On October 24, 2020, Norbert Link will present “Comments on News and Prophecy (October 24, 2020),” and Kalon Mitchell will present the sermon, titled, “Are You A Soldier?”

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.

Members of the Church of God just returned from celebrating God’s commanded Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day at the place which God had chosen, reminding them, among many other things, that they are strangers and pilgrims on this earth; that their true citizenship is in heaven; and that they are waiting for a better homeland or country to be established here on earth—the peaceful and glorious Kingdom and Government of God,  which will rule all men with peace, justice and LOVE.

And still, all of us live right now in a particular country ruled by man. In the USA, the fight for the presidency is in full gear, and the candidates assure us that they love their country, and that its citizens should and must do so as well.  However, “loving our country” means different things to different people.  Depending on their political affiliation and human philosophy, it may mean following the leader without question or reservation, as long as their leader belongs to their party; and it may mean opposing him in every conceivable way if he belongs to the opposite party.  It may mean to some engaging in peaceful or violent demonstrations in an attempt to correct the perceived wrong, while others may support police brutality or injustice in order to correct the perceived wrong… arguing likewise that the desired end result justifies the means.

What does it mean to true Christians to love their human country… the country in which they live? How can true Christians be true patriots… or can they?

What it most assuredly does not mean is to be a nationalist—a person who “loves” his country “uber alles”; who looks exclusively to his country’s benefit while wanting to harm or destroy other countries. But there is a huge difference between being a nationalist and being a patriot. In fact, nationalism is an ungodly perversion of patriotism.  A true patriot—someone who loves his country with God-pleasing love—is someone who wants the best for his country–as well as for other countries. He is to love his neighbor as himself… or in our context, he loves his country as much as he loves other countries. He will not engage in warfare for his country to fight other countries. Loving his country excludes fighting in war, and God curses those who delight in war.

Loving our country means that we do not overlook or justify sin. God tells us what sin is… it is the transgression of His holy and righteous law. His law can be summarized with the word “love”—love for our God and love for our neighbor… for all men in whatever country they may live. The Ten Commandments tell us further how to love God and man, and God’s statutes and judgments explain in more detail how to apply the Ten Commandments in certain circumstances.

We must love God more than any man or any country. And loving man does not mean, loving his sinful ways which are opposed to the love of God. As ambassadors of Christ, we have an obligation to stand up for the Truth.  God’s Church today has the responsibility to show the people their sins… in the hope that they repent and change their ways; knowing that otherwise, they and their country will be destroyed. To shrink away from such duty only shows that we do not love God, our neighbor and our country—that we are indeed not true patriots.

Let us take our commission seriously. Let us show the right kind of love towards others, because the time of worldwide war and destruction is near. Political speeches and promises, even if they are meant seriously, will not help us if we continue to live in sin. God compares the USA today with ancient Sodom, but the USA is by no means worse than any other country. The whole world is in the hands of Satan, the power of wickedness and darkness, and every country is alienated from God. God undoubtedly blessed the USA once, as well as the UK, Canada, Australia and other English-speaking nations— fulfilling thereby His unconditional promise to Abraham to do so—but He also said that He would remove His blessings, if those nations would descend into sin, which they have done. To point this out with force and power does not mean that we do not love our country… just the opposite is true. We want to see peace, prosperity, righteousness and love in every country, but we do not see that, because the entire world is spiritually “sick,” having turned their back on God with willful ignorance and having been kidnapped and held captive by Satan to do his will.

And so, we cry over the abominations happening around us, separating ourselves from this world’s Babylon of confusion, and praying to God to hasten Christ’s return to establish the Kingdom of God here on earth. That is HOW we love our country, knowing that only God’s government can and will bring peace, happiness, prosperity and LOVE to this world.

by Norbert Link

We begin with articles about Biden and Trump in light of the upcoming presidential election in November [please note our new StandingWatch program, “How to Love our Country”], while pointing out that, focusing on the (prophesied) bad relationship between America and Europe, it does not really matter who will win. We also speak on controversial coronavirus treatments and the attempts (and set-backs) to develop a coronavirus vaccine.

We then focus on the last stage of Brexit negotiations which seem to point at a no-deal outcome which would be devastating for the UK.

We address systematic and ongoing attempts to silence those who dare to voice disagreement with the official mass media’s approach and unsubstantiated reports on coronavirus, and we speak on the rise of anti-Semitism in connection with the coronavirus pandemic.  We also quote articles questioning the usefulness of wearing masks and a reversal of the WHO’s recommendation regarding lockdowns.

We speak on California’s demise and the volatile situation in the Middle East, involving Israel and strong voices advocating the building of the third Temple on the Temple Mount.

We address the shaky political situation in Germany and Angela Merkel’s irrelevant and at the same time dubious role; the rise in popularity of Germany’s ambitious health minister Jens Spahn and his grab for power; and European imperialism with the threat of war; and we conclude with Germany’s military ambitions and the concern of nuclear war with Russia.

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

Joe Biden… a Warmonger?

The Ron Paul Institute republished on October 16 an article by the Strategic Culture Foundation:

“The United States approaches the November 2020 election with growing apprehension, even dread.

“Among the possibilities: Protracted uncertainty about the presidential contest… A disputed outcome, perhaps with Donald Trump and Joe Biden both claiming victory… Violent civil conflict… A color revolution style regime change operation… perhaps culminating in a military coup to remove Trump… and install Biden in the Oval Office…

“For those who have followed events outside the United States during the past few decades, much of this sounds familiar… Once a country gets broken it tends to stay broken… once regime change occurs and corruption is rampant, another shoe drops: foreign vultures descend on the carcass, profiteers who in many cases are the very same people that helped to create the chaos on which they are cashing in…

“As a Senator in the 1990s, Joe Biden was one of the most militant advocates of US military action against Serbs during the breakup of the Yugoslav federation, first in Croatia (1991-95), then in Bosnia (1992-95), and then in Serbia’s province of Kosovo (1998- 1999)… Biden continually called for the US to bomb, bomb, bomb bomb the Serbs while… [he] pushed successfully for sending weapons to the Islamist regime in Bosnia…

“… if Joe Biden takes the helm, we can anticipate a bevy of globalist warmonger appointees that make Trump’s team look like disciples of Mahatma Gandhi… It’s a recipe for wars, regime changes, and color revolutions galore…”

Most predict that Biden will win. We disagree. Trump will stay in power.

Pat Robertson’s False “Predictions”

The Hill wrote on October 20:

“Televangelist Pat Robertson said on Tuesday that God told him President Trump will win, and more than five years later an asteroid will hit Earth and ‘maybe’ bring ‘the end.’… The 90-year-old forecasted disaster for the country and the world after the election, including civil unrest, at least two attempts on Trump’s life and a war against Israel that will be ‘put down by God.’

“Then, the world will see ‘at least five years or more of extraordinary peace’ before the asteroid. ‘What I think very frankly is the only thing that will fulfill the word of Jesus … is some kind of asteroid strike on the globe,’ he said. ‘It’s sudden destruction. It’s not going to be some nuclear war. We’re not going to be allowed to blow this earth up.’

“Following a description of the asteroid’s damage, Robertson said ‘then, maybe the end’ would come next.

“The televangelist had made similar predictions in the past, saying in 1976 the world would end in 1982. His 1990 book ‘The New Millennium’ anticipated the end of time on April 29, 2007…”

We wonder how God “told” him. His “predictions” have not been that accurate, to say the least, and even though we believe too that Trump will stay in power–and we have said this LONG BEFORE Robertson ever announced his “revelation”–there WILL BE a nuclear war between the USA and Europe, starting the Great Tribulation.  Israel will also be defeated by European armies. Asteroids –“stars falling down from heaven” – will strike this planet, but they are not the main cause for its destruction.  AND, there will be absolutely NO five years or more of “extraordinary PEACE” prior to Christ’s return. In fact, Christ said that if those days would not be shortened, “no flesh” would be saved alive.

 “Trump or Biden, the U.S. and Europe Will Split”

 The Washington Post wrote on October 9:

“Slowly but surely, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge keeps pushing the North American and European plates apart, at the rate of about an inch a year. Something similar is happening in geopolitical tectonics. One generation ago the U.S. was western Europe’s indispensable ally. Today… it often looks more like Europe’s ‘foe’ (Trump’s word) than friend. That’s why Europeans, too, are waiting with bated breath for the U.S. presidential election next month. If Trump wins, the transatlantic rift will make another audible crack. If Joe Biden wins, the loudest sound will be the popping of champagne corks. But before long, Europeans will have to admit that the gradual estrangement continues no matter who’s in the White House.

“Transatlantic relations started fraying long before Trump. They almost snapped during the administration of George W. Bush, before Barack Obama restored them a bit. Even that was largely cosmetic. It was Obama, with Biden as vice president, who announced America’s strategic ‘pivot’ to Asia, giving a name to a secular shift in orientation from the Atlantic to the Pacific. And previous U.S. presidents were already complaining — albeit politely — that the Europeans, and above all the Germans, were spending too little on their own armies to be dependable NATO allies, and free-riding on a global commercial system chaperoned by the U.S.

“Trump simply blew the diplomatic sheen and subtlety off these disputes. Like no U.S. president since World War II, he shows disdain for European leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel…  According to John Bolton, a former national security adviser, the president might quit the alliance in a second term, just as he has walked out of the Paris Agreement on climate change, the World Health Organization and other multilateral forums…

“Biden… won’t invest in transatlantic defense, either. That’s because every military dollar spent in Europe is one that’s unavailable in Asia. Meanwhile, existing tensions wouldn’t disappear. Like his predecessor, Biden would try to stop a gas pipeline being built from Russia to Germany. He would keep leaning on the Germans and others to boost military spending. He would also insist that they actually use their armies in missions where the U.S. no longer sees its own interests at stake — in the eastern Mediterranean, perhaps, or Africa.

“Above all, any president will expect America’s allies to stand with the U.S. against China. So the more the EU pursues its vague notion of ‘European sovereignty,’ the less valuable for America it becomes. A Europe equidistant between East and West is of little interest to the U.S…”

The deterioration between the USA and Europe is unstoppable.

Trump Attacks Biden

Bloomberg wrote on October 17:

“President Donald Trump called on Friday night for Joe Biden and his family to be jailed… ‘We’ve learned over the last couple of months: Joe Biden is a corrupt politician,’ Trump said to his supporters, ‘and the Biden family is a criminal enterprise.’

“Trump frequently demanded that his 2016 Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, be incarcerated over her use of a private email server as secretary of state. It was believed to be the first time he has ever used that sort of attack against the Bidens. The FBI declined in 2016 to recommend charges against Clinton…

“Trailing behind Biden in most opinion polls with the election less than three weeks away, Trump has zeroed in on a New York Post report from earlier this week that highlights documents purporting to show the business dealings of Joe Biden’s son Hunter in Ukraine and China. The Post article… alleged that Hunter Biden introduced a Ukrainian businessman to his father, who has said he’s never talked with his son about his international business dealings…

“The laptop’s hard drive was given to Trump ally Steve Bannon, who gave it to Rudy Giuliani’s lawyer, Robert Costello. Giuliani, the former New York mayor and Trump’s lawyer, gave it to the Post…”

The Daily Mail added on October 17:

“Biden has finally been asked about reports about his son Hunter’s foreign dealings, and responded by saying he had ‘no response’ and furiously slamming the [CBS News] reporter [Bo Erickson] who quizzed him… ‘I know you’d ask it,’ Biden replied heatedly, wearing two masks. ‘I have no response, it’s another smear campaign, right up your alley, those are the questions you always ask.’ … On Thursday night, ABC News host George Stephanopoulos, a former Democratic advisor, sparked controversy when he declined to ask about Hunter’s emails during a 90-minute town hall.”

Quite often, where there is smoke, there is fire…

Piers Morgan Attacks Facebook, Twitter, and the Mass Media over the newest Biden Scandal

On October 19, Daily Mail published the following article by Piers Morgan:

“Four days ago, the New York Post published a bombshell report raising serious new questions about presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter’s relationship with Ukranian energy company Burisma. The story, which made startling and apparently damning reading was based on a cache of emails and photos allegedly retrieved from Hunter Biden’s laptop that he had left at a Delaware computer store… the response from Joe Biden so far has done nothing to make me think [the story is] false. Crucially, there has been no denial of the fact that these emails are genuine.

“And if they are, then they raise important questions. The potentially most explosive part of the story is a 2015 email supposedly sent by a top Burisma adviser, Vadym Pozharskyi, thanking Hunter for giving him the chance to meet his dad Joe while he was Vice-President… This is significant because Joe Biden has always vehemently denied ever even speaking to his son about ‘his overseas business dealings.’

“Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates responded to the Post allegation by saying: ‘We have reviewed Joe Biden’s official schedules from the time and no meeting, as alleged by the New York Post, ever took place.’…  this sounds to me like a very narrow form of wording designed to allow some wriggle room should proof of such a meeting emerge.

“In another email to Hunter Biden sent by a business consultant in 2017, reference is made to ‘the big guy’ who would receive 10% of equity from a deal with a Chinese equity firm. Others on the email chain have told Fox News that ‘the big guy’ is Joe Biden… the Biden’s camp statement was also very revealing for what it didn’t say: i.e. that the emails are fake, or that ‘the big guy’ isn’t Joe Biden. Without any such denials, we’re inevitably led to the conclusion that they may be real, and if they’re real, then how does Joe Biden explain them without confirming he has misled the American people about his involvement with Hunter’s inarguably dodgy dealings with foreign national firms in Ukraine and China?…

“… the response to [the story] from liberal-dominated mainstream and social media firms has been staggering, terrifying and disgraceful. Just hours after the Post story appeared, Facebook announced it would be limiting its spread on the social media platform while it used independent fact-checkers to verify the paper’s allegations. Even more extraordinarily, Twitter than summarily banned anyone from posting a link to the story, including the New York Post itself. By taking these unprecedented actions, the tech firms were effectively abandoning any pretence at protecting free speech or the First Amendment…

“They were soon joined by the mainstream media who seem way more interested in knocking down the story and unmasking a conspiracy to smear Biden than investigating whether it’s true… US mainstream and social media companies have reacted to this story in an outrageously partisan and deeply sinister manner that is diametrically opposed to how they would have reacted if the name ‘Biden’ was swapped for ‘Trump.’ Shame on all of them….”

Fox News added on October 18:

“The flagging or removal of tweets or other social media posts has taken on a heightened level of scrutiny from conservatives since both Twitter and Facebook last week took actions to halt a New York Post article centered around Hunter Biden – with GOP lawmakers in both the House and Senate decrying the move as censorship and calling on both companies to explain themselves before Congress.”

Breitbart added on October 19:

“Five days after the New York Post published a bombshell story about Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, and the family’s alleged ties to Burisma, the Post remains blacklisted from Twitter for sharing the story. The newspaper has refused to delete its tweets linking to the stories, and Twitter has refused to relent on the Post‘s suspension, despite CEO Jack Dorsey admitting that blocking links on the platform is wrong.”

Free Speech in the USA… gone! Political dictatorship rules the media.

Trump’s Coronavirus Treatment

Deutsche Welle wrote on October 9:

“US President Donald Trump has been treated with an anti-COVID-19 drug developed with cells derived from fetal tissue. He called it a God-given miracle cure, but what will his anti-abortion supporters think?… Given the fierce resistance of the Trump administration to research involving fetal tissue, it seems extremely hypocritical that the US leader, who has widespread support from anti-abortion campaigners, has lauded REGN-COV2 as a heavenly gift…

“Just last year, Trump cut federal funding for national research efforts into HIV and cancer treatments based on fetal tissue… In January, Trump spoke at the 47th March for Life, a Washington anti-abortion rally. There, he told activists ‘unborn children have never had a stronger defender in the White House’ and that ‘every child is a precious and sacred gift from God.’

“REGN-COV2 is not manufactured in human cells, but in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The effectiveness of the antibodies it contains, however, was tested on cells derived from kidney tissue taken from an abortion carried out in the Netherlands in the 1970s. This cell line, known as 293T, has been used in various research labs around the world. REGN-COV2 made use of these cells to produce so-called virus pseudoparticles: virus-like structures that contain the ‘spike’ protein of the deadly coronavirus. Only in this way was it possible to ascertain how effective the antibodies were against the virus…

“The heated debate surrounding REGN-COV2 has once again put the spotlight on an important area of medical research that often uses cells originally derived from aborted fetuses, including during the development of vaccines. Regeneron has not denied using 293T, yet argues that the cells should not be considered ‘human’ tissue as they were grown in a lab… ‘”

Trump later said that he did not know what the doctors gave him…

Sharks to the Rescue for Coronavirus Vaccine?

Sky News wrote on September 28:

“Half a million sharks could be killed for their natural oil to produce coronavirus vaccines… One ingredient used in some COVID-19 vaccine candidates is squalene, a natural oil made in the liver of sharks… British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline currently uses shark squalene in flu vaccines. The company said it would manufacture a billion doses of this adjuvant for potential use in coronavirus vaccines in May.

“Around 3,000 sharks are needed to extract one tonne of squalene… If two doses are needed to immunise the global population, which is likely according to researchers, this would increase to half a million… Stefanie Brendl, founder and executive director of Shark Allies, said: ‘Harvesting something from a wild animal is never going to be sustainable, especially if it’s a top predator that doesn’t reproduce in huge numbers…

“According to estimates made by conservationists, around three million sharks are killed every year for squalene, which is also used in cosmetics and machine oil….”

Sick!

Johnson & Johnson Pauses Covid-19 Vaccine Trial after ‘Unexplained Illness’”

CNN Health wrote on October 13:

“Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson said Monday it has paused the advanced clinical trial of its experimental coronavirus vaccine because of an unexplained illness in one of the volunteers… ‘Adverse events — illnesses, accidents, etc. — even those that are serious, are an expected part of any clinical study, especially large studies.’…

“This is the second Phase 3 coronavirus vaccine trial to be paused in the US.  AstraZeneca’s vaccine trial was paused last month because of a neurological complication in a volunteer in Britain. While the trial resumed there and in other countries, it remains paused in the United States while the US Food and Drug Administration investigates…

“Johnson’s Phase 3 trial started in September. It’s one of six coronavirus vaccines being tested in the US, and one of four in the most advanced, Phase 3 stage…”

Safety is a big concern when a vaccine is finally available.

Britain’s Economic Pain

CNN Business wrote on October 16:

“The British economy has been pummeled by the pandemic. Now, with talks on a new trade deal with the European Union at risk of collapse, Johnson has to decide: Does he try to find common ground with Europe, or walk away? Britain already faces a tough 2021 as the country battles the twin shocks of coronavirus and Brexit. But failing to secure an agreement with the United Kingdom’s biggest export market would amplify the pain.

“Walking away empty-handed — which Johnson threatened to do on Friday — would create disruptions to trade when the transition period ends later this year, shaving more than $25 billion off the UK economy in 2021… That would put the country even further behind on its efforts to recover from the historic shock triggered by the pandemic…”

Britain’s economic downfall has been preordained.

“A Looming Disaster: Brexit Threatens to Become the Messiest of Messy Divorces”

Der Spiegel wrote on October 13:

“Essentially, the only choice now remaining is between an ugly divorce and an extremely ugly divorce… Significant damage has already been done. Since the British voted by a razor-thin margin to leave the European Union four years ago, trade between the UK and the EU has plunged. Prior to the Brexit vote, Britain was Germany’s third-largest export market, but it has since dropped to fifth place. At the same time, British exports to the Continent have sunk by 17 percent in just the first seven months of this year relative to the same time period one year ago…

“Should there be no deal… the government could be faced with having to send soldiers into the streets to maintain order, while the Navy would be sent out to prevent French fishing boats from encroaching on British waters. Because medications could get stuck at the border… there would be a danger of animal diseases spreading through the countryside. Across the country, one in 20 town halls could go broke, leaving millions of people without necessary financial support….

“Thus far, 5,000 officials have handled 50 million customs documents a year… After Brexit, there will be an increase of around 220 million declarations, meaning that the customs office would require tens of thousands of additional agents… Many EU haulers… could completely eliminate Britain from their schedules…”

This does not sound good for Britain. God is in the process of punishing Britain for their many sins.

Macron’s Threats

Express wrote on October 18:

“Emmanuel Macron reacted furiously to Boris Johnson’s claims that trade talks are ‘over’ between the UK and EU. Mr Macron has played hardball in the talks on fisheries, insisting on Thursday that French fishermen would ‘not be sacrificed’ for the sake of a deal. However, if the UK leaves the EU without a deal then French fishermen could face being banned from British waters.

“In response, the French President has signalled the EU would launch a devastating energy embargo against the UK unless Boris Johnson gives in on fisheries. Following the EU summit in Brussels on Friday, Mr Macron told French radio that if the UK does not allow French fishermen in its waters, the EU would have to block the UK’s energy supplies to the European market. He suggested the right to fish in British waters was worth 650 million euros to EU fishermen, but that access to European energy markets was worth up to £2.3billion (€2.5bn) to the UK.”

YouTube Issues Warning to Ron Paul Institute

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on September 26:

“YouTube… inexplicably removed our Ron Paul Liberty Report from 23 September, titled ‘Covid Whistleblowers Expose Narrative As ‘Total Fraud,'” and officially delivered a ‘warning’ to the Ron Paul Liberty Report You Tube channel. They claimed in the notice that the program… violated their ‘community guidelines’ regarding ‘spam, deceptive practices, and scams.’

“We are in danger of having our entire channel removed if we continue in these prohibited activities, they warned…

“Dr. Paul sent an appeal asking for specific clarification as to what in the program violated their ‘community standards.’… YouTube [answered that they] simply do not allow ‘content that explicitly disputes the efficacy of the World Health Organization’– a United Nations bureaucratic body that has absolutely no idea what to do about the Covid health problem. One week you must wear masks, the next week you don’t need them, etc. But don’t dare criticize them… the World Health Organization is not even led by a doctor, but by a violent Ethiopian communist politician…

“It seems bizarre in what so many love to claim is the ‘freest country on earth’… that anyone challenging the prevailing mainstream media/US government narrative on Covid… must be silenced…”

And this in the land of the free?

Silencing a Minnesota Priest

Star Tribune wrote on September 25:

“Twin Cities priest… Robert Altier had delivered a 20-minute sermon Sept. 6, claiming COVID-19 was concocted in laboratories in the United States and China and that it was a ‘lie’ that tens of thousands of people are dying from it… Archbishop Bernard Hebda announced that he had spoken with Altier and told him such issues were not appropriate for a sermon…

“Altier had argued that the virus was made in a lab, that a 2020 global pandemic preparation exercise revealed previous knowledge of the virus, that masks caused bacterial infections and that death figures were grossly inflated… The sermon, entitled ‘The Coronavirus: the Truth Revealed,’ has been pulled from the website of Altier’s church, the Church of St. Raphael in Crystal… Altier is a priest well-known among conservative Catholics…”

Some of his comments might be controversial or even far-fetched… others would not be… But still, he is not allowed to say these things in the Catholic Church? Sadly, this ungodly approach is even taken by some Sabbath-keeping Church of God organizations.

Pope for Same-Sex Civil Unions

The Guardian wrote on October 21:

“Pope Francis has given his most explicit support to same-sex civil unions in a move that is likely to further enrage his conservative opponents in the Catholic church… He said: ‘Homosexual people have a right to be in a family. They are children of God and have a right to a family… What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered. I stood up for that.’…

“James Martin, a prominent Jesuit who has argued that the church should be more welcoming to LGBT people, wrote on Twitter: ‘Pope Francis’s support for same-sex civil unions is a major step forward in the church’s support of LGBTQ people. It is in keeping with his pastoral approach to LGBT people, including LGBT Catholics, and sends a strong signal to countries where the church has opposed such laws.’

“A spokesperson for António Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations and a devout Catholic, said the pope’s comments were ‘a very positive move’…

“According to traditional church teaching, marriage can only be between a man and a woman, and the church has opposed legal recognition of same-sex unions. In 2003, a Vatican document set out why it was ‘necessary to oppose legal recognition of homosexual unions’ because they ‘obscure certain basic moral values and cause a devaluation of the institution of marriage’. Pope Francis’s conservative opponents have been infuriated by statements that they regard as part of an effort to shift the church towards progressive values. Some have publicly attacked him, even accusing him of heresy.”

The Bible is clear that homosexual conduct is sinful.

Cuomo’s Anti-Semitic Attack on Religious Freedom

The Jerusalem Post wrote on October 16:

“Catholics and Jews asked U.S. courts on Thursday to overturn New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s order limiting worship to no more than 10 congregants in communities hard hit by the coronavirus, calling the measure a threat to religious freedom… In a 33-page complaint, laced with historical references to persecution, three Orthodox Jewish congregations told a U.S. District Court in Manhattan that Cuomo had outlawed ‘all but the most minimal communal religious worship.’…

“In the Catholic case, Bishop Raymond Chappetto… said weekly Mass was obligatory for Catholics and it was ‘absolutely essential’ that they be there in person.”

