On March 14, 2020, Frank Bruno will present the sermonette, titled, “God’s Design Plan,” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “A Reason For The Hope That Is In You.”

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

Jesus said to His disciples, those with whom He had just observed Passover, “‘you are My friends,’” but He added this conditional requirement, “‘if you do whatever I command you’” (John 15:14).

The Bible shows that the building block for friendship in the Family of God is love, and it is what Jesus requires of us: “‘This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you’” (John 15:12, also, verse 17). In fact, Jesus uses His own example to set the standard:

“‘A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another… as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another’” (John 13:34-35).

In what way has Jesus loved us? Just how far was He willing to go to prove His friendship with us? He defined it this way: “‘Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends’” (John 15:13); and we know that “Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus magnified the second part of God’s commandments—“‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:39).

God, Himself, calls Abraham “‘My friend’” (Isaiah 41:8), and God “spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend’” (Exodus 33:11). Both did what God commanded them to do.

Can it also be said that we are friends with the Father and Jesus Christ? Jesus prayed that this would take place among His disciples:

‘”I do not pray for these alone (those whom He had earlier called His friends), but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me’” (John 17:20-23).

The depth of our relationship as friends with the Father and Jesus Christ is shown in that we share in the knowledge of what the Family of God is doing, and that we are part of it:

“‘No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you’” (John 15:15-16).

One thing we can ask the Father is that He will indeed help us to do whatever He commands. That is exactly what Jesus did! He depended on the Father, and the Bible reveals that Jesus prayed for help in the work given to Him to accomplish. Jesus was able to say: “‘I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do’” (John 17:4).

And so it likewise falls to us to finish the work God has commanded us to do. We are chosen for this—because we are the friends of God.

by Norbert Link

We begin with new developments about the coronavirus, President Trump’s convoluted explosive and strongly condemned announcement of a travel ban for most Europeans and man’s stupid and somewhat suicidal “attempts” to deal with the crisis. We should be able to see how quickly we are moving towards World War III and the end of civilization, as we know it.

We also speak on the shameful worldwide arms trade, which only manifests additional aspects of man’s self-destroying stupidity; as well as the election results in Israel and Biden’s victory over Sanders.

We conclude with interesting developments within the Catholic Church.

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

Trump Bans Travel from Europe, but…

The messages from the White House and the Trump Administration have been as confusing as ever.

The Week wrote on March 11:

“In an address to the nation Wednesday night from the Oval Office, President Trump said because of the coronavirus pandemic, he is suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for 30 days, with the restrictions not applying to the United Kingdom. The action will go into effect Friday at midnight. Trump did not say why the UK, which has 460 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus, is exempt. Trump… criticized the European Union, saying it ‘failed to take the same precautions and restrict travel from China and other hotspots. As a result, a large number of new clusters in the United States were seeded by travelers from Europe.’

“After Trump’s address, Acting Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli said the travel suspension does ‘not apply to American citizens or legal permanent residents or their families.’”

But consider this, from ABC News, dated March 11:

“The new travel restrictions affecting Europe… will include exemptions for the United Kingdom and Americans who have undergone appropriate screenings.”

And then, here is this “clarification,” as reported by the AP, dated March 11:

“Trump said… the U.S. would monitor the situation to determine if travel could be reopened earlier.

“Homeland Security officials later clarified that the new travel restrictions would only apply to most foreign nationals who have been in the ‘Schengen Area’ at any point for 14 days prior to their scheduled arrival to the United States [see below].”

The Sun wrote on March 11:

“He singled out the UK as an exemption to the ban – but there was confusion as a later statement from the Department of Homeland Security said only countries in the Schengen area of free movement would be barred, therefore meaning Ireland was also exempt.

“The Schengen Area is the term given to the 26 European states which allow passport-free travel through their borders. The Department of Homeland Security subsequently issued this statement:

“‘Several countries in the Schengen Area will be impacted by the travel ban.

“‘President Donald J. Trump signed a Presidential Proclamation, which suspends the entry of most foreign nationals who have been in certain European countries at any point during the 14 days prior to their scheduled arrival to the United States.

“‘These countries, known as the Schengen Area, include: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. This does not apply to legal permanent residents, (generally) immediate family members of U.S. citizens, and other individuals who are identified in the proclamation.’…

“DHS Acting Secretary Chad F. Wolf said… he intends to implement a Notice of Arrivals Restriction which requires that US passengers who’ve been in the Schengen Area ‘to travel through select airports’ for enhanced screening procedures.”

Deutsche Welle added that, allegedly, the restrictions do not apply to “Any lawful permanent resident of the US and any foreign national who is the spouse of a US citizen or lawful permanent resident. Foreign nationals who are parents or legal guardians of a US citizen or lawful permanent resident. Foreign nationals who are siblings of a US citizen or lawful permanent resident, and who are under 21 years old and unmarried. Foreign nationals who are foster children of a US citizen or lawful permanent resident. Any member of the US armed forces.”

Panic at the Airports

Reuters wrote on March 12:

“Bleary-eyed and stressed, travellers scrambled at European airports to board flights to the United States on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping travel restrictions… Trump’s announcement has disrupted the travel plans of tens of thousands of people and hit airlines already reeling from the coronavirus outbreak… ‘It caused a mass panic,’ said 20-year-old Anna Grace, a U.S. student at Suffolk University who was on her first trip to Europe…

“A Delta crew member said Trump’s travel ban had caught the airline off-guard. ‘It’s going to be a big mess,’ said the crew member, who asked not to be named. ‘We were not expecting something like that…’”

Trump’s New Travel Ban Condemned

Daily Mail added on March 12:

“Vice President Mike Pence said on Thursday morning that all Americans returning from Europe would be asked to quarantine [for 14 days] when they return…

“The State Department also warned Americans against all non-essential travel abroad, raising the prospect of mandatory quarantines and further bans that could leave people stranded…

“The announcement was quickly met with criticism from a range of industries. Dr Margaret Harris from the World Health Organisation was among those criticizing the travel ban…

“The Association of Flight Attendants was also quick to criticize Trump, branding his travel ban ‘irresponsible‘ and saying it is ‘about politics, not public safety’. ‘There is no explanation for how this will help fight the spread of the virus,’ a statement said. ‘It makes little sense when the virus is already in the United States. The President expressly stated the United Kingdom is not included in the travel ban and yet the UK health minister herself has the virus.’”

It’s all politics… sadly. The Bible warns us that figurative “children” would run the USA.

Trump Has Declared War on Europe

CNBC wrote on March 11:

“Calling coronavirus a ‘foreign virus,’ Trump attacked Europe for not taking the same actions to control the disease that he had…

“Trump… later clarified in a tweet [the Daily Mail calls it an “astonishing clarification”] that cargo and goods would not be affected by the ban.”

He had originally said in his speech that the ban would apply to people AND CARGO. The White House later “clarified” that he had “misspoken.”

Reports alleged that the speech was written by right-wing hardcore anti-immigration guru and senior advisor to the President, Stephen Miller, and that Trump, unusually nervous as he was backtracking virtually everything that he had said earlier about the virus, gave the address by just reading from the teleprompter, without seemingly understanding himself WHAT he was saying (hence the subsequent numerous clarifications). His words of “foreign virus” sound like Miller’s handiwork. But this does not excuse Trump for what he said.

Those who are familiar with the history of the Worldwide Church of God after Herbert W. Armstrong’s death are reminded of the sermons and “speeches” by successor Joseph W. Tkach, who had received the scripts written by Mike Feazell and read those, without comprehending what he was saying, only to clarify later what he “meant,” but by that time, the damage had already been done.

Europe Responds

The Guardian wrote on March 12:

“The EU has condemned Donald Trump’s unilateral ban on travel from 26 European countries… In a joint statement, the presidents of the European commission and European council defended Europe’s record in managing the pandemic and sharply criticised the White House for its failure to consult its allies.

“… global markets reeled after Trump imposed sweeping restrictions on travel from the passport-free Schengen zone on Wednesday night, battering airlines and further straining ties with Europe.”

Trump’s action could be compared with that of an autocratic dictator. A NUCLEAR WAR between the US and Europe is prophesied!

Trump Failed Completely

AFP wrote on March 12:

“President Donald Trump had one job to do in a primetime address on coronavirus: reassure an anxious nation, a panicking stock market and divided world. Instead, he left many confused and more scared… Trump’s short speech late Wednesday featured a tired-sounding president responding to the global coronavirus pandemic and resulting economic fallout with a mix of bluster, blaming and a jaw-dropping error [regarding cargo and goods]…

“If Americans watching television might have been confused, investors were in shock. The White House quickly issued a clarification that no, trade was not being halted between the European Union and the United States. But the damage was done. The first sign that things were going wrong was when Wall Street stock futures nosedived the minute the cameras switched off. Less than 12 hours later, on Thursday morning, trading had to be stopped when the Dow Jones plummeted seven percent, mirroring 10 percent falls in European markets…

“Also, what Trump did not explain in his speech was that only European countries in the EU Schengen visa-free area are on the list. He said it wouldn’t include Britain, but this also means that 22 other non-Schengen countries are exempted. Questions were immediately raised over how this would prevent spreading of a virus already present in the United States. And why would travelers from Britain, for example, be any less likely to be infected?… As Politico noted drily, there was another ‘convenient side effect’ to Trump’s partial travel ban. ‘They exempt nations where three Trump-owned golf resorts are located.’”

Trump Sounded Incompetent and Markets Are Freaking Out

The Money Week wrote on March 12:

“Markets are having another bruising day. The specific catalyst today is Donald Trump’s somewhat garbled and last-minute decision [and “panicky pronouncement”] to shut the US to passenger air traffic from Europe… Basically, he sounded incompetent…

“Are all these things we’ve been vaguely worrying about – carry trades, exchange-traded funds backed by illiquid underlying assets, massively overvalued private companies – going to blow up? And when and if they do blow up, what else might they take with them? Coronavirus might be the pebble (OK, the massive boulder) that starts an avalanche elsewhere in markets. That’s why markets are freaking out…”

Trump—a Lethal Combination

The Guardian wrote on March 12:

“Trump in a time of coronavirus is a lethal combination. Everything about the president… make him the worst person imaginable to hold the world’s most powerful job in the face of pandemic.

“Confronting the threat requires global cooperation, perhaps more than at any time since the second world war. But Trump and his junior imitators around the world have taken a sledgehammer to the very notion of international solidarity.

“America’s closest allies were given no [prior] notice… The EU mission in Washington only found out about it when journalists started calling.

“The president has dealt with coronavirus the same way he approached every other challenge in his administration, first trying denial – and when that failed, blaming outsiders… It came as little surprise that his speech had been written by Stephen Miller, the author of the administration’s cruelest anti-immigration policies.”

One can only imagine what will happen under Trump when a military challenge develops between Europe and the USA, which is prophesied. 

Man’s Attempts to Deal with the Coronavirus Outbreak

The Associated Press wrote on March 9 about events PRIOR to Trump’s convoluted announcement:

“Stocks took their worst one-day beating on Wall Street since the global financial crisis of 2008 as a collapse in oil prices Monday combined with mounting alarm over what the coronavirus could do to the world economy… The drop was so sharp that it triggered the first automatic halt in trading in more than two decades…

“Together, the sell-offs reflected growing anxiety over the potential global economic damage from the coronavirus… prompting factory shutdowns, travel bans, closings of schools and stores, and cancellations of conventions and celebrations big and small…

“The market slide came as Italy, the hardest-hit place in Europe, began enforcing a lockdown against 16 million people in the north, or one-quarter of the country’s population, and then announced that travel restrictions would be extended nationwide [affecting 60 million people—an absolutely unparalleled and “unprecedented step for a democratic country” (The Week, dated March 9), and a highly controversial and extremely dubious measure with no guarantee for success] … The turmoil in Italy… is expected to push the country into recession and weigh on the European economy.

“Elsewhere around the world, Ireland went so far as to cancel St. Patrick’s Day parades, and Israel ordered all visitors quarantined [for 14 days] just weeks before Passover and Easter, one of the busiest travel periods of the year.”

The government of India has “strongly advised” to refrain from traveling to France, Spain and Germany. Saudi Arabia banned all travels to such countries.

Breitbart added on March 11, 2020 that on Wednesday, the Dow Jones plummeted again by 5%, and that “Many investors worry that a delay of several weeks could mean any economic stimulus could come too late to keep the U.S. economy growing. Some economists think that we may already be in a recession.”

As mentioned above, the Dow Jones and stock markets in the USA and Europe plunged again on Thursday, following Trump’s speech. A worldwide economic upheaval was prophesied, but it is amazing how man’s panic-stricken shortsightedness contributes to such catastrophic developments. Many times, our economic downfall is man-made. The reaction to the coronavirus is a prime example. Even prior to Trump’s ill-conceived speech, conflicting messages from governments, with advising against air travel or cruising (thereby completely destroying the airline and the cruise ship industries), combined with radical measures of cancellations of schools and universities and prohibitions of gatherings (such as sports events and music festivals) in the USA and in European countries led by Italy and now France and Germany (as well as Spain, for example, which closed all schools in and around Madrid) do little to install confidence and instead accelerate uncontrolled catastrophes and economic upheavals.

German Health Minister Jens Spahn (39), perhaps far too young and inexperienced to make such drastic decisions (but “old age does not protect against foolishness” either), asked for cancellation of all events with more than 1,000 participants. This includes soccer games. With that, Spahn sacrificed Germany’s “holy cow.” Bild Online wrote, “A soccer game without fans is a dead game. It is no more a soccer game. Without fans in attendance, soccer will die.” And that means, politicians recommending or ordering such measures may not survive either.

Spahn also said people should refrain from unnecessary travel to Italy, and also North Rhine-Westphalia, in the west of Germany. Angela Merkel said that 60 to 70% of Germans will be infected by the virus. German health experts say that this is unlikely and that in any event, the symptoms for most would be mild or negligible. Merkel also praised Spahn, saying that he does an excellent job. Austria closed all schools. France prohibited visits to all state health-care facilities for the elderly and recommended against visits to all such private institutions. Axios reported that “Google issued one of the most sweeping cautionary edicts, recommending on Tuesday that all its employees in North America work from home until at least April 10 amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.”

The NBA announced it had called off the rest of its season after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gorbert tested positive for the virus just before tip-off. Teammate Donovan Mitchell has also tested positive. Oregon and California have also banned gatherings of more than 250 people state-wide, with smaller gatherings only permitted if a minimum distance of 6 feet can be guaranteed between people.

A Mad World Held Captive by Satan Is Shutting Down

Here are some more highlights from news articles which appeared on March 12:

CNBC wrote: “Stocks plummeted once again on Thursday after President Donald Trump and the Federal Reserve both failed to quell concerns over the economic slowdown stemming from the coronavirus, leading to a historic drop for the U.S. markets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 2,352.60 points lower.”

 AP wrote:

“France, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Lithuania,  Algeria and Slovakia joined the growing list of countries shutting down their school systems, and Europe’s most successful soccer team, Real Madrid, put all its players into quarantine after one tested positive… A rite of spring, college basketball’s NCAA tournament was canceled, while the NBA and NHL (National Hockey League) also decided their pros won’t play at all for now. Major League Baseball canceled spring training and postponed opening day for at least two weeks.”

