On July 31, 2021, Kalon Mitchell will present the sermonette, titled, “Are You Searching For God?”  and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Don’t Harden Your Heart.”

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

We tell people we love them—especially those to whom we are closest. Husbands and wives, parents and children, relatives and friends are people we may openly say this to, “I love you.”

What about God—have you said to God, “I love You”?

Of course, just saying the words might not be enough, but, like in human relationships, telling someone that we love them can really mean a lot. As much as encouraging another person about our commitment to them, we also strengthen our own resolve, and we show that we aren’t taking our relationship for granted.

Popular religious parlance often involves those who claim that they “love the Lord,” but those may be empty declarations without proof. Proof of our love for God is shown when we “keep His commandments” (1 John 5:3). Only when we walk in the truth of God will we then be able to obey what Jesus described as “‘the first and great commandment’”:

“‘“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind”’” (Matthew 22:37).

Imagine being asked by Jesus if you love Him! Peter was—three times in a row! (John 21:15-19). The Bible shows Peter did prove His love for both the Father and Jesus—by being obedient and fulfilling his calling.

God has told us that He loves us. In fact, He has loved us first—even before we knew Him: “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10); and, “‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life’” (John 3:16).

Knowing that God’s love for us is so complete, so unrestrained and so certain, then let’s make it a point to say to God, both the Father and Jesus Christ, “I love You”—asking as we do for the help to love them as they have loved and still love us!

by Norbert Link

We begin with explosive and troublesome events in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Britain, Russia, Israel and the USA pertaining to governmental restrictive measures and announcements of proposed actions regarding the coronavirus pandemic.

 We speak about the “lucrative” sales of weapons to conflict areas all over the world; Putin’s warning directed towards Great Britain; a possible “understanding” between Putin and Biden regarding Israel; and the tumult in the Catholic Church because of Pope Francis’ restrictions of the Traditional Latin Mass.

Regarding Israel, please see our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Israel at the Brink of a Catastrophe?”

We report on a huge asteroid nearing Earth; unparalleled water restrictions in light of California’s worsening drought; the “disgraceful” name change of a popular Baseball team; and the unreliability of left-wing Wikipedia.

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

Chaos in Germany Over Coronavirus Restrictions

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 25:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s top aide warned on Sunday that unvaccinated people will have fewer freedoms than those who have decided to get the coronavirus jab. Helge Braun, the outgoing leader’s chief of staff, told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper that they may find themselves being denied entry to bars, cinemas or sporting events…

“But the Christian Democrat candidate running to replace Merkel in this September’s election used an interview with broadcaster ZDF to distance himself from the plans. Armin Laschet, the premier of the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, said on Sunday that ‘in a free country, there are civil liberties not only for certain groups.’ ‘I don’t believe in compulsory vaccination, and I don’t believe in indirectly putting pressure on people to get vaccinated,’ he said.

“The deputy leader of the pro-business Free Democratic Party, Wolfgang Kubicki, hit out at the comments by Braun. He told newspapers from the Funke Media Group that his plans amount to ‘the introduction of compulsory vaccination through the back door.’ ‘Moreover, such a categorization of fundamental rights into a first and second class is clearly unconstitutional,’ he said.”

The Associated Press added on July 25:

“German politicians across the political spectrum on Sunday criticized a warning by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff that restrictions for unvaccinated people may be necessary… Rolf Mützenich, head of the center-left Social Democrats’ parliamentary group, said politicians should be focusing more on getting willing citizens vaccinated than penalizing the unvaccinated. ‘We’re not going to sustainably change the vaccination behavior of individuals with threats,’ he told RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland.”

One wonders what is going on in Merkel’s administration and in Germany as a whole… and where is the “respect” for the Constitution? Now, Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Soeder (who would love to become chancellor, even though he has been “supporting” Laschet) openly disagreed with Laschet and shared his “vision” for Germany, stating that those who are vaccinated should receive “exclusive rights” which should not be given to the unvaccinated. He also supported Jens Spahn’s new proposed test requirements for all travelers, regardless in what way and from what country they arrive in Germany.

The writing of national suppression of liberty and freedom is clearly on the wall.

Germany’s Interior Minister Horst Seehofer Twists the Constitution

dpa wrote on July 27:

“The rising Corona infection figures have reignited the long-standing debate about more restrictions for the unvaccinated. ‘This is not discrimination against the unvaccinated,’ said Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer in an interview with broadcaster RTL/ntv.

“He said he respects it if someone decides against vaccination for personal reasons. ‘But the person who has not been vaccinated must also realise that we have to protect society as a whole and therefore can only allow those who have been vaccinated to attend major community events.’”

So this IS discrimination, pure and simple!

Demonstrations in France and Elsewhere against Coronavirus Passport

Breitbart wrote on July 24:

“Around 300 anti-vaccine passport protesters stormed the town hall of Chambéry, denouncing French measures to implement a vaccine passport…

 “Last weekend, over 100,000 people took to the streets to protest France’s vaccine passport policy, which will see people required to present a health pass to access certain businesses such as restaurants or engage in various forms of travel. Business owners that do not check for the health pass could also be punished under the new policy, with fines for up to Euros 45,000 (£38,487/$53,100) and a year in prison.”

More and more people show their discontent with anti-vaccine passports, which will promote diverse governments, such as France, to respond with and enforce harsh and many times unconstitutional measures.

The Associated Press added on July 24:

“Some 160,000 people… protested Saturday across the country [of France] against a bill requiring everyone to have a special virus pass to enter restaurants and mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for all health care workers.

“Similar protests were held in neighboring Italy.”

Breitbart reported on July 26:

“Despite widespread protests, the French parliament has approved a law requiring… that anyone over the age of 12-years will be forced to present a health pass displaying a negative coronavirus test, vaccinations, or recent Covid recovery in order to do simple things like travel by train or aeroplane in France.

“The pass will also be required for restaurants, museums, swimming pools… In fact, any venue or place that can hold more than 50 people will be required to check guest’s health status…”

Spain Prepares for Emergency Laws

El Pais wrote on July 6:

“All adults will be required to provide ‘personal services’ to the state if a crisis is ever declared in Spain, according to the reform of the National Security Law being prepared by the government. The draft legislation… indicates that all citizens, without exception, must follow the orders and instructions of the relevant authorities if a state of crisis… is declared.

“The reform also states that authorities can temporarily requisition all types of assets, take over or temporarily occupy those that are needed and suspend all activity…”

These are dangerous steps towards an outright dictatorship, reminiscent of the times under Franco.

Britain’s New Pingdemic

Reuters wrote on July 22:

“British newspapers carried front-page pictures of empty shelves in supermarkets, declaring a ‘pingdemic.’… hundreds of thousands of people have been advised — or ‘pinged’ — by the National Health Service’s contact-tracing app to isolate for 10 days.

“The drastic reduction in staffing that has resulted has sown chaos through sectors as diverse as food supplies, haulage, supermarkets, hospitality, manufacturing and media. To avoid disruption, many people have deleted the app from their phones…

“Official data showed the app had told nearly 620,000 people to isolate in England and Wales in the week up to July 14… Government ministers… have allowed some workers in critical roles to carry on working, even when ‘pinged.’”

Whatever man tries to do fails miserably.

Eric Clapton Won’t Play for Discriminated Audiences

The Independent wrote on July 22:

“Eric Clapton has said that he will not play at venues where a COVID-19 vaccine is required for entry.

“Earlier this week, Boris Johnson unveiled plans for nightclubs and large music venues to demand proof of double vaccination to enter from the end of September…. The [world-famous] musician [said] he refuses to perform for ‘discriminated audiences.’”

Good for him.

Just Blame and Accuse the Unvaccinated

La Croix reported on July 13:

“The second-most senior Orthodox bishop in the Moscow Patriarchate has urged all people of Russia to get vaccinated against COVID-19, saying their refusal to do so is akin to committing a sin… The sin consists in thinking only of oneself instead of thinking of others…’

“‘The Orthodox Church does not see pandemics as punishment from God,” Professor Panev [a priest] pointed out. He said it is just the opposite. ‘God did not leave human beings defenseless: medicine is a gift from God; we must use it,’ he noted.”

Strange biblical ideas by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Bennett Accuses Israelis and Is Strongly Attacked

Israel Today wrote on July 25:

 “Over 80 percent of Israelis over the age of 16 are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. But for one reason or another, some one million Israelis eligible for the vaccine have not taken it. Some are ‘anti-vaxxers,’ folks opposed to all vaccination, but far more are merely suspicious of the various coronavirus vaccines.

“Last Thursday, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett upset those one million Israelis by accusing them of putting the rest of the nation in danger. ‘One million Israelis are refusing to get vaccinated,’ Bennett said in a primetime television address. ‘They are endangering the entire population, they are endangering the other 8 million citizens in the country.’… Bennett urged vaccinated Israelis to ‘convince’ their unvaccinated countrymen: ‘If you know a vaccine refuser, convince them, explain to them that they are risking the health of others.’…

“Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton said that she was not entirely pleased with Bennett’s speech and felt it would turn Israelis against one another… Shasha-Biton noted that Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar was also uncomfortable with the prime minister’s address, and reminded fellow cabinet ministers that ‘even those who are not vaccinated are still citizens of Israel.’ Many others also attacked Bennett for what they saw as a public shaming of anyone who has chosen not to take the Pfizer vaccine…

“Many of those being infected are already fully vaccinated, showing that the Pfizer vaccine does not prevent infection by the Delta variant. At the same time, the number of infected individuals requiring hospitalization has not risen significantly…”

Apart from the fact that this development shows the disunity within the Israeli coalition government, it also mirrors the attitude in many countries against the unvaccinated who are being labeled and treated as scapegoats, like the Jews were in Nazi Germany.

Fauci Recommends Masks and Booster Shots

The Associated Press wrote on July 25:

“The United States is in an ‘unnecessary predicament’ of soaring COVID-19 cases fueled by unvaccinated Americans and the virulent delta variant, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert said Sunday. ‘We’re going in the wrong direction,’ said Dr. Anthony Fauci, describing himself as ‘very frustrated.’

“He said recommending that the vaccinated wear masks is ‘under active consideration’ by the government’s leading public health officials. Also, booster shots may be suggested for people with suppressed immune systems who have been vaccinated, Fauci said.”

This is a total turn-around and completely contradicts what Fauci recommended earlier.

Breitbart added on July 27:

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is set on Tuesday to recommend masks for vaccinated people indoors under certain circumstances… Already some areas of America are bringing back coronavirus protocols, such as Palm Beach, Florida, which has mandated masks and social distancing measures even though 100 percent of residents ages 16 and older are vaccinated.”

It seems like, they do not know what they do.

More Lies and False Promises

Reuters reported on July 26:

“The United States will not lift any existing travel restrictions ‘at this point’… The decision… means the long-running travel restrictions that have barred much of the world’s population from the United States since 2020 will not be lifted in the short term… The announcement almost certainly dooms any bid by U.S. airlines and the U.S. tourism industry to salvage summer travel by Europeans and others covered by the restrictions. Airlines have heavily lobbied the White House for months to lift the restrictions.

“The United States currently bars most non-U.S. citizens who within the last 14 days have been in the United Kingdom, the 26 Schengen nations in Europe without border controls, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil…

“Last week, the U.S. Homeland Security Department said U.S. land borders with Canada and Mexico will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least Aug. 21 — even as Canada said it would begin allowing in fully vaccinated American tourists starting Aug. 9.

“Asked on July 15 at a joint appearance with German Chancellor Angela Merkel about when the United States would lift European travel restrictions, Biden said he would ‘be able to answer that question to you within the next several days — what is likely to happen.’…”

With Biden’s fanatic obsession with restrictions, lockdowns, masks and travel bans, nothing less was to be expected. But he is paying a price. Note the next article.

Biden’s Approval Numbers Way Down

ABC News wrote on July 25:

“As President Joe Biden completed 100 days in office, the country was optimistic about the coming year, but now, just after hitting the six-month mark,  Americans’ optimism about the direction of the country has plummeted nearly 20 points…

“A majority — 55% — of the public say they are pessimistic about the direction of the country, a marked change from the roughly one-third (36%) that said the same in [a] poll published May 2. In the early May survey, Americans were more optimistic than pessimistic by a 28-percentage point margin…

“The decline in optimism has occurred across the board among Democrats, Republicans and independents… The optimism-pessimism flip comes as Americans give Biden his lowest approval rating for his handling of the pandemic… It likely reflects the growing concern that lockdowns could be reinstated…

“Fewer than 4 in 10 Americans approve of the president’s handling of immigration…”

The situation will only get worse…

Biden’s Plot to Snub the UK (and Other Allies)

Express wrote on July 29:

“Americans on both sides of the pond welcomed the UK’s announcement on Wednesday that anyone vaccinated in the US will not need to self-isolate after arriving from an amber list country. But hopes of the US President returning the favour have been dashed… The US is unlikely to allow vaccinated Britons into the country without the need to quarantine them anytime soon… Following the government’s announcement, demand for flights from the US to the UK surged…

“From 4am on Monday, fully vaccinated travellers from the US, the EU and a handful of other European countries will no longer need to self-isolate for 10 days when entering Britain.

“Virgin Atlantic chief commercial officer Juha Jarvinen… urged ministers to ‘go further’ by moving the US to its green travel list, which would also exempt unvaccinated passengers from quarantine…

“It is not possible for most European travellers, including those from the UK, to enter the US due to coronavirus fears. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention also advises Americans against travel to the UK.”

It is amazing how the Biden Administration and its scientific “supporters” are trying to do everything to destroy the US economy and to alienate its (former) friends. And sadly, many, if not most Americans (including theme parks, Las Vegas, etc.) are far too willing to support and embrace Biden’s new rules. But not all. 

As the Ron Paul Institute reported on July 28:

“After months of assuring vaccinated Americans that they no longer need to wear masks, the CDC has suddenly reversed itself and taken the country back to early 2020: everyone must wear a mask! This time, however, there are signs of rebellion particularly among Republican governors. As the CDC has no legal authority to tell Americans what to do, many in positions of authority – for example Texas and Florida governors – have said they will ignore Fauci and his cohorts.”

On the other hand, The Sun reported that it is now claimed that the UK is pretty much over the pandemic due to herd immunity.

More Coronavirus Restrictions… Here We Go Again

Daily Mail wrote on July 29:

“Italy tightened their rules this week, announcing that unvaccinated tourists without the country’s ‘Green Pass’ – an app-based vaccine passport – will be banned from public spaces. The new rules, which start from August 6, is just the first step of the Green Pass rollout, and it could soon become mandatory for plane and train travel too.

“All countries are enforcing their own restrictions of varying degrees of stringency, with some restricting entry to vaccinated tourists only, and others only insisting on a lateral flow or PCR test. It is vital to check the latest requirements before travel or risk being turned away.”

This is TRULY a world held captive by Satan.

Why Don’t Scientific “Experts” Finally Stop Talking?

The Sun wrote on July 27:

“NOTHING has worsened the panic, misery and loss of public confidence more over the past 18 months than freelancing scientists and other politically motivated ‘experts’ baselessly predicting catastrophe… They have loved their 15 lucrative minutes of fame and snapped up every invitation to pontificate before a TV camera… every word is treated as gospel.

“… All involved should be ashamed… It does far more harm than good for self-interested boffins to spout off when their guess is no better than anyone else’s.”

They won’t stop talking, ever, because they love the attention.

Fauci Under Attack by Left-Liberal New York Times

Fox News wrote on July 29:

“New York Times columnist Bret Stephens took aim at Dr. Anthony Fauci Tuesday amid the Biden administration’s efforts to combat so-called coronavirus ‘misinformation.’ In a piece headlined, ‘Covid Misinformation Comes From the Top, Too,’ Stephens… [pointed] to the recent fiery clash Fauci had with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., over whether the U.S. government funded gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology that may have led to the coronavirus outbreak… He pointed to the explosive report from Vanity Fair last month that revealed State Department officials were told not to explore the Wuhan lab’s gain-of-function research because ‘it would bring unwelcome attention to U.S. government funding of it.’…

“The Times columnist then called out Fauci over his comments about herd immunity, insisting he ‘lied’ about what he saw as the threshold figure… He also listed the CDC’s faulty overestimation over the outdoor spread of COVID and its study that claimed Black and Hispanic children were ‘at greater risk of being hospitalized,’ which became a contributing factor to schools being closed despite consistent evidence that schools were never a superspreader for children.

“‘The impact of this misinformation on everyday life has been immense…’”

The damage caused by the alleged lies of Fauci and others has been done, and cannot be cured. 

Biden Accused Again of Lying

The New York Post wrote on July 29:

“Career politician President Biden is being mocked for claiming he used to drive an 18-wheeler truck… The 48-year political veteran made the claim while visiting a Mack Truck facility in Pennsylvania on Wednesday… But challenged by Fox News to produce evidence, a White House spokesperson could only point to a December 1973 article from the Wilmington Evening Journal that showed Biden rode in an 18-wheeler, not that he drove one…

 “When Fox News again pressed the White House that riding in a truck is not the same as being behind the wheel, a spokesperson pointed to a United Federation of Teachers post that said Biden drove a school bus in the past as a summer job, the outlet said. But most school buses have at most six wheels — a third of the president’s claim, Fox noted.

“Asked again about the clear difference, the White House did not respond, Fox said. Biden was mocked online for the claim, with some joking that he may have been referring to his favorite toys as a kid…

“Biden has been accused of other flubs over his past, including that he ‘got started out of a HBCU, Delaware State’ — which the historically black college denied.”

Biden’s ongoing alleged lies are quite disturbing, including his more than questionable denials of possessing knowledge of his son’s business deals. It is sad that we almost must assume that politicians are lying to us because otherwise, they would not be politicians. The left-wing media reported consistently when Trump was apparently caught with another of his many alleged lies… but the silence when it comes to Biden’s alleged lies is deafening. 

Weapons All Over the World

Euronews wrote on July 23:

“The US, the UK, Spain and Canada openly supply weapons to the Saudi-led coalition [of Arab nations]… Italy is the fourth biggest weapons exporter in the EU… Belgium, Germany, France and Spain are the other European countries that have allowed exports to Saudi Arabia…

“In the last five years, France’s main clients outside of Europe were Egypt and Saudi Arabia, but it also sold arms to the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Israel, Ethiopia and Afghanistan among many others. Germany has exported to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, but also to countries like South Sudan and Somalia. Spain and Italy’s exports have also headed to the same volatile destinations…

“What is the ultimate purpose of Europe’s defence industry? Is it to protect people? Is it for profit or to gain political and economic influence? What about human rights?”

These are good questions. Of course, it is all in line with biblical prophecy telling us that Europe will become the most powerful military entity.

Putin Warns Britain

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 25:

“[Putin] on Sunday warned that its navy is ready to carry out an ‘unpreventable strike’ on enemy targets if it was in the country’s ‘national interests.’ Putin was speaking in Saint Petersburg during a parade of warships… ‘We are capable of detecting any underwater, above-water, airborne enemy and, if required, carry out an unpreventable strike against it.’

“His remarks follow an incident in the Black Sea in June when Russia said it had fired warning shots and dropped bombs in the path of a British warship to chase it out of Crimea waters… The British government… said any shots fired were a pre-announced Russian ‘gunnery exercise,’ and that no bombs had been dropped… Putin said last month Russia could have sunk the British warship HMS Defender, that it accused of illegally entering its territorial waters, without starting World War Three and said the United States played a role in the ‘provocation.’”

Britain is finding itself more and more as the object of aggression from many countries around the globe, but it does not seem to acknowledge it.  

Putin Emboldened by Biden to Attack Israel?

Israel 365 wrote on July 25:

“For the first time, last week Russia announced it helped Syria operate against an Israeli airstrike in Syria. According to some reports, the change in policy comes in the wake of a meeting between Putin and Biden in which the US president expressed displeasure at Israeli strikes against Iranian targets…

“[A report claims that] Russia is now supplying Syrian forces with more advanced anti-missile systems. Russia maintains a significant military presence in Syria to support the regime of President Bashar al-Assad who has been fighting a civil war for ten years.

“An anonymously sourced report by the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat cited a ‘well-informed’ Russian official as saying that the Kremlin has ‘run out of patience’ with Israeli air raids in Syria. The source credited the shift in policy to an understanding between Russia and the US arrived at in the recent meeting between Presidents Biden and Putin. ‘Washington does not welcome the continuous Israeli raids,’ the Russian source claimed, saying that Moscow now felt free to respond aggressively to Israeli airstrikes…”

Ultimately, the whole world will turn against Israel.

Biden Warns of U.S. War over Cyberattacks

Radio Free Europe wrote on July 28:

 “President Joe Biden warned that a major cyberattack on the United States could lead to an actual ‘shooting war,’ in comments that mentioned Russia and China as threats to U.S. national security. ‘I think it’s more than likely we’re going to end up, if we end up in a war — a real shooting war with a major power — it’s going to be as a consequence of a cyberbreach of great consequence. And it’s increasing exponentially, the capabilities,’ Biden said in a speech to the U.S. intelligence community on July 27.

“Biden noted a growing number of cyberattacks against government agencies and private industry that U.S. officials have linked to Russia and China. Cybersecurity has moved to the top of the Biden administration’s agenda after a string of attacks during his first six months in office, including ransomware attacks.

“At a Geneva summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in June, Biden said the two leaders discussed keeping 16 types of critical infrastructure off-limits to cyberattacks, including the energy and water sectors. Biden entered office having to deal with the fallout of the SolarWinds hack that affected U.S. government agencies and businesses, a sophisticated attack blamed on Russian government hackers.

“Suspected Russia-based criminal groups have also been linked to high-profile ransomware attacks targeting Colonial Pipeline and meat-processing giant JBS. Another hit technology firm Kaseya that impacted hundreds of businesses globally.

