15…”

Italy, Germany, Austria… the dictatorships of the past under Hitler and Mussolini are coming together again. But not only there. It’s a worldwide phenomenon, driven by paranoia, brain-washed masses, and the mass media (which Trump, in speaking about the mass media in the USA, just called fake news, corrupt news and the enemy of the people; see Newsmax, November 23).

Now Merkel’s Husband Speaks Out???

The Guardian wrote on November 23:

“Angela Merkel’s husband has accused unvaccinated Germans of ‘laziness’, amid calls for the introduction of mandatory coronavirus jabs to combat a dramatic rise in infections. ‘It is astonishing that a third of the population does not follow scientific findings,’ Merkel’s husband, Joachim Sauer, said in an interview with Italian newspaper la Repubblica and picked up by German daily Die Welt. ‘In part, this is due to a certain laziness and complacency of Germans,’ said Sauer, who seldom speaks in public. ‘The other group are people who follow a personal conviction, a kind of ideological reaction to what they consider a vaccination dictatorship,’ Sauer said…

“The outgoing chancellor, who is acting in a caretaker capacity and will probably be replaced by the finance minister Olaf Scholz next month, has repeatedly urged Germans to get vaccinated….”

Normally, Angela Merkel’s husband has been very quiet and has been living “in seclusion” all these years. For him to speak in public is very rare. In this case, it would have been better if he had stayed quiet as well, instead of making totally unfounded accusations. The persecution of the German federal and state governments against the unvaccinated and the dictatorial and unconstitutional measures and restrictions especially for the unvaccinated are bad enough.

How More Stupid Could It Get?

Bild Online wrote on November 23:

“The Thuringian Justice Committee lifted the immunity of the Thuringian AfD parliamentary group leader Björn Höcke (49) in a meeting on Wednesday … According to reports, the investigation is about a speech that Höcke held in Merseburg (Saxony-Anhalt) and, according to the ‘Spiegel’ report, it ended with the words, ‘Everything for Germany’.

“Saxon-Anhalt Greens chief Sebastian Striegel filed a criminal complaint against Höcke on June 8th – because of the use of symbols of unconstitutional organizations … Striegel referred to an opinion of the Scientific Service of the Bundestag, in which the use of the phrase ‘Everything for Germany’ in the context of a public speech was punishable because it was a slogan of the Nazi organization SA …”

This is silly beyond imagination.

Violent Demonstrations in the Netherlands

The Guardian wrote on November 20:

“In what the Dutch city’s mayor described as an ‘orgy of violence’, crowds of several hundred rioters torched cars, set off fireworks and threw rocks at police during the protests on Friday evening. Police responded with… shots and water cannon. Police said on Twitter on Saturday that 51 people had been arrested, about half of whom were under 18… rioters rampaged through the shopping district, starting fires and throwing stones and fireworks at officers… It was one of the worst outbreaks of violence in the Netherlands since coronavirus restrictions were first imposed last year. In January, rioters attacked police and started fires on the streets of Rotterdam after a curfew came into force.

“The Dutch justice minister, Ferd Grapperhaus, condemned the events. “The riots and extreme violence against police officers, riot police and firefighters last night in Rotterdam are disgusting to see,’ he said in a statement. ‘Protesting is a great right in our society, but what we saw last night is simply criminal behaviour. It has nothing to do with demonstrating.’…

“The government has said it wants to introduce a law that would allow businesses to restrict the country’s coronavirus pass system to people who are fully vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19, which would exclude people who test negative…”

The group that had organized and then canceled the Amsterdam rally on Saturday said on Facebook it acted because “last night, all hell broke loose in Rotterdam.” Two people were shot and killed during the demonstration. Far too often, demonstrations turn violent. Radical elements use otherwise peaceful demonstrations for their own purposes. Our advice: Stay away from demonstrations.

Demonstrations in many Countries

The Associated Press reported on November 20:

“Tens of thousands of protesters… marched through Vienna on Saturday after the Austrian government announced a nationwide lockdown… Demonstrations against virus restrictions also took place in Switzerland, Croatia, Italy, Northern Ireland and the Netherlands on Saturday… Protesters rallied against coronavirus restrictions and mandatory COVID-19 passes needed in many European countries to enter restaurants, Christmas markets or sports events, as well as mandatory vaccinations…

“[In Austria,] 35,000 protesters participated in different marches across the city, police said, adding that most didn’t wear masks. Police said several protesters were detained, but didn’t give specific numbers… A day after the Rotterdam rioting, thousands gathered on Amsterdam’s central Dam Square, despite organizers calling off the protest. They walked peacefully through the city’s streets… In Italy, 3,000 turned out in the capital’s Circus Maximus, a field where in ancient times Romans staged popular entertainment, to protest against ‘Green Pass’ certificates required at workplaces, restaurants, cinemas, theaters, sports venues and gyms, as well as for long-distance train, bus or ferry travel within Italy…

“In Northern Ireland, several hundred people opposed to vaccine passports protested outside the city hall in Belfast… Some protesters carried signs that have been widely criticized as offensive, comparing coronavirus restrictions to the actions of Nazi Germany. In Croatia, thousands gathered at in the capital Zagreb, carrying Croatian flags, nationalist and religious symbols, along with banners against vaccination and what they describe as restrictions of people’s freedoms.

“In France, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin condemned violent protests in the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, one of France’s overseas territories… Authorities were sending 200 more police officers to the island and on Tuesday will impose a nightly curfew from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. Protesters in Guadeloupe have staged road blockades and set cars on fire. They denounce France’s COVID-19 health pass that is required to access restaurants and cafes, cultural venues, sport arenas and long-distance travel. They are also protesting France’s mandatory vaccinations for health care workers.”

AFP wrote on November 20:

“In Sydney, some 10,000 marched and there were protests in other major Australian cities against vaccine mandates applied to certain occupations by state authorities. ‘In Australia where a fanatical cult runs our health bureaucracies, they say it’s ok (to vaccinate children),’ right-wing politician Craig Kelly told the Sydney crowd to large cheers.”

