On February 1, 2025, Eric Rank will present the sermonette, titled, “Indomitable,” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “Living Goals.”

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

When I was in my undergraduate program, I had the opportunity to make maps. This was a good thing since I loved maps. This was also the era of the fold-up map. People planning a road trip would rely on those maps from their neighborhood gas station or the Automobile Club of America (AAA).

For our schoolwork, we plotted the base of a historic lighthouse on the eastern end of Long Island in NY and surveyed a segment of a beach. We relished making the maps, but we learned that no matter how accurate our work was, we were always a bit off. Not so that we would have wound up in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, but significant to the point that we had to settle for being close enough.

In reality, there was as much about art as science in the creation of maps. Back in the day, cartographers would converse with traders who would travel from port to port and town to town. The mapmakers would compare stories and adjust their maps. When possible, they would venture out as actual experience was vital.

Because this work was painstakingly tedious and personal, the cartographers would often insert an intentional mistake or what came to be called: a phantom settlement into a map to make it their own. This was a location or physical artifact that in fact did not exist. If someone copied the false information, the original mapmaker had the evidence to show.

The point of including this story is to make the far more important point that as true Christians we should never blindly rely on information simply because it is in print. However, we know that we can and must trust absolutely in the Word of God contained in our Bibles. We need to use our Bibles and become familiar with the Scriptures.

We know that the Bible was written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, and there can be subtle differences in translations. Ultimately however, it comes down to this Scripture in Psalm 119:160: “The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.” This is a simple yet complete message that is reinforced for us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

We must always make certain that any study tools and translation aids we are relying on are rendered accurately. While I was preparing my previous editorial in December 2024, Mr. Norbert Link and I realized that something was amiss with a particular NIV translation I was using. I had used a popular online Bible study tool—but as you may guess, the translation was inaccurate.

I’ve researched this since my experience and learned that this particular tool uses Artificial Intelligence to analyze biblical texts and provide translations, commentaries, and study resources. This does not inherently mean that Scripture will be altered with AI, but in my experience, it was. I think back on previous work using the tool, and recall apparently “minor” changes the tool frequently suggested. I never accepted the changes since I knew this would modify Scripture.

I suspect that online Bible study tools generally focus on readability. However, we must never alter Scripture to suit the software. It is clear that there is no better resource for true Christians than actually using our Bibles.

In Exodus 20:1-2, Moses wrote: “And God spoke all these words, saying: ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.’”

This Scripture and the next 25 verses provide the record of the conversation between Moses and our Creator, concerning what was now a mutual relationship between God and His people. God saved His people from the yoke of the Egyptians and was now communicating His expectations for His people: their adherence to the Ten Commandments.

The words that God chose for this message were perfect, and modifying them in any way would diminish this sacred and historic moment, as well as alter the Word of God.

In Proverbs 3:5-6, we are reminded to rely on God:  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” For further emphasis, consider this Scripture in Deuteronomy 4:2: “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” This is very clear guidance as to how we should be reading and using our Bibles to grow our understanding of Scripture. It is also instructive as to how we must consider tools such as AI in our Bible studies. As we delve deeper into Scripture, we can see that God makes this point time and again. Trust and rely on His word, neither add nor subtract from it. Let’s consider two more Scriptures to close out this editorial.

Proverbs 30:5-6 states: “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.” Revelation 22:18-19 emphasizes: “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

Technology can be wonderful and yet can also create challenging issues. I am not casting all AI software with a negative light, but just as we rely on a map to be accurate, as true Christians, we must make certain that the tools we rely on to help us draw closer to God and Jesus Christ are indeed godly and have integrity. We can do this by using the Bible as our roadmap.

by Norbert Link

We begin with Trump’s many statements, executive orders and their execution, drastically changing US politics, including freezing foreign aids, questioning US payment to NATO; running for a third term; the deportation controversy; the fate of 90,000 IRS agents; access to chips for AI; the future of FEMA; and the fires in California.

We are addressing more unexplained drone sightings; Elon Musk’s unwavering support for the German AfD party and its policies; the hostage deal and Trump’s suggestion to clean out Gaza; astonishing statements by Putin and planned negotiations in the Russia-Ukraine war; and Denmark’s crisis mode. In this regard, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “The Fight for Greenland.”

We speak on Goliath’s possible size; the bloodbath in Aschaffenburg, Germany;  and the execution of Jehovah’s Witnesses in World War 2 because of their conscientious objector status.

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

US Pause of Foreign Aids For 90 Days

Reuters reported on January 24:

“The U.S. State Department issued a ‘stop-work’ order [for 90 days] on Friday for all existing foreign assistance and paused new aid, according to a cable seen by Reuters, after President Donald Trump ordered a pause to review if aid allocation was aligned with his foreign policy. The cable, drafted by the Department’s foreign assistance office and approved by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said waivers have been issued for military financing for Israel and Egypt. No other countries were mentioned in the cable…

“The State Department cable said effective immediately, senior officials ‘shall ensure that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, no new obligations shall be made for foreign assistance’ until Rubio has made a decision after a review. It says that for existing foreign assistance awards stop-work orders shall be issued immediately until reviewed by Rubio…”

Subsequently, the Pentagon clarified: “Trump’s executive order freezing foreign aid applies only to development programs, not security assistance to Ukraine.” However, it has also been reported that while Trump’s order does not curtail security assistance (i.e., weapons, vehicles and ammunition) already in the pipeline, it does freeze USAID projects for the Ukraine, including support for schools and maternal care and the vaccination of children.

Court Blocks Trump

CNBC reported on January 28:

 “A federal judge paused until next week a Trump administration order that would have frozen the issuance of existing federal grants and loans until agencies vetted them. Judge Loren AliKhan’s ruling Tuesday during a hearing conducted on Zoom came just minutes before the freezing order was set to take effect at 5 p.m. ET. At stake are funds potentially worth trillions of dollars.

“AliKhan [a Biden appointee] said her administrative stay would expire at 5 p.m. ET Monday unless she decides to grant a temporary restraining order as requested by plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit earlier in the day challenging the Trump administration’s action. The judge scheduled a hearing for Monday morning for arguments on the requested restraining order in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C…. AliKhan’s stay only affects the disbursement of government funds that already have been authorized, not money that was being sought.”

Spending Nothing on NATO?

Newsmax wrote on January 23:

“President Donald Trump on Thursday said he was not sure the United States should be spending anything on NATO, telling reporters the U.S. was protecting NATO members, but they were ‘not protecting us.’…

“Trump has said members of the military alliance should spend 5% of their gross domestic product on defense — a huge increase from the current 2% goal and a level that no NATO country, including the United States, currently achieves.”

NATO might very well be on its way out.

Trump for a Third Term?

The New York Post wrote on January 24:

“A congressman is pushing for a law change that would allow President Trump to run for a third term… Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) proposed an amendment Thursday that would allow presidents three terms in office — as long as they did not serve two consecutive four-year stints.

“That would allow a third term for Trump — whose two were interrupted by Joe Biden — but not for Obama, Clinton or George W. Bush, who each served two consecutive terms…

“The 22nd Amendment — passed by Congress in 1947 after Franklin Delano Roosevelt won four terms in office — currently bars Trump and all two-term holders of the Oval Office from running for a third term.”

Even IF the 22^nd Amendment bars Trump from “running a third time,” even though he did not serve two consecutive terms, there are other ways than amending the Constitution to serve a third time.

For instance, the 22^nd Amendment only requires that someone not be elected to the Presidency more than twice. Someone who was elected to two terms is still eligible to be Vice President and to rise to the Presidency upon the death, resignation or removal of the President.

Then, another way to be President is to be “chosen” President by the House of Representatives in those unusual situations where no candidate for President obtains a majority of the electoral college.

In Las Vegas on January 25, Trump toyed with the idea of serving a third time, which received thunderous applause from his supporters, but he then dismissed the idea as fake news. Is it?

Newsmax added on January 27:

“President Donald Trump once again hinted at the idea of serving a third term, saying he was “not 100% sure” he was barred from doing so under the Constitution, which forbids it.

“Trump has repeatedly alluded to the possibility that he might go beyond the current two-term limit for presidents — but while he often strikes a light-hearted tone the remarks remain provocative….

“In November, in another speech to House Republicans shortly after his election win, Trump said: ‘I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say, “He’s good, we got to figure something else.”’”

The Deportation Nightmare

Breitbart wrote on January 26:

“Governor JB Pritzker (D-IL) Sunday on CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ warned the Trump administration that his local law enforcement ‘will stand up for those law-abiding, undocumented people’ facing deportation…. Pritzker said, ‘… when we’re talking about violent criminals who have been convicted and who are undocumented, we don’t want them in our state. We want them out of the country. We hope they do get deported. And if that’s who they’re picking up, we’re all for it. They show up with a warrant, and we’re going to hand over people who are in our prisons or in our jails who fit that description.

“‘Now, what they’re also doing, though, and it’s quite disturbing, is they’re going after people who are law-abiding, who are holding down jobs, who have families here who may have been here for a decade or two decades, and they’re often our neighbors and our friends… We also have a law on the books in Illinois that says that our local law enforcement will stand up for those law-abiding, undocumented people in our state who are doing the right thing. And we’re not going to help federal officials just drag them away because somebody pointed at them and said, oh, that person’s brown or that person’s not from here. Check it out. Maybe they’re undocumented.’”

Sadly, that is how many Jews were arrested in Nazi Germany… due to the denunciation of others.

ICE Raids LA

The New York Post wrote on January 26:

“Details of the LA raids were scarce as of Saturday afternoon, but sources said migrants rounded up there were being held in ICE detention centers in California pending deportation. Officials are expecting the sites to fill up quickly, and the feds are scouting for more space to hold migrants, the sources said…

“Executive orders issued by Trump dramatically loosened restrictions on how immigration officers can conduct deportation raids, removing bans for searching courthouses, churches and other ‘sensitive’ sites that illegal migrants have historically holed up in to be shielded from federal authorities. The White House will be using military planes every day to help carry out what Trump and ‘border czar’ Tom Homan have vowed will be the largest deportation operation in U.S. history…”

Going After Nonviolent Illegal Aliens

Fox News wrote on January 26:

“Border Czar Tom Homan warned that daily deportation numbers are set to rise in the coming weeks as President Trump’s administration begins to expand its operations. The border chief says the administration is currently only targeting violent illegal aliens, but that will soon change… ‘If you’re in the country illegally, you’re on the table… every time you enter this country illegally, you violated a crime under Title Eight, the United States Code 1325, it’s a crime,’ Homan [said]… ‘Here’s what’s going to happen. We’ll find the bad guy, but when we find him, he’s going to be with others, others that may not be a criminal priority. But guess what? If they’re in the United States illegally, they’re going to be arrested, too.’”

To clarify, US Code 1325 is a misdemeanor, not a felony. Violations are ruled upon by civil courts, not criminal courts. Also, being present in the USA without legal documentation is in itself not a federal crime.

The New York Post added that Homan also said that deportations will continue every day and culminate in millions of illegal migrants being jettisoned from the US, and that the border is closed.

This whole mess will quickly get out of control, and many will needlessly suffer in the process.

Fate of 90,000 IRS Agents?

Daily Mail wrote on January 26:

“Donald Trump has revealed what could be the fate of nearly 90,000 newly hired Internal Revenue Service (IRS) staff, suggesting he might ‘move them to the border’.  Hours after he was handed over the presidency, the Republican leader signed an executive order to stop [indefinitely] the hiring of all federal civilian employees until ‘his Administration can determine that it is in the national interest to do so’.  Apart from the IRS, the decision is temporary [for 90 days] for all other federal offices….

“’They hired – were trying to hire 88,000 new workers to go with you, and we’re in the process of developing a plan to either terminate all of them or maybe we move them to the border,’ the President said [in Las Vegas on January 25]…

‘Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens.’ Trump went on: ‘For this purpose, we are establishing the External Revenue Service to collect all tariffs, duties and revenues,’  Trump said during his speech at the Capitol on Monday.”

“He also warned world leaders they could face crippling economic sanctions if they don’t start manufacturing in America in a blistering speech to the World Economic Forum on January 23. The president said nations ‘will pay’ if they opt against doing business in the United States… He also offered an incentive of lower taxes and rates to nations that choose to move more of their business…”

A better way would be to get rid of the IRS completely. The fear is that with the removal of IRS employees, the IRS will not do their job at all, when it applies, for instance, to the refund of taxes—something in which the IRS is already terribly lacking and delinquent in far too many cases. And it is next to impossible to reach a live person, let alone getting an appointment.

US Restricts Access to Chips for AI

swissinfo.ch wrote on January 26:

“The US recently changed the rules for the export of products related to artificial intelligence. Only countries that are considered allies are now allowed to access these computer chips. And Switzerland is not one of them.

“Only 18 countries are considered trustworthy allies in the USA, including France, Germany and Japan. According to Washington, these nations are worthy of unrestricted access to these very powerful computer chips, which are manufactured exclusively by US companies.

“This new regulation will come into force in four months. After that, Switzerland will still be able to import these chips, but will be subject to a limited quota in the coming years… It is not entirely clear why Switzerland is not one of the allied countries… Nevertheless, it seems clear that the main aim of this regulation is to deny rival countries, especially China, access to this cutting-edge technology. The US is not only trying to curb exports, but also to prevent Chinese companies from circumventing the restrictions by setting up subsidiaries abroad.”

Getting Rid of FEMA?

Las Vegas Sun wrote on January 23:

“President Donald Trump said he was considering ‘getting rid of’ the Federal Emergency Management Agency… Instead of having federal financial assistance flow through FEMA, [he] said Washington could provide money directly to the states…

“‘FEMA has been a very big disappointment,’ [he] said. ‘It’s very bureaucratic. And it’s very slow.’”

The problem is, what if the states— such as California—do not use the money wisely? Supervising committees can only go so far.

The California Fire Paradox

Breitbart wrote on January 26:

“Residents of the Pacific Palisades flocked home on Saturday after President Donald Trump’s visit the day before, with many gaining access to their property for the first time since the Palisades Fire more than two weeks ago. Trump met with residents and local officials on Friday, holding a roundtable discussion at the local fire station in which he allowed those affected by the fires to raise their concerns for the first time.  During the meeting, local residents raised concerns that they had been told it would take 18 months to clear their lots of debris, and that local permitting processes would stop them from rebuilding. In addition, most of the affected residents had been prohibited from even visiting the ruins of their homes. Trump took the residents’ side against the city, and when Mayor Karen Bass pushed back, he insisted that they be able to access their property immediately. Bass said they could go within a week. ‘A week is a long time,’ President Trump said, saying residents should be able to go immediately.

“The next day, residents rushed to the assembly point in nearby Santa Monica Parking Lot #3, where police escorts had been taking caravans of residents to the Highlands, one of the areas of the Pacific Palisades that had not been as badly affected as the rest of the town. They insisted on being taken to other neighborhoods… with many insisting that President Trump had promised them access. While some were turned away, some persisted and were able to visit their lots — at least for a short period of time… Some residents reported continued denials by National Guard soldiers and police. One posted on Instagram: ‘They didn’t let us in but they also said they wouldn’t arrest us if we went around them. So we went.’… Many expressed a commitment to rebuild, and hope that President Trump’s pressure on Los Angeles and California will allow them to do so.”

Trump also declared that he will waive any federal permits and urged Mayor Bass to do the same in regard to the state, so that rebuilding could start immediately.

Did the Military Take Over California?

Newsmax wrote on January 28:

“President Donald Trump declared on social media that the military has entered California and ‘turned on the water’ from the Pacific Northwest… ‘The United States Military just entered the Great State of California and, under Emergency Powers, TURNED ON THE WATER flowing abundantly from the Pacific Northwest, and beyond,’ Trump wrote…  Monday night…

“The California Department of Water Resources, however, responded… that the ‘military did not enter California… The federal government restarted federal water pumps after they were offline for maintenance for three days,” the agency said. “State water supplies in Southern California remain plentiful.’…

“Trump has accused Gov. Gavin Newsom of holding back water supplies in California, thus impeding the state’s response to the wildfires in Los Angeles. Last Friday, he said he wants to place conditions on disaster aid, calling for tightening voter requirements while increasing water supplies from Northern California…

“Newsom and other state officials deny Trump’s claims and say there is plenty of water in Southern California… ‘Reservoirs in California are at or above average storage levels for this time of year, thanks in part to years of proactive water management.’… Trump in his order directed the federal Bureau of Reclamation to make sure that California agencies ‘do not interfere’ with the water supply….”

It is a well-known fact that California did NOT have enough water to fight the fires. One major reservoir was empty and could not be used.

Pete Hegseth New Defense Secretary

Fox News wrote on January 24:

“The Senate voted to confirm… Pete Hegseth, as defense secretary on Friday night after a high-tempered battle to sway lawmakers in his favor that was almost derailed by accusations about his behavior. 

“The final vote came down to the wire: three Republicans opposed, making for a 50 to 50 vote. Vice President JD Vance was needed to break the tie in the upper chamber, putting the final tally at 51-50… All Democrats opposed the confirmation, a far cry from an earlier vote this week, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio was confirmed unanimously, 99-0.” 

More Drone Sightings… and Still No Explanation

Daily Mail wrote on January 24:

“A New Jersey Mayor has shared new footage of ‘glowing orbs transforming into drones’ over Long Island, adding more intrigue to this ongoing mystery. Michael Melham, the Mayor of Belleville,… shared the bizarre footage on X, saying the clips ‘appears to show glowing orbs turning into drones. Verified not to be planes via flight tracker. They hover. Glow. Then move.’…

“New Jersey still appears to be the epicenter of drone reports following the first sightings in November, when eyewitnesses reported ‘car-sized drones’ flying above a military base and President Donald Trump’s golf course.  But since then, hundreds of other reports have surfaced across the Northeast and even from several southern states, including Virginia, Kentucky and the Carolinas…

“A drone ban was issued from December 18 to January 17, during which Enigma labs said the average number of reported sightings dropped by 43 percent. Now, new data shows 36 sightings were logged the week of January 1, and nearly half were spotted in New Jersey. Trump has yet to release the drone report he promised, and many Americans await new information about the alarming phenomenon they believe they have been experiencing.”

The New York Post wrote on January 25:

“A brief lull in activity that coincided with flight restrictions imposed by the feds has ended, now that the Federal Aviation Administration lifted the ban. And the mysterious unmanned aircraft aren’t just plaguing the Big Apple and the Garden State. ‘We’ve received over 100 reports in the past three weeks that mention drones across the US,’ Enigma Labs spokesperson Christine Kim said…

“New Jersey remains a hotbed of drone activity, Kim claimed. The New York-based company’s ‘unidentified anomalous phenomena’…  received a total of 22,000 sightings in 2024, with most concentrated in the Northeast… Enigma Labs relies on user-submitted information and began tracking sightings in late November… Since then, it’s received 650 reports of drone sightings in the US, with 154 coming in January alone…

“Over 50% of reports to Enigma described the objects as ‘hovering’ or staying airborne for extended periods of time, while 25% indicated objects were observed moving in swarms of five or more.”

Update on Drones Flying Over New Jersey

Fox News wrote on January 28:

“The White House on Tuesday revealed that some of the drones seen flying over New Jersey and other parts of the country in November were authorized to be flown by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)… for research and various other reasons… In addition to those authorized by the FAA, other drones flown by hobbyists were sighted, and that number increased as curiosity about the phenomenon grew, the White House said [adding that ‘This was not the enemy.’].”

This sounds extremely untrue. The U.S. Department of Defense had published the following article on its website on December 14, 2024:

“Right now, the FBI, DHS, FAA and DOD have been unable to determine who is responsible for flying the drones, and there’s no indication that there are adversary nations involved. ‘To date, we have no intelligence or observations that would indicate that they were aligned with a foreign actor or that they had malicious intent,’ the spokesperson said. ‘But … we don’t know. We have not been able to locate or identify the operators or the points of origin.’”