“The Kremlin scoffed at Biden’s assessment that Russia ‘has nuclear weapons and oil wells and nothing else,’ saying the speech appeared to be tailored toward the U.S. intelligence community. ‘(The United States) can hardly be called a partner. It is more like an opponent or a “vis-à-vis”,’ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists in Moscow on July 28… The United States and its Western allies earlier this month blamed China for a global hacking campaign that included a massive attack on Microsoft software and accused Beijing of complicity with hackers in ransomware and other cyberattacks.”

Biden’s weak performance during his meeting with Putin did not help solve the situation.

Russia and China—Joint Military Exercises

Reuters wrote on July 29:

“Russia and China will conduct joint military exercises involving 10,000 troops in mid-August, the Interfax news agency cited the Russian defence ministry as saying on Thursday.

“Moscow has sought to boost relations with China since 2014, when its political ties with the West sank to post Cold-War lows over the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.”

Tumult in the Catholic Church

Breitbart wrote on July 24:

“U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke has expressed his ‘profound sorrow’ over Pope Francis’s recent letter drastically restricting the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass… ‘Those who are attached to the Traditional Latin Mass… ‘are deeply disheartened by the severity of the discipline’ imposed by Pope Francis in his letter and ‘offended by the language it employs to describe them, their attitudes and their conduct,’ Cardinal Burke states in an essay published online July 22.

“‘It is apparent from the severity of the document,’ states Burke, a canon lawyer and the former head of the Vatican’s supreme court, that Pope Francis issued it ‘to address what he perceives to be a grave evil threatening the unity of the Church,’ a perception Burke clearly does not share.

“The pope’s letter places restrictions on the Latin Mass that ‘signal its ultimate elimination,’ the cardinal adds… The pope’s message to the ‘devout faithful who have a deep appreciation and attachment’ to the Traditional Latin Mass is that ‘they suffer from an aberration which can be tolerated for a time but must ultimately be eradicated,’ Burke declares….”

Newsmax wrote on July 25:

“Barely a week after Pope Francis issued his controversial order limiting the celebration of the Roman Catholic Church’s traditional Latin Mass, the leader of roughly 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide found himself under strong fire from some of the top officials of his Church… So far, four Cardinals — the officials second in authority only to the Pope — have voice[d] their strong disagreement with Francis’s July 19 order…

“German Cardinal Gerhard Muller hit this hard, charging that Francis’s goal is ‘extinction in the long run’ of the Mass celebrated by Catholics from the time of the Council of Trent (1545-63) until 1970… ‘Without the slightest empathy,’ wrote Muller, formerly Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under Pope Benedict, ‘one ignores the religious feelings of the [often young] participants in the Masses… Instead of appreciating the smell of the sheep, the shepherd here hits them hard with his crook.’…”

Predictably, Pope Francis’ liberal agenda, as it became obvious from the very start of his papacy, was bound to create a clash with conservative Traditionalist within the Catholic church. Will there be an open schism, as has happened several times in the past, when two and at one time even three competing popes claimed the office simultaneously?

Huge Asteroid to Fly by the Earth

The Jerusalem Post wrote on July 25:

“An asteroid the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza is set to fly by the Earth on Sunday, July 25, in what could be described as a relatively ‘close’ approach…

“Due to flying so close to the Earth (about 2.8 million miles, or 4.5 million kilometers), the asteroid is considered potentially hazardous. However, this is not a significant risk, with the distance actually being almost 20 times the distance between Earth and the moon. However, there is still the potential for danger, as gravitational tugs have the potential for changing an object’s path.

“The danger of an asteroid impact remains among the worst possible natural disasters that could happen to the planet, as mankind does not have much in the way of combating them…”

The Bible indicates that this danger is very real.

Daily Mail added on July 26:

“An ‘unusually large meteor’ briefly lit up southern Norway on Sunday, creating a spectacular sound and light display as it rumbled across the sky. The meteor flew over Oslo at around 01:00, with the phenomena seen as far north as Trondheim.

“Experts believe that a piece of the meteor may have hit Earth, possibly not far from the capital. Thankfully, there have been no reports of injuries. However, experts say finding any remnants is no mean feat, and could take ‘some 10 years.’… Analysis of the meteor suggests it could have weighed at least 22lb (10kg)….

“A meteor that exploded over the central Russia near the city of Chelyabinsk in 2013 rained fireballs over a vast area and caused a shock wave that smashed windows, damaged buildings and injured 1,200 people.”

California’s Worsening Drought

The Sacramento Bee wrote on July 23:

“Forced to reckon with a worsening drought, California’s water regulators are preparing to forbid thousands of farmers from tapping into the state’s major rivers and streams. It’s an extraordinary step — and one that regulators didn’t take during the last drought, which was considered one of the worst on record…

“Most farmers who rely on the State Water Project or the federal Central Valley Project are already struggling with dramatically reduced allocations. The proposed order released Friday covers those thousands of farmers with direct legal rights to pull water out of the rivers…”

It was also reported that “more than 85 large wildfires were burning around the country” (The Associated Press, dated July 25).

What we are witnessing around the world are numerous and manifold natural catastrophes. It is as if God is allowing these disasters to wake us up.

Largest Earthquake in More than 50 Years

New York Daily News wrote on July 29:

“The Alaska peninsula was rocked late Wednesday night by the strongest earthquake to hit the United States since 1965. The powerful 8.2-magnitude quake struck just more than 50 miles south of Perryville, Alaska… So far, there have been at least two aftershocks, one with a magnitude of 6.2 while the other measured about 5.6…

“… the 1965 Magnitude 8.7 was five times as energetic, and the 1964 Magnitude 9.2 Great Alaska Earthquake was 30 times more energetic than tonight’s Magnitude 8.2… The Great Alaska Earthquake is the largest ever to hit the United States…”

When will the really big earthquakes hit the USA in populated areas?

Disgraceful Change of Famous Name of Baseball Team

Newsmax wrote on July 23:

“Former President Donald Trump on Friday criticized Cleveland’s Major League Baseball team for changing its name from the Indians to the Guardians starting next season… In a statement sent via email, Trump said: ‘Can anybody believe that the Cleveland Indians, a storied and cherished baseball franchise since taking the name in 1915, are changing their name to the Guardians? Such a disgrace.’’

“He then claimed that Native Americans… will be the ones most upset about the team changing its name and logo… ‘Wouldn’t it be an honor to have a team named the Cleveland Indians, and wouldn’t it be disrespectful to rip that name and logo off of those jerseys?… The people of Cleveland cannot be thrilled and I, a FORMER baseball fan, cannot believe things such as this are happening… A small group of people, with absolutely crazy ideas and policies, is forcing these changes to destroy our culture and heritage. At some point, the people will not take it anymore!’”

Still, it seems this kind of nonsense will only continue in a world totally cut off from God.

Left-Wing Wikipedia Unreliable

Breitbart wrote on July 23:

“In an interview Thursday for Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News, Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger stated he was embarrassed about helping found the site given its increasing left-wing bias. Noting it helps shape the understanding many Americans have of the world, Carlson asked Sanger what could be done to fix the problems on Wikipedia, but Sanger doubted it was possible to fix the site from the inside..

“Sanger also apologized to those individuals whose reputations have been harmed by Wikipedia because of his role in founding it, though Carlson also noted Google’s role in promoting the site…  Over the past year, Sanger has repeatedly criticized Wikipedia for left-wing bias, stating its neutrality was ‘dead’… He noted how differently articles about Donald Trump and Barack Obama covered scandals in their presidential administrations, as well as how scandals involving Joe Biden have been covered. Sanger also criticized coverage of religious and scientific topics as pushing a liberal or establishment view. Recently, he stated that the site could no longer be trusted to give anything other than a left-wing or establishment view, mentioning the site’s ongoing purge of conservative media…

“Sanger explained that… Wikipedia allows anonymous contributions by anyone…”

We can attest to that. Terrible libelous articles have been published on Wikipedia about our organizations, filled with lies and misrepresentations from “anonymous” writers.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

In a recent Editorial, we stated “that no one has seen God the Father, except in a vision.” When people saw God in the Old Testament, they saw Jesus Christ. We continued:

“When we consider the example of Moses, we find in Exodus 33:11 that ‘the LORD spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend’… in Exodus 33:18, Moses asked to see God’s glory. In verse 20 God or Jesus Christ replied and said: ‘You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.’ In verse 23 we find that God did allow Moses to see His back, but not His face. God stated later that Moses saw the form or similitude of the LORD (Numbers 12:8). In these examples, men and, at times, women, had seen the appearance of God, actually Jesus Christ…”

We state much more about Jesus Christ, being the God of the Old Testament, in our free booklet, “Jesus Christ—A Great Mystery.”

On the other hand, while people never saw God the Father “face to face,” they DID see Him in visions. The Old Testament writers knew about the existence of the Father, and in the New Testament, further visions were given about God the Father to confirm His existence and involvement in our lives. It is interesting to note how the Father is described in these visions.

We read in the book of Daniel about a vision showing both God the Father and Jesus Christ. In Daniel 7, 9-10, we read about what Daniel had seen:

“I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire; A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened…”

The description of the Ancient of Days reminds us of the description of Jesus Christ, in His glory, as revealed in Revelation 1:12-16:

“Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.”

But the description of the Ancient of  Days in Daniel 7:9-10 was not that of Jesus Christ, but of God the Father, as we continue to read about Christ who was brought before the Ancient of Days (the Father) in Daniel 7:13-14:

“I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.”

The similarities in the glorious appearance of the Father and Jesus Christ are understandable when we realize that Christ is the image of the Father. We read in Hebrews 1:3 that Christ is “the brightness of His [the Father’s] glory and the express image of His [the Father’s] person.” 2 Corinthians 4:4 confirms that Christ “is the image of God.”

At one time, Philip asked Christ to show him and the other disciples the Father, adding,”…and it is sufficient for us.” But Jesus responded with astonishment: “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father, so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (compare John 14:8-9).

We also read this about the glory of Jesus Christ, in Ezekiel 1:4-6,22, 26-28, showing again that Christ is the “image” of God the Father:

“Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings….

“The likeness of the firmament above the heads of the living creatures was like the color of an awesome crystal, stretched out over their heads… And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.”

Ezekiel 1 describes the “glory of the LORD,” Jesus Christ, on His throne, which was transported by four living angelic creatures or Cherubim.

Stephen was allowed to see the Father and Jesus Christ in a vision, just prior to his death, as revealed in Acts 7:55-58:

“… But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’ Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him…”

In 2 Corinthians 12:1-4, Paul explains that he was transferred in a vision to the third heaven where he heard unspeakable words. Even though he does not specifically say that he saw God the Father in that vision, from the context, it appears that he did.

We read in the book of Revelation that John saw God the Father in a vision. We read in Revelation 4:2-11; 5:1:

“Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.

“The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!’ Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: ‘You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.’

“And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals…”

This is a description of God the Father, not of Jesus Christ, who, pictured as a Lamb, is being brought before the Father, as we read in verses 6 and 7:

“And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.”

So we note that some have seen God the Father in a vision. We also know that God’s born-again children will see Jesus Christ in His full glory, as He is, when He returns (1 John 3:1-2). We also know that they will see God the Father, when He comes down to the new earth, as we read in Revelation 22:1-4:

“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.”

This confirms what Christ told His disciples, in Matthew 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.”

But will we have to wait for seeing the Father in His glory until the new heavens and the new earth are created and the Father comes down from heaven to the new earth to dwell here?

First of all, as born-again Spirit members of the God Family, we can see God the Father, through the Holy Spirit, dwelling in and emanating from us wherever He may be. God the Father and Jesus Christ can see everything through their Holy Spirit emanating from them, even though they, as Persons, are at one given “time” in one given “place.”

But will we, as born-again Spirit beings, see and meet God the Father “face to face,” from Person to Person, standing right next to Him and before Him, long before He comes down to the new earth?

We read that when Jesus Christ comes back in all His glory, a marriage supper will be held between Him and His Bride—the spirit-born members of His Church (Revelation 19:7-9). We do not read in the Bible that the marriage supper will take place in heaven; rather, Christ will return to this earth where, apparently, the marriage supper will take place.

We state in our Q&A about where the marriage supper between Christ and His Church will be held  https://www.eternalgod.org/q-a-16/ :

“Christ gave a parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22, presupposing that the wedding feast or marriage supper will take place here on earth. We read in verse 11: ‘But when the king [who had arranged the marriage for his son, verse 2] came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.’ In the parable, ‘the king’ represents God the Father, and ‘the son’ represents Jesus Christ. If the marriage supper were to take place in heaven, the guest without a wedding garment could not have been there — neither as a physical being nor as a fallen spirit being. He could not have been a disqualified saint, as there are no physical beings in heaven and as the disqualified saint would not have been changed to spirit. Nor could he have been a ‘fallen’ spirit being, i.e., Satan or a demon, as by that time, Satan and his angels will have no more access to God’s throne in heaven. Revelation 12:8 speaks of a time, before the marriage supper, stating, ‘…nor was a place found for them [Satan and his demons, verse 7] in heaven any longer.’”

Even though the Bible does not say that Christ will return to take us to heaven to celebrate the marriage supper there and then return with us to the earth, the Bible does say that the Father arranges the marriage supper for His Son and comes into the marriage hall to see the guests. The guests do not refer here to born-again Spirit beings, but rather to Old Testament Israel and the religious leadership at Christ’s first coming who had been called to have a physical relationship with God (see “Are you Predestined to be Saved?”, page 53). The Father comes in to see and be seen by the guests… even though, as human beings, they will not be able to see Him in His glory. (The presence of physical guests would also prove that the marriage supper cannot be held in heaven.) We also realize, of course, that Christ is telling a parable, and the analogies only go so far.

But what can be gleaned from this parable is that the Father presents Himself to those at the wedding, including His servants (verse 13), to see them and be seen by them. If this is true for the “guests,” how much more so for His immortal sons and daughters—born-again Spirit beings in His Family? They would of course see Him at the wedding supper as He is—in His glory. This would be one passage strongly implying that we will see the Father in His full glory, face to face and from “Person to Person,” already at the time of the wedding supper.

Is there also any biblical indication that we will ascend to the third heaven and meet with the Father face to face there, from Person to Person, before new heavens and a new earth are created? The short answer is that the Bible does not tell us. What we do know is that we will not be in the third heaven to rule from there over the earth, but we will rule with and under Christ on the earth (Revelation 5:10). God promises us that we will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). We are the spiritual descendants of and co-heirs with Abraham who received the promise to be the heir of the world (Romans 4:13). We also read in Psalm 115:16: “The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’S; But the earth He has given to the children of men.”

These passages do not prove, of course, that we could not ascend to the third heaven to “visit” the Father in person, face to face. After all, we read, for example, that God’s angels in heaven always see the face of the Father (Matthew 18:10). And we will be so much more and greater than angels.

On the other hand, nothing is revealed in the Bible that we will ascend to the third heaven, where God’s throne is; and the question as to why we might not do so is therefore moot. As we saw above, God the Father may visit us on earth, and we have pointed out that as born-again Spirit members of the God Family, we can see God the Father, through the Holy Spirit, dwelling in and emanating from us, at any “time” and wherever He may be.

IF the Bible indicates an answer to the question as to whether we will ascend to the third heaven before new heavens will be created, we might turn to John 3:13, which is translated in the Authorized Version (AV) as follows:

“And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.”

The words, “which is in heaven” are not found in many old manuscripts or, if they are genuine, they would have been John’s addition who would have commented on Jesus being in heaven at the time of John’s writing (Christ would not have said that He was in heaven when He spoke the words, as He was at that time here on earth and not in heaven.) But even the remainder of the statement is odd, as worded in the AV: “…no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven.” At the time of Christ’s statement, He had not ascended up to heaven.

For this reason, the rendition in the old Luther Bible of 1891, republished in 1964, seems to make more sense, stating: “No one ascends up to heaven, but he who came down from heaven, even the Son of Man.” With that rendering, it is clear that Jesus, after His resurrection, would ascend to heaven, but it could also follow that no one else would. If this conclusion is correct, then it might perhaps indicate that even we, after our resurrection, would still not ascend up to the third heaven. We could speculate as to whether this would indeed be so, and why that might be the case, but since the Bible does not give us any answers to these questions at this point, we will leave it there.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“Israel at the Brink of a Catastrophe?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Israel is being ruled by an unruly government … a coalition of totally divided parties which only became united to get rid of Netanyahu. This coalition has no chance of success or survival, and the first hick-ups have already been noticed. But the disunity and ultimate anticipated failure of Israel’s government could have wide-ranging consequences.

Speaking assignments have been made which will cover upcoming Sabbaths and Holy Days for both the United States and Germany. These will soon be posted on our respective websites.

“Dem Tod ins Auge sehen” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Michael Link. Title in English: “Facing Death.”

“Teure Zeiten,” the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Johann Schell, is now posted. Title in English: “Expensive Times.”

“Joseph in Egypt and God’s Incredible Work in Our Lives,” the title of the last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

God is with us, no matter in what situation we might be. If we go through a valley of death, through scourging fire, through howling wind or through overflowing water, God is right there with us. God works in our lives in mysterious ways and brings about events which we would not have believed to be possible. We find a very vivid and compelling example in the life of Joseph, one of the sons of Jacob or Israel.

We will observe the Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day for 2021, in Rapid City, South Dakota, and near Düsseldorf, Germany.  If you would like more information, check out our websites: https://www.eternalgod.org/feasts/  ; https://www.ewigengottes.de/wir-uber-uns/laubhuttenfest-2021/

On July 24, 2021, Norbert Link will present, “Comments on News and Prophecy, July 24, 2021,” and the sermon, titled, “Joseph in Egypt and God’s Incredible Work in our Lives.”

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

We have just finished the annual ministerial Church Conference with great success and unity. We discussed many things, and we will continue collectively in doing the Work and feeding the Flock. And I want to thank everyone for their prayers in regard to the conference and its success.

It may be challenging at times to look at the size of our respective groups and feel discouraged or frustrated by the apparent lack of members. But something that I take courage and strength in is the fact that within the ministry, we are of like mind, and we uphold each other. At the end of the day, we are each, in our ways, helping to support, maintain and participate in building the Church, as God shows us and opens the doors for us, including how to preach the Gospel as a witness to this world (Amos 3:3). There cannot be dissension and confusion (James 3:16).

When we study the Bible, it is easy to see that, for the most part, the true people of God, in regard to churches, have not been large. Christ speaks about the little flock (Luke 12:32). He isn’t mentioning large swelling churches here, but rather a few gathered in His name, who WILL have tremendous power. While we know this, that doesn’t make it easier. But we KNOW from what Christ Himself says to us, that this will be the case. Matthew 24:12-14 says: “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” We have to continue to endure, persevere, grow and preach the Truth.

I think a lot about Elijah feeling scared about being the “only one” standing up for God, and God replying that He had reserved for Himself 7000 who had not participated in idol worship. We don’t always know what the fruits of our labor are going to produce nor at what time they will be produced. We cannot become discouraged about our numbers or lack thereof. We have to maintain the Truth.

It is also discouraging when people walk away from our fellowship. We cannot allow this to sway us. It is hard and painful at times to deal with these situations as they come up. I have personally dealt with this a few times as I am sure a lot of us have. In 2 Timothy 4:9-11, Paul lists people who left him in regard to the Work. In verse 16, he goes on to say how at first NO ONE stood with him in his defense except God; and this is the point I want to drive home. It doesn’t matter what happens as long as we are the ones staying close to God and accomplishing what needs to be done.

In Matthew 9:35-38, Christ tells us that it is God’s harvest and we are His workers. He tells us to pray for more laborers so they can help with getting the job done. We should each be asking ourselves, how can I help more, how can I participate more? And when there is an opportunity to be doing the Work, in whatever way, we should be approaching that with as much zeal and focus as we can.

As we get ready for the upcoming Fall Holy Days, it may be useful for us all to start preparing mentally so we can use the Feast days to help propel ourselves forward in the Work that lies ahead of us. Yes, it is getting more challenging; yes, it does seem that time is moving faster and the world is falling apart at an accelerated rate. This should inspire us and motivate each of us to draw closer to God, not scare or detract us from fulfilling our duties.

We will accomplish what God wants us to accomplish; we will finish our part in God’s Work as He sees fit; we will continue to grow in the mind of Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit; and we will not fail, if we stay close to God and are obedient to Him.

by Norbert Link

We begin with the stunning revelation that the Biden Administration is assisting Big Tech in censoring anti-vaccine information; continue with the dubious role of Fox News; address the administration’s failure to help the suppressed Cuban people; and speak on the “race war” in South Africa and the temporary calm in Israel, with signs of a coming storm on the horizon.

 We report on Pope Francis’ decision to revoke one of Pope Benedict’s major decisions, which action is unique in its kind; speak on sickening developments pertaining to the gay and race agenda; address the futile attempt of the European Court of Human Rights to “push” Russia; speak on the EU’s military involvement in African countries; publish an article about Putin’s views on Ukraine; discuss the potentially slippery slope of Austria’s ban of the Muslim Brotherhood; report on attempts to plant microchips in our brains and address other cyborg implants; speak on the devastating flooding in Europe and especially Germany; and conclude with an article about the choice to lie or tell the truth. Please view in this context our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Why the Devastating Floods in Europe?”

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

Biden Administration Is “Helping” Facebook—This Is Fascism!

On July 17, the Ron Paul Institute republished the following article by Caitlin Johnstone:

“… the Biden administration has admitted that it is giving Facebook a list of accounts to censor for spreading ‘disinformation’ about the Covid-19 response. ‘We’ve increased disinformation research and tracking,’ Press Secretary Jen Psaki told the press on Thursday. ‘Within the Surgeon General’s Office, we’re flagging problematic posts for Facebook that spread disinformation. We’re working with doctors and medical professionals to connect medical experts with people, who are popular with their audiences with accurate information and boost trusted content. So, we’re helping get trusted content out there.’