The Associated Press wrote on November 21:

“Tens of thousands of people marched through central Brussels on Sunday to protest reinforced COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the Belgian government… Many among the police estimate of 35,000 at the rally were also against the government’s strong advice to get vaccinated and any possible moves to impose mandatory shots.”

The demonstrations won’t change the agenda of governments in any way, but the worldwide unrest grows.

Incredible Dictatorship in Australia

Breitbart wrote on November 24:

“Quarantine camps for the unvaccinated. What for months has been dismissed as an idle conspiracy theory is now coming horribly true in Australia’s Northern Territory under the region’s tinpot dictator Michael Gunner. Gunner, the Northern Territory Chief Minister, has proudly boasted that 38 ‘close contacts’ of positive Covid cases have been transferred to quarantine camps in army trucks.

“Australia’s Northern Territory already had some of the strictest lockdown laws in the English-speaking world. The five allowable reasons for leaving your home are: buying food; exercising for up to two hours; caregiving; work; education.

“This latest move by Gunner, of Australia’s left-wing Labor party, represents a rapid escalation of bio-security totalitarianism. The people being targeted are indigenous Australians (otherwise known as Aborigines), an ethnic group which has been especially reluctant to take the Covid vaccine…

“To add insult to injury, quarantine camp prisoners are expected to pay top dollar for their ordeal. [Just to remind our readers, Nazi Germany charged family members for the incarceration and death of their loved ones in concentration camps.]

“Gunner was a hitherto unknown figure outside Australia’s Northern Territory… But his latest media statements have elevated him to global tinpot dictator notoriety status… [In a video, he has] declared war on the anti-vaxxers. According to his definition, this includes even people who have been vaccinated but who oppose his draconian measures. ‘If you are anti-mandate, you are absolutely anti-vax’, he said.”

Get Rid of TSA

Reason wrote on November 19:

“On this day in 2001, in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created… In the ensuing two decades, the TSA has proven itself skilled at harassing travelers and freaking out over pocketknives and water bottles while steadfastly failing at its assigned task of making air transportation any safer. The TSA, in short, is an awful example of government in action…

“The TSA launched with the passage of the Aviation and Transportation and Security Act on November 19, 2001. The new law nationalized passenger screening, which previously had been the responsibility of airlines. It’s not clear why anybody saw a need for the TSA, since it’s unlikely that a federal agency would have been any more successful than private contractors at predicting terrorists’ unprecedented use of aircraft as kamikaze weapons…

‘The TSA blog carries constant reports of weapons confiscated from people who forgot to remove them from carry-on bags. But the Homeland Security Red Teams in the 2015 test actively concealed forbidden items just as real criminals and terrorist would. The result was that ‘TSA agents failed 67 out of 70 tests, with Red Team members repeatedly able to get potential weapons through checkpoints.’ Two years later, a Red Team test at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport achieved the same 95 percent failure rate to detect explosives, weapons, and illegal drugs…

“But that’s just the tip of the iceberg of abject failure represented by the TSA. The agency repeatedly has been called out for spending vast amounts of money on unproven toys and techniques and then failing to assess their effectiveness—or just leaving them to gather dust…

“What the TSA is good at is high-visibility groping, scanning and confiscating. Making people drop their pants, take off their shoes, and surrender their shampoo annoys people in a way that says ‘we’re doing something’ without actually accomplishing anything… ‘Airport security has to change,’ Kip Hawley, one-time head of the TSA wrote in 2012. ‘The relationship between the public and the TSA has become too poisonous to be sustained.’…

“Instead of making headlines with reform, though, the TSA has become better-known for stealing money from travelers. In September, news reports called out the case of TSA working with other agencies to seize $27,600 from a Texas man, apparently because he was traveling to Oregon where marijuana is legal in conflict with federal law; he was never charged with a crime. Last year, the Institute for Justice reported that TSA and its sister agencies at Homeland Security ‘seized over $2 billion in currency at airports’ between 2000 and 2016.

“‘Law enforcement agencies routinely seize currency from travelers at airports nationwide using civil forfeiture—a legal process that allows agencies to take and keep property without ever charging owners with a crime, let alone securing a conviction,’ noted author Jennifer McDonald.

“After 20 years of failure, the Transportation Security Administration continues to waste resources, harass travelers, and actively mug air passengers. It is far more of a threat than the dangers from which it supposedly protects us. At long last, let’s put the agency out of our misery.”

Not to mention the incredible delays and long lines of passengers waiting in airports caused by a far-too-often indifferent TSA personnel .. .and that was even the case BEFORE the coronavirus debacle. Whenever the government puts its greedy and incompetent hands into the pie, disaster follows.

House Approves Biden’s “Build Back Better” Spending Bill

Breitbart wrote on November 19:

“House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) yielded the floor on Friday morning at 5:11 a.m. after speaking for a record eight hours and forty-two minutes against the Democrats’ multi-trillion-dollar ‘Build Back Better’ social spending bill… McCarthy broke down the bill, attacking it for lavish spending on Democrats’ favored special interest groups while raising taxes on middle-class Americans — and providing an effective tax cut for the wealthy in high-tax, Democrat-run states.

“He noted that the bill… rejected Republican amendments, including one to prohibit funding from going to the Chinese Communist Party… McCarthy added that the country was at a ‘tipping point,’ and that the bill… represented a step toward socialist policies that had already failed in other countries, and government programs that could never be undone… Republicans rose to their feet in a standing ovation as McCarthy finally finished and the House chamber emptied…

“The House passed the $1.7 Build Back Better Act early on Friday morning, sending the bill to the Senate… The bill passed 220-213, with overwhelming Democrat support, and strong Republican opposition to the bill. Only one Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), a swing district Democrat, voted against the bill. The legislation serves as the marquee legislation for President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda. Biden pinned his legislative majority on passing dual infrastructure bills, the Build Back Better Act, and the $1.2 trillion so-called bipartisan infrastructure bill, otherwise known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The Build Back Better Act would massively expand social welfare programs and fund major climate change programs…

“The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget found that the legislation could cost as much as $4.91 trillion over ten years… President Joe Biden and other congressional Democrats have promised that the legislation would cost zero dollars…

“The legislation will go to the Senate, where it remains uncertain if moderate Democrats… will support the bill… Democrats cannot afford to lose one vote to pass the bill.”