The MLS (major league soccer) season has also been suspended. All of this will have an additional MAJOR impact on the economy.

The Week wrote:

“Starting Thursday, [Norway] announced measures… which involve practically shutting down the entire country.”

 Sacramento Bee wrote:

“The governor of Kentucky, a Bible belt state, has asked churches and other religious institutions to temporarily cancel services.”

Deutsche Welle wrote:

“Walt Disney Co will close its Disneyland and California Adventure theme parks in California through the end of March over coronavirus fears… The Vatican ordered all Catholic churches in Rome to be closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The measure has been described as unprecedented in the modern era.”

 It was also reported that Maryland and Ohio are closing all schools. France closed all schools. Spain closed all harbors. Princess Cruise cancelled all cruises for 60 days.

The Guardian reported:

“Spain became Europe’s second worst-affected country with 2,968 cases and 84 deaths. Both houses of parliament are suspended and every cabinet member is being tested… Slovenia, Norway and Austria suspended teaching at schools and colleges, although the Austrian chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, said working parents will still be able to drop off children for supervision. The Netherlands banned gatherings of more than 100… The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, is self-isolating while his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau awaits results from a coronavirus test. India… has barred all foreign tourists for one month… The Philippines halted domestic travel to and from the capital, Manila, and banned mass gatherings and closed schools for a month.”

Project Syndicate wrote on March 6: “[President Trump] and his supporters don’t trust experts, and the man appointed to lead the fight against the coronavirus, Vice President Mike Pence, is skeptical about science. But science, not prayers, will be needed to contain a disease that threatens the globe.”

With this kind of an arrogant and blasphemous recommendation of trusting “experts” rather than God, the way into the abyss would be unavoidable.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House’s coronavirus task force, stated that the coronavirus is allegedly 10 times more lethal than the ordinary flu. Fauci also advised older people not to fly anymore at all. 

Human Race in Grave Danger

The Daily Star wrote on March 11:

“The human race is in grave danger. Thousands of people are showing severe symptoms already and there is no known cure. No, not coronavirus, but sheer… stupidity. Never have so many brain cells been sacrificed on the altar of toilet paper fever…

“Those efficient German types actually have a word for panic buying – hamsterkauf… Hamsters hoard stuff in their cheeks. They also have very small brains. Go figure… if you’re one of those… who have cleared the shelves of stuff to decontaminate your hands with, you’re depriving everyone else. Which means they’ll be wandering around happily infecting us all…

“Even worse are those who have purchased every painkiller they can get… people are ill with other stuff, especially little kids… this applies to almost every aspect of this latest panic pandemic. Rather than all the deliberately scaremongering headlines and ­reports I’d love to see a story telling me how many people who have contracted coronavirus survive. Thousands.

“Respiratory diseases are responsible for killing thousands of Brits every year. In 2017-18 the Office for National Statistics recorded 50,100 excess winter deaths in England and Wales which they attributed to the strain of flu that year, an ineffective vaccine and weather. Yet did that send you into a tailspin of bog roll and pasta? No. So can we all stop being hysterical… and get a grip. Just wash your hands first, okay?”

This convincing article shows indeed the absolute stupidity man is able to display.

The Fear of the Black Death

New Statesman America wrote on March 6:

“When a ship sailed into one of the ports along England’s south coast in the summer of 1348, its unwitting crew also delivered ashore the most deadly cargo to ever reach the British Isles: Yersinia pestis, a bacterium causing bubonic plague. Having erupted out of Asia, the disease had travelled along the Silk Road and torn through Europe via rats roaming merchant ships.

“The symptoms of such a virulent infection, which would devastate England’s infrastructure, were as dramatic as its spread. First a fever, cold and general flu-like symptoms, followed by blackening buboes forming in the joints, most commonly the groin or the armpits. It was these buboes that would later give the disease its nickname: the Black Death. Sometimes people survived this stage, but usually the infection would reach the bloodstream and death was inevitable – and swift.

“Over the next few months the highly infectious disease ravaged the south of England, wiping out entire towns such as Bristol, and reaching London in November 1348. By New Year’s Day 1349, the mood was apocalyptic. The panic, fear and hysteria surrounding the Black Death were unprecedented…

“Following the 1348 Black Death, three decades of recurrent epidemics halved the British population from around five million to 2.5 million, until the infection eventually slowed in 1377. There was no cure for the Black Death… The plague returned in varying degrees over the next three centuries, until its final shattering year in 1665, when it devastated England yet again, acquiring the name the Great Plague. In London alone, almost 70,000 people died…

“After 800 years of enlightenment, medical advancement, antibiotics, vaccines and information, coronavirus has resurrected our dormant fear of the Black Death.”

These 800 years of so-called “enlightenment” have not prevented ancient and modern pandemics. The Bible indicates that even the Black Death will return.

Global Arms Trade Helps Destroying the World

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 9:

“The world is in turmoil, and the global arms trade is flourishing. No country exports more military equipment than the United States. And no country buys more weapons than Saudi Arabia… since 2015, 61% more weapons have been sold to the Middle East than in the preceding five years… more than a third of all weapons traded worldwide are now manufactured in the US…

“Russia is still the second biggest arms dealer in the world, but the gap is increasing…  France has established itself as the third-biggest arms dealer, exporting 72% more military equipment from 2015-2019 than in the previous five-year period…

“Germany continues to rank fourth among the world’s most important suppliers of arms, making it one of the five countries whose exports account for more than three-quarters of global trade in military equipment. Despite this, the German government likes to say it pursues a ‘restrictive’ arms export policy. However, between 2015 and 2019 Germany’s exports rose by 17%… NATO-member Germany is also supplying significant quantities of arms to non-NATO countries, or so-called third countries…”

Shame on those who profit from killing others. God’s intervention is coming soon, and His retribution will be swift and just.

Biden’s Victory

The Associated Press wrote on March 11:

“Joe Biden decisively won Michigan’s Democratic presidential primary, seizing a key battleground state that helped propel Bernie Sanders’ insurgent candidacy four years ago. The former vice president’s victory there, as well as in Missouri, Mississippi and Idaho, dealt a serious blow to Sanders and substantially widened Biden’s path to the nomination…

“Now it is Sanders… who must contemplate a path forward. He said at a news conference in Vermont on Wednesday afternoon that he will stay in the race and plans to appear at the Democratic debate against Biden on Sunday. The Democratic National Committee also said that Sunday’s debate between Sanders and Biden would be conducted without an audience.”

 It appears that Biden will become the Democratic nominee, but he will be defeated by Trump.

Why Netanyahu Won… and Still Might have Lost

Breaking Israel News wrote on March 8:

“As last week’s third round of elections approached, it became clear that every mandate was crucial to form a majority coalition. It seemed clear that fringe right-wing Otzma Yehudit was not going to pass the minimum threshold to earn a seat in the Knesset but their votes could earn Likud another vital two seats. With that in mind, Netanyahu tried to persuade Otzma Yehudit’s leader, Itamar Ben Gvir, to drop out of the race in January…

“Less than one week before Israelis headed for the ballot boxes, Ben Gvir [revealed] the condition that would persuade him to drop out of the race and put his power behind Netanyahu.  Most prominent among those conditions was the removal of the Waqf’s authority on the Temple Mount, thereby paving the way for a Jewish return to their holiest site.

“Netanyahu refused and Likud went on to win 36 seats. Their rival, Blue and White, won 33. As expected, Otzma Yehudit did not pass the threshold, winning a mere 20,000 votes. But those votes, if applied to other right-wing parties or to Likud, would have enhanced Netanyahu’s ability to form a right-wing coalition. It now seems doubtful that this will happen…

“Netanyahu admitted that his rejection of Ben Gvir’s offer hurt the party… But Netanyahu revealed that the Temple Mount condition was indeed the deal-breaker that led him to reject Ben Gvir’s offer. ‘But he had one condition that I permit Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount… this would have ignited the Middle East and brought down the anger of one billion Muslims on us…’

“The Sanhedrin weighed in… ‘The People of Israel were commanded by HaShem, the Creator of the universe, God of Israel to sacrifice the Passover lamb on the appointed time according to the Torah and on the very site designated to do so according to our traditions,’ wrote Rabbi Dov Stein, Secretary of the Sanhedrin… ‘The Deal of the Century signed between Israel and the United States contains a pledge to support the protocols of each religion on the Temple Mount…

“‘Thus, the Jewish People, represented here by the Court of the Sanhedrin, are expecting you, Mr. Netnayahu, to allow us to sacrifice our Passover lamb on the 14th day of Nisan (April 4, 2020) in the afternoon on a suitable altar we will build on-site near the site where the Jewish Temples once stood. This is in the hope that at some time in the future the Temple itself will be built in its full glory and the entire Jewish Nation can celebrate according to the Passover Laws.’…

“‘Mr. Netanyahy turned his back on the Temple Mount knowing that it would be his downfall. And it was. The only hope Mr. Netanyahu has is to act as a leader of Israel should and to open the doors to the Temple Mount… The same will be true of Donald Trump. His ability to resist all of the forces that have come up against him is to continue to pave the way for the Third Temple.’”

The Third Temple is at the forefront of the minds of many in Israel and elsewhere. And it appears that Trump will help in building the Third Temple, and THEN, Christ will return.

Catholic Church in Germany Supports Ecumenism  

CAN wrote on March 10:

“The new president of the German bishops’ conference [Bishop Georg Bätzing] has emphasized his support for… intercommunion with Lutherans… Bishop Bätzing also claimed Pope Francis supported the controversial process…

“Asserting that ecumenism is ‘on the right track’ in Germany, Bätzing reiterated his support for a document [promoting] non-Catholics receiving the Eucharist at Catholic Mass. Bätzing also suggested in future, Christians of any denomination should simply decide on their own, individual accord if – and when to receive [communion].

“Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, has dismissed the document, saying it was based on [a wrong] ‘assumption… that the Catholic Eucharistic celebration and the Protestant last supper are identical.’”

The position of the Pope is less than clear, seemingly playing to both sides of the “debate.”

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.

(Español: ¿Deberíamos tener miedo al futuro?)

In the previous two Q&As, we spoke of one of the greatest fears which we could have—the fear of man—the fearful concern what man may think about us or do to us. We also addressed other fears which we might encounter, and we began to discuss that no matter what situation we might find ourselves in, and what circumstance might tempt us to become afraid, God shows us the way of escape from fear.

We saw that when they were facing or finding themselves in an extremely difficult situation, God’s servants turned to God for help, peace, security and salvation. We also spoke of a vital key when we are in the midst of uncertainty—the conviction and persuasion that God hears us when we call on Him, and we pointed out that to allow in our minds the possibility of such powerful godly intervention requires much faith on our part—which must be accompanied, at times, with godly encouragement.

When Paul and his companions were in a ship on the ocean and being confronted with a terrible storm which appeared likely to kill them all, God gave Paul a powerful encouraging promise. God might not act in exactly the same way with us today, but we need to know that God is there and able and willing to encourage us in ways which we would be able to understand.

We read in Acts 27:18-25:

“And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship. On the third day we threw the ship’s tackle overboard with our own hands. Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up. But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, ‘Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, “Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.” Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.’”

Paul had the absolute faith that God would intervene and protect and save him and his companions. One might say that this was an unusual circumstance in that God only saved Paul at that time because He wanted Paul to appear in Rome before Caesar, but this argument would miss the mark.

We find almost identical circumstances in the life of the original twelve apostles at the time when Jesus was dwelling with them as a Man.

We read in Mark 4:35-40:

“On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, ‘Let us cross over to the other side.’ Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’ Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’”

They were lacking faith—having no faith at all—and as a consequence, they were fearful. Christ asked the question whether He would find faith on the earth upon His return. Without faith, we will be afraid. And even without enough faith, we will be fearful.

In another situation, we find the following, as recorded in Matthew 8:23-27:

“Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We are perishing!’ But He said to them, ‘Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?’ Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.”

Here, Christ is telling them that they did not have enough faith, which explained their fearfulness. Although the records in Matthew and Mark sound similar, they are not identical, but depict two separate events. Matthew describes a “tempest” or a shaking—a seaquake—, while Mark speaks of a “windstorm” or a whirlwind or a hurricane. The disciples showed and expressed fear in both incidents, lacking faith completely or not having enough faith.

Again, one might respond that Christ only saved the disciples at that time as He had plans for them. The Bible does not say this; and in addition, Christ has plans for every one of us whom He has called to salvation in this day and age.

We need faith in God to conquer fear. Christ tells us in John 14:1: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”

This belief in God can be undermined when we are surrounded by evil occurrences or when we hear false or even correct rumors. These physical circumstances can undermine and destroy our faith, when we are not careful.

In Mark 5, we find an interesting example. Beginning in verse 22, we read:

“And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, ‘My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.’ So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.”

But while on the way, “some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?’” (verse 35).

But Jesus was already on the way to heal the daughter. All seemed lost, when the terrible news came, but Jesus gave the following encouraging words to the father, in verse 36: “As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, ‘Do not be afraid; only believe.’” And so, He went and resurrected the daughter who had in fact died. With God, nothing is impossible—even when it might appear to our limited understanding that nothing could be done. Rather than being discouraged by negative false rumors or even seemingly devastating statements of fact, we are to continue to believe in God and His help.

When we have no faith or not enough faith, we will fear. We must believe in God and His help. But the ultimate faith of which we speak and which is required to conquer all fear is not something which originates within us and which we can create. It is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8).

Faith, hope and love belong together (1 Corinthians 13:13). And so, we will also fear if we do not have enough love. And we are not talking about some theoretical and esoteric concept of “love.” Rather, 1 John 5:3 tells us: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.” With that kind of godly love, we will conquer fear. 1 John 4:18 says:

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

Fear involves torment, or is afraid of the penalty to be expected for violating God’s Law and not repenting of it, but the concept of love and lack of fear goes even deeper. When God’s love is in us, which is manifested by our obedience to His Word, then we know that nothing can and will happen to us which God, who is a God of love (1 John 4:8), will not allow, and everything will work out for our own good (Romans 8:28) .

How can God’s love be in us? The answer is given in Romans 5:5: “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit [which] was given to us.”

God’s Holy Spirit in us gives us God’s love (the first of the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23), as well as God’s faith (another characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit), and it also gives us God’s hope which does not disappoint. With God’s Spirit in us, we will conquer all fear.

God describes His Spirit in us in this way in 2 Timothy 1:7: “… God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

With the Holy Spirit in us, we will have God’s peace (the third characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit). Christ had the Holy Spirit of the Father in Him, which destroyed all fear and which enabled Him to sleep in a boat when it was threatened by earthquakes and hurricanes.

We read in Psalm 119:165: “Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble.” This peace is a gift from God which Christ will share with us, as He said in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” And with that mindset, we conquer fear and can even have joy (the second characteristic of God’s Spirit) in the face of adversity.