“Psaki told the White House press corps that the administration has a list of accounts who produce most of the anti-vaccine information on Facebook, which civil libertarians are decrying as an obviously authoritarian government overreach. ‘The Biden administration is telling Facebook which posts it regards as “problematic” so that Facebook can remove them,’ Glenn Greenwald said on Twitter in response to the news. ‘This is the union of corporate and state power — one of the classic hallmarks of fascism — that the people who spent five years babbling about fascism support… There is no circumstance — none — in which it’s acceptable for the White House or any other agency of the government to be providing lists to Facebook of “problematic” content it wants removed, yet that’s exactly what Psaki says they’re doing… This is authoritarianism.’

“… All of these online platforms use censorship… to hide undesirable political speech from the mainstream public in direct collaboration with government and government-tied institutions.

“Facebook, the largest social media platform in the world… enlists the government… funded management firm The Atlantic Council to help it determine what content to censor and what to boost… Google, which owns YouTube, has been financially intertwined with US intelligence agencies since its very inception when it received research grants from the CIA and NSA…

“In a corporatist system of government, where there is no separation between corporate power and state power, corporate censorship is state censorship. The actual government as it actually exists is censoring the speech not just of its own people, but people around the world…”

With this development and these admissions by the Biden Administration, the argument that Facebook and other Big Tech giants are just private companies and not subject to the Constitution has been blown out of the window.

Fox News wrote on July 16:

“The remarks [of press secretary Jen Psaki] riled critics already concerned about collaboration between the Biden administration and Big Tech…  Psaki’s remarks Friday drew bipartisan derision, with critics calling Big Tech outlets ‘state actors’ and ripping the Biden administration for playing judge and jury on truth. One writer said it was a precursor to censoring other so-called ‘misinformation’ on social issues…”

That is the fear. A government engaged in such kind of conduct would certainly be willing and capable of enforcing additional restrictions on our liberties and freedoms.

Kamala Harris Invokes the Bible—This Is so Ignorant

Israel 365 News wrote on July 14:

“In a recent video from the White House, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke about vaccinations. Invoking the Bible, Harris claimed that: ‘the act of getting vaccinated, the act of administering the vaccinations, well these acts are the very essence of what the Bible and so many faiths tell us about the importance of our role and our power. When we say love thy neighbor and I truly believe in the power of that’…

“Does this raise questions about the separation of Church and State? What about faiths that oppose vaccines? These questions and more are being asked by some Americans.”

In addition, where does it say in the Bible that you must be vaccinated and that you don’t love your neighbor (as yourself) if you don’t?

Fox News’ Clear Passes and Masks—This Is SO Hypocritical!

CNN wrote on July 20:

“Fox News personalities have spent months both trafficking in anti-vaccine rhetoric and assailing the concept of showing proof of vaccination status. But Fox Corporation… has quietly implemented the concept of a vaccine passport as workers slowly return back to the company’s offices… The system allows for employees to self-report to Fox the dates their shots were administered and which vaccines were used.

“The company has encouraged employees to report their status, telling them that ‘providing this information to FOX will assist the company with space planning and contact tracing. Employees who report their status are allowed to bypass the otherwise required daily health screening…

“The concept… is known internally as ‘FOX Clear Pass.’ While the ‘Fox Clear Pass’ is voluntary for employees, and other companies have similar tools, it is still remarkable, given how vocal Fox’s top talent has been in criticizing the concept of vaccine passports. Fox News has spent months portraying the notion that people might be asked to show vaccination status as dangerous to personal freedom and anti-American…

“It’s not the first time that Fox has been so brazenly hypocritical about coronavirus precautions. While its television hosts railed against face masks, the company issued guidance recommending employees wear them. It also said it would require people attending tapings of host Greg Gutfeld’s show to wear masks.

“It’s unclear whether Fox will require vaccinations when employees fully return to the office… When CNN began to reopen its facilities in June, vaccinations were required in order to come in…”

One must wonder what is going on with Fox News. On Tuesday, Fox News defended Dr. Fauci against Rand Paul, even though it seems pretty obvious that Paul was right with his allegation that Fauci might have lied to Congress. In addition, Fox News and Newsmax ran segments this week advising people to get vaccinated, as allegedly, only the unvaccinated are getting sick now. However, this claim is blatantly false, not to speak of dangerous side effects from the vaccines which have been manifested.

Biden Not Helping Cuba—This Is Hypocrisy

AFP wrote on July 17:

“Thousands of Cubans protesting against their government managed to catch the attention of US President Joe Biden, but they have been left deflated by his response… Prior to his election, Biden had told online opposition news outlet Cibercuba that he would eliminate Trump’s restrictions on remittances and travel, which he said had harmed Cubans and separated families. But six months into his tenure, Cubans are still waiting for concrete action to back up the promises….

“Biden… did not announce new measures. He did, however, trade barbs with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel. ‘Cuba is, unfortunately, a failed state and repressing their citizens,’ Biden said on Thursday. The next day, Diaz-Canel fired back: ‘The United States has failed in its efforts to destroy Cuba, despite spending billions of dollars to do so…’ Russia, China and left-wing governments in Latin America have expressed support for the Cuban regime.

“Not only ordinary Cubans have expressed disappointment at Biden’s lack of action… Ben Rhodes, the former US national security advisor under president Obama, urged Biden to act. ‘Cubans have been bravely expressing their frustrations and exercising their universal rights in ways that are truly inspiring. We should be thinking above all about what we can do to help them,’ Rhodes tweeted on Tuesday.

“New York-based anti-embargo lobbying group Cuban Americans For Engagement (CAFE) hit out at the Biden administration for being ‘hypocritical when it claims to support the Cuban people while complacently applauding the demonstrations.’”

Restoring the Internet—This Is Difficult

Yahoo!News wrote on July 16:

“President Joe Biden’s suggestion that Washington bring full internet access to Cuba following government restrictions could break new ground on digital rights but face major technical and geopolitical hurdles…

“Cuba has been limiting both fixed and mobile internet access with cuts to some apps like Facebook and Instagram, and has used other methods to filter online content with Chinese-made technology…

“Democracy activists in authoritarian regimes have used a variety of techniques to get around internet limitations including virtual private networks… but none have been used on a large scale. Satellite, drone and balloon internet services remain at an early stage and often are delivered through official carriers…

“Havana would likely consider any effort to bring an unfiltered internet a violation of its sovereignty…”

These problems also exist when other dictatorial countries shut down the Internet for their citizens, as they are prone to do.

Troubles in South Africa—This Is a Race War

Hal Turner Radio Show wrote on July 14:

“All food in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province of South Africa has been either looted or intentionally destroyed. The Zulu tribe is now publicly saying they intend to ‘starve-out’ the white and Indian (sub-continent) people in that province… It looks like a race war is upon South Africa…

“These troubles in South Africa are being carried out by some of the very same type of people we saw here in America, doing much the same, last summer. At the time, they dressed-up their race-hatred with slogans like ‘Black Lives Matter’ and ANTIFA; but the base hatred is still the same…

“So BARBARIC are these people [in Johannesburg], they step over the dead bodies so they can continue looting…”

Israel’s Tense Calm—This Is Only Temporary

Israel Today wrote on July 20:

“This past Sunday was… the fast day that commemorates the destruction of the two Temples in Jerusalem that once stood at the site where now two Muslim structures are located, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. These two Muslim shrines were built in the 7th century for the purpose of expressing Islam’s superiority over Christianity and Judaism…

“In 2021, the reality is no different and Muslims on the Temple Mount behave as if they have more rights to that sacred compound than other religious groups, and especially than Jews whom they routinely accuse of ‘defiling’ the holiest site in Judaism. The 1,600 Jews who visited the Temple Mount’s courtyards on Sunday were again referred to by several Muslim states and the Palestinian Authority as ‘settlers’ who allegedly ‘stormed’ the Al-Aqsa Mosque. In reality, however, Jewish visitors have no interest whatsoever in Al-Aqsa and do not even try to enter it…

“Prime Minister Naftali Bennett this week contributed to the confusion and tensions with Muslim groups and countries. He first announced that Jews had the right to ‘pray’ in their sacred place… Bennett later retracted his words, saying… that Jews had the right to ‘visit’ the Temple Mount… The flip-flop by Bennett most likely had to do with the flood of condemnations that came from the Muslim world, including that of Ra’am, the Islamist political party that is now part of the new Israeli government, as well as from alternate-Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid…

“‘The Al-Aqsa Mosque and dunams around it are the exclusive property of the Muslims and no one else is entitled to it,’ Ra’am said in a press release. It marked the first time that the Islamist coalition partner went directly against its own government. Ra’am also used the words ‘storming’ and was annoyed that a group of Jews had sung the Israeli national anthem… during their visit to the Temple Mount. Ra’am further warned that the events on the Temple Mount could heat up the situation in Jerusalem and the entire region and even lead to a ‘catastrophic religious war.’

“The media in Israel later reported that Lapid was the one who had spoken to Bennett and forced him to amend the content of his original statement. It showed that Lapid, who is the leader of the coalition’s largest faction… is in reality much more than ‘alternate prime minister’ and foreign minister. He’s the one pulling the strings until he replaces Bennett as prime minister in less than two years…

“There were fears that Palestinian terrorist movements in Gaza would violate the shaky ceasefire with Israel… A tense calm now reigns on the Temple Mount following Sunday’s clashes…  The tensions over the Jewish visits and prayers at the Temple Mount probably couldn’t have been avoided, but Bennett’s flip-flop should have been. It was the first time the new Israeli PM was really tested since he assumed office in June and, according to some observers, he failed to pass the test.”

This was predictable. How long can this obscure “coalition” be successful?

Reversing Pope Benedict—This Is Disappointing!

Fox News wrote on July 16:

“Pope Francis cracked down Friday on the spread of the old Latin Mass, reversing one of Pope Benedict XVI’s signature decisions in a major challenge to traditionalist Catholics who immediately decried it as an attack on them and the ancient liturgy. Francis reimposed restrictions on celebrating the Latin Mass that Benedict relaxed in 2007, and went further to limit its use. The pontiff said he was taking action because Benedict’s reform had become a source of division in the church and been exploited by Catholics opposed to the Second Vatican Council, the 1960s meetings that modernized the church and its liturgy.

“Critics said they had never before witnessed a pope so thoroughly reversing his predecessor. That the reversal concerned something so fundamental as the liturgy, while Benedict is still alive and living in the Vatican as a retired pope, only amplified the extraordinary nature of Francis’ move, which will surely result in more right-wing hostility directed at him…

“Under the new law, bishops must also determine if the current groups of faithful attached to the old Mass accept Vatican II, which allowed for Mass to be celebrated in the vernacular rather than Latin. These groups cannot use regular churches; instead, bishops must find alternate locations for them without creating new parishes. In addition, Francis said bishops are no longer allowed to authorize the formation of any new pro-Latin Mass groups in their dioceses…

“The pope’s rollback immediately created an uproar among traditionalists already opposed to Francis’ more progressive bent and nostalgic for Benedict’s doctrinaire papacy.

“This is an extremely disappointing document which entirely undoes the legal provisions,’ of Benedict’s 2007 document, said Joseph Shaw, chairman of the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales. While Latin celebrations can continue, ‘the presumption is consistently against them: bishops are being invited to close them down,’ Shaw said, adding that the requirement for Latin Masses to be held outside a parish was ‘unworkable.’ ‘This is an extraordinary rejection of the hard work for the church and the loyalty to the hierarchy which has characterized the movement for the Traditional Mass for many years, which I fear will foster a sense of alienation among those attached to the church’s ancient liturgy,’ he said.

“Benedict had issued his document in 2007 to reach out to a breakaway, schismatic group that celebrates the Latin Mass, the Society of St. Pius X, and which had split from Rome over the modernizing reforms of Vatican II….

“Some of these traditionalists and Catholics already were among Francis’ fiercest critics, with some accusing him of heresy for having opened the door to letting divorced and civilly remarried Catholics receive Communion… For years… Francis has made known his distaste of the old liturgy…”

Is a split within the Catholic Church between traditionalists and liberals inevitable?

New Emoji Designs and Change of Bird, Bug and Fish Names—This Is Insane

Daily Mail wrote on July 16:

“A pregnant man and a gender neutral person wearing a crown are among the emoji set to be approved this September and coming to smartphones next year….

“The pregnant man and pregnant person recognise that ‘pregnancy is possible for some transgender men and non-binary people’, Emojipedia says. The gender neutral person wearing a crown… comes in a range of different skin tones, as do 15 new handshake combinations.”

Daily Mail added on July 15:

“Woke warriors are behind a drive to rename hundreds of bird species because their names are deemed to have links to slavery and colonialism… It comes after bug experts are getting rid of the name ‘gypsy moth’ because some Roma people consider it to be an ethnic slur….

“The Oriental rat flea, Asian needle ant and the West Indian cane weevil are also now being scrutinized…”

NBC Chicago wrote on July 17:

“Minnesota state Sen. Foung Hawj was never a fan of the ‘Asian carp’ label commonly applied to four imported fish species that are wreaking havoc in the U.S. heartland, infesting numerous rivers and bearing down on the Great Lakes. But the last straw came when an Asian business delegation arriving at the Minneapolis airport encountered a sign reading ‘Kill Asian Carp.’ It was a well-intentioned plea to prevent the spread of the invasive fish. But the message was off-putting to the visitors.

“Hawj and fellow Sen. John Hoffman in 2014 won approval of a measure requiring that Minnesota agencies refer to the fish as ‘invasive carp,’ despite backlash from the late radio commentator Rush Limbaugh, who ridiculed it as political correctness….

“Now some other government agencies are taking the same step in the wake of anti-Asian hate crimes that surged during the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service quietly changed its designation to ‘invasive carp’ in April. ‘We wanted to move away from any terms that cast Asian culture and people in a negative light,’ said Charlie Wooley, director of its Great Lakes regional office.

“… The four species described collectively as Asian carp — bighead, silver, grass and black carp — were brought from China a half-century ago to rid Southern sewage and aquaculture ponds of algae, weeds and parasites. They escaped into the wild and have migrated up the Mississippi and other major rivers. The Great Lakes and their $7 billion sport fishery are vulnerable.”

This insanity has been going on for years, but is becoming more and more aggressive and hostile these days all over the Western world.

Converting Children to Become Gay—This Is Sick!

The American Spectator wrote on July 9:

“The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus released a music video July 1 titled ‘A Message From the Gay Community’ that details their mission of ‘converting’ children. A soloist introduces the virtual music performance by dedicating the song to progress made in Pride Month… He continues, ‘We’ll convert your children, it happens bit by bit, quietly and subtlety and you will barely notice it…’

“The soloist then begins a duet, with another singer joining in: ‘Just like you’re worried, they’ll change their group of friends…’ The verses slowly build into a boisterous chorus of ‘we’re coming for your children’ and ‘the gay agenda is coming home.’ The video concludes by flashing LBGTQ flags over the screen…

“Both conservatives and people of faith responded with criticism and worry, arguing that the choir is saying the leftist agenda out loud… The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus released a statement on July 8 defending the song… The group said the ‘tongue-in-cheek humor is lost on many,’ adding, ‘After decades of children being indoctrinated and taught intolerance… from using the Bible as a weapon to reparative therapy, it’s our turn.’”

The ”tongue-in-cheek humor” is indeed lost. The reference to the Bible is even more alarming.

EU Court Tries to Push Russia—This Is Futile

Life Site News wrote on July 16:

“Russia rebuked a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) this week that pushed the country to recognize same-sex ‘marriage.’  The ECHR’s order, handed down on Tuesday, held that Russia’s refusal to register homosexuals as ‘married’ violated Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which includes a ‘right to family life,’ and Article 14, which prohibits discrimination. The Strasbourg-based court has interpreted the articles… to apply to same-sex unions, despite previous rulings to the contrary and no language about homosexuality in the text of the European Convention…

“Russia slammed the ECHR ruling, reaffirming on Tuesday that marriage in the country remains strictly between men and women. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that same-sex ‘marriages’ are ‘not allowed’ under Russia’s constitution…

“The ECHR… does not have enforcement powers, and the Russian government enacted a law in 2015 allowing the country to overturn ECHR verdicts. Russia, which joined the Council of Europe in the 1990s, has not implemented nearly 90% of leading judgements from the court in the past ten years…

“Last Tuesday, the ECHR issued another ruling against Russia for letting a woman prohibit her gender-confused former husband from visiting their children. A Russian court had declared that being around the father, who had undergone surgery to impersonate the opposite sex, would have a ‘negative impact on the mental health’ of the children.

“The ECHR’s attempts to impose LGBT ideology on Russia resemble ongoing efforts by the European Union to force Hungary to rescind a new children protection law that bans pro-LGBT materials in schools… ‘Brussels bureaucrats have no business at all, no matter what they do, we will not let LGBTQ activists among our children,’ Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán responded.”

The EU must know that its push against Russia will not result in any change of conduct. It seems that the EU’s obsession with the LGBT agenda can be compared with the behavior of an angry bull in a China shop.

EU’s Military to the Rescue—This Is Dangerous

The Defense Post wrote on July 12:

“The European Union… formally established a military mission for Mozambique to help train its armed forces battling jihadists in the north of the country. A deadly insurgency by militants linked to the Islamic State group has ravaged the gas-rich Cabo Delgado province since late 2017, claiming some 3,000 lives and displacing 800,000 people. Former colonial master Portugal is already providing training for Mozambican troops. Lisbon’s military instructors on the ground are expected to make up some half of the new EU mission, which will be headed by a Portuguese commander.

“‘The aim of the mission is to train and support the Mozambican armed forces in protecting the civilian population and restoring safety and security in the Cabo Delgado province,’ an EU statement said, without giving details on the overall size of the deployment. ‘The mandate of the mission will initially last two years…’

“A senior European diplomat told AFP in June that other countries including France, Italy, and Spain are also expected to provide personnel for the mission. The approval of the EU training mission comes as regional powers are also looking to bolster their support for Mozambique’s fight to crush the insurgency. Last month, … 16 southern African countries… as Mozambique’s government said it was open to foreign boots on the ground to battle the jihadists…

“The EU has several other training missions in Africa, including in Mali, Central African Republic, and Somalia. The operation in Mali — aimed at boosting the fight against jihadists — has continued to operate despite concerns after the latest… strike of military coups hit the country in May.”

Europe will get more and more involved in military actions outside its territory.

EU Getting Ready for a Large-Scale Military Operation in Libya?—This Is Remarkable

Express wrote on July 19:

“A leaked document revealed that Brussels is finalising plans for ‘large-scale’ operations in the North African state in the coming months. It will pit the EU against Chad, Egypt, Jordan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, which have all become involved in Libya’s brutal civil war. The internal report, obtained by the EU Observer website, highlighted the need for an EU military mission in the region to curb human and arms trafficking…

“EU ambassadors are expected to discuss the plans soon but the Commission’s foreign affairs arm has yet to announce the formal tabling of the proposals… France is expected to be one of the main supporters of a military mission to Libya. Its foreign minister Jean Yves Le Drian echoed the sentiment of the EU report in a speech at the UN’s Security Council in New York on Thursday…”

The military ambitions of the EU are becoming SO obvious.

Putin: Ukraine Created by Soviets and Bolsheviks, at Expense of History—This Is Noteworthy

RT wrote on July 12:

“Russia’s president has claimed that much of Ukraine is historically and ethnically Russian, and Kiev’s turn to the West since the 2014 Kiev Maidan amounts to a rejection of its deep ties with Moscow and its political reality.

“In an article published on the Kremlin’s website on Monday, President Vladimir Putin described how almost all of the Eastern European nation had fallen under the Russian Empire, and how Ukrainians and Russians can trace their culture and history back through shared roots. ‘Thus,’ he argued, ‘modern Ukraine is entirely the brainchild of the Soviet era. We know and remember that, to a large extent, it was created at the expense of historical Russia.’ According to him, ‘the Bolsheviks treated the Russian people as an inexhaustible material for social experiments. They dreamed of a world revolution, which, in their opinion, would abolish nation-states altogether.’ As such, Putin argued, Russia’s ‘borders were arbitrarily cut, and generous territorial “gifts” were handed out.’

“The status of the disputed Crimean peninsula, for example, has been a key point of contention between Moscow and Kiev. Ethnically dominated by Russians, it was historically administered from Moscow until 1954, when it was signed over by then-Soviet premier Nikita Khruschev, in what amounted to a technicality given the lack of internal borders in the USSR. However, after the fall of the Soviet Union, Crimea was governed from Kiev until it was reabsorbed by Russia in 2014.

“According to Putin, the shared interests of both the Russian and Ukrainian people were ignored by those behind the 2014 Maidan and those supporting the uprising from abroad. ‘Western countries directly intervened in the internal affairs of Ukraine and supported the coup,’ he said. ‘It was dominated by radical nationalist groups. Their slogans, ideology [and] open aggressive Russophobia in many ways began to determine the state policy in Ukraine.’

“The president went on to criticize a new bill being considered by politicians in Ukraine, which would deny ethnic Russians, who trace their presence in the region back centuries, the right to be considered ‘indigenous people’ in the country. ‘The most disgusting thing is that Russians in Ukraine are forced not only to renounce their roots, from generations of ancestors, but also to believe that Russia is their enemy,’ he said. ‘It is no exaggeration to say that the policy of forced assimilation and the formation of an ethnically pure Ukrainian state, aggressively disposed to Russia, in its effects is comparable with the use of weapons of mass destruction against us,’ Putin wrote.”