This presupposes, of course, that RINOs [“Republicans in name only”] will not support the bill, as some did in regard to the equally controversial infrastructure bill.

The New York Post Editorial Board wrote on November 19:

“Overall, this bill remains a piece of junk — written, re-written and re-re-rewritten all year long with no eye on what the nation needs nor even whether it makes any sense, except as an effort to pass some of the left’s longstanding agenda while Democrats are in control. The games they’re playing to make it look not too fiscally irresponsible can’t change that.”

This astronomical ever-climbing irresponsible debt of the USA can never be repaid. The time will come when creditors might take matters into their own hands. The Bible warns us with a reason, in Proverbs 22:7: “The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant (or slave) to the lender.”

Biden’s Vaccine Mandate Despite Court Ruling

Life Site News reported on November 19:

“Days after the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced that it will comply with a federal court order not to enforce the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate on American businesses, the White House says it still wants businesses to carry out the mandate on their own. ‘Our message to businesses right now is to move forward with measures that will make their workplaces safer and protect their workforces from COVID-19,’ Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday… ‘That was our message after the first stay issued by the Fifth Circuit. That remains our message and nothing has changed.’ ‘We are still heading towards the same timeline’ of a January 4, 2021 deadline for implementation, she continued…

“Psaki’s comments do not carry the force of law, but appear to signal the administration’s intentions to continue informally pushing businesses to force vaccination on their employees regardless of the law.

“Meanwhile, evidence continues to mount undermining the vaccine mandate’s rationale, with a growing body of data indicating that the mass vaccination strategy for defeating COVID-19 has failed…  Noncompliance is further driven by significant unaddressed concerns about the vaccines’ safety, stemming largely from the fact that they were developed and released far faster than any previous vaccine….”

More Nonsense from the Biden Administration

The Associated Press wrote on November 22:

“Joe Biden will require essential, nonresident travelers crossing U.S. land borders, such as truck drivers, government and emergency response officials, to be fully vaccinated beginning on Jan. 22… A senior administration official said the requirement, which the White House previewed in October, brings the rules for essential travelers in line with those that took effect earlier this month for leisure travelers, when the U.S. reopened its borders to fully vaccinated individuals.

“Essential travelers entering by ferry will also be required to be fully vaccinated by the same date, the official said…

“The rules pertain to non-U.S. nationals. American citizens and permanent residents may still enter the U.S. regardless of their vaccination status, but face additional testing hurdles because officials believe they more easily contract and spread COVID-19 and in order to encourage them to get a shot.”

Incredible! Fauci’s Critics Should Be Brought “to Justice”?

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on November 23:

“Outgoing National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins told the Washington Post that critics of Fauci and his organization are spreading misinformation and should be ‘brought to justice.’

“He continues the ‘I am science’ argument of Fauci even as the multitude of flip-flops and failed promises have undermined public confidence.”

This is getting so stupid… but it’s well-organized dangerous stupidity. Note the next two articles.

Don’t Dare to Criticize Fauci!

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on November 23:

 “Fauci made another circuit through the adoring media yesterday, again accusing anyone of pointing out his lack of honesty and constant moving the goal posts of ‘killing people.’”

Silencing Kennedy

Life Site News wrote on November 22:

“Robert Kennedy Jr. shed light on the deep-seated corruption occurring within Big Pharma and the federal regulatory bodies, including their worrisome ties to billionaire population control advocate Bill Gates. In an  interview on November 15 with Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Robert Kennedy Jr., [son of U.S. senator Robert Kennedy and] nephew of late U.S. President John F. Kennedy, detailed the decades-long corruption occurring within the pharmaceutical industry and the federal regulatory agencies. Included is the collusion between Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and Gates pursuant to vaccine development, vaccine safety, mass vaccination programs, and legal immunity. ‘[The corruption] began in 1986 when they passed the Vaccine Act and gave complete shield from liability to all vaccine companies,’ Kennedy told Carlson. ‘So, if you’re a vaccine company and you injure somebody, no matter how grievous the injury, no matter how reckless your conduct, no matter how negligent you were, no matter how toxic the ingredient, nobody can sue you.’…

“Tying together Fauci, Gates, and the federal regulatory agencies, Kennedy outlined that in 2000, Fauci flew to Seattle to meet with Gates. During this meeting, they struck a partnership to ‘vaccinate all of humanity’…  With Gates using his large wealth to accumulate partial ownership in all major pharmaceutical companies, as well as significant influence over so-called philanthropic organizations and regulatory agencies, Kennedy stated that nothing goes through the WHO without ‘first being vetted by the Gates Foundation.’

“In effect, Kennedy says that Gates uses his foundation’s influence over the WHO to require countries to use the vaccines he is heavily invested in or they will no longer receive the money from the WHO that they require to operate…”

Kennedy released a new book, “The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health,” which is hitting the bestseller lists, but major networks (Fox News excluded) have refused to even talk about it. The book received the following review by thriftbook.com:

“When the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) since November 1984 and the leading architect of ‘agency capture’–the corporate seizure of America’s public health agencies by the pharmaceutical industry–happen to be the same man, conflicts of interest arise. Wearing both hats, Dr. Anthony Stephen Fauci, tasked with managing the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, peddled and back-pedaled his prescriptions as Pharma profits and bureaucratic powers grew and public health waned. Working in tandem with his long-term partner, billionaire Bill Gates, to corral Americans toward a single vaccine solution to COVID, Dr. Fauci committed zero dollars to studying or promoting early treatment with various drug combinations that could dramatically reduce deaths and hospitalizations.