Trump Explanation Raises Even More Questions

The New York Post added on January 28:

“The explanation did not clarify what research was being performed — in many cases near military bases — or detail what ‘other reasons’ were at play. Some leading politicians have been skeptical of the official explanation that the drones were innocent. Then-House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Mike McCaul (R-Texas) said last month that he believed many of the aircraft were ‘spy drones’ from China. ‘My judgment based on my experience is that those that are over our military sites are adversarial and most likely are coming from the People’s Republic of China,’ McCaul said at the time. ‘We’re not getting answers and I think it’s because our government does not know who is behind them and that is very disturbing to me.’”

IF the FAA had authorized the drones for research and other reasons, it certainly would have known this. So either they lied then, or they are lying now. The question is, what is REALLY behind those drones? Please view our StandingWatch program, titled, “The DRONES! No Danger? Are You Kidding?”

Taking Back the Panama Canal?

The New York Post wrote on January 28:

“A top Senate Republican accused Panama Tuesday of violating the treaty giving the Central American nation control over the vital Panama Canal shipping lane — saying the country had waved through illicit transfers of crude oil by Iran and exposed itself to dangerous Chinese influence…. ‘Panama has emerged as a bad actor,’ charged Senate Commerce, Science and Technology Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

“‘Panama has for years flagged dozens of vessels in the Iranian ghost fleet, which brought Iran tens of billions of dollars in oil profits to fund terror across the world. And Chinese companies have won contracts, often without fair competition… China often engages in debt-trap diplomacy to enable economic and political coercion in Panama… It also seems to have exploited simple corruption.’

“Cruz also explained that Panama’s ‘high fees for canal transit disproportionately affect Americans, because US cargo accounts for nearly three-quarters of Canal transits,’ while US Navy vessels ‘pay additional fees that apply only to warships.’…

“Tuesday’s hearing kicked off formal efforts to investigate whether Panama is in violation of the 1997 Panama Canal Treaty and Neutrality Treaty which could allow the US to retake the canal zone by force…”

View our StandingWatch program, titled, “Will the USA Take the Panama Canal Back?” 

Elon Musk’s Ongoing Support for the AfD and German Values

Daily Mail wrote on January 26:

“Elon Musk has backed Germany’s… AfD (Alternative fuer Deutschland) party at its latest rally… The billionaire made a surprise appearance during the AfD’s election campaign event in Halle in eastern Germany on Saturday, voicing his support for the second time in as many weeks. 

“’It’s good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything,’ Musk, via video link, told the hall of 4,500 people alongside party leader Alice Weidel… he said ‘children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their great grandparents,’ apparently referring to Germany’s Nazi past. ‘There is too much focus on past guilt, and we need to move beyond that,’ he said…

“Musk spoke in favour of voting for the far right party, saying: ‘I’m very excited for the AfD, I think you’re really the best hope for Germany fight for a great future for Germany,’ he told onlookers. Weidel thanked him, said the Republicans were making America great again, and called on her supporters to make Germany great again.”

AFP added on January 25:

“‘The German people are really an ancient nation which goes back thousands of years,’ he said in Saturday’s address. ‘I even read Julius Caesar was very impressed (by) the German tribes,’ he said…  He said the AfD wanted ‘more self-determination for Germany and for the countries in Europe and less from Brussels’, a reference to European Union authorities…

“Like Trump, the AfD opposes immigration, denies climate change, rails against gender politics and has declared war on a political establishment and mainstream media it condemns as censorious.”

Musk also stated that he does not believe he is exaggerating when saying that the future of civilization could be dependent on the German election in February (compare Bild Online, dated January 25). 

More Hostages and Prisoners Released

npr wrote on January 24:

“Hamas has identified four female Israeli soldiers [who were] released on Saturday…  All of them were taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023, from the Nahal Oz army base on Israel’s border with Gaza… After they are handed over, Israel is expected to free 200 Palestinian or so prisoners and detainees, based on a calculation stipulated in the agreement that 50 detainees should be released for each female soldier.

“If all goes according to plan this weekend, Hamas will have freed seven of the 33 hostages slated for release in the first six-week phase of the ceasefire agreement. Not all of them are believed to be alive. In exchange, Israel will have so far released more than 2,000 Palestinian detainees [some of them have been convicted of murder].”

Cleaning Out Gaza Population?

Financial Times wrote on January 26:

“Donald Trump has urged Egypt and Jordan to take in most of the population of Gaza, saying it was time to ‘clean out’ the territory in comments that are likely to outrage Palestinians and Arabs across the region… ‘You’re talking about a million and half people, and we just clean out that whole thing.’ Trump’s proposal would upend decades of US policy promoting the two-state solution based on the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, in Gaza and parts of the occupied West Bank.

“Trump said he has already discussed his proposal to relocate Gaza’s population with King Abdullah of Jordan on Saturday and will bring it up on Sunday in a phone call with Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Egypt’s president. With the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas entering its second week, Trump said Gaza was ‘literally a demolition site, almost everything is demolished and people are dying there so I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing at a different location where they can maybe live in peace for a change.’…

“Amman and Cairo have since the start of the war in October 2023 repeatedly rejected any transfer of Palestinians to their territories, saying it would amount to the ‘liquidation of the Palestinian cause’ at the expense of Israel’s neighbours. Sisi has said previously that taking in Gazans would threaten Egypt’s peace agreement with Israel because of the risk that some of them would resume fighting the Jewish state from within Egypt’s borders…

“The two countries have weak economies and need US support but their leaders would not want to be seen to be complicit in what Arab public opinion would consider a second ‘Nakba’ or catastrophe — the exodus to neighbouring countries of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees in 1948 when the state of Israel was founded…

“Trump’s Gaza proposal nonetheless delighted leaders of Israel’s far-right… Itamar Ben-Gvir, the former Israeli national security minister who resigned in protest last week over the Gaza ceasefire deal, ‘praised’ Trump for floating the idea. Trump also confirmed that the Pentagon had lifted a hold on the delivery 2,000-pound bombs to Israel imposed by the Biden administration. ‘We released them today and they’ll have them,’ he said. ‘They paid for them and they have been waiting for them for a long time.’

“The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas was already under strain despite the successful release on Saturday of four female Israeli soldiers from captivity in Gaza and 200 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. Israeli officials said over the weekend that Hamas had violated the US-brokered accord after it failed to release the last civilian woman hostage still believed to be alive — Arbel Yehud — before the soldiers… Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that until the matter was ‘put in order’ it would not allow hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, as called for in the deal. Israel’s ceasefire with Lebanon also appeared in danger, with Israel making it clear late last week that it would not meet the two month deadline for the withdrawal of its forces from southern Lebanon on Sunday.”

Palestinians Return to Gaza

CNN reported on January 27:

“More than 300,000 displaced Palestinians have returned to the northern Gaza Strip [on Monday] since Israel reopened the corridor …

“Gaza City, where most of the people making this journey on Monday had been living before the war, is among the most destroyed areas in the strip. There are no fully functioning hospitals or schools in the area and access to water, power and basic supplies is extremely limited, despite aid flows into Gaza increasing since the ceasefire came into effect.

“Seen from above, the crowds on Monday resembled a huge, slow moving wave making its way up Gaza’s coast, then turning inland. Most, including children, injured people and the elderly, were traveling on foot, carrying the little they have left on their backs. Most have spent many months exiled in makeshift refugee camps after Israeli forces ordered large-scale evacuations.

“The Israeli military said residents could return on foot along the Al Rasheed coastal road, while vehicle traffic can pass via the inland Salah al-Din road after inspection…

“Israel’s far-right former national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, who quit in protest over the ceasefire and hostage release deal, claimed the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza was a ‘total surrender.’”

Putin and Zelensky Ready to Negotiate?

Daily Mail wrote on January 24:

“Vladimir Putin today declared that the war in Ukraine could have been averted had Donald Trump not been ‘robbed of the election’ in 2020. Describing his armed forces’ full-scale invasion of their neighbour in February 2022 as a ‘crisis’, Putin told state media the horrific bloodshed that has blighted eastern Europe for almost three years would not have happened under a Trump presidency… His comments came as part of a wide-ranging interview in which the Kremlin chief heaped praise on the newly inaugurated US president, labelling Trump ‘smart and pragmatic’ while also signalling a willingness to approach the negotiating table over Ukraine…

“Kyiv was unsurprisingly quick to respond, with President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office issuing a tight-lipped statement that there could be no peace talks between Putin and Trump without the participation of European representatives… On Wednesday, Trump warned his Russian counterpart that he would face taxes, tariffs and sanctions if Russia did not sign up to a deal to end the war in Ukraine. The US president has previously warned that he could intensify the supply of arms to Ukraine if Moscow does not come to the negotiating table… But Trump’s advisers have also hinted the steady stream of Western military aid to Ukraine could be shut off if Kyiv refuses to countenance a deal. In a somewhat inflammatory statement about the Ukrainian leader, Trump recently said Zelensky was ‘no angel’ and insisted he ‘shouldn’t have allowed this war to happen’…

“Many argue that Russia’s upper hand on the battlefield and its efforts to build stronger economic and political ties with other powers in the face of the West’s sanctions mean that Kremlin is coming to the negotiating table with a strong hand of cards.”

Denmark in Crisis Mode

The Telegraph wrote on January 24:

“Denmark is in ‘crisis mode’ after Donald Trump made a direct play for Greenland in a ‘horrendous’ phone call with the country’s prime minister. The US president spoke to Mette Frederiksen, the Danish premier, for 45 minutes last week and made clear he wanted to place Greenland under American control… Ms Frederiksen told him in their call last week that despite his ‘big interest’, Greenland was not for sale, the Financial Times reported. Mr Trump then became ‘aggressive’, according to the newspaper, and threatened to impose tariffs on Denmark unless Greenland was sold to the US…

“The call came after Mr Trump refused to rule out using military force to take Greenland in a press conference on Jan 7, arguing that it was a matter of ‘national security’ that the US gained an Arctic base… Mr Trump’s refusal to rule out a full-scale invasion of Greenland has raised questions about the Nato alliance, of which both Denmark and the US are members. The alliance’s Article 5 collective defence agreement states that a military attack on one member would result in other members declaring war on the aggressor. It is not clear what would happen if one Nato member attacked another.”

UK’s Right of First Refusal

Daily Mail wrote on January 26:

“President Donald Trump’s bid to acquire Greenland could be foiled by Sir Keir Starmer if Britain were to act on an agreement made over 100 years ago… even if the Danes did agree to sell Greenland, they would have to offer the UK first refusal, per the terms of an agreement crafted in 1917 – when the US first attempted to acquire the island… The agreement was crafted when US President Woodrow Wilson purchased the US Virgin Islands from Denmark for $25 million.

“He was urged to buy Greenland, but Copenhagen refused and would only move forward with the deal if America signed a letter acknowledging Greenland ‘is and will forever be Danish’… The UK, at the same time, insisted that it have first right of refusal if the island were to ever be sold, citing the close proximity to  Canada, which was then a British dominion. Despite this agreement, experts say the UK Government is unlikely to take advantage of the century-old deal…”

Denmark Increases Military for Greenland

Daily Mail wrote on January 27:

“The European Union  is seeking to beef up its military presence in Greenland just one week after President Donald Trump took office and threatened to seize the vast land mass…

“While the Scandinavian country is responsible for Greenland’s security and defense, Copenhagen has limited military capabilities on its island territory…

“Gen. Robert Brieger of Austria, the top EU military official, has said the group should deploy troops to Greenland… Brieger… wants the bloc to send in troops to beef up presence amid concerns that Trump will take swift action to gain control of the autonomous Danish region. The general, however, said the move is meant to send a ‘strong signal’ and serve as a deterrent against Russian and Chinese activity in the strategic location…

“Last year Denmark allocated $26 billion – when converted to USD – for its military spending. And now it wants to use more than $2 billion of that to be allocated to the Arctic…”

Europe Unites Against Trump

MSN wrote on January 27:

“The European Union (EU) renewed sanctions against Russia and agreed on a road map to lift some of those imposed on Syria. At an EU foreign ministers meeting on Monday, leaders also called for a unified approach to deal with US President Donald Trump and what analysts refer to as his ‘divide and rule policy.’

“The EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said as the US undertook a ‘transactional’ foreign policy, Europe needed to ‘close ranks.’ ‘We are stronger when we are united,’ she told reporters.”

Trump’s Wrong Numbers Regarding Canada

CTV News wrote on January 27:

“U.S. President Donald Trump has made various and repeated claims about his country’s trade relationship with Canada to justify his tariff threats…  ‘It’s not fair that we should have a $200 billion or $250 billion deficit.’…

“The U.S. imports more Canadian goods than it exports north of the border. That difference is called a trade deficit. In 2023, the U.S. trade deficit with Canada was US$40.6 billion, according to research by the Centre for Future Work based on United States Census Bureau data. In 2024, the trade deficit is estimated to be around US $45 billion, according to TD Economics.

“In a report published online, TD noted it’s unclear where Trump got the $200 billion figure, which ‘is roughly four to five times the officially reported statistics.’ Those numbers are small relative to the roughly $1 trillion in goods and services that cross the border both ways each year. ‘Mr. Trump quite literally makes these numbers up and they can change from one day to the next, $100 billion, $200 billion, $300. It’s like a game show,’ said Jim Stanford, Economist and Director of the Centre for Future Work based in Vancouver…

“Crude oil makes up the majority of Canada’s exports to the U.S. If you remove it, that deficit becomes a surplus…”

Goliath’s Impressive Size

The Daily Mail wrote on January 26:

“… scientists say there was nothing supernatural about Goliath’s towering stature. Archaeologists have found the remains of other ‘giants’ dating back as far as 2700 BC – around the time of the biblical battle… these huge humans likely suffered from a rare genetic condition which caused them to grow to seemingly impossible sizes…

“The Bible says that his height is ‘six cubits and a span’ and that he wears bronze armour weighing ‘five thousand shekels’… Even though the measurement of six cubits and a span became standard translation, older versions of the Bible show a different measurement. For example, the Greek Septuagint, a translation of the Old Testament into Greek written between the first and third century BC, gives Goliath’s height as four cubits and a span…

“Archaeological investigations at Goliath’s home town suggest that his people used a cubit measuring 54cm (21.65 inches) and a span measuring. 22cm (8.66 inches).

That would make Goliath seven feet 10 inches (2.38m)…

“Clyde Billington, a biblical scholar and executive director of the Institute for Biblical Archaeology, told MailOnline: ‘The ancient cubit was the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. A span is the width of the hand, for example, like the way that the height of a horse is measured today. ‘This varied from individual to individual and only in Egypt was the cubit standardised at 20.66 inches (52.5 cm).’ Taking the Egyptian units, at six cubits and a span, Goliath would have measured…  10ft and 9 inches (3.28m).

“Even using the more accurate four cubits and a span measurement, this would still make Goliath about 7ft and 5 inches (2.26m). However, archaeologists now believe that the ancient Israelites would have used a different measurement system…

“In a paper published in 2014, Professor Morrison points out that the books of Samuel and Chronicles suggest that Goliath’s brother and his three sons were all gigantic in stature... This suggests that Goliath’s giantism was passed on genetically…”

For more information on biblical giants, please read part 4 of our free booklet, “Heavens and Earth… Before and After the First Man!”

The Tragedy of Aschaffenburg

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 28:

“The city of Aschaffenburg held a memorial service on Sunday for the victims of a knife attack in which two people were killed and three others were seriously injured. An Afghan asylum seeker who was due to be deported was arrested after the Wednesday attack, triggering renewed debate about immigration ahead of Germany’s national general election next month.

“The attacker targeted a group of children in a park, killing a 2-year-old Moroccan boy and a 41-year-old German man who was trying to protect the youngsters. He wounded three others, among them a Syrian girl aged two, who sustained neck wounds…

“In light of the incident, the conservative frontrunner to become chancellor after the February 23 election, Friedrich Mertz, promised a ‘fundamental’ overhaul of asylum rules and permanent border control. Merz’s CDU/CSU alliance currently leads in the polls with about 30% support while the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) is in second with 20%.”

The Bloodbath in Aschaffenburg

Bild Online wrote on January 23:

“Who is supposed to believe the Chancellor’s sudden determination?… The message: internal security is a top priority, now action is being taken.

“A few hours earlier, a 28-year-old Afghan had murdered two people in Aschaffenburg. He killed a 2-year-old child and an adult man with a kitchen knife. And as with so many terrible murders, it now turns out that the perpetrator should not be in Germany.

“Chancellor Olaf Scholz… is ‘sick’ of the acts of violence committed by immigrants. The authorities must… take immediate action. The Chancellor is only sick of it now? Only now must there be immediate action?…

“This is just a selection of knife murders that occurred during Scholz’s term in office:

“In 2022, a man from Eritrea attacked two girls in Illerkirchberg, one of whom died. In 2023, a Palestinian murdered two people in Brokstedt and seriously injured three others. In 2024, an Afghan stabbed a police officer in Mannheim. Shortly afterwards, a Syrian killed three people in Solingen and injured eight others. He too should have been deported by the authorities, but he remained in Germany.

“Wasn’t that enough to take immediate action?

‘It has been well known for years that Germany has no control over who comes into the country – and is not even close to deporting all migrants who are required to leave.

“In Olaf Scholz’s three years in government, Germany registered almost 800,000 asylum applications. This compares to around 50,000 deportations. More than half of all deportations fail… In 2023, around 40 percent of all suspects in violent crimes were non-German. The proportion was even higher for murder and manslaughter.

“For years, citizens in Germany have been fed up with people committing the worst acts of violence who shouldn’t even be in the country. Citizens have been demanding consequences for years from the authorities’ failure to deport people. Chancellor Scholz’s government had three years to ‘get fed up’ and ‘draw consequences’. Four weeks before the election, these announcements are no longer credible…

“The bloody crime in Aschaffenburg is tearing our country out of a typically German illusion: Our politicians are discussing Donald Trump. They are getting worked up about US domestic politics, about Elon Musk, ‘America first’ and about whether this Trump can simply deport Mexicans and close his borders… This shows that Germany’s politics are not just out of touch with the world, they are out of touch with their homeland…”

Report 24 wrote on January 25:

“The terrorist attack in Aschaffenburg shook all of Germany and was viewed with horror around the world. At first, people’s justified anger was directed not only against the perpetrator and the politicians who caused such conditions, but also against employees of the established media. First, the case of BR reporter Barbara Ecke was discussed, who described the murder of a two-year-old child as an ‘interesting’ and ‘exciting’ event in otherwise rather boring Aschaffenburg.

“But the Ukrainian BRISANT presenter Kamilla Senjo, a news format on ARD, went one step further: She explained that the park in which the knife attack took place was a ‘dangerous place’ and asked why people would go for a walk there with children…

“Everyone should weigh up and think through the meaning of these words for themselves very carefully. And ultimately also consider who is responsible for these conditions. Because 20, 30 years ago, anyone who questioned whether a park was a proper place for kindergarten children would have been put in a mental asylum…”

Uproar in Germany

Breitbart wrote on January 30:

“In what may serve as a pivotal moment of the federal election campaign and perhaps the future of German politics as a whole, the ‘firewall’ barring establishment parties in Berlin from working with the AfD broke down on Wednesday as Angela Merkel’s former party [under Friedrich Merz] partnered with the populist-sovereigntist party on a [non-binding] vote calling for migration restrictions…

“On Wednesday, both the Social Democrats (SPD, globalist left) and the Greens decided to vote against the motion. However, it narrowly passed by a margin of 348 votes to 344, with 187 CDU/CSU (Union) MPs, 75 AfD MPs, 80 MPs of the Free Democrats (FDP, liberalism), and six unaligned members. It marked the first time that a motion was passed with the help of the AfD since the party was founded…”

The Associated Press wrote on January 30:

“Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday issued rare public criticism of her successor as the country’s center-right leader, the front-runner in Germany’s election next month, for putting to parliament proposals for tough new migration rules that only passed with the help of the AfD. Germany’s center-left governing parties have cast doubt on whether conservative leader Friedrich Merz can still be trusted not to bring the… AfD, into government after Wednesday’s events. He insists that he didn’t and won’t work with it, and that he didn’t break a political consensus, often called a ‘firewall,’ to shun the party. But Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Merz made ‘an inexcusable mistake.’… [Scholz also said he cannot trust Merz anymore.]