We are told that even when we find ourselves in big trouble, we have no reason to be afraid, always knowing that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and that we must allow and agree with the fact that His Will must be done in our lives.  But with God’s Spirit in us, we will conquer fear and anxiety.

Some converted Christians might feel fear and anxiety for their unconverted loved ones—especially in the face of the terrible events which are prophesied to occur very soon in the unparalleled awful Great Tribulation.

But we must remember that our unconverted young children and even our unconverted mates who are not hostile to God and who are willing to dwell with us in peace are “sanctified” or “holy” in the eyes of God (1 Corinthians 7:14). And as God promises His faithful people protection from the evil days to come to test everyone on earth, so God DOES promise protection for them as well.

We read in Proverbs 14:26: “In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge.”

When God brought Israel out of Egyptian slavery, He allowed others to accompany them. Exodus 12:38 says: “A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds—a great deal of livestock.”

We must also not forget that God hears our prayers for others. Moses prayed repeatedly to God for the people of Israel when they had sinned and God was about to destroy them, but because of Moses’ plea, God heard his prayers and relented. Abraham prayed for the people of Sodom, and God would have heard him and He would have refrained from destroying Sodom, if there had been at least 10 righteous people in the city.

God listens to our intercessory prayers—especially for our brethren and even our unconverted loved ones. We read in 2 Thessalonians 3:1, 3: “Finally, brethren, pray for us…  the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.”

Paul says in Romans 15:30: “Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me…”

Also in 2 Corinthians 1:8-11: “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.”

As Paul asked the brethren to pray for him, so we in the ministry are asking the same of you today.

God will not allow evil to come upon us that we would not be able to bear—and that includes evil for our children and unconverted loved ones. As we are in God’s hands, there is no reason to be afraid or to fear. But this lack of fear we can only have if we know—and we know that we know—that God is with us; that His Spirit is in us; and that He helps us and protects us.

Fear will hinder us to stand up boldly for God without compromise or shrinking back, and it will hinder us from proclaiming God’s whole counsel (Acts 20:27). It will prevent us from keeping His Law. Unless we conquer fear with God’s boldness and courage, His love and His faith, it will ultimately destroy us in the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8 Authorized Version).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

The final text of our new book on the Ten Commandments has been sent to graphic artist Shelly Bruno in preparation for printing.

“Gottes Sendschreiben an Seine Kirche (Teil 2),” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “God’s Letters to His Church (Part 2).”

“Können wahre Christen glücklich sein?”, the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Djmitry Niemann, is now posted. Title in English: “True Christians Can be Happy.”

“The Coronavirus and the Migrant Crisis–Comments on News and Prophecy ( March 7, 2020),” the first message presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Europe and especially Germany are facing a most serious challenge in form of another migrant crisis, while the hysterical reactions to the coronavirus outbreak are reaching astronomical proportions. At the same time, it has been stated by experts that within the next 18 months, 65 million people might die of the virus. The global economy is already at the brink of recession, if not depression, and there is fear that another pandemic, much more deadly than the coronavirus, is on the horizon.

“The Heart of God,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Does God have a heart? What does it mean to put your whole heart into something?

• Initial information about our 2020 Feast sites (US and Germany) is posted on our website along with contact information.
• The 2020 Church Conference is scheduled to be conducted in Escondido, California. Arrival is scheduled to be Wednesday, March 25, 2020, and departure is scheduled for Monday, March 30, 2020.

On March 7, 2020, Norbert Link will present, “Comments on News and Prophecy (March 7, 2020),” and Michael Link will present the sermon, titled, “Heart of God.”

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

The world at the moment is in a spiraling catastrophic downspin of one major curse after another, which has accelerated since January this year. One article which demonstrates this, titled, “10 Plagues That Are Hitting Our Planet Simultaneously,” has been published on February 17 by Michael Snyder and linked by the Drudge Report, as follows:

“All of a sudden, really crazy things are starting to happen all over the world… The following is a list of 10 plagues that are hitting our planet simultaneously…

“#1 Armies Of Locusts –… swarms of locusts the size of major cities have been devouring entire farms in Africa in as little as 30 seconds.  These swarms have also been spreading throughout the Middle East, and now we have learned that they have even reached China… Billions of the insects have destroyed food supplies across Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia in what has been described as the worst plague for decades.

“#2 Extremely Bizarre Weather Patterns –… An all-time record 209 mph wind gust just hit California, and absolutely crazy storms are happening all over the planet… Sydney has been thrown into chaos by a devastating storm that saw two months of rainfall in just two days – forcing mass evacuations, leaving 150,000 homes without power, and prompted warnings not to drive to work. The storm dumped 400mm of rain on the city over the weekend, causing mayhem for commuters on Monday morning with roads blocked, ferries canceled and trains suffering major delays across the network.

“#3 Unprecedented Flooding – We are seeing unusual flooding all over the world right now, and the flooding that is devastating the southern U.S. at this moment is being called ‘unprecedented’… In Jackson, Mississippi, hundreds of residents either watched their homes flood over the weekend or worried their residence would soon be drenched as the Pearl River crested Monday at 36.8 feet, its third-highest level ever recorded – behind only 1979 and 1983. Calling the Jackson floods ‘historic’ and ‘unprecedented,’ Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said in a Sunday press conference that ‘we do not anticipate this situation to end anytime soon. It will be days before we are out of the woods and the waters recede.’

“#4 Major Earthquakes –… A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Tuesday (January 28) about 80 miles from Jamaica, shaking people in the Caribbean and as far away as Miami. A tsunami of 0.4 feet was recorded in the Cayman Islands at George Town, but no tsunami was observed at Port Royal, Jamaica, or Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

“#5 Unusual Volcanic Eruptions – … One of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, Mount Merapi just experienced its most powerful eruption since 1930! The eruption reportedly took place on Thursday (February 13) and was caught on video displaying a powerful and terrifying eruption showing the moment the crater exploded and launched lava and ash an estimated 2,000 meters into the air forcing local residents to stay outside of the designated no-go zone 3km (1.8 miles) from the crater.

“#6 The Coronavirus – Needless to say, the coronavirus outbreak in China has been getting more headlines than anything else on this list.  The numbers continue to rise, and many are speculating that this could potentially become the worst global pandemic since the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918…

“#7 The African Swine Fever – ‘Pig Ebola’ has already wiped out millions upon millions of pigs in China, and it has now spread to more than 40 other countries.  The price of pork is absolutely skyrocketing in China right now, and to help fill the demand the Chinese are increasingly importing pork from U.S. sources…

“#8 The H1N1 Swine Flu – Unlike the African Swine Fever, the H1N1 Swine Flu can actually kill humans.  In fact, it has already killed more people outside of China than the coronavirus outbreak has… As of now, the H1N1 virus is posing a great threat once again as it has claimed 13 lives in Taiwan in the last week. This virus is highly contagious and is known to spread from human to human. It is especially dangerous for those with a compromised immune system like those suffering from chronic medical conditions and long-term health conditions.

“#9 The H5N1 Bird Flu – This strain of the bird flu caused a massive global scare a number of years ago, and now it is experiencing a stunning resurgence… experts are warning that this outbreak could be just getting started… China also is reportedly dealing with an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 bird flu in chickens in the Hunan province, an area that borders the province where the coronavirus emerged… As of Feb. 1, local authorities had culled 17,828 poultry after the H5NI outbreak…

“#10 The H5N8 Bird Flu – This strain is different from the H5N1 bird flu, but many believe that it is even more frightening.  It has started to pop up in numerous places around the globe… Germany has reported an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu virus in a backyard in the southwestern part of the country…

“2020 has certainly started off with quite a bang, and many expect global events to continue to accelerate… things are likely to get even crazier in the months ahead.”

In spite of all of this happening, and much more could be added, are the people, communities and nations asking themselves WHY this is occurring? Well, it is happening because of SIN. China is experiencing this horrible outbreak of the coronavirus because of breaking God’s laws regarding clean and unclean meats. The United States is under a curse for their murders, sexual sins, drug abuse and a host of other issues they are not addressing nor dealing with.

We are witnessing the effect of worldwide sinning but not addressing the root cause which is transgressing His commandments and laws in effect today, but if they were to obey, these curses would go away. Just as the author of the article states, “Hold on to your hats, it will get worse” (paraphrasing). Indeed, it will get much worse before it gets better.

Look at what Christ stated in Matthew 24:21: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.”

As we approach the Passover season and examine ourselves, let us make sure we are putting sin out of our lives so that we may be worthy to escape that which is coming on the whole world and to stand before the Son of Man when He returns. This we know: Things will get MUCH better—there will be absolutely no comparison whatsoever–once Christ returns and ends the current madness.

by Norbert Link

As we report every week on important news developments around the globe, we should be able to see how prophecy is marching on. Most of the reports are grim, foreboding and frightening, and the next big prophetic event, as announced in the Bible, will be the terrible and unparalleled Great Tribulation. We must not become disillusioned when reading those reports, but we should instead remind ourselves that, in a sense, this bad news is good news, because we know that these things must occur so that Jesus Christ can come back to usher in the wonderful world tomorrow.

Satan knows this too, and his wrath is great. He will try, whatever he can, to destroy all of mankind—quite literally and also spiritually, by disseminating his wrong ideas, religions and philosophies. Satan’s wrath is foremost directed, though, against God’s true Church and true Christians, knowing that his time is short. We must all be very well aware of Satan’s evil techniques and we must not fall prey to his deceitful devices and his temptations, including feelings of frustration and the wish to give up. Instead, we should seek God even more and pray for His strength and unsurpassable power, lifting up our heads as we know that Christ’s return is near.

We begin with a new serious challenge for Europe and Germany as Turkey has opened its borders for Syrian immigrants to migrate to Europe; speak on the numerous devastating global consequences of the coronavirus; offer some sound advice as to what to do and not to do under the circumstances; and warn of new and much more deadly pandemics which are prophesied.

We publish frightening perspectives and nightmare scenarios of what it could mean to the world once Trump is reelected; and report on the (for many) surprising outcome of the Democratic “Super Tuesday.”

We speak on an absolutely futile “peace treaty” between the USA and the Taliban in Afghanistan; address Netanyahu’s victorious election results in Israel; the lack of a workable relationship between Jordan and Israel; and the stunning comments that the Third Temple could have been built already in 1967.

We report on Putin’s attempt to legalize marriage as only between a man and a woman and to enact a ban on same-sex marriage; and, at the same time, America’s fascination with the LGBTQ community.

We address Germany’s new mandatory vaccination laws and the dubious roles which two popes played during the Nazi era. In this regard, please view our new StandingWatch program, “The Collaboration of two Popes with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.” 

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

New Invasion of Refugees Threatens Europe

Reuters and Algemeiner wrote on February 28:

“Refugees in Turkey headed towards European frontiers on Friday after an official declared that borders had been thrown open in response to the escalating war in Syria, a day after 33 Turkish soldiers were killed by Russian-backed Syrian government troops… ‘We have decided, effectively immediately, not to stop Syrian refugees from reaching Europe by land or sea,’ a senior Turkish official told Reuters on condition of anonymity… ‘All refugees, including Syrians, are now welcome to cross into the European Union,’ the official said, adding that police and border guards had been stood down…

“Greece and Bulgaria said they were immediately reinforcing their frontiers. Bulgaria’s prime minister said the prospect of a new migration crisis was even more of a threat when European countries were struggling to respond to the coronavirus…

“A million civilians have been displaced since December inside Syria near the Turkish border in desperate winter conditions, perhaps the worst humanitarian crisis of a war that has already made half the country homeless. Turkey, already home to 3.7 million Syrian refugees, says it cannot take more…”

The Revival of the European Migration Crisis?

The Associated Press wrote on March 1:

“Thousands of migrants and refugees massed at Turkey’s western frontier Sunday, trying to enter Greece by land and sea… Greek authorities said they stopped about 10,000 crossing attempts Saturday, and another 5,500 on Sunday…

“In Istanbul, a steady stream of buses, taxis, cars and minibuses were ferrying hundreds more throughout Sunday to Edirne, a town near the border with Greece. The vehicles weren’t part of any regular bus route. Those boarding the buses — the vast majority Afghans — said they were heading to Greece and eventually hoped to get to Germany…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 3:

“The images from the Greek-Turkish border are shocking… Some refugees hold signs asking for help from German Chancellor Angela Merkel. After all, the chancellor rescued refugees in Hungary from a similar situation by letting them come to Germany. Refugees on the border with Greece are now hoping for the same.

“But Germany in 2020 is not the country it was in 2015. Looking back, Merkel acknowledges there was a ‘loss of control.’ The chancellor has since described the open borders that allowed hundreds of thousands of people to pour into the country as a ‘mistake’ that should not be repeated.

“Many things have happened since 2015. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has become increasingly popular in Germany and right-wing terrorism appears to be on the rise… ‘We are seeing refugees and migrants who are being told on the Turkish side that the route to the EU is now open — and of course it is not,’ Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert underscored at a press conference on Monday in Berlin…

“Friedrich Merz, who is gunning to lead Merkel’s center-right Christian Democrats (CDU), spoke out against accepting more refugees from Turkey. He said Berlin needs to send a clear signal: ‘There is no point in coming to Germany. We cannot take you in.’… The AfD [called] for the immediate closure of Germany’s borders.”

And so, refugees at the border are again becoming pawns in a political game of the mighty. But this could prove costly for the survival of Germany’s grand coalition. Note the next article.

German Protestors for Open Borders

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 4:

“Thousands of protesters gathered in Berlin on Tuesday in front of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s official residence to demand the opening of the border between Turkey and the European Union… similar protests were held in Hamburg and Potsdam…

“The protests come as German politicians are put under increased pressure to deal with the situation at the Greek border… The German chancellor (Angela Merkel, CDU) has so far remained firm that the EU’s borders are closed… German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) also tweeted on Tuesday evening in Arabic… ‘Europe’s borders are not open to refugees from Turkey, and this applies to our German borders as well.’”

“More protests are planned for later in the week.”

Major Companies Cancel Conferences in the USA

MSN wrote on February 29:

“Major companies are beginning to cancel conferences and travel plans within the United States due to the coronavirus, which analysts warn will have cascading impacts on the country’s hotels, airlines and convention centers.

“International travel — particularly to Asia — has so far been the hardest-hit part of the industry, though analysts say that could soon change as fears of the coronavirus spread to Europe and North America. Hotels around the country have begun reporting a rise in group cancellations…

“Workday called off a sales conference in Orlando scheduled for next week, while Google and Facebook canceled multiple events in California and Nevada between March and May. Amazon this week told employees to put off ‘nonessential travel’ in the United States…

“Shares of hotel companies and airlines plunged this week, as coronavirus-related fears led global markets to post their worst weekly losses since the Great Recession. Shares of Marriott and InterContinental Hotels Group fell about 9 percent apiece, while American Airlines and Jet Blue posted declines of more than 20 percent.”

Airlines Being Hit

USA Today wrote on February 29:

“The Trump administration is urging Americans to avoid travel to parts of Italy and South Korea amid growing concern about the spread of coronavirus… Vice President Mike Pence announced that the U.S. has raised the travel warning to level 4 – its most severe warning – regarding travel to affected areas of Italy and South Korea…

“American Airlines late Saturday announced plans to cancel its flights to Milan through April 24…”

The Sun wrote on March 1 that “DELTA is suspending its daily flight between New York’s JFK airport and Milan Malpensa Airport for two months amid coronavirus fears.”