“Meanwhile, in an assault on our First Amendment guarantee of free speech, Dr. Fauci’s Silicon Valley and media allies dutifully censored criticism of his policies on mainstream social media and collaborated to muzzle any medical information about therapies and treatments that might end the pandemic and compete with vaccines. After effectively abolishing the First Amendment right to free speech, Dr. Fauci subverted our Seventh Amendment rights to jury trials by arranging to shield reckless and negligent pharmaceutical corporations from liability for injuries from any COVID countermeasures, including vaccines. His lockdowns targeted First Amendment religious freedom by closing churches–while keeping liquor stores open as ‘essential businesses’–and abolishing century-old religious exemptions to vaccination.

“Dr. Fauci’s enforced quarantine trampled the Constitutional rights of assembly, of association, and to petition the government, and our Fifth Amendment protection against uncompensated taking of private property. His arbitrary mask and lockdown diktats, without public hearings or rulemaking, strangled our Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment due process guarantees. His tracking and tracing initiatives bulldozed Constitutional rights to privacy and travel, and our Fourth Amendment protections against warrantless searches and seizures. Finally, readers will see how Dr. Fauci and Bill Gates, asserting biosecurity rationales, worked together to finance and promote the very gain-of-function experiments in Wuhan that may have released the COVID-19 pathogen.”

No wonder the Biden Administration, Big Pharma and the mass media do not want you to read this book, which, according to the publisher, is well researched with thousands of footnotes, presenting evidence for all of Robert Kennedy’s claims. By the way, Robert Kennedy is an American environmental lawyer.

Rittenhouse Not Guilty

The New York Post wrote on November 19:

“Not guilty on all counts: That verdict comes as no surprise to anyone who’d paid close attention to the Kyle Rittenhouse trial but may shock those who relied on horrifically biased media accounts. Nearly all the early media tropes proved false: He didn’t bring the gun across state lines; he had major roots in Kenosha including his day job and much of his family. He wasn’t a militia-wannabe but an aspiring cop/firefighter/EMT.

“Absolutely nothing suggests he was a ‘white supremacist,’ as no less than Joe Biden claimed right before last year’s election. And the men he shot were all attacking him when he pulled the trigger; all were white, and at least two had histories of violence. None of this makes him a ‘patriot’… But the evidence for self-defense was rock-solid.

“But for months, and even as the trial exposed these facts, the haters stuck to their narrative… The rank, politicized distortions of fact here — and in so many other recent incidents — should teach everyone once and for all not to trust instant analysis or agenda-driven reporting...

“May that lesson sink in widely, not least with the man in charge of upholding America’s institutions and leading the nation to unity.”

The mass media engaged in horrible reporting and misrepresentations, as was pointed out in our last Update. (On November 17, the New York Post listed 10 misrepresentations and outright lies by the mass media in this case.) In addition, important evidence about the prior criminal conduct of the persons Rittenhouse shot was suppressed (showing once again, by way of example, why conscientious Christians cannot possibly serve on a jury). But we also agree with voices like the one of Prof. Dershowitz who warned against idolizing Rittenhouse and making him out to be a hero (Newsmax, dated November 19). Further, although much in an article published by USA Today on November 18, prior to the verdict, is undoubtedly objectionable and wrong, one point is correct:

“What did this boy think would happen if he carried an AR-15-type rifle into the chaos that warm summer night?… Some people argue he’s a positive role model for other young people: He saw a problem. He took action. He stood up when the police stood down… We live in a society where guns have become a fetish for some people [who] claim they are protecting the public. It’s an illusion. And it’s dangerous… My father died 20 years ago. But I know exactly what he would say about the events in Kenosha… He would tell his teenage son: Don’t you ever do something so stupid. You stay home and stay out of trouble.”

Rittenhouse’s actions do NOT represent a positive role model for young people to follow. No matter what man’s law may say, Christ tells us not to take up the sword, but to put it away, because everyone who takes the sword will ultimately perish by it (Matthew 26:52). Using a gun on other people is wrong in God’s eyes. Please view our new StandingWatch program, “Kyle Rittenhouse—Vigilante and Villain or Patriot and Hero?” and read our free booklet, “Should YOU Fight in War?” Also, please read our free booklet, “The Ten Commandments.” 

Antifa: Take Up Arms!

The Washington Times reported on November 23:

“Some members of Antifa are responding to the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse last week by getting guns themselves. According to social media posts collected by conservative journalist Andy Ngo, the violent leftist group sees as a threat to them Mr. Rittenhouse’s successful claim of self-defense in the shootings of three rioters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last year.

“‘Antifa accounts in Portland & beyond are terrified over the Rittenhouse acquittal because they’re afraid others will shoot them dead during an attack & have a legal argument for self-defense. They’re urging comrades to get guns immediately so they can kill before being killed,’ Mr. Ngo wrote on Twitter, providing multiple screenshots to support his claim.”

The Christmas Parade Murderer

The New York Post reported on November 24:

“The ex-con charged over the deaths of six people at a Wisconsin Christmas parade shared social media posts calling for violence against white people — and suggesting ‘Hitler was right’ for killing Jews…. [The messages] included numerous posts attacking cops, comparing them to Ku Klux Klan members and calling them ‘violent street gangs’ — as well as calling for violence toward white people, according to screenshots… Police have yet to announce a motive for Sunday’s carnage, but all six who died… were white…

“In his rap songs, Brooks also bragged that he was a ‘terrorist’ and a ‘killer in the city.’”

All Three Men Charged in Ahmaud Arbery’s Death Convicted of Murder

Newsmax reported on November 24:

“A jury Wednesday found Travis McMichael, his father, Gregory McMichael, and their neighbor William Bryan guilty of murdering Ahmaud Arbery outside of Brunswick, Georgia. Travis McMichael was found guilty on all nine charges, including malice murder after the jury deliberated for about 11 hours over two days. His father and Bryan were found guilty on counts of felony murder. Each of the three men faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole…

“The three men accused of Arbery’s Feb. 23, 2020, killing were initially cleared by the local district attorney. But after video of the deadly encounter was leaked, a public outcry led to the case being transferred to a different district attorney and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation charged the trio in May…

“Arbery, 25… was reportedly jogging in the Glynn County neighborhood where the McMichaels lived. McMichael said he sought out Arbery after his 65-year-old father told him ‘the guy who has been breaking in down the road’ had just run past their home… both McMichaels armed themselves before pursuing Arbery in their pickup truck. McMichael said Arbery initially stopped when he pulled up alongside him, but again took off running when McMichael told him police were en route.