Israel 365 News added on October 14:

“Cuomo threatened to close synagogues. He did not threaten to close mosques. Nor did he display any pictures of mass Muslim religious gatherings. Instead, he found a photo of a Jewish funeral from 2006 to suggest that Jews were spreading the coronavirus… The differing treatment meted out to Orthodox Jewish and Shi’ite Muslim religious gatherings is a troubling demonstration of how anti-Semitism is baked into the intersectionality of the left.”

In an almost conspiratorial fashion, the German government is contemplating limiting worship services to 10 people in attendance. It is also considering passing a law which would grant ambitious Health Minister Jens Spahn [who has now been allegedly tested positive for the coronavirus and went into strict isolation] unlimited sole autocratic powers to fight the coronavirus. Merkel also appealed to Germans to stay at home, if possible.

Jews Blamed for Coronavirus

Israel 365 News wrote on October 13:

“ABC News published an article on a forecast by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report was dire but even more shocking was the illustrative image which prominently featured Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jews, implying that Jews, more than any other group, are responsible for the continuing pandemic… No studies have linked the spread of the coronavirus to Jewish communities nor have there been any studies showing that Jews, secular or religious, are especially hard-hit by the pandemic…

“There are many historical precedents for blaming Jews for pandemics but the worst case took place during the global Black Death pandemic in the 14^th Century. During the Black Death in Europe from 1348 to 1351, Jews were blamed for the pandemic that killed over 100 million people, nearly half the population of Europe. This led to countless pogroms and at least 510 Jewish communities were destroyed in this period. In many cities, the civil authorities either did little to protect the Jewish communities or actually abetted the rioters. The pogroms motivated by the plague continued until 20 years after the plague disappeared.  These accusations were revived at the outbreak of the current pandemic by private citizens as well as governments.”

The truth is that the pandemic started in China and was exported from there into all the world. President Trump stated recently that the USA will not forget what China did to it.

“Masks Don’t Stop Coronavirus—’End the Lies’”

Israel 365 News wrote on October 17:

“In a growing sentiment against the use of masks, Dr Vladamir (Zev) Zelenko, the Ultra-orthodox Jewish physician who was famous for publicizing the use of Hydroxchloroquine against covid, now says that face masks are useless against the spread of coronavirus.

“In a tweet on Monday, the New York based doctor took to twitter exposing the truth about masks saying: ‘The government is trying to shut our mouths and cover our faces with masks. No basis in science. Covid-19 is around 0.1 microns. Masks block particles of more than 0.4 microns. In other words, masks don’t stop covid. End the tyranny and lies.’

“He then cited a study demonstrating the uselessness of masks blasting those who refuse to review the science and data recorded in the publication. [He] is in the midst of planning a class action lawsuit against Twitter for censoring his account…”

More and more studies have proven the utter uselessness and even danger of wearing masks.

Twitter Removes “Politically Incorrect” Statement on Masks

Fox News wrote on October 18:

“Twitter removed a tweet from top White House coronavirus adviser Dr. Scott Atlas for questioning the effectiveness of masks in combatting COVID-19. Atlas’ tweet read ‘Masks work? NO’ and preceded several others that questioned the use of face coverings in preventing the spread of the coronavirus… In a statement to the Hill, Twitter said the doctor’s tweet ‘was in violation of our COVID-19 Misleading Information Policy’ that ‘prohibits sharing false or misleading content related to COVID-19 which could lead to harm.’

“… The removal of Atlas’ tweet is the latest in a series of actions the company has taken to either remove or flag posts by members of the Trump administration, including the president himself, that it says are misleading or false when it comes to issues ranging from the coronavirus pandemic to the upcoming presidential election.

“Twitter’s removal of Atlas’ tweet is also not the first time the medical professional has run afoul of big tech. In September, a video of Atlas questioning the need for universal social distancing measures was removed from YouTube for violating community standards.

“Atlas, who supports a full reopening of the economy, filmed an in-depth interview with the Hoover Institution where he discussed the possibility of allowing natural immunities to control the virus. Atlas lashed out at the massive video platform during an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson – saying that YouTube was ‘censoring science.’ ‘It’s a disaster,’ Atlas said. ‘We’ve already seen the near obstruction of journalism. When you start censoring science you are removing fact, removing the basic way that we decide what is truth [and] what is not. This has been done I think historically in various countries and you know, we are sort of teetering on the edge of what is done in third world countries — the countries we used to be proudly distinguished from,’ Atlas said….”

Incredible, and this kind of censorship is very dangerous and mind-controlling… bordering on brainwashing gullible people.

And now… WHO AGAINST Lockdowns

BGR wrote on October 11:

“As recently as July, the World Health Organization was still scaring people around the world… by saying that ‘total lockdown’ might be needed to nip the COVID-19 pandemic in the bud in some places…

“The WHO was warning countries at that point that they should only very ‘slowly’ come out of any coronavirus lockdown they’d imposed, and that every nation around the world needed to answer the ‘fundamental question’ for itself as to when and how (and whether) there might be a need for another future lockdown period…

“[The WHO’s] new position on lockdowns as a means of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic is quite different — and will come as cold comfort to anyone who was lucky enough to have avoided the virus but whose life has been wrecked by the ensuing lockdowns and their follow-on effects. Not only is the WHO now sounding a warning about the negative effects associated with too-harsh lockdowns, which have wrecked businesses and livelihoods in countless cities, states, and countries — but a WHO official in a new interview is actively recommending against them.

“Dr. David Nabarro, a ‘special envoy’ of the WHO’s director-general, said in an interview with the British magazine The Spectator that restrictions like lockdowns should really only be a last resort — if even that… ‘Too many restrictions damage people’s livelihoods and provoke resentment…’

“One of the only things these coronavirus lockdowns are really good at, Nabarro told The Spectator, is ‘making poor people an awful lot poorer.’ It may even be that we see a doubling of world poverty next year, he lamented.”

But through unconscionable recommendations by the WHO and the ridiculous restrictions of ignorant governmental officials, millions upon millions of lives have been destroyed. And the panic-stricken nonsense is still ongoing.

Fear vs. Faith… No Lockdown in South Dakota

Just the News wrote on September 27:

“South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has declined to lock down her state amid the coronavirus pandemic even as other government leaders around the nation issued restrictions that significantly throttled the U.S. economy. She said that she listened both to health officials and to individuals who informed her about the bounds of her gubernatorial authorities. ‘I know that when you have a leader overstep their authority in a time of crisis, that’s really when you lose this country. And I didn’t want to be guilty of doing that… So I never issued a shelter-in-place, I never closed a business. I didn’t even define an essential business … because I don’t have the authority to do that.’’

“Noem remarked that she spoke ‘with governors on conference calls all over this country about that and they had some of the same information that I had yet made completely different decisions.’ She said that she believes fear played a key role during the beginning of the pandemic, though more recently politics have been involved. During conference calls earlier during the coronavirus crisis… she found that fear was driving people’s actions… ‘I was shocked and amazed by how fear controlled people and how emotional that they were. And to me it indicated that in this country we’ve lost faith and the steadfast promise of God’s faithfulness in our life every day has real consequences. If you don’t have that in your life then your emotions and fear can control you and make you not have the discernment and the wisdom that you need in a time of crisis.’

“The South Dakota governor also said that no evidence supports the notion that severe restrictions help to protect the public health. ‘So, I know they all have the ability to say that they’re making these decisions to protect public health, but there is no science that proves that what they’re doing works,’ Noem said. ‘There is no expert that says these extreme measures that these states are taking and that the data behind it, that it is appropriate. So they are taking extremely restrictive actions to impact their people. And I’m concerned about what that does long term…’ She said that Americans must defend their religious liberty, which has been attacked amid the pandemic… ‘we have directly seen in many of these states where they have allowed other gatherings yet restricted those who want to go to church and worship together.’”

Even though there has been no lockdown in South Dakota and many restrictions are “recommended,” it was observed that fear also reigns among the people and businesses there, with some shops and restaurants mandating the wearing of masks and social distancing. Satan, the author of fear, is having a field day everywhere, and ministers and members in some Sabbath-keeping Church of God organizations are no exception.

California’s Exodus and Demise

ZeroHedge wrote on October 11:

“California may be the most populous state in the Union, but it could transform into the exodus capital of America… Growth has slowed close to zero or even declined in most coastal counties… [Studies] have found that poorer households are more likely to flee than their affluent counterparts. But considering the policing being proposed or enacted, it is safe to say that the wealthy have no reason to be some of the left-behinds…

“Newsom recently signed an executive order that phases out the sale of all gasoline-powered automobiles by 2035… the measure will certainly push consumers to switch to the heavily subsidized electric vehicle market… Newsom also endorsed a ban on petroleum fracking…  he urged the California Legislature to adopt prohibitions or restrictions on fracking. This could potentially impact the more than 360,000 people who are employed in the oil and gas sector.

“Despite being one of the wealthiest jurisdictions in the world, California is mirroring Venezuela by enduring rolling blackouts. Although local left-leaning politicians and the mainstream press will allude to the widespread wildfires as evidence of climate change, it has been years of gross negligence contributing to the disaster…

“Not only is California going through power shortages but [it is] also suffering a government-induced water shortage… residents can face fines of up to $500 per day if they take a long shower… And, worse, this is all in addition to the plethora of Coronavirus restrictions Newsom and his pals at the local level have introduced over the last six months….”

California is indeed at the brink of total destruction.

Dangerous Anti-Semitism in Germany

The Jerusalem Post wrote on October 16:

“The Jerusalem Post can report the first US government criticism of three German MPs who are involved in Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) activities targeting Israel and are on the advisory board of a group urging the destruction of Israel…

“The three allegedly pro-BDS supporters are Omid Nouripour (The Green Party), Aydan Özoguz (Social Democratic Party) and Christine Buchholz (The Left Party).”

In spite of lip services to the contrary, many Germans, including politicians, are deeply anti-Semitic.

Jihad a “Personal Obligation”

Israel 365 News wrote on October 14:

“Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Muhammad Hussein said that Islamic law obligates Muslims to ‘fight against the thieving Jews.’

“According to a report published on Monday by Palestinian Media Watch, in a Sept. 18 interview with Palestinian Authority TV, Hussein stressed that ‘if an inch of the Muslims’ lands is stolen, jihad ‎becomes a personal religious commandment for everyone.’

“The P.A. defines ‎the State of Israel as stolen Islamic land (waqf), an ‎inalienable religious endowment in Islamic law, according to PMW. Therefore, said Hussein, Shariah law prohibits Palestinians from recognizing Israel, within any borders, and commands that every Muslim has a personal duty to ‎wage war against the Jewish state until the ‘Muslim’ land is freed.”

There will never be a lasting peace agreement between Israel and many Arab states, prior to Christ’s return.

Erdogan: Jerusalem Is Our City!

Israel 365 News wrote on October 4:

“‘In this city that we had to leave in tears during the First World War, it is still possible to come across traces of the Ottoman resistance. So Jerusalem is our city, a city from us,’ Erdogan said. ‘Our first qibla [direction of prayer in Islam] [towards] al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem are the symbolic mosques of our faith…’

“The American Jewish Committee responded to Erdogan’s claim to Jerusalem noting that the Muslim occupation of Judaism’s holiest site ended with the Ottoman empire. ‘So were Cairo, Athens, Budapest, Bucharest — and many more — at the height of the Ottoman Empire,’ the AJC tweeted. ‘But this is 2020… Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.’”

According to the Bible, Turkey will participate in a cruel war against Israel and Jerusalem.

The Temple Will Be Built on the Ruins of Al-Aqsa

Israel 365 News wrote on October 11:

“Sheikh Ekrima Sa’id Sabri, the former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem appointed by Yasser Arafat and the current head of the Temple Mount Islamic council, warned that Israel has been successful in marketing the ‘Zionist narrative’ that the Al Aqsa Mosque is situated on land that was once part of the Jewish Temple… In this statement, Sabri is incorrectly using the term ‘Al Aqsa’ to refer to the entire Temple Mount rather than just the silver-domed mosque at the southern end of the Temple Mount complex… According to Sabri, this illusion was built around a false narrative that ‘Palestine’ was the land that Jews had a right to, and that the Temple will be built on the ruins of the Al-Aqsa Mosque…

“Dr. Kedar… a senior lecturer in the Department of Arabic at Bar-Ilan University, explained. ‘Jerusalem and the Temple Mount are at the epicenter of the Palestinian story. Without Jerusalem and Al Aqsa, the Palestinian issue has almost no meaning… This is why they keep repeating the allegation that the Jews have no connection to the Temple Mount or Jerusalem even though this flies in the face of all recorded history.’”

A Third Temple will be built on the Temple Mount, prior to Christ’s return.

In this context, the following was reported by Israel 365 News on September 29:

“Rabbi Yehuda Glick…  a former Member of Knesset for the Likud Party, is considering running for the position of President of Israel. The position of president is largely ceremonial, becoming significant after national elections. Presidents are elected by an absolute majority in the Knesset by secret ballot and serve a seven-year term. Any Israeli resident citizen is eligible to run for President…The current president, Reuven Rivlin, assumed office in July 2014 so it is assumed he will complete his term in the summer of 2021…

“Frequently mislabeled a religious extremist, Rabbi Glick advocates opening the Temple Mount on an equal footing to prayer by Muslims, Jews, Christians, and others. For his efforts, Rabbi Glick was awarded the 2015 Moskowitz Prize for Zionism for being ‘Active for human rights and religious freedom on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount’… In October 2014, an Arab on a motorcycle approached Rabbi Glick after he gave a speech at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem, shooting him four times at point-blank range. Rabbi Glick survived the assassination attempt, the assassin, a member of Islamic Jihad, was later killed trying to escape from police.”

Rabbi Glick is also a strong supporter of the building of the Third Temple on the Temple Mount.   

Why all of Merkel’s Partners End up Being Destroyed

The conservative paper, Die Welt, wrote on September 25:

“First, the Chancellor crushed the FDP, now the SPD… Merkel is going to have to face questions about why all her partners end up being destroyed.

“There is only one people’s party left in Germany, and that is the Union (CDU). But even the CDU, led by Merkel, and its sister party in Bavaria are pretty broken after four years of grand coalition… For the SPD it has proved disastrous… So there won’t be another grand coalition. The SPD isn’t up for it. And rightly so…

“Let us turn now to the winners: the politicians of the AfD, who will now have up to 100 members of parliament… The AfD is the classic protest party, but it is also the product of a Union that is only too happy to absorb and integrate red-green positions… That Merkel’s refugee policy was never attacked by the left-wing opposition in the Bundestag proved… disastrous…”

Merkel was also largely responsible for the downfall of former Chancellor Helmut Kohl (CDU), stabbing him in the back, as many claim. Merkel is right now nothing more than a lame duck. Some are preparing for taking her helm. At this point, according to ntv, dated October 9, Jens Spahn is the most popular candidate in Merkel’s party. He is also openly gay. In an interview with Domradio, dated October 9, he said that God made him so for a reason, and that there is no contradiction between being Catholic, conservative and gay, adding that the Catholic rituals of the “holy Roman church” give him support in his daily life. It will be interesting to see who is going to succeed Merkel, and whether he could be a candidate for the “beast” mentioned in the Book of Revelation. The time is ripe for sure.

European Imperialism Preparing for War

Newsclick wrote on October 12:

“For the ruling circles in Germany, it was Franz Josef Strauss (a right-wing politician) who formulated the position as early as the 1970s that Germany has its own military-political interests and, if necessary, should be able to conduct operations even if they do not correspond to the interests of the United States… For this scenario, Germany needs its own armed forces… Thus, Germany is seeking this alliance within Europe through building an EU army.

“A European Army has been a demand for 15 or 20 years now… PESCO, the Permanent Structured Cooperation, of which 25 of 28 countries are members, as a strategy, is …to build this army of Europeans step by step from the bottom-up with small projects. For example, common ambulance trains or joint projects in the logistics sector are being set up or certain armament projects are being pushed forward. All this is taking place within the framework of PESCO, and it is unspectacular. No one reports on a German-Hungarian ambulance train. This does not cross the threshold to get into a major daily newspaper or the television news. But it is taking place!… Countries taking part in PESCO, and that is de facto all of them, must be prepared to support the wars that will come – that’s the objective of this project. Germany is indeed the leader at PESCO… [While] PESCO – being a German project – receives some attention within the German press at least, the second European Intervention Initiative, works differently and is not reported on at all as an actual deliberate project.

“A dozen European countries are now participating, and they are not doing training like ambulance trains and joint armament projects. Instead, they orient their existing armed forces towards joint operations. What is already taking place today – such as joint situation analyses and at least thinking through joint deployment scenarios – is thus geared towards rapid joint deployment. The model for this is the war in Libya in 2011, which, with the support of the USA and the participation of other armed forces, was ultimately led primarily by France and Great Britain. And they did not set up a bilateral alliance for years to come, but quickly threw their lot together and learned how to wage war together in practice.

“European imperialism is on the march and preparing for war…”

And so it is, but the world is too blind to recognize it… ntv reported on October 13 in an article, titled “Bundeswehr Probt Atomkrieg” (“Bundeswehr rehearses Nuclear War”) that the German army is participating in at least two NATO maneuvers in Germany (called “Steadfast Noon” and “Resilient Guard”) to prepare for nuclear war. Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy are also participating.

Germany’s Military Presence in Lithuania

Modern Diplomacy wrote on October 18:

“The German Air Force is setting up a Deployable Control and Reporting Centre (DCRC) at Šiauliai Air Base, Lithuania, supplemented by additional sub-elements at Skede, Latvia and Ämari, Estonia…  Germany is Lithuania’s principal ally and a cornerstone guarantee of security and stability in Europe… Germany is also an active participant of the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic States…

“Germany is the framework nation of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group deployed for deterrence and defence purposes in Rukla since early 2017, and has the largest portion of troops there…

“Generally, the Baltic States are now on the front line of the increasing tension between NATO and the Russian Federation…  Russia might escalate the situation and even could use nuclear weapons. In addition, Ambiguous Nuclear Doctrines in NATO’s and Russia’s nuclear policies create the potential for deliberate escalation. Thus, a potential conflict between NATO and Russia could provoke not only the use of conventional weapons, but also nuclear weapons.”

Germany’s military involvement should not be underestimated, even though it is generally ignored or even ridiculed.

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.

You must be referring to the Vatican News report on August 2^nd 2020 which we quoted in our weekly Update No. 936, dated August 7, 2020. It read, under the headline, “The Pardon of Assisi”:

“Pope Francis invited everyone to receive the ‘Pardon of Assisi’, which can be obtained from the evening of 1 August until midnight on 2 August… ‘It is a plenary indulgence that may be received by partaking of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist and visiting a parish or Franciscan church, reciting the Creed, the Lord’s prayer and praying for the Pope and his intentions,’ the Pope pointed out. He recalled that the indulgence can even be obtained for a deceased person…

“The ‘Pardon of Assisi’ dates back to 1216, when Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and angels appeared before St. Francis. The apparition took place in the tiny Portiuncula, the chapel Francis had built in the Italian town of Assisi. When Jesus asked him [what] he desired for the salvation of souls, St. Francis asked for God to grant a plenary indulgence for all those who enter the chapel. The indulgence was later extended to anyone who visits a parish or Franciscan church on 1 August or 2 August.”

We should bear in mind that according to Catholic teaching, an indulgence is partial if it removes part of the temporal punishment due to sin, or plenary if it removes all punishment.  This wrong concept will be discussed in much detail later.

To respond correctly to the question in this Q&A, we do need quite a lot of background as indulgences include those who have died and are in purgatory, according to the Roman Catholic Church, and this is an extension to the belief that man has an immortal soul and the dead go to heaven or hell after death.

While this series contains much information, it is just a small sample compared to so much that is available. It also shows the people of God how blessed they are to have had their minds open to the Truth and not just an acceptance of what we are told, without biblical proof, by those in leadership positions in mainstream Christianity.

This series on indulgencies and underlying concepts is focusing on just one example to show how incredibly unbiblical certain Roman Catholic teachings are. It is so sad that millions upon millions of people believe these ideas without even realizing the absolute absurdity contained in them. Very soon, the Roman Catholic Church, which is described in the Book of Revelation as a fallen church which has rejected God’s Truth, will impose the “mark of the beast” on people readily willing to accept it. This will be the culmination of satanic blasphemy. Protestants have for a long time identified the Catholic Church as the “Babylon” of the book of Revelation, without fully realizing that they are thereby including themselves in that description, as the fallen church is depicted as the “mother church” which has “daughter churches” or “harlot daughters.”

When reading the following, those with open ears and eyes could easily become very angry at the blasphemous concepts depicted and believed in by traditional Christianity. But we must understand that ultimately, it is Satan, the god of this world and the prince of the power of the air, who has deceived the whole world and who has found an easy target in Roman Catholic and Protestant concepts which are really nothing else but pagan ideas which have been given a “Christian” mantle. We are not fighting against flesh and blood—people—but against wicked spirits in high places—the Devil and his demons.

For all text copied from Catholic websites, we will show this in italics so that it can be more easily recognisable as compared to the comments and information that we make.

On the website https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p123a12.htm, we can find the “Catechism of the Catholic Church.” In this Q&A, we will be quoting selectively the appropriate sections from this Catechism as relative to indulgences and concepts related thereto. The numbers at the beginning of each section are their own reference as are other numbers within the text. The definition of “catechism” is “a text summarizing the basic principles of a Christian denomination, usually in question-and-answer form.”

We will use the Roman Catholic “In Brief” writings from their Catechism rather than the fuller version which will still convey their understanding.

“IN BRIEF

“1051 Every man receives his eternal recompense in his immortal soul from the moment of his death in a particular judgment by Christ, the judge of the living and the dead.”

This presupposes that man has an immortal soul. In our booklet “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?,” we state the following on pages 4 and 5 under the heading “Orthodox Christianity Embraces the Idea of an Immortal Soul”:

“According to Catholic belief, the immortal soul enters a person at the time of conception, having been directly and individually created by God with free will and consciousness. The individual soul is present in its totality in each and every organ of the person. Proofs for the accuracy of the teaching of the immortality of the soul are mainly given in light of, 1) alleged appearances of dead people; 2) the universal belief in such a concept; and 3) the biblical statement [discussed herein] that ‘man cannot destroy the soul’ (Matthew 10:28). Originally, Catholics believed that the soul of a dead person enters heaven or hell immediately at the time of death—the idea of a purgatory only became dogma in A.D. 590. Most Protestant denominations, following to a large extent the lead of the Catholic Church in this regard, believe in the immortality of the soul as well.

“Orthodox Christianity adopted the concept of an immortal soul from pagan beliefs. The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology points out in its 1992 edition, on p. 1037, ‘Speculation about the soul in the subapostolic church was heavily influenced by Greek philosophy.’

“Again, quoting from Funk & Wagnall’s New Encyclopedia, Vol. 24, article on ‘Soul’: ‘The Christian doctrine of the soul has been strongly influenced by the [Greek] philosophies of Plato and Aristotle… 13th century theologian Thomas Aquinas… accepted Aristotle’s analysis of the soul and body as two conceptually distinguishable elements of a single substance.’

“One of the early proponents of the concept of the immortality of the soul was a Catholic church father by the name of Origen (c. 185–254 A.D.). Around 200 A.D. he claimed that ‘souls are immortal,’ stating at the same time that he was a ‘Platonist who believed in the immortality of the soul’ (Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. IV, pp. 314, 402).

“Further, as we point out in our free booklet, ‘Don’t Keep Christmas,’ followers of the Greek god Mythra believed in an immortal soul as well. Many of those pagan beliefs associated with Mythra were later adopted by, and absorbed into, Orthodox Christianity.”

As we explain in great detail in our booklets, and as it will be discussed later as well in this series, the concept of the immortality of the soul has no biblical foundation and became part of the body of beliefs of the Roman Catholic faith around 200 AD.

In the above-stated quote by the Roman Catholic Catechism, it is also remarked that a person will be judged by Christ in or from the moment of his death. This is erroneous as well. As true Christians, we are already being judged today (1 Peter 4:17), but we will also appear before the judgement seat of Christ at His return (2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10; Matthew 25:14-46)… not prior to that. (For more information on this, see our free booklet, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God.”) Others who have died will be judged when they are being resurrected; not at the time of their death. Death is a sleep without consciousness out of which one must be awakened. This is more fully explained below and also in our free booklets on the “Book of Revelation” and “Punishment for Sins.”

To continue with quotes from the Catholic Catechism:

“1052 We believe that the souls of all who die in Christ’s grace… are the People of God beyond death. On the day of resurrection, death will be definitively conquered, when these souls will be reunited with their bodies” (Paul VI, CPG § 28).