AFP wrote on February 29:

“Due to the ‘accelerated spread of the coronavirus’ [Lufthansa] said it would have to cut the numbers of its short- and medium-haul flights by up to a quarter and ground 23 of its long-haul planes. [This also includes a 40% reduction of flights to Italy]…[The German press reported that Lufthansa will cancel more than 7,000 flights in March. This includes at least 3,700 flights from and to the Frankfurt  Airport.]

“Lufthansa’s share price plummeted by close to 21 percent on the Frankfurt stock exchange this week as investors panicked over the effects of the virus. The International Civil Aviation Organization has said that the virus outbreak could mean a $4-5 billion drop in worldwide airline revenue…”

British Airways announced that they will cancel all return-flights during the month of March from England to Italy and some Asian countries. Deutsche Welle wrote on March 2 that “the airline industry is facing the worst downturn since the 2008 financial crisis.”

Italy announced that until mid-March, all schools and universities will be closed. German Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Wednesday that the coronavirus has become a “global pandemic,” warning that “worse was still to come” (The Local, March 4), and that there would be “restrictions on everyday life,” according to Deutsche Welle. The article added that “earlier on Wednesday, the German government had banned the export of medical gear and adjusted a national travel advisory to warn of an ‘elevated quarantine risk’ associated with cruise ship travel.”

Israel Severely Restricts Entry from Europe

 AFP wrote on March 4:

 “Israel on Wednesday imposed tough new travel restrictions on five European nations due to fears of coronavirus, barring entry to almost all non-residents of the Jewish state arriving from these affected countries.

“Israel had earlier in the day ordered all citizens and residents returning from the five countries — France, Germany, Spain, Austria and Switzerland — into 14-day home quarantine upon entering the country.

“The measures come on top of restrictions previously imposed on arrivals from mainland China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Macau, South Korea, Japan and Italy.

“Guidelines issued by the health ministry on Wednesday afternoon declared that foreigners from the affected European countries ‘will not be able to enter Israeli territory unless they can prove they have a place to stay in quarantine’.

“The interior ministry issued a statement in the evening saying tourists from these countries ‘will not be able to enter Israel from Friday at 8:00 am (0600 GMT)’.”

Gloomy Prediction for Global Economy

The Week wrote on February 28:

“The end of a very rough week for U.S. markets brought a worrying prediction… Nouriel Roubini, a New York University business professor and market prognosticator who foretold the housing bubble burst, told Yahoo Finance on Friday to expect ‘severe’ consequences as the coronavirus continues to rattle markets… predicting ‘global equities to tank by 30 to 40 percent this year.’

“He said people… don’t realize the ‘simple math’ tells us that realistically, a squeezed Chinese economy will mean downturns around the globe. ‘This crisis will spill over and result in a disaster,’ said Roubini.

“Though the week just saw a 3,500-point drop for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Roubini warned: ‘It is far from being over.’”

The Week reported on March 2:

“The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 1,293 points for a 5.1 percent gain on Monday, rebounding from a slump stemming from coronavirus fears. It’s the Dow’s biggest points gain of all time and its biggest percentage gain since 2009. The rise comes ‘on hopes that central banks will take action to shelter the global economy’ from the coronavirus’ effects, The Associated Press reports… Last week was the Dow’s worst since the 2008 financial crisis with a loss of more than 3,000 points.”

The Associated Press wrote on March 3:

“Fear and uncertainty continue to control Wall Street, and stocks fell sharply Tuesday after an emergency interest-rate cut by the Federal Reserve failed to reassure markets wracked by worries that a fast-spreading virus will cause a recession.

“The Dow Jones Industrial average sank 785 points, or 2.9%. It had surged 5% a day earlier on hopes for aid from the Fed and other central banks.”

The Dow Jones did very well on Wednesday, following the “Super Tuesday” results, but as fears of the coronavirus continued, notice what happened on Thursday:

CNBC wrote on March 5: “Dow tanks more than 950 points [on Thursday] as Wall Street’s roller-coaster week continues.”

Our shaky economy is built on hopes and dreams… which seem to change by the day. Roubini might be right with his prognostication regarding the disastrous financial consequences of the virus. He also said that because of it, Trump will not be reelected. On that he is dead wrong. Trump will be reelected for sure.

Sound Advice

Deutsche Welle reported on March 1:

“Four years ago, the Bonn-based Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) published a checklist of long-lasting foods it recommends stockpiling for emergencies… It advises Germans to stockpile food and drink for about ten days.

“Specifically, the checklist states that one person needs 14 liters of liquid a week, and recommends stocking mineral water and fruit juice in particular. Even so, the BBK warns against panic buying, advising Germans to stockpile only foods and drinks ‘that you and your family would consume anyway’…

“Bulgarian daily 24 Tschassa… praised the advice provided by German authorities, saying that in most cases ‘consumers just hoard all kinds of products – without a proper idea how long they will come in useful or whether they might need them at all.’ The paper said… ‘it makes no sense to buy excessive amounts of supplies.’”

“Stop Buying Face Masks, but Follow Other Recommendations!”

CNN wrote on March 2:

“The United States’ top doctor has one simple request: Stop buying face masks. US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams’ message, posted to Twitter on Saturday, was a response to face mask shortages as people stocked up due to coronavirus concerns. ‘Seriously people,’ he began, and though it’s a tweet, you can almost hear the exasperation in his plea. ‘STOP BUYING MASKS!’ ‘They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!’ he continued…

“The tweet comes during what has become a mask boom… [But] if these masks run out, they won’t be available to the medical professionals who are at the highest risk for disease transmission… Meanwhile, stores across the country have run out of masks…

“The CDC recommends the following to prevent the spread of any respiratory disease:

“Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Stay home from school or work when you are sick. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. If soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.”

This advice should be heeded.

Obscure Sect Partially Responsible for Coronavirus Outbreak in South Korea

Christianity Today wrote on March 2, 2020:

“An apocalyptic sect whose leader claims he is an angel of Jesus [or, according to other reports,  that he is Christ Himself or the Second Coming of Christ, and that he is immortal] has become the biggest cluster of coronavirus infections in South Korea, which now leads the world in cases of COVID-19 disease outside of China… More than 400 of those infected have been directly linked to a single house of worship, a Daegu branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony—viewed as a cult by mainstream Korean Christian organizations—where a woman in her 60s attended two services before testing positive for the virus…

“A petition asking Korea’s president to dissolve Shincheonji gathered more than 750,000 signatures in four days… However, church leaders worry such a move could give the government an excuse to do the same to regular religious groups later…”

It was also reported that “Seoul’s city government has asked prosecutors to press charges, including murder, against the founder of a secretive religious sect for failing to cooperate in containing the spread of the deadly coronavirus” (ibtimes, dated March 2). This charge has been strongly denied by the group, claiming that they cooperated with governmental agencies from the time they found out about the sick member.

Worldwide Devastating Pandemics Coming!

The Week wrote on February 29:

“Picture a new viral disease like the Wuhan coronavirus, now called COVID-19, that passes easily from person to person and spreads rapidly around the globe. But unlike COVID-19, which kills perhaps 2 or 3 percent of its victims, this virus kills 20 percent of those infected. Or 40 percent. It might sound like a disaster movie premise… but viral disease experts are in wide agreement that such a pandemic is coming, and that it will inflict unimaginable devastation. The only question is when it will hit…

“The most likely scenario is a pathogen that jumps from animals to humans and can spread through the air. The outbreak of COVID-19 was traced to a live-animal market in Wuhan, China, where a bat virus appears to have added some genetic material from a soldierfish. Many viral diseases have been traced to animals, including HIV (which originated in chimpanzees), MERS (camels), SARS (probably bats and civet cats), and Ebola (unknown, but probably bats). Last year researchers at Johns Hopkins ran a simulation of a hypothetical coronavirus emerging from a Brazilian pig farm: The result was 65 million dead within 18 months. Another concern is a familiar very deadly virus that mutates, allowing it to spread more easily… The intentional or accidental release of a manmade pathogen is another threat; new genetic engineering tools have made them far easier to create…

“Human population growth. People are encroaching on previously wild areas where unknown viruses and bacteria lurk in animals; those who become infected carry the pathogens back to densely packed cities, where disease is easily spread. The 1998 emergence of the Nipah virus, for example, was linked to deforestation in Malaysia that displaced fruit bats and put them near pig farms. Pigs became infected, and the virus then spread to farmworkers. In the past 50 years, more than 300 pathogens have emerged or re-emerged, including Zika and yellow fever…  The surge in international travel allows viruses to spread around the globe quickly…

“Are we prepared for a major pandemic? Not at all. A report released last October by the Global Health Security Index found glaring gaps in readiness; out of 195 countries surveyed, not one was judged fully prepared to handle a major event… Experts say the U.S. and other countries need to spend vastly more money on pandemic preparedness…

“Epidemics have been a fact of life… The earliest on record dates to 430 B.C., when a pestilence that may have been typhoid fever took root in Athens, killing up to two-thirds of the city’s population. In A.D. 541, the Justinian plague spread through the Mediterranean world; recurrences over the next two centuries would kill more than 25 percent of the world’s population. In the 14th century, another outbreak of plague, called the Black Death — driven by fleas that live on rats but can bite humans — claimed over 75 million lives, including some 60 percent of the population of Europe, whose cities were piled with reeking corpses. In the 16th and 17th centuries Native Americans were ravaged by smallpox and other diseases brought by European conquerors and colonists; in some areas as much as 90 percent of native populations were wiped out. The pandemic with the greatest number of casualties in history was the Spanish flu of 1918. It infected some 500 million people worldwide — a third of the population — and killed as many as 100 million.”

Worldwide pandemics are prophesied to happen very soon.

A Nightmare Scenario

The Week wrote on March 2:

“Here is a scenario… President Trump… uses the threat of a pandemic to severely restrict international travel to the United States and institutes stringent new limits on U.S. citizens’ ability to travel abroad — perhaps mandatory medical testing, biometric data collection, or vaccination before you leave; extended interviews with Customs agents to vet the reasons for your trip; or even a near-complete embargo on visits to China and other countries where coronavirus outbreak coincides, in Trump’s mind, with an economic threat to America…

“This would not be the first time a crisis has been used to fundamentally change global mobility: Just over a century ago, the passport system we now take for granted did not yet exist. In the decades before the first World War, international travel was generally unhindered… A train might cross multiple borders in Europe within a single day… travelers could typically travel whenever, wherever, and for whatever reason they wanted.

“During World War I, the Triple Alliance nations (Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Italy) began requiring passport use, and both Triple Entente states and neutral countries soon followed suit. After the war, the United Nations’ precursor, the League of Nations… held the first passport conference in Paris. Its aim… was to restore the pre-war regime of freedom of movement… That aim was not achieved… Further attempts to return to pre-war travel freedoms also failed…

“Permanent, serious strictures on our freedom to travel may seem unlikely at the moment… wouldn’t such repressive measures, particularly those affecting U.S. citizens, be widely unpopular? Yes, but what would people do about it?… And anyway, passports were once widely unpopular, too. The 1926 passport conference observed that the public desired ‘a resolution contemplating the abolition of passports at the earliest possible date.’ It was a desire unmet.

“… as the coronavirus crisis is used to curtail international travel — there’s already a ban on U.S. entry by foreign nationals who have been in China in the previous two weeks and a mandatory quarantine for U.S. citizens returning from Hubei province — we would do well to take care from the outset that measures are as minimal as possible and firmly bounded by expiration dates.

“Draconian travel restrictions are not an inconceivable outcome here, and, if history is any guide, once done, they won’t be easy to undo.”

It is interesting that Germany, Austria/Hungary and Italy invented the passport system. And prophetically, the concerns raised in the article are not out of the realm of possibility.

Four More Years of Trump—Europe’s Security At Risk

Project Syndicate published on February 27 an article by Joschka Fischer, former German Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor from 1998-2005:

“The re-election of President Donald Trump could spell the end of the liberal world order and the system of alliances that America has fostered since the 1940s… Should Trump win in November, he will have a mandate to wreak havoc for another four years…

“Make no mistake: it makes a big difference whether Trump is in office for eight years rather than just four. In addition to Americans, Europeans would be the first to feel the consequences of a second Trump term…

“In 2020, no one will make the same mistake again. But nor can anyone claim not to know what they are getting with Trump. He… has stayed mostly true to his campaign promises.

“… If Trump is re-elected, he will most likely behave even more radically and without restraint. He will be fully convinced that he is the ‘chosen one.’

“… Europeans should be preparing for the worst… Europe’s very security and sovereignty are now at risk. The EU must ask itself if it is prepared to do what is necessary to remain an independent player, united in the common interest of all Europeans…”

And all of this is exactly what is prophesied.

The Democrats’ Super Tuesday

Drudge Report linked on March 3 to the following article by “Reason”:

“As Super Tuesday finally transfigures the Democratic presidential nomination process into a binary choice between two old, occasionally problematic white men whose enduring popularity is consistently underrated by a baffled mainstream press, it’s worth reflecting on just how poorly the media’s preferred candidates performed in the 2020 race.

“In the end, The New York Times‘ dual Democratic presidential endorsements—bestowed upon both Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D–Mass.) and Amy Klobuchar (D–Minn.)—… just didn’t matter.

“Nor did the media’s fawning over South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, early flirtation with Beto O’Rourke, and absolute worship of Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) resonate with the millions of Americans living outside the Acela corridor.

“Instead, Democratic voters indicated over and over again that they were most interested in the popular former vice president and the iconoclastic but well-respected runner-up from the 2016 Democratic race. Before the actual primaries, Biden consistently led in polls and Sanders performed well—and then the eventual voting followed this pattern, with early wins for Sanders and a comeback surge from Biden. The idea that any other candidate had a particularly likely shot at the nomination was always pundit-driven misdirection from a class of commentators demanding more interesting, intersectional characters, because the commentators themselves are more interested in identity-based diversity than the rest of the country.

“Indeed, the media stumped for Warren so hard that Vox‘s Matt Yglesias recently had to write a post explaining to people why she was losing… outside the Vox bubble, there was little interest in the kind of cultural progressivism represented by Warren.

“At present, Biden and Sanders are locked in a battle for delegates. Both men have a good shot at the nomination. But this was true a year ago as well. They were both better-known and better-liked than many in the media seemed to grasp, and an endless series of magazine covers, fluff pieces, and editorial board endorsements aimed at other candidates couldn’t make any difference whatsoever.”

NPR wrote on March 4:

“The Democratic presidential contest is now a two-man race. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders went into Super Tuesday the front-runner, but it was Joe Biden’s night. The former vice president rode a surge of momentum out of his big win in South Carolina on Saturday and established himself squarely as the principal alternative to Sanders.