According to the Bible, Russia and Ukraine will be united against Europe. It is clear that Putin’s thinking goes in that direction. How this “unification” will take place remains to be seen.

Austria Bans Muslim Brotherhood—This Is a Slippery Slope

Breitbart wrote on July 16:

“Austria has become the first country in the European Union to ban the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood as part of a new anti-terrorism law.

“The law bans the Egyptian-founded Muslim Brotherhood by adding it to a list of organisations linked to ‘religiously motivated crime’. It sets a punishment of a month in prison and a €4,000 (£3,407/$4,717) fine for those who propagate the group’s literature or disseminate its slogans… the Muslim Brotherhood has a long history in Austria. It first opened an office in the city of Graz in the mid-1960s, which was used as the group’s financial hub before moving to Switzerland…

“The new designation for the Muslim Brotherhood comes after the Austrian government has also banned the symbols of the ultranationalist Turkish Grey Wolves, the far-left Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the Islamic State, and other extremist groups.

“The move to ban the Muslim Brotherhood comes after Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, in the aftermath of the Vienna terrorist attack, promised to create a new criminal offence related to ‘political Islam’, saying it would allow the government to ‘take action against those who are not terrorists themselves, but who create the breeding ground for it.’”

Could this be a precursor for the persecution of other “religiously motivated” groups, even though they do not commit violence or crimes? The Bible predicts a martyrium of true Christians in continental Europe.

Microchips in Our Brains and Cyborg Implants—This Is Scary

Life Site wrote on July 19:

“Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum (WEF), called for microchips to be implanted ‘in our brains.’ Schwab… detailed his microchip prediction in a 2016 interview with Swiss broadcasting group RTS, saying that brain chips would be widely introduced ‘certainly in the next ten years.’…

“Schwab’s predictions may appear easily dismissible as the ramblings of a Marxist social engineer from a Nazi-linked family. However, five years out, his microchip fantasy seems to have been just about spot-on.

“Facebook, for example, has been building brain-reading technology since at least 2017… Facebook unveiled plans to develop a ‘brain mouse,’ purportedly to allow users to type with their minds. The social media giant’s brain-computer projects have made steady progress since then… Facebook researchers can reportedly convert brain data to text with an error rate as low as 3 percent…”

Forbes had already written on June 5:

“DARPA, the Pentagon’s research arm, has long been exploring technology for ‘super soldiers’ with extraordinary capabilities… Their latest effort, known as ADAPTER involves cyborg implants to toughen soldiers against two of the commonest health issues in modern warfare: limited access to safe food and water, and sleep disruption. Each implant will be a miniature factory full of bacteria producing therapeutic substances on demand…

“A key benefit of ADAPTER is that soldiers will not need to carry multiple types of medication around with them, remembering to take them on a specific timetable. The implant will do all that automatically…

“While ADAPTER will target [two] specific problems… the longer term implications are much greater… ADAPTER promises to make U.S. troops healthier and more capable in the field. Putting bioelectronic bacterial factories into soldiers’ guts might seem like a radical idea, but the American military has always pushed the boundaries. In 1777, George Washington ordered mandatory inoculation against smallpox for the Continental Army. In that sense, the futuristic ADAPTER is just part of a long tradition.”

This technology does not give us more hope for a better future. One is reminded of God’s conduct at the tower of Babel when He decided to intervene because, otherwise, man’s thirst for scientific advances might have reached the point of destroying the earth and mankind much earlier.

Devastating Flooding in Europe—This Is Unique and Sad

CBS wrote on July 16:

“The death toll from devastating flooding in western Europe climbed to over [150 on Saturday], as buildings continued to crumble under the force of raging torrents unleashed by storms that parked over the region for days… the scale of the disaster is unlike anything the area has seen in living memory.

“Entire neighborhoods lay in ruins after days of heavy rains — the worst deluge recorded in the region in more than 200 years. The downpour sparked flash flooding across huge swathes of western Germany and several neighboring nations.

“Water spilled over the banks of rivers and turned roadways into torrents so powerful that they crushed much of what stood in their way.

“… thousands of residents in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate states had been forced to evacuate their homes, while 165,000 were left without electricity.

“… The amount of rain that fell over 48 hours was double what normally would have fallen for the entire month of July.

“… Neighboring countries Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg have also been badly affected…”

The Associated Press added on July 16:

“The governor of North Rhine-Westphalia, who hopes to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel as the nation’s leader after Germany’s election on Sept. 26, said the disaster had caused immense economic damage to the country’s most populous state.”

As it was predictable, the rain falls were blamed on global warming and climate change, even though it is difficult to see any real cause-and-effect connection. In other news, it was reported that Siberia suffers from unprecedented burning; and that China was hit by deadly floods and the worst rains in 60 years, affecting tens of millions.

Newsmax gave the following update in an article, dated July 21:

“A relief official said on Wednesday rescue crews were unlikely to find any more survivors in the rubble of villages devastated by floods in western Germany… At least 170 people died in last week’s flooding, Germany’s worst natural disaster in more than half a century, and thousands went missing… Any victims that are found now are likely to be dead…

“For immediate relief, the federal government will initially provide up to 200 million euros ($235.5 million) in emergency aid, and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday more funds can be made available if needed. That will come on top of at least 250 million euros to be provided from the affected states to repair buildings and damaged local infrastructure and to help people in crisis situations… The full extent of the damage is not yet clear, but… rebuilding after previous floods cost about 6 billion euros…

“The floods have dominated the political agenda less than three months before a national election in September and raised uncomfortable questions about why Europe’s richest economy was caught flat-footed. Two-thirds of Germans believe that federal and regional policymakers should have done more to protect communities from floods… Chancellor Angela Merkel… said authorities would look at what had not worked after being widely accused of not being prepared despite severe weather warnings from meteorologists…”

Rejecting Lies and Accepting Truth—This Is Simple

The Ron Paul Institute republished on July 14 an article by Chris Rossini:

“I was struck by a quote that I’ve certainly read before, but it’s just so relevant when reading it again today: ‘We know they are lying, they know they are lying, they know we know they are lying, we know they know we know they are lying, but they are still lying.’ – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn…

“Many choose to achieve their goals by harming others, and either taking or destroying their property… It’s no surprise then that lies are a very popular means that are used to achieve ends. Truth and lies are interchangeable for these individuals…

“No man is all-knowing… we will frequently be presented with ideas that are untrue. Those ideas come from the mouths of other ignorant individuals. That doesn’t mean that the false ideas that come from others always come with malicious intent… when it comes to people in power, you always have to assume first that what’s being said is intended to dupe you. It’s a shame that it has to be that way…

“Whether or not the lies that we’re presented with on a daily basis are malicious or simply out of ignorance, we each have a monumental choice that must constantly be made. Do we choose to believe it? Or not? Each of us is responsible for choosing which ideas to accept and believe, and which to reject… We’re each responsible for telling the truth or telling lies. We’re each responsible of choosing what to believe and what to reject….”

Very true. Spreading and believing lies is an individual choice… but it will have dire consequences for those who believe and practice the lie.

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.

One of the issues one must consider when answering the question posed in this Q&A is the warning given to us by Christ, in Matthew 24:4-5:

“And Jesus answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, “I am the Christ,” and will deceive many.’”

Notice, there will be many out there trying to deceive you. Notice also verse 24: “For false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

So the warning is, there will be many false prophets and much deception.

Ironically, there are numerous individuals claiming to be the two witnesses. One is claiming that he and his wife are the two witnesses which is patently absurd since they are called prophets, not prophetesses. Revelation 11:10 tells us: “And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.”

The Bible reveals that beginning with the New Testament Church, there were no longer prophetesses, and there is no indication that there will be some prior to Christ’s return. For further information, please read our Q&A on the Old Testament prophetess Deborah.

On the other hand, it is very likely that the two witnesses will be supported and accompanied by others, as was the case with Elijah and Elisha (who had with them “sons of the prophets,”) and John the Baptist (whose followers were called “disciples.”) Jesus Christ Himself was also accompanied by male and female “disciples.”

The two witnesses are chosen by Christ Himself; notice Revelation 11:3: “And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” Christ calls them His two witnesses, not some self-appointed individuals or someone making false claims about his qualifications to fill that position. Notice also Ephesians 4:11 which tells us: “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers…” It is Christ who is choosing and giving His Church men to fill these positions.

Let us look at a few examples of prophets called by God to fulfill His purpose.

One of these prophets is Moses, about whom we read in Exodus 3:1-10:

“Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, ‘I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.’ So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then He said, ‘Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.’

“Moreover He said, ‘I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. And the LORD said: ‘I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.

“‘Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.’”

Moses was a prophet. Deuteronomy 18:15 says so: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear…’” Moses did not self-appoint himself but he was appointed by God to fulfill the task of bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt into the Promised Land. Notice also Deuteronomy 34:10: “But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face…”

Notice also that the prophet Jeremiah was chosen by God. Jeremiah 1:4-5 reads: “Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; And I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” He was ordained and selected by God to be a prophet to the nations.

Let us return to Revelation 11 to see what else is revealed about the two witnesses. As quoted above, Revelation 11:3 states: “And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” They will be given power or authority or the ability from God (the word “power” has been added by the translator and is not in the original), and they will prophesy for three and a half years, which is the same time frame as the duration of the Great Tribulation.

Revelation 11:5 continues: “And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner.”

This passage does not tell us whether the two witnesses will directly cause the death of their enemies, or whether, what is more likely, God will supernaturally intervene and use them as “vehicles” or “instruments” to bring about the results, thereby proving the fact that they are HIS witnesses.  Something similar occurred in the time of Elijah, as we will discuss below. In any event, it is evident that they must be able to discern real threats from bluffs. They have to be mature and grounded in the faith. Bear in mind also that not everyone has the stomach to participate, in some way, in taking human life which is a serious matter. On the other hand, others might be tempted to abuse and misuse that power.

Let us look in this context at an event in the life of the prophet Elijah. We read in 2 Kings 1:9-14:

“Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. So he went up to him; and there he was, sitting on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him: ‘Man of God, the king has said, “Come down!”’ So Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, ‘If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.’ And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. Then he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty men. And he answered and said to him: ‘Man of God, thus has the king said, “Come down quickly!”’ So Elijah answered and said to them, ‘If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.’ And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. Again, he sent a third captain of fifty with his fifty men. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and pleaded with him, and said to him: ‘Man of God, please let my life and the life of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight. Look, fire has come down from heaven and burned up the first two captains of fifties with their fifties. But let my life now be precious in your sight.’”

Notice that it was fire coming down from God in heaven which devoured the soldiers. But Elijah the prophet had an active role in this matter (he pronounced that this would happen, if God had approved of him as His prophet), and he was not afraid to act as he did. The only reason the third captain did not get killed and his men with him was because he approached Elijah in a humble and fearful manner, which is easy to understand with a hundred dead bodies around him and Elijah still being alive and well.

Later on, even two of Christ’s apostles—James and John, the sons of thunder – misunderstood why and how Elijah acted, and Christ rebuked them by implying that they were, at that moment, influenced by Satan the Devil.  So, this type of power is not given to a novice or to someone who would abuse it.

Let us also review an incident in the life of Samuel the prophet, as recorded in 1 Samuel 15:32-33:

“Then Samuel said, ‘Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me.’ So Agag came to him cautiously. And Agag said, ‘Surely the bitterness of death is past.’ But Samuel said, ‘As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.’ And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.”

Samuel just did not kill him with a single blow of the sword, but he hacked him to pieces. King Saul had refused God’s explicit command to kill Agag, so Samuel did what Saul was supposed to have done. Moses had done something similar when he ordered the execution of many Israelites who had worshipped the golden calf. In general, Israel fought in war, and so did David. But as we point out in our free booklet, Should You Fight in War?”, this was never God’s initial intent. In fact, David sinned when he fought in war.  We are not saying here that Samuel and Moses sinned when they acted in the way they did, as they followed God’s explicit command, and so did Abraham when God commanded him to kill his son Isaac (which was a test, because God never intended for Abraham to carry out that task), but we are saying that these examples must in no way be used today by any of us to justify harming or killing others.

Another example regarding Elijah can be found in 1 Kings 18:40: “And Elijah said to them, ‘Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!’ So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there.”

The point is, not just anybody can carry out in a proper way what the two witnesses will have to do or participate in doing during the time of their testimony.

What other powers will they have?

Revelation 11:6 states:

“These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.”

They can bring plagues on the earth as often as they desire to make a point or achieve some goal which of course would include the death of human life. This is similar to the plagues of Egypt, including the last one when the firstborn of all people and animals were killed, excluding the Israelites and their livestock. Even though Moses pronounced the plagues, it was still God—not Moses—who carried them out.

So the plagues which will be proclaimed by the two witnesses and carried out by God can affect both man and beast.

This is a grave responsibility which has to be given to the mature. Moses was eighty years of age when he exercised the powers given to him by God. Some prophets were chosen young, others older, but not all had the power ascribed to Elijah and Moses and the two witnesses.

The two witnesses will eventually be killed by the beast power (showing that they are mere men, not angels) and be resurrected when Christ returns. Revelation 11:11-12 tells us: “Now after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here.’ And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them.”

Sometime in the future, Christ Himself will use two faithful and chosen servants to carry out a most important task during the Great Tribulation. They will be given powers and responsibilities unheard of or unseen in modern times. We assume that these men are alive today and waiting to be revealed by Christ. We would also assume that the beast and the false prophet are also alive today whom Satan will reveal in due time. Once the task of prophesying and witnessing is complete, the two witnesses will be killed and their dead bodies will lie in the street of Jerusalem, and after three and a half days, they will be resurrected to eternal life to receive their reward in the Kingdom of God, together with all the faithful saints and prophets of old.

Lead Writer: Rene Messier (Canada)

compiled by Dave Harris

Our annual Church Conference was conducted via SKYPE on July 18-19, 2021. All our ministers participated along with several of our deacons and deaconesses.  Several important topics were discussed which focused on more successfully conducting the Work of the Church.

“Why the Devastating Floods in Europe?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

CBS wrote on July 16 that “the scale of the disaster is unlike anything the area has seen in living memory—the worst deluge recorded in the region in more than 200 years…” Newsmax added on July 21 that thousands are still missing who are most likely dead. But why do disasters like these happen? Is it because of man-made global warming, or is the real cause overlooked? And once the cause is identified, do people respond and react in the right way? 

“Hat Noah den Kanaan für Hams Sünde verflucht?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Did Noah Curse Canaan for Ham’s Sin?”

“Wahrer Reichtum,” is the title of a split sermon presented last Sabbath in Germany by Thilo Hanstein. Title in English: “Real Wealth.”

“Selbstgerecht,” is the title of a split sermon presented last Sabbath in Germany by Christoph Sperzel. Title in English: “Self Righteous.”

“A Two Front War,” is the title of a split sermon presented last Sabbath by Frank Bruno. Here is a summary:

Increasingly, each day we are barraged directly by Satan’s temptations and challenged by carnal nature which leaves us more susceptible to sin. We also face the work of men and women who confront us with issues and choices which require our discernment and reliance on God for guidance. This can be overwhelming. In this message, we will explore Scriptures that can help us to understand what we are facing, and act as God wants us to.

“Why Watch?” is the title of a split sermon presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank. Here is a summary:

The Bible contains numerous admonitions to watch and pay attention to the world we live in. What are we to watch for, and why is it important to heed these instructions?

We will observe the Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day for 2021, in Rapid City, South Dakota, and near Düsseldorf, Germany.  If you would like more information, check out our websites: https://www.eternalgod.org/feasts/  ; https://www.ewigengottes.de/wir-uber-uns/laubhuttenfest-2021/

On July 17, 2021, split sermons will be given: Frank Bruno will present “A Two-Front War,” and Eric Rank will present “Why Watch?”

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.

When people ask if anyone has ever seen God, they usually mean God the Father. The Bible is clear that no one has seen God the Father, except in a vision. As we learn from John 1:18. “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” Jesus Christ has made Himself known in many ways throughout history, including through physical expressions. These expressions, however, should not be confused with seeing Jesus Christ in His full glory.

For example, Jesus Christ revealed Himself to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:8-9). His presence was evident as He walked in the garden and spoke with them.

In Genesis 18:1-2 we find that Jesus Christ appeared to Abraham as a man together with two angels, also appearing as men. We know that those two are angels from Genesis 19:1. Christ and the two angels ate a meal that Abraham had arranged to have prepared for them. Later, the two angels went toward Sodom while the “LORD” spoke with Abraham (Genesis 18:22).

In Genesis 32, Jacob fought with Christ all night and in the morning he called the name of the place Peniel, meaning “Face of God”, because, as he said, “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved” (Genesis 32:30).

In Joshua 5:13-15, Joshua saw a Man with a drawn sword. Joshua fell on his face and worshipped, showing us that this was also an appearance of the LORD, Jesus Christ.

When we consider the example of Moses, we find in Exodus 33:11 that “the LORD spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend”. In all these examples mentioned so far, the LORD or Jesus Christ appeared as a man and not as a glorious Spirit Being. However, in Exodus 33:18, Moses asked to see God’s glory. In verse 20 God or Jesus Christ replied and said: “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” In verse 23 we find that God did allow Moses to see His back, but not His face. God stated later that Moses saw the form or similitude of the LORD (Numbers 12:8).

In these examples, men and, at times, women, had seen the appearance of God, actually Jesus Christ, but not in His full glory which is described in Revelation 1:12-18. However, a certain extent of Christ’s glory was revealed to the people. In Exodus 16:7, 10, the whole congregation of Israel saw the glory of the LORD which appeared in a cloud. Also, Ezekiel saw Christ’s glory in a vision (Ezekiel 1:26-28). Interestingly, King David stated in Psalm 17:15 the following: “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” Here David is expecting to see Christ’s glorified face and His glorified likeness when he wakens. This is not just wakening in the morning as some commentaries explain it. But David used the term sleep as a symbol for death as we read in Psalm 13:3: “Consider and hear me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death.” He knew he would not see God’s face in its full glory until he had died and been resurrected. He would also have been aware that Moses was not able to see God’s glorified face while he was still a human.

Another example of this terminology is found in 2 Kings 4:31. This is when a woman had miraculously received a son according to Elisha’s promise, but the son had died: “Now Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore, he went back to meet him (Elisha), and told him, saying, ‘The child has not awakened.’”  Elisha then proceeded to bring him back to life. Here again, this physical resurrection is considered an awakening from a sleep.

As David said in Psalm 17:15, he would be satisfied to be like God or to be a glorified God being in substance, and to be with God forever. This was much more valuable to him than temporary, physical possessions. He also realised that at that time, he would be righteous. He had written about this time in the previous Psalm, Psalm 16:11: “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” He certainly understood what he was looking forward to.

Of course, this does not only apply to David. We are given the same promise from God in Matthew 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.” This encouragement is also given to us in 1 Corinthians 13:12: “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known [by God].”

The apostle John re-emphasises this future for us in 1 John 3:2-3: “Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” This is basically a repeat of David’s expectation in Psalm 17. We will see Christ in His full glory, as He is, because we will BE like Him, or better, we will be equal with Him in substance. We will bear His glorified image (1 Corinthians 15:49; 2 Corinthians 3:18), as Christ bears the Father’s glorified image (Colossians 1:15; 2 Corinthians 4:4). When the heavenly Jerusalem descends on the new earth, we read that we will also see the glorified face of God the Father (Revelation 22:4).

But, of course, there are conditions. In David’s case, he knew he would see God in righteousness. In fact, he wrote in Psalm 15:1-2: “LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart.” And in Psalm 119:172 we read: “All Your commandments are righteousness.”

And in Matthew 5:8 and 1 John 3:3, the ones who will see God are the pure in heart—those who have purified themselves. From this we see that God will raise us from sleep in a resurrection or change us if we are still alive when Christ returns, but we must be striving to live righteously and be pure in heart and life.

by Norbert Link

In this issue, we report on the volatile situation in Haiti, Cuba, Afghanistan and South Africa; the unstable relationship between Ukraine and Germany; the alliance between right-wing European leaders against Brussels; autocratic coronavirus measures by the EU; and a contemptible new resolution by the EU about abortion and the most extreme LGBT agenda.

We focus on President Biden’s “Gestapo-style” tactics in “combating” the coronavirus; an article comparing the unscientific push to vaccinate children with child abuse; and the highly controversial methods of the FBI and the National Security Agency.

We focus on President Biden’s alleged knowledge and participation of his son’s financial deals with foreign entities; Donald Trump’s emergence as the most powerful force in the GOP; speak on a new and until now unknown virus killing birds; ask the question as to what constitutes true Christianity; and conclude with the search for a red heifer.

In this context, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “President Biden Faces Many Problems.”

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

Haiti in Turmoil

The Associated Press wrote on July 10:

“Haiti’s interim government has asked the U.S. and U.N. to deploy troops to protect key infrastructure as it tries to stabilize the country and prepare for elections in the aftermath of President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination… The stunning request for U.S. military support recalled the tumult following Haiti’s last presidential assassination, in 1915, when an angry mob dragged President Vilbrun Guillaume Sam out of the French Embassy and beat him to death. In response, President Woodrow Wilson sent the Marines into Haiti, justifying the American military occupation — which lasted nearly two decades — as a way to avert anarchy.

“The request was received but there has been no decision… the Biden administration has so far given no indication it will provide military assistance… Haiti also sent a letter to the United Nations requesting assistance… The letter asked for troops and security at key installations…

“Meanwhile, more details emerged [of the killing]. Among those arrested are two Haitian Americans… Police have also detained or killed more than a dozen former members of Colombia’s military… It’s not known who masterminded the attack…

“Analysts say whoever plotted the brazen attack likely had ties to a criminal underworld that has flourished in recent years as corruption and drug trafficking have become entrenched. The growing power of gangs displaced more than 14,700 people in Haiti last month alone as they torched and ransacked homes in a fight over territory…”

It will be interesting to see how the USA and the UN will react, if at all, to avoid a complete disaster in Haiti and the outbreak of more violence.