Quoting again from our booklet “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?,” we read that man became a living soul, showing that the human soul is not immortal. The Hebrew word for “soul,” “nephesh,” can refer to dead souls or dead people, and even to animals.  We read on page 8:

“When God created man, He created him as a lifeless or a dead person. God then breathed into man’s nostrils and man became alive. Notice how this is described in Genesis 2:7, ‘And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul [‘nephesh’].’

“When man was created, he was not yet alive, unlike the animals when they were created. Only when God breathed air into his nostrils did man become alive—he became a living soul. Before that, he was a lifeless soul.”

On page 9 we read: “The concept that persons ARE souls is expressed in many passages, when they are translated correctly. Genesis 12:5 reads, ‘And Abraham took… the souls [‘nephesh’] that they had gotten in Haran.’ Here the word ‘souls’ describes people.

“The same is expressed in Genesis 14:21, ‘And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons [lit. ‘souls’ or ‘nephesh’ in the Hebrew], and take the goods to thyself.’

“Note how Genesis 46:15–27 equates ‘souls’ with ‘persons’: ‘(15) These be the sons of Leah… with his daughter Dinah: all the souls [‘nephesh’ throughout] of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three… (18) These are the sons of Zilpah… even sixteen souls… (22) These are the sons of Rachel… all the souls were fourteen… (25) These are the sons of Bilhah… all the souls were seven. (26) All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, all the souls were threescore and six; And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.’”

Continuing with quotes from the Catholic Catechism:

“1053 We believe that the multitude of those gathered around Jesus and Mary in Paradise forms the Church of heaven, where in eternal blessedness they see God as he is and where they are also, to various degrees, associated with the holy angels in the divine governance exercised by Christ in glory, by interceding for us and helping our weakness by their fraternal concern” (Paul VI, CPG § 29).

This statement includes many errors and wrong concepts. First of all, it clearly shows that the Roman Catholic Church believes that people go to heaven after death. It also argues that the dead saints who are allegedly in heaven are interceding for the living. This last concept is clearly blasphemous. Mary is not in paradise (heaven), but she is dead and in her grave, awaiting the resurrection from the dead to eternal life at the time of Christ’s return. The idea that Mary bodily ascended to heaven is a fable derived from paganism. This is true for all the other “saints” (true Christians) who have died. They are not in heaven either, and NO ONE is interceding for the living except our only Mediator and High Priest—Jesus Christ. He is the ONLY “Man” who was resurrected by God the Father from the dead to eternal life, and it is He—and He alone—who intercedes for us. There is only ONE Mediator between God and Man—the “Man Jesus Christ” (1 Timothy 2:5).

The above-cited comment by the Catholic Catechism is a complete misunderstanding as to what happens after death.

In our Q&A, “What are the biblical proofs that we do not go to heaven when we die?”, we read the following:

“The idea that we will go to heaven after death is an entirely unbiblical concept. It is derived from paganism.

“As Lewis Brown explains in ‘This Believing World’:

“‘In very early times that idea flourished not alone among the Babylonians and Egyptians, but also among the barbaric tribes in and around Greece… these mysteries [came] down from Thrace or across the sea from Egypt and Asia Minor… they declared that for every man, no matter how poor or vicious, there was a place in heaven. All one had to do was to be “initiated” into the secrets of the cult.

“The Hebrews did not believe that we go to heaven when we die. Neither did the early Christians. But in time, the concept developed within the Roman Catholic Church that one will be saved and go to heaven when one has been baptized into the church as a little baby.

“The Bible does not teach this. Much confusion exists because many do not understand that the Bible speaks of more than one heaven.

“When the Bible speaks of ‘heaven,’ it may refer to any one of three different locations. [See https://www.globalchurchofgod.co.uk/q-a-3756/]. The first heaven is the atmosphere, surrounding the earth, where birds can fly and clouds move (Genesis 1:20; 27:28). The second heaven is the universe, with all its galaxies, suns, stars and planets (Psalm 8:3).

“It is possible for man to reach these two heavens—at least, to a limited extent. But man cannot reach the third heaven, where God dwells—where His angels live and where His throne is located. It is spiritual, not physical. Physical beings cannot enter it—except in a vision—and we won’t go there after our death, either.

“According to the biblical testimony, the only Being who entered the third heaven after death was Jesus Christ. Others saw the third heaven in a vision—such as Daniel (Daniel 7:9), Paul (2 Corinthians 12:2), Stephen (Acts 7:56) or John (Revelation 4:2), but they did not enter heaven in bodily form, or as spirit beings.

“Christ said in John 3:13 that no human being–except He Himself –has entered the third heaven. The original German Luther Bible wrote: ‘And no one goes to heaven except for the Son of Man…’

“… Most translations render the passage as, ‘No one has ascended up to heaven…’, but even then, it is at least clear that no one before Christ ever went to the third heaven. This means that contrary to popular belief, Elijah and Enoch did NOT enter God’s third heaven. [For further information, see: https://www.eternalgod.org/question-and-answer-75/; https://www.eternalgod.org/question-and-answer-85/; https://www.globalchurchofgod.co.uk/please-explain-2-corinthians-58/]

“The same must be true, then, for Abraham, the father of the faithful and a friend of God; Noah; Moses; Samuel; Job; the major and minor prophets, including Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel; as well as King David, a man after God’s own heart who will rule in the Millennium under Christ over the nations of Israel and Judah. The Bible stresses expressly that David did NOT go to heaven when he died (Acts 2:34, 29).

“The Bible compares death with a dreamless sleep without consciousness, out of which one must awake. Compare John 11:11-14; Ecclesiastes 9:5-6, 10; Psalm 6:5.

“Man is not nor does he have an immortal soul. Man IS the soul that can and will die (Ezekiel 18:4, 19-20), and that must be resurrected from the dead. In order to enter into eternal life and the Kingdom of God, man must be changed to immortality (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; Job 14:14-15; Philippians 3:20-21).

“The very fact that man is mortal and that he must be brought back to life through a resurrection from the dead PROVES that he does not go to heaven when he dies. Martin Luther asked the pertinent question, why there should be a resurrection from the dead if the dead are already living in heaven. He concluded: ‘The fact that there is a resurrection from the dead proves that man does not go to heaven when he dies.’ Sadly, today’s Lutheran Churches have totally rejected the words of their ‘founder.’

“God promised man the gift of eternal life (Titus 1:2)–here on earth (Matthew 5:5). Abraham was promised eternal life on the earth as an inheritance (Romans 4:13; Galatians 3:29). Until now, no one has inherited the promises of eternal life and rulership on the earth (Hebrews 11:13, 39-40).

“When the righteous enters into eternal life, he will reign under Christ during the Millennium. However, he will not reign from or in heaven, but he will reign ON the earth and over the earth (Revelation 5:8-10; 11:15; Daniel 2:44; 7:13-14, 21-22, 26-27).

“Christ will return to the earth—His feet will stand on that day of His appearing on the Mount of Olives—and He will sit on the throne of David… here on earth (Zechariah 14:1-2, 4, 8-9, 11, 16-19; Isaiah 9:6-7; 2:1-4; Jeremiah 23:5). We read that all nations will appear before the judgment seat of Christ… here on earth (Matthew 25:31-34; 41).

“… The biblical understanding is not complicated, but pure and simple, and very easy to comprehend: When a man dies, he is dead, but he will live again through the resurrection from the dead. Until then, he will sleep a dreamless sleep, without any consciousness. He will not go to heaven when he dies, nor will he suffer in a purgatory or ‘hell.’ Rather, he is asleep, until Christ awakens him out of his sleep. And He will, because as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all will be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22).”

(To be continued)

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

compiled by Dave Harris

PLEASE NOTE: All of our recent sermons and sermonettes have begun to be posted following the recent fall Holy Days. These postings may be found at www.eternalgod.org and https://www.ewigengottes.de/

“How to Love Our Country” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Are we to love our country in which we live… to be true patriots? If so, what does this mean exactly, and what does it not mean? Many have a wrong concept of true godly love, and this program will give you answers to many misunderstood ideas. 

A German AufPostenStehen version of this program has been produced as well, titled, “Wie wir unser Land lieben!” 

“Daran erkennen wir die Wahrheit!” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “By This We Know the Truth.”

“What Do You Have to Lose?” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The fear of loss has an undeniable effect on our behavior. When we consider how we make decisions, how much do we allow the fear of loss to direct us? When we think about God’s role in our lives, the power over the fear of loss in worldly terms fails to have an effect, freeing us up to act with boldness and courage.

“Do We See Our Calling?” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

What does it really mean to be called by God? Do we truly understand the implications of God’s calling and our responsibility to respond? How can each of us succeed in our calling to salvation in the Kingdom of God?

On September 26, 2020, Robb Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “The Fog of War,” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “I Will Never Leave You nor Forsake You.”

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.

September 28, 2020, is the Day of Atonement. We will conduct live services in the afternoon as follows:

• AFTERNOON at 12:30 pm Pacific Time—Michael Link will present the Offertory, titled, “In Times Like These,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “How the World Will Be Saved.”

The live services are available, over video and audio, at http://eternalgod.org/live-services/. Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

PLEASE NOTE: We will not publish another Update until October 23, 2020, due to our observance of the Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day. There will not be any StandingWatch programs either until the week beginning with October 18. 

How often do any of us experience feelings of great pleasure and happiness? What events in our lives lead to this kind of joy? Certainly, joy seems hard to come by in our day-to-day living. There is much that dampens or even obliterates our opportunity to live joyful lives.

Yet, joy is characteristic of God. It is part of the fruit of His Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Thus it follows that we who have God’s Spirit should also have this godly attribute. Of course, not everything we experience brings joy, but we also know with certainty that we have hope beyond our present circumstances—the promise of salvation.

Following the return of seventy disciples sent by Jesus to proclaim the gospel, they told of how even demons were subject to them. While this was important, Jesus pointed to something greater:

“‘Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven’” (Luke 10:20).

This prospect was what Jesus Himself focused on. It was what enabled Him to rise above the trials of the moment. Note:

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls” (Hebrews 12:1-3).

Jesus prayed for His disciples, asking the Father: “‘But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves’” (John 17:13). In His prayer, Jesus added: “‘I do not pray for these alone [the disciples alive at that time], but also for those who will believe in Me through their word’” (John 17:20).

And so it is that we, today, live with this same hope—the joy that is set before us!

We will once again be attending the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day festivals of God.  Indeed, we are appearing before God to, among other things, look forward to God’s glorious Kingdom being established on the earth. Consider how God wants us to celebrate this time:

“‘You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress. And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant and the Levite, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, who are within your gates’” (Deuteronomy 16:13-14).

As the Church of God has understood and practiced, we also rejoice in the Feast based on God’s instructions. We stay in temporary dwellings during this time—memorializing what Israel did when God brought them out of Egypt (Leviticus 23:42-43). We also look forward to the future time in which the modern Houses of Israel and Judah will be brought back into the land God has given to them, for they will be returning from a yet future captivity:

“And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah 35:10).

As we at times struggle to find joy in our lives, let’s look forward with great anticipation and joy to what Jesus promised: “‘Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom’” (Luke 12:32).

by Norbert Link

We begin with the “need” for a core Europe and the deteriorating relationship between Europe and the USA on many different “fronts”; the acknowledgement of the close connection between Belarus and Ukraine; and the hyperactive hurricane season in the Atlantic.

We speak on the fierce battle over the future of the US Supreme Court after the death of Justice Ginsburg on the Feast of Trumpets; and the ongoing legal and political persecution of and discrimination against California’s churches.

We report on an insane second lockdown in Israel and a contemplated insane second lockdown in the UK; ridiculous penalties for those who do not abide by the governments’ arbitrary restrictions and the manipulated panic-stricken public;  and we conclude with another reported blasphemous position of Pope Francis.

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

EU Coalitions of the Willing or Core Europe Needed

Carnegie Europe wrote on September 17:

“The EU is clearly at its strongest and most convincing and has the most global impact when the twenty-seven countries speak with one voice but also really act together. That’s the nice theory. The reality is different… EU coalitions of the willing—and decisions by qualified majority voting—are inevitable. They are also essential if Europe is to matter in this challenging post-pandemic environment and not be relegated to the role of passive bystander…

“… a second administration by U.S. President Donald Trump would definitely uproot any resemblance of U.S.-European special relationship, dismantling NATO, cozying up to Putin, pointlessly feuding with China, and pushing for a Middle East settlement with no role for EU diplomacy.”

As Trump WILL stay in office, the US-EU relationship WILL deteriorate even more… This, in turn, means that a core Europe WILL develop soon which will give its power and authority to the “beast.” Then, Europe will NOT be a passive bystander in the Middle East… just the opposite.

Europe Knows that USA Is Right, but Does not Want to Support it

 Newsmax wrote on September 20:

“Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday lamented Europe isn’t on board with the United States in its effort to stop arms sales by Iran. In an interview on Fox News… Pompeo asserted ‘they know we are right’ in wanting to extend the international arms embargo on Iran…

“‘They tell us privately we don’t want the arm sales to come back and they put it in the letter they are very concerned about these sales but they haven’t lifted a finger and done the work that needs to be done,’ he said… ‘They are still wedded to this silly nuclear deal that was signed now five years ago.’”

But the EU does not care about who is right or wrong, as long as they can oppose Trump and cowardly kneel to Iran. Note the next article.

Germany, France and UK Oppose USA

The Guardian wrote on September 20:

“European leaders have warned the US that its claim to have the authority to reimpose sweeping UN-mandated sanctions on Iran has no effect in law, setting up a major legal clash that could lead to Washington imposing sanctions on its European allies. In a joint statement on Sunday, France, Germany and the UK (E3) said any attempt by the US to impose its own sanctions on countries not complying with the reimposed UN ones was also legally void.

“On Saturday, the US moved to reinstate a range of UN sanctions against Iran, saying it had the authority to do so as an original signatory of the joint comprehensive plan of action (JCPOA), the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and other major powers. The other signatories claim the US left the JCPOA in 2018 and therefore no longer has a unilateral legal right to either declare Iran in breach of the agreement or to reimpose sanctions in the name of the UN.

“The dispute leaves the US at loggerheads with much of the world on whether UN sanctions have been reimposed. The disagreement is not just a legal wrangle since the Trump administration claims the US now has the authority to act against any country breaching the reimposed sanctions. The US also claims the scheduled lifting of the UN embargo on arms sales to Iran in October is null and void. There is also a risk that the US will claim it has a new mandate to interdict Iranian shipping, a move that could lead to a naval clash in the Gulf.”

This conflict is bound to become a major escalation between the USA and much of the world.

Controlling US Tech Giants

Business Insider wrote on September 20:

“The EU is looking to give itself sweeping new powers to crack down on US tech giants, EU commissioner Thierry Breton revealed… [saying] the new powers the EU is seeking include punitive measures such as forcing tech companies to break off and sell their European operations should their market dominance grow too large.

“Another massive penalty being considered is that the EU could boot tech firms out of the European single market altogether. Breton said these measures would only be used in extreme circumstances, but did not elaborate on what would qualify as extreme… ‘There is a feeling from end-users of these platforms that they are too big to care… We need better supervision for these big platforms…’

“Alongside these powers is a proposed rating system which would give companies scores on categories including tax compliance and how quickly they take down illegal content. The proposals have not yet been finalized, and once they’re submitted, they will have to be approved by the European Parliament and the European Council. Breton said the first draft of the new laws would be ready by the end of this year.

“Europe isn’t the only place where Silicon Valley is facing increased regulation. President Donald Trump is trying to…  weaken legal protections currently afforded to internet companies under a US law [which] protects companies from being liable for illegal content posted by users, and gives them broad powers to moderate their platforms.”

As we mentioned before, these tech giants have no constitutional mandate to protect free speech. But governmental intrusion to compel them to take down illegal content might be equally problematic, depending on how governments define “illegal” content.

Belarus and “Brotherly” Ukraine

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 17:

“Embattled Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday said troops would be pulled from the street to guard its borders with EU countries. ‘We are compelled to withdraw our troops from the streets, have half our army on guard and close our state border with the West, first of all with Lithuania and Poland,’ said Lukashenko. ‘To our greatest regret, we are compelled to strengthen our border with brotherly Ukraine.’…

“On Friday, nearly 30 countries issued a joint statement calling on Belarusian authorities to end internet blackouts…”

Still, Ukraine and Belarus will become part of or at least supporters of Russia, in opposition to the EU.

Thousands of Brits May Lose their Bank Accounts in Europe

The Guardian wrote on September 21:

“Thousands of Britons living in the EU will have their UK bank accounts closed by the end of the year because of the UK’s failure to agree [to] a post-Brexit trade deal. Lloyds, Barclays and Coutts have informed retail and business customers that they will lose their accounts before or when the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December and more banks are expected to follow suit. Lloyds Banking Group, which includes Halifax and Bank of Scotland, has contacted its 13,000 customers in the Netherlands, Slovakia, Germany, Ireland and Portugal, warning them they must make alternative arrangements as the bank is no longer allowed to offer services…

“Last week, the Dutch National Bank confirmed that UK banks will no longer be able to provide current or savings accounts to retail customers in the Netherlands.”

The separation between the EU and the UK becomes bigger.

Hyperactive Atlantic Hurricane Season

The Week wrote on September 19:

“Tropical Storm Beta formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Friday night right after Tropical Storm Wilfred and Subtropical Storm Alpha in the Atlantic, marking the first time since certainly 1953 — when storms were first named — and possibly 1893 that three new storms were named in one day. There have been 23 named storms during the 2020 hurricane season.

“Because the World Meteorological Organization skips the letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z, forecasters officially ran out of planned names for the season with Winifred, forcing them to turn to the Greek alphabet. It’s only the second time that the Atlantic hurricane season has made it through the alphabet and the earliest that has happened as well, underscoring this year’s hyperactivity. Winifred is expected to fizzle out before hitting land, Alpha is headed toward Europe, and Beta could become a Hurricane that poses a serious threat to the Texas coast.”

Newsmax wrote on September 20:

“Tropical Storm Beta on Sunday was making a slow crawl to the shores of Texas and Louisiana, casting worries about heavy rain, flooding and storm surge across the Gulf Coast. Beta was one of three named storms whirling in the Atlantic basin during an exceptionally busy hurricane season. If the system makes landfall in Texas — which forecasters predict it will sometime Monday — it would be the ninth named storm to make landfall in the continental U.S. in 2020. Colorado State hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach said that would tie a record set in 1916.”

Who can honestly deny the fact that the USA IS cursed?

Fierce Battle over US Supreme Court Looms

Reuters and The Algemeiner wrote on September 19:

“A fierce political battle was shaping up on Saturday over the future of the US Supreme Court after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, with Democrats opposing any move by President Donald Trump to nominate a replacement this late in an election year.

“Ginsburg, the senior liberal justice, died on Friday night at age 87 of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer after 27 years on the court. Her death gives Trump, who is seeking re-election on Nov. 3, a chance to expand the court’s conservative majority to 6-3 at a time of a gaping political divide in America… Supreme Court appointments require Senate confirmation, and Trump’s fellow Republicans control the chamber, holding 53 seats of the 100 seats. Democrats lack the votes to block any Trump nominee unless some Republican senators join them.

“With the assistance of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has made confirmation of Trump’s federal judicial nominees a top priority, the president potentially could announce a nominee and move rapidly through the confirmation process, which usually takes at least two months… McConnell pledged that the Senate would vote on any Trump nominee…

“Conservative activists for years have sought to get enough votes on the Supreme Court to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. During the 2016 campaign, Trump promised to appoint justices who would overturn that decision. But the court in July, even with its conservative majority, struck down a restrictive Louisiana abortion law on a 5-4 vote…”

After Jewish Justice Ginsberg’s death on the Feast of Trumpets, Trump said Republicans have the “obligation” to move forward with the selection of a new Supreme Court Justice “without delay.” Trump announced that he will nominate a woman by this weekend. After Mitt Romney announced that he will vote for the nomination, enough Republican votes in the Senate have been secured so that Trump’s victory of getting a new conservative judge is assured.

House Approves Stopgap Measure to Avoid Shutdown

The Week wrote on September 23:

“The House passed a stopgap funding bill on Tuesday with a 359-57 vote, averting a government shutdown after the budget year ends on Sept. 30. This measure, which keeps federal agencies running through Dec. 11, is expected to pass in the Senate. It includes Agriculture Department subsidies for farmers and ranchers, which was pushed by the Trump administration, as well as food aid for poor families whose children cannot get free or reduced lunches due to schools being closed, something House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) requested. In addition to keeping agencies funded, the measure also extends health programs, as well as federal flood insurance and highway and transit programs.”

Anarchist Jurisdictions in New York City, Portland and Seattle

The Daily Mail wrote on September 21:

“The Justice Department declared New York City, Portland, and Seattle as ‘anarchist jurisdictions’ that can have federal funding ripped away for failing to clamp down on violence according to its criteria. It listed the three cities as among those ‘that have permitted violence and destruction of property to persist and have refused to undertake reasonable measures to counteract criminal activity.’

“The designation comes with billions of dollars in federal funding at stake, following President Donald Trump’s order to make the designations amid violence and property damage that occurred during a summer of protests…”

Democrats cry foul, but are they blind towards what is going on in these cities under their rule?

Biden’s Incredible Screw-Ups… or Lies….

MSN wrote on September 20:

“Speaking Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia, the former vice president said 200 million people will die from the coronavirus ‘probably by the time I finish this talk.’ Either that or he said 200 million have died already from the pandemic. It is not clear exactly what he meant to say. What is clear is that Biden said the COVID-19 death toll in the United States is somewhere in the millions. It is not…

“Biden almost certainly meant to say that 200 million have died already from the coronavirus, not that 200 million likely died in the time that it took for him to deliver his address in Philadelphia. But, man alive, that is not much of a defense. Biden’s number is nowhere near close to being accurate. As of this writing, the total number of COVID-19-related deaths in the U.S. stands at 199,479… Biden is off by a magnitude of 199,800,521. Missed it by that much.

“The question now is whether Biden’s estimate is a simple screw-up or an intentional falsehood. Given how badly he botched his reading of his prepared remarks, it seems more likely the Democratic nominee merely made a mistake when he said ‘million’ instead of ‘thousand.’ After all, he did get the ‘200’ part right.

“Then again… Biden tends to overstate estimates. Badly. Biden claimed earlier this year during a visit to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, that 120 million people had died from the coronavirus. Not even close. Earlier than that, the Democratic nominee claimed 150 million Americans have been killed by gun violence since 2007. Again, that is not even close to being true. There is also the fact that Biden has a long, long history of exaggerating, embellishing, and outright lying.

“Did Biden intentionally lie Sunday? Probably not. It was probably an honest gaffe… is more likely that along with everything else he screwed up during his address, he simply bungled the COVID-19 death toll. But that is what happens when one tells as many lies as Biden has. Even honest screw-ups must be handled with suspicion.”

We know that Trump lies. We also know that Biden lies. What a choice for voters…

Nobel Peace Prize for Trump?

The Hill wrote on September 19:

“President Trump ‘has broken a 39-year streak of American presidents either starting a war or bringing the United States into an international armed conflict.’ The Norwegian official who said that, in nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, minced no words about why the president should win it.

“Trump’s Peace Prize nomination has yet again killed expertise. For decades, the self-proclaimed experts have peddled solutions that never worked. Now, while the president brokers historic peace deals in a region where 4,500 American military members died, the experts propose cancelling the Peace Prize. Instead, if the Nobel committee fails to award the Peace Prize to Trump next month, the Peace Prize will end itself. ‘For his merit,’ said the Norwegian official of Trump, ‘I think he has done more trying to create peace between nations than most other Peace Prize nominees.’

“No doubt that is true. Certainly, Trump has created more peace than 1994 winner Yasser Arafat — and more than the 2009 winner, then-President Obama, who relied heavily on foreign policy experts to downgrade America’s preeminence in world affairs.  Foreign policy experts countered former President Reagan in his fight against communism. They opposed Reagan at every turn; he ignored them and won the Cold War…

“Trump campaigned on promising to end our ‘forever’ wars… His agenda was clear. His goals were unpopular with foreign policy experts but popular with the families of our military members, not to mention with taxpayers. Why pay for no discernible progress in Iraq and Afghanistan while our own infrastructure crumbles at home?…”

Even the EU received the peace prize in 2012. This is something to contemplate…

California Discriminates against Churches

Newsmax wrote on September 20:

“Democrat leadership in California has gone so far in overreaching its ‘authority’ on pandemic restrictions, churches are forced to crusade to get their rights back… according to San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Joseph Cordileone…

“‘The government really has no authority to tell us whether or not we can worship,’ he said. ‘They have no authority to tell us whether or not we’re essential. They have no authority to tell us what forms of worship are essential and which are not… Religious freedom is a fundamental right; it’s protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. It’s not given by the First Amendment; it’s protected by the First Amendment.’