“Biden won a majority of states, including Texas, Tuesday night. Sanders is projected to win California, but with votes still being counted there it’s unclear which candidate will emerge with a delegate lead. That sets up what looks to be a sharp fight over the next two months between candidates with very different ideologies — Sanders paints in bold colors and wants radical change; Biden believes in progress accomplished by working with Washington’s competing interests.”

Axios reported on March 4 that “Michael Bloomberg, who spent hundreds of millions of dollars to self-fund his 2020 presidential run, announced Wednesday that he is suspending his campaign after a poor performance on Super Tuesday  and will endorse Joe Biden.”

JTA wrote on March 5:

 “Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who drew strong support from Jewish progressives, has dropped her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.”

At this point, she has not endorsed Biden or Sanders. But no matter who the Democratic nominee will be, he will not become the next President.  

“Peace Treaty” Between USA and Taliban?

The Associated Press wrote on February 29:

“The United States signed a peace agreement with Taliban militants on Saturday aimed at bringing an end to 18 years of bloodshed in Afghanistan and allowing U.S. troops to return home from America’s longest war.

“Under the agreement, the U.S. would draw its forces down to 8,600 from 13,000 in the next 3-4 months, with the remaining U.S. forces withdrawing in 14 months. The complete pullout, however, would depend on the Taliban meeting their commitments to prevent terrorism.

“President George W. Bush ordered the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in response to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Some U.S. troops currently serving there had not yet been born when the World Trade Center collapsed on that crisp, sunny morning that changed how Americans see the world.

“It only took a few months to topple the Taliban and send Osama bin Laden and top al-Qaida militants scrambling across the border into Pakistan, but the war dragged on for years as the United States tried [to] establish a stable, functioning state in one of the least developed countries in the world. The Taliban regrouped, and currently hold sway over half the country.

“The U.S. spent more than $750 billion, and on all sides the war cost tens of thousands of lives lost, permanently scarred and indelibly interrupted. But the conflict was also frequently ignored by U.S. politicians and the American public…

“The Taliban harbored bin Laden and his al-Qaida network as they plotted, and then celebrated, the hijackings of four airliners that were crashed into lower Manhattan, the Pentagon and a field in western Pennsylvania, killing almost 3,000 people…

“Trump has repeatedly promised to get the U.S. out of its ‘endless wars’ in the Middle East, and the withdrawal of troops could provide a boost as he seeks re-election in a nation weary of involvement in distant conflicts…

“The prospects for Afghanistan’s future are uncertain. The agreement sets the stage for peace talks involving Afghan factions, which are likely to be complicated. Under the agreement, 5,000 Taliban are to be released from Afghan-run jails, but it’s not known if the Afghan government will do that. There are also questions about whether Taliban fighters loyal to various warlords will be willing to disarm…”

To think for one moment that one can make a successful peace treaty with terrorists is absolutely illusionary and ludicrous. We don’t think that even the Trump administration seriously believes in its success either. The main reason for this treaty is a justification to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan, with a view to the elections in 2020, but as a consequence, Afghanistan will continue to experience further and even more violence and chaos.

“Bibi Is Back”—Netanyahu’s Strong Win

“The Jerusalem Post wrote on March 2:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu succeeded in winning [58] seats for his bloc of right-wing and religious parties in Monday’s election…

“Netanyahu spoke to the heads of the parties in his camp immediately after the exit polls were announced and agreed to form a strong nationalist government as soon as possible.”

However, lacking the needed majority of 61 seats, Netanyahu is forced to enter into difficult coalition talks with other parties.

Times of Israel wrote on March 5:

“… the Central Elections Committee on Thursday confirmed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party as the largest after Monday’s general election, with final results giving it 36 seats to rival Blue and White’s 33. The full results… confirmed, however, that the right-wing bloc of parties supporting Netanyahu had won 58 seats, three short of a majority needed to form a coalition.“

Reuters added:

 “That could spell further deadlock and another snap election to follow Monday’s vote, which was Israel’s third in a year.”

Jordan-Israel Peace Treaty at Risk

JNS wrote on March 4:

“Relations between Jordan and Israel are at their lowest ebb since the signing of the 1994 peace treaty between the two countries, and the treaty itself is now ‘at risk,’ Jordanian Prime Minister Omar Razzaz said on Monday…

“According to Razzaz, Jordan is angry about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pledge to extend Israeli sovereignty to the Jordan Valley and parts of Judea and Samaria as set forth in the US ‘Prosperity to Peace’ plan, and about Israeli ‘violations of the sanctity of Muslim and Christian endowments in Jerusalem.’

“In January, Jordan’s King Abdullah told France 24 News that Israel’s relationship with his country ‘has been on pause for the past two years’…”

Third Temple Could Have Been Built already in 1967

Breaking Israel News wrote on March 3:

“Rabbi David Katz, the author of ‘Laws of Ger Toshav,’ notes… ‘The Temple could have been built in 1967. The objective reality was that there were IDF soldiers on the Temple Mount.

“The Third Temple could have been built but the rabbis decided not to. In 1967 we had everything we need to move forward for everything, the Third Temple, the Kingdom of David, and we still do.’”

And this time, it will be built very soon.

Putin: Marriage between a Man and a Woman

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 3:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday submitted a proposal to establish a ban on same-sex marriage in the country’s constitution. The draft amendment enshrines the mention of Russians’ ‘faith in God’ and states that marriage is between ‘a man and a woman’… The Russian president has long aligned himself with the Russian Orthodox Church and actively promoted distancing his country from liberal Western values. Last month, he said Russia would not legalize same-sex marriage as long as he remains president.

“Putin has said he is not prejudiced against gay people, but has asserted that homosexuality and gender fluidity are out of step with traditional Russian values. A federal law signed by Putin in 2013 already considers the ‘public promotion of homosexuality’ as a crime. Currently, only heterosexual couples can adopt children. Prior to that, homosexuality in Russia was officially criminalized until 1993 and considered a mental illness until 1999.”

Insofar as his definition of marriage is concerned, Putin is right. Note, by contrast, the following article.

Outlawing Conversion Therapies in the USA

ABC News wrote on March 4:

“Virginia became the 20th state in the country to outlaw conversion therapy for LGBTQ minors… ‘Conversion therapy sends the harmful message that there is something wrong with who you are,’ [Governor] Northam said…  The other states that have banned conversion therapy for minors are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont and Washington.

“The Virginia bill outlaws any health care provider in any profession licensed by a regulatory board of the Department of Health from engaging in conversion therapy… Del. Patrick Hope, who sponsored the bill, called the practice dangerous and destructive. ‘We should be supporting and celebrating our LGTBQ youth, not putting them in harm’s way,’ he said.”

God in His Word condemns the practice of homosexuality. But in this evil world ruled by Satan, God’s Word means nothing to most people.

Germany’s Mandatory Measles Vaccinations

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 2:

“A law requiring mandatory measles vaccinations  came into force on Sunday in Germany. The law, which was passed last year, stipulates that kindergartens and schools can only accept new children if they have been vaccinated. Under the new law, kids must be ‘verifiably’ inoculated against measles. If the child’s immunization is not documented, schools will be required to notify the local public health office.

“For children already enrolled in schools, proof of vaccination will have to be presented by July 2021, while parents who refuse to vaccinate their children will face fines of up to €2,500 ($2,760).”

These kinds of governmental mandatory measures are just the beginning and do have a bearing on the biblical warning that an authoritarian power bloc will arise in Europe, led by Germany, dictating to the people how to live, how and when to buy and sell, and how and when to work and to cease from working.

The Popes and Fascism

The Guardian wrote on March 1:

“New light will be shed on one of the most controversial periods of Vatican history on Monday when the archives on Pope Pius XII— accused by critics of being a Nazi sympathizer—are unsealed. A year after Pope Francis announced the move, saying ‘the church isn’t afraid of history’, the documents from Pius XII’s papacy, which began in 1939 on the brink of the second world war and ended in 1958, will be opened, initially to a small number of scholars.

“Critics of Pius XII have accused him of remaining silent during the Holocaust, never publicly condemning the persecution and genocide of Jews and others. His defenders say that he quietly encouraged convents and other Catholic institutions to hide thousands of Jews, and that public criticism of the Nazis would have risked the lives of priests and nuns…

“David Kertzer, an American expert on the relationship between the Catholic church and fascism… said there were ‘signs of nervousness’ at the Vatican about what would emerge from the archives… ‘On the big question, it’s clear: Pius XII never publicly criticised the Nazis for the mass murder they were committing of the Jews of Europe – and he knew from the very beginning that mass murder was taking place. Various clerics and others were pressing him to speak out, and he declined to do so. Although there is a lot of testimony showing that the church did protect Jews in Rome, when more than 1,000 were rounded up on 16 October 1943 and held for two days adjacent to the Vatican [before deportation to the death camps], Pius decided not to publicly protest or even privately send a plea to Hitler not to send them to their deaths in Auschwitz…’

“Pius – whose birth name was Eugenio Pacelli – was Vatican secretary of state under his predecessor, Pope Pius XI, and a former papal nuncio, or envoy, to Germany. In 1933, he negotiated a concordat between the Catholic church and Germany. After he was elected pope, six months before the outbreak of war, the Vatican maintained diplomatic relations with the Third Reich, and the new pontiff declined to condemn the Nazi invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939.

“In December 1942, Pius XII spoke out in general terms about the suffering of the Jews, although he had known for several months about the Nazi extermination plans. In 1943, he wrote to the bishop of Berlin, arguing that the church could not publicly condemn the Holocaust for fear of causing ‘greater evils’.”

An interesting work by the above-quoted author, David I. Kertzer, titled, “The Pope and Mussolini” (copyright 2014), shows the inner workings of the Vatican and the close cooperation and sometimes infighting between the Catholic Church under both popes (Pius XI and Pius XII) and Mussolini and Hitler. The Hitler-Mussolini era constituted, in collaboration with the Roman Catholic Church, the sixth revival of the “Holy Roman Empire”–the “woman riding the beast.”

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.

(Español: ¿Deberíamos tener miedo al futuro?)

In the previous Q&A, we discussed one of the greatest fears which we could have—the fear of man—the fearful concern what man may think about us or do to us. But there are of course many other fears which we might encounter, and the Bible refers to some of them in numerous places.

No matter what situation we might find ourselves in, and what circumstance might tempt us to become afraid, God shows us the way out. This Q&A will begin to address the way of escape from fear.

When they were facing or finding themselves in an extremely difficult situation, God’s servants have turned to God for help, peace, security and salvation.

While in distress, David prayed in Psalm 4:3:

“But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him.”

This is a vital key when we are in the midst of uncertainty—the conviction and persuasion that God hears us when we call on Him. This fact is beautifully reconfirmed in Psalm 107:23-32, coupled with the responsibility of those who have prayed to God and then been helped by Him to thank Him for His intervention:

“Those who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters, They see the works of the LORD, And His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises the stormy wind, Which lifts up the waves of the sea. They mount up to the heavens, They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits’ end. Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven. Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!”

We find the same teaching and admonition in Psalm 118:1, 5-6, 8-9:

“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever…  I called on the LORD in distress; The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?… It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in princes.”

Our ultimate help can only come from God. With that conviction, we need not fear men, nor place our confidence in man as if our help were to come from them, and not from God. But knowing this, we are to thank God for and not forget His intervention.

Solomon made even this remarkable statement in Proverbs 10:3:

“The LORD will not allow the righteous soul to famish…”

This presupposes and necessitates much confidence in God’s presence. And so, God’s servants knew—and had to remind themselves continuously and constantly—that they were not alone and that God knew their anxieties and fears and that He would stand by them and protect them and help them.

David states in Psalm 27:1-3, 13-14:

“…The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war should rise against me, In this I will be confident… I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!”

Here is another key in our fight against anxiety and fear: Waiting on God’s help and intervention while being convinced that He WILL help. Oftentimes, we want God’s action right there and then, but great strength and faith might develop in patience.

Knowing this, David advises us in Psalm 32:6-7:

“For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters They shall not come near him. You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble…”

Again, he writes in Psalm 23:4:

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

He was still walking through the valley of the shadow of death. God did not spare him from that. But He spared him from fear and despair, because David knew that God was with him.

The sons of Korah who due to their faithfulness did not have to suffer their father’s fate of extinction because of his rebellion, stated this in Psalm 46:1-3,7:

“… God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah… The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”

It is important that we remind ourselves in times of anxiety, fear and despair that the great and mighty God is with us.  It is so easy, while being in the heat of fire, to forget this all-important fact.

In Psalm 49:5, 15, the sons of Korah wrote this:

“Why should I fear in the days of evil, When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?… God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me. Selah.”

When God has the power to resurrect us from the dead, then He has most certainly the power to help us in difficult situations in this life. In times of trials, we might forget easily how powerful He is, but it is important to always remember that so that fear of the future does not consume us.

David wrote in Psalm 31:19-24:

“Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those who fear You, Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men! You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence From the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion From the strife of tongues… You heard the voice of my supplications When I cried out to You… Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD.”

David made it a point to conscientiously remind himself of God’s great and ongoing involvement in his life, so that he could be of good courage and conquer all fear. He wrote in Psalm 56:3-4, 8:

“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You… In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?… You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?”

David also said in Psalm 31:15: “My times are in Your hand.” He knew that nothing could happen to him unless God were to allow it—including his “good” times and “bad” times, as well as the time of his life and the time of his death—and that God would only allow or do in his life what would be best for him. Paul would later say that all things work together for good to those who love God and do His commandments. We read in Psalm 112 that the righteous who “delights greatly in His commandments” (verse 1) “will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established; He will not be afraid” (verses 7-8).

This same thought is expressed in Proverbs 3:25-26 for those who keep His law and apply His wisdom and understanding:

“Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; For the LORD will be your confidence, And will keep your foot from being caught.”

This sentiment is echoed in Jeremiah 17:7-8, as follows:

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

While in distress and when facing persecution from evil men, we must not cease from yielding fruit; we must not cease from living a righteous life.

Isaiah 8:12-13 tells us not to be afraid of the threats of men, but rather to have fear and respect for God. In Isaiah 35:4, God adds this thought:

“Say to those who are fearful-hearted, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.’”

This is the confidence we must always have: That God is on His throne; that He knows what is happening in our lives; that He sees the injustice and persecution which evil and wicked people are trying to inflict on us; and that He, in His due time, WILL intervene to save us and to deal powerfully with our enemies. And that in the meantime, He will not allow that anything happens to us which would be too difficult for us to bear.

God reinforces this marvelous truth throughout the pages of the Bible, which reads like this: We don’t need to fear because God is with us. God will give us His protection, security, help and safety.

Isaiah 41:10-14 quotes God’s words to us as follows:

“‘Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Behold, all those who were incensed against you Shall be ashamed and disgraced; They shall be as nothing, And those who strive with you shall perish. You shall seek them and not find them—Those who contended with you. Those who war against you Shall be as nothing, As a nonexistent thing. For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, “Fear not, I will help you.” Fear not, you worm Jacob, You men of Israel! I will help you,’ says the LORD And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.”