Mass Demonstrations in Cuba

Fox News wrote on July 12:

“Anti-government protests broke out Sunday in Cuba demanding freedom and calling on the disbandment of the country’s communist dictatorship, all while some of the U.S.’s most outspoken, self-professed Democratic socialists appear to be in lockstep by not acknowledging the historic events unfolding on the island about 90 miles from Florida.

“Fox News has emailed Reps. Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Sen. Bernie Sanders and has yet to receive a response from any of them. As of early Monday, none have even mentioned the protest on social media.

“Thousands of Cubans marched on Havana’s Malecon promenade and elsewhere to protest food shortages, high prices and the coronavirus outbreak in one of the biggest anti-government demonstrations in the country ever…

“The Biden administration was criticized on social media for appearing to have difficulty finding its footing on how to respond to the protests. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla, took the State Department to task over a tweet that blamed the protest on concerns over COVID-19 and not the worsening economic situation or the fact that protesters chanted, ‘We Want Liberty.’ ‘People in Cuba are protesting 62 years of socialism, lies, tyranny & misery not expressing concern about rising COVID-19 cases/deaths. Why is it so hard for @Potus & the people in his administration to say that?’ Rubio tweeted…

“Sen. Ted Cruz, the son of a Cuban immigrant… [tweeted that the Communist government in Cuba] ‘has brutalized & denied freedom to generations of Cubans, and forced my family & so many others to flee… The American people stand squarely with the men & women of Cuba and their noble fight for liberty.’”

The Cuban government has announced that it will stage “counter demonstrations,” raising the fear of a brutal crackdown.

USA Being Blamed for Cuban Uprising

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 13:

“Cuban police were deployed to major cities such as Havana on Monday following the protests a day earlier… Authorities have blocked social media sites in an attempt to censor information about the demonstrations. Mobile internet outages — the only way Cubans can go online — are also common…

“Diaz-Canel and other top Cuban officials have accused the US of orchestrating the unrest… Rogelio Polanco Fuentes, a top official in the Communist Party of Cuba, said the demonstrations were funded by the US government to foment ‘instability and chaos’ in the country. He compared the protests to the US-backed demonstrations in 2019 against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a Cuban ally… Mexico and Russia… both warned that the situation in Cuba could be used as a justification for foreign interference in the country’s affairs….”

Biden Under Pressure

The Associated Press wrote on July 14:

“They are two tiny Caribbean states whose intractable problems have vexed U.S. presidents for decades. Now, Haiti and Cuba are suddenly posing a growing challenge for President Joe Biden that could have political ramifications for him in the battleground state of Florida… The administration has come under fire from both sides of the political spectrum for its responses to each of the crises, both unfolding less than two hours’ flying time from Miami. The troubled U.S. history in both countries has hardened positions, making virtually any policy decision politically unpalatable for a president seeking to toe a middle line….

“On Cuba, the political right in the U.S. has accused Biden — who said as a presidential candidate that he would revert to Obama-era policies that loosened decades of embargo restrictions on Havana — of not being supportive enough of Cuban dissidents. Democrats, meanwhile, are unhappy that Biden has yet to reverse Trump’s hard-line approach to the island’s communist government as his administration carries out its review of Cuban policy…”

Withdrawing from Afghanistan

Politico wrote on July 14:

“Former President George W. Bush on Wednesday offered fresh criticism of the withdrawal of American and NATO troops from Afghanistan, as the U.S.-backed government in Kabul appears increasingly imperiled and Taliban fighters continue to make rapid gains across the country.

“Asked whether the drawdown was a mistake, Bush told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle in an interview: ‘I think it is, yeah. Because I think the consequences are going to be unbelievably bad and sad.’

“Bush, whose administration launched the U.S. military invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001, specifically cited the plight of Afghan women and girls whom he said could ‘suffer unspeakable harm’ at the hands of the Taliban.

“Bush expressed similar concern for the fate of thousands of Afghan translators and interpreters — as well as their families — who aided U.S. and NATO forces throughout the two-decade war effort. ‘It seems like they’re just going to be left behind to be slaughtered by these very brutal people,’ Bush said. ‘And it breaks my heart.’

“The remarks from the former president come as even senior Biden administration officials have acknowledged what Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby described as a ‘deteriorating security situation’ in Afghanistan, where the Taliban claims to have overtaken 85 percent of the country’s territory.

“The Islamic fundamentalist group has taken over nearly 10 percent of Afghanistan in the last week alone, and it now controls 195 of the country’s 407 districts — while contesting another 129. Despite the escalation in the conflict, the U.S. marked one of the final phases of its drawdown on Monday with the departure of Gen. Scott Miller, the top general in Afghanistan who was among the last of the American forces on the ground…

“Biden denied that a Taliban takeover was inevitable, saying: ‘The likelihood that there’s going to be a Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely.’”

The Guardian added on July 14:

“Taliban fighters said on Wednesday that they had taken control of one of Afghanistan’s main border crossings with Pakistan, perhaps their most strategic gain so far in a rapid advance across the country as US forces pull out.”

That a Taliban takeover is happening should not be in doubt.

Turmoil and Violence in South Africa

The Sun wrote on July 14:

“MILITIAS armed with rifles in South Africa are guarding against looters after the worst violence since the end of apartheid left 75 dead. The vigilantes have stepped into the vacuum left by a police force hopelessly overstretched by the spiralling chaos that has seen deadly stampedes and a hospital torched.

“… scared South Africans have been forming ‘defence squads’ to guard homes and businesses… Shopping malls and warehouses have been ransacked or set ablaze in several cities…”

Ukraine’s Futile Hope in German Help

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 12:

“Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for Germany to do more to help Ukraine protect itself against Russia. But with Merkel’s retirement imminent, grand commitments are looking increasingly unlikely… relations between Ukraine and Germany have soured more recently.

“A main focus [is] protecting Ukraine against potential financial losses from Nord Stream 2. The pipeline will transport natural gas directly from Russia to Germany, bypassing Ukraine and other Central and Eastern European countries, meaning they will lose out on transit fees… German government spokesman Steffen Seibert reiterated that Ukraine must remain a transit country for gas from Russia. Seibert did not provide concrete details…

“Zelenskyy [called] for Germany to supply arms to Ukraine, a request that Berlin has so far refused. Zelenskyy made a bid for weapons in May, weeks after around 100,000 Russian troops amassed on its border and in the annexed Crimea region.”

Ultimately, Russia and Ukraine will unite against the EU and Germany.

No More “Ladies and Gentlemen” at Lufthansa

The Local wrote on July 13:

“Europe’s largest airline group Lufthansa said Tuesday it was retiring ‘ladies and gentlemen’ as an on-board greeting in favour of gender-neutral alternatives. A spokesman for the German company told AFP the move was intended to make all passengers on board feel welcome, including those who do not identify as male or female. ‘Crews are being instructed to choose a greeting that includes all passengers,’ he said, adding that ‘dear guests’ or a simple ‘good morning/good evening’ would be used instead.

“The new policy, which will be phased in gradually, applies to German flag carrier Lufthansa as well as the group’s Swiss, Austrian, Brussels and Eurowings airlines… In recent days major cities including Berlin, Munich and Hamburg said that their transport networks would stop using the word ‘Schwarzfahren’ (black riding) to describe travel without a ticket in response to complaints the word had a racist taint.”

Will this nonsense ever stop?

Right-Wing Leaders Unite against EU

The Gatestone Institute wrote on July 12:

“The leaders of 16 political parties from across Europe have announced an unprecedented alliance to defend the sovereignty of European nation states, protect the nuclear family and preserve traditional Judeo-Christian values. The July 2 ‘Joint Declaration on the future of the European Union’ represents the first significant endeavor by euroskeptic parties to jointly oppose efforts by European federalists to transform the European Union into a godless multicultural superstate.

“Signatories include Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, former Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini and French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen. The document, penned by former Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who leads the powerful Law and Justice (PiS) party, has also been signed by conservative parties in Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain.

“The document states that the European Union requires ‘profound reform’ because, ‘instead of protecting Europe,’ it has itself become ‘a source of problems, anxiety and uncertainty.’ The signatories say that the EU has become a tool of ‘radical forces’ that are determined to carry out a civilizational transformation of Europe. Their objective, they say, is to create a European superstate void of European traditions, social institutions or moral principles.

“The signatories say that conservative establishment parties in Europe have abandoned traditional Judeo-Christian values ​​and have aligned themselves with leftist positions for political gain. They are especially critical of mass migration policies that have allowed millions of migrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle East to settle in Europe even though many newcomers reject European values.”

Please view our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “The Divided EU–East and West.”

EU’s Contemptible Resolution on Abortion and Most Extreme LGBT Agenda

International Family News wrote on July 10:

“In addition to being the ‘month of pride’…, June was also remembered for the new record-low to which human rights have fallen in the developed countries of the European Union. Namely, the European Parliament adopted the resolution on sexual and reproductive health and rights in the EU (2020/2215 (INI)), prepared by Croatian socialist Predrag Fred Matić. The resolution calls on all EU member states to completely eliminate all legal barriers and restrictions to abortion and to allow elective abortion (abortion on demand, without any specific medical or other reason) in order to bring their laws ‘into line with international human rights standards’. And not only that, the resolution expresses ‘regret’ that in some Member States medical providers have the right to refuse to perform an abortion on grounds of a ‘so-called conscientious objection’…

“… women will now be able to prevent new lives from coming into the world even more easily by…  receiving an abortion pill by mail and having a DIY abortion at home… without medical supervision and without an ultrasound before or after the procedure…

“The resolution also… promotes the most extreme elements of the LGBT agenda. Instead of providing children at school with true information about sexuality, hormonal contraception, abortion, sexually transmitted diseases, etc. and affirming the importance of health, marriage and childbirth, ‘comprehensive sex education’ programs tell children to just ‘use protection’ and ‘get tested regularly’, giving them the illusion of safety and a ‘pass’ to engage in sexual activities, and when contraception fails – which happens ever so often – they can ‘simply’ have an abortion, as a backup plan…

“The resolution calls on the WHO to change the definition of infertility to include same-sex couples and transgender persons…”

Shocking and abominable.

The Dictatorships of France and Other European Countries

Daily Mail wrote on July 12:

“France is to make coronavirus vaccination passes compulsory for bars, cafés and restaurants, President Emmanuel Macron announced tonight… He also said there would be ‘compulsory vaccinations’ for those working with ‘fragile people,’ such as the elderly and the disabled… Mr Macron told care workers: ‘You will have until September 15 to get vaccinated. From September 15, checks will be made and sanctions applied’.

“As well as being asked for vaccination passes on long distance planes, coaches and restaurants, anyone going out to eat or drink will need one from August 1. ‘From the beginning of August, the health pass will apply to cafés, restaurants, hospitals, retirement homes, and long-distance transport: planes, trains and coaches for long journeys,’ said Mr Macron. This measure will apply to thousands of British tourists who are hoping to holiday in France this summer. Mr Macron said: ‘From this week, border controls will be further reinforced for nationals from countries at risk, with forced isolation for unvaccinated travellers.’ Mr Macron added: ‘From July 21, use of the health pass will be extended to places of leisure and culture…

“Italy has introduced similar regulations, with the Covid vaccine being compulsory for health care workers and pharmacists, while those who opt out risk suspension or a salary cut. Meanwhile in Denmark, restaurants and public events require a digital pass showing that you have been fully vaccinated or have a recent negative test. Some German states require the same for restaurants, though suggestions of making vaccines obligatory have prompted widespread unease…

“France’s secretary of state for European affairs Clément Beaune advised people to ‘avoid Spain and Portugal as destinations’ because the French government is considering restrictions on travel to their neighbours.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 13:

“The German chancellor [Angela Merkel] stressed there would be no obligation to vaccinate in Germany, saying that mandating shots could endanger public trust…

“Greece… on Monday announced mandatory immunization for healthcare workers who have until September 1 to get the jab; and nursing staff, who will be required to begin receiving vaccinations immediately… On Tuesday, Belgian hospitals published an open letter calling for mandatory vaccinations at the nation’s hospitals and healthcare facilities.”

The ongoing dictatorship in Europe (and elsewhere, see articles below) should wake up everybody, but sadly, most are sound asleep.  

Fully Vaccinated Tourists BARRED from Entering EU!

The Associated Press wrote on July 13:

“After Dr. Ifeanyi Nsofor and his wife received two doses of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine in Nigeria, they assumed they would be free to travel this summer to a European destination of their choice. They were wrong. The couple — and millions of other people vaccinated through a U.N.-backed effort — could find themselves barred from entering many European and other countries because those nations don’t recognize the Indian-made version of the vaccine for travel.

“Although AstraZeneca vaccine produced in Europe has been authorized by the continent’s drug regulatory agency, the same shot manufactured in India hasn’t been given the green light. EU regulators said AstraZeneca hasn’t completed the necessary paperwork on the Indian factory, including details on its production practices and quality control standards. But some experts describe the EU move as discriminatory and unscientific, pointing out that the World Health Organization has inspected and approved the factory. Health officials say the situation will not only complicate travel and frustrate fragile economies but also undermine vaccine confidence by appearing to label some shots substandard…

“Earlier this month, the European Union introduced its digital COVID-19 certificate, which allows EU residents to move freely in the 27-nation bloc as long as they have been vaccinated with one of the four shots authorized by the European Medicines Agency, have a fresh negative test, or have proof they recently recovered from the virus… the U.S. and Britain remain largely closed to outside visitors…

“The refusal of some national authorities to recognize vaccines manufactured outside the EU is also frustrating some Europeans immunized elsewhere, including the U.S….”

Could despicable profit-making motives have anything to do with these “discriminatory and unscientific” decisions by European countries?

Terrible Statistics of Adverse Effects and Deaths

Children’s Health Defense wrote on July 13:

“Data released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) included 9,049 reports of deaths, across all age groups, following COVID vaccines — an increase of more than 2,000 compared with the previous week…

“Data released today show that between Dec. 14, 2020 and July 2, 2021, a total of 438,441 total adverse events were reported… There were 41,015 serious injuries reported during the same time period — up 6,950 compared with last week.”

Still, it is being postulated by governments, politicians, doctors and the pharma industry that all these vaccinations are totally safe.

Biden’s “Gestapo-Style Tactics”

Life Site wrote on July 7:

“White House officials announced yesterday that the federal government will be ‘knocking on doors’ in order to push more people to accept the COVID-19 vaccine. ‘We need to go to community by community, neighborhood by neighborhood, and oftentimes, door to door – literally knocking on doors – to get help to the remaining people protected from the virus,’ said President Joe Biden.

“The president attempted to shame those who have declined to take a vaccine which is not fully tested and which has increasingly been shown to produce disastrous health side effects for some, including death. Because ‘millions of Americans are still unvaccinated and unprotected,’ Biden claimed that ‘their communities are at risk. Their friends are at risk. The people they care about are at risk.’

“Biden also targeted unvaccinated young people ‘who may have thought that they didn’t have to be vaccinated, didn’t have to worry about it, didn’t have to do anything about it up to now.’…

“Announcement of the door-to-door plan immediately sparked an enormous backlash on social media, with many critics comparing the new White House initiative to Gestapo-style tactics. ‘That’s Nazi Germany,’ declared Mike Lindell, founder of MyPillow… ‘This is communism,’ he added. ‘Sending Joe Biden’s Gestapo door-to-door to check up on non-vaccinated Americans is really a recipe for disaster,’ tweeted Lavern Spicer, a Republican candidate for Congress in Florida…

“Others taking to Twitter focused on how the White House initiative was misguided and would perhaps violate the confidentiality of patient records. ‘Vaccine education and conversation should be between a doctor and patient, not by a grassroot government door knocker,’ said, Nicole Saphier, MD, a New York physician and author. “Others made known their outright rejection of the Biden’s door-to-door plan. ‘Not on my watch!’ proclaimed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. ‘I won’t buy a magazine subscription door to door,’ tweeted retired Major League Baseball player Aubrey Huff. ‘What makes you think I’d take a free poison into my body?’”

Breitbart added on July 11:

“[Former Planned Parenthood president and] CNN medical contributor Dr. Leana Wen said Friday that life needs to be ‘hard’ for Americans who have not received a coronavirus vaccine with ‘twice weekly testings.’”

Incredibly and quite disturbingly, some Republican “Rhinos” (Republican dissidents) even support Biden’s approach.

Fauci’s and Biden’s Dangerous Propaganda

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on July 13:

“ In a CNN interview over the weekend, Fauci told the host that he’s very much in favor of vaccine mandates and that any vaccine hesitancy is ‘horrifying’ considering how safe and effective the shots are.

“The White House has warned that those questioning the shots are ‘dangerous’ and ‘extremist,’ motivated by (conservative) politics.”

Such irresponsible statements are just abhorrent.

New Zealand follows Biden’s Lead

Life Site News wrote on July 9:

“New Zealand’s COVID-19 Response Minister suggested that his government would need to ‘go out and find’ any Kiwis who were still unvaccinated next year…

“[His] comments… have raised eyebrows among those skeptical of the hastily produced experimental shots and the politicization of vaccination by government officials.”

It reveals the same spirit.

Child Abuse?

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on July 12:

“Wanted: a pediatrician who actually believes in science and not child abuse.

“My children are months overdue for their checkups because they are distraught about having to wear masks. The baby, who doesn’t yet have to cover her breathing orifices, was traumatized at her recent visit by seeing everyone dressed like a mummy. How can it be that the doctors responsible most for the health of children can’t read simple data and studies showing clearly that children are more at risk from the trauma of the response to COVID than from the virus?

“Scientists from University College London and the Universities of York, Bristol, and Liverpool studied the data from all pediatric COVID-19 infections in the U.K. and found that just 25 children under 18 likely died from the virus in a country with over 12 million children. Only six of those children had no known serious underlying conditions, although the authors caution that they could not confirm that all of them were indeed healthy. The rest of the fatalities were among those with the sorts of conditions that cause people to die every year from other endemic respiratory viruses for which we never disrupt society or force masking and experimental injections…

“According to this data, healthy children under 18 have a 1 in 2 million chance of dying of COVID in the U.K. over the course of a year. According to the CDC, in the US, every person has a 1 in 500,000 chance of being struck by lightning in a given year. In other words, there is more math and science behind destroying the lives of children and forcing them to wear a protective suit or stay inside for a year because of lightning than because of COVID.

“The forced masking and vaccination of children is likely the biggest scandal of all time. For pediatrician offices to continue focusing their regulations on COVID when every other ailment is a bigger threat to children is global malpractice that will leave an indelible stain on a profession that now follows voodoo rituals over science. There is simply no way a pediatrician can possibly think it’s humane to pressure children to get the experimental injections, even if the risk factors are as low as they believe.

“Even if we are to trust Pfizer’s own trial data and allow the foxes of profit from guarding the academic henhouse, there is a 1 in 333 risk for a serious adverse event (SAE) from the vaccine… So, let’s assume that somehow the vaccine is 100% effective in stopping the one in 2 million pediatric deaths. On the way to that 2 million pediatric vaccination number, over 6,000 children would suffer serious adverse effects, including life-altering disabilities and deaths. But that is from Pfizer’s untrustworthy data. A detailed analysis from Israel’s Hadassah Medical Center found that the rate of just one serious side effect – myocarditis – was as high as 1 in every 3,000-6,000 among young men.”

Voodoo rituals over science is an interesting comparison…

China “Recovered” before Vaccines

Money Morning wrote on July 12:

“… we need to remember that China went into this pandemic first and thus came out of it first too (notably before vaccines were developed, which is something we seem to be forgetting as we discuss our own release from lockdown).”

FBI Under Attack

Breitbart wrote on July 12

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) published a tweet on Sunday telling Americans to report their own family members and peers for ‘suspicious behaviors.’ The tweet included a link to a government booklet that was first written in 2015 on ‘indicators’ that someone may be contemplating violent action.

“Conservatives slammed the FBI for encouraging Americans to report their family members. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) tweeted: ‘In both Cuba & China, they also ask children to spy on their parents….’

“Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) tweeted: ‘These people protected Hillary, abused NSA surveillance databases against Americans, used known, unreliable DNC-funded propaganda to spy on Trump, perpetuated the Russia hoax, & lied to the FISC repeatedly. And now they tell you that you should spy on your family.’

“Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell tweeted: ‘This is outrageous. The FBI has a growing credibility problem and this type of sinister snitching is clearly unhelpful. Why hasn’t the FBI made more progress finding the BLM rioters from last summer? Why hasn’t the FBI leadership apologized for the Russian hoax they pushed?

“Mike Doran, Middle East expert and senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, tweeted: ‘If any person takes this seriously, I feel sorry for them. The FBI encourages us to snitch on family members. Meanwhile FBI leaders cover up for the transgressions of their colleagues, to say nothing of their families.’”

Hitler’s Nazi Germany, Stalin’s Soviet Union, former Communist East Germany and so many other dictatorships were and are known for these kind of tactics.

Spying on Tucker Carlson?

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on July 8:

“After the shocking revelation that the US National Security Agency had intercepted Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s emails and then leaked them to media in an effort to smear him, the question all Americans should be asking is: how did we get to this banana republic state? Will there be any accounting for this lawlessness?”

Chances are, there won’t be…

President Joe Biden Direct Beneficiary of Hunter’s Financial Deals?

Breitbart wrote on July 12:

“Peter Schweizer, president of the Government Accountability Institute (GAI), said on Monday that his organization had confirmed that President Joe Biden ‘was a direct beneficiary’ of Hunter Biden’s financial deals with foreign interests…

“GAI is in the process of investigating its copy of files found on Hunter Biden’s laptop… GAI’s forthcoming reports on the laptop’s contents will expose disastrous dimensions of the Biden family…”

Will anything really come out of it?