“That began a sequence in which prosecutors say Arbery was chased and prevented from fleeing by two pickup trucks — the one with the McMichaels inside and another driven by the 52-year-old Bryan, who also videotaped the encounter. At some point, a struggle between Travis McMichael and Arbery ensued, and Travis McMichael admits to fatally shooting Arbery. ‘He had my gun,’ McMichael testified on Wednesday. ‘He struck me. It was obvious that he was attacking me, that if he would have gotten the shotgun from me, then this was a life-or-death situation, and I’m going to have to stop him from doing this, so I shot.’…

“Arbery’s family has claimed the incident was racially motivated and there have been allegations of racist language used by the defendants. Prominent Black civil rights activists such as Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton have made appearances in the courtroom, leading to a brief failed attempt by the defense to have the controversial leaders ejected from the proceedings.

“Numerous political leaders have commented on the trial, including President Joe Biden who tweeted on the one-year anniversary of the shooting: ‘A Black man should be able to go for a jog without fearing for his life. Today, we remember Ahmaud Arbery’s life and we dedicate ourselves to making this country safer for people of color.’ The comments appeared to prejudge the guilt of the defendants, continuing a trend of Biden remarking on cases that had not yet been decided by a jury, as he had done with Kenosha shooting defendant Kyle Rittenhouse.

“… The Arbery and Floyd deaths sparked a summer of social justice protests nationwide that were dominated by Black Lives Matter activists and, often, members of the left-wing group antifa. Frequently the events turned destructive or violent, resulting in several cities having businesses looted or burned down, countless assaults, and several deaths.”

California New Abortion Mecca?

Life News wrote on November 16:

“California Gov. Gavin Newsom is working to make his state the abortion center of the United States in anticipation of Roe v. Wade being overturned soon…  Newsom, a pro-abortion Democrat, recently asked a group of ‘reproductive health’ experts to come up with plans to make it easier for women from other states to come to California to abort their unborn babies… Currently, under Roe and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, states are prohibited from protecting unborn babies from abortion before viability, about 22 weeks of pregnancy. If Roe goes, 26 states likely would ban abortions to protect unborn babies…

“Among other things, they want lawmakers to increase taxpayer funding for abortions through the state Medi-Cal program and create a fund to help pay for transportation, child care, hotel stays and other costs to encourage women to come to California to abort their unborn babies… [California] has more abortion facilities than any other state in the U.S. Newsom also recently signed a law that forces colleges and universities to provide abortions on campus.”

How can God bless a state like this? Note the next shocking article.

California’s Teachers Urge Recruiting Young Kids into LGBT Clubs

Daily Wire reported on November 19:

“Abigail Shrier, the author of the best-selling book ‘Irreversible Damage,’ revealed that at a late October meeting at a conference of California’s largest teacher’s union, the California Teachers Association (CTA), documents show teachers were encouraged to recruit students into LGBT clubs, urging them to ‘have the courage to create a safe environment that fosters bravery to explore sexual orientation.’ One teacher reportedly chortled, ‘We’re going to do just a little mind-trick on our sixth graders.’

“Additionally, Shier wrote, ‘Speakers went so far as to tout their surveillance of students’ Google searches, internet activity, and hallway conversations in order to target sixth graders for personal invitations to LGBTQ clubs, while actively concealing these clubs’ membership rolls from participants’ parents.’”

Boris Johnson Incompetent

Express wrote on November 19:

“The British public is furious with Boris Johnson.. with record numbers believing the Prime Minister is ‘incompetent’ according to a YouGov poll…. [It] shows a leap of faith made by the British public when the Prime Minister was elected in December 2019, with his competency rating sitting at more than 50 percent… those thinking the Prime Minister is competent [is] just 29 percent.”

Johnson can shake hands with Biden and Harris… And then we are told that Harris made history as the first woman…and woman of color… to occupy the office of [acting] President for 1 hour and 25 minutes while Biden was undergoing a procedure, requiring short anesthesia for a routine colonoscopy and medical exam. What lunacy.

Barbados to Remove the Queen

Bloomberg wrote on November 22:

“For the first time in three decades, Queen Elizabeth II is losing one of her many realms. On Nov. 30, Barbados, in the eastern Caribbean, will be removing the British monarch as its head of state and installing Governor General Sandra Mason as president…

“The move is largely symbolic, as Barbados has been a sovereign nation since 1966. But the transition underscores the growing independent streak in the Caribbean — home to nine of the 16 commonwealth realms, sovereign countries that have Queen Elizabeth as their head of state.  ‘The time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind,’ Governor General Mason said last year, when the transition was announced…

“The last nation to leave the commonwealth realm was Mauritius in 1992. But Jamaica, the Bahamas, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have all considered ditching the monarchy…”

Catholics “Encouraged” to take Mass on Sunday

Premier Christian News wrote on November 20:

“Catholics in England and Wales are being encouraged to ‘look again’ at the activities they are doing on Sundays instead of going to Mass… such as sports or shopping, or other leisure and social activities… But the bishops also recognised that for some ‘there is legitimate fear in gathering together’ as the pandemic is not over and they acknowledged that not everyone ‘is yet in the position to fulfil the absolute duty to attend freely Sunday Mass.’…

“They concluded: ‘The Sunday Mass is the very heartbeat of the Church and of our personal life of faith. We gather on the “first day of the week,” and devote ourselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts 2:42).”

At least, they recognize that Sunday is the “first day of the week” and therefore not the biblical Sabbath, which is of course the last day of the week, even though the Catholic Church has been influential in changing the calendar, marking Sunday as the seventh day. In addition, breaking bread has nothing to do with attending worship services on Sunday and taking communion or participating in mass. Please see our Q&A on that topic. 