The same promise is reiterated to us in Isaiah 43:2, 5, 15-16:

“‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you… Fear not, for I am with you… I am the LORD, your Holy One, The Creator of Israel, your King.’ Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea And a path through the mighty waters…”

God is with us. He is our mighty King—the RULER over the entire universe. Even if He allows us to go through fire which could burn us and water which could drown us, He is with us and will not allow that they harm or kill us before the God-decreed time of our death. And He might create the way of escape in a surprising and totally unexpected fashion—by showing us a path in and through the roaring sea and the mighty overflowing waters. To allow in our minds the possibility of such powerful godly intervention requires much faith on our part—which we will discuss in the next installment.

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

A Tech Team meeting was held on Sunday, March 1, 2020, via SKYPE. Hosted by Eric Rank, progress on new website themes was discussed along with making improvements on our live broadcasts.

“The Collaboration of two Popes with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Will the world learn more now about the most debatable periods of the Vatican’s recent history, the controversial conduct of Pope Pius XI and Pope Pius XII prior to and during World War II, and the collaboration of the Roman Catholic Church with Hitler’s Nazi Germany and Mussolini’s fascist Italy? Could such massive collaboration happen again in our time?

“Gottes Sendschreiben an Seine Kirche (Teil 1),” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “God’s Letters to His Church (Part 1).”

“Dein Wille geschehe!”, the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Johann Schell, is now posted. Title in English: “Your Will Be Done.”

“Chaos and Order,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Chaos is all around us. As the times get darker and we are getting closer to Christ’s return, the amount of chaos in our lives and in the world is increasing. How can we remain calm and centered and make order from the chaos? God commands us to create order, but how do we accomplish that?

“The Falling Away Has Begun!”, the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The Bible prophesies that a large group of people will fall away from the Truth just prior to Christ’s Return. We are also told that individuals have been falling away from the Truth at all times. What are the reasons for falling away from God? And how are we to act when we are confronted with lying and grievous wolves who are trying to deceive us and encourage us to leave the Church of God?

• Initial information about our 2020 Feast sites (US and Germany) is posted on our website along with contact information.
• The 2020 Church Conference will be conducted in Escondido, California. Arrival will be Wednesday, March 25, 2020, and departure is scheduled for Monday, March 30, 2020.

On February 29, 2020, Kalon Mitchell will present the sermonette, titled, “Chaos and Order,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “The Falling Away Has Begun!”

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.

There are a number of passages in the Bible that show us that there are many things that we do not understand in this age. The title of this editorial is from 1 Corinthians 13:12, first part. In fact, the same verse goes on to explain that “…Now I know in part…” The apostle Paul was saying here that in his human life, there were things that he could not see clearly but darkly, or as an enigma as the Greek can be translated. The mirrors in those days were usually polished metal and not fully effective, and he used the image in a poor mirror as an analogy of his understanding.

When we study God’s Word, there are many things we read but as humans cannot fully understand. We read them and know them to be true but with human reasoning we cannot understand how or why. An example of this is in 1 Corinthians 15:35: “But someone will say, ‘How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?’” Paul goes on to answer this question by beginning with an analogy comparing physical with spiritual things.

Just recently, in a question and answer series, the question was answered, “How can God listen to billions of prayers at the same time?” As a human being, we can usually only concentrate on one conversation at a time, which is why the question would be asked. But with God, whose understanding is infinite (Psalm 147:5), He could listen to all the prayers of faithful and sincere people at the same time. As was mentioned in the Q&A, in this present age, the number would certainly be a very small fraction of billions, but it would be well within God’s ability to listen to billions.

One might ask, “How could God know, before He created the world, who would be alive in Ephesus in the first century so He could choose His firstfruits from them?” (compare Ephesians 1:4). As a human, our experience and therefore first-hand knowledge extends from some time after birth to death. But with God, who created time, He knew before the world was created whom He would call to become one of His firstfruits prior to Christ’s Second Coming.

Through Moses, God explains to us in Deuteronomy 29:29: “The secret things belong to the LORD our God.” Then He informs and encourages us, “But those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” So even though there are some things we may not understand because they are not revealed yet, there are many things that God has revealed to us for our benefit. And God has given us this revelation in the form of His Bible. It reveals all we need to know about God and His Plan.

Much is revealed to us in it including that God has a desire for everybody to be ultimately saved as we read in 1 Timothy 2:3-4: “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” He does not exclude anyone for any reason from His desire but when they are called, they must of course respond to Him.

This is also stated in John 3:17: “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” This not only includes His firstfruits but provides the possibility for everyone to be saved in his or her due time. God’s Plan is all inclusive.

However, through His Word, God gives His firstfruits knowledge of rewards for us. Romans 8:29-30, 32 states: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified… He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things.”

God also promises that He will not give up on us if we do not give up on Him. Philippians 1:6 says: “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” God can be totally relied upon to carry out His part of His agreement with all those He calls now.

Again, God addresses us in 1 John 4:9-10, 14. He reveals to us that His Son is not only our Saviour, but the Saviour of the world: “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Saviour of the world.” Again, it is revealed to us that Jesus is the Saviour of both us and, later, the world.

And He reveals to us knowledge of the great rewards ahead through king David. Psalm 16:11 reads: “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Many things are revealed in the pages of the Bible but some things will not be revealed until our resurrection or change.

If we knew and understood all things, there would not be any reason for faith and hope. Both faith and hope can only be present if we do not see everything clearly but rely on God’s promises, and His promises are awesome. But in this life God requires us to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Both faith and hope are mentioned in Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hope is also mentioned in Romans 8:24-25: “For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”

Considering the end result of this process of believing what we cannot see, we can read in the rest of 1 Corinthians 13:12: “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I am also known.” God knows us fully now but then we shall know all things fully.

The question in 1 Corinthians 15:35, pertaining to the first resurrection, that Paul answered at first with an analogy, before explaining it fully, is also answered in full in 1 John 3:2: “Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” That is, a glorious Spirit being as John saw in a vision in Revelation 1:13-16.

So the conclusion to the subject is that if we live in faith and hope, not understanding all things now but believing what God has revealed and His promises, this will be the ultimate result, as stated in Revelation 21:7: “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”

by Norbert Link

We begin with interesting developments pertaining to the biblically prophesied building of the third temple on the Temple Mount prior to Christ’s return; a revealing article about the consumption of unclean meat and meat from a live animal; and the speedy global spread of the coronavirus and its consequences for the lives of all of us, including the world economy and travel limitations. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “The Third Temple and the Coronavirus.”   

We report on the alleged find of the tomb of Romulus, the perceived co-founder of Rome, and address the virtually unknown history of the city; ongoing compromises of the Catholic Church which are reminiscent of the church’s treaties with Mussolini and Hitler; and, based on his repeated announcements, the fear that Trump might refuse to vacate his office after completion of his second term. We also emphasize again why we are convinced that, according to biblical prophecy, Trump will be reelected in 2020.  

We publish articles on the irreconcilable differences between the USA and Europe (especially Germany); the latest on the Brexit negotiations; and we report on the Trump Administration’s policies on immigration and a decision by the US Supreme Court, evidencing once more WHY God is so angry with our nation.

We speak on the death of former president of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak; Germany’s uncertain political future; the decision of the highest German court to allow assisted suicide; and the death of a “daredevil” in his futile attempt to “prove” that the earth was “flat.”

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

The Temple Tax—Preparing for the Third Temple

Breaking Israel News wrote on February 21:

“In preparation for the upcoming holiday of Purim, Jews around the world will be reading the section of the Torah that describes the giving of the sanctified half-shekel silver coin to the Tabernacle… From the time of the Tabernacle until well after the Temple was destroyed, every Jewish man was required to give one half-shekel weight of silver, approximately eight grams of silver (worth about $4 today), as a mandatory tax to support the Temple… Each man was obligated to give the same amount, regardless of his economic condition, with collection beginning on the first day of the month of Adar…

“Rabbi Hillel Weiss, spokesman for the Sanhedrin, explained… ‘As the preparations for the Temple move forward, the need for that tax is reemerging. Without the half-shekel right now, there can be no Third Temple.’

“It is towards that end that the Sanhedrin minted a coin specifically for the current era. Mordechai Persoff who established the Mikdash Educational Center, a non-profit organization for education about the Temple, is marketing the coin… ‘[We are minting a series of coins to reflect a prophetic process that is unfolding right now,’ Persoff said. ‘Just as Cyrus paved the way that enabled the Jews to build the Second Temple, President Trump began a similar process’…

“Rabbi Weiss noted that the first coin issued by the Sanhedrin featuring Donald Trump and an image of King Cryus was wildly popular. ‘Unfortunately, that popularity came at a price,’ Rabbi Weiss said. ‘Other sources began minting and selling counterfeit versions of the coin… ‘Most of the counterfeiters were from China and Asia where the copyright laws are not as stringently enforced,’ Rabbi Weiss said. ‘It is no wonder that the coronavirus plague originated in a region that stole from the holy half-shekel.’

“Proceeds from the sale of the coin will be used in reenactments of Temple services as well as in other educational and practical endeavors that help prepare for the Third Temple. Should the need arise, the proceeds will be used for the actual building of the Temple.”

On one side of the new coin, it pictures Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu with the American and Israeli flags, including the words in English and Hebrew, “War of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness,” and on the coin’s reverse side, it pictures King Cyrus, the second Temple, a lion with a sword and under it the words “Persian Empire,” and the words, “The Temple Coin” in Persian, Hebrew and English, together with the words “Half Shekel 2020”; and “Cyrus is My Anointed King Isaiah 45” in English and Hebrew.

Final Destination—the Third Temple

Haaretz wrote on February 22:

“Once annexation is achieved, the messianic prize awaits: the gradual takeover of the Temple Mount, in stages. First by allowing Jewish prayer on the Mount and ultimately by establishing a holy temple and renewing ritual sacrificial slaughter.. the final destination of this train is the Temple Mount…

“From the Temple Mount blows a fascist wind unique to Jewish nationalism, and it will not be calmed until the injustice of Al-Aqsa is obliterated and a holy temple is rebuilt…”

While Haaretz is against all of this, their statements are nevertheless revealing.

Eating Unclean or Living Animals!

Breaking Israel News wrote on February 19:

“Many of the early headlines in the international press link the appearance of the virus to the sale, in food markets in China, of many kinds of non-kosher animals, including live foxes, crocodiles, wolf pups, salamanders, snakes, rats, peacocks, porcupines and live koalas… Eating part of a living creature is one of the most severe sins from the Torah, even for non-Jews…

“In Jewish thought, the prohibition against eating from a live animal teaches a deeper lesson. If we tear a limb from a live animal to eat, not only is it cruel, but it also reflects another base character trait. Someone who grabs what they want and eats immediately is focused only on their animal desires. They lack the willpower and refinement to properly prepare their meal before indulging in it.”

Even the very thought of eating such unclean animals like the ones described above or eating parts of a living animal (clean or unclean) is absolutely revolting, disgusting and appalling.

Coronavirus a Serious Problem

Deutsche Welle reported on February 23 [the numbers in the article have been changed as to reflect the status on Wednesday evening]:

“Several Italian towns have taken urgent measures to stop the virus from spreading following the deaths of [by now at least 11] people and more than [320] infections.

“Venice has called off its Carnival celebrations due to the outbreak… The spike in cases also prompted regional authorities to order the closure of schools, businesses and restaurants in Veneto and Lombardy, as well as the cancelation of religious services until further notice…

“Iran has reported [at least 139 infections and 19] deaths, and now Turkey and Pakistan have responded by closing their borders with the Islamic Republic. Afghanistan has suspended air and ground travel to Iran.”

Newsmax added on February 23:

“Concern about the reach and rapid spread of the coronavirus also grew in Europe and the Middle East… Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and Turkey imposed travel and immigration restrictions on Iran, while Oman on Sunday urged its citizens to steer clear of countries with high infection rates and said arrivals from those nations would be quarantined.”

The Guardian wrote on February 23:

“The world is fast approaching a ‘tipping point’ in the spread of the coronavirus, according to experts who warn that the disease is outpacing efforts to contain it… experts say the situation will soon reach a critical threshold.”

The Drudge Report linked an article of the Associated Press on February 25 with the headline, “World on Lockdown.” Bild wrote: “Mailand (Italy) is becoming a ghost town.” ARD stated that the German Bundespost (German mail) has suspended deliveries to affected areas in Italy.

In the meantime, more cases in Austria, Croatia, Spain and Switzerland have been reported as well, while three infected tourists from Germany, Italy and Britain were detected in the Canary Islands and in Mallorca. As of Wednesday, there are 19 cases in Germany, 13 cases in Great Britain and 12 cases in France, amongst others. [It was reported on Wednesday that one person died of the virus in France.]  China has reported more than 80,000 infections, but the actual figure might be much higher.

The death toll in China as of February 26 was over 2,700. Some experts have stated that it is already too late to avoid a pandemic, and that the pandemic is already here. The WHO seems to want to downplay the matter, stating that the virus has “pandemic” potential, but is not here yet. The WHO seems to be terribly wrong. And the USA might not be spared. See the next articles.

Here are some further updates as of Thursday evening:

Deutsche Welle reported on February 27:

“Italian cases surge… [Italy’s number now stands at 650, and 17 people have died from the respiratory virus.] EU countries said borders will remain open. Germany’s health minister said the country is facing a ‘coronavirus epidemic.‘”

 The Associated Press wrote on February 27:

“The testing in western Germany came after a 47-year-old man with the virus was hospitalized in serious condition in Duesseldorf. The man’s wife, who works in a kindergarten, was also confirmed to have contracted the virus. A soldier in the German air force who had contact with the hospitalized man also has tested positive… [He is the] acting head of the German military hospital in Koblenz.”

Bild Online reported that in Germany, the confirmed cases of people who are infected with the virus have tripled within the last 24 hours, and that over 1,000 people are in quarantine.

The Week wrote on February 27:

 “More than [8,400 people] are being monitored for the coronavirus in California, and 33 people have tested positive… The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that a person who tested positive for the coronavirus in California might be the first U.S. case of community spread, as they hadn’t recently traveled out of the country or come into contact with anyone who had the virus.”

USA in Danger

Breitbart wrote on February 25:

“As of Tuesday, 57 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the U.S., which includes the 40 American citizens repatriated from the virus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan.”

The Washington Post wrote on February 25:

“Health officials in the United States warned Tuesday that the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country appears inevitable… as global travel disruptions continued to worsen…”

The Sun added on February 25 an article with the following headline:

“Killer Virus Chaos. Americans warned ‘bad’ coronavirus outbreak [a] case of ‘when not if’ as San Francisco declares emergency.”

The article continued:

“The move comes as officials predict hospital overcrowding and less cops on the streets… [The official] cited widespread school closures, a decrease in cops, overloaded hospitals, and deaths as possible outcomes of the outbreak…

“Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex M. Azar II… said the US will need as many as 300 million masks for health care workers, as well as more ventilators for hospitals to prepare for the deadly disease – but the country only stockpiled 30 million N95 surgical masks.”

Our whole health-care system, fragile as it is anyway, can break down in a heartbeat when confronted with a pandemic for which no one is prepared and no vaccines exist.