Trump Speaks at CPAC

The New York Post wrote on July 11:

“Former President Donald Trump delivered a blistering rebuke of President Biden, Big Tech, critical race theory, the media and other targets during a fiery keynote speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Sunday… He wasted no time jumping on the key themes of his post-presidency — immigration, the media and the election he deems fraudulent… Trump lambasted the ‘fake news’ media and tech companies, saying they conspired to stifle him while ignoring stories critical of Biden…

“Trump has remained a potent force in the GOP since exiting the White House and has repeatedly railed against the 2020 election results as fraudulent… Trump has also stressed the importance of the 2022 midterm elections, touting favorable candidates and vowing to oust GOP candidates he deems disloyal. He has also not ruled out another run for the White House in 2024….”

In fact, he has said repeatedly that he has made up his mind as to what he will do in 2024, but that he cannot reveal it as yet due to certain rules and regulations pertaining to political candidacies.

Donald Trump to Run and Win?

Newsmax wrote on July 10:

“Former President Donald Trump will not just run again for the White House in 2024, but he will win, political analyst and Newsmax host Dick Morris predicted Saturday…

“Trump will ‘absolutely’ win, Morris added… saying he will take both elections, starting with ‘the Republican primary, which he can’t possibly lose.’ ‘No matter what happens, he could win that from jail if he has to,’ Morris joked. ‘The other is the general election, which a Republican is guaranteed to win because of the terrible performance of [President Joe] Biden. So in a real sense, the future is laid out for Donald Trump. He is going to be the 47th president of the United States.’”

Let us wait and watch…

New Deadly Epidemic for Birds

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 7:

“…a new epidemic seems to have hit multiple bird species in North America. Across the United States, people have been finding dead birds. The birds appear to have been hit by a wave of mysterious illnesses since April… the illness has spread at least 965 kilometers (600 miles) from the capital, across the Midwest regions of the United States and into the state of Indiana… Animal centers have been examining the birds for a possible cause of death or illness, but tests have been inconclusive so far…

‘We are losing our population of birds at an alarming rate,’ says [Jim Monsma, director and founder of the animal rescue center City Wildlife in Washington, D.C.], including Fledglings, European Starlings, Bluejays and others. ‘About a third of the species in America are decreasing rapidly. It’s spreading to other species,’ he says. ‘And we certainly cannot rule out the possibility that it might spread to humans.’’

The Bible predicts that in these end times, many birds will die.

True Christianity?

International Family News wrote on July 10:

“75% of Christians in America believe that the Bible is the Word of God. Yet… more than 25% (and sometimes even a majority) of Catholics, Mainline Protestants, and Evangelicals support gay marriage, abortion, transgenderism, and other positions that are antithetical to what the Bible and traditional Christianity clearly teach…

“… every time a ‘Christian’ comes out in support of gay marriage or the gay lifestyle, he or she is also supporting… beliefs that directly [undermine] Christianity… Christians who take heretical stances on gay marriage, abortion, transgenderism, and other issues are causing great damage. They are sowing chaos and division within Christianity as the clear teachings of the Bible are being called into question. Indeed, denominations have been ripped apart by these heretical teachings. More ominously, though, such Christians are… supporting conduct condemned by the Bible. First, they are hurting the unrepentant sinner… Second, they are harming those sinners who truly wish to repent and live a moral life…

“Rather than affirming sinful conduct, we should be encouraging these people to do all they can to heroically live up to the tough—but loving—demands of the Christian Faith, demands that lead to true joy and true life both now and in eternity.

“Why do people who claim to be ‘Christian’ hold views that are against what the Bible and traditional Christianity profess?… First, ignorance… Second, intellectual laziness… Third, peer pressure… Fourth, the desire to avoid looking into one’s own soul… Finally, simple arrogance. Some of these people just think they know better than the Bible and almost two thousand years of Christian teaching…”

This wrong attitude and endorsement of unchristian values and doctrines is, sadly, not limited to the issues mentioned in the article. We dare to say that most teachings of traditional Christianity are in opposition to the Bible.

The Search for the Red Heifer

Israel 365 News wrote on July 11:

“The Temple Institute launched its Red Heifer program about a decade ago but even in Temple times, an animal that fulfilled the Biblical requirements was exceedingly rare. The Temple Institute has a breeding program in Israel and is investigating the possibility of utilizing genetic science to produce an entirely red calf…

“The heifer, born from a natural birth, must be entirely red, with no more than two non-red hairs on its body. It must also never have been used for any labor or have been impregnated… To be suitable for the ceremony,  the heifer must be two years and one day old. Sometimes, a calf that is perfectly red when it is young develops black or white hairs as it grows older, or it may develop a blemish. Sometimes, the colored hairs fall out or disappear…

“According to Jewish tradition, there will only be ten red heifers in human history with the tenth heifer ushering in the Messianic era…”

Jews believe that the red heifer is a necessary requirement for building the Third Temple. The Bible does not support this idea. In Old Testament times, a red heifer procedure for purification is described, but the animal did not have to have the stringent requirements, as Jews have invented.

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 question seems to make reference to an event described in Genesis 9. In verses 18-27, we read:

 (18) Now the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham was the father of Canaan.

(19) These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated.

(20) And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard.

(21) Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent.

(22) And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.

(23) But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.

(24) So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him.

(25) Then he said: “Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brethren.”

(26) And he said: “Blessed be the Lord, The God of Shem, And may Canaan be his servant.

(27) May God enlarge Japheth, And may he dwell in the tents of Shem; And may Canaan be his servant.”

A superficial reading of this passage might indeed lead to the conclusion that Noah cursed Canaan for his father Ham’s conduct. Indeed, many commentaries state this, with somewhat incredibly ridiculous arguments.

One explanation is that God foresaw Canaan’s or the Canaanites’ wicked conduct in the future, and He therefore cursed Canaan already in advance, even though Canaan had not acted wickedly towards Noah. It should be obvious that this explanation could not possibly be true. God is not condemning us for something which we have not even done yet.

Another concept is that the children have to pay for the sins of their fathers; that God will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation (compare Exodus 20:5; 34:6-7; Deuteronomy 5:8-10; Numbers 14:18).

However, Exodus 20:5 speaks of those “who hate [God].” Soncino points out that the phrase, “of those that hate Me,” applies to the children, i.e. God will punish the children if they [the children] hate Him. Soncino comments, too, that the punishment will be brought upon the children, “when they retain the evil deeds of their fathers.” It is true, of course, that false conduct of parents can have a detrimental influence on their children who may emulate their example and repeat such bad conduct.

Still, Deuteronomy 24:16 states that children are not to be put to death for the sins of their fathers (but only for their own sins). The same is expressed in 2 Kings 14:6 and 2 Chronicles 25:4. Also, Ezekiel 18:4, 17, 19-20 tells us, “(4) Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son are Mine; The soul who sins shall die… (17) [The righteous son] shall not die for the iniquity of his father; He shall surely live… (19) Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the guilt of his father?’ Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live. (20) The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son.’” (Compare, too, Exodus 32:31-33, as well as Jeremiah 31:29-30).

Passages such as Matthew 23:29-36; Luke 11:44-51; or Acts 7:51-52 do not teach something different. Even though all these passages speak about the sins of the fathers or previous generations, it is also emphasized that the sons or descendants committed the same sins themselves, following their forefathers’ bad example. The sins of the fathers were not imputed to the sons; rather, we read: “… as your fathers did, so do you” (Acts 7:51). At first glance, it might appear that the terrible sins of the fathers might be “imputed” to their descendants who were alive at Jesus’ time, because Jesus said: “… you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets” (Matthew 23:31). But the very next verse negates this, because Jesus goes on to say: “FILL UP, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt.” And even though He says in Luke 11:50-51 that the blood of the prophets “shall be required of this generation,” He condemns that very generation for their terrible deeds and actions, showing that they were sinful themselves, having followed the unrighteous deeds of their ancestors.

The opposite does not follow from Lamentations 5:7, which reads: “Our fathers sinned and are no more, But we bear their iniquities.” The entire book of Lamentations shows the recognition of personal sin (Lamentations 1:5, 18; 3:39-42). So, people bear the iniquity of their fathers because they have engaged in the same kind of conduct and thinking… not because the sins of their fathers were “imputed” to them.

This means, then, that Canaan could not have been cursed by God for the sin of his father Ham. Before we analyze what really happened causing Noah to curse Canaan, let us consider another, somewhat related concept—that of original or inherited sin. This concept was developed by Augustine, based on a wrong translation of the Greek text in Romans 5. The Broadman Bible Commentary points out, in Vol. 10, on page 195: “Augustine, who knew very little Greek, followed the Latin translation… and, on the basis of this mistranslation, developed his doctrine of original sin, understood as inherited guilt, and the result was a lurid picture of unbaptized infants in limbo. It is significant that even Roman Catholic scholars, plagued most by this disaster, are now saying bluntly the doctrine is not in Scripture.”

Simply put, the concept of the original sin holds that we all “inherited” guilt from Adam and Eve who “originally” sinned. According to that concept, we inherited eternal death–which is the penalty for sin (compare Romans 6:23)–even though we ourselves did nothing to deserve this penalty. In other words, Adam and Eve’s original sin was somehow arbitrarily transmitted to all. The argument would be that Canaan inherited “original sin,” leading to death, and God’s additional curse only emphasized and reiterated that “fact” that Canaan was guilty of sin and subject to punishment anyhow.

This concept is blatantly wrong and unbiblical.

Romans 5 does not teach the concept of inherited sin and inherited punishment. Romans 5:12 reads, in its entirety: “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death [the penalty for sin] spread to all men, BECAUSE ALL SINNED…” In addition, Romans 3:23 tells us that “ALL have sinned [not just Adam] and fall short of the glory of God.”

For more information on the topic of original sin, please read our Q&As, “Would you please explain the concept of ‘original sin’ in light of Romans 5:12,19?” and, “Are Babies Guilty Because of ‘Original Sin’?”

Original sin, then, could not have been the reason why Noah cursed Canaan. Why then DID Noah curse Canaan?

First, it would be strange if Noah only cursed Canaan for a sin committed by Ham, while not cursing Ham, the perpetrator. Obviously, something is wrong with this concept.

The context of the passage shows, of course, that more was involved than the mere “nakedness” of Noah. Apparently, somebody had violated Noah, while he was drunk. But who did? We read that Noah awoke and knew what “his younger son” had done to him. This is not a reference to Noah’s son Ham, but to Ham’s son Canaan. A correct rendering of Genesis 9:24 states: “And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his YOUNGEST son had done unto him.” Compare, for example, the New International Version; the Revised Standard Version; the Revised English Bible; the New American Bible; the New Jerusalem Bible; the Moffat translation; the Amplified Bible; the Tanakh—the Holy Scriptures; the Luther Bible; the Elberfelder Bible; the Menge Bible; the Schlachter Bible; and the Zuercher Bible.

But Ham was not Noah’s youngest son—Japheth was—while Canaan was the youngest son of Ham (Genesis 10:6). So it was Ham’s youngest son, Canaan, who committed the sin towards Noah. The narrative in Genesis 9 concentrates on Ham and Ham’s son Canaan (verses 18, 22), and Noah cursed Canaan when he learned what he, as Ham’s youngest son, had done to him. Verse 24 does not speak of Noah’s youngest son, but Ham’s youngest son, when it says, “ Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his [that is, Ham’s] youngest son had done to him” (RSV).

Soncino gives several “interpretations” on page 47, one of which is that “Ham saw the indignity which his son Canaan inflicted upon” Noah; and that Canaan either “castrated” Noah or that he “indulged a perverted lust upon him.” Further, that Ham saw on his uncovered father the terrible signs of Canaan’s evil deed or perverted lust, and Shem and Japheth covered Noah with a garment.

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible states:

“Ham had at this time four sons, and Canaan was the youngest of them; and he was grown up to an age sufficient to be concerned in this matter, of treating his grandfather in an ill way, so as to bring his curse upon him.”

Matthew Poole’s Commentary states:

“… it doth not appear that [Ham] was the youngest, for wheresoever these three brethren are mentioned he is always put in the middle place, and because that addition (in verse 18, “And Ham was the father of Canaan”) seems to be unnecessary and impertinent to the present business, which if Canaan be intended, is proper and pertinent, by way of distinction, to show that [Noah] spake of his grandson, or his son’s son.”

Ellicott’s Commentary gives an additional explanation as to why Canaan, and not Ham, was the violator of Noah:

“This can only mean [Ham’s] youngest son. So it is applied to Benjamin in Genesis 42:34; Genesis 43:29, and to David in 1 Samuel 16:11, where the words literally are, there re-maineth yet the little one. Now Ham was not the youngest son, but Japheth; and it is not Ham who is cursed, but Canaan… As the son, the little one, was not Ham, so certainly it was not Japheth, but probably it was Canaan. He was the youngest son of Ham, and in Hebrew ‘son’ is occasionally used for grandson (Genesis 29:5; Genesis 31:55), and so he might be described as Noah’s youngest son, being the youngest member of his family.

“… the meaning seems to be, ‘Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what (Canaan) his youngest son (or grandson) had done unto him; and it was a deed so shameless that he said, ‘Cursed be Canaan.’”

So it was Canaan, not Ham, who perpetrated that sinful act. The reference to “his youngest son” applies to Ham’s youngest son Canaan, not to Ham who was not Noah’s youngest son.

When reading seemingly difficult passages, it is important to study the passage in context and in light of other Scriptures. It is not that uncommon throughout the biblical narrative, that subjects, objects or pronouns might be referring to another person other than what might be suspected at the first reading of a particular passage.

An additional example is Exodus 4:24-26, which refers to Moses, his wife and his son, and which reads:

“And it came to pass on the way [to Egypt], at the encampment, that the LORD met him and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses’ [literally: his] feet, and said, ‘Surely you are a husband of blood to me!’ So He let him go. Then she said, ‘You are a husband of blood!’–because of the circumcision.”

Who was the person whom God met and sought to kill, and whom God then let go? Some say that God was determined to kill Moses. But this incident occurred after God had prophesied to Moses how Pharaoh would react to his demand to let the people of Israel go (verses 21-23). It would therefore make little sense to assume that God had changed his mind a few hours later to kill Moses. The context of the passage in Exodus 4:24-26 shows that God did not intend to kill Moses [whom He was sending to Egypt to free the Israelites], but one of Moses’ two sons, who had not been circumcised. At the time of Moses, there was in effect a temporary law that God had given to Abraham, to circumcise every male child (Genesis 17:9-13). God specifically stated that “the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people” (verse 14).

It is apparent that Moses and Zipporah had neglected to circumcise one of their sons, even though both knew better. God, true to His Word, was about to “cut off” or kill the uncircumcised son, due to Moses’ and Zipporah’s disobedience. Zipporah might have influenced Moses not to circumcise their son; so she immediately acted in obedience to God’s command, whereupon God ceased from attempting to kill the son. The point is, we read in Exodus 4:24 that “the LORD met him and sought to kill him,” and it says in verse 26 that “He let him go,” but the reference is not to Moses, but to Moses’ firstborn son, as in the previous verses (verses 22-23) the “firstborn son” was the subject matter.

Compare our Q&A, “Why did God want to slay Moses after He had commanded him to free Israel from Egypt?”

For another example, let’s consider Exodus 34:27-28 (Authorized Version):

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.”

The question is, Who wrote the words of the covenant on the tablets of stone? A superficial reading might suggest that it was Moses. But a study of other Scriptures reveals that it was God, not Moses.

After Moses had destroyed the first tablets of stone with the Ten Commandments, because of his anger over the sin of the Israelites who had built a golden calf, God had Moses cut two new tablets of stone (Exodus 34:1). But God also said, in the same verse: “… I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke.” The fact that it was God–not Moses–who wrote the Ten Commandments a second time on the tablets of stone, is confirmed in Deuteronomy 10:4: “And He wrote on the tablets according to the first writing, the Ten Commandments, which the LORD had spoken to you.. and the LORD gave them to me.” Moses did not write the Ten Commandments on the tablets of stone–God did that.

Again, when we read in Exodus 34:28 that “he” wrote the Ten Commandments on the tablets of stone, the reference is to God, not Moses, even though it was just said in the same verse that “he”—Moses—did not eat bread or drink water for forty days and forty nights.

Another example in this context can be seen in David’s decision to number his army. The Bible includes two accounts of this episode. One account has been recorded in 2 Samuel 24. We read in verse 1, in the Authorized Version: “And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, `Go, number Israel and Judah.’”

In the parallel account in 1 Chronicles 21:1, we are told that “Satan stood up against Israel, and moved [or provoked] David to number Israel.”

Since the Bible does not contradict itself, we must read both passages together, to harmonize the accounts. Therefore, it was actually Satan who directly influenced David to number his army, but God allowed it, as He was angry with Israel. In addition, God would not have provoked or moved David to sin, as God does not tempt anyone (James 1:13). So, the passage in 2 Samuel 24:1, in reading it together with 1 Chronicles 21:1, can also be read and understood in this way: “… the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he [that is, Satan] moved David against them…”

Another misunderstood Scripture is Revelation 20:10, which reads in the Authorized Version:

“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

A superficial reading, especially in many of the modern translations, might indeed lead us to conclude the existence of a never-ending torture of the beast (a military leader) and the false prophet (a religious leader) in hell. However, analyzing the Scripture carefully, a different conclusion is warranted.

Please note that the subject of the sentence is the devil. It is he who will be tormented in the lake of fire. In regard to the beast and the false prophet, note that the word, “are” is in italics, in the AV. This means that there is no verb in the Greek language, so that the translators had to ADD a verb—they ADDED the English word “are,” based on how they understood the meaning of the sentence. However, the addition of the word “are” is clearly WRONG in this context.

We read, in Revelation 19:20, that the beast and the false prophet were cast—about 1,000 years earlier, when the Millennium was about to begin—into the lake of fire, to be burned up and destroyed. Since there needs to be an addition of a word or phrase in Revelation 20:10 (“where the beast and the false prophet…”), the words to be added should be, “were cast,” so that the sentence reads: “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet WERE CAST [namely, 1,000 years earlier, as reported in Revelation 19:20]…”

Most translations continue this sentence by saying: “…and THEY shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” From this rendition, commentators argue that not only the devil, but also the beast and the false prophet will be tormented for all eternity; otherwise, the sentence would have to continue to read: “…and HE (that is, the devil) shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

Not all agree. As we saw, the Authorized Version OMITS the word, “they,” and renders the continuation of the sentence: “… and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever,” indicating that the subject is the devil, and not the beast and the false prophet.

Some insist, however, that the clause “THEY shall be tormented” is correct. If so, then we must ask the question as to whom this passage refers.

When we understand for WHOM the lake of fire was prepared, the answer would be obvious. We read in Matthew 25:41 that the lake of fire was “prepared for the devil and his angels.”

 Therefore, it will be the devil and his demons who will be tormented in the lake of fire, for as long as that lake exists. Since spirit beings cannot die (compare Luke 20:36), they will be tormented—in a spiritual way—while being confined to the lake of fire, when they come to the realization that they are unable to deceive man anymore, and when they see all their “works” and evil “accomplishments” replaced by the good and prosperous ways of God. (For more information, please read chapter 23 of our booklet, “Is That in the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation!” )

We see then that, from the context and in reviewing other Scriptures adding to Revelation 20:10, the devil was cast into the lake of fire (where, as a forerunner of the ultimate lake of fire, the beast and the false prophet had been cast 1,000 years earlier), and they—the devil and his demons—will be tormented forever and ever, showing thereby, that also the demons will be cast into the lake of fire, since the lake of fire had been prepared for the devil and his fallen angels.

In conclusion, it is important to read “difficult” Scriptures in context and in conjunction with the rest of the Bible. A correct understanding reveals that Noah did not curse Canaan for an evil deed perpetrated by Noah’s son Ham, but for an evil deed committed by Ham’s youngest son, Canaan. Also, God did not try to kill Moses, but Moses’ son, who was not circumcised. It was not Moses, but God, who wrote the Ten Commandments twice on two tablets of stone. It was not God, but Satan, who moved or tempted David to sin; and it will be the devil and his angels who will be cast into the lake of fire to be tormented there for a long time.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

Our annual Church Conference (July 18-19, 2021) will be conducted via SKYPE and will include participants from Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.

“President Biden Faces Many Problems,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

This program explores the almost countless problems President Biden is facing on many different levels. From international problems regarding Haiti, Cuba, Afghanistan, Mexico, Iran, Russia and Germany; to national problems regarding vaccination issues; and to several personal problems, it seems that there is no end in sight, and that matters will only get worse.

“Wie zerstritten ist die EU—der Osten gegen den Westen?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English:“How Divided is the EU—the East Against the West?”

A new Member Letter (July 2021) has been posted and mailed to our subscribers. Pastor Rene Messier writes about our need to focus on God’s calling, especially in the midst of so many distractions and problems which confront us in society.

“Toxische Umgebungen,” is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Mike Richter. Title in English: “Toxic Environments.”

“What’s Your Reason Why?” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

It is vital that we have a reason to continue living a Christian life. If we do not have a source of motivation in life that honors God’s purpose for us, it will inevitably lead us away from God. But if we love the Way of life He has designed for us, it will provide us with the encouragement we need to overcome whatever life hits us with, resulting in a glorious outcome.

“Why Prophecy?” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

For what cause, reason or purpose does God declare His divine Will and purpose before the time of fulfillment? Those whom God is calling can understand prophecy—are you among those few who do?