“Merkel, a former leader of Merz’s Christian Democratic Union, noted in a rare statement that Merz had said in November that no measures should be passed with AfD’s support before the Feb. 23 election…

“Merz took over the CDU after Merkel, a former rival, stepped down as chancellor in 2021. A more conservative figure, he has taken a more restrictive stance on migration. He said last week that Germany has had a ‘misguided asylum and immigration policy’ for a decade — since Merkel allowed large numbers of migrants into the country… However, her intervention could be problematic for Merz. Merz appears to hope that he will gain support by making the Union look decisive in forcing a tougher approach to migration… It’s uncertain whether that will succeed…. This week’s events soured the political atmosphere and may complicate efforts to form a coalition after the election…”

In addition, the Catholic and the Protestant Churches in Germany criticized Merz for his asylum policy and took the side of Scholz and the Greens. 

Murdered for Refusing to Serve in the Military

ntv wrote on January 26:

“On this Monday, the day of remembrance for the victims of National Socialism, Jehovah’s Witnesses remember 283 members of the religious community who were executed as conscientious objectors in the Second World War…

“According to the Sachsenhausen Memorial, Dickmann was shot on September 15, 1939, at the age of 29, in front of his brother and other fellow prisoners in the former concentration camp. Walter Appel was… executed without a trial at the age of 17. His father – also a Jehovah’s Witness – had already been beheaded in October 1941 in Brandenburg Penitentiary as a conscientious objector.

“‘The persecution of these courageous Christians is not just part of history. Even today, Jehovah’s Witnesses are the target of imprisonment and violence in countries such as Russia and Eritrea, simply because they practice their peaceful faith,’ explained [the spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses in northern Germany, Michael] Tsifidaris. He added: ‘January 27 not only reminds us of the atrocities of the past, but also of the need to defend human rights and freedom of belief – especially now that hate crimes and religious persecution are on the rise again here too.’

“In 1996, then Federal President Roman Herzog declared the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz extermination camp a day of remembrance in Germany. In June 2023, the Bundestag unanimously decided to erect a memorial for Jehovah’s Witnesses persecuted during the Nazi dictatorship.”

Sadly, religious persecution is indeed on the rise in Germany.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:

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

The distinction is interesting, and it is obviously done on purpose. Let us review the Scriptures carefully to see why this distinction is made.

Let us note, to begin with, that God originally created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). The Bible speaks about three heavens—the atmosphere, the universe and the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2)—invisible to the human eye—where God dwells. In Genesis 1:1, the reference to the heavens (Hebrew: shamayim, a plural word) seems to apply to the first and the second heaven. However, God also created the third heaven with all its spiritual components, including His throne, His temple, the heavenly Jerusalem, and the heavenly garden or Paradise, because we read that the Father created everything there is through Jesus Christ (John 1:1-3)—the visible and the invisible (Colossians 1:16). We understand, of course, that both the Father and Jesus Christ have always existed; Christ was not created (Hebrews 7:3). So it was the God Family who created everything.

Let us start to review the biblical passages which say that God will make new heavens. When we read that God will create new heavens, we need to determine by the context which heavens we are talking about.

Isaiah 66:22 reads:

“‘For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me,’ says the LORD, ‘So shall your descendants and your name remain.’”

The following two verses describe a situation at the beginning of the Millennium. Even though this passage might very well apply to the eternal existence of God’s people and therefore to an eternal existence of a new heaven and the new earth (see below, but note the distinction), it seems to refer, foremost, to the situation on earth and, in part, the physical universe. We read about heavenly signs and that “the host of heaven shall be dissolved” and “their host shall fall down“ and that “the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll” and that the sky “receded” or “split apart” (Margin) as a scroll when it is rolled up (compare Isaiah 34:4; Revelation 6:12-17) and that the powers of the heavens will be shaken prior to Christ’s return (compare Luke 21:26). It appears that they will all be restored to a peaceful and unthreatening physical condition of “new heavens” and a new earth during the Millennium and beyond.

Isaiah 65:17 reads:

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges writes:

“… there can be no doubt that the words are to be interpreted literally. At the same time the new creation preserves as it were the form of the old, for the next verse shows that a new Jerusalem is the centre of the renovated earth.”

Verses 19-25 continue to describe the situation at the time of the Second Resurrection. Even though this passage might very well apply to the eternal existence of God’s people and therefore to an eternal existence of a new heaven and a new earth (once again, see below with an important distinction), the commentary, cited above, seems to refer, foremost, to the situation on earth, as being “renovated,” and also in respect to the physical condition of the heavens before, at and following the Second Resurrection. Please note that Isaiah 65:19-25 refers to the Second Resurrection; compare especially Isaiah 65:20 hinting at the 100-year-period of the Great White Throne Judgment. Even though the conditions will be similar to the conditions during the Millennium, there will be differences (compare Isaiah 65:25 with Isaiah 11:6-9 where the reference to dust being the serpent’s food is missing). Note also that Isaiah 65:17 (“I create new heavens and a new earth”) is followed by a description of the conditions during the Second Resurrection.

Isaiah 51:6 reads:

“Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not be abolished.”

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible states:

“The word which is rendered here ‘shall vanish away’ (מלח mâlach), occurs nowhere else in the Bible… it means to glide away, to disappear. The idea here is, that the heavens would disappear, as smoke is dissipated and disappears in the air.”

The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary states:

“… vanish away—literally, ‘shall be torn asunder,’ as a garment.”

Again, this passage in Isaiah 51:6 seems to describe the death of many people and the “destruction” of the earth and the atmosphere and at least part of the universe at the time of Christ’s return and their subsequent restoration. Note that it says that the heavens will vanish away “like smoke” and the inhabitants of the earth will die “in like manner.”  In strictly an analogous way, a description of people following the beast and the false prophet can be found in Revelation 14:11: “And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” Here, their smoke “ascends forever and ever,” as the “heavens will vanish away like smoke.”

This destructive cataclysm is vividly described in Isaiah 24:1: “Behold, the LORD makes the earth empty and makes it waste, Distorts its surface And scatters abroad its inhabitants.”

Continuing in verses 19-20:

“The earth is violently broken, The earth is split open, The earth is shaken exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, And shall totter like a hut; Its transgression shall be heavy upon it, And it will fall, and not rise again.”

This earth with its sinful inhabitants will not rise again, but a beautiful world tomorrow will exist after Christ has begun to rule this earth. The next verse continues with describing Christ’s punishment of sinful people “in that day”—referring to the Day of the Lord.

Christ said in Matthew 24:35 that heaven and earth shall pass away, using the singular form for heaven, referring thereby to the first heaven, the atmosphere. It is true, of course, that His words will never pass away, but the specific context of Christ’s statement here is the time leading to His return (compare verse 34).

Turning to the New Testament, we read about new heavens (in Greek: “ouranoi,” a plural word) in 2 Peter 3:5-7:

“For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”

As the reference to heavens at the time of Noah applies at first to the first heaven—the atmosphere—and perhaps part of the second heaven; that is, portions of the universe close to earth, perhaps referring to cosmic activities like asteroids, meteors, etc. (see Genesis 7:11), there is no reason to assume that the second reference to heavens in the sentence above applies to something else. In both cases the topic is the destruction of ungodly people—first in the flood and then at the time of Christ’s return and/or at the time of the Third Resurrection when the wicked or the incorrigible sinners, which have been “preserved” or literally, “treasured up” for fire, will be thrown into the lake of fire to be burnt up.

Matthew Poole’s Commentary writes:

“The destruction of the world by fire at the last day, is opposed to the destruction of it by water in the flood.”

2 Peter 3:10-13 continues:

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

 The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary explains the “day of the Lord” and the “new heavens and a new earth” in this passage as follows:

“… ‘the day of the Lord’ comprehends the whole series of events, beginning with the pre-millennial advent, and ending with the destruction of the wicked… and general judgment [In fact, it even goes further than that, describing God’s rule, which will never end.] As the flood was the baptism of the earth, eventuating in a renovated earth… so the baptism with fire shall purify the earth so as to be the renovated abode of regenerated man… new heavens—new atmospheric heavens surrounding the renovated earth.”

Following the explanation of the commentary, this would then not be referring to a new heaven and a new earth consisting of spirit (see below), but to a renewed physical re-creation or restoration of the atmosphere and perhaps the physical universe, as well as a “renovated” physical earth. Please recall that the powers of the heavens will be shaken prior to Christ’s return, so they will also have to be restored, as we discussed, to a peaceful and unthreatening physical condition when Christ has returned.

The Benson Commentary seems to agree, stating:

“The passing away of the heavens and the earth does not mean, it seems, that they will be removed to another part of space, or that they will be annihilated; but that, being burned, their form and constitution will be changed much more, probably, than the constitution or form of the old world was by the flood; destruction by fire being more complete and dreadful than destruction by water.”

Following the interpretation of the commentary, the heavens and the earth would not be “annihilated,” but they would continue to exist in some way, being renewed to a peaceful physical condition. This opinion is also expressed by the next commentary.

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible writes:

“In the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise – That is, what seems to us to be the heavens. It cannot mean that the holy home where God dwells will pass away; nor do we need to suppose that this declaration extends to the starry worlds and systems as disclosed by modern astronomy. The word is doubtless used in a popular sense – that is, as things appear to us; and the fair interpretation of the passage would demand only such a change as would occur by the destruction of this world by fire… The word rendered ‘burned up,’ like the word just before used and rendered ‘fervent heat’ – a word of the same origin, but here intensive – means that they will undergo such a change as fire will produce; not, necessarily, that the matter composing them will be annihilated…”

However, what most commentaries seem to overlook is that a different situation emerges when we focus on “a new heaven”—as distinguished from “new heavens.”

Please note that in the following New Testament passages regarding the creation of a new heaven, the singular word for heaven (In Greek, “ouranos”) is used, which signifies the distinction between what we have discussed so far regarding the new heavens and what we will discuss now—the new heaven.

Hebrews 12:25-28 says:

“See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.’ Now this, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”

The allusion may be to a new heaven and a new earth, consisting of spirit and abiding forever, as they cannot be shaken or moved and will remain.

In Psalm 102:25-26, we read:

“Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed.”

This “change” is also alluded to in Hebrews 1:10-12:

“But to the Son He [God the Father] says: ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.’ And: ‘You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will fold them up, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not fail.”

In Hebrews 12:25-28, quoted above, the description is referring to the change of the physical heavens and the physical earth, apparently to a permanent condition. It is true that it says that the earth will remain forever (Ecclesiastes 1:4). It will indeed; a transformation and change from physical to spiritual will make the physical earth and the physical universe cease to exist—they will be changed to spirit. We are told that true Christians who are still alive at Christ’s return, will be changed from corruptible to incorruptible and from mortal to immortality (1 Corinthians 15:51-54; compare also Job 14:14 and Philippians 3:20-21 in the Authorized Version). They still will die (Hebrews 9:27); that is, their physical cells and existence will die, and they will be changed to immortality.

The Bible applies the description of this change to the physical earth and the universe.

Romans 8:18-23 states:

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation (“the created universe”; Revised English Bible) eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption (or “decay”; New International Version, Revised Standard Version) into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption [better: sonship], the redemption of our body.”

As true Christians will be changed to glory at the time of Christ’s return, the entire creation is “waiting” for this event and it will also, ultimately, be changed from corruption or decay “into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” When their change has taken place, a development has been set in motion which will lead to the glorious change of the physical earth and universe.

This change of “the creation” will have taken place when God descends “from heaven” to the new earth.

Notice Revelation 21:1-6 which states:

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’ Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’ And He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End…’”

John sees a new heaven (singular), but he also sees the heavenly Jerusalem coming out of heaven to the new earth (the first earth having passed away). And he sees God the Father coming down from heaven to dwell and live on the new earth. No distinction is being made anymore between a first and a second and a third heaven, as there is only one heaven (not two or three), consisting of spirit. It would make no sense anymore to speak of a first heaven—the atmosphere—or even a second heaven—a physical universe—as the universe has become spirit as well, or, if you please, it has become part of the ONE heaven. The END of God’s master plan has been reached—that is, the end or final goal of making all things new—of changing the physical into the spiritual. And from THAT heaven the heavenly Jerusalem descends (compare Revelation 3:12), and so does God Himself to live on the new earth with His glorified sons and daughters—forever.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“The Fight for Greenland,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

Trump has made clear that he wants the USA to acquire Greenland. He stated that he wants to purchase it, threatens with tariffs, and does not rule out a military invasion. Greenland, Denmark and the rest of Western Europe are extremely concerned. What will happen, and what will the consequences be in the light of biblical prophecy?

“Der Kampf um Grönland,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This program covers the same topics as described above.

We have created a new YouTube playlist “Bible Stories” with the first video by Evelyn Gerz and Andreas Rätz. You can find more information on YouTube in the description of the video.  It has also been posted on our website.

“Warum wir uns nicht an Regierungswahlen beteiligen,” last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Dominik Kaltenegger, is now posted. Title in English: “”Why We Don’t Take Part in Government Elections.”

“That Is Not Jesus!” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is the summary:

Images made to represent Jesus are false, but almost everyone accepts them. How can true Christians purge the fake and deceptive images of Christ from their minds?

“Lessons From the Unjust Steward,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is the summary:

In the parable of the unjust steward, Jesus Christ describes a relationship between a rich man and his steward, in which tension arises because of the steward’s behavior. How did the steward resolve the situation? What can we learn from this parable that we should apply in our own lives today?

On January 25, 2025, Dave Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “That Is Not Jesus,” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “Lessons From the Unjust Steward.”

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

When considering the creation of the universe and the life that resides on Earth, it is fascinating to contemplate the complexity involved. The function of the eyeball, which amazingly detects light and connects with the brain to stimulate the thought of an image boggles the mind. The planets, stars and other cosmic substances contain an ordered form that is stunning to see. The Earth resides in just the right place in the solar system, with just the right atmosphere that can sustain life. Even the simple building block of a protein molecule works in such a way that it functions in harmony with other protein molecules to fulfill very complex biological functions like digestion, immune response, and reproduction. Of course, we can go on and on with other examples of creation’s complexity and elegant beauty which demonstrate how all the many pieces fit together.

What also boggles my mind is how so many in the world attribute the complexity of the universe and miracle of life to randomness. To rely on randomness to produce the order we observe in our universe is ridiculous. The probability of producing ordered outcomes from a random process for even the simplest examples are infinitesimally small.

In his book “Solve for Happy,” Mo Gawdat uses a hypothetical example of a monkey typing at 220 words per minute to randomly generate a 9-word sentence. At that rate, it would take 2.5 billion-trillion-trillion-trillion-trillion-trillion-trillion times longer than the estimated age of the earth to produce the desired result. This, of course, is a much simpler task than something like creating life.

Another relatively simple example is the biological process of a protein molecule folding to achieve its stable structure needed to perform a function. The number of ways a protein can fold incorrectly is a massive 10⁷⁴, but there is only one correct way. For this to happen randomly is incomprehensibly improbable, especially when considering the finite age of the universe. Quoting from evolutionnews.org, “the number of ways you can assemble amino acids that won’t fold vastly exceeds the ways that will fold. To expect a random process to search ‘sequence space’ (the set of all sequences of amino acids) and arrive at one that folds is so highly improbable, it will likely never occur in multiple universes.” Just considering these basic examples of randomness applied to our world’s design exposes the problem of attributing order to random process. When acknowledging the vast complexity of creation, you would have to be crazy to think that it is the product of randomness.

It is a much saner position to attribute the ordered, complex beauty of creation to the Creator. The Bible tells us exactly how the universe came into being. God created it! “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth” (Psalm 33:6). Jesus Christ in His glorified state created everything. “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3). He placed the planets and stars in just the right positions. He designed all life and its biological functions. He created it all, and He did not rely on randomness to accomplish it. He was very intentional in His design.

As plain as this Truth is, most of mankind pridefully rejects it. They would much rather trust randomness to explain the order that surrounds them. The Bible has an evaluation of this line of thinking. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Professing to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:20-22). It is foolish to believe that randomness produced the universe! If applying the extremely improbable odds of randomness producing the universe to a different circumstance, such as winning the lottery, I doubt anyone would expect to win. Yet confoundingly, those same people trust in randomness as the source of creation with brazen certainty. Foolish indeed!

We are fortunate to understand the Truth of creation. Not only is the complexity and order of our physical universe awesome, but the implied meaning is even more amazing. God’s designed creation implies purpose! He has had a plan in mind since the very beginning, which is to bring us into His Family in glory to live with Him eternally. It is God, “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began” (compare 2 Timothy 1:9).  We do not have to rely on randomness in our lives because God has a clear purpose for us. We can trust that with certainty.

by Norbert Link

We begin with the ongoing fight between Germany’s government and the new Trump administration; and especially Germany’s and Europe’s attacks on Elon Musk, report on the “hostage” deal between Israel and Hamas and its present and future consequences; and speak on the war between Russia and Ukraine.

We continue with articles on two interesting personalities in Germany and Austria; Pope Francis’ “moral blindness” and “hypocrisy”; anxiety and fears in Norway; and Trump’ challenges, comments and actions, including his executive orders. In this regard, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Will the USA Take the Panama Canal Back?” 

We speak on former President Biden’s objectionable actions just prior to his departure.

We conclude with another sick example of man’s cruelty towards animals.

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

German Ambassador to the US Attacks Trump

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 19:

“[Germany’s] ambassador to the US, Andreas Michaelis… penned a diplomatic write-up [and] sent [it] to the German Foreign Ministry [under Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock] and the office of Chancellor Olaf Scholz last week, [stating] that a second Trump term represents serious threats to the system of democratic checks and balances outlined in the US constitution… [He wrote:] ‘Fundamental democratic principles, along with checks and balances, will be undermined as far as possible, the legislature, law enforcement and media robbed of their independence and misused as political arms, and big tech will gain co-governing authority.’…

“Michaelis wrote that he expects Trump to affect a ‘maximum concentration of power in the hands of the president at the expense of Congress and the states.’ Michaelis went on to write that Trump’s policy ‘of maximum disruption, the breaking up of the established political order and bureaucratic structures as well as his plans for revenge ultimately mean a redefinition of the constitutional order.’… Michaelis, who will represent Germany at Trump’s inauguration on Monday, said he sees the incoming president as a man driven by a ‘desire for vengeance,’ musing that he will ‘largely sap’ the US of its democratic principles.”

Bild Online published a castigating editorial about Michaelis. It also stated that Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock defended the report of her ambassador. The incredible truth is that Michaelis’ left-wing accusations against Trump apply in fact to Biden’s actions.

Scholz: Elon Musk a Danger to European Democracy

Politico wrote on January 17:

“Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s friendliness with the far right ‘endangers’ democracy in Europe, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Friday. ‘He supports the far right everywhere in Europe — in the U.K., in Germany, in many, many other countries — and that is something that is completely unacceptable,’ Scholz said at a press conference in Berlin. ‘It endangers the democratic development of Europe, it endangers our community and it must be criticized,’ the [present] German leader added.