Russia’s Plan to Annex Ukraine

European Council of Foreign Affairs (ecf.eu) wrote on November 17:

“Russia is mobilising its forces… Moscow’s belief that the EU and US will not step in to protect Ukraine could lead it to take direct military action… Following an invasion of Ukraine, it would use [its forces] to control conquered territory, suppress dissent, and install puppet administrations. Their mobilisation is a sign that the Kremlin is at least considering the option of further incursions into Ukraine… This may hint towards a significantly more serious intention than simply a wish to appear threatening.

“Hostile Russian rhetoric towards Ukraine has increased over the last year. ‘Reintegrating’ Ukraine – the whole of Ukraine, not Donbas alone – into the Russian Empire is a declared aim of the Russian president. The impression of a weak West, underlined by the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, may convince Moscow that now is the time to wrap up its ‘unfinished business’ with Kyiv. The Kremlin may have been emboldened in this by its interpretation of the American position on Ukraine, particularly since senior US diplomat Victoria Nuland’s recent visit to Moscow. That trip likely left the impression that Washington would subscribe to Moscow’s interpretation of the Minsk agreement…

“And, finally, current events around Belarus tightly connect Ukraine’s security situation with the rest of Europe. This relates not only to the immediate stand-offs with migrant arrivals at the Belarus-Poland border, but to these major Russian military redeployments whose full nature is not yet clear. Were it to take Ukraine, an enlarged and confident Russia would then turn its sights on influencing the activities of it new nearest neighbours: the EU and its member states.”

Ukraine will fall into the hands of Russia… either forcefully or “peacefully”.

Russia Threatens to Destroy NATO Satellites over Ukraine

The Sun wrote on November 23:

“RUSSIA’S new weapon dubbed ‘Star Warrior’ has the West worried as it can blast satellites out of orbit at heights of up to 500 miles above Earth. Vladimir Putin’s state owned TV issued a chilling threat that Russia may deploy the system to destroy some 32 Western satellites to render Nato missiles useless. It comes after Putin used the weapon to destroy a redundant Soviet-era Tselina-D military reconnaissance satellite – blasting it into an orbital debris storm…

“State-controlled Russian Channel One TV host Dmitry Kiselyov – dubbed Putin’s ‘mouthpiece’ and ‘propagandist-in-chief’ – has claimed the satellite strike was a deliberate warning to the West not to cross the Kremlin’s red lines on Ukraine.  He boasted in the event of worsening relations, Russia could wipe out 32 GPS satellites crucial for Nato’s military operations, including the pinpointing of missile strikes.

“The warning comes as relations continue to worsen between Russia and the West amid fears that Putin may be about to invade Ukraine.

“… Russia deputy prime minister Yuri Borisov previously bragged that the Star Warrior weapons system has no counterpart in the West.”

Roadmap for Closer Military Ties between Russia and China

The Associated Press wrote on November 23:

“Russia’s defense chief on Tuesday signed a roadmap for closer military ties with China, pointing to increasingly frequent U.S. strategic bomber flights near both countries’ borders… Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe ‘expressed a shared interest in stepping up strategic military exercises and joint patrols by Russia and China,’ according to the Russian Defense Ministry. ‘China and Russia have been strategic partners for many years,’ Shoigu said… Wei praised Russia for successfully countering what he described as U.S. pressure and military threats…

“In August, Shoigu visited China to attend joint war games, which marked the first time that Russian troops had taken part in drills on Chinese territory. They were the latest in a series of war games in recent years, intended to underline increasingly close military relations between Moscow and Beijing. Russian President Vladimir Putin and China’s leader, Xi Jinping, have developed strong personal ties to bolster a ‘strategic partnership’ between the former Communist rivals as they both faced tensions with the West.

“Putin said last year that… Russia has been sharing highly sensitive military technologies with China that helped significantly bolster its defense capability.”

Chinese New Hypersonic Weapon More Dangerous than Previously Thought

Israel 365 wrote on November 22:

“In July, China tested an unprecedented ability of its new hypersonic weapon; firing a separate missile while traveling at Mach 5… a new report reveals even more shocking details of China’s hypersonic capabilities that US military experts can’t even begin to understand…

“China’s hypersonic weapon that took the world by surprise in July had an additional ability. Capable of flying at five times the speed of sound while carrying a nuclear warhead, the weapon, essentially a space vehicle, fired a projectile in midflight. Experts are still unsure of how this was achieved and don’t even know what the purpose of the projectile was. The projectile fired midflight landed in the water and did not seem to have a target. Some conjectures suggest the projectile may have been electronic countermeasures capable of targeting an enemy’s missile defense systems while others suggest it may have been an air-to-air missile…

“The hypersonic glide vehicle tested by China in July was capable of bypassing the US’s air-defense systems by flying over the South Pole….”

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.

What you are referring to is the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) which was held in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November 2021.  This event is a global United Nations summit about so-called climate change and how countries are planning to tackle it.

On the BBC website is an article entitled “Climate change: What is it and why is everyone talking about it?” https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/45880633

This website states that “When we talk about climate change, we are talking about global changes in the Earth’s average temperature.  The Earth’s average temperature moves up and down naturally, but it has been increasing more rapidly than it usually does. This change is impacting on the planet’s environment – which is everything natural around us; rivers, trees, plants, animals… everything!

“Scientists say many of the changes to the Earth’s climate are caused by human activity – this means things that humans are doing. Some of those things are: the burning of oil, coal and gas, waste, deforestation and urbanization and population growth.

“Scientists say the world is about one degree Celsius warmer than it was 300 years ago when the Industrial Revolution started and people began to work in factories. A very influential 2018 report by an international group of scientists said that if the planet’s temperature goes up by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, it will cause huge problems for the planet. Melting ice in places like the Arctic and Antarctic would lead to a rise in the Earth’s sea levels, flooding many coastal areas and islands. Extreme weather like heatwaves, droughts and storms would happen more often and become more severe.

“The 2018 report encouraged world leaders to make climate change a priority. It said countries needed to work together to limit the rise in temperature rise to 1.5 degrees and stop changes to the planet that would be a catastrophe for life on Earth.”