“San Francisco is not respecting the rights of its constituents, and is ‘absolutely targeting’ people of faith, he added. ‘… They are discriminating against us…’ People of faith need to rise up against the Democrat leaders doing it, he concluded. ‘I sense that people are getting really fed up…’”

There can be no doubt about this. Note the next article.

Political and Legal Persecution of California Church Continues

Patch wrote on September 13:

“Grace Community Church in Sun Valley held a packed morning service Sunday, defying a court order directing them to refrain from holding indoor services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pastor John MacArthur prefaced the service by complaining about the many health measures required by local and state authorities to prevent further spread of the coronavirus.

“‘The question has come up a number of times about why Grace Church does not just comply with the orders that have been laid down for churches, and I thought it might be helpful to give you the list of things that are required of us as a church, so that you understand how utterly impossible that would be,’ MacArthur said. He then read a long list of requirements, occasionally drawing laughter from parishioners at rules about parking, restroom protocols and social distancing. MacArthur said following all the rules would ‘completely shut the church down.’

“… On Thursday, a judge issued a temporary restraining order directing the church to refrain from holding indoor services, saying there’s an ‘immediate threat to public health and safety due to the COVID-19 pandemic.’ Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff also directed Grace Community Church to mandate that congregation members wear masks and practice physical distancing if the house of worship decides to hold outdoor services. Beckloff heard arguments on Los Angeles County’s motion for a preliminary injunction on Sept. 4, then took the case under submission before ruling. Both he and Judge James Chalfant had collectively denied the county’s four previous bids for a temporary restraining order, but Beckloff said this time, the county had ‘demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits’ of its claims…

“Church attorney Charles LiMandri said there will be an appeal… ‘The coronavirus is dying out,’ LiMandri said, while maintaining that the massive protests that came after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked the rise in cases, not people going to church. ‘They are targeting the church, they don’t go after the protesters,’ LiMandri said…”

That extremely left-wing California is targeting and discriminating against Christian churches is obvious. A movement has begun to recall Governor Newsom, but the question is, who would replace him? California has not been very fortunate with having a somewhat competent governor, Ronald Reagan being a notable exception. Arnold Schwarzenegger did not deliver what he had promised, and subsequently lost even more credibility due to his long-lasting infidelity and his ridiculous support of wearing masks, self-isolation and house arrests, and other California governors turned out to be corrupt.

To be clear, such illegal persecution is happening all over the world. Let’s take Germany as another example where constitutional rights are trampled underfoot. As Focus reported on September 22, a superior court judge from the state of North Rhine – Westphalia,  Thorsten Schleiff, voiced strongly his opposition to German politics, seriously infringing on fundamental constitutional rights of millions of citizens due to coronavirus measures, claiming that the courts should have prevented this but that many of his colleagues were too fearful and “panic-stricken” to do so. He is absolutely right.

The Peace Deal Mirage

EricMargolis.com wrote on September 21:

“The Trump administration… just manufactured its own news by confecting a ‘peace’ deal between Israel and a bunch of… Arab monarchies… The Gulf monarchies – the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain – that signed this agreement are so frightened of neighboring Iran that they would happily have opted for Israeli rule…

“Few Americans could find these little sheikdoms on a map. But many evangelical voters… will think the Trump administration has achieved a major feat by supposedly bringing peace to the Holy Land…

“The United Arab Emirates, population just under 10 million, is only 10% Arab. The rest of its people are mainly Indians and Pakistani…

“As for peace in the Mideast, recall the biting words of Roman historian Tacitus, ‘where they make a desert they call it peace.’…”

… and a mirage it IS…

New Lockdowns… Insane!

The Times of Israel wrote on September 17:

“Israel will become the world’s first country to reimpose [a second] lockdown on Friday… Scheduled to last for at least three weeks, the imminent national closure has been met with fury by many Israelis,… decrying the economic consequences, and devastated at the idea of the Jewish holiday season confined within 500 meters of their homes.

“In an address to the nation on Thursday evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted not only that the lockdown is necessary, but that around the world, other governments will also face the decision of whether to impose new nationwide lockdowns, ‘and most of them in my opinion will have no choice but to do so.’  By contrast, opposition leader Yair Lapid is adamant. The lockdown, he says, ‘is an admission of failure. The citizens are being punished because the government failed.’ Lapid called it a ‘death blow to the Israeli economy,’ and predicted that it won’t save lives…

“Doctors are divided as to whether the coming lockdown is actually the solution with the best chance of success… It’s telling that official notices of lockdown rules don’t feature a firm end date. The ‘three week lockdown’ could wind up lasting much longer.”

And so, Satan is vigorously pursuing his goal of imprisoning the entire world, knowing that this is his fate when Christ returns.

Israel Is Getting Mad

The Times of Israel wrote on September 20:

“Police on Sunday afternoon said they had handed out 2,802 fines over the past day for various infractions of lockdown rules and other coronavirus regulations…

“Police said the majority of fines, 2,044, were given to people who ventured out over a kilometer from their homes without valid cause. Another 629 were given for failure to wear masks, 37 were handed out for breaking quarantine, 30 were given to businesses or other locations that opened against the rules, and other small numbers for various offenses.”

This IS insane autocratic dictatorship!

Sleepwalking into a Second Lockdown

The Daily Mail published on September 19 an article by Professor Karol Sikora:

“Britain is now in grave danger of sleepwalking into a second national lockdown. The consequences of doing so would be disastrous. We find ourselves in this wretched position partly because the Government’s main achievement since the pandemic first emerged in China has not been suppressing the virus or saving lives or the economy, but in spreading irrational fear… The disruption to family life caused by the summer lockdown, and the new restrictions imposed since then, have demoralised and isolated many. Their fear has been compounded by the actions of a Government that is not in charge of events, buffeted by the conflicting advice of scientists…

“… a return to a blanket lockdown is the last thing we should be contemplating if we are serious about the nation’s mental and physical well-being. We simply cannot afford to panic… the vast majority of those currently testing positive for Covid are experiencing mild symptoms and remain in good overall health. The other point to remember is that the terrible death toll Britain suffered in the spring was due largely to the grotesque error of clearing hospitals of elderly patients and sending them, untested, into care homes… Not a single young child has died in the UK from Covid without some other serious pre-existing condition… anyone under 50 is more likely to die in a car crash than from the virus…

“My field is cancer. I make no apology for highlighting that 30,000 extra cancer deaths will soon emerge thanks to delays in doctors picking up symptoms and in patients being referred for scans and tests. Tragically, these people are doomed to die, though many of them do not know it yet. Many will be thirty or forty years younger than the vast majority of those dying of Covid. And it’s not just cancer: Roughly 100,000 people suffer a stroke every year. This year, almost one third of sufferers have put off seeking treatment during the pandemic, delaying the use of vital blood-thinning drugs that limit the long-term damage caused by a stroke…”

On September 20, BBC news gave the number of deaths from coronavirus in the last 24 hours and in small print below it read: “Deaths for any reason within 28 days of a positive test.” Now that’s interesting: Someone has a positive test and dies of cancer, a heart attack or a road accident within 28 days of the test and it counts as a coronavirus death! This is just plain dishonest and whipping up fear!

Express added on September 20:

“Boris Johnson announced new strict rules on Saturday which will see heavy penalties ushered in for rule-breakers. As of September 28, anyone caught ignoring the rules risks incurring a £1,000 fine while repeat offenders could be fined up to £10,000…

“Asked if people should be forced to fork out £10,000 for failing to quarantine themselves,… 57 percent… said yes. While… 42 percent… said Britons should not face such a hefty penalty. Only… one percent… of respondents said they didn’t know.”

That would mean, the majority of panic-driven manipulated Brits have gotten totally mad…

More Dangerous Nonsense from the UK

The Sun wrote on September 21:

“Boris Johnson [announced] a 10pm closing time for pubs… Northern Ireland’s first minister Arlene Foster said that people would be BANNED from mixing with other households inside… The clampdown will see pubs and restaurants shut down by patrols – and groups could be broken up and fined…

“First Minister Nicola Sturgeon… faces a backlash as ministers fear a second lockdown will kill the economy… People in the North and Midlands are already banned from visiting others in their homes or gardens, or hanging out with people they don’t live with in pubs and restaurants… This also means people who don’t live together can’t meet their lovers either…

“Wales also revealed today four new areas will face local lockdowns from tomorrow night, it was confirmed today… People can’t leave the area without a good reason – such as school or work… people will not be allowed to socialise with ANY friends and family outside of their own households either – inside or outside. That includes public places like pubs and parks, but also inside private homes and gardens too… Those measures could be seen across the nation.”

Boris Johnson also said his new measures might have to last for 6 months, and that “significantly greater restrictions” could be slapped on the country. He also said that the army could be used to help police enforce his restrictions. Britain will NEVER recover from this economic destruction. There have been enough studies and articles by now proving that such serious measures and lockdowns don’t work and are dangerous. Willful ignorance does not protect against or prevent disaster.

England and Sweden… a Comparison

Global Research wrote on September 20:

“… both countries were showing a slight decline in deaths over the last five years… less people were dying in Sweden than England… [within a] few months into 2020 (when the lockdowns began) both countries saw a sudden and sharp rise in deaths; but England’s peak was at least twice that of Sweden. Clearly a higher percentage of people have dropped dead in England than Sweden.

“Sweden of course had very little containment measures in place. Social distancing was done on a volunteer basis. There was no lockdown. Nursing homes were belatedly put into quarantine. England, on the other hand, went into full lockdown mode with police drones trailing joggers with a timer clicking away their allotted exercise ration…

“Sweden’s lack of restrictions did not hurt its population. The country’s winter death toll was not much higher than in 2015, 2017 and 2018. On the other hand, despite lockdown, masks and a social distancing police state, England saw about double the number of deaths it usually sees at that time of the year…

“As studies have shown, there are many reasons to conclude that locking people up, scaring them out of their minds and destroying their livelihood is quite harmful to their health.”

The Sun reported on September 22 that “lockdown-free Sweden [is] ‘on the brink of beating Covid after achieving herd immunity.’”

Wall Street Hits New Low

Newsmax wrote on September 21:

“Wall Street’s main indexes hit their lowest in nearly seven weeks on Monday as concerns about fresh coronavirus-driven lockdowns and a stalemate in Congress over more fiscal stimulus raised fears about another hit to the domestic economy… Wall Street has tumbled in the past three weeks as investors dumped heavyweight technology-related stocks…

“Another round of business restrictions will threaten a nascent recovery in the wider economy and add further pressure on equity markets, analysts said. The first round of lockdowns in March had led the S&P 500 to suffer its worst monthly decline since the global financial crisis.”

The evil consequences of ill-conceived lockdowns…

Spahn Speaks against Panic while Creating Panic

rtl wrote on September 19 about the following comments by German Health Minister Jens Spahn:

“Be watchful and alert, but don’t adopt an end time approach… there is no reason for that… the rising cases are caused mainly through parties, weddings and religious assemblies…”

These comments are not very comforting or reassuring… and the basis for his claimed reasons for rising cases is not supported by the evidence.

The Pope’s Latest Blasphemy

The New York Post wrote on September 20:

“Pope Francis reassured parents of LGBT children that ‘God loves your children as they are,’ and that there is a place in the church for them… The exchange came during a meeting last week with ‘Tenda di Gionata,’ or ‘Jonathan’s Tent,’ an Italian group of Christian parents of LBGT children founded in 2018…

“The group grew out of a church vigil in the northern city of Reggio Emilia, where [several] parents of LGBTQ children [met] — inspired by the preaching of the Rev. Paolo Cugini, who believes that ‘faith and homosexuality are not in opposition.’”

The Catholic Church might think and teach that way, but the Bible says otherwise. In the Word of God, the practice of homosexuality is an “abomination,” and children must NOT be taught that it is all right in the eyes of God.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

Knowing that human pride is a characteristic that Christians need to monitor closely and remove, how are we to respond when we receive a compliment? Should Christians reject all compliments from others? Is it possible to accept compliments from others without conceding to human pride? Is it possible to receive another’s compliment with complete joy, rather than mere acquiescence?

As a foundation in answering this question, we need to begin with an understanding of why human pride (correctly understood) is condemned. Citing from our Q&A asking, “Is Pride Always Condemned in the Bible? Part 1”, “God condemns human pride, which is opposed to God and which is unwilling to submit to Him. God despises those who wallow in haughtiness and who boast in their self-confidence and self-conceit. Such an attitude prevents a person from loving and obeying God with all of one’s heart and from loving his neighbor as oneself.”

This kind of pride is a human attribute, influenced by Satan, that elevates self above God and diminishes the glory of God. Pride became the downfall of Lucifer, who believed he was greater than God. It should be no surprise that Satan broadcasts a message that convinces the carnal man that he doesn’t need God or that God can be worshipped in ways that man has invented in His absence. For this reason, such pride is dangerous. When it begins to grow in one’s life, it results in an outcome of leading one away from God.

Compliments and praise undoubtedly offer fodder for pride unless we are careful. Hearing good things about ourselves can easily cause us to lift our opinions of ourselves if we aren’t grounded in understanding the source of our gifts. But it is perfectly fine to receive a compliment or accept praise when we acknowledge that God is the one who provides us with the good in our lives.

The Bible contains several examples of praise directed towards people. From these we will see how it is acceptable to accept compliments with sincere gratitude. We will also see how the examples of praise properly received gives glory to God, rather than man.

The example of Job provides us with a good example to begin with. The story opens up with God offering Job a compliment. “Then the LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?’” (Compare Job 1:8, Job 2:3). While this is a compliment offered indirectly, we can still see that God is pleased with Job’s behavior – at least to begin with. Because of this, God expresses His praise for Job. However, as the story of Job progresses, his self-righteousness and pride become exposed. Job develops the opinion that he has done nothing to deserve his punishment, and condemns God because of it. Ultimately, God confronts him on the issue. Only then does Job see with utter clarity the error of his ways, acknowledging his imperfection, and repenting bitterly (compare Job 42:1-6). With humility, putting his pride in check, Job becomes even more blessed than he had been at the beginning (compare Job 42:12).

Job provides us with an initial counterexample of how to receive praise. Job’s conduct was pleasing to God, and certainly praiseworthy. However, by believing that his righteousness was for his own glory, Job missed the point. God is to be glorified as the Almighty, the Creator, the One without beginning or end, who rightly and justly rules over all creation. Yet, Job did not see that there can be no wrong with God, and wrongly accused God of judging him unjustly. The lesson is that we, as flesh and blood members of the human race, are not to develop opinions of ourselves that bring glory to ourselves when it rightly belongs to God.

The Bible contains several examples that demonstrate the correct way to receive praise. That is, by accepting the compliment acknowledging the gift that comes from God.

When Joseph was called to Pharaoh to interpret dreams, Pharaoh paid him a compliment as one who was endowed with the skill he sought. “And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.’ So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, ‘It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace’” (Genesis 41:15-16). This example shows the correct frame of mind to have when receiving a compliment. When Joseph was praised for having the skill to interpret dreams, he was quick to acknowledge that the ability did not come from him, but from the gift of God. In this, Joseph glorified God, and in turn influenced Pharaoh to also acknowledge His power (compare Genesis 41:37). Compliments directed toward us really belong to God who blesses us.

Jesus Christ offered compliments, either directly or indirectly, to many individuals who expressed faith and other godly virtues (compare Luke 21:3-4, Luke 18:13-14, Matthew 15:28, Luke 17:19, Mark 10:52, Luke 18:42). The example of the centurion who came to Jesus asking for healing of his servant provides us with a particularly inspiring model. “The centurion answered and said, ‘Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.   For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, “Go,” and he goes; and to another, “Come,” and he comes; and to my servant, “Do this,” and he does it.’ When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!   And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’   Then Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.’ And his servant was healed that same hour” (Matthew 8:8-13). In this example, the centurion receives praise from Jesus in the midst of many others. The praise bestowed upon him for his faith could have easily gone to his head, causing the centurion to think more of his righteous behavior than he ought. However, the example of humility and subservience to Christ stands out poignantly. By acknowledging Jesus Christ’s power and authority, the centurion accepts the compliment of his faith with grace.

Not only did Jesus Christ offer compliments, but he also received them. At the beginning of His ministry when He became baptized by John, God pays Jesus Christ a compliment from the heavens, declaring, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Compare Matthew 3:17). As we know, Jesus led a perfectly righteous life, overcoming all temptation and defeating sin. It was for that purpose that God the Father sent His Son to the Earth. To witness that event when His ministry began was clearly a proud moment for God. We don’t see the response from Jesus when paid this compliment from His Father, but other places in the Bible clearly express how He considered His righteousness.

Jesus knew that the glory of His righteousness belonged to God. In expressing the plan of God, Jesus said, “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30, compare also John 5:19). Clearly, Jesus Christ understood that His ability to live a righteous life was a direct result of the Father’s Holy Spirit working mightily within Him to maintain the perfect judgment with the mind of God. This serves as an example for us as followers of Christ, that our ability to judge righteously works the same way. When we are able to do what is right, the glory belongs to God. Even the most subtle of compliments received by Jesus Christ were an opportunity for Him to glorify His Father in heaven.

Our model to follow ought to be clear. The right way to receive a compliment from others is by acknowledging the good that works in our lives as coming through God’s inspiration and His Holy Spirit that dwells within us. The source of all that is truly good are blessings from God. Paul expresses the perspective that we should have in 2 Corinthians 3:5, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.” The work that Paul and his coworkers did, laid the groundwork for the Church of God that we belong to today. It is not an overstatement to say that the effect of their work was tremendous. Yet, in the enormity of that work, Paul’s perspective is one of humility. The glory goes to God, not man. For He provides us with the source of strength (compare Psalm 28:7, Psalm 27:1, Exodus 15:2).

When we live our lives in obedience to God’s commandments, we will bear good fruit that those around us will recognize. Happy families, good relationships with people around us, abundance in our work, and spiritual prosperity are fruits that even the world can see. When we receive compliments from people who acknowledge the product of our inspired lives, what will we do? Will we allow a belief to take root in our minds that we are something important because of what we alone have done? Or will we do what Jesus Christ instructs us to do? Will we give thanks and pass along the praise to God so that He may receive the glory? “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Lead Writer: Eric Rank

compiled by Dave Harris

Here are the dates for the Fall Holy Days;

• Day of Atonement… September 28, 2020
• Feast of Tabernacles… October 3-9, 2020
• Last Great Day… October 10, 2020

We are pleased to announce the marriage of Anna Ruoff and Michael Link on September 24, 2020, in Escondido, California. The ceremony was conducted by Norbert Link. Congratulations!

“Satan Rules This World—Does He Rule You?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Satan has been very busy. Many are falling for his evil devices. But God requires of us that we love and obey Him in everything. Through governmental restrictions under his influence, Satan is using the same tactic as he did when deceiving Eve in the Garden of Eden. Eve fell for it, and Adam followed his wife, convincing themselves that a “little” disobedience did not really matter. Far too many of God’s people are following today Adam and Eve’s bad example. Don’t you be one of them!

“Rechtfertigt unsere Angst Ungehorsam gegen Gott?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Does our Fear Justify Disobedience towards God?”

“Dankbarkeit,” the sermonette presented on the Feast of Trumpets by Dmitrij Niemanns is now posted. Title in English: “Thankfulness.”

“Soldier On,” the morning sermonette presented by Eric Rank on the Feast of Trumpets, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Being a Christian inherently involves conflict with the world, which increasingly rejects God. In the battle we fight against evil, what do we need to do to assure our victory?

“We Must Be Ready!” the morning sermon presented by Dave Harris on the Feast of Trumpets, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The world is not watching, nor is it prepared for what is about to happen! A time of overwhelming trouble and dreadful tribulation approaches, but who understands this? Do you and will you be among the very few who are ready?

“Christian Paradigm,” the afternoon Offertory presented by Kalon Mitchell on the Feast of Trumpets, is now posted. Here is a summary:

How often do we do the same things, over and over? How often do we think that we know what’s best? God challenges us to change. God challenges us to think and act as He thinks and acts. The choice is ours and the question is what will we do?

“God’s Message Must Be Preached Today,” the afternoon sermon presented by Norbert Link on the Feast of Trumpets, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The Feast of Trumpets (on September 19, 2020) has much symbolic meaning for us. It includes a message of God for the end time, which must be proclaimed today by His watchful servants in blowing trumpets loudly and clearly. And the message will be proclaimed! In addition to serious warnings, it includes the good news of the return of Jesus Christ; the coming rule of God on earth; and our entrance into God’s eternal Kingdom.

The YouTube channel for the Church of the Eternal God presents past videos for StandingWatch programs along with sermonettes, sermons and promotional videos. These are also available on our website: www.eternalgod.org.

September 19, 2020, is the Feast of Trumpets. We will conduct live services in the morning and afternoon as follows:

• MORNING at 9:00 am Pacific Time—Eric Rank will present the sermonette, titled, “Soldier On”, and Dave Harris will present the sermon titled, “We Must Be Ready!”
• AFTERNOON at 2:00 pm Pacific Time—Kalon Mitchell will present the Offertory and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “God’s Message Must Be Preached Today.”

The live services are available, over video and audio, at http://eternalgod.org/live-services/. Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

When listening to the news on a typical day in the US right now, we hear about six to ten murders in several major cities, coupled with a dozen or so shootings. Recently, several young children have been killed as a result of the riots and turmoil. One was around eighteen months old. A senior lady walking on the street in the daytime was punched in the head and knocked to the ground for no apparent reason. A similar occurrence happened to a man hit with an object and knocked to the ground.  There are riots and protests every evening, and in some cities it has been going on for months with looting, violence and fires being set ablaze, destroying businesses, and as a result, several police officers have been killed and many more injured.

California and Oregon are having the worst forest fires in their history and there is chaos, hatred and violence everywhere.

It doesn’t seem to dawn on the mainstream media or on the nation that something is wrong here. The nation is under a curse for its sins.

One of the states is trying to introduce a law where sexually assaulting children would be legal as long as the child consents to it. They are trying to make pedophilia legal. Crime is up, violence is up, and there doesn’t seem to be any decrease in sight.

Satan is on the loose and having a hay day. I recently attended a wedding where the Anglican priest, performing the ceremony, is living in a “common law” relationship with his girlfriend who is also a priest and takes great pride in telling others she is a priest, all the while living in sin.  I take it, sin is in the Anglican church.

What an abomination and wrong example to set while there is absolutely no shame there. Laws are being introduced to abort babies up to and including the ninth month.

Israel sacrificed their newborn on the altar of Baal, something that did not even enter the mind of God.

Jeremiah 32:35 tells us: “And they built the high places of Baal which are in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech, which I did not command them, nor did it come into My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.”

You can be assured that killing the unborn did not enter into His mind either.

When Abraham was “negotiating” with Christ about how many righteous there were in Sodom, they settled on ten, even though Christ knew there was only one righteous, and that was Lot. 2 Peter 2:6-8 explains: “…and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked  (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)…”

Also, the whole city was corrupt and perverted since all the men were at the door of Lot’s house, including children, wanting to have sexual relations with the two angels inside the house who they thought were ordinary men.

Genesis 19:4 states: “Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house.”

Undoubtedly, the women also approved of such conduct.

Now, one may argue that not everyone is perverted and wicked today. The problem is that what is going on is accepted by most. The thinking is, everyone to his own, and very few are crying out for people to repent of their sinning ways.

Romans 1:22-32 says:

“Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.

“Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”

As a result, the US and other English-speaking nations, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, are going down to destruction for their sins and perversions, and it puts a huge onus on us to cry out fervently to God: “Thy kingdom come!”…  and it  cannot be soon enough.

by Norbert Link

We begin with Europe’s and Germany’s rise to power and their extremely troublesome dictatorial actions; speak on Iran’s and Turkey’s political and military ambitions; and continue with a hopelessly divided USA, with low marks for a “functioning” democracy.

We cover appalling developments in California; and we point out the incredibly stupid, but dangerous and ungodly governmental measures against the coronavirus in the entire world, including the USA, Israel and the UK.  

Please also note our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Satan Rules This World—Does He Rule You?” 

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

EU’s Further “Pressure” on Serbia

Army Technology wrote on September 10:

“Serbia has suspended all military exercises with foreign partners for six months citing ‘tremendous’ pressure from the European Union (EU). The move comes just a day before the beginning of Slavic Brotherhood 2020 military exercise in Belarus, in which Serbia was scheduled to participate. According to news reports, Serbia was pressured by the EU to withdraw from the exercise.

“In a statement, Serbian Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin said: ‘The pressures that make no sense and are not grounded in our decisions or our actions, or even in reality, are the result of hysteria, which determines political decisions and directions of great and powerful countries. We are required to suspend the planned military exercises with Belarus at the cost of abandoning our European future and at the cost of even greater pressure on our policy, but also on our people in Kosovo and Metohija and Republika Srpska.’