“The social media mogul is also one of Donald Trump’s most vociferous supporters, earning himself a spot in the U.S. president-elect’s inner circle, and has backed Britain’s right-wing Reform UK…

“Scholz said he wasn’t against Musk expressing his freedom of speech, but: ‘His siding with the far right, whether for business interests or for reasons to do with his own political stance, is unacceptable.’ The Socialist chancellor’s comments are the latest in an ongoing feud with Musk, who has in turn called Scholz ‘a fool’ and claimed he will ‘lose’ the German federal election.”

Of course he will. Why are the “established” parties so afraid of the AfD? Note the next article as an example.

Holding People Accountable Who Caused “Many Covid Vaccine Deaths”

LifeSiteNews wrote on January 17:

“AfD (Alternative for German) co-head Alice Weidel has vowed to ‘hold accountable’ the people who enforced the draconian COVID regime and have caused ‘many vaccine death’” and serious side effects. Weidel recently spoke on X Spaces with Elon Musk, who endorsed her party, stating that ‘only AfD can save Germany’…

“Weidel said that the mRNA shots were suddenly presented as the only alternative even though they were ‘highly experimental.’ The politician also stated that the government did not just make ‘mistakes’ but purposefully lied about COVID and the jabs, as leaked documents from the top German health agency, the Robert Koch Institute, have showed.

“She announced that the AfD would initiate a parliamentary COVID investigation committee if her party reached the required 25 percent of the vote at the upcoming election. The AfD leader said that police are still carrying out house searches of doctors who were critical of the mainstream COVID narrative. She compared the current German state, along with near-total conformity of all mainstream media outlets, to socialist East Germany.

“Weidel thanked the people who took to the streets to protest the government’s draconian COVID policies and all the doctors and medical professionals who opposed the regime. During the time of COVID, the AfD was the only party in Germany that unanimously opposed the government’s draconian policies, including an attempt to introduce a COVID shot mandate for people over the age of 60.”

No wonder Germany’s “established” parties want to silence the AfD (and Musk), since they are all guilty of violating people’s constitutional rights during the coronavirus debacle.

Europeans Attack Musk Over Alleged Nazi Salute

Politico wrote on January 20:

“Europe’s left-wingers on Tuesday raced to condemn Elon Musk after the world’s richest man performed a stiff-armed salute at an event to celebrate new United States President Donald Trump. ‘My heart goes out to you,’ Musk said on stage at Washington’s Capital One Arena, as he thanked Trump’s supporters. He then put his hand to his chest and extended a rigid right arm with his palm down, resembling the salute made infamous by Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Europe’s fascists in the first half of the 20th century. Musk then repeated the gesture a second time facing the crowd on the opposite side…

“‘I will start by talking about the response, or perhaps the lack of responses of the EU to Trump’s inauguration. It represents a threat to the whole of the European Union,’ said French member of the European Parliament Manon Aubry, co-chair of The Left group, at a press conference Tuesday morning. ‘Let’s start by keeping things simple, I am sure everyone saw the Nazi salute, I select these words carefully, the Nazi salute of Elon Musk.’

“In Germany, where Musk’s political backing for the far-right Alternative for Germany has already caused issues ahead of a snap election on Feb. 23, the government hit out over the controversial salute. ‘I definitely don’t think highly of Elon Musk as a politician, from what we know so far. But such a gesture, given his already known proximity to right-wing populists in the fascist tradition, must worry every democrat,’  said German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach from the center-left Social Democratic Party. [Lauterbach has been nicknamed the German Fauci, due to his terrible governmental measures during the Coronavirus epidemic.]

“In Italy, popular journalist Roberto Saviano… rained down invective on {Musk]. ‘May you be cursed,’ Saviano said. ‘The end of all this will be violent. His fall will be equal to that of those to whom it historically refers with this gesture. Musk will fall at the hands of those he now incites fueled by the same violence he practices.’

“In Spain… Yolanda Díaz, the minister of labor and social economy from the left-wing Sumar party, said: ‘Last night, the whole planet could see Elon Musk emulating the Nazi salute in the context of Donald Trump’s inauguration… She then accused Musk of having transformed X into ‘a propaganda mechanism that uses its algorithm to favor certain ideas over others and, in doing so, influence public opinion… From now on, I will no longer use my account,’ she said.

“Musk defended himself online, denouncing the attacks as ‘dirty tricks’ from his opponents. ‘The “everyone is Hitler” attack is sooo tired,’ he said.  His supporters also defended the gesture, blaming it on the billionaire entrepreneur being ‘autistic.’

“‘The Roman Empire is back, starting with the Roman salute,’ wrote Andrea Stroppa, a key adviser to Musk in Italy, sharing the video on X. Stroppa later deleted the post, however, and replaced it with a new one saying: ‘That gesture, which some mistook for a Nazi salute, is simply Elon, who has autism, expressing his feelings by saying “I want to give my heart to you,” and that is exactly what he communicated into the microphone,’ he said, adding: ‘Elon dislikes extremists!’”

The Sun wrote on January 21:

“The Nazi salute, also known as the Hitler or Sieg Heil salute, was used as a common greeting in Germany under the Third Reich. It was originally based on the so-called Roman salute and was adopted by the Italian Fascist Party, whose leadership under Benito Mussolini was a major inspiration to Adolf Hitler. Its use is illegal in several countries today, including Germany, Austria, and Slovakia.”

Left-Wing Jewish Jerry Nadler Attacks Musk

Jewish Telegraph Agency (JTA) wrote on January 20:

“Jerry Nadler, the Jewish Democratic congressman from Manhattan, called the gesture antisemitic and said other officials should condemn it. ‘I never imagined we would see the day when what appears to be a Heil Hitler salute would be made behind the Presidential seal,’ Nadler tweeted. ‘This abhorrent gesture has no place in our society and belongs in the darkest chapters of human history. I urge all of my colleagues to unite in condemning this hateful gesture for what it is: antisemitism.’

“Around the same time as Nadler’s tweet, the Anti-Defamation League, the antisemitism watchdog group, issued its own ruling: ‘not a Nazi salute’…

“The Nazi salute was itself borrowed from Italian fascists, who adapted it from the ancient Romans. Musk has venerated (and shared imagery of himself in)  ancient Rome and has suggested America faces problems like those that led to the end of the Roman Empire…”

Nadler himself had become the subject of a controversy in 2023 when he refused to vote for a Republican bill condemning anti-Semitism, stating that not “all forms of anti-Semitism” should be denounced, as “anti-Zionism” is “expressly not antisemitic.”

Breitbart Clears It All Up

Breitbart wrote on January 21:

“The regime media wasted no time launching its Hoax Machine. Within hours of Donald Trump being sworn in as our 47^th president, these disgraced and increasingly irrelevant serial liars tried to fool America into believing Elon Musk threw out a couple of Nazi salutes.

“What Musk did was not at all confusing to decent people. Speaking to a crowd of Trump supporters Monday at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, he said, ‘I just want to say thank you for making it happen. Thank you.’ Then he touches his heart and makes a gesture throwing his heart out to the crowd. Then he literally says, ‘Thank you. My heart goes out to you. It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured, thanks to you.’…

“People make this gesture all the time. That might be a surprise to some of you, but the fact it’s surprising is not your fault because when the people… do it, no one on the right makes a big deal of it…

“Normal People understand the difference between ‘Sieg Heil!’ and ‘My heart goes out to you.’ Normal People understand that as thousands of leftist students and academics marched across America’s elite campuses in solidarity with Hamas, this same media worked overtime to spin this antisemitic hate as free speech. Normal People understand the difference between calling for an ‘intifada revolution’ during Passover and ‘My heart goes out to you.’”

Hamas to Expel Israel as Soon as Possible

Israel Today wrote on January 16:

Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya repeated the terrorist organization’s commitment to the destruction of Israel in his first public remarks since green-lighting the truce deal with the Jewish state on Wednesday night… Al-Hayya described the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of 1,200 people in Israel as a ‘miraculous’ achievement, declaring the atrocities would ‘remain a source of pride’ for Palestinians, ‘passed down through generations….

“Hamas terrorists ‘will expel the occupation from our land and from Al Quds [Jerusalem] at the earliest time possible… We also recall the illuminating stances of many countries that stood with us across various fields,’ said the terrorist leader, praising the support from Turkey, South Africa, Algeria, Russia, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Belgium, Spain and Ireland…

“Posting to social media in Hebrew, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed the Tehran-backed ‘resistance’ had succeeded in forcing the Jewish state to ‘retreat’… Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps likewise hailed the deal as ‘a clear victory and a great victory for Palestine and a bigger defeat for the monstrous Zionist regime.’”

This was so predictable.

Hostage Deal Approved

The Associated Press reported on January 17:

“Israel’s [full] Cabinet approved a deal early Saturday for a ceasefire in Gaza that would release dozens of hostages held there and pause the 15-month war with Hamas, bringing the sides a step closer to ending their deadliest and most destructive fighting ever.

“The government announced the approval after 1 a.m. Jerusalem time Saturday, following a [seven hour long meeting of deliberation and debate] of the full Cabinet that went well past the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath, in a reflection of the moment’s importance. In line with Jewish law, the Israeli government usually halts all business for the Sabbath except in emergency cases of life or death…

“The ceasefire — just the second achieved during the war — will go into effect Sunday, though key questions remain, including the names of the 33 hostages to be released during the six-week first phase of the ceasefire and who among them is still alive….”

Twenty-four ministers voted in favor, and eight ministers voted against the deal. Especially National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich voted against the deal, and so did ministers from the Religious Zionists Party and Otzma Yehudit, as well as Likud Ministers David Amsalem and Amichai Chikli.

Prime Minister Netanyahu told the cabinet that President-elect Donald Trump had given his full backing for Israel to restart the war should Hamas violate the agreement before phase two of the deal.

In an interview with Fox News, Mike Huckabee, the new U.S. ambassador to Israel, supported this statement regarding violations before and after phase two and added that he is also totally opposed to a two-state solution. It’s still a long way to Tipperary…

Hostage Deal—“Murdering Jews Pays!”

Israel 365 News reported on January 19:

“The list of terrorists being released as part of this so-called ceasefire deal is out, and I am furious. Among them is the murderer of my dear friend, Ari Fuld hy”d. Ari was a proud, passionate Jew, brutally murdered simply for the ‘crime’ of living as a Jew in our ancestral homeland. His murderer, like so many others on this list, is being set free—not because of justice but as a reward for Hamas’s inhumane hostage-taking.

“This isn’t just about Ari, though his loss is deeply personal to me and countless others. Ari’s story is one of many. These terrorists have brutally murdered Jews—children, mothers, fathers—just for daring to live proud, Jewish lives in the land of Israel. And now, their release sends a chilling message: killing Jews pays.

“This isn’t just about releasing convicted killers. It’s about empowering future ones. These released terrorists will almost certainly return to terrorism, as history has shown us time and again. Their release is a clear death sentence for hundreds, if not thousands, of Jews in the future. Even worse: their release inspires others to follow in their footsteps, knowing that murdering Jews not only leads to hero status but to eventual freedom, even after a horrific invasion and massacre like Oct. 7th, 2023.

“The immorality of Western leaders—those who pushed Israel into this abhorrent deal—screams to the heavens. Why is Israel being pressured to release murderous terrorists instead of Hamas being convinced to release innocent hostages unconditionally?

“The Biden and Trump teams have chosen to treat Qatar and Egypt as ‘neutral mediators,’ when in reality, both are complicit in Hamas’s terror. Qatar is a state sponsor of Hamas, funneling money and political support to the very organization that orchestrated the October 7th massacre. Egypt knowingly allowed weapons to flow into Gaza, aiding Hamas’s buildup. Yet, instead of holding Qatar and Egypt accountable, these Western leaders have handed them the reins of diplomacy.

“If the U.S. and others were truly committed to justice and morality, they would pressure Qatar and Egypt to force Hamas to release all hostages without preconditions. Qatar could cut Hamas off in a second, but instead, it enjoys playing the middleman, gaining international legitimacy while funding terror…

“Of course, we rejoice in the return of hostages! But it’s impossible to ignore the immense price we are paying both in the short-term release of terrorists and the long-term consequences. This is not just about the lives these terrorists will take in the future but the treacherous message for which all of humanity will suffer: that terrorism pays…”

AFP reported on January 18 that more than 1,890 imprisoned Palestinian criminals [Bild called them “Hamas criminals”] in exchange for 33 hostages held by Hamas are to be set free under the deal.

Please view our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “The Hostage Deal—Peace in the Middle East?” 

Far-Right Ministers Resign in Protest

 Times of Israel wrote on January 19:

“National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit party quit the coalition on Sunday morning, following through on its threat to exit if the government agreed to a ceasefire agreement with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

“In a statement, the party said that its three cabinet members — Ben Gvir, Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, and Negev, Galilee and National Resilience Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf — submitted resignation letters to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In addition, MKs Zvika Fogel, Limor Son Har-Melech and Yitzhak Kroizer resigned their spots on the various committees they were members of. ‘From this time onwards the Otzma Yehudit party is not a member of the coalition,’ the party declared…

“Writing to Netanyahu, Ben Gvir… complained of what he says was the prime minister’s ‘surrender-to-terror deal, which crosses all ideological red lines.’ The ceasefire constitutes ‘a complete victory for terrorism,’ Ben Gvir declared…  ‘We will not return to the government table without a complete victory against Hamas and the full realization of the war’s goals,’ he added.”

Hamas Terrorist Rejoice

The U.S. Sun wrote on January 19:

“HAMAS terrorists have come out of hiding to celebrate the new ceasefire agreed with Israel. Shock pictures show the shameless, gun-wielding fighters waving the green banner of the terror group and the crest of its armed militia. Pictures show men in balaclavas and camo fatigues waving their guns as they travelled through various towns in the Gaza Strip.

 “… And it has been warned the group has managed to retain much of its strength. Slain terror boss Yahya Sinwar’s brother Mohammed is understood to be rebuilding the shattered remains of Hamas.”

Europe to Get Involved

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 16:

“The EU watched from the sidelines as the US, Egypt and Qatar mediated a three-phase ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas… The 27 countries of the EU… may now have an important role to play. ‘The EU is ready to support the implementation of the ceasefire,’ EU foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El-Anouni told reporters at a briefing… On Thursday, the EU indicated it was on standby to work with international partners, particularly the Gulf states, when the time came. ‘Now we need to see what the future holds,’ El-Anouni said…

“[A] crucial question is how much the EU will be able to influence developments after the ceasefire… figures in [Trump’s] incoming administration have voiced support for the current Israeli government’s more extreme nationalist positions, for example in favor of more of the settlements deemed illegal by the EU and UN…”

And so, Europe will get involved more and more in the affairs of the Middle East… turning AGAINST Israel AND the USA.

Germany to Send Troops to Ukraine?

AFP wrote on January 18:

“Germany’s defence minister said he was open to sending German soldiers to Ukraine to help secure a demilitarised zone there if a ceasefire were agreed with Russia…  Boris Pistorius also said Germany should aim to spend around three percent of GDP [rather than currently 2 percent] on defence.

“US President-elect Donald Trump wants members of the NATO military alliance to devote five percent of their national output on defence, a demand that has already been rejected as too high by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz [‘For Germany, that would mean finding an additional 150 billion euros every year,’ Scholz said on January 6].

“Asked about a possible deployment of German troops to help secure a buffer zone between Russia and Ukraine if one were agreed, Pistorius said: ‘We’re the largest NATO partner in Europe. We’ll obviously have a role to play.’ He said the issue would ‘be discussed in due time.’”

Ending the Russia-Ukraine War in 24 Hours?

NBC News wrote on January 18:

“On the campaign trail, Donald Trump vowed to quickly end the war in Ukraine. He’d do it in ‘24 hours’ after taking the oath, he said, or even before his inauguration. But as he prepares to return to the White House, it’s clear that promise will go unfulfilled…

“Since Trump’s election victory, his team has not outlined a peace proposal to Ukraine’s leadership… Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Trump’s choice for secretary of state, told senators at his confirmation hearing on Wednesday that forging a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia will be ‘very difficult.’ 

“Trump’s… chosen envoy to Ukraine says the new administration’s goal is a peace deal within 100 days.” [That would be on or about April 30.]

Breitbart wrote on January 22:

“President Donald Trump… demanded the Russian president end the war. If Putin does not, Trump said [on Wednesday], the United States would place ‘taxes, tariffs, and sanctions’ on Russia… ‘We can do it the easy way, or the hard way — and the easy way is always better,’ he added…”

Guttenberg’s Dark Intentions

Report 24 wrote on January 21, 2025:

“Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, former German Minister of Economics and Defense, who failed due to a plagiarism scandal, is now working as a lobbyist. As such, he appeared at the Oberbank’s business gala – and made astonishing noise in front of 1,500 guests. Europe must become more militarily capable in order to stand up to ‘Bully Trump’. It sounds like a secret longing for a two-front war that didn’t end particularly well last time [in World War II].”

Guttenberg also claimed that it will take a long time for Europe to achieve a level of military resilience that no longer requires the United States to withstand an attack. He is very wrong about this.

Karl Habsburg Against Russia

Report 24 wrote on January 21:

“Every year the grandson of the last emperor, Karl Habsburg, gives a ‘speech on the future of Europe’ as part of the Pan-European movement. Habsburg has been noticed as an enemy of Russia for a very long time…

“In his speech, Habsburg declared that Russia was a traditional colonial empire that exploited its colonies and used the people of the colonies as cannon fodder in war…. In his opinion, a Europe that cares about the security of its citizens should design scenarios that lead to the disintegration of Russia…

“Towards the end of the speech, Habsburg then called for… direct attacks on Russian territory… Hatred of Russia obviously has a long tradition in the Habsburg family. Otto Habsburg, father of Karl Habsburg, also regularly agitated against Russia and Putin.”

Pope Francis’ Moral Blindness

Israel 365 News wrote on January 14:

“Pope Francis lied once more about Israel’s efforts to defend itself against Islamist entities attacking its citizens, entirely adopting the Hamas-run Health Ministry’s narrative. He called for… the establishment of a Palestinian state inside the borders of Israel…

“The pope also called for a return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) deal with Iran that would allow the Islamist regime to initiate a nuclear weapons program. ‘More recently, I think of the positive signs of a resumption of negotiations to return to the framework of the Iran nuclear deal, with the aim of ensuring a safer world for all,’ the Pope’s statement read…

“In his letter to the pope, Rabbi Eliezer Simcha Weisz, a member of the Council of the Israeli Chief Rabbinate, criticized the Pope’s statements, saying that Pope Francis’ statements ‘are not merely disappointing, they represent a historic danger’ and ‘revived the darkest patterns of Catholic Church history—patterns that for centuries transformed false accusations into violence against the Jewish people… Your portrayal of this conflict deliberately ignores the tragic reality that Hamas deliberately embeds its terrorist infrastructure within civilian areas using hospitals, schools, mosques, and churches as military installations and weapons depots. They cynically use Palestinian children and civilians as human shields, forcing Israel to make impossible choices in its legitimate fight for survival.

“‘Your failure to acknowledge this cruel exploitation of innocent lives, while condemning Israel’s efforts to defend itself, reveals a profound moral blindness. Every casualty in this war is a tragedy, but the responsibility lies squarely with Hamas, who intentionally maximize civilian casualties for propaganda purposes. Your silence on these tactics, coupled with your persistent portrayal of Israel as an aggressor, sends destructive ripples across the global consciousness at a speed and scale unimaginable to your predecessors.’

“… Pope Francis [had] called for an investigation into claims that Israel is carrying out a ‘genocide’ in Gaza… Pope Francis has a history of being myopic regarding Palestinians and Arabs bent on destroying the Jewish state. In 2015, just a few days after the Vatican officially recognized the Palestinian state, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was granted an audience in the Apostolic Palace. After the meeting, Francis gave Abbas a special medallion, representing the angel of peace ‘destroying the bad spirit of war.’ The Pope explained to Abbas that the gift was appropriate since ‘you are an angel of peace.’” 