To clarify, we do not necessarily agree with the concept of man-made global warming or climate change, as presented by scientists and described in the above article. There are still many unanswered questions, including reports to the effect that data has been strongly manipulated to “prove” “man-made climate change.” Some scientists even go so far as to say that we are not overserving global warming, but rather another ice age. The late producer and inventor/originator of the American “Weather Channel” was a strong opponent of the concept of man-made climate change and filed numerous lawsuits to prove errors and misrepresentations, which all were dismissed when he died. The late famous writer Michael Crichton (“Jurassic Park”), who was also a doctor, challenged the concept of climate change as well.

We do not have to concern ourselves in this Q&A with the accuracy or inaccuracy of the concept of man-made climate change as it is the purpose of this Q&A to point out an altogether different problem.

We had a “talking shop” for 13 days with a rush at the end of the conference to agree to a deal acceptable to all those in attendance.

There have been many reports around the world about this conference, and for the sake of brevity we will just choose one report.   The Daily Mail reported on 14th November 2021 that “Cop26 president Alok Sharma today warned China and India they would have to ‘justify’ political scheming that hamstrung a global climate deal to protect their coal interests.   The Cabinet minister rounded on the Asian nations after the Glasgow summit last night agreed a watered-down deal on climate change following their last-gasp intervention. The Glasgow Pact was watered down at the last minute with the wording on a section covering unabated coal – the burning of coal without climate change mitigating technology – changed from ‘phase out’ to ‘phase down’, leading to angry responses from European and vulnerable countries. Mr Sharma, who appeared on the verge of tears and apologised for the change as Cop ended last night, insisted to Sky News that it had achieved ‘something remarkable’. But he added: China and India are going to have to justify to some of the most climate-challenged nations what happened.’”

There you have it in a nutshell.   Man’s inability to agree on something that they all felt was so important that so many of the world’s nations were gathered, but unable to agree fully on how to go about resolving the issue.

The world has many seemingly insurmountable problems but there is never the will with so many to look at this and many different issues that they all feel are crucial to man’s survival and for the common good.  Self-interest always seems to come to the fore.

What is the approach and understanding of the Church of God of which Jesus Christ is the Head?  True Christians are challenged to come out of the governmental and political systems of this world.

In our Q&A “Are Christians supposed to make this a better world?” we write:

“Jesus, during His earthly ministry, likened this world to a building. In Ephesians 2:20-22 the Church is likened to a building. Jesus, in referring to the present evil world, said it is built on a foundation of the sand of Satan’s way of vanity, covetousness, envy and jealousy, competition and strife, violence, rebellion, contention, unhappiness, suffering and death. THIS WORLD IS DOOMED TO CRASH! And great shall be the fall thereof.

“Jesus did not come to repair or remodel or make over this building — this world — this civilization. Its foundation is faulty — that of Satan. Its superstructure — its systems of government and legal systems of law and justice, its systems of faulty and materialistic education, its religions, its social systems and customs — all its superstructures faulty, producing discontent, unhappiness, contention, competition and strife leading to violence and destruction, anguish, suffering, poverty and death. Those are the supporting columns and beams of the superstructure of the building that is this world. Jesus did not come to reform this world — to bring it a ‘spiritual revival’ — to pray for it or to save it or any of its ways.” (see https://www.globalchurchofgod.co.uk/q-a-13266/)

The Church of God does not get involved in the politics of this world.   The fruits of it are plain to see and only the return of Jesus Christ can set right what is impossible with man in charge, ably guided and directed by Satan who is the god of this world (see 2 Corinthians 4:4).

As mentioned, we are not taking a position on the merits or demerits of the conference itself, nor on the accuracy or inaccuracy of reports, claims, scientific studies and records pertaining to “climate change,” but commenting on how it is impossible for man to fully come together in the perceived interest of all people – and the difference between the conference behaviour and its outcomes when viewed against biblical instruction.

And so, to the question: “Can true Christians learn anything from this conference?  There would have been many well-meaning people attending this conference but a good question to ask is “what were the fruits of it?”

(1) We are told to esteem others better or “higher” than self.  In Philippians 2:3-4 we read: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better [higher] than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”  While this was information given to the Church, by extension, it is a principle that works with those outside the Church too.   There would have been those at the conference who were sincerely trying to resolve what they saw as grave issues for mankind but many others, as evidenced by what happened, were interested mainly in how it seemingly or allegedly affected themselves and their countries.   Selfishness, which we are not to engage in, was on show as representatives of so many countries displayed this in their own narrow self-interest.

(2) The governments of this world don’t have the answers to the continual rise of man’s insoluble problems.  We only have to look at the state of the world we live in to acknowledge that man is out of his depth through his own self-imposed dilemmas.   It will get so bad that Jesus said, as reported in Matthew 24:21-22: “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.”   This clearly shows that things will get continually worse so that only the intervention of Jesus Christ will resolve man’s problems and put right the wrongs of the last 6,000 years.

(3) This conference highlighted man’s inability to look after this planet properly.   In Genesis 2:15 we read God’s instruction to our forefather, Adam: “Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it.”   Right from the time of the creation of man, God expected him to look after that which had been given to him.   History confirms how badly mismanaged this world has been. This is true regardless of the issue of climate change. We read in Revelation 11:18 that Jesus Christ will return to “destroy those who destroy the earth.”

(4) The objectives that were agreed, it seems, reluctantly by some and were “watered down” to accommodate others, may still not be met by some countries showing that man is regularly unable to keep his word and commitments.   What trust can you put in such people when you know that what they say and do are often two different stories?  In Joshua 21:45 we read: “Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.”   This shows that when God says something He can be trusted.   In 1 Thessalonians 5:24, we read: “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”   God’s Word is His bond.   Man fails on a daily basis in this regard.

(5) It appears that concerns raised at this conference are not new.   In our weekly Update number 997 dated 20th November 21, there was a section headed “The Climate Change Scare” which reads as follows:

“The Editorial Board of the New York Post wrote on November 12:

“For the past two weeks in Glasgow, Scotland, world leaders have gathered at COP 26,  the United Nations Climate Change Conference to listen to the same message: Disaster is just around the corner.