“According to the government decision, Serbia will not participate in any international military activity with any country in the following six months to preserve its neutrality. Furthermore, Serbia’s participation in peacekeeping operations will be considered and if required will also remain suspended. Minister Vulin added: ‘The process of equipping and strengthening our armed forces will not be stopped, and we will work to increase our combat readiness harder and more persistently than ever.’”

The dictatorship of the EU continues…

EU Threatens UK

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 12:

“The UK prime minister accused the EU of threatening to cut food deliveries between Northern Ireland and Britain…

“‘We are now hearing that, unless we agree to the EU’s terms, the EU will use an extreme interpretation of the Northern Ireland protocol to impose a full-scale trade border down the Irish Sea,’ Johnson wrote in an article that was published in the Daily Telegraph newspaper…

“He said the EU was posing a risk to the UK and peace in Northern Ireland, where sectarian violence had mostly been kept at bay since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. He stated he wanted a trade deal similar to that between Canada and the EU, adding that ‘if the EU is willing to offer these terms to Canada then it makes sense to offer the same to us.’…

“European parliament leaders threatened to veto future UK-EU trade deals unless Johnson withdrew legislation attempting to alter parts of the Withdrawal Agreement.”

The relationship between the EU and the UK has become incurably bad.  

The Need for a European Army

The Atlantic Sentinel wrote on September 12:

“French president Emmanuel Macron called for a European army in 2018, arguing the EU needed to defend itself from ‘China, Russia and even the United States of America.’ Two years later, the argument for a common European defense is even stronger.

“China’s authoritarianism can no longer be denied. It has effectively revoked the autonomy of Hong Kong, is carrying out a cultural genocide against the Uighurs in west China, threatening its neighbors around the South China Sea and extending its reach as far west as Europe and as far north as the Arctic.

“Russia continues to abrogate international norms. It still supports Bashar Assad in Syria, who is responsible for driving millions of his compatriots from their homes, many of them fleeing to Europe; it still occupies the Crimea and still supports an insurgency in southeastern Ukraine.

“The United States are led by an impetuous president, who has accused the EU of ‘taking advantage’ of America, called NATO ‘obsolete’, withdrawn 9,500 soldiers from Germany, but expressed admiration for Vladimir Putin and doubts that he ordered the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, a defector, and Alexei Navalny, an opposition leader…

“Trump’s laments about Europe underinvesting in its defense are widely shared [in the USA]… Americans have been pulled into American-led wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, despite doubts from European leaders and opposition from European voters.

“A European army would address all these issues. If Europe is forced to confront its own geopolitical challenges, it will no longer have to yield to the interests of America… A European army would enhance — and require — greater integration between member states.

“The foundations are set. A Common Security and Defense Policy has nominally existed since 1999 and was strengthened by the Lisbon Treaty of 2009. Macron isn’t the first national leader to call for an EU army. François Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl expressed the same ambition in the 1990s. Europe’s noisy opposition to a common defense — the UK — is on its way out; with it, the main excuse for not taking action…

“An EU army would inhibit member states’ ability to conduct an independent foreign policy. Countries that share a border with Russia (like Finland) or have tried to maintain good relations with it (Austria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy) would be forced to take sides…

“Some countries are already sharing military resources. Belgium and the Netherlands have integrated their air defenses… Finland and Sweden announced bilateral military cooperation in 2013 and held a joint military exercise with NATO in 2019. Are others willing to do the same? Would Poland, for instance, be willing to put its soldiers under a German command and concede a significant level of sovereignty? Would Italy? Public opinion is divided. 89 percent of Lithuanians want a European army. Only 37 percent of Austrians and 33 percent of Swedes agree.

“Yet the opportunity is there, and more importantly: the need. As the German defense minister, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, put it: ‘it is in our own real interest that we should make faster and better progress in Europe’ to unify defense and foreign policy.”

A European army will come into existence, and Europe’s core nations will transfer their authority to a military leader of German or Austrian descent.

Germany’s “Catastrophic Awareness Day” a “Fiasco”

The Local wrote on September 10:

“Germany’s first nationwide ‘catastrophe awareness day’ was described as ‘a fiasco’… The Interior Ministry had to admit that the day… was ‘a failure’.

“At 11am alarms were supposed to go off across the country, while people should have been warned via warning apps. But it soon became apparent that many parts of the country no longer have sirens. A fire department spokesperson explained for Munich that there had been no sirens in the state capital for many years. They had been gradually dismantled after the end of the Cold War, he explained. In many parts of the country, the warnings passed completely unnoticed. Meanwhile, the message from the warning apps NINA and KATWARN arrived on smartphones after a half-hour delay. The Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) in Bonn explained the breakdown was caused by agencies simultaneously triggering a large number of warning messages…

“The flop was met with mockery on social media. The association of deaf people jokingly tweeted: ‘Well, we didn’t hear anything.’… The so-called ‘warning day’, which in future is to take place every year on the second Thursday in September, is intended to prepare for dangerous situations such as floods, chemical accidents or even terrorist attacks. All existing warning devices such as warning apps, radio and television, digital billboards, sirens and loudspeaker vehicles were supposed to be integrated.”

 And still, in spite of Germany’s blatant incompetence… see the next article.

Germany Replaces France

Daily Sabah wrote on September 12:

“Macron… represented Washington’s hope in counterbalancing German economic and political might within the EU. Washington was unhappy about the hegemonic role that Berlin has been playing within the bloc over the last two decades. Washington instead tried to support Macron in offsetting the influence of Berlin, especially in the diplomatic and military spheres.

“Macron spun out his credibility as the promising leader who would replace German Chancellor Angela Merkel as the leader of Europe. Macron’s risky economic and strategic choices also generated skepticism among the other member states of the EU. France’s stagnant economy and exclusionary political system have failed to accommodate migrants and Muslims, and a lack of a geopolitical vision has reduced the status of France within the EU.

“France, once the equal partner of Germany in the EU project, has gradually lost its standing in the partnership. While Berlin managed to maintain financial and economic stability and integration in the aftermath of the Cold War, Paris failed to offer an encompassing geopolitical vision for Europe…

“Macron developed unique relations with Moscow and invited Russia into Libya… Macron’s erratic moves are not just a threat to Turkey’s national security but are undermining NATO and EU interests… The real beneficiary of Macron’s geopolitical mistakes is Moscow, Abu Dhabi and the Trump administration in the U.S., which is unhappy about Berlin’s supremacy in the EU…”

The antagonism between the USA and Germany will continue, and Germany’s leadership in Europe will become more and more manifest…

Germany’s Leadership in Europe

Bloomberg wrote on September 14:

“Germany has become far more explicit, and unapologetic about calling the shots in Europe… Leaders who grew up in the shadow of World War II were content to confine Germany’s place on the world stage to the economic sphere… Merkel is the first chancellor born after the war. Enough time has passed that German strength is no longer a frightening proposition. And partly it’s a recognition that Germany has no choice but to step up to the plate with Europe caught in the middle of a growing conflict between the world’s two superpowers.

“Under Donald Trump, the U.S. has become an unpredictable and even hostile ally, while Xi Jinping praises multilateralism as China becomes increasingly bold in its forays in international relations…

“Finance Minister Olaf Scholz acknowledged the current landscape means Germany has to take on ‘more responsibilities,’ which means maneuvering the Brussels machine… Merkel’s increasing willingness to cajole her EU partners into accepting a more muscular German industry marks a break with Berlin’s historic relationship with Europe.”

Germany and the USA … No Longer Allies

The Hill wrote on September 15:

“A practical ‘alliance’ between [the USA and Germany] no longer exists. Washington and Berlin disagree on far too much in policy terms for us to whistle past the graveyard any longer…

“Bonn was generally content to follow the American geopolitical lead. However, this was a very specific historical time, one that today’s leaders and analysts have lazily extrapolated into being how things will always work. 

“But this is not the world in which we now live. Germany is the most glaring case in point of when an ally is no longer an ally. Over vast patches of primary foreign policy terrain, Washington and Berlin simply do not agree… Germans do not like their long-term ‘ally’ very much…

“It is a logical truism that if two major powers fundamentally disagree about trade, defense spending, China, Russia, and even disapprove of one another, these disagreements between ‘allies’ means that they are no longer really allies at all.”

This “alliance” has been shaky for a long time.

US Hits Historic Lows of Approval from Its Closest Allies

Business Insider wrote on September 15:

“A handful of [countries], including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Canada and Australia, gave their lowest favorable views of the US on record since Pew started polling nearly two decades ago…

“Germans gave the US some of ‘its worst ratings,’ the authors note, with only 10% who said they have confidence in Trump…

“Most people across the 13 countries surveyed said they have less trust in Trump to ‘do the right thing’ than they do in Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Only an average of 16% said they have confidence in Trump as a leader, versus 19% who said the same for Xi and 23% for Putin…

“… the study… depicts a deepening downward trend of the US’ international reputation…”

Shocking Ignorance

The Guardian wrote on September 15:

“Almost two-thirds of young American adults do not know that 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust, and more than one in 10 believe Jews caused the Holocaust, a new survey has found, revealing shocking levels of ignorance about the greatest crime of the 20th century.”

Iran Threatens Bahrain

The Times of Israel wrote on September 12:

“Iran said Saturday that Bahrain is now a partner to the ‘crimes’ of Israel, after the announcement of a deal to normalize relations between Jerusalem and Manama… Iran accused its arch foe Israel of ‘decades of violence, slaughter, war, terror and bloodshed in oppressed Palestine and the region.’… Iran said that through this ‘shameful’ deal, Bahrain has ‘sacrificed the Palestinian cause at the altar of American elections.’ Its ‘result will undoubtedly be growing anger and the lasting hatred of the oppressed people of Palestine, Muslims and the free nations of the world,’ the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.

“The Friday announcement by US President Donald Trump made Bahrain the second Arab country in a month, after the United Arab Emirates, to normalize ties with Israel under US sponsorship… Bahrain is acutely aware of threats posed by Iran — the Kingdom has a majority Shiite population, despite being ruled since 1783 by the Sunni Al Khalifa family. The ruling elites are firmly allied with Saudi Arabia in its rivalry with Shiite Iran, even as the Bahrain’s Shiites have familial, linguistic and political ties with Tehran going back decades. Iran under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi had pushed to take over Bahrain after British protection ended, though Bahrainis in 1970 overwhelmingly supported becoming an independent nation and the UN Security Council unanimously backed that.

“Since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, Bahrain’s rulers have blamed Iran for arming militants on the island and stirring unrest. Iran denies the accusations. Bahrain’s Shiite majority has accused the government of treating them like second-class citizens. The Shiites joined pro-democracy activists in demanding more political freedoms in 2011, as Arab Spring protests swept across the wider Middle East. Saudi and Emirati troops ultimately helped violently put down the demonstrations… Tehran-Riyadh relations deteriorated further last year following a series of attacks on tankers in the Gulf, which Washington blamed on Tehran despite Iranian denials….”

With these antagonistic attitudes even amongst the Arabs, there will never be peace in the Middle East in this day and age.

The New “Peace” Deal

 BBC News wrote on September 15:

“The deal [to normalize relationships with Israel, which was signed on September 15 by Israel, the UAE and Bahrain at the White House] helps the ambitious Emiratis, who have built themselves into a military power… It looks as if the Americans helped seal the deal with the promise of advanced weapons that in the past the UAE has barely been able to window-shop. They include the F-35 stealth fighter and the EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft. The UAE has used its already well-equipped armed forces in Libya and Yemen… Netanyahu… has muted his original complaints about the UAE’s possible arms deal.

“Mr Netanyahu is also beleaguered, facing a trial for corruption that might land him in jail. His handling of the coronavirus pandemic started well and has gone badly wrong. Opponents stage weekly rallies outside his residence in Jerusalem…

“The deal works on a number of levels for the US president. It is a big boost for his strategy of ‘maximum pressure’ on Iran. It is also useful ammunition, especially in an election year, to back his boast that he is the world’s best dealmaker. Anything he does that benefits Israel, or more specifically the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, goes down well with American Christian Evangelical voters, an important part of his electoral base… President Trump’s so-called ‘Deal of the Century’ to make peace between Israel and the Palestinians is a non-starter. But the ‘Abraham Accords’, as the Israel-UAE agreement is known, is… being presented by the Trump White House as a major foreign policy coup.

“[The Palestinians] have condemned the Abraham Accords as a betrayal. The new agreement breaks a long-standing Arab consensus that the price of normal relations with Israel was independence for the Palestinians. But now Israel is cementing new public relationships with Arab states while the Palestinians still languish under occupation in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and in what amounts to an open prison in Gaza…

 “The Saudis were the authors of the Arab peace plan that demanded Palestinian independence. King Salman’s status as custodian of Islam’s two holiest shrines gives him enormous authority. It is unlikely that he will suddenly recognise Israel…

“The deal has been roundly condemned by the Iranian leadership. It is more than rhetoric. The Abraham Accords put them under extra strain… Israel’s home airbases are a long flight from Iran. The UAE’s are just across the waters of the Gulf. That would be highly significant if there was a return to talk of air strikes against Iran’s nuclear sites…”

The Week added on September 15:

“Many experts doubt there will be any tangible move toward peace in the region, though the deals are considered historic and symbolically noteworthy.”

Are the USA and Israel creating a Frankenstein monster?

Turkey’s Dangerous Ambitions

The Algemeiner wrote on September 14:

“Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan… wants to take his country back to what he perceives as the glory days of the Ottoman Empire, but the leader… appears to be leading the country down the wrong path as he quashes secularism, supports radical Islamism, suppresses democratic reforms and adopts a forceful foreign-policy approach that aims to assert Turkish hegemony in the region…

“The perception that the United States is planning to significantly reduce its military presence in the Middle East—announced by US President Donald Trump this week—and the power vacuums that have emerged as one of the consequences of the Arab upheavals… are causing several actors, including Turkey, to act in a more assertive manner…

“With Erdoğan’s Islamist identity and close ties with Muslim Brotherhood, Qatar and Hamas, this triangle seems dangerous for Israel… one of the reasons Israel and the United Arab Emirates have worked out a normalization agreement between them is related to… the growing concerns from Turkey’s greater role in the region…

“Efraim Inbar, president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, told JNS that as an Islamist, Erdoğan ‘has no great love for Jews and for Israel.’ According to Inbar, ‘Erdoğan believes that Turkey has a great destiny and should be a world power. The fact that the US is slowly reducing its footprint in the Middle East adds to even greater freedom of action for Turkey in regional affairs.’…

“Turkey is in Iraq and Syria, and has a military base in Qatar and in Somalia. Erdoğan tried to build a base in Sudan, and now he is busy in Libya. As part of this new Turkish nationalism, he is challenging the border with Greece, essentially seeking to reverse the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, which officially ended the Ottoman Empire. ‘There is a fusion here of nationalism and Islamism between Turkish nationalism with its roots in Islam, the Caliphate and the Ottoman Empire,’ said Inbar. ‘There is a clear alliance between Turkey and Qatar, which both support the Muslim Brotherhood… Going after Israel gets him votes and makes him popular in the Muslim world, which he wants to lead, so Israel is a good target for him.’”

Watch Turkey!

A Divided USA

New Europe wrote on September 8:

“For the first time since the country’s civil war in the mid-19th-century… Americans remained divided after the election of Donald Trump as president in 2016. Since then, that division has accelerated at a dangerously rapid pace.

“The division was triggered by the deeply entrenched American financial establishment, which cannot understand that the time has irrevocably come to enter into a new civilization, but it thinks that by voting Trump out, the establishment will exorcise the evil. The oxymoron is that the Democratic Party in this election is struggling. It is using all of the means available to it to support the interests of Wall Street while [Trump] is fighting for Main Street, which goes against the interests of the traditional establishment Republicans.

“Historically, the foundations of the decay in the US were placed by former President Bill Clinton who, in the 1990s, ended his political career… Clinton, under the dilemma of being impeached or not, opted to remain president and repealed the Banking Act of 1933. That act, known also the Glass-Steagall Act, was designed to address the 1929 Wall Street crash that resulted in the Great Depression…

“The worst-case scenario will be when the president-elect will not to be able to control the transition and have the people – through social disobedience, riots and bloodshed – impose the new normal from the bottom-up and therefore turning a smooth evolution into a revolution…. In any case, no matter who will be the winner, he will neither have the possibility to change the course of history nor the ability to unite the American people again…”

And this means, another American civil war is a distinct possibility.

American Democracy Gets Bad Marks

Study Finds on September 12:

“As millions struggle to make ends meet during the coronavirus pandemic, a new survey claims American democracy isn’t faring much better. According to the political watchdog group Bright Line Watch, the ‘health’ of several democratic principles are at their lowest levels in three years…

“The August 2020 poll, featuring 776 political science experts, finds large declines among several principals including protections of free speech, toleration of peaceful protests and protection from political violence…

“The watchdog’s 11th democracy poll looks at the country’s stability since March, when COVID-19 put much of the U.S. into lockdown. The political experts contend that democratic principles regarding limits on government power and accountability are continuing to fall… the country has poor grades for civility and behavior… Those issues include having patriotism questioned, seeking compromise, and electoral dysfunction…”

It was not COVID-19 which put much of the U.S. into lockdown, but irresponsible restrictions by ignorant governmental officials. And the same ignorance continues to prevail, as following articles will discuss.

Senseless Sheriff-Shooting

Daily Mail published the following article by Piers Morgan on September 14:

“I didn’t think I would see anything as sickening this year as the appalling killing of [black] George Floyd at the kneed of a callous [white] police officer. But I was wrong. The grainy video of a disgusting [black] coward sneaking up to shoot two [white] deputy sheriffs in Compton, Los Angeles as they sat in their patrol car was just as repulsive and disturbing. There was no warning, and no provocation. This was just a deliberate, pre-meditated attempt at a cold-blooded execution.

“The shooter clearly intended to kill his targets as he fired a number of rounds from his pistol at point blank range into their car before running off. Fortunately, as I write this column, he appears to have failed in his mission as both deputies are reported to have miraculously survived the ambush, although they were seriously injured… One is a 31-year-old woman, and mother of a young son. The other is a 24-year-old man. To compound the senseless barbarity of the shooting, ‘protesters’ yesterday blocked the entrance and exit to the hospital emergency room where the two deputies were taken, chanting vile abuse…

“President Trump blasted the attack, raging about the shooter, ‘Animals that must be hit hard!’ and adding later: ‘If they die, fast trial death penalty for the killer. Only way to stop this!’… Of course, the same President Trump has been far less vocal about what should happen to the police officers who killed George Floyd…

“Only if we all come together and agree that unjustified violence of any kind is wrong, whoever is the victim, and whatever the color of their skin or uniform, can any real progress be made in the battle for racial equality and justice.

“The tragedy of this latest incident is that it makes no sense. Just as the killing of George Floyd defied all logic given his alleged crime was trying to buy cigarettes with counterfeit money, so the purpose of this attack is impossible to understand…

“America has been a racially charged tinderbox since George Floyd’s death, with emotions exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. At a moment like this, the country needs unifying leadership from its political leaders but also from its most inspirational high-profile stars. Instead, it is getting nothing but flame-fanning rhetoric and complicit silence from those who know what’s the right thing to say – but choose not to say it.”

America’s perceived or real racial divide is unbridgeable.

Trump Is the Dynamite

CBS News reported on September 13:

“Washington Post’s Bob [Woodward’s] new book, ‘Rage,’ is his latest work in a 50-year career investigating American presidents. His first investigation, reported with Carl Bernstein, led to the resignation of Richard Nixon. For ‘Rage,’ Mr. Trump agreed to 18 recorded interviews…

“Bob Woodward [said:]: ‘… one of the things that President Trump told me, “In the presidency, there’s always dynamite behind the door.” The real dynamite is President Trump. He is the dynamite.’”

In other words, one never knows what he will do next. This assessment is shared by Trump’s former Security Adviser, John Bolton.

Newsom’s Hidden Support of LGBTQ People

Breitbart wrote on September 13:

“Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed a controversial bill into law Friday that will give judges greater discretion to decide whether adults who commit sodomy with minors should be placed on California’s sex offender registry. The bill, which passed the Democrat-led legislature last week, created a firestorm as proponents said its main purpose was to end discrimination against LGBT adults who have oral and anal sex with minors who claim to be consenting to the sexual activity.

“State Sen. Scott Wiener (D), who introduced the legislation, said in a statement on social media the new law would put an end to ‘blatant discrimination against young LGBT people engaged in consensual activity.’… Proving again he‘s a true champion for the LGBTQ community… Gov Newsom signed [the bill], ending discrimination against LGBTQ young people on CA’s sex offender registry…

“‘Well what a shock. Newsom signed SB145, the bill that allows a 24 year old to have sex with a 14 year old and escape a felony conviction and requirement to be a registered sex offender. Absolutely disgusting,’ (Senator Melissa Melendez wrote on September 12, 2020)…

“San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer (R) also tweeted after Newsom signed the bill into law, ‘As a parent I’m appalled that last night our governor signed a law maintaining a 24-year-old can have sex with a 14-year-old and it not be considered predatory.’…

“The legislation also assumes teens as young as 14 are capable of fully consenting to sex of any variety with any adult, regardless of sexual orientation. Attorney and researcher Jane Robbins said in a statement to Breitbart News, ‘… If Mr. Wiener were concerned about children, he would push to restore penalties on straight adult predators who prey on minors…  Instead, he extended the leniency to gay adult predators.’”

Sick!

Newsom: California Wildfires because of Man-made Climate Change

Reuters reported on September 11:

“California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday toured communities devastated by the state’s raging wildfires and said the deadly, record-shattering fire season across the U.S. West should end all debate over climate change. Newsom, a Democrat, appeared to direct at least some of his remarks at suggestions by U.S. President Donald Trump that poor forest management, and not warming temperatures, were to blame for the raging conflagrations.

“‘I’m a little bit exhausted that we have to continue to debate this issue. This is a climate… emergency. This is real and it’s happening. This is the perfect storm,’ Newsom, 52, said…

“All told some 100 wildfires across the U.S. West have burned an area nearly as large as the state of New Jersey, putting half a million people under evacuation alert in Oregon and pouring out thick smoke across three states.

“‘The debate is over around climate change. Just come to the state of California. Observe it with your own eyes,’ Newsom said. ‘California, folks, is America fast forward. What we’re experiencing right here is coming to communities all across the United States of America unless we get our act together on climate change, unless we disabuse ourselves of all the… that’s being spewed by a very small group of people that have an ideological reason to advance the cause of a 19th century framework and solution,’ he said…

“The governor demurred when asked by reporters to respond directly to suggestions by Trump, a Republican, that seasonal wildfires could be mitigated if state and local officials had worked harder to clear dense, dry underbrush.”

Whatever the cause for this disaster, blaming something or someone for it instead of taking personal responsibility for mistakes and incompetent actions is far too common and also very obvious in the case at hand.

So Predictable… Left-Liberal Court Rules against Church

The Federalist wrote on September 11:

“Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff of the Los Angeles Superior Court issued a preliminary injunction Thursday that prohibits Pastor John MacArthur and Grace Community Church from ‘conducting, participating in, or attending any indoor worship services.’ The ban also extends to services held outside ‘unless onerous restrictions are followed.’

“Since the church first began meeting in-person and defying local lockdown orders in July, Los Angeles County officials have threatened fines, arrest, and even terminated the lease held between the church and the county for parking lot space claiming health and safety concerns.

“A $1,000 fine issued by Los Angeles County was also imposed on the church this week for signs asking congregants to refrain from entering if they were experiencing ‘an elevated temperature, a cough, or any flu-like symptoms.’ According to the county, the signs were not placed at the proper entrances and exits and did not contain instructions asking people to ‘wash hands or use sanitizer, to wear face coverings and to maintain social distancing.’

“Special counsel Jenna Ellis and Charles LiMandri expressed their disappointment in Thursday’s ruling, claiming that the court ‘ducked the issue’ and failed ‘to apply the appropriate constitutional standard of review.’ They also explained their belief that the church was held to a different standard than other activities during COVID-19 lockdowns. ‘The court also did not properly consider the medical and scientific evidence that the current number of people with serious COVID-19 symptoms no longer justifies a shuttering of the churches. Nor do we believe that the court gave adequate consideration to the fact that churches have been treated as second-class citizens compared to the tens of thousands of protestors,’ LiMandri said.

“This opinion by the court, according to Ellis and LiMandri, shows that the church was unfairly targeted. ‘Church is essential, and no government agent has the runaway, unlimited power to force churches to close indefinitely. The County’s argument was basically “because we can,” which is the very definition of tyranny,’ Ellis said. ‘Without limiting government’s power in favor of freedom and protected rights, we have no liberty. We will fight for religious freedom, as our founders did when they wrote the First Amendment.’