You just can’t make this up. How more ridiculous can it get?

Sharp Rebuke For Pope Over Criticism of Israel

The Kronenzeitung wrote on January 17:

“Pope Francis has been sharply reprimanded by Italy’s chief rabbi for repeatedly criticizing Israel’s military action in the Gaza Strip. Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni accuses the Argentinian of ‘selective indignation’ and ‘reviving anti-Jewish sentiment’.

“Francis has unfairly focused his attention on Israel compared to other ongoing conflicts in the world, including those in Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Ethiopia, Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, spiritual leader of the Jewish community in Rome since 2001, said on Thursday at a meeting on the theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ on the occasion of the 36th Day of Dialogue between Catholics and Jews in Rome. ‘This is a moment in which it seems that the Church, or at least a part of it, is once again giving in to the temptation to burn bridges with Judaism. The war that has been raging since October 7, 2023, also has Jewish-Christian dialogue among its collateral victims,’ lamented the rabbi, who also spoke of the ‘revival’ and ‘strengthening of anti-Jewish sentiments’.

“Francis, the head of the 1.4 billion-member Roman Catholic Church, has recently spoken out increasingly about Israel’s military action against the militant Palestinian group Hamas. Last week, he described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as ‘very serious and shameful’.”

The Pope clearly turns out to be antisemitic.

The Pope’s Grave Sin Hypocrisy

Breitbart wrote on January 16:

“The Vatican City State has enacted stiffer penalties on anyone entering its territory or violating its airspace without permission, threatening offenders with fines and jail time. The Vatican has hiked both monetary sanctions and prison sentences for those who violate its tight security regulations… violators will face monetary fines ranging from 10,000 to 25,000 euros and prison sentences from one to four years.

“The Vatican City State, the world’s only completely walled-in sovereign territory, has several entry points, all but one of which — the Saint Anna gate — are locked tight from dusk until dawn. The gates are manned by the Swiss Guard, with gendarmes carrying firearms not far off…

“The new decree also introduces new provisions concerning unauthorized overflight of Vatican airspace, including with the use of drones, with penalties of up to three years in prison.

“Last August, Pope Francis suggested that immigration laws should not be made stricter but rather looser, to allow more immigrants to cross international borders, adding that turning away migrants is a ‘grave sin’… The push for more streamlined international migration has been a hallmark of the Francis papacy, while he has demonized as ‘xenophobic’ those who call for strong…  borders. The pontiff has also insisted that the safety of migrants — legal or illegal — should take precedence over national security concerns and that they should not be subjected to collective deportations.”

MSN wrote on January 20:

“Pope Francis said Donald Trump’s plans to impose mass deportations of immigrants would be a ‘disgrace,’ as he weighed in on the incoming U.S. president’s pledges nearly a decade after calling him ‘not Christian’ for wanting to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border. Francis made the comments during an appearance at an evening talk show, and then followed up Monday with an official telegram of congratulations to Trump on the day of his inauguration…”

Such hypocrisy by a “Marxist” pope is difficult to swallow.

Norway Prepares for War

vg wrote on January 11:

“The Norwegian people… must be prepared for war. We cannot rule out war… the truth is that Norway is not well equipped to deal with a real crisis, and certainly not a war…

“There are not enough shelters today that can keep the population safe during attacks… It has already been decided that 4,500 more young people will have to enter their first-time service. Now 4,000 more will have to serve civilian service…”

“We Must Protect Ourselves Against Trump”

vg wrote on January 12:

“Donald Trump’s statements about making the United States bigger, this time in actual size, are frightening. The events of recent days have made the question of Norwegian EU membership even more relevant. The incoming US president has opened up about buying Greenland from Denmark, taking over the Panama Canal, and making Canada part of the US. Trump is threatening the Danes with particularly high tariff walls if they don’t give in. He doesn’t even rule out the use of military means, either in the case of Greenland or Panama. It’s unbelievable.

“It’s time to have the big conversation about where Norway belongs in the world. Who we should be with in the years ahead. How we should stay as safe as possible in turbulent times. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine almost three years ago caused our two close neighbors, Sweden and Finland, to completely change their foreign policy. Almost overnight. They both applied for membership in NATO, the alliance they had been outside of throughout the Cold War, in the decades after World War II…

“With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the world had become more dangerous, including for Norway… The United States has always been the guarantor of our security. Hopefully, it will continue to be so… The cooperation between Norway and the United States on defense and intelligence is strong and deep. Especially in the high north, where Russia has a large part of its nuclear weapons, just across the border from Norway.

“Our geographical location means that the United States will always want to be close to Norway. This will not change even if the United States gets an unpredictable president, with a completely different view of international law and justice than any American president before him. But there is still every reason to ensure that Norway has more people to lean on if we get into serious trouble. In the worst case, in the form of war…

“We will be much better equipped to face such threats if we are part of the EU. Security policy cooperation within the union is becoming increasingly stronger… With Trump’s announced tariff walls and possible trade war, we risk ending up in a pinch between two blocs, with the US on one side and the EU on the other… For Norway, the safest thing is to stand together with Europe. Fully and completely.”

But it may not work out that way. In fact, there is strong support for the idea that Scandinavian countries—Norway, Sweden and Finland, and perhaps even The Netherlands—will not end up being part of the EU… or most certainly not of “core Europe.”

Trump’s Litmus Test

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on January 17:

“Trump’s litmus test awaits him on the Oval Office desk.  The litmus test is the pardon for every one of the wrongly indicted and wrongly prosecuted January 6 Trump supporters–which means all of them–who attended the rally and were persecuted for doing so.  If Trump fails to immediately issue a full and unconditional pardon to all, he will lose the support of MAGA Americans…

“In my view, full pardon for all is just one-third of what needs to be done. Another one-third is restitution for all expenses, lost income, and stress from being wrongly prosecuted and locked away from family, friends, and career in prison. In some cases the… Democrats imprisoned the wrongly convicted  great distances from their communities, thus depriving them of support from visits from family and friends. Some were kept in solitary confinement…

“The remaining one-third is actually the most important one-third. The DOJ, FBI, and White House officials responsible for the indictments, prosecutions, and imprisonments must be indicted, prosecuted and sentenced. By weaponizing law for propaganda and political purposes and by using false indictments for the purpose of suppressing the powerful evidence of massive vote fraud in the 2020 presidential election, high law enforcement officials committed felonies. They must be held accountable for their crimes.  Otherwise, legal precedents are created that are fateful for democracy, the rule of law,  and accountable government…

“How can Trump permit the government officials who intentionally framed innocent people for political and propaganda purposes to walk away unpunished?”

If Trump’s past is a guide for his future conduct, then it is not to be expected that most of these recommendations will be carried out. But notice the next article:

CNN wrote on January 20:

“President Donald Trump on Monday pardoned US Capitol rioters, saying the pardon would cover 1,500 people, which would appear to cover nearly everyone charged since the attack on January 6, 2021. ‘These are the hostages,’ Trump said…

“By pardoning the defendants, Trump has granted full clemency to hundreds of people already convicted of felony crimes like assaulting police and destroying property.”

Trump Defends TikTok

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 19:

“On Sunday, incoming US President Donald Trump said he would issue an executive order delaying a ban on TikTok… Trump’s comments came after the app went dark in the US ahead of a federal ban recently upheld by the US Supreme Court. ‘I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark,’ Trump wrote on his own social media platform Truth Social. ‘Americans deserve to see our exciting inauguration on Monday as well as other events and conversations.’

“In response to Trump’s comments, TikTok said it would restore service in the US, and thanked the president-elect for ‘providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive.’

“Trump, who called for a similar ban in the past, also floated the idea of a US-China joint venture ownership deal [He wrote: ‘I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture.’] The president-elect reportedly said he would not be opposed to continued Chinese ownership of the app as long as steps were taken to ensure US user used data was protected and stored in the US, according to incoming National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.”

Trump’s flip-flop seems to be in recognition that many TikTok users voted for him.

Trump’s Liberal LGBT Agenda

NYP reported on January 18:

“President Trump is assembling an administration stocked with prominent gay and lesbian Americans… Among the picks:

“Scott Bessent, 62, treasury secretary. If confirmed, the hedge fund manager would be the highest-ranking openly gay official in US history. Ric Grenell, 58, presidential envoy for special missions. He was Trump’s director of national intelligence during his first term [and US ambassador to Germany]. Tammy Bruce, 62, the new State Department spokesperson was a Fox News contributor. Jacob Helberg, 35, undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy, and the environment. Bill White, 57, ambassador to Belgium. Art Fisher, 49, ambassador to Austria.

“And at least 10 other prominent LGBT Americans are slated for major administration posts, one Trump insider said.”

Imam Ousted

Jewish Insider wrote on January 20:

“An imam who refused to acknowledge Hezbollah as a terrorist organization was removed as a speaker at President Donald Trump’s inauguration after previously being slated to deliver a benediction…

“A spokesperson for the newly inaugurated 47th president did not immediately respond to an inquiry from JI asking why Al-Husainy was removed from the lineup. Trump did not include an imam in his inauguration ceremony when he first took office in 2017.”

Trump’s Inauguration Speech

ABC News wrote on January 20:

“President Donald Trump offered a scathing rebuke of his predecessor’s term while laying out the immediate actions he plans to take on the first day of his second term in office, saying in his inauguration remarks, ‘America’s decline is over.’…

“Trump continued to lay out his expansionist vision for the U.S., including a plan to gain control of the Panama Canal. ‘American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form, and that includes the United States Navy,’ he said. ‘Above all, China is operating the Panama Canal. And we didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama. And we’re taking it back.’…

“He also referred to the assassination attempt against him in Pennsylvania last year. ‘Those who wish to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom and indeed, to take my life. Just a few months ago in a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin’s bullet ripped through my ear, but I felt then, and believe even more so now that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to Make America Great Again.’

“Trump celebrated his historic comeback throughout his speech. He is only the second president in U.S. history, after Grover Cleveland in 1892, to win election to a non-consecutive second term, and is the first convicted felon to take the office. ‘Many people thought it was impossible for me to stage such a historic political comeback. But as you see today, here I am, the American people have spoken,’ Trump said.”

Trump also said subsequently that Denmark would come along to sell Greenland. Regarding the Panama Canal, please see our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Will the USA Take the Panama Canal Back?”  

Trump’s Executive Orders

Daily Mail wrote on January 20:

“Trump is signing approximately 200 executive orders on Monday in a massive crackdown on Day One of his second term… One of his more interesting proposals is to rename or restore previous titles to landmarks and bodies of water bordering the U.S., including the new ‘Gulf of America.’…

“Trump vowed that he would keep TikTok working in the U.S. – even after the Supreme Court ruled last week that it could not operate in the country… Trump’s order extends the time period for when the law prohibiting TikTok’s U.S. operations takes effect so he can work towards a deal to protect national security from Beijing…

“Trump is declaring that the federal government will only recognize two sexes – male and female…

“Trump is also putting a stop to all issuance of new foreign aid…  The order is likely to immediately halt the distribution of U.S. money from going to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which distributes aid in Gaza and is accused of close ties to the terror group Hamas…

“Trump is ending birthright citizenship for illegal immigrants. This means anyone born on U.S. soil, but whose parents are undocumented aliens will no longer be a de facto citizen of the United States of America. Advocates for asylum seekers and undocumented immigrants claim this is against the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, which created the unique birthright citizenship rule for anyone born in the U.S…

“Trump is also directing the Department of Defense to send troops to assist with securing America’s borders… He is declaring a national emergency at the southern border… Trump is also ending catch-and-release, a policy that allowed illegal border crossers seeking asylum to be detained and then released within the country as they awaited a court date. He is reinstating the Remain in Mexico policy that makes illegal border hoppers wait in the last country where they crossed from, which is most often Mexico, as they wait for a court date to make their asylum claims. And Trump is requiring that his promised and famed southern border wall is finally completed.

“Trump is designating cartels as terrorist organizations, which will change the way that they are handled when it comes to foreign affairs and defense regarding attacks by these cartel members…

“The president will withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accords and end the so-called Green New Deal. Trump is ordering that Alaska’s Denali mountain go by its original moniker Mount McKinley…

“Trump is creating a complimentary agency to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to deal with external taxes and tariffs. Like the IRS, the External Revenue Service (ERS) will collect and uphold laws related to taxes on foreign countries. It comes after Trump said in November that he will impose a 25 percent tariff on Canada and Mexico. He also wants to put an additional 10 percent tax on goods from China – on top of other existing tariffs…”

Trump also signed an executive order withdrawing from the World Health Organization. He announced that he would sign executive orders by February 1 to impose 25 percent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada.

In another executive order, Trump “pardoned 23 anti-abortion protesters imprisoned under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which was enacted in 1994 in large part to protect people entering abortion clinics” (Deutsche Welle, dated January 23).

Regarding ending birthright citizenship, the New York Post wrote on January 20:

“The federal government will no longer recognize the immediate citizenship of children of illegal immigrants born in the US ‘on a prospective basis’… the action could raise legal questions, since the 14th Amendment states, ‘All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.’”

Fox News added on January 20:

“Officials told reporters in a press call that Trump will sign an order clarifying language in the 14th Amendment and stating that the federal government ‘will not recognize automatic birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens born in the United States’…

“Trump advisers and some conservative legal scholars have previously argued that the idea of giving birthright citizenship to children of illegal immigrants is based on a misreading of the amendment…”

This executive order is already being challenged in court, and a decision on this issue is anything but certain, even though most legal scholars feel Trump’s argument will not prevail in light of the clear language of the 14^th Amendment. Read about the further developments below:

Restriction of Birthright Citizenship Blocked

Breitbart wrote on January 23:

“A federal judge on Thursday put a temporary block on US President Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship. The ruling imposes a 14-day halt on the enforcement of one of the most controversial executive orders Trump signed in the hours after he was sworn into office for a second term. ‘This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,’ US District Judge John Coughenour was reported as saying during the hearing in Washington state. ‘I’ve been on the bench for over four decades, I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one is,’ said Coughenour, who was appointed by a Republican president, Ronald Reagan…

“Trump’s order was premised on the idea that anyone in the US illegally, or on a visa, was not ‘subject to the jurisdiction’ of the country, and therefore excluded from this category. An incredulous Coughenour chided Justice Department attorney Brett Shumate over his assertion that Trump’s order was constitutional. ‘Frankly, I have difficulty understanding how a member of the Bar could state unequivocally that this is a constitutional order,’ Coughenour said. ‘It just boggles my mind.’

“Trump’s opponents have argued that the 14th Amendment, which was ratified in 1868 as the United States sought to knit itself back together after the Civil War, has been settled law for over a century. They have cited an 1898 US Supreme Court ruling in the case of a San Francisco-born Chinese American man called Wong Kim Ark. Wong was denied entry back into the United States after visiting relatives in China on the grounds that he was not a citizen. The court affirmed that children born in the United States, including those born to immigrants, could not be denied citizenship.”

The Associated Press added on January 23:

“Trump quickly responded by saying his administration will appeal the decision, a cornerstone of his planned efforts to rein in illegal immigration… The U.S. is among about 30 countries where birthright citizenship… is applied. Most are in the Americas, and Canada and Mexico are among them…

“Trump’s order asserts that the children of noncitizens are not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and orders federal agencies to not recognize citizenship for children who don’t have at least one parent who is a citizen… some advocates of immigration restrictions have argued that [the Wong] case clearly applied to children born to parents who were both legal immigrants. They say it’s less clear whether it applies to children born to parents living in the country illegally…

“One of the lawsuits aimed at blocking the executive order includes the case of a pregnant woman… who is not a citizen but has lived in the United States for more than 15 years and has a pending visa application that could lead to permanent residency status…”

To be clear,  on January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled, “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” which asserts that citizenship may only be conferred to children with one or more parents who hold U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent resident (LPR) status (i.e., a “green card”). It encompasses all children born on or after February 19, 2025, on U.S. soil who do not have at least one U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident parent. Encompassed are all nonimmigrant visa holders, including but not limited to participants in the Visa Waiver Program, F-1 students, and B-1, B-2, H-1B, H-4, L-1, L-2, E-1, E-2, E-3, TN, and O-1 visa holders. This order applies regardless of whether the parents have been maintaining status as a nonimmigrants. This change in longstanding interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment will not apply retroactively and will only impact individuals born thirty days after the date of the order.

If allowed the stand, the order would mean children born after February 19 to mothers or fathers who are not citizens or lawful permanent residents could be deported and would not be allowed to receive Social Security numbers, government benefits or the right to work lawfully when they are older (compare Deutsche Welle, January 23).

Declassifying Files on JFK, RFK, MLK Assassinations

The New York Post wrote on January 23:

“President Trump on Thursday ordered the declassification and release of long-secret files on the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

“Trump, 78, announced the actions in the Oval Office — after decades of speculation and conspiracy theories about each of the slayings. President Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963 in Dallas — with Lee Harvey Oswald, the primary suspect, himself being shot dead two days later by Jack Ruby…  RFK was shot dead by Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian Christian, in June 1968 — shortly after winning California’s Democratic presidential contest. King was fatally shot in April 1968 by James Earl Ray after federal authorities worked to undermine his anti-racial discrimination advocacy.”

Biden’s Disgraceful Preemptive Pardons

Deutsche Welle reported on January 20:

“In his final hours in office, US President Joe Biden has pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired General Mark Milley and members of the House committee members [including Liz Cheney] that investigated the January 6 attack on the Capitol.”

The New York Post wrote on January 20:

“Outgoing President Biden on Monday issued a slew of pardons for more kin, including a broad, 11-year granting of clemency for his brother James — effectively killing any chance of repercussions for the first family’s influence-peddling. The 11th-hour move — on the heels of Biden’s previous unprecedented sweeping pardon of son Hunter — brought widespread condemnation, even from hardcore liberals.”

CNN added on January 20:

“The pardons, coming in the final hours of Biden’s presidency, amount to a stunning flex of presidential power that is unprecedented in recent presidential history…”

Biden must have felt preemptive pardons were necessary to protect his brother and other Biden family members from prosecution, (as well as Cheney, Fauci and Milley), based on their alleged criminal conduct.

Fauci’s Pardon!

The Washington Examiner wrote on January 20:

“President Joe Biden, in an extraordinary move, granted former federal health official Anthony Fauci a preemptive pardon. While Fauci faces criticism for all sorts of things — mostly pushing localities and institutions into overly strict lockdowns and unending mask mandates — he might have been in legal trouble because it looks like [he] tried to cover up the origins of COVID-19, and his own agency’s involvement with the Chinese research on coronaviruses.

“Specifically, Fauci, who ran the infectious-disease operation of the National Institutes of Health, could have faced prosecution for lying to Congress, which is a federal crime…”

Obviously, Fauci would have been in legal trouble… otherwise, why a pardon? In addition, he should be in all kinds of trouble for his terrible and unconscionable conduct in regard to the governmental coronavirus measures.

Putin Slaughters Deer to Bathe in Their Blood

Daily Mail wrote on January 18:

“Vladimir Putin is rumoured to have taken a secret break this week at his bolthole mountain palace where he ‘bathes in the blood of young deer’ ahead of anticipated talks with incoming U.S. president Trump. The 72-year-old dictator is fanatical about using ancient remedies to prolong his life and give him strength, say reports.