How the Virus Spreads

MSN wrote on February 24:

“Italy’s experience… shows how the virus can slip onto a new continent undetected, only to then erupt as a sudden crisis, while bringing with it the interruptions and fears that once seemed far away.  Four days ago, Italy had only three confirmed cases of the virus. Now, it has the largest known outbreak outside Asia, pushing the world closer to a pandemic, in which epidemics spread across multiple countries and continents at the same time…

“Some infectious-disease experts have speculated that the virus was already in Italy for weeks, carried by one or more people with negligible symptoms, before it was detected… ‘Half of Italy in quarantine,’ a headline in one of the country’s major newspapers, La Repubblica, said Monday.”

Despite so-called “precautions,” the global spread of the coronavirus is unstoppable. This will have terrible consequences for air travel, and could also adversely affect members and ministers of the Church of God for the upcoming Passover season.

At the Brink of Recession?

CNN wrote on February 23:

“Markets closed out last week on an anxious note. It’s not difficult to see why: the coronavirus continues to spread, and there are signs that some of the world’s top economies could slide into recession as the outbreak compounds pre-existing weaknesses.

“Take Japan: The world’s third-largest economy shrank 1.6% in the fourth quarter of 2019 as the country absorbed the effects of a sales tax hike and a powerful typhoon. It was [the] biggest contraction compared to the previous quarter since 2014.

“Then there’s Germany. The biggest economy in Europe ground to a halt right before the coronavirus outbreak set in, dragged down by the country’s struggling factories…

“Hong Kong is in recession and Singapore could soon suffer a similar fate. Fourth quarter GDP data from Indonesia hit a three-year low, while Malaysia had its worst reading in a decade… Meanwhile, engines of growth like China and India slowed in 2019…

“All of this brings to the fore concerns about the global economy’s ability to withstand a shock from the coronavirus. [It] is poised to make matters worse…

“Even the United States may not be in as strong a position as previously thought… [The] US services sector contracted in February, with the reading hitting a 76-month low. It’s the first time the sector has contracted in four years.”

The Dow Jones dropped by more than 1,000 points on Monday morning, because of fear of the spread of the virus. This was its worst day in two years. On Tuesday, February 25, the Dow dropped a little bit under another 900 points. The 10-year Treasury yield fell to a record low as coronavirus fears of a global pandemic will slow the world economy.

The Week reported on February 27: 

“The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed Thursday down almost 1,200 points [the worst point drop in US history, according to CNN], or over 4.4 percent, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite were each off 4.4 percent and 4.6 percent, respectively. President Trump has sought to reassure investors that the coronavirus outbreak, which has affected countries around the world, is only a small worry for the stock market… The Dow has lost more than 3,000 points this week.”

All of this shows how quickly our entire somewhat artificial economic system can collapse because of widespread fears and uncertainties.

Tomb of Romulus Found?

AFP wrote on February 21:

“An ancient tomb thought to belong to Rome’s founder Romulus was presented to the world on Friday… The 6th century BC stone sarcophagus, with an accompanying circular altar, was discovered under the Forum in the heart of Italy’s capital over a century ago — but experts could not agree on whether or not it belonged to the fabled figure.

“According to legend, Romulus founded the city after killing his twin brother Remus. The brothers had been raised by a she-wolf — the symbol of Rome shows them sucking at her teats — but later fell out over where to build the new metropolis. Historians have long been divided not only over whether the pair actually existed, but if so where Romulus’ body — which was reportedly dismembered after his death by angry senators — may have been buried.

“… archaeologists called for caution, saying it was impossible to scientifically confirm — and no bones were found inside the sarcophagus… Legend has it he went on to establish the Roman senate and rule as the city’s first king for nearly 40 years… Romulus acquired a cult following, making it more than plausible that the ancient city built a shrine to its beloved — and possibly mythical — founder.”

Regarding the history of ancient Rome, Herman L. Hoeh wrote the following in the Good News magazine in April of 1958:

“Nimrod was the first who totally turned aside after the flood… Later, Nimrod was killed, so they introduced the custom of mourning 40 days in his honor… The ancient Romans celebrated Nimrod’s birthday on December 25…

“After years of oppressing the people for his selfish interests, Shem (according to ancient records) forced Nimrod to flee… to [what became known as] ROME! The ancient name of Rome was ‘Saturnia’… It means the dwelling place of ‘Saturn.’ And the inhabitants of ancient Italy called Nimrod ‘Saturn,’ meaning ‘the hiding one’ — because he ‘lay hid’ from his pursuers… A pagan shrine was later set up on Vatican hill to commemorate this event…

“And the birthday of Nimrod — December 25 — was called the Saturnalia by the Romans. Saturnia fell into decay. A new city, Rome, was later built on the same site — named after Romulus, according to Latin writers.”

The Catholic Church and the Vatican… Compromise upon Compromise

Breaking Israel News wrote on February 21:

“A meeting between the Chinese Foreign Minister and his Vatican counterpart last week resulted in a ‘secret agreement’ that will bring the Chinese government into the process of appointing Catholic Bishops… the agreement… was initiated and approved by Pope Francis… The agreement allows for the Chinese government to pre-approve the Vatican’s appointment of Chinese Bishops… ‘With a view to sustaining the proclamation of the Gospel in China, the Holy Father Pope Francis has decided to readmit to full ecclesial communion the remaining ‘official’ Bishops, ordained without Pontifical Mandate,’ [the Vatican announced]… in return, Beijing would recognize some, though not all, of the bishops previously appointed by the Vatican…

“Retired Hong Kong cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun has long been a critic of Pope Francis’ relations with the Chinese government… Zen issued a statement criticizing the deal, accusing the Vatican of ‘selling out’ mainland Chinese Catholics in order to normalize ties with Communist China. ‘With a totalitarian regime, there’s no possibility of any talk or bargaining…,’ [Zen said].”

This reminds us of the compromise of the Catholic Church when entering into covenants (“concordats”) with Hitler and Mussolini. And as the Church lost in the aftermaths of the bargain, so they will lose again with trying to make a bargain with China.

Trump in Office Beyond 2024?

Inqusitr wrote on February 21:

“At a rally in Las Vegas on Friday, Trump for at least the 28th time said that he planned to remain in office beyond the end of his term… Trump twice alluded to what appears to be his desire to remain in the White House… beyond 2024 — the last full year of his second term…

“In what seemed to be an off-the-cuff monologue in which he congratulated himself for his role in bringing the 2028 Olympic Games to Los Angeles, California… Trump said that there was a ‘distinct possibility’ that he would still be in office by the time of those Olympics.”

We have been saying that Trump will be reelected in 2020 and that he will be the last President of the USA. But this does not have to mean that he could only stay in office until the end of 2024. Note the next article.

The Atlantic wrote on February 22:

“If he is reelected, then, barring other circumstances…, his administration will terminate… in 2025… Trump would cease to be president immediately upon the expiration of his term. But what if he won’t leave the White House?

“The American Constitution spells out how the transfer of power is supposed to work. Article II provides that the president ‘shall hold his office for the term of four years.’ The 20th Amendment says that the president’s and vice president’s terms ‘shall end at noon on the 20th day of January … and the terms of their successors shall then begin.’ Of course, a president may be reelected to a second four-year term, but under the 22nd Amendment, ‘no person shall be elected to the office of president more than twice.’

“… the former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee tweeted, President Trump ‘will be eligible for a 3rd term due to the illegal attempts by Comey, Dems, and media , et al attempting to oust him as [President] so that’s why I was named to head up the 2024 re-election.’… Huckabee is not the first person to suggest that Trump might not leave when his presidency ends.

“In May, the faith leader Jerry Falwell Jr. tweeted an apparent reference to the completed investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller into Russian election interference. ‘I now support reparations,’ he wrote. ‘Trump should have 2 yrs added to his 1st term as pay back for time stolen by this corrupt failed coup.’ Trump retweeted Falwell’s post.

“One of Trump’s former confidants, Michael Cohen, has suggested that Trump won’t leave. In his congressional testimony before heading to prison, Trump’s former attorney said, “Given my experience working for Mr. Trump, I fear that if he loses the election in 2020, there will never be a peaceful transition of power.”

“Trump himself has joked about staying in office beyond his term, and even for life. In December, Trump told a crowd at a Pennsylvania rally that he will leave office in ‘five years, nine years, 13 years, 17 years, 21 years, 25 years, 29 years …’ He added that he was joking to drive the media ‘totally crazy.’ Just a few days earlier, Trump had alluded to his critics in a speech, ‘A lot of them say, “You know he’s not leaving”… So now we have to start thinking about that because it’s not a bad idea.’ This is how propaganda works. Say something outrageous often enough and soon it no longer sounds shocking.

“Refusal to leave office is rare, but not unheard of. In the past decade, presidents in democracies such as Moldova, Sri Lanka, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Gambia have refused to leave office, sometimes leading to bloodshed. In 2016, Joseph Kabila decided not to step down after three five-year terms as the president of Congo, announcing that he would delay the election for two years so that a census could be conducted. His decision was met with mass protests in which 50 people were killed by government security forces. Still, he followed through and an election took place in 2018. He left office thereafter.

“Elected officials in the U.S. have also refused to step down, albeit from lower offices than the presidency… The closest thing to a refusal to leave office that the U.S. presidency has experienced was Franklin D. Roosevelt’s break with tradition by seeking a third term. Roosevelt rejected the norm set by George Washington, and followed by successive presidents, to step down after two terms. FDR was elected to a third and even a fourth term, but concern about a permanent executive led to the ratification of the 22nd Amendment in 1951, limiting presidents to two terms…”

“… if Trump should fail in his final duty as president to transfer power peacefully, the nation’s laws, norms, and institutions will be responsible for carrying out the will of the electorate. Should those fail too, then the American experiment’s greatest achievement will come to a grinding halt…”

Of course, the Constitution can always be amended. In a time of war, when a president in power is perceived as strong, while his “successor” would be looked upon as weak and timid, everything could be possible.

Democratic Primary Race a Mess

The Huffington Post wrote on February 26:

“Most of the Democratic field stepped into the debate hall here Tuesday night needing a clear win to upend a messy 2020 presidential primary race. None of them got it.

“In less than a week, South Carolina voters will cast their ballots in the fourth election day of the 2020 presidential cycle — the first race in which African American voters will make up the majority of the electorate. And in exactly a week, 14 states, American Samoa and Democrats abroad will follow suit on Super Tuesday, by the end of which 40% of the American population will have voted.

“But no candidate stepped up to claim a victory, and instead the five men and two women on the debate stage engaged in a shambolic mess of a debate that seems unlikely to have a significant effect on the state of the race, which currently favors Sen. Bernie Sanders. The other candidates chasing him…  didn’t deliver the type of major moment necessary to vault themselves past Sanders in polling. 

“Sanders was the debate’s center of gravity, but the candidates also took plenty of time to jab at candidates who weren’t leading the race ― a telling sign of just how divided the field remains and a look at how Sanders can continue to exploit that division to rack up delegates without becoming a clear front-runner.”

During this chaotic debate, some of the candidates shouted that Sanders and others could not beat President Trump. We agree. None of the candidates will beat Trump. It is a given and pre-ordained that Trump will be reelected. One reason is that he will be used to help in building the prophesied Third Temple. Another reason is to bring this country down, perhaps to the point of civil war, and to totally destroy America’s formerly somewhat friendly relationship with its European allies, which will lead to World War III and the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Note the next article.

USA and Europe … Worlds Apart

CNN wrote on February 17:

“What will a second Donald Trump presidential term look like…? That was the thought in many delegates’ minds as they gathered over the weekend in the southern German city of Munich for a security conference…

“Attacking Trump has become something of a hobby at this annual Bavarian gathering. It is symptomatic of how many in Europe feel that America, and Trump in particular, is withdrawing from the post-World War II world order… Germany in particular has drawn Trump’s ire…

“But for anyone thinking a Democrat may be different… America’s isolation is not a Trumpian thing… it had begun under Obama, the last President’s policies in the Middle East being an example of that… Europe may find America has grown out of love with its Western roots and moved on…”

Controversial US Ambassador to Germany new US Intelligence Chief

The Local wrote on February 21:

“US President Donald Trump’s administration insisted Thursday that new US intelligence chief and Germany ambassador Richard Grenell would serve without a partisan agenda…

“The 53-year-old former political advisor, who has no directly relevant background or top-level management experience, will supervise 17 agencies including the CIA. He has been unusually outspoken for an ambassador in criticizing the country where he serves… His outspoken behaviour… has led some German politicians to demand his expulsion…

“The longtime media commentator and former US spokesman at the United Nations will be the first openly gay US cabinet official… Avoiding a potentially contentious confirmation fight, Trump named him acting director, meaning he can serve for 210 days without approval from the Senate…

“Grenell has cheered on the rise of right-wing populists in Europe, including hailing Austria’s ultra-conservative chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, as a ‘rock star.’ He previously drew controversy as a spokesman for Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign…

“Senior congressional Republicans were muted in their response to the nomination. But Representative Matt Gaetz, a conservative who backs gay rights, praised the historical importance of the appointment. ‘Fifty years ago a gay man or woman couldn’t work in the intelligence community,’ he said.”

The New York Post added on February 22:

“[His] new job… makes Grenell the highest serving openly gay man to hold federal office in United States history.”

Some achievement! Grenell has been extremely unpopular in Germany, but his “sexual orientation” had nothing to do with it.

Brexit News

 Bloomberg wrote on February 27:

 “U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the European Union he’ll walk away from the negotiating table in June if it’s not clear he’s going to get a Canada-style trade agreement with the bloc…”

 The Guardian added:

 “The UK is to abandon a crucial tool used to speed up the transfer of criminals across borders with other European countries. Acting against the warnings of senior law enforcement officials, the government said it would not be seeking to participate in the European arrest warrant (EAW) as part of the future relationship with the European Union… The UK’s loss of the EAW became inevitable after Brexit; the treaty only applies to EU member states…

 “When Britain left the EU on 31 January, three EU countries – Germany, Austria and Slovenia – announced they would stop surrendering their nationals to British law enforcement…”

It is feared that Britain may become the harbor for European criminals.

Trump Administration Enforces Public Charge Rule against Legal Immigrants!

Breitbart wrote on February 24:

“President Trump’s administration on Monday started implementing the federal regulation geared toward stopping likely welfare-dependent legal immigrants from permanently resettling in the United States.

“After the U.S. Supreme Court gave the green light for the regulation, the Trump administration has now begun applying what is known as the ‘Public Charge’ rule—a rule whereby legal immigrants are less likely to secure a permanent residency in the U.S. if they have used any forms of welfare in the past, including any cash benefits for income maintenance, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)– otherwise known as food stamps, Medicaid, and certain taxpayer-funded housing programs.

“The rule will now apply nationwide…”

A horrible and ungodly rule, and even though many in this country might support it, as Breitbart claimed in their article,  it only shows why God is so angry with America’s government and its people. The next article shows even more why we are saying this.