‘‘More than ever, California’s churches are essential,’ LiMandri agreed. Despite the court’s ruling, Pastor John MacArthur told Fox News’s Shannon Bream on Thursday night that the church would still be meeting. ‘1/100th of 1 percent of Californians with a virus apparently wins over the U.S. Constitution and religious freedom for all? That is not what our founders said,’ said MacArthur. ‘Nor is that what God says, who gave us our rights that our government—including the judicial branch—is supposed to protect. The scale should always tip in favor of liberty, especially for churches.’

“The Thomas More Society also said that they will appeal it to ‘ultimately vindicate our clients’ constitutionally protected right to free exercise of religion.’ ‘Although this is a temporary setback, we will continue to fight for Pastor MacArthur and Grace Community Church’s constitutionally protected right to hold church,’ Ellis promised.”

Attorney Ellis also posted the following: “Apparently signs asking people not to enter if they have an elevated temperature or symptoms of Covid (located at every entrance & exit) aren’t good enough for LA County. The bullying and harassment continues. This is NOT about health. LA County just wants to shut down church.”

In left-wing California, this POLITICAL decision was so predictable… and it is so shameful and so ungodly.

Todd Starnes wrote on September 8:

“Los Angeles County is trying every angle to harass and bully Pastor John MacArthur and the congregation of Grace Community Church… Make no mistake. This is an abusive, overt attempt to shut down the church. But Pastor MacArthur is a man who humbly stands on the Word of God. He will not be bullied. He will not be intimidated – no matter what the godless government in Los Angeles ultimately decides to do.

“Christians around the nation should lift this church up in prayer. And Christians in California should make a very public statement and demonstration that religious intolerance will not be tolerated in the Golden State.”

The ungodly attack on Christianity in California [and elsewhere] continues. At the same time, the LGBTQ movement is heavily supported (compare the article above).

Some Judges Still Have Common Sense

Fox News wrote on September 14:

 “A federal judge on Monday ruled that some of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s restrictions implemented amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic were unconstitutional — marking a win for businesses struggling to stay afloat amid the forced shutdown.

“U.S. District Judge William Stickman IV, who was appointed by President Trump, sided with plaintiffs that included hair salons, drive-in movie theaters, a farmer’s market vendor, a horse trainer and several Republican officeholders in their lawsuit against Wolf, a Democrat, and his health secretary. The ruling found that Wolf’s restrictions that required people to stay at home, placed size limits on gatherings and ordered ‘non-life-sustaining’ businesses to shut down were unconstitutional.

“The Wolf administration’s pandemic policies have been overreaching, arbitrary and violated citizens’ constitutional rights, Stickman wrote in his ruling… Courts had consistently rejected challenges to Wolf’s power to order businesses to close during the pandemic, and many other governors, Republican and Democrat, undertook similar measures as the virus spread across the country….”

Shame on those Republican and Democrat governors and timid judges who have been destroying thousands, if not millions of people’s lives through their unconstitutional and ridiculous measures and judgments, all the while claiming that they acted for the welfare and protection of the people.  

China Injects Hundreds of Thousands with Experimental Vaccine

The Wall Street Journal wrote on September 12:

“A Chinese pharmaceutical company has injected hundreds of thousands of people with experimental Covid-19 vaccines, as its Western counterparts warn against administering mass vaccinations before rigorous scientific studies are complete.

“China National Biotec Group Co., a subsidiary of state-owned Sinopharm, has given two experimental vaccine candidates to hundreds of thousands of people under an emergency-use condition approved by Beijing in July, the company said this week. Separately, Chinese drugmaker Sinovac Biotech Ltd. said it has inoculated around 3,000 of its employees and their family members, including the firm’s chief executive, with its experimental coronavirus vaccine…

“CNBG said it has received orders for 500 million doses from overseas, the most among Chinese drugmakers, though it didn’t specify which countries put in orders. The company is conducting Phase 3 clinical trials in the United Arab Emirates and Argentina.

“The company’s vaccine regimen may require people to get injected with two or three doses. CNBG said it would be able to produce around 100 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccines by the end of the year and then up to one billion doses annually.”

One would have to be crazy to agree to such experimental drug testing.

Finally, but Very Late: Vatican Urges Public Masses

Breitbart wrote on September 13:

“The Vatican has issued a letter to the world’s bishops urging the resumption of public Sunday Masses, stressing that ‘it is necessary and urgent to return to the normality of Christian life’… ‘The Christian community has never pursued isolation and has never made the church a city with closed doors,’ writes Vatican Cardinal Robert Sarah in the letter, which bears the explicit approval of Pope Francis. The ‘community dimension’ of Christian worship is essential, the cardinal writes, and constitutes ‘a fundamental trait of Christian life,’ according to Jesus’s teaching that ‘Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.’

“During coronavirus lockdowns, many countries made a distinction between ‘essential’ and ‘non-essential’ activities, often judging public worship as belonging to the latter category, something the cardinal suggests was a mistake. The Bishops should act firmly to ensure ‘that the participation of the faithful in the celebration of the Eucharist is not downgraded by the public authorities to a “gathering,” and is not considered as comparable or even subordinate to forms of recreational assemblies,’ he writes…

“In his recent letter, Cardinal Sarah also stresses that online streaming is no substitute for public worship as a community since ‘no transmission is equivalent to personal participation or can replace it.’… The cardinal also notes that ‘proper attention to hygiene and safety rules must not lead to the sterilization of gestures and rites, or to spreading, even unconsciously, fear and insecurity in the faithful.’ In this regard, ‘liturgical norms are not matters on which civil authorities can legislate, but only the competent ecclesiastical authorities,’ he insists.”

It is sad that the Catholic Church, including the pope himself, for a long time, prostrated themselves in submission to the power of secular governments, even supporting their restrictions. Their stance now for public worship services sounds hollow and hypocritical. It is also sad that some Sabbath-keeping Church of God groups have become equally guilty of such unbiblical behavior. This does not only apply to wrong decisions of ministers in charge, but also to members who are following blindly, like dumb sheep, and adopt such bad and ungodly injunctions. This is even more troublesome and ungodly when those churches or their ministers demand restrictions from their members, pertaining to worship services, which go BEYOND those of the governments. It has been established that governmental lockdown decisions were wrong and have cost many lives, while destroying the livelihood of millions of people.

Note the following articles as well.

Crazy—Israel Considers total Lockdown during the annual Fall Holy Day Season

Israel 365 News (formerly Breaking Israel News) wrote on or about September 11:

“On Thursday, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein called for a full lockdown for all of Israel beginning on September [18], [just before the start of] Rosh Hashannah [and to close schools by Wednesday, September 16]… The proposed lockdown may last until the end of the holidays which will be when Simchat Torah (the last day of Sukkoth) ends on Sunday, Oct. 11.  All academic institutions and workplaces will be closed.  A ban will be in place on public and private gatherings. The holidays are normally a time for extended families to gather so the lockdown will prevent this. It also calls for the entire public sector to be placed in a ‘state of emergency.’…

“According to the Finance Ministry, a general closure over a ‘holiday week’ would cost the country NIS 4 billion, and closure on a full week NIS 5 billion to NIS 6 billion…”

Times of Israel wrote on September 12:

“The Health Ministry’s plan for a full national lockdown faced intense pushback shortly after more of its details were unveiled Saturday, with one unnamed minister telling Israeli television the plan was ‘insane,’ and others vowing to oppose it. Ministers… said they would not agree to approve the proposal in its current form, decrying the damage a closure would do to the Israeli economy even as a public outcry by business owners grew, amid threats of mass rebellion against the new restrictions.

“Meanwhile, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein told Channel 12 that ‘there will be no negotiation’ on the plan, saying there was currently no better alternative… The proposal is highly controversial with the public, with many business leaders threatening to defy it. Hotels are furious that they will be required to cancel reservations for the High Holidays just days in advance, having geared up staff and purchased immense quantities of supplies and food.

“There are also complaints that the lockdown unjustifiably closes down the entire country rather than focusing on COVID-19 red zones, and allegations that it is politically impacted, with the government reluctant to be seen singling out ultra-Orthodox areas, which along with Arab areas, have some of Israel’s highest contagion rates…

“With the country facing its second national lockdown and the government’s pandemic policies being widely perceived as disorderly and at times random, many businesses have vowed in recent days to defy closure orders, saying they will not survive a new shutdown. Meanwhile, top business leaders warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday that a new lockdown would be disastrous to the local economy.

“Reports have indicated hundreds — and perhaps thousands — of business owners could refuse to shut down if closure orders come, being unable to withstand the financial burden of a further lockdown. Business owners have said promises of compensation down the road are irrelevant, and that they will refuse to shut their doors unless they receive government aid in advance.

“Channel 13 reported that the Manufacturers Association of Israel, the Chamber of Commerce and other business bodies wrote in a letter to the premier that a new lockdown would cause a further wave of unemployment and bring about ‘an “economic coronavirus” whose effect will be far more destructive than the medical coronavirus,’ and warned that the effects of the harm to the economy could be felt for a decade.”

Subsequently, Times of Israel reported on September 13:

“The cabinet has given its approval to a three-week full nationwide closure, beginning Friday at 2 p.m… The final details… are reported to include a ban on venturing more than 500 meters from home, except for essential errands. Schools, malls, hotels and leisure activities will be shuttered, while supermarkets and pharmacies will remain open.”

Man’s attempts to deal with the panic of the coronavirus are truly insane. In the process, God’s commands of assembling in person on His Holy Days are being blatantly violated. This makes God VERY angry!  Note especially the articles above and below on the failed attempts to deal with the crisis and the hypocritical conduct of the Catholic Church and the ungodly decision of a left-liberal court in California.

Resignation in Protest

JTA wrote on September 13:

“Israel’s housing minister has resigned from the government to protest a nationwide lockdown… Yaakov Litzman, a top haredi Orthodox lawmaker, stepped down to oppose the closures of synagogues over Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, saying that even a policy allowing small-scale prayer services would still impede Israelis’ right to come together during the High Holidays.”

The Times of Israel wrote on September 13:

“Litzman… also said his United Torah Judaism party could bolt the coalition. Litzman accused coronavirus czar Ronni Gamzu of planning for months to impose a lockdown on Rosh Hashanah — which begins this week — and Yom Kippur while avoiding the move during the summer season. In a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Litzman decried the fact that the lockdown would prevent worshipers, including tens of thousands of Jews who don’t go to a synagogue during most of the year, from attending the most important and well-attended Jewish services of the year…’

It is in fact a horrendously stupid decision by Israel’s government… and it is deeply ungodly.

Dangerous Lockdowns—Carefully Planned for a long Time…  

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on September 11:

“The toll lockdowns have taken on human life and human rights has been incalculable. Increases in child abuse, suicide and even heart attacks, all appear to be a feature of mandatory stay-at-home orders issued by politicians who now rule by decree without any legislative or democratic due process. And then, of course, there is the economic toll on employment…

“These measures also have made a mockery of basic human rights while essentially expropriating private property. Mom-and-pop business owners were told to shut their doors indefinitely or face arrest. The unemployed were told it was now illegal to work for a living if their careers were deemed ‘nonessential.’ Police officers have beaten citizens for not ‘social distancing’ while mothers have been manhandled by cops for attempting to use playground equipment.

“This was all done because some politicians and bureaucrats—who were in no danger of losing their large paychecks—decided it was a great idea to carry out a bizarre and risky experiment: forcing large swaths of the population to stay at home in the name of preventing the spread of disease.

“Indeed, politicians have long dreamed of forcing people into isolation en masse. But this was most recently revived during the George W. Bush administration. As the New York Times reported in April: ‘Fourteen years ago, two federal government doctors, Richard Hatchett and Carter Mecher, met with a colleague at a burger joint in suburban Washington for a final review of a proposal they knew would be treated like a piñata: telling Americans to stay home from work and school the next time the country was hit by a deadly pandemic. Drs. Hatchett and Mecher were proposing… that Americans in some places might have to turn back to an approach, self-isolation, first widely employed in the Middle Ages. How that idea — born out of a request by President George W. Bush to ensure the nation was better prepared for the next contagious disease outbreak — became the heart of the national playbook for responding to a pandemic is one of the untold stories of the coronavirus crisis. The concept of social distancing is now intimately familiar to almost everyone. But as it first made its way through the federal bureaucracy in 2006 and 2007, it was viewed as impractical, unnecessary and politically infeasible….’

“And why was it considered impractical and unnecessary? There is more than one reason, but one major reason is that lockdowns have never been shown to be particularly effective… it’s now becoming apparent that lockdowns don’t work when actually tried. Earlier this month, for example, Donald Luskin noted in the Wall Street Journal: ‘Measuring from the start of the year to each state’s point of maximum lockdown—which range from April 5 to April 18—it turns out that lockdowns correlated with a greater spread of the virus. States with longer, stricter lockdowns also had larger Covid outbreaks. The five places with the harshest lockdowns—the District of Columbia, New York, Michigan, New Jersey and Massachusetts—had the heaviest caseloads.’

“Basically, Luskin searched for a clear correlation between lockdowns and better health outcomes in relation to covid-19. He found none. He continues: ‘[T]here’s no escaping the evidence that, at minimum, heavy lockdowns were no more effective than light ones, and that opening up a lot was no more harmful than opening up a little. So where’s the science that would justify the heavy lockdowns many public-health officials are still demanding?’…

“… A June study published by Advance by Stefan Homburg and Christof Kuhbandner found that the data ‘strongly suggests’ that ‘the UK lockdown was both superfluous… and ineffective…’

“Along these lines, Simon Wood, examined the progression of the disease in the United Kingdom and in Sweden and found that the data ‘strongly suggest that the decline in infections in England and Wales began before full lockdown, and that community infections, unlike deaths, were probably at a low level well before lockdown was eased. Furthermore, such a scenario would be consistent with the infection profile in Sweden, which began its decline in fatal infections shortly after the UK, but did so on the basis of measures well short of full lockdown.’…

“Extraordinary measures require extraordinary evidence. And the burden of proof is on those who seek to use the coercive power of the state to force people into their homes, cripple the economy, and abolish countless basic freedoms for the duration. Have the advocates for lockdowns made their case? It’s hard to see how they have. For one, advocates for lockdowns need to present obvious and overwhelming evidence that lockdowns bring big benefits far in excess of the no-lockdown approach. They have not done so. Moreover, they have not shown that a lack of lockdowns is anywhere near as dangerous as they have claimed in the name of pushing lockdowns to begin with. We can already see what the no-lockdown scenario looks like. It looks like Sweden, and that’s a better outcome than many prolockdown regimes can claim. Governments are nonetheless likely to continue claiming their lockdowns worked. In ancient days, a witch doctor might perform a rain dance on Tuesday and claim credit when it rained on Wednesday. Lockdowns are increasingly looking like the modern equivalent of a rain dance.”

The comparison of lockdowns with witch doctors is not that far-fetched. Ignorant but power-hungry governmental officials, under the rule of Satan, and following ignorant but self-righteous medical “experts,” have been contributing to the destruction of their countries and citizens, and all those who have been supporting these measures, by action or word, also have a heavy burden of responsibility on their shoulders as well. May God forgive them upon true repentance! The above-cited article quoted and linked to many more surveys concluding that lockdowns were useless and devastatingly destructive.  

The Despicable Mass Media Propaganda

The American Institute for Economic Research wrote on September 14:

“Just when the fear starts to subside, and growing public skepticism seems to push governors into opening, something predictable happens. The entire apparatus of mass media hops on some new, super-scary headline designed to instill more Coronaphobia and extend the lockdowns yet again. It’s a cycle that never stops. It comes back again and again.

“A great example occurred this weekend. A poll appeared on Friday from the Kaiser Family Foundation. It showed that confidence in Anthony Fauci is evaporating along with support for lockdowns and mandatory Covid vaccines. The news barely made the headlines, and very quickly this was overshadowed by a scary new claim: restaurants will give you Covid!

“It’s tailor-made for the mainstream press. The study is from the CDC… And the thesis is easily digestible: those who test positive for Covid are twice as likely as those who tested negative to have eaten at a restaurant. ‘Eating and drinking on-site at locations that offer such options might be important risk factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection,’ the study says.

“Very scary! Thus the implied conclusion: don’t allow indoor dining! Otherwise Covid will spread like wildfire!

“After six months of this Corona Kabuki dance, driven by alarmist media and imposed by wacko, power-abusing governors and mayors, I’ve become rather cynical about the whole enterprise, so I mostly ignore the latest nonsense. In this case, however, I decided to take a closer look simply because so many millions of owners, workers, and customers have been treated so brutally in the ‘War on Restaurants.’

“It turns out, of course, that this is not what the study said…

“Lockdowns have become a conclusion in a desperate search for evidence… This is precisely where we’ve been for six solid months now. The media has become the handmaiden of lockdown tyranny, blasting out simplistic versions of sketchy studies to keep the panic going as long as possible. And the public… eats it up.”

We wonder who those gullible people are who are falling for this mass media propaganda

Absolutely Braindead Decision of Southwest Airlines

USA Today wrote on September 14:

“A woman traveling from Fort Myers, Florida, to Chicago said she was escorted off her Southwest Airline flight on Saturday because her 2-year-old son was snacking prior to takeoff and wasn’t wearing his mask… Degyansky said she boarded the flight with her son… and he took off his mask to eat some of the snacks that were served. On multiple occasions, a flight attendant told her that he needed to be masked, but he was eating, she said. The plane had already left the gate, but returned for staff to escort them off the flight. For about 15 minutes, Degyansky argued with airline personnel because her son had his mask back on, but they did not listen to her, she said.

“According to CDC guidelines, children 2 years and older should wear a mask over their nose and mouth if it’s difficult to social distance. ‘My toddler who literally turned 2 two weeks ago. … I know you have to draw the line but let’s be a little compassionate with everyone’s individual circumstances,’ she said… ‘If a Customer is unable to wear a face covering for any reason, Southwest regrets that we are unable to transport the individual…’ said Ro Hawthorne, a spokesperson for the airline.”

How much more STUPID can this get?

AG Barr Condemned for Telling the Truth

The Associated Press wrote on September 17:

“Attorney General William Barr drew sharp condemnation Thursday for comparing lockdown orders during the coronavirus pandemic to slavery… Barr had called the lockdown orders the ‘greatest intrusion on civil liberties in American history’ since slavery. His comments… also criticized his own prosecutors for behaving as ‘headhunters’ in their pursuit of prominent targets and for using the weight of the criminal justice system to launch what he said were ‘ill-conceived’ political probes…

 “It’s not the first time Barr has condemned stay-at-home orders. He has previously said that some orders were ‘disturbingly close to house arrests’ and the Justice Department sent letters to several states warning that some of their virus-related restrictions might be unlawful. Prosecutors also filed statements of interest in several civil cases challenging some of the restrictions.”

We would even go a step further and state that the lockdown did not only come close to house arrest, but that it constituted house arrest, and that those locked in were indeed victims of autocratically enforced governmental slavery.

Sweden Reports Fewest Coronavirus Cases

The Guardian wrote on September 15:

“While many European countries are seeing their infection rates surge to levels not seen since the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Sweden – whose light-touch approach has made it an international outlier – has recorded the fewest daily cases since the virus emerged. The Scandinavian country’s rolling seven-day average of new cases stood at 108 on Tuesday, its lowest level since 13 March. Data from the Swedish national health agency showed only 1.2% of its 120,000 tests last week came back positive…

“Sweden also has fewer new daily infections than Norway and Denmark, its Nordic neighbours… Anders Tegnell, the country’s chief epidemiologist and architect of its no-lockdown strategy, told broadcaster France-24 in an interview: …’In the end, we will see how much difference it will make to have a strategy that’s more sustainable, that you can keep in place for a long time, instead of the strategy that means that you lock down, open up and lock down over and over again.’… Shops, bars, restaurants and gyms stayed open and the wearing of masks has not so far been recommended.”

Sweden is one example. South Dakota is another one. 

South Dakota Stands Out

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on September 13:

“Many state fairs across America were canceled this year. The reason offered: coronavirus. It should be no surprise that among the states where an annual state fair did occur this year is South Dakota. South Dakota is the state whose governor — Kristi Noem — has resisted, more than has any other governor across America, the temptation to use coronavirus as an excuse to exercise dictatorial powers.

“Following last month’s annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally that brought hundreds of thousands of visitors to the state, South Dakota has continued to demonstrate with the state fair that ended on Monday that coronavirus is no excuse for canceling events that bring joy to life…

“Noem was among the many people who enjoyed the South Dakota State Fair free of mask and ‘social distancing’ mandates.”

 Don’t Ask Questions!

The American Institute for Economic Research wrote on September 15:

“If you are a good person, you will submit, for as long as it takes. Deviate from the rules, and you are a bad, selfish person, who does not care if others die.  We have been introduced to the corona gods and they are ferocious, and make many demands. They require children to forgo school, or to attend school by staring into a screen. That is, for those whose parents or school districts can afford the screens. They can play together only if masked, faceless and muffled, six feet apart. Their cognitive development is likely to be hampered by their inability to read facial expressions, perhaps for a lifetime, but that is an unavoidable price we must pay, or so we are told.

“The corona gods ask much, too, of young adults. Whether they were embarking on new careers or enrolled in institutions of higher learning, they must surrender their hopes and aspirations and separate from each other, however contrary it might be to their natures…

“The bereavement of business owners… is unavoidable collateral damage, the politicians say mournfully…

“We are not to ask certain questions, according to the politicians, the experts, our friends… Do not ask: are we ultimately causing more deaths, or ruining more lives, in the long term, than the coronavirus itself?… It’s over when we say it’s over, they say. We must keep each other safe. So cover your nose and mouth. Stand six feet apart. Stay home. Comply!”

We are witnessing the creation of a perfect dictatorship! Note the next article.

“Great” Britain… the Perfect Dictatorial Police State!

The Sun wrote on September 14:

“BRITS should snitch on their neighbours if they are breaking the new coronavirus rule of six, the policing minister has said. Kit Malthouse said this morning people who spy someone doing the wrong thing by having more than six people over should call the cops. He told BBC Radio 4: ‘What we’re hoping we’ll see for the rule of six is what we saw for the whole of lockdown which is extremely high compliance. ‘In the end we all have to recognise that we have an individual duty towards our collective health and we hope that view will prevail. There is the non-emergency number that people can ring and report issues if they wish to.’… Mr Malthouse said during lockdown there was a surge from people spying on their neighbours reporting them to the police for breaking restrictions….

“National Police Chiefs Council Chairman Martin Hewitt said… ‘Once these rules and regulations are enacted, they are the law. If people are deliberately breaking the law, we would expect members of the public to take responsibility to report that… And Home Secretary Priti Patel said troublemakers would be handed a criminal record if they ignore the fines… Home Office officials say those who refuse to accept £100 on-the-spot fines will be arrested and taken to court….”

First of all, as the evidence proves, lockdowns DON’T WORK. The new regulations in Britain are just plain crazy and stupid. Then, in reading this abominable development, we must say: Welcome, “Great” Britain, to the dictatorships of China, Russia, North Korea, Nazi Germany, and former East Germany. Here we have now the perfect storm of spying on others, dictatorial autocratic nonsensical damaging governmental measures and the establishment of a police state. Democracy… gone forever!

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 1 Kings 8:65-66 we read: “At that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great assembly from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days and seven more days—fourteen days.  On the eighth day he sent the people away; and they blessed the king, and went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the good that the Lord had done for His servant David, and for Israel His people.”

On the face of it, it speaks of “seven days and seven more days—fourteen days” and on “the eighth day he sent the people away.” How do we reconcile this—first it seemingly speaks of 14 days, and then it reverts back to the eighth day at the end of 14 days?

Some might see it as a contradiction, but if it was, the Bible would not be reliable and as we know, the Word of God is perfect, fitting together like a completed jigsaw puzzle and there is no contradiction here.

We read the following in the Benson Commentary:

“Before the temple, as in God’s presence. Seven days and seven days — Seven for the dedication of the temple, or altar; and the other seven for the feast of tabernacles. And it seems to be expressed in this manner, to intimate, that these fourteen days of rejoicing were not all together, but that there was some interval between them, which indeed was necessary, because the day of atonement was on the tenth day of this month…”

In the book of Leviticus chapter 23 we read the list of all of God’s Feast days.   God says in verse 2 “these are My feasts” from the weekly Sabbath right through all of the annual holy days that Israel was instructed to keep then and, by extension, the people of God still keep these same feast days today as opposed to the man-made and pagan holidays that are kept around the world.

In 2 Chronicles 7:8-10 we read: “At that time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of Egypt.  And on the eighth day they held a sacred assembly, for they observed the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.  On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the good that the LORD had done for David, for Solomon, and for His people Israel.”