“His ‘Flying Kremlin’ Ilyushin 96-300 – equivalent to Air Force One – disappeared from radar screens over the remote Altai region in Siberia… Telegram channel ‘More Than Fact’ suggested Putin may have spent time at his sprawling Altai Courtyard retreat in neighbouring region Altai Republic. This Siberian palace is reported to have a vast underground hi-tech bunker with its own power station…

“It was reported last year that sufficient quantities of food had been stashed here to feed up to 300 people ‘for several years’. The eerie complex includes a maral deer farm where antlers are sawn off terrified Siberian stags so Putin and his inner circle can take blood baths, according to previous investigative reports. The ancient tradition is seen as a testosterone-driven elixir to improve male potency, but also as bringing multiple health benefits and slowing the ageing process….”

This is just SICK. For more on animal cruelty, please view our recent sermon, titled, “Does the Bible Condemn Animal Cruelty?”   

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 the first part of this two-part series, we began our review of Deuteronomy, chapter 17:14-20, where we read about an instruction that was to be given to a king showing that he was not to look after his own personal interests as being foremost in his activities, but to learn to fear God and to observe His law and statutes.  We read in verse 14:

“When you come to the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me’…”

But why did God talk about a future king when Israel was a theocratic institution?   We read in 1 Samuel 8 that Israel demanded a king.  In verses 1-4, we read that Samuel was old and that his sons didn’t walk in the ways required of them.   Then in verse 4, we see how this affected the nation:

^“Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, ‘Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.’ But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, ‘Give us a king to judge us.’   So Samuel prayed to the LORD.”

Samuel knew that this was not the right course of action—that it was a SIN to ask for a king—but it had come about because his own sons had set such a bad example. Continuing with verses 7-10:

^“And the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behaviour of the king who will reign over them.’ So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who asked him for a king.”

In verses 11-18, he clearly set out the consequences of their request but they would have none of it, and in verses 19-22 is their response and that of God and the prophet Samuel:

^“Nevertheless, the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, ‘No, but we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.’And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the LORD. So the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Heed their voice, and make them a king.’ And Samuel said to the men of Israel, ‘Every man go to his city.’”

Then, as we read in 1 Samuel 9 and 10, Saul was the chosen one and anointed and proclaimed king.  

There appears to be no record of an Israelite king actually writing out the entire Law of the LORD as was instructed by Moses.   However, that does not invalidate its value in any way, nor does it prove, that it never happened. It is clear, of course, that David KNEW the Law of God, meditating in it day and night, and we should not assume that he himself did not actually write the Law himself in a personal book, as instructed by God in Deuteronomy 17:18.

While the Scripture says specifically that the king had to write his own copy, with his own hand, some feel that it was sufficient that it was written for him, upon his command, and being handed to him. This interpretation seems to defeat the purpose of God’s explicit command. There is great value in writing down the Scriptures yourself, as this also serves to retain them to memory. This practice, which had been recommended in the past by the Church of God, might have fallen into neglect by many. But to write at least key Scriptures down in a personal notebook—especially when you are still young in the faith—can be of great lasting importance. We are told to write God’s Law into our minds. In order to do this, we might be well advised to write it down first quite literally in a book, and to read in it day and night.

An excellent admonition is found in Proverbs 29:2: “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.”   That backs up what this admonition would achieve if followed through as instructed.

Knowing about, and keeping the Law of God, was an important function that the future kings of Israel were required to do so that they were kept in mind of the way that they should act for their own benefit and that of their subjects.   Unfortunately, there were good kings and bad kings in Israel and Judah.   The seeming resultant neglect showed that so many kings wanted to just do their own thing.

And so, what can WE learn from the requirements given to kings thousands of years ago?   The same approach by the people of God to honour our Creator and live by His Law, is of paramount importance.   Let us look at this passage of Scripture in Deuteronomy 17 and see what was required. Verse 16 states: “…he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’”

The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary makes these interesting observations:

“…he (the king) shall not multiply horses to himself—The use of these animals was not absolutely prohibited, nor is there any reason to conclude that they might not be employed as part of the state equipage. But the multiplication of horses would inevitably lead to many evils, to increased intercourse with foreign nations, especially with Egypt, to the importation of an animal to which the character of the country was not suited, to the establishment of an Oriental military despotism, to proud and pompous parade in peace, to a dependence upon Egypt in time of war, and a consequent withdrawal of trust and confidence in God (2 [Samuel] 8:4; 1 [Kings] 10:26; 2 [Chronicles] 1:16; 9:28; [Isaiah] 31:3).”

Barnes Notes on the Bible states:

“The spirit of the prohibition therefore is that the king of Israel must not, like other earthly potentates, put his trust in costly and formidable preparations for war (compare Hosea 1:7).

“Egypt was the principal source from where the nations of western Asia drew their supplies of this animal (compare Exodus 14:5 ff; 1 Kings 10:28-29; 2 Kings 7:6); but contact, traffic, or alliance which would ‘cause the people to return to Egypt’ would be to reverse that great and beneficent wonderwork of God which inaugurated the Mosaic covenant, the deliverance from the bondage of Egypt; and to bring about of set purpose that which God threatened Deuteronomy 28:68 as the most severe punishment for Israel’s sin.”

We can learn from this that, for us, such distraction and reliance on outside sources can lead us into areas that will probably not be conducive to our Christian Way of Life. In Matthew 19, we read the account of Jesus and the rich young ruler.  Wealth can be a way that can be more important to some than the Way that God has shown His people, and in verse 23 we read: “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.’   We must not be distracted from our chosen path.

Deuteronomy 17:17 says: “Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.”

A classic example of this problem can be found with King Solomon’s departure from God in 1 Kings 11. Verse 3 shows the extent of the problem: “And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.”   Solomon’s actions with foreign princesses were in part for political ends, but introduced heathen cults into Israel.  He was not content with just one wife as is the instruction from God (cf Genesis 2:20-24; 1 Corinthians 7:2; 1 Timothy 3:2).   Although there are examples in the Old Testament where having multiple wives was extant, but this never occurred with the approval of God, and the outcomes were not good.  Again, distractions from our Godly calling can arise when the Way that is best for us is not adhered to.

“Multiplying gold and silver for himself” is a case of wealth being pursued as an end in itself, thus distracting from the much more important things in life.   It can be self-serving and we read in Matthew Poole’s Commentary: “Neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold, lest this should lift up his heart in confidence and pride, which God abhors, and beget in him a contempt of his people; and lest it should incline, or engage, or enable him to burden his people with immoderate exactions. They are not simply forbidden to be rich, if God made them so either by the voluntary gifts of their subjects, or by the spoils of their enemies, which was the case of David, and Solomon, and Jehoshaphat [etc.],  but they are forbidden either inordinately to desire, or irregularly to procure, great riches by grinding the faces of their poor people, or by other wicked arts and courses, as the manner of their neighbouring kings was.”

Deuteronomy 17:18-19 continues: “…so it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites.  And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes…“

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary reads as follows (our emphasis underlined): “He must carefully avoid everything that would turn him from God and religion. Riches, honours, and pleasures, are three great hinderances of godliness, (the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eye, and the pride of life,) especially to those in high stations; against these the king is here warned. The king must carefully study the law of God, and make that his rule; and having a copy of the Scriptures of his own writing, must read therein all the days of his life. It is not enough to have Bibles, but we must use them, use them daily, as long as we live.  The king’s writing and reading were as nothing, if he did not practise what he wrote and read. And those who fear God and keep his commandments, will fare the better for it even in this world.”

Deuteronomy 17:20 continues: “…that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.”

The Benson Commentary states “that his heart be not lifted up — He intimates, that the Scriptures, diligently read, are a powerful means to keep a person humble, because they show him that, though a king, he is subject to a higher monarch, to whom he must give an account of all his administrations, and receive from him his sentence, agreeably to their quality, which is sufficient to abate the pride of the haughtiest person in the world.”

We read earlier that the king must read God’s law (or Word) every day of his life. Not only must he read it, but he must develop the skill to interpret and apply it rightly and fairly. We can take from that, that we must also read God’s Word daily as part of our Christian Way of Life.   If it was good enough for the king, it would certainly be deemed to be good enough for us!

A godly leader must be a humble person, serving always with humility. The Israelite king was told “that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren.” He may have had a far superior position; nevertheless, he was, like his brethren, still a servant of God.

We are to be kings and priests in the Kingdom of God, as we read in Revelation 5:10: “And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”  This is the time when the Law of God will be the Way that people will live in the Kingdom of God during the 1,000 millennial rule of Jesus Christ.

Learning these lessons today from this passage of Scripture will help us to see what will be required of us when we become a member of the Family of God at the return of Jesus Christ.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Will the USA Take the Panama Canal Back?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

How serious are President Trump’s statements regarding the Panama Canal, that the USA will “take it back”? Apart from human ideas, what does the Bible say about it? Is it even possible that, according to Scripture, the Panama Canal—an important and vital sea gate–will end up again in American hands?

“Werden sich die USA den Panamakanal zurückholen?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers the same topic as described above.

A new Member Letter (January 2025) has been posted and will be mailed to our subscribers. Pastor Kalon Mitchell recounts the experience of total blackness in a cave and relates how we shine as lights in the darkness of this world as we live as followers of Jesus Christ.

“Was die Bibel über das Tier sagt!” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “What the Bible Says About the Beast.”

Our new German booklet, “Die Nationen des Nahen Ostens und Afrikas in der biblischen Geschichte” (“Middle Eastern and African Nations in Bible Prophecy”) has been posted on our German website, together with a video ad for this booklet, prepared by Pastor Michael Link. The booklet is still being printed in Germany and will be distributed to our subscribers shortly.

“Die Kraft der Besonnenheit,” last Sabbath’s first split-sermon in Germany was presented by Mario Danisch. Title in English: “The Power of Prudence.”

“Geht hinaus aus ihr, mein Volk!” last Sabbath’s second split-sermon in Germany was presented by Mike Richter. Title in English: “Get Out of Her, My People!”

“Your Confidence,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted.

“Against the World,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

Jesus Christ our Saviour was perfect and sinless and yet He was accused of being a drunkard, a blasphemer, a deceiver, charged with treason, breaking the Sabbath, and a friend of sinners. He was hated for what He believed and many were offended by His teachings, which still holds true today. Those who truly follow Him and DO what He commands are also hated for His name’s sake. To be considered His friends, He tells us exactly how we are to worship Him and how we are not.

On January 18, 2025, Kalon Mitchell will present the sermonette, titled, “Your Confidence,” and Michael Link will present the sermon, titled, “Against the World.”

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.

New year, new opportunity, so they say in the world. Well, the world has ushered in the year 2025 with many wrong things, which I won’t go into here, but I would like to ask a question: What are we going to do in 2025?

Will we continue to do the same this year as the year before? Was it perhaps a year of escape, escape from the Church, from the Truth, from God? Or have we been careless? If so, then we should turn quickly from the wrong path and withdraw from this society or from carelessness.

But what can we do? Who can help us?

It is not enough to eliminate the obvious sins in our lives. We must also actively resist the wrong influence of this society.

God tells us in James 4:7 what to do: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

So far, so good. But it’s not that easy, is it? And so, James gives us further instructions: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (verse 8).

We are in a spiritual battle that requires spiritual help. Let us look at another passage in Ephesians 6:12-13: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

God is Spirit, as we read in John 4:24. He can give us the spiritual help we need—which we desperately need. We have to ask Him for help. “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find” (Romans 7:18).

We need spiritual nourishment. We need God; we have to spend time with God, praying, meditating, and studying God’s Word.

But, somehow, we don’t see it that way. We try to convince ourselves that we don’t need to spend that much time with God; we tell ourselves that we don’t have that much time. All too often, the physical displaces the spiritual.

Jesus Christ spoke of a field that could have produced fruit but instead thorns and thistles sprang up and choked the Word. What were the thistles? Matthew 13:22 tells us: “Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.”

Jesus Christ said that worrying about the material things of this life can prevent us from being fruitful!

Luke 10:40 says: “But Martha was distracted with much serving,” while Mary chose to listen to the Truths Christ was imparting to her. And so, in the remaining part of verse 40, we read: “…and she [Martha] approached Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.’”

But Jesus’ response to Martha was surprising to her:

“And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her’” (verses 41-42).

Too many of us are spiritual Marthas!

There is nothing wrong with serving, nothing wrong with doing physical labor. But if we allow a lack of time because of material activities to push God into the background, then we are on the wrong path.

Let’s be honest with ourselves. Have we really spent enough time with God? If not, let’s pray to God as David did in Psalm 119:18: “Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.”

As we absorb God’s thoughts by studying His Word, our overall spiritual resilience will increase. We will automatically be better equipped for the struggles and temptations of the upcoming day. Of course, we will still have problems, but from now on we will make progress.

The fight continues this year, it might even get tougher.

Twenty-four hours a day, Satan is active. He never stops attacking the human spirit. Whether we are ready to fight or not, Satan is already throwing all his energies into the battle. He is not waiting for us to declare war on him! We cannot afford to delay the fight. We must start arming ourselves immediately.

For what do we read in Ephesians 6:10-18?

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…”

If we are not prepared to resist Satan’s attack, we have already lost the battle! Satan will not give us any advance warning. He is like a cunning serpent.

The key to victory is to make wise use of our time. Let us not be too busy or careless to pray or study God’s Word.

Let us not be among the many who will stand unprepared, perplexed and maybe even shocked before our Creator, wishing they could live their lives all over again to rearrange their daily schedule to include God.

If we haven’t already done so, now is the time to begin implementing our plan of attack. Let’s be sure we can say with the apostle Paul: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Let us hold on to what we have. Christ tells us in Revelation 2:25: “But hold fast what you have till I come.” And if it has slipped out of our hands, let us bring back what we had, while it is still possible. Christ warns us again in Revelation 3:11: “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”

Our eternity is at stake!

Initial translation from the German: Daniel Blasinger

by Norbert Link

We begin with further developments in Syria and Turkey’s aggressive role, prompting the question whether it is time to expel Turkey from NATO; and we continue with a deal between Israel and Hamas, which is not as good as some may believe. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “The Hostage Deal—Peace in the Middle East?” 

We report on Biden’s controversial past and present actions; and report at length about the wildfires in Los Angeles and the blame placed correctly, for the most part, on California’s incompetent government, beginning with Governor Gavin Newsom whose resignation is way overdue.

We continue with the hoax of sentencing Donald Trump for a non-existent crime; and speak about the international uproar caused by Trump when claiming that Greenland should become part of the USA.

We conclude with Germany’s sudden desire to exert political and military influence and power.

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

Ending the Civil War in Syria?

Breitbart wrote on January 10:

“Leaders in Syrian Kurdistan asked the United States this week to provide protective troops and become more involved in keeping the peace as they face an ongoing campaign by Turkish proxy forces to eradicate them. One senior leader… suggested American troops, with French help, could ‘secure the entire border’ between Turkey and Syria. The top commander of the U.S.-allied, Kurdish-run Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Gen. Mazloum Abdi, also said in an interview on Thursday that American forces could be the ‘key factor of stabilization’ in northern Syria.

“Syria endured a decade-long period of civil war under ousted dictator Bashar Assad that began in 2011 and, by late 2024, had reached a point of apparent stagnation. The al-Qaeda offshoot jihadist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) staged a surprise attack on Aleppo in late November, shocking the Assad regime and resulted in a string of victories as a result of the collapse of the Syrian military. By early December, HTS reached the outskirts of Damascus; Assad himself is believed to have fled the country between December 7 and 8.

“At the same time that HTS solidified control and became the de facto government of Syria, the Syrian National Army (SNA) launched a campaign to destroy the SDF called ‘Operation Dawn of Freedom.’ The SNA is… largely considered a proxy force for the Turkish government. The SDF is a Kurdish-led coalition with close ties to the United States that played a major role in the dismantling of the Islamic State ‘caliphate’ headquartered in Syria in 2017.

“The Turkish government considers the Syrian People’s Protection Units (YPG/YPJ), the heart of the SDF, terrorist organizations indistinguishable from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PPK), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. The disagreement over cooperating with the Syrian Kurds has caused a rift that could potentially pit Turkey and America, NATO allies, against each other… During a press conference in December, Trump described the fall of Assad as an ‘unfriendly takeover’ by Turkey and hinted that Turkey itself could pose a threat to American forces in Syria…

“… Erdogan and his officials threatened the SDF again on Friday, describing them as ‘separatist terrorists’ and threatening them with a ‘bitter end.’…”

Time to Expel Turkey From NATO

Israel 365 News wrote on January 12:

“I’m not sure what the rationale was for bringing an Islamist nation with expansionist goals and a vision of creating a revised Ottoman caliphate into NATO to begin with. Still, if it ever made sense, it no longer does.  It’s time to expel Turkey from NATO…

“Turkish fingerprints are all over the fall of the Assad regime in Syria by arming and supporting the jihadi terrorists that now control much of Syria. What would happen if Russia or Iran sought to regain their lost influence by taking military action against Turkey? Would NATO members need to defend that?  What if Turkey’s growing occupation of Syria puts its targeting of the US-backed Kurdish community in jeopardy and in the crosshairs of the US? Could it trigger a war by Turkey attacking US allies, in which the US is obligated under NATO to defend Turkey? 

“What if the newfound Turkish influence in and occupation of Syria brings it to direct conflict with Israel, as Turkish President Erdogan had threatened multiple times, and is now physically closer and able to implement through its neo-Ottoman land bridge?  Will NATO be forced to confront Israel if Israel were to attack Turkey to defend itself?…

“Growing signs that Israel must prepare for a potential war were addressed in the recent report of Israel’s Nagel Committee to assess the growing risk of a direct armed conflict with Turkey. The report highlights ‘Turkey’s ambitions to reclaim Ottoman-era influence, posing a threat that could surpass even the Iranian challenge’…  

“A military confrontation between Turkey and Israel would be unprecedented, whether intentional or not. Israel, which is still in the midst of a war on multiple fronts and with an Iranian threat still looming, still dealing with the trauma of the Hamas massacre and ensuing war, will not tolerate additional threats. Were Erdogan to take aggressive military action, Israel would be hard-pressed not to respond forcefully. A war with Turkey would be shocking and unprecedented but not impossible…

“For all these and other reasons, whether it’s expelling Turkey from NATO or scrapping NATO and creating NATO 2.0 excluding Turkey, the status quo cannot remain…”

Turkey will collaborate with Europe AGAINST Israel and the USA.

The Hostage Deal

The Jerusalem Post wrote on January 14:

“Israel’s agreement to the emerging hostage deal —one that, if fully implemented, could secure the release of all 96 remaining captives, both living and dead, in exchange for thousands of Palestinian security prisoners, including convicted terrorist murderers serving life sentences – marks a triumph of the heart over the head.

“The deal would also see Israel withdrawing to a buffer zone along Gaza’s perimeter, relinquishing control over key areas such as the Netzarim Crossing and, in stages, the Philadelphi Corridor, while allowing Gazan civilians to return to northern Gaza and effectively bringing the war to an end with a long-term truce.

“… Leading with the heart means placing empathy, intuition, and moral values at the forefront… Those who have been pushing with full force for a hostage deal have indeed emphasized empathy…  Saving the lives of the hostages and reuniting them with their families is… seen as an expression of the solidarity and mutual responsibility…

“By contrast, leading with the head prioritizes logic, reason, strategy, and long-term consequences over emotions… Those opposed to the deal are not cold individuals with hearts of stone; rather, they are looking beyond the now and the individual and judging the agreement based on whether it is good in the long term and for the collective…

“First, the deal will incentivize hostage-taking… Second, releasing thousands of Hamas terrorists, hundreds with blood on their hands, will inevitably lead to more terrorism… The final concern is that Hamas remains standing… it still retains control of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure and is left in place under the agreement. It is only a matter of time… before the terrorist organization regroups and rearms…

“The joy of seeing hostages reunited with their families will be profound, but the strategic ramifications will echo far beyond this moment… The national sense of relief if and when the agreement is finalized will be real and palpable, but the true cost of that moment may only be fully reckoned many years from now.”