Incredible US Supreme Court Decision

npr wrote on February 26:

“A sharply divided [U.S. Supreme] court first ruled that the parents of a Mexican boy shot and killed by a U.S. border patrol agent cannot sue the officer who killed their son… In 2010, 15-year-old Sergio Hernandez and his friends were playing chicken at the U.S. Mexican border, running up and touching the border fence and then running away and hiding. Video of the scene shows Sergio peeking out from behind a railroad trestle on the Mexico side, as Agent Jesus Mesa Jr. points a gun, fires, and kills the boy.

“When the U.S. government declined to prosecute the agent or turn him over to Mexican authorities to face murder charges there, the boy’s parents sued the agent for damages, contending that he violated the U.S. Constitution by depriving Hernandez of his life. The suit was brought under a 1971 Supreme Court ruling that allowed such damage claims against officers who act in bad faith.

“The panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals found that no reasonable officer would have done what Agent Mesa did under the circumstances, but the full appeals court said that it didn’t matter whether Mesa had acted unreasonably because Hernandez was standing on the Mexican side of the border when he was shot, his parents couldn’t sue.

“On Tuesday, the Supreme Court threw out the suit entirely and went much further… The vote was 5-to-4 with the court’s conservative justices refusing to allow damage suits for cross-border shootings…

“Mexico filed a brief in the case saying the U.S. should ‘hold the agents accountable’ and pointing out that the U.S. ‘would expect no less if … a Mexican government agent, standing in Mexico and shooting across the border, had killed an American child standing on U.S. soil.’”

No matter what the legalese and the concocted arguments, if there are any, the Supreme Court came up with, this ungodly decision decries any sense of justice. We are facing a grim future of our country with these kinds of unconscionable decisions of our highest court.

Mubarak Died

Deutsche Welle reported on February 25:

“Former president of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, has died at the age of 91… Mubarak, who had ruled Egypt for three decades and was ousted by mass protests in 2011, died of health complications at a Cairo hospital where he had undergone an unspecified surgery… The former strongman and his two sons were convicted to a three-year sentence and ordered to pay millions of dollars in fines for embezzlement of state funds… Egypt’s current president, Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, mourned the death of ousted Mubarak as a ‘military leader and war hero’ and offered the government’s condolences to his family…

“A former bomber pilot, Mubarak came to power after his predecessor Anwar Sadat was gunned down standing next to him at a military parade. Throughout his rule, Mubarak was a staunch US ally, fought back against Islamic militancy and promoted Egypt’s peace with Israel. But in 2011, tens of thousands of young Egyptians rallied against him for 18 days of unprecedented street protests in Cairo’s central Tahrir Square that drew the participation of millions of people.

“Mubarak’s downfall was a stunning development that marked the Arab Spring movement. But his overthrow plunged Egypt into years of instability and set the stage for a power struggle between the country’s military and the Muslim Brotherhood.”

The Algemeiner added on February 25:

“‘On behalf of the citizens and government of Israel, I would like to express deep sorrow on the passing of President Hosni Mubarak,’ Netanyahu said in a statement. ‘President Mubarak, my personal friend, was a leader who led his people to peace and security, to peace with Israel.’…

“Mubarak… was widely respected in Israel for his preservation of the peace treaty signed in 1979 by his assassinated predecessor Anwar Sadat.”

The Week reported:

“Mubarak was Egypt’s longest-serving leader in 150 years, and his violent crackdown on the protests led to his arrest and life imprisonment. He was released in 2017 after a higher court acquitted him of most charges.”

Some might recall Herbert W. Armstrong’s highly publicized friendly relationship with Anwar Sadat and his visit with Mubarak after Sadat’s murder.

Germany’s Uncertain Political Future

According to new polls, only every 5^th German would like to see Angela Merkel stay in power. Local elections in the city of Hamburg (the second-biggest city of Germany), which has been traditionally SPD-friendly, have also shown another defeat for Merkel’s CDU, with the historically lowest numbers of only about 11.2%. The Green party gained, while the AfD barely made the 5% hurdle. The FDP did not even qualify. The SPD has maintained its status as the biggest party in Hamburg, but it too registered substantial losses. The CDU wants to elect their new leader on April 25. This leader would then also normally become the successor to Angela Merkel as the candidate for Chancellorship.

Germany Allows Assisted Suicide

Deutsche Welle reported on February 26:

“Germany’s highest court has overturned a section of the criminal code forbidding all forms of assisted suicide… The law was adopted in 2015 by Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, to prevent associations or individuals from turning suicide into a kind of business. Specifically, the law states that ‘anyone who, with the intention of assisting another person to commit suicide, provides, procures or arranges the opportunity for that person to do so and whose actions are intended as a recurring pursuit incurs a penalty of imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or a fine.’

“Legal experts have since hotly debated whether the law also criminalizes consultations — or merely mentioning, for example, that one may end one’s life by foregoing food… The Protestant and Catholic churches in Germany reject all forms of assisted suicide…

“The country‘s top court on February 26 ruled that paragraph 217 is incompatible with the constitution, making assisted suicide once more possible in Germany… The verdict opens the door to legislation that would allow doctors to counsel patients about this option and provide them with lethal drugs, yet not administer them. The court found that individuals have a right to ‘self-determined’ suicide, including the freedom to take one’s own life and to enlist organized services provided by third parties…”

Suicide is always wrong. It violates God’s commandments. In German, the word for suicide is “Selbstmord”—that is, murdering oneself. And so, assisted suicide is helping another person to kill or murder him- or herself, which is of course also wrong. Even though man’s courts and laws might allow such conduct, this does not mean that a Christian should or could engage in such practices.

Daredevil Wanted to Prove that the Earth Is Flat and Died in the Process

The Los Angeles Times wrote on February 22:

“Mike Hughes, the self-made engineer who billed himself as the ‘world’s greatest daredevil,’ was killed Saturday outside Barstow during a launch of a homemade rocket gone wrong… Hughes, who went by the nickname ‘Mad Mike,’ was captured on video as he rode a rocket into the sky, failed to activate a parachute and then plummeted to his death… The daredevil had been hoping to use Saturday’s launch to reach a height of 5,000 feet… None of Hughes’ backup parachutes activated, either…

“Before that launch, Hughes told the Associated Press that he believed Earth is flat – or, in his words, ‘shaped like a Frisbee’ – and that he wanted to fly into space to make sure… the flat Earth argument helped drum up publicity and sponsors for Hughes, who made his rockets at his home in Apple Valley… [Hughes also] did have some governmental conspiracy theories…”

Bild Online added that he wanted to reach space “high-up” with a self-made rocket to “prove that the earth is a disc.” The flat earth theory is total nonsense. We don’t know whether any relationship exists between some of his stupid ideas and his death.

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.

(Español: ¿Deberíamos tener miedo al futuro?)

The world lives in fear—in fear of a nuclear war; fear of sickness and disease; fear of the end of the world; fear of a car accident; fear of dying in an airplane crash; fear of financial disaster and the loss of work; and fear of death in general. One of the greatest fears is also directed towards our fellow men… the concern how they would act and react when one stands up for the Truth.

How about true Christians? How about you? Do you live in fear? If so, this series of articles will explain how we can overcome our fears.

As mentioned, one of the biggest fears which we could have is the fear of men—what they might think or say or do if we embrace and live by the Truth of God’s Word.

But God is very specific and explicit in telling us that we must not fear other people.

Moses said the following to the people of Israel and then to Joshua, in Deuteronomy 31:3, 6-8:

“Then Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel… ‘The LORD your God Himself crosses over before you; He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua himself crosses over before you, just as the LORD has said… Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.’…

“Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, ‘Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. And the LORD, He is the one who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.’”

Many centuries later, Isaiah gave the same message of encouragement to the people of Israel at his time, while looking at their distant future when they would be freed from captivity after Christ’s Return. We read in Isaiah 51:11-13:

“So the ransomed of the LORD shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; Sorrow and sighing shall flee away. ‘I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid Of a man who will die, And of the son of a man who will be made like grass? And you forget the LORD your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth; You have feared continually every day Because of the fury of the oppressor, When he has prepared to destroy. And where is the fury of the oppressor?”

This is the key problem: While fearing man, we forget to fear God. And God tells them through Isaiah that in the end, an evil oppressor, apparently referring to a military leader called “the beast,” will arise whom the whole world will fear and follow. But his time will be short, and Christ will kill him when He returns.

The prophet Jeremiah repeats the same message of encouragement in Jeremiah 1:4-8, 17, 19:

“Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.’ Then said I: ‘Ah, LORD God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.’ But the LORD said to me: ‘Do not say, “I am a youth,” For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,’ says the LORD… Therefore prepare yourself and arise, And speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, Lest I dismay you before them…They will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you,’ says the LORD, ‘to deliver you.’”

In Ezekiel 2:3-8, we read God’s message to the prophet Ezekiel:

“Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. For they are impudent and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD God.’ As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse–for they are a rebellious house–yet they will know that a prophet has been among them.

“And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, though they are a rebellious house. You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.”

Also note God’s words to Ezekiel in Ezekiel 3:9:

“Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.”

In Hebrews 13:6, Paul echoes God’s same message to His people, as follows: “So we may boldly say: ‘The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’”

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

Again, we see that when we fear man, then we might lose the fear of God. That is the warning expressed in the above-quoted passage, and that is the same warning which we can read in Isaiah 57:11-13:

“And of whom have you been afraid, or feared, That you have lied And not remembered Me, Nor taken it to your heart? Is it not because I have held My peace from of old That you do not fear Me? I will declare your righteousness And your works, For they will not profit you. When you cry out, Let your collection of idols deliver you. But the wind will carry them all away, A breath will take them. But he who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land, And shall inherit My holy mountain.”

We either stand up for God or we deny Him. Fearing other people and being concerned as to what they believe and how they might act diminishes and destroys our fear and respect for God.

That is why we read time and again the same biblical warning, which Jesus Christ also expressed so vividly in Luke 12:4-9:

“And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell [Gehenna fire; the lake of fire and brimstone which will burn up the sinner]; yes, I say to you, fear Him! Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

“Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God…”

To show the tremendous power, concern and love of God for us, Christ also added this fundamental statement, in Luke 12:32: “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

In Matthew 10:32-39, Christ repeats some of the warnings, as expressed and reported in Luke, but He adds additional serious observations to tell us that we must NEVER fear others and let them influence us to depart from God, and that our love for God must always be our first priority:

“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it…”

And so, we read this important admonition by Peter in 1 Peter 3:14-16:

“But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.”

We discussed this passage in our previous Q&A, written by Eric Rank and titled, “What Are Our Responsibilities in Bearing Witness of Jesus Christ?” When we are called upon by sincere and honest people to give a defense or an answer, we must not be too afraid or timid to do so, nor must we be afraid of the threats of others when we do so. In the above-mentioned Q&A, we also addressed Christ’s warning not to be ashamed of Him and His teaching (compare Mark 8:38).

At the same time, it is not always good to “give a defense,” but when refusing to do so, it must not be because of fear of men, but rather of godly wisdom. Amos 5:13 tells us that it is good at times not to give an answer: “Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time, For it is an evil time.”

When Christ was challenged by Pilate and the Jews, He gave them no answer and presented no defense to their accusations (compare John 19:8-9; Matthew 26:63). In Matthew 27,12-14, we read:

“And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing. Then Pilate said to Him, ‘Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?’ But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.”

Jesus knew that any “defense” would have been useless, as His conviction and condemnation was predetermined. He did not waste His breath by giving what is holy to the “dogs” and casting God’s pearls of wisdom before the “swine” (Matthew 7:6). But He did not act in this way because of fear of men; He was not afraid of their threats.

Sadly, the Bible contains many examples when God’s very fundamental warning and exhortation, not to be afraid of man, has been ignored or violated.

Many refused to speak about Jesus in approving terms because they were afraid of others. John 7:12-13 reads:

“And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, ‘He is good’; others said, ‘No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.’ However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.”

After Jesus had healed a blind man, his parents were questioned by the leaders of the synagogue who were opposed to Christ, but because of fear, they did not speak up, as John 9:18-23 reports:

“But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. And they asked them, saying, ‘Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?’ His parents answered them and said, ‘We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.’ His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, ‘He is of age; ask him.’”

Another example is given in John 12:42-43:

“Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”

The question which we must always ask ourselves is this: Do we love the praise of God more than the praise of men? Are we more afraid of men than of God?

Even Joseph of Arimathea, an honorable, good and just rich counselor, who might have been Christ’s uncle with whom He might have made extensive journeys before He began His public ministry, was afraid to confess publicly his belief in Christ and that he was one of Christ’s disciples. John 19:38 reports:

“After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus.”

The next verse tells us that Nicodemus was apparently also a secret disciple. He had originally visited Jesus “by night,” apparently because of fear of the Jews:

“And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.”

Focusing briefly on the apostle Paul, he stands out as a bold and courageous person. But even he needed encouragement from time to time and occasional reconfirmation from God. In Acts 18:8-11, we read that God told Paul to speak up for God as God wanted to convert some in the city of Corinth:

“Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized. Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.’ And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.”

Paul had no fear of men, as Luke confirms in the book of Acts. In Acts 14:19-20, we read about Paul’s amazing courage:

“Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city.”

Paul went right back to the people who had stoned him. This required courage and boldness. We will show in the next installment how Paul could and did have such courage—and how we can have it too.

Paul was not afraid of people outside the Church, nor of those inside the Church who opposed him in rebellion. His letters provide ample testimony of this fact.

He states in 2 Corinthians 13:10:

“Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.”

Also note his comments in 2 Corinthians 10:1-11:

“Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ–who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh…

“For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed–lest I seem to terrify you by letters. ‘For his letters,’ they say, ‘are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.’ Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present.”

The reason for his righteous anger with some in the church is explained in 2 Corinthians 11:29: “Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?”

He knew that some would try to deceive the brethren and draw them away after themselves (Acts 20:30). Paul was not afraid of them; he stood up to them to protect the flock, even though he was judged by some who did not understand why he spoke and acted in that way and who accused him of lack of love. The same is true today—there is nothing new under the sun.

(To be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“Und weil die Gesetzlosigkeit ueberhandnimmt,” our new German booklet on Lawlessness, has been translated and is in final preparation for printing. In addition, numerous German translations of English articles have been posted on our German website, including parts of the Current Events section and the last member letter by Brian Gale. 

“The Third Temple and the Coronavirus” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary.

There is an alleged unrecognized connection between the outbreak of the Coronavirus in China and the preparation for the Third Temple in Jerusalem. What is that purported relationship? And in light of last week’s breaking news, how far are we with the building of the Third Temple which is prophesied to occur so that Jesus Christ can return?

“Der Abfall geht weiter,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English:  “The Falling Away Continues!”

“Leben wir nach Gottes Willen?,” the German sermonette presented last week by Thilo Hanstein, is posted. Title in English: “Do we live according to God’s Will?”

“Now What?” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank is now posted. Here is a summary:

As we see the current events march ever closer towards the denouement of God’s plan, how should we respond?

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

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. Do you?

• Initial information about our 2020 Feast sites (US and Germany) is posted on our website along with contact information.
• The 2020 Church Conference will be conducted in Escondido, California. Arrival will be Wednesday, March 25, 2020, and departure is scheduled for Monday, March 30, 2020.