Continuing with the Benson Commentary: “And because these fourteen days ended on the twenty-second day, (2 Chronicles 7:10,) it may seem most probable, that the feast of the dedication was kept before the tenth day; and the feast of tabernacles some days after it. On the eighth day he sent the people away — Having joined with them in the solemn assembly, which was kept on the eighth day; in the close of that day he took his solemn farewell, and dismissed them with his blessing; and the next morning, when the heads and elders, with divers of the people, came to take their leave of the king, he sent them away.”

Remembering what we read in 2 Chronicles 7:8-10 and considering other Scriptures, we can summarize and conclude that there were 7 days for the dedication of the altar; the Day of Atonement is on the 10th day of the seventh month; there were 7 days for the Feast of Tabernacles, starting on the 15th of the month (Leviticus 23:34); and there was one day – the eighth day that follows the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:36).

It follows therefore that the 7 days of dedication would have been at the beginning of the month before the 10th day which was the Day of Atonement. This would be followed by the Feast of Tabernacles from the 15th to the 21st of the month, followed by the 8th day (the 22nd day of the month). Then, on the 23rd day (compare again 2 Chronicles 7:10), the day following the 22nd day, Solomon sent the people away.

It all fits together to show how the two sets of 7 days were kept separately without any contradiction whatsoever, together with the day of Atonement and the 8th day, after the Feast of Tabernacles had finished.

The same explanation is given in Matthew Poole’s Commentary, Gill’s Exposition of the Whole Bible, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary, Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers and other commentaries.

This example shows again that if we read the Scriptures with the right understanding, and without an intent to find fault, then there are no contradictions in God’s Holy Word, the Bible.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

Here are the dates for the Fall Holy Days;

• Feast of Trumpets… September 19, 2020
• Day of Atonement… September 28, 2020
• Feast of Tabernacles… October 3-9, 2020
• Last Great Day… October 10, 2020

A new Member Letter (September 2020) has been written by Norbert Link, which will be posted and sent to our mailing list. This letter previews the coming fall Holy Days pointing to the destructive role of Satan as he relentlessly attacks God’s people and the promise of the return of Jesus Christ to put an end to all rebellion against God.

“Satan Rules This World—Does He Rule You?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Satan has been very busy. Many are falling for his evil devices. But God requires of us that we love and obey Him in everything. Through governmental restrictions under his influence, Satan is using the same tactic as he did when deceiving Eve in the Garden of Eden. Eve fell for it, and Adam followed his wife, convincing themselves that a “little” disobedience did not really matter. Far too many of God’s people are following today Adam and Eve’s bad example. Don’t you be one of them!

A Tech Team Meeting was conducted over SKYPE on Sunday, September 13, 2020. Hosted by Eric Rank, topics included completion and posting of a new Spanish language booklet, technical support for services during the Feast of Tabernacles, sermon titles and outlines for the Feast and support issues regarding images for publications.

“Gottes Botschaft muss heute verkündigt werden!” is the title of a new German sermon for the Feast of Trumpets, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “God’s Message Must Be Preached Today!”

“Verantwortung & Segen,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Daniel Blasinger, is now posted. Title in English: “Responsibility and Blessing.”

“A False Witness,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We are not to bear false witness, but do we by allowing our thoughts to be influenced by false accusations?

“What Counsel Do We Live By?” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Robb Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

It isn’t enough in God’s eyes that we simply rely on our own intuitions as a means of drawing closer to Him.  Self-will and self-determination alienate us from the Father.  Through the hierarchy of the Church, as initiated and led by Christ, we have a bridge to grow in the knowledge of God the Father.

The YouTube channel for the Church of the Eternal God presents past videos for StandingWatch programs along with sermonettes, sermons and promotional videos. These are also available on our website: www.eternalgod.org. Please also note new literature posted on our German and Spanish websites.

 

On September 12, 2020, Dave Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “A False Witness,” and Robb Harris will present the sermon, titled, “What Counsel Do We Live By?”

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

The book of Isaiah is a very informative book in the Bible. It is highly esteemed by the Jews, considered second in importance only to the five books of Moses. It is a book with much encouragement but also many prophecies of punishment for the nations that do not know and obey God. Chapter 40 starts out in verse 1 very positively with “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Verse 5 informs us that “The Glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” This is all very promising and positive. In fact, this will become true when the meaning of the Feast of Trumpets is fulfilled and Christ returns in His full glory.

But a very different theme is introduced in verses 6 to 8: “The voice said, ‘Cry out!’ And he said, ‘What shall I cry?’ ‘All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, But the Word of our God stands forever.’” Peter quotes this important passage in 1 Peter 1:24-25.

Obviously God is comparing Himself, His Eternity and Power, with us. We are mortal and subject to death, and as other passages state, we are as nothing in His sight. One of them in which David acknowledges this is Psalm 39:4-5: “LORD, make me to know my end, And what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am. Indeed, you have made my days as handbreadths, And my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor.” Even David, a man after God’s own heart, realized that, as a man, he was nothing. He was, like grass, subject to death.

Another king, the most powerful man on the earth in his day, was Nebuchadnezzar. In Jeremiah 27:6 God calls him “My servant.” And in Daniel 2:37, he is called “A king of kings.” Regarding the statue in verse 38, he was the head of gold. Obviously he was a very important person to whom God had given “A kingdom, power, strength, and glory” (verse 37). But subsequently, while he was walking about the royal palace in Babylon, boasting of what he had built, God caused him to become like an animal and he ate grass for seven times or years. After his understanding was restored, he admitted in Daniel 4:34-35: “…. For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reported as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’”

So Nebuchadnezzar also admitted that even with all his king’s glory and power, and even though God claimed he was His servant, he was among those reported as nothing. So, if we compare ourselves with God, we are also as nothing.

There is a part of Isaiah 40:6 that the full meaning of may not be obvious at first sight. Part of the quote is: “…‘its loveliness is like the flower of the field.’” The Hebrew for loveliness can also be translated “goodliness” (KJV), or even kindliness, or good deeds. It is more than just the appearance of the flower. It indicates that all of the good we have done, and all the mercy and favour we have shown in our lives also fades and is soon forgotten by those around us.

So, what is our hope since, as humans, we are destined to fade to nothing? David tells us in a very well-known Psalm.

Psalm 23 only has six verses, but in them we can see David’s attitude and expectations. It is a very useful example for us. In these six verses, David mentions the “LORD” or pronouns representing the “LORD” twelve times. He begins by admitting that the “LORD” provided all his needs, his physical and emotional needs. The “LORD” enabled him to learn righteousness. And even when he was in great danger and fear of death, the “LORD” was with him and comforted him. David was provided with great abundance. He basically attributed all that he had to God.

However, verse 6 in this Psalm is of utmost importance, both for David, and for us. As humans, we are mortal, and even in our best state are counted as nothing in comparison with God. But as David mentions here, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the House of the LORD forever.” In the International Standard Version, this last part is rendered, “And I will remain in the Lord’s Temple forever.” This reminds us of the promise we also have in Revelation 3:12: “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the Temple of My God, and he shall go out no more…”

So, these verses in Isaiah 40 are to remind us that as humans, we can expect to grow old, lose strength and fade away, and with our own human strength, we can do little. But, by looking to God for all our needs and desires, and obeying Him, there are great rewards promised for us. There are a number of Scriptures that promise that David will be king or prince over Israel and Judah. One of them is Jeremiah 30:9. Speaking of the combined tribes, we read: “But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, Whom I will raise up for them.” There are also similar promises for us such as in Revelation 1:5-6: “… To Him [Jesus Christ] Who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own Blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

So, as the end of this present evil age draws near, it is well worth remembering that of ourselves, we can do very little. However, it is also wise to consider Psalm 23, remembering that God is fully able to comfort us, provide for us, and protect us when necessary. We should also look to the future where we will be able to dwell in the Temple of God forever. We will be Spirit-born immortal members of the God Family forever. We will no longer be grass, but will have the authority as kings and priests to help bring real peace to this sick world.

by Norbert Link

We begin with further developments regarding the Russian-sponsored Nord Stream 2 Pipeline and Angela Merkel’s refusal to cancel the project, even though proof of Russia’s poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny is becoming more and more compelling (in spite of Trump’s unwillingness to acknowledge the same). We are reporting on America’s sanctions of the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and Germany’s and France’s condemning response; and Macron’s ambitions of becoming Europe’s leader (but these ambitions will not be materialized), as well as Germany’s military involvement in the Indo-Pacific region. In this context, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Europe’s Threats Get Louder and Its Actions More Worrisome!”

We speak on the fight of several nations for dominance in the Mediterranean and Erdogan’s desire to become the new dictator of the ancient Ottoman Empire (but these ambitions will not materialize either, even though Turkey will play a role in the coming destruction of Israel and the USA).

We speak on Trump’s Middle Eastern “Peace Plan” which is destined to fail; and the EU’s heavy hand and iron fist towards those who dare to disagree with their policies. We also report on the distinct possibility of a Brexit without any trade agreement between the UK and the EU.

We report on further plagues in South Africa due to devouring locusts, and terrible wildfires in California and Oregon, only adding to the states’ ongoing demise. We also point out Facebook’s uncontrollable measures towards those who post views which are not politically correct; and a court decision in the Netherlands acquitting populist Geert Wilders.

Focusing on worldwide coronavirus restrictions, we speak on most ridiculous measures by Australia’s left-wing government and by the UK; the defiance of a California church towards restrictions of a left-wing government; huge demonstrations in Italy against the left-wing government’s restrictions; and Israel’s opposition leader’s call for civil disobedience against the “conservative” government’s restrictions.

We conclude with articles on Trump’s ill-advised fight with Fox News and the sincerity of his and Biden’s religious beliefs.  We also show how Nancy Pelosi’s hypocrisy contributed to the destruction of another business.

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

“Stop the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline”… but Merkel Resists

Der Spiegel Online wrote on September 4:

“Leading politicians in Germany from all mainstream parties are demanding that construction on the natural gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 be suspended as a result of the poisoning of Alexei Navalny. But Merkel’s government is so far resisting such calls…

“Germany’s relationship with Russia will change significantly. The clear evidence that [an] internationally banned nerve agent was used makes it even more likely that the Kremlin [and Putin] was behind the poisoning… a debate has erupted over which sanctions the German government should now consider applying. The expulsion of Russian diplomats and sanctions against the individuals responsible for the annexation of Crimea did little to impress Moscow. Economic sanctions against certain industries or products could be effective, but they would likely hurt Germany as well, given that Moscow’s retaliations against such sanctions in the past have been just as severe.

“The only penalty that would primarily hurt Moscow would be a construction stop on the almost completed Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline.

“‘The German government’s starry-eyed indifference to President Putin’s brutality must finally come to an end,’ says Agnieszka Brugger, deputy group leader for the Green Party in parliament. ‘Putting an end to Nord Stream 2 would be the minimum.’ The business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP) tend to agree. The pipeline ‘must immediately be examined,’ says Bijan Dijr-Sarai, the foreign policy spokesman for the FDP in parliament. He is in favor of an immediate moratorium. ‘It was a mistake from the very beginning to ignore the political backdrop to Nord Stream 2. It is now coming back to bite the government,’ he says.

“But even members of political parties in Merkel’s governing coalition, which pairs her conservatives with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), are increasingly demanding that the pipeline project be abandoned. One is Norbert Röttgen, a candidate to become chairman of Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) and the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Germany’s federal parliament, the Bundestag. Another is Manfred Weber, head of the European People’s Party group in European Parliament, to which German conservatives belong…

“Within the government, however, that step remains off limits. Officially, at least… Daniel Caspary, head of German conservatives in the European Parliament, believes that the attack on Navalny is just more evidence that Putin doesn’t take EU foreign policy seriously… EU diplomats who have long been involved in Russia policy hold similar views…”

It will be interesting to see as to whether Germany will show some strength and go ahead with the cancellation of the pipeline project… perhaps in collaboration with other EU member states.  Trump’s refusal to acknowledge Russia’s role in the poisoning is even more amazing as Trump wants the pipeline project to be canceled as well.

US Sanctions ICC

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 4:

“Germany calls US sanctions against the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda [which include freezing her US assets] ‘a serious mistake’ while France describes them as a ‘grave attack.’… Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, said the US sanctions were ‘unacceptable’ and ‘unprecedented.’…

“The United States has never been a party to the ICC and in the past, Pompeo has referred to the tribunal as a ‘kangaroo court.’… Speaking on Wednesday, Pompeo said the US would not tolerate what he called the ICC’s ‘illegitimate attempts to subject Americans to its jurisdiction.’”

Germany and France vs. the USA… a usual pattern is emerging.

What’s Macron Up to?

Daily Sabah wrote on September 4:

“[Macron visited Lebanon] to have talks with Lebanese leaders to make sure that they were ready to implement reforms immediately required for the survival of the country, which was already facing an economic crisis. He said Lebanese leaders would be sanctioned if reforms are not implemented – as if Lebanon is still a French mandate… many started to ask what Macron is planning.

“On the other hand, while the tension between Turkey and Greece in the Eastern Mediterranean is growing, Macron is coming to the forefront with his remarks and decisions about it – though France does not have a coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean. Adding tension to the dispute in question, Paris sent warships and jets to support Athens and threaten Ankara recently. And last week, Macron said he set red lines with Turkey in the East Mediterranean…

“In June, the French president accused Turkey of playing ‘a dangerous game’ in Libya, although Paris has been sending clandestine military aid for several years to the war-torn country. The French president first made the ‘NATO’s becoming brain-dead’ remark last November after U.S. President Donald Trump decided to withdraw American troops from northern Syria…

“As British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is busy with the Brexit endgame problem, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has chosen to keep a low profile due to a paralyzed grand coalition in Germany and the U.S. has lost its authority over the West, it looks like President Macron has seen the vacuum in question as an opportunity. He now acts as if he is Europe’s foreign policy leader by default and thinks that he has to run the show because there is a diplomatic-relations gap in the Western world.

“… With his ‘brain-dead’ allegation, he is trying to show European leaders that Europe can no longer rely on America to defend NATO allies. He presses for a greater Europe in terms of defense; he calls for a European army. According to him, ‘a true European army’ will protect Europe from ‘China, Russia and even the U.S.’… the idea of creating a European army will make the EU stronger and less dependent on the U.S. But this will come at a price. Lessening dependency on Washington will enlarge the fissure between the EU and the U.S. and weaken the Western alliance in the global arena. Most importantly, a European army and NATO cannot coexist. If the European leaders are persuaded by the French president, they will probably bring an end to the transatlantic alliance.

“The irony is that the idea of a European army dates back to the years following World War II, and it might have come to fruition if then-French President Charles de Gaulle had not prevented it. He wanted a directorate of three – namely France, Britain and the U.S. – to dictate Western security. When the idea of a ‘European defense force’ was proposed, de Gaulle worried that a European army would threaten French sovereignty and integrity and could bring back a militarized Germany… de Gaulle rejected a European army idea in the post-war era because he was opposed to giving power to Germany and took France out of NATO since he disliked the U.S. penetration of Europe’s political arena. Macron claims that he is trying to unify Europe’s military power, but the question is: Is France ready for a rearmed Germany especially while Britain is leaving the EU?…

“Does Macron actually want to dominate Europe while he says that Europe has to be controlled by Europeans?”

Is Macron determined to become Europe’s leader… using the vacuum created by weak, tired, inconclusive and undecisive Angela Merkel? The Bible shows that a military leader of German or Austrian descent… not a Frenchman… will rise soon.

Germany’s Military Endeavors in the Indo-Pacific Region

Naval News wrote on September 4:

“The German Government recently formulated the interests, principles and central areas of German policy in the Indo-Pacific region. The new guidelines are also a contribution to a possible EU-European Union overall strategy for the region, the country’s Ministry of Defense stated on September 2… ‘With the rise of Asia, the political and economic weights are increasingly shifting to the Indo-Pacific region. The region will become the key to shaping the international order in the 21st century,’ the new guidelines say…

“‘It is time for Germany to defend its interests more vigorously,’ German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer emphasized last year… Allies and partners would expect Germany to take the initiative, provide impetus and show options, said the minister. With the measures that have now been adopted, this approach is reflected in the official guidelines of the federal government…”

The Fight for the Mediterranean

The Washington Times wrote on September 2:

“The Mediterranean — an on-again, off-again geopolitical hot spot since before the pyramids were built — is emerging anew as a sea of division and instability, with powers including Russia, China, Turkey and Israel jostling aggressively for influence, natural resources and military advantage. Moscow is eyeing a possible military base along the oil-rich shores of Libya. China is seeking investment deals across the region. Turkey is clashing with NATO partner Greece over drilling rights and militarized islands. Newly discovered offshore natural gas deposits have nations scrambling to stake their claims. Even the Trump administration on Wednesday partially lifted an arms embargo with Cyprus in what was widely interpreted as a shot across Turkey’s bow.

“Analysts generally agree that NATO is failing to ease regional tensions. The U.S., despite multiple interests, lacks leverage in many of the disputes, with President Trump accelerating a U.S. pullback begun under President Obama that opened a power vacuum that others are now scrambling to fill.

“While a range of unsavory players are making moves — Iran, Hezbollah and the Islamic State are among those seeking to exploit the situation — many in Europe and Washington are pointing the finger at Turkey for escalating the crisis by threatening to use force to take possession of natural gas finds beneath a string of Mediterranean islands that most in Europe say belongs to Greece.

“The two NATO member states are now locked in a dangerous maritime standoff that is shaking the alliance to its core, with mediation attempts by Germany and others in the European Union so far going nowhere while the Trump administration warily monitors the situation. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that Mr. Trump has held private discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and that the White House is ‘urging everyone to stand down.’”

NATO is falling apart, to be replaced by a powerful European army under German leadership.

Turkey Destroys Christian Church

Breitbart wrote on September 3:

“Turkish authorities razed to the ground the historic St. Georgios Christian church late Wednesday, an iconic structure known as the ‘Hagia Sophia of Bursa.’

“The Greek Orthodox Church of St. Georgios had been restored and transformed into a cultural center… The municipality took over the church in 2006 and invested some 2 million Turkish lira in restorations… Seven years ago, however, an Islamic organization… filed a lawsuit to gain ownership rights over the church and in 2013 proprietorship was assigned to [it]… After the transfer, the building received no regular maintenance and was allowed to go to ruin… Aware of the danger, the… Municipality had attempted again in 2016 to recover control of the church to be able to carry out necessary renovations, but received the reply that the building could not be used for any purpose other than a place of Muslim worship. Last July, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reconverted Istanbul’s iconic 6th-century Hagia Sophia church into a mosque, after 86 years serving as a museum. He then proceeded to convert another historic former church, the 4th-century Chora church, one of Istanbul’s oldest Byzantine structures.

“President Erdogan has come under fire for undoing the work of secular Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, appeasing more radical Muslim elements by re-Islamizing the country. A Time magazine article Thursday warned of Mr. Erdogan’s ‘Love Affair with the Ottoman Empire’ that is moving the nation in a dangerous direction. ‘Much has been written about Erdogan’s attempts to “resurrect” the Ottoman Empire or to style himself a sultan,’ the article states. More precisely, Erdogan seems to be adopting the persona of the empire’s ninth sultan, Selim I, during whose reign ‘the Ottoman Empire grew from a strong regional power to a gargantuan global empire,’ it relates.”

Erdogan’s ambitions are far too obvious.

Trump’s “Peace Plan” Failing

The Los Angeles Times wrote on September 3:

“… after two trips through the region by senior Trump advisors to build on what they hoped would be momentum from the Emirates deal, no other Arab nation has said it is willing to take the long-shunned leap to accept and recognize Israel as a legitimate Mideast neighbor, at least not until Israel resolves its conflict with Palestinians… their hesitance also reflects decades of political and religious tension, in which most of the Arab world steadfastly pretends Israel does not exist.

“The Emirates would become only the third Arab country in history to recognize Israel, after Egypt and Jordan… The Emirates has been partly motivated by its desire to buy some of the most sophisticated fighter jets in the U.S. arsenal. An undisclosed number of F-35 fighter jets will reportedly be sold to the Emirates, despite Israeli objections…

“Regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia, despite its close relationship with the Trump administration, reiterated that it would not recognize Israel without an agreement with the Palestinians. The Saudis see themselves as leaders of the Sunni Arab world, with custody of Islam’s most important religious shrines, and have to tread carefully.

“Morocco and Bahrain echoed Saudi Arabia. Morocco is a unique case because it quietly enjoys tolerant relations with Israel. Moroccan Jews make up the second-largest immigrant population in Israel, after Russians, and there are cultural, travel and other connections between the two countries, albeit conducted discreetly.

“The official Bahrain News Agency reported that King Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa told Pompeo that he would countenance only the two-state solution.

“Sudan, receiving Pompeo on Aug. 25, hinted it might come on board but only if it was removed from the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism. Qatar rebuffed Kushner, telling him upon his arrival there Wednesday that only a two-state solution — recognition of an independent Palestinian country alongside Israel — was acceptable.

“In U.S.-friendly Kuwait, legislators are pushing through a law that would prohibit normalization and impose a boycott on Israeli goods. ‘Kuwait has not changed its position, and it will be the last country to normalize with Israel,’ an unnamed government official was quoted as saying in the daily newspaper Al Qabas….”

It was clear from the outset: This “peace plan” has NO CHANCE of lasting success.

EU Threatens Serbia and Kosovo

The Associated Press wrote on September 7:

“In an unexpected move last week, Trump said that Serbia and Kosovo had agreed to normalize economic ties as part of US-brokered talks that include Belgrade moving its embassy to Jerusalem, and mutual recognition between Israel and Kosovo…

“‘There is no EU member state with an embassy in Jerusalem,’ European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said. ‘Any diplomatic steps that could call into question the EU’s common position on Jerusalem are a matter of serious concern and regret.’”

More and more, the EU is ruling its members and prospective members with an “iron hand.” Subsequently, Serbia and Kosovo have tried to somewhat distance themselves from Trump’s comments, fearing EU dictatorship.

Coming… a Brexit without a Trade Agreement?

Business Insider wrote on September 7:

“UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to overwrite key parts of the Brexit withdrawal deal he agreed with the EU last year as he insists that leaving all existing trade arrangements without a fresh deal at the end of the year would be a ‘good outcome’ for Britain… Johnson’s official spokesman confirmed on Monday that the government will move to ‘clarify specific elements’ of the deal…

“In practice, the bill will give UK ministers the power in primary legislation to determine what goods going from Great Britain to Northern Ireland are ‘at risk’ of entering the EU… Critics of the move say these changes are significant changes that could undermine the entire Withdrawal Agreement.

“Under the terms of the Northern Irish protocol, while Great Britain will leave the EU’s single market and customs union at the end of the year, Northern Ireland will continue to follow the EU’s trading rules in order to avoid a controversial hard border with the Republic of Ireland. This arrangement will create new checks on goods moving both ways between Great Britain and Northern Ireland from January….

“Responding to the reports, the EU warned that any attempt to rip up parts of the Brexit withdrawal agreement would wreck any chance of agreeing on a new future trading relationship. The prime minister on Sunday night reiterated that he was prepared to walk away from negotiations without an agreement and trade with the EU on the harshest terms if Brussels did not shift its position on fishing and state aid.

“Johnson… said that Thursday, October 15 was the deadline for striking a deal, telling the EU: ‘If we can’t agree by then, then I do not see that there will be a free trade agreement between us, and we should both accept that and move on.’”

And so, the possibility of a no-deal Brexit becomes more and more likely.

Further Obstacles regarding a Brexit Deal

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 9:

“The UK government has admitted that rewriting its EU divorce treaty ‘breaks international law in a very specific and limited way.’ The EU has warned that the move could have serious consequences… Appearing in the UK Parliament on Wednesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was accused of presiding over a ‘rogue state….

“Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, warned the UK… [adding]  that any deviation from the withdrawal agreement, however minor, would ‘break international law and undermine trust.’…

“Ministers say the new law will define specific circumstances when the UK can override parts of the withdrawal agreement it ratified last year. The government says it will be able to unilaterally decide which goods are ‘at risk’ of entering the EU….”

Further Locust Plagues in Southern Africa

ABC News reported on September 4:

“Locusts are threatening another part of Africa, with up to 7 million people in the southern region facing further food insecurity… The outbreaks of African migratory locusts in Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe are not related to the huge outbreak of billions of desert locusts that has affected East Africa for months…

“While far smaller, the southern outbreaks need quick attention to prevent a wider problem as farmers and others already struggle to recover from a serious drought last year and the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic… While all four countries have launched pesticide spraying efforts that have been called the only effective locust control, the work has been limited… A new emergency response initiative seeks environmental friendly pesticides…”

These are terrible curses for a world in defiance of God and His laws.