We will observe the Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day for 2021, in Rapid City, South Dakota, and near Düsseldorf, Germany.  If you would like more information, check out our websites: https://www.eternalgod.org/feasts/  ; https://www.ewigengottes.de/wir-uber-uns/laubhuttenfest-2021/

On July 10, 2021, Eric Rank will present the sermonette, titled, “What’s Your Reason Why?” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “WHY Prophecy?”

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

In this chaotic world of upside-down values, we have witnessed in the UK yet another example of what priorities are important to a national politician who has been at the forefront of the nation’s approach to the Covid pandemic. Matt Hancock, the UK’s Health Secretary, was caught acting in a compromising situation leading to the revelation of his adulterous affair, and it resulted in him losing his high profile job.

The BBC reported that “his resignation and apology followed photos published by the Sun newspaper showing him in an embrace with a colleague, Gina Coladangelo.  The paper says the photos of the pair – both of whom are married – were taken inside the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on 6 May 2021.”

The Sun newspaper added on the 25^th June 2021 that “Matt Hancock has today broken his silence to admit he ‘breached social distancing rules’ – but failed to apologise to his wife of 15 years after his explosive affair was revealed by The Sun.”

Politicmag.net added that the “Labour Party chairwoman Annaliese Dodds said of Mr Hancock: ‘He set the rules. He admits he broke them. He has to go.’”

What so many were complaining about was that “social distancing rules” were breached.

Much of the nation’s anger could be summed up by one of his constituents who said: “We’ve done what’s been asked of us for more than a year, and he betrayed all of us. He has broken his own rules and our trust. He simply could not be trusted anymore.”

Tim Stanley wrote in the Daily Telegraph on 28^th June 2021: “It says something about how morally twisted the 21st century is that Matt Hancock resigned not over adultery but over breaking social distancing rules, as if the latter is more serious than the former. In the 24 hours between exposure and resignation, during which he obviously thought he might be able to cling on, he described his affair as a ‘personal matter’ and the PM [Boris Johnson] considered the ‘matter closed.’ Mr Hancock was using adultery as a shield, as if the subject were so sensitive, almost sympathetic, that society would draw a veil over it.”

Priorities today don’t take into account God’s instruction on morality.   You can cheat on your husband or wife, you can father several children outside marriage, you can live together without getting married (fornication), you can practice, as a way of life, homosexuality and other perverted forms of behaviour, you can marry a person of the same sex, and in general, society just regards this as normal and acceptable behaviour.   But break someone’s made up social distancing rules and the flack flies.   Priorities wrong yet again.

It is going to take the great tribulation, God’s wrath and the return of Jesus Christ to get man’s attention.  It is the only way that there can be a response to the quagmire of ungodly behaviour which is now mainstream and part of society’s moral, or rather immoral, DNA.  Unfortunately, this story is replicated many times around the world on a daily basis, and much worse, too.   Satan has this world in the palm of his hand, and only Christ’s return will alter the landscape.

We must continue to pray for God’s Kingdom to come soon, when true standards of righteous behaviour will be required.   Only that event will reverse what we currently experience and the time when Satan’s influence will be removed for the benefit of all of mankind!

by Norbert Link

We report on the selective and hypocritical “reporting” of America’s mainstream media, using the Hunter Biden scandal as an example; address another potential witch hunt involving Donald Trump; speak on the refusal of the US Supreme Court to hear an important LGBT case; and report on class action lawsuits against Big Tech.

We address the assassination of Haiti’s president; the terrible suffering of the people of Lebanon and hopeless attempts by the EU to better the situation; Putin’s ridiculous and at the same time extremely dangerous attempts to rewrite history and whitewash Stalin’s mass murders and atrocities; and another huge Russian cyber-attack on US firms.

We point out expressed medical concerns regarding COVID 19-vaccinations of young people and the persecution of the unvaccinated, while more and more national, state and local governments impose mandatory vaccinations.

We speak on Angela Merkel’s last official visit to the UK and the growing demand by the American travel industry to get rid of Biden’s travel ban. We also address the growing divide between Eastern and Western EU members [in this regard, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “The Divided EU–East and West”] and report on a “trigger warning” requirement in a UK university regarding the discussion of “sensitive” issues in class.

We conclude with the claim that a pig-human hybrid organ has been created for the purpose of transplantation.

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

President Biden Seemed to Have Known about His Son’s Shady Business Dealings

The Ron Paul Institute published on July 3 the following article by Law Professor Jonathan Turley:

“We have previously discussed the concerted and often embarrassing blackout in the media on stories involving Hunter Biden’s influence peddling during his father’s tenure as Vice President. That includes the burying of the laptop story and the growing contradictions over his father’s denial of any knowledge or involvement in his shady business dealings. Even recent reports that Hunter may have paid prostitutes with his father’s account were blacked out by mainstream media… Now, however, there is a major allegation that Hunter used access to his father to seal previously unknown deals with Mexican businessmen…

“As in the past, Americans interested in such stories have had to rely on the foreign press or a couple [of] domestic sites for such information. The new emails include references to the use of Air Force II by Hunter Biden to pursue the deals — a similar pattern revealed with regard to the China dealings. The emails detail a number of visits to Mexico, including a February 2016 flight on Air Force II with his father…

“It obviously does not sound… good if you are a reporter who has been repeatedly assured by President Biden that he had no knowledge or involvement in any dealings with Hunter. That was previously refuted by various sources…

“The new emails contain additional information directly contradicting President Biden… Hunter arranged for then Vice President Biden to have dinner on April 16, 2015 with his Ukrainian, Russian and Kazakhstani business associates…

“It is clear that Hunter Biden was selling access and influence. It appears that Joe Biden was aware of that effort. That is very serious. If these emails are false, this is a major story. If they are true, this is a major scandal…”

The selective and hypocritical reporting of America’s mainstream media is stunning…

Another Witch Hunt?

The Associated Press wrote on July 2:

“Companies give perks to their employees all the time. Many top executives at Fortune 500 companies have access to a corporate jet for personal use, a company apartment, or an expense account for fancy meals. Even lower-level employees regularly get access to perks like tuition reimbursement or cash to join a gym. But the extravagant perks prosecutors say the Trump Organization lavished onto its CFO Allen Weisselberg — apartments, cars, cash for holiday tips, tuition for his grandchildren to name a few — are well beyond the level of compensating a valued employee, some tax law experts said…

“Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump and his allies have tried to frame the indictment against Weisselberg and the Trump Organization as a ‘witch hunt’ by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both Democrats. They have said the perks involved were standard for successful American companies…

“The indictment alleges that this wasn’t just a matter of Weisselberg failing to report his pay properly. It says the Trump Organization, as a company,  was complicit…. But that doesn’t mean the allegations, which will require proof of willfulness, will be easy to establish in court. ‘That’s really going to be the burden that the DA’s office is going to have to prove is that there was a scheme here, and that it wasn’t just a series of mistakes or misunderstandings,’ [one tax expert said].”

In addition, clients have a reasonable expectation that their accountants advise them properly and keep suitable accounting records. To construe criminal liability in the case at issue sounds extremely far-fetched.

US Supreme Court Refuses to Hear LGBT Case

RT wrote on July 2:

“The US Supreme Court has passed on hearing a case that would have settled whether businesses are entitled to refuse services for same-sex marriages on religious or free speech grounds. Declining to consider the appeal brought by a Washington state florist, the Supreme Court on Friday deferred to earlier state court rulings on the case.

“In 2013, Barronelle Stutzman refused to provide flowers for the same-sex wedding of two male customers because it violated her ‘relationship with Jesus Christ.’ The couple took her to court over the matter, and state judges ruled that she had broken a law prohibiting businesses from discriminating against people due to their sexual orientation. The Washington Supreme Court backed that decision…

“Prior to the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the case, Stutzman’s lawyers argued that ‘these First Amendment violations must stop’ and that the justices should rule that ‘religious people should be free to live out their beliefs.’”

Passing the buck to somewhat liberal Washington state courts, as the US Supreme Court did, does not help to establish the law.

Trump Sues Big Tech in Class Action Lawsuits

Newsmax reported on July 7:

“Former President Donald Trump has announced class-action lawsuits against tech giants Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube parent company Google, over their ‘unlawful’ censorship of him and other conservatives, after the social media giants banned him from posting in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol…

“The actions are being supported by the America First Policy Institute, headed by former Trump officials Linda McMahon and Brooke Rollins… Trump is banned from Twitter and will not be eligible to return to Facebook for two more years…

“But even before Jan. 6, Trump took aim at Dorsey and Zuckerberg, along with Big Tech, signing an executive order meant to limit legal protections that shield social media companies from liability for the content users post on their platforms [and from banning or censoring users]. President Joe Biden revoked Trump’s order in May…”

The New York Post added on July 7:

“[Trump said:] ‘We’re asking the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida to order an immediate halt to stop social media companies’ illegal and shameful censorship of the American people.’… Trump accused the big tech companies of violating Americans’ First Amendment rights by selectively censoring information… Trump added that he’s asking the court to impose punitive damages against the companies… [and] that the team is looking to reform Section 230 [of the Communications Decency Act], which legally protects social media companies from content their users post and how they moderate their platforms…

“Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.)… and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) have both introduced legislation in Congress aimed at reeling in the power of big tech companies. Members of both political parties in Congress historically supported reforms to laws governing Big Tech firms such as Amazon, Google, Facebook and Twitter. For example, both President Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) backed repeal of Section 230…”

Haitian President Jovenel Moise Assassinated

Deutsche Welle  wrote on July 7:

“The president of Haiti, Jovenel Moise, 53, was shot and killed in his private residence, the interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph announced… [He] has called a state of siege in Haiti and closed the international airport… ‘The president was assassinated at his home by foreigners who spoke English and Spanish,’ Joseph told AFP, labeling the assassination a ‘hateful, inhumane and barbaric act.’…

“The Dominican Republic announced it was closing the border that it shares with Haiti on the island Hispaniola… The US Embassy announced it would be closed Wednesday due to the deteriorated security situation in Haiti…

“The President of Colombia called the murder a ‘cowardly act’… British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted that he was ‘shocked and saddened by the death of President Moise. He called the murder ‘an abhorrent act’…  Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez appealed for Haiti’s ‘political unity to get out of this terrible trauma that the country is going through.’ Finally, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen wished Haiti’s first lady [who was also injured in the attack]  ‘a prompt recovery’. As Haiti is one of the few countries that recognizes Taiwan separate from China, he added that his island nation stood ‘together with our ally Haiti in this difficult time.’”

Sanctioning Lebanon?

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 2:

“Lebanon continues to unravel as its economic and political crisis worsens. The country has not had a government for almost a year now and its economy is in the process of collapsing after decades of mismanagement and corruption… It is estimated that almost half of all Lebanese now live below the poverty line thanks to the ongoing crisis…  around 77% of Lebanese households don’t have enough food or enough money to buy food…

“Most Lebanese blame their leaders for the crisis. After the end of Lebanon’s almost 15-year-long civil war in 1990, peace negotiations divided power between 18 religious sects there. The peace deal effectively set the stage for decades of corruption and the resulting near-collapse of the Lebanese banking system.

“… the German Embassy in Lebanon confirmed that the EU was looking into sanctions against Lebanese leaders. France had already taken some steps unilaterally and began blocking visas for some Lebanese officials in April this year.

“‘I think European governments feel pretty desperate and there’s a lot of frustration,’ Julien Barnes-Dacey, head of  the Middle East and North Africa program at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said. ‘But I don’t think the question is really one of whether [imposing sanctions] is tough enough, it’s a question of whether they will be effective.’…

“Joseph Bahout, the director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs based at the American University of Beirut, agreed… As an example, he cited the French ban on visas. ‘They [the members of the Lebanese elite] usually have two or three passports and they just enter Europe through another country, like Italy,’ Bahout noted. ‘Then we see pictures of them shopping in Paris or Nice.’

“Imposing sanctions could also be dangerous, added Shahin Vallee, head of the geo-economics program at the German Council on Foreign Relations… ‘either you sanction all Lebanese politicians as a block or you do targeted sanctions,’ he said. ‘But then you could create an imbalance in the political system. Sanctions could backfire.’ ‘In choosing politician X over politician Y, the EU would be setting some against others,’ Bahout agreed.”

It seems that in this world, there is nothing but political problems without any tangible and lasting solutions.

Russians and Ukrainians One People

JTA wrote on July 1:

“Vladimir Putin… suggested that Israel offered a good model for his designs on Ukraine…

“Essentially he suggested that Slavic peoples take a cue from Israelis and unite as one people despite different ethnicities, origins and maternal languages… adding that Ukrainians and Russians ‘are generally one people.’…”

And that “one people” will combine their efforts to fight against continental Europe.

Putin’s Ridiculous Attempts to Rewrite History

Daily Mail wrote on July 2:

“Vladimir Putin has made it illegal to compare the Soviets to the Nazis… [His] uncompromising view whitewashes Stalin’s tyranny, his early alliance with Hitler in carving up Poland and the genocidal terror of the Great Purge.

“Putin signed the bill last night which bans the publication of material which draws parallels between the ‘aims and decisions’ of the Soviets and the Third Reich, and anything which denies the Red Army’s ‘decisive role’ in defeating Hitler…

“The claim is bound to infuriate former Soviet states like Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which say they were occupied by the Red Army and forced to join the Soviet Union.”

Putin’s persecution of those who want to tell the truth and his attempts to rewrite history are not only ridiculous, but they are also extremely dangerous. Note the next two sections.

Stalin and Hitler both Responsible

In a related article, Daily Mail wrote:

“In August 1939, Hitler and Stalin signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, agreeing on Soviet and German spheres of influence across Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland… After Hitler invaded Poland on September 1 the Soviets moved in from the east, seizing great tracts of territory agreed upon in a secret clause. Poland was crushed between the vice of Moscow and Berlin. More than three million people perished in Nazi-occupied Poland and an estimated 500,000 in the Soviet occupied part. Stalin also annexed eastern Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and parts of Romania; he also attacked Finland and extorted territorial concessions.

“Over the next two years the Soviet Union and Germany signed economic pacts, with Moscow supplying raw materials to the German war machine including 865,000 tonnes of oil and 1.5 million tonnes of grain. In exchange, Berlin shipped locomotives, turbines, generators, diesel engines and vital military intelligence to Moscow. Stalin received plans for naval cruisers, destroyers, heavy naval guns and samples of the Nazi’s latest warplanes, including Messerschmitt fighters and Junkers ‘fast bombers.’…

“The talks eventually collapsed because of the intransigence of Hitler and Stalin over access to territories including Finland, as well as Bulgaria and Yugoslavia. Hitler remarked to his top brass that Stalin ‘demands more and more’, ‘he’s a cold-blooded blackmailer’ and ‘a German victory has become unbearable for Russia’ so that ‘she must be brought to her knees as soon as possible.’ Hitler attacked the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, tearing up existing treaties, in an attempt to conquer Communism… The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, founded after the Cold War to help keep peace in Europe, has said the Soviet Union was equally responsible for WWII, which claimed 50 million lives…”

Please view our recent StandingWatch program, “Germany’s Invasion of the Soviet Union… but let’s stick to the Truth!”

Hitler’s and Stalin’s Atrocities

Daily Mail also published this related article:

“Stalin’s Great Purge, taking place from 1937 – 1938 is estimated to have killed between 600,000 to 1.2 million. Political opponents and ethnic minorities were summarily executed, while others were sent to gulags where they died in horrendous captivity in Siberia… some historians have put the total as high as 6 to 10 million, this being across his entire despotic tenure from 1922 to 1953…

“The Holocaust was Hitler’s systematic murder of six million Jewish men, women and children, around two thirds of Europe’s Jewish population…

“The Holodomor, or the Hunger, was [Stalin’s] mass starvation of an estimated 3.5 million in Soviet Ukraine from 1932 to 1933. When famine struck across the Soviet Union that year, the Ukraine was pillaged by the army and secret police who stole the harvest and all the food in villagers’ homes. Ukrainians dropped dead in the streets, lay dying and rotting in their houses, and some women became so desperate for food that they ate their own children…

“The Nazi Hunger Plan was devised to steal food from the Soviet Union and give it to soldiers and civilians to continue fuelling the German war effort… Historian Timothy Snyder estimates that ‘4.2 million Soviet citizens (largely Russians, Belarusians, and Ukrainians) [were] starved by the German occupiers in 1941–1944.’

“Between 1929 and the year of Stalin’s death in 1953, 18million men and women were transported to Soviet slave labour camps in Siberia and other outposts of the Red empire – many of them never to return. Prisoners worked in the most extreme climates, facing temperatures of -20C (-4F)… By the time the last Soviet gulag closed its gates, millions had died. Starvation was not uncommon, as prisoners were barely fed enough to sustain such difficult labour. Other prisoners were simply dragged out to the woods and shot by guards…

“From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps across occupied Europe. The camps were run exclusively by the SS… The first camps were filled with many of Hitler’s political opponents… Many were killed in gas chambers, others died of starvation, in extreme working conditions, while others were killed by firing squad and by hanging…”

This is so terrible, showing the cruelty of man.

Another Russian Cyber Attack

The Sun wrote on July 5:

“RUSSIAN hackers REvil have demanded a $70 million ransom in Bitcoin for a decryption key, after a cyberattack that targeted 1,000 US firms. The breach, which is the largest ransomware attack on record, has reportedly hit the IT systems of up to 1 million companies across the globe, by breaching the systems of US-based software firm Kaseya…

“The demand was posted on a blog typically used by the REvil cybercrime gang – a group with links to Russia, that is considered to be among the cybercriminal world’s most prolific extortionists…

“US President Joe Biden was on Saturday branded ‘weak’ against Vladimir Putin, after hundreds of US companies were hit by the breach. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tweeted on the weekend: ‘Remember when President Biden gave Putin a list of things that were supposed to be off-limits for cyber attacks? What he SHOULD have said is that ALL American targets are off-limits.’…”

Of course, Putin denies all responsibility, and Biden’s demands of just keeping some American firms off limits did not help one bit.

Military Action against Cyber Attackers?

CPO Magazine wrote on July 5:

“NATO’s proposed response [to cyber-attacks] could involve military action against perpetrators… EU NATO members could turn to the alliance to address specific security incidents originating from specific countries such as Russia and China.”

Before military action is employed, one would need to know where the perpetrators are located. It appears that at this point, NATO has no clue.

Dr. Merlone Speaks out against COVID Vaccinations for Young Adults and Children

Life Site News wrote on June 30:

“As many colleges throughout the nation mandate students to be injected with experimental COVID-19 gene-therapy vaccinations… the inventor of the mRNA technology behind at least two of the vaccines said a risk-benefit analysis doesn’t justify the jabs for young adults, and certainly not for those under 18 years of age.

“Dr. Robert Malone, who was a guest on Tucker Carlson Tonight last week, recently had his voice suppressed on YouTube discussing these topics, though, as Carlson asserted, he ‘may be the single most qualified person on planet earth to discuss this subject,’ and thus, ‘we think he has a right to speak.’

“The physician’s primary concern is that there is still insufficient data for anyone, including the young, to be able to exercise sufficient informed consent regarding the reception of these experimental biological agents. ‘[O]ne of my concerns is that the government is not being transparent with us about what [the] risks are,’ he said. ‘I know that there are risks. But we don’t have access to the data and the data haven’t been captured rigorously enough so that we can accurately assess those risks. And therefore, for folks like your audience, you, and me, we don’t really have the information that we need to make a reasonable decision.’

“‘[Therefore], I am of the opinion that people have the right to decide whether to accept vaccines or not, especially since these are experimental vaccines,’ Malone said, affirming the fact that the vaccines are not FDA-approved, but only authorized for emergency use…

“When asked by the Fox News host if the benefits of the injections outweigh the risks, Malone said that in the case of younger Americans, ‘I have a bias that the benefits probably don’t outweigh the risks in that cohort… I can say that the risk-benefit ratio for those 18 and below doesn’t justify vaccines…’

“While many young people are essentially required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the fall in order to attend school, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) best estimate is that those under 20 years of age have a 99.997 percent survival rate if infected with COVID-19.

“Further, CDC data released last Friday reveals reports of 387,087 total adverse events in the United States following injections of experimental COVID-19 gene therapy vaccines, including 6,113 deaths and 31,240 serious injuries, between Dec. 14, 2020, and June 18, 2021.”

But the mass media and certain physicians and governments are vigorously promoting vaccinations for young people, while suppressing those with different opinions and attacking those who refuse to get vaccinated.

Healthy 13-year old Boy Dies of Apparent Complications from Covid Vaccine

Detroit Free Press wrote on July 5:

“The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating the case of a 13-year-old Saginaw County boy who died in his sleep three days after getting his second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in mid-June… The boy… lived in Zilwaukee and had just completed eighth grade when he got his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine June 13 at a Walgreens store, said… his aunt… [He] had no known underlying medical conditions. He complained of common post-vaccine symptoms, she said, in the two days between his immunization and death, which included fatigue and fever…

“The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices found that among adolescents and young adults who got the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, there appears to be an association with… cases of myocarditis and pericarditis. Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle that can affect heart rhythm and its ability to pump. Pericarditis is inflammation of the sac or pericardium around the heart.

“… complications have been reported at a rate of 12.6 per million among people ages 12-39 within 21 days after a second dose of the vaccine… Some cases have been reported after the first vaccine dose as well.”

These are terribly frightening figures.

The Unvaccinated Under Attack

CNN wrote on July 3:

“Unvaccinated people do more than merely risk their own health. They’re also a risk to everyone if they become infected with coronavirus, infectious disease specialists say. That’s because the only source of new coronavirus variants is the body of an infected person…

“‘Unvaccinated people are potential variant factories,’ Dr. William Schaffner… told CNN Friday. ‘The more unvaccinated people there are, the more opportunities for the virus to multiply,’ Schaffner said… it has to replicate to do that. An unvaccinated person provides that opportunity.”