“[But] consider this news story from 1972: ‘We have ten years to stop the catastrophe,’ said the UN’s environmental protection boss… for more than 50 years, the United Nations and the media have regularly predicted we’re on the verge of calamity… In 1982, after the catastrophe failed to materialize, the New York Times covered the second UN conference on the environment, which opened ‘amid gloom’. The piece quotes Mostafa K. Tolba, executive director of the United Nations environmental program, as saying that if things aren’t fixed by the turn of the century — the year 2000 — the world would face ‘an environmental catastrophe which will witness devastation as complete, as irreversible, as any nuclear holocaust.’

“In 1989, a senior UN environmental official [said] that if we didn’t fix climate change by 1999, we would have ‘Global disaster, nations wiped off the face of the earth, crop failures’… In 2004, the Guardian newspaper said a ‘secret report’ from the Pentagon to President George W. Bush said climate change would ‘destroy us.’ Among the predictions: Major European cities will be sunk beneath rising seas. Britain is plunged into a ‘Siberian’ climate by 2020. Nuclear conflict, mega-droughts, famine and widespread rioting will erupt across the world…

“As of 2019, the UN said ‘only 11 years left to prevent irreversible damage from climate change’… That gives us until 2030 — or 58 years after the warnings of 1972. Advocates for change believe if they just scream louder… they’ll get the world to agree to a complete upheaval of modern life and trillions in spending…”

“Buenos Aires Times wrote on November 11:

“Pope Francis warned time was ‘running out’ to save the planet while expressing regret at his absence from climate talks in Glasgow, in a letter published Thursday… ‘this occasion must not be wasted, lest we have to face God’s judgement for our failure to be faithful stewards of the world he has entrusted to our care,’ wrote Francis.”

It is interesting to read how often these issues have been raised in the last half-century and the noises now being made have all been made before.  Many can be “frightened” by the prognostications of doom and gloom but the true Christian doesn’t need to take note of the new religion of climate change activism.   God knows what is going on and what will be needed in the future and our trust must be in Him not in fallible human beings.

In light of the many failed scientific predictions regarding the dangers of climate change and its terrible consequences, the question could be asked as to how real it really is. But again, the concern of this Q&A is to address the inability of man to solve any real or perceived problems.

(6) How many times was God mentioned in this conference about these world crises?   Quite probably His Holy Name was mentioned more in blasphemy than in invoking His help and thanking Him for His wonderful creation.   Satan has done a wonderful job in hiding the truth from the world at large so that God is seen as irrelevant or non-existent to so many.   Anyone expounding the truth about God and His Master Plan of Salvation would have been seen as odd, eccentric, or even worse.   There is no fear of God today.   “They do not say in their heart, ‘Let us now fear the Lord our God, Who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season. He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest’” (Jeremiah 5:24).

In Romans 3:9-18, Paul gives a crushing indictment about the Jews and the Greeks at that time, and by extension, mankind right up until today: “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.’ ‘Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit’; ‘The poison of asps is under their lips’; ‘Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.’ ‘Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known.’ ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’”

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary observes: “Here again is shown that all mankind are under the guilt of sin, as a burden; and under the government and dominion of sin, as enslaved to it, to work wickedness. This is made plain by several passages of Scripture from the Old Testament, which describe the corrupt and depraved state of all men, till grace restrain or change them. Great as our advantages are, these texts describe multitudes who call themselves Christians. Their principles and conduct prove that there is no fear of God before their eyes. And where no fear of God is, no good is to be looked for.”

Many will have been genuinely disappointed in the outcome of this long conference, but trust in and reliance on man is both unwise and misguided. The alleged concerns that delegates raised at this conference and all of the many real insurmountable problems that currently exist will not be eliminated by further conferences and agreements or man’s ingenuity, but only by the return of Jesus Christ who alone has the power and wisdom to resolve all of the issues that man has brought on himself.  And yes, Christians can learn from the recent climate change conference in that we must rely on and trust in God alone; and that man’s way and his thoughts need to be replaced by the righteous rule of Christ.

The Bible tells us not to trust in man, only God is totally trustworthy. Psalm 118:8-9 says: “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 see Psalm 40:3-4, Micah 7:5, Jeremiah 17:5.)

Scholars have identified 1,845 different biblical references to the second coming of Jesus Christ.   He will return to set up the Kingdom of God and, at last, human beings will learn the right way to live.   Based on what is happening in the world right now shows that that time is both necessary and imminent!

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Kyle Rittenhouse—Vigilante and Villain or Patriot and Hero?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Kyle Rittenhouse was charged in a closely watched televised trial with murdering two protestors and with other felonies. He was acquitted, even though the mass media and politicians have been guilty of horrible reporting and misrepresentations. And it is not over. This country is divided as never before in recent history. What can we learn from the trial and the underlying circumstances? Does the Bible address situations like these?

“Ein falscher Messias im Tempel Gottes?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “A False Messiah in the Temple of God?”

“Sagt uns die Bibel, wie Satan aussieht?” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Does the Bible Tell Us How Satan Looks?”

“Was kann uns von Gott trennen?”, the sermon presented in Germany last Sabbath by Thilo Hanstein, is now posted. Title in English: “What Can Separate Us from God?”

“Alleinstehend,” the sermonette presented in Germany last Sabbath by Dmitrij Niemann, is now posted. Title in English: “Single.”

“Trust and Be Grateful,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Frank Bruno, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We’ve had opportunities in the past few weeks to see our faith tested. We’ve also had the opportunity to rely on God and give up our futile human sense of control. In this Sermonette, we will explore several Scriptures that can provide the light for the path that we must follow as Christians. As we’ve heard in recent Sermons, being a follower of Jesus Christ requires that we trust in Him, and illustrates our gratitude by obeying Him.

“What May Be Known of God,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

God is not hiding! He reveals Himself in His written Word, in His Creation and in the lives of those called to salvation. But the wicked don’t even seek God—God is in none of their thoughts!