California Turns into a Furnace

MSN wrote on September 7:

“The largest new wildfire, the Creek Fire, was burning out of control across 79,000 acres in Fresno County as of Sunday night… The area is a popular summertime retreat of cabins, scout camps and campgrounds, but it turned into a fiery trap over the weekend. More than 200 people had to be rescued by air from the Mammoth Pool reservoir area. Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters plucked up the evacuees…

“Fire crews elsewhere in California were trying to contain new blazes: A 7,000-acre fire in San Bernardino County in Southern California… A 9,850-acre fire burning in the Cleveland National Forest east of San Diego…”

The Week added on September 7:

“California wildfires have burned nearly 2.1 million acres so far in 2020, surpassing the record for the most land scorched in the state in a single year, CAL Fire Capt. Richard Cordova said Sunday. ‘This is crazy,’ Cordova said. ‘We haven’t even got into the October and November fire season, and we’ve broken the all-time record.’ The news came as a record-setting heat wave created new challenges for exhausted firefighters who had finally started making headway containing some of the biggest blazes.

“The temperature in Woodland Hills, California, reached 121 degrees on Sunday, the highest ever recorded in Los Angeles County. The National Weather Service said the area could get even hotter as a dangerous heat wave continues in California, Nevada, and Arizona, and records could be broken in other parts of the region. ‘This is unmatched, just unprecedented, unreal,’ said John Lindsey, a meteorologist with Pacific Gas and Electric.”

California has been staring total disaster and financial collapse in the face. Its situation was already precarious before the coronavirus restrictions, but got much worse following the ill-conceived lockdown which has destroyed hundreds, if not thousands of businesses.  And now, further “natural” curses add to the catastrophe. How many more warnings must Californians receive before they wake up?

Wildfires at the West Coast

npr wrote on September 9:

“Intense wildfires are ravaging large swaths of the West Coast, prompting thousands of people to flee parts of Oregon and forcing power outages in California, where fires have already burned a record of more than 2.3 million acres this year. Fires are burning from Washington state to Southern California. In southern Oregon, people in parts of Medford, Talent and nearby communities were ordered to evacuate the area immediately Tuesday, with officials citing the imminent threat of fast-moving fires. The entire town of Phoenix — which has several thousand people — was told to leave.”

The Week added on September 9:

“With several catastrophic fires burning across Oregon, Gov. Kate Brown (D) warned on Wednesday that all residents ‘must be on high alert,’ as the blazes could lead to the ‘greatest loss of human life and property due to wildfire in our state’s history.’”

No Protection from Facebook and Twitter?

JTA wrote on September 3:

“Nadine Strossen, [John Marshall Harlan II Professor of Law and] the former head of the ACLU and a daughter of Holocaust survivors… believes… moves to censor hate speech are generally ill-advised…

“‘… it’s really important to understand that there is no agreed upon legal definition of hate speech in the United States — the U.S. Supreme Court has consistently, unanimously refused to carve out an exception from free speech protections…

“‘The First Amendment protects us only against government restrictions on our speech. We have no free speech rights against Facebook or any private sector entity. There are a lot of people who are shocked to learn that! …”

So, Facebook, Twitter and others can do what they want. Users should be aware of that.

Wilders Not Guilty of Inciting Hatred

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 4:

“The far-right populist Geert Wilders had been found guilty by a lower court in the Netherlands of inciting hatred against Moroccans. But an appeals court has dismissed the charges. Judges did, however, uphold his prior conviction for collectively insulting the Moroccan people…

“The charges against Wilders were levied in 2016 and related to one of his campaign rallies two years earlier. At the event, Wilders led supporters by asking whether they wanted more or fewer Moroccans in the Netherlands. ‘Fewer! Fewer! Fewer!’ his supporters chanted back. ‘We’re going to take care of that,’ Wilders told the crowd.”

It is hard to see how Wilders’ comments, as quoted, could be remotely characterized as hate speech.

Australia’s Ridiculous Travel Ban

News.com.au wrote on September 5:

“Australia’s international travel ban has been extended by a further three months — news that’s painful enough for anyone hankering for an overseas holiday, but devastating for those who have more serious reasons to travel abroad… it has also made Australians some of the only people in the world who need special permission to leave their country during the pandemic, with no clear end in sight.

“Aside from a few exemptions for special workers, dual nationals and those who usually live overseas, there are only six reasons Australians can ask permission to leave: critical business work, urgent medical treatment not available in Australia, urgent and unavoidable personal business, compassionate or humanitarian grounds, and travel in the national interest… only about a third of requests submitted to the Australian Broder Force are successful — no matter how desperate or heartfelt the reasons for travel are. news.com.au has been told of cases where people have had requests denied to see dying relatives — including those as close by as New Zealand — or to attend funerals of immediate family members, including parents. Those cases would generally be thought to fall under the category of compassionate grounds, but still haven’t gotten over the line.

“In other cases, baffled applicants have struggled to produce sufficient evidence — including power bills and school enrolment paperwork — to prove they really do mostly live in another country, which is another reason Australians can apply to travel. Many have expressed confusion about why they can’t leave if they are willing to fork out thousands for hotel quarantine when they return. In some instances people have had their applications denied by border officials, and then had the same application approved by someone else after resubmitting.

“Dual Australian-British citizen Clare Hamilton-Bate told The Guardian she was initially rejected from travelling to London to see her terminally ill, 95-year-old stepfather… Ms Hamilton-Bate, who also wanted to spend time in London with her 90-year-old mother, who has dementia, said she submitted the request with six weeks’ notice… She was successful on her third attempt and managed to make it to London.

“Melbourne man Niall Williams told news.com.au he and his brother were knocked back multiple times trying to get permission to leave Australia to see their dying dad in the UK — and they got approval only after he passed away. ‘My brother is in Sydney, I’m in Melbourne but the Australian Government wouldn’t allow us to leave,’ he said…

“Another traveller, Mickey Chung, told 9 News his application to see his dying grandmother in Hong Kong was denied. ‘I got an email basically just saying, “We don’t believe this is urgent, we don’t believe this is an exceptional circumstance”’, he said. The request was eventually granted, but only after his grandmother had died. He managed to get to Hong Kong for the funeral, and completed the total of 28 days of quarantine required for the quick trip…”

These are terrible and unconscionable restrictions in Australia by a left-wing government.

Britain’s Dictatorship… and the People Love It?

Breitbart wrote on September 9:

“The British government is set to reimpose strict legal limitations on public gatherings, and it is reportedly considering a draconian national curfew… social gatherings of more than six will be banned in England… The new rules would give police the power to break up gatherings of more than six people both indoors and outside…  This includes people’s private homes and gardens, pubs, parks, and restaurants. Family gatherings of more than six are also banned. Weddings, funerals, schools, team sports, and workplaces, however, will be exempt from the rules…

“Refusing to abide by the rules will result in a £100 fine, doubling for repeat offences to a maximum of £3,200. Policing forces were already criticised for overreacting to the outbreak earlier this year, including following dog walkers with drones and last month,  breaking up a child’s birthday party…

“Meanwhile, an astonishing three-quarters of Britons do not think that the public has taken the pandemic seriously (74 per cent) and are worried about a second wave (73 per cent)… The findings from Tuesday suggest that citizens will offer little objection to any such new rules, and will welcome further curtailment of their freedom.

“Businessman and peer Lord Alan Sugar hit out at the mainstream media for stirring up fear over coronavirus, as he urged people to return to work…  ‘I’m sick and tired of watching CNN, Sky [News], Bloomberg, BBC, the lot, because all they do is cause panic amongst people. I’m not interested in any of this stuff, because you can switch the television on any time of day and the first thing you’ll see is more bad news.’”

In a related article, Breitbart wrote on September 9:

“Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has slammed the government’s new ‘draconian’ lockdown laws, saying that it is hard to justify law-abiding citizens following the new rules when police fail to stop protests and illegal raves… Mr Farage may be right to point out the hypocrisy of threatening to police free, law-abiding Britons after months of authorities failing to crack down on far-left Antifa and Marxist Black Lives Matter protests, so-called ‘street parties’, and illegal raves… Despite several weekends of violent and destructive Black Lives Matter protests, the police admitted that the events were ‘unlawful’ under coronavirus regulations, but effectively did nothing…

“In April, Farage warned of the coronavirus ‘police state’ with Britons expected to live under a ‘house detention regime’, writing: ‘I fear, however, that the arbitrary powers now given to the police may remain in place for a long time to come.’… Former Supreme Court judge Lord Sumption had remarked in March that the way the police and government were treating coronavirus regulations was akin to a ‘police state’. ‘This is what a police state is like — it is a state in which the government can issue orders or express preferences with no legal authority, and the police enforce minister’s wishes,’ he said.”

Dangerous developments indeed… and the people are so blind…

California Church in Defiance of Coronavirus Rules…

CBS wrote on September 5:

“A Los Angeles Superior Court judge is expected to have a decision sometime next week regarding a Sun Valley church’s holding in-person church services in defiance of coronavirus health orders. L.A. County lawyers lost four tries for a temporary restraining order against Grace Community Church, directing leaders to refrain from holding packed indoor services. ‘I recognize the importance of the decision,’ Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff said after an hours-long hearing on Friday.

“Even though an order has not yet been issued by the judge, Beckloff said he won’t allow Gov. Gavin Newsom to file a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the county’s stand.

“L.A. County sued Grace Community Church on Aug. 14 after it began holding indoor services on Sundays. The church, led by Pastor John MacArthur, filed a suit against the county in response and that case is awaiting trial in Burbank Superior Court.

“MacArthur has argued that he’s holding services not to be ‘rebellious’ but because ‘our Lord has commanded us to come together.’ Attorney Amnon Siegel, who is arguing on behalf of the county, pushed back saying ‘religion doesn’t trump health and safety.’”

Italians Wake Up to Health Dictatorship

Breitbart wrote on September 6:

“Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Rome Saturday to protest an extended national ‘state of emergency’ for the coronavirus, which allows the government to issue decrees outside of the legislative process.

“Much of the thrust of messages painted on signs and banners denounced the long-term economic effects of Italy’s lockdowns as well as an alleged ‘strategy of terror’ employed by government-controlled media and an ongoing ‘health dictatorship’ used to thwart the democratic process… From the stage, organizers decried plans for a mandatory coronavirus vaccine, while accusing the left-wing government of ‘intimidating people.’”

Liberman: Reject Israel’s “Illegal” Health Regulations

Times of Israel wrote on September 7:

“Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman urged Israelis on Monday not to comply with the government’s ‘illegal’ health regulations, which he said were purely political and not in citizens’ best interest… Ministers on Sunday evening approved nightly curfews in some 40 cities with high infection numbers, instead of the previously planned full lockdown on a smaller number of towns, in the wake of a threat of rebellion from some ultra-Orthodox mayors and a major political crisis with the ultra-Orthodox parties…

“Liberman said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ‘sacrificed public health on the altar of protecting the coalition, and therefore all decisions made are blatantly illegal… We cannot allow citizens of the State of Israel to become hostages of Deri, Litzman and Gafni,’ Liberman said, proposing to abolish the so-called coronavirus cabinet and give full control over Israel’s virus response to the Israel Defense Forces.

“Liberman’s comments were met with a barrage of criticism… President Reuven Rivlin wrote on Twitter. ‘Calls for civil disobedience harm the principles ensuring our well-being and the well-being of the entire public, specifically during crises…’ Health Minister Yuli Edelstein of the Likud party said, ‘Liberman is playing with fire,’ charging that the opposition politician was acting ‘recklessly and irresponsibly and taking advantage of a fragile health and economic situation. Shame.’

“Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin, also of Likud, said in a statement that the call for civil disobedience will ‘create anarchy and endanger the health of all citizens of Israel…’ Defense Minister and Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz also called Liberman’s comments ‘irresponsible’…”

Trump’s Ill-Advised Fight with Fox News

CNN wrote on September 5:

“After spending much of the day bashing The Atlantic for Jeffrey Goldberg’s jarring report which said Trump had disparaged military members who died in service to the country, Fox News itself confirmed key aspects of it… [Fox News’ national security] correspondent Jennifer Griffin said she had confirmed Trump disparaged veterans; didn’t want to honor the dead at the Aisne-Marne Cemetery; and did not want to lower flags after the death of John McCain…

“In a late-night Friday tweet, Trump attacked Griffin… saying, ‘Jennifer Griffin should be fired for this kind of reporting.’ He added that he believed Fox News is ‘gone.’

The Daily Beast wrote on September 6:

“Filling in for Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday this weekend, Bret Baier took the opportunity to accuse President Donald Trump of ‘cancel culture’ hypocrisy…  [Griffin had] confirmed with her sources that, among other things, he had described U.S. service members as ‘suckers’ and ‘losers’…

“Cavuto called her a ‘very good reporter’ who is ‘pretty scrupulous when it comes to making sure all the i’s are dotted, all the t’s are crossed.’”

Trump also denied having called McCain a “loser.” However, he clearly did so, saying this before millions of TV viewers.

How “Evangelical” is Trump?

The Independent wrote on September 8:

“A new book by Donald Trump’s disgraced former lawyer Michael Cohen has described the president leaving an event with evangelical leaders and ridiculing their faith in crude terms… According to Mr Cohen, the president emerged from the session with contempt. ‘Can you believe that bulls**t?’ he allegedly said. ‘Can you believe people believe that bulls**t?’ [Reference is made to an incident when evangelical leaders placed their hands on him to pray for him.]

“The White House has dismissed Mr Cohen’s account of the incident, along with the book as a whole and other incidents that it alleges…

“Hardly known for his religiosity before entering politics, Mr Trump has successfully cultivated a relationship with evangelical leaders and voters since he began running for president in 2015. When asked by interviewers at the time to name a favourite Bible verse, he refused; pressed on whether he preferred the Old or New Testament, he said ‘probably equal’…

“Telling evangelical congregations that he would end a supposed national ‘siege’ of Christianity, he also formed a bond with many of the US’s most prominent Christian leaders, including Jerry Falwell Jr., president of the highly conservative Liberty University. (Mr Falwell has recently been pressured to leave the university amid allegations of abusing his position for financial gain and enjoying a three-way sexual relationship with his wife and a male pool attendant. He denies the claims of impropriety.)

“However, even as Mr Trump has maintained his claims to be devout during his presidency, especially during his nomination of two conservative Supreme Court justices, not all are convinced. He was widely castigated for a notorious photoshoot in Washington, DC this summer in which he ordered police to tear gas… protesters out of the way so he could pose with a Bible outside a church. The incident saw many political and religious leaders outside the evangelical movement accuse him of exploiting the book as a prop….”

Politics and religion don’t mix, but sadly, they are clearly embraced, in one way or another, by ALL political candidates. See the next article about Joe Biden and other Catholic Democrats.

How “Catholic” is Biden?

CNA (Catholic News Agency) wrote on August 12, 2020:

“Biden, a Catholic, is in the habit of going to Mass while traveling… it will soon raise questions familiar both to bishops and to pundits: Can pro-choice politicians like Biden receive the Eucharist? And will anyone stop Biden if he approaches the communion line?

“The norm of canon 915 itself is clear: Catholics ‘obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.’… In 2004, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger [later Pope Benedict, who subsequently retired], then head of the Church’s doctrinal office, wrote a memorandum to the U.S. Catholic bishops, explaining the application of canon 915 to the question of pro-choice politicians. The case of a Catholic politician who is ‘consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws’ would constitute ‘formal cooperation’ in grave sin that is ‘manifest,’ the letter explained.

“In such cases, ‘his pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the Church’s teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist,’ Ratzinger wrote. If the individual perseveres in grave sin and still presents himself for Holy Communion, ‘the minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it.’…

“Asked by a journalist, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York said in October that he would not deny Biden the Eucharist. Before that, in January 2019, Dolan had said that he would not deny the Eucharist to New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo, who signed into law one of the most permissive abortion laws in the country’s history…

“Biden… supports the federal funding of abortion and in 2016 officiated at a same-sex wedding…

“So here’s what’s likely to happen: At some point between now and election day, a young priest will find Joe Biden in his communion line. Because of the priest’s convictions about the unborn and his sacramental theology, he will deny Biden the Eucharist.

“Someone will see it, a report will get out… The priest will issue a statement explaining himself, and then be roundly criticized… Pro-choice or progressive leaning Catholics will on social media call the priest a fundamentalist…

“If that prediction sounds quite specific, that’s because it’s what happened in October 2019, the last time Biden was denied the Eucharist… That leaves priests who put the policy into practice standing often by themselves. It leaves some Catholics confused about how seriously the Church takes its own teaching and its own sacramental discipline…”

Biden has insisted that his religious faith has been a “bedrock foundation” of his life and that his personal beliefs should not be confused with his official position as a politician. What kind of a rationale is that?

As a Catholic, how can he or Pelosi or Como or other Catholic politicians support a concept which is in blatant opposition of Catholic doctrine? And it is untrue that a distinction should be drawn between his private and his official position. When he officiated a marriage at a private event for a same-sex couple, that too violated Catholic doctrine.

Pelosi’s Hypocrisy and the Destruction of Another Business

Fox News wrote on September 9:

“San Francisco hair salon owner Erica Kious is shutting her doors for good after controversy over a visit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last week destroyed her business… Fox News obtained surveillance video last week of Pelosi visiting the salon for a hair wash and blowout, despite the fact that San Francisco salons were closed at the time due to the coronavirus pandemic. The video showed Pelosi walking through the interior of the salon without wearing a mask.

“Kious told host Tucker Carlson she was attacked for exposing Pelosi. ‘I started to just get a ton of phone calls, text messages, emails, all my Yelp reviews… saying that they hope I go under and that I fail,’ she said. ‘So just a lot of negativity towards my business.’ Kious said the negativity has made her hesitant to return to San Francisco, where she has lived for the past 15 years. ‘I’m actually afraid to go back… It’s a little scary and sad,’ she said. ‘I do have a lot of positive calls and text messages from clients. But other than that, nothing but negativity.’”

What terrible developments in a country which is destroying itself…

 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.

Some have used this Scripture to say that there is no strong leadership in the church(es) of God as a whole at this time. This is an interesting approach to take as it leaves no room for the leadership of Jesus Christ. Many Scriptures point out that Christ is the Head of the Church and that He places people in positions of leadership as He sees fit. 1 Corinthians 12:28-29 clearly states that God ordains the leadership where He wants and as He sees fit. While there are many splinters of the church(es) of God, very few prove to be holding fast, or boldly proclaiming the Gospel into all the world (Please read our free booklet on how to find the true Church ( How to Find the True Church of God ).

As with many parts of the Bible, we must look before and ahead of a particular passage to get the full picture of what a Scripture is saying, as well as looking at the meaning and tying in other Scriptures. This chapter in Ezekiel is highlighting the sins of “Jerusalem.” The sins listed here are varied and wide-ranging, and God says He is very displeased. In verse 17, we see that He is really talking about the house of Israel, meaning that the previous verses are also applicable to the nations that encompass the house of Israel, which can be found today in English-speaking nations (Read more here: The Fall and Rise of Britain and America). Continuing on, we see that God is angry with the so-called leaders, the “princes” (verse 6) of these nations, but even more so with the spiritual leaders, the “prophets” (verse 25) in these countries. They continually lead with false motives and in turn show the “people of the land” that it is ok to live like this. And so, in verse 30-31, God asks: “‘So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,’ says the LORD God.”

There are some interesting pieces that we should review here. The word “wall” has different connotations, and another word that is similarly used is “hedge.” The other interesting word is the word “gap” and similarly, the word “breach” can be used.

In the Old Testament, walls were built around cities to protect them and give them safety. It is interesting how many times walls are mentioned in the Bible. Of course, we can think of the city of Jericho whose inhabitants felt safe because of the strength of their walls. But we know that the walls didn’t save the inhabitants but rather fell, leading to the destruction of the city and the downfall of the people. Many battles through the centuries have been around fortified cities. And sometimes the walls withstood, and sometimes they crumbled, and the enemy marched through the breaches.

In many places God is using this analogy of walls to show the lack of strength walls can have; especially, when there is sin. In Deuteronomy 28:52 (this chapter in verses 15-68 is dealing with the consequences of disobedience to God’s laws), we read: “They shall besiege you at all your gates until your high and fortified walls, in which you trust, come down throughout all your land; and they shall besiege you at all your gates throughout all your land which the LORD your God has given you.” Very early on, God warns us that the things in which we place trust and confidence are nothing more than physical and even if they seem strong, like walls, they will be destroyed if they are in opposition to God’s laws and commands.

In Ezra 9:9, it speaks of God giving the Israelites the strength and the opportunity to rebuild the house of God and the walls of Jerusalem. This was God’s gift to the people at that time. And yet Ezra was praying in this chapter because even though the people were brought back from captivity and they were allowed to rebuild, they started once again to turn back to old habits and old sins, and Ezra was deeply disturbed by what he saw.

Lamentations 2:13-14 (King James Version) says: “What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee? Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.” The “breach” or the “gap” is massive. It is so big that it gets to a point where it is impossible to fix.

When turning to Ezekiel 13:1-22, verses 3-5 specifically point out that none of the people who claim to be spiritual leaders have gone up and stood in the gap or the breach in the wall—the wall of Truth that should stand around God’s peoples and His nations. There is a facade of standing in the gap as God points out. There is a type of “truth”, but He points out that it is like untempered mortar (verse 10). It will just fall apart. In Matthew 7:24-27, we see Christ’s example point this out. The ones whose walls are built on sand, with untempered mortar, without being fully engrained in the Truth, will fall and fail. In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, it tells us that these times that are being talked about in Ezekiel 22:30 are indeed prophecies for our time. When people in top positions and in so-called positions of “spiritual leadership” are saying peace and safety, we should be very aware of what is TRULY happening. We are called to stand watch—to cry aloud and spare not.

There is a history of people who have stood in the gap, in the breach. These individuals are the spiritual “giants” in the Bible, who, while human and who did sin from time to time, were willing to live God’s Way of Life. They were willing to suffer. They were willing to allow God to lead them. God had a desire for a people who would stand for His Way of Life. There were only a few in comparison with the rest of the people of this world. A minority, if you will. Hebrews 11:1-39 gives us a brief overview of some of these people, but it also shows what they accomplished in their lives.

God has not changed in that desire, and desires such a people, today! You and I have been called at this time, brethren, to stand in the gap for God’s Way. Will we be faithful? Let us pray for one another for the strength and the power, not to let down at this critical time in history; but to be a light in this world of darkness as Satan and his demons are taking every opportunity to see that we fail in this wonderful calling we have received from Almighty God.

There is a cost in this regard. In Matthew 19:27 Peter tells Christ, “See, we have left ALL and followed you.” What are we willing to give up so that we may stand as the people of God at the close of this age? Each of us is responsible for standing up. And those opportunities will come for each one of us. As individuals, we each have different opportunities and qualities. But it is when we stand together that we make the whole even stronger.

The warnings to the houses of Israel and Judah have been going on for centuries. We will continue to proclaim these warnings as God sees fit and as He opens the doors and gives us the opportunities to do so. In Isaiah 58:1-5, we are told to lift up our voice and spare not. This means STRONGLY and BOLDLY proclaiming the Truth as God leads us to do so. Continuing through the chapter, we see that as we turn to God more and more fully, God will use us MORE powerfully. In fact, in verse 12 we read: “Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.” Repairers of the breaches! Is that what we wish to be? Do we consider ourselves at this time to be in such a position? God tells us we can be.

In Ephesians 4:7-16 we read: “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: ‘When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.’ (Now this, ‘He ascended’—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) And He Himself gave 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, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”

Our job now is to very strongly proclaim the Truth and to stand up for this Way of Life, all the while looking for and following the lead of Jesus Christ so He can use us as He sees fit in this end time and the terrible events which we are facing.

Lead Writer: Kalon Mitchell

compiled by Dave Harris

Here are the dates for the Fall Holy Days;

• Feast of Trumpets… September 19, 2020
• Day of Atonement… September 28, 2020
• Feast of Tabernacles… October 3-9, 2020
• Last Great Day… October 10, 2020

“Europe’s Threats Get Louder and Its Actions More Worrisome!” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The EU is destined to become a most powerful political and even military bloc, and its most recent threats against other countries and its actions are becoming more and more frightening and worrisome. This program discusses Europe’s threats against the USA, the UK and prospective EU member states, as well as French and German military ambitions in view of the ongoing demise of NATO. Biblical prophecy IS marching on.

“Verleugnet die Dreieinigkeitslehre Jesus Christus?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Does the Teaching of the Trinity Deny Jesus Christ?”

“Welcher Maßstab ist der richtige?”, the German sermonette presented last Sabbath by Mike Richter, is now posted. Title in English: “What Standard Is Correct?”

“We Know!” but Do We… Really?” is the title of last Sabbath’s sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

In his first letter, John rejects the false teaching of Gnosticism. Even today, God’s Church must fight against the spirit of antichrist. Converted Christians know the Truth, while growing more and more in right knowledge and understanding.

The YouTube channel for the Church of the Eternal God presents past videos for StandingWatch programs along with sermonettes, sermons and promotional videos. These are also available on our website: www.eternalgod.org.