What It All Entails

The New York Post wrote on January 15:

“The breakthrough deal is the first of its kind in more than a year. It will create a 42-day cease-fire in the… Palestinian territory. The pause in fighting will allow Israel and the terror group Hamas to negotiate the terms to release the 97 hostages remaining in Gaza. Only 60 hostages are believed to be alive, including three Americans…

“The first day of the cease-fire is expected to see the freedom of three hostages as a sign of goodwill and compliance. After that, another four hostages will be released on the seventh day of the cease-fire, with further releases happening every week as agreed to by both parties…

“Should the first phase be completed, Hamas and Israel will continue the cease-fire to negotiate the terms to release all the remaining living hostages in exchange for Israel’s complete withdrawal from Gaza. 

“The terms of the second phase remain the most contentious as Israel has repeatedly said it would not leave the Gaza Strip until Hamas is completely eradicated. The terror group has said it would not release every hostage until it sees proof that Israel is out of all sectors of the Palestinian territory.

“Should Israel and Hamas reach an agreement on the second phase, the war will end with the bodies of the remaining hostages returned in exchange for a three- to five-year reconstruction plan to rebuild Gaza.  The reconstruction would be carried out under international supervision, with the future governance of Gaza still in the air as Israel maintains that Hamas can no longer be the de facto leader of the territory.”

Why Is Trump Pushing Israel Toward a Bad Deal?

Israel Hayom wrote on January 15:

“According to senior Israeli officials, Trump’s rigid expectation for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to finalize a deal before his presidential inauguration is what compelled Netanyahu to accept the current framework…

“Hamas, despite suffering substantial losses, stands to receive at least 1,000 new operatives directly from Israeli prisons. This influx of ‘new blood’ – both figuratively and literally – is likely to reignite violence within Gaza and potentially beyond its borders…  Israel… is repeating a historically proven mistake, as mass releases of prisoners have consistently triggered waves of renewed terror…

“The newly freed operatives are expected to quickly integrate into Hamas’s extensive network across Judea and Samaria, Gaza, Qatar, and Turkey, from where they will likely orchestrate new attacks. This scenario is comparable to the United States allowing Guantanamo detainees to disperse along its borders with Canada and Mexico a year after 9/11, or permitting them to join Taliban forces against US troops in Afghanistan – a notion that defies strategic logic.

“Furthermore, the Hamas deal encompasses a substantial increase in the flow of goods and fuel into Gaza, bolstering the group’s military and economic capabilities…

“Paradoxically, it is now Trump who is pressuring Netanyahu to accept a framework designed in May 2024 under the Biden administration…”

How Biden and His Administration Suppressed the Truth

Breitbart wrote on January 10:

“Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told Joe Rogan in an interview published Friday that ‘people in the Biden administration’ pushed Meta ‘super hard’ to censor users who were posting ‘true’ information about the coronavirus vaccines.

“‘These people from the Biden administration would call up our team and scream at them and curse,’ Zuckerberg said [and that] he felt censorship on his platforms ‘hit the most extreme’ during ‘the Biden administration, when they were trying to roll out the vaccine program [and that] they also tried to censor anyone who was basically arguing against it… They basically pushed us and said, “Anything that says that vaccines might have side effects, you basically need to take down.”’

“Zuckerberg added that there were instances in which Meta refused to take down ‘humor and satire,’ resulting in President Joe Biden accusing Meta of ‘killing people’… ‘And then all these different agencies and branches of government basically started investigating and coming after our company,’ Zuckerberg said.”

Why did it take Zuckerberg so long to come forward with admitting these well-known facts of Biden’s censorship?

Biden Awards Pope Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Vatican News reported on January 10:

“President Joe Biden conferred the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction—the nation’s highest civilian honor—upon Pope Francis… recognizing his dedication to peace, human rights, care for the poor, and environmental protection.

“This marks the second time a Pope has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. On June 4, 2004, President George W. Bush presented the award to Pope John Paul II during a Vatican visit, recognizing his tireless advocacy for peace and human dignity.”

Breitbart added on January 12:

“Mr. Biden also conferred the medal on leftwing billionaire disrupter George Soros, a Nazi collaborator, promoter of open borders, and ‘anti-Catholic bigot.’ According to the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, ‘George Soros has done more to destroy western civilization and the United States, in particular, than any single person in the world… his anti-law enforcement policies have impoverished and punished legions of innocent black Americans…’

“President Biden, whom the media describes as ‘deeply Catholic,’ also granted the award to Cecile Richards, the former president of Planned Parenthood… Cecile Richards reportedly presided over the deaths of 3.9 million babies by abortion.”

Another downer for the “Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction,” bestowed by a “good Catholic” on the pope.  No further comments.

Hollywood Celebrities Blast Newsom

The New York Post wrote on January 9:

“Big Hollywood names have started to turn on Los Angeles’ Democratic leadership… Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar led the charge, criticizing the Democratic leadership on Instagram for failing to direct the tens of thousands of Southern California residents trying to flee as the fires burned uncontained Wednesday. ‘City of LA you want everyone to evacuate yet you have complete gridlock and not one traffic cop on the roads helping,’ Gellar wrote…

“Actor James Woods, who lost his home in the Palisades Fire, vented on X that the wildfires weren’t caused by ‘climate change’ but by ‘liberal idiots like Gavin Newsom and [LA major] Karen Bass.’ ‘One doesn’t understand the first thing about fire management and the other can’t fill the water reservoirs,’ he added…

“Actress Sara Foster also took to X to lament how Los Angeles residents pay exorbitant taxes but the state was still completely unprepared to take on such massive wildfires. ‘Our fire hydrants were empty. Our vegetation was overgrown, brush not cleared. Our reservoirs were emptied by our governor because tribal leaders wanted to save fish. Our fire department budget was cut by our mayor…’ The politically active actress, who is the daughter of music mogul David Foster, called on Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom to resign, writing, ‘your far left policies have ruined our state. And also our party.’

“Former ‘Dancing with the Stars’ professional dancer Valentin Chmerkovskiy also vented his frustrations over the state’s lack of preparedness, writing on social media Wednesday, ‘5th largest economy on the planet. Firefighters didn’t have enough water pressure to do their jobs?! Are you joking me?! The taxes we pay for 3rd world infrastructure is unbelievable?! Come on.’

“‘Shazam!’ star and longtime Los Angeles resident Zachary Levi also ripped into Newsom and Bass for their handling of the crisis. ‘This is just incredible mismanagement, incredibly poor leadership. I would go so far as to saying that it’s criminally negligent because, I mean, Gavin Newsom has been either the governor for five years or lieutenant governor prior to that for eight, nine years, some of the worst fires we’ve ever had in California under that watch. He clearly knows that the biggest problem that we suffer in California are these fires. And, by the way, the mudslides that follow,’ Levi said. ‘And for them to do essentially not just nothing, but worse than nothing, when firefighter budgets are being cut… There is something that’s almost criminally intentional about this. Like, what are they doing? I don’t know.’”

Newsweek added on January 10:

“During an appearance on Thursday’s installment of The Joe Rogan Experience, actor Mel Gibson, who lives in Malibu, discussed the ‘inferno’ engulfing his neighborhood and other areas in and around Los Angeles… ‘The wildfire situation … How crazy it is that they spent $24 billion last year on the homeless, and what did they spend on preventing these wildfires? Zip,’ podcast host Joe Rogan said.

“Gibson then interjected by directly accusing Newsom of failing to ‘take care of the forest,’ while jokingly suggesting that the governor was spending all of California’s ‘tax dollars’ on his ‘hair gel.’ ‘In 2019, I think Newsom said, “You know, I’m going to take care of the forest and maintain the forest, all of that kind of stuff,”’ said Gibson. ‘He didn’t do anything…’

“Gibson [argued] that Newsom was responsible for San Francisco supposedly becoming ‘apocalyptic’ and ‘a mess’ because homeless people live there before suggesting that civilization itself might soon ‘cave in and collapse.’”

Breitbart wrote on January 12:

“Veteran actor and singer Robert Davi has gone nuclear on California leaders for their catastrophic mismanagement of the Los Angeles fires, saying California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) ‘should [be] thrown out of office’… In the case of stars like Dwayne Johnson and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Davi called on them to use their massive social media platforms to start speaking out about the failure of leadership that has plunged the state into chaos… ‘Actors are frighted to speak out. They’re frightened because of their jobs, they’re frighted of being black listed.’”

Trump also demanded that Newsom must resign. In fact, Newsom’s resignation is long overdue. It should already have occurred, if not much earlier, when Newsom’s hypocritical conduct during the Corona pandemic was revealed.

Major Pacific Palisades Reservoir Was Offline And Empty When Fires Broke Out

Mediaite wrote on January 10:

“The Los Angeles Times reported on Friday that a major reservoir in the Pacific Palisades was offline and empty this week when devastating wildfires ravaged the LA-area community. Staff reporter Matt Hamilton spoke to local officials who told ‘the Times that the Santa Ynez Reservoir had been closed [since about February] for repairs to its cover, leaving a 117 million gallon water storage complex empty in the heart of the Palisades.’

“The report added that the ‘revelation comes among growing questions about why firefighters ran out of water while battling the blaze. Numerous fire hydrants in higher-elevation streets of the Palisades went dry, leaving firefighters struggling with low water pressure as they combated the flames.’…

“The fires were fueled by high winds and dry conditions throughout the region. Storm chaser Colin McCarthy explained the perfect storm of events that led to the disastrous conditions that were not mitigated by local officials, writing that ‘after Los Angeles experienced its second-wettest two-year period on record. Since April, it has barely rained in Southern California, leaving the massive buildup of vegetation bone dry. Now, one of the strongest Santa Ana wind events in modern history is expected, with winds reaching up to 100 mph. This is essentially a worst-case scenario.’”

AFP added:

“But this explanation alone falls short for many Californians, thousands of whom have lost everything… Karen Bass, the city’s mayor, has come in for heavy criticism because she was visiting the African nation of Ghana when the fire started, despite dire weather warnings in the preceding days. Budget cuts to the fire department, and a series of evacuation warnings erroneously sent to millions of people this week, have only stoked the anger further.”

The New York Post added on January 12:

“Newsom on Sunday tried to play semantics and weasel out of blame by saying state reservoirs were ‘completely full’ when the LA fires broke out — even though a county-run reservoir had been drained at the time… Reporter Jacob Soboroff pressed Newsom on his response by pointing out how the LA-County-run Santa Ynez Reservoir was bone dry — something that even has prompted a probe from Newsom.”

What hypocrisy!

California’s Failing Leadership

The Editorial Board of the New York Post wrote on January 11:

“If only we were in charge, the liberals say, with unlimited money and unlimited power and unlimited resources, we would make the world a utopia. Such a place exists. It’s called California. And today, it is in ashes. With a Democratic governor, Democratic mayors, Democratic city councils and a Democratic justice system, the progressives have darkened the land of perpetual sunshine.

“Since 2019, the state has spent an astonishing $24 billion to ‘solve’ homelessness. Homelessness increased… Since enforcing the law is ‘racist,’ thieves are no longer prosecuted. Shoplifting increased 28%, and stores locked up the shampoo. Criminals are let go with no bail. Drug users are allowed to slowly kill themselves in public spaces…

“This week’s devastating wildfires are the pinnacle of Democratic incompetence. Environmentalists and politicians refused to clear the underbrush that fueled the flames. A reservoir in Pacific Palisades was shockingly closed for repair. With the forecast showing 100 mph Santa Ana winds, only three tankers of water were available there to keep the hydrants flowing…

“But Democrats have not just failed the fire department, or the people whose homes have burned. They have failed the 39 million residents of California.

Consider what they have wasted. California has the highest top income-tax bracket in the country, 13.3%. That’s just state taxes, on top of federal. It has the highest state sales tax in the nation, 7.25%. California brought in $17 billion more in tax revenue than it expected last year. It has a budget surplus of $363 million. They are swimming in money… California residents will rightly wonder: Where did all that money go?

“… Democrats have enjoyed one-party rule in California for far too long, and there is no one else to blame for what has happened. California is not paradise lost. California is paradise squandered…”

It has now been reported that “Los Angeles landlords are being accused of raising rents as the supply of homes in the Southern California metropolis drops amid the fires… rents are likely to increase around the areas hardest hit by the fires: Pacific Palisades and Altadena. Those seeking to rebuild will trigger a bidding war for contractors… the impact on the home insurance market [will] lead to increased costs for all Los Angeles residents” (Newsmax, dated January 12).

Shocking and appalling. Carnal human nature at its worst.

What Happened to the Money?

Breitbart wrote on January 12:

“Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) reportedly awarded government workers with major wage increases before making cuts to the city’s fire department budget… Mayor Karen Bass’s budget cuts to the city’s fire department, enacted just months ago amid warnings about the city’s deteriorating finances, stand out as a striking example of misplaced priorities… The cuts stemmed from a budget crisis triggered by her administration’s decision to reward city employees with rich contracts and benefits—even as it dismissed worries that the reductions would hurt services…

“Bass… cut almost $20 million from the city’s budget for fire services for the current fiscal year…”

Incompetence and favoritism galore.  

The Fall of Gavin Newsom

The New York Post wrote on January 11:

“The smug and ambitious progressive California Governor whose political aspirations went up in flames as Los Angeles continues to burn to the ground, leaving a shocking number of residents’ lives in tatters. And it’s Newsom, who has become the arsonist, setting the fire to his political fortunes with a series of unforced errors — putting a cap on years of mismanagement and abandoning crucial infrastructure in favor of useless far left policies that made social justice and climate warriors feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

‘Since the inferno broke out, Newsom has shown that he’s ill-prepared and shameless: shifting blame to others…

“As Pacific Palisades was ablaze, Anderson Cooper asked Newsom about the dry hydrant situation there. Instead of owning any failure:… ‘Look, the local folks are trying to figure that out,’ he told Cooper… This apocalyptic inferno wasn’t some freak accident in a backwater that no one could find on the map. This was Los Angeles, home to millions, and a city that remains under constant threat of wildfires.

“Then he cowardly tried to use a fake phone connection to brush off an anguished mother sifting through the rubble of her community…

“Newsom… is slick and handsome. But he is empty and incompetent…”

Advice for the Feds, the Media and the People

On January 13, Ron Paul wrote the following in his weekly column for the Ron Paul Institute:

“The Federal Reserve should… resolve to refrain from developing a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). A digital currency controlled by the Fed will give government new power to violate Americans’ financial privacy.

“The media should resolve to stop gaslighting the American people with misinformation. For example, the media should stop repeating the lie that a failure to raise the debt ceiling will lead to a government default on its debts. The truth is a refusal to raise the debt ceiling would force Congress to reduce present and future spending — just like most people do when they find themselves in debt. Another example of false news is that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was unrelated to the US supported 2014 coup in Ukraine and the breaking of the promise that if the Soviet Union withdrew from Eastern Europe the US would not support expanding NATO.

“Finally, those committed to the cause of liberty should resolve to increase their understanding of the benefits of liberty and the dangers of authoritarianism. This means… staying up to date with current events and trying to find the truth behind the lies of the mainstream media and the political class…”

Good advice!

Strange Plans for Trump’s Inauguration

The New York Post wrote on January 13:

“A Muslim cleric who refused to call Hezbollah a terrorist organization and has a ‘significant history of extremism’ has been tapped to deliver a benediction at President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next [Monday]. Husham Al-Husainy…  is among four religious leaders listed in an Inauguration Day program… 

“The Middle East Forum, a conservative nonprofit focused on Islamic issues, has described Al-Husainy as ‘a radical anti-Semitic, pro-Hezbollah Shia imam’…”

Other religious leaders supposed to speak are Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Roman Catholic Archbishop of New York; Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; Paula White, a Florida televangelist; Marvin Hier, founder and dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center; Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham; and Wayne T. Jackson who runs Great Faith Ministries International and Impact Television Network.

The Sentencing of Donald Trump

After Judge Merchan sentenced Trump to an “unconditional discharge” without any jail time or probation, a fine or community service, but still making him a ”felon,” the New York Post published on January 10 the following article by Professor Jonathan Turley:

“[This] is a damning indictment of the entire New York court system. [Judge Juan] Merchan allowed a dead misdemeanor to be resuscitated by allowing Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to effectively prosecute declined federal offenses. He allowed a jury to convict Trump without any agreement, let alone unanimity, on what actually occurred in the case.

“Merchan ruled that the jury did not have to agree on why Trump committed an alleged offense [and what the alleged offense was] in describing settlement costs as legal costs. Neither the defendant nor the public will ever know what the jury ultimately found in its verdict…

“Even liberal legal experts have denounced the case…

“Now, Merchan seemed quick to assure this Frankenstein case was just like any other creature of the court. It did not matter that it was stitched together from dead cases and zapped into life through lawfare. Merchan knows that there is a fair chance this monstrosity will finally die on appeal…

“The verdict, however, is likely to last far longer than the Trump verdict. It is a judgment against not just Merchan but the New York legal system, which allowed itself to be weaponized against political opponents. Trump can now appeal the case as a whole. Prior appeals in the New York court system were unsuccessful, and hopes are low that the system will redeem itself. However, Trump can eventually escape the vortex of the New York court system in search of jurists willing to see beyond the rage and bring reason to this case.

“Merchan’s monster will now go on the road and work its way back to the Supreme Court… Lawfare is that monster. It threatens us all, even those who hate Trump and his supporters. Once released, it spreads panic among the public, which can no longer rely on the guarantees of blind and fair justice. That includes businesses that view this case and the equally absurd civil case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James as creating a dangerous and even lawless environment…”

With his conviction, unless overturned by a higher court, Trump cannot own a gun or reenter the casino business, nor hold a liquor license (but his golf courses and hotels won’t have to stop selling alcohol). Even though he is allowed to travel outside the USA, some countries, such as Canada, the UK and Israel, may prohibit him to visit (which is rather unlikely). As he is registered to vote in Florida, he will still be able to vote there. He can also, of course, hold a federal office (This might be different from state or local offices).

On the federal level, special counsel Jack Smith cowardly resigned from the DOJ after losing his two cases against Trump. That resignation had been widely expected to preempt his humiliating termination after Trump’s inauguration.   

Jack Smith’s Phony Report

The New York Post wrote on January 14:

“Special counsel Jack Smith’s report, which concluded that Donald Trump made a ‘criminal effort’ to overturn the 2020 election, was ‘a partisan effort at lawfare’ against the president-elect, a constitutional lawyer said… Attorney Katie Cherkasky dismissed the 174-page document as ‘nothing more than a prosecution on paper.’ ‘It’s every prosecutor’s dream. You have no rebuttal, you have no cross-examination. You don’t actually have to prove this case,’ she told Fox News…

“Cherkasky said it was a ‘shame’ that the report was ever released…”

We agree. Jack Smith’s and the DOJ’s lawsuit was a hoax from the beginning, designed to defeat Trump in the election… but their plan terribly backfired for them. Now Smith says Trump would have been convicted if Smith had been able to move forward. With our corrupt court system, who knows… But according to the Bible, you would need two witnesses, subject to cross-examination, before you can convict someone.

Seizing Greenland?

The U.S. Sun wrote on January 9:

“VLADIMIR Putin has desperately hit back at Donald Trump after he refused to rule out using military action to potentially seize Greenland… Trump said that US ownership of Greenland is an ‘absolute necessity’ to protect global ‘national security and freedom’…

“[Putin’s] mouthpiece, Dmitry Peskov, attempted to push Russia’s influence over the Arctic region in a desperate warning when asked about the incoming US leader’s remarks. ‘The Arctic is a zone of our national interests, our strategic interests,’ he said. ‘We are watching this rather dramatic development of the situation very closely,’ Peskov added…

“An attempt to take over the resource-rich island for national security reasons might not be as mad as it sounds. Greenland sits right in the middle of the Arctic Ocean and is among the key trade routes in the region. The Arctic has increasingly become the object of a struggle between international superpowers as Russia and China have both ramped up efforts to take control of the area. Putin, whose nation owns around 40 per cent of the Arctic coastline, has been particularly proactive in cranking up military moves. The Kremlin has started building the world’s largest fleet of nuclear icebreakers to open up new shipping routes.