In addition, Dr. Fauci claimed that over 99% of those who died of Covid in June [he alleged that 10,000 died of Covid in June] were unvaccinated. And so, let the witch hunt against unvaccinated people begin!!! Note the next article.

Mandatory Vaccinations

Medical Press wrote on July 5:

“A growing number of countries and territories around the world are forcing people… to be vaccinated against COVID-19… In the Vatican, the world’s smallest state, vaccinations were made obligatory for residents and workers in February, with those refusing liable to be sacked…

“Several countries or territories have imposed vaccinations on certain sections of the population. Italian doctors and health workers in the public and private sector must get vaccinated or face being banned from working directly with patients…

“On June 16 the British government announced all care home staff in England will need to be fully vaccinated. If approved by parliament, the new legislation means anyone working in a care home must have two doses of a vaccine from October unless they have a medical exemption…

“Some 60 percent of all service industry workers in Moscow—just over two million people—were ordered to be fully vaccinated by August 15… other localities have taken similar measures, including… Saint Petersburg…

“The city of San Francisco… will require all municipal employees to be vaccinated or they could face penalties up to and including dismissal… More than 150 employees at the Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas have already been fired or resigned after failing to comply with orders to get a shot…

“[France] is working on a draft law to force health workers to be jabbed…”

Worldwide totalitarian dictatorships and liberty-depriving measures are on the rise as NEVER before. Please view our recent News and Prophecy program from June 26, titled, “The World’s March towards Totalitarianism.” 

Merkel’s Last Official Visit to UK

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 2:

“Angela Merkel has said she will [be] taking a ‘step by step’ approach to the new relationship with the United Kingdom after Brexit. The German leader was also non-committal when asked if UK prime ministers could be invited to European Union summits as an attempt to repair ties in the post-Brexit era…

“Chancellor Merkel has said she expects travel between Germany and the United Kingdom to be made easier soon. ‘I assume that in the foreseeable future, those who have been vaccinated twice will be able to travel again without having to go into quarantine,’ Merkel told the press conference that followed her talks with Johnson. Germany currently requires travelers from the UK to undergo a 14-day quarantine period…

“Chancellor Merkel said she and Johnson had discussed the Northern Ireland Protocol and that pragmatic solutions were needed… Prime Minister Johnson said there remained a lot of issues to resolve with regard to Northern Ireland.”

These vague assumptions and assurances by Merkel are unfortunately all too common. Let us pray for GOD’s intervention—in spite of what men and women might want to do.

Get Rid of the Travel Ban!

The Hill wrote on July 5:

“The Biden administration is coming under pressure to ease travel bans for international tourists… critics say the administration needs to move faster, slamming travel bans as unrelated to the spread of COVID-19 and raising concern about the loss of revenue from international business travel, summer vacations and foreign students trying to arrive before the fall semester.

“The administration’s travel bans are ‘frozen in time,’ said Steve Shur, president of the Travel Technology Association, a trade organization that partners with online travel agents, airlines and hotels…

“Travel into the U.S. from abroad is largely shut down, with exceptions for American citizens returning from abroad, family members of U.S. citizens and individuals from exempted groups such as international students. The U.S.-entry bans target travelers from China, Iran, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil and South Africa. In April, President Biden banned travel from India…

“But experts say picking and choosing countries based off of COVID-19 infections is arbitrary because the disease, including the… delta variant, is already entrenched in the U.S….

“While the U.S. has working groups with the E.U., Mexico, Canada and U.K. about safely reopening travel, hopes for a planned U.S. and U.K. travel corridor for the summer appear to be shelved… ‘The Biden administration is in no hurry … and the chances of anything happening before August now seem to be zilch,’ a person familiar with the U.K. discussions told the Financial Times last week. Advocates for the travel industry are deeply frustrated…”

It is amazing how unrealistically the US government is dealing or not dealing with urgent matters.

Slovenia—Thorn in Brussel’s Side

Express wrote on July 3:

“Slovenia’s increasingly strained relations with Brussels will undoubtedly be underscored for the next six months as Prime Minister Janez Jansa prepares to be a thorn in Brussels’ side during his presidency of the EU. The Slovenian leader has been in charge of the rotating EU presidency for just three days and he already lashed out at the EU’s treatment of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

“Mr Jansa said on Friday that the Hungarian leader must be allowed to express his ideas about the European Union’s future, warning that the bloc would ‘continue to shrink’ if people are excluded from the debate. His comments were a further sign of a growing alliance between the nationalist leaders of Slovenia, Hungary and Poland that is worrying more liberal countries in the EU.

“Mr Orban faced criticism at an EU summit last week over a Hungarian law banning schools from using materials seen as promoting homosexuality, with French President Emmanuel Macron referring to a fundamental ‘East-West divide’… In western capitals, the increasingly assertive coalition of eastern leaders is being watched with concern. Some academics believe an ‘Eastern European Union’ is emerging…”

RT added on July 4:

“Sandwiched between Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia, Slovenia is a tiny country of 2.1 million people. However, for the next six months, it will set the agenda of the European Council… [Prime Minister] Jansa… proclaimed that Slovenia is not ‘a colony’ of the EU to be dictated to…”

This is an interesting development as according to biblical prophecy, ten core nations or groups of nations will develop from the current EU, consisting of 27 member states.

Orban and the Colonial European Empire

Express wrote in a related article on July 3:

“Hungarian… Prime Minister Viktor Orban… has rejected criticism from the EU of a law against the portrayal of homosexuality, saying it was the behaviour of colonisers. Mr Orban said: ‘They want to tell us how to live our lives and how to behave.’ According to the law passed in June, minors in Hungary are no longer allowed to have access to information about homosexuality, transsexuality and gender reassignment. Only depictions of heterosexual lifestyles are permitted in curricula, films and advertisements that are accessible to people under the age of 18…

“Seventeen EU countries have requested that Hungary be brought before the European Court of Justice because of the law… The Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte suggested that Mr Orban should decide whether Hungary wants to adhere to the EU’s fundamental values or leave the Union. ‘This is a colonial approach,’ Mr Orban told public radio on Friday…

“Several leading European newspapers have refused to run a paid advertisement signed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, saying they do not want to give space to a politician they accuse of subverting human rights and press freedom. The one-page ad says that Brussels is building a ‘super-state,’ denounces what it calls the ‘European Empire’, calls for the strengthening of national parliaments and stands up against closer European integration.”

The Times of Malta; the Belgian newspaper De Standaard and the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter refused to run the ad, in addition to two other newspapers in Belgium, La Libre Belgique and De Morgen. It was printed by newspapers Le Figaro in France, ABC in Spain, Jyllands-Posten in Denmark and Mlada fronta Dnes in the Czech Republic.

Trigger Warnings for Certain Topics in Class at British University

Daily Mail wrote on July 5:

“Fury has erupted after University of Reading lecturers were told to issue trigger warnings to students if classes contain ‘distressing’ content… But critics slammed the move saying that Britain’s universities are descending into ‘an educational Dark Age’…

“The full list of topics that will lead to a ‘trigger’ warning at the University of Reading [includes:]

“Sexual Assault; Abuse; Child abuse/paedophilia/;Incest; Animal cruelty or animal death; Dissection; Self-harm and suicide; Eating disorders and body hatred; Violence; Pornographic content; Kidnapping and abduction; Death or dying; Pregnancy/Childbirth; Miscarriages/Abortion; Blood; Mental illness and ableism; Racism and racial slurs; Sexism and misogyny; Classism; Hateful language directed at religious groups (e.g., Islamophobia, antisemitism); Transphobia and trans misogyny; Homophobia and heterosexism.”

While some of the topics, if discussed improperly, are indeed sensitive, to include other topics in the trigger warning system is plainly ridiculous and uncalled for. In addition, it is not clear as to why there should be a trigger warning in the first place when classes discuss certain topics. Why would doing so be distressing per se?

Creation of Pig-Human Hybrid Organ?

The Jerusalem Post wrote on July 4:

“A team of Israeli researchers have developed a hybrid organ – an organ from a pig with ‘human’ blood vessels – that they believe could help alleviate the shortage of transplant organs. There have been many attempts to implant animal organs in humans but this has largely been unsuccessful, mostly due to acute rejections, explained Dr. Shahar Cohen of Beilinson Hospital, whose team developed the hybrid organ.

“The main trigger of an organ rejection is the internal lining of its blood vessels, he said. This coating is the point of contact between the transplanted organ and the recipient’s body. ‘We looked for a way to produce an alternative coating that does not cause rejection,’ Cohen told The Jerusalem Post… Cohen’s team removed the coating from the pigs’ blood vessels and replaced it with a more ‘friendly’ coating to the human immune system that was engineered in the laboratory from human placenta cells, which, as far as is known, do not trigger rejection…

“‘We remove the pig’s internal layer of blood vessels and replace it with a “human layer,” thereby humanizing the blood vessels of the organ and generating a hybrid organ – a pig organ with humanized blood vessels. This is the way to surmount the barrier to pig organs in humans.’ He said the team chose to use placenta cells because the placenta is the ‘ideal organ that connects two human beings and plays a key role in maintaining the connection between mother and fetus.’… Next, he said, the researchers plan to perform their first hybrid organ transplants in animals and in about five years Cohen hopes that the first human transplant can be performed…”

Where will it end?

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.

Have you ever thought about what was a prophet? Why did God provide them? What was their job? How much do we know about them? How much success did they have? We intend to expand our view of a prophet from what is traditionally thought.

There were many prophets mentioned in the Bible, from possibly the first one mentioned in the book of Genesis, namely Enoch, although he was not specifically named as a prophet. We do not find this out about him until we read the book of Jude in verse 14: “Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints…’” The first person actually named by God as a prophet was Abraham (Genesis 20:7). The last person specifically identified and named as a prophet, Agabus, is mentioned in Acts 21:10-11. He prophesied that the Jews would bind Paul and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

So, what was a prophet? Sometimes they went by the name seer which appears to be an older word for prophet. 1 Samuel 9:9 says: “(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he spoke thus: ‘Come, let us go to the seer’; for he who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.).” In this instance Samuel admitted he was the seer that Saul was looking for (1 Samuel 9:19). However, earlier in 1 Samuel 3:20, we find that Samuel was also called a prophet of the LORD.

According to Strong’s concordance, the Hebrew word for prophet means an inspired man – one that prophesies. The Hebrew word for seer can mean one who sees visions which is appropriate for a prophet. The Greek word for prophet means a foreteller of events or an inspired speaker. So, the Hebrew and Greek terms are quite similar.

Unfortunately, there is no glossary in the back of the Bible to look up what God meant by prophet. So, the only way we can find what a prophet is, is to see from examples what these men and women did as prophets and prophetesses.

Was a prophet an old man with a beard and a staff, similar to Moses in the film “The Ten Commandments”, going around foretelling the future, or was there more to a prophet? In fact, Moses certainly was a prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15), as was his brother Aaron (Exodus 7:1), and his sister Miriam was a prophetess (Exodus 15:20), and they would have all been eighty years or older at the time of the beginning of the exodus. We know this because Moses was the youngest of the three, and he was eighty years old at the time (Exodus 7:7).

Actually, a prophet could be of varied age. Some began as a prophet when they were young like Samuel (1 Samuel, chapter 3) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5-10). Some worked for fifty or sixty years prophesying. Others may only have had one event recorded in the Bible and were never mentioned again. Some were not even named. They also were from various tribes. Ezekiel and Jeremiah were priests from the tribe of Levi whereas Samuel was a judge from the tribe of Ephraim, and David, the king, was from the tribe of Judah. (Acts 2:29-30 informs us that David was a prophet.) Amos was a sheep breeder and tender of sycamore fruit (Amos 7:14). Daniel was a Jewish captive in a high government position in Babylon. So, God chose whomever He wanted to be a prophet, regardless of tribe, profession or age—whomever was appropriate for the task at hand.

There were also four prophetesses named: Miriam; Deborah who was also a judge (Judges 4:4); Huldah (2 Chronicles 34:22); and Anna of the tribe of Asher (Luke 2:36). There was also one unnamed prophetess, the wife of Isaiah (Isaiah 8:3). So, God, at times, chose women for the role. For some reason Josiah sent Hilkiah, the father of Jeremiah, and others to the prophetess Huldah rather than to Jeremiah for instruction after finding the book of the law. At that time, Jeremiah had been a prophet for at least five years.

A good biblical definition of a prophet is God’s spokesman. A prophet conveys God’s messages according to God’s purposes at the time. Some prophecies could be very limited and short term. Jonah’s prophecy simply stated: “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4). Other prophecies could be very long term, e.g. considering Daniel, Isaiah and others. Some of their prophecies are still to be fulfilled. A prophet fulfilled an appointed called office, with the calling coming directly from God. Anybody who appoints himself to the office of prophet who has not been called by God to that position would be a false prophet.

A prophet is often thought of as somebody who gives predictive prophecy. In actual fact, that was not the main job of most prophets. Moses did give predictive prophecies (Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, for example). However, his job was mainly to lead the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt. There were many different types of prophets. However, they were all zealous for everything of God, if they were true prophets.

What did they do during their life? Noah was a preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2:5). That makes him God’s spokesman and therefore he could be considered a prophet. He preached for around seventy-five years while building the ark, but how many people listened to him and believed God? Possibly Shem and maybe Japheth believed him. This was not a good result for all that preaching as we would count results. And yet, God used him as a witness, not to convert people.

Samuel fulfilled the role of both a prophet and a judge. He anointed Saul and David as kings. Therefore, he effectively had a governmental position. As a young boy, he was to tell Eli of his judgement by God, even though he did so hesitantly (1 Samuel 3:11-18). As an older man, he rebuked Saul for his sins.

David as king had what appears to be official government positions under him, being the prophet Nathan and the seer Gad (2 Chronicles 29:25). Both of these men had to have courage to tell the king he was wrong, especially in that day when the king had the power of life and death over his subjects. Nathan told him how he had sinned in his affair with Bathsheba and Gad told him of his sin in numbering Israel. Both of these prophets wrote books (1 Chronicles 29:29), but God did not preserve them as a part of Scripture.

What was God’s requirement for a prophet? He was to be a witness for God. He had to be courageous. He had to speak out powerfully, and some of the prophets who did so were martyred, so it was not a job that was desirable from a physical point of view. They rebuked kings and leaders and some suffered physically. Elijah was threatened with his life by Jezebel after he had executed the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 19:2).

A prophet was not primarily a predictive preacher. He was mainly a preacher of righteousness. Any appointed office he had was coincidental to his role as a prophet. Most did not do miracles, although Moses and Aaron did some to show Pharaoh who God was working through. Most did not explain dreams for the future, except for Daniel and, for instance, Joseph, Jacob’s son, even though the Bible does not expressly say that Joseph was a prophet.

Prophets came to be more general teachers of the people, like John the Baptist (Matthew 11:13). He prepared the people for the coming of Jesus Christ, who, of course, was also called a prophet by Moses. In Matthew 21:11 we read that the multitude said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

As an example, let us look at the writer of the longest book in the Bible as we now have it, Jeremiah (while counting Hebrew rather than English words). He ministered for over forty years. He produced the books of Jeremiah and Lamentations. In forty years, he wrote 57 chapters. But apart from his writings, he had a very full life.

According to history, after the Babylonian captivity occurred, Jeremiah was given his freedom and ended up in Ireland with the king’s daughters. This is not mentioned in the Bible. But what is mentioned is that he delivered many prophecies from God, contended against false prophets, was put in prison and in a dungeon where he sank into the mud. Attempts were made to kill him. He was kidnapped and taken to Egypt. His life was not plain sailing but was full of activity, and not necessarily pleasant. After being released from prison, he went right back to preaching righteousness. He never gave up because of fear for his life, even though he had his moments of despair and discouragement, as did Elijah. Of course, he had the promise from God in Jeremiah 1:8 that God would deliver him and that he should not be afraid.

Ninety percent of the lives of the prophets was not recorded. Predictive prophecies were only a minor part of their job. Their main job was instructing the people and their leaders how to live. Considering Isaiah, he wrote a book of sixty-six chapters with much prophesying of the future, but in his over sixty years of being a prophet, he engaged in many other activities, only some of which we can read about.

In actual fact, God intended the job of teaching righteousness to be that of the Aaronic priesthood (Leviticus 10:10-11). But often times, they were not righteous. As mentioned above, Samuel told Eli of God’s judgement upon him especially because he did not restrain his vile sons. Later, the prophet Malachi rebuked the priests for despising God’s name (Malachi 1:6-8).

Actually, there was one prophet who had a great response from his preaching. When Jonah preached in Nineveh, the whole city believed God and fasted. Even the farm animals were made to fast (Jonah 3:5-9). This was a result that Jonah had hoped would not happen.

We know only what God wants us to know about them, with a little extra from history. But a lot of what they did day to day was not recorded. We know very little about most of their lives. However, there is mention of groups of sons of the prophets at Bethel and Jericho associated with Elijah and Elisha, but the relationship is not fully clear whether it was educational or something else.

The true prophets of God were very successful as God counts success. As we count it, some could be considered failures, but God’s requirements were to preach His message, and as they did that faithfully, they were totally successful.

Prophets and the prophetic office are mentioned in the New Testament, but as far as we are aware, there have been no men or women in the position of prophets in our time. When God has need of them in the future, He is well able to provide them. After all, we read in Ephesians 4:11-12 that Jesus Christ gave to His Church “some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…”  We also know that in the future, two Witnesses will prophesy for 3 ½ years (Revelation 11:3-6).

Much, if not most, of the Bible was written by prophets, beginning with Moses and ending with Malachi in the Old Testament. Interestingly, in the New Testament, we are informed in Acts 13:1: “Now in the Church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.” Saul, who later was named Paul, had been teaching powerfully in the synagogues, so he fulfilled the role of a teacher, but he is also referred to as a prophet in the above-quoted Scripture. When we look at his writings, he made many prophetic statements, so he also fulfilled the role of a prophet as well as an apostle. This means that at least fourteen books in the New Testament were written by a prophet. We would also assume that the apostle John was a prophet, even though he is not expressly identified as such. Still, he wrote the book of Revelation and he was commanded to prophesy about many peoples and kings (Revelation 10:8-11). We do not read about any prophetess since the beginning of the New Testament church, even though some women “prophesied” or spoke under inspiration.

To those of us who have access to the Hebrew Bible, they may notice that in the original order of the Old Testament books, the book of Daniel is not included in the section of the prophets but in the section of the writings.  This is believed to be because all the other prophets worked among the tribes of Israel and Judah and prophesied mainly (but of course not exclusively) to and about them. However, Daniel’s prophecies are mainly about Gentile nations and kings, only occasionally mentioning Israelite people as the activities of the Gentiles would impact upon them. There is another major difference. In most of the other prophetic books and historical books, the expressions “Thus says the LORD” and “The word of the LORD came to me” are used very frequently. They are used when God is announcing something. However, they are never used in the book of Daniel except once in reference to Jeremiah. This shows a considerable difference between Daniel and the other prophetic books, even though the book of Daniel is very clearly a prophetic book, which has to be read together with the prophetic book of Revelation.

So, to answer the question, what was the role of a prophet? Their roles were many and varied. God raised them up to fulfill His purpose at certain times—mostly to correct the leaders and the people when they were straying from God’s Way of Life. They were also used to prophesy future events, often as warnings of what would happen to nations and people when they displeased God. Finally, they wrote much of God’s revelation to man to be recorded forever.

For further information, please read our Q&A, “Are there any true prophets in God’s Church today?”

Lead Writer: Paul Niehoff (Australia)

compiled by Dave Harris

Our annual Church Conference (July 18-19, 2021) will be conducted via SKYPE and will include participants from Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.

“The Divided EU—East vs. West?” is the title of our newest StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link.  Here is a summary:

How divided is the EU? Why are especially Western European nations concerned about a fundamental “East-West divide”? Could the developments pertaining to Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and other Eastern European nations have anything to do with biblical end-time prophecies in the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation?

“What’s behind the Indictment against the Trump Organization and its CFO?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

When reading reports from the left-liberal and the conservative press, you are getting quite a different perspective as to what is happening regarding the indictment of the Trump Organization and its CFO, Allen Weisselberg. This is also true for the alleged motives of the prosecution and the nature of the charges. Some say that “any political motivation in getting to former President Donald Trump might backfire and have the opposite result.”

“Verhärte Dein Herz nicht,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Don’t Harden Your Heart.”

“Der Weg eines Kriegers,” is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Christian Mrosek. Title in English: “The Way of a Warrior.”

“A Confused World in Denial—Comments on News and Prophecy, July 3, 2021,” the first message presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We point out the fight between many Western and Eastern European nations over “core values,” especially involving Germany, France, Hungary and Poland; the fact that the USA did not win a major war since World War II and won’t do so prior to Christ’s return; the Pope’s attack on “false preachers”; the indictment of the Trump organization and emails pertaining to Hunter Biden, directly contradicting President Biden; Hitler’s and Stalin’s atrocities and shared responsibilities for World War II; Angela Merkel’s last official visit to the UK; lockdowns in Australia; and Dr. Robert Malone’s and many other doctors’ concerns regarding coronavirus shots. We also speak on missed opportunities in our Christian lives and godly education in the World to Come.

“With Liberty and Justice For All,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The United States was founded on the idea that there would be liberty and justice for all.

As we near the time of Christ’s return, we find ourselves living in a world that is increasingly unfair and unjust. Will we ever live to see a time where there is true liberty and justice for everyone? Can it happen in this world?

We will observe the Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day for 2021, in Rapid City, South Dakota, and near Düsseldorf, Germany.  If you would like more information, check out our websites: https://www.eternalgod.org/feasts/  ; https://www.ewigengottes.de/wir-uber-uns/laubhuttenfest-2021/