“Russia has not been the only country to send a warning Trump’s way after several major EU nations spoke out. Both Germany and France made surprise warnings to the president-elect against using force to possibly take the ice island. French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot suggested moves on the territory would be an attack on the European Union… German chancellor Olaf Scholz said Trump’s remarks triggered ‘incomprehension’ among European leaders…

“Trump also oddly put out potential plans for the US to retake control of the Panama Canal, change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and make Canada the 51st state. He called the border between Canada and the US an ‘artificially drawn line.’”

Germany did not occupy Greenland during World War II. However, the Nazis established weather stations in Greenland during World War II, planning to use them in a possible invasion of the USA. The United States and its allies intervened to prevent the Nazis from gaining control of the island. The United States occupied Greenland in 1941 to prevent Germany from using the island. That kind of rationale could be used again in the future; this time in light of a threat from Russia or China. Note the next article.

Not a Crazy Idea?

Newsmax wrote on January 12:

“President-elect Donald Trump has said the importance of Greenland to national and global security cannot be overstated and former NATO supreme allied commander James Stavridis agreed… ‘It’s not a crazy idea,’ Stavridis [said]. ‘We could do an awful lot in terms of business, investment, box out the Russians, box out the Chinese, and work very closely with Greenland.’

“The former NATO commander called the large Arctic island a ‘strategic goldmine for the United States… It sits at the very top of the North Atlantic; it protects approaches to our own country… It’s geographically very important. It’s full of strategic minerals, rare earth, probably a lot of gold. It’s got a lot of natural resources…’

“For skeptics refusing to listen to Trump’s logic, Stavridis reminded all to just listen to Greenland and its people. ‘The prime minister of Greenland said, “We are not for sale, but we are open for business” – I think we ought to take him at his word,’ Stavridis said of Premier Múte Egede… Regardless of forging a deal to bring Greenland under U.S. control from Denmark, the Greenlanders say they are at least ready for independence. ‘Greenland is for the Greenlandic people,’ Egede said Friday. ‘We do not want to be Danish, we do not want to be American. We want to be Greenlandic.’ Egede added he is ‘ready’ to talk to Trump on a deal.”

Denmark Ready for Concessions?

The New York Post wrote on January 12:

“Danish leaders have sent private messages to President-elect Donald Trump’s team in recent days in a bid to pacify his ambitions for taking over Greenland…  Copenhagen is allegedly open to allowing US military presence on the autonomous island to boost security and appease Trump… The Danish government, which is responsible for Greenland’s defense, wants to avoid clashing with the US and hopes to assure Trump that Greenland will be safe from Russia and China without the need for American annexation…

“Copenhagen has also asked Trump’s team to clarify the incoming president’s comments after he shocked the world by suggesting that the US could invade the longstanding NATO ally… Denmark was widely seen as America’s closest ally in the European Union, and… no one could have imagined it’d be the first Trump would pick a fight with.

“Greenland had been a colony of Denmark since the 18th century and became a self-governing Danish territory in 1953… The US already has a military base on Greenland and has had a defense agreement in place since 1951, which would make it easy to increase American troops on the island.”

What Europe would do in case of an American invasion is still open to debate. Europe is afraid of this, as it knows that at this point they are no match for the USA. But note the next article.

Easy to Take?

The Sun wrote on January 11:

“DONALD Trump could storm Greenland and claim it within 24 hours in the ‘world’s shortest war’, professor Anthony Glees [has] revealed… Greenland – the largest non-continent island in the world – has a population of just 57,000, and virtually no defensive capabilities of its own… As owner of the island, Denmark is responsible for Greenland’s protection and their army would be the army to mobilise against the Americans. Its defence budget is around £6billion – 100 times smaller than the eye watering almost £750billion America splashes on defence… There are only 17,000 active Danish troops, and most of the country’s heavy military equipment has been donated to Ukraine – so their defences are even thinner than usual.

“Some Danish coastguards man south-eastern Greenland, but the Danish press has reported that software needed to shoot at targets was never bought – rendering the patrols toothless… Denmark’s best hope of defending against the Americans would be to prove that the EU or Nato had a legal requirement to step in and protect Greenland…

“Ulrik Pram Gad, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, [said] that ‘there is no defensive capacity in Greenland’… The US has a nuclear base on the island that is constantly manned by troops…

“Glees said it was likely that, in the event of a US invasion, ‘there would be no military response to it, because it is unthinkable that any Nato member would attack the US... There would have to be a response of sorts, and Article 5 of Nato would bind the rest of us to support Denmark in whatever non-military measures it took to try to get the Americans out. This could take the form of “economic sanctions”, but “Trump would shrug them off,”’ Glees said…

“Trump’s threats could have ‘profound consequences’ for Europe… My opinion is, he is making a disastrous miscalculation there. No country, however powerful it is, can walk alone in the world. The idea of a fortress America, it sounds good – but it has never worked in the past. An isolated America is a vulnerable America…’”

America WILL become isolated, as Europe will be forced to become more unified and stronger militarily. And ultimately, they WILL attack the USA.

Many Americans Support Trump’s Suggestions Regarding Greenland and Panama Canal

Newsmax wrote on January 14:

“More than two-thirds of Republican voters support President-elect Donald Trump’s suggestion the U.S. acquire Greenland and/or the Panama Canal, according to a new Rasmussen Reports survey. When asked whether they support or oppose the U.S. taking back the Panama Canal, 73% of GOP voters say they support the move. That includes 51% who say they strongly support the action. When asked whether they support or oppose the U.S. purchasing Greenland, 70% of GOP voters say they support the move. That includes 45% who say they strongly support it.

“Among Democrat voters, only 23% say they support buying Greenland, and 22% say they support reclaiming the Panama Canal. Among voters unaffiliated with either major party, 40% say they back purchasing Greenland, and 43% say they support taking back the Panama Canal.”

This plan is not going away soon or easily.

The “Make Greenland Great Again Act”

Reuters wrote on January 13:

“President-elect Donald Trump’s Republican allies in the U.S. House of Representatives are trying to build support for a bill on authorizing talks for the purchase of Greenland according to a copy of the bill circulated for co-sponsors on Monday. …The bill [introduced by Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.)] is called ‘Make Greenland Great Again Act’…

“The bill, if passed, will allow the president to enter into negotiations with Denmark [‘to secure the acquisition of Greenland’] by the United States on Jan. 20, when Trump takes office…”

Axios added on January 13:

“It’s the latest in a series of proposed Republican legislation… Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) last week introduced a bill that would have the Gulf of Mexico renamed the ‘Gulf of America’ on official documents and maps. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) also introduced a bill last week along with 15 other Republicans that would authorize talks to repurchase the Panama Canal… The bill would give Congress the ability to block any agreement within 60 days, though it would need a veto-proof two-thirds majority in both chambers to do so…

“To be approved by Congress, the bill would almost certainly need Democratic support… But some centrist Democrats aren’t ruling out working with Trump on the idea, noting the geopolitical importance of both territories (Panama and Greenland).”

The Fight Between USA and Europe Has Begun

The Guardian wrote on January 11:

“Europe has been braced since the US presidential election in November for the challenge posed by Donald Trump’s return, but the threat to European stability has come earlier and appears far more serious than predicted, even by the pessimists.

“Trump has already revived his territorial aspirations for Greenland… Meanwhile Trump’s financial backer and confidant Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has been using his ownership of the X social media platform to aggressively further the cause for far-right parties in Europe, threatening the continent with the realisation of its ultimate nightmare, the return of fascism, this time abetted from Washington.

“… the fallout from Trump’s territorial ambitions is felt most keenly in Europe. Capitals are in a dilemma over how to respond, torn between outrage over the blatant interference in favour of extremists, and anxiety over becoming a focus for Trump and Musk’s personal grievances.

“At stake is not just a looming transatlantic trade war… Ukraine and European security are also in the balance. European leaders and diplomats know the war in Ukraine has entered a new phase in which… he decides whether to continue to supply US weaponry to Ukraine…

‘Denmark, a Nato ally, has been plunged into a political crisis by Trump’s stated intention to acquire Greenland, and the threat to impose tariffs if he is thwarted. Amid a flurry of emergency meetings with the king and Greenlandic leaders, the Danish government has been careful in the wording of the response…

“The European dilemma is even more complex with Musk… Musk has used X as a megaphone to promote the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party, claiming: ‘Only the AfD can save Germany’. In a… conversation with… Alice Weidel, on Thursday, Musk showered her with praise. It was a direct challenge to the efforts of Germany’s mainstream parties to quarantine the AfD and exclude it from power, in the run-up to crucial elections on 23 February…

“For the UK – outside the EU and traditionally more beholden to the relationship with Washington – the response to provocations from Trump and Musk has been just as tentative. Musk has become preoccupied with calling for the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, to be sacked, for a far-right extremist, Tommy Robinson, to be released from jail, and spreading hard-right Islamophobic propaganda to the point, it was reported on Friday, that his social media posts were monitored by the security services…

“‘On the eve of a second Trump term, the United States and Europe have rarely appeared so at odds,’ a group of European foreign policy experts wrote in the Foreign Affairs Journal…”

The left-wing rhetoric of this left-wing outlet notwithstanding, it does show the growing alienation between the USA and Europe.

German and Austrian Institutions Depart From X

Deutsche Welle reported on January 9:

“Scores of universities and research institutions in Germany and Austria on Friday announced their intention to drop their presence on the online messaging platform X… The planned withdrawal in the academic sphere comes as the German government says it is also considering leaving the platform because it was having an ‘agitated and polarizing’ effect on public political discussion.

“On Thursday, the trade unions GEW, which represents educators and teachers, and Verdi announced they were deleting their X presence, as did the Federal Court of Justice (BGH).”

Breitbart added on January 15:

“The German Defence Ministry announced that it will no longer actively post on Elon Musk’s X social media site amid growing calls to censor the platform in Europe…”

This will hurt them more than Musk.

“Germany Sets Up Military Division Dedicated to Territorial Defence”

Reuters wrote on January 11:

“The German military will establish a new division tasked exclusively with territorial defence, the army said on Saturday, bringing all existing reserve units under direct army command. The reorganization will take effect in April and raise the number of German divisions – units of some 20,000 troops – to four without increasing the total number of around 180,000 soldiers in the German forces…

“The Western military alliance NATO is at its highest alert stage since the Cold War, with its more pessimistic officials, including German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, saying that an attack by Russia on its borders could happen within four years. The German move will streamline command structures in territorial defence at a time when what Berlin describes as acts of Russian sabotage against the country’s critical infrastructure have reached a new high…

“So far, Berlin has three divisions that NATO can call upon in case of a conflict, whose main job will be defending the alliance by confronting an adversary right at the front lines. The fourth division will be tasked with Germany’s defence at home, including the protection of infrastructure such as ports, railways and supply and deployment routes.

“Germany is gearing up for its role as major logistics hub in any conflict with Moscow, with tens of thousands of reinforcement troops from other NATO allies expected to be deployed east through Germany after arriving at its North Sea ports.”

Why this sudden move towards German military power? 

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

In the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 17, we read about an instruction that was to be given to a king showing that he was not to look after his own personal interests as being foremost in his activities, but to learn to fear God and to observe His law and statutes. Deuteronomy 17:14-20 reads as follows:

“When you come to the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’ you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’ Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself. Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.”

In respect of what qualified as a book that the king had to write out as a copy, we read these observations In Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible:

“In our opinion, neither a few verses nor a short document qualifies as ‘a book.’ Perhaps this is the reason that the Septuagint (LXX) translated this place in such a manner as to make the meaning ‘a copy of all the law of God.’ Recent knowledge of the suzerainty treaties (see below for an explanation of these) and the resemblance to them found in Deuteronomy has shed some light on this, and, as Kline expressed it: ‘A duplicate copy of the suzerainty treaty was provided for each vassal king.’… Moreover, that ‘copy’ was not a few excerpts, but the whole document, the entire treaty. That is clearly what is indicated here.

“Canon Cook discerned this a long time ago, writing that, ‘What was given to the king was the whole Pentateuch, or at any rate the legal portion of it… Only the whole law of the covenant could preserve the king from the dangers of his position.’… Note also, in this connection, what was to be copied: It was that which was laid up ‘before the priests and the Levites,’ (Deuteronomy 17:18) and that is a clear reference to ALL of the sacred law. [The Pulpit Commentary] also concurred in this view: ‘The priests were the custodians of the written Law (Deuteronomy 31:26) and from the text of their codex was the king’s copy to be written…”

What are the suzerainty treaties referred to above? Wikipedia states that these were the “Type of relationship between a dominant and a vassal state.  Suzerainty includes the rights and obligations of a person, state or other polity which controls the foreign policy and relations of a tributary state, but allows the tributary state internal autonomy. Where the subordinate party is called a vassal, vassal state or tributary state, the dominant party is called a suzerain.” 

Why should this be of any real interest and importance to us today? If the king did not follow this instruction and practice about which he was commanded to both read and write out, he would be like the rest of the world and miss out on the benefits that following such an instruction would bring. It took work but was surely worth all of the effort in following what God instructed for his own good and that of his subjects and nation.

This Q&A is not designed to be a thorough exposition of everything that surrounded this instruction and all the different views that many have about it today, but to show the wisdom of God in issuing this requirement then and what we can learn from this today.

Theologyofwork.org makes these interesting and legitimate observations:

“Just as people and institutions must not contravene legitimate authority, people in positions of power must not use their authority illegitimately. Moses specifically deals with the case of a king… He shall have a copy of this law diligently observing all the words of this law and these statutes, neither exalting himself above other members of the community nor turning aside from the commandment, either to the right or to the left… In this text we see two restrictions on the use of authority—those in authority are not above the law but must obey and uphold it, and those in authority must not abuse their power by enriching themselves…

“Today, people in authority may try to put themselves above the law, as for example when police and court workers ‘fix’ traffic tickets for themselves and their friends, or when high-ranking public servants or business employees do not obey the expense policies others are subject to.  Similarly, officials may use their power to enrich themselves receiving bribes, zoning, and licensing exemptions, access to privileged information, or personal use of public or private property. Sometimes special perks are granted to those in power as a matter of policy or law, but this does not really eliminate the offense. Moses’ command to kings is not to make sure to get legal authorization for their excesses, but to avoid the excesses altogether. When those in power use their authority not simply to gain special privileges but to create monopolies for their cronies, to appropriate vast lands and assets, and to jail, torture, or kill opponents, the stakes become deadly. There is no difference in kind between petty abuses of power and totalitarian oppression, merely in degree…

“The more authority you have, the greater the temptation to act as though you are above the law. Moses prescribes an antidote. The king must read God’s law (or word) every day of his life. Not only must he read it, but he must develop the skill to interpret and apply it rightly and fairly. He must develop the habit of obeying God’s word himself, of putting it into practice in his work, ‘diligently observing all the words of this law’ (Deuteronomy 17:19).  By this the king learns to revere the Lord and fulfill the responsibilities God has given him. He is reminded that he too is under authority. God does not give him the privilege of making a law unto himself, but a duty of fulfilling God’s law for the benefit of everyone.”

These comments, as far as they go, are very helpful. However, what this commentary and many others overlook or fail to mention is the instruction that the king had to write himself God’s Word in a personal book of his to read from it (compare Deuteronomy 17:18: “… he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites.”). We will address this unique requirement in the next instalment.

Let us look at what the torah.com has to say about this matter:

“The book of Deuteronomy presents itself as the final address of Moses, delivered to the Israelites upon the plains of Moab, on the verge of their entry into the land.  The book is set in the time between the wilderness period and Israel’s future life as inhabitants of the land, a space opened between memories and threats, past and future.

“The core of the book is the Deuteronomic law collection, spanning chapters 12–26 which is followed in chapter 28 by a list of the rewards for obedience (vv. 1–14)and a much longer list of consequences for disobedience (vv. 15–69).

“Moses’s Deuteronomic address, delivered to the Israelites on the eve of their entry into the land, anticipates and establishes the perpetuity of the Israel’s subjection to YHWH’s rule. In this, YHWH was no different from any other suzerain in the ancient Near East, or ever since. The people as a multitude and as a nation are placed at a juncture in which they have to agree to serve YHWH loyalty, or face an endless slew of punishment, and they remain in that juncture ever since.

“For the people standing in the Plains of Moab, compliance is not really a choice at this point. The revelation at Horeb has already taken place, the previous generation has already been punished for its sins, and the laws have already been explicated. Israel’s agency here is limited to their agreeing to follow YHWH’s commands or suffer the deity’s wrath.”

Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible has this to say: “Thus he should ensure that he had his own copy of the record of Yahweh’s doings and of His Law as contained in the books which were in the levitical priests’ care. (As Deuteronomy was not, at this stage in his speech, in written form, this must refer to an earlier written Law). And he must keep it ever by him and read it every day of his life, so that he might learn to fear Yahweh his God, and keep His Instruction and what He had laid down, in accordance with what was now being spoken of by Moses.” 

From the jewishvirtuallibrary.org website we read about the problems after the death of Solomon:

“The experiment with the opulence and power of the great eastern kingdoms had ended in disaster for Israel.  King Solomon created the wealthiest and most powerful central government the Hebrews would ever see, but he did so at an impossibly high cost. When Solomon died, between 926 and 922 BCE, the ten northern tribes refused to submit to his son, Rehoboam, and revolted.

“From this point on, there would be two kingdoms of Hebrews: in the north – Israel, and in the south – Judah.  The Israelites formed their capital in the city of Samaria, and the Judaeans kept their capital in Jerusalem. These kingdoms remained separate states for over two hundred years. [In fact, they never became united again. This will only happen after Christ’s return.]

“The history of the both kingdoms is a litany of ineffective, disobedient, and corrupt kings. When the Hebrews had first asked for a king, in the book of Judges, they were told that only God was their king. When they approached Samuel the Prophet, he told them the desire for a king was an act of disobedience and that they would pay dearly if they established a monarchy. The history told in the Hebrew book, Kings, bears out Samuel’s warning.” 

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“The Hostage Deal—Peace in the Middle East?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

Will the deal between Israel and Hamas last? Will it bring back the hostages? Will it end the war and bring peace? Do you know what the elements and conditions of the deal are? COULD it even be successful? Is it good for Israel, America, Europe and the entire world? Does the Bible have something to say about all of this?

“Das Geiselabkommen—Frieden im Nahen Osten?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers the same topics as described above.

“Opfer einer bösen Welt,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented in Germany by Robert Indlekofer, is now posted. Title in English: “Victims of an Evil World.”

A new episode of our German series on “Biblische Geschichte” has now been posted.

“Das Abgabensystem heute und in der nahen Zukunft,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented in Germany by Thilo Hanstein, is now posted. Title in English: “The Tax System Today and in the Near Future.”

“LA Fires, Greenland, Canada and Germany—Comments on News and Prophecy, January 17, 2025,” the first message presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

Many feel that the fires in Los Angeles show the incompetence of California’s woke government; and some wonder whether Trump’s statements regarding Greenland and Canada are serious—which they clearly are. America’s interest in these areas is not new, as history proves. We also show how the relationship between the USA and Germany is deteriorating, while the German political establishment refuses to face reality and moves into dangerous territory.

”Does the Bible Condemn Animal Cruelty?” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

Absolutely! And human cruelty is probably nowhere more evident than in the torment of helpless animals. But many people don’t understand that they are animal abusers and why they became so. This sermon gives you numerous examples of the various excesses of animal cruelty and shows how GOD behaves towards His animals and what He expects from our behavior towards the